I don't know if anyone is still reading this, but I'm still enjoying writing it, so I keep posting it!
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Jimmy and Clark walked up the short aisle to stand at the front. Clark heard a sniff and looked over at his mother who was wiping a few tears that had escaped. He caught her eye and smiled at her. “Sorry,” she whispered.
The chapel doors opened again and Lucy walked down the aisle to take her place on the other side of Mike.
Henderson held the door open as Lois entered.
“Oh, man,” breathed Clark.
“Wow,” Jimmy echoed.
Maybe Lois Lane-Kent wasn’t decked out in the finest wedding clothes, but to Clark she was the most beautiful woman in the world. She made her way slowly towards the front and Clark stepped forward eagerly to take her arm.
“You’re supposed to wait until I get there,” she teased.
“I have to wait for enough,” he teased back wiggling his eyebrows.
Lois blushed.
“Ready to do this, Miss Lane-Kent?”
“Ready, Mr. Kent.”
They took the last few steps toward Mike together.
“Hello, friends of Lois and Clark.” Mike greeted the guests. “Well, this has been a long time coming, hasn’t it?”
Everyone laughed, their own memories of Clark and Lois playing in their minds.
“Yes, a long time. But I think with everything that's happened, you guys have learned something. Love survives. Survives any joy, any sorrow; all the rights, all the wrongs; even life and death.”
Lois and Clark’s eyes met as they both inhaled shakily trying to control their emotions as the same phrase ran through both of their heads, “Love survives”.
“There are many beautiful wedding ceremonies written both ages ago and recently, but Clark and Lois have decided to recite their own vows from their hearts. Clark?”
Clark turned to face Lois and took her hands in his. “Lois, you’re my anchor, my best friend, my soul mate. Falling in love with you was so easy, I don't know why I fought it for so long. I love your humor; your passion. The way you dive right in. . . even when you shouldn't. Because you refuse to just watch the world. You demand that it be a better place, and because of you, it is. You’ll never understand how much I need you, how my world fell apart when you weren’t here. Without your kiss, your touch, my life is not really living. It’s just an existence. You’re my world, my everything. And today, I want to give you as much of the world as I can. So I give you my heart, my soul. . . and our future.”
He took the ring from Jimmy, slipping it on her finger as he spoke, “This ring symbolizes our life together, for it is never ending and always beginning. It is why I love you so much and wish to cherish you forever and ever.”
“Oh, Clark.” Her tears spilled over and Clark laughed softly as he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe them away.
“I had a feeling I was going to need this.”
After tucking the handkerchief in his pocket, he took her hands again, expectantly awaiting her words.
“You stole my speech, Kent,” she began. Their guests laughed. She continued, “Just like you stole my story, my billing as the Planet’s best reporter, my Kerth award. . . and my heart. You also have shared so much with me including your home, your parents, your trust, and your love. You have such gentle grace; such quiet strength; but mostly, such incredible kindness. I've never known anyone with as selfless and pure a heart and I admire you more than anyone I’ve ever known. So today, I give you my love, my honor... and our life together.” She turned and accepted his ring from Lucy. She met his tear-glazed eyes as she pushed the ring onto his finger. “Clark, this ring I give you, my personal gift and my personal promise, of love and trust, and pride that you are my husband. We will wear these rings, and the world will know that I am yours and you are mine. For always.”
As they gazed at each other, Mike spoke,
“Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself.
To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks to another day of loving.
To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;
To return home eventide with gratitude, and then sleep with a prayer
For the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.
I now pronounce you husband and wife.”
They exchanged a sweet kiss, assuring each other of the truth of the vows they had spoken, as their family and friends began to surge around them with congratulations.
*****
Clark was quick to find Lois a chair and make sure that she wasn’t tiring. She assured him that she was doing fine, but her family was cognizant that tomorrow would be another big day for her and as much as she needed their love and support, she also needed to rest. After wishing the couple well and more rounds of hugs, they left the Center and Clark escorted Lois to her room.
“You okay?” he asked her.
“Yes. Can you ask Nurse Reiley to come in for a minute?”
