Hi and welcome to round seven!
Thanks go to my wonderful betas for pointing out the little p(l)otholes in the road, even when RL is after them. You guys are the greatest
.
This part could be a teeny tiny bit more angsty than the previous ones. And Tank? I promise, no angst due to the lack of communication in there
Michael
Disclaimer: The recognizable characters and settings in this story are the property of D.C. Comics, Warner Bros., December 3rd Productions, and anyone else with a legal right to them, and I have no claim on them whatsoever, nor am I profiting by their use. It’s just the original stuff, that would be mine, written down to bring some entertainment to other FoLC.
The setting is right after “Season’s Greedings” in Season 2.
Blocks in >> << are literal thoughts by the character.
Rating: PG-13
**********
This story began with Lois finding out about Clark’s little secret. Completely beside herself, she had developed a wicked plan to take her revenge on him. First, he was supposed to embarrass himself in front their coworkers. Then, she had intended to deal him a far more personal blow by making him belief that he would have taken advantage of her drugged self if it hadn’t been for nature interrupting them. And in the end, she would have managed to break him, to drive him into a corner so he would never dare to approach her again as anything other than a beggar.
Only it had turned out that nature hadn’t interrupted them after all and Clark had gone all the way with Lois. But what will a desperate Lois and a shell shocked Clark do in the face of such happenings? Can they work through the issues they had created for themselves last night? And what will happen once Clark figures out the true identity of Anonymous?
But for now Lois is faced with partner who had crossed the intimacy threshold with her and still insists that they can be friends who should trust each other.
Part 7 /
TOC /
Comments **********
Clark was shocked, for Lois had just accused him, Superman, of date rape. But could she actually believe he was the one who had drugged her? He had to ask.
“And you believe Superman drugged yo- her? I meant her,” he probed, hastily correcting his slip in the hopes she might have missed it.
“What did you just say?” Lois snarl retaliated.
“I… I asked if you believe that Superman drugged her,” Clark stammered, now quite certain she had *not* missed his slip.
“No, you asked if I believe Superman drugged *me*. And just why is that? Did you work together with him? Do the two of you share stories about your conquests? Who *are* you, Clark Kent?”
>>Whoa, this was getting out of hand!<< Clark thought, while trying to figure out how stop the tornado he knew was brewing.
“Now just a minute, Lois,” he shot back at his partner after deciding on a frontal assault and stepped into her personal space.
“What am I *supposed* to *think*, Clark? How could you have known about what had happened, unless you and he worked together?”
“What you are supposed to think, Lois, is that I would never do such a thing! How could you even believe this, no matter how much pheromone you’ve had?” Clark snapped back at the woman he loved more than life itself, only to be surprised again. Lois was actually motioning him to stop and went to close the blinds! What was she up to? And how could she believe what she was saying?
It was obviously a given that she had been drugged. It certainly explained her behavior yesterday far better than anything else he could come up with. But how in the world could she think of Superman drugging her? He knew that she remembered last night. She had remembered quite fine the last time she had been under the influence of Revenge. So was she truly believing this crap or was it just her overreacting?
*SLAP!*
Clark’s hand automatically reached for his left cheek, and even though the slap hadn’t hurt him physically he was sure surprised by her sudden show of force. And she had already started into her next tirade!
“…lied to me since the beginning? Perhaps because you hadn’t even had the decency to tell me after you had been shot? Or when I had asked you about the truth last night? Or before you *left* this morning? Go on, take your pick!”
Clark stood frozen in shock for a second when Lois wound down and turned to rush out the door. It was pure instinct by which he managed to push the door shut again before she had been able to open it more than a few inches.
Taking a deep breath, Clark quickly surmised Lois last statement. She had accused *him*, Clark, of spending the night with her. Was she so out of it she didn’t remember the details of last night after all and thought she had been with Clark, only clad as Superman? But no, that wasn’t it. No, she had been going on about him *and* Superman, mixing his two faces into the same sentence while accusing him of lying to her. This left only one conclusion.
>>Uh oh!<<
“Let. Go. Of. The. Door. Clark!” Lois snarled at him.
“No, Lois, I won’t. Not before we get to talk about this.” Clark knew he couldn’t let her go. Not now. Not when she was armed with a Pulitzer story and ready to pull the trigger. Not while her sights were trained on him. He might have behaved deplorably last night, but this didn’t give her permission to paste his life on the front page.
