Aurora Borealis – The Complete Story 5/11
By Ken Janney
This story is rated PG-13.
Comments are always welcomed at ken.janney@kjanney.com
Disclaimers: The characters in this story are property of DC, December 3rd productions and Warner Bros. No Copyright infringement is intended. I have just borrowed the characters for a short time.
This story originated with a single scene that I had written as a suggested plot device for another author. It was rejected in favor of another one. I still liked the idea so I wrote a story around it. This is only loosely related to my Matchmaker series.
I wish to thank Artemis and Morgana for the beta on this.
< > denotes thoughts
* * denotes emphasis
Previously
Two weeks later the Grand Jury was empanelled and the disappearance examined. As Bill had predicted lacking a body a crime could not be proven so there were no charges lodged.
Remembering when Superman had been booked and fingerprinted, as soon as the Grand Jury handed down its verdict Clark applied for expungement to have his fingerprints removed from the record. It wouldn’t do to have Clark Kent’s fingerprints match up with Superman’s.
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Later that same day, carrying a small paper bag, Clark entered STAR Labs and asked to meet with Dr. Klein. He was sent on back and after greeting him said, “Doc, I’ve got an unusual request to make.” He put the bag on his desk.
Bernie looked at it and asked, “What do we have here?”
“I brought Lois’ hair brush. Assuming that there are some hair follicles it will be a sample of her DNA. I’d like you to map her DNA.”
“Why? Do you want to try and create a clone or something?”
“No, that’s just it Bernie. If she were to suddenly show up I need a way to verify that it *is* her and *not* a clone.”
“Ahhhh, I see. A wise precaution. I’ll get right on it. I’ll run triplicate samples just so there will be no question. It will take some time.”
“Let it Bernie. Accuracy is more important than speed. Thank you. I really appreciate it. By the way, do you have a mapping of Superman’s DNA on file?”
“No, we don’t. Should we?”
“Why don’t I talk to him? Maybe it would be a good thing. He should come in and give you a sample so that it can be mapped. You never can tell what might happen or when something like that would come in handy. Thanks Doc. I’ll be in touch.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Two months later Clark was served with papers for a civil suit; Ellen Lane vs. Clark Kent suing him in the disappearance of one Lois Lane-Kent.
However, this suit never came to trial because before a court date could be set the Plaintiff died of alcohol poisoning.
A week later Clark stood with Sam and Lucy Lane at the funeral.
And now:
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Chapter 5
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After Ellen Lane’s funeral Clark returned to his apartment. He had taken off his black suit jacket and placed it over the back of a chair before sitting on the sofa with his head in his hands trying to decide where he should search next or if it was even worth the effort to continue searching. He was wracked with sadness, fear and doubts as he continued brooding.
After a while there was a knock on his door. His head came up and he listened with his superhearing. He recognized the heartbeat as that of Lucy Lane. He composed himself and moved to the door to let her in.
She was still wearing her black outfit from the funeral. She asked, "Do you mind if I come in for a while?"
Clark replied, "No, not at all. You know you're always welcome here."
"In that case can I stay with you a while? I just ... I just don't want to be alone right now."
"I can understand that feeling. Take off your coat and relax. Would you like a cup of tea?"
"That'd be nice. Thanks."
While he was in the kitchenette making the tea, Lucy took off her coat and draped it over a chair back on top of his jacket, unknowingly, a prophetic action, and then settled herself on the sofa near the middle. Calling into the kitchenette she asked, "Have you heard anything about Lois yet? She's been gone for months now. It almost seems like she might not be coming back at all."
Clark brought the tea in on a tray and placed it on the coffee table before he sat down on the end of the sofa. They both fixed their tea and started sipping it. Clark sighed before he replied. "I haven't given up hope that she will return."
Lucy looked at him over the rim of her tea cup and asked, "What will you do if she doesn't?"
Staring into his cup, wishing it would turn into a crystal ball and tell him where Lois was, he said, "I'll keep looking for her and hoping for a miracle."
"Wouldn't you give up at some point and move on?"
"With who? Lucy, your sister, was … is … the love of my life. There's no one like her. There’s no one else for me."
Lucy edged closer to Clark on the sofa. He was so preoccupied with his thoughts of Lois that he didn't notice that she was closing the distance between them.
When she was so close that their thighs were touching he realized what was happening and he jumped up. She also stood and approached him like a cat stalking its prey. “What’s the problem? Are you afraid she will catch us? Clark, she’s not here. She’s gone, perhaps for good. We’re both adults. We don’t have to ask anyone’s permission …” As she was speaking she backed him toward the sofa reaching to put her hands on his shoulders.
In his attempt to avoid her, Clark retreated before her and he actually fell backwards over the arm of the sofa. He found himself on his back laying on the couch. Before he was able to scoot more than a foot or so backwards, Lucy was literally on him.
She had pulled her skirt up so that she could straddle his hips. Despite his verbal protests the stimulation had the reaction on him that she had desired.
Clark was so shocked into immobility that he simply lay there. He could feel himself responding because the stimulation felt so good. His reaction was automatic. He started arguing with himself, <I need to make her stop. Oh, that feels so good. Oh, yes. NO! This is Lucy, not Lois! Why is she doing this? Have to make her stop. Make her stop making it feel so good. Lois! Help me Lois. Help me make her stop.> He could feel his resolve strengthen. He was wondering how he could extricate himself from this situation without damaging his relationship with her.
