Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Lois & Clark Fanfic Reflections - Part 8

Sorry for the long wait, but RL, and the inability to find a stopping place (i.e. it's a long post) conspired against me. Plus my oh so wise BR pointed out a major plot hole in my story that needed patching before I posted. Any comments would be appreciated, since its helps in making sure I'm not just writing something that makes no sense at all. Thanks again for reading.

TOC - Reflections

From Part 7...

As the doors opened on the newsroom, Clark was satisfied that he had chosen the right course of action. But as he watched her leave the elevator, he thought about the playful exchange he'd had with Lois downstairs. Well, he could act professionally with her, and still be friends, right? Yeah that was it, just friends. Good friends. That couldn't hurt, could it?

Happy with his decision, he followed Lois and Henderson to the conference room, ready to help his new partner... and friend.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

... now Part 8


Reflections, Part 8

Three hours later, Henderson and his crew were gone, and Clark was sitting in front of the computer in the Daily Planet conference room, putting the finishing touches on the story updates. After getting a tongue lashing from Henderson on holding on to critical evidence, and then a dissertation on the dangers of investigating without police backup, Henderson had insisted that Lois be checked out by the Paramedics he had called in. After a quick exam, they gave Lois a shot for the lingering pain she still had, and suggested for her to see a doctor first thing in the morning.

Clark could see that Henderson respected Lois a lot, despite his gruff manner with her. In was evident in the concern Henderson showed in his eyes while the Paramedics examined her. After they had left, Lois and Clark pieced together for Henderson what their research had turned up so far. After the attempt to get Dr. Platt's notes from them, it was clear that someone was trying to prevent the launch of the space transport, by any means necessary. But even after bouncing ideas off Henderson for a couple of hours, they were no closer to figuring out a motive.

Saving his work, then backing it up to the server, he finally declared himself done for the evening... morning actually. He consulted his internal clock and found it to be a little past three in the morning. He looked over to the couch where Lois was peacefully napping, covered with Clark's sports coat to keep her warm. An hour ago, she had told him she just needed to close her eyes for a minute, but she had quickly fallen asleep, the long day, and the pain medication catching up with her.

Clark sat back in his chair, and just watched the gentle rise and fall of her chest as she slept. For some reason, the sight of her sleeping was very soothing to him. It made him feel like all was right in the world. With his enhanced senses he could hear the gentle rhythm of her heartbeat echoing in the room. It was a life-affirming sound, giving witness to the fact that this time he had not been too late. That he had not failed another woman.

Clark suddenly sat up straight in his chair, and shook his head to clear the errant thoughts that had snuck into his tired mind. After a moment, he focused again on the resting form of his new co-worker. He had no idea why the sight of her sleeping was so fascinating to him. It must be the relief that he was able to save her.

That must be it.

He sighed softly to himself and began the task of cleaning up the mess they had made in the newsroom. Double checking that Lois was still asleep, he shifted into hyper-speed, cleaning up the remains of their coffee and snacks, and reorganizing all of Dr. Platt's notes in a matter of seconds. That done, he returned to the computer and sent a copy of their story update to the printer, and then shut down the machine. He took the hard copy off the printer and dropped it in Perry's inbox.

Now with nothing to do, he suddenly realized that he no idea what to do about Lois. Should he just leave her on the couch and sit here the rest of the night standing watch? One thing was for sure, he didn't want to leave her alone tonight. When Lois had recounted her story to Henderson, she revealed that there had been a third man present -- one that Clark hadn't caught. She may still be in danger, and he wasn’t going to abandon her again...

Again? Damn, he was letting the past sneak into his thoughts again. Lois was not Lena. He had to focus on the here and now, not on his mistakes from the past. Still, he thought it best to remain close to Lois for the time being. Even if it meant spending the night in the newsroom standing guard over her. The world could get by without a superhero for one or two nights.

*** RING!!!! ***

The telephone startled Clark, and he almost broke the chair he had been leaning against. Before it could ring a second time and wake Lois, he quickly grabbed the receiver.

"Newsroom."

On the other end of the line, he could hear the voice of a young woman. The voice sounded surprisingly similar to Lois.

"Thank goodness, someone's there! Do you know if Lois Lane is there? I need to talk to her."

"Can I ask who this is?"

"This is her sister, Lucy. She never made it home tonight, and I was getting worried. Is she there? Is she all right?"

"Don't worry, she's fine. We were just working on a story together, and it got late." Clark decided that he better let Lois choose what she wanted to share with her sister about tonight. After a moment, Clark noticed that Lois's sister had stopped talking.

"Ms. Lane?" After a few more moments of silence he tried, "Lucy?"

"Lois is working on a story... with you." She said it as a statement, not a question, as if checking with herself that she had the concept right.

"Yesss," Clark replied, confused.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Clark... Clark Kent. Your sister and I have been working on a story together all day. We made a few big discoveries, so we needed to get them down in our notes."

"And you're working *with* Lois, not for her."

"Well, it is her investigation."

"I, um... that's, um... you're working *with* her?"

"I believe I said that." Now Clark was even more confused. Lucy's reaction was very strange, like Lois never worked with anybody... before. He glanced over at Lois, and mulled over what he knew of her so far. It wasn't a stretch to believe that she would be a challenge, to most people, to work with. Though after an initial hiccup, they had seemed to work well together today. Still Lois couldn't be as bad as Lucy's reaction seemed to indicate. Could she?

Now that he thought about it, she could be a real pain when she wanted to be. And he could tell she hated to be wrong. Definitely high maintenance.

Lucy's voice broke him out of his contemplation. "Yeah, right. Um, can I speak with her?"

"Sorry, she fell asleep on the couch. She had a rough day, so I was just going to let her sleep for a while." Then after a beat, "You knew she didn't get home. Do you live with Lois?"

"I'm kind of in-between career choices right now, so Lois is putting me up."

