Okay, so it took me three days to get this posted rather than two, but I decided to add about a page to the conclusion (at least it didn't take eight months this time). Also, I've got plans in the works for an epilogue (assuming that people are interested). Once again, feedback does wonders for stimulating the muse. Thanks for reading!
The Green-Eyed Mad Dog, Part III
Lois watched in awe as her partner calmly delivered his testimony against the unrepentant gang banger. The man she had once dismissed as a hack had turned out to be the bravest man she had ever met. Clark had risked his life for her more times than she could count, throwing himself out of a plane, serving as her personal bodyguard, and offering her shelter anytime she felt unsafe or alone. He was the best friend she had ever had, and now he was putting his life on the line once again to protect her beloved uncle.
How could she not have realized how important Clark had become to her well-being? Somewhere along the way, she had fallen in love with him. If only she hadn’t waited so long to acknowledge what was in her heart. Perhaps, then, she wouldn’t be facing the very real possibility that she would lose Clark to another woman.
She was startled out of that train of thought when she felt her uncle take her hand and squeeze it gently. Uncle Mike had always understood her, and she welcomed the support. He was like Clark in that way, always acting in her best interest. She turned towards her uncle and rewarded him with a soft smile and reciprocal press of her hand. He nodded knowingly, and raised his head to acknowledge Clark’s approach.
Lois turned just in time to see her partner take the seat beside her. He was a little hesitant, unsure of how she might react to his presence after their earlier fight. She leaned into him with her shoulder, needing the contact between them as she offered him silent reassurance.
She could see the remorse on his face as he began, “Lois, I owe you an apology.”
“No,” she corrected him. “I’m the one who should apologize.”
“You did nothing wrong,” he told her emphatically. “I shouldn’t have lost my temper.”
She smiled at his kind gesture, knowing all too well that she was never one to apologize for her frequent displays of pique. “Well, Clark, you are entitled once in a while. I mean, I must lose mine once every....”
“... three to four minutes,” he mumbled.
Touche, Clark, she thought, resisting the urge to hit him. “Anyway…,” she began.
“Hey, what’s going on?” Clark asked, cutting her off as he gestured toward the meeting between the judge and lawyers?
Within a few moments, it became clear that the case had taken a turn for the worse. Apparent irregularities with the arrest and warrant threatened to scuttle the case. Only a last minute plea from Mayson granted a temporary reprieve from dismissal.
“This was all her. She set it up,” Lois said angrily. “She's dirty, Clark. How much more evidence do you need?”
To her chagrin, however, Clark said nothing. Instead, he seemed to be struggling to find a good argument to support Mayson. It was so like Clark, always trying to see the best in people. This time, however, it might cost him dearly.
“May I have a word with you, Clark?” Mayson asked, her sudden appearance breaking Lois’ train of thought.
“Of course,” Clark replied politely. “I’ll see you later?” he asked, turning to Lois for approval.
She nodded and watched the man she loved being led away by the other woman. She had to find a way to save him from being destroyed by his kind nature. That meant research.
“I’ll see you later, Uncle Mike,” she said, giving him a big hug. “I’ve got some work to do.”
“Hey,” he said, touching her shoulder as she turned to leave. “It will all work out, sweetie. You’ll see.”
“I’ll make sure it does,” she said resolutely. “Those bad guys don’t stand a chance.”
“That’s my girl,” he said, his expression a mix of admiration and something else Lois couldn’t quite identify. Perhaps he hadn’t been talking about the case after all.
***
One meeting and three Superman rescues later, Clark found himself in the Planet’s elevator thinking about Lois. Her behavior in court seemed to suggest that she was ready to talk, yet he could feel her withdrawing from him the moment the judge ruled against the tainted evidence. He sought her out with his extended senses, and he could hear her slightly elevated heartbeat, punctuated by the occasional furious tapping of her fingers on the keyboard. He didn’t need to see her to know that she was fully immersed in research that she felt passionate about. Their talk would have to wait.
The elevator door opened to reveal an after-hours newsroom still alive with activity. Lois, for her part, did not even notice the new arrival, so focused was she on the work at hand.
Clark moved toward her quickly, feeling guilty that his Superman duties had taken away such valuable research time. He had grown fond of her Uncle Mike, and he felt responsible for his continued safety.
“I’m sorry it took me so long, Lois,” he began, hating the need to continue his deception. Her uncle was the first priority at this moment, but he would tell her the truth about his other guise as soon as possible.
