This is the latest story in a series. The first story (
H is for Hubris ) branched out from canon at the end of Strange Visitor. The second story (
I is for Illusions ) picked up the action approximately a month later, in a rewrite of I've Got a Crush on You. This story begins a few hours later and will completely ignore the episode Smart Kids.
The reason this "alphabet series" didn't start at A was because when I started, I had no intentions of making it a running theme!
----------------------
J IS FOR JET SET
by Pam Jernigan <chiefpam@nc.rr.com>
----------------------
Clark rocketed across the sky, flying twists and barrel-rolls that probably had air-traffic controllers all up and down the East Coast scratching their heads. He was careful to avoid mid-air collisions, but all other considerations were drowned out by an internal refrain: He was going on a date! With Lois! Tonight!
Eventually, he calmed down enough to begin thinking about practicalities. Lois wanted him to take her to dinner, so that's what he would do. And now that she knew about Superman, he could take her anywhere in the world.
Superman. That thought slowed him down a trifle. Lois wasn't reacting the way he would have expected. Of course, she never did. She'd been incredibly affectionate last night, once she'd admitted her attraction to him, and he'd been happy to reciprocate. If it hadn't been for Toni Taylor, they might even have ended up getting a motel room. But then she'd discovered he was Superman -- and since then, she'd backed off somewhat.
He supposed he couldn't blame her for that, since Superman had usually done his best to discourage her from getting too comfortable in his presence. He just had to assume -- hope -- that she'd stick around long enough to realize that underneath it all, he was really just Clark.
Up until a few days ago, he'd thought that while she would jump at the chance for a relationship with Superman, she'd drop him like a rock once she realized that she'd be spending most of her time with Clark. It would be the ultimate irony if she decided to go for a relationship with Clark, only to be put off by Superman.
He was thinking about himself in the third person again. He tried to get a grip on reality. It had been less than a day since Lois had put one and one together to make... one. It would be astonishing if she didn't need any time to adjust. He could wait. Sooner or later, she'd see that Superman wasn't real.
The really difficult part would be restraining himself around her. Making love, a month ago, had been so incredible. He'd dreamed about it many times, and fantasized about repeat encounters... but at the same time, this whole relationship was so new, so fragile. He was determined not to ruin things this time around. Given the way she'd panicked before, it seemed wise to take things slow, and follow her lead. Her trust was a precious gift. He couldn't bear the thought of spoiling it.
Of course, this wasn't just a date. It was the beginning, he hoped, of a great future. He couldn't wait to tell his parents all about it. As soon as he calmed down enough to get his feet back on the ground, he'd give them a call.
On second thought, though, he wasn't quite sure what to say. He hadn't told them about spending the night with her. He'd told himself it was because gentlemen never kiss and tell. He had to admit, though, that part of it was that he was ashamed of how he'd acted. Not just the unintentional one-night stand, though he sure wasn't proud of that, but also because he didn't want them to know how careless he'd been. His dad would do the frog speech again.
No, as far as they knew, Lois was just another work colleague. They didn't really need to know anything more, until there was a "more" for them to know.
He smiled, imagining what might happen when he introduced them to Lois. His mom would love her on sight, he was sure. And if cliches were any guide to the world, they'd probably both embarrass him by looking at his baby pictures. Dad might be a little more reserved -- and there was no doubt he'd be worried about Lois knowing about Superman -- but he'd warm up to her soon enough.
Lois and Smallville, on the other hand, might not be love at first sight. Lois thought big cities were the only worthwhile places to be; she was snobbish even about suburbs. Rural towns would rate very low in her estimation. He'd like to take her to the corn festival next week, but he wasn't sure if that would make Smallville look better to her, or worse. Maybe that could wait a year or so.
It occurred to him that he was planning a little far ahead, considering, as she put it, he'd never even bought the woman dinner. One step at a time. It had worked so far.
So, in the meantime -- where should he take her to dinner? He had too many options. Even if he ruled out Europe and Asia due to time differences, that still left thousands of great places in North America. He knew a great south-western restaurant in Albuquerque... or they could go for Chinese food in the China towns of either San Francisco or Toronto... and, sooner or later, they could even get some good old fashioned home cooking in Smallville.
He was really looking forward to showing her the world.
****
Lois carefully brushed her hair smooth, and gave her outfit another once-over. The simple black dress was classically styled, and she was pretty sure she looked great. A little black dress worked almost anywhere, right?
Her stomach fluttered and her hands shook slightly with a mixture of terror and joy. She was going on a date! With Clark! Tonight! Was she insane??
She took a deep breath, willing her heart rate to slow. She had already thought this through. Clark was nothing like the jerks she'd dated before. She didn't even have to take it on faith; he'd proved it in the last month.
So that wasn't a problem. Clark would be a great boyfriend. Assuming she didn't scare him off... But then, if he hadn't been scared off by now, following a month of rough treatment, she was probably safe for at least a little while. Until he got a chance to see if reality matched up to his hopes, anyway.
