The Ides of Metropolis - Matchmaker Style
Rated PG-13
* * denotes emphasis
< > denotes thoughts
As always comments are welcome. (ken.janney@kjanney.com)
Previously:
There was a note of frustration in her voice as Lois replied, "Oh, Martha, I've never been a very patient person. This is the first time I can remember when I didn't snoop and find my presents early and open them because I just couldn't wait for Christmas."
Martha smiled and said, "There, you see. You are already starting to develop patience."
Lois smiled; it was still a sad smile just the same, and said, "I guess you're right. And I guess I did have a little patience when Clark lost his memory back during the nightfall adventure. Actually, I have Henderson to thank for that. He challenged me, indirectly, but he challenged me and I met the challenge. My own way."
Martha laughed and said, "Well, we can't complain about the results. Your ‘therapy' sure restored his Clark memory. It's a shame that his Superman memory wasn't restored at the same time, but you brought that back when no one else could have. It was your telling him of all the times he had rescued you that restored those memories." Martha reached out, took both of Lois's hands in hers, looked Lois square in the eyes and turned serious as she continued, "You know … the world is singing Superman's praises for saving everyone from that asteroid, but if it hadn't been for you, his wife, there wouldn't have been a Superman to save everyone. Superman is a hero, but you, my very,
very dear daughter-in-law are every bit as much a hero, although an un-sung hero, as the man in the blue suit. Maybe, sometime in the distant future, everybody will know, but for right now, only the four of us know that you saved the man that saved the world. Not just once, but twice, from Trask and the Kryptonite and by restoring his memory. We'd all be very much dead if it hadn't been for you. He couldn't be who he is without
you in his life. We are very happy to have you as a member of this family. The love that the two of you share … it is beyond obvious. And we love you too. You're the daughter we always wanted. The
perfect wife for our son."
By the time Martha finished speaking … the sincerity with which the words were spoken … tears were flowing down Lois's cheeks. Lois threw her arms around Martha in a fierce hug which Martha returned and joined in the water works.
Jonathan and Clark looked on and both had smiles on their faces. They both loved both of the women of the family.
Jonathan was actually surprised at how quickly Lois had wormed her way into his affections. He did love this girl like a daughter, the daughter they'd never had, just as much as he loved his son. Martha was right, she
was the perfect wife for his son.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
After a Christmas dinner of turkey with stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce vegetables and, of course, pumpkin pie a la mode, they Kent family sat around the table and discussed the future. Lois and Clark had the week off and were planning to spend at least some time on the island, but Martha insisted that they return for New Years. "Smallville is going to put on a fireworks display down at the lake. Everybody will be there. Clark, it'll be a chance for you to catch up with Pete Ross, Lana, Rachel and Billy Eck. I know you haven't seen any of them for a while."
With a sly grin, Lois said, "Yeah, we could catch up with Rachel."
Clark knew that she was teasing him and he played along, "Maybe we could invite Rachel over and we could play Spin-the-Bottle."
Lois gulped, then had a thought, "Only if you invite this Pete and Billy. I'd like those odds better."
"To make it even we'd have to invite Lana as well."
Martha interrupted, "You do know that Rachel has started dating, Billy Eck, don't you?"
Clark looked sheepish and said, "No, I didn't."
"And that Lana is dating Pete?"
Lois chortled, "No, we didn't. Well, I guess that lets out Spin-the-Bottle as a party game. Besides, I don't want Clark kissing any other women. It would spoil them for their future husbands."
Clark added, "When you get right down to it, I'm kinda territorial when it comes to my wife's kisses as well."
Lois moved over, sat in his lap and proceeded to seal the bargain with one of those kisses.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Later because a farmer's day starts with the sunrise, no matter what the weather, Jonathan and Martha had headed off to bed leaving Lois and Clark alone. He had promised Lois that her present would get a workout in the morning.
Clark had removed a cushion from the sofa, placing it on the floor near the fire. Lois grabbed the blanket that was draped across the back of the sofa and moved over to sit on the cushion while Clark turned off the room lights. Clark joined Lois on the cushion and wrapped her up in his arms and the blanket. She snuggled back into his embrace and released a contented sigh.
As the fire flickered on the hearth and the lights twinkled on the tree Lois said, "The perfect end to the perfect Christmas day, the bestest, most perfect Christmas day ever." Craning around she gave him a kiss. "Thank you."
