From Part 6
“So you’re distancing yourself from Lois and she has no idea why?”
Clark could hear the censure in her voice. “Mom, I know you mean well,” he said, more coldly than he had ever spoken to her. “But until you let go of impossible dreams you really aren’t helping.”
“Nothing you’ve told me justifies your belief that your marriage can’t continue happily – with or without children.”
Clark’s expelled breath whistled through his gritted teeth. “How’s this then?” he said bitterly. “The last time we made love ... Lois wouldn’t even look at me afterwards. And when she fell asleep, I saw that she had been crying. I made her cry,” Clark said, not too far from tears himself. “My love made her cry. I can’t go on doing that.”
Without waiting for a response, Clark stood, dropped a cursory kiss on his mother’s cheek and left.
Part 7
Lois shivered a little with anticipation as she waited for her knock to be answered. She hadn’t been sure about coming, but now she was here, she realised her instincts hadn't failed her.
The door opened and there he was – Lois sprang into his arms and let his comforting presence encompass her. Then, she leant back and drank in his big smile.
“Perry,” she said. “It’s so good to see you.”
His grin was like a salve. “Darlin’,” he said. “It does an old man good to see your pretty face.”
They walked into his apartment together. “It’s not too late, is it?” Lois asked. “I wasn’t sure about calling on you so late.”
“No, it’s not too late,” Perry assured her. “All those late nights at the Planet are a hard habit to break.”
He led her to his small and tidy kitchen and began to make coffee. “How are you?” Lois asked. “How’s retirement?”
Perry looked at her with longing. “I’d swap with you in a heartbeat,” he said. “But I suppose a man has to accept when his time is up.”
“Your time will never be up,” she said fondly.
“I dream about going back,” he said. “I dream about the adrenalin rush of a great story, I dream of the smell of ink on paper.” His grin flashed. “Then I wake up and realise that I simply couldn’t go back to that again.”
“Could you do it again for a week?” she asked.
Perry’s eyes fired with interest. “A week?”
“I’m taking vacation time next week,” Lois said. “I have a young reporter with a ton of potential and I’ve offered him the position in my absence.”
“But?”
“But he’s not ready for it. He knows it, I know it.”
“What do you want me to do?” Perry asked.
“Be available,” Lois said. “Perhaps come into the office for a few hours each day – just be there when he has questions. If you see something he misses, alert him before he makes the big mistake.”
“Is he going to be willing to take advice from an old news hound like me?”
“Yes,” Lois said. “He’s eager to learn and he doesn’t think he knows it all. He’ll be honoured to work alongside you.”
Perry slowly stirred his coffee. “You shouldn’t dangle temptation in front of an old man,” he chided.
Lois grinned. “You’ll do it.”
He laughed. “Of course I’ll do it, darlin’. You didn’t think for a moment I’d be able to refuse you, did you?”
Lois laughed. “No. I knew you’d be there for me.”
Perry put the spoon on the bench and eyed her thoughtfully. “I’m glad you can take the time away,” he said. “I never could ... and look where it landed me ... rattling around in this empty apartment ... all by myself.”
“I can’t lose Clark,” Lois said.
Perry’s astute eyes settled on her. “But you’ve let it get closer than you should have?” he guessed gently.
Lois nodded and felt her tears push up. “I just hope it’s not too late for us.”
Perry took the two cups to the table and sat down. “What’s happening?”
Lois sat next to him. “Clark is so distant. It’s as if he’s made a life for himself – maybe he had to with me spending so much time at the Planet. Sometimes it feels like I hardly know him any more. He’s changed this past year – I have too. But we haven’t changed together – we’ve moved apart.”
Concern lined Perry’s face. “But you think you can save it, don’t you?” he asked. “You don’t think this is the end?”
Lois shrugged. “I don’t know. It is a lot worse than I realised.” She found Perry’s eyes. “What should I do, Chief? I can’t lose Clark.”
“Taking a week away from the office is a good start.”
“Even that didn’t work,” she said disconsolately. “I booked a romantic Caribbean villa for a week and Clark doesn’t want to come with me.”
“Did he say why?”
“Only that it wouldn’t achieve what I was hoping it would achieve.”
Perry’s gnarled hand rubbed across his chin. Lois waited. Then he spoke. “Do you remember the moment you met Clark?” he asked.
