Enjoy
from pt. 3-
"Let's continue, shall we? We still have much to see," Wells said, straightening his hat. He took her hand lightly and led her out of Perry's office. "Incidently," Wells asked. "Whatever became of the Kerth you broke?"
"It's funny. A couple days later, it was back on the shelf in the cabinet, just like new. It'd even been polished, " she answered, and he noticed her eyes had found and were following Clark.
"Indeed," he murmured rhetorically.
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and now, pt. 4
"Mr. Wells, you said that after they first met, things would get much worse," Clarissa said, remembering his words to her regarding her mother's initial dismissal of her father.
"Yes, quite," he replied affirmatively.
"How?" Clarissa was almost afraid to ask.
Herb sighed softly before answering. He didn't want to explain in too much detail Lois and Clark's early relationship, as he wanted Clarissa to witness it without her perception being tainted. So he decided to condense it, deciding that she would later draw her own conclusions.
"Ms. Lane, your mother, had worked feverishly to establish herself as the star reporter for the 'Planet', so was not at all pleased to see someone come in, practically off the street, and get a job here. And then for the new hire, whom your mother saw as a usurper, to be partnered with her; she took that as a personal, *and* professional slight. She regarded him as very...oh, what's the word you Americans use?" he wondered aloud, searching for the right word. "Oh yes," he snapped his fingers, "'green'. And she had no qualms about telling him so; in fact, she took great delight in it."
Clarissa shook her head. "I just can't believe my mom could ever be mean to my dad," she said skeptically.
It was Wells' turn to shake his head. "Not 'mean', my dear," he said softly. "Afraid of, felt threatened by. Come, you'll see for yourself," he instructed her. He adjusted his pocket watch, and the room shifted slightly. Clarissa watched as Lois strode determinedly out of Perry's office, past Clark, who was standing by the copier looking at some papers.
"Let's hit it!" she commanded, and kept walking, barely waiting for him. Clark dropped the papers on a desk and hurried to keep up.
"Mind if I ask where we're going?"
"To interview Samuel Platt. He's convinced the Messenger was sabotaged; I'll brief you on the way. And let's get something straight; I did not work my buns off to become an investigative reporter for the Daily Planet just to baby-sit some *hack*" she practically spat out the word, "from Nowheresville! And one more thing," she continued her tirade, oblivious to the look of amusement on Kent's face. "You are not working *with* me, you are working *for* me! I call the shots, I ask the questions. You are low man, I am top banana. That's the way I like it, comprende??" she finished haughtily as they approached the elevator.
Clark waited casually next to Lois, hands in his pockets. "You like to be on top. Got it," he replied simply, and not a little smugly. Clarissa's eyes widened slightly and she blushed, choking at her father's brazen response.
Lois rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Don't push me Kent. You are way out of your league!" she snarled. Clarissa and Wells stepped into the elevator after Lois and Clark, unseen by either reporters, and Clarissa giggled at the look on her father's face. He was standing just behind Lois to her right, and appeared to be enjoying himself immensely while she gritted her teeth.
"Amazing! Mom basically just told him off, and he's, well...look at him!" Clarissa exclaimed, laughing. "He's not taking her seriously at all!" Then she sobered slightly, studying her parents in the past. "It's like he knows, somehow, that she's not really like that. He knows she's blowing smoke. He's just letting her vent."
Herb nodded. He had been right not to tell her too much; she was figuring it out already. They followed the pair to a condemned building to talk to the scientist who'd given Lois her lead, and Clarissa saw how surprised her mother was to find out exactly how intelligent this Kent guy was, actually understanding EPRAD jargon, and during their visit to the hangar, they got into a spirited debate about people's trustworthiness.
"Just because she's...ok...looking..."
"*Very* ok looking," Clark retorted.
"You automatically assume she's telling the truth," Lois concluded.
"What, and you assume she's not?" Clark queried, wondering just how deep her distrust of people went. He got his answer in her pointed look. "Does everyone have an angle? No honest people left in the whole world?"
She shrugged.
"That's pretty cynical, Lois."
"It's realistic Clark," she replied matter-of-factly. "At least I don't go through life disappointed."
