G Version
Clark and Lois – The Lost Years - Matchmaker Chronicle Volume 3
By Ken Janney
This version is rated PG-13
* denotes emphasis *
< denotes thoughts >
[ playback of a recording or TV Commentary] / telepathic communications /
(#) footnotes
As always comments are welcome. (ken.janney@kjanney.com)
Reminder:
Universal Locator Designation
Alpha 023 x Gamma 004 x Tau -120 - Canon Lois and Clark universe also called – Prime
Alpha 023 x Gamma 025 x Tau 036 – Canon Alt Clark universe also called – Alt 1
Previously –
She saw that he was still pulling dead bodies out of the mud. At this point there were almost as many dead as there were alive. The local network providing the feed for LNN was able to zoom in on Superman for a close up of his face as he was bringing out one of the final bodies, that of a child, a girl of about eight years of age. The look of anguish on his face tore into her heart.
She hadn’t said anything about it to him, keeping her feelings to herself, not trusting her emotions, but seeing him and his anguish her heart went out to him and she realized that she was actually falling in love with him. <This man, this very gentle man, this man of infinite compassion and almost limitless strength.> She resolved that she wouldn’t tell him, at least not yet and she settled in to watch and wait. She didn’t want to add yet another burden to his already staggering load.
After another half hour she saw that the rescue effort was coming to an end. Superman was conferring with local rescue officials and after a couple of minutes she saw him lift off into the sky and she knew that he was on his way home. Intuitively she knew she needed to calm herself and dry her tears so that she could present a brave front for him and allow him to vent.
Five minutes later she heard him land on the balcony. She got up from the couch where she had been watching the TV and moved to his bedroom just as he was coming in through the French doors. He had heard the TV but the meaning really hadn’t registered and until she was standing there in front of him he didn’t realize that he wasn’t alone. As soon as he saw her he reacted to her presence by looking toward the living room where she had come from with a questioning look.
“I saw what you were doing on LNN and came over to be here for you.” Stepping closer she put her arms around his neck and pulled him down into a kiss.
He tried to keep her from doing it, saying, “Don’t Mayson, I’m covered in mud.”
Disregarding his remark and her finery, moving closer she tightened her arms around his neck and pulled herself in closer and initiated a kiss.
Clark relented and kissed her in relief.
Mayson then deepened the kiss, which was rapidly turning into a raging inferno.
By the time they broke from the kiss Mayson was almost as muddy as Superman but she didn’t care. She took his hand and led him to the bathroom. She unzipped his suit and took it off of him and then removed her soiled dress.
Standing there in her bra, panties and slip she said, “Do you need an engraved invitation? We both need a shower. You can go first or I can … or … we could … share. What’ll it be?”
Chapter 6 – Clark’s Birthday
Flashback continues - Friday August 2, 1996
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Reaching in he turned on the water and the next thing she knew she was naked in the shower with an equally naked Clark with the water pouring over her. She stepped up to him and put her arms around him again and just held him close while the water cascaded over her back. After a few minutes she grabbed the soap and lathered up her hands and started washing him.
This delicate and yet intimate contact did a lot to wash away the anguish he had felt during the rescue and he allowed her to continue with her ministrations.
When she had explored all of his body it was his turn and taking the soap from her he lathered up his hands and started washing her. He lingered over her breasts and as his hands traveled down across her stomach. He leaned in claiming her lips again.
After a time they rinsed off and took turns drying each other with fluffy towels and then, dressing in robes moved into the living room. They cuddled for a time on his couch.
After a time he said, “Sorry about dinner. How did you get in past the paparazzi?”
“I’m afraid I blew our secret, but, I had to be here for you and that was more important.”
“I’m glad you were here. I can’t tell you how much better I feel.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
She could tell that he was thinking about what he had been through because she could see the tears welling up in his eyes even before he said a single word.
Finally he said, “It never gets any easier, no matter how many times I get there and find that there are fatalities. The kids are the worst. They’re never going to grow up and love and have children of their own. Their lives have been snuffed out far too soon.” He was openly crying by this point and she pulled him down into an embrace and simply patted his back as he vented his emotions comforting him as best she could. Eventually he calmed down and pulled back, looking her in the eyes he said, “Thank you.” Just that but it carried a whole lot of meaning beyond the obvious.
After a few more minutes he said, “Sorry about our date, I’m afraid I’ve ruined your dress.”
“It’ll wash up. That’s not important. What was important was being here for you.”
