Delusions of Grandeur
Folc4evernaday
Chapter 19
***
Three Months Later…Clark soared through the morning sky, fresh off a rescue of a stalled oil tanker that had lost power. He couldn’t help but smile to himself as he spotted the Daily Planet globe below. Today was the first day the newly restored building would be open for business. Though the Planet had technically been in business for the last two months, working with different printing companies and couriers to get the paper out each day this would be the first day everyone would be under one roof again. A smile spread across his face as he hovered above the familiar golden globe.
It wasn’t the same. Nothing would ever be exactly the same as it once had. Looking back on thing now he wouldn’t want it to be. The torturous months he and Lois had gone through to get where they were now had changed both of them, but for the better. He had finally found the one person he was able to share everything with. The freedom of being able to connect with her and know no matter what she was there and understood was new to him. He’d spent so long hiding so much of himself and longing for that connection he saw so many people share. He had almost lost his chance because of his natural instinct to close himself off from the world and hide.
He had been desperate when he finally told Lois about the Kryptonite cage. It had been the turning point for both of them and now three months later they were closer than they’d ever been. Lois had laid out her rules for giving them a shot and for the most part they’d followed them. Her first rule of taking things slow was beginning to lose its appeal for both of them but he was trying his best to let her set the pace.
He knew Lois was the only one he ever wanted to be with for the rest of his life. He’d marry her in a heartbeat if she said the word, but he also knew how fragile things were after everything they’d both been through. They both had demons to work through and they had been. He felt closer to Lois than anyone and he wanted more than anything to make it official but he also didn’t want to pressure her for more than she was ready for. After everything she’d been through he didn’t want to put her in that situation ever again...especially not after coming so close to losing his chance with her forever.
***
Vincent Blake leaned back in the luxurious leather seat, stretching his arms over his head as he listened unamused to his opposing counsel making the case for the media ban to be lifted off of his client, Lex Luthor. He knew all too well what Sheldon Bender was trying to do. One of the benefits of this being both a criminal and federal case was the fact that he could ensure true isolation on the former billionaire and prevent him from having access to information on the happenings of the outside world. Most of all, the resurrection of the Daily Planet and the reappearance of Lois Lane.
Given the severity of the crimes Luthor had been accused of the judge had agreed to a complete media blackout and isolation for the crime lord. Now Bender wanted to have the ban lifted in order to prepare his case, but Blake knew better. Bender had been stalling ever since he saw the list of witnesses against his client. He knew if Luthor got wind of Lois Lane’s testimony against him he would try to send someone after her. Thankfully the judge was on their side as well.
“Mr. Bender, for the last time I am not going to authorize a person to person visit with your client. You have been provided a video feed to consult on the case with him.” Judge Randall said with a bite in his tone.
“Your honor, this is prejudice against my client! Mr. Blake would rather delay justice and rob my client of his right to…” Bender shouted angrily.
“Well your client will have his day in court to argue that,” Judge Randall interrupted angrily. “If you ever finish going through your discovery that is,”
“We’re still going through it,” Bender grumbled.
“Uh-huh,” Judge Randall muttered, “Now who’s delaying justice?”
***
Lois tugged the sides of her suit jacket closed, counting the floors as she prepared to enter the newsroom for the first time. It had been three months since the Lex Luthor’s arrest and subsequent downfall. Today was the first day the Planet’s doors were officially open. The Planet staff had been making due with sharing space at Stern Media. They had the ribbon cutting last week, announcing the grand opening of the newly restored building last week. Most of the office spaces had been moved over the weekend, but this would be her first time seeing the newsroom.
She let out a deep sigh. It had been hard at first to jump back in the game. The first few weeks she spent almost every interview going through the quick recap of where she’d been for the last few months before she could make any headway into the story she was supposed to be reporting. It would take time. She knew that.
Time was the answer to everything lately.
Time to recover from her injuries.
Time to recover from her mental scars.
Time to work through everything with Clark.
Time to reclaim her life.
Everything it seemed took time.
She wanted more than anything to fast forward time and take herself to a time when everything didn’t hurt as bad. The small victories came with each article she and Clark published exposing the corruption that had been plaguing Metropolis under Lex Luthor’s control. It felt like with each article she was reclaiming a piece of herself and finding her footing. It helped having Clark there with her, knowing he knew how painful each story was.
Perry had refused to let them cover the case against Lex, but the corruption that had been exposed after Lex’s arrest was fair game. Hearing some of the threats that had been made against innocent families in order to continue the criminal activities plaguing the city and even false arrests that had allowed innocent people to serve time as punishment for not falling in line brought a flood of emotions for both her and Clark.
She liked to think they were closer now. They were continuing to take things slow. He had his own baggage to work through after everything he went through with Lex and Dr. Kelly and she had her own demons to work through. It had been a hard few months but they both seemed to be in a better place now. It wouldn’t have taken a lot of convincing that night Mr. Stern announced the Daily Planet’s return to resume the physical aspects of their budding relationship, but they both knew rushing into anything in the heat of the moment would have only further complicated things. It was hard to take the leap from knowing what it felt like to have Clark make love to her while at the same time feel there were so many parts of him she didn’t know—things she would have known had they began their relationship under normal circumstances.
