I'm not changing my posting schedule again yet, but I did want to say that I'm already well behind in the writing schedule I set up for myself. Just feeling very over burdened with RL right now and work, which had been at a virtual stand still for months leaving me tons of time to write as I was sitting at my desk with nothing to do, is turning into a full time job again. (This is definitely a good thing since I think they pay me to work full time for a reason, but it does mean I can't use time at work to make up for lack of free time.)

If I continue to fall behind, I will likely slow down posting again – I'm thinking to once a week – which should give me plenty of time to catch up and then I can post more frequently when/if things slow down a bit. So, the next post will definitely be on Sunday, but I'll be seeing how writing goes between now and then to determine where to go from there.

A huge thank you to Kelly, Beth, and Carol for being the best betas ever!

From Chapter 11

Suddenly, Rachel looked around the room with a frown. “Sorry, I just realized this, but you rearranged things from last time, didn't you? Wait,” she said as she stood up. “Is the piano new?”

Chad smiled and explained the story behind the piano.

“Does it work now?” she asked.

“No, it's in sad shape,” Chad said. Turning to Clark he said, “Although I finally got all those parts you told me to order this morning.” He turned back to Rachel, “Clark's going to help me fix it up. I looked into doing it professionally, but it was too much.”

Rachel smiled at Clark. “He does know a bunch of useless stuff, doesn't he?” she teased.

“Hey!” Clark acted offended. “That useless info came in handy when you were trying to determine the smell from Mrs. Gerdun's furnace. And when…”

“Okay, okay,” she walked over to him, grinning. “Sometimes you can be useful to have around.”

Clark tried to look offended, but failed. Seeing how happy they looked made me feel a little sad. Clark was going to move back to Smallville. I just knew it.

Chapter 12

“What's your favorite thing to do in Metropolis?” I asked Chad as I got dressed the next morning.

“What?” he asked, laughing at me.

“Well, while you and Clark are in here fixing up the piano all day, I'm supposed to spend the day with Rachel,” I tried to explain.

“And that's a bad thing?” Chad asked. “I thought you liked Rachel.”

“I do like Rachel,” I explained. “The problem is that Rachel doesn't like Metropolis. Of course she doesn't. My hayseed of a partner is the one showing it to her. What does he know about Metropolis? He's only been here for a few months.

“On the other hand, I've lived here all my life. So I know all the best places in Metropolis,” I explained.

“Which explains why you're asking me for advice?” Chad asked.

I pouted. Why did he have to be so difficult? “It's just that… well, the stuff Clark's done sounds kind of nice,” I admitted. “And it hasn't won her over. I have to make her like Metropolis!” I insisted.

Chad came over to place his arms around me. “Or Clark may choose to move to Smallville and you'll never see him again.”

“Yeah,” I mumbled against his chest. “And Perry will order me to work with a new partner and…”

Chad laughed and tipped my head up towards his. “Clark loves it here and maybe that will be enough for Rachel, right? Don't worry so much,” he suggested as he gave me a soft kiss on the lips.

“I still want to make sure that's the case by wowing Rachel with Metropolis,” I said.

“Well,” Chad said, “We know Rachel likes to be outside. Maybe a walk over the Midvale Bridge?”

“It's cold out,” I pouted, but I knew he was right. The Midvale Bridge was really kind of fun to walk over. It offered great views of Metropolis and it was a typical suspension bridge so once you got onto the real part of the pedestrian walkway, you were surrounded by a mass of cables.

“Okay,” I said. “I guess we can take the subway down there. There's another subway entrance right on the Midvale side, right?” I asked Chad.

“I think so,” Chad shrugged, so I rummaged around my purse until I found a subway map.

“Yeah, it's on the L line, but there is one,” I said.

“Well, if you're going to end up on the L line, you could go to St. Joseph's Church,” Chad suggested. “My guess is it dwarfs any of the churches in Smallville.”

I nodded. That would be inside which would be nice after the walk over the bridge and it was beautiful. Plus, exploring a church seemed like something that someone from Smallville would enjoy. “Do you think you can get up to the top today?” I asked.

Chad nodded, “I think you can climb to the viewing tower any day but Sunday.”

“Okay. But if we're going to cross the Midvale Bridge and then climb to the viewing tower in St. Joseph's, we're going to need to do something more laid back afterwards,” I thought out loud.

