Anyone who has read "Switch" and/or "Not Again" by Kipp, based on RodStewFan's "Switch", will recognize elements of those stories in this one. I wrote to them, wheedling for permission to play with their idea. My deepest gratitude to them both for their creativity and their graciousness in allowing me to use their brainchild. I've since learned that there's at least one other story with a similar theme, but I must shamefacedly admit that I haven't read it. Hopefully this is a different take from anyone else's.
My heartfelt thanks go out to alcyone, Jenn, and DJ who all read early versions of the first two/three parts of this story and offered insightful suggestions and welcome nits. Real life prevented me from working on this for long stretches of time and seemed to swallow up my betas as well, so the remainder of the story is me flying solo. With no hand to guide me, this turned out as a string of vignettes (aka the author's half-baked daydreams about the characters inflicted on the unsuspecting reader). If you're looking for WAFF, you're in the right place. If you want intricate plotting, you should probably stop reading now.
I must disclaim that, while the characters and some of the dialogue are taken directly from L&C: TNAOS, no copyright infringement was meant. I did it all for love. And feedback.
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Ricochet 1/10
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"Hindsight--." HG Wells looked down at the hat in his hands, turning it slightly as he struggled for words. "It really is nearly perfect."
The silence that followed this remark felt awkward, so Wells bowed his head in deference and tried again to explain. "It seemed so simple. Alter one little detail, speed up the process, just a bit, and you can effect a change for the better. So that's what I did."
"You did more than that," his companion answered, their tone of voice flat. "You changed more than a 'detail'." The last word was spoken with something approaching scorn. "You changed everything."
"It was for the better," Wells persisted. "Once I realized what one little detail changed, how the wheels were set into a new motion, I saw that countless people could be spared terrible pain. I only meant to change one thing. I hadn't counted on the domino effect being quite so-- far-reaching."
"So what was the one change?"
Wells cleared his throat nervously. "Yes, well, you see, each time I looked at the larger picture, the problem always started with Lex Luthor…"
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1998
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It wasn't the first time she had been transported, so Lois knew immediately what was happening. It was, however, the first time she had been moved without any kind of a warning first. During the first moment or two, as the room turned black around her, she had the presence of mind to drop her purse onto the bed and close her eyes. She had learned through sorry experience that a person didn't want to be holding anything when going through a time window. She closed her eyes to counteract the dizziness that traveling this way invariably caused.
And then, almost as quickly as the sensation had started, it was over. She was standing on a sidewalk, across the street from the Third Precinct. That's good, Lois told herself. You know where you are, the question is when are you?
One of the nearby storefronts had a large display advertising Valentine's Day specials and the air was certainly more frigid than the early spring evening she had left behind. Lois rubbed her arms and wished her sweater was a little more bulky.
An elderly man in a wheelchair stopped just short of hitting her and offered an apology in a warbling voice. "Oh, excuse me, miss."
Lois froze. There was something familiar about the man - about this whole situation - the weirdest sense of déjà vu. When he spoke again, she realized with horror that she knew exactly when she was.
"Lois Lane," the man cackled in delight. "Imagine my good luck, running into you two days in a row. You know, I have something for you. Information about Lex Luthor--" He began to back his wheelchair into the alley behind him. "And the woman who stole his body."
It was Lex. Horrified and fascinated at the same time - and trusting that history would repeat itself - she followed him into the alley.
"Do you know the story of the phoenix?" he asked.
Irritation shot through her. Lex had always done this - the big gesture, the hokey story, layers upon layers of deception. Already impatient with his antics, she blurted out, "What do you want, Lex?"
For a moment or two he was taken aback - no doubt disappointed that he wasn't going to be able to dramatically expound upon his miraculous resurrection. Then he stood up, ripping away the latex from his face. "And they claim that love is blind," he said smoothly, still pulling at the mask. "I should have known that your heart would still recognize me."
Lois shook her head emphatically. "I don't love you."
Lex paused in his advance toward her, tilting his head playfully as he considered her. "I've fallen from grace, haven't I? I can see it in your eyes. But surely a creature of such abundant benevolence would allow me the chance to redeem myself."