Clark was true to his word on keeping the pace of their budding relationship slow. Despite how close they’d become during their time in hiding there was still a lot they had to learn about one another. Unlike many of her past relationships, Clark allowed things to progress at a leisurely pace, not pushing things past her level of comfort when it came to the physical aspects of their relationship. Though admittedly there were times she wanted to take things further. Here recently she found it harder and harder to be in the same space with him without touching him or wanting to kiss him. A problem she was sure would complicate the fact that they were still keeping their relationship under wraps in the office. No need to give anyone a reason to gossip any more than they already were.
The elevator pinged, announcing her arrival on the newsroom floor. She took a deep breath and stepped out into the newly renovated space. It was brightly lit with the latest technology on each desk. She spotted Jimmy in the breakroom area, pouring himself a coffee.
“Morning,” she smiled at him, looking around the space and taking it in.
“Pretty impressive, huh?” Jimmy asked looking back at her with a coffee mug in his hand. “Mr. Stern didn’t spare any expense.”
“I can see that,” Lois commented, pouring herself a mug of coffee.
“How’s Lucy doing?” Jimmy asked nonchalantly.
“She’s good,” Lois smiled back at him, noticing the nervous behavior he was exhibiting. Jimmy still had a crush on her sister it seemed and was finding any and every excuse he could to ask about her instead of just asking her out. Lois took a sip of her coffee and turned toward him, “She has a phone you know,”
“I know,” Jimmy grinned back at her.
“Do you need the number or something?” Lois asked with a smirk.
“Something,” Jimmy began nervously, “I was actually wondering if you could talk to her for me?”
“And what exactly would I be saying?” Lois asked.
“See if she wants to go to the Kerth awards with me?” Jimmy grinned sheepishly.
Lois groaned, feeling like he was setting her up for a trap. Jimmy’s photos coupled with Perry’s article on the Daily Planet bombing had been nominated for a Kerth Award this year. Clark had even received a nomination for his story on the Fruit Flys earlier in the year. She’d been disappointed not to get a nod from the committee but had chopped a lot of that up to her not being considered alive until recently. Still it was hard not to at least have a nomination after consecutively receiving recognition year after year from the Kerth Committee.
She was trying to not let it discourage her. It was just another hurdle she had to face as she tried to rebuild her life and career that had been left in shambles. She was happy for Jimmy and Clark. She knew they both deserved to win. Clark especially seemed to be in disbelief that his work had even been nominated his first year at the Planet. His nomination hadn’t come as a surprise to her though. Working with him for the last year she knew he was a talented writer and given the hard-hitting pieces they’d worked on together she knew it would only be a matter of time before other people noticed too.
Clark wanted her to go to the Kerth Ceremony with him as his date. They’d been seeing one another exclusively for months but had yet to make it known to the public just yet. This would be the first time they’d be in a setting like this. Lately with the way her hormones seemed to be working in overdrive when Clark was around she suspected it wouldn’t take long for a room full of journalists to figure it out. She suspected both Jimmy and Perry already knew. Jimmy often made excuses to leave when she and Clark were stealing glances at one another or casually flirting.
Jimmy was a good kid and he’d proven himself to be an incredible friend and talented photojournalist through all of this. With her and Clark having to take the backseat in the investigation Jimmy had taken the lead and found his stride. Perry had promoted him to Junior Photojournalist and was keeping him busy with some of the recent stories on political corruption and scandals that had taken over the front page.
Jimmy and Lucy had attempted to go out last year but never could get their schedules aligned in order to plan a date. Lucy had moved and Jimmy had moved on until her return a few months ago. Both she and Lucy had moved in with her mother for the time being until she could figure out what to do about her living arrangements. Oddly enough, her mother wasn’t nearly as irritating as she remembered. Whether that was a change on her mother’s part or hers she wasn’t sure. She’d been working through a lot of her issues with her family with Dr. Friskin. It wasn’t easy but she was finally able to let go of the resentment she’d been harboring toward her father and allow herself to accept him for who he was, faults and all. Letting go of that baggage seemed to help open a flood of emotions for her as she continued to work through the hard truths in why she allowed herself to be drawn to men that hurt her over the years.
“Jimmy, I’m not getting in the middle of this,” Lois warned, taking a sip of her coffee.
“Oh come on it’s my first time being nominated for anything,” Jimmy pleaded with her.
“You see her everyday,” Jimmy pointed out. “Just feel her out for me? I’d rather not make myself look like a total moron if I can help it.”
“You’re not a moron,” she soothed.
“Please?” Jimmy gave her a pleading look, folding his hands together to plead his case.
“Fine, I’ll talk to her, but I can’t guarantee anything.” Lois sighed.
“Thank you,” Jimmy cheered happily.
“Not guaranteeing anything,” Lois repeated.
“Who’s not guaranteeing anything?” Clark asked, walking up behind her.
“Hey CK!” Jimmy beamed back at Clark.
‘Lucy, ’ Lois turned to mouth the name to Clark and he nodded, getting the message as he reached over to pour himself a cup. Clark flashed a smile to her, sending a flutter through her abdomen as he stared back at her. A small smile crossed her lips and she took a step toward him, careful to remain within a professional distance from him.
Jimmy stole a glance at them and grinned, “I’ve got some film to develop. See you two later,” he called over his shoulder.
Lois watched Jimmy leave and Clark leaned in to whisper, “Are we really that obvious?”
