"So why do you need this list, Lois?" asked Jimmy in confusion.
"Just do it," she said through her teeth. "And *don't* tell Clark!"
Jimmy nodded as he walked away from her desk.
"Don't tell Clark, what?" said the man in question, coming down the ramp. He had decided to be jovial, friendly. He'd win Lois back with charm. He'd---
"None of your business. And I'm not speaking to you," Lois said, swiveling her chair away from him.
"Well, you can't hide from me forever, you know," he chided.
She glared at him.
He leaned in over her desk. She tried not to be affected by him, feel his presence or look in his eyes. "We are still married, you know," he said in a husky whisper, knowing he was galling her but unable to stop himself.
"Don't, Clark. I am *not* talking about this here. Now. Just get to work!" she crossed her arms, trying to put distance between them.
He lifted his hands in mock surrender. "Okay, okay. I'll drop it. For now."
Lois glued her eyes to her computer screen. "You better drop it, buddy," she murmured furiously.
Clark was trying to remain cool, but inside he was scared. When Lois was angry, she might do all sorts of foolish things. Maybe it was better if he did just keep his distance for now. He couldn't afford any more animosity from her.
His phone rang. "Clark Kent," he said, relieved to have a distraction.
"We know everything about you, Mr. Kent. Or should I say... Superman," said the voice on the phone. " If you don't want the world to know your secret, go to a dumpster behind the Planet. You'll find an envelope with your name on it."
The phone clicked and Clark slowly hung up. Maybe things *could* get worse...
Lois glanced up and saw the look of panic on Clark's face. <<Ha, I'll just bet you're panicked! Panicked you'll lose me! So suffer, Clark! Suffer!>>
He stood up, adjusting his tie. "I gotta--um," he thought a second. And then his face twisted into a half smile. At least the lame excuses could stop. "I gotta go," he said simply to Lois, heading for the elevator.
"Like I care," she murmured, her focus back on her screen.
Moments later Jimmy came back over.
"Here's the divorce lawyer list you asked for. The guy at the top is real sleaze. He'd rake his mother over the coals to make a buck."
"And who on this list is know for... discretion?" she asked, her cheeks flaming.
Jimmy pretended not to notice, though he had to struggle to hide a shocked smile. <<Was Lois *married*??>>
"Uh, this woman here. Mrs. Jane Prescott. She handles a lot of celebrity cases and stuff like that."
"Thanks, Jimmy," she said.
"No problem."
"And Jimmy?" she said, gesturing for him to lean in to hear her. "Not a word to anybody. Especially Clark. But not to Perry either, okay?"
"Okay. You got it. Sure you don't want to tell me---?" he tried.
She shook her head. A cold 'no!'
"Okay, okay. You have my word. My lips are sealed!"
********
Lois made an appointment to see Jane Prescott during her lunch break. She couldn't believe she got an appointment so easily! Clark had never returned from his 'errand,' but she figured it was just as well. She wanted to get everything laid out first and then she'd face him with papers.
"Ms. Lois Lane?" the secretary nodded for her to go in.
Jane Prescott was everything you'd imagine a successful divorce lawyer to be. Blond, beautiful, impeccable taste in clothes. Lois noticed a wedding picture behind her desk. She even appeared happily married. <<How ever did she manage that?>> Lois asked herself.
"Ms. Lane? Have a seat," she gestured and Lois took a plush burgundy chair by the window. "How may I help you today?"
Lois began telling her story. Leaving out Superman, of course.
"It was an impulsive move to go to Vegas. You know? Partners, needing to let loose." Lois knew it sounded false, even to her ears. And Mrs. Prescott wasn't buying it either.
"Ms. Lane, people don't 'accidentally' go to Vegas. It sounds like a planned trip. Surely you knew the risks and two bottles of wine--"
"Three," Lois chimed in. "It was three bottles of wine."
"Okay, so even with three bottles of wine... you can't exactly plead insanity...Um, was the marriage---consummated?" asked Mrs. Prescott delicately.
Lois was silent a moment. The phrase conjured up images of fantasies she had had but tried to keep buried about Superman. And Clark. Superman *as* Clark. The room felt warm...
"It could be important to the case."
Lois shook off her momentary wandering into dangerous waters. "Um, no. No it wasn't," she cleared her throat. "The marriage wasn't c--consummated."
"Well, good. That helps your case somewhat. But neither of you live in Nevada. You see, one of you would have to live there for at least six weeks to even qualify the annulment."
"Six weeks?" Lois gulped. Neither of them could take off work that long to work out this "problem." She could have Superman commute though... But that idea wouldn't work either. It might get awfully suspicious if Clark Kent took up residence in Nevada while maintaining a job in Metropolis and with no airline flights on record...
"I'm afraid so. It's very easy to tie the knot in Las Vegas," Mrs. Prescott started.
"No kidding."
"But a little trickier to *undo* the knot... If you can't qualify for the annulment, then you'll have to file for divorce. "
Lois nodded. "Thank you for your time."
********
So, for better or for worse it might be then. At least for now.
She walked back to the Planet, numb. What could she do?
She felt exhausted with even the idea of filing for divorce. And if word got out to the press when they went to court about this fiasco, Superman could easily be recognized publicly as Clark Kent. How could they explain the truth otherwise, especially how they even *got* to Vegas or the fact that she was seen with *Superman* there? She didn't think she could put them through that--put him through that, even if she was tempted... So that left one other option... she could try and reconcile things with Clark. But she just wasn't ready to go there yet either. She wasn't ready to forgive the lies. And besides, if he really did love her, wouldn't he have told her the truth before, on his own? Wouldn't he have stopped the madness in Vegas before it even happened? Grant it, she knew he'd been affected by some form of Kryptonite, but had it really pushed him to act so rash? She didn't know. It was an unknown quantity in the equation of who was to blame and for what. And if he was affected by the Kryptonite and wine combo, then the blame would fall squarely on her shoulders.
But the truth was, she depended on him, as Superman or Clark, Kryptonite or none, to be upstanding. And there was the rub.
When she got back to the newsroom, Clark was nowhere to be found. She thought it odd, but he could be off being Superman. She asked around to see what the scoop on her partner was.
"CK? Well, he was here earlier. But he said he had a lead to follow up on..." Jimmy offered.
She nodded. It was just as well. She needed some time to think.
