Spinning in her head all day, Lois decided that she just needed to face Clark. Talk to him and see what's what. She still felt betrayed, but she also knew that she did care about him. Whether she'd admit that to him or not was another story. He had seemed annoyingly flippant about their situation today, but maybe he was just covering up his own fear? Did his attitude mean that he did want to stay married to her? She wasn't certain what either of them really wanted, but she knew she couldn't get any answers keeping her thoughts to herself. At the very least they were stuck in this marriage for the foreseeable future, and so she needed to find out where he stood.
He never came back to the Planet, and she was annoyed with herself for caring so much about what he was up to. After much debate and finally swallowing an ounce of pride, she decided to go to his place. <<If nothing else, then to snoop around and find out what he's doing!>> she justified to herself.
It was after dark and she was surprised to find he wasn't home either. <<Was he in Smallville?>> she wondered, knowing how much he relied on his parents to sort him out when things went wrong. For one panicked moment she thought maybe he had left Metropolis for good. She strained to see into his apartment, and though she couldn't make out much, she could see shadows of furniture still there. So he hadn't moved or anything. Yet.
She decided to wait on his stoop, and sat there for almost an hour. She had thought of letting herself in to his place, but she figured it would distract her, being on his turf, from sorting through her muddled heart properly. Though sitting on the stoop wasn't much better, as she still found herself thinking in circles, over analyzing everything, and worrying. <<Why all the lies, Clark?>> she asked her absent partner. She was about to give up and go home when she saw him walking up, all dressed in black. She wasn't expecting that. What had he been doing?
She strived for a cool tone, but even she could hear the bitterness in it. "You look good dressed in black. Perfect for your skin tone. Perfect for a funeral, maybe yours," she said, tempted to pick a fight.
"Lois, please."
She sighed wearily, her thoughts from the last hour still heavy on her heart. "I thought I knew you. I thought you were decent and straight-up and good. I thought you were the last honest man. I thought you were... you were... Clark Kent."
He stared at her a moment, thinking how to answer her. He couldn't deal with the guilt of their situation right now. But he could sure use his partner. He decided to tell her exactly what was going on. No more lies, no more secrets. "Mom and Dad have been kidnapped."
"What?" Lois said in surprise, her own problems momentarily forgotten.
"This guy, he knows my secret and wants to tell the world. So he threatened to kill--to kill my parents. I had to--I had to rob a jewelry store, Lois," he said, looking her in the eyes, begging her to understand, to help him.
"But you're--but you're Superman," she said, not fully understanding.
"It's not that easy, Lois," he shook his head ruefully. "I can't risk this maniac killing my parents if I don't do what he says."
"And so you can't call the police or the FBI," she said slowly, beginning to see his predicament.
"No, I can't take that chance," he sat next to her on the stoop, running his hands through his hair in frustration. His whole world was falling around down his ears.
"But, he's letting them go now?" she asked. "You said you robbed a jewelry store. So he got what he wanted, right?"
"I don't think so. I think he wants more," he said.
They both sat quiet a moment. Lois wouldn't forgive him everything yet, but she did feel for him. Despite everything, this was serious. She knew what his parents meant to him, meant to her! They were sweet people and didn't deserve this.
"Clark, I'm so sorry," she said finally.
He looked at her, so many emotions flowing through him. If she would only forgive him, maybe they could move on. Have a real life together. But first, his parents. "Thank you."
"And do you know where they are?" she asked.
He shook his head. "I searched the city. But I think they're somewhere lead-lined. I heard my dad--" he choked on this last. She hesitantly reached over and took his hand. He gently squeezed it in acknowledgment.
"I heard Dad say so on the phone. I have no idea what to do, Lois. I have never felt so helpless in my life!" He turned to her, " And I'm sorry, Lois. So sorry about---us."
She sighed. "Look, you and I do have a lot to sort through, it's true. But let's call a truce for now, your parents are most important. I'll do whatever I can to help."
