from last time....
~~~~~~~~~
“Goodnight, Clark,” she said, her voice quivering. “If you need anything, I’ll be just—“
“Lois?”
“Yeah.”
“Would you… would you lie with me? Here? It’s okay if you don’t want to, I just…”
“I’d love to,” she said through a tear-dripped voice.
She climbed into the bed, not needing to be told twice.
Feeling her looking at him, once she was settled on her side, he looked at her and smiled. Their eyes had adjusted to the darkness and they could see one another. She smiled in return.
After a moment, he began to drift, letting the sleep that lurked just take him.
“Clark?” he heard some moments later, just a whisper in the night.
“Mm?” he said, dreamily, barely aware of anything; half-asleep.
“What you said before… I just want you to know… you’ll never lose me.”
He smiled wearily.
“Thank you,” he said, feeling her love and compassion fill his heart.
After that, he felt that she relaxed too, and they both went to sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~
HAVE A LITTLE FAITH IN ME
PART 19
Clark awoke with a groan and a start, not knowing at first where he was. When he realized he was in his own bed and in ever so much pain, the previous days' events came back to him in full.
"Good morning to you, too," Jack said, walking into his room.
"Huh?" Clark asked. It hurt to say too much, he quickly realized, wondering where those painkillers were that he was supposed to take.
"I heard you wake up from the kitchen. From the sound of it, I am guessing you aren't feeling, well, super," Jack said smartly.
"Definitely not super," Clark agreed. "I feel like I got hit by a train," he said.
"Alright, hold on, I'll get your painkillers. Lois said not to wake you, but to give you two when you woke up."
"Lois. Where is she? And what time is it?" Clark asked, starting to realize that the sun was very bright, and it was most likely getting toward early afternoon.
"It's almost one. You were out like a light. Good thing, too. That crazy doctor said you'd need a lot of sleep."
"Dr. Klein, right."
When Jack walked into the kitchen, still going on about how weird and crazy, although seemingly smart, Bernard Klein was, Clark looked around. He saw the empty space next to him on the bed, which indicated Lois probably slept well too, right by his side. Remembering pieces of his conversation with her from the previous night, he smiled.
"Where's Lois?" Clark asked again, when Jack was back with some water and his pills.
He took them quickly, hoping their effects would kick in soon. He knew it would not take the pain away much, but dull it enough so he would be able to focus on other things besides it.
"She said she had something she had to do," Jack said, sitting at the foot of Clark's bed.
Clark slowly and painfully moved so he was sitting up, resting against the pillows and the headboard. He sighed, wondering what that meant. What Lois had to do. He'd been awake for less than twenty four hours and he was already worrying about her.
"Clark, get used to it. You're gonna be out of commission for awhile. You can't worry every time Lois isn't in your line of view."
"I guess," Clark agreed, sighing. "But she just has the most uncanny ability to get herself into trouble."
"It's not so uncanny considering she spends ninety percent of her time looking for it," Jack said wryly.
Clark smiled, thinking how true that was. He looked up at Jack, then, squinting his eyes a little, remembering something. "So, Jack, I'm guessing you aren't going to tell the world my little secret. I'm awake and all..."
Clark would have laughed at the look on Jack's face if moving didn't hurt so much. He smiled at his young friend, who was squirming at the foot of the bed.
"So I take it you heard me," Jack said.
"I remember a little. I only really remembered just now, talking to you. I... I appreciate that you talked to me. It means a lot, Jack."
Jack shrugged nonchalantly. "Yeah, well, I figured a little blackmail couldn't have hurt."
"I remember other parts of the conversation. Not just the 'blackmail'."
Jack's face turned red, which made Clark smile again. He was embarrassed.
"Clark, you'd nearly died. Hell, I thought you were dead. Of course I talked to you. But I thought you were in a deep coma. If I thought you were retaining everything, I wouldn't have been so mushy. Believe me," Jack said, trying to keep his cool-boy image intact.
Clark gave his friend an appreciative half-smile. "How did you find out about me, Jack?" Clark asked, after a moment.
"When the Planet was held hostage."
"Ah," Clark said.
He'd known that the night they were all held hostage and Jack was assigned to be his 'buddy', he gave off more clues than he ever would have under normal circumstances. He just hadn't given his young friend enough credit, thinking he could have possibly noticed all the clues and put them together to form the right conclusion.
