PREVIOUSLY IN LOST...
She walked over to the desk in the room expecting to find a computer keyboard built into the desk. When she didn’t find one, she began opening drawers, her eyebrows rising when she found paper inside and... She gasped when she saw the pen. Reaching in, she carefully removed it. In a paperless society, a society where computers were everywhere, only the rich owned pens. The idea that there was one in a drawer in a hotel room was almost inconceivable to her. She’d used a pen on a few occasions in her life, but never had she owned one. She played with it for a minute before sitting down at the desk. She could at the very least leave Clark a note. He deserved no less.
‘Clark,’ she began before pausing. What could she possibly say after last night? How did she say goodbye to this man? She found it ironic that in spite of her profession she couldn’t find the words she needed. Saying goodbye seemed... too permanent, somehow, and try as she might, she couldn’t force herself to write it - to see that word in cold black and white. Maybe if she didn’t write it, it wouldn’t be true. With regret, she placed the pen back in the desk. She wanted so badly to take it, but it wasn’t hers. Sighing, she rose to her feet. Nothing she could say would possibly change the pain they would both feel when she was gone, anyway. She crumpled up the paper and tossed it into the trash can before getting dressed and quietly leaving the room.
* * * * * * * * *
Stan Johnson was completely swamped. Lawyer after lawyer had been coming in all afternoon - all with the same request. They wanted to deliver a letter to Dr. Philip Klein. But Dr. Klein had left specific instructions that he was not to be disturbed.
Stan carefully turned the latest aging yellow envelope over in his hands. How could an envelope this old be marked ‘urgent’? It looked as if it was a hundred years old. But then, so did all the letters that had arrived in the past few hours. Something very strange was happening.
He looked at the phone on his desk for a long moment. Should he or shouldn’t he?
AND NOW...
* * * * * * * * *
CHAPTER 10
* * * * * * * *
Superman floated to the ground near the front of his apartment. Without bothering to change into his Clark clothes, he headed towards the steps, images of the previous night flooding his mind. Keeping his mind on the task at hand had been more than a little difficult today. But too many lives had been on the line for him to indulge in his exotic daydreams. There were no such concerns now.
Lois’ body beneath his. The taste of her mouth. The way her hands had explored his body. He could still feel the places she had touched him, as if heat was oozing out of him from those spots. God, he could still hardly believe that she had been a virgin.
Still, that was what made everything so confusing. Last night had obviously not been a casual decision for her. And anytime their eyes had met, it felt as if she was reaching inside him, touching his soul with a love greater than anything he’d ever even dreamed existed. So why had she been so insistent that they couldn’t have a relationship? He set his shoulders in determination. Whatever the reasons were, he would convince her that she was wrong.
His mouth quirked into a grin when he recalled being jumped from behind as he’d been climbing out of the Jacuzzi. He had been so caught off guard that he’d tumbled onto the fluffy white mat on the floor, her on top of him. He’d laughed, trying to turn over, but was prevented by her lithe body as she’d begun exploring the muscles his back. When he’d finally been able to turn over, she’d grabbed his arms, forcing them down beside his head as she’d leaned over him to kiss him.
His smile widened as he recalled her words when she ended the kiss. “Don’t move your hands.”
Clark blinked when a flash went off in his face, bringing him back to the present. He noticed that there seemed to be less paparazzi in front of his apartment than normal. Some big star must be in town. Not giving the matter a second thought, he entered his apartment. Not even the paparazzi could ruin this day. Just a quick shower and change and then he was heading for the Lexor to convince Lois that they were meant to be together.
* * * * * * * * *
“I think I found something,” David said excitedly.
“What?” Klein asked, getting up from where he’d been working on his computer.
“This...”
“It’s Superman,” Klein said unnecessarily.
“Yes, but it’s a smiling Superman,” David said triumphantly.
“I don’t understand.”
“Lois... before she left, she noticed that there were no pictures of Superman smiling. Well... here’s one of Superman smiling.”
“Look, David, I doubt it means anything.”
“It does,” David insisted. “Because I also found out that there was a lot of response to Lois’ story about Superman. For example, take a look at this.” He pointed to an article on his computer entitled ‘Mayor Defends Superman.’
Klein leaned over, quickly scanning the article before turning to look at the computer that monitored the time line. “But then I don’t understand.”
“What?”
