Fly Hard - Matchmaker Style
Rated PG-13
* * denotes emphasis
< > denotes thoughts
As always comments are welcome. (ken.janney@kjanney.com)
Previously
When Clark returned to Lois he climbed into the passenger seat and they headed out. "Okay, I delivered Nigel to the safe house, now it's up to Bill. I don't think it will take Luthor long to miss his assistant so we have to make our plans quickly. Let's go back to the apartment. I need to grab some clothes"
"I hope you know what you're doing."
"Clark Kent has to disappear. You're going to write an article saying that I'm missing and presumed dead. We'll have to tell Bill what we're doing so that he can give a search lip service and not waste department resources, but it still has to be on the blotter so that Luthor's sources in the MPD can inform him. This is where we can use them to feed Luthor false information. You drop me off. I'll pack and meet you at Lucy's."
"Okay, but I don't like this idea. I miss you already and you're sitting here beside me.”
"It'll work out, Lois. It has to. This is our best chance to get the real goods on Luthor."
"Well, it won't take much acting ability on my part. I'm going to miss you so much it will look like I'm in mourning."
"When I meet you at Lucy's, we'll tell her The Secret and explain what's happening and enlist her aid. I should pose as her new boyfriend, Charlie King."
"As long as she doesn't try to take advantage of the situation. She's had her eye on you since you started at the Planet."
And Now:
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter 10
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
A little later, Lois popped in on Lucy, unexpectedly. "Hi, Sis, what brings you around?" Looking beyond her sister, Lucy saw her brother-in-law and he had a couple of suitcases in hand.
"Hi, Luce, we need your help."
Lucy quirked an eyebrow and said, "Don't tell me you're kicking him out."
Lois looked over her shoulder and laughed, "No way. Let's go inside so that we can talk."
After they were inside and the door closed they all sat on the sofas with Lois sitting next to and holding Clark's hand.
Lucy asked, "Okay, what's up, Sis?"
"Lucy, Clark has to go undercover for an investigation and we need your help."
Lucy was intrigued and asked, "How can I help?"
Clark provided the answer, "You can let me stay here and pretend to be your new live-in boyfriend."
Lucy looked back and forth between them and said in a dumbfounded tone, "You're serious?"
Lois looked her sister in the eye and said, "Deadly serious. Sis, you don't know it, but there have been a number of attempts made on Clark's life in the last couple of months."
Lucy looked from Lois to Clark in horror as Clark nodded his agreement.
Lois continued, "That's why we are here. Clark is going to pretend that the last attempt succeeded."
"Wow! Well, if I can help … sure. I'll be happy to."
Lois and Clark exchanged a look before they continued. Clark gave a nod and Lois said, "Before you answer, Luce, there's more to it. You see … there's a reason that all of these attempts have failed."
"Incompetent crooks?"
"No. Luce, Sis, there is another, better reason. We decided that we have to bring you in on a secret."
"What kind of secret?"
Lois's tone was serious as she continued, "Sis, this is a very dangerous secret. Dangerous for Clark and me, his parents, you and even Mom and Dad."
"Oh, come on Sis, what's with the melodrama? What secret could be that dangerous?"
"Trust me, Sis. This is the most well kept secret and the
most dangerous secret in the world. Right now there are only four people in the world that know it. When we tell you there will be only five."
Lucy was intrigued and also concerned, "Who are the others, besides you and Clark that is?"
Clark replied, "My Mom and Dad."
"Then this is something to do with you and … Clark?"
Lois turned to Clark and whispered, "Before we say any more, I think you need to do a sweep of the apartment. Remember what Luthor did?"
As Lucy watched, Clark slid his glasses down his nose, something she had seen him do before, and looked around the entire room. Then he said, "All clear."
Lucy was mystified, "All clear? All clear of what? Stains on the walls? What?"
Lois felt that she needed to explain so that Lucy would have a better understanding of what she was getting into. "Sis, while I, we, were away in Smallville on assignment, Lex Luthor had this apartment bugged with audio and video equipment."
Lucy started looking around with a worried expression.
Lois reached for her arm and put a calming hand on it. "Don't worry, we found them while we were repainting and had them removed by the police. Clark just checked to make sure they hadn't been reinstalled."
In a curious tone, Lucy asked, "Clark just checked? How? He hasn't left the sofa."
"That's what we came here to tell you, Sis. Look, you're a big girl now. We have to trust you to keep this secret. You can't tell anybody, in fact you can't even let on that you know this secret. If anyone even suspects that you know there are people out there that would do anything, stop at nothing, torture, truth serum, to get it from you. I feel bad about placing you in danger like this, but it can't be helped." Seeing the look of worry on Lucy's face, Lois added, "Look, if it's going to be too much just forget we said anything and we'll figure out some other way of doing this."
