CHAPTER EIGHT
Lois paced back and forth across her living room. She then went back into the bathroom and again checked herself in the mirror. Was she dressed okay? She had on a nice pull over sweater and a pair of black jeans. She nodded. Yeah, it should do. Casual, but not sloppy. It said that they were comfortable with each other. But were they?
Clark had sounded happy to hear from her when she called him earlier. She wondered what his mood would be like. Neither had made any attempt to contact the other in the last couple of days. Had they really settled anything when she was at his home last? Did he think she was still mad at him? Was she? No, she wasn't, at least she didn't think so.
Well, she'd find out soon enough. She was supposed to be at Clark's for a late dinner in about thirty minutes. She had suggested that she could bring some take out, but he had insisted that he would cook. Said it would be nice to cook for more than just himself for a change. She hadn't fought him on the issue. She wasn't stupid, she'd eaten enough of Clark's cooking to know that he was quite familiar in the ways of the kitchen. Idly, she wondered what he was planning to prepare.
Her awareness was suddenly captured by something she heard on the television, which had been playing in the background. She moved back to the living room to watch the special report being touted on LNN.
Apparently there had been a seismic event to the north of Metropolis. A rare and unusual situation to say the least, but that wasn't what had caught her attention. She'd heard the mention of the town of Boynton. It seems that earlier today there had been a shaking in the small mountain range just outside the town causing several rockslides. No one had been hurt, but the roads leading up to the old mine site had been blocked with the loosed boulders and accompanying rubble. At present they were impassable. The report continued to say that both front and rear entrances to the mine, and the notorious facility housed within, were collapsed in the slide. He then added a quick recap of the part the site had played in the downfall of former billionaire Lex Luthor. At least as much as the public was allowed to know.
Lois bit on her lip. She wondered if this event could have anything to do with the current activities of St. John and those who had escaped the facility all those months ago. She didn't know how it could, but she didn't like things that were coincidental. She shrugged, but then again, what advantage could be gained by sealing up what was left of that facility. It's not like the authorities hadn't already gone over the place with a fine tooth comb. More than once. The only result Lois could imagine coming out of the slide was that LexCorp lost any chance of eventually reclaiming some of the equipment that still might be inside.
She shook her head. It was time to go. She'd ask Clark if he thought there could be any significance to the event. She grabbed her coat, thumbed the TV remote, and flipped the light switch off as she exited her front door.
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Clark busied himself with the final preparations for their meal. Lois would be there any minute and he wanted everything to be perfect. He shook his head in amusement. He was acting like a nervous teenager. Sure, he and Lois were going through a bit of a rough patch at the moment. But they were still friends, and he hoped that they'd be able to talk it out and get themselves back on track, together.
He knew that Bill's disappearance still tore at her, but he was buoyed by the fact that she had called him and had wanted to get together tonight. He hadn't been able to get a read on her mood from the phone call, but he was hopeful. He couldn't believe that she'd be willing to throw away all they'd managed to build so far because of his thoughtless outburst days ago. The fact that she was coming over told him that she must be willing to talk. That was enough for now.
He took a quick taste of the sauce that had been simmering for quite some time. It was ready. He knew that she liked pasta almost as much as he did, so he'd chosen a favorite recipe for tonight. He did a quick check on the oven and smiled as he pulled out the perfectly browned loaf of bread he'd baked just for the occasion. He glanced over at the table where the bottle of wine was chilling in a bucket of ice. A couple of candles stood waiting to be lit.
He frowned, then went over and pulled the candles off the table. He was getting carried away. This wasn't a first date, nor was it a special occasion - not really. He had to reign in his enthusiasm. She was coming over to have a conversation with him, and perhaps gain a little comfort for her hurting soul. He had to remember that she, at present, was a bit fragile, and not to push his own agenda. Let whatever will happen, happen.
A soft knock on his front door instantly grabbed his attention. He quickly wiped his hands on a towel and headed for the entrance. He didn't bother to check the spy hole to see who it was. He pulled the door open and stepped aside to let her enter.
She came across the threshold, a hesitant smile on her face. "Hi, Clark."
He returned the smile two fold. "Hi, Lois, come in. You look great."
She frowned, glance down at herself, then back up at Clark. "I look I'm dressed for a football game. I didn't think this would be a dress up situation. Do you think I'm too casual?"
Clark chuckled at her insecurity. "No, what you have on is perfect. I may be biased, but I always think you look great, I just don't say it to you enough."
