PREVIOUSLY IN THE TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE...
Lois stopped, thinking about that for a moment. “You think Ryan killed me?”
“Can you think of another reason you would have gotten off the plane before Brazzaville?”
She couldn’t. “Still, I have to know. Why is Ryan here? Why is he pretending to be dead? Why did he send Molly that horrible letter? I have to find out. For Molly, I have to know.”
“But, Ms. Lane...”
“Besides, this time is different. This time I know I’m in danger and I have you for backup.”
“I really must advise against this,” Wells said when Lois grabbed his arm and began dragging him towards the exit. “This is not a good idea.”AND NOW...
* * * * * * * * *
June 1997
* * * * * * * * *
Clark stood outside the first floor apartment at 344 Clinton Street, looking over his glasses at the boy sitting at a desk, diligently doing his homework.
His son.
Wow!
Tears formed in his eyes as he watched the child from the darkened street. He’d loved the boy for the past four years without knowing. But now... knowing... Maybe his trip into the past hadn’t been a total failure if it had produced something so beautiful, so precious.
His deliberation was interrupted when Molly walked between Clark and his son. Clark blinked.
Molly. She had to have known - which, of course, begged the question of why she hadn’t told him. He’d spent enough time with Molly in 1987 that she had to have recognized him when he arrived at the Daily Planet in 1993. So, even if she had worried that he might think she was crazy if she had claimed Charlie was his son, it didn’t explain why she had told him that story about Lois being the victim of a date rape drug.
It didn’t explain why Lois, if she was heading to the Congo having accepted her fate, wouldn’t have left a letter for him, telling him about his son.
Well, he wasn’t going to get any answers by standing out here. If he couldn’t ask Lois, there was someone else who might be able to help him understand.
He knocked at Molly’s apartment. It only took a moment for Molly to open the door.
“Hey, Clark. Here to see Charlie?” She turned, as if to call Charlie for him.
“No, actually,” Clark said, touching her arm to ensure she stopped. “I need to talk to you.”
“Sure. What’s up?”
Clark opened his mouth before snapping it shut again. He glanced towards Charlie’s room. “Not here. Why don’t you come up to my apartment?”
“Sure. Just let me tell Charlie where I’m going.”
* * * * * * * * *
Clark handed Molly a cup of coffee before they settled in the living room. He knew she was curious, but he’d needed time to figure out how to approach the topic. He finally decided on the direct approach.
“Why didn’t you tell me that I’m Charlie’s father?”
He had to jump up and tap Molly’s back when she choked on the sip of coffee she’d been taking. Maybe the direct approach hadn’t been the right way to do this, after all. On the other hand, it was out there now where they could deal with it.
“Excuse me?” Molly managed to choke out when she finally caught her breath.
“You know I love that boy,” Clark said, assuming she hadn’t really needed clarification on his question. “So why tell me that story about Lois being raped? Was it because you didn’t think I’d believe you?”
“What?”
“Okay, I can understand that the time travel thing might have been a little... difficult to accept. But why not just say that Lois had sworn you to secrecy? Why make up that story about the date rape drugs?”
“Make up a story?” Molly asked.
“Come on, Molly. You must have recognized me when I showed up at the Daily Planet. And I know you were aware of what happened between Lois and me... Or at least some of it. I heard you two on the phone the next morning. Even if Lois hadn’t told you Charlie was mine, you must have had your suspicions.”
“Wait a minute!” Molly objected. She hesitated, as if trying to make sense of what he’d said. “What the hell are you talking about?” she finally asked.
It suddenly occurred to Clark that Molly honestly had no idea what he was talking about.
“How is it you don’t remember?” he asked.
“Remember what?”
“Molly, I...”
“Is it true?”
Molly and Clark’s heads snapped up as they looked towards the door, seeing Charlie standing there.
“Is it true?” Charlie asked again.
“Is what true?” Clark asked.
“Are you really my dad?”
Clark pulled in a breath. His son’s hearing was obviously beginning to kick in. He’d probably heard every word he and Molly had said since coming up here. Well, so much for deciding how to break the news to Charlie.
