From Chapter 19...
James opened a mirrored door leading into a small library. “I had this built for when I’m entertaining and I need to get away from all of the phony people,” he told them. “Sit down and tell us what’s up, please.”
Lois began, blurting it out at top speed. “We kidnapped a dog that was being used for illegal experiments involving Kryptonite. We believe that the Luthor Corp plant in Smallville, Kansas is growing fertilizer laced with Kryptonite. It may ultimately cause bizarre side effects and also be a weapon of destruction. We were hoping that we could hide the dog here, in your back yard,” Lois said, finally taking a breather from her babbling. “This could be a really huge scoop. We named the dog LabRat and he’s a beautiful Golden Retriever. He’s in our apartment right now. What do you say?”
James looked at Lucy. “Sweetheart, do you like dogs?”
Lucy smiled back. “Yes, yes I do. Especially golden ones.”
“Does that mean yes?” Lois exclaimed.
“Yes, that means yes,” James and Lucy answered in unison.
Chapter 20
After midnight, Clark, Lois, and LabRat flew back to James and Lucy’s home. The dog seemed to sense that something was up, because he was resistant to having Lois put his harness and cape on. Lois had hugged and kissed him, telling him that she would visit him every day and they would take him to the farm in Smallville on the weekends.
James and Lucy were sitting out on their back deck, waiting for them, when the trio softly descended from the starlit evening sky. LabRat’s cape flowing in the night air seemed to reflect the moonlight as they landed.
“Wow… he’s like Superdog or something with that get-up,” Lucy observed. “He’s a really beautiful dog.”
James got up to pet him. “He’ll have a big yard to run around in here. Does he swim?”
“We don’t know, but since you live on the river, you’re sure to find out quickly!” Clark replied.
“So where are you two off to now?” James asked.
“Back to Smallville. Bernie Klein wants us to get him a sample of the Kryptonite-enhanced fertilizer so he can analyze it,” Lois explained. “Clark can’t get anywhere near it, so it’s Lois Lane, fearless reporter, to the rescue!”
Clark and James both rolled their eyes in unison. Lucy stared at her sister.
“Lo, this sounds dangerous. We just got you back. Don’t do anything stupid just for a story!” she exclaimed.
“Hey! That’s my new star reporter you’re saying that to, sweetheart,” James retorted. “Her scoops will help pay the taxes on this house and buy dog food for LabRat,” he joked.
“You know what I mean,” Lucy replied. “Dad, the ‘twife’ and Chloe are staying in town for the weekend. Please plan on being around on Sunday because we’re going to have a family cookout – just us, no big party this time, I promise.”
“Yeah, we’ll be there, Luce, I promise too. Hey James, I’m going to have to take a rain check on the computer class you wanted me to go to tomorrow. Besides, Clark can show me everything I need to know… what are partners for?” she said with a twinkle evident in her eyes.
“Get me that Luthor Corp scoop, and I don’t care if you type the story up on an electric typewriter!” James responded. “Then I guess I’m going to have to send you to Gotham City so you can unmask the Batman.”
“Oh, you heard about my short list of scoops, did you?” Lois asked.
“Yes, from Bruce Wayne himself. He seemed a bit concerned that you were asking him if he had met Batman. Wayne inherited his fortune when his parents were gunned down during a robbery. He saw the whole thing. He’s a good businessman, but he’s rather shallow and distant – never makes any real friends, and he’s quite the ladies’ man. Doesn’t seem like the type that would be interested in meeting a vigilante like the Batman,” James said.
Clark put his hand up to his chin, rubbing it thoughtfully. “That’s right. Wayne and I have that in common – we both lost our parents at an early age. Interesting. Hmmm.”
“What, Smallville? What’s so interesting? I mean, it’s tragic, of course, but…” Lois inquired.
“You have your women’s intuition, honey, but I’m entitled to have my hunches. We’ll talk about it later. Anyway, thanks you two for taking care of LabRat,” Clark said to James and Lucy. He patted the dog’s soft silky head. “You be a good dog. We’ll be back tomorrow,” he promised him.
