What a husband Should Be Part 4...continued
Lois and Clark got to the embassy. They went in and explained what happened. The embassy said that they would get to work on it. They asked for a contact number and said that they would be in touch after checking everything out. Lois and Clark then left the embassy and headed back to the hotel that they had just previously left, but to a different room. This time Lois didn’t put up too much of a fuss about having to share a room with Clark.
Just as they unpacked, again the phone rang.
“Lois, it must be the embassy. I’ll get it…Hello, Clark Kent…yes…yes…what do you mean I don’t exist. You have my social security number…Yes it is valid. I’m a journalist at the Daily Planet, Metropolis. …I have a drivers license with me…my partner Lois Lane is right here. She can vouch for me. My parents live in Smallville, Kansas…I have no siblings. Perry White is my editor at the Daily Planet. Please. Thank you…in the morning? Thanks, I‘ll see you then,” and Clark hung up.
“Lois, someone erased my whole identity. I don’t exist. This was on purpose. My bank account, my credit cards, all erased. Who…why would someone do this? This was strategically planned,” Clark sneered out between clinched teeth.
“Where is Superman when you need him? Oh, I’m sure he’s still pissed at me, too, ” Lois responded.
Clark just ignored the Superman comment.
“Had to be someone with a lot of power…” , Clark stated with expectations for a verbal attack. But instead he got a puzzled look from Lois.
Perry called back shortly after that and talked to Clark. He basically said the same thing that the embassy said and he also told Clark that he though it was the work of Lex Luthor. Clark agreed but couldn’t figure out why, since Luthor and Lois were to be married. Clark thought that maybe Luthor wanted to make sure that he didn’t interfere with the wedding.
Clark tossed and turned all night. Lois seemed to be sleeping peacefully. He begged for sleep to just overtake him and eventually much later into the early morning, it finally happened. Unfortunately, Clark was up early looking like he had not had a wink of sleep, but quickly showered and dressed and was ready to go to the embassy.
Lois listened to Clark toss and turn most of the night. He seemed so restless. A couple of times she was tempted to go to the couch and lay down beside him just to see if she could calm him, but decided against it almost as quickly. She didn’t want to send Clark the wrong signals. What happened the night before was just Clark being a good friend. Though it felt good to be held by him, they were just friends.
Lois also battled about how to tell Clark that she was going to have to leave him there because she had to get ready for her wedding. He would be upset with her but he would get over it. She could work on helping him better from Metropolis, she justified to herself. She could use her powers as Mrs. Luthor and put some fire behind the US government’s speed to get Clark back home.
“We’re sorry Mr. Kent. We believe you, but we cannot simply issue you another passport. There are formalities and I’m afraid that it’s not just a missing passport. You don’t exist according to the department of vital records,” stated Ms. Sanders of the US Embassy, a 50ish year old very elegant and well spoken Black lady.
“How long will it take to prove that I exist? At this time Lois very lightly placed her hand on Clark’s arm, a silent gesture between them telling him to calm down and that he had her support.
“I’m sorry Mr. Kent…”
“Give…” Lois interrupted.
“Six to eight weeks, at least,” Ms. Sanders very professionally stated.
“What! Have you lost your mind! Obviously you…”
“Lois...Lois…please calm down”, Clark said in a calming voice. “Ms. Sanders, is there anything else that we can do to speed up this process. We have to get back. I have a job, a life…”
“Mr. Kent are you married?” Ms. Sanders inquired.
“No we’re just partners at work…what does that have to do with anything?”
“No, Mr. Kent…to anybody? I need to know for my next suggestion.” Ms. Sanders stated with a slight smile.
“No, I’m not…you’re not suggesting that we…”
“Look Ms. Sanders, I am not marrying Clark. We’ve been through that. Anything but that. I’m going to marry Lex Luthor when I get back home. That‘s why we need to speed up this process because I‘m getting married next week. I need to be back in the US soon,” Lois started.
“The Lex Luthor…,” Ms. Sanders inquired with a raised eyebrow. “The alleged philanthropist?”
“Yes, and…what does that mean, the ‘alleged philanthropist‘. You don‘t know Lex like I do…”
“Ms. Lane, listen. I’m not going to get into my opinion of Mr. Luthor right now, but in order to speed things up you and Mr. Kent could get married and evade some of the red tape. This handsome guy can’t be that bad.”
Ms. Sanders also noted that Clark was no longer involved in the conversation, but looking down at his feet. He looked hurt ever since Lois’ outburst about not marrying him but Lex instead.
“Listen, the marriage thing is not going to happen but I’ll call Perry and just see if he can call any favors,” Lois bit back.
“Well, Ms. Lane, suit yourself. You’d be lucky if Mr. Kent would want to marry you after that outburst,” Ms. Sanders replied with some humor in her voice. She was trying to lift Clark’s dampened spirit.
Clark didn’t bring up the discussion on the way back to the hotel from the embassy. Actually, Clark hadn’t said anything. He seemed to be in deep thought, distant and separated. So Lois did, reluctantly bring up the embassy discussion.
“Clark, about what I said…”
“It’s okay Lois I understand. Lets just get back to the hotel.”
“Clark, I am sorry…I didn‘t want to bring this up just now with everything going on, but I cannot stay here with you indefinitely. I’m getting married and I have to go back home. I’ll make sure that Perry and your parents stay on top of things. I mean you are my best friend and I love you and I’m going to do all I can to get you back home. Maybe I could even contact Superman, somehow, to help. Maybe he wont take out his anger on you because of our differences. I know that Lex can pull some strings if I could only get in touch with him.”
Clark just gazed at Lois.
