Lucy left her last Monday afternoon class and walked to the student center. She’d missed lunch when the visiting lecturer in her morning civil trial precedent class had run over his allotted time, but it was because so many of her classmates were asking good questions. The man was certainly personable and he knew his stuff, but she wondered how many of those questions were motivated by the desire for a job after getting certified and how many were asked because of sheer interest in the subject. The state of New Troy was one of five in the U.S. in which a professional track for paralegals had been legally established. One wasn’t required to earn the certificate, of course, but the better-paying jobs at the nicer firms with quality reputations had come to demand them or the applicant didn’t get an interview. And the competition for the best jobs was tight, sometimes even fierce.
One vending machine tuna sandwich and a canned soft drink from the student union building later, she was good until dinner.
Which would be late tonight. Yesterday, Lois hadn’t budged an inch from her demand that Clark leave town, despite every argument Lucy could muster. She knew her sister ran on her emotions, but this time she was farther away from reason than Lucy had ever seen her. Lois just wasn’t going to give in this time.
That’s why Lucy was driving Lois’ Jeep to Clark’s apartment instead of going home.
Maybe she could convince him to do or say something to bring Lois around. Maybe he could give her flowers, or bring her one of those mysteriously delicious Chinese dinners, or just use his puppy-dog eyes to bend her to his will. Anything.
She thought she remembered where he lived – yes, there it was. A surprisingly nice apartment in a fairly dingy part of the city. The first time she’d seen it was two days after Clark had moved in, and she didn’t think anything could fix the rat trap she’d seen. She and Lois had dropped by two weeks later – at Lucy’s insistence – to bring him a surprise dinner, and the transformation had been astounding. That man could build a house for her any time he decided he was willing.
The next time had been after her sojourn in California, right after Johnny Corbin’s death. At the time, she’d accused Superman of killing him, but she soon admitted that while Johnny hadn’t deserved that fate, he had brought it on himself with his criminal life. And while Superman had melted Johnny’s legs to the sidewalk, that Vale guy had stolen Johnny’s green crystal heart from his chest. Vale was the real killer.
Clark and Lois had both comforted her, especially Clark. His compassion had been instrumental in helping her straighten out her life. That’s when she decided that her next boyfriend had better measure up to the standards of Clark Kent, or he’d be called out on strikes before he had an at-bat.
And the only time, several months ago, when she’d mentioned to Lois – almost jokingly – a vague desire to get to know Clark on a more personal level, her sister had all but read her the riot act. Lois had told Lucy that she was not allowed to flirt with Clark for any reason, not to call him unless Lois was on fire, and was not to smile fetchingly at him at any time. Lucy had been surprised but pleased. Lois wouldn’t admit it, but she was sneaking up on love for the big Kansas hayseed.
And now she was running Clark out of her life, supposedly for good.
Lucy turned off the Jeep and sat in the driver’s seat, thinking about what to say to the man she’d hoped would be her brother-in-law. Sorry my sister’s insane? Don’t be a stranger? Be sure and leave me your address so we can write to each other? Was there a Hallmark card for this situation?
My sister’s an idiot
So you’re leaving town
But don’t be a stranger
You’ll—???
She couldn’t imagine what the last line might be. Some greeting card author she was.
Sitting here would accomplish nothing. He was probably home – Lois had threatened to move up her deadline if he tried to get her to relent – so he was probably packing.
The thought depressed her. She didn’t want Clark to leave. Maybe if he told her the secret he’d shared with Lois they would figure out a strategy to get them back together. Yeah. Yeah! That had some small chance of working.
With that little bit of encouragement, she stepped out of the car, locked it and marched up to Clark’s front door with her knuckles raised and ready to rap on it. But there was a distraction.
There was a pickup truck parked around the side of the building, one Lucy hadn’t seen before. Sure, she wasn’t a frequent visitor to this building, but surely Lois would have told her if Clark had bought—
It had to be his truck.
He really was leaving.
She moved closer to the pickup. It was a late-model Dodge extended cab with what looked to her unpracticed eye to be a full-sized bed. The exterior seemed to be nice, not new but well-maintained. She stood on her toes and peeked into the cab to see a nice interior and clean dashboard. It looked like it had an automatic transmission, too, and lots of buttons and dials on the dashboard.
