From Part 8

Just then the door opened, and Clark, looking rather haggard and tired, walked into the apartment.

He blinked confusedly, then asked, "Lois? What are you doing here?"

Suddenly a whirlwind was in his arms, her quick attack causing him to step backwards.

Clark's arms automatically closed around Lois – how could he not embrace her when it had been all he'd been dreaming of the past few weeks? He buried his face in the tumbled mass of hair, taking in the feel of her in his arms and essence that was purely Lois.

"Clark! You've found out something about Superman, haven't you?"

*****

Part 9

Her words were spoken close to his ear and rang true in his mind – he had found something out about Superman. Lois did not know it yet, but Superman was not coming back... and she, the world and he would have to learn to live without him.

He saw his mother waiting expectantly and released Lois, glancing back wistfully at her. He shuffled his feet, not sure how to relay to his mom what he'd found out without spilling the beans to Lois or rousing her suspicions.

Martha stepped forward and hugged Clark, then asked him quietly, "What did you find out at the doctor's?"

His mother's hugs always had the ability to make him feel better, but it lasted only for a moment. His shoulders slumped and he closed his eyes for a couple of seconds before he answered.

"Doc says everything is just ordinary. Just another ordinary guy... And I didn't find what I was looking for..."

Using Clark as a shield to make sure that Lois couldn't read her lips, Martha mouthed, "Oh, Clark! I'm sorry."

Noticing his scruffy appearance for the first time, Lois was quite a bit taken aback and took a tiny step towards him. She saw the anguish in his eyes and noticed the trench coat he was wearing. "Doctor? Clark, I'm sorry. I haven't even asked how you're feeling. Here, let me take your coat and have a seat. I'm sorry I mentioned Superman... I didn't mean to throw him in your face."

"Wouldn't be anything that I'm not used to..."

She looked up at him, hurt by his barb, but knowing that he was speaking the truth. She had constantly thrown Superman into Clark's face without thinking about Clark's feelings. Wanting to make up for her thoughtlessness, she unbuttoned the top button of his coat and moved her hands downward to undo the next one.

A bit of surgical blue material peek out at her – not Clark's usual style of button downs or pullover t-shirts, but a v-neck cotton surgical shirt.

"Clark? Why are you wearing scrubs? Have you been investigating hospitals looking for Superman?" Catching her breath, she quickly added, "Never mind," then proceeded to push his coat over his shoulders.

Remembering the overwhelming feelings that had overcome her the night before on the dock, she knew she didn't want to lose Clark. It seemed that every time she opened her mouth around him lately she always put her foot in it – foot-in-mouth disease as Perry was so quick to tease. In her desperation, she tried to jerk it off his arms, but couldn't get it over his shoulders.

Clark caught her as she stumbled against him trying to tug the coat off. Lois let out a tiny sob and bit her lip, and he could tell that she was struggling to keep it together. It touched his heart to see her gesture of trying to take care of him while she was still feared for Superman.

He quickly recalled the last time he had seen her while in the suit – he had passionately kissed her goodbye and she had given their kiss all she was worth. She'd said she loved Superman; it was beginning to dawn on him that perhaps he had been wrong to dismiss Lois' feelings for Superman as a passing fantasy. And it was no wonder she still clung to the superhero – he had encouraged her.

"It's okay, Lois." His hands caught her shoulders and he held her for a moment, holding her gaze. "I didn't find him. But I'm hoping we'll hear something from him very soon. You don't have to hide your feelings for Superman anymore - I think I'm beginning to understand."

"Oh, Clark! I think he's truly gone this time!" Her bottom lip trembled before she flung her arms around Clark and buried her face in his chest.

He tightened his arms around her and silently shared the pain of losing someone that was important to them both – he was already feeling devastated for not being able to be Superman anymore. He tucked his face in Lois' neck and tried to block out the world around him.

It felt rather odd – to miss something that he always thought of as a two-dimensional façade. For almost half his life he had been normal, living life as a kid growing up on a farm, until strange things began to happen to his body. He had tried so hard to fit in – donning glasses to make the appearance of an imperfect body, choosing journalism as a career so he could use his mind instead of his brawn, and creating a different identity as a guise to protect his real life. He supposed part of the reason that he chose journalism was that it was another avenue in which he could make a difference.

