To access previous parts of the story:
TOC First off, thanks to everyone for their comments. I hope the next two or three posts will clarify the questions. Just so everyone knows, I won't be posting again until sometime next week as I am going out of town.
Cheers,
Elle
~
From Part 3:
"Welcome aboard, partner."
"Partner? Lois, don't take this the wrong way, but I feel more like your slave."
"Clark, this is an egalitarian relationship. You want to help. I am acknowledging you and letting you help, despite my own reservations. What's not fair about that?" Lois asked, a hint of sugar-coated sarcasm in her tone.
"Well, I guess I misspoke then. My apologies, partner. Does this mean we share a byline?"
Lois' expression clearly indicated she was caught in her own game. "We'll see about that. But if we do, and let me tell you it's a fairly big if, it will be with my name first."
"Agreed," Clark promised. "Lois, why do you want me to dig up all these old articles? Most will be from the same press releases or publicity campaigns. I know it can help with timelines, dates and other background information but the actual investigation? I'm fairly sure no one else in the media suspects the Churches. Or if they do, they're pretty quiet about it."
Lois gave Clark what he thought was a fairly patronizing smile. "Bits and pieces, Clark, bits and pieces. Someone reports one thing, and someone else reports another. Alone they are useless but together they help clear up the picture. Right now, I'm two big leads away from cracking this thing open. And my gut says one of those leads is buried somewhere in the public eye."
~
Part 4:
"Clark!"
Clark, having stepped off the elevator only moments before, glanced to Ralph, the newsroom's pet pain.
"Clark, glad you're here. I've been meaning to talk to you." As Ralph greeted the younger man, he put his arm around Clark's shoulders. The problem arose in the height difference: Clark was considerably taller, and as a result, the effect was not so much buddy-to-buddy but rather that of a small child pestering a parent.
"What is it, Ralph?"
"It's a man thing." Ralph glanced around. "Let's make sure Cat doesn't find out about it."
Clark smiled knowingly. "And yet somehow, she'll still end up knowing."
"Not if it's just the two of us. Man-o e man-o," Ralph explained.
"Right." Clark decided not to bring up their current location in the middle of the newsroom surrounded by people paid to stick their noses where it oftentimes did not belong. "What's the problem?"
"You need to help me with a girl," Ralph began and, seeing Clark's expression, nodded. "I know, it's surprising that someone like me needs help with the ladies. The thing is, this particular lady happens to be, well, difficult. And I think if she saw the two of us together, she'd be a little more understanding. You know, really see me for the guy I am."
"By having me have a drink with you?"
"My mother always told me that you can pick your friends but not your family. She was a smart woman. At least, that's what she told my father when she left him," Ralph said. Nodding to himself for a moment, he continued. "The thing is, as Superman you have a certain in with the ladies that the rest of us are denied from having. But I have to think there's kind of an aura effect - the closer someone gets to you, the bigger the pull on the girls."
"I wouldn't know."
Ralph laughed and slapped Clark's forearm. "Please, man, I know I'm a reporter, but you can't expect me to believe you haven't taken advantage of any of the ladies that worship you. You're just good at covering your tracks so the bottom feeders of our industry don't find out. It's cool with me. I'm not going to tell anyone."
Clark gave Ralph a long look, wondering how it was possible for one reporter to be completely clueless in everyday life yet turn out some of the top human interest pieces in Metropolis.
"Ralph! Your story on my desk five minutes ago!" Cat yelled as she walked out of the break room, a cup of coffee in hand.
"Just think about it, Clark. The bar's name is Lucky Leo's - I'm there most nights."
As Ralph walked away, Cat sidled up next to Clark. "Whatever he asked you to do, I want you to say no. And then I want you to come to my office after your 10 o'clock press conference down at City Hall."
~
"Cat?"
Cat Grant glanced up from a Cosmo magazine and vegetable wrap to see Clark Kent leaning in her doorway.
"Come on in and pull up a chair."
"I have to say, Cat, I never quite pictured you as a fan of Cosmo."
Cat laughed. "You're right. I got in trouble in college for helping to stage a burning party of women's magazines considered offensive to the cause of women's rights. Our newspaper advisor didn't take to it well. He viewed the act as an infringement upon First Amendment rights, up there with book burning. He put me on suspension from the next two editions. God, I miss those days."
