Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Sunday, August 6th

“Let’s see,” Lois began, “what did we learn this weekend?” It was almost seven o’clock in the evening. Lois had sent her article to the weekend editor hours before and then played strip Guitar Hero with Clark until she ran out of clothes to take off. Now, they were lying in Clark’s bed, Lois’s hair damp with sweat and her face flushed from the aerobic quality of the lovemaking they just concluded. Her clothes were still in a heap in his living room and the sun was only an orange glow as it sunk below the western horizon.

Clark was lying next to her, greedily drinking in every ounce of Lois he could consume. Her nervous chatter after their incredible lovemaking, her damp hair clinging to the sides of her graceful neck and shoulders, the warm scent of her perfume mixed with the heated scent of their lovemaking, her soft skin, full lips and her fiery eyes framed by long delicate lashes, the seductive curve of her lower back were all memories of Lois that he so deeply burned in to his mind that he would carry them with him for the rest of his life. They would never dim, and they never lose their allure.

The light from the glow on the horizon cast an orange hue inside the bedroom and the curtains danced to the rhythm of the light breeze that cooled them late in the early August day. Clark said nothing. His every sense felt awakened and alive like never before. His heart felt so full of love for Lois that it nearly hurt.

He had loved Lana once. Born of a childhood infatuation, his love affair with Lana was plagued by secrets, tarnished by lies, and ultimately smashed at the sacrificial altar of unrealistic expectations and grownup desires. Perhaps his first love would always be special in its own way, and it had its place in the vault of life experiences. But lying next to Lois, he knew that he would never feel the same way about any other woman again. His heart felt like it was smiling, and he knew that he could search forever and find no one to match her fire, her wit, her smile, her zest for life and the honesty with which she led it. Being with Lois meant being with someone who inspired you every day to be better than you were the day before. He had not know for certain what destiny Jonathan Kent or Jor-El envisioned for him, but he knew now the destiny he would fulfill. Lying here with Lois and stripped of everything but the power of their love for one another, he could feel it.

Lois continued. “We learned lots of things," she said, looking up at the ceiling. "Clark is from another world. Clark can see through anything,” she said, rolling over on her side and giving him an animated stern look, “except other women’s clothes”. She rolled back and continued. “Clark is impervious to pain and injury. Clark has super hearing. Clark can start fires with his eyes.” She snorted at that one. “Actually,” she said, “if I’m being absolutely honest, your eyes started me on fire long before I think you even knew it, Smallville.” He smiled. “And he can put out fires with his freezing cold breath.”

“What else? Oh yeah, Clark’s part of a little gang of metahumans led by my former boyfriend and directed by my cousin, and they fight crime and protect people in Metropolis when they’re not at work. Also, he’s unbelievably fast and he can fly.” She said her last word dreamily.

“That’s all? There’s nothing more you learned about me this weekend?” Clark asked with a smirk and raised eyebrow.

Lois smiled seductively. “There is one other thing.” She raised an eyebrow and bit her lower lip. She leaned in close to kiss him but instead, veered from his lips and went straight to his ear and whispered, “Clark…cheats like hell in strip Guitar Hero!”

Clark laughed and wrapped his arms around her and rolled her over onto her back and kissed her passionately. They had just finished making love and neither was looking for more at the moment, but both wanted to enjoy the feel of the other’s skin pressed against their own and to love and be loved back. He ended their kiss, laid over top of her propped up on his elbows, swept a damp strand of hair from her brow, traced the outline of her face with his finger, and just stared at her.

“I feel so lucky right now, Lois,” he said, barely more than a whisper. “Honestly, this is a feeling that I’ve never felt before; so complete, so right in every way.”

“I know,” Lois replied, “I feel the same. It’s like everything is right in the world and I’m living in heaven with the most handsome, caring, and amazing man I will ever know.”

They remained in that state, staring into each other’s eyes, drinking in every last detail, culminating in one last passionate kiss.

Clark rolled to off Lois and stared at the ceiling for a moment. “Are you hungry, Lo?” he asked.

She rocked her head back and forth on the pillow thinking about it. “Funny. Until you just mentioned it, I wasn’t. I just realized I’m starving!” Lois said. “What do you have?”

“No,” Clark said, “what do you want? If you could have anything, what would it be?”

“Really?” Lois asked. She frowned and rolled her eyes up for a minute. She looked back into Clark’s eyes. “I’d like a large order of authentic buffalo wings with blue cheese and celery and a couple of cold beers.” She grinned. “Comfort food!”

And that was a compendium of Lois, he thought. I was prepared to fly across the globe to get her whatever her heart desired and she wanted buffalo wings and beer. A new wave of love washed over him. “Wings and beer it is. You get cleaned up and I’ll get dinner.”

Clark dressed in an instant, blurred out of the farmhouse, and took to the sky. By the time Lois rolled over to get out of bed, Clark was flying over Pennsylvania. A thought crossed his mind, and he stopped, picked up a large chunk of anthracite, jammed it in his coat pocket and proceeded to Buffalo, New York.

Lois came downstairs with a towel wrapped around her chest and one around her hair in a twisted turban. She dressed in the living room and walked into the kitchen where Clark was heating the wings. There was an ice-cold six-pack of Samuel Adams Summer Ale, courtesy of Clark’s super cold breath. “Oh my God, they smell fantastic, Clark! Let’s eat.”

When they had finished, Lois’s face glowed with tiny beads of perspiration from the wing sauce. She washed her hands at the sink and dried them on a paper towel. She used the cool damp towel to wipe the perspiration from her face.

“Well done, Farmer John. That hit the spot,” she said, rubbing her flat stomach. She looked at him lovingly and said almost apologetically, “I hate to say this, but I should be heading back to Metropolis. I want to be to work a little early to see my interview in the paper.”

“Lois, I wish you didn’t have to go. I know this sounds cliché, but this has honestly been the best weekend of my life, and I hate to see it end.” He looked at her and smiled longingly.

“Me too.” She grew serious. “If you would have asked what my expectations were going into this weekend on Friday, I would have told you that I expected to make Clark Kent a man this weekend.” She smiled, “It’s going to take a long time for this feeling to go away. Truthfully, I don’t think it ever will and I’m hoping it won’t.”

“Can we talk for a minute before you go?” Clark asked awkwardly. He led her to the couch. He was not sure how to start. “Lois, how long have we known each other, six years, maybe a little more?”

“Yeah, that’s about right. Why?”

“You said that you’ve loved me for more than a year, right?”

“That’s right, Clark.” Lois smiled sweetly.

“When did you realize it?” he asked.

She frowned and looked at the ceiling for a moment. “It’s funny; for a long while, I just had you pegged for some dorky farm boy who didn’t really know what real love was because he was infatuated with his childhood crush. It took a while for me to realize that I was in love with you and I don’t remember exactly when it started, but at some point, I realized that ‘dorky farm boy’ was really kinda working for me. I started to see what Lana and Chloe had always seen in you. But the day I found you watching that breakup DVD Lana had left, something changed for good. My heart broke for you, Clark, and I realized that you deserved so much better…you deserved me. I realized that I loved you because all I wanted to do was to hold you, comfort you, and hope that you would realize that there was someone better in the world who would never hurt you like Lana had and that she was just waiting for you to realize it. I promised myself that when the time was right and you were over Lana, I was going to show you that that someone was me.”

Clark returned her smile. “I realized that you meant much more than just a friend when I was powerless and trapped in Verkhoyansk. When I was there, I thought about Lana and the way she left me, but more so, I thought about you and the way you held me that day and how I felt when you did. I knew you were so much more than I had ever let myself see. In a pretty dark moment for me, you were the rock I could cling to. I decided that I was going to pay more attention to you,” Clark chuckled a bit. “I was pretty excited about what you said when we wound up caught by the Jeweler after Jimmy and Chloe’s engagement party until you told me that you’d slipped the sensor off your finger. I was so devastated by that and afterwards it dawned on me why. That was the day that not only did I know I was in love with you, but it was the day that I wanted you to be in love with me more than anything.”

Clark did not say anything, and Lois sat staring at him. Finally, she leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek. “Okay, so thanks for that extra special trip down memory lane, Clark. It was lovely but I have to get going.” Lois stood up. “I’d love to spend the night, lying with you, and talking about this, but I have the article coming out in the morning and I really want to be there early for it. Maybe we could discuss this tomorrow night after dinner or maybe we could…”

Clark grabbed her arm. “Wait!” He said and pulled her back to the couch. “Lois, I know a week ago, you were hardly talking to me and a week ago, you didn’t trust that I was over Lana. I have to ask, you believe it now, don’t you? I mean, unequivocally without question, do you believe it?”

Lois began tearing up and nodded. “I do, Clark. I know that I was wrong to treat you the way I did for as long as I did, but I was hurt, and I promised myself I’d never let that happen to me again. I told you before, but I never stopped loving you even when I was being horrible to you when you were trying to apologize. And you do understand, don’t you?”

“Of course I do, Lois. I hurt you and I hated knowing just how deeply I had hurt you.” Clark paused again. He was clearly uncomfortable and nervous. “So do you think since we have that all cleared up now and there are no more secrets between us…um, do you think it would be too soon, you know, for you…us…to think about, um, making this relationship more permanent?”

“More permanent?” Lois snorted. “Are you asking me to go steady with you now, Clark? Because really, after everything we did this weekend, ya know, we’ve kinda left ‘steady’ as a little dot on the horizon in the rearview, dontcha think?” She grinned comically and cocked her head to the side.

Clark smiled and chuffed nervously. “Well…yeah, I guess so,” he replied. He sat silently, staring for a moment. Lois raised an eyebrow, meaning she was waiting for him to say something more. He then said, “Well, I was wondering if you thought it might be too soon to consider…um, maybe taking the next step?

She frowned. “What next step? We rounded all the bases this weekend, Smallville. In fact, it was probably the greatest grand slam in history!”

Clark spoke out. “I was thinking of something more...substantial.”

More substantial? It suddenly hit her. Oh my God! Is he going to ask what I think he’s going to ask? She heard nothing more, saw nothing but Clark’s blue eyes, gentle, and handsome face, and her heart began thudding in her chest.

He could hear the sound of her heart beating, and it drove him to continue. “Lois, if you only knew how long I’ve wanted to tell you my secret but didn’t because I was worried about you rejecting me and losing you forever, you’d know why I feel so alive and so sure of everything now. It’s like I know with absolute certainty my future and the reason my birth parents sent me to Earth. I know I can be accepted by mankind to be myself. But most importantly, I know I can do it without having to do it all alone in this world.” He paused. “After this weekend, I felt like our relationship has come full circle, and I feel so empowered and excited about a future I never was certain of before. And it’s because of you, Lois; it’s all because of you. So, do you think it’s too quick or too soon to think about being together full time?”

The blood flushed her face, and it felt hot. Oh my God, she thought. He is popping the question. How are you going to answer that? Lois was not even aware of the beads of perspiration that had formed on her forehead. She could hardly breathe now, and there was no sound other than the sound of her blood pulsing through her veins. She stammered, “Um…is…that what’s happening right now; you’re going to ask me to marry you?” Her heart was now pounding furiously in her chest.

“Marry you?” Clark looked flummoxed. He felt like a man that had stepped on a landmine that could explode the instant that he stepped off if he made the wrong move. He struggled to find words to reply without sounding insulting or dismissive of the idea. “Um…well no, not that, Lois, I…um,” he stammered. “I just meant if you might want to move in together…uh, would you want to move in with me…here at the farm?” He hesitated and she sensed he wanted to say more. “Or do you think it’s too soon…”

She smiled, relieved, and her heart slowed. She inhaled deeply, leaned in, kissed him, and then took his face in her hands. “No, it wouldn’t be too soon at all Clark,” she replied. “In fact, I’ve thought about that at times over the weekend and I was wishing you’d ask, too. I think that’s the next logical step for us.”

“Really?” he asked excitedly.

“Yeah, really,” she replied. “Besides, moving in with you helps me out a lot. My lease is up on the fifteenth of the month, and I had to clear my extra storage unit out so that I didn’t get charged for the full month.” She motioned her head toward the half empty boxes in the dining room that Clark had pulled from the trunk of her car on Friday when she first arrived. “I’ve been looking online at apartments in Metropolis but there isn’t much available in my price range. If I couldn’t find anything soon, I was going to ask you if I could move out here temporarily until something came open. I know your mom and dad were pretty traditional when it came to things like that, so I didn’t know if it would ever be something you might consider.”

He exhaled. “So, is that as a ‘yes’…and not on a temporary basis?”

“It’s a hell yes for both, Smallville!” She rose, pulled him up from the couch, and hugged him. “This is just the perfect end to an unbelievable weekend!” She kissed him and when they ended the kiss, Lois said, “I really wish I could stay but tomorrow…”

“I know, I know,” he nodded. “You’re excited, I understand.” He stood and walked her to the door. “I’m anxious to see your article, too, but I’m also anxious to see your reaction and that of the other reporters down in the bullpen.” They walked out onto the porch and on to her car.

One last kiss and then she climbed in and cranked the engine. “I’ll be thinking of you,” she said.

As Lois pulled out of the driveway and onto the main road that led to Metropolis, her mind was filled with the images of their weekend together and thoughts of how two incredible days had changed everything. The weekend had been better than she could ever have imagined and the things that they had said to one another made her realize just how badly she wanted to be with him and just as important, how badly he wanted to be with her.

So many problems had been solved by the truths and discoveries that each had learned about the other. From his troubling deceitfulness in the past that she now could reconcile, to the proof that he could safely engage in lovemaking with her, so many fragments of uncertainty that weighed down their relationship had vanished in a single weekend.

