After reviewing feedback, I have decided to include the following in the archive version:
Warning: If you feel that a relationship between Clark and a Lois that lived with his parents for two years (while he was away at college) is incest, you may not want to read further.
*****
If the relationship that Linda had described was what Paul was looking for, Lois should feel better about the fact that she had held out for something more. And she did, but she also missed the having an escort to activities, the handholding, and Paul’s beautiful kisses.
*****
Clark graduated from Kansas State as Lois was finishing her sophomore year at Metropolis University. Clark graduated in the top of his class and he was anxious to follow up on his plans to travel the world. Clark planned to write about the things he saw and sell the articles to any paper that would buy them to build a portfolio that would hopefully, when he was done travelling, land him a job as something more than bottom man on the ladder at a decent paper. Clark’s travels disrupted his and Lois’ e-mail relationship, but he was great at sending postcards when he was in a town where he could mail something. Clark wasn’t sticking to the typical tourist spots, he wanted to really travel the countries and write about things that readers may have never heard about.
Ellen finished her masters in health administration and was promoted within the treatment center. She asked Lucy if she would like to come back to Metropolis and live with her and Lois. Ellen had made Lois promise to keep her accountable and to help her look out for Lucy. “I missed most of your teenage years, Lois, so I’ve never really reared a teenager. You’ll have more experience than I in knowing what to watch out for. And we may have to beat the guys off with a stick. Lucy’s not a little girl anymore and she’s getting to be quite attractive.” Lois and Lucy agreed and they were all happy to have the Lane family back together in their Metropolis home. Jonathan and Martha’s “nest” was truly empty now, but they promised that their door would always be open if any of their three children were passing through Smallville.
Lois interned the summer before Lucy’s return to Smallville at the Kansas City Dispatch., reporting in the entertainment section. It gave her the opportunity to improve her writing, but she didn’t think that she would want to permanently settle into a position as an entertainment reporter.
Martha reported that Clark was currently in Africa. He wrote excitedly about the time that he spent with some of the more primitive tribes.
<It’s like being transported back in time! There is so little what we Americans would call technology, but they have technology all their own. They have developed their own tools to improve their lives. They would seem so primitive by our standards, but they are a big advancement to them. And my farm experience came in handy. Livestock are scarce, and one of the cows had a breech presentation. The villagers were real impressed that I knew how to turn the calf and get it out. The milk from that cow would greatly improve the life of the children in the village, and I am so thankful that I was able to help. They have so little, but they always are ready with a smile and a desire to share what they have. I was glad to get back to civilization and a real shower though.>
Lois’ articles were often published in the college newspaper during her junior year. She was distinguishing herself in her class and her professors encouraged her that she had real talent. Jonathan and Martha were delighted to share their home with her the summer before her last year when she accepted a temporary post as co-editor of the Smallville Post when the editor was forced to take the summer off for major heart surgery. Lois knew that the spot had originally been offered to Clark, but she was not offended to be second choice. Her co-editor had been with the Post for years and she knew that she would learn a lot about the internal workings of a paper under his instruction. The experience got her promoted to assistant editor of the weekend edition of the Met. U. paper when she returned to school in the fall. It was an unspoken rule that all editorial positions went to graduate students, so she knew that it was a great honor to be chosen to fill that role.
Clark sent her several postcards from different locations in Europe. He was visiting different villages in the Alps and talking to people about their lives, hopes and dreams. A few of his articles made it into some US papers and magazines and Martha proudly sent Lois copies of the clippings Clark had mailed to her. She was glad to see that Clark’s plan to gain writing experience was working and, although his style of writing was much more touchy-feely than her own, the articles were well written and thought provoking.
Lois worked especially hard her senior year to get good grades in her classes and she was rewarded with the honor of graduating number one in her class. This, too, would be of great help in getting a good position at a paper.
Met. U. was such a large school that she was only allowed five guests at her graduation. It irked her that her absent father had contacted her to tell her that he planned to attend, meaning that one of the Kents would be left out. Clark was flying home especially to attend her graduation, but when Lois painfully explained the situation, he volunteered to forego the graduation and be at the Metropolis High School gym waiting for her arrival after the graduation. Ellen and Martha had arranged a reception so that Lois’ friends and family would have the opportunity to congratulate her.
Norcross and Judd had agreed to return to Metropolis to be the guests of honor at the graduation and to talk about the highlights of their careers as city reporters for the Daily Planet. As she listened to their presentation, she wished for a moment that she had refused to give up Clark’s seat to her father. Clark certainly had more right to be there and he would have benefited from and enjoyed the opportunity much more than her father, who she had noticed glancing at his watch more than once. Still, her father had rarely made any effort to support her financially or emotionally, and despite his disapproval of her career choice, he had taken time to come to her graduation. When they arrived at the Met. High gymnasium, he surprised her even more. In front of the lighted gym was a silver Jeep Grand Cherokee with a humongous red bow draped over it. Her father dangled the key in front of her, “Want to take it for a test drive?”
“Dad! This is such a surprise. I never expected. . . “
“Well my check for my “Abs in a Bottle” formula arrived last week and the first thing I thought of was that my princess needed a graduation gift.”
“But, Dad, it’s so expensive.”
Sam Lane hung his head and said awkwardly, “It’s not nearly enough, Lois. I’ve been a horrible husband and father, and don’t expect that to change, but maybe when you drive this car, you will at least know that in my own way I love you and I’m really proud of you.”