“What?” she asked, startled from her research.
“Oh, it’s you, Clark. That must have been some meeting,” she said sarcastically.
“The meeting didn’t take long, actually,” he told her truthfully, hoping she wouldn’t be too upset.
“What did Mayson want?” she asked, her dislike for the assistant DA evident.
“Oh, she wanted to tell me that she would do her best to make sure that my testimony was not given in vain.”
“How sweet of her,” Lois said acidly. “Did she give you anything useful?”
“Not really, but I asked her to consider working with us on the case since we all have a stake in it.”
“And she nixed that idea, right? Clark, what does that tell you?”
“She said she’d think about it, Lois. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to do more.”
“You’d think you’d have more influence with your girlfriend,” she grumbled under her breath.
“Please don’t start that, Lois,” he replied in frustration. He wanted so desperately to sweep her in his arms and dispel all of her fears, but they simply didn’t have the time. “We have a lot of work to do.”
“Speaking of which, where have you been?” she asked, eyes narrowed. “I could have used your help.”
“I was heading back here to help you when I stumbled upon a Superman story. There was more activity in Mike’s neighborhood, and I thought it might open up some new evidence for the case against Baby Rage.”
“Did it?” she asked hopefully.
“No. I’m sorry, Lois.”
“Well, you’re here now. Write up that Superman piece quickly so that you can help me go through these files.”
With that, they settled into a familiar routine of research. With each failed lead they encountered, the search became more frantic.
In a last ditch attempt, Lois tried to strong arm one of her contacts at the police department. “Look, you're the best police source I have. I need names or the whole case is going to get tossed and my uncle -- No, don't hang up, just listen to….”
“Face it, Lois. We're at a dead end,” Clark said somberly.
“Maybe not,” a new voice chimed in. “If that case gets thrown out and my office is implicated, my career is over. I want to get to the bottom of this as much as you do. But I don't know who to trust anymore."
“Seems to be going around these days,” Lois responded warily.
“I guess if you want trust, you have to start by giving it,” Mayson replied, pulling out a stack of files from her briefcase and handing them to Lois. “That's everything my office has on Intergang... and my personal files on Martin Snell.”
When Lois hesitated, Mayson added, “I've known Martin a long time, and he's always danced close to the line. Maybe together we can find out where he stepped over.”
“I think we should do it,” Clark told his partner. “If we combine what we know... well, it can't possibly get any worse, can it?”
Lois took a look at the files and admitted, “You've got a point.”
As Clark reached for one of the files, a high pitched buzzing sound filled the air.
“Careful,” Lois warned. “That sounds like the bug that bit me. The thing still hurts.”
With a deft hand reminiscent of Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid, Clark snatched the insect out of the air.
“Nice get,” Lois exclaimed in admiration.
Suspicious, Clark wanted to examine the bug a little more closely. “I'm going to let it out the window.”
“What are you all of a sudden, a Buddhist?” she asked in surprise.
Safe from the scrutiny of the two women, Clark’s examination of the insect revealed a robotic probe armed with a recently mangled needle. Intergang, he thought with disgust.
“I have to go,” he told Lois and Mayson abruptly.
“Where?” Lois asked.
“You guys stay here. It won’t take long.”
“What won’t take long?” she asked, annoyed.
At a loss for a good excuse, Clark mumbled, “That thing that I have to do in the place that I’ll be back from in just one second.”
As he ran off to find the source of the probe, he heard Mayson ask, “Does he do that often?’
“Constantly,” was the resigned reply from Lois.
You’ll know everything soon, Lois. I promise.
***
Lois reveled in the feel of Clark’s arms around her as the music enveloped them. She had enjoyed such a wonderful day. Her plan to discredit Martin Snell had worked to perfection, thus ensuring the safety of her uncle. Plus, she and Clark had come to the gala together, his gentle attentiveness offering her hope for the future. It felt so wonderful to be snuggled up against her devastatingly handsome partner. Perhaps, she had misjudged him. Maybe those kisses they shared had meant something to him after all.
“May I cut in?”
Mayson, she thought as her heart sank. Lois looked to Clark, hoping that he would send the blonde DA away.
With no such refusal forthcoming, Lois mustered her most gracious façade. “Of course not,” she replied, stepping out of the way. She would do what was best for Clark because she loved him.
Watching him take Mayson in his arms, however, was more than she could bear. Suddenly, she found herself being whisked away by her editor.
“I warn you,” he said playfully. “I dip suddenly and deeply.”
