Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Lois & Clark Fanfic A Future Rewound (Lois' Story) part 3/5

Previously in part 2...

Jenny just gave Lois a wary smile. She turned to Clark. "I'm not too happy about missing our lunch date." She turned and gave Lois a calculating look. "But as long as it's for work, I guess I'll have to be understanding."

Clark smiled down at the young redhead. "I'm hoping Lois can teach me a lot."

Jenny's look toward Lois became one of warning. "Just so long as she confines her teaching to news reporting."

"Jenny!" Clark admonished.

She continued as if he hadn't spoken. "After all, you have me to teach you everything else you need to know."

With that she pulled his head down and gave him a deep and demanding kiss. One which Lois could see he readily returned. After releasing him, Jenny turned and gave Lois an insincere smile, then left the room. She didn't normally go in for hyperbole, but if she'd ever seen anyone flounce out of a room before, that was what Jenny Olsen had done.

Lois mind turned again to H. G. Wells and what he'd gotten her into. Only now, his death wouldn't satisfy her. Long drawn out torture and suffering were definitely called for.

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And Now...
A Future Rewound (Lois' Story) part 3/5
by Tank


It had been a long and eventful day for Lois. From her initial shock during her interview with Perry, continuing with her eye-opening lunch with Cat, right through her strange meeting with Clark... and Jenny. Then she and Clark had spent the afternoon digging up what information they could about Professor Emil Hamilton. Remembering some of the things from her own previous encounter with the eccentric mad professor, Lois was able to steer the research into more quickly productive areas.

This Hamilton seemed similar to the one she'd run into so many years ago. Information she'd found painted the same picture of a real science nerd. Someone who spent twenty four hours a day in his laboratory doing research. No apparent family or friends to vie for his attention. All his resources went into his research. It was the same research that Lois feared. The research that had caused her such pain so many years ago.

Clark, like her Clark had before, found the article written by Hamilton which explained his theories on DNA modification. How he felt he could restructure a person's DNA and short-circuit aggressive behavior. He hoped that his research would allow him to eliminate all anti-social behavior in man. He even mentioned that in his cloning process he'd found a way to accelerate the maturation process of the embryo. And, of course, he felt the perfect people to experiment on would be criminals, or more accurately, deceased criminals. Lois just hoped that they'd have a chance to talk to this Hamilton before it was too late.

Lois dropped her bag on one of the threadbare chairs near the front door and walked the few steps into the kitchenette area of the seedy hotel room. Pulling open the tiny refrigerator, she grimaced at the paucity of edible foodstuffs lying therein. What was left of the luncheon meat seemed to have turned green. She knew she should have found a way to wrap it up better, but she hadn't bothered to purchase any storage baggies or aluminum foil on that one trip to the grocery that she'd made since she'd arrived. She grabbed the carton of milk and, not bothering with a glass, took a large swig. She quickly ran to the sink to spit out the sour liquid. She sighed as she poured the rest of the carton down the drain.

She glanced to the small countertop and checked the few slices of bread left in the bag sitting there. It looked okay, just a few spots of mold, which she could tear out. Too bad she didn't have a toaster. She could be satisfied with a few slices of buttered toast right about then. Of course, that would necessitate her having any butter.

She was thankful that she now had a job and a steady paycheck, but it would be a couple of weeks before she'd start seeing that money. In the meantime her financial situation was a bit on the desperate side. There really wasn't much money for things like milk and bread, let alone such niceties as good, filling take out.

Lois' debate with herself over whether or not to spend some of her precious remaining funds for food, or just go without, was interrupted by a sharp knock on her door. She was surprised by it since she couldn't think of anyone who'd be knocking, unless it was that sleazy manager trying to come onto her again. No, it couldn't be him, she'd made it more than abundantly clear the last time that she wasn't interested in anything he had to offer. She had stressed 'anything'.

Shrugging, she moved over to the door. "Who is it?"

"Hey, Lois, it's Cat, let me in. I brought food."

Lois couldn't get the door unlatched fast enough. Throwing the creaky, wooden door open she was greeted by a grinning Cat Grant. "I figured that you might be a little tight for cash at the moment and wouldn't mind if I brought over some Chinese take-out from our old favorite, Ralph's Pagoda."

