Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Lois & Clark Fanfic Aussie Rules (29/?)

Lois suddenly lifted her gaze from the papers and stared enquiringly at Clark.

"Yes?" he asked.

She smiled with sudden glee, and Clark felt its wonder flow through him. "Uhm ... are you able to do this ... *really* fast?"

Clark nodded. "I could have it done in less than a minute."

Lois tossed the pen onto the table and grinned. "Great," she said. "Because then I'd like you to fly me home."

"Home?"

"Yes, please," Lois said. "I want to talk with your mom."


Part 29

Clark gaped at Lois. "You want to talk with my mom?" he asked. "I don't think she knows much about football."

Lois grinned at him. "I've been thinking about your interview."

His interview? When she had so much else to crowd her mind? Clark had to smile. With Lois, the surprises just kept coming. "What have you concluded?" he asked, sure that whatever her reply, it would be anything but what he was expecting.

She matched his smile. "I reckon I know what the first question is going to be."

"The green rock. I wouldn't be surprised if Mayson insisted that I *did* say Trask was correct."

"And if she does that, the next question will be how you are still powered when there is no green rock on Earth."

"Even though it's possible that Trask banished all trace of the green rock from Earth," Clark said, "I don't think it's a good idea to inform everyone of Superman's Achilles heel."

"I agree. You could skirt around it by saying that you are powered by the sun."

"But with Mayson and Linda, I doubt that will deter them from zeroing in on exactly how the green rock affects me."

"That's why you need a diversion."

Clark laughed. "A diversion?" he said. This should be good. "What exactly do you have in mind?"

Lois grinned. "Remember just before you went interstate? Remember the story Browny lined up for me?"

Clark nodded, part of his mind recalling the details of Lois's story as the other part scrambled ahead to try to predict where Lois was going with this. "Ah, something about an administrator, wasn't it?"

"Yes. I interviewed the AFL administrator whom the Fitzroy fans saw as the culprit in their demise. He resorted to some PR basics and allowed us access to his family - hoping we would see him as more than a stodgy suit."

Clark's mind continued grasping for ideas. Then, two ends connected, and he shook his head. "No, Lois," he said decisively. "My parents stay out of this. They can't ever be associated with Superman."

Lois chuckled and put her hand on his arm. "Not your parents, silly," she said. "Me."

Lois? "No," Clark said quickly. "No. I can't have you linked with Superman, either. It's just too dangerous, and anyway, you're too close to Clark."

"It wouldn't be recognisably me," she said. "That's why I need to talk to your mom - to see if she will make me a disguise."

Clark felt his mouth drop. "You want a disguise?" he gasped.

Lois put both hands on his arm and leant closer, her face alight with her enthusiasm. "You turn up to the interview, and I'll come with you. You already said that you wished I could be there. Well, I can be - but disguised. Allowing everyone a glimpse into your personal life will make it possible for people to identify with you. And hopefully my presence will distract Mayson and Linda from their more awkward questions. When you agree to the interview, you should tell them there's a strict time limit. So every minute they want to talk about the green rock is one minute less they can talk about your private life." She shrugged. "And I reckon they'll think your private life will make much better copy than a green rock that probably isn't even on Earth anymore."

"Lois ... " Clark shook his head. "No, Lois - I won't put you in any danger."

"What possible danger could there be?"

Clark felt his mind stagger with a litany of dangers. "If someone decides he wants to control Superman - who is invulnerable - who better than to target someone Superman cares about? Someone who *isn't* invulnerable."

"Trask is dead ... and his theories have no credibility anymore."

"It's not only Trask, Lois," Clark said. "So far, Superman has only helped with emergencies - but since the bombing attempts, I've been thinking that his powers could be used to assist the police in solving crimes."

Lois nodded. "That thought occurred to me, too."

"Even if the invading-alien theory is debunked, Superman will continue to have enemies - dangerous enemies." Clark smiled hesitantly, hoping Lois would accept his rationale without further argument. "So, you see, honey, you *can't* publicly be a part of Superman's life."

"Yes, I can," Lois said smoothly. "I'll be in a disguise. Yours works; mine will, too."

"Lois, you don't wear glasses."

She giggled. "I'm sure it wouldn't be beyond your mom's abilities to make a face mask for me. Just something to cover my eyes."

"Lois, I don't like it. I don't -"

"I knew you wouldn't like it," Lois said, with a wide grin. "Which is why I need to go and talk to your mom."

"You think she is going to side with you?" Clark asked incredulously.