Lucy looked back and forth between them and firmed her resolve; this was her sister and brother-in-law. They wouldn't put her in the kind of danger Lois was talking about unless it was really necessary. Her expression changed to one of determination and she said, "I can handle it, whatever it is. Lay it on me."
Lois turned to Clark and said, "It might be easiest if you showed her."
Clark nodded and standing held out a hand to Lucy. Lucy was curious, but having made up her mind was no longer reluctant and standing allowed Clark to pick her up, cradling her the way he did when he flew Lois.
Lucy was looking at him with curiosity when things suddenly went all weird. She found that she was looking down at Lois from somewhere up near the ceiling and circling her sister while she sat on the couch. Breathlessly she said, "Oh, my. How?"
Clark floated back to the floor and eased her back to the couch.
She looked on in wonder as he removed his glasses and then spun in place, becoming first a blur of mostly gray and then changing to bright primary colors. When he finished, Superman stood in his place.
Lucy released an explosive breath and then looked at her sister accusingly. In a sibilant hiss she said, "You've been married to Superman all this time and you didn't tell me? What kind of sister are you?"
Defensively, Lois said, "The kind that loves her little sis and wants to protect her. The fewer people that know this secret the safer all of us that know it are. You're in a very exclusive club now, but you can't tell anyone, not even Mother and Daddy, especially NOT Mother, no one. It would put all of us in danger. If anyone found out, we'd never be able to lead anything like a normal life again. Criminals would try to kidnap you to force Clark to do things."
"I can see that. Don't worry, my lips are sealed."
"Okay, Clark will be living here with you in the other bedroom. He's going to wear a disguise and use the name Charlie King. We need you to talk about your new live-in boyfriend, Charlie. Complain about his drug use. That way Clark can wear sunglasses and no one would suspect a druggie of being Superman."
"How long will this be for?"
‘We aren't sure just yet."
"You mentioned the name, Lex Luthor, is he the one you're after?"
"Yep, one and the same."
Why, because he bugged your apartment?"
"It goes way beyond that, Sis. You wouldn't believe us if we told you. You'll have to wait and read about it when we are finished." Lois stood and moved to the phone.
Picking it up she dialed a number. When it was answered, she said, "Bill. Lois Lane. Got a minute? Good. Bill, here's the story. Clark is going undercover. We need you to make it look like the hit worked. We want to put out the story that Clark is missing and presumed dead. Okay, you can do that? Yeah, I'm going to be the grieving widow. It's probably better if we don't tell you. Yeah, okay. Thanks Bill. I'll be in to fill out the missing person report." As she hung up she spun her finger and Clark did a spin change back out of the Suit.
Lucy looked on as he did and her mouth was practically hanging open. It would take some time to come to terms with just who her brother-in-law was.
Lois reported to Clark, "Bill's going to take care of things on his end. I have to fill out a missing person report. He'll keep the ‘muggers' and Nigel incommunicado. They won't even see the light of day until this is over. I think we need to go fill in your parents."
Clark had been watching Lucy and saw that she was struggling to process the information that had just been dumped on her. He reached out and put a comforting hand on her shoulder and said, “It’ll all work out, Lucy. I’ll try to stay out of the way.” He chuckled and added, “I might be able to help you with your studies. Think of me as a live-in tutor.”
She gave him a weak smile and replied, “I think I’d like that.”
Clark moved his suitcases to the spare bedroom and did a quick change. When he came out he was wearing a ball cap with a leather jacket and even though it was night, sunglasses.
Lois turned to Lucy and said, "We'll be back shortly. Looks like we will be seeing a lot of each other. I plan on spending a lot of overnighters here, seeking my sister's comfort because my husband is missing."
As soon as they were out of the building they headed down the walk. Clark took them to the alley that he had been using when they lived in this neighborhood. He spun into the Suit and picking up Lois they took off for Smallville.
A few minutes later they landed in the front yard and Clark spun back out of the Suit. It was late and they knew that Martha and Jonathan would be heading off to bed soon so they moved to the door and opened it.
When the door opened unexpectedly, Martha looked up from her knitting and Jonathan put down his copy of the "Farmer's Almanac" and looked at the door as it opened.
Lois was the first to enter and Martha let out a cheery, "Hi! What brings you out at this time of night?"
Lois moved to the couch and wrapped her arms around Martha hugging her fiercely.
This only served to fuel Martha's curiosity. She asked, "Okay, what's going on?" Martha was hoping for good news, like Lois being pregnant, but she was to be disappointed.
