PREVIOUSLY...
A young blonde woman approached, looking very professional. Not a cop, obviously. A lawyer then? Lois expected the woman to move on past, and was surprised when she stopped directly in front of Uncle Mike.
“Which one of you is Mike Lane?” the woman asked. When Mike stepped forward, the woman held out her hand. “Mayson Drake, Deputy D.A.”**
AND NOW...
* * * * * * * * *
Chapter Twenty-Three
* * * * * * * * *
**Lois was impressed that a woman as young and good looking as Drake was a deputy D.A. Drake addressed Mike, covering the basic information he had for her very competently. Then she turned to Kent.
“And you are?” Drake asked.
“Clark Kent. I was the one who caught the young man the police brought in.”
Lois bristled slightly by the way Drake seemed to check Kent out while he was talking. Wait a minute! Was she actually playing with her hair? Well, so much for being professional! She was no longer even taking notes! Didn’t Drake know she was there to get statements, not to flirt? And yet, Blondie didn’t seem to know that as she moved closer to Kent, batting her eyelashes at him. Please!
When Blondie scribbled her home number on the back of a business card before handing it to Kent, telling him he should feel free to contact her day or night, Lois couldn’t stand it any longer.
“Subtle,” she mumbled under her breath.
The startled look Kent shot in Lois’ direction made her shrink back further into the wood-work. Had she spoken louder than intended? No, no. Kent couldn’t have heard her. She was just being paranoid.
Still, Lois was glad when Blondie finally decided that she had heard enough to press charges against the young man known as Baby Rage, and they could finally leave.**
“You were jealous,” Clark said when she finished.
“No I wasn’t,” Lois immediately objected. “I just... didn’t like Mayson. I didn’t in our reality and I don’t in this one.”
“And it had nothing whatsoever to do with me?”
“Nothing whatsoever.”
“And calling her ‘Blondie?’”
“Well, she’s a blonde, isn’t she?” Lois answered as innocently as possible.
When Clark raised his eyebrows, a grin quirked at the corners of her mouth. “Okay, so maybe there was a teensy-weensy part of me that was a tiny bit jealous.”
Before Clark could respond, the door to the conference room opened. “Are you two still here?” Perry asked from the doorway.
Startled, Lois glanced up at the clock. It was almost eleven. “You’re right, Chief,” she said as she rose to her feet. “I guess the rest can wait until tomorrow.”
“Hmph,” Perry responded before looking sharply at Clark. After a moment, he turned, leaving the room without further comment.
Lois let out a breath. “Okay, well, I’ve been thinking,” she said to Clark. “If I want to get into my apartment, I’m going to need my keys.”
“And...?”
“Well, I want to have one more go at opening my locker.”
“I thought you didn’t know the number.”
“I don’t. But I’ve got an idea.”
“Of course you do,” Clark said affectionately.
Lois smiled.
“Tell you what, though,” Clark continued. “Why don’t I come with you? If your idea doesn’t pan out, I’d be able to try every conceivable combination in a matter of seconds.”
Lois nodded. “Good idea. At this time of night, the place should be empty. If my idea doesn’t work, we can try your approach.”
Clark nodded, getting up and grabbing his jacket. “Oh, and before we go check out your new apartment, why don’t we stop by mine?”
“What for?”
“I’d like to pick up a change of clothes for tomorrow. It seems to me we pass Clinton on the way to Regina Street. At least, that should be the case unless something we did to the past changed the street names.”
Lois gave him a swat as she moved to turn off her computer.
* * * * * * * * *
A few minutes later, Lois was pulling her spare keys from her locker, looking triumphant.
“So... what was the combination?”
“Well, before we mucked up the past, I use your birth date.”
“And now...”
“I use your birth date.” Giving him a smile, she turned and sashayed toward the locker room door, putting an extra little wiggle in her hips.
Clark stood there for a moment, staring after her in disbelief, before following. Well, he supposed that with a locker number like that, no one would guess her combination - at least in this reality.
* * * * * * * * *
“I’ll just be a minute,” Clark said when he and Lois walked through the door to his apartment.
Lois hesitated on the top, lost in thought, even after Clark had jogged on down. There was something pulling at the edges of her brain.
She was still trying to piece it together when Clark returned.
“Ready to go?” he asked.
She waved him off as she continued to stare into the apartment.
“What?” Clark asked.
“I’m just...” She glanced back at the door and suddenly was again lost in memories.
