Hi and welcome to the aftershocks!
And I'm sorry I'm so late with the gfic-version, but I couldn't get it out in time yesterday. Forgive me?
This part will tell Lois side of the story. I hope you like the resolution of one secret and the can of worms it opens up for our favorite fic-couple.
As always, this wouldn’t be what it is without my betas. And thanks to Mellie for giving me Ralph.
And just because it is such a running gag, I’m only increasing the parts total by one. After all, part 6 / ? sounds like I have no idea how long this is actually going to be
Michael
Disclaimer: The recognizable characters and settings in this story are the property of D.C. Comics, Warner Bros., December 3rd Productions, and anyone else with a legal right to them, and I have no claim on them whatsoever, nor am I profiting by their use. It’s just the original stuff, that would be mine, written down to bring some entertainment to other FoLC.
The setting is right after “Season’s Greedings” in Season 2.
Blocks in >> << are literal thoughts by the character.
Rating: PG-13
**********
In part five Clark visited Lois as Superman after she had invited him during the day. And while he had been wary of what might happen once he was in closed quarters with his partners, he hadn’t been prepared for what had actually happened. For Lois bulldozed her way through his defenses and when he finally came to, it soon became clear that he might have lost far more than his virginity this night.
But what is the secret behind Anonymous? And will the letters spell certain doom for the partnership between the reporters?
Part 6 /
TOC /
Comments **********
“…I got you babe. I got you babe. I got you babe.”
“This was Sonny and Cher’s classic ‘I Got You Babe’, played to you by MSR’s very own Phil Devons. It is now six thirty on this January mor-“
*Whack!*
>>Mmmmm, what a great night’s sleep,<< Lois thought to herself when she slowly came to. Normally, she wasn’t a morning person, but today for some reason was different for her. She was actually bursting with energy.
>>Must have been that dream again, but just why can’t I remember anything about my Prince Charming?<< she went on while stretching her arms before running them back down under the covers to smooth her night gown.
Only, she wasn’t wearing one!
Acting on pure instinct, Lois jumped out of her bed, pulling the covers with her to wrap around herself.
>>What is going on!?<< her mind enquired, trying to figure out just what had happened to her the previous night. It was only then that she began to remember.
>>This is my bed.<<
>>I’m at home.<<
>>I’m alone.<<
>>Why *am* I alone!?<<
Startled at her last thought, Lois began to force her sluggish thought processes into motion. There had to be a reason why she was surprised at being alone this morning. She wasn’t in a relationship, and she hadn’t been out either, ready to take some guy home with her. Not that she had ever done that before. Her sister, sure, but never she. And still, Lois couldn’t deny the evidence.
>>Oh crap!<<
“Oh HELL! Oh hell! Oh hell! Oh hell! Oh hell! Oh HELL!” she started to scream, now that her short-time memory had deigned to make a comeback.
>>Clark. I just had sex with Clark! I can’t believe it. *I. Had. Sex. With. Clark!*<< Lois went on in her mind. She let the sheet fall to the floor, no longer feeling the need to cover herself up, now that she had realized she was, in fact, alone in her bedroom.
Lois’ body went on autopilot and headed for her bathroom, while her mind decided to shut down after this last, startling revelation. She barely registered the warm water of her shower as she washed away the dried sweat reminding of last night’s passion and allowed her muscles to relax in the welcome heat.
It was only when her fingers swept over her exhausted muscles that her mind restarted. Feeling the tingling sensations where she had been touched last night, Lois flashed back to the details of last night’s encounter. An encounter for which she had no explanation or at least none that she was willing to consider. Suddenly feeling week in her knees, Lois slowly slid to the shower’s floor, letting the steady stream of water rain down on her while her eyes started their own flow of water.
**********
It should have been easy, she reminded herself. She had dressed herself up in a skirt that had been just a tad too short and a blouse that had been just a tad too tight, and had started to send signals to her partner. Signals she had been sure he would notice and respond too, especially after she had practically force-fed him the coffee with the sex drug.
She had even gone as far as to put on a show, pulling a bandage off from over a fake tattoo of Superman’s crest. She had been certain he would notice, given the incentive she had offered him in the form of her muffled cries. But the Boy Scout had actually looked as if he wasn’t even aware of her when she had returned to ask him into the conference room. And then he had just stammered and actually managed to spill his coffee on his pants!
Later, in the conference room, she had dealt him another blow by openly discussing Superman. She knew pretty well just how much he hated being reduced to irrelevance next to his Jekyll. That was what the bastard got for turning her down last summer, and subsequently handing her over to Luthor.
