Missing Lois - TOC Author’s Note: The “Lois” in Chapter 5 and 6 refers to alt-Lois. Canon Lois will be called “Lucy” to help lessen the confusion between the two characters.
Story Notes: This story is mostly set in alt-dimension, although visits to the 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 = pregnant canon Lois avoiding the curse by hiding out with alt-Clark, aka Lois's secret identity
- Kal = Lucy El's husband's name, or what Lois-Lucy and alt-Clark call canon Clark
- Lois = alt-Lois, wife of Lex Luthor
- Lola Luthor = ‘wife’ of Lex Luthor; alt-Lois, if not referring to Clois (Cloned Lois)
- Mr. Amazing = alt-Lois's nickname for Superman
- Sam Lane = alt-Lois's Dad, Lois's doctor & roommate
- Ultra Woman = the costume Lucy/Lois wore to Perry's 'Come as Your Favorite Superhero' party
- Lex Luthor = no explanation necessary, same bad guy as always, this time bald
- Jaxon Xavier = Lex Luthor's son and spy at
The Planet, does website design and research for the paper
- Mayson Drake = police detective, partner to Detective (in alt-world) Henderson, alt-Clark's ex-girlfriend
- Dan = alt-Mayson's boyfriend, FBI Agent
- The only people who know canon Lois's true identity are alt-Clark, Sam, Moonbeam (alt-Star), Dr. Klein and alt-Lois. 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 6: Part 6...Mayson glanced around and then leaned forward, lowering her voice. “Just between you and me – I promise I won’t tell another soul – but I’ve got to know, how wonderful is it to float with him?”
Lois’s jaw dropped. Exactly how intimate had Clark been with Mayson? Her eyes squinted. “Excuse me?” she practically snarled.
“You know exactly what I’m asking you, Lucy? If you truly are his sister-in-law, you’d know, too.” She took a bite of her salad and waited for Lois to answer.
Great. “I do know what you’re talking about. What I’m wondering is how you know about it?”
Mayson shrugged. “You’re the researcher, how do you think?”
Lois closed her eyes. She had to. Her jealousy was taking over and she was worried she might send a heat missile Mayson’s way. She took a deep breath and counted to ten. Mayson said she wanted to know, so she hadn’t actually been there… But had Clark floated with her, at some point, when they made out? She took another deep breath and counted to ten again. No wonder he hadn’t wanted to speak about her. She swallowed and finally opened her eyes.
“Jealous much?” Mayson laughed with a bit of sparkle. “Lois.”
Part 7Lois’s jaw dropped. Mayson knew she wasn’t Lucy. “Excuse me?” she gasped.
“I’m not an idiot, Lois. Lucy would never have asked me any of these questions, because she’d know what Clark was thinking before he did.” Mayson chuckled. “Anyway, she would never have growled when Clark complimented me. She set the two of us up. Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone – including him – that you’re impersonating her. I guess turnabout is fair play, since she impersonated you once.”
Lois shrugged, taking another bite of her salad. It had been worth a shot. “So, you think he’s just freaking out because he’s afraid to lose control? Afraid he might hurt me?”
This time Mayson’s mouth formed an O. “You mean I was right?” She laughed. “I was totally bluffing, Lois.”
Lois chuckled. “Ooops.” She took a sip of her drink.
“So, he made a move? I’m surprised. He seemed a bit shy of intimacy. Actually, I shouldn’t be surprised. You’re you!”
Lois’s brow came together. “What’s that supposed to mean? I’m me?”
Mayson shook her head. “Come on. He has a huge crush on you.”
Lois smiled. “Nice to know.” She liked Mayson. She knew she shouldn’t trust her as far as she used to be able to toss her, because she was Clark’s ex-girlfriend, but she liked her just the same. “So, how come you broke up with him?”
“Lucy didn’t tell you?” Mayson asked, surprised. “You’ve got to watch out for her. She’ll sabotage your relationship just trying to be helpful.”
“Been there.” Lois rolled her eyes and Mayson laughed. “We’ve got an understanding now.”