“Are you sure you’re fine?”
“Clark, I’m fine. But you know, after you get the nurse, could you get me some hot chocolate? I’m not ready to go to sleep yet, but I would like to relax. I hate for this day to ever end. Our wedding day.”
Clark rubbed circles on her back. “I know what you mean. I just want to relax for a minute and let it all settle in. I can’t believe how smoothly everything went.”
“It was meant to be.”
He gave her a kiss. “I’ll go get the nurse and your hot chocolate.”
*****
When Clark returned with the steaming cup the nurse was leaving Lois’ room. “Oh, Mr. Kent! I wanted to let you know that I just might forget to check Lois’ room tonight to make sure her visitors have left. I know tomorrow is a big day for her and she’ll sleep better if she’s not alone.”
Clark took her hand and squeezed it. “Thank you.”
“I wish you happy, Mr. Kent.”
Clark turned and entered Lois’ room. She was in her nightclothes lounging against the pillows. So that is what she had wanted with the nurse. He actually was a little relieved. As much as he tried to forget that this was his wedding night and that it was going to be anything but a traditional wedding night his mind kept wandering that direction. Helping Lois to undress would not have aided him in that goal.
“Here’s your hot chocolate. Anything else, wife?”
“Just come hold me, husband. There’s a comedy on you might enjoy. I’ll probably nod off.”
Lois sat in the crook of his arm and drank her hot chocolate. Sensing her exhaustion, he took the empty cup from her hand and set it on the bed table.
“Don’t go without saying goodnight,” Lois requested as she began to drift off.
Clark held her tighter. He wasn’t going anywhere. Tomorrow would be chaos and a struggle to be strong for Lois while inside he was screaming in fear. He didn’t want to lose her again.
*****
He stayed all night holding her tight against him. Unless the sky was falling, Superman was not budging from his post tonight. Clark thought again about the first time he had met Lois Lane, how he had watched her grow into the woman he now cradled in his arms.
Lois stirred, “Clark, you’re squishing me.”
Clark relaxed his hold slightly.
Lois turned towards him and ran her hand over his forehead. “Clark, it’s going to be all right.”
“God, I hope so,” he prayed as Lois snuggled tighter against him and fell back to sleep.
*****
“You’re still here,” were the first words she spoke as she came awake.
“I couldn’t leave.”
“Kiss me.”
Clark was quick to comply. A long minute later he released her. “We need to be there at 9:00?”
“Yes. I suppose that means we need to get up.”
Clark assisted her to sit up and helped her slide her feet into the slippers at the side of the bed.
“Oh, Clark, I have to do this. I *have* to, but I’m so scared.”
He was scared too. His heart was pounding and his mind screaming at him as he tried to push back the agony. But it was time for him to be strong and support his wife. “Lois, you’ve been though hell yet you’ve returned even stronger from what you’ve been through. You’ll be fine. Dr. Thurston is an excellent neurologist and he will have the best in the country assisting him.”
“I’m scared of losing you. But I don’t want to spend the rest of my life waiting for Nigel to make his move.”
“I’m going to be right there with you and I’ll keep you here with me by sheer force of will if necessary.”
It wasn’t a promise he could possibly keep, but then, if anyone could will someone to live, it would be Superman.
“I love you, Clark.”
“I love you, Lois.”
*****
A smile crossed Lois’ lips as she signed herself into Metropolis General’s Neurology wing on the form that Clark had painstakingly filled out for her.
Clark’s arm slipped around her waist. “What is that smile about?”
She let loose of the pen and laid her hand on his chest, “I just got to sign “Lois Kent” for the first time,” she said looking up at him.
He leaned over and kissed her understanding her joy. “I’ll admit, I got a kick out of checking the “Married” box for you.”
Clark returned the clipboard to the check-in desk. He spent the rest of the day holding Lois’ hand or sitting in stark waiting rooms as she had numerous checks and tests performed. They met the doctors who had flown in to assist with the surgery. Lois stressed again that the implants were to be given to Superman for disposal.
