Clark rode to his apartment in Bobbie’s car. The short trip was long enough for him to change his mind at least eleven times.
Not about telling her he was Superman. That would be a fixed point in time, an anchor in his new reality, the measure of his absolute trust in her. All that was left to be decided was the manner in which he would tell her.
If that knowledge didn’t send her screaming to the exits, he’d try to deal with the ghost of Glen LeCour.
He trusted Bobbie completely. He’d believed her when she’d told him she loved him. And they hadn’t made it to Glen’s grave. Like the speech Bobbie had given to Lois’ grave, Clark had considered doing something similar at Glen’s. He still had to deal with that situation.
I don’t need to watch soap operas, thought Clark, I live in one.
He took out his keys and opened his front door. Bobbie walked in, still smiling, and said, “Well, at least you’re consistent. I don’t think you’ve changed a thing since I last saw this place.”
He shrugged. “It works for me, so why would I change it?”
“No reason.” She took a moment for a visual scan. “Still clean, too, almost obsessively so. But not too much.” She stopped in the middle of the lower area and turned to face him. “Okay, Clark. What is this very important thing you need me to know?”
“Um – yeah. Would – are you thirsty? I have some soft drinks, or I could make some tea, or there’s always ice water.”
She smiled softly and lifted her hand to him. “Just come over here and tell me. I promise I won’t bite you or hit you or go berserk on you.”
He worked his mouth, then stepped closer and took her hand. “Bobbie, do you remember that secret I told you about? The big, scary, dangerous one? The one I never told Lois?”
She nodded slowly. “Yes.”
Suddenly the words wouldn’t come out of his mouth. He tried to blurt it out, but his larynx wouldn’t make the sounds. He licked his lips and tried again. Failed again.
Bobbie closed the distance and kissed him softly. She pulled back and said, “It’s okay. I won’t be mad, I promise. Whatever it is, knowing that secret won’t change my love for you. Please believe me.”
He looked into her gentle eyes and saw acceptance mixed equally with trust. He believed in her. She believed in him. And it was definitely time for her to know.
More confident now, he stepped back with his head up. “I wasn’t sure how to say this to you. I only knew I had to tell you.” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then said, “I am Superman.”
He waited for her reaction.
She smiled wider.
She smiled?
He tells her his biggest, most terrible secret and she smiles?
What’s wrong with this woman? Does she think I’m kidding? Why isn’t she accusing me of lying to her, of being two people to her, of not trusting her—
Wait.
Hang on a minute.
Just wait and think. She’s not yelling. She’s not going berserk. She’s not mad. Bobbie smiling does not indicate Bobbie mad.
So why—
Of course. She already knew. Or at least suspected.
He sighed. “I’m thinking my big secret wasn’t such a big secret, was it?”
She chuckled. “I’ve been gathering data on my own for quite a while, watching you and comparing it to what I know about Superman and what I’ve heard from other cops. I guess I’ve had my suspicions for about six or seven months now, but today in the cemetery when you handed me your glasses I saw you. I really saw you.” She reached out and cupped his cheek with her hand. “You care so much about others, Clark, that if you weren’t already Superman, you’d have to invent him just to open yourself up and use that big heart of yours to help wherever you could.”
He nodded. “I have to say that I’m a little – taken aback, I guess, at your lack of reaction.”
Her hand left his cheek and tweaked his nose. “I’m a police homicide detective, Clark, and I’m pretty good at my job. Just like you, I gather information, try to assemble it into a coherent whole, and uncover the truth of a situation. The only difference is that you do it primarily to tell the public a story they need to hear, and I do it primarily to put bad guys behind bars.”
He smiled. “That’s true.” Then a sneaky, underhanded, horrible thought cruelly struck down that smile. “What if our separate jobs create a conflict of interest?”
She frowned and tilted her head to one side. “What are you talking about?”
