Sorry Sue! Its been one of those days. And now without further ado:
Lois looked over at Clark's desk. She'd been doing that all morning, unable to bear the thought that her best friend might never sit there again. She couldn't stop thinking about their kiss and how it had felt to hear the words "I love you" coming from his lips. And she couldn't stop thinking about the other three words he had said that would haunt her forever.
"Lois, I'm scared."
Angst ridden?
Absolutely!
Romantic?
You betcha!
By the time Lois reached EPRAD, the place was a zoo. There was no parking within half a mile of the building. News vans were parked two, and sometimes three, deep next to the curb directly in front of the building. Linda Montoya from Channel 7 recognized her and sidled up next to Lois with her film crew in tow.
"That was quite the exclusive, Lois." Linda said cheerfully. "However did you get it?"
"Hard work and good timing." Lois kept walking, a task made more difficult by all the people milling around in front of the doors to EPRAD.
"Oh, come on. Everyone knows Superman has something of a soft spot for you."
"Please," Lois said sarcastically. "This time he came to Clark first."
This is what I would imagine EPRAD being like before the launch. A Zoo!
TV news reporter Linda Montoya has rarely been used as a character in fanfic, thanks for being her in.
The doors opened to a hallway that was also crowded with people. Most of them were in uniform, and the noise level was a lot more subdued. Her heart was in her throat as Lois stepped out to join them. Where was Clark? Was he here? Was he nearby? She scanned the faces rushing past her, looking for her partner. Then she chided herself. If Clark was here, he was here as Superman. Superman would stand out no matter where he was, but especially amidst a sea of olive drab. Alas, Superman was most definitely nowhere to be seen.
Great set up! My palms are getting sweaty!
What would she do, if their places were reversed? She liked to think that she could be as brave as he was. If it truly was a case of being dead either way, it certainly seemed worth the risk. Worth the risk, though, didn't translate to being any easier to do. Did it comfort him at all to know that his death would be a noble sacrifice? It was terribly unfair that Superman would be lauded for generations to come, while Clark Kent would fade into obscurity, mourned only by the handful of people who knew the truth.
Oh yes Lois, worth the risk of him dashing off into space. Much better than your earlier risky decision to date Lex Luthor!
Sue, I have to read that story again!
"Clark--" Her throat closed off, making it impossible to say anything else. Full of desperation, she grabbed his left wrist with both her hands. "I'm sorry," she whispered and cleared her throat. It was still a dry rasp as she continued, "You are my best friend. I'm so sorry that I hurt you."
So painful, but words that needed to be spoken.
Her knees gave out, and Lois slumped into the closest chair. She was too paralyzed by grief even to cry. Instead she stared out the window at the majestic view of Metropolis in mute disbelief as she struggled to accept that he was gone. Clark was forever out of her reach now. Today he would save her life one last time -- and then she'd have to live out the rest of it without him.
There's much pain and sadness in this scene, but there's also hope as well. Clark should have told her who he was before leaving on what should have been a suicide mission, but thankfully was not. Whew!
Please polish and post!
