Delusions of Grandeur
Folc4evernaday
Chapter 15
***
Lois stared down at the dark liquid in her coffee mug, searching for answers that wouldn’t come. She’d gone over her options from the time she’d stepped into the shower until now and she didn’t like any of them. The lingering effects from her hangover weren’t helping things either. After getting dressed she’d checked the phone and seen over a dozen missed calls from Jimmy. She tried calling him back but it went straight to voicemail. She had two voicemails which she could only imagine were from Jimmy probably yelling at her for not answering the phone. She could listen to them later. Right now she just needed to process the drastic change that had occurred between her and Clark.
Before last night she never would have thought alcohol could affect Clark. He certainly appeared to be in as much pain as she was. Was it a lingering effect from his exposure to the Kryptonite? Was that what made him susceptible or was it something that had always affected him? If last night hadn’t happened she could have just asked him. She grunted at the wasted opportunities over the last few months where she could have just told him she knew he was Superman without having him hate her for it. Now of course she couldn’t tell him, not without ruining everything.
If there was one thing she’d learned from the journals Martha had given her it was just how insecure Clark was about his alter-ego. If he found out she knew, then everything would be over. The game of charades and pretending the two weren’t the same person as well as any chance of him trusting her enough to tell her himself.
A tear fell down her cheek as she swallowed hard. That was what she wanted more than anything. She wanted him to trust her. Her second option gave her hope that that might happen one day but if she continued to say nothing she’d be lying to him every day as not only a former colleague and friend but now as something more. She couldn’t do that. The idea of trying to pursue any attainable relationship with him and still not tell him what she knew felt wrong.
Both options left a bitter taste in her mouth. There of course was the third option which she liked even less which was to pretend last night didn’t happen and try to go back to the way things were before. Right as the thought entered her mind, a memory from last night was right behind it, reminding her of the mind-numbing ecstasy that had been coursing through her again and again. It was probably the hardest of all the choices to make but it left her conscience less burdened. She couldn’t consider starting any kind of a romantic relationship with him knowing she wasn’t being honest and she knew if he ever found out she’d known all this time he’d never forgive her.
It seemed ironic really, the superhero she’d worshiped and longed for was the very reason she couldn’t be with him now. She’d had months to process the revelation. She had long ago set aside the hero worship she’d once had and looked beyond the cape and the ‘S.’ It wasn’t until then that she realized her attraction to the superhero had been the same things that drew her to Clark as a friend.
The realization that she not only had turned Clark’s confession of love for her down, but had also unwittingly twisted the knife further by asking him to fetch his alter-ego had been a bitter pill to swallow. In the same day she’d turned the man behind the cape and spandex down she’d pleaded with him that she would love him as an ordinary man. Realizing how badly she must have hurt him she’d done her best to try and earn his trust back and be there to help him as the friend she hadn’t been for the last year.
Now, everything was gone.
She was just thankful she hadn’t confessed she knew he was Superman last night. That was her saving grace at the moment. Still, they needed to talk. The longer things were left unresolved the more opportunity for things to go wrong. Putting her feelings aside and stepping back was the best decision. It was too risky to start something that was destined to fail from all the secrets being kept. It was better this way. Blame it on the alcohol and walk away.
Deciding she had prolonged the dreaded conversation long enough she stood up and walked toward the backdoor. She gasped in surprise when she saw Clark knelt down on the ground and smoke coming up from the steps. She stood outside the glass door, gripping the handle for a long moment before deciding to open the door. Whatever it was that Clark had done or was attempting to do had taken a lot out of him. She could see the exhaustion on his face as he approached the steps to grab something.
She opened the door, stepping out on the porch and closing the door behind her. She watched as Clark climbed the steps to the porch and she stole a glance once more at the back yard. There was a large pile of leaves on one side of the hill leading into the woods that hadn’t been there before. What was he doing?
Clark reached the top of the steps and saw her, apprehension covered his features as he walked toward her. She took a breath, uncertain how to begin. “Hi,” she ran a hand through her damp hair with one hand and nervously toyed with the hem of her t-shirt as he approached.
“Hi,” He cleared his throat.
“Getting some air?” She looked around the backyard behind him uncertain how to begin.
“Uh, yeah,” he nodded, taking another step toward her. “I figured the fresh air would do me some good,”
He gave her a half-smile and she could already feel her knees going weak. She looked away, staring down at her feet before looking back up and asking, “How’s your head?”
“Sore,”
“Yeah,” she sighed, clearing her throat. “First one’s always a doozie.”