When they returned to the Planet, Jimmy enthusiastically showed Clark around the newsroom. Relieved to be rid of Kent for the moment, Lois went to get a cup of coffee. A dark-haired, heavily-made up woman stood nearby, reading that day's 'Planet'. She wolf-whistled, practically licking her lips as Clark walked by on his 'tour'.
"Who's the new tight end?" she asked suggestively, lowering the paper to get a better view.
Clarissa looked at Wells, horrified. "Who is *that*? And why is she looking at my dad like she wants to eat him?!" she demanded.
"Why don't you throw your usual forward pass and find out?" Lois drawled in disgust.
"Ha! Ha! Good one, Mom!" Clarissa laughed, clapping. Then her laughter turned into near nausea as the woman shimmied out of her jacket to reveal a black and red leather dress that was made more out of straps that solid fabric. Quickly, she pinched her cheeks, wiped off her teeth, then turned around just as Clark approached. Positioning herself provocatively against the coffee table, she lifted her hand, knuckles up, and fixed Clark with a hungry look.
"Ah, excuse me, I..." Clark began politely.
"Catherine Grant," she introduced herself. "'Cat's Corner.'"
Clark shook her hand lamely, considering it was still shoved in his face. "Oh, yeah, I've read your column," he acknowledged politely.
"Oh-ho ho, then my reputation precedes me," she purred.
"Among other things," muttered Lois, who'd been watching the exchange from a few feet away. Clarissa snorted in agreement.
Ignoring Lois, Cat continued her seduction. "Y'know, I know what it's like to be new in town. Lonely," she said, all the while sliding her hand up Clark's tie. "I'd be happy to show you around," she offered, looking up at him through her long, fake eyelashes.
"I'm gonna be sick," Clarissa groaned.
A nervous Clark adjusted his glasses. "Ah, that's very nice of you, ahem, Ms. Grant," he replied, trying to be genteel.
"*Cat*," she corrected him, her teeth snapping together on the 't'.
Clark smiled. "*Cat*," he mimicked, seeming almost charmed by the vulgar woman.
"Daddy!" Clarissa exclaimed, dismayed that her father seemed to respond to the woman's advances.
"Don't worry, my dear, Clark was more amused by than attracted to Ms. Grant," Wells assured her.
"Maybe, when I uh, get settled in," he offered.
She grinned, pursing her bright red lips together in victory, patted his shoulder as she walked away, stopping only to turn around and say, rather loudly, "It's a date." Clarissa watched as the woman walked away, her hips swinging from side to side like a pendulum.
Clarissa turned to Mr. Wells. "I know I can't affect anything here, Mr. Wells, but she better stay away from my Dad, or I'll have to...to..." she paused, trying to think up an appropriate form of torture. "Rip out her hair, her spleen, something!" she railed. "How dare she come on to him like that! I mean, why didn't she just throw him on the floor and jump on him, for crying out loud!" she yelled, breathing heavily. "He's in love with my mom, and my mom loves him!" she exclaimed, her brown eyes blazing.
Herb almost admonished her to lower her voice, then remembered no one could see or hear them, but he did need her to calm down. "Clarissa," he said gently, trying to placate her. "Clarissa, please settle yourself, my dear."
After a few minutes, her breathing slowed, and her eyes cleared.
'I'm sorry to see she didn't inherit her father's temperament,' he thought glumly. "Thank you. Now, as I've stated before, you must remember that at this point in time, your parents...er, Lois and Clark, are not together. Yes, deep down he has realized his attraction to Ms. Lane, but as of yet, he is, again, as you say, 'fair game'. And just so you know," he warned her, "there will be more...interaction between Clark and Ms. Grant but, my dear," he reminded her, "you are living proof that nothing will come of it."
Clarissa thought about it for a moment, then stuck her bottom lip out in a distinctive pout that was reminicent of another hot-tempered brunette. "Okay," she said grudgingly, rolling her eyes. "I'm sorry. I won't go off like that again."
Herb nodded. "Splendid. Now, let's continue."