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I’ve gotten crossways with Metro cops before. As a reporter, I mean. What if I’m involved in a story and, in the interest of informing the public, I print information that endangers a case you’re working on? Wouldn’t Internal Affairs interview you about your relationship with a reporter? Specifically, the reporter who’d just compromised your case?”
Her head straightened and she moved back slightly. “I see what you mean.”
“I don’t know how often that would happen, or even if it would, but I think we should discuss it and have some sort of contingency plan ready.”
Bobbie lifted one index finger, then shook her head and turned. She walked to the couch and sat down at one end, then crossed her arms and leaned back. “I had the same thought a few months ago, but I dropped it when we – you know. When we got stupid.”
“Then you’re ahead of me. It didn’t occur to me until just now.”
She pursed her lips and looked away. “I need to think about this. You’ve really thrown a curveball at me here.”
He sat in the middle of the couch, close enough to touch her but with a few inches of separation. “I’m sorry. I’m sure you and Glen never had issues like this to think about.”
She sighed. “I bet you and Lois didn’t either.”
“No. We had a few problems with the police, though I have to admit that Lois instigated most of them.”
Bobbie almost smiled. “I haven’t been a detective long enough to butt heads with many reporters, but Bill has.” The smile won out. “I seem to remember him complaining fondly about Lois pushing him a time or two on cases she covered.”
Clark lifted one eyebrow. “Just one or two?”
She smiled wider. “Maybe a few more than that.”
They shared a low chuckle, then sat silent, both thinking, for several minutes. Bobbie got up once to visit the bathroom, but came back without speaking.
Finally Clark had had enough. “Okay, this isn’t getting us anywhere. I vote that we table this discussion either until we actually get into a conflict of interest or one of us comes up with a concrete plan for us to discuss. That sound good to you?”
Bobbie frowned for a moment, then nodded. “It sounds like a workable solution. Shake on it?”
Clark grinned. “Sure.” They shook hands, then he pulled her close. “We can kiss on it, too.”
She chuckled as he touched her lips to his. “I like your debating technique, Clark-if-you-want-to.”
His kiss quickly escalated to a level of enthusiasm which she eagerly matched. After a long moment, though, she pulled back two inches and panted, “Before we – we get past – the ‘thinking rational thoughts’ stage, I – we need to – to talk about – boundaries.”
He left off exploring her neckline with his lips and gritted his teeth. “I – I assume you mean – how far we go and when – when we go there.”
“Yes.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. He could hear her pulse rate slowing. “We need to – I need to know if we’re – if you want to wait or – or not wait. For – for sex, I mean.”
Her eyes opened and he smiled at her. “I think we should wait,” he said. “Unless you keep attacking me with those intense and wonderful kisses. You’d tempt Superman to push beyond that boundary, you wanton woman you.”
She smiled. “You’re a big teasing pussycat, Clark. But I know what you mean. There’s a part of me that wants to grab your hands and pull you straight to the bedroom.” She chuckled. “Don’t worry, Intellectual Me is in control now, and the two of us agree that we should wait. Our relationship is weird enough without drowning it in hormones, don’t you think?”
“I do.” He kissed her gently. “And for my part, I will try very hard not to push you too far.” He kissed her again, more tenderly. “But it’s difficult. You’re so very, very sexy and beautiful.”
She let out a shuddering breath, then put her hands on his shoulders and pushed him back. With a shaky voice, she said, “I know that’s your hormones now. I’m not beautiful. I’m not a dog, I know, but I won’t win any beauty contests.”
“Even against the other detectives in your precinct?”
She mock-frowned. “Even then. Only two of the other eleven are women, and they’re both really good-looking.”
“I meant the guys.”
She pursed her lips as if holding back a smile. “I was including the men, too. Some of those guys would give you a run for your money in the looks department.”
He sighed. “Oh, well, there goes that crown. Maybe I could be Mr. Congeniality.”
“I’m sure you could. Oh, and there’s another item we need to settle between us.”
“And that is?”
