What A Husband Should Be 5/?...
Continued...
Lois was a couple of hours into the flight back to Metropolis as she continued to think about Clark. She felt really sorry for him today. She would make sure that he got back home. A few times, Lois started to wonder did she dismiss Clark’s feelings too soon. Clark had never been anything but accommodating to Lois. And he loved her in spite of her shortcomings. Clark pouring his heart out to Lois, yet again, right before they headed to the airport made Lois start to wonder if three could be an “us” with Clark. Then that proposal. Should she have accepted it? It was the most emotional thing that anyone had ever said to her. She did love Clark, but like a brother. Was that enough? Could she love him in that different way that he wanted her to love him? Was he right? Was she really or not in love with Lex?
Lois found herself pondering these questions almost all the way back to Metropolis.
Clark had made it back to his hotel. He really just didn’t feel like doing anything. It was as if all of the life had been sucked out of him. He went to the bedroom and sat on the side of the bed. He could smell Lois’ scent where she had been on the bed. He picked up the pillow that she had slept on the night before and inhaled the scent of her shampoo. Before he knew it tears had started to roll down his cheeks. After ineffectively trying to stop the tears, Clark gave in to them and started to sob. He wasn’t sobbing because he was stuck in Japan. He was sobbing because the woman that he loved more than life itself was gone forever, to another man’s bed, and he would never again have the chance to have her.
Sleep must have overtaken Clark at some point because hours later, he awakened still holding that pillow. He looked outside and it was dark. He looked at the clock and it read 9 o’clock pm.
Clark figured it to be about 6 o’clock am in Smallville and his parents would be up early to tend the farm, so he called.
“Hello…Mom…”
“Jonathan, pick up the other phone. It’s Clark! How are you, honey?”
“Lois went back to Metropolis, today. She going to do it Mom…she’s going to marry Luthor. I tried to…I asked her if she loved him. She couldn’t really give me a straight answer. She was anxious to get back to him, to marry him.”
“Oh, honey I’m sorry. Maybe she doesn’t know how you really…”
“Yes, Mom. I told her how much I love her…again…asked her to marry me, but she just doesn’t feel the same way. She didn’t really even answer. She just said she had to get back to Metropolis. I thought at least she knows me, unlike Luthor, and we were best friends…but…”
“How do you know that she doesn’t know Lex. I mean she did date him, right?”
“How could she know him and still marry him, Mom? She can’t really know him. And obviously our friendship wasn’t that important to her either because she ran back to marry him. I don’t even know when I’ll be able to come back to the US. Maybe I should just stay here. Maybe that’s my sign.”
Clark proceeded to tell his parents about the events at the embassy. He even told them about Ms. Sanders suggestion for marriage and how Lois wigged out about it. But they were sure that he would be home soon. Just a matter of red tape.
“No powers yet, honey?”
“Nothing.”
“Clark, honey, something that we’ve never told you, because it was never an issue, but we don’t actually have a birth certificate for you. There was…uh…some documentation but your actual birth, well we just didn’t know. We had Judge Lakin draw up the adoption papers and officially sign and file them, if you know what I mean, but the specifics…We told him that we found you on our doorstep, which is essentially true.”
“That means that they would have to know…”
“No, honey, not just yet. We’re working on that. Just give us s few days. You okay? Need anything?”
“No, Mom, Dad. Perry assured me that the Planet would take care of my expenses. He just has to be careful because Luthor still owns the Planet. And my savings account is probably still just sitting there. I don‘t exist but you do, Mom. I added you to my bank account, you know, just in case of an emergency, like now, so, if I need anything, I‘ll tell you how to make a withdrawal.”
“Okay, honey. Take care and call us. I love you…"
“Yea, love you son…”
“Bye, I love you guys, too.” Clark hung up.
The next day. Lois called to say that she arrived back to Metropolis safely.
“Hello.”
“Cark? It’s Lois.”
“Hi, Lois.”
“I made it back safely. You okay?”
“Yea, great.”
“I talked to Lex about getting you back home. He says that he knows the director if INS and that he has agreed to do a rush passport to get you home within a couple of weeks. He has extended his bank accounts if you need…”
“No, Lois! I don’t need anything. Perry and my parents are helping…”
“Clark! Lex is trying to help. Why are you being this way? He would never try to hurt you. He was just insecure because he thought our friendship was a threat to him.”
“Insecure, huh? Is that why you couldn’t reach him? Is that why…”
“I couldn’t reach him because he was changing some things around, numbers, important papers…for my safety, for when we’re married. He doesn’t want me to be the target of some of his disgruntled associates. Can’t you see, Clark. He’s trying to protect me. The business world is so much more dog-eat-dog than we know, Clark. He said that he would have called but he didn‘t know where we were staying…”
“Lois, Luthor owns the Planet. He’s a smart business man. He knows where every penny from the Planet goes, especially since it’s in financial trouble.“
“Clark, Lex is trying…”
“Whatever, Lois. Look I have to go. Take care of yourself.”
“Bye, Clark.”
“Bye.”
It was now Wednesday. Days passed and Clark still had no idea when he’d get home. He had not heard anything from the embassy. He talked to Perry and his parents daily. He hadn’t talked to Lois anymore, since she’d called to say that she got home and that Lex was helping. Yea, right! Lois would be getting married in three days, on Saturday. Maybe then Lex would be happy that he, Clark would be out of Lois’ life forever.
Early Thursday morning, the phone rang in Clark’s hotel room. Clark wasn’t awake until the phone rang. He bolted upright in the bed. His parents never called this early, and neither did Perry unless it was important.
“Clark Kent.”
“Hey, son. Uh, listen. I got some news. Luthor just sold the Planet to Franklin Stern. Said it would be a loss to him. Now I’m figuring that this marriage to Lois, you being stuck in Japan and this exchange of money is all tied together. Luthor doesn’t need the Planet anymore because he’s got Lois. He can control her now that she doesn’t work here anymore. She works for LNN, officially, now. Mr. Stern didn’t want to see a good newspaper’s demise, so he bought it. The closing takes place in the morning.”
“That’s great, Perry. So…?”
“Well, now I can maneuver because Luthor won’t be looking over my shoulder anymore. I’ll just explain the situation to Mr. Stern and we will probably get you home sooner.”
“Think so, Perry?”
“Yea, son, I do.”
“Thanks for calling, Perry.”
“See you soon, son.”
Clark turned over and went back off to sleep. Maybe things would be okay.
tbc…
