How I Spent My Christmas Vacation: One Year Later -- 10/?
by Nan Smith
Previously:
"There's a place called the Kozy Kitchen right across the street from the rental place," Clark said. "We'll have to walk over, but I think we can manage that. I also got hold of Eduardo, finally. The Planet will pick up the tab. He tells me Clark's phone is off and he isn't answering his page."
"Big surprise there," Lois muttered. "I just hope we can keep fooling everyone -- but I'd hate to see you have to be Charlie King full time."
"We'll deal with that when and if we need to," Clark said. "All we can do is take things as they come."
Clark was taking this better than she was, Lois thought. Closing the bathroom door, she laid the bags down on the broad sink board and pulled off the boot, followed by the skin-tight costume of Ultra Woman. After the events of the last twenty-four hours, she was more than ready for a hot shower but as she adjusted the water to a comfortable temperature and stepped beneath the stream, she continued to worry.
And now: Part 10:
**********
The selection of cars at Minton Valley Car Rental was, at least to Lois, surprisingly wide. They finally settled on an economy car and filled out the necessary paperwork. Since Lois was unable to produce a driver's license, it fell to Clark to drive and by one o'clock, they drove out of the rental lot and directly across the street to the Kozy Kitchen. By now, both were anxious to get on their trip. Clark ordered sandwiches to go and some fifteen minutes later, they pulled out onto the road again.
Lois spread out the map that they had acquired from the rental company on her lap. "Okay, according to this we stay on this road for about twenty-five miles. Then we should see an entrance to 77. We take that north until we hit 85, which will eventually take us to 95. Then we just stay on 95 North until we get to Metropolis."
"Sounds like a plan," Clark said. "How far is it?"
Lois was examining the map and doing rough calculations in her head. No matter how she worked the problem the answer was larger than she liked. "Six hundred and something. It looks like a ten-hour drive, at least. Maybe more in these weather conditions."
"Then I guess we'd better get going," Clark said. He maneuvered through the streets of Minton, sticking carefully to the speed limit. Many small towns were speed traps, he had learned through observation, and he had no intention of having to explain a ticket to Eduardo or the department at the Planet that handled expense accounts.
Once free of the town, their speed increased somewhat but staying below the speed limit was not a problem. It was no longer snowing and the roads had been cleared but huge drifts lined both sides of the thoroughfare. Cars were traversing the icy surface with caution, and Clark did as well. Lois fidgeted impatiently as their car crept cautiously forward. Ahead of them, the line of vehicles seemed endless. At this speed, it was going to be well after midnight before they reached Metropolis.
"Lois," Clark said as they crawled along, "You can make some use of this time. Take off your sweatshirt and roll up your sleeves. The more sunlight you soak up, the quicker your powers will come back."
"As long as they're not gone for good," Lois said.
"I'm not going to accept that until I hear it from Dr. Klein -- and maybe not then. Give it a try, would you?"
"All right." Lois removed the sweatshirt and gloves and stretched her arms out in the pale, winter sunlight that shone through the car windows. "How long should it take?'
He shrugged. "I have no idea. In the meantime, maybe you could unwrap one of those sandwiches for me -- and have one, yourself."
Since her stomach was growling, that sounded like a good idea. "I'm going to eat first and then I'll hold the sandwich for you while you drive. You need both hands on the wheel in these conditions."
That hadn't occurred to him. He had never had to worry about it before, since Superman's reflexes were good enough to handle any unexpected road conditions that he encountered. This being normal was more of a pain in the neck than he had at first realized, and seemed to be getting worse as he went. Funny, it hadn't seemed so bad as a kid, before he'd gotten his powers, but super powers had spoiled him. If he ever got them back, he'd never lament not being normal again.
They drove in silence for a time. Lois finished her sandwich -- another BLT, he noticed, and then unwrapped one for him and opened the remaining orange juice. As they went along, she carefully fed him his breakfast, catching the occasional drip with one of the paper napkins that the Kozy Kitchen had included with the meal.
