Thanks as always go to Carol and Mary Beth for their help with this chapter. And particularly to Beth who BR'ed this and specifically asked for some bonding time between Clark and Superman, which you'll find at the end of this chapter, and was a ton of fun to write.
From Chapter 14
Clark sighed again. “I know. I was the one that asked you to keep your distance, but she won't listen to me and she's about to make a big mistake. I'm afraid that she won't listen to anyone but you.”
Superman thought, trying to determine what mistake Clark could be talking about, but could not. Finally, Clark explained. “It's her father. He's been developing limbs for boxers. Super limbs. Lois wants to write an article exposing him, but I'm afraid.”
“That whoever killed…” Superman tried to remember the man's name. “Allie? Will kill Sam, too?”
Clark nodded. “I tried explaining this to her, but she wouldn't listen to me.”
Superman stood up in surprise. “She wouldn't listen to you? You told her it could get her father killed and she still wants to go ahead with it?”
Clark looked up. This time he was the one who was surprised. “Well… yeah. I figured Superman needed to talk to her. Didn't you do that in your universe?”
Superman nodded his head, “No. In my universe, Lois listened to Clark. That's weird. You and Lois are so much closer than my Lois and I were at this time. I wonder why she won't listen to you.”
“I don't know,” Clark said, running his hand roughly through his hair. “But I'm afraid she won't listen to me and then when her dad is killed she's going to fall apart.”
Now it was Superman's turn to sigh. “Okay, I'll go talk to her. I'm not at all sure what I should say, but I'll go talk to her.”
“Thanks, Superman,” Clark said, his voice warm.
“Not a problem, Clark. You know that.”
Chapter 15
Superman took his time flying to Lois', lost in thought. Just the thought of going over to talk to her had made his heartbeat speed up. He did not want this to be the case, but it was. This Lois intrigued him.
He could suddenly understand the tones Lois, his Lois, used when she talked about the Clark from the other universe. Her words were always deliberate, as if she was trying to shield him from knowing what she really thought, and she spoke softly, in hushed tones, a voice she typically reserved for when she spoke about Chad – the only serious boyfriend she had had before Clark who had not behaved appallingly and broken her heart.
Clark had always understood the subtext of this – Lois had cared about the other Clark, possibly more than she thought was appropriate, and she did not want him to know, for him to feel threatened.
He was afraid that he was falling down the same path with this Lois. Even though their encounters to date had been brief, she reminded him so strongly of his wife, he craved her attention, and when she behaved in ways that did not mesh with his memories of his Lois, rather than be turned off, he was intrigued. He wanted to understand why she behaved differently. What made this Lois different?
But he was also clear on what he was doing here in this world. What his mission was. He was just here until this Clark was ready to take over the superhero persona. He was not supposed to get in the way, and it should not have been difficult to do this. Despite the allure this Lois held for him, there was something about her, some underlying essence that was not his wife. He just did not have the same feelings for her. He was in love with his wife and would give anything to be with her right now. His feelings for this woman, no matter how much she intrigued him, did not even compare.
More than that, he really liked this Clark, and not just in a We're people who share a common background sort of way. This Clark was just a really nice guy and Superman could see himself making the same life choices Clark had made. In some ways, it was surprising they had not. What had made him so sure he could make a life, a permanent life, to work in Metropolis when he had failed so many times before?
Whatever it was, it was a subtle difference between them and it made him feel a bit badly for this Clark that his world seemed a scarier place for him – he was less sure he could survive in Metropolis, less ready to take on the larger than life superhero, and, surprisingly, given the difference in how their relationship was progressing, less willing to take on Lois Lane.
Given that he liked Clark, though, he really wanted to make his life easier. He remembered this time in his own life, the conflicting emotions that always seemed to be present – the exhilaration at spending so much of his time with Lois, the pain of feeling like she did not really know him and worse yet, did not really care, and even worse, watching her idolize first Lex, then Superman and then move back and forth between them, sometimes seeming to idolize them both at the same time.
I'm sorry. I don't think about you in that way… romantically… Clark, you're my best friend. It was a speech that had killed him. At the time, he was not sure how he could possibly recover. If he could do something to prevent this Clark from hearing that speech, he wanted to do it; regardless of the way he felt about this woman.
