Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Lois & Clark Fanfic Federal Disaster (17-18/37)

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Chapter 17

Lois took her time showering and getting dressed as she waited for Clark to return. Since she didn’t have the option of becoming airborn as a means of dealing with sexual frustration, she opted instead to throw on some music as she dressed, take deep breaths and think of anything other than the way Clark’s voice had sounded when he offered to….

Nope. Not thinking about it. Putting on work clothes. Makeup. Things she did every day before she'd shared a bed with Clark Kent. Eventually, the object of her frustration returned, flying in through the window and spinning quickly into his work clothes. As always, she was left slightly in awe as she watched him.

“Just in time,” she said softly. She wasn’t sure why, but she was suddenly a bit nervous. A moment ago, she was willing to become intimate with him in a way she’d never done with anyone else. She’d done the physical acts of course, but emotionally she felt stripped raw, and though she had just gotten dressed, part of her still felt naked.

“I, uh…took a few extra laps,” he said, also sounding slightly flustered. “I didn’t want to come back while you were changing.”

The last sentence and the nervousness in his eyes caused her to relax. This wasn’t like with the men she’d been with before. Those men had been experienced and arrogant, and in her naivete, she’d taken that arrogance for strength of character. They hadn’t shown her any flaws, or weaknesses, and she understood now it was because they had been putting on a performance as a means of getting what they wanted. There was none of that artifice with Clark. What she saw was what she got.

And she saw a man who loved her and who genuinely wanted to please her and was just as terrified of screwing it up as she was. Good. It meant they both understood how much they had to lose.

She shook herself from her thoughts and looked back at Clark, giving him a more confident smile and taking his hands.

“It’s okay, remember?” She kissed him gently on the cheek. “We agreed not to be so skittish around one another. If I want privacy, I’ll go into the bathroom or let you know, but until then…there’s something pretty exciting about the idea of you walking in on me changing.”

She hadn’t meant to say that last part. Especially since they definitely needed to go into the office. However, the reason for that seemed to fly out of her brain as she watched his eyes darken and a flash of lust pass through them. They were supposed to be calming down.

Whoops.

“Lo-is,” he groaned softly, and she could see a slight tick in his jaw. “We have to get to work.”

But even as he said that, he was reaching for her, cupping her face in his hands and pulling her close for a long, lingering kiss. So much for calming down.

“Mmmm, yes,” she said as she slipped her arms around him and pressed her body close to his. “Work…”

She allowed herself to get lost in him once more, surrendering to the way his tongue felt as it expertly teased hers, the way his hands seemed to know exactly where to touch her, the way his breath hitched every time the kiss deepened or their bodies shifted.

Eventually, he broke the kiss, and stepped back from her, his breathing slightly laboured. He gave her an unapologetic smile.

“Sorry, I can’t help myself when I’m near you.”

“I know,” she said, then shook her head. “I mean, I feel the same way.”

A pause stretched out between them before Clark finally spoke again.

“We really should —”

“Get to work, I know.” They both laughed and she grabbed her keys before they headed out the door.

****

They were greeted with the usual hum of the newsroom when they arrived. Lois immediately noticed Claude sitting at her desk, with dozens of papers strewn all over them. Instantly, she felt irritated by the way he seemed to have made himself at home, not to mention the way he’d managed to ruin what could have been an amazing experience for her and Clark.

It wasn’t helped by the fact that as they headed to her desk, he took her hand, running the pad of his thumb lightly over her knuckles – a gesture that was innocent in every way but caused her breath to quicken nonetheless.

“If you continue to tease me like that, we are going to end up getting fired for public indecency,” she said in a voice so softly she knew only he could hear. In response, he let go of her and placed his hand on the small of her back, causing her to grit her teeth. He was doing it on purpose. Forget getting fired, they might end up getting arrested.

“No intimacy at work,” Clark whispered, his voice a delicious rumble in her ear. “Gotcha.”

Damn him.

When they reached her desk, Claude stood up and moved over as Lois sat down. Both Claude and Clark pulled a chair up to the desk.