“You want to talk, *Clark*? Fine. But you better start by telling me why I should listen,” Lois challenged while she folded her arms across her chest in a defiant stance.
“Because I *am* your friend. And friends don’t-”
“Friends!? Oh, so now you are *just* my friend? I’m simply asking because I had the distinct feeling that you were *far more* than my friend last night.” Lois tone was dripping with sarcasm.
“Lois, I had told you last night that Superman could only ever be your friend. It was you who decided to force the issue into us being more. But this does not change the fact that I still consider you my friend. The question is, do you still consider me a friend, too?”
Clark looked back at Lois, who was shaking her head in grimace of disgust.
>>This is not just bad. This is way beyond bad,<< Clark thought dejectedly, when Lois suddenly replied.
“Why should I consider you a friend? You have to be able to trust your friends, wouldn’t you agree? And just how trustworthy do you think you are at the moment?”
“Because I gave in to what you offered last night?”
“Because you haven’t even had the decency to tell me the truth before you, as you so eloquently put it, ‘gave in to what I had offered’. And it’s not like I hadn’t asked you to tell me the truth,” she fired back while burning holes into his soul with her murderous stare.
“Lois, I…,” Clark tried to interject.
“But that’s all right, you know,” Lois continued. “I no longer need you to tell me the truth. And do you want to know why? Because I no longer care! Clark Kent. Superman. It’s all just a lie. A scam to get what you want. Well, you’ve got me last night. I hope your collection is now complete. Good bye, Clark Superman Kent.”
Clark was stunned. So completely stunned he didn’t even object as Lois pushed him aside and stormed out of the conference room.
**********
Lois rushed towards the ladies room. She had fully intended to turn this into another lesson for her ex-partner. It didn’t matter what she had thought earlier about making sure he wouldn’t fall on his sword. She really no longer cared what he did. And if she actually managed to lock herself into the bathroom before the tears came, she might even convince the rest of the world, too.
’I am your friend, Lois’, Clark’s statement echoed through her mind.
A friend! He had actually dared to call himself a friend. After everything that had happened. After all the lies he had spun. And he still had the audacity to call himself a friend! Well, she was done with friendship. She had done quite well before he had wiggled himself into her life, thank you very much.
Lois had finally managed to reach the bathroom and locked herself into the next best stall available. It was only when she sat down that Lois noticed she was sitting in the same stall she had used yesterday in her little performance for Clark. But it didn’t matter anymore for she could let her tears flow freely at last. And once she was done crying, she would go to Perry and tell him she would go solo again. Lane and Kent was the past and Lane would be the future.
**********
Clark was still staring at the glass door slowly swinging back after bouncing off the door frame. He had blown it. He had had it all and he had blown it. And the most ironic part of it was that it wasn’t even because she had been drugged last night. Or because he had given in to his desires. No, it was because he had only confessed his love and not his identity, the one thing he had actually intended to do yesterday, only in reverse.
Looking out through the open door, he took a deep breath, and made his way back to his desk. He could figure out what to do next out there just as well as he could in here. Clark had only made a few steps when he became aware of the now familiar sound of ragged breathing. Clark was about to cry out in frustration when he realized the sound had a sobbing quality to it.
Pulling his glasses down, he sought out his partner. And there she was, sobbing inside the women’s bathroom. Clark was torn. Should he go to her, or would his presence make things even worse? And why was she crying? Was it because of last night or because she had basically told him to go to hell? Taking a deep breath to steel his nerves, Clark decided he couldn’t possibly make things any worse and headed for the bathroom himself.
**********
“Lois? I know you are in there. Please, may I come in? We need to talk,” Clark probed after pushing the door open a couple of inches.
There was no reaction, so he decided to be a bit more forward.
“Excuse me! Is there anyone else in there? I need to talk to my partner, and she has locked herself in.” Clark waited a few seconds, before calling again. “I’m coming in now, okay?”
>>Well, here goes nothing,<< he thought to himself while pushing the door open all the way and stepping into the women’s bathroom.
“Go…” *Sniff* “…away, Clark!” *Sob* he heard Lois muffled voice.
“Lois, I know you are hurting, but we can’t leave things like this. Please, let me at least help you through this.”
“Wha-?” *Sob* “What are you saying? First you lie to me. Then you do me. Then you take off. And finally you offer your help? Go to HELL, Clark!” Lois screeched the final words.