Tears pricked Lois eyes, “Oh, Daddy-”
“Don’t try to say it’s okay, Lois. Just say thank you and enjoy it.”
“Well, thank you.”
“This thing is fully loaded, princess. It has every bell and whistle they offered. It should come in handy while you’re traveling around investigating stories.”
The silver jeep would stick out like a sore thumb, but she didn’t want to hurt her father’s feelings.
“Oh, Lois! Look at the license plates!” Lucy exclaimed.
Her father had vanity plates with the letters “LL” installed on the vehicle. Lois couldn’t suppress a groan.
“Dad, if you want me to use this on stakeouts, the calling card license plates were probably not a good idea.” Of course, the fact that she signed her initials LLK would also create some confusion. Oh well, he had tried hard and she appreciated it.
“Come on, Lois, you and Sam can take it for spin later. Right now you have a lot of people waiting for you in that gym to congratulate you,” Ellen said, trying to keep the note of disapproval from her voice. How could Sam Lane think that a fancy car and a pretty speech could possibly make up for the years that he had neglected his daughter? Yet, she couldn’t really say that she was sorry. She was such a weak person when she was with Sam and she knew that she and her two daughters were stronger people due to the struggles they had overcome.
Indeed there were a few people waiting in the gym! Apparently, many Smallville residents had chipped in on gas and rode one of the aging yellow school buses all the way to Metropolis. Lois’ tears fell as she began to hug the people that greeted her. A glowingly pregnant Alisha, Ben, their young son, Maisie, the Irigs, her co-workers from the Smallville Post, some of her former classmates. . . and a grinning Clark standing at the back of the crowd waiting for his opportunity to congratulate Lois. As he neared, she flung her arms around him.
“Clark! It has been two whole years since I’ve seen your face, though I have enjoyed the cards. You’re just as good looking as always, and,” squeezing him again, “ you are looking very buff.” Clark grinned happily, returning her hug.
“It’s good to be back in the US of A, even if only for a little while. Australia’s next on my list. The water shortage is making it virtually impossible to eke out an existence in the desert. It will make a good story.”
“Just a wandering man.”
“Yep. That’s me.”
“Don’t you ever get lonely?”
“Yeah, I do. I’ve met so many great people I’ll never forget, but most of them I’ll never see again. One of these days I’ll come back and look for a real job, settle down, maybe, but I don’t regret a minute of my time, and I wouldn’t trade my memories for anything.”
He moved on to allow the rest of the well-wishers access to Lois. Over their hugs, her eyes followed him to where he came to rest against the wall. In a room full of friends and family, he stood out, all alone.
*****
“Mr. White. Thank you for agreeing to see me.”
“Lois Lane-Kent. I remember you. Well, I remember Lois Lane anyway. And call me Perry. One of our best summer interns as far as I’m concerned. So,” he said glancing at the paper on his desk, “I see you’ve finished college. I’m guessing you’re here looking for a job.”
“That would be my ideal. At the least, I would appreciate a letter of reference. But I’ve always wanted to work at the Daily Planet.”
Perry grunted as he looked over her resume. “You married? Not that you have to answer that question, according to HR, just wondering at the name change.”
“No, I’m not married. I legally changed my name before I finished high school. I wanted my name to reflect where I came from. I’m hoping that my work reflects where I’m going.”
“Yes,” Perry said shuffling papers. “I looked at some of your work. Not bad. But typical college stuff.”
“I’ve had experience at the Wichita Eagle, the Kansas City Star, and the Smallville Post, though not as a reporter. I worked at the Met. U. paper and was assistant editor of the weekend edition last year and I still graduated at the top of my class.”
“Humph,” came from Perry as he shuffled through her resume and samples of her work. “Give me one good reason to hire you.”
“I’m smart and, as my GPA reflects, I work hard. The Daily Planet is my first choice. I’d rather gopher here than report at any other paper anywhere.”
“Where else have you applied?
“I’ve sent resumes to the Kansas City Star, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Lincoln Journal Star and the Omaha World-Herald, and several smaller papers in the mid-west.”
“Well, I think I can guarantee that your application at the Kansas City Star will be turned down, because one of my reporters told me yesterday that she has accepted a position there. Which leaves me with a vacancy in my newsroom. Your resume is just one among tens of others just like it that have crossed my desk in the last month. However, because you have worked here previously, I am going to offer you a job.”
“Thank you, Mr. White!”
“Now, before you get all excited, you’re starting just one step up from gopher. By the time I promote and transfer the rest of my reporters, that is what is gonna be left. You’ll be doing research for the other reporters and your writing will be mostly obits and press conferences. Still interested?”
“I told you I was willing to be a gopher if I could work here and I meant it.”
“After you’ve been here a few months- the exact time is up to my discretion and I don’t want to hear any whining about it- you will be partnered with one of the senior reporters on big stories. If you are patient and work hard, you’ll make your way up to senior reporter yourself. If you’re impatient, give me stories that are more speculation than anything and not backed up by facts, you won’t be moving anywhere if you even stay on at all. I don’t promote people because they have been here more than a year. I promote based upon the number of stories they bring in and how our readers respond to them. I run a respectable newspaper here. I expect good, researched stories, turned in on time. No excuses.”
