Band of Blue TOCChapter 26 Clark sped through the kitchen door and stopped himself just in time to keep from crashing into his mother.
“Mom!” He grabbed onto her arms to steady himself.
“Hi sweety. How did your date go?” She walked over to the fridge and pulled out the orange juice. Clark picked up a glass from the counter and held it out to her then he turned away.
“It was really great,” he paused, “until she slammed the door in my face at the end of the night.” He walked away while shrugging off his coat. As he hung it up he felt a hand on his arm and turned around.
“I’m sorry, honey. I know you really like her.” His mother smiled at him, sadly.
“The thing is, mom, I know she’s the one for me. Always will be. I just know it. But she doesn’t feel the same way.”
“Then why did she agree to go out with you, Clark?”
“I don’t know. I can’t figure out what’s going on in her head. She ... oh, I don’t know.” Clark ran his hand through his hair, keeping it slicked back. He let out a giant sigh and some papers neatly stacked on the kitchen table scattered, flying around the room. He super-sped to collect them up and then placed them back down again. “Sorry.” He gave his mother a lob-sided smile.
“Why don’t you take your mind off it?” She put her hand up to his cheek. He widened his eyes in understanding and blurred to the door. He turned back to look at the shock evident on his mom’s face. She still wasn’t used to the super-powered Clark but she smiled when she noticed he’d changed into his disguise.
“I’ll patrol. That will keep me focused. Thanks mom.” He stepped out onto the porch and leaped up into the sky.
Martha Kent watched her son fly away. The change in him since he found out his true heritage astounded her. But it was right. It was meant to be. Clark was definitely living up to his true potential now. She thought back to all the comments he had made about his new work colleague. She remembered the look on his face only moments ago when he revealed the outcome of his date.
As she headed upstairs to her husband she twirled her wedding ring round and round on her finger. Realising what she was doing she stopped and looked at it. Smiling, she slipped off the engagement ring and held it up.
“Is it time for you to go to someone else?” she addressed the ring.
“What was that, honey?” Jonathan called from the bedroom. Martha walked in holding out the ring.
“Just thinking that Clark may be ready for this. Although I don’t think the lucky lady is ready yet.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“I had a really nice time Clark.” Her voice trembled. “A really nice time.” She paused.
He stepped forward and dipped his head. She held her breath. Raising her head a fraction her lips touched his. She felt his hand slide round her waist and draw her closer. The breath she had been holding released slowly as she felt another hand touch her cheek. She brought her arms up to Clark’s shoulders and slid them behind. His hand travelled further up her cheek and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. He then cupped her head and drew it deeper into the kiss.
She parted her lips a little and felt his tongue trail lightly along her top lip. A shiver travelled up her spine and her whole body felt like it was humming with a tiny current of electricity. Lois felt empty when Clark pulled away but she opened her eyes to see him smiling.
“How about that coffee?” His deep, sexy voice was irresistible. She smiled back.
“Come in.” Lois woke up, sat up and swivelled her legs round to sit on the side of the bed. She glanced at the alarm clock. The blinking red numbers mocked her. She put her head in her hands.
That could so easily have been what happened. I could have let him ... Why didn’t I let him? She stood up and wandered through to the kitchen. She poured herself a glass of orange and wandered out to her small balcony. It was a warm night but a small breeze blew around her. She looked up to the dark sky trying to pick out the stars through the glow of the city lights.
Lowering herself into one of the balcony chairs she picked up her legs and rested them on the opposite chair; the one Superman had sat on for his interview. She tipped back her head and searched the sky for the spot that he had indicated was his home. Krypton. It was gone now, but it had been ... there. Lois stared at the empty spot and felt sad. When Superman had first revealed to her that he was the last survivor of a destroyed planet she had felt an empathic loss for him. She’d thought that he must be terribly lonely. She’d even secretly hoped that he would turn to her for comfort. But as she studied that blank area of space she realised she had it all wrong. He did have people in his life, he wasn’t lonely. He hadn’t even known life on that planet. But, knowing him, he probably did still feel the loss.
She stood up and finished off her orange juice, preparing to go back to bed and try and get a few more hours sleep. As she turned she heard an alarm going off down the street. She peered over the edge of her balcony just in time to see a red and blue streak fly past in the direction of the screeching sound.
“Go get em!” she whispered.
Why didn’t I let him kiss me? she chided herself as she walked back to bed.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Coming,” Chloe called when she was woken late Sunday morning by a consistent rat-tat at the door. She stumbled towards the apartment door, fighting with the arms to her dressing gown, silently cursing whoever had woken her only three hours into her sleep. Glancing at the time as she opened the door she changed her cursing from the visitor to Ollie. It was his fault that she hadn’t got to bed till the sun was already rising this morning.
“Lois!” she shouted in shock.
“Hey cuz,” came the reply as Lois breezed past her into the apartment.
“Er, what are you doing here?” asked Chloe, tentatively, dreading the answer.
“Well, I’m here for some explain-o.” Lois glanced up and down Chloe’s attire. “Late night?” she asked, suggestively.
