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What About Love?
By: Carrie Rene <crene1977@gmail.com>

Rating: PG

Summary: This sequel to Devil In Disguise has Lois and Clark digging deeper into Mindy Church and dealing with the different types of love.

Notes: This is my little fic celebrating Valentine’s Day. So I will try to have it posted every Tuesday up to Valentine’s Day (V-Day is a Tuesday). Thank you to my betas who do such great work (SuperBek and ksarasara) . Plus every chapter will be titled a song title by the female band ‘Heart’. Why is that? Well, women empowerment and all, plus ‘Heart’ and Valentine’s Day go together like peanut butter and honey!

Part ⅕ ‘Never’

Lois Lane was not one to give up. It was not in her nature. Yet, the past eight weeks had been horrible in finding more information on the head of Intergang. It had been quiet since Halloween and that darn costume party she had attended. She sighed with exasperation, folded her hands up on the table, and dropped her head. She was getting nowhere.

“I didn’t think I was gone that long,” Clark stated, strolling into the conference room where Lois had been working. He was carrying a coffee and a small brown bag.

Lois’ head popped up with a smile. She couldn’t fault Clark for not helping her. No, he was doing great. The perfect boyfriend…who tended to disappear at a moment’s notice and fly around in spandex. What wasn’t there to love?

“What did you bring me?” Lois wondered, eyeing the little brown bag. “It better be chocolate, because I could use some.”

Clark sat the coffee and bag down next to Lois, then sat next to her. Eagerly, she grabbed the bag, opened it slightly, and inhaled the smell of buttery chocolate.

“Superman stopped at a bakery in France while he was over in Europe and bought your favorite back,” Clark responded, putting his hands behind his head, and leaning back in triumph.

“Chocolate croissant from Aux Delices Normands. Oh, Clark, you’re the best,” Lois praised him before biting into the delicate, delicious dessert.

Lois took a bite of the buttery rich, sweet delicacy, and she could feel Clark’s eyes on her as she ate. And when her tongue darted out to lick the flakes off her lips, she could have sworn she heard him make some sort of noise. Lois did notice the way Clark shifted in his chair as her tongue swept the chocolate off her lips. She couldn’t help herself, the chocolate was heavenly. She reached over and kissed him. The kiss was meant more as a thank you until he pulled her chair closer to him, and the kiss intensified. His tongue swept across her lips, gaining access to her mouth. She knew he could taste the chocolate, and she loved every second of it.

“Lois, I have–” Jimmy interrupted, barging into the conference room. “Oops, sorry, guys.”

Lois and Clark simultaneously pulled apart and turned red at getting caught kissing at work. Of course, it wasn’t the first time, and it definitely wouldn’t be the last. Jimmy, in particular, seemed to have a way of interrupting. Lois tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and looked up at Jimmy as Clark ran his hand through his hair.

“What do you have, Jimmy?” Lois wondered, sitting up straighter.

Jimmy stepped closer to Lois and Clark with a few papers in his hand.

“I have the police report about the boy’s body. They finally made an ID on him,” Jimmy stated, handing the paper to Lois. Lois took the papers and read them over, then handed them to Clark. “Oh, CK, I forgot to tell you that Suzie and I ended up staying at the Raven for New Year’s. It was amazing. They did a ghost hunt outside on the trails.”

Lois looked over at Clark and rolled her eyes. She had heard Jimmy talk about his adventures on New Year’s Eve earlier in the morning. Lois wanted to forget about that night at the Raven, she still had nightmares about being in Room 217. Those nightmares only occurred on nights when she slept alone, and thankfully, that wasn’t very often. Lois and Clark, even though, they were in so much love, they tried to spend a couple of nights apart every week. It was a decision she had made after Thanksgiving. Clark had flown Lois to Smallville to spend the holiday with his parents. After that night, spent all day with his parents, Lois was just drained and asked him to just take her home. It was her parents’ fault that she kept trying to maintain her independence from Clark; growing up, they’d shown her how unhealthy a relationship could be. And Clark still hadn’t met Lois’ mother. One reason Lois was worried about marrying Clark was her mother. And she knew she couldn’t keep avoiding it forever.

***
“Sounds like you had a blast, Jimmy,” Clark replied as Lois got up from her chair. He grabbed her hand as she went by him.

“I’m going to check my email,” Lois mumbled, quickly. “I’m waiting for a message from a source.”

And without waiting for his response, she hurried out of the conference room and back to her desk. Clark let go of her hand while Jimmy moved past Lois and took Lois’ empty chair. He knew the discussion about the Raven was a sore subject with Lois since Halloween.

“Jimmy, I’m glad you and Suzie had a great time, but, please, be careful. We still haven’t found out why Mindy Church bought that place,” Clark informed him, looking back at Lois’ desk.

