Before posting this last part I just wanted to thank everyone who read the story and especially those who left feedback. It did give me some things to think about, things that might need to be addressed in the sequel.
So, sit back and enjoy this last chapter of Smallville Style!
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The atmosphere in the Planet as she exited the elevator the next morning immediately flashed her back to the first morning after Claude stole her story. Even Jimmy greeted her with a disgruntled, “I just want you to know, what you did took a lot of guts,” as he walked past her. She looked after him in confusion, then turned to see Perry and Arianna Carlin bearing down on her.
“Lois, what in San Hill was that stunt you pulled last night!? The publishers have been all over me this morning like a bad rash!”
“What are you talking about, Chief?” she asked confused.
“I'm talking about your virtuoso performance on the late news! If you want to tell people your opinions, you might consider giving the editorial page of the *Daily Planet* a try!”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Perry. I wasn't on the news.”
“Are you saying you weren't at that anti-Superman demonstration last night?” questioned Arianna Carlin.
“Of course not! I refuse to give those anti-Superman idiots the time of day. They’re-”
Perry interrupted her venting. “Come with me.” He led Lois into the conference room. He pointed the remote at the television. On the screen, the image of Lois at the demonstration flickered. “I've always been concerned about Superman. Why is he so secretive? What's he got to hide? I'm really not comfortable having him in Metropolis,” came out of her mouth. The caption at the bottom of the screen read, “Lois Lane, Daily Planet Reporter”. Perry stopped the recording.
“That’s *not* me!” Lois insisted.
“Now I could be wrong, I've only worked with you for five years, but if that’s not you, I’m seeing double,” Perry said with a worried look on his face.
“I’m starting to feel that way too. Lex and the National Whisper seem to think I was in Bermuda this weekend. The homeless guy Clark and I talked to thinks I was in an alleyway killing Dr. Heller Sunday night, and now,” she pointed to the screen, “Metropolis thinks I was at a Superman demonstration last night.” Suddenly what she said seemed to actually sink in, “Perry, could I have a double? Someone cloned *Superman*, what if they decided to clone me as well?”
“Well, I’d say it was pretty farfetched, but things do just seem to-”
Jimmy banged on the door. “Phone call from upstairs for you, Chief.”
“Uh, excuse me, Lois, I got to take this. See if you can think of a more plausible explanation, okay?”
“Perry!”
*****
Lois fell into the nearest chair. Perry didn’t seem to believe her! What in the world could she have ever done to make him think that she would ever say anything negative about Superman? Tears stung her eyes, but at the same time she felt like she was overreacting. The idea that someone would clone Superman was believable because, well, he was Superman. The idea that someone would go to the expense to clone a non-superpowered human being was pretty far fetched. The conference room door opened and Clark entered. She jumped up. “Clark, I swear to you. I wouldn’t ever say things like that about Superman.”
Clark held up his hand. “I believe you, Lois, but this is becoming a little more than coincidental.”
“I suggested to Perry that maybe I have a clone, but he looked at me like I was crazy. Maybe I am crazy. Could I just not remember doing these things? How could that be? How could I not remember being in Bermuda with Lex? I can’t imagine I wouldn’t remember. . . he implied. . .” she blushed. “And certainly I would remember murdering someone! Why would I murder a plastic surgeon-”
Perry’s entrance cut off her babbling.
“I have an announcement to make. You guys are gonna want to hear this.”
They followed him out into the newsroom. “If I can have your attention,” Perry began. “I have just been informed that the Planet is for sale. For now, we will continue as we have been, but you need to know in case you choose to look for. . . other employment.”
“What? Why?” asked Lois, confused. Their investigations revealed that Lex had gone to some extensive expense to purchase the Planet.
“According to Luthor, he no longer needs it.”
“Those were his words, he doesn’t *need* it anymore?”
“Exactly.”
Hmmn. Lois frowned as she walked back to her desk. She didn’t notice that Clark followed her until she sat down in her chair.
“What are you thinking, Lois?”
“It’s a crazy thought.”
“Some of your best stories come from crazy thoughts.”
“Well, what if Luthor bought the Planet, actually bribed the board members to sell him the Planet, in order to. . . impress me? Now he knows there’s no future there, he literally doesn’t need it anymore.”
“But earlier, you said that Luthor thinks you were in Bermuda with him this weekend?” Clark’s look was very speculative.
