From part 10:
"Lois."
His soft voice compelled her to look up. With a wary expression, she met his gaze and saw the confusion clearly written across his face. He cleared his throat as the awkwardness hung heavily in the air around them. Then he spoke again, this time his voice firm, yet still sincere.
"I mean what I said. If you need to talk--"
She forced a smile she didn't feel amidst the raging confusion seeping through her body, then nodded. "Thanks, Clark. For now, though, let's just head back to the Planet. It sounds like you have work to do." Then her voice became more business-like as she forced the unsettling emotions from the surface. "You need to get in touch with Mr. Super Hero for me, too, remember?"
Clark sighed, the mood of before now broken. "I know, Lois. I'll see what I can do."
**********
Now on to part 11:
**********
Lois and Clark stepped off the elevator into the newsroom in time to see a few people gathering around the bank of televisions along the far wall of newsroom. They hurried over, and Clark stopped beside Jimmy
"What's going on?"
Jimmy spared him just a glance before looking back at the screen. "There's been a multi-car pile-up on the highway bridge."
Clark turned to watch. The reporter standing in front of the camera was explaining that a semi truck had jackknifed on the bridge, causing several cars going both directions to crash into it, which resulted in multiple rear-endings. One car had been hit so hard from behind that it had jumped the guardrail and was dangling precariously over the bridge's edge. Rescue crews had arrived to secure the car to keep it from going over, but they were having a hard time reaching the panicked driver, who was frozen to his seat.
Clark reached for his tie, now an instinctive gesture. Before he could turn and run for the elevator, Perry's loud, booming voice sounded from across the newsroom.
"Clark! Glad you're here. Get over there and get the story!"
"Got it, Chief!" Clark nodded, grateful for a reason to flee in front of Lois. He didn't dare tempt her with that duct tape.
Without so much as a glance at Lois, Clark made a dash toward the elevator. He'd just made it through the closing elevator doors when he heard Lois gasp, then call out his name. He saw her hurry toward the elevator after him, but then the doors closed, and he breathed a sigh of relief. At least for the moment, he was safe.
He forced his thoughts away from Lois and concentrated his super hearing on the distant sound of sirens. People were in trouble. He needed to focus.
**********
Lois gasped as she saw Clark run for the elevators at Perry's insistence to cover the story. He was doing it again! Running off and leaving her empty handed. She glanced down at her watch. It was already after two o'clock. If he spent the afternoon getting the story on the accident, he may never find time to make contact with the super hero, and she'd be out of luck.
She set her jaw. There was no way she was going to let that happen. She was Lois Lane. Lois Lane never lost a story she set out to get.
With renewed determination, she turned and hurried after Clark just as he made it through the closing elevator doors. "Clark, wait!"
But she was too late. The elevator doors shut and the compartment began its descent. She muttered a curse under her breath, then took off toward the stairs. She had to hurry. If she didn't catch him, she could pretty much kiss the article she came for goodbye.
Fueled by adrenaline, she took off running toward the stairs, hoping to beat the elevator down and catch up to Clark before he left the building. It seemed like an eternity before she finally reached the lobby, but as she threw open the stairwell door, she caught sight of Clark rushing through the lobby, darting in and out of people in his haste to reach the door.
Lois hurried after him. "Clark!"
He apparently didn't hear her as he rushed out of the building, and Lois ran after him. She pushed through the revolving door, then stopped on the sidewalk outside. She glanced left and right. There was no sign of him in the crowd of people passing by on the sidewalk. She growled in frustration. But just then she caught a glimpse of someone with dark hair and a dark suit like Clark's a distance down the sidewalk, so she took off running. If it was him, she might still be able to catch him before he got into a cab.
She half-jogged, half-ran in her attempt to catch Clark, dodging people on the sidewalk and ignoring their sounds of protest as she bumped and jarred her way through them. She kept her eyes focused on the man with dark hair still a ways ahead of her, moving just as quickly as she was.
A large man suddenly appeared in front of her, easily several inches of six feet tall, and she lost her prey. She finally managed to get around her obstruction, and for one heart-stopping moment, she thought she lost Clark. But just as suddenly, she caught sight of him again, just in time to see him turn and dart down an alley to his left.
Lois fought her way through the last few people that stood between her and that alley, then breathed a sigh of relief as she turned down the empty stretch. There was no sign of Clark, but she kept running. The alley forked off to the right, so, on a hunch, Lois turned that way, too.
As she did, she nearly plowed into someone. She felt arms grab her before she could fall, and she grasped them in return, instinctively using them to regain her balance. When she looked up, she saw it was Clark.
"Clark!" she gasped, trying to catch her breath. "Holy crimony, you took off fast! I was trying to catch you because--"
She stopped. As she took a step back, she noticed that Clark was in a state of undress. His tie was undone and hanging loosely around his neck, his shirt was unbuttoned...and a glimpse of blue and red spandex with the now-famous "S" shield peered out from underneath.