Clark continued to lay there, unmoving as she continued her assault seeking the strength of will to stop her.
Clark roused himself enough to ask, “Lucy, what was that all about? I’m a married man? I’m married to your sister!”
Still having something of a dreamy tone in her voice she replied, "What was that about? It was about you and me. Lois wasn't the only Lane woman attracted to you. The only reason I didn't say anything before was because of Lois. She's not around now. We Lane women go after what we want and I want you." She levered herself up by placing her hands on his chest and pushing. As soon as she was upright she reached for and started unbuttoning her blouse.
Seeing this prompted him to act. He rolled out from under her and she tried to grab him, not wanting to lose the close contact. He stood and pulled her skirt back down to return her modesty. He asked, "Lucy, what was that really about?"
“Like I said, that was all about us, you and me. Don’t deny it! You were enjoying that almost as much as me.” With a sexy pout she patted the sofa next to herself and said, “Come back here to me.”
"Lucy, look, you're a sweet girl and I love you ... like a sister, but that is as far as it will ever go. You're Lois' sister, but I'm married to Lois."
Now she was getting exasperated and it was evident in her voice. “Can’t you get it through your head, she’s gone,” she almost shouted and then in a sweet, coquettish voice she finished, “I’m here! I’ll take care of you.”
He tried to be stern with her, but it still came out a little weaker than he had intended, “I’m sorry, Lucy. It’d never work. I still believe that Lois will return. I have to believe that she will. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost that hope.”
Seeing his expression and hearing the tone in his voice, she realized that, at least for the time being, she wasn’t going to get her way, but that wouldn’t keep her from trying some more. Eventually Lucy left with a promise that she would be seeing him, frequently. She was determined that she would have a relationship with Clark.
After she walked out the door Clark released a relieved sigh.
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For the next five years Clark had to fend off Lucy’s continued attempts to ensnare him in a relationship.
As he was seeking a way to deflect her he finally hit upon a plan. Most of the time he knew when she was coming over and each time she did he asked Jimmy to show up as well.
Eventually he was able to fade into the background and let Jimmy take the lead. It was unclear whether or not Lucy was really attracted to Jimmy or if she finally saw the writing on the wall and realized that no matter how much she tried, Clark would not be available and accepted the second best. The consolation, for Clark, was the fact that they did at least seem to be happy together.
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Clark never gave up in his search. He would spend weeks canvassing a country from border to border, mostly at night so that he would have less chance of being observed. There were countries that his presence was accepted, however there were countries where their regimes were afraid of his abilities and the fact that he could compromise their plans, militaristically among others. Those countries he had to exercise added caution. It was important that he remain unobserved either by eye or radar.
Superman cut back on a lot of his personal appearances. This had required that he lay down the law to Murray, but after fighting it some Murray accepted his decision.
The overweening sorrow took its toll on him. As Superman he was even more stoic and taciturn than he had been formerly. His aloofness caused people to be more standoffish than they had previously. In the past he would occasionally lighten up and perhaps even give a half smile. Even those disappeared.
As Clark Kent he threw himself into his job to take his mind off of his missing Lois. He refused, adamantly, to admit that she could be dead. Occasionally he still heard echoes of her heartbeat, mostly in the middle of the night. It would wake him out of a sound sleep and be gone before he could even begin to move anything other than his eyelids.
Occasionally he spent a sleepless night keeping a fruitless vigil in the bathroom just in case she would reappear.
Several times he was actually awake when he heard it and quickly focused his x-ray vision on the bathroom. All he caught was a shimmer as if something insubstantial had appeared momentarily.
Sometimes he was tempted to doubt his sanity. How could he be hearing Lois’ heartbeat or voice? Yet, all of these … manifestations, served to keep him hoping that someday … someday she would in fact return to him.
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As the decades passed he continued his search, never giving up hope.
The next blow that fell was when Perry White passed. He had only been retired for five short years. It seemed like when he left the Planet he didn’t have any reason to continue living and he simply wasted away. Alice was really broken up when she lost him.
One of the hardest things he had ever done was prepare the obituary for Perry. He wouldn’t allow anyone else to handle it. It was a work of love and respect for his boss and mentor.
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The next year Jonathan Kent had a heart attack and was hospitalized for an extended period.
By this time Clark had managed to purchase his entire apartment building so he had his father transferred to MetGen. Then, after closing up the farm house, he moved his mother to the apartment next to his so that they could be together while Jonathan was in the hospital and he would have them both nearby after Jonathan was released.
After quadruple bypass surgery Jonathan began a long convalescence and was happy to have all of his family nearby.
The family grew closer together, closer than they had been before he had left on his world travels.
That was why it was such a blow when his mother unexpectedly collapsed one afternoon from a major stroke. She remained unconscious for two days before she finally passed. Her husband followed her in fairly short order, literally within weeks of Martha’s funeral. Who would argue that it was from a broken heart at the loss of his wife and partner of almost sixty years? The funerals had been held in Smallville with interment in the old family plot in one corner of the farm.
Now, he was truly alone. He went to work and did his job. He did what he had to do as Superman, but his heart really wasn’t in it. Without his family, without his Lois, why should he go on? If not for his invulnerability he might consider suicide, but between that and the fact that he was still needed as Superman he might have done it.
comments go here TBC in Chapter 6