“Yes, it’s the oddest thing. Lex sent me roses saying that he enjoyed our weekend together. I called to tell him not to send me flowers and that I wasn’t anywhere near him this weekend, but all I got was Mrs. Cox and Nigel.”
“So if for some reason, Luthor thinks he has you, he wouldn’t need the Planet anymore either.”
“I hadn’t thought of it that way. This is confusing, Clark. I really think I might have a double.”
Clark shrugged. “They do say that everyone has a look-alike out there.”
“Well, mine seems to have no morals and is determined to ruin my reputation.”
Two men wearing police uniforms approached Lois’ desk. “Miss Lane-Kent?”
“Yes?”
“Detective Ryder, Metropolis PD,” he said flashing his badge at her. “You want to tell us where you were last night around one o'clock?”
“I was home asleep. Why?”
“Can anyone verify that?”
“No. I. . . no.”
“What's this all about, Detective?” asked Clark.
“At one a.m. last night a guard was assaulted outside Metropolis Bank by a woman he's identified as Miss Lane-Kent.”
“That's ridiculous,” fumed Lois.
“This picture was taken by a security camera in the bank.” The picture he held up plainly showed her stuffing bills into a cloth bag. “Half a million in bills, gold, jewelry, and bearer bonds were stolen.”
“But it wasn’t me!”
“Miss Lane-Kent, you're under arrest for assault, breaking and entering and bank robbery.” Not very gently he pulled her out of her chair, placed her hands behind her and began to place his handcuffs around her wrists.
Clark held up a hand, “Officer, aren’t you jumping the gun here?”
“How so? The camera shows Miss Lane-Kent robbing the bank. I’m arresting her.”
“Why wouldn’t I wear a mask?” insisted Lois.
The officer shrugged, “Maybe you didn’t want to mess up your make-up.” He began to lead her towards the elevators.
Clark ran over to his desk and grabbed his suit coat. “I’m coming with you.”
*****
As they entered the police station, two policemen were dragging an angry demonstrator past the doors. The demonstrator wore a T-Shirt with Clark’s “S” with a big red circle around it and a slash through it. “Idiots!” muttered Lois. As Lois was taken into an interrogation room, Detective Ryder placed his hand on Clark’s chest. “This is as far as you go, Mr. Kent. Unless you’re Miss Lane-Kent’s lawyer?” Clark’s eyes flew to Lois’. She was acting very brave, but he could see the fear. “One of them,” Clark said. He knew that the Planet’s counsel would be along soon. Until then, at least he could sit with Lois, and maybe keep her from offending any of the police. Hopefully, he wouldn’t be questioned concerning his status with the New Troy Bar Association.
*****
The Planet had sent over her bail money and Lois was free to go until her hearing. Lois was fuming as they left the station, “There's someone running around out there who looks like me that's trying to ruin my life! Can't they see that some strange things have been happening? I'm arrested for a crime I didn't commit. People are suddenly at each other's throats over Superman. A plastic surgeon is murdered. I don’t think a patient would be so unhappy with their tummy tuck they'd kill their doctor.”
“So where should we start?”
“Okay. If there's a woman out there who looks like me- and there is because there's no other rational explanation so don't bother arguing with me- she must have had plastic surgery. And what famous plastic surgeon has been in the news?”
“Dr. Heller.”
“According to that homeless guy, the doctor was murdered by someone looking exactly like me, so maybe it would be a good idea to stop by the dead doctor's office and see who some of his last patients were.”
“Sounds like a plan to me.”
“Um, Clark, thank you for staying with me. I would have been fine, but I’m glad you were with me.”
*****
Lois wasn’t able to get anywhere with the receptionist in Dr. Heller’s office, and she was too frustrated with the current events in her life to be patient, so Lois tricked her into a closet and locked the door.
When Clark looked at her disapprovingly Lois said, “I don’t have time to be nice, Clark. Someone is framing me for *murder*, not to mention bank robbery.”
Lois hurried to the files that the receptionist had been packing and began flipping through them. “This one's marked 'Year to Date'.”
She opened the file and began reading, “Female, my height and weight. . . Clark, this was Dr. Heller’s last operation. Performed the week before he was killed.”
Clark leaned over to see the page she was pointing at. “Full facial reconstructive surgery. No patient name. . .”
“Maybe there’s a record of who paid for it. I’d like to know who is setting me up.” Lois flipped through the pages. “Here it is! ACL Corporation. Do we know any ACL Corporation?”
