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House of Cards part 5B
by Tank


Lois was sitting at her desk trying to pick the lead for the afternoon newsbreak when she was interrupted by a fellow in workman's coveralls coming into her office. He paid her no mind as he set his tools on the floor and went back out into the hallway, only to appear moments later carrying a step ladder.

Lois' mouth hung open. "Excuse me, can I help you?" Her tone belied the innocence of her question.

The fellow just glanced over at Lois, then shook his head. "Nah, I've got it."

Lois' irritation gave way to confusion. "Got what?" Another entered the office. "Lex?"

Lex Luthor glided over to where Lois was standing her mouth still hanging open in bewilderment. He placed his hand on her arm and gave her what looked to be an apologetic smile.

"Lois, I'm so sorry," he said. "I never realized. I mean, I thought that it had all been taken care of long before you joined our family here at LNN. Imagine my chagrin when I came across that old work order and found out that it had never been completed. I tell you, I never..."

"Lex!" Lois placed her finger against his lips to stop him. "What on earth are you talking about?"

Lois couldn't swear to it but it actually looked like Lex was blushing. "Lois, does the name Paul Hattman ring any bells?"

Lois' brow furrowed in thought. "It sounds familiar. Wait, I know. Isn't he that LNN executive who was caught skimming money from the company?"

Lex smiled. "That's right, well anyway, this used to be his office. Some people brought their suspicions about him to me, but they had no proof."

Lois glanced over to where the workman had pulled down some of the ceiling tile and was in the process of taking the video camera off its mount in the space between the building floors. Lois couldn't stop a smile from forming. She knew it! Lex wasn't keeping tabs on her. She just happened to occupy the wrong office. Still, wasn't that type of surveillance illegal?

She gestured toward the workman as he came down the ladder with his prize. "Lex? Isn't that..."

She didn't get a chance to ask her question before Lex cut her off. "Look, Lois, I want you to know that this was done strictly above board. It was all legal. I went to the police and we obtained a signed court order allowing us to plant the surveillance equipment. I have a copy of it in my files if you'd like to see it. Or you can call Inspector Henderson if you wish. He was the arresting officer on the case."

Lex took a deep breath and took her hands in his own. "I hope you can forgive me. I'm mortified that this equipment was still here. It was supposed to have been taken out right after Hattman's arrest. Really, my people are not usually this sloppy."

Lois smiled up at him. "That's okay, Lex. Stuff happens." She gave him a crooked little grin. "I don't think I gave away any state secrets while I was in my office."

She had to make a joke to cover for her enormous relief. Relief that Clark had discovered the gear in time. Relief that she hadn't said anything that she shouldn't have, but mostly relief to know that Lex wasn't spying on her.

"Actually, Lois, the camera and microphone aren't even still hooked up to any sort of recorders, so it wouldn't have mattered if you did."

That made Lois feel even better. Now she didn't have to fret over whether or not she'd said anything that would have jeopardized Clark's secret while in her office. She'd gone over and over the time spent there, in her head the previous evening, and couldn't think of any time she might have let the big secret slip. Still, she was glad she didn't have to worry about that... or Lex.

"I'm glad I was able to get here and correct this mistake before you discovered the devices on your own," Lex continued. "I'd hate to have you think that I was spying on you or anything." Lois hoped that Lex didn't notice her momentary startled look.

"No, Lex, I would never think you'd do that."

His smile was warm and charming. "I'm glad. But that," he waved toward the workman. "Wasn't the only reason I wanted to see you this morning. I have to go to Paris tomorrow. A big gala affair for my good friend Rene DuBois." He pulled one of her hands to his lips. "I'd like you to accompany me." He grinned at her. "What do you say? Would you like to see the City of Lights?"

Lois swallowed hard. Wow, Paris! "Oh, Lex, that would be wonderful... but I have so much work to do here. I don't think I could possibly..."

Lex laughed. "My Lois, always the workaholic. I don't mean to denigrate your value here, my love. In a short time you've become an integral part of this operation, but LNN did struggle along without you before, and I think they might manage a few days with out you. Maybe just this once?"

