Winner Takes All
Folc4evernaday
Part 14
***
She couldn’t sleep. What in the world could possibly make Clark think he was Superman? And what was up with that story about Schuster’s Field? She lifted her head from Clark’s chest and looked over at him. She crinkled her nose. He wasn’t wearing his glasses. She hadn’t seen him without his glasses but a few times. Her gaze fell on the impressive build of his chest down to the rest of his perfectly sculpted body. She ran a hand through his hair a moment and frowned. If he had fallen off the ladder wouldn’t he have a bump on the back of his head?
<<“Lois, trust me on this, I am not your typical male.”>>
She squinted through the darkness, trying to get a better look at Clark in the moonlit room. He kinda looked like Superman she supposed. “This is ridiculous.” She muttered to herself. “There is no way Clark is Superman…”
<<“See? Even the new kid can surprise you, Ms. Lane.” He winked at her.>>
<<“That man...That man..he rescued me.”
Everyone looked in Clark's direction. Clark laughed nervously, “What? The guy is delirious.”
Lois looked back at Clark and rolled her eyes, “Clearly!” she took in his appearance and groaned, “What happened to your suit? You're a mess!” Before he could respond she interjected, “From now on, do what I do; bring a change of clothes to work.”>>
Could that man have been telling the truth? She leaned up to get a better look at Clark’s facial features. He did look A LOT like Superman, but the story he had told her was just too far-fetched…and he had just hit his head. Maybe. There’s no bump. She reminded herself.
<< She sighed, “I hope you didn't make dinner plans.”
Clark gave her a megawatt smile and simply said, “I am all yours.”>>
<< A few minutes later Clark reentered the newsroom, carrying several bags of Chinese food. “That was quick,” she commented.
“I took a short cut.” Clark winked at her.>>
Could he really be Superman? She’d never really seen him do anything out of the ordinary, well aside from being able to give her an orgasm every time they made love.
<<“You are a strange one, Clark Kent.”
“Am I?” he asked, curiously.
“Yeah, but I think I've got you figured out.” she smiled at him.
Clark watched her curiously. “Really?”
“Uh-huh.” Lois smiled at him.
“Didn't take you long...” he commented, bemused.
“Well, it's my business, looking beyond the external.” She shrugged>>
<<“So, explain this to me. You eat like an eight-year-old but you look like Mr. Hardbody? What’s your secret and can I have it?”>>
<<“Hi.” She responded. “I like your costume.”
“Thank you. My mother made it for me.” He smiled back at her, “What’s your name?”
“Amy. Amy Platt. Who are you?”
“I’m…a friend.”>>
That smile. Clark had graced her with it so many times….She reached up to push back his hair. She gasped. “Oh, my God…” She wanted to cry. Clark had been lying to her this entire time… He’d made love to her every night and he’d…LIED to her about who he was. Well, not exactly…He hadn’t come out and denied being an alien… Her mind reminded her.
No, he’d just omitted that part. He was Superman…How had she missed that? No one had that great of a body…Not without surgery anyway...
<<“Have you any romantic attachments to this Superman?” He inquired.
“How exactly does that fall under national security Mister…?”
“Trask. National Security is everywhere, Ms. Lane. Now I’ll repeat the question, Ms. Lane. Have you developed a romantic attachment to Superman?”
“No.”
“Ms. Lane, procreating with the alien can be seen as treasonous?”
“Procreating? What planet are you from? Who talks like that?”
“Has the alien taken over your mind….or your body?” He sneered. “We are talking about national security and you’re contemplating sleeping with the enemy…Or maybe you already have…”>>
<<“Clark!” she ran up to him, throwing her arms around him in relief. He was okay. She reached up and kissed him; surprising herself and him. Realizing what she had just done, she pulled away, but still had her arms around him, unwilling to let him go just yet, “You’re alive!” she mussed up his hair slightly.
“It would seem so…” he said apprehensively.
“Oh, Clark…” she turned to the rest of the newsroom, “Hey, everybody, Clarks’ alive!” she released her grasp on him for a minute. “Do you know what this means?”
“No…” Clark said.
“Perry, if Clark’s alive that means Superman’s alive. Superman had to have saved him.” She turned to Clark for confirmation, “Right, Clark?”
“Uh, yeah…” Clark said, nervously adjusting his glasses.>>
<<. “Please…” she pleaded with him.
That was all the encouragement he needed. He lowered himself in between her legs and allowed her to guide him in, reveling in the feeling of being one with her. She moaned against him as he sheathed himself fully. “Does that hurt?” he asked cautiously.
“No…” she moaned again. “…just been…a…long…time.” >>
<<“You are so sexy, Lois Lane…”
She smiled up at him as he leaned over her, caressing her cheek. “Not so bad yourself, farmboy…” she murmured.
“Farmboy?” he asked.
“It suits you,”>>
<<“You’re the only one.”>>
Because he was Superman. He couldn’t risk someone finding out about him. She had been sleeping with Superman and hadn’t even known it. She felt sick to her stomach. How could he have done something like this to her?
<<” We’ve been REALLY active and neither of us seemed to think long enough to discuss protection for pregnancy.”
“Oh…Oh!” Lois shook her head, “No, I’m on the pill….Really? I never would have guessed…”
Clark blushed. “Books and instinct. That’s it.” He sighed.
“If you waited so long then why did you let things get as out of control as they did that night?” Lois cornered.
Clark sighed, “I don’t know. I can’t really control myself when I’m with you. You seem to bring out a part of me that I didn’t know existed.”
“You don’t regret it?” Lois asked hesitantly.
“Never.” He kissed her cheek. “I could never regret anything I did with you, Lois. Being with you makes me feel more alive.”