"So that explains why you avoided me like the plague for a few weeks after."
"Yeah. Sorry about that. I just had everything backwards. I thought you were him... And not you. When I figured out you're actually you, and that he's a disguise, well I realized that I am friends with you."
"I'm not even going to try to understand that logic. Whatever it took for you to come back and be my friend though, that's all that matters," Clark said. "Thanks for not telling anyone when you found out. If you were mad at me, or felt betrayed, you were still loyal... Still a great friend. That means more to me than I could ever tell you." It amazed him how Jack was so young, yet so mature. In many ways he was very immature still, but when it came to things that mattered, he was mature beyond his years. Loyal and
wise. It was just a side of him that Clark was only really noticing now... After everything that had transpired.
"Well, as much as I wanted to think we weren't really friends, it wasn't working. I couldn't have betrayed you if I'd tried. I'm just sorry I didn't do a few things differently, like warn you that I'd heard from juvy hall that Luthor had a weapon for his enemy."
"What?" Clark asked. It still gave him a feeling he was unfamiliar with... A feeling of fear... In the pit of his stomach, when he thought about Luthor and how he was harboring the only thing that could kill him, ready to trap him with it, torture him, marry Lois... Steal his life and his love and everything that mattered... "Jack, you didn't know anything could hurt me," Clark said, noticing the look of guilt on Jack's face, putting his own feelings aside for a moment.
"I know, that's what Lois said, too," Jack said, shrugging.
"You talked to Lois about all this?" Clark asked, feeling something... something good... twist in his stomach at the mention of her name.
"Oh, yeah, we're like this now," Jack said, crossing two of his fingers.
Clark laughed at that. He looked at Jack, smiling, glad to be back, glad to know he was surrounded by such good friends. Such true friends...
********************
********************
The beautiful globe that would soon grace the Daily Planet building once it was renovated greeted Lois as she walked toward that old, familiar place where she used to go every day.
"Perry. How did I know you'd be here?" Lois said, walking toward her old editor-in-chief. He looked to be taking notes, but put the notebook down when Lois got his attention.
"Lois! You look... Honey, what happened? You look, well, like life is actually good for you."
"Is it that noticeable?" Lois asked, feeling like she was glowing. She supposed if she felt like she was glowing, she must have definitely looked a little different than she did in the last two days. "Well, Perry, actually that is why I'm here. Clark's going to be okay," she said quickly.
"He... Did you find him? Where was he? Was he hurt? What happened?" Perry asked, looking ready to fall over from sheer relief.
"He's, uh, not sure what happened. He can't remember. But other than that, his memory is just fine. His doctor said he had a bump on the head, so Lex, or someone, must have knocked him out, but had no chance to do anything more because they were caught. I mean, well, that's my theory. Someone brought him to his apartment last night. Someone who found him and read his ID. But it was an anonymous person."
"Well I'll be. I didn't want to admit it to you, Lois, but I didn't think there was a chance that he was still alive. I can't believe this... I..." he trailed off, letting out a deep breath. "Thank God."
"My thoughts exactly."
"Is he okay?"
"He's... in rough shape. But he'll definitely be okay," Lois said. "You can come see him tonight if you want. He's at his apartment. But he's resting now and I think he'll need much more rest throughout the day."
"I'll come by tonight then, just quickly, to make sure that this isn't some great dream."
"Sounds good, Perry. And tell Jimmy."
Perry nodded, still looking amazed at the turn of events. It seemed, for a moment, that he forgot about everything, except that one thing, that Clark was alive and was going to be okay. It was like he forgot about the Planet and his frantic plans to rebuild it as soon as possible... something he occupied himself with to maybe keep his mind off more depressing thoughts. He would not have to do that anymore, though. Now, he could make his rebuilding plans with a one hundred percent clear head and one hundred percent full excitement. His life seemed to be just perfect, in that moment, Lois mused.
And she realized that she felt very similar.
*****************
*****************
Clark woke up, realizing he'd passed out in the sun, in the living room, where Jack had helped him get to and get comfortable. Jack had first moved the couch, which was quite the task, to the balcony area, so it was lying in the sun. Looking around the room, Clark noticed Henderson sitting a little ways a way, writing something on a notepad.
"I think I'm having deja vu," Clark said quietly, wincing a little, now that he was awake and could feel the pain again.
"You do seem to always wake up to me," Henderson agreed, walking over towards Clark now that he was awake.
