Jane! I knew it! (okay, about 5% of me thought it was Martha until Artemis suggested Perry, then I gave that 5% to him, but I figured it wouldn't be someone random. That would've been too cruel.) This story is about Jane and Shane so it HAD to be her!
/Usually, I'm so wrong with these guesses. It's nice to right every once and while. LOL/ And I knew the call wouldn't be about Clark.
Well done. Very accurate.
"I'm so sorry about everything," Jane said. "I'm sorry you came all this way for nothing."
It hadn't been for nothing. It had been worse than nothing. Better than nothing. It had been everything. "How are you?" Lois repeated. "Have you talked to Shane?"
Well, that just sums it up.
"A little. Lois, I want to thank you for not printing anything. I thought maybe … maybe you'd write the story of where I am now, and the fact that I ruined my chance of happiness would make it newsworthy. I've been checking the Daily Planet every day. I appreciate your discretion."
Yea! for Lois taking the high road! (I'm going to blame Clark's terrific distraction technique!)
PERRY: She did WHAT?!
CLARK: /crossing his fingers behind his back/ Um... yeah.... Lois, I'm not really an alien. I can't really fly. Only after what Shane told you, I knew I had to distract you in a major way from you printing her story. Will you ever forgive me? /puppy dog eyes/
"I told my two closest friends, Emma and Belinda. People have been really kind and not asked too many questions. Shane has taken the leave we booked for the honeymoon, but I've gone back to the paper. It helps keep my mind off everything."
"Yeah," Lois said. "Do you think there's any chance of reconciliation with Shane?"
Yes. Lois understands about work helping get your mind off things.
PERRY: Jimmy! Will you drag Mad Dog home and make sure she gets a shower? JIMMY! Blast it! Where did that kid go?
JIMMY:
"It's my fault," she said. "I knew I should have told him. It was just … I never thought a man like Shane would be interested in me. Most people don't even notice I'm there. After … after I left my family, I was comfortable lurking in the background, and I never quite worked out how to leave it … until Shane came to Des Moines. He noticed me. He asked me out. He proposed. When I was with him, I felt just like everyone else. None of that other stuff mattered. I couldn't believe he wanted to be with me, and I just couldn't make myself …" Her words ground to a strangled sob.
Awww and
"Shane comes from a family of boys. They … Weddings aren't really their thing - not the details, anyway. I sent the invitations. I invited everyone I could remember from college and even high school. You were the only one who accepted."
Poor Jane.
Her heart swelled with sympathy. For Jane. For the injustice she had suffered. For a woman still paying for the selfish actions of her parents.
And for Clark. Who had also lost his first family. Who also kept a secret. Who also lived set apart from those he considered 'normal'.
So, does she believe what he told her? Or just that he believes what he told her?
Some time later, a knock sliced through her heartache.
Lois dragged her sleeve across her eyes and stumbled to the door. When she opened it, the corridor was empty.
Except …
A solitary cup of coffee had been placed outside her door. She picked it up, recognising the take-out cup as being the same as the ones Clark had brought to their breakfast picnic.
"Clark?"
He knew. He came. He heard. He left. He brought her coffee. Awww.
With a sigh, she rose from the sofa, placed the cup on her counter, and went to bed.
||~||
It was a little after 3am when Lois accepted that sleep was not going to rescue her from the turmoil of a mind in meltdown.
Well, Duh! Lois. You just had a cup of coffee.
The details of the case had been background to the focus of the study, which had been the agreement from all media outlets that the little girl at the centre of the tragedy deserved the chance to grow up in anonymity. They reported she had survived the gunshot wound, and then, despite clamouring public interest, had resolutely refused to divulge even the smallest morsel of information.
So sad that this doesn't happen any more.
If those claims were true, she could prove them. There must be other instances where Clark had left fragments of evidence that verified his ability to move around with extraordinary speed. If they were there, she would find them. Then, she could write the biggest story of all time and take it to Perry.
The story of alien life on Earth would establish her place as the greatest reporter in the history of the news. She would have all the fame and accolades she had dreamed of for so long.
She would ruin Clark's life.
She's going to do what?!
![[Linked Image]](http://cosgan.de/images/smilie/konfus/n065.gif)
Phew. She's come to her senses.
Well, that's 10 quotes. I've got to go open another reply window.