“Charlie...” Molly began, only to be cut off by Clark.
“It’s really true,” Clark said, deciding that the best approach was the truth. “I’m your dad.”
“Clark, don’t...” Molly warned, obviously trying to tell him not to confuse Charlie.
“It is true, Molly,” Clark said. “I don’t know why you don’t remember, but a friend of mine invented a time machine and I traveled into the past. During the time I was there, Lois...” He glanced over at Charlie who had quietly pushed the door closed behind him and was moving, almost silently, towards them. “...your mother and I fell in love. We even got married. And we had you.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Charlie asked.
“I didn’t know,” Clark said.
“How could you not know?” Molly asked.
“I just went into the past a week ago. I didn’t know that I was Charlie’s father until then.”
Suddenly, remembering the marriage certificate, he pulled it out and handed it to Molly. She studied it, looking up at him several times, obviously not sure what to make of it. She gave up the certificate when Charlie came over, tugging it out of her stunned hand to look at it himself.
“Do that magic you do with your computer if you want to, Mol. Research it. See if this marriage was filed with the government in 1987. I promise you, you’ll find out that it’s real. I showed up the night of the party at the Alpha Nu Rho house. I was the one who stopped the football players who were attempting to take Lois from the party. I found you and together we took her back to her dorm room.”
“That was you?” Molly asked.
“So you’re really my dad?” Charlie asked again, tears now in his eyes.
“I’m really your dad,” Clark said, a smile splitting his face. When his son threw himself into his arms, tears congregated in Clark’s eyes as well. Holding Charlie tight in his arms, he closed his eyes and kissed the boy’s hair.
“You and Lois eloped!” Molly suddenly said, her eyes opening wide as the memories began to return. “I remember you. But then... how did I forge...” Her voice trailed off and she seemed to be putting even more pieces together. “Wells did it. He had a machine... the Bummer-Be-Gone, he called it. Something about the world being destroyed by a paradox unless we forgot everything.”
“What?”
“That’s why we agreed to do it. That’s why Lois wrote you that letter. I assume you got the letter?”
“You know about the letter?”
Molly nodded. “It was Lois’ idea. She was worried that you’d try to go back in time again to rescue her. So she wrote the letter and then our memories were erased. Or... well, obviously not completely erased... maybe suppressed would be a better word.
“No wonder Lois never dated. She might not have remembered you at a conscious level, but on a subconscious level... I don’t think she ever completely forgot. I think some part of her always knew that she was married to you.
“Oh, god. It also explains comments some of the girls made at about that time,” Molly continued. “Especially Cat. She used to say things like, ‘Where’s the tight-end?’ She never actually said anything that connected it to Lois’ pregnancy though. She probably wasn’t sure she should say anything since she was one of the people who knew that Lois had been drugged at about the same time. But still... I can hardly believe we didn’t follow up on that.”
“On the other hand,” Clark said, “maybe it’s better that you didn’t. Otherwise, it would be easier to believe I’d taken advantage of Lois while she was drugged than to believe that a dead fiction writer named H.G. Wells erased your memories.”
“True.” Suddenly, Molly smiled. “Lois was right about you. You always see the silver lining, don’t you?”
A knock at the door interrupted them. For a moment, Clark was tempted not to answer. Still, his folks had raised him better than that. Releasing his son, and after taking a moment to brush the tears off the boy’s face, Clark walked to the door, intending to get rid of his visitor as quickly as possible. There was still so much he needed to know.
He opened the door and froze.
“Clark,” the woman standing outside the door said before throwing herself into his arms.
“Lois,” Clark responded the instant before their lips met.
* * * * * * * * *
Lois had never known a sensation like it. Kissing Clark had always been good, powerful even. But this was different. This was... more. The first rain after six years of drought. The first Double Fudge Crunch Bar after six years of dieting. Coming home after wandering for six years in the wilderness.
The moment where past and future finally met, healing the pain and struggle of the previous years, making every tear make sense and answering every question. As lips probed and hands roamed, Lois felt a warmth and belonging flood her system. Home. She was finally home.
“Mommy?” Charlie asked, speaking the only word that could possibly pull Lois out of Clark’s arms.
