Clark and Lois - Despair to Hope – Matchmaker Chronicles Volume 4 – 04/22
By Ken Janney
This version is rated PG-13
* denotes emphasis *
< denotes thoughts >
[ playback of a recording ]/ telepathic communications /
(#) footnotes
As always comments are welcome. (ken.janney@kjanney.com)
Reminder:
Universal Locator Designation
Alpha 023 x Gamma 004 x Tau -120 - Canon Lois and Clark universe also called – Prime
Alpha 023 x Gamma 025 x Tau 036 – Canon Alt Clark universe also called – Alt 1
Disclaimers: The characters in this story are property of DC, December 3rd productions and Warner Bros. No Copyright infringement is intended. I have just borrowed the characters for a short time.
Previously –
She looked around the room and said, “Huh. Looks like a rather normal hotel room to me! I don’t see anything that speaks ‘lair’ at all. Besides, I didn’t move in with you until you had come out of the closet and revealed that you were an American. So much for the romantic Frenchman wooing me into his lair.”
Charlie laughed, “Maybe I need to work on my French accent some more.”
She laughed with him, “I think your French accent was adorable.”
“Ah, zee Mademoiselle she ees mak zee fun of moi.”
She laughed even harder, “No, not at all. I loved it. It was the French accent that actually convinced me to take you up on your offer of help with my luggage. That reminds me, when we got here, you got room 503 for me. How did you do that? I had a reservation in the name of Lane, not King.”
“I didn’t give them a name or even say that you had a reservation. I simply asked the clerk to give you the room next to me and told him to put it on my bill.”
With a shocked expression she looked at him, “You mean that you’ve been paying for my room all this time? I was planning to submit the charges on my expense account when I got back. The desk clerk probably thinks that I’m your ‘girlfriend’ if you know what I mean.”
“I never thought of that. Now that we have the rings and you have moved in, I’ll tell him that you were my fiancé and that you were living in a separate room until we were married at which time you moved in with me. It was all right and proper. You insisted on separate rooms until the wedding. Will that take care of it, you think?”
“I do think that would be better than letting him think I was a kept woman. Thank you.”
“I never wanted it to appear that way. I have the highest respect for you and I would never want anyone to think badly of you. Let’s do this. I haven’t closed out room 503 as yet. Let’s go down to the desk clerk together, we can close out that room and explain that you were in that room until we were married. Now that we are married we don’t need the extra room anymore.”
“Yeah, let’s do that. I like that idea. That should clear my reputation.”
“Please believe me that I would never knowingly do anything that would in any way damage your reputation. You mean too much to me for me to do anything like that. By doing this with the clerk it should enhance your reputation, if anything. Here is a woman whose morals are above reproach. She was engaged to be married and insisted on separate rooms until the ceremony.”
“Thank you. I know that you really don’t have to do this. You could just let everyone think what they want, but you are willing to protect my reputation and I really appreciate it. A reputation is something that is easily tarnished, but, sometimes it’s all that you have and if it’s lost it’s hard to get it back.”
“Let’s go down stairs right now and polish up your reputation until it shines like the sun.”
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End Flashback
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We did too. Of course it didn’t do my reputation any good. To the French a guy having a kept woman was a badge of honor. I didn’t care though, I wanted her reputation cleared.
Clark found that reliving these memories was comforting even while he still held her cooling body.
And now:
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Chapter 2 – More Memories
Flashback
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%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Universal Locator Designation
Alpha 023 x Gamma 025 x Tau 036
Local designation – Alt 1
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
During their time on the Ubuntu, while they were following the arms, they had had a lot of time to relax and just be together. They had established something of a routine in that each day they would anchor and while stopped swim together.
“Race you around the boat!” Lois shouted as she started out with a strong crawl stroke toward the bow. She made the turn around the bow and headed for the stern.
Charlie had been caught off guard. He could easily have used his superspeed and completed the circuit before she had gone two strokes, but where was the fun in that? So he took off with a lazy stroke. He stayed behind her admiring her form, both her swimming form and her physical form. He sped up a little because he didn’t want her to beat him too badly after all.
When they made the final turn around the stern they were neck-and-neck. He allowed her to win by a small margin. They stopped and treaded water near each other.