“Sorry I had to call you in on your day off,” Claude said. Lois smiled weakly, trying not to feel resentful. It wasn’t Claude’s face she wanted to be looking at right now, but that wasn’t his fault either. Some things were more important. Clark squeezed her hand and she knew he was thinking the same thing. She squared her shoulders and tried to focus on the pile of papers in front of her.

“So, what did you find?”

“Quite a few things, but I’m not sure whether I am understanding them correctly,” Claude admitted. “I rather hope I’m not to be honest.” He shoved a handful of papers in her direction.

Lois picked them up and tilted them in Clark’s direction who pretended to rifle through them while he scanned them. He looked back up with a raised eyebrow.

“This says that your family’s company Dupont Airlines is…”

“About to receive a military contract from the French government, yes.” Claude said with a sigh. For the first time, Lois really looked at him. He looked haggard and anxious. She tried not to, but she felt a slight pang of pity for him.

“I thought you said they had branched out into commercial planes,” she said, looking through the documents in confusion. Claude had managed to get his hands on the list of major shareholders in his family’s company. His brother still did own the company, but only barely. A second major shareholder’s name on the list rang a bell in Lois’ mind, though for the life of her she couldn’t figure out why.

“They had,” Claude replied, his voice laced with frustration. “At least, until the last year or so. I haven’t really paid much attention, to be honest, because I wanted a clean break, but it looks like they were in more trouble than I realised. My father swore he would never go back to building weapons for the military and now…”

“Who is this other shareholder?” Clark asked, pointing to the name that was buzzing inside Lois’ head, demanding she remember. “Rex Alexander? That name sounds familiar. Who is he?”

“I don’t know,” Claude replied, running a tired hand over his face. “I called my brother to ask about him, and all he would tell me was that he was American and he had all but saved the company from bankruptcy a couple of years ago. Bought some shares, invested a bunch of money, but never appeared in person for board meetings and major votes. He always sent someone on his behalf, and then a couple years ago, stopped sending anyone entirely.”

“Is this why you called us?” Lois asked absently, turning the name over and over in her mind, “to tell us about the military contract?”

“Partly,” Claude replied. He fished around for some more papers. “I was looking to see what the tie between our governments could be and I noticed the name Rex Alexander kept popping up. Near as I can figure, whoever he is would benefit greatly if our government had a trade agreement with the United States for various munitions, weapons and military vehicles such as…”

“Planes, trains and automobiles.” Clark finished grimly.

“More like planes, missiles and tanks,” Claude muttered.

“Lex!” Lois suddenly exclaimed as the name suddenly made all too much sense. She immediately felt foolish for not seeing it sooner, especially since they already knew he was responsible. “Rex Alexander was one of the aliases that Lex used for some of his business dealings. Remember, Clark? When you told me to…investigate him?”

She cringed inwardly at the memory. It had been just after she’d turned Clark down and gotten engaged to Lex. She’d been desperate at the time to keep Clark in her life, and so despite their falling out, she’d borrowed one of Lex’s convertibles and offered Clark a ride. Clark had gotten in the car reluctantly, refusing her attempts to repair their friendship. She understood why now, of course, but it still hurt to think about.

“You’re an investigative reporter, Lois. Investigate!”

She never realised just how permanently that moment had become seared in her memory, but something in Clark’s challenge had caused her to awaken from whatever haze she’d been in. She’d done what he asked, and began looking into Lex’s business dealings, albeit a bit halfheartedly. She hadn’t been ready to acknowledge that Clark had been right, nor that she had feelings for him.

“Lois?” Clark’s voice intruded on her thoughts, and she realised she must have zoned out. It was hard to think about those few weeks after they had lost the Planet even now. She swallowed the emotion that suddenly bubbled to the surface and gave him a reassuring smile. She’d deal with these emotions later in the safety of his arms when they didn’t have an audience.

“When I did, uh…investigate him, I found that name showed up a lot. I never got the chance to ask him what it meant before…” she trailed off and Clark nodded.

“Now that you mention it, the name popped up in our investigation too,” Clark mused. Lois remembered him telling her that he, Perry, Jimmy, and Jack had all worked together to find the evidence necessary to bring Lex to justice. She shook her head. It felt like a lifetime ago. So much had changed. “But would he still use that name? I mean, it feels a little…obvious, doesn’t it?”