“Oh, Clark…” Lois felt the tears welling up in her eyes. “That is the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me.” She leaned up to kiss him, wrapping her arms around his neck as she deepened the kiss.>>
<< “I love you. I love every sound you make when we make love...”
“Clark….Oh, God…Clark…I love you so much…” she murmured.>>
She’d opened her heart up to him. Why had he waited so long to tell her? Did he not trust her? The tears began to fall of their own accord. Suddenly she felt very cold.
<<” I want you to understand my sharing this with you is a huge risk. Trask is just one example of what could happen if this got out.”>>
<<“I had it drilled into my head from the time that I was five years old not to tell anyone or I would be dissected like a frog by a government agency.”
“Oh, Clark…” Lois reached up to stroke his cheek.
“As I got older I started developing different abilities …heat vision, x-ray, the power to defy gravity…Lois, I’m Superman.”>>
Why did he choose now to tell her? She felt a wave of nausea overtaking her once again and dashed for the bathroom. After what felt like an eternity of vomiting everything she had eaten that day up, she felt two strong arms encircle her from behind. “You’re still sick.” He murmured.
Lois looked up miserably at him, “You’re Superman.” She said matter of factly.
“You actually believe me this time?” Clark asked amused.
Lois felt the tears begin to overtake her once more as she nodded mutely at him. “I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you.”
“Why didn’t you tell me before?” Lois asked in between tears. Clark held her firmly against his chest as she cried. She was furious. She needed to understand. She had to. She couldn’t allow Clark to fall into that category of bad relationships…her heart couldn’t take it.
“Because it wasn’t just my secret to tell, Lois. This affects my parents just as much as it affects me. I’m invulnerable; they’re not…or at least I was.” He said grimly.
“What are you talking about?” Lois asked in between sobs.
“They’re not looking for pesticides; they’re looking for a meteorite from Krypton.” He said grimly, “It's lethal to me.”
“What?” Lois didn’t understand how a meteorite could be lethal to him.
“I don’t have any of my powers anymore, Lois. I was only exposed to that meteorite for a few minutes and it knocked me out.” Clark explained shakily.
“Oh, God…” Lois felt another wave of nausea wash over her and moved toward the toilet once more.
“Lois, you need to see a doctor,” Clark said, rubbing her back.
Lois sighed against the tile wall of the bathroom, “I don’t understand why it’s not going away. Lucy’s flu came and went within a week…”
“Maybe it’s not the flu,” Clark suggested.
“What else could it be?” Lois cried.
“I don’t know. That’s why you need to see a doctor.” Clark said pointedly. He looked at her cautiously, “Are you going to be okay to move?”
Lois nodded mutely. Clark lifted her up and carried her back to bed. He wrapped a protective arm around her and held her close. “Clark?”
“Hmm?”
“If you hadn’t have had to worry about your parents when were you going to tell me?” Lois asked.
Clark sighed, “I probably would have told you around the same time of our first date, but like I said…it wasn’t just my secret. I couldn’t risk my parent’s lives without their input too. I never meant to hurt you, Lois. I hope you can believe me.”
Lois squeezed her eyes shut, trying to will the tears that were threatening to overflow her system to stop. She let out a shuddered breath and began to cry. “I don’t know what to do…my head and my heart keep telling me two completely different things…I don’t feel good…and you’re Superman…and you lied to me…and I never thought you’d lie to me….and I can’t stop crying…”
Clark pulled her more tightly into his arms, allowing her to let her emotions out. “I’m sorry.” He whispered hoarsely.
“I know, but it still hurts.” She mumbled.
***
The next morning, Clark awoke feeling a bit more energized than he had the night before. He wasn’t achy like he had been, but he was still without his powers. “I don’t know if they’ll ever return,” Clark muttered grudgingly to his parents over breakfast.
Jonathan patted him on the back, “It just doesn’t make sense. You can’t go your whole life with super powers then ..Poof…they just vanish…How could a rock do that?”
“I don’t know,” Clark said.
“How’s Lois?” Martha asked. “I heard her getting sick last night.”
“Yeah. She’s been sick for the last few weeks off and on.” Clark said. “I told her last night.”
Martha and Jonathan exchanged a glance. “How’d she take it?” Martha asked.
“She laughed and told me I’d hit my head too hard.” Clark smiled at the memory. “It wasn’t until later in the night she put the pieces together…and finally believed me. She’s mad. I know she is.”
“But?” Martha prompted.
“I don’t know. She was too hurt last night to really talk about it.” Clark sighed.
“You really love her, don’t you, son?” Jonathan asked.
“Yeah.” Clark nodded. “I want to marry her….I know I have to wait until she’s ready…”
“You may not have to wait too long.” Martha said. “She may surprise you.”
***
Lois awoke the next morning to find not to her surprise that Clark had already gotten up and was gone. “Figures.” She muttered to herself. “No wonder you always woke up alone. He was out being Superman.” She headed for the bathroom to begin taking her shower and got dressed for the day. She chose a sleeveless cotton dress in lieu of the usual business suits. She was after all in the sweltering heat in Smallville.
Lois came down the stairs and was surprised to see Martha sitting at the dining room table waiting patiently. “Good morning, Lois. So, Clark said he told you?” Lois nodded, recalling the revelation last night.
“Yeah.”
“Are you hungry?” Martha moved towards the kitchen, “I can whip up some breakfast or some coffee?”
“Coffee’s fine.” Lois nodded.
“You know when Clark was a very young boy he was told about how we found him…he was also told never to tell anyone.” Martha began slowly as she poured the coffee grinds into the filter. “This mess with Trask was a nightmare come true for him. Scared him to bits. Even though he was invulnerable the people he cared about weren’t. Sharing this secret…it wasn’t really something we even thought about. We’d hidden it for so long…I knew the time would come eventually, but I didn’t know it would come this soon.”