Clark said, "Whew, you sure can swim! I had a hard time keeping up with you!”
“I’ve always loved swimming. I thought about going out for the swimming team in high school but most of the practices conflicted with cheer leader practice and I didn’t want to give that up.”
“That was the swim team’s loss I must say.”
“I still like to swim and it helps me stay in shape. Most of the time I use my Tae Kwon Do practice and I do a lot of Stairmaster but whenever I can fit it in I go to the ‘Y’ and use the pool. I actually think that the control I have developed with the Tae Kwon Do has helped with my diving.”
“I must say that you have nice ‘form’.”
“How do you know, you haven’t seen me dive.”
“I wasn’t talking about that kind of form.”
It dawned on her just what he was saying and she responded by splashing him in the face. “So you like my form, do you? I guess that in order for you to be able to spend some time appreciating it, you expect me to take another Sun Bath.”
“I was sure hoping that you would.”
She chuckled as she said, “Well, far be it for me to disappoint my admiring public. Let’s get out and do just that.”
They both climbed back up on deck. Lois went below to her cabin and changed into the pink bikini and then grabbed her towel and lotion and reappeared on deck.
They both climbed up on the cabin roof and Charlie proceeded to apply her lotion for her. This was the first time that she allowed him to do the front of her legs and abdomen as well as her back.
Their relationship had been progressing and Charlie was happy that it had. As he was stroking her body while applying the lotion, he was still marveling at the feel of her skin under his hands, the silky smooth texture of her skin and the ever present tingle that accompanied skin to skin contact. He worshipped her body with his hands. He gently stroked her legs from her feet to her hips with slow, sensual strokes.
When he started on her abdomen he moved his hands slowly from side to side from the top of the bikini bottoms to the bottom of the bra top. She then took his hand and brought it up to the valley between her breasts and guided his hand as he applied the lotion to that area as well, brushing his hand over the inner swell of both breasts. She then guided his hands to the other side of the bra top and the outer curve of her breasts. He couldn’t believe that this was happening to him, that she was doing this, allowing him to have such intimate contact with her body.
After laying there on her back for a while she sat up and asked, “Charlie, you told me that you learned ballroom dance from a Nigerian princess. Was that all true or was that a line?”
“Every word was the truth. Okay, I’m not really from the Congo. I’m actually from Kansas, Smallville, Kansas to be exact. What I told you about traveling the world was the truth. After high school I didn’t know just what I wanted to do with my life, so I decided to travel before starting college. I would pick up odd jobs wherever I landed to pay my expenses while I was there. I was engaged as an English as a Second Language tutor to Princess Indera. Even though I was being paid by her father to instruct her we became fast friends. At one point she asked me to wait for her to grow up so that she could marry me ...”
She interrupted, “So, I have more than the twins to worry about as far as competition!”
He laughed, “You’ve got nothing to worry about. None of them present any competition to you. After all, we’re ‘married’ aren’t we?
Lois brought her left hand up and looked admiringly at the ring that she was wearing. The look on her face was one of desire, but not a sexual desire, but a desire or yearning for something she very desperately wanted. She closed her right hand over it and pulled both hands in toward her heart and with wonder in her voice said, “Yeah, I keep forgetting. Charlie, is this what married life is like, what married life with you would be like?”
Charlie had noted the fact that she wore her ring at all times. He couldn’t help but think that if all it had meant to her was a cover story that she would have removed it as soon as they had left Brazzaville and they wouldn’t be seeing the Daily Planet staff. He could barely keep the pleasure out of his voice as he replied, “I would hope so, but, who knows. Maybe it would be even better.”
She had a hopeful look on her face as she lay back down and rolled over on her stomach she said, “Untie me please.”
This wasn’t the first time he had done this for her, but, each time was a thrill and the anticipation increased his heart rate as he reached out and untied both the neck ties and the back ties. With her arms folded and her head resting on her crossed arms he had a view of the outer curve of her breasts.
He believed that she was allowing him this view deliberately. She trusted him not to take advantage of her and she was giving him a treat. He proceeded to lather up her back and her legs. He paid special attention to the soles of her feet. He had discovered that she was somewhat ticklish and while he was doing this she started giggling and kicking her feet around. He moved up to her legs stroking the length from her ankles to her hip. He started on the outer surface and moved around toward the back and then the inner. As he reached that sensitive inner area of the thigh her legs spread apart allowing him greater access and he heard her moan of pleasure and thought that there might be some desire, desire for him, mixed in with it.