"I just didn't know you cared so much. I mean, you've really been keeping quite the bedside vigil," Clark joked, sitting up and then resting his head wearily back on the pillows.
At that, Henderson gave him a look as if to say 'ha ha'. "Believe it or not, there's another reason I'm here today. I need a statement from you."
"A statement? But Lex--"
"Yes, well, there's still Mrs. Cox and Nigel St. John. I just need to know if they were involved in what happened to you."
"Of course they were," Clark said, remembering the message he received from Mrs. Cox and how Nigel St. John had led him down the cellar toward his doom, clearly knowing what was in store for him.
"They're going away for a long time anyway," Henderson started. "I just wanted to get as much concrete evidence against them as I can and make sure they never get out in this lifetime."
"I think the world would rest soundly if that happened," Clark agreed. "But I don't want this public, what happened to me. If the criminal element found out..."
Henderson silenced him with a casual arm gesture. "Clark, this will not be public. I held a meeting with the Metropolis PD and the EMTs that were in the cellar attended as well... everyone that was there that day, and it's on camera so we know exactly who that was... except for Lois, Perry and Jimmy…were at this meeting and I ran down the reasons that this could never be made public. Everyone has sworn not to say anything of Kryptonite to anyone. I think everyone understood immediately anyway, as I did, the dangers of word getting out. Not just danger for you, but for the world as a whole. No one will ever forget that if it weren't for you, we'd all be dead right now. That asteroid would have killed us months ago. You've saved all of us thousands of times and if you were removed from the picture, all our lives would be made more dangerous. So it's safe. I just need a
statement from you, Clark Kent, that Nigel St. John and Mrs. Cox were involved in certain schemes to hurt innocent people, like yourself."
"Well, Lex did say he'd kill Clark Kent," Clark said, remembering the man's deep tones which were dripping with evil.
"He told you that?"
"Yeah... Once I was trapped, I'd said that Clark Kent knew where I was, hoping he'd, I don't know, let me go, even though I know, and I knew then, that he would never do that. He'd just, of course, say what he did say which was that he'd have to kill Clark as well."
"I don't think I have ever seen anyone as evil as Lex Luthor," Henderson said, quietly.
"How did it happen? How did he die?" Clark asked.
"I, uh... I shot him. He came to the hospital and I didn't think it was to wish you well. Lois detained him, your parents got you out of your room and into an elevator apparently, and I snuck off to your room to wait... He eventually charged in there, weapon drawn. He wanted you and I told him... well I said no, more or less, and he got... angry. We shot at each other simultaneously and I dove. He missed me. And I did not miss him."
Clark's mouth parted in shock. "I had no idea... I... I am so sorry," Clark said. "He almost--"
"--But he didn't. He didn't do anything he set out to do. I had to do it. It's okay," Henderson said.
Clark nodded and then considered something else that was weighing on his mind.
"How did you find out?"
"Sherlock Holmes University. Clark, I'm a detective. That's how I figured it out," Henderson said, feigning offense.
"So you knew about me all along then?" Clark asked.
"Fine, if you must know, it was only when I saw how upset Lois and your parents were that it started to really make sense for me."
"Ah," Clark said. That made more sense to him. "Well, Henderson, thank you. What you did probably saved a lot of lives... I'd bet my life on that."
"Thanks, Kent. Now, about that statement..."
******************
******************
Lois walked into Clark's apartment, immediately spotting him resting in the sunlight. She smiled. He looked like he'd dozed off.
As she walked closer, she marveled at how wonderful second chances were... to walk toward him and see him breathing, his color almost healthy. In no time, he would be better. The thought made her feel like she could fly. It was wonderful.
As if on instinct, Clark opened his eyes and looked at her, a sweet smile forming as he laid eyes on her.
"How are you feeling?" Lois asked.
"Okay," he said. "I've been sleeping on and off all day."
"And Jack said you didn't wake up until one. That's great, Clark; it's just what Dr. Klein said to do. Speaking of him, he'll be here in a little while to check on you."
Lois opened her eyes wide, realization dawning on her.
"What is it? Lois?" Clark asked, clearly noticing her look.
"Um, well Perry and Jimmy were so worried when you didn't come back the night before the wedding. So between that and thinking Superman is dead, they've just been really down. So I told them to come see you later, that you were back and okay. I gave him a cover story about you hitting your head and not knowing exactly what happened. Perry didn't really care about details. He was just glad you were okay."