She sighed. If Clark really was leaving town, he’d picked a good vehicle to carry his things. Time to find out for sure.
*****
Clark folded the top on the box of books shut and taped it, then wrote “Books – History” on the tape with a permanent marker. He looked up at his shelves and realized that all of his books, videos, CDs, and keepsakes from the living room were packed away, labeled, and ready to go into storage. That would be his task in the morning – he’d already reserved a large space in a climate-controlled building. All that he needed was to put down the deposit, haul his boxed possessions and furniture and appliances to the facility, and unload them into the room.
Just thinking about it hurt.
Packing all of his belongings was something he’d done many times, usually right after someone started asking questions about him or commenting aloud how so many people had been “miraculously” rescued since he’d come to the area. Before Metropolis, he’d always been ready to leave at moment’s notice, had never put down deep roots, had never bought anything he couldn’t carry with him or store until he’d moved. This apartment, these rooms, had been the first place he’d lived since Smallville where he hadn’t known from the start that he’d been staying in temporary quarters, something someone else would call home after he left.
He stopped in the middle of the living room. The refrigerator in the kitchen? First one he’d ever owned. The stove beside it? He’d bought it second-hand and refurbished it and considered it his, even though he’d convinced his landlord to reduce the final month’s rent if he’d leave both it and the fridge in place. The dining area? He’d bought the table and chairs while shopping with Lois.
The memory stung. She’d teased him about his “country chic” preferences and talked him into a more modern design, and he had to admit that she was right about that. The sofa, though, had been purchased with comfort in mind and not fashion. She’d insisted that her couch fit her front room better than his did. He’d replied that it looked good, then had described the feel of her couch as “sitting on a padded brick.” Lois had acted offended for almost five seconds, then had laughed and agreed.
That night, they’d christened his new dining set with pizza and cream sodas. The couch had been christened by a late-night video and lots of smiles. On reflection, he decided that was a memory he’d keep. It was a nice one.
He was savoring that memory when someone knocked on the door and startled him. Too distracted by the bout of sentimentality over his apartment, he hadn’t heard anyone approach. It might even be Lois.
No. Not unless she was making sure he was actually packing. And given her present state of mind, that wasn’t likely.
What the hey. He’d open the door and just find out like a regular, normal person.
*****
Lucy nervously wrung her hands after knocking. She wanted to talk to Clark, yet she didn’t. She wanted to find out what his big secret was, yet she didn’t. She did know, though, that she wanted to get Clark and Lois back together.
So she didn’t turn and run away.
The door swung open and she saw Clark.
As always, he looked delicious. His hair was slightly mussed and there were a couple of smudges of dust on his cheek and chin. His black T-shirt fit like a glove on his solid muscular body. His jeans were loose enough for comfort, yet tight enough to appreciate.
A wild thought appeared in her mind that she might have a shot with him. She bludgeoned it down immediately. That was not why she was here.
He looked surprised for a moment, then smiled. “Hi, Lucy. Come in, please. I didn’t expect you, but you’re welcome.”
“Thanks, Clark.” She stepped in and stopped on the top step. The stacks of boxes startled her – she supposed she hadn’t quite believed he was actually going. That secret must be a real doozie.
She made a show of taking the steps slowly and gazing around the room. “Nice,” she said. “Love what you’ve done with the place. Sort of – I don’t know, a contemporary warehouse feel?”
He frowned ever so slightly. “Oh, that’s funny. You should go to open mic night at the Improv. They’re always looking for new comics.”
His words had a slight edge, but she sensed that his intent was to be light and teasing, so she responded in kind. “I might if I could use you for my main routine. I’d call it ‘Manly Man Jumps to Angry Stupid Woman’s Hissy Fit.’ You think it has potential?”
He sighed and dropped his shoulders. “I assume you’re here to talk me out of leaving town.” She opened her mouth but he brought his hand up. “Don’t. I know you’re trying to help both your sister and me, but you can’t. Unless—” he lowered his hand and his eyes grew wide. “Unless she told you – the thing that made her so mad.”
Lucy shook her head. “No. She won’t even hint at it. All she’ll tell me is that everyone will know whatever that secret is if you’re still here Wednesday morning.”
He looked relieved. “Ah. Well. I see.” He scratched his nose, then said, “And you’re still trying to fix the problem, even when you don’t really know what it is?”
