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 7She stepped up to the window and grasped the curtain. A movement outside caused her to catch her breath. "Oh come back to earth Lucy, this is reality we're talking about." She attempted to sound cynical, but knew there was a smile on her face. Mr. Right was most certainly 'right out there'.
Lois continued to stand at the window, hoping for another glimpse of Clark. Glancing down to street level she noticed Lex Luthor just reaching his limo. He turned to look back up at her apartment. His smile, when he saw her watching, sent a shiver down her spine. She didn't like him.
Looking away she raised her gaze to the stars, pushing the curtain a little further out of her way. She sighed and closed her eyes, letting her heart drift upwards. It was almost as if she could join him in the sky … if she just believed hard enough.
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Chapter 8Lois exited Perry's office and began to stride, angrily, back to her desk, confident that Clark and Jimmy were following her. "What we need is physical evidence," she stated.
"I'll call Dr. Baines' office - see if I can get permission to set up an independent examination." Clark offered his suggestion and, even though it was reasonable, Lois' disappointment at being chewed out by Perry was churning in her gut.
"Clark! Baines is not going to let you do that! She could be involved! Besides, we don't have time to play by the rules. The colonist transport goes up in two days!"
Clark looked at her and she could see the same disappointment she was feeling written all over his face. "I'm making the call. Maybe someone else at EPRAD will authorize it."
He was already walking away as she called out a response. "You do that." She dropped into her chair and then let her head fall to rest in her hands, elbows resting on the desk. She tried, in vain, to breathe calmly. She had spent most of last night writing out her notes for this story. Well, she couldn't exactly write out the Lex Luthor interview … as it hadn't happened. She still felt a great deal of annoyance at her gullibility the previous night.
This morning Clark had done his usual stellar job of editing her copy … although it wasn't 'usual' yet. It would 'become' usual in the future. Lois let herself recall the feeling of Clark standing just behind her. He had reached over to point at her screen numerous times. His breath was in her ear … on her skin. She lost herself, many times, in imagining him placing a barely felt kiss on her neck, or her cheek. In her dreams … her memories … he did it often.
She looked back up to see Clark disappearing around the corner and out of sight. He wanted to call someone … get approval for an official examination. Well 'official' didn't always get the job done. She stood, a feeling of calm coming over her. She knew what to do, she knew how to salvage this story. The calmness became intermingled with anticipation. It was always a little exciting when the investigation required 'hands on' investigating rather than paperwork, phone calls and interviews.
Looking in the direction that Clark had walked she considered going after him for a moment, but then knew - without a doubt - that he'd talk her out of this course of action. Plus, she suddenly realised, OL would never have looked to Clark for backup at this stage of their acquaintance.
She picked up her bag and stalked off toward the elevator.
"Where are you going?" came the question from behind her.
"Nowhere," she replied sarcastically.
"I'm coming, too." Jimmy scuttled up beside her and they both stepped into the elevator.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Dr. Baines pulled the bindings around Lois' wrist tighter and Lois knew that this was the end. Jimmy lay unconscious at her side. No need to tie him up, except that they had just bound his hands together behind his back. If he woke up once they were gone there was at least a chance he could escape, but Lois was strapped to a solid pillar.
This was it. The time that her impulsive need to be the best at everything, to get the story, would instead get her killed. If only she'd told Clark, asked him to come with her, asked his opinion on whether it was a good idea, or maybe even demanded that he come. It was certainly more OL's style, to demand things from Clark. That's probably what OL had actually done, otherwise how did she get out of this situation alive?
If only she'd spoken to Clark … in some way … then he'd be here and she'd know that they were safe. If only.
And that's when she realised how stupid she'd been. Trying to second guess her every decision, just so that she'd do what OL did the first time around … it had actually led to the very thing she was trying desperately to avoid. A life … a future … without Clark.
Because she would be dead.
She rested her head back against the pillar as Dr. Baines stopped tugging on the straps. The thug with her began to pull on the straps around her chest, instead. Lois closed her eyes and remembered the first time her impulsiveness had led to a dangerous situation.
It had been her first month at the Planet as an intern. She was still at college but she was determined to have a full reporter's position by the time she graduated. She'd overhead Perry telling a couple of senior reporters that someone needed to get the scoop on the Police Chief. Anyone. There were rumours, and Perry was desperate to confirm them. Lois hadn't thought anything of it … until later that evening, when her path had unexpectedly crossed with the Police Chief's, and she'd recalled Perry's demand of his reporters.
She'd followed the Police Chief, on the spur of the moment, all the way to Suicide Slum. Her heart had been pounding as she crept around every corner once they arrived in the disreputable area. It had jumped and leapt about in her chest every time she ducked behind a dumpster. But it had been worth it, she thought. She'd overheard a conversation proving that the Police Chief was taking all the confiscated drugs from raids and arrests and selling it back out onto the streets. Her shocked gasp had set off a chain reaction of movements which culminated in an empty metal canister crashing to the floor next to her, and the Police Chief and drug dealer turning in her direction.
