Merry Christmas, FOLCs

I hope everyone is having a great holiday. I feel like I should be posting a Space Rats or a Mxyzptlk story. But that isn’t what I have.

One more note, the last major story that I wrote was “When the Sky Falls” and I was fundamentally complete before I started positing it over a year ago. I had no idea how hard it would be to start writing again after so long. I fear that despite valiant efforts by my first-class beta team (Happy Girl, IolantheAlias and The Fabulous Beverly) it still has a rough feel. For that roughness and any errors, I take full responsibility. The good news is that I believe each part feels better than the one before.

---------------

And the Truth Will Set You…
Part 2

“…without that reason, there is no Superman – just Clark Kent.”

Clark’s parting words played over and over in Lois’s mind like a vinyl record with a scratch. He’d said it. No matter how much she tried to think she’d heard something different, she was sure.

It was well after 1:00 a.m. and Lois still sat in her living room. In those first few seconds, she hadn’t put it all together. Or maybe she’d just been in shock. By the time she’d digested what Clark had said, he’d been long gone. Up until that moment, she’d been so angry. Earlier today it had been hard enough telling Clark she didn’t feel… that way about him. When he’d shown up tonight, Lois knew it wasn’t likely to turn out well. He had to have known that. How could he do this to her? He was her best friend.

Apparently he was something else as well.

Lois couldn’t believe how much he’d conveyed in the few minutes he had been here tonight. He’d said the only reason he’d stayed in Metropolis was her. Lois wanted to believe he’d exaggerated. She was sure he loved this city and the Planet almost as much as she did. But the Planet was gone and, as much as she might love Metropolis, there were many other cities to choose from. Especially when one had Clark’s travel options. Lois knew that before Clark had come here, he’d never stayed in one place very long. He’d probably loved some of those other cities as well, but he’d never stayed. She guessed he never had a reason.

Then he’d gone so far as to call Lex both evil and a criminal. Before tonight, all he had said was that she needed to be careful of Lex. Tonight’s accusations went far beyond anything he’d said before. When he’d called Lex – her almost-fiancée – those things, Lois had nearly lost it. Only the fact that she’d been shocked to her core by his accusations had prevented her from screaming at him to get out right then.

She’d finally come out of her shock enough to ask him to leave. When he’d arrived, Clark had said that this would be the last time she saw him. Before that moment, Lois would have never guessed that what might be her last interaction with Clark would be to throw him out of her apartment.

But they weren’t quite done. She’d been waiting for Superman. Clark had promised to deliver her message, but based on what she’d seen tonight, she’d doubted Clark’s word. So she’d asked.

Then he’d said… it. She had seen Superman tonight. He’d been right here in the room. However, tonight he didn’t meet her wearing spandex. It turned out that for most of the time Lois had spent with Superman this past year, he was wearing something very different. Instead of a cape, he’d worn glasses. In the place of a bright suit, he’d worn a bright tie. Clark was Superman.

At first, she’d thought it had to be some kind of trick. Unfortunately, it all fit too well. Clark and Superman both arrived in Metropolis at about the same time. Their obvious resemblance – now that she really looked. The fact that Superman always seemed to be nearby when she needed him. The fact that of all people, it was only Clark who could always get a message to the hero. His bout of amnesia that corresponded with Superman’s disappearance during the Nightfall asteroid incident. The list was almost comical. How had she managed to miss all the clues? Then again, she’d seemed to have missed a lot of things where Clark was concerned.

For a moment, Lois wondered which front was the real person. She shifted uncomfortably as the answer came. The answer was almost too obvious. She’d been to Smallville. She’d met his friends and family. There was that one woman, the waitress in the diner. What was her name – Maisie? She’d said that with Clark Kent, what you saw was what you got. Now that was a laugh. Lois rejoiced at the thought that perhaps she wasn’t the most blind and dense woman that had ever been around Clark.

And it had been Clark, not Superman, who had told her that he had … feelings for her. If the “real” person was Superman, and he’d wanted to be with Lois Lane, he could have made that happen a long time ago. Clearly Clark didn’t see Superman as who he was. He didn’t want her to like the hero in the bright suit. Clark wanted her to care for him as himself. It was Clark Kent who had declared his love. It was Clark Kent that she had rejected. And it was Clark Kent who had just walked out of her life and taken Superman with him.

