~From Part 3~
Anyone with a name like Daniel Scardino was more than likely guilty, but she couldn’t care either way. What she did care was that she received this e-mail obviously by accident, and not the one she really wanted. With disappointment, Lucy deleted it, vowing the next time she talked to Jimmy she was going to gloat over knowing what Lois’s tattoo really was. Of course that all depended if he was still alive.
************
~Part 4~
Lana Lang sat down at her desk, turned on her computer and waited for it to boot up. Working for her father gave her the sense of achievement she’d strived for since being the Homecoming Queen at Smallville High. There was a lot missing from her life; the choices she made over the years coming back to haunt her. One in particular. Breaking up with Clark Kent.
Although they had only dated in high school she wished she had seen the man he would turn out to be instead of seeing the son of a farmer who she was sure would still be living in Smallville. How wrong she had been. She was the one still in Smallville and he was a hotshot reporter in Metropolis.
The computer beeped for it’s next command, bringing Lana out of her thoughts. She sighed briefly before turning her attention to the machine. Logging into her e-mail, she was surprised to see a new message. Her job didn’t exactly entail her to do much, so whenever anything unexpected happened Lana was happy.
The sender was a Jimmy Olsen. Not anyone she knew but it probably had something to do with that charity function her father had put her in charge of. Wait a minute. This Jimmy was from the Daily Planet. That was the same paper Clark wrote for. She had given Clark her e-mail address last year when he was there for the Smallville Corn Festival, so he would keep in touch. But that didn’t explain how this Jimmy had gotten her address though. Maybe he was writing a message to her for Clark.
Not being able to wait any longer, Lana clicked on the message and it opened immediately.
To: LL@smallvilleinc.com
From: JimmyOlsen@dailyplanet.com
Subject: the answers
Hey, here’s the e-mail she sent to Clark. Enjoy!
Jimmy
Attachment: clark.txt
______________________________
Intrigued now by the mention of Clark’s name, Lana quickly downloaded the attached file. She desperately wanted to know why she had received this message and who ‘she’ was.
A minute or so later, the file came to life, revealing a questionnaire on her screen. As she read the contents of it, she realized it was nothing what she expected. It wasn’t a letter from Clark. It was a letter from his partner—his female partner—Lois Lane. So that was the ‘she’ that was being referred to.
Lana would be lying if she didn’t admit she knew who Lois was. She had heard the Kents talk about Clark’s *wonderful* partner. So, yeah, she was all too well aware of Lois. Of course, she’d never admit to anyone that she thought Lois a threat. No one was really a threat to Lana Lang. But still she always worried that Clark might just fall for a city girl like Lane.
And from what she was reading, which didn’t help matters any, that Lois seemed very interested in her Clark. Okay so she didn’t have a right to say her Clark, but deep down that was how she felt, even if she never really told Clark that.
Stopping her musings for the moment, Lana had this urge to continue when she came to a very interesting question, prompting the cat in Lana came out as if marking her territory.
“If she thinks Clark would date her with a tattoo, she’s got another thing coming. He’s such a Boy Scout; he’d never go for something like that. And how tacky can she be? Talk about being forward. Clark will totally find that a turn-off, I should know.” Lana huffed loudly to her computer.
But her attitude did a completed 360 as she read the answers to the next two questions.
31. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN LOVE? If someone were to have asked me that a year ago I would have said yes, but that would have been a lie. What I felt before doesn't compare to how I feel now. So yes, I am in love.
32. DESCRIBE YOUR DREAM WEDDING: Marrying Clark.
Lana knew at that moment any hope of being with Clark again were gone and it was his partner that would be with him. Lois loved Clark. And knowing Clark as well as she did, it was the kind of love he had been looking for. And she knew it was something she would never be able to give him. She gave the Lane woman credit for doing what she never had the guts to do.
Still not understanding why she received this e-mail, whether it was to rub her mistakes in her face or if it was completely by accident, Lana didn’t know. But it did give her the closure she needed to move on with her life.
Someday she’d tell Clark Kent to eat his heart out. To Lois Lane, she hoped she knew how lucky she was (and hoped someday her tattoo sagged.)
************
“Lois, your tattoo. What is it and do I get to see it?” Clark asked her, wagging his eyebrows at her suggestively. He was gloating her and having fun doing so. He knew she was probably shy about her tattoo, especially the way she had answered the question, but it wasn’t his fault he had seen the survey.
She continued to remain silent, he noticed. But he wouldn’t let her stay that way for much longer.
“Lois Lane, you’re not going to keep secrets from your boyfriend, are you?” He played with her fingers, a huge smile splitting his face in two.
Clark watched her roll her eyes, trying to keep a straight face. Just a little more and she’d break.
“It’s obviously hidden above the hem of your short skirts. And I’ve seen your bare shoulders so I know it’s hidden somewhere in between.”
“Clark!” She slapped him across the arm, embarrassment burned at her cheeks, making her that much more adorable.
“What?” He pulled at her hand, bringing her body in contact with his. “Don’t make Superman take things into his own hands.”
That was all it took.
“Clark Kent, don’t you dare think you’re going to cheat with your…your,” she gestured to his eyes, her voice softened as not to be overheard, “vision gismo thingy. Besides I’m not going to tell you; you’ll just have to find it. And when you do, it will be a long slow process, got it?”
“Yes, ma’am.” He couldn’t argue with that logic. “At least give me a hint.”