“He said he was told he’d be dissected like a frog,” Lois said.
“Jonathan’s phrase; not mine,” Martha answered. “Clark has always been alone…When Clark first started developing his powers..when he first became really really strong…he never told his friends….He never even thought about telling anyone. It broke my heart having to watch him have to hide so many things…He just wanted to be normal, but of course, he couldn’t….not really.” Martha swiped at the tears that began to fall down her face.
Lois felt her own tears begin to overtake her as well, “You know I do love him..”
Martha nodded, “I know..and I know he loves you too. He wouldn’t have risked telling you; if he didn’t.” Martha sighed, “Now it may not matter.”
“What do you mean?”
“His powers are gone. We don’t know if they’ll ever come back.” Martha said. “That meteorite…”
Lois nodded, “Clark told me.” She looked around, “Where is Clark anyway?”
“Went to feed the chickens with Jonathan,” Martha said. Martha noticed Lois relax a bit, “Gives you some time to think,”
Lois smiled, taking a sip of the coffee. “Yes,” She grimaced then set the cup down as a wave of nausea hit her.
Martha looked at her in concern, “Lois?”
Unable to say anything she sprinted toward the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. Martha watched her then headed toward the chicken coop where Jonathan and Clark were finishing up feeding the chickens.
***
Jonathan laughed, “She didn’t believe you,”
“Would you have?” Clark asked. “I don’t know what I’m going to do. She’s angry…and hurt,” He kicked a few pebbles in front of him…and thanks to that…” He pointed at the barn, “On top of everything else I don’t have any powers,”
“Clark?” Martha walked up behind them.
“Hey, mom,” Clark gave his mom a half-smile.
His mom looked at him with worry on her face, “Clark, how long has Lois been sick?”
“I don’t know…a few weeks. I told her to go to the doctor, but she refused…said it was the flu. Her sister had it for a week too but seems to have gotten over it. I just found out last night Lois was still getting sick.”
“Any mood changes?” Martha asked.
“I guess she’s a bit more sensitive lately, but she’s been sick…” Clark said, shrugging. “Why?” Martha and Jonathan exchanged glances.
“I have to go to the store…” Martha said.
“Wait a minute, you’re not going to tell me?” Clark asked.
“We still need to confirm it, son, but it sounds to me like Lois is pregnant,” Martha said.
“Pregnant?” Clark echoed in disbelief. The information hit him like a ton of bricks.
“I’ll be back with a test. Keep an eye on her. She’s in the bathroom….I guess the coffee didn’t sit too well on her stomach.” Martha instructed.
***
Lois finished heaving in the bathroom, resting her head against the tile as she cried. Why was she still sick? Her head was throbbing. She stood up to open the door and found Clark on the other side with a glass of water and some Asprin. At her surprised look, he explained, “Mom said you got sick…”
“Thanks,” She said taking the Asprin and water from him gratefully. After swallowing the Asprin and drinking the water she placed the glass down on the counter then took a step out of the bathroom. She took a step into the hallway with Clark and winced when the throbbing headache she’d had earlier seemed to spread into her eyes.
“Are you okay?” Clark took her hands, helping guide her to the kitchen.
“It hurts…” She mumbled, leaning against him as she walked back to the kitchen.
“I’m right here…” He whispered helping her into her seat. “Just lean on me,”
“I just seem to be getting worse. These aren’t flu symptoms…” Lois said, taking another glass of water that Clark handed her.
Clark grew quiet a moment, “Yeah, about that. Mom has a theory on that…” At Lois’ confused look he continued, “Mom thinks you might be…pregnant..”
Lois stared at him a moment then broke into peals of laughter. “Pregnant? How can I be pregnant? I’m on the pill…”
“Lois, it makes sense. She went to get a test from the drugstore…”
“In this small town? It’ll be everywhere before noon…” Lois groaned. “I can’t be pregnant…I can’t…” She shook her head adamantly. “There has to be some other reason.”
The sound of Jonathan’s old pickup truck pulling up in the driveway announced Martha’s arrival. “Well, mom’s back; so I guess now we can find out.”
***
***
Clark leaned against the old oak tree on his parents’ property where he had built his Fortress of Solitude so many years ago. He stared out into the open space, not really looking for anything. He was going to be a father. Was he ready? Lois had taken the test three hours ago. After reading the test results she had pushed him out of the bathroom and locked herself in. He looked down at the small jewelry box in his hand. Things certainly hadn’t turned out how he had planned.
He had planned on telling Lois about Superman. He had planned on trying to earn her trust back. He had planned on eventually proposing. He hadn’t planned on being exposed to that meteorite and losing all his powers. He hadn’t planned on Lois being pregnant. He hadn’t planned on having to track down Trask while he was powerless to stop him from hurting the people he loved.
“Penny for your thoughts?” His father’s voice interrupted. Clark looked up at his father and gave a weak smile.
“Just trying to make sense of things..” He said.
Jonathan smiled at him, “I knew you were planning on asking her to marry you; but I didn’t know you’d already bought the ring.”
Clark smiled. “I bought it about a month ago.” His face sobered, “Now if I propose Lois is going to think I’m only asking because she’s carrying my child.”
“It’s tricky…” Jonathan reasoned, taking a seat next to him. “How are you feeling?”
“Numb?” Clark said uncertainly, “I don’t know, dad. I’ve lived my whole life wishing I could be normal. Now I am…normal….I don’t know what to think. It just doesn’t feel right. I wish I had some answers.”
“I know.” Jonathan patted him on the shoulder, “Your mother and I are headed over to the festival. You two gonna join us?”