Clark noticed that Perry was at her desk. He tried to listen to Jimmy but also heard Perry tell Lois about a new reporter joining the Daily Planet and something about Franklin Stern. He could hear the tone in Lois’ voice, and she wasn’t pleased. Perry apologized and said it wasn’t his idea.

“Jimmy, I’ll be right back,” Clark said as he stood up. He watched Lois open a couple of her desk drawers. He knew that look on her; she was digging for chocolate.

He came up behind her and started rubbing her shoulders. Lois stopped digging through her desk and leaned back into his hands.

“That feels good,” Lois sighed, looking up at him. He kept massaging her shoulders, then swept a strand of her hair away and kissed her neck. “What was that for?”

“Looks like you needed it,” Clark mentioned. “I noticed Perry at your desk. What did he say that made you so upset?”

He stopped massaging her shoulders and sat down in the chair next to her desk. Lois looked over at him knowing full-well Clark knew what Perry had said. Sometimes being in love with Superman had its perks.

“Franklin Stern hired a new investigative reporter. She starts tomorrow. He thought we needed help since we haven’t found anything on Intergang yet or Mindy Church,” Lois explained without taking a breath. “I mean, I get it, I do. But give us time. There are other stories out there that we have uncovered since that darn resort opened.”

“A female,” Clark replied as he pulled imaginary fuzz off his pants.

Lois looked at him with a scowl and hit his knee. She knew it wouldn’t hurt, but Lois was frustrated.

“Is that all you heard? That he hired a female,” Lois stammered. “Come on, Clark, it’s Lane and Kent. Not Lane, Kent, and another blond bimbo.”

Clark knew she was mad. He could see the wheels turning in her head. She wanted to be on top, and right now the team of Lane and Kent was the best reporting team in Metropolis. Lois didn’t want anyone getting the scoop before her. He learned that the hard way when he first started at the Daily Planet. Now they were a team, and Lois felt threatened.

“You know, Perry will make sure the two of us still get the best stories,” Clark reminded Lois, reaching for her hand. He had to reassure her. Even though Lois was had earned her reputation as ‘Mad Dog Lane’ and had the Kerths to prove it, he knew the real woman. She could be insecure when it came to certain things in her life. It had taken Clark almost two years to even get her to commit to a relationship with him. Now they were in a good place, but Lois still had insecurities.

“Maybe we should get back to work and find something on Intergang. Then Stern can see that we are not just sitting here wasting money and resources,” Lois stated with determination.

She turned off her screen, stood up, and then put her hand on Clark’s cheek. She reached over and kissed him briefly on the lips before strutting back into the conference room. Clark stared in awe at the woman he was going to marry one day. Then he shook himself, smiled, and hurried to follow her so they could get to work.

***

It had been a long day of nothing. Lois opened the door to her apartment in a huff. All she wanted to do was take a hot bath, have some take-out, and watch a movie. Clark left about an hour earlier when he heard about a major pile-up on the Clinton Bridge. He told her before he left that he would bring some dinner over after he was finished. So, she tossed her bag on the couch, hung up her coat, and threw the mail on the coffee table. Going through junk mail and bills was not on her priority list right now. She then took off her black leather heels and put them down in front of the fish tank.

She was still upset at the news Perry had given her earlier in the day. Lois had no idea who this person was, but it was someone that Stern had hired. Of course, he was the one who owned the paper and had saved the Daily Planet after Lex had blown it up. Yet she wasn’t too thrilled at the idea of a new female reporter.

Lois walked through her apartment, straight for the freezer. She wasn’t sure how long Clark would be, but a few bites of Chocolate Brownie Chunk ice cream never hurt. Lois threw open the freezer and grabbed the pint of ice cream and a spoon. She was just about to sit down on the couch when there was a knock at her door.

She took a small bite of the ice cream first, closed it up, and put it on the coffee table next to the mail. Lois looked through the peephole and couldn’t believe her luck.

“You have to be kidding me,” Lois sighed before clenching her jaw and feeling a sudden pounding in her head.

Knock. Knock. Once again. There it was. Lois wanted to ignore the person on the other side of the door.

“Lois, I know you’re in there,” the female voice shouted after another knock. “I saw your Jeep outside.”

Lois shook her head, straightened her shirt, and opened the door with the biggest fake smile she could muster.

“Mother, what a surprise,” Lois grumbled with a tight smile across her face. “What are you doing here?”

Ellen Lane stepped inside, forcing Lois to move aside. No one stopped Ellen from making an entrance, that was for sure. Lois opened her mouth to say something, then thought better of it. No, Lois wasn’t in the mood tonight. She could feel the muscles in her shoulders start to tighten again.

