The next morning, the cupboards were still bare, the box of tea she neglected to put away last night, still sitting on the counter. She grabbed the tin of coffee and made herself a pot, finding a box of cereal and eating a bowlful of it dry. She would have to go out at some point, or call for delivery.
Staring around her apartment, she realized how little she had packed for the move to the penthouse. Other than the bags of clothes for her honeymoon, and one or two books, nothing had moved. There was a box in the living room with carefully wrapped knick knacks, and one box in the bedroom full of books, and that was all. Prior to the wedding, packing up the apartment had been something she could do later, once Lex’s renovations were complete. No point stuffing more useless items into a space that was being repainted and redone, she had thought. Now she was wondering if her subconscious had already been rejecting a marriage to Lex. She glanced around at the ornaments, keepsakes, knick knacks and treasures, scattered tastefully around her apartment, the case for her Kerth awards, her treasured books, even her furniture, which she had saved for months to buy once she had settled in as a reporter at the Planet. Would any of this have fit in with Lex’s expensive tastes? Would he have permitted her to bring it? The conversations of amalgamating their belongings had never occurred, and why had she not questioned that at the time?
The ringing of the phone interrupted her thoughts and she answered, surprised to hear her sister on the other end.
****
As his feet hit the floor by his bed, Clark knew he was recovering. The aches in his muscles were still there, but just barely, more tired muscles than painful ones. He stretched, feeling the skin pull over his healing burns, and he looked down at his chest and at his palms, noticing the skin starting to harden over the raw red wounds. He pulled on a t shirt, and wandered into the kitchen, and opened the fridge. Again he stared at the leftovers from the dinner he’d missed, milk, condiments, and not much else that wasn’t junk food, as he’d almost emptied the fridge making breakfast for everyone two mornings prior, and Perry had used a few more items making dinner.
He closed the fridge, and grabbed a mug and a tea bag. With a stab of sorrow, he filled up the kettle that Perry had found and used yesterday, and stared glumly at it while it slowly boiled. How many times over his life had he longed to be normal, and now he was, he was miserable. The water boiled, the tea steeping, he glanced around his apartment. He’d have to start packing soon, and for the first time, it wouldn’t be a quick and easy task, though he knew as soon as his parents found out he’d decided to leave, they’d be there to help.
He should call them and update them, but he didn’t want a fuss. Deep down, he was hoping his powers would come back in a day so he wouldn’t have to worry them needlessly. Besides, he reasoned, they’d be in town right now doing the weekly grocery and supplies shop. He’d call in a few hours when they got home.
****
Writing for the Daily Planet, and, she suspected, working with Lois, had sharpened Clark’s writing tremendously. She had always been proud of her son’s writing abilities, but in the last few months, he’d excelled. After the bombing of the Daily Planet, she missed reading his work, and looked forward to reading the book he said he wanted to write. While he claimed that’s what he was doing now, she knew he was focused on other things.
Many conversations, in the privacy of the farmhouse, had revolved around Lex Luthor and his criminal activities. She and Jonathan had warned him over and over, to be careful, which sounded ludicrous to say to their invulnerable boy. There was only one known substance that could hurt him, and it was gone. Clark’s biggest challenge with Mr. Luthor was obtaining evidence he could give to the police, to back up what he’d known as Superman for a while.
Clark hadn’t been to the farmhouse in a week, and the last time he’d called, he’d briefly explained that he, his former editor and a few old co-workers were chasing a few leads. She’d watched the news most nights to see if there was anything that would indicate what they were investigating, but to no avail. Now, the day after Lois’s wedding, she wasn’t sure Clark would have the heart to continue.
She suspected Clark’s sudden interest in exposing Mr. Luthor had everything to do with Lois’s wedding, and she’d secretly hoped that Clark could stop it. Lois was a wonderful young woman, feisty, witty, and would be a great match for her son, if only they would both see what was in front of them. She knew Clark cared for Lois much deeper than a co-worker, or even a friend, but hadn’t acted, and now Lois had moved on. Had there not been a super-powered secret between them, she wondered if Clark would have acted sooner.
She sighed heavily, receiving a concerned look from Jonathan. He gently hugged her as they stood in line at the register, a cart full of groceries, and she allowed her gaze to wander. She gasped as she noticed a tabloid with a picture of Elvis and Lex Luthor on a beach. The next paper, Wichita Today, a more reputable paper, carried a large headline, declaring Luthor’s demise.