After Lois and Clark had each gotten their coffee, they'd returned to their desks. Clark was acclimating himself to his new job, and trying not to listen to Lois while she was on the phone. She slammed the phone down in frustration, then sat there dejectedly.
"What was that about?" Clarissa asked.
"I believe Ms. Lane was just dumped," Wells replied. "The person to whom she was speaking was supposed to accompany her to a party this evening."
"And now Mom needs an escort?" Clarissa finished, her face breaking into a grin as she saw where this was headed.
"Indeed."
Clarissa watched her mom's sour gaze land on Clark, who was managing to not look directly at her. "Oooh, please say 'yes', Daddy!' she pleaded.
Lois stood and walked over to Clark, who was trying not to smile. "I don't suppose you own a tuxedo?" she asked offhandedly.
"I could...get one," he replied helpfully. "Why?"
"Oh, well," she said, trying to sound nonchalant. "The man I was going to Lex Luthor's ball with has the flu..." she trailed off, hoping he'd take the hint. To her consternation, he didn't. He just stared at her.
"Yes?"
Clarissa frowned. That wasn't the 'yes' she'd been hoping for. He wasn't jumping at the chance to take her mom out!
"Well, I was just wondering if you wanted..." Lois tried again, her expression begging Clark to take the hint. But he stubbornly refused to answer, making Lois turn away, feeling very foolish. Clark continued to simply wait, patiently.
"What is he doing? Why isn't he jumping at the chance to go out with her?" Clarissa voiced the thought out loud. Then it dawned on her, and she answered her own question. "Oh my god!" she exclaimed. "He's doing it on purpose! He's gonna make *her* ask him!!" she laughed, only somewhat angry at her father's duplicity.
Finally Lois turned around. "Do you wanna take his place or not?" she demanded.
Clark shrugged. "Well, thanks anyway, Lois, but I thought I'd turn in early tonight."
"Are you crazy?? This is *the* social event of the season! Everyone who's anyone will be there, and you wanna go to bed early?"
"So," he asked, finally standing up. "Is this a date?" he asked, feigning surprise.
"No, this is not a date, this is business," she replied irritably. "I am going to land the first one-on-one Lex Luthor interview if it kills me!" she declared.
"Okay," he answered, and smiled, like he was doing her a huge favor.
"Good. I'll see you there," she said tersely. She turned to walk away, then turned back. "At nine."
He nodded in agreement, then sat back down as Lois left.
Clarissa looked at Wells in astonishment. "I can't believe my Dad just did that. He practically dragged that invitation out of her. Why would he do that? He adores my mom, why would he act like going out with her was a bad thing?"
"I'm guessing he didn't want to be forward with your mother; he wanted her to come to him. And perhaps he did want to make her squirm a bit," Herb chuckled.
Clarissa could only shake her head in wonder.
"Well, your father should be leaving, shortly. Time to go," Herb said, fiddling with his watch.
"Where?"
He looked at Clarissa. "Your father is going home for supper, as he does every week, and we are going with him."
************************************
Once again, Clarissa looked around as the scene changed. Getting her bearings, she let out a delighted squeal.
"Oh my gosh! Grandma and Grandpa's farm!" she laughed. Her eyes darted all over the kitchen of the small farmhouse. "Boy, does it look different!" She walked towards the refridgerator, and looked at the door. "The magnet with my picture in it is missing." She looked at the wall over the stove. "And the plaque I made Grandma in second grade, the one that says 'Grandma's Kitchen'." She smiled a bit sadly at Wells. "This is my second home, but there's nothing of me here," she said, her voice trembling slightly.
"There will be, Clarissa," he reminded her. She nodded, but before she could dwell on it any more, the door opened and Clark stepped in, holding his jacket over one shoulder.
After supper, Martha asked Clark to tell her more about the woman who'd needed a last minute escort to a ball. Clarissa, expecting to hear her father go on about how beautiful and perfect Lois was, like he always did when asked about his wife, was taken aback by his reply.
"Lois is...well, she's...complicated," Clark began. "Domineering, uncompromising, pig-headed," he listed off the first adjectives that came to mind.
