Moving On
Rated PG-13
This is a response to LittleTornado's
Scavenger Hungt Challenge . It was fun to do, but I can't say much more now because it's late and I have a trip tomorrow. Ciao, bellas!
____________________________
Lois grumbled as she tried to force her suitcase to close. With a final push and a few choice words, she managed to force the lid down far enough to latch it shut. The suitcase groaned and tried to open again, but thankfully it held.
This would have been easier if Clark had been here to help, she thought with a snort. As it was, though, Clark *wasn't* there. He was off to somewhere for some stupid reunion. At first, she'd thought he was going back to Smallville to see his parents, and maybe his old friends Pete and Lana. Lois was surprised to learn that Clark would be in Metropolis with some college buddies and an old flame.
*Lois* had seen flames when she saw that photo of Lori. Lori Lemaris---a crippled yet beautiful woman with an irritatingly smug expression, looking up from the photo as though *gloating* to Lois that Clark's arm was around her...! Lois kicked her suitcase, which caused the latch to come undone. The lid flew up, scattering clothes all over her livingroom.
Lois cursed again.
The television blared in the background, unnoticed as Lois worked to pick up the spilled clothing and repack the suitcase.
/"...leaving the penguins in the charge of a local zookeeper. Coming up next, a special episode of Barney the Dinosaur..."/
An irritating chorus of children started singing the show's themesong to the tune of Yankee Doodle. Lois glanced around for the remote, but sighed and gave up after searching for several minutes. She refolded a pair of slacks, ignoring the television for the time being.
Jimmy was supposed to come in half-an-hour to take her to the airport. Assuming, of course, that he hadn't been waylaid by some blonde. Again. He was actually supposed to have come earlier to help her *pack*, but that had fallen through.
Lois stuffed the last bits of clothing into the suitcase and pushed them down, then forced the lid down with a mighty heave.
It took *several* mighty heaves to get the stupid thing closed and latched again.
/"...time machine was *neat*, Barney! Are we grown up now?"
"Almost! But before you can be full grownups, you have to go through a special, Super-de-Duper time called---"
"---Hey, what's wrong with Baby Bop?"
"*Oh!* my *tummy* hurts! And I feel so...*cranky!*/
Lois wandered into the kitchen to make sure everything was cleaned out. Lucy had stopped by earlier to help Lois eat the rest of her perishables. Upon opening the refridgerator, Lois found that the only thing left was a tub of butter -- slightly over one pound.
/~...start bleeding once a month,
Once a month,
Once a month!
Girls start bleeding once a month,
That's -- Your -- Period... ~/
Lois took the tub out and opened it. It was still full! The print on the bottom of the container read 500g.
/~It will make your belly ache,
Belly ache,
Belly ache!
It will make your belly ache,
That's -- Your -- Period! ~/
Just what was she supposed to do with a pound of Irish butter?!
/~It just lasts a couple days,
Couple days,
Couple days...~/
Lois looked up when she heard a sharp knock at the door. She left the butter on the table, forgotten, as she went to the door and let Jimmy inside.
* * * * * * * * * *
The seat was comfortable enough, as far as airplane seats go. Perry had sprung for a decent airline this time. After that last award-winning fiasco, she more than deserved it.
She fastened her sealtbelt, then rumaged in her purse for the book she'd brought. Other passengers were still boarding as she flipped through to her earmarked page and found the sentence she'd left off at. Ah, yes---the monster's riddle. 'This thing all things devours...'
"Escuze moi, is this 3c?"
"Yes," Lois replied absently. She grimaced as the man squeezed past her, forcing her to scrunch backwards with the book almost pressed against her nose. When he was settled, she turned to give him an ugly look, and promptly froze when she saw who was seated next to her.
"...Claude?"
He stared at her in surprise, and then a slow smile oozed onto his face. "Lois! A surprise!"
After several seconds of shocked silence, Lois gained enough control of her muscles to work her face into a glare. "You son of a-----"
Her words were drowned out by the blare of the intercom, followed by the stewardess' voice welcoming them to LexAir as the plane taxied down the runway.
"Lois, don't be so cruel," Claude chided her as he settled himself comfortabley in his seat.
"Me?! Cruel?!" Lois snarled. "*You're* the one who sl-----" she caught herself just in time. A cursory glance showed that everyone -- including the stewardess -- was staring at her. "You stole my story," she hissed.
Claude shrugged. "You're still upset over that, Lois? It was ages ago. I've moved on; you should as well."
Move... on...
Lois wanted to kill him. For years, she had endured snide remarks from Ralph, digs from Cat, and *countless* awkward silences whenever she approached groups of chatting co-workers. All because of that sleazy bucket of slime named Claude----
"Lois? You're wrinkling my lapel. Could you let go?"
She shook herself back to the present.
A particularly strong wave of turbulence rocked the ship. People grumbled, but nobody really thought much of it until the pilot swore over the intercom.
After a few seconds, the intercom buzzed back to life. "Um, sorry about that. There's nothing to worry about, reall----OH MY GOD!!!"
This caused some concern among the passengers.
Especially when smoke started wafting in from the cabin.
"Mon Dieu!" Claude spat, looking suddenly very pale, "We are going to die!"
Lois checked her watch. After five minutes of chaos, she began to grow a little concerned, until finally she felt the reassuring thump of strong, capable hands against the hull of the aircraft.
Claude was still shaking and swearing in French.
The plane was gently lowered to the ground, and Lois and Claude filed out with the rest of the passengers.
"Heh," Claude chuckled in relief, "at least this will make a good story for the New York Times."
Lois stiffened. "You're working for the times?"
"Of course!" Claude smirked, then gave her a woefully condescending look. "Oh, Lois. Don't tell me you are still stuck at the Planet?"
Her heart started pounding from sheer rage. She turned away, unable to even *look* at the /thing/ standing next to her...and her eyes somehow locked with Superman's. He smiled at her, looked briefly passed her shoulder, then turned and flew away from the crowd.
Claude was still talking, but Lois didn't care to listen anymore. She whirled on him, shooting daggers from her eyes.
"Look, Rochert," she spat. "I *have* moved on. Since you've left, I've won THREE Kerths, started a novel, and christened a superhero. Not only that, but I----"
"Lois?" Clark Kent was pushing his way through the crowd. Lois felt herself relaxing as he worked his way toward her.
"Clark!" She smiled and ran up to him. "You're not at that reunion?"
He stammered. "Well, I was talking to Lori, and---uh....Lois, there's some things we need to discuss..."
"Being rejected again, Lois?" Claude teased.
Lois turned slowly, having forgotten he was standing there. "Claude..." she growled.
At the mention of that familiar name, Clark tensed. "The scum bucket?" he asked.
Lois nodded.
A look of righteous anger settled on Clark's face and he took a step forward, but Lois put a hand on his chest to stop him.
"It's all right," she said. She turned to face Claude again. "As I was saying, *Rochert*, I have moved on, and I've moved on to *bigger* and *better* things."
With that, she smugly turned and walked away with her fiance, whose arm came around her shoulders as they left the crowd.
Very entertaining, Queen. 
