Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Lois & Clark Fanfic A Future Rewound (Lois' Story II) - A 'Futures' Story part 1/5

Part I of Lois' Story is 'A Future Rerouted' which appeared on the boards a short time back. It is necessary to have read that one first to know what is going on with this one. Also a general knowledge of the 'Futures' Series is helpful, but not necessarily required. So...


A Future Rewound (Lois' Story II) - A 'Futures' Story.
by Tank Wilson


Lois raked a hand through her long tangled locks. It was hot, and the poor excuse for a hotel room she was cooped up in didn't exactly put air-conditioning at the top of their priority list. Of course, neither did they place much importance on clean sheets, hot water, or pest control. She shook her head as a distant memory of picking Clark up at his first hotel room, shortly after he'd arrived in Metropolis, came unbidden to her mind. She smiled as she remembered the squalid room he'd taken at the Apollo. It wasn't much of a place but he was trying to be frugal while he was getting himself situated in the big city. It was a place a lot like the one Lois found herself in now.

Lois couldn't actually compare the two places since she didn't really remember much about his place. Her attention had been distracted by the sight of her fledgling partner in just a towel. It was the first time she truly noticed Clark's great physical attributes, but it definitely wasn't the last time. A lump began to form in her throat and she angrily shook her head at herself.

Don't do this to yourself, Lois, she admonished her wandering mind. The past is past. Keep it as a cherished memory, but don't dwell on what you've lost. It's time to map out the future and figure out what it may hold for you now.

H.G. Wells had dropped her into this alternate dimension a little over two weeks ago. He had given her a moderate sum of money so she could survive until she had worked out what she was going to do. She had spent the time learning as much as she could about the counterparts of her friends in this world, and who exactly Lois Lane had been. Unfortunately, it wasn't a lot.

She had spent many hours in the local library going through the microfiche files on old Daily Planet news stories. Using her own career as a timetable she was able to track down quite a few stories she'd written back then. She recognized the style immediately. She was relieved to know that, at least, the Lois Lane of this world had been a decent writer.

At the time Lois' thoughts had turned to the Congo, and the story that had killed this Lois, and almost killed the one from the dimension she'd spent the last several years in. She couldn't help but wonder how things might have turned out if she'd had any decent leads to follow on her own gun running story. Leads that would have compelled her to take her own trip to the Congo... possibly to die. Was that story a major crisis point in the collective lives of Lois Lanes across the dimensions? How many Lois Lanes had died, and as a result never got to have their lives completed by meeting their own Clark Kent? She was grateful that she'd had the chance to know her world's Clark, even if he was no longer hers.

Upon going through those archived stories, the thing that surprised her most was that many of them were written with a shared byline. She apparently had been partnered up early in her career. And her partner had been Perry White! It was strange to see 'by Perry White and Lois Lane' credited to many of the bigger stories she remembered from that time.

This caused her to note that the Editor-in-chief listed on the masthead back then was someone named George Taylor. Perry must not have been editor then, but he was now. A quick check of the current issues of the Daily Planet had confirmed that. She'd also taken the opportunity to peruse some of the stories written by this world's Clark Kent. She was embarrassed by how amateurish they were.

They weren't terrible, and they did show a lot of potential, but they were no where the caliber of her Clark's writing when he'd first come to town. He'd gone and wrote that mood piece on the old theater razing which impressed Perry enough to hire him. This boy definitely needed her help.

The current editions of the Planet gave rise to several names that she recognized, including Cat Grant, but no Jimmy. Of course, that could easily be just a factor that Jimmy still wasn't a reporter. The thought that Jimmy had stayed a photographer had crossed Lois' mind and after an exhaustive search she finally found a photo credited to J. Olsen. She had breathed a sigh of relief. At least there would be a couple of familiar faces for her to anchor herself to.

She'd then spent several days just watching cable news channels. LNN was the prime news network in this world, as it had been in hers. She tried to familiarize herself with the major players in the world of politics, government, and business. Some were names of people who had been up and comers when she'd known them, and many others were new to her. Considering how long she'd been held captive in that alternate dimension, the same could probably be said about her home world. Lex Luthor's name was prominent, but not quite to the extent that it was back home. The most glaring omissions were stories about Superman. There weren't any. There was no Superman. She sighed as she contemplated the main reason she had been brought here. To create another Superman, as she had in that alternate dimension. But then Tempus had managed to blow Clark's secret identity within the first couple of days. She hoped she would do a better job of that here.

