EpilogueAs Clark walked back to his apartment arm in arm with Lois, he glanced up at the stars again, shining brightly on the chilly March evening, and he wondered not for the first time that week how he’d managed to get so lucky. A warm sensation washed over him, filling him with love and wistful gratitude, and somehow he knew what she would say—even before the gentle press of Lois’s fingers into his bicep, where her hands looped around the crook of his arm.
“I can’t believe how lucky I am either,” she said softly as she rested her head against his shoulder.
He paused just briefly to place a kiss on the top of her head before they continued on, just now approaching his apartment building. “Did you enjoy yourself?”
“Mmmhmm,” she hummed almost dreamily. “The caciotta cheese ravioli was amazing, but the tiramisu was even better. You’re spoiling me, you know?”
Clark laughed, the sound echoing just a bit as they entered the small atrium area in front of his apartment. “I don’t think it’s possible to do that, especially since you keep reminding me just how much fine dining you have to catch up on.”
“Gosh, that’s gonna mean a lot more dates in the coming weeks and months,” she said, releasing his arm after giving it a little squeeze and stepping to the side so that he could fish for his keys in the pocket of his slacks. “Are you sure you can handle that?”
“Endless dates with you?” He turned toward her, and a now-familiar warmth spread through him as their eyes met. He grinned. “Sounds like a job for Superman.”
Lois swatted at his arm, laughing as she did. God, the sound was like magic, healing his soul piece by piece every time he heard it. “Hurry it up, flyboy. You promised me ‘the best decaf coffee ever,’ and I have to know if you’re telling the truth or not.”
“Okay, okay.” He chuckled, putting his hands up in surrender, his keys hanging from the fingers of his right hand. As he unlocked the door, opened it, and motioned to indicate she should go first, Clark threw a look of mock offense her way. “But you should know by now that Superman doesn’t lie.”
He followed her in, closing the door behind them, his shoe scuffing against a few letters on the floor as he came to stand beside her. She’d paused and looked down, and his eyes followed hers to find a medium-sized pile of mail just at the foot of the door underneath the mail slot.
“All right, so Superman doesn’t lie, but apparently he also doesn’t check his mail?” She gave him a wry smile and a questioning eyebrow.
Clark answered with a sheepish shrug. “I...tend to forget about it..since I, uh, use the window to come and go most of the time.”
“Ohh,” she said, nodding. “That makes sense. I just didn’t think about it. Well, I guess we should get this all cleaned up off the floor for you, though.” She squatted down—somewhat awkwardly given her dress—and started gathering up envelopes.
“Here, I should be doing that. It’s my mail.” He knelt down to help, gathering handfuls himself.
“Clark—” she said, turning to him quickly, her eyes wide and an envelope in her hand. “This one’s addressed to both of us.”
“What?”
Instead of responding, she stood abruptly, clutching just the one piece of mail and letting the rest drop down to the floor in a chaotic flutter. A rush of excitement hit him as he watched her hurry down the steps and over to the couch. “C’mon, Clark!” She patted the cushion next to her and then started tearing into the envelope.
Clark shook his head, laughing to himself, and then cleaned up the pile of mail at super speed, put it on the entry table in a nice stack, and sped over to sit down on the couch next to Lois.
She’d pulled out a single sheet of paper filled with a message in neat, even lettering that looked so much like his own handwriting, he wondered for a second if he’d sent himself something from the future. It would maybe explain why Wells hadn’t contacted him. But as Lois leaned slightly into him, holding out the letter so that they could both read, it was clear it wasn’t something he’d written.
Dear Lois and Clark,I hope this finds you well.My name is Kal. I’m from an alternate universe, but not one you were aware of (before this letter, that is). I was displaced from my own universe, and H.G. Wells is bringing me home. But first, he asked if I would make a brief detour to your universe. As Mr. Wells tells me, my universe is quite a bit different from yours, and our life paths differ just as much, but it appears our values and goals are the same, as are a few other things. I, like you, Clark, have an aura that renders me invulnerable, and up until a few years ago, I didn’t realize all that it was capable of. Thoughts and feelings can be easily transmitted. But more importantly, through careful control of my aura, I can extend my abilities and even life force to others. This allows me to, in a sense, “heal” injuries.
Due to this, Mr. Wells has asked that I heal you, Lois, and rescue you from what would surely be fatal injuries. He doesn't know I've sent this letter, but I couldn't fathom healing you and leaving without informing you of a few things. Lois, given the extent of your injuries and the way my aura works, you will be left with an aura of your own that is essentially a blend of your life force and my aura. Because you are not Kryptonian like Clark, you will not have invulnerability or healing power, but you will likely be uniquely in tune with him. Although I am not Clark, I am similar enough that your aura will probably respond to Clark’s presence. Admittedly, I don't know much beyond that, but I didn't want you to think something dangerous was happening or that something was wrong. Clark, be extremely careful with your aura if you decide to practice and hone the abilities I described. I discovered it by accident during a rescue while trying to reach people in danger. My aura tore while protecting them, and it required a long and quite painful recovery period. The incident honestly almost killed me. However, I am eternally grateful for my aura. It has enabled me to do more than I ever could have imagined. I have no doubt it could be a benefit to you if you decided to pursue its use. I wish I had the time and the energy to tell you more, as there is much to share, but I must send this now and go heal Lois before my window of opportunity closes. Take care of yourselves. Trust each other. Love each other.Sincerely,KalWhen they'd both finished reading, the silence seemed to stretch on for several long moments, yet he could feel Lois’s excitement, wonder, and anxiousness mixing with his own. That, and he knew she was smiling without even having to look at her.
“What?” he asked, fighting back a smile of his own.
“See? It’s not impossible.” She set the letter on the coffee table and snuggled into him as he lifted his arm so she could settle in the crook of his shoulder and against his chest.
Clark let out a breathy laugh. “You were right, Lois,” he said as he held her just a little more closely, leaning them both back into the cushions and pressing his lips to her temple. “You were right.”
The End
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