She crossed her arms. “All I know is that Lois has classified you with the men in her past who’ve betrayed her. She mentioned Dad, some guy I don’t remember from high school who lied about her being frigid because she wouldn’t have sex with him, Paul in college, Patrick in Ireland, Claude from the Planet, Lex Luthor – you’re not in very good company in her mind.”
He huffed through his nose. “I guess not.”
“And I don’t understand that! Up until Friday night, you were the white knight, the hunky guy on the cover of every romance novel, the rock she leaned on! You were even above Superman to her! Then you told her some secret and you might as well have confessed to being a serial child molester!” She waved her hands around in the air. “And you’re leaving town so she doesn’t tell everybody your secret. I don’t get it!”
He looked away from her. “It’s probably best that you don’t get it.”
“Oh, no, that makes no sense at all!” She started pacing. “I’ve learned a lot about thinking logically and critically in the last few months, Clark, and I’ve figured out a few things. Whatever this secret is, it’s extremely important to you. And it’s important to Lois. It’s so important that you’d rather leave the city I know you love, the job I know you love, and the woman you wanted to spend your life with than let it out. Lois told me it’s nothing illegal, so you’re not running from the law. You’re not being blackmailed, except that’s what Lois is doing to you, but that’s not the secret. You don’t have another wife and family somewhere.” She stopped and looked into his eyes. “You don’t, do you?”
He looked back. “No. I am not now nor have I ever been married, nor do I have any children stashed in some remote corner of the world. That’s not it at all.”
“I didn’t think so. You’re too honest and transparent for something like that.” She rubbed her chin and turned slowly, thinking aloud. “Yet this is something Lois had no idea about, something that shocked her to her core. It’s something that changed her entire concept of you as Clark Kent, something that made her look at you in a completely different way.”
She heard him step closer. “Lucy, please don’t try to puzzle it out.”
She turned and stepped inside his personal space. “Why? Is this something you’d rather I didn’t know?”
“At this point it’s something I’d rather Lois didn’t know. This isn’t about you, it’s about my life, and I’m asking you to leave it alone for now.”
“I can’t! I care about you and I care about Lois and I care about the two of you together! I was looking forward to hearing how you proposed to her! I wanted to hear how she cried or jumped and clapped or just threw herself into your arms and kissed you senseless! Instead I hear how you’re the worst example of the male species since Genghis Khan murdered and marauded all over western Asia and had dozens of kids by dozens of women! I have to know!”
“No. You don’t.”
She lunged at him and grabbed his T-shirt near the neck in her hands. “Yes I do! Lois is crazy! She’s totally nuts! You’re a great guy and any woman in her right mind would be thrilled to have you smile at her like you mean it! And I’ve seen you smile at Lois that way! I want you to be my brother-in-law and it won’t happen unless someone fixes this!”
He gently pulled her hands down and softly smiled. “Lucy, you have a good heart. And it this were a relationship problem that didn’t involve what it does, I’m sure you could help both of us see the light. Under the circumstances, though, it’s not going to happen.” He took a half-step back and released her wrists. “Thank you. Thank you for trying to help. Thank you for trying to do the right thing.”
Lucy turned away and flailed her hand in front of her. “I – I just don’t understand! Lois’ attitude just flipped for no reason that I can think of! She’s even mad at Superman! And what does that have to do with—”
She stopped with her mouth open.
She turned and stared at Clark until he looked worried.
She kept staring until he looked scared.
Lois was furious at Clark.
Lois was furious with Superman.
Clark had a secret that wasn’t illegal or immoral.
He wasn’t a secret agent or a contract murderer.
Lois was livid that he’d lied to her since they’d known each other.
Superman had showed up in the city about the same time Clark had.
Lois had said on Friday that she was the only person besides his parents who knew this secret.
She was using the threat of revealing this secret to force him out of her life.
If Superman had another face that he showed the world, he did it to have a personal life.
Logic told her that Clark’s secret was simple.
Clark Kent was Superman. Or Superman was Clark Kent.
Maybe it didn’t matter which way the relationship went.
Maybe her logic was insane.
And maybe – more than maybe, more like extremely probably – it wasn’t true.
But it fit. Lois would hate that Clark had told her before she’d figured it out. And it would explain why she was so angry that he hadn’t told her before. She’d given up Superman for Clark, chosen the man over the superhero, then learned that she hadn’t given up either one of them. It was enough to knock any woman off center.