"No," Lois said firmly and turned to walk away.
Fast-as-that, his hand was gripping her arm, squeezing so hard her fingers began to tingle.
"Let go of me," she ordered through clenched teeth.
"Everything I did," Lex replied, a furious edge to his voice, "Everything. It was all for you. You said 'yes' to me, Lois. You promised to be my wife."
"Wrong. I said I couldn't be your wife. Now let go of my arm or I'm going to scream so loud that every cop in a ten-block radius, plus Superman, shows up to arrest you."
He released her and took a step backward, into the shadows of the alley. She could no longer see his face but the malevolence in his voice was unmistakable. "This isn't over, my love."
Lois turned and walked swiftly in the opposite direction, darting into the street and holding up one hand to forestall the traffic as she made a dash to the police station on the other side.
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Perry was waiting at the bottom of the ramp when Lois got to the Planet. "Are you okay, darlin'?"
"Sure. Fine," she said briskly. That wasn't true. She felt jumpy and confused. The more she thought about being in a world where Lex was alive and on the loose, the more the panic started to bubble up inside her. Where was HG Wells to explain why she was here? Or was this some cruel joke that Tempus was playing on her?
"You don't look fine," Jimmy countered. "You look kinda pale. And when did you get your hair cut?"
"I like your hair." Clark was standing in the doorway to the conference room and he gave her a smile. "It's very chic."
Lois absentmindedly patted her hair. "Thanks," she said softly, fighting the urge to stare at Clark. He was wearing his old glasses and his hair was longer. And his tie - ugh. It was two ugly ties merged into one. The top was a garish geometric pattern while the bottom was inexplicably a solid glossy black. That tie had been one of the first she had thrown out under the guise of making room in his small closet when they were newlyweds.
"Both of you, get in there now." Perry waved at the conference room. "We need to figure out where this story's headin'."
Lois followed Clark into the conference room and sat down across the table from him. The sense of déjà vu she had experienced in the alley only increased as she listened to Clark explain that his trip to the bomb squad had turned up no solid leads. The plastic explosives and triggers that had been stolen were versatile enough to be used for just about any kind of demolition.
Hadn't they used all those explosives to free Rollie Vale? Was that why she was here? Was she supposed to make sure that Vale didn't escape?
Jimmy set a mug of tea down in front of her. "So what did Luthor say he wanted? Besides you, I mean?"
Perry had been pacing the room, but he now rounded back toward them and gave Jimmy a cautioning look. "It looks like your only solid lead for finding Luthor is Bender."
"Bender!" Lois sat up straighter in her chair as the memory of the hapless attorney's murder came back to her. "We have to warn Bender!"
"Warn him about what?" Clark asked and unconsciously adjusted his tie.
"Lex is going to have Bender killed. Tomorrow morning."
"Lex told you that?" Perry asked, incredulous.
"Uh, no, not exactly." Lois stood up. "I'm going down to the marina to talk to Bender. Clark, are you coming?"
"Of course." Clark pushed himself back from the table.
"Excellent. You two get down there and make sure that Bender talks to you," Perry directed. "You stick to him like flies on a t-bone until I say differently, you hear?"
Clark hesitated and turned back. "What if he leaves town?"
"Then you leave town with him. Round the clock surveillance, that's what I'm talking about. If he stayin' there at the marina, you two can bunk up at Butch Kennebrew's place. He keeps a little hideout down there."
"But--," Clark started to say and it dawned on Lois that tonight was supposed to have been their first date.
"You got something better to do?" Perry asked pointedly.
Lois looked over at Clark and shrugged. They were never going to make that concert, but there was no good way to tell him so.
Clark sighed. "I guess not."
"Good," Perry said with a pleased smile. "Get going."
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They were riding down in the elevator when Clark asked, "Shouldn't you go back for your coat?"
"Oh, uh," Lois said and thought quickly. "I think I left it at the police station." She shrugged. "It doesn't matter. We're not going to be doing that much walking, are we?" Or, she amended to herself, she probably wouldn't be here long enough for it to matter. Lois glanced around the lobby, but didn't see the fastidiously dressed Englishman lurking anywhere. Where was Wells?