“Maybe later. I need to talk to Lois first.” Clark said, standing up.
“Don’t be long.” Jonathan reached over to give him a hug, “Don’t push things. Just take it a day at a time. We’ll figure this out. If your powers never come back then you’ll adjust.”
Clark gave a weak smile and nodded, “Yeah. I’ll see you later.”
***
Numb. That’s how she felt. This morning she’d been feeling better than she had in a few weeks then she’d had the coffee…That was what had done her in. She loved coffee now the thought of it made her want to hurl. That should have been a sign, right? How had this happened?
She wasn’t sure what to think about anything. Clark wasn’t who she thought he was. Over the last few months, they had known one another she had formed an opinion about who Clark was. He was a farm boy from Kansas that was well traveled and educated, gorgeous, honest, and trustworthy. Now she had no idea who he really was. Was it all an act? Had he been acting the way he thought she wanted him to?
Martha had said Clark had always been alone; unable to open himself up to anyone. He had seemed perfectly open with her. She kept replaying the last few months over in her mind. Clark had made a few comments during the early days of their partnership that had hinted at something more. Why had she been so blind? She had melted every time she had seen that smile. How could she not have figured it out earlier?
‘Because you were too busy trying to deny your feelings and squashing the fact that you were attracted to Superman.’ Her conscience chided her. She had been horrified when she had realized she’d been fantasizing about both Clark and Superman. Now it made sense. Her sub-conscience
must have picked up on it. Why hadn’t she seen it? Clark had always kept his glasses on. She’d hardly ever seen him without his glasses. They’d only made love one time without him wearing them; the night she had surprised him in the shower. Even then she had noticed he looked familiar, but she’d been too distracted to give it a second thought.
Now she was pregnant. She didn’t know what to think or do. She wasn’t ready to be a mother. She knew that much. Clark would certainly be a great father; he was great with kids….as Clark..and as Superman.
She looked down at the test in front of her for the millionth time. “How had this happened?” she muttered to herself.
Her body was going to be changing. She was going to have to cut back on her career and focus on her baby. She could pretty much kiss the idea of a Pulitzer goodbye. She stood in front of the bathroom mirror, looking at her reflection. She had a small pillow tucked under her dress, fingering the bump gently, imagining a child growing there. “Not exactly mother material.” She muttered to herself. She wasn’t showing yet, but she knew sooner or later she was going to.
“Lois?” Clark’s voice echoed from the other side of the bedroom door.
“Just a minute.” She called. “Shoot.” She pulled the pillow out from under her dress and threw it back on the bed. She turned to check her reflection in the mirror once more. She looked a lot better than she felt. She opened the bedroom door, “Hi.”
He looked so forlorn. Was he upset about the baby or losing his powers? It was hard to say. “Hi. Can I come in?” He asked.
“Yeah,” Lois said, stepping back. “It is your room.”
“Mom and Dad already left for the festival.” Clark said, “I told them we’d meet up later. What’s your plan with Sherman? Should we keep looking for Wayne or go confront her?”
Lois shook her head. He was trying to stick to safe topics. That was okay. It was probably better this way. “If we confront her she’ll just feed us the same line. We should probably check around town. Maybe see if anyone’s seen signs of Trask…” Lois took a seat next to Clark on the bed. “Kinda scary, huh?”
Clark let out a light laugh, “You can say that again. I spent most of my childhood in this room wishing I was normal and now here I am wishing I had my powers back. Kinda ironic, huh?”
“Still nothing?” Lois asked hesitantly.
Clark shook his head, “This isn’t exactly how I had planned for the weekend to go.”
Lois gave a weak smile, “Yeah, well, it’s not exactly how any of us really planned anything.”
“Are you still mad at me?” He asked.
“I don’t know.” She said. “I mean, I’m trying really really hard to stay mad, but it’s not easy when my emotions are all over the place like this.” Clark shot her a light smile. “I’m an investigative reporter. How did I not figure this out?”
“It wasn’t easy staying one step ahead of you, Lois. You kept me on my toes from the beginning. I thought for sure when I flew you back to the Planet you were going to figure it out.” Clark said. “I don’t know if you noticed, but I landed us right by your desk.”
Lois shook her head, “I think I was still in shock.” Lois reasoned.
“You know you can hit me if you want. I won’t take offense. Just let your anger out…it’s free for all..” He gave her a megawatt smile.
Lois laughed, “I’m not going to hit you, Clark.”
“What can I do? Please tell me. I hate seeing you like this. Tell me what to do.”
“I don’t know. I mean, I’m trying to wrap my mind around all this. I mean, you lied to me and..”
“Hey, I never actually lied. I was very careful about that.” Clark corrected.
“Omission is lying,” Lois said. “I understand why you did what you did ….”
“You do?” He asked hopefully.
“But I don’t like being lied to. I mean, I thought I knew you then all of a sudden everything I thought is wrong.” The tears began to fall down her cheek all at once. Clark pulled her to him as she continued, “You were the only one I could trust and now that trust is broken.”
“I’m sorry,” Clark whispered, holding her close.
She involuntarily shivered against his touch. Even when she was angry and hurt she couldn’t hide from the obvious effect he had on her. “I never meant to hurt you, but you do know me. The only thing I left out was the whole superhero thing. Everything else was the truth.”
“You were taught to dance by a Nigerian princess?”
“Yes. You remember that?”
“That night’s kinda been seared into my mind for more reasons than one,” Lois said shyly.
“I’m hoping you remember that night for good reasons.”
“The jury’s still out on that one.” She said. “You do realize this means you owe me an exclusive, right?”
“Exclusive?” He asked hesitantly.
“Yes, exclusive. Whenever your powers return I want every exclusive on Superman.”