Clark shook his head. “It doesn’t sound familiar. Let’s get back to the Planet and see what Jimmy can dig up. Um. . . are you going to leave her in there?” he asked referring to the receptionist pounding on the locked door.
“Of course not. *You’re* going to let her out once I have a head start.”
Clark laughed. “You’d better get going then.”
*****
Lois called Jimmy on her way out of the building. If anyone could find out who and what ACL Corporation was, it would be Jimmy.
Clark caught up with her. “Uh, Lois, I forgot, I had an appointment this afternoon. I have to go. You can get back to the Planet okay?”
“What? You’re leaving me?”
“I’m sorry, Lois. I-”
“I’m just giving you a hard time. Go on.”
*****
When she arrived back at the Planet, alarms were ringing and employees were barreling through the revolving doors. As she entered, Lois caught sight of her own image in the glass out of the side of her eye. Then she realized that was not what she was wearing. It was *her*! The double she knew existed. She breathed a sigh of relief even as she continued the doors’ revolution and followed her double out. She *knew* she hadn’t done those things, but it was great to have proof.
Her double hurried to a Lexus that was obviously waiting for her. As the double reached for the door, Lois grabbed her arm and spun the woman around to face her. It was incredible. This . . person really did look just like her. The door to the Lexus opened and before Lois could react she felt the press of a gun barrel in her ribs. She looked over her shoulder to see Arianna Carlin. “Lois... you don't seem to be yourself today, gassing the Planet and all. I think you had better come for a ride with me.” With her double blocking any chance she had to run, Lois got into the car.
When the car stopped and her double opened the door to step out, Lois saw that they were at Lex Towers. Arianna motioned with the gun, “Out.” Lois followed her double into the building and into the elevator. Arianna pushed the button to close the doors and selected a floor.
“Are you going to tell me why you have a double of me and why you are kidnapping me?” Lois asked.
Arianna didn’t answer. The elevator stopped and she was directed into down a hall into a room. There was a couch, a chair and a large fish tank full of saltwater fish. “Sit,” Arianna commanded. She pulled on a pair of gloves and pulled a gun out of her purse. “You see, Clark will testify at your trial that you lured Superman here and this gun you purchased will do the job.”
“What! I didn’t purchase a gun and I won’t lure Superman here,” Lois yelled.
“The gun store has video proving you did. You will, of course, insist that you were framed, but the report I’ve placed in your file at the Planet will show that I was very worried about your actions of late and if you continue to refuse help, I expect a breakdown to occur in the near future. This will explain why you killed Superman.”
“Nothing can kill Superman.”
“Really? Weren’t you the one who named. . . Kryptonite?” Arianna pulled out the chamber and showed her the green, glowing bullets.
“No!” Lois cried. “I won’t call for him. You can’t make me.”
“I don’t need you.” She picked up the phone and dialed a number then handed the phone to Lois’ double. “You know what to do.”
“Yes. Get me Clark Kent’s desk,” the double said in Lois voice.
“What are you doing?” asked Lois. She was ignored.
“Clark, I’m at Lex Towers. I think I may have found a bomb. Can you have Superman come right away?”
Lois started to call out, but a needle pricked her neck and she lost consciousness.
*****
Something wet was dribbling on her face. She shook her head, willing it to go away so that she could continue to sleep.
“Lois?” The voice was so weak she almost couldn’t hear it. “Lois, please, I need you to wake up.”
An adrenaline rush of fear brought her upright on the couch. The heavy gun fell out of her hands onto the floor. Her bleary eyes focused on Superman curled up in a ball clutching his shoulder. There was a wet patch of blood spreading over the expensive rug.
“Superman!” Lois rushed to his side.
“Lois, you need to-”
Lois reached out and picked up the phone. “I’ll call an ambulance.”
“No there’s not time. You have to get the bullet out.”
“Me? I’m not a doctor. I don’t know anything about bullet wounds.”
“Please, Lois. It hurts!”
Her eyes met his, which were so full of pain. She nodded. “Okay.” She looked around. How would she get the Kryptonite out? It didn’t help that her vision was blurring with tears. She had to help Clark or he would die. She spotted a letter opener setting on the desk. Maybe this would work. As she rose and walked to the table, she couldn’t help the sob that jerked her shoulders. She knew she had to be strong for Clark and she cursed herself for giving into her emotions, but she seemed unable to stop the tears that were rolling down her cheeks. She picked up the letter opener and returned to kneel by Clark. She lay the letter opener down and reached out to inspect the wound. Clark’s hand touched her face and his thumb rubbed against her cheekbone. Her eyes flew to his.