That comment seemed to catch him by surprise and he looked back at her quizzically, “First one?”
“Hangover,” she clarified, “Last night you mentioned you’d never been drunk before.”
“Yeah,” he nodded recognition.
He stared back at her and she could already feel herself wavering on what she knew she needed to do. She cleared her throat, breaking the silence, “We should probably talk,”
“Isn’t that what we’re doing now?” he flashed her a teasing smile.
“About last night,” she clarified nervously, twisting her hair nervously with her hand, “It’s tempting…unbelievably tempting to indulge in everything that happened but is this really the smartest move? I mean, we literally have hired hitmen chasing after us and a sociopathic crime lord lurking in the shadows. It would be so easy to pretend that none of that existed but we can’t. This is already a complicated enough of a situation and we just made it even more complicated. I don’t think this is a good idea and…”
He placed a hand on her shoulder and she could feel the electricity flowing through her from the simple touch. He looked back at her and whispered, “You’re babbling,”
<<“But I don’t want to wake up in the morning and have you regret tonight,”
“What makes you think I’d regret it?”
“We’re drunk,”>>“Sorry,” She looked down, trying to force her mind to focus on anything but the close proximity between them. Why did this have to be so difficult? She wanted more than anything to throw caution to the wind and pick up exactly where they had left off last night and let her mind forget everything, but she knew she couldn’t.
He moved his hand to her face, stroking her cheek with his thumb and forcing her to look at him, “Lois, complicated is an understatement of how things have been for the last few months but that’s not how I’d describe
this.”
<<“I love you, Lois, I’ve always loved you,”>>“It’s dangerous,” she said weakly as he stared back at her. It was a cop-out and she knew it. It was no more dangerous than what they’d been doing for the last few months. She couldn’t think when he was this close to her. “I’m not good at letting my guard down. If I let my guard down I could make a mistake and …”
“You keep acting like it’s just you against the world,” he said, stroking her cheek. She felt a flutter in her abdomen as his other hand traced the curve of her neck, “Lois, we’re in this together. We’re a team,” She felt her insides waver as he leaned closer and whispered, “This isn’t easy, but nothing worth fighting for is.”
<<“This means too much to me. You mean too much to me. I couldn’t bare it if I lost you because a night of drinking and …unbelievably strong hormones got the best of me.”>>“We’re on the run from professional killers,” she reminded him, weakly.
<<“I would love nothing more than to keep kissing you senseless until we both pass out from whatever liquor was in those shots…”>>“So no matter what we have one another’s back,” He shrugged his shoulders, stroking her cheek, “This doesn’t have to change any of that.” She silently listened as he poked holes in her theory and she found herself debating internally with just how sold she was on putting an end to things. He leaned in closer and whispered, “If you want to forget last night I will, but not because of what Nigel or Luthor might do. I’ve let Luthor take over too much of my life already. I won’t let him dictate this too.”
“I know,” she gave him a watery smile, knowing all too well how he felt. Lex had taken so much from both of them already.
“Do you regret last night?”
<<“So, there may not be a Planet or a story to chase, but we can still learn to work together as a team to bring down Luthor.”
“Lane and Kent.”
“I guess now it’s Kane and Kane?”
“Hottest Team in Town,”>>The question came out of nowhere and she struggled to respond truthfully. She could lie and say she regretted it and didn’t want anything more than friendship but after everything that had transpired between them over the past few months she knew she couldn’t do that.
“I regret the hangover,” she gave him a weak smile, “and not taking anything last night after drinking.”
<<“I love you, Clark,”>> “That’s not what I asked,” he reminded her.
She sighed, leaning her head back against the door and looked back up at him. She had to answer truthfully. “No,”
“Me neither…”
“So where does this leave us?” she asked.
<<“I really want to kiss you,”
“I’m not stopping you,”>>“Here,”
Before she could formulate a response his lips were on hers. His hands were in her hair and any recollection of why this was a bad idea was silenced as she parted her lips, allowing his tongue to smooth its way into her mouth. Her knees were growing weaker by the second and all she could focus on was how very right he felt pressed up against her.
***
Clark took a deep breath, opening the back door and stepping outside. He held his hand up, squinting his eyes as he walked across the porch and looked around the backyard. The wooded barrier prevented anyone from seeing into the back of the cabin. It was the perfect place as any to test himself.
He shoved his hands in his pockets and stepped down the wooden steps leading into the yard. He could still feel the lingering effects from what he could only assume was the hangover and the painful shock of his powers returning. The ringing in his ears had subsided somewhat and as the morning progressed he felt less of the dull ache behind his eyes.
He closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose and took another step into the yard, checking behind him to be sure there was no one around that could see him. It was late enough in the morning that most of the neighbors had already headed into town so he didn’t have to worry about someone driving by this time of day.
He took another breath, clearing his mind of the turmoil from the last few months and focusing his senses on the sounds around him. The soft chirping of the birds in the trees above him teased his ear drums.
<<“I love you, Clark,”>>
<< “I have a knack for getting in over my head and this time I’m so deep in I’m not even sure if I’ll ever get out.”>>
<<“I have been in love with you for a long time. You had to have known.”>>
<<“I love you, Clark,”>>
<<“Lois Lane won’t be a problem. She’s sure to have bled out by now anyway.”>>
<<“You stabbed her. Left her to bleed out. I’d say that’s personal.”>>A burst of air brushed across his face and he moved around the yard, causing the leaves around him to fly up in the air. He halted to a stop, turning behind him and looking over his shoulder at the street to make sure the coast was still clear. It wasn’t nearly as fast as the normal speed range he’d once had but the super-speed was definitely there.
<<“I love you, Clark,”>>
<<“You live in a fantasy world, Luthor. Neither Clark nor I ever do anything to support your marriage to Lois.”>>
<<“So, there may not be a Planet or a story to chase, but we can still learn to work together as a team to bring down Luthor.”
“Lane and Kent.”
“I guess now it’s Kane and Kane?”
“Hottest Team in Town,”>>
<<“I know you tried to warn me and like an idiot I didn’t believe you. I’m sorry.”>>
<<“I love you, Clark,”>> He took a shallow breath, clamping his eyes closed, trying to will his mind to clear. He flashed back to the first time he’d accidentally levitated when he was sixteen. The experience had been so shocking he hadn’t come out of his room for a week. After all this time he still found the gift of flight to be his favorite powers. He opened his eyes, glancing down at the ground. It wasn’t much, but it was a start. He let out a long breath, lowering himself back to the ground.
He pulled his hand down on the stairs, contemplating his next move. Dare he even attempt to test the heat vision yet? Super-strength? The dull ache behind his eyes reminded him of just how weak he might possibly still be. But he had to know.
He picked up a glass bottle from the recycling bin and set it on the third step of the wooden stairs. He counted back ten steps and then stared up at the green bottle. It happened so fast he couldn’t stop the blast and let out a low groan, hitting the ground as he clamped his eyes closed. The pain hit the inside of his eyes lids and he let out a muffled growl, pounding his fist on the ground. He felt a thud beneath him at the impact.
He let out a low breath, peering up carefully to see the once green bottle to be nothing more than a melted black glass bottle on the step. He hoisted himself up, wincing as he brought his hand to his face, feeling for any sign of damage. His eyes flickered open and he looked around, taking in the burn marks on the steps and picked up the melted bottle and set it inside the trashcan, burying it under a few cardboard boxes. Hopefully that would be enough to hide the evidence. He turned back to the stairs and saw the black burn marks on the third step with a distinct round mark inside it.
He took a deep breath, setting his foot over the burn mark and climbing the steps. He needed to get back inside before Lois finished her shower. They needed to talk about last night and where to go from here. There was a lot that needed to be said but he still wasn’t sure how much to reveal right now. The fact that his powers were returning definitely complicated things. Despite the fact that he had no intention of returning to his Superman duties he couldn’t deny the fact that his differences were now a complication Lois needed to know…before she found out the hard way.
He stopped when he reached the top of the stairs and saw Lois standing by the backdoor, “Hi,” she ran a hand through her hair, meeting his gaze.
“Hi,” He cleared his throat, uncertain what else to say. How long had she been standing there?
“Getting some air?” she asked.
“Uh, yeah,” he nodded, walking toward her, watching her carefully. “I figured the fresh air would do me some good,” he gave her a half-smile.
“How’s your head?” she asked.
“Sore,” he said carefully, uncertain how to explain the after effects he was feeling.
“Yeah,” she sighed, clearing her throat. “First one’s always a doozie.”
He looked back at her in surprise, “First one?”
“Hangover,” she clarified, “Last night you mentioned you’d never been drunk before.”
“Yeah,” he nodded recalling the confession. He’d said a lot of things he shouldn’t have last night.
There was a silent lull between them and she finally cleared her throat, breaking the silence, “We should probably talk,”
“Isn’t that what we’re doing now?” he flashed her a teasing smile.
