Missing Lois - TOC Author’s Note: I have altered the timeline of the show in this chapter by moving Tempus’s John Doe Presidential election bid to its correct spot between the “Ghosts” and around the time of “Stop the Presses” (i.e. November 1996).
Story Notes: This story is mostly set in alt-dimension, although starting now, visits to canon dimension do happen from time-to-time.
- Clark = Alt-Clark unless otherwise noted (such as when we are in the canon dimension, then 'Clark' is canon Clark)
- Lucy El (Lois's secret identity) = pregnant canon Lois avoiding the curse by hiding out with alt-Clark
- Kal = what Lois-Lucy and alt-Clark call canon Clark
- Sam Lane = alt-Lois's Dad, Lois's doctor & roommate
- Lex Luthor = no explanation necessary, same bad guy as always
- Dr. Bernard Klein = S.T.A.R. Labs scientist and Superman's 'doctor'
- Tempus = extremely bad dude from the future, bent on destroying Superman (both of them)
- Martha and Jonathan Kent = canon Clark's parents
- H.G. Wells – famed author – inventor of the Time-Machine – the man who brought canon Lois to alt-Clark
- The only people who know canon Lois's true identity are alt-Clark, Sam, Moonbeam (alt-Star) and now Dr. Klein. Alt-Clark told Mayson Drake that Lucy El is his sister-in-law and that he has a twin brother, but not about the other dimension. Mayson didn't believe him (thinking instead that Lucy was a con-artist).
***
Where we left off in Chapter 4: Part 2...By the time Superman found Lois, Jefferson Cole had her under gun-point, tied up in a straitjacket, locked in a padded room, and was about to inject her with a sedative, because she kept calling him (Cole) a murderer. Superman lost control and knocked out the guards, threw Jefferson against a wall (with no care about his condition) and with the help of Dr. Klein freed Lois. With yet another kiss, Superman returned her to Mr. Wells for her journey home.
***
Part 3H. G. Wells switched off the time machine and turned to Lois. “Alright, Lois. How are you feeling?”
“I don’t know what you and Clark were so worried about. I’m fine.” She turned her head and gasped. “We’re in Smallville. What are we doing here?”
“We came to see Martha Kent.”
“But Mr. Wells, Martha Kent is dead,” she whispered.
“Not Clark’s mother, Lois. Your Clark’s, Kal’s mom. You remember Martha Kent, don’t you?”
Lois closed her eyes as images flashed through her mind. “Right.” She nodded. “Clark’s mom. I like her.”
“Good. Good.”
They stepped out of the time machine and walked to the front door. She stopped his hand before he could knock. “Am I really home?”
He nodded and knocked on the door.
***
Martha heard a knock on her front door. Her brow furrowed. She set down her knitting and opened the door. On the other side of the door she found H. G. Wells, just as she had seen him the previous day, and Lois Lane, wearing sweatpants and one of Clark’s old t-shirts, looking spacey and slightly mental.
“Mr. Wells? Lois!” Martha grabbed her in a huge hug. “Come in. Come in. Jonathan’s not back from town. What are you doing here?” She showed them into the living room, then took an extra glance outside to make sure they hadn’t been seen.
Lois looked around the room as if it were the first time she’d been there.
Martha watched her carefully, before leaning towards Mr. Wells. “Is she all right?”
“A bit of dimensional time sickness, I’m afraid. I needed to get her back to her dimension for a while. She’s been forgetting Lois Lane’s life and how to be her.”
Martha’s eyes widened. “Clark didn’t say anything…”
“He knew something was wrong, but he hadn’t realized how far gone she was until he got back. Luckily, I was still there to catch it. Easily fixed.” He smiled.
Martha backed up to the bookcases behind the front door, keeping her eyes on Lois. Carefully, with her hands behind her back, Clark’s mother placed a few of the photos face down. She smiled at Mr. Wells. “Easily fixed?”
“Oh, yes. I would love a cup of tea, Mrs. Kent.”
Sighing, Martha led him into the kitchen, leaving Lois alone in the living room.
“Will Lois be all right? She looks a bit lost.”
“She just needs a little time to remember who she really is. Refresh her memory of the people and places in her life.”
Martha put the kettle on the stove. “Mr. Wells, she’s only been here once, no twice. We usually come to Metropolis. The places that Lois is familiar with – her apartment, Clark’s apartment, the
Daily Planet – are no longer available to her; those are the people who can’t see her like this.”