Lois released Clark as her eyes sought out her son. Tears clouded her vision when she spotted him. Her four year old child was now an eight year old boy. Yet in his reversion to the word ‘mommy’, she heard the child she had left behind.
“Mommy!” Charlie exclaimed, throwing himself into her open arms, practically knocking Lois off her feet as tears accompanied laughter. “I knew,” Charlie said. “I knew you’d come home. You promised.”
* * * * * * * * *
Clark carried the sleeping child down the stairs. They’d all talked for hours, filling each other in on what had transpired. Lois had explained that Wells had come into the past, meeting her on the plane and offering her the chance to come forward into the future.
Molly and Clark had filled her in on the events of the past four years. And Clark explained to Charlie why he’d shaved off his beard - and promising to grow it back as quickly as possible.
Charlie had curled up against his mother, eventually falling asleep. Rather than waking the emotionally exhausted boy, Clark had gathered his son into his arms to take him down to his room, Lois following close behind.
While carrying his son down to the first floor, Clark noted that Lois seemed unable to quit touching him. His arms. His back. His butt. All of it was open season to her wandering hands.
And Clark was loving every second.
While Lois stood in the doorway to her son’s room watching, Clark made judicious use of his superpowers to change Charlie into his pajamas and tuck him into bed. He gently kissed Charlie’s forehead before turning towards Lois. He found himself stumbling when he caught sight of the depth of love on her face. The years she’d lived since meeting him had seemingly done nothing to change her feelings.
She held out her hand. Giving her a smile, he walked closer, taking her hand and pulling her to him for a kiss. This kiss was soft as they sought and received answers from each other. Luxuriating in the moment while still unexpectedly feeling the promise of so much more to come.
“So do I take this to mean you still want to be married to me?” Clark asked, breaking the kiss in order to rest his forehead against hers.
“I told you back when I asked you to marry me that I know my own mind. And, Clark Kent, what I want is for you to be my husband. I’ve never wanted anything more.” With that, she pulled him back in for another kiss, exploring his mouth in a way that left him in no doubt of her feelings... or her intentions.
“Mom?”
Lois pulled back, giving Clark an apologetic look. He just smiled, giving a slight jerk of his head to silently tell her to tend to her son. He could wait. “I should really take a trip to a drug store anyway,” Clark said.
* * * * * * * * *
A slow grin spread across Lois’ face as his meaning sunk in. “Thinking you might get lucky?”
“Hoping,” Clark responded.
“Hurry back,” she whispered, giving him a quick kiss. When he left the room, she turned back to Charlie.
“Yes, kiddo,” Lois said, taking a seat on the side of her son’s bed and mussing his hair.
“Are you... are you going to be here tomorrow?”
“Absolutely! I’m not going anywhere... Well, except maybe up to Clark... your father’s apartment. That would be okay, wouldn’t it?”
“Are you going to sleep with Uncle Clar... Dad?”
Lois cocked her head to her side, unsure how to handle this. There had never been any men in her life and so she’d never had to deal with anything remotely similar. But what exactly did he mean? There was quite a difference, after all, between sleeping with someone and... sleeping with someone.
“Would that bother you?” she asked, watching him carefully in hopes of understanding what he was asking.
He shrugged. “Bobby’s mom and dad sleep in the same bed.” His voice trailed off. “Is Clark really my dad?”
Lois smiled. “Yes. He is, kiddo.” Maybe those deeper questions weren’t what he was wondering about at all. She felt relieved. Hopefully, it would be a few more years before she would have to answer those types of questions.
“And he only found out this week?”
Lois nodded. When Charlie still looked troubled, Lois spoke again. “But if you think about it, that’s pretty cool. He decided he wanted to be part of your life, not because he was your dad, but because he realized what a great kid you are.”
“Yeah,” Charlie said when that thought sunk in. “And now he’s my dad, too.”
“Now he’s your dad, too.”
“And you’re going to stay?”
“I’m not leaving either one of you. You have my promise.”
Charlie yawned.
“You need to get to sleep,” Lois said, leaning over to kiss his forehead before rising from the side of the bed.
