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 –
“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.
And now –
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Chapter 7 – Spying on the Rebels
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Clark had been spending some time reminiscing about the past, about his life as Superman, about Lana and Lois and especially about Mayson. Now he started thinking about the present and about the twins. He really liked the girls. He always enjoyed his time with them. They were bright and pleasant company and full of life. Even with their attempts to tempt him into their beds being with them brightened his days. It made him feel like a man again and it was so unlike the time since the departure of Lois. He realized now just how depressed he had been since her departure. The stark contrast between his life now and what it had been for so long after Lois’ departure were very apparent. He knew that any kind of permanent relationship between him and the twins was not possible. But there was absolutely no reason to lead the life of a hermit, which was what he had almost become when Lois left and before Mayson. He was enjoying his life and looking forward to the day when it would be filled with his Lois and that day was approaching. In the mean time he would continue to enjoy his time with the twins.
There was another reason he was enjoying his association with the sisters. They didn’t know what he was. They had never heard of Superman so they were not pursuing him because he was Superman. They were attracted to the man, Charlie King (Charlot to them. Charlot was the French for Charlie.), not the powers. They were so young and alive and *French*. Thinking that he might as well make learning about Brazzaville and its environs a pleasant experience he decided to enlist the aid of Suzanne and Colette. They were more than anxious to go with him anywhere he wanted to go. They always insisted on one at a time and always entertained the hope that they would wind up at one or the other’s apartment even though he didn’t encourage them in this. He tried to make it clear that all he wanted was companionship on these outings not a fling. However, the twins were not to be deterred.
It devolved to a test of will power. Was Charlie’s will power strong enough to resist the efforts of the twins and remain loyal to a woman he hadn’t even met as yet or would the twins be able to beat down his defenses and get him into their bed? He hoped his will power was strong enough to resist because he sincerely wanted Lois to be his first experience.
He learned what cafés were nice and which ones were not-so-nice. Which ones had a decent dance floor and which didn’t have any entertainment at all. Suzanne preferred the clubs with the dance floors and she insisted that Charlie join her on the floor, especially for the slow numbers when she could get her hands on his body and no one would think twice about it. She danced in a very sultry style, rubbing as much of her body against his as she could. It was almost like vertical sex with clothes on. Charlie was surprised that they didn’t become the center of attention with the way they were dancing until he remembered the French influence. This was the *expected norm*.
After a night on the town when he would take the one he was with home. He would take her as far as her door. It was an expected thing that when saying goodnight that they would kiss. Each of the girls would do their best to use their kisses to entice him to enter the apartment. Suzanne was the more expert of the two. She would open her door and turn to him for her kiss. She would wrap her arms around his neck and give it all she had while she tried to move both of them through the door. She had Charlie so distracted that she almost succeeded a couple of times. Each time he would reaffirm that all he wanted was companionship.
Suzanne and Colette were not put off by this. Even though they were sisters, perhaps especially because they were twin sisters they went all out in their battle to be the first to succeed with Charlot. They just thought he was playing hard to get. That made him a challenge. Daily it was a contest as to who would have the sexiest appearance. Both eschewed the use of the bra and the competition devolved to who had the shortest skirts and more revealing tops.
To be truthful, Charlie was enjoying the competition. After all he *was* a man and one that had never had women throwing themselves at his non-super self. Lana and Mayson had both been aware of his powers so it couldn’t be stated that they were only interested in his non-super self. The same could not be said of the twins. They knew nothing about his powers. To them he was simply Charlot King, reporter.
Being a country boy from Smallville his girlfriends had been few in number, especially since he had been in the foster care system. Eventually he had wound up in the Lang home for a period and he and Lana were considered a ‘thing’ for quite a while. After he came of age and left the foster care system they had continued to date. Admittedly when they first started to date Lana did not know about his powers, but when he had opened up to her about them she had insisted that he hide what he could do. She was afraid for him in that she didn’t want the government to grab him and study him. In vain Lana attempted to make him stop using his powers to help the police secretly, fearing that one day he would be seen and exposed, but, he felt compelled to do what he could to help. He was just careful that he wouldn’t be seen.
It had seemed inevitable that he and Lana would be married and they *did* become engaged. That all ended when he met Lois. He had never met her before but somehow she knew all about him and what he could do. He had been blown away when she revealed her knowledge of him and had a hard time accepting her explanation that she and Herb were from another dimension. He didn’t really come to accept her explanation as reality until she showed him the pictures in her wallet, pictures of herself and his doppelganger and especially a picture of him with his parents. That had really hit him. ‘His’ parents – alive. Then she had shown him a way that he could help openly. It was just a shame that it was all a set up by Tempus to use him as an enemy to focus the people on so that he could win an election. Actually, after Tempus exposed him he felt freer than he had felt all of his life, knowing that he didn’t have to hide what he could do anymore. The only problem was that Lois had left. She had returned to her own Clark.
