Lois sat up in bed and cried out. “No! No! Kaldar don’t leave!”

A torrent of thoughts raced through her mind. Why would Kaldar allow the woman he loved to marry another man, no matter how kind? Why on earth would he run away to his estate with a woman he didn’t love?

Why was Kaldar dressed in black and wearing a mask when he danced with Loysa? Was it a secret identity to keep Prince Alexi and others from knowing who he was? This dream was a weird melding of The Queen’s Consort and her wretched love life … or lack thereof.

Clark.

It was time to see Clark. Lana may have been his high school sweetie, but the woman was most definitely not kind. She couldn’t allow her best friend to make the biggest mistake of his life! Plus … there was something more to it than that. Something she had hidden from for far too long. She loved Clark Kent, a mild-mannered reporter who was also her best friend.

Not Superman, because although the memory of their whimsical dance-on-air would stay with her forever, the Man of Steel was one hundred percent fantasy and she could not imagine spending her life with him. She needed a man who could publicly deal with supermarkets, not super villains.

Lex Luthor – her other ‘possibility’ – was a billionaire who gave to numerous communities around Metropolis and throughout the world. But he did not strike her as a man who ever gave of himself. If that were the case, how could he be truly intimate with whoever became his wife?

And that left Clark. But not as some second-rate ‘consolation prize’, but as the ‘victor’, the only one who fulfilled all her needs, hopes and yes - dreams.

Clark needed to know how she felt about him and she also needed to apologize for the cold way she had been treating him since Lana showed up.

Quickly she jumped out of bed. Without thinking about the hour, with almost maniacal energy, she pulled on jeans, a light cotton shirt and comfortable walking sandals. After running a brush through sleep-tossed hair she grabbed keys and purse and bolted for the door.

A half hour later after parking the Jeep, that energy still coursed through her. With eager footsteps she climbed up the metal stairs to his apartment. Just as she raised a hand to knock, Clark’s voice could be clearly heard through the glass door.

“Lana, we discussed this already; relocation is out of the question. My place is here, your place is …”

A small, anguished cry escaped from Lois’ throat, drowning out Clark’s words. They were discussing relocation. Together! That could only mean … No. He couldn’t be leaving. It was too horrible a thought to consider. She was going to lose her best friend!

But … he’d said that his place was here … in Metropolis. Maybe he wasn’t leaving. Her heart lightened for a moment, until she remembered his next words. Lana’s place was … by his side. Was that what he had been continuing to say? Did that mean …? Had he proposed, and this was their discussion about … future living arrangements?

The cold realization slid through her stomach as sharp as a sword’s blade. So, that was it. Clark had proposed, Lana had clearly accepted. She had indeed lost her best friend! Tears filled up her eyes and almost blindly she sat down on the chilly iron steps and began to weep. Memories of happier times came and went with frightening speed. How could she have been so stupid and let the best thing that had ever happened to her slip through her fingers? This was so much worse than the dream could ever have been!

But then resolve, like a brick wall firmed her mind. No way was Mad Dog Lane backing down and letting Miss Dairy Freeze win. Not without a fight! She stood up and went back to the door and began to pound so hard on the wood and glass door that the frame began to shake. “Clark Jerome Kent, open this door right now!”


Chapter Three

It didn’t take long before she heard rapid, heavy footsteps and then Clark, looking too handsome for his own good, wearing black sweatpants and a grey t-shirt flung open the door. “Lois? What on Earth are you doing here? It’s 4:00AM!”

She pushed past him, stepped over the threshold and ran down the stairs into the small, but comfortable air conditioned living room. The tone of her voice was acid when she responded “Oh I don’t know, maybe find out how great the evening went at the Metropolis Museum since you and Lana decided to bring the ‘party’ here! All right Lang! Come out and show yourself!” She raced into the sleeping alcove and ran around the bed, giving the tousled sheets more than a cursory, angry glance, with Clark trailing close behind.

Even more puzzled than before, he responded, “What are you talking about? Lana isn’t here. I dropped her off at her place after the party. But we were on the phone or at least we were until I heard my door being pounded off its hinges. Now, will you please tell me what’s going on?”