“Can I get something to drink?”
Lois hesitated. “Do you think that’s a good idea? To have something to drink just before going to bed?”
“Mom, I’m not a little kid anymore,” Charlie said, sounding offended.
Lois smiled. “You’ll always be my little boy.”
“Mom,” Charlie groaned.
“Okay, I’ll go get you something to drink,” Lois said, before turning out the light and leaving the room.
She walked into the living room to see her friend sitting there. Molly looked up and smiled when she entered.
“I can’t tell you how good it is to have you back,” Molly said. She gestured towards Charlie’s room. “He never gave up hope, you know. I think he always knew you were coming back.”
“Well, I might have sort of had something to do with that,” Lois said.
Molly’s eyebrows rose.
“When Wells and I got to 1997, he wanted to come right here. But I couldn’t. I couldn’t just leave Charlie behind without an explanation, and without being sure he really would be okay, and Wells did have a time machine so...”
* * * * * * * * *
April 1993
* * * * * * * * *
Lois materialized in the darkened room and stood for a long time, watching the sleeping child. Then, on almost silent feet, she crossed the floor, carefully pulled back the blankets and crawled into bed. Charlie turned, curling into her body.
“Hi, Mommy,” he slurred.
Lois wrapped her arms around her son, gently kissing his hair.
“Are you home?” Charlie asked.
“No, kiddo. I can’t come home yet. But I promise, I’ll be home as soon as I can. Okay?”
“Okay,” Charlie said, still mostly asleep.
“And I promise you that I’ll be looking in on you from time to time to make sure you’re doing okay before I can come home for good.”
A soft snore met this pronouncement.
She closed her eyes, silent tears slipping down her cheeks. She waited until she was certain he was sound asleep before again leaving the bed. Then, after taking one last look at her sleeping child, she pressed the controls on the time machine.
* * * * * * * * *
June 1997
* * * * * * * * *
“I dropped in a dozen times, just like that, over the years. To check in on him, make sure he was okay. I made sure to only come after I was sure he wouldn’t really wake up. Maybe just enough to know I was here, looking out for him.”
“The slippers!” Molly said. “The slippers that showed up magically one Christmas morning.”
“The slippers,” Lois confirmed. “I couldn’t leave him alone on Christmas eve. I just couldn’t. So... well, I spent the night, curled up with him in his bed. You have no idea how close you came to catching me that morning. I had to disappear right out of my slippers... literally. But I didn’t dare let you see me. I didn’t want to jeopardize the time line any more than I already was.
“But, Molly, I want you to know that even if I hadn’t been able to come back... You did a great job with him. I can’t thank you enough for that,” Lois said. “I think one of the best things I ever did was making friends with you.”
Molly smiled, obviously pleased.
“Charlie is wanting something to drink,” Lois said, changing the subject.
“There’s juice in the fridge.”
“Thanks,” Lois said before turning towards the kitchen.
Walking over to the fridge, she opened it and began looking for the juice when her eyes spotted something else. The color drained from her face when she realized what she was seeing. A six-pack of Golden Springs Beer.
Forgetting about the juice, she rushed back into the living room. “Molly, what is a six-pack of Golden Springs Beer doing in your fridge?” she asked.
Molly instantly tensed. “I know what you’re thinking, Lois.”
“Oh, I don’t think you do.”
“Ryan never actually died. He’s had to pretend to be dead because of some sort of hush-hush government, protect the world, sort of thing. But he’s changed.”
“He’s back in your life?” Lois asked, still struggling to come to terms with this development.
“He comes by when he can, but...”
“Molly, he’s bad news.”
“He was just a kid when we were in university. He’s different now. He’s grown up.”
“Different since he tried to kill me?” Lois asked, before launching into the rest of the story about her last day in 1993.
* * * * * * * * *
April 1993
* * * * * * * * *
At first Lois was concerned that they’d lost Ryan. She hadn’t seen him anywhere since they’d disembarked the plane. Then she spotted him. He’d stopped to place a phone call. She wished she was close enough to overhear him. Making sure she was hidden by the crowds around her, she watched while he hung up the phone and headed down a nearby hallway.