Lois's eyes widened in shock. "You!" she blurted out. "You're him! You're Metropolis's super hero!"
**********
Clark's face fell. This was a nightmare. He'd only been in disguise for about a week, and already someone had found out. And not just anyone. Lois Lane, world-renowned investigative journalist, well known for her ruthlessness, for going after a story at all cost. He shook his head. This was it. His life was over. So much for keeping his identity a secret.
Lois, on the other hand, looked like a kid on Christmas.
"I knew it!" she bubbled as he tried to pull himself out of his sinking depression. "I knew there was something about the two of you! I was looking at a picture of you--well, the you in that hero get-up, not the 'you' as Clark-in the newspaper in my hotel room the first night I was here, and thinking that the appearance was uncanny. But then I figured I was just crazy. I mean, who would think that Clark Kent was actually some super powered alien in disguise!"
She paused in her babbling only long enough to open her eyes even wider as another thought occurred to her. "Oh! Then my theory was right! You really were here for a long time before the transport vehicle incident, and were working and living like any other normal person! Hah!" She smacked him on the chest, clearly ecstatic and proud of herself that her theory had been dead on. "So, what do you have to say for yourself?"
Lois may have been on cloud nine, but Clark felt grim. He couldn't even muster the enthusiasm to enjoy that babbling of hers that he was so coming to love. He could only concentrate on what a devastating, life altering moment this was going to be. With an ugly, sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, he knew he was doomed. It was over.
He watched as Lois's grin faded and turned into an expression of confusion as he merely continued to stand there, completely devastated and dejected. The sound of distant sirens and cries for help jarred him out of his sinking depression. He turned and glanced over his shoulder in their direction, then turned back to Lois and finally cleared his throat.
"Lois, I've got to go," he said despondently. "Those people need help. But please...please don't say anything to anyone about this until we can talk, okay? I'll give you a story. There are just...aspects of it that I'd like to discuss with you first, okay?"
Lois's grin changed to a puzzled frowned, and Clark couldn't help thinking she no longer looked as ecstatic as she had only moments before. He guessed he should feel a little better about that, but all he could think about was how he was about to have his identity splashed across front pages of newspapers around the world.
When she didn't respond, Clark once more glanced behind him toward the cries in the distance, feeling an increased sense of urgency. He had to get out of there, but he also didn't want to leave until he had Lois's word.
"Lois? Please?" His eyes were pleading as they met and held her gaze, and he could see the puzzled look in her eyes.
Finally, she rolled her eyes and nodded. "Okay, fine. Go. Do whatever it is you need to do. But don't think you can weasel out of this one, Clark! I want an explanation, you hear me?"
He nodded grimly, then took two steps back, spun into his costume, then rocketed off into the sky, leaving a breathless and awed Lois Lane, star reporter, staring after him.
**********
Lois watched Clark disappear into the sky in a blur of blue and red, feeling both stunned and ecstatic. Incredible! Clark Kent was Metropolis's newly arrived superhero. Who would have thought?
She thought back to that night in her hotel when she had looked at the picture of the hero in his costume, and had been startled by how much she'd thought he'd looked like Clark Kent. She had quickly dispelled that notion, however, probably exactly as anyone else would have done when their logic had kicked in.
For several moments, she realized just how easily fooled she had been. She tried to console herself with the fact, though, that other than a slight physical appearance, their demeanors and personalities seemed very little alike. The hero seemed to be all business in the times she'd spotted him while he was one the job. His arms were usually crossed or his hands were on his hips, and he listened intently to the officers as he learned the situation at each scene. It was clear he knew he had a job to do, and was only interested in getting it done successfully. His dedication to saving the lives of those in trouble was clearly written in his firm jaw, steely, concentrated stare, and tensed muscles. He was the picture of confidence and concentration
Clark, on the other hand.... She pictured the deer-in-the-headlights look he'd worn when the day they first met, and what a nervous wreck he was...until he lashed out at her for calling him a hack. Neither reaction had seemed particularly like the strong, silent hero she'd witnessed at the rescue scenes. But as she got to know him, her first impressions had been altered by what she supposed was his truer nature: he was kind and soft-spoken, and clearly respected the feelings of those around him more than the importance of getting the story.
She shook her head. Even in his more relaxed state, the two men seemed nothing alike on the surface. Maybe that's why no one had put two and two together. But she had. She had him! That Pulitzer was as good as hers.
But then, why did she feel so conflicted?
She thought back to the way his face had fallen when he realized he'd been caught, and the look of utter dejection on his face as he hung his head. It was obvious he was devastated.
Uncharacteristically, Lois felt her heart go out to him. She tried to shake herself out of it, knowing how important it was to maintain an emotional distance and not get involved in the story-or with the people you were doing a story on. But the mental image of Clark, looking so lost and forlorn as he'd stood there, listening to her rambling on about her theory being right...well, it tore at her heart.
