I need to apologize since the first paragraph of Part 5 has not completely been beta-read, yet. But I wanted to post this today. Sometimes this time difference is an awful thing. So I hope that part is understandable.
I need to thank my beta-reader again. LaraMoon, you're the best! I've barely time to get impatient before you've already send back the next part to me.
From Part 4 But Lois understood him. She was the source of his powers at this moment and she already knew it. Now they were coming in slowly and low enough to consider landing. Hyperion Avenue was so close that tears of relief streamed down Lois cheeks. Only a few whispers separated them from home. Lois wouldn’t give up now.
Part 5 “P53” would be shocked, surprised, furious and then embarrassed that he had failed. He couldn’t care less about that guy. It was part of his plan, that “p53” was the loser at that point in time. That was inevitable to ensure his winning the battle over Kent. He had tried before, but Kent had been strong. That was the reason for a couple of other people being on his revenge list now. By winning the last battle, Kent had written them down, so to speak. Being responsible for the fate of his beloved must be hard, but Kent deserved this. His last attempt in killing Kent hadn’t been successfull, but he had bargained for that. His next attempt would be deadly.
Having a few more people to take revenge on didn’t bother him, rather it excited him. He had found his goal in life in taking revenge. It satisfied him more than anything he’d ever done before. Actually he owed Kent a lot for showing him that new, thrilling and enjoyable way of life. Too bad that Kent wouldn’t feel those waves of ecstasy as well. An eerie laughter filled the room.
* * *
It was over. They lay together in their backyard. Lois had fallen from Clark’s back because of the rough landing. But she wasn’t hurt, which was the greatest of wonders, considering their former situation.
Clark! She crawled to him, knowing that he had to be in bad shape. He had lost consciousness and was lying on his stomach. She turned him around and he didn’t even moan. The Suit was soaked with blood on his left leg and he wasn’t moving. She pressed a hand on his chest and felt a light heartbeat. He was breathing shallowly. She was so relieved to find him still alive. She had to get rid of the kryptonite!
Lois stood up almost automatically and stormed to the back door of their brownstone. It took her only seconds to get inside. Lois headed for the kitchen to fetch scissors and other tools to remove the deadly crystal. Her hand moved almost of their own volition to grab what she needed, as well as a few towels. As if they had a mind of their own, her legs brought her back to her husband, who was still lying on the ground.
As soon as she kneeled down beside Clark, her hands started moving again.
She took the scissors and cut off the Suit at the left leg. After that she grabbed a towel and dabbed away some blood so she could see the bullet more easily. To Lois’ relief, it wasn’t too deep in his leg. She picked up something that resembled tweezers.
Her hands trembled at the mere thought of having to pull out the bullet. Clark was still unconscious and his breathing was becoming even shallower. She had to do something about it immediately, otherwise she would loose the love of her life. She reminded herself that he had been willing to risk everything to save her life. He could have died from the effort of using his powers while under the influence of kryptonite.
Lois took a deep breath and exhaled slowly to calm herself. Then she adjusted her grip on the tweezers, holding them more firmly in her hand. She had some trouble getting hold of the bullet. But as soon as she had managed to grab it, she pulled it out of his leg. Once she had succeeded, she quickly moved the kryptonite out of Clark’s reach.
When she came back, he was still unconscious. Martha kneeled next to him, stroking his chest and checking for his pulse frequently. Though she had been there since they had landed in the garden, Lois hadn’t really noticed her until that moment. Martha looked so desperate and anxious that Lois could feel her mother-in-law’s pain tightening around her heart. Lois kneeled again next to Clark and pressed a towel firmly against his still bleeding leg.
He had been shot like this years before, but back then his wound had healed almost instantly. Except he hadn’t been exposed so long, then. And he hadn’t worked so hard. Nevertheless, his breathing was already becoming a bit deeper and less labored. Lois hoped that he would soon come to. But they could only guess at how much blood he had lost. He wasn’t out of danger yet.
They needed to drag him into the house and Lois wondered whether his parents would suffice to get him there. Jonathan had come outside and gave the two women an inquisitive look. They nodded at him, indicating that his son was still alive and getting better. The shock of the last minutes was slowly fading. But Lois needed to hold Clark tightly to reassure herself that he was doing better than before. She had almost lost him and she might still lose him.
Slowly he began sensing his surroundings again, but everything came through a thick haze of pain and dizziness. The pain was localized now, pulsating through his leg. The fire burning in every corner of his being was almost extinguished, reduced to a small flame. But he was weak and still nauseous. The world seemed to be spinning around him and he hadn’t even opened his eyes. Someone was holding him and he came to the conclusion that it had to be Lois. He hoped it was Lois, because that would mean she was okay. But were those soothing arms really hers? Did he dare open his eyes to find out? Was his tongue able to form understandable words? He wasn’t sure.