“About last night,” she clarified nervously. Before he could respond she cut him off in full-babble mode. “It’s tempting…unbelievably tempting to indulge in everything that happened but is this really the smartest move? I mean, we literally have hired hitmen chasing after us and a sociopathic crime lord lurking in the shadows. It would be so easy to pretend that none of that existed but we can’t. This is already a complicated enough of a situation and we just made it even more complicated. I don’t think this is a good idea and…”
He placed a hand on her shoulder, drawing her attention back to him and she stopped. Flashes from the passionate lovemaking that had overtaken both of them moved to the forefront of his mind and he swallowed hard. He felt like the world was tilting on its axis threatening to destroy everything. One wrong move and he knew there would be no going back. His only regret about last night was the fact that it had happened when they were both drunk. He looked back at her, uncertain how to voice everything that was running through his mind in that moment as her tried to process what she’d said. “You’re babbling,” he finally said.
“Sorry,” she looked down at her feet.
He moved his hand to her face, stroking her cheek with his thumb and forcing her to look at him, “Lois, complicated is an understatement of how things have been for the last few months but that’s not how I’d describe
this.”
“It’s dangerous,” she said weakly as he stared back at her. He could hear her heart pounding in her chest as he stared back at her. “I’m not good at letting my guard down. If I let my guard down I could make a mistake and …”
“You keep acting like it’s just you against the world,” he said carefully. “Lois, we’re in this together. We’re a team,” She was silent as he leaned closer and whispered, “This isn’t easy, but nothing worth fighting for is.”
“We’re on the run from professional killers,” she reminded him.
“So no matter what we have one another’s back,” He shrugged his shoulders, stroking her cheek, “This doesn’t have to change any of that.” She was silent and he pressed onward, “If you want to forget last night I will, but not because of what Nigel or Luthor might do. I’ve let Luthor take over too much of my life already. I won’t let him dictate this too.”
“I know,” she gave him a watery smile.
“Do you regret last night?” he finally found the strength to ask the question weighing on his mind.
“I regret the hangover,” she gave him a weak smile, “and not taking anything last night after drinking.”
“That’s not what I asked,” he reminded her.
She sighed, leaning her head back against the door she was leaning on and looked back up at him. “No,”
He let out a shuddered breath against her, feeling as if the weight of the world had been lifted off of him. “Me neither…”
“So where does this leave us?” she asked.
“Here,” he whispered, brushing his lips against hers. He ran his thumb over the outline of her jaw, drawing his hands against her face as he slowly broke off the kiss. She let out a shaky breath and gazed back at him. He could still see the uncertainty on her face but this time it was coupled with the same longing and desire he knew was written on his face.
She was right. This was dangerous. She had no idea how risky this budding relationship was. It was probably safer to do what she was suggesting and not act on the firestorm of emotions that were currently mounting inside him at the moment. But after over a year of sitting on the sidelines and doing nothing and nearly losing his chance he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t just walk away knowing she felt the same way. He couldn’t let Luthor take anything else from him.
If she ended up hating him for it, so be it, but he would not allow Luthor to control his life anymore. He had already taken so much from both of them. He was not going to let him destroy this too. ‘You’ll destroy it yourself if you don’t tell her,’ his conscience chided him.
He swallowed hard, silently willing the thought to leave the forefront of his mind as he struggled to figure out a way to salvage his relationship with Lois without taking the risk of losing everything. He needed to tell her about Superman and he would, but right now he needed to give her the reassurance that she could trust that the sky was not going to start falling.
“There’s a new place on North Main Street that’s supposed to have a killer royal burger,” he smiled back at her. “You want to check it out?”
Lois gave him a half-smile, “As long as there is no mention of liquor or beer in any of the ingredients.”
He winced, recalling how bad his head had been aching earlier, “No mystery shots, I promise.”
“Or David’s beer,” she added.
“Or David’s beer,” he echoed with a grin.
***
Jimmy fumed angrily as he stormed up the steps to City Hall where he knew he would find Dr. Edward Sayer. He still couldn’t believe Pete Black was so callous to not want to help put his brother’s murderers behind bars. He spotted the sign that directed him to the New Troy Department of Energy.
He tightened his jaw, pressing the button for the elevator to take him up to the fourth floor. From what he was able to find out in his research, Dr. Edward Sayer had not only been the one to point the finger at Superman for being the source of the heatwave this past year but he had also led the investigation with the NRC into LexCorp’s Nuclear Power Plant that had been the source of the problem to begin with. He was the reason there hadn’t been anything more than a fine issued. He was sure of it.
