Good Night, Lois – Back To Neverland
“Excuse me, is this seat taken?”
I know that voice. But as I look up it's still a surprise to see her. Not just because she's turned up in Smallville of all places. Either she’s becoming more beautiful every time we meet, or I forget just how stunning she is. Her broad smile is my undoing.
“Lois,” I croak. “What are you doing here?”
“I'm looking for a friend.” She slips into the seat across from me. “You sounded worried when you told me that Trask had appeared in Smallville.”
“Yeah, but…” I close my eyes and take a deep steadying breath. “That doesn't mean I wanted you to come all the way from Metropolis. How did you even get here? Please don't tell me you drove all by yourself!”
She snorts. “Don't be ridiculous. I took the plane to Wichita and got a rental car. Two hours of driving is more than enough.” Lois looks around. “You think they offer some food here in Neverland?”
As if on cue Maisie materializes next to our table. “Clark Kent, I didn't know you were expecting company. And such a cute girl she is.”
Though Maisie doesn't outright ask me what a thirty-two year old guy is doing here with a girl who's barely out of high school, I know that's what everyone will be talking about the moment I turn my back on them.
“I'm Lois, his foster sister,” Lois introduces herself without even flinching at that blatant lie. “Clark promised to show me where he grew up.”
Maisie’s smile doesn't waver. “That's nice.”
I'm not sure she's buying Lois’ explanation. I wouldn't put it past Lana that she enlightened everyone in the whole county about my closer than normal relationship with the girl I used to babysit.
“What can I get you, honey?”
Still reeling with the implications of Lois being here, I don't even listen as she orders what must be an insane amount of food. Maysie stays like forever while I wonder what I might have told Lois that had her rushing over here.
When Maisie is gone, I find my voice again. “Seriously, Lois, what are you doing here?”
She narrows her eyes on me. “Aren't you worried about this Trask guy showing up in Smallville?”
“Yes, I am,” I admit. “He's searching for something, though for the life of me, I don't know what that might be. I hid the ship in a safe place far from here. There's no way he could link Smallville to…” I lower my voice to the point where practically only my lips move. “... Superman.”
“Well, there has to be some connection. Do you think he's on to you?”
I shake my head. “I’ve been very careful about never staying in a place for long. None of my recent rescues were even close to Kansas. I've returned to Smallville for harvest time ever since I reconnected with Lana. I don't see how there would be anything suspicious about that.”
Lois nods slowly, thoughtfully. “Whatever it is, he’s looking for, we’re going to find out together!”
She beams at me as if it were perfectly normal that she crosses half the country to rush to my aid. And I have to admit that I could really use her on my team with her uncanny instinct and her brilliant mind. If anyone can help me find the truth about what is going on in Smallville, it’s her.
Not to mention, she’s really a sight for sore eyes. In the past few years my little girl has grown into a woman. Which is an asset as well as a problem.
I heave a sigh. “Much as I love having you here, do you realize what kind of trouble you’re getting me into?”
She purses her lips. “Why would I be getting you into any kind of trouble?”
I throw up my hands. “Because I’m thirty-two and you’re –”
“Nineteen,” she chimes in. “Turning twenty next month, which is both well above the legal age of consent. And we’re not even engaging in any inappropriate behavior, are we?”
I almost choke. “Of course not!”
Do I imagine the gleam in her eyes indicating that – deep down – she wished we would? I can’t deny that her luscious lips and the swell of her breasts underneath her shirt are inviting very inappropriate thoughts. I've been pushing them to the back of my mind for a while now. Knowing that I would no longer be breaking any laws if I leant in to kiss her is only making things that much harder. But for a part of me, she’s still the little girl who was dreaming of Peter Pan.
“Well, then I’m going to tell people to take their minds out of the gutter if they’re insinuating that we’re anything but friends. There’s nothing wrong with us being friends, is there?”
“I guess not,” I mutter weakly.
Winning an argument against Lois will always be beyond my capabilities, may she be five or fifty.
I run a weary hand through my hair. “Do your parents know you’re here?”
“As far as they are concerned, I'm on my way to Ireland, spending the next six months as an exchange student.” She holds up her hand to silence me before I can even think about saying anything. “I know you don't like it. But they’d never understand that you need me here. So I just changed flight reservations. I'm sure you're going to take me to Ireland in time.”
Of course I will. There's really no question about that. And she grins as if she could read my mind.
She probably can.
“See? No harm done! And my parents would owe both of us much more than the few bucks I rerouted.”
Can't argue with that.
I take a sip of the soda in front of me, not really knowing what else to do. As I put the glass down Maisie arrives with the food, fries and a burger for me and a bowl of salad for Lois.
For a moment I just watch her dig in and revel in the smile curling her lips whenever she glimpses up. I can't believe she actually came all the way just to help me. These past few years have been tough. I never stayed anywhere for long, kept moving from one town to the other, earning what little money I needed with free lancing articles. Even when I was still living in D.C. I knew that I wouldn't grow roots there, try as I might.
And while I sit here with her, nibbling on the first frie, I realize why that is. She's my home, in a way she's been my home since that very first night on her window sill. Unless I can settle with her, I will always be a Lost Boy.
“So, any leads yet, partner?” She winks at me.
Apparently, we’re in this together now.
So what’s left for me to do but to cave? “Wayne Irig talked to me earlier and said there was something he wanted to show me. He's an old friend of my Dad’s, so I thought I would stop by his farm later.”
Lois nods. “Sounds good to me. We'll make a great team, you'll see. Peter and Wendy back in Neverland, ready to take on Captain Hook!”
“So Trask is Hook now?”
She laughs. “Who else would he be? Smee?”
Last edited by bakasi; 02/01/25 03:44 PM.