Lois nodded cheerfully. "Probably."

Her irrepressible poise collided head-on with his objections, and Clark couldn't hold back his chuckle. "I've already said that you two will make a formidable combination," he said.

"So ... you agree?" Lois pressed. "Superman takes his girlfriend to the interview?"

Clark felt his caution come flooding back. "Lois, there are still a lot of things we would need to decide first."

"Such as?"

"Who do we say you are?"

Lois shrugged. "Superman's girlfriend. That's the truth, isn't it?" She leant closer to him and rubbed her head against his arm. "Or have I jumped the gun again? Am I supposed to wait until you *ask* me to be your girlfriend?"

Clark kissed her head. "Will you be my girlfriend, honey?" he asked.

She backed away and smiled into his eyes. "Only if you don't mind sharing me with Superman."

"No, I don't mind sharing you with Superman," he said and then hurriedly added, "But that does *not* mean I think it's a good idea for you to go public. Knowing Mayson and Linda, they will try to outdo each other with intrusive questions."

"All the more reason why you need me there."

"It will quickly degenerate into a competition to see who can elicit the most newsworthy information. I'm uneasy enough about this - and the stakes just get higher if you're involved."

"Why?" Lois asked. "We *want* them asking questions about me - that way, they're not asking about the green rock ... or anything about how long you've been here - which *could* lead to your parents."

"They're going to assume you're an alien - one of the hordes that so alarmed Trask."

Lois smiled. "We'll ask your mom to put me in pretty pink - or inoffensive pastels. That way, I couldn't possibly look like a threat to the safety of this planet. And, when they ask, we will tell them that I'm not an alien, but a harmless Earth-gal."

Clark shook his head. "No, Lois. That way they'll know that you're vulnerable. They'll know that you can be hurt."

She didn't look worried at all. "They can't hurt me if they can't find me," she said.

"Lois!" Clark said. "I can't let anyone hurt you."

"And you won't," Lois said. "But I don't think they will find me."

"How can you be sure?"

"Remember that all-American accent I dust off every time I visit my mom? Superman has ties with Metropolis, and his girlfriend has an American accent. Assuming anyone *wants* to find her, where will they look? They are going to comb all the states of America first. No one is *ever* going to think of looking in Melbourne."

Clark gazed into her resolute brown eyes. "Lois - I'm really not sure about this."

"It will be perfect for your profile," Lois said firmly. "It will show that you have feelings; it will show that you are capable of emotions such as love; it will tell the world that you have been found trustworthy by 'one of us', and ..." She grinned suddenly. "... it will send a *very* strong message that you are already taken, and all women - starting with Mayson and Linda - can keep their distance."

Clark reached for her hair and let a dark lock slip through his fingers. "This is probably the craziest idea I have ever heard," he said softly.

"Crazier than when your mom suggested you wear your underwear on the outside?" Lois burst into a fit of giggles.

Clark let her laughter wash over him - it gave him time to try to organise his own thoughts. He wasn't convinced about Lois's idea. It seemed unnecessarily risky ... To deliberately bring her into Superman's world ... the consequences if something went wrong were too horrible to think about.

Lois managed to reduce her amusement to a soft smile. "You worry too much, Clark," she told him. "I think there are a lot of advantages to this - and no possible way it can become a problem."

"What will we tell them about our relationship? I think they will ask a lot of questions about that."

"We'll tell them that we met and fell in love," Lois said. "We will be vague about the timeframe. We will say that our relationship is very strong, but it is also our business, and other than this one interview, we would appreciate them respecting our privacy."

"They'll ask your name," Clark warned.

"That's OK," Lois replied. "By then we will have worked out an alias. And when they ask why we aren't giving them my real name, we'll tell them the truth. That I'm an ordinary girl, and I want to be able to continue my life without having to deal with the public interest inherent to being Superman's girlfriend."

"That might cause them to wonder if I also have a normal life," Clark said warily.

"I always assumed that was the case," Lois said. "When Superman was nothing more to me than a possible American publicity stunt, I figured he had to be doing something when he wasn't saving lives."

"What if they ask details about you? Your job? Your family?"

"We will say that this interview is about Superman and details about me aren't relevant. If we give them a peek into our relationship, I don't think they will be too concerned with much else. Superman having a girlfriend is going to be the big news."

"I'm not sure, Lois."

She gently ran her hand through his hair, lazily lingered at his neck, and then repeated her caress. "There's something else we need to consider, Clark," she said sombrely.