"The burning the magazines or not having to work on the paper?"
"Both. But in my defense, the reason I'm reading this complete piece of trash is that it apparently publishes articles other than how to wow your man in bed. Laura showed me this article, and I have to say, I'm a little upset we didn't get to it first." Cat slid the magazine over in Clark's direction.
Clark skimmed over the article at superspeed. Cat shook her head. "What's the conclusion say? I hadn't gotten that far yet."
"Not much. It's rather weak - not a lot of rehashing of evidence, just a summation."
"Do you realize if I could do that I would be able to come in to the newsroom for about an hour everyday and spend the rest of my life sleeping and writing that book I've had filed away since my days as a classifieds writer?"
Clark nodded, opting to steer the conversation back to the topic. For some reason he could never explain, he always felt guilty whenever people mentioned their own lack of powers in regards to everyday activities. "It's an interesting piece and the reason we didn't run something like this is that you never would have taken us seriously."
Cat nodded. "I do admit, if Ralph had come to me and said 'Cat, honey, listen, I want to write a story about Church Junior's luck with the ladies,' I probably would have said no."
"But it's how the reporter tells the story that's interesting."
"The idea that his love life is reflective in how the company is run. I can't say that's ever been argued before. What can we do with it?"
"Right now? Nothing. If I remember correctly, it goes against one of Cat Grant's many laws of good journalism," Clark commented, a wry smile on his face.
Cat shook her head. "Never be reactionary to another news organization. I know, I'm trying to circumvent my own rules. Regardless of that, I want you to make a copy of it for your files and pull it out if you ever manage to connect the dots on Church. That writer is onto something, but they came up short."
Clark flipped back to the front of the story as he stood. Glancing over the page again, he stopped.
"Something wrong, Clark?"
Clark shook his head and looked over to the editor. "No, I just thought I heard a cry for help. I'm going to go copy this. I'll, ah, talk to you later."
Cat nodded as she watched him. If there was one thing she had learned well in the past year, it was the look Clark Kent assumed when he heard someone in distress.
And the disbelief that had just crossed his face as he stared at that magazine was not it.
~
"I've never noticed it before, but you have a lot of locks."
Lois glanced at the recently arrived Clark and shrugged. "You're Superman. You know the criminal element. Can you blame me?"
"15 locks?"
"You can never be too careful. What's in the bag?" Lois asked, glancing with feigned indifference at the large brown paper bag emitting wonderful smells from Clark's hands.
"Take-out."
"I figured as much. From where?"
Clark gave a noncommittal shrug very similar to Lois's earlier one. "Just a little Chinese place I know."
"Once again, I figured that. The question is, where? You are a strange one, Clark Kent, seeing as how you can leap tall buildings in a single bound and all that," Lois said as she walked towards her small kitchen.
"Leap tall buildings in a single bound, huh? Wasn't that the Time Magazine cover?"
"So you do read what the press says about Superman," Lois commented.
"It's a good thing to be informed about."
"Or you're a journalist well aware of the power your profession has over a media-hungry public."
"That too. Mu shu?"
The two reporters dug into the dinner, their early conversation and mutual hunger easing the initial awkwardness of their second meeting. As their plates emptied, the two found themselves with surprisingly little to say.
"That was really, really good. But you never answered my question. Where was it from? My guess would be some little hole-in-the-wall in China."
Clark grinned broadly. "Almost. Only insert Metropolis instead of China."
Lois shook her head. "No. There is not take out this good in Metropolis."
"Try Big Man Eddie's."
Lois's brow furrowed together. "That place? Clark, it's a dive. It's a good spot to meet sources, and that's about it."
"A Chinese family bought it two years ago."
"Oh." Lois said. It was funny how the strangest, smallest things acted as the biggest reminders of everything that had happened in the four years she had been gone.
The time between Lois's last comment and silence stretched longer and longer as Lois found herself pulled into things purposefully forgotten, and Clark watched the play of emotions over Lois's face with a concerned expression.
"Is there anything you can tell me about your story?"
Lois shook her head, all traces of nostalgia gone. "Tell me what you know."
"Not as much as I'd like. I have a lot of hunches but not enough evidence. Whatever's going on, it's well-hidden." Clark glanced at Lois, who was absently nodding. "I thought something was up after writing an article about Bill Church."