Clark let out a light laugh, “How did I know that was coming?”
“Hey, I should get something out of the deal,” Lois said. “I want that Pulitzer by the time I’m thirty. Sorry, Clark Kent is Superman just won’t sell papers as good as a Superman helped put Lex Luthor behind bars story.” Clark let out a hearty laugh.
She knew he had been afraid of exposure. That was probably why he had kept moving around. “I love you.” He said, cupping her cheek.
“I love you too, but I reserve the right to be mad at you as long as I want whenever it suits me.”
“As long as you don’t hate me; I don’t care. You can be mad at me as long as you want.” Clark said. She caught his gaze. There was that look. He blushed then looked away for a minute, “How are you feeling? Have you gotten sick anymore?”
“Not since this morning. I can’t believe coffee made me sick.” Lois said.
“I’m sorry.” He said.
She patted his leg lightly then stopped when she noticed the heated gaze she received. She watched him as he silently counted to ten under her breath. It was amusing to watch the effect she had on Clark. “Are you okay?” She asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” He said hurriedly. “So, you want to head out to the festival or…” This was ridiculous. They were acting like a pair of teenagers that hadn’t ever been past first base. She loved him. She wasn’t completely over him lying to her, but she wasn’t going to walk on eggshells around him either. She reached up and grabbed both sides of his face, pulling him down to kiss her mid-sentence.
She leaned back against the mattress as she pulled Clark on top of her. She moaned in approval as she felt his hand cup her face, tracing the outline of her jaw. She loved kissing Clark. She lightly traced a path through his hair with her fingertips, enjoying the feel of his hair against her hands. He moaned into her mouth as she lightly tugged on his bottom lip with her teeth. She lightly teased him with the tip of her tongue; inviting him to explore her mouth. “Clark…” She moaned against him.
Oh, God, she needed this. She needed to lose herself in his arms. It didn’t matter how mad she may still be. She needed to feel his skin against hers. She was hurting. She was scared. The only thing she knew was how good it felt in his arms.
He slowly broke off the kiss. “Are you still mad?” he asked. She nodded. “I’m sorry.”
“I know,” She whispered hoarsely, unable to hide the tears. Why did he have to stop? If they’d just kept kissing…She wouldn’t have had to think about her anger. She looked up at him sorrowfully, “I just have to work through it.”
He sighed, pulling away from her. “Well, how about we head into town. Maybe a little research will help you work through it.” Clark smiled as he got up from the bed and began to get dressed, silently willing his body to calm down.
Lois sighed. She didn’t know how long it was going to take to work through her anger and hurt but it was worth a shot.
***
Trask stared down Wayne Irig who was sitting handcuffed to a chair. “Mr. Irig, do I look like a five-year-old?”
“No..no..no, sir..” Irig stammered.
Trask slammed his hands down on the table in front of Irig, “Then why do you insist on telling me fairy tales. A meteorite doesn’t just leave a small chunk in the ground. Where is the rest of it?”
“I..I..I don…I don’t know…”
“Did you give it to someone?”
“No…”
“Bury it?”
“No…”
“There wasn’t any more. That was it…”
“Don’t lie to me!” Trask slammed his fist down on the table.
Irig jumped, startled by the power behind Trask’s fist. “I don’t know wh …what…to…tell…you..There isn’t…anymore..”
“Do you love your country, Mr. Irig?”
“Of course..”
“Then I suggest you figure out where the rest of that meteorite wandered off to.”
***
“You hungry?” Clark asked as they walked through Smallville’s Town Square.
“A little.” Lois acknowledged.
“Maisie’s is just around the corner,” Clark said, pointing at a small café. “I figured after last night you’re probably sick of barbecue.”
Lois gave a light grimace. “How’d you guess?”
Clark wrapped a protective arm around her and they took a seat at one of the outdoor tables. “So, you think Trask has Irig in one of those tents or maybe somewhere away from Smallville entirely?”
Lois sighed, pulling out her notes from the day before and her cell phone and placing it on the table. “I don’t know. Knowing Trask he could have Irig thousands of feet up in the air about to throw him out of a plane.” Lois noticed the solemn look on Clark’s face. “I’m sorry, Clark. I wasn’t thinking. I haven’t heard any planes or anything. I don’t think he’d try that again..”
Clark placed his hand over hers, “It’s okay.”
Maisie, the owner of the café approached them with a huge smile, “Clark Kent! Your mom said you were here for the Daily Planet. So, this must be Lois?” She held a hesitant hand out for Lois to shake.
“How’d you guess?” Lois asked, resignedly.
“I’m Maisie. How is the writing coming? I love to read a good romance novel.” Maisie said.
Lois glared at Clark who had the decency to blush, “I must have accidentally mentioned it to my mother. She must have..”
“…accidentally mentioned it to the whole town?” Lois prompted.
Maisie just laughed, “Oh, that’s just Smallville for you. Everybody knows everything about everybody else.”
“Oh, really? Then how come I haven’t heard any dirt on Clark here yet.” Lois glared at Clark from across the table.
Maisie gave a light laugh, “With Clark here? What you see is what you get.” She handed them two menus. “Here you go. I’ll be back in a jiff.”
“What you see is what you get?” Lois asked. She opened the menu and muttered, “Yeah, right. If she only knew…”
Clark laughed then reached for the legal pad Lois had on the table. He flipped the page to review the notes they had taken thus far when a sharp pain hit his finger, “Ow!”
“What?” Lois asked, looking up from the menu.
“I’m…bleeding.” He looked at his finger in astonishment.
Lois glanced at his finger and shook her head, “Clark it’s a paper cut. Just stick it in your mouth and suck on it.” Clark did as instructed.
