Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Lois & Clark Fanfic Hearts United, part 4

Hearts United ( Table of Contents )
part 4
by Pam Jernigan

****

Gwen Porter looked around the seedy bar and suppressed a shudder. It was for moments like this that she had invested in a small handgun. The place was filthy, badly lit, and smelled strongly of spilled alcohol and stale tobacco. She tried to breathe shallowly and mentally cursed Trask again. She moved forwards, gingerly stepping around chairs, tiny tables, and the occasional debris on the floor, and wincing as the bottoms of her shoes got progressively stickier.

Her target was in one of the back corners, a noisy group of six or eight people. She could just make out Kari's face, which looked faintly green in the uncertain lighting. She angled around to her side of the table, then spoke. "Excuse me. Have I found the UFO meeting?"

The people, mostly men, around the table looked up at her in varying degrees of suspicion and hostility. Kari seemed dumbfounded. "Yeah, that's us... Dr. Porter, what are you doing here?"

A very good question, she thought bitterly. "May I join you?"

"Yeah!" Kari jumped to her feet, an eager smile on her face, and offered her seat. "C'mon, guys, get me another chair. This is my hypno-therapist, Dr. Porter. She's been totally amazing."

After a swift doubtful glance, Gwen sat in the vacated chair. "Thank you. Yes, I'm a therapist, specializing in repressed memories, particularly those of alien abductees."

The crowd seemed at least partly impressed by this, so she continued. "I'm also investigating, shall we say, strange or inexplicable events." She pulled a pencil and a small notebook out of her bag. "I was wondering if you could tell me of anything odd that's happened in this area recently."

That seemed to open the floodgates, as nearly everyone at the table attempted to tell her things at the same time. She held up a hand. They quieted down. Some. "I do want to hear from each and every one of you. However, I cannot listen to you all at once." Turning to her right, she suggested, "Shall we begin with you, sir?"

By the uncertain look on his face, he wasn't quite sure what 'shall' meant, but apparently he'd caught the part about beginning, and started talking.

****

Lois entered her apartment with Kal close behind. "I'll have to visit the bank tomorrow," she thought aloud. "I've got a safe deposit box. The lobby opens at eight, as I recall."

"Okay," he replied, with an annoying hint of humor in his voice. "I don't mind if we have to wait a day or two."

She hung her coat in the closet then turned to stick her tongue out at him. "Yeah, go ahead, laugh it up."

"Well, you must admit it's ironic." He grinned at her. "There I am, with my identification right at hand, and we get turned away because you haven't got yours!"

"Plus there's a two day waiting period. Which won't start until tomorrow. Stupid regulations." She kicked off her shoes. "I was born right here in Metropolis -- can't they just look it up or something?"

"Apparently not."

"Well, they need to update their system." A thought struck her. "I know, they should get you to do data-entry!"

"What?"

"You'd be the fastest way." She grinned, her spirits reviving. "I can see it now -- there you are, in full Superman costume, sitting in a basement somewhere typing in old records... think they'd pay you more than minimum wage?"

He rolled his eyes at her. "I don't think we're going to find out."

"What, haven't you got any civic spirit? You'd look cute in one of those little visors."

"Laugh at me, will you?" he asked darkly. He began pacing towards her. "I'll have to teach you a lesson."

She grinned at him. No matter how menacing he was trying to look, she couldn't feel any real anger. There had been a flash of it, earlier, but none now. "And what would that be?" she challenged him, raising her chin a bit.

He pulled her into a hug. "Give me a minute. I'll think of something."

She pulled her arms free, and began running her hands over the outsides of his arms and shoulders. "While I'm waiting... think there's anything we could do to pass the time?"

"Oh, I think we can come up with something," he murmured, one side of his mouth twitching upwards.

"And then, Kal, for tonight," she said softly, "I'd really like it if you'd sleep with me, instead of on the couch."

He pulled back, frowning slightly. "Shey-ana, I really don't want--"

"We can just sleep," she hurried to reassure him, launching into the argument she'd been thinking about all day. "Like we did on your ship, that last night. I know you want to wait, and while that's frustrating I also kinda like the idea that you respect me too much to skip the formalities. But there's really no point in you looking for an apartment, because by the end of the week, God willing, we'll be married and you'd have to cancel the lease almost immediately after you signed it." His frown had faded, and she suspected he was beginning to be amused, but she'd built up too much momentum to stop now. "And I know you can afford it, what with all those diamonds and rubies you found lying around on New Krypton, but honestly, I can think of better uses for that money, and if I have anything to say about it, you're never going back to New Krypton to look for more of them, so--"

Her words were abruptly stilled as Kal's lips closed over her own. For half a second, she was upset at the interruption, but then gave that up in favor of enjoying the kiss. Long moments later, he released her, and said, "Yes."

