Hi folks,
It was Edited because the previous version was not BR-ed. Thanks Pel and SQD for your help.
Any comments or suggestions are more than welcome and if you just want me to give up on writing, just let me know. …
Anyway… here´s the story.
*******
It was almost midnight. It had been a busy day at the newsroom. Perry had given Lois and Clark a hard time because the numbers were still not what the suits expected, so they had to re-work their story just because it wasn´t 'acceptable'.
Lois was tired. She had expected to go home earlier and perhaps watch some of Mel Gibson´s old movies on video, but at least she wasn´t alone. Her partner and boyfriend was beside her and was so intent on his own piece that he didn´t even hear her when she made a usual comment…
"God. I´d die for some Chinese right now."
She waited for him to get up and say that he knew the exact place to find some at that time but akwardly, he didn´t do so.
“I said… I´d die for some Chinese…”
She repeated herself waiting for the usual effect the sentence had on him, but, still nothing.
“Claaaark?! Earth to Clark.”
“Uh?! I´m sorry, Lois. What did you just say?” He seemed as if he had just woken up from a heavy spell.
“What on Earth is more interesting than Chinese?” She stood up and headed to his desk, grabbing whatever he was reading as if he was done with it, though actually he was not.
“E.Ts? You are reading about E.Ts? Clark, I´m here till now just to finish this damn article and you're there reading this… this… garbage?”
She seemed really furious, but he asked himself * When wasn´t she?*.
“It is a very interesting article about some studies they have been doing in Mexico. This magazine, Sciences of the World, presents an article of this scientist who believes that there are some alien life forms that actually live on Earth with different purposes. Some want to colonize, others want to breed,…”
“And others try to eat your brain while you´re still alive… Clark, it´s past one. Could we move along? I´m drained… I just want to get it done and head to bed.”
Clark knew she was serious and completely exhausted. It had been a really intense day even for the Man of Steel. Their last conversation with Perry wasn't the best they'd had. Perry was worried. Maybe not just with the newspaper but also with the fact that his marriage wasn´t going that well. Clark felt he had to do something to compensate Lois for the busy day they were having. So, he sat her on her chair and started to massage her shoulders while he finished what he was saying before.
“...and others try to save the world like Superman…”
“You know… this is funny. I´ve never thought of Superman as an E.T. Do you think he considers himself like that?”
“Well, maybe being different from everyone makes it hard for him to fit in.” He tried hard not to be too obvious.
“Unable to fit in… Do you think he would prefer not to have superpowers? It would be easier to fit in, supposing he wants to, of course.”
“Of course.” Clark's palms started to sweat, and he tried desperately to change the subject. "So, you were thinking about Chinese, right? I know the perfect pl…"
“And this article here says that most of the aliens among us are females, with the only purpose of breeding a new especies, and they are out-numbered on earth and that´s why we think that women nowadays can´t keep their underwear on cause they are not human beings but an alien form trying desperately to be fertalized. Clark, this is the most absurd of all absurds! I don´t know why you even waste your time reading this.”
Clark was going to answer her on that, but suddenly he turned his head and gave that familiar empty look ahead. Lois knew another lame excuse was coming.
“Lois, uh.. I´m sorry but I forgot to…”
“Do something very important that can´t wait. Isn´t it?”
He just smiled at her and gave her a consolation kiss.
“I'll come back in a few minutes. Wait for a surprise, ok?”
“Surprise? Is it chocolate?” Her eyes were gleaming.
“Hahaha. Wait and see… I´ll be right back.” He kissed her again and headed to the next elevator.
There she was, alone again, and troubled. She still couldn't figure out why Clark was always disappearing and coming back with those old lame excuses. She felt frustrated. She knew she loved him more than she could explain, even to herself. She knew he wouldn´t break her heart as others did, but this secret of his was definitely keeping them apart. She was there, waiting for him for almost another hour, but he didn´t return that night.
***
“Stella, please… I have had enough of this research of yours.”
“No, Gallan… We need to find him.”
***
The following day at the Daily Planet, the elevator opened and a man came into the newsroom with his face covered by three large bouquets in his hands. He headed to Lois´ desk and put the bouquets down and just said…
“Surprise!!!”
It was Clark. With an apprehensive smile, predicting she would be eating his liver by that time if he didn´t do something to calm her down. He had brought chocolate just to be on the safe side, but she wasn´t at her desk. She had gone for a cup of coffee right before he reached her desk, leaving him standing there alone.
Jimmy noticed the situation and approached Clark. Actually, everybody noticed it, but Jimmy was the only one who came to his friend´s rescue.