"OK, then why don't you give me your address, and I'll get Lois home. She'll be more comfortable in her own bed."

Clark grabbed a notepad and a pencil and jotted down the address Lucy game gave him. After hanging up the phone, he went over to Lois and gently removed his coat from her. A small sound of protest escaped her lips, and she curled up into a tighter ball. After putting his coat on, and retrieving her purse, he tentatively tried to get her awake enough to get her off the couch. He knelt down besides her, and with a soft voice said, "Lois, come on, it's time to go home."

Lois just groggily replied, "Oh please daddy, just five more minutes, then I'll get ready for school."

Clark shook his head. This wasn’t working. He wondered just what they did give to her in that shot. It didn't look like she was going to wake up any time soon. He guessed that he could just carry her downstairs and get them both in a cab. He picked up the phone, and called the local cab company for a pickup in front of the Daily Planet. Then he returned to the couch, and gently lifted her up, drawing her near his chest. She seemed to find a nice comfortable spot against his chest, and emitted a very satisfied sigh as she snuggled closer. A tender look crept across Clark's face as he looked at the woman sleeping in his arms. Such a change from the little spitfire he had been working with today.

He lifted a inch off the ground and floated over to the elevator. He called the elevator, got in, and pressed the button for the first floor. When the doors opened on to the lobby, he found it empty, the security guard evidently on his rounds. Glad that no one could see him carrying Lois, he walked out of the building to wait for the taxi. It was a dark, moonless night in the city, with the cool ocean breeze being funneled down the canyons of the city buildings. He willed his aura to extend around Lois, and began looking for the cab he had called. Twenty minutes later the taxicab still hadn't arrived, and Lois was still asleep in his arms.

"Great, now what?' he thought to himself. He felt kind of silly standing in the middle of the street carrying Lois in his arms. He could try to wake her up, and maybe take her home in her Jeep.

"Lois... Come on, we have to get to your Jeep so you can go home."

After getting no response, he tried again. Lois?"

She stirred a little in his arms, and mumbled, "Not now Luce, it's your turn to make Dad's breakfast."

'Great. Now what?' He had to think of something. He probably looked ridiculous carrying her in the middle of the sidewalk, with her purse dangling from his hand. Good thing the street was deserted...

Deserted...

'Hmmm... I could always just... Naw, that would be crazy. Wouldn't it? Then again, it is pretty dark out here, and there is a handy alleyway nearby. Still...'

He thought about it for a moment more, then made his decision. 'Oh, what the heck. I'll just never tell my Dad about this one. He'd probably have a coronary if he found out.' As one last test, he said in a loud voice, "LOIS, time to wake up." She only groaned and snuggled deeper into his chest.

Satisfied that she was completely gone from the waking world, Clark slipped around the corner into the alleyway, and extended his senses to insure that no one was around. He then strengthened the protective aura around Lois to the maximum that he could, and silently lifted off. He flew in the shadows as fast as possible, and less than a minute later he was landing in a darkened corner of Lois's street, near her apartment building.

He walked the last few blocks to Lois's place, normally. When he got there, he climbed the stairs to the entrance of her building, and rang the buzzer that was marked 'L. Lane.' After a few moments, a groggy voice came through the intercom speaker.

"Hello?"

"Hello, it's Clark Kent. Could you let us in?"

"Sure. Doesn't Lois have her key?"

"Long story, I'll explain it when I get there."

"OK, I'll buzz you in."

Clark entered the building, careful not to wake Lois. He rode the elevator to the fifth floor, then rang the bell on the first apartment door off the elevator. A woman with a faint resemblance to Lois, wearing a big white bathrobe, opened the door to let him in.

"You must be Mr. Kent," she whispered.

Clark only nodded in response.

Clark had the distinct impression that Lucy was giving him the 'once over' as he entered the apartment. It was natural he guessed... a man she didn't know, with her sister in his arms. Probably didn't know what to think of him.

Lucy whispered, "Follow me, I have Lois's bed all ready. I must have nodded off, I didn't hear you pull up. Where did you park Lois's car?"

"We took a cab. It was easier to negotiate a sleeping woman if someone else drove. Besides I didn't know if Lois would get upset if I drove her Jeep."

Lucy chuckled softly. "I see you know my sister already. Set her on the bed, and I'll take care of her."

They entered what was obviously Lois's bedroom, which was illuminated only by a small nightlight near the dresser. Clark noted that her bed was loaded with various stuffed animals, a picture which, once more, was at odds with her tough reporter exterior. He smiled at the contradiction, as he gently laid her down in her bed. He turned to leave, allowing Lucy to finish tucking Lois in.

He entered the living room again, and sat down on the one couch in the apartment. Clark noted how, though the couch looked very elegant, it was stiff and uncomfortable to sit on. In fact, he couldn't find a comfortable position, no matter how he sat. Giving up, he got up, and started to look around the room. He ended up by a bookcase filled to capacity with books, music, and video tapes of all sorts. He saw that most of the tapes were marked 'Ivory Tower' with a date and sequential number. He recognized the title as one of the more popular soap operas that had sprung up in recent years. Judging from the number of tapes in the bookcase, Lois must have recorded every episode. Yet another paradox from his spitfire of a partner. He may have to tease her about this later.

Partner...

Was he becoming her partner? They had worked very well together today, but he was used to working on his own, fearful that someone would discover his secret. It should bother him that he was starting to like working with Lois, but it didn't. As he mused over the implications of that, he wandered over to her curio case. In addition to the usual collection of knick-knacks, there were three identical trophies. He examined the inscriptions, and found them to be Kerth awards won by Lois. Clark raised his eyebrows in surprise. Lois was young to have won a Kerth, no less three of them. He hadn't realized quite how impressive her credentials were, especially for the short number of years she had been a full-time reporter.