The elevator pinged and a group of attorneys stepped into the lobby. He reached over to press the fourth floor. He let out a deep breath, mentally preparing himself for his confrontation with Edward Sayer.
***
The rain drizzled down against the glass window outside the Mountain Eatery, a new burger joint Clark had heard about from a few of the guys at work. Lois glanced across the table at Clark, uncertain how to react. What was she supposed to do now? Pretend last night didn’t happen? Wait for him to tell her he was Superman so they could finally talk about what had really happened in that underground prison he was in. Where did any of this leave them?
She wanted more than anything to stop pretending she didn’t know he was still recovering from obvious effects of Kryptonite. She wanted more than anything for him to just be honest with her and tell her what was going on. He couldn’t seriously think they could start any kind of relationship without telling her he was Superman.
‘Used to be,’ she reminded herself.
‘Superman doesn’t bleed or bruise.’ She’d helped treat the wounds after rescuing Clark. The only explanation Martha had given her was Kryptonite. That was the common theme in every conversation she’d had with the Kents. Lex must have gotten his hands on Kryptonite. Clark must have been attacked with Kryptonite. Lex must have overpowered him with Kryptonite.
Kryptonite that was still out there. Clark’s powers were gone. The Superman Metropolis had come to know was gone. All that was left was Clark and the demons he was left with after whatever hell Lex had put him through. Now here she was uncertain how to move forward with any type of relationship with Clark knowing he was hiding so much from her.
Last night she made a mistake. She could not afford to get swept up in her emotions, but in her inebriated state she’d found herself indulging in the sinfully tempting feelings she’d been harboring. It had been liberating. Intoxicating. That was the problem. The electrical storm that had ignited between them when his lips touched hers had made her forget. She had lost control. They both did.
She’d tried to put an end to things and backtrack to the painful awkwardness of harboring her feelings of longing and desire in order to look herself in the mirror without feeling the pang of guilt that was eating her from inside. She knew it was a long shot. Trying to pretend the passionate lovemaking that they had shared hadn’t changed everything was futile. She found herself fighting the urges that she thought had been long buried for the past five years. Pretending she wasn’t thinking of how perfectly his body fit against hers when he was mere inches away from her. Pretending that half-smile on his face didn’t bring the memory of his lazy grin when he had collapsed in her arms again and again.
This was a bad idea.
She knew it.
Still she couldn’t seem to convince herself to pull away.
He reached across the table, stopping her hand from its nervous tapping against the table, “You okay?”
“Okay I guess,” she shrugged. “This place seems…nice.”
“Got a nice charm to it,” he said tapping his thumb against her wrist.
“Yeah,” Lois nodded. “Burger was good,” He nodded in agreement and smiled back at her. She felt her knees go weak as she stared back at him. She could keep avoiding it or just talk about the nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach. She was in trouble.
She set the mobile phone on the table, deciding a distraction was a much better thing to focus on at the moment. “Jimmy called earlier. I never could get him to answer. We need to call him later.”
“He leave a voicemail?” he asked.
“Two but I haven’t listened to them yet,” she sighed and offered him a weak smile, “He’s probably just yelling at me for not answering the phone again.”
“He worries,” Clark reminded her.
“I know,” she said with a knowing look. “A little too much sometimes.”
He pointed to the phone on the table, “So, you going to listen to it?”
***
“You won’t get away with this!” Jimmy Olsen screamed from the hallway as he was taken into custody by two armed guards that had been called up to Dr. Sayers office.
“I do hope you can get the help you need young man,” Dr. Sayer responded evenly. “Wild accusations like this can be harmful to your health,”
“You really think he won’t come for you next?” Jimmy shouted as the door to the elevators closed behind him.
***
John Baker looked at his watch, throwing an irritated look toward the flight board showing the arrivals and departures for New Troy International. He had been waiting for the signal to get ready to board but the red light still remained lit on ‘Delayed.’ He stole a glance across the aisle where the passengers were waiting and growing restless.
What was he supposed to tell them?
A man in his mid-thirties approached him with a determined expression. John Baker gulped, mentally preparing himself for the barrage of questions that were to come. “I’m not sure when they’ll be boarding, sir…”
“I’m not here about the flight,” the man said firmly. “I need a room with a phone,” He pulled out a black square shaped object with a silver badge on the front and flipped it open, revealing his identification.
John Baker squinted his eyes at the identification and swallowed hard. “What’s the FBI doing here?” He spotted a group of dark suited men surrounding the corner of the waiting area where one of the passengers was sitting.
