Clark and Lois - Despair to Hope – Matchmaker Chronicles Volume 4 – 21/22
By Ken Janney
This version is rated PG-13
* denotes emphasis *
< denotes thoughts >
[ playback of a recording ]/ 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
Disclaimers: The characters in this story are property of DC, December 3rd productions and Warner Bros. No Copyright infringement is intended. I have just borrowed the characters for a short time.
Previously –
While this had all been happening Lois had rushed over and thrown her arms around Clark again. She said, “He wasn’t aiming at Superman, he was aiming at you! Why?”
Clark shrugged and said, “Who knows what goes on inside the mind of someone like that?”
Jimmy moved over and started taking more pictures. He made sure to catch pictures of the derringer as well as Trask. Jimmy was really earning his crime photographer stripes on this trip.
As soon as Jimmy finished up Cooper went into his trunk and brought out an evidence kit. He donned a pair of rubber gloves and pulled out a plastic bag. He picked up the derringer and placed it in the bag. He sealed it and wrote the details on the outside. He did the same with the gun that Superman had crushed. Both bags went into the kit and back into the trunk.
Obviously shaken by the incident and disturbed by the fact that she had been required to take a life, Rachel turned to Superman and with a somewhat morbid sense of humor said, “I guess we don’t have to worry about an insanity plea now.”
Rachel turned to Lois and said, “Lois, it sure looks like you have more influence over Clark now than I ever did. You take care of him now, you hear?”
Lois looked at Clark, then she smiled at Rachel and said, “I’ll take care of him Sheriff.”
Coming out of her morbid mood somewhat, Rachel chuckled and said, “Lois, why don’t you just call me Rachel. After all,” Rachel nodded in Clark’s direction as she continued. “We have something in common.”
Lois looked again at Clark and put her arm around him as she said, “Yeah, Rachel, I guess we do.”
Rachel said, “I guess I’ll see y’all later. I need to go check on the rest of my deputies and make sure we got the entire group,” as she turned and headed for her car.
Superman turned to Jonathan and Martha and said, “I’d like to have a couple of minutes with Lois and Clark if I may.”
Jonathan nodded and then said, “Okay, Clark we’re gonna go back into the house. You and Lois can join us when you’re through here.”
Clark said, “Thanks Dad. We’ll be in, in a few minutes.”
When the elder Kents had left the three of them turned and strolled down the lane somewhat to get away from Cooper, Jimmy, and Wayne at the crime scene. Lois still had an arm around Clark because he was still somewhat unsteady. When they were out of earshot Superman turned to Lois and Clark and said, “Clark, thank you for playing your part so well.”
Lois got a shocked expression as she said, “Played a part? What’s going on?”
“Clark, do you mind if I take Lois for a little flight? We’ll be right back.”
Clark, with a concerned look asked, “Are you okay with that Lois?”
She laughed and said, “It’s Superman! Why should I mind?”
Clark said, “Alright, as long as you’re okay with it.”
And now:
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter 19 – Revelations
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%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Universal Locator Designation
Alpha 030 x Gamma 100 x Tau 185
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Superman picked Lois up and flew off. They landed at Reeves Overlook. For a couple of minutes they simply enjoyed the scenery before Superman spoke up, “Lois, Trask really was close to having a rock that could harm me. I needed someone to distract him for a while so that I could dispose of the real thing and substitute a fake. I then had to fly to Washington to meet with the Joint Chiefs. Clark volunteered to act as a decoy and delay Trask as long as he could to give me the time for that mission. Clark knew that I would be busy for a while and that he would be risking his life, but he volunteered anyway. Lois, Clark is one of the bravest men I know. Neither of us has ever told you this, but, I’ve known Clark longer than you have, you see, I didn’t just appear when the Prometheus Shuttle had that problem. I’ve been here for a while, operating in the background.”
