Good morning everyone! Hopefully everyone's having a lovely weekend... I'm homebound (sick) and it is dark and ugly outside (raining cats and dogs) so a good day for reading fanfic. <g> Here's part 16 - hope you enjoy!
Oh, and I haven't taken a moment in a while to thank Sue. I continually tell her that this story wouldn't be what it is without her, but I wanted to take a sec to re-emphasize that to her. <g> Thank you, Sue.
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Table of Contents ***********
From Part 15:
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He dialed the number to STAR Labs.
“STAR Labs, how may I direct your call?” the receptionist asked.
“Mandy...” Clark paused - he didn’t know her last name, “...Dr. Klein’s assistant, please.” He looked down at his watch, hoping he could catch her before she left for lunch.
“May I ask whose calling?”
“Clark Kent with the Daily Planet.”
A few seconds passed and then she was back. “Mr. Kent? Mandy is getting ready to leave and asked me to take a message,” the woman’s voice told him.
“That’s okay. I’ll just call her back after lunch.”
“No, Mr. Kent, she’s not leaving for lunch - she’s leaving for the day.”
That wasn’t good. Clark didn’t want to sit on this until tomorrow. “Can you please ask her to wait just a couple more minutes? I’m on my way there, I’ll be there shortly.”
Without waiting for a reply, he hung up the receiver and thanked Sherry. Then he headed outside in search of a secluded alleyway.
************
PART SIXTEEN
************
“Mr. Kent, please, I asked you not to involve me any further,” Mandy said, frowning as she slung her purse over one shoulder and picked up a duffle bag from the floor of the laboratory.
“Yes, I know. But you also told me that you wanted to help Dr. Klein.” Mandy began walking towards the door of the lab and Clark followed her. “Mandy, he’s in trouble. The police have a security tape showing that he was the last one to leave the laboratory that night.”
She stopped abruptly and Clark had to catch himself so he didn’t run into her. “Look, I want to help Bernie,” she assured him. “I really do. But I have to think about myself, too. The people who are out to get Bernie are dangerous. They tried to kill him and almost killed you.” She set her bag down again and sighed heavily. “That’s why I’m leaving today. I’m going out of town to spend a few days with relatives. I don’t feel safe here right now.”
Clark couldn’t argue with her logic and he certainly wouldn’t want anything to happen to her. “Lunch. Just let me take you to lunch and ask you a couple more questions.” Clark cringed inwardly. He couldn’t really afford to miss his lunch appointment with Lois, especially since Scardino was their appointment.
But he couldn’t afford to let Mandy leave either, without getting some information from her first.
She gave him an edgy look before checking her watch. “Okay. Lunch. But make it quick, I have a flight to catch.”
“Does STAR Labs have a cafeteria?”
**********
Lois sat at a small table inside the deli, glancing disinterestedly at the brightly-colored menu. Where was Clark? He was supposed to just pop over and talk to Henderson and then meet her here.
Maybe there had been an emergency? She glanced up at the muted TV that was bolted to the wall in one corner of the restaurant. It was tuned in to LNN and the financial analysts who were here to grab a quick bite to eat were glued to the screen watching the stock ticker roll across.
Closed captioning also scrolled across the screen – apparently telecommunications stocks had rose by five points that day. But nothing more interesting than that was going on. No mudslides or volcanic eruptions, no meteorite headed towards Earth... not even a treed kitten in need of rescuing.
Lois frowned and looked back down at her menu. She really needed to get used to this. If she was going to be the future Mrs. Kent, she was going to have to prepare herself to sleep alone occasionally, to eat dinner across from an empty plate... to love someone who wouldn’t always have time to spend with her.
She knew all that, though. She had often fantasized about being Mrs. Superman. It was an idea that she had at first romanticized in her head. Imagine, a man who could fulfill your every wish. You wanted authentic Italian tonight? Voila! Forgot to chill the wine before dinner? No problem...
Locked your keys in your car and need a lift home?
Lois swallowed a smile with a drink of her coffee. But after a while, she had seen through the romantic veneer of her daydream and the reality had hit home. Even if she could have Superman, she would have to share him with everyone.
She realized, of course, that no matter who she married, she would have to share them to a certain extent. Every man had a past, had a family and friends, had a job... had a life.
But with Superman... with Clark... she would have to share him with the world. Was he worth it?