Mayson laughed harder with a shake of her head. “When I was in the hospital, Lucy came to me and told me that Clark was about to break up with me, because of the bombing, because he felt guilty that he couldn’t keep me safe. She told me not to accept it. Not allow him to break up with me. He needed me to be his hope.”
“Ah. And you did the opposite. If he was going to dump you, you’d get there first to shock him into not wanting to break up with you.” Lois sighed. “Been there, too. Doesn’t work with Clark, does it?”
Mayson shook her head. “And then he never came back. He sent flowers every week for weeks, until the end of October. I figured once he fell for Ultra Woman, there wasn’t any chance for me, because the flowers stopped coming. He’d moved on. By that point, I had met Dan, so I was ready to move on, too.” She sighed. “Now, there’s a man who knows how to be there when you need him.” She waved to someone across the room. Lois turned around and saw Dan waving back.
Mayson’s Dan was Daniel Scardino, FBI. Crap. Lois scrunched down in her chair. “He’s not listening to this conversation, is he, Mayson? You promised that this would stay between us.”
“No.” Mayson studied her. “He’s just my back-up. I don’t trust Lucy.”
“Good. Do me a favor and don’t tell him that I’m Lois Lane posing as Lucy El. Don’t tell anyone. Just trust me on this, agreed?” Lois nodded.
“Why?” Mayson raised a brow; then a light bulb went off. “You and Dan?”
“A long time ago, Mayson. He was fresh out of the academy at the time. I was just getting a foothold at the paper. It meant nothing. Nothing.”
Mayson got a sour expression on her face. “I can’t get away from you, can I? Is there a man in this town you haven’t touched first?” When Lois smiled weakly, Mayson raised her hands. “I don’t want to know.” So much for friendship with Mayson Drake.
“I’m sorry,” Lois murmured.
“You want my advice about Clark? If you truly want to make him happy, find Ultra Woman and convince her to come back to him. He’s never going to be able to be content with you, Lois. He won’t be able to resist you, he’s so in love with you, he’d probably even chance public scrutiny and censure to be with you. But he’s had so much pain in his life, he won’t want to chance hurting the one woman he loves more than any other. Because if you two dated and anything ever happened to you that he didn’t have in his power to stop, it would shatter his soul. He’d never recover from it. He’d blame himself forever.”
Lois swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. She took a sip of water, then whispered, “You mean if I died?”
“Died? You better not even go there, Lois. If you died, Superman would die with you.” Mayson raised her brow and took a sip of her ice tea. It was the first time Mayson had mentioned the Man of Steel since Lois had met her. Clark wasn’t kidding about Mayson not liking the Superman persona.
Lois took a deep breath. “Why did you keep dating him, then? If he was so obsessed with me?”
“Well, you were essentially dead and…” A hint of a smile brushed Mayson’s lips. “Because Clark Kent is sexy as hell.”
Lois nodded. “That he is.” She sighed. “So, you think by giving him up, telling him I don’t want to date him is the only way to make him happy? Is that the only way to stop him from acting so standoffish?”
“Of course not. It will crush him, but he’ll understand. He doesn’t want to hurt you any more than you want to be hurt. Eventually, he’ll understand and he’ll survive. Find Ultra Woman for him, someone with whom he can be himself and learn to lose control and not hold it tight within his fists, and he’ll be your friend for life. To love somebody you must set them free.”
Lois looked down and whispered, “My heart beats to the rhythm of his heart. The blood in my veins came from him. I cannot live without him, Mayson.”
“And, yet, you know you must. Your marriage to Lex is crushing him. You need to set him free, Lois.”
Lois bowed her head. Mayson spoke the truth. “Doing the right thing sucks.”
“It sure does,” Mayson agreed.
The waitress came by and Lois ordered the biggest, most fat-drenched chocolate desert on the menu.
“Whoa!” Mayson gasped.
Lois winked at her. “Might as well gain fifty pounds and chase off all those other men that will surely come to call when I’m single again.”
Mayson shook her head. “Where’s Lucy anyway? Did she give up trying to con Clark?”
