PREVIOUSLY...
A blush spread across Lois’ face as she followed Martha into the house, her mind searching for some plausible explanation, other than the obvious, for why she was sneaking into the house at this hour. Unable to come up with anything remotely believable, she removed her coat and boots and made some barely intelligible remark that she was certain made no sense at all before fleeing the room, Martha’s soft chuckle following her up the stairs.* * * * * * * * *
AND NOW....
“Oh, did I mention that I called Perry this morning?” Lois said, trying to sound casual as she and Clark walked, hand in hand, towards the barn. She’d showered, dressed and gotten ready in record time, finding that she couldn’t stand being separated from him any longer than absolutely necessary. After her phone call to Perry and one other quick call, she’d headed back to the cabin without even taking time to drink a cup of coffee.
A quick look at Clark told her that he hadn’t been expecting her back quite so fast because he hadn’t even gotten around to shaving. Still, the scruffy look suited him. He certainly didn’t look at all like Superman at the moment. Instead he looked entirely... Clark - her farmboy. She smiled a smile which faded quickly when he brought her mind back to her phone call to Perry.
“So what did the Chief have to say?” he asked, his voice sounding as falsely casual as she was certain her voice had.
“He’s ready to scream bloody murder. Says he can’t run a newsroom with half a staff and is demanding that I get my butt back there immediately.” She sighed. “He has a point. It has been two weeks. And it’s not as if I can tell him why I need to be here. I’m not even sure there is a reason at this point - except that you’re here.”
A moment of silence followed her pronouncement. Finally, Clark sighed. “So when are you going?”
“I booked a flight for tomorrow morning.”
Clark merely nodded.
“You could come with me,” Lois continued, not adding that she’d made a reservation for him on the same flight.
“Lois, I wish I could. But I just don’t see how that’s possible. I’m no good to anyone this way. And I can’t risk anyone making the connection between me and Superman.”
“I’ve been thinking about that. What if we set up some sort of accident? Some way that Clark Kent could have lost his eyesight. That way your blindness would be totally separate from Superman’s.”
“Even if we could make up something that would keep people from connecting my blindness to Superman’s... It’s not as if I could go back to being a reporter.”
“Why not? Most of what we do as reporters is use our minds. We could work it out, Clark. I’m sure we could. You just have to want it as badly as I do.”
Clark let out a breath before subtly changing the subject. “So did Perry say anything about Kyle Griffin?”
Lois nodded. “Apparently Griffin and his partner have disappeared.” She didn’t add that Griffin had apparently, in one last attempt to find her, gone to the Daily Planet, freezing everyone and doing God only knew what, before leaving again - although apparently Jimmy had somehow ended up wearing someone’s dress. That information would just worry Clark. “The police think that when they couldn’t find me, they went to Plan B which they think is to hightail it as far from Metropolis as possible.”
“But they still could be in Metropolis, just waiting for you to return.”
“Clark, I don’t think that’s very likely. I suspect they’re sipping mai tais on a beach in some country that doesn’t have an extradition treaty. I mean the longer they stay in Metropolis, the more chance there is that they’ll be caught. They wouldn’t hang around Metropolis for two weeks just hoping for me to return.”
Clark wasn’t as certain, but he didn’t say more as they entered the barn. After all, even if Griffin went after Lois, there wasn’t much he could do to help. He wouldn’t be in Metropolis. And... he was blind. In fact, Lois was probably better off if he wasn’t around. At least that way, Lois would likely be more careful and not, even subconsciously, act recklessly expecting Superman to rescue her.
No, he was blind now. Superman was gone for good. There would be no more last minute rescues. The sooner he, and Lois, accepted that, the better it would be for both of them. With a sigh, he followed her into the barn.
* * * * * * * * *
Lois squealed as Clark grabbed her from behind and began nuzzling her neck. Mucking out the barn was her least favorite chore. The noxious fumes, made worse by disturbing it with the pitchforks while piling the soiled hay into wheelbarrows, was almost unbearable. And Lois still wasn’t entirely convinced that tying a bandana around her face did much to protect her from the smell. Clark’s explanation that it helped prevent some of the dust they disturbed from getting into her lungs sounded less than plausible.