Lois felt a quick queasy feeling in her stomach when Cat mentioned the restaurant's name but couldn't quite figure out why. Maybe she was just more hungry than she thought. "Come in. I appreciate your bringing over some food, not that I didn't have it covered well enough."

Cat raised a brow. "Really, what did you have planned?"

"Well, I already drank the sour milk so I can't offer you any of that, but I still have the moldy bread I was planning to eat." Lois waved Cat toward the small kitchenette table.

Cat nodded knowingly. "I suppose I could just leave. Take my food and go. I wouldn't want to infringe on your own dinner plans."

Lois grabbed Cat and steered to a seat at the table. "No, that's quite all right. I'm more than happy to put aside my own plans... for a friend." She looked at Cat just a little hesitantly.

Cat smiled. "Good. I've got a varied sampling here, so dig in." She set the paper cartons down on the table as Lois found the meager supply of plates and silverware and brought them to the table. Within moments Lois found herself eating the best take out she'd had in years. It was like heaven.

Cat smiled at her ravenous friend, and allowed Lois to eat in silence for several minutes. Finally, after Lois seemed to be slowing somewhat, She thought Lois might be able to carry on a conversation between mouthfuls. "I see you met our resident super-hunk today."

Lois nearly dropped her fork. "Wh - who?"

"Kent," she replied. "I see you met Clark today. I know that you're not interested, but you have to admit that he's a real cutie."

Lois found it a bit hard to swallow her last mouthful. "Ah, sure, I guess you could say that he's attractive."

"Yeah," Cat said, just a bit dreamily. Too bad Jenny got her hooks into him so quickly. He's a bit young, and probably naive as they come, but it might have been fun." Cat leaned forward. Her chin resting on her hand. "So what was the deal with you two?"

Lois took a swig from her glass of water, that being all she had to offer them to drink, then pushed her plate back. "Ummm, Perry has teamed us up. He thinks that it will do us both some good. You know, I've been away for a time and will need a little help to get back into the swing of things. And he thinks that working with me, my experience can help Kent become a better reporter, and writer."

Cat nodded. "Makes sense, but I wish he'd paired you up with me. We could have had some fun."

Lois shrugged. "Perry said something about not tying down his best reporter." She waved her hand aimlessly. "He also said that you definitely worked best alone." Lois cocked a brow. "I think he's afraid to know how you get some of your stories."

Cat roared with laughter. "I'll bet he is."

Suddenly a high-pitched beeping intruded on the conversation. Cat reached into her pant's pocket and pulled out a cell phone. She placed it to her ear and listened for a few moments. Finally she thanked whoever was on the other end and thumbed off the phone.

"Who was that?" Lois asked.

"That was Bobby Bigmouth, one of my best sources." She answered as she slid the phone back into her pocket. "Though I'm not so sure about this little gem of information he gave me. It sounds pretty ridiculous."

So, Bobby was Cat's source in this dimension. Lois was curious as to how Cat and Bobby got hooked up. But that could wait for another time. For now her overriding interest was the information he'd shared with her.

"Really? What did he say?"

Cat chuckled and shook her head. "Get this. He said that the midtown bank was just robbed by a group of old time gangsters. And do you know who the members of that gang were supposed to be?" Lois shook her head even though she had a good idea who they might be. "Bonnie and Clyde, and John Dillinger."

"What, no Al Capone?"

Cat laughed. "Really." Her laughter died as she watched Lois' face become grim. "What is it? What do you know?"

Lois groaned. "It was a possible story Clark, and now I, am working on. Some mad scientist type has the notion that he can modify a person's DNA and eliminate their anti-social tendencies. His process involves some sort of cloning operation." Lois sighed. "Apparently he decided that raising some old gangsters was the best way to test his theories."

"Are you trying to tell me that Bonnie and Clyde, and John Dillinger are really running around in Metropolis robbing banks?" Cat was more than a bit skeptical.

"It's possible that, at least, their clones are."

Cat threw her hands in the air. "Whatever! Anyway, it sounds like you and Clark are already on this story, and you'll have your work cut out for you starting tomorrow morning." Cat suddenly turned pensive. "But bringing you some dinner wasn't the only reason I came over tonight, Lois."

