Sue, I must say it's not very nice of you to go camping when you've left us waiting for this next part (joking, really!)
. However, since you were so nice and did post, I'll give you some feedback, no?
He didn't answer. There was no way he could lose the SUV, not really. But telling her that was the last conversation he wanted to have right now.
Unless, of course, he want Lois to go ballistic on him. That was funny to me.
Her forehead furrowed, but she couldn't come up with a good insult for either Smallville or Idaho so she let it go in favor of needling him personally. "You're quite the world traveler, aren't you?"
He shrugged. "I've seen a fair bit of it."
If only you knew, Lois. *snicker*
Do you know what Mrs. Cox said was behind Lex's love for me?"
Clark shook his head - he didn't even want to guess.
"Superman," Lois said softly. "He thought that Superman was in love with me. That I was his weakness and he could use me to control Superman."
Yeah gods, Lois, if only you knew. Actually, Sue, I really like this explanation for Lex's obsession with Lois. It makes so much sense of something that didn't make sense to me now or at the time it first aired.
Luthor had been right about one thing - he could use Lois to control Superman.
And I really like this sentence - it nicely sneaks in a fact we all know, but Lois doesn't.
"I never loved him," she added quietly, turning her head to watch the landscape speeding by outside. "I liked him a lot, and I was really flattered that he wanted to be with me, but I never really loved him. I was just--" Her voice trailed off and she furrowed her forehead as she searched for the right word. "I was seduced by him, I guess. Suddenly everything was possible. I really could have the world, if I wanted it. Which I didn't. Honest, I never would have asked him for anything. At least, I don't think I would have." She glanced back over at Clark. "What would you have done? What if you had power? True power? What would you do with it?"
"Help people," he answered without hesitation. "I would use all that money and power to help others."
Once again, Sue, this make sense. I have a hard time with BatP/HoL because Lois' relationship with Lex doesn't ring true. It's funny how attracted Lois seems to Lex's power, yet she deludes herself that it's not really about the power. I've never understood that, because I really am with Clark on this. What good is that kind of money, that kind of power, if you're not willing to genuinely give back to the world? Everyone should give back in whatever ways they can. It reminds us all that we, as a population, are on this world together, and all our actions have repercussions not just for ourselves but for everyone around us.
Stepping off soapbox, now.
Lois glanced at him just in time to see him give her a knowing grin. "Fine," he told her. "I'll be nice and we won't talk about it. But don't think I'm ever going to forget what you said."
She looked back out the window and squirmed in her seat. His words seemed laden with hidden meaning but she didn't want to think about what he must be thinking. Nice? She thought again about how he had kissed her and then carried her to the door last night. She should have picked a different word.
Perfect, she amended silently. Clark wasn't just nice. He was damn near perfect.
This just made me melt.
"Lois, it's okay. I'll go." Clark touched her elbow and desperately wished he could tell her the truth. He was pretty sure Nigel meant to shoot him someplace where Lois wouldn't have to watch. They were doing him a favor in getting him away from the Kryptonite. He could only trust that Luthor wouldn't do anything to hurt Lois before he could come up with a plan to get them both away from here. Clark released her arm and pulled his flannel shirt off before holding it out to her. "It'll be cold later, you might need this."
"No," she whispered. She took the shirt anyway, her fingers instinctively closing around the fabric. It was still warm from his body and that sent a chill through her. "This isn't happening."
He bent and kissed her cheek, then whispered near her ear. "Will you promise me something, Lois?"
"Clark..." Her entire body seemed to have gone stiff and cold with dread.
"Promise me you'll remember that I wanted to tell you - right now - only I couldn't?"
"Tell me what?" she asked in a voice thick with fear.
He pulled her against him, his arms wrapping around her in a tight hug. She was still clutching his shirt between them in her numb fingers even as her mind screamed that this was her last chance ever to hold him and she was squandering it.
"I can't say right now." His words were like a caress against her ear. "Just promise me, please."
"I promise." She wasn't even sure what she was promising him. Her head was swimming. Hold him! Her mind screamed the words over and over. Hold him while you still can. Tell him the truth. Tell him how much he means to you. Her arms moved mechanically to embrace him and she squeezed her eyes shut tightly. It was a bad dream. It had to all be just a bad dream.
"I love you, Lois. I always have."
"No," she whispered fiercely into the soft cotton of his t-shirt. "No. This isn't how it ends."
"It's not the end," he whispered back and tipped her chin up to meet his eyes. "I promise."
He looked so confident and unafraid and she marveled at his composure. His thumb swept lightly across her cheek and wiped a tear away. "Please don't cry," he murmured. Then he bent down and brushed a light kiss on her lips. "I'll see you again soon, I promise."
And then you pull this out! OMG. I re-read this section twice because it was just so beautiful and perfect.
Clark was gone. Her mind swarmed with memories of him. He had been so brave. He had tried to make her believe that everything was going to be all right even when he knew they were going to kill him. She'd had a taste of the grief of losing Clark only a few months earlier. But that had been before he had kissed her; before he had told her that he loved her. And this time there was no Dr. Hamilton to bring him back. Superman had not come to save him.
If only she could have last night back. She would have stayed in his arms all night. She would have slept next to him on the couch and told him out loud the words she had only whispered to herself. She loved him. She had really, truly loved him. The gentlest, kindest person she had ever known had just been callously murdered right in front of her and she had never told him that she loved him.
Lois opened her eyes and looked down. Clark was absolutely still.
She should have hugged him back. She should have kissed him one last time. She should have stayed in his arms for as long as possible. It was unthinkable that those arms were now slack and lifeless.
*shudder* the thought of Clark lifeless is...awful, but you wrote this so well. Silly question - why the couch? Why not *think* about moving to the bed? Room to cuddle and stretch out, and um...other delightful occupations?
Please do post the last part soon, sue. And DJ? Thanks. You and Sue seem to have a great relationship that keeps you both feeding folcs wonderful fics. Deeply appreciated, both of you.
mmouse