'But why should it? You hardly know the guy,' the voice of reason in the back of her mind chimed in.
Lois frowned. It was true she hardly knew him; she'd only known him for just over two days. But in that time, she could honestly say that she felt a connection with him. The day before when they had spent the morning talking to sources, and then having lunch together at his apartment and going over his investigation notes, she had been surprised at how easily they had talked and shared ideas. She couldn't remember a time when she had actually enjoyed working with somebody as much as she had with Clark. True, he was a little straight-laced and old fashioned, but that was part of his charm.
Then there was their lunch in the park just twenty minutes before.... She remembered how their conversation about the shipping company investigation had turned to more personal things. Never before had she shared so many details of her painful past with a near stranger--or even many of the people she would call friends. Jim, her editor, had known her history, and they'd forged a connection since his own father had been recently killed in a boating accident off the coast of southern California. Then there was Agnes. She knew. In fact, her elderly neighbor was the only person she felt comfortable going to whenever she struggled with the painful memories.
But Clark.... He'd somehow managed to get her to open up about her past before she even realized she was doing it. There was just something about him that made him so easy to talk to, so easy to confide in.
Memories of what happened next made her heart somersault in her chest. Her sudden flash anger hadn't pushed him away; in fact, it seemed to have brought him closer.
Her cheek tingled where he had touched her, and she lifted her hand to the spot. His hand had been so warm, his eyes so caring, and his lips so inviting. She closed her eyes briefly, savoring the memory. She saw an image of Clark, his face nearing hers. She remembered feeling the swarm of butterflies in her stomach as she realized he was going to kiss her. Then there was the ringing of the cell phone....
Lois groaned inwardly. Jimmy had unknowingly ruined what was sure to have been one perfect kiss. Her disappointment at the spoiled moment made her realize, though, just how much she had been eager for the touch of his lips on hers. It was enough to tell her that something was amiss in the matters of her heart. She couldn't remember the last time she had actually thought about kissing a man. The dates she had had were few and far between, and never had they been with somebody she had wanted to go out with more than once or twice, let alone kiss. There was just never the desire. No one had ever caught her attention.
Until now.
With a sigh, Lois glanced up one more time at the sky where Clark had disappeared, then turned to leave. A short time ago, she would have been rushing to the phone to call in the story to her editor. But now, she just wasn't sure if that's what she wanted to do.
His nervous reaction to her that first day suddenly made sense. He knew what she was there for, and he was afraid she would do just that--find out about his secret identity and report it to the world. But in spite of his fear, he had been nothing but kind and welcoming, even inviting her to his apartment and having lunch with her. He'd even had lunch again with her earlier that day, and had listened compassionately as she'd talked about losing her family. He could have ditched her many times over, but he hadn't. She wasn't exactly sure why he hadn't; surely a man with so much to lose would run the other way in self-defense. So why hadn't he? What made him keep coming back?
She had to admit, her curiosity was piqued. Deciding to wait and see what Clark had to say before she made any decisions, Lois tried to figure out where she should go. But then it dawned on her. Clark's apartment.
Hurrying out of the alley, she merged back into the crowds on the sidewalk and competed for a cab. Then she managed to direct the cab driver to Clark's apartment and soon found herself standing on his front steps. He didn't tell her where to meet him, but she was relatively certain he would know to find her there. It wasn't long, though, before her lack of patience and sitting on the cold, cement steps outside his door convinced her to change her plans.
She stood up and reached into her purse, drawing out her well-used lock pick. She glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then inserted the tool into the keyhole. Besides being uncomfortable on his apartment steps, she thought it might be beneficial to check out his apartment a little more closely. She'd been there the day before, but she hadn't looked at it from the perspective of Clark being an alien with super powers. Maybe a closer look would give her some more insight into his life and abilities.
Besides, he owed her. She could have rushed out and written an article fingering him as Metropolis's new mysterious hero, but she hadn't.
It was only seconds before Lois heard the lock click. She smiled. She hadn't lost her touch.
She turned the doorknob and let herself in. Looking around for a moment at the homey surroundings, she reached over and turned on the light before walking down the steps to the living room. She knew it could be a while before Clark came back. She'd better make herself comfortable.
**********
It was almost three hours later when a breeze rustled Clark's curtains, and Lois turned expectantly. She wasn't disappointed. Clark appeared through the long curtains in his blue and red suit, looking dirty and tired.
"What took you so long?"
Clark was just climbing down from the windowsill when he heard her voice and looked up to see her standing in the middle of his living room. He sighed wearily. "I got that car back on the bridge and helped with some other things at the accident. Then I made a couple more rescues on the way home." He walked toward her solemnly. "Let me guess. You picked the lock."