A moan indicated that Clark was waking up slowly. He moaned again, trying to say something. Lois brought her ear closer to his mouth. He was whispering her name. She softly squeezed his hand and a weak smile appeared on his lips.
“I’m right here, my love,” she whispered back, then he faded away again.
Lois knew that he couldn’t stay in the garden. It was too cold for her weak husband to lie in the damp grass. And what if someone saw them there? She decided, that it was worth a try to drag him inside with Jonathan and Martha’s help. Maybe she should call an ambulance instead, but Clark wouldn’t be happy about that. Of course being dead wouldn’t make anyone happy either. But Dr. Klein seemed to be the better person to contact first.
Lois ran into the house again, and called Dr. Klein. Martha and Jonathan were both working on a way to bring Clark inside without hurting him further. They were all anxious but they knew that it was the only way to save his life.
* * *
Everything was still blurry when Clark woke up again. His body felt sore and his leg was still hurting as hell. Especially since someone seemed to be digging inside it. A groan escaped his throat. He lay on something more comfortable than the grass in the garden. Someone had moved him and he noticed that it had left bruises on his body which weren’t caused by the rough landing. Slowly his vision became clearer.
Dr. Klein was examining and treating him. The doctor mumbled something Clark could hardly understand. He was cleaning his wounds and trying to stop the bleeding, as far as Clark knew. His healing ability hadn’t kicked in yet, but that was not really surprising to Clark. He had totally gone for broke on this crazy flight back.
Lois had taken his hand in hers, squeezing it lightly and stroking the back of it with her thumb. He fully concentrated on this endearing sensation trying to blind out the pain of his leg. He felt her presence more than anything else, drinking it in and relying on it. He wanted to squeeze her hand as well, to reassure her and tell her that he was getting better. But his muscles refused to obey.
Again he was moaning and sighing, which made Lois want to die. It was so hard to see him like this. He never ever showed his weakness voluntarily. If he was in such a state, he really was doing bad. She noticed that he was slowly waking up. His fingers had moved subtly. Another moan escaped him and Lois saw him opening his eyes.
“Lois,” he whispered in a very low voice, barely audible.
“You’re safe,” Lois replied in that warm comforting tone of hers, soothing Clark.
“I believe I’ve done everything I can do for him now. Fortunately there are no vital parts injured. The bullet hasn’t destroyed much and I think he’ll be healed completely within a matter of days. But I can’t deny that I’m not so sure if it will be indeed days. I’ve never seen him so weak and I dare not make a prediction as to when his powers will be back again,” Dr. Klein said, when he was finished treating the wound.
He had thoroughly bandaged Clark’s leg. He was still dressed as Superman. Lois had told Dr. Klein almost the entire truth about their flight, but she hadn’t explained the reasons behind it. Like Clark, she didn’t want people knowing too much about their secret. Maybe Dr. Klein deserved to know, since he had proven himself to be a reliable friend for the last years. But Lois saw the disadvantages: Dr. Klein was often absent-minded and people who were let in on the secret seemed to be in danger frequently. And Clark wasn’t ready to save anyone.
Dr. Klein left Hyperion Avenue and promised to return the next day. If he was needed before this, they could call him as required. The three Kents thanked him for his help and even Clark mumbled something resembling thankfulness.
Lois sat next to Clark, still stroking his hand.
“How are you, Lois?” he asked.
“I’m fine, Clark. Thanks to you,” she replied, smiling warmly.
“Where am I?” he murmured.
“In our bedroom. Everything’s all right, honey. I’m so glad to have you back” Lois answered unable to hide the joy in her voice that Clark was doing better. “How do you feel?”
“As if I had been run over by an elephant, if that allusion can be used for Superman.” he coughed in an attempt at laughter.
Lois smiled back wryly: “So you’re better, if you’re up to jokes, huh? Oh, darling, I was so worried.” She brushed her lips against his forehead lightly. “You need to sleep to recover from this ordeal. We should get that suit off to make it more comfortable for you.”
Lois already had scissors with her, she knew that the suit wasn’t worth saving. She cut it off completely, wanting Clark to be able to relax and sleep. It didn’t take him long to fade into unconsciousness again.
* * *
He slept for most of the day. The three Kents took turns in watching him. Lois took the first turn, while Martha and Jonathan went shopping for bandages and painkillers. They did not have much hope that it would help Clark, but it was worth a try.