“Well, if you are really trying to wow her, you could take her for afternoon tea. Although, that may be a bit high class for Rachel,” Chad thought.

“Yeah, I think so, too. Maybe if she was in England or something, but I don't imagine Rachel eating all those sandwiches with the crusts cut off. What about that crepe place in Hobbs Bay?” I asked.

“The one with the French fries in the flower pot?” Chad asked. “That sounds great and very laid back. I guess you could do that right after the church and it wouldn't be too far out of your way.”

“Right,” I said. “I also think that's better than afternoon tea as it's cheaper. I don't want her thinking Metropolis is expensive.”

Chad laughed at me again. “Honey, I don't think there's any doubt that Metropolis is going to seem expensive to someone from Smallville.”

“I know,” I mumbled just as the doorbell rang.

I ran over to answer it, happy with my new plan for showing Rachel how great Metropolis was.

“Hey,” Clark said as I opened the door.

“Hey Clark, hey Rachel,” Chad called from across the room.

Clark and Rachel walked in looking absolutely adorable in their nearly matching outfits. Both were wearing jeans that peeked out under puffy winter coats. Rachel's was black with a pink scarf around her neck. Clark's was grey with the red scarf. I was guessing that was Rachel's idea since Clark rarely wore more than a thin jacket around town even the last few weeks. On snowy days, he'd pull out a wool coat to stop the funny looks, but he clearly didn't see a need for a jacket very often.

“So, what are you two doing today?” Clark asked as he took his coat off.

“Well,” I said, looking at Rachel, “I thought you might like walking over the Midvale Bridge. It's a bit cold, but they almost always keep the pedestrian walkway clear of snow and ice. It's kind of neat to be under all the cables. Then I thought we'd go to St. Joseph's.”

“Oh, you'll like St. Joseph's,” Clark told Rachel. “The stained glass is amazing and you can climb up to this viewing tower from which you can see most of Metropolis.”

“Right,” I said “and then on the way back, I thought we'd stop for something to eat. Do you like crepes?” I asked Rachel.

Rachel's eye's lit up and I knew I had hit pay dirt. “If they're good. Maisie's Diner in Smallville makes some, but they're kind of pancake like. Not at all like the ones in France.”

“Well, I've never been to France,” I admitted, “but these are really thin. And they also make the best French fries ever.”

“They come with a whole range of dipping sauces,” Chad said and I could tell he was a little jealous that he was missing out.

“Well, it sounds great,” Rachel said and her soft twang seemed even more pronounced when she smiled.

************************

I felt myself start to relax as we walked along the Midvale Bridge. I don't think she was a big fan of the subway and that was made worse by the fact that there was some sort of parade downtown so we couldn't get a place to sit. Rachel held onto the bar for dear life, clearly afraid she was going to tip over.

She got better, though. I showed her how you have better balance if you stand with your feet shoulder length apart and by the time we got to our stop, she was only holding on with one hand.

The bridge was definitely more her style, though. Rachel was a weird combination of things and I could see why she and Clark got along so well as it was the same weird small town/cosmopolitan combination he had. She was definitely a little heavier on the small town than he was, but she had an appreciation for big cities that surprised me. I still tended to think of Rachel as a small town girl, but she was the one who had had crepes in Paris before. I've never been to France.

So, the bridge represented big city to her in a way that I never really thought of. Of course, I hadn't walked across the Midvale Bridge since I was about seventeen when Chad thought it would be a fun way to spend the day. It was much easier to get to Midvale by subway or drive and really, there were few reasons to leave Metropolis and go to Midvale anyway.

Rachel, though, was appreciating the journey. “You were right, Lois,” she said as she walked with her neck craned all the way back. “It's amazing here.”

I smiled. “Look over there,” I pointed to where the lower Metropolis skyline was. It was a clear day making the view that much better.

Rachel looked back and forth. “There are so many bridges here,” she said. It was true. There were six or seven bridges leading from Metropolis to the suburbs and four of them were within sight right now.

“It's amazing,” she said, “that enough people are here for there to be traffic with all these bridges.”

“Watch your step,” I said as I grabbed her jacket. A bicyclist had just come by going way too fast since he was in the pedestrian lane. The bicycle lanes were supposed to be in the middle, with all the cars crossing on the level below us, but to be fair, neither bicyclists nor pedestrians paid much attention.

