Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Lois & Clark Fanfic Northern Lights -- Part Nine

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Part Nine

(For Tank & CCMalo)

Anna stepped out of the hairdresser’s tossing her head. She felt like a TV commercial for shampoo, and she loved it. The stylist had cut her hair just above her shoulders and layered the sides so that her thick brown hair fell loosely around her face. She ran her fingers through her hair, no hair spray for her. She gave it one final toss.

How long had it been since she was able to go with her mother to the hairdresser for a proper cut? She couldn’t recall. The only memory she had was the frustration she felt before she figured out how to use her vision, like a knife, to cut her hair. And even then she had to leave it long so her eyes could see where she wanted to cut it. She would bring the braid over her head and zap the ends straight across.

As a teen, she so wanted to wear her hair in the latest styles, but she was always stuck with the same blunt cut she put into a braid and wore almost all the time. She looked at herself in the window of the store. There she was. Her hair flowing softly around her face. She giggled at her reflection. Then she looked beyond her reflection and saw a dress. Black. Spaghetti straps. A flowing knee length skirt. Not something a police sergeant would wear to a business dinner, but then she really didn’t feel like a police sergeant today.

She wondered where she could find a piece of this Kryptonite for herself.

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"You’ve been awfully quiet since you’ve come home," Lois said to Clark as he looked absently at the plate of pasta salad Lois had prepared for dinner. "It is one of the few recipes I can make successfully...and there’s very little cooking involved."

Oblivious to Lois’s comments, Clark separated the pasta from the vegetables, making neat little piles of green and red on his plate.

"Clark?" Lois asked. She was ready to question whether the honeymoon was really over when Clark became aware of her presence.

"Sorry, honey. I guess I was preoccupied."

"About?"

"Remember I said that I’d talk to Anna McLaren."

"Yes."

"So I keep mulling over how to approach her, and I’m not sure that I know what the right way would be."

Lois nodded her head.

"Like who do I go to her as...Superman or Clark?"

"Good question. What are your thoughts?"

"Superman could come swooping down at her and start talking to her. That’s the identity that she seems to be denying. Maybe if they’d talk...And then if she hasn’t figured out my identity, you’d be safe."

"I’m not worried about that, but I’d think Clark is more accessible since she doesn’t have a super-persona."

"But are you sure she’s made the connection with Clark. You say she stares at me, and she asked you if there were secrets that you never published, but what if she was just being difficult?"

"If you look at each thing she said separately, then I wouldn’t think she knew, but when you put them together...well, I think she’s on to you. When I told her about you being killed by Dillinger, she found it ‘convenient’, to use her word, that you were resurrected. Strange word in those circumstances."

"When you put it that way..."

"And she was surprised that you were the one who told me you loved me rather than the other way around."

"Why would that matter?"

"I didn’t think too much of it then, but after David came to us it made sense. If she’s Kryptonian like you, and she sees herself first as an alien, then having a relationship with a man may frighten her..."

"Or she may think it’s impossible."

"Exactly. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but David is crazy about her and she keeps pushing him away....but, if you watch her carefully, she’s not immune to his advances."

"Like someone else we might know?"

Lois rolled her eyes. "I don’t know what you’re talking about," she whispered innocently. "Anyway, she probably thinks that, as a Kryptonian, she can’t have a relationship with an earth guy..."

"Until you started telling her about us."

"Yes!"

"So, it makes perfect sense to me."

"What does?"

"You’ve started talking to her, why don’t you make the first approach? Non-threatening. Woman to woman. Talk to her about David."

"I’m not good at playing best friend and confidante."

"Actually, my love, you’re very good at," he said and kissed her.

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David couldn’t believe the telephone message. Anna’s voice. "If you’re interested in joining me for dinner, call."

Of course he had called. In fact, the speed with which he’d picked up the receiver could have rivalled Superman. Even if he would have had another engagement, he would have broken it to be with Anna, and seeing her now, sitting across from him, her hair flowing softly around her face, the very sexy black dress and those strappy high-heeled sandals...Wow! There was no where else he would rather be.

When he had learned she hadn’t made a reservation, he phoned Lois Lane at the Daily Planet. He had tried to sound casual, but he knew he hadn’t been successful when, after asking for a nice restaurant for dinner, Lois had asked, with a light chuckle, whether he was looking for something ‘romantic’. Lois’s tone of voice definitely suggested she knew his mission that night was to woo Anna McLaren. She had steered him to Angelina’s, where, she told him, she and Clark had had their first real date. She had promised him that the place was magical.

