Wednesday, and another part. I hope you enjoy some more family stuff.
Previously in My Wife The Boss:
“I'm glad so many people turned out. I was afraid the weather might put them off, but it's good to know that the people of Metropolis care what happens to their fellow citizens and are so generous to a good cause.”
Thomas' eyes narrowed. “Good cause?”
Sending a glance toward a group of people who were standing along the path leading out of the park, holding collection baskets. “They're taking up a collection for the families of those who died, and for the people who were injured in the explosion.”
“Oh, right.” Thomas hadn't known, and he didn't have much money, but he couldn't alert suspicion. His lantern dropped to his side, almost forgotten, while with his free hand he fished around in his pocket and found some change. “Thanks for reminding me. I'll go and donate right now.”
He backed away toward one of the collectors. “See ya,” he cried over his shoulder, dropping his contribution into the bucket and heading into the throng of people, desperate to make a hasty exit from the one man in Metropolis who could be looking for him.
It was weird. Fate had brought them together.
*****
continued ...
Clark's eyes followed the strange man as he disappeared from view. There was nothing remarkable about the stranger -- average height and weight, thinning hair -- just a middle-aged man in an old gray-and-maroon raincoat and dark trousers, paying his respects to the dead and injured. Even so, Clark would swear the man's heart rate had quickened when they'd bumped into each other.
Still, Clark couldn't be sure. His super-hearing was coming back, but was fairly unreliable in such a crowded place.
“Who was your friend?” Lois asked, leaning as close to his ear as possible, so she could be heard above the noise.
“I have no idea -- just someone I bumped into. I don't think I've ever met him before. Not that I remember, anyway.” he said, his brows knitting together in concentration.
“I don't remember you meeting him either,” Lois agreed, absentmindedly switching off her light-stick. “Though we did work on our own occasionally ... or you could have met him as Superman.” She looked in the direction the stranger had taken, but he'd been swallowed up by the dark. “What makes you think you know him.”
Clark shrugged evasively. “Nothing really. But he kind of reacted strangely.”
“Strangely?”
“I'm not exactly sure, but when he saw who he had collided with, his pulse seemed to start racing.”
Lois' eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “Maybe he was startled, bumping into you unexpectedly. Your dense molecular structure is on its way back, you know.” She ran her hand down his arm, over his firm muscles, her voice becoming softer. “Not that I'm complaining.”
“I'm glad I meet with your approval, honey.” He took his wife's hand, smiling into her upraised face, but he wasn't totally distracted. “Matt, you didn't happen to notice that guy?” he asked, looking past Lois at their son, who was obviously feeling better and was chatting with a group of teenagers. Clark figured they were friends from Matt's school.
“Matt!”
His son turned round at the sound of his name, but it was clear from the puzzled look on his face that he'd been too busy with his friends to even know what his father was talking about.
Matt reluctantly stepped away from the group, no longer holding his light-stick. “Sorry, Dad. Did you want something?”
Given the events of the past few days, Clark was happy to see his son smiling. “It's OK, son. Go back to your friends.”
“No!” Lois interjected, with a quick glance at her watch. “Actually, Matt, I'm sorry, but we have to be at Jame's soon, and we still have to drop the girls off at your grandmother's house.”
Matt's face fell -- and so did that of a young girl standing next to him. “Now?” His head jerked in the direction of his friends. “Uh, we were all going to grab a pizza over at Mario's.”
“Matt, this meeting is important,” Clark remonstrated, though he felt some sympathy for his son. A teenager should be spending time with his friends and not discussing the progress of a criminal investigation. But Matt was no ordinary teenager. “I'm sorry. Perhaps another time.”
Yet, Matt wasn't giving up so easily. “What if I meet you at Uncle Jimmy's? If you have to drop Sara and Vicky off, you'll be a while, anyway, right?” He moved closer to his parents, his voice dropping to a whisper. “I'd really like to spend some time with Melissa. I didn't think I stood a chance with her, but ...” He blushed a little. “I'd really hate to mess this up ... and I promise I'll be at the meeting on time.”