"For what?"
"Oh, just for being you and for making me a part of this family. I never knew that being in a family would be this nice. I feel utterly content."
"I'm glad you are. I wouldn't have it any other way."
"Your mom says that I am the perfect wife for you. I hope she's right."
"She is very seldom wrong. I think you should have seen that by now. You are the perfect, the only woman that could ever be my wife. You have accepted me and what I can do right from the beginning; almost from the time I fell in love with you, which was the moment that I saw you. Since we've been married, we've been through so much. I don't know if any other woman could have handled it all."
Lois quipped, "All in a day's work, a day in the life of the wife of a true superhero that is." She turned serious as she continued, "Our love sustains me. It keeps me focused. It is the anchor that keeps me from drifting. It’s the cornerstone upon which we will build our own family one day."
"Yes, our love will see us through. I don't know what the future holds, but I do know that whatever it is, we will face it together."
The silence that followed was not strained, but companionable as they simply cuddled and watched the flickering flames and the twinkling lights.
And now:
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter 2
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The day after Christmas, Lois and Clark packed a few things and some food, enough for three days, and Clark flew them to their island getaway.
Lois was dressed for Kansas in the middle of winter with a snowstorm raging when they left. The temperature had moderated somewhat as they had proceeded west. Once they were approaching the equator, Lois was thankful for the presence of Clark's aura because it protected her from the heat.
Clark was monitoring Lois's heart beat the entire time. He knew that Lois loved to fly with him and that her heart beat reflected that excitement, yet it was calm, not stuttering, because she trusted him implicitly. As soon as they crossed the equator though, her heart rate started to pick up. The closer they got to the island the faster it was. The anticipation of the time on the island and what they would be doing was getting her excited.
He landed them in front of the little bungalow he had constructed for their time on the island. As soon as he set her down and she was released from his aura the heat hit her like a hammer. After the frigid air of Smallville, just a few minutes earlier to go to the stifling heat of the tropics was almost a shock to her system. She couldn't get her clothes off fast enough. The winter coat hit the sand almost before she was steady on her feet. The sweater quickly followed. She unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans and with a shimmy of her hips slid them down her legs, toeing off her boots at the same time. After removing the tank top she had worn under the sweater she was effectively dressed in a brief bikini consisting of her lacy, see through bra and matching panties.
Looking at him, she asked, "What are you waiting for?" She spun her finger.
He nodded and did a spin change into his underwear.
She stepped over to him and put her arms around his neck. Rubbing her body against his she said, "I like this place. Nice and private and I have you … all … to … my … self." The words were interspersed with kisses.
Picking her up he flew them the few feet that separated them from the bedroom in the bungalow. Laying her down he removed the final pieces of her clothing.
She pushed on his chest and he rolled over on his back. She knelt next to him and slid his underwear from his body.
Licking her lips at the sight of him, she leaned down and started a period of marital intimacy.
When they were finished, Lois was lying on top of him. She sighed and said, "I needed that. Having your parents down the hall just ... and it was too cold to go out to the barn for a ..."
He had been interrupting her statements with kisses.
He kissed her again, stopping her flow of words and then said, "I know what you mean. I've been waiting for this since we left the Planet for this holiday."
With a wicked grin, Lois asked, "Are we finally going to try for twelve?"
He rolled her over on her back and moved between her legs. She smiled in anticipation as his eyes twinkled and he said, "I can't guarantee that I'll survive, but now is as good a time as any,"
Her squeal of delight signaled the start of another period of marital intimacy.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
They actually spent four days on the island. Lois and Clark had each brought some casual clothes with them and Clark flew them to Honolulu one afternoon for dinner and a movie. They found something that interested both of them. It was a triple feature that contained all aspects of the genre. There was plenty of action and adventure. There were chase scenes, shootouts and large explosions. There was romance and there was comedy and tragedy. What they went to see was Episodes IV, V and VI of Star Wars. The showing started mid-afternoon and lasted into the evening, just in time for Clark to take Lois out for dinner and dancing. When they made it back to the island, they were a tired but a very happy couple.
