LOIS
I woke up to sunshine on my face.
The bed I was in was deliciously comfortable and I groaned at the thought of having to leave it.
“Morning, sleepy head,” came a familiar voice from the doorway.
Clark?
My heart sank as I peeked from out of the covers, realizing I was still in that other world, with a man who looked and talked like my fiancé, yet wasn’t.
I sat up in bed and rubbed my eyes. Dean had a tray in his arms and brought it over to me.
Eggs, bacon, and toast, along with a glass of orange juice. He even had added a flower and a local newspaper.
My hands immediately reached for the paper. I glanced up at Dean, and he smiled.
“I should have known that a true journalist would first be hungry for the news in the morning.”
My eager eyes devoured the headlines, unfamiliar with the obviously important names. The differences in our worlds was hugely unsettling.
“President Clinton?” I squeaked out. Very unnerving to be a top reporter and not even recognize the name of the leader of the free world.
“A bit different than from where you’re from?” he asked sympathetically.
I nodded mutely and continued to read while I reached for a piece of toast.
Dean cleared his throat, and I pulled my eyes away from the newspaper to look at him.
“Uh, we don’t know how long you’ll be here… and uh, well, Teri can’t make it this weekend to the wrap-up party…” he started, looking decidedly very nervous. “I was wondering – if you’d want to go?”
I set the paper aside and gave him my best you’ve-got-to-be-kidding gape. “You want me to go to a party where I pretend to be the actress who plays me on TV?”
He grimaced. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything – I’ll find another date—“
But I didn’t want him to have another date. He was obviously lonely, and I was worlds away from my Clark – I suddenly grinned up at him. “I suppose it would be something to do.”
“So—you wouldn’t mind?” he asked, looking a little hopeful.
“Well, it’s not my first choice – but neither is being sent to a world I can’t explain. You know what they say about being in Rome,” I said gamely.
“You truly are an amazing woman, Lois Lane,” he murmured.
The soft look in his eyes took me aback, suddenly reminding me of Clark. If he was just an actor, he seemed to have an awful lot of affection for either Teri or… me. “What was your relationship like with Terri?” I blurted, and he gaped at me, clearly taken off guard. “Sorry. I have a tendency to say what I think,” I shrugged apologetically, reaching for the orange juice.
He nodded with a sigh. “I suppose it’s a fair question… Teri and I had a great relationship. We had great chemistry – lots of fun on set. I—well, I guess—“
“Did you fall for her?” I asked, slightly bemused. How ironic if he had fallen for Teri much like Clark had fallen for me.
He shrugged. “I don’t know… Often times, it was—confusing. There was definitely something there between us, only—“ he glanced sheepishly at me.
“Teri is married.”
“Oh,” I responded, beginning to understand.
“Yeah… but it’s fine. I mean, Teri and I are great friends.”
Now it was time for me to grimace. “You sound a lot like Clark, in the early days of our relationship. He always claimed that he just loved working with me. But there would be days when… I knew, you know?”
Dean reluctantly nodded. “Yeah… I know.”
I reached for his hand before I knew what I had done, and his eyes met mine, so like Clark’s. “I met another Clark once,” I began softly. “He never met his Lois Lane… and though I can’t help you become Superman, I think you’re a decent guy, Dean. She’s out there somewhere, I’m sure of it.”
He stared at me a moment, I suppose searching for what to say. He pulled his hand away from mine and stood up, walking towards the window. “This is all so… strange, I guess… and I don’t want to drag you down with my own issues, Lois… Maybe it would be better if you stayed here—“
I gave him a lopsided smile. “Did you really learn nothing playing Clark?” I teased. “When do I ever stay put?”
He grinned back, seeming to relax a bit from the tension a moment ago. “Fair enough. Besides, I was always curious what it would be like to actually take you out.”
DEAN
This has been the strangest day, and quite honestly, the most fun I’ve had in a long time.
