Ooooohh! Part six is here!
"Where can I, uh... where's...?" Clark looked around, unsure where he should go. There were three doors to the study they were in, but he had no idea where any of them led - except for the elevator behind them that went back to the Batcave.
"The nearest phone booth is a coup-"
"Tim!" Bruce interjected, interrupting his protégé's poor attempt at humor. "Just show him to a washroom, will you?"
Hah!!! That was so funny! Reminds me of the very first Superman movie with Christopher Reeve, where he spots a "phone booth" which is just too tiny - it isn't a booth at all, but sort of a torso-height open cubicle - so he changes in a revolving door!
Clark walked back into the study, feeling strangely awkward. Sure, it was nice to be wearing street clothes again, but he felt out of place in a silk shirt and a pair of slacks that were probably worth more than a reporter's weekly salary. He had a feeling his own clothes were a lot more modest than these and would have given anything for a pair of well-worn jeans and a t-shirt. The discomfort died somewhat when he noticed the look of appreciation Lois was giving him.
I like modest Clark, who prefers simple clothes. Ah, but... I love the Clark who likes to be appreciated by Lois, too!
"You look... great," she said, blushing slightly. "Not, uh, not that you didn't before. I mean... You looked fine in gray, it just isn't your color and, well, you look a lot better like this. More like you. All you're missing is a tie with some strange print on it and-" She stopped cold, seeing everyone's amused expression. "What?" she snapped.
"Okay, that definitely sounds familiar," Clark told them. He had his eyes closed and a hand held up as if to ask them for a moment of silence. He opened his eyes slowly and frowned. "It's gone," he said, running his hand in his hair in frustration. "It's like one second I'm on the verge of remembering something and poof, the memory disappears again."
I love how he is half-remembering his ties, and how he "quarter"-remembers the fact that his ties were a part of his disguise, and that the tie was what he removed first of all when he was going to... well, what? I love how he ran his hand in his hair, too. Old habits die hard!
"No doctors!" Clark protested, immediately. He frowned again. "I... I have no idea why I just said that."
"I do," Lois offered. "It's all right." She turned to Bruce and gave him an icy glare. "Doctors are out of the question. Don't you realize what would happen the second they realize who this is? They're likely to want to... to -"
"Dissect me like a frog," Clark added, slowly. He could hear the words echoing in his head but he couldn't hold on to them long enough to remember the specifics very well. "My dad always says that, I – I think?
That's right, Clark! And I love how you have him remember little snippets at a time.
"Well, you know what? Even if what you're telling me about being Superman is true, I still don't have the slightest idea how to be him!"
Bruce chuckled at the words. Clark might not remember how act as his own alter ego, but his behavior and his actions all screamed of Superman. "Trust me, you don't have the slightest idea how to be Batman, either. Clark, deep down you're a good guy. I'm not. You're acting completely out of character and hurting Batman's image far worse than you imagine. I hate to say it like this, but I'd appreciate it if you went back to Metropolis."
Hah! I absolutely
love this, Lara! Clark is too nice to be Batman, so Bruce would appreciate it if Clark stopped ruining his reputation!
"Please?" she implored. So much for seeing light at the end of the tunnel. It had suddenly extended several more miles; just like that. Lois barely had enough energy left in her to argue – she hadn't slept well in days and her nerves were just about shot. She didn't want to give up, but if Clark kept insisting he should remain here, she didn't what else to do about it. Tears stinging her eyes and with a shaky voice, she continued. "Clark, please come home with me."
<home>
Clark frowned, deep in thought. Home, she'd said. It was just a simple word, but the way it rang to his ears... as if it was a very important thing to him. Something he held dear, although he couldn't put a finger on the reason why that was. And there was something about the fact she was begging him to go back, as though it was important to her – almost imperative, judging by her reaction. Could it be that... could home be a place they shared? All along he'd known there was something special about her; maybe that was it?
Aahhh! So adorably sweet! But, of course, they don't share a home at this time. Oh, patient, patient Clark. :rolleyes:
Clark felt his heart breaking at the sight of her like this and he wondered why he could possibly have ever wanted to remain in Gotham at all. Obviously, he had something special – precious - in Metropolis. Someone who cared for him enough to have come all this way looking for him, when the rest of the world had decided they'd put enough effort into it already. He gave in to the impulse to comfort her and, closing the distance between them, he gathered her into his arms.
