This chapter is PG-13 because of some verbage used.
Chapter Four
Completely stunned and unable to think clearly, Lois whispered to Bridget, “Omigod, he’s found me. What do I do? What do I say?”
Smiling, Bridget advised her friend, “Meet him. Say hello. Find out why he’s been looking for you. Go flying with him. Get your a$$ out of this jeep or I’ll throw you out!”
Lois opened the door, her legs feeling like jello when she attempted to stand on them. The children ran up to her, shouting in unison, “Mademoiselle, Smith, Suiperman is here to see you! Superman is here to see you!”
Shyly looking up in the air, she was completely amazed to see this Godlike creature floating down towards her. As he landed, he took her hand and kissed it.
“Miss Smith? My name is Clark Kent. They call me Superman when I’m wearing this suit. I’ve been looking for you for some time. Do you have a moment to speak with me?”
Lois was transfixed. While she had previously thought that Claude Michaud was the best looking guy she had ever met, clearly that was because she hadn’t met this beautiful man before. Her heart started pounding out of her chest. Words failed her. She nodded “yes” to him, which in itself took an extreme effort.
Clark picked up *his* Lois and swiftly flew her over to a private area of the camp, up on a hill. “I hope this short flight didn’t startle you,” he said, as he gently lowered her to the ground.
Still speechless, she nodded “no”. <That was so awesome>, she was thinking.
Clark quickly made a makeshift bench out of some adjacent branches and stumps and they sat down side by side on it.
Finally gaining control over her voice again, Lois huskily asked, “Why are you looking for me? We’ve never met!”
“Let me ask you, ‘Ms. Smith’…do you know your real name?”
Lois looked down at the ground. “You’re Superman, so I suppose there is no point in lying to you. Yes, it’s Lois Lane.”
“Good. That’s great! Well, I work at the Daily Planet as a reporter, too. You’re a legend there. I had a gut feeling that you were still alive,” Clark said, using his prepared speech. “Perry White was devastated when you disappeared. Did you know he’s the Mayor of Metropolis now?”
“Actually, I just found that out today when I went to the newspaper in town to do some research on..well, we’ll talk about that later. But the children…they said that you were in love with me…that I was beautiful…how can that be? You can see that I’m *not* beautiful…and what picture were you showing everyone?”
“One question at a time,” Clark replied, smiling. <Yep, the babble gene crosses the universes, even if some other things don’t!> “And, you *are* beautiful. A couple of extra pounds doesn’t stop you from being an attractive woman. Why do you think that way?”
“Everyone says that, but no one really means it. It’s OK. I’m used to it. I’ve actually dropped about 40 pounds since I’ve been here. And the picture you were showing everyone? Even the kids said she kind of looked like me but she was a lot thinner. I never let anyone take my picture. Who was she?”
Clark, not prepared to get into any of *that* yet, sidestepped her question with one of his own. “I have to ask…if you know who you are, why did you tell everyone that your name was Jane Smith? The doctors all told me that you’ve been suffering from amnesia since you arrived.”
Lois, still the intrepid reporter, realized that Superman did not want to answer her question about the photo. “Ah, I bet I know what you did. You took a picture of my sister Lucy and touched it up, darkening her hair. I only *wish* I could have looked like her.”
Clark didn’t want to lie, but until he was ready to get into the entire “parallel universe” saga, this explanation seemed reasonable for now. “Don’t compare yourself to your sister, Lois. Let’s get back to why you hid your identity from everyone.”
“So you’re admitting that that was what you did? I’m surprised that anyone let you do that. Didn’t they tell you that I was a lot fatter than Lucy? Well, anyway, I was dropped off here two years ago, Superman. I’ve no idea how I got here. Before I knew if there was foul play involved, or if I was running from something, I felt it was safer not to give out my real name. I ended up loving it here. I’m making a difference in these children’s lives. They love me unconditionally. They don’t care that I’m fat. They don’t judge me….”
“You’ve never felt unconditional love before,” Clark said softly. “It feels great, doesn’t it? And Lois… you’re not quite *that* fat. You may have lost more weight here than you think.”
Spontaneously, Clark kissed Lois on the forehead. “You’re beautiful, inside and out. Anyone that can’t see that is a fool.”
Remembering her friend Bridget’s words “Superman has X-ray vision. He can see inside to your soul….”, Lois smiled and looked into Clark’s eyes. “I think that it’s probably true of you, too. Anyone as good looking as you that sees “me* as beautiful….well, that’s just unbelievable to me. Maybe whatever planet you’re from, the women are a lot bigger.” Lois was certain that she was seeing love and compassion in Superman’s eyes. It was amazing.