**They had to talk. This was crazy. She couldn’t get involved with Kent. He had to know that. There was Perry’s new rule, for one thing.
Not that Perry’s rule would stop her if she believed there was a future with Kent.
But there wasn’t. She knew that. She suspected Kent knew it too. Given that, he would certainly understand that, in spite of this weird connection that seemed to exist between them, there was no way she wanted to have to explain... anything to anyone. But that didn’t mean she was ‘ashamed’ to be seen with him. It was just... easier this way.
She approached the door to his apartment and was just about to raise her hand to knock, when she caught sight of movement coming from inside. She looked through the window and froze.
Mayson Drake was inside. But that wasn’t the worst part. The worst part was that she and Kent were kissing.
Tears stung at the corners of Lois’ eyes as she hurried away. Obviously, she had been wrong. So had Uncle Mike. But then, what had she expected? Clark Kent had moved on. She should have known it would happen, should even be grateful. Maybe knowing that he was with someone else would keep this unrealistic, unhealthy pull she felt towards him at bay. Maybe in time she’d even stop fantasizing about him kissing her, holding her, making love to her. Maybe the next time she saw him this crazy sexual tension that seemed to fill the air whenever they were together would be gone.
Still, the mantra didn’t help. For some inexplicable reason, she suddenly felt a little depressed - as if she’d just lost something very precious to her, something that could have been wonderful.**
“I also remember seeing you dancing with Mayson a day or so later.”
“I saw you at that dance, too. I wanted to ask you. I just didn’t know how.”
She reached up, running the back of her fingers across his cheek. “It’s just as well that you didn’t. But when I saw you dancing with Mayson... I knew that it was over. You looked so happy.”
Clark sighed. “Sometimes looks can be deceiving. So... are you ready to go?”
“Yeah, let’s go take a look at this new apartment of mine. I wonder why I moved?”
* * * * * * * * *
The elevator trip up to the apartment had Lois and Clark looking at each other in disbelief. Did she really live there? And why had she moved? What if she opened the door to her apartment to find a husband waiting there? How would she explain Clark’s presence to her husband? Or... more importantly, how would she explain her husband’s presence to Clark?
The building was old, as was the elevator. They could see the floors between the slats as they rose. When they finally arrived on her floor, she looked around, searching for the number of her apartment. As there were only two, she found it easily enough.
“Could you just take a peek inside?” she asked nervously.
He pulled his glasses down his nose and did as she instructed.
“So...?”
“I think you should see for yourself.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked nervously.
“Just that... I think you should see it for yourself.”
She stopped, grabbing his arm so that he looked over at her. “Just tell me... Is there any signs that I live with someone else?”
Clark’s forehead knitted together. “Lois, you’re not still wondering...”
“Just because I didn’t marry Lex doesn’t mean I didn’t marry someone else.” She wasn’t quite able to meet his eyes.
“Lois, there’s no sign of anyone else living in that apartment except you.”
She let out a breath of relief, finally turning her attention to the door to her apartment. Still, her hand trembled slightly as she placed the key in the lock. Then, with all the care of someone handling a dangerous snake, Lois pushed open the door. Once it was fully open, she reached inside, flicking on the light, before stepping over the threshold.
“Wow!” she breathed softly.
“Wow!” Clark recited behind her.
It took a slight push from Clark to make her step further into the room. In spite of her misgivings about the building, the inside of the apartment was remarkable. Hardwood floors covered with several throw rugs. More an open concept than her previous apartment - it took on something of the appearance of a large studio. One side had been made into a living room, with comfortable couches and chairs, which framed an electric fire place. Only one thing was odd. The wallpaper on one wall seemed to run over onto the ceiling.
“I wonder what I was thinking when I did that,” Lois said.
Intrigued, Clark walked into the living room, plopping himself down on the couch with a bounce. “Oh, yeah. Much better,” he said, giving her a quick grin.
Lois blinked. There was something about that that was so familiar. But... what?
When nothing came, she continued to look around the apartment. In one corner was a kitchen nook, and the final space appeared to have been made into an office with... She stepped closer. ...a large punching bag. She tapped the bag with her hand. It seemed in this reality, she had found it necessary to have her own punching bag - to work out her frustrations, no doubt. She suddenly had an image of herself, punching and kicking the bag with a ferocity that she hadn’t felt in years - not really since she and Clark had become friends.