I took Lois out shopping, so she’d have something to wear for the party. She admitted she hated shopping, but she was a lot of fun on Rodeo Drive. We pretended she was Teri, as a sort of warm-up for the party, and tried to avoid the paparazzi whenever possible.
Lord knows what Teri would say if she saw photos of Lois and I hanging out in downtown L.A.
Anyway, despite missing her Clark, Lois was able to let loose a little bit as we joked and teased. I told her stories about Teri and I on set, and she’d come back with these amazing parallels to our fictional show. I’m still blown away by the fact that she’s really Lois Lane in the flesh, but I also feel like I know her, as Teri had really captured the essence of her, especially in our early seasons.
This Lois was just as bouncy, just as sharp, just as witty. She had a quick mind, and a generous heart. Every now and then, she’d get a bit melancholic, and I knew she was missing him. I really did feel like Clark Kent, unable to measure up to Superman… knowing that I could never win her affections the way he had. And while I respected their relationship, I just couldn’t help feeling that I was a part of it somehow, a part of them. What a strange thing to say, and yet, I did feel connected. I thought that what Teri and I had created on camera was at the very least, a glimpse into the love that these two felt for each other. And somehow, I felt connected to that love, as strange as it is for me to admit.
As we drove back to my place, after Lois had finally picked a suitable dress, she drifted off to sleep. I hummed softly to the radio, wondering if I should wake her when we arrived back at my place.
When I pulled in the garage, she looked so peaceful, so sweet, that I didn’t want to disturb her.
I hesitated a moment, but then, telling myself that it was nothing but altruism and a desire for her to stay resting, I came around the other side of the car and lifted her out of the seat and into my arms. Now, I had carried Teri any number of times on set. But I wasn’t ready for the real thing.
Lois Lane was cradled in my arms. Though she wasn’t very heavy, I suddenly felt her turn into my embrace, her head settling on my shoulder, as if she knew exactly how to place her body with mine. And I realized, she probably thought it was her Clark – Superman, who carried her.
I wasn’t sure if I should feel complimented that I so resembled the hero, or worried that I was so attracted to her.
“Clar…” she murmured, nuzzling under my chin.
I simply couldn’t believe this is happening. This was starting like so many fantasies that I had on the set with Teri… but I knew this wouldn’t go anywhere, as I wouldn’t dare take advantage of the trust she had put in me.
And like Teri, we were just friends.
“Clark Kent is one lucky guy,” I couldn’t help whisper as I laid her down in the bed upstairs.
“Come back to me soon…” she murmured, turning onto her side, and I found myself smiling.
What a life… to be engaged to Superman. And she was so used to him leaving at any and all times of day or night. Yet she knew – he’d always come back.
I sighed. Her Clark was out there on New Krypton, I suppose. And while things had resolved okay on our television series, I couldn’t help but feel a bit of fear for her.
I hoped she’d find a way back.
And I hoped that Superman would be there waiting for her.
LOIS
I was trying to shake myself from the nightmare… it just seemed too horrific to contemplate.
Kryptonians had taken over Smallville… people were working as slaves, building a fort for the Kryptonians…
Where was Clark?
Why wasn’t Superman there to stop them?
“Clark…” I called out, and suddenly felt very lonely and afraid. Clark was gone… he was on another planet…
I felt a hand on my shoulder, shaking me out of the dream.
“It’s okay, Lois.” I knew that voice… that was Clark’s voice. It pulled me out of the haze of my dream, long enough for me to look into his eyes, to reach for his arms. He held me a minute, and I felt safe, secure… if Clark was here, then everything would be all right.
But he gently disentangled himself from my embrace, looking slightly guilty. “Lois, I—I’m sorry.”
I looked at him, perplexed a moment, until the truth all came rushing back to me. I was still in that other world, where Clark was nothing but an actor and I—
“I have to get back,” I said, looking straight at him. “I think the Kryptonians are on Earth… I dreamed about them. We have to stop them!”
Dean let out a heavy sigh. “I understand, Lois. But how do you suppose we get back there? It’s not like I have an inter-dimensional time machine lying around here.”