Clark glanced over at Melissa. She was a pretty girl with dark hair and big, serious eyes that reminded him of his wife. But Melissa definitely looked shyer than Lois. Shy and sweet. Clark shook his head silently. He hadn't realized his son was taking an interest in girls. Maybe Matt was more ordinary than he had expected.
He caught Lois' glance. She was smiling almost with relief and nodding her head.
“I guess that would be OK,” Clark said, sending an encouraging look at the waiting girl. “Right, Matt. We'll see you ... say about an hour.”
<And remember, you'll be there as Matthew Kent ... not Jor-El.> Clark changed smoothly to telepathy.
Momentarily, Matt's eyes glinted like granite. “Don't worry, Dad. I won't forget.” Then the grim look faded and he was just another youngster looking forward to spending some quality time with his friends. “Bye, Mom. Bye, guys!” He waved at his sisters. “See ya soon!”
Matt grabbed Melissa's hand and took off like a bullet for the edge of the park, the rest of the group hurrying behind him.
“Did you know Matt had a girlfriend?” Clark asked Lois.
“I think the term girlfriend might be a bit premature, but it's nice to know he's normal. I used to worry he spent too much time at home ... and he sees too much of the bad side of life. Like last week ...” Lois trailed off as she turned up the collar of her wool coat to ward of the cold.
Clark stepped behind his wife to shield her from the icy wind, smoothing his hand up and down her back. “I worry about him too, honey. But I think he'll be fine.”
She looked up at him over her shoulder, her eyes searching his features. “You think?” she whispered. “He's putting on a brave front, pretending nothing is wrong.”
Clark schooled his expression to exude more confidence than he really felt. This was his son, and he couldn't help obsessing over Matt's welfare. “Just like you used to do.” That memory brought a smile to his face and a warm sense of assurance. “Matt will get through this, just as you did. Lois, you brought him up well. You took care of him and gave him the love and strength to do this job. You still do.”
He leaned closer, adding gently, “You sustained Superman and you'll be there for our son. I've never doubted that for a second.”
“Oh, Clark. You always know the right thing to say.” She returned his smile a little tearfully, then she rallied, looking around her. “You know, I think we can dispense with the light-sticks now,” she said, collecting each one and placing them back in her bag, before linking her arm through her husband's. “Melissa's sweet, don't you think?”
“She looks nice,” Clark responded somewhat evasively, still coming to terms with the fact that his son was growing up in every way.
“You know it's not fair,” Sara interrupted huffily. “Why does Matt get to have all the fun and we have to go stay at Grandma and Grandpa's?”
“Because you're both too young to be alone in the city at night, and I doubt our meeting at Uncle Jimmy's will be fun,” Clark replied, shepherding his girls toward the street where the Jeep was parked. “Besides, you always have a good time with your grandparents.”
“Yeah, Sara. They always let us stay up later than we get to do at home,” Vicky announced, almost skipping along the paths, which were beginning to empty of people. The rain was falling in earnest again, sending people scrambling for the warmth of their cars and homes, eager to get out of the storm.
“Perhaps I need to have a word with your grandparents,” Lois said, shaking her head disapprovingly, though Clark noticed the tiny smirk turning up the corner of her lips.
Both girls spoke at once, sounding horrified. “Mom, don't!”
“Then be good, and we won't have to,” Clark said strictly, trying not to let a grin escape and spoil the effect. Tory could wind almost anyone around her little finger and her grandparents were putty in her hands, even if her mother wasn't always. Taking his youngest daughter's hand, his brisk pace became a run. “Come on, lets get out of this rain.”