“Lois, please don’t do this.”
Suddenly the stall door swung open and he was faced with the tear-streaked face of his partner. If they still were partners, which he had begun to doubt very seriously.
“What, the crying or the screaming? You afraid of your precious image, *Clark*? But rest assured, I don’t need to give the newsroom another story on Lois Lane’s bedroom performance. You know, I’m not particularly fond of sewer gossip.” Lois grabbed his tie before she continued. “And if I ever hear a word about last night in the grapevine, I *will* find myself some Kryptonite. Got it? Now, get the hell out of my life!”
Clark actually found himself pushed against the wall from the shove Lois had given his chest when she released his tie and turned for the sink to get cleaned up.
At least now he had his answer. Yes, he had most definitely been able to make things worse.
**********
Letting his shoulders drop and his head hang in a defeatist posture, Clark pushed through the door back into the newsroom. He hadn’t even taken two steps when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
“Clark? Now did I just see you exit where I think you exited?”
“Perry!?” Clark was clearly surprised to have been caught like this, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. “Yes, I just came from the bathroom. I had to talk to my partner and-“
“*Ex*-partner!” interjected the venom-dripping voice he barely recognized as Lois’.
“Lois? What is going on here?” their editor asked, obviously not understanding the finer details of their current state of affairs. Which was probably a good thing, come to think of it.
“Nothing, Perry. Everything is just *fine*. But Clark here will write the story on the ‘high speed conspiracy’ on his own while I do some research on a *real* story.”
“Lois?” the editor started.
“Lois!” Clark hissed. “I thought you weren’t going to-“
“Clark-,“ Perry tried again.
“You want to talk about it right here next to the toilet and right in front of our boss!? You really want to?” Clark tried to reason.
What was Lois up to now? She had just told him she wasn’t going to tell anyone and here she was, blabbing on to their editor.
“Hey, it’s not my fault this has become the new meeting area. And I can write anything I want about our resident *superhero*. Right, Chief?” Lois shot back defiantly.
“Lois, you know-”
“CLARK! LOIS!” their boss bellowed. “Both of you! My office. Now!” And he turned to stride back to his office, his behavior making it clear that he expected them to follow.
**********
“Lois, what are you doing?” Clark whispered in her direction while following alongside her as she rushed across the newsroom.
“Telling a story, Clark,” she hissed back.
“You know that I-“
Clark couldn’t get anything else out as they had reached the lion’s den, where a particularly irritated king waited for them, leaning against his desk.
“Close the door, Clark, and take a seat. Both of you!” Perry said, while glaring in their direction.
“Now, I don’t know what is going on between the two of you, but I won’t have it disrupt my newsroom. You’re a writing team and I’m the one to decide whether or not that changes. Got that into that stubborn head of yours, Lois?” Perry began while fixing his partner with a stern glance.
Clark’s left eyebrow rose noticeably. Perry was actually dressing Lois down instead of him.
“And if your partner has a worthwhile story on one of our city’s greatest heroes, I want *both* of you on it. That clear, Kent?” Perry concluded after shifting his focus to Clark.
Now his second eyebrow joined its twin in their race for his hairline.
“Perry, please, this is not a story you would want to print,” Clark tried to intervene.
“You the editor around here, now?” Perry turned around from where he was leaning against his desk to pick up the nameplate. “Hm, reads ‘Perry White – Editor in Chief’ No, sorry, Kent, looks like I am still in charge around here. So tell me, Lois, what is this story you were talking about that makes my assignment oh so unimportant.”
“Uh, well, you see, Perry. I learned from an anonymous source that Superman had sex last night, and-“
“What!? Lois, this is not the National Whisper or the Dirt Digger. What is it our business if he… Oh, wait, it’s about you, isn’t it? Lois, Honey, I know that Superman has a special place in your heart, but you can’t just let your jealousy steer you away from your journalistic-“
“If you dare say ‘integrity’ next, then I’ll quit right now!” The hissing was back. “This isn’t about me and Superman. This is about Superman and the values he is supposed to uphold. And if he is no longer able to do so, it is our *duty* to tell the public. After all, all we have is *his* integrity to keep us safe from his powers.”
Clark couldn’t believe it. She was actually going to splash him across the front page. Only now it looked like it wasn’t his secret she wanted to splash, it was his moment of weakness.