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She was sitting on the couch when he reached her window. He floated outside for close to a minute before she noticed him. Superman tried not to think about why he had not knocked, why he had wanted to just watch her.
“Superman,” she said as she came to the window, her voice a bit breathless. “How are you?”
“I'm okay,” he replied. “You?”
“Good. Clark and I cracked open a big case today,” Lois replied.
“I know,” Superman sighed. “I wanted to talk to you about that.”
Lois' eyes darkened just the slightest bit. “You talked to Clark.” It was a statement.
Superman just nodded.
“I told him I would think about it.”
“And?” Superman prodded.
“And, I'm still thinking,” Lois said firmly. “But how about you? Are you liking Metropolis?”
“Lois,” Superman replied, hating the pleading sound he heard in his voice. It was weird. It was less like the voice he used when he talked to his wife than the one he used to use when he first met her. He had reverted to old patterns, ones he had thought were long since dead, and worse yet, he was acting like Clark and not Superman around her.
“Oh, come on, Superman,” Lois smiled at him. “You're life is much more interesting than mine.”
“Oh, I doubt that,” he replied. “I think my life is much more boring than you'd ever think.”
“Really?” Lois asked, clearly interested. “Tell me about it.”
“Lois, I came over here to talk about you. Your father.” The annoying pleading sound was there again.
“And we did,” Lois said smoothly. “We've covered it. Now let's move on to something else.”
“I…” Superman floundered. He should leave now. If she was unwilling to talk to him about her father, he should leave. He knew he should.
“So, tell me,” Lois said, edging slightly closer to him. “What's it like for you on a typical day?”
His radar on high alert, he took a small step back. “Is this for a story by any chance, Lois?”
She looked hurt for a moment, and when she replied, her voice was small and repentant. “It doesn't have to be. Not if you don't want me to print it. I just want to know. Really. I want to be your friend.”
Before he knew what he was doing, Superman reached an arm out and touched her hand lightly. “You are my friend, Lois.”
“Really?” she asked, looking almost giddy. When he nodded, she moved closer and wrapped her arms around him. “I'm so happy you think so, too.”
It was just a moment, a brief moment where her body was pressed against him, but it was enough – enough for Superman to feel the stirrings of attraction and for him to remember what he was doing here.
He took a step back, breaking their embrace. “I'm sorry, Lois, but I have to go.”
“Oh,” she said, her voice soft.
“But I'll see you… around,” he finished lamely before leaning over and kissing her cheek.
************************
Jonathan and Martha Kent discussed everything until it was fully resolved. They did not believe in the idea of “live and let lie” for conflict. Conflict must be resolved. And that was how Clark Kent knew at the age of sixteen that what had happened had scared his parents as much as it had scared him. After a brief conversation to tell him that they did not blame him, that they were proud of him for what he had done, the incident was never spoken of again. And so the guilt and the fear of it stayed with Clark. While he traveled, every rescue he did was marred by this early attempt, and every decision to help was marred by self doubt based on what had happened, until eventually Clark could not bear to think about it anymore.
************************
“What the heck did you think you were doing?” she asked as soon as he opened the door.
Clark paused for a moment and in that moment, she moved in more fully, pushing past him to start pacing in his living room while she yelled.
“You had no right,” she continued. “No right at all to tell Superman about my father. Who do you think you are anyway?”
“Your friend?” Clark responded softly.
“No!” Lois nearly exploded. “Friends don't gossip about each other behind their backs. Friends are supportive and…”
“Hey, wait a minute!” Clark could feel himself starting to get worked up, building off of Lois' anger. “I was supportive, and I was worried about you, something else that is common for friends to do.”
“So, you just thought you'd get someone else to convince me I was wrong?”
“Well, I thought…”
“I'm a journalist, Clark. I write the news. Just because you don't like to use your friends and family to get articles doesn't make you right. You need to understand that you've moved into the big leagues now. This is not the Smallville Gazette or whatever, Clark. You're working for the Daily Planet now!”
“I know that, Lois,” he said, his voice tense. “But the news is not the most important thing in my life and it shouldn't be the most important thing in yours. Don't you see what's at stake here?”
Lois took a deep breath, trying to be calm. “This I why I didn't want to discuss this with you. It's my decision. You think just because we've started to become friends that you can get me to do what you want.”
