I'm still not committing to a chapter number. I'm just not sure. Chapter size might vary, Lois might want more exposure in one than another, and Superman might have to fly. You know, stuff like that.
Anyway, lots going on with these to, but isn't that the story of their lives.
Enjoy!
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Lois was standing in the doorway leading out to Clark's balcony. She'd showered and changed into the clean clothes she'd brought with her the night before. The sun had finally come up and by now the morning edition of the paper had been delivered to most of downtown Metropolis. She was waiting for Clark to finish his turn in the bathroom so they could face the day.
The phone rang just as Clark stepped back into his bedroom. He threw the towel he was drying his hair with across his shoulder and answered the phone by his bed. "Hello?"
"I've already talked to Mayson. The writ she filed last night was signed at five thirty this morning. Ticked Judge Brenner off to no end, but Lois won't have to go back to jail while all of this is worked out."
"How did I know you wouldn't wait until morning to get something done?" he asked Perry.
The older man laughed softly. "Yeah, well, I've worked too damn hard to get that girl out of this mess."
"Yeah," Clark glanced over at the woman they were discussing. She was still standing in the doorway, seemingly lost in her thoughts.
"Have you seen the paper this morning?"
"Not yet."
"Boy, she's something else." Perry looked at the paper he was holding. "She assured me she had the goods to back this up. And she's never let me down before."
"Somehow I don't think she's going to this time either."
"All right. High tale it down here. She'll want to see you, too."
Clark couldn't stop the smile as he replaced the receiver. Maybe he should have told Perry he'd already seen Lois. She turned and smiled at him. Damn! She had the most gorgeous smile.
He shook his head and began buttoning his shirt. "Sorry. I should have finished dressing in the bathroom," he told her as he walked over to the closet to find a tie.
"I'm not," she mumbled as she came over to peer in next to him. "You have good taste in clothes," she told him.
"Thank you." He pulled a tie from the hanger.
"Please tell me you're not wearing that."
"What's wrong with my tie?" he asked as he looked down at it.
"It's the loudest thing I've ever seen," she said and began flipping through the rest on the hanger. "On the other hand, it's probably the tamest in the bunch."
"Funny," he replied as he wrapped the material around his neck and tied it at super speed.
"I wish I'd waited for you to dry my hair," she told him with a grin.
He chuckled and reached down to grab a pair of shoes.
"Why *do* you have a hair dryer? The black ones," she pointed out.
"These are black," he said as he glanced up at her.
"Those," she indicated with her foot.
"What's the difference?"
"Put on the shoes, would you?"
He shook his head, but grabbed the pair she'd pointed out. He went over and dug out a pair of socks from his dresser, then sat down on the window seat next to her to put them on. "Should I change my shirt? Or is this one okay?"
"No, no. It goes good with the tan pants."
Laughing at her, he leaned over to pull his socks on. She watched him while he slipped into his shoes, then tied them.
"Why didn't you do that fast?"
He shrugged. "Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't."
"Your life is so weird," she observed as she pushed her hand through her hair.
"You don't know the half of it," he replied and stood up. He motioned toward the bathroom. "I need to go comb my hair." She nodded and he left in a blur, whipping her hair around her face. By the time it settled, he was back.
"Okay, how do you do that without messing it up again?"
He chuckled softly as he whirled around the room straightening up and making the bed.
"I could have done that," she said as he stopped next to her again.
"Next time," he said as he grabbed the coat that matched his pants. "You ready?"
She took a deep breath and glanced at the door. "As I'll ever be." She stood and followed him into the other room. "Do you mind if we stop by the Apollo hotel for a second?"
"The Apollo?" he asked as he opened the door.
"That's where I stayed when I first got to the city."
"You were here before last night?"
"Yeah," she answered as they walked down the steps and toward the sidewalk.
"I guess we have a bit more talking to do," he observed as they stepped up to the curb so he could whistle for a cab.
Oh, yeah, she thought as the car stopped in front of them. Wait until you find out I've seen the kids, she said to herself silently. Somehow she felt he wouldn't like that too well.
****
Lois looked up at the Daily Planet almost in awe. It felt like this was the first time she'd seen it. It had been so long since she'd been here. She had butterflies in her stomach as big as birds.
"Ready?" Clark asked as he touched her back gently.
She glanced at him, shifted the bag she held on her shoulder, then nodded. She allowed Clark to guide her in and onto the elevator. They didn't say anything on the ride up to the news floor, but she had no doubt Clark could hear the blood rushing through her veins. Her heart was about to beat a hole through her chest. By the time the doors opened on the bullpen, she felt lightheaded.
"You okay?" Clark asked her softly.
"Yeah," she assured him without looking away from the commotion. It was easy to tell a major story had broken. Runners were hurrying here and there, reporters shouting at one another, phones were ringing off the hook. She slowly stepped out to the edge of the rail overlooking the action.
"Please tell me my eyes aren't playing tricks on me?"
She turned to look into the blue eyes of Jimmy Olsen. "Jimmy," she breathed as she stepped forward.
He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed tightly, sighing in relief. "Damn, girl, it's good to see you," he whispered as he hugged her.
"And you." She finally drew back so she could see him. "Look at you." Her hands grasped the sides of his face. "You have grown up on me."