Lois hugged the canine, and kissed the top of his nose. “Bye baby boy, we’ll miss you,” she told him. “Wow, I can’t believe how attached I’ve gotten to him in one day.”
As Lois and Clark silently levitated above the deck, LabRat looked at them woefully and whined.
“LabRat, I think I have some leftovers from the party tonight that you’ll love,” Lucy said, opening the door to the kitchen from the deck. "C’mon, boy.”
LabRat’s nose quivered with the smell of “people food” close by. That was enough to distract him momentarily. Lois and Clark took the opportunity to disappear out of sight.
Landing on the roof of their apartment, Clark carefully placed Lois on her feet and steadied her.
“I’m never going to get tired of flying with you, Smallville,” Lois stated, looking at the night sky that they had just dropped out of. “Wow.”
“I’ll never get tired to taking you places, either. Where would you like to sleep tonite? The big city or the hick town?” Clark asked, with a smirk.
“Let’s see… Kansas is an hour earlier… how fast you can you fly there, without LabRat in tow?”
“Let’s see… 1200 miles or so…. as long as I wrap you in my cape, we can be there in about 15 minutes… and that’s flying slowly.”
“Good, then let’s grab some stuff and head out, flyboy! Can’t wait to smell that fresh country air!” Lois exclaimed.
Clark looked down towards the street. The usual paparazzi were lurking in the corners. “You’d think they would be bored with us by now,” he remarked.
“That’s why we have to live in Smallville most of the time,” Lois replied, as they headed towards the roof’s stairwell. “The farm has such large grounds - they’d be trespassing if they lurked there.”
“Yeah. I’m so glad I decided to keep it all of these years,” Clark agreed. Holding Lois closely, he super-sped down the stairs and into their apartment.
Clark placed Lois down on the bed and hovered over her, kissing her and playing with her hair. “I have to admit, staying right here and being with you might beat a moonlit flight to Smallville,” he whispered, licking her ear afterwards. “And since you’re new at this, you know what they say about practice making perfect.”
Lois felt that all-too familiar tingling feeling come over her. “But if we practice in Smallville, there won’t be anyone there to hear me scream,” she sassed back. “And I really believe I’ll be making a *lot* of noise.”
“Is that right?” Clark asked, smiling ear-to-ear. “Well then, pack you stuff, Madame, because we’re going to Smallville.” He stood up so Lois could get off the bed. His excitement was apparent.
Ten minutes later, wrapped in a warm red cape, Lois and Clark shot out of the window in the bedroom faster than the collective paparazzo’s eyes could follow. Heading west, away from the heavily populated eastern seaboard, the air was crisp and the stars more dramatic. As promised, 15 minutes later, the duo was hovering over the Kent farmhouse. Clark set Lois down in front of the entrance, and quickly found the generator, bringing the home to life. They walked up on the porch and Lois gestured to Clark to sit down next to her on the old wooden glider.
“Is this an antique?” she asked, enjoying the gentle back and forth motion. “I bet it’s worth a lot of money.”
“Probably,” Clark agreed, putting his arm over Lois’ back “It’s priceless to me, anyway. My grandfather made it when he lived on this very farm, and my Dad was a kid himself.”
Lois saw a tear on Clark’s cheek, reflecting the moonlight. “I love it here, Mr. Smallville. It feels *right* to be here. And it’s very ironic that our first big story is coming from the Luthor Corp fertilizer plant here in town!”
Clark smiled. “Yes, it is. And we met our dog here, too. My Kryptonian parents must have known that this was a very special place here on earth. Let’s go inside and do some yelling and screaming now, okay?” he winked.
“Deal,” Lois replied. Clark picked her up and flew her over the threshold into the upstairs bedroom.
Shortly afterwards, a coyote in the area heard something that made him howl in agreement.