To the left of the Kerths, was a photograph of Lois, a close-up framing her shoulders and face. She was holding one of her Kerths by her cheek, a look of triumph on her face. As Clark studied the picture, he noticed that he saw his own face reflected in the case of the curio. His face seem to hang there, next to hers. For some strange reason, it made him think how nice it would be to have a real partner. Someone he could confide in... someone who he could lean on when life caught up with him.

He cast his eyes sadly to the ground, the burden of his solitude hitting him as he stood there. He couldn't have a real partner. He knew that his life was more than Clark Kent, reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper. He was *Superman*...

He groaned inwardly at the thought of his new 'official' name. His life was lived from one crisis to the next, with his only normalcy in life stolen here and there when he could be himself... Clark Kent. How could he ask that of any woman?

Even more, could he ever learn to trust someone again?

"Thanks for bringing her home, Mr. Kent. Though, Lois must have been really wiped out, to sleep all the way home like that."

Clark spun around to see Lucy standing in the hallway that led to the bedrooms. "We had a very... full day today, and she was exhausted." he replied. "Anyway, it was part self preservation that made decide to bring her home. She may be in a better mood in the morning if she slept in her own bed."

Lucy chuckled at Clark's comment. "I can see you never slept with my sister... um, I mean near my sister before. She's not a morning person no matter where she sleeps." Lucy turned a light shade of red at her faux pas.

Clark politely chose to ignore the slip, and responded, "I bet she'll be fine once she gets past that first cup of coffee." Then after a beat, "Which brings me to a favor I'd like to ask."

"What? Sure, Mr. Kent, what can I do for you?"

"First, please call me Clark. And second... would you mind if I sat up here in your living room for the rest of the night? Lois had a pretty hard night, and I'd like to stick around in case she needs anything... when she wakes up that is."

That sounded lame, even to his own ears. He wondered what Lucy thought of his request, or if she thought that he was some kind of weirdo who would kill them both in their sleep. But Lucy didn't seem taken back by the request. After a moment of thinking, she asked with an air of resignation, "So who tried to kill Lois tonight?"

"What? How did you... I mean... why do you think that?"

Lucy shook her head, crossed her arms, and leaned against the doorframe. "Come on, Mr. K... Clark. I know Lois. She's been regularly ticking off most of the disreputable elements of Metropolis since she started working at the Planet. Half the time I'm surprised she survives a normal working day at all. So let me guess... you're worried about her, so you want to stand watch while she sleeps."

Clark couldn't hide the sheepish expression on his face. "Something like that."

"Should I be worried?"

Clark let out a contemplative sigh. "I'm not really sure. We believe that there were three men threatening us tonight, and only two were caught. And on top of that, they didn't get what they were looking for. On the other hand, with all the police commotion tonight I doubt that whoever is still out there will try anything soon."

As Lucy took all of that in, Clark added, "Still, I would feel better if I could look after you two for the night."

Lucy smiled appreciatively. "That's very sweet of you, Clark. Not many guys... co-workers, would have made the effort to get Lois home." Then a wicked grin grew on her face, and she said, "I guess I'll feel safe with you protecting us. You must be tough, surviving a whole day working with my sister. Most reporters run screaming after the first few hours."

"She's not that bad to work with. I mean I know that she's a little high maintenance... hates to be wrong... can be argumentative at times... is intelligent, funny..." He paused to shake his head. "But she's one of the sharpest reporters I ever worked with."

Lucy had pushed away from the doorframe, and was looking intently at Clark, an expression of disbelief on her face. Finally she said, "Um, right. So would you like a pillow and some blankets? I have to warn you that that couch is really a torture device, and you might be better off on the floor."

"So I've noticed. But I think I'll just stay up and read. I noticed that you have a few interesting titles in your bookcase."

"Aren't you tired?"

"I’ll be fine. The adrenaline hasn't worn off yet, and at this point if I tried to sleep I'd just feel worse. You go on to bed, and thanks for the offer."

"If you're sure... Then good night, Clark, and thanks for watching out for my sister." She turned to go back to her bedroom, but stopped and looked over her shoulder at Clark. "I know that Lois can be a little difficult at times, but she's a great sister... and person. Just so you know." She then turned her head and went into her bedroom.

Clark looked after her, somewhat confused as to why Lucy had made that last comment. Shrugging, he walked over to the bookcase and began to peruse the collection of books there. After a minute he selected a PD James novel, and went back to the couch to sit down and start reading. Just as he was about to sit down, he stopped, Lucy's warning echoing in his head. He chuckled, and dropped down on the couch. After a few attempts to get comfortable, he gave up, and floated himself an inch off the couch. Good thing he was *Superman*. He mentally supplied some generic theme music as he said his new superhero name in his mind.

Speaking of which... Clark, expanded his senses, searching for any sign of someone lurking near Lois's home. After his search yielded only the odd alley cat, he relaxed, and cracked open the book to begin reading. He spent the rest of the evening there, alternating between reading and performing super-powered searches of the surrounding area.

By six am, the dawn was breaking through the window, and Clark was just finishing the novel. He got up and replaced the book back on the shelf, and went over to the kitchen to get a drink of water. He retrieved a glass from the draining board on the sink, and examined it for cleanliness. He then filled it from the tap, and downed a glassful within a few seconds.

After his drink, he just stood at the sink, staring out the window, the water glass still in his hand. The rays of the dawning sun touched his face, and he could feel the influx of their restorative power being absorbed into his body. He had long ago learned that the yellow sun was the main source of his powers, his body somehow being able to absorb vast quantities of sunlight. Just for fun in college, after taking a basic physics course, he calculated that his body had absorbed more than 120 million watt hours of energy by his tenth birthday, just about the time his powers started to manifest themselves.

As the sun recharged him, he thought that he would need to get away during the morning to do a quick patrol around the city, since he would have usually been out during the night trying to prevent crime. He sighed and got his body moving again, going through the mundane task of cleaning the glass he had used. He replaced the glass in the draining board, but didn't move from his spot. He was thinking about how Lois would react when she woke up. She'd probably would be mad at him for assuming that she needed protection. But he could deal with that. Maybe he should just quietly leave, and keep an eye on her from...

