Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Lois & Clark Fanfic The Scream 4/4

Part 4 / 4


The flight to Smallville didn't take long. Clark was of course flying slower than he would have if he'd have been alone and so he could use the time to tell Lois the tale of his origins in as much detail as possible.



After little more than a quarter of an hour they arrived at his parents' porch. The farm was far enough away from the next houses - otherwise others would probably already have realized that Superman was visiting Clark's parents quite often. His parents, knowing the sound their son made when arriving by heart, opened the door and approached them.

Jonathan greeted his son by clapping him on his shoulder with a worried face and Martha hugged Lois.

"Oh, Lois, I'm so glad you finally belong to the family!"

"But..."

"No buts! You belong to Clark and thus you belong to us. It's that simple. And now, come on in!"

Lois grinned inwardly. Even during her first visit to Smallville she found Martha to be a very clever woman, who saw through her interlocutor and didn't care about embarrassments. Knowing the whole picture now, Lois realized that Clark's mother had a lot to do with Superman only using his powers to do good. Jonathan Kent was more serene, but when he said something it sure had rhyme and reason. And he had a knack for problem solving. Lois was glad to have been received so warmly and already felt like she belonged - and that was what she told the Kents.

"Thank you! I think you did a great job to help Clark become the hero..." - that earned her a stern look from Clark - "...he is today. I guess the biggest influence on him was your upbringing. Your high standards."

Martha laughed and extenuated Lois' words by saying "Well, honey, you won't believe this, Lois, but your influence on him is at least as big as ours."



"Mine? But I've only known for a few hours!"

"Believe me, a mother senses something like that. Since he's known you, Clark finally had a goal to his life. Before, he was drifting along, perambulated the whole world, worked here and there and helped people. But for him to be really effective in doing good he had to meet you and become Superman. And his love for you, the strength of your friendship and trust, that's what gave his task the right direction and purposefulness."

Lois was speechless. She glanced reflectively at Clark who returned it with a loving gaze and sat down on the sofa. That she would have had such an enormous influence on the supernatural being of Superman who had saved so many people's lives was news to her. Sure, in hindsight she had always had a strong connection to Clark and to Superman - which was only logical since she knew now that they were one and the same person, but even before that she had had more influence than she could ever have imagined. She had felt the friendship grow with the professional partnership, but the tensions she had only begun to realize when she began feeling more for Clark. Clark had been attractive from the beginning and her infatuation with Superman had really been quite embarrassing. God, she sometimes really had behaved childishly. Awaiting him in her nightgown for example to ask him if their relationship stood any chance had really been a cockeyed move.



How often had she offended Clark's sensibilities and in the next moment made eyes at Superman! And how decent had he behaved! He could have taken advantage of her any time, especially the day they all had been sprayed with the pheromone when she had practically thrown herself at him. And last night, when he just lay down beside her. Every other man wouldn't have done that without a certain intent... How had she inspired him? With her fits of temper and ambition? Her purposefulness and quick-wittedness? Had she maybe even inspired him so much as to distract him? That he helped her with small mishaps while he could have saved someone in real danger? Was she maybe even responsible for something because he cared so much for her? ... Could it be that her relationship with Clark was a bad thing since it influenced Superman and could hamper him in his work?

"Lois?"



Drowned in these sad thoughts, Lois had retreated into the deepest recesses of the sofa and become totally oblivious to what was happening around her.

"Lois!"

Clark stood in front of her with a cup of hot tea and watching her worriedly.

"You are looking so doleful, has something happened?"

"Oh Clark, I just had time for some depressing thoughts. If it is fair to the world for me to get into a relationship with Superman and keep him from his responsibilities..."

"Oh, honey!" It was the first time Clark called her that and Lois's mood improved instantly. He put the cup on the table, sat down beside her and took her into his arms.

"Shall I tell you the truth? I believe Superman can only become better if he knows that someone is waiting for him at home who loves him."

Lois had to smile again and looked at the man at her side.

"You are my inspiration, Lois, my stronghold for which life is worth living, my love for which it is worth to risk everything. So. Now I have to fly to Metropolis to try to apprehend those twerps."