“Well, she’s having an effect in the past. But still there is no indication of any anomalies in the time line. Of course, Superman still disappears on May 11th, 1999, so that might be a reason the time line hasn’t been affected. Still, it’s almost as if she was in her own...” His voice trailed off when an idea sank in. “Of course! I can’t believe I didn’t see it before!”
“See what?”
“David, when is Lois’ birthday?”
“August 15th... well, give or take a few days.”
“She doesn’t know her actual birthday?”
“She was dropped off on the steps of Sisters of Metropolis Convent on August 17th. They estimated she was a couple days old.”
“Of course. That would have to be the case, wouldn’t it?”
“What?”
Ignoring him, Klein sat down at his computer. “What year was this?”
“I don’t know. She’s thirty one, but...”
“2125,” Klein said immediately. He typed a few numbers into his computer. “What day is it now?”
“February 28th, but Dr. Klein...”
“Sht, sht, sht,” Klein said, shushing him. “So when she went into the past she was 31 years 212 days old.”
“Huh?”
“Now the article in her name was published on May 10th, 1999. She would have to have been there for at least a couple days by then so that means... David, look for anything unusual, a missing child, a child who died, any still births, anything unusual concerning a newborn during...” He typed some more numbers into his computer. “...the first couple weeks of October, 1967. We’ll widen the search if we have to, but for now start with then.”
* * * * * * * * * *
Lois wandered the streets of Metropolis, in some ways so familiar, in some ways so foreign to her. It was a history buff’s dream. But Lois hardly noticed her environment. Checking out of the Lexor before Clark returned had to be the hardest thing she’d ever had to do. And even now, the desire to go running back was overwhelming. She wanted to see him. Maybe even to make love to him one last time. Because, as much as she might be loath to admit it, sometime in the past twelve hours she had fallen hopelessly in love with Mr. Clark Kent.
Hopelessly. She gave a wry grin. That was a good word for it. In a few hours, they would be separated by over a hundred and fifty years . She had to go back to her time. He had to stay in his. There was no other choice.
And that was why she couldn’t give into her desire to spend one more afternoon with him. He would undoubtedly do everything in his power to convince her to stay. And after last night, she wasn’t sure he wouldn’t be able to do so. No. Leaving the Lexor, making the break clean, was the only choice. That still didn’t stop the deep ache in her chest.
After feeling so completely whole when she was with Clark the previous night, she now felt as if something was missing. Ironic. Lois Lewis, fulfilled, independent career woman was suddenly incomplete without a man. But then... he wasn’t just any man. She felt as if someone had severed her arm or leg. The pain of reaching out, still expecting it to be there, but no longer able to touch it or scratch it. And essential part of her well-being had been violently severed. And she doubted she would ever fully recover.
Maybe making love to him had been a mistake. Maybe if she hadn’t she wouldn’t hurt so much now. No. She wouldn’t give up one moment of last night for anything. It was worth every moment of pain she had to suffer for it - both now and in the future. Because, maybe if she was really lucky, some day the pain would fade. And she wouldn’t give up the memory of one night of knowing his love for anything.
She spotted a quaint little restaurant up ahead. She wasn’t particularly hungry, but having nothing else to do, she made her way inside. Most of the lunch crowd had already left so she was able to find a table quickly. Sitting down, she ordered some lunch. As she picked distractedly at her food, one of the many televisions set up around the dining area caught her attention.
“Turn that up,” she said, rushing over to the bar. Although she’d never met him, she knew the man on the screen from a picture that still hung in the Daily Planet conference room. James Olsen, the owner of the Daily Planet, was giving a press conference.
The bartender did as instructed, turning up the volume.
“...and that is why I called Preston Carpenter this morning and told him that he no longer worked for the Daily Planet,” Olsen said.
Lois sank down onto a stool at the bar, a smile almost, but not quite making its way onto her lips. She couldn’t say she minded that turn of events. Carpenter was a scumbag. Seeing him get his own was a small satisfaction. She might not have a future with Clark, but maybe, just maybe, she’d managed to make his life a little easier. On the other hand, a frown tugged at the corners of her mouth as moisture clouded her vision, how much difference could she have made since he must still disappear tomorrow?
* * * * * * * * *
Superman was about to dart onto the balcony of one particular room at the Lexor and sneak up on the dark-haired woman he saw bending over the bed when the woman looked up. He froze. He’d almost attacked a maid.