Lois nodded. “It was in your office. Clark had interviewed for a job and he had a story about ... about a gecko or something.”
Perry smiled at the memory. “You flounced in and I introduced him and you barely even glanced at him.”
Lois smiled. “I was young and too foolish to know a good thing when I saw it.”
“I don’t suppose you remember his reaction to you?”
“No,” Lois admitted. “Although Clark has told me that he fell in love with me right there, right then.”
“He did,” Perry confirmed. “I saw it happen. He stood – slowly – like his knees had turned to jello and all the breath had been syphoned from his countryboy lungs. He lifted his hand in greeting, realised you'd already moved on and turned it into an adjustment of his glasses. But his eyes never left you – not for one moment. He looked like a man who knew he had just surrendered his heart. I chuckled inside and began laying bets with myself about how long this greenhorn from Kansas would last. The shortest odds were for less than a month – and I figured he’d be scuttling home with his tail between his legs and a solid dose of Lois Lane ringing in his ears.”
Lois smiled tremulously. “Instead, he’s here eleven years later and Lois Lane is still totally captivated by the greenhorn from Kansas.”
“Does he know that?”
“I don’t know any more,” Lois admitted. She looked up. “What am I going to do, Perry?” she asked. “How can I make up for this last year?”
“Do you remember the early days?” Perry asked. “The days when you said you didn’t want a partner and you were adamant that you weren’t going to work with him?”
She nodded. “I wasn’t very nice to him.”
“But he loved you anyway.”
“Yeah.”
“How did he show that love?”
“He didn’t,” Lois said. “I’d already told him not to fall for me.”
“He did show his love for you, Lois,” Perry said quietly. “But you weren’t looking out for it.”
“How did he show his love?”
“By being there for you, by being willing to be your background when you took centre stage, by anticipating your needs and trying to meet them, by allowing you to be you, by pulling you up when you needed it, but always doing it in such a way that you knew you weren’t going to lose his friendship ... and ... by always searching for your heart, even when you put up such prickly barriers.”
Lois felt a tear splash down her cheek. “He did, didn’t he?”
Perry nodded. “And he never gave up.”
“No, he didn’t.”
“I think you should try that now,” Perry said. “Be there for him; let him know there is nothing he can do that will shake your love for him. Be the friend to him that he was to you.”
Lois wiped her eyes. “He still is that friend to me,” she said.
“And he always will be,” Perry said. “Because if I know one immutable thing about Clark Kent, it’s that he loves Lois Lane.”
Lois smiled through her tears. “You think I should give Clark a taste of Clark Kent?”
“It worked on Lois Lane, didn’t it?” Perry said, smiling. “And if it could work on you ...”
“I think he might be more naturally suited to it than I am,” she admitted ruefully.
“You can do it, Lois,” Perry said gravely. “You can do anything you set your mind to. It just comes down to how much you want it.”
“I want it more than I have ever wanted anything.”
Perry grinned suddenly. “More than you wanted that first Pulitzer?”
“There’s no comparison, Perry,” she said. “I would give up everything to have Clark smile at me the way he used to.”
“Then you can do it,” Perry said.
||_||
Driving home from Perry’s, Lois rounded a corner and her vision was filled with three people – two armed men and the third, a woman, with her hands raised. At the sound of the car, the woman turned suddenly and raced frantically onto the road. Lois slammed the brake to the floor, skidded, and only just managed to avoid hitting the fleeing woman.
Lois jumped from the car and was immediately cornered by two guns.
“Give us your bag,” one of the men ordered menacingly.
Lois stared at them.
“Now!” the second man screamed. “We need dough and we need it now.”
The gun came closer and Lois inched sideways so she could reach into her car.
“Don’t try anything stupid,” the first man snarled.
Lois glanced behind her to locate her bag. When she turned back the guns had gone.
The men had gone too.
They were in a rather undignified heap on the sidewalk with Superman standing over them. He tied them together and materialised next to her. “Are you all right?” he asked, his anxiety quickening his words.
She smiled a little shakily. “Yes. Thanks to you.”
“Why did you stop?”
“Because they were trying to rob a woman and she ran onto the road in front of me.”
“Where is she now?”
“I think she kept running.”
“Why did you get out of the car?”
Lois stared at him - and determined to continue staring until that superhero veneer cracked enough that he acknowledged the absurdity of his question. Finally, his expression eased a little.
“I guess I should know the answer to that,” he finally conceded.
