TOC ~
Part 6
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Alt-Metropolis – September 16, 1983
“Intimacy”
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“Give it up, Lois. He’s never going to notice you. At least not in the way you want.”
Lois finished touching up her mascara and leaned back from the mirror, taking in her entire reflection. She looked good. She smoothed the red satin over her hip and twisted to see how the material looked draped across her backside and smiled. She looked really good. Staff Sargent Browning wasn’t going to know what hit him.
“I don’t know what you see in him anyway.”
“Are you kidding?” Lois chuckled as she adjusted her straps. “I’m not sure what you look at when we watch K Squad drill, but his biceps are one of the highlights of my day.”
“He’s conceited and rude. Biceps can’t make up for being a jerk.”
Lois picked up her clutch and turned around. She sauntered toward Star and winked. “Maybe not, but I’m willing to risk it for a nice...”
Star squeaked as Lois pinched her bottom on her way out the door. Star opened her mouth to warn her again and then closed it. It wouldn’t do any good, not when Lois had already made up her mind. Lois’s abilities were ten times more powerful than her own, but for some reason she hadn’t learned how to see the truth, that people, especially men, were self-centered, greedy pigs.
Star shook her head. She already knew how Sgt. Browning would act tonight when Lois threw herself at him in that red dress. It was not going to be pretty.
~ - ~
Star jumped and dropped her book when the dorm room door slammed shut. Star set her book aside and watched Lois turn the lock and then slam her hand against the wall before leaning her back against the door and sliding to the ground. Star slid off her bed and ran to Lois. She wrapped her arms around her and hugged Lois’s trembling form to her own. Star reached out psychically to Lois the way she’d been practicing but still couldn’t tell if Lois was furious, scared, or hurt.
“Lois? Are you okay?”
It took Lois a minute to respond to Star’s question. “You were right about Staff Sgt. Browning, Star. He is definitely a pig.”
“I knew it,” Star exclaimed. She grimaced and then asked, “What did he do?”
“Nothing … really, but he tried. We met near the gatehouse like he’d suggested and we hopped into the MP’s jeep. He told me he was going to take me to dinner, but he only drove a short distance before pulling off the road. I decided to find out what he was thinking before he actually tried anything.” Lois chuckled low and shook her head. “I knew he’d seen me around. He’d talked with me and expressed interest and I thought … It didn’t matter what I thought. He didn’t even want to get to know me, Star, just saw me as an easy lay, an innocent and naïve little sixteen-year-old girl.” Lois shook her head again. “You know, he was planning on ‘sharing’ me with the squad, too.”
“I’m sorry, Lois. Men stink.” Star shook her head in disgust.
“Not all men. After hearing about your mom’s boyfriends, I understand why you think that, but they aren’t all bad.”
Star shrugged and shook her head. “I wish you would have listened to me.”
Lois hugged her friend back and then a devilish smile crept across her face. “Oh, I did. I took one of Mensa’s experimental Tasers with me, just in case. Sgt. Browning came on pretty strong and as soon as he went for his pants, I just …” Lois made a sizzling sound and swung one hand upward to demonstrate.
Star burst out laughing. “You didn’t!”
Lois smiled in return. “I did. I left him unconscious on the hill behind some bushes and drove back to base. There will be no sex – or walking for that matter – for Staff Sergeant Browning tonight.”
~ - ~
Alt-Metropolis – July, 3, 1997
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Lois paced her apartment as she waited. Clark would be arriving any minute and she still had no idea how this meeting would go. Unable to focus on her work earlier, she had done some serious soul searching trying to reconcile her expectations and the reality. She couldn’t shake the feeling that Clark was her best friend, but after this morning, she knew that her perspective wasn’t universal. He obviously didn’t feel the connection with her that Lois had felt her whole life.
No matter how close Lois felt to Clark, she was a stranger to him. She had come to the realization that it wasn’t fair to expect Clark to love her without having a chance to get to know her. It still hurt, but she was determined to start again as strangers and get to know one another like regular people. Maybe, just maybe, they still had a chance to become friends.
Lois mentally went over her list again. She’d placed all of her story notes regarding the murder/abductions on the coffee table and after a moment of indecision, set her ‘Clark’ file next to it. She glanced around her apartment, noting that it was spotless, she’d made a fresh pot of coffee, put a plate of cheese and crackers she’d picked up at the corner deli store on the counter, and she’d changed her clothes three times already.
