Rules of Love
Folc4evernaday
Chapter 6
***
Bill Henderson watched from the double paned window as Detective Ryder worked on questioning Sheldon Bender. The Police Chief walked up behind him, “Any luck?”
Henderson turned to face him, “Nothing yet. Bender has no clue where Luthor’s hiding but keeps yammering about Nigel St. John and someone named Gretchen Kelly.”
“Dr. Gretchen Kelly?” A voice behind them spoke.
They both turned to see Mayson Drake standing there with a stern look on her face. Henderson’s brow furrowed, “Mayson, what are you doing here?”
“This is my case. I’m not going to be scared into hiding just because I’ve been a little inconvenienced.” Mayson said, walking up to them with a hard tone. It was clear she was trying to prove herself to everyone, but he could sense the hesitation in her voice.
“Mayson, you don’t have to do this.” The Police Chief countered gently. “Intergang just put a mark on you less than six hours ago…”
“And Bender knows who did it.” Mayson countered, pointing to the man in the box with Ryder. “I want answers, and I want them now.”
***
Lois waited with Clark parked outside her apartment waiting for Detective Davis to return. She glanced up at the moonlit sky, trying to focus on anything but how close Clark was standing next to her at that very moment. It wouldn’t take a lot of convincing on either of their parts to pick up where they’d left off earlier. Still, there was a part of her that still had qualms about crossing that final threshold. Everytime she did, it found a way of ruining the relationship.
With Claude, she discovered she’d been used the next morning. With Paul, she discovered she’d been betrayed. Though in her mind she knew Clark wasn’t like either of those men there was a part of her that wondered if it was her curse to go from one federal disaster to another. Clark himself seemed hesitant about crossing that line. Was he having doubts too?
“All clear!” Detective Davis said, coming down the steps leading up to your apartment.
Lois let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding in. The coast was clear. She could go home to her apartment...alone. She looked back at Clark who was walking a few steps behind her with both detectives behind them as she reached the final step leading up to the corridor where her apartment was.
They reached her apartment with the seven deadbolts tightly locked, and Lois began unlocking them one by one. She noticed Clark lower his glasses to check the coast was indeed clear. “Thanks.” She said, unlocking the final lock and swinging the door open. She motioned to the detectives who were noticeably looking elsewhere and hanging back. She couldn’t help but giggle, “I guess they think we need some privacy.”
His eyebrows rose into a suggestive wiggle, “Well, they did interrupt us earlier.”
She bit her lip, suppressing another chuckle and meeting his gaze as she fingered the tail end of his tie. “Yeah,” she could feel a slight blush fill her cheeks. “About that…”
He looked like he was about to say something but stopped himself, moving to cup her cheek before he leaned in to kiss her goodnight. Her lips tingled against his, feeling the warmth they’d been craving ever since their encounter in the elevator. It would be so easy to lose themselves in one another’s arms right now. So easy to…
She let out a soft moan as he pulled away and murmured in her ear, “As much as I would love to pick up where we left off…” He gave a flying motion with his hand, and she nodded her understanding. As tempting as it was Superman was needed.
“I know.” She whispered back, running her palm suggestively over his chest once more. “Goodnight, Clark,” She leaned in to kiss him once more before pulling away. She turned to look at him before closing the door behind her.
She let out a sigh, feeling the tingle from his kiss still on her lips. She made her way into the living room and set her things down. Despite how many doubts still plagued her about crossing that final threshold with Clark she couldn’t deny the pull that was there. She knew if that encounter in the elevator had happened at any other time it wouldn’t have been hard for either of them to resume the heated embrace and forget the rest of the world. But that was the problem. It did happen in the middle of one of the biggest investigations of the year. It happened right after Lex had risen from the dead and threatened her.
Neither of them were thinking clearly at this point. Neither were immune to the threat Lex posed against them. Lex made his intentions all too clear earlier. She could only imagine what he’d try to do to Clark if given the opportunity. They knew Gretchen Kelly was behind the break-in at STAR Labs. If she was working with Lex, there was a very real possibility he had Kryptonite. That thought made her skin crawl.
<<“It was a trap.”>>
<<“Kryptonite...Luthor had a cage of Kryptonite. I was trapped in there for a day and a half. Listened to Luthor taunt me about how he’d finally won and what he was going to do to me…and everyone I cared about.”>>
<<“Lois, I've lost everything. My fortune, my reputation.. everything but my feeling for you. We must take the miracle of my resurrection as a sign that even death can't keep us apart.”>>
<<“I used up all of my strength to get out of there…had to hide behind the barrels of wine when he came in there with an ax.”
“Clark…”>>
<<“I see Superman wasted no time in turning you against me.”
“Don’t you dare try to turn this around on him. You have no right after what you did!”