However, when in Rome... So she faithfully kept the bandana tied across her face as she tried to ignore Clark while throwing another load into the wheelbarrow. “This one is ready to go. And then I think that’s it,” she announced as she attempted to escape his grip so that she could get the steel broom to finish the job. “Once you empty that one, I need you to get some fresh hay from the hayloft.”
“I might need you to help me find the hay,” he responded playfully.
“Oh, let me guess. To a farmboy, ‘come up to my hayloft to show me where the hay is’ is the city equivalent of ‘come up to my apartment so I can show you my etchings.’”
Clark feigned indignation. “What exactly are you accusing me of, Ms. Lane?”
“You know perfectly well what I’m accusing you of, Mr. Kent,” Lois responded as she finally escaped his grasp. “Now... this wheelbarrow is ready to go to the compost pile.” She put his hand on one of the handles. “And then... the hay.” With that, she gave him a slap on the posterior to send him in the appropriate direction and began the task of sweeping the floor with the large, steel push-broom.
“Spoil sport,” he grumbled as he began carefully rolling the wheelbarrow towards the barn doors. “All I do is ask for help in the hayloft and suddenly she thinks I’ve got some ulterior motive. Where’s the trust, I ask you? What does she think - that I’m some animal who is going to maul her as soon as I get her alone. Somebody has obviously been defaming my good name. When I find out who, I’m going to sue. Yep. I’m going to sue them for...”
Lois shook her head as his voice faded off into the distance before turning her attention back to her task. If she finished before he came back, she just might take a trip up to the hayloft. Just to see if he needed her help, of course. No other reason. None at all. She’d never go up there otherwise. After all, she was a good girl, she was.
A small grin pulled at the corners of her mouth as she quickened her pace, hoping to finish up here and then take the ladder up to the hayloft, hopefully before Clark returned. She’d always wondered what making out in a hayloft was like. Seemed as if she might be about to find out.
“Well, well, well, well. What do we have here?”
“A sexy cowgirl? Oooo... I love cowgirls. They’re so... cowgirlish.”
The vaguely familiar voices caused Lois to spin towards the newcomers. “Griffin,” she gasped, pulling the bandana off her face. He had a gun in one hand and what appeared to be an instant camera with an elaborate flash hanging from a strap over the other shoulder. “Victor,” she added when she noticed Griffin’s side-kick standing beside him.
“Hi, Lo,” Kyle Griffin, aka the Prankster, responded, making sure the gun was directed at Lois. “I bet you thought you’d missed me. Or... I guess that should be that I missed you.”
“Why does she always use your last name and my first name?” Victor whined.
“Maybe because I like you better than him,” Lois responded, even as her eyes darted towards the barn door, hoping that Clark had returned. There was no sign of him.
“Really?” Victor asked, sounding hopeful.
“Don’t be a ninny,” Griffin said, giving Victor a swat on the back of his head. “She hates both of us.”
“Well, maybe she hates me less than she hates you,” Victor said in his own defense.
“Six of one; half a dozen of the other,” Lois mumbled under her breath.
* * * * * * * * *
Clark climbed the back stairs to the hayloft with a number of blankets in one arm. Lois didn’t know there was a back way in - which suited his purposes just fine. He’d stumble and fumble around up here loud enough to get her attention before calling out to her. Given that she’d be caught off guard by the fact that she hadn’t seen him come in, maybe she’d come to check on him before realizing what he was up to. And then... His face broke into a grin.
If Lois Lane thought he was going to let her out of here without a trip to the hayloft, she was sadly mistaken. Making out in a hayloft was a Smallville rite of passage. He’d received his first kiss from Lana in this very hayloft - a fact which he might not reveal to Lois. But what he’d never done was... what he intended to do with Lois this very afternoon in this particular hayloft.