Lois smiled. “After all these years, you should,” she said. “How did you know I needed you?”
“Your heart rate accelerated.”
Lois couldn’t touch him – not here, not now. They had long ago learnt their lesson about Lois Lane and Superman showing any affection in public. But she could look at him. Look into those luscious brown eyes. “Please don’t ever stop listening, flyboy,” she said quietly.
He gave an almost imperceptible nod.
“I don’t suppose you feel like giving a girl a lift home?”
“You have your car,” he said.
Lois smiled. “You can’t blame a girl for trying to wheedle a free lift from her favourite hero.”
He said nothing.
“I’ll see you at home?” she whispered. “In a few minutes?” The sound of a police siren cut through the air. “Looks like everything here is under control.”
“OK,” Clark agreed.
“Good.” Lois got into the car and turned on her motor. He would watch over her as she drove home. He would. She knew he would.
||_||
Lois let herself into their house and smiled as she saw Clark, dressed in jeans and a black t-shirt, making coffee. Even after all the years of him seeming to *appear*, it still caught her off guard occasionally. “Hi,” he said, without turning to her.
She wanted to go to him – stand behind him, perhaps slide her hands down his arms or lean into his broad back. But in the very early days of their friendship, Clark had never crowded her.
“Are you making that for two?” she asked pleasantly.
“You want coffee?”
Lois noticed he’d already taken out two cups. “Yes, please.”
He filled both cups and, one in each hand, turned to her.
“Let’s sit on the sofa,” Lois suggested. She moved to the living room and switched on a single lamp and then sat down, allowing Clark to determine their closeness.
He settled next to her – not quite touching, but not at the extremity of the sofa either. He offered her one cup.
“Thanks,” she said with a smile.
They drank in the muted light of the little lamp. Lois waited, wanting to show him that she had the time to listen if he wanted to talk.
“How’s Lucy?” he asked eventually.
“She saw her lawyer today.”
“So it really is going to happen? The divorce?”
“Yeah. Dan didn’t leave her with too many choices.”
Clark stared into his coffee. “Maybe it’s a good thing sometimes to know that you don’t have any other choices. Then you just go ahead and do what needs to be done.”
His words formed a constricting band around her heart. What did he mean? That they too should accept there were no other choices? Lois wanted to protest – vigorously – but held back. She tried to think of what Clark would do. He wouldn’t pressure her. He wouldn’t make demands. He would try to find a non-combative way to emphasise their togetherness. “How’s your story going?”
He accepted her change of subject without reaction. “The guys arrested this morning still claim they had nothing to do with the other three burglaries. They still say they weren’t working with anyone else.”
“Do the police believe them?”
“They’re not sure.”
“You still don’t believe them?”
“I’m sure there is more to this story.”
“What are you thinking? What did you follow up today?”
Clark turned to face her and seemed to relax into the sofa a little more. “I put the four victims of the burglaries into the computer and looked for common ground.”
“Find anything?”
“Nothing other than the obvious,” he said. “They are all extremely rich – one family from old, inherited money and the other three from very successful businesses. Those businesses are no more similar than you’d expect – for instance, all of the families hold blue-chip shares.”
“You said the owners were away at the time of the burglaries?”
“Yeah,” Clark said. “Two were combining a vacation with business – one to Africa, one to Mexico. One was on business in Chicago and the other was on vacation in Hawaii.”
“I assume they all flew to their destinations?”
“Yes.”
“Commercial or chartered?”
“Both – two and two.”
“Same companies?”
“Three different companies.”
Lois pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. “There has to be a connection,” she said. “Four burglaries, all in Metropolis within a month, the owners all away; there has to be something.”
“I know,” Clark said.
“You said they disabled the security systems. Anything there? Same company? Same type?”
“No. Nothing.”
“Why was Vivienne watching? Was she expecting to be targeted?”
Clark’s smile surfaced for a moment. “Vivienne noticed that all three robberies included a porcelain piece from the British manufacturers, Royal Worchester.”
“Good work,” Lois said with admiration. “So Vivienne is a collector? And knows about these things?”
“She figured there was a good chance her house would be hit.”
“And that didn’t frighten her?”
Clark chuckled. “Not Vivienne.”
Lois could imagine an older lady, still bustling with unquenchable spirit as she waited behind a door armed with a poker. The picture elicited a smile. Lois noticed Clark’s eyes had settled on her and his smile was hovering too. “Are you busy tomorrow evening?” she asked casually.