Clarissa's mouth fell open. "You've always said Mom was the most incredible, most wonderful thing that ever happened to you!" she argued, forgetting he couldn't hear her.
"...brilliant," he finished, a dreamy look coming over his face. Clarissa sighed in relief. "And we're not really going out," he clarified. "It's 'business'," he said, repeating Lois's word.
"Ah-ha," Martha said, grinning knowingly at Clark.
"Even Grandma can already see it," Clarissa remarked. "But that doesn't surprise me; she's always seemed to be able to tell what Dad's really thinking."
While Martha cleaned up, Clark and Jonathan went outside. Wells and Clarissa followed.
"I want you to pay close attention here, my dear," Wells told her. "This is a very important conversation between your father and grandfather; one in which your father speaks very specifically of the things he is searching for, hoping to find in Metropolis."
"Well, he's already fallen in love with my mom," Clarissa said.
"Yes, yes, I know, but there is more. Just listen," he instructed.
She shrugged in agreement, and they turned to listen.
"I forget how beautiful it is here," Clark sighed contentedly. "The only stars in Metropolis are riding around in limos," he remarked ruefully.
"You're the one who wanted the rat race," Jonathan commented. "I couldn't live there. Not for a minute."
"There's something about the city," Clark explained. "The pace. Everyone going somewhere."
"Impatient, like you," Jonathan supplied, understanding. "Well, I guess you finally found your niche," he said, putting his hand on Clark's shoulder. "Stop living out of a suitcase."
Clark nodded. "I hope so, Dad," he said, sounding as if he wasn't totally convinced of that possibility. Clarissa watched her father intently; she'd never heard him speak like that before. "Living in Metropolis, working at the 'Planet'; it's a dream come true, but..."
"But you still feel like you don't fit in?"
"I don't. I *don't* fit in!" he answered in frustration, then vented some of that frustration on a rock, sending it into orbit, effectively demonstrating his point. "I have to control myself all the time, never use my powers because I don't wanna jeopardize my chance of living a normal life."
"Whatever that means," Jonathan said, considering his son's situation.
Clark shrugged. "Being human," he said simply. "Like you, and mom. Living, working, meeting someone, having a family."
Jonathan could hear the longing in his son's voice; he shared it. And he hated to put a damper on Clark's dreams, but he felt he had to be the voice of reason, truth, no matter how painful it was.
"Clark, we don't know if that's possible," he said with difficulty. "And we can't risk anyone finding out about you. If they knew you came from another planet..."
"I can't hide forever, Dad!" Clark exclaimed. "There *has* to be a way I can be Clark Kent and still use what I've been given to do some good."
Jonathan, with all his years of wisdom, could not think of an answer. He could only smile supportively at his son. Clark turned to hug his father. "You'll find a way, boy," Jonathan assured him.
Clarissa felt so badly for her father. Hearing the hope, the wistful sadness in his voice, she wanted to reach out and hug him. At this point in his young life, he had no inkling of what was to come; that all he wished for, everything he currently longed for, would one day happen. He *would* have someone to share his life with, to make him feel like he belonged, and he *would* have that family that would complete him. It broke her heart to see him like this, so uncertain, and not be able to reassure him.
"Alright, my dear, time to head back," Wells said, getting ready to adjust his watch.
"Mr. Wells, wait. Please, just give me a second," she said, swallowing past the lump in her throat.
"My dear?"
Clarissa didn't say anything, but just sat on a nearby piece of farm equipment, trying to fight the tears that were springing to her eyes.
"I just...I..." she struggled to get the words out. "I'm just having a hard time believing that that was my Dad," she explained. "My dad is the strongest, most confident man I know. I rarely see him have doubts about anything. Maybe part of that strength does come from my mom, but it was just so hard to hear him just now, sounding so uncertain about...everything!"
"Mm-mm, quite," Wells nodded. "Indeed, the Clark Kent I have always known has few ambivalences. But at one point he was doubtful, unsure, even frightened. Just as we all are from time to time."
"Wow," she murmured, almost to herself.
"Well," he said, trying to pull her from her reverie. "Ready to go?"
She stood, a new light shining in her dark eyes. "Definitely."
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