"How 'bout you?" His fingers trailed through her long hair. "I have to tell you, Lois, this red is kinda' sexy on you."
She laughed as she hugged him again. "I sure have missed you."
"Oh, God, I've missed you, too." He pulled away and glanced over at Clark. "Don't tell me you went to that guy first."
Lois glanced back at the man behind her. "What's wrong with Kent? He seems to be an all right fellow."
"I don't know, Lois. He parades around here as an award winning journalist, but between you and me, he writes touchy-feely crap." He and Lois both shuddered, then laughed aloud. He threw his arm around her shoulder and started them down the ramp. "Come on. The old man's 'bout to have a cow. I think seeing you will calm him down."
Clark grinned and followed along behind them. On the way to the Planet he'd called Dr. Klein, who told him to drop by as soon as he could. He'd told him that since he had DNA profiles of both the twins, results wouldn't take long at all. Clark planned to fly out in a little while to tell his folks the news... and to snuggle with his twins. This all was too good to be true, and he needed to remind himself that, either way, they were his.
And as he watched Lois and Jimmy talk, he decided to push those thoughts away for now. There would be plenty of time to think about that later.
Jimmy pushed the door open to Perry's office and the older man and Jack looked up from where they were hunched over his desk studying some papers. Jack glanced at the Chief and grinned widely.
"Damn, lady, you don't how glad we are to see you," Jack said and walked over to her. "I'm Jack." He extended his hand.
Lois glanced at the limb, then stepped up to hug the other man. He seemed stunned momentarily, but managed to wrap his arms around her. "Thank you," she whispered. "For sitting on that park bench so many times." Leaning back, she smiled at him. "And for taking my baby out of that park and away from that monster."
For once, Jack was speechless. He blinked several times, then nodded. He stepped away from her to allow her time with Perry.
In all of his years in the profession he'd chosen, the profession he'd dreamed of having as a kid, nothing had ever been quite as satisfying as standing in front of the one person he'd longed to see in his office again. Large tears rolled down his cheeks and he sighed, a breath he'd needed to take for years.
Lois ignored the tears spilling from her eyes and crossed the distance to him. She clung to him as tightly as he clung to her, both crying softly.
Clark reached up and tugged on Jack and Jimmy's sleeves, motioning for them to leave the others alone. All three of the younger men backed out of the office quietly and closed the door. They'd allow Perry and Lois to reunite in private.
"So, how did you find her?" Jack wanted to know as they huddled around Clark's desk.
"She found me," he told them. "She was at my place when I got home last night." Clark sifted through his messages, glancing back at the people in Perry's office.
Jimmy looked that way, too. "She is something else." He stepped over to his desk and came back with the morning paper. "Check this out."
In blazing sixty-point headline was the title: The Fall of the House of Luthor. Below the fold was another equally large headline: Juan Delconto- Modern Day Godfather.
Clark grinned as he read over the articles.
"Two more articles are inside," Jack told him. "Hell, the first half of the paper is stuff she sent in. Perry says it's all legit."
"It is, Jack," Clark said as he continued to read. How had she done this? She knew details they'd only dreamed of knowing. Of course, a lot of what they'd learned was there, but details they hadn't suspected were clearly outlined. She'd named people, places, times- crimes that had gone unsolved. He'd looked into a couple of the events she'd mentioned himself only to hit a dead end. He glanced at the office again. She and Perry were talking.
"Is that her?"
Clark and the guys looked up to see Mayson coming down the ramp.
"The one and only," Jimmy spoke up.
"Is all of this true?" she asked of the paper she held as she made it to their side.
"Perry says it is."
Mayson looked toward the office. "The red hair suits her. No doubt she dyed it so she could blend in. If what she's written here is any indication, she's been snooping around for a while."
Clark had just finished the articles and he nodded his agreement. "If she'd been caught..."
"That's Lois," Jimmy said. "She has a way of getting information you're sure she should have died getting."
"I wouldn't have thought she'd manage it," Mayson said. "The woman I met in that prison was *not* this woman." She shook the paper to indicate what she meant.
"Guess she finally decided that somewhere inside Mad Dog was still alive," Jimmy added. He looked over Mayson's shoulder when Perry motioned for them. "I think they want us to come back."
Perry was laughing happily when the others came back in. Lois was sitting in his chair, grinning widely. "Here's what you need to corroborate everything in those articles," Perry said and tossed Jimmy a flash drive. "Copy it all and bring it back to me. Henderson will need some of that."
"Got it, Chief."
"Mayson, we'll need some of those pictures of the compound- pre and post war."
"I'll email them to Jimmy." She stepped forward and held out her hand to Lois. "It's good to see you on this side of the fence."
Lois shook it with a smile. "It's good to be on this side." She held the hand a second longer. "Thank you, for everything."
"You're welcome," Mayson told her sincerely. When she drew her hand away, she looked up at Perry. "If I help bring a smile to that man's face..."
Lois looked up at him. "Yeah, I know what you mean."
Perry rubbed her shoulder, refusing to get more than a few feet away from her. "Now, Jack, get Henderson down here. And, Clark, since you don't need me to buy you a plane ticket, I'd appreciate you flying back to Spain and following up on what she's got. Find out everything that's going on there."
Lois' eyes moved over to Clark, who nodded his consent. "Hold on." She leaned forward and put her arms on the desk. Looking directly at Clark, she asked, "He knows?"