An oversight from his not-misspent youth that he intended to correct today.
He came to a halt just inside the hayloft when he heard voices down below. Had his parents joined Lois in the barn?
He directed his hearing towards the house. He could hear both his parents there. But... something about what he was hearing struck him as wrong. It took him a moment to realize what it was. They weren’t moving around. Not at all. The only sound coming from them was their breathing. Otherwise the house was perfectly still.
Before he had time to sort out that mystery, he could hear some sort of movement from down below. He heard someone sitting down heavily on the old wooden chair that had made its way into the barn years ago and a slight struggle as... What? What was happening?
“Why tie me up? Why not just use that... I assume the flash on that camera is how you are freezing people. Why not just use that to freeze me in place?” Lois asked, answering his question about what was happening.
“Because you can hardly answer our questions if you are frozen. Where’s that wimpy partner of yours, anyway?”
Griffin! Kyle Griffin was in his barn. Griffin must have frozen Clark’s parents - which would explain the strange sounds he’d heard coming from the house - and then come out here looking for him and Lois.
“That’s one thing I’ve never understood,” Victor said, informing Clark that both men were there. “A smart, sexy woman like you being stuck with that wimp of a partner.”
“That just shows how little you know Clark,” Lois responded.
“There’s a little saying I like. ‘When the going gets tough, the not-so-tough run away,’” Victor continued with a chuckle. “Why settle for him when you could have someone like me? Hey, once we ask her our questions, can we take her with us?”
Clark tensed. Victor and Griffin had Lois. His parents were frozen in place in the house. And he was blind. So... now what?
* * * * * * * * *
“Just tie up her legs,” Griffin said in exasperation.
“But... it’s a barn,” Victor objected.
“That’s right, Victor. That’s why there are cows.”
“Barns have rats. Huge rats, teaming with bubonic plague germs. They’re probably all over the place in here.”
Griffin grabbed Victor by the ear and forced him closer to Lois’ chair. “There are cats,” Griffin said. “And cats do what, Victor?”
“Eat rats?”
“That’s right, Victor. They eat rats. Now... get down there and tie up her legs.”
“What do you want, Griffin?” Lois asked as Victor proceeded to tie her legs to the chair.
“Superman.”
Lois’ eyebrows crinkled together. “Superman? Superman’s gone.”
“Yes, for now. But what no one knows is where he is and if he’s going to be back. For some reason, that never showed up in the papers. And before I kidnap the President to demand ransom, I need to know if the big boy scout is going to be a problem.”
“You plan to kidnap the President. Do you mean the President of the United States?” Lois asked in disbelief. “Are you nuts? How do you plan to get past the Secret Service?” On the last question, her eyes drifted down to the camera draped over Griffin’s left shoulder as understanding sunk in. “You plan to freeze the Secret Service,” she said unnecessarily.
* * * * * * * * *
Clark, his heart in his throat, carefully floated across the floor of the hayloft and back out of the barn the way he’d come in. Lowering himself to the ground, he took extra care not to hit the ground too hard, not wanting to be heard.
He turned towards what he knew was the open door of the barn, wondering how he was going to get in there without being spotted. His hearing picked up the sound of Betsy, chewing her cud close to the door. They hadn’t released her into the field yet since her morning milking. Perfect.
Being careful not to bump into anything, he used his hearing to float over to Betsy. He landed next to her, keeping her large body between himself and where he knew the open door of the barn to be. Placing his hand on Betsy’s side, he could feel her turn her head towards him.
As softly as he could, he gave a guttural whistle. He could feel Betsy relax.
“Okay, Betsy,” he said softly, gently placing his hand on Betsy’s belly. “Let’s go save Lois.”
* * * * * * * * *
Lois glanced towards the barn door when she saw Betsy walk into the barn. Or... was she walking? It looked almost as if... Realizing that Betsy was indeed floating slightly off the floor, she quickly redirected her attention to the two men in front of her.