"Okay, so they'll come over and see me... It's not exactly the awful tragedy you seem to think it is."
"What if they're here when Dr. Klein is here? I didn't think about that when I invited them. I just wanted to be able to give them a little peace of mind after everything. But they are coming to see Clark Kent, and Dr. Klein is coming to see Superman."
"Oh," he said, seeming to understand.
"Yeah," Lois said, sitting on the edge of the coffee table. She looked at him with a small smile. "You've been awake for less than twenty-four hours and already I'm getting into messes. BUT... This is one mess I will work out. You just rest."
"Lois, this isn't a mess. A mess is you hanging by a string over a boiling hot acid vat," Clark said, giving her a look.
"Would you stop about the acid vat already? That was a one-time thing. The way you make it sound, you'd think I was doing it once a week as part of some cult ritual."
He shot her his signature look of disapproval, which made her smile again.
"Just tell Dr. Klein that Perry White and Jimmy Olsen are coming to visit Clark, because he's not feeling well. But tell him that Clark is out at the pharmacy picking up a prescription. Tell him not to mention Superman to Perry and Jimmy because they don't know of his condition or that he is staying here. Tell him to just tell Perry and Jimmy that he is a friend of yours and is heading out. It may not even come up, if Dr. Klein leaves before they come."
"That's a very detailed spur of the moment lie, Clark," Lois said, trying not to laugh. "You really have been at this a long time."
"What?" he asked.
"Lying. You just said, off the top of your head, a lie that is good enough to not arouse any suspicions about anything from any of the parties involved and you're sick and bedridden on top of it."
"I've always hated lying. And now I'm at the point where my biggest defense mechanism is lying, so lies pop into my head very quickly if I need them to protect this," he said.
"Obviously some of your lies aren't well thought out. Library books? Videos? Cheese? Hinkerings for ice-cream? Some of your lies definitely need more work. But they worked on me, top investigative reporter for a worldly newspaper."
"I always hated lying to you."
"I know. At least you weren't that good at it. It makes it seem sweeter, somehow. More true to Clark."
"That's all I ever was. Clark."
"I know that now. Definitely," Lois said sweetly. She stared at him for a long moment, feelings rushing to the surface.
"You know Clark, I--"
A knock at the door forced Lois to stop talking, smile shyly and go to answer it, after hesitating a little.
"Dr. Klein," she said, allowing the doctor to enter. "We were just talking about you."
"All good things, I hope," the doctor said, noticing Clark right away. "How is he?" he turned to Lois to ask.
"Great," Lois said. She noticed Clark moving an arm to get her attention while the doctor was turned toward her. He held up a finger, asking for just a moment. For her to detain him. It was just like old times, she thought... well, sort of. "He's, uh, getting lots of sunlight, drinking lots of water and fluids..." she started, noticing Clark dipping his hand
into his glass of said water and then putting it through his hair.
She had to fight the urge to laugh and looked back at Dr. Klein. This was amazing. This was Clark's life. When she'd had all that time in the last few days, sitting by his side, waiting for him to wake up, thinking about his life, she had thought about how bizarre it was. His life. But now he was awake and she was witnessing and even participating in that bizarreness. It made her feel even closer to him, somehow. And it was great. "And lots of sunlight," she finished, noticing Clark seemed done with his hair wetting. He was Superman again.
"You said that already, Miss Lane. Maybe you should not sit in the sun," Dr. Klein said, walking toward Clark. "Superman, you're well?"
"I'm definitely feeling better, Dr. Klein. But I've been falling asleep all day. If there isn't someone sitting with me, talking to me... or even if there is sometimes... I just nod off."
Dr. Klein starting checking Clark's heart rate and other vitals. "That is perfectly normal. Your body has been through a great trauma and it's still in shock and very exhausted. You will feel tired and rundown for days. For normal patients that have been through similar experiences, they are unable to walk even, are completely bedridden, for months. You, however, I think will be walking around on your own, at least, in a few weeks or at most a month. Your healing process is highly accelerated from that of a human. You will feel tired, though, and I suggest that you rest. Don't push yourself. Don't assume you're going to get better faster by testing or challenging yourself."
"What about my powers?" Clark asked, and Lois noticed he tried to hide a look that conveyed just how important that answer was to him.