When he finished he laid down on a towel next to her.
Clark said, “You don’t know just how much I like doing that for you. I love to feel your skin under my hands.”
With a very satisfied tone in her voice Lois replied, “Oh, I think I do. If it’s anything like the way I like to feel your hands on me. I love it. If I were a cat, I believe that I would be purring. I look forward to these times. It’s one of the highlights of my day! Don’t get me wrong, Charlie. I love all this time I have been having with you. It’s just that some times are more special than others. It’s all good, just some parts are better than good, they’re fantastic. This falls into the fantastic category.”
Happily, Charlie replied, “I’m glad that you feel that way. I’m really enjoying my time with you too. I just wonder how it could be better.”
In an almost pleading tone Lois said, “I don’t know how it could be. I love our time together. Promise me that when we finish this that we’ll stay together.”
With conviction in his tone Clark replied, “That is my dearest wish. After all, we *are* partners now. I want to stay with you. I promise that if we make it through this, we’ll stay together.”
Now with a bantering tone Lois replied, “You had better believe that I’m going to hold you to that.”
After a while she said, “I think I need to go in and cover up. I don’t want to burn. Can you tie me up, please?”
After Charlie tied her top back on, she pushed him down on his back and proceeded to lie on top of him, full length. Since they had just been swimming all he was wearing were his Speedo trunks. She had her arms crossed high on his chest and her face was only a few inches from his and she stared into his eyes for a time. Her almost naked breasts were pressed into his naked chest and after a while she leaned in slowly closing the distance until their lips gently came into contact. It didn’t take too long until she was kissing him with a fervor that surprised even herself. She uncrossed her arms and her hands came up and captured his face between them as the kiss deepened. As they started kissing his arms came up and around her and he held her tightly. After a time she pulled back and reluctantly said, “I guess I really do need to go below and change. I could keep this up all day, but I’d be like burnt toast.”
Equally reluctantly he released her and she got up. She picked up the towel and lotion and jumped down to the deck. She turned back to look at him and said, “I really do love our time together.”
He replied with a grin “So do I.”
She ducked below and went to her cabin to change.
The grin still on his face Charlie floated down to the deck and went forward to pull in the anchor line.
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End Flashback
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He would never be able to hold her like that again.
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Flashback
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They had been on the trail for a few days and the going had not been too terribly hard since they had been able to stay on the trail. Each night they had moved off of the main trail to camp and each afternoon when they moved off the trail to set up camp, Linda was very relieved.
They had gotten into something of a routine. First Linda would find the clearing that they would camp in and Charlie would start setting up camp while she limbered up and practiced some kata. Once the tent was up and the sleeping bags laid out Charlie would join her and she would go over the moves she had already taught him and add some new moves. She was very pleased with the progress he was making.
After spending some time at this Charlie would start the meal preparations while Linda would take care of her ‘personal business’ making sure to let Charlie know which direction she was headed beforehand.
This particular evening as Charlie was setting up the camp stove he heard a rustling in the jungle and then he heard Linda let out a cry, “Charlie! HEEELLLLLPPPP!!!!”
He stopped what he was doing and scanned with his enhanced vision to find her and see what the problem was, even as he was moving in the direction of her voice. What he saw sent a cold chill down his spine. A constrictor snake had dropped on her from an overhanging limb and already had a couple of coils around her. He had to be careful not to superspeed to her. He knew that he had time but he was still worried about her. He shouted to her, “I’m on the way!”
When he got there he immediately grabbed the snake just behind the head. Calmly he said, “Don’t worry; I’ll have this off you in a few seconds.” With the judicious use of super strength he slowly unwound the snake’s coils from around her. As he was doing this the snake tried to wrap its coils around this new antagonist.
Linda was relieved that he was removing the snake from her body, but seeing that the snake was trying to entrap Charlie she started worrying about him. In a near panic she asked, “Should I get the machete so that you can chop the head off?”