“Why is there a pint of ice cream next to your mail,” Ellen wondered as she walked around the apartment. “Look, you finally got rid of those hideous couches.”

Lois grabbed the ice cream off the coffee table and put it back into the freezer. Her mother kept walking around her apartment looking at some of the pictures and knick-knacks. Ellen picked up a picture frame of Lois and Clark taken at the Kerth awards last year. Then there was another frame of Lois and Clark after they had started dating. Lois was in a light-colored suit, with her hand on Clark’s tie. Both of them were smiling, looking at one another.

Ellen looked at the picture, tilted her head to the side, and looked over at Lois, who had just stepped back into the living room. Lois noticed the picture her mom was holding and recalled how tumultuous their relationship had been during that time, like a roller coaster ride, really. She shook her head as she remembered how jealous Clark would get over Dan. The picture was taken right after their case was solved; Clark had taken Lois out for a walk, and Jimmy had found them laughing in Centennial Park and had taken the picture. Jimmy had then printed a copy out for each of them as a surprise.

“Who is this?” Ellen asked, holding the picture out to Lois.

“My partner, Clark. I’ve told you about him a few times, mother,” Lois retorted, taking the picture from Ellen and putting it back where it was.

“Yes, you have, but this picture tells me you are more than just partners,” Ellen stated with a tone. “How well do you know him?”

“Mother, come on. Clark and I have been partners for two years now. Yes, we have gotten closer. Actually, there is some–” Lois asserted before her apartment door suddenly opened.

“Lois, I got Chinese from your favorite place,” Clark interrupted, stepping into the apartment and holding a plastic bag.

Lois looked over at Clark, then at her mother, and back at Clark. Her night just got worse. This was not how she wanted them to meet for the first time.

“Mother, this is Clark, my fiancé,” Lois admitted, walking over to Clark and reaching for his hand.

Clark looked over at Lois, his head tilted and a blank expression on his face. Did he miss something? He hadn’t asked her to marry him since their talk months ago. He had the ring and a plan to propose to her again in a few weeks.

“Your fiancé?” Ellen enquired, flabbergasted at her daughter’s admission. “When did this happen?”

Clark looked at Lois moving back slightly.

“Christmas,” Clark interrupted, putting his arm around her with a smile. He puffed out his chest and stood a bit taller.

“Then where is the ring,” Ellen questioned as she tapped her fingers on her thigh.

“We have to get it sized,” Lois replied, taking Clark’s hand. “He bought it one size too small. But it was very romantic outside at sunrise at his parents’ house.”

Clark looked over at her, squeezing her hand slightly. He was seeing another side of Lois.

“We better eat before the food gets cold,” Clark stated, holding up the bag and letting go of Lois’ hand. He walked over to the kitchen, and Lois followed to get the plates and silverware out.

“Mom, are you going to eat with us?” Lois wondered, looking up at her mother who was still standing by the table with the pictures on it. Ellen looked over at another picture where an older couple stood with Clark.

“Are these your parents, Clark?” Ellen asked, holding the picture up. The gray-haired couple smiled in between Clark, and his arms rested around their shoulders.

““Yes, those are his parents,” Lois answered. “Jonathan and Martha. That was taken at Thanksgiving. Clark and I flew there for Thanksgiving.”

“Where do they live?” Ellen wondered, looking over at Clark, who was standing there. Ellen noticed that Lois was answering all of the questions. They looked happy in the picture, all three of them with big smiles. “And, Lois, I am sure the man can answer a question about his family.”

Lois looked over at Clark, he just shrugged his shoulders. She knew her mother could be trouble. It was one of the biggest reasons she had put off talking to her mother for so long. Lois didn’t want Ellen ruining something she treasured so much. Ellen’s negativity about relationships could put even the most good-natured person in a bad mood. Unfortunately, her mother had shown up uninvited tonight, and there was no way to stop her game of twenty questions.

“Smallville, Kansas, ma’am,” Clark answered as he walked over to the table with his plate. “I grew up there, and my parents still live in the house I grew up in.”

“Are you telling me that Lois, my Lois, went to Kansas for Thanksgiving and Christmas? She is a city girl,” Ellen asserted, putting the picture down. She looked at the pictures once again, seeming unable to look at Lois or Clark.

“Mother, why don’t you come sit down and eat. I can tell you about all of it, and you can tell me what brought you to Metropolis,” Lois requested, walking toward her mother and reaching out for her hand.

Finally, Ellen looked up at her daughter then over at Clark, who was waiting for them to join him before he started eating.

“Fine,” Ellen mumbled before she walked over to the kitchen island. She looked at the food, which looked delicious and authentic. “Clark, where did you say you got this from?”

Lois had just sat next to Clark when Ellen had asked the million dollar question. She knew where Clark had gone. She could tell by the containers that Clark had once again gone to Shanghai to buy dinner.

