Clark had never enjoyed working with Lois more than he did that day. They worked together in such harmony it was almost as if they were one person. Their talk the night before had removed so many of the barriers between them as they finally expressed their buried fears about their relationship. Only one secret remained and he intended to remedy that as soon as possible. Maybe he should have told her last night, but after being put through his “death” he wasn’t ready to lay the fact that the man she loved was a liar on her as well. Forget Smallville. There were quiet places in Metropolis and Superman was going to be strictly off duty. He just wanted one last evening with her before he told her. She had her Tae Kwon Do class tonight, but tomorrow night he would go all out and give her a night she would never forget. He sighed. No, she wouldn’t forget it, but he hoped that that would be because it was a good memory. He would make all the arrangements and then ask her out tomorrow morning.
*****
Where was she? Clark wondered for the hundredth time. He checked his e-mail again even though he knew that if he had any new messages he would have received a notice on his screen. He picked up the phone on his desk and was greeted by a dial tone. Well, the phones were working. He pulled his cell phone from the clip at his waist and checked the display. No new messages. It was ten o’clock. Where was Lois? He couldn’t think of anywhere she could be or recall if she had mentioned an appointment. Maybe Perry knew. He saved the story that he was supposed to be working on and made his way to Perry’s office.
“Perry?”
“You got that story ready to go?”
“No, Chief. I was wondering if you knew where Lois was? I haven’t seen her today. Was she in earlier? Did you send her out on a story?”
“I haven’t seen her. Worried she’s cutting you out of a story, Kent?”
“No, I just. . . she usually says something if she is going to be late. For some reason it is just bugging me.”
“Just because you two are dating doesn’t mean that you are joined at the hip.”
“She told you?”
Perry chuckled. “No, but you just did.”
Lois was going to strangle him. “It’s just new, you know, and we weren’t ready to tell everyone, and we didn’t want to become the hot gossip topic in the newsroom-“
Perry waved off his excuses. “As long as you two keep bringing in Kerth winning stories, I don’t care, officially. Unofficially, you’d better not hurt that girl, Kent. She’s wanted this for a long time.”
Clark cleared his throat. He felt very uncomfortable talking to Perry about this when he thought that Lois probably would want to tell him herself. “Perry, I have no intentions of hurting Lois. I love her too, you know.”
Perry nodded, satisfied. “I guess you do.”
“Right now, I’m just wondering where she is. I think I’m going to go check her apartment. What if she’s sick or something?”
“Go, but hurry back. This paper doesn’t write itself you know.”
*****
Clark knocked on Lois’ door. No answer. He knocked a little louder. “Lois?” No answer. He retrieved his key ring from his pocket and proceeded through the locks on her door while he tuned his hearing into her heartbeat. Nothing. He frowned as he opened the door. “Lois?” he called again, but he knew she wasn’t there. “Lois?” He walked through the small apartment until he reached her bedroom. He knocked softly on the half-opened door before entering. He looked quickly around the room. The bed was made. Work clothes hung from the door of her closet. He hadn’t spent much time in her bedroom, but he didn’t see anything out of place. He made his way down the hall to the bathroom. The door was open and she wasn’t there. Maybe he had passed her on her way to Planet. He tried listening for her heartbeat again, but still didn’t hear anything. But then, he couldn’t hear everything. Maybe she was just out of his range. He locked up and headed back to the Planet.
*****
He looked over the newsroom as he stepped off the elevator. Jimmy passed by and Clark grabbed his arm, “Jimmy? Have you seen Lois?”
“No, CK, I haven’t seen her all day.”
“Did she call in?”
“I don’t think so. You can check with Perry.”
Clark nodded and walked to Perry’s office. Perry looked up from the layout he was working on.
“Was she at home?”
“No, but nothing looked out of place.”
“Sometimes people, even couples, have to do things apart, Clark. I’m sure she’ll turn up.”
Clark knew Perry was right. Lois didn’t check with him about every little thing. She was independent and, honestly, he liked her that way. It was so. . . Lois. But he just couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right. Disappointed, he began to make calls to cancel his big plans for this evening.
