Thanks as always to the usual suspects - Alisha, Beth, Nancy and CarolynK.
Hopefully, this will give some of the answers to some of the questions you guys have been asking. If they're not answered satisfactorily, please let me know so I can adjust if needed.
Look for 49 on Wed, 50 on Friday and 51/52 next Mon/Wed. I will likely start posting Lucy's Story next week as well.
*****
Chapter 48
*****
Two hours later, Lois sank wearily on the bed. Being on her feet all night was not her idea of a good time these days. Her ankles were almost always swollen and the baby kept playing with her bladder like it was a soccer ball.
She'd had a chilling feeling most of the night – almost like she was being watched.
She was certain that Lex Luthor was the man she barely remembered from that night in Tokyo. He'd called her 'Ms. Lane' repeatedly, even after she had made a point to correct him, and he'd looked none too happy when Perry had come to her rescue.
Could he be the mystery man? The pit of her stomach seemed to disappear, leaving only a large hole there. If so, they had more to contend with than they had realized.
Where was Clark when she needed him?
She knew Asia needed him too, but right now... he was needed here.
A whooshing sound told her that her silent prayers had been answered.
"Lois?" he called.
"I'm up here." Her words were barely more than a whisper as she sank back among the pillows. Her body threatened to be overcome by exhaustion but her mind was still moving a million miles a minute. But still, she knew he had heard her.
And in a split second, he was by her side. "What is it, Lois?"
"I know who it was."
"Who what was?"
"Who drugged me. And who could be the father of this baby."
He sighed. "Lois, we've been over that. This is my baby, no matter what a DNA might say. And we still don't even know for certain that you were raped."
She sighed, closing her eyes and she sunk back even further into the pillows. "I was. I know I was. I'm even more sure now."
"How do you know?"
"It was Lex Luthor."
Clark was perplexed. "How do you know that?"
"He called me 'Ms. Lane' tonight, even after I corrected him and he told me we danced in Tokyo."
Clark slowly exhaled. "Wow. Luthor. I never would have suspected. I mean I knew he was a creep but... He could have just about any woman he wanted, why would he resort to drugs?"
"I don't know. When he said we'd met that night and we'd danced and there was just a touch of..." she searched for the right word. "...familiarity that seemed to disappear when I told him I didn't remember."
Clark settled in next to her. "How do you feel about that?"
Lois shrugged, her eyes still closed. "I don't know. Deep down, I always knew that there was something more going on. I knew that someone had..." She had a hard time saying it now that she was even more certain. "...raped me." She rolled so that she could lay her head on Clark's chest and felt his arms envelop her. "He's probably already got someone looking into how far along I am and whether or not this could be his baby. He could have a court order by tomorrow."
Clark thought for a minute. "No, he won't."
"Why not? He's got to know there is a good chance this baby is his. If not now, then soon."
"He wouldn't risk it. We can't prove in court that he drugged you, but if he comes after you with a court order, he has to know you'll go public with the drugged, rape thing. He could try to discredit you as a drug user or unfaithful, but especially with me by your side, it would have a hard time sticking and I'm sure Luthor wants to stay as far away from scandal as possible. You were vindicated before and you would be again and he knows it."
"I'm sure you're right, but I wish there was some way to know for sure..."
He pulled her closer to him. "Don't worry about it. There is no way Luthor is going to get to you or our baby."
She suddenly sat upright. "What if he tries to kidnap me or the baby, Clark?"
"I won't let him. If he tries anything, we go public. It won't be easy but there is no way the public would side with him once it came out that you believe you were drugged."
"It's not the public part I'm worried about. If he was willing to drug me to sleep with me, then who's to say he won't go around the law in other ways too?"
Clark sat up next to her, cupping her face in his hand. "Lois, I will not let him get near either of you. He can try but he doesn't know what he's up against. I'm invulnerable. He doesn't know that, but I will do whatever I have to in order to protect the two of you. Asia's on its own for now. Right now, the only place I need to be is here with the two of you."
*****
July 1990
*****
"Don't answer it," Lois whispered between kisses.