She crossed her arms and took a couple of steps toward him, the hint of a smile on her face. "For someone who has so much to hide, you sure have lax security. It took me all of three seconds to pick that lock. You should at least consider a dead bolt."
But Clark didn't smile. He walked as far as his hallway and gestured with one hand in the direction of his bedroom. "I'm going to change, and then we can talk, okay?" When she nodded, he said solemnly, "I'll be right out."
When he disappeared into his bedroom, Lois wandered around his living room for a couple of minutes, once again studying the books on his bookcase and the assortment of pictures around the room. When more time passed, she glanced toward the hall. Where was he? It couldn't take him long to change, not after the display she'd seen in the alley when he'd spun into his costume in a blur of red and blue. He had to be stalling.
Just as she began to wonder if he was never going to come out, he appeared in the entrance of the living room, dressed in jeans and a black and white flannel shirt. He hadn't bothered to tuck in the shirt, and it hung loosely around his waist and hips. Unexpectedly, Lois found the rumpled look attractive and endearing. With a start, she realized she was doing it again. She was letting herself get involved with her story.
'You've got to remember,' she told herself firmly, 'that's what this man is. Your story.'
Forcing herself to remember that, she took a step toward him and fixed him with a determined stare. "These past two days I've been running all over Metropolis trying to track you--the super hero--down, and all this time you've been right under my nose. You do realize this is the expose of the century, don't you?"
"I know." Clark's shoulders slumped, and he looked down at the floor and shoved his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. When he finally looked back up and met her gaze, his eyes were pleading. "Can I talk you out of writing it?"
Lois's eyes narrowed. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't."
He looked at her for a long moment, then turned and walked over to the bookcase she had been studying so intently just a short time before. There he picked up a framed picture and walked back over to her. He handed her the photograph. "Is this a good enough reason?"
She glanced at him quizzically, then looked down at the framed picture in her hand. She studied it for a long moment. It was of an elderly couple, the man robust and jolly, with wise eyes and a gentle smile. The woman standing next to him was wearing wire-framed glasses and a bright smile as gentle as the man's. They had their arms around each other lovingly as they stood in front of an old farmhouse.
Lois looked up at Clark questioningly. "Are these your parents?"
"Yes." He nodded. "And I love them more than you could ever imagine."
"Umm...okay," Lois began, not seeing his point as he returned the picture to the shelf. When he returned, he gestured for her to sit on the couch, then sat across from her in the large brown recliner. She cocked an eyebrow at him. "And?"
"And," he echoed, "I don't ever want them to get hurt, which is exactly what would happen if my secret were to ever get out. Can you imagine the repercussions? The media would swarm my little hometown, and every bad guy in the world would go after them to convince me to do their bidding. Does that sound like a good enough reason?"
Lois sobered. She had to admit, it was.
"So that's why you wear the costume?" she asked. "To have a disguise?"
He nodded. "Though the costume is kind of a recent development. I've only had it a few days."
"Starting with the night of the colonists' launch." It was more a statement than a question.
"Yes. I helped people before that as often as I could and still remain undetected, but it wasn't until a few days ago that it occurred to me to try some kind of disguise." He shrugged half-heartedly. "I talked to my parents about it, and my mom helped me with the costume. It seemed to be working until..."
"...I caught you disrobing in the alley," Lois finished for him.
Clark nodded again, his expression crestfallen. He glanced over at the clock on the wall and sighed. "Look, I know I owe you some answers, but would you mind hanging around for a few minutes while I get the accident story typed up and emailed to Perry? He'll want it by deadline. Then we can talk, okay?"
"Deal," Lois agreed, leaning back against the couch. "You go send Perry the story and I'll just wait here."
As Clark sat down at the desk in the corner of his living room, Lois found herself studying him with new interest. So he was Metropolis's new hero. It was hard to believe that Deer-in-the-headlights Guy could be the strongest person on earth-let alone an alien. She'd always thought of aliens as those little green guys who kidnapped people from their beds and did experiments on them. Clark didn't look green *or* threatening, for that matter. In fact, he looked rather...dispirited. The weight of the world appeared to be on his shoulders.
She thought back to what he said about his parents, about them being a target if people knew who he really was. She'd never considered that, but she supposed he was right. Criminals never cared who they used or hurt in the process of getting what they wanted. And when those people could be people you cared about....
Lois felt a painful twinge in her heart as she remembered the loss of her parents. If anybody could relate to Clark's plea, it was she. She knew what it was like to lose somebody you loved. But surely there was a way to get the story she wanted without putting his parents at risk, wasn't there? After all, she was one article away from the expose of a lifetime.
Deciding to make herself comfortable, she slipped off her shoes and tucked her feet up underneath her. Then she turned slightly, leaning back into the corner of the couch so she could study Clark further as he worked. He was obviously much more than he seemed to be on the surface, and the reporter in her demanded to know more. What made a Kansas-raised farm boy decide to don a disguise and become the world's famous super hero? And how, exactly, did those powers he displayed so spectacularly come to be? Had he been born with them? Had he been some genetic experiment? And how did he handle having super powers in his daily life? Did they change him as a person, or were they simply an added bonus? She couldn't imagine how it must feel to hide all the time, wondering what slip-up might potentially ruin his life.