"Thanks," he said, genuinely touched that Lois would put aside their problems to help his parents. "Would you... would you like to come in a moment?" he asked, hesitant, but not wanting to be alone.
"Okay," she nodded, following him inside. Ever the problem solver, her mind was ticking ahead about his predicament.
"Clark? Do you think there is there anything we can do tonight?"
He sighed, though smiled a little that she had said 'we'. "No, I don't think so. I left the jewels where he asked me. I'll... I'll probably get a phone call tomorrow. I'm just so worried, Lois."
He sat down heavily on the sofa. "I'm the fastest, strongest man on the planet, yet I don't know what to do to help my own parents."
She sat down next to him, though she kept her distance. "You'll figure something out. You always do."
He laughed bitterly. "I don't know how you have such faith in me, Lois." He moved so he could see her face. "I've screwed up so many times. Have I... have I ruined it for us as well?"
She could see the pain it cost him to ask those words. Part of her wanted to be stubborn and petty. But at the same time, she knew she would never really be happy if she actually lost Clark.
"I saw a divorce lawyer today, Clark," she began, making herself more comfortable on the couch.
He froze at her statement. "So, you... you were able to get the annulment?" he asked, trying to sound casual.
She shook her head and smiled ruefully, "Nope, not a chance. Not unless one of us can live in Nevada for at least six weeks."
He digested that a moment. But she went ahead and answered what he was bound to come up with next. "It wouldn't do for Clark Kent to be living in Nevada and New Troy without a trace of frequent flier miles, Clark. I know that. We'd have to file for divorce."
"Oh, no," he said under his breath, seeing much as Lois had earlier how that could unravel everything about Superman in front of the world.
She sighed. "I guess we have to face what this --marriage means to us. Sooner or later."
He looked at her, feeling relieved that she didn't want to push a divorce. Maybe things would be all right between them after all. "Lois, I have to tell you something."
She rolled her eyes. "Please. Not another revelation about something! I can't take anymore surprises!"
He laughed warmly, "No, I promise the secrets are over." He turned to her, serious. "But Lois, I want you to know that I had been thinking about asking you to marry me for a while."
She looked surprised at that. "You had?"
He sighed. He had held so much back from her, he felt now she deserved the whole truth. With all his cards out on the table, maybe he could still come up a winner. "Yeah, I had been torn between what should come first, my telling you about Superman or asking you to marry me." He hesitated, but reached for her hand, to give himself courage to tell her the rest. "The thing is, Lois, I knew you had had feelings for Superman."
She started to say something, but he squeezed her hand. "Please. Let me finish. This is hard enough as it is."
She nodded.
"And I wanted--no, *needed* to know that you could love me, Clark, and not the Suit." His eyes searched hers, willing her to understand him.
"You'd been waiting for *me* to see the man beneath the suit, is that it?" she asked slowly.
"Yeah, sort of. But to be fair, I know I hadn't always led you in the right direction to do so. I had become jealous of my own creation! It's funny, really. But then when we started dating--" he moved closer to her, daring to cup her cheek. "It meant the world to me. It meant that you were finally allowing the real me in."
She touched his hand on her cheek, then turned slightly away. "I don't know what to say exactly, Clark. Part of me wants to pummel you for lying to me for so long, but part of me--" she looked at him, her eyes going to his lips. Her heart was thudding in her ears.
He felt his body go warm, seeing her look.
"--wants to do this," she said breathlessly, leaning in to kiss him.
He met her half way. She kissed him with all the passion and love in her heart, and he answered her in equal measure. All the hurt they had done to each other was erased in a meeting of lips, as their hearts finally answered one another.
Clark pulled her closer to him. As long as he had her, everything would be alright.
They'd make it through this mess, get his parents back. There was hope left in the world if Lois Lane could forgive him.
He pulled back in surprise when he tasted the salt of her tears.
"Lois? What's the matter?" he whispered, brushing her hair out of her face.