She blushed as she came farther in the apartment. "Thanks. So, how are you doing? Your injuries healing all right?"
He nodded. "Yeah, most of the bruises are gone and I don't really have any pain. I guess I heal pretty fast."
"I'm glad." She glanced over at the table and moved into the kitchen. "It smells wonderful."
"Thanks." Clark took her wrap and hung it in the hall closet. "It should be ready in a few minutes. "Make yourself comfortable."
Even though he'd meant for her to get comfortable in the living room, he grinned when Lois took a seat at the table and began to fiddle with the tablecloth. It was clear that she was a touch nervous.
"So," she said. "What do you think about that earthquake up at the old mine site?"
Clark nearly dropped the spoon he'd been using to stir the sauce. He turned and looked over at Lois. She had a matter-of-fact look on her face. "What earthquake?"
Lois shrugged. "Well, the LNN newsman called it a seismic event. But I imagine it's just a matter of degree. But the entrances to the mine site facility have been collapsed and rockslides have made the roads to the place impassable." Lois began to use the end of a fork to trace circles on the tablecloth. "Do you think it's just a coincidence? Could Nigel be involved somehow?"
Clark turned the heat off under the sauce and came over and sat next to Lois. "This is the first I've heard of it." Clark shrugged and frowned. "I have no idea what to think. It does seem kind of coincidental, but what could Nigel have to do with it, and why?"
Lois nodded. "Yeah, I don't see it either. At first, I thought that he might have been trying to bury some incriminating information, but that facility has been crawled over by local, state, and federal authorities for months. In fact, if I remember correctly, they only formally closed their investigations a couple of weeks ago." She tapped on the table with the fork handle. "I'm sure that Nigel has the explosives expertise to cause such a rock fall, but if he did, it seems too little, too late."
Clark nodded. "So it would seem." He held up his hand. "Excuse me for a moment, Lois. I'm going to check with Perry. See if he has any additional information."
Clark stepped over to his phone and made the call. Perry had heard the same information that Lois had, and from the same source. He didn't know anything other than what LNN had been reporting, but he promised Clark he check a couple of his sources in the government to see if he could find out anything else. Clark thanked him and told him they'd get together in the morning about it.
Coming back into the kitchen, Clark began to dish up the pasta, and sauce. Lois came up behind him and reached into his cupboard, pulled down a couple of wine glasses and took them to the table. A warm smile passed between them as they began their meal.
Clark was aware that Lois had an agenda beyond just friendly conversation on her mind. She had that determined look on her face. But during the meal he purposely kept the conversation light and trivial. There would be time for the heavier topics after they'd eaten.
The meal passed quickly and before he realized it, Clark was leading Lois into the living room. They retained their wine glasses, and Clark brought what was left of the bottle with them. He watched as Lois frowned, then bit her lower lip, then frowned again. He couldn't help it, she was so cute when she was trying to figure out exactly how she wanted to broach a subject. He had to chuckle.
Her frown deepened as she glared at him. "What's so funny?"
"I'm sorry, Lois but you look so serious and determined."
"Maybe because I am determined, and I think we have some serious things to talk about." She gave him only a hint of a pout to show her displeasure at his attitude.
He opened his hands in a gesture of apology. "You're right, and I'm sorry. I know that the last few days have been tough for you." He reached over and gave her hand a squeeze. "Just know that if you ever need me, for whatever reason, whenever it might be, I'll be there for you."
A melancholy smile tugged at her lips. "I know. It's just that the horrible events of the last couple of days have caused me to do some thinking. About me, and the people in my life." She chewed on her lower lip for a moment. "I'm not sure I like what I've discovered."
Clark was confused by her words. "I don't understand, Lois. What discovery?"
Lois took a deep breath, as if preparing herself for some important speech that she wanted to make sure she got right. "I've always prided myself on my independence. On my ability to make it on my own. I didn't need anybody's help to achieve what I chose to go after."
Clark's return smile was warm and encouraging. "You are a remarkable woman, Lois. But everyone needs a little help now and again. It's not a sign of weakness."
She bent her head and nodded. "I know. I just never realized how much I had come to depend on certain people."
"Like Bill?" Clark saw her answering nod, though it was quick. "He was your partner and your friend. It was only natural that the two of you would create a relationship that counted on the other."