Trying to make it look realistic Charlie was grunting and groaning apparently with the effort of handling the snake. Answering her he said, “Nah, there’s no need to kill it. I’ll just take it away from our camp site and let it go.” He was able to easily fend it off as he carried it away to release it back into the jungle at some distance from their camp site. When he got back to camp Linda was there waiting for him.
As soon as he showed up she ran to him and threw her arms around his neck. He chuckled and said, “I thought I got rid of the constrictor!”
She giggled and tightened her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly. She said, “My hero! Thank you. I didn’t know what was happening, it happened so quickly. All I could think to do was call you. You saved me! If not for you I’d have been that snake’s dinner.”
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in tight. As he did she winced. He saw this and with concern in his voice asked, “How hard was he squeezing you? Pull your shirt up. I want to check.”
Reluctantly she released her arms from around his neck and stepped back. She pulled her shirt up and he could see the bruises starting to form where the snake had had a coil wrapped around her abdomen. He said, “Wait right here. I’ll be back in a minute.” He ran off into the jungle. He returned in just a few minutes. Unknown to Linda, he had run several miles at superspeed to find just what he was looking for. He walked back into camp with some fronds from an Aloe plant. He said, “Okay, let’s get that shirt off of you.” He helped her remove her shirt and then squeezed the gel out of the ends of the Aloe fronds and started smearing it on her skin wherever he saw the bruising starting. He x-rayed her ribs to see if any were cracked and found that they were okay. The worst she would have was some bruising.
As he was applying the aloe Linda at first was wincing somewhat, but by the time he was finished it felt a lot better. She asked, “Thanks, what was that?”
He replied, “Just something I picked up along the way in my travels. Aloe gel is good for bruising. I happened to see a group of aloe plants nearby and remembered its medicinal properties and thought it would be worth a try.”
Not even thinking about the fact that she was standing there in bra and shorts she threw her arms around his neck again and started kissing him. After a while they broke from the kiss and she said, “I think I need to keep you around to rescue me and treat all my bumps and scrapes. That felt good while you were applying that. Just like when you were applying my sun tan lotion.”
Charlie started thinking, <I wonder if this was the incident? If I hadn’t been here that snake might have killed her. I wonder if we are in the clear now?>
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End Flashback
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<How was I to know that this wasn’t the incident, that the snake was just a distraction and that she was going to be shot?>
He grieved … a deep soul wrenching grief that could not be denied. He wept bitter tears. Tears of anger … anger at the rebel that shot her, anger at Lex Luthor for providing the weapons, and most bitterly anger at himself for being the means of her finding and following the shipment. There would be more time for self-recrimination later; right now the grief was overwhelming.
Clark worried over what had happened. The longer the delay, the more he had an opportunity to mull over the circumstances of her injury. He couldn’t get past the nagging feeling that somehow he was the cause of her injury. <What if I hadn’t been there? If I hadn’t been there, would she have even been there? It was because of me that we knew where the shipment was located. Is it my fault that she was shot? Would she have found the shipment and followed it if I hadn’t been there? If that had been the case would she have been shot anyway and without me there to get her to the hospital wouldn’t she have died at the scene? It was a mortal wound.>
He thought back on what Herb had told him, <It was his belief that whatever happened was simply history playing itself out. Herb hadn’t been wrong. This is history as I knew it. It has played out without a hitch even though I tried my best to change things. In 1997 she was missing and presumed dead and now I know for a fact that she is dead. Why did it have to be this way? Why couldn’t I effect a change? This pain is almost too much to bear. Why did Herb have to tease me this way? To make me think that through my efforts I could change what has happened.>
<We were going to be *so* happy together. You had already made a difference in my life. All the time since the other Lois left I have had a hollow place in the center of my chest. A Lois sized hole that no one else could fill. Then you came along. Now that hole was a perfect fit for you. When you were shot, when you passed out on me I thought I had lost you again. I almost died there beside you. I had to do everything I could to try to save you. Now … now I’ve lost you again.>
Clark continued on in this fashion for hours. Finally the emotional drain and the energy expenditure caught up with him. He simply ran out of tears to shed. He gently laid her back down on the bed. He arranged her hands. Her eyes were already closed as if in sleep. He leaned in for one final kiss. When he rose up from that kiss he stood and simply wept until the staff came in to wheel her to the morgue.
comments go here To be continued in Chapter 3 – Sabotage