Lois was suddenly wary of the woman across the small table from her. "Oh, was there something else you wanted to... talk about?"

Cat dropped her head so that her eyes didn't meet Lois'. She seemed to be fumbling for the right words. "Lois," she finally said. "Have you tried to contact your parents since you've been back?"

Lois was suddenly put on guard by Cat's question. Had Cat been talking to Lois' parents? Did they know she was 'alive' again? She hadn't really thought about them, being too busy just trying to find out who Lois Lane was. She had found out that her parents were indeed Sam and Ellen Lane, and that she had a sister Lucy, but hadn't probed any deeper. She figured that this Lois, like she had been, wasn't that close to her parents and there'd be time to cross that bridge once she had a better handle on who she was supposed to be.

"Ah, no. I've been too caught up in my own problems. You know, all the holes in my memory and such. I thought it would be better if I got settled, so to speak, before I contacted them." Lois tried to look contrite. "I know that sounds selfish. I'm sure they'd want to know that their daughter had survived, but I just wasn't thinking about anyone else, except me just yet." Lois allowed herself a rueful smile. "I guess that's in character, huh?"

Cat smiled at Lois' quip, but it was a sad smile. She had something to say, and Lois' unease grew as the silence stretched. Cat reached out to squeeze Lois' hand. "Lois, I didn't think of this earlier, during our lunch, because it has been a long time, but it came to me a few hours ago. You wouldn't know. It all happened while you were gone."

Lois' nervousness vied with confusion. "Cat, what are you talking about?"

Cat took a deep breath. "Lois, I'm so sorry, but your parents... are dead."

"Oh." A slight chill ran through Lois' body. She wasn't sure how she was supposed to react. Of course, she was saddened to hear that the Sam and Ellen Lane of this world were dead. But they weren't her parents. They would have been total strangers, sort of. The problem was, Cat thought they were her parents, so she supposed she should try and show some real grief.

Before Lois could react, Cat plunged on. "Look I know that you weren't exactly on the best terms with your folks, but they were your parents."

Lois schooled her features to show no emotion. She guessed that would be the best. "What happened?"

Cat played with her own fingers, not looking Lois in the face. "Your Dad was killed first. I think it was seven or eight years ago. It was a pretty tawdry situation. An angry husband caught him in bed with his wife and killed them both. It was quite the scandal for a short time."

Lois bit on her lip and stared at her own hands. She had to fight back a sardonic laugh. It was so ironic. There but by the grace of god could have gone her own father. His infidelities could just have easily ended in such a sad and pathetic way. Suddenly a tear found itself slipping from her eye as she remembered her last conversation with Perry, her Perry, on her final visit to her own world.

Her own father was dead also. Killed by someone who was trying to revenge himself on her. The sick irony there was, it wasn't even her that Jefferson Cole was tormenting. She could now understand how the alternate Lois must have felt when she heard about Sam Lane's death. A Sam Lane she never knew.

At least her tears over her own father helped give legitimacy to her supposed feelings over the revelation of this Sam Lane's death. "And my mother?" Lois asked quietly.

Cat ran her hand through her hair, tangling it and catching her nail, before she could free it. "Ouch!" Cat pulled the few strands of hair from her fingernail, then looked back to Lois. "You know, I can understand your mother being a drunk while Sam was off running around on her. But even after his death she continued to drink. She never seemed interested in getting better." Cat sighed. "I suppose the numbness was preferable to the pain. The pain of betrayal by her husband, but also the pain of loss. The loss of her husband... and her eldest daughter."

Lois' voice was quiet, and almost timid in nature. "So - she drank herself to death?"

Cat shook her head, her hair moving slowly back and forth. "Not exactly. About three years ago she was in a terrible auto accident. Her blood alcohol level was .20. She was killed instantly." Cat finally met Lois' eyes. "I'm sure she didn't suffer."

More tears leaked from Lois' eyes. It was scary how much this could have been her own parents. She wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. She was almost afraid to ask the next question. "What about Lucy? How is she?"

Cat shook her head and shrugged. "I don't really know. Shortly after your mom died she hooked up with this guy." Cat paused, obviously searching her memory. "I think his name was Johnny Corbin. They went off together and I haven't seen nor heard from her since."