"Good morning, Mr. Bodyguard."

Clark turned around to see Lucy standing in the hallway entrance, wearing the same bathrobe she had on a few hours ago.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you, Lucy?"

"Naw, I've always been an early riser. I was just going to get the coffee started and then try to wake Lois. She usually not coherent until she gets her first cup in the morning." Her smile left her for a moment. "Not that she's cranky in the morning, or anything like that," she add hastily.

"Oh, well I thought I should be going anyway. Tell Lois that I..."

"NO! I mean don't go, you can have breakfast with us. I'll let Lois know you're here, and we can fix some breakfast." She scurried over to the refrigerator and opened it to assess the contents. From behind the refrigerator door, Clark could hear Lucy inventorying it contents.

"Let me see, we have four eggs, some bread, a little milk, something in the meat bin... no juice, butter..." She slammed the door, looked around for a second, then grabbed a huge bag of oranges off the top of the refrigerator. "And I got these -- $2.99 at CostMart." She held them out at arms length to Clark, like she was holding a prize turkey.

Clark once again scrunched his face in confusion over Lucy's behavior. Maybe she was just worried about her sister, and didn't want him to leave yet. "Sure, Lucy. Why don't you let me try to make something, and you girls... ladies, go get ready."

"Oh. Well sure, that would be nice." Lucy looked like she suddenly realized that she had the bag of oranges in her hand, unsure what to do with them. Clark walked over and gently took them from her.

"I'll take care of these for you." Lucy only nodded at his comment, as he placed them on the kitchen island.

"OK then, I'll... we'll get ready. Don't go away." She smiled briefly, and then dashed back toward the bedrooms. Clark just watch her leave, a scowl on his face, not sure what to think of what just transpired. He shrugged, and put himself to the task of creating a breakfast out of the scant supplies in the house. First, the coffee...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lois was flying again. She had been snatched out of the jaws of death, and was now soaring through the clouds, held tightly against a very broad expanse of chest. She wasn't sure how she was flying, or why the wind wasn't bothering her. But she was, and she felt safe for some reason. She could feel the coolness of a cotton shirt against her cheek, and the edge of a silk tie tickling her nose.

Silk tie? That didn't sound right. She lifted her head to see the face of the man who was carrying her. It was dark, but for some reason she could swear she saw the reflection of the city lights in his eyes. No, that wasn't right... the reflection was a little in front of his eyes. She tried to bring the face into focus, thinking how she should be able to see him.

"LOIS!"

Lois woke up with a start, and sat up quickly in her bed.

"Geez, you're the hardest person I know to wake up in the morning. Come on get up, or you're going to be late for work." Lucy was sitting on the edge of the bed, her arms crossed, and a mischievous smile on her lips. Lois rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands, trying to rub the sleep from them.

Still rubbing her eyes, Lois grumbled, "And just how would you know that? Have there been a lot of people you had to wake up in the morning? Never mind, don't answer that." Then it dawned on her that she was in her bed, and the last thing she remembered was lying down on the couch in the conference room. And to top it off, she was wearing only her panties and her bra.

"Lucy, just how did I get here?"

"Oh, Clark brought you home," she said airily.

"Clark brought me home! Don't tell me he..." She gestured wildly at herself, emphasizing her state of undress.

"Oh don't get in an uproar. I took off you work clothes after Clark put you on the bed. Though having him undress me wouldn't be an entirely unpleasant situation." Lucy had a wistful look on her face as she said the last sentence.

"Lucy!"

"Lois! What? Oh come on, you can't say you don't agree with me?"

"Lucy Maria Lane, you should be ashamed of yourself! That's someone I work with, not some hunk of meat to lust over. Besides, he's from Kansas..." she exclaimed, looking at Lucy like she should know the implications of that statement.

"I'm not even going to pretend to know what you mean by that. Oh, by the way, he's standing in our kitchen. I left him to make some breakfast for us," she stated matter-of-factly.

"What!" Then again in a harsh whisper, "What is he doing here?"

"He felt the need to stand watch over us last night. And just who is trying to kill you this time? I can't keep up."

Lois, still whispering, replied, "What do you mean watch over us? I don't need an overgrown, corn-husking babysitter. Just who does he think he... wait, did he tell you about last night? I'll kill him."

"No, he didn't say a word. You, being you, I just guessed. And why are you whispering? He can't hear you. Just for your information, I thought it was sweet of him to stay, considering that one of your attackers got away." A wistful smile crossed her face. "He even stayed up all night, just to make sure we were safe." Then focusing on Lois again she asked, "So if you don't like him, can I have him?"

"Lucy!"

Lucy chuckled at Lois's exasperation. "Are you going to be saying my name like that a lot today? It's going to be very distracting."

"Lucy, that man out there is my partner, and I do not want you making him another one of your temporary boyfriends, just to be discarded later when you get bored. So just you be nice to him. Well not too nice, just... just... kept your mitts off him."

Lucy gave her a very impish smile. "Partner, eh? Hmmm... after only one day."

"I mean co-worker... you know what I mean."

"Yes I do. You like him." She poked an accusing finger into Lois's arm.

"I do not! Well, not in that way. I mean he's a good reporter, and I haven't had to hold his hand much. Yet he's polite and down to earth... though he didn't let me get away with the attitude I gave him yesterday. I still haven't decided yet whether that annoyed me, or made me respect him more. He's from Kansas, but he can read Chinese, so he's hard to pin down. At first I thought he'd be this hick from Nowheresville, but he's traveled around the world, is a pretty good writer, has a nice sense of humor -- when he lets it out -- and can keep up with me most of the time. Though I don't think that gives him the right to elect himself as my personal bodyguard, considering that *I'm* the one with the black belt in Tae Kwon Do." Lois chuckled to herself. "Though he does know 'Door-Fu', I'll give you that. Hmm... I guess it was nice of him to offer to watch over us, considering that I was asleep."