Then Perry had to assign them to this idiotic story on how the Metro PD didn’t do enough for the safety of their streets. Hah! As if they could do a thing about that. People should just learn how to drive! About the only positive aspect had been that she had had another pretext to keep Clark close by. And the way he had tried to divert attention from his misdirected blood flow was just hilarious.
At least, it had been yesterday. Oh, she had felt so powerful and in control then, knowing she was controlling the most powerful man on the planet by appealing to his lower brain. Now, it sent cold shivers down her back, given how his lower brain functions had taken over last night.
Lunch had been another bout of mishaps. First, she had wasted two capsules on that new hireling, Ralph. The twerp had actually had the gall to grab a donut from her plate when she walked to the conference room. And he just *had* to grab the one she had prepared for Clark! She could have murdered him. She should have murdered him. Any other day she would have murdered him. But given how her mission required her to stay in the office instead of a police holding cell, she didn’t murder him. So she had settled for throwing a couple of expressions at him – the likes even the sailors in Metro Harbor hadn’t heard before – and walked off to the conference room.
And then Clark had returned, all calm and without any noticeable disarray of his clothing. She had been sure he had looked far less modest when he got up to get Jimmy. And it had been this lack of modesty that she had had a chance to enjoy later this day, when they had made-, when her own primal needs had been satisfied. Yeah, Cat had been right on that part, so what? The point was Mister Man of Steel had been able to regain his decorum within the ten or fifteen minutes it had taken him to fetch the sandwiches. So much for her father’s alleged medical coup!
The afternoon had been even worse. They had been stuck in the conference room, with no one to see what a pervert their golden boy was. When, in the end, Perry had checked in on them at four in the afternoon, she had thought she had Clark right where she needed him. He had been nervous and twitchy and it was obvious how uncomfortable he had been standing next to her. And then he ran off, faking a heavy case of indigestion, and not to be seen again until he had tapped on her window.
Clark hadn’t even had the decency to show up until after she was ready. A girl couldn’t even enjoy a cold shower any more before her date showed up! And she had so needed it last night. She wasn’t a horny person, but yesterday had been different. She had had to play on Clark’s hormones all day, and his reaction had been a boost to her own self esteem and libido. And she was quite sure had she been able to finish before he came, things might have turned out quite different.
But what was done – or not – was done and she had focused on putting him off balance instead of her own issues with keeping her equilibrium. The first thing to do was get him to down a glass of champagne, in which she had dissolved the last two capsules. And he had responded quite well to her forward behavior. Lois couldn’t help but shudder as she remembered the feeling of his muscles underneath the spandex her fingers had caressed. And that was when things had taken a definite turn for the worse.
She had intended to engage him in a make-out session, hoping to embarrass him with his reaction to her. But no, the little Casanova had completely taken her by surprise instead, actually enjoying himself there on her sofa. And then he had had the nerve to stick his hand under her robe! She hadn’t been prepared to feel his skin on hers so intimately. She should have just slapped him or something, but no, instead she began to enjoy herself too, forgetting all her good resolutions on how far she was going to go.
**********
The rest of the evening was still a hazed memory, but she was sure he had tricked her somehow, for she would have never gone all the way with Clark, and definitely not before the first date and after he had lied to her so completely.
Just what was wrong with her?
>>Well, at least Clark still thought I had done the deed with Superman instead of Clark.<<
And this meant she could just avoid Superman and ignore Clark. And it wasn’t like Superman could brag to anybody about what an easy lay she had been.
>>Time to get going, Lane!<<
Pulling herself up from the floor, Lois held her face under the now noticeably colder water to rinse the tear tracks from her face. There wasn’t much she could do about her puffy eyes, but maybe no one would notice. After all, since when did her colleagues notice anything about her anyway?
**********
Wrapped in her towel, Lois scuffled back into her bedroom to get dressed. It was only when her gaze fell upon the piece of paper adorning the second pillow on her bed that the blood drained from her face for the second time this morning.
>>Oh, god,<< she thought, >>the letter! Clark will find it when he gets into work today,<< Lois thought while she went to pick the paper up with shaking hands.
**********
Lois, my Love!
There is an emergency I cannot ignore.
I promise we will talk this evening.
Forever and totally yours, S
**********
>>Well, Clark’s morning after letter certainly beats mine,<< Lois thought while remembering the reasoning behind her own letters to Clark.
Her first letter as Anonymous had been written out of necessity. After all, she had had to ensure that Clark stayed close to her even when he was excited, or she wouldn’t have been able to parade him around. Not that it had done her much good given how he had hidden himself all the time.