She blushed. "I guess you're right... oh, Lex, you did say a big gala affair? I don't have anything to wear. And I'll have to get my hair done, and what about..."

This time it was Lex who placed his finger on Lois' lips. "Don't worry about a thing. You can stop at Everson's on the way home. I'll have one of my assistants call them and tell them to expect you. Pick out a few outfits and put them on my tab." He shook his hand to forestall the protest she was about to make. "No, this is my party, so it will be on my dime. No arguments about that."

Lois couldn't help but feel a bit of excitement at the prospect of being able to go into Everson's and pick out whatever she wanted. Suddenly she reached her hand up to her hair. There simply wasn't time to make an appointment with her stylist, Cindy at this short notice.

He saw her unconscious move toward her hair. "Not to worry on that account, my dear. I've made arrangements for you to go and see Mr. Andre first thing tomorrow morning. He'll be expecting you at his salon around nine."

Lois' eyes went wide. Mr. Andre was the hottest stylist on the entire east coast. Women would gladly shave their heads for a chance to sit in his chair. How did Lex ever... silly question, he was Lex Luthor. There was probably no field where he couldn't exert his prodigious influence.

Lex squeezed her hand. "Come on, Lois, say yes. Would going to Paris with me be all that bad? Besides work, what else do you have to do?"

Lois' mind flashed back to the argument she had with Clark earlier that morning. "Nothing, I guess. Yes, I'd love to go to Paris with you Lex."

"Excellent. I'll have a car pick you up at your apartment at eleven. We'll have a pleasant lunch on the plane, and be in Paris in plenty of time for the big party." His smile mirrored the one on her face. "I figure we'll spend about three days there, so pack accordingly."

"Okay," was all she could say.

A pretty blonde head poked itself around the jam of Lois' doorway. "We go to air in ten minutes Ms. Lane."

She looked up at the young woman. "Thanks Denise, I'll be right there." She turned back to Lex. "I've got to go." She gave the workman one more glance, then she stood on her tiptoes and gave Lex a quick peck on the cheek. "Thanks." She headed for the door.

****************

Lex watched as the beautiful bundle on energy called Lois Lane moved rapidly down the hall toward the LNN studios. It had gone better than he'd expected. As he'd gathered from her conversation with Kent, Lois was eager to grab onto any logical explanation as to why there was surveillance gear in her office. She didn't want to believe the worst about Lex, so of course, he had to provide her with a logical out.

The story about Paul Hattman having been caught skimming money from the LNN coffers had been true, but Lex doubted if the man had ever seen this particular office. Hattman had worked in accounting. Which also meant that there was no court order, nor had Henderson ever been in on any surveillance related sting. Lex had made that all up, confident that Lois would never actually check up on it. She had needed reassurance, and his offer of proof was enough. After all, to say that she needed to 'see' that proof would show him that she didn't trust him. Trust seemed to be very important to Lois. Lex smiled. Even if it wasn't a commodity that Lex very often traded in, it was a good thing to know about Lois.

Lex glanced at the workman who had completely taken out the camera and was moving to put his tools back. "Put it back in." The fellow merely shrugged. He'd worked at LNN long enough to know that no one questioned Luthor about anything.

Lex left her office and moved down the halls back toward the special elevator to his own office. Now that Lois was taken care of that left only one other 'problem' to deal with, and if his luck held, he would be able to see to it that very evening.

*********************

Clark had been in and out of LNN all day. It had been a particularly trying day. There had been a couple of other Superman duties to take care of but he'd also had to do two remote broadcasts and he was actually tired. He knew it was more mental than physical, but the pace of live television was not something he was used to. And having to drag, Ralph, his cameraman along with him proved to be a bit more problematic than he'd first thought.