After work he changed into Superman and did a patrol over Metropolis, always keeping out and eye and an ear for any sign of Lois. Nothing.
He went back to his apartment and called her house. Just her answering machine, “Hi, this is Lois. Leave a message, or call my cell at 555-2598.” Well, he would try that again too. He hung up and then dialed her cell phone. “You’ve reached Lois Lane-Kent. If this is about a story, please try me at the Daily Planet. Otherwise, leave a message and I’ll call you back when I get time.”
Where was she? She had to know that he would be worried about her if he hadn’t seen her all day. Why hadn’t she let him know she was. . . well whatever she was doing?
A fire in one of the Hobbs Bay tenements had kept him busy the rest of the night keeping him from checking to see if she had returned. Once the fire was out and the building’s remains stabilized for the fire department to go in and begin their evaluation, Clark went to his apartment and got ready for work. He wondered if Lois would be there when he arrived. Maybe she was busy trying to get a story typed up before deadline and wasn’t answering her phone.
But she wasn’t there. He dialed another familiar number. “Mom?”
“Clark, honey, it is great to hear from you. How are things going?”
“Fine, Mom, I-“
“No, Clark, *things*, you know with Lois?”
“Umm, I think *things* are going well. Great really. But actually, I was wondering, have you hear from Lois lately?”
“N-n-no, Clark, uh, Lois has not called us recently. Why?”
“I haven’t seen or heard from her in over 24 hours. I know she doesn’t answer to me, but I usually have some idea of what she’s doing. I just, have a bad feeling about this.”
“Have you looked for her?”
“Yes! And,” he dropped his voice, “Superman has looked for her. Nothing.”
“I’m sure she’s fine, Clark. Lois has lived in Metropolis all her life. She’s probably just decided to work on a story by herself.”
“If she is, she hasn’t told Perry about it. I’m thinking about giving Inspector Henderson a- Wait a second.” His hearing had suddenly tuned into a heartbeat. Lois! It was beating fast too. “Mom, I think I hear her. I call you later.”
He looked up as the elevator doors opened revealing Lois, loaded down with shopping bags. At least he thought it was Lois. What had she done to her hair? “Lois?”
Her eyes swung over to him. She looked puzzled for a second before she said, “Clark?”
“Lois, where have you been? I’ve been worried sick about you. Why haven’t you called and why aren’t you answering your cell phone?”
“Since when do I answer to you? I was busy,” she said petulantly, sticking out her lower lip.
“Doing what?” What in the world could Lois have been doing that would have been more important to her than her job at the Planet?
“I was shopping. I got the cutest things. And I got my hair cut. And these.” She held out her hands revealing long manicured nails. “Do you like?”
“I. . . sure, Lois. But how are you going to type-“
“What about my hair?”
“It’s different. Um, yeah, I guess I like it. You didn’t mention wanting to get it cut.”
“I decided I wanted to go with a different look. The old one was so. . . boring, don’t you think?”
“No, I like the way you looked.”
She pouted again, “And now?”
“This. . . this is nice too. You were shopping all day yesterday?”
“Yes. Why?”
“We. . . *I* was worried about you. You didn’t ask for any time off.”
“I work hard. Really hard. I didn’t think it would be such a big deal if I took some time for myself. What’s it to you?”
“You’re kidding, right? Being partners in a relationship means talking to each other. I really wish you had told me that you were taking the day off.”
“Relationship? We’re partners, right?”
“Yes, Lois. Are you feeling okay? You seem a little out of it.”
“I’m fine. I’m just tired from shopping yesterday. It’s really hard work, you know. All those bags. And taking my clothes off and trying on new ones constantly. It’s very tiring.”
“So you want to cut out early and get some take out?”
“Oh, that sounds nice, Clark, but I have a date.”
“What!?”
“A date. All those bags got so heavy and this guy offered to help me. We had lunch and he asked me out to dinner tonight.”
Clark grasped Lois elbow and pulled her none to gently into the conference room.
“What is going on here, Lois!? What about us?”
“We’re partners, right?” she asked.
Why did she look so confused? If anyone should be confused, it should be him! “Yes! We’re also dating.”
“Dating!? I mean, dating, yes, I know we are. But not exclusively, right?”