“I promise you won’t regret it.”
“Make sure I don’t.”
Working at the Planet was a dream come true, to be sure, but Lois did not always enjoy her assignments. There was nothing interesting about obituaries, and the interesting things she discovered helping the senior reporters research stories was passed off to them leaving her eager to find out what the story was all about. But she really enjoyed the Daily Planet atmosphere. Cat Grant was a character all her own. She looked Lois up and down the first day and said to no one in particular that there must be a shortage of women reporters if Perry had taken to hiring children. Ralph, who thought he was the office Romeo, offered to “show her around”, to which Lois replied that she was from Metropolis and was quite capable of finding her way around on her own. Eduardo was an older reporter, and the one that Lois enjoyed doing research for the most. She hoped that when Perry did pair her with a partner that Eduardo would be his first choice. She didn’t know how long she could put up with Ralph.
Lois had worked at the Planet for six months when one of the reporters that had been at the London Bureau returned. Planet reporters could be transferred to other Planet locations worldwide and the average length of assignment was two years. Lois arrived one morning to find the pit abuzz with news of Claude Duchet‘s return. She learned that he was currently discussing story assignments with Perry. Apparently, Claude was almost a roving reporter, working at the Metropolis Daily Planet headquarters for a few months and then transferring to a different bureau. He had been to Japan, the UK, and Australia. He had originally started at the Planet in the Paris office, but had not been back since his first transfer to Metropolis. Lois couldn’t help but be very curious about the man who could cause such a stir.
Claude Duchet was more handsome than a man had any right to be. His practiced charm had women of all ages sighing after him. Lois had to admit that she was very flattered when he took her hand and kissed it after Perry introduced them. She couldn’t help but be a little attracted to such a handsome, worldly man, but despite the obvious care he took of his appearance, she would guess that he was quite a bit older than she was. Cat Grant caught sight of Lois’ flushed cheeks after Claude departed the newsroom, “Oh, been there, done that, sweetie, and he’s just as good as they say. But Claude Duchet is a man; I doubt he’s interested in shopping in the teen department.”
It was when she was doing some research for Eduardo a few months later that she came across some information that she was sure would be her first big story. Some casual questions to Eduardo told her that it was not the angle or subject that he was pursuing, so she felt confident about starting to research the possible story on her own. She worked in the Planet office nights and weekends for two weeks researching her theory and confirming her facts. She had just finished the first rough draft Sunday afternoon when the sound of the elevator doors opening caused her to lift her head. Claude Duchet entered the newsroom heading towards his desk to rouse his computer to life. As he hung his coat on the back of his chair, he caught sight of Lois.
“Ma cherie. What are you doing here on such a lovely day? You should be out enjoying this sun, or perhaps making beautiful love to some handsome young man.”
Lois felt her face flush, “I’m just doing a little research on a story.”
“Really? I wasn’t aware that Perry had you assigned to work on a story this weekend.”
“This is something I’m working on my own.”
Claude’s eyes widened. “Ambitious are you? How about I take a look at it and tell you what I think?”
“Would you? I’d appreciate you opinion. It’s still just a rough draft right now.”
Claude came over to her desk to read her screen. As he leaned over her shoulder Lois’ breath caught at the smell of his cologne. No guy should smell and look as good as Claude Duchet. “This is not bad work, Lois. You’re going to be a great reporter someday. But I think I can help you out. See this sentence here? You should- well, move your chair over and let me show you.” Claude pulled his own chair besides hers and deftly re-worded her sentence.
“Wow. Claude, it says the same thing, but it reads a whole lot better the way you put it.”
“This right here. I think I’ve got some stuff at my flat that might be useful in backing up that fact. Since you are so busy working today, I’m going to assume you have no plans for dinner. Go home and relax for a minute and put on something comfortable and I’ll run by my place, get my file. I’ll pick up dinner and meet you at your apartment. Do you like Italian?”
“Sure. I really appreciate your help on this. I can’t wait to turn this story in to Perry and see what he thinks.”
“No problem, my sweet. I’ll meet you at your place in an hour.”
Lois went home, showered, and put on some jeans and a loose sweater. She hurriedly cleaned off her coffee table and fluffed the pillows on the loveseats. It was hard to think of such a worldly man as Claude in her little apartment, but she did want to have someone with a practiced eye look over her story. She had even thought about e-mailing it to Clark, but who knew when he would have time to take a look at it? Besides, Claude had many more years of experience in this business than Clark did.
Lois opened her door after checking to ensure that the thump that she heard was Claude. His hands were filled with a bag containing steaming noodles and sauce, a manila folder, and a bottle of wine. Lois quickly took the bag from him.
“Here, let me take that.” Claude followed her into the kitchen and set the bag on the counter. “I’ll get us something to eat and drink with.”
She pulled two plates from the cupboard and rolled two sets of silverware in napkins while Claude eyes looked around her apartment. “Your place suits you.”
“It’s small, but when I got a job at the Planet, I decided I wanted to get my own place, and I needed something that I could afford.” She opened another cupboard and reached for the wineglasses that were on the top shelf- just out of reach, of course. She didn’t make a habit of drinking; her mother’s alcoholism made her wary, and never drank alone, but she would enjoy a nice glass of excellent wine that Claude had brought.