But now, a soulless man had taken the main way that he could help people away from him – and that same ruthless killer could take away the woman he dared to dream about sharing a life with. But she was here now, with him, in his arms. He heard her voice and lifted his head to look at her.

"Clark, what is wrong?" Lois touched him on the cheek and let her hand remain. Taking in a quick breath, she read Clark's expression and knew... he was upset – about something else that he wasn't telling her. "What have you found out?"

The desperate plea for some news about Superman tugged at his heart. He could ease her fears by telling her something – although he had no idea what, nor was he prepared to tell Lois his secret – yet. But he couldn't let her remain so devastated; surely he could come up with a tidbit to reassure her that Superman wasn't dead – but missing.

"Come sit down. Let's talk."

He released her, walked down the steps into the living room and shrugged his coat off at last. After tossing it on the back of the sofa, he sat down, exhausted. Lois plopped next to Clark and simultaneously they reached for each other's hand.

Martha had quietly slipped from the room and began to busy herself in the kitchen making some more coffee. Clark didn't need his old mom around as a third wheel. It was up to her son to tell Lois that he used to be Superman. Frankly, she didn't know what he had planned, if anything, to tell her.

Lois fingered the trench coat with her free hand while the other hand reveled in the warmth and comfort of Clark's large one. There was something familiar about this coat... She had seen it somewhere recently. Closing her eyes, she tried to place it. Of course! The bum that was sleeping on her front stoop was wearing one just like this one, unless... It was Clark who was camping out on her steps! She had walked right by him and didn't recognize her best friend. What had he been doing there?

"Clark? It was you who was on my front porch this morning. What were you doing there and why didn't you come up to see me?"

"How did you...?"

"I just recognized the coat as belonging to a bum sleeping on my front steps this morning. What were you doing there?"

Clark grinned, a bit nervously, yet relieved that Lois was distracted from the earlier topic. "Truth?"

"Better be, buster..." She squeezed his hand hard for emphasis, maybe a bit too enthusiastically, but she was relieved to be back on better terms with Clark.

Although the sadness was still in his eyes, Lois could see that he was also embarrassed. "Spit it out..."

"Okay, I was there because I needed to be near you. It was too late and I didn't want to disturb you." He almost added... 'Because I wanted to protect you from Luthor' but he decided to avoid that subject – for now.

Lois stared at him, her memory jogging back to the day in the park when Clark told her he loved her. Guess she'd have to face that fact eventually. Clark wasn't only her best friend anymore; he was the best friend who loved her. It seemed he wasn't too shy to mention things along those lines anymore. But it was too soon for her to decide which box to put that declaration in. They needed to get their friendship back on more sturdy ground before addressing the 'L' word.

Clearly feeling nervous, she patted his hand and answered, "You could have come up and slept on the sofa."

"I didn't know if I'd have been welcome... it was very late."

"Of course, you could have come up. I doubt if I was even sleeping; I've been so worried..." Lois voice broke off and she decided to continue to question Clark, at ease from his reassurance that it was okay to talk about the missing hero. "Is Superman coming back? I know you're good friends with him and that he visits you on occasion, but have you seen him recently? We've even extended the search in the bay for him. Lex has put men on the task around the clock, even when the city gave up. It finally ended last night though."

"He what?" Clark asked sharply, disturbed at what he thought he heard Lois say.

"Lex has been searching for Superman. I know you don't trust him, but Lex has even set up a Superman Foundation. It's really quite wonderful. I've been overseeing the setup. Even if Superman should turn up, it's going to be a great contribution to charity."

Clark jumped to his feet, not wanting to hear another sickly, sweet word about Luthor. He whirled on his heels and faced her, his eyes blazing. "Do you think Superman would have wanted a single rotten cent from that monster? How dare he use Superman's name for his own gain? And how dare you believe him after we..."

Upon hearing Clark's raised voice, Martha hurried from the kitchen, and stepped towards them. "Clark, honey, I think you're exhausted from your search. Let's not say anything that you don't mean."

"No, Mom! I will feel the same about Luthor, after I've had some rest, the same way I do now. You, of all people, should know why." His voice was sharper than normal, and he instantly regretted snapping at his mother.

"Of course, I do, Clark. But..."

