<><><>
Part 10/?
<><><>
I wake up to a soft knock on my door. I open it to find Lois, dressed in different clothes than when I tucked her into bed. She's holding my folded t-shirt in her hands. "So either I had the most erotic and realistic dream of my life last night, or you decided you didn't want to sleep with me after all." She tries to say it casually, but there's a trace of fear beneath the words.
I grin at her. "The bed was a little too small for us both." I stand back, hoping she'll come in.
She does, setting the shirt down on the desk and then looks up at me hopefully. She reaches out hesitantly, letting her hand rest at the center of my chest. "So that was real?"
"Yes," I nod, feeling a little shy myself now.
She flushes. "How different are things going to be now? Do we feel different to you?"
"Different how? Lois, it's only been a minute since we started talking. But if you're going to keep babbling then, no, it's not any different."
"Doesn't it seem like it should be different? Once you've seen a person naked… well, actually, I didn't really see you naked, did I? I mean, I kind of did, when we got back to shore. But I was too busy getting dressed to really take a good look."
I raise my eyebrows at her. "Is that why you're here? You want to see me naked?"
"No!" She blushes and goes to leave.
"Wait, Lois, I'm sorry." I catch her shoulders and turn her to face me. I take her face between my hands and bend down to gently kiss her lips. She tastes like toothpaste and I realize that she's probably been awake for a long time, worrying about what she was going to say and do. I wonder what her internal script dictated that I should say. "I'm glad you're here."
"Really?"
I nod and smooth my hands over her shoulders, pulling her into a hug. Lois relaxes against me, laying her cheek against my chest. I rest my chin on top of her head and close my eyes, utterly content. Then the thought creeps in that I still have something to tell her. Wait, I tell myself. Just another minute - let everything be this perfect for another minute.
Just as I'm about to kiss her again, she tilts her head back to look up at me. "Clark? When we first met, did you think I was rude to you?"
"You were preoccupied with a story." I'm not sure full disclosure on that subject is the way to go at this moment.
"I was rude, wasn't I?" Her eyes are wide and worried.
I don't want to make her feel bad so I shake my head slightly. "I wouldn't say 'rude', necessarily."
"Everyone else would," she says glumly.
"Why does it matter now?"
She pulls away from the hug and sits down on my bed. My *unmade* bed - a little voice at the back of my mind notes. Lois appears to be preoccupied by other thoughts.
"I was trying to remember what my first impression of you was," she says slowly.
I sit down next to her, not wanting to feel like I'm looming over her. "What was it?"
She frowns. "That's just it! I don't remember. I don't know if I even formed an opinion of you at first. The first thing I really remember about you is when you wrote that schmoopy story about the theater and Perry just ate it up."
"Schmoopy?" I think I'm about to be offended.
"Overly sentimental." She waves her hand dismissively. "Whatever you want to call it."
I *am* offended. "It wasn't overly sentimental. It was a tribute. Tributes are meant to be a little… schmoopy."
Lois takes my hand, squeezing my fingers. "I just, I don't remember what it was like not to know you. It's like I don't remember not having you around. You're just… part of me, a part of my life now. And then, last night, it was like I almost remembered meeting you for the first time. Didn't I call you Mr. Green Jeans or something?"
"Yes, you did. And you called me 'farm boy'."
"That's not necessarily an insult."
"I thought it was insulting."
She falls silent for a moment. "I didn't mean it as an insult."
I laugh. "Yes, you did."
"Well, I don't now."
I smile. "I know that."
"Do you remember your first impression of me?"
This is not the time to tell her I thought she was a high-strung bitch. "Yes."
She waits, but I don't say anything. "Well? What was it?" she finally asks impatiently.
"I thought you were very driven."
Something flares in her eyes. "You thought I was a witch!"
"No, I didn't. I thought you were very focused. I'd read your stories and I was thrilled to be meeting the Lois Lane."
"Do you still think that? That I'm 'driven' and 'focused'?" She makes little finger-quotes for the adjectives that offend her. "Tell me how you really feel!"
"Do you want to know the very first thing I thought when I met you in person?"
She hesitates, bites her lip, and then says, "What?"
"I thought you were beautiful. I was blown away. I already knew you were an amazing reporter, I just wasn't prepared to see someone so young and drop-dead gorgeous."
"Drop-dead gorgeous?"
"Yep."
"If you wanted to kiss my butt, Clark, you probably should have done it last night when it was bare to the world."
"Lois, I'll kiss anything of yours you want kissed."
She rolls her eyes at me. "You think I'm going to forgive you for calling me 'driven' if you sweet talk me?"
"You insulted me first."
"'Farm boy' is an occupation," she says with a glare.
"In your case, so is 'driven'."
My door is half-open and Josh knocks on it lightly before sticking his head in. He clears his throat and says, "We need you guys down at the site early this morning. Doc got a call last night that the federal regulator will be here this morning."
"Okay," I say in answer. He shuts the door behind him as he leaves.
Lois stands up. "I guess you need to get ready now."