**************************

Lois looked down at her bathroom sink and the ever growing pile of shorn hair that was quickly filling the small bowl. She then looked up at her reflection in the mirror there. What ever made her think that she could cut her own hair?

Lois had finally decided to make her appearance at the Daily Planet as herself. Well, not exactly herself, but as Lois Lane. It had been nearly ten years since the Lois of this world had disappeared in the Congo. Wells had told her that this Lois had succumbed to a jungle fever and had died shortly after arrival, but no one here ever knew what had happened to her. So she wasn't sure if it would be better to try and step into that life after a ten year absence, or come in fresh as someone completely new. The clincher was that she liked being Lois Lane. She had an affection for the name and what it had represented, both in her home world and in the others that she'd been able to research. She hoped the long time absence would cover any minor mistakes she might make in dealing with people who knew Lois before.

She had spent more than she'd intended to get herself a decent wardrobe in which to make her 'reappearance' so she didn't want to spend a lot of money on a stylist to get her hair in shape. She figured that she would be able to give herself the simple shoulder length trim she'd worn for many years with little trouble. That way she could save that money for shoes.

Unfortunately, it proved to be a little more difficult than she'd originally anticipated. She'd gone ahead and hacked off the majority of the overly long locks quickly, and without concern. She hated really long hair. Ages ago she had decided, once she'd entered the working world, that she wasn't going to be spending a lot of time every morning getting a lot of hair looking good. She didn't care how much 'the boys' liked it. It was her head and she'd wear her hair the way she wanted to.

The next step was where she was having the problem. Every time she thought she'd gotten it trimmed out nicely, she could see in the bathroom mirror that it wasn't even. So she'd have to trim a little more off the longer side to match the shorter side, only to find out that she had taken too much off that side. She had to repeat the process several times and now had a situation where one side hung just below her chin level, and the other just above. She was afraid to cut any more. Lois sighed as she resigned herself to a visit to Super Cuts before she made an appearance at the Daily Planet.

*****************

Lois did one last check in the mirrored wall of the Daily Planet's elevator as it neared its destination, the newsroom. Her clothes were professional yet not too formal, or stuffy. Her makeup was lightly done, but her pale face had some color to it. And, thankfully, her hair looked good. She had been leery, at first, when she entered the Super Cuts shop; and even more so when the very young stylist, with the spiky hairdo, had introduced herself as 'Marci - with an i'. But Lois had to grudgingly admit that the young woman had done an excellent job.

Her own inexpert efforts had guaranteed the loss of any page-like style which she'd originally thought to adopt. It had been the style that the Lois Lane of this world had worn in the last pictures of her she'd been able to find. Now she wore a shorter, feathered, head hugging style much like she'd had when she and Clark had gotten married.

A quick, sharp pain lanced her heart at the thought of her marriage and the lost life she had to leave behind. She quickly composed herself as the elevator bell signaled her arrival at her destination. The doors opened.

Lois' steps were hesitant as she exited the elevator car and onto the newsroom floor. It was almost like coming home. The hubbub and the bustle was so familiar. She had to fight off a threatened tear. It had been so long.

It looked like her Daily Planet. The layout was the same, as was the general architecture. The same interesting contrast of the older desks with new, up to date, computers resting on the well-worn wooden surfaces. The bullpen was the obvious site of the most activity as she saw the reporters hard at it. Several were at their terminals busily pounding away at whatever story they were covering while others were in groups of two or three discussing their latest leads. A nostalgic smile found its way onto her face.

"Can I help you, ma'am?"

A young red-headed woman had come up to Lois. She had her arms full of folders and a ready smile on her face. For some reason, Lois thought immediately of Jimmy. She had the same general coloring and a sprinkle of freckles across her nose and upper cheeks, just like Jimmy had.

Lois took a deep breath before answering. It was now or never. "Yes, could you please direct me to Perry White?"

The young woman's smile turned into a grin. "Of course, all the good looking ones want to see Perry." Her laugh was pleasant. "I think the chief is in his office." She pointed to where Lois knew she would. "It's right over there."

"Thanks."

Lois forced away the last bit of apprehension and walked purposely toward the editor-in-chief's office. The door was open so Lois stopped in the doorway and rapped on the door jam. "Ah, Mr. White - Perry?"

He looked up from the work on his desk and locked eyes with her. Lois audibly gasped when she saw the man behind the desk looking back at her. It wasn't Perry! It was, but it wasn't. He looked like her Perry, or more accurately, like her Perry looked like in his younger days. The rakishly handsome man staring open mouthed at her couldn't be more than five or six years older than she was.