The second letter, the one where Anonymous told Superman that he had taken advantage of a drugged Lois Lane, had been intended as pay-back for him playing dead. And it would have been perfect if he had just embarrassed himself, forcing him to leave before it got too far out of hand. It would still have been clear to him what he had done, and just how much farther he would have taken it if not for his lack of self-control. And he would have understood perfectly just how much he had betrayed her trust. That he would never be able to make it up to her.
But now, now that they had actually had spent the night together, she wasn’t sure what he would do when he got the letter. He might even turn himself in as Superman for raping her, or perhaps just vanish, never to be seen again. She wasn’t sure which he would choose or what she would prefer less.
Well, it wasn’t over until it was over and since the office mail usually got delivered just at about half past seven, she might get to intercept the letter and make it disappear. She only had to get there before Clark did.
Pulling out fresh clothes to wear for the day, Lois dressed as fast as she could and headed for her Jeep. She was a woman on a mission, but unlike that fateful Sunday morning a little over a week ago, today Lois was not driven by righteous anger, but instead by a mixture of anxiety and flat-out panic. She just had to get the letter away from Clark. And then she would find another way to deal with the mess Clark had made for her.
**********
When Lois arrived at the Planet a little after half past seven, she briefly considered taking the stairs in favor of the aging elevator, but a quick glimpse at her high heeled feet discouraged her. In the state she was in, she could as easily sprain an ankle as she could reach the third floor in one piece. And aside from that, she didn’t need to look flushed and out of breath when she reached the newsroom. No, what she needed to project was an air of calmness and professionalism. She just had to fool the rest of the world that everything was just fine and nothing had happened last night.
When the elevator opened and let her exit into the newsroom, Lois’ gaze immediately sought out and focused on her partner’s desk. Her partner’s occupied desk, where said occupant was reading a familiar looking letter.
>>I’m too late,<< Lois realized, suffering her third panic attack of the day. He must have come to the office first thing after the emergency and had already read the letter. And now he believed to know it had all been an illusion. That he had taken advantage of her. That he had date raped her. And all because his first instinct had been to run into work and get the story written up, instead of heading back to her place, have breakfast with her and give her the Superman exclusive of the day.
>>He had actually *planned* this when he wrote the letter! The GALL of that BASTARD!<<
Well, if he wanted to play it that way, then two could play that game. After all, if he had gotten the Superman exclusive of the day, then she would get the Superman exclusive of the century. And she had a partner she could share it with. But first, she would let him stir for a while, for it might be even more fun to listen to the lame excuses he came up with than to just bulldoze all over him and drive him away for good.
**********
Taking a deep breath, Lois forced herself to stand straight and walked over to her desk with clipped and measured paces. Once there, she sat down to boot her computer, throwing her coat over the desk’s corner in the process. Never did she acknowledge her partner, who had sat frozen since she had first seen him when she had stepped out of the elevator.
It was only after several minutes that his head turned towards hers and Lois became aware of an almost inaudible “Good morning, Lois.”
Turning towards him, Lois tried to give him her best combination of lost puppy and Mad Dog Lane when she returned a hesitant, “’Morning, Clark,” before getting up again and heading for the coffee maker. Satisfied at the way his shoulders dropped at her brave façade, Lois said to herself. >>See, you can do it, Lane! He is just another man, and this time you can get there first. He won’t be able to hurt you.<<
On her way back to her desk, Lois was intercepted by Jimmy.
“Oh, hey, mornin’, Lois. Have you heard? The Planet is getting sued for sexual harassment.”
“Wha-? What? Jimmy, what do you mean ‘getting sued for sexual harassment’?”
“Don’t ask me. I just heard it down at the secretarial pool’s coffee maker. Now I’m on my way to the Chief to get the gist. You comin’?”
“Uh, sure, Jimmy,” Lois replied while tagging along absentmindedly.
>>Sexual harassment? This had to be a coincidence. And it’s not like as if what I had done to Clark could be interpreted as sexual harassment. Ugh uh. No way.<<
**********
When Jimmy knocked on the Chief’s door and poked his head in, he was greeted by a gruff, “What is it, Jimmy?”
“Uh, Chief. I was wondering, do you have a minute.”
Folding an official looking letter back into its envelope, Perry sighed and motioned him to enter, which Lois took as a standing invitation for her as well.
“Make it quick, Jimmy, okay? Lois.”
“’Morning, Chief,” Lois greeted her boss, before adding, “I’m just tagging along for what Jimmy is going to ask you.”