Had his voice just raised an octave? He couldn’t believe that just her words could take his control from him so easily. He was putty in her hands and the bad part was that she knew it.
Letting go of his hand, pushing open the revolving door to the Planet, Lois tossed over her shoulder, “Maybe tonight I’ll let you remove an item of clothing and see where it gets you.”
Clark let out a groan that resembled the word ‘minx’ at Lois’s sudden change of demeanor. Just the thought of what later might bring caused his body to instantly respond. He figured she was getting him back for pushing the tattoo issue. It definitely was going to be a long day.
************
The figure crept down the stairwell in time to see *her* board the elevator. He smiled, knowing it would be mere moments before she realized that he had been there leaving behind his pranks of mayhem.
It was perfect. No matter who was e-mailing at The Planet, the program he had just installed would make sure the messages would never make it to the intended recipients but instead be sent to someone from her and that partner of hers address books.
It was so much fun to toy with her. Laughing to himself, he made his way out into the streets of Metropolis, looking for his next victim.
The Prankster was back!
************
Cat smiled devilishly as she borrowed the computer assigned to Joe from Travel, which just happened to be far enough from Perry’s watchful eyes but yet close enough to the story. She was writing up her gossip column with the newfound knowledge of Lois’s body art and love affair with her partner, even though she promised Perry she’d think about it before she published it. Oh, she thought about it all right. But being able to see the look on Lois’s face had won out.
She finished it, read it over and quickly e-mailed it to her editor in Washington. This *was* too good. And for once she could say she scooped Lois Lane.
************
Martha Kent heard a beeping coming from the spare room also known as her office. She pushed the door open to find her computer yelling she had a new mail message.
Sitting down, she logged in and instantly found the e-mail. Seeing that it was from the Planet, Martha opened it expecting to see a note from Clark. But finding something different.
To: Kents@smallville.com
From: Cat Grant c/o JoeMachiwicz@dailyplanet.com
Subject: Cat’s Corner
Attachment: Love-tattoo.txt
Tom, here’s my column for tomorrow’s edition. I know I said I’d be taking a week off, but hey I got the gossip of the century here. Let’s just say I’m finally getting even with Lois Lane.
This is front page!
Cat (meow!)
_______________________
Martha wouldn’t have downloaded the attachment any other time, but the mention of her son’s partner and love interest, prompted her to do so. However, when the document came alive, she discovered more than she bargained for.
As she read the words ‘Lois Lane declares her love for her partner, Clark Kent, in an e-mail making the “Hottest Team in Town” a permanent status and surprises him with a tattoo,’ seemed to catch her attention.
“Oh-my.”
If Martha remembered correctly, Cat Grant used to work with Clark at the Planet and also remembered Clark saying how forward that Cat woman could be. Clark had told her once that Cat could squeeze gossip out of a rock if need be. Not sure if this was a gossip scandal or the truth, Martha picked up the phone and dialed Clark.
Waiting for him to pick up, she let her musing take over. If the message was the truth, she couldn’t be more thrilled for Clark; both her and Jonathan would be more than happy for Lois to share in Clark’s life. Her son had been in love with Lois since the day he met her, about a year ago.
But Lois Lane tattooing herself for Clark? Now that was laughable, really.
************
“Claaaark.” Lois pulled on his tie, luring him closer to her while the elevator climbed its way up to the office.
“Yes, Lois?” Clark was doing his best to ignore her or at least pretending to be since his body was still trying to calm down from her previous words.
“If I gave you a hint,” she started, her voice taking on the little girl quality he loved so much, “what would I get in return?”
She was trying to kill him, wasn’t she? Well, if he had to go, what better way was there?
“How about this?” Clark asked but didn’t wait for an answer as he pulled her against his body tightly and attacked her lips for what would be the most intense experience either had ever encountered.
Lois walked them backwards towards the wall that held the elevator buttons. Letting her hand unwrap from around Clark’s neck, she let it roam behind her until she felt her fingers brushed across the emergency button. She quickly pulled on it, causing the car to stop in between floors.
With a few uninterrupted moments, Lois and Clark continued the kiss he had initiated. Clark’s hand wrapped around her waist, pulling her even closer to him as Lois’s hands fisted themselves into his hair.
Finally they pulled back a little, but not enough to leave each other’s embrace. Smiling and gazing at one another, they saw love mirror in the eyes of the other. This was where they both belonged. This was their world but in a few moments that world would reluctantly converge with the rest.
“So, Lois. What’s my hint?” He whispered breaking the spell that had weaved itself around them.
“What hint?” Her teasing child-like tone revealing itself once more. He noticed she was smiling a bit too sweetly for him.
“Why do I have this feeling you’re not going to tell me?”
“Clark Kent, you have no faith in me.” She answered him, at the same time reaching behind her and pushing the stop button back in, causing the elevator car to begin again.
Lois didn’t miss Clark mischievous grin, causing her to back up against the door. He moved forward like an animal after its prey.
“You really are a minx.”
But before Clark could launch his attack on her, the doors opened. He let the last possible moment pass until he pulled Lois back, keeping her from falling on her butt in front of everyone. It would have deserved her right, but he took pity on her. Besides, he wanted one more second of holding her before they had to separate and become ‘just’ partners again.
Their touch lingered but they parted once again. Walking off the elevator and acting nonchalant was hard for Lois and Clark. But neither had the chance to think about it when five steps into the office all hell broke loose.
to be continued...