“I think he figured it out a few months ago,” she said, running a hand down the front of his blue dress shirt, outlining the zigzag pattern on his tie with her index finger.
“Well, he’s getting better at the whole investigation side of things,” Clark commented, taking her hand in his to stop her hand.
“He knows better than to say anything,” Lois said with a sigh, walking with him toward the steps that led into the bullpen of the newsroom.
The elevators pinged and in the crowd of reporters was Perry’s newest hire, Ralph Simms, the newest gossip journalist for the City beat. Lois still wasn’t sure about Ralph. He was loud, crude and rubbed her the wrong way, but he did have a knack for cracking open the scandals. After the sweep the FBI did to expose the corruption within the city and even some of the higher offices in Congress and other public service positions there had been plenty to write about.
“Nice digs!” Ralph slunk toward them taking a bite of the doughnut in his hands. “A lot better than that storage closet we were in.”
Lois stole a glance toward Clark as they made their way toward their desks. She reached her desk and set her coffee mug down, turning toward Clark, “Looks like they fixed that window that kept coming unlocked,” a half-smile crossed her face as she glanced toward the large windows above the newsroom that had been replaced. Unlike the previous windows there was no latch to open and fly in and out of.
“Yeah, I guess it’s a good thing there’s a stairwell,” Clark remarked.
“Four floors of stairs. That’s a lot of cardio,” she teased, her eyes sparkling.
“Hey, whatcha up to?” Ralph’s intruding voice echoed behind her and she felt Clark withdraw, pulling away from her as they turned to face their less than civil colleague.
“Nothing,” Lois said, glancing toward the elevator and spotted more reporters trickling into the office. She really wanted to talk to Clark about tonight…alone but given the fact that Ralph sat two desks away from them trying to do that without announcing to the whole newsroom they were dating wasn’t something she had a lot of control over.
“I hear there’s supposed to be a new report coming out from the FBI on the Luthor case.” Ralph puffed out his chest. “Should be another front pager,”
“Great,” Lois said mildly annoyed, “Let us know how that goes.”
“Must be a real drag getting bumped to page two, huh?” Ralph grinned back at her. “How many weeks has it been now?”
“Eight,” Lois bit out with an irritated growl. She felt Clark place a hand on her shoulder, and turned to meet his gaze. She knew she shouldn’t let Ralph get to her but it was hard when he was such a pompous jerk about everything. She turned to Clark, “Um, Clark, don’t we have that thing this morning?”
He looked at her blankly, trying to read what she was trying to say. She pointed her head toward Ralph, reaching her arm back to scratch her head and subtly point toward the hallway leading to the stairwell and copy room. He seemed to get the hint and nodded, “Uh, right,” he followed her down the corridor.
“Hey, the elevator’s that way,” Ralph called after them.
“We’re taking the stairs,” Lois called out over her shoulder, tightening her hand on the door handle and pulling it open. They had barely made it inside the stairwell before Clark slammed the door behind them and captured her lips in a soul-shattering kiss.
“I’ve been wanting to do that for the last twenty-minutes,” he murmured against her lips. She sighed against him, leaning back against the wall as her hands buried into the hair on the back of his head, pulling him closer as he pressed his lips against hers again and again, taking advantage of the stolen moment. She could feel her insides flutter as his lips continued to trail across her cheek.
“We’re getting really bad at those excuses,” Clark murmured, running a hand across her cheek.
“This is…not as easy…as we thought,” she whispered, letting out a low moan as he leaned in to her.
“You’re the one…that didn’t want to…tell anyone yet,” he reminded her, running his hands through her hair.
“I thought it’d be…easier than this,” she let out a deep sigh as she linked her arms around his neck.
“They’ll figure it out sooner or later,” he reminded her.
“I know, but I kinda like having this just between us,” she said brushing her lips against his.
“I would never greet Ralph or anyone else at the Planet like this,” he chuckled against her.
She let out a laugh at the mental image, “You know what I mean,”
“I know my ability to think about anything but kissing you when you’re this close is nonexistent,” he murmured against her lips.
“Hence why I’m trying to stay away from Superman rescue stories right now,” she purred, running her hand up and down his chest.
“I love you,” he murmured.
“I love you too,” she whispered back to him.
“Do you want to get dinner before the ceremony?” he asked, nudging her ear with his nose.
“No, they usually serve a full course dinner at the ceremony,” she let out a low moan as he leaned into her, brushing his lips against the curve of her throat, “I still don’t get how your Fruit Fly story ended up in the same category as Leo Nunk’s story on the Governor.”
“I don’t know how I got nominated in the first place,” he murmured against her throat, “without you,”
“Five months of being out of the game does that I guess,” she let out a shuddered breath against him. “It’s going to be a long day,”
“How long do we have…before …the press conference?” his teeth grazed against the curve of her neck, nipping at the sensitive flesh as she let out a low moan.
“Half an hour,” she whispered breathlessly.
“Plenty of time to…” he stopped and let out a low growl. His body posture stiffened as he lifted his head up with a faraway expression on his face.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Bank robbery,” he gave her an apologetic smile. “Meet you at City Hall?”
“Be careful,” she nodded, loosening his tie for him. He leaned in for one last kiss before disappearing into a blur of red and blue down the stairs.