Clark reached over and closed the door. "They all do," he told her.
"Well, damn. Here I thought I knew something nobody else did," she said with a hint of laughter in her voice.
"You know?" Perry asked her.
"Yeah, I know. I wouldn't be a person in my position if I didn't know," she repeated something he'd said to them all more than one time. Everyone laughed aloud at that.
"No, I guess you wouldn't," Perry said.
"Well, since you all know... Clark has to see Bernie in a little while. We think he can prove who the twins' biological father is."
They all stared at Lois. "Really?" Perry was the one to say. "Why does Clark...?"
"I told you they looked like you," Jack interrupted the older man's question, slapping Clark on the arm.
Clark chuckled at his reaction. He knew Jack would say 'told you so'.
"Wait. I'm not following," Jimmy spoke up.
"Clark was engaged to Paul Lang's daughter years ago. She knew about him and they wanted Paul to test to see if they could have children together because of their differences," Lois began the explanation.
"And he used the sample Clark gave him to test," Mayson finished for her.
"Yeah," Lois confirmed. "When Lex went to him to help him have another son- he helped impregnate Arianna so Leslie could be born, too- he decided to double-cross Lex. Lex believed the twins were clones. He'd ordered them created so he could have his son, but so he could sell the knowledge at the same time. He didn't bargain on twins and certainly not on one of them being a girl. Although, when I got her out of there, he was going to give her to Paul. Paul told me he would have sold her to Church. And by the time anyone knew she wasn't really a clone, he would have disappeared."
"Thank God you had the presence of mind to get her out of there," Perry said as he leaned on the corner of the desk.
"Yeah," she said as she looked away from Clark. They'd been staring at one another.
"I guess the two of you and I need to have a conference," Mayson said as she checked her watch. "Let me know the time Bernie has the results, Clark."
"I will."
"Lois, you are needed at a hearing this morning to have the charges against you officially cleared."
"Okay." She stood up and looked around. "Thank you all for everything you've done."
"Are you kidding? Perry would have fired us," Jack spoke up.
They all laughed.
"This guy's full of..."
"Get out of here," Perry interrupted Jimmy's remark. "Get yourself cleared so we can get back to work. You *are* coming back to work?"
"I think I want to," she told him as she stepped around the desk. "But I need a little time to gather myself together first. Maybe a couple of weeks?"
"Yeah, absolutely. I think the owner would be alright with that."
She grinned at Perry. "I still can't believe you bought the Planet."
"As much blood, sweat, and tears as I've put into this place, I figured it might as well be mine."
Lois leaned over to hug him again. "Well, I'd be honored to work for you, Mr. White."
He laughed softly. "Can that crap." He stood and looked at the others. "Don't you all have something to do?"
Jack and Jimmy said good-bye to Lois and left so they could get to work. Lois looked over at Clark. "Are you heading out, too?"
"Yeah. I want to fly home and tell my folks about the twins before I see Bernie." She nodded. "Will I see you later?"
"Yeah. I was hoping you'd let me hang out at your place until we get the results."
"You know where the spare key's at," he told her with a smile as they exited Perry's office.
"Are you kidding? I picked the lock." When he looked at her, she shrugged. "I wanted to see if I could still do it."
"Look under the black flower pot, would you?" He patted her shoulder and stepped over to his desk.
"You have my desk?" she wanted to know as she ran a hand over the surface.
"I'll be more than happy to give it back to you," he informed her as he looked through the mail that had been dropped off already.
"I don't know. Maybe I'll take that one," she told him, pointing to the empty desk across the isle. "Start fresh. Create something new."
He looked up at her, a soft smile on his lips. "I think that's a great idea."
She smiled back, then reached to pick up a picture he had sitting on his desk. It was one of the twins taken at their birthday party. "I've missed both of them," she whispered.
"Lois, don't do that. It won't do you a bit of good to keep looking back."
"I know. It's just..." She set the frame back down and looked up at him, taking a deep breath for courage.
"I know," he informed her.
And he did. Or at least he understood. How was that possible? How was it a man she didn't know could make her feel so at ease?
Feel so alive?
Glancing away, she tucked her hair behind her ear. "I guess Mayson's ready," she said as the other woman came out of Perry's office and headed for them.
"Yeah." Clark reached out to squeeze her arm. "I'll see you later."
"Okay." She looked at him another moment before she stepped around him and went with Mayson. The sooner she got her life back, the sooner she could start to live again.
But how exactly did she do that? How did she begin to rebuild herself? When she wasn't sure who she was anymore?
****
Clark landed in the back yard near the barn and smiled at his playing children. They had noticed him and were off at a full run toward him. He bent and caught them both, hugging and kissing each as he stood back up. Both were chattering away as he crossed the lawn to the blanket his mother sat on where they had been playing. It was nice out and Martha had decided to take advantage of it.
"You did?" Clark asked Perry. She told him she'd learned to ride her bike... or at least he thought that's what she'd said. She talked much clearer than Collin, but when she was excited, it was hard to understand everything she said.
He set them on their feet and they were off again. He waited until they were on the swing set before he sat down with his mom.
"I didn't know you were coming out today, son?"
"Yeah." He watched the kids for several more moments before he looked at his mom.
