For a plot summary, please click here:
Synopsis of Chapters 1 - 7 Missing Lois - TOC ***
Author’s Note: From now on all action takes place in canon dimension. The Clark is canon Clark. The Lois is canon Lois back from her year abroad in alt-dimension.
Where we left off in Chapter 8, part 3...“
Are your eyes closed, Clark?”
“Yes.”
Suddenly, without hearing a word, Clark sensed Lois’s desire. She wanted him at home, immediately. He pictured her running to him at the newsroom, jumping into his arms and tearing off his clothes in uncontrollable passion. Not caring that she was revealing his blue suit underneath. Not caring who saw them. Lois wanted him and she wanted him naked now. The phone dropped out of his hands as he gulped.
As Clark picked it up he heard his wife whisper, “
You have five minutes,” before she hung up. He hung up the phone and grabbed his jacket.
“Kent!” Perry yelled.
“Not now, Chief,” he said loosening his tie.
“Yes, now, Clark. What’s this about you throttling Ralph?” Perry stood outside his office like thunder.
Clark shrugged. “I overreacted. Sorry.” He pointed over his shoulder. “Lois has a hot lead. I’ve got to go before…” He ran out of the room.
“
Kent! I want you in my office with that hot lead when you return!” Clark could hear Perry yelling as he dove out the storage room window.
A minute later he landed in his living room. He spun into his business suit and ran up the stairs. “Lois! I’m home.”
His wife – dressed only in that black teddy – jumped into his arms, kissing him. “Clark.”
“Lois. Wow! That’s…”
She kissed him, again. It felt almost like an Ultra Woman kiss. Jerking off his jacket, Lois started loosening his tie. “Don’t know the next opportunity we’ll have to be alone,” she murmured. “Could be weeks.”
Clark set her on the bed and took a step back. Instantly, he spun out of his clothes and into his PJ shorts.
Lois smiled tugging him back to her.
“I always loved your spontaneous side,” he whispered as she pulled him onto the bed.
***
Part 4“Wow! Lois,” Clark said, lying down next to her. “You’re unbelievable.”
“You’re not so bad yourself, hot stuff.” Lois rested her head on his shoulder. She released her breath. “That will hold me for a little while.” She lifted her chin and kissed him again. “Or not.”
“Lois!” Clark laughed. “Where do you get all this energy?”
“You,” she whispered. “Everything about you turns me on.”
“Good to know.” He smiled. “Lois, that image you sent me telepathically. Wow! How did you do that?”
“Image? I didn’t send you an image. I told you I want you. Wanted you.” Lois kissed his shoulder. “What did you see?”
Chuckling, Clark admitted, “I saw you attacking me at the newsroom and tearing off my clothes. Guess it was someone else thinking that.”
Lois stopped kissing him mid-kiss. That was what she had been thinking about when she sent the other message. “Oh, no. That was me, Clark. I was debating whether or not I should meet you here or at the office. You must be a powerful receiver. I’ll be more careful with my thoughts next time.”
Clark exhaled. “Next time? Lois, you cannot contact me like that ever again. I’m liable to have a mid-air collision with a building with thoughts like that forced into my head.”
Lois smiled. “I didn’t force them on you, you just took them out of my head.” She gulped, tapping his chest. “I want you to stay out of my head. Some of my thoughts are private, Superman.”
“Trust me, I don’t want to go into your head, Lois. Who knows what dangerous stuff you’ve got cooking up there?” Turning on his side and facing her, Clark propped his head up on his hand. “So, do you think our life is going to change drastically because of Lara?”
Lois faced him, mimicking his position. “It already has. Did you see all her gear?”
“Are we going to be one of those couples who change completely because they have kids?”
Lois scooted closer, kissing him. “Some of us already changed, Clark. Just knowing Lara has changed you.”
“How?” Her husband seemed surprised.
“You’re sexier.”
Clark laughed.
“Happier. More content. Complete.”
“I thought you made me all those things.” He kissed her nose.
“I knew there was a reason I loved you.” Lois kissed him moving closer yet to him.
“I feel like I’m playing hooky.” Clark grinned.
“So, do.”
“I can’t.” Clark groaned, flopping onto his back. “As I was leaving, Perry wanted me to meet with him about strangling Ralph. Telling him you had a hot lead for me was the only way I could escape.”