Her inspection of the alcove complete, ignoring his anxious comment, Lois charged on. She flung open the balcony door, permitting thick, humid air into the room. She grimaced remembering the awful weather. After quickly inspecting the outside, yet still managing to talk at a rapid fire pace, she turned to him and snapped. “I won’t have your life end up like Kaldar’s! Imagine leaving the love of your life to marry a woman who isn’t your equal in rank or personality! He and Loysa didn’t have a choice, but you do! That’s one dream - or rather nightmare – that had better not come true and ….!”

Lois stopped mid-babble, realizing the entire mad situation was being fueled by a movie and a dream – a dream she had slipped and unwittingly admitted to Clark about. A moment of silence passed between them as she watched him think about what she said, than comprehension dawned, an expression in equal parts disbelief and bemusement on his face. “Wait a second. Since when does a movie about fictional star-crossed lovers have anything to do with Lana and I?”

In a superior tone Lois responded. “Ha! You think you’re so smart all the time correcting my copy. For your information, the proper grammatical phase should be Lana and me!”

“Okay, I stand corrected. But Ms. Lane, it’s a small apartment.” He gestured with an outstretched hand, “Do you see any sign of Lana?”
Her anger faded away and the Mad Dog Lane persona took a hike. Lois’ voice reflected equal parts embarrassment and relief - that Clark was thinking about the movie and not her dream – as she spoke in a tiny, discomfited voice. “She ….she’s really not here?”

Clark’s eyes glared behind the wire rimmed glasses as he crossed his muscular arms over his chest.

“No, Lana is most definitely not here.” There was something authoritative and commanding about his stance, it was almost familiar …

Head bowed and feeling more humiliated by the second, she skirted around the bed and went back into the living room. “I … I thought I heard you talk about moving in with her …”

The surprised expression on his face should have been enough to tell her that such a scenario wasn’t possible. He ran long fingers through thick, black hair, took a deep breath and desiring to ease the tension of the situation said, “Look, do you want something to drink? I can make us a fresh pot of Moroccan coffee?”

Lois sat down on the familiar, comfortable couch and folded her arms tightly over her chest. In a vain attempt to cover over a whopper of a mistake, she sighed. “Yes, a cup of good, strong coffee is what we need at this hour since there’s a lot to talk about!”

He nodded, “Okay, make yourself at home. Brewing will take a few minutes.”

Clark, still in confusion about Lois’ odd behavior, went into the small kitchen and began getting ingredients for Moroccan coffee which was one of their favorite blends. They drank several cups sometimes when working at Clark’s apartment compiling information on an investigation. It took a few minutes for the highly spiced brew to ‘bloom’, Lois recognized the pleasant aroma, an intriguing fusion of cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom pods, cloves and other spices used in North Africa. She sighed, that man certainly knew his way around all things culinary, especially brands from exotic, faraway places.

She remembered with a mental grimace that Lana was also quite capable in the kitchen – apparently it was a talent people born in Kansas had to excel at before being allowed to leave the state. A talent she had never expected to master.

Clark emerged from the kitchen and handed her a hot cup nestled on top of a saucer as colorful as its contents were piquant. She took a grateful sip and for a second was ready to forget why she came here in the first place. Clark sat at the other end of the couch; the coffee mug he was holding disappearing into his large hands. If it was at all possible, the underlying current of nervous anticipation on Clark’s part had increased tenfold. He took a slow intake of breath and said, “So here we are, with no distractions of any kind, let’s talk.”

A profound breath escaped her lips, why was she so nervous? Clark was the one who had broken all the rules allowing an obnoxious woman, an outsider really, to run his life. “Okay, look, it’s none of my business what you do after quitting time. But honestly Clark, this excessive time spent with Lana is affecting everyone else.”

A tiny, mischievous smile quirked at the corner of his mouth. She suspected he was surprised - even a little relieved - about which way the conversation was going.

Cocking an eyebrow he said. “Oh? Like who?”

Mentally she cast about. Who had been affected adversely since Lana showed up and then she remembered not just one person, but two. With a smirk, she launched into attack.

“Like I have to remind you about Jimmy’s moving party and your failure to appear? You were supposed to drive the truck ….remember? He was pretty let down. Especially after all the hard work he’s done researching people, places and things for us over the past few years! Jack, Eduardo, Stacy even Cat showed up - wearing a pink jumpsuit and heels – but at least she was there! Let me say, driving that heavy truck on a Saturday afternoon across midtown traffic was not easy!”