“Meaning?” Perry replied with a raised eyebrow towards his favorite aspiring photo reporter.
“See, I was down having coffee with the secretaries, when I heard the Planet is being slapped with a sexual harassment suit.”
Perry started to shake his head at that comment, and began to mumble something about office grapevines and them being faster than Superman.
“Jimmy, I only just received the complaint with the morning mail. But I guess given how it started with one of the secretaries…”
“So it’s true?” Lois interjected.
“Unfortunately, yes. Apparently one of our reporters was riding the elevator with Miss… Anyway, they were alone in the elevator and she complains that he was chatting her up.”
“That’s not a crime, Chief, is it?” Jimmy interjected, suddenly looking very worried and Lois noticed his fingers crossing behind his back.
“No, Jimmy, it’s not. But it does become an offense when said girl turns around to say ‘No’ and all she gets in return is a guy who is obviously in a very indecent state of being and then asks her to help him out with his current problem.”
“Oh my god!“ Lois exclaimed.
“What!? CK would never-“, Jimmy continued.
“Kent? What has Kent to do with the matter?” Perry was genuinely surprised and Lois’ mind started to recover from her shock, before something clicked.
“Ralph.”
“Lois? How in the Kings name did you figure that out?”
“Come on, Perry. I’m not your favorite reporter for nothing,” Lois tried to cover and come up with a reasonable explanation. What was it she knew about Ralph?
>>He is annoying, lazy, sleazy, and oh, yes. That will work!<<
“Everyone knows Ralph is trouble. I’ve had to slap him at least twice since he started last month and even Cat would have been disgusted with his behavior towards women. Just why *did* you hire him?”
“Okay, okay, Lois. I get the message,” Perry deflected, his hands waving her off. “And as to why I hired him, I didn’t. He was brought on board by one of the board members. Something to do with Ralph being the older brother of his latest wife. But you didn’t hear that from me, got it?”
“Sure, Chief” Lois said before pulling out of the line of fire and taking Jimmy with her before Perry could start asking questions as to why Jimmy had mentioned Clark.
And just why *had* Jimmy thought that Clark might have done something along those lines. Had she missed something yesterday? Looking at her squirming friend, Lois decided she would give him a reprieve. After all, she couldn’t just start grilling him for details with Clark nearby.
**********
“KENT! My office, now!” came the roar of Perry’s voice across the floor, causing Lois to flinch. Normally, she was the only one to be subjected to the Chief’s fiercest bellow, and then only when she defied his orders during an investigation. Perry knew she could take it, and Lois had the strong suspicion he thought she needed the firm hand from time to time.
>>Not that that is the case. For it isn’t. Not at all.<<
Looking over to where her partner had been sitting, Lois noticed that he was already headed for the editor’s office, head downcast in an abject manner.
Deciding she needed something from the shelves next to the editor’s office, Lois retraced her earlier steps and conveniently got close enough to the glass panes of Perry’s office to hear at least parts of the conversation.
“Clark, now, I know … wonderful parents. But I also consider … a stand-in for them when you are at the office ... a son to me. Just like Lois … daughter. You following so far?”
“Yes? Um, no, actually…”
“Oh, well. … I asked you this morning if you … well again, I was under the assumption that you had been sick.”
“I… Uh… I…”
“No, don’t say … hear me out. Before now … it was your stomach that was unrest, but since then I have learned ... You know, Son, I am … chief because ... But I do know … going on in a young man’s life. Let me tell you … time when Elvis had first met Priscilla. Now, don’t ask … know this, but this story is true … when they first met, Elvis was infatuated with her, but … wait several years before … finally together. So the Colonel took Elvis aside one day and told … control his urges if he … continue to perform on stage. What he could not … to stand … of the stage. Do you … taking this?”
“Ugh, Perry, I…”
“Good. So anyway, I … partner is a very attractive … certain behavior is just not appropriate for … as it is not appropriate for a stage.”
“Perry, please, I know all …? And I don’t know what it was yesterday. I… This is embarrassing enough as it is, please I don’t want to talk about it, too.”
“Clark, I’m only looking out for you. I would hate to have to let you go because another staff member … complaint.”
“What!? I… No… Perry, I…”
“Relax, Son, this is just a warning … there is already a similar case brewing, I just don’t want … be any collateral damage. And if there … remember, we do have a fully equipped … in the locker room. Including showers with hot and *cold* water. Got it?”
“Yes. Thank you, Perry.”
Trying her best to remain inconspicuous in her corner, Lois almost couldn’t believe what she had witnessed. Perry had actually called Clark on his control issues yesterday. And if it weren’t for the events of last night, she would have been on Cloud Nine by now. This was just too good to be true.
