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Trusting Me, Trusting You 4: Highway


~~ Wednesday ~~

Lois Lane stared out of the window of her apartment.

The world was dark. Quiet. Safe.

He'd done it. Clark had pushed the asteroid far enough off its path that the earth was free to continue its orbit as if nothing had ever threatened it.

Free to continue to nurture human life.

But at what cost?

Clark.

Lois's tears rose again.

She had waited long hours at the EPRAD base as the scientists had worked frantically to locate Clark on their radars or re-establish contact with him.

There had been nothing.

The impact had happened.

The asteroid had been deflected.

Clark had disappeared.

It had been after midnight when Daniel Scardino had suggested that Lois stay the night in his spare room.

Evan Shadbolt had said that he could move Layla in with Abi, and Lois could have Layla's room.

Both men - and Menzies, too - had cast aside the euphoria and relief they must be feeling for themselves and their families and shown genuine concern. Concern for her, concern for Clark.

Had Lois sensed even the slightest hint that, being alien, Clark's life didn't matter too much, she would have torn them to shreds - verbally. And probably made a decent attempt, physically, as well.

But they had been kindness itself - ensuring she was never alone and bringing her regular updates of the outer-space search for the earth's hero.

Every atom in Lois's mind and body had yearned for Clark. And if she couldn't have him, she wanted to be alone.

So she had declined their offers and demanded to go home. They had resisted; Lois had snapped. Not even Menzies had been able to stand against her fear-driven fury. Eventually, Daniel had agreed to drive her to her apartment. When they'd arrived, she'd ordered him to leave. He'd hesitated. She'd pleaded exhaustion, and he'd gone, reiterating that a team of scientists would continue to work through the night and promising to contact her if there were any news.

As soon as Daniel had left, Lois had thrown open her window. If Clark was out there, he would find a way back to her. He would.

He would.

Tightly bound in a blanket, she'd stood there and cried until her eyes felt raw and her throat chafed.

She needed Clark.

She couldn't live without him.

The night crawled on - hour after desolate hour - and Lois continued her vigil at the window. She took Clark's watch from her bag and held it against her cheek, listening as it marked the passing of time and wishing it was Clark's heartbeat.

She took out his wallet and brought it to her nose. It still smelled of new leather - she couldn't detect a trace of Clark. She opened it and found the folded piece of paper on which he had written his poem.

She read it slowly - a tear-hampered journey that elicited the entire spectrum of emotions. Upon reaching the final line, she stopped for a moment and sucked in a shuddery breath.

Hope is beautiful - and her name is Lois.

Honour is captivating, she thought. And his name is Clark.

After folding the paper carefully, she replaced it in his wallet and opened the folder Daniel had given her. For the first time, Clark had an official, irrefutable identity as a citizen of Planet Earth.

Lois stared at the marriage certificate for a long time.

Legally, she and Clark were married.

A wedded couple. A week into their honeymoon.

Honeymooners who had never even kissed.

She longed for the safety of his arms.

She ached for the comfort of his chest.

She yearned for the reassurance of his voice.

"Clark," she muttered.

In her mind, she could hear his reply. "If you want me, you just have to say my name. I'll hear you."

"Clark," she cried. "I want you."

She held her breath and strained her ears.

Nothing.

Just the muted sounds of a city in slumber.

Not the greeting of a man coming home to the woman he loved.

She looked out into the chilly darkness.

Nothing.

Just the glimmering lights of a city cloaked with the night.

Not the smile of a man returning to the woman who needed him.

Clark.

Please come back to me.

Please.

I can't live without you.

I don't want to live without you.

||_||

A loud knock awakened Lois.

She lifted her head, groaning as pain speared through the stiffness of her neck and shoulders.

The knock sounded again, and Lois hauled her brittle body from where she had fallen asleep under the window. She pulled the blanket tighter and shuffled to the door. She looked through the peephole and blinked.

*Longford*?

Lois opened the door. "Longford," she said, not even attempting to hide her bewilderment. "What are you doing here?"

He smiled, looking just a bit flustered. "I got a call from Mr Scardino. He said he wanted me to pick you up from here and take you to the EPRAD base."