She felt Claude brush against her as he reached over her head. “Here let me.” And he brought down a pair of glasses. Had he pressed against her for a second longer than he needed to? Lois mentally shook her head, remembering Cat’s comment about the “teen department.” And despite the casual atmosphere, Claude had specifically said that he was bringing over some details that would be helpful to her story. This wasn’t a social visit; it was business.
They prepared their plates before going into the living room to sit on the loveseats. Claude opened the wine and poured them both a glass.
“Umm, Claude, this is delicious,” said Lois as she put the first bite of pasta into her mouth.
Claude shrugged. “The owner is actually Italian, so considering we are in America, it is decent. Have you ever been to Italy?” Of course, Lois hadn’t, so Claude began to tell her of the places he had worked and the details of the cuisine in each city. Lois shared a few experiences from her college life, but knew that she really didn’t have the life experience to have anything to talk about that would interest a well-traveled man like Claude. As they finished their meals, Claude took up his wine and turned to her on the loveseat moving his arm to rest against the back of it. “So, we are here to work, tell me a little more about this story? How did you get the idea?”
Lois explained that the idea had come to her as she was working on some research for Eduardo. She reached out to the table and brought the printout of her story between them. “This is the section, I’m struggling with.”
Claude scooted closer to reach the section she was pointing at. “Yes, I see what you mean.” He set his wine glass on the table and took the pages from her. “If you move this sentence here. It will sound much better. Read it aloud. See how that flows.”
Lois read the section and turned to Claude. “You’re right. That’s the way it should read.” She looked up at him and saw him watching her. Before she even had time to process the look I his eyes, Claude almost lunged forward and claimed her lips with his own. Lois was so shocked for a second that she did not even respond. Apparently, Claude understood that as consent and his hand reached under her sweater to fondle her breast. Lois stiffened and reached her hand out to remove his. He caught her wrist.
“Oh, you’re not going to be shy now, are you Lois? Don’t pretend that you didn’t know what I meant when I offered to come over here and “help” you with your story?”
“No, I didn’t. . .” Claude returned his mouth to hers and kissed her roughly. Lois heart began to pound in her chest, and not with pleasure. Claude’s body was pressing her uncomfortably into the arm of the love seat.
“I’ve seen the way you’ve looked at me these past months, teasing me. Don’t tell me that you don’t want this as much as I do, Lois.”
“No, I never meant, I admire you Claude, as a colleague that has earned the respect of his peers for his writing.”
“Are you trying to flatter me sweetheart? Why don’t you show me some of that “respect” right now?” Again he roughly kissed her, his one hand retaining possession of her wrist and with his other, he was tracing circles above her knee.
With her free hand she removed his hand, “Really, Claude, I hardly think that this is appropriate. We work together.”
Which was exactly why she hadn’t already kneed him in the crotch and gotten as far away from him as she could. Claude was a charmer. He would hardly take what he obviously wanted, would he?
Claude’s voice was deep as he chuckled, “Lois, this act of playing hard to get is really turning me on. You didn’t strike me as the role playing kind of girl, especially not for our first time, but I admit, I’m rather intrigued.” His hand crept up her back and he flipped open the clasp of her bra with a practiced hand.
“Claude, please,” she pleaded.
He gave a gravelly laugh, “Ah, that’s more like it, ma cherie. I knew you’d come around.” His hand slid around her side and brushed against her bare breast. Panic started to overtake her.
“Claude, I’m not playing. Stop, please.”
Claude’s hand stilled on her breast and he pulled back slightly to look at her. “Are you teasing me now?”
“No! I’m not. I don’t want this.”
“You deny that you’ve been flirting with me for some time now.”
“Yes! I do. I can’t think of anything that I have done that would cause you to think that I wanted you to-”
“What, this?” His hand began to massage her breast. Her mind was racing now. If Claude pushed the point, could she really stop him?
“Please, Claude. Don’t touch me like that.”
“For goodness sakes, Lois. You’re acting like a freaking virgin.” Lois said nothing but her face flushed red.
“That’s it, isn’t it? Good Lord, Lois, how does a woman reach your age without ever-”
“Because I’m waiting for the right guy.”
“Well, aren’t I lucky, because you found him.”
“No-” her protest was smothered as lips came down upon her again. Her free hand raised to strike him, but he caught it easily and included it in his grip on her other wrist. His other hand reached for the button on her jeans. Lois began to struggle in earnest.
“Ah, yes, just like that. Don’t worry my sweet, once you’ve had me, you’ll discover that you like it and wonder why you waited so long.”
“Please, Claude-” Claude’s body moved to cover more of hers. His hips were now half-way over hers and he gave a funny little hunch toward her.
“Oh, yes.” His breath was beginning to get heavy. The zip on her jeans was suddenly open and his hand slid under her to lift her towards him and his hips once more thrust toward hers. Oh my word, was he really going to… ? His leg pushed between hers and he settled himself more heavily against her. Oh. Oh my- was that his. . . his. . .
The phone rang shrilly, piecing the room. Lois started and the sound broke through her befuddled state and she began to try desperately to get out from underneath Claude’s body. “Please, I need to answer the phone. Claude, stop, the phone, please.”
“Let it ring, my love, now is the time-”
She finally gained the leverage she needed and she slid out from under him. His passion had caused him to loosen his hold on her wrists and she pulled away easily. She launched herself at the phone. “Yes, Hello?”