And then there were the implications of the flip side of Clark’s dual identity. Superman had called Lex an evil criminal. Superman, who of all people would be in a position to know, but might not be able to get evidence.

Earlier tonight, by the time she’d thought to go after him, Clark was long gone. That was probably for the best. Clark needed time to calm down and she needed to absorb what he’d said. She would have what remained of the night to figure out what she was going to do next. Within minutes of Clark’s departure, she had decided that her first order of business was to put a hold on her relationship with Lex. However she might feel about Clark… Superman… whatever he called himself, the new information about Lex was a message that she couldn’t ignore.

The next thing to do would be to ask Clark to stay. Surely he’d wait a day to see how she reacted. They could sit down together and talk things through. Now that she knew the truth about Clark and more of why he disliked Lex, she wasn’t sure about her feelings for any of the men in her life.

This morning she had been sure she loved Superman and uncertain of her feelings toward Lex. She’d also been certain that Clark was only a friend. Now she didn’t know how she felt about anyone, but she was sure that she didn’t want to marry Lex. The ease of that decision shocked her. Had she ever loved Lex? Clark had asked her that same question earlier today. If she was really considering marrying someone, shouldn’t that answer be an easy yes?

Lex had pampered her. When she was with him she felt like … royalty. But as she looked back at the time she’d spent with the billionaire, something seemed to be missing Where was the spark? Where was the laughter? Where was the happiness? Sure, being treated like a princess sounded like a fairy tale. But what kind of marriage would that be? What kind of life?

From the moment Lex had surprised her with his proposal, she’d been in a daze. Up until that instant, she’d thought that her relationship with Lex was still in the early stages of getting to know each other. Starting with that moment it seemed that she’d been caught in a whirlwind. Her decisions – more than that, the very direction of her life – had seemed out of her control.

She really had needed the emotional slap in the face that Clark had delivered. For the first time in weeks, Lois felt fully herself. She’d been letting circumstances – and Lex – make her decisions for her. She swore to never let that happen again. Some questions remained. What to do about Lex? And, probably more important, what to do about Clark? The one thing she was sure of was that she would be making her own decisions from now on.

She just needed to figure out what those decisions would be.

~~~***~~~

Lois couldn’t remember the elevator ride to Lex’s penthouse ever taking so long before.

The doors opened and there he was. “Good morning, my darling,” he greeted her.

His voice sounded different today. Somehow, she had always thought of it as cultured. Now it sounded… oily. What a difference a day made.

It was time for her act to start. Her plan was to tell the truth, but not all of it. “Good morning, Lex.” She knew her voice sounded tired. That was only partly an act.

He picked up on it immediately. “My dear, what’s wrong? Please tell me I can help.”

“No, Lex, I’m afraid this time you can’t. You see, I didn’t get very much sleep last night.” She was proud that she could deliver that line while looking him in the eye. It was perfectly true. The reality was that she hadn’t gotten any sleep at all. “While I’ve been considering your proposal, I’ve had time to think about my life. The one conclusion I’ve managed to reach is that there have been too many changes recently for me to start a life-long relationship. Other than you, all my friends have scattered. I’ve lost the job I love and right now I don’t know where my life is going.”

“But darling, you have your new position at LNN,” Lex offered brightly.

God, his voice sounded oily. She really needed to reevaluate her people-judgment skills. Half the night she’d been kicking herself about how she’d misjudged Clark. Tonight she’d have to spend just as much time pondering how much of Lex she seemed to have missed. “LNN is a nice place, but television isn’t for me. It just doesn’t feel right. I need to be in the trenches. I’ll be resigning from LNN today. I need to find my way in the world in this new … reality.”

Lex’s smile barely wavered. “My dear, you’re exactly correct. This is the perfect time to start your life anew. How better to start a new life than with someone who loves you?”

She stared at him blankly. He’d said, “…someone who loves you.” But when she heard those words it was Clark’s face, not Lex’s, that flashed in her mind’s eye.

She turned away from Lex and stepped toward the window. The city was beautiful. She wondered for a second what it must be like for Clark to be above the city so often. She gathered herself and continued, still facing away from Lex. “No, Lex. I’m certain about this. Since so many things have changed, I have to ground myself before I can make a commitment like this.” She fixed a neutral expression on her face and turned to him. “I have to approach this as the end of my old life. This probably doesn’t seem fair to you, but I don’t feel like I have any choice. Not only can’t I marry you, I have to stop seeing you as well.”

There was only the briefest of pauses before Lex replied. “You can’t mean that. We’ve built so much together over these past months.”

It sounded like an emotional, impassioned plea. But Lois had made a point to be watching him carefully when she delivered her message. She’d caught him off guard. The emotion that he’d tried to project wasn’t his initial reaction. For only the briefest instant Lois had seen his real reaction. There had been anger, then cold calculation. If she hadn’t been looking for something just like this, she’d never had seen it. Lex’s heartfelt pleading was an act.

“Lex, I’m sorry, but I’ve made my decision. Maybe in a year or so when I get my life back together, I’ll be ready for a relationship. But for now I can’t do this.”

This time there was no hesitation at all. “Lois, I understand that you need some time. Take a few days and…”

“No, Lex! Please don’t. This decision was hard enough. Fate seems to have cut most of my ties. It’s up to me to cut the rest. I’m not happy about this path either, but it’s the one I’ve been forced down and I’ll be damned if I won’t make it my own.”

Lex simply stared at her in seeming disbelief. It occurred to Lois that this might be the first genuine reaction she’d ever seen from this man. That thought almost brought a brief smile to her face, but she managed to maintain the tired and frustrated expression that she’d come in with.

She turned toward the elevator and was happy to see that the car had remained and the door was still open. Her last look at Lex reminded her of someone who had misplayed a poker hand and lost on the final draw.

That was certainly something to think about.