“It’ll be okay, Lois.” It had been so long since he had touched her. Another flood of emotion threatened to overcome her. She looked down at his face. She could see the pain, but she could see his great strength as well.
She straightened her shoulders. “Okay. You. . . You’ll have to hold still, no matter what, or I’ll just make this worse.”
Clark nodded and his hand fell back down to his side. Lois reached down and tore his suit around the bullet hole. She wished she had something to sterilize the area with, but Clark already seemed to be weakening even more. There just wasn’t time. She had to act. Steeling herself, she grabbed the blade and inserted it in the wound. At first all she felt was soft flesh, but as she dug a little deeper, the letter opener hit something hard. “Okay, I’ve found it. I’ve got to be very careful. We don’t want any of the Kryptonite to break off in there.” She tried to block Clark’s muffled cries as she wedged the letter opener deeper searching for the end of the bullet. Fortunately, the bullet seemed inclined to follow the path it had entered through. Once she got the letter opener underneath the bullet and lifted, the Kryptonite slid out. She watched in amazement as the wound immediately began to heal and close.
“Get it away from me. . . please.”
Lois grabbed the Kryptonite and got as far away from where he lay as she could. “Will you be okay?”
“Yes.” He began to struggle to his feet.
“What do I do with this?”
“Drop it in the Bermuda Triangle for all I care, just keep it away from me.”
“Where do you think you are going?” Lois asked in disbelief.
“I have to stop her.”
“You’re too weak.”
Clark just looked at her.
“Alright then, go. Just please, be careful.”
*****
Lois dropped the Kryptonite off at her apartment and then hurried to the Planet. Perry made his way to her the second he saw her exit the elevators. “Lois! Clark said you called about a bomb in Lex Towers.”
“There was no bomb and that wasn’t me, Perry.”
“Lois-”
“Superman can back me up on this one, Perry. There really is a double. She’s also the one that was here earlier. What happened?”
“She gassed us all.”
“Jimmy did you find out anything about ACL corporation?” Lois grabbed Jimmy as he rushed by.
“Way ahead of you there, Lois. See, I bought Arianna Carlin’s book for my mother. I was going to have her sign it. I happened to notice the dedication. ‘To my true love, ACL’. I ran Arianna Carlin through a computer search and came up with Arianna Carlin Luthor.”
“Luthor!”
“Yep. They’re divorced now, but at one time, our Planet psychiatrist was Lex Luthor’s wife.”
“I want to see that book!”
She started to follow Jimmy. “Uh, Lois?” Perry spoke up.
“I’ll get the story to you ASAP, Perry.” She caught up with Jimmy. “Is Clark back yet.”
“Nope.” Jimmy handed her Dr. Carlin’s book and pointed out the dedication. Lois flipped it shut to read the cover. “Hidden Secrets of Subliminal Persuasion?” Suddenly something clicked in Lois head. She ran into Dr. Carlin’s office and began looking at her works in progress. Jimmy and Perry followed her in.
“Lois, what. . .” began Perry.
“Clark said it was an acrostic. Dr. Carlin’s book is on subliminal messaging. Look at this, Perry.” She took a red pen from the desk and circled the first letter of every paragraph on the rough draft of Arianna’s column. The letters formed together to say “Superman is Evil”. Lois quickly found other columns and marked them up. It was no coincidence. Dr. Carlin was sending derisive messages about Superman to her readers.
Perry shook his head. “I can’t wait to read that story.”
*****
Lois took a break from typing her story when Clark returned. She, Perry, and Jimmy gathered to hear him tell how Superman had caught the two women trying to flee in a tanker after their Lexus had been wrecked.
“Clark, did Superman say why Dr. Carlin went to so much trouble to kill Superman, to make it look like I had killed Superman?”
Clark shook his head. “She was in such a state at the police station that the psychiatrist gave her a sedative. Then she started rambling about how your rejection of Luthor had changed him and how they had to make Lex think you were back with him, how Superman was Lex’s nemesis and she had to bring Superman down. I couldn’t follow her thinking. I guess Dr. Carlin is the one who needs to see a therapist.”
*****
Lois finished typing the story. It made sense, as long as one did not wonder why Arianna Carlin Luthor thought she could kill Superman. She tapped her desk with a pencil as she stared at her screen.
“What’s the matter?” asked Clark coming to stand behind her.