Lois was blown away and all she could manage was a choked, “What?” Immediately her anger began to flare. Kent had been holding out on her! Well actually, she knew that he had a secret way of contacting Superman and she knew that they talked frequently because both of them occasionally slipped and mentioned something that she had told the other. This put her partner in a new light.
Superman saw her anger flare and quickly said, “Lois, don’t be angry with Clark. He has kept this secret for me for years. He is the most honorable and loyal man I know. He has kept this secret at the peril of his own life at times. He deserves your respect.”
Superman continued, “Lois, I’m aware that you would like to get to know me better, that you have something of a crush on me. All I can say is, if you want to get to know me, I’d suggest that you get to know Clark Kent. I’m not in a position such that *I* can really get involved with women. You see, in a sense, I’m not real. I’m a creation, but Clark Kent is the real deal. Clark knows me better than anyone else possibly could. *I* may not be able to stay, but you can count on Clark.”
Taking a chance that this universe was a close parallel to Prime, he continued, “Lois, I don’t know all about your family and your past. I do know that the men in your life have hurt you.” He was really going out on a limb with the next one, he just hoped that he was correct. “There were problems with your father and others.” Seeing her response to this statement he realized that he had been correct in his assumption. In his universe he had been there and he had prevented any association between his Lois and Claude. “As I said, Clark knows me better than anyone. By the same token, I know Clark better than anyone else. Lois, I can tell you for a fact that Clark will *never* do anything to hurt you. He is rock steady. I never told you before, but, sometimes I can see the future. Do you want to know what I see in your future?”
Lois was a little hesitant but finally she gave a nervous nod.
He said, “I see you having multiple Kerth awards.”
She responded to this statement with a smile and said, “Really? How many?”
With a chuckle, he continued, “Several, some of them are for individual effort … but there are a number that you share … with your partner. You’re going to be billed by the Planet as ‘The Hottest Team in Town’ and finally … I see you happily married.”
Now she had a shocked expression. “How can that be? Won’t that interfere with my job?”
He continued, “Trust me, it won’t. But, all of these things will only happen if you stay with Clark Kent. You don’t know it yet, but, Clark Kent is the best thing ever to happen in your life. Clark would willingly lay down his life for you and he has protected you when I haven’t been available. My one piece of advice to you would be to not allow yourself to be distracted. There could be some distractions that you will need to avoid. Keep yourself focused on Clark.”
She gave him a speculative look and asked, “What kind of distractions?”
“In the near future you are going to be tempted to have a relationship with Lex Luthor. I would warn you against that. Talk it over with Clark and heed what he says. Work with Clark but above all trust him. Don’t date Luthor, investigate him. There could be a Pulitzer in it.”
At the mention of a Pulitzer her eyes almost literally lit up and he heard her gasp.
Superman continued, “Be careful, Luthor is dangerous. Remember, the team of Lane and Kent will be unstoppable. You will be world famous investigative reporters.”
He went back to re-emphasize that point, “I see that the mention of a Pulitzer interested you. I am confident that as long as you and Clark stay together the ceiling is not even a limit. I’ve probably told you more than I should have but, it was important to me to make you understand that your future lies with Clark Kent and not with me.”
Lois said, “I’ve known for a while that he likes me.”
Superman said, “Trust me Lois, he more than likes you. Just give him a chance to prove what his feelings are. You won’t be disappointed. He is unlike any other man you have ever known. He will never desert you.”
He said, “I’ve given you a lot of food for thought. Do you have any questions?”
Lois asked, “Yeah, what makes you so sure that my future is tied to Clark’s?”
“Lois, you know that I’m not from this planet. There is something that you don’t know about me. I am something of a historian and to a certain extent a philosopher. Let me ask you a philosophical question. What is the soul?”
“Well, I wasn’t a philosophy major but everyone knows that the soul is what we are.”
He replied, “Not exactly, the soul is who we are while the memories define what we are. That’s a common mistake and not a serious one. Have you ever heard the term soul mate?”