She didn't have long to deliberate over the possible answers when, in only a matter of minutes, Clark had switched off his laptop and closed the screen. He stood up from his desk and walked over to the recliner he'd vacated only a short time before.
Lois raised an eyebrow. "That was quick."
"Yeah, well, it wasn't exactly front-page news. There wasn't much to embellish on."
Before he was even seated all the way in the chair, Lois started in. "You said back there in the alley you would give me the story, but that there were aspects of it you wanted to discuss with me first. What aspects?"
Clark took a deep breath and tried to prepare himself for the onslaught. This was no rookie reporter; this was Lois Lane, seasoned journalist. She wouldn't be so willing to settle for the easy answers. He only hoped he could do so, and at the same time convince her not to reveal his secret to the world.
"Well, there's the issue of the people I love becoming targets if the world were to find out who I am," he began haltingly. "And I'm not just talking about my parents. My friends would be at risk, as well. And then there's you."
"Me?" Lois looked at him questioningly.
Clark nodded. "Do you think the criminal element is going to overlook the fact that you, Lois Lane, were the reporter to spill every last detail about the super hero's disguise? They're going to know you were able to get close enough to me, the hero, to learn all that, and that will make you a target as well."
Lois rolled her eyes. "Don't try to scare me by bringing me into this. I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself."
"I don't doubt that you can." A sudden smile tugged at the corners of Clark's mouth as he remembered the would-be mugger who was unfortunate enough to cross her path. "But this would be a whole new ball game. You're not just talking about some angered crook you sent to jail because of an expose; you're talking about being a connection to the world's new super hero. Criminals wouldn't think twice to use you as a means of extortion, with them seeing my powers as a unique means to carry out their illegal activities."
"How *did* you get your powers?" Lois shifted her position on the couch to see him better. "Were they something you were born with?"
"I guess I'm not sure about that," Clark admitted. "I don't know if the things I can do are genetic, or if they have something to do with my arrival here on earth. My strength was the first thing that became evident. As a toddler I was already lifting cars and furniture. My mom used to tell me how much it freaked her out when I started doing things like that." He chuckled to himself at the memory. " My other powers didn't start to develop until later when I was in junior high and high school."
Lois leaned forward and rested her hands on her knees. "In the 'interview' you printed about yourself in the newspaper, you said you were from another planet. Did they know that at the time? Or did they just suspect it when you started doing all these incredible things?"
Clark let out a noisy breath and shook his head. "All the evidence pointed to the outer space theory. My parents were driving home one night and saw a flash in the dusk sky near their neighbor's field. They went to investigate and found a small spaceship with my inside."
"Wow," Lois breathed, clearly impressed. "What did they think?"
Clark shrugged and sat back in his chair. "They didn't know what to think. All they knew was to trust their instincts and take me home with them. They'd tried for years to have kids of their own but couldn't. They kept checking the news for reports of a missing boy, but when nothing surfaced, they decided to keep me. They made up a story about how I was a relative's child they had adopted, and nobody thought to ask any questions."
"And what did they do with the spaceship?"
Clark smiled slightly. Leave it to Lois to ask the key questions. "My father took it back to the farm and buried it."
"So he still has it?" Lois's eyes widened in excitement.
"It's gone." Clark shook his head sadly as regret moved in. "When I started asking my parents questions about why I was so different, they told me how they'd found me. I wasn't entirely sure I believed them, so my dad took me out to the spot where he'd buried the ship. We tried to dig it up, but it wasn't there."
Lois's expression changed to one of confusion. "Who took it? Nobody knew it was there, did they?"
"No, not that we know of. My parents never told anybody. We have no idea who took it, but it's always made my parents nervous, knowing there could be somebody out there who knows about me." Clark paused, running his hands up and down the smooth leather arms of the chair in a gesture of frustration. "There are times when I wish more than anything that I could find that ship. I keep hoping it could tell me more about who I am and where I come from."
Lois expression became a mixture of surprise and confusion. "So, you don't know anything at all about yourself other than the fact you came from another planet? You don't know why your ship landed here, or even if it was supposed to? There are no records to tell you anything?"
"No." Clark's hands stalled their movements on the armrests and he clenched his fingers around the smooth leather. "That's why I wish I had the ship. My parents tell me there were strange symbols all around the outside edge. I wonder if it was the language of my birth parents. I can't help thinking that that ship could be the answers to the questions I've been asking myself all these years--who I am, why I was sent here, what I'm supposed to be doing with my life...." He looked down sadly at his legs and moved a hand from the armrest to pick off an imaginary piece of lint.