A maid. Clark looked quickly throughout the room, his heart sinking. There were still signs of last night’s activities. The crumpled bath mat on the floor of the bathroom. The ring around the edge of the Jacuzzi. Even a small blood stain on the sheets. But there was no sign of Lois.
She wouldn’t have left before he returned. She wouldn’t have. Not after last night. But it wasn’t as if he could go into her room and ask. So what...
A moment later, he was standing in a phone booth near the Lexor dressed as Clark. He looked up the number and made his call, holding his breath as he waited for an answer.
“Good afternoon, Lexor. How can I help you?”
“Yes, I need to speak to Lois La... Lewis. Lois Lewis. Could you put me through to her room?” Clark asked, doing his best to disguise his voice.
“One moment please.”
It was the longest moment of Clark’s life. He spent it trying to reassure himself that what they had shared was too special for her to simply disappear without at least saying goodbye. But even as he tried to assure himself that she had simply gone out for lunch or to do some shopping, the pit in his stomach, the fear that she was really gone, continued to grow.
“I’m afraid Ms. Lewis is no longer staying with us.”
“She has to...” Clark began before stopping when his voice trembled. He closed his eyes, forcing himself to calm down and think. His eyes shot open. “Dr. Klein. The room was being paid for by Dr. Bernard Klein. Maybe...”
“I’m afraid Ms. Lewis checked out a couple of hours ago, sir.”
“But... Please, can’t you check again?” He felt the walls closing in around him as blind panic began bubbling up in his chest. He couldn’t lose her. He just couldn’t. She was the first person who had made him feel like he belonged here in three years. He couldn’t go back to that lonely place he’d been in before last night. He couldn’t do it. Not again. Not now that he knew what loving her and being loved by her was like.
“Sir, I was the one who checked her out. Beautiful woman. Hard to forget.”
Hard to forget. Distracted, Clark hung up the phone without even saying goodbye. She wouldn’t have just left. She couldn’t have. Not after last night.
But she had. He felt a crushing sensation in his chest and clutched at his shirt. Was he having a heart attack? No. No. He was Superman. He couldn’t possibly be having a heart attack. But the pain, the palpitations in his chest, the shortness of breath, the weakness in his legs... if it wasn’t a heart attack then what was happening to him?
It suddenly struck him what was happening. He was having a panic attack. He forced himself to calm down, sinking to sit on the ground inside the phone booth, his knees folded up to his chest and his back against the glass wall. He ignored the curious looks from strangers passing by on the street outside.
He couldn’t panic. Panicking wouldn’t help him find Lois. But what would? Where did he even start? She’d told him she lived in Metropolis, but had no idea where. He also had no idea why she was staying at the Lexor. He considered looking for a Metropolis address for Lois Lewis. But he quickly gave up that idea. Lois wouldn’t make it that easy for him. If she could leave the Lexor after what they had shared last night, she was undoubtedly determined to make it impossible for him to find her. So where did he even start looking? Who might know where she would be found?
A moment later, he was again air-bound.
* * * * * * * * *
“Superman!” Dr. Bernard Klein exclaimed when he looked up from where he’d been staring into a microscope to see the Man of Steel standing in his lab. “Oh, sorry. You prefer to be called Clark Kent when you’re not in the suit, don’ t you? I was just sort of taken by surprise. So what can I do for you, Mr. Kent?”
“Where is she, Dr. Klein?”
“She?” He looked confused for a moment. “Do you mean Lois Lewis?”
“Yes. Please, I have to find her. I know you paid for her room at the Lexor last night. Where did she go when she checked out?”
“I have no idea.” Dr. Klein studied the troubled young man in front of him.
“Please, you must at least be able to tell me where to start looking.”
Klein let out a breath, suspecting he knew what must have happened. He’d felt the electricity in the air the moment Kent had first seen Lois. And now... if he didn’t know this was Superman, he’d have been seriously concerned about this young man’s health. His pale demeanor. His trembling hands. His haunted eyes. This man was seriously upset. In fact, he was looking very much like a man whose heart had been trampled into the dirt. Given that Lois would be returning to the future very early tomorrow morning, he suspected that something had happened between them and now Lois was avoiding him knowing she had to go back to the future.
“I’m afraid I really don’t know Ms. Lewis’ whereabouts. I’m sorry.”