"What?"
"Lois is back."
"Back?"
"Out of prison, in a hearing as we speak to clear her of the charges against her. Luthor was found and is in jail."
Martha sat for a moment before her eyes drifted over to the twins. "It's too soon," she said softly. "I'm not ready to give them up."
"Mom, don't."
"Don't what? I can't help it, Clark. Those kids are my life. And you can't tell me you're okay with handing them back over."
"No, I'm not." He sighed and looked back at them. "But I might not have to."
"What?"
This time when he looked at her, he was grinning. "Lana found another diary that her father left in his safe. In it, Paul claims the twins are mine."
Martha's eyes widened in surprise. "What?"
"Remember when Lana and I were talking about getting married?"
"The tests Paul ran for you," she finished for him. She remembered what a difficult time it had been for Clark. When Paul had told them Clark would never be able to father children, Clark had been devastated. He was so sure that if he married Lana, he would ruin her life. The woman had stolen Martha's heart when she'd declared that it didn't matter if they ever had children. She just loved Clark. It had broken Martha's heart when they'd split up, but she'd come to realize since then that Lana hadn't been her son's soul mate.
"Apparently Paul lied to us so that me and Lana would separate. He didn't exactly appreciate my differences."
Martha gazed over at the twins. "And he said he used your sample?"
"That's what he claims. Dr. Klein is going to run a DNA test to make sure. He already has profiles for the twins from all the other tests we've had run. He'll have to get a profile for me for the match."
"Are you sure that's safe?" his mother asked, worried for her son's secret.
"Come on, Mom. More than a few people already know who I am. Bernie would be a great confidante to add to that number."
Martha nodded. "How soon before we know?"
"Tomorrow, hopefully." He grinned at his mother. "Wouldn't that be something?"
"Oh, honey." She covered her mouth with her hand as tears filled her eyes. "Blood or not, they're ours."
"I know, Mom. But wouldn't it be nice to know they really are mine?" He didn't wait for her to answer, just stood and went to play with his twins. It would the best thing in the world, but right now he wanted to see if he could hear them laugh.
****
Bernie shook his head as he pushed the long swab into the plastic tube. "I still can't believe this," he said as Clark closed his mouth.
"You?"
The older man looked at him. "Yeah. I guess this is a bit surreal for you."
"Just a bit."
"I'll try to have this done by tomorrow morning. It usually takes forty-eight hours, but I'll work through the night. I'm as anxious to see this situation come to a conclusion as I'm sure you are."
"Thanks, Bernie," Clark told him as he clapped his arm. He hadn't told Bernie that he was Superman, or even super, just that he had been engaged to Paul's daughter once and the man insisted on running fertility tests before he'd allow Clark to marry his daughter. Dr. Klein thought Paul was a mad scientist, like everyone else.
"I'll call you as soon as I know."
He thanked Bernie again and headed back to the Planet. He caught up on a few things before flying out to Spain. He'd wanted to see Lois before he left but she was apparently still with Mayson. By the time afternoon winded into evening in Metropolis, Clark was letting himself into his apartment.
"Hey. I was wondering when you might get here."
Lois was sitting on the sofa, her bare feet propped on the coffee table. She'd raided his clothes again, sporting a pair of his shorts and another of his tee shirts. She was flipping through his photo album and nursing her second beer, if the empty bottles were an indication of how many she'd had.
"Do you not have any clothes of your own?" he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"Not many," she said as she looked back down at the book.
Damn! He shouldn't have said that. She'd been in prison for... well, since she'd left the Planet. Of course she didn't have many clothes!
He took off his jacket and tossed it over the back of the chair at the bottom of the stairs. "Sorry. That was..."
"Don't be sorry. I'm not. Your clothes are comfortable."
His eyes met hers and they smiled at one another. "Then wear whatever you want," he told her as he pulled off his tie.
"Leave that shirt on the dresser."
He stopped half way to the kitchen, his brows rising toward his hair.
"I like the color," she told him, again looking at the photos. Her eyes flashed to his for a moment and he could see the amusement in them. He shook his head and continued his journey into the kitchen.
"You hungry?"
"Yep. I would have ordered take-out, but I was broke after I bought you more beer."
"You didn't have to do that," he told her as he stood up from his perusal of the items in his fridge.
"I drank it all."
"I could have bought more."
"How did you get so much money?" she asked as she closed the book and placed it on the cushion beside her.
"Well..." He closed the door to the fridge and walked over to sit down on the coffee table in front of her. "You know that Luthor was born Alexander Luckaby." It wasn't a question; her article proved she knew. "He filed the marriage to you and Collin's birth in Australia under his given name. The lawyers for the Franklin Luckaby estate felt that since Collin and Perry were legally the grandchildren of Franklin..."
"That they should have the money?" she asked incredulously.
"Yeah. They have huge, huge trusts waiting on them when they graduate college. More for school, their weddings, and an obscene amount for their care. Mayson called me earlier and said that since Alexander's been found, and so has part of the money he inherited from Collin's birth, the estate lawyers are going to amend the settlement."
"They want the money back?"
"Ah, no. They are going to increase the trusts, the monthly care payments, and they want to talk to you about an appropriate amount for you."
"For me?" He nodded. "They want to what? Give me hush money?"