***
Jack Davenport wore a grim expression as he pushed through the double doors leading into the hospital Lex Luthor had been rushed to. He knew what Luthor was trying to do and he would be damned if he would let him get away with it. Sheldon Bender had been trying every trick in the book to get Luthor out of prison. Now it seemed Luthor was playing the game too.
He flashed his badge at the guards standing outside the hospital room and they waved him in. “Doctor’s been debriefed?” he asked.
One of the guards lifted his head up raised an eyebrow at Jack, giving an indifferent shrug, “Of course,”
Jack Davenport stepped inside the room and smiled to himself when he saw the empty room with a hospital bed in the center of it and a very agitated Lex Luthor strapped to the bed by shackles and bandages over his left wrist. “I’ll sue every last one of you when I get out of this place! You have no idea who you’re dealing with!”
“Temper, temper Lex,” Jack taunted. “Don’t want to leave wrinkles on that perfect skin of yours. Budget cuts make getting a dermatologist appointment…nonexistent.”
“You…” Lex growled out.
“Yes, me!” Jack grinned back. “You really think you can get out of this by pretending to be suicidal?”
“I’d rather die than live this way!” Luthor snapped.
“Yeah, sure,” Jack snorted, “I’m sure it’s so hard on you having three square meals a day and a bed to sleep on while you await trial.”
“You think you can get away with this? There are laws. I’ve made an attempt on my life. You have to follow procedure. You have to transfer me…” Lex hissed out.
“Yes, I do,” Jack grinned happily. “Procedure says I have to give you medical treatment and get you evaluated and remove anything you can use to harm yourself. It does not say I have to transfer you
anywhere while doing it.”
Jack leaned in so he was just a few inches from Luthor’s face as he hissed out, “You keep making attempts on your life and I’ll make sure you end up in the worst mental hospital in the world. You think you’re all big and bad with your money and your thugs but you are nothing compared to some of the freaks down at Arkham. Now you can sit here and wait for your trial like a good boy in your nice cushy cell or you can risk losing your mind to the likes of the Joker, Mad Hatter, or Dr. Strange.” Davenport let out a low hiss, “I hear they like to do experiments that can be…
painful.”
***
The blue lights reflected off the stage and Lois watched as the chairman pulled out the white envelope to announce the winner for Investigative Journalism. She reached over to squeeze Clark’s hand from beneath the table, offering a supportive smile as he looked over at her. She felt a flutter in her abdomen as he looked back at her. A feeling that was becoming more and more common these days as they grew closer.
After a hectic day of chasing down leads and covering the press conference with the introduction of the newly appointed governor promising a new start for Metropolis she’d barely had time to change before she had to leave again. Jimmy finally was able to muster up the courage to pick up the phone and invite Lucy to the awards dinner. She still wasn’t sure what was up with the two of them or why he seemed so gunshy around her sister but she decided that was something that the two of them would work out one way or another.
If the last few months had taught her anything it was how much things could change if you wanted them to. Never in her wildest dreams would she imagine herself to be sitting on the sidelines of a story, but her priorities had changed over the past year. Her need to stake her claim as the best of the best wasn’t nearly as important as her desire to protect Clark’s secret.
The Superman stories had become a regular occurrence over the last few months since his return but this time she wasn’t the first in line competing for a quote. She had the story—the real story, but it was better left untold. There was a bigger truth to protect and if she had to sit out on a few stories to do so she was okay with that. She couldn’t have said that a year ago, but she never would have imagined herself being able to do half the things she’d done in the past year back then. She’d come close to death and survived and now she was stronger, more determined than ever to fight for those that don’t have a voice with the man she loved by her side. There was something so liberating about that knowledge.
“And the winner for Best Investigative Journalism piece of the year goes to….”
Lois held her breath, tightening her hand in Clark’s as she waited to hear the name. He had it in the bag. Leo Nunk couldn’t write his way out of a paper bag and the Metropolis STAR reporter, Lisa Gates had some substance to her article on the Queen of England’s new grandchild but it certainly didn’t measure up to the talent at the Daily Planet. ‘
You’ve got this,’ she mouthed, forgetting herself for a split-second and leaning in to kiss him. A flood of light shone on the table and the chairman finished reading the winner.
“…Clark Kent,”
***
Judge Randall entered the room, nodding to Vincent Blake, Jack Davenport and Sheldon Bender. He turned behind him to address one of the guards, “Room is cleared?”
“Floor’s been swept your honor and Mr. Luthor’s doctor has been debriefed.” The guard acknowledged.
Judge Randall turned to Davenport, “You mind telling me what in the hell is going on here?”
“I was just explaining due process to Mr. Luthor,” Jack Davenport smiled back at him.
“He threatened my client,” Sheldon Bender clarified. “This is a gross miscarriage of justice your honor. My client is being railroaded for crimes he didn’t commit.” Bender waved a file in his hand. “Just today they’ve added kidnapping and attempted murder charges that were dismissed!”
“We have new evidence,” Vincent Blake retorted.
“What new evidence?” Bender shot back.
“After closer examination of the blade your client tried to stab Mr. Kent with we found the DNA of Lois Lane on it.” Blake retorted with a growl. “The exam was completed by three labs. One of them was LexLabs so don’t even think about trying to argue for your own lab report.”
