Super Friends 11/?
Continued...
Clark couldn’t stand himself for what he had done to Lois. Truly she was never going to be the same after this. She trusted him and he hurt her, just like Paul did.
Clark had been flying around aimlessly for hours, thinking. Somehow though, he ended up in Smallville.
Lois finally dropped to her knees sobbing. She didn’t know what to do. Clark had pursued her and she had fallen in love with him after she thought that she would never love again. Why didn’t she stick to her guns and not attempt another relationship. Tonight would likely be the beginning of many months of her crying herself to sleep again after a five-month dry run.
Lois began to think that just like Paul, Clark never loved her. He was just playing those country boy manners until he got inside of her defenses only to break her heart, again. Maybe since she hadn’t shown any signs of wanting to start a sexual relationship with him, like Paul, he’d bailed and this Bay operation thing was just convenient. But she had to say that at least he bailed in six months rather than almost two years. At least he didn’t waste that much of her time.
Martha saw Clark’s expression as he came in from the porch.
“Honey, what’s wrong?”
“I broke up with Lois, Mom.”
“You what?” Surely Martha thought she hadn’t heard Clark right. “What happened? You have a fight…”
“No, Mom. It’s just too dangerous for her, the stuff that Superman is involved with now. I just couldn’t take it if…”
“Clark, honey, I really think you should have thought this through. Did you discuss this with her…hear what she wants to do? Do you have any idea what this is probably doing to her right now, especially after what you said about her previous relationship and her trust issues.”
“No, Mom, I just told her that I love her but I thought it was too dangerous for us to be together,” Clark revealed, just above a whisper with tears threatening again. “I hurt her, again Mom, after I promised her that I wouldn’t.”
Martha just hugged her boy to her chest as he shook with sobs. This was the start of the healing process though she knew that the best this wound would get would be a bandage. She knew that Clark would never get over Lois.
“Clark, I’m not trying to tell you what to do but I think you should go find her and talk to her. I know that she loves you and well you’ve just got to trust her to make her own decisions, honey.”
“Mom, I want to but I just can’t right now. There are hard criminals out there who will use her to get to me.”
Martha realized that Clark was going to have to come to an understanding on his own terms because regardless of what she said, he was not thinking rationally. He didn’t seem to see that even if they weren’t together, he’d still try to protect her, love her and worry about her. Nothing else would change.
For the next couple of weeks, Lois just moped around her apartment. She went to school and work and back home. Clark would occasionally catch a glimpse of her in her comings and goings. She looked so sad, even sadder than when he’d first met her. She looked pale and unhealthy. He knew that she wasn’t sleeping well because he would hear her at night in the shower crying. Her crying would continue once she got to bed until she would finally doze off to a restless sleep, just as she had when he first met her. The last cognitive verbalization that Lois would make every night before finally succumbing to her nightmares was, ’I love you, Clark’. He would hear her every time. Somehow, he thought she knew that he would hear her declaration. Witnessing this was slowly killing Clark.
Lois thought that if she could just avoid seeing Clark, she would get over him faster. If she saw him before he saw her she would make a quick detour. She just didn’t feel that she could face him right now. She painted her face every morning with makeup to hide the dark circles under her eyes and the tear streaked evidence of her nightly crying.
May had come around pretty fast and the semester was winding down, thankfully for Lois’ sake. She really needed this break from school. She and Clark had been broken up for a month and had managed to not see each other except at a distance. Clark would be graduating from his residency in August. Though he and Lois had never talked about it, she figured that he would be going back to Kansas where there would surely be lots of business for him. Once he left it would be a lot easier to get over him.
Clark still watched over Lois. He made sure that she was always safe. He had started to do his surgical rotation at GGH and would have a more probable chance of running into her. He braced himself daily for his course of action if he did.
Clark was trying desperately to get through his surgical rotation. He was pretty much in a mechanical state except when he was watching over Lois. The mechanical state helped to keep his emotions under control.
On one occasion during Clark’s routine walk to GGH, he heard her…her heartbeat. He looked up and there she was, Lois at a distance where he could see and hear her but she couldn’t see him. Another young man approached her as she walked down the stairs at the hospital’s entrance. Clark wasn’t sure about this guy so he tuned in his super hearing.
“Hi, Lois? Right?“ David asked as he and Lois were approaching each other’s paths.
“Yes. Hi…” Lois returned. She was carrying books in her arms as she walked.
“David.”
Lois just stared at him. David then gently touched her arm and Lois very abruptly withdrew from his touch, hugging her books tighter to her chest, and then looking away from him.