Lois watched Clark's frown deepen, and her heart went out to him. She missed her parents, but at least she knew who she was and that her parents had loved her. Clark, on the other hand, had no knowledge of his parents, or even the people or the culture of the world he had come from. And having unique abilities were sure to only make his lack of knowledge that much more difficult.
"So," she began, trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together, "for now, you live your life, work at the Planet, and try to use your powers to help others when you can?"
A wry smile worked it way across Clark's face. "You make it sound so easy."
"Isn't it?"
Clark's wry smile quickly turned into a frown. "Of course it's not easy." He stood up and ran a hand raggedly through his hair. "I have the same things to deal with that everyone else does--work, commitments.... I have good days and bad days." His voice was tinged with frustration and even a little anger as he continued. "Sure, I have special abilities, but that doesn't make me any better than anyone else, or my life any simpler. If anything, my abilities just make things harder. Do you have any idea how hard it is to have the powers that I do and not be able to help everyone who needs it? Or how it feels to be so different than anybody else? Do you know what it's like to not fit in? It's lonely, Lois. *I'm* lonely. My life isn't some cakewalk. You seem to think it is, but it isn't."
When he finished, an uncomfortable silence fell over the room. Lois stared at him, stunned. Ever since she'd first seen the costumed hero on the television screen, she'd been awed by his special abilities and unique origin. But now, for the first time since she'd discovered that Clark was the elusive super hero she'd been hunting, she realized the hero was simply Clark Kent, a man with insecurities and fears who was just trying to make a difference in the world with the gifts he'd been given. What tugged at her heartstrings even more was the realization that, if for somewhat different reasons, Clark Kent was just as lonely as she was.
After a moment, she cleared her throat. "Clark, I--I had no idea. I just assumed..." Her voice trailed off and she shrugged, at a loss for words. "I'm sorry."
Her response made Clark realize he'd said more than he'd intended. Muttering something under his breath, he made a conscious effort to relax his tensed muscles and let his hands fall to his sides. "No, *I'm* sorry," he said, walking back to his chair and sitting down. "I shouldn't have gone on like that. It's been a long week, and with everything that's been going on with this whole hero thing..." He shook his head. "I didn't mean to take it out on you."
"That's okay." For a moment she was content to watch Clark, her mind trying to process all she was learning about him. After a pause, she asked, her voice soft, "Tell me something. What do your parents think of all this?"
Clark raised his eyebrows. It was a question he hadn't been expecting. "My parents? They're supportive, of course. My mom more than my dad, though. He would rather have me keep the things I can do a secret. But I can't do that. I can't stand by and not help when someone needs it, especially having the powers I do."
"Why would your dad rather you keep it a secret?" she asked, he brow creased with confusion. "Is he afraid of becoming a target, like you said?"
He shook his head and sighed. "No, not really. He's always been more concerned about me. Ever since I was little, he's warned me not to tell anybody about the things I could do. He's worried that some government agency would take me away and send me to some lab where they would dissect me like a frog."
Lois's jaw dropped open in horror. She supposed it was possible, that someone would want to do that, but...Clark was a human being! He had rights just like anybody else...didn't he? For the first time since she'd known him, she got a look--a good, hard look--of how terrifying his life must be for him. He was so eager to use his powers to help, but she could now see that there was always the possibility he could use those powers to help someone who might, in the end, try to hurt him.
In that instant, Lois realized what an amazing amount of courage he must have to do what he felt was right, in spite of the dangers that loomed around him, and the prospect of everything that could go wrong with his plan. And she respected him for it. She wasn't sure she would have his kind of courage to follow through with it if she had been in his place.
Addressing his father's concerns, she asked, "You don't think somebody would really do that to you, do you?"
"I doubt it." Clark shook his head. "But it's true that people are scared of what they can't understand."
"What about you?" Lois asked seriously. "Do you worry about that?"
"Not really," he admitted. "After all, I haven't found anything yet that can hurt me."
Lois leaned forward with interest. "Nothing? Not bullets, not a moving car...nothing?"
He shook his head. "No."
"Wow," Lois said, impressed. "That must be nice. Maybe I do want you for a partner. You'd make a great shield when all those criminals I sent to jail come gunning for me."
Clark laughed. "Gee, thanks. That's flattering, to know the only good thing I could bring to a partnership would be protection." Lois started to protest that that wasn't what she meant, but Clark cut her off. "I'm only kidding. But seriously, I guess I've never really worried about my safety. Even as a kid, I didn't seem able to get hurt. There was the time one of my friends and I climbed the highest tree in the town square during the Corn Festival. The branch broke out underneath us and we fell. He broke his arm in two places, but I didn't have a scratch."
Lois smiled at Clark as she shifted on the couch to get more comfortable. She wedged herself into the corner and tucked her legs up under her, then crossed her arms. She cast a content smile in Clark's direction. "So, your strength was noticeable early on, and about the same time you started to notice you couldn't get hurt. When did you start to discover your other powers?"