~~~***~~~

Lex Luthor never lost a contest. At least, that was what all of his associates and competitors saw. He’d made mistakes from time to time, but whenever he did make an error, he stayed with the game. Even if by some set of circumstances he didn’t win, he always made sure that his opponent lost. Usually a great deal more than they realized was at stake.

But this game was different. He’d known that Lois was likely to be a greater challenge than any woman he’d pursued before. Most women fell into his arms as soon as he made his interest known. A few had taken a small investment of time and effort, but the outcome was never in doubt. But not Lois Lane… The same strength that made her worthy of his time, meant that she demanded a larger investment. With the appearance of Superman and the obvious mutual interest between the new annoyance in town and the beautiful Ms. Lane, the challenge became both more enjoyable and more expensive.

He had been sure that she was his after he destroyed the Daily Planet. She had been devastated and appeared ready to accept his proposal, but something pushed her the other way. This development only meant that now there were other steps to take in the quest for Lois.

Lex pushed a button on his desk to summon his assistant. As the attractive and highly capable Mrs. Cox entered the office, she didn’t say a word. She knew that when Lex was ready, he would make his wishes known.

“Mrs. Cox, my plan to win Ms. Lane has entered a new phase. I want her every move to be watched. Use human assets as necessary to track her movements around the city. Use whatever technology is appropriate to monitor her residence and automobile. Based on the current state of her perception of our relationship, I expect that she will seek employment in the city. Do not interfere, but if she finds a job, make sure that her workplace is also covered. Furthermore, I want Lois to be safe, but she must experience a time of professional difficulty. I think it would be a good idea if any sources of information she may have in Metropolis were to be unavailable.”

Mrs. Cox didn’t take notes. Written records – any written records – could fall into the wrong hands. Mrs. Cox was an extraordinary woman. She was capable, ruthless, and had a perfect memory. She simply nodded and asked, “Anything else, Mr. Luthor?”