When all the tests were over, they rested in Lois’ room. A nurse came in and gave Lois something to help her rest. He lay beside her as she rested throughout the night unwilling to let one second go by un-treasured. While he had every confidence in Dr. Thurston’s ability, the knowledge of what his life was like without her in it was still very fresh.
*****
Their parents were there early Tuesday morning with well wishes and hugs. Lois was shaking but resolute as the medical staff moved her to the gurney so they could wheel her into surgery. Clark walked beside her and held her hand until they reached those ominous doors that would separate them.
“Remember what I said in our vows, Clark, I am yours and you are mine. For always.”
“I’ll be here when you wake up.”
“I love you.”
“And I love you.”
Clark forced himself to release her hand and watch as the gurney disappeared through the doors.
Martha was instantly there with an arm around his shoulders. “Oh, Mom, this is just so hard.”
“I know, honey.”
*****
Over the rims of his glasses Clark watched the surgery’s proceedings through the wall and listened for Lois’ heartbeat. He was as tense as an un-sprung steel trap. When he gave a sharp intake of breath Martha asked him, “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. Her heart’s slowed down but they are giving her something for it.”
He inwardly cringed as they removed a square from her skull and placed it in a dish full of sterile water. The skilled neurosurgeon that Dr. Thurston had enlisted began to probe Lois brain. It seemed to take ages as the surgeon made his way through the delicate muscle to retrieve the implants that were just under an inch long. He carefully pulled each implant from its haven and dropped them into the stainless steel dish with a clank.
Clark pushed his glasses up his nose and stood. “I’m headed for the restroom and then I’m going to get something to drink. Anyone else need anything?”
As Dr. Thurston pushed open the surgery doors heading for the waiting room with the blue towel covered tray containing the dish of implants Superman was entering the waiting room.
“Superman, Lois requested that these be given to you.” Dr. Thurston handed Superman the tray.
He flipped the towel up to check the contents. “They’re so small to have caused so much pain.”
“Well, they won’t be causing her any pain again,” Dr. Thurston assured.
“How is Lois?” asked Ellen.
“She’s handling the surgery well. She struggled with the anesthesia a bit, but we were able to get it under control quickly. Where’s her husband?”
“With his usual bad timing, Clark just left to go get a drink.” Martha rolled her eyes.
“I need to scrub back in. Please assure him that things are going fine,” Dr. Thurston requested as he turned to leave the room.
“We will,” Sam assured.
“I’m going to go get rid of these so that Lois won’t have to worry about them when she wakes up,” Superman said as he exited the waiting area.
*****
Clark held the tiny devices in his hand, the instruments that Nigel St. John and Mrs. Cox had used to torture his wife, to attempt to bend her to their will. His hand closed crushing the priceless capsules to dust. He flung the particles into the sun where no trace would ever be found. With the warmth of the sun beating against his back he swiftly returned to earth, to Metropolis, to his wife to await her awakening.
*****
Jonathan and Martha knew the surgery was finished when their son’s body finally relaxed. Martha patted his hand in understanding.
Ellen obviously didn’t realize that Clark could see the surgery was finished, but seeing Martha comforting Clark, she hurried to add her own sympathies. “It shouldn’t be too much longer, Clark. They just need to get the surgical site closed. Once they’re sure that she is stable, they’ll move her into ICU and they’ll let you see her.”
Clark nodded in appreciation. “I know, Ellen. It’s just so hard to wait, to be away from her.”
They all turned toward the door in anticipation when Dr. Thurston entered the room.
“Mr. Kent, sorry I missed you earlier. Your wife did very well during the surgery, all things considered. You should be able to see her in about an hour.”
“Thank you, Dr. Thurston.” Clark shook the doctor’s hand.
Dr. Thurston winced as he removed his hand from Clark’s grip. “I hope that you understand that it’s too early to know exactly what Lois’ condition will be when she comes out of surgery. The surgeons did the excellent job that I expected, but you still must realize that we temporarily removed a portion of Lois skull and that we entered delicate tissue to remove the implants. There is certain to be some swelling.”
Clark nodded. “I understand.”
