Well, it's been a good long while since there was another addition to this round robin fic.
I'm going to try my hand at this with the backing of a few of you on the boards.
Thanks so much for all of your help!
Bella
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6b
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Frustrated, she decided to concentrate on locating where it was coming from. It seemed to be coming from above her in the ceiling. <At least I’m not imagining things,> she said to herself. <It sounds like it’s coming from over there…> her thoughts trailed off. The direction the noise was coming from was exactly where she had seen the workman remove the camera the other day. <Wait a minute. If the camera’s gone, what could be making that noise?> After a number of thoughts filtered through her head, she came to a horrid realization. She thought back to the conversation she’d had with Lex that day. Lois stood up and headed out the door. Stopping at the nearest empty conference room, she went inside and locked the door. She picked up the telephone hanging on the wall and dialed a familiar number. After two rings, the person on the other side picked up.
Lois spoke into the phone, “Inspector Henderson, please.”
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Pt 7
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“I see,” Lois murmured into the phone. “When will he be back?” She ran an impatient hand through her now short hair, a snort of disgust threatening to spill from her lips. <God, I miss my hair.> “Can you have him call me? Yes, immediately...It’s very important.” She rattled off her cell number and beeper then shut off with the precinct.
How was she supposed to make a decision now?
She glanced down at the Rock of Gibraltar that currently had taken residence on her left hand. Uncertainty felt heavy and foreign on her shoulders. She had been an independent woman for the majority of her life; her unstable family and then her job had made sure of that. She had never questioned herself as much as she had in the last few months. Lex’s singular brand of wooing would turn any woman’s head, but was he really the man for her?
A part of her knew there would be pieces of Lex that she would never truly know, but was the other half of him enough?
And on top of it all, losing her best friend in the midst of all of that seemed too much for anyone to handle. Clark’s betrayal burned deeper and hotter than her childhood hurts and adult mistakes combined. She alternated between anger and guilt within moments of each other.
There was just too much work involved in making relationships work. It was all she could do to take care of herself with the demands of her career. Clark had always understood her drive, even equaled it in his own quiet way. He had slowly wormed his way into every aspect of her life. He went from just being her partner to her closest friend, but a very basic part of their relationship had been trust and he had destroyed that in one astonishing moment. She understood part of his reasoning for keeping the secret, but could she live with it?
She got ready to leave, cleaned off her desk, shut down her computer and rifled through her purse to make sure her phone was fully charged. She couldn’t make Lex wait any longer. She dialed his office.
"Yes, darling," Lex answered warmly.
"How did you know it was me?"
"Your extension of course."
"Oh, that was silly of me. Why don't you get the limo ready and I'll meet you downstairs?"
"Excellent idea! I'll see you in five my love."
"I'll be there." With a sigh she turned off the lights and headed for the elevator.
Why did this have to be so complicated? Why did Clark have to be Superman? And why did he have to lie to her all this time? Even if it was probably for her own good. And how many other things would he lie about for her own good?
Which led to her last issue.
Could she trust, Lex?
She left the LNN building, unconsciously lifting her eyes to the heavens. The sky was an impossible blue. Perfect flying weather, she mused. But did she want to fly with Lex, or Clark?
She couldn't quite pinpoint her feelings for Lex. She respected him and cared for him, but was it enough to build a marriage on?
His personality was so very different from Clark’s. But if she married Lex, she was sure to have plenty of space for her career. He was a busy man who needed a wife who was just as career driven as he was.
Things with Clark would never quite be the same again. Too many harsh words had come between them. Her relationship with Lex was one of the most solid in her life. She couldn't throw it away for a "what if" with Clark.
Lex would expect children, of course, but she could certainly work out the timing for that. She shuddered at the thought. She definitely wasn't ready for motherhood. She would also have to work on his control issues. She wouldn’t let any man think for her, even Lex Luthor.
She ducked into the waiting limo, a soft smile on her face.
“So…to Vegas, then?”
Lois placed her left hand over Lex’s right, her diamond winking in the subdued light. “I need to stop home first, Lex.”
“Anything we need, we can buy in Las Vegas,” he said reasonably.
“Yes, but not my Mother’s veil.”
Lex opened his mouth to argue, but cupped her face instead. “We can’t get married without that.”
She brought her hand up to meet his hand and the memory of Clark’s gentle touch flooded her mind. Her eyes softened and Lex smiled, thinking it was for him.
He leaned forward and kissed her softly. Her eyes fluttered shut, his kisses were well practiced and designed for pleasure. But she couldn’t forget the few kisses that she had experienced with both Superman and Clark. Both so different.
She blocked out the memory. She was making the right decision.
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Clark banged his head on Lois’s door. Any other time he would applaud her safety efforts, but with five locks on her door, there was no hope of gaining entry without her set of keys. He looked down one end of her corridor then to the other to make sure he was alone.
He took a deep breath, centering all of his concentration on levitating off the floor. His head swam with the effort, and a bout of dizziness nearly brought him to his knees. “Dammit!” he muttered darkly. It had been over twenty-four hours since his escape from Luthor’s kryptonite cage and he was still as grounded as any Earthbound male.
If he had his powers, he could break into her apartment through the window. She always kept one open in her living room, just a crack. Whether it was for Superman or air, he never really knew.
He was hoping to hide out at Lois’s place until she returned from Paris. He wouldn’t be surprised if one of Luthor’s people came to look for him here, but he had to take that chance. He only hoped that she had enough trust in him to believe what he said about Lex.
He made his way back to the elevator, maybe he could somehow manage to climb up to her window. He stopped, giving himself a mental head slap. Did he think he was Spiderman or something? If there was no flying, there was no way to get to the third floor window.
The elevator pinged its arrival and without thought, Clark slipped into the side hallway. He peeked around the corner, his hands clenching as Lois and Lex stepped from the sliding doors.
He watched helplessly as she dug for her keys.
Did he dare take the chance with Luthor right beside her? Would Lois believe him?
They left her apartment door open as they spoke in hushed tones. He inched closer until he stood behind the door, wishing for his super-hearing.
"--know right where it is. I'll just be a moment."
He backed up at Lois's voice, watching Luthor from the sliver of space between the door and doorjam.
"Hurry darling," Lex said sweetly.
Clark wanted to deck him.
Couldn't she hear how fake he was? Did anyone talk to women like that? "Got it!" She sounded out of breath as she came back toward her living room.
"I know you'll look beautiful, but then you always do," Lex said.
Clark rolled his eyes.
"Oh, Lex," she said on a sigh. "Do you really think we should do this so quickly?"
"All I can think about is being your husband, Lois." Lex answered.
Clark's jaw dropped, his fingers gripped the door so hard that the wood started to splinter. He pushed the door open farther, but stopped when a shrill ring filled the air.
"Oh, that's my phone," Lois said. "I'm expecting a call."
"We really need to get to the airport, Lois."
"It will only take a minute." Clark watched as she went into the kitchen. "Thanks for getting back to me so quickly, Inspector."
TBC...