~~~
Once again, Lois woke up the next morning to the smell of brewing coffee. Patting the empty, but clearly slept upon, spot next to her on the bed, she took a deep breath, realizing that she had no clothes on. That was amazing to her. Never had she thought she would feel comfortable enough with a man that she would be able to share her nakedness with him!
Clark heard Lois rustling in the bedroom and flew upstairs, steaming coffee in hand. He was wearing his birthday suit as well.
“Nice thing about being out in the country,” he remarked, as he handed his love her morning coffee. “No one peeping in the windows, no nosy neighbors to see you the way God intended,” he joked. “And Miss Lane, clearly, the way you look right now is the way God intended, and I’m not a particularly religious man.”
Lois instantly felt self-conscious and grabbed the sheet to cover up.
“Lois, you *do* realize you’re with a man who has X-ray vision,” Clark joked. “You’re beautiful; stop it right now. In fact, stand up. You’re gorgeous, and not just to me.”
“Old habits really do die hard,” Lois explained, slowly removing the covers and standing up as requested. “It’s hard for me to believe that someone would think I look good without the barriers of slimming clothing.”
“Get used to it,” Clark commanded, levitating over to her. “Let’s take our morning coffee and sit in a very special part of the farm.”
Both wrapped in the Superman cape, they floated over to a shady area by a stream. There was a stone bench by the water that Clark had fashioned in his childhood. Clark took the red cape off of them, and laid it down on the bench, then placed Lois down on it. He floated above her just enough so that the weight of his body would not crush her. “I just love the sound of a babbling brook, Lois. When I was a kid and my body started to change, I felt like an outcast. When I came here, everything seemed normal again.”
“Oh, Clark,” Lois said softly. “Who would have thought that Superman had such a lonely and tragic childhood? That’s why you’re such a compassionate hero,” she observed. “Unless a person has experienced sorrow and loss themselves, they have no life experience to draw from to be empathetic with others.”
“Ditto to you, Lois,” Clark said. “Look at all the good you did in the Doctors without Borders camp. You also knew what it was like to have an unfortunate childhood and you made it a point to improve the lot of those kids’ lives. I guess we both have a hero complex, huh?”
“That must be why we’re soulmates, Clark Superman Kent,” Lois agreed, gently reaching for his head with her hands, bringing his mouth to her own. “Make love to me again -right next to this babbling brook. I already can sense you want to, if you know what I mean,” she teased, referring to his obvious condition.
“Oh, honey, I want to spend the rest of my life making love to you,” Clark breathed, complying with her request at once.
~~~~
Since they had flown into town and Clark’s old red pickup truck wasn’t exactly undercover material, the reporting dynamic duo went to the only car rental company in Smallville and leased a black Jeep Wrangler. Outside the vehicle, using Clark’s cell phone, Lois called the fertilizer company to ask for an interview with the company’s CEO. She was bounced around and put on hold, and finally, a man with a deep voice and a heavy British accent came on the line.
“This is Nigel St. John, Mr. Luthor’s executive assistant,” the man announced. “How can I be of service, Miss – Lane? is it?”
“Yes, Mr. St. John?- you said? I’m Lois Lane of the Daily Planet. I’m investigating a rumor that your Smallville fertilizer factory is using ‘state of the art techniques’ to develop some type of ‘super-fertilizer’. I would appreciate it if you would be so kind as to give me a tour of your Smallville plant as well as an interview with your boss, Lex Luthor. I understand he doesn’t generally talk to the press, and I’m hoping he will make an exception in my case.”
“Now why would he want to do that, Miss Lane? Why are you different from any of the others?”
“I’m Lois Lane,” she replied. “I’m better than all the others, and when I do an investigation, I’m extremely thorough. I’m also fair. I report the facts, not innuendos.”
“Very well, Ms. Lane. Please give me a number where I can call you back, and I’ll speak with Mr. Luthor.”
Lois gave him Clark’s cell phone number. Mr. St. John promised to call back within several hours with his employer’s decision.