A faint blush appeared under Clark’s smooth olive complexion. He said weakly, “Lana needed help getting her own heavy furniture moved. I … I tried to get away, but she changed the layout so many times! When the furniture arrangement was done she insisted I stay for lunch, which was cold chicken sandwiches and homemade apple pie. It was her way to thank me. By the time I got to Jimmy’s old place, everyone was gone. It was a terrible thing for me to do, but I did apologize to him. Two days ago, we rebuilt his car’s transmission, now that was a job!”

He didn’t add that moving the furniture had only taken thirty minutes. Even after eating lunch there was still plenty of time for him to get to Jimmy’s, but an emergency rescue of an oil freighter caught in the grips of a stormy North Atlantic had occupied the rest of the afternoon.

Rubbing her chin she muttered, “Yeah, he did tell me about that. Okay, what about Jack? It is very difficult for him to ask for help of any kind. He didn’t say anything, but he was disappointed.”

His face went an even deeper shade of red, in many ways Jack was more of a younger brother than Jimmy. After all, Clark had literally pulled him off the streets after the globe disaster was finally settled. Clark felt particularly responsible for him and his younger brother Denny.

Whenever he thought about that night he winced in guilt. Lana had begged him to be her date for a very chic dinner party at Mayor Gansey’s official residence. In a turnabout on tradition, Lana had arrived at his apartment, rather than have him pick her up at her place. When he opened the door, he was speechless. She wore a deep green, sleeveless dress adorned over all with lace and a scalloped hem which hit just belong the knee. He had to be careful; Lana was trying to set the tone of the evening in the opposite direction of where he wanted to be. She was looking for him to be her date, whereas he was attending this dinner as a friend.

It was only as they were leaving his apartment for the evening, both dressed up to the nines, and almost locking the door, that the phone had rung. Jack had been wondering where he was, and in that moment, Clark had realized that he’d got the date wrong in his calendar.
Either way, Clark was now ready for a fancy evening out, with Lana outside on the steps waiting impatiently. The toe tapping of her expensive shoes reached his ears, telegraphing her mounting displeasure. Jack had let him go begrudgingly, but throughout the evening Clark had felt remorse about not helping, after all he was the one who pushed Jack to get his high school diploma.

The dinner party had been a success; he managed to cultivate a valuable source on the mayor’s staff. While Lana worked the room, garnering contacts, especially with a certain Swiss business mogul – a Mr. Gregory Daae - and smiling happily whenever anyone said she and Clark made a ‘lovely couple’. He had picked up those comments and by the dinner’s end, his ear tips were beet red. The time was getting close to inform Lana his affections were not for her.

He had every intention of making up for his blunder at the first opportunity. He had to admit, between Superman rescues and Lana insistence on his presence at odd times for museum fund raisers and society dinners; he was losing his reputation for being reliable to his friends and co-workers. With a heartfelt sigh he said, “Jack and I talked about it. He understood. With Eduardo’s help he aced the SAT exams.”

“Uh huh, he specifically asked for help from his big brother … you. Perry is a father figure.” She added as an afterthought “Eduardo is more like an uncle.”

“True, nevertheless Eduardo was the better tutor than I could have been, his sons had taken the same tests as Jack; so he was a lot more familiar with the material. Jack is intimidated by him because of his status as a globetrotting journalist.”

Lois shook her head, “That’s not the point. When your friends need you, please don’t push them aside for her!”

Clark got suddenly quiet. “Does this have anything to do with why you tackled Lance Aldrich in his home without me? Lois, you could have been killed. You’re not just my friend, you are my partner. We work together …especially when it comes to dangerous cases like that.”

Now it was her turn to be red-faced. “How … how did you know?”

“I met Diane and the girls in the lobby. She told me the whole thing.”

After folding slender arms in a huff, a groan escaped her lips, “Great! I thought she was my friend!”

His quiet voice continued, “She is and so am I. Friends help one another.”

Dark brown eyes flashed with indignation, she put aside the coffee and said with more heat than was necessary. “That’s funny coming from a guy who let down two of his best friends when they really needed him!”

Clark set down his cup and raised both hands in surrender; it was time to put this portion of the conversation to rest. He felt bad enough and did not need Lois to add to his regret. “I explained and everything you said is perfectly true. Look, going forward I will make a stronger effort to be the kind of friend Jimmy and Jack deserve.”