"I felt the same way, but then I thought, what the hell? Somebody should pay for what he did to you." He gave her a lopsided grin. "Think of it this way. You can give Luthor something to think about while he rots in Striker's."
"What?"
"Tell him. Tell him that the money he worked so damn hard for is where it should be- in your bank account."
Slowly a grin crept across her face. "Wouldn't it just rub him raw to know that I was spending his precious money?"
"It would," he agreed with a grin of his own.
She looked at him for a moment before she patted his leg. "Well, since you're loaded, why don't you order us some seafood? I'd love a great, big lobster. Ooo, and scallops! The last time I had scallops was when I snuck one from Bobbie's bag right before..." She stopped, her grin fading.
"You ate from Bobbie's bag and got away with it?" he asked, recognizing immediately her withdrawal at the mention of the past.
"Oh, no. He knew I'd eaten one. Please don't tell me Bobbie is your source now?"
He was glad to see her perk right back up when he changed the subject. "'Fraid so. Jimmy introduced us."
"Traitor," she said and sat back.
"How about an admiral's platter from Callard's?"
"You don't really have to buy seafood," she told him, although she hoped he would.
He waved her off and reached over for the phone on the table beside the couch. He ordered an admiral's platter with plenty of garlic/cheese bread. "I'll grab a slab of chocolate cake at the Fudge Castle on the way to pick it up," he said as he put the phone back.
"Thanks." She tucked her hair behind her ear and lifted the photo album back up. "Hope you don't mind that I took this out."
"You wear my clothes and you think I'd be upset because you looked at my pictures?" He laughed wryly as he stood up and headed toward his bedroom.
She shook her head in amusement as he disappeared. Lying back on the sofa, she clicked on the television. When Clark came back in, she was flipping through the channels. She almost gasped when she looked up at him. He'd changed into a pair of jeans and a tight, white muscle shirt. And he was wearing flip flops. It should have been illegal for a man to look the way he did at that moment. He'd left his glasses off and when their eyes met, she didn't try to hide her admiration.
Damn! He's modest, she thought as a deep blush crept up his neck and face.
She grinned at him, a bit different than the ones she'd been giving him, then blinked and pointed at the TV. "I guess the world knows Lois Lane is back."
Clark had to remind himself to breathe before he could look away from her. He was male and there was absolutely no way he could have mistaken the look she'd just given him. Lois liked the way he was dressed and told him without saying a word. Of course, he liked the way she was dressed, too, but had desperately covered his appreciation. He didn't want her to feel uncomfortable around him. Somehow he felt flirting with her would definitely spook her, but obviously she wasn't a bit shy about flirting with him.
Every news channel had the same thing on. They were covering Lex Luthor's rise from the grave, Lois' overturned conviction, and the disbandment of the Delconto organization.
"Looks like you're a household name," Clark observed as station after station talked about her cracking the case.
Clark glanced at the clock on the wall because he'd taken his watch off already. "I should head out to get the food. You want to go?"
"Nah," she said with a wave of her hand. "Too comfy."
He chuckled at her and checked his pocket to make sure he had his keys. He went back to the bedroom to grab his glasses, then jogged up the steps to the door. "Back in twenty."
"I'll be here."
The entire way to Callard's all he could think about was how good that woman looked lying on his couch. His clothes were a little big on her, but couldn't have been sexier. She had to be the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. She was small, too small if you asked him, even if her muscles were well toned. Her skin was tanned, a testament to her recent proximity to the beach. The red hair looked good on her, although her natural dark brown would be even more gorgeous, especially long. When he'd seen her at the prison, her hair was shorter.
No matter how good she looked in his house, right now she needed a friend. Lois might be showing a strong exterior, but inside she was a mess. The fact that she so easily broke down with him that morning proved that. And that was just the beginning. How much worse would she get? She hadn't even seen the twins yet. How would she react when she did? It bothered him that she hadn't said much about them, though he hadn't missed the expression on her face when she was looking at the pictures earlier. She loved her kids. Yet, she was lost. He just hoped he could help her find her way again. Everything else would have to wait.
****
When he got back, Lois had made sweet tea and set the table.
"Hope you don't mind," she said, looking up from where she stood on the other side of the table. "I haven't sat down to a meal at a real table since I went to Perry's for Christmas the year before I... left. I don't count dinners with Lex. Or eating at a prison table."
"I thought you were comfy on the couch," he said as he dug their meal out of the bag and set it on the empty end of the table.
"I was, but..." She shrugged and poured their tea. "I was full of alcohol, too."
"Tea's fine." He took out the huge lobster he'd ordered. "How 'bout a piece of tail?"
"Well, sure, if you're offering." When he dropped the lobster on the plate, and nearly fell over in shock, she bent over laughing. "Damn, you have a dirty mind!"
"Like you didn't mean it that way," he defended himself, the heat from his face burning him up.
She laughed another second, then took a breath. "No comment."
His hand slipped, nearly causing him to push the lobster in the floor. "Shut up, will you?" he finally managed when he recovered enough to stop his hands from shaking.
Lois bit her lip as she helped him serve up their food. She didn't say anything else until they were seated and she'd taken the first bite of her lobster. "Ah, wow!"
"Good?" he asked, dipping some of the shell fish in the butter that came with their meal.
"Fantastic!"