Stepping back, Rachel smiled at me. “Thanks for doing this, Lois. I appreciate your trying to show me Metropolis' high points.”

“Yeah, well,” I blushed. “It's hardly a bad day for me.” I felt embarrassed a little that I was trying so hard. I knew I was mostly doing it so Clark could stay, and I felt a bit badly for that. I'm sure Rachel would prefer I spend my time showing Clark how dirty Metropolis was. Maybe not, though. While they clearly wished they could spend more time together, neither seemed to really want to the other to be unhappy.

“It's cold out here, though,” Rachel said, bringing me out of my thoughts. “How much further to the subway station?”

“Not too far it we walk a little faster,” I told her.

************************

“So, how does it compare to France?” I asked Rachel as she tried to spear a part of her crepe. I had ordered mine with chocolate and bananas, but Rachel had gotten one with something called Nutella in it and now I was a little jealous. She said Nutella was a common crepe filling in France, but she hadn't explained until after it came what it was. In her crepe, where it was warm, it looked like chocolate sauce, but Rachel said it was normally more paste-like and looked a bit like chocolate peanut butter and tasted like nutty chocolate. Apparently the nut was hazelnut, and when I tasted her crepe, it was delicious.

“Very similar,” she said as she reached for a fry. “And these are great.” Her French fry hung over the different dips before she decided on a spicy mayonnaise-like one.

She smiled as she saw me eying the Nutella dripping from her crepe. It was ridiculous - there was a chocolate sauce in mine, too, but I've always had a problem wanting what I can't have.

“You can have another bite,” she teased me. “And you know, you can buy Nutella in the supermarket.”

“Really?” I asked just before I jammed another bite of her crepe in my mouth.

“Sure. At least you can in Smallville, so I would think you could do so here. We could look when we're finished if you'd like,” Rachel offered.

“You just became my very best friend,” I beamed and we both laughed.

Rachel took another bite of her crepe, stealing a slice of banana from mine and looked out the window. “Clark likes it here, doesn't he?” she asked quietly when she finished chewing.

“I… um… I think so,” I said uncertainly.

Rachel smiled slightly at me. “He's good, isn't he? Too good to write for the Smallville Press.”

While I agreed with her, I wasn't sure what to say, so I didn't say anything at all.

“I mean, I've read his stuff before, obviously. I read all of his stuff. But I never know if I'm just biased or not,” she said.

“You're not,” I replied softly. “Clark's a terrific writer. Really. Perry loves him and he's a pretty picky editor.”

Rachel smiled, “I guess that's what it takes to be editor of the Daily Planet.” She ate another fry, this time in ketchup before saying, “I'm not sure what to do.”

“What do you mean?” I asked and I could feel my heartbeat pick up.

“He's happy here. I think… I don't know. I think he belongs here, but I'm not sure I do and if I quit being sheriff of Lowell County… Well, it's not exactly the type of job you can quit and come back to if things don't work out,” Rachel said.

I nodded. I had never considered that before. The situation was even more complicated than I had imagined.

“Can I tell you something?” Rachel asked and afraid to break whatever spell had her sharing secrets with me, I nodded. It didn't work, though as she seemed to come out of it anyway. “Never mind. I just think… I think Clark is special… and he has something to give to the world. I'm afraid I'm holding him back.”

“No,” I responded almost immediately. “Clark loves you.” I told her.

“I know,” Rachel said softly. “I know he does. I just… I worry that that's a mistake. I think he's meant for bigger things and he may give those up to be with me.”

************************

Rachel's mood picked up by the time we got home which was good as I was so out of my depth here. I had no idea what to tell her. I worried a little that Rachel and Clark were definitely thinking similar thoughts, but neither of them seemed to have come to terms with the need to say them to each other yet.

We came in to the sound of Clark's voice. “No, right here,” he was saying while Chad sat on the piano bench.

“What's going on?” I asked.

Chad turned to me as the worst sound ever came out of the piano. “We got it fixed so Clark is teaching me how to play.”

“Is he any good?” I asked Clark.

“You may want to invest is some earplugs for the next few weeks,” Clark smiled at me.

“What's that?” Chad asked, taking in the bag in my hand.