The few times he'd been in earlier he hadn't had a chance to see Lois. He was eager to try and resolve their conflict. He would never have a chance to make her understand who Luthor was until he could prove it to her. But in the meantime he hoped to smooth over their broken friendship. It would help neither of them if they constantly argued every time they had a conversation. He would just have to exhibit more control over his feelings when it came to her and Luthor. He just needed time. The truth was, no matter how frustrated her attitude was making him, he missed her.

He came by her office and was about to knock when Lex came around the corner. "Ah, Kent, just the man I need to see." Lex nodded toward Lois' door. "Lois has already left for the day. We're going to Paris tomorrow and she needed to get a jump on her packing."

Clark frowned at his 'boss'. "You - and Lois, are going to Paris?"

Lex's brow went up and a slight smile tugged at his mouth. "Yes."

Clark frown turned into a grimace. "What did you want to talk to me about, Luthor?" His tone was almost surly.

A frown momentarily touched Luthor's face, but he quickly wiped it smooth. "It's customary to address your employer as Mr. Luthor, but your lack of proper social graces isn't important now." A more business like pose was effected by Luthor. "I understand that you are close to Superman, and have actually been known to be able to get a message to him?" Clark didn't answer, but nodded, guardedly. "Good, I'd like you to pass one along for me. I need to speak to the Man of Steel, tonight if at all possible." Lex chuckled. "I am leaving for France tomorrow for a few days, so tonight is best."

"And just why should Superman want to talk to you?"

Lex laughed. "Oh, Mr. Kent, your jealousy is so transparent. Look, I understand your pain, I really do. You love Lois, and I love Lois. But I'm afraid that it's up to her to make that choice." His grin turned positively feral. "If you know what I mean." He quickly put back on his bland mask. "But I know that Lois has feelings for Superman also, and I need to speak to the man about them, and her. I think he'll want to hear what I have to say. I just hope you can convey the urgency to him for me."

Clark wasn't about to let go of his resentment. "What is it you want to tell him?"

"Ah, Mr. Kent, that is for Superman's ears alone. Just convey my message if you will. If he doesn't choose to come, well, then there's nothing I can do about it... is there?"

Clark gazed at Luthor, his suspicion growing. "No, I guess not."

*****************

Clark couldn't believe that he was actually going to visit Lex Luthor, just because the man said he wanted to speak to him. The last thing that Clark, or Superman, for that matter, would want, is for Luthor to think he was at his beck and call. But it involved Lois, and he had to admit that his curiosity had been aroused. After all, what could happen? The worst that Luthor could do was to get him upset, and that was probably already a forgone conclusion.

He landed on balcony outside of Luthor's penthouse suite. The door into the living area was unlocked, so he entered.

"Ah, Superman, so good of you to come." Luthor entered the room from what Clark assumed was the bedroom. "There's something I want to show you. If you would follow me please." Luthor noticed that Clark was still standing just inside the balcony door.

"What's this all about, Luthor? Clark said you wanted to talk to me, so talk."

Luthor grinned. "I admit that I have some important things to discuss with you, but not here. If you will, please follow me." Clark frowned, but then shrugging, followed Luthor into an elevator at one end of the room.

Soon they were deep in the recesses of the LexTower. Clark couldn't help but notice the extensive use of lead sheathing in the ceiling of the room they had entered. It appeared to be nothing more than a wine cellar. Why would Luthor worry about hiding his wine from Superman's eyes.

"Okay, Luthor, this is enough. I've played your game this far. What do you want?"

Lex shrugged. "Just this." He pulled a lever on the wall and a cage dropped from the ceiling.

Clark looked at the cage, then at Luthor in disbelief. "Are you kidding? You don't really think this - cage, is going to be able to hold me, do you?"

Lex waved a hand at Superman. "Not like it is now, no. But watch what happens when I throw this other switch which sends an intense electrical charge through the bars which heats them significantly and instantly melts off the ultra thin lead coating on those bars."

Lex flipped the other switch and after a momentary crackle of electrical energy the dark gray color began to run off the bars, like rain off a downspout. This exposed a evil green glow. Clark suddenly felt a wave of pain double him over.