In her fantasy it was.
And in her reality? She knew it wouldn’t always be easy. But she couldn’t imagine anyone that she would rather share.
Certainly not a certain DEA agent...
“Hi, Lois. Am I late?” A voice asked from behind her.
...Dan Scardino.
“Hi, Dan. No, you’re not late. I was early.” Lois shifted uncomfortably in her chair and turned to look at him, forcing a smile to her lips.
Where was Clark?
Dan flashed a smile of his own at her. “So, where’s Kent? He stand you up again?”
Her frown quickly fell into a scowl.
***********
“It doesn’t look good for Dr. Klein,” Clark explained as Mandy took a bite of her chicken salad sandwich. Clark had only gotten a cup of coffee, still hoping he could make it for part of his lunch with Lois... and Dan. “The security tape from the hallway shows that he was the last person to go in or out of the lab that night. The police also got a copy of the security keycard swipes for the day and Dr. Klein was the last one to access the room according to those records.” He hesitated before adding, “And there’s the testimony that you gave the police that the sample was still there when you left for the day.”
With her mouth full, Mandy couldn’t say anything in response, but she didn’t look at all happy. Clark decided to press forward. “Is there any other way into that lab?”
Mandy chewed for a few moments in silence before answering him. “Yes, actually, there is one other way to access the lab.”
“How?” Clark didn’t bother to hide the agitation in his voice – why hadn’t she told him this the first time he had spoken with her? It would have saved him some time.
“Through the cold storage area – where I retrieved the sample of Nirvana for you. Each cold storage unit we have is shared by two laboratory rooms, one on either side of it. The vaults, as we call them, are accessed by a numerical keypad. Each lab has its own code into or out of the vault.”
Clark could see where she was going with this and when she paused to take a drink of her soda, he jumped in. “So someone who had access to the other laboratory could have entered Dr. Klein’s lab through the shared vault.”
Mandy frowned. “Technically, yes, but they would have had to know the numeric code of our laboratory in order to get inside.”
“Who has access to that code?”
“Only a handful of people. Not everyone who has access to the lab itself has access to the vaults. The experiments locked up in the vault are often extremely sensitive and classified. Besides Bernie there are probably only a handful of other people who would have that code.” She glanced down at her sandwich and picked at it, tearing a piece off.
“But you have the code, right? I mean you got that sample out for me yesterday.”
She dropped the bite she was holding and looked up at him with a panicked expression. She glanced around the cafeteria and held up one hand in a warning gesture. “Officially, no... But off the record? Yes. Bernie gave me the code a while back. Truth be told I already knew it as many times as I had seen him punch it in. But Bernie isn’t irresponsible, Mr. Kent. He wouldn’t hand that code out to just anyone.” She glanced around the room again, looking uncomfortable, before picking up her napkin and wiping her mouth. She stood up and dropped the napkin on her plate.
“Can you get me a list of people who officially have the code?” Clark asked, standing up when she stood.
“No, I can’t. I’m sorry. I’m only an assistant.” She took her purse from the back of her chair and hung it on her shoulder. “That kind of information goes above what I’m able to access. And I only have rights to the information for Dr. Klein’s laboratory. If I’m following your thinking, it sounds to me like you’re going to need to find someone who not only has access to our vault code, but who also has access to the adjoining laboratory.” She spread her hands and gave him an apologetic look. “I can’t give you that information. I’m sorry.”
***********
Lois watched in irritation as Dan pulled out the chair next to her, instead of across the table from her. Why was he being so forward? She had told him she wasn’t interested. She had chosen Clark. And how did he expect her to interview him, talk to him at all, if he was sitting next to her instead of across from her?
She could feel her eyebrows shoot up when he put his hand on her shoulder and gave it a soft squeeze. She shrugged it off and turned to face him. “Dan, I think you’re getting the wrong idea about our lunch meeting today.”
“Am I?” He smiled at her and let his knee bump against hers. “That’s what you said about our dinner, uh, meeting, last night.”
But that’s what last night’s dinner had been, hadn’t it? Just an interview? That’s what her journal had said. What had happened last night?
She moved her legs away from his. “Look, I don’t know what you think last night was, but it was just one professional helping another out. I needed information and...”
“As I recall information wasn’t the only thing we traded,” he interrupted, sliding his hand over hers.
