Title: Every Time We Say Goodbye
Author: Sue S.
Rating: PG/PG13ish
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Previously:"I came to inform you that Lois Lane had to go into protective custody yesterday afternoon. She's asked me to tell you that she's working on an exclusive."
Chip looked nonplussed. "An exclusive? But… she's supposed to be doing a piece on infrastructure. How would that require her to enter protective custody?"
"I'm sorry. I'm not at liberty to share the details."
Chip's frown increased and he stood up from behind the desk. "Is this about the Excelsior International story? Because she was removed from that."
Clark said nothing, merely watched Chip start to pace as he weighed the merits of punishing Lois against the potential for a big exclusive.
After two circuits from the chair to Perry's bookshelf, Chip turned to face him. "Tell her I want her to call me before end of business today, or she's fired."
Before Clark could answer, there was a rumbling beneath their feet. Chip stumbled sideways, Clark reached out a hand to steady him.
"What was--" Chip got no further before another rumble shook the building.
There was another moment of silence, and then the screaming started. Clark let go of Chip's arm and sprinted for the stairwell. All around him the building had begun to groan and creak ominously.
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Part 7/12
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Lois was sitting on the edge of Clark's bed, once again contemplating the snapshot of her and Clark together when she heard the first siren. Seconds later it was joined by another and then another. Soon the urgent wail of multiple sirens heading uptown was bouncing off buildings and echoing through the streets. She rushed to turn on Clark's television, clicking through the channels until she found one with a banner proclaiming "Breaking News."
"--explosion at the Daily Planet. No word yet on the cause or if there are casualties--"
Lois gasped and stood perfectly still, staring at the screen and willing the station to switch from the news desk to a correspondent at the scene. What kind of an explosion? Was Superman there? Was there kryptonite in the building? Had anyone been hurt? The faces of so many of her co-workers swam in her memory and tightened the pit beginning to take up residence in her stomach.
When the station began to air an advertisement she cycled through the next few channels. None of them gave any kind of an update. Lois knew she shouldn't leave. She knew there was nothing she could do to help. But she couldn't simply sit in Clark's apartment when the Planet was involved. She turned off the television and picked up Clark's key from the countertop, shoving it into her pocket. It took several long minutes and a two block jog before she found a cab. The driver could only get her as close as Bartlett Street so Lois had to run the last three blocks. Amidst all the confusion it was easy to slip past the harried rookie trying to keep the crowd back.
Lois rounded the final corner and came to a breathless halt. She couldn't seem to move, she could only stare in stunned disbelief as smoke billowed from the Daily Planet. Broken glass was everywhere. Bits of paper floated in lazy spirals in the air and collected in swirling eddies on the ground. Fire engines and ambulances were parked in the street and a mass of humanity was swarming everywhere -- fire fighters, police, emergency workers, and her co-workers.
She caught sight of Superman's red cape at the other end of the block and breathed a quiet sigh of relief. He was standing in a bunched circle with several other people, some of them in uniform. All of them looked grim as they talked, occasionally gesturing at the building.
"My darling, I've been so worried. How are you? Do you require assistance?" A hand touched her elbow and she instinctively jerked away. How in the world had Lex found her so quickly amidst all this chaos? Had he been watching for her?
Lois turned to face him and saw his expression flicker when he took in the man's dress shirt she was wearing before settling into an expression of concern. Her breath caught in her throat as she wondered if Lex was behind the explosion. Had he done it just to get her to come out of hiding?
Her voice felt like it was coming from a great distance as she answered, "I'm fine."
"Were you in the building when it happened?" Lex asked, giving her shoulder a soft squeeze before leaving his hand to rest there, heavy and warm and frighteningly possessive.
"No, I..." Lois hesitated. She didn't want Lex's solicitude, his murmured condolences, and especially his touch but she was suddenly terrified of what might happen if he knew for certain that she was on to him. "I wasn't here. I just got back in town."
"Come, my dear," Lex soothed, and moved his hand to close around her upper arm. "Let's get you away from here."