“I’m hoping that a few minutes with you will set her right again.” Wells smiled. “It’s scarier to witness than to cure.”
“Hoping?”
“I’ve never dealt with someone who had interdimensional time sickness before.”
“Ah.”
Lois came into the kitchen holding a framed picture. Martha swallowed. Which one was it?
“Martha. This is your son, Clark. I like him,” she said. “Mr. Wells. Can I see this Clark?” She held up his picture.
Martha released her breath.
Mr. Wells patted her hand. “We’ll see, Lois.”
Lois looked around the kitchen, setting down the photo on the counter. “I like it here. It feels like home. Like Clark.” She burped. “Sorry, I have a little baby heartburn.” She placed her hand on her tummy. “Do you have any chicken? I feel like some roast chicken.”
“Ah, sure, Lois. I think we have some left-over roast chicken in the fridge.” Martha retrieved the chicken and set it on the counter.
Lois immediately reached over and grabbed a drumstick.
“Lois!” Martha gasped, then tried to cover her shock. “Would you like a plate?”
Lois stepped back. “That was wrong, wasn’t it?”
“No. Of course not, dear. I just thought you might want to wash up first.”
“Oh.” Lois smiled. “Right.” She went to the kitchen sink.
Martha watched her and shook her head at Mr. Wells. “Spacey,” she whispered under her breath.
Lois sniffled. “I’m trying the best I can, Martha. I’ve got all this information in my head that has blended together, so it doesn’t make any sense. I can’t remember who belongs to which dimension, where I belong.”
Martha handed her a towel and led her to the kitchen table. “Would you like me to heat it up?” she asked, putting some chicken on a plate.
“Cold is fine. Thank you, Martha.”
The tea kettle whistled and Martha poured a cup of tea for Mr. Wells. “Would you like some tea, Lois?”
“No. Do you have any juice? I usually drink juice now or smoothies. I love smoothies.” She sighed. “They remind me of Clark. I’m off coffee and alcohol, of course. And Lucy is a vegetarian. Ugh.” She took a bite of chicken. “You don’t know how much you crave meat until you can’t have it any more. Oh, applesauce. Do you have applesauce? Oooh, and some corn chips. That sounds good.”
Martha laughed, setting Mr. Wells’ tea on the table. “I know that I have corn chips, somewhere.”
Lois leaned over to Mr. Wells to explain. “Clark loves his junk food, but not Clark; he prefers carrot sticks and fruit.”
Martha put some cranberry juice on the table for Lois. “I can see why you’re so confused, dear. It must be confounding living with two different Clarks.”
“I’m not living with Clark. I’m living in Lois Lane’s old apartment with Sam Lane, my doctor.”
“Oh.” Martha found the corn chips and set them on the table.
Lois took a handful and put it on her plate. “Clark is too much like my Clark. The baby loves junk food, too. I’ve gained five pounds in the last two weeks, alone.” She took a bite of chips, then a drink of juice. “I’m eating as fast as I can. No need to kick me,” she said to her belly. “Want to feel? She’s quite a kicker.”
“Excuse me,” Mr. Wells said, taking his tea into the living room.
Martha hesitantly stepped forward to Lois, who lifted up her shirt. She had a nice tummy starting to develop. Martha saw a quiver on her stomach as the baby kicked. “Did you see that?”
Lois nodded.
Martha held out her hand and then snapped it away fast. “Ow. Does the baby have a hammer in there?”
“That’s your Grandma, Baby, play nice.” Lois laughed and dropped her shirt with a shake of her head.
“That didn’t hurt? That kick.”
Lois shook her head, taking a bite of chicken. “Tickled a little.”
Martha sat down next to her and gazed at her.
“So, Martha. What’s new with you? Taking any new classes?”
Martha smiled. “I’ve taken up knitting again. I’ve got a good set of booties almost finished. And I am taking a course in infant first aid. Although, adult first aid should be next.” She rubbed her still aching hand.
“Somebody is going to think you’re going to be a grandmother, soon,” Lois replied with a raised brow.
“Well…” Martha laughed. “I can get away with it now that you and Clark are married.”
Lois sighed. “It was such a beautiful wedding. Clark looked so handsome in his tux.”
Martha’s jaw dropped for a moment. “Oh, that’s right, you have the other Lois’s memories. I’m not surprised you’re all confused. Two Clarks, a secret identity, a hidden pregnancy, two dimensions, and the memories of two lives.”
“Don’t forget the three Loises.”
“Three?”
“Me, other Lois, and Clark’s Lois.”