Lois lunged forward and grabbed Longford's arm. "Scardino? What else did he say? What does he want?"

"I don't know anything else," Longford said. "I'm retired from the job now."

This *had* to be about Clark. Daniel had to know something. Something too confidential to risk telling her on the phone, even on the agency cell.

She had to get back to the base.

"I suppose you heard about the asteroid?" Lois asked Longford, leaving her door open and hustling across the room to pick up her bag.

"Yeah." Longford paused. "I'm guessing ..."

"We can't talk about it here," Lois said as she threw the blanket into her bedroom. She exited her apartment and locked the door. "Let's go."

||_||

Three hundred yards from the EPRAD base, their progress was halted by a mass of haphazardly parked cars and a phalanx of milling people.

One word reverberated across the throng: Superman!

What had they heard? Was it a rumour? Had somebody actually seen Clark?

Lois gazed ahead to the fortress-like brownstone wall and imposing wrought-iron gates standing firm and impenetrable against the pulsating mob.

How was she going to get into the base? If she called Daniel and he sent out a security guard to escort her past the wall, hundreds of people were going to witness her being given preferential treatment.

Longford reached across Lois and opened the glove compartment. He took out a vermillion hat - a faux-fur monstrosity adorned with a pink and white polka dot ribbon that reminded Lois of her grandmother. "Put this on," Longford said, handing her the rather crumpled headpiece.

Lois searched through her bag for the black wig, only to remember that she had left in the room last night.

"Put it on," Longford said. He reached down and began undoing his shoelaces.

Lois gathered up her uncombed hair, bunched it on top of her head, and shoved the hat over it, pulling the brim as far down her face as she could. She turned back to Longford and gasped. His feet - one metal, one hairy and pale-fleshed - were bare, and the legs of his slacks were bunched at half-shin level.

"W...what are you doing?" Lois asked.

"Facilitating safe passage," he said cheerfully. "When people see someone with a disability, they tend to move out of the way more easily. With you in that hat and me looking like one-legged tramp, we'll be passed over as the jetsam of a grateful society come to pay our respects. And because of the prosthesis, no one will be looking at our faces."

"We won't be so easily overlooked when we get to the gates and they let us in," Lois said dryly.

"There's a concealed entrance," Longford said. "Mr Scardino told me to go about eighty yards to the left of the main gates. Perhaps he knows about this commotion."

"I wonder if he knows it's this bad," Lois said.

"The media are here," Longford said, gesturing out of the car window. "This whole drama is probably playing out live on early morning television."

"Probably? You didn't see any reports?"

"No. But my mother called. Someone is relishing his five minutes of fame by claiming he saw the alien fly into the EPRAD base."

Fly? For a fleeting second, Lois's hopes soared - until she realised that if Clark could fly, he would have located her heartbeat and gone to her apartment.

She sighed, reflecting that she had been out of the city for too long. *Of course* the media would be here. Of course everyone would be agog for news of the alien. Or course it would be a hotbed of hearsay and rumour.

"Once we're out of the car, hang onto my arm," Longford said. "And whatever happens, don't let go."

"OK. Thanks."

"You're welcome, Ms Lane."

"My name is 'Lois'."

He smiled. "And I'm 'Bill'."

"Bill," Lois said. "Whatever you know ..."

"I know nothing," he said. "I signed a contract to say so. Ready?"

They opened the doors, closed them, and met at the front of the vehicle. Longford offered her his arm, Lois grasped it with both hands, and they entered the frothing multitude.

Somewhat to her surprise, Longford's prediction proved accurate. People *did* give ground - perhaps in response to his accentuated limp and occasional gruff admonition to "Watch out for me leg."

As they shuffled forward, Lois tried to shut out the loud conjecture, but it was impossible to ignore.

"Superman exploded, you know."

"No, he didn't. I heard that they found him."

"They found *bits* of him."

"Superman was brought here. That's what they said on LNN."

"I hope he's all right. We owe him our lives."

"Shouldn't they have taken him to a hospital?"

"What could a hospital do? He's an alien."

"The finest doctors in the country should be here. He deserves the best we have."