Lois kissed her husband. “A hot lead, huh?” She giggled. “Wait a minute. Did you say that you strangled Ralph?”
Clark looked away. “I lost my temper.”
“You never lose your temper, Clark.” She cupped his jaw, turning his face back to hers. “What happened?”
“He made an asinine comment about Penny.”
Lois waited.
“Well…” He looked embarrassed. “He told her to come to Daddy. He wanted to cover her with whipped cream.”
“Ew.” She raised a brow. “What made you lose your temper?”
Clark shook his head. “I don’t know.”
“Daddy.”
He sat up. “No!” He buried his face in his hands.
Lois chuckled, sitting up and wrapping her arms around him. “It’s official, Clark. You’re human.”
“I could have killed him.”
Lois had had this conversation before, hadn’t she? With the other Clark when he had almost strangled Jefferson Cole. “You didn’t, Clark.” She kissed him.
Clark released a breath. “I just pictured some guy saying that to Lara someday and I saw red.”
Lois kissed his cheek. “I know.”
“I could build a huge stone tower out at my folks’ farm with a window at the top that only I could access.”
Lois laughed. “You’d make her Rapunzel?”
“It would keep her safe.”
“She’d resent you until she learned to fly and then she’d be gone.”
Clark sighed. “I want to protect her.”
Lois kissed his cheek again. “Then love her, trust her, and teach her to protect herself.” She shrugged. “Or you could just tell the world her Dad is Superman. No man would dare touch her then.”
Clark laughed. “We’ll keep that as a serious Plan B.” He kissed Lois. “I love you.”
"And I love you." She smiled. “So, you need a hot lead?”
Her husband rolled on top of her. “Don’t mind if I do.”
“Clark!” Lois laughed.
He stopped kissing her and looked down at her. “It’s quite difficult to make love to you while you’re laughing, Ms. Lane.”
She grinned. “Sorry. I’ll be good, Mr. Kent.”
Clark kissed her again. “That I already know.” Then he stopped her giggles with his mouth.
***
Lois lay in Clark’s arms. He had fallen asleep; the naughty boy. Their parents and Lara would be back soon. She was surprised they hadn’t returned already.
She was home. She smiled. This was quite the homecoming. It almost felt like she hadn’t left, except for all the love making. She knew that this playing hooky from work wouldn’t be a regular morning activity, especially after the grandparents left. It felt weird, strange, odd to be home, joking and laughing with Clark again. Holding and kissing and making love to him like it was normal. It wasn’t normal for her. Sure, in her dreams and memories it was normal. But in reality, it was new, quite new and wonderful.
Lois was going to have to use one of her other dimension leads to get Clark off the hook at work. She had wanted to research them a bit before using them. She shook Clark awake. He needed to go back to work soon, before Perry started calling to check up on him. She blew in his ear. “Clark. Time to wake up, handsome.”
“Ssshh. I’m dreaming I’m making love to Lois,” he murmured.
She kissed him. “Wake up, Prince Charming. You’ve already made love to me.”
Clark wrapped his arms around her. “More, por favor.”
“Clark!” Lois laughed. “Our parents and Lara will be home soon.”
“Uh-huh.” He continued kissing her.
“Perry’s going to wonder what happened to you.”
“He knows I came to see you,” Clark murmured.
Lois laughed. “Exactly. Do you really want to have
that conversation with him?”
Clark groaned, setting his head on her chest, floating just enough not to crush her. “There’s something extra hot about you today.”
Lois smiled. The pint of Ultra Woman blood perhaps? Or the fact that he hadn’t made love to her in a year? A year! “Clark, what’s the date?”
“May 17th. Oh, my God. Do you know what today is?”
Lois knew. It was the day, they had conceived Lara. The day he had said goodbye and left for New Krypton. The anniversary of their
first, first time. And here they were again. Making love. Only this time neither of them would disappear.
“It’s the day my parents found me in Shuster’s field.”
Oh, right. That day, too. Lois swallowed. She wouldn’t tell him. It didn’t really matter anyway. It had only been a year since they had been together, really together – no dreams or play acting or pregnancy. One year ago today. She bit her lip. “Tell Perry I’m going to e-mail him a story.”
Clark winced. “You don’t have a hot lead for me, do you? I kind of promised Perry one.”
“I have tons of hot leads for you.”
Still floating just above her, Lois’s husband crossed his arms under his chin and looked at her with a smile. “Tons of hot leads, huh?”