"You can stay and watch."
She blushes, just like I hoped she would. She puts her hand on the doorknob and then turns back to me. "Did you really think that? That I was drop-dead gorgeous?"
"Lois, I've never stopped thinking that."
Her face splits in a grin before she quickly tones it down to a smirk. "You're good, Clark. Very good."
"You'd be the best judge of that now, wouldn't you?"
She turns bright red and leaves, shutting the door firmly behind her.
<><><>
We spend the morning cleaning up the dig site, making sure that everything has been logged. Doc is clearly agitated and mutters frequently under his breath that we're going to be shut down before the day is out. Just before noon I hear a car drive up to the house. Five minutes pass and then Emily says, "There they are," in a low, urgent tone.
We all look up. Two men are coming down the path towards the dig site. One is in his late-forties and a little on the pudgy side. His brown hair, what's left of it, is badly combed-over. The walk from the house appears to have winded him and his forehead glistens with sweat. The other man is younger, maybe in his early thirties. He's taller and leaner than his companion with light brown hair. He sees us all staring and he gives us a friendly wave.
Doc waves back, but he mutters to us, "Never trust the government."
We watch them come closer. As they move around the rubble pile from the cabin the younger man waves again. "Hi! I'm Jay Shaw, from the Department of the Interior. This is John Dixon, he's my supervisor."
Doc goes forward shakes their hands. "Mr. Shaw. Mr. Dixon. I'm Dr. Hanover, the dig supervisor. He turns and gestures at each of us. "Emily, Lois, Josh, Clark."
"Just call us Jay and John, please. I'm sorry, I don't think I have all your names, but I'm sure we'll know you before the day is over," Jay says while John mops at his forehead. "So what have we got here?"
Doc takes them around the dig site. He explains with some trepidation how the cabin collapsed. When he comes to the trench John zeroes in on the exposed skull.
"This is supposed to be Lucas Peregrine?" he asks.
"Yes," Doc says.
John pulls a small notepad from his back pocket and leafs through it. "Leaving aside the fact that you're intending to disturb a burial that is less than a century old, what makes you so certain that this is your guy?"
"My grandfather said he was buried here."
"Uh huh." John looks at the notepad again. "And he was how old?"
"In his nineties, possibly older than that," Doc looks irritated.
John kneels next to the skull and points at Lucas's teeth. "Do those look like the teeth of a elderly man from the nineteenth century? He shouldn't even have teeth, let alone perfect teeth. They aren't dentures. There are no cavities. How do you explain that?"
Doc shrugs. "Some people are born lucky?"
"And look at his clavicle here," John points again. "I'm no expert, but that looks much too robust to be such an old man." John stands up, brushing his knees. "Here's what we need to do. I think this is a Native American burial, which it is illegal to disturb. Let's bring in a forensic anthropologist to make a determination. Until then, this excavation must stop."
Jay grimaces and looks like he's about to argue with John, but decides better of it. "You could…" he starts quietly, glancing at John. "What about starting with the cabin? Have you considered excavating it?"
"Let's go back to the house," John shoots Jay a glare. "You can show us what you've uncovered so far. I'll have to ask you all to stop any work here until we know something more definitive about this burial."
As we walk glumly up the hill towards the trees Lois lets out an exasperated sigh. I turn back to see what's bothering her and she motions for me to hang back with her. "Can they really do that? Just shut the whole thing down? Do you think they'll make us fill up the grave again?"
"I don't know. I hope not," I say.
"I guess Superman doesn't have cavities, does he?"
I make the leap of logic with her. "No, he doesn't."
"What do you think, Clark? Was Lucas really from Krypton?"
"Yeah," I say slowly. "I think he was. I… we should talk... about Lucas. This story. And, I have something I really have to tell you."
She grins and smacks my arm. "Later - I just got an idea! I'll see you back at the house!" She rushes away at a jog.
"Lois!"
"Not now, Clark! I gotta write it down while I still have the phrasing right."
I sigh. "Sure, go ahead. It can wait."
<><><>
I don't go in the house. I'd only be in the way as Josh and Doc try to justify their project to John. I sit down on the porch, my shoulder resting against Lucas' pillar. The screen door squeaks and slams behind me and I hear Lois' footsteps. She sits down next to me on the top step and lightly leans against my shoulder.
"Did you get your idea written down?" I ask.
"Yeah, but whatever else I was going to say is gone. I hate when that happens."
"Lois, I still need to talk to you."
"Did you want to amend your first impression of me?"
"No."
"I remembered what I thought - about you. That first time in Perry's office."
"Do I want to hear it?"
She chuffs a laugh and almost smiles. "Maybe… it's not completely insulting."
"So what was it?"
"I thought…" she takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. "I thought you looked like you were too eager to please. Earnest, I guess you could call it. You were very earnest."
"Not like the first time you saw Superman. He, at least, impressed you." I shouldn't feel petty. Couldn't she have created some little white lie for me? She could have said she thought I was tall or she liked my glasses or anything else. Earnest is just… unsexy.