“Um…you’re in my assessment class, Lois, and I was going to ask you if I could get your notes from yesterday for the final. You see, my wife had the baby two days ago and I missed class, you know, to be with her. And, well, I just wondered…”
“Oh, yes. Here you go…” Lois said reaching into her notebook.
“I’ll just copy them and bring them back to you in the…Peds ICU right?’
“Yes.”
“Thanks, Lois. You’re a life saver.”
“Sure. Oh and congratulations, David, on your new baby.”
“Thanks.”
Clark heard the conversation and saw Lois’ body language and cringed. He had done that to her.
Lois knew that Bruce and Vicky’s baby was due at the end of June so it really surprised her when she got a call from Vicky on June 8th to say that she and Bruce had a new baby boy. She had asked Lois to stop by her hospital room whenever she got a chance to. Lois agreed.
Lois walked into Vicky’s hospital suite after knocking. When she walked in there was Vicky holding little Thomas Bruce Wayne who weighed in at 6lb 8oz. He was a beautiful dark haired bright-eyed baby who seemed so full of life. Vicky had just finished nursing him. Bruce sat on the edge of the bed, clearly a proud father.
Lois walked over to the bed and hugged Vicky. She hadn’t seen her in a couple of months. She had called her occasionally to see if she was okay but had not told her about Clark. It just didn’t feel right to burden Vicky with her life’s problems during her pregnancy.
“Congratulations you two. He’s beautiful,” Lois said to Vicky.
“Just like his mother.” Bruce interjected.
Vicky just smiled.
Lois sat and she and Vicky talked and laughed. Vicky and Bruce could clearly tell that there was something going on because Lois’ heart wasn’t in the conversation. Bruce and Vicky exchanged knowing glances.
Vicky would take a stab at it.
“Want to talk about it?”
“Talk about what,” Lois asked innocently.
“What’s troubling you? You’re just not…not right.”
“No…nothing,” Lois responded flatly.
“How is Clark?”
With that question, Lois looked first at Bruce then at Vicky and her eyes started to tear. Vicky thought, “Bingo!”
“I haven’t talked to Clark in about six weeks. He…he bbbroke up with me."
“He what!” Bruce yelled. “Why?”
“I can’t Bruce. I can’t…”
Vicky just looked perplexed. What Lois didn’t know is that Vicky had figured out while talking to Bruce one night that Clark was Superman. Bruce had neither acknowledged it nor denied it. Vicky thought along the lines that Superman had something to do with their breakup. Vicky gave Bruce that knowing look that she would give him to indicate that she’d discuss it with him later. Bruce gave Vicky a very subtle nod of understanding.
“Vicky can I hold him?” Lois asked, referring to Thomas in an attempt to divert the conversation.
“Of course you can,” Vicky assured Lois as she handed her the newest Wayne.
Lois went over to the sofa and sat down. She just looked at Thomas and smiled as she touched his little fingers and toes. She talked to him and rocked him. She promised him lots of adventure when he was older. She promised him that she would always be there to give his parents a hand when needed. Bruce gently grasped Vicky’s hand and they just smiled at Lois.
Just then there was a knock at the door. Bruce yelled, “Come in.”
Clark was surprised when Bruce called and told him that Vicky had delivered their baby. He assured Bruce that he would handle the streets tonight so that he could spend some daddy time with Vicky and Thomas. He’s also promised to stop by and see them at the hospital. He has roses for Vicky and bubble gum cigars for Bruce. He was so excited for them. Before Clark knew it he was at Vicky’s hospital room door. He knocked gently.
He heard Bruce say, “Come in.”
Clark opened the door and started into the room only to be stopped in his tracks. There to his right was Lois sitting on the couch holding little Thomas looking so mother-like. A whirlwind of emotions attacked him all at once. Lois looked so beautiful sitting there. He very easily imagined her holding their baby and being so motherly to it. And it seemed to come so natural to her. Clark could hear Lois’ heart rate speed up.
Lois looked up as Clark entered the door. She wasn’t quite sure what to do. Her heart started to race and she started to feel claustrophobic. Clark was so handsome standing there. God how she still love him so much. Just then Thomas spit up a little bit of milk and brought Lois’ attention back to the present.
Bruce and Vicky just sat and watched the exchange of looks that went between Lois and Clark. Then Clark broke the silence.
“Hi Vicky…Bruce. Congratulations,” Clark said as he shook Bruce’s hand and handed him the box of blue bubble gum cigars. “Oh, and Vicky these are for you,” He finished as he handed Vicky the dozen of blue roses and gently pecked her on the cheek.