"I heard he's dead. They brought his body here for testing."

"I know for a fact that he was wearing a toupee at the press conference. That's why he didn't look anything like the picture in the paper ..."

Bill Longford leant closer to Lois. "Don't listen to them," he said. "There has been no official announcement. All they have is guesswork."

They had been steadily slewing left, and eventually, the crowd thinned. They broke from its grasp and headed for the high brownstone wall, Lois straining forward with sharp, agitated steps, and Longford inhibiting her progress to an excruciatingly slow shuffle.

"Don't look back," he murmured. "Don't give them anything to look at."

Five minutes later, they reached a thick wooden gate that was painted to blend seamlessly with the wall. Lois reached into her bag for her cell, but before she could dial, the gate opened, and they were summoned forward by Evan Shadbolt. "Thanks, Longford," he said. "Scardino says you should stay here and have some breakfast until the crowds disperse a bit."

"OK," Longford agreed easily.

Lois hurried along the wall with Evan, her questions screaming for release. When they entered the huge building, Evan turned to the trailing Longford. "Wait here," he said. "I'll be back to take you to the cafe."

Lois managed a micro-second to focus on Longford. "Thank you, Bill," she said, ripping off the hat and thrusting it into his hands.

He smiled and bent low to begin unrolling his slacks.

Evan gestured for Lois to follow him. "What happened?" she hissed as soon as they were out of Longford's hearing. "Is Clark here?"

"He's here."

Relief gushed through her. Then fear ruptured the relief. She snatched the back of Evan's black security guard jacket. "Is ... is he alive?"

"Yes."

One word.

One word, and Lois had her life back.

"Take me to him."

Evan was already striding along a corridor that Lois didn't recognise. They came to an elevator, and he punched in a security code. The doors opened, and a few seconds later, they were plunging downwards. The elevator came to a smooth stop, and the doors slid open.

Lois rushed forward, her eyes scanning for Clark.

She saw Daniel.

And Menzies.

But not Clark.

She ran to Daniel. "Where is he?" she cried. "Where's Clark?"

His hands grasped her elbows. "Lois," he said. "Clark -"

"Is he alive? Evan said he's alive. Where -"

"Lois." Daniel moved his grip to her shoulders and stared into her face. "Lois," he said. "Take a breath. Clark needs you to be calm."

"He's alive?"

"Yes, he's alive."

"Is he hurt? How could he be hurt? What did you do to him?"

"He's not hurt. Not physically."

"Then what's wrong?" she demanded.

"He doesn't remember anything."

"He doesn't remember anything about the impact? About the asteroid? He has a concussion? That's all right. We -"

"He doesn't remember *anything*."

Lois's battery of questions collapsed. "N...Nothing?"

"He doesn't remember his name," Daniel said. "He doesn't remember the asteroid. He doesn't remember one single thing about his life."

"He doesn't remember me?" Lois said as tears stung her eyes.

"He didn't ask for you."

"Did he ask for anyone?"

"No."

"But he can speak?"

"Yes."

"Take me to him," Lois said, yanking Daniel's sweater. "I want to see him now. He'll remember me when he sees me."

Menzies stepped up to them. "Ms Lane," he said. "You'll see Clark very soon, but there are a few things we need to explain first."

Her fears rose again. "What? What aren't you telling me?"

"We've told you everything," Menzies said calmly. "Clark seems physically unharmed. There are no signs of injury."

"I want to see him."

"You can see him," Daniel said. "But before you go in, we need to talk to you."

The realisation penetrated the haze of her panic-stricken mind - they really were willing to give her information about Clark. They weren't going to try to keep her away from him. She was only delaying the moment when she could be with him again. "OK," Lois said. She let go of Daniel's sweater. "OK. How did Clark get here?"

"He was found - semi-conscious - by an early-morning jogger."

"But he's conscious now?"

"Come and see him," Daniel said as he began to walk across the room towards a large window.

Lois rushed to the glass.

And saw Clark.