They were stretched out on the couch in their Smallville living room, having decided on the spur of the moment to spend the weekend in the country. It wasn't anything resembling a hot and heavy make-out session, but it was nice – very nice – and she really didn't want it interrupted.
"We should," Clark whispered back, one hand caressing her stomach.
Lois sighed and twisted, reaching to the coffee table for the phone.
"Fine." She pushed the 'talk' button. "Hello?" She listened for a minute, before pushing Clark away from her and struggling to sit up. "What? Jimmy, slow down."
Clark glanced at her quizzically but didn't listen in. Lois' eyes grew wide as she absorbed what her brother-in-law was saying.
She finally turned to Clark. "It's Lucy. She's been kidnapped."
"What?"
"She never came home and Jimmy found a note saying that I'd been kidnapped."
"Why would anyone think you were kidnapped?" Clark was puzzled.
"Well, I was there yesterday. I wasn't on any planes out of Metropolis. Lucy cut her hair last week and it looks like mine. It must be a case of mistaken identity. She's only about four and a half weeks ahead of me in her pregnancy so not even that would make a big difference."
"Well, let's go. Tell Jimmy we'll be there in a flash."
As soon as she hung up the phone, Clark scooped her up and in seconds they were in flight. Ten minutes later they landed in Perry's back yard.
Lois spent the flight worrying about her sister and being glad that Perry, Alice, Jimmy and Lucy were in on their little secret.
Soon they were seated in the living room. Lois sat next to Jimmy, holding his hand in comfort and support. Clark had given him one of those awkward man hugs where neither one knows exactly how to hug, but both appreciate it more than they would ever admit.
"What are we going to do?"
Perry paced around the room. "Lois, you and Clark are investigators, I was one of the best investigators in my day, so we investigate."
"Okay. Where do we start?" Lois rubbed her stomach thoughtfully. "Where was she? Where was she going? Who knew about it? Who had motive? And most importantly, who would have thought she was me and who..." She gasped as the baby kicked her, hard. "Luthor."
Perry turned. "What? Why would Luthor have Lucy? Why would he want you?"
Lois looked at Clark, who nodded almost imperceptibly.
She sighed and then stood to pace around the room. "It was in Tokyo, during the thing we went to at the Embassy. Clark had to..." she made a flying motion with her hand. "...run to China and I met Luthor. He kept referring to me as 'Ms. Lane' and then asked me to dance. I danced with him and had a hard time keeping appropriate distance between us. One of his..." she shrugged. "...minions of some sort gave each of us a drink." She took a deep breath. "We think my drink was spiked. I don't remember much of anything at all after that, not until the next morning when I had the worst headache of my life. Two weeks later, we found out I was pregnant. When I met Luthor again at the Charity Ball, he referenced that night and gave me quite the look when he realized how far along I was. That was when you asked me to dance, Perry. If you hadn't, it wouldn't have surprised me if I had disappeared that night."
Clark had stood and stopped her pacing, wrapping his arms around her as he finished the story. "You all know our story and that things were getting much better between us. We were together that night in Tokyo as well, but we had suspected that she may have been raped from the time we realized she had been drugged. Once Luthor started looking at her funny that night, we were sure."
Perry let out a whistle. "Luthor. Who would have guessed?"
"He's always given both of us the creeps," Lois told them. "Even just in interviews on television and press conferences and stuff."
"Why do you think he'd want to kidnap you though? Wouldn't it be better for him to just pretend it never happened?" Alice asked. "If you can't identify him..."
Lois shrugged. "Maybe he doesn't like the idea of someone else raising his child and he thinks this could be his child so..." She sighed. "He wouldn't go the legal route because then it would all come out that I was drugged and everything else and he certainly wouldn't come off looking very good at all. Even if he did claim that he had no idea I was drugged and just came on to him, it could be a PR nightmare."
"But how does this get us any closer to finding my wife and baby?" Jimmy asked hoarsely.
"Well, we have a suspect now, son," Perry told him. "That gives us somewhere to start. The Planet cameras have got something – the tech guys are going over them now and Henderson should be over there soon."