"I can't," she blurted out, planting her feet to prevent being towed along with him. "I can't leave until I know what happened and if everyone is okay."
"It's going to be several hours before we know anything definitive," Lex said smoothly as his hand tightened just a little more on her arm. "Why not wait somewhere less dangerous? My car is just around the corner."
"I need to find Jimmy." Lois tried to subtly pull her arm free, but Lex wasn't letting go. "I need to find out what's happened to everyone."
"I'll help you look." Lex's attention suddenly shifted to the scene behind her and his dark eyes narrowed.
Lois took advantage of Lex's distraction and stepped backwards to try and break his grip on her arm. He didn't let go and she was even more worried when she bumped into something -- someone -- solid. Owen, Lex's hulk of a bodyguard was her first guess until gentle fingertips brushed past the small of her back. Her eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat. For the happiest scrap of a second she thought Clark had returned to Metropolis. But when she turned her head to look Lois found the familiar primary colors of Superman's 'S' in her field of vision
"Lois? How are you?" Superman's gaze momentarily flicked towards Lex before returning to her.
"I'm fine." Lois couldn't help gaping at him in surprise. She knew he could move fast but it was still rather amazing to have him so instantly there. She wondered what the other people in the group had thought when Superman suddenly zipped away up the street.
"She's not fine," Lex interjected smoothly and gripped her arm so tightly that her fingers began to tingle. "I think she's in shock. Please help me to convince Lois that she should come away from here."
Superman's attention shifted to Lex. "Mr. Luthor, the fire chief would like to speak with the Planet's owner. I believe that's you, isn't it?"
For a moment none of them moved. Lex seemed frozen and Lois had the distinct impression that he was fuming at how neatly Superman had deflected him. Then he nodded and murmured a smooth, "Of course. We'll speak again soon, dear." Lex kissed her cheek and gave her arm one last painful squeeze before letting go and turning away.
Lois let out a shaky sigh of relief and rubbed her arm where Lex had been gripping it.
"Now tell me the truth," Superman said quietly after Lex was several steps away. "How are you, really?"
Lois looked over at the smoldering ruin of the Daily Planet building and shook her head. She felt overwhelmed. It was almost incomprehensible to her that this was really happening. Now that the initial shock was wearing off what Lois really wanted was to scream and break things. She needed to rail at the utter senselessness in seeing the Planet destroyed. How many people had been hurt? Was Jimmy one of them? What about Jack? And Edward? Denise or Danielle or Darlene or whatever the heck her name was at the foreign desk? At least she had the comfort of knowing that Clark and Perry hadn't been in the building when it happened.
Clark! Good god, he was probably still asleep right now. He had no idea what had happened, no clue that his world had just been shattered. He loved the Planet with the same intensity that she did; it was one of his best qualities.
"Honestly?" Lois gulped in some air to keep the tears at bay. "I don't know how I am. Do you know if anyone has been hurt?"
Superman's shoulders sagged a little. "Two people were killed in the basement where the blast originated."
Her body went cold with fear. Jimmy and Jack had both been reassigned to work in the basement. "What about Jimmy and Jack? Please tell me Jimmy wasn't one of them." she whispered.
"I've seen Jimmy, he's okay. Jack, too."
Lois swayed on her feet slightly as relief made her knees shaky. "Oh, thank God," she murmured.
"Luthor may be right about one thing; I think you're going into shock." Superman gestured at the table and chairs outside the coffee shop where she and Clark had gone just last week. "Why don't you sit down for a minute?"
"I'm fine," she mumbled.
"You look pale." Superman's hand again touched the small of her back, gently guiding her. "Please, come sit down."
Lois shook her head but took a seat anyway. She hoped with all her heart that Lex wasn't responsible, that she wasn't to blame for this, however tangentially. She looked up at the shattered windows of the news room, watching in a daze as more papers were sucked out through an empty window pane and began their slow descent to the street below.
"What am I going to tell Clark?" Lois clasped her hands together to stop them from shaking. "He doesn't even know yet. He, he loves this place and he's gonna be devastated--." Her voice broke and her vision blurred.