While on the main road to Metropolis, Lois’s mind alternated between her anticipated headline front page article, the music blaring from her stereo, and remembering the events of the weekend. Before she reached the city limits, she thought about their final moments together. She thought about the alarm she felt at first. You’re going to ask me to marry you? The way she had said it made her snicker. Then her panicky, Um…is…that what’s happening right now; you’re going to ask me to marry you? made her begin to laugh out loud at the thought of what Clark must have thought. To marry you? She laughed harder and tears formed in her eyes.

Her fit of laughter subsided and then another thought hit her. Why were you so alarmed? What would you have said, Lois? What if he was really going to ask you to marry him but didn’t go through with it because of your reaction? Her tears of laughter were slowly replaced by eyes clouded with angsty regret. Would it have been so terrible if that was what he asked? Maybe you would have said it was too soon, but after this weekend, are you sure you really feel that way at all.

“Well,” she said to herself aloud, and clearing her throat, “I wouldn’t have just shut him down with a ‘No’. I would have said I needed time to think about it first.” She started to wonder if he was indeed going to ask her to marry him and if her reaction pushed him away or worse, that deep down inside it hurt his feelings. The thought gnawed at her until she reached her apartment.

She navigated her way through a tunnel of boxes she had hastily packed that led from the front door to her bedroom. She flopped onto her bed and holding her phone out, she sent Clark a text saying that she loved him and had already spent too much time away from him, ending with a heart emoji and an emoji of a crying face.

Both spent the rest of the night with their thoughts and the feeling that a future had begun unfolding before them that was in perfect alignment with their dreams.

Chapter Text

Monday, August 7th

Lois entered the bullpen early and opened the Daily Planet without looking. She held her breath and looked down at it. There it was: her article on the interview of the Red Blue Blur, the lead story in the Monday Daily Planet. The headline read, “Simply Amazing: Metropolis’ Elusive Hero”. Her byline and a tiny photo of her topped the article.

The excitement of seeing her interview with Clark made her giddy. As coworkers filed in, they all came over to her desk and congratulated her. “Not bad work for a basement dweller,” someone called out. “Great article, Lois!” came from another direction, “Amazing article, Lane,” someone else yelled, and another, “a Daily Planet exclusive, thanks to Lois”, followed by a smattering of applause.

The article emphasized Clark’s purpose and made only a fleeting reference to his Midwest background beyond his childhood. The only abilities she reported were his super speed, his great strength, and his super hearing. Her article truthfully listed those abilities as God-given powers he was born with and naturally developed since childhood.

The article then went on to list the various crimes he had thwarted and people he had miraculously saved over the last year. There was no mention of Clark’s true heritage. This was a restriction Clark imposed out of fear that the information would ultimately generate panic and lead to the horrendous results the city had experienced in an alternate future. His identity and detailed description was of course omitted. Lois wrote that the Blur wore a full-face mask during her interview and could only describe his approximate height, weight, and build. Lastly, she indicated that the Blur would not provide a means to be contacted. Instead, he would roam the streets at different times seeking out people in dire need of protection or help.

The stir that the headline article caused in the bullpen was met with equal exuberance by other reporters and staff of the Planet as they sat down to look at the morning edition. Phone calls started and emails began appearing from people she did not even know who wanted to congratulate her and ask her questions. Some were from female employees asking if she actually did know what he really looked like.

Lois was sitting at her desk excitedly waiting for Clark to arrive. She knew he would be excited about the article and the positive response it drew. He arrived moments later with two cups of coffee and a small white bag with two maple donuts and two crullers from a family-owned bakery a block away from the Daily Planet. He set the coffee in front of Lois and the bag of donuts between them, gave an exhausted smile, and offered congratulations to his reporting partner.

“Clark, you look tired,” Lois remarked as Clark came into the bullpen. “You look like you didn’t sleep a wink.”

“I practically didn’t,” Clark admitted. “I spent most of the night thinking about how perfect the weekend was, what it meant to me that you accepted…well, you know…and how great our future together could be.”

“Will be, and I hardly slept either,” she declared. “I was so excited that I had a hard time falling asleep. I thought about our weekend half the night, then about moving back into the farm with you, and just when I felt myself falling asleep, I’d think about the article.” Lois smiled widely. “It was just an all-around incredible weekend.”

Clark sat down and looked at the headline and scanned the article. He looked up and saw Lois looking at him. He smiled. “I have to say, you and a headline really go well together. It looks great on you. You look beautiful this morning, Lois. You don’t look tired at all.” He leaned forward and spoke more quietly. “So, after a night of thinking about it,” Clark began, “have you had any second thoughts about moving in?”

“Second, third, and fourth!” Lois matched his posture. “I couldn’t stop thinking about it but none of those thoughts were about changing my mind. And just for the record, needing to find a new place to live didn’t even factor into my decision. But what happened over the weekend sure did.” Lois winked and sat back, chewing on the plastic stirrer in her coffee cup, gauging his reaction.

Clark closed his eyes momentarily while he exhaled audibly. “I’m so relieved to hear you say that.” He smiled warmly. “I guess I let my imagination get away from me last night. I began thinking that you had probably thought that we were moving too quickly. Your reaction to the word ‘commitment’ and thinking I was asking you to marry me had me nearly convinced that you said ‘yes’ only because you were so relieved that I wasn’t asking you to marry me.” He chuffed. “It was changing your mind about moving in that kept me up. I was so expecting you to tell me this morning that you’ve reconsidered.”

She leaned forward and looked at him across the desks. “But we talked about that last night, Clark,” she began, nearly whispering, “it’s not all that sudden. And it’s what kept me awake almost all night after I got back to my apartment but not in a negative way. We’ve known each other for years, and in more than just casually. Okay, so we haven’t been dating all those years, but we’ve been orbiting each other the whole time.

She leaned back as three of their coworkers approached the coffee pot nearby. Maintaining eye contact with Clark, she rolled her eyes and smiled, waiting for them to get out of earshot range while they lingered at the coffee pot. Once they finally left, she continued.

“We’ve been together as a couple for more than a year now and the only thing that makes this seem sudden is the fact that it’s only been a week since we got past that little side trip you took to Lanaville,” she concluded. “If not for that, we could have been enjoying weekends like this last weekend for a while now!”

Clark gave a quick nod and sheepish smile in acknowledgement. “We also overcame a few obstacles and have broken down some barriers, too,” he added. “Those were not insignificant for me,” he said in low voice. “We learned a lot of really important things about each other.”

“I know!” Lois leaned forward. “The thing is, Clark, this weekend you let me in. The one thing that has kept me from, um, just abandoning all restraint with you is that I knew in my heart there were things you weren’t telling me. I sensed it and that worried me enough to keep you close but not too close. I’ve loved you and I always thought that you loved me but not enough to be completely honest with me. All the weird things you did or said to cover up the things I learned about this past weekend had me afraid of just letting go with you. For a long while, I thought it had something to do with Lana. When I learned why this weekend suddenly it made sense of all those times that made me doubt your sincerity. Do you know what I mean?” She grabbed her coffee mug.

“Yes. It cleared the air for both of us,” Clark replied. “I felt that you were holding back, too, and even though I tried different approaches, you seemed content to keep me at arm’s length a lot of the time.” She nodded with a large part of a maple donut in her mouth. “I don’t blame you for doing that. I just needed to know for certain that when you learned…more about me…that you’d accept it rather than run from it.”

She swallowed the bite of donut, picked up the newspaper and waved it. “I got my headline and you all in one weekend.” She took a sip of coffee. “So, when I was thinking about the move to Smallville with you, I began to wonder how do you work the car issue? I mean, I know you drive in. Do you do that every day from out there? It’s like a 2-hour drive.”

“No, I park my truck in the back part of that big truck stop just outside of Metropolis. I run home, which takes less than 20 seconds, and run back to the truck in the morning. From there it takes about fifteen or twenty minutes to get to work, depending on the traffic. On the weekends I drive home most of the time unless I know I’m going to be doing something in Metropolis.”

Lois thought about it and frowned. “How will that work for me? I’m not super-powered, Farmer John.”

“Leave your car at the Planet or at the farm. You can use my truck if you have to during work. I’ll get you to Smallville and back just as quickly as I do. We’ll drive in together.”

She thought about it for a moment. “I guess that will work. I’ll have to have some makeup and a hairbrush stored in your car though. No way I can go to work after blurring from here to that truck stop.”

“We can leave a few minutes earlier and you can go into the truck stop and get straightened out or just do that in the truck on the way to work.”

“I guess that will work.” She thought about it. “In fact, it may give you a little more cover if people see us driving in to work together. The Daily Planet employees would expect us to do that if they knew we were living together. We just won’t tell them where we are living!”

Clark liked that she already had begun to think about doing things that could provide them with plausible explanations and some cover. He knew that having Lois running interference for him at times would make doing the things he was destined to do less complicated and still be able to lead a more normal life.

“If it’s okay with you, maybe we could start moving some things to your house after work. What do you think?”

“Start moving things? Weren’t those boxes the start?” he asked.

She frowned and chuffed. “That’s the storage unit overflow, Clark. You should see the rest of my apartment. It’s a maze of boxes and stuff with two paths: one to get from the bedroom to the front door and one from the bedroom to the kitchen.”

Without looking up, he said, “I doubt that second route is used very often.”

She leaned forward and lowered her voice. “Wow, look who gets a little nookie over the weekend and suddenly grows a sense of humor.” He looked up from his keyboard and a smile curled on side of his mouth. “Just imagine how funny you’ll be after a couple more weeks with me! You’ll be ready to do standup at the Metropolis Theater.”

He shrugged and smirked. “Well, Dad used to say that it was always good to have something to fall back on, Lois. I guess I’ll just have to keep working diligently on improving that sense of humor.” He winked and she smiled in return.

She raised one eyebrow. “And as a loyal Daily Planet teammate, I’m willing to give you every chance possible to grow, Smallville. I’m a team player that way.”

Tess Mercer entered the bullpen and walked straight up to Lois. “Congratulations, Lois,” she said. “You have truly scored a coup for the Daily Planet with your interview. It seems that your decision to stay at the city desk has really paid immediate dividends. Our web server almost shut down from all the traffic it got this morning once the word got out.

“I have received several requests to interview you from local and national news outlets already this morning. WGBS wants you to appear on their morning show tomorrow for a segment. It seems your story has really taken the country by storm, and it really elevates the Planet and leaves it in a very favorable light. I wanted to congratulate you and thank you for that.”

“Thank you, Tess and you’re welcome.” Lois stalled, not knowing what else to say to the taciturn Tess Mercer.

Tess nodded and turned to leave before pivoting back around. “You’ll be notified about the interviews, Lois. I’m having our legal department review the requests and they should be completed within the hour. Please make yourself available for those interviews.”

“Thanks, Tess…I will,” Lois called out. She looked back at Clark and squealed quietly. “Interviews!” and lightly clapped her hands.

Clark’s phone rang and when he picked it up, Oliver Queen was on the other end of the line with some alarming news. Jimmy had filed for divorce from Chloe, and she had just been served with papers, citing mental abuse and alienation of affection. The filing had caused Chloe to ‘freak out and was experiencing a break from reality’. Oliver was concerned with the status of the Watchtower position and wanted to know what he thought and if Lois had any experience or knowledge about Chloe’s mental health. He also suggested a possible solution to her condition but wanted Clark to talk to Lois first.

Lois saw the look on Clark’s face and their eyes met. He was being told something that was not good news, and she could tell it was serious. Clark said to the caller that he would talk to her and would call back.

He hung up the phone and leaned forward. “We need to find a quiet place to talk.” Lois said nothing and realized something serious had happened. They got up, went to the elevator and rode up to the twenty-fifth floor. They stepped out of the elevator and Clark scanned the vacant floor for anyone that might be there but found it empty.

“That was Oliver,” he started. “Jimmy filed for divorce from Chloe, and she was served papers at their apartment this morning. Oliver said that Chloe is experiencing a ‘break from reality’, as he put it. Does that make any sense to you? We saw her two days ago and she seemed to be coping all right.”

Lois looked crestfallen. “Oh no,” she sighed. “Poor Chloe and poor Jimmy. Did Oliver say why Jimmy had filed for divorce?”

“He said mental abuse and alienation of affection.”

Lois shook her head. “And now she’s lost it?”

“Apparently. Does that sound like Chloe to you?”

She winced and whispered, “Mental health issues run in the family. Her mom, my father’s sister, was institutionalized for schizophrenia. I never knew my Aunt Moira well and the General never said much about her but one time when my mom was still alive, he made a comment to her that someone was as crazy as Moira. I knew she was institutionalized and just before she died, my mom said she was there because of schizophrenia and it is hereditary, but that’s all I know. So, it’s not out of the realm of possibility since it’s an inherited trait. Her father, Gabe, will be of no use. He was the one who had Aunt Moira committed and as soon as Chloe graduated high school, her father disappeared and never reached back out to her.” She grew teary-eyed. “Did Oliver say what’s happening or where she is right now?”

He winced and then nodded. “When she had her breakdown, she called Oliver talking nonsense and he immediately ordered his medical staff director to pick her up, sedate her, and transport her to a secure facility. That’s happening as we speak.”

“I take it that this medical staff director also knows about Oliver’s night job?”

“Yes. Remember when we were talking with Chloe on Saturday and she mentioned the team, a group of metahumans and me?”

“Yeah. Chloe kind of assigns missions to each of them from Clock Tower, right?”

“It’s Watchtower,” Clark corrected, “but yes, team members function independently in the cities where they live but will come together to confront a larger-scale threats or crime problems wherever the arise. Sometimes, team members get injured and need medical treatment.” Lois nodded that she was following along.

“This medical staff director is Oliver’s personal physician, and you’ll meet him soon. His name is Emil Hamilton and he’s a renowned MD in nuclear medicine, the very best Oliver’s money can buy. But Doctor Hamilton is also the team’s informal physician when needed so he knows about everyone and their abilities and powers.”