"So that's what you weren't saying." Off Clark's expression, Lois added, "I read the piece. You know, despite the fact that most reporters are too star-struck to question anything, the heavy hitters and rags still paint pretty honest pictures of the Church's, even if it is still the public side of their dirty laundry."
"You read tabloids?"
"For every story about an alien baby, there's a hidden story of real worth. Trust me."
Clark, looking unimpressed, merely nodded. "Go on."
"No. Tell me what else you know."
"A guy I talked to said CostMart knew what I was doing and that they were trying to cover their tracks."
"They suspect you?"
"Lois, I just did a huge piece on the founder of the chain. I talked to anyone who would grant me an interview. And then, based off what I could piece together, I decided to do some more follow up. Are you telling me you wouldn't at least be on guard?"
"That's not standard procedure for them," Lois said, more to herself than Clark. "It doesn't make sense. What else?"
"Cat wanted me to try and link a break in at STAR labs with Costmart."
Lois arched an eyebrow. "I forget sometimes she's a good reporter. The arrogant attitude tends to get in the way."
Clark glanced at Lois, deciding now was as good a time as any to breach the subject. "She's not the only one. I'd just like to know how the hell you managed to get your work published without anyone knowing your name."
"What?"
Clark put the photocopied story from Cosmo in front of Lois on the table. She glanced down at the story and then back on at Clark, who had a smile on his face. "Lola Dane seems to be all over the place these days."
"If you play your cards right, you can get freelance work with not much more than a name and an address to send the check."
"Cosmo?"
"Who reads Cosmo in the major news circles?"
"And who reads Cosmo for serious news?"
Lois shrugged. "I needed the money. And the story was a safe bet as far as not revealing my investigation."
"Cat could tell something was missing."
"Cat would suspect a five-year-old who colored a dog purple."
"She's right. But it's not just what you're not telling. The style is completely different than what you used to write at the Planet. You're intentionally covering your tracks."
"Wouldn't you?"
"People think you're dead. I hardly think they'll compare some Cosmo piece to a young Planet reporter who has been dead for four years."
"I don't take chances."
"You mean, you don't take chances that don't go along with your grand plan for the universe."
"Who the hell do you think you are? You come barreling into my life, demand a place in it and act offended when I don't bow down in reverence before you. My career comes first. Why is that such a hard concept for you to grasp?"
Clark opened his mouth to respond at the same time his ears picked up sirens.
"Lois, I'm really sorry, but I have to go."
Lois gave him a long look of disbelief. "What?!"
"There's a, well ..." Clark trailed off for a moment. "Fire at a warehouse."
"You can't go!"
Clark gave Lois an affectionate look. She cared. "Lois, I promise, I'll be fifteen, maybe twenty - "
"No, Clark, you can't go. How the hell are you going to explain why you were in Cincinnati? It might arose suspicion."
And once again, Clark thought to himself, Lois Lane's career comes first. "Lois, think about what you're saying. People could get hurt."
"A lot more people could get hurt if this investigation gets held up."
"That's - "
"Reality. You don't get it, do you? You have no idea the fine line I have to walk. Do you realize that even with no one knowing my identity I regularly face brushes with death?"
"It was your choice!"
"What? You think I enjoy dangling over the jaws of death on a regular basis?"
"As a matter of fact, yes, Lois, I do." Clark's hearing kicked in again. "Either way, you win. It was a false alarm."
Lois favored Clark with a snide smirk. "See, nothing to worry about."
"Not this time, but Lois, I can't help you with this investigation if you're going to prevent me - "
"Listen to me very carefully, Boy Wonder. I don't want your help. I like working alone. You offered your assistance. I took it against my better judgment. This is all on my terms, not yours. You want to help, fine, but you do that with the understanding that the caped crusader can't come flying out the woodwork whenever there's an emergency here. People will get suspicious." Lois gave Clark a long look, the crease above her forehead finally beginning to fade. "Look, I know you like to help. You made that fairly clear to me the other day. But you can't do everything. And when you're in Cincinnati, you have to pick: it's either reporting or the flying policeman."
Clark looked at Lois for a long time, not quite sure what to say. This whole conversation reminded him entirely too much of Lana instead of the other Lois. He glanced down at his feet. "I can't not use my powers."
