**Notes** Thank you once again to my wonderful editors. They helped rewrite some of this part. Beware a lot of 'aw-ful' moments in this chapter. After this there will be one more chapter that I have to do a huge rewrite. Enjoy!

Part Eleven
“What does that even mean?” Lois asked.

Captain Benson guided Lois out of the hospital room, and Lois sat in the nearest chair. She couldn’t understand what was happening.

“Mrs. Cox informed me that Luthor was planning on faking his death and pinning it on Mr. Kent. The crime lab found that the videotape was altered, and she confessed on that front. She told me who was in on the plan. A man named Nigel St. John was supposed to shoot Luthor with blanks,” Captain Benson explained, looking down at Lois as he leaned up against the wall next to her.

“So, will you be dropping the charges against Clark?” Lois wondered aloud, looking up at Benson.

“I have to talk to the DA, but that’s what I’d expect. We still need to find who shot Luthor, though,” Benson stated. “And there are a few other people we need to locate to corroborate Mrs. Cox’s story.”

“If Nigel was supposed to shoot Lex with blanks, maybe he was the one who double-crossed him,” Lois suggested.

“That’s the idea. Mrs. Cox wasn’t in the penthouse when it happened. She was in a lab on the fifth floor looking into a project Luthor was working on. At ten fifteen, she was supposed to go back to the penthouse and call Gretchen Kelly,” Benson told Lois.

“Gretchen Kelly was Lex’s primary doctor. She was also the one who signed the death certificate,” Lois interrupted.

Benson nodded as though he already knew this information. Then he continued. “We have men trying to locate Dr. Kelly now. You know, Ms. Lane, when I’m not going after your partner, you’re not as bad as Henderson says,” Benson admitted as he looked down at her with a smile.

“Henderson and I have an agreement. He gives me a hard time, and I leave his name out of my articles,” Lois explained, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. If she didn’t know any better, she thought maybe Captain Benson was hitting on her.

“Well, maybe after all of this is over, you and I can go out for a drink and see if what Henderson says is right,” he suggested with another smile, putting his hands in his pockets.

“I’m flattered, Captain. I really am. But after this is over, I’m hoping that my partner and I can make a go at something more,” Lois admitted. Captain Benson was a fine-looking man, maybe a few years older than she was, and he was good at his job. She was sure he could make a woman very happy, but she wanted to be happy with Clark.

“Just making sure, I hear you have all the guys falling over you,” Benson said with a smirk. “I’ve even heard you have a certain man in blue and red falling over you at times.”

“You don’t know half of it,” Lois sighed. The turn in the conversation reminded her that she needed to call Clark. She’d forgotten about calling him as soon as Benson had given her the news about Mrs. Cox. “Speaking of my partner, I need to call him. Excuse me for a minute.”

Lois stood up, turned to Benson, and held out her hand. She thought he may have pushed a bit too hard at times when trying to pin the murder on Clark, but she could tell all he’d really wanted was the truth, just like she and Clark had. And apparently, he’d been very helpful in the search for that truth in the last twenty-four hours.

“Thank you for believing that Clark didn’t do it,” Lois said.

“Just doing my job, Ms. Lane,” he responded with a smile.

“I think you can call me Lois.”

“Okay, Lois. If we’re going to be on a first-name basis, you can call me Elliott,” he replied, grinning.

“Well, Elliott, thank you,” Lois said before stepping away. “Bye.”

Lois turned away and walked down the hall. She still had a bunch of questions. How was Lex supposed to have gotten away with framing Clark? What was getting Clark arrested going to prove? Was she supposed to have turned her back on Clark just like that? And who had really killed Lex?

All of these things were running through her mind as she drove to Clark’s. Forty-five minutes later, she knocked on Clark’s door. She figured telling him in person would be better than over the phone. He answered the door seconds later, wearing blue jeans and a red shirt, but no shoes or socks.

“I thought you were going to call,” Clark said nonchalantly, opening the door.

“Well, I figured I would stop by with the good news,” Lois replied, strolling right into his apartment. She stood on the top steps and looked around. “Where are your parents?”

