**Thank you to my editors. You are my superheroes. Finally figured out how I might end this since the ending needs a good rewrite, so only 2 more chapters after this. Enjoy.**
Part Ten
The next morning, Lois and Clark entered LexCorp together, Clark just behind her. Her heart fluttered as he put his hand on the small of her back like he had done so many times before.
They had worked together well past midnight last night. Even though it had been a long day for Clark and he hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before, they’d both felt invigorated working together again. They’d started with Gretchen Kelly and decided they needed to determine her whereabouts. However, since it had been much too late to go looking for the woman that night, they’d decided to try to find the doctor in the morning.
Clark had also mentioned he had a couple of sources at the FBI who might be able to look into Nigel St. John. Nigel was one of Lex’s henchmen, and Lois had recalled seeing Nigel around the penthouse a few times. Another promising lead was the cameras located at the loading dock of the LexCorp building. No one had thought of checking those cameras; now that Lois knew Clark had left from there the night of the murder, she thought maybe the video footage might show who else had exited the building that night.
Clark had left her apartment just after twelve thirty, when Lois had started nodding off at the table trying to stay awake. They’d set a plan for the next day, including locating Gretchen Kelly, going back to LexCorp, and checking on Mrs. Cox at the hospital.
Now, as they approached the security desk, Lois perked up, noticing the friendly face of Ernie again.
“Look who it is,” Ernie announced as he looked up at them.
“Hey, Ernie,” Clark said, smiling at the older man.
“Ernie, I thought you worked nights,” Lois said as she leaned over the counter. She knew being friendly with security guards could have certain advantages, and she hoped to play into that now.
“Someone called out, and I could use the extra money. My dear granddaughter, Bernice, will be attending college next fall,” the older man explained. “What can I do for the two best reporters in Metropolis?”
“Well, thanks for the compliment.” Lois blushed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I was wondering if you had video from the night of Lex’s murder.”
“The police have a copy of it already,” Ernie replied as he glanced down at the small monitors showing video surveillance at several points in the building.
“Actually, we’re looking for the delivery entrance. I don’t think the police even thought of that one,” Clark said.
Lois followed his gaze as he looked around the building. LexCorp should have been bustling with employees now; however, the place looked half empty. The corporation was going to be bought out eventually now that Lex was dead, but some of the employees were still around.
“What have you heard about what’s going to happen to the company?” Lois asked, frowning as she watched the few employees moving through the lobby.
“I heard that the board of directors was talking to Wayne Enterprises or Queen Industries.” Ernie sat down and began entering information into the computer system. “Either company sounds better to me than the one we had. Mr. Luthor was ruthless.”
Lois looked over at Clark, who just shrugged his shoulders. Ernie had never mentioned how he felt about working for Lex before, but now that Lex was gone, Ernie wasn’t scared to show his true feelings.
“Head of security has all the old tapes locked away by order of the police. And the relevant tapes from that night should all be in police evidence. Sorry, I wish I could help! After six, there are very few deliveries back there. Anyone could use it as an exit and not be seen. I can’t believe the police never thought of that. I’m sorry the police believe you would do such a horrible thing, Mr. Kent.”
“It’s okay, Ernie. Things will work out,” Clark replied. He glanced over at Lois and gave her a quick smile.
“And we’re hoping to be back at the Planet soon,” Lois said, smiling back at Clark.
“I heard that on the news last night. I’m sure Franklin Stern will even give you some updated technology,” Ernie said. He looked down at one of the security monitors and frowned. “Oh, looks like we’re getting a delivery right now.”
“Ernie, what could they be delivering if Lex is dead? I mean isn’t almost everything shut down now?” Lois asked as she leaned over to see what was happening on the screen.
“Oh goodness, you’re right,” Ernie said, raising his voice as he noticed the two “delivery guys” pull out guns.
“Clark, I think you need to, um…feed the parking meter?” Lois said, turning quickly toward her partner.
Clark looked away from Lois for a second, tilting his head. She assumed maybe he was using his super hearing to figure out what was happening at the back entrance.
“Uh, yeah. I sure do. I’ll be right back,” Clark mumbled before he ran off towards the building’s entrance.
Lois turned back to Ernie with a smile. “Don’t want a parking ticket.”
A few minutes later, Superman flew in from the back of the building, carrying two men in their late thirties, tied together with heavy-duty cables. Superman dropped the men off next to the security desk.
“Superman, I can’t believe you’re here!” Ernie said enthusiastically.