“Well, if he bought shares in Dupont before he was put in prison, then I think he likely felt untouchable,” Lois said, a leaden feeling in the pit of her stomach. “And using it now…well, he wants us to know. He wants us to know he’s behind this. And that scares me to death.”

She hadn’t meant to say the last part, especially in front of Claude, but it had just slipped out. The look in Clark’s eyes was one of pure reassurance. He didn’t touch her, but she could tell he longed to, and for now that was enough.

“King Lex,” Claude said quietly. They both looked at him. He gave them a sheepish smile. “Rex is Latin for King and Lex can be a shortened form of Alexander.”
“Yes,” Lois said, her lips tight and her body rigid. “That makes sense. His own little idea of a twisted joke. His empire was, after all, like a kingdom.”

“But where’s the money coming from?” Clark exclaimed, standing up and pacing the room in frustration. “He was bankrupt…done! His assets were frozen, so how is he…?”

Lois watched him frown and run a hand through his hair. She could see the effort it was taking him not to put his emotions on full display, but he didn’t need to. She could see. He was angry, and he was scared.

And that scared her.

“Well, if he bought the shares before we put him away, he’d still have some money even if it’s under an alias.” She forced herself to sound logical and methodical. Emotions wouldn’t do them any good here. It’s what he was hoping for. “Of course, he would need to have someone to help him access it.”

“Either that, or he has more money somewhere that isn’t traceable to him,” Claude mused.

“Now there’s a thought,” Clark said, turning and looking back at them both. He tensed up even more and gave Lois a look that made her shiver. “What if he did have another account in someone else’s name? Someone who could access the funds without ever having it traced back to him? Someone who he still thinks he’s going to spend the rest of his life with?”

Lois felt her entire body go cold as she realised what he was implying.

“Are you saying that he might have —”

“Opened an account in your name,” Clark finished, his jaw tight with suppressed emotion. “Did he say anything to you? Get you to sign anything?”

“I…” Lois’ hands started to shake as she thought back to all the paperwork she’d signed when she had joined the Luthor News Network, not to mention the slew of papers she’d signed having to do with the prenuptial agreement as well as other things. She flushed with embarrassment and fought the urge to throw up. “I don’t know, Clark, I…I signed so many things and all happened so fast and…”

She swallowed and suddenly felt extremely lightheaded — as if the room was closing in on her. Her face felt hot, and tears pricked at the back of her eyes. Voices in the room faded to a dull roar.

A half second later, Clark was at her side, the reassuring weight of his hand was on her shoulder, pulling her close and anchoring her. She took deep breaths until the feeling passed and she was able to sit up again.

She was surprised to find that she didn’t feel embarrassed that Claude had seen her almost break down. With a start, she realised it was because she no longer cared what he thought of her in any capacity. It was as if they had never shared anything more than a casual conversation, and she was grateful for it.

She forced her mind back to the conversation at hand.

“If Lex did open a bank account in my name expecting me to access it, how is it that I don’t know about it?”

“When you think about it, It wouldn’t be hard,” Clark replied, his teeth clenched. “He could have opened an account at any bank in Metropolis.”

“That would make sense,” Claude replied. “If everything you say about him is true, he’s not the type to leave anything to chance. It looks like he has multiple sources of revenue at his disposal. Including my family.”

Lois noted that he sounded especially bitter about the last point and was surprised to find that she hadn’t even questioned whether he was lying to them. He seemed genuinely shocked to be connected even tangentially to a criminal like Lex Luthor.

“So, here’s what we know,” Lois said, deciding to lay everything out on the table as objectively as possible. “Lex has paid an assassin whom he knew in prison to assassinate the President. He’s apparently talented enough to make the shot so far away that not even Superman will hear it.”

She looked at the others and noted they were paying full attention.

“We also know that before he was arrested, he went by the alias Rex Alexander to purchase shares in at least one company that we know of — Dupont Airlines. We know that he invested heavily into Dupont, and somehow managed to convince the French government to offer an exclusive contract to the company to build weapons, which will then be sold to the US as per a trade deal that will take place.”

