This version of the epilogue is, as the title suggests, an alternate take. Because I wanted to explore a potential relationship between Clark and Rachel, I decided to end with the previous version where he comes to her to say a final goodbye.
This one's a little different.
It was a rare Saturday evening that a small-town sheriff could take the night off, but Rachel had decided that working nine straight weekends was enough and her deputies needed to take up the slack this Saturday. This sheriff needed some “me” time. And since the high schools and colleges would be on fall break in two weeks, and since soon they’d all be very busy breaking up fights and arresting drunks and processing traffic accidents from all the parties that were sure to pop up all over the place, she wanted to go into that time well-rested.
Rachel sat back in the recliner in her living room after supper and put the latest letter from Lana back in its envelope. Then she sighed. The girl had latched onto Rachel as her best long-distance friend in Smallville, and Rachel was glad of it. Lana had been in Tulsa for almost a year, and it appeared that she’d not only settled in professionally but personally. She was cautiously dating a man who managed an appliance and hardware outlet, one of the big chain ones, and the guy was beginning to hint about making their relationship permanent. It appeared that Lana was open to such a step, too.
And Rachel had mixed feelings about the news.
She was thrilled for Lana. She’d bounced back from the potential disaster in her affair the year before with Smallville’s mayor and righted herself, with an assist from Rachel and Clark. And if Lana and this guy whose name Lana had not yet revealed to Rachel got happily married and had a dozen kids, Rachel would send a gift for each birth.
On the other hand—
Losing Clark still stung just as much as it had when he’d come back and told her he was staying in Metropolis. They hadn’t spoken to each other for many months, and even though she’d asked him not to contact her, she still felt the void in her heart. She still held out a slender hope that he’d call or write or just show up at her door and declare his undying love for her, even after almost a year.
A slender hope was better than none.
He’d need her new address, of course. She’d finally moved out of her parents’ home and rented a wood-frame house on the west side of town. The neat two-bedroom structure on the lonely gravel street suited her just fine as long as she lived alone.
Sheriffs don’t have many roommates, largely because of the unpredictability of their schedules. And retired sheriffs needed alone time with their significant others. Now Dad – or Mom – wouldn’t have to put a sock on their bedroom doorknob when they were getting up close and personal with each other. And since they’d announced plans to travel in their new RV, they wouldn’t be home much anyway. As long as Rachel checked their house a couple of times a week, it would still be standing when Mom and Dad came home.
She stood and gathered her sweater around her. It was chilly for mid-fall in Kansas and she thought about turning up the thermostat, then decided not to. Utilities weren’t free and her name was on those bills too.
She picked up the latest Spenser mystery she’d checked out from the library. It was interesting, from a how-will-he-solve-it-this-time point of view, but there was no way Rachel would let a private investigator behave like that in her town. The guy would end up locked away until Mrs. Howard got tired of his wisecracks and slipped him the key to his cell.
Then someone knocked at her front door.
An encyclopedia salesman, she thought sourly. Or someone from one of the churches in the area. Her preferred method of dealing with the occasional door-to-door drop-in was to invite the person to attend services with her and put on pressure for a decision to come with her This Sunday Morning! Invariably she’d be left alone. Kinda late in the evening for any of those folks, though.
She put the book on the coffee table, then opened the door as she mentally framed her response—
Then her mind went blank.
Lois Lane stood in her doorway in jeans, tennis shoes, dark green golf shirt, and a light blue windbreaker.
Lois apparently thought about smiling then changed her mind. “Hi,” she said softly. “Clark wanted to see you but I talked him into letting me come instead.”
Rachel’s mind was still blank.
Lois glanced around. “Mind if I come in? You don’t seem to have many neighbors, but I’d rather not be seen here by anyone but you.”
Rachel nodded and silently stepped back. Lois walked in and stopped in the middle of the front room. “Thank you. I know this is something of a surprise for you.”
Rachel’s voice finally came back. “Yeah. It’s a surprise, all right.”
Lois put her hands in her jacket pockets and turned toward the TV. “I’m sorry. I just – I wanted to tell you this in person.”
Rachel shut the door and leaned back against it. “So tell me whatever it is you come to say.”
Lois took a deep breath and looked at the floor, then back at Rachel. “I’m pretty sure Clark is about to propose to me.”
Nothing showed in Rachel’s face, she was sure, but her insides were suddenly hollow. “I see. How sure are you?”
Lois took her hands out of her jacket and moved closer. “We had lunch in San Antonio today. The one in Texas. Down on the Riverwalk, some really nice Mexican place.”
Rachel nodded. “I hear they do Tex-Mex food real good down there.”
“They do. And – and after we took off I asked him when he planned to propose.”
Rachel nodded again but didn’t speak.
Lois took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “He asked me what I planned to say if said proposal were to occur.”
Rachel closed her eyes for a moment. The light and easy banter was pure Clark.
Not so long ago he’d directed that banter to another woman.
“What – what did you tell him?”
Lois glanced off to one side and almost smiled. “That I’d have to hear it first so I could evaluate it for quality and sincerity.”
“Yeah. What’d he say?”
“He asked me if I minded if we told his parents. I wondered if that was such a good idea since I – I’d wounded him so badly, and he said that since he didn’t hold it against me they wouldn’t either. So we spent the rest of the afternoon with them.” She paused and smiled. “They’re really great people, both of them. It’s no wonder Clark’s such a terrific guy.”
