As always, thank you to Beth, Carol, and Mark for their help in kicking this into shape.
In an effort to make up the posts I missed, I'll be using the following posting schedule for the next week to catch up:
- Chapter 24 to be posted on Wednesday, 10/1
- Chapter 25 to be posted on Friday, 10/3
- Chapter 26 to be posted on Sunday, 10/5
- Chapter 27 to be posted on Tuesday, 10/7 (this should be on Wednesday, but as I won't be online Wednesday or Thursday of next week, I'm pushing it up a day)
- Chapter 28 to be posted on Saturday, 10/11 (and then back to the every three day schedule, at least for now)
From Chapter 22
Superman had flown back to Metropolis a few moments later. Or at least that was the story he had told them, not wanting anyone who did not already know to find out he had lost his powers. In reality, he was walking around the Kent's fields waiting for his powers to return. Or at least for Lois to head upstairs so he could go inside.
He did not think Clark would be urging her there, though. Through the window of the farmhouse, he could see the two sitting close together on the couch in the family room and every few seconds, Lois would reach out to touch Clark, presumably to reassure herself that he was okay. Really, things had worked out about as well as he could have expected here. Even if he was less immune to the kryptonite than he had expected, they had overpowered Trask and Lois seemed more than a little happy to find out Clark was okay.
Chapter 23
“Thank you,” Clark said as he walked into Superman's room once he finished unpacking.
“For what?” Superman asked, looking up at him.
“For coming to Smallville. Obviously that was a departure from the timeline,” Clark pointed out.
Superman gave a wry smile. “Yeah, I still think I need to try to stick to the timeline as much as possible, and Herb confirmed that, but I have to admit it's hard sometimes. Anyway, I'm sorry I wasn't more help. I really thought I wouldn't be that affected by the kryptonite. But I had forgotten how big that piece was.”
Clark shrugged. “I'm just glad you came.”
“No problem, Clark. Really. I wish I could have gone for you, to save you from that, but Herb made it clear I shouldn't. Besides, then you wouldn't have had a chance to bond with Lois.”
Clark flushed before he asked, “So what was it like? In your universe, where there was no other Kryptonian to help, what happened?”
Superman shrugged, “In reality, it wasn't all that different. As you can guess,” he smiled, “Trask did not kill me. And just like here, Rachel shot him instead.”
“Did uh… did Lois run into your arms?” Clark asked, flushing again as he recalled one of the better parts of this trip home.
Superman smiled. “Yes, and it made my day, too.” He grimaced a bit. “I'm sorry she kind of broke away from you abruptly.”
Clark smiled. “No problem. You didn't do that. Besides, she came to me first. That has to count for something, right?”
Superman smiled back warmly. “I'd guess it counts for an awful lot, actually.”
***********************
“How was your trip?” Lex asked Lois as he walked her to the limo.
“It was good,” Lois said, feeling her pulse racing just slightly thinking about her time in Smallville. The trip had been different than she had expected. More fun. She had fully expected Smallville to equal Dullsville, but it hadn't. She came home feeling more like she had been on vacation than working, as long as she blocked out the moment when Trask had his gun trained on Clark.
“And Trask is gone?” Lex asked.
Lois flushed with pleasure. She had told Lex she had gone to Smallville, but she had said little about what she had been doing there. He must have read her article. Her article! The third richest man in the world had read it! “Yes, Trask is dead,” Lois said. “I'd like to say I'm sorry, but…”
“He sounds like a madman,” Lex concurred with her thought as he reached his hand out for hers. “I'm just glad you're safe,” he said, his voice dropping to a softer tone.
Lois shifted a bit on the bench seat in the limo. Lex was acting a bit… possessive tonight. This was their first date really, since she did not count that dinner when she was trying to get an interview; she wished he would take things slower.
Lex stayed where he was, watching her carefully. Finally, he seemed to make up his mind about something and relaxed. “So, are you excited?” he asked her.
“About what?” Lois asked.
“Tonight. The chef at The Cochon Savoureux is the best in all of New York,” Lex informed her. “And we'll have the restaurant all to ourselves.”
“We will?” Lois asked, surprised. When Lex had told her they were going to New York for dinner, she had been surprised, but she had not expected to have a table at a private restaurant.
“Chef Bernard owes me a favor. This is his way of repaying,” Lex said, a strange tone to his voice. When Lois squinted at him to see better in the dim light of the limo, though, his face was placid.
***********************
“The food is delicious, Lex,” Lois said as she wiped her mouth on her napkin.
Lex smiled, “Well, don't stuff yourself. I know you said you don't eat dessert, but Chef Bernard makes a wonderful chocolate mousse.”
Lois promptly put her fork down. “Well, then, I'm done. Chocolate mousse is my favorite.”
Lex smiled at her and snapped his fingers to summon the waiter. Within seconds their plates were cleared and the room was quiet for a few seconds. Lois played nervously with her wineglass. She glanced outside the window. This part of New York was quiet, which was surprising since it was only about nine o'clock.