He kept glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. She was definitely one of a kind. Bold, brazen, and uninhibited- a lot like Jack. Having her around was going to be an adventure.
At least, he hoped she was going to be around.
"Should I crack that for you?" he asked her when she started to struggle with the shell.
"Yeah. Do your... thingy and get all the meat out." She dropped the lobster on her plate and looked at him expectantly.
He grinned before reaching for her plate. His hands became a blur and when he handed it back, a pile of lobster meat was lying to one side, the shell on the other.
"Thank you," she said and picked up the plate to push the shell onto the empty tray. "Now I have room for everything else."
Clark chuckled as he continued his meal. They ate in silence for a long while. He smiled at her audible approval of her food from time to time, pleased to see her eat so well.
"Sorry about eating like a mad woman. We only had ten minutes to swallow our garbage while I was in Glendale." She'd eaten twice as much as he had.
He wasn't quite sure what to say to that. In fact, he wasn't sure what to talk about at all with her. The twins, sure, but he wanted her to be the one to mention them. And in the next breath, she did.
"How soon before we know if your little swimmers hit their target?"
How many times had he shaken his head in disbelief where this woman was concerned? She was hilarious! "Tomorrow."
She nodded and stuffed another shrimp in her mouth. "Do you think maybe we could... see them soon?"
"I can go get them now, if you want me to."
Looking down at her plate, she suddenly felt lightheaded. There was nothing she wanted more than to see her babies, but at the same time...
"I, ah, I'd like to wait, until we know," she told him without lifting her eyes from her plate.
"Lois, I can't begin to pretend I know how you feel..."
"Good, because I'm not sure I know myself." She quickly scarfed down the rest of her meal and stood up to take her plate to the kitchen. When she turned, Clark was standing there.
"Don't bottle it up. Let it out, whenever you need to."
She stared at him, stubborn tears spilling over her lashes. "It's just so unfair," she whispered.
"I know." He reached out to grasp her arm.
Wiping her face stubbornly, she sighed heavily. "Look, I will probably take you up on that offer so much, you'll get tired of wet shirts. But tonight, I'd like to talk about something else, anything else. As much I need to break down from time to time, I need to laugh and smile, too."
"Perry was right." She quirked a brow at him. "You are a brilliant woman." His eyes danced in amusement, causing her to laugh softly.
"Have I told you I like you?"
"Yeah, a time or two."
She pushed him against his chest. "Go finish your dinner so I can wash these dishes."
"You don't have to wash the dishes."
"I want to do it."
He was about to protest again, but the look in her eyes changed his mind. She needed to do this simple thing. So much had been taken away from her and this was one way she was using to feel whole again. He nodded and went back to his meal while she started the dish water. A few minutes later, he dropped his plate in the pile of suds and smiled at her. He allowed her to finish while he put away the extra food. The plate he'd ordered came with enough for an entire family.
"Ready for that chocolate?" he asked when the table was clear.
"Can we eat it in the living room?"
"Sure. How about a glass of milk to go with it?" She gave him her approval with a nod of her head and finished wiping down the counters. When she made it to the couch, Clark was already eating his cake and watching baseball.
"Oh, no. A sports freak," she commented as she sat and pulled her leg under her.
"Funny," he mumbled around a mouth full of cake. "We can watch something else," he said when he'd swallowed.
"No, this is fine." She put a piece of cake in her mouth and sighed. "This is, too."
He chuckled softly, taking a drink of his milk before he sat back.
"I thought Superman ran around saving people," Lois said as she turned on the couch to face him, pulling her other leg up, too.
"He does. But Clark needs to lay around watching baseball every now and then."
She could understand that. "It must be so hard being you."
"It was before I created Superman. I was able to do all of these wonderful things to help people, yet I wasn't."
"For fear that someone would figure you out?"
"Yeah. What kind of life would I have if the world knew Clark Kent was also an alien from another planet?"
"None," she answered. She glanced at the television and a news brief came on about the very person they were just talking about. "Must be odd to see yourself like that."
"And all over every kid's toy, tee shirt, and billboard in the city," he finished as he leaned back to lay his head on the couch.
"Oh, God! I can't believe I didn't remember that!" She reached out to grab his arm, her excitement running through her and straight into him. "Clark, do you know how you got here?"
"To Earth?" She nodded. "Yeah. A spaceship. Duh!" he said in a mocking tone.
"Bite me," she threw right back at him. He was about to shoot another smart comment at her, but her hand covered his mouth. "Do you have your ship?"
"I did," he answered when she moved her hand. "It was stolen from the farm years ago."
"I know where it is," she told him, almost shaking. "Or where it was. It might still be there. We can look, of course. And you probably will. Although it's been over four years. They could have moved it by now." She stopped when he grinned at her. "I know. I babble."
"Babble away. I like hearing you talk."
"Do you want to hear about the ship or not?" She quirked her brow at him.
"Okay. Tell me." He shifted so that his arm was propped on the back of the couch and he held his head with his hand.
"Jimmy and I were checking out this quack one time. Or I thought he was a quack. But since you're here, and can do what you do, he might not have been a quack after all. There was a warehouse with all of this... junk in it. There was what appeared to be a spaceship there with your shield on the nose."