“Lois?”
“Clark,” she cried. As she said his name, relief rolled over her. She glanced toward Claude who still lay half on the loveseat breathing heavily.
“Lois, you sound frightened. Are you alright?”
“Yes, Yes, I’m fine. Where, where are you calling from?”
“I’m on my way to New Guinea and decided to call you and my folks before I was out of phone contact for a while. Lois, are you sure you’re okay? Your heart sounds like it is beating a mile a minute.”
“Yes. I just- have some company.”
“Oh, I hadn’t thought, I mean, I don’t want to interrupt anything.”
“No, please, I’m so glad you called. Really, really glad. I just can’t talk right now.”
“Ummn. No problem, and again, I’m so sorry I interrupted.”
“It’s fine, Clark. Have fun in New Guinea. Call me again the next time you’re near a phone. I promise, we’ll talk.”
“Bye.”
“Goodbye, Clark.”
Claude was now gathering the pages that had fallen from the coffee table during her flight and stuffing them back into the manila folder. Lois hit the “end” button and then immediately hit the “talk” button.
“Claude if you don’t get out of here this minute, I’m calling 9-1-1.”
“As you can clearly see, Lois, I’m leaving. I don’t have time for your childish games.”
“If you ever come within ten feet of me again outside of the Daily Planet, I swear, I will scream bloody murder, and then I will sue you for sexual harassment.”
“Don’t worry, I have no intention of getting close to you again, Mademoiselle Ice Maiden. How dare you threaten me? As if anyone would believe your sexual harassment claim. There is a string of women who would laugh at such a thought. They would never believe that I wasted one second of my time with such a. . . a child. You will regret rejecting me. I am a top reporter at the Daily Planet and you are just a nothing.”
He stalked to the door, opening it and slamming it behind him. Lois ran to turn the locks. Her legs were shaking so badly she fell to her knees at the door, tears beginning to stream down her face.
Oh, God. She had almost been raped. If Clark hadn’t called at that exact minute her brain might not have ever snapped out of the daze of shock she had been in. Oh, thank God for Clark. She crawled toward the loveseat, unable to find the strength to stand. She picked up the phone from where it had slipped from her fingers and dialed. “Mom? Please, I need you.”
“Lois, are you alright?” The only response was a quivering sob. “Lois, I’m coming right over.”
The next thing she knew someone was pounding on the door. “Lois, Lois, let me in this minute. What’s wrong? You have to let me in.” Still shaking, Lois pulled herself to her feet and let her mother in.
“Oh, Mom,” she cried falling into Ellen’s arms.
“Lois, you’re frightening me! Tell me what happened.” Lois sobbed out the tale.
“Lois, you should report this.”
“Mom, nothing actually happened. He just frightened me.”
“I’m so thankful that Clark called when he did.”
Lois gave a tearful hiccup. “Trust Clark Kent to rescue me from half-way around the world.”
“Claude should answer for what he tried to do. If not to the law, then at least to your employer. He took advantage of the fact that he is your superior.”
Lois shook her head. “He shouldn’t get away with this, Mom, but it is just my word against his. Claude is a respected journalist, and as he so aptly pointed out, there are dozens of women who would eagerly have taken my place. No one would believe that I wasn’t exactly where I had wanted to be. He even accused me of leading him on for some time. Maybe I did. I didn’t mean to. I was attracted to him, a little. He’s so handsome and charming. Maybe I. . .”
“Stop right there, Lois. You are the victim here. No means no and it doesn’t matter how many notches Claude Duchet has in his bedpost, he had no right to try to take what he wanted by force.”
“But I-”
“Lois, maybe you need to take this as a warning.”
“What do you mean? Stay away from men?”
Ellen chuckled. “No sweetheart. I was thinking along the lines of self-defense classes. If you had had some training, Claude would not have been able to overpower you so easily-”
“I think that was mostly because I was literally scared stiff.”
“-and the ability to defend yourself could come in handy in the line of your investigations. Also, I think that you should talk about this with someone.”
“Mom, I don’t think-”
“Lois, listen to me. I am not talking to you as your mother right this second. I’m talking to you as a medical professional who has training in psychology. I want you to talk to someone who can help you to look frankly at the situation and see that what almost happened here tonight is not your fault. I have seen people blame themselves into committing suicide for things that they had no control over. And I think that it might also do you some good to talk about men in general. Your father did a real number on me, and I know that, though you may not see it, that has had an impact on you and Lucy. Even tonight, you felt that this was somehow your fault. And Paul-”
“I still feel very guilty for leading him on.”
“And you shouldn’t. Paul moved on, but you’ve let what happened affect you. I can suggest a counselor, and then I promise to keep out of it.”
“If you really think I should, Mom, I’ll look into it. And I’m also going to sign up for those self defense classes you mentioned. You’re right, they could come in very handy if I end up fighting some bad guys in the pursuit of a story.” Her lame attempt at humor gladdened Ellen’s heart. Her little girl was going to be okay. She mentally shuddered. Yes, thank God for Clark Kent.
*****
Two things Lois noticed as she stepped off the elevator. One was Perry clapping Claude on the back, “Great story, Duchet. I don’t know how you did it, but I’m glad you did. We already started an extra printing because today’s paper is selling like hotcakes. I smell a Kerth.” The second was that the usual newsroom buzz abruptly stopped at her arrival. That’s weird, she thought. Well, she might as well print out the rough draft of her story and ask Perry to look at it. She was *not* going to be including any of the changes that Claude had suggested.