“So, he’s taking care of Chloe, right?” Lois sounded more optimistic.

He nodded and fiddled with his phone. “There’s something else,” he added. “Oliver’s very concerned about Chloe’s stability long term, given her knowledge, affiliation, and function within our team of people with special abilities. She knows everything about our team, Lois, and if she is prone to breaking from reality when stressed out, that could be a very serious problem for all of us…you included.”
“Okaaay,” Lois said warily.

“Well, one of the associate members of our team is someone who can wipe away certain memories of people, events, and places. He’s suggesting that this person, Zatanna Zatara, could help Chloe with her condition and prevent her from ever revealing information about the team, its activities, or its plans or basically anything associated with it.”

Lois frowned. “And how exactly would this Zatanna person do that? I mean, I’m not going to let my cousin be put in some drug-induced vegetative state, locked away for the rest of her life like her mom. If that’s what Oliver is thinking about doing, it’s time to break up your little boy band and get a new gig because I won’t stand for it. I’ll risk her…”

Clark took her by the shoulders. “That’s not what Oliver is suggesting, Lois,” he interrupted softly. “Zatanna is a powerful sorceress and magician. She’s a metahuman that can cast an irreversible spell on Chloe, making her forget her marriage, her relationship with whoever she is or was apparently seeing, her relationship with me and the rest of the team, and events that revealed my powers and heritage. She can essentially reset Chloe to her early high school memories with only a spell. Chloe will be her usual outgoing self but have zero knowledge or memory of anything having to do with any member of the team in their roles on the team. She won’t be drugged, she won’t be in any vegetative state, she won’t be institutionalized but she will seem odd to those who know her for some time until her mind fills in whatever gaps would exist in her memory. But moving her to a new city where people don’t know her, they won’t find her strange.”

Lois listened and measured what Oliver had suggested. “So, she won’t be like some drugged out zombie.” Clark shook his head. “What about her divorce?”

He shrugged. “I’ll ask Oliver. I’m pretty sure he’ll be able to find a lawyer to take care of it without her having to be involved. I’ll ask him to do that. Knowing Oliver and his affinity for Chloe, I’m sure he’ll set her up somewhere safe and have a job for her working with Queen Industries IT department in Star City or some other location. That way he’ll be able to keep an eye on her and she’ll be divorced from Jimmy and the team and not suffer from either of those things.” He paused. “We’ll work out the finer details if you’re okay with that suggestion.”

Lois thought it over and consented to the plan. “I’m in no position to authorize anything but I won’t object to it as long as Chloe isn’t drugged or institutionalized.”

“She won’t be, Lo. I’ll call Oliver back. She’s your cousin, but she’s my closest friend here in Metropolis. And as I said, Oliver is really close with Chloe, and I know he wouldn’t suggest Zatanna if he was concerned that it was unsafe or would leave Chloe in a fugue state.” He pulled Lois into an embrace. “I wouldn’t allow it if I thought it would hurt her in any way.”

They rode the elevator back down to the basement and Lois got to her desk just as the phone began ringing. “Lois Lane, Daily Planet,” she answered, and it began a long string of calls for quotes, comments, interview requests, and appearances on television news broadcasts. The clock on her monitor displayed 8:52 AM. It would be a long day, but it was exhilarating for her. Her only regret was that her cousin was no longer capable of joining in on the excitement of such a widely popular news story.

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

Lex put down the newspaper and sat back in his chair. The atmosphere in the mansion he had leased under a fictious name was heavy, still, and nearly stifling. Until today, Lex had been working secretly with a select team of attorneys who were attempting to identify all of his former holdings and developing a plan to recover them.

Lex had been declared dead nearly a year ago after presumably being assassinated in an explosion. The explosion had left a Lex Luthor clone dead and burnt beyond recognition but with sufficient DNA to be matched to Lex. The declaration of death had been liberating in one sense. It allowed him to operate for nearly a year without scrutiny. The downside of the death certificate was the liquidation of his assets through a probate hearing.

It was at that hearing that one surviving member of his family existed: Tess Mercer. Through birth records, Lutessa Luthor was discovered and restored orphanage records showed the four-year old girl’s name was legally changed from Luthor to Mercer. She was received at an orphanage from Lionel Luthor, along with a huge donation to the facility, and a trust fund set up for the girl under the name, Tess Mercer. As the only living member of the Luthor family, the Luthor family wealth, businesses, possessions, and holdings transferred to Tess when Lex was declared dead.

Only the ruffling of paper broke the almost inhuman stillness of what Lex had hoped was a temporary living arrangement. So, the Muffin Peddler has formed a bond with the metahuman ‘superhero’ I’m guessing is named Clark Kent.

He wondered if Clark and Lois shared more than a workspace in the basement of the Daily Planet. He believed if theirs was more than just a professional relationship, he could exploit it to find the evidence he needed to dissect Clark Kent and determine what vulnerabilities he possessed.

Lex had enough firsthand experiences with strange occurrences in which Clark was involved to postulate that Clark was not a normal human being. The idea had plagued him since his first meeting, gnawing at him; an annoying itch that could not be scratched. But as events escalated, Lex grew to believe that Clark was something other than a metahuman meteor freak.

The strange occurrences that were suddenly taking place in Metropolis went far beyond a small-town meteor freak activity level. Militant super-powered beings from some otherworld seemed poised to take over the planet and a monster-like beast with incredible powers rampaged through parts of Metropolis and all just suddenly disappeared without a trace. There were other such events and all of them had one thing in common. Just like the weird happenings in Smallville, they took place wherever Clark was. He seemed to be a magnet for these occurrences and convinced Lex that Clark Kent was not just a run-of-the-mill meteor freak that he once thought Clark might be.

He also knew that Clark was not alone. Through the years, Clark had been directly or circumstantially involved in ruining his attempts to find the truth about his one-time friend. That ruination had changed in scope. No longer was Clark just blocking his efforts through lies and subterfuge, over the last couple of years those efforts involved several metahumans and had become more coordinated, sophisticated, and dangerous actions.

Disrupting Lex’s efforts now involved the physical destruction of the evidence he had collected and destroying experimental projects, including a promising cloning program at an off-line secret lab. Those projects were his efforts to create a defense against all these anomalistic and Xeno archeological occurrences that had been increasing in frequency and posed a true threat to mankind.
There was always smoke surrounding Clark, but Lex had yet to find the actual fire.

To find a defense against Clark and anyone else like him, Lex had to know exactly what he was up against and what weaknesses he could exploit. If Lois Lane and Clark were romantically involved, then she was one possible avenue to exploit.

Early on, he had tried to leverage Chloe’s friendship with Clark to find the truth. But Chloe Sullivan never revealed anything about Clark that he did not already know. He knew she lied about him but had nothing other than the Talon to pressure her with and the Talon was simply not enough.

Lana knew far more about Clark than she would tell him. Even after they got married, Lana flatly denied having any information about Clark. It infuriated him and her steadfast refusal to divulge Clark secrets caused overheated friction between them. Their marriage had fallen apart because of that, and he had washed his hands of Lana Lang Luthor.

If Clark is the mystery superhero being in Metropolis, Lane would know. She knows this enigma more than anyone. At the very least, she can provide me with more information about this guy and maybe even other metahumans. Either way, she’s now my next target.

He knew he had to find a subtle way of finding out if Lois Lane and Clark were an item. He thought for a few moments and then picked up the phone.

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

So far, Lois had received a total of four requests for interviews on live TV broadcasts for local and national news, three magazine interview requests, and two guest appearances on morning show segments. These were in addition to phone calls she had received from people who read the article and had a story they wanted to share with Lois. There were sixteen of those and she wanted to interview each of them for a follow-up to her article.

“I need my own secretary,” she said to Clark. “I can hardly keep all these dates and times straight.”

Clark chuckled. It was almost two o’clock in the afternoon and it had been a steady stream of calls and emails. Many of the emails were from people thanking her for telling the truth about the Red Blue Blur and ending the mystery. She answered each email, sometimes with very brief replies but to demonstrate that she appreciated their comment.

A flower arrangement arrived just after noon from Senator Martha Kent with a congratulatory note. ‘Great work, Lois. Keep us posted!’ the note read. She wondered if Martha sensed anything about her knowing Clark’s secret. She shot Martha an email thanking her for the flowers.

Just after two-thirty, a small basket of muffins, cookies, and ground coffee was delivered. It included a note from Perry White congratulating her on the headline and her diligence in finally getting a front-page headline with the interview. She tried calling Perry to thank him, but his phone was out of range. He was in Africa somewhere and she had no other way of contacting him.

She tore open the muffin basket and grabbed one that had a crumble top. “I’m starving,” she exclaimed and took a bite of the freshly baked muffin. She rolled her eyes. “This is perfection!” she said.

“Do you want me to make a pot of coffee with that ground coffee,” Clark asked. “It would probably go great with those muffins and cookies.” Lois nodded and Clark took the semi-empty pot from the coffee maker to the bathroom to clean out the pot and get some fresh water. “Don’t eat everything before I get back,” he said with a grin.

By the time Lois was ready to leave work, she and Clark were the only two that remained in the bullpen and there were two cookies and half of a bag of coffee left in the basket. “Let’s grab some pizza on the way to your apartment, Lois,” Clark suggested. “We have a lot of work to do there, too.”

Lois agreed and smiled. “Sounds like a plan to me,” she chirped. “Not sure how much work we’ll get done though,” she added with an arched eyebrow, “not the way I feel right now.”

The newsroom was quiet and only the sound of periodic computer chimes and noises from beyond the bullpen were audible. “Maybe we should swing by the farm, too,” she said quietly. “I need to burn off some of this adrenaline.”

Chapter Text

It had been nearly two weeks since Lois’s article with the first interview of the Red Blue Blur was published and the flurry of interest that it generated had just begun to die down. It had been a wild time. Lois received congratulations from her competitors, from some celebrities, and had a call from the mayor of Metropolis. All the demands made of her time and attention had nearly stretched her to the breaking point. If it had not been for her super-powered boyfriend, she would be sleeping in her car, surrounded by boxes in the parking lot of her former apartment building.

Clark had literally been a godsend to Lois. She packed her personal trinkets box, but Clark did the bulk of the packing and when it came time to turn over her keys, the apartment was not only empty but also spotless. He spent late night hours during the cover of darkness moving her things to the farmhouse, being careful not to draw attention to his movement. That required him to basically carry one box at a time as he blurred from her apartment to the farmhouse and back. Boxes that had something other than clothes, cosmetics, toiletries, and trinkets went to the barn. The rest were strewn about in the farmhouse. Clark decided to move into the master bedroom, giving the two more closet space and room. Once Lois’s clothes were hung up and put away, Clark had little room left which necessitated him keeping his clothes in his old room.

Meanwhile, Lois had on-camera interviews virtually non-stop over the first six days with local and national news outlets. In between interviews, she had photoshoots to accompany articles in magazines and radio interviews on Sirius XM shows, syndicated radio broadcasts, and internet podcasts. Her friendly, high-energy personality, sharp wit, and easy sense of humor, not to mention her natural beauty, made her a valuable commodity to live media. She received several offers from local television stations and one cable network for screen tests to co-host or have a standing segment on weekend morning or Sunday news shows. She turned them down, although co-hosting a local morning show was appealing to her provided Clark could be her co-host.

The next two days were filled with demands for reviews or approvals of articles written by other news outlets that quoted or paraphrased her interview with the Red Blue Blur. There were so many that Lois was not assigned any other news stories since the interview broke. She had been reacting and responding for eight days straight, working through the weekend and start of the following week.

“This is crazy,” Lois complained to Clark when they arrived to work to find her inbox half-full of requests for review. She scooped them up and held them mid-air, shaking her head. “I haven’t had a break since this whole thing started. I was so excited to begin with but now it’s turned into a nightmare. Will it ever end?”

The bullpen was buzzing with its normal morning rush of stories. Phone calls were being made and received. Appointments were being made to interview people. Strategies and ideas were being discussed around the coffee pot. Lois missed it all. “It’s the price of fame, I guess,” Clark replied. “It won’t last forever, Lois, but it’s sure more than 15 minutes. Remember what General Patton told his troops, ‘All fame is fleeting’. But I admit, you’re wearing yourself out and deserve a break after all of this.” He sat and then leaned forward. “I’m taking you to dinner tomorrow night at the Ace of Clubs for your birthday.”

Her face brightened. “Well played, Smallville! I didn’t even remember my birthday was tomorrow. Look at who remembers dates that don’t involve farm equipment auctions,” she said, facetiously. “You’re turning out to be a pretty good boyfriend.”

He smiled in return. “Just pretty good?”

“Slow down, Farmer John, there’s always room for improvement,” she quipped.

Clark nodded with a pinched smile. “I also asked Oliver if he would come and celebrate with us, and he said that he would. He asked if it would be okay to bring someone and I said absolutely. If Chloe wasn’t in the situation that she’s in, I would have invited her and Jimmy. Is there anyone else you’d like me to invite?” He leaned in with a smirk. “Cat, maybe?”

Lois rocked her head back and forth and her eyes sparkled. “I think we can avoid that trainwreck for now,” she said, looked around and leaned forward. “Skip Tess, too,” she added with a raised eyebrow and leaned back. “Why you’ve just turned my day around, Clark. Who could have guessed? Not me,” she added with a wink.

“Well, just so you know, Lois,” he began, “I wasn’t going to say anything until tomorrow, but I also spoke with Tess in the elevator about how you’ve been burning the candle at both ends since that interview hit last week and that you deserved some time off. She agreed and is okay with you taking Friday off. So, you’ll have a long weekend to relax after we celebrate your birthday.”

