“I can't *believe* his nerve,” Clark said, slamming the door behind him. “Of all the low-down, rotten, disgusting-”
By the time they'd reached the room, Lois was fuming too. This was not only uncalled for, it was unprofessional and just downright cruel. What made him think he could get away with treating her this way?! She may have been a silly schoolgirl once, but she was stronger and smarter now and she knew that she didn't deserve to be treated that way!
“I should have taken him outside and taught him a lesson. How *dare* he?!” Clark trembled with anger as he paced the room restlessly.
Paul's words echoed in her ears again. But this time rather than making her angry, they struck a nerve. It *didn't* seem to take men very long to tire of her. Would she ever find a man who wouldn't cast her aside as soon as they got what they wanted from her?
She felt tired suddenly, exhausted by the situation. She slumped into an armchair and watched as Clark continued to stew.
"Clark," she said finally. "It doesn't matter. I mean, after all, he's right. Except that I don't even really have a boyfriend to get sick of me this time…"
He seemed jarred by her words, as if he'd forgot she was even there. When they finally appeared to register, the anger seeped from his face, replaced by something she couldn't quite identify.
"Lois…" he said softly, his voice thick with emotion. He stopped pacing immediately, and strode to the chair, crouching in front of her. He raised his hand to smooth her hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear, and cupping her cheek in his hand. He ran his thumb along her cheekbone, and waited for her to meet his eyes again. "Lois, he's *not* right. He's a moron. Any guy who would…" He forced the anger from his voice and continued more softly. "You are the most beautiful, intelligent, incredible woman I've ever met, and if he can't see that, it's his loss."
"Clark," she whispered, tears pooling in her eyes. He withdrew his hand slowly, and she caught it, locking their hands together before bringing them to rest on her lap. "Thank you. Sometimes I don't know what I'd do without you…"
Clark pulled her into a comforting embrace, and she let herself stay in his arms for awhile, drawing comfort and strength from him. Finally, Clark stepped back and smiled. “Come on, cheer up. Let's forget about Paul and have a good time. We can amuse ourselves.”
Lois tried to return his smile, but her attempt was pathetic. “I don't know. I don't feel like doing much. Maybe we should just turn in.”
Clark rubbed her arm encouragingly. “Don't let him get you down, Lois. Don't let him win. It doesn't matter what he thinks. Let's get out of here and do something fun. We haven't toured the monuments yet. I'm sure you've done it a million times, but it's not a true visit to DC unless you go out and walk around the monuments at night.”
“I've actually never gone sightseeing in DC.”
“You've never been on a tour of the monuments?! How is that possible?”
“Clark, I grew up in Metropolis. I had no reason to ever come to DC. And family vacations weren't high on my parent's priority lists. I've been here a couple of times on business trips and such, but that doesn't usually come with time for randomly touring the sites. I've seen them from the air plenty of times, and I've seen some driving by in cabs, but that's the extent of it.”
Clark just shook his head.
“I suppose you've seen all the sites,” Lois said.
“You are looking at Washington's premiere tour guide. I spent a summer interning for my local congressman in college, and everyone I knew came to visit. I've given so many tours, I could do it in my sleep!”
“Oh, really? Well, this I have to see for myself,” Lois teased. “And you never told me that you interned on the Hill.”
“You never asked,” he replied, eyes sparkling. “There's a lot you don't know about me, Ms. Lane.”
“Is that so? And here I thought you were an open book. What you see is what you get.”
“You'd be surprised,” he said with a grin. “Now, how about that tour? What do you say we skip out of here? They're beautiful at night.”
Lois hesitated for just a second. “Ok, you're on, Mr. Tour Guide.”
“Why don't we change into something more comfortable – and warmer? It's getting cold out there.”
Lois nodded, bending to sort through her suitcase for jeans and a sweater.
“So, I'll just be right back,” Clark said, reaching for the doorknob.
“Where are you going?”
“To change. My suitcase – along with most of my clothes – are still in Paul's room. I mean, my room,” he said.
Lois hesitated for second. “You know, maybe you should just move in here. I mean, you're already practically staying in here. You're not going to want to go back in there, even if he doesn't bring home some woman tonight.”
“I don't know,” Clark said, obviously torn. “You're right, I don't really want to room with him, but I feel like I should tell him to go somewhere else, rather than inconveniencing you.”
“Yeah,” she sighed. “But is it really worth it to create a scene? I mean, do you really want to confront Paul and throw him out of the room?”
For a second it looked like Clark was sorely tempted to do just that. “Clark?”
“You're right. I know. Okay, I'll go over there and change, and when I come back, I'll bring my stuff. I doubt Paul will even know I'm gone.”