"Yes? Yes what? That you want to wait, or that it's frustrating, or..."

He smiled warmly. "Yes to all of that. And yes, I'd love to fall asleep with you in my arms."

"Oh. Good." That had been easy. Maybe too easy. She squinted at him suspiciously. "It won't make you see me as a concubine?"

"No, Lois." He shook his head, looking almost embarrassed. "It's not -- well, let's just say that concubines are mostly there when you're awake, and then they leave. Sharing sleep is different. You're the only woman I've ever slept the whole night with."

"Really?" She pondered that for a moment, then smiled. "Okay, then. I like that."

"You like being the only woman I've slept with?" he teased.

She poked him in the chest. "I like being the only woman, period, from now on. You are *mine,* buster... and I don't share. Got that?"

"Yes, m'lady," he murmured, right before kissing her again.

****

"But before that," Kal murmured a moment later, "I think we talked about going flying..."

Her eyes lit up. "Yeah, we did -- think it's dark enough out?"

"If we wear dark clothes, and head out of town... yeah, I think so."

"Cool," she breathed. "So... what do we do?"

Kal tilted his head. "Well, I'll have to hold you, I guess."

"You guess?" She looked skeptical.

"I've never really had to think about it," he said defensively. "I tried not to use my powers much when I was here before, and I sure never took anybody with me."

"I suppose you wouldn't. Hah. There's another first for me -- your first passenger." She laughed softly. "If we go by the comics, you'd hold me in your arms, sort of in a cradling position."

He grinned. "Like this?" He swooped her up, one arm behind her back and the other beneath her knees.

"Whee! Yeah, like this." She settled her arms around his neck. "I always wondered how this would feel."

"Or how this would feel?" He levitated a few inches up off the carpet and moved them toward the window.

"Wow, it's a smooth ride. I mean, I figured it would be, but that's not the same as experiencing it..."

He stopped at the window. "Will you do the honors, m'lady?"

She grinned at him. "Certainly. But first, let me down."

Surprised, he set her back on her feet. She opened the window, then turned and hugged him, running her hands up his arms to rest on his shoulders. "I always thought it would be more fun this way."

He rubbed her back, enjoying the feel of her body against his. "Good thinking." With his arms securely around her waist, he lifted off, angled through the window, and shot upwards.

****

Gwen closed her apartment door and sighed in relief. Her first priority was to kick off her shoes, before she could track any residue of that bar onto her pristine carpets. Next, the jacket came off. She sniffed at it and scowled. She ought to bill Trask for her dry-cleaning. She walked in stocking feet to her bedroom and quickly stripped off the rest of her clothing. The lingering smell of smoke in her hair convinced her that she really needed a shower.

Twenty minutes later, she finally felt clean. Wearing her softest velvet and cashmere lounging outfit, she settled in on her couch to review her notes. She needed to organize first, and then decide which things to pass along to Trask.

She glanced at her watch, grimacing at the late hour, then set up three piles. One for first-hand experiences, another for second-hand accounts, and a third for the 'friend-of-a-friend"/urban legend type of story. That third pile should really go straight into the trash, but it was possible that Trask would want to have the notes. She intended to make no mistakes.

****

Half an hour later, they flew back in the window. Kal set them both down and released Lois. She was smiling widely, her eyes shining. "I could have done that for a few more hours."

"Let's wait 'til I have a costume, okay? Have you thought of any names for me, by the way?"

"Not really. Everything I come up with sounds silly. Krypton Man?"

He winced. "Maybe not."

"Exactly my point. Well, we might as well sleep on it."

Kal stilled, suddenly unsure. "Uh, yeah. About that..."

"I've got first dibs on the bathroom," Lois said, not quite meeting his eyes, and in no time at all, she called out, "Your turn!"

He took care of his nightly ritual, then stepped into the bedroom. He felt just a little awkward, sliding into bed next to Lois. They were both fully clad -- sleep shorts and a t-shirt for him, a pair of cotton pajamas for her -- but just the act of getting into bed together was intimate. They had shared sleep before, of course, but that hadn't been a planned thing. And sleep would be all they were sharing, no matter what his body was urging.

Lois smiled shyly, lying demurely on the other side of the bed. "Hey, you."

"Hi there." That shy look only increased his physical reaction to her, he realized ruefully.

Her eyes widened slightly. "This bond thing is going to be interesting."

After a confused moment, he realized what she meant. With very little effort, he could *feel* her welcoming reaction to him, which was intensifying his own feelings... which were probably spilling over back to her. "I love you, Lois."

"Yeah, I know." She smiled. "You're burning bright."