“I didn’t realize I needed to make that distinction. From what you had said, I just assumed-“
“Well, don’t assume anything with me, Clark. My life has had a lot of changes in it recently and I don’t need you pressuring me. If I want to see other people, I think I should be able to do that.”
Clark felt his heart breaking. “I’m sorry, Lois. I didn’t think I was pressuring you. If anything, I got the impression that you wanted us to move faster than I was comfortable with.”
“Really?” Lois looked at him curiously. “You’re a strange one, Clark Kent. Now, don’t we have a job to do, partner?”
Clark filled her in on the story Perry had him working on, but his mind was whirling. Something just wasn’t right here. Was he really pressuring Lois? Was that why she had to get away yesterday? Why she had cut her beautiful hair? Why she was. . . wanting to slow down and date other people? A week ago she was kissing him passionately and giggling at the soft kisses he was placing behind her ear and down her neck. Now she wanted to slow down?
“I’m hungry. Can we eat lunch now?”
“What? Lois, it’s only ten o’clock. You just got here an hour ago. Look, I’ll go get you one of those chocolate donuts you like so much. That should tide you over until lunch.”
“Oooh- I love chocolate. Right? And then we can have lunch. Can we get frog legs? I love frog legs.”
“You love frog legs? Since when?”
“Since. . . since as long as I can remember.”
Clark shook his head in amusement. I guess I don’t know everything about her. “Frog legs, huh? I’ll see what I can do. Meanwhile, I’ll get you that donut.”
Clark hurried to the breakroom to fix them both a cup of coffee and snag one of Lois’ favorite donuts. Pausing for a second as he went to pour the cream and sugar into his cup, he stopped and then reached for the instant coffee and added a scoop to his cup. Maybe caffeine didn’t affect him physically, but mentally he felt in need of a boost. He carried the cups and her donut back to Lois’ desk. “Here you go.”
“Ooh, coffee. My favorite.” She reached eagerly for the cup and pastry.
As he turned to head for his own desk, out of the corner of his eye he saw her glance around before dumping her coffee in to the plant on her desk. The donut went in the drawer.
Yet she smiled happily at him as he sat down. “Thanks, Clark. I guess I was really hungry. And thirsty.”
“Do you want me to get you some more?”
“No! No, I mean, I’ve had plenty, for now. Thanks.”
Something was definitely not right.
*****
Clark couldn’t help staring at Lois as she finished off her second plate of frog legs. Did she know how expensive this restaurant was? It was the only one in Metropolis that he had found willing to fix frog legs during the lunch hour. And the waiter had not looked happy when he had requested a second plate of them for Lois.
“Mmmnn. These are good. Can I have another?”
“Another? Lois, you just ate two plates of frog legs. You’re right you really do love them.”
“Please, just one more.”
“Here take mine. I’ll just order us some dessert.”
He hadn’t really enjoyed the frog legs anyway. Yeah, he guessed they did taste a little like chicken, but he just didn’t see the attraction. He signaled to the waiter who quickly headed to their table.
“Can I get some cheesecake and a slice of the chocolate-chocolate cake?”
The waiter nodded politely, “Certainly, sir.”
Clark watched in curious silence as Lois polished off his plate as well. The waiter soon set the dessert before him. “Thanks.”
Lois looked at him as she licked the last of her meal off her fingers. “You must like sweet things, huh?”
Clark pushed the chocolate cake towards her. “This is for you, of course.”
“Really? Uh, well, uh, I’m just stuffed. Maybe I could take it and eat it later?”
“Lois, what is wrong? Please just tell me. And why the sudden aversion to chocolate?”
“I just want to look nice. . . for you. I bought a lot of new stuff yesterday, and I just want to make sure I don’t gain any weight so that I can fit into it.”
“You could always just work on your Tae Kwon Do like you usually do.”
“Tae Kwon Do?”
“Yes, martial arts, your brown belt?”
“Like punching and kicking and stuff? I’d get all sweaty.”
Clark must have looked surprised because she back-pedaled quickly. “Of course. That’s what I’ll do. And I’ll. . . I’ll take the cake with me to eat after I work out.” She smiled happily at the solution she had come up with.