One morning he went in to the office to check on the cargo shipment again. When he got there the only people present were Suzanne and Colette. Derek was out sick and Claude was in another city on an assignment. Charlie had been working on the computer a short while when the girls sprang their trap.
Colette and Suzanne had been waiting for just such a time as this. Suzanne had some time ago developed a little game. She called it ‘Organe de presse’ which loosely translated would be ‘Pressy Bod’. Suzanne and Colette had been using this game to show difficult men just what they were missing. Colette had been looking forward to the time that she and Suzanne would play the game with Charlot and now that time had come. Suzanne was going to do the honors after all it *was* her game and besides she was the more expert. Colette had tried playing it several times and hadn’t had quite the success that Suzanne seemed to enjoy *every time* she played it. Colette just didn’t quite have the control of her body that Suzanne did.
So with a smile on her lips in anticipation of what was to happen, Colette got up and walked over behind Charlot and started massaging his neck and shoulders. For his part Charlie tensed up at the contact, initially. The seeming innocence of the behavior belied his apprehensions though and he began to relax sitting up and pushing back from the desk slightly. Colette was thinking. < Charlot is so like a wild stallion fighting the bridle and the saddle. Suzanne will break him to the bridle and her saddle. She will ride him. She will have him eating out of her … whatever.> The thought of the whatever distracted her. She softened the massage so that it was more sensual and less therapeutic. The thought of what she could have him do with his tongue caused her knees to go weak.
This was what Suzanne had been waiting for. When Suzanne saw Charlot push back from the desk she moved over and sat in his lap, facing him with her legs straddling his. In this position her skirt was up around her hips. She was wearing a lacy scrap of almost nothing which barely covered her nether regions. She leaned in for an open mouthed kiss.
Charlie thought <Wow, these girls sure don’t pull their punches. How can I curtail this without really hurting their feelings. Oh well, I might as well relax and enjoy it.> To think is to do, so Charlie gave himself over to the pleasure of the kiss.
After a while, a somewhat breathless Suzanne pulled back and said “Charlot, tu embrasses très bien! J'aime t'embrasser. Pourquoi est-ce que tu m'évite, mon chéri? Tu n'aimes pas me regardez? Tu ne me trouve pas attirante? Aimes-tu ce que je fais? Voudrais-tu que je continue, Charlot?“
(Tr: Charlie, you kiss very well! I like kissing you. Why are you avoiding me, my dear? Don't you like to look at me? Am I not attractive? Do you like what I’m doing? Do you wish me to continue Charlie?”)
She pulled on the neckline of her top and released her breasts from their confinement. She reached down and grasped Charlot’s hands and placed one on each of her breasts.
Charlie thought back to his last date with Mayson and how it has ended so disastrously. He knew that he could handle this situation as long as he concentrated on Lois. He didn’t want to outright reject Suzanne and hurt her feelings in that way so he searched for a way to turn her down, gently.
Charlie finally came up with a plan. He decided to turn the tables on her. She was in the process of giving him what was in essence a lap dance. He broke the kiss and pushed her away somewhat.
She turned her head slightly and started kissing his neck and the side of his face. She said "Charlot, s'il te plait, fais l'amour avec moi ce soir. Si tu ne le fait pas, je vais mourir! Tu dois le faire. J'ai tellement envie de toi."
(Tr: “Charlie, please, you have to make love to me tonight. If you don't I'll die. You must. I need you so much.”)
Colette couldn’t believe what she had seen and was hearing. Charlot had beaten Suzanne at her own game and now she was literally begging him to make love to her. Now she was pleading with, no, she was begging him to take her home and make love to her. Not just trying to entice him for the fun, a sincere need. For this to happen to her sister was unthinkable. He was something really special. How could she resist him if her sister couldn’t?
Charlie replied: "Suzanne, il n'y a aucun doute que vous êtes une très belle femme. J'ai apprécié notre baiser de tout à l'heure et j'aime vous regarder mais il y a quelqu'un d'autre."
(Tr: Suzanne, you are a very beautiful woman, there is no doubt of that. I enjoyed our kiss just now and I do like to look at you, but, there is someone else.)
Suzanne tried to persuade him by: "Ah, c'est pour ça que tu as joué le difficile? Est-elle ici? Non? Et moi si! Ayons du plaisir ensemble. Charlot, couche avec moi ce soir. Elle ne le saura jamais."
(Tr: “Ah, so that’s why you have been playing so hard to get? Is she here? No, I’m here! Let’s have some fun together. Charlie, do you want to sleep with me tonight? She will never know.”)