Superman crouched in front of her, laying one steady hand on top of hers. "I'm sure Clark's biggest concern is that everyone is okay." His head ducked slightly, tilting so that he could look her in the eye. "You are okay, aren't you?"
Lois gave him a watery smile and nodded. "I'm okay." She looked past him to the controlled chaos in the street. "You don't have to stay with me. I'm sure there are other things you should be doing right now."
Superman shook his head and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "There's not much more I can do here for now. All the employees are out of the building and the fires are out. They're assembling a structural integrity team to check the building and then the bomb squad will be going in."
Her stomach twisted at the possible implications. "Bomb squad? So this was deliberate, not an accident?"
Superman frowned and stood up. "It has to have been deliberate. There's so much kryptonite in the basement that I can practically feel it from here."
"But you're okay?"
"I'm fine. I'd leave but I don't want to give him the satisfaction."
They both looked in the direction of Lex, watching as he joined the crisis management circle Superman had left.
"What do you think he's up to?" Lois mused aloud.
Superman sighed and looked at her, his mouth tight with frustration. "You shouldn't have come here. You promised that you'd stay at the apartment."
Her cheeks flushed, hating that she was being chastised by Superman. And then a little flare of righteous anger stiffened her spine. "I couldn't just sit and watch it all unfold on television!"
Superman's frown deepened. "What are you planning to do now?"
"I don't know. I guess I'll get a coffee." Lois gestured at the coffee shop and felt another pang that Clark was so far away. She could really use someone to commiserate with right now. Was he awake yet? Had he seen the news? Was it on the news in Hawaii yet?
"You know what I'm asking, Lois."
She did know what Superman was driving at but she wasn't about to leave now. Not when there was kryptonite in the building. It was probably far too rare and valuable for Lex to leave it lying around. If she sat here long enough she might spot someone smuggling it away from the scene.
"Am I not allowed to have a coffee?"
Superman didn't back down. In fact it actually seemed like he was suddenly taller as he straightened his shoulders and rose to his full height. "When you're ready to leave please come find me and I'll take you."
Maybe she was actually mad at Lex and maybe it was shock, but Lois found herself spoiling for a fight, even if it meant fighting with Superman. Right now he was being just as patronizing as Clark was on his worst days and it was making her already jangling nerves that much more raw. "Take me where?"
"Take you somewhere Luthor can't find you," he explained with exaggerated patience, as if she were a three year-old.
"My leaving Metropolis won't solve anything. It certainly doesn't help prove if Lex is behind this. Good grief, look what he did when he thought I left the first time." She waved at the Planet. "I'm not going anywhere."
They glared at each other for a long moment and then Superman sighed and looked away. Lois looked away, too. Somehow outstaring Superman didn't feel like a win.
"Please promise me you'll be careful," he said quietly. "Promise me you won't go after Luthor on your own."
Her cheeks flushed in indignation but she knew he was only asking because it would be foolhardy to go up against Lex alone.
"I won't. I promise."
Superman touched her wrist, his dark eyes looking directly into hers. "And when you're ready to leave, please come find me. I'll take you anywhere you want to go. Okay?"
"Okay," Lois whispered and ducked her head, unable to continue meeting the intensity of his gaze.
His touch left her and he turned to go. Suddenly she realized that she really needed to ask him one more, very important, question.
"Wait!" Lois called out. "What's the name of his hotel?"
Superman looked confused. "Whose hotel?"
"Clark. What's the name of the hotel where Clark is staying?"
His jaw worked soundlessly for a moment and he sighed before saying, "The Breakers."
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Lois bought a coffee and took it to a table next to the window. She had barely sat down before she saw Jimmy and Jack walk past.
"Jimmy! Jack!" Lois called out, frantically knocking on the window to catch their attention. The two youths slowed and turned their heads, peering into the coffee shop curiously as she continued to knock. Recognition dawned on their faces and they quickly moved to join her inside.
"Are you okay?" Lois asked. "Were you guys in the building when it happened?"