Lois swatted his shoulder. “I’m serious.”
“Me, too, beautiful.” He kissed her nose and rolled off her. He didn’t believe her!
“I think Lex Luthor, Jr had a twin.”
Clark propped his head up with his elbow. “What’s that?”
“I did some research of my own on the Luckaby name. Junior’s mom’s name was Linda. According to what I found out, Linda Luckaby gave birth to two children.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I was going to, but then Fat Head erased our parents’ memories and Lara arrived. I got a bit distracted.”
“Oh, my God! Lois!” Clark kissed her, deeply. “I can’t take this lead. It’s too hot.”
“I get to stay home with Lara. You have to go to work. It’s only fair.” Lois smiled. “There’s more.”
“More?” He gasped. She had his full attention now.
“Remember how Jaxon was interested in the names of the children Lex and I had picked.”
Clark waved for her to continue.
“I was thinking how Alexander wasn’t among them. You know how obsessed Lex was with Alexander the Great.”
“You think Lex, Jr.’s twin’s name was Alexander?”
“It’s just a hunch, but…” She shrugged. “Yes.”
Clark thought about this. “Lex was obsessed with Alexander the Great, he quoted him and collected his sword and he had an X in his name; yet, it wasn’t on the list and he didn’t name the two sons we know about Alexander. Unless Lex is short for Alexander?”
“Nope. It’s not,” Lois told him. Ultra Woman had told her it wasn’t.
“It’s a good hunch. I’ll have Jimmy check out Linda Luckaby, see if we can find her.”
“She died in childbirth. I’d have Jimmy check out Hong Kong and Australia for the birth and death certificates.” And here was the biggie. Lois pursed her lips. “He should check Singapore, too.”
***
Clark looked at her. Really looked at her. “Singapore? Why Singapore?”
“Because it’s a huge financial center between Hong Kong and Australia. I can see Lex having investments and possibly a home there.”
“Right.” He nodded. “Lois.” He ran his hand down her face and cupped her jaw. “I love you.”
His wife wasn’t listening to him. Her eyes lit up and she kissed him. “They’re back!” Lois jumped out of bed, threw on some clothes and then looked at him, still sitting in bed, staring at her. “Lara’s home.”
Clark blinked his eyes, staring at her. Lois? His missing Lois. Was that really her? Was that why she told him to come home to make love to her? His wife, mother of his child? Was his life finally in balance once again? Singapore. What had the other Clark’s Lois said about Singapore?
“Don’t you, remember, Mr. Amazing? You rescued me in Singapore. Took me away from Lex and back to Clark’s old house in Smallville. I came into your shower and…” Singapore. It couldn’t just be a coincidence, could it?
Clark heard a key in the lock and the front door opening. They
were home. Lois ran out of the bathroom and down the stairs. How did she know they were home? Crap. He was still in bed. He jumped out of bed, took a twenty second shower, dried off, got dressed in his multiple layers and ran down the stairs after her two minutes later.
Lois was holding and kissing their daughter. “Oh, I’ve missed you. I missed you so much. You’ll have to tell me everything.” She leaned over and rested her head against her daughter’s. “Oh, I know, Princess, he is wonderful. I love your Daddy, too.”
Clark came up behind them and wrapped his arms around the two of them. “Always wonderful to hear,” he murmured.
“Clark? What are you doing home?” asked his mother.
“I missed my family,” he replied, kissing first Lois’s cheek and then the top of Lara’s head. Suddenly, he felt a connection, a bond between the three of them he had never felt before. Lara was happy. Ever so happy that Mommy and Daddy were finally back together, again.
“Me, too, Lara. Me, too,” he whispered. He gazed at Lois, his Lois. His missing wife. How much she must have gone through in the past year. He pulled Lois towards him and kissed her, deeply, passionately.
Lois smiled at him and passed him their daughter. She turned to her mother and hugged her. “Mom, I’ve missed you so much. I never knew what I put you through. I’m sorry, please forgive me.”
“Well… Of course, dear. What are you talking about? And what happened to that beautiful pink silk suit you were wearing earlier?”
Lois shrugged. “I spilled something on it.” She hugged her father. “I love you, Daddy. You’re the best. Promise me you’ll be Lara’s pediatrician.”
Sam smiled, weakly. “Princess, I’m not a family doctor.”