His doubts deluged his mind again. He firmly pushed them away as he waited for Lois to expound further.

"What Seb said was true," Lois said. "I can't fight to keep Hawthorn as a separate entity and then walk away to a nice life in the States and leave them to deal with the implications."

Clark nodded. He'd realised that.

"Do you dislike my decision to fight for my club?" Lois asked. "But you're too polite to say so?"

Clark shook his head. "No," he said. "I'm worried that you're going to get hurt, but ... I've been thinking about this. In some ways, we're not that different. You were alone in a new country, and Hawthorn became your family. I was alone on a new planet, and my folks became my family. I couldn't walk away from them if they needed me. I know that the Lois Lane I love could never walk away either."

Lois blinked rapidly and constructed a shaky smile. "You are the most amazing man I have ever met," she said unsteadily. "You probably won't ever understand how much that means to me."

"Yes, I do," Clark declared. "It's exactly how I feel about your willingness to support me in being Superman."

Her smile wobbled. "It's perfect, isn't it?" she said. "Us being together?"

He nodded. "Perfect," he agreed.

Lois hauled in a deep breath and brushed at the dampness under her eyes. "Which brings us back to my disguise," she said. "I'll have to live in Melbourne for the foreseeable future. You need to go back to Metropolis at the end of September. Other than a few weeks a year when we could visit each other, Clark Kent and Lois Lane can't be seen together. But if Superman is seen with his girlfriend ... in any country in the world ... that won't need an explanation."

Clark had a sudden vision of him and Lois - out together and being trailed by a crowd of pointing and whispering people. "I'm not sure that will work," he said.

"Are you worried about people stalking us?"

"A bit," he admitted.

Lois slid her fingers through his hair again. "People will get used to seeing us," she said. "It's not ideal - and certainly your disguise isn't designed for easy camouflage - but it could be the only way we can be together without having to hide away in our homes." She smiled. "And, if it gets too much, you can simply pick me up and fly away."

"I'm also concerned that being around you will make it easy to slip into a more Clark-like persona. I think I went too far with the detached and remote facade, but the reasons for it remain pertinent."

"We'll both have to very conscious of who we are," Lois said. "When we're in the suits, we're Superman and ... Ms Superman. It will become second nature after a while."

Clark was sure that he should protest further, but Lois's hand was still making long, slow sweeps through his hair, and his need to remonstrate was no match for the power of her touch.

He closed his eyes and focussed on her. Then, her hand stilled, and her mouth landed on his. He wrapped his arms around her and drew her onto his lap. They shared a long kiss that transported them back to the dreamy closeness of their trip along the Great Ocean Road. Each deepening level of their contact further thawed his greatest fear - that something would come between them.

When Lois retreated, she slid her tongue over her upper lip. "You're very good at that, Superman," she said. "Your girlfriend is a lucky woman."

Clark smiled but knew now wasn't the time to explore the topic of how much he enjoyed kissing Lois. "You must be tired, honey," he said. "Perhaps I should go home alone and talk to Mom about a suit for you. That way, you could get some sleep. You need to be rested for tomorrow."

"I think you should take me to Kansas, and your mom can take the measurements she needs. Then, you can go to Metropolis and inform them you will do the interview."

"And what will you do?"

"Sleep?" Lois said. "Would your parents mind if I found a corner somewhere and crashed for a few hours?"

"No, of course not." Clark grinned. "You can have my bed."

Lois smiled. "Thank you." She leapt from his lap. "Let's go, Superman. We have a disguise to create."

Clark stood. "Lois," he said. Again, he searched for the words to explain how much she meant to him. "Lois, I love you."

"I love you, too, Clark," she said. "Please believe that I always will."

Had she read his mind again? Perhaps it was his heart she could read so accurately. "You will need more layers," he said. "It's going to be cold flying home."

Lois reached for her Hawthorn jumper and pulled it on.

"Hey," Clark said. "You look pretty good in that."

"Yeah," Lois said nonchalantly.

Clark laughed at her easy acknowledgement of his compliment.

"*Everyone* looks good in this jumper," she said with a mischievous grin. "One day, I'm going to put you in one. Except that could be very, very hazardous."

"Hazardous for whom?" Clark asked, trying to control his amusement.

"All I'm saying is that if you're wearing a Hawthorn jumper, I couldn't possibly be held responsible for my behaviour."