"You had one other experience with Kryptonite before, correct?" Dr. Klein asked.
"Yes. Once. I was exposed to it for about twenty seconds and lost my powers for about two days."
Dr. Klein looked thoughtful, sticking a thermometer in Clark's mouth. "I think that exposure saved you this time. The shock your body went through then was able to suppress some of the shock this time, which prolonged your life and then saved it. Your powers came back last time, which makes me think they could come back this time. But I can't be positive. You were trapped in there for almost a full day. Your heart beat did stop and you did not breathe for a long time. I am not sure how you have not had any repercussions on your brain from this. But I blame it on your heritage. I think you are more or less human without your powers. But," he continued, taking the thermometer back and reading it, "a little high, but better than last night. Anyway, you are not completely human and you never will be. I am going to try my best to learn about you. I think your heritage saved you and soon I will be able to tell you why without being so vague. I'm still studying the substance."
"So you do think, operating under this theory you have based on what you DO know, that my powers will come back?" Clark asked, not hiding his hopeful tone.
"You've so far had what every doctor would agree is a miraculous recovery. I think they will come back. But I would not sit around waiting for it. Let it happen naturally at its own pace if it's going to happen. I would say, though, that you will most likely spend this entire summer as a 'human.'" At least. And if and when the powers do come back, I am not completely sure that they will come back in full... That's just something we'll have to see and deal with at the time," the doctor said kindly.
"Thank you, Dr. Klein," Clark said. "You've been very helpful. The pain is less than it needs to be for one thing, and it gives me a great feeling of reassurance knowing someone of your caliber and character especially is going to help me. Not just now, but from now on. It means a great deal to me, doctor."
"Please, call me Bernie. This is the beginning of a long relationship between the two of us; it only seems fitting for a friend. And you are a friend, Superman. You saved me and then helped me. I'm just being a friend right back," Bernie said.
Lois, sitting on the couch throughout the checkup with Dr. Klein, watched this exchange, knowing happily that Clark was in the best possible hands. Dr. Klein was yet another thing she had Henderson to thank for. And, like Henderson, Dr. Klein was a new friend to her... and to Clark. Their lives had changed so much and so quickly. A few days ago, she would have said the changes were awful and she just wanted things to go back to the way they were a month ago. But now... she couldn't have dreamed of things turning out better. She had faith that Clark's powers would come back in full; but she decided she would keep that to herself, not to get his hopes up. And in the meantime, before that happened, she had him, uninterrupted by calls for help, for the next three months at least. To get to know and learn about and love. They could explore this new relationship they inevitably had now. And figure out what it meant for them.
"Lois? Did you hear me?" Clark's voice asked, pulling her out of her reveries.
"What?" she asked, looking at him.
"I was just telling Dr... uh, Bernie... that Perry White and Jimmy Olsen will be coming over soon, but that they don't know about me...about the change in my condition or that I'm staying here," he started, looking at her encouragingly.
"Right. We should probably get Superman into the bedroom before they see him. The sun's going down anyway. Hopefully Clark's back from the pharmacy before Perry and Jimmy stop by," she said, looking at her watch. "He's been gone over an hour now."
"Well, you know pharmacy lines," Bernie said, smiling. "Okay, Superman, drape one arm over me and the other over Miss Lane."
Lois walked toward Clark, meeting his smiling gaze. She had done it; and it wasn't so hard. He fed her the beginning and she finished. And really, the lying came quite easy. When she, like him, was forced to remember what was at stake if she didn't lie, she really did become quite the actress. It was amazing to her, though, that what she thought of as a blatant lie, went right over everyone's head. Perry this morning, and now this intelligent
doctor. And weeks ago, even her, award-winning reporter. Martha was right. People did not expect Clark Kent, ordinary, mild-mannered reporter to be the hero out saving the world, just as they didn't expect Superman to have any time for a normal life. It's what kept people believing in him. And while Martha said that to her a few days ago, the point was only just being driven home for her now, seeing the lies be so eagerly accepted by those around her.
Once they'd gotten Clark, with much effort, into his bed, they heard a knock at the door.
Perry and Jimmy, Lois thought, growing anxious again.
She could do this, she told herself.
"Okay, Dr. Klein, are you all set here?" Lois asked.
"Yes, Miss Lane. Are those your friends now?"
"Yeah, I think so. Okay, Dr. Klein,"
"Bernie," he corrected her.
