Notes: Once again this is a sequel to Devil in Disguise. You might need to read that one before this one to understand a few things. Since I will be very busy later this week, I figured I would post this a day early.
Thank you once again to my beta, SuperBek, who helped me fine tune this for me. And to ksarasara for helping me with a couple of sections.
Part 2: Alone
She was late. Lois was rarely late these days. In fact, she and Clark had come up with a system to ensure they wouldn’t be late when they stayed at each other’s apartments. However, she’d been alone last night, with too much to think about. She had tried to call Clark before she went to sleep, just to hear his voice, but there was no answer. Lois had left a message telling him that she loved him and that she would see him in the morning.
It was ten after nine as she walked down the ramp to the bullpen. Clark was at his desk on his computer, he looked up as she took off her coat and sat down. Lois noticed the cup of hot steaming coffee on her desk. How did he know exactly what she needed and when she needed it?
“I heard your heartbeat as you walked into the lobby,” he stated, quietly, sitting down in an extra chair next to her desk.
“You keep surprising me,” Lois responded, shifting in her chair and turning on her computer. “I tried to call you last night.”
“I’m sorry. There was a mudslide on the West Coast,” Clark explained to her. “How did your visit with your mother go?”
“She might need a liver transplant,” Lois said cold-heartedly. She didn’t want to think about what her mother was asking her to do. This could mean weeks of recovery. Lois wasn’t sure she could be out of work for that long, especially with what was happening today.
“Can I have your attention, everyone,” Perry shouted, standing outside his office. “We have a new investigative reporter joining us today. Everyone, please, welcome Camilla Nunuz-Eastman. She comes highly recommended by Mr. Stern.”
Perry stepped aside as a woman in her late twenties came up behind Perry. She stood about five foot eight with long honey-brown hair with natural wavy curls. Her darker skin color shined and was complemented by her red lipstick, red pantsuit, and black blouse.
Lois and Clark knew the name. She had a formidable reputation, just like Lois Lane in a male-dominated field. Perry walked up to Lois’ desk with Camilla beside him.
“Lois and Clark, meet Camilla. I was hoping the two of you could show her around. Mr. Stern sent a glowing recommendation for her,” Perry stated before he walked away.
Lois sat there, looking over at the woman with her fancy clothes and black heels. She had more curves than Lois could ever have, and she was taller. Lois also knew this woman had cracked some big cases in Chicago. Her shoulders tensed as she wondered how she could even compete with this new reporter given everything she was going through right now.
“I heard great things from Franklin about the two of you. Hottest team in town, what a marketing goldmine with that one,” Camilla stated with a smile.
“Didn’t you break the union case in Chicago last year?” Clark wondered, standing up to greet the woman.
“Oh yeah, I had a source in the union,” Camilla responded with a smile. “Lois, I’m a huge fan. Three Kerths is quite an accomplishment.”
“So are two Merriweathers and being the youngest ever with a Pulitzer,” Lois commented before turning back toward her computer.
“I won the Pulitzer with a partner, well, my former partner,” Camilla stated, looking over at Lois. “I heard you had that happen once or twice, Lois.”
“No comment,” Lois muttered before taking a sip of her coffee. She wasn’t in the mood to chit-chat with the new employee. Lois had things to do, and one of those things was to find Mindy Church.
“Why don’t I show you around?” Clark suggested as he guided her toward the rest of the bullpen.
Lois shook her head as Clark helped Camilla along. She was never one to do the guided tour of the Daily Planet. No, she was definitely not part of the welcoming committee. She knew Clark was always the gentleman and would be helpful to any new employee – male or female. Though, right now, Lois couldn’t deny that she was a bit jealous of Camilla, not only was she attractive, but she had also won multiple journalism awards.
“Later we need to talk about my mother,” Lois whispered, knowing that Clark could hear her.
***
After showing her around, Clark had taken Camilla over to Jimmy’s desk and introduced them. Jimmy was the person to know in the bullpen. He helped with research, technology, and photography on their stories. Jimmy also knew where to find the more intriguing people in Metropolis.