I felt the crushing weight of the truth heavy on my shoulders. Tempus had certainly done a job on me, hadn’t he? Dean was right. There was no way back… not without the help of HG Wells. And how was he to find me here?
I pulled my knees up and hugged them close to me. I had never felt so hopeless in my life. I couldn’t see a way out of this, a way back to Clark or even back to my world.
“What does it matter? Even if I could go back, Clark is gone…” I whispered, feeling tears clog my throat.
Dean, looking a bit helpless, sat down on the bed next to me. “There has to be a way, Lois. I can’t believe that you are stuck here forever.“
He didn’t sound very convinced, and it just pushed my tears to the surface. “I just wish… I just wish that Clark could save me,” I said brokenly, and fell into Dean’s arms once more to have a good cry.
DEAN
Lois eventually went back to sleep, but I was unable to do the same. I went down to the living room and found myself drawn to my Lois and Clark tapes. I thought I’d have to put all of that behind me, and yet somehow, someway it had suddenly become a larger part of my life than I had ever expected.
I put on a season 2 video, though I didn’t really care what episode. I just wanted to try and imagine what it must have been like for Lois, if all of this were real. She had told me that the story lines were roughly the same as events in her life, so I knew things hadn’t happened the same word for word and moment for moment, yet still – the extraordinary reality of Superman being real was overwhelming to me.
As a kid, I had been a huge Superman fan, and I was enthralled as the rest of the world had been by Christopher Reeve’s Superman. But the fact that I looked like Lois’ Superman, so much so that she confused us, was a lot to take in.
I watched my performance as Clark and the more self-assured Superman and wondered how I measured up to the real deal. I could see where I should have said a line differently, or when something was off with the timing, but in reality, even without considering the super powers, Clark Kent was a lot to live up to.
And yet why did I feel I needed to live up to him?
Because it’s not every day that Lois Lane walks into your life.
I mean, obviously I knew that there could never be anything between us, despite my fantasies and her missing Clark. But the truth was, we didn’t know how or when she’d return to her own time and place. All I knew was that somehow – she had to, and while she was here, I’d try to be the best Clark Kent I could for her.
LOIS
I stared at the dress Dean and I had bought yesterday. I can’t believe I am getting ready to go to a party, while who knows what was happening back home.
I took a deep breath. It could all just have been a dream. I could have just taken my insecurity and Dean’s suggestions about Lord Nor to heart and had a nightmare.
But something in my gut was telling me it was more than just a dream…
I closed my eyes and thought of Clark. Somehow, he’d rescue me from this… somehow, I would make it back and everything would be all right.
Whatever was going on in Metropolis, I just hoped that at least one thing Dean had said was true – that Superman would indeed return.
DEAN
Lois Lane came down the stairs looking more stunning than I could ever imagine. Teri was a knockout, but there was something so striking about Lois’ spirit that shone through, no matter what she wore. She had on the elegant black dress I had bought her yesterday. It was a little low cut, but the creamy contrast of her skin to the velvety fabric made me want to reach out and touch her.
I didn’t have to, though, because she took my arm and smiled up at me. “Well, if we’re going to do this—let’s go.”
She seemed to be forcing herself a bit and I turned to look at her. “Lois, you don’t have to go through with this. I can just go to the party alone, really. You’ll have to put up with people referring to you as Teri. Are you sure you’re okay with that?”
She shrugged, and her smile got wider, which made me worry even more that she was forcing it. “If I stayed here I’d just wallow in self-pity. At least at a party I can try to have a little fun.”
LOIS
The party was a little quieter than I'd expect for a Hollywood event. However, Dean explained to me that this was just an informal wrap-up party, so as to avoid the press, which was probably for the best, all things considered.
I wasn't ready though to be referred to as Teri, while at the same time being playfully called Lois by co-stars. It made me a bit melancholic, actually, and I think I drank a few more cocktails than I should have.
Dean found me about an hour in, wallowing in my own misery at the bar.
