Hi FoLCS
I´m sorry I won´t put up a long speech here because this is the fifth time I´m trying to post this. Maybe I will come back and edit it later.
Special Thanks to my BRs SQD and Roo and all readers for their great support.
Guys, if there´s anyone that is reading the story and didn´t post anything yet, please post just your overall feedback. This is my first medium length story and I still feel a little bit insecure about it. i hope I´ve done a good job though.
Rachel...
*****
Even Steel Melts - Final Part.
*****
04/20
It was almost 5 in the morning when Clark arrived at the Daily Planet. He didn´t sleep. He was too confused to rest. He thought that maybe some work wouldn´t harm him and so, he started retyping the article he left on the day Lois and he were spending part of the night on the Planet. It was late material, but as it was something just scientifical, he thought that maybe he could still publish that. He started retyping the article when Perry arrived.
“Already here, son? I thought I was the only one with problems to sleep.”
“Hi, Chief. Yeah, I guess I couldn't stay home today. Can I talk to you for a second?”
“Sure. Come into my office. I also wanted to give you some news.”
Although there was no one else at the newsroom, they entered Perry´s office for a private conversation.
***
Lois woke up early too. Ramirez passed by her house at six, and although she was still sleepy, she was able to tell him about the whole conversation she had with Gallan. They agreed on a plan for the next day, and with Gallan´s help, it surely would work out. She looked at her watch and by the time they finished scheeming their plan it was already nine. Ramirez left. Lois took a shower and got dressed to work. She had breakfast, and only after that she drove to the newspaper. When she arrived at the Planet around eleven, she was told that Mr. Stern had called her.
“He asked me to ask you why you missed another meeting.”
“I didn´t miss any other meeting.”
“You didn´t show up, today.”
“Did we have a meeting today?”
“Lois I told you two days ago you had a meeting at 5 am with him.”
“You did?” She sat on her chair frowning.
“Yeah, right after you had that fight with Clark the other day.”
“Jimmy!!! Couldn't you choose a better time to tell me that?”
“Gee, sorry, Lo. I just thought…”
Clark approached them and leaned on Lois´ desk.
“Lois, can I talk to you for a second?”
She seemed surprised he was actually talking to her and not screaming as he was usually doing lately.
“Yes, sure.”
They went to the conference room. Knowing what usually happened when they were alone in there, everybody gathered in front of it and even the popcorn showed up again, but at this time, Clark noticed it and closed the blinds of the office so the show would be over. Lois sat on a chair and waited for him to tell her what he wanted to say. She felt that it wouldn´t be one the fights they were usually having all the time *Did Superman talk to him already?* Eventhough she wasn´t willing to fight, she took a deffensive position over him.
“So, what´s this about?” She asked folding her arms.
“I´ve talked to Superman. He said some things I´d like to talk to you about.”
“Uh-hun?” That was all she could spill out.
“If…if everything you told Superman is true, then why would you still want to leave Metropolis?”
“Because I didn´t want to get hurt anymore. You with this missing thing all the time… I don't know how I can trust you if you don't trust me to tell me why you keep running all the time.”
“Lois, I don't wanna have another fight.” Clark sat on a chair in front of her. “I´m just trying to understand. If Superman told me it all right, then you´re contradicting yourself now.”
“I´m not. I hate when you disappear like that, but I know you probably don't do that on purpose and there must be a strong reason for you to do so.”
“There is…” He said it starting to be a little bit more affectionate.
“Can you tell me what it is?”
“I´ve been trying to tell for so long…” He said stretching his hands to touch her cheeks. She held his hands and kissed them showing him she was all ears.
“What is it then?”
Clark held both hands with Lois´s and looked deep into her eyes. He knew that it was about time to tell her his secret.
“Lois, I´m…”
Jimmy entered the room interrupting AGAIN their conversation.
“Sorry, folks. Clark, line 3 for you. Lois, Perry wants to see you in his office now.”
“Couldn´t that wait, Jimmy?” Lois asked impatiently.
“Lois, just go. We talk later, ok?” He said looking more frustrated than ever.
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
Clark answered the phone.
“Oh, hi Stella. Yeah… I got your message. I´ll pass by… at what time? Fine. We need to talk anyway. Ok, see you. Bye.”
***
At Perry´s office, Lois didn´t let him speak a word.
“Look, Perry I know I own you one. I´m just having these horrible days… You wouldn´t believe how much is going on here. I think I can tell you and then you tell me if we could ever publish such a thing. This woman, Stella that has been going out with Clark, she is an alien! I knew there was something wrong with her. Did you notice the way she speaks? She´s really spooky! She gives me the creeps. I know… I know it´s hard to believe in this, but I got this scientist, Bruno Ramirez, that says it´s true. That´s why I didn´t make it to the meeting I had with Mr. Stern today. He was explaining what she´s here for. She´s here to breed, can you believe that? I also had this conversation with Gallan, her assistant, the albino guy, and he confirmed the whole thing. She was the one who disappeared with the athletes we were trying to find. Ramirez said that they´re dead. That she had killed them and now she´s after Clark! That´s why Clark is all into her. She has this pheromone that attracts men making her become irresistable to them. That´s also why Clark was so aggressive to me. At least I think so. But don´t worry, Chief. I´m going to solve it up. Ramirez and I have a plan to catch this woman I mean… this alien right before she does anything to Clark "cause if she does… I wouldn't like to be on her shoes! Gallan is gonna help us too. So I don't think there´s anyway she can get away with that. Now, tell me what do you think?”
