Winner Takes All
Folc4evernaday
Part 18
***
They reached the District Attorney’s office in record time, thanks to Superman Express. Clark spun back into his suit and followed Lois up the steps to the courthouse. “I could get used to this way of travel.” She murmured. “Sure saves on cab fare.”
Clark laughed, “Well, now you know why I never bought a car.” He said.
Lois groaned, “I’m saving up.”
“For what?” Clark asked.
“A Jeep.” She said simply. She pressed the call button for the elevator. “You never wanted to get a car?”
“I never really needed one. By the time I was old enough to drive I had my own way of transportation.” He whispered, following her onto the elevator.
“Ah.” Lois nodded pressing the button for their floor. “Hopefully, Ryan Knox is in a good mood and feeling charitable to us hard-working journalists.”
“Well, I’m sure if we explain to him that we’re looking to solve the mystery with these fires as much as he is; he’ll be corporative.” Clark reasoned.
“Not always,” Lois whispered as they stepped off the elevator. Clark opened the door to the District Attorney’s office and Lois smiled her thanks to him as she entered; Clark followed close behind.
They approached the front desk receptionist. She was a young twenty-something with blonde hair and blue eyes and way too big of a smile for Lois’ taste. “Hi, can I help you?” She asked sweetly.
“Yes, I’m Lois Lane. This is Clark Kent. We’re from the Daily Planet. We need to speak with Mr. Knox concerning the fires in Southside.”
“We’re not supposed to release any information to the press.” She said hesitantly.
Clark flashed her a megawatt smile, “Excuse me, Miss…?”
“Lennon.” She supplied, smiling flirtatiously back at Clark. Lois rolled her eyes but allowed it. If flirting would get them in to see Knox she was all for it.
“Ms. Lennon, we just need to ask Mr. Knox a few questions; get the office’s official statement on why these fires keep going on. If we could just get five minutes?” He prompted.
She seemed to hesitate a bit then Clark gave her another megawatt smile, “I guess it couldn’t hurt. I mean, after all, we’re all on the same side, right?” She shrugged.
“Right.” Clark nodded.
She blushed, pushing back a strand of hair.“ Is there anything else I can help you with?” She shot Clark a bright smile. Clark wrapped an arm around Lois, sending the silent symbol that he was with her.
“No, that’ll be all,” Clark said, walking with Lois through the doors Ms. Lennon had just opened for them. “Thank you.”
The young receptionist watched them leave, leaning back to get a better look. “Some girls have all the luck.” She murmured, turning back to her desk.
Lois and Clark reached Mr. Knox’s office and knocked on the door. After a few minutes, Mr. Knox answered the door, “Yes, can I help you?”
“Mr. Knox?” Lois asked, holding out her hand for him to shake.
“Yes?”
“Lois Lane, Daily Planet. This is my partner, Clark Kent. We’d like to ask you a few questions about the fires in Southside.” She said, stepping inside the office.
“Our office isn’t prepared to release an official statement to the media, Ms. Lane.”
“So, you haven’t got any leads?” Lois inquired.
“We are conducting an internal investigation into the matter. That’s all I can tell you.” Mr. Knox gestured towards the door. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a luncheon.” He exited the office, heading towards the exit.
“Gee, that went well,” Clark said sarcastically.
Lois glared at him. “An internal investigation, huh?” She turned to walk down the hallways, looking for Lucy’s office. “I guess it’s a good thing I know someone internal.”
“Lo-is..” Clark warned. “You can’t use your sister like that.”
“Why not?” Lois asked. “She uses my name all the time to get free stuff at the Planet. I’m just returning the favor.” She looked at the office, labeled ‘Lucy Lane’ in front of her. “Come on.” She opened the door.
“Lois? What are you doing here?” Lucy asked.
“I just wanted to stop by and say ‘hi’…” Lois smiled sweetly at her sister.
“Uh-huh.” Lucy nodded, not believing her for a minute. “What do you want, Lois?”
“What’s the deal with the fires?” Lois asked.
“We don’t know. They arrested some street gang members, but I’m not sure if they’re the ones responsible or not. I’m still going over everything. Plus, there’s Uncle Mike..”
“Uncle Mike? What does he have to do with it?” Lois asked.
“He was one of the witnesses,” Lucy explained. “You don’t know this.” She wagged her finger at Lois. “Mr. Knox is releasing a statement at a press conference in about an hour.”
“Hmmm, well, I guess that gives us a jump start before deadline.” Lois reasoned.
“What do you guys know about the explosion on the LexCorp freighters?” Clark asked.
“What?” Lucy asked aghast.
“They exploded at the same time some of these fires were going on a few weeks ago. Didn’t you know that?” Lois asked.
“No.” Lucy shook her head. “Oh, my God! That’s horrible.”
“We were thinking the fire was just a diversion…maybe someone’s after Luthor.” Clark guessed.