The tension, as they moved closer and closer, was almost more than Lois could bear, but at the last moment a mangy looking dog skittered out from under the dumpster and ran across the alley causing a further ruckus and leading the men to believe the dog had been the cause of the first clatter.
The rapid beating of her heart was still evident ten minutes later as she stood in a phone booth to ring the story through to Perry. Of course he was both overjoyed and annoyed. Lois, the new intern, had brought him a fantastic scoop, but there was no solid proof, so there was nothing to print. She carried a tape recorder in her pocket from that day on.
Her mind then drifted until it recalled another phone call where her heart had been pounding out of her chest.
The loneliness had gotten too much for her in her third year at college. The college paper editor, the one who had clashed with her over many different stories, had been dismissed and a new one taken on. He'd been worse, but Lois hadn't seen that to start with.
Paul wasn't afraid of printing controversial stories. He had no worry about the safety of his position, or the politics of the college, or a 'play it safe' attitude, the way Alan Braithwaite had. Lois had admired that in Paul, and even though her thoughts and dreams were filled with Clark, she found herself liking Paul, and thought that he liked her.
She'd been proven wrong. Paul's openness to printing controversial stories was nothing to do with a deep belief in truth and justice and the freedom of the press. It was not even a 'hippy-like' protest at rules and regulations and those in power above him. He was just an arrogant jerk who thought he was better then everyone around him, and she thankfully found out before it was too late, and before she made a fool of herself. No-one even knew she'd ever allowed herself a crush on him. Unfortunately it had been too late for her room-mate and best friend, Linda. She'd never recovered from the way Paul used her, and over time, Linda had actually turned into a female version of Paul, just to cope.
Still, after her slightly broken heart, Lois turned back to her dreams of Clark. Her memories of the perfect man. Loneliness took over her life and she'd convinced herself that she could wait no longer. She needed Clark.
It hadn't been hard to track down the number for the Kent farm in Smallville, Kansas. Two years of random fuzzy memories and emotions had given her enough snippets of actual information about Clark to know where he came from.
While she dialled the number her fingers trembled and her heart pounded. When a deep, friendly voice answered "Kent farm," her heart stopped beating entirely. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. "Hello?" continued the gentle voice, in question. She tried to speak once more, but her words and her courage, failed her. She hung up.
It was a strange feeling that she carried around with her for days afterwards. There was joy, at having recognised the sound of his voice, and getting the first piece of proof that Clark Kent was real, but there was disappointment that she didn't know him yet. Thankfully, though, the loneliness had disappeared. Even though she wasn't 'with' Clark, she no longer felt alone.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Lois opened her eyes at the sound of crashing metal only to see the warehouse door flying through the air.
"Let her go," came the commanding voice.
"Clark," she whispered in relief and delight, a smile filling her face.
"Put down those guns or I'll … I'll," he continued and then trailed away.
"Or you'll what?" came Dr. Baines' sarcastic reply.
Clark just shrugged.
"Oh, Clark," Lois cried to herself. There was still no Superman and he'd barrelled in like he was going to save everyone, but he was dressed in a suit and tie - burgundy and brown - wearing his adorable geeky glasses. She hung her head. Her suggestion for a change of clothes had fallen on deaf ears. And, worst of all, she didn't know if that was a good thing, or not, anymore. Second guessing whether OL would have made the suggestion, worrying over ruining her future with this man … it had just gone too far.
She watched as Clark let himself be chained to the metal beam next to her. He used the same column as her to rest his back against. She understood exactly why he couldn't do anything out of the ordinary, anything 'Super', but it still bothered her. They should be free by now. If he'd come in wearing the cape then he could have tied up Dr. Baines and the thug within a second and flown her and Jimmy out to safety. But, instead, they had to wait. He had to bide his time until no-one was watching.
Not even her, she realised.
Thankfully their backs were towards each other so he'd be able to do … whatever he was going to do … without risk of her seeing. It was a shame that she couldn't just tell him that she already knew. But tied up in a warehouse was not the place to drop her universe-sized bomb on him. And it really would 'explode' his universe when she told him. When, not if. Even if they waited years until they were together, she would still have to tell him, and explain, at some point. Even if she never made a silly mistake that caused him to become concerned over what she knew and how she knew it, he still deserved to know … at some point.
Dr. Baines and the tattooed man wandered off and Lois waited expectantly for Clark to make his move. She was, once again, overwhelmed by relief that Clark was here. If she hadn't based her earlier decision, not to get Clark involved, on whether she thought OL would tell him, then maybe he could have been here all along. But, thankfully, he was here anyway. Now that Clark was here she knew they'd get out of this. Now that they were saved … she resolved to live her own life … not OL's.
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