She then looked up at Lucy, who had on a wide-eyed expression, trying to follow Lois's ramblings. "So treat Clark with a little respect," she concluded.

Lucy blinked, then regained her mischievous look. "Oh, don’t'worry, I'll respect him... in the morning. Maybe he'll like to go to a movie tonight."

"Lucy! You *cannot* ask him out."

"Lois you’re my sister, and I love you, but you can't tell who I can and can't date. If I want to ask Clark out, then I will."

"You can't. He's mine... my partner... co-worker. He someone I work with, and it would be awkward."

"Ah ha, especially if you were thinking of asking him out someday."

"Lucy, I am not thinking of asking Clark out, I just met the man. It's just that he's... he's..." Lois sighed loudly. "He's complicated, Lucy. I have this feeling that there's something deep inside of him that's hurting. And I think he needs a friend, not a girlfriend right now. Can you understand, Luce?"

Lucy immediately lost all of her playfulness. "I think I do. And just so you know, I didn't really want to ask him out, I was just teasing. Truth is, I think he kind of likes you too."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really. But now that you mention it, he did seem kind of reserved when you spoke about you. I think you're right about something bothering him."

"Thanks, Luce. Well, we better get ready, and see what old Clarkie is whipping up for us. If he's a typical guy, it'll be cereal and burnt toast."

*Snort* "Look who's talking. You burn jello."

"Hey, that was only one time!"

"You only made it once."

Lois promptly threw a pillow at her sister's head, which hit the mark. They both went about getting dressed and fixing their hair and makeup in their respective rooms. Lois decided that today she would dress down a bit, electing to wear a casual, pull-over shirt, and a pair of slacks. Looking at herself in the mirror, she let out a hint of an evil smile. She knew that the shirt was just the teensiest bit tight on her. She wanted to be Clark's friend first, but it didn't hurt to advertise.

She sighed, and took the shirt off, selecting a more modest one instead. She mentally chastised herself for thinking that way. Lois Lane would not use her... attributes in that way. Clark was a co-worker, and a *potential* friend, and she would treat him as such. If something developed later... well then it would. Besides, she hardly knew him, and unlike Lucy, she didn't jump at every cute man that came her way. When she got to know him better, she would see that he had his faults, just like all men do. And they'll offset the fact that so far she had found him to be strong, caring, gentlemanly, intelligent, witty,...

'Oh God, I hope he doesn't cook good too.' As if on cue, the smell of food wafted into the room, enticing her to following it into the kitchen. As she approached the kitchen table, she could see that Lucy was already seated, accepting a plate of food from Clark. He had his tie and jacket off, and his shirt sleeves were rolled halfway up his arms, revealing his very muscular looking forearms. A five o'clock shadow adorned his face, which made him look even more...

Well, she wasn’t going to use that word right now. Taking a deep breath, she cleared her throat to get his attention.

Clark looked up at her, and seemed to study her for a moment, as if he needed to weigh very carefully what he was going to say first. Apparently he chose the safe road, as he asked cautiously, "Breakfast?"

She decided that if she really wanted to get to know him, she should let him off the hook. He really hadn't committed any great sin, and Lucy was right, it was sweet of him to worry about her safety while she slept... as long he didn't get carried away with the bodyguard routine.

"Yes, that would be nice Clark, thanks." She sat down at the other place setting, and looked over at what Lucy was eating. She could swear it looked like French Toast, but she was sure that she'd used the last one out of the box a couple of days ago. She remembered Lucy complaining about her not leaving any for her.

"Did I have a extra box of French Toast in the freezer?" she asked Clark, as he approached her with a plate.

He looked confused as he answered, "Freezer? Gee, I didn't think to look there. I just made this up with what I found in your refrigerator."

He placed the plate of warm French Toast and grilled ham in front of her, along with a glass of orange juice. Now she was sure that she didn't have any juice in the house, since she brought the last of that yesterday to work. She tentatively tasted the juice, and found it to taste like it was just fresh squeezed.

'Lucy's oranges!' she thought. 'I don't believe it, he squeezed us fresh juice. I didn't even know I had a juicer.' Grabbing the syrup, she poured some on top of her French toast, and took her first bite. It was fantastic. Made even more amazing by the fact that he'd made it from stuff in her kitchen.

'Oh no, he can cook too,' she thought to herself. Lois looked up to see that her sister wasn't even taking breaths between bites, as she devoured the contents of her plate. She then downed her entire glass of juice in one swig, and slammed the now empty glass down loudly on the table. The sound got Clark's attention, and he looked over his shoulder from the sink, where he was washing the pans.

"Clark, that was the best breakfast I ever had in my own house," Lucy declared. "Maybe ever. You can stay here any time you want." She bounded up from her chair, and gave Lois a kiss on the cheek. "Gotta go sis, see you tonight." She started to go for the front door, but stopped and walked over to Clark, whose hands were still in the sink. She stood on her tip toes, and gave Clark a quick kiss on the cheek. Lois could see Lucy whisper something in Clark's ear, then her sister scampered out the door, leaving Lois just staring after her.

"Is the breakfast all right, Lois? I didn't know if you would like French toast or not, but it's all I could think of to make."

His voice snapped Lois out of her reverie, and she looked up at him. He was standing only a foot from her, wiping his hands dry with a towel.

"No, Clark, it's fine. Great, in fact. I was just thinking about what we need to do today. By the way, aren't you having any?"

"I, um, already had some. So, I was thinking we'd try to get in to see that Dr. Baines person, to see what happened to Dr. Platt's original filed report."

"I was thinking the same thing," Lois replied between bites. "Though we need to get all our updates to Perry first."

"Sure. I finished typing in all of our notes last night... well, early this morning while you were resting. So they're all ready to go." Clark flipped the towel he was holding onto his shoulder, then stuck his hands in his pockets, and just stood there, apparently not knowing what to do next.