She grabbed the paper and showed Jonathan, reading the story on the first page for any mention of their son while he began to load the groceries onto the till. The story carried few pictures, a photograph of Lex Luthor at one of his charity events, another of Lois accompanying him, and a picture of the police outside LexCorp Tower. The story was split into several sections and Martha skimmed them all. One reported on the death, another on the alleged criminal activity, and a final blurb about the interrupted wedding.
They needed to get home and call Clark, find out what had happened.
****
She couldn’t stay home any longer, it felt like the walls were closing in around her, the two half packed boxes mocking her for ignoring her own sub-conscious. At the very least she could head out and pick up some groceries, at least get some of her fat-free creamer so she could have a decent cup of coffee. Changing into a pair of jeans and a blouse, she grabbed her purse and left the apartment.
Opening the door to the main entrance of the building she was blinded by flashing lights and startled by the cacophony of voices calling out to her.
“Mrs. Luthor,” called out one voice. “Were you aware of your husband’s criminal activities?”
“Lois! Over here!” shouted another voice.
She was halfway down the steps as the small crowd of journalists, television crews, and paparazzi, closed in. Going back inside was an option, but it left her with nothing to eat, and no possibility to get out of her apartment. If she could get to her Jeep she could escape, and maybe they’d be gone by the time she got home.
“Ms. Lane,” a familiar voice hissed nearby. “What are your plans now?”
Lois turned to stare at one of the reporters from LNN, a reporter that she’d butted heads with more than once over the short time she’d been working at there. Claire was better suited to a tabloid than a reputable news outlet, with her callous style of questioning, and tendency to bend the truth to create sensationalist headlines.
“I…”
“Don’t think you can come sauntering back,” the reporter said maliciously. “Your office was cleaned out the morning of your wedding.”
The glare on the Claire’s face was unnerving, accusatory, and Lois pushed past the last of the crowd and ran towards her Jeep. Thankfully, once she put the Jeep in drive, the crowd moved, and she could leave.
She drove around until her rumbling stomach reminded her she needed a decent meal, and she pulled in front of a deli that she and Clark would frequent when they were on a story. Despite the coldness from Clark last night, she wanted to talk to him, apologize for letting herself in, and find out what he’d uncovered, as she didn’t have much solid information to go on. She wanted to start picking up the pieces of her life, and he was the first person she thought of going to.
She shouldn’t have stayed last night when she saw he was asleep. Scaring him, after hearing him having a nightmare, and seeing that he had been hurt, wasn’t the best way to try to repair a friendship. Maybe, showing up with a peace offering of food, they could have a conversation, and she’d see if she could bring some of the warmth back to his eyes.
****
Not hearing any sounds of movement within the apartment and resisting the urge to check under the mat for the key, in the event he had replaced it already, she knocked. She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding as she heard slow footsteps approaching.
“Hi,” she said, shyly, as he opened the door just enough so she could see his face.
“Hi,” was his soft response.
“Can I come in?” She held up the bags she was holding, hoping the aroma of soup and sandwiches would open doors, literally and figuratively.
Slowly, he opened the door and she stepped in. “I didn’t know what to bring, so I ordered a little of everything. There’s soup, sandwiches, some of those pastries you like, and some coffee for us.” She made no move to step further into his apartment, and she could see uncertainty written on his face. He was still wary of her, and she wanted to know why.
“Don’t shut me out Clark, please don’t.” She awkwardly shuffled the bags she was holding, the one containing the soup was getting warm on her skin, and the other contained a drink tray with several coffees that she didn’t want to tip sideways.
“Lois, I…”
“Please, I need your help. I need to understand why I missed the obvious. How did I almost agree to spend my life with a murderer, a cold-hearted criminal?” She watched as he flinched, and continued. “I don’t know everything that happened, only bits and pieces from the police interview, and little tidbits that Jimmy and Jack let slip. Perry won’t tell me anything, and you won’t talk to me.”
Clark met her eyes, finally, and she tried not to stare at the red mark on his neck, stretching below the seam of his t-shirt. He didn’t say anything, but walked down to the kitchen and grabbed a few plates and some cutlery. Lois took that as a silent invitation, and joined him at the dining table, setting the bags down and unloading the variety of meals out onto the table. She selected half of a club sandwich and scooped some of the salad onto her plate, while Clark chose the soup, after some deliberation. They ate in awkward silence, until Lois could stand it no longer.
“Lucy called this morning,” she began as she set her fork down on her plate. Clark paused, his spoon of soup halfway to his mouth, waiting for her to continue, which she took as a sign he was listening, even if he wasn’t interested. “She was supposed to be here yesterday. Lex had purchased…”
She jumped as Clark dropped the spoon and it clanged loudly against the bowl, the broth on the spoon splattering on the table. He put his hands over his face, and she could hear him taking deep breaths.