“But…”
“He’s right, Mr. Bender,” Judge Randall cleared his throat. “But you’re right too. We can’t continue to keep Mr. Luthor in isolation waiting for a trial date.”
“Your honor!” Davenport and Blake both shouted at once.
“Because the trial date is being set for next Monday. If you’re not prepared then too bad, so sad, you had three months.” Judge Randall looked up at Vincent Blake, “You have a problem with that date?”
“No, your honor,” Vincent Blake shook his head.
“How about you, Mr. Bender?” Judge Randall glared at the defense attorney, daring him to argue.
“No, your honor,” Bender cleared his throat.
“Good,” Judge Randall pointed to the door. “Everyone’s happy.”
***
Clark held up the crystal statue in his hand as he walked with Lois down the steps of the Metropolitan. Perry and Alice were a few steps behind them as they made their way to the limos Mr. Stern had arranged for them.
His head was still swimming from the excitement from tonight. Winning the Kerth had been amazing, but what was even more incredible was the fact that his and Lois’ relationship was no longer under wraps. He no longer had to hide the fact that he wanted to kiss her senseless when they were in public. Lois had kissed him in the middle of the ceremony. He wasn’t sure if her timing had been intentional or not but he was pretty sure they’d be hearing about it in the morning.
They reached the bottom of the stairs and he finally got the nerve to break the silence between them, holding up the Kerth in his hand, “It's smaller than I thought.”
Lois nodded, offering him a smile, “Yeah, they’re not quite as shiny close up.”
A loud whistle came from one of the fellow nominees as they walked past them and Clark felt a blush creep into his face. Tonight was a night no one would be forgetting anytime soon. He ran a hand across her cheek, “I take it we’re no longer keeping up appearances,”
“I think I killed any chance of continuing that,” she grinned back at him, fingering the knot on his bow tie.
“Intentional or happy accident?” he asked, leaning toward her.
“A little of both,” she shrugged her shoulders. A heated gaze crossed her face and she whispered, “I think rule number one is losing its appeal,”
“Never getting involved with your story?” he asked, recalling the three rules she’d listed out for him on their first assignment.
“Taking things slow,” she whispered, tracing an imaginary ‘S’ across his chest.
“Oh,
that rule,” he smiled back at her.
“And rule number three,” she let out a heavy sigh as he leaned in closer.
“Rule number three?”
***
Alice hung back on Perry’s arm as they made their way down the steps of the Metropolitan where the Kerth Awards Ceremony had taken place. She looked off to the side noticing the looks being exchanged between Lois and Clark. They’d certainly come a long way from where they’d been several months before, barely speaking to one another. A small smile crossed her face and she nudged Perry, “Those two certainly know how to make a statement, don’t they?”
Perry let out a loud laugh of agreement, “I don’t think that was intentional,”
Alice grinned recalling the bewildered expression on both of their faces when the spotlight had shone on them announcing Clark as the winner just as Lois had given him a kiss for good luck. She knew Perry had suspected more had been going on between the duo for the last month. He’d mentioned catching them coming out of the copy room with nothing to copy and no explanation for what they were doing in there.
“Young love,” Alice sighed.
“As long as they can keep bringing in the stories…” Perry muttered under his breath.
“I don’t think that will be a problem,” Alice reassured him, tugging his hand toward the awaiting limo.
They had moved back to Metropolis after the sweep had been done to rid Metropolis of the corrupt officials and Lex Luthor. She’d accepted a job as a copywriter for Stern Media’s SNN and was really finding herself again. After spending the last few months being thrown into a dangerous situation that required her to wear her reporter’s hat once more she found she missed the thrill of it. After the boys were born she’d stayed home to raise them. Now that they were both grown and out of the house she was left wondering what next. She thought the next chapter would be Perry’s retirement but if the last year had shown them anything it was just how not ready they both were to step out of the game.
“Who knows,” Alice beamed back at him. “Maybe this time next year
I’ll be accepting a Kerth,”
“I’m still not so sure about this second act business,” Perry groaned.
“Why not? We’ve still got it.” Alice tugged his arm, guiding him toward the waiting limos. “Come on, you old hound dog,”
***
The sound of Jack Davenport’s footsteps echoed down the narrow hallway as he made his way into the visiting room of the Metropolis Men’s Penitentiary. The steel door closed behind him and he nodded to Vincent Blake who was seated on the right side of the table across from Sheldon Bender, the legal counsel for Nigel St. John. A conflict of interest if he ever saw one.
He looked to Vincent Blake as he pulled up a chair, “What’s this about?”
Vincent Blake threw a look toward Sheldon Bender, “We’re waiting on Mr. St. John,”
***
The bedsheets laid crumpled on the floor and the pillows were strewn across the bed haphazardly. Clark let out a sigh of contentment as he cradled Lois in his arms, savoring the closeness he felt having her this close. It had been five hours since they had stumbled through the front door and frantically made love again and again.
This time there was no hangover to take away the euphoric haze and pure ecstasy he felt from being with the woman he loved. He had gone through hell and back with her. He couldn’t imagine his life without her. It hadn’t taken a lot of convincing on his part once she made it clear she was ready to cross that intimacy threshold and here holding her in his arms fresh off the throes of ecstasy they’d just shared he couldn’t imagine anything more perfect.
“Lois?” he ran his hand across her cheek, uncertain how alert she was.
