Previously - Chapter 26 ***
Chapter 27 ***
In her nearness to him, Lois caught the small yet sharp intake of breath from Lex and knew that Clark had said something that got to him, but she didn’t know what. Had he realized that Clark was quoting songs sung by Nat King Cole? Did it mean something to him? Or was it the words themselves about remembering something that took him by surprise?
It all took her by surprise. Standing there, listening to lyric after lyric of Nat King Cole songs, she had done her best to keep her thoughts and questions to herself. And she knew she’d been unsuccessful at it. The whole situation was overwhelming and she was beginning to feel tired from the lateness of the hour and a little nauseated at the stress of it all. Even her skin betrayed her as it was covered in goose flesh. Clark’s eyes were locked onto hers and she could feel him searching for something.
“It makes no difference to me why you were depressed,” Lex sneered, as he moved to block Clark once more, “only that you deserve to feel that way after everything you’ve done to Lois.” The hatred Lex had for Clark seeped from every pore of him and into his words.
“Lex, please,” she quietly interrupted, placing her hand in his. “He has not succeeded in any of his plans in over two years.”
Lois didn’t fully understand where the animosity came from, not knowing what schemes Lex had thwarted or how frequently they’d taken place. But none of them had worked and she hadn’t even known about them. They could not have been that severe. Surely, Lex’s rebuke was too much.
“I haven’t done
anything to her,” Clark asserted. “That was you.” When Lois’s eyes snapped to his, she saw his glare fixed on Lex. What did he think Lex had done?
“Everything I do is because I love her.” Those often-said words warmed her, and she squeezed his hand. As he squeezed her hand in return, he pulled her forward and held up their enfolded hands as evidence. “It should be obvious to you that she loves me and only me. We have been happily married despite you and everything you’ve done.”
Clark looked surprised at his accusation. He knew something she did not. Could he help explain that note she’d found? But why would a person who had been absent from her life for years know something about a note that she didn’t remember writing?
Clark’s eyes spoke volumes in a language she couldn’t comprehend. Though she thought she understood his purpose, she had no idea why or what the end result would be. Was he trying to help her remember something? This was a puzzle she wished she had time to figure out.
“
That's my girl. Take a look at her. She belongs to me.” More lyrics. Meant to offend the way he said them.
“No!” Lex shouted, the offense successful. He jerked her arm downward as he shouted and squeezed her hand hard enough that she winced. “I will not allow you to ruin this for me. Not after all the work I’ve put into it. Not even our ... mutual friend can stop me now.”
Mutual friend? Lois wondered who that could be.
“
Better face the facts, ol' buddy, and be prepared to take the blow.”
“On the contrary, it is you who must get ready for the blow.” Lex stepped toward him threateningly and Lois hardly recognized the man she’d married anymore. Where was the loving, affectionate, devoted husband? “I should have killed you when I had the chance,” he growled.
Lois pulled her hand from Lex’s and leveled a steely gaze on him when he turned to face her, surprise that she’d pulled from him evident in his raised eyebrows. Before she had a chance to call him out for such a statement, she heard Clark once more deliver lyrics from a familiar song.
“
There may be trouble ahead. But while there’s music and moonlight and love and romance, let’s face the music and dance.”
***
As the words left Clark’s mouth, Lex watched Lois stop completely, a confused and clouded look covering her face.
“Lois?” The rage having been temporarily pushed aside by this, Lex took her hand back, gently this time, regretting the harshness with which he had jerked her moments ago. She didn’t respond. Her mind was somewhere else. He glanced over his shoulder to where Clark stood, eyes wide. “What have you done?” he growled.
“Only what was needed.”
What an ambiguous remark. Lex was stopped from replying, however, as Lois began to crumble before him, as if her weight was too much to bear while her mind was so engaged elsewhere.
He gently guided her to the chair a few feet behind her and lowered her to it. “Lois?” he called once more.
The only response she gave was a simple shake of her head. He reached to caress her cheek, brushing a lock of her soft brown hair behind her ear. “Darling?”
Her eyes suddenly widened though it was clear that whatever she was seeing, it wasn’t him. Moments went by like this, all manner of emotions flashing across her face. Then suddenly, her body straightened, and her eyes cleared. They locked on to his and before he could register the emotions in them, she shoved him away hard, knocking him off balance, listing to his right. As he caught himself on the small table beside the chair, she brushed past him.
Had she remembered again?
He smiled when, as she reached Clark, who had come further into the room, the pain brought on by the kryptonite secreted in her wedding rings crushed him. Handing them to her just as she entered the room was brilliant on his part. She hadn’t known it was anything more than a token of his affection.
“It is as I said,” he proclaimed, laughing. “You can’t have her.” He stood up and calmly walked toward the cabinet behind the chair Lois had just left.
“What’s happening?” the pained voice of Clark asked.
“It must be kryptonite,” he heard her explain as he opened the cabinet. “You don’t remember?”
Remember? He paused, looking over his shoulder to watch them. The puzzle pieces clicked together as he played over the last few minutes in his mind. What had just happened to Lois … It had been her memory returning. Was it something Clark had done on the way here? Was it something he said, one of his poetic phrases, that had caused this? Or were those just a distraction to buy time until...
“Not everything,” rasped the pesky fly that wouldn’t go away. Lex would enjoy ridding himself of the irritant.
