Reflections TOC Author's note: Now that the groundwork is laid, we will now leave our 'rewrite' section of the pilot and move into the Reflections universe... Reflections
Part 16
Clark stood on the ballroom floor, leaning against a post, and nursing a glass of champagne in his hand. Lois had left him there thirty minutes ago to ‘powder her nose’. He had been watching her for the last twenty-five minutes trying to make her way back to him, but she couldn’t get five steps without some person stopping her for one reason or another. Contrary to his usual habit, he used his powers to eavesdrop on what people said to Lois as they stopped her. He noted that a good percentage of the comments were from men complimenting Lois on her looks. A couple of men even tried to solicit a date with her.
Clark smiled witnessing how Lois smoothly handled each person, ranging from demure thanks for a causal compliment, to the not so gentle rebuffs to offers of dates. She was really something. She was so confident and sure of herself, a walking bundle of strength and guile. Yet he remembered the look she gave him when she had walked out of his bedroom. He had felt his heart skip a beat when he saw the look in her eyes. Yes, she had looked so beautiful when he saw her, but he had seen plenty of beautiful women in his travels. It was that look that had gotten to him. He didn't want anybody to look at him that way again... he didn't want to feel that way again.
"Did you even hear what I asked you, son?"
"Huh?" Clark turned to see Perry White standing next him, apparently trying to talk to him. A nice looking woman about Perry's age was standing at Perry's right side, her hand in his.
Clark shook the cobwebs out of his head, and said, "I'm sorry Mr. White, I didn't hear you. What did you ask me?"
Perry chuckled and shook his head. "I *asked* you what was holding your attention."
"Oh... I was just looking..." Clark vaguely pointed over his shoulder in the area where Lois was approaching.
Perry raised his eyebrows in amusement and looked around Clark to see Lois walking in towards them. "I see. Well, while you're waiting for Lois to make her way back here, I like to introduce your to my wife, Alice, the prettiest gal in the room."
Alice gave her husband a sardonic smile, and playfully smacked him on the arm. "Huh, I bet all those guys talking to Lois wouldn't agree with you."
"Just means that they don't see so good," Perry said, smiling in response. "Darlin’, this is the boy I told you about, Clark Kent. He's already has turned in a front-page story for me. He even wrote it *with* Lois."
Alice looked surprised. "Our Lois? Really? Hmmm... So where are you from Mr. Kent?"
"Um, Kansas, ma'am. And please call me Clark, Mrs. White."
"Only if you call me Alice. So tell me Clark, what did you think about working with Lois?"
Clark didn't know why he always got this surprised reaction from anyone who found out he was working with Lois. He needed to ask Lois about that later. "So far it's been very interesting. And Lois has been great to work with. I've learned a lot in the last couple of days."
"Really?" Alice said softly. "Curiousier and curiouser." Then after a beat. "Kansas, you say."
"Yes ma... Alice. Smallville, Kansas."
Mrs. White seemed to study him with interest. "So are you here by yourself, Clark?"
"No, I escorted Lois here tonight."
Alice smiled in, what Clark could have sworn, was a conspiratory manner. "You don't say." Then after a moment’s contemplation, said, "Smallville, Kansas. Who would have thought? Well it's been very nice to meet you, Clark. You have a good time." She shook Clark's hand, and then dragged her husband out to the dance floor.
Clark was, once again, befuddled at people's reaction to his being with Lois. She seemed so easy to get along with. Maybe some people were intimated because she had such a strong willed personality. Maybe he could see that. A little. Okay, maybe it wasn’t such a stretch of the imagination to think that Lois could intimidate people. And be stubborn. And always think she was right. Now that he thought about it, she could appear to be a little on the high maintenance side to some people. But he could only see the fire in her soul, the passion in her heart when she was going after a story.
He looked up to search for her again in the crowd. She must be getting near by this time, unless she was sidetracked. A flash of lightning through the windows lining the ballroom stairs caught his attention. As he looked at the stairs he spotted the ball's host making his way down, shaking hands and greeting people along the way. For some reason, his smile and good wishes struck Clark as insincere. There seem to be an underlining tone of distain in his voice, as if he were just being nice for show. Interesting.
Just as Lex Luthor reached the bottom of the stairs, a very familiar voice rang out from the crowd, immediately silencing the conversions around its source.
"Lex Luthor! Why haven't you returned my calls?"