Still nodding, Lois raised her head to face Clark's concerned gaze. "Yeah, Bill, and Lucy... and you." She ran her fingers through her short dark locks. "Lucy's gone off to California, Bill is dead, and we've been fighting. I've never been so scared of being alone before, and the fact that I'm scared, scares me." A single tear snaked out of the corner of her eye as her fierce gaze held his. "If I'm going to invest any more of myself in this relationship I've got to know. Better to walk away hurt, now, then to be devastated later." Her fists clenched in her lap. "Are you going to leave me too?"
Clark slid closer to Lois and pulled her to his chest. He gently stroked her hair. He knew what this admission of fear was costing her, in pride and her own self-image. "Don't worry, Lois. The only way I'd ever leave you is if you wanted me too." He gave her shoulder's a squeeze, then kissed the top of her head. "Lois," he continued. "Whatever our misunderstandings were recently are behind us. I don't want to dwell on any of that anymore. We'll take whatever comes our way and face it together."
He felt her sigh, then she pushed herself back from his embrace. "Which brings us to our present problem. Finding this bogus Superman, tying him to Nigel St. John and whatever nefarious schemes he's got planned, and figuring out how to bring a superhero to justice for murder."
Clark frowned at the tone of sadness and dejection in her voice. "We don't know that Bill is really dead. You never saw this... person actually kill him." Lois raised a brow and glared at Clark. He held his hands up in surrender. "Okay."
Clark didn't want to belabor the point with Lois. In truth, it was probably better if she were able to resign herself to the idea that Bill was dead, rather than try to hold onto some slim hope that he was still alive. It was far easier to be happily surprised if he was found to be okay, then to deal with dashed hopes if she found out differently and, from the scene that Lois had described to him, it was most likely that Henderson had perished that night.
Clark had to admit that the reason he kept stubbornly hanging onto the idea that Henderson was still alive was the fact that, if he wasn't, he would have been killed by a Superman. Lois' theory that the person she'd seen with Bill must have been a clone made sense. And if that was true, then it had been made in his image. Intellectually he knew that the clone, if that's what she'd seen, wasn't like him, but emotionally it was harder to separate the idea. If St. John, and whoever was responsible for the doppelganger, were able to create a Superman who could kill, what did that say about him? If the circumstances were right, did that mean he had it in him to kill? The thought of taking a life, any life, was anathema to him, but his previously immutable convictions now didn't seem quite so immutable. Were there limits that even he could be pushed past?
"Clark?" He looked up to see Lois staring at him, a perplexed look on her face.
"What?"
"You zoned out on me for a moment there. Do you have any ideas on how to expose this fraudulent Superman?" She shrugged. "After all, you are the real Superman."
Clark frowned. "I *was* Superman, Lois. Now I'm just plain old Clark Kent, no powers, no spandex suit."
He saw a sly smile steal onto Lois' face. "I happen to like 'plain old Clark Kent."
He smiled in return. "I'm glad." Clark leaned back. He really didn't have any ideas. It wasn't like he could use his likes and dislikes, or his favorite haunts to try and track down this bogus super being. It was likely the Superman that Lois saw was being controlled, or at least, guided by someone else. "I don't know what to say. We are both fairly sure that this Superman is somehow connected to St. John, so I guess that's the best place to start."
She nodded. "That's what I thought, too. The only problem is that Nigel, is not exactly very visible these days. I made some inquiries, but no one has had any contact with him since the events that brought Lex down."
Clark ran his hand through his hair. "I guess I'm not surprised."
Lois furrowed her brow, as if deep thought. "What about...?"
"Yes?"
"Well." She hesitated for a beat. "You did say that you were suspicious of the Carlin woman. Maybe that might be an avenue to explore? At least we know where she is."
Clark had to smile again. He'd been about to bring up the possibility of Arianna Carlin-Luthor, but was glad that Lois had. He didn't want to sound like some conspiracy nut. He knew that she wasn't as convinced of the new Mrs. Luthor's culpability as Clark was, but it did make it easier to discuss since she brought it up.
"Funny you should mention her."
"Why?"
"I have an interview with the very newsworthy Arianna Carlin-Luthor tomorrow ."
"Oh. Well that's good." Lois lapsed into silence. Clark watched her. It was almost like he could see the wheels turning in her beautiful head.
Suddenly he was struck by the fact that he could spend the rest of the evening just staring at her and be perfectly content. He'd always been aware that she was a good-looking woman, but he'd never focused on that overly much. She had too many other remarkable traits that he found attractive to be hung up on just her physical beauty. But staring at her just now, he realized just how lovely she actually was.