He reached over and squeezed her hand. “Sounds like a good plan. Lois, your hand is kind of clammy. Do you feel okay?”
She snatched her hand out from under his, “I’m fine, Clark.”
He scooted his chair closer to hers. She looked at him almost warily before her face went blank. “I’m just worried about you. You don’t seem quite like yourself.”
“I’m just tired. And I was really, really hungry. I’m fine now, really.” She smiled at him.
“Good. You want to share my dessert?”
“Just a bite,” she agreed.
He cut a piece for her making sure to swirl it in the strawberry sauce before holding the fork for her to take a bite. Smiling in reminiscence, he managed to get some strawberry on the side of her mouth.
“Oh, no,” he exaggerated.
“What, what’s wrong?”
“You have some strawberry on your mouth.”
“Oh. I’m sorry.” She began to grab for her napkin.
His hand stilled hers. “No, like this.” And he brought his lips to hers. For second she stiffened and did not respond, then she began to move her lips.
Clark released her. “There. Got it.”
Her hand flew to her mouth. “Good. That was. . . nice. Thank you.”
Clark finished the rest of his cheesecake in puzzled silence. What had Lois so distracted? If it was a story, why had she doodled flowers and hearts all over her notepad this morning instead of actually working on it? And that kiss was. . . weird. He tried to clear his head of these thoughts. Lois was entitled to off days just like anyone else.
*****
“Enjoy your date.”
Lois’ head came up as she passed his desk headed for the elevator. “Oh. That. Um, I was thinking, do you want me to tell him I can’t go out with him anymore, that we are exclusive? I mean, I loved having lunch with you, and so maybe. . . if you want to?”
“Lois, of course I want to. As long as you don’t feel I’m pressuring you.”
“Okay,” she said in her childish voice. “I’ll see ‘ya tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow’s your day off,”
“It is? I thought that was yesterday.”
“Tomorrow is your *scheduled* day off.”
“Oh. I guess I’ll see you the next day.”
“Will you go out with me Saturday night?”
“Sure! Can we go back where we went today and have more frog legs?”
“Anything you want.”
“Yay! I really liked that place.” She smiled happily and headed to the elevator.
*****
Clark paced all evening. Sensing that he was holding back, was she retaliating by putting up some barriers of her own? Letting him know that if he didn’t give some sign that he was ready to move the relationship forward that she would have no trouble finding someone to take his place? He couldn’t imagine Lois out with anyone but him. He wanted her to be his for always. He hadn’t said the words yet, at least in this context, but he loved Lois. He just had to get up his courage to be honest with her and find the right time to tell her he was Superman so that their relationship could move forward. Maybe Saturday night.
It was ten o’clock. Would she be in yet? He dialed her number.
“Yeah?” she answered.
“Lois? It’s Clark.”
“Clark! How are you?”
“Fine. How was your date? Was he upset you’re not going out with him anymore?”
“Oh, maybe a little. I don’t care. Guess what?”
The abrupt change in topic startled him. “What?”
“Before I told him about us, he bought me frogs.”
“Frogs? You had more frog legs?”
She was talking in that childish voice again. “No, silly, not frog legs. Frogs. Real ones. Doppelbuufo frogs. Though they have legs so I guess he did buy me frog legs.” She giggled at her joke.
“Lois? How much did you have to drink?”
“I had a glass of wine with dinner. He ordered it for me. And water. Lots of water. I was really thirsty.”
“Well, I just called to make sure you got in okay. Get some sleep, okay?”
“I will. Just as soon as I get my frogs put away.”
Clark rolled his eyes as the conversation ended with a click. Since when was Lois so fascinated by frogs?
*****
Lois worked Saturday; it was Clark’s day off. He wondered how she was getting along on the investigation into the pet store robberies that Perry had asked her to work on. Well he would see her tonight. He would ask her then. For now, he had a couple of things to do around the house and a few errands to run. And maybe tonight the opportunity would present itself for him to tell her. Trying to set up a special atmosphere was certainly not working, so maybe he should just seize the moment. And there would be no more barriers between them.