They moved from the lobby into the parking garage and the chill of the evening made Lois wish she hadn't been so insouciant about not having a coat. Luckily the purse in her desk drawer had contained her keys, so at least there was the promise of heat once she got the Jeep started. It was cold enough that she was beginning to shiver.
She was trying to find the right key when Clark took off his coat and laid it over her shoulders. Without thinking she said, "Thanks, sweetie."
Clark let out a surprised chuckle. "Uh, you're welcome."
When she glanced over, he was smiling to himself. How had she managed to ignore that much blatant adoration for two whole years before succumbing to his charms? A pang shot through her as she realized how deeply she already missed the man who was standing next to her.
Lois spent the drive to the marina forcing herself to keep her eyes on the road, but she still indulged in little glances at Clark. Her memories skipped back to those first heady days when they started dating. It had been so exhilarating and frightening to realize that she had found someone she could love and trust without reservation. Again and again her left thumb worried at her ring finger, missing the familiar weight of her wedding ring. She had taken it off at the police station and secured it deep inside the front pocket of her jeans.
She was doubly grateful for his coat once they arrived at the marina. The breeze coming off the river was freezing. They walked along the pier, searching for the 'Sue U'. A light was glowing inside, so Lois climbed aboard and called out Bender's name. There was no answer.
Clark tried the door to the cabin and it opened. "I don't think anyone is home," he said. "Are you sure he was going to be staying here?"
Lois went inside the cabin and looked around. A cup of coffee was sitting on a table; steam was still rising from it. "Maybe he went to get something from his car?"
"How do you know that Luthor is planning to kill him?"
Lois knocked over the coffee mug to distract him. "Oh no!" she exclaimed, grabbing a t-shirt from the back of a chair and dropping to her knees to sop up the liquid. As she stood back up, she accidentally bumped into the table, sending the books near the edge onto the floor as well.
"Maybe we should watch for him from the condo?" Clark suggested. "Before you completely trash his yacht?"
Grateful that he was dropping the subject of Bender, Lois agreed. Clark went back to the car to get the surveillance equipment while she unlocked the condo. As she waited for Clark to return, she stood at the window, watching the vacant yacht. Where was Bender? He should have been there. What had happened to him? Had her altered confrontation with Lex changed his timetable? Was Bender already dead?
She was distracted from her thoughts when Clark came back. "Bender wasn't in the parking lot," Clark told her. "But his Mercedes is still there."
Lois looked out at the yacht again. Where could he have gone? She had never particularly liked Sheldon Bender, but she found herself praying that he was still alive. It was sickening to know that Lex felt as though Bender was nothing but a fly to be swatted. The intensity of Lex's delusions was even more frightening the second time around, if only because she knew that he was going to shatter her life more than once before his own finally ended.
"Hey." Clark's hand touched her shoulder briefly. "What's wrong?"
Lois bit her lip and reminded herself that Clark wasn't her husband yet. She couldn't turn around and cling to him without confusing him. The urge to blurt out the truth was overwhelming. Hey Clark, guess what? I'm from the future. And I'm your wife. Please, would you just hold me for a little while?
What would he say? Would he even believe her? How could she explain to him why she was there when she didn't even know the reason herself? The events of the past couple of hours had left her feeling tired and drained. Again and again her mind replayed the memory of Lex confronting her in the alley. It was frightening and eerie to know that Lex would stop at nothing in pursuit of his twisted dreams and there didn't seem to be a damn thing she could do to change history.
"It was really him," she whispered, half to herself. "Lex. He's alive."
Clark said nothing, but she could feel how close he was. So near and yet so far, she thought ruefully.
"Did something happen that you didn't tell us about earlier?"
She took a deep breath to steady herself. "Lex thinks he's in love with me. He thinks that I still love him. He told me that it isn't over between us." Lois shivered and drew Clark's coat tighter around her. "He's never going to stop, Clark. He's insane and he's obsessed and he's…" Fear welled up inside her, making her next words a broken whisper. "He's never going to stop trying to kill Superman."