She looked down at the low cut blouse and tight skirt she’d put on and huffed in annoyance at herself. What was she, sixteen? This was a work assignment, not a clumsy, teenage attempt at attracting a guy. She ran into her bedroom and began changing into a simple t-shirt and jeans while she continued to fret about her interactions with Clark earlier.
Lois hated the taste of crow, but she’d kept her promise. The op-ed piece she had crafted didn’t dance around the fact that she was to blame for the spectacle they’d made at the press conference. She’d officially apologized and pledged that she would accept any consequences for her ‘paparazzi-style’ harassment of Clark Kent out of uniform. Most importantly, though, was that she’d taken the opportunity to express her admiration for a man that lived the life he chose. Whether inspiring change through investigative journalism in a suit and tie or performing altruistic superhuman feats in a suit and cape, Clark Kent was truly a hero and something to which they all could aspire.
Lois dropped her head into her hands. If there were any way to undo the past twelve hours, she would do it in a Metropolis minute. Today’s roller coaster ride had taken her from the joy and nervous anticipation of Clark’s return and their first meeting to the overwhelming disappointment and heartache of his rejection. If that wasn’t enough, she’d thrown public and shameful accusations at the one man she desperately wanted to love her, only to discover that she now faced the terrifying prospect of going undercover as his fiancé.
How in the world were they going to create a believable cover when he was so obviously uncomfortable in her presence? Lois dropped onto her sofa and sighed. Actually, she already knew what to do; the question was whether she had the courage to do it. Could she make herself vulnerable to Clark by telling him everything? And if she did share every intimate detail about herself, then how was she going to maintain her distance when she was so obviously attracted to him? Lois shook her head as she remembered what had happened just before leaving the newsroom today.
After submitting the day’s stories to Cat, Lois had started packing up for the day. As she had shut down her computer, she had found her gaze drifting, unbidden, past her monitor to linger on Clark as he also finished up his stories before deadline. She had studied his face for a moment and then her eyes had traveled down his broad shoulders to pause at his upper arms. She had a thing for strong biceps and, my god, she hadn’t ever seen a pair more defined.
“Mmm, mmmh,” Star had whispered in her ear, “Now those biceps puts Staff Sgt. Trevor L. Browning’s to wimpy shame!”
“Star!”
“Oh, please. Tell me you weren’t just thinking the same thing.”
Lois had studied Clark’s figure again as he reached across his desk. “I think any of his features would put Sgt. Browning to shame,” Lois had whispered, “some more than others...”
They had watched as Clark stood up from his chair and then bent over to pick up a loose paper that had slipped to the floor. Her sigh had caught Clark’s attention and both women had looked away immediately in different directions. Lois’s cheeks had still been burning brightly when Clark had approached her desk and cleared his throat.
“Excuse me, Ms. Lane? I wonder if we could talk about that joint assignment we received earlier?”
Star had caught her eye, winked knowingly, and said goodbye. After Star was out of earshot, Lois had swallowed nervously and suggested she come to Clark’s place later to work out the details, but he had immediately countered that it would be more inconspicuous if he met her at her place.
The encounter had been businesslike, awkward, and stiff. She knew they needed to meet somewhere in the middle, somewhere he didn’t resent her for not being the woman he loved and where she didn’t become the irrational woman scorned. If not, then they were doomed.
A knock at the door startled her from her musings. Lois nervously wiped her hands on her pant legs and after a moment’s hesitation, put on a foil-lined headscarf. She did *not* want to be distracted by wayward thoughts or emotions tonight. It was going to be hard enough to expose her motives, her past, and her abilities in an attempt to establish rapport with Clark after the rough start they’d had. After praying silently for help, she opened the door.
Lois’s heart thumped a staccato beat as she took in Clark’s figure in her doorway. For the briefest moment, she fantasized that he was here to share a romantic evening together, but she viciously shut those thoughts down. They could only lead to heartache.
Clark was still dressed in his work clothes, but he had shed his jacket and rolled his sleeves up to his elbow. Lois noted absently that he carried a manila folder, presumably with his own notes on the case, but it was his stiff body language and grim expression that garnered her attention. Another pang of sad regret shot through her. This was not going to be easy.
Just meet him where he is, Lois, she told herself. Right. Businesslike. She’d start this evening like a regular work assignment or interview. After that, it was up to her to be brave. Lois swung the door open wide and motioned for him to enter. “Mr. Kent. Thank you for coming. Won’t you please come in?”