Jimmy stood up and started pacing around the room. "I can't just sit here. I have to be looking for her. I have to find her. She has to be okay," he whispered. "I don't think I can live without..."
"Now, none of that kind of talk, Jim," Perry practically bellowed. "We'll find her." They could practically see the light bulb go on in his head before he spoke again. "I have an idea. Clark, it's going to be dark soon, could you put on some dark clothes and fly around the city? See if you can find her and then go in real quick and snatch her out?"
Clark nodded slowly. "I could certainly try to find her. And maybe I could grab her, but the real quick part..." He made a shrugging motion. "I'm not sure that's the best idea given her pregnancy. I don't know how going as fast as I might need to would affect the baby or her." He glanced at his blue jeans and light colored T-shirt before he headed towards the door. "I'll go home and get some more appropriate clothes and I'll be right back. I'll go look for her and when I find her, we'll go from there." In a flash, he was out the door.
Lois started to pace again. "And what if she's in a place where he can't do that without risking his identity? Don't get me wrong, Jimmy, I want her found as much as you do, and if he can't get to her any other way or the cops can't get to her or whatever, that's the most important thing, but if he can do it without anyone knowing who he is, that would be better."
"What about a disguise?"
It was Alice who had spoken.
Lois stopped and turned to look at her. "What do you mean – a disguise?"
Alice shrugged. "Like a comic book super hero. Some tights, a cape – he'll fly around and save people in his spare time. Does he have anything from his home planet? Anything his parents might have sent with him that we might use as a starting point?"
Lois nodded slowly. "His space craft has a crest of some kind on it. He also has a blanket with the same crest as well as a shield of sorts with it on there. The holograms of his parents have them wearing it too. The blanket is kind of an electric blue and the shield is red and yellow."
Alice nodded. "That sounds great. I'll talk to him about it and start on a costume for him as soon as we find Lucy."
"Why not start on it now, Darlin'?" Perry asked. "Rescuing Lucy can be his first official super hero act."
Alice nodded. "As soon as he gets back, I'll measure him. By then it'll be dark enough for him to go out. Maybe we could catch him at the townhouse and have him bring the blanket and shield back..."
She was interrupted by a whooshing sound as Clark, now clad in dark clothes, reentered the house.
"Bring what back with me?"
Alice and Lois quickly outlined their plan.
Clark nodded slowly. "That just might work, long term at least. Not for this first search for Lucy – it won't be ready in time. I'll go to Colorado real quick and get the blanket and the shield and be back in a flash. When I get back, it'll be dark enough for me to start looking for Lucy." With another whoosh, he was gone.
Alice busied herself getting the tape measure and other sewing paraphernalia, including an embroidery machine, out while he was gone. Lois collapsed into one of the oversized chairs. The adrenaline gone, she was worn out. Perry and Jimmy broke out a map of Metropolis and began marking possible locations for Clark to check out once he returned.
In mere moments, he was back. "These were in the space craft with me." He reverently held out the electric blue baby blanket and yellow and red shield, both with the stylized "S" on them.
Alice took them gently. "I'll take good care of them." Grabbing her tape measure, she quickly took his measurements. She glanced at the window. "Do you think it's dark enough yet?"
Clark glanced at Lois who, unbelievably, had fallen asleep on the chair.
Perry covered her with a blanket. "Okay, Clark, it's time. We're going to head downtown and we'll be at the Daily Planet. Please, let us know as soon as you find something."
Clark nodded his assent and then took off out the back door.
Jimmy shook his head. "I'll never get used to him doing that." He ran a hand over his tired face. "I just hope he can find my wife." His voice broke as he spoke.
Perry clapped him on the shoulder and steered him towards the door. "He will and we'll be waiting for him when he does." He blew a kiss in Alice's direction. "Keep workin', Darlin'. We'll call as soon as we have news."
The closing of the door woke Lois up. "What? Where did everyone go?" She noticed it was dark out the window. "Where's Clark? Did he find Lucy?"
Alice shook her head. "He just left a few minutes ago. I'm going to go to the fabric store. Why don't you come with me and help me pick out what we need."