“I was flying by when I caught these two guys trying to break into LexCorp. I guess they thought since Luthor is no longer here, they could steal whatever they wanted,” Superman declared, crossing his arms over his chest. “Ernie, you may want to call the police to come pick them up.” He turned and nodded at Lois. “Lois.”
“No problem, Superman,” Ernie said as he picked up the phone.
Lois watched Superman fly back out the building’s entrance, then she turned back to Ernie. She knew Clark would be strolling back in within a few minutes. However, the minutes passed as she listened to Ernie talk to the police. When he hung up the phone, Clark still hadn’t returned.
Suddenly, a ding at the desk reminded Ernie what he’d been doing before Superman had flown in.
“I hope you find who killed Mr. Luthor. I may not have liked the guy, especially after what he did to us this past Christmas. But he didn’t deserve to die,” Ernie stated.
“What did he do?” Lois asked.
“After years of giving us a Christmas bonus, he didn’t bother with it this year. No reason, just no bonus. Some of the other employees were really upset, but there really wasn’t anything we could do about it,” Ernie explained.
Lois frowned. “I’m sorry. That’s just…” She couldn’t find the right words, so she just shook her head.
“Like I said, I didn’t like him much. But I hate to think whoever killed him will just get away with it.”
Lois nodded her agreement and waited with Ernie for the police to arrive.
***
Superman’s work hadn’t ended with just one rescue. Clark hoped Lois would understand why he hadn’t come back right after flying off. After he landed in the alleyway, he changed back into his regular clothes and ran up to Lois’s Jeep. He noticed Lois in the driver’s seat, about ready to pull away. He opened the passenger side door and jumped in before Lois could drive off.
“Sorry, I heard another call for Superman,” Clark said as he settled himself into the parked Jeep next to Lois. “I haven’t been able to do many rescues lately since…well…” Clark straightened his tie.
“I didn’t really think about that. I-I’m s—” Lois stammered as she pulled out onto the road.
“Lois, don’t, please. You’ve apologized enough times. I knew I shouldn’t have gone to see Luthor that night. Let’s just…find out who killed him, and then maybe things can get back to normal,” Clark asserted.
Clark noticed how stiff Lois was and how her heart rate was higher than usual. She wouldn’t even look over at him. And she didn’t respond, just kept her eyes on the road.
“What’s on your mind?” Clark asked as she turned onto Constitution Avenue.
Lois didn’t say anything for a few seconds, then she suddenly merged into the right lane, cutting off a blue sedan, and turned quickly into a parking lot.
“Lois, what are you doing?” Clark shouted as he grabbed onto the door.
Lois put the Jeep into park and looked over at him. Then, she took a deep breath. “I think we should go out on a date,” she blurted out quickly, turning to look straight ahead again while keeping both hands on the steering wheel.
Clark inhaled sharply. He hadn’t expected this. They were finally back to working together, and as much as he wanted more, he was pretty sure right now really wasn’t the right time. Looking over at her now, he could hear her heartbeat racing, and he could see her tension. What was he supposed to do?
She was saying exactly what he had wanted to hear…before she’d rejected him and then thrown herself at Superman only a short time later. He couldn’t help but wonder now whether she was doing this because of his “side job.”
Clark reached over and put his hand on her shoulder, a flicker of emotion running through him as he heard her heart rate spike at his touch. However, he wasn’t sure of what to say, and her tension didn’t help — her hands still gripped the steering wheel tightly, and she still couldn’t seem to look at him. After a few seconds, he squeezed her shoulder lightly. They had a job to do, and he hoped maybe…they could just talk about this later.
“Will you say something? Please?” Lois asked.
“What do you want me to say?” He took a deep breath and then ran his hand through his hair before wiping his hands on his slacks. “After last night, I thought we’d decided to let this go.”
“You told me you loved me just days ago, and after I admit I feel the same way, you say you don’t,” she argued, her voice becoming a little louder.
“Lois, you turned me down. You accepted Luthor’s proposal. What am I supposed to think?”
“I figured you would have believed me last night, and then… I figured that maybe we could take a chance on us,” Lois admitted, the sincerity in her voice clear to Clark. “There’s something here between us, and I want to take that chance. I know I’m breaking all my rules, but it’s your fault really.”
“What do you mean, my fault?” he countered, blinking back his confusion as he glanced at Lois.
“You’re the one who confessed first,” she said. “And it’s not like you didn’t react when I kissed you.”
He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and sighed.
“Of course I’m going to react. You know how I feel about you. I confessed before you knew who I really am. I wanted you to love me for who I am — not what I can do.”