She wanted to be strong enough to play along, but she just couldn’t stay in the room for even a moment longer. “I’m sorry, Perry. I just…I just can’t be here right now.”
She fled as quickly as her feet would carry her, struggling to hold back her tears until she was safe from the rest of the world. Clark had chosen Mayson, a woman who didn’t even have the courtesy to have been a criminal Lois could investigate. She would have to work with Clark on a daily basis, knowing that he had given his heart to another woman. She didn’t know how she would stand it, but she would find a way to support him, just as he had taken care of her all these months.
Somehow, she found herself inside her apartment. As her tears began falling in earnest, she realized that she couldn’t even remember the drive home. She turned on her stereo, hoping that the music would allow her some respite from the pain she was feeling.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
“Just a minute,” she managed, scrubbing at her eyes to remove the evidence of her tears. “Clark,” she said in surprise. “What are you doing here? I thought…I mean….”
“I’ve been looking for you everywhere. Why did you leave, Lois?”
“I couldn’t…,” she began, turning away as the tears threatened once more.
“You couldn’t what,” he urged gently, cupping her shoulders.
“I want to be a good friend to you, Clark, but I just couldn’t watch you dance with her.”
“Oh, Lois,” he said, his voice compassionate. “Dance with me, please.”
“Clark…,” she entreated him, shaking her head.
“Please,” he said gently, taking her into his arms and letting the soft tones of the music wash over them.
“Lois, look at me.”
She raised her head to look at him, the tears flowing freely down her cheeks. This would be the last time that they would be alone together, the last time he would hold her in his arms.
“I only danced with Mayson so that I could tell her goodbye. She needed to know that there’s only one woman who holds my heart,” he told her earnestly, his eyes beseeching her to believe him.
“What?” Lois asked, shock evident in her expression.
“Lois, don’t you know?” he asked, cradling her face in his hands. “I’m in love with you.”
Not quite able to process what she was hearing, she protested, “But you defended Mayson, and you ran away after we kissed.”
“I defended Mayson because the evidence was circumstantial, and I only left you because…,”
Her head was aching and his words no longer made sense to her, but his touch had somehow conveyed the truth. She was in love with this man, and she no longer wanted to waste her time on explanations. Without a conscious thought, she silenced his chatter by pulling him close and pressing her lips to his. He responded immediately, parting his lips and encouraging her to deepen the kiss. Their tongues touched tentatively at first, then stroked and parried in time to the music that still filled the room.
When the kiss finally ended, they were both breathless and shaking. “Wow,” he exclaimed inelegantly, nestling her close to his chest and resuming the dance they had begun earlier.
She looked up at him and smiled brilliantly. “You are a wonderful dancer, Clark.”
She saw just a trace of some unidentified emotion cross his visage before he returned her smile in earnest. “This isn’t dancing,” he ventured.
“It’s not?” she asked, wondering where he was going with this conversation.
“No, this is dancing,” he told her, gravity disappearing at his command.
As they drifted above the furniture, she experienced a profound moment of clarity. Of course it was him...How could it have been anyone else? She removed her hand from his, and reached up to remove his glasses. He closed his eyes in response, and she caressed his face lightly.
“So, all those times you ran out on me…,” she began, encouraging him to explain.
He opened his eyes, “I was leaving in order to help people.”
“And when you left after our kiss…?”
He nodded. “I was going to protect your Uncle Mike.”
She nodded, but said nothing.
“Are you angry, Lois?” he asked fearfully.
Sidestepping the question, she asked, “Clark, how long have you been in love with me?”
He smiled. “I fell in love with you the first moment you barged into my interview, and that love has only deepened with time.”
“So, you were in love with me when I treated you badly and stole your story?”
He raised his eyebrow, and laughed softly. “It wasn’t one of your finer moments, but yes.”
She kissed him on the cheek. “And you were in love with me on Trask’s plane?”
“Yes.”
She nibbled his jaw. “And in the honeymoon suite?”
“Yes.”
She pressed her lips to his ear and whispered, “And when I was high on the pheromone?”
He closed his eyes, “God, yes.”
She brushed her thumb sensually over his lips. “And when I went out with another man?”
“Lois,” he croaked.
“Did you love me then?”
“Yes.”
She kissed him reassuringly, her lips caressing his. “And that terrible day in the park, when I foolishly turned you down and asked you to find Superman?”
“Yes, Lois. Always,” he responded, kissing her fervently.
