Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Lois & Clark Fanfic Trusting Me, Trusting You 4:Highway (14/21)

"Take me upstairs?"

"You don't ..." He appreciated her offer, but he didn't want her to feel he had pressured her with his brittleness.

"I want to," she said. "Right now, I need my husband. I need you."

Before he could question further, she had dropped her mouth onto his. Her kiss started like a slow dance, a journey of discovery. Her tongue edged forward and touched his mouth, answering the cry of his heart for oneness, for confirmation of their bond.

He stood, slipping his hand under her bottom and lifting her without ever breaking their kiss. When they reached the bedroom, they made slow and steamy love.

And when it was done, Clark's doubts had dissolved in the vitality of his wife's love.


Part 14

As they lay in bed after making love, Clark clasped Lois's hand onto his chest and ran the side of his thumb over the diamond in her ring. "This needs a companion," he said.

"A wedding ring?"

"Yeah." Clark checked the time. "If we leave now, we could buy them before visiting your father."

"Them? You want to wear a ring, too?"

"Unless you're against it," Clark said.

"I think it's great when a man is willing to openly declare that he isn't available," Lois said.

"I doubt I've ever been *available*," Clark said. "Certainly not from the second I met you."

"And you're never going to be available again," his wife declared with a cheerful kiss to the end of his nose.

"Therefore I need a ring. So do you."

"This means a lot to you, doesn't it?" she said.

Clark could see how easily the concern shadowed her face and again wondered if it had been a mistake to mention his doubts at breakfast. "I'm a bit apprehensive about your father's reaction," he admitted. "It seems presumptuous to turn up and announce that I've already married his daughter."

"If things had been different, would you have asked his permission before proposing?" Lois said with a smile.

Clark nodded. "Somehow, it just feels like that is how it should be done."

"I have an idea," Lois said. "We could take the rings to lunch and give them to each other there. That way, Dad and Uncle Mike will feel as if they've been included in this."

"That's a nice idea," Clark said.

She smiled and brushed back a lock of hair from his forehead. "Don't worry," she said. "My dad and Uncle Mike are not intimidating people. All they want is for me to be happy. *You* make me happy. That will be enough for them."

"Do they know you work as an agent?"

"No. They think I used to work as a singer on a cruise ship. That explained the long absences when I couldn't be contacted. Now they think I take reservations."

"You *sing*?" Clark asked with delighted surprise.

"A little," Lois admitted. "I'm not sure if I'm good enough to land a job as a professional singer, but no one ever questioned the cover story."

"Will you sing for me?"

She considered his request. "Maybe," she said, although her smile promised a lot more than 'maybe'.

"When?"

"When you write out my poem and give me the copy you promised me."

"Deal," he said, already looking forward to experiencing another dimension of the multi-faceted treasure that was Lois Lane. Then his mind slid back to the matter of their nuptials. "You know, honey, if you ever change your mind and would like to be the beautiful bride and have a wedding with all the extras, you just have to say so."

"I think I'd prefer a moonlit swim on a Caribbean Island," Lois said. "Bride and groom only. Swimsuits optional."

Visions floated through his mind, causing him to smile.

"And perhaps for Honeymoon Two, we could go to some incredibly romantic location in Europe. Somewhere old and full of character. We could stay in a little room with a roaring fire."

"Clothes still optional?" Clark asked.

"Nope," Lois said. "Clothes forbidden." She put both hands on his chest and pushed herself up. "But, for now, we need to get to Metropolis."

"All right," Clark agreed, accepting the looming reality of a skin-tight blue suit when his mind was much more interested in exploring Lois's honeymoon ideas.

||_||

It was late morning when Daniel entered Menzies' office block for the second time that day. He'd come earlier after having received the call from Lois agreeing to a short press conference that afternoon. "Go right on through, Mr Scardino," the PA directed as he arrived at her desk. "Mr Menzies is expecting you."

Daniel nodded and continued to the door of the higher-up's office.