The flash of anger disappeared and Lois looked thoughtful. That was one knotty problem out of the way. Now for the truly messy one … the one that had the potential to make Lois Lane either very happy or sad. After saying a quick prayer she said in the softest, most honest voice imaginable. “That’s good to hear - about being a better friend and all. But I … I have to imagine this relationship with Lana is serious. Someone like you is too much of a gentleman to lead a woman on. Should … uh, Perry be informed one half of the hottest team in town is getting married?”

He had picked up the cup and was taking a sip while hearing this. He sputtered, causing the hot liquid to slosh over the cup and spill on his sweatpants. “Married! No! Why on Earth would you think that?”

Exotic brown eyes narrowed and words tumbled like a waterfall over her lips, “Isn’t it obvious? While we were in Smallville covering the Bureau 39 story Martha told me about Lana Lang …the one that walked away. Pete even hinted about those days in high school, when you and Lana only had eyes for each other. He was surprised wedding invitations weren’t handed out before graduation! Besides, isn’t that what people do in Smallville? Get married to their high school sweeties, settle down to a tight little marriage and have two point five children?” Shaking her head in disbelief she rattled on. “Urgh! No, this is Kansas … three children or four, not the nation’s norm of two point five!”

Clark let the quip pass and moved closer, gently took her hand and whispered. “Lana and I are a long way from Smallville. Yes, when she first moved to Metropolis she thought of picking up where we left off. But those days are over. We aren’t in high school anymore. The phone call this morning was a last effort to …” A thoughtful smile touched his lips and he finished, “Encourage me. Lana has been offered a position in the Chicago Museum of Renaissance History. She knows influential people on all the major newspapers in that town. It would have been a simple matter of her picking up the phone and I would have had a job.”

“Oh.” Lois whispered very softly, happy Lana was leaving town, the sooner the better. “This is nothing like my dream at all. Loysa and Kaldar didn’t have a chance. We do.”

A puzzled look crossed his face. Lois wondered if he could have heard her, then dismissed the thought as impossible. She took another sip of coffee and the warm liquid felt good going down. She allowed him to continue talking.

“I was telling Lana, my place is here in Metropolis, where I work at the best newspaper in the world, live in a great apartment in an up and coming neighborhood and have friends who mean a great deal to me, especially you.”

A torrent of profound relief washed over her. “Really?”

“Yes. I meant every word of it. It was probably making sense to Lana as well. I was waiting for her response when unfortunately; I had to hang up, because a certain person was banging my door down.”

A rush of heat covered Lois’ face, “Oh Clark, I’m sorry. I really made a mess of things.”

With a gentle squeeze of his hand he said, “Don’t ever be sorry Lois, it shows you care.” He was still for a heartbeat and then asked, “I thought the Man of Steel had your undivided attention?”

She looked at him and thought about the romantic dance she and Superman had shared last night. It was a moment which would live in her memory forever; sadly it was not real, not as real as the man beside her. The dream had in an odd way brought clarity to her mind.
Carefully, as if the colorful cup would break, Lois set it down on the coffee table again, then looked at the way Clark held her hand in his. It was as if their hands were meant to be held by one another. A deep sense of contentment covered her like a comfortable old quilt. Now there was no reason to be concerned about losing him to Lana and then moving away. Miss Dairy Freeze had lost out, Clark Kent was staying in Metropolis.

They sat together on the couch holding hands and enjoying the tranquility between them. Clark’s face was intensely contemplative, as if he was weighing something of immense significance in his mind. She wondered what it could be. Rather than interrupt, she determined for once to measure the water level and not jump in now was the time to be patient and allow him to speak.

“Lois, there was another person who was very deeply affected by the time I spent with Lana.”

“Really? Who?”

“She’s a very important part of my life and her initials are LL.”

“Oh that’s just great! Lana strikes again! Her initials ….” Lois’ voice trailed off into stunned silence at the realization of who ‘LL” was.

Clark stood up from the couch, the conflict on his face, whatever it was, had resolved itself. With the resolution made, he was determined to carry out that decision. He looked down on her and said, “Lois, we do have a lot to talk about. I … I’ve want a deeper, more meaningful relationship between us. More than the time we share as work partners. Still, before that happens there’s much to tell you and it will neither be easy for me to say nor for you to hear.”