Clark's hand touched her shoulder again, this time in a gentle squeeze. The gesture was so familiar and comforting that she instinctively turned to him, throwing her arms around his neck and burying her face in the soft fabric of his shirt. The solid reality of Clark was the perfect antidote to how off-balance she felt. Without hesitation, his arms closed around her. His body swayed, rocking them slightly.
Lois relaxed against him. This, at last, was something she knew. Long before they were married or even dating, from the first time she had turned to him for comfort, she had trusted in and craved the sensation of Clark's embrace.
His hand smoothed over her hair and she sensed his split-second hesitation as he found it shorter. "So what did happen with Luthor tonight?" Clark asked, his voice carefully neutral.
With horror Lois realized how the situation must look to him. She had gone to the police station for a few quick interviews and had returned without her winter coat, wearing different clothes, and with her hair inexplicably shorter. She pulled away so she could look him in the eye.
"Nothing happened, not like that. Lex didn't hurt me. It was just so creepy to see him alive; to find out that he was following me."
Clark's jaw flexed, but he didn't say anything. Lois could tell that he was holding back his frustration that Lex was back from the grave and stalking her. Even worse, nearly everything she had said or done in the past couple of hours had no doubt exacerbated his worries. Clark had been upset enough the first time around. How much worse was it now that she was so altered after her encounter with Lex?
"I--. My hair was cut before I saw Lex," Lois tried to explain. "He had nothing to do with that. And I had already changed clothes." The half-truths felt clumsy, but she wasn't sure she could tell him the whole truth.
Clark's attention shifted to the window behind her. Had he heard something on Bender's boat? Lois turned to look outside. "Is Bender back?"
"I, uh, I thought I saw movement over there," he stammered.
Lois smiled. She had forgotten how clumsy Clark's own half-truths were. For a second or two she hesitated, unsure whether she should mess with history and warn Bender. Was the lawyer fated to die? But how could she know what was going to happen and then do nothing to prevent it? Absent any instructions from HG Wells, she was just going to have to wing it.
She touched Clark's arm. "Let's go talk to him."
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1995
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Lois was mentally surveying her closet as she crossed the street in front of the Third Precinct. Tonight was a big night - huge, actually. In another two hours she'd be on a date with Clark. Every time she thought about it - and she had thought about little else for the past twenty-four hours - her stomach seemed to be riding its own personal roller coaster. Up, down, sideways, loops. But always with the mental scream of "wheeee!" at the thought of being the center of Clark's attention for a few, hopefully uninterrupted, hours.
She was stepping on to the curb when she suddenly began to feel odd, almost dizzy. She took one lurching step to the side and then the world went black around her. Had she fainted? There was a distant roaring noise and then, inexplicably, she was standing in a bedroom. The bed's headboard was identical to her own, but there was a man's jacket lying on the comforter along with a purse. The contents of the purse had spilled and there was a wallet flipped open to reveal the driver's license inside. The picture looked like her, albeit with shorter hair. After a quick glance to establish that she was alone, wherever she was, Lois picked up the wallet and her eyes focused on the name.
"Lois Lane Kent"
Lois blinked, but the picture and the name remained the same. She pulled the license out of the wallet and held it up to the light, tilting it to ascertain its validity. The watermark for New Troy flashed at her. It looked like the real deal.
Where the hell was she? How had she got here? Why had someone faked a driver's license to make it look like she was married to Clark?
Still clutching the license, she turned in a small circle and looked around the room. There was one of her sofas against the wall. Pictures exactly like the ones hanging in her bedroom were on the wall behind it. A small television sat on a console opposite the foot of the bed. She took a step towards it, frowning as she realized that this TV had the same crack in the frame above the screen as the one in Clark's living room.
A man's wallet was lying on the console next to the television and she snatched it up to look at the license inside.
There was Clark's picture and name. His address was not on Clinton Street, though. She lifted her bogus license and compared them. Both showed the same address on Hyperion Avenue.
Lois took an unsteady step backwards and her heel bumped against something. Startled and unsure of herself, she stumbled sideways, banging her elbow hard against the console before she landed on the pair of men's dress shoes that had tripped her.