"Bernie," she said, smiling. "You're not a doctor right now; you're a friend of mine, okay?"
"Sounds good." He turned his attention to Clark. "Superman, continue resting. You are improving greatly," Bernie said.
"Thank you, Bernie. I'll see you tomorrow," Clark said.
Bernie walked out of the bedroom and Lois turned to Clark, letting out a little breath.
He smiled at her.
"My glasses. They're on the bureau," he explained.
She quickly walked over to the bureau and grabbed the glasses and handed them to him.
"This double life stuff is pretty tough. Lots of things to keep in mind," she said, jokingly.
"You get the hang of it after awhile," he said, slipping them onto face.
She took a hand and messed up his hair, almost playfully, smiling and scrunching her nose up in a joyful way while doing it. Once the hair was messy and fell over his forehead in places, she smiled, feigning relief.
"Phew. Now... you're you."
"Now I'm me," he said, smiling at her like she had just done the most amazing thing ever, and not merely put a hand through his hair.
And with that, she left to walk Dr. Klein out and let Perry and Jimmy in.
*******************
Clark felt ready to pass out again. He kept telling himself to hold on, just through his visit with Perry and Jimmy. They had worried about him for days now and were not coming to watch him sleep. His body was aching still...
He could hear Dr. Klein... Bernie... leaving and the distinct southern drawl of his old boss and friend just outside his bedroom.
"Stay awake; just stay awake," he told himself.
The door shut. Bernie was gone.
"Clark?" Perry said, when he entered Clark's bedroom.
"CK!" Jimmy said, showing more emotion than Perry.
Jimmy ran over to the bed and gave Clark a gentle high five-handshake. "CK, man, I can't believe this. We thought--"
Perry cleared his throat warningly.
"Uh, we just didn't know where you were," Jimmy settled for.
"Son, are you okay?" Perry asked, looking as if he were trying to hide just how concerned he actually was.
"Yeah, Chief. I'll be okay. I can't really move much. I feel like I've been run over by a heavy locomotive, but other than that--"
"You really don't remember what happened to you?" Perry asked.
Clark looked at Lois, who smiled sheepishly in the corner of the room, shrugging her shoulders.
"Not a thing," Clark said, looking back at Perry. "I... hit my head."
"Yeah, Lois said that. Boy, you sure do have a sensitive head and a sensitive memory. Not more than two months ago, you had a full fledged case of amnesia. At least this time, you are only forgetting what happened. And it's probably not something you'd want to remember anyway," Perry said, looking a little shaken saying that last sentence.
"You got that right," Clark said quietly, remembering what did happen and thinking about how he wished he could forget it.
"You gonna be okay, CK?" Jimmy asked, also looking a little nervous.
"I'll be fine. That's great about the Planet. Finding out things like that gives me more energy than I actually have."
"Shouldn't you be at, like, a hospital?" Jimmy asked.
"The doctor is doing house calls and said he would be just fine here," Lois offered.
"Oh, good, so you've seen a doctor then," Perry said.
"Yeah, Chief. Don't worry about me," Clark said.
"Clark, you were in Lex Luthor's care for a little while, well, we assume you were, and now you show up and can barely sit up and you hit your head so hard you don't remember what happened. Until you're back to your old self, we're gonna worry," Perry said.
Clark smiled at his two friends. "Well when you put it that way," he said.
He looked at Lois, noticing her appreciative smile at Perry and Jimmy too. Excitement coursed through him as he realized the four of them were together again, and soon, things would be back to normal, and they'd be meeting in the conference room at the Daily Planet again.
Clark heard the door to his apartment open and voices talking.
"That's probably your parents and Jack back with the groceries," Lois said. She walked out of the room, leaving Clark alone with Perry and Jimmy.
"Clark, you know what happened, don't you?" Perry asked. At Clark's confused expression, he continued. "Lois called off the wedding for one thing."
"We interrupted it with all the evidence against him to put him away forever, and she had already called it off anyway!" Jimmy added excitedly.
"Yeah, I heard that, about Lois," Clark said, smiling at that thought once again. "So the investigation worked?" he asked.
"All that hard work, all that digging and running on almost nothing but instinct and hatred worked. We had EVERYTHING on him!" Perry said happily. "Boy, you should have seen the look on his face when we busted into the church to stop the wedding. He wanted us to get the President on the phone. He was thrown so far off that he tried to pretend that with the thousands of crimes we had not only linked him to but proved he was behind, the president would do anything for him."