She ducks her head in embarrassment. "He ate a bomb, Clark! This buff guy shows up out of nowhere in tights and a cape and he eats a bomb - of course I was impressed."
"I still need to talk to you about Superman."
She laughs. "And you say I'm obsessive? Let it go, Clark. I'd rather go swimming with you."
Josh opens the screen door. "Hey guys, we need your help. Jay got John to agree to let us excavate the cabin."
I roll my eyes in frustration. "We'll talk later?" I ask Lois as she stands up.
"Sure." She holds her hand out for me to help her up. "I think it's cute that you're jealous of him."
I allow myself a snicker. "Lois, trust me on this, I'm not jealous."
<><><>
John takes charge of the project to move the heavy beam from the cabin's foundation. He directs Doc, Lois and I to stand on one side of the beam while he, Josh, Emily and Jay take the other side. We count off from three and everyone groans as they try to lift.
"Maybe we should try to use rollers, you know, get some logs?" Jay suggests.
"Let's try it once more first," John answers.
"Scoot down a little," I tell Lois so that I can take a place closer to the middle of the beam. Lois slides a couple of feet to the right, her face set in determination. Everyone squats down again and John admonishes us to remember to lift with our knees.
This time I put a little more effort into the lifting, but still let them all sweat it out pretty good. We stop twice to rest as we move the beam away from the cabin. On the last lift, Josh and John both stumble and the beam starts to slip. I catch it, balancing it solo for what seems like a very long second while everyone readjusts their grip. No one says anything and I breathe a small sigh of relief.
Doc takes over from John and we all begin setting up the cabin's foundation for a new trench. Lois and Emily go in the tent to begin a new log and sketch the area's features. I help Josh measure and mark out the new coordinates, staking out a grid pattern over the area.
"Are you okay?" Emily asks. I look over to see Lois slowly tapping a stack of index cards on the tabletop, her expression distant. Emily touches her shoulder and Lois snaps out of her trance.
"Are you okay?" Emily asks again.
"Yeah," Lois shakes her head. "I'm just tired, I guess."
I smile to myself with maybe just a touch of pride. How'd you get tired, Lois? Distracted by the memory of last night, I accidentally lose the end of the tape I'm holding and have to chase it down. I glance over and Lois is watching me. Blushing furiously, I go back to the corner of the grid. Way to be smooth and impressive there, Clark.
"Do you want a break?" Emily gives her a sympathetic smile. "We need a box of labels from the house."
"Good idea. I think a walk would wake me up." Lois sets aside the index cards and starts for the house. I watch her walking up the hill until Josh interrupts my daydreams to help set up the next quadrant.
Ten minutes pass and Lois doesn't return. Then fifteen and there's still no Lois. I start to get worried. It's been so quiet, accident-wise, today. Has something happened? I'm looking for an excuse to go back to the house when I see her come through the trees.
"Took you long enough," Emily comments when Lois hands the box to her.
"They weren't where I thought they were," Lois says quietly. "You should have told me where to find them."
Worried, I go over and touch her shoulder. "Lois, are you okay?"
She nods without looking up. "Never better. I'm just a little worn out, I guess."
"Not too tired to talk later, though, right?" I squeeze her shoulder gently.
"No," she looks up and gives me a half-smile. "Not too tired to talk."
<><><>
John and Jay turn down the invitation to stay for dinner. I can't honestly say that any of us are disappointed. Doc goes in the kitchen to make dinner and the rest of us gather in the sitting room.
"So what is Doc's specialty?" I ask. "He said he was making his specialty for dinner."
Emily and Josh share a look and then say, in unison, "Hot dogs."
Emily continues. "When they dig us up, centuries from now, they'll marvel at how well preserved we are. And it won't be embalming fluid. It will be the hot dogs."
"I love hot dogs," Lois says absently. I feel a stab of disappointment that she's probably too tired to go swimming tonight. Then again, I have to tell her - tonight. In fact, I shouldn't put it off any longer.
"Lois? Can we go for a walk?"
She turns her weary-looking eyes to me. "Yeah. Let me just run upstairs and get my jacket."
"I'll go get it, " I tell her and head out of the room. As I reach the top of the stairs I see that my door is open a crack. I'm sure I closed it. Has someone been in my room again? Is there another picture? I rush into my room, expecting something bad.
It's not bad - it's worse.
My suitcase is sitting opened on my bed. My clothes have been tossed to one side and the liner is pulled back. The globe is gone. Sick with dread, I stare at the space where it should have been. Why did I leave it here? Why didn't I take it home? I can't even begin to comprehend what I've lost. Not just my past, but Lucas' as well.
Who has it? I don't think it's played anything for them. I was able to hear the messages from the globe before when it was played outside my presence. Or was that only because those messages were specifically meant for me? Could Lucas' message have played for someone else and I'd never realize it?
There are footsteps in the hallway behind me. I turn around to see Lois in the doorway, her face set in an inscrutable mask.
"Lose something?" she asks.
<><><>