Perry didn´t say anything. He stood there trying to absorve everything she just told him. When he was going to say something, she interrupted.
“That´s exactly what I think. Thanks for your help, Chief. Now… I settled lunch with Ramirez and Gallan so we could review the plan and I also have to make some calls. I haven´t reported to the police my car robbery yet, can you believe me that? And I still hadn´t have the time to cope with all the information Mr. Stern gave me to start working on. He gave me tons of files to work on, but I just haven´t had the time yet. I guess I´ll just have to catch up with all that reading on my way to London though I think I might change my mind about it. Is it too late? Well, if I can´t be replaced, I´ll go anyway. At least for a few weeks till they hire someone more qualified, but they can´t take long because I don´t want to leave Cl-… you guys for long. There´s too much action going on here. Anyway, don´t worry… I´ll keep you informed. Thanks again, Chief!
Lois left the room. Perry just sat frozen still on his chair with his mouth gaping. *What for Elvis shades just happened here?*
****
Lois came back to the conference room but Clark was gone. She couldn´t see him anywhere and she feared he had gone to meet Stella. She called his mobile, but he had left the phone behind. The phone rang in his desk drawer, and Lois got paralyzed with the thought that Gallan might had been mistaken and that WAS the day. Desperately, she picked up her phone and dialed a number. No answer. She tried another one. No answer. She turned around her in despair and saw Jimmy.
“Jimmy!!! You know where Clark is?”
“No, I haven´t seen him after Stella´s call.”
“Do you know if he went to see her?”
“No, sorry.”
Ralph was passing and made a comment.
“I don´t know where he´d gone to, but I know he had a big grin on his face.”
Lois panicked.
“Did he say anything???”
“No, he just said he had to leave for the day.”
Lois remained on the same place for a few seconds. It took some time to dawn on her the idea that he was probably on his way to meet Stella and… and… She gulped. She couldn´t move a single muscle. She couldn´t think. Or was she thinking too much? Wasn´t she supposed to do something about it? She had faced many risky situations before and had always managed to solve the problems without a blink. But, at this time, she couldn´t move an inch from where she was.
“Lois, are you alright?” Jimmy asked noticing that she wasn´t moving.
Silence.
“Lois?”
Silence.
“I… uh… I have to go!!!” She yelled in dispear pushing Jimmy out of her way. She grabbed her coat and her bag and ran to the elevator. The doors of the elevator couldn´t keep up with her haste so, she forced her way through them while they were still openning. Inside, she pushed the button several times in agony.
“Come on… stupid thing. Come on!!!”
The elevator closed its doors.
5th floor.
(…)
4th floor.
(…)
3rd floor.
“Come ooooooooooooooooooonnnn!!!”
2nd floor.
(…)
1st floor.
“*&%$¨&&*&¨%$*!!!”
ground floor.
The doors hadn´t been opened properly and Lois started squeezing herself through them. She had no time left. She ran with her bag in her hands searching with her fingers for her car keys. She couldn´t find them. She had no time for that.
“Phhhhhh—eeeeeew… Taxi!!!” She wistled and shouted.
She got a taxi and gave the driver some directions.
“Lexor Hotel, due to yesterday!!!”
The taxi burned some good tires on that command.
***
A few minutes later, the phone on Lois´ desk rang.
And rang.
And rang.
<Hi, this is Lois Lane. I can´t talk to you right now because I´m busy getting myself another Kerth. Leave a message after the beep and eventually I´ll get back to you.>
<Lois, pick up the phone. It´s me.>
No answer.
<Lois?>
No answer.
<It´s me, Clark. Come on.>
No answer.
<Alright, I just wanted to say I´m at home and I´d like you to pass by. I passed by a Deli and I thought like cooking dinner for us tonight. We need to talk. Oh, and can you get my mobile on my desk drawer for me? I forgot it there. I see you at night. Bye.>
He hang up.
The phone rang again.
And rang.
And rang.
<Hi, this is Lois Lane. I can´t talk to you right now because I´m busy getting myself another Kerth. Leave a message after the beep and eventually I´ll get back to you.>
<Miss Lane? This is Ramirez. I´m afraid I can´t meet you today for our lunch because I have this other meeting, after-conference stuff, but I called Gallan and he said he´s on his way to meet you at the Cappeli´s. I´ll call you later to know what you two have decided to do tomorrow. Bye.>
tbc...
MDL