“I don’t know where Superman is,” she said defiantly, even if at this moment she had a pretty good idea of exactly where he was.
“We searched the computer in your apartment and at the Daily Planet and there was nothing there. But you know. You know exactly what happened to Superman, don’t you?” Griffin said. “Now... I figure even if Superman has disappeared as far as the rest of the world is concerned, he’ll reveal himself if you’re in danger - that is if he’s still on the Earth. And when he shows up...” Griffin held up the camera.
“What makes you think that Superman can be frozen by your light?”
“In your story about Dr. Leit, you said a Dr. Faraday had invented a device that inputs knowledge into your brain by flashing a light into your eyes. And you said it had been used on you.”
“So?” Lois asked, wondering if they also knew that Dr. Leit had an invention that had blinded Superman from her notes as well. She thought she’d been careful, but... Did they know Superman was blind?
“On your computer at work, we found a comment about shortening the light waves to affect Superman - so I take it knowledge was added to Superman’s mind as well. Not exactly a good thing - Superman having even more knowledge in that over-developed muscle he calls a brain, but the information was good for us. We were able to modify the flash to shorten the light waves.”
Lois let out a breath of relief. They’d simply assumed the same device which had been used on her had been used on Superman. So they didn’t know Superman was blind. On the other hand, given what they’d learned, they may well have invented something which could freeze Superman.
“So, yes, we think our flash will freeze Superman.”
“So... what? You want me to yell ‘help, Superman?’” Lois asked in disbelief. “Even if Superman is still around, do you really think he’s going to hear me all the way from Metropolis?”
“She’s got a point there,” Victor said, seeming to perk up at the idea that they might need to take her back to Metropolis with them.
“Shut up, Victor,” Griffin responded. Obviously, he hadn’t thought of that issue.
“In fact, why don’t I make it easy for you,” Lois said, before yelling, “Help, Superman!” at the top of her lungs.
At that moment, Betsy seemed to walk between her and her captors. She saw Clark set Betsy down before beginning to move. Not exactly at superspeed, but far faster than a normal human could. With Betsy between him and her captors, he was visible only to her as he felt his way across the floor to her chair to free both her hands and feet from their bindings.
A moment later, she watched as two things happened. Clark, flying low to the ground and therefore remaining below Griffin and Victor’s field of vision, and using his hands to feel his way back out of the barn, disappeared out the door as her captors began trying to push an obstinate cow out of their way.
“Shoot the cow,” Victor said in a panic. “She’s attacking.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Cows don’t attack.”
Before Lois could move off the chair, though, Griffin got around the cow. Staying perfectly still, she hoped he didn’t realize that her hands and feet were now free.
“What’s going on in here?”
A new voice entering the conversation directed everyone’s eyes towards the barn door. Clark had walked in, a baseball cap pulled low over his forehead, leaving his eyes - and the fact that he was blind - hidden from Griffin and Victor.
“Kent!” Griffin exclaimed, instantly raising the camera. He took a picture and a bright yellow flash went off in Clark’s direction.
Clark froze in mid-step. Lois’ eyebrows crinkled. Had the machine actually worked on him or was he bluffing?
Either way, with Griffin looking towards Clark and Victor walking closer to him, now was her chance. Jumping up out of her chair, she tackled Griffin. The camera crashed to the ground, pieces flying everywhere, as the gun skidded across the floor of the barn. In the corner of her eye, she saw Victor turn back towards her and as he did, Clark tackled him.
* * * * * * * * *
“So these two guys are on America’s most wanted list?” Rachel Harris, Smallville’s Sheriff, asked sometime later as she walked over to where Victor and Griffin were tied up on the floor of the barn.
“That’s right. They both escaped from Strykers Island Penitentiary a couple weeks ago,” Clark said.
Lois looked over at him. With his sunglasses on, and his use of his superhearing to keep looking and moving in the appropriate directions, there was no way to tell that he was blind. At least, Rachel didn’t seem to notice anything was wrong.