“What?” Lois cried incredulously. “How the hell does that happen? How is it that you get to ask Tess to give me time off?”

He lowered his voice. “Ever since she’s been back together with Oliver, she’s changed, Lois. She’s less corporate and more personable. Haven’t you noticed that?”

“Clark, she and I had a knockdown, drag out fight not so long ago. I don’t make it a habit of making idle banter with Tess. Hell, I don’t even speak to her any more than I absolutely have to.” She paused and frowned. “If she’s with Oliver, she knows about his ‘side job’. Do you think she knows about anyone else's?”

He shrugged and looked unsure. “I’m not sure but I’ll ask him tomorrow.”

She winced. “I just don’t want to have few celebratory cocktails too many, slip up, and say something I shouldn’t around someone who doesn’t know. You know?”

“Well, I can’t say I know exactly what you mean because I’ve never had that many drinks. I would have to drink the Ace of Clubs dry before I could get intoxicated. But I do know what you’re saying and you’re right. You can’t be too careful when it comes to talking about the team.”

Lois leafed through the review requests while Clark checked his email for assignments. “Hey,” he asked without looking up, “how about a couple donuts? I’ll buy,” he added, still checking his email.

Her head snapped up. “Maple ones, please. And since you’re footing the bill, I wouldn’t object to a cup of decent coffee either. It's like it's against the law to have one made here in the bullpen,” she said, as she began sifting through the requests again.

“Be back in a flash,” he said and got up from his desk, walked to the elevator, and disappeared.

Lois smiled to herself. Maybe this day won’t be so bad after all.

Later that night when they went to bed, Clark had told her that the reaction from the public and other media sources had been much more accepting, supportive, and positive than in the “other time”. Some of the pandemonium that arose from her article in that time was caused by other media sources running wild using quotes without context and innuendo from the article that eventually bred distrust, confusion, and outright fear of an alien invasion. There was none of that this time, and when he mentioned that to Lois, she raised an important point.

“You know, people will never trust you fully when they cannot see you, Clark. Right now, they are fascinated by you but at some point, you’ll need to reveal yourself to the public. That’s the only way you’re going to garner their full trust and affection.” She rolled onto her side and absently drew swirls on his chest with her finger. “If you think about it, it’s how you gained my full trust and affection.” She leaned in and kissed him chastely on the lips and rolled back over.

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

“Nothing like the end of a light day to ease into a long weekend courtesy of Clark,” Lois announced.

It had been an easy day when compared to the previous nine. Lois had been in demand nearly nonstop, and this day was the first day that she had time to do something other than just respond to interviews or review details of her interview for accuracy. The bullpen had cleared out for the day and Lois and Clark had waited for the staff to leave.

She had brought a small suitcase with her that contained her a change of clothes and makeup for her birthday party at the Ace of Clubs. Clark had told her that it was not necessary, that he could blur her to the farmhouse to get changed, but she decided it would be less trouble if she changed at work before going to dinner.

“I want to get changed and straightened up. I’ll just be a few minutes, Clark,” she said as she wheeled her suitcase Clark had brought into the bullpen from his truck in the employee parking garage.

“Riiiight,” he replied, knowing full well that he had enough time to dash home, get cleaned up, and get back to his desk long before Lois ever emerged from the ladies’ room. He did just that but also had time to stop, get a bouquet of flowers for her and pick up the sterling silver bracelet that he had purchased for her that had a heart-shaped charm engraved with ‘LJL’. He even had time to wrap it with some wrapping paper that someone had left in the supply room.

When she emerged, Lois looked even more beautiful to Clark than he had expected. “See? That didn’t take long, did it,” she declared. She wore a simple but elegant black sequined sleeveless cocktail dress with stiletto heels and a simple white pearl necklace. She wore her hair up and Clark’s reaction to seeing her nearly brought tears to her eyes.

“You look beautiful Lois; you look like Audrey Hepburn!” he said.

She made a face. “Who?”

He frowned and cocked his head. “Audrey Hepburn? Actress. My Fair Lady, Breakfast at Tiffany’s; you've never heard of her?” he replied.

Lois smirked. “Of course, I know who she is, Farmer John. I’m just surprised you did.” She snorted, “I wasn’t sure if Smallville had started showing ‘talkies’ yet.” She saw his suit. “Did you bring a change of clothes, too?” She straightened his tie and said quietly, “I do like a man in a power suit!”

Clark withdrew the oddly wrapped rectangular jewelry box containing the bracelet from his desk drawer. “This is for you, Lois. Happy birthday,” he said, handing it to her. He also produced a birthday card from his desk drawer that had an image of a NASCAR race and quips about the years racing by.

She looked at the box for a moment, then looked at Clark and suppressed a laugh. “Were you angry with this box when you wrapped it?” she chided. Before he could answer, she tore at the paper and opened the box. “Clark! This is beautiful,” she said, removing the bracelet from the box and rotating it.” She saw the engraving and smiled. “Thank you,” she said, and they kissed in the empty office. “I love it!”/p>

“I’m glad you like it. I’ve never been very good at picking out gifts,” he admitted.

“Or wrapping them, I might add,” she said with a grin. “Well now that we're together, feel free to practice picking out as many gifts for me as you want, Smallville. I’ll tell you when I think you 've got the hang of it.” She struggled putting the bracelet on. “Can you help me with this?” He helped her clasp the bracelet and then handed her the bouquet that had been poorly concealed behind his monitor. “There’s more?” she asked. “And you’re taking me to dinner at a nice place. This is the best birthday I’ve had since my mom died,” she declared.

He smiled. “Are you ready to go, Miss Lane,” he asked, holding out his bent arm.

“Am I ever,” Lois replied. She took his arm, and they headed off to the Ace of Clubs. “I could eat a horse.”

When they arrived at the Ace of Clubs, the maître d’ escorted them to a small room apart from the main dining room. Clark frowned. “Um, I made reservations,” he said, “but I didn’t reserve a separate room.”

“The room was reserved by Mr. Queen,” the maître d’ said.

They entered the room, and it was dimly lit with a single round table, white tablecloth, small votive candles, and four places set. Next to the table was a stand with an ice bucket and champagne bottle rising from it. A small white card was propped against the bucket that read, Happy Birthday, Lois, and was signed by Oliver. “Madam,” the maître d’ said, pulling the chair out for Lois as Clark moved to her left.

A waiter appeared from a darkened corner of the room as the maître d’ left. “Mr. Queen will be arriving momentarily. Until then, can I get you anything to drink?”

After the waiter took their drink orders, Lois reached over and took Clark’s hand. “This is so nice, Clark,” she began, and her eyes became glassy. “After years of birthdays being just another day, it’s nice to be celebrated like this. And I know birthdays aren’t that special but it’s the thought and effort from people you love that makes it special. I just wanted you to know how much I appreciate it,” she said and leaned in and kissed him passionately.

“Hey, you two,” a voice called from the doorway. “There’s a bucket of ice right next to you. Don’t make me have to use it on you!”
Lois and Clark’s kiss was interrupted by grins and they both rose.

“Oliver!” Lois cried and held her arms open to hug him. Behind him was an attractive raven-haired brunette with dark eyes and ruby lips.

“Happy birthday, Lois!” Oliver replied, letting her loose and turning to his partner. “Lois, Clark; this is Zatanna Zatara.”

“Call me ‘Zee’, if you like. It’s a little less flamboyant,” she said with a smile. “Pleased to meet you both. Oliver has told me so much about you.” She looked at Lois. “Happy birthday, Lois. She glanced at Clark and then back at Lois. “I’d say that I hope all your dreams come true, but it looks like they already have!” Lois beamed.

Clark shot Oliver a glance and he nodded slightly. “So,” Clark began, “you know about us, but we know hardly anything about you, Zee,” he said as they all sat down. But before she could speak, the waiter appeared with cocktails that Lois and Clark had ordered and took Oliver and Zatanna’s beverage orders and disappeared again.

Lois gave Clark a puzzled look. “Wait! I thought you said that she was part of your team. Why don’t you know everything about her?”

“She is an adjunct member of the team. She has agreed to help when she’s available and her special skills are needed. There have been several situations in the past where Zee participated but I wasn’t part of that situation. So, this is really the first time Zee and I are meeting.” Clark gave her a look and nodded implying there may be more to tell, but at a later time.

Zatanna gave Clark and Lois a brief and rather modest biography considering the powerful magician and sorceress she was billed being. She learned her craft from her father and carried on with his career. Lois was fascinated by Zatanna.

“Zee is being modest, everyone,” Oliver said. “I’ve never met anyone with her abilities, and they are impressive.” Zatanna smiled humbly.

After the drinks were delivered, Oliver asked the waiter to give them fifteen minutes to look at the menus in private. Once the waiter left the room, and Oliver broke the ice about what Zatanna knew and what she would be doing to help Chloe overcome her breakdown. As Clark had alluded to Lois, Oliver had planned to set Chloe up in Star City at the Queen Industries IT department to help keep an eye on her while her mind filled in some of the gaps that Zatanna’s spell would create. “Once her mind stitches together the gaps, she’ll lead a normal life,” he said. “She just won’t pose any danger of accidentally talking about the team, our identities, or locations, or operations, or any of it because she will be like everyone else. She’ll only know what she reads about in the paper.”

“That’s reassuring,” Clark said. “But, it’s also a bit heart-breaking too. I know Chloe was so fulfilled working out of Watchtower.”

“You can really do that with a spell,” Lois said to Zatanna, wide-eyed. The magician nodded. “No side effects or aftereffects?”

“Only minor things like having trouble remembering things where there were once memories of the work she’s doing at Watchtower and all that it involves.” She looked at Clark. “She won’t remember anything about you, your heritage, your abilities, or your winter resort in the Arctic,” she added with a wink.

“Winter resort?” Lois said, frowning. “What the hell, Clark? Your family has a ski resort and I’m just hearing about it?”

Oliver and Zatanna laughed, and Clark looked sheepish. “It’s a fantastic place, Lois, but it’s not a resort. We’ll go there very soon.” He looked at Oliver. “There is one other issue with Chloe’s treatment. We need someone who can replace her. Bart, Dinah, John, you, me; we can’t do everything that Chloe did and none of us can do it full time.”

Oliver nodded knowingly. “I’ve got some ideas about that, but I want to parse through them first before I bring them to the table.”

Dinner was served, and the champagne began flowing and the dinner concluded with a very delicious dark chocolate birthday cake for dessert. As they were leaving, Lois hugged Zatanna. “Thanks for taking care of Chloe. I really did enjoy meeting you, Zee. I hope we can meet again sometime,” she said.

“I travel a lot,” the magician said, “but I will make it a point of letting Clark or Oliver know when I’m going to be in town or nearby and we should get together then.”

“Please do, I’d really like that,” she replied, taking Clark’s hand and looking at him for agreement, “we both would”.

They promised to keep in touch and Oliver hugged Lois on his way out. “You two have a nice evening,” he whispered to her.

“You can count on it, Ollie. And, thanks for bringing Zee.” Oliver held onto Lois a beat longer than the situation called for, and in that moment, Lois realized how much Ollie still loved her but was resigned to let her go. The hug felt like a final acknowledgement of that resignation, like a final good-bye embrace when a former lover is reluctantly moved to the friend zone.

When they left the restaurant, it was after 10 PM. Clark took Lois’s hand and they walked down the sidewalk headed to the Daily Planet employee parking garage where Clark’s truck was parked. It was a beautiful night; a very slight breeze was blowing. A new moon left the streets dark with only the old streetlights providing a soft dim glow.

The air had cooled nicely and was dryer than usual. They both felt the night had been a perfect conclusion to a hectic ten days. “This was so nice,” Lois said. “I really liked meeting Zee.” She squeezed his hand. “Thank you again, Clark.”

“Maybe we can…” Clark began and stopped mid-sentence when a man with a gun grabbed Lois’s right arm and yanked her into a lightless recess between buildings.

Lois gasped as the man held Lois around the shoulders from behind and in his outstretched had was a Heckler and Koch 9mm pistol pointed at Clark’s backlit head. “Hand over your wallet and no one gets hurt,” the man said.

Clark began to step forward and the gun moved to Lois’s head. “Not another step or someone’s going to the morgue,” the mugger warned.

“Could be you,” Lois said, grabbing the man’s gun and simultaneously stomping on the instep of his foot and elbowing him in the solar plexus. And before either Lois or her assailant realized it, Clark was holding the gun.

The mugger was gasping for breath when Lois delivered a solid left hook that landed squarely on his right jaw and knocked him to the ground, semi-conscious. She looked at Clark, smiled shakily, flexed her left hand a bit, and then dug in her purse for her phone. She dialed the police while Clark stood guard.

The Metropolis PD unit arrived within minutes and took that mugger into custody. They also took the man’s weapon as evidence and took the initial statements from Lois and Clark. After thirty minutes, they were released.

“Let’s skip getting the truck and go straight to the farm,” Lois said. “You can come back for your truck tomorrow, right?”

Clark smiled. “That’s what I was about to say before we were interrupted.”

The adrenaline was still coursing through Lois’s veins, and she was aroused. Once they were well away from the crime scene, they turned a corner and Clark picked Lois up in his arms, they kissed, and he launched them into the black night sky.

He flew faster than he had before, and they landed at the Kent farm less than 30 seconds later. He landed just in front of the porch. Lois was a bit wind-blown but exhilarated from the flight. They got inside and walked directly upstairs.

Lois furiously tried to unhook the back of her dress. “Can you help me with this, Clark,” she asked. He unfastened the hook and loop fastener and zipped the back of the black sequined dress down until it stopped just below her lower back. She wriggled out of it and let it drop to the floor, kicked off her shoes, yanked her panties to the ground, and jumped into the bed. “Let’s go, soldier,” she purred wantonly.