“They wanted to get out for a bit, so they went to go pick up some lunch,” he answered as he closed the door. He led her down the steps, and then, probably noticing the bit of a hop she had in her step and the smile on her face, he asked, “Why do you look so joyful?”

Lois turned around to face him, grinning ear to ear. She couldn’t hold in the good news any longer.

She proceeded to tell Clark all about Lex’s nefarious ploy to fake his own death and have Clark framed for his murder. She put her hand on his chest when she finished and looked up at him, studying his eyes. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

“Well, what do you have to say?” Lois asked quickly.

“What do I have to say?” Clark put his hand over Lois’s. “‘Elliott’? You mean ‘Captain Benson’?”

Lois took a deep breath and shook her head. She stepped away from him, flabbergasted at his question.

“That’s the only thing you got from ALL that,” Lois blurted out, heaving a sigh as she turned away from him. “I just told you that this case is likely closed, and all you can think of is me calling the captain by his first name.”

“Lois…” Clark said, grabbing her wrist gently. He pulled her back to him, and suddenly she was up against his chest. “Thank you for believing in me.”

He looked down at her, and she could see the love in his eyes, making her feel warm and cherished once again. The electricity between them was intense, and she wanted nothing more than to kiss him right then.

“You have nothing to be jealous about,” Lois pointed out, resting her hands on his chest again.

“I wasn’t jealous…” he began. “Okay, for a brief second. I think…both of us tend to get jealous when the other is getting attention from someone of the opposite sex. But, really, we should just have admitted how we felt about one another a long time ago,” he admitted as he cupped her cheek with his hand.

“I don’t know if I would go that far. I don’t get jealous,” she joked lightly, a teasing grin on her lips. Then she leaned into his touch and lowered her voice. “What does this mean now? Are you going to let me go?”

“I’m still holding onto you, aren’t I?” he whispered. She watched him glance at her lips briefly and then look back up again.

“He asked me out, you know,” Lois said as she studied his reaction. She wanted to kiss him, but she remembered him pushing her away last time.

“Oh!”

“I told him no. I told him that there was someone else,” she explained. She looked down at her hands on his chest and began to slide her fingers up to his neck.

“What did he have to say?” Clark asked, and Lois smiled as she noticed the hitch in his voice.

“He understood,” Lois replied, continuing to gauge Clark’s reaction. She’d needed to know if he was still interested in her. And from the way his body had started responding to her touch, he was definitely still interested. She smiled. “After the district attorney drops your charges, we are going out on a date, correct?”

“I never said I didn’t want to go out with you. I just wanted this Luthor mess out of the way before,” Clark said. “And as much as I would love to kiss you right now, some things are still up in the air.”

“Like what?” she asked, frowning. She paused, her hands just on either side of his neck, and her body tensed.

“It’s not about this — this thing with us,” Clark answered with a smile. “It’s about Luthor. What was Luthor’s plan after I got arrested? To run away from Metropolis with you? And who killed him?”

Lois relaxed as he wrapped his arms around her waist. He wasn’t letting her go.

“Can we forget about Luthor for the night, please? I just want to celebrate our win.”

She felt a laugh rumble in his chest, and he nodded. Then, he slowly lowered his lips to hers. At first, the kiss was soft, but then she wrapped her arms around his neck, and he pulled her even closer. The kiss deepened, and Lois knew he still loved her. His hands tangled into her hair, and a warmth spread throughout her body.

“Excuse us.”

Clark and Lois pulled apart instantly, and Lois looked up to see Martha Kent walking into the apartment.

“I see the two of you made up,” Martha said, laughing as she came down the steps carrying a plastic bag of food.

“What am I missing?” Jonathan asked as he followed behind Martha.

“Lois was just here to tell me they’ll be dropping the charges,” Clark said as he straightened his shirt.

“Looked like a lot of talking to me,” Martha teased, setting the food on the table.

“Mom,” Clark muttered, blushing.

“Are you staying for lunch, Lois?” Jonathan asked. “We have plenty.”

Martha began to pull containers of food from the bags, and Lois immediately recognized the logo for the House of Hunan.

