Okay, as promised, here is the 2nd part of Home V. You can find the first part here: http://www.lcficmbs.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=002989
I can't guarantee a posting schedule. Time is usually at a premium during the holiday season and this year I'm not only babysitting several days of the week but my 84 year old mother is coming for a week at Christmas. I have the plot roughed out, but there's a lot to fill in. Hopefully a little pressure (hint, hint) from readers will help the creative process along.
Nan
Obsession: 2/?
by Nan Smith
Previously:
They were in the elevator when Lori's wrist talker beeped. She lifted it to her lips. "Lori Lyons."
"Lori?" her mother's voice said.
"Hi, Mom."
"Your father and I wanted to let you know that we're going to be in Metropolis for four days, starting tomorrow. Your father has a conference to attend, and we're celebrating our anniversary during Metropolis's Valentine Festival."
She cast a despairing look at her husband. "Will you be staying with us?"
Rob Lyons's voice chimed in, "No, we're staying at the Lexor, but we'd like to see you while we're in town."
"I'm sure we can arrange that," Clark said. "Lori and I will be working all the rest of the week, but we can meet for lunch or dinner. Would you like us to pick you up at the shuttleport?"
"No, there's a car reserved for us," Rob said. "We'll be in tonight at around twelve, so it would be a little late for you to meet us."
"Give us a call when you get here," Lori said.
"We will," Mariann said. "I'd like to see your place of work while we're there, Lori. I've never seen the headquarters of the Daily Planet before."
"No problem," Clark said. "I'll tell John we'll be bringing you by."
When her parents had signed off, Lori leaned back against the elevator wall. "Oh, this is just great."
**********
And now, Part 2:
Lori awoke at the insistent chiming of the vidphone. Clark's side of the bed was empty, although the imprint of his head was on the pillow. It looked like his Superman duties had called him away. She sat up.
"Answer," she told the vidphone.
The screen lit up with the faces of her mother and father. "Hi, Mom; hi Dad. I guess you're here."
"We're at the Lexor," Rob said. "Room 2768." He appeared to be looking past her. "Where's Clark?"
"He's meeting a source," Lori said, automatically.
Her mother's eyebrows went up. "At this hour?"
Lori told herself not to bristle at the implied criticism. That was just her mother's way with anything that didn't meet her own set of expectations. "Some of our sources don't work nine to five jobs, Mom. Some of them won't show their faces by daylight. I'll give you a call in the morning and we can arrange to meet for lunch, all right?"
"That will be fine," her father said. "Good night, honey."
Five minutes later she heard a whoosh and an instant later Clark walked into the bedroom and made a beeline for the shower, leaving the scent of chemicals and combustion behind him. Lori lay down and waited. She heard the shower come on, then go off, and a moment later, he stepped out of the bathroom, a short towel around his hips. Lori wolf-whistled.
"Thank you, madam," he said, reaching for his sleeping shorts. "Your appreciation is appreciated."
His skin was cool and slightly damp when he slipped into the bed beside her, and his hair smelled of shampoo.
"Messy job?" she inquired.
"Chemical spill in the harbor," he told her. "Fortunately Henry and I were able to get it all mopped up before it could go very far."
"What happened?"
"A freighter collided with a barge. The freighter was carrying volatile chemicals and started leaking."
Lori grabbed her recorder from its spot on her nightstand. "Let's have the details, Superman."
He gave her a succinct description of the event and the names of the ships involved. Lori asked several pertinent questions, tapped into her database to fill in the background, and a moment later transmitted the story to the night editor at the Planet under the Kent-Lyons byline. Finished with her task, she snuggled down in her husband's arms. "Mom and Dad called while you were out. You were meeting a source," she said. "Better make sure you know who you were meeting when Mom quizzes you about it."
"Will she?"
"Count on it."
He chuckled. "It's a good thing I went through this with Lois's mom," he said. "I got pretty fast on my feet."
"That would have been Ellen Lane, right?" she asked.
"That's right. Ellen was definitely an education for a naïve kid from Kansas." He settled his pillow at a more comfortable angle and re-adjusted his arms around her. "She and my mom were like night and day. My mom figured I knew my own business best and only gave advice if I asked for it. Ellen loved Lois but didn't know how to show it, and it always came out as criticism. It drove Lois crazy."
"Sort of like Mother," Lori said. "At least she didn't scare you off."
"Not a chance," Clark said. "The only person who could have gotten rid of me was you."
"I wish I'd known your parents," Lori said, wistfully. "I think I'd have liked them."
"They'd have loved you," Clark said. "Just as they loved Lois. I still miss them sometimes."
Lori put an arm across his middle, resting her head on his muscular chest. "Well, maybe their souls came back the way Lois's did," she said. "If it could happen to me, maybe it happens to other people too."