“What? Lois, that's crazy! It doesn't matter how close we are, it would still be your decision,” Clark said, his voice calmer now, taking her hand in his. “I'm just worried…”
“About what?” her voice was gentler than it had been and she sincerely wanted to know what he was worried about.
“I know there's a lot of stuff with your dad. I mean, it was clear when we saw him that you are not exactly joined at the hip, but he's still your father, Lois. I'm just worried that if we write this story and something happens to him, you won't be able to get over it.”
“It won't be my fault if something does,” Lois said, but her words held none of the fire of earlier.
“No, it won't,” Clark agreed. “But that doesn't mean it won't bother you. That it will be easy for you to deal with.”
“I know,” Lois said softly. “I know you're right, but I haven't done that before. I've always put reporting the news above all else.”
“I know,” Clark smiled at her fondly. “And I'm sure that's how you got where you are, but sometimes…”
“I'm sorry, Clark,” Lois said softly. “I'm sorry I didn't listen to you earlier, I just wasn't ready to hear it, and I'm sorry of accusing you of gossiping behind my back.”
Just as she finished speaking, before Clark had a chance to reply, they both heard the whoosh as Superman landed on the balcony. Even before Superman entered the room, Clark could see Lois' body tense. Her back straightened and her face became taut.
Unaware of what he was about to walk into, Superman came into the room, his cape fluttering softly behind him. “Hi, Clark,” he called, his voice cheery. “Oh, hi, Lois!” he said, noticing their guest.
Clark watched the interchange with fascination. He had thought, given her feelings towards the superhero, Lois would reign in the anger he had seen in her body language, but watching her now, it was clear that was not going happen.
“What?” Lois asked, hostility dripping from her words. “Did you come over here to report back to Clark? Don't you two do anything other than gossip about me all day?”
Superman took a step back from her wrath. “Lois,” he said softly, hoping to calm her down.
“I can't believe you!” she said, looking between the two of them. “You both claim to be my friends and yet you…” she broke off, unable to voice the betrayal she felt at knowing they got together to discuss her life in this way. They had both just met her a few weeks ago, they knew nothing about her and yet they felt free to dissect her life?
“It's not like that, Lois,” Clark said, his voice soft and repentant.
“Oh, it isn't?” Lois rounded on him. “Than what is it like, Clark? Huh? Tell me what it's really like.”
“Maybe we should sit down,” Superman suggested. “I'll make us some tea while Clark explains.”
“I don't want tea,” Lois insisted. “I don't want to talk to either one of you right now,” she said as she spun around and headed for the door.
Clark ran over to her, placing a hand lightly on her arm. “Please, don't go, Lois. Let me explain.”
Lois looked at his hand on her arm, then looked at him with fire in her eyes, “Let go of my arm, Clark,” she said, her words filled with ice.
Clark dropped his hand immediately. “Please, Lois. It's not what you think.”
Without even responding, Lois headed out the door. Clark followed her out, catching up with her as she threw her car door open.
“Lois, he wasn't coming to talk about you. He lives here,” Clark said.
Lois slammed her car door in his face. Clark stood there watching her, willing her to look back at him, see that they were not conspiring against her. Lois turned the engine on, staring ahead stone-faced.
For a moment, neither she nor Clark moved and then she whipped her head around to meet Clark's eyes, lowering her window as she did so. “Superman lives here?” she hissed.
“Yes?” Clark answered meekly, wondering why this knowledge did not make things better.
“You think you know me well enough to pass judgment on my life even though you haven't even bothered to tell me you have a roommate, let alone a roommate who is a superhero?”
Clark did not say anything for a moment, not sure how to respond.
“Screw you, Clark!” With that, Lois closed her window and drove away.
************************
Clark walked in dejectedly.
“Everything okay?” Superman, who had changed back into casual clothes, asked carefully. Taking in Clark's form, he added, “I guess not.”
“So,” Clark said, drawing out the word. “You're the one who's married to someone like her. Is it better to give her time to cool off or to try to make her talk?”
“When she's this worked up? It's usually better to wait for her to calm down a little,” Superman said. “Although, to be honest, Lois doesn't calm down well.”
Clark hung his head. “I don't know what to do.”