"I'll skip the obvious quip about having you eating out of my hand," she said, as he finished the last bite.
"It doesn't take something like this to have me eating out of your hand," he said, reaching for the Styrofoam cup that sat in the car's cup holder. "Do you think the coffee is cool enough to drink by now without scalding myself? You'll notice that I'm deferring to your expertise."
She reached for her own and took a cautious sip. "I think so. Just be careful. It's still pretty warm." She stretched out her arms in the muted sunlight that shone through the windshield. "How will I know if your powers are coming back?"
"Well --" He carefully set the cup back in its holder. "Last year when I lost my powers, the first one that I noticed when it came back was my super-hearing. It might work that way with you, but I don't know for sure, of course."
"I don't feel anything yet," she said, and Clark could hear the doubt in her voice.
"Give it time. It could be hours. Remember, not much of you is exposed to the sun, and it's winter anyway."
"That's true." Silence descended again for a time. As they came around a corner, the pickup truck ahead of them put on its brakes, and Clark instantly did the same. The vehicle slid slightly before the snow tires took hold, and they slowed to a stop.
Ahead of them stretched a line of stationary cars and far ahead, Clark could see flashing lights. "Looks like an accident way up there."
"Great," Lois said. "This is going to be a long trip."
"We'll be all right once we get on the interstate," Clark said. He took another sip of coffee. "In the meantime, I guess we could listen to the radio."
Lois reached forward to turn it on. It was a country music station. Clark glanced out the side window. "It looks like it's already clouding up. See if you can find a weather report."
Obediently she turned the dial. After several seconds she located a station that seemed to be reporting news. "I guess if we wait long enough, we'll get a weather report," she said.
"I hope so." Clark craned his neck, trying to see what was going on ahead while inching the car slowly forward, following the pickup. "They're letting cars past in one lane."
"How long is this going to take?" Lois grumbled.
"It takes as long as it takes," Clark said, sounding resigned, even to himself.
She regarded him with mild exasperation. "I didn't realize Zen was so big in Kansas."
"South Carolina," Clark corrected with a slight grin. "There's nothing to do about it but wait. Think of it as a traffic jam during rush hour in Metropolis. There's not much difference."
The voice of the radio announcer finally switched to that of a woman with a strong Southern accent who was apparently the weather forecaster. After covering the current temperature and humidity, wind speed and precipitation, she finally got to the part that Lois and he were waiting for: the forecast. Another weather front was moving in after having dumped seven inches of snow in the Midwest. Lois groaned audibly. Clark didn't, but he had to muffle a sigh of exasperation. The time was nearing three in the afternoon, the drive to Metropolis was a good ten hours: probably more, allowing for the weather conditions, and they were barely started. It was going to be a long day.
**********
Around eight in the evening they left the Interstate to find a place to eat. They pulled into the parking lot of Susie Q's Family Restaurant and Grill and Clark cut the engine.
It was snowing again: big, puffy flakes, floating leisurely down from an overcast sky, that splatted against the windshield while they drove. As Clark stepped out of the car, a large flake landed squarely on his nose, and he saw Lois's dark hair rapidly acquiring a coating of frost that began at once to melt. They hurried across the slushy parking lot to the restaurant.
The smell of food made his mouth water as they stepped inside. He had always liked to eat, even though it had been unnecessary for Superman, and since his powers had vanished he had become even more aware of the tastes and smells of food. He and Lois had snacked on junk food during the trip, so he wasn't as hungry as he had been when he and Lois had reached Smallville the day before, but he still looked forward to dinner.
The restaurant wasn't crowded, although there was a scattering of customers. Probably only those persons that had to drive today were doing so, Clark figured. A hostess appeared within seconds, picking up two menus as she spoke. "Welcome to Susie Q's. Table for two?"
Lois nodded. The snowflakes that she had acquired were rapidly melting, and her dark hair was beaded with tiny drops of water. Clark became aware of a thread of water running down his neck as they followed the hostess to a booth.