Lucy nodded mutely, “Anything’s possible. Listen, I should know more later tonight. We can compare notes and see what else we can find. Three heads are better than one…you know.” Lucy suggested.
“Sure.” Lois nodded, looking around. “Looks like you’re adjusting well.”
“Yeah. I’ve been training this new girl all day. This is my first break. She went to go grab us some lunch.” She gestured at the files in front of her. “Most of these guys have got a rap sheet a mile long.”
“Sometimes it’s not always the one with the rap sheet you have to look at.” Clark pointed out.
Lucy glared at him, “If this is another dig at Lex…”
“I’m talking about Trask. He was a federal agent and look how that turned out.” Clark said.
“Oh.” Lucy nodded. “Well, I guess I can see that. I’ll see you guys later. I have to get back to work.”
Lois nodded. “See you later, Lucy.”
***
“I want an explanation for this! Who dares to attack ME???” Lex ranted as he paced around his boardroom. “I built this company up from NOTHING!!”
“We are still working on our investigation, Mr. Luthor..” Mrs. Cox reassured him. “I am doing everything in my power to find the person responsible. I have a few sources indicating a possible gang relation..”
“GANG??” Lex threw a stack of papers on the table in his fury. “You mean to tell me that almost $100,000 BLEW up because of a..a…a…GANG??? No, Mrs. Cox…This is something…much..much…more than a gang attack. This is a fight …for power…Very well, if it’s a war they want. It’s a war they will get.”
“Shall, I send out the usual suspects?” Mrs. Cox inquired.
“No..” Lex’s eyes narrowed. “This is something that needs to be handled with the utmost care. Track down the person responsible and take care of it personally. I have a pressing engagement.”
“With Lucy Lane?” Mrs. Cox inquired, obvious jealousy rose within her gaze.
“Yes.” Lex nodded. “Take care of it.” He glared at her before leaving.
***
The next evening, Lois, Clark, and Lucy sat at the dining room table, going over their notes as they tried to piece everything together. “So, you think the drugs Lois and I were exposed to are the same drugs Harrington and Roarke were given?” Lucy inquired.
“That’s our theory,” Clark said, taking a bite of the pizza they had ordered. “Nothing’s been confirmed yet.”
Lucy let out a shuddered breath, “Kinda scary.”
“Well, according to Linda…” Lois began.
“Linda King? Don’t tell me you’re talking to that bitch…” Lucy cringed.
“She was investigating a story on those drugs when the fire to the Metro Club was set,” Lois explained.
“Yeah right.” Lucy snorted. “She was probably one of the hookers.” Clark looked at Lucy questionably. “Don’t look at me like that. That’s Lois’ story to tell; not mine.”
Clark turned his attention to Lois, “Ahem.”
“No,” Lois said shaking her head. “I don’t want to talk about it.” She winced slightly and felt a wave of nausea coming over her.
“Lois?” Lucy looked up at her in concern. “Do I need to….” She began to move so Lois could make a dash for the bathroom. Lucy sighed, watching Lois head to the bathroom with Clark right behind her. Unfortunately, Lois slammed the door closed and he stood outside, unsure of what to do. Lucy sighed, unsure of what to do herself. She had to admit, seeing her sister suffering through the ‘morning sickness’ of this pregnancy was hard to watch. It made her wonder why anyone would go through this more than once.
***
Clark stood outside the bathroom door, waiting for Lois to let him in. She’d clamped her hand over her mouth after dinner and had been camped out in the bathroom for over half an hour, “Lois?” He heard a quiet sob from the other side of the door, unlike the heaving sound she’d been making earlier, “Lois?” Deciding not to wait any longer he opened the door and saw Lois curled up on the floor in tears. He knelt down next to her and wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her to him. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
She looked up at him in tears, “Something’s wrong…” She managed in-between tears. “I’m bleeding…”
***
He did his best not to betray the emotions he was feeling at the moment when he landed with Lois outside the hospital. He allowed the emergency personnel to take over as they began hounding her with questions over and over regarding the pregnancy.
When did you last eat?
How far along are you?
Where is the father?
He hated to leave her. He had to in order to change. It wouldn’t do anyone any good to see Superman sitting by Lois Lane’s bedside at the hospital. The paparazzi would eat that up and it would be on every network within the hour.
He tried to make it as quick as possible and was able to find his way back to Lois within about ten minutes after filling out paperwork after paperwork with the nurse’s station. Was this going to be what it was like when they had the baby?
“Lois?” Clark took a seat in the makeshift room she was in that was divided by curtains in an open floor on the Labor and Delivery floor of the hospital. It unnerved him to no end to be here with Lois only being a few months pregnant. What if something was wrong? What if she lost the baby?
“Clark!” Lois cried, pulling him to her as he took a seat next to her bed. She was hooked up to an IV and there was a strap wrapped around her abdomen with a monitor reading the heart rate of the baby and her.