“I really would leave it alone for now,” Superman told him. “Right now she can't even hear you through her anger.”
Clark sank onto the couch, “Okay,” he said, his voice soft and sad.
Superman looked at Clark, feeling badly for him. He was sorry Lois was angry at them, but imagined it was harder for Clark. “Hey,” he said softly. “Why don't we do something?”
“Like what?” Clark asked, sounding uninterested.
“We could play some hoops?” Superman suggested.
“Yeah,” Clark agreed, sounding only vaguely enthusiastic.
Superman smiled, “It will be fun to play against someone I can play with all my speed.”
Clark smiled in response. “I hadn't thought about that. This will be interesting, but where should we play? We can hardly play a game of pick-up in Centennial Park if we want to be ourselves.”
“Good point,” Superman admitted. “I have an idea. Grab a ball and meet me on the balcony.”
A minute later the two men were in the air, high above the clouds, on their way to Smallville.
They landed in the corn field a few minutes after that and walked to the farm house. Martha came out as she heard them approach.
“Hi, boys! What are you doing here?” she asked as she wrapped Clark in a hug.
“We just came to shoot some hoops,” Superman said, moving over to hug her as well. “Is that alright?”
“Of course it is,” Martha said, “but I'm not sure where Clark's old basketball hoop is.”
“It's in the barn, Martha,” Jonathan said, coming up behind her. “I'll help you set it up,” he offered them, his eyes twinkling. “This should be fun to watch.”
“What?” Martha asked as she followed the men into the barn.
“Don't you remember watching Clark play when he'd come home from college? Zipping around the yard, throwing from out in the cornfield?” Jonathan asked.
Martha giggled, “And now there'll be two of them,” she realized.
Once it was set up, Clark made sure the hoop was set up as high as it could go. “Ready?” he asked Superman.
“Anytime,” came the reply.
Clark started slowly, bouncing the ball at normal speed, but almost immediately the game went into super-mode. Clark went left and Superman shot out to block him, then Clark feigned left and almost before Jonathan and Martha could blink, Superman was blocking Clark on his right.
After a few minutes, Martha and Jonathan went inside. Clark and Superman were moving so fast it was hard to follow what was going on. From where they were sitting in the living room, though, they could hear signs of the game - the ball bouncing outside, the sound of one of them yelling from the cornfield, and more often than in any normal game, the whoosh of the ball going through the basket.
After about an hour, Martha decided to come out and see if they wanted some dessert. In surprise, she realized that neither of them was there. She looked out at the cornfield, but could not see them. They had both arrived in t-shirts and shorts and in dark colors, so she stood there a moment longer, peering into the darkness, hoping to spot them.
“Hey, Mom!” Clark called, nearly right into her ear as he seemed to come out of nowhere to fly right past her and drop the ball through the hoop.
Superman was right behind him, “Hey!” he called.
“We said that was fair play,” Clark reminded him.
“Yeah, but not when I was so far away,” Superman grumbled.
“Hey, it's not my fault you decided to take a detour through Missouri,” Clark laughed.
“I thought you were heading for Springfield,” Superman said.
“Well, you were wrong,” Clark said smugly. “I didn't go any further than Kansas City, Excelsior Springs tops. Barely over the state line.”
“Well, you won,” Superman said good naturedly. “Although next time maybe we should stick with normal rules.”
“What? No flying?” Clark asked, “or no dribbling upside down?”
“You dribbled upside down?” Martha asked.
“Well, we couldn't dribble the normal way, Mom,” Clark explained as if it were obvious. “What if someone saw the ball falling from the sky? So, we threw it up and caught it instead.”
Superman laughed, “It was fun, except when Clark almost hit a satellite.”
“Hey! That was your fault. You bumped into me right as I was aiming.”
Martha laughed at their antics. It was clear the experience had been good for them both. They seemed closer and more relaxed than she had ever seen them together. “Well, we have some ice cream inside if you boys are interested.”
“That would be great, Martha,” Superman said. “But I think Clark and I need to shower first.”
“Yeah, I feel all grimy,” Clark said.
“That's what it feels like to work up a sweat, son,” Jonathan said as he joined them outside.
“Well, I don't like it much,” Clark said.
“Neither does anyone else,” Martha teased them.