In her anxiety, Lois started to babble, "We came out so that we could tell you what was happening and wouldn't worry. Clark is going undercover, but to do that he has to be dead so there will be a report in the paper that Clark Kent is missing and presumed dead. Bill Henderson is working with us. We're doing this so that we are free to investigate Luthor. He's tried to have Clark killed a number of times. We are going to let him think he succeeded so that Clark is free to investigate."
With a slight chuckle, Jonathan spoke up, interrupting her babble, "You want to use your old room, son?"
"Thanks, Dad, but no. I'm going to live with Lois's sister Lucy in the spare room. I'm going to pretend to be her live-in boyfriend."
Martha was worried now, "What if she sees something?"
Lois smiled and said, "We just brought her in on the secret. She took it like a champ. I think she'll be an asset to the team."
"If there's anything you need us to do, just let us know. I imagine that we'll need to come to Metropolis at some point, for a wake or something. We'll expect you here for dinner occasionally."
Lois smiled and replied, "Count on it."
Clark said, "Well, that's all we came for. We didn't want you to worry."
"We'll be fine. Thanks for letting us know."
"We didn't want you to worry, Dad." Turning to Lois, Clark said, "I guess we ought to be getting back.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
As the door closed behind them, Lois reached for Clark’s hand and whispered, “There’s no telling when we’ll be together again …” She nodded in the direction of the barn.
He smiled and picking her up flew them to the barn and up into the hayloft. After landing and before releasing her he started a kiss which she avidly accepted.
Finally breaking the kiss, he laid her in the hay and stood there staring down at her. She spun her finger and he did a spin change out of the Suit. Seeing his nude figure in the dim light his skin almost glowed as random beams of moonlight hit his skin. She licked her lips and reaching up started to unbutton her top. With each button her desire grew and along with it her frustration with how slow the process of undressing was. Finally she said, “A little help, please.”
Five seconds later, she was equally naked and he was lying in the hay next to her.
She looked around and said, “This will always be a special place for me. This is where we consummated our wedding.”
His hands were also busy stroking her legs and fondling her breasts.
This started a period of marital intimacy after which they rested.
Lois said, “That was nice.” She pulled back slightly and looked him in the face before she continued, “Promise me that we are going to be together as often as possible. Somehow, some way, we have to get together.”
“I might have to kidnap you as Superman to make that happen.”
Smiling she said, “I’m up for that, but we need to try and do it on the sly.”
“I will be at Lucy’s after all. All you have to do is visit your sister and her live in boyfriend.”
“Yeah, I’m glad that Lucy is willing to help. That should make it easier. You will tell me if she hits on you, won’t you?”
With a slight chuckle, he replied, “I don’t think you have anything to worry about. I don’t think she wants to suffer her sister’s wrath.”
“She’d better not.”
“Much as I’d like to stay here, this way all night, I think we need to get back.”
Reluctantly, Lois agreed, “Yeah, I guess the sooner we start this the sooner we get it over with and things can return to normal.”
They redressed and returned to Metropolis.
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A few minutes earlier, as Martha and Jonathan were climbing into bed; Martha heard a noise and chuckling, quipped, “Sounds like the kids are still here. I hope they don’t disturb Dottie.”
“No problem. I left her in the pasture tonight. She’ll never even know they were there.”
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A couple of days later an article appeared on the front page of the Daily Planet, below the fold:
Daily Planet Reporter Missing
By: Lois Lane
"Clark Kent, a member of the reporting staff of the Daily Planet is missing and presumed dead. He was scheduled to meet an anonymous source and never returned from the meeting. Anyone with information as to his whereabouts should contact the MPD or the Daily Planet. A reward is being offered for information leading his location.”* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
In his office on the top floor of LexTower, Lex Luthor depressed a switch on his intercom and said, "Mrs. Cox, come to my office."
A minute later, Mrs. Cox entered the office, closing the door behind her. She stopped in front of Lex's desk and waited.
He put the paper down and said, "Well, it would appear that Nigel was successful after all. Has there been any word from him?"
"No, none."
"Curiouser and curiouser. It isn't like Nigel to take a run-out-powder like that. The body of Kent disappeared. Maybe it was because Nigel transported it away and he simply hasn't returned yet. Until he returns, Mrs. Cox, I will need you to assume his duties." He shoved the paper aside and said, "Nigel was making inquiries about some inmates that were involved with a rogue government agency."
"He filled me in on that. We're getting close."
"Keep me informed. You may go. Oh, and have Andre prepare a dinner for two for this evening. You'll join me, of course."
Smiling, she replied, "Of course," and with a saucy sway of her hips she slunk out of Lex's office while he watched her backside with rapt attention.
comments go here The End
To be continued in - Barbarians at the Planet - Matchmaker Style.