Lois nodded and struggled to pull herself out of the chair. Once she was standing, she grabbed her purse. "Let's go."
*****
"What do you think about this?" Alice held up electric blue speed skating suit. "It's about the same color as that blanket."
Lois nodded. "I like it. This was a smart idea – using a speed skating suit for this first outfit. It'll be done a lot faster that way."
They walked to the front of the store and purchased two of the suits and a couple of bright red Speedos – Lois wasn't quite sure what those were for – then headed to the fabric store around the corner.
"What about a cape?" Lois said after they entered the store. She held up a brilliant red. "I think this would look great while he's flying and it matches the shield."
They spoke in hushed tones. The store wasn't busy in the least, but they still didn't want to risk being overheard. They made their choices and then picked up about ten other fabrics as well, so that when the new super hero made his debut, they hopefully wouldn't be associated with the purchase of the fabrics that made up his new costume.
An hour after they left, they returned to the home of Perry and Alice White. The phone was ringing as they walked in the door. "Hello?" Alice answered breathlessly as she picked up the phone, having run across the room to get to it.
"Alice, darlin', it's me. How's that costume coming?"
"We just got back, Perry. I'm starting on it now." She and Lois had been unpacking the bag with the appropriate material as soon as they walked in the door. The rest of the bags had been left in the car, unnecessary for their current project.
They spoke for a few more minutes and then Alice hung up. She pulled out the Halloween super hero pattern they had purchased to go with the assortment of fabrics. "Let's get working on this."
"I know nothing about sewing, Alice. I told you that."
Alice smiled. "I know, but for starters, you can unfold the material. Can you iron?"
Lois laughed wryly. "Probably well enough for what we need. Where do you keep the iron and ironing board?"
Alice pointed her in the right direction and soon Lois had the bright red silk spread over the ironing board while Alice started the embroidery machine to make a couple more shields – one identical to the first and one in gold.
An hour later, the cape was stitched together with wide bands that would fit underneath the suit itself. It probably wasn't the best way to do it, but more custom made pieces could wait until they had more time.
Lois began to iron the gold version of the symbol of the House of El onto the back of the cape, grateful that Alice was a skilled seamstress and had the equipment to do these things with. Alice's hands flew as the fabric sped through the machine sewing a copy of the original symbol on the front of the suit. Lois had also managed to boil some calf length leather boots in red dye.
As they worked, they continued to discuss options. They decided a mask was out because it would look like he had something to hide. Lois hit on the idea of glasses. Clark could make a big show the next couple of weeks out of his eyes bothering him and then get glasses. No one would believe the new super hero was suddenly near sighted.
"Okay, I think it's just about ready. Maybe that aura of his will help it look better until I can make him a custom one soon." Alice grinned at her. "Though I will need your help with some of the measurements then."
Lois blushed. Everyone – except Dr. Friskin who was seeing Clark as well – believed that since Lois was pregnant, that part of their life was fully resolved. They'd told them more, earlier in the evening, than they had since that night.
Clark chose that moment to land, walking swiftly through the back door. "I found her, but there is no way I can get to her without raising all kinds of suspicions. I don't think she's in any danger at the moment, but I want to get back there as soon as I can. Is that costume about ready?"
Alice nodded and handed it to him. "I'm going to make you a custom one later, but this one will work for now." She held up a pair of the red Speedos with a yellow leather belt. "These go on the outside."
Clark blushed. "Okay, Alice. You're the expert... I just hope this works."
Thirty seconds later, he emerged from one of the back bedrooms. "Are you sure about this? Maybe rescuing Lucy would be worth risking my true identity for because this is ridiculous."
Lois looked him up and down critically.
"I think you look great." The blue spandex fit snugly in all the right places, showing off his fabulous abdominal muscles. The red briefs she only skimmed over, but as a part of the whole, were stunning. The flowing cape looked magnificent as he walked through the room. "Really great."
"Okay, if you're sure..."
Lois walked over to him and stared. "Slick your hair back."
Clark obliged.
"What do you think, Alice?"