“Oh, don’t I?”>>
<<“ I never thought he’d get his hands on it. It was destroyed…so I thought.”>>
<<“Never question a miracle. We're together again and that's all that matters.”>> Lois blanched slightly, recalling her conversation with Lex earlier. After everything, he still thought she would succumb to his charms. She snorted slightly, recalling her almost wedding.
<<“Lois Lane...Kent.”>>
<<“And do you, Lois, take this man to be your wedded husband from this day forward, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?”
“ I…”
“Lois?”
“I... can't.”>>
<<“Stop the wedding! Lois, you can't marry this man!”
“What, is there an echo in here? I just said that.”>>
<<“Where’s Clark?”
“Right here.”>> Lois ruefully shook her head, recalling the look of daggers she’d received when she’d finally spoken the scariest words at that moment. ‘I can’t.’ After all the planning and waiting and lists and fights she couldn’t go through with it. Staring at her reflection in the mirror she couldn’t imagine a life with Lex. She’d come so dangerously close to making the biggest mistake of her life because she’d been too afraid to say anything. A calm washed over her, and she reached for the phone to dial the number she now knew by heart.
After a few rings, she heard the familiar voicemail on the other end and smiled hearing the sound of her boyfriend’s voice. “Hi, you’ve reached Clark Kent. I can’t get to the phone right now. Please leave a message at the sound of…”
“Hello?” she heard Clark interrupt his own voicemail.
“Hi,” She grinned into the phone. Hearing his voice on the other end sent a flutter down her spine. “I guess you made it home okay?”
“Well, I had to wait for Detective Davis to leave me alone. God, that guy can talk... I was just about to do my patrol.” He responded. She could hear the humorous tone in his voice as he paused, “Everything okay?”
“Yeah,” she said with a sigh, not sure how to put into words the emotions her mind had been putting her through. “I guess...considering.”
“We’re going to get him, Lois,” He reassured her.
“You don’t know that,” Lois said, letting her defenses down a bit. “No one knows that.”
“No you’re right but…” She heard him say before a knock echoed from her front door.
“Hold on a sec,” Lois interrupted, getting up from the couch. “I think that’s Detective Gray checking in. They’re supposed to have a new officer rotate the shift about now.” She glanced at the clock, noting the time.
“Just be careful,” Clark warned from the other end of the phone.
“I am.” She grinned into the phone. “Here.” She peered through the peephole and saw Detective Gray through it. “It’s just the detective, Clark. Everything's fine.” She reassured him as she finished unlocking the final deadbolt and opened the door.
“I’m so sorry.” She heard Detective Gray whisper before she fell to the ground.
“Lois?” she heard Clark’s voice through the phone line, but couldn’t make out the words to tell him what had just happened. In front of her, Lex stood with a pistol aimed at her.
“Lois, when will you ever learn. I always get my way.” Lex said, stepping into the doorway. “You’re coming with me.” He reached over to hang up the phone.
“You need to leave.” She warned. “The police are looking for you.”
“They’ll keep looking.” Lex shrugged, “Right now, you need to pack.”
“Pack?” She looked at him in surprise.
“Yes, Switzerland is quite cold this time of year.”
“Switzerland?!” Lois gaped at him in surprise. “I’m not going to Switzerland.”
“Yes, you are.” He looked at her with a dark gaze, and she took a step back.
“Lex after everything you've done how could you expect ... ?” Lois looked at him in disgust.
“Yes, I've done terrible things. But I did them for you. Provoked by the blinding light of your beauty.” Lex attempted to sway her.
“I’m not going with you.” She said adamantly, trying to keep her voice as even as she could considering he still had a gun trained on her.
“I see…”
“Lex, please before you make things worse…” Lois pleaded backing away from him.
“I’ve already been through the worst,” Lex growled, raising the gun to point it at her chest.
She prepared herself for whatever calamity Lex would throw at her. Would he shoot her? Try and kidnap her? She wasn’t sure. Then she felt it. The cold burst of air that came when Clark arrived. She looked up and saw Clark floating in the corner of her apartment, holding Lex against the wall by the throat.
***
Clark leaned back into the couch, listening to Lois on the other end of the phone. “I guess you made it home okay?” she asked.
“Well, I had to wait for Detective Davis to leave me alone. God, that guy can talk... I was just about to do my patrol.” He answered with a chuckle before pausing to ask what had been plaguing him since he left her apartment, “Everything okay?”
“Yeah,” she sighed tentatively. “I guess...considering.”
“We’re going to get him, Lois,” He reassured her, sitting up on his couch. He knew this had to be nerve-wracking for her. Luthor being on the run and not knowing where he was, but he also knew he wouldn’t rest until Luthor was behind bars paying for every life he’d taken and wronged.
“You don’t know that,” Lois said quietly. “No one knows that.”
