Previously - Chapter 25 ***
Chapter 26 ***
Papa loves mambo,
Mama loves mambo,
Havin' their fling again, younger than Spring again
Feelin' that zing again, wow! Jimmy danced with the music but stopped abruptly when he saw Perry glaring at him from behind his desk.
“Let’s face it, Jimmy.” Perry sounded defeated. “This just isn’t going to work. This isn’t even his song.”
“No, Chief, I don’t think it has to be Nat King Cole’s song. ‘Joe Turner Blues’ wasn’t by him either. We just have to find the right song.”
Just a few hours ago, Jimmy had only been following a story about patients who had recalled their memories after listening to a particular Nat King Cole song only to find with the playing of the song that followed it that he himself – and everyone else in the world, it seemed – were part of this story that was growing exponentially with each new piece of information found.
They’d been listening to Nat King Cole for hours now, anything they could find. Jimmy insisted on keeping the music playing, believing that eventually Perry would recover his own memories. Perry was being a good sport, but Jimmy had to admit that only the return of his own memories would convince him that the impressions of the generous, philanthropic, upstanding nature that he’d associated with Lex Luthor were very wrong.
Over the past few hours, memories continued to surface for himself and as they did, Jimmy became more and more aware of the predicament they were in. As a result, he had begged mercilessly, and now Inspector William Henderson was on his way. He didn’t understand what had happened, let alone how, but if even a smidgeon of what he remembered about Mr. Luthor was true, he at least understood
why. And that would mean that Lois and Clark, neither of which he’d seen in months, were in serious trouble.
“Jimmy,” Perry spoke, leveling a stern look at him, “There is no way the hard-hitting Editor-in-Chief of the best newspaper in the country has
forgotten the past two years
and been duped into believing something else. How could that be true for the rest of the country either?”
If I give my heart to you
Will you handle it with care?
Will you always treat me tenderly? “I don’t know.” Jimmy wasn’t deterred, but he was interrupted by Inspector Henderson
Dressed in the most casual clothing Jimmy had seen him in and with disheveled hair, the inspector didn’t bother to knock before entering Perry’s office. “What’s this about?” he practically yelled at them. “And how could it possibly be so important that it couldn’t wait the few hours until morning?”
“Inspector,” Jimmy began, “Lois is in trouble!”
Henderson only raised his eyebrows. “I’m going to need a bit more to go on, Jimmy,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Right.” Jimmy took a deep breath, collecting his thoughts before beginning. “Lex Luthor has done something to her, to everyone really, but no one knows. I’m sure he hasn’t hurt her, but we’ve got to get to her and undo it.” Jimmy shook his head. That had sounded better before he said it, but the look on Inspector Henderson’s face left no question about how useless it really was.
“He’s tellin’ the truth.”
Jimmy and Inspector Henderson turned at the same time to face Perry who was still seated in the chair at his desk. His hands were flattened on the desktop and that determined look that Perry got when he knew his reporters were on to something big spread across his face. Jimmy smiled. “You remembered?”
“Only bits.” Perry stood and walked around the table to Henderson. “But I can definitely tell you it’s a
big mess that won’t be easy to fix.”
“You can’t be serious.” Henderson crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Perry. “Lane’s been married to Luthor for two years-”
“No, she hasn’t,” Jimmy cut in. “I think everything changed when Superman left.”
“He’s right,” Perry agreed. “That monster has taken Lois and he’s got everything outta whack.”
“What’s he done?” Henderson asked, leaning against Perry’s desk and crossing his feet at the ankles.
“I’m not sure, but everything I thought was true is a bunch of phooey. Up until Superman left, Lois worked here with Clark Kent. She never married Luthor. Instead, we, the three of us and Clark, proved he was behind the destruction of the Daily Planet.”
“Who’s this Kent?” Henderson shook his head briefly, his brows drawing into a deep frown. “Did you say Luthor destroyed the Daily Planet?”
“I know it’s hard to believe and even I didn’t until just a few minutes ago. You’ll remember eventually, but we gotta send someone to check on her and not let anyone know what we’re up to.”
“Look, White,” Henderson started, and Jimmy felt his hope dwindle, “You have to see how ridiculous this sounds-”
“Boy, you got that right,” Perry said under his breath.
Henderson stopped to shake his head and sigh. “But the Planet has always been on our side. I’ll give you one car, and you’ll need to go with it.” He reached for Perry’s phone and began dialing.
“Now all we have to do is get him-” Perry thumbed toward the inspector, “-to listen to some Nat King Cole.” He chuckled, and Jimmy smiled. “Thanks, kid.”
“Ok, car’s on its way here. Anything else you need from me?” Henderson asked, walking to the door.
“Yeah,” Jimmy said. He walked over to the CD player and removed the disc. Putting it back in its case and grabbing the others on the shelf, he took them to Henderson. “Listen to these… but
not while you’re driving.”
***
She had been lying to him, playing a part. She was part of the trap. Clark wasn’t able to stop the self-deprecating thoughts that came. They were second nature. He
was a failure and always would be. All he ever did was mess things up. And it was happening
again. He’d trusted the wrong person
again.
