Friends or Lovers
By Folc4evernaday
Part 6
***
“I cannot believe you want to work with this guy,” Clark argued as he and Lois walked into the newsroom. The last few days had been hell. He and Lois had been arguing constantly over Scardino. She couldn’t see that Scardino was hitting on her and when he did point it out, she told him he was being insecure.
“Clark, we’ve been over this,” Lois argued. “It will be so much easier if we know what he’s up to rather than constantly butting heads with the guy.”
“You mean ME? I would be butting heads with the guy?” Clark caught the look she had given him at that last statement.
“I never said that.”
“But you’re thinking it.”
“Clark … “ Lois was exasperated.
“Lois … “ Clark bandied, equally exasperated.
Agent Scardino was getting on his last nerve. The man did not know how to take a hint. He still kept hitting on Lois. Scardino kept asking Lois out right in front of him and sending her gifts. Lois ignored the gestures but still didn’t correct his assumption that she was available. She wasn’t, was she? As far as he could tell, they were working on their relationship. Although, they hadn’t spoken two words about their relationship or what had happened the other night.
The feel of her body molded against him was seared into his mind. He wanted nothing more than to pick things up where they’d left off, but they had a lot to work through before that was possible. Things had gotten out of control that night, way out of control. He didn’t know where he stood with her and the constant presence of Agent Scardino was not helping.
***
“Don’t start … “ she warned. Lois walked away from him and took a seat at her desk. She was getting really frustrated. She had been trying to bury herself into her work to forget about what had happened the other night between her and Clark. Her ego was bruised and she was trying to prove to herself that she still was the best investigative reporter at the Daily Planet, even if she had been fooled by a pair of glasses for two years.
Whatever Mayson had been involved with regarding this ‘resurrection’ had to be big if the DEA was involved. What was the harm in creating a solid contact with Dan? He seemed nice enough. It wasn’t like she was dating him or anything.
Clark brought her a file and laid it on her desk. “What’s this?” she asked, looking up at him inquisitively.
“Background check.”
Lois opened up the folder and shot him an angry look. “You had Jimmy do a background check on Dan? Clark, you can’t be serious!”
“I’m sorry, now it’s ‘Dan’?” His tone was growing more and more agitated by the second. “The guy is a loose cannon. He’s been on probation more than any other DEA agent.”
Lois looked at the file and smirked. “He’s also the most decorated agent.”
Jimmy approached them with a file in his hands. “Hey, guys?”
“What is it, Jimmy?” Lois asked, grateful for the distraction.
“Uh, I just wanted to let you know research is kinda backed up so it’s gonna be a bit longer with the name of that corpse in plot 29B … but I’m still borrowing the Jeep, right?”
Lois sighed, exhausted. “Yes. That’s fine, Jimmy.”
“Great. Thanks.”
“I thought he borrowed it last night, too?” Clark inquired.
“I feel charitable right now. I guess the date went well.” Lois flushed slightly, remembering how their first date had ended.
“Yeah,” Clark said. “Good for him.” He sighed and walked away from Lois’ desk.
Lois stared at her computer screen for a few moments then looked up in the direction Clark had left and found him gone. Things were not going well. She picked up one of McCarthy’s letters and read the last line of one of them. “A better place?” What did that mean?
***
Clark floated above the clouds, staring off into space. How did his life get so screwed up? He didn’t even know how to handle his emotions around Lois anymore. They were so raw. The guilt he felt over Mayson’s death was eating at him along with the guilt he felt for hurting Lois. He didn’t know what to do. She seemed to be just pushing him away, so maybe he should just do what she wanted. Stay away.
He let out a long breath, trying to regain control of his emotions. Sometimes he hated having to be Superman. Superman wasn’t supposed to cry.
***
“Where’ve you been?” Lois asked as she saw Clark strolling into the newsroom a few hours later.
“Nowhere, I just needed to clear my head,” he murmured.