He was wearing an old pair of sweatpants, a frayed tee shirt that was several sizes too small, and no shoes. He sat unmoving on the concrete, one leg arched, one straight, his wrist resting on his knee. Lois turned viciously to Daniel and grabbed hold of his sweater again. "You put him in a cell?" she cried. "How could you? How could you lock him up again? How -"

Menzies grasped her arm. "Ms Lane," he said soothingly. "Listen to me."

Lois spun from Daniel and blazed at Menzies. "Why did you lock him up?"

"The door is locked, that's true," Menzies admitted quietly. "But we told him that if he needed anything, all he had to do was knock on the window."

"It's one-way glass, isn't it?" Lois asked scornfully. "We can see him, but he can't see or hear us?"

"Yes," Menzies said. "But we didn't bring him here to capture him; we brought him here to protect him. We -"

"He's *locked* in," Lois said, fighting to keep her indignation from dissolving into hot and fiery tears.

"Ms Lane," Menzies said. "Lois. Listen to me. We got the call before dawn this morning. Clark was still wearing enough of the suit that the jogger recognised him. We were able to get a team out there before too many other people showed up at the scene."

"You said Clark was semi-conscious," Lois said. "Does anyone else know he can't remember?"

"No," Menzies replied. "He started to stir as he arrived at the base. We brought him in here and cleared out everyone except Scardino and myself - just in case Clark said something as he was regaining consciousness."

"Did he speak?"

"Not at first. He looked around, but said nothing. Scardino asked him some questions, and Clark was able to give a few answers about how he was feeling now, but nothing about anything that happened before he arrived here."

Clark would remember her. He would. "So why lock in him a cell?" Lois asked coldly.

"To protect him."

"Or to protect you," she snapped.

Menzies didn't recoil at her tone. "From what I've been told about Clark, I think he would be upset if he inadvertently hurt someone. Right now, he doesn't know how strong he is. He doesn't know how easily he could injure someone."

"You still locked him up," Lois said bitterly.

"There's a bed in the room, and we gave him clothes, food, and drink," Menzies said. He lifted his hands in exasperation. "We didn't know what else to do. We don't know enough about him. He doesn't know anything about himself."

"We thought it best to wait until you arrived," Daniel added.

"How did Clark seem when you questioned him?" Lois asked.

"He seemed dazed," Menzies said. "Unsure. Vague. Confused. But he can speak."

"What did he say?"

"He answered some of our questions. He said he wasn't hurting anywhere. He wasn't hungry. He didn't want anything. We asked if there was someone we could contact for him, and he just looked lost."

Lois swallowed down her sob. "Can I go in there now?"

"Just a few minutes more," Menzies said. "There are some things I need to tell you about what happens now."

"I'm taking him with me," Lois said with steel-like conviction. "That is what happens now."

Menzies nodded. "If Clark agrees, and if he's still showing no signs of an injury requiring medical attention, he can certainly go with you."

"Then what else do I need to know?" Lois said, trying to hide her surprise at his compliance.

"We had a doctor check him over in the first few minutes he was here," Menzies said. "But once Clark was fully conscious, we didn't want anyone else to see him. In any other circumstance, we would have brought in a counsellor or psychiatrist, but clearly, we don't want anyone asking Clark questions."

"OK," Lois said, accepting that as sounding reasonable.

"This isn't the first time I've had an agent suffering from amnesia," Menzies said. "The stresses of the job ... the dangers ... it seems to happen to us more regularly than the general public."

"So?" Lois said as her impatience rose again. She glanced over her shoulder to Clark. He hadn't moved. He was still staring blankly ahead.

"So I know a bit about what would be advised if we had consulted a professional."

"Tell me."

"It's important that Clark regain his memories gradually. It is particularly critical in this case, because some of his memories might be ... distressing."

"Are you saying I shouldn't tell him anything?"

"You should try not to fill in details," Menzies said. "He will have a lot of questions, but it's important for his recovery that the answers come in his own time."

"That isn't going to be easy when he starts floating across the room," Lois remarked. "Or sets fire to something he's staring at."

"That's why we think it is best for Clark if he's with you," Daniel said. "No one - not even Clark at this stage - knows him as well as you do."

They seemed genuine in their desire to help Clark.