Clark saw her as the crowds parted, giving Lois a clear view of Luthor. She stood there, looking defiant and beautiful. To Clark, she literally radiated the power of her personality, daring Luthor not to answer her. He glanced up to see that Luthor looked taken back, but interested in the woman that had garnered his attention.
“Well I won’t make that mistake again,” he could hear Luthor say to Lois. He watched as Luthor walk over to Lois and kiss her hand. For some reason the word 'slither' came to mind. Something about him didn't sit right with him.
“Lois Lane... Daily Planet.”
Luthor led Lois out to the dance floor and started to waltz with her. He decided he should listen in to whatever Luthor had to say to Lois... just in case he needed to help her out at any point.
"So Miss Lane, to what do I owe such persistence?"
"An interview. People are interested in learning about the richest man in Metropolis."
"You can understand my reluctance to speak to the press. Men in my position often get misquoted."
"Maybe, but that wouldn't happen with me. I'm talking about an honest one-on-one interview. No misquotes, no quotes taken out of context."
"Alright then, how about we make it dinner then?" Clark saw Luthor put his cheek against Lois's as they continued to dance. He had the urge to cut in to get her away from Luthor's clutches.
'Luthor's clutches?' Clark thought to himself. 'Boy I must really be losing it. Besides, Lois can take care of herself.' He heard Lois speaking again, and turned his attention back to her.
"That will be fine, Mr. Luthor. How about tomorrow night? I'll pick the place."
"Please, call me Lex. And I’ll be busy tomorrow night, but I can arrange something for the night after. You can come here, and I'll have my chef prepare something special for us. Then you can ask me to share my darkest secrets.”
Clark could hear Luthor’s voice drop into a seductive tone. He had heard that kind of tone used numerous times before, usually by men who had no good intentions for the target of their seductive voice. He slowly made his way toward Lois, without being completely sure what he was going to do when he got there.
As he got closer he could Lois say, “The day after tomorrow then? Would seven fit your schedule?”
“That would be perfect. I’ll have my driver pick you up at your apartment.”
“That won’t be necessary. Besides I won’t know where I’ll be at that time with my current investigations. I’ll be here at seven pm sharp on Monday”. She flashed her best dazzling smile at him to seal the deal.
Luthor stared intently at her for a moment, and then with a sly grin said, “Very well, seven it is.” Just as he started to draw Lois closer to continue the dance, Clark tapped him on his shoulder.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lois just started dancing her victory jig (in her mind, of course), when she heard, “May I cut in?” Lois turned her head and was surprised to see Clark standing there. She would have been furious if he had tried that a few seconds ago before she secured the interview. What was he thinking?
She could she that Lex didn’t quite believe someone was trying to cut into their dance, and she didn’t want him upset enough to change his mind, so she quickly interjected with, “Oh Lex, this is my, um, partner on my current story, Clark Kent. He was supposed to subtly interrupt me if we got an update from the police. Isn’t that right, Clark?” She flash him an overly sweet smile to prevent Lex from seeing her grit her teeth.
Clark, luckily (for him) caught on quickly. “Right. Henderson paged me. We should, um, find a quiet spot to call him.”
Luthor gave Clark a final penetrating glance, and then turned back to Lois with a smile on his face. “Well my dear, I understand, duty calls. Monday, then.” He raised her hand to his lips for a quick kiss, and walked away, to almost immediately engage another guest in conversation.
Lois grabbed Clark by the arm and dragged him away from the dance floor, with the same exaggerated smile. She did not stop until they were out of the ballroom, and away from the rest of the guests. They ended up in the long entryway that led to the elevators. Before Clark could say a word, she spun him around, and through gritted teeth said, “What the hell were you thinking? You just barely missed blowing my chance at an interview with Luthor. Is that not the reason I told you I was coming here this evening?”
Finally allowed to speak, Clark got out, “I’m sorry. I didn’t intend to ruin your interview. And I did wait until I heard him agree to it before I interrupted you. It’s just that he... he...”
“What!”
Clark had to take a moment to think how to voice his feelings. “He was looking at you like you were prey.”
“Come again.”
“I’ve seen that look before on men, on men with no scruples, no morals. Who don’t care about anything but their next conquest. That’s how he was looking at you.”
Lois just stood there a moment, arms crossed, staring at Clark. Finally she said, “Okay, let’s for a moment assume that you were right, and I’m not saying you were, but let’s say you got it right. That still doesn’t give you carte blanche to come barreling in some misguided attempt to save me. I am a ...