Fifteen minutes later they were strolling down Pennsylvania Avenue, Clark relating some of his adventures as an intern. “So, they sent me into the tunnels that connect the capital building to the Senate and House office buildings to buy stamps at the post office, only I got turned around and couldn't find it. I found two gift shops, a barber, a dry cleaner, and a bunch of other things, but no post office. I walked and walked, until somehow I ended up in the Senate cafeteria. I finally found someone who knew how to get back, but by that time I'd been gone for an hour. I was sure I'd be fired.”
“What happened?” Lois asked, giggling.
Clark shrugged. “They laughed, but said it happened to everyone at one time or another. The tunnels are really confusing.”
They slowed to a stop in front of the gates at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Clark cleared his throat and slipped into tour guide mode.
“Welcome to the White House, the first stop on tonight's tour. Also know as "The People's House' and "The Executive Mansion,' the White House is a popular spot for tourists. George Washington and Pierre L'Enfant designed the White House, but it wasn't completed until after Washington was out of office. John Adams was the first president to live in the White House.”
“It looks bigger on TV,” Lois commented.
“Well, looks can be deceiving. It's pretty huge. It has six floors, 132 rooms, including 35 bathrooms-“
“How do you know that?!” she exclaimed, cutting him off. “I swear, you know more useless trivia than anyone in the world.”
“It's not useless,” Clark said with a grin. “It keeps you amused.”
Lois rolled her eyes, but couldn't help the grin she felt forming. It was amazing how Clark could make her feel so special with a silly comment. But he did. He made her feel like he would memorize any trivia just to keep her amused, and as silly as that might seem, it made her feel special.
“What else do you know about the White House?” she prodded.
“Well, the building has survived two fires, one during the War of 1812, the other in the early 1900s. Some of the more famous rooms include the Oval Office, the China room, the Lincoln bedroom, and the color-scheme rooms; Green, Red and Blue. The grounds include the famous rose garden, tennis courts, a jogging track, swimming pool, movie theater and bowling lane.”
“Wow, must be nice,” Lois said. Then she paused for a minute, reconsidering. “But I don't know if it would be worth it. To have to live in the public eye like that. Sharing your home with hundreds of staffers and tourists....”
“True,” Clark said. “I can't imagine. But, the residence is on the second floor, and access is guarded strictly, so the first family does have a little bit of privacy.”
“Yeah. I have a feeling it's not as fun as it looks.”
Clark nodded. “Ready? The Washington Monument is next on our agenda.”
“I'm ready,” she said, taking his arm.
They chatted amicably as the turned off of Pennsylvania Avenue and onto 14th Street, Clark breaking in occasionally to point out a place of interest. In a matter of minutes they were standing at the base of the Washington Monument.
“Built to honor our first president, it was designed in the early 1800s but wasn't built until the late 1800s because of the civil war and budget problems. It's over 550 feet tall - the highest building in DC. During the day, you can schedule tours to go up the elevator to the top. I've never done it, but I hear the view is fantastic.”
“What are the flashing red lights at the top?”
“Air traffic control lights. They ensure that planes landing at Washington-Reagan National Airport don't accidentally crash into it at night or in bad weather. A lot of people refer to the lights as "the eye.' Speaking of airplanes, it's illegal for planes to fly directly over the White House or the Pentagon, but it's not uncommon to look up and see the President flying over in Marine One, or the Joint Chiefs in their helicopters.”
Lois nodded and looked around.
“The Washington Monument is really the center of things,” Clark continued. He grasped her shoulders gently and guided her to look to her left. “If you look this way, you'll see the Capital Building. The strip of grass that leads up to it is The Mall. The Mall is a place where tourists visit and residents love to play. During the summer, it's always packed with people. The congressional offices even form softball teams that challenge each other.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, and it's not just the congressional offices, either. The Republican and Democratic National Committees each have a team, and so do the Washington Post and the Washington Times. Lobbyists and law offices like to get in on it too. The competition is friendly, but they all take it pretty seriously. I had a friend who interned at the RNC, and during her interview, one of the first things they asked her was what position she played.”
Lois laughed, and Clark steered her to the right. “And if you look this way, you'll see the Jefferson Monument, just over the Tidal Basin. In the spring, all the cherry blossoms are in bloom, and this is one of the most beautiful places in the world.”
“I can imagine,” she said softly.
“Jefferson was our third president, and he is, of course, most famous for penning the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson actually viewed the presidency as a chore, and when he made plans for his tombstone, it wasn't among the things he asked to be listed on it. He wanted it to list him as the author of the Declaration of Independence, the author of the Statute of Religious Freedom for Virginia, and the father of the University of Virginia. Those were the things he said he was most proud of.”