“Hmm?” she mumbled sleepily. He could hear the exhaustion in her voice as he held her to him.
“You awake?”
“Barely,” she whispered sleepily. “My toes are still numb,”
“You hungry?” he asked, craning his neck toward the bedroom door.
“A little,” she mumbled. “More tired than anything right now,”
“Sorry,” he gave her a sheepish grin, but he didn’t feel an ounce of regret with how they’d spent the evening tangled up in one another.
“Yeah, you’re really torn up about it,” she giggled at him, rolling over on her back.
“Well, I’m sorry you’re tired. Not how you got like that,” he waggled his eyebrows at her and leaned in to kiss her. The sound of her stomach growling reached his ears and he broke the kiss off.
“I worked up an appetite,” she grinned back at him. She craned her neck, looking toward the clock. “What time is it?”
“One,” he murmured, against the nape of her neck.
“I didn’t even bring a change of clothes,” she sighed.
“Clothes are
so overrated,” he argued, running a hand down the curve of her back.
“Except when you have to go to work in the morning,” she reminded him. “I am not looking forward to that trip to retrieve a clean suit in the morning.”
“You should just move in here,” he murmured against her cheek. “Problem solved,”
“Careful I might take you up on that,” she grinned back at him.
“I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it,” he whispered, leaning in to kiss her cheek.
Her mouth twisted into a half-smile, “Really?”
“Really,” he ran his hand up and down the frame of her face. “I love you, Lois. More than anything. There’s nothing I would like more than to spend the rest of my life falling asleep in your arms and waking up with you. You’re everything to me,”
“Oh, Clark,” she ran a hand across his cheek, looking back at him with a smile.
He felt a wave of emotion rush through him as he stared back at her. The days of taking things slow had gone out the window. All that was left now was the future—their future together. He’d put himself out there and hinted at what he wanted and she hadn’t pulled away. Deciding to just bite the bullet and say what was on his mind he brushed his lips against hers and whispered, “Marry me,”
***
“Bull,” Jack Davenport growled out at Nigel St. John. He could feel his anger rising up inside him as he stared into the eyes of the man that had murdered his partner, Christina Wallace.
A smug expression crossed Nigel’s face and he repeated, “I am the boss,”
“My client is more than willing to cop to the charges,” Sheldon Bender spoke up.
“I’m sure he is,” Vincent Blake offered with a grimace, “but I’ve got evidence that your client is full of it.”
“In light of this new information your case against Lex Luthor holds no water,” Bender retorted smugly.
Davenport chuckled, “We’ll see about that,” He stood up and turned toward the door.
“We’ll see you in court, Mr. Bender,” Blake said with a sneer. “May the best man win,”
***
Three Weeks Later…Clark slipped his hand inside his wife’s squeezing it in his as they waited for her name to be called. This was it. The day they’d been both dreading and looking forward to for the last few weeks ever since Davenport had called with the date of the trial. After his proposal he and Lois had eloped and he’d spent the last few weeks trying to keep Lois distracted and not focus on the upcoming trial they both knew lurked around the corner.
“Lois Lane,” the bailiff called out.
“This is it,” Lois said with a shaky breath.
“I’ll be right there in the gallery,” Clark reassured, running his hand up and down her shoulders.
“Say it again,” she said with a shaky breath.
“You can do this,” he reassured, brushing his lips against her forehead. “You are the strongest person I know. You’re a survivor. There is nothing you can’t do when you put your mind to it.”
Her hand tightened in his and the trembling stopped. A determined expression crossed her face, “I’m ready,”
***
Jack Davenport sat in the gallery of the courtroom watching as Emmet Vale exited the witness stand. Agent Rollins escorted him out of the courtroom with two bailiffs on either side. Agent Rollins nodded to him as he heard Sheldon Bender arguing with Vincent Blake, the federal prosecutor.
“Your honor, this case against my client is a sham! They’ve done nothing to link these crimes to my client.” Bender ranted, pointing an accusatory finger at Blake. “The FBI and the Metropolis Police Department have conspired against my client to sully his good name because of unsubstantiated rumors and a vendetta the newly appointed police commissioner has against my client."
“Mr. Bender, there will be no grand standing in my courtroom,” Judge Randall argued, pounding his gavel.
Vincent Blake argued back. “I’m sorry you feel like the corruption of our nations’ government is a waste of your time, Mr. Bender, but the federal government takes organized crime pretty seriously.”
“All you’ve done is proven Nigel St. John is the boss. There is nothing and no one to connect him to…”
Davenport saw Clark Kent enter through the double doors and take a seat in front of him. Lois Lane followed with an escort of Commissioner Bill Henderson and his director, Victor Talley. He nodded toward her and gave her a thumbs up signal as the room fell silent.
“Hello, Lex,” Lois said smugly as she walked toward the witness stand.
“Your honor, I strenuously object to this witness!” Bender shouted out angrily.
Vincent Blake turned toward Sheldon Bender, “If you look at the witness list you’ll see her name is listed,”
“Where?” Bender spat out.
“Mr. Blake, I don’t have time for your courtroom theatrics,” Judge Randall warned.
“Right here,” Blake pointed to the name on the list.
“I’m not seeing it,” Bender shook his head.
“It’s under
Kent,” Lois supplied smugly as she stepped into the witness stand.