Clark smiled. Lois could not accept a compliment. Her self-esteem had been brutally damaged and it would take a lot of work to make her feel good about herself again. Fortunately, he felt up to the task. “Do you want to stay here at the camp? I’d be happy to take you home, if you want to go back to the States. It’s up to you.”
“This is all too much for me. I just found out that my mother and my sister are dead, and that my father moved to California with his trophy wife, my *step-mother* - ugh .….there’s not too much for me to go back to. I really would like to find out where my missing three years went. Can you help me with that?” Lois asked tearfully. “Dr. Crosby…my friend here, Bridget..the one in the jeep with me… she offered to hypnotize me in the hopes that I would remember something. Would you stay and be in the room with her when she does it? No one else here knows I’m Lois Lane…unless you already told them, that is..”
Clark smiled. “No, this time I brought a different picture with me and just asked if anyone here recognized you.” Clark pulled the newspaper photo of her college graduation from 1988 out of his cape's pocket. “They told me that they knew you as Jane Smith. I didn’t know at that time whether or not you were aware that your real name was Lois Lane, so I figured I’d play it by ear. Which I did. So, the answer to your question is, no, no one else knows.” <the babble gene is contagious, isn’t it?>
Lois looked at the photo and sighed. “That’s probably the only picture of me around, huh? It made it into the Daily Planet and I couldn’t do anything about it.” She brightened up a bit. “Yeah, I *am* thinner than I was in that picture now, huh?”
“Yes, you are. I think it might be time for you to go clothes shopping. How about we fly to Paris and I buy you some clothes and we grab something to eat? I know a great café with a wonderful view of the Eiffel Tower.”
Lois was completely stunned at this wonderful offer. “You’re kidding, right? Omigod, you’re serious. You would buy me clothes and take me to Paris?? Really? Why? Do you feel sorry for me or something?”
Clark had to laugh out loud. “Ms. Lane, the pleasure will be all mine, I can assure you. And you are someone to admire, not to feel sorry for. Look at all of the great things you’ve done here in the last two years. When you win the love of children, that’s the greatest accomplishment that there is.”
<Wow. This can’t be happening. And I can’t even call Mom and Lucy to tell them about this! Superman – this wonderful man – wants to take *me* - fat Lois Lane – to Paris!> Her eyes glistened, missing her mother and even her perfect sister terribly.
“Superman,”
“Please, my name is Clark,”
“Clark – the last time a good-looking man like you took me to dinner – well he stole my story and then made me the laughing stock of the office. I’m sorry if I’m suspicious. It’s just my nature, I guess,” Lois admitted.
“Claude Michaud,” Clark spit out. “He’s an idiot.”
“You know him? Of course, you know him. You work with him. Didn’t he tell you that I was fat?”
“Lois, all anyone would tell me about you was that you were a great investigative reporter and a really hard worker. That’s it,” Clark replied. It was the truth. “That’s why I was carrying the wrong picture around with me for so long,” he admitted, still misleading her unintentionally. “And I’m certainly not going to steal anything from you. I can learn a lot from you, I’m sure. If you decide to go back to the States, I would hope we could team up on a few stories. With joint bylines, of course. Your name on top,” he said with a sly smirk.
“Well, of *course* it would have to be on top,” Lois joked back, suddenly feeling better about herself than she had in years. “So yes, I would love to go to Paris with you, Clark. Can we get back to my three missing years, first?
“I did some investigating while I was trying to find you, Lois. And I believe that I can shed a little bit of light on your disappearance. But in order for me to really help you, you’re going to have to keep a very open mind about certain….things…. that I’m going to have to tell you. Can you do that?”
“I guess if can believe a man can fly, why not other things?” Lois replied. “How about you tell me all of this over dinner tonight? Can you stay at the camp for a few days too, while I decide what I want to do?”
“I can do that,” Clark said assertively. “While I’m here, I’ll help to enlarge the hospital and assist in any way I can.”
“That would be so wonderful,” Lois gushed.