Clark perked up when she mentioned his shield. He rose and walked over to the bookshelf, retrieved a piece of paper and pencil, then draw a picture at super speed. "Did it look like this?" he asked her when he was done.
"Yeah," she replied.
"Jimmy told me about it once," Clark replied as he went in to his bedroom. When he came back, he was holding a round, metal ball.
"That's the globe we found."
Clark sat down next to her and held it up. It immediately began to glow. She jumped when the hologram of Clark's birth father appeared. Sitting mesmerized, she listened to the messages from father to son sent across time and space.
"Wow," she whispered when it fell dark and dropped back into Clark's palm.
"Jimbo gave this to me right after he told me about the warehouse. We went to check it out, but it was empty."
"They had a file on Smallville." He nodded that he knew. "I remember thinking, 'where the hell is Smallville?'" They both laughed softly.
"Guess I should be happy that particular lead ran dry."
"Damn right. Mad Dog would have..." She stopped and looked at him. "I'm glad it ran dry, too," she told him seriously. "Back then I wouldn't have thought twice about ruining your life."
"Back then? Would you think twice now?"
"You can't possibly think I'd tell any..." She stopped again as she took a deeper look into his eyes. "I didn't give them away."
"I know you didn't. And I had no intention of mentioning it, but..." He looked away and sighed. "Please don't take them away from me," he whispered.
Lois leaned up and rubbed his back. He'd sat down and leaned over to place his elbows on his knees. "Why would I take them away from their daddy?"
Clark's head snapped around and his eyes met hers. "I hope we're adult enough to work something out."
"Clark?" She waited until she had his attention. "We'll work something out." When she saw the relief wash over him, she wanted to reach out and hug him. He was adorable.
Lois became aware that she was still rubbing his back. She glanced at her hand, but didn't move it. He didn't seem to mind either.
Clark finally managed to take a breath and looked down at the table. He'd been worried about losing the twins.
Well, not worried exactly. But to hear her say she wouldn't take them...
He closed his eyes and suddenly became aware that she was touching him. And it felt *so* good. When he looked up, she was staring at the table, too. "I have a penny or two," he said after a brief silence.
Lois blinked, patted his back, and smiled at him. "Not tonight."
"Okay," he relented. He felt bereft when she pulled her hand off his back. She sighed and laid her head over on the couch so she could look at him.
"Thanks for sharing that." She indicated the globe with a pointed finger.
"Thanks for not ratting me out." They laughed as he stood up to take the globe back to the bedroom. "Hey, I was thinking maybe you might want to go shopping. Grab a few things you might need."
"What's a matter, Kent? You want your clothes back?" She grinned at him as he sat back down. "I can give them to you."
Clark reached out and placed his hands on hers to stop the progression of material up her body. She was going to give the shirt back. "Keep it on."
Her eyes twinkled as she lowered her hands. "That modesty thing really works for you." He promptly blushed more, causing her to giggle. "I wish I'd met you five years ago."
"Yeah? So you could have taken a bite out of my steel butt? No, thank you." He threw his feet up so he could prop them on the coffee table.
"You're right. Mad Dog was a different person. I would have thought that blush was an act."
"It's a practiced art," he said as he leaned back again.
She laughed aloud. "I can see that." This time she was the one to lean her arm on the back of the cushions. "So, tell me what team you like?" She indicated with her head that she was asking about his taste in baseball teams.
And he saw it as her need to unwind. He told her which teams he liked in the college arena as well as pro. While she seemed genuinely interested, he could tell part of her mind was a million miles away. He kept talking about sports, then told her what his favorite movies were. Television shows, game shows, and music- they discussed everything in the world that wasn't related to Luthor. She'd talk soon, he decided, and when she did, he would listen.
He would listen for days if she needed him to.
****
The next morning started much the same way it had before. Clark felt like someone was watching him and when he opened his eyes, Lois was staring at him.
"Please tell me you don't do that all the time," he said, burrowing himself deeper into the cushions. He'd been out as Superman for a while and he was tired.
"What? Watch people while they sleep?"
"Yeah," he said, closing his eyes again.
"Nah, just those who float."
He opened his eyes again, a smile on his face. "My mom used to squeal every time she'd come in to get me up for school and I'd be three feet above the bed."
Lois chuckled at the thought of a poor mother finding her son in the air instead of on his mattress. "I can see that." She took a sip from the water bottle she was holding.
Clark noticed she'd changed into a pair of his sweats and appeared flushed. "How long have you been up?"
"Nearly an hour. I had a nightmare and couldn't go back to sleep, so I went for a run."
He rolled over and stared up at the ceiling. "I guess I was more wiped out than I thought." He flung an arm across his forehead.
"Guess I should have let you sleep."
"No, no. It's okay."
"Was it bad?"
He pulled his arm down and turned his head so he could look at her. "Huh?"
"I heard you go out. And when you came in you sighed a few times on your way in here after your shower. I figured you'd been to a rescue."
"Yeah." He rolled back onto his side. "A little boy was caught in the crossfire of his father's drug deal. He was shot three times."
"Oh, God," she said with a gasp. "Is he... did he die?"
Clark stared at a spot over her shoulder for a moment before he nodded in the affirmative. "He was dead before I got there. His mother was so fried she didn't know what planet she was on and his father said 'good riddance'."
"You're kidding?!"
"I wish I was." He blinked several times before his eyes finally focused on hers.