“Well, no, should I have?”
“In ancient Greece the philosopher, Aristophanes, speculated that the original humans were created by the gods as a single being with four arms and four legs and one head with two faces. Zeus, fearing their potential power split them in half condemning them to spend eternity each half searching for the other half.”
Lois was mystified and asked, “What does ancient Greek mythology have to do with today’s day and age?”
Superman explained, “Some truths are universal in nature and do not depend on time and environment. Aristophanes was close. It wasn’t the physical form that was separated. It was the soul that was separated. Each individual has a soul mate out there somewhere and those individuals that are lucky enough to find theirs find contentment in their lives. Lois, I’m going to tell you something that I don’t think even Clark knows at this point. Lois, you and Clark are soul mates. Haven’t you felt different since he came into your life? Haven’t you been more relaxed and content since you two have been together?”
She mulled this over for a minute before she, with awe in her voice said, “Yes, I have. Now that I think about it, I have been more at peace with myself since he showed up.”
“Here’s another question for you to ask yourself; has Clark ever tried to make you into what he wants you to be?”
Since she had been wrong on her previous answer she carefully considered this question before saying with a look of wonder on her face, “No, he hasn’t. He might object to the way I want to do things sometimes. More often than I want to admit, he’s right, but he just supports me. Those must be the times you were talking about when he protects me.”
Superman finished up with, “Lois, the truth is that you and Clark are soul mates. He is the only one that can complete you and you are the only one that can complete him. He doesn’t want to make you into what he wants you to be, he wants you to be who you are. He loves you, the real you, the whole you, just the way you are. Go to him. I think you’ll find that, given half a chance, you’ll love him the way he loves you.”
Lois had a very pensive expression on her face as she took all of this in. She asked, “Are you going to tell Clark all of this?”
He replied, “No, Lois, I’m not. You can tell him, when you think the time is right. It’s enough that you know.”
She said, “Thanks, Superman. This is a lot to consider. Can you take me back now?”
“Sure thing Lois.” He picked her up and flew her to the Kent farm landing next to Clark who was still standing right where they had left him. Superman set Lois’ feet on the ground. As soon as her feet hit the ground she was out of Superman’s arms and in Clark’s.
She turned to Superman and said, “You’ve given me a lot to think about. Now, Clark and I have a lot to talk about.” She turned and gave Clark an unreadable look. It was a mixture of awe, hope, speculation, excitement and contentment all rolled into one. Keeping an arm around Clark she said, “Let’s go, your folks will be getting worried about us.” She turned again and said, “Thanks, Superman, for everything. I won’t forget.”
Clark put an arm around Lois and they turned to walk away.
Superman took one last look around and flew off to do a patrol of Metropolis.
As he was approaching Metropolis he heard a radio broadcast. There was a tanker loaded with crude oil foundering off the coast of Florida. It had just taken a load from an oil rig in the gulf when a tropical storm had hit. The storm was rather late in the season and had come up unexpectedly.
Superman changed course and made it to the gulf before the ship was too severely damaged. It appeared as though some of the plates had sprung from the pounding of the high seas. The crew had the pumps going but it was a losing battle, she was taking water faster than they were able to pump it out. It was only a matter of time before the ship went down.
As soon as the crew saw Superman arrive they stopped lowering the boats and headed back to their duty stations. Most of the deck hands returned to the pumps.
Superman dove underwater and examined the hull. He found the sprung plates and one by one, using his superstrength pulled them together and then used his heat vision to weld them back together.
As soon as he had the first seam repaired he could hear the cheer that went up from the crew. Suddenly, instead of the water level increasing they could see it begin to drop.
Superman continued his efforts and seam by seam he restored the hull to watertight integrity. When he finished the last seam he flew up and landed on the bridge. The Captain greeted him, “Superman, when you arrived we were in the process of abandoning ship. Thanks to you we won’t have to.”