“There's something about Superman that I didn't put in the story and I'm not sure if I should. It’s kind of personal.”
Clark laid a hand on her shoulder. She barely kept herself from jumping in surprise. “Lois, you've got great reporter instincts. Trust them.”
Lois reached for her mouse slowly, not wanting to dislodge his hand. She clicked the ‘send’ button. Clark’s hand patted her shoulder and then he walked away. So his caress in Lex Towers as Superman wasn’t an isolated incident. Clark had forgiven her for her declaration. And his hand had lingered on her shoulder just now. He knew her feelings, and wouldn’t play with her emotions. Did he care, just a little? Or was he just trying to show his appreciation to her for saving his life and keeping Kryptonite a secret once again? But he could have said something to her as Superman if that was the case. Her heart skipped a beat and she smiled. Maybe. . .
As Lois stood to turn off her computer and head for home, Perry approached her desk. “Ah, Lois, with all that has gone on, now that Dr. Carlin and her double are in police custody, maybe you should take some of that vacation time you have saved up.”
“Thanks, Perry. I think I will. I’m thinking. . . a cruise to Bermuda might be just the thing. The National Whisper made it look like I had so much fun there, maybe I should go and check it out.” She sat back down in her chair and reached for the yellow pages and began to flip through them as she picked up the phone. “Global Vacations? This is Lois Lane-Kent. I’d like to book a reservation on the next cruise going to Bermuda.”
Perry walked away shaking his head. Lois looked across at Clark. He was grinning from ear to ear. Did he wink at her?!
*****
“The nominations for the Kerth Investigative Journalism prize are in and I'm proud to announce that one of our own has received the nod, so I want a big round of applause for Clark Kent!” Perry announced proudly.
Clark? Lois’ cheeks flushed in embarrassment. She had been two seconds from standing up from her desk to accept the congratulations of her editor and co-workers. How arrogant was she? She had just expected that the nomination would go to her, or at the least, to one of the stories she and Clark had worked on together.
Clark looked a little embarrassed as he was slapped on the back, hugged, and even kissed on the lips, by Cat Grant, of course. He tried to casually wipe the bright red lipstick off. His eyes eventually swung to her.
“Congratulations, Clark,” she managed to say.
As the congratulations died down, Perry continued. “I think you've got a real shot at winning. That retirement home scandal you uncovered was top grade journalism.”
He was nominated for a Kerth for his story on the old folk’s home! They had certainly had some much better stories than that, and, hello, what about the biggest story of all time, Superman? Then she caught sight of Clark’s happy face and her jealousy died a quick death. She had three Kerths on her shelf at home and Clark was a great writer. She couldn’t assume that she would win every year.
The crowd gathered around Clark dissipated and he came to stand by her desk. He looked very awkward and unsure of himself now that he stood in front of her.
“Did you already have your dress picked out?”
Lois blushed. “I. . . I’m sure I’ll find something else to wear it to.”
“Why don’t you wear it to the award ceremony?”
“Only the nominees are invited.”
“And their dates.”
“Yes. . .” What was he getting at?
“So. . . come with me. As my date.”
“As friends?”
“No, not as a friend.”
Her eyes flew to his. “Then as what?” She couldn’t stand it if she misunderstood what he seemed to be trying to say.
“As my date. And after. . .”
“Yes?”
“I want to talk. But I want to get it all straight in my head first.” His hand reached out and touched her cheek in the same gesture that Superman had used before she dug the bullet out of his shoulder. “So, will you be my date?”
“I’d be honored.” Her heart was singing happily and she knew some of it was spilling onto her face. Suddenly she didn’t know whether to look at Clark or to turn away and hide her face. Was she hoping for too much? Was she reading too much into his simple invitation? If she had been nominated, she would have asked him to be her date, and she wouldn’t have considered it to be any more than an evening shared with her partner. But he had said not as a friend. Maybe he meant just as a work partner? Or did he really mean . . . as more? She was full of questions, but he had specifically said that he still needed to get everything straight in his own head. If he was really considering what her heart hoped he was, she was not going to screw it up by pressing him further.
“I’ll pick you up at 7:00.” He smiled at her and his actions seemed a little disjointed as he turned and then walked over to his desk and sat down. Did he already regret asking her?
*****
Her inner turmoil had hardly allowed her a good night’s sleep. She couldn’t talk to her mother, Lucy or Martha about this. If Clark did mean this as a date-date, there were so many people that could be hurt if things did not work out between them. You’re jumping the gun here, Lois! she admonished herself. He asked you to a work function and you’re freaking out like he asked you to ma. . . be his girlfriend.