"Come in," came the call in response to his knock. When Daniel walked in, Eric was pouring Scotch into two glasses. He crossed the room and shoved one into Daniel's hand. "I got something," he said.

"You got ... something?" Daniel asked. "About the interview?"

"No. That's all arranged. This afternoon. Four-thirty. Centennial Park - they're putting up a dais for him and barricades to keep the crowds in place. The Mayor's going to officially thank him on behalf of the people of Planet Earth."

Daniel wondered if that was what Lois and Clark had had in mind when they'd agreed to a press conference. "What have you got?"

"A possible lead regarding what happened to Mrs Kent."

"What?" Daniel asked quickly.

"Deller's widow. I saw her yesterday, and - as I told you this morning - she said that her husband always refused to say one word about his job."

"But?"

"She called me half an hour ago. She had remembered finding an envelope in the pocket of his jacket about four months before his death."

Daniel sipped from the Scotch and waited.

"The envelope was empty; it was addressed to 'Mr Philip Barron' with a post office box number."

"Barron?"

"His mother's maiden name. Mrs Deller said it was strange because absolutely everyone called her husband 'Phil'. And until then, she hadn't known about the post office box."

"Was there a return address on the envelope?"

"No."

"Postmark?"

"Philadelphia."

"You think the letter could possibly have come from Mrs Kent?" Daniel asked, trying to suppress his scepticism.

"Mrs Deller felt that the handwriting on the envelope was female."

"I don't suppose she still has it?"

"No. He asked for it back, and she never saw it again."

"She asked her husband about it?"

"Yes. She said that he had gotten very upset by her questions."

"So it could have been an affair?"

"It could have been," Eric agreed after a gulp of his whisky. "But she believed then - and still believes now - that her husband wasn't cheating on her."

"There would be some comfort in believing that," Daniel noted.

"I'm inclined to believe her," Eric said. "I think that if I ... well, if I, you know, Phoebe would know."

"If he wasn't having an affair, what did he have to hide?"

"Mrs Deller doesn't know. Her husband wouldn't answer her questions, other than to insist that he wasn't doing anything wrong. She said that he had always been 'overly-secretive' about his work and that he closed up even more after the birth of their child, when he joined a 'local assignment'."

"The alien operation."

"I saw photos of the child in the house," Eric said. "He looked about seven or eight to me."

"We already knew that Deller was there at the beginning of the operation," Daniel said carefully. "It doesn't prove the letter came from Mrs Kent."

"No," Eric said. "But it's all we've got."

"Do you happen to know if Deller was close to his own mother?"

"No," Eric said. "Other than he used her maiden name in this instance. Why?"

"If he had a close relationship with his mother, he would be more likely to empathise with a mother's anxiety for her son and perhaps try to ease her worries by sending reports."

Eric's face darkened. "If he told her the truth, I doubt it did anything to ease her worries."

"Hearing any news would be better than complete silence," Daniel said grimly.

"Can you go to Philadelphia today?" Eric said. "I have to be in Metropolis for Superman's press conference."

"What do you want me to do?"

"I have two assistants going through registers of residents in every nursing home, hospital, and hospice in Philadelphia," Eric said. "They are calling a listed family member and pretending to conduct a survey about the quality of care. I'll call you if we get anything of interest. Meanwhile, you can visit a few of the places and see if anything seems promising. Make up a story about trying to track down a relative you lost contact with six or seven years ago."

"OK," Daniel said.

"If you do happen to find *anything*, you will need to exercise extreme caution. I doubt she is still using the name 'Martha Kent'. Be careful with your questions, and don't admit to anything until you are absolutely sure you have the right woman."

"If she has read the newspaper reports, she is going to know that Clark is keeping his identity a secret," Daniel said. "Depending on her level of awareness, she could be willing to lie if she thinks that will protect her son."

"Which is going to make identification difficult," Eric said. "I don't suppose you've seen a photograph of her?"

"No."

"Have you spoken to Shadbolt yet? About the early days of the operation?"

"No. When I called him this morning, he was taking his daughter to school. Then he had a shift at the EPRAD base. He said he'd meet me this evening on his way home."