Then almost on autopilot, Clark picked up a few baby sponges and went over to Lois on the couch and kneeled in front of her. He looked into her eyes and very softly said, “Hi,” as he helped Lois to blot away the baby’s spit up.
“Hi,” Lois responded just above a whisper. “Thank you,” Lois finished as she fixed Thomas’ blankets back and gently rested her hand on him. Clark seemingly unconsciously rested his hand on Lois’. He seemed to be preoccupied with looking at her, trying to silently will her to understand what was in his eyes.
Clark wanted Lois to see how much he loved her and missed her. He knew that his emptiness showed in his eyes. But he still thought it to be too dangerous for them to be together.
Vicky and Bruce just silently looked at each other then back at the other couple. Boy this encounter couldn’t have been any more perfect if they had planned it.
Lois shyly looked away from Clark and started fidgeting. She started to stand and Clark stood too to help her balance with the baby in her arms. He put his arm around her waist.
“Guys, I’ve really got to get back to work. I just took a little break.” Lois preceded in Vicky’s direction to hand her back the baby. But Clark reached out beside her and said, “Here, I’ll take him.” Lois passed Thomas off.
“Vicky, Bruce, congratulations again. I’ll stop by later, okay.”
“Sure,” Vicky and Bruce said in unison. “Oh, Lois, before you go, since we’ve got the two of you here together, Vicky and I wanted to ask you two to be Thomas’ God-parents. Would you grace our lives with this simple gesture?”
Lois looked at Clark and he looked back at Lois. He gave a subtle nod of affirmation. Lois then said, “I’d be honoured.”
Clark added, “So would I.”
Lois proceeded out of the door and yelled behind her, “See you guys and congratulations again!” Clark could detect the false happiness in Lois’ departure.
When the door closed behind Lois Bruce walked over to Clark and whispered, “I’ll take Thomas. You go after her.”
Clark turned his back to Vicky and said to Bruce, “I can’t. She’s in the bathroom…crying. It’s killing me, Bruce. I can’t…” with his voice starting to crack.
Bruce decided to divert the conversation until he could talk to Clark more extensively.
“So, Clark, remember the proposition that I wanted to discuss with you that day you came to my office?”
“Yeah. What was it?”
“Well, I need a research person at Wayne Enterprises, preferably with a strong biology background. I didn’t know what your plans were for practicing after residency, but I wanted to offer you, first, the position of Director of biological research. Actually, I created the position for you, hoping that you’d stay around. And it would give you freedom…flexibility…” Bruce finished, raising his eyebrows in an emphasizing motion. “$350,000 per year…”
“Bruce, the money doesn’t…”
“I know Clark. I just wanted it to be worth your while, make it comparable to what you’d make in private practice…”
“Yeah, if I were in Hollywood.”
“What will it take?”
“Well, I thought of going back to Metropolis with Lois when she graduates, but since…” Clark emphasized with a wave of his hand.
“I could use you at the Metropolis office if you’d prefer.”
Clark first sighed as if in deep thought then said, “Okay, Bruce, it’s a deal,” Clark said as he shook Bruce’s hand. “Thank you for thinking of me.”
“Clark, you’ve been a great friend, one of three people that I trust completely. I know you wont let me down.”
Clark stayed around for another half hour or so and then left. Bruce could tell that he was still very confused about the Lois situation.
Late into the night after Vicky was asleep, Bruce left the hospital briefly. Batman had someone to see.
Superman was sitting on the Statue of Colossus that stood in the center of Gotham Park. He had his cape wrapped around him, clearly in deep thought. Clark was not aware of someone approaching him. Then a familiar baritone voice stole his attention from his thoughts.
“My best friend once told me, ‘She’s an adult. Try her and let her make her own decisions.’”
“I know that she still loves me and I love her but I’ve hurt her so badly, for so long. She’d never give me another chance now.”
“You’ll never know unless to go after her. She was hurting today. You were so close, but so far…I’m learning from Vicky,” Bruce finished humorously.
Clark giggled a little.
“From what I know about Lois, she’s going to have her defenses up for a while but you’ve got to show her that you’re in it for the long haul,” Bruce said as he patted Clark on the shoulder.
Clark sighed then said, “It’s too late tonight. I’ll talk to her tomorrow. Thanks, man.”
“Just a friend trying to help a friend…”
Clark turned to shake Bruce’s hand but he was gone. Clark just giggled to himself. There it was. He’d find Lois tomorrow and apologize to her for causing her so much pain. He would tell her how much he loved her and missed her and wanted her back in his life forever.
tbc...