Daniel continued. "This isn't going to be easy for you, Lois," he said. "To you, Clark is still the same person you knew yesterday. To him, you are someone he has never met - a stranger."

A *stranger*. Lois ferociously buried that thought. "When will he recover his memory?"

"Nothing is guaranteed," Menzies said.

So he might not remember that he loves me, Lois thought. He won't even know who I am.

"Lois," Daniel said. "You and Clark have come through some tough times. You'll come through this one."

Lois nodded woodenly as fear snaked a trail of foreboding through her insides. They would. But would they come through it together? Or apart?

"We are worried about the possibility of Clark inadvertently doing something *super* in public," Menzies said.

"You think he'll hurt someone?" Lois flared. "You think he'll turn into the monster that Trask -"

"No," Daniel said. "No. We are trying to protect Clark's wish to have a regular life. You said you wanted no link between Clark Kent and the alien."

Lois paused, realising the legitimacy of their concerns.

"You could both stay here," Menzies suggested. He raised his hand as Lois started to protest. "We feel responsible for what happened to him. We are willing to care for him here. We -"

"No," Lois said. "Clark needs to come with me."

"Do you want us to arrange a flight to Smallville for you?" Daniel asked.

"No," Lois said. "Clark can't go back to Smallville yet. The people have been wonderfully understanding, but there will be questions. Clark can't go there until he has at least some of the answers."

"How did you get to Smallville after leaving the cell?" Daniel said.

"We drove."

"Perhaps you should do that again. Perhaps repeating it will assist the return of his memories."

Lois nodded. "That's a good idea," she said, thinking of long hours in the car, and motel rooms, and eating meals, and nights ... together. "That will give Clark the time that he needs."

"What will you do about the farm?" Daniel said.

"I'll call the neighbour and ask him if he can do the chores for a few days."

"What will you tell him?"

"That we've had a lead about Clark's mom, and we had to go in case it developed into something. That's the only reason Clark would leave the farm."

"I'll call the neighbour," Daniel said. "You've got enough to think about."

"OK, thanks," Lois said, glancing to Clark again. "Anything else?"

"I really think you should both stay at the base for a while," Daniel said.

"No. I -"

"Lois," he said. "This story is going to be screaming from every newsstand. It's going to be on every television set and blaring from every radio. It's going to be the main topic of conversation in every restaurant and workplace across America. I think we should protect Clark from that. At least until we know more about his condition."

She *had* to get to Clark. "I'll see how he is and then decide what we're going to do."

Menzies stood to his full height. "You are a credit to our agency," he said gruffly. "If there is anything you or Clark need, don't hesitate to ask me."

Lois swallowed down her astonishment and stuttered her thanks.

"Once Clark has recovered, we will again look at the question of appropriate compensation," Menzies continued.

Right now, Lois didn't care a jot about compensation. She just wanted Clark. "What will you tell the public?" she asked. "There's a crowd outside the gates, waiting for news."

"We'll tell them that the alien was found unconscious this morning," Menzies said. "We'll say that he is staying here on the base while he recovers. Hopefully, that will be enough to persuade them to return to their homes."

"Your Jeep is here," Daniel said. "Whenever you're ready to leave, we'll work out a way to get you out of here without attracting a convoy of paparazzi."

Lois nodded. "I want to go to Clark now."

Menzies put a stalling hand on her shoulder. "I realise this question will probably insult you," he said. "But you're my agent, and I'm duty-bound to ask. Are you sure he won't hurt you?"

"Of course I'm sure," Lois said.

"I know he would never have hurt you before, but you need to remember that this Clark could be a different person from the one you knew. He remembers nothing - not even who he was."

"Mr Menzies," Lois said. "Seven years of torture and abuse couldn't stop Clark being Clark. This won't either."

"Are you sure?"

"He doesn't need memories to be who he is. Amnesia won't have changed his heart."

Menzies nodded. "Go to him," he said. "Stay with him as long as you want. We'll be here if you need us, but we'll give you privacy."

"Thank you."

Lois turned back to the window and looked through it. She stifled a sob. Clark looked so crushed. So lost. So alone. So exactly as he had looked in the cell.