Vincent Blake wore a smug expression as he added, “I’m guessing from the look of shock on your client’s face that he’s surprised to see Mrs. Kent…
alive,” A smile spread across his face and he added, “You feel that?”
“What?” Bender scowled back at him.
“That’s what it feels like to know you’re about to lose.” Blake smirked.
***
Clark took a deep breath as he waited for the bailiff to bring Luthor back into the courtroom. Lois’ testimony had been the last of several witnesses brought forward. Her damning testimony against Luthor along with Luthor flying into a rage after she’d been sworn in had erased any doubt in the jurors’ minds of Luthor’s guilt. Bender had tried every attempt in the book to discredit her but she remained completely composed. It had taken the jury less than an hour to deliberate before finding Luthor guilty. Now all that was left was Luthor’s sentencing which would take place in an hour.
He’d already taken Lois back home to rest. She didn’t want to be in the courtroom any longer than she had to but he did. He wanted to be there and watch to make sure there was no miscarriage of justice. He had to be sure there was no chance Luthor could wriggle himself out of this. He had to be sure Luthor would no longer pose a threat to Lois.
The knowledge that his enemy still knew his secret identity weighed heavily on his mind. Luthor had tried to out him and he didn’t doubt he’d try it again if given the chance. Still he held onto hope that once Luthor lost all credibility here the threat of his secret identity being exposed would be gone.
The double doors opened and he saw Luthor being escorted into the courtroom in the orange jumpsuit with the number C100693 printed on the front. Clark felt his jaw tighten as he watched the bailiff lock the chains on Luthor’s shackles to the defense table. The bailiff looked up, meeting Clark’s eyes with a silent nod before turning toward the double doors leading out of the courtroom. As he passed by he muttered, “Do yourself a favor and try not to kill the bastard just yet. He ain’t worth a life sentence,”
Clark ground his teeth as he watched the bailiff leave. A chill fell over him as he turned his attention back to the man that was responsible for so much of the pain and suffering both he and Lois had endured over the past eight months. He stood up and strode purposefully toward the defense table Luthor was now chained to and stopped in front of him, slamming his palms on the edge of it just hard enough to make the table shake.
Luthor looked up unimpressed, “Am I supposed to be intimidated now?” He let out a mocking sneer, “You think you’ve won now, is that it? I’ll admit you caught me off my game. Keeping Lois hidden from me was quite a genius move.” His eyes darkened as he let out a sinister threat, “You really think you can stop me?”
“It’s over, Luthor,” Clark hissed in a menacing tone.
“For now, perhaps,” Luthor mused, “But I happen to know a secret that every criminal in the world would pay billions upon billions of dollars to know.”
“The only criminals you’ll be associating with are the criminally insane,” Clark bit back, doing his best to not react to the threat. “Your credibility is gone and no one is going to believe the ravings of a delusional psychopath that gets off on beating defenseless women and leaving them for dead,”
“Do you really think it’s that easy to just move in and take possession of what is mine?” Luthor chuckled, “You really are a desperate fool! Picking up my scraps like a rabid dog…”
Clark smiled back at him, “You can’t accept it, can you? Lois finally saw you for the demented monster that you are and you’re still holding on to this perverse version of the truth as if it’s going to save you somehow.”
He narrowed his eyes at Luthor and growled out, “If you so much as breathe anywhere near Lois again… I don’t care if it’s a letter, a phone call, or one of your thugs showing up unannounced…come near her and there won’t be enough Kryptonite in the universe to save you from my wrath, you spineless perverted psychopath.”
“You think I fear death?” Luthor chuckled.
“You think I’d put an end to your misery? No, that would be too kind.” Clark spat out angrily. “I would much rather watch you writher in pain like the spineless weak sorry excuse of a man you are, begging for death that will never…ever come. You will spend every second of every day knowing two things: out of everyone in the world you went up against you were taken down by Lois, and you might have thought you won the battle but she’s the one that won the war.” His eyes flickered red as he suppressed his anger, “Come near her again I’ll make every day after that a living hell you will never be able to escape.”
An uneasy expression crossed Luthor’s face and Clark sneered, “Don’t look now, Luthor, but your fear is showing.” He straightened up and noticed the bailiff had just reentered. Deciding he had said all he needed to say he walked toward the back of the courtroom as the other bailiff stepped inside, opening the door for the judge to enter the courtroom. He took his seat in the back of the courtroom and watched as everyone began to slowly trickle in.
***
“Mr. Luthor, I find the crimes you have committed horrendous and your disdain and indifferent attitude is horrendous. You are a dangerous, criminal with no remorse for your appalling actions. Furthermore, you have proven time and time again just how far you’ll go to continue a life of crime. My only hope is that the knowledge of your imprisonment and inability to do no more harm on society will bring peace of mind to your victims and their families. May God have mercy on your tortured soul though I doubt you have one,” the gavel pounded and the judge ordered, “You are hereby sentenced to thirty life sentences in Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane under maximum security where you will no longer be the disease that you have been on society.”
Commissioner Bill Henderson watched from the gallery as Lex Luthor began shouting out threats against his attorney as the bailiffs prepared to escort him out of the courtroom. He turned to see Clark Kent watching from the back of the courtroom with a satisfied smile. Henderson looked back at Davenport who clapped him on the shoulder, “Let’s see him bully his way out of this one.”