Clark shot an apologetic look at his mom, then he grabbed his coat that was lying on the back of the sofa and stormed up the steps.

Turning around quickly, he addressed his mother. "You're right, Mom! I do need to leave. Be back later! I have a few things to take care of."

He then caught sight of Lois and felt the combination of frustration and anger bubble up again over her stubbornness. He glanced sharply at her, his eyes blazing.

"Lois, your refusal to see the truth has cost us everything. Go ahead and sleep with the devil, but you can't say that I haven't warn you."

With his hand on the doorknob, he hesitated, leaning his head against the wooden door. He felt his heart breaking, but determination and strength rose up in him as he straightened his shoulders and walked out the door.

*****

Lois watched as Clark leaned briefly against the door before walking out. She was smarting from the accusation that he had thrown at her, his cruel words of 'sleeping with the devil' still ringing in her ears. What was worse was that he had given up on her; Clark had run out on her!

One moment, they were reconnecting after being separated for weeks, and the next, he was telling her she had ruined everything. Then, before she had a chance to react, he was stomping out the door on some mysterious mission.

The mere mention of Lex's name and his efforts towards finding Superman had triggered a very strong response in Clark, almost like it had made something snap inside of him. Yet it had hurt to have him speak to her that way – Clark had always been civil and very farm-boyish in his mannerisms – it was very uncharacteristic for him to speak so coldly to her like that.

Unless she had touched just one too many buttons and had pushed him too far... but then she remembered how he had snapped at his mother as well. What did Martha know about all of this? Clark had implied that his mother partially knew what was going on – he had sharply reminded her of whatever plight he'd been through when he had gotten upset.

Which reminded her, what could Clark have been referring to? What was so upsetting to him that had caused him to fly off the handle and storm out of the apartment? Mere distrust wasn't enough cause for him to react that way - so why was she unable to see what was so obvious to Clark?

She felt a warm hand on her shoulder and another on her elbow and allowed herself to be seated on the sofa again. She realized Martha had been speaking to her and Lois hadn't heard a word she'd said.

"What happened? I've never seen Clark this way before," Lois blurted in desperation as she swiped at her eyes.

"Maybe because he's never felt this way before, honey. He's been through an awful lot in the past few weeks. He's lost his job and his friends have moved away, the woman..." Martha patted Lois' hand. "...he cares about is considering a proposal from another man. He mentioned to me that he told you something important to him a few weeks ago."

At Lois' puzzled look, she added, "In the park..."

"He told you that? Of course he would, that's Clark..." Lois swiped at a loose lock of hair that had fallen into her face, slightly uncomfortable with the turn of the conversation.

"It was no surprise, dear. I know my son well enough to see that he's in love with you – even without him telling me."

"I should have known... his feelings were obvious when I think about it now. But now... I think I've even ruined our friendship. I can't lose that."

"You haven't lost him, dear. You need to remember, on top of everything, he's recovering from being sick and is worried about what's to become of Superman. It's really hard for him to hear you talk about Luthor – he doesn't trust him...for a good reason."

Lois sniffed and made eye contact with Martha. "What has Lex done that makes Clark dislike him so much? Do you know? Most of the things I've seen from Lex have been good - aside from Clark and Superman telling me otherwise. He can be a bit controlling, but I can handle that..."

Before Martha blurted out the truth, she interrupted Lois. Hearing Lois trying to convince herself that Luthor was... decent was too much even for her to talk about. Besides, it wasn't her place to tell her; it was Clark's. "I think you need to talk to Clark about that. I can't speak for my son, but you need to discuss this with him when he's not so exhausted."

"He must hate me now. I keep saying the wrong things."

"He doesn't hate you – that boy worships the ground you walk on. He's worried about so much, Lois."

Lois closed her eyes, but could only see the anger and disgust on Clark's face. Hard to believe that he even liked her – she had treated him so callously in spite of her intentions to patch things up with him.

"Can you promise me one thing?" Martha interrupted her thoughts.

"I can try."

"Don't give Lex an answer without talking to Clark again. Lois, he cares for you so much. I've never seen my son feel this way about anyone before."

"But I don't feel the same way... I know he's your son and he's my best friend and everything, but as for any romantic feelings for him, they're not there." Feeling a bit frustrated, Lois tried to stand up, but Martha's hand on her arm stopped her. "Maybe I should just leave."