“Con Clark?” Lois had no idea what Mayson was talking about and decided to shrug off the thought. “No, someone at the office guessed she was pregnant, so she’s hiding back at the apartment. She and Clark don’t want everyone to know she’s carrying a super baby. Which is half the reason why I’m now Lucy El. My ex-husband is looking for Lois Lane; therefore, I needed to be someone else who was able to leave the apartment. Personally, I hate this person. She dresses ugly and doesn’t drink coffee or alcohol or eat meat.” She sneered.
Mayson’s jaw dropped and she set both hands on the table to steady herself. “Lucy’s going to have a baby? Oh, my God! She really is his sister-in-law.”
Lois’s eyes bugged. “You didn’t know? I was sure that if Clark told you about the real Kal, he told you about why she needed protection, too.”
Mayson swallowed. “No, he left that part out.”
Lois grabbed her hand. “You can’t tell anyone. If someone like Lex finds out, Clark will kill me.”
“Trust me, I won’t.” Mayson took her drink and downed it. “Oh, my God. This explains so much. Thank you, Lois... eh, Lucy. I won’t tell another soul. This gives me closure. Now, I finally understand why he lied to me for all those months. Thank you. Oh, my God. If I had…” She put a hand to mouth and stared off into space. “This changes things, doesn’t it?”
“Why?” Lois asked hesitantly.
“If Clark ever became a father…” Mayson’s eyes bugged out. “Oh, my gosh. Watch out world.”
Lois swallowed, not wishing to go down this road. “Mayson, are you fine knowing this? Or do you need me to hit you over the head?”
Mayson blinked a couple of times and focused on Lois, seeing she was completely serious, her hand in a fist. “I’m fine.”
“Good.” Lois took a sip of her drink. “Hey, do you know anything about Intergang you want to share with me? Clark and I are working on a connection between Lex Luthor and Intergang.”
“Lex Luthor and Intergang? Please. I know, Lucy and Clark think Bill Church is… Oh, my God!” She gasped. “Lex Luthor and Bill Church! Now, it all makes sense. Who goes to Berkistan on a business meeting about CostMart? I’m such an idiot.” She waved her finger in the air and Dan was at their table a moment later. “Dan, Lucy. Lucy, Dan. Dan, Lucy El is a genius! If you ever need to know anything about Lex Luthor or Intergang, go to her.”
“I’m not sharing my sources, Mayson,” Lois said with a glare at Mayson.
“Lex Luthor?” Dan said hesitantly, glancing at Lucy. “Are you sure, Mayson?” He lowered his voice. “She’s a reporter.”
Mayson waved off his concerns. “It explains everything! Why he’s relocating to Metropolis. Why Jaxon’s at the
Planet. He’s been doing research on Metropolis, because they’re hitting here next.”
“Who’s Jaxon?” Dan looked between them, flummoxed.
“Lex Luthor’s son,” Lois explained.
“Oh.” Dan nodded. “Oh!” He knelt down between them, looking at Lois. “You’ve got to share your source.”
She cleared her throat. “I can’t.”
He looked at Mayson, who lowered her voice, “Her source is Lex Luthor’s wife, Lois Lane.”
“Mayson!”
Dan blanched. “Oh.” He swallowed. “Mayson, um, there’s something I need to tell you about Lois Lane…”
Lois smiled. He hadn’t recognized her. She stood up. “Well, Clark needs me at the office. You want me to share my intel, you’ve got to share yours as well.” She opened her purse and tossed some cash on the table. “Thanks for the information, Mayson, and enjoy my dessert.”
“Do you want an escort back to the paper?” Mayson asked. “I hear that you’re supposed to be under police protection at all times.”
Lois waved her hand at her. “I’ll be fine.” Then she beat it out of there like only Ultra Woman could.
***
When Lois arrived back at the office, she found Clark sitting at his desk with a scowl on his face. She smiled at him. “Hi, Clark.”
“Lucy, how was lunch with Mayson? Still the best of friends?”
Crap. He knew. That little tattle tale. “It was very informative, Clark.” She had asked Lucy not to say anything to him about their little switcheroo, but Lucy insisted that they were keeping enough from him already.