*******
Lois bathed herself and tried to find something nice to wear, but alas all she owned was oversized khaki tops and pants that had been given to her by the hospital doctors. Her mind was whirling. <It just doesn’t make sense to me that this gorgeous man who saves the world daily would be looking for me. Even if Perry did put him up to it. That’s it! Perry White must have put him up to it. Poor Perry, I was like the daughter he didn’t have. We’d yell and fight because we were both so opinionated, and the next minute we’d have a great working relationship again like it never happened. Perry’s the only person that ever really saw the good in me, he was never disrespectful to me about my weight like my a$$hole college professor was, and wow…now he’s Mayor of Metropolis. Good for him. I’m proud of you, Perry. And if you want me to come home so much that you’d ask Superman to find me….well, I owe you one>.
Just then, Bridget appeared at the entrance to her tent. “Knock knock! Are you decent in there?” The tent flap was down, covering the makeshift door, and it was camp protocol to assume that the person inside was getting dressed when that was the case.
Lois flipped up the entrance flap, “Hi Bridget, c’mon in,” she said.
Bridget studied her friend up and down. “Okay, you seem different. Happier. Even prettier, somehow. Spill your guts.”
One thing about Lois’ relationship with Bridget…it was a brutally honest one.
“Superman…Clark…is flying me to Paris for dinner and to buy me some new clothes!” she gushed. “I know he’s probably only doing it because my old boss asked him to, but I’ve decided….I don’t care!”
“Wow. They must really love you back home to put Superman up to this,” Bridget replied, wearing a sarcastic smirk on her face. “Lois…yes, I’m going to use your *real* name…stop it right now! Look at you…you look great. Why do you assume that someone had to put Superman up to this? You’re smart, intelligent, you have a big heart, you’re apparently a great reporter…why *wouldn’t* he want to get to know you better?”
“I’m never going to able to believe that. I wish I could. But in the back of my mind, he’s a guy and he’ll end up breaking my heart somehow. I just know it. But, he’s Superman, and if nothing else, if I decide to go back home with him, I will have a great story to write, and it might get me my old job back!” Lois responded. “Bridget, you’ve never had a weight problem. Once it’s in your head, it never leaves. Even if I were skin and bones, I’ll always see myself as fat.”
“Maybe our hypnosis session should deal with that, as well as your missing three years. Perhaps we could plant some positive self-talk in your subconscious?”
“I suppose it couldn’t hurt,” Lois agreed. “Although, Superman seems to know something about what happened to me. Apparently he did some investigating into my disappearance as well. I asked him to be there when we do the session. That’s alright, isn’t it?”
“Absolutely. Now you go and have a great time and I want to hear all of the sordid details when you come back” Bridget replied, giving her friend a big hug and kiss on the cheeks. “You’re living every woman’s dream tonight – a date with Superman. Enjoy it!”
“Thanks. I’m going to try,” Lois said, almost in a whisper, as she watched one of the best friends she’d ever have walk away from her tent. <Thank God for Bridget Crosby. I’ll miss the children if I leave, but she means the world to me>.
~~~~~
Clark needed to keep busy while he was waiting for Lois to get ready for their date. He sped around the camp, organizing, fixing, rebuilding, his mind whirling the whole time. He didn’t understand what he was feeling for this Lois. He knew that she was his soul mate. God, he could feel it deep inside him. But…something was definitely different. Was it her appearance? He hadn’t lied or mislead her…she *did* have a beautiful face…and while she would still be considered to be on the heavy side, she was no longer “obese” …she was just “extra curvy”. And none of that mattered; it’s still *her*. “His* Lois. What was wrong?
Had he ever dated an overweight woman? No, he hadn’t. Shame on him. There were a few girls in high school that he knew had crushes on him, but he only had eyes for Lana, the perfect girl, the cheerleader with the killer body. Was he shallow? Or had he been just a normal adolescent boy? Stupid hormones, he told himself. Unfortunately, the great looking girls with the hot bodies were the ones that aroused teenaged guys. Every time a girl with big breasts and a nice a$$ came near him as a teenager, he was afraid his heat vision would burn the school down and that his pants would rip wide open. It took him awhile to learn to control himself around his sexy schoolmates. If Lana had only known that she wasn’t the only girl that turned him on! Yikes, what an argument that would have brought on. But he was old enough now to know the difference between sex and real love. Was he worried that this Lois Lane wouldn’t turn him on? No, he wasn’t going to allow himself to be plastic and phony. Lois Lane was the woman for him. He was going to spend time with her and hope that she would have him someday. He knew deep inside that there was no one else for him. <We’ve been together, on and off, for centuries. So this time around she doesn’t have a perfect body. So what? She’s the perfect person>, he told himself. <That’s all that matters>.
TBC….Tuesday….