She walked a little way into the office as he stood up on somewhat shaky legs. His eyes never left hers. "Lois? Oh good lord, tell me I'm not dreamin'. Is it you, darlin'? Are you real, or just a mirage sent to torment me?"

Lois smiled, a bit uncertainly. "Nope, I'm as real as I can be, I guess."

Lois was ready for some sort of show of emotion on Perry's part. Obviously he and Lois had been reasonably close. They had been partnered on many of the stories she'd researched after all. They must have been pretty good friends. Still, Lois was a bit startled by the depth of the emotion she saw in his face.

With a sob, the not so familiar Perry White rushed forward and drew Lois into a crushing bear hug, then, to her total astonishment, he crushed his lips onto hers in a fierce kiss of longing and desire. Lois' eyes widened as he deepened the kiss. What was going on?

Finally able to disentangle herself from the arms of the man who should be a father figure to her, Lois stepped back and took a breath. "Um, that was quite a welcome back, Perry."

White led Lois over to the couch and they sat, facing each other. "What did you expect, Lois? It's been nearly ten years. We'd all given you up for dead. You have no idea how many times I cursed the accident that laid me up and prevented me from accompanying you to the Congo. Taylor made inquiries, even sent over a couple of private detectives, but the trail had gone cold. You'd disappeared." Perry shook his head; the memory clearly brought back some intense feelings. "Truthfully, Lois, I wasn't sure I'd be able to survive your loss. It was very rough for quite some time." He took a deep breath as he shook his head, as if to clear away the old memories. "But that doesn't matter now. All that matters is that you're here. But by god, how? What happened to you?"

"Wellll..." Lois took a breath before she launched into the carefully prepared story she'd come up with. "Shortly after I arrived in the Congo I was ambushed by the gun runners. Apparently they'd found out I was on their trail. I barely managed to get away but I was hurt pretty bad. Not only was I wounded, but in my stumbling escape I fell over an embankment and into a river." Lois took another breath. "The next thing I remember was waking up in some remote missionary hospital."

Perry shook his head in disbelief. "That's pretty incredible, Lois, but ten years? Where have you been? Why didn't you contact anyone?"

Lois took another breath. This was the crux of her story. She needed to sell this part. She shrugged. "Amnesia."

"Amnesia?" Perry was clearly off balance, which was good.

"Yep." Lois nodded. "I didn't remember who I was or why I was there. The sisters of the mission were very kind to me so I stayed and helped them in their ministrations to the local villagers. Over time, bits and pieces of my memory began to come back. It was only recently that I remembered who I was. I still don't remember everything. My past is full of holes. But I knew who I was, and that I belonged in Metropolis. So here I am." Lois spread her hands in a gesture of offering.

Perry was shaking his head back and forth. "Incredible. So, just how much do you remember?"

"As I said, bits and pieces. I know I'm Lois Lane, I was a reporter for the Daily Planet..."

"Yes, yes," Perry interrupted. "But what do you remember about - us?"

Lois looked at the stranger in front of her. A man who reminded her of her old boss, and mentor, but was very different also. "We - were - partners?"

Perry ran his hand through his thick brown hair. "Is that all? That we were just - partners? A reporting duo?"

Lois felt very uneasy. She wasn't sure where this was going, but she had the feeling that it wasn't what she had been expecting. "We were friends? Good friends?"

Perry's laugh betrayed a great deal of pain. He rose and walked over to his desk. Opening a bottom drawer, he reached deep into it and pulled out a small velvet covered box. He brought it back over to the couch. He set in on the cushion between them. Lois bit her lip as she recognized the box for what it was.

"When you got back from Africa I was planning on giving you this." He opened the little box.

As she knew it would be, it was a diamond ring. It wasn't gaudy or ostentatious in any way. She knew the kind of money reporters made, but it was beautiful nonetheless. She couldn't stop a single tear from sneaking out of the corner of one eye. She forced herself to meet Perry's hopeful eyes.

"I'm sorry, " she said. "But I don't remember - us... like that."

"Omigod! I'm seeing a ghost!"

The awkward moment between Lois and Perry was suddenly interrupted by a familiar voice. Lois turned in time to see Cat Grant come rushing into the office. Cat stopped in front of her and reached out a tentative hand. She touched Lois on the cheek. "Oh my goodness, it is you, isn't it? After all these years you've come back?"