“Which means someone in my government is also involved,” Claude added. Lois nodded.

“The Vice President is in Lex’s pocket. Jimmy is still working on digging up enough proof to indict him, but it won’t be easy, especially if the current President is —”

“We also know his alias,” Clark pointed out, “which might make it easier to find a connection between him and the Vice President.”

“Good point!” Lois exclaimed. “And we know that somewhere out there, I might have a bank account with a lot of money in it.”

“That should be the easiest one to research,” Clark said. “We can make some calls later back at the apartment.”

“We have to hit him where it hurts,” Lois told them. She was suddenly angry. Extremely angry. Furious. She was so tired of feeling helpless and scared and ashamed and every other emotion under the sun when it came to Lex Luthor. Two years ago, he had been determined to tear down her life one good thing at a time, and now he was trying to do it again. Not this time. Not a chance. “We need to find the account and shut it down. Cut off his revenue source and he won’t have any leverage.”

“I agree,” Clark replied, his eyes intense and unreadable. “Finding the account is a priority, but the attack could take place at any time. How can we prevent the actual assassination? If Superman can’t track him…”

“Then we will have to rely on old fashioned techniques,” Lois said determinedly. She had an idea. It was a dangerous idea, but if it worked then it could save the President’s life. “Clark, do you remember when Jimmy had that pen that was supposed to pick up conversations? He got it from that spy shop? What if we got a bug and planted it on the assassin? That way —”

“Superman doesn’t have to track him,” Clark finished catching on to her idea. “He would just be waiting for him!”

“The only problem is planting it on him,” Lois said with a small frown. “He’ll know our faces. Lex would have made sure of it.”

“But he won’t know mine,” Claude said quietly. Both of them turned to him in surprise. He gave a slight shrug. “I admit it, I’m a coward. But I also know that I can’t sit back and let this happen. I didn’t do the right thing the last time I was here, but I can do it now. The President is due to make an announcement on the progress of the talks in three days' time.”

“I’ll bet money that’s when Mills will make the attempt,” Lois agreed grimly.

“Which means, we have three days to track him down.” Claude said. “Once we do, I will pretend to bump into him on the street and plant it on his coat.”

“Are you sure?” Lois found herself asking Claude. She knew what he was risking with this offer. She’d taken that risk time and time again.

He nodded.

“Yes, I’m sure,” he replied. “My family’s company…our legacy has been dragged into this. I want to make sure he doesn't get any more shares of Dupont Airlines. I’ll plant the bug. You make sure that Superman is there to take him down.”

“That just leaves the Vice President and Luthor’s connection to him,” Clark said, giving Claude a terse nod. Lois could swear she saw a grudging respect in her fiance’s eyes. “We need proof he’s in his pocket or Luthor will just find some other way out.”

“Divide and conquer,” Lois decided. She looked over at Claude. “Clark and I will go back to my place and find this account. You work on tracking down Preston Mills’ current location, and we will need to fully loop Jimmy in on this because he can dig further into any dealings that the Vice President might have had with Rex Alexander.”

“I’ll call if we find anything,” Claude offered. Lois smiled and nodded, trying not to appear as tired as she felt.

“Sounds like a plan,” Clark replied, his shoulders relaxing ever so slightly. She stood up and reached for his hand.

“Come on,” she said softly, “let’s go home.”

Chapter 18

Lois didn’t feel as if she was truly able to exhale until they were safely back inside her apartment. If she’d been asked to describe what she was feeling, she’d have been hard-pressed to do so — something she’d told Clark when he’d checked in on her in the car. She wanted to talk — and she would, but right now she needed to focus on the task at hand. Clark had thankfully accepted that answer and no more was said.

They changed quickly out of their work clothes and Clark immediately went to work by grabbing her phonebook and using his super speed to find every bank in Metropolis that wasn’t Metropolis Savings and Loan — Lois’ bank.

He wrote them down on a piece of paper, while Lois grabbed a bottle of wine and poured two glasses.