Lois recoiled in shock. “Daniel Scardino, I’ll request that you keep your hands to yourself. I’m involved with Clark, or have you forgotten?”
Dan got a look of absolute confusion on his face. “But last night... I thought... You said...”
“I said what?” she exclaimed a little too loudly, noticing a few people turn to look at them.
Dan’s face flushed a little. “You said that you and Kent weren’t currently an item.”
Lois grabbed for the table as the room abruptly seem to tilt. She closed her eyes, trying to regain her balance. Why would she have said that? Told him that?
Unless it was true? How could it be true?
Dan had told her that morning that he hadn’t known about her doctor appointment. Was it possible she hadn’t told him about her amnesia, either? She had forgotten what had happened last night and it was obvious to her, now, that she hadn’t written everything down, either.
It had seemed to her like Clark had been acting strange today, as if he almost wasn’t sure what to do with himself. She had just brushed it off as part of his concern for her amnesia. But now...
“I think you’d better tell me exactly what happened last night.”
**********
Clark walked Mandy outside and hailed a taxi for her. He helped her inside the cab and handed her bag to her, wishing her a safe trip.
She smiled sadly at him. “I really do hope you’re able to help Bernie, Mr. Kent. I know he’s innocent. Please, don’t lose faith in him.”
Clark started to close the door to the cab when her hand came out to stop him. She cast one fearful look at the STAR Labs building before speaking. “Dr. Phillips is the doctor who works out of the adjoining lab. His assistant’s name is Cheryl. Maybe one of them can help you.”
“Thanks Mandy. I’ll look into it. Goodbye.”
“Bye.”
Clark watched the taxi roll off down the street and he turned back to look at the entrance to STAR Labs, feeling a little disheartened. He doubted very highly that a doctor who didn’t know him, or that doctor’s assistant, was going to be willing to give him access to the records he needed. But like his mother always told him – it never hurts to ask.
All they could say was ‘no’.
**********
“So, please, Lois. Tell me. What exactly is going on here?” Dan was upset. He was angry and confused and hurt – she could see it in his face.
Lois sat there numbly, unsure of what to say or how to feel. According to what Dan had just told her, she and Clark were not currently dating. They had actually had a little fight in front of him. And she... she had kissed Dan last night.
No wonder Dan was perplexed. She was positively bewildered by the whole situation. But even so, she wasn’t jumping to any conclusions. She couldn’t just take Dan at his word. After all, she hadn’t written any of it down. There had to be a reason for that.
And there was no way of verifying any of it, until she could talk to Clark. Obviously Dan didn’t know *exactly* what was going on either. How could he? And that meant that Clark was the only one who could tell her for sure. Maybe they had just had a little fight and she had used Dan to get even? But that seemed too petty, even for her.
Lois closed her eyes, trying to calm her mind. Clark, why didn’t you tell me? She could still feel Clark’s hands on her, his lips on her mouth... the eager desire in his actions.
If she and Clark weren’t still dating, then what had that been?
Lois frowned as she remembered them kissing on her couch. She had ignored the way Clark implied that he hadn’t kissed her or touched her like that in a while. He had actually said something along those lines to her – that he had missed kissing her and touching her.
She had been a little distracted at the time and had dismissed the comment. But now she realized that he had been *acting* the same way.
Lois felt claustrophobic all of the sudden and wanted to get out of the deli. She wanted to go somewhere – anywhere. She wanted to scream - she wanted to go find Clark and make him tell her everything.
“Lois?” Dan said her name softly. “I’m sorry. Are you okay? Can I do anything?”
Lois opened her eyes and nodded at him. She swallowed, her throat feeling thick. “Yes, you can take me to my Jeep.”
He frowned at her. “Your Jeep?”
“Yes, I locked my keys in it this morning and I had to get my spare key at the Planet. Clark was supposed to take me to get it after lunch. If you wouldn’t mind...” She got up from the table, feeling more and more uncomfortable the longer she sat here. She had to get out of here. She needed some fresh air – needed to think.
“Sure. I’m parked in the parking garage down the street. You want to wait here while I go get the car?”
“No. I could use the walk.”
**********
They said ‘no’. Clark flew even faster as his disappointment grew. Not one person at STAR Labs had been willing to help him. They were all either too busy, didn’t want to get involved, or even actually seemed disinterested.