Lois’ cellular phone rang; both reached for the phone, causing a glass of water to get spilled in Clark’s lap. “Ah!” Clark stood up, brushing the ice water off of him.
“Sorry.” Lois apologized as she answered the phone, “Lois Lane.” The voice on the end of the phone was unfamiliar.
“Yeah, I got a call saying Clark Kent was looking for me…This is Wayne Irig..”
“Mister Irig!?! Where are you?” She motioned for Clark to listen in on the call. He took a seat next to her and she positioned the phone so he could hear.
“I think I’m just outside of Salt Lake City.”
“Salt Lake City?!?”
“I just got in my Winnebago and decided to visit my sister. Been on the road so long, hardly know where I am.”
Lois glanced at Clark. He shook his head no. Something was definitely up. “Mr. Irig, I’m going to put you on the phone with Clark.” She handed Clark the phone.
“Hello, Wayne?” Clark spoke hesitantly on the phone. “Can you give me a phone number where I can call you back?”
“I can’t see one here. I’m at a truck stop.”
“What did the EPA guys tell you about the work they’re doing on your property?” Clark asked. He may not be able to hear anything with his super-hearing but he could pick up on the nervous tone in Wayne Irig’s voice.
“Just that they needed to do some digging.”
“Wayne is everything okay?” Clark asked.
“There’s no problem…Listen, it looks like somebody else needs to use the phone. Goodbye, Clark.”
“Wait! Wayne!” The line was cut off. He put the phone down, “Salt Lake City?”
“That’s where he said he was calling from. But it could’ve been anywhere.” Lois reasoned.
“All right, you two ready to order?” Maisie asked, walking up to their table.
Lois placed her menu down, “Yes, I’d like a chicken breast sandwich, on sourdough with a slice of onion…” Clark stared in horror as she listed off her complex order. In the several months, they had been working together he had never seen her put away that much food, “…also extra mayonnaise and some Dijon Mustard on the side. ….and lots of dill pickles. Oh, and some chocolate cream pie….and a basket of fries…”
“And to drink?” Maisie asked.
“Sweet Tea, lime if you have it. If not; lemon is fine.” Lois said sweetly.
“Clark?” Maisie asked, amused.
“Uh, just a burger and fries.” Clark said, dumbfounded, “Soda.”
“Sure thing,” Maisie said. She left to go put their order in. He couldn’t suppress the smile that spread across his face.
“What?” Lois asked.
“Nothing. It’s just nice to see you’ve finally kicked that diet.” Lois smacked him lightly.
***
They walked through the attractions, eating caramel apples. “Not as good as Mrs. Irig’s.” Clark sighed.
“If you won’t finish it; I will.” Lois teased, reaching for his apple.
“Here.” Clark handed her the apple.
Lois took the apple gratefully, “You don’t know what you’re talking about. These are delicious!” She took another bite of the apple. Clark watched her with an amused look.
“Lois, can I borrow you for just a sec?” Rachael asked, approaching them from behind.
“Depends…where am I going?” Lois asked suspiciously.
“You ask too many questions. Come on, it'll be fun.” Rachael tugged on her arm.
Lois looked at her suspiciously then back at Clark. He just nodded, “Go on. You might surprise yourself and actually have fun.”
“Fine.” Lois rolled her eyes. “Let’s go.” She followed Rachael to the booth marked, “Husk Off” unsure what the term really meant.
***
Clark took a seat at one of the picnic tables with his parents. “How’s Lois doing?” Martha asked.
“She’s fine. She’s getting a taste of Smallville hospitality from Rachael.” Clark said.
“How’s she taking everything?” Jonathan asked.
“She’s fine. She’s still a little hurt I didn’t tell her before but she understands.” Clark sighed, “She’s not going to tell anyone if that’s what you’re worried about, Dad.”
“I was talking about the baby,” Jonathan said. “This can’t be easy for either of you.”
Clark sighed, “We haven’t really talked about it. She kinda shoved me out of the room before I could even open my mouth to say anything once the test read positive.”
“I guess your mother should go into the medical field.” Jonathan mused.
“Nah, I’d get bored after a month.” Martha laughed. “How are you feeling, Clark? Any sign of your powers returning?”
“No.” Clark sighed. “I’m starting to wonder if they’ll ever return.”
Martha and Jonathan glanced at one another, worry written on their faces.
***
“He didn’t!” Lois laughed as she walked with Rachael through the crowd. The Husk Off had actually been fun. Rachael was good company. She understood now why Clark was friends with her.
“Yep, dumped her right in the middle of the Pep Rally for everyone to see. You should have seen the look on her face. She still tries to maintain that Clark was in love with her and just couldn’t handle the commitment. Yeah right.” Rachael snorted.
Lois gave a weak smile. Clark seemed to be committed to her, but how long would that last? Would he still be committed to her when she was as big as a whale? “Um, Rachael, I think I’m going to go find Clark.”
“Okay. Thanks. That was fun. We’ll catch up later.” Rachael said.
Lois scanned the crowd for Clark but didn’t find any sign of him. She looked around at the various booths and still saw no sign of him. Then she spotted Martha around the corner at the “Test Your Strength” meter. She turned the corner and approached her. Sure enough, Clark and Jonathan were with her. The top of the meter read, “Superman” and the bottom read, “Wimp.” Clark had just struck the meter with the mallet and the ball had reached “Very Strong.” Clark was obviously trying to test to see if his powers were returning at all.
“Want another shot?” Barker, the attendant asked.
“No.” Clark sighed resignedly.
“Maybe you just need a bit of good luck. Come on, that was so close.” Lois handed Barker another ticket. “Here.”
“Okay. Here goes nothing.” Clark took a step back and hefted the hammer up, giving it a good swing before he brought it down. He and Lois watched in anticipation. The ball moved up..up…almost. He was just a hair off of reaching ‘Superman.’