"I'm meeting Lois and Clark at the base before the press conference. I'll talk to Shadbolt then."

"Clark can't know anything about this," Daniel said. "Lois told him that his mother had passed away years ago."

"Thanks for the warning," Eric said. "Is the new suit ready?"

"Yeah. It'll be at the base when they arrive."

"Your private flight is waiting for you at the airport."

"Thanks." Daniel managed to gulp down about half of the Scotch and handed the glass back to Eric.

"Good luck," Eric said.

"Thanks," Daniel said. He walked out of the office, feeling he was going to need a lot of good luck if this trail was going to end with Martha Kent.

||_||

"Dad," Lois greeted as she walked into his room. She let go of Clark's hand and embraced her father. "How are you?"

He nodded and, after hugging his daughter, turned to Clark and slowly stretched out his hand. Clark took it as their eyes met. Please trust me, he wanted to say. Please trust me to love your daughter.

"You remember Clark, don't you Dad?" Lois said.

Sam nodded.

"Hello, Mr Lane," Clark said.

Lois pulled two chairs next to her dad's wheelchair, and Clark sat in the second one. "How did you go with the electric wheelchair?" Lois said.

Sam put a flattened palm to his mouth and swung his arm down to the tray of his wheelchair. Lois glanced to the large paper, and she smiled happily.

"Good?" she said excitedly. "It went well? Will you be able to have your own chair?"

He nodded.

"Oh, Dad," Lois squealed, rising from the chair to give her father an exuberant hug. "That is such good news. I'm so pleased for you."

Sam's face twisted into the same expression he'd had when they walked into his room. Clark figured it must represent a smile.

"Actually, Dad," Lois said, "you're not the only one with good news."

Sam took his daughter's left hand and brushed his thumb over her ring. His slightly wavering gaze meandered from his beaming daughter and settled on Clark.

"S...Sir," Clark said, sitting straighter. "I want you to know that I love Lois very much and I will always look after her. I asked her to marry me, and after she accepted my proposal, we ..."

"We went right ahead and got married," Lois finished, looking so happy that Clark hoped her father couldn't fail to notice.

Sam placed Lois's hand on his tray. He stretched for Clark's hand, and after Clark had reached forward, Sam put Clark's hand on top of Lois's. Then, he repeated the sign he had made earlier.

"Good?" Lois said, smiling as radiantly as any bride. "You think this is good?"

Sam nodded. He made two upwards motions against his chest.

"Happy?" Lois said. "You're happy about this?"

Her father nodded again.

"I'm happy, Dad," Lois said, shooting a smile towards her husband. "I'm so very happy with Clark."

Clark got the impression her words were not just for her father's benefit.

Sam made the sign for 'good' again and then touched his thumb to his forehead and brought his hand down to his chest.

"Good man," Lois said, consulting the list. She smiled at her father. "Yes, Dad. Clark is a good man."

She continued talking excitedly, never veering too much from the truth, but making their wedding sound intimately unique rather than hasty and perfunctory.

Her cheerfulness splashed over Clark, combining with his relief over Sam's reaction to the marriage. Lois wanted him as her husband. Sam accepted him as a son-in-law. Clark felt as if his friends on this foreign planet had just doubled.

But that was Clark. This afternoon, he had to be Superman.

||_||

Lunch was a family occasion.

Uncle Mike was a jovial man who clearly loved Lois. He'd set aside a small function room for them, away from the commotion of his restaurant in the swing of the lunchtime bustle. The food at the table was simple - the bread was fresh from the oven, the diced vegetables were crisp, the dips were creamy.

Any possible initial awkwardness was swept away in the lively conversation that volleyed between Lois and her uncle. Clark listened, finding himself smiling as they recounted a cross-section of past memories. Occasionally Clark glanced to Sam. The older man's face drooped a little on the left side, but that didn't hide his enjoyment at being able to share this time with his family.