“But I do! Why don’t you believe me? Do you think that at the engagement party, I was thinking of Superman? No! I was thinking of the times my partner and I spent together. The time you threw me on the bed at the Lexor Hotel and kissed me. What about the pheromone spray? Doesn’t that explain how attracted to you I am?” Lois explained, her hands finally coming off the steering wheel and waving around as she spoke.
“You have my head spinning, Lois,” Clark admitted. “Can we get back to proving I didn’t kill Luthor? And when this is all over, then we can…talk about…whatever this thing between us is?”
“Fine,” she scoffed, turning away. She put the car in gear and drove back onto the street.
The air was thick in the Jeep. Neither of them said a word as she drove toward the police station.
Clark couldn’t understand why Lois was acting like he could just bounce back. He’d poured his heart out to her that day in the park. He had — not the man in the blue and red costume. He’d never had this much chemistry with anyone else, never felt this way before. Yet, she’d told him she could only love him as a friend.
And now, she seemed to want to just take all of that back. Pretend it hadn’t happened. He couldn’t just erase all of her words, all of that pain. Did his feelings even matter?
“I’m going to catch a cab and go back to my apartment,” Clark said as Lois parked the Jeep at the police station a few minutes later.
“I’ll only be a minute. I know this place doesn’t give you a good feeling.”
“Yeah, being locked up in jail for twenty-four hours for something you didn’t do kind of does that to you,” Clark responded sarcastically.
“How about you meet me at the hospital, then?” Lois suggested.
“I need to check on my parents first and make some phone calls. I also want to check in with an old friend at the FBI and see what he can find on Nigel St. John.”
He didn’t want to follow her plan. Right now, he wanted to distance himself in case either of them did something unexpected again. Clark wasn’t sure he could pull away again if she kissed him.
Yes, he loved her. And dating her, being with her, it was what he’d wanted for months, but things were different now, and he needed…time. He got out of the Jeep, and she followed. She walked over to him before he could hail a cab.
“Don’t pull away from me again, please. I know I’ve made some mistakes lately, but I really hope that doesn’t keep us apart,” Lois said, looking down at her feet.
“Lois, I’m not pushing you away. We’ll talk about this thing between us afterward. After all this is over,” Clark promised as he took her hand and squeezed gently. “I need some time.”
“Okay,” she responded. She pulled her hand away, her shoulders slumped. “I’ll call you if I hear anything.”
***
Lois stepped away from him and turned toward the precinct. She wanted to talk to him more, to figure out what he was thinking, but every time she looked in his eyes, there it was — the hurt. Lois wished it wasn’t so difficult being around him. The huge mistake she’d made, denying her feelings for him, may have destroyed any chance they’d had of being together. But she’d been caught off guard that day, and it might have cost her more than just a partner. How was she going to get him back? How could she prove to him that she wanted him, not the man in tights?
Without thinking about what she needed to do, she walked through the police station, straight to Captain Benson’s office. No one stopped her. When she got to his office, he wasn’t there, and Lois sighed. She didn’t have time to run around chasing after the captain.
“Can I help you?” An African-American man with black hair, a mustache, a goatee, and a crew cut stepped toward her.
“I’m looking for Captain Benson,” Lois stated. “Do you know where I can find him?”
“Yeah. He’s at Metropolis General Hospital. One of our victims woke up from a coma,” the man said. “I’m Inspector Finn Wolf. You’re Ms. Lane, correct?”
“Yes,” Lois answered with a smile. “Mrs. Cox woke up?”
“Yes, she did. Captain told me that you would be stopping by. He figured you would want to know and told me to tell you to meet him at the hospital,” Inspector Wolf stated, walking back toward his desk.
“When was this?” Lois asked as she looked at her watch.
“About an hour ago,” Inspector Wolf answered.
Lois said thank you and rushed out of the precinct. If it had been an hour, Lois really needed to hurry to get to the hospital. She knew she hadn’t done anything wrong to cause Mrs. Cox’s fall, but she doubted the older woman would just talk to her and tell her what she knew.
About twenty minutes later, Lois ran down the hospital hallway towards Mrs. Cox’s room. When she reached the room, she was out of breath, and she staggered in to find Captain Benson standing beside the bed, writing in his notepad.
“Glad you could join us, Ms. Lane,” Captain Benson stated as Lois took a couple of deep breaths.
“I’m sorry,” Lois explained. “Clark and I were busy on another lead.”
Mrs. Cox was sitting up, but she turned toward Lois when she mentioned Clark’s name.
Captain Benson cleared his throat and looked from Lois over to the woman lying in the hospital bed. “Mrs. Cox was just informing me that Lex wasn’t supposed to die,” he said.
*****