"No, we'd just left for lunch," Jimmy answered.
Jack's eyebrows rose as he registered that she was wearing a man's dress shirt. "What happened to you?" He looked closer and then grinned. "Wait a minute, that's Clark's shirt! Is he back?"
"I, uh…" Lois glanced at her watch and found it was nearly one o'clock. That made it almost seven o'clock in the morning in Hawaii. Surely Clark was awake by now. "Do either of you have a phone I can borrow?"
Jimmy dug in his pocket and handed his cell phone to her.
Lois called information and asked for the Breakers Hotel in Hawaii. She wrote the number on a napkin using the pen she'd filched earlier from the mug near the register.
"Would you like me to connect the call for a two dollar charge?" the operator asked.
"Yes, please."
There was a pause, then a soft humming noise, and then she heard the line begin to ring. Her heart pounded as she waited for someone to answer. What was she going to tell Clark? Should she ask him to sit down first or just blurt it out?
"The Breakers, this is Andre."
"Hello, Andre. Will you please connect me with Clark Kent's room?"
"Just a moment."
A second or two ticked by and then she heard the line begin to ring again. Once, twice, three times… By the sixth ring she started to lose hope. Was Clark in the shower? Out jogging on the beach? A heavy sleeper? After twenty rings, Lois reluctantly hung up and handed Jimmy his phone. She dug in her pocket and pulled out two dollars, sliding the bills across the table to Jimmy.
"What's this for?"
"Convenience fee." Lois tilted her head, watching with interest as two officers wearing body armor came out of the building carrying several plain brown paper bags. They placed the bags into a large plastic bin in the back of a police van. Lois shifted impatiently in her seat. She should have asked Superman what kryptonite looked like. Trask had described it as a 'glowing rock' but did it glow brightly enough to be seen from a distance through a paper bag?
"What are we watching for?" Jack asked.
"We?" Lois shot back sarcastically and then softened her tone as she added, "Who says I'm watching for anything."
Jack made a sarcastic moue with his mouth. "You're definitely watching for something. If you're planning on going after whoever did this, I want in."
"Me, too," Jimmy added. "What are we watching for?"
"Kryptonite."
Both boys simply stared at her, their faces blank, for several seconds.
"Kryptonite?" Jack repeated. "What the heck is that?"
"I've heard of it." Jimmy's forehead furrowed as he thought. "It's… It's…"
Lois explained to them about Jason Trask, and kryptonite, and how someone had been leaving it at the scenes of fires to weaken Superman. She took a deep breath before admitting that there was a very, very good chance that that someone was Lex Luthor.
"You're telling us that Lex Luthor blew up the Daily Planet?" Jimmy unconsciously shook his head slightly as he asked the question. "Why? And what has he got against Superman?"
"I don't know. But Superman is pretty certain that it's Lex. The thing is, kryptonite is pretty rare, so someone has to be taking it to reuse it again at the next one."
"What does it look like?" Jimmy asked.
Lois shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure. I know it glows."
"Well, that's helpful," Jack snarked.
Ten minutes later two police officers entered the coffee shop. One talked to the employee behind the counter while the other came to address Lois and the boys. He explained that the street was being cleared which meant the coffee shop had to close. The rest of the afternoon was spent watching from the edge of the containment zone with Jack and Jimmy. None of them were able to get past the police barricades, in spite of multiple attempts.
Lois borrowed Jimmy's cell phone again and tried, unsuccessfully, to reach Clark. She tried every half an hour, leaving three messages with the hotel clerk to have Clark call Jimmy's number. By six o'clock, the battery on Jimmy's phone died. Lois tried one more time, plunking three dollars in change into a pay phone. The clerk at the front desk impatiently confirmed that, no, Clark had not checked out. And, no, he had not seen him all day. He'd make sure Clark got the message to call her as soon as he saw him.