"I think he looks like a super hero, a super man, if you will, certainly not Clark Kent, especially if he starts wearing glasses again."
"Well, that's a relief." Clark glanced down at himself again. "I wish I had more time to argue about this, but I really have to go." He reached over and pulled Lois to him. He then kissed her gently. "I'll be back soon. I will get Lucy back safely."
"I know." Tears glistened in Lois' eyes. "Please be careful with her and the baby though."
"Always." With that, Clark leaned down and kissed her gently. "I love you."
She nodded. "I love you, too."
Clark took off out the door, cape billowing behind him.
*****
It was splashed across the front page of the Daily Planet.
'Superman Saves Daily Planet Employee: Superhero says he's 'here to help.''
Written under the Lane and Kent byline, the new superhero was introduced to the world. Jimmy had snapped a picture of Clark, in full superhero regalia, carrying Lucy in through the window of the Daily Planet.
Once there, Jimmy had rushed with her to the hospital in the waiting ambulance, while Superman met with Inspector Henderson and other officials assembled at the Daily Planet.
Given a good once over and released, Lucy and Jimmy had opted to spend the rest of the night at Perry and Alice's house as had Lois and Clark.
Except for his new duties as Metropolis' resident superhero, Clark and the rest of the family had the next day off anyway. Perry teleconferenced with the editor on duty making sure the Superman coverage was all it should be without seeming too involved with the man himself. It was a good thing that none of them were there, because some government agents came in looking for the two of them wanting any and all information on 'the alien.' By the time the word got to Lois and Clark, the legal department had determined the warrant was bogus and the mysterious men had disappeared. Perry discovered that their leader was a man named Jason Trask, but that was all they had. That had all of them keeping an eye out for more information but none was to be had at the time.
After breakfast, they gathered in the living room where Lois was admiring the front page of the day's paper.
"What can you tell us, Luce?" Perry asked gently.
"I already told the police everything I know," she told them. "But here goes."
She told them how she'd been on her way to the car in the Daily Planet parking garage but the next thing she remembered was being in a small, dark room. She could hear voices on the other side of the door. The only names she’d heard were 'St. John' and something that sounded like ‘Jason’ but she didn't know if they had any relevance or not.
Lucy woke slowly and realized that she was in a small dark room. There was a bit of light shining under the door, enough to see that there was nothing in the room except her.
She moved slowly, laboriously to the door, praying that her baby was okay. A sharp kick to her ribs seemed to indicate that she was.
She propped herself against the door and strained to hear the voices on the other side.
"That's not Ms. Lane," came one voice she immediately labeled Goon 1.
"Well, sir, it is Ms. Lane, but apparently, the *wrong* Ms. Lane," said Goon 2 with an English accent.
The wrong Ms. Lane? They were after Lois? Why?
"Well, she needs to be taken care of. We can't allow her to be identified. Not until we have her sister in custody." Goon 1 seemed to be in charge.
"Are you certain that is a wise move, sir?"
Goon 1's voice grew slightly louder. "If she is carrying my child, she must not be allowed to raise it. I *will* *not* allow that to happen again." What? Lois was pregnant, but Clark was the father of her baby. Why on earth would someone else think he was the father of Lois' baby?
"Of course, sir. But you are nothing if not cautious. Given the protection you most certainly used in Tokyo, is it possible for her to be carrying your child?" Tokyo. Their anniversary had been in Tokyo. They hadn't elaborated at all, simply said that their anniversary had been special in more ways than one.
"Even the most effective birth control has a small failure ratio." Lucy knew her own pregnancy was proof of that. Well, that and drug interactions.
"Quite right."
"Is it possible that she knows her husband may not be the father of her child?"
"Unlikely. She was given the GHBP."
"She was?" Goon 1 sounded shocked.
"Yes, sir. You were with eight women the week you were in Tokyo. Two were given nothing. Two were given the pheromone only. Two were given GHB only. Two were given the combination. She was one of the ones given the combination. The GHB should have lowered her inhibitions as well as giving her no memory of the time after it was administered. The pheromone component should have intensified her attraction to you." Lois was drugged? That would explain it.