Obviously, that was not the case here.
Leaving the boxing bag, she walked towards a door, through which she could see her double bed. She’d recognize that headboard anywhere. It seemed she hadn’t changed everything when she’d moved. But it wasn’t until she snuck a peek in her closet that she finally relaxed. No men’s clothing! She closed her eyes, sighing in relief.
“Hey look at this?” Clark said, bringing her back into the main room. He had pushed open two wooden doors to reveal a large balcony. Following his lead, she walked to the balcony and looked outside. It seemed the building backed onto a park which, in the dead of night, showed no signs of life. In fact, it seemed quite dark and deserted.
“Great place for covert take-offs and landings,” Clark said.
“Yeah,” Lois responded, moving to stand on the balcony. What was it about that comment that was again pulling on the edges of her memories? Unable to bring it into focus, she sighed. Walking over to the railing surrounding the balcony, she stared out into the night. Suddenly, she shivered. She felt so cold. So alone.
The voice from behind was a welcome reminder that she was not.
“Hey, how about we check out what type of music you listen to in this reality?” Clark called.
Lois looked back at Clark to see him turning on her CD player. Soft, soulful music filled the room. She didn’t recognize the song, but at the same time she did. A woman’s voice suddenly filled the air, singing the heart-wrenching lyrics.
I always needed time on my own
I never thought I'd need you there when I cry
And the days feel like years when I'm alone
And the bed where you lie is made up on your side
When you walk away I count the steps that you take
Do you see how much I need you right now
When you're gone
The pieces of my heart are missing you
When you're gone
The face I came to know is missing too
When you're gone
The words I need to hear to always get me through the day and make it ok
I miss you
I've never felt this way before
Everything that I do reminds me of you
And the clothes you left, they lie on the floor
And they smell just like you, I love the things that you do
No. Lois strode across the room, flicking off the CD with a sense of purpose that had Clark watching her, eyebrows raised. Suddenly, Lois felt a little foolish.
“Sorry, it’s just... Well, I guess I just don’t like that song very much.” She looked at the CD case that was laying next to the player. “Avril Lavigne.” She tossed the CD case aside. “Never heard of her.” Turning, she looked at Clark. “Did you find it on the player? Or did you put it on?”
“It was on when I turned on the power.”
Lois nodded slowly.
“What is it, Lois?” Clark asked.
She shook her head. “It’s weird. It’s like... I know this place. I have memories here. And at the same time, it’s completely new, completely different.”
Clark nodded, understanding what she meant. He was having some of the same feelings - as if he knew this place. On the other hand, if he had been here before, even in this reality, it was likely at best a passing knowledge. Given that, he could only imagine what it was like for her.
He began casually opening cupboards and doors, stopping for a moment when he opened the door to the closet just inside the door. He pulled out an old Smallville Sweatshirt, turning and showing it to Lois.
“Guess you’ve been here before,” Lois said half-heartedly.
“Guess so. Either that or you borrowed it for some reason.” He quickly folded the sweatshirt back up and stuck it in the closet. “So... do you want to go back...” he asked. “Maybe spend the night at my apartment.”
Lois shook her head, stepping up closer to him. “No. What I want... Clark, has it ever occurred to you that in this reality we aren’t married?”
“All the time.”
“No, I mean, have you thought about what that means?”
“What are you getting at, Lois? Are you thinking that I should go back to my apartment for the night? That we shouldn’t be sleeping together?”
“No,” she said with a slight growl in her voice as she sauntered ever closer. “That’s not what I’m thinking at all.” She slipped her arms around his neck. “I’m thinking about hot and steamy illicit sex. What are you thinking about?”
Clark gulped. “I’m thinking about pretty much the same thing,” he said. And suddenly he could think of nothing else. His lips descended on hers.
The sweet taste of his kiss had Lois feeling lightheaded. She moaned as he pulled her closer, molding her body against his. Every nerve ending in her body felt as if it were on fire.
God, had she ever wanted Clark as much as she did right now?
It seemed as if he felt the same. His hands wound their way under her shirt, one of his hands running intimately up her body. She moaned, throwing her head back to push herself further into his hand even as she trusted him to catch her. He did. His lips left hers to trail hungrily up her neck, nibbling at her earlobe before working his way back down again.
Her leg slipped around his to pull them closer together. She buried her hands in his hair, running them through the dark, thick locks. It felt good, right between her fingers.