"I'm not saying not to use your powers! I want to use your powers! They could potentially cut months off this charade! Why do you think I'm willing to let you help me? But you have to be smart about this, Clark, or you're going to ruin everything for me!"
Clark looked at Lois for a long moment, and it dawned on him that for the first time, he was seeing Lois Lane. Not a front, not some illusion he had placed upon her, but Lois Lane, this universe's Lois Lane.
And Clark Kent found that he liked this Lois Lane even better than the other one. "Ok."
If there was one thing Lois Lane had not expected, Clark noticed, it was apparently agreement. "Good." Lois nodded slowly. "Good. Let's get back to work then."
~
"What about emergencies?"
Lois glanced up from one of the many printouts Clark had brought. "What?"
Clark shrugged. "I've just been thinking about my promise not to help for run of the mill events. What about large-scale disasters that I would probably fly down for anyway? Is that fair game?"
Lois' brow furrowed. "You're still thinking about that? Clark, that false alarm was two weeks ago. We've seen each other four times since. And you're just bringing it up now?"
Clark shrugged. "I need to make sure we're clear on this. I'll ignore the small stuff, but you need to let me handle the big stuff."
Lois arched an eyebrow. "You're serious."
"Yes."
"Fine, I guess. You can go be boy wonder for the occasional big emergency. But not more than once a month."
"Lois, I can't control when disasters occur."
"I didn't say you could. Besides, how many earthquakes and avalanches do you think are going to happen in Cincinnati every thirty days?"
"Now that you said that, a lot. And what about fires or tornadoes?"
Lois rolled her eyes. "Don't be such a pessimist."
"I'd call it realist."
Lois looked at him for a moment. "I'm going to go back to my reading now. Or do you have any other ridiculous questions?"
Clark gave her a grin. "My mother always said there was no such thing as a stupid question."
Lois continued to scan the current paper in front of her as she responded. "Fine. But there is, without a doubt, such a thing as a ridiculous question."
~
"Who is she?"
Clark had barely had time to enter Cat's office and close the door when she asked the question. Somewhat taken aback, Clark found himself in the peculiar position of being speechless.
Cat gave Clark a knowing smile. "When you say you stand for truth and justice, you really mean it, huh? Can't even play dumb about a girl."
Clark snapped out of his stupor. "Cat, I've just been busy. And given that I haven't been with anyone since Lana, your question caught me off guard."
Cat gave Clark a slow nod and motioned to a chair. "Off guard, huh? I'd say that'd be a good description of your mood quite a bit recently. Or maybe head in the clouds?"
Clark, unsure what to say, rubbed the back of his neck out of habit. "Talk sense, Cat."
"How's this? In the past three weeks, I've had three editors from rival, that's right, rival, papers calling me and asking what's going on with the man of steel," Cat began, leaning back in her chair and crossing her legs, a sure sign that Clark was in for a long speech. "They want to know what's happened to the great sound bytes you used to give. You speak to a reporter anymore and you give sound bytelites - cute, huh? That's from Marcus over in New York. Last week, according to David over with the Post, you rescued a six-year-old from a house fire and were a bolt in the blue before the kid even had time to ask for an autograph. Do you want more, or do you want to try futilely defending yourself yet?"
Clark was still processing exactly why he was in Cat's office when she asked her final question. He gave a small laugh. "Cat, like I said, I've been busy. This CostMart thing is taking up a lot more time than I thought it would, and I'm still - " Clark hesitated for the barest of seconds, reminding himself that while Superman didn't lie, Clark Kent certainly could to defend a source, and that's what Lois was, he told himself, a source - "I'm still obsessing over the story about Lois. I'm trying not to, I know, but Cat, she's out there, I know she is."
Cat's grin that previously seemed designed to inform Clark she was humoring him, spread across her entire face. "I know she is, Clark. And what's better, I know that you know where she is." At Clark's attempt to explain, Cat held up a hand. "Don't try it, Clark. I've put CEOs from Fortune 500 companies who had entire groups of people lying for them in jail. Compared to people who get paid to lie professionally and don't have a moral code, you have no hope. Besides, bringing you in right now was just the icing on the cake. By my estimation, you figured out a major break in your story about, what, three weeks ago? What I can't figure out is how long it's been that you've known where she is. At least a three weeks, definitely at least a week and a half, but I'll let you explain."
TBC