“I’ll have the nurse let you know when you can see her.”
*****
“She’s still a little woozy, Mr. Kent, but Dr. Thurston wanted us to let you in to see her as soon as she began to wake.”
“Thank you, Nurse.”
She looked so pale lying there on the sterile white sheets, her head swathed in white bandages. He instantly moved to her side and took her hand.
“Honey, it’s me, Clark.” Lois’ face scrunched into a frown as she tried to open her eyes. “No, it’s okay. Just rest. Your surgery went perfectly.” He dropped his voice. “And the implants are destroyed. You don’t need to worry about them ever again.”
Her face relaxed and she dozed for a few minutes. She opened her eyes and looked at Clark. Clark brushed her cheek. “Hello, wife.” Her lips curved into a slight smile before she once again closed her eyes.
She awoke again about an hour later when the nurse came in to check her. Lois’ eyes followed the nurse as she moved about checking this and that. “You’re doing just fine, Mrs. Kent,” the nurse assured as she made a notation in Lois’ chart.
Lois’ eyes twinkled as she glanced at Clark. The nurse laughed. “I can see that you remember this fellow. We heard that you had just gotten married. Congratulations.”
“Thank you,” Clark said.
“Dr. Thurston wants you to stay in bed for twelve hours. He is concerned about swelling and wants to ensure that you keep all movement to a minimum.”
Lois’ face fell. All she wanted was to get out of this bed and get on with her life. A thrill of excitement went through her. Her new life as Clark’s wife. She wanted to get to work on physical therapy so that she could leave the Center and really live with Clark as man and wife. She wasn’t sorry that they hadn’t waited to get married; she loved how there was no question of his right to be by her side. But a part of her did wish they could have had the bridal showers, the reception, the big wedding, and the honeymoon. Especially the honeymoon.
“Don’t fret, Lois,” Clark assured her. “You’ll be up and around in no time. Dr. Thurston is just trying to make sure that happens as fast as possible. Our parents are here. Is it all right if they come in? We’ve all been so anxious. It will be a great relief for them to be able to see you awake."
Her head was incredibly fuzzy, probably from whatever the nurse had injected into her IV, but she gave a minute nod.
“Good. I’ll let them come in, two at a time, and then I’ll be back, okay?”
She nodded again and Clark left the room. Her throat was incredibly scratchy. She knew that was probably from the trachea tube used during her surgery. What she wouldn’t give for a drink of water!
Her parents came in first.
“Hey, Princess,” her father said hoarsely.
“Oh, Lois, it’s so good to see you awake,” Ellen’s voice trembled.
Lois held out her hand to them and they both sat beside her bed. “Dr. Thurston is very pleased with how the surgery went,” Ellen commented.
They talked to her for a few minutes and Lois noticed how both her parents’ eyes frequently went to the screens of the machines monitoring her. From their demeanor she could tell that they were pleased with what they saw. It was a great relief to her.
They said goodbye and left to allow the Kents to enter. Jonathan squeezed her foot with his big hand. “Ah, Lois. It’s good to see you awake.”
“Clark was a nervous wreck,” Martha confided. “But he’s looking much better now.”
“He’ll be trying to kick us out in a minute, anxious to get back to his bride,” Jonathan teased.
“It was a beautiful wedding, Lois. It was perfect.”
It had been perfect, she realized. All the parties, fancy dresses, and impressive ceremonies in the world would not have made it anymore perfect. The point was that she and Clark had pledged to be together forever and the simple ceremony had emphasized that fact. She smiled at Martha.
“We’d better go and let Clark get back in here, but if you need anything that we can help with, please don’t hesitate to call. I know we’re in Smallville, but with Superman Express, we’re not that far away.”
Martha kissed her cheek and the couple left the room. They had always been so good to her. She had been so blessed to have them as secondary parents and now as parents-in-law. Ellen had handled the wedding so well, never once complaining that it wasn’t everything that she had wanted for her daughter. And Sam had been so supportive throughout this whole ordeal. He wasn’t the perfect father, but Lois couldn’t doubt that he cared.