*****
Clark knocked on Lois’ door at the agreed upon time. She came to the door in trashy teen-age style dress with incredibly short skirt, tight top, and thigh-high stockings. And her hair! He still wasn’t quite accustomed to the new style. To her new style. Honestly, he really didn’t like it, but clothes don’t actually make the man. . . or woman. He loved Lois and what she wore shouldn’t matter. His eyebrows must have risen into his hairline because she frowned. “Don’t you like it?”
“I. . . I. . . You look beautiful as always.” He stepped into her apartment. There were several shopping bags strewn about and some of the furniture had been rearranged. And her fish tank was empty. “What happened to your fish?”
“I had to. . . move them out to make room for the frogs.”
He moved closer to peer into the tank. There were no frogs.
“And the frogs?”
“They. . . they died.”
“Really? I’m sorry. I know I killed a lot of goldfish when I was little. Tell you what. I know you were really excited about those frogs. I’ll buy you some more after we have dinner.”
“Really? Oh, Clark, you’re the best boyfriend ever!” She flung her arms around his neck then released him to grab the white purse that lay on the table where her couch used to be. “Let’s go.”
*****
It was an okay date. Just okay. Lois was quite happy to hold his hand as they walked around downtown Metropolis and she oohed and aahed at the various things in the shop windows. Even if he had tried to tell her about Superman, he never got a chance to put a word in edgewise. They went to the pet store and he gave her a fifty dollar bill, which was what he happened to have left in his wallet after tipping the waiter at the restaurant who had patiently removed Lois’ third plate of frog legs. “Don’t spend it all, “ he teased.
“I won’t, I promise. You’re so nice, Clark! I’m glad you’re my boyfriend.” She giggled and flounced off to the amphibian section. Clark wandered through the aisles, smiling at the antics of the puppies and kittens and admiring the salt-water fish. Lois slid up next to him, grabbing his hand. “I got ‘em! I got five. Here’s the change.” She handed him $3.20.
“Lois! How much are those things, anyway? Next time we’ll just go to Smallville and catch you some frogs at the pond. Even with the price of gas, it’ll only cost a little more than this.”
She giggled. “Silly, Clark. Those wouldn’t be Doppelbuufo frogs.”
“Oh, I see.”
“They’re not, right? If they are, we could go get lots of them.”
“I’m sure they’re not. Just plain American frogs.”
“That’s okay. Oooh, look at that!” She was off again, dragging him toward a window display. Why did he suddenly feel like he was dating a teenager?
*****
When they arrived back at her apartment, she set about excited getting the tank ready to accept its new inhabitants. Once she had everything the way she liked it, she reached into the box for her new friends. “One, two, three, four,” she counted as she set them into the tank.
“Four? I thought you got five. For fifty bucks, you sure should have gotten five.”
“Five?” her voice sounded a little panicked. “Did I say five? I meant four. I guess they are expensive. I could get shoes or a new skirt for that much. Maybe both, if they were half off.”
“Short as they are, they should be half off,” he grumbled under his breath. She was driving him more crazy than ever and this time mentally as well as physically. Part of him was very turned off by her new look and attitude and the other part of him was drooling over the shapely legs revealed by her short skirt, which barely covered the essentials as she stretched to close the top of the tank.
She turned to him with a smile, “Oh, Clarkie, you know you like it.” She ran a finger down his chest and smiled up at him with false shyness.
His stomach tightened and for a moment he was almost overcome with revulsion. What was wrong with him? He captured her finger and brought it to his lips and kissed her fingertip. She giggled again.
“Well, we both have to work tomorrow, so I better go.”
“Okay.” She automatically lifted her face for a kiss. He placed his mouth on hers but ended the kiss with a quick peck almost immediately. Yuck!
“What’s wrong, Clark?” she asked in a childish voice.
He smiled. “Frog leg breath.”
Her hand flew to her mouth in horror. “Ooops! Sorry.” She giggled and turned back to the tank.