She hung up the phone and cracked her knuckles. Where in the hell was Clark? Had something happened to him? Had he been mugged and left for dead in an alley somewhere? Gone for a swim and been pulled out to sea by the riptide? Stepped in quicksand? Did they have quicksand in Hawaii? If not, there were plenty of other possibilities. He could have fallen off a cliff, been bit by a poisonous spider, or maybe some careless and distracted tourist had run him over and fled the scene. Or…
…Ruthless… The word played over and over in her head. Clark had said that Lex was ruthless. Even worse, Clark had said that when Lex was listening. What if…?
Three blocks down the ruins of the Daily Planet were a stark accusation. Clark's silence didn't feel random at all.
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Clark glared at Lex Luthor's back as the man walked away. After spending hours in the near vicinity of the man, he was tempted to use a little heat vision but he tamped down the urge. More than once he had briefly glimpsed the glow of pleasure in Luthor's eyes as the man surveyed the damaged Daily Planet building. He'd done this -- Clark knew it, and Luthor knew that he knew it. He couldn't prove it, though. Not yet.
Clark scrubbed at his face, feeling tired and grimy. The kryptonite was still there, buried somewhere deep in the rubble of the Planet's basement. He had yet to come into direct contact with it but it was making its presence known just the same. He still had his powers but as the day wore on it was taking considerable effort to use them. The afternoon sky had been overcast so he wasn't getting the full recharge that direct sunlight would have given him. Clark looked to the corner where Lois had been earlier but she was gone. Owen will still parked at the top of the street so he wasn't following her, but that didn't mean that someone else wasn't.
He was startled by a tap on his shoulder and the familiar sound of a throat clearing. Relief flooded through him as he turned to face Lois.
"Superman, I need to ask you for a favor." She looked as exhausted as he felt, her dark eyes anxious as she looked up at him, as if she was afraid he was going to refuse.
"Anything, Lois."
"It's Clark. I can't get in touch with him. I've been trying all day to call him. I've left message after message without hearing back from him and I'm worried. No, not just worried, I'm kind of freaking out. Anything could have happened to him. It just feels too coincidental with the Planet being blown up that he's suddenly disappeared. I know it's a lot to ask but could you please check on him?"
Guilt twisted the knot in his stomach even tighter. He wanted to tell her -- should tell her -- but this was the wrong place for it.
"I'm sure Clark is fine."
Lois stubbornly shook her head. "No, something's wrong. I can feel it."
"Let me take you somewhere safe and then I'll make sure he calls you."
She frowned at him, clearly sensing that she was being placated. "All right. Take me to Clark's apartment."
It wasn't until he was about two stories off the ground with her that he felt the strain. Cold fear flooded him and he worried briefly that he might not be able to cover the relatively short distance to his apartment. Clark concentrated all his efforts on flying, nearly overshooting his building in the process. They came to a semi-soft landing on his back porch and he fought to keep his arms from shaking as he set Lois on her feet. Luckily she didn't seem to notice that he was struggling.
Clark went into the apartment ahead of her, motioning for her not to speak as he checked to make sure that Luthor hadn't bugged the place in their absence. To his relief it was still surveillance-free.
He wavered over telling her the truth but he was too exhausted to face the aftermath. It had been too stressful of a day on them both to want to add anything else to the mix. He left his apartment, longing for sleep. Clark wished with all his heart he could crash at the Apollo but if Lois had noticed his absence the chances were good that someone else might, too. He was going to have to make an appearance in Hawaii. He couldn't seem to fly as fast as usual so it took him nearly an hour to reach the hotel. When he finally arrived it was in a mid-afternoon downpour. The boom and rattle of thunder matched the throb building at the base of his neck. It had been there all day and it was gradually becoming more insistent. Clark's clothes were soaked even before he left the alley he had landed in. He came in through the front door of the hotel so that the clerk could see him.
Two minutes later Clark was closing the door of his room behind him. He had a stack of messages from Lois clutched in his hand which he set down on the desk. It was hot in his room; the air conditioning still hadn't been fixed. He opened the window but it was so warm and humid outside that it didn't make much of a difference. Usually the heat didn't bother him but tonight the humidity and heat and his own exhaustion were all working to make him feel lethargic and nauseated. Clark stripped to his underwear and then flopped, face down, onto the bed. He moaned to himself and closed his eyes for a moment, hoping his dizziness would pass.