But then he caught the quiet acknowledgement of what he’d said. And it changed the directions of his thoughts. Did she know something was up? Even if she didn’t have access to those memories, did that single word,
unforgettable, have a deeper meaning for her?
She turned, and he saw the confusion in her face. She wanted to ask something, but the opening door stopped her, and unease settled on her features. And though he couldn’t explain it any better yet, protectiveness for this woman surged through him.
Until that moment, Clark hadn’t realized how well adjusted to the darkness he’d become or how much he was willing to trust Lois despite the guilt he felt over something he was coming to believe never happened. The light pouring from the doorway behind Lois cast a halo around her but the expression on her face was anything but that of an angel.
“Lex?” she started, her eyes lingering on Clark before she turned to face the man looming behind her.
“Lois, darling,” he crooned. “I was beginning to worry.” The man held his hand out for Lois and Clark saw her hesitate for a split second before taking it. Taking the last steps, she left Clark alone in the staircase to decide what he would do and stood facing Lex as he handed her something too small for him to see. He realized they were rings when, following a nearly imperceptible shake of her head, Lex placed them on the ring finger of her left hand. He then ushered her into the room.
“Kent,” Lex sneered, turning to him. “Do come in.” He gestured to Clark as if he were inviting him in for a tea and light conversation, but his eyes gave him away. Clark wondered if Lois saw it, too, but she had already disappeared into the room beyond Lex.
Clark was out of time, no turning back. With new resolve, he stepped onto the first step of the staircase. The only way this mess would ever be over and done with required him to take risks. Huge, enormous, frightening risks. But after coming face to face with Lex Luthor, he knew she needed him. And he no longer cared whether she wanted him or not.
“Luthor,” he greeted. He stepped out of the stairway and into a large, but cozy and very blue home library.
He stood several feet behind a comfy white couch that sat facing a coffee table. Plush white chairs made another sitting area on the other side of the room and a large oriental rug separated the two sitting areas. Shelves made up three of the walls, the fourth, to his right, interspersed with windows that looked out into the cold early morning. He could tell the windows faced east from the smallest hint of day light that edged the horizon and wondered how much time had passed since he entered the house on the bluff. There was just enough light to see a dusting of snow now covered the landscape, detracting from the cozy feel of the room.
Drawing his attention back to the task at hand, Clark pulled up all the lyrics from Nat King Cole songs in his mind. He would say as many as he could, hoping one of them would work for Lois. It
had to work, and he would put off considering what he would do if it didn’t until later.
“It’s time we all had a talk, Kent.” Luthor’s smug smile grated on Clark and he fisted his hands at his sides where he stood just inside the doorway. Lex was nearly in the middle of the large room with Lois tucked just behind his right side, her hand in his. The smugness all but disappeared when he turned to Lois and said, “Isn’t that right, Darling?”
Her wide eyes and slightly opened mouth tugged once more at his protectiveness and he waited for her to speak, but no words came forth. She looked uneasy, confused. A slight frown took over her face when she looked to him and she inclined her head as if to nod.
“It has become clear to me that we can’t keep going on like this.” Lex began, turning to face Clark and putting himself in front of Lois.
“
Answer me, oh, my love, just what sin have I been guilty of?” Clark said the lyrics, keeping his eyes on Lois. Would Lois recognize it as well? The increase in her frown could have been a yes or a no.
Unforgettable was a familiar song to anyone. This one was a bit more obscure, a fact he hoped would allow him to continue to spout lyrics without questioning from Lex. Surely if Lex realized what Clark was doing, he would be stopped, and there was no telling which song would do the trick.
“Do not address her in that manner,” Lex said, glaring. He assumed a protective stance and fisted hands. “You must give up this fight.”
Clark kept his eyes fixed on Lois, wondering what story Lex had fabricated for her. Her face held such confusion and worry but he could not tell if it was concern for him or concern for whatever lie she’d been told. “I will never give up,” he said, realizing the truth of the words as he spoke them. “
To the ends of the earth, I'll follow my star, To the ends of the earth, Just to be where you are.” And the lyrics meant precisely what he intended to say.
Lois’s brows could not be more drawn. Clark was thankful that her position slightly behind Lex prevented the madman noticing her state.
“I gave you the chance to live your life separate from ours, but you have chosen instead to ruin it.”
“What chance did you ever give me?” Clark asked. “
I am dejected. I am depressed. Yet resurrected and sailing the crest.”
“I’m glad to know that,” Lex said with a pleased look on his face. “Though, I had no idea you were such a poet, Kent.”
Clark smiled inwardly at the great invitation Lex didn’t even realize he’d given. “
Poets often use many words to say a simple thing. It takes thought and time and rhyme, to make a poem sing.”
Lex narrowed his eyes and moved to step directly in front of Lois. Clark moved his eyes to Luthor and allowed a short, angry laugh to escape him before he continued. “I’m depressed about something that never happened.” Then switching his eyes back to Lois, he said, “
You know the feeling of something half remembered, of something that never happened, yet you recall it well.”
She mouthed the words, ‘Nat King Cole,’ and reward Clark with a small nod and raising of her eyebrows.
Clark inwardly sighed in relief. She recognized what he was doing, at least in part, and it renewed his resolve to stay the course.
***
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