In a blur, Clark was beside her, naked and pulling her into his arms. She felt his warmth radiating and although she was not chilly, the warmth was oddly both soothing and arousing her further. “Make love to me, Honey,” she said hoarsely and without another word, Clark repositioned himself on top of her, kissed her deeply and began making love to her.

Just over seventy minutes later, each lay spent and satisfied, Lois damp with sweat and nearly breathless from the torrid lovemaking. The adrenaline was gone and the sweet sense of falling into a deep and well-deserved sleep overtook them both.

Clark was up early the next morning. He showered, dressed, made a pot of coffee, and was about to leave when Lois stumbled down the stairs and into the kitchen with a groggy glow and bed hair. She wore a t-shirt and boxer shorts. She frowned at Clark. “Are you going to the Planet today?” she said as he handed her a cup of coffee.

“No. I took the day off to be with you,” he replied. “But I am going into Metropolis to get the truck, so I’ll be gone a couple hours. I am going to stop at Watchtower on the way. I wanted to talk to Ollie before I get back home. I’m interested in hearing his ideas about replacing Chloe at Watchtower.”

“I wish you didn’t have to do that,” Lois whined. “Last night…well, the whole day yesterday was so perfect. I just wanted to thank you,” she added with a tone that conveyed more than just words of thanks.

Clark chuckled and gently pulled her to him. He kissed her. “I thought you did a pretty good job of that last night. I certainly felt grateful and sufficiently thanked. But maybe when I get back,” he said with a lascivious grin and trailed off. He then took a final swallow of coffee, kissed her on the cheek and blurred out of the farmhouse.

Lois sat at the kitchen table, took a sip of coffee, closed her eyes, took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. She opened her eyes, looked at her surroundings and smiled. My God, Lois, can you believe this is happening, she thought.

Chapter Text

What the hell is this? Lois thought as she pulled an odd octagonal metallic object from a book that had been burned out in the exact shape to hold the object. There were bizarre markings of some sort around the sides. It felt heavy for such a small object, and she wondered if it was made of lead. She bounced it in the palm of her hand, judging its weight. Then she tried to scratch it with her fingernail to judge its hardness but could not make a mark on it. This isn’t lead but it’s a really dense piece of metal.

While Clark was out getting the truck from Metropolis, Lois had decided to try and put away items that were stored in boxes from her apartment. Her clothing and toiletries were all in place already, but she had not yet decided what to do with everything else. Having a spare set of kitchenware, bedroom furniture, bedding, and living room furniture was not a bad thing. Her living room furniture would replace what Clark used in the loft.

She still secretly enjoyed coming to his hideout. It was his place, his retreat, and now she belonged there as much as anything else. She was a part of him and as such, a part of the loft. Putting the furniture that she bought for her apartment made his place their place.

Getting rid of some of the old furniture and junk that Clark accumulated over the years would make the loft a nicer place, but she worried that it might destroy what had made it special to him. So instead, she was going through everything in the loft to have some “suggestions” of things that he could get rid of to make room for the things from her apartment.

Which nerd convention did he get this at? ‘Met Con’? she thought. No, ‘Small Con’! She snorted at the thought of a comic convention in Smallville. She put it back in its place and returned the book to the footlocker in which she found it.

A framed picture of Lana in the footlocker caught her eye and Lois withdrew it. She was tempted to find a final resting place for it at the bottom of the garbage can but thought better of it. Other than unwittingly stepping on her toes, Lana had never purposely tried to hurt or insult Lois, although she inadvertently had. Knowing what she knew now about Clark and knowing that Clark had kept his secret from Lana for years, she sympathized with Lana and her on-again, off-again relationship with Clark. As wonderful as Clark is, it put her through hell trying to understand him and his intentions before knowing his secret. And Lana endured it far longer than she had. She smiled sadly and put the framed picture back in the footlocker.

This is going to be a harder job than I thought.

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

Clark found Oliver at Watchtower as he expected to. Oliver had spent the night before celebrating with Lois and him and Clark figured that he would not be heading home directly after the dinner. “Ollie!” he called out.

“Over here, Clark,” Oliver replied, peeking his head out from behind an array of monitors that Chloe would sit behind. “Just trying to see what we could change if we need to have a remote operator for Watchtower.”

“First off, thanks for coming last night. Lois was really pleased that you came, and I know she really liked Zatanna. Lois could hardly stop talking about her.”

“Well, Zee felt the same. And you don’t have to thank me. I had a great time and I appreciated the invitation.” He paused and seemed to be getting emotional. He put his hand on Clark’s shoulder. “You’re a lucky man, Clark. I hope you know that.” He turned around quickly and cleared his throat. He reached back behind the chair and pulled out a wrapped gift. “This is from Zee. She wanted Lois to have it but didn’t have time to get it finished before last night.”

Clark took the wrapped gift that was obviously a framed photo or perhaps one of Zatanna’s posters. “I’m sure she’ll love it,” Clark said. “Hopefully, she’ll be back this way soon. I’m sure Lois will find a way to get in touch with Zee to thank her personally.”

He set the gift aside. “Have you settled on where you’re going to send Chloe after Zatanna is finished?”

“I’m glad you asked, Clark. Instead of Star City, I was thinking that isolating her that far from Lois might not be all that beneficial. I have a server farm in eastern Colorado, just south of Burlington that I think Chloe might feel really comfortable working at and managing at some point. That way, Lois could slip over some weekends and see her. What do you think?”

“I think Lois would love that idea, Ollie. Keeping in touch with her family is important and Chloe was really the only family she felt like being in touch with. So, if that’s a possibility, you get two yes votes from us.”

“Great. I’m going to start restructuring out there to make room for her then. I’m guessing within a month. I think Dr. Hamilton will want to keep an eye on her a little longer.”

“You mentioned some ideas about replacing Chloe last night. Do you want to talk about it, or do you still have some things to work out?”

Oliver winced a bit. “I have to be honest with you Clark, I’m not sure you’ll like my idea, but I would ask that you at least think it through before dismissing it.” Clark nodded silently. “I was thinking that Tess would be a good replacement for Chloe.”

“She knows about you, obviously, but what about the rest of us? What, if anything, does she know about Watchtower, about what the team does and who makes up the team?”

Oliver nodded. “She knows what I do but I made that public. She knows I’m not alone because I sort of said that publicly as well. But that’s the extent of her knowledge that I know of,” he paused but then added, “I’ve never actually asked her what she knew about the rest of us.” Clark remained silent. “It would certainly make things easier for you getting up and leaving the Planet in the midst of an emergency. And I’m not so sure she doesn’t have an idea that you’re not everything you appear to be. She is a very smart woman.”

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

“Hello, Tess.”

Tess Mercer immediately recognized the voice of her estranged brother that until this moment had been considered and officially declared dead. She froze and a sickening feeling formed in the pit of her stomach. Her mouth went dry, and she grabbed a thermos bottle of filtered ice water and took a swallow. “Lex?”

“Back from the grave,” he replied. “Of all the people you expected to hear from today, I’ll bet I was not even on your list.”

“And why would you be? You’re legally dead.”

“Legally, yes. Medically, I’ve never been better. In fact, Tess, I’m thriving.” He then said, “I want to congratulate you and the Daily Planet for such a blockbuster interview. Quite impressive.”

Struggling to sound nonplussed, Tess replied, “So, you called me from some isolated location to congratulate me? That’s uncharacteristically thoughtful of you. But I’m afraid I’m quite busy this morning…”

“No Tess, that’s not the reason I called. I’m intrigued by the extent Lois Lane’s was granted access by this being. I am wondering if you know how she got the interview to begin with?”

“I don’t know how often you read the Daily Planet, Lex, but if you have over the last ten months you would have seen a steady stream of articles about this man. The articles were all by Lois Lane. If nothing else, Miss Lane is an intrepid reporter, and her tireless pursuit of a story is a hallmark of the work she produces. Why do you ask?”

“I am just curious. I have personally known Ms. Lane for years and while we were not particularly close, I did admire her work ethic when she was at the Talon in Smallville.” He paused. “But I don’t quite remember Ms. Lane being so unique in her work ethic that other journalists would not be able to get stories before her. So, I am left wondering why Lois Lane, as opposed to every other reporter in this city, was granted access by this mystery being and why she always seems to get the stories first. I thought you might know since the Daily Planet seems to be at this being’s beckoned call, that’s all.”

“Hmm,” Tess murmured. “Nothing is ever ‘all’ when you’re involved, Lex. You have an ulterior motive, and I assume you are not interested in sharing that with me.”

“I’m glad you asked, Tess. I do have an ulterior motive. I may be thriving today but that’s only because the world believes I’m dead. I have been the target of a group of metahuman activists that have destroyed some of the experimental and developmental work of Lexcorp and I believe Lane’s mystery man is one of them. I was the victim of an assassination attempt over two years ago that forced me into hiding. My ulterior motive is to confront and expose this metahuman and his friends for what they are, domestic terrorists.”

Tess considered what he said. “I can only guess that Miss Lane does not reveal her sources or her methods and I respect her journalistic integrity. I’m afraid that I cannot help you with that, Lex. So, if there’s nothing else?”

“There is something else, something I’m missing.”

“If you mean your tennis rackets; sorry, but I donated them to the Salvation Army, Lex.”

“I’m sure you know what I’m missing, Tess, and make no mistake, I’m coming for it.”

“What is ‘it’ exactly, Lex? Perhaps I no longer possess it.”

“Why, ‘it’ is everything, Tess. ‘It’ is my money, my investments, Lexcorp, my homes, my cars and my toys. ‘It’ is the estate you inherited that I’m coming for.”

Tess thought for a moment. “I’m sorry, according to the court, all those things belong to me now and you can't have them back. You disappeared and somehow, a badly burned corpse with your DNA was all the court needed to declare you dead and in probate, all that was your estate is now mine.”

“We’ll see about that,” Lex warned. “I just wanted to let you know that I am still alive and well and I intend to restore my rightful inheritance under my name.”

“Well, that could prove quite costly and I’m not sure you have the resources left to challenge me in court. But I’ll enjoy seeing you dither away what little reserves you have trying to.”

“And what if we make an agreement right now, Tess? We’ll split everything; the cash, precious metals and stones, homes, holdings, all of it. I get ownership of Lexcorp, its subsidiaries minus the Daily Planet, but all its patents, contracts, and its development facilities.”

“And why would I want to make a deal like that, Lex? I already have it all.”

“Because otherwise, you will lose it all. A settlement is beneficial for both of us. The cost to you is practically nothing, the price is you telling me how Lois Lane gained access to this superhero of Metropolis and how she seems to get all the stories first. Otherwise, we’re going to court and I have a very strong case to take it all, including the Daily Planet, the Metropolis condo, and the Luthor mansion.”

She thought about the deal Lex just posed. Accepting it would leave her with roughly $550 million dollars in cash, precious metals and stones, properties and residences. Lex would get about $165 million dollars in cash, precious metals and stones, and Lexcorp valued at billions of dollars. “Lexcorp is fungible, Lex. It’s the main source of wealth for the estate, for me. It has to worth tens of billions of dollars.” She paused and then continued. “And as far as a strong case goes, it seems to me that you perpetrated a fraud upon the court. I don't know how you could consider your standing with that court very strong at all. But, you know what? I will entertain the idea of reaching a settlement, but not until I consult with my attorneys and my accountants first. Ten weeks should give me enough time to get a good estimate of the value of your proposal and the potential strength of your claim. Since I do not have your number, call me back ten weeks from today and we will discuss the settlement in earnest.”

“Lexcorp and knowing how Lane gained access to the Red Blue Blur are non-negotiable parts of any settlement, Tess. Everything else is negotiable apart from those two conditions. So, I will call you in six weeks. You have the resources to put a rush on all the things you need to find out.”

“But I’m not the one in a hurry, am I? So, why should I sink more money into this than I need to? But I don’t want to sound unreasonable either, and it sounds to me like we settled on eight weeks.”

“So it would seem. Eight weeks, Tess. Until then,” Lex replied, and the line went dead.

Tess disconnected and put her phone down and took another large swallow of ice water.

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

“Lex Luthor is alive.”

“What?” Morris asked. “How?”

Morris Edleman was a high-powered attorney in Metropolis and the first person that Tess called after hearing from Lex. He was fully aware of Tess’s situation and had served as her personal attorney for three years.

“I don’t know, it wasn't a catch-up type phone call. All I know is that he called me out of the blue this morning.”

“And you’re sure it was him?” Lois nodded. “What did he want?”

“What do you think; control of Lexcorp and his estate returned to him.”

Tess had asked Morris if he would meet with her in person at her executive apartment above Lexcorp headquarters and he came right away. The apartment was sparsely appointed, very industrial in style and it exuded a cold corporate feel and gave an austere and oppressive sense of power. The walls appeared to be poured concrete slabs with indirect lighting and occasional smoked glass partitions framed in brilliantly polished stainless steel. The floor was stained concrete, buffed into a matte finish that gave it the look of massive slabs of travertine limestone. Persian rugs were placed strategically under tables and beneath chairs and a coffee table positioned in front of a gas fireplace. Artwork was present but subtle. Instead, the walls and recesses displayed ancient artifacts on lighted shelving and sculptures on pedestals.

“Have you reached out to the estate attorneys you used in the probate process to explain your rights in this?” the attorney asked. “It seems after being declared dead two years ago and his estate went to probate, you’re now the lawful recipient heir.” He paused. “As you know, my legal field is criminal law. I can represent you, Miss Mercer, but I will also bring on the best I can find in the field of probate and civil law that might apply here.”

Tess stood and walked to a bar, poured herself a scotch and one for Edelman. “They’re researching the case law for precedents in something like this. I also have a team of accountants valuating the estate.”

He frowned. “Why would you do that at this point?”