Clark reentered the room and she was hit once again with how handsome he was. But his looks were so far from the top of her list of things she loved about him. And he was all hers.
“I called Lucy and let her know that you were doing great. She sends her love.” Lois’ lids were drooping. “Just sleep, sweetheart. I’ll be here when you wake up.”
*****
The nurse had checked in several times during the night, but thanks to Lois’ tiredness and the drugs she was being given she slept quite well. When she did rouse, Dr. Thurston was visiting with Clark.
“Mrs. Kent! You seem to have had a good night. Chris is going to come by shortly and work on your physical therapy. I want you to take things slow.”
“O-o-okay.” Lois eyes flew to Dr. Thurston’s in alarm. Her speech was slurred, almost as badly as it had when she had woken up four long months ago.
“Don’t panic,” he assured her. “Remember that you just had brain surgery yesterday. There’s going to be some swelling. I’ll schedule some tests, but I’m sure that is what we will find. We’ll probably keep you here another night and then you can go back to the Metropolis Neuroscience Center. If you continue to improve as you have these last few months, you will be able to go home in four to eight weeks.” Dr. Thurston smiled encouragingly at her and left the room.
“Four to eight weeks! Lois, can you believe that? I have so much to do. Where are we going to live? We can’t live in my apartment!”
“W-w-w-hy n-n-ot?” Lois asked very surprised.
“Goodness, what have we been thinking the last month. Surely this is something most engaged couples talk about. We can’t live in my apartment because of the stairs. The building is so old that they weren’t required to put an elevator in when it became a requirement for all new construction eons ago. I can’t believe I got married and never even considered where we were going to live. I’m surprised your dad didn’t ask after my intentions. Or my dad for that matter!”
Lois grinned at him and shrugged her shoulders. It was so funny to see Clark so appalled over something that didn’t concern her in the least. It must be a guy thing. On the other hand, she did *not* want to live with Ellen Lane once she was able to leave the Center.
“S-s-superman could h-h-elp.”
“Much as he would love to, he can’t be with you 24/7, and I won’t have you prisoner in our home. . . what are you grinning about?”
“Ob-b-b ses-s-s- ing.”
“I am *not* obsessing! This is important.”
“N-n-not fair to you to g-g-give up your apartment.”
“Your speech is getting clearer.”
“W-w-warmed up.”
“So babble mode will be in gear soon? And no, I’m not babbling,” he said in response to her look. “I don’t mind giving up my apartment, Lois. Where I live is not important as long as I can be with you. Home is where you feel safe and loved. You are my home.”
Tears pricked her eyes. “L-l-ove you.”
“I love you, too, sweetheart. So, maybe we should think about buying something. A house or an apartment? And what area of town?”
“C-c-lose to w-work. H-h-ouse.”
“Really? I figured you’d want an apartment.”
Lois shrugged and shook her head. Apartments were temporary. She wanted to “set up house”, to use an old-fashioned expression, with Clark. Their own home.
“Thanks to modern technology, you can virtually be anywhere. I’ll pick up some brochures and bring them in. You can pick out what you like and then I’ll take the tour and record it for you. Then we can look them over together.”
Lois nodded, her eyes shining as she looked at her husband.
“Oh, Mrs. Kent, when you look at me like that. . .”
“C-c-come k-kiss me then,” she said in response to the gleam in his eyes.
*****
The move back to the Metropolis Neuroscience Center went smoothly and Lois threw herself into her rehabilitation with renewed determination. The surgery had cost her as she tired even more easily and her speech was again very difficult to understand. She was finding that the pace of her improvement was faster than it had been directly after she had been found. Chris explained that this was because her body was considerably more healthy, not affected by malnutrition and dehydration.