His smile died. “Ah ... yes. Why?”
“I was going to suggest we get a movie or something.” Lois smiled. “But if you have other plans, that’s OK.”
Clark looked distinctly uncomfortable. “Are you going to be home tomorrow evening?”
“I’m planning to be.”
“What time?”
“I’m hoping to be in by six. I have a lot to get through with Ian, but my plan is to let him put the paper to bed; I’ll be on call if needs me.” Lois settled back and stretched out her legs. “Why?” she asked nonchalantly.
“I’ve made plans for tomorrow evening,” Clark said. He took a slow sip of his coffee. “I don’t think you will want to be here. Maybe ... perhaps it would be best if you visited Lucy.”
Lois deliberately took a moment before replying. “What are your plans?” she asked conversationally.
“I’ve been helping out at an after-school activity program.”
“The one for kids whose parents aren’t home in the evenings?”
He seemed surprised that she knew. “Yeah.”
“So what’s happening tomorrow night?”
Clark’s mouth stretched to a sheepish smile. “They’re coming here to make pizzas.”
A bunch of teenagers? In their kitchen? “Sounds like fun,” Lois said.
“It’s really not your thing,” Clark said hurriedly. “It’ll be noisy and messy and ... I’ll have it all cleaned up by ten at the latest. It’s a perfect opportunity for you to spend some time with Lucy and the boys.”
“It’s a perfect opportunity to spend some time with you.”
Clark winced. “Lois,” he said awkwardly. “Lois – you’ll hate every minute of it.”
“Can I come?” she said, straight to the point.
He shuffled further into the sofa. “Of course you *can* come,” he said. “But -.”
“Good, I’ll be there,” Lois said. “Do you need any help with the preparation? Need anything bought? Pizza bases? Tomato paste?”
Now his surprise was plastered on his face. “No,” he managed. “No. I have it all under control.”
“Just two questions,” Lois said.
“OK,” he said uneasily.
“These kids? Do they know you as Clark? Or Superman?”
“Clark,” he said. “Superman has never been there.”
Lois leant forward and put down her empty cup.
“What’s your other question?” he asked.
“Will there be a chocolate and marshmallow pizza?”
Clark’s uneasiness dissolved into his grin. “No,” he said firmly. “Definitely not. That would be way too messy.”
Lois chuckled. She leant over, put her hand lightly on his chest and gently kissed his cheek. “I love you, Clark,” she said.
Then she stood and walked away, heading for their bedroom and hoping that nothing would keep him from joining her very soon.
||_||
Half an hour later, Lois was in bed when Clark came through their window dressed in the Superman suit.
“Everything OK?” she asked.
“Yeah,” Clark replied. “I just did a quick patrol. It seems quiet out there.”
“Good,” she said with a smile.
He went into the bathroom and Lois wondered if he would linger in the hope that she would be asleep when he came to bed. She was happily surprised when the door opened only seconds later and Clark walked out dressed in his sleep shorts and t-shirt.
He climbed into bed and lay on his back.
Lois rose onto her elbow, so she could look down into his face. “Are you going to work on the story again tomorrow?”
“Officially it’s my day off, but I thought I would do some research at home in the morning.”
Lois smiled and gently pushed at his upper arm. “And then spend the afternoon preparing for the teenage invasion?”
He half-smiled, half-grimaced. “Are you sure you want to be here?”
“Absolutely.”
“OK.” Clark lifted his head to kiss her mouth – fleetingly. “Good night,” he said. He flicked off the light.
Lois inched closer to him. “Good night, darling.”
||_||
“Lois Lane, Editor-in-Chief of the world’s greatest newspaper.”
At the sound of the quiet voice at her door, Lois’s attention broke from the story she was editing with Ian. She leapt from her desk and hurried to the door, arms stretched forward to embrace him. “Perry,” she said. “I didn’t know you’d be coming in today.”
Perry returned her hug and then his eyes swung to Ian, who had stood and was watching them. “I thought I should meet my partner,” Perry said with a big grin. “Before we go into harness together.”
Ian stepped forward, hand extended, looking genuinely excited to be meeting a legend of Daily Planet history. “Ian Murnane.”
“Perry White,” he said. “Or you can call me Chief.” He turned to Lois with an exaggerated wink. “Once the Lady Chief has left the office, that is.”