“How do we integrate Superman into this relationship?”
Clark sucked his lips into his mouth and gently bit them. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
She sighed. “You are Clark Kent. You’re a very good man. But you’re also Superman. I want to be able to talk to you as Superman without thinking of you as Clark. I need to separate the two identities in my own mind or people might get the idea that I’m having an affair with a superhero.”
He snorted. “Yeah, that would be awkward.” He paused for a long moment, then said, “I think that depends, at least partly, on where we decide to set up housekeeping together. Neither of our apartments is really suited to a married couple, not in the long run.”
Bobbie shook her head. “We’d better stop. If we keep coming up with things to talk about, we’ll never get to the wedding. Oh! I want us to write our own vows, too.”
He smiled. “That wasn’t random at all, was it?”
“It’s something I’ve wanted to do since I was a little girl. My mom can tell you about the vows I tried to write when I was thirteen and in love with Don Henley of the Eagles.”
He couldn’t help the laugh that burst out. “Seriously? Don Henley?”
“Hey! He made me want to play drums, sing, and write music!”
“Did you?”
“Nope. Couldn’t find the beat, carry a tune, or come up with original melodies. So I moved on to other heroes pretty quickly.”
“Okay, we’ll write our own vows. I assume that we won’t share them until the nuptials?”
“Not one moment before and not one word! Promise me you won’t give me any hints.”
He raised his hand. “I promise. In fact, I super-promise.”
She laughed and wrapped her arms around his chest. “That’s good enough for me.”
She felt good there, pressed against him. It would be so easy to give her a tiny push to see if she really meant what she’d said about not wanting to wait.
Too easy. And not honest.
He needed to lower the tension level.
“Hey, Bobbie,” he whispered, “you never did make dinner for me.”
She chuckled and leaned back. “You’re right, I didn’t. Are you hinting that you’d like for me to do so now?”
“Yes, please. I know it’s just mid-afternoon, but I missed lunch thanks to our respective bosses, and I’m starting to get really hungry.”
She tilted her head to one side. “Yeah, me too. We’ll have to figure out some appropriate revenge for each man soon. But if you’ll reluctantly release me, I’ll look at your larder and prepare a nice lunch for us.”
He reached out and kissed her softly. “Very reluctantly.”
Then her stomach growled.
Both of them laughed. “Guess that settles that,” Bobbie said. She stood with one fluid motion and held out her hand. “Come on, you can show me where you keep your cooking utensils.”
Once in the kitchen, she reached out for the drawer Clark had indicated, then stopped. “Can I mention one more thing that we need to talk about?”
“Sure. I assume it’s important.”
“It’s important to me.”
“What is it?”
She paused and swallowed. “Kids.”
Clark put the plates down on the table and sighed. “Yeah. I don’t know if a Kryptonian man can have children with a human woman.”
He heard her take a package of chicken out of his freezer and start unwrapping it. “And your little swimmers might not be susceptible to a lot of different types of birth control, either. Unless you’ve done some research on the subject.”
He snickered. “No. I can’t imagine doing that kind of research, anyway.”
Bobbie chuckled back. “It’s not that I don’t want kids ever, it’s just that I’m not sure I want kids right now. I’m happy on the job, and I’d like to get used to living with you before we allow an invasion force to assault our happy home.”
He smiled without looking at her. “I hope you’re happy with me.”
A moment later, he felt her arms wrap around his neck from behind. “I will be happy,” she whispered, “because you love me unreservedly. That’s the greatest gift a man can give his wife.”
He put his hands on hers and gave them a little squeeze. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She kissed the back of his neck, then slipped back to the kitchen. “Of course, any and all romantic dinners and exotic vacations and expensive presents will not be turned away.”
He laughed again. Life with Bobbie would surely be interesting.
*****
Bobbie smiled as she left Clark’s apartment early that evening. She smiled the whole time she drove home. She fell asleep that night smiling, hoping her dreams would be at least as good as her reality was.