“Flowers won´t do much when you´re dead, C.K.”
“She´s angry, isn´t she?”
“Well, I didn´t see her sharpenning her claws yet, but if I were you, I´d use one of your sick days. I always use mine when I´m about to die…”
“Come on, Jimmy. It can´t be that ba…”
“Clark. In my office!!!” Perry seemed like he was going to take Lois´ place on the line to kill him.
“Comin´ Chief.”
Closing the door behind him, Clark noticed Perry wasn´t in any better mood than the day before. He could only hope that the Chief's mood didn´t have anything to do with his relationship with Lois. It was always a little bit embarassing to talk about this with Perry.
“Clark, I´m afraid I´ve bad news for you. Sit down son…”
As Clark sat down, Perry started talking. *Perry seems troubled. What is going on?* Clark thought.
“Son, I know I´ve said it many times, but it´s great to have you here. You´re a great reporter, one of our best, if not the best one we have around here.”
“Thanks, Chief. I rea…”
“And I´m sorry if things between you and Lois aren´t working out as you expected or as WE all expected, but I´m not here to talk about that…”
“So… what´s this all about?”
“I have to split you two up.”
“What?? Perry I know we´re not having a good phase right now, but so many things just happened… Mayson´s death and this Scardino thing… it takes time to really settle things down but…”
“It has nothing to do with your relationship with Lois. Believe me when I say I´m not happy with this situation either. But the suits have agreed that they need one of you in our office in London. So, I have to split you up. I´m sorry, Clark. As I was saying, you´re one of our best reporters so it was decided that you will be working…”
“But, Chief, my contract says that to do that, they need my permission and I won´t give it! My place is here in Metropolis. I can´t move…”
“You aren´t… Lois is. You´ll be working here with us.”
“Lois??? I´m sure she won´t agree with this nonsense either… and why isn´t she here? Shouldn't she be hearing this?”
“She did. She was the one who suggested it. She sai…”
“Lois asked for this?” * I´ve gotta do something.*
Clark got up from the chair he was sitting on and headed to the door furiously, but trying to control his superpowers in order not to break the door and just open it. He found Lois at her desk trying to find a better place for her flowers.
“You´re serious???”
“Oh, Perry told you about London?”
He pointed toward the conference room, but didn't wait for her before heading in that direction. He held the door open until she passed with that 'I-will-talk-to-you-as-a-favor' look. Everybody in the newsroom thought that there would be a fight of titans in there. It was like everybody was at the Madison Square Garden waiting for the fight of the year and although Clark closed the door, everybody could see it through the glass window. Even a bag of popcorn appeared out of nowhere and passed to each one of the audience who was watching as it was the last episode of Friends.
“You gotta be kidding me? Lois, I know that yesterday I didn´t come back. I´m sorry, but I had something really urgent to do.”
“Oh… you didn´t come back yesterday? I´m sorry, Clark. I didn´t wait for you. At three in the morning I felt like going home to SLEEP. You didn´t come any later?” She asked, her voice dripping sarcasm.
“Lois… I said I´m sorry. I know you… you probably hate me now, but this isn´t a reason for you to leave Metropolis. You gotta be out of your mind to do something like this.”
“No, Clark. I was outta my mind when I thought you´d change. But you won´t. You´ll always come back with these excuses. You´ll always lie to me. I don´t see how I can keep on with a relationship like that.”
“Wait, Lois… I´ve never lied to you… I mean… I never did anything intentionally to hurt you. I just want you to know that everything I´ve done was to protect y…”
“Clark, I´ve had enough of that, and no matter what you say, I´m going to London!”
“You´ve already made up your mind about it?” He asked, defeated.
“Yes! I have another month here to catch up with London´s needs and with my transfer. I have a lot to do, Clark, and if you'll excuse me, I´ll start doing them.”
She openned the door and realized everybody was watching them. Everybody tried hard to cover up the situation but as Lois was really in a bad mood, she just shouted:
“You don´t have anything better to do?!?!”
The popcorn was tossed into the air and everybody flew to their respective positions just as Perry opened his door and asked Lois to come in. She entered the room and closed the door without looking at Perry. Perry shouted a final command into the office.
“I want this mess cleaned right up!”
“Perry, I know what you´re gonna say," Lois started when Perry had shut the door. "I´m sorry I´ve messed things up and I promise it won´t happen again. It was the last time my personal life will come into the office, and I won´t… I won´t…”
She sat on the couch, drained, cupped her face with both hands and just waited for him to give her a hard time, but he didn´t. Instead, another voice answered her.
“I´m sure this won´t happen in our office in London, will it?”