“May I speak with you in the conference room?”
“Of course, Clark.” She set her stuff down at her desk and followed him into the conference room.
As soon as he shut the door, he turned on her. “Why did you want to talk with Mayson? Was it about Intergang?”
Lois sighed. Maybe Lucy hadn’t told him. “She’s excited about our Lex Luthor and Intergang angle; she and Dan think we might be on to something there.”
“Dan? Her boyfriend, Dan? You had lunch with him, too?” He relaxed, obviously thinking they wouldn’t have talked about him with Mayson’s current boyfriend at the table.
“Yeah, Dan Scardino.” She crossed her arms and watched him. Let’s see how much the know-it-all really did know about her.
“Hold on, Mayson’s new boyfriend is your ex-boyfriend Dan Scardino?”
Crap. Maybe Lucy had told him. “He was not my boyfriend. We went on three dates, seven years ago. He bought me weird gifts and was overprotective, so I dumped him. And he joined us during dessert and didn’t recognize me.”
Clark looked at her with slight panic in his eyes. “Dessert?”
Lois looked down at her fingernails. “Actually, Mayson did ask me a curious question. She asked me about sex with Kal, whether or not we floated.”
“What?” he gasped, leaning against the table.
She looked up from her fingernails. “I told her that I’ve never had sex with Kal.”
“Lois, Kal is Lucy’s husband. Of course, they…”
She looked deep into his eyes. “We make love.”
Clark gulped.
“And it’s…” Lois sighed, a big smile spreading across her face, and a tingling sensation dancing around her body, causing her to shiver. “None of her business.”
Clark laughed, taking hold of her hands and gazing at her with such intensity. “Oh, Lois, I love you.”
“I know.” Lois swallowed, her voice husky. “She told me that too.”
“Mayson told you that I love you?”
“She told me that you have a huge crush on me, but then she said something interesting. She said that if I ever died, Superman would too.” She tilted her head to the side. “I wonder what she meant by that.”
He looked away.
“Did Superman die, Clark?” she whispered.
“No,” Clark replied looking into her eyes. “But Mr. Amazing did.”
Lois felt a cold chill drip over her body, her eyes filling with tears. She let go of his hands and walked away from him. “He told you about that?”
“I’m sorry, Lois, I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“Lucy, Clark. I’m Lucy El, remember? I’m fat and married to Kal El. I wear these stupid glasses with no corrective lenses. I dress in these shabby clothes and clunky shoes and wear these ugly barrettes in my hair. I don’t drink coffee or alcohol or eat meat.” She sat down at the far side of the table. “And I’m best friends with Clark Kent and Superman; although, I’m beginning to wonder why.”
Clark sat down next to her. “Why did you cancel your police guard?”
Lois looked him in the eye. “Does it really matter, Clark?”
“I worry about you,” he whispered.
“I’m not some nine month pregnant woman, Clark. I can take care of myself. I guarantee you, Lex Luthor isn’t going to capture me again. I’m tired of being someone’s prisoner all the time. First I was his and now I’m yours.” She stood up and took a deep breath. “If you see Superman, tell him I’m sorry Mr. Amazing died. I’ll miss him. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a story to research.” Lois walked out of the conference room, slamming the door, causing all the glass to shatter and fall to the ground. She stopped, listening to the glass breaking. Then she went to her desk, picked up her coat and purse and walked out of the newsroom.
***
Lois and Lucy sat in the living room of their apartment, nibbling on Superman’s Christmas chocolate. The coffee table was covered with boxes.
“That was just cruel, Lois,” Lucy said again.
“I know.”
“He told me that Lois Lane doesn’t plan, she just acts.”
“We do, don’t we?” Lois shook her head, taking a bite of chocolate.
“Mr. Wells told me that Tempus said to him that bad guys plan, think three steps ahead, while all superheroes do is react.”
Lois laughed. “So true. What we need to do is act a little more like a bad guy and do some planning. No more running off half-cocked, interviewing ex-girlfriends without the proper research. I should have talked to you first.”