He scanned the city beneath him until he located the deli, and then he peered inside. Neither Lois nor Dan was anywhere to be seen. Clark lifted his head and scanned the newsroom floor of the Daily Planet just down the street.
They weren’t there either. The uneasy feeling that had been gradually worsening as it gnawed at him all morning, finally exploded into a full-blown panic.
What had Dan told her? Why had they left the deli so early? When Clark had left STAR Labs his watch had read a quarter after one. They should have barely begun eating by then. Why had they left? And why weren’t they at the Planet? Where had they gone?
He sighed to himself. It was his own fault. He had gotten so wrapped up in what Lois had expected from him – what he was supposed to do with his second chance – that he had lost sight of the one thing that had mattered most.
That he had a second chance.
Now that might have been taken away from him. Clark flew towards the familiar parking garage of the Planet. There wasn’t anything to do now but wait for her to come back. It wouldn’t do any good to go out and scour the city to find her. She would just get upset if he did that. She had left the deli for a reason, and he needed to respect that and wait for her to return.
And that would give him a chance to talk to Jimmy. He had a feeling that Jimmy might be able to get him what no one else could.
************
Lois had determined, at first, to ride the entire trip to the prison in silence. But after ten or fifteen minutes of smothering silence combined with her rising frustration at the congested noon-time traffic and having to ride as a passenger instead of driving, she had given up that idea in favor of debriefing Dan on where they were at on the story... and explaining her *situation* to him.
They were pulling into the visitor parking at the prison when she finally finished.
“Wow. Lois. I’m sorry. Why didn’t you tell me this last night?”
Lois continued to look out her side window, unable to meet his gaze. She sighed at his question. “I just told you – I can’t remember. I wish I could. It might explain a lot to me about what exactly is going on between Clark and me.”
Dan didn’t have any response for that. Lois almost risked a glance at him to see if he looked disappointed, but she didn’t. “It doesn’t make sense that I would tell you that Clark and I aren’t a couple and let you kiss me... and yet I didn’t tell you about my condition. And I didn’t write any of that down in my journal. Instead I wrote... other things down. I wrote about my feelings for Clark – about our relationship.”
She swore she could feel Dan tense beside her, or maybe she could just hear it in his voice as he said, “Well, we’re here. I guess I’ll see you back at the Planet.”
Lois finally turned to face him and she reached out and gave his hand a soft squeeze. “I’m sorry, Dan. Really, I am. I hate that I gave you the wrong impression.”
“How do you know that the impression you gave me last night was the wrong one? How do you know that wasn’t the right one – how you really feel?”
She started to withdraw her hand but Dan took hold of it. Determined to free it, she worked it loose from his grasp and gave him an apologetic smile. “I know how I feel right now,” she said softly but firmly. “I chose Clark. I’m in love with Clark. I don’t know what’s going on right now or what problems we may be having, but that’s between him and me.” And Clark was going to tell her just exactly what that was...
Dan nodded at her. “Okay, I can respect that. For now.”
Lois wasn’t sure she liked the last part of that, but she ignored it... for now. “I guess I’ll see you back at the Planet then. We can see what Clark found out from Henderson and compare notes.”
***********
Clark was fidgeting. How long was Lois going to be gone? The longer he waited the more nervous he became.
Not able to stand it any longer, he got up from his desk and went over to bother Jimmy. “So, how’s it going?” Clark asked, looking over Jimmy’s shoulder.
Jimmy didn’t seem to hear him, but after a few seconds he finally tore his eyes from his computer screen and rubbed them before looking up at Clark. “You do realize it’s only been like thirty minutes? Do you have any idea the kind of hardware STAR Labs is packing? The difficulty of the systems and security you’re expecting me to hack through?”
“No, not really,” Clark admitted sheepishly.
“Um, yeah. Well, the deeper I get the more I realize that this is going to be an all day project – maybe an all night one - especially since I still have some errands to run for the Chief.” Jimmy glanced around as if to make sure no one was listening. “Not to mention the fact that it’s not exactly legal. Is it really that important?”
“It could be. Depending on what you find, it could make the difference of whether a possibly innocent man goes to prison or not.”
Jimmy smirked a smile at him. “Well that was cryptic. All right, CK. I’ll do my best. Just don’t expect anything for a while, got it?”