Lois savored her last bite, and picked up her coffee cup to take a sip. Looking over the rim with an impish grin she said, "You know Clark, you can sit down if you want. I promise not to bite."

He visibly relaxed and sat down in the chair next to her. She noted how comfortable it felt to have him near her like this, relaxing together in her kitchen, with no newsroom, or homicidal maniacs to get in their way. A thought crossed her mind about Clark joining her tonight when she went to the ball. He would make a good escort, and it would help to have a fellow reporter with her. She just hoped that he knew more than square or line dancing.

"So, Smallville, you think you can get hold of a tux for tonight?"

Clark looked at her confused. "Maybe. Why do you ask?"

"I need an escort to the White Orchid Ball tonight, so I thought you could go with me."

Clark looked taken back by the request. "Oh, I don't know Lois. I've got a lot to do... you know getting settled in and all."

"What ??? Are you crazy? This is the social event of the season. All of Metropolis's elite will be there. Think of the contacts you can make."

"I'm not really much for those formal things, Lois. I'd probably be a lousy date for you."

'Date?' she thought. 'No wonder he's hesitant, he thinks I'm asking him out on a date. I'll have to fix that notion.'

"Listen, Kent, this is not a date, it's work. Anybody who's anybody will be there tonight, including the elusive Mr. Lex Luthor, who I'm still trying to snag for a one-on-one interview. So, don't worry, your virtue is safe with me. I promise not to corner you behind the Dairy Freeze after the dance and try to give you a hickey."

"Oh, I didn't think... I mean, I knew that." He contemplated it for a moment, then said, "Um, sure, why not? I think I can dig up a tux my size somewhere. What time do you want to leave?"

"Be ready at seven. Come on, let's get going." She got up with her dishes, and deposited them in the soapy water Clark had left in the sink. "I'll swing you by your place so you can change, and then we'll head in to work." By this time she was already at the door, with her purse in her hand.

"You can't do that, Lois. Your car is still at work."

"How the heck did you get me home this morning? Did you carry me all the way from work?" For some reason, her dream from this morning flashed through her mind. No, that couldn't be possible, it was over six miles from her apartment to work. He couldn't have walked that far with her in his arms.

Of course, Clark looked like he was in pretty good shape. But still...

He shrugged. "I just called a cab. I didn't want to presume anything by going through your purse for your car keys. I was able to wake you up enough to get you off the couch and help you to the cab, though I don't think you were ever fully awake. That shot they gave you must have really knocked you out. By the time we got to your apartment, you were completely gone again. I ended up carrying you up to your apartment from the cab." Then with a twinkle in his eye he said, "Good thing I keep in shape."

Lois just rolled her eyes at his country boy sensibilities as she opened the door. "You're such a Boy Scout, Clark. OK, you now have permission to rifle through my purse and get my keys if you ever need to drive me home." She closed the door behind them after they exited her apartment. She took out her keys and started the long process of securing each of her five locks.

She turned around to see Clark grinning at her.

"What?"

"Five locks?" He asked with obvious amusement.

"Hey, you can never be too careful! You know, you're not in Kansas anymore."

"Don't I know it. Maybe you should only lock every other one."

Now Lois was confused. "Why is that?"

"Well then, when some nefarious individual tries to pick the locks, they'll be locking every other one. It will really confuse them."

"HA HA HA. Very funny, Smallville. Come on, let's hit it." She smacked him in the chest with the back of her hand as she made her way to the elevator. After they got in, she found that the back her hand hurt where she had hit him. He must be built like a rock.

When they got to the street in front of her apartment, Lois whistled a cab over, and hopped in. Since Clark's hotel was in the opposite direction of work, he said he'd just meet her at the Planet a little later. Pulling away in the cab, she reflected on how well things went had gone with Clark this morning. She hoped that the way she acted this morning would help Clark feel more comfortable around her. She still couldn't get out of her mind how natural it felt to sit with him at her kitchen table. Like the chair was made just for him to sit in.

She also found herself looking forward to the ball tonight. A different feeling for her. Besides, she couldn't wait to see him in a tux. She wondered if it would be pushing it to suggest that Clark get a haircut before tonight?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As soon as Lois's taxi pulled away, Clark dashed back into the alleyway next to Lois's apartment. He was glad she had mostly accepted his explanation about how she got home. He didn't want her to think he carried her all the way, even if that was the truth.

As soon as he was hidden from view, he shifted into hyper-speed and blurred into the air. He performed a high arc over the city, careful to avoid incoming air traffic, and swooped down back to his hotel. Anybody looking would have only seen a momentary blur entering through the hotel window at the Apollo.

A few minutes later, he was showered and shaved, and wearing a clean superhero suit, and had his work clothes compressed in the pouch of his cape. He took to the air again, taking less than a minute to get to the Planet. After a few moments, he spotted a taxi pulling up, and Lois stepped out. After insuring that she had safely reached the newsroom, he did a short patrol of the eastern seaboard.

An hour later, during the rescue of a boat stranded off the coast of North Carolina, he began to reflect on how he'd ended up escorting Lois to a formal ball this evening. He had expected her to be a little upset at him this morning for staying up in her living room while she slept, but she didn’t mention it at all. It was silly, but he almost felt cheated by her acting so nice to him this morning.

And Lucy... he had a hard time figuring out half of her reactions to him. On her way out, he'd thought she was trying to flirt with him with that kiss on the cheek, but it turned out to be a cover for her to request that he look out for Lois, and (and this was the strange part) to treat her right. Whatever that meant.

He mentally shrugged, and focused on landing the boat he was carrying near the docks. After setting the boat carefully down in safe waters, he zoomed back into the air, spinning in the morning sun to dry himself off again. He headed back to Metropolis, just in time to prevent a tanker truck from careening off the Hobbs Bay Bridge.

