This is NOT a deathfic...
Part Two
Now two weeks after the last bit of shrubbery had been planted, the work tools perfectly cleaned and neatly placed in the storage shed, a contented Lois surveyed the results with immense satisfaction. She closed the wedding album and once again looked out over the freshly painted house and its renewed garden. A sense of peace washed over her like the tide crashing against a distant shore. There was contentment to be sure, but a small, tight knot of sadness rested heavily in her heart. She spoke aloud, “Clark! How I wish with all my heart you could have been here! Our home looks almost as good as it did when you first moved in. Of course that’s impossible because you’re not here.”
Her mind wandered again to key events that had taken place in the lush space:
Clark’s totally unexpected proposal after Cat and George’s wedding.
Their own intimate, magical evening wedding.
Watching her parents exchange marriage vows.
Bringing Clark to the gazebo one clear starry night and telling him the joyous news that after three years of marriage, she was *finally* carrying their first child.
The very private and joyful Kryptonian naming ceremony for CJ, attended only by her parents and Clark’s.
CJ’s first steps on the old flagstones with anxious parents Lois and Clark watching each clumsy tentative step.
A number of happy Kent family gatherings over the decades; both great and small.
CJ’s evening wedding to Mira. Attended by a crowd of friends much larger than the intimate few who attended his own parent’s wedding ceremony so many years before.
The terrible winter day she found her best friend and lover lying dead in new-fallen snow.
That last memory with all its cruelty came upon her with a clarity as sharp and brilliant as a freshly cut diamond.
Perhaps that was why she wanted to do the renovations and upgrades to give a final thank-you for all the happy years Clark had bestowed upon her.
Overwhelmed by the myriad of memories, Lois allowed quiet, but oddly satisfied tears to slowly roll down withered cheeks. She remembered, shortly after they were married, writing a letter to Clark and placing it in the care of their lawyer, Constance Hunter. It was to be given to Clark six months after her death. She meant for it to be her last letter of good-bye to him, knowing full well that barring kryptonite poisoning, he would most definitely outlive her.
Within the letter she expressed in detail her concerns about raising a family, him remaining young, but her growing older. The actual childbearing itself did not frighten her, but training another human being to be an active useful member of society, now *that* was scary. She wanted their family environment to be a happy and secure one; like what Clark experienced growing up in Smallville, not what she endured as a child. The final point and most important of all … she wanted him to remarry when the time was right.
Not an easy ‘last’ letter to write, but one which at the time seemed prudent. Now ironically, here she sat mourning Clark rather than the other way around.
A gentle, but clear, voice reached her ears, one she had not heard in quite some time. Aged eyes glazed upon Cat Grant standing before her in the person of Cat’s daughter Olivia Amundsen.
“Aunt Lois? Are you busy? Alva said you were out here, looking over some papers. Should I come back later?”
Lois grasped her chest. “Good grief! What a scare! As for being busy. Not since all the kids finished the work on the house and garden.” Her alert brown eyes took in Olivia’s auburn locks and trim athletic figure. The younger woman wore a garishly colored jumpsuit and a pair of red spiked heels. “You look exactly as your Mother did when I first met her. Unfortunately, Olivia, sometimes, your mother’s brash fashion sense takes a hold of you. Still, you look radiant; those Restoration drugs are a marvel. I only wish…” She stopped, took a breath and ran her gnarled hands over the wedding album.
Olivia’s gentle tones spoke aloud what they were both thinking. “That the Restoration drugs could have saved Uncle Clark?”
“I would be a terrible liar if I said no.” Lois answered stiffly, a splinter of Mad Dog Lane coming to the fore after being in retirement.
The younger woman mounted the wide steps to the gazebo, pulled over a wooden chair and gracefully sat down, her easy, supple movements a constant reminder of the miracle of the Restoration drugs.
Olivia’s mouth quirked into a half-smile. Her aunt may have mellowed in the latter half of her ninth decade, but she refused to bend to old age. It did Olivia good in more ways than a few to see her mother’s former nemesis and old friend vital and active. Especially after losing Uncle Clark.