By the time of her two-week check up with Dr. Thurston, her speech had improved and her limbs were stronger. He confirmed that the swelling had gone down so she was only dealing with the results from the original brain trauma now. Best of all was his promise that if she continued to show as much improvement, the stomach tube would be removed in two weeks. She and Clark would need to attend some nutrition classes. Lois made a face when Dr. Thurston said that all her food would need to continue to be put through a blender and she would need to drink nutritional shakes between meals to keep up her caloric intake. But she was ready for the tube to come out. While she had never been curvaceous she had been accustomed to possessing some feminine curves so she already did not feel sexy with her hip and rib bones standing out so prominently. Having a tube projecting from her stomach did not help her feel any better about her new look. And she definitely wanted to look good for her new husband.
While their kisses had become more intimate, they were constantly aware that they were never truly alone, so there was a certain point that neither of them was willing to cross, acknowledging that they didn’t want to offend any of the “tender sensibilities” of the other guests at the Center. Still, relying on Clark’s super-hearing, there had been some quick re-buttoning and positioning themselves to appear as if they had been totally absorbed in whatever was playing on TV when the nursing staff came to check on their patient. Clark had been given permission to spend the entire weekends, which allowed them even more privacy.
Much of that time was spent viewing the recordings that Clark made of the houses for sale in Metropolis. With his usual thoroughness, Clark researched neighborhoods and schools so she had a wealth of information about each listing.
On the return from her appointment with Dr. Thurston, Clark drove the Jeep through some of the neighborhoods, and Lois fell in love with a little park in a middle-aged neighborhood. For some reason it reminded her of the little park in Smallville that housed many dances, barbecues, and Corn Festivals. Currently the gazebo was being decorated for a child’s birthday party and by the willow-ringed pond she watched a toddler and his father throwing bread to a pair of swans. Farther down she could see a grandfather instructing his teenaged grandson on the finer points of fishing. “This is it, Clark!” she said excitedly. “We have to find something in this neighborhood. It’s perfect!”
Clark nodded. “You’re right. Not only do I really like the atmosphere, it is located within the distance from the Planet and the hospital that we discussed, and the homes in this area should be in our price range. The house may require a little updating as I’m no fan of avocado and burnt sienna.”
“If the one we like hasn’t been updated, then we’ll just make the arrangements.”
“I just want everything ready by the time Dr. Thurston releases you.”
“With Superman on the job, I doubt that will be a problem.”
*****
Having decided on a neighborhood, Clark was able to narrow down the possibilities and was anxious to show Lois the results of his evenings of house hunting. With their unique needs for a one floor home and private access for Superman, it narrowed down the possibilities further. He found two homes in a cul-de-sac that butted up to one of Metropolis few wooded areas. He brought the recordings for Lois to look at.
“Thirty-Fifteen Charlotte Drive,” came Clark’s voice from the recording. “Or maybe it’s Charlotte Circle, since this is a cul-de-sac.” Paper rustled. “Yeah, it’s Circle.”
Lois grinned at Clark and he looked sheepishly back at her. “So I forgot if it was Circle, Street, Way, Boulevard-”
“Shhhh.”
Clark’s voice returned as the screen panned around the house. “Nice yard. Nice fence. Good driveway, too.”
“Back to the house, farmboy,” Lois muttered.
The view on the TV screen obliged. “ I like the brick accents,” Lois commented,” and the lattice work on the porch.”
“This is one of the older homes in the neighborhood,” Clark’s voice commented as the view moved into the house.
“No kidding,” Lois said as she saw the avocado green kitchen. The camera stooped to look out the window above the sink. “Oh, wow.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought too,” Clark said, sitting forward anxiously. “Look at this.” The camera moved around the bar in the kitchen to the sliding glass door. Clark’s hand appeared to open the doors.
“This would have to be replaced,” came Clark’s voice from the TV. The camera was pointed to his feet on the peeling wooden deck, but then it tilted up to look out over the rail of the deck. There was a nice sized yard, a few flower beds, even a small vegetable garden shadowed by the large trees of the woodland.
Lois gasped, “Oh, Clark, I love it.”
“You haven’t seen the rest of the house yet.”
The camera completed its span of the yard and re-entered the house. “It’s been on the market a little while. The house is older than what is popular with buyers right now, and some feel it is a little isolated.” They watched as Clark walked from room to room. “The master suite is on one side of the house and the other bedrooms and the den are on the other side split by the kitchen, living room, and dining rooms. Three bedrooms, two baths. Attached garage. Laundry room, and the machines are new.”