“…he purchased a plane ticket,” Lois continued cautiously, watching Clark. “Once Lucy got to the airport, she was given an escort to her gate, and her luggage checked for her. She was told she was flying on a first class ticket, and never flying first class before, didn’t know what to expect, though she thought it was strange that she wasn’t given a ticket.”
Clark’s hands still covered his face, his breathing returning to normal, and Lois continued as she stood to get a dish cloth to wipe up the spill, still talking. “An hour later, as they were boarding, she noticed the display at the gate indicating the flight was for Tallahassee. When she questioned it, explaining she was supposed to be flying to Metropolis, and were they sure she was at the right gate, she was detained for several hours, without explanation.”
Clark’s hands had settled into his lap while Lois cautiously wiped up the small spill on the table, not fully understanding Clark’s behaviour, but not wanting to startle him, and knowing it was the mention of Lex that had caused his reaction. She suspected Lex had something to do with Clark’s disappearance, and likely his wounds too, and kicked herself for mentioning his name. She wouldn’t repeat that mistake.
“She said she was left alone in a room for several hours, no water, no food, no bathroom breaks, until someone returned with a script for her. She called mom, and explained that she’d missed the flight, and was released shortly after, her luggage landing in Tallahassee without her. She was warned not to contact me, but when she saw the news this morning, she called anyways.”
The dish cloth rinsed out, Lois returned to her seat as Clark picked up his spoon, and resumed eating.
“I haven’t watched the news yet, or read any of the papers, so I don’t know what’s being said, speculated, or reported, and right now, I don’t want to know. I want to find out what happened, from those that I trust.”
She paused, giving Clark the opportunity to speak, hoping he would say something, anything. It was unnerving to sit across from him, and not have him react, or add anything to the conversation. They finished eating in silence, and when she had finished, she stood and collected the containers of uneaten food, placing them in his fridge, noting that it wasn’t much more stocked than her own. Adding some hot water and soap to the sink, she washed the dishes she had used, and turned to Clark, her soapy hands dripping on the kitchen floor.
“Clark, say something, anything.”
“What do you want me to say?” He demanded, the curt tone sneaking back into his voice.
“Yell at me, tell me you were right, and I was wrong.”
“What good would that do?” He shouted at her. “It won’t change anything that’s happened, and it’s not going to suddenly fix everything either!”
The shrill ringing of the phone interrupted him, and Clark made no move to answer it, letting the machine pick it up.
“Clark, honey? We saw the newspapers this morning and wanted to…”
Clark pushed the chair back, and darted to the phone, picking it up, and interrupting the message.
“Mom,” he said, his tone softer, the anger gone in an instant. “Yes, I’m fine. Can I call you back? Lois is here…”
Lois rolled her eyes at Clark’s excuse to his mother, as he hung up the phone. “Clark, what’s wrong?” She asked softly. “You’re angry with me, and I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you. You were right, and I’m still piecing together the pieces of how wrong I was. I need your help for that, because I don’t know the whole story, and there’s no one else I trust more than you, to tell me the truth, but there’s something else going on. I’m not going to ask, but I’m a phone call away if you need anything.”
Though he didn’t answer, she was relived the anger was gone from his face. “I have an errand to run, but I’ll be back later. Call your mom back.” She turned and walked up the stairs to the door, letting herself out without a backwards glance.
****
He felt remorse for shouting at Lois as soon as the door latched closed, fighting the urge to run after her. Despite everything that had happened in the last few days, he missed Lois Lane in his life. When she’d said Luthor’s name, he’d panicked, the memory of the axe smashing through the wooden barrels, immediately in his mind. He’d put his hands over his eyes, taking deep breaths, forcing himself to focus on what she was saying, trying to force the flashback from his mind.
Before she had arrived, he’d been sitting out on the small hidden balcony, resting in the late morning sun. He was feeling much better than he had twenty-four hours ago, but still a bit weak in the legs, tired muscles, and the skin, where the Kryptonite had burned him, hurt when it was touched or his shirt brushed up against the burns. His hands were the worst, as he would reach for something, and the skin would crack, or he would pick something up and then be reminded of the injury the moment his hands closed around the object.
When he’d opened the door and caught a whiff of the delightful aroma of food coming from the bags Lois carried, his stomach had given off a loud growl, loud enough he’d been worried she had heard. It was hunger, and some embarrassment at his loudly protesting stomach, that had caused him to open his door to Lois.