"Kryptonite," he gasped.

Luthor came close to the cage. "Oh, yes, Mr. Kent." He laughed at Clark's look of surprise. "Surprised that I know you are that insipid former partner of my intended? Fear not, no one will find out your great secret... at least not while you still live."

Clark had to gasp out his words between clenched teeth as he fought against the debilitating pain. "I thought this was supposed to be about Lois? What is it that you really want, Luthor?"

Luthor laughed long and hard. "What do I want? Oh that is rich, *Superman*. It seems that I now have everything that I want. Lois is wavering, and coming to depend on me more and more every day. Soon she'll have nobody else except me. The other two men in her life will be gone, leaving only Lex Luthor to comfort and cherish her."

"Don't kid me, Luthor, you don't cherish anyone except yourself."

Luthor shook his head at the suffering super hero. "That's where you are wrong, Supie, old man. I really do love her. But there will have to be some changes made." He stuck his face close to the bars. "She's just a little too indepedent don't you think. I'll enjoy breaking her of that little flaw."

Clark, in a last ditch burst of energy, launched himself at the bars, only to scream in pain when he came into contact with the vile kryptonite coating.

Lex stood up and backed away from the cage. "Well, as much fun as it would be to stand around and watch you writhe in pain, I do have other things to prepare for. Like my trip with the lovely Ms. Lane, soon to be Mrs. Luthor." Lex flipped an odd looking key on a nearby barrel. "I'll come by to visit when I return from Paris and we'll have a chat... if you're still alive that is." Luthor's laughter echoed in Clark's ears as the madman left the room.

*********************

Lois stared in horror at her image in the mirror. Lex's limo would be around to pick her up in just a few minutes, but how could she go looking like this? How could she have let Mr. Andre do this to her?

She'd gone into his salon that morning with more than just a little trepidation. At first, he seemed to be a charming fellow, but once the process started she swore he never listened to a word she said.

She'd had several ideas, like an elegant upsweep style for the party, or maybe something with soft curls falling against her neck. Instead, once she was in the chair, he just kept muttering something about 'no more college girl'. He pulled and scrunched and twisted her wet hair in all manner of ways until he suddenly nodded in satisfaction.

Lois had tried to ask what he was planning to do, but he just ignored her apprehension with a wave of his hand and told to trust him, he knew what she needed. Trust him! Lois' eyes had grown wide when the man had picked up a pair of scissors and a comb and without so much as a mention of what he was going to do, began cutting off most of her hair. She watched anxiously as the pile of long dark locks in her lap grew ever larger.

It had been the worst hair experience that Lois had ever sat through. She had fought back tears all the way home, and now she stood and stared at the woman who Mr. Andre thought she should be. The hair on the sides and back was clipped extremely short, exposing the long line of her neck, but it also made her face look too thin. The hair on the top of her head wasn't a whole lot longer and it was styled in a mass of tight curls. She hated it, but the worst part was that Andre hadn't been satisfied with just scalping her. No, he had to change the color of what little was left. The strange woman staring back at her was a redhead. Red! The man had dyed her hair red! She looked like she belonged in a circus or something.

The more practical side of Lois Lane finally forced her to get on with what she had to do. Her bag had been packed the night before, but she needed to add a little make-up to repair what her tears had ruined. Suddenly there was a knock at her door. Her ride was there. She set her mouth in a firm line. There was nothing she could do now. What was done was done, and all she could do was to wait until it grew out. If Lex told her he liked it, she would kill him. As Lois grabbed her suitcase and moved toward the door she couldn't help but think that Clark would hate it.

An hour later she was staring out the window of Lex's personal jet, watching the skyline of Metropolis fall away. For some strange reason she was seized by a flash of anxiety. It was like she was looking at her home for the last time. For some reason it felt like after today, everything was going to be different. The old Metropolis would never be the same. She glanced over at where Lex was sitting conversing with someone on the phone. Maybe that's what this was all about? Maybe Lois was facing a whole new life now. A life with... Lex?