When Clark opened his eyes again twenty minutes had passed. He sat up slowly and reached for the phone to call home. Lois didn't wait for the machine, picking it up after the first ring.
"Clark?" She sounded so worried, and so hopeful, that he felt guilty all over again. He hadn't meant to make her wait; he should have called her as soon as he'd arrived.
"Hey, yeah, it's me." He could barely keep his eyes open.
"Clark, thank god!"
The relief in her voice only increased his shame. Clark rubbed one temple as he asked, "How are you? Were you in the building when it happened?"
"No, I was here, at your place. So you heard about the Planet?"
"It's been all over the news here, yeah." He had no idea if it really had been on the news but it seemed likely.
"You sound tired."
"It's been a long day."
"Watching surfing?" she asked skeptically.
"Watching the Planet on the news. They said two people were killed."
"Thank goodness it happened when most people were at lunch or it would have been a lot worse. Plus, Superman was there pretty quick."
"Mmm." He scrubbed the heel of his free hand to his eye. When he opened his eyes again pinwheels of light and glaring dark spots danced in his vision.
"You were right about Lex. I found Superman outside your front door this morning. He was… Clark, he was a mess. Do you remember last year when Jason Trask was trying to kill Superman with kryptonite?"
He still had nightmares about Trask, about kryptonite, and about how close he had come to losing his mom and dad. Thinking about it now made another wave of nausea ripple through him. "Yeah, I remember."
"Kryptonite is real and Lex has some. He's been setting fires all over the city and leaving booby traps for Superman."
Clark closed his eyes and took a few slow, deep breaths.
"Clark? Did you hear me?"
He swallowed hard and stood up hoping that might dissipate his vertigo. "Yeah, I heard."
"There was kryptonite at the Planet today. I think it might still be in the building."
Clark swayed on his feet and eyed the bathroom door as another wave of nausea rolled through him -- this time at the thought that Lois was going to chase after Luthor on her own. He was too far away; he should never have left Metropolis tonight. What if Luthor thought to look for Lois at his apartment? What if Lois went back to the Planet to look for the kryptonite and some of Luthor's goons found her?
"Lois, you can't go after him alone. You--" He stopped himself at the last moment from reminding her that she'd promised him not to go it alone. She hadn't promised him, exactly. She had promised Superman.
"I'm not going after him alone. Jimmy's working with me. And Jack."
"Can't you at least wait until I get there?"
"When will that be?"
"As soon as possible. I'll call the airlines as soon as I get off the phone."
"You should have had Superman bring you home tonight."
Clark silently shook his head and sat on the edge of the bed again. "I wish I had."
Tell her! He should tell her. But he owed it to her to tell her in person. Clark laid back and stared up at the ceiling. There was a water spot in the far corner by the window shaped like a miniature Africa. He took a few deep breaths consciously matching his breathing to Lois' and felt the nausea begin to fade.
"I wish you were here," she said softly. "God, you have no idea how much I miss you."
Clark's heart started to race. Hope flooded in to replace his queasiness. He knew Lois had been worried about him today but she'd worried about Jimmy and Jack, too. She might only mean she missed him as a friend but he wanted to believe she meant it on a deeper level. "I miss you, too," he answered truthfully.
"What about Barbara?"
"Barbara?" He frowned at Africa, wondering which Barbara she meant.
"You know Barbara. The brunette in the circulation office?"
Even though she couldn't see him Clark shook his head as he said, "It's not Barbara."
"All right, then tell me this, who have you missed more? Me or whatshername?"
Talk about a trick question. "I'm not sure how to answer that."
"Because you miss her more?"
"I've missed you equally."
I've missed you even when I was standing next to you."Equally?" He could hear the smile in her voice. "Is she jealous of me? Of how much time we spend together?"
Was she jealous? Clark was starting to think she might be given how much effort Lois was putting into discovering her supposed rival.