Not that he was reduced to merely being a spectator. Both Lois and Uncle Mike naturally included him, shooting questions at him and then pausing while he made the one-handed signals that had become his language.

They also ensured Clark felt included in this family gathering. Uncle Mike asked him some questions about the farm, and Clark discovered that he'd retained enough general knowledge of livestock to sound believable - at least to a city doctor and a city restaurateur. Other questions Lois fielded for him - either answering herself or adapting the question to something within the limited bounds of his knowledge.

It was tiring - having to be constantly on guard with every word he said. Lois glided through it with natural charm, seemingly unfazed, even when the conversation turned to Superman and his upcoming public appearance.

"Are you going to be there?" Uncle Mike asked.

"What time's the appearance?" Lois said.

"Four-thirty."

"No," she replied. "We can't miss our flight to Kansas."

"Better that than missing a chance to see Superman," Uncle Mike said.

Lois chuckled. "Not when there are chores to be done. I don't think the animals would consider even Superman a good excuse for missing out on their supper."

Laughter erupted, and the conversation moved on.

After the food was gone and the plates were empty, the waiter brought them a pot of coffee and a platter of cut-up fruit. When he left, Clark stood up and cleared his throat. He looked at each face - from Sam to Uncle Mike and then to Lois.

She smiled pure encouragement.

Clark slipped his hand into his pocket and felt the reassuring presence of the rings he and Lois had chosen earlier. He had given some thought to what he wanted to say and had decided to start with an explanation. "When I asked Lois to marry me, I didn't imagine that it would be possible for it to happen so quickly," he said. "But when we thought about it, we couldn't see too many reasons for waiting." He forced his eyes from Lois and faced the two men who were representing her family. "Being married to Lois is like the very best of my dreams coming true, but the one regret I have is that the wedding didn't include our family members."

Clark snuck a look to Lois. She smiled, filling him with the resolve to continue.

"I know that you are both very special to Lois. I know that you want the best for her. I hope that, in time, you will come to see that being with me is what makes her happy."

"No," Uncle Mike said, causing Clark's heart to collapse. "We already see that."

Sheer relief inundated him, stealing the rest of what he had intended to say. He turned to Lois. "Would you stand up with me, please, honey?"

As she stood, she slipped the engagement ring from her finger. Clark took her left hand and cradled it in both of his as he turned towards Sam. "Mr Lane," he said. "I promise you that I will love your daughter for the rest of my life. I will protect her always, and nothing will ever be more important to me than her happiness. I'm asking for your blessing on our marriage."

Sam nodded, and his smile seemed to become more distinct.

"Thank you," Clark said. He took the rings from his pocket, putting the larger one on the table and holding the other one at the end of her finger. "Lois," he said. "I give you this ring to signify my love for you and my total commitment to our marriage. This ring circles without end, as will the seasons of our love." He pushed the gold band the length of her finger and then took the engagement ring and nestled it next to the wedding band.

Lois picked up the other ring. "Clark," she said. "This is for you - the man who captures my heart with his gentle strength, the man who inspires me with his unfaltering integrity, the man I am honoured to call my husband. I love you, Clark." With a tremulous smile, she slid his ring into place.

Uncle Mike broke into loud applause, and Sam slapped the table with his good hand. "Kiss the bride," Uncle Mike called out. "Kiss her, Clark."

Clark smiled into Lois's slightly damp eyes and leant forward to seal their exchange of rings with a kiss.

"Welcome to the family, Clark," Uncle Mike said.

"Thank you," Clark said. They sat down, and the chatter flowed as they finished the meal with coffee and fruit.

Clark had lost one family in the first months of his life. He had lost all the memories of his second family, but today seemed like a new beginning. Sam and Uncle Mike would probably never know how much their acceptance meant to him.

But Lois knew.

She smiled. She offered him her slice of apple and laughed when he took it and kissed her hand. She sugared his coffee. Under the table, her hand squeezed his thigh.

She did everything to build a bridge between him and her family, and by the end of the meal, Clark no longer felt like a stranger.

His family had grown to include three others.

||_||

Lois stood before Superman.