"Is he still alive?" she asked him, a hint of a smile dancing on her lips.
Her attempt to lighten his mood worked and he smiled back. "Only because of my incredible restraint."
"I would have choked him with my bare hands," she said and took another gulp from her bottle.
"I believe it." He reached over his left shoulder with his right hand, trying to scratch an itch. He grunted when he couldn't quite reach it, and Lois leaned over to help him out. "Down," he said. Leaning forward to search out his discomfort brought her closer to him. She looked directly at him, her face only inches from his.
"Is that it?" she asked him after watching him struggle with her close proximity a second.
His eyes flashed down to her lips for the briefest second before focusing on hers again. "Ah, yeah," he managed, swallowing the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat.
Even though he said she'd found the spot, she didn't move- just kept scratching. "How is that you can feel an itch then you can catch a bullet with this thick skin?" Her hand moved to another spot.
"Ahh," he breathed, closing his eyes to gain a bit of control. Having her that close was threatening to send his senses into overdrive. "Aura," he said after a beat.
"Aura?" Her lips were quirked in a knowing grin. She knew exactly what she was doing to him, and she didn't stop.
"Uh huh," he told her, refusing to open his eyes. "Like a force field around me."
"That's what protects you?"
"Yep." He had to bite his lip to keep from grunting. What she was doing felt good, even if it was about to drive him mad to have her so close.
"And how is it a simple thing like someone scratching your back feels so good?"
"Because you're in it."
"Oh, baby, I'm no where close."
That made him open his eyes to look at her. And he wished he hadn't. The little devil knew exactly what she was doing to him. What would she do if he closed the distance and kissed her the way he wanted to? He should- just to crawl under her skin the way she did his. That little glint in her dark orbs nearly set him on fire. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
"Yes, sir," she told him, grinning wider. Her hand stopped scratching and smoothed down over his side.
"Are you this bold all the time? Or do you just trust me enough to play with fire?"
This time it was Lois who swallowed the lump in her throat. Her grin faded and she pulled her hand from his side as she eased back down to the floor.
"Hey," he said as he pushed himself up on his elbow. "I didn't mean to upset you."
"You didn't." She took another drink of water. "I guess I should stop messing with you."
"I wasn't implying that you stop." Damn! He shouldn't have said anything. He enjoyed her flirting, even if it was sending him into a perpetual state of arousal.
"Sheez, aren't we indecisive?" The grin was back as she quirked a brow at him.
He chuckled at her. "I like it that you feel so comfortable with me. But you have to know that it *does* affect me."
"Yeah, I know," she told him, the flirting glint back in her eyes. "As long as you know I do it because *you* affect me."
All humor was gone. His expression was immediately serious, and he could feel the electricity jump between them.
"And yeah," she said as she continued to stare at him. "I guess I do trust you." She looked away and laughed softly. "Crazy, huh? I barely know you, but I think I've trusted you from the first time I saw you." She picked at a string on the rug.
"No crazier than me feeling as equally comfortable with you," he said softly.
Her head came up and her eyes met his again. "Really?"
"Yeah. You might drive me crazy, but I think I can live with it." The corner of his mouth edged into a half smile. "As long as you know that I *am* a man."
Her eyes swept his body approvingly. "How well I know," she mumbled as she stood up.
"You do know I can hear you?"
"You do know I want you to?" she shot right back, brow arched in challenge.
That caused him to laugh. Yeah, he knew.
She turned up her bottle again on her way toward the bedroom.
"Where ya' going?"
"To take a shower," she said as she wiped her mouth without turning around. "Want to wash my back?" Her grin threatened to split her face when she heard him laugh again. She absolutely adored that man. Why was that? Why had a strange man from another planet gotten so far under her skin in such a short time?
And he hadn't done it on purpose. He was just... there. Lois suspected what made him so attractive had nothing to do with his alien side. There was something about him so completely different than any man she'd ever met. It was as if she could feel him.
Crazy, she thought as she stripped and stepped into the shower stall. People didn't *feel* other people. Yet, the more she was around Clark, the more she actually thought she did. Did that have anything to do with the fact that they shared children together? Was it some weird alien thing on his part? When they'd been so close out there, it was all she'd been able to do to keep from leaning forward and kissing him. He was so beautiful. Another strange thing to think of a man, although it was the only way she could describe him. Whatever it was, Lois liked this Clark Kent.
And she loved messing with him.
It wasn't that long ago Lois thought she'd never feel anything remotely similar to desire for a man again. Clark Kent had changed that. He'd set her on fire with his mere presence. And she knew she was playing with fire messing with him so boldly. She just couldn't stop herself. No, she'd never been like this around any man, though she'd always been direct. In the past, if she was interested, she showed it. If she wasn't, she was honest about that, too. Flirting and flaunting her femininity had just never been part of who she was.
Was that another testament to how much she'd changed?
Glancing toward the door, she found herself wishing he really would come wash her back. She knew he wouldn't, but...
Remembering what a screwed up mess she was right now, she told herself Clark Kent couldn't possibly be interested in her. Well, maybe for one reason, but that was because she'd worked him into a frenzy. Even as she thought that she knew it wasn't true. Clark was different.
But as different as he was there was so much in front of her right now. No man needed the complication being involved with her would surely bring.