“And I’m so sorry that I told him about Kal’s powers going haywire. I should have known that he’d react that way. He’s already so scared that he’ll hurt you, now I’ve just made him paranoid.” Lucy shook her head. “I hate that these Kent boys think that because they have all the super powers, they get to have complete control over the decisions in our relationships. Argh.” She growled and took a bite of a chocolate caramel. “Oh, Lois. This is so good.”
“I know.” Lois smiled. “He really outdid himself, didn’t he?” She sighed. “Clark isn’t the only one with super powers in our relationship, but he isn’t man enough to be honest with me and find out the truth about me.”
Lucy sighed. “He’s just scared. He really does love you.”
“I know he does. The lunkhead even told me so before he told me that my Superman was dead. If we hadn’t been at the office, he might have even kissed me.”
“He went too far,” Lucy agreed.
“It’s like he pulls me towards him, so he can push me away. He doesn’t know what to do with these intense feelings he has for me. He wants me, but knows he shouldn’t act on those feelings. I am going to have to take the decision making process away from him. He doesn’t know how to handle it.” Lois shook her head.
Lucy laughed. “We definitely need a plan.”
Someone knocked on the door. Lois looked over at it and lowered her glasses. “It’s Moonbeam.” She disappeared for a split second and returned wearing the waist long wig and a Lois Lane pantsuit. Lucy pointed to her face and Lois took off the glasses. “I don’t know why we’re going through the trouble. Moonbeam is psychic.” She opened the door.
“We’ve got trouble,” Moonbeam said entering the apartment. “Lex Luthor is avoiding the divorce subpoena. We’re technically not filed for divorce until he accepts it.”
Lois tossed her a chocolate bar. “Come, join our pity party.”
Moonbeam sat down next to her. “What’s with all the chocolate?”
“Mr. Amazing’s Christmas gift to me.” Lois smiled.
“Wow!” Moonbeam gushed, opening her chocolate bar. “He loves you.”
“Good thing I can’t gain weight anymore.” Lois laughed.
Lucy set down her box of chocolate. “Speaking of which, I better stop. Wouldn’t want to go into early labor.”
Moonbeam looked at her, concerned. “How are you doing?”
Lucy sighed. “Fat and missing Kal.”
“Kal? Oh, right, that’s what you call your Clark here. So confusing, all these secret identities.” Moonbeam shook her head, taking another bit of chocolate bar.
“So, we need someone to deliver the subpoena to Lex Luthor who he won’t refuse to see,” said Lois, a grin growing on her face. “I think I know just the person.”
“Who?” Moonbeam asked.
“The person in that mirror,” Lois replied.
“But, Lois, you don’t have the costume,” Lucy reminded her.
Lois grinned wickedly. “I know how to get it. We just need to do some planning. Do you think you can get Clark to come over? We need to borrow his keys.”
“Maybe we can get Sam to borrow them for you?” Lucy suggested.
Lois thought about this. “I hate to get Daddy involved. Maybe I can just borrow them the next time Clark’s in the shower.” She practically danced with amusement.
“What?” Lucy asked.
Lois shook her head. “Sorry, mental picture.”
“Oh.” Lucy looked away, flushing.
“If you are thinking about committing a crime, I probably shouldn’t be here to hear about it,” Moonbeam said, standing up. “Let me know if you find your friend who can help us out.”
Lois pointed at her lawyer. “I’ll have her stop by as soon as I find her.”
Moonbeam nodded and left, taking her candy bar with her.
“Lucy, you know Clark best. I need a list of all the important dates in his life. Birthdays, death of his parents, anniversaries, etc. One of them has to match the alarm code at the Smallville house.”
“Are you sure it’s there?” Lucy asked.
“Where else would it be? I didn’t see it when I was there last weekend. He must have a safe it’s locked in.” Lois sighed. “I hope this works or Ultra Woman will have to get a new costume.”
***
Lois stood at the mirror in Clark’s bedroom and adjusted her mask. Planning worked wonders. The security code was his mother’s birthday. No wonder Kal got it on the first try. Clark had used a different code for the safe. It wasn’t any of the codes on Lucy’s list. Lois had tried one last date, Halloween, and the safe opened. It wasn’t a good omen.