As they were settling in bed and cuddling, Lois started thinking about the movies and said, "You know, a lot of what the Jedi could do is what you do. Your heat vision is like their light sabers. You can fly, actually better than their levitation. They can use mind control to make it so they aren't seen, you have super speed. They could lift heavy objects and so can you," as she drew random patterns on his chest with her finger, tracing lines around his nipples.
Clark got into the spirit of the conversation, "You would make a terrific Princess Leia. Those robes she wore in Chapter IV, New Hope, looked almost Kryptonian. You'd look good in them. You're aggressive, no nonsense. You take charge easily and just like her you leap before you look, like when they dove down the chute into the trash compactor. Do we need to add that one to your bucket list?" He started laughing when she gave him a dirty look.
"I'd never do anything like that and you know it."
"You've done plenty of things of a similar nature, admit it."
She thought for a second, before she replied, "Yeah, I guess you're right. I'm trying to do better, though."
"Yes, you are trying, I'll give you that."
She had a funny look as she asked, "How am I supposed to take that? Do I try your patience or something?"
"You sure have, in the past. I have to admit that you haven't deliberately put yourself in danger, recently."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Two large pickup trucks made their way along the roads of Smallville. The sides of the roads still sported a covering of snow from the Christmas snowfall.
Each vehicle held two people. Billy Eck was in the lead vehicle with his date, Rachel Harris. Billy was very pleased. He was looking forward to catching up with his old High School buddy, Clark Kent. Rachel on the other hand was somewhat apprehensive. The last time that she had seen Lois Lane and Clark Kent had been a few days after the incident involving Jason Trask. She had gone to the farm to see how Clark was healing from his gunshot wound and have the two of them sign the statements that she'd had typed up. She had been amazed that someone as small as Lois had been able to kill someone as big as Trask, even accidentally, but she had done just that. Rachel had still been reeling from Lois's revelation that she and Clark were married. It had come as an almost crushing blow that Clark could chose this city gal over someone that he had grown up with. True, they really had only had one date, the Prom, but that night had been the best night of Rachel's life to that point. When he had shown up again that day at the Corn Festival, all she could think about was renewing that relationship and perhaps moving it to the next level … or even beyond the next level.
Pete Ross was driving the other pickup and he had Lana Lang as his passenger. Pete was also looking forward to seeing Clark again. He also looked forward with eager anticipation to meeting the woman that he had married. He had been at school when they had last been in Smallville so he hadn't seen them, but he had heard about their marriage, through the Smallville ‘grapevine'. Lana Lang, on the other hand, had been one of the girls that Clark had dated seriously while in High School. That had been broken off when she'd had to go with her Dad on an archaeological dig their senior year. She had completed that year as a home schooler with her father, Professor Bertram Lang, as her teacher. She had done her senior year through correspondence under his tutelage and managed to graduate near the top of the class.
As the two vehicles neared their common destination the excitement grew within each of the vehicles occupants although for a multitude of different reasons.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
For New Year's Eve, Jonathan and Martha had arranged for a surprise visit by Rachel, Lana, Billy and Pete. The two couples arrived about an hour after Lois and Clark returned from the island. They drove up in two pickup trucks. Billy had a large four by four that he used at the feed story and Pete had a large bed pickup that his father used around the farm. Pete was home on winter break from the college where he was teaching Metallurgy and Mineralogy.
As they approached the door, Rachel Harris was in the lead. She stood at the door and waited for Billy to knock.
When the door was opened by Martha Kent, she swallowed hard and entered, unsure of what kind of reception she would receive. As soon as she stepped through the doorway she spotted Lois and Clark. Clark had his arm across Lois's shoulders and she had her arm around his back. Rachel took off her ten-gallon hat and handed it to Martha who put it on a side table.
When she looked back she saw Lois remove her arm from around Clark. Lois no longer felt threatened by Rachel in her relationship with Clark. Rachel stepped in their direction and held out her hand for Lois to shake and was surprised when Lois ignored the offered appendage and pulled Rachel into a hug. She was flabbergasted when she heard, Lois say, "Rachel, it's so good to see you again. How's the sheriff business?"
Lois was surprised to see Rachel Harris, but unlike the previous visit she was no longer apprehensive. Now, secure in the knowledge of her relationship with Clark she felt free. She no longer had to compete with this woman. She thought to herself, <The better woman won.> She was able to greet the other woman warmly.