"I'm sorry. I... Please don't cry," he whispered softly. "It hurts me to see you hurting like this. You have no idea how I wish I remembered. Will you help me remember? About Superman. And me. Help me remember you, too. I want to remember you. I... feel things for you that I don't understand. I need to remember you."
Awwwww!!! <sniffle>
"I hope you're right..." he said, before hesitantly adding, "Mom."
It was all the encouragement Martha needed to run over and hug her son, as tightly as her arms would allow.
How sweet! <sniffle>
"I should probably go," Lois announced, getting up from the dinner table. Martha had insisted that she stay with them for dinner and so she had, but Lois was starting to feel that she had probably overextended her invitation by now.
"Nonsense!" Martha protested immediately. "You can stay as long as you want, honey. Right, Clark?"
"Yes, of course," he replied. "There's no need for you to leave – yet."
In reality, he would be sad to see her go this early.
Lara, really, this is too PG! He would be sad to see her go
this early. Couldn't the poor guy wish that Lois would, well, just
stay? "Lois, honey, you are family," Martha told her in her best motherly tone. "Besides, you should keep Clark company – Jonathan and I were just about to go on our evening walk. Weren't we dear?"
"Walk?" Jonathan asked, puzzled. They never took walks at night – especially not in Metropolis, where they didn't know the neighborhood at all.
So funny!!
"Nope. The secret compartment in your closet is all there is," Lois explained, with a smile. "Besides a very smart partner, of course."
"Ah. So, you're the brains in this operation, huh?" He had a teasing smile on his lips that sent a long shiver running through Lois's spine. She wouldn't have acknowledged such a thing before, but she loved to be teased this way – by Clark, anyway.
"You better believe it!" she said, with a smug smile.
Clark gave her a look that she wasn't sure she could read very well. Blushing, Lois nervously closed the secret door again.
Aaahhhh! This is so sweet. Looks like it just occurred to him that it
would be nice if Lois decided to stay the night after all.
"Are you sure these are mine?" he asked, trying to decide whether he liked the tie or not. "That's a little bit... loud, isn't it?"
Lois giggled softly. "Oh yeah, they're yours," she said. "Trust me. It takes a little bit of getting used to, but, well, it's part of your charm, I guess."
So funny!
Clark's expression had turned more serious and when his eyes locked in with hers, Lois's heart started racing madly, her breathing no longer following any sort of rhythm. A few seconds later – or an eternity, she could no longer tell – he had moved close enough that she could feel the tickling of his breath on her skin. Slowly she closed her eyes, tilting her head up just enough for her lips to brush lightly against his. A long, contented sigh escaped her the moment he claimed her lips in a shy, but tender kiss.
This is absolutely adorable. The shyness of his kiss.
Feeling disoriented, almost dizzy, Clark broke the kiss shortly thereafter. He opened his eyes and frowned, floodgates having burst open in his head, letting through waves upon waves of memories he had forgotten.
And he remembers!!! He kissed the princess, and he remembers!!!
And then he and Lois went flying... but you know, Lara, I think I'm going to add my own private epilogue. Because, as I told DJ recently, to me part six is sexy....
Ann
Thanks so much for this!
Thank you!! I means a lot to me to be done with this as well. I can sleep again. *lol* I'm so glad you thought the end was sweet and waffy. You know that's a hard thing for me to achieve on any given day -- it's even *worse* at 4:30 in the morning. (yep, that's it guys, you heard me, I finished writing the last little lines of dialog at 4:30 AM on Saturday. The things we do for fic, huh? LOL) 
It's Lois's babbling about insignificant things and her obvious annoyance at people not taking her seriously - even though she's going on and on about details that aren't very relevant. Ah well. As long as you guys got a giggle out of it anyway, I'm happy. 
I'm glad you had a good time reading this and it's so totally OK that you giggled while you read. I'm happy I could entertain you, it's my only goal. (and I'm totally doing the happy dance at your comment on how I've written Bruce - that means the world to me!) 