"Ow, dammit," she moaned to herself. What kind of daydream involved actual pain?
What if this wasn't a daydream?
She stood up again, her hand rubbing her elbow to soothe it. No way, she told herself. This couldn't possibly be real. It made no sense. Why would someone kidnap her and bring her here? Lois tried, but she couldn't remember anything past leaving the police station.
Her spine stiffened as she sensed that someone was behind her. An arm wrapped around her waist just as she felt the heat of someone's breath tickle the back of her neck.
"Miss me?" a man's voice asked, low and sultry. The solid length of a very masculine body pressed intimately against hers. "Now where were we?"
Lois was shocked into immobility. Obviously, this couldn't be real, no matter how authentic it felt. She glanced down, taken aback when the man's other hand landed oh-so-casually beneath her breast and then crept higher. His arm was clad in a bright blue spandex sleeve - a lot like--, oh god, this was the weirdest daydream ever - married to Clark and being felt up by Superman.
"Superman!" She wriggled loose of his embrace and turned around.
Superman looked her up and down in a possessive way that made her knees that much weaker. His fingers brushed the ends of her hair and he grinned. "Are we indulging in a little revisionist history tonight?"
"What?" She was almost breathless with confusion and anxiety. Real! Her mind echoed the word over and over. This felt so incredibly real.
"Why are you wearing a coat?" Superman asked in a teasing tone of voice. "Did you want me to take you flying first?"
"First?" she echoed weakly. Her brain made the leap of logic. First. Before they-- oh god! He couldn't be serious.
His hands took hold of her hips and pulled her close against him so that he could nuzzle her neck. "I love the wig," he whispered to her. "Where did you get it?"
"Wig?" She put her hands flat against his chest to push him away. "Superman, what are you talking about?"
His laugh was a low rumble just below her ear. "You're serious? Are you going to call me Superman the whole time?"
"What else would I call you?"
He seemed to hesitate for a moment. Then he moved one hand, smoothing it over the back of her head before taking hold of her hair and giving it a soft tug.
"Superman?" she asked, absolutely confused.
Superman took a step back, his expression frozen in shock. "Lois?" His gaze dropped to her ankles and then he looked up, his eyes wide and full of concern. "It's really you."
"Of course it's really me. Who else would I be? What's going on?"
"What day is it?" He looked worried and it sent a ripple of fear through her.
"Friday," she answered.
"No, I mean what's today's date?" he asked her urgently.
"February tenth," she replied slowly, absolutely baffled by the question.
"What year?" he pressed.
Bewildered, she answered him anyway. "1995."
He took a few steps back and held his hands up as if to show that he meant her no harm. "Lois, I'm so sorry. I didn't realize that you--. Well, I apologize."
"Superman, what's going on?"
"I'm not sure," he said after a few seconds thought. "But today is March 24, 1998."
Lois gaped at him. If it had been anyone else she would have laughed in their face, but this was Superman and, while he had been rather free with the use of his hands, it was inconceivable that he would play such an outrageous joke on her.
So, if this was the future… Lois looked at the wallet on the bed. 1998. Lois Lane Kent. 1998. Lois Lane Kent.
"Oh my god," she said softly. "I marry Clark?"
Superman ran one hand through his hair and looked away. The gesture was so much like Clark when he was struggling for words that her breath caught in her throat. Her knees wobbled as the realization hit Lois hard. It was 1998. She was married to Clark. Superman had tried to become intimate with her in what was apparently her bedroom. Clark was forever running off on the flimsiest of pretexts. Superman was inexplicably nearby whenever she needed him.
… Did you want me to take you flying first? …Are you going to call me Superman the whole time? …What else would I call you?
She took a step backward and her leg bumped into the bed. Superman's bed, her mind whispered. Superman's driver's license. Superman's wife. With new perspective, Lois looked up at the man she had idolized for the past two years. Her entire body felt cold and her voice was a squeak as she asked, "Clark?"
Superman hesitated for a moment and then dipped his chin in a nod. "Yes."
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End 1/10