Lois closed her eyes and let her head fall against the back of the chair. Johnny Corbin? She prayed that the Johnny Corbin of this world was nothing like the two bit punk from her world. A street-wise con artist who was used and abused unto death by the slimeball Rollie Valle. Lois made a silent vow to herself. Once she had gotten herself reasonably settled in, she was going to try and find her 'sister', just for her own piece of mind.

Lois forced herself to, once again, look at Cat. She was almost afraid to ask anything else. "Is there... is there anything else?"

Cat reached out and patted the back of Lois' hand in a gesture of friendship and support. She then reached into her pocket and pulled out a small key. She laid it on the table before them. "Just this."

Lois picked up the small gold colored key. "What's it for?"

"It's the key to a small storage facility on Clinton Street. It's where I put your stuff after - after you didn't come back."

"You stored my stuff for me? After all these years?" Lois was astounded. She might have done something similar for a friend for a year or two, but ten? She was just beginning to realize what kind of friend Cat Grant had been to Lois Lane. "I don't know what to say? This is terrific. I can't believe you didn't just take what you wanted and toss the rest of the stuff out."

Cat chuckled. "Oh, I wasn't quite as altruistic as it may look. I did confiscate your burgundy sheath dress, and the pin-striped suit. And I have to admit that I threw out most of your clothes. They really were quite awful. I still don't know how you stood it; dressing like a repressed nun." Lois rolled her eyes. "But most of your more personal belongings are there."

Lois smiled at the thoughtful woman. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it." Cat's eyes began to mist. "It really is great to have you back, Lois."

For the first time since she'd arrived, Lois felt like maybe, just maybe, she might be able to make a go of it there. Her heartache over the loss of her husband was still present, and it always would be. But now, something else had been added to the equation. Something she hadn't really acknowledged as possible before. Now, there was a faint glimmer of hope.

"It's great to be back."

As if to put the maudlin displays behind them, Cat quickly stood up and began ease her way toward the door. "Well, I guess I'd best be going. It looks like both of us are going to have busy days tomorrow." She winked at Lois. "I don't think Perry would take too kindly to his newest reporter showing up late for her first full day of work." Cat cocked her brow. "Especially since it looks like her possible story has developed into something quite remarkable."

Lois grinned. "It will be good to get back into the action again." Lois' smile turned grateful. "Thanks again for coming over. The food and the company was much appreciated. Thanks, too, for the information about my folks. It's better to hear such things from a friend." Suddenly Lois was struck by a thought. Something she probably should have asked much sooner. "Cat, I feel a little awkward having to ask this, but do you know where my folks are buried?"

Cat just shook her head. "You have no reason to feel awkward. Even if your memory was whole, your family was never big on any particular church, so how would you know? They're buried at St. Luke's."

Lois nodded. She could find where that was easy enough. "I guess I should go and visit them sometime soon." She looked up at her friend and smiled. "Thanks again, Cat, you've been a lifesaver today."

Cat had her hand on the door. "Not a problem." She opened the door and stepped out into the hall. After a couple of steps, she stopped, and turned to look back at Lois who was leaning against her door jam. "Oh, and lest you forget. I think we can have you out of this dive and back at my place, where you belong, by the end of the week." A sudden look of uncertainty clouded her eyes. "That is, if you want to."

Lois put her hand to her chin and play acted like she was having a hard time thinking it over. She broke out in a laugh when Cat glared at her. Getting herself under control, Lois gave Cat a warm smile. "I think I'd like that."

Cat returned the smile. "Did I mention, I really like the hair?" Then with a laugh she turned and walked away.

Lois gently closed the door to her crappy little hotel room and, leaning against it, began to plan her tomorrow. Obviously, whoever was on the police beat overnight would have the story of the bank robbery in the morning's edition. But that was all it would be. A story of a bank robbery. One that was a little unusual because it was pulled off by some gangster look-a-likes. Only she, and by tomorrow, Clark knew the real story and they would be the ones to turn it into a front page award winner.

She had no doubt that she could convince Clark that Hamilton was behind these reconstituted gangsters, but Perry was another matter. If this Perry White was anything like his older counterpart, he was going to want some proof. Fortunately, she had some ideas along those lines also.