Superman asked, “Captain, what port is your destination?”
“We are headed for Houston.”
“Captain, with your permission I will move your vessel west until we are out of this storm. I’ll be supporting your vessel so that it will not be pounded by the waves. I’ll make it a smooth trip.”
“Thank you Superman. I will be notifying the owners of what has happened and recommend that this ship be put into dry dock for repairs as soon as it had been lightened.”
Superman said, “That sounds like a good idea Captain. I’m going to pick your vessel up and fly it beyond this area of disturbance. That should smooth things out some. Hang on Captain.”
Superman took off and flew down under the keel of the ship and lifted. He managed to raise the ship clear of the water and started flying. It took only a few minutes to reach an area of smoother water where he could re-float the tanker. At that point Superman returned to the bridge. He said, “Captain, I think you’ll have an easier time of it from here. I’ll be leaving you now.”
The Captain said, “Thanks again Superman. You not only saved this vessel, you also prevented an environmental disaster. We are carrying hundreds of thousands of barrels of crude which would have been released into the gulf waters but for you.”
Superman replied, “That’s what I’m here for Captain, to help and to serve. If your owners would like to show their appreciation, they can make a donation to the Superman Foundation. I’ll be seeing you around Captain.” He slowly lifted off and headed for Metropolis.
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The night before he was scheduled to meet with Herb, Alt Superman stopped by Clark’s apartment. He was surprised to find he wasn’t home. He thought for a second and took off again. A few seconds later he was hovering outside the window of Lois’ apartment. Lois and Clark were on her couch looking at papers which were spread out on her coffee table amidst the remains of Chinese takeout containers, obviously working on an investigation. Alt Superman knocked on the window.
Startled at the sudden sound Lois looked up and then looked at Clark and arched an eyebrow. Clark shrugged his shoulders and said, “Let him in.”
Lois arose and walked over to the window and opened it. She stood back as he entered. As he landed on her floor she said, “Superman, we weren’t expecting to see you.” She looked over at Clark again and said, “I haven’t forgotten what you told me, but, you didn’t tell me … everything … did you?”
Curious now Alt Superman asked, “What didn’t I tell you?”
“That you weren’t *my* Superman.”
Alt Superman looked over at local Clark. Local Clark nodded and stood up. He moved over behind Lois and put his arms around her waist from behind. She released a sigh and leaned back into his embrace.
Alt Superman said, “Ah ha, well, I guess you two don’t need me around any longer.” He looked at Clark and said, “I came around to say goodbye. My ride is coming tomorrow so you’ll be back on duty. I’m glad that the two of you are together now. I wish you my best.”
Local Clark said, “Thanks,“ he looked down at Lois as he finished, “for everything.”
Lois added, “Yes, for everything. If it hadn’t been for our talk, I might have missed the forest for seeing the trees. You were right. Clark *is* the best thing to ever happen to me.”
Alt Superman said, “Just keep that in mind and another thing to keep in mind is the fact that together you are stronger than either of you separately. To quote a favorite character of mine,” With a deadpan expression and giving the Vulcan hand salute he said, “‘Live long and prosper’.”
Their expressions were that of total mystification. Alt Superman asked, “Didn’t you guys have a TV program called ‘Star Trek’?”
Lois answered, “No, nothing by that name.”
Alt Superman, “You don’t know what you were missing. It takes place in the future and it’s about an organization called Starfleet. They have a faster than light drive. They are explorers and encounter different sentient species. Anyhow, their Science Officer is an alien called Spock and he is from a planet where they suppress their emotions. That was his hand salute and parting phrase. It was a very entertaining series. Maybe as writers you could come up with some stories along that line. Who knows, they could be best sellers.”
With a dubious look Lois said, “I’ll think about it. Maybe after I finish my romance.”
Alt Clark smiled as he gently said, “Goodbye.” He turned and lifted off through the open window.
comments go here To be completed in the Epilogue