“That's interesting,” Lois said. “It must have been so different then, from how it is today. I can't imagine someone running for president if he didn't really want to.”
Clark nodded. “The monument itself is beautiful. It's modeled after Greek architecture, and the inside has the faces of the five men who served on the Continental Congress committee to write the Declaration of Independence – Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman and Robert Livingston – engraved in marble.
“Jefferson and Adams were arch-enemies politically, though they reconciled personally late in life. They actually died within hours of each other on July 4, 1826. Jefferson's lasts words were "Is it the fourth?' and Adams' were-”
“Jefferson still survives,” Lois finished.
“Should have known you'd steal my best line,” he teased with a smile. Then he grabbed her by the waist playfully, tugging her to her right again. Lois laughed, and placed her hands over his so he wouldn't pull away. She leaned back against him, resting against his chest. “Now what am I looking at?” she asked.
“That is the Lincoln Memorial. Stop number four on our tour, I believe. To the right is the Korean War Memorial, and to the left is the Vietnam Wall, but you can't see either very well in the dark. I'll tell you more about them when we get there. The water between us and them is the Reflecting Pool. It's a popular tourist spot and the site of a lot of fun activities in the summer. This is where the famous fireworks display takes place
every year.”
“I've always wanted to go to that,” Lois said. “It looks like a madhouse, but I bet it would be fun.”
“It's a blast. We should come back this summer. You'd love it. It's an all-day event. There's a parade down Pennsylvania Avenue in the morning, then everyone starts staking out their seats for the fireworks. People bring picnics and music, and there are spontaneous games of volleyball, Frisbee and football. And it's always sweltering, so people invariably end up in the Reflecting Pool – the water is really disgusting though, so I wouldn't recommend it.”
Lois nodded, taking in the hidden meaning behind Clark's words. He just assumed that they would still be available to travel together next summer. That meant he wasn't planning on finding a girlfriend by then. But Clark was an attractive guy, and more and more lately, Lois had to admit that he would be a fantastic boyfriend. So what would happen when Clark did finally find someone? Would she be content to step aside?
She pushed away the thought, uncomfortable with the sinking sensation that accompanied it. She nudged him to the right again, facing the White House.
“And if I turn right again?” she asked quietly.
He nuzzled his cheek against her hair and his breath felt warm against her
skin. “If you turn right again … you're back where you came from.”
“But we don't want to go back...do we?” she asked quietly.
Clark grip around her waist tightened, and she felt him take a deep breath. “No. We don't want to go back.”
“So show me what's next,” she said softly.
Clark was silent for a minute, then he pulled away, taking her hand and tucking it into the crook of his arm. “Next is the Korean Memorial,” he said, leading her down the path.
They walked quietly past the sparkling water, smiling at the occasional young couple walking hand in hand.
"Wow," Lois whispered as she gazed at the silent forms of the soldiers in battle. The footlights cast an eerie glow on the statues, making them seem almost lifelike.
"I know," Clark replied. "It's my favorite of the monuments."
They were quiet for a minute, then Clark continued. “It's the newest of the monuments. It was just built in 1995. There are nineteen soldiers and that wall over there, which is a miniature version of the Vietnam Wall.”
Lois turned to gaze at the shiny black wall inscribed with the words, “Freedom Is Not Free.”
“But if you look closely, you'll see that rather than being engraved with names, it's engraved with faces.”
Lois studied the wall for a few minutes, touched by its poignancy, then turned back to the soldiers.
"I feel like they could come to life at any moment - like they were frozen in battle and could resume their charge at any time...." Her voice faded off and se stared silently at the gray soldiers.
Suddenly she shook her head as if trying to bring herself back to reality. "That must sound silly," she said, starting to move away.
Clark reached for her, instinctively, drawing her against his chest and wrapping his arms around her waist. She came without resistance and leaned back against him, watching the soldiers again.
"It's not silly at all," he whispered, his gaze fixed over her shoulder at the memorial. "I feel the same way."
"Really?" she asked, turning to look at him.
Clark raised one hand to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear, then stroked her cheek gently. "Yes, really."
Lois smiled, then dropped her head to his chest, snuggling against him.
"Are you sure you're warm enough?" Clark asked rubbing his hands up and down her arms.
She nodded against his chest, then pulled back enough to look at him. "Ok, tour guide," she teased. "Where to next?"
“The Lincoln Memorial. It's not far at all.”
“Ok, then! Lead on!” she exclaimed, grabbing his arm.
Clark laughed. “Now that's a first. Its not every day you hear Lois Lane ask someone else to lead the way.”