Charlie replied: "Mais, vous voyez, je le saurai. Elle a déjà mon coeur. Je ne peux le donner à aucune autre."
(Tr: “But, you see, I would know. She already has my heart. I can give it to no other.”)
Reluctantly Suzanne got off of his lap. She smoothed her skirt back down. She realized that neither she nor her sister were going to get anywhere with him, at least not right now. His heart was already taken. But, she wasn’t going to give up completely. Maybe she could wear him down yet. With that she and Colette both returned to their desks and went back to work.
Suzanne had given it her best shot and Charlot had won the battle of wills and had remained loyal to Lois.
A week or so later he researched cargo movement within the country. He couldn’t find anything on the internet so he called the ministry of transportation. From them he learned that moving a shipment like they were expecting could take up to three months to go from the coast to the interior. Charlie found that the most likely course that the shipment would follow was by ship to Pointe Noire. It would then go by rail to Kinshasa. A ferry would bring it across the Congo River to Brazzaville so that it could be checked by L&M before it was shipped to the customer. From there it would be transshipped onto a river boat for transport upriver. The easiest place to locate the shipment when it arrived was the port at Pointe Noire. He needed to find out when it was expected. In order to get this information, he would need to spy in the rebel camp.
The next night Charlie dressed in the black outfit, packed his cammies in his black back pack and flew out shortly before dawn. After he arrived at the foothills he found a spot that would overlook the camp and spun into the cammies for the daytime spying effort.
Clark had never been required to participate in the military but, as he had ‘bounced around’ in the foster care system after the deaths of his parents he had wound up in homes of widely variant characters. In one of the homes he had stayed in the father had been a Viet Nam War vet and had a lot of military memorabilia and books. Clark had had an opportunity to read a lot of the books while he lived with them and had many talks with him about his experiences during the war and jungle warfare. Some of the books had described various battles and campaigns. Seeing this camp below him brought a lot of what he had read and heard to the forefront of his memory.
From his concealed spot in the foothills adjacent to the rebel camp, he observed their activities. He watched as they had rifle marksmanship training. He watched as they practiced moving techniques such as bounding overwatch. That was a technique where fire teams would ‘leapfrog’ forward. One team covered the other as they moved and then they traded responsibilities. This spoke of a sophisticated organization. He watched as they practiced with crew served weapons such as the Jeep mounted recoilless rifle. He watched them crawl under barbed wire while machine guns fired over their heads.
Charlie had noticed that there were some different uniforms mixed in among the trainers. Seeing this he looked more closely. There were Communist advisors acting as trainers to the rebels. Charlie had heard of the Communist sympathies of the rebels and this confirmed it.
He also watched the encampment itself. He saw that there was one tent, near the middle of the compound that was somewhat larger than the others. The amount of traffic in and out would lead one to believe that it was a Command Post (CP). All through the day the sides would be rolled up for air. In the evenings the sides came down. Most evenings large groups of what were probably officers gathered there and stayed for long periods of time. Presumably they were having meetings and these were what he was after. But he would need to get closer to be able to hear. Even he couldn’t filter out all the ambient noise generated in a camp of this size to zero in on the meeting from this distance.
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Monday February 3, 1992
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After over a week of observation during which he was monitoring the guard strength and routine he had a good idea as to how he could get in close enough to listen. <Time to get up close and personal.> he thought. He put his plan into effect the following night. He packed his camouflage fatigues and put on the black outfit while he flew to the vicinity of the camp. He checked on the positioning of the guards and selected a ‘dead zone’ in their coverage and descended. When he spun into the fatigues he retained the ski mask and then he flew at ground level to the vicinity of the CP tent. In the dark and in his camouflage fatigues he was able to lay right next to the CP and blend in. By using his x-ray vision he could see what was happening and listen in with his superhearing.
They were speaking a Bantu dialect but it was close enough to the Swahili that he knew that he understood at least most of what was being said. Most of the meeting dealt with incidentals, reports on training, ammunition expenditures, rations, numbers of recruits, etc. There was mention of an arms shipment due in soon, but no definite date mentioned. He decided that since the meetings were every other night he would need to be there to eavesdrop. <As it gets closer to the time of the shipments arrival they will probably mention a firm date.> Another flight at ground level took him to the sentry ‘dead zone’ so that he could change back into the black outfit and fly out of the camp.
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Monday February 17, 1992
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It wasn’t until two weeks later that he got a firm date on the arrival of the arms. The ship would be docking in Pointe Noire on March 27th. It was time to get ready for Lois and she was due in twenty three days. Things were progressing nicely.
comments go here To be continued in Chapter 8 – Enter Lois Lane