Clark was trying to assemble a retort when her laughter died. He slid his hand down her arm to convey that he understood her distress at the prospect of Hawthorn's brown-and-gold jumper being reduced to nothing more than a relic of the past.

She answered with a sad smile and went into her bedroom. Clark crossed to the table and when Lois returned - wearing a coat - he'd found phone numbers for most of the names on her list. She looked over his shoulder. "Thanks," she said.

He put down the pen and turned to her. "If we're going to do this, Superman must never be seen with Lois Lane."

Lois grinned, probably recognising that he had just come very close to agreeing to her idea. "So, if I get a disguise, I might actually get to meet this mythical superhero," she said. "Finally."

"If you're lucky," Clark said.

They stepped out of her unit together and moments later were flying east to Smallville, Kansas.

||_||

Clark watched as Lois outlined her proposal to his parents.

Watched as she met and countered their reservations.

Watched as she enchanted them - with her staunch commitment to Superman, with her sure logic as she answered their questions, and with her infectious enthusiasm for something which was, he had to admit, sounding more reasonable with every passing minute.

"Are you sure about this, Lois?" Jonathan asked. "If someone were to discover that it's Lois Lane under the disguise, you become the obvious target for anyone wanting to control Superman."

Lois met Clark's eyes and smiled. "I am confident that should anyone ever threaten me, the strongest man in the world will somehow find a way ensure my safety," she said.

Martha smiled at that. "You also need to realise that should Clark's secret become known, the consequences for you will be unavoidable," she said.

"That's true whether I go public or not," Lois said. "Anything that affects Clark's life is going to affect mine."

Clark watched as the effects of her statement rippled through his parents. They smiled at her, smiled at him. He saw it in their faces - Lois was exactly what they'd hoped for, too.

"Lois has long-term commitments in Melbourne," Clark said. "When my time in Australia has finished, we both believe that I should return to Metropolis."

"You're not going to be together?" Martha asked, distressed.

"We're going to be together as much as superpowers and three busy lives allow," Clark said firmly. "But it's going to be some time before Lois Lane and Clark Kent can be together openly and officially."

"But Superman can be with his girl?" Martha surmised.

Clark nodded. "I know this is unusual, but it seems to be the best option for us."

Jonathan chuckled. "We've become accustomed to the unusual," he said. "I'm not sure we'd be able to stand the shock if you did things the regular way."

Martha stood. "I'll get my tape measure," she said. "And we'll get started on Lois's suit."

"After you've taken the measurements, Lois needs to sleep," Clark said. "It's after midnight, Melbourne time."

"We'll look after her," Martha promised. "You go to Metropolis and tell the world that Superman is not only still alive, but he's very much here to stay."

||_||

Lois rolled over. It was warm, hot even. She pushed aside the bedcovers, expecting an icy blast of Melbourne winter, and instead was enveloped in delicious warmth that was redolent of summer.

She remembered and smiled.

She was in Clark's bed.

And she hadn't needed a Superman pillowcase to dream about the man under the blue tights. Just being in his bed was catalyst enough.

Her thoughts returned to Melbourne. There was so much to do. So many people to talk to. Tonight, Melbourne time, Hawthorn were to play North Melbourne. Lois intended being at the game early and leaving late.

But for the first time ever, it wasn't game strategy and player positions that dominated her thoughts. The battle had turned serious. Deadly serious.

Cocooned in the sanctuary of Clark's bed, Lois unlocked the door in her mind that so far, she had kept firmly shut ... The door that led to the contemplation of a world without Hawthorn.

For her personally, things would be simpler if the members voted 'yes' and Hawthorn merged with Melbourne. She could pack up her life, bid goodbye to the city and the people that had been her home and family for nearly twenty years, and move to Metropolis to be with Clark.

Simple.

Yet the thought of it felt like an icepick stabbing a series of perforations through her insides.

There was a part of her that was Hawthorn. Would always be Hawthorn. And if the club died, a part of her would die, too.

She had Clark.

And he was more than she had ever dared to hope for.

He loved her. Selflessly. Totally. Transparently.

She loved him.

But even in the fullness of his love, she couldn't heartlessly sever the ties that had been building and binding for over half of her life.

And he didn't expect her to.

Imagine ... an alien ... not only not from Melbourne, but not even from this planet ... and he understood!

He was so, so much more than she had dared to hope for.

Lois sighed as she thought about last night - earlier today. Time became confusing when one flitted around the globe. After a depressing visit to her club, she had come home and found Clark waiting for her. Never before had her unit seemed so welcoming.