The family had almost made it to the car when Clark felt a tingle run down his spine and he turned quickly, searching. Behind him lay only the dim and nearly deserted park. He frowned. Had it just been a trick of the light, or had there been someone standing in the shadow of the trees, watching them? If only he had the benefit of his X-ray vision, but that was one power which hadn't yet returned.
*****
Lois pulled into the neat little parking area in front of James' condo, the complex he'd lived in since he split from his most recent girlfriend over a year ago. It disappointed Lois that her friend had never married, his relationship with Penny Barnes having been the closest he'd ever come to marriage. The two had even gotten engaged, but somewhere along the way the liaison had stalled and Penny had grown impatient.
The leggy blond had gone back to college for her master's in language studies, opting to study in San Fransisco. Penny had asked Jimmy to go with her, but the timing had been all wrong, since his career at The Planet was taking off. The couple had tried to hold things together, but the long-distance relationship had sounded a death knell for their romance, and they'd simply drifted apart. Penny now worked overseas and had married another translator some time ago. Lois had been sad to lose her friend, but was happy that Penny had eventually found happiness.
Through the years, James had dated a number of women, and Lois had been hopeful when he'd moved in with Caroline, an IT worker at The Planet; after all, they shared a common interest. But it seemed that relationship, too, had been doomed, and Lois wasn't sure whether it was James' upbringing which had led to a fear of commitment, or the fact that he'd spent too much time trying to be there for her and the kids while Clark had been missing.
Whatever the reason, Caroline had left The Planet and moved out, leaving James on his own once more. Yet Lois couldn't deny that James seemed to take the break-up fairly philosophically. At Thanksgiving, she'd thought that James and Lucy might ... but nothing had happened since, so perhaps he was just destined to be a single guy.
“Nice digs,” Clark said approvingly, looking over the modern building with its balconies and large glass windows. “A big improvement on where he used to live.”
Clark's comments drew Lois from her thoughts. “I'd forgotten you've never visited James at home since you got back. You'll be amazed.” She laughed as she made her way to the entrance. “He even keeps the place clean and tidy these days.”
“Jimmy keeps asking me over to watch a game, but somehow it's easier for him to come over to our house. I should make the effort though.” Clark watched Lois enter the code to unlock the door and followed her through. “I guess Jim has finally grown up ... but I'm surprised he's still single,” Clark echoed her thoughts. “Wasn't there a girlfriend before I disappeared?”
“Yes. Caroline Davis. I thought that might work out, but they broke up about a year ago. Don't ask me why, because he didn't say ...”
Clark's eyes twinkled as he leaned close to whisper in her ear. “Perhaps he's still hankering after Ultrawoman.”
Lois almost choked. “Bite your tongue, Kent. James was just out of his teens back then. He had a crush on someone unattainable ... and I know how that goes. To tell the truth, I think he is happier playing the field.”
“What's this about Uncle Jimmy and Ultrawoman?” An inquiring voice came from the shadows of the foyer as Matt approached.
Lois turned to face her son. “Nothing important. Your father's just teasing.”
“But it's true,” Clark remarked, sounding affronted. “Jimmy, along with half the male population, had a crush on Ultrawoman.”
“Don't exaggerate!” Lois threw a narrow-eyed look at Clark. “People were just grateful she was there to help. Besides, Ultrawoman wasn't real.”
“She was real to me, honey.”
“Yes, but you knew the woman behind the costume. Those others were just dazzled by the powers.”
Clark laughed again. “I doubt it was the powers that attracted them.”
“Mom looked hot?” Matt had seen the pink suit, and while he thought it was cool, it was clear by his wide eyed stare that he had difficulty imagining his mother wearing it.
Clark flashed his wife a broad grin. “Yes she did!”
Walking quickly toward the elevator, Lois decided to put an end to this inappropriate conversation. “Would you two stop? In case you've forgotten, we're here to work.” She hid her smile. “I'm glad you got here on time, Matt. Let's go see if the others have arrived.”
*****
To Be Continued ...