Lois laughed, knowing he was just teasing. “Well, don't let it go to your head. It's not like I'm going to let you switch the order of our names in our byline.”
Clark shook his head and laughed, leading her to the Lincoln Memorial. In a matter of minutes, they were standing at the bottom of the impressive steps.
“Are you up for it?” he asked.
“Are you kidding? This is nothing. You should see me on the stair climber at the gym.”
Clark's eyes dropped automatically to her legs, then returned swiftly to her face. He looked away, starting to blush, and Lois could help but grin. The eternal boyscout. If she caught anyone else checking out her legs she probably use them to give them a swift kick, but Clark.... Well, for some ridiculous reason, she found herself wishing she was wearing a skirt. A short skirt.
“Come on,” she said, reaching for his hand. “I want to see Lincoln.”
They started up the stairs, and Clark slipped back into tour guide mode. “There are thirty-eight columns - one for every state at the time Lincoln was president. And if you look up, you'll see the names off all 48 states at the time the monument was built engraved around the top of monument.”
They reached the top and found themselves staring at a much larger than life likeness of the sixteenth president. Above him was inscribed the words, “In this temple, as in the hearts of the people, for whom he saved the union, the memory of Abraham Lincoln is enshrined forever.”
To their right was Lincoln's second inaugural address, and on the left wall was the famous Gettysburg Address. Lois leaned against Clark, soaking up his warmth and reading the familiar quotes.
Clark's hands rubbed her back gently, lulling her into a state of comfortable half consciousness as she snuggled against him.
“You *are* cold,” Clark said. “Why didn't you say so? We should start heading back.”
Lois shook her head against his chest. “I'm fine,” she said, snuggling closer to him and closing her eyes for a minute.
“I shouldn't have tried to cram all the monuments in one night,” he said softly, stroking her hair. “It's been a long day. You must be exhausted.”
“I'm ok. And I'm glad we're doing the monuments all in one night. I'm having a great time,” she said, pulling back to smile at him. “You worry too much, Clark.”
Clark smiled tentatively.
“Come on. What's next?” she asked with a grin.
Clark laughed and hugged her before stepping away and grabbing her hand and holding it between his to warm it. "The Vietnam Memorial," he said, tugging her off toward the stairs.
He relaxed his grip on her hand, expecting her to pull away. Instead, she slipped her fingers between his, intertwining them.
"Come on," he said as a grin lit up his face. He squeezed her hand gently and tugged her close to him. "It's just up over the hill."
In just a few short minutes they were staring at the long black wall engraved with the names of the soldiers who had given their lives in the Vietnam War.
"The Wall," Lois said slowly. "I've seen pictures of it...but I didn't realize it was so long."
Clark nodded, his gaze traveling to where an elderly man stood tracing a name with his fingertips. A few feet from him, a woman crouched down, placing a teddy bear and a letter at the base of the monument.
"Everyday, people come to visit The Wall, leaving gifts and notes to the ones they lost," Clark said softly. "There's a registry at the beginning that tells you where each name is located. And you can bring paper and pencils or crayons for making rubbings of the names."
Lois and Clark walked along the length of the Wall, starting at the beginning where it was only inches high, then reaching the end where it crested at over ten feet.
“We have a miniature version of the Wall in Smallville,” Clark said quietly. “I remember when they put it up.”
Lois squeezed his hand and looked up at him, waiting for him to continue.
“Wars hit hard in little places like Smallville, where everyone knows everyone else. A lot of my friends had uncles or cousins they never met.”
They talked quietly for awhile, sharing more stories and memories.
Finally, Lois shivered, and Clark drew her close to him. “We should be getting back. It's really late. There's a metro stop not far from here. Let's see if we can catch a train before they close for the night.”
Lois followed reluctantly, exhausted, but not wanting the night to end. Her hand was still clasped his, and she allowed him to lead the way.
Luckily they didn't have to wait long for a train, and as the slid into the seat, Lois rested her head on Clark's shoulder. He slid his arm around her shoulders, and she snuggled closer.
“Thank you,” she said softly.
“For what?”
“For this. For tonight. I had a really wonderful time.”
“So did I. I hope my tour didn't bore you. I'm sure you already knew most of the trivia.”
“It didn't bore me at all. It was wonderful. And I have to admit, I had no idea how many bathrooms there are in the White House.”
The chatted quietly for the rest of the ride, Lois still nestled in his arms. She broke away reluctantly when they reached their stop, missing the warmth and comfort of his embrace.
A half hour later they crawled into bed exhausted. They whispered for awhile until they fell asleep, any discomfort they had once felt as sharing a bed now a distant memory.