Clark chuckled.
"Son, you drove that investigation. It was your idea, mostly, and your adrenaline and attitude drove us all, even when it seemed impossible," Perry said sincerely.
"If he hadn't gone and gotten himself killed, he would be spending three eternities behind bars. In a cage, practically," Jimmy added.
Clark shuddered slightly at that word. Cage. He had been locked in a cage and the feeling of helplessness and being completely trapped still scared him.
"--which reminds me," Jimmy continued. "Have you heard about... about Superman?"
"Jimmy," Perry said, warningly.
"It's okay, Chief. I did hear," Clark said, wondering what he could say to relieve them of this other worry they had. "Actually, there's some news about that."
"News?" Jimmy asked, clearly confused.
"Yes. It seems Superman's body is gone. Now, no one knows the details and this is being kept quiet. I'm telling you because you're friends of his, too. I am not sure what it means that his body is gone. I don't know if he's gone for good, or if he somehow escaped the hospital and went somewhere else to recover. I don't know... But I like to think he may be coming back," Clark said, smiling a small, sincere smile.
"I want to think that too," Lois said.
Clark looked over to see Lois, Jack and his parents standing in the doorway, with looks of approval on their faces. He had managed to keep his secret safe, yet try to relieve some of the worries of his two friends, who had been there for him, their love for him and faith in him a huge part of what ended up saving him and returning him to this life.
"He's gone from the hospital? Well obviously he's awake and recuperating somewhere!" Perry said enthusiastically. "I did not become editor in chief of the Daily Planet because I know how to yodel. Now hear me! I know a miracle when I see one! I'd stake my reputation on the fact that Superman is alive and getting better; getting ready to come back to us."
"I'd like to think so, too, Chief," Clark said.
"Superman might be coming back... from the dead?" Jimmy said wistfully, looking full of hero-envy. "He really is a superhero. I mean... that's amazing."
"It sure is," Martha said.
"It sure is," Lois said, tears in her smiling eyes.
*******************
*******************
Lois said goodnight to the Kents and Jack, as they took off for yet another night at her apartment, leaving her alone with Clark again.
Clark had fallen asleep when Perry and Jimmy had started making small talk with her, Jack and the Kents once they'd noticed their presence in Clark's bedroom. When everyone realized that he'd dozed off, they moved their conversation quietly and quickly to the living room. Perry and Jimmy stayed through dinner, which Martha cooked up. Bernie had said that Clark probably wouldn't be able to eat yet, but to try to get him to eat toast at least, which he'd had when he woke up, thanks to Jack. She'd spent two hours with her friends, while Clark slept peacefully in the next room over.
Perry and Jimmy definitely seemed more at ease than they had seemed when she saw them at Clark's apartment two nights before. She was glad to know that they had all managed to give them the peace of mind they themselves had. Just because Perry and Jimmy didn't know Clark's secret did not mean that she couldn't find another way to let them know that everything would be okay. That Clark was safe and Superman was... well, possibly able to come back.
Lois stood in Clark's doorway, watching him sleep. He still had his glasses on, she realized with a loving smile. It scared her to realize that she had never loved anyone as much as she loved this man. She also realized that she owed some greater power big time, first for bringing him into her life and then again for keeping him in it right now.
She realized she could stay like this all night and be happy. Just standing in his doorway, watching him sleep. Watching him breathe...
In...
Out...
In...
She loved him so much. As much as the power of that love scared her, it made her feel so safe as well. And she'd never felt that before. Scared, safe, ready to take huge risks gladly. It was... amazing.
"Did I fall asleep?" Clark asked, groggily. "I tried to stay awake for them."
"Yeah, you fell asleep. It's okay. I think they understood. You need your rest, remember?" Lois said softly, walking into the bedroom.
"How long was I out?" he asked, watching her approach.
"About three hours," she answered, taking a seat on his bed, by his side.
"Are you 'babysitting' again tonight?" he asked coyly.
"Yes I am. No funny business," she joked back.
"I'll try," he said, smiling at her. "So... I guess you are fully in this world now. Covering up, lying..."
"It isn't lying, Clark, it's protecting. You protect me; you protect everyone! And the instinct to protect you is just so strong. Even when I was so mad at you, when I first found out, my instinct to protect you and the secret outweighed my anger. I never contemplated telling ANYONE. I couldn't."