“Okay, Lois. So what is this story about?” Perry asked, and Clark was sure their editor was only partly trying to pacify his ace reporter.
“As I have said before I was so rudely interrupted,” Lois began to relegate her story, daring their boss to stop her again, “Superman had sex last night. Only now it turns out that there is suspicion that the woman he had sex with was drugged at the time.”
Clark groaned.
“Lois, do you realize what you are saying? Do you have proof?” Perry asked with doubtful look on his face.
“I? No, I don’t have proof. But I know for a fact that *he* has proof.” Lois concluded with her thumb pointed towards him.
“Clark? Is this true? Do you have proof of Superman taking advantage of a woman in that way?” Perry enquired of him with an incredulous look on his face.
“I... This is… It’s only circumstantial, Perry, and he didn’t know. Do you really want to print this story?”
“Clark, I don’t even know the whole story yet. Why don’t you hand me the proof and we will decide once I know all the facts?”
>>Just what was Lois up to? She couldn’t really be thinking about writing this. It would ruin her reputation as well as Superman’s.<< Clark thought while trying to figure out a way to shunt this line of questioning once and for all.
And then he remembered Lois’ earlier words to him about keeping shut. And he thought about how she would never live it down should the details of last night become public knowledge. True, she was currently working on making him spill the beans, but at the same time Clark couldn’t believe she would be at all happy if he told Perry all the gory details he had in regards to proof. He had to come up with a solution that would allow them both to safe face. But if it took Lois down a notch in the process, well, he could live with that after all the ruckus she had been causing this morning. So he took a deep breath and decided to hand the cards to Lois, hoping for both of their sakes she still had at least enough sense left not to call his bluff.
“I’m sorry, I can’t. Why don’t you ask Lois to produce her witness first? If she steps forward, I’m sure Superman would be willing to do so as well. But I do not believe this is a story that should be printed.” Clark crossed his hands in front of his chest, hoping to portray an unwavering and defiant image to the woman next to him as well as their boss.
“Well, you are my two top reporters and the best friends Superman is known to have in this city and yet you are diametrically opposed on this issue. So either you are lying, Lois, or you, Clark, are trying to protect a friend even if it would compromise your journalistic integrity. And I have to decide which it is.”
Shaking his head, Perry went around to his chair and sat down with a heavy sigh.
“Okay, I’ll tell you what. Since I can’t force you to yield your evidence on this matter, Clark, I don’t have anything else to go on. Lois, I’m sorry, but you know I can’t let you print something like this without substantial proof. And given Superman’s reputation, you would need something rock-solid for proof. I guess even if you produced your witness, no matter how credible she were, you would still need proof, too. So for now, you will just have to make do with the ‘high speed conspiracy’-story. And before I forget it: I do *not* want to hear another word about being ex-partners or you can both look for jobs at the Star.”
Lois and Clark could only stare back at him.
“What? You have a story to write, so get goin’!” their editor growled, wildly motioning for them to get back to work.
Clark wasn’t really sure what he was supposed to do or say. But it certainly looked like fate had given him a reprieve. And he wasn’t going to let it go to waste. Which did not by any chance mean he would let his out-of-control partner off the hook. Or out of his sight.
But he truly had to hand it to Anonymous. He had never seen it coming, and yet here he was sitting with the only woman he had ever loved and she despised him enough to even forgo her own journalistic values in order to get back at him.
**********
“Fine,” Lois snarled, before getting up and storming out of the Chief’s office. She hadn’t really planned for this scene but the bastard had just called for it. Calling her his ‘partner’ in front of their boss! This was beyond presumptuous. And then he had refused to back her up in front of Perry and just hand over the letter.
Which had probably been a good thing given how she had stated her name on the sheet. This could have been awkward in front of Perry. But he could still have backed her up, told the Chief he believed her. That Superman had confessed to him, or something. But no, he had chosen to lie again. Actually, he hadn’t. The bastard had wiggled himself out of there like the slick snake he was. But did this mean he still tried to not lie, unless it was in order to protect his secret? Only one way to find out. And she might even get a story out of it. Okay, not necessarily one she could print – even if she proved all the facts – but a story was a story and it would give her something to sink her teeth into.
Lois’ conspiring thoughts were rudely interrupted by a walking butt dragging her into the conference room.