I pulled the jar of Nutella out of my bag and Clark groaned. “You introduced Lois to Nutella?” he asked Rachel. “I'm sorry,” he said to Chad. “This is the end of life as you know it.”

“What is it?” Chad asked.

“It's a chocolate hazelnut spread,” I said. “Wait till you taste it, honey.” I moved into the kitchen to get a spoon only to come back to find them all laughing. “What?” I asked.

“Nothing,” Chad said between laughs. “Nothing at all.”

“What?” I demanded, leveling a glare at Chad and then Clark, but they both knew me too well and ignored me. “What?” I asked Rachel. Finally, someone who didn't know me that well. She caved.

“It's just… it's just chocolate, Lois,” she laughed.

“It's not exactly like you just found the cure for cancer,” Clark added.

“Fine, then,” I said, grabbing the jar of Nutella. “No need for you to taste it,” I said, unscrewing the lid and pulling off the protective covering. “It's all for me.”

I dug my spoon inside. Rachel was right, it did have a peanut butter like consistency and it tasted even better now than in the crepe. With a glower at my husband, I moved into the kitchen to put it away.

“Wait, Lois,” Chad said, moving to stand in my way. “I'm sorry. Give me a taste.”

“Nope,” I said. “If you aren't interested, that's fine with me.”

“Please?” he asked pouting and looking absolutely adorable.

I smiled; I couldn't help it. “Here,” I said, digging the spoon in again and giving him a spoonful.

“Oh wow, this is good,” he was saying when I finished putting the Nutella away and came into the living room. “Where'd you get this?”

“At the supermarket,” Rachel said. “It's a European thing, but it's not too hard to get here.”

“Rachel said you can even get it in Smallville,” I told Chad.

“I bet she didn't say it quite like that,” Clark laughed. “Last I checked, Smallville was a small town. Not a third world country.”

“Fine!” I said.

“You should come visit some time,” Rachel said. She turned to Clark. “Are you coming home for the Wind Festival?”

“That would be perfect,” he smiled at her. “I was planning to visit then. You two should definitely come,” he told us.

“What's the Wind Festival?” I asked, although I wasn't sure why I bothered. I knew Chad would want to go if he could.

“Smallville has two major events a year,” Rachel explained. “The Corn Festival in the fall and the Wind Festival in the spring.”

“It's usually the first weekend in April,” Clark said. “Once it gets warm enough. It's sort of just a general festival with carnival games and such, but the centerpiece is a kite flying contest on the last day of the festival.”

“A kite flying contest?” Chad asked.

“Yeah,” Rachel said. “It's for the most interesting kite. The only requirement is that it has to fly.”

“Which usually leads to some attempts at cutting down competing kites,” Clark added.

“Who decides which kite is the most interesting?” I asked.

Rachel stood up a little straighter. “Well, it's a highly qualified position. It takes years of study and…”

“It's the sheriff, isn't it?” Chad asked.

“Yeah, it is,” Rachel admitted. “So maybe you'll come?”

“We'll definitely think about it,” I told her. “See how much flights are. That kind of thing.”

“Well, you could also ask Superman to take you,” Rachel said and the rest of us all seemed to hold our breath. “Just a joke, guys. Geez!”

---------------------

Bottom dweller notes:

A few things about the things Rachel and Lois did. Just so you can understand what I was thinking of a bit. The walk over the Midvale Bridge is modeled after crossing the Brooklyn Bridge in New York. I've never done it in the winter, so I was sort of guessing about how busy it would be. In the summer, it's very crowded, but with good reason – it offers impressive views of Manhattan and Brooklyn and it feels very neat to be among all the cables. Nice pic here where you can kind of see the people walking the middle on the upper level (cars below and too the side).

St. Joseph's Church was modeled after one I've been to, but I can't recall where. I want to say London, but I'm not sure that's right. I'd love to link a picture, but all I have are memories and no name. But it's a pretty simple chapel, with some pretty blue stained glass and a nice view of the city (which ever city it's in) from an observatory in the dome at the top of the chapel.

The restaurant is again from New York City, but it's been closed down. It was called Rue de Crepes.

Lastly, I'm not sure if everyone is familiar with Nutella. I'm not sure if it's all that popular outside of Europe and certainly it's not all that common the US (although you can always find it in supermarkets – at least in New York and California). If you're not familiar and are interested, here is the link to the Wikipedia site about it.