Their conversation turned to many subjects: the extensive renovation work done on the garden and house by the family. Olivia’s own duties at S.T.A.R. Labs, and the considerable expansion of her laboratories and staff. Lois needled her that since her youth had been restored it was high time to find a new husband and settle down.
Olivia laughed good-naturedly. “Not until I find someone to make me as happy as my late husband did! Until then, I’m enjoying my second youth, and this time, no stupid mistakes.”
Her voice trailed off and then she spoke again, cautiously. “Aunt Lois…if you had to do it all over again, would you?”
The elderly woman thought back to her youth. Naturally there were many things she would change. Two of them would be to *never* get involved with either Claude or Lex Luthor. But she wouldn’t alter a single minute with Clark.
“Naturally we all make mistakes. Everyone has a few regrets here and there. But what’s done is done.” Lois’ eyes bored into Olivia’s. “Why does this nagging feeling tell me Cat’s daughter is not here for a social call?”
A subtle creaking of wooden slats filled the air as Olivia shifted uncomfortably in her chair. She had known this remarkable woman all her life. She was too young to have seen Aunt Lois operate as part of Lane and Kent, The Hottest Team in Town. Now a glimpse of what Lois Lane-Kent, ace investigative reporter, was like during an interview came to the forefront. Even her body language had altered significantly.
“So beating around the bush won’t help?” Olivia asked her lips quirking into a teasing smile that reached her green eyes.
“It’s never worked in the past. What’s on your mind?” Lois’ voice sounded young and strong.
Olivia took a moment to think and then spoke very slowly, measuring each word. “For the past six years my colleagues and I have been working on making the Restoration drug available to a wider range of patients. Including people in their eighties. The final trials are complete, and the results are simply astounding.”
Silence fell down upon the gazebo like a blanket of freshly fallen snow.
“A…are you asking me to participate in an experiment, or is the drug safe?”
“Would I come here making such an offer it were not completely safe? No way do I want to face CJ and the rest of the family if it were not!”
Lois permitted herself an easy smile. “You’ll have to deal with them in either case…especially CJ. In some ways that boy is more Lane than Kent.”
<Perhaps, but not where it counts> Olivia thought quietly. She was well aware of the Kent family secret, having discovered it on her own thirty years before. Yet in all that time, she had never breathed a word of it to anyone … not even to her late husband.
After another interval of silence, Lois spoke again. This time her voice did sound like an old woman’s. “Why me? There are so many others who are more worthy. Doctors, scientists and engineers who have and *should* continue to contribute to mankind’s overall betterment. I’m just a former reporter.”
Olivia snorted derisively. “Right, like Jane Austen was *just another writer*! The journalist team of Lane and Kent uncovered some of the most important stories in the late 20th century and a good deal more in the 21st. Even in retirement, the books you and Uncle Clark wrote both together and apart are *still* required reading in most high school and college level writing courses. Hey, even your trashy Wanda Detroit novel is still in print! Do I need to touch on all those charitable endeavors for the Superman Foundation? We won’t even mention the numerous achievements of that far flung family of yours.”
“Everything is true, but perhaps…” Lois’ voice faltered and cracked.
“Uncle Clark?” Olivia asked in a whisper.
Lois nodded, the silver hair shaking slightly. “To live another lifetime without him? It just doesn’t seem fair…”
Olivia grasped the older woman’s small hands. The flesh was paper thin, veins crisscrossing just below the skin standing out like gnarled branches of an old tree. Still the heartbeat she felt was steady and resilient, not ready to fade away.
It was not an easy decision for Lois to make. If the drug failed, she would die within days, robbing her and her family of whatever precious years remained.