"Oh, honey! I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. Please trust me when I tell you it's important that you talk to Clark before you do anything that you can't reverse. I know that Clark can be pig-headed and stubborn, but he really does care for you. Think about it, dear, something must have happened to have upset him so. What's the worst that can happen if you try to talk to him?"

Lois thought for a moment, then pasted on a smile. "He can hate me? Okay, I won't promise, but I'll try to talk to Clark again." Lois glanced at her watch and this time the older woman didn't try to stop her. "I'm sorry, but I need to go to work."

Martha tucked a strand of hair behind Lois' ear and smiled in a motherly manner. "Lois, Clark's not the only one who cares about you in this family. Give him time, sweetie. He'll come around."

Lois felt her throat lump up and her lower lip start to quiver as she felt the love and concern from a woman which she had never felt from her own mother. Clark was so lucky to have a mom like Martha.

"Can I have a hug before you go?" Martha said as she got to her feet. At Lois' nod, Martha opened her arms and Lois practically fell into them. Lois felt the tears begin to fall as the older woman's comforting embrace closed around her. Martha tried her best to encourage the cleansing tears and to comfort Lois at the same time. Finally, Lois was cried out, and self-consciously, she drew back, snuffling. Martha handed Lois a fresh tissue from her pocket.

"Thanks. I think I needed a good cry." Lois said as she dabbed her eyes, managing a weak smile. "How long are you staying in Metropolis? If you're going back soon..."

"Clark's father is coming up tomorrow. He's finally able to get away from the farm. We're going to be staying in one of those fancy hotel suites that you and Clark stayed in when you had that surveillance stake-out. I can't wait to try out the hot tub – Clark had some very interesting things to say about it."

"Oh, he did?" This time a real smile reached Lois' eyes. "You'd better make sure you lock the doors – the maids like to barge in on you." Her cheeks felt a bit heated as she remembered the kiss Clark had given her to fool the maid.

"Okay, dear! I'll keep that in mind."

They had wandered over to the door and Lois had her hand on the knob, getting ready to leave. "Thanks for all you've done," Lois said. "I mean, listening to me and being here for Clark. I should have done more for him."

"It's okay, honey. You've been through a lot also. Don't be so hard on yourself."

"I'll try not to be..." She shuffled her feet before asking, "Do you have any idea where Clark might have gone to? I think I need to find him."

"That's the spirit, but no, I don't have any idea. Keep after him and don't give up. Make him talk to you. Sit on him if you have to."

"Martha!" Lois felt her face grow hot again as the image of Clark's bare chest invaded her mind. "Do I have your permission to use one of my tae kwan do moves on him?"

"By all means! Just make him talk!"

Lois laughed as she walked through the door. Feeling encouraged, she answered, "I think I have some baling wire in my apartment. That might do the trick."

Martha joined Lois with a giggle of her own. "Bye, honey. Take care of yourself. And what are you doing with baling wire?"

"Experimenting with trusses for low-lifes a few months ago. Seemed compact enough, but hard to work with without pliers..." Her voice grew more exited as she practically ran down the steps. "Got to find him... bye and thanks again."

"Bye, sweetie! Take care!" Martha lingered in the doorway and watched Lois as she walked determinedly down the street. Her son didn't stand a chance against that girl. If she had to lay her bets, neither did Lois with Clark.

*****

Clark paused before knocking on the old varnished door. After careful and deliberate research at the library, and after being hung up on several times, he was now calling upon Constance Hunter for legal service. It was a frustrating effort to find a decent lawyer who wouldn't hang up, laugh, or want to railroad him into bankruptcy.

He couldn't exactly tell them who he was – Superman. He wasn't quite ready to reveal that he was alive – especially over the phone to a bunch of strange lawyers. This was too important to hand it over to just anyone. Finding a lawyer he trusted over the phone without telling them that he was Superman was proving to be an impossible task.

After several unsuccessful calls, he'd decided to visit the last one in person. If pleading with someone face-to-face wouldn't work, then he'd have to rethink his strategy. He knew that there were a lot of loonies out there who might be trying to profit from Superman's disappearance, and in a way, he couldn't blame the lawyers for not believing him over the phone. Without powers and without his suit, he was almost sure to be rejected by another lawyer again.

