Description: Lois has been waiting since she was nineteen to meet a certain, super-special someone. Sequel to
Vision of Destiny and part 2 in the Destiny series.
TOC__________
From Chapter 2"Dr. Platt, who would want to sabotage space station Prometheus?"
"I don't know. See the micro gravity laboratory on Prometheus could be the key to curing hundreds of diseases here on earth. In a zero-gravity environment we can actually separate the proteins that form viruses and so many children with crippling diseases, my daughter, we could cure them." When Dr. Platt mentioned his daughter Lois looked back to the picture in her hand one last time.
She placed it back down, realising that this was so much more than just a factual story. People had died, but also, people would continue to die … if this really did turn out to be deliberate. The Messenger exploding by accident would be classed as a tragedy, and only one life was be lost. Yet if it was deliberate, as Platt claimed, then someone was interfering in the development of medicine in a large way, and millions of lives could be lost.
She turned to Clark. "I think you and I should pay Dr. Baines a visit."
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Chapter 3Lois glared at the woman flirting with her husband … well, future husband.
"Let me know if I can be of any further assistance," she offered, and fluttered her eyelashes.
"Thank you," came the reply from Clark, followed by his devastating smile. Jealousy coursed through her body and took up residence in her stomach. How dare he return her flirtations? He was supposed to be attracted to her. Theirs was a lifetime love … a soul mate bond.
She turned to look at Clark, and for the first time since she'd seen him yesterday, experienced negative feelings towards him. She narrowed her eyes and included him within her glare.
Her jealousy grew even stronger as they walked away and he began to defend the lady scientist.
"She seemed cooperative."
"I don't trust her." Whether that was reporter's instinct or jealous wife emotions she really couldn't tell at the moment.
"Very attractive." He paused. "Young for a woman in her position."
"Typical," Lois accused.
"What?"
"That's a typical male response."
"Lois, trust me on this. I am not your typical male." He sounded almost amused … thinking he knew something that she didn't.
"Don't I know it," she mumbled.
"What?" Clark exclaimed, almost looking scared.
"Well, a typical man would have found some excuse to feel my behind, or stare at my chest or … or even ask me out by now, but you haven't done any of that." Lois realised that her jealousy had driven her to overt flirtation, challenging him over his lack of interest in her. She'd even pushed her chest out at that word, to emphasise her point. Lois noticed Clark's 'deer-in-headlights' look and felt even more daring. "Or maybe you don't like women. Do you prefer men?" she asked innocently.
"No!" he protested and she noticed him glance down to her chest. "No, I … I definitely prefer women, Lois." He took a deep breath. "In fact …"
Lois saw Clark's face change from worried to nervous. She suddenly had a clear memory of him standing at the top of the newsroom stairs and saying, 'can I ask you something?'. Her patchy, stolen memories immediately knew that he was attempting to ask her out.
Panic gripped her. It was too early. There's no way that she would have considered Clark Kent as a romantic partner if she didn't already know her future. Not willing to risk that future she turned away from Clark and put on an air of indifference, speaking before he could complete his sentence. "Anyway, we should be getting back to the office." She strolled away and tried to still her wildly beating heart.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Jimmy was giving Clark a tour around the office now that they had returned, as he hadn't gotten one before she'd whisked him off to EPRAD earlier. Filling her coffee cup she felt the two men pass behind her. A flow of air seemed to convey Clark's presence to her. The smile on her face had to be supressed quickly when Cat sidled up beside her.
"Who's the new tight end?" she growled.
Lois felt her heart stop in terror. Cat could not be allowed anywhere near her Clark. She whirled around with a coffee stirrer in her hand and waived it directly in Cat's face. "Stay away from Clark Kent." Lois immediately knew she'd said the wrong thing when a knowing look crept over the other woman's face. Her lips twitched and her eyebrow rose. Lois left before Cat could say anything, stalking over to her desk as quickly as possible.
She turned in time to see Clark approach the coffee desk and Cat swivel, purposefully, into his way. "Excuse me," he said.
"Catherine Grant." Lois watched as Cat held out her hand. Clark took it and shook it very awkwardly. "Cat's Corner."
"Oh yeah, I've read your column," Clark replied, with a much too friendly tone for Lois' liking. Cat shifted her glance, momentarily catching Lois' gaze. She felt a scowl come over her face, but the underdressed woman had already given her attention back to Clark.