If that was the right reason. If she was right.
She whispered, “Oh. Crap.”
Clark moved around her with one hand raised. “Now, Lucy, whatever you’re thinking, just – just don’t think it, okay? Please listen to me. This line of reasoning will bring you nothing but trouble, so don’t go there!” He softened his tone and lowered his volume with his last, “Please.”
She nodded. She knew just what to say.
“I understand. Or, rather, I still don’t understand Lois. And I still think she’s about three fries short of a happy meal.”
The tension seemed to leak out of him. “Honestly, I don’t understand her either. I really thought she’d be a bit upset, but nothing like this.”
“Yeah. Maybe if I knew what it was I could help you.”
He shook his head. “I can’t tell you. And I can’t let Lois tell everyone. I know you’re trying to help, but it’s best to just leave it alone.”
“Nuts!” She turned and kicked the nearest box. “Can’t you do anything to change her mind?”
He sighed. “I’ve tried talking to her. I’ve tried explaining it to her. I’ve tried to be patient, tried to wait her out, but as of ten o’clock this morning she was as adamant about my leaving as I’ve ever seen her about anything.” He shook his head. “Unless you’ve got some kind of brilliant idea beyond denting my cookware with your foot, I have no real options except to leave.”
Lucy crossed her arms and frowned at the wall, hoping Clark would think she was mad at Lois. She was still mad at Lois, but that wasn’t why she was frowning. She was trying to think through the evidence she’d put together in her mind that evening to test her deduction that Clark and Superman were the same person. If it were true, he wouldn’t share it with her unless she used it to put pressure on him – and that would make her Lois-level nasty. That wasn’t an option.
She’d never get verification from Clark. She’d have to use her criminal evidence class learning against Lois, ask her leading questions and get the truth from her. Too bad Lucy couldn’t prosecute Lois for perjury if she lied.
She never considered telling Clark what she suspected. If he was Superman, he had no obligation to reveal it to her. His keeping the secret from everyone in the world, then opening up to Lois, told Lucy how much he loved Lois.
If it was true. But she needed to distract him now.
She turned to Clark and asked, “Have you had dinner yet?”
He reacted as if that was the last thing he’d expected to hear from her just then. “Ah – no, I haven’t, but I’ve still got some sandwich stuff here and I—”
“Then come on, Kent, let’s go get some dinner. I had a very small late lunch and I want you to have at least one pleasant memory of a Lane sister to take with you to the hinterlands.”
A one-sided smile appeared on his face. “Okay, you’ve convinced me. Where do you want to go?”
“Uncle Mike’s Diner is open. How about their early-dinner special? I hear he has fresh sea bass this week.”
Clark’s smile grew. “Come on. I’ll let you be the first to ride in my new pickup truck.”
*****
The ride was nice, with little conversation, though the silence wasn’t a strained one. Lucy mostly thought about the possibility that Clark and Superman were the same person. That would mean that Clark was the one who’d melted Johnny’s legs and immobilized him so Vale could kill him.
How did she feel about it now?
She turned to look out the side window and sighed. It really didn’t matter. The truth was that Johnny had backed himself into that corner all on his own, and when he got his robot body he’d launched a one-cyborg crime wave that brought Superman’s attention. It wasn’t a surprise that the hero had stopped him before he’d killed someone.
She sighed again. She still missed him, but he was never right for her. She’d believed that she could reform him, reshape him, guide him to change his life, and it hadn’t worked. He’d always been, and always would have been, a criminal at heart.
It struck her suddenly that Johnny’s secret about his new body was not unlike Clark’s in that it was something that made him different. Clark – if she was right – used his gifts and skills and powers to help people. Johnny could’ve done that, but he’d been selfish and cruel and kept on stealing. Because he’d believed that no one could hurt him, he’d tried to take what he wanted and ignore others.
It was the complete opposite of Clark. Superman was a hero, Lois’ venom against him notwithstanding, and while Lucy wished there had been another way to stop Johnny that would’ve saved his life, she’d never been able to think of one. She had accepted that their relationship had been doomed from the start. They never could’ve had the happiness Lois could’ve had with Clark.
If only Lois weren’t such a moron.