Clark stopped for a moment, listening to Jimmy tell Camilla about the programs on the computer. He had heard Lois’ comment about her mother and had been sure to acknowledge her with a quick smile and nod of his head in agreement. He also knew he had a lot to talk about with Lois, and hopefully, they could grab some lunch together later if his alter ego wasn’t needed.
“I heard you grew up in Chicago and even went to college there. What brought you to Metropolis?” Jimmy wondered as he leaned up against his desk.
“I see you did your research on me. What else do you know?” Camilla asked with a smile at the young man, her senses heightened.
“Well, I know you went to Northwestern and earned a Bachelor of Science in Journalism. Married your college sweetheart and that you have a three-year-old daughter,” Jimmy answered, obviously happy with his hard work.
“Very good, James. Here is some more information for you. I was adopted by my grandmother, who I believed was my mother until I was sixteen. I don’t know much about my mother. My college sweetheart, Darrin, was a corporate lawyer until we had our daughter, Angelica,” Camilla explained matter-of-factly. “And I’ve known Franklin since my sophomore year in college, when he did a lecture in our Media Laws and Ethics course. My family and I came to Metropolis for a change in scenery, and Franklin asked me if I was interested in a position here. So here I am!”
Camilla smiled and shifted her stance from one leg to the other. She knew what to say without giving out too much information. However, Clark heard her heart quickening at the end of her explanation, and he could tell there was definitely more that she wasn’t saying. She had come to Metropolis for more than just a change of scenery.
“CK, how about I show Mrs. Eastman to her desk and how to get online while you go back to Lois,” Jimmy suggested, standing up straighter. “Lois looks like she needs some help.”
All three of them looked toward Lois, who was searching through her drawers for something. Clark could already tell what she was looking for. The fact that she was digging for chocolate this early was not a good sign.
“Thanks, Jimmy,” Clark said, turning back to his friend and Camilla. “Again, welcome to the Daily Planet, Camilla.”
“Thank you, Clark,” she said, reaching out to shake his hand.
Clark started walking toward Lois’ desk when he heard a scream for Superman. He stopped and listened for a second, shifting his focus toward the cry for help.Lois noticed him stop halfway to her desk. She stood up, walked over to him, and put her hand on his chest.
“Do you have to go?” she murmured, hoping no one would pay attention to their interaction.
“Yeah, seems to be a warehouse fire on the south side,” Clark replied, taking her arm in his hand.
“On your way back, can you bring me back a piece of chocolate torte with raspberry sauce from my Uncle Mike’s?” Lois requested, her big brown eyes staring up at him.
“This thing with your mother is really getting to you,” Clark murmured before kissing her cheek. “No problem, I’ll stop by on my way back.”
Clark felt her eyes on him as he sprinted out of the bullpen. It was definitely going to be one of those days.
***
Three hours later, Clark and Lois were sitting at a little bistro a block down from the Daily Planet. It hadn’t taken that long for Clark to help with the warehouse fire, so he had rushed back to work soon after.
“I’m sorry about not stopping to get that torte earlier,” Clark stated before taking a sip of his soda. “I promise I’ll stop by and get you a piece tonight. Do you want to have dinner at my place or yours?”
Lois sat across from him, just pushing her food around. She really wasn’t hungry.
“Lois, honey, talk to me,” Clark said, reaching for her hand across the table.
She looked up at him and tried to give him the best fake smile she could. Her insides were a jumbled mess, with her stomach in knots.
“I’m sorry I lied to my mother about being engaged. I know we haven’t really talked about marriage the last few weeks,” Lois replied, squeezing his hand. “I figured she would say something since I spent the holidays with you and your parents.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to propose. I want to spend forever with you. I just want to make sure it’s what you want this time,” Clark said, quietly, flashing back to the heartache of her telling him ‘No’ the first time. “I did love how you described the proposal, though, made me look like a romantic, proposing outside on the farm in the snow.”