She'd been tired and discouraged and anxious about what the future held, but she hadn't been so absorbed in her own thoughts that she'd been oblivious to the look on Clark's face. He, too, was anxious - anxious that Hawthorn's crisis would cause her to re-evaluate his place in her life.

It wouldn't.

But how to convince Clark of that?

Lois chuckled softly. She was in Clark's bed. An hour with him in here, too, and she reckoned she could be pretty convincing.

A soft knock sounded on the door, and Lois knew instantly that it was him. She couldn't see through the door, but she didn't need to. It was him.

"Come in, big guy," she called.

The door opened, and he walked in - dressed in jeans and a T-shirt that clung tightly across his biceps. There were definite advantages to the summer climate.

He smiled as he approached the bed. "Did you sleep well?" he asked.

Lois shuffled over to make room for him to sit on the bed. "I slept wonderfully well," she replied. Then, because he looked so good, and because it was so wonderful to wake up and be with Clark, she added, "I enjoyed sleeping in your bed."

He coloured slightly, as she had thought he might. "You can sleep in my bed any time," he said.

Lois gasped. She had *not* expected him to return her serve. He had the most adorable look on his face - a mix of his enjoyment at seeing her and his satisfaction with his reply. "I'll remember that," she whispered.

He chuckled and remained standing - looking down at her. "Mom has finished the suit for you," he said. "And she's prepared a meal for us to eat before we go back to Melbourne."

"She's a great person," Lois said. "You are a lot like her."

"She wants to know if it's OK if she comes in and shows you the suit."

"Absolutely," Lois said. "I can't wait to see what she made. What's it like?"

"I haven't seen it. She wants to show you first."

"OK," Lois said. "How did it go in Metropolis?"

"I spoke to Preston Carpenter and Perry - the two editors - and outlined my offer. I told them that when they came to a decision, they could publish it in their papers, and, assuming they were willing to agree to my terms, we could set a time and place."

"How did they take it?"

"Carpenter seemed surprised at first but agreed very quickly. I think he feels his paper is ahead in the Superman stakes, and he wants to do everything to protect his advantage."

"And Perry?"

Concern clouded Clark's expression. "Perry didn't look well," he said. "He was pale and seemed tired. I hope he's looking after his health."

"Aw, Clark," Lois said. "It must have been hard to talk with him and not be able to tell him who you are."

"Yeah, it was," Clark said. "Before today, I'd never spoken to him as Superman."

"Did you see Mayson?"

"No. Why?"

"Just wondered."

Clark shot her a questioning smile. "You're not jealous, are you?"

Lois grinned. "If you'd wanted Mayson, you had plenty of opportunities to have her."

"Too many opportunities," Clark said grimly. "I'm really not looking forward to being interviewed by her."

"We'll both be there," Lois said. "Mayson is no match for the two of us. Did you mention there would be an unexpected extra at the interview?"

"No," Clark said. "I thought it best we keep the advantage of surprise."

"Good thinking."

Clark gestured out of the door. "I'll send Mom in," he said. "We need to get to Melbourne."

||_||

Twenty minutes later, Lois had managed - with considerable difficulty - to stretch Martha's creation sufficiently that it covered - in a manner of speaking - most of Lois's body.

In colour, it was mid pink, with hot pink trim and an aqua cape. In style, it was daring; the neckline plunged far lower than would have been Lois's choice.

She pulled on the high-heeled pink boots and, with some bafflement, added the forearm guards. Then, she stepped up to the mirror and would have gasped - had her lungs been able to inflate to any degree.

Clark wasn't going to need x-ray vision when he saw her in this.

Lois tied the mask across her eyes and over her gelled hair.

She looked ... different.

In fact, she bore no resemblance to Lois Lane, the not-overtly-feminine football reporter of the Herald Sun, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia who invariably hid her curves under jeans and a jumper.

She left Clark's room and descended the stairs, feeling the unfamiliar sensation of the cape flapping against her calves as she walked.

At the bottom of the stairs, she attempted a deep breath and then walked through the door.

Clark stood as she entered. He stared at her - not moving, not speaking.

"Clark?" Lois said hesitantly.

He didn't respond.

"Clark?"

Martha chuckled. "I don't think he's looking at your face, honey," she said.

||_||

Here's a pic of Lois in the suit.

If the pic is grainy, click on it to enlarge it - that looks far raunchier than I remember from the show!

http://www.lilithvonsilver.com/dolls/micro/images/lois4.jpg