"The thing is, I was marrying *you* in Vegas. I said those words to Clark, though I didn't realize you were standing right there."
"I know, Lois," he smiled gently, glad to know he was at least right about that. "I think that's why I went along with it. It's not how I imagined marrying you, but I'm glad we did it."
She took a shaky breath, "So, you forgive me for marrying Superman?"
He smiled. "As long as you forgive me for not telling you I *am* Superman."
"Well, I may still have a bone to pick with you still on that one... but I think I forgive you," she grinned happily.
Clark glanced at the clock. "It's past midnight. Do you... want to go home?"
Lois laughed warmly. "Clark, you really can be so naive sometimes, you know that? We're married, aren't we? I mean... you said you were going to ask me to marry you anyway. So you *do* want to be married, right?" she asked, babbling, suddenly nervous she had misread him.
He kissed her gently, his voice soft and husky when he answered, "Yeah, I do."
She smiled, relieved. "Well then, what if... what if I stayed the night?" she looked up at him coyly.
"You realize this--would make things official. No turning back," he said, his warm chocolate eyes sparkling with love.
"Yeah, I know," she answered, her voice breathy. "I want to stay."
"Then I can't think of any reason why you shouldn't," he grinned. She stood up, but he suddenly pulled her back down on to his lap. He tenderly stroked her jaw, moving her face so he could look in her eyes. "I love you, Lois. As Superman or as me, Clark. I love you. I always have, always will."
"Oh Clark!" she threw her arms around his neck. "I love you, too."
They kissed, each an anchor for the other in the storm going on around them. They were lost in a moment, in each other.
"Take me to bed," Lois whispered, nibbling at his ear.
Clark swooped her up in his arms, kissing her as he made his way to his bedroom.
For tonight, the world could wait.
*********
Lois awoke in the middle of the night to an empty bed.
"Clark?" she cried out.
She slowly got up, her limbs languid from their earlier love making.
She padded softly into the living room, and found Clark sitting on the sofa with his head in his hands, the moonlight making his dark hair almost appear silver.
"Hey," she said quietly, noticing his distress.
He turned to her, and his eyes were glassed over, not recognizing her for a second in his grief. Then, all at once, he reached for her and she took him in her arms.
"God, Lois. What am I doing? Here I've been making love to you while my parents are trapped somewhere!"
She felt him tremble and she realized he was crying. Superman was crying.
"Clark, it's okay," she held onto him, stroking his back like a child. "We'll figure something out."
"How can you love someone so selfish, Lois?" he looked into her eyes.
She was shocked at this statement. "Selfish? You? Clark! Are you kidding? You are the most giving, self-sacrificing person I know!" she said, tears welling up in her own eyes.
"So you had a moment of weakness, Clark. It just proves that you're more human than you know," she said gently, kissing him on the cheek.
"I've had more than a moment of weakness in the last few days, Lois," he said sadly. "But what if this one costs my parents their lives?"
She gently took his head in her hands, stroking his hair back. "Clark, listen to me. I asked you before---" she hesitated, gesturing vaguely toward the bedroom. "I asked if there was anything we could do at that moment. And you said no. There's nothing to be done tonight. We'll just have to get to the Planet early tomorrow and pull together our resources and do what we always do. Clark, we'll beat this guy, one way or another! Now, come on, let's get some sleep."
He pulled her to him, kissing her gently. "I'm glad I married you, Lois Lane."
She laughed softly. "Me too."
She took his hand and led him back to the bedroom. As they got under the covers, Clark pulled her into his arms.
"I don't know what I'd do without you, honey," he said, pulling her in tighter to him.
That endearment meant more to her than all the world.
"Love you," she breathed, before drifting off to sleep in her husband's arms.
_____________
Some dialogue taken from Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Season 2, episode 22, "And the Answer is..." written by Tony Blake & Paul Jackson.
Written for fun and not for profit.