“The Planet is going to cover my expenses. Please, don’t put yourself out, Lois. I’ll be okay. Just…let me help you get your things so that you can catch the next plane to Metropolis. Wouldn’t want you to miss your wedding to the biggest criminal in Metropolis,” Clark grated out.
“Clark I don’t want to argue with you. Just don’t go there. I’m truly sorry that I am not in love with you. I really am. But that doesn’t give you the right to slander Lex just because I’m going to marry him,” Lois bit out. “And what…are you jealous? Because if you…"
“What, jealous? Right! Can we just finish this inside? I know that you don’t love me and don’t want to be with me but I don’t want to lose the last of my preserved pride by allowing the rest of the world to know,” Clark said in a hoarse whisper.
“I’m sorry, Clark…I…”
“Let’s just get inside, Lois”.
Inside of their hotel room, Lois sat on the couch and Clark sat beside her on the couch. He was careful to keep proper distance so that Lois wouldn’t become ‘claustrophobic‘. Clark carefully placed the car keys on the table. He then took a couple of really deep breaths. <I have to do this. I have to know this now.> Clark thought. He wanted to just grab Lois and shake her. He was prepared to tell her off, to tell her to get the hell on back to Metropolis, but then he thought of another approach.
“Lois, are you in love with Luthor? I mean really in love with him,” finally looking up and into Lois’ eyes. “Do you just sit and watch him when he sleeps and unconsciously take on the same breathing rhythm? Do you pray that he loves you just a fraction of the amount you love him because that is so much that it’s more than you thought could be possible? Do you pray for his safety because its more important to you than your own safety? Do you want him to be the first person you see in the morning when you wake up and the last just before you close your eyes for sleep at night? Do you want him to be the father of your children? Can you…can you make love with him, open yourself to him and share your most intimate emotions without feeling violated or used or ashamed to let yourself go while you’re with him? That’s what I mean when I ask are you in love with him,” Clark recited.
“I…well…”
“Yes or no, Lois. Simple as that.”
“No…I’m not in-love with him but I guess I care about him,” Lois struggled to get out. “Anyway, nobody loves like that…what you said. You’ve been reading a very unrealistic trashy romance novel.”
“You say that you care about me, Lois,” Clark replied sadly.
“Well, I do, Clark. You’re my best friend and…”
“Do you think he is in love with you?”
“Yes, of course. Why else would he ask me to marry him? That was a really dumb question, Clark,” Lois announced in her most pompous tone.
“Was it, Lois? Why hasn’t he tried to call you, to find you? If I were Luthor, I’d be nuts now trying to find you and get you back to me. I think for whatever sick reason, he is behind this…”
“Clark, don’t you…”
“No, Lois let me finish.”
Clark gently grabbed Lois’ hands and said in his most endearing tone, “Lois, I know that you’re not in love with me but I am in love with you. For the life of me, I cannot understand why you chose Luthor over me. What besides money does he have that I don’t? You said that nobody loves like that…like the way I just said, but you’re wrong. I love you that way. You are the most beautiful thing in the world to me. I’ve prayed since I’ve met you for you to fall in love with me as I am with you and we could be together. I know that you don’t trust easily, but I feel like I have one up on the next guy…we have trust and friendship…you’re my best friend. The other night when I held you all night, it was the most wonderful night of my life. I would never hurt you, never make you cry, never make you worry, intentionally. I don’t have much material stuff or money but what I have is yours, too. I’d take care of you the best that I know how. I can promise you that you’d never need anything. But I cannot promise you worldly riches. The one thing that I do have, in excess, is love for you and that I can give you more of than any other man can, more than you ever though could be possible. I wouldn’t try to change you or take away your independence because that’s what makes you you. Lois, please be my wife. Marry me. I‘m not just asking so I can get home. I‘m asking for forever, Lois.”
Kissing Lois’ knuckles, Clark noticed tears start to fall down Lois’ cheeks. Again, Clark had laid his feelings on the line, out in the open, and again, Lois trampled all over them.
“Clark, I’m sorry…I have to go home,” Lois let out in a hoarse whisper. “I’m getting married. Just love me enough to be happy for me. I do pray that one day you’ll find happiness, a wife, children, because you deserve that. I pray that you find the wife who will love you, dote on you, have a little white house with a picket fence, a wife who will make passionate love to you until you’re both just exhausted, one who will want to have lots of babies with you. I know that you will be a good father and a good husband.”
“Yea,” Clark whispered, looking away and finally letting go of Lois‘ hands.
“Please, Clark, there is a flight leaving this evening in a couple of hours. I have to go,” Lois said with pleading eyes.
“Okay, let’s go,” Clark replied without ever looking up in Lois’ face. Clark grabbed Lois’ bags and out the door they went to the airport.
Clark got Lois to the airport and again through immigration, customs and agriculture. They checked in her luggage and then went to sit at the gate where her plane was leaving from. They sat most of the time in silence. When Lois heard the first boarding call for her flight, she turned to look at Clark.
“Clark, I’ll call as soon as I get back to my place. I promise that we’ll get you back as soon as possible. I only regret that you won’t be at my wedding.”
Clark didn’t say anything. He just stood up, slouched his shoulders, looked down and stuck his hands in his pockets. Finally after the second boarding call, Clark spoke.
“See you Lois,” as he reached up, cradled her face and kissed her on the forehead. Then he turned to walk away. Lois first stared behind Clark as he walked away, but the final boarding call made her turn and board her plane.
Clark got into the rental car and headed back to the hotel. He was trying to rationalize within himself why Lois wanted Luthor instead of him. What, besides lots of money, did Luthor have that he didn’t? At least he felt that he and Lois knew each other, and Lois and Luthor didn’t. Before Clark knew it, he was back at his hotel.
tbc...