*****
When she got to work, Perry told her that Clark was taking a few days off but had specified that he would be back for the award dinner. Okay. . . but where had he gone? Was he hiding from her? If he didn’t want to go with her anymore, she wished he would just say so! But he had said he had to get what he wanted to talk about straight in his head, she encouraged herself. Wait, what if he wanted to tell her he was leaving again? She was going to go completely insane before she saw him again!
*****
“Clark! We weren’t expecting you. It’s so great to see you.” His mom greeted him with a hug. “Your dad’s painting the barn.”
“Not anymore. I startled him then caught him when he fell off the ladder.”
Martha gasped.
“He’s fine. Anyway, once I deposited him to solid ground, I finished the barn. I left him cleaning up the brushes. You know I hate that part, super-speed or not.”
Martha laughed. “Imagine what it is like for those of us without super-speed, Clark. I noticed you brought a bag with you. Are you staying a while?”
“A few days. I needed to think, and then I want to talk to you and dad about something.”
“It sounds serious. Is everything okay?”
“It will be, I think. Mom, just. . . let me work it out, okay? I promise if I need advice, I’ll ask for it.”
“Okay,” Martha promised with confused look on her face.
*****
He helped with the chores. He ate meals with them. He took long walks. He stayed in his room for hours. She even found him in Lucy and Lois’ room once. What was up with her son? She had promised to leave him alone, but she was afraid something was very wrong.
*****
“Mom, Dad, thanks for . . . letting me be. I’m sure I’ve worried you, but I needed to think this through before I talked to. . . anyone.”
“Of course, honey”
“No problem, son,” his parents assured him in unison.
“First, I probably should have told you right away. I was nominated for a Kerth.”
“Clark! Congratulations, that’s great!” exclaimed Martha. Jonathan sat in silence waiting for his son to continue.
“The award dinner is only open to nominees and their dates. I. . . asked Lois.”
“That’s nice, Clark. I’m glad you have family there to go with you.”
“Martha, let the boy talk.”
“Actually, that’s exactly what I want to talk to you about. I didn’t ask Lois because she was family. I asked her because. . . because I. . . because my feelings have . . . changed, I guess.”
His parents looked at him. “Changed, how?” finally asked Martha.
“Lois isn’t my sister.”
“No,” said Jonathan slowly.
“I don’t understand,” said Martha.
Jonathan laughed. “Martha, who’d have thought *you* wouldn’t catch on?”
What Clark was saying finally began to sink in. “Are you saying. . .?” she asked Clark.
“I asked Lois to go with me as my date. And I told her it was a date, not as friends. Remember when I came to talk to you about Lana? I told you that Lois wanted me to talk about it with you before I proposed. What I didn’t tell you is that Lois confessed that her feelings towards me weren’t entirely familial. Actually, she said she was in love with me. I was shocked. I don’t know why. I’ve always admired Lois. Loved her even. I just never thought about her that way. She was my family, my best friend, my work partner. . . I told her I just didn’t feel that way about her. Things were a little strained at first, but we got past it. Except that it was there in the back of my mind and I started to notice things I hadn’t before.”
“Like, Lois is a very beautiful, desirable woman?” offered Jonathan.
Clark nodded. “Yes. And she’s . . . complicated, uncompromising, pig-headed... and brilliant. I felt so guilty at first. I put distance between us. I didn’t touch her even in friendship any more. But. . . I was fascinated. I began to see all these little things about her I’d never noticed before. How helpful she is to Jimmy, how much she loves Perry, the way she closes her eyes and sniffs her coffee before she takes the first sip, the way she looks in that red suit. . .” He blushed and Jonathan chuckled. “My options were to tell her that my feelings have changed or leave Metropolis because I can’t stand things the way they are any more. When I was shot with the Kryptonite bullet I realized that life can change so fast, and what we could have could be lost in an instant. The biggest problem with Lois and I getting involved is that if things don’t work out, you guys, Lucy, even people at work will be hurt. I needed time to think and I’ve decided that it’s worth the risk. I don’t want to miss out on the greatest love of my life just because I’m afraid of what *might* happen. So, I’m not asking for your blessing, but I wanted you to know that things were going to be different.”
Jonathan patted Clark on the back and Martha sniffled. “Oh, Clark. That’s just the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard. I told Lois long ago she was the daughter of my heart. I’m just going to believe that things will work out.”