His lips came off her throat and he pulled back far enough to look into her eyes, breathing heavily. She gasped as she looked into his eyes, so dark they could almost be black. Fire leapt from them, sending a spark down her spine to spring to life in her belly.
He turned them, pushing her against the wall. Bringing his hand up, he began to pull open the buttons on her shirt. Once it hung open, he began working his way down her body until he was kneeling in front of her. She moaned, fisting her hands back into his hair as his lips trailed across her stomach.
“I want you,” she whispered. “I want you so much it hurts.”
He was standing in front of her an instant later. His mouth returned to hers immediately, seizing it with a new hunger. Bracing himself against the wall, his body came into intimate contact with hers until she could feel every shape and curve of his body. The rippling of his muscles, the pounding of his heart, the strength of his passion. She moaned, wrapping her arms around him and snaking her hands up under his shirt, wishing she knew a way to crawl inside his skin.
A moment later, she was in his arms as he strode towards the bedroom.
* * * * * * * * *
As Lois propped herself up on one arm to look at her sleeping lover, a slow smile crept across her face. Reaching out, she ran her finger lightly over his forehead and down the ridge of his nose before tracing his cheekbones and chin. He was so beautiful. The slight crinkle around the corners of his lips told her that her activities had not gone unnoticed. However, he didn’t open his eyes. Instead, he relaxed quickly back into sleep.
As her mind relived the events of the past hour, she found herself wondering about the amount they had made love, and the intensity with which they had made love, since altering the past. Their sex life had always been good, wonderful even. In fact, Clark was the one who had taught her that making love could be as satisfying for a woman as it was for a man. Ironic when one considered that he’d been a virgin on their wedding night. Any of the other lovers she’d had, and admittedly, there hadn’t been many, had much more experience than Clark. But with Clark... he put his entire heart and soul into every touch, every kiss. When he made love to her, he really was making love to her.
But still, making love wasn’t something they did on a daily basis. Certainly not twice in one day after having made love the night before. After three plus years of marriage, their initial hunger had been somewhat satiated. Not that they loved each other less, but with their busy schedules at work and home, not to mention Superman’s schedule and Vicky’s schedule, sometimes cuddling up together in bed before getting a good night’s sleep could be more satisfying than full blown sex. Knowing that the other was always there, could always be called upon for more, was often enough.
Part of it, at least for Lois, had been the result of knowing that she was loved so completely. She didn’t need for him to touch her to feel he was making love to her these days. A loving word. The look of adoration in his eyes from across a room. Even a simple caress could leave her walking on clouds.
Not that she didn’t enjoy making love with Clark anymore. In fact, she probably enjoyed it more. Their knowledge of each other’s bodies, their comfort level in each other’s presence and the feeling of freedom to express their desires to each other - all of which could only come with years of marriage - had made their love-making all that much more fulfilling - even if it wasn’t as frequent as in the early days of their marriage.
But tonight... There had been an intensity in their love-making. A need that had just had to be filled. Why? Why even now, did she have this desire to wake him up and start all over again?
It had to be connected with these memories they were having. The feelings of frustration she’d felt in sharing her various memories, and listening to his. The desire to be with him. The knowledge that she never would. The memories were so vivid, as were the feelings that had accompanied them. For some reason, those frustrations made her need for some sort of physical demonstration that he still loved her almost a physical pain.
So... what did it all mean? She wasn’t sure. But she did wonder was how much more frustration it would take in this altered reality before something finally broke? How much more of this unresolved sexual tension could she handle before she finally gave in? And since in this reality, she knew they had not married, what would happen then?
“Hey, can’t sleep?”
She glanced up from where she was watching her hand trace abstract patterns on his chest. Love well up inside her as she looked at him.
A slow smile slid onto his face as he read something in her expression - another advantage of years of marriage. He knew what she was thinking these days almost before she did.
“Come here,” he growled softly.
She didn’t need a second invitation. This time their love-making was slow and deliberate as she explored his body with fresh eyes, as if seeing him for the first time.
* * * * * * * * *
Clark straightened out the kitchen at super speed after breakfast the following morning. When he finished, he looked at Lois who was still sitting at the table, intently studying a slightly crinkled piece of paper.
“What’s that?” he asked, coming over to join her.
Without responding, she handed him the paper, leaning back in her chair and sighing.