Henderson looked at Davenport, “Why do I have a feeling you had something to do with that sentence?”
“A threat to take one’s life should always be taken seriously, don’t you agree, Bill?” Davenport winked at him. “Those mental evaluations Sheldon Bender insisted on submitting to the judge helped too.”
“Arkham?” Henderson asked uneasily. He’d heard the stories about the place, but never visited.
“I’m sure he’ll fit right in,” Davenport responded coldly, “Keep him from causing any further damage to his victims too.” He was quiet before adding, “Lex Luthor is a delusional sociopath and he deserves everything that happens to him.”
***
Life in Arkham: Luthor’s Last Mile
By Perry White
Governor Pierce Connected to Collusion in White House
By Lois Lane and Clark Kent“I love a front page news story in the morning, don’t you?” Lois beamed, looking back at her husband as he handed her a cup of coffee.
“How are you feeling?” Clark asked, placing a kiss on her cheek.
“Good,” she grinned, running her hand over the gold band snugly wrapped around her husband’s left ring finger. Even after only two and a half weeks of marriage she found herself needing the reassurance that this wasn’t a dream. “Better than I’ve slept in…ever.”
“You’re amazing,” Clark beamed back at her, “I love you,”
“Hey knock it off wouldya?” Ralph groaned walking past them. “It’s not even nine yet. Can’t you save the newlywed crap for after lunch?”
Lois twisted her mouth looking back at Clark, “This weekend can’t come fast enough,”
“Two weeks,” he grinned back at her with a heated gaze, wiggling his eyebrows at her.
“Yes, now that Lex is locked away on his way to Arkham we can focus on more important things,” She whispered, running a hand down the front of his chest.
“Like our long overdue honeymoon,” he agreed leaning in to kiss her.
A smile spread across her face as she beamed back at him. It was hard to believe it had been three weeks since his proposal and their subsequent elopement a few days later. After everything they’d been through the idea of waiting to plan a big event just to say “I do” seemed like borrowing trouble. So after some debate on when and arranging to have Jonathan and Martha flown in and catching her mom before her trip to Seattle they found a small gazebo to rent for an hour and exchanged their vows. Rather than rushing off to celebrate they’d chosen to wait until after the trial was done. They both needed the reassurance that Lex really was locked away forever and she didn’t want to spend their entire honeymoon thinking about the trial. Now that the trial was over they could take the time to plan a two week getaway with just the two of them.
“Among other things,” she purred happily, teasing the knot of his tie. “We really do need to start looking at paint samples soon,”
“And furniture,” he agreed, making a face. “That couch needs to find a new home,”
“I know,” Lois sighed, running a hand across his. “There’s a long list of things to do…”
Now that the insurance money had finally come back and she’d moved everything from her mom’s and her old apartment in the one bedroom apartment they shared, she and Clark could begin determining what to keep and what to give away. They still had a few months to decide if they wanted to stay in the one bedroom apartment they were currently in or find a bigger place.
It still amazed her to think about how far they’d come over the last year and a half. The days of looking over their shoulders and hiding from Lex and his goons were gone. The city’s corruption scandal had exposed all of the misdeeds those on the boss’ payroll and now with the new Mayor stepping in it looked like everything might settle down long enough for her and Clark to enjoy married life. Well, as normal as Metropolis ever got.
Jimmy held up the phone from his desk and called out, “Chief, there’s a hostage situation at the Metropolis Museum of Art.” He pointed to the television where coverage of a man in black, holding a round cylinder weapon pointed at the police squad surrounding the building aimed at one of the police cars. The car morphed before the spectators’ eyes and exploded.
Lois felt Clark’s hand squeeze hers as Perry began shouting orders for everyone to get ready to land the scoop on the newest criminal to dare make a move in Metropolis. She met Clark’s eyes, seeing the determined expression on his face. “Sounds like a job for Superman.”
They shared a tender look and he led her toward the corridor leading to the back stairwell. “Whoever that guy is it looks like he’s gotten his hands on some serious firepower.”
“Military connection or leftovers from LexLabs split?” Lois wondered aloud.
“I don’t know,” he said, loosening his tie. “I’ll check it out and we can have STAR Labs take a look.”
“Superman has been slacking on his public appearances these last few weeks,” Lois said, “You think someone’s trying to test the waters?”
“He’s been extremely busy what with his insatiable wife having so much energy lately,” his eyes sparkled and he cupped her cheek.
“Are you complaining?” she teased with a grin.
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he responded, pulling his hand away. “I’ll try to make this quick,” He moved toward the door to the stairwell and she stopped him.
“Forgetting something?” she asked.
He smirked, leaning in to kiss her, cupping her cheek. “I’ve got to go,”
She finished untying his tie for him, “Try not to turn this into anything too big. We still have to stop by the airport later to pickup mom.” He gave her a muddled look. “Did you forget already?”
“No,” he reassured her. “Dinner with your parents is just…complicated.”
“This was
your idea,” she reminded him.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” he reassured her, placing a hand on her abdomen, leaning in for one last kiss.
Lois watched him leave, shaking her head as she allowed her hand to move to her abdomen, resting there for a moment. One thing was for sure. Life was certainly never dull being married to Clark Kent. “You better not be late,”
~The EndWell, love it? Hate it? Let me know. All feedback welcome.
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