*****
“Lois, this is very interesting. It’s a good piece. Funny thing is, Claude turned in an almost identical story last night. Copies of the Daily Planet can hardly be kept on the shelf.”
“What? But it’s my. . . how did he. . .“ The image of Claude stuffing the fallen papers into the folder flashed through her mind. Why that, that thief! He stole my story. *My* story. The one that was supposed to be my big break. Even if she showed Perry her notes, would he just think that she had been doing research for Claude?
“Lois, around here, we work as a team. If you’ve been helping Claude with research, I think that’s great, but to try to claim his story as your own. . .”
She had to get out of there before she fell apart. “I’m sorry Perry, I’m suddenly feeling very ill. I need to-” she waved her hand in the general direction of the bathrooms.
Perry grunted. “I’m sure you do.”
An hour later her sobs had subsided to hiccups, and she pulled herself off the cold tile floor to sit on the toilet seat, unrolling the tissue to wipe her face and blow her nose. At that moment, the door opened and she could see two set of legs walk in.
She recognized Cat’s voice. “The Ice Maiden, huh? He really called her that?”
“Yes, he said she’s been all over him since he got back and when he sealed the deal last night she was as passionless as a shoe!”
What in the- Ice Maiden? Hadn’t Claude called her that last night?
“Well, I’m not surprised. I heard she was raised in some little town out in Nowheresville, Kansas. She probably still thinks babies are found under cabbage leaves. I told her the first time I saw her mooning after Claude that he didn’t shop in the teen department. What did she expect?”
They were talking about her! That’s why the buzz of the newsroom had silenced upon her arrival.
“Claude is way too much of a man to be interested in her. He must have really felt sorry for her having such a huge crush on him to take pity on her and have sex with her.”
“Yeah, it’s not like he got any pleasure out of it.” Lois moaned as the two ladies exited the bathroom. Oh, this was so much worse than a stolen story. This was humiliating. And it was so untrue! Claude was painting himself to be the victim, the suave lover that couldn’t stand to break her heart by rejecting her even though he had no feelings for her. Why couldn’t she stay in this bathroom forever?
Because. She wasn’t scared little Lois Lane, fighting against the world to try to save her sister and hide her mother’s sickness. She was Lois Lane-Kent and neither Ellen nor Martha had raised her to back down from a challenge. Lois lifted her chin and exited the bathroom, walking between the two ladies that had been discussing her moments before. Cat had the grace to look ashamed before she glanced away. As Lois neared her desk to take a seat and began on the research Eduardo has left her, she could see Ralph and one of the sports reporters leaning over Claude’s desk. Didn’t they realize she could hear them?
“You mean she didn’t,” the next word was whispered, but she could fill in the blank.
Claude laughed harshly, “Not even close. One minute she was begging me and the next minute she was lying there like a block of ice.”
“She was probably over ”come” by your charms.” Neither Lois, whose eyes were closed in embarrassment, or the men completely engaged in their bawdy conversation noticed the man coming towards them walking surprisingly lightly on his feet.
“Not hardly. I’ve felt more pleasure at my own hands than-”
Perry clapped Claude hard on the shoulder. His voice boomed across the newsroom and he noticed Lois jump slightly. “This is a newsroom, people, not a knitting circle. Get back to your desks and get me some stories. I have blank pages that need to be filled by this afternoon.” His tone dropped considerably. “Duchet. Let’s talk in my office. I want to discuss your request for a transfer to the Paris office.” Lois’ heart leapt at his words. Was it possible that after Claude had trashed her reputation, he would just leave, and she wouldn’t be forced to face him every day, week in and week out? Oh, she hoped so.
*****
Lois dreaded going to work for the next few weeks. She knew that she was the topic of conversation. When she had called her mother for sympathy, Ellen assured her that before she knew it, some other gossip would come along and Claude’s story would be yesterday’s news and soon forgotten. Unfortunately, Claude was feeding the fire. Lois felt ostracized at work and lonely in her empty apartment. She’d never had a particularly active social life, but she had enjoyed going out with her fellow employees on occasion. The loss left her with too much spare time on her hands and she found herself looking into the self-defense classes that her mother had suggested. She found that a police officer offered classes a few evenings a week through the adult education center. Although she had questioned whether she would have the physical strength to be successful in fending off an attack from a serious predator, she found that she enjoyed the physical activity.
When the classes ended, she talked to the instructor and he recommended that she check into some Tae Kwan Do classes. It would reinforce the techniques that he had taught the class and would also be a great physical activity. Lois had never enjoyed the monotony of the gym, and the counselor that her mother had recommended had been encouraging her to start taking better care of herself. She deserved it. After confessing her guilt that she had not fought harder against Claude or stopped him sooner, the counselor explained that “frozen from fright” actually happened. Lois’ mind had been overwhelmed and her flight response had been suppressed. She agreed that Tae Kwan Do classes would help Lois to stay focused in the event that she ever found herself in a similar situation again.
*****
A few weeks later, Perry called her into his office. “Duchet is transferring to the Paris branch this weekend.”
“Really? It will, ah, be a shame to lose his talents at the Metropolis Daily Planet, but I know he had ties to Paris.”