“Which Clark would that be?” Martha asked, not knowing how mixed up Lois still was. Perhaps Mr. Wells was right. She just needed some time in her own world. Amazing.
“It is kind-of confusing, isn’t it?” Lois thought for a minute. “There’s me, stand-in Lois and the missing Lois. Although, between you and me, I’ve found her.”
“I knew if anyone could, it would be you.” Martha laughed. “Clark must be thrilled. Where was she? Siberia?”
Lois took a sip of her juice. “Well, I know what happened to her, sort of, but not where she is exactly.”
“So, what happened to her?” Martha was interested. Lois and Clark’s lives were more fascinating than a soap opera. “Lois – the other you – said she disappeared in the Congo, during a gun running story.”
Lois nodded. “Clark is not going to like it.”
Martha waited.
“I’m a little fuzzy on the details, but I think she ended up climbing into a crate of illegal guns, which were then shipped to Berkistan. Somehow she ended up as a lounge singer at the Berkistan Hotel there, where she met Lex Luthor.”
“No! Not him.”
Lois nodded. “According to her father, they eloped about two and a half, three years ago.”
“Poor Clark. No wonder no one could find her.”
“That Clark is fated to be unlucky in love. We have to still find out where they’re living. When we do, then I’ll tell him, so he can go rescue her.”
“Are you sure she’ll want to be rescued?” Martha asked, hesitantly.
“Of course. She’s married to Lex Luthor, so I’m sure she’s being mistreated. As soon as she learned the truth about him I bet she started trying to escape. At least, I hope so. I know that Lois Lane is destined to be blind when it comes to love, but hopefully not galactically stupid as well.”
“You were not stupid, Lois. Naïve, perhaps, until you found Clark.”
Lois sighed. “Clark. I miss him so much.”
“It doesn’t sound like you are confused any more, Lois. You know who are.”
“Well, it’s certainly not Ultra Woman, anymore. Never again!” She groaned, covering her eyes with her hand.
“Ok.” Martha was confused by this statement. Obviously, there was more to that story she wasn’t going to hear.
“It’s hard to be around Clark, when I miss my Clark so much. That’s why I need to see my Clark, before I go back.” She nodded.
Martha grabbed her hand. “Don’t go back, Lois. Stay here with Jonathan and me. We’ll hide you until the baby is born.”
Lois looked at her skeptically. “Like that wouldn’t go badly when Clark finds out. And he would find out. It’s bad enough that I’m lying to him, hiding in another dimension. I can’t involve you more than I already have, Martha. I have no doctor here. No emergency medical care if I need it. Plus, that Clark needs me.”
“Lois, your Clark needs you,” Martha reminded her.
“And as long as my stand-in is here, he’ll have me. Clark needs me. Without me, he’ll have no one, because he won’t have me to help him find his Lois. I need to do that for him before I come back. He’s not as strong – temperament-wise -- as your son and he doesn’t have Clark’s confidence. His personal life is in a complete shambles… Okay, half of that is because I become a rambling blabbermouth when I become delusional. But that’s beside the point.” She waved that issue out of the air. “It’s because he lost his parents at such a young age; he never learned to be a whole person, parts of him are missing.”
“You will come back, won’t you, Lois? If Clark lost you and the baby…” Martha bit her lip.
“Martha, barring any unforeseen complications, we’ll come back as soon as I’m able. We’ll figure out a way to convince the other Lois to go back to her time-line and I’ll take her place. Clark and Lois will adopt a nice little foundling child, or something. I don’t know, really, how it will work out. But it will. Somehow.” She leaned forward towards Martha. “There are a few quirks I might need to work through after the baby is born…”
“Quirks?”
Lois glanced over her shoulder to see if Mr. Wells could see her. He could not. She closed her eyes and concentrated.
“Jonathan has just said good-bye to Joe at Smallville Feed and Seed and is now on his way back. We’ll have to leave soon.”
“How did…”
Lois pointed to her ear.
Martha’s eyebrows shot up. “Really?”
Lois nodded. The she picked up Martha’s carving knife and poked her finger. Nothing happened. She set down the knife.
“You’re…”
Lois lowered her voice. “No, not indestructible like Clark, just super fast healing.” She held her finger up to Martha. There was a small, but healed, cut on her finger where she had stabbed herself. “Sam thinks it’s to help against broken ribs from the super kicker here.” She caressed her belly. “And then there’s this.” She stood up, took a deep breath, and levitated a foot off the floor, then set herself down.