“I can at least make you some dinner, stir fry okay?”
“I’d love it.”
They had moved ahead but had not crosses the intimacy barrier.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Friday, February 28, 1997
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On Friday Mayson was supposed to be at Clark’s for dinner to celebrate his birthday. A deposition had taken longer than anticipated and so she had been delayed at the office. She decided that since she was so late that she didn’t have time to go home and change before showing up at Clark’s apartment so she drove directly there from the office. Dressed as she was in her business suit the paparazzi almost didn’t give her a second look. After all she wasn’t dressed for a date; she was dressed like an assistant DA for heaven’s sake. After she made it through the paparazzi gauntlet and Clark had let her in she let out a relieved sigh. As soon as the door was closed behind her she threw her arms around his neck and they kissed. They just stood there just inside the door kissing for several minutes.
When they broke from their clinch Clark said, “Why don’t we move to the couch? It should be more comfortable than standing here in front of the door.” They proceeded to cuddle on the couch for a while. They had progressed to the point where they were doing a lot of petting but they had not crossed that intimacy threshold and she was starting to feel some frustration with that. She had been trying to think of a way to move their relationship ahead, to that next level.
Clark asked “How hungry are you?”
She said, “I could stand to wait a while, but I could do with a glass of wine.”
“Comin’ right up.” He went into the kitchen and returned with a couple of glasses and a bottle of red wine. He knew that Mayson always got a kick out of this little trick so he gave it a blast of supercold breath to chill it before he opened it and then he poured two glasses and they settled in with her leaning against his chest. His arm was draped over her shoulder, the tips of his fingers just brushing the swell of her right breast.
After finishing that first one he had refilled the glasses. She started feeling rather mellow. She said, “I came straight from the office so I didn’t have time to change. Could I borrow something of yours to change into so that I could be a little more comfortable?”
“Sure, I have sweats and stuff in the bedroom. Help yourself. I’ll go start the stir fry.”
While Clark went into the kitchen Mayson went into the bedroom and started going through his drawers. She found his sweats and such but decided that that wasn’t what she wanted to put on. She went to his closet and found one of his button down shirts hanging up. She took it off the hanger and held it up in front of herself and looked in the mirror. <Yep, this will do.>
She removed her suit and after thinking about it for a couple of minutes she went into his bathroom and took a quick shower. When she had dried off she pulled on his shirt and only buttoned the bottom two buttons. Then she rolled the sleeves up to her elbows. Standing in front of the mirror she admired herself. The shirttails came down just far enough to cover her and not much more and the sides revealed all of her legs to the hip. The front gaped open revealing her cleavage and the inner swell of both breasts. <Let’s see if this doesn’t move this relationship to the next level.>
Barefoot she padded into the kitchen and stepped up behind Clark. She put her arms around his waist locking her hands in the front. He said, “Dinner will be ready in just a few minutes.”
“That’s okay, I can wait.” She stretched up and started kissing the back of his neck.
He finished the stir fry and turned to put it on the plates. When she released her hold on him and stepped back so that he could dish the meal out he stopped in his tracks. He was frozen in place by the sight of her. She was sexy and enticing and he couldn’t take his eyes off of her. He hadn’t expected this in the slightest. Mayson in sweats, yes, Mayson nearly naked, no.
Obviously pleased with the effect her attire had had on him she chuckled as she said, “The stir fry is going to get cold.”
He shook himself and brought his mind back to what he was supposed to be doing. He ladled out the stir fry onto their plates and she carried them to the table.
He watched her legs as she walked to the table the shirt swaying with her movements. As she sat down the shirt gaped open even more than it had been and he could see the majority of her breasts. He started to sweat and he had a hard time concentrating on his meal because his eyes were on her the entire time.
When they finished up and cleared the plates Mayson took his hand and led him to his bedroom. She grasped the hem of his shirt and pulled it off of him and then reaching down she pushed his sweats down around his ankles. He stepped out of them automatically his eyes on her the entire time.
She lay down on his bed and pulled him down beside her. She said, “I think it’s past time that we moved this relationship to the next level.” As she said this she unbuttoned the two buttons at the bottom of the shirt and pulled it open. She took his hands and placed them on her breasts and as she did she let out a contented sigh. Reaching down she insinuated one of her hands under the waistband of his briefs and circled his manhood with her fingers. Starting slow long strokes from base to tip she brought him to a full erection. With her other hand she pulled his face down to hers and she initiated a deep kiss which took both of their breaths away for a time.