“Oh?” Lois eyed him suspiciously. He was acting very stand-offish and she didn’t know why. “Well, I think I have a lead.”
“What?”
“I was reading over McCarthy’s letters again and I got to thinking. What if he wasn’t talking about the hereafter, but somewhere outside of prison? I thought maybe we could arrange a visit with his pen pal.”
“Great.” Clark was still very short with her. “Let’s go.” He grabbed the file and headed up the ramp. Lois followed behind him, eying him suspiciously. What was going on here?
***
Lois stood in the hallway of the Metropolis Men’s Prison in a red halter top and a black leather mini skirt reapplying her lipstick and adjusting her hair. “How do I look?” Lois asked Clark. She glanced at him appreciatively. He wore a pair of rugged jeans, a wife beater, and a black leather jacket. His hair was greased up in an awkward angle that was unlike his Clark or Superman hair styles and he wore a pair of biker sunglasses. He looked good. Really good. ‘Don’t go there.’ The memory of his body pressed against hers a few nights ago was seared into her mind. She could still feel his breath against her skin…
“Appropriately cheap,” he remarked solemnly.
Neither of them had spoken of that night since. He still remained withdrawn from her. “Good.” She walked up to the guard and took the role of the dumb bimbo. “Hi, we’re here to see Big Buster Williams.”
The guard eyed her appreciatively then hollered into the visitors’ room. “Hey, Buster! You got another visitor!”
As they entered the room she turned to Clark and whispered, “Just let me do most of the talking.”
“You usually do,” he muttered under his breath.
She shot him a dirty look and then approached Big Buster Williams’ visiting table. “Big Buster“ turned out to be a dwarf. He looked to be in his thirties and eyed Lois appreciatively. “Hi, you must be Buster! I’m Angel. McCarthy’s old lady. McCarthy was right. You’re the best-looking guy in the joint,” she gushed.
“Who’s that?” Buster eyed Clark suspiciously.
“Oh, that’s my brother, Spike,” she said nonchalantly.
Buster eyed Lois up and down appreciatively. “That’s some killer outfit.”
Lois blushed and looked away in time to see Clark roll his eyes. She tried to keep up her dumb bimbo act. “Thanks.”
“I didn’t know McCarthy had a doll. I kinda thought he was a morals guy.”
“Yeah, well, you know Sean. He was kinda tight-lipped,” Lois responded.
“Are you kidding? Motor-mouth McCarthy? So did he send you to fill me in on the job?”
“The job?” Lois inquired. This was it. The break in the story they needed. What job? Who was involved? She tried to remain calm as she waited for Buster’s response.
Buster began coughing heavily and wheezing sounds escaped as he continued struggling to breathe. Clark looked at him in concern. “Do you need some water?”
“No thanks, Spike. I’m okay,” Buster squealed out, and then he proceeded to fall over in his chair.
Clark was at his side in a second. Checking his pulse, he announced, “He’s dead. I guess that really is a killer outfit.”
“Oh, my God!”
***
Lois stormed into the Daily Planet, aggravated at how the investigation had been going. Clark had remained completely professional, but the banter he usually participated in with her was gone. He remained aloof with her and showed zero emotion.
Not only that but they had gotten nowhere with the investigation. Buster Williams was pronounced dead via unknown causes and that was the end of it according to the coroner.
“Hey, Lois.” Jimmy bounded up to her desk in his usual carefree, spirited way.
“What is it?”
“Check this out.” Jimmy showed her a photograph. “He was found sniffing around the police impound lot near Mayson Drake’s car.”
“Oh, my God! Clark!”
“What is it?” He came up behind her to look at the picture as well.
“That’s the man I told you was being buried alive.”
“It does look like him, I mean, according to how you described him,” Clark covered for himself when Jimmy shot him a funny look. “But how?”
“I don’t know, but if he’s interested in Mayson’s car, so am I.”
***
TBC...
Last edited by folc4evernaday; 10/28/16 08:04 AM. Reason: Update