"I'll have to tell you about that sometime," he said softly. "But that's a subject for another time. Good night now, honey."
"Good night," she said. "But don't think you're going to get away without explaining after a remark like that."
"I wouldn't dream of it. Go to sleep."
*********
Lori and Clark had barely stepped out of the elevator on the newsroom floor when John Olsen opened the door to his office. "Staff meeting in Conference Room One in ten minutes!"
"Sounds like the day is off and running," Lori said.
Clark helped her remove her coat and hung it with his on the coat rack. "Did I tell you today that you look beautiful, honey?"
Lori glanced down at the trim, fashionable maternity business ensemble that she had put on this morning. It did look smart, she had to agree, but it also left no doubt about her condition. Of course that was one of the reasons that Clark was more appreciative than usual of her appearance. "I think you said so six or seven times, but you can say it again if you like," she said.
Andrea, crossing the pit, nearly fell over her feet with a double take as Clark and Lori passed her on the way to their desks. "Lori?"
"Good morning, Andrea," Clark said, and Lori could swear that his chest stuck out just a little bit farther than usual as the society columnist took in Lori's outfit.
Andrea's lips split in a wide smile. "Congratulations!"
"Thanks," Lori said. "We decided after yesterday that there was no point in trying to hide it anymore."
"I guess not. I was kind of wondering, what with all those loose outfits you've been wearing recently. This is wonderful. When is the baby due?"
"The first week of July." Clark put an arm around Lori's waist.
Andrea laughed. "I guess this should cool Brendon's jets. He was figuring your contract would be up soon. I told him he was nuts, but he didn't believe me."
Lori glanced at Clark in surprise. "Brendon?"
"Oh sure. He's been talking about wanting to try his luck with you," Andrea said with a wider grin. "He's had his eye on you since the Mayflower investigation. He figures you're his shortcut to a Kerth."
"Just to end the speculation," Clark said, "Lori and I have a lifetime contract. She won't be available in the foreseeable future."
"I thought as much," Andrea said. She nudged Lori. "Nice work, honey. If I'd caught one like him, I'd have tied him up for life, too."
Lori could feel her face burning, but Andrea winked at her and crossed to her desk to retrieve a sheaf of hardcopy before she headed for the conference room.
Lori and Clark stopped at their desks to deposit their briefcases and for Lori to pick up her palm computer. As the conference room door slid open in front of them, Greg, the new hire on the city beat, glanced at Lori. "Been eating watermelons, Lyons?"
Lori didn't answer. Greg was unofficially the "office wit" and everyone came in for his share of ribbing. Unfortunately, her ravenous appetite had provoked more than the usual amount of jabs aimed at her seeming inability to pass the doughnut box or the candy machine without stopping to get something to eat and the joke was beginning to wear thin. Clark pulled out a chair for her without comment and departed to get them both coffee.
Barry Marston glanced at Lori and grinned. "I'm a lot richer today thanks to Lori," he remarked. "Too bad, Greg. Better luck next time."
**********
John Olsen had seated himself at the head of the conference table in anticipation of the meeting, and was watching his staff filter in.
Clark Kent and Lori Lyons entered the room, and John raised his eyebrows a fraction of an inch in reaction to the fact that today she hadn't dressed in the loose clothing that she had taken to wearing lately to disguise her thickening waistline. Instead, the trim, professional suit that she was wearing was unmistakably designed for an expectant mother. It looked as if it was finally official, and about time too. Clark somehow looked taller today as he escorted Lori past several of the other occupants of the newsroom and John had to work not to chuckle. His great-grandfather might be the one and only Superman, but in most ways he was like every other man John knew. He had a beautiful wife, who made him the envy of most other men, and a baby on the way, and was understandably proud of it.
Clark pulled out a chair for Lori and made sure she was seated comfortably before he headed for the snack table in search of coffee and doughnuts for both of them. John looked down at his palm notebook to keep from grinning as Clark selected his usual plain cake doughnut along with a thick chocolate one with chocolate icing and chocolate sprinkles for Lori. He returned with the items and two cups of coffee a moment later and set his offerings in front of her. She accepted them with a smile, and John saw her bat her eyelashes playfully at her husband. John had to work harder to keep his face solemn. Little did Lori know the difference that she had made in Clark Kent's life.
Clark had always been an outstanding reporter, but since Lois's death nearly twenty-three years before, Clark seemed to have lost the joy of living that had always characterized him during John's younger years -- until Lori Lyons had burst onto the scene. John had seen Clark come suddenly and magically to life in a way that he hadn't known for a very long time, and it had given the Daily Planet a crack team of investigative reporters the like of which the news service hadn't seen since the days of Lane and Kent. There had been good ones, to be sure, but none of their caliber. Even more remarkable, it had taken his somewhat grim and obsessive ancestor and made him young again. John liked the transformation.