Clark ran a hand through his hair in frustration, looking as if Dr. Klein was his last hope. “If you paid for her room, can you at least tell me what she’s running from? What is she afraid of?”
“That’s Lois’ place to tell you,” Dr. Klein insisted. “If I do see her, however, I will let her know you’re looking for her.”
“Dr. Klein...”
Klein held up his hand, meeting Kent’s eyes dead-on. “It’s the best I can do, Mr. Kent.”
Kent acted as if he was about to object. But then, after regarding the ceiling for a moment as if the answers might lie there, he again looked at Dr. Klein. Dr. Klein noticed the gathering moisture in the young man’s eyes.
“Thank you, Dr. Klein,” Kent said before disappearing in a gust of wind.
Klein was shocked. Word was that Kent didn’t like using his powers when he wasn’t in the suit. Some had even speculated for a time that the powers and the suit were somehow connected. Kent’s sudden disappearance, in spite of his clothing choice, told Klein that Kent had been trying to get out of there before breaking down completely. His heart went out to the young man. People might not believe it, but he’d had one or two brushes with love in his life. He knew what Kent was going through. And if things had gone as far as he suspected they had, it would be a long time before they saw Superman smile again.
* * * * * * * * *
Lois wasn’t entirely sure what she was doing here - wandering past Clark Kent’s apartment. She had told herself - once she’d finally admitted her destination - that she was just wanting to see for herself if Perry White’s announcement had affected the number of paparazzi holding vigil outside the building.
As she walked past, she realized there were less than half the number of the paparazzi than had been there the previous day. Then her eyes focused on the front door of his apartment. Was he inside?
Surely by now he knew she wasn’t at the Lexor and had been to visit Dr. Klein... the only two places he could possibly look for her. And that would mean, unless he was supposed to work today, he was likely behind those doors. Could he hear her heart beat? Could he distinguish it from the rest of the crowd? Would he realize she was there? Her heart began pounding even harder and her steps slowed.
It was only when she got past without incident that she’d realized how much she had wanted him to find her, to know that she was there and come for her. Stop her from leaving. Tell her he loved her. Sweep her up in his arms and never let her go. But he hadn’t. There were tears in her eyes as she caught a cab and finally left the area.
* * * * * * * * *
“I said I was not to be disturbed,” Philip Klein growled into the phone.
“I know, sir. But something very strange is happening out here,” Stan said from the other end of the line. He’d been struggling with this decision for over an hour now. But the number of letters that were arriving were now impossible to ignore.
“What? Chairman of the Board here again?”
“No, sir. Nothing like that. It’s the mail.”
“I’m fairly certain we get mail every day, Stan. Nothing unusual about that.”
“But these letters are being delivered by lawyers. Addressed to you and...”
“Stan, I don’t care about any letters a lawyer might...”
“They all look to be at least a hundred years old. So I asked the last lawyer who showed up how long they had been holding onto the letter. They said over a hundred and fifty years. Apparently they received the letter in 1999, but had been instructed not to deliver it until today.”
“Why wasn’t I told about this immediately?” Klein demanded.
“You said...”
“Do you have any idea how important this is?”
“But...”
“Well, don’t just sit there. Open the letters. Tell me what they say.”
“Wouldn’t you rather that I just deliver them to you?”
“And disrupt the time bubble? Are you an idiot? Just open the letters.”
Stan fumed slightly. Still, Dr. Klein was the boss so he did as instructed.
* * * * * * * * *
The sisters at Sisters of Metropolis Convent were stunned to get a visit from the Man of Steel. At his request, he was quickly escorted into the office of the Mother Superior - an older woman whose face showed that during her younger years she had undoubtedly been a beauty. Clark suspected that many a young man had despaired when she’d decided to become a nun. He stepped up to the desk and shook the woman’s hand.
“Thank you for seeing me, Mother Superior,” Clark said. “I know you’re a busy woman.”
“Never too busy for you, Mr. Kent. Please...” She gestured him to a seat on the sofa in her large office. Once he was settled, she took a seat in an old fashioned chair kiddy-corner to the sofa. “So what can I do for you?”
“I’m looking for a woman who was left on your steps... about thirty years ago.”
When the woman raised her eyebrows, Clark rushed to continue. “When she was a baby,” he clarified.
“Do you know the woman’s name?”
“Lois Lewis. At least, that’s the name she gave me.”
“And she said she was left on our steps as a baby?”