She pushed the Cobb salad around on her plate with her fork, not wanting to meet Clark’s gaze just then. She knew he was worried, but she wasn’t ready to say anything — she didn’t even know what to say.
“How long did she stay after I left?” Clark wondered, watching her.
“About an hour,” Lois answered before taking a sip of her soda. “After she left, I took a hot bath, then started looking up what I could about treatments.”
Lois had been unable to focus when she had gotten to work this morning. Even now, she felt numb to the news surrounding her.
“How about you head home early today? I’m sure Perry won’t mind,” Clark suggested, taking a bite of his patty melt afterward.
“NO!” she shouted. “That is the last thing I should do. Clark, Mr. Stern just hired that woman to replace me. I can't get up and leave in the middle of the day because my personal life is in chaos. I mean, it’s not the first time my life has been in shambles.”
“Your life is not in shambles. I just want you to know that I am here for whatever you need,” he assured her, scooting his chair closer to her. “I know Camilla’s appearance is not the greatest, but it could be a good thing.”
Lois turned to him with a glare. Being replaced by a more experienced, better-looking model was not a good thing. She clenched her jaw and pushed her plate away.
“All I meant is that you can take the time you need to deal with your mother. Maybe spend time with her and see what she needs help with,” Clark advised, putting his arm around her. “Whatever you want to do, I am with you.”
“I know you are, Clark. But taking the time off to be with my mother is not the answer. She would drive me crazy. I mean, she already called twice this morning. All she wanted to do was blame daddy for this,” Lois admitted, grabbing onto Clark’s arm. “She was a nurse for years, so she should have known that getting regular check-ups was important. Nope. She put it off, and now she might need a liver transplant.”
“Then, how about I go pay the bill, and we head back to the Planet. Tonight, I’ll make you whatever you want for dinner, and we can just relax a bit and watch something funny,” Clark suggested, putting his hand on her cheek.
“Thanks, but maybe I should just go home tonight,” Lois responded before kissing Clark on the cheek quickly. She didn’t want to worry him, but she felt her emotions beginning to become out of control, and she didn’t want him to see her so mixed up, so unsure. “Let’s go.”
Several minutes later, she wandered back toward work. Clark had stayed back to pay the bill. She knew he would catch up to her. Her shoulders were slumped, and even the warm sun wasn’t brightening her mood. All the people around her made her feel like the world was closing in on her. She needed out of it. As she walked down Seventh Street, stopping at the corner, she felt a strong hand grab hers. Her heart quickened before she could turn around to see who it was.
“I’ve got you,” Clark stated, pulling her into a hug. She fell instantly into his arms.
“Can you take me home, please?” Lois begged as she wrapped her arms around him. What was wrong with her?
“I’m taking you to my place,” Clark replied as he put his hand up to hail a cab. “I’m taking you to my place because your mother can’t reach you there.”
***
Twenty minutes later, he unlocked the door to his apartment and ushered her inside. Lois hadn’t said anything in the cab. She just sat next to him, holding his hand, and looking out the window. There was only one other time that he had seen her this quiet, and that was in the days following her almost-wedding to Luthor.
He had brought her to his place that day also. They had been headed to her apartment and just a block away when they had noticed the crowd of reporters near her apartment building. Clark had then told the cab driver to head to his place instead. No one wanted to deal with the press after that fiasco.
Now Clark led Lois down the stairs like he had that day. This was quite different, though. Their relationship was different, both of them were stronger – stronger together. It wasn’t the press hounding them at the present, but it was the past indiscretions of her parents that were haunting her.
Lois walked back toward Clark’s bedroom to change. She always felt more comfortable in one of his t-shirts. They had a few changes of clothes at each other’s apartments since they had started staying overnight. There had been too many nights where they had worked late and shown up late the next morning to work. Perry had finally mentioned something to them one day, as discreetly as possible.