Clark shook his head as he let himself out of her building. He turned into the alley way and floated up into the night, his thoughts jumbled. It wasn’t just her breath, which was bad. He had really felt almost sick as his lips had touched hers. But he’d never done this before. Maybe it was a stage in relationships? He couldn’t imagine how it could be, but how would he know? He was seized with the urge to talk to his parents. It was late, but he just needed to talk to someone. He turned toward Kansas and disappeared from the Metropolis sky in a flash.
*****
He knocked softly on their bedroom door. He heard the sheets rustle. “Mom, Dad?”
“Clark, what are you doing here? Is Lois alright?” Martha opened the door as she tied the belt to her robe.
“Honestly, Mom, I don’t know. The last couple of days she’s been. . . strange. I thought I really knew her and now, I’m not so sure I do. I’m not even sure I like her.”
“Clark,” Jonathan opened the door further, rubbing sleep from his eyes. “What are you talking about? Everyone likes Lois.” He headed for the stairs. Clark and Martha followed him to the kitchen. Clark sat at the table with Jonathan as Martha started a pot of coffee.
“She’s different.”
“How different?” asked Jonathan.
“She’s acting like a teenager! She even went on a date with another guy! And she bought all new clothes, and changed her hair, rearranged her house, and has this strange fascination with frogs. And then there’s. . .”
“There’s what?” urged Martha.
“Christmas tree lights.”
“Christmas tree lights?” Jonathan asked.
“What are you talking about, Clark?”
Clark shrugged uncomfortably, “You know how the holidays come up, and you're all excited about making the house just explode with warmth and love and you hang a box of brand new lights on the tree, waiting for that burst of warmth and love, and you plug 'em in and.... and. . . last week we could have lit up all of Metropolis. Maybe Gotham too. And this week. . . nothing.”
“Nothing happens?” Jonathan said incredulously.
“Nothing.”
“Nothing. No sparks?” clarified Martha. Clark shook his head. “No flickering?” He shook his head again, slightly embarrassed, but really needing to talk to someone. “No electricity at all?”
“No, Mom, I’m telling you, the power is out.” Martha set a full cup of black coffee in front of Jonathan and then Clark and sat down taking a sip from her own mug.
“Um, just so I know we’re on the same page, we are talking about sex, right?” Jonathan asked awkwardly.
“No! No, not sex, just sparks, fireworks, attraction. I mean I’m still attracted to her- you should see her new clothes! They cover much less of her- but when I kiss her, well, I’m more sick to my stomach than attracted.”
“Sick to your stomach?” Martha repeated.
“Like being on the tilt-a-whirl after three hot dogs and a warm coke. You still feel the rush but at the same time you’re afraid you’re gonna hurl.”
Jonathan’s face scrunched up. He didn’t know what the change in Lois and Clark’s relationship meant, but he could definitely relate to the hotdogs and coke scenario.
Martha just looked at Clark speculatively.
“I'm telling you things are suddenly different between us. It’s like she’s a whole other person.”
“Well, Clark, I’m not sure what to tell you. Relationships do go through phases, but this sounds pretty serious. Maybe. . . maybe you’re just not meant to be together after all.” Jonathan suggested.
It had been years since Clark had cried in front of his parents and he struggled to keep his composure now. “No, Dad. That can’t be. I love her, really love her. I just don’t understand. What’s wrong with me? What if this is some sort of Kryptonian thing?”
“No, Clark. You said that Lois changed too. I don’t think this has anything to do with your origins,” Martha assured him. “Maybe it is just the pressure of the change in your relationship.”
“Lois did say something about not pressuring her, but I’m really trying not to.”
Martha patted his arm consolingly. “You might just have to be patient while Lois explores this new side to herself. This time next month I bet things will be back to normal and you’ll both be laughing about this.”
“I hope so. I’m sorry I woke you up. I didn’t know who else to talk to.”
“We’re your parents, Clark. We want to be there for you,” Jonathan assured him. “Maybe we can’t fix it, but we can listen.”
Clark hugged them both before letting himself out. He’d just have to wait Lois out. And things would get back to normal.
*****
Clark could hear her heartbeat as she came up the elevator shaft. It was still beating faster than it usually did. Maybe he should suggest she visit a doctor. . . and maybe a psychiatrist while she was at it!
Jimmy jumped up from her desk as Lois entered the newsroom. But instead of the glare he expected she gave him a friendly smile.