He walked a few feet to the shelf holding his stereo system, looked through the cassette holder, removed one and placed it into the player. His broad back was to her as he slowly removed his glasses and placed them on the shelf, then with both hands pushed his hair back. The strong shoulders, which had been slumped, were now thrown back, his body language altered, flowing from one persona to another, completely different and yet achingly similar. Just as Kaldar had changed his clothes to hide who he was from the elite of Metpolria so had Clark Kent transformed into the Man of Steel.

Lois stared at him, wholly at a loss for words.

With a gentle voice he said, “I’m still trying to figure out what a dream about The Queen’s Consort has to do with everything, but if it has led us to this conversation … this moment … then that’s fine.” He turned and suddenly Superman in Clark’s clothing stood before her as an unexpected yet familiar song filled the room:

When you taught me how to dance
years ago with misty eyes
every step and silent glance
every move a sweet surprise.


The song continued playing, yet the words were unheard, only the sound of blood rushing to her head. Lois wanted to faint, but with every vestige of self-control held on, and then after taking several shallow breaths of air she managed to speak. “It … it was you in the newsroom last night.”

Clark bowed his head. “Yes. After speaking with Diane in the lobby, I wanted to come upstairs and make sure you were all right. But then I heard a cry for help and it was necessary to leave immediately.”
Despite her confusion, ever the reporter, Lois asked in a shaky voice,

“What happened?”

“There was a fire in an abandoned apartment building on Casement Street, not too far from Napier Avenue.” He held up a hand to stop her from speaking. “Don’t worry your aunt and uncle’s restaurant was untouched. No one was harmed; I arrived in plenty of time. Mike is a great guy! With all this heat and humidity the fire fighters, paramedics and police needed water. He provided that, ice tea, fruit and pastries. The emergency crews were very appreciative. I intend to make sure the Superman Foundation gives him a check to cover for the refreshments.

She whispered, “Thank you. I can’t begin to imagine all the disasters you have averted and all the people you have helped. Yet all this time I never knew.” She gave him a quizzical look and said, “That fire was early in the evening, ‘Superman’ did not show up until much later. Where were you?”

“After the fire was contained, one rescue after another kept popping up. I still wanted to see you, but not with the smell and grit from the flames clinging to my suit. A quick flight to the Atlantic Ocean and diving into the waters took care of that problem. I should have changed into street clothes then, but I was anxious to get back to the newsroom before you went home. I came back and saw you eating a Double Fudge Crunch bar … a victory celebration - but from the look on your face - a lonely one. At that moment, Clark Kent should have been there for his partner, not the Man of Steel. I was going to change except when you said aloud, ‘“I just finished two stories in one day! Two very good stories, I have a lot to be proud of!”’

She did not allow him to finish and said, “I heard that familiar sound of wind whenever Superman is present and turned around. Guess I ‘caught’ the Man of Steel before he could fly away and turn into Clark Kent.”

He nodded sadly, “I couldn’t leave, so I called out your name … we talked and then … we danced.”

She spoke with a voice that stumbled, cracked and finally smoothed itself out to be recognizable. “Yes, we danced … and it was the most enchanting thing that has ever happened to me. I loved feeling your arms around me ... ”

Clark’s voice was hesitant and a little scared as he stammered out,

“Lois …”

She held up a hand to stop him, “No, let me finish, that was cruel what you did; romancing me while wearing a cape and blue spandex. Yet when you’re dressed as Clark Kent you are a friend … my very best friend …” Lois’ voice broke, when she really wanted to scream, wanted to pound her fists against his chest and rain down a thousand blows. He had humiliated her by not revealing this significant secret before now. But in the midst of her own emotional maelstrom, she looked into those quiet brown eyes and saw so many feelings mirroring her own; fear, hope, disappointment, and most of all, an unfathomable yearning for her understanding and compassion. There was so much at stake here; could she not listen to what this man had to say?

Riveted to the couch Lois clasped her hands tightly and muttered, “Go ahead, Clark, please explain, I … I want to know.”

He knew it took no small amount of restraint to rein in that famous temper of hers; she had every right to be furious with him. “Many times I wanted to tell you and somehow there was never the right moment. This secret doesn’t just involve me, but my parents, Pete Ross and the people of Smallville ...”

She nodded thoughtfully, taking all of his words in, “Yeah, which makes sense. You want to protect them. As investigative reporters it sometimes seems like we have a lot more enemies than friends. Does … does Lana know?”