Rachel came out of her stupor enough to say, "Well, you know what they say, ‘same old, same old.'" She turned to her date and performed the introduction, "This here is Billy, Billy Eck."
Lois held out her hand and said, "Pleased to meet you, finally. Clark has told me so much about you."
Taking her small hand in his large paw, Billy laughed, self-deprecatingly and said, "Nothing bad I hope."
Lois reassured him, "All good, I assure you."
The next to approach was Pete Ross. Clark performed the introduction, "Lois, this is Pete Ross. There was never a better left tackle in Smallville Crows' history."
Pete smiled and said, "I had to protect the quarterback so that he could make the big plays, didn't I?"
He turned and said, "And this is Lana Lang. Her father is a famous Archeologist."
Lois pulled Lana into a hug and said, "Clark's told me about you as well. Planning to follow in your father's footsteps?"
Lana looked significantly at Pete as she said, "That all depends on a certain someone. I could be a scientist or a scientist's wife."
That generated laughter from the entire group, some of it nervous.
After they had all been gathered for a time the girls and guys separated, the girls for 'girl talk' and the guys to talk sports.
Rachel and Lois had become acquainted when Lois and Clark had been there during the Trask incident and were really just getting to know one another. Now that she was dating Billy she could release any designs she might have had on Clark and look at the relationship that he had with Lois objectively. What she saw was a woman that actually glowed with happiness and a man that was completely satisfied with his life. She noted the little glances that the couple shared even as they interacted with the others in their group. She sighed and thought to herself, <It's a good thing that I finally gave up on Clark and found Billy. Clark is very much taken.>
Pete Ross and Billy Eck were catching up with Clark. They had been called the three musketeers in high school because they were always together. Pete had always worried about Clark, ever since that camping trip when he had awakened to see Clark floating above his sleeping bag. He had kept a close eye on Clark from that time on and little by little seen how his powers were being used to help people, like the time he picked up a tree that had fallen on Billy so that they could get him out. That was one of the reasons he had made it his personal duty to protect the quarterback. He didn't want one of the opposing players to get hurt trying to tackle Clark. Billy had been the tight end and Clark's ‘go to guy' in a pinch on the field. Between them they had led the Crows to a State Championship their senior year.
Pete knew that Clark was a good guy and he never worried that he would abuse those powers. When Superman made his debut he had been happy that Clark had found a way to use his abilities openly. He hadn't doubted for a single second that it was Clark in the colorful suit. Pete had always worried about Clark having a romantic relationship. Could any woman cope with what Clark could do and what he did do for humanity. After meeting Lois, after seeing how happy they were together, seeing the little glances they exchanged even while they interacted with the others of their group he knew that he could put those fears to rest.
When the other girls took off their long winter coats, Lois had noted the way that Rachel and Lana were dressed. Both were wearing short flouncy skirts with crinolines under them and western boots. The boots made a lot of sense to Lois, the snow from Christmas was still hanging around, but the short skirts had her wondering. She asked Rachel, "How come you guys are dressed like this. Isn't it kinda cold to be wearing something that short?"
Rachel and Lana both laughed at the question and then Rachel explained, "When we leave here, we're going to the New Year's Eve dance at the Grange Hall. We were going to ask you and Clark if you wanted to go too."
Lois smiled and said, "I'd love to and I'm sure Clark would too. Let me check." She turned to Clark and asked, "Clark? Do you want to go to the New Year's dance at the Grange Hall?"
Smiling, Clark said, "Did you bring your dress and boots?"
Nodding, Lois said, "I wouldn't be without them when I'm here in Smallville."
"Then, all right. I guess we'll need to change clothes."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
At the dance, Lois was in the middle between Lana and Rachel while Pete, Clark and Billy were in line behind their respective partners.
This time there was a friendly competition between the girls At the end of the dance, both Rachel and Lana admitted that the dance queen trophy had to go to Lois. She was a natural and had outdone both of her friends and they were all now friends. Their friendship had been cemented during the course of the day.
As they were leaving the dance the three girls all shared a group hug and promised to get together again, soon.
By the time they got home, to the farm, Lois was tired, but very happy. She had a husband that loved her and whom she in turn loved very much and now had a couple of wonderful girlfriends. It had always been hard for Lois to make friends, but ever since she and Clark had gotten married, it just seemed easier, somehow.
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