“A little restaurant hidden away. Wouldn’t even know it’s there unless someone told you about it,” Clark answered while Lois and Ellen sat at the table.

The three of them ate in silence for a few minutes. Ellen leaned back slightly, and Lois noticed that even her shoulders slumped a little as she finished eating. A few times Lois looked over at Clark and tried to muster up a smile. It was a strange feeling having dinner with Clark and her mother.

“That was amazing,” Ellen admitted, pushing her plate away. “I don’t think I’ve ever had better Chinese food.”

Clark nodded his head slightly while taking a bite of a dumpling. After he finished the last of his meal, he stood up and started putting away the food. Lois stood up to clear the plates a minute later.

“Sit and talk with your mother,” Clark responded as Lois turned toward the kitchen. He went over and grabbed the plate from Lois. “I’ll make some tea. Or would you rather have coffee?”

“Tea will be fine,” Lois replied before she reached over and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you.”

Lois sat back down and turned to her mother. Finally, it was time to find out why her mother had come to see her.

“So, Mother, what brings you by tonight?” Lois wondered.

“Can’t I come by to see my eldest daughter,” Ellen said before Clark took her empty plate away.

“Well, since the last time I saw you was when you stormed out of here after my non-wedding to Lex,” Lois recalled, tilting her head. Bringing up her wedding to Lex was not one of her favorite memories, but that had been the last time she had seen her mother. Ellen had brought Lois home after Lex had jumped to his death instead of being taken in by the police. Lois had still been in her wedding dress, and all she had wanted to do was forget her terrible mistake of trusting Lex. Yet her mother had laid into her, telling her how embarrassed she was and how she wouldn’t be able to show her face in Metropolis.

“I heard he was alive and in prison now,” Ellen stated, looking at her joined hands that were now on the table. “I know that wasn’t the best time for either of us. But I’ve come here to make amends. It’s been a couple of years. And now I find out you are engaged again. Hopefully, this time you won’t be marrying a criminal. Are you a criminal, Mr. Kent?”

Clark had been over at the sink, slowly washing off the plates and trying not to eavesdrop on the conversation. Yet she was sure he probably heard her heart ipounding and the trepidation in her voice.

“Mother,” Lois shrieked, “Clark is nothing like Lex. He is the best partner I’ve ever had, my best friend, and just super!”

“I was just asking,” Ellen replied, standing up from the table. “I just want you to be happy, Lois. I don’t want you to make the same mistakes I did.”

“Clark isn’t like daddy. As it is, daddy even met Clark a couple of years ago when Allie died,” Lois admitted, looking over at Clark. Lois had been very close to Allie before her dad had disappeared for years.

“Oh, I see, your father got to meet him before I did,” Ellen snarled, shaking her head.

“I’m going to go,” Clark stated, gesturing at the door. He grabbed the full garbage bag and lifted it out of the can, tying it together.

“Mother, I’ll be right back,” Lois stated, standing up and following Clark.

Lois opened the door for Clark. He stepped out into the hall as Lois followed.

“Is there an emergency?” Lois asked, trying to guess why he was leaving so soon.

“No, I just think your mother needs to talk to you and she won’t open up in front of me,” Clark revealed, “She just found out that you are engaged and she didn’t even know we were dating. Call me later and we can talk about that engagement that I didn’t know about. Love you.”

A couple of minutes later, Lois and Ellen were alone with a cup of tea in front of each of them and dinner cleaned up.

Lois looked up at her mother, who was sitting there with her fragile, wrinkled hands around the white ceramic mug. Something was going on with Ellen, and Lois was going to get her answers.

“Yes, Clark met daddy before you did. He was helping out Allie at the Menken Gym, and we were doing a story on the Ultimate Street Fight. It was the first story Perry partnered Clark and me up for. Since then, it has been one story after another for us. Soon enough, we became friends, and after the whole Lex thing, he was there for me more than anyone,” Lois admitted before taking a sip of her tea.

Lois leaned back away from her table and crossed her arms. She didn’t want to fight with her mother. Why was everything so difficult with her parents? Clark was so lucky to have parents like Jonathan and Martha. They had welcomed Lois into their family before she even deserved it; that was just how they were – kind and down-to-earth, just like their son.

Ellen took another sip of her tea. She couldn’t even look at Lois. Lois could tell Ellen was struggling with something, she had a tight grip on the coffee mug.

“I have cirrhosis of the liver,” Ellen admitted, finally looking up at her daughter.

Lois sat there in shock. Her mother hadn’t had a drink of alcohol in years, but obviously her drinking had caused more damage than anyone could had expected. Ellen Lane didn’t just show up out of the blue. Nope. She was sick and probably needed help from her only daughter that could help.