“Then how could I be angry with you?” she asked, breathless from his kiss.
At his skeptical look, she continued, “Okay, so we’ll have to have a serious talk about a few things, especially that crack about my robe.”
He blushed furiously. “I’m so…,” he ventured, but she held her finger up to his lips.
“Clark, I’ve been so miserable these past few days. I’ve spent every moment living with the fear I had lost you, and I don’t want to waste another second on negative emotions. Can we do that?”
“I think that can be arranged,” he murmured, floating them down to the couch and settling her in his lap.
“Besides,” she said impishly. “You know how passionate I get when I find out a good secret.”
“Why, yes, Ms. Lane. I do believe I’ve seen you in action a few times. Should I get your laptop?”
Her pulse began to race. “That won’t be necessary. I’m assuming that you’re offering me the exclusive.”
He ran his finger down her cheek. “You are the only person I would ever trust with this information.”
She shivered. “And your parents?”
“It’s a family secret, Lois,” he said simply, caressing her face once more.
“I see,” she managed, the implication making her a bit dizzy. “Is that your only secret?”
“No.”
“No?” she asked wide-eyed.
Seeming to sense her fear, he replied soothingly. “I have only lied to you intentionally about one thing, Lois, but there are some facets of my life that you don’t know about yet.”
“Like what?” she asked, her curiosity piqued.
“Oh, no,” he said, smiling as he warned her off. “You’re going to have to do a lot more research if you want to find out those details.”
She loved a good challenge. “What if I offer to tell you a secret in return?”
“That sounds intriguing. Is it an exclusive?” he countered, lavishing tiny kisses along her cheek.
“Absolutely,” she offered, tilting her head to allow him access to her neck.
“Well, why don’t you tell me all about it?” he asked, his lips exploring the sensitive skin behind her ear. “I’m sure we can come to some sort of agreement.”
She pulled back to look at him, calming herself with a deep breath. She could trust him, she was sure of it. “I’m in love with you, Clark. I have been for a long time, but I was too afraid to tell you.”
“Oh, Lois,” he sighed, kissing her hungrily. “I’ve waited so long to hear you say that.”
“And you wanted me to say it to Clark,” she said knowingly, brushing a stray lock of hair from his face.
His eyes flicked away from her. “I just wanted you to love the real me.”
She took his face in her hands and turned him towards her. “I know it took me awhile to recognize my feelings, but there were reasons for that.”
“Superman?”
She smiled gently. “That was part of it, yes. I mean, here’s this gorgeous, perfect guy, and, for some reason, he treated me like I was special.”
“You are special,” he interjected.
“Clark, let me finish,” she admonished him. “I fell for Superman because of his innate goodness. There was no way that a man like that would ever hurt me.”
“He was safe,” he stated, caressing her cheek lightly.
“Yes. You, on the other hand, were anything but safe. You were competition, and devastatingly handsome competition at that.”
Clark blushed as she continued. “All of my previous experience told me that men like you were dangerous, and yet I somehow trusted you right from the beginning. I shared my secrets with you, relied on you as a partner, and sought you out when I happy or scared. How could I take a chance on losing that?”
He kissed her softly. “You won’t lose me, you know.”
“I realize that now, but I certainly didn’t have that confidence when I saw you kissing Mayson in your apartment.”
“She kissed me, Lois,” he replied with a hint of annoyance. “I keep trying to tell you that.”
“I don’t know…,” she began, eyes twinkling. “It looked like you were enjoying it.”
“And that bothered you, didn’t it?” he countered, changing tactics.
“Are you kidding? Mayson is lucky that I didn’t tear her limb from limb,” she said emphatically.
He laughed. “I couldn’t believe it when you stormed into my apartment and practically ordered her to leave.”
“I couldn’t either. I remember feeling like my whole world was falling apart, and then Mad Dog Lane just took control.”
“I just love watching Mad Dog in action,” he said, wrapping his arms more tightly around her.
“Really?” she asked, arching her eyebrow. “It seems to me that you weren’t too happy about it at the time.”
“Lois, if I had known you were going to stake your claim on me, I’d have kissed you the moment you barged into my apartment.”
“Mmm…Mayson would have loved that,” she replied.
“Mayson has no say in the matter,” he assured her. “As a wise person once told me, you are the only woman that I should be kissing.”
“You bet your life, buster,” she exclaimed, pressing her lips to his joyfully.
“I love you, Lois,” he told her earnestly.
“I love you, too, Clark. Always.”