”Uh, Lois,” Jimmy began awkwardly. “Perry asked me to check all the computers for this new virus going around. I’ll be done in just a second.”
“That’s fine, Jimmy. I’m going to get some water.”
“I, uh, I read some of your novel. It’s pretty good, actually.”
“Really? A novel, and you liked it? Wow! Want me to autograph it?”
Jimmy laughed in relief as he had expected the wrath of Mad Dog Lois to rain down on him. “No, Lois. It's on your computer... You were writing it two years ago.”
“I was? I mean, yes, I was. I should really finish it.”
How could Lois forget she was writing a novel? She had put him through Trask’s interrogation to avoid anyone seeing it! And he had only agreed to the lie detector test because she had explained how they could fool the machine’s operators.
Clark walked slowly to Perry’s office. Maybe he needed some time off. Maybe he was pressuring himself too much. Maybe. . .
“Clark?”
As he tossed about for some explanation of why he suddenly needed to take time off his eyes fell to a picture on Perry’s desk. Perry, Jimmy, Cat, Ralph, Steve, some others Clark didn’t know with their arms around a Lois with crutches under her arms, a cast on her foot, and a frown twisting her face. Everyone else appeared to be laughing at something.
Clark picked the picture up. “Chief, this company ski trip...”
“It was just before you started here.”
“Lois broke her ankle?”
Perry laughed. “Right. Dragged her down off the hill, myself. She tried to be a good sport about it, insisting she was fine-“
“Sounds like Lois.”
“-but I could tell she was in a lot of pain. She kept making jokes, kept us all laughing, just like in that picture.”
“When a break heals, isn't there a scar left on the bone?”
Perry’s head was bent over a copy as he answered distractedly, “Yeah, uh-huh, and the bone is often stronger than before the....”
Clark missed the rest as he walked out of Perry’s office. He saw Lois seated at her desk holding a new top up to herself and admiring the view in the mirror she had sat on her desk. Clark tipped his glasses and x-rayed her ankle. . . Lois' perfectly intact ankle bone.
Her marched over to Lois desk to confront. . . whoever this was. “You never broke your ankle.”
“Yes, I did. It was on a Daily Planet ski trip, before you moved here. Why?”
Clark shook his head. “No, you didn’t. Lois did. Where is she?”
“ What're you talking about?!”
“You are not my Lois! Where is she? Who sent you? Lex Luthor? What've you done with Lois?!”
“L-L-Lex? I don’t know any-“
“Yes, you do. Do you know your heart is racing? You’re lying. I can tell. If fact, I should have realized before-“ he broke off before he revealed his ability to tune into her heartbeat.
“Clark, you’re. . . you’re talking crazy.”
“You're not Lois! Tell me where she is!” He gave her a little shake.
The woman he held so tightly burst into tears “Stop it, Clark, you're scaring me!”
Noticing the disturbance in his newsroom, Perry left his office to approaching Clark and taking his arm. “Clark, son, take it easy.”
“Chief, this isn't Lois!”
“Now what would make you say a thing like that?” Perry asked, confused.
“Yes, Clark. What would make you say a thing like that?” the woman sniffed.
Clark looked from one to the other, then wrenched away from Perry and dashed to the stairwell. He sped to the roof and took off, spinning into the suit as he flew. Well, now he knew why he wasn’t attracted to Lois. . . it wasn’t Lois. So who was it? Another look-a-like? Or. . . his mind flashed back to the resurrected gangsters. . . another clone?
*****
Clark had flown to Smallville to explain to his parents what he had discovered. After calming him down, they convinced him to approach this look-a-like calmly and try to get her to tell him what she knew.
So he was now standing outside the door to Lois’ apartment knocking softly. “Lois?” What else was he supposed to call her?
“Go away! You’re mean.”
“Lois, please, I’m calm now. I just need to talk to you.”
No answer. “Lois, I’m coming in.” He took the keys from his pocket and unlocked the door. More clothes were strewn about the room. Lois sat on the floor looking through a catalog. “Lois?”
“You hurt my arm.”