“Quirks, indeed, Lois. Anything else?”
“I don’t think so. The flying and super hearing are defensive traits to help protect the baby. I cannot imagine they will remain after the baby’s born; Sam’s not so sure. Once a person’s genetic make-up has been altered…” She raised her hands and shrugged. “Personally, I’ll miss them when they’re gone. Oh, to be a reporter with these skills.” She sighed. “Lucky Clark. Sam said that Clark thinks that my Clark would want me only to keep the super healing. Do those Kent boys think I’m danger prone or something?”
Martha laughed. Her Kent boys. She liked the sound of that. “Surely not you, Lois?”
Lois suddenly stood up. “We’ve got to go. Jonathan’s almost home. Mr. Wells,” she called to him.
“Stay and have dinner, Lois. Jonathan would love to see you.”
Lois shook her head. “No. Clark would kill me if I gave his father a heart attack. Besides I’m dressed for an insane asylum.” She kissed Martha on the cheek. “Thanks for lunch and my sanity break. I love you.”
“I love you, too.” Martha hugged her.
Mr. Wells peeked his head into the kitchen.
“Jonathan is almost home, we better go. Thanks, again, Martha.”
“Anytime, Lois.” She hugged her daughter-in-law again. “Take care of my grandchild.”
“I will.” Lois smiled.
Mr. Wells passed Martha his teacup. “Thank you for the tea, Mrs. Kent.”
“Don’t be a stranger,” she said, walking them out to the front door. “Bring her by any time, Mr. Wells. Weekly would be fine with me.” She waved as they walked down the steps to that crazy invention sitting in her yard. A minute and one more wave later, they were gone.
Martha shut the door and exhaled. She returned to the bookcase and righted the photos. Clark would have been angry if Lois had found out that way. Then again, it was his fault he hadn’t come clean with her.
She went into the kitchen and moved Lois’s plate and glass to the sink, as well as the teacup. Pulling a bottle of red wine out of the pantry, Martha poured herself a cup. She was still sitting at the table with a half drunk glass of wine, five minutes later when Jonathan walked in through the kitchen door.
“Martha?”
“Jonathan, how about a chicken sandwich?” She picked up her carving knife to slice off some chicken, stopped before touching the chicken and took the knife to the full sink.
He pulled out a couple of plates and the bread. “Was Clark here?” he asked.
“No. Why?”
“Corn chips. Neither of us eat them. Or did our other…” He pointed over his shoulder out the kitchen door.
“Oh, no! He wasn’t here either.” She seized the bag and clipped it shut.
“Is everything all right, Martha?” he asked, picking up the photo of Clark from the counter.
“Just fine, Jonathan. It’s been a long couple of days.”
He wrapped his arm around her and kissed her cheek. “We got our boy back. It’s a good day.” They both looked at the framed photo in his hand.
She nodded with a smile. “A good day,” she agreed.
***
Superman flew through his townhouse window and landed in his living room. He spun out of his blue suit and into a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt.
Lois skipped down the stairs and kissed him on the cheek. “Hard day?” she asked as he plopped down on the sofa.
“Tiring. Dropped Mom off at the farmhouse and Dad at the Topeka airport to pick up his truck. There were wild fires in Australia all along the west coast. I was there all day.” He inhaled and sneered. “I smell like I’ve been smoked.”
“Go take yourself a long, hot shower,” Lois said from over his shoulder as she ran her fingers down her husband’s chest.
“Yeah?” He smiled and pulled her over the back of the couch and into his lap with a kiss. “And?”
“Down, big boy,” she replied, extricating herself off his lap and straightening her suit. “I have my monthly Women in Journalism dinner tonight.”
“Awww.” Clark pouted, then smiled at her reassuringly. “It’s okay, Lois. I’ll have some leftovers and pass out early.”
“Are you sure?” she asked grabbing her briefcase.
“I’m beat. Go have fun.”
Lois placed a long kiss on his lips. “Throw your towels in the hamper; I’m going to do a load when I return. I love you.”
“I love you.” He smiled and watched her leave with a wave. His eyes blinked a few times and then shut. A minute later, he rubbed them open. Pulling himself off the couch, he bounded up the stairs to the shower. The hot shower felt good. His eyes blinked a few more times as he dried himself off. He threw the towels into the hamper and spun himself into his pajama shorts and a fresh t-shirt. Five minutes after Lois left, Clark dropped himself into bed and was fast asleep.
He awoke awhile later to find Lois lying next to him in one of his old t-shirts, kissing his neck.