Translation – leave me alone and let me work. Clark nodded at him. “Thanks.”
Clark was on his way back to his desk when the elevator door opened and Lois entered the newsroom, followed by a somber-looking Scardino. Clark’s stomach did an abrupt drop before it hollowed completely out.
He caught Lois’s eye but her reaction was impassive. Swallowing involuntarily, he smiled weakly at her as she came down the ramp toward him.
“Sorry,” Clark said as her lips parted. He had a feeling he’d better practice saying that word - he was going to be saying it a lot more before the day was over.
She closed her mouth momentarily before opening it again. “What happened?”
“Henderson’s getting a search warrant for Dr. Klein’s house. He thinks Klein’s guilty.” Clark glanced over at Scardino as he came down the ramp, headed towards Lois.
“Maybe that’s because he is guilty,” Dan said as he walked up. “Sometimes the obvious answer...”
“Is the right one,” Clark finished for him. “Yeah. I know. But you haven’t met the man.” He turned his attention back to Lois. “I wanted to talk to Dr. Klein’s assistant, Mandy, again but she was heading out of town. It couldn’t wait, I’m sorry. I had to go as soon as I left the precinct.”
Lois nodded, “I understand.” But her stance said otherwise. “So what did you find out from Mandy?”
“Not much.” Clark helped Lois take her jacket off and he laid it across his chair. “Why don’t we go get set up in the conference room and we can compare notes?”
“Sounds good, Kent,” Dan broke in. “I’ll call my office and have them fax my case notes over.” He pulled out his cell phone and began dialing as he turned away from them.
“Okay, well I’m going to use the ladies room first. One too many cups of coffee while I sat at the deli.”
Lois started to turn away but Clark reached out and put one hand on her shoulder, halting her. He used his fingertips to gently pull her back towards him. “I’m sorry.”
“What are you sorry for, Clark?” Lois asked a little sharply. She really did want to know. Was he just sorry that he had missed lunch or was this some kind of precursor to the rest of the things he might be sorry for?
Clark dropped his head and let out a sigh. When he looked back up into Lois’s face, he could see the confusion there – the anticipation of his next words.
“Everything. I’m sorry for everything, Lois. I don’t know...”
“But what does ‘everything’ mean?” There was an edge in her voice that cut through him. “I’m the one with amnesia, here, so I’m not exactly sure what’s going on or what you’re sorry for. Are you sorry that we broke up? Or are you sorry that Dan came back into my life? Maybe you’re just sorry for kissing me earlier on my couch?” She said the last words just above a whisper. The look on her face tore at his heart - Dan had told her.
“No. I’m not sorry for kissing you.” Clark reached for her hand but she pulled it away. He swallowed, trying to push past the breath that had caught in his throat. Not again. It couldn’t fall apart like this again. He stepped in closer to her and put a hand up to her face, cupping it tenderly. “Ask me anything. I’ll tell you. Anything you want to know, I promise. Just don’t pull away from me.” He leaned in closer to her, his lips almost touching her cheek. “Please,” he whispered softly.
Lois pushed away from him and nodded towards Scardino, who was still talking on his cell phone. “Not here. Not now. Later tonight, like you promised me earlier.” Her voice matched the determination in her eyes. “Right now I’m going to go to the ladies room and I’ll meet you and Dan in the conference room when I get back.”
Clark watched her walk part way up the ramp before she stopped and turned back to look at him. “I’m going to hold you to that promise.”
He watched her until she disappeared around the corner and then he picked up his notes and went inside the conference room. Dan came inside a couple of minutes later, pocketing his phone. “Girlfriend problems, Kent?”
Clark glared at him. “Scardino, I’m warning you...”
“I’d watch myself if I were you. If you can’t make up your mind where you stand with Lois,” Dan pointed a finger at him, “someone might just make it up for you.”
“Is that a threat?” Clark clenched and unclenched his fists. Dan had no idea who he was talking to. Clark had never picked a fight with anyone before, but he was seriously tempted right now.
“Just call it some friendly advice,” Dan told him, with a smirk.
“Advice? Here’s some advice for you – stay away from Lois.”
Clark took another step closer as Dan opened his mouth to offer some sarcastic reply, no doubt, but they were both interrupted when Lois opened the door.
“Okay, what’ve we got?”
**********
To Be Continued...