“All right, Clark, let’s make this a day to remember.” She pulled out another ticket and handed it to Barker; then leaned over to give Clark a kiss for good luck.
Clark hefted the hammer up once more, giving it a little more swing then slamming down once more. The ball moved up..up..DING. Superman! Clark lifted his arms in triumph, turning to face Lois who wrapped him in an enthusiastic hug. She leaned up to kiss him, eliciting a moan from him.
“Ahem.” Barker interrupted, holding two stuffed dolls before them. “You get your choice.” A teddy bear with an arrow running through it and a plush Superman doll. Clark looked at Lois expectantly. She hesitated for a moment then reached for the bear.
They walked through the crowd, arms around one another. “He is so cute.” Lois crooned, hugging the bear to her chest.
“Yeah, I don’t think you have to worry about him being stabbed. He’s already got an arrow through his chest.” Clark teased.
Lois smacked him with the bear. “That’s not funny.”
Clark laughed, “Hey, you do have a knack for trouble.”
“Trouble, huh?” She leaned up to kiss him, wrapping her arms around his neck, allowing her to deepen the kiss. He reluctantly pulled away, reminded that they were still in public. The strands of Brooks n’ Dunn’s “Boot Scoot n’ Boogie” began to play. Lois noticed everyone lining up to dance, “Give it a whirl?” She asked.
“You sure you can keep up?” He teased.
“I’m sure if I can’t you can teach me…” Lois said, tugging on his arm, “Come on, it’ll be fun.”
“Lois, I haven’t Tush Pushed in years…” he began.
“Come on!” She pulled him to her. “You were the one telling me to have fun. Now I want to dance.”
Clark sighed and lead her out on the dance floor, “Okay okay. Just kinda watch what everyone else is doing.” He pointed.
They began to move to the music. He watched in amazement as Lois’ hips moved in perfect rhythm with the music. “You know how to do this?”
Lois blushed looking up at him as she spun around, “Last year I had a friend convince me it was a great way to meet guys.”
“Was it?”
“Define guys…” She laughed.
The end of the song was announced with the applause from the dancers in the crowd. The band changed tempo and began playing a softer melody. Clark pulled her to him as many of the dancers began finding partners to dance with.
Dancin' in the dark, middle of the night
Takin' your heart and holdin' it tight
Emotional touch, touchin' my skin
And asking you to do what you've been doin' all over again
Oh it's a beautiful thing, don't think I can keep it all in
I just gotta let you know what it is that won't let me go
Lois rested her head against Clark’s chest, listening to the words as their bodies swayed in tune with one another. “I love this song.” She murmured. She felt his arms tighten against her waist.
“So, Smallville isn’t what you expected, huh?” Clark asked.
“No, definitely not,” Lois said, linking her arms around his neck.
It's your love
It just does something to me
It sends a shock right through me
I can't get enough
And if you wonder
About the spell, I'm under
Oh it's your love
“Clark?” Lois looked up at him hesitantly.
“Hmm?” He asked.
“How do you feel about everything? I mean, are you happy about..” she lowered her voice as she whispered, “the baby?”
He pulled her to him, kissing her soundly. “It was a bit of a shock, but I am happy about it. You kinda pushed me out of the room before I could say anything.” He pointed out.
Lois blushed, “I’m sorry about that. I kinda freaked.” She then pulled him down to her level, “You’re sure you’re not still freaking out? Because it’s okay if you are.” She asked hesitantly. “Because I’m feeling I don’t know…a bit taken aback. I mean this is huge. We didn’t plan this and I have no idea what to do. I mean, you haven’t met my parents …well, not really…” She rambled on. Clark leaned down to kiss her.
“We’ll be fine.” He whispered against her lips.
Better than I was, more than I am
And all of this happened by taking your hand
And who I am now is who I wanted to be
And now that we're together,
I'm stronger than ever
I'm happy and free
Oh it's a beautiful thing,
Don't think I can keep it all in
If you asked me why I've changed,
All I gotta do is say your sweet name
“I love you, Lois Lane.” He whispered, holding her tightly against him. They were hardly moving; just swaying to the music as one.
It's your love
It just does something to me
It sends a shock right through me
I can't get enough
And if you wonder
About the spell, I'm under
Oh, it's your love
The song finally ended and they reluctantly pulled apart, moving off the dance floor. “I’m a little tired. Dancing takes a lot out of you.” Lois sighed, nestling herself up against his chest.
“Here. Let’s sit down.” Clark pointed out. Lois took a seat on the bench; Clark sat behind her on the edge of the table. “Better?” He asked as Lois leaned up against him.
“Mmm hmm,” Lois said.
“Hey you two, I think I got something on the mess at Irig’s,” Rachael said, approaching them with a stack of folders. She took a seat next to them and laid out the papers she had.
“What’s this?” Lois asked.
“This is a copy of the order we were given. They’re claiming to be from a Federal Agency called, ‘Bureau 39’…whatever that is.” She pulled out a copy of the government I.D. “This is the guy in charge. Jason Trask. No one’s seen Wayne since Friday. My guess is he’s with these guys.”
Clark grimaced, “Rachael, you need to get some officers down to Wayne’s property. Trask is bad news. Don’t go in there unarmed. He’s a loose cannon.”
“I thought Bureau 39 was shut down,” Lois said, confused.
“Maybe Trask is acting on his own.” Clark mused, “From what those reports in Washington said they were getting rid of Trask when he shot George Thompson.”
Rachael frowned. “So, what? He’s impersonating a federal agent? That’s against the law.”
“Last time we dealt with him we were thrown out of a plane,” Lois added.