“Oh.” Clark smiled. “Decided to come back, did you?”
“Always,” his wife whispered, covering his mouth with hers.
He licked his lips. “Mmmm. You taste good.”
“Strawberries.” She smiled biting into one.
“Who has strawberries this time of year?”
“I picked these up in Florida.” Lois took another strawberry and bit into it. “Want one?”
“Fly down there often, do you?” He grinned sitting up. She placed a strawberry in his mouth.
“When I can,” she whispered, lifting herself up and resting on his lap. She fed him another strawberry.
“You look different,” Clark said brushing a lock of hair away from her cheek. “Glowing, yet sad.”
“I missed you.” Lois set down the bowl of strawberries and kissed him, deeply. It was a passionate kiss, full of longing, promises. Her breathing got faster as did her heart-beat. Much faster. It was almost…
“Lois?” He took hold of her shoulders. “I think someone else is here. I hear another heart beat.” He concentrated on the heart beat, it was super fast.
Lois smiled. “That’s because we aren’t alone, anymore, Daddy.” She lifted up her shirt and showed him her little pregnancy bump.
His eyes widened and he placed his hand on her tummy. A little kick responded to his touch, sending shockwaves through his nervous system and causing the hairs on his arms to stick up.
“Lois! When? How?”
She grinned at his shocked expression. “You know how,” his wife whispered, kissing him again. She tasted like strawberries. “And when… you remember our first time together?”
Clark grinned. “Of course I remember our honeymoon.” He kissed her.
Lois shook her head, but intensified the kiss. “Before our honeymoon,” she whispered. “I know I told you to forget, but I didn’t think you actually would.”
He smiled. “Oh, you mean, our
first, first time.” Clark’s smile deepened to a grin. “I thought
you had forgotten.”
She shifted her position and kissed him again. He cleared his throat.
“I can never forget, Clark. I have this little reminder with me all the time.” Lois slid down his body until she was lying on top of him, kissing him.
“All this time? And you never said a word?” he murmured, getting distracted by her kisses.
“I couldn’t say a word, Clark,” she whispered, still kissing him. “Because I’m only a dream.”
Clark wrapped his arms around her. “If you’re only a dream, don’t wake me up.”
A while later, his wife lay resting in his arms. Clark was almost back asleep. “Have you thought of any names?” he asked.
“I thought we could name her Lara after your birth mom.”
He smiled. “I’d like that. What if it’s a boy?”
“I’ve got a feeling it’s a girl.”
“You want me to do a little buzz-buzz to find out?”
Lois slapped him on the chest. “Clark Kent, you are not going to x-ray our unborn child.”
“Simmer down, Mama, it was only a suggestion.” He chuckled. “What about Jordan?”
“Nah. Samuel. Jonathan. Perry or James. As long as we don’t name it Junior.”
Clark turned to face her and noticed a slight circular scar on her right shoulder. As he touched it, she wrapped her arms about his neck and kissed him intensely, distracting him from that thought.
“I’ve got to go, Clark.”
“No, don’t go, Lois. I don’t want this dream to end.”
“Neither do I,” she whispered, giving him another kiss. “Hand me a shirt, will you?”
Clark reached over the side of the bed and picked up a t-shirt from the floor. It was the blue one he’d been wearing when he came to bed. Lois smiled and slipped it over her head. She crawled over him to the floor, pausing for one more kiss.
He clung to her arm as her feet hit the floor. “I don’t want you to go.”
“That’s good to hear.” She smiled.
“Either of you,” he whispered as his hand snuck under her shirt to her belly. The baby kicked again.
“We’ll miss you, too, Clark,” Lois said, starting to levitate. She floated over him with one last kiss. “Now, get some sleep, my love. Sleep.”
His eyes drifted shut. Was she just flying? Clark’s eyes flashed open, but she was gone. “Lois?” he called out to her. “Lois?” He flew through the house using super speed. He was alone. Maybe she had been a dream, after all.
He could still taste the strawberries on his lips, but the bowl was gone from the bedside table. Sitting back down on the bed, he sighed. What a perfect dream.
Clark hadn’t thought about that
first, first night together since after Zara and the other New Kryptonians had left. When he had suggested to Lois that he had wanted to stay the night, she had told him that they would be married soon enough and they had waited that long. He had agreed. What were a few more days after waiting so long? He closed his eyes and lay down, dreaming again of their last good-bye before he left for New Krypton.
*** End of Part 3 *** CommentsChapter 4: Part 4