“No you’re right but…”He stopped when he heard a knock at her door through the phone.
“Hold on a sec,” Lois interrupted, “I think that’s Detective Gray checking in. They’re supposed to have a new officer rotate the shift about now.”
Clark looked at his clock on the wall, recalling the schedule they’d been given earlier. “Just be careful.” he reminded her.
“I am.” She said happily. “Here.” He heard some rustling and then she said, “It’s just the detective, Clark. Everything's fine.” He heard the final lock on her door click and the creaking of her front door open.
“I’m so sorry.” he heard a voice say before a loud thud followed.
“Lois?” He called out, already standing to his feet, ready to fly into action.
“Lois, when will you ever learn. I always get my way. You’re coming with me.” He heard Luthor say through the phone line. There was a click, and in an instant, he disappeared into a blur of red and blue. He didn’t stop to see if anyone had seen him. He didn’t slow down for the plane in his path, darting as fast as he could to Lois’ apartment on Clinton Street.
“Lex, please before you make things worse…” Lois pleaded backing away from Luthor as he held a gun on her.
He wanted to crash through the window and strangle Luthor with his bare hands, but he knew he couldn’t. He had to be careful. If his history with the man had taught him anything, it taught him to never underestimate Luthor. He scanned the apartment for any lead-lined boxes or meteorites. It looked to be clear but just the same he scanned again. Nothing.
“I've already been through the worst.” He heard Luthor say.
Clark smirked to himself,
‘That’s what you think.’ He moved at super-speed through the apartment, grabbing Luthor by the throat and glared at his enemy with a rage he’d never felt before. “I believe you were just leaving!” He held up the pistol and crushed it with his hand.
“Always so smug!” Luthor shot back. “You and I both know that without those powers you’re nothing!”
He ignored Luthor’s taunts, turning to Lois, “Are you all right, Lois?”
“Fine,” Lois said, helping Detective Gray to her feet. “Just get him out of my sight.”
Detective Gray held up her phone, “I’m going to get a unit over here to pick him up.” She wagged a finger at Luthor, “Keep a tight grip on him, Superman.”
“With pleasure, Detective,” Clark growled, giving Luthor a menacing look.
“You can put up a front all you want, Lois, but I know you still have feelings. I know you still care.” Luthor called out to her. “You loved me once…”
“Leave her alone!” Clark snarled, “You’ve done enough damage.”
“What’s wrong, Superman, afraid I might be right? The great Lois Lane in love with your greatest enemy. Tsk Tsk Tsk. A hard pill to swallow, isn’t it?” Luthor taunted.
“How about the truth? That seems to be the pill that’s hard for you to swallow, Lex.” Lois interjected angrily. “I never loved you. I was manipulated by you. There’s a big difference. I know that now.” Lois gave a disgusted snort, “You don’t get it, do you? You act like nothing’s changed. Do you remember the wedding? Do you remember me saying the words ‘I can’t’ to you?”
“A bout of cold feet. I’m sure you would have seen to reason.” Lex snorted. It took everything in Clark not to tighten his grip on Luthor’s throat at that comment.
“Try a reality check.” Lois shot back. “The entire time I was getting ready that morning all I could think about was everyone and everything I had lost because of you...Namely one person. My best friend. The man that tried to warn me about you over and over. Clark.” Luthor snorted at that and her voice took a venomous tone as she added coldly, “I know what you did. I know what you were planning to do. Trust me on this, any qualms I might have had disappeared after I discovered what a true monster you really are. If you ever come near me again, prison will look like a five star retreat when I’m through with you.”
The sound of sirens outside reached his ears, and Clark smirked, seeing the look of defeat on Luthor’s face, “I think that’s your ride, Luthor.”
He set him down, smiling with satisfaction when he saw Bill Henderson leading the squad that had come to arrest him. “There won’t be any escape this time.” Henderson slapped the cuffs on Luthor with a satisfied grin.
Clark chuckled watching with relief as Luthor was escorted away in handcuffs, “Justice is finally served.”
Lois turned to face him, “Thanks for the, uh, rescue.” She smiled at him. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you move that fast.”
“I wasn’t going to let him getaway again.” He said, eying the audience they had at the moment. It was one of the hardest parts about being around Lois as Superman...the hiding. He had to hide how he felt about her from the outside world. Whereas Clark could easily wrap her up in his arms and never let go after something like this Superman had to remain aloof and distant.
“Still.” She looked at him with a soft gaze, “Thank you.” She laid a tentative hand on his arm before removing it.
“I should…” He gave a flying motion with his hand. A smile spread across her face, and she gave him a knowing look. “Goodnight, Lois.”
“Goodnight, Superman.” She said, tightening her arms around herself as she watched him leave out the window he’d opened.
***
TBC...
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