“We just need a room with a phone, Mr. Baker,” the man responded.
“Of course,” John reached over and pressed the speed dial on his phone to dial reception. “I’ll get right on that Mister…”
“Davenport, Jack Davenport.”
***
Clark stole a glance toward Lois who had been silent since leaving the restaurant. The voicemail from Jimmy was still echoing in his mind. The call from Jimmy hadn’t been a friendly one.
“Lois, you and CK better have a really good reason for not answering the phone. Give me a call when you get this. This is an emergency!”
Unfortunately, Jimmy hadn’t given any information on what the emergency was other than it was important. They’d called repeatedly and gotten no answer. When they reached out to Perry he had informed them that Jimmy had been in Metropolis for the last two days trying to gather evidence for their case against Lex Luthor. Two days Jimmy had been in danger of being taken out by Luthor’s thugs.
He tried not to ponder too long on what could have happened in that time. It seemed Jimmy had taken after Lois’ reporting style in act first and think about the consequences later. The update they’d gotten from Perry hadn’t been a good one. Nigel had shown up threatening Jimmy’s mom for information. How he thought Jimmy’s mom would give him anything he wasn’t sure but it was clear the hitman was getting closer. He wanted to know where Jimmy was for some reason. Did he think Jimmy was hiding Lois? Was he looking to take Jimmy out like Pete Black was supposed to take care or Jack?
He shook his head, mentally pushing the dreadful thought from his mind. Thinking about what Nigel or Luthor’s intentions were wouldn’t help anyone. They needed to get ahold of Agent Wallace and Davenport so they could figure out what to do. The only problem was neither of them were answering their phones.
He pulled into the driveway and turned the engine off, “We’re here,” He looked over at Lois and noticed her body was trembling, “Lois?”
***
Nigel reached the state line for South Carolina and let out a groan when he saw the miles left until he reached Clover, South Carolina. He’d finally gotten a break in his search for Lois Lane. Not only was he able to get a location on Lois Lane but the added bonus was getting a location on Clark Kent. He still wasn’t sure what Lex Luthor’s business was with the former reporter but he knew if the search required a visit from Lex Luthor himself it had to be important.
After comparing the geocode location points with known addresses of all relatives of the former Daily Planet staff –the only people Lois Lane could have turned to—he was able to find something he hadn’t before. He’d looked into Perry White and his older son, Steven White but had made the mistake of not looking into the relatives or late relatives of Alice White. Fifteen houses. Four condos. Three apartment complexes. The real estate mogul had more than enough properties to keep Lois Lane hidden in plain sight without anyone being the wiser. How he’d missed such a vital clue he wasn’t sure but the important thing was he’d found the link and now had a list of all the addresses under Time Westman’s name. One of which was located in Clover, South Carolina. Five miles outside of where the call from Jimmy Olsen came to.
“I’ve got you,” he said with a deep sigh as he pulled into the rest stop.
***
“Lois?” Clark placed an arm around Lois, sitting next to her as he attempted to calm her shaking body. He continued to talk to her, listening to her panicked sobs come flooding out with every possible scenario that could end with Nigel or Luthor finding them. He wanted to tell her everything would be fine but he couldn’t promise that. She was right they could find them at any moment but the knowledge that his powers were returning helped ease his mind to know he could protect Lois against Nigel at least. He wasn’t as confident about Luthor. Unfortunately, he couldn’t tell her that.
“Hey, it’s okay, just breathe,” he whispered, running his hand up and down her shoulders. He noticed the volume in her frantic wails was coming down with each whisper of reassurance. He leaned closer, holding her to him as she continued to cry through the anxiety attack she was having. “It’s okay,”
Her eyes fluttered open and unshed tears glistened in her pupils. He felt a pang in his chest as he held her, unwilling to break the contact just yet until he was sure she was okay. He immediately recognized the signs and he held her close, whispering in her ear, “Just breathe,” His hand brushed against her cheek and she jumped. She took a deep breath, panting frantically. “Lois, listen to my voice. Everything’s fine.” Clark instructed, holding her against him. Tears ran down her cheeks and he brushed his thumb against her cheek, swiping the tears away.
“Clark…” she let out a strangled sob as she stared back at him.
“I know,” he whispered, running a hand across her cheek.
“I…”
“You’re having a panic attack,” he whispered, tracing the frame of her face. “Just focus on my voice.”