Before long, Bobbie was back in that foggy dream meadow, strolling slowly across it, wearing a pale blue translucent nightgown. It had been knee-length before, but now it fell just below her hips. And it felt lighter, silkier, almost gossamer. She wondered if that was significant.
The grass was still soft on her feet and there were few background noises. She couldn’t see very far, just as before.
Then she saw the woman again.
This time, though, Bobbie saw the woman’s hands clearly. The woman reached out to her with both hands and said, “You’re doing the right thing.”
Bobbie took the woman’s hands in hers without thinking about it. “I am? What right thing am I doing?”
The woman chuckled and stepped closer, then looked up into Bobbie’s eyes. “You know what it is, just like you know who I am.” Bobbie shook her head. “Take a good look,” the woman said.
Bobbie peered through the mist between them. The woman was smiling. Her dark hair was trimmed back so that it ringed her face. Her lovely dark eyes held a hint of exotic ancestry, and they sparkled despite the lack of light. She was stunningly beautiful.
Bobbie knew she’d seen the woman before – recently, too. But where? There was a name, a name Bobbie knew, caught on her tongue, trying to push past her lips, a name she couldn’t quite—
The woman leaned even closer. “Come on, Bobbie, don’t be so chumpy.”
Lois!
“You – you’re Lois! Lois Lane!”
Lois nodded. “Yes. And I know you’ll be a great wife for Clark. Just don’t let him get a big head over being Superman, okay? Treat him like a real man, not like a legendary hero. And remember, he’ll blame himself enough for the ones he doesn’t save. He doesn’t need to obsess over those. Remind him of the ones who are still alive or unhurt because he saved them.”
“But – you mean you don’t – you don’t hate me? For loving Clark?”
“Of course not. I can’t be there for him, but you can. And if Clark Kent has chosen to love you, he thinks you’re more than terrific. Don’t forget, Clark has great taste.”
Bobbie nodded. “Thank you.”
Lois grinned a little wickedly and added, “And he tastes good, too.”
Bobbie felt her mouth work, but before she could speak, she heard another, more familiar voice call her name.
“Bobbie? It’s me. I agree with Lois that you’re doing the right thing. Don’t worry about me.” He chuckled. “And yes, we both dropped our harps. Hers landed on my foot.”
It was Glen. Big, ruggedly handsome, tender Glen.
He stepped closer and she saw that warm, wide, wonderful smile of his. “You need someone to love, cheriè, and someone who will love you. I know he’ll treat you right, too. You’ll be terrific together.”
He was close enough to touch, close enough to reach out and grab and pull against her and smother him with kisses—
But she didn’t do any of that. She didn’t seriously consider it. She no longer felt that irresistible urge.
She smiled and nodded. “Thank you, Glen. And thank you, Lois. I’ll be the best wife Clark has ever had.”
One corner of Lois’ mouth twitched. “At least you didn’t say ‘the best wife he could ever have had.’ That would be hubris.”
Bobbie nodded. “I know.” She reached out and took one of Glen’s hands in her left hand, then one of Lois’ in her right. “Will I see either of you again?”
She felt Glen squeeze her hand. “Do you think you’ll need to?”
She took a moment – however long a moment was in a dream – and thought, then shook her head. “I don’t think so. But thank you. Thank you, both of you.”
Glen and Lois softly slid their hands from Bobbie’s and slipped backward into the mist again. “Keep doing the right thing, Bobbie,” Glen whispered.
“She will,” Lois added.
Bobbie tried to watch them both as they melted into the mist but soon lost sight of them. “Goodbye,” she murmured. “And thank you.”
*****
Bobbie awoke slowly and heard birds calling outside her apartment. Hope that’s a good sign, she thought. Maybe I should tell Clark about that dream.
Or maybe not. She’d wait and see if she needed to tell him about it.
And maybe she’d just hang on to it and remember it as she grew old beside him.