She was silent for a moment and swirled the scotch in her glass. “Lex proposed a settlement. He proposed a 70-30 divide of the cash, stocks, holdings, properties, and the Daily Planet. He wants Lexcorp, its patents, its subsidiaries, its facilities, and its contracts.” She paused waiting for his reaction.

“And how do you feel about that proposal? I assume you’re on the 70 percent side of the split, right?” She nodded. “But Lexcorp has to be worth hundreds of billions of dollars. The offer sounds awfully one-sided to me.”

“Me too. But there’s something else,” Tess said, “Something he said was non-negotiable.” She paused. “He wants to know how my reporter got her interview with the Red Blue Blur. I have no idea why or if she even really knows how to find him.”

Morris thought for a moment. “I can’t judge Mr. Luthor’s motives beyond his desire to regain control of his company. My advice right now is to wait until you hear from the other attorneys, but personally, Miss Mercer, I think you should consider telling Lex that you’re willing to go to court. That gives you three advantages: you have the ability to keep making money during all the legal maneuvering and Lex won’t, it keeps the option open to settle at some point if the situation calls for it because arbitration may be ordered, and it holds Lex’s real objectives at bay for the duration of the hearing, which could take months for a court date. The valuation of Lexcorp itself has to be done as part of it and that process alone could take months before a court date is even set.

“By that time, maybe we could get a better handle on what Lex might be up to. And if you find that Mr. Luthor’s motives are illegal, immoral, or unethical, that can work in your favor as well.”

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

“Lois?” he called from the doorway to the farmhouse. He did not see her as he drove up and x-rayed the house.

“I’m out here in the barn,” she called from the loft.

Clark blurred to her side. He pulled her into a kiss.

“Not that I’m complaining but what was that for?” she asked.

“For missing you over the last four hours.” He smiled and before she could reply, he said, “Wait, I have something for you.” He blurred to the truck and back to the loft. He carried a wrapped gift. “Ollie gave this to me and asked me to give it to you. It’s a birthday gift from Zee.”

“Artwork?” Lois guessed with a frown. She tore the paper away to reveal a copy of the front page of the Daily Planet, dated August 7th with her headline and article professionally framed. Tears immediately formed in her eyes and streaked down her cheeks. “This is so nice,” she said. “I want to hang it in the house somewhere if you’re okay with that.” She smiled and wiped the tears from her cheeks.

“Of course it is, Lois. As long as you're with me, it’s your house too.” He paused. “I’ll take it inside right now. It looks like you’re hands are full with whatever you’re doing out here.”

“I’m…” she began, and Clark disappeared. He reappeared almost as quickly. “As I was saying, I’m trying to figure out what stays, what goes, and where to put the rest.” She looked around at the boxes Clark had stacked on the floor of the barn and then back at Clark. “I was looking up here to see about maybe replacing some of the furniture you have up here with what I had in the apartment.” She shrugged. “I just didn’t know how attached you were to any of the stuff.”

“The furniture up here? I have fond memories of but no attachment.” Lois brightened up. “I’d have to rummage through some things up here to make sure nothing important to me gets thrown out.”

Lois smirked. “Important like the trinket from the nerd fest you have in that footlocker?”

Clark cocked his head and frowned. “What trinket; what nerd fest?”

Lois went to the footlocker and withdrew the book that contained the ‘trinket’. She opened the book and held up the key to the transport console in the Kawatche caves. “This!” she said, chuckling. “Is this from a Star Trek convention you attended at the comic book store in Smallville?”

“How did you find that?” Clark asked seriously.

Lois was taken aback. “I told you; I was looking through things to find what stayed and what went. I came across this when I opened the footlocker.”

“That’s not a souvenir or merchandising item, Lois. It’s a key.”

She held it up. “A key? That must be a hell of a door lock to pick. I’ve never seen a key like this.”

“Remember when Zee mentioned a winter resort in the Arctic at dinner last night? This is the key to get there.”

Lois froze. “Are you talking about a spaceship? You take some type of spaceship to get there? Is there room for me or is it just a one-seater?”

Clark burst out in laughter. “I can fly, Lois. I don’t need a spaceship but that’s pretty funny.” He paused. “There is a Kryptonian portal that was installed a century or more ago. The portal transports anyone in the immediate vicinity to the ‘resort’ Zee mentioned. It’s really my place to retreat to in order to find answers for things I face or for guidance.”

“So, it’s like the loft without the dust and comic books?”

“Right.”

Lois struggled with the term transport. “So how does it transport someone? Do you ride in something or does an elevator door open up or…well, how does it work?”

“It’s like a dimensional doorway opens and you walk in and are in the fortress up in the Arctic. The mechanics of it are a bit more complicated,” he concluded.

She frowned. “Didn’t you say you were going to take me there? Soon, if my memory serves me.”

Clark looked around. “I don’t see why we can’t go right now. You’ll want to get some warmer clothing on though. It’s the Arctic and even though it’s August, it isn’t ever ‘Daisy Dukes’ weather up there.” He looked at her cutoff jeans. “Which is a pity,” he concluded.

“Got it!” Lois said and disappeared down the stairs and began rummaging through some boxes. She pulled out an older Gortex military jacket with hood that she had since she was a teen. She dug around some more and pulled out its liner to zip in, a knit cap, some woolen socks, and some gloves. “Will these do?” Clark nodded. “Okay, I’ll be back in a minute.”

“Sure,” Clark replied as Lois carried them into the farmhouse. Clark looked around at the furnishings in the loft. There were things he wanted to keep. His telescope, of course, along with a throw his mom had made for him and an afghan blanket his mom had knitted using the Smallville High colors. Pictures and things like that he would keep in his footlocker but the rest could go, he determined. In a matter of seconds, the loft was stripped of the items he could donate or dump, replaced them with furniture from Lois’s apartment, and found a corner of the barn to place the remainder of the boxes, a nightstand, and a few table lamps. He grabbed a canvas tarpaulin and laid it over the pile he had made.

Twenty minutes later when Lois came back into the barn, she frowned. “What happened here?” she said, referring to a pile of old, disassembled furniture.

“I expedited your process. I got rid of everything in the loft except for those things I wanted to keep. I put your furnishings upstairs in place of this stuff. The boxes and remainder of your things are under that tarp in the corner.”

“I was out here for like three hours and couldn’t figure out if I should replace anything.”

“So, I helped you, right?”

“That’s one way to look at it. The other way is realizing I lost three hours of shut-eye trying to be considerate while redecorating the barn.” She cracked a smile. “No good deed goes unpunished! But yes, it helped out tremendously.”

“Then you’re ready to go?” he asked. She nodded and he looked closer. “Did you put on makeup?” he asked incredulously.

“Hello? Of course I did. I don’t know who we’re going to run into up there. Everyone knows about this place except me, it sounds like you hold keggers up there. I didn't want to look like I'd been in a barn all morning.”

"You'll always look great, Lois." Before they left the barn, Clark picked up Lois. “But you’ll melt wearing those clothes if we don’t get there pretty soon.” He blurred to the Kawatche caves and set her on her feet.

She exhaled. “I’m actually starting to get used to that,” she quipped. Lois had motion sickness the first time Clark blurred her to Smallville. She preferred to fly.

They walked deep into the caves and Lois noticed petroglyphs on the walls. “Well this is kinda cool,” she remarked. They proceeded to a fissure that was wide enough to walk through. Slipping through it, they reached a chamber where the Kryptonian transport console had been erected.

Clark took the key from his pocket. “You ready?” and she nodded. “Hold onto my arm,” he added and slid the key into the slot in the console. A brilliant light appeared, and the room was enveloped in white-golden glow. They stepped forward and she was in the Arctic holding onto Clark’s arm. He retrieved a small crystal from a receptacle in the wall and the light quickly faded. She saw massive, interlaced crystals that jutted upward from the surface creating an intricate ceiling high inside the structure. There were smaller flat outcroppings to use as steps or seats.

Her eyes were wide as she looked around. “This is unbelievable. I didn’t even realize we left that cave and we’re here! I don’t understand how it happened.” She exhaled audibly. “This place…it’s amazing!”

Clark took her hand. “It’s more than just a structure. But let me show you around first.” He led her to a chamber that was a living area with a large bed, a bathroom, complete with shower and toilet, and an area that had limited food preparation devices. “Light is captured and reflected in the chambers for visibility. It also provides stored energy for heat.”

“Yes, I don’t feel like I’m in the Arctic. It’s not bikini weather, but it’s not freezing cold in here like I expected. It’s incredible,” Lois said. “Have you had members of the team here?”

“No,” Clark replied. “They know this structure exists and where it's at, but unless I’m here, it’s just an array of ice crystals.”

“So, you need to be here for it to function like this?”

“Well, no. I know how to activate the all the operating systems and functions. It doesn’t depend on me to function but unless someone knew how to activate these functions, it’s only a fascinating pile of ice buried in snow in the Arctic.”

She remained astounded at the size and volume inside the fortress. “So, what do you do when you come here? I mean, it's a getaway but if it were up to me and I had my choice, I think it would have been a lot closer to Bali.”

He took her hand. “Come on; I’ll show you what I do.” He led her back to the area where they first arrived. It was a large hall with one end seemingly a solid panel of ice and the other end a strange looking podium with a number of tubes protruding from the top of it.

Clark took a crystal from within the podium and placed it in the tube. The tube lit up and a glow appeared at the large panel opposite the podium. A voice boomed and it startled Lois. “Kal-El, my son. What do you wish to discuss with me?”

“That is my birth father, Lois. His name is Jor-El.” He turned to the screen and spoke loudly. “Jor-El, I would like to know the history of Krypton,” he replied, and the booming voice began a dissertation on the history of Clark’s home planet. Along with the verbal history, pale images appeared on the glowing slab, beginning with one of Jor-El as the recorded AI image spoke. “Aren’t you glad you put on makeup?” he said, smirking.

He looked at Lois, who remained wide-eyed while watching the images flash on the slab of ice. He smiled. “I come here for answers, Lo. The knowledge of the 27 known galaxies at the time Krypton was destroyed had been captured and was included in the ship that carried me to Earth.”

“Yeah, I had an encyclopedia set when I was growing up too," she snarked. "How did you build this place?”

“I didn’t. It was a crystal that was in my ship that drew me to this location. When I threw the crystal, this whole structure grew within minutes.” Clark withdrew the crystal from the tube and the slab of ice went dark and Clark drew another crystal from the podium-like console. He inserted it into a different tube and Jor-El’s image appeared once again. This time, “Welcome, Kal-El,” was all it said.

Clark explained that this mode was interactive and announced Lois to the Kryptonian AI-powered Jor-El, which captured her name, voice, and image into the database of knowledge and allowed her to speak, very briefly, to Jor-El.

After demonstrating the functions that the fortress provided for him, he looked at her. “Do you want to go back to the farm now?”

Lois hesitated. “Yes and no. This place is fantastic, and I could stay here all weekend wondering around and asking questions of your father. But there are things I intended to get done back at the farm to get fully settled in. So if it's okay with you, let’s head home. I'd rather come back when I have no other plans and can really take some time to enjoy it here.”

“Sure! We’ll come back sometime,” Clark said. “There’s not much to do here for you anyway.”

She shrugged and smiled. “Twenty-seven galaxies, huh. Maybe a game of 'Intergalactic Trivial Pursuit'?" she said, then narrowed her eyes. "Or Strip Trivial Pursuit!" she said, hip checking him and he chuckled. "If I run out of things to do, that huge bed in the other chamber was hard to miss. I’m sure we could find something that we could do together that would keep me from getting bored or feeling left out.”

Chapter Text

This can’t be right. Lex watched as a blinking GPS point on a digital map had moved from the location of the Kent farm to a point near the town of Smallville. It moved, stopped, and then instantly jumped to some spot in the Arctic and then apparently froze because there was no movement at all. Angry, Lex snapped the monitor off and picked up his phone and selected a contact to call.

“Yes, sir,” the voice answered.

“Your tracking system has malfunctioned. You need to fix it,” Lex said. “I don’t tolerate incompetence, and I don’t suffer fools. You should hope that I don’t deem you to be either.” He disconnected from the call and slammed his fist on the table at which he sat. “Damn it,” he hissed.

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

It had been two months since Lois’s interview with the Red Blue Blur and he had been particularly active. He thwarted several criminal acts but mostly his activity involved helping people in dangerous or threatening situations. He had saved lives and prevented injury or damage. Working only during the hours of darkness, however, limited his effectiveness.

On the weekdays and particularly the weekends, Lois and Clark had begun to naturally develop a routine, a rhythm. On the weekends when there were no NASCAR races, football games, or monster truck competitions on the television, Lois loved walking around Smallville with Clark, getting to know some people, talking with people she remembered from earlier years, getting an ice cream cone at the local ice cream shop, and going to the park and watching children play in the wide-open field. It all felt so natural, so normal. The hustle and bustle of the newsroom was a nice change of pace during the work week, but the weekends allowed for some unwinding.

It was a nice day in early October. The temperature was climbing into the 60’s and the air was dryer than usual. Fall was upon them and a smattering of orange-red foliage on the flat landscape had begun to appear. Lois had packed a picnic basket, and they went to the park. She laid out a blanket and they sat beneath a tree and ate their lunch.

“You know,” she began, “I never thought I’d be in this situation; sitting around watching kids play in a park with nothing pressing to do.”

Clark swallowed. “Is that a good thing or not?”

“It’s a good thing,” she said in a way that signaled a caveat was forthcoming. “But, now that we’re pretty much settled in, I’d like to invite some people over once in a while. I think it would be nice to have some friends visit.”

“Tired of me already?” he asked.

“Exactly,” she said sarcastically. “It’s just more of the same. I’ve just grown so tired of relationships in which I’m flying around at night, sitting on a cloud somewhere under a full moon, in a magical ice castle in the Arctic, or sitting around the TV eating pizza that came directly from Italy.”