“I’m. . . sorry. That was wrong of me. Please, do you know where Lois is? How long, how long she has been. . . gone?”
She shrugged ignoring him. Clark rolled his eyes in exasperation and looked around the room again. The fish tank. . . He walked distractedly towards it. Inside sat one of the Doppelbuufo frogs. Only one. "Lois, where are the other frogs?”
“Oh, they. . . they died too.”
“Did you take their bodies back to the pet store? You only had them a few days, you should be able to get them replaced.” Why was he talking about frogs when all he wanted to do was find out where Lois was?
“N-n-no.”
“What did you do with them then?”
“I. . .I” she looked around with a worried expression on her face. “I flushed them down the toilet,” she finished triumphantly
Clark looked back at the large frog remaining in the tank. “They’re a little big to go down the toilet, Lois.”
“I. . . I. . . I ate them, okay?” she said angrily. “I was hungry. Starving. And I have to eat them. I have to.”
The nausea swept over him again. “You *ate* them?”
“I have to, or I’ll die. He said so.”
“He? Who?”
“The doctor. And Father.”
“Father?” He suddenly flashed back to the Superman clone. “Lois, we have to get you to Dr. Klein right away.”
“No! You can’t make me. I don’t like doctors.”
“Lois, or whatever your name is, I think you might be a clone of my Lois.” Clark’s mind flew back to his experiences with his clone. He had all of Superman’s powers, but within just a few days his body had begun to die, and the clone had known it. At the end, he had helped the clone to fly into space and had held him as he died and then gently pushed the body and the lock of his own hair that had been used to create the clone into the sun’s gravity and watched as they burst into flame and disappeared into nothingness. “Clones don’t have as long of a life expectancy as a . . . as a . . . *normal* human. Dr. Klein could tell us if you’re okay.”
“I’m fine. Just hungry.” Her gaze skittered over to the lone frog sitting in the tank.
“If you will go to see Dr. Klein with me, I’ll buy you a dozen Doppelbuufo frogs, I promise.” Poor frogs.
“Really? Is Dr. Klein nice?”
“Very nice. He’s my doctor too.”
“I *guess* I could go then.”
*****
Dr. Klein examined the woman. She had protested him taking blood and skin samples, but Clark disappeared and reappeared a second later with a bowl of frogs in his hand. “Uh, Superman brought these by for me,” he explained.
“You know Superman?” she questioned.
Clark nodded. “Both Dr. Klein and I do.”
“That’s right. I’m Superman’s doctor. And he is a *good* patient.”
“I’m good,” she said petulantly.
“You’re being very good,” Clark assured her. “Dr. Klein is just going to take a little blood and make sure you’re okay.”
She nodded, though she sniffed and tears rolled down her cheeks as she hid her face in Clark’s chest as the needle pierced her skin.
“There, now,” Dr. Klein patted her back. “All over.”
“Good. Can I eat my frogs now?”
Both Dr. Klein and Clark looked slightly sick. “Uh, sure. I just need to go check this,” and Dr. Klein made a hasty exit. Clark turned his head as she reached into the bowl for one of the squirming frogs.
“Uh, does this gross you out? I'm sorry, but I kind of need it-“
“It’s okay. You can’t help it.”
“I’ll just eat one, okay? You can put the rest away for later.”
“Fine. I think I’ll go see what Dr. Klein is up to. You’ll be okay?”
She nodded happily as she eyed the frog in her fist.
*****
Dr. Klein had his eye to the microscope and a grim look on his face. He looked up when Clark entered the room. “This is not good, Clark. There are too many dead cells in this blood. It’s too soon to give you any idea what she is, but this is just not good.”
“Is she dying?”
Dr. Klein shook his head. “It’s too soon to say. There are lots more tests I need to run. Blood composition, DNA. . .” his voice trailed off.
“So what do I do?”
Dr. Klein shrugged. “Take her home, I guess. For the immediate future, there’s no reason she needs to stay here.”
“I guess I can take her to my apartment. Maybe I can get her to talk to me. But every time I try to get her to talk. . . “
“She starts acting like a rebellious teenager. Good luck, Clark.” Dr. Klein turned back to his microscope.
What do I do now? Clark thought.