He shook his head adamantly, “No, Lana, doesn’t know anything about me, if she did, my life would be … different. Pete found out years ago by accident, but he understood what a burden it would be on me if I knew that he knew. So he worked hard to keep the knowledge from me and clandestinely assisted me on a few occasions.” He smiled, “Once he even suffered a broken arm so the football team wouldn’t discover the truth about me!”

“Now that will make an interesting story to hear sometime soon. Pete is a good friend,” Lois said with a crooked smile.

“Yeah, it wasn’t until after I moved to Metropolis and became Superman that Pete admitted he knew about my abilities. You can imagine how that frightened me. Yet he reassured me that he understood just how important keeping the secret is. Not simply for me, but for my folks and others. Honestly, it’s a relief to have someone who knows who I am besides Mom and Dad. As a matter of fact, he was the one who kept telling me to let Lana sort out her own dates for big events and if she needed furniture moved to ask the building superintendent.”

Lois couldn’t help but chuckle in amusement, “See! He knows who’s good for you and who is not!”

He took a thoughtful sip of coffee before replying. “Pete says he’s never seen me happier than when I talk about you. He wanted to know why you and I are not in a serious relationship.”

A look of puzzlement marched across her face, “Why did he say that?”
Despite the seriousness of the conversation he said with a grin.

“Because the name Lois Lane, whether playing poker with the guys or shooting hoops, always seems to crop up in my conversation. He is not the only one who notices. My parents think you are simply the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Martha and Jonathan think of me as more than a friend and co-worker?”

He crossed the room and sat once more on the couch. “Lois, they are very much aware you are more than a co-worker to me. No matter what the crisis, we have always been there for each other. Now, tell me, why you really come here tonight … er this morning? Faint traces of a smile touched his mouth, “Surely not to talk about The Queen’s Consort?” We have discussed movies before, like Die Hard and Lethal Weapon at the office during downtime. But you never felt the need to come to my apartment at dawn to talk about them. Both of which are great flicks, however let’s leave the running around barefoot in buildings under siege to Bruce Willis. ”

A smirk came to Lois lips, “He is cute! But as far as I’m concerned, Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber is totally sexy, especially with that accent!”

“Well, if they ever do a sequel, I promise to take you.”

“That’s nice. But it’s not necessary, unfortunately, since Alan Rickman’s character died, it’s highly unlikely he’ll make a cameo appearance. Pity, the film would be a lot better with Rickman, Bruce is cute, but he’s no Antonio Banderas!”

He shook his head in amazement. “What do you and all the women in the bullpen find so fantastic about Antonio Banderas? Personally, I never liked the guy. All right, maybe I can’t get you Alan Rickman, but how about coming with me to the David Bowie charity concert for MetroGen? Pete had suggested a week ago I take you. He has the tickets all lined up. Now that the Lana situation is settled, will you come with me, as my date?”

Lois’ eyes grew wide and her voice squealed with excitement. “David Bowie?! That’s right; Cat mentioned he’s doing the concert to help raise funds for cardiac research. I heard his wife Iman is going to be there. She is so glamorous! Are you kidding? Of course I want to come, as your date!”

Clark rewarded her with a smile, one which touched his eyes and her heart. It was good to be opening up to one another without the barriers that had been there previously. His revelation about being Superman had provided an explanation for his odd behavior over the past two years. Unconsciously, she moved closer to him on the couch. Her thoughts were interrupted when he repeated his earlier question.

“So, besides wanting to confront Lana, why did you come here at 4:30 in the morning?”

Embarrassed at her earlier brash behavior, she said, “I … I couldn’t sleep.”

Once again Clark was amused and asked. “You couldn’t sleep? “What about that old-fashioned remedy, making a cup of warm milk to soothe you down? That’s not too difficult to make, just pop a small cup into the microwave. Wait; don’t tell me, you ran out of milk?”

She gave his shoulder a light, good natured tap. “I have plenty of milk in the apartment, thank you very much! Actually I was thinking about The Queen’s Consort, my dance with Super … ah you, when I got home from work. It’s not every day that a woman truly dances on air with a man she is cares about. Anyhow, eventually I dropped off to sleep and dreamt about us playing the parts of Loysa and Kaldar. That was the most vivid dream! Even now every detail and nuance are still in sharp focus. At first it was gorgeous; the ballroom, dresses and even how the musicians were seated in the gallery was so breathtaking. But then events started to change.”

“How so,” Clark asked, his curiosity piqued.