The hostess set the menus on the table and smiled. "Someone will be here in a few minutes."
As she walked away, Lois stood up. "I'll be right back." She vanished in the direction of the Ladies' Room. Clark leaned back in the booth, stretching his arms above his head to work the kinks out, and then picked up the menu. Lois returned, just as he was deciding between roast beef and a sirloin steak, her hair combed and her makeup re-applied. She slid into the seat across from him and picked up the menu. "How's the food?"
"It looks pretty good." Clark glanced out the window. The snow was coming down harder. "It looks like we're in for another six or seven hours of driving, at least. Maybe we should stop here and get a room at the Holiday Suites, unless you want to keep going."
"How tired are you?" Lois asked.
"I could probably go on a few more hours," Clark said, "but the driving conditions are going to be pretty bad. We should probably go on a little longer and find a place when we start to get tired."
Lois nodded her agreement. "If my license hadn't disappeared with my clothes, I could drive, too. I'm not looking forward to having to replace all the stuff I carry in my wallet."
"You might not have to," Clark said. "How's your hearing? Any improvement?"
"Not that I can tell." She sounded discouraged.
"Don't give up yet," Clark said. "You didn't have a lot of sun exposure today. It may take a little longer than it did for me."
Lois nodded, but she looked subdued. As a matter of fact, his confidence wasn't strong. What were they going to do if his powers were gone forever? But the last thing he wanted right now was for Lois to blame herself over something that neither of them knew anything about. Once they got back to Metropolis and to Dr. Klein, the scientist might be able to figure out if there was anything that could be done, or if Superman was gone for good.
After an hour spent on dinner, they returned to the rental car and drove onward.
It continued to snow but not with the intensity that they had seen in Kansas. Maybe some of the force of the storm had leeched out of it in its trip across the country, Clark thought. He wasn't particularly tired, so he continued to drive while Lois dozed in the seat beside him. The snow kept his speed at something below the posted limit but at least they were moving. At two in the morning, they pulled into a gas station and Lois stirred, opening her eyes to look sleepily around. "Clark? What time is it?"
He glanced at his watch. "About two. We should be in Metropolis in another two or three hours."
"Oh." She yawned. "Aren't you tired?"
"No. I had a cup of coffee an hour ago," he said. "I'm going to get another one while the tank is filling. Would you like something?"
She shook her head. "I think I'll get out and stretch my legs, though."
Clark nodded and got out of the car. "Back in a couple of minutes."
He returned five minutes later with an enormous cup of coffee, tastefully labeled "The Super-Tub": the largest cup available. He sipped it as he crossed the asphalt to the car. Lois was waiting, and eyed the small tank of coffee he held with some amusement. "If you had that much coffee an hour ago, I'm not surprised you're wide-awake," she said. "I *am* surprised you're not climbing the walls with the caffeine jitters."
He shook his head. "Nope. No jitters."
She shook her head. "You'll have them tomorrow. Your metabolism's not used to handling coffee without super powers. Especially that much."
"Maybe I don't process it like a human," Clark suggested.
"Maybe," she said. "But I've got five dollars that says you're going to regret all that caffeine."
Clark grinned. "You're on," he said. "But let's make it interesting. If I do, I'll pay you the five dollars, but if I don't, then I get to ask that question you've been avoiding. Deal?"
She hesitated. "How will I know you're not faking it?"
"Lois! Superman doesn't 'fake' so that he can cheat."
"You mean you've never cheated in your life?"
"That depends on what you mean by cheating," Clark said. "I've never cheated for my own personal gain -- at least not since the age of eight. I've peeked through walls with my x-ray vision to find out things about criminals. I'm sure they would have called that cheating if they'd known."
"Probably," Lois agreed. She opened the door of the car and slid into the passenger seat while Clark got behind the wheel again. "But you've never even cheated in a game of poker?"
"That wouldn't be fair," Clark said mildly. "That's not what Superman is all about."