"What? So soon?"

"Yes, I just talked to my parents that I first need to find that gang. Dillinger was caught coming out of a cinema, maybe I can find him there again. And you can all try to figure out a way to resurrect Clark Kent."

"O.k.. You'll call as soon as you learn something, all right?"

"I will."



A short but intensive kiss ended their conversation and Clark jumped up.

Lois sighed. "Clark?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

This time his answer was just a smile and Lois didn't expect more. She was glad their relationship was so understanding even if it was only a few hours old.

With the well known whoosh Clark made his way back to Metropolis and Lois got up to go into the kitchen to talk to Martha and Jonathan.

********************************************************************************

Clark didn't call, but it was less than three hours and he was back in Smallville where he had to give a full account.

"Well, I really could apprehend Dillinger coming out of the cinema. I had to throw him from a rooftop to get him to tell me where I could find Capone, Bonnie and Clyde. They were all assembled at Professor Hamilton's and were on their way to disrupt the party at the Planet. Really disrupt it, since they all bristled with weapons."

"The Planet is holding a party???" Lois was shocked.

"You know Perry, Lois. I guess he ordered the party to be held, maybe even to commemorate Clark Kent. Maybe we can get there in time to prevent the funeral-speeches!"

"Yes, Clark, we've been thinking..."

"No, Lois, wait. Let me give you the rest of the account first. The police came quickly and arrested the gangsters and Professor Hamilton. I think they'll release him soon - he probably didn't count on his experiments going quite that way. Before he was taken away I had to promise him to destroy his laboratory and all his notes so that no-one can do mischief with it. I took the opportunity to take a quick look at his notes and that gave me an idea. We'll just say that Superman found Clark's body when they got rid of it and froze him with his super-breath to prevent the degradation of his tissue. Then he took him to Hamilton's lab and followed the instructions in the manuscript. Thus he could resurrect Clark and it is as if he had never been dead."

"Clark, that's brilliant!"

"Great, honey, everybody will believe that!"



"Yes, son, but how are you going to explain your long absense?"

Now it was Lois' turn to combine the facts and present the solution.

"We don't have to stray far from the truth. Superman found me and brought me home but couldn't calm me down since he didn't know yet if the experiment with Clark's dead body was successful. That's when Perry called, and Superman couldn't tell him either of course. When I was sleeping, Superman got Clark out of the lab and flew him to Smallville to reassure his parents, who wanted to see their son with their own eyes to be able to believe that he wasn't dead. They wouldn't have believed such a miracle over the phone. Then Superman had to get me and break the news to me slowly and fly me to Smallville. Our reunion was such a miracle that we needed a few hours to come to terms with it and sort out our feelings. And that solves another problem: nobody will wonder why we are suddenly a couple! That's brilliant!!!"



Lois laughed out aloud and alternately hugged Clark, Martha and Jonathan. Finally she sank into Clark's arms and kissed him. So was so happy, she didn't even care that they had an audience. Martha and Jonathan smiled and patted their son appreciatively on the shoulder.

"You two are a great team! That'll work out!" and Jonathan added "Yes, that's a much better solution than what we came up with."

"Right, what *did* you come up with, by the way?"

"Well, it's not that original, but we were thinking about a cigarette-box or a mobile phone in your pocket which deflected or absorbed the bullet. We could have constructed the evidence somehow, but your solution is much better - especially in view of the time-gap. But it also means, you have to fly back to Metropolis right away to get there in time to keep the party from turning into a funeral service for Clark Kent."

"You are right, mom! Well, then, let's get going."

"But we'll come back soon, won't we, Clark? I really enjoy your company and with the Superman-express you're not that far off the beaten track."

Without much ado, Clark took Lois in his arms and flew with her to Metropolis. Martha and Jonathan stood for a while on the veranda and waved them goodbye.

"What do you think, Martha, when can we expect them to get married?"

"Oh, Jonathan. I've always felt that they belong together and now they also feel it. I hope fate won't throw them too many curves..."

********************************************************************************