“I love it, Clark,” Lois said as the camera exited the house.
“The other one is just across the street, so I just headed over there.”
“Whoa!” the view on the TV tilted crazily as the cameraman, Clark, jumped out of the way of a soccer ball. “Looks like the neighborhood kids have organized a game.” The ball went flying past as Clark kicked it back.
“Thanks!” the children called.
The view turned to the other house. “This one is newer-”
“Stop,” Lois said taking the remote from Clark. “I don’t even want to see it. The other one is perfect.”
“Perfect? It needs a lot of work, Lois.”
“It’s the one I want.”
“You haven’t even looked at the other one.”
“It’s boring, Clark. I can tell just looking at the outside of it. My house has character. Sure, it needs some updating, but that will just make it more ours.”
“The other one has already been updated, and we could take possession in about six weeks.”
“Do you really like the second house better?”
Clark squirmed. “Lois, you’re trying to recover from brain trauma here. I’m not sure that renovating a house is on your list of approved activities. And I want everything ready when you leave here.”
“I knew it! You *do* like the first house better.”
“It’s a lot of work. . .”
“When can we move in?”
“It’s empty right now. And we’re pre-approved, so as soon as all the paperwork could go through.”
“So you’d still have lots of time to work on the house-”
“Four to six weeks!”
“-before I can come home.”
“Lois-”
“Do you really want to live across the street from our dream house and wish we had bought it instead for the rest of our lives? Clark, we’ll have help. All our friends and family who have been saying they wished they could help in some way, well, now they can. It’s the Smallville way, Clark. How many times have you and yours helped when they needed help? They need to be able to return the favor.”
“I’m really not ever going to win any of our arguments.” Clark shook his head, grinning.
“Oh, sure you are. Some of the little ones, anyway.”
“The timings good. The crops are planted. If we can get someone to feed the livestock, maybe Dad can stay and help me. I can do quite a bit of it myself, especially the tearing up and out parts. . .”
“So. . .”
“So, I’ll give the realtor a call in the morning.”
Lois threw her arms around Clark’s neck. “Oh, I can’t wait to call my mom! And Lucy can help too since she will be out of school for the summer. And if your dad’s helping you, your mom might as well stay and help me. It’ll be like a family project. I bet Jimmy can swing a hammer too.”
“Or he can take pictures of it for my mom to scrapbook.”
“Clark! What if we made it an article? You know, “Remodeling: Old Homes and the New Owners Who Love Them.”
“Not really your usual area of interest.”
“No, but perfect to get my feet wet on.”
“I’ll talk to Perry and see what he thinks.”
*****
Perry thought it was a great idea. He came to see Lois to tell her so in person. He wanted his team of Lane-Kent and Kent back as soon as possible, but he fully understood that it would take time. While Clark had continued to provide stories for the Daily Planet, the team had been out of the day to day action of the Planet for nearly a year. Of course, the story of her imprisonment that Clark had written under both of their names had sold enough copies to ensure both of their jobs and would go a long way to getting them back in the loop with their sources in Metropolis. Perry offered to come help out as well. “In the early days, I picked up a lot of odd jobs to help make ends meet. You’d be surprised what I can help with.”
Perry hadn’t been gone five minutes before Clark called, “They took the offer already! The older couple who owns it is already in Florida and doesn’t want to have to worry about the house any longer. We can’t start tearing anything apart until the paperwork goes through, but they told the realtor to give us the key and look around all we want. So do you want to go over at lunch? I can count it as research for the article.”
“Yes!”
“Just remember, it doesn’t look like much now, but we can change anything you don’t like.”
“For a guy that didn’t want to remodel, you’re suddenly very accommodating.”
“You’d be surprised how accommodating I can be given the right incentive, Mrs. Kent,” he said in a low, gravel-y voice.
Lois gasped as a thrill ran through her. “Clark Kent!”
Clark chuckled. “I’ll see you at noon.”
“I can’t wait.”
*****