Before he could voice his concern over her and the baby a nurse stepped in with Dr. Reeve. “Living a little dangerous tonight aren’t we?” She smiled, trying to keep Lois at ease as she stepped into the room, pulling up a stool. She rolled over to the monitor to read the printouts. “Everything looks normal…”
“The blood…” Lois began cautiously.
“Sometimes it just happens, but from the urine sample we collected when you checked in it doesn’t seem to be a whole lot. Just spotting. I know this is scary, but you did the right thing…” She reassured, patting Lois on the knee. Clark sighed in relief when he heard Dr. Reeve tell them it was normal. He’d been so scared. “Now, I’m not going to do an exam because I don’t want to aggravate anything. For now, we’re going to put you on high-risk treatment…”
“What does that mean?” Lois asked nervously.
“Taking it easy….No overdoing it. You can still do your job…just take a few extra precautions…Less bungee jumping with no parachute and more looking before you leap,” Dr. Reeve smiled. “For now, no intercourse. We’ll take a look at everything in a few weeks and go from there,”
“Whatever we need to do,” Clark said, intertwining his fingers with Lois’ as he gave her hand a supportive squeeze. “We’ll do it,”
Lois gave him a weak smile, “Absolutely,” She put a hesitant hand on her abdomen.
***
The soft drumming of the rain against the glass pane of the window in Lois’ bedroom filled the room. Lois had fallen asleep hours ago after they’d gotten home from the hospital. Even when he was battling Trask after his Kryptonite exposure he’d never been as scared as he was tonight. There was no power he could use to protect Lois from losing their child. He was different. An alien. It was a miracle in itself that they’d even been able to conceive a child, but the thought of losing everything like this shook him to his core.
<< Lois looked back at him, “What did you just say?”
Clark grinned back at her, “Lois,” he repeated slyly.
Lois smirked at him, “After that,”
“Honey,” he whispered softly, cupping her cheek.
She smirked back at him, forgetting her tirade temporarily, “That’s the first time you’ve ever called me that.” She placed a finger on the knot of his tie, tracing the length of it to his belt. “Say it again,” she grinned impishly up at him.
Clark looked at her with a huge grin on his face, “Honey,” he repeated.
She grinned, tracing the outline of his tie, “That’s amazing. I like it.”>>
<<“We need to talk about your priorities.”
“My what?” Clark asked, turning to face her.
“You blew Lois off tonight for a story! I mean, how cold can you be?”>>
<<“No, I don’t understand. I don’t understand why my sister’s having your child and yet you two aren’t even talking about it. Or why you’ve left her to question the stability of your relationship with her…I mean, you should at least make an honest woman out of her…That’s the least you could do.”
“Lucy, this is none of your business,” Clark said curtly. >>
<<“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.>>
<< “Oh, that is so typical!” Lucy snapped. “Just run away like every other man does…”
Clark turned on his heel, “I am not running away.”
“Oh, really? Sure looks like it to me. You blow off a date with my sister to chase a story until two in the morning. Who does that? Do you even care about how this is affecting Lois? What she must think about the fact that she’s pregnant with no sign of commitment from you?”
“This is none of your business.” Clark hissed out. >>
<<“That’s the baby’s heartbeat.” She answered. “We’re definitely pregnant and…”
“It’s so fast,” Lois commented in wonderment. She looked over at Clark who was watching the screen the technician had just pulled up with intrigue. She squeezed his hand and he looked down at her, giving her a supportive smile.>>
<<“Something’s wrong…” She managed in-between tears. “I’m bleeding…”>>
<<"There were….” He took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose. “A lot of injured…and some ….fatalities.”
Lois noticed his change in tone, “Clark, are you okay?”
“I’ll be fine.” He said, shooting her a small smile. “It was just a VERY long night…Anyway, the firefighters were completely outnumbered with the fires. They had every man out there and still weren’t able to keep up. I was barely able to keep up. It’s really sad. I mean, you take your family out to dinner and then you end up trapped in the middle of a chaotic fire…”
“Clark..” Lois put down the notebook. He was definitely not ‘okay.’ He was brooding over what had happened last night. “You’re not okay.”
“Lois, I’m fine. I’ll just be glad when we can catch whoever’s behind this. Enough people have been injured..” Clark said solemnly.
“You don’t have to put on the invulnerable act with me, Clark. I know it must have been hard pulling out all those people.”>>
<<No overdoing it. You can still do your job…just take a few extra precautions…Less bungee jumping with no parachute and more looking before you leap,” Dr. Reeve smiled. “For now, no intercourse. We’ll take a look at everything in a few weeks and go from there,”
“Whatever we need to do,” Clark said, intertwining his fingers with Lois’ as he gave her hand a supportive squeeze. “We’ll do it,”
Lois gave him a weak smile, “Absolutely,” She put a hesitant hand on her abdomen.>>
TBC...