“And what about the…” he began.

“That, too!” Lois added. “Just being ravaged by the most amazing person anyone could imagine and knowing that he loves me as much as I love him. It’s just all so banal.” She took a swallow of iced tea. “There’s something important about slowing down and living your life. Clark, I always thought that life was measured by how much you could cram into it day to day, week to week, year to year. But that’s not the way I feel anymore. Here, with you in Smallville, a place I used to laugh at, it’s all been so restorative. I don’t know why I didn’t see it before.”

He nodded. “It’s true and it’s why I never wanted to see the farm sold. The fortress is my inner sanctum but it’s not my refuge. The farm is. Smallville is. They are reminders of what life is about. People, friends, and the pleasure that comes from being friendly, helpful, and part of something other than work. Slowing down and enjoying the small things in life that don’t fit neatly into ways of chasing the brass ring is what being human is all about. I think the reason you never noticed it before is because we weren’t together. Smallville and us being together has made my whole existence perfect now in every way and I think you’re beginning to see that too.”

Having finished their lunch, Lois leaned back against Clark, and he wrapped his arms around her. The cooler weather made Clark’s warmth even more inviting than usual. She closed her eyes and the calmness, the warmth, the fresh air, and the simple sounds of children laughing in the distance lulled Lois to sleep.

She awoke about forty-five minutes later to find that Clark had levitated the both of them about a half inch from the ground. They hovered, unnoticeable to anyone looking, without the pressure of body weight against the ground. “Oh, man! I guess I dozed off." She looked up at him. "You’re like a zero-G chair,” she said sleepily.

“I didn’t want you to wake up stiff or sore.” He gently lowered them both back onto the ground. She shifted, wriggled around to face him, and leaned in and passionately kissed him.

“What do you say we go back to the farm for a little S and S?”

He frowned. “S and S?”

“Sex and suds.”

“Well, that sounds great. I’m in! But tell me, does the second ‘S’ mean the suds you drink or the suds you make in the shower?”

“Yes,” she replied and then added, “but not at the same time.” She winked and they rose, Lois folded the blanket while Clark loaded the basket with uneaten food and picked up everything that needed to be thrown away. “Let’s go!”

On the way back to the farm, Lois asked, “When does your mom break for Thanksgiving?”

“Let’s see. I think it’s always supposed to be the Friday before Thanksgiving. Sometimes they get held over a day or so.” He turned onto the dirt driveway that led to the farmhouse.

“I think we should have a Thanksgiving dinner here and invite some of our friends.”

“What about worrying that people will know where we live?” He stopped in front of the house and turned off the ignition.

“Everyone we invite will already know we live out here anyway. I was thinking about your mom, Oliver, and anyone that he wants to bring. If there are members of your group that you want to invite, include them too.”

He walked around the front of the truck, ceremoniously opened the door for Lois, and helped her step down. She handed him the basket while she grabbed the blanket. They headed inside. “I think it would be really nice to have some people for Thanksgiving. Having Mom here would be great and probably a big help to you.”

“That thought did cross my mind. I’m sure I could learn a few thousand things from your mom about cooking.” She paused. “Have you told her we’re living together?”

He shook his head. “I haven’t but it’s not because I’m worried about what she’ll say or think. I am sure Mom has no objections to you living here. We’re adults now. It’s not like when you first arrived here,” he said, smirking.

“Yeah,” Lois agreed. “That I remember. The family dynamics were killing me most of the time as your dad tried to keep his virtuous son and away from the wild and corruptive Lois Lane.”

He smiled. “There’s something else I wanted to talk to you about and get your opinion.” They were now in the kitchen and Lois was making a small pot of coffee. “It sort of slipped my mind because when I got back, we went directly to the fortress. I really haven’t thought about it again since then until you mentioned his name. But I had stopped on the way back to the farm and spoke with Ollie about Chloe and who he had in mind to replace her with. He said he was thinking about asking Tess to work at Watchtower.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” she shrieked. “Tess? What in the world does Ollie see in Tess that would make her a substitute for Chloe?” She paused. “She’ll learn your secret! Do you want that?”

“I can’t be sure, but I think she already knows, Lois. Ollie seems to think that Tess is well-suited for the role, and I trust Oliver’s judgment. He did say that it would make it much easier for me to do things during the day without having to make silly excuses, once we get to that point.”

“'That point’ being the day you expose yourself to the public.”

Clark began to laugh, and Lois frowned. “What?” But once she replayed in her head what she had just said, she began to laugh too. “I didn’t mean it like that!” she managed in between bouts of laughter. “You’ll be called the ‘Captain Rock Hard’,” she said, laughing along. “No, I’ve got it! You’ll be known as the ‘Man of Steel’,” she said and laughed harder.

Eventually, they both stopped laughing. “You know,” Lois said, stifling a chuckle. “I kind of like that name, ‘The Man of Steel’.” She giggled. “It can be like an inside joke for us.”

“I thought the same thing when you said it, Lois. I liked how it sounded…not your twisted connotation of course,” he said and chuckled, “…but for the public’s benefit.”

They sat silently for a moment and then the conversation began again. “Anyway, back to the discussion. Tess,” Lois said. “I’m not crazy about the idea but Ollie has a point. If you have to be away in another state because of a natural disaster or something, it certainly would make it easier because no one would have to offer an explanation to her for your absence.” She groaned. “It also means she’d know about the two of us.”

“That’s one secret that I’m guessing she already knows,” Clark replied. “She’s not completely blind to what transpires at the Daily Planet. And she’s been with Oliver for a while now. Who knows what they talk about when they’re alone, but I’ll find out for sure. I’ll ask Ollie.”

“So, if she knows about us and Ollie’s still convinced she’s the one for the job, who am I to say otherwise? I’m not the best person to ask if you want an unbiased opinion, that’s all.”

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

“Time’s up, Tess. What’s your decision?”

Tess was ready for him this time. She anticipated his call and when the ‘unknown number’ appeared on her phone, exactly eight weeks from the day he first called, she knew it was Lex.

“My decision is for you to take me to court. On the advice of my attorney, this will be the most equitable solution to your situation for me to pursue.”

“That’s interesting. My attorney tells me that I have a slam dunk case for recapturing all that the probate court granted you. That would mean that I won’t have to share any of the estate with you.”

“Maybe I have a better team of lawyers than you do, Lex. There was no will when you inherited everything. You inherited it all because you were the only living member of the Luthor family known at the time but that is no longer the case. Lana, your ex-wife, retained control of a relatively small savings account in her name that you had deposited money into but refused to accept ownership of any of the rest of your estate. Probate awarded it to me as the only limb remaining in the Luthor family tree.

“Because of that fact, he believes the estate will be split far more equitably than you have offered. In fact, it will require liquidating Lexcorp and its assets and dividing the proceeds which likely would be in the billions of dollars.” She paused and Lex said nothing. “I don’t know about you, Lex, but splitting billions of dollars sounds pretty good to me. So, I’ll see you in court.” She paused and then added, “Until then,” she said and disconnected from the call.

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

Tess opened the door to her apartment on the top floor of Lexcorp headquarters. “Thank you for coming so quickly, Oliver,” she said as he entered the foyer of the luxurious suite.

“You sounded worried, like something was wrong.”

“Something is. Come in and sit down.” She led him to the small sitting area in front of the fireplace. “Can I get you something?” she asked as she poured herself a drink from a bar cart.

“Whatever you’re having, Mercy,” he said as he sat. “What’s the matter?”

She finished a two-finger pour of scotch and handed it to him before sitting in the chair facing him. “This may come as a shock to you, but Lex is alive.” Oliver did not respond and took a sip of the amber spirit. “You don’t seem to be as surprised as I was. What do you know that you aren’t telling me?”

“I am surprised but not shocked, Tess.” Oliver then went on to recount the secret cloning lab that Lex had been operating for several years before it was discovered. “I’m assuming that the DNA obtained from the corpse in the vehicle that was allegedly Lex was actually one of his clones.” He took another swallow of scotch. “It actually makes sense from the standpoint that Lex needed to disappear and his death by an alleged assassination was the perfect solution.”

“Why did he need to disappear?” Tess was aware that Lex was not the altruistic industrialist that Oliver or Bruce Wayne was. She correctly presumed that some of his work was probably on black book projects for the Pentagon and that he had siphoned off funds to work on his own projects simultaneously. But that was not unusual in those type projects.

“Lex was heavily involved in illegal cloning, Tess. He was also developing super-powered soldiers using meteor rock to power implants that gave these test clones super strength, near invulnerability, and other exceptional abilities. But what he could not do is control them if they even survived the cloning process. Most died before becoming fully formed. The few that did, the later versions, were fully formed but uncontrollable and intractable. They were prone to extreme violence.

“When the Department of Domestic Security learned about the cloning experiments, the super powered clones, and the source of them, they wanted to shut the Lexcorp project down and seize the technical results and records. They canceled his contract. Lex would have been arrested had they been able to find evidence of his cloning experiments, but the lab was demolished before they could get the warrants to raid it. That was about four or more years ago. It was well before you arrived in Metropolis.

“Lex had all the materials, and I am sure he saved a few clones to provide spare parts for himself before the lab was destroyed.” After another swallow of scotch, Oliver continued. “His new lab was super-secret and underground in an area he could control. He started the cloning experiments again.”

“I didn’t know anything about secret labs or cloning experiments,” Tess protested.

“You didn’t know because he didn’t want you to know, Tess. Look, Lex knew that you two were half-siblings before you did. He knew if he disappeared, you would end up with the estate. Then, when he resurfaced, he would be out of suspicion and get everything back. The explosion that supposedly killed Lex was thought to have occurred when his underground cloning lab was destroyed. No one tried to kill Lex and the fact that he’s still alive implies that he staged the explosion with a clone stuffed in his vehicle for the purpose of getting away from DDS.”

Tess frowned. “How do you know all of this, Oliver? Did you have any part in the destruction of the lab?”

He thought about how he should answer that question. The truth was that destroying that lab was his idea. He enlisted the aid of all members of the team. Should he tell her that? He was considering asking her to take Chloe’s position in Watchtower and with Lex resurfacing, it might be a good move for her to make. “Yes,” he said simply.

Tess looked at him trying to measure what he was not telling her. “But you weren’t alone, were you?” He had publicly stated that there were other metahumans in public safety roles, that he was not alone in protecting the innocent. So, he was safe to answer that question without naming names.

“No, others were involved, Tess.”

She sipped her scotch and looked up over the rim of the crystal old fashion cup. “Was Clark one of them?” she asked directly.

The question took him by surprise, and he frowned, feigning confusion. “You mean Clark Kent? Why would you ask that?”

“Come on, Oliver, don’t play dumb. I’ve been watching Clark Kent closely for a few years now, even before he was working for me. I know that he’s different. Extraordinarily different and there is no need to pretend you don’t know that.” She set her glass down and leaned forward. “I just can’t decide at this point whether he’s a metahuman or an extraterrestrial. But I know he has abilities far beyond those of normal men or most metahumans.”

Oliver took a sip of his scotch. “If you’re so sure about this, why don’t you ask him?”

“I’m a Luthor, Oliver. I tried to cajole him into telling me when we were on your jet, and I think he almost did tell me the truth. But then he stepped back from doing it and the only reason I can think of is because I’m a Luthor. I think he doesn’t trust me because of that even though I’ve given him no reason not to trust me.” She paused. “When that jet exploded, he saved me. And there was no parachute around when I woke up in the desert with him kneeling beside me. That never happens in real life, Oliver, and I never said a word about it to anyone until just now.

“I’ve read Lex’s entire journal that he kept on Clark. It wasn’t just the one incident on the bridge, Oliver. Lex’s journal spanned eight years of strange and extraordinary occurrences in which Clark was involved and made it through unscathed. I know he’s not like everyone else, but I want him to trust me with the truth because he truly believes that he can.” Oliver said nothing. “And he is still on Lex’s list. Lex tried to suggest a settlement but that one of the non-negotiable terms was that I had to find out how Lois Lane contacted the Red Blue Blur. He wants Lexcorp back and he wants me to pressure Lois for that information. In my book, that puts Clark at the top of Lex’s wish list. He needs to know that if he's part of your gang.” She paused. “And you trust me with your escapades, but you won’t trust me with the full knowledge of what’s happening, will you?”

He finished the scotch in his glass and set it aside. “No, because the identities of others are their secret to share, not mine.” He sat back in his chair. “How does any of this matter right now? You called me here because of Lex resurfacing from the dead. Does his reemergence threaten you in a way that I can help?”

“He’s likely going to get Lexcorp back, Ollie. He’s filing a suit in court to get his estate restored and it’s likely he’ll get part, if not all of it restored. That’s what my lawyers are saying. That means all the contracts, all the facilities, all the activities that went on before his disappearance will all begin again.” She paused. “But now that you told me about all the illegal activities he was engaged in before his disappearance and that DDS was after him, maybe that’s information I can use to fend off his legal attack.”

Oliver nodded slowly. “The challenge you’ll have is finding any evidence of it. The destruction of his second lab occurred over two years ago. It is buried under hundreds of feet of soil and rock. What wasn’t destroyed by the blasts are buried so deep there’s no way you’ll ever be able to reach it.” He paused. “But contact the DDS. Let them know Lex is still alive. Maybe they will be able to trip him up with whatever evidence they have. If nothing else, it is another distraction for Lex and it will stall the court case he’s pursuing. Criminal cases take precedence over civil cases.”

Tess nodded. “Lex is determined to get Lexcorp back and find out information from Lois, Oliver. That makes me nervous for my future and for Clark Kent’s.”