“Oh, I don’t know,” Lois said, looking over at Clark. As soon as he smiled at her, she knew she was done for.

“Please stay, Lois. I’m sure you’re hungry?” Clark said, taking her hand in his.

***
Clark held Lois’s hand, still reeling from their kiss. He squeezed it gently, and she smiled at him and then nodded.

“Okay, I guess I could eat,” Lois replied, biting her lip as she looked at him. “But afterward, I think I’m going back to see Mrs. Cox.”

Clark nodded. “Maybe I should go with you. She might be able to tell us more,” Clark suggested, tilting his head in thought. “I really want to know what Luthor was planning after faking his death. What was he going to do? Make sure I was in prison for his ‘death,’ then kidnap you and take you to some deserted island?”

Clark shook his head and then escorted Lois over to sit at the table while his parents got out plates and utensils. Clark took a seat next to Lois, and they started to dish out the contents of the food containers.

“He had to know I wouldn’t let you rot in prison,” Lois pointed out. “Maybe he was going to get someone to try and kill you in prison. Part of me would have liked to see him try. He never took failure well.”

Clark looked at Lois intently, and he realized that was it — Lex had wanted to make sure Clark never left the jail.

“Jail…” Clark said, tilting his head sideways. “Wait, you wanted to see him try and kill me?”

Clark hoped Lois hadn’t meant it the way it sounded. Did she? She knew about his strength. And if someone had tried to hurt him, chances were they would be hurt, not him. Yet, Lois did have a valid point. What had Luthor been planning?

“No, I didn’t want to see him try and have someone kill you. Not like it would have worked either,” Lois said with a laugh. “But what if he was going to have someone kill you in prison? Do you think he would have waited that long?”

Clark shifted in his chair. Lois was too trusting when it came to certain men with authority, and Luthor was a smart man. What if Luthor had tried to have him killed and somehow figured out his secret in the process? Kryptonite…did exist. What if Luthor had somehow succeeded in trying to kill Clark? Clark knew Luthor hadn’t deserved to die, but right now, he was also glad Luthor hadn’t gotten a chance to carry out whatever other plans he might have had.

“You knew him better than I did,” Clark said, taking a bite of his Szechuan chicken.

“I didn’t mean I wanted him to hurt you. Of course I didn’t want anything to happen to you,” Lois assured him, and she took a small bite of her lunch.

Clark noticed his parents eating in silence while listening to the conversation. He also noticed how Lois sighed, then looked like the weight of the world had just been lifted off her shoulders when she took another bite of her food. It was probably the first real meal she’d had in days.

He was glad she was here, and he knew she enjoyed spending time with his parents. The thought reminded him of the fact that she’d asked her dad for money to bail him out of jail. She didn’t get along with her parents like he did, and so he knew that it must have been really difficult for her to do that. How was he ever going to repay her? Not the money; they’d get the money back. But for her time and effort and dedication. She’d worked night and day to get his name cleared. Sure, they were now celebrating by eating Chinese with his parents, but what he really wanted to do was take her flying someplace alone so they could talk.

“You must be hungry,” he said, watching her intently.

“What?” she asked, looking up at him.

She put her fork down, reached over for his hand, and squeezed it. He smiled at her and nodded his head.

“I’m just thinking how good it feels to have you in my corner.”

“I made a mistake with Lex—”

“It’s okay, Lois. I know. I’m just happy that things worked out. Now we just need to figure out who really killed Luthor and what his plans were,” Clark said with a smile.

“The two of you better finish eating before it gets cold,” his mom said.

Clark looked over at his mom, and he noticed Lois spear another forkful of her food.

“I’m sorry, Mom,” Clark apologized, looking down at his plate as his cheeks heated up with embarrassment.

“Let Lois finish eating,” his mom replied. She glanced at Lois and smiled encouragingly.

“Yeah, sorry, Lois, I—” Clark cut himself off abruptly as he heard a call for help. Mentally cursing the timing, but knowing he couldn’t just ignore it, he looked over at Lois with a half-smile. “Lois, go ahead and finish eating,”
Clark said. “I know you probably haven’t had much to eat lately. Just relax. I need to go for a minute, but I’ll be back.”