Clark knocked, and was rewarded with a simple, "Come on in, it's open."

He peeked in the door and smiled cautiously at the attractive woman behind the desk. "Hello, Ms. Hunter? Are you, Constance Hunter, the lawyer?"

"I was when I woke up this morning..."

"I'm not sure if I should even be here, but I'm hoping you can help me."

The lawyer was oddly dressed in a paisley bowtie and an ill-fitting suit. She waved Clark in and motioned for him to sit down in an old leather chair. Her office had a homey feel to it - organized clutter – knick knacks and pictures adorned her wood-paneled walls and shelves, but the majority of the walls were lined with books.

Clark walked into her office and shut the door, then sat down in the chair she had pointed to. He wasn't sure how to begin – so much was riding on how he would present his case. "I apologize for being rude and just dropping in, but I've been hung up on and laughed at... I guess my case is sort of unbelievable."

"Mister, I've heard it all. What you have to say to me will not be a surprise. Let me be the judge."

The middle-aged woman had crossed her arms and smiled, seeming sincere enough for him to continue, but still he didn't know where to begin.

Luckily, the lawyer came to his rescue. "You can start with your name – I can't call you 'hey you' for the whole time you're here." The woman smiled amicably, trying to set Clark at ease.

Clark decided not to beat around the bush. Being in someone's company was far better than trying to scope them out over the telephone. "Ms. Hunter, I'm Superman. I may not look like Superman to you now, but I hope that I can prove it to you eventually."

The woman was not fazed by his declaration. "You do bear a resemblance to him. What is it that you want, Superman?" She still appeared cautious, but open to him.

Clark decided that the direct approach was the best. This lawyer seemed different from the rest of the lot that he had had contact with for the better part of an hour this morning. Taking a deep breath, he began. "I've lost my powers due to a certain influential man in Metropolis; although I cannot prove anything, but only fling accusations, I want to stop him from using my name for his purposes."

"This man caused you bodily harm?"

Clark nodded tiredly. "Yes, he placed me in a cage that was made of this substance, kryptonite, held me there for days and now my powers are gone. All the evidence has disappeared and it would just be my word against his. But that is not my main concern at this time – he's started up a Superman Foundation with his money and I don't want him using my name for his profit."

"Who is the man that did this to you?"

Clark hesitated before answering. "Most people think he's a great philanthropist, so I'm a bit hesitant to say anything without proof."

"You're not in a court of law here. Just give me your story and we'll decide where to go from here."

"It's Lex Luthor."

Constance Hunter seemed startled for only a second, but after giving Clark a tiny shake of her head, she answered, "Somehow, I'm not surprised. I've never trusted that man as long as he's been in Metropolis."

Clark blinked, then said, "I thought everyone believed he was the best thing since sliced bread. He has a lot of people fooled."

Ms. Hunter nodded in agreement, then plowed on ahead. "Okay, assuming you are Superman, you have to agree that this is rather a preposterous accusation – about anyone, even Lex Luthor. But in order to present your case properly, I need to know a few things – such as if you have anyone, say a medical doctor, who could verify that you are actually Superman. Also, another bit of information would be if you have any legal protection already in place for the Superman name."

"I have an agent; his name is Murray Brown, but honestly, I don't trust him or his lawyers to handle this. When I called him earlier, he wanted money up front and was talking about splashing my situation all across the news. That's the last thing I want, but I need to work fast if I'm going to stop Luthor. In a nutshell, I'm looking for a good lawyer."

Constance Hunter smiled, then said, "To quote Daniel Webster, 'After twenty-five years' observation, I can give it as the condensed history of most, if not all, good lawyers, that they lived well and died poor.' I'm not a trial lawyer, Superman. If you are looking for someone to represent you in court, I'm afraid I've given that up a long time ago. "

"Why is that, Ms. Hunter?"

"Oh, look around you. For the same reasons you're having a hard time finding someone to believe you, and/or not wanting to scalp you into the next century... But if you need someone to handle your paperwork, I will see what I can do." She sighed, and gave him a more relaxed look.

Clark looked her sincerely in the eyes. "I can prove who I am. I have medical records and such... If I can make a call, perhaps this doctor can bring them and my suit."

"I believe you, Superman. Now let's decide what to do about this interloper who is using your name..."

******