<Well….that’s just great. This must be what life with Superman is like. Disappearing at a moment’s notice to save the day. Hmmm…wonder what they have for dessert?>
Yes, this could be what life is going to be like for Lois Lane. Seeing Clark fly off to save the world again, and having dessert while he's gone! I'm glad Bridget's hypnosis didn't make her turn over an entirely new leaf!
Clark was halfway across the United States on his way to stop a dam from overflowing in the southwest when he realized that Lois had no place to go. <You’re an idiot>, he told himself. <You left her in a restaurant, all alone. Well, she’ll probably go back upstairs to the bullpen and wait for me there. Better make this quick.>
I'm really glad that Clark is worrying about Lois while he is away.
Lois ate her slice of pie slowly, savoring each morsel. <I guess I’ll go back to work. Hopefully Clark will get us a scoop, our first one as a writing team. God, that pie was soooo good.>
Mmmmmm.... Aaaaaahhh.... And I'm just having the last pieces of a super-delicious chocolate bar. French chocolate, made from cocoa beans from Madagascar, Plantation Mangaro. Milk chocolate which contains 50% per cent cocoa.... You can't imagine how rich, smooth, intense and velvety it is.
I know I shouldn't....
A short man with a bowler hat was standing in front of the Daily Planet’s entrance. Spotting Lois exiting the restaurant and heading towards him, he quickly approached her. <Oh dear, where is Mr. Kent?> he wondered as he struggled with what his first words to *this* Lois Lane should be. He had not anticipated running into Lois Lane without Clark Kent by her side.
I really like H.G. Wells' sweet awkwardness. Ever so slightly reminiscent of Clark, when he is at his sweetly nerdiest.
“Ms. Lane? I would so like to have a word with you,” he said politely in a crisp British accent.
“No more interviews today. I already gave a press conference, I’m done,” Lois said without even looking up.
I like the contrast between these two personalities.
“Ms. Lane. I’m not here for an interview. Perhaps you’ve heard of me…Herbert George Wells? I’m sure Mr. Kent must have mentioned me by now.”
“You! You’re the guy that can bring me over to meet the other Lois!” she exclaimed.
Wow! She is told that the man in front of her is H.G. Wells, and in a millisecond she knows that she wants him to take her to the other Lois! Talk about not beating around the bush. And talk about being brave - I mean, would each and every one of us be eager to show our too-flawed selves to a perfect version of ourselves?
“I beg your pardon?” Wells said politely. “You want to meet the Lois of my world?”
“Yes!” Lois asserted. “Please? I need to see why Clark is so in love with her.”
<Oh dear. This might present quite a dilemma. *Where* is Clark Kent?>
Poor H.G. Wells gets all flustered.
“My dear, do you really think that’s a good idea? And I believe that Mr. Kent is quite in love with *you*, not your double. Where is he, actually?” Wells asked.
Help, Superman!!!
“I guess he had a Superman emergency. He disappeared in a flash. He warned me that he comes and goes a lot. Do you have your machine thing-y to take us over to the other universe?”
You gotta love this Lois, don't you?
Wells had to suppress a smile. “Yes, Ms. Lane. But again…do you really think that this is a good idea? To meet your twin, that is?”
“Why, because she’s skinnier than me? Because Clark met her first and he’s hoping that I’m enough like her that he can love me the way he loves her?”
“I would think that you would want Mr. Kent to accompany you over to the other world. Don’t you want to wait for him to come back?” Wells replied, trying to buy some time.
Help, help, help, Superman....
“Listen, Mr. Wells, you came looking for me. It seems to me that this Tempus guy made three years of my life disappear. My mother and sister are dead and I didn’t even get to go to their funerals. You can help me fix that. From what I understand, your time-traveling meddling is what unleashed this Tempus character in the first place. Am I right?”
Wells nodded. “I’m afraid that is correct, and I apologize.”
Well, you may need Superman's help, H.G. Look what she knows about you.
“This is what I want you to do, Herbert George Wells. First, I want to go visit this other universe and meet the other Lois. Secondly, I want you to take me back to the day *after * I disappeared so I can tell my mother that I’m going to be missing for three years and not to drink herself to death. Thirdly, I want you to take me to see my sister Lucy the day *before* her plane crash. I’m going to find some excuse to keep her from boarding that plane. Then, we’ll come back to the “present” and hopefully I will have my family back. Then I’ll accept your apology. Okay?”
<Good lord, these Lane women are strong-willed, aren’t they??> “Quite so, Ms. Lane. Follow me, please.” Herb directed Lois over to the alley where his time machine was hidden.
What? He's going to let her change history? I don't mind it, don't get me wrong, but I didn't think it was allowed.
Lois scrutinized the time vessel and finally turned to Wells and said, “This gizmo really works? Never mind, I’ll take your word for it. You’re here in *that* outfit, that’s proof enough for me.
This Lois doesn't mince her words, does she? I
love it!!
“Ok, Herbert George Wells…hit the button…or the thingy…or whatever makes this time bomb work! Let’s go!” Lois directed.
Wells couldn’t stop smiling. <This Lois Lane is quite the feisty one>, he was observing.
You betcha!!!
Clark was just returning to Metropolis and flying at top speed towards the restaurant he had left Lois in when he spotted a shimmering light in the alleyway near the Daily Planet. He was mortified when he realized that what he was seeing was Lois and Wells vanishing in the time machine. It brought back the horrifying feeling he had felt as he’d watched Tempus kidnap her out of her own apartment. He couldn’t lose her again. He suspected where Lois had requested Wells to take her. Meeting her twin in the other world could put a nail in the coffin of their fledgling relationship.
I adore that Clark is feeling so bad about seeing Lois disappear with Wells. I like it so much that he is worrying about losing her!
<I’d better get back upstairs and write up this rescue before the wire services get it. I’ll put both our names on it. Hopefully Wells will bring her back shortly. How is she going to feel after meeting a thinner version? Is she going to hate herself? Turn into an anorexic so she’ll look like the other Lois?
Hmmm.... Yes, poor Teri Hatcher really did look slightly anorexic during Season 4. Glad you are making me feel that Clark wouldn't really like it if his Lois became as thin as that.
Yikes>, Clark thought to himself. <Hanging around Lois is already turning me into a thought-babbler!>
Thin-Lois made a flying motion with her right hand. “Remember in this world, no one knows,” she said, imploring with her eyes that Larger-Lois wouldn’t blurt out loudly that she knew Clark was Superman.
“A pair of glasses really does it, huh? That’s weird," Larger-Lois remarked.
“Tell me about it,” Thin-Lois replied with sarcasm evident in her tone of voice.
And this is lovely!!!
Great chapter, Chris. I love it!
Ann