Lois’s eyebrows scrunched together in confusion, and she tilted her head slightly.

Clark just smiled and stood up. “Finish up, and I’ll be back,” he said before kissing his mom on the cheek and squeezing Lois’s shoulder. “There’s a bank alarm in downtown, and the suspects have guns. I need to hurry.”

Lois nodded, and he felt her eyes on him as he walked into his bedroom. Seconds later, he flew out the window. He didn’t want to leave Lois and his parents, but he knew Superman needed to make up for not being around as much. He hoped though that this rescue would only take a short time.

He also knew he needed to get used to having Lois know his secret. It would be nice to have someone to talk to after the tougher rescues, but he’d spent years keeping the rescues to himself and holding in the heartache of what he saw every day. Now that he had Lois, they would have to figure out how to balance their relationship with him having to fly away at a moment’s notice. How would Lois feel knowing that their time together could be interrupted at any minute? Clark knew they needed to have a long discussion about what it might be like for Lois to date a man with a secret identity.

He also still worried about keeping the evil away from the people he loved, including his parents and Lois. When Trask had used his parents to get to him, he’d felt so helpless. If other criminals found out Superman was in a relationship with Lois, she could be in danger. How was he to stop that from happening? He knew Lois would never stop putting herself into danger, and in a way, he didn’t want to stop her from being who she was. He would need to be careful about keeping up appearances when he was around her as Superman.

Clark did a few more rescues before flying back to his apartment. He walked into the bathroom, cleaned up, and came back out in his regular clothes. He found his parents and Lois still at the table; their lunch had been all cleaned up. Now they were just sitting around talking and drinking some coffee.

“How was lunch?” Clark asked.

“I put the leftovers in a container for you,” his mom replied, smiling up at him.

“Thanks, Mom. Are the two of you okay? Need anything before Lois and I take off?” he asked, moving behind Lois and putting his hand on her shoulder.

He looked down at her, and she turned slightly to look at him. He could see the wheels turning in her mind.
“Are we heading back to the hospital?” Lois asked.

“Yeah, I think it’s time we find out what Luthor was planning exactly,” Clark said with a smile. “Are you ready?”

Lois nodded, and Clark pulled out the chair for her.

“Thank you for lunch,” Lois told his parents.

“Anytime,” his mom replied, and he nodded a thanks to her before he and Lois left the apartment.

***

After lunch, Lois and Clark were getting buckled into the Jeep so they could head down to the hospital. Lois turned the radio on, but before she could pull away from the curb, Clark reached over and turned it off.

“Lois, before we go, I need to apologize. I know you’ve been trying your best to prove my innocence,” Clark admitted, taking a deep breath. “I haven’t really been fair to you.”

Lois didn’t know exactly what to say. So instead, she just waited for him to continue.

“I’m glad you were able to have some time alone with my parents. I think my mom always wanted another woman around to talk to about me,” Clark admitted with a teasing smile. “But I worry a lot about both of them. Plus, running off during lunch and leaving you with them was out of my control.”

“It was my pleasure. Your parents are great. I bet it was great growing up with parents who loved each other and would do anything for you,” Lois said, lowering her eyes to her hands.

She hadn’t had the best upbringing. For years, Lois had looked after herself and Lucy while her dad had been off performing surgeries for high-paying vanity clients and her mom had been out drinking her emotions away. Lois had never wanted marriage or a family because she hadn’t had the greatest influences.

Now, watching Clark with his parents, Lois knew it was possible. Maybe one day, she could have that with someone. And as much as it was early in their relationship, she was sure that future could be with Clark.

“Believe me, it wasn’t always sunshine and roses,” Clark said. “My parents can argue, but it’s small things. From what I remember, dad told me he proposed to my mom five different times. Each time she said no, he would go out and plow a field or something. But they always got back together.” Clark paused and frowned. “And when it came to me and my powers, growing up… Dad warned me all the time to be careful, not to let anyone see me use my powers. He was afraid I would be seen, and then someone would capture me and study me in a laboratory. Dissect me like a frog.”

Lois couldn’t believe it. It made sense though. When Superman had appeared, many people had been skeptical — people like Jason Trask.