He was magnificent. He had the evidence of great strength, the aura of great power, and the stamp of great virtue.

"You look incredible," she breathed.

"I do?"

"Yes," she insisted. "When we saw the first suit, we both had some doubts. When you put it on, I was so overwhelmed that I couldn't think of much except my fear that you wouldn't come back to me. But now ... Clark, this is *exactly* right."

He looked down dubiously.

"Trust me," Lois said. "You look like a superhero."

"I wish you could come with me," he said.

"I'll be here waiting for you after you've finished."

Clark slipped the new wedding ring from his finger and gave it to her. "Keep this for me," he said.

Lois put it in her bag, adding it to the glasses, watch, and wallet she had already taken for safekeeping. "Are you clear on what will happen?"

He nodded. "I fly out of the EPRAD base, drift slowly down to the dais they have set up at Centennial Park, accept the official thanks of the Mayor of Metropolis, and then allow the journalists to ask me a few questions."

"Are you worried about their questions?"

"Yes," he said. Then his uncertainty evaporated a little as his smile came hesitantly. "There is so much they could ask that would blow open a secret."

Yes, Lois agreed silently. "Stick to what we agreed with Eric," she said. "If you're not sure, wait and he'll take control."

"Do you think many people will be there?"

She nodded, remembering the crowds outside the EPRAD base the morning after the asteroid.

"How many?" Clark asked.

"I don't know," Lois said. "But sometimes large crowds are easier than a face-to-face encounter."

He nodded, but his acknowledgement didn't drive away all of his trepidation. "What if someone recognises me?" he asked. "What if someone sees right through this costume and the gelled hair and knows that I'm a Kansas farmer?"

"They won't."

"How can you be sure?"

Lois took a breath. "OK," she said. "Stand up straight. Shoulders back. Fold your arms across your chest. Head up."

He did as she directed.

"Now, think aloof, think distant."

"I'm looking at *you*," he said with a glimmer of his usual smile. "'Aloof' just isn't possible."

"*Clark* is in love with Lois," she said. "Sup-"

"So is Superman."

Lois laughed, glad he seemed to be relaxing a little. "I know you've struggled with being different," she said. "But it's exactly those differences that will help us now. The people of Earth want to know you, they want to thank you, they're probably already over halfway to being completely infatuated with you, but Superman *can't* be one of us."

"Are you saying I can't ever truly belong on this planet?" Clark asked sombrely.

"I'm saying Superman has to be a little bit set apart. He has to be good and strong and true - you're all of those things naturally - but he also has to be a little bit mysterious. He has to be a fantasy that no one will ever truly know."

"I don't know if I can -"

"You can do this," Lois said. "Clark is my hero. Superman can be the world's hero."

"I'm your hero?" he asked, seeming surprised.

"Always."

His smile came readily, confirmed with new purpose and confidence.

"I think this is your destiny," Lois said. "This is why you came to our planet."

"To swish around in a cape?" Clark said with a grin.

Lois answered his smile. "No - to be our hope. When your planet faced destruction, you were just a baby. But now you are a grown man - a man who has been endowed with a heart of such compassion and a body of such strength. You are exactly what we need."

"I need you," he said. "I can't be whatever it is they think I can be unless I have you."

Lois held up her hand, showing him her rings. "You have me," she said. "Whatever happens - today, and into the future - you will always be able to come home to me."

He shook his head with wordless wonder.

"When this is over, we will fly back to Smallville," Lois said as she arranged his cape over his shoulders. "You will make us supper, and after we have eaten, you and I will go upstairs."

"And what will happen then, Ms Lane?" he asked with a smile.

"Mr and Mrs Kent will indulge in some steamy honeymoon interaction."

His eyes lit with interest. "Is that a promise?"

"Absolutely."

There was a tap on the door, and Evan Shadbolt entered. "Ready?" he said.

Clark straightened his shoulders, wiped the warm affection from his expression, and faced Evan with business-like resolve. "Yes," he said. "I'm ready."