Slowly, the remaining people filtered in and finally John rapped on the table for attention.
"Okay, people, let's get this show on the road," he announced, parking his elbows on the table. He glanced at Barney Farrel. "What's the word at City Hall?"
Barney rubbed his nose. "The City Council is still wrangling over the allocation of money," he reported. "Measure A provided funds for the city's repair of the sewer system, but there's a move to postpone that in order to transfer funding to construction of a new stadium for the Tigers, and they're already talking about another initiative for this year's ballot to make up the funding ..."
"Make sure you bring that out in your article. The next time there's a sewer blowup in downtown Metropolis, they're going to want more money to fix it. We're supposed to be the watchdogs for these people," John said. "They've been playing fast and loose with the taxpayers' money for long enough."
"Wasn't there supposed to be some kind of accounting measure that would prevent the City Council from diverting the funds again?" Clark asked. "I could have sworn that was on the ballot when they were pushing the initiative two years ago."
"Tell that to *them*," Barney said. "This has happened six years in a row. They always promise to use the money to fix the system, and it always goes somewhere else -- and they've always got a good excuse. Once the money is in the General Fund, there's nothing to prevent them from using it any way they want."
John figuratively shook his head. Fixing the sewer system, of course, wasn't nearly as glamorous as building a new stadium, but if it didn't work correctly the city would have big problems. "I think it's time we called them to account," he said. "I imagine those aren't the only funds they've diverted for other projects. I want you to dig a little deeper. That's your main assignment while you're covering the rest of the happenings at City Hall. It's high time the City Council tended to the city's business. It's an election year; maybe we can use that to get some concessions out of them."
Barney nodded, his expression brightening slightly. He had wanted award-winning assignments and ended up with the sewer system story. Not exactly something that a reporter thought of as Kerth material, John knew. Now, however, if he could prove fiscal irresponsibility and/or mismanagement and maybe even corruption at City Hall it could lead to better things for his career. John turned to Kent and Lyons. Lori was munching on her doughnut, making notes on her palm computer with her free hand. "Lori, I want a follow-up on that child abduction, yesterday," he told her. "Wasn't the guy a repeat offender?"
She nodded. "Three time offender, on parole, subject to good behavior. I already called Lieutenant Chow this morning. I have an interview with Timmy's parents right after lunch, and one with Moore's lawyer this afternoon."
"Good. Now, the story on the Jane Doe over on Unger Street ..."
"They've identified her. My source is supposed to call me back with more details later."
"All right. Don't let him forget. Now, about the story you were on, Clark: the missing hiker ..."
"I'll have the follow-up for you by this afternoon," Clark said.
"Now, politics. Congressman Bradford ..."
"His secretary called me this morning," Lori said. "They're postponing the interview because of an 'unforeseen commitment'." She grinned slightly. "I know when a politician's avoiding me. Don't worry, I'm not going to let him wiggle out of it. I'll keep after him, and if he keeps dodging me, I'll let him know that I intend to write an article about how he's afraid of an interview ... more delicately phrased, of course. He'll talk to me."
John hid a grin. Lori had grown a good deal more self-confident in the time she had been at the Planet. Congressman Bradford didn't stand a chance of avoiding her. "Andrea, the allegations about Councilman Waters' relationship with the call girl?"
"He's denying them," Andrea said. "I have a meeting with my source in an hour. She claims he hired the girls from her ... association ... to entertain at private political events, and that she has the proof. We'll see what she has."
"Just make sure that we're not open to a lawsuit over it."
Andrea tossed her platinum head. "Leave it to me."
John nodded briefly, beginning to grill the Events editor on his feature in the evening edition.
John's wrist talker vibrated slightly and he paused for a moment to tap the "accept" button. "Olsen."
"Mr. Olsen," a male voice said, "this is Bill Verney, in the lobby -- Security, sir. There are a Robert and Mariann Lyons here to see the newsroom. They claim to be relatives of Ms. Lyons."
"Yes, thank you," John said. "Send them up." He glanced at Lori. "Your parents are on their way up. We'll be done in a few minutes." He tapped his wrist talker. "Ned! Lori's mother and father are on their way up. Show them her desk and get them some coffee and doughnuts until we're through."
Lori nodded. "Thanks," she said. "They wanted to see where I worked while they were in Metropolis."
"No problem." John returned to his cross-examination of the Events editor. Finally, he closed his palm computer. "Okay, that about covers it. Conyors, make sure your sources about the former Prime Minister's sex change are absolutely reliable. We don't want to be open to a lawsuit. And get the details on the wedding next month."
"Will do, Chief."
John stood up. "Let's get a move on, people. We have some space to fill up."
**********
tbc