Lois took a moment to study the uncharacteristically emotional woman. At least this Cat Grant looked like she was supposed to. Well, almost like she was supposed to. Her age was about right, but there were differences too. Most, Lois assumed, could be attributed to a bit of maturing with age. Things like the shorter, shoulder length hair, and a more appropriate office wardrobe. The thing that Lois couldn't get over were the tears in the woman's eyes. It was as if she was genuinely happy to see her.

While Lois and Cat had never actually been enemies, per se, it was safe to say that they were never exactly friends either. More like rivals for the spot of queen of the newsroom. Lois had the prestige and Cat had the glamour. Neither wished to acknowledge the talents of the other, so, instead they spent their time belittling each others perceived faults. Lois had the breath nearly knocked out of her as Cat wrapped Lois up in a desperate hug of her own. This sure was a hugging bunch, Lois thought, somewhat perplexed.

"Lois, I'm so happy to see you, to know that you're still alive!" Cat wiped away the tears as she remembered where she was and who the other person in the room was. She gave Perry a sheepish grin. "Sorry to bust in like this." She turned to Lois. "As soon as you're done here." She cocked a brow at Perry who just glared at her. "Come get me, we'll do lunch and then you can fill me in on everything that's happened to you all these years." Cat stood up and turned to go, but before she left the room she gave Lois a grin and a wink. "I love the hair." She left.

Lois felt like someone drowning in quicksand. Every time she thought she had a hold of something safe and stable, it slipped away and she found herself foundering that much more. Obviously this Lois' relationships with her co-workers was quite different than what she'd experienced in her own Daily Planet. She had hoped her amnesia story would cover for all the mistakes and miscues she was going to commit over the next several days, but now she wasn't so sure how it could. Perry's voice brought her out of her daze.

"Look, I know how close you and Cat were, so I won't hold you up much longer." The young Perry ran an agitated hand through his hair again. "Even if you don't remember - us - you are still very precious to me and I'm just damn glad to have you back." He shrugged. "I suppose the first thing we need to take care of is getting you a job again."

Perry rose from the couch and went back to his desk. His demeanor visibly changed. Suddenly, the boss was back. She smiled at him. "That would be nice."

Perry picked up a pencil and began to tap on the desk top. "Things aren't quite the same as they were when you and I were the top team at this paper. We don't normally team people up any more, but I think it would be good if you were paired up with one of the current group. At least until you've had a chance to get familiar with the way we do things now." Perry gave Lois an apologetic smile. "No offense, but I need to see what you can do. It has been ten years, Lois. You're bound to be rusty." He sighed. "I could pair you up with Cat as she's currently our best reporter, but she really does work better alone. I don't know how she's able to get some of the information she does, and frankly, I don't want to know."

In for a penny, in for a pound, Lois figured. "Um, I don't mean to tell you your job, Perry, but why not pair me up with that Kent fellow." Lois allowed her voice to take on a bit of a sardonic edge to it. "I think it might be good for both of us."

Perry chuckled. "Oh, I see you've read his writing." He laughed again at her grimace. "He's not that bad, Lois. He's got good instincts, and a lot of potential. He just needs some seasoning, and perhaps a little guidance."

Perry stood up. "I think that's a great idea. It should do both of you some good." Perry glanced out at the bullpen. "Since Kent doesn't seem to be here at the moment, why don't you run off and catch up with Cat. I've got to clear hiring you with the brass upstairs. I'll introduce you to Kent when you get back."

Lois stood up and gave Perry a warm smile. "Thanks. Thanks for everything." Her face clouded over. "Perry, I'm really sorry I don't..."

He waved her concern off with a quick hand gesture. "Don't give it a second thought. You're here, and you're alive. I'm not a greedy man, Lois. That's enough for now." He pointed to the door. "Now scoot, I've still got a newspaper to get out and it won't get done if we stand around jawing all day."

She grinned. "Thanks." Turning quickly, Lois exited Perry's office.

*****************

"Wow! That's some story, Lois." Cat shook her head slowly back and forth. She was obviously having trouble coming to terms with the story Lois had told her. "Amnesia, huh?"

"Yep. I didn't remember a thing for years. I only just recently remembered who I was. Things are still pretty sketchy." Lois ducked her head. For some reason she found Cat's measured gaze disconcerting.

A strange smile twitched the corners of Cat's mouth, as she toyed with her drink for a time. Lois found herself biting at her lower lip. Why was this lunch date so strange? It seemed that the Lois Lane of this world and Cat Grant were much closer than she'd ever been with her counterpart on her own world. Perry had said as much. So, that probably meant that they'd been friends, but how close of friends exactly?