“How does he know Lois has information? The article?” Tess nodded. “Well, someone should tell Clark,” Oliver suggested. “He deserves to know that Lex will be breathing down his back again. Since you think he may not trust you, maybe I should tell him so he doesn’t think he’s being manipulated by a Luthor.” He sat quietly thinking for a moment.

“There’s something else, Tess. There may be other evidence available that could cause a problem for Lex. You know Chloe Sullivan, right?” Tess nodded. “She had a mental breakdown a couple of months ago when her husband served her divorce papers.”

“I had not heard that,” Tess replied. “Last I knew she was running some women’s empowerment organization or abuse sanctuary. But what does that matter to me?”

“Chloe Sullivan was instrumental in the organization and coordination of the group of metahumans I belong to. She compiled hundreds of terabytes of information regarding threats of all types, including many connected to Lex and his experiments. Maybe in her database there is evidence that can be brought to light in the case against him. The only problem is that Chloe is out of commission, probably forever.”

“If it’s not recoverable, why are you teasing me with this?”

“Because I think you could easily take her place with the group. And if your hold on Lexcorp is in danger of slipping away, then stepping away from Lexcorp now may just be the best option for you.” He paused. “But the Daily Planet can’t remain under Lex’s control. You must sell it and you need to do it before Lex's attorneys file an injunction to stop the disposal of any Lexcorp holdings.”

“What if I sold it to Queen Industries?”

“I can’t afford it. My money is largely going to the group.” He thought for a moment. “But I know who could buy it and I’ll talk to him. You’ll have to sell before Lex has all the assets frozen.”

“Who do you have in mind?” she asked.

“Bruce Wayne. Wayne Enterprises makes Queen Industries look like a Radio Shack booth at a flea market. I think I could convince him to buy it.”

Tess furrowed her brow. "I don't know if anyone is buying newspapers anymore, Oliver. They aren't very profitable. The Daily Planet barely makes a profit since all of Lois's articles on the Red Blue Blur began catching fire. How do you think you could convince Bruce Wayne to buy the Planet?"

"Sell it to him for a dollar. It doesn't have to make much money for Wayne Enterprises. In fact, if Bruce knew the full threat of Lex getting control of the paper, he may see it as his civic duty to keep it out of Lex's hands." Oliver paused and thought for a moment. "I'll make the pitch on your behalf, but it all has to be done quietly. You can't let anyone know until all details are finalized and everything is signed. And Tess, I mean anyone."

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

“Ready for the suds now?” Clark asked.

The sun had set and the air was cool enough that Clark had closed the windows to keep Lois from getting chilled. She loved the cooler air because she had a built-in heater in bed with her and she lay diagonally, half on and half off of Clark, having just concluded a very lengthy and passionate lovemaking session.

“Probably, but I love just laying here feeling your body against mine. It’s so warm and so hard to think about letting you get up. Let’s just lay like this for a couple more minutes.”

He pulled her over to kiss her lips and then just stared into her deep purple-blue eyes. “I could stay like this forever,” he said. “I never tire of feeling your body against mine, Lo.” He said nothing more but instead, listened to her heart beating. Her rhythmic music calmed him, and he felt himself slipping into a half-sleep state.

Her head on his chest, Lois noticed the slowing rate of breathing from the man beneath her, radiating a warmth that never felt hot, like reflected sunlight streaming through a window. “Are you falling asleep on me?” she whispered.

“Unless I’m already dreaming, you’re on me,” he murmured. “If I this is a dream, I hope I never have to wake up.”

“But Clark…” she paused and said nothing more.

“What?”

“What about the suds? I worked up a thirst and all that heavy breathing dried my mouth out.”

Eyes closed, a smile spread to his face. He kissed the top of her head, lifted her and gently laid her aside on the bed, and blurred to the kitchen and back with a cold beer. “This one’s for you!” he said, twisting the cap off and handing it to her as she sat up.

She took a long swallow. “That’s better. Thank you…you’re the best, Clark.” She took another swallow, this one not as long. “I wanted to tell you that I’ve been thinking about what you said that Ollie wanted to do with Chloe’s position, asking Tess to fill it. I think if it’s good with you and the other members of the team, then I’m good with it, for what it’s worth.”

“So, you’re fine with Tess?”

“Well, that is more than I'm willing to admit, but I'm okay with her taking the job at least.” Clark made a face. “Okay, and I’ll even try to reset our relationship, too. No need to have that hanging between us whenever we meet.”

“If everyone else goes along with Ollie’s suggestion, then Tess will be part of the team and will know everything as well. That’s probably for the best. It isn’t like you’ll be at Watchtower very often but when you are, she’ll be there and it’s best for everyone if they don’t have to walk on eggshells around you two.”

“Mmm hmm”, she said as she took another swallow of beer. “What would you say if I suggested we call your mom tonight and invite her for Thanksgiving? During the conversation maybe you could drop the bomb about us living together here.” She smirked.

“I would say that is an excellent idea!” Clark was pleased that Lois was invested in bringing his mom up to speed with their relationship.

She wriggled off the bed and grabbed his flannel shirt, threw it on and walked downstairs to get her phone. When she got back, she had already brought up Martha Kent’s name in her contacts. She handed him the phone. “Call her.”

He pushed the send button and a moment later, the phone began ringing. “This is Martha Kent,” his mom answered. “Is this Lois?” she asked.

“Hi Mom, it’s me. It’s Lois’s phone that I’m calling you from. Lois is here and I’m going to put you on speaker if that’s okay.”

“Of course it is,” Martha replied. “I’d love to speak with her.”

He pushed the speaker icon. “We’re both on, Mom.”

“Hello Senator,” Lois said.

“Oh, nonsense, Dear. Mrs. Kent is how you know me and that I still am. How are you, Lois? I was so excited to read about your interview,” she said.

“Thank you, Mrs. Kent. I’ve never been better, and I wanted to say thank you for the flowers. They were beautiful.”

“Oh, you’re welcome, dear, it was nothing.”

“It wasn’t nothing to me, Mrs. Kent. I wanted you to know that.” She nudged Clark.

“So, Mom,” he began, “there are a couple things I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Go on.”

“Um, well, first is that Lois and I are dating again, and it’s gotten a little more serious. I’ve asked her to move in with me here at the farm.” There was a long pause during which Martha said nothing and Lois winced. “Mom, are you still there?”

“Yes, Sweetheart, I am. But I’m wondering why Lois would want to drive so far to and from work every day like you do, Clark. That would be about five hours round trip, wouldn’t it?”

Lois grinned. “Mom, Lois knows everything,” Clark replied.

“Well thank God!” Martha exclaimed. “You should have led with that, Clark. It’s about time you told her. Welcome to the club, Lois. I couldn’t be happier that Clark has chosen to share his story with you, and I am really glad to hear that he’s got you to keep him company there. I worry about him being alone all the time.”

“Thank you, Mrs. K. You won’t have to worry about him being alone anymore. Not as long as there’s life left in me.” She winked at Clark.

“So, there’s something else,” Clark interjected. “Are you planning to come home for Thanksgiving?”

“I normally do, Sweetheart. Why?” Martha asked dubiously.

“We’re going to have a Thanksgiving dinner here at the farm and we hoped that you could join us,” Lois blurted out.

Before she answered, Clark imagined that his mom was asking herself the question, “But who’s doing the cooking?” before answering and he had to suppress a smile.

“I’d love to join you,” Martha replied. “I don’t know how many you’ll have but Thanksgiving dinners are always a chore. If you would like, Lois, I’ll come a day early and give you a hand.”

“Oh, that would be outstanding and so appreciated, Mrs. K. I’ve gotten better in the kitchen, but I can still use all the help I can get,” she said.

They talked for a while longer before Martha apologetically bid them a good night. She had to finish reading a bill that had been put to the floor that afternoon. They bid her good night and disconnected. “That went well,” Lois chirped.

“It sure did. I think she’s excited.”

“I was, that’s for sure. I loved that she accepted us, or me, so quickly, and that she was happy that you had shared your secret with me.” She nodded. “That really meant a lot.”

“She’s always been very fond of you, Lois.” She turned, raised on eyebrow and gave Clark a look that she was skeptical. “Okay,” he continued, “maybe not at first, but it wasn’t long before she did.”

His phone rang. “Saved by the bell…or ringer,” Lois said.

“Oliver!” he answered. “What’s up? Tell me it’s not a call-out.”

“Clark, Tess called me over to her place and just told me that she has been contacted by Lex.” He paused, waiting for a reaction. “Clark?”

“No, I’m here, Ollie. When did he contact her?”

“I’ll fill you in completely tomorrow. I want to get the team together at Watchtower. Will 5 PM work for you?”

Clark acknowledged the time and said he would be there. “Bye Ollie,” he said and disconnected. He rolled over to look at Lois. “Lex is alive.”

Chapter Text

“So that’s what we needed to discuss,” Oliver said to the team members that had assembled at Watchtower.  He had pitched the idea of Tess Mercer taking over the role that Chloe used to perform.  Without going into great detail, Oliver had explained that Chloe was facing difficulties due to personal challenges and was no longer up to the job.  He also announced that Lex had resurfaced and was intent on getting Lexcorp back under his control.

“Isn’t Tess Lex Luthor’s sister?” Dinah asked.  He nodded.  “Are you sure about this?”

“Half-sister, yes.  But don’t be too quick to tar and feather her just because she’s the offspring of Lionel Luthor and could use that name if she chose to.  She is not an acolyte of the Luthor family business and wasn’t raised by the Lionel Luthor.  She’s serious and wants to be taken seriously, but she’s not prone to criminality even though she can be devious.  In fact, she is strenuously fighting against Lex Luthor gaining control of Lexcorp and will likely be in court soon. Denying Lex the ability to easily get his hands on the corporation is the reason why she pushed Queen Industries to merge with Lexcorp.”

Dinah looked at the faces around the Watchtower table.  “I guess if everyone else is on board with this, I’ll add my name to the list. No need to hold it up any longer than necessary.  We definitely need some relief at Watchtower and I’m not a fan of working remotely.”

“Okay, it’s settled then.  Thanks for considering my idea.  I’ll talk with Tess once I leave here.”  He paused.  “Since I dragged you all here, if you want, we can go out for dinner, my treat.  But I have to talk to Clark first.”  He pulled Clark aside.  “Let’s talk in private.”

They went a small room off the main floor.  “Lex called Tess out of the blue a few weeks after Lois’s article came out.  He is after his estate and desperately wants Lexcorp back in his control.”

Clark frowned. “A few weeks?  That means it was over two months ago.  Why is she just telling you now?”

“Because she had lawyers doing a lot of research on the case law and also doing an estimate of what the estate is worth.”  He paused.  “Lex offered Tess a settlement that gave her 70 percent of the liquid assets the mansion, and corporate ownership of the Daily Planet.  He wanted Lexcorp and its subsidiaries, minus the Planet.  He also said that Tess was to find out from Lois how she contacts you and that those two items, Lexcorp and how she contacts you, were non-negotiable.”  He paused to let that settle in.  “Does any of this surprise you?”

“I wish she wouldn’t have waited so long to tell you, but I guess that doesn’t really change anything.  None of what you said surprises me because I’ve always felt like Lex was still alive.  I was fairly certain it was a clone that was set up in that vehicle.  Lex wouldn’t have been caught in an exploding car.  Even with his lab collapsing, I never imagined Lex being a victim.  He’s more clever than that.”  He paused and then, “Any idea where he may be located?”

Oliver shook his head. “No. I can’t imagine he’s too close given that he contacted Tess a few weeks after the article was published.  I doubt that if he had seen it the day it was published, he would have sat around stewing about her interview.  He would have tried to extort Tess into giving him the information he wanted from Lois as soon as the article came out. 

“And that brings up another matter.  I wonder if Lex knows you and Lois are a couple.  Tess told me that you’re discreet, but you haven’t exactly hidden it, at least not from the people at the office.  So, Lex is determined to find and expose the identity of the Red Blue Blur.  But if he already suspects you’re the Red Blue Blur and knows you and Lois are together, then the interview gives him even more reason to make Lois a prime target to exploit.” 

Clark frowned.  “Ollie, we’ve just begun living together and things are really good for us.  We’re not going to step back because of a threat from Lex.  I realize he’s dangerous, but you know what I’m capable of as well.  I won’t hesitate to do whatever I believe is needed to protect Lois.”  He paused.  “I am guessing Lois feels the same way.  But I appreciate your warning and it’s something we’ll both try to constantly be aware of.”

“Tess said if Lex pushes the issue, she’d tell him that Lois doesn’t know how to contact you because it’s only you that contacts her on a blocked number,” Oliver said, and Clark told him that that was actually the truth.  “But I don’t know if Lex will live with that answer.  Since he suspects you’re the Red Blue Blur and if he knows you and Lois are a couple, he won’t need to know how to find you, he’ll only need to find Lois.”  He paused.  “Clark, he could set a trap for you pretty easily with Lois as bait.”

“I think you and I should meet Tess before she meets the rest of the team.  She’s going to know your secret, Clark.  To be honest, she already does know, but now she’ll have confirmation.”  He paused. “How do you feel about that?”

“Uneasy, unavoidable at this point.  But I’m trusting your judgment, Ollie,” Clark replied.  “If you’re convinced she’s fully on our side, then her knowing won’t cause a problem.  You have as much skin in the game as the rest of us.  If you have the slightest bit of doubt, however, I’d rather keep her guessing.”

He clapped Clark’s shoulder.  “I appreciate that, Clark.  If I had any doubts, I wouldn’t have even considered bringing her in.”  He paused and then, “Let’s meet with her at my apartment here in Metropolis and we’ll have some dinner and explain all about the Watchtower and how it works.  Then, we’ll schedule a team meeting so she can meet everyone else.”

“Should I bring Lois along, too?  She’s going to be in the