The next few hours seemed to pass by as if they were minutes. Lois found herself more captivated with every story she heard, and realizing more and more what an amazing man Clark was. He had been through so much, yet was obviously so strong because of it.
But Lois wasn't the only one enjoying their talk. For the first time in his life, he found himself sharing his secret with somebody other than his parents. He knew he should have been terrified at the thought of exposing so much about himself, but with Lois...it just felt right to share himself with her. He forgot about the late hour, the darkening sky outside his windows, the fact that she had come to Metropolis to get just this story. In that moment, he trusted her. He trusted her with his secret, and for the life of him, he couldn't explain why he should. He just knew that it felt right.
As their conversation wore down, Lois found herself yawning. "What time is it?" she asked, looking around the room for a clock.
Clark glanced down at his watch. "Oh, man, it's a quarter after one. I'm so sorry. I had no idea it was so late."
"Don't be," Lois reassured him with a smile as she stretched her arms above her head. "I've enjoyed hearing about you."
"Yeah, well, I feel like I've monopolized all this time with talk about myself." Clark grinned a little sheepishly. "After all this time, you know pretty much everything about me, and I don't know a single new thing about you."
Lois pushed herself from her spot on the couch to perch on the edge and stretch out her legs. "You're not missing anything, really. Your life is the exciting one. What's there to tell about me? I get up, go to work, go home. Then I start the whole boring thing all over again the next day."
Clark chuckled softly. "Somehow I doubt that. But I guess we'll have to leave that for another time. It's late, and you should really get some sleep. You look exhausted."
"I guess I am," she admitted. She stood up stiffly and looked around the room for her jacket. "I wonder if I'll be able to get a cab at this hour. Do you have a phone book I could borrow? Maybe I'll just call one."
"You're welcome to stay here for the night," he suggested. "I'd be perfectly happy to take the couch so you could use my bed."
"Oh, no, I couldn't do that. I appreciate the offer, though."
But Clark shook his head, dismissing her objections. "Please, I insist. You could even borrow a T-shirt or sweats to sleep in. Really, I don't mind."
Lois studied Clark intently for a moment, trying to decide what to do. Finally, she smiled tiredly and nodded. "Okay, I will, then. Thanks."
Clark's heart soared. Even the several hours he'd just spent with her hadn't seemed like enough. And the realization that she would be flying back to San Francisco the next morning made him all the more eager to convince her to spend every last minute he could with her.
He forced himself into action, showing her to his room and letting her know where she could find something to sleep in. He pulled an extra blanket and pillow out of his closet for himself, then paused next to her in the doorway.
"You going to be okay in here tonight? Do you need an extra blanket or anything?"
Lois smiled softly. "No, I'll be fine, thanks. I just appreciate you letting me stay here tonight."
"It's no trouble at all," Clark insisted.
Silence fell between them for a long moment, and was unexpectedly disrupted by the loud growling of Lois's stomach. They laughed at the sound, but then Clark's eyes widened in dismay.
"Oh, no! I just realized we never had dinner!" He lifted his face toward the ceiling and growled in frustration. "I can't believe I've let you starve like this! Have you had anything to eat since lunch?" But before she could answer, Clark hurried on, starting to fuss over her. "Would you like me to go make you something? I'm sure I have some leftovers in the fridge I could heat up..."
Lois grinned at his fussing over her and quickly cut him off. "Clark, I'm fine, really. I got so caught up in everything we were talking about I never thought about food." She paused, and her grin softened as she took in the look of concern apparent in his eyes. "We may have forgotten to eat, but...well, I can't remember the last time I enjoyed talking to somebody more."
Clark's look of concern faded, his slow smile showing his pleasure at her words. "Me too."
Their gazes met and held, and Lois felt that same feeling of connection pass between them. Clark looked like he wanted to say something, but then he gestured toward the kitchen instead. "Are you sure you don't want a snack at least? I'm serious about making you something to eat. I could go and see what I have in the fridge..."
She laughed softly and shook her head. "Really, Clark, I'm fine. I'm more tired than anything. Besides, if I ate something this late I'd just feel sick in the morning."
"Than at least plan on me making you a big breakfast in the morning."
Her eyes sparkled as she nodded. "It's a deal."
They fell silent once again, and Lois found herself suddenly aware of how close Clark was. He stood only a foot away, his eyes watching her intently. The chemistry between them was almost palpable in the air around them, and Lois felt her heartbeat quicken as Clark's gaze flickered from her eyes to her lips, then back. For one heady moment, Lois was sure he was going to kiss her. But then the mood was broken when Clark cleared his throat awkwardly and took a step back.
"It's late," he said. "I should really let you get some sleep. What time does your plane leave in the morning?"
Suddenly it all hit her. His comment brought Lois back to earth from her heady daze with a thump. Home. Tomorrow she was going home.