“Clark, do you know anyone in town that has a small airplane that they perhaps use for crop dusting?” Lois inquired.
“Why? Oh, I get it. You’re going to fly over the plant, and I can’t take you myself because of the Kryptonite radiation. We have to get that soil sample to Bernie ASAP. Let me think. Yes, I believe that Ben Hubbard, if he’s still alive, had a small plane. His land’s square footage is even bigger than mine. Let’s go,” Clark said, getting into the passenger side of the Jeep.
Lois hopped into the driver’s side, turned the ignition key, and hit the gas. Clark’s head hit the headrest as Lois pulled out of the rental car company’s parking lot.
“Wow, honey, take it easy,” Clark implored. “Is this why they referred to you as ‘Mad Dog Lane’ back at the Planet?”
“This is why,” she said, smiling in agreement. “Tell me how to get to the Hubbard farm.”
~~~~
After Clark and Ben Hubbard had caught up on things, Lois explained that she needed to fly over the Luthor Corp fertilizer plant for a story she was working on. In fact, she would need to have the plane set down quite close to it so she could take a soil sample with her.
“I haven’t flown that plane myself in about twenty years, Ms. Lane,” Hubbard explained. “I hire a local fellow to pilot it when the crops need dusting,” he explained. “I can give him a call, if you like,” he offered.
“Who is it?” Clark asked. “Someone I know?”
“Probably, Clark, His name’s Peter Ross.”
“Pete? Wow, Lois, he was the closest thing I had to a best friend back in high school – besides Lana, of course,” Clark told her.
“Lana – of course, Lana,” Lois repeated sarcastically.
Sidestepping Lois’ remark, Clark asked Ben, “I heard he got into politics or something – that he went to Washington D.C., in fact. How’d he end up back here?”
“He’s in politics here, Clark. I guess you’re not around too much, huh? He’s the Mayor!”
“Mayor Peter Ross. Wow. And he flies your crop dusting plan in his spare time?”
“Clark, being Mayor of Smallville is a part-time job at that,” Ben chuckled. “If he didn’t free-lance as a pilot, the poor guy would die of boredom around here.”
“I wonder how your Mayor would like knowing that his largest employer in town is up to no good,” Lois remarked. “I can’t wait to meet Pete Ross now.”
“Lois, I haven’t seen Pete in years. For all we know, he’s best buddies with Lex Luthor. Don’t spill your guts until I can figure out whose side he’s on,” Clark cautioned.
“Oooohh… intrigue in Smallville,” Lois teased. Just then Clark’s cell phone rang.
“Hello, Lois Lane speaking,” she said breathlessly.
“Ms. Lane, this is Nigel St. John again. Mr. Luthor has agreed to an interview. He wants you to know that he’s making a special exception in your case.”
“And just why is that?” Lois asked.
“As you said…. you’re Lois Lane and your reputation precedes you,” St. John replied. “Mr. Luthor will be flying into the Smallville Airport at approximately 5:00 PM this evening. He will meet you in the airport cocktail lounge at 6:00pm. He has told me that you must be alone. Your partner – Kent/Superman – can’t be lurking in the shadows anywhere or the interview is off. Is that agreed?”
Clark’s super-hearing had captured the entire conversation. His eyes bulged wide open as Lois readily agreed to the terms without checking with him first. She waved him off as she simply said, “Agreed.”
“Very good, Ms. Lane. And one other thing – no tape recorder. Mr. Luthor advised me that it would be fine for you to take notes, but nothing on tape.”
“Fine. I’ll be there. Thank you, Mr. St. John.”
“Good day, Ms. Lane.” The line went dead.
“Lois!” Clark exclaimed. “We’re partners. How could you agree to meet him alone like that? No one hardly even knows what this guy looks like. You could be in danger.”
“Well, we’re going to find out just how far your super-vision thingy works, now aren’t we?” Lois replied sassily. “And I’m going to get the interview of the century.”
TBC...