To his chagrin, the police officers who stopped at the scene thanked Superman for the rescue. Obviously, the policemen had had a chance to read the Daily Planet this morning. He took to the air once again, and flew back to the roof of the Planet. He changed back into his work clothes as he sped down the stairs to the second floor, where he got out and took the elevator back up to the third floor.

As he exited the elevator, his ears tuned into the sound of Lois's voice. He spied her talking on the phone, as she chewed on a pencil. She was the picture of a dedicated journalist, which made him smile as he walked over to the coffee table. He noticed that most of his mom's coffee was already gone. He'd have to make sure the newsroom got some more.

He poured two cups, loaded his with extra cream and sugar and Lois's with non-fat creamer and a pink suger, and walked over to Lois's desk with them. He placed her cup on the desk, and she looked up and smiled at him as she continued talking. She indicated for him to wait as she finished up her conversation, then hung up the phone.

"So what's going..." he began, but she held up her hand to interrupt him. She picked up her coffee cup, and placed it under her nose, inhaling deeply. She then took a long sip of the coffee, and gave out a satisfied moan. Clark's heart almost leapt from his chest at the sound.

"Thanks, I needed that. So, here's the deal. In one hour, we have an appointment with one Dr. Antoinette Baines, head of Shuttle development, here at the local NASA office. And Perry wants to see us right away to go over what we got. Looks like he might run with the story for tomorrow's edition. It was a good thing we were attacked last night, or Perry might have made us hold on to the story until we got more evidence."

"Yeah, good thing," Clark replied in a wry tone.

Lois gave him a smirk as she rose from her desk. "Come on," she said in a exasperated tone.

"Yes, ma'am," Clark retorted, which earned him another dirty look from Lois.

When they entered Perry's office, they found him reading over a print out printout with a red pen in his hand. He continued reading, not seeming to notice their entrance. After a few seconds of waiting quietly for Perry to acknowledge them, Lois started to whistle "Bicycle Built for Two", slightly off key.

Without looking up, Perry growled, "Put a sock in it Lois, I know you're here." He made a couple of final marks, then put it aside.

"By the way, great job on the Superman story Lois, we sold out by nine this morning. Another Planet coup." Lois just smiled modestly in response. Perry continued. "Now then, how are you kids doing after last night?"

"Fine," they both said in unison, which caused them to give each other a quick look of surprise.

"Good, good. All right then, we're going to run the whole thing as one story, starting with Platt giving us his notes, then his murder, followed up with your findings from his reports. Then cap the story with the attempt to get the notes last night, and your rescue by Superman." Perry smiled as he said, "Boy that will really make that story sing, plus we'll have two Superman stories in as many days."

Focusing back on the story, he continued. "As a backup I want you to get an official NASA reaction to your findings to add to the story. Do you have an appointment yet?"

"In an hour, Chief," Lois replied.

"Then get to it. I need the finished copy on my desk by two."

Lois and Clark turned to leave, but were stopped by Perry. "Lois, one more thing..."

"Yes, Perry."

"Did you find an escort to the ball tonight? Because if you didn't I have..."

"Is there some rule that says I can't go by myself," Lois interrupted, clearly upset. "Why is it all right for a man to go stag to these things, but it's a sin if a woman does?"

"I didn't say..."

"If I want to go by myself, I will. I don’t need to drag some stranger along just for the sake of appearances. Do I?"

Perry looked duly chastised. "I'm sorry, honey, I didn't mean to ruffle your feathers. It doesn't bother me at all if you want to go alone."

"Fine. Well, we better get going. Clark is going to need some time to find a tux."

Perry gave her a confused look. "Why does Kent need a tux?"

"Oh, Clark is my escort tonight. See you at two, Chief." She then whirled around before Perry could respond and took off out of the office.

Perry was little dumbfounded and gave Clark a look that said: 'I don't understand'.

Clark couldn't do anything but give him a shrug of surrender. He then left the office himself to catch up with Lois.

As he was leaving the office, he could hear Perry mumble that he'd never understand that woman, even if he lived to be a hundred.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
NASA Metropolis Engineering Development Institute (MEDI) Building
45 minutes later
Office of Dr. Antoinette Baines

Dr. Baines opened the door and invites invited Clark and Lois into her office. Dr. Baines was a young blond woman, probably in her early thirties, which struck Clark as being too young to have a position usually given to seasoned engineers with decades of experience. Clark also noted how neat the office looked, very unusual for an engineering manager. Furthermore, he could see that, underneath the open lab coat, Dr. Baines was dressed in a very fashionable summer dress, more suited to a day out shopping or going to the theater, not to working in an engineering office.

As she walked back to her desk, Clark could hear her saying, "So, you wanted some information concerning Dr. Platt. I thought I already gave the police all the information I had on Dr. Platt. I'm not sure what else I could tell you."

Lois replied," We're actually investigating some work Dr. Platt showed us, where he discovered what he believed to be a fault with the design of the new Shuttle engine. Can you tell me what Dr. Platt's role was here at MEDI?"

"Dr. Platt was one of our chief theorist in rocket propulsion. Brilliant, really. He was one of the most distinguished members of our team, until he developed a drug problem."

"A drug problem?"

"Yes, seems that a large quantity of drugs were found in his desk. Of course we had to dismiss him immediately."

"And just how did the drugs get discovered?" Clark asked.

"I um, don't know. Security was involved with it. I only heard about it after the fact." She tried to say the last statement nonchalantly, but Clark could tell that she was hiding something.

"So," Lois chimed in, "were you aware of the report Dr. Platt made concerning the Shuttle engines?"

"No, I wasn't aware of any accusations made by Dr. Platt before he left."

"I didn't say he made any accusations. In fact, he told us that he filed a report here at your facility about the fault, but it was ignored. Do you know anything about that?"

Clark could hear Dr. Baines's heart rate increase significantly as she answered.

"Report? No, I didn't receive any report."

"So, you didn't hear about any, um..."