"She has no reason to be jealous. The truth is she doesn't know that I'm in love with her." He winced, waiting for her to figure it out.
"Why not tell her?"
"She's in love with someone else."
Lois made a soft intake of breath. "Oh, Clark, I'm sorry."
"It happens." He shrugged and lifted his hand, examining his palm where his hand had been cut open this morning. There was still a faint red line there, a sure sign that he wasn't at one hundred percent.
"Maybe you should tell her."
He almost laughed as he shook his head against the pillow. "That would just complicate everything even more."
"Why didn't you tell me from the beginning that you weren't actually dating her?"
"Are you suggesting that I can't really be in love with her unless we're dating?"
Lois sighed into the phone. "You made it sound so serious, saying you were in love and that you'd do anything for her."
"I am and I would."
"Would you rob a bank for her?"
Her unexpected question startled a laugh out of him. "Why would she ask me to do that?"
"I would."
"You'd rob a bank for someone?"
"No, I'd ask them to rob one for me. Just to see what they'd say."
Clark grinned. "Are you saying you can only love someone who'd commit a felony for you?"
"I wouldn't make him go through with it. I'd just like to know that I'm worth it. And you didn't answer my question -- would you rob a bank for her?"
"I never realized until just now that you're probably insane."
She giggled and the sound tingled across his skin. "I'm certifiable. Would you do it?"
Clark shook his head and looked up at Africa again. Was that water spot getting larger? The Cape of Good Hope seemed to be expanding. "I don't know. Maybe."
"Maybe? So you wouldn't do absolutely
anything for her after all, would you?"
He sighed, admiring how neatly she had trapped him. "I don't know," he said again.
"What if I asked you to rob a bank? Not for kicks, but what if there was some piece of evidence that someone had locked away in a bank vault. Would you help me break in to get a look at it?"
"This is purely hypothetical, right? You're not secretly planning a heist?"
"Nope, this is hypothetical. Would you help me?"
"And we're not taking whatever it is out of the bank? We're just going to look at it?"
"Oh my god, Clark, just answer the question! I simply want to know that you have my back. I mean, I know we're not partners anymore but we're still friends, right? Would you help me if breaking into a bank was my last avenue of recourse?"
"I guess, under those circumstances, I'd probably help you."
"Okay, so we're in the bank and whatever it is can't be read quickly and the guard is coming. Would you help me smuggle it out?"
"You know what? You win. If you want knock off banks in your spare time, you have my unwavering support."
"Thank you." There was a smug note to her words and he realized she'd been fishing for equal billing. "That goes both ways, you know. If you ever need my help, all you have to do is ask."
"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind the next time I'm robbing a liquor store."
Lois laughed and Clark grinned like a fool at Africa on the ceiling.
"Yeah, you'd better call me. I don't want to miss seeing that." Her voice was breathy with giggles and Clark closed his eyes, imagining her wearing his t-shirt, flushed and happy in his bed.
For several seconds neither of them spoke but there was a comfortable warmth in the silence. His earlier exhaustion had become a lazy sort of lethargy, now made almost sweetly dream-like as a cool breeze from the window played over his skin, taking the last of his dizziness with it.
"Well…" he said softly, "I guess I should let you go." He didn't really want to hang up -- he could happily spend the rest of the night listening to her breathe.
"I guess so. Good night, Clark." Was he imagining it or was she reluctant to hang up, too?
"Good night, Lois." He pictured her again, lying in his bed and wearing his t-shirt and he couldn't stop himself from adding, "Sweet dreams."
Lois made an amused-sounding hum. "Sweet dreams, Clark," she said in that sultry, soft voice that made his heart pound and his hands tremble. A moment later he heard the click as the call disconnected.
Clark took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. He'd give anything for it to be tomorrow night now, to be legitimately home, to be near her. He shook his head and silently conceded that he probably would rob a bank if she asked.
<><><>
End 7/12
Now, I'm not asking you to rob a bank or do anything even slightly illegal. All I want is to know that you're reading! Come on,
come say 'hi!' 