Oh, yeah, he’s terrific, she thought. “Ah,” she said. She swallowed and straightened. “So when’s the big day?”
Lois gave her a tiny shrug. “We haven’t set a date yet. But soon, I hope. I want to build a really good home with him.”
Rachel returned a nod instead of the punch she really wanted to deliver. “Why are you here? Why you tellin’ me this? You tryin’ to hurt me like I hurt you or something?”
The brunette’s eyes changed and she almost seemed to be alarmed. “What? No! Clark told me he’d promised to come and tell you if we did something permanent and I talked him into letting me tell you.”
All the latent anger Rachel had kept down threatened to spill out on Lois. “And you thought I’d jump for joy to hear it from you? Are you that dense or are you just cruel?!”
“No! I wanted to thank you!”
That stopped her. “Thank me?”
Lois cautiously stepped closer. “Yes. All that time when I was as dumb as a box of rocks, you nursed Clark. You let him be himself and you gave him your unconditional love. You helped to heal his heart – the one I broke – and then you sent back to Metropolis so he could make certain about his future.” She took one of Rachel’s hands. “You risked everything. I know you love him. And you’re a better person than I am. Normally I’m selfish and self-centered and hot-headed and frightened and I wanted to thank you for giving me a chance to be a better person to him. If not for you, I probably would never have seen him again.”
Rachel slowly took her hand back. “It worked out real good for me, didn’t it?”
Lois lowered her hands to her sides. “I’m sorry. Please believe me. If our positions were reversed, I don’t think I could’ve sent him back here to you. I’m not that brave.”
Rachel crossed her arms and turned away slightly. “Bravery is highly overrated.”
“No. It’s not. You were brave enough to offer Clark your heart when you knew how badly I’d crushed his. You were steady and steadfast and calm and honorable and honest and you were exactly who he needed at the time. I wish we could be friends.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t see that happening any time at all.”
“Neither do I. But it’s not your fault, it’s mine. Clark has told me a little about his relationship with you, and I can tell he thinks very highly of you. I also know that he trusts you more than he trusts nearly anyone else. That’s very special.”
Rachel took a short step away. “He wants to marry you. That means you’re real special to him and he trusts you a lot.”
“Yes, but you’re still important to him. Please remember that.” Lois reached for Rachel’s hand again but stopped short when Rachel leaned away. “I owe you a big part of my life. And for what it’s worth, you’re important to me. You gave me back the man I love, a man I really don’t deserve.”
A tear slipped out of Rachel’s eye and she dashed it away with one hand. “Make a difference if I agree with you?” At Lois’ puzzled expression, she added, “That you don’t deserve him, I mean.”
“No. Because I know that I don’t. But I’m going to work very hard to be the woman he deserves.” She paused and took a breath, then said, “I’m trying to be more like you now. In some ways, at least. And if you ever tell Clark I said that I’ll call you a liar to your face.”
Rachel goggled at Lois for a moment, then snorted a rueful laugh. “Fine. I won’t tell him. I guess you won’t neither.”
Lois smiled softly. “I doubt I’ll have to.” She paused again, then said, “I’m sorry this hurt you, Rachel. I respect you and I think very highly of you. And I hope – I hope that you find a good man you can give all the love and respect you had for Clark. I wish you all the best for the rest of your life.”
Rachel tilted her head to one side. “Except for Clark, right?”
Lois’ smile grew. “Right. He’s a one-woman man, and I’m that woman.”
Rachel sighed. “Yeah, you are that woman. Hope you stay her.”
“I’ll do my best.” She sighed and her shoulders slumped. “Well. I’ve said my piece, as you-all term it.”
“The word is ‘y’all.’ Nobody but a Yankee says ‘you-all.’ Should know that already.”
Lois nodded. “I’ll remember. My – ah – my ride’s waiting at the end of the block.”
Rachel forced herself to keep a straight face. “Have a smooth flight.”
Lois turned and touched the front doorknob, then stopped. “Rachel? Did you ever fly with him?”
The question sounded important for some reason, but Rachel couldn’t put her finger on why that would be, so she shook her head. “No. Never have.”
Without looking at Rachel, Lois added, “Any particular reason?”
“No. It just never came up.”
Lois turned back and looked into Rachel’s eyes for a long moment. Rachel was afraid she was about to offer one quick flight and that would be one flight too many and too long being close to Clark.
She didn’t. She smiled again. “Goodbye, Rachel. Have a good life.”
“Do my best. You better git, he’s waitin’ for you.”
Lois turned the doorknob and stepped out, then gently closed the door.
Rachel opened the window and watched as the Other Woman walked down the street heading west and out of the circle of light from the streetlamp. As far as Rachel could tell, Lois didn’t look back.
Rachel never saw Clark. She just heard a soft “swoosh” and knew they were gone. it was time to get on with her life.
Maybe Lana knew someone down in Tulsa. Maybe Lana could introduce her to a nice guy who’d commit to her and live his life in concert with hers while she lived her life in concert with him. Might be worth exploring the idea.
Or maybe Rachel would just live out her life alone and be the best sheriff she could possibly be.
#Fini#
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