“Stay here,” she hissed at Wells, handing him her carry-on before, on light feet, jogging towards the hallway.
“Ms. Lane, please... you can’t...”
Wells’ voice faded off when Lois turned the corner to the hallway. Ryan had disappeared again, so she stopped, evaluating the situation. He must have gone in one of the doors lining the hallway. Obviously, he had a particular destination in mind - one that didn’t appear to be commonly open to the public.
She began walking down the hall, quietly trying doors to see if any were open. The third one was. Taking a deep breath, she slowly pushed the door open just far enough to glance inside. It appeared to be some sort of work area. Luggage was being tossed on conveyer belts by men who didn’t seem to understand the meaning of the word ‘gently’. But there was no sign of Ryan.
She started to back out the door when something poking into her back and a cold voice in her ear brought her to a stop.
“So good of you to take the bait, Lois.”
She knew that voice. “Ryan,” she said.
“Step in,” he growled, poking her in the back with what felt like a gun.
That made no sense. How had he managed to get on an airplane with a gun? Unless... he had been in the military when he’d supposedly died. What if he still was? Maybe not the main line of the military but some black ops branch. And maybe this wasn’t an American airport, but the American military did have pretty long arms when it came to convincing other governments to grant them access that others might well be denied.
“You are so predictable, Lane,” Ryan said. “I knew all I had to do was to let you spot me and you’d follow.”
He pushed her further into the room. She thought about calling for help from one of the workers, but quickly rejected that idea. With the gun digging into her back, one shot was all it would take for her to end up dead. Better to play for time. Wait for her moment. Besides, maybe that was the mistake she’d made the first time.
The mistake that had gotten her killed.
It made sense. Ryan had chosen this place for their confrontation so he obviously felt that the workers here would not intervene.
Damn. Wells had been right. “Why? Why would you want me to follow you?” she asked, hoping his need to brag about his brilliant plan would give her the time and opportunity she needed.
“Well, I hate to say this...” He paused. “Actually, no I don’t. I sort of enjoy saying this. My boss wants you dead.”
“Why? What have I ever done to your boss... whoever he might be?”
“You’re trying to expose our business in the Congo. But then, poking your nose in where it doesn’t belong is sort of a bad habit of yours, if I recall correctly. I tried to warn you about that back in college, but did you listen? No. It’s too bad really. So now... the boss wants you dead. And since I have no objections to that...”
“Your boss? You’re working for the scumbag who is selling guns to rebels in the Congo?”
“Scumbag? I doubt Trevanian would appreciate being called a scumbag.”
Trevanian. Where did she know that name? Wait a minute. “The assistant director of the NIA?” she asked. “You’re working for the NIA?”
“Give the girl a medal,” Ryan said.
“But why would the NIA be involved in gun running in the Congo?”
“I don’t think I said the NIA was involved. Just Trevanian. Keep walking.”
“Are you saying Trevanian is operating on his own?”
“Trevanian is a genius. He realizes that the government is paralyzed by politics. So he does what is necessary to ensure that bleeding-heart liberals like you don’t jeopardize our freedom.”
“And how does civil war in the Congo help with that?”
“Don’t be an idiot. We don’t give a damn about the Congo. But we do need a source of income for our various operations.”
“The blood diamonds,” Lois said as understanding began to sink in.
“Blood diamonds, as you so eloquently put it, can pay for a hell of a lot of secret ops.”
“But why write that letter to Molly?”
“Payback. Partially. But I did have it in the back of my mind that it might give me an ‘in’ back into Molly’s life if you ever got too close to one of our operations. Turns out, though, it wasn’t necessary. Or won’t be after today. On the other hand, now that you’re going to be out of the picture, maybe I’ll see if Molly wants to pick things up again. You know. Just for fun.”
“Quit wasting time, Rye,” a woman said. Lois glanced over as a woman appeared out of the shadows. “Kill her already. We’ve got work to do.”
Great. Now there were two people with guns who seemed to want her dead.
“Keep your panties on, Sweet Tart,” Ryan responded. “I was just getting to that.”
“Well, you certainly seem to be taking your time.”