“It's peaceful, isn't it?” Lex asked her as he followed the line of her gaze.
Lois nodded, then bringing herself back to the man beside her, asked, “Do you come here often? I mean, travel to New York for dinner?”
Lex laughed. “No. Chef Andre leaves me no reason to wander the globe looking for good food. Still, I come to New York often for business. I keep an apartment here for sudden trips. It's in this neighborhood.”
Lois nodded as the waiter placed a small glass dish of chocolate mousse in front of her. She waited until Lex had a serving in front of him to pick up her spoon.
“Mmmm…” she murmured as she swallowed. “You weren't kidding.”
Lex smiled as he watched her, picking up his own spoon leisurely.
A few moments later, Lois looked down at her glass bowl appalled. “I hadn't meant to eat all of it,” she said.
“You enjoyed it,” Lex stated, smiling. “You need to let yourself live a little.”
Lois smiled, “I'm having dinner in New York. That's not living?”
“Fair enough,” Lex said as he pushed away from the table. “Care to take a walk?”
Lois looked at him surprised. “But it's so quiet out,” she said, thinking that quiet areas of Metropolis were not normally all that safe.
“We'll be safe,” Lex assured her.
Lois gave a little shrug and was pleased when she saw Lex watch her bare shoulder as it rose and fell. “Okay.”
Lex took her arm and led her out the door, turning her towards the right.
They walked in silence for a few moments, before Lex stopped under a streetlamp and kissed her. Lois was stunned at first, although not sure why, but at Lex' urging lips, she responded. She felt his arms go around her tightly, but hers lay at her sides. Something about this felt wrong.
“My apartment is on the next block,” Lex said, his voice husky and his mouth against her neck.
Lois took a step back. “Not tonight, Lex. It's late and we still need to fly back to Metropolis.”
For a moment, Lois thought Lex looked angry, but the look passed and Lex smiled at her. “Of course,” he said as he took her arm and led her back to the waiting limo.
***********************
Lois locked the door behind her, leaning against it heavily. That had been a bit weird. Despite his agreeing with her decision to go home tonight, Lex had seemed annoyed with her the entire way home. His tone when he spoke to her was short and clipped and midway through the flight, he picked up his phone and called someone else only to stay on the phone for quite awhile discussing business.
Lois had not particularly cared. If that was the sort of man Lex Luthor was, she wanted no part of him, even if he was the third richest man in the world.
If that behavior was not weird enough, though, just before they had landed, Lex hung up the phone and placed a hand on Lois' knee. “I'm sorry, my dear, my behavior is inexcusable,” Lex said, moving to sit nearer to her.
Lois had shaken her head, meaning to tell him it was not a problem, because what else could she tell him, but he cut off her words, moving even closer. “A man in my position is used to getting what he wants, Lois. I'm not used to people telling me no.”
Lois felt like her skin was crawling and started to back away, but Lex placed an arm around her back, holding her lightly in place. “I'm sorry that I reacted badly when you decided not to spend the evening with me in New York. You are a challenge, Lois Lane,” he said, his hold on her loosening.
Lois had relaxed slightly. Maybe she misread the signals. He was as perfectly charming as ever, she had just imagined the tone to his voice telling her that he was used to getting what he wanted.
Once back in Metropolis, Lex had taken her home and walked her to her door. His goodnight kiss was lingering but not demanding. It was perfect really. So, why did Lois still feel a bit uneasy when she thought about that moment on the plane?
Lois shook her head. It was late. Even on Lex' private jet, a flight to New York was over an hour. It was at least midnight by now. She was probably just not thinking clearly. The third richest man in the world had asked her to dinner, he had read her article, and he had made it more than a little clear that he found her attractive. What was it she was complaining about? A good night's sleep would go a long way towards clearing her mind, she was sure. At least tomorrow was Sunday and she could sleep in.
***********************
Clark was lying on the towel, trying to not to get sand stuck to his skin. He was not a beach person. Lois was not a beach person. What were they doing at the beach?
“Dad, look!” cried the voice of seven year old Jory.
Clark looked up from his towel to the sand castle his son was building. At the beaming face of his son, Clark felt helpless to do anything but smile back. Okay, maybe it was okay to spend the day at the beach.
“It looks great, Jor,” Clark called. “Are you sure you don't want help?”
Jory shook his head vehemently. “No adults. We have it,” he said as Emily came back from her trip to the water with a pail full of mud.
Clark smiled at them and then turned to Lois to include her in the moment. She was lying down, though, her eyes closed and her left hand rhythmically waving a piece of paper in front of her face as a fan. Clark looked around and seeing that no one was watching them, blew a burst of cold air his wife's way.
She turned to him, opening one eye. “Thanks,” she said. Clark smiled at her in response.
“Do you remember the heat wave?” Lois asked.
“The heat wave?”
“Remember. Your first year in Metropolis, we had this massive heat wave. It was over a hundred degrees in November.”
“Oh, that heat wave,” Clark said, his voice a touch bitter.
Lois reached out and took his hand. “That must have been hard on you, thinking the whole town was against you.”