"Yes, but how about Clark Kent or Charlie King?"
He shook his head. "I never cheat for personal gain," he reiterated. "Not that I haven't been tempted, but my parents taught me better than that while I was a kid."
"You've got more resolution than most of us, then," Lois said, shaking her head. "All right, it's a deal. But I'm not worried."
Clark raised an eyebrow and took a large swallow of coffee.
**********
The sun was peeking over the horizon when they pulled to a stop in front of their apartment house. Clark cut the engine and reached over to shake Lois's shoulder gently. "Lois, we're here."
She stirred and lifted her head, blinking sleepily. "What time is it?"
"Almost seven twenty-five. The sun's coming up."
"What took so long?" she asked.
"There were a couple of accidents on the interstate," Clark said. "It slowed traffic down a lot, but we're here at last."
"Aren't you tired?"
Clark shook his head. "No, not really. I could use a short nap, I guess."
"No jitters?"
"Not yet," he said.
"And you actually finished that barrel of coffee?"
"It wasn't a barrel," Clark said mildly. "It was just a big cup. And yes, I finished it."
"Oh," Lois said. "And that was enough to keep you awake the rest of the night?"
"Uh huh," Clark said.
"Oh," Lois said.
"So," Clark said, "did you want to get a little rest while I go over to the Planet and get the stuff Jonetta left for us, or did you get enough sleep in the car?"
"I think I must have got enough," Lois said. "I'm going to go in and get a shower and then we can go to the office. We've still got some women with a Red Kryptonite laser to track down, and a criminal organization to start investigating. Not to mention, I'm way late in getting my Jeep in to the insurance company. We can do that after we check at the office and go see Dr. Klein. And then I want to talk to Bobby."
Clark raised an eyebrow. It seemed to him that Lois was suddenly a ball of energy. "This wouldn't, by any chance, have anything to do with avoiding our bet, would it?"
"Of course not," she said, a little too quickly. "But you could still get the jitters. If the caffeine kept you awake all night, it might have a delayed reaction or something."
"Oh; right," Clark said, blandly. "I think I'll get a shower and change clothes, too."
"Well, come on!" Lois said. "We've wasted a whole day! We've got things to do!"
The city around them was bathed in the pink light of sunrise. Clark glanced at Lois as he got out of the rental car and sternly kept his face straight. He actually had no intention of holding her to the bet, but he couldn't resist teasing her a little. He'd let her off the hook later, but right now it was too much fun watching her squirm.
"I just thought of something," Lois said suddenly.
"What?" he asked.
She shut the car door. "It's Christmas Eve again."
Clark lifted his head to the breeze, closing his eyes, and breathed in the crisp air of early morning. The sun felt good, he thought, even in the chilly temperature. Come to think of it, it didn't seem particularly uncomfortable right now. Maybe they were in for a thaw. "Do you know how much better things are for me this year than they were last?"
"Even now -- without your powers?" Lois asked.
"Even now," Clark said. He opened the apartment house door for her and followed her in. "And I owe it all to you. Do you know what a difference you've made in my life?"
"Maybe." She looked sideways at him. "I wanted to do it for you, you know. You deserve to have a private life."
"And thanks to you, I have one," he said. "And I have a best friend. You."
Lois stopped and turned, looking up at him. "I never had a best friend before."
"You have one now," he said.
"I thought you said --" She swallowed. "I thought you said you were in love with me."
"I am," he said. "Doesn't that include being best friends? It should."
"I don't know. My mom and dad weren't. At least, they never acted like it."
He took out his key to unlock his apartment. "Maybe that was what went wrong with their marriage," he said. He opened the door. "My mom and dad were the best of friends. You could tell it every time one of them spoke to the other. They loved each other too, and I knew all the time that they were with me that I could depend on them to take care of me, and each other. You're my best friend, Lois. Whether you ever marry me or not, you'll always be my best friend." He smiled. "Better go get your shower. I have the feeling this is going to be a busy day."
**********
tbc