It was Mr. Stern, sitting at Perry´s desk with other two assistants, one on each side. Lois tried to brush the tears from her eyes, tears that she would only show to Perry if he was alone, of course.
“Mr. Stern?! No… it won´t happen there, sir. She stood up, trying to pretend to be strong and almost assuming a soldier position in front of him. "I´m glad you´ve chosen me to work there. I´m sure it will be really good for the Planet and for my career. I appreciate that very much.”
“Yes, yes… Listen, Ms. Lane, we are still not sure if this position will be suitable for you. I know you are one of our best reporters, but the beaurocratic work is not for reporters. We´re still looking for someone who would be ready to substitute our editor-in-chief there and since you don´t have the experience we require, we might need to another recommendation. We need someone with a very professional profile, capable of sacrificing some of his or her personal life for the job. It´s a 24-7 occupation and I´m sure you understand what I mean.”
“Perfectly, sir. I´m sure I fit the profile.”
“We´ll see. Be at my office by 4 tomorrow. We´ll have breakfast together and discuss your possibilities.”
“4.. am?”
“You have a problem with that?”
“No, sir. No problem at all.”
“Fine. I´ll see you tomorrow. Perry, please keep me informed of other possibilities.”
“I will, sir. Good-bye.”
Mr. Stern left the room and Lois and Perry looked at each other. Lois just mimed the word 4…
“Lois, if you want the job, you´d better hear the man.”
“Ok, fine… fine I can handle it… sure… no problem.”
Meanwhile, Clark was at his desk trying to remember each thing that was said in the conference room. He couldn´t believe that Lois would actually consider taking a job in another country… another continent, just to get way from him. He had to do something about it. He had to at least convince her not to go, but how? Obviously, he had ruined his last chance with her, though that was the least of his problems at the moment. He kept nodding to himself, rejecting idea after idea, when he heard a familiar voice addressing him.
“Clark, Earth to Clark…”
“Yeah, what is it, Jimmy?”
“I´m sorry, but this woman wants to talk to you.”
The woman was tall, slim and a very attractive brunnette. All the men in the newsroom looked at her as if she was some kind of goddess, although her only interest at the moment was Clark.
“Can I help you, Ma´am?”
“Yes, my name is Stella and this is my personnal assistant, Gallan.”
The man looked a little on the sickly side-- pale with huge, dark eyes, almost repulsive to look at. He had the brightest skin one had ever seen and his eyes were of a bluish-white, almost colorless. His hair was long, but one couldn´t differ if it was blond or all white. His appearance made worse by the fact that his clothes were white, too. Everyone in the newsroom noticed the weird couple that had just come in. Clark was intent on the woman, almost staring. He couldn't help it-- she was very attractive. With his feelings still bruised from his encounter with Lois, the lady was a welcomed distraction.
“and… and…” Clark started stuttering “What can I do for you, Ma´am?” *What's wrong with me? I know she's pretty, but...* He looked up at the woman again, almost lost in her eyes. It was as if she held some wierd power of his senses.
The woman simply smiled at his reaction. “Stella… just Stella.”
“What can I do for you, Stella?”
“I am looking for a missing person. I thought that maybe your newspaper could find this one for me.”
“I´m sorry, ma´am… I mean… Stella, but I think the police can help you more than I can.”
“I disagree. I think you can help me more than you think.”
She smiled at him in a way that said there was more to her story, and Clark was ready to find out. Actually, it wasn´t much of a choice-- he felt somehow compelled to do so.
“Well, if you think I can help…”
“I would like to discuss that with you over lunch. Do you recommend any good restaurants around?”
He was astonished by her forwardness, yet he couldn´t refuse such a request, especially when it came from a beautiful woman. He'd suddenly morphed into a blubbering idiot, eager to please this new person before him.
“You want us to have lunch together? What… now?”
“You eat, do you not?”
“Yes… yes, I do.” He smiled nervously.
“Good… because I am starving. Shall we get going?”
“Yes, sure.”
Clark left the newsroom with the woman and her assistant. He crossed in front of Lois who pretended not to pay attention to what was happening right in front of her face. Clark was going out with another woman just a few minutes after they had broken up. How could he do that to her?
Well, who cares? It wasn´t her problem anymore. She was going to London, far from him or his lame excuses!
Meanwhile, she had things to do.
“Jimmy, what do you think?” Perry asked as he and Jimmy stood looking through the glass of his office into the newsroom.
“I don´t know, Chief. I guess even if she doesn´t go, we´re gonna have a hell of a month ahead.”
“I just pray we´re prepared for that”. He said it rolling his eyes.
tbc...