It was hard to believe that this morning they’d been so emotionally intimate with one another. Now that intimacy felt like it was a mile away, replaced instead by a numb sense of dread that she could only keep at bay by the act of doing something. In this case, pouring wine and phoning banks to find out if she had an account hidden somewhere with an unknown sum of money in it.

She suppressed a shudder at the idea that Lex had somehow managed to get her to sign a document like that without her knowledge. If he could get away with that, what else had she signed? How could she be so naive?

She felt Clark’s presence behind her before he wrapped his arms around her and placed a gentle kiss on her neck. She leaned into his arms, closing her eyes briefly while she got lost in the feeling of his body enveloping hers. Though he’d saved her life more times than she could count, it was at these moments when she felt the safest — the most protected.

Still, today even the feeling of his body fully sheltering her couldn’t stop the tightness in her chest. She felt brittle and fragile — like glass that could shatter at any moment.

“You okay?” His voice was a soft murmur against her skin.

“Yeah,” she said, though her voice shook ever so slightly, betraying the storm of emotions that seemed to swirl within her. She was trying so hard to keep it together, but didn’t seem to be doing a very good job of it. “I was just wondering what else Lex might have gotten me to sign while I…”

She couldn’t finish the sentence. A dam seemed to break inside her and she pitched forward with a shuddering sob. Clark caught her and turned her towards him, folding her into his arms as she shook against him.

She could hear him speaking to her — gentle words of comfort that she couldn’t make out but knew the meaning of. He was here. She was safe. Her shoulders shook as she cried, riding out the wave of emotion that surged through her. It felt like she was grieving, though for what reason she wasn’t sure.

The woman she’d once been? The innocence that was taken from her? The way Lex continued to violate her even though he was locked away? All of the above? She didn’t know. All she knew was that Clark was safe. He was her anchor in the storm and she could hold onto him until the world seemed right again. And that was all she needed to know as her tears eventually subsided and she sagged against him, spent from emotion and exhaustion.

After a few moments of silence, Clark gently lifted her into his arms and carried her over to the couch. Though not especially comfortable as a piece of furniture, right now that couch was the only place in the world she wanted to be. Because it was where he was. His presence made everything better…made her world better.

It was a profound realisation to come to. She’d always thought she was better off not needing anyone in her life. Disappointment after bitter disappointment had convinced her that the only person she could trust was herself. And she’d clung to that, even as Clark broke down each and every one of her defences with his quiet patience and steadfast determination. He didn’t need her to be perfect, and she realised now she wouldn’t disappoint him. He wasn’t like the others who only wanted to take from her.

Clark only wanted to give. And right now, he understood what she needed and gave without hesitation or thought. And now she knew it was okay to need someone. It wasn’t weakness. Clark was her strength. He gave her his when her own was in short supply. And she needed him.

He placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head as she curled up against him, clutching his sweater, now wet with her tears. She gave a sniffling laugh as he lifted her head to look at him.

“You might need to change,” she told him with a watery smile. “I…soaked your sweater.”

“It’s just a sweater,” he replied, his voice warm and gentle. “It felt like you…needed that.”

“I did,” she admitted. It was something she would have found difficult a year ago — admitting that she was human — just as prone to weakness as anyone else. But now it felt good to say to someone else that she was hurting. “I feel like I’ve needed it for two years now. I don’t think I’ve ever really thought about all the things he took from me. I guess I locked it all up in a box marked the past, put some duct tape over it and thought that was enough.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked, his deep brown eyes offering nothing but understanding and empathy. To this day, it still surprised her that he seemed to bear no grudge. After everything that happened, his love had not wavered. Not one inch.

“Yes,” she said, surprising herself. “And…no. I mean what would it accomplish?”

“It might make you feel better,” he pointed out. “Or help you to forgive yourself.”

“Forgive myself?” she echoed, confused by his wording. “What do you mean? He’s the one who —”

“Lex Luthor is evil personified,” Clark agreed and there was a hard edge to his voice. “There’s nobody else on this planet that I think could drive me to real violence, but…I don’t think that’s why you’re hurting. I think you’re angry at yourself for being drawn in. For being a victim.”