“... big girl. Yes, so you’ve told me. But there’s something about Luthor that gets my radar up. I don’t know why, I’ve never really met the man. It’s just a feeling.” Then after a beat, “And I did wait until after you set up the interview.”
“Lucky for you. Still just what do you base these ‘feelings’ on? “
Again Clark needed a moment to decide how to express his feelings. He stuck his hands in his pockets and turned to stare out through the large window in the entryway. As he considered his answer he noticed that his and Lois’s reflection were staring back at him. Looking into her reflection he answered, “I’ve been dealing with that type of person for the last three years. It’s a look unique to them. In some of the African tribes it’s referred to, roughly translated, as the ‘look of the hungry snake’. I know I have no facts to back up this feeling, but still it’s there. I’ve seen people like that do horrible things, and no one knew what was happening until it was too late.” He turned to face her directly. “People like that can fool even the smartest of us, especially if you’re not on your guard.”
Something tickled the back of Lois’s mind when he mentioned ‘three years’. Then she remembered the date of the picture in Clark’s book, and a piece fell into place.
“Even people as smart as you?”
Clark dropped his eyes, stared at the floor at his feet, and softly answered, “Even someone like me”.
Lois closed the gap between them and gently touched his arm. “What have you been doing for the last three years Clark?”
Clark looked up at Lois and asked, “What do you mean? I told you, I’ve been moving around the world, working as a freelance.”
“No, I mean what have you been doing that had you dealing with the kind of people that you think Luthor is? And why just the last three years?”
Clark silently chastised himself for revealing too much. What would he tell her now? After a few moments consideration he decided that he might as tell her the truth about his investigation, without, of course, telling her about his ‘side job’. Or about Lena. With a sigh he started, “For the last three years, I’ve been investigating the ongoing gun running trade in third world nations. I’ve been following a pattern of illegal weapons smuggling that seems aimed more at creating unrest and war, rather then pure profit. That’s how I know ‘that kind’ of person.”
“What happened three years ago that got you started on this quest?”
“Does it matter?”
“To me it does. Is it’s too personal to share with your partner?”
Clark was surprised at her question. “I didn’t know we were officially partners. I thought you worked best alone.”
Lois looked surprised at her own assertion, but recovered quickly. “Well, for all intents and purposes, we are partners right now. At least until Perry splits us up. And partners need to support each other, right?”
“By telling each other everything,” he purposely said as a statement, not a question.
“Exactly!”
“I see.” He turned back to look out at the windows again. He wasn’t sure if he was ready to deal with the concept of a partner right now, if ever. Lois question suddenly made him aware how closely Lois and he had been working together for the last few days. He wasn’t sure how he had let that happen. Without turning to face her he said, “I’m not sure if I’m ready for that right now.”
“To share, or to have a partner?”
Not knowing how to answer her, he silently stared out into the night. He almost wished that the world needed Superman at this moment, forcing him to run away from Lois. But the night was quiet to him. An as if to emphasize his mood, raindrops began to softly fall on the window. Would he ever be ready again to have someone to help him, to be his partner?
His thought were interrupted as Lois softly spoke to him, “Clark, whatever... whoever caused you to feel this way… well, I just wanted to let you know that you can talk about it with me... if you want, and when you’re ready.”
Clark turned, and was about to say something, when their attention was diverted by a thunderous applause coming from the ballroom. As they turned their attention back to each other Lois said, “I guess he must be announcing the charity contributions for this year. I hope Perry doesn’t get mad at us for missing it.”
“I’m sorry, Lois, I must have ruined your evening. I’ll explain to Perry that it was my fault.”
“You’ll do no such thing! You did not ruin my evening.” She wore an evil smile for moment as she added, “Almost, but at least you had the sense to wait for me to lock up that interview.” Then getting serious again she continued, “But it was more important to be here, right now, with my… my partner.”
Genuinely touched, Clark replied, “Thank you, Lois, I appreciate that.”
He continued to look at Lois, drawn to what was reflected in her eyes at that moment. It was in that moment that he realized something. That there was more in her eyes than he had ever seen in Lena’s. There was the strength, the courage, and the confidence. But more, he saw the reflection of her caring… her heart. The excitement of being with Lena had blinded him to the fact that he never saw that in her eyes.
The realization gave him the courage to say to Lois, “Lena. Her name was Lena.”
End Part 16
