TOC (with links to prequels) I have to start off by saying it feels a little weird to be posting on this message board. It’s been a while, and well, I had accepted that life did not seem to want me to indulge in this hobby. That said, it is nice to at least be posting again.
I realized in early September it had been nearly a year since I submitted the precursor to this story, When the West Wind Moves, to the archive. That, a little free time and finally knowing where this story needed to go in terms of plot have allowed me to finish it.
I would highly recommend reading two of my previous pieces - Fast Enough and When the West Wind Moves, both of which take place in the alternate universe - before embarking on this story. And for those who don't remember what happened in West Wind - might I recommend reading the last section of that story. Five Steps Down picks up exactly where West Wind left off.
A note about the title: One of the major breaks in this story occurred when I finally had a name for it - something more than 'Sequel.' After a long search trying to find something that would match West Wind in terms of imagery, a line from an Indigo Girls song sparked with this piece - the excerpt that fit in so well is below. I would like to add a section of the chorus here because it triggered my initial interest in the song as it reminds me of how I portrayed alt-Clark in the previous two stories.
"Of all my demon spirits I need you the most
I'm in love with your ghost."
Yet Five Steps Down seemed a more appropriate title for this story as it tied "Ghost" to the feeling of beginning a journey.
Cheers,
Elle
Note on this post: It's a long one, mostly because there was no good place to cut it off.
~
Five Steps Down
"And the Mississippi's mighty
but it starts in Minnesota
at a place that you could walk across
with five steps down
and I guess that's how you started
like a pinprick to my heart
but at this point you rush right through me
and I start to drown"
- Indigo Girls, "Ghost"
And to think his shock on the bus had been so great. Seeing her, her physical presence, almost made Clark Kent fall to the ground in relief. How odd to see one's dreams go from vapors to solid reality in so short a time. It was all so overwhelming, seeing her here like this and wanting to do so many different things at once, yet finding these same feelings left him frozen in his spot, afraid of upsetting the status quo.
Lois Lane was alive.
"Superman?" the mayor whispered.
Clark realized the applause had died, and the assembled were waiting. He glanced at the mayor, glanced back at the crowd - pleased to see Lois was still there and not an illusion - and slowly began to speak. He went through the speech in a daze, his eyes never wavering from Lois, for once not scanning the crowd to try and make all present feel welcomed and accepted. He was so afraid she would suddenly disappear when he was so close to realizing everything upon which he had pinned his hopes. His eyes never strayed from her face. After all, a mirage might disappear if he looked away. As a result, his welcoming of the wonderful citizens of Cincinnati to the zoo was given without conscious thought, like a playerless piano.
After his speech, when well wishers surrounded him, he lost sight of her. Anxious to not seem overly concerned and cause alarm, Clark threw himself into the pleasantries. He was determined to charm people as quickly as possible in order to go and find Lois.
Ten minutes later - something of a record for an escape from this sort of function - Clark took to the sky in hopes of finding some sign of Lois. He quickly circled the entire zoo before slowing. He had to be logical about this, as flying and searching without any sort of plan would lead to disappointment. He needed some sort of methodology. Preparing to comb the zoo as if it were in a grid, Clark stopped. If Lois had been in hiding for the previous four years, the question was not where was she, but rather why she would pick a place so crowded with people. Even though she probably knew few, if any, people from Cincinnati, the chance of being spotted was a risk Clark assumed she would be unwilling to take.
Of course, if she had already left, then she would not have to fear being recognized. Clark would bet money she was on her way out. Clark quickly scanned parking lots full of cars but devoid of people before realizing he had not the faintest idea what type of car she would drive. Moreover, it seemed unlikely she would have a car - either owning or renting a vehicle could give someone the opportunity to find her.
As everyone within the metropolitan area seemed to be enjoying the zoo, the bus stops were sadly lacking patronage at the moment. The deserted streets made it easy for Clark to search quickly. It was at the last stop that he finally spotted her, standing alone next to a small shelter covered in graffiti.
"Can I give you a lift, Lois?"
She did not acknowledge him, but he heard an oh-so-faint increase in her heartbeat. She knew who she was then - the only question was why she refused to acknowledge her real identity.
"Excuse me, miss, can I help you?"
She finally glanced at him. If he had doubted before, her eyes were the last bit of evidence he needed to quash any doubts he had about who she was.
"I don't recall asking for help, or are you psychic as well? Though if you were, then you would know that I am perfectly able to board a bus without help."
Clark wanted to hug her. Only Lois could make such a comment sound sexy.
Clark glanced around before lowering his voice. "I'm not talking about now, I'm talking about the fact you've had everyone believing you were dead, Lois Lane."
Again, Clark heard the tiniest jump in her pulse.
"I'm sorry, Superman, but I think you have me mistaken with someone else. My name's Lola Dane."