Several hours later, dressed as nicely as possible, considering he was not at home, he had waited for Anna in the lobby listening for the elevator’s ding, hoping Anna would come out of the sliding doors. Surprisingly, as excited as he was to see her, he couldn’t help staring at an extraordinarily beautiful woman who exited the elevator. She had checked the lobby over before walking over to him. It took him a few seconds to realize that the beautiful woman was Anna, and she was standing in front of him.

"Wow!" he had said.

To his amazement and delight, Anna had burst into giggles.

"What did you do to your hair?"

Anna fluffed her hair. "I went to a stylist. Do you like it?"

"Looks good." He had paused and slipped his fingers through a lock. "You look beautiful."

Anna had shifted shyly, unable to meet his eyes, but David was more than a little surprised when she hadn’t pushed him away. Still, he would have to move very slowly . If what he thought was happening was actually happening, he certainly didn’t want to spook her. "You ready to go?" he had asked, allowing his hand to fall back to his side. Then, he offered her his arm. He smiled when, after hesitating only slightly, she slipped her arm through his, and they headed out of the hotel.

It wasn’t long before he was sliding in beside Anna who was already sitting on the semi-circular bench. They sat side-by-side in the dimly lit restaurant Lois had recommended. She had been right. The place was magical. The maitre d’ had seated them at a quiet table away from most of the other dinners. They were able to speak quietly without having to hear other conversations. Around them, people were enjoying their dinners, but David could only see the woman beside him who, surprisingly, was more relaxed than he’d ever seen her before.

"So, you finally gave in."

"Gave in? What do you mean?" she asked.

"We’re on a date, just you and me."

Anna looked at the other couples enjoying their meals. "Not really. This isn’t a date. It’s dinner."

"Right. Dinner," David said, keeping just a smidgen of doubt in his voice.

"Exactly. Two friends..."

He revelled in the playfulness in her voice.

"So we’re friends now. That’s up a notch..."

"Acquaintances. Two acquaintances."

"I like friends better." David decided to be brave. He placed his hand on top of Anna’s. When she didn’t pull back, he gently enfolded her fingers in his.

"Anna..."

"You know, this wine tastes different than other wines. It has a tingle to it I’ve never felt before. Makes me feel a bit light-headed. I wonder if it’s because we’re in a different city..."

Anna’s chatter didn’t register on David who was only aware that Anna hadn’t moved her hand. With his other hand, he ran his fingers through her hair, then rested his palm on her cheek.

"Thank you for inviting me to dinner," he said.

"Not a problem," Anna said, "I had this new hair-do and new dress and I didn’t want to waste them sitting in my room or going out to dinner alone and you were the only one in town who I really know so it seemed like the obvious thing to do and I knew you could make yourself look decent..."

"Like a date."

Anna rolled her eyes.

"Anna, I want to date you. I like you. A lot. There’s something that happens to me when I’m with you that’s so special. Why have you been fighting me so much?"

Her excited smile turned down a bit as she gazed at the bread basket in front of her. She removed her hand from his and reached for a roll in the basket. "David, it’s complicated."

"Life is complicated, but if we talk about it, unravel it, I’m sure it will make sense."

"Not now, David. Not here. Let’s just enjoy dinner." She put a piece of bread in her mouth. "Mmm, it’s warm."

As if the waiter had sensed the change in mood, he arrived at the table and placed their dinners in front of them and refilled their wine glasses before he left.

David wanted the easygoing Anna back. Once they tasted their entrees and commented on the luscious meal, Anna started chattering about her foray into Metropolis’s shopping district. She giggled as she told him about her hair-cut and about her reaction every time she saw herself in a mirror.

****************

Bill Henderson knocked on the door of the small bungalow on a modest street in eastern Metropolis. The address, as well as New Troy license plate number 324 AXY, belonged to Paul Simmons, a teacher at the local elementary school. Henderson was hoping that Simmons had some answers about the license plate that would link Jeremy Hamilton to the Honda Civic which had crossed the border just ahead of Vic Newbury’s Jeep. Hamilton’s wallet, which they found in the gym bag containing the license plate and the shovel in Newbury’s car was a good piece of evidence, but he’d like more.

A man in his early thirties answered the door. When Henderson flashed his badge, the man walked onto porch.

"Inspector William Henderson, MPD, Homicide."

The man looked puzzled. "How can I help you, Inspector?"

Henderson opened his notebook. "Do you own a Honda Civic with license plate number 324 AXY?"

"I did. Sold it about eight months ago."