Clark walked over to the telephone hanging in the kitchen and dialed the Planet. As soon as he was connected to Perry, he told him about Lois needing the afternoon off but explained that he would be back in an hour.
“Son, take care of her. Make sure everything is okay,” Perry said before disconnecting the call.
“Was that Perry?” Lois asked as she walked into the kitchen.
“Yeah, I told him I would be back in an hour or so,” Clark replied, turning around and admiring Lois in his t-shirt and her shorts. “I’m never going to get that t-shirt back, am I?
Lois looked down at Clark’s Mid-Western University t-shirt and pulled it out slightly to get a better view.
“Well, yeah, you need it back, so it can get your smell on it. Then I can wear it again,” Lois responded before kissing him.
“It looks a lot better on you than it did me, though,” Clark teased, pulling her closer and kissing her again – deeper this time.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, and his arms slid around her waist. His hands inched underneath the shirt, touching the skin on her back. She played with the hair on the back of his neck. His kisses found their way to her neck on that spot right below her ear lobe. Lois sighed as she tilted her head slightly, giving him better access.
Suddenly the phone rang, interrupting their moment. Clark reluctantly let go of Lois and answered the phone. Lois closed her eyes and took a deep breath before shaking her head and walking toward the couch. Those moments with Clark made her forget about why she was at his place in the middle of a workday. It made her forget about the trauma of her upbringing and why she was in this mess right now.
“Hello,” Clark answered, giving her an apologetic look as she turned, shoulders slumped, and walked over to the couch.
Lois sat down and grabbed the magazine on the coffee table. It was a Sports Illustrated. Even though she wasn’t really into sports, she needed something to do instead of watching Clark. She saw him shake his head and heard Clark say Jimmy’s name. Of course, she thought, Jimmy had a tendency to interrupt their little moments of bliss. Jimmy needed a girlfriend, she mused. Maybe if Jimmy had a girlfriend -- a good one, not like the ones he tended to date -- he wouldn't interrupt them so much. Immediately, her thoughts shifted to her sister, Lucy. Lucy also tended to make poor choices when it came to dating...like when she'd been with Johnny Corben. But Lucy and Jimmy...that might be good for both of them. Jimmy was a good man, and Lucy could definitely keep up with Jimmy's crazy work hours.
And, she realized, maybe bringing Lucy to Metropolis could help solve the situation with her mother.
“A young lady showed up looking for us,” Clark stated as he sat down next to her. Lois put the magazine back on the coffee table and turned toward Clark. “Her name is Gwen Bauer, her brother was killed last week. He left her a message that if he was murdered, she was supposed to come see us.”
“About what?” Lois wondered, her shoulders stiffening up and her heart rate spiking.
“You wouldn’t believe it. He left her information about the group he was involved with. It just so happens he got involved with Intergang last year right before Bill Senior left the first time.”
“I guess I’m changing and going back to the Planet,” Lois stammered, trying to get up.
“No, stay here,” Clark objected, putting his hand on her leg. “Jimmy told her we were out and that I would be back in the office by two. I want you to get some rest, please.”
“Fine, but don’t be too surprised if I do some research on my laptop. You know if I just sit here, I’m going to go stir-crazy,” Lois stated, leaning over to Clark.
“Oh, I know. I found a book that you might be interested in,” Clark jumped up and went toward his bookcase. He grabbed the book and came back. “Here.”
Lois looked at the cover, then turned it around and read the back. She shook her head after reading it.
“Thank you, maybe this is what I need,” Lois contemplated, “a book to distract me from memories of my mother.”
“Okay, there is some leftover pizza from two nights ago in the fridge. I will be back around six. And I’ll call to check in on you when I can. Love you,” Clark stated before reaching over and kissing her.
Lois watched him get up and jog toward the door. She sighed as the door closed. He worried about her too much. She leaned back against the cushion and opened the book Clark had bought her – Circle of Friends by Maeve Binchy. She dove into the world of Benny and Eve and their friends in Dublin.