Rachel motioned for a couple of her deputies and they immediately began scooping up the captives.
“Why is it that men with guns show up whenever you two come to town?” she asked as Griffin and Victor were escorted out of the barn.
“Trask and his men came to Smallville before we arrived,” Lois pointed out.
Rachel laughed. “Okay, true enough. So what are you doing here, anyway? Come home to get your parents’ blessing on your engagement?”
Lois immediately felt color rise in her cheeks and ducked her head as she pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Not yet,” Clark said.
Surprised, Lois turned to him. What was he suggesting? Was he saying that it was only a matter of time before he asked her to... Was he really thinking that he wanted to...
“Uhh... Well, at least this time you aren’t claiming you’re not together,” Rachel said, interrupting Lois’ spinning thoughts. “Not that I couldn’t tell. Clark here was already smitten with you.”
“How did you know?” Clark asked.
Rachel laughed. “Everyone in Smallville knew that, Clark.” She turned to Lois. “There are no secrets in a small town.”
“I guess not,” Lois said even as she reflected that it seemed there was at least one secret. Or two if you counted the fact that Clark was blind.
“Anyway, I’ll need both of you and Martha and Jonathan come down to the Sheriff’s Office later today to give your statements.”
“We’ll do that, Rachel,” Clark said.
Lois watched as Rachel climbed back into her SUV. Soon the Sheriff, deputies and their prisoners began to leave the property. Martha and Jonathan joined Lois and Clark as they stood there, waiting for their unwanted company to disappear into the distance.
“Are you okay?” Clark asked, hearing his parents join them.
“We’re fine. All we knew was that two men came to the door, looking for you. I didn’t trust how they looked. Given the camera the one guy was holding, I thought they were tabloid reporters who were trying to track down Superman,” Martha said. “So I asked why they wanted to know.”
“I guess that must have been enough to tell them you were here,” Jonathan said, picking up the story.
“Next thing we knew the one with the camera had raised it. I heard a click and then there was a blast of light. The next thing I knew Rachel had arrived. Are you two okay?” Martha concluded.
“Fine,” Lois said.
“Except now we have to go down to the Sheriff’s Office to give our statements,” Clark said.
“What’s the problem?” Lois asked. “Between using your powers and the sunglasses, Rachel didn’t have a clue you were blind.”
“Here.”
“What?” Martha asked, confused.
“Here. On the farm. If I’m trying to act as if I’m not blind in a building I don’t know... And given that they just built the new Sheriff’s Office... It’s never going to work.”
“And then that begs the question of why you didn’t tell her you were blind when she was here earlier today,” Lois concluded.
“That’s a good point,” Jonathan said.
“So how do you want to handle it?” Martha asked.
“I have an idea. Lois, you said something about creating some sort of accident where Clark is blinded. Problem is that other than being blinded, I can’t be hurt. How would something like that happen?”
“Welder’s flash,” Martha said immediately.
“What?” asked Jonathan.
“Well... it’s a flash of light that can affect your eyes when you’re welding. Problem is that it usually clears up in a few days and only in the most serious cases does it actually blind you. But it can be more serious. One problem though... We probably should call Dr. Scott. It will be almost impossible to sell that you’ve been blinded by a welder’s flash if we haven’t at least called a doctor.”
“I guess it’s your call, son,” Jonathan said.
Clark turned his head towards where he knew Lois was standing. “What do you think?”
“If welder’s flash can clear up on its own, it would certainly explain if you suddenly get your vision back without any sort of intervention,” she said. “And I doubt a doctor would be able to tell you’re Superman just from examining your eyes. And with the current stubble on your face... Just don’t shave before he arrives and you should be fine.”
Clark thought for a moment more before nodding. “Okay, let’s get your welding stuff out, make it look as if I was in the process of using it. And then we’ll call Dr. Scott.”