Inside, Lois not only found Ultra Woman’s suit, but also an envelope of photos. She had taken a look at only one or two of them before putting them back. It hurt too much to see Lucy and Clark together. She didn’t want to think that Lucy had worn this outfit first. It didn’t matter, she told herself. That was before, this was now. He loved Lois for herself and it will be her that he would be kissing once they figure out the details on their master plan. Lucy was rooting for them almost as much as she was. Lucy had her own Clark. She would be going home to him soon after the baby was born. Each day that passed was a day closer to Lucy leaving. Then Lois won’t have to worry about her anymore.
Stealing the key to the Smallville house had turned out to be easier than Lois expected. Clark was vulnerable in that he thought he was the only person around with his abilities.
Lois had her father call her as soon as Clark stepped into the shower with the phrase, “I’m on my way.”
Then Sam had left the apartment (no point in involving him) and she had flew in through the patio. She had practiced the day before, while Clark was in Europe, helping with a hundred-car pile-up on the autobahn. Thank you, winter weather. She had been wearing a skintight black leotard and tights set with a hood to hide her hair. She had taken his keys, made copies of the ones she thought went to the Smallville house and then had flown back to his apartment. He had been still in the shower. She exhaled, thinking about Clark in the shower.
The one mistake Lois had made was in stopping to take a peek of him with her x-ray vision. He had been as exquisite as she thought he would be; she had sighed. It was the sigh that had almost done her in. Clark had heard her. But the one advantage she had on her side was she was already dressed. During the extra split second he had taken to turn off the water and grab a towel, she had been already entering the window of her apartment, dangling the keys for Lucy to see. Then the phone had rung.
“
Lucy, the strangest thing just happened. I think someone broke into my apartment,” Clark had told her.
Lucy had turned to Lois and glared. “What gives you that idea?” she had asked him.
“
I heard someone.”
“What did you hear?”
He had hemmed and hawed, not wanting to admit the sigh. “
Is Lois there?”
“He wants to talk to you, Lois.”
“I don’t want to talk to him,” Lois had responded with a flip of her hand.
Lois could hear Clark swallow over the phone line. “
Never mind. I was mistaken. I must have been hearing things.”
“Is anything missing?” Lucy had asked him.
“
No. Never mind. My mind must be playing tricks on me,” he had said, hanging up.
Lucy had turned on her. “What did you do? Whistle?”
“I just sighed. He’s quite the sight in the shower.” She had sighed again, biting her bottom lip. To think she had already showered with him. If she had known what he had looked like that first night in Smallville, she wouldn’t have had the nerve to climb into his shower. A hint of a smile played on her lips. Who was she kidding? Of course, she would have.
Lucy had glared at her. “We’re planners now, Lois. No mistakes, remember? No stopping to admire the scenery while out on a mission.”
Lois had nodded in agreement. But it had been worth it. At least, she hadn’t done what she really had been tempted to do. Enter his shower. She sighed again. Instead Lois had gotten dressed and headed to work.
At lunch, she had zipped off to Smallville with the list of dates Lucy had given her. The second key she had tried fit in the lock and the first code had turned off the security alarm. Easy as pie. Finding the hidden safe, not so easy. Using her x-ray vision, she had scanned the entire house and finally had found the safe in the basement by the washing machine. Not the place a robber would think to find Superman’s most valuable treasures.
Lois took one last look at herself in the mirror. Mask on straight. Cape draping nicely. Suit snug, although not as snug as it could be over her tummy. She would have to alter it. She zipped down to the front door, typed in the security code, locked the front door and was off. She landed in the alley behind the
Planet and spun into her Lucy El clothes. She left the Ultra suit underneath as Lucy suggested. How did Clark dress like this every day? It was kind-of bulky. What was one more layer? She couldn’t wait until spring, when she planned on revealing Lucy’s new slimmer self.
Lois shook her head. Spring? What was she thinking? Come spring, Lucy would be gone and hopefully, Lois Lane would be back sitting at this desk.
***End of Part 7*** CommentsChapter 6: Part 8