“Trask,” Lois whispered, blinking as she set her hand on Clark’s arm.

“Exactly. It’s another reason I created Superman. I wanted a normal life, but to be able to use my powers to help those I could.”

“I get it. I do,” Lois said. “Trying to have a normal life, even when you’re faster than a speeding bullet.”

“Yeah, and having to constantly apologize for flying off. If we move forward with a relationship, I hope you understand I might have to run off at the most inappropriate times,” he admitted, running his hand through his hair.

“That explains the strange excuses you used to give when you had to disappear,” she said with a smile. “Clark, I admit that it threw me for a moment when you had to run off during lunch. I understand though, and if we are on a date and it happens, I just hope you come back when you can.”

Lois glanced down as he took her hand, lifted it to his lips, and then kissed the back of her hand. She looked up again and saw tenderness and maybe a little bit of mischief in his deep brown eyes.

“I promise I’ll always come back,” Clark whispered to her.

Lois blushed slightly at Clark’s boldness. This was all so new to her. A man that would promise he would always come back. Was this real?

“I know we have other things to talk about, but I didn’t want to leave without you knowing,” he said as he kissed her hand again.

As she had several times today, she felt an urge to kiss him. However, now wasn’t the time to start making out with Clark. As much as she loved being in his arms and the feeling of his hands on her, they had things to do.

”We should get going,” she said lightly, pulling her hand away.

When she started the Jeep back up, she could tell something else was on his mind. She looked over at him, and he smiled back. But the smile wasn’t reaching his eyes.

“What is it, Clark?” she asked as she pulled the Jeep away from the curb and began maneuvering through the streets of Metropolis toward the hospital.

“I was thinking about the moment before my parents showed up,” he said quietly.

“I know. I’m sort of glad your parents did show up,” Lois admitted, tightening her hands on the steering wheel slightly. As much as it had felt amazing kissing Clark, she didn’t want to move too fast.

There was silence for a few minutes, and it started making Lois uneasy again.

Finally, Clark cleared his throat and spoke up. “Why? You didn’t enjoy—”

Lois reached her hand over to his thigh and squeezed slightly. She knew where he was going.
Miscommunication had to stop between them.

“Oh, I enjoyed it. It…was like that time at the Lexor Hotel. You threw me down on the bed and kissed me. You left me breathless then too. It took me a minute to get my bearings,” Lois admitted, blushing, remembering that moment in the hotel.

“My kisses leave you breathless?”

She glanced over at him, and he smiled as though also remembering that moment months ago in the hotel.
“Yes, your kisses leave me breathless,” she admitted. “And I don’t want to rush things or ruin what could be something ‘super.’”

She focused on the road again, feeling her shoulders tense. Her insecurities were coming out, but she felt the need to be as honest as possible with him. After all, Clark had been honest with her about his worries that he might have to disappear during a date. It was only fair that she admit how scared she was about having a physical relationship with him.

Before Clark could respond, Lois turned into the parking lot of Metropolis General Hospital.

“Oh, look, we’re here,” she announced, and she promptly found a parking spot, turned the Jeep off, and started to get out.

Lois wanted to talk more about their insecurities, but this was not the time nor the place. They had to finish solving the case before really discussing their future. Though at least she thought it did seem like both of them were on the same page.

***

Lois found a parking spot and turned the car off, but before she got out, Clark took her hand. He wanted to say one more thing. Something she had mentioned that was starting to get to him.

“There’s one more thing, Lois. I’m sorry,” he murmured as he opened his eyes and looked at her. “I keep kissing you like that and forgetting that you might not be ready for more.”

“I’m ready, Clark. I am. I’m just scared about moving too fast. I know I made some mistakes. I can’t apologize enough for accepting Lex’s proposal,” Lois explained. She pulled her hand away from his and gripped the steering wheel again. “It was like he swept me off my feet, made me believe he was something else — someone else.”

Clark realized what she had said. He had done the same thing to her. He had made her believe he was two different people, and he’d done it by lying — just like Lex. Was he really any different than Lex?