Clark hesitated for a fraction of a second and then moved gracefully into the room. He took a quick look around and then sat on her sofa. Settling on the edge of the seat, Clark set his folder down and picked up the serial celebrity murder file to flip through it. Lois sat down opposite him in an armchair.
“Would you like some coffee?”
“No, thank you, Ms. Lane. Shall we begin?”
She nodded and pointed to the file in his hand. “I added a few details to the file from this morning. I already had interviews scheduled today with Ms. Dolcheck’s boss and Karina Barnhold’s family. I added my notes to the file, but other than the fact that they both used wedding planners – not the same one – I couldn’t find a connection between them.
Clark nodded and after skimming the mentioned documents, he pulled two sheets of paper from his own file and handed them to her. “I flew to Europe today and talked with Mr. Paget’s mother in Provence and Ms. Dolcheck’s sister in Prague. My notes are there, but neither had anything to add to the case. I offered our condolences to Madam Paget.”
Lois’s eyes widened at his casual mention of flying to Europe and wished for the thousandth time today that things were different between them. “I reviewed all of my notes on each of the abductees and victims. Other than their celebrity status, I still can’t find a link between them, but my instincts are screaming that there’s something else.”
“I did some research in the morgue today and cross-checked our references on the deceased men. They had different careers in sports, food, and music. They came from France, Minnesota, and Metropolis. No similarities in race, religion, education, or hobbies. The Planet features in the Society section gave basic information about the couples and their engagements, but the articles didn’t show any other connections.
Lois nodded and a strained silence settled between them. She glanced at her ‘Clark’ file and taking a deep breath, decided to talk about the elephant in the room. She picked up the file and pulled a single sheet from it. She handed it to Clark.
“Mr. Kent,” she snorted and looked at the ceiling. “Gosh, calling you that sounds so formal and distant. Clark. May I call you Clark?” She didn’t wait for a response. “Given the circumstances of our assignment, I’m going to *have* to call you by your first name.” She chuckled nervously at her babble and then stood up and started to pace.
“First of all, I wanted show you the Op-Ed article that I wrote for tomorrow’s paper. Cat assured me that she’d run it alongside any follow-up articles on the press-conference debacle that we … that *I* caused this morning. I … I know it won’t erase what happened, but I hope it alleviates some of the damage I caused today.”
Lois paused at the window while Clark read the editorial she’d written.
Clark skimmed the article quickly and then started again, reading more slowly. He finished reading it and looked up at her. His expression had softened and he seemed mollified.
“It’s … not your usual style.”
Lois chuckled nervously and turned to face him. “You can say that again. But it’s the truth. All of it.”
“Thank you, Ms. Lane. Lois. I appreciate what you’ve written.”
Lois released a relieved breath and went back to the sofa. She held out the rest of the thick file to him. He opened it and flipped through a couple of pages before looking up in question.
“The rest of this file is my investigation of you,” Lois answered. “After my return to Metropolis and after we finally put Luthor behind bars, I did my best to find out everything about you. I’ve read every piece you’ve ever written,” she smirked a little. “Even the article on the mating rituals of the knobbed-tailed gecko. You’re a great writer; a little touchy-feely for my taste, but it’s clear to see why Perry, Cat, and James hold you in such high regard as a journalist.
“I also spoke to as many people as I could about you; people in your neighborhood, at the Daily Planet, from your hometown and college. Most people were very complimentary and open with any information they had. Talking with Lana Lang, for your information, was a less than pleasant experience.”
Clark continued to look through the file and didn’t look up at her reference to Lana, but Lois did see the corner of his mouth turn up slightly. She continued. “So that’s what I’ve done. Now I’d like to explain my motivation for doing it. After learning that you’d spent a considerable amount of time looking for me, I was curious about you and about the woman claiming to be Lois Lane.”
Clark’s eyes snapped up from the file then, but his expression was inscrutable. Lois decided to press on. “Of course, I watched the Mayoral Debate tapes and read the accounts of your ‘debut’, as James called it. I am aware of the story that you and Perry put out about this woman, that it was a doppelganger playing a part in order to expose Tempus.”