“A shame? I wouldn’t go that far. If you repeat this, I’ll deny, but I never liked that smooth-talking Frenchman much. He turned in some good work, but he’ll always be just an average reporter. I would think that you’d be glad to see him go.”
Lois blushed, “Perry-”
“I don’t care what went on, Lois. It’s none of my business as long as you continue to do your job. Which is actually why I called you in here, not to discuss Claude Duchet. Since Claude is leaving, it means that I have a position open in the city section. You’ve done a great job with what you have been assigned so far. Are you ready to do some real reporting?”
“All my life.”
“The spot’s yours then. And if you need help on your articles, come find me.” The look he gave her made her think that he had an idea of what had really happened. The fact that he was offering her this position when she hadn’t really turned in any stories that would bring her to his attention lent credence to the thought, as well as his next statement. “I didn’t get to be editor of the greatest paper in the world because I could yodel, Lois. Now, I expect to see you seated at Claude’s desk Monday morning, and I want to see some story ideas on my desk by 9:00 am.”
“No problem. Thank you, Perry. I won’t disappoint you.”
*****
There was an increase in the gossip activity when Claude’s departure was announced, but for the first time, Lois didn’t really care. Perry knew, or at least suspected, the truth. And she, Lois Lane-Kent, had been given the job of her dreams. Now she just had to be the best city reporter Perry ever had.
Lois didn’t just have story ideas for Perry at 9:00 on Monday morning; she had a mostly written story. “I just need to double-check some of the facts.”
“This is good work, Lois. Get those facts checked and I’ll save you some space in tomorrow’s paper.” Her story wouldn’t make it onto the front page, she knew, but it was a big step in the right direction.
Perry hired Jimmy Olsen to replace Lois as research assistant. Lois had been good at researching stories. Jimmy was great. She had looked questioningly at Perry when he announced that he was hiring Jimmy. Lois had seen his resume, which barely filled one page. He had a GED. He didn’t have a college degree- too young- but he had the practical experience. Given Jimmy’s age, Lois wondered if the records were sealed on where he had gotten some of that experience.
Lois brought in more stories in the next six months than any of the other city reporters. She had a nose for news and could find a front page expose in the most innocent of press conferences. She was surprised, but very pleased when she was asked to speak at Metropolis High about a story she had just finished on the drugs being used at rave parties. Not all the partaking was voluntary and she made sure to point out that if you were going to participate in these parties, despite the facts her story had brought to light, then you should at least keep an eye on your drink at all times. She mentioned her self-defense classes and that being aware of yourself and those around you was just smart thinking in this day and age. To her surprise, after the presentation some of the girls as well as a school counselor approached her to learn more. She referred them to the officer who had provided the classes. She felt some amount of pride that she had inspired them to look into participating in a class.
“Claude’s” story won a Kerth. Lois raged for a few days when she heard it was nominated. Then she decided to focus on the good things that had come into her life since Claude. She determined that a story under her own name would make it into the nominations next year.
Within a year, Lois Lane-Kent became a name that was regularly seen on the front page of the Daily Planet. In that time, she had two stories nominated for Kerths and brought home the coveted award for one of them. Although she had not been at the Planet as long as most of the other reporters, she was now considered their senior. This could have made things awkward if Lois had friends among the reporting staff, but though the “Ice Maiden” gossip only arose on occasion, “Mad Dog Lois” was something that she heard on a regular basis. Scaring off the other reporters that Perry had tried to partner her with on occasion did not endear her to her co-workers. Lois was beyond caring what the other reporters thought about her. She was the best in the business because she had earned it, because she was willing to go where they were not, and they knew it. Perry complained about the increase in her insurance premiums, but Lois knew Perry well enough now to see his real concern.
Her social life was not much different. She went out occasionally, even enjoyed a nice kiss every now and then, but most of the men she dated seemed intimidated by her in some way, whether it was her personality, her participation in martial arts, or her all-consuming job. Her work life was very fulfilling, and she had let it overtake any disappointments in her personal life.
Ellen was managing the treatment clinic, Lucy was looking forward to beginning her sophomore year at Metropolis High and Lois was knee deep in a car theft ring story when Clark called to tell Lois that he had decided to leave travelling the world and come back to the US. His voice broke as he told Lois of his latest experiences in Darfur, “There are just so many, so many hurting people and as many as die everyday, they just keep coming. The volunteers work themselves sick, but there is just not enough of anything- food, clothing, or medicines- to even begin to meet the need. For every person saved, so many more die. It is just overwhelming. I have never felt so helpless, like nothing I could do made any difference.” Lois had read about Darfur, and had even contributed to charities that were sending support to the victims, but hearing Clark’s vivid description of the crisis really moved her.
“Clark, you need to write about this. If for no other reason than for the cleansing it will bring to you to share what you saw. And I imagine that the article would inspire readers to give. This story needs to be told over and over. And you have always been good with making readers feel the emotions of your story, Clark.”
“I’ve written some of it, but it‘s just random thoughts. I’d need to organize them and do a little research about the actual history of the conflict.”
“So come to Metropolis. Our libraries are among the best, and if you needed any help, I bet I could get Jimmy to lend a hand. He’s really, really good. Just, if you don’t want to know how he obtained the information, don’t ask. You can stay with me, so you don’t waste money on a hotel.”