“Maybe I’m more like Luthor than I thought,” Clark admitted as he fumbled with his hands. “I lied to you about who I am. I made you believe I was two different people, just like he did.”

“You’re not a monster. You weren’t trying to control me or manipulate me.”

“Wasn’t I manipulating you, though?”

“Clark, stop! Yes, you made me believe you were two different people, but the difference between you and Lex is that you are a good person. You lied to protect people, not to control and manipulate them…”

“Is that what he did to you? Did he manipulate you?”

“In a way, yes. I shouldn’t have been enamored with Lex. I mean, you know me…money, fame, material things…they just don’t matter to me. Yet, here was the third richest man in the world paying attention to me. He kept dazzling me with his intellect and cultured ways, taking me to far-off places I’d never been…”

“You were flattered by the attention, just like you were with Superman,” Clark observed. “Powerful men.”

“Yes, but the difference between Lex and ‘Superman’ is that both of them are fantasies. I fell in love with you, Clark. The man with insecurities and problems. The man who could sit there and listen to me babble on and yet call my bluff when I try to win at a darn Scrabble game.”

Clark grinned at the last comment. He remembered the way they had played games in the Lexor Hotel. She’d tried to cheat at Scrabble, but he’d called her out on it.

“Chumpy is not a word, Lois,” Clark said, “no matter how much you try to argue your way through that one.”

“See what I mean? Who else would edit my copy? No one but you. I never wanted a partner, but you came along and broke all my walls down. No one has ever done that. I was too scared to let anyone even try,” Lois explained. She looked down and fiddled with a stitch on her shirt.

“I remember how you were at the beginning — always wanted to be top banana,” Clark recalled. “And the way you scooped me.”

“Yes, but only you tried to get back at me. Most people would have given up on me. You never did. Perry wanted you to learn from me, but what he didn’t realize is I needed to learn from you,” Lois explained. She looked back up at him and smiled. “You made me see things in a different light. I didn’t have the best role models when it came to love, my parents fought all the time. I don’t want to argue with you anymore. I never wanted that. But I also know that it’s just the pain we’re feeling from being rejected. You showed me that love and friendship go hand and hand. I…want that back.”

He was in awe of her admission. She had never opened her heart to anyone before. Now she had, and he…really didn’t want to hurt her again. Clark knew that they were better, that he was better. He didn’t like to see her in any sort of pain, and lately, that was what he’d been doing. Hurting her.

No more. It had to stop.

“I don’t want to hurt you anymore. I believe you, and I can get back to where we were before—”

“No, I don’t want things like they were,” she interrupted. His breath caught in his throat as she reached up with both hands to frame his face. “I want more. Before, we were just friends and partners. I want more,” she admitted with a smile.

“So do I,” he replied as he covered one of her hands with his. He let his thumb rub over the back of her knuckles. “So forward. We move forward.”

“Forward,” she whispered as she leaned towards him.

Before she got too close to him, he put his free hand up to stop her. He knew what would happen if she kissed him, and as much as he wanted to kiss those luscious red lips of hers, they should probably get moving.

“As much as I would love to kiss you — because believe me, I do,” Clark said, grinning, “we need to finish this investigation.”

She looked at his lips, then his eyes, and finally seemed to realize he was right. “I know, you’re right, but…” She pulled him to her, and their lips met.

The kiss was intense, and Clark immediately lost himself, deepening it as he threaded his hands through her hair.

“Lois…” he moaned, and as the sound reverberated in the car, he remembered where they were — in her vehicle, in the hospital parking lot. He groaned in protest. “We…need to stop.”

“I know,” Lois said. But he felt her bite his bottom lip, and she didn’t pull away. He could feel his body reacting even more.

“Lo…is,” he moaned once more. He put his hands on her shoulders and slowly pulled back. “This could get out of control real fast if we keep this up. And I don’t want to get caught making out with you in the parking lot.”

The spark between them was electrifying. Both of them needed to learn to control themselves. After a couple of minutes straightening themselves up, they got out of the Jeep and went into the hospital.

****

Coming soon... the finale of Murder Over Metropolis! Who killed Lex Luthor? Will the killer be caught? Will Lois & Clark be able to move on?