"... cooling devices mistakenly installed in the inlet manifold instead of the correct heating units?" Clark finished for her. Clark heard Dr. Baines's heart rate go through the roof at their question.

"No, nothing like that. But I'll get my staff to look into it right away."

"Before the launch of the Messenger?" Lois asked.

"Of course, Ms. Lane, I'll have someone on it right away."

Lois eyed Dr. Baines suspiciously as she reaches reached into her purse and pulled out a business card. "Could you give us a call when you finish you your investigation."

Dr. Baines nods. nodded "No problem, I should have some results by tomorrow afternoon."

Both Lois and Clark nodded in response, and left the office. When they had walked half way halfway to the MEDI exit, Lois blurted out, "She's lying through her teeth."

"I agree. I could almost see the sweat forming on her brow." Actually, he could see the sweat forming, but he couldn't tell Lois that.

"Hmm... she's very attractive," Clark mused. "And young for a person in her position."

*Snort* "Typical. Is that all men notice?"

"Oh, lighten up, Lois. I just meant that she is goes against the demographic for that job."

"I see, so you're saying that beautiful women can't do engineering jobs?"

"No." Clark rolled his eyes. "But it is unusual, you have to admit. And usually engineers aren’t dressed so fashionably for work. The engineers I've known, *male and female*, have a no-nonsense approach to life. They tended to be more subdued in their dress. And she is very young to head up a project like this. Usually NASA is more conservative, and looks for someone with decades of experience. I think it might be worthwhile to look into her background."

"Damn!"

"What?"

"I agree," Lois said grudgingly. "I had the same feeling, but I hated to stereotype her. People have done that to me all my life."

Clark gave her a wry grin. "Believe me, Lois, after meeting you, no one would stereotype you."

That seemed to satisfy Lois for a moment, then she got indignant again. "Just what does that mean?"

Clark chuckled, and nodded his head in the direction of the exit. "Come on, let's go."

She grunted and followed him out the door.

"So, Lois, do you think Perry will run the story before we get Dr. Baines's official feedback?"

"I'm not sure. It'll be a close call for him. It will depend on how well we can sell the story, as is."

"I'm sure if anybody can sell Perry on an idea, you could."

She looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Should I take that as a compliment?"

"Definitely. I think Perry has a lot of respect for your instincts."

Lois looked at him appreciatively. "Thanks, Clark." They arrived at Lois's jeep and she unlocked the doors for them. "We better head straight back then, and get this written up."

After getting in the jeep, Clark hesitantly said, "Lois, I was thinking... If Perry won't run the story in time for the launch, maybe we should share everything we found with the NASA head office in D.C."

"What?! And lose our exclusive?!"

Clark audibly sighed in response. "Lo - is. There could be lives at stake."

Lois grunted and groaned and scrunched her face in frustration. "OHHHHH...." Then grudgingly got out, "I guess you're right, darn it. I hate when responsible behavior gets in the way of an exclusive."

"Lois, you can't..."

"I know, I know. Don't worry, I agree with you. I just don't have to be happy about it."

Clark had to chuckle at her reaction. "Is doing the right thing really so painful?"

"No," she replied with a pout. "I would have thought of it myself. Eventually." As they pulled out of their parking spot, Clark heard her mumble something under her breathe about being saddled with a big boy scout.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After Lois and Clark left, Dr. Baines opened her top desk drawer, and pulled out a walkie talkie. She pushed the transmit button and said into it, "Get in here, right now."

A few moments later, a surly looking man, wearing black jeans, and a black t-shirt, entered the office through the back door. With a grim look she said, "Follow those two reporters that just left. I want them both dead within the hour.

He only nodded in response, and left quickly out the back door. She then picked up the phone, dialed a number, and waited for someone to answer

"It's Baines, put him on..... Yes, it's important." Then after several seconds, "I had a couple of reporters in here today causing trouble..... They must have got hold of Platt's notes..... No, I'm taking care of the problem, but I want my payment schedule accelerated..... Yes, I'm sure. I expect to see my final payment here in my office an hour before the launch. Oh, and I'll need a helicopter too..... Yes, that would be perfect, you can join me after the dust settles..... Me, too. Bye."

She hung up the phone, then got up to walk over to the file safe in the room. She spun the combination, and opened the bottom drawer, then retrieved a file folder from the back. After insuring that it was the correct folder, she closed and relocked the safe. Walking over to her desk, she stuffed the folder into her briefcase, and then locked the briefcase shut.

With a wicked smile, she softly said to herself, "Early retirement, here I come."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lex hung up the phone, after his troublesome conversation with Antoinette. She was making this matter much too messy for his taste.

He turned to an older man with a goatee, who was standing silently on the other side of the office.

"Nigel, I believe I have grown tired of Antoinette. Would you arrange something... appropriate for her. I do believe that after the Shuttle accident, she will become distraught over her part in it, and do something drastic to herself. Don't you think so?"

"Indeed, sir. Most tragic."

"And, Nigel, she mentioned something about 'taking care' of some reporters that were causing trouble. Find out what that trouble is, and make sure it doesn't connect its way back to me. Then ensure that Dr. Baines gets blamed for their deaths."

"Understood, sir. And the timing for Dr. Baines's, unfortunate... decision?"

"I promised her the final payment an hour before the launch. I believe we should stick to that schedule. But make sure it appears to have occurred after the launch."

"Of course, is that all, sir?"

"Yes, I believe so."

Nigel nodded and left the office. Lex retrieved a cigar from the box on his desk, and carefully prepared it for use. He then lit it and took a long, slow drag.

He looked at himself vainly in the wall mirror, and with mock sympathy he uttered, "My, my Antoinette, such heartache you will cause. First the Shuttle's destruction, then the deaths of two innocent reporters, and finally taking your own life. Such are the things that tragedy is made of. Mr. Shakespeare would have been proud."

He smiled to himself in mirror, satisfied that all was right in the world... his world.

... to be continued