This was it. Her last chance. Lois didn’t even think - she just acted, swinging around and striking out at Ryan with her foot. Fortunately, her decision all those years ago to drop gymnastics in favor of kick-boxing had been a good one. Her foot struck the hand Ryan was using to hold the gun.
The gun fired. A cry directed Lois’ eyes towards Ryan’s coconspirator, who was holding onto her chest as a dark red stain began to form around her hands. A look of surprise appeared on the woman’s face before she crumpled to the ground, dead. Lois spun back around, looking for the gun. She froze when she realized that Ryan had already beaten her to it. It seemed Ryan hadn’t spared even a moment’s thought for his partner - giving him the drop on Lois.
“Nice try, Lane,” he said as he leveled the gun at her again. “Too bad it didn’t work.”
Lois froze, knowing that this was it. She’d gambled - and lost - on the most important decision of her life. Clark. Charlie. She sent out a silent apology to both of them.
It was then that she first spotted it. It appeared near Ryan. Just behind him actually, where he couldn’t see it. Her eyebrows crinkled together for a moment in confusion. What the hell was... Then it came back to her. She knew what she was seeing. A door... like one she’d seen years ago. A door... into the future!
“Any last words, Lane?” Ryan asked.
“Just one,” Lois responded, as she saw Wells silently step up next to the door, and slightly behind Ryan, holding a piece of two by four, raised to strike.
“Oh? And what would that be?”
“Now!” Lois exclaimed. In the next second, two things happened at almost simultaneously. Wells swung, hitting Ryan in the back as Lois dove for the door. Wells didn’t stop to savor his victory. He was instantly diving after her. A bullet whizzed past just as the door closed, leaving her and Wells alone behind the Daily Planet.
* * * * * * * * *
June 1997
* * * * * * * * *
“Molly, if it hadn’t been for Wells coming in when he did, Ryan would have killed me.”
“You’re mistaken,” Molly said. “Ryan’s not a murderer. He’s changed. And he loves me. We can’t be openly together right now because it would be too dangerous for me because of the work he’s doing for the government. But...”
“He’s not working for the government. He’s part of some illegal group of international thugs that Trevanian has put together.”
“No, Lois. You have to be mistaken,” Molly said, but the lack of color in her cheeks told another story. She believed every word Lois had said. She just so desperately didn’t want to believe it.
Not that Lois blamed her. This was the second time Ryan had pulled the wool over her eyes, had played on her love for him.
The knock on the door was a relief to both women. Molly would need some time to digest this information and Lois didn’t have the energy to argue her point any further.
“That’s probably Clark,” Lois said, walking over to the door and opening it.
“Ryan!” Lois exclaimed when she saw the man with a gun standing on the other side.
“I knew if I stayed close to the kid, you’d eventually reappear,” Ryan said, pushing his way into the apartment. “Still, I couldn’t believe it when I heard your voice coming over the bugs I planted in Molly’s apartment. Talk about luck that I happened to turn on the transmitter tonight. Someone up there must really like me.” He pointed to the heavens.
“Ryan, what are you doing?” Molly demanded.
“The way you just disappeared through that non-existent door was weird.” Ryan said to Lois. “So I did a little digging. Even used that gaagle thing of yours, Mol...” As he spoke, he corralled them back into the room by gesturing with the gun. “Found a picture of H.G. Wells. The man who’d been sitting beside you on the plane and, I suspect, the man who hit me with that two by four. Imagine how surprised I was to discover that he’d done more than just write a book about time travel. He actually invented a time machine.”
“What do you want, Ryan?” Lois demanded.
“What do you think I want? Just think of the things Trevanian could do if we had a time machine.”
“So that’s why you came back into my life? To get the time machine?” Molly asked in disbelief.
“Don’t look so upset, babe. It’s not like it was a hardship for me. You’re a great lay after all.”
“No, Mol!” Lois exclaimed jumping out to grab her friend when an infuriated Molly dove at Ryan.
The gun sounded. Silence followed.
* * * * * * * * *
Clark was whistling off tune as he walked back to the apartment building, a small paper bag clutched in his hand. He stopped when he heard the echo of a gunshot. Looking over the top of his glasses, he scanned the area, looking for the sound’s source. What he saw caused his heart to stop beating.