Clark looked very relieved. “I was afraid you might be upset. It might make things a little awkward for a while. Please don’t say anything to Lois. I need to talk to her myself. And even if we get the Lois-Clark thing worked out, there’s still Superman. We’ve hid the truth from her for fourteen years. That might be a little hard to forgive.”
The fact was the very thought made Superman shake in his red boots. How do you tell someone you love that you’ve been lying to them for as long as you’ve known them? Lois had said she loved him, was in love with him, but would that love survive when she learned the truth? She had always seemed to be attracted to Superman, so Clark wasn’t really worried that she would be disgusted by the fact he was an alien. When she found out that Clark, and the couple she considered her second set of parents, had never been truly honest with her, would her love die? So did he tell her right away, or should he wait and see if there was even a relationship there? Then if he did believe there could be the ever after kind of love between them, did he tell her then or wait until the bond between them was even stronger? “What a tangled web,” he muttered to himself as he flew towards Metropolis.
*****
Lois called in sick the day of the award ceremony. She wasn’t sure if Perry believed her or not, but she was sick. Sick with worry, sick with fatigue. Sure, she could have used a vacation day, but then she would have had to put in for it ahead of time and put up with the inquiries of where she was going like she had when she had tried to spend the weekend in the honeymoon suite. She was going to spend all day at a spa and try to clear her mind. If she was going to get the opportunity to be Clark’s date, she was going to make it the best date he’d ever had.
She had bought a different dress. The one she had originally purchased “just in case” was black and the kind of dress that commanded attention. She wanted to wear something more subtle. It was Clark’s night and she wanted the spotlight to be on him. So this one was burgundy and rather plain, although the cut flattered her nicely.
Now all she had to do was try to relax!
*****
She had been ready for half and hour when she heard his knock at her door. She had been restlessly flipping through TV channels trying to keep her mind distracted. She rose, took a deep breath, crossed the room, and opened her door. Her breath caught. He looked so handsome in a tux.
“You look beautiful,” he said. “Burgundy is my favorite color on you.”
“Thank you,” she stammered in surprise. He had a favorite color on her? That had to mean that he had noticed what she wore.
“I have a limo waiting for us downstairs. I though we should arrive in style.”
She exited her apartment and turned the key in all the locks before they both turned to leave the building.
The ride was quiet, but the silence was not oppressive as she had feared. It was more of an anticipatory silence, both lost in their own thoughts, and fears, of what the evening would hold.
As they exited the car, Clark offered her his arm, “Shall we go in?”
She happily caught hold of his arm and entered with him. They found their table near the front of the room. A waiter brought them water and took their drink order. Clark fumbled with this water glass.
“Are you nervous?” she asked him.
He met her eyes. “Yeah.”
She decided to be brave. She slid her hand across the table and laid it on his. “It’s no big deal. They call your name, you go up there, take the plaque and thank Perry and the Daily Planet for the opportunity, blah, blah, blah.”
He looked confused for a second, then he smiled. “That’s not what I was nervous about, but thanks for the tip. I had totally forgotten I might need to make a speech.” He turned his hand and grasped hers for a second, squeezing it before he released it so that she could lean back in her chair.
“You’re gonna win,” she assured him.
“Were you nervous your first time?”
She almost choked on her water. “What?”
“When you were nominated the first time, were you nervous?”
“Oh, yes. I brought my mom with me. And Perry was there. . . I wonder where he is?”
Clark nodded past her, “I see him over there swapping Elvis stories with one of the other editors. He’ll probably make his way over here by the time they serve dinner. But, I like this. I’m glad we have a little time alone.”
She couldn’t help the smile that crossed her face, and his face also relaxed and smiled back.
*****
After the dinner, the awards ceremony began. The biographies of the nominees were read. Perry read Clark’s in his gravelly voice including little bits of humor with his anecdotes of working with Clark. The audience clapped as he finished, and the master of ceremonies took the stand.
“Well, we sure hope that Mr. Kent won’t feel the sudden urge to run off right now, Mr. White. . . because Clark Kent is the winner of this year’s Kerth award!”
Lois jumped to her feet laughing and clapping for Clark. He stood up much slower. “I told you that you would win, Clark.” He smiled over at her and then turned his smile to the crowd. He pushed back his chair and made his way to the platform and accepted the award.