Chloe closed the door and waited to hear the click of the latch before answering. “Not particularly.” She turned round to look Lois in the eye. “Just got caught up with stuff.”
“Stuff, eh?” Lois raised an eyebrow. “More like ‘Hot Stuff’.” She stepped forwards. “Come on Chloe. You know why I’m here. Oliver Queen? How?” She shook her head in disbelief. “When?” She raised her hands in question.
Chloe hung her head. There was no getting out of this. “There’s no way I can convince you it wasn’t me?” she asked in a hopeful voice.
Lois put her hands on her hips and glared.
“I guess not.” She strode past Lois into the kitchen and began to make a coffee. “It’s not what you think. I’m just doing a little, simple work for him.”
Simple indeed! There was nothing simple about last night’s operation. Lois strode into the kitchen behind her, hands still on hips. “Work! Chloe, you’re an aspiring novelist. What kind of work can you be doing for Queen Industries.”
Chloe dropped coffee grounds into a cup then let the spoon clatter to the counter. “It’s just some computer stuff. You know I’m good with computers.”
“Right. So, how did you even meet him?” Lois’s tone was like a stern older sister. Chloe found it hard to keep cool.
“Just, er ... It’s complicated.”
“Complicated? How complicated can it be. You met the guy, he asks you to work for him. How does that happen? How does a small town writer meet a billionaire playboy?” Lois planted a hand on the kitchen counter.
“Please, Lois. Just believe me. It’s complicated.”
“Yeah.” She paused. “Actually I can understand complicated. I have enough of it in my life at the moment.”
Chloe squinted her eyes. “Really?” Lois turned away and went quiet. Chloe grabbed onto this chance to change the conversation. She walked round the counter and planted herself in front of her cousin. “What’s complicated, Lois?” She tried to make her tone soothing and inviting, hoping that she would open up.
“Clark.” Lois looked away. “And Superman.”
Chloe took Lois’s arm and led her to the couch. The both sat down and Chloe waited in silence.
Lois ... quiet ... it’s not normal. “Lois? Want to talk about it?” She finally turned and looked directly at Chloe.
“Clark took me out last night.” She turned away again. “We had a really nice meal out but I ...”
“Lois. What happened?”
“I shut him out.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m confused. The idea of a relationship with Clark. It’s complicated.”
Chloe decided to voice some thoughts and get at the truth. “Is this because of Superman?” Lois turned to look at her again, panic in her eyes. She stood and headed for the door. “Lois. Clark thinks you have feelings for Superman.” Lois stopped but didn’t turn round. “Lois. Are you in love with Superman?”
“Yes.”
Chloe heard Lois’s quiet reply and felt her heart break a little for her best friend. “And what about Clark?”
Lois turned slowly. “Chloe! He’s your best friend. Surely you know.” Then she opened the door and strode out of the apartment.
Chloe stared at the open door and frowned.
Know what? That made no sense at all. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Lois made it all the way back to her apartment before it hit her that Chloe had managed to evade the interrogation. She was still no closer to understanding what was going on between her little cousin and the world’s most eligible, handsome bachelor. She threw her bag down on the couch and groaned.
“What’s up with me? Just the name Superman, just the thought of Clark and I lose all sense.” Lois walked into her bedroom and picked up the distorted bullet which had changed her life. She dropped the misshapen metal in shock when the phone rang. Reaching over for the bedside phone she answered as quickly as she could.
“Hi Lo. It’s your father.”
Lois expelled a relieved breath. “Daddy.” She smiled and sat on the edge of her bed. “How are you?”
“I’m fine. Just wanted to let you know that I’m being transferred to Fort Ryan. Desk job for six months. Completely unnecessary if you ask me but that’s my orders.”
“I’ll come visit you soon, daddy.”
“Sure, Lois.” She could hear the slightest hint of happiness in his tone. It took years for Lois to recognise the emotions that her father hid.
“Daddy!” she called out quickly before he finished hanging up.
“Yes Lo?”
“How ... how did mom cope? You know, you ... going off to save the world.” Lois felt her voice waver and her heartbeat speed up. When there was no answer she wondered if she’d caught him in time. “Daddy?”
“Sweetheart. Your mom.” General Sam Lane paused. Lois heard him cough before continuing. “She was perfect for me. She coped because she had to, otherwise we couldn’t be together. It was destiny. I loved your mother more than life itself but, unfortunately, life wasn’t enough and in the end it was her that was taken away, not me.” He coughed again, trying to get his emotions under control. “Come visit soon Lo. Bye.”
Lois put the phone down and stared out of the window.
If I was to let this relationship happen, could I cope? I saw what mom was like once dad had gone. Yes she coped, but she found it hard, and it was often just an act until daddy had left the house. She stood and, after putting back the phone, she searched the floor for the dropped bullet. When it wasn’t immediately found she began to panic. Getting down on her knees she patted every inch of the carpet eventually finding it a few inches under the bed. She stood and looked at it again.
I’m not strong like her. I don’t think I could cope with watching Clark go off to save the world. I can be a friend. Yes. I’ll support him as a friend. I’ll be his best friend. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
You know that the comments are over
here.