She kept herself trim and fit, and had a body to make most men drool, but it was her face that drew him in. Her face was a classic oval, with cheekbones a model would kill for. Long lashes graced a pair of large, soft, brown eyes. A man could drown in those eyes. Her dark hair was silky and worn in a short layers that framed that near perfect face.
If there had been any doubt in Clark's mind before as to whether or not he was in love with Lois Lane, it was settled once and for all right then. He could not only spend the rest of the night just staring at her, but he'd gladly spend the rest of his life staring at her.
"What?" She had finally noticed his intense gaze. "Do I have food or something on my face?" Her hand went nervously to her cheek.
Clark laughed. "No, I was just admiring the view."
"Well, stop it. You're embarrassing me." A bright crimson flush tinted her cheeks.
Clark allowed himself an amused sigh, and a shake of his head. "I don't think I can."
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Lois closed her apartment door with a shove of her butt. She tossed her keys onto the table and flicked on the over head light. She still had a smile on her face. She had gone over to Clark's to set up their possible investigation into the whereabouts of this clone superthug, and they had done that... sort of.
After an absolutely delicious dinner, they had begun to discuss ways in which they might track down the bogus Superman she'd seen. But Clark had gotten off the track. He'd gotten... playful. And, in hindsight, it was just what she had needed.
The loss of her partner had left her hurting and lonely. She hadn't been able to focus on anything but her own pain, and her desire to avenge Bill's murder. As terrible as the scene she'd witnessed, and its consequences, had been, intellectually she knew that nothing was served by wallowing in her private misery. But then, that was what Lois Lane did. She closed herself off from other people and dealt with her problems on her own. She didn't need anybody else. In the past, only Bill had ever been able to sneak past her walls of defense and force her to share her burdens. Not even Lucy had ever been able to do much more than offer Lois her sympathy during trying times.
Lois plopped down in the chair opposite her couch. She never sat on her couch if she didn't have to. She shook her head in wonder. She knew Clark was aware of what she was, and had been, going through. She had displayed her emotions quite visibly at his apartment that night. And even after seeing each other for only a few months, he knew her well enough to know that she would need time alone. But he must have also figured that it was time for her to 'lighten up'. Time for Lois Lane to come back into the real world.
That wasn't to say that they weren't serious about what they felt they had to do. That the investigation wasn't of the utmost importance. It was. Still, she had to admit that she also really enjoyed tonight's playful banter, but the times spent not talking were even better.
Her pleasant musings were interrupted by the ringing of her phone. She glanced up at the clock on the wall. Who would be calling her this late? Was it Clark? Did he have a few more 'sweet nothings' to say to her before she went to bed? She had a grin on her face when she picked up the receiver.
Her grin was instantly disappeared when she heard the gruff, distorted voice on the other end.
"Check your mail," was all it said. Then the connection was broken.
The call confused Lois. She'd already gotten her mail for the day after she'd come home from work. There wouldn't be another delivery until tomorrow. Still, even if the caller didn't make any sense, she'd have to go check. If she were anyone else, she'd chalk it up to a crank call and dismiss it. But weird stuff happened to her. She was a magnet for disaster. So, if a strange voice called her in the middle of the night to tell her she had mail, she had better check her box.
Dangling the key from it's own key chain, Lois marched to the front hall of the building where the bank of mail boxes were located. She quickly recognized hers and stuck the key in the lock. Before she turned the key to unlock the box, she stopped.
What if someone had placed a bomb in her mailbox, wired to go off when she turned the key? Was that why she got the call? She bit her lip as she thought it out. No, she finally reasoned, if someone wanted to kill her with a mail bomb of some sort, why call her up? It would make more sense to say nothing and let her blow herself up when she looked for mail, normally, the next day. They would have to know that the call would only make her suspicious.
Running her conclusions past the logical part of her brain one more time, Lois took a deep breath and turned the key. Nothing happened. Backing away from the tiny metal door as far as she could and still reach it, she took a deep breath and pulled it open. Nothing happened.
Letting herself breathe again, Lois looked into the small space dedicated for her incoming postal pieces, which generally meant bills. Inside was a plain brown envelope. Whatever was inside the envelope must've been pretty thin, because she really couldn't feel a bulge in it.
Never being one to wait once her curiosity was aroused, she ripped open the envelop and let the contents slide into her hand. Once she had a chance to realize what she held, the blood drained from her face. She clamped down on her lower lip with her teeth to keep from crying, but she couldn't stop it. She found herself, back to the wall, slumping down to a sitting position as the tears flowed in earnest.