“You’re this family’s doctor. You said yourself… no, wait, I guess it was Mom… She’s one special baby.” Lois looped her arm through Clark’s. “And a very special baby needs a very special and private doctor.”
Clark glanced at her and then at his folks. Did Lois just announce to everyone present that Lara was his and her baby? And he was Superman? It sounded like that to him. His parents didn’t seem at all phazed or chagrined. Perhaps, it wasn’t clear at all. ‘People see what they want to see. Hear what they want to hear,’ Clark thought.
“So, you agree with me? That this is Ultra Woman’s and Superman’s child?” Ellen asked, delighted to be taken seriously. “Did he tell you it was his?”
Lois smiled at Clark. “No. But she seems Super to me.”
“Lois,” her mother gasped in frustration. “Why didn’t you ask him?”
Lois’s eyes still focused on Clark’s. “Because it really doesn’t matter who Lara’s birth parents were, what’s important is that we will love her as if she were our own child.” She broke her gaze at him to look at his folks and smiled.
“We are Lara’s parents,” he said, believing every word as truth. “And Lara is our child.”
Ellen rolled her eyes and shook her head, wandering into the living room.
Lois hugged Martha next. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. You are the best mother-in-law, ever.”
His mother laughed. “I guess we should give Lois time to herself more often.” She leaned over and winked at Clark when she said
herself. He could never slip anything past his mother. “Clark, dear, Lara’s due for her next bottle.”
Clark nodded but Ellen volunteered to make it. “Thank you, Ellen,” he called to her as she disappeared with a wave of her hand into the kitchen. Sam followed her.
Lois was staring at his mother. “Martha?” she asked, glancing at Clark.
“The Bummer-B-Gone got her and my Dad, too.”
Lois’s jaw dropped. “What doesn’t she remember?”
“Bits, here and there. She remembers Clark – the other Clark –“
“Thank God!” answered Lois.
“But not that he’s found his Lois.”
Lois covered her mouth. “Oh, Martha. I’m so sorry. There’s stuff from this past year I wish I could forget, too.” She hugged his mother again.
Clark stared at her. What happened in her life she would like to forget?
Lastly, Lois hugged his father. “I’m sorry for anything I’ve done to drive your wife batty this year.”
His Dad chuckled. “Don’t be ridiculous, Lois, you’ve been a perfect angel this year. We’ve enjoyed having you in our family.”
Her mother returned from the kitchen. Lois sat down on the sofa and Clark handed Lara to his wife. Lois tested the milk on her wrist and then gave it to her daughter. Clark couldn’t stop staring at her. How lucky he was that she would give up everything for him and their child. How lucky he was that she loved him.
Lois glanced up from Lara and smiled. “You better get back to the newsroom. Perry’s going to wonder if I’m at death’s door. Thanks for coming home.”
Clark grinned at her and he knelt down beside them. “Any time. Thanks for the hot lead. You saved me.”
Lois reached up and ran her fingers down his cheek. “Always. Now, be good and keep your hands to yourself. And stay away from creeps like Ralph.”
“What happened?” asked his mother, concerned.
“I lost my temper.” He smiled sheepishly.
“Clark!” His father gasped.
Lois glanced at her Mom. “He had his ‘A-ha’ moment.”
Ellen looked at Lois and Martha with an ‘I told you so’ expression.
“Is he okay?” Clark’s Mom asked him.
“I hope so.” Clark sighed. “Oh, Lois. He might call. I told him he needed to apologize to every woman who worked at the paper.”
Lois shook her head. “Mind if I don’t hold my breath?”
Clark kissed her cheek and then the top of Lara’s head. “I love you,” he whispered to both of them. He didn’t want to go. He really didn’t want to go. He hugged his Mom and Dad.
“Clark, your hair is damp,” said his father. He wasn’t as quick as Mom.
“I took a shower.” He grinned at Lois. “Thanks again for the hot lead.”
“Anytime, handsome.” His wife returned his grin. “And, Clark?”
Clark kissed her again. He couldn’t stay away from her. He was afraid if he left, it would all turn out to be a dream. “Something is so different about you today.”
“I love you, too, honey.”
“Mmmm,” Clark mumrured, still kissing her.
“Go to work. Any luck with the research?”
“No missing babies in Metropolis. I’m going to check the other big cities next. Chicago. Gotham. New York.”
Lois chuckled.