His jaw was set in frustration, and Clark could feel the beginnings of a twitch around his mouth. Out of all the ways he had envisioned meeting this Lois for the first time, arguing with her at a remote Cincinnati bus stop at 11 am on a Thursday morning was something of a rude awakening. So much for saving her and having her falling in love with him instantaneously as a result.
It figured that another man's wife would eagerly jump into his arms as soon as she laid eyes on him while his own Lois wasn't even interested in giving him the time of day. He was unable to catch a break.
"Listen, if we could maybe just go someplace and talk - "
"I don't go places with strange men."
"But I'm Superman!"
As soon as the words left Clark's mouth, he realized how incredibly stupid they sounded. Thankfully, Lois seemed to let the comment pass - at least as well as she could.
"I know you're Superman! Why do you think I showed up to this stupid reopening? I'm not an animal person, and no length of time looking at caged-up monkeys is going to change that."
"You came just to see me?"
Lois - despite what she had said, he refused to acknowledge her as Lola - gave him a look. "Well, yes, I wanted -" She stopped. "Don't act so surprised. As you said, you're Superman. Everyone wants to see Superman."
"Please if we could just go somewhere and talk."
"I have a bus to catch." Lois glanced at her watch.
Clark felt the beginnings of panic settling into his chest as he saw a bus come into sight. He was so close to everything he had dreamed of, he was not going to let it slip away. "Listen, we can talk and then I can take you wherever you need to go. And I don't even charge. You can save money."
"Taking a bus is not going to break my bank account. I don't know who you think I am, but I am not that destitute."
The bus stopped in front of them. Several passengers looked up from newspapers and books as they realized who was standing on the street corner.
"Please."
"I'm taking the bus," Lois said before stepping onto the vehicle.
Unsure what else to do, Clark followed her onto the bus. She turned towards him, incredulous. Through clenched teeth she asked him, "What do you think you're doing?"
"I'm going to talk to you, even if it has to be on a bus."
Lois merely stared at him in shock as a response.
"Hey Superman, you can talk to me if she doesn't want to."
Lois turned to glare at the woman who had made the comment before pushing to the back exit. Clark followed.
They exited the bus and watched as it puttered off to its next stop. The look she gave Clark was one of pure disgust.
"So, what do you want to talk about?" Lois asked, her tone of voice mirroring her gaze.
"Well, I was thinking we could go someplace else."
"Where?"
"Metropolis."
Again, Clark heard her pulse begin to race. "No."
"Why not?"
"I don't do really big cities. Even Cincinnati is pushing the line for me."
"Is there someplace we could go then? Maybe your apartment?"
Lois gave a short laugh. "Your pick-up lines need work, Superman."
Clark fought the urge to simply pick her up and take her wherever he wanted. "It's not a pick-up line. I just want to talk with you someplace where I don't have to worry about cameras and spies. If you're trying to stay out of sight, talking with me on a street corner isn't going to do much for you."
Annoyed, Lois relented. "Fine. There's a park on the other side of the river. No one ever goes there except on weekends."
Tentatively, Clark picked Lois up and began to fly. Having her so close to him, knowing he had physical proof that he was not crazy, that all his long hours of looking for her were not in vain, was a heady experience. He wanted to tell her everything - declare his love for her and then fly straight to some tiny little Las Vegas wedding chapel. He wanted to take her to some tropical paradise and never let her out of his sight again. He wanted to make up for every second of lost time.
Instead, he was stuck listening to her directions as he distanced himself from the emotions he had kept tightly guarded for the past year. He had to remember Cat and Perry's words: she didn't know him, had never met him and in many ways, was as much a stranger to him as he was to her. He had never met her before and assuming she was the Lois he had known could only lead to disaster. He had to keep telling himself all of that, because it was so easy to forget when he looked at her or listened to her voice.
Finally, they landed in the park and Lois moved a respectable distance away. She eyed him warily. "What do you want to talk about?"
Clark paused. He had been so intent on getting Lois here, of recovering from the shock of realizing she was alive, he had no idea what he wanted to say to her. Telling her he was completely in love with her, despite the fact they had never met, was completely out of the question. No matter how much he had wanted and waited for this moment - he could not risk jeopardizing their future because of his own impatience.
Moreover, since she was so adamant about not being Lois Lane, he couldn't start questioning her whereabouts for the past four years. Yet he was well aware that if he could not get her to admit to being Lois, this conversation would go nowhere fast, and he would run the risk of losing her.
"Well?"
Somewhat sheepishly, Clark realized he had, for the second time in an hour span, lost himself in his own thoughts. What this woman could do to him was frightening. The very thought of her could send him into his own little world, oblivious to the people and events surrounding him. He had no idea what to say to her.
"People, people are looking for you," Clark began. "Their last name is Luthor. They said they worked with you in Senegal."
"I've never been to Senegal." Again, the slightest rise in her heartbeat.
"Yes, you have."
"Listen, Superman, I don't know who you think you are, but stop it. If I say I've never been to Senegal, then I've never been to Senegal. This is just ridiculous." With that, Lois began to walk towards the park's exit.