“Mr White,” Ian said. “I am honoured to meet you.”
“Perry,” he corrected. “And you should hold back any opinions about meeting me until we’ve faced a looming deadline together, armed only with a half-baked story that refuses to take on anything approaching a printable form.”
Ian smiled hesitantly as Perry turned to Lois. “Your leave starts Monday?” he said.
Lois nodded.
“Then I suggest you spend tomorrow packing and getting y’self sorted. Ian and I will see to it – call it a practice run.”
“No, Perry, really -.”
Perry put a firm hand on her shoulder. “Lois, you will be a phone call away if we need help.” He grinned to Ian. “See you bright and early tomorrow, son.”
With that Perry White kissed Lois’s cheek, gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze and left the office with a very pronounced spring in his step.
||_||
Lois could hear the laughter from the kitchen as soon as she stepped out of her car that evening. It was past six – but only twenty minutes past. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been home this early.
She entered the kitchen and immediately the noise hushed and six pairs of eyes trained on her. “Hi,” she greeted.
Five teens – probably ranging in age from thirteen to sixteen – were gathered around the table. Two were wielding rolling pins on raw pizza bases; the other three were cutting up toppings.
Clark moved towards her from his position at the stove. Behind his back, one of the boys began motioning to her and urgently shaking his head.
Lois turned to Clark and saw he had a large smudge of flour on his cheek. She glanced to the young man who emphatically brushed his cheek and sent her another heavily meaningful look.
Lois smiled at him and then reached up to Clark and gently dusted away the flour as she quickly kissed his mouth.
“Hey, why’d you do that?”
Lois looked at the young man who had spoken. He was grinning so widely, Lois figured there was a good chance she could see every tooth in his head.
“Clark is always so purr-fectly dressed, we weren’t going to tell him he was covered in flour,” the kid explained. “I’m Beau,” he added.
Lois smiled in the general direction of the crowd.
Clark brushed his hand across his cheek and then gestured to the boy next to Beau. “Ah ... and this is Boston, Todd, Maddie and -.”
The final one – a girl – broke from the table and lunged at Lois. “You’re Lois Lane?” she screeched.
Lois nodded.
The girl turned on Clark. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Clark shrugged. Lois could tell he was struggling not to smile.
The girl turned back to Lois, her floury hands clutching Lois’s upper arms. “I am your biggest fan,” she enthused. “I am going to be a detective and I want to be just like you – chasing down the bad guys and solving cases and bringing the criminals to justice.”
“I’m a reporter,” Lois managed.
“You are a great investigator,” the girl gushed. “And I want to be just like you.” She turned again on Clark and landed an almost wince-worthy thump to his arm. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me,” she said. “Even though you know how much I admire Ms Lane, you didn’t tell me she would be here tonight.” She scowled at him. “You could have told me,” she said.
Clark tried to look penitent, but failed spectacularly. “Lois Lane,” he said formally. “This is Vivienne de Wolde.”
*Vivienne*? Lois shot her husband a questioning look. He replied with a droll smile and a lazy wink.
Clark would probably never know exactly how close he'd come to being vigorously assailed by his wife.
Pushed back onto the table and thoroughly ... extensively ... kissed.
And that would just be the beginning.
Regardless of the spectators.
And the pizza toppings.
Instead Lois smiled demurely. “I ... ah ... should go and get changed,” she said. “Then I’ll be back to help.”
“You don’t have to help,” Boston said. “You can sit and direct us.”
“You can be our official taster,” Beau said.
“You can help us keep Clark in line,” Todd added.
The kids laughed and Lois smiled. “OK, thanks.”
As she left the room, she heard a not-quite-muted squeal. “I met her,” she heard Vivienne squeak. Excited feet tapped on the floor. “I actually met Lois Lane.”
The room burst into laughter and then Lois heard Clark’s voice. “Better get on with those bases, Viv. You wouldn’t want Ms Lane dying of starvation on your watch.”
There was more laughter. Lois climbed the first stair, but paused as she heard another voice. It was one of the young men, she wasn’t sure which one. “Hey, Perfect, why’d you hang out with a bunch of feral kids when your wife looks like that?”
Clark didn’t reply. At least not that Lois heard.
She went up the stairs, pushing aside the mountain of remorse and determining that from now on, there would be no more regrets.