It was a decision Olivia had had to make as well and one she never regretted. Her choice had changed human society as a whole, but the drug was still expensive - and dangerous. But so *many* people were enjoying a second lifetime. They were building on their past achievements and in the process benefiting mankind. Now Olivia wanted to help the last of her mother’s friends to live her life anew. There was still plenty of corruption in the world for Lois Lane-Kent to uncover. She explained the entire process from beginning to end. She chose each word with care; it was imperative to proceed cautiously. When the explanation was done, Olivia ended with these words:
“Uncle Clark would have considered it unfair if his partner did not continue the work they started.” She swung her arms out to encompass the outdoor space. “Look around - this garden abounds with memories and the happy ones far outweigh the unhappy. He would have wanted you to experience decades more here in Metropolis or wherever you wish to go.
Again, a poignant silence fell between the two women, but not for long.
Lois bowed her head; she did not want the younger woman to see her tears. “I will give you my decision in the morning.”
Olivia Amundsen sensed this was the conclusion of the conversation as well as a dismissal. She stood, bent over, and kissed Lois on her cheek. The elderly woman took her hand and squeezed it gently. No words were exchanged, indeed, none had to be.
***
Lois heard the young woman’s shoes make light clicking sounds on the stairs and over the paving stones. She listened intently as the familiar squeak of the French doors reached her ears and finally all was quiet once more.
One incredible thought thundered through her mind like a raging storm. <To be young again!>
The enthusiasm waned as quickly as it waxed. <Could she embrace a full life without Clark?>
But wasn’t that what she was doing now? Truth be told, while all the noise and chaos was going on during the renovation on the house and garden ,she had felt alive as she had not since the days of working with Clark, Jimmy, Cat, Perry and all the other fantastic people at the Daily Planet. Now all was still… the happy confusion of facing something new and unknown was gone.
There were still so many things to do – so many stories to write.
Life without Clark? Oh God, it hurt! Sadly the deep ache like a wound that refused to heal would be there regardless. There would be no more lovely late night flights to exotic locations for quiet romantic dinners. But at least she could continue their work.
“Oh, Love, what should I do?” She whispered.
Suddenly the voice of her nurse Alva rudely disrupted her contemplation. “Hello, Mrs. Kent! It’s time to come in and have a nice bowl of oatmeal and a cup of Oolong tea with a dash of honey.” The thoughtless woman banged open the French doors and stomped her short legs over the paving stones and up the gazebo’s wooden stairs. Her noisy bearing was a sharp contrast to Dr. Amundsen’s dignified presence.
“Now come with me. I’ll help you down these dangerous steps. Really, must you spend so much time out here? It isn’t good! The damp morning air isn’t helping that nasty old arthritis!”
Lois’ stomach turned listening to the condescending manner of this silly woman. Most of the time the nurse spoke to her as if she were ten years old! She was about to say as much when Alva reached over and removed the fragile photo album from Lois’ grasp. <Why on Earth did CJ hire this chumpy woman, and *why* did I keep her on after the renovations were complete? I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself! She’s more annoying than The Prankster!>
“Give that back!” Lois snapped. “I can carry it myself, and I don’t need a nursemaid to help me walk down the stairs.”
“There, there. This happens every time Dr. Amundsen shows up. Since she regained her youth, her visits have always made you a little cranky. It must be painful to be reminded of bygone days. Well, you and I have had our turn. Now it’s up to the next generation.”
While Alva spoke, Lois regained hold of the album and put it on the table. Lois sat down on her wooden chair and spoke. “I’ll have *my* turn again, thank you very much! Alva, go home and *don’t* come back. I’ll make sure you’re paid for an additional two weeks. Get out!”
Angry and not a little hurt, the nurse opened her mouth to speak, looked into Lois’ burning brown eyes, thought better of it, and stomped away, slamming the French doors.
Lois leaned back in the chair and took a cleansing deep breath. She opened the photo album again to a cherished page - their wedding portrait taken in this very gazebo. So much youth, energy and zest for life!
If the treatment was successful, she could possibly enjoy an additional sixty years of life. She missed Clark with every fiber of her being, but she was not ready to join him in that final sleep. <<Be patient my love>> she thought, I’m coming, but not yet…not yet.