“They didn't mean to be,” he said, unconvincingly trying to sound like it had not bothered him. “They just wanted it to get cooler. Besides, you knew how hard it was at the time,” he said, leaning over to give her a peck on the cheek. “You were constantly trying to cheer me up. You were my staunchest supporter.”
Lois smiled self depreciatingly. “I had a crush on Superman. I was aware that you might have been having a hard time, but most of my trying to cheer you up was just to spend time with you.”
“I know,” Clark said, kissing her nose lightly, before glancing at the kids to make sure that they were still okay. “But you were still my staunchest supporter.”
“Well, maybe,” Lois said, feeling embarrassed over her actions when she had first met him.
“Without you, I would have had to leave Metropolis forever,” Clark reminded her.
Lois grabbed his hand tightly. “That's what I was thinking about.”
“Superman taking up residence in a different city?” he asked.
“No, you leaving. As Clark. Remember. You told me you had a job at the Smallville Post.”
Clark smiled, raising an eyebrow at her. “As I recall, I kissed you goodbye.”
Lois smiled back. “That's exactly what I was thinking about. It was the first time you kissed me.”
“No, it wasn't,” Clark was fast to interject. “We kissed in Trask's plane.”
“Doesn't count,” Lois replied. “That kiss was for a cover and I initiated it.”
Clark smiled. “So, you count that kiss as our first kiss?”
Lois shook her head. “No, not usually. I usually consider the one the day Mayson died to be our first kiss. But I was just remembering the other kiss, the one before you almost left Metropolis, and I remembered how I didn't fight you on it, how I kissed you back. I think I knew then that there was something between us.”
Clark looked at her skeptically. “You loved me like a brother,” he said.
“No,” Lois replied emphatically. “I wanted to love you like a brother and so when you told me you loved me, I told you I did. But if that was really how I had felt, I never would have let you kiss me that night.”
“You were probably just looking for some comfort since Superman was leaving,” Clark said. He did not sound bitter, but the remnants of his old jealousy over his alter-ego were clearly still present in this memory.
Lois sat up, “No,” she said, as she took Clark's hand tightly in hers. “That's not it. Do you know what I told Cat the next morning?”
“To put more clothes on?” Clark asked with a smile, recalling some of Cat's more memorable outfits. During the heat wave, she had worn bikinis to the office.
Lois smiled. “No, I told her that I wasn't sure who I was going to miss more. Clark or Superman.”
“Really?” Clark asked, surprised to hear this.
“It was the kiss… or rather the realization that I had enjoyed it. I didn't want you to be important to me, but I already knew that you were.”
Superman opened the window a little bit wider. The heat did not bother him, but the stifling air was a little uncomfortable. The heat wave had started yesterday and today had been even hotter.
The easiest way to deal with this would be to just disable Luthor's power plant now, but of course, he could not do that. He could leave Metropolis immediately after the Superman theory came out and prove it incorrect quickly, though, but he was not sure he should do that. Herb had said he should try to follow the timeline he knew.
The bigger issue was that his leaving did not necessitate Clark's leaving, and Superman thought that perhaps Clark needed to leave. Well, he needed to say goodbye to Lois and he was not going to do that if he did not leave.
Lois and Clark had seemed very close in Smallville, but Clark said that since Lois' date with Luthor last week, he felt like he had lost some ground with her. Maybe Clark's leaving was what they needed to get it back.
***********************
Clark sat at his desk, listening to the talk around him. Was it true? Could it be true? If Superman were responsible for the heat wave, wouldn't he have told him? If Superman were responsible for the heat wave, should he ever become Superman himself? Was it just always summer in the other Superman's universe? Had people just agreed to put up with the heat in order to have super-help?
Clark shook his head, trying to clear it of all the confusing thoughts. There had to be a reasonable answer. Would Superman be willing to tell him, or would he have to wait to see what happened?
“Clark, tell him!” Lois demanded, bringing him out of his thoughts.
Clark looked up, confused. “Tell whom what, Lois?” he asked.
Lois sighed, “Tell Perry we can't print this half baked idea that Superman is responsible for the heat wave.”
Clark shrugged. “Like you said, the public has a right to know, Lois. We don't know how Superman gets his powers. Maybe it's true.”
The phone rang and Perry moved to pick it up as Lois moved closer to Clark.
“What's with you?” she asked him.
“What?”
“You are the one who said that some things have to come before the news. Not publishing libel about your roommate doesn't count? I thought Superman was your friend, Clark!” Lois demanded hotly.
“It's not libel, Lois,” Clark said. “We don't have to say he's causing it. Just that it's a theory. This isn't the same thing as with your dad anyway. It's not going to hurt Superman.”
“It's not?” Lois asked. “You don't think it will hurt him to read a story by his closest friend saying he's responsible for this heat?”
Clark sighed. “I think it may hurt him that people think that, but they do whether we print something about it or not.”
“Clark,” Lois started, but Perry, who was off the phone, cut her off.
“Lois, Clark,” he called out. “I want the article on this Superman thing on my desk in an hour.”