"Do you want to go home?" he said, and then cringed. "Sorry. Bad choice of words. We can leave whenever you'd like."
I didn't look at him. Already hearing how much he sounded like Clark was too much, especially in my vulnerable state. But to look up at him, in a suit, even without the glasses, and see that compassionate gaze -- it would break my heart...
"Have you talked to anyone besides me?" he asked, sounding a little nervous.
I sighed and downed the rest of my too-sweet martini drink. "Don't worry, our cover is still intact. I spoke with Marth-- I mean, K." I shook my head. "Maybe I should have stayed at your place... this is all a little too weird."
DEAN
She looked so despondent, and I felt quite guilty for having brought her here. All around us were pictures from the show, and while I saw great memories and friends, she must see loved ones and people she missed, people she feared she'd never see again.
It had been a mistake to do this to her, and for all the world, I wondered what Clark Kent would do in this moment.
"Excuse me," said a diminutive male voice behind me.
I turned, and there was Terry Kiser, fully dressed as HG Wells. I know he loved his character, and he had added a certain bit of credible whimsy to the show, but the last thing Lois needed right now was to run into someone in costume.
"Terry, how are you?" I asked, unenthused.
"Don't you start calling me Teri again," Lois grumbled and then I shook my head, nodding in Terry's direction. Lois followed my gaze, and then with a gasp, ran over to him.
"HG Wells? Is that really you?" she said, giving him a hug.
I cringed, fearing what Terry would think at Lois’ display, but instead he answered her as if it were the most normal question in the world.
"Yes, my dear. I have been trying to track you down for days! Without Superman on the planet-- how I normally locate you two--I became entirely distressed. Do you know what has happened in your world?"
"Wait, so you're actually HG Wells?" I asked, incredulous, looking between the two of them. Would the whole real-world cast of our show just keep popping out of the woodwork?
"Yes, my boy. But don't go anywhere... I may need your help as well."
LOIS
I was so relieved to see that HG Wells had found me. It meant that I had a way back! That all was not lost!
"Wait. So what happened?" I asked, momentarily distracted by the prospects of going home, that I missed the implications of what he had said.
"Well, my dear, I'm afraid that Major Zod is after Superman.”
“Major Zod? Don’t you mean Lord Nor?”I asked, glancing at Dean, who I admit, was looking a little uncomfortable.
HG Wells gave me a puzzled glance. “I have no idea who you are talking about… but Major Zod, he’s holding Metropolis hostage. We need to contact your Clark and bring Superman back, right away!”
“But how? I mean, he could be anywhere,” I answered sadly. “As much as I want to go home, to go without Clark being there… well, it would almost be as bad as being stuck here.”
“Well, when I tracked you here, I realized that Clark Kent had a copy of himself in this dimension,” Wells said, glancing at Dean. “Though he isn’t Superman, of course, he could give the city of Metropolis some hope.”
“And risk his life to do it!” I interjected. “You can’t expect Dean to pretend to be Superman!”
“My boy, what do you think? Could you play Superman, just long enough for us to locate the real one and bring him back to Earth?”
DEAN
I stared at Lois, and then back at the real HG Wells. My mouth went dry with fear, thinking of the implications… the prospect of playing Superman again, in a world where he actually existed… It was the chance of a lifetime, and yet, not without its own risks.
I sighed, resting my hands on my hips as I thought. “I mean, I could play Clark Kent, no problem. But to put on the suit, in his actual world—“ I shook my head. “I don’t know. I mean, people will realize pretty quickly that I am not the real Superman.”
“I’ll help you,” Lois interjected, evidently warming to the idea. “I mean, I’ve seen Clark when he’s lost his powers. There are ways… please, Dean. You would be that symbol of hope for Metropolis, until we can somehow get word to my Clark. It would mean a lot to me.”
She looked at me with those doe eyes of hers, and I knew I wouldn’t say no.
It was the role of a lifetime, after all. I just hoped that I’d make it through it alive.
“All right… when do we leave?”