"Oo, oh. Then my reputation precedes me."
"Among other things," Lois murmured to herself. Clark turned his head slightly and she realised that he'd heard. Of course. If she'd been on the other side of the room he'd still have heard.
"You know, I know what it's like to be new in town. Lonely. I'd be happy to show you around."
"Uh, that's very nice of you Ms Grant." He continued his friendly tone.
"Cat."
"Cat," he repeated.
"Don't do it Clark," Lois pleaded, in the quietest whisper.
"Uh, maybe when I get settled."
Cat patted Clark's chest then wandered off. "It's a date."
Lois' mouth dropped open in hurt. She felt the tears threaten at the corner of her eyes. Again, her patchy stolen memory screamed at her. This wasn't right. Clark was for her, and her alone. He wasn't allowed to date other women. Just her. But what if this was one of the gaps she'd filled in herself, with her own fantasies of what Clark was like.
Maybe she had to let him date Cat first. Maybe Clark wasn't hers … yet.
The pain that hit her chest was almost unbearable and the first tear fell.
"Lois?" came a soft voice from behind. "Lois, what is it?"
Her heart skipped around in her chest. "Clark. Nothing's wrong. Just got something in my eyes." She turned around and plastered a bright smile on her face. "Eyelash, I think." She began to swivel back round when Clark's hand on her chair stalled the movement.
"Want me to look?" He smiled at her and dropped to his haunches.
Lois widened her eyes in panic. "No, uh no. It's okay. It'll come out soon enough."
His expression changed from caring to unsure at her brush off. "All right." He nodded slowly and then stood.
Once he'd left she returned to her computer screen and resisted the impulse to drop her head into her arms in mortification, as that would
definitely not be something that original Lois would ever do. Thinking about this a lot had left Lois with the sure knowledge that she would have never let Clark get to her this way the first time around. In fact, she probably would have been acting completely superior. She
was superior to Clark … at least in a journalism sense.
Somehow she had to act in that manner, now. She had to pretend that Clark Kent meant nothing to her. No words he said could affect her. No dating decisions would bother her. And no offers to look for rogue eyelashes would ever be accepted!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Lois glared at the phone. Mitchell had cancelled. She couldn't go to the ball without a date. Well, maybe she could, but it was a waste of a ticket. She glanced over at Clark, who was fiddling with something on the desk opposite. Suddenly she was assailed by the memory of his arms around her. They'd danced, on many occasions, in her stolen memories. On the floor, and in the air … above the clouds. If she asked him to replace Mitchell then maybe they could dance tonight.
Lois' breath hitched as she stood slowly. Walking over to Clark, on unsteady legs, she reminded herself to take a superior tone. As the memories of being held close to that strong chest washed over her once more she found it impossible to keep a smile of anticipation from creeping onto her face.
Lois reminded herself to act superior. OL would have been superior. She'd taken to referring to the real owner of her memories as OL, although whether that stood for Old Lois, Other Lois or Original Lois, she didn't know. But then she began to consider that OL might not have even wanted to go with Clark at all.
She arrived at Clark's desk and her heart dropped. There would be no slow dance with Clark tonight. OL had to prevail.
He looked up at her. "Everything all right, Lois?"
"Sure," she nodded. "Just wondering what you're still doing here? I mean it's not as if you've got a story to write up. You haven't been assigned anything solo … and I'm not ready to write the story yet. So …" she allowed her voice to trail off. Hopefully that had sounded kind of superior.
"Oh. I guess I just didn't want to leave yet. You know. First day and all. I didn't want the feeling, the excitement, to end." He smiled at her and her heart melted. She could never resist that smile. It was the most handsome, loveable, trustworthy, wonderful … super … smile in the world.
"Well, all good things … you know," she continued, trying to stay superior.
"Yeah … must come to an end. I guess I should go back to my hotel room. I'll see you tomorrow, Lois."
As she watched him stand, reach for his jacket on the back of the chair, and then head for the elevator, she experienced a profound sense of loss. She wouldn't get to feel his hands at the base of her spine. She wouldn't feel his breath whisper, warmly, past her ear.
"I don't suppose you own a tuxedo?" she called out, suddenly, not able to keep the words from spilling out.
He turned and looked at her, a slightly teasing smile on his face. "I could get one."
She grinned at him, immediately overwhelmed by excitement for the coming evening, and possible dancing. "Great!"
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