“Clark…” she repeated, staring back at him. “I…”
“I know. Just relax,” he instructed. After what felt like an eternity of holding her and talking to her he felt her relax in his arms. “You’re going to be fine,” He met her gaze, keeping it as he held her close. What he wouldn’t do to be able to give into every impulse that was screaming at him. After everything that had happened last night he knew it wouldn’t take much. But he couldn’t. She was in a vulnerable state and he knew if he acted on his heart’s desires he wouldn’t be able to stop.
“We should go inside,” he whispered, removing his hand from her cheek and pulling away from her.
“Clark,” she whispered his name, calling after him.
He looked back at her expectantly with a questioning glance. Her hand snaked around his neck, pulling him to her as she devoured his lips with hers. His hand reached up to cup her face on instinct as he allowed himself to be pulled into her arms, forgetting every reason why he shouldn’t.
***
Nothing. Weeks and weeks of searching and no sign of Clark Kent or even a whisper of where he had disappeared to. The return to Metropolis had been bitter sweet to know his enemy still was out there. He would have to act fast in order to prevent this mishap from arriving at his doorstep. Though it seemed there wasn’t anyone he could trust anymore.
Lex stared at the image in front of him, tightening his grip on the pen in his hands. The woman in the picture was familiar to him. Though her hair was different and her clothing wasn’t that of the Beverly Cox he knew. She was on the run.
He turned to Asabi who was standing nearby, “When was this taken?”
“About two hours ago, Mr. Luthor,” Asabi answered.
“Send out the order. $100,000 for her dead. $500,000 for her alive.” Lex gave the order with a bitter scowl.
***
Jimmy stared at his hands, sitting in the small room he’d been escorted into after his outburst with Dr. Sayer. The lying snake was in on this with Luthor. He knew it, but he couldn’t figure out why. He couldn’t understand how anyone would put their career at risk for Luthor yet so many people he’d uncovered had done that and more in order to cover up his crimes.
The door opened and he looked up to see a very stern Bill Henderson standing in the doorway, “You wouldn’t believe the strings I had to pull to get Sayer to drop this.” He gave a stern expression toward Jimmy, “You better have a really good story to explain this.”
***
Electric.
That was the only way to describe it. Lois felt her body go numb as she sank back into the front seat of the truck, letting out a low moan against Clark’s lips. She let out a muffled sigh as the unbearable distance between them closed and his body sunk down, pressing her into the leather seat. She slinked her arms across his back, feeling her way over the cotton of his t-shirt.
His hands moved through her hair, framing the sides of her face as his body pressed into her. “Lois,”
“Clar…” she let out a muffled sigh as he drew her closer, tracing the frame of her face with a single hand as he pulled her closer, deepening their embrace with each caress. She felt his mouth leave hers, dipping his head as he grazed lips against the curve of her throat. His hand moved across her collarbone, feeling the soft flesh beneath the worn out t-shirt she wore.
The momentarily fleeting thought of how good of an idea this was given the unaddressed issues between them crossed her mind before it disappeared into a cloud of nothingness. Any further protests became an afterthought as the tension building up inside her began to grow. There was no longer an alcoholic beverage to blame on the incredibly bad decision they’d made last night. She knew what she was doing as much as he did and all she could think of in that moment was how right he felt pressed up against her.
“Oh, yesss,” she let out a satisfied cry as he glided his hands up and down her torso. She could feel her body pulsating, encouraging each movement as her right leg slid up over his hip, hooking her leg across his backside and increasing the contact between them. She let out a low moan.
His hands moved up and down her thighs, pushing the fabric to her t-shirt further up. She could feel the heat from his body against her as he smoothed his lips against her. Her body was rapidly responding to him as he ran his left palm up the length of her leg, pushing the oversized t-shirt she wore further and further up.
Her body shuddered against him as he dipped his head down, nibbling at the exposed flesh across her neckline. Her fingers wedged their way through his hair as he peppered his lips against her throat. His other hand moved up her body, pushing the t-shirt further up. His hand moved up her side and then he stopped, looking down in concern.
Lois instinctively reached down to pull the t-shirt back down and he moved to stop her. A sob escaped her throat.
‘No,’ her mind screamed, realizing what had happened. The mangled scar sat there exposed to him as she shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. A lump formed in her throat as his eyes shifted downward, brushing his thumb against the scarred tissue.
“My God, Lois, what happened to you?” the question came with a painful sob as his voice cracked from the emotion weighing on him.
“It’s not important,” she insisted, hiding the evidence of what Lex had done to her so many months ago.
“Lois?” he stilled his motions, looking at her with regret as she felt a sudden chill fill the cab of the truck after his discovery. His hand moved to trace the frame of her face and she shook it off, pushing herself off of him.