*****
Clark sat back and grinned at his dinner companion. Despite his current circumstances, he’d actually had fun with her. “This was a good idea, Lucy. The rainbow trout was perfect, the sweet potato was excellent, the tea is delicious, and I think Darren would like your phone number.”
Lucy quirked her lips to one side. “Maybe next time I come here. Hey, you want some dessert? Uncle Mike has some fresh key lime pie.”
“Sounds good. If you’ll be so good as to attract Darren’s attention—”
“On second thought never mind I’m full anyway!”
Clark laughed, and Lucy joined him after a moment. Then she asked, “Clark, was there any particular reason you bought a full-sized pickup?”
He nodded. “Bigger cargo capacity. I’m putting most of my stuff in storage until I light somewhere, but I need some clothes and shoes and a few personal items and I didn’t want to bother renting a trailer. And I can use a pickup in Smallville. It sticks out like a zit on a debutante’s nose in Metropolis, but in rural areas it’ll be almost invisible.” He lifted his eyebrows and added, “And I don’t want to leave my Kerth here, either.”
She nodded back. “Understandable. Where will you go when you drive off into the sunset?”
He sipped his tea. “Smallville. I’m going to stay with my folks for a bit, try to find a place to headquarter out in that general area.”
She frowned at him. “Headquarter?”
“Yes. Perry White gave me a long-term assignment to write travel pieces and profiles of the people and places in the middle of the country. Lois may have run me out of Metropolis, but she hasn’t run me out of a job.”
She didn’t smile at his last line like he’d hoped she would. Oh, well, at least he’d gotten a pleasant dinner out of it.
After a moment of looking right at him, she said, “I’ll make sure Lois knows.”
He shrugged. “I doubt she’ll want to spend the weekend visiting me. Probably won’t send me a Christmas card, either.”
“Maybe not. You never know.”
Under normal circumstances, he would have agreed with her. But these weren’t normal circumstances. Just as Clark had powers, Lois had powers, and one of her powers was staying mad.
He leaned back as Darren put the check down in front of him, but Lucy snatched it before he could touch it. “No, Mr. Kent, I invited you, remember?”
“I’d hardly call this a date.”
“I’m gonna tell Lois it was. My goodbye date with you.” She looked at the check, then gave Darren a ten and a five for the eleven-twenty-three bill. “Keep the change, Darren.”
He inclined his head. “Thank you, ma’am. You folks come back and see us again real soon now, okay?”
Clark lifted his gaze. “Hey, Darren, where are you from?”
“I’m from Georgia, sir, the one Sherman marched through in 1864.”
“Thought I recognized your accent. But I would’ve guessed Alabama.”
“West Georgia, sir, almost to Alabama. You have a good ear for accents. I have to go now, but please do come back. If I’m on duty, I’ll see if I can sneak out a couple of slices of fresh peach cobbler.”
“Very nice offer, Clark,” Lucy said. “Uncle Mike’s peach cobbler is definitely something noteworthy.”
“I could compare it to my mom’s, I suppose. She makes the best in central Kansas.”
“I look forward to hearing about it, folks. Bye for now.”
Darren strode off to his next table. Lucy said, “When are you leaving?”
Clark stood and helped her to her feet. “If I can get all my stuff into the storage room in time, mid-afternoon tomorrow. I plan to drive most of the night to get to Smallville.”
They meandered to the parking lot. “How long is that drive, anyway?”
“My dad says it’s a bit over fourteen hundred miles from the farm to Metropolis. They drive in shifts, although they sometimes stop for the night somewhere around central Ohio.”
“You’re going that far alone? Will you be okay?”
“My dad told me to keep a small cooler in the passenger seat with drinks and ice to cool them. If I get sleepy, I just open the cooler and stick my hand in the ice water until it turns blue. Hard to sleep with frostbite budding in your hand.”
She laughed. “Okay, you’ve eased my mind. I have a morning shift at the diner tomorrow and two ninety-minute classes in the afternoon, so this girl needs her sleep.”
“In that case, ma’am, thank you for the dinner and the pleasant company. And keep up the good work in class, okay? You’re going to be a terrific paralegal.”
“Thanks, Clark.” They stood, then she paused and sighed. “It’s not fair, not fair at all. Lois is such an idiot. If I had seen you first, maybe things would be different.”
“Maybe they would.” He pulled his new truck key out of his pocket. “Then again, if life were fair, horses would ride half the time.”
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