* * * * * * * * *
Lois watched through the window as Martha and Jonathan chatted with Dr. Scott next to his shiny new pickup truck. Did everyone in Smallville drive pickups? She supposed it made sense, though, since he’d taken some milk, eggs, preserves and fire wood in payment for his services. She’d heard about such things, but to actually see it was entirely different.
She’d also been surprised to discover that there were still doctors in the country who made house calls. Still, it had certainly been handy that they hadn’t had to all traipse off to town to see the good doctor.
Dr. Scott had been quick to admit that he wasn’t exactly an expert in the field of welding flashes - which has suited their purposes fine. He’d seen a few in his time, but nothing as serious as this. But when he’d been concerned enough by Clark’s complete loss of vision to insist that Clark immediately go to a hospital in Wichita to be examined, the entire family had banded together to dissuade him of that notion.
Only when Lois said that they were supposed to return to Metropolis in the morning had Dr. Scott relented. However, he’d insisted that Clark keep his eyes protected from any light until he had been seen by an expert in Metropolis. He’d treated Clark’s eyes, covering them with gauze, given Clark some pain medication and promised to call Clark with the names of some experts in Metropolis as soon as he got back to his office.
Clark slipped in behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. She sighed and leaned back into him.
“What are you thinking?” Clark asked.
“I was just wishing you really were coming back to Metropolis with me tomorrow,” she said softly.
“You know, I’ve been thinking about that.”
She turned in his arms, searching his face for some sign of his meaning. She was faintly surprised to discover that he’d already removed the gauze Dr. Scott had put over his eyes. She supposed she understood. After all, since his regenerative powers came from the sun, he wanted to get as much sunlight on them as possible - regardless of the doctor’s orders. She shook her head slightly but said nothing as Clark continued to speak.
“Dr. Scott will never say anything to anyone about my being blind. He takes doctor patient confidentiality very seriously - a characteristic essential in a small town doctor,” Clark began. “But at this point, we need to ask Rachel to come back here to take my statement. As soon as I do, people will begin to find out. As Rachel said, there are no secrets in a small town.” As if he could see Lois’ raised eyebrows, he continued, “Okay, maybe there are one or two secrets, at least in this small town. Still... everyone will soon know that I’m blind. And Dr. Scott isn’t going to let me get away without going somewhere for treatment so...”
“...returning to Metropolis might be your only option,” Lois completed for him.
He nodded. “But that’s not the only reason I’m thinking that maybe I should go back.” He paused and she waited for him to continue. “I learned something today that’s making me reevaluate my position.”
“Which is...?”
“Okay, well, I learned a couple of things. First... Lois, last night was incredible. And I guess I realized that it’s going to kill me to lose you.”
That earned him a quick kiss.
“But I’m not naive enough to think you could continue to stay here long term. You weren’t meant to be a farmer’s wife. I wouldn’t even ask that of you. So if I want you in my life... Want to see where this will go... I guess that means returning to Metropolis.” This time he was the one leaning in for a kiss.
“You said you learned two things,” Lois said when he drew away. “What’s the second?”
“Thanks to Griffin and Victor, I learned today that I’m not entirely useless. Maybe Superman can’t save the day, but Clark Kent still seems to have a trick or two up his sleeve.”
She smiled fully at this. “I never doubted that.”
“So, anyway... speaking of details...” Clark said.
They hadn’t been, but Lois let that particular detail pass.
“I gave up my apartment when I came back to Smallville,” Clark continued. “Do you know of any place I could stay, at least until I get back on my feet?”
“I think my mother is looking for a boarder,” Lois responded without missing a beat, then squealing when he grabbed her and tossed her easily onto the couch before beginning to tickle her. She wondered briefly how he’d known he was throwing her on the couch, but the question was lost as she attempted to protect herself.
Still, it didn’t take long for the humor to fade and the passion between them to rise to the surface. Only Jonathan clearing his throat in the doorway reminded them that they weren’t exactly alone. Still, neither minded the interruption as both remembered their unfulfilled promise of a trip to the hayloft.
* * * * * * * * *
Fade To Black
* * * * * * * * *
ML