Lex looked at her intently for a moment. “Yes. Follow up on the ex-military contact with the material that was supposed to be able to harm Superman. Lois changed her mind for a reason. I think it’s time to take a more active role in removing that reason.”

~~~***~~~

Despite Lois’s fervent knocking, Clark’s door remained closed. It had only been a minute or two but it was clear that Clark wasn’t home. It was becoming apparent that Lois was going to have to take stronger action than simply knocking if she were going to get inside.

She went to the planter a few yards from his door. She dug down an inch or so below the surface of the dirt in the very back and, sure enough, found a key. She had to admit that this seemed like a good hiding place. She wouldn’t have found the key if Clark hadn’t told her about it a few months ago.

Lois brushed the dirt off the key and opened the door. As soon as she entered his apartment, she was struck by a feeling of wrongness. At first glance, his apartment seemed the same as it had always been. The furniture was all there and each piece was in its proper place, but the feeling was undeniable. Then it hit her. All of his most personal possessions were gone. There were no family pictures and most of the collectibles that Clark had picked up on his travels around the world were missing. With that realization, the energy went out of her. She’d known it was possible that Clark had been serious last night – that she might never see him again – but she’d deliberately discounted that possibility.

She needed to talk to him. She still had trouble wrapping her head around the Clark Kent that she’d met twice with yesterday. She’d seen a darkness that she hadn’t known he possessed. It was a side of Clark she’d never seen. She knew that his actions came from his frustration – and his pain – at her dismissal of his declaration of love. But how could he blame her? He’d never made any serious advances… at least not as Clark. Why would he even think there was a chance for anything between them?

But then she remembered the trip to Smallville. She’d had such fun when they’d danced together. Then, after the final battle with Trask, Clark must have noticed how moved she’d been when they’d held each other. There was the way they both reacted when he almost left Metropolis during the heat wave. The telling tenderness of that kiss… And finally, thanks to Miranda and her pheromone spray, Clark knew that she was attracted to him. Very attracted, based on the fragments that she could remember. Of course he saw all that. No wonder he was thinking about more. How was it that she seemed to have missed so much where Clark was concerned?

With a wave of despair, she dropped and sat on the stairs in Clark’s entryway. Damn Claude! If not for him…

But she couldn’t lay all this on Claude, or even on herself. There was a big complicating factor in bright red and blue that had confused her. Didn’t Clark understand that he’d made things much worse by his own actions? It was easy to see that Superman was attracted to her. How could Clark be angry that she’d responded to that?

Still, it did explain so much. Clark wanted her to like him for himself, but he was only able to get her attention when wearing bright colors. Sure, she’d acted too much like a groupie in those early days. But that wasn’t who she was. Clark knew that. If he thought she was that shallow, she seriously doubted that he’d be… in love with her.

That thought made her uncomfortable. No wonder she’d worked so hard to avoid it. Clark was a friend. Okay, he was a good friend. No, that wasn’t quite right either. He was her best friend. Her best friend was this nice, cute guy that she enjoyed being around all the time. And, if that pheromone stuff was any indicator, he was an individual that she found very attractive. There was so much there that she’d never taken the time to look at. In a fit of frustration she yelled at the empty apartment, “And that has nothing to do with your other job!”

Sure, she’d made mistakes. But couldn’t Clark understand that he bore some responsibility for her actions? He’d known that Lex was a bad egg, but he’d never said anything. For goodness sakes, one of the big problems here was that he’d spent so much time with her as Superman. He could have used one of those times to say something useful like, ‘By the way Lois, Lex is a criminal.’ Instead, those few times they were together and had the chance to talk, they both spent too much time looking at each other all moony-eyed.

She needed to do something. Looking around at the apartment she realized that Clark might not be quite gone yet. He was Superman. If he really were gone for good, this apartment would be empty. He would probably be back for his furniture.

A note – she needed to leave a note! That thought energized her. Using this newfound energy she jumped up and started rummaging around for some paper. Lois knew she had to be careful. The note had to be worded so that if anyone else read it, there would be no danger of his secret being revealed.

After a few minutes, she had something she thought would serve.


Dear Clark,

I am more sorry than I can say that you are so upset with some of the actions I’ve taken. I desperately want you to call or come to see me so we can finish the conversation we started in the park and continued in my apartment. I’ve had time to think and have a better idea of what I need to do now that the Planet is not a part of my life. I would like to talk to you about my plans. You have been my work partner and friend for nearly a year. Please give our friendship a chance. At the very least, we should have a proper goodbye before we part company.

Always your friend,
Lois

As she placed the note conspicuously on his table, she realized that there might be another option. She had the receiver in her hand before she realized that the list of numbers that Clark normally kept by his phone was missing. This time it didn’t matter. She fished her own contact book from her handbag and there was the Kent’s Smallville number.

Lois dialed and waited while the other end rang. It wasn’t long before she had to concede that there was not going to be an answer. That was strange. Clark’s parents had an answering machine. Even if they were out, she should be able to leave a message.

Lois hung up and dialed the number again just to be sure she had done it correctly. The result was the same. The phone rang but there was no answer.

Well, she had the Kent’s number and the note to Clark was in place. She could try again later from her apartment. As she left Clark’s apartment, a dark fear rose in the back of her mind. What if Clark really was gone for good?


TBC
Bob