“I…” She tried to speak but the words she wanted wouldn't leave her lips. A wave washed over her as the truth of his words sunk in. He was right. Fresh tears threatened all over again and she fought to keep them at bay. “I don’t know how to. Forgive myself, I mean. I don’t know how you have managed to forgive me. After all that happened.”

“It’s simple. There was nothing to forgive,” he said gently. “At least, not to me. Lois, if you want blame or judgement or for me to hold a grudge, I can’t give you that. All you’ll get from me is my love and my respect. You’ve had it from day one and nothing can take that. Especially not him.”

“I just feel like that was a different woman, you know? Like he did something to me…hypnotised me or mind melded me or something. I keep thinking I would never agree to marry someone like that, but…I did. That was me.” She shook her head and wiped a stray tear that had escaped down her cheek.

“He did do something to you,” Clark said quietly. “He manipulated you. He lied to you. He pulled a rug out from under you, turned your world upside down and stripped away everything that mattered to you piece by piece. It was methodical and it was evil, but it wasn’t your fault.”

“I know. I’ve told myself that a hundred times, and yet…” She looked down at her hands, feeling raw and exposed. Her voice was quiet and small. “I guess…I guess I’m just not that strong.”

The instant those words left her lips, his hands were cupping her face, and drawing her gaze to him, his thumb softly caressing her cheek as he did so.

“Lois, you are the strongest woman I have ever met,” he said fervently. “You stood at that altar, having lost everything that mattered and with hundreds of people watching you and told him you couldn’t marry him. That takes tremendous strength and courage.”

She gave a self-deprecating, half-hearted laugh. “Says the man who can lift space shuttles into orbit.”

“Strength is more than just being able to lift buildings,” he reminded her.

“I know…and you’re right. It’s just…” she trailed off, not even sure what she wanted to say.

He shook his head and briefly looked away, his hands dropping to his sides. He was quiet for a moment before he spoke again.

“I only wish I was that strong.” His words were laced with regret and for the first time she saw shame in his expression. “You were all alone. I said I was your friend, and when you needed me the most, I left you alone. I was hurt, but that was no excuse.”

“Clark you didn’t —”

“Yes, I did,” he said sharply, though she knew he wasn’t angry with her. “And I have to live with that. But don’t you ever tell me you aren’t strong. I know differently.”

She nodded, and reached out to touch his face the same way he’d done for her.

“You’ll get no blame or judgement from me either,” she whispered. “There’s no room for that between us. Deal?”

He gave a soft smile.

“Deal.”

She gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek and they sat quietly for a few minutes. She turned their conversation over and over in her head as they did so. She hadn’t realised that Clark had harboured so much anger towards himself for not intervening with Lex. Nor had she ever really thought of her refusal to marry him at the last moment as an act of strength. She’d always felt that moment had come at her absolute weakest moment and yet, he was right. Lex had done a lot of things, but he hadn’t broken her. She hadn’t let him. Maybe that was the beginning towards finding that forgiveness that had eluded her for so long.

Eventually, she spoke, her words invading the silence.

“I guess I thought of strength as something you always have with you…like the Superman suit.” She reached for his hands and took them in hers. “But the suit comes off. So maybe strength is something that you reach for when you need it the most. Like I reach for you and you reach for me.”

Clark nodded. “Being with you is stronger than me alone, remember?”

“I do,” she replied. “And I think now that being strong might mean having to do some hard things.”

“Like what?”

She closed her eyes, feeling calmer as she thought of the next steps.

“Face my fears and be vulnerable,” she said with a soft chuckle. “It’s never been my strong suit, I know. But with us practising moving in together and the talk we had this morning, I feel like it’s finally possible to be really honest with myself and to stop being afraid. Forgiving myself…it’s not going to happen overnight. It’s going to take some time, but I need to take the first step. I think I’m going to make another appointment with Doctor Frisken once this is finished with Lex.”

He gazed at her for a moment, his eyes shining with a love so strong it almost blinded her with its power. Eventually, he leaned forward, his lips barely grazing hers but sending a powerful shiver throughout her entire body.

“See? Stronger than Superman for sure.” He kissed her again — a kiss that was longer and full of reverence. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” she said. And somehow, even though they weren’t married yet, their words felt like a vow.