He said “I’m sorry, I just can’t do this. I want to but, I can’t,” and returned his hand to its ministrations.
Weeping in frustration she said, “Clark you can’t do this to me. I want you, I need you. Please, love me.”
Clark moved his hand back to her center and said, “I’m sorry Mayson, I want to, it’s just, it’s just not right. I like you … I like you a *lot*, but, it’s just not the same. Mayson, I’m sorry but if we did this it would just be sex, it wouldn’t be … love. That’s not what I want. I want it to be love.” He started almost weeping, <I want it to be with Lois.>
They had cuddled some more and then moved to the living room and watched a movie.
Just over a week later on March 9th Herb showed up with a request for assistance in the other universe. Herb assured him that he wouldn’t be gone any time at all so he didn’t bother to call Mayson and cancel their date for that following Friday.
However, when they returned from that trip Herb had offered to take him in search of his Lois. While he was packing for his trip to the Congo he took a few minutes and flew to her office to see her and told her that he was going on a long trip.
Clark was rather nervous about this meeting. He was looking forward to being with his Lois, but what if things didn’t work out. What if he couldn’t keep her from dying? He liked Mayson, but if Lois returned with him how would she take it? He thought that after what had happened on Friday that Mayson may not want to see him anymore and that would also be a disappointment but it would make things easier if Lois did return with him. He’d just have to bite the bullet and tell her he was leaving and let the chips fall where they may.
Clark’s nervousness was evident in his voice and his hesitancy when speaking. “Mayson, I don’t know how to tell you this. I’m going on a, a mission of sorts. I’m leaving immediately. You won’t have any way to contact me. I’ll be sort of, well I guess, out of range would be the best description. I’m not sure how long I’ll be gone. I may be gone only five minutes or five years, I don’t know. What I need to say is, if you don’t see me back here shortly you may not see me at all. If I don’t come back … I just needed to tell you, you know, just in case, well, I’ve enjoyed the time we’ve had together.”
“Clark, what kind of mission is this? It sounds like it’s going to be very dangerous. How could you not come back? You can’t be hurt! How could you not come back to me?”
“Mayson, remember I told you about how I’ve traveled in time and across dimensions, well I’m going to be doing more of that. There is always the possibility of getting lost.”
Mayson reached for his hand and held it. “Then take me with you. Maybe I could help. I don’t want to lose you.”
“No, Mayson, that wouldn’t work. You have a life here. You have responsibilities, your job, your family. I, on the other hand have nothing to lose, except you. My life for a long time has been one of sacrifice. I had to sacrifice my engagement in order to help. Now, I find I have to sacrifice our relationship for the greater good. Mayson, I want you to know that I’ll always cherish the time we’ve had together, but we just couldn’t really go any farther in this relationship and I think you know that. If Friday didn’t make that clear to you I don’t know what would. I’m sorry that we couldn’t move to the next level but it just wasn’t meant to be. Mayson, I have to be honest with you. The reason that we failed on Friday was nothing to do with you. It had everything to do with … Lois.”
“But, she’s missing! You weren’t able to find her. How could she come between us?”
“Mayson, all I can say is that she did. The truth is that she is *the* woman that I am supposed to be with. I can’t get away from that fact. There really *can* be no other. I can wish it wasn’t that way all I want but it won’t change the fact that she’s the one. This mission … this mission is to travel back through time to find her. If I return at all, it will probably be with her. I’m sorry Mayson that’s the way it has to be.”
“Clark, I don’t want you to go away but if I know anything about you it’s that you are duty driven and if you feel you must then you must. I won’t lie to you, I *was* disappointed on Friday but if this mission will help you move ahead then go with my blessing. I want you to remember two things, first, if you don’t find her I’m here for you and second …” Gulping she decided that the time had come. She had kept her feelings secret all this time but she decided that she had to tell him just how she felt. Her voice lowered and she said the rest somewhat shyly, “I think I’m in love with you.”
It was the first time either of them had expressed that to the other. Clark was shocked to hear it from her. “Mayson, I’m sorry, I can’t say the same to you. I don’t know what I feel. I know I like you, I like you a lot, but I don’t know about love. Maybe I’ll know better when I return.”
Mayson reached up and put her hand behind his head and pulled him down into a kiss. “Just remember what I said.”
“I will. Good bye… Mayson.” He turned and left her office.
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End Flashback
comments go here. To be continued in Chapter 7 – Spying on the Rebels