"Do remember the exact date?"

"Not exactly, but it was early October, last year. I’d been in a bad accident, still having trouble with my leg, and the car got wrecked. The motor was okay, but my wife felt the car was jinxed so I advertised to sell it. Someone came and bought it.

"Do you remember who?"

"I have his name written down. Come in and I’ll look for it."

Simmons led Henderson into the kitchen, offering him a seat while he looked through papers in a drawer. While he looked, Simmons talked.

"I’d had a number of small accidents in the Honda and my wife kept saying it was jinxed. After the last accident, I couldn’t argue with her. This guy called me up the day the ad came out. He asked to see the car. It didn’t bother him that the body looked like the day after demolition derby. He didn’t seem to know about cars much, but trusted that the engine was fine. No, not in this drawer. Hold on a sec."

Simmons went to the kitchen entrance and called, "Honey, do you know where I put the papers I had in the kitchen drawer are?"

"In the filing cabinet in your office," a voice called back.

Simmons excused himself and returned within a minute.

"Here it is. Jeremy Hamilton and his phone number." He handed the card to Henderson. Taking a step back, remembering, Simmons said, "Jeremy Hamilton. Isn’t that the guy who was killed in Canada? I read about it in the paper, but I didn’t make the connection..." Simmons stood opened mouthed looking at the card in Henderson’s hand.

Henderson glanced at the paper. "Did you write this or did Hamilton?"

"He did."

"Why was the license plate still in your name?"

"I don’t know. He asked if I would mind letting him use the plates for the week-end and he would register the plates on Monday. I hadn’t heard anything, but I assumed he would."

"He probably didn’t get a chance."

"This is awful. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Tell me about what happened when Hamilton came for the car."

In the end, Henderson hadn’t learned anything new about Hamilton except for his state of mind, agitated and in a hurry to purchase the car. When Henderson left the Simmons’ home, he had another connection to build a case on. He could go home for dinner now.


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Anna couldn’t believe she had been talking so much. The meal had been first class, the taste of the chicken piquante still lingered on her lips. David had moved away from the uncomfortable topic of dating and talked about the difference between living in a big city and that of a small resort town. Anna, who had also grown up in Toronto, shared her experiences with him. They found they had a lot in common, crossed paths at times without meeting. They even had some acquaintances in common.

David talked about growing up as an only child while Anna babbled about growing up in a home with four brothers. She had to hold her tongue more than once not to tell him what it was like growing up with the special talents she kept hidden from everyone except her parents. For the first time in her life, she wanted to share some of who she really was with another person, to tell him what it was like to soar into the air or dive off a steep cliff into a cold lake.

She almost asked David to dance with her. She had been watching some couples swaying closely to the soft piano music. She wanted to be in David’s arms again, moving together with him, feeling his touch on her. When dinner was served, he had released her hand, and she missed his touch on her skin.

Finally, when the waiter had left with their dessert order, David stood up, took both her hands and gently tugged her to the dance floor.

"They say I’m good at this," he said as he pulled her into his arms.

"Who are they?"

"My mother..."

"And?"

"My mother."

Anna punched David’s arm lightly, but she couldn’t help smiling. "I think I have to meet this mother of yours and set her straight. She has too high an opinion of you."

David chuckled softly in her ear sending shivers up her back.

"I thought you were shorter," he said nuzzling her neck.

"I am, but tonight I’m wearing these heels."

"Sexy."

When the music ended, Anna was disappointed.

"Our dessert’s on the table," she murmured.

"I’m not ready to let go of you yet," he said as the pianist began the next melody. "Let’s just dance."

Anna’s head rested at his lip level, and she could sense David placing kisses in her hair. At the same time, she felt his left hand move higher on her back, just above where the dress plunged. His fingers traced a pattern on her bare skin. Anna never wanted to move from that position again. She couldn’t quite believe she was letting him hold her so intimately. Who knew how long her new reality would last? She was playing with fire, but then, she remembered her appeal to the powers above when she’d left the message for him to have dinner. Surely they wouldn’t punish her for forgetting who she was for one night. She pushed away her memory of the one other time she’d allowed herself to do that.

"I never want to move from here, ever," she said almost to herself. Anna looked up at David who was grinning broadly.

"Me neither."

She saw the grin disappear slowly as his lips pursed. He slowly leaned forward.

Ohmygod, Anna thought, he’s going to kiss me. "Dessert," she said. "It’s on the table. Let’s eat." She stepped out of his arms and headed for the table.

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tbc