Lois shook her head to clear it. She needed to keep a sense of perspective here. They were only going out to dinner, not getting married. There was nothing to be afraid of, here. She could handle dinner.
And, she reminded herself, she'd never been happier than this morning. They'd just sat together, talking about various inconsequential things -- in between kisses. That memory calmed her down, as her lips curled up in an involuntary smile. Clark wasn't just jaw-droppingly handsome, he also had a great sense of humor and a wide range of interests. Talking to him had been a lot of fun. In fact, she couldn't think of anyone she'd rather be with on the face of this earth.
Not even Superman. He was very awe- and crush-inspiring, but not much of a conversationalist. Then again, she realized, he didn't need to be. Those around Superman were usually too star-struck to say much. She'd dreamed about breaking through that reserve of his, getting to know the *real* man underneath... which had happened, kind of. She hadn't had any luck with a frontal assault, she thought whimsically, but then she'd found a secret entrance, around the back.
With one last little spritz of hairspray, she walked out of the bathroom. What a difference a few days could make! Two days ago, she hadn't even wanted Clark's help at the Metro Club. "But you had such persistence..." she sang softly, thinking again how well some of those song lyrics fit them. "You wore down my resistance..."
The doorbell rang, and she jumped. With one last deep breath, she went to unlock her door and let him in.
He slipped inside the apartment, but stayed near the door, nonchalantly propping up her wall. The sight of him calmed her fears somewhat. He'd worn a dark suit tonight, one she hadn't seen before, with an almost-tasteful tie. "Hi."
He smiled, and her stomach flutters intensified at the sight. "Hi, yourself. Lois, you look..." his eyes wandered briefly, and Lois couldn't help but be pleased at the look of appreciation on his face. "...you look fantastic."
"Thanks. So do you," she replied, feeling almost shy. "Black is definitely your color." She looked away, fussing with her evening bag. She was intensely aware of him, her fingers itching to touch his arm, his hair, his skin... The depth of that wanting left her shaken, and a little scared. This was too much like that night a month ago. She told herself sternly to focus -- this date was about dinner in a nice public place, nothing more. The only thing on the menu tonight was food. "So, where are you taking me?"
"Just a little place I know. Are you ready?" His eyes were beginning to wander again, and were acquiring a heated look.
On the other hand, they could always get takeout... "Oh, yeah," she said huskily, "I'm ready." She cleared her throat, blushing. "Ready to go, I mean," she clarified hastily. "Out for dinner," she added, cringing inside at what an idiot she was making of herself.
"Out for dinner, right," Clark echoed her, taking a deep breath. "I knew that. We'd better get going, then." He smiled wryly. "While we still can."
Lois returned the smile, feeling the over-heated atmosphere relax. "Yeah, we should." She reached for her wrap. They could always get takeout next time. The very idea of a next time, followed by others after that, warmed her heart and slowed her pulse rate. They didn't have to rush anything. She was smiling as she let them out of the apartment and fastened all her locks.
****
"... and she was *so* furious at me for getting into a fight." Clark shook his head, wondering how on earth Lois had persuaded him to share this story. He distinctly remembered planning to be suave.
Lois was clearly delighted about this new view of him. "Clark Kent, juvenile delinquent. I would never have guessed!"
Clark grinned at her, but was distracted from replying by the waiter bringing them their main courses.
"You were doing the right thing, though," Lois continued, taking an experimental taste of her entree. Her eyes widened and a smile grew as she chewed and swallowed. "This is fantastic! You know, sometimes, when restaurants say their dishes are 'low-fat' they just make them taste so awful that no one wants to eat more than a few bites... but this is wonderful."
"I was hoping you'd think so. I mean, I've heard they were good." Clark cut himself off before he could add the detail that he'd heard it from his mother; he didn't think that would add to the suave image.
Lois nodded around another bite, then reached for her wine glass. After a sip, she said, "Anyway, bullies won't stop until someone stops them."
It took Clark a moment to realize she'd jumped back a topic. "Well, after we left the principal's office, Mom wanted to hear my side of the story." Clark shrugged. "And at the end of it, she said I'd done a good thing *but* I was to make darned sure that things never got to that point again -- that I needed to find other ways to handle problems."
Lois laughed. "I think I like your mom." A familiar wide-eyed look crept across her face. Glancing around the busy restaurant, she leaned forward to ask, "But what about that whole 'bending steel with your bare hands' thing?"
"Lois, I was only ten at the time. At that point, I'm not sure I could have bent a spoon." That was a slight exaggeration, but if it made Superman less awe-inspiring, Clark was all for it. "Anyway, I'll have to take you to meet my folks sometime."
Lois frowned. "Clark, aren't they in Kans-- oh!" Comprehension lit her face, and her eyes widened. Only this time, it wasn't unconditional admiration. "Well, maybe sometime. This would be a little early."