“Just stop,”
“Lois?” he quickly pulled back, turning to look at her in concern.
“Just get off of me,” she hissed angrily, jerking the passenger door open and slamming it closed after her. She could feel the heat fill her cheeks as tears ran down her cheeks. She quickly sprinted toward the front door, slamming it behind her.
***
“My God, Lois, what happened to you?” Clark stared at the lone jagged line from the middle of her side, mangled with rough patches of skin down into her waist. Before he could finish the question he immediately felt her withdraw.
“It’s not important,” she insisted, pulling her shirt down to cover the scar.
He felt a lump in his throat, flashing back to the bloodied knife Luthor had threatened to kill him with. He wanted nothing more than to lose himself in her arms and forget about every wretched thing Lex Luthor had done to him but this felt wrong. He looked back at her, already seeing the pain on her face as she pulled away from him, “Lois?”
She flinched away when he moved his hand to trace the frame of her face, “Just stop,” He felt his heart lurch in his chest, seeing the tears glisten in her eyes. She pushed his shoulder back.
“Lois?” he repeated her name, trying to get her to look at him. Something had happened to her. Something so awful she refused to talk about it. Was that what she had been hiding all these months? Was that the uncertainty he read in her eyes every time they got close?
“Just get off of me,” she jerked the passenger door open and slammed it behind her, leaving him alone inside the truck. He watched her race toward the front door and slam the door behind her. He let out a groan, uncertain what to do.
***
“Either you know where he is or you don’t!” Christina Wallace shouted into her phone, jamming her foot onto the accelerator as she raced down the highway. Two hours ago she’d gotten the call that someone fitting Nigel St. John’s description was spotted in the area outside of Clover, South Carolina where both Lois Lane and Clark Kent were hiding out. She couldn’t get ahold of Jack and was now relying on some of the agents in the field to get her a location on Nigel and no one seemed to be able to find him.
B.D. Kahn’s location continued to be moved in order to keep him off the radar and it looked like they’d have to do the same thing for Lois and Clark. She let out a frustrated growl and jabbed her finger on the end button of her phone. She had to get to the cabin before Nigel and move them out of the area before it was too late.
***
Nigel groaned, glaring at the map in front of him and trying to determine where this nonexistent road was that held Tim Westman’s cabin. He gritted his teeth glaring at the red and blue lines on the map, trying to will it to show him where to turn. He was missing something
“Hey mister you gonna hog up the tank all day?” a voice came from outside his window and Nigel peered up, doing his best to look congenial to the local residents.
“Yes, I’m just trying to find something,” he said to the woman standing outside his window.
She glanced at the map in his hands and laughed, “You’re not from around here are you?”
“No, I’m not,” he gave her what he hoped was a genuine smile.
“You’re not going to find your way around here with those old things. Harris hasn’t updated those maps in the last three years,”
“You don’t say,” Nigel said evenly, relieved to know his sense of direction wasn’t at fault.
“Where are you trying to go? Maybe I can direct you,” She offered.
“It’s a cabin of an old friend of mine,” He explained. “Tim Westman.”
“Tim?” she frowned. “He passed away last year.”
“Yes, I know,” he offered a deep sigh, “I’m a friend of his niece, Alice White’s. She wanted me to check on the place for her.”
“Oh, yes, I remember Alice,” the woman beamed. “Such an adorable young girl. You wouldn’t believe the trouble she used to get into when she was visiting up here…”
“Yes, I’ve heard the stories,” he responded pasting on a good natured smile he thought would break his face.
“I was surprised to see her rent the place so quickly. Though the couple seems to be nice enough,” She shrugged her shoulders.
“Yes, what were their names again?” he asked.
“Kane. Leila and Collin I believe it was,” the woman responded. “Wife’s a bit anti-social, but that husband of hers is pretty, um… I think I saw them in town earlier.” She pointed to the shopping center across from where he was parked.
“That’s perfectly fine, but I’d really prefer to just find Mr. Westman’s cabin,” Nigel gave her a pleading look.
She nodded, taking a look at the map and pointing, “City split the road here about two years ago. You can’t get back here where his cabin is without taking this road here,” she pointed at the map with her perfectly polished nails.
“And this road here leads up to the cabin?” he asked, pointing to the winding highway next to the x on the map.”
“That’s it,” she grinned back. “Harris really needs to update those maps but he’s a stubborn old bat,”
“Well thank you for your help, Miss…”
“Hemingway,” she beamed back at him. “Melinda Hemingway,”
***
TBC...
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