Lois sat down again across from him and leaned forward earnestly. “I want to make it perfectly clear that I know this woman *was* Lois Lane. Another Lois Lane from a different dimension. How could she not be? Her appearance, her mannerisms, they were too exact for an actress, especially since I’d been missing for three years. Memory fades and before my trip to the Congo, I had worked very hard to keep myself away from cameras. As far-fetched as the idea was, an alternate dimension was the only explanation that made sense. Crazy? Yes. Impossible? I’ve experienced the improbable and you’re living proof that nothing is impossible.”
“I suspected that Perry knew the truth, so I went to him with my wild theory of an alternate dimension. Perry tried to keep your confidence, but when I told him that I already knew that this woman was ‘me’ from another dimension, his response was the confirmation I needed.”
Lois took another deep breath. “I also know that your recent absence wasn’t to another world, as the press releases made it sound. I know that you crossed over into another dimension, *her* dimension, to help her find her husband, another version of you.”
She watched Clark’s reaction. He stared back at her and she saw a myriad of emotions flash across his face. He did a very good job at schooling his features, though, so she didn’t know what he was feeling. Lois was tempted to pull off her scarf, but resisted the impulse to spy on him. Clark finally responded with a careful question in return.
“Why are you telling me this?”
“I wanted you to know how much I have studied your life and how I learned the things I know. Given the fact that we are partners in this investigation and that a certain amount of intimacy will be necessary in order to be believable as an engaged couple, you needed to know.”
Lois saw Clark flinch at her use of the word ‘intimacy’ and felt a pang of sadness twist her heart. She swallowed a lump in her throat. “I’m not her, Clark, but I’m here. This *is* my place, my world, and my investigation. Before today, I honestly felt like I knew you, but I also know that without hearing the little details that make up your life, I can’t really. Please know that I hold you in the highest regard, not just for what you do, but also for who you are.”
She took another deep breath and swallowed her fear. “I find it incredibly surreal that alternate dimensions exist and that another me is married to another you, that under different circumstances, we might have been …” Lois swallowed the thought and shook her head. “However, our circumstances aren’t the same. We are different people. If we’re to work together, you and I, we need to figure out a way to be believable when we go undercover. I’m hoping that you’ll find me to be a good colleague and that someday we might even be friends.”
~
Clark stared at Lois for what seemed like a long time. He wasn’t particularly shocked by this Lois’s thorough investigation of him and his life, but to say that he was simply surprised by her candor was a gross understatement. He’d been monitoring her vitals while she’d been speaking and he knew she was telling him the truth. He had listened as her heart beat raced and had felt her temperature rise. What she had said wasn’t easy for her, but for some reason he didn’t have a sense for what she was actually feeling. It was something he took for granted, that he had a good sense about people. This woman was an intriguing enigma.
Clark had to admit to feeling genuinely touched by the Op-Ed piece she had written. He didn’t think he had ever seen someone capture his motives as closely as she had in this article. There were a few things that she had expressed so eloquently that it was almost like she’d experienced the emotions that he felt, both the joy at his ability to help and the sorrow at his inability to do more.
He looked into Lois’s eyes and lost himself in the memory of working with Lois, the other Lois, in the other dimension. The two women didn’t just look alike; he saw the same expressions, mannerisms, and vocal inflections. Love, sadness, longing, determination, loyalty; the similarities took his breath away.
Now he sat face to face with his world’s Lois. Could he ever see her without being reminded of the love he’d lost? The other Lois held a piece of his soul and he still doubted that he would ever recover from its loss. This Lois was truly an amazing person – he could see that already. She’d been honest about her motives, her actions, and had hinted at feelings that he couldn’t return. She deserved the same honesty from him.
“I fell in love with her.”
“I know,” she said.
“I will probably always love her.” He saw tears spring to her eyes and felt a pang of guilt.
“I know that, too.”
Clark hung his head. Was he strong enough to set aside the pain of losing his love to work closely with a daily reminder of that loss? Last night he had vowed that nothing compared to Lois’s eyes, that his strength might not be enough to stay away if the other Lois called. He looked again at the Lois in front of him. The acceptance and faith he saw there wasn’t reminiscent of the other Lois, it was somehow … more. And it didn’t hurt the way he thought it would. In time, he could even see them becoming friends as she hoped.
Clark reached down and slid his file folder across the coffee table to her. “This file is my investigation of you. Why don’t you look through it while I get us some coffee, then we can start filling in the blanks with those little details you mentioned. Then we can really get to know one another.”
~ - ~
TBC