“Yes. Can you help me?”
The woman reached over, patting his hand comfortingly, telling him in a way no words could that he looked as tortured as he felt. “We’ll do whatever we can.”
* * * * * * * * *
“Wait a second,” David said. “What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to tell her the truth,” Klein said as he worked on dials on the machine.
“Then I’m going with you.”
Klein stopped, looking up at the other man. He stared at him for a long moment before nodding.
* * * * * * * * * *
Lois’ steps were slow as she made her way up the steps to Star Labs sometime after two a.m. Philip Klein should, provided he got the letter this time, arrive at three. She’d not really had anywhere to go, anywhere to be until that time of night. On the other hand, she’d not dared return to Star Labs too early for fear that Clark would find her there.
Since her trip past Clark’s apartment, which she had rebuked herself for, she’d been very careful to make sure that her head ruled rather than her heart. No more putting herself in a position to be found by him. No more flirting with disaster. She had to go home - end of story. So she had forced herself to wait to the last minute to return to Star Labs on the off chance that Clark would have been keeping an eye on the building in case she returned there. Still, she couldn’t help hoping that... No! No, no, no, no. She wasn’t thinking that. She wasn’t!
She stepped into the lab and looked around, spotting Dr. Klein.
“Oh, there you are,” Klein said, looking up from his latest experiment.
“Here I am,” Lois said glumly. “I’m sorry if I worried you, but I was just... you know doing a little sightseeing before I had to go back.”
Klein cocked his head to the side. “Had to? What happened to the woman who was chewing me out for not being able to get my great, great grandson back here yesterday?”
She looked down, scuffing her foot on the floor.
“Well, you’re here now.”
“I’m here. Good old, Lois Lewis. Doing what she has to do to keep the time line from being disrupted.” She cringed at the bitter sound in her voice. She hoped Dr. Klein wouldn’t notice.
“I had a visitor today,” Klein said, not responding to her final comment. “Clark Kent was here looking for you.” When she said nothing, he continued. “He looked just as miserable as you do.”
“I’m fine, Dr. Klein. I’m not sure why you would think...”
“At least give him a call,” Klein said, interrupting her. “Say goodbye. He needs some closure, Lois.”
She cleared her throat. “So where exactly will Phillip Klein appear?” Lois asked, ignoring his comment. She couldn’t think about this right now. She had to stay strong. She couldn’t think about how pained Clark’s eyes must have been. She couldn’t think about the way his emotions were undoubtedly pulling down at the corners of his mouth. She couldn’t think about how much she wanted to... “Do we have to leave the room so that he doesn’t suddenly appear inside us, or something? Maybe I’ll just go out in the hall - just to be sure. Maybe I’ll go for a walk and, you know, get a breath of fresh air.” Without waiting for his response, she turned and walked out of the room.
“But you won’t get any fresh air in the hall,” Dr. Klein called after her, but she was already gone.
* * * * * * * * *
Dr. Bernard Klein was shocked when a man he didn’t recognize appeared in the lab. The man looked around as if disoriented. Bernard groaned. Not another person who was lost in time. When was this man from?
He was just walking into the room when Philip Klein appeared as well.
“Philip!” Bernard exclaimed. “Is he... I hope he’s with you.”
“Yes,” Philip replied on a chuckle. “This is David Shultz. He’s a friend of Lois Lewis. We’re sorry we took so long, but we just got your letter - or, well, letters. The receptionist at Klein Labs is an idiot.”
Bernard chuckled. “Well, you might have been delayed. But we didn’t notice. After all...” He glanced at his watch. “...you’re right on time here. Glad you made it. Lois is...” He glanced over his shoulder, through the window into the adjoining room. “Well, she’s around here somewhere. She just took a little walk. I’m sure she’ll be back any minute. She’s been anxious to get back to her own time.”
“Speaking of that,” Philip said. “I discovered something quite unusual. I think it explains why she jumped to 1999 instead of coming back to 2157.”
Bernard’s eyes lit up. “I’ve been wondering about that. I wondered if you might have, perhaps, found a way to overcome your ‘time protection’ issue. Although, to tell the truth, I don’t think that is something you should do. After all, time protection is very important if...”
“Dr. Klein!” David interrupted. His failure to identify which one caused both Dr. Kleins to turn and look at him. “Can you just tell us where Lois went?”
TO BE CONTINUED...
ML