>>Time to get out the big guns and give the bastard of a partner his coup de grâce.<<
**********
“Clark?” Lois called over to her partner when she got back to her desk.
“Yes, Lois?”
“Do you believe a reporter has to tell the truth, no matter what?”
“Huh? Why?”
“*Why*!? Do you actually believe that to be an answer to my question?”
Lois was starting to get mad again. And she had to keep her cool if she wanted to prevent a repeat of the fiasco from last night. This time she had to put him on the defensive, and keep him there. Although, the fact that she was fully clothed and her bastard of a partner wasn’t wearing his tights might help her in that department. As long as she didn’t touch him. And why was her mind drifting to touching? The only contact she wanted was that of her hand on his cheek. Brought on with a resounded slap. And she meant the cheek in his face, not the other ones.
“… important. But this doesn’t mean there are no higher truths to protect.”
“Higher truths?”
And did she just miss something?
“Come on, Lois. You, yourself, have kept certain facts from the public before, haven’t you?”
“That’s different, and they were special occasions.”
“I’ll bet. Superman has always be-“
“Leave Superman out of this!” Lois cut him off, not sure why she did it. “And just so you know, *Superman* is not that special. What I did was just common courtesy. You don’t go around blabbing the secrets of your life saver to the whole world. That’s all! Got it?”
“So what are you saying? That you would splash him across the front page like the next crook if he got on your bad side?”
>>Just what is he doing? Trying to commit supercide by reporter? Well, if he wants to hang himself, I’ll gladly lend him a rope.<<
“Yes.” It was a statement. Short, to the point, and it left her partner speechless. Good.
“You… You are serious, aren’t you?” Clark replied hesitantly.
“Oh, yes, you bet I am. If I had proof of him doing anything but being the good and noble hero, he could read it on the front page of the Planet the next morning.”
“This isn’t just hypothetical, is it?”
>>He really does want that rope. Well, okay. After all, if he can take my robe, he can also take my rope.<<
“No, it’s not. Why? You want in? I mean, it is a story that could get us the next Kerth, perhaps even the Pulitzer. Imagine it: ‘Superman exposed’.” Lois painted the headline with her hands like their Chief had done so often before.
Lois suddenly felt herself getting pulled into the conference room. Perhaps he wasn’t as keen on falling on his sword as she had thought after all.
Once they were secluded, Clark turned towards her to look into her eyes.
“You really want to write this story, knowing that it would be the end of Superman?”
“Is there a reason I shouldn’t?” Lois probed further.
“It’s your story, why don’t you tell me? And you could begin by telling me just what exactly you are going to expose.”
Was he serious? What did he think she was going to say: ‘Superman Exposed: Clark Kent’s Secret Life’?
“There is suspicion he had sex with a woman while she was drugged. You know, like those creeps who drug women in bars and drag them off to their rooms, cars, whatever, and, well, you know.”
That statement sent Clark to hold himself up at the door frame.
“And you believe Superman drugged yo- her? I meant her.”
>>That slip couldn’t have come at better time,<< Lois grinned to herself.
“What did you just say?” she snarled.
“I… I asked if you believe that Superman drugged her,” Clark answered with a strained voice.
“No, you asked if I believe Superman drugged *me*. And just why is that? Did you work together with him? Do the two of you share stories about your conquests? Who *are* you, Clark Kent?”
“Now just a minute, Lois.”
Clark was suddenly standing in front of her, and she couldn’t help but notice the little muscle in his jaw jumping while his growled reply washed over her.
“What am I *supposed* to *think*, Clark? How could you have known about what had happened, unless you and he worked together?”
This was getting better and better. Perhaps she should offer him a shovel to help in his digging of the six feet hole he was currently engaged in.
“What you are supposed to think, Lois, is that I would never do such a thing. How could you even believe this, no matter how much pheromone you’ve had?”
>>Bingo!<<
Taking a deep breath, Lois held up her hand to motion him silent, and went to close the blinds, before getting close to him again, looking into his eyes and taking a deep breath.
*SLAP!*
>>OW CRAP! That hurt!<<
“Perhaps because you’ve lied to me since the beginning? Perhaps because you hadn’t even had the decency to tell me after you had been shot? Or when I had asked you last night about the truth? Or before you *left* this morning? Go on, take your pick!” Lois hissed, while shaking her hand.
>>This is going to leave a bruise, and not on his cheek,<< Lois mused while reaching for the door so she could get back to work and forget about the mistake she had just turned her back on.
**********
tbc