Rachael’s eyes widened to the size of saucers, “WHAT???”
“Yeah, thank God Superman showed up when he did,” Lois said, patting Clark’s leg as she spoke.
“Okay, I’m gonna get on this,” Rachael said, standing up to leave. She stopped cold when she saw a certain blonde standing behind her. “Great.”
“Clark, I didn’t know you were back in Smallville.” Lana pushed past Rachael and took a seat next to Clark.
“Uh, hi, Lana.” Clark made sure he kept his arms wrapped securely around Lois from behind; sending the message loud and clear that he was with Lois. He leaned down to whisper in Lois’ ear, “Get ready for fireworks.” Lois nodded, turning back to look at him.
Lana seemed to notice Rachael standing next to them, “Rachael, don’t you have a pig to untie or something?”
Rachael glared at Lana, “Let me check.” She walked up to Lana and began to circle her, “No, you don’t look tied up to me.”
Lana rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to Clark, “I haven’t seen you for so long. What have you been up to? You hardly ever come to Smallville anymore…” Lana patted his knee lightly; Clark stiffened.
Lois glared at Lana. Who did she think she was touching Clark like that? Only SHE was allowed to touch him like that. She glanced up at Clark who was looking very uncomfortable. Maybe she should try to make him relax and maybe put Ms. Lana Lang in her place as well…
***
“Uh, Lois and I are here on assignment from our paper.” Clark began uneasily. He bit his lower lip when he felt Lois lightly trace the muscles of his inner thigh with her thumb. He glared at her; she just smiled up at him innocently. What was she doing?
“Oh, that’s right, you’re working for the Daily Planet.” She patted him on the chest, earning her a glare from Lois, “What’s it like living in Metropolis?” She patted his knee again, causing him to stiffen once more. This time she left her hand there a little longer. He shifted away from her. Lana really wasn't getting the hint. He really didn't understand why she couldn’t take a hint. Avoiding her was one of the reasons he'd avoided the town festivals while he'd been traveling.
Lois took this opportunity to speak up, “Excuse me, Lana, is it?”
“Yes.” She smiled sweetly.
“Hi, Lois Lane.” She held her hand out for Lana to shake.
“And I care because?” Lana prompted with a smirk.
"Yeah, see, I come from a family of very possessive women. If you don't keep your hands to yourself I’m going to kick your ass……Got it?” Lois snapped between gritted teeth. Clark had to fight to control the laughter that had threatened to overtake him. “It was nice meeting you, though.” He couldn't believe what Lois had just said. The look on Lana's face was priceless and the possessive tone Lois had taken on was intriguing.
Lana glared at Lois for a moment, “Excuse me?” She half laughed. “I’m just being friendly.”
“Oh, is that what they call it now?” Lois challenged. She moved her hands up behind her, brushing against his thigh once more and Clark's eyes widened as he fought to suppress a moan; covering it up by coughing. What was she doing? Didn't she know what that would do to him?
“Loisss…” He hissed in a hushed whisper.
Lana didn’t seem to notice his outburst. “You’re not from around here. You wouldn’t understand.” Lana reassured. “Clark and I…we go way back.”
“Really?” She continued to rub her palm up against him. This was torture. Oh, God, she was trying to kill him... “Clark never mentioned you.” Clark rolled his eyes at that comment. She knew exactly what she was doing.
“Well, we dated in high school,” Lana replied coolly. Lana was oblivious to what Lois was doing to him. He bit his lower lip as he fought to suppress a deep moan. There was no way he could...not now...not in the middle of the Corn Festival with Rachael and Lana right there...“So, Lois Lane? You’re Clark’s work partner?”
“Oh, we’re a lot more than that.” She crooned seductively rubbing his thigh with her other hand. He gave Lana a weak smile and nod. Oh, yeah, they passed that threshold a LONG time ago.
Lana gave a weak smile, “Well, hopefully, you have better luck than I did.” Nice. Lana was making digs now. He felt Lois' palm press against him. He let out a shuddered breath. He didn't think he could talk if he tried right now.
“Oh.” Lois gave a shy smile, “Well, we’ve only been going out for a few months…Well, wait, almost four, isn’t it?” She looked back at him for recognition. He nodded. She was definitely putting on a show.
Lana laughed nervously, “Four months?”
“Yeah, I’ve learned a lot in the last few months…” She gave a wicked grin to Lana, “I never knew research could be so much fun..” Clark felt the blood rushing to his cheeks as Lois continued. He remembered how their ‘research’ had always ended up. “So, what exactly was it you wanted?”
“Never mind. I can see you’re busy.” Lana left in a huff.
“Bye now,” Lois called after her. She then turned back to face Clark, “Was it something I said?”
“You are a minx.” He whispered, lowering his mouth to hers. He was dying here. All he really wanted to do right now was find the nearest secluded area and have his way with her to relieve himself of the pressure she had built up by torturing him like that.
“You love it…” She teased back. Oh, yeah. He loved it; he couldn't deny that.
Rachael, who had watched the exchange in silence approached them trying to hold in her laughter, “Oh, my God! I have never seen her so angry in my life! That was…” Her radio went off, distracting her, “Great. Duty calls. I’ll catch you later.” She then disappeared into the crowd.
Lois pulled Clark down for another kiss, “I’m hungry…” She moaned against his mouth.
“I can’t move without seriously embarrassing myself.” He whispered back.
Lois turned in his arms, “Let’s get out of here. I want to get something to eat.”
“Let’s head back to the farm.” He muttered in between gritted teeth. “Don’t move.” He warned as he held her in front of the bulge in his pants that Lois had created.
“Where did we park?” Lois asked innocently.
“Hopefully nearby,” Clark said in between gritted teeth.
***
TBC...