"So, where are you staying?" The question surprised Lois, seeming to come out of left field as it did.

"Ah, I'm at the Mercury Motel... down on Third and Swan."

Cat nodded. "I know the place. It's a dump." She took another sip of her tonic. "Give me a couple of days to ditch my current roommate, then you can move back in."

Lois was shell shocked. "What? No, I wouldn't want you to do something like that."

Cat shrugged. "It's no big deal. We weren't getting along all that well anymore anyway. I was ready for a change, but this is much better. Grant and Lane back together again."

Lois was swimming upstream again. Her and Cat - roommates? How could that be? They were nothing alike. Even though this Cat Grant seemed less flamboyant than the one she'd known, there was something else about her. Something just a bit more devious. Yet it seemed clear that Lois and Cat had a past together as friends and roommates.

Lois shook her head. This was getting in too deep, too fast. "No, I can't ask that of you."

"I don't remember hearing you ask? I offered." Cat leaned forward. "Look, Lois, I know that you obviously don't have a lot of money right now. I can't imagine what your life has been like all these years, but it can't have been all that pleasant."

Lois couldn't help but flash back to her imprisonment of the last few years. She had almost given up hope. No, calling it unpleasant was an understatement. But then neither Cat, nor Perry, knew about that. They just thought that she had spent all that time working with a small group of missionaries.

Cat chuckled. "Actually, knowing you like I do, I would think that it had to have been a living hell. Imagine, Lois Lane, a good little nun-in-training. That more than anything else makes me believe that you must have had amnesia."

Cat's words made Lois uneasy. She made it sound as if helping others was not in Lois Lane's nature. Okay, in her early days, Lois had to admit that she tended to be focused on her career, and anyone who stood in her way was not someone she tolerated. But that didn't mean that she had no compassion for others. She was a crusader, not only for the truth, but to right those wrongs that needed righting. That was what a good reporter did.

"You make me sound like I'm some sort of selfish witch." Lois responded somewhat petulantly.

Cat's brow just raised, but she didn't speak for several moments. She reached down and took a sip of her drink. From the look on her face, the ice must have melted enough to have noticeably watered it down. "So tell me," she began once she'd set her drink back down. "That scene in Perry's office that I walked in on. It seemed pretty intense." She got that crooked little smile on her face again. "Perry swearing his undying love again?"

Lois gasped at the woman perceptiveness. "How'd you know?"

Cat laughed. "Come on, Lois, anyone who was around back then knew that Perry was totally smitten with you. That was what you wanted at the time, wasn't it?" She had to chuckle again. "Though from the look on his face when I came in, I'd say that you'd finally gotten around to shutting the poor boy down."

Lois was really confused now. "I'm not sure what you mean by that? I told him that I didn't remember us - in that way."

Cat's laughter was now rich and full-throated. "Oh, that's priceless. What a perfect dodge. I wish I would have thought of the amnesia bit a few times in the past."

"But," Lois frowned, clearly not on the same wavelength as Cat. "I really don't remember any romantic relationship with Perry."

Cat slapped the table. She was really enjoying this. "Oh, that's even better. No guilt. Though I'd hardly have called it a romantic relationship."

Lois' eyes narrowed, suspiciously. "What do you mean?"

It was Cat's turn to look puzzled. "You really don't remember?" Lois shook her head. "Lois, Perry White was the Planet's top reporter at the time. You were just using him to advance your career. Just like you used Claude to get the job in the first place. Your first Kerth was for that story that you stole from Claude, and your second was the Messenger disaster that you covered with Perry." Cat's brow furrowed. "I always meant to ask you. Did it bother you to have to share the Kerth with Perry?"

Lois was stunned. She sat at the table just staring at her hands. What kind of person had this Lois Lane been? She finally raised her eyes up to see the amused look on Cat's face. "I never had any real feelings for Perry?"

Cat snorted. "Oh, I'm sure you could stretch the definition and say you were friends, in your own way. But romantic notions? We both know how ridiculous that idea is."

"We do?"

She stared at Lois as if she couldn't believe she'd just said what she had. "Are you serious?" Lois shrugged helplessly. "Geez... I guess amnesia can make you forget who you are, but I never would have thought it could make you forget *what* you are."

Lois held her hands out in front of her in a gesture of surrender. She had no idea what Cat was talking about. Cat frowned at Lois, appearing to study her quite closely. Finally, she shrugged, as if giving up.

"Lois - you're gay."