Without even bothering to change into the suit, he took off at full speed towards Molly’s apartment. After throwing open the door and speeding inside, he suddenly stopped in confusion.
Crumpled on the floor next to the wall was Ryan, Lois kneeling beside him, her fingers searching for his pulse.
“Did I kill him, Mommy?” Charlie asked. “I didn’t mean to push him so hard. But when I came out to get my juice and I saw him pointing that gun at you and Molly...” His voice broke.
Clark saw Molly put her arm around his son.
“He’s alive. He’s just out cold,” Lois said, looking up in relief. “Charlie, you did good. But we really should tie him up before calling Henders...” Her voice trailed off when she saw Clark standing there, looking stunned. “Like father, like son, I guess,” she said.
“What?” Molly asked, her arm still around Charlie but looking as if she was still not sure what had just happened here. “How was Charlie able to move so fast?”
“Wait a minute,” Lois said, looking at Clark. “I thought you said everyone in your time knows that you are...” She stopped speaking immediately. “Microphones,” she suddenly mouthed, remembering what Ryan had said about having the place bugged.
Having been warned, Clark lowered his glasses and swept the room, locating and destroying all the bugs in a matter of seconds.
“I think I need to sit down,” Molly suddenly said, plopping herself down on the couch without further ceremony.
“I take it you didn’t know,” Lois said, looking at her friend sympathetically.
“That Clark is... That Clark is...” Her eyes flicked over to Clark. Then, without saying the scary words, she simply shook her head. “Wait a minute!” Molly suddenly corrected herself. “I did know that. Lois, you told me about Clark being... well, you know... back in 1987. That must have been part of those memories Wells suppressed with that machine of his.”
“Right!” Lois said. “Back when the future had everyone knowing. I take it that for some reason that’s no longer the case.”
“It’s not, but...” Clark began.
“My dad’s Superman?” Charlie suddenly asked, directing everyone’s attention to the wide-eyed boy who was staring at his father in disbelief.
“Yes, I am,” Clark responded. “But... first things first. I think we need to call Henderson. Right now our guest...” He gestured his head towards Ryan. “...appears to be out cold, but that’s bound to change soon. But once that’s taken care off...” He looked at his son. “...we’ll have a long talk. Until then, you have to keep the fact that I’m Superman a secret.”
Charlie, though still looking stunned, nodded soberly.
* * * * * * * * *
Henderson arrived with reinforcements in tow. When Clark had called, giving a short explanation, Henderson informed him that this was sort of outside his jurisdiction, but he knew someone who was currently looking into corruption in the NIA he could call. When Clark had inquired as to whether this man could be trusted, he’d received an unequivocal yes.
Still, how could one take a man seriously who showed up to work in a bright red shirt with a loud Hawaiian print on it?
“Agent Scardino,” the man said, holding out his hand to Clark. “But please call me Daniel.”
Clark shook it, noting that, in spite of the man’s outrageous taste in clothing, he had a strong grip and clear eyes.
“Where the hell did you come from?” Henderson gasped when he looked past Scardino and Clark and even the man tied up on the floor to see Lois sitting on the couch, her arm around Charlie.
“Hi, Henderson,” Lois said with a smile. “Seems rumors of my death were greatly exaggerated.”
“So I see,” Henderson said, his face splitting into the first smile Clark thought he’d ever seen grace Henderson’s face. “And I want to hear all about it,” he added. “But let’s deal with this other matter first.”
With that, Lois filled Henderson and Scardino in, being sure to stick with a sanitized version of Charlie’s roll in events and making no mention of time travel - instead, talking about how Ryan had tried to kill her in 1993 to keep her from looking into Travanian’s involvement in gun running to the Congo. When she managed to escape, he’d reconnected with Molly, knowing that sooner or later she’d return here - which she had done as soon as she was able. When she finally finished, Scardino turned towards their now-conscious captive.