"I know. I always knew you would be the woman I know you are, if you ever found out for yourself about me. You're a good person and loyal to your friends. I always knew you'd be seething mad... and protect the secret with all your might anyway."
"Well, you are right about that, Clark. The seething madness and the protection of you," Lois said.
"I'm glad you see it that way too... as protection and not lying. To keep any sanity and not feel horrible all the time, I have to tell myself that that is all it is. I stand for truth and justice, after all. If anyone knew how often I lied, I would be so ashamed. So to hear you say that... it's nice," he said. He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Lois, I know you may not want to know this, but... I... I think you should know."
"What is it, Clark?"
He looked at her seriously for a moment, his eyes searching hers. Then he smiled a small smile... the kind of smile that seemed reserved just for her.
"I love you, Lois. I know I told you that I didn't love you that way, but... but I do. After everything that happened, I thought you needed to know it."
"Clark, you did tell me that. Superman told me he couldn't believe I loved him under the circumstances. And I think I see what he... what you... meant. Although, I have to say, I wasn't sure you still did."
"How could I ever stop loving you?" he asked, his voice an emotional, teary whisper.
"I turned you down for your hero in tights. I crushed you and made your worst nightmare a reality."
"Actually Lex Luthor did that. In more ways than one," he said.
"You know what I mean. I am so sorry for what I said to you, Clark. I'm sorry for what I said BOTH times."
"Lois, I understood why you said it and forgave that long ago. I need to ask your forgiveness for what I said. Lois, when you told me... Superman... that you loved me... I was rude. I am so sorry."
"Clark, I understood why you said that and forgave YOU long ago. I guess we both forgave each other our demons but just needed to say it," Lois said, running the backs of her fingers along his cheek. "I love you, Clark. I have always loved you. I was just... a lunkhead," she said, shrugging.
"Oh! Were you? I like that, and may have to call you that from time to time, when you slack off at work or something," he said, smiling.
"You were a huge lunkhead too, Clark! Going to Lex's cellar because you got a message about me from Mrs. Horrible Cox!"
"You really did put all the pieces about me together, down to every last detail, while I was out," he said, shaking his head. Then after a moment he smiled again, seeming embarrassed almost. "You... you really love me, Lois?"
"Clark... I've never loved anyone as much as I love you. I know that more than I've ever known anything in my life."
"I've wanted to hear you say those words so much, ever since I met you," he admitted, shyly.
"Sorry it took me so long," she said, bending down to kiss him gently.
She felt the fireworks immediately... within her, within him, around them. Kissing him was just so... right. When she had kissed him the last two times, something was missing. He was not kissing her back. He couldn't. Now, though, he was alive, awake, and kissing her back, allowing her to see the secrets in his heart and soul, and looking into the secrets in hers as well. His kiss was... love. His love. It was stronger than anything she
had ever felt before. It was beautiful. The kiss was gentle, full of compassion and love and respect, but laced also with touches of passion and quiet desperation, after everything they'd gone through to get to this place. She placed both of her hands on his cheeks, continuing to gently explore him this way... explore his mouth and his tongue and his kiss.
Loving Clark, knowing he loved her too, and kissing him... it was like part of HER had been lying in a deep coma and had finally awoken, had finally found this... this beauty and this LIFE.
She had never felt more alive...
***********************
***********************
Clark listened to the sound of Lois breathing beside him. She had turned out the lights, telling him he needed to go back to sleep, rest more, about twenty minutes ago. As tired as he was, he could not seem to fall right asleep. All he could do was listen to her breathing in the silence and remember that kiss. His lips still tingled, just thinking about the touch of her lips on his. It was amazing, as he always knew it would be when Lois
kissed him... knowing and loving him completely. The way he loved her. It felt right and... perfect.
Their relationship was most definitely different from the relationship they'd had before he went to Luthor's cellar, and even before that. In many ways, they still needed to find their footing in their new relationship, with her knowing about him and learning and admitting that she loved him. Everything would be different now. But they had time to figure everything out. Time to explore and grow closer. Time to be just be alive...
together...
"I love you, Lois," he whispered, very quietly, still listening to her steady breathing.
"I love you, Clark," he heard her whisper, quietly, sounding half-asleep.
He smiled.
Life really was great.