“Wow!” The audience laughed. “I never expected to even be nominated so soon, but to win this award. . . wow! Uh, I want to thank the owners of the Daily Planet; my editor, Perry White, for giving me a chance to work at the greatest newspaper on earth; and my lovely and talented partner, Lois Lane-Kent, for letting me have the opportunity to work with her and learn from the best. And thank you to the selection committee for bestowing this award on me.”
Clark shook the master of ceremonies hand again and made his way back to the table. Perry clapped him on the back, “Son, I feel just like Colonel Parker did when Elvis signed that first RCA record deal. Your speech was great.”
“Well, then thank Lois. She gave me some pointers.” He smiled down at her.
She rose to her feet and gave him a congratulatory hug, “You did fine.”
“Next year we’ll win one together, I promise.” He couldn’t actually make that promise, she knew, but she understood what he was trying to say.
They sat back down and Clark leaned over to her, “How much longer do we have to stay?”
“As long as you want. The ceremony’s over and people will start leaving soon.”
“Then let’s be the first.”
They stood to their feet and made their excuses to Perry. As they left the auditorium Lois asked, “So, how did I rate as your date for the evening?”
“A-plus, but the evening isn’t over yet.”
“It’s not?”
“No, I still want to have that talk with you.”
“Right.” *The* talk. From his behavior tonight, she didn’t get the impression that he was leaving her, but she wasn’t sure.
“So let’s go back to my apartment. I bought some cheesecake just for you.”
He held his hand out and Lois laced her fingers through his and groaned, “I’m stuffed.”
“It’s chocolate.”
“Let’s go!”
*****
They finished the entire cheesecake. Clark seemed reluctant to begin the conversation and Lois didn’t want to start it because she was afraid how it would end.
“So, I guess I should talk.”
Lois turned to him and nodded, afraid to say anything. Just get it over with, she cried silently.
“I went home and talked to my parents.”
“You did?” She wasn’t sure what she expected him to say but this wasn’t it.
He nodded. “I wanted to tell them about us. . . if there is an us, I mean. Oh, I’m totally botching this.”
“I’m not in a hurry, Clark.”
“Okay. Deep breath. When you told me about your feelings that day, I was caught off guard. I don’t know why, but I just had never thought about you that way. And suddenly there was this beautiful, wonderful woman that wanted me to be part of her life, her personal life, not just as a friend. I was confused at first, I pushed you away, but I couldn’t push the thoughts away. You’ve become my best friend. I can’t imagine my life without you. I always felt like I could tell you anything . . . almost anything. I started watching you and I just became fascinated. When I was. . . something happened and I realized how fragile our lives are. There are no assurances of the future, and I don’t want to lose out on what could be the best thing that ever happened to me because I am afraid of losing our friendship. I’ve always admired you, Lois. You’re so strong, so ready to take on a world full of injustices. I realized that you’re exactly the kind of woman that I always wanted, but didn’t really think I’d ever find. I almost settled for Lana because she was convenient. But I don’t want to settle, Lois. I want to explore this. . . thing between us. I want it more than anything.”
Lois tears spilled over, “So do I, Clark.”
“There’s things about me that you don’t know, but I want to share them with you.”
“I want to hear them, when you’re ready.”
Clark shook his head. “You were right. You really do know the real me. Most people would immediately insist that I tell them.”
“You’re not ready to tell me yet, and that’s good enough for me. As long as it’s not that you married that Nigerian princess. . .”
Clark laughed. “No. It’s not that.”
They sat together in silence for a while, each just enjoying being with the other. Some noise in the alley startled them and then Lois said. “I should be getting home, I guess.”
Clark nodded. “I’ll call you a cab.” He dialed the number and spoke into the phone briefly. After he disconnected, he turned to her. “I want to take you on a real date next weekend. The kind where I pick you up and we have dinner and a movie together and I take you home.”
“I’d like that.”
They talked about what movie and where to eat for the few minutes it took for the cab to arrive and beep outside his window. Clark walked with her to the door and when Lois reached to open it he caught her hand. “Lois, may I kiss you?”
She nodded and raised her face. He hesitated only a second before joining her lips with his. It was a sweet kiss, an exploration, with a hint of passion underneath the surface. Clark chuckled as he broke the kiss.
“What?” she asked. It was a beautiful kiss, what was funny about it?
“I’m definitely not feeling brotherly toward you. I think it’s a good thing we didn’t ever try this when we were younger.”
She smiled, “I wouldn’t have minded.” She turned, pulled open the door, and left him standing there with his mouth open.
*****
The End