He looked askance at her, and she blushed.

"Oh, sorry -- it's how I think of you, in my mind. I guess it's stupid, but it's like I can see you there, as this floating, well, ball of fire, I guess. And it changes with whatever you're feeling. Like I said, it's stupid."

He smiled, sliding closer to her, and reaching out to hold her hand. "It's not stupid. At least, I hope it's not. Ever since we were on the ship, I've sensed you the same way. Except you're not fire, you're a waterfall."

She moved closer, cuddling up beside him. "A waterfall? Like Niagara Falls?"

"Not exactly... it's like this thin, shimmery curtain of water." He wasn't quite comfortable describing it aloud, but she'd already done it. And if anyone could understand and approve, it was her. "It sort of speeds up or slows down, or changes colors, like it's lit from behind, depending on what you're feeling." He hesitated, then added, "It's beautiful."

She pondered that for a moment, shifting slightly to rest her head on his shoulder. "I like it." She yawned, and continued sleepily, "I'm glad I'm not the only one -- I didn't know what to think about it at first."

"Ah, shey-ana... don't you know?" He kissed the top of her head, and said softly, "You'll never be alone again."

She looked up, her eyes filling with unshed tears. "I love you so much."

That called for a kiss, then a few more, before Kal brought things to a halt. "Sleep, my lady. We've got plenty of time for other things, later in the week." She settled against him again, yawning and soon falling to sleep. Holding her, he smiled and slept, and dreamed of waterfalls.

****

Lois woke, feeling more rested than she had in months, and too content to move. Kal was lying close next to her, an arm thrown over her waist. The weight and warmth of it felt wonderful. She moved slightly, to get a better view of his face.

His eyes opened. A moment later, he smiled. "Good morning, Lois."

"Good morning, Kal. I'm glad you're here; this feels so nice..."

"And in only a few days," he murmured in a husky tone, "it'll be even nicer."

She grinned and stretched, pressing towards him. "Yes, I think it will."

"But for now," he said, scooting backwards, "we need to get up and get going." He got out of bed, then stopped, looking down at himself ruefully. "I need some new clothes."

"We can do some shopping this morning, maybe," she offered, looking him over shamelessly. Going shopping had never been her favorite activity, but with the incentive of seeing Kal try on multiple outfits, it might be a fun outing. Speaking of multiple outfits... "You know, you need a costume, too."

For a moment he looked confused, then his expression cleared. "Oh, for do-gooding? Yes, I do."

"Like that car fire earlier." She propped herself up against the headboard with a pillow, thinking aloud. "With a costume you'd have been able to do a lot more."

He sat on the edge of the bed. "I suppose so, yes. Well, we had been talking about me becoming Superman, as it were. He's got a costume, hasn't he?"

"Yep. Blue suit with a big yellow and red S-shield. Which looks rather like your El symbol, actually. Well, depending on who's doing the drawing. Some of those so-called artists for the comics have tried all sorts of variations, to show off -- assuming they're not trying to get it right and failing miserably, which I would also believe."

His face twisted. "I just can't see myself in those bright primary colors."

She felt a pang of disappointment; she would love to see him in the traditional suit. Still, privacy was important. "There's an idea -- maybe we should forget making you an imitation Superman. With the names and everything, it's just too risky."

"Lois! You know I can't be here and not help..."

"Oh, I know! I was just thinking -- what if we said you were some *other* super-powered guy? With your own suit and backstory."

Kal pondered that. "I guess... you know, I've just about decided that a Kryptonian's visited Earth before, and H.G. Wells knew about it, and what powers he would have had. Then he built the whole hero thing around that. We could explain that, to cover the similarities."

"Maybe..." Lois stood and began to slowly pace. "You know, you really don't look that much like the way Superman's always been drawn. They tend to give him a huge square chin, with one little curl of hair on his forehead -- and blue eyes, of course." She turned to look at him. "This could work."

"I think I'd like to wear black and burgundy -- those are the colors of the House of El."

"You wore that on the ship, didn't you. Of course, it would have to be skin-tight," she smirked. "That would look really good on you."

"You'll have to help me get it right, then," he said, looking only a little nervous. "And I want to keep my house symbol, but if we stylize it so that it *doesn't* look like an S..."

She nodded. "Yeah, that could work. Maybe. We'll have to try it. I can sew a few things, but I'm no expert. And we wouldn't want to buy anything off the rack; it'd be traceable."

"You would know," he agreed. "Actually, it's a good thing you're a private investigator; you'll know all the tracks we need to cover."

"That's the theory, anyway," she agreed. "But in the meantime, we'll have to be very New Kryptonian and--"

"--make do with what we have," he finished for her, grinning. "Come on, let's get that marriage license!"