“Well, well, well. Ryan Wiley. Trevanian’s hit man,” Scardino said, walking over to the man trussed up on the floor. “I knew you were involved in this mess up to your slimy neck, Wiley. But being caught like this by American civilians? A child, no less. Sloppy. Sloppy. And trust me when I say I’m going to enjoy hearing you spill your guts about Trevanian.”
“I know my rights, Scardino. You’ll learn nothing from me,” Ryan said.
“What rights?” Scardino said with a smirk that left Clark feeling a little uncomfortable.
Still, given what this man had tried to do, he couldn’t say he cared enough to want to probe the matter further.
“Last I heard,” Scardino continued, “dead men don’t have rights. And even if you weren’t really dead before, treason is still a capital offence. I’m guessing you’ll tell us everything we want to know about Trevanian in exchange for saving that worthless carcass of yours.”
Scardino glanced around the room. “I can’t thank you enough for calling. We’ve been looking for this one for years. Problem is that being dead makes a great cover. I guess that means I’m going to win the office pool because I was betting that you were still alive.”
“Suck my...” Ryan growled.
“I don’t think so, Wiley,” Scardino interrupted. “I wouldn’t want to pick up anything nasty.”
Two other men arrived and the next few minutes were occupied getting Ryan into a black van with government plates, followed by Scardino getting everyone’s statements.
“Well, I guess that’s everything,” Scardino finally said. “We’ll call if we need anything else.” His gaze stopped on Molly. “Are you all right, Miss Flynn?”
Clark’s eyebrows rose and he glanced at Lois who returned his baffled stare.
“Just a little shaky,” Molly said, giving Scardino a wobbly smile.
“That’s understandable, given the circumstances.” Scardino pulled a card out of his pocket and scribbled something on it. “My cell phone number’s on the back. You’ll probably find that it hits you hardest in a few hours. Give me a call if you need to talk. Or... for anything else.”
“Thanks,” Molly said, looking carefully at the card even as a slight blush rose in her cheeks. Clark could even tell that her body temperature had gone up a notch or two. Sort of the way Lois’ body temperature always rose with him.
Clark had to hide a smile. It seemed Scardino had found something other than Ryan of interest here tonight. And by Molly’s reaction, she was feeling it too.
“Hey, Lane,” Henderson said as he and Scardino prepared to leave the apartment.
“Yes, Inspector?” Lois asked.
“Good to have you back.”
“Good to be back,” she responded.
“And I expect to see you down at the precinct to fill me in on the whole story soon.”
“Count on it, Inspector. After all, I’m going to want an update on Ryan for the Daily Planet,” Lois responded with a grin.
Henderson laughed. “God help me. Something tells me it’s going to be just like old times.”
“Only better,” Lois added, slipping her hand into Clark’s while they watched Henderson and Scardino leave.
Clark took a deep breath as they waited. Molly might have known he was Superman - or at least had when her memory of 1987 came back - but Charlie hadn’t.
From Charlie’s display of strength tonight, although that was undoubtedly assisted by a shot of adrenaline, and his use of his superhearing earlier, Charlie was going to need some special instruction on how to use and control his powers. Clark could hardly believe how much he was looking forward to sharing his unique abilities with his son.
“It’s been a long night,” Lois said. “I know we all need to talk. But might I suggest we wait until morning?”
When everyone agreed, Lois led Charlie into his room, tucking the exhausted child into bed while Molly and Clark straightened up the living room.
When Lois returned a few minutes later, Clark spotted her, caught suddenly in the heat of her gaze.
“Get out of here, you two,” Molly said, obviously picking up on the electricity that was suddenly charging the atmosphere.
Clark needed no further encouragement. Grabbing Lois’ hand, he led her quickly to the door. While waiting for the elevator, it suddenly occurred to him that he had dropped a particular paper bag on his way into the building.
“I’ll be right back,” Clark said, leaving Lois staring after him as he disappeared out the front door and giggling when he returned a few seconds later, carrying his paper bag. “I didn’t think I could father children with an Earth woman,” he said, staring straight ahead as they entered the elevator. “I’ve just recently learned that I can.”
Lois giggled.
THE END OF PART SEVEN.
TO BE CONTINUED IN THE EPILOGUE...
ML