“As you remember, in the movie Princess Loysa and Kaldar overcame all obstacles, were married and he became her royal consort.”

“Right, the film ended in a traditional happily ever after.” Clark said.

A deep sigh expelled from Lois’ mouth. “There was no ‘happily ever after’ in my dream. Loysa made her grand entrance into the Ballroom and after searching the crowd of faces saw Kaldar with her rival Lady Ileana.”

“Uh, I take it she was supposed to be Lana?”

“Yes,” Lois sighed, put down the cup and began picking at a stray thread on the couch. “Until this very moment, I had no idea the depths of my jealousy.”

He placed a comforting hand on hers and said. “It’s okay, Lois. I understand.” A moment of quiet passed between them. Only the strains of violin music filled the emptiness. Again their hands were clasped together as if they always sat on his couch in this very intimate manner. Than Clark cleared his throat and said, “I have a confession to make.”

Incredulous, she leaned forward and said, “Another one?”

“Yes, Lana and I were at the same Cineplex as you. I saw you hiding under the seats. The baseball cap did nothing to hide your face. I would know you anywhere.”

Her eyes grew wide, “All this time you never said anything!”

“On Monday at work, I wanted to ask why you were there alone. Unfortunately, that was a busier than normal day in the bullpen and a chance to talk in private never came up.”

Lois sighed, “Come on, Clark, I have not made things easy for you.”

He nodded in agreement. “It’s been difficult since we haven’t exactly been on the same page of late. What about your sister and Molly? Surely they would have loved to come?”

“They did, but both of them were busy and I really wanted to go since Waldo’s reviews grabbed my attention. You know how persnickety he is about period romances. Besides, I couldn’t think of a better thing to do on a humid Saturday night.”

Clark left unsaid that she could have called him and he would have jumped at the chance to spend some time with her. But he had already promised to take Lana. At the thought of escorting both women a tiny shiver went down his spine. Better to face the Nightfall asteroid again! Instead he said gently, “Tell me more about the dream.”
She reached down and picked up the cup, took a quick sip and said,

“You might not like this next part.”

He nodded and motioned with his hands for her to continue.

“Loysa was engaged to Crown Prince Alexi. Her father was going to make the announcement at the Ball.”

Her friend’s eyes narrowed, “Alexi, as in Lex Luthor?”

“Yes.”

Lois considered Clark’s handsome face; the expression had abruptly gone tight and fierce. It was obvious there was thinly veiled animosity between him and the billionaire, but now that she knew he was Superman, there were good reasons to feel as he did towards Luthor. Perhaps her partner knew things about Lex that any other law-abiding citizen of Metropolis would be blissfully unaware of. If that were the case, then it was time to start a Luthor investigation and discover the real man under those flawlessly tailored Savile Row suits.

But their sleuthing into the underbelly of Lex Luthor’s world would come a little later on … like Monday morning. Currently she needed to reassure him that any slender romantic feelings she had had for the older man were long gone.

“I … I mean Loysa, was not happy to be marrying the crown prince. In fact she was miserable and only wanted to see Kaldar. But her parents wanted her to dance with Alexi and then Kaldar disappeared from the ballroom and suddenly this amazing man dressed completely in black with a mask appeared and he asked Loysa to ... ”

For the next ten minutes Lois continued her narrative. Clark listened with rapt attention, watching her expressions alter between dreamy bliss to despair. Each piece of the dream fit with rather distinct pieces of Lois own life, the center being their relationship.
When her words ran down to silence he said anxiously, “That’s it? Kaldar leaves with Lady Ileana for an empty life on a country estate with a woman he doesn’t love? Loysa marries a prince to stop their separate countries from going to war? Wow. That’s not a dream; it’s a nightmare on a Galactic scale!”

Lois made a face. “Tell me about it. At least we don’t have to worry about my parents marrying me off to Lex Luthor. I can’t image Martha and Jonathan would ever dream of doing such a thing to you.”

“Mom and Dad aren’t the type to force a marriage on anyone.” He said quietly, “My birth parents on the other hand that might have been a different story.”

She looked at Clark for a moment and once again the reality of who her friend was washed over her. “Wait, are you trying to say you are ‘royalty’?”