She had told him she wanted his help, though he hadn’t given her any. She wanted to know why she’d almost married a murderer, a criminal, though she had no idea he would have been one more murder to add to Luthor’s tally. He could never tell her that. He couldn’t answer any of her questions right now, and had been grateful she had begun to talk about her sister, yet while he had listened to Lois’s story, he hadn’t processed it, and began to do so now.
Luthor’s reach had extended further than he had thought, he was sure, further than the police were aware. Why had Luthor wanted to stop Lucy from attending Lois’s wedding? Had Lois told the police about this latest bit of information? He should ask her the next time…
The next time, what? She came over? He hadn’t welcomed her at all. Last night he’d been rude to her, never expecting her to return, and today, he’d sat in silence and eaten food she’d brought, without a word of thanks, instead almost having a panic attack at the mention of Luthor’s name. She’d asked him not to shut her out, and hadn’t he done just that?
She said she’d be back, and he was very confused how he felt about that. If his plan was to leave Metropolis, and Lois, behind, it would be easier on both of them if he told her sooner, rather than later.
Sleepy from lunch, he headed back to the balcony, the sun obscured behind the clouds that had begun to develop, but still bright enough that he felt better outside. He’d have a nap, then maybe he’d call his mom back.
****
Perry got into the rental car and sat there, staring at the wheel. That morning, he’d left the apartment, leaving a curious Jimmy and Jack behind. A former Daily Planet lawyer was looking over the information he’d given him to try to determine what, if any, next steps could be taken to reopen the Planet, now the owner, and perpetrator behind it’s demise, was dead. Perry hoped, as Luthor had coerced, and bribed, the Board into selling, the sale could be voided. The lawyer sounded hopeful, as Luthor’s criminal involvement in the destruction of the Planet, would enable to the Planet to be resold, and reopened. Now he had to find a buyer.
After Mr. Stern’s rejection of the proposal to buy and resurrect the Daily Planet before Luthor had died, Perry felt that all the wind had been knocked out of his sails. The following morning, he’d been running solely on adrenaline, after going to Henderson, exposing Luthor, and then helping both Lois, and Clark, in the aftermath. That night he’d gone back to the borrowed apartment, excused himself from the after dinner chatter from Jack and Jimmy, and after a brief call to Alice, fallen asleep. Now he felt a little more refreshed, and not quite as deflated.
He started the car, and backed out of the parking space, deep in thought. He wasn’t ready for retirement yet. The last few weeks had been unbelievably boring, and he’d been delighted to return to Metropolis. Alice was loving the warmth, and the quiet, but he knew he’d been annoying her, puttering around the small house they’d purchased. Would she want to come back to Metropolis?
In the weeks since the bombing of the Planet, they’d packed up their home, he’d attended his retirement party, and they’d moved, driving a full moving van down the coast, to a warmer climate. The reason he’d agreed to the move without any real consideration, was to get away from Luthor, and the boarded up shell of the paper he’d poured so much of his life into.
He hadn’t been able to retire on his own terms, which had been a kick in the teeth, and his team was scattered and fractured. He didn’t have the heart to try to find another job, as he’d never find something so fulfilling as being the editor of the Planet. There were a few old employees he’d wanted to keep in touch with, but other than the occasional call from Clark or Jimmy, there had been several reference calls, and little else. He’d received his wedding invitation, but that was all from Lois.
Out of habit, he had driven to his old home and drove past slowly, spotting a minivan in the driveway, kids playing on the lawn. He grinned, fondly remembering when his boys were young, and they’d play outside. He and Alice had a lifetime of fond memories here and it was time to let the old place go. If they did move back, a smaller apartment would be more suited to their life now. Not having to care and maintain a lawn, or a full house, would be easier on them both as they aged. Perhaps he could convince Alice they could live in the city, and keep a small place by the sea? Being here in Metropolis for the last few days had proven that he wasn’t ready for retirement, but what could he do? If his attempts to reopen the Planet failed, would he want to stay in the city?
He headed towards Clark’s home, wanting to stop by and make sure Clark was ok, or if he needed any errands done. His fridge hadn’t been terribly well stocked, but Clark could have taken care of that already. Perhaps Clark would be ready to talk today, and Perry wanted to fill him in on the investigation, unless Henderson had done that already.
As he pulled into a parking space on the street, he spotted a very familiar silver Jeep parked a few cars over. “’Atta girl, Lois,” he muttered, grinning, as he rejoined the traffic on the road. He wasn’t going to stop and disrupt whatever conversation they were having, and he doubted either of them would have the strength and energy after the last few days, to do any damage to each other. He’d head back to Jack and Jimmy, check in on Lois and Clark later.
****
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