>>That’s twice in one morning. But if he wants to have round two right now, I’m happy to oblige.<<
“What is wrong with you, Lois!?” Clark threw in her face once he had the door closed behind them. “You really think it’s a good idea to talk about our issues in front of Perry? And I thought you didn’t want to end up in the grapevine!”
>>Yes, the bastard was definitely up for round two.<<
“The grapevine has nothing to do with this. This is between my anonymous source and Superman. *You* and *I* are not involved in this, we only report the news.”
“*News*? You call this *news*? Lois, I have absolutely *no* idea who drugged you,” Clark stood in front of her, his arms stretched out as if it explained everything. “All I know is that you threw yourself at Superman like a completely crazed-out groupie and-”
“If you say ‘I couldn’t help myself’, I’m going to test my knee against your groin. I might need a new patella afterwards, but it will be worth it,” Lois fired back, her right index finger posed right in front of his nose.
“Now-”
“And just what were you thinking, *Clark*? ‘Gee, Lois is all worked up over my flashily suited butt, she must really mean it this time’?”
“To be frank, Lois, yes, that’s almost exactly what I thought,” Clark shot back while crossing his arms in the face of her frontal assault, before he continued. “Only, it was not your signals during the day that convinced me you were serious, it was your words this evening. Do you remember them? You talked about Superman being an actual person. That you are in love with the whole me and not just the suit.”
“That’s ‘was in love’ – past tense – you BASTARD!” Lois raised her voice noticeably on the last word. “And just so you know, you still lied to me because it suited you. You must have been awfully smug about it, haven’t you? You got to do me and you didn’t even have to tell me the truth. Talk about eating the cake and having it, too.”
“Are we back to this argument again? Haven’t I apologized enough already?”
>>He’s got to be kiddin’ me.<<
“Apologized? *Apologized*!? When have you apologized? You have wiggled. You have stammered. You have denied. And you have begged. But I certainly don’t remember you apologizing.”
“I… I haven’t?” Clark actually took a step back, bumping into the conference table while he let his arms fall to his sides in a defeated posture.
Lois kept her stance, raising an eyebrow as if to urge him to continue.
“You are right. This morning… everything was such a mess, but that’s no excuse. So please let me say it now. I *am* sorry, Lois. I am *so* sorry. I know I should have told you. I had *planned* to tell you last night but things got sort of away from me.”
“You do know what they say about plans, don’t you. And I will have you know, I don’t care about what you had planned. You lied to me. Over and over until you finally had me where you wanted me. But that’s okay. Really, it is.”
“No, Lois, it’s not okay and we both know it. That is what this argument is all about. So please, let’s talk about it.”
Lois had to fight hard to keep the grin locked up inside her when she heard his begging voice.
>>Gotcha!<<
**********
“You want to talk about it? That’s so wonderful, *Clark*. Come on, let’s sit down for this.”
Clark wasn’t sure what Lois was up to, but he didn’t like the glint in her eye. In fact, she had a decidedly wicked gleam about her, as she pulled out the chairs, patting one for him to sit on.
It was only when he had sat down that he became completely aware just how dire the situation really was, for Lois had grabbed a legal pad and a pen, getting ready to take notes.
>>Exactly like when she is about to begin an interview. Only it is just the two of us in here.<<
“So tell me, Superman, have you finally decided to explain your actions of last night?”
Clark blinked. Twice. Was she serious?
“Lois, what…”
“No, please, let me finish the question first. Is it true that you have lied and used your public image as Metropolis’ greatest hero to mislead a young woman into sleeping with you? And is it further the truth that you are in doubt about her being capable of rational thought at the time?”
Lois was actually smiling at him engagingly, as if she truly expected an answer to her questions.
“Please, Superman, answer my question,” Lois encouraged.
“Lois, I am not going to answer something like this.”
“Why, Superman? If it is not true, then all you have to do is deny it. And you are *Superman*, standing for truth and justice. Everyone would believe you if you denied it. Unless of course, it were the truth. Is it the truth, Superman? Please, the public has a right to know just how much of their hero really is the truth and how much is just a façade.”
“Lois, stop this farce! I am not going to give you a Superman exclusive on what happened last night.”
“There is no farce, Superman. I am just asking you a question and expecting an answer. But if you are unwilling to provide me with the truth on this subject, I can always print the whole story. And given how many facts I have on this, I doubt anyone would not believe this piece when I am done. Especially given how it *is* all true.”