Lois had called Perry to explain why neither Clark nor she would come to work that day. She didn’t tell him too many lies. He had been a good reporter, one of the best, to be precise. He sensed every lie, like a shark smelled blood in the water. If she wasn’t honest with him, Perry was going to find out. She mentioned that Clark was injured and in no shape to come to work. That was perfectly true. She left out the circumstances of his injury and said that she was tired from worrying about her husband and wanted to stay with him. This was the closest she could get to the truth without telling Perry too much.
Jonathan had already watched Clark and it was just Martha’s turn, when he woke up again. He felt a bit stronger than before. He wasn’t tired to death anymore, but his powers still refused to return and his leg kept hurting. He opened his eyes and saw his mother sitting next to the bed and looking at him carefully.
“Hi, Mom. How’s Lois?” he said in a low voice.
Martha sighed with relief. “You’re awake, Clark! Lois is all right. You did a great job in saving her, I’m so proud of you,” Somehow the smile on Martha’s face seemed contrived, it was more like forced to be precise.
“What’s the matter, Mom? I haven’t seen you so sad in years,” he asked, concerned.
“I’ve been worrying about you, darling,” she replied, but Clark knew that it wasn’t true.
“Don’t try to lie to me, Mom. There’s something else bothering you,” Clark stated.
“It’s not important, honey. Just look after your health.”
“Don’t baby me, Martha Kent,” Clark admonished her playfully.
“We’ve lost the farm,” Martha admitted sorrowfully.
“How’s that possible?” Clark asked, in shock. “I thought the harvest was going to be good this year?”
“The bank gave notice on our loans. We are being forced to sell the farm. There is a big company buying land in Smallville. Your father thinks that they’re behind our problems, but he can’t prove it.”
“Why didn’t you tell us earlier. We could have done some investigation, force this company to give up their plans. If they have any, that is,” Clark said thoughtfully.
“I don’t think there’s anything you could do about it, honey. So why should we bother you in the first place?”
“Well, this is what’s family for, isn’t it?” he asked.
“Well, yeah, I guess so. But we thought that you two were busy dealing with your own problems. I’ll go and tell Lois that you’re awake now. She was so distressed and devastated after the last few hours.”
“It must be killing dad to lose the farm. I know how much this land means to both of you,” Clark said sympathetically. “Lois and I will do whatever we can to help you.”
“Clark, you don’t have to do that. We know that you are dealing with a whole lot of problems yourselves. I’ll go and call Lois. She’s been so worried.” Martha stood up and left her place next to the bed. After giving Clark a loving glance, she left the bedroom.
Only moments later, Lois came in. She sat down on the bed and kissed her husband passionately.
“Oh, Clark, I thought I’d lost you” she said, her tone still indicating the misery she had to endure.
“You would have lost me if it wasn’t for the strength you were giving me on that horrible flight. And you removed the bullet, I assume? So you saved my life in every possible way today,” Clark replied softly. “I really need to thank you, honey. I didn’t think I was going to survive this to see you ever again.” He kissed her deeply, caressing her back.
“You saved my life as well. Does your leg still hurt?”
“It’s getting better,” he answered, not completely honest.
“Liar,” Lois remarked, “Don’t even think you can fool me.”
She embraced him, holding him tightly and pressed her face against his bare chest. She wasn’t going to let go of him anymore. The sensation of his warm skin against her cheek made her place light kisses on his chest. Her hands began to caress his arms, his stomach and his face.
He let out a small moan at the sensation of her fingers and lips on his body. He laid his hand under her chin and lifted it in order to be able to kiss her. Her mouth was soft and warm, it felt so silky. It was the first step of getting close to her, the first step of lovemaking. He sighed as he felt her tender, gentle touch, the warmth of her skin against his. This was so pleasant, so unlike the torture of the last hours.
“I’m so sorry Clark, I shouldn’t have. I didn’t mean to hurt you.” She wanted to leave him, looking so sad and very angry at herself for being so thoughtless.
He caught her wrist and held her back. “You could never hurt me and you certainly didn’t a moment ago. I like your touch; I need to feel it now. Your tender caresses can never hurt me,” he reassured her once more.
“But Clark...”
“Don’t worry, my love. You need to find comfort with me as much as I do with you. We both endured horrible moments. We thought we’d lost each other, let’s just prove each other it’s not true at all. This is just about the two of us, please enjoy this with me.” He kissed her again lightly, dragging her against him and holding her tightly. “Wanna see me begging?” he teased her.
tbc.....