"She did not act attracted at all," Goon 1 told Goon 2. "I would have surmised she was one of the GHB only test subjects." And Goon 1 had raped her. That was the only conclusion Lucy could come to. Her stomach roiled at the thought and it took all her willpower not to retch. After what had happened right before graduation, this was a second blow that she didn’t know how her sister was strong enough to deal with. If they suspected... well, it would explain how long it took them to get excited about the baby and part of the reason why Lois was *so* reluctant to talk about their experiences at all. It wasn’t that Lucy wanted details or anything, but she would have figured that there would have been subtle innuendos from time to time – about not getting much sleep one night or having a great weekend. And it just wasn’t there. This would explain it.
The nausea in her gut began to still through sheer force of will.
"No, sir. She received both." Lucy turned her attention back to the door.
"You are quite certain?"
"Yes, sir."
“I gave you my list of which women I thought were given which drug. Why was I not informed which on that list were incorrect?”
“I was under the understanding that Miranda had informed you, sir.”
Goon 1 sighed. "Well, continue to develop the formula and we'll try it again soon."
"Yes, sir. There are still reports that the GHBP leaves the user with severe headaches the next day. Miranda is working on refining the formula."
"Her memory also stops before the dose was administered. What the two of you told me was that the memory would stop somewhat after the drug was ingested." What? It didn't make any sense to Lucy.
"We've been testing the new product for over a year now, sir." That confirmed that Goon 1 was in charge, if Goon 2 was calling him 'sir'. "That particular batch of GHBP had that problem with it."
"I am not going to fund this much longer. Miranda promised me a drug that would not only allow the woman to be responsive but also to remember nothing of the events. The only reason I did the tests myself in Tokyo is because you and she both assured me that the formulation was nearing perfection and that's been seven months ago now." Goon 1 sounded irritated.
"Ms. Lane's reaction – or lack of reaction – is one of the reasons why the formulation underwent such an overhaul. It will be ready for you to test again soon."
"It better be. I will not tolerate this kind of incompetence for much longer. Either get me something I can market or I will be looking for replacements for both of you," Goon 1 threatened.
"Yes, sir."
"Now, see that Mrs. Olsen is taken care of properly."
"Of course, sir."
They'd left at that point. She didn't know how long it had been, but she guessed about an hour or so but then she heard a loud banging sound and finally Clark's voice telling her to move away from the door so he could open it.
She'd obliged and squeezed her eyes shut against the light. The next thing she knew, Clark was carrying her and then setting her down in the Daily Planet newsroom.
Lois was relieved to have answers, even if it was actual confirmation of the rape. Unfortunately, the goons were gone before Clark arrived. Secreted in the thirteenth floor of Lex Towers were two small rooms accessible only through a law firm. However, that law firm was also having a big office party that night, so Clark felt unable to enter as himself. The crowd had simply stared as the brightly clad superhero strode through the offices. Caught off guard and stunned, they'd watched as he moved to the office of the most senior partner and gasped as he pulled a book out of the shelf to reveal two rooms behind the wall. Lucy was in the much smaller second room. Police had arrived on the scene shortly afterwards and it was determined that no one in the law firm knew of the existence of the secret compartment.
Since they were convinced that Goon 1 was either Luthor or one of his hired hands, the decision was made for Clark to take Lois, Jimmy and Lucy somewhere safe.
He would return to the farm with them, which was legally still listed as belonging to the estate of his parents, and hope that Luthor wouldn’t make the connection.
Lois hated to run. She balked at the idea. She'd taken Paul head on. Though she never conversed with him after the assault, she had been more than instrumental in the resolution. She'd taken on the VP face to face. She didn't want to run, but she admitted that she also wasn't in any shape to defend herself – and the baby – if the need arose.
And so, she found herself trying not to go crazy on an enforced leave of absence from the paper while sitting in a farmhouse in Smallville, Kansas.
*****
TBC
Well, I'm sure not all of you will be happy with the answers, but are they at least satisfactory in the sense that the questions are answered, even if the answers aren't what you were hoping for?