‘What was so funny?’ thought Clark.
“Maybe you should suggest that Perry send Ralph to Gotham City for some peace and quiet.”
Clark raised a brow. “There isn’t any peace and quiet in Gotham City. I’ll be lucky not to be banished there.”
“No. You can’t go. Metropolis needs you. Anyway, there’s already a superhero in Gotham.”
Clark rolled his eyes. “If you can call him that.”
His Dad cleared his throat with a glance at Lois’s parents. Ooops. “Right. Thanks, Dad. I’ll try to be home for dinner.” He glanced down at Lara. “I’ll be home.” With a wave, he ran out the door.
“
What took you so long to get home anyway? I missed my girl,” he heard Lois ask.
“
We told you we were stopping by Uncle Mike’s café for lunch, remember?”
“
Oh, yeah. Sorry, I forgot. So, what did Uncle Mike say about you being a grandpa, Pops?”
Clark flagged down a cab. He wanted to stay home with his family. But at least he got his Lara fix. He grinned with satisfaction. And he had gotten a ‘hot lead’ too.
***
“What in blue blazes is wrong with you today, Kent? You’re lucky Ralph isn’t pressing charges.”
Clark looked down, honestly chagrined.
“What I should do is take your hot lead and hand it over to him,” Perry continued.
His gaze snapped up. “No! It’s Lois’s hot lead. I wouldn’t have taken it, except she begged me because she was so sick.”
Perry raised a brow. “So sick, huh? Still in bed?”
Clark smiled. “Just got up.”
“And this hot lead required you to take an hour and a half, two hours at home with Lois?”
Clark tried to wipe the smile off his face. He didn’t owe Perry an explanation, but he could distract him from that line of thought. “Lois found out about Lex, Jr.’s mother.”
“And?”
“He has a twin. Lois has a hunch, a good hunch, that the twin’s name might be Alexander.”
Perry’s jaw dropped. “How does she do that? Sick in bed and still comes up with the name of our new publisher.”
“She’s pretty terrific,” Clark agreed.
“Okay. This is
your top priority. We need to find this Alexander person.” He shook his head, opening his office door. “Jimmy!”
This lead was too hot to hand over to Ralph.
Jimmy walked up to the office without his usual bounce. He looked at Clark, his eyes wide and questioning. He must have developed the photos. “Yeah, Chief?”
“What’s up with everyone today? Clark’s dancing off the walls with giddiness and you’re dragging your feet.”
“Giddy?” questioned Clark. He wasn’t that bad, was he?
Jimmy looked at him, studying him. “No, CK, I’d say the Chief’s right. You’re giddy.”
Clark smiled with a shrug. Jimmy shook his head.
“Nobody is going to tell me, huh? Jimmy, I want you to drop what you’re doing and research an Alexander Luthor or Luckaby and a Linda Luckaby in…” Perry looked at Clark.
“Hong Kong, Australia, and Singapore. Birth certificates and death certificates, especially.”
“Another Luthor?” Jimmy groaned. “Do you think this one is any good?”
“This might be the future owner of the
Daily Planet!” Perry growled. “And it would be a miracle if this one was any better than the other lot.”
“Okay,” Jimmy said, hesitating. “CK, I’ve got those photos you asked for.” He glanced at Perry, holding out the envelope. “You want to explain them?”
Clark eyes darted to his editor as he reached for the envelope. “Not particularly. They’re pretty self explanatory.”
“Those on the Luthor story?” Perry asked.
“No. That other thing I was working on before lunch,” Clark murmured, not being able to wait to glance in the envelope.
Perry crossed his arms. “Uh-huh.”
Clark pocketed the photos. “It can wait.”
“Do I get to see the photos?”
He glanced at Jimmy, who swallowed. “Nothing interesting, Chief. Although, I’m dying to know the story that goes along with them.”
Clark jumped up and tugged Jimmy out of the office. “We’ve got a story to research, Jimmy. No need to bother Perry any longer with this.”
Perry raised a brow. “Uh-huh.”
“Conference room, now,” Jimmy said after they left their editor’s office.
“Jimmy, I think Perry wanted us to work on the Luthor story,” Clark said, heading for his desk.
His friend held up the negatives. “I’ve still got these. And you aren’t getting them until I get an explanation for those photos.” Jimmy went into the conference room.
*** End of Part 4 *** Comments