“I’m staying in Smallville right now. I think I’ll write the story here, but I will take you up on that research help. Once I get the basic story put together, I’ll come up and polish it up with some additional facts. Maybe I can get it in the Times or US Weekly.”
“If not, they’re crazy. You’re a good writer, Clark. And people need to hear this story.”
*****
Clark’s story had an impact. Organizations that were struggling to help saw a sharp increase in donations upon the publishing of his article. His writing style was so moving that people felt compelled to help. Lex Luthor announced a million-dollar donation from his charitable foundation. Lois got to report on that. Not that there was much of a story there. His PR person gave out a press release and his personal assistant refused all requests for interviews. Lois did not like being shut down, but her attempts to convince his office that she, as the city’s top reporter, should be allowed to interview him fell on deaf ears. Little was known of Lex Luthor. Much of what was accepted as fact was unsubstantiated. He had five unauthorized biographies and the biography that his PR people provided was the same one that every reporter had. His name came up a little too often in Lois’ investigations, as far as she was concerned, but she had never found anything linking him to the crime, yet he somehow always seemed to benefit from tragedy. Lois made a mental note to spend some time researching him if she encountered a slow day at the Planet, not that that happened very often.
*****
She called Clark in Smallville to congratulate him on the success of his story. While very few readers would remember the name “Clark Kent” his story would stay with them, affecting them in subtle ways for the rest of their lives. When she expressed that to Clark, she could hear the embarrassment in his voice as he thanked her.
“So, what now, Clark? You said you’re back in the US to stay. What’s next for Clark Kent?”
“Actually, I just got news today that I’m accepted into the law school at the University of Missouri.”
“Wow! When did that happen?”
“I’ve been thinking about coming back to the States for a while. School seems like a good place to find my way again.”
“It’s a good school. Columbia or Kansas City campus?”
“Columbia. I’ve become very interested in international law and politics, so I will be earning a Mediation and Applied Conflict Studies degree as well as my JD in international law. I’m going to keep up my journalism skills by traveling in the summers and writing stories like I have been doing the last few years.”
“Clark Kent, attorney. Well, it has a nice ring to it. I have a hard time seeing you as a lawyer, though. You’re far too honest.”
“Lawyers get a bad rap, but I’m not looking at practicing law. Writing is what I want to do, but international law and politics affect countries and their governments and having knowledge of those laws will help me to be a better writer.”
*****
Three years brought two more Kerths to Lois’ collection. She was asked to speak at women’s and journalism conferences. Perry would never expect her to go farther than she was willing in pursuit of a story, but he was proud and appreciative of the stories and resulting fame that she brought to the Daily Planet. In fact, after disappearing for a month before turning up with a front page story on illegal gun-running in the Congo- having actually gone to the Congo!- and spending in a week in the hospital as a result of her confrontation with the subjects, she had the impression that Perry thought that she sometimes went a little too far. “Dead reporters aren’t news for very long, Lois. I’d much rather have you alive and writing stories, than posthumously awarded a Pulitzer.” Her sporadic investigations into Lex Luthor had not yet brought any hard facts to light. Her sources spoke of “the Boss” in awed tones, but no one was willing to talk. And none of her investigations tied Lex Luthor to “the Boss”. Luthor seemed to be a man who gave generously to charities and the community and just had a knack for business. Lois knew in her gut that there was a story there. She needed to find a way to get close to Lex. Her regular requests for an interview were declined, even when she included a list of her stories and the awards that she had been nominated for. From comments she had heard from her colleagues at the Planet she knew that it wasn’t that Lex Luthor didn’t want to talk to her personally but that he refused all interviews. Lex Luthor preferred to remain a mystery.
Lucy graduated from Metropolis High and Clark graduated with his masters in mediation and juris doctor. He passed the bar in Missouri, but maintained that he preferred writing to practicing law. “So, I think I’m ready to settle down and get a job at a newspaper. Have you heard of any openings?”
“Rumors here and there.”
“Would you mind if I tried for the Planet?”
“The Planet! Well, no, I guess not. But I asked Perry for a raise just the other day when we celebrated my latest big story and he laughed in my face. I got the impression that money is tight, though I certainly do my part to increase circulation.”
“Think you can talk Mr. White into at least seeing me? I’ve got a recommendation from one of my professors that knows Perry. I was hoping that might open the door.”
“I’ll ask him. If nothing else, you could probably freelance for a while until you find a paper. You have a lot of writing experience, Clark, but to be brutally honest, reporting the news takes more than being able to tell the story. You’ve got to be able to find the real story behind the story.”
“I can learn.”
“Sure you can,” Lois said encouragingly. “I’ll talk to Perry tomorrow.”
*****
Perry agreed to meet with Clark. “But Lois, I can’t hire anybody right now.”
“That’s okay. Perry. Clark will just appreciate the opportunity to meet with you, and interviewing with you will be a great experience and helpful to him as he looks for a job.”
“I have to say, I’m looking forward to meeting one of the Kents of Lane-Kent.” Perry had met Ellen Lane at various charitable functions in her role as manager of the treatment clinic. Having some idea of her history because of his relationship with Lois, he held her in high esteem. He was curious about the people who had influenced Lois so greatly that she altered her name to honor them. Every time her stories graced the pages of the Daily Planet, her by-line gave tribute to her parents.
*****