He glanced uncomfortably at a small wooden box on the book shelf. It contained the globe which had acted as a guidance system for the tiny ship that brought him to Earth and taught him about Kryptonian culture and history. But this morning was not the time to bombard Lois with even more information about his heritage. There would be time enough in the future to explain about marriage customs among Kryptonian nobility. Hesitantly he said, “Yes. But it doesn’t matter, Krypton no longer exists.”

A picture of Clark wearing a long purple robe with a gold circlet on his head popped unbidden into her mind. She immediately dismissed it, but the image lingered. This was another new concept for her to absorb. They were learning a lot about each other. “Royalty? How can I compete with that?”

Once again he took her hands in his and said, “Why worry about competing with people who no longer exist? I wasn’t born on this planet, but I was raised here, which makes me a citizen of planet Earth - one with special powers, but a citizen nonetheless. Yet despite that, all my life I have desperately wanted to fit in. I’ve traveled all over the world, looking for a place of my own to call home. Metropolis is that place. To move anywhere, especially with Lana, would be a disaster.”

“Miss Dairy Freeze can go to Chicago, by herself. We need you … heck, I need you! When she arrived in town and took up more of your time than was necessary, I was jealous. So much so, I pushed you away. Truthfully, not having you around for Jimmy’s move was a relief. I had no idea what my reaction might have been if you came. Inside I felt like … like you were abandoning me. That’s why I tackled the high-risk investigations myself. To prove to everybody I could do them without you. That … that I hadn’t lost my ‘edge’….”

“Lois Lane lose her edge? That’ll never happen! Regardless, please don’t ever do something like that again. Aldrich might have killed you; I could never have forgiven myself.” He said this with a hoarse whisper.

Her mouth turned down into a pout as the lone tear tracked its way down her cheek. “I didn’t know that at the time! Between disappearances for Superman rescues which I was completely ignorant of and Lana, I thought for certain in a few weeks you were either getting another job or engaged!”

He took her face in his hands and gently rubbed away the tear with the pad of his thumb. In a deep rumbling voice that was so uniquely his own, he whispered. “Lois, honey, you’ll never have to play second fiddle to Lana or Superman.”

“Oh Clark! I don’t care about fiddles, violins or any of that, just let me be in the orchestra of your life!”

Clark stood from the couch, all during their conversation the soundtrack to The Queen’s Consort played softly in the background. Now it was done. He got up, crossed over to the shelf, opened the stereo, reset the cassette and started to play the soundtrack again. “This may not be a magnificently decorated ballroom in a grand castle, with musicians playing in a gallery over our heads, so we’ll have to make do with my humble living room. Would you care to dance with me, fair lady?”

She could feel a flush of embarrassment spread over her face. Lois Lane, better known by her associates in the newspaper business as ‘Mad Dog’ Lane was blushing! Only Clark Kent with his maddening Mid-western manners and gentle ways could make her blush. A mélange of queries, emotions and thoughts still raced through her mind. At this very moment all that was put aside, she was eager to dance with him, the man who claimed her heart. Gradually her hand reached out and took his; the warmth of his touch was both familiar and welcome. He tugged gently and without a moment’s hesitation enfolded her into his arms. They were not dressed as a young future queen and her loving consort yet what did that matter?

Lois studied the delicate features she had come to know nearly as intimately as her own. How could this man’s eyes be so warm, so trusting and innocent one minute and filled with deepest longing at the next? Gradually, as if she were jumping off a high ledge into the sky her head tilted up and their lips met. His lips were soft and inviting, sweet and sensuous, they parted and his tongue touched hers, tasting like the delicate herbal notes of coffee and desire. Clark moved his hands around her waist to further enjoy their embrace. They did not dance in the air as they had done last night, no, only their senses pirouetted and dived as they touched and explored this fresh and tenuously precious new element of their relationship.

For them this was better than any dream or even the dance they shared in the newsroom. Because now nothing and no one stood in the way of their own future, bright with promise and the years untold to come.

The End.

A/N: Yes the song, Taught Me How to Dance was the lovely theme song for Miss Potter. Still, I thought it would work perfectly for the mythical film, The Queen’s Consort. It was also important to mention David Bowie and Alan Rickman, each were special in their particular field of entertainment. Their talent and genius will be sorely missed.

Last edited by Morgana; 02/22/16 10:52 PM. Reason: Editorial changes

Morgana

A writer's job is to think of new plots and create characters who stay with you long after the final page has been read. If that mission is accomplished than we have done what we set out to do, which is to entertain and hopefully educate.