Menzies unlocked the door, and it swung open.

Clark's head shot up at the sound.

Lois stepped into the room.

He stood to his feet.

She edged closer to him.

He watched her, eyes glued, body unmoving.

She reached him. Smiled. "Hi," she said. "I'm Lois."

His smile came, a little hesitantly, but it tugged a million memories through her heart. "Hi," he said. "I'm ..."

"You're Clark."

"They said that."

"Are you all right?" Lois asked, aching to hold him. "Do you feel OK?"

"Yeah." He scanned the room, located a chair, and positioned it near the bed. "Please sit down," he said. Anxiety distorted his expression. "You are going to stay?"

Lois nodded, fighting back her tears. "I'm going to stay for as long as you want me to."

His smile flickered again. He waited until she was seated before perching on the edge of the bed.

"You must feel so very confused," Lois said.

"Yeah," he said. "Obviously, I had some sort of life, but it's completely blank. There's nothing there. Nothing. It's all gone."

"Your life isn't gone," she said, longing to touch his hand.

"What do you know about me?" Clark asked. "Do you have a file or something? Do I have a family? Where are they? What happened that caused me to lose all of my past? Was I in an accident?" His eyes fell on the big window. "Is there a reason they locked me in here?" he asked in hushed trepidation. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No," Lois said quickly.

He stared at her as if appraising her reply. "Am I allowed to leave?"

"Yes."

Clark looked at the door. "I don't have anywhere to go," he said plaintively.

"Yes, you do," Lois said.

"Where?"

"We think you should come with me," she said. "Would that be all right with you?"

"Is that what you want?" he asked dubiously.

More than anything in the world. "Yes," Lois said.

"Where will we go?" he asked.

"To your home."

His eyes shot into hers. "You know my home?"

"Yes."

"Is someone there waiting for me? My parents, perhaps? Siblings?" He ran his thumb over the place where a wedding ring would be. "No one came for me."

"I came for you."

"You don't count."

"I don't?"

"Are you a social worker?" he said glumly. "Or a psychiatrist? Or something else?"

Lois's surprise gushed out on a breath. "Is *that* what you're thinking?" she said. "That I'm here ... professionally?"

He shrugged as if it were the obvious conclusion.

Lois looked down at her sleep-tousled clothing. "Do I look like a professional?" she asked.

A gleam of amusement filtered into Clark's eyes. "Well, no," he admitted. "But I figured it's really late. Or really early." He picked at the too-small tee shirt they had given him. "Or perhaps you didn't want to make me feel even more out of place."

"Clark," Lois said. "I'm here because I know you. I'm your friend."

His mouth gaped open. Then half closed. Then stretched to a smile. "You're my friend?" he breathed. "You know me?"

Lois nodded, smothering the hot spurts of tears that were threatening to flood her eyes.

"Then tell me," he said eagerly. "Tell me who I am and how I got here. Tell me -"

"Clark, they said that the best way I can help you is by not telling you too much. We need to give your memories a chance to return by themselves."

His mouth curled to a suggestion of a smile. "I'm supposed to guess?"

Lois answered his smile. "I think you're supposed to relax and give yourself time to recover."

"And you'll stay with me? You'll help me put the pieces back together? You'll tell me if what I'm remembering is accurate?"

The urge to take him into her arms was so strong, Lois shivered. "Yes," she promised. "I'll stay with you."

"And you'll take me home?"

"Yes."

"How long will that take?"

"We're going to drive. It will take a few days."

His eyebrow lifted, and his smile rolled out. "A few days?"

"Is that all right?"

Clark nodded as he stood up. He held his hand towards her. Lois stared at it as wave after wave of memories rolled through her. She clasped his hand - dizzying at his touch - and rose to her feet.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

Lois pulled a tissue from her bag and wiped her tears away. "Yes."

Clark rested his hand lightly on her shoulder. "Sure?" he asked, his eyes vivid with unmistakable Clark Kent concern.

"I'm sure," she said. And she was. She was with Clark.

"Let's go," he said. His smile unfurled in all its brilliance. "I'm so glad you're here, Lois. Thank you for coming."