He looked at the paper for a moment before beginning to read. “Things I need to remember. One. Clark Kent is my husband and I love him more than I thought it possible to love anyone. Whatever happens, don’t let him get away.” He glanced up at her before looking back at the paper. “Two. We have a beautiful little girl - Vicky. She’s the light of my life. Find a way back to her.” He gestured to the paper. “Lois, what is this?”
“Things I don’t want to forget.”
“Have you? I mean, you do remember Vicky, right?” He looked slightly anxious.
She nodded. “But... what is going on here, Clark? I find myself remembering our past and... this past and... sometimes the lines seem to get a little blurry. I’m so afraid that...”
“Hey, hey, hey,” Clark responded, dropping down to a crouch next to her chair. “We will figure this out, Lois. We will get her back.”
She quickly forced back her tears. Now was not the time. There was still too much work to do. “Okay, so... Daily Planet?”
“Daily Planet,” Clark responded.
* * * * * * * * *
Going into the Daily Planet was not nearly as earth-shattering for Clark as it had been the previous day. Oh, people still fell silent as he and Lois crossed the lobby. Same was true for the newsroom. But the muttered questions were absent. It seemed word had gotten around that he was, for some unknown reason, being allowed access to the Planet.
Once back in the conference room, they got to work immediately. It seemed that, although both of them had written a story about Ryan Wiley attempting to get control of a military satellite, Lois’ story had more detail. Clark figured that made sense - since she’d had the inside story on Ryan Wiley and Molly Flynn while Clark had not.
Lois had the next story - Gangsters Rise and Fall In Metropolis.
“Wait a minute!” Clark said. “I don’t get it. If there was no Superman, how did I manage to come back from the dead?”
“Don’t you remember?” Lois asked before beginning her story.
**Lois was frustrated. All dressed up, looking ready for an evening of gambling, she’d arrived at Johnny Hairdo’s club. According to Bobby, Capone was leaning on Hairdo, demanding part of the action. The only problem was that without a password, she was having one hell of a time getting in. She’d tried every password she could think of, she’d even tried charming the doorman. Nothing had worked.
Suddenly, a car stopped outside the club and a good-looking older gentleman stepped out. Seeing her chance, she crossed the street.
“Excuse me,” she said, causing the man to turn in her direction.
He looked her up and down, seeming to like what he saw. “Yes?” he asked.
“I assume you’re going to Hairdo’s club.”
“Yes,” he said, more cautiously now.
“Well, they changed the password since the last time I was here and I was wondering...”
The man’s face lit up in a smile. “If I’d like to be your escort? Sure,” he added to her nod. A minute later, she was wandering between slot machines and crap tables.**
“Okay, we already know this part. Skip ahead to when Capone and friends made their appearance.”
Lois nodded and skipped ahead in the story.
**The door to the club burst open and Capone and friends crowded into the club, tommy guns at the ready. A short burst of gunfire filled the air. Bonnie and Clyde, who had apparently already been in the club, joined the gang.
“My apologies, ladies and gentlemen, for this little interruption,” Capone began. “I just came by to announce that Georgie Hairdo has wisely decided to retire from the hospitality business.” He took a drag on his cigar. “So from now on, this club belongs to Al Capone.”
“Hey, Al,” Dillinger said, looking directly at Lois, “how ‘bout we make this little cutey our new head hostess.”
Lois tried to ignore him, but still he stepped closer. “You know, I always was partial to a lady in red,” Dillnger said, reaching out to run his hand down her cheek.
She turned her head and used her hand to deflect his touch.
“Hey, you might want to rethink your position,” Dillinger said, reaching out and grabbing her.
“Hey!” Capone said. “Business before pleasure.”
Looking disgusted, Dillinger stepped back, releasing Lois.
“Now... I’ll be leaving my people in charge. So everyone... please enjoy the rest of your evening. Oh, and one final thing... The no-smoking rules for the club...” He took another puff on his cigar. “...consider them cancelled.”
Capone gestured to Bonnie and Clyde who immediately moved to take over management while Capone prepared to leave.
Lois turned to make her escape when she felt Dillinger’s hand on her arm, his grip painful. “Not so fast, doll. You’re coming with us.”
Lois looked around for Capone, hoping he would step in once again. But this time, he only smiled.**
“Oh, god,” Clark said. “I should have been there.”
“No, Clark. It’s not your fault. You couldn’t have known I was going to be at that club or that Dillinger was going to take a fancy to me.”
TO BE CONTINUED...