“
Don't you remember when I met you?” she sang quietly, reaching to touch his face. He cringed, and she drew her hand back but continued the song, “
Didn't the moon look big that night?”
Why on earth would Lois be singing to Clark? This needed to end as quickly as possible. He would kill Clark and have the procedure done once more. And then everything would go back to the way it was supposed to be. Lex with his Lois and their happy family.
He thrust his hand into the cabinet only to find it empty. Pushed beyond the limits of his patience, he released a yell and slammed the door of the cabinet closed with enough force to break it.
He stood and turned to face them in time to see that same clouded look in Clark’s eyes – a memory returning, how had it happened? – and Lois removing the rings from her finger.
He stormed from the room intent on finding the one thing he so desperately needed.
***
She reached for his face again. Despite the agony he was feeling, Clark turned his face toward her hand and brushed his lips on her palm as his vision began to fog and that nauseating sense of falling warned him of what was to come. Clark knew the signs of another memory returning and closed his eyes, thankful she was with him and wishing he were anywhere but here for this.
###
November 20, 1995
He stood facing Lois. He had prepared physically for the impending trip, but not mentally. He’d avoided thinking about it instead. Knowing he would be leaving her unprotected and alone was too much. She was just inches in front of him now, her hands warm on his chest, admiring the ring on her finger.
“I’ll miss you,” she said quietly and leaned her head forward to rest on his chin. He could hear the anguish in her voice and it broke his heart.
“I know,” he responded. He had to be strong for her. This would just be another thing to get through. He brought her further into an embrace and kissed the top of her head. He breathed in the scent of her, committing it to memory, as if it wasn’t already there.
“I wish I knew how long you’d be gone,” she said as she reached her arms around him and laid her head on his chest. “That would make this so much easier.”
“I know,” he said and squeezed her tightly to him. He couldn’t agree more. Not knowing how long this trip would take or what he would find when he got there filled him with anxiety and he hid it as well as he could.
She looked up at him then. The anguish in her eyes spoke volumes without a single word. She knew he had to do this, had been encouraging him. But she was sacrificing her own peace of mind for him. And he loved her even more for it.
“Lois, I will never
stop thinking about you.” Looking straight into her eyes, he needed her to know without a doubt that he was speaking from his heart. He put everything he could into his next words. “You will be what keeps me going, what keeps me grounded, what pulls me home.” He leaned toward her, needing to be closer.
She met his eyes with every part of her and reached for his face.
He pulled her in as close as he could, enveloping her in his arms, locking eyes with her. “I love you, Lois,” he breathed.
“Clark–”
He cut her off. Words were useless now; only something physical could possibly say what he needed to. The way she responded told him she felt the same way. He didn’t want to let go, couldn’t let go, she was safe as long as he had her in his arms. How could he do this?
As if reading his thoughts, her breath caught and a sob escaped her lips as she pulled back. “What if you can’t get back?” He could hear the fear, see it in her eyes. “Clark, I–”
“No, Lois.” He shook his head. They could do this. This kind of thinking, worry, would not help anything. He needed to be strong for her. “Don’t think like that. I will
be back, and we’ll live out the rest of lives, together, you as my wife and me as your husband. We’ll start a family. And grow old together.”
She stared into his eyes, and he stared back willing her to understand, to see it in him. As she relaxed in his arms, he knew now was the time.
“I have to be going now,” he said.
“Please,” she begged, lowering her head. “Just a few more minutes.”
He could never refuse her, especially now. He brought her chin up with his finger and looked deeply into her eyes. “Anything,” he promised and pressed his mouth to hers one last time. He lifted her up as he poured as much of himself into her as he could.
But it was time. He pulled himself away and the breath rushed from him as he watched her slowly close her eyes and take a deep breath, fortifying herself. He gave her hands one more squeeze before he released them and turned toward the opening door. Applause filtered in and he stepped toward it.
Her sob broke what pieces of his heart were left. He turned and mouthed, ‘I love you.’
### The physical pain of the kryptonite made the emotional pain of the memory that much more real to him and as the sensations of the returning of the memory released their grip, he squeezed his eyes shut.
His eyes flew open when Lois’s hand suddenly left his cheek. He heard her frantic cry and saw her pulled away from him and tossed like a rag onto the floor on the other side of the coffee table in the middle of the room. The pain eased slightly, but it was only momentary, worsening as Lex pushed him down flat on his back. Quickly taking the dominant position, Lex straddled him and pinned his arms to the ground.
Clark was no match for him in this state. But what he lacked in strength he more than made up for in grit. He would never give up fighting this monster. No man who would treat a woman that way could ever claim to love her.
Despite the pain, Clark struggled against his captor, stilling only when a blow to his cheek brought stars to his eyes. A second blow to his jaw brought the taste of blood with it.
“I should have killed you when I had the chance,” Lex hissed, hatred dripping from his words, as he pulled back his fist for another hit.
As if in slow motion, Clark watched the fist come toward his face, but miss its mark as the heel of a woman’s shoe attached to a woman’s leg pushed Lex’s head to the side, knocking him off balance and releasing Clark from his attacker.
Lex lay where he landed, motionless. Clark rolled his head to see Lois resume her stance and wondered how severely she’d hurt Lex. She dug into her pocket and pulled out something he couldn’t quite see as she walked across the room to the windows lining one wall. A soothing draft of cold, crisp air rushed over him as she opened one of the windows, threw whatever it was out, and pulled it closed again.
***
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