Lois concluded her retort with the pen pointed straight at his chest and Clark finally had enough. Jumping up, he turned Lois’ chair so its back was to the table, with Clark’s hands resting on either side of her, his face only inches from her own.
“You want to tell the world about me?” he hissed back at her. “Okay, fine! Go ahead and tell them and you will have ruined not just my life, but that of my parents and any and all of my friends’. And, oh yeah, yours too, Lois. And that’s just because of the criminals that will be coming after you. Or have you already forgotten about what you told me in the john? Are you really ready to tell everyone how you have made love with me last night?”
Not giving her much time to respond beyond shrinking a bit into the chair’s back, Clark continued. “Yeah, didn’t think so,” he concluded, stepped back, leaving behind a wild-eyed woman with a racing heart.
**********
Was she ready to tell the world all about Superman? No, of course not. But this didn’t mean she was above using it as blackmail material to get her bastard of a partner to cooperate. And what had he done instead of folding?
The bastard had called her bluff! And then he had raised the stakes by warning her he would tell about their night of pas-, he would brag to everyone how he had done Lois Lane, too, if push came to shove. Had he no sense of decency at all? Why couldn’t he just fold like the spineless heel he was?
Noticing how he had taken a step back again, Lois took a deep breath before taking stock of her situation. She had placed her all of remaining chips on her Pocket Aces and she had lost. And she hadn’t just lost the game; she had lost the whole championship. She wasn’t ready to tell the world about him being Superman. She would never be ready, and now he knew it, too.
And she hated him for taking away this last bit of leverage in addition to all the other things he had done to her. Why couldn’t she just stop caring for his sorry butt? Why couldn’t her hatred be enough for her to stop caring? Why couldn’t she just take this hatred and forge it into a new set of iron gates to guard her heart like she had done with her previous disasters? And why did she have to realize that the god she had thought existed beneath the cape and the spandex was a mere mortal?
>>A mortal who really was just another man,<< she reminded herself. She did not want another *man* in her life. She had had enough men in her life. She wanted to be free of him. She had told him so earlier in no uncertain terms. And he hadn’t taken the hint but had made things even worse instead.
Just what else could she do to get him to leave her alone, except perhaps tell him exactly that? Perhaps he had at least enough decency left to simply leave her alone if she told him to.
**********
“Please, Clark, why can’t you just leave me alone? I can’t deal with this. I can’t deal with you. I didn’t want any of this. Can’t you accept that?” Lois begged, her eyes threatening tears once again.
“No, Lois, I can’t accept it. You can’t just switch love off. And I saw it in your eyes last night. I saw it when you convinced me about your feelings for Superman, and I saw it again when we were together. There was love involved. We *made love*. And I can’t let this go to waste because I made a mistake, because I let myself get carried away.”
“I don’t *love* you, Clark. Don’t you get it? I don’t love you! I don’t want you! And when I look at you, all I see is the reminder of the worst mistake of my life.”
And now something made a connection inside his mind and the conclusion was devastating.
“So that’s it. You don’t love me?” Clark queried.
“No, I don’t,” Lois answered with quivering lips.
“Then what was last night about? When you told me you love me.”
“I told *Superman* that I loved who he was. And now…”
“And now?”
“Now I know that Superman doesn’t exist. What is left for me to love?”
Clark wanted to retort. Wanted to tell her he was still there. Just wearing a different suit. But he knew it didn’t matter. Lois really had only wanted Superman. Not her reporter friend but the infallible hero. It looked like her declaration from last night didn’t matter in the light of day at all.
“Only what you see, Lois. Only what you see. But I get it. The ordinary man is not enough for you. But do you think you can find it in your heart to at least remain civil from now on? I don’t want to fight with you.”
Clark watched warily as Lois sat there, looking at him with eyes that didn’t convey any feelings at all, before she answered.
“Fine. As long as you stay away from me, I’ll keep up the pretense. But make no mistake. We are no longer partners. I can’t work with a liar.”
“But Perry-”
“Perry? What about Perry? I don’t care about what Perry says. His bark is worse than his bite and he most certainly won’t force a partnership that yields no results. And as for now, I suggest you get onto that highway article and I’ll go to back to my desk. You can send the article over to me so I can fix it when you are done.”
And with those biting words Lois stood up and pushed past him and out of the conference room. Only this time she really went back to her desk with composed steps. Clark let out a defeated sigh and let himself slump into the vacated chair.
**********
tbc