"Then why do they have a picture of you?"
Lois stopped at this. "No, they don't."
"Lois, I'm not going to let you just walk away whether your name is Wanda, Lola, whatever. Your friends and family think you're dead. Don't they deserve to have you back in their lives?"
She continued to walk away.
"If nothing else, don't you owe the people of Metropolis the chance to live a better life because you're out there reporting on the city's problems and putting a stop to them?"
Lois finally turned. "What the hell do you think I've been doing for the past four years?! Traveling for fun?"
Her admission was so unexpected, so surprising, that Clark merely stared at her.
"And if you don't mind, I need to get back to work. When there's something to publish, then you'll be hearing from me."
"You're not going to try and tell me you've been undercover for the past four years on the trail of a story," Clark gave a short laugh. "No one loves their job ... " He trailed off when he saw the look in her eyes. After all this time, after all the scenarios that had run through his head about where she had been and what she had been doing, finding that she had been MIA solely for a story made him question who, exactly, this woman was. Certainly not the one with whom he had fallen in love.
It seemed she loved her job as much as he loved her. For some irrational reason he did not want to analyze, he felt betrayed by her admission. He had been killing himself trying to find her these past several weeks, had been in an almost constant grief for the past year over the thought that she had died before they even met. He had been going through so much when she had just been following a lead. "How could you?"
"It's going to get me a Pulitzer. Now, just go fly back to Metropolis and act like you never saw me. Just leave," Lois said, making a random flying motion with her hand.
"No."
"Fine, then I'll leave."
"No."
"Don't even think of scooping me up for my own good. I've been hiding out for four years. I can look after myself," Lois commented.
"You can keep investigating with the support of the Planet. Cat Grant - "
"I'm not going back to the Planet. Not until I have my story. If people knew I was alive, the entire story would be gone."
Clark appraised the woman in front of him. "I'm not leaving you here."
"And I'm not going with you."
"Then I'll stay here with you."
"Excuse me?"
"You want me to play dead, if that's the only way you'll let me acknowledge you for who you are, then fine. I'll start pretending with you," Clark said, rapidly, knowing his window of opportunity was shrinking faster than he wanted to admit.
"It's my story. And I only work alone."
"Not anymore," Clark said simply.
"Beside, people would recognize you. You could cost me this entire story. And after everything I've gone through to get to this point, don't even think I'm going to let you risk it all. For all I know, you've already ruined everything. Just go back to Metropolis before you cause anymore trouble," Lois replied, her anger pushing her words into one long string.
She babbled. Granted, this was an angry babble, but she babbled just like her counterpart. And beneath the auburn-colored tresses that stretched past her shoulders was the same delicate face, the same doe eyes. Looking at her, his answer was clear.
"No. I don't think you understand. I'm not leaving without you, and if you're staying, I'm staying."
"And I don't think you understand. After four years, I can escape any tail you throw at me."
"You never had to try and escape from me," Clark threatened, in a tone he had previously used only on the most hardened criminals.
This situation was going from bad to worse in Clark's mind. Instead of an instant camaraderie, he was facing an extremely hostile woman and rising to the occasion with anger of his own. He had to right this, had to do something. His desperation at the risk of losing Lois was only working against him. He had to calm down, had to be logical. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he said, "Please, if you could just listen to me. After four years, wouldn't it be nice to have one person in on your secret?"
Lois hesitated before nodding. "Go on."
"I can use my abilities to help you. And I'm a reporter for the Daily Planet. I've won three Kerths," Clark rationalized.
"You've won three? That's ridiculous! I'm twice the reporter you are, and I only have two!"
"You read my work?" Clark asked.
"My god, you're a superhero who is surprised people want to see him in person, and a reporter who is shocked people read your work. What's wrong with you?" Lois sighed. "I don't even want to know. But I already told you. I work alone."
"But you've never had Superman for a partner before." Clark paused. "Or Clark Kent for that matter. Just yesterday I used my x-ray vision to check out the new CostMart."
Lois stopped. "What about CostMart?"
Though Clark had never avoided sharing possible scopes with fellow reporters, he also never went around advertising his current projects. However, if he had any chance of winning her respect, he needed to do everything in his power to at least begin to trust him. "I'm looking into a story about possible illegal activities within the CostMart company."
Lois's eyes widened. "That's ... that's my story!"
Clark's expression mirrored Lois's astonished look. "You've spent the past four years researching this story?!"
"Yes, it's ... " Whatever Lois had been about to say apparently would not work. "It's my story. Stay away from it."
"We could compare notes."
"Absolutely not! And besides, what would you have that I wouldn't?"
Clark's brain was working in overdrive. "This whole thing with CostMart ... it ties into your gun-running story."
Lois gave Clark an incredulous look. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Clark shook his head in disbelief. "You got to the Congo and you realized things went a lot deeper than you had ever imagined. But if that's why you disappeared, why did people think you were dead?"
TBC ...