"Well, okay, so we've only been dating for--" he checked his watch, grinning at her. "Nine or ten hours now."
"Yeah, better wait to see if this works out," Lois suggested, with a hint of cynicism.
"Lo-is," he said gently. He hesitated, not knowing how much he should say. "This is going to work out. Just give me a chance, okay?"
"Oh, Clark, it's not about you," she replied, playing with her napkin. She glanced up at him, and seemed to be gathering her courage. "I just--
She was interrupted by the arrival of the waiter, offering more wine and taking away their empty dishes.
"So, Clark," Lois said in a determinedly cheerful tone, "Why don't you tell me more about your mis-spent youth?"
Clark hesitated -- he'd rather hear more about Lois's fears, but the moment was clearly gone and he didn't want to push. "Really, it was just that one thing. Other than that, I had a very boring childhood."
"Oh, yeah, I'll bet. Tell me another one, Kent."
"No, really!" Clark protested, enjoying the way she teased him. "But what about you? You must have had some excitement going on somewhere."
"Well... mostly of the unpleasant kind," she said, her lips twisting wryly. "I have dealt with bullies once, though. Heh. I'd almost forgotten that was what started the whole thing."
Clark paused in the act of sipping his wine. "Started what thing?"
"Martial arts. See, my folks divorced when I was twelve, so mom and Lucy and I moved after that, and for a few years, we were in a pretty seedy neighborhood." Her voice was steady, but her eyes were lowered.
"That must have been rough," he offered tentatively.
"Mostly, it was okay -- I still keep contact with some of those people -- but there was this one creep who decided it'd be fun to make Lucy's life miserable. I tried everything I could to protect her, but..." She shrugged. "It didn't work so well. About that time, the local gym was offering karate classes... so I signed up." She met his eyes now, as a tiny smile played around her mouth. "It took a while, but eventually I, ah, convinced him that we weren't very good targets."
"I can imagine." He tried to look properly impressed, but couldn't help feeling a spasm of retroactive fear, that she could have been hurt or killed so long ago.
"Anyway, by then I'd really gotten interested in the philosophy behind the martial arts, and I've kept up with it." Her expression turned something close to smug. "I've nearly got my brown belt in Tae Kwan Do."
Clark grinned. "Somehow this does not surprise me, Lois."
She smiled back, then sat up, with a startled look. "Hey, I just thought of something! Considering your, um, method of transportation, we could have gone *anywhere* for dinner. Why are we still in Metropolis?"
"Well, it is one of the best restaurants in town," Clark defended himself. "I thought about it, Lois, but I couldn't decide where I wanted to go, let alone where you might like to go, so I figured I'd better keep it simple. For now."
Lois pretended to think about that. "Okay, I'll forgive you this time. But next time, I want to pick."
Clark's heart skipped at this casual mention of their next date. "Anything for you, Lois," he told her lightly. Anything in the world, he wanted to add, but he didn't want to scare her by sounding too intense. Still, it was true, and he repeated softly, "Anything for you."
****
Their plates were nearly empty when Clark stopped mid-sentence, his head coming up and his gaze going vague as he listened to something beyond her hearing. He pushed his chair back from the table, then paused, his attention returning to Lois.
"Uh, Lois... there's been a wreck," he explained in a low, intense tone. "It sounds like some kids are trapped..."
Lois blinked. She'd recognized the far-away look he got before running off, but somehow she hadn't expected an explanation.
Clark got to his feet, but didn't leave the table, still watching her anxiously. "I'll be right back, I promise."
"It's okay," she told him, in mild wonder. On one hand, it was gratifying that he worried about her reaction... but on the other hand, did he really expect her to be so mean-spirited as to object? She rolled her eyes. "What, do I have to shove you out the door myself? Go!"
Clark's expression lightened. "Be back in a flash," he murmured, then started walking swiftly toward the door.
She watched him leave, a smile playing around her lips. It was still hard to get her mind wrapped around the concept that Clark -- her good-natured, slightly naive, fresh-from-the-country reporting partner -- was a part-time superhero.
It was only a few minutes before Clark returned, straightening his tie and slipping back into his seat. "I'm sorry about that. I really hadn't wanted any interruptions tonight."
Lois shrugged, taking another sip of her after dinner coffee. "It's fine, Clark, really." Doubt still lingered on his face, and she reached out to touch his hand. "Don't you know how much I *love* watching you do your hero thing?"
Clark grinned as he picked up his fork again. "Oh, well, that's good to know."
The waiter stopped at their table again, asking rather pointedly if they wanted any more coffee. Clark glanced at his watch and was astounded to realize they'd been here for over three hours. "Ah... not me. Lois?"
She shook her head. "Let's just get out of here."
Clark handed the waiter his credit card and winked at Lois. "There. Now you can't say I've never bought you dinner."
****
tbc...