Unexpectedly, Lois realized that going home didn't hold the appeal it might have as recently as a day ago. She'd really enjoyed her time in Metropolis the last two days, but more importantly, she'd enjoyed getting to know Clark. It was impossible to deny the connection they shared, the feeling that they were on the cusp of something amazing. The idea of going home and not being able to see Clark on a daily basis made her heart ache.
The more she thought about it, the more she realized what an amazing gift she'd been given. She had gotten a glimpse of what it would be like to be in a relationship with somebody she loved--well, maybe 'love' was too strong a word to use just yet, she thought; maybe 'could love' was better. But now that she'd gotten that glimpse, she didn't think anything would ever feel the same again.
Trying to ignore the painful twinge in her heart, she looked back up at Clark. "I have to be at the airport by ten."
Clark nodded, and for a moment, Lois thought she glimpsed a reflection of her own emotions reflected in his eyes. But as quickly as they had come, they were gone. He smiled as he took a step backwards. "Then I should let you get some sleep. We can talk a little more in the morning."
They said goodnight, but even long after Lois had climbed under the covers, sleep would not come. Her mind refused to shut off, and a myriad of thoughts continued to bombard her even as she tried to push them aside.
She thought about her life back in San Francisco even a week before, and realized just how empty her days were going to feel without Clark around to talk to. Even work wasn't going to feel the same, without Clark there to talk to about a new piece of information she'd hopefully be able to dig up on the shipping company investigation.
Then it hit her. Work.
Lois felt the blood rush from her extremities, and she suddenly felt cold. What was Jim going to say when she came back home without the glaring expose she had been sent to Metropolis for?
She felt sick to her stomach. What was she going to tell him? That she thought she was falling in love with the subject of her story and couldn't bring herself to expose him? No, that wasn't going to fly. After all, she was Lois Lane. And Lois Lane always got her story.
Suddenly she was feeling the pressure, knowing she had to go home with something. And not just with 'something.' Something great. Jim expected nothing less from her. But she couldn't expose Clark; not after everything she'd learned about him. He was an amazing, kind, compassionate man, who was just trying to make a difference in the world. She couldn't expose him. By doing so she would essentially be turning him over to that science lab as the experiment his father always worried he would be. And what *about* his parents? She didn't know them, had never met them, but she could sense how strong their love for him was. Could she really do that to *them*, to have them see their son exposed to the world, and have their worst fears realized?
Lois shook her head. There was no way she could do it. But...then what? Jim was expecting the story. How could she let him down? It was everything she had worked so hard for.
When the hours continued to pass and sleep still refused to come, Lois let out a growl of frustration and climbed out of bed. She grabbed the afghan laying across the foot of the bed and wrapped it around herself, then wandered silently out into the living room. As if pulled by an unseen force, Lois found herself drawn to Clark's sleeping form on the couch.
She smiled at the sight. His hair was tousled from sleep, and his thick lashes were dark against his cheek, his closed lids hiding the warm, gentle brown eyes that seemed to bore into her soul. He looked rumpled and vulnerable, and she found herself unable to turn away. He was truly an amazing man, a man who was quickly becoming something special to her. How could she write what she knew about him? She stood there for what seemed like hours, watching the rise and fall of his chest, as the battle between her heart and her mind continued to rage on within her.
The fact that he hadn't held anything back from her during their talk earlier proved just how much he trusted her. To further prove his trust--or maybe his naivety?--he let her sleep at his apartment and went to sleep himself. For all he knew, she could have rushed out right that second and filed the story. But it was obvious he trusted her not to. How could she violate that trust?
But then the image of her editor storming around the newsroom when she told him she had nothing came to her. For one frightening moment, Lois even wondered if he would be angry enough to consider firing her. She felt a surge of panic. He had been known to fire seasoned reporters before; it wasn't unheard of. He was one of the best in the business, and ran a very tight ship. If he didn't feel like you were pulling your weight, you were gone.
She swallowed. The possibility hadn't crossed her mind before, but now that it had, she took a moment to consider it. 'Jim's going to be furious if you come home with the story you came here to get,' the nagging voice in head told her truthfully. 'Besides, this is your job. You have no one to blame but yourself for breaking your number one rule about letting yourself get involved with your story. Besides, this is the big story you've waited for so long, and it's right here in front of you. This is what you came to Metropolis to find, and you found it. You have your story. Now all you have to do is write it.'
For several minutes the battle raged between her head and her heart, and finally Lois couldn't stand it any longer. She was tired, and it was impossible to think clearly. Maybe in the morning everything would be clearer.
With a heavy sigh, she finally pulled her gaze away from Clark and tiptoed back into the bedroom. She shrugged off the afghan, then climbed under the covers. She suspected sleep was going to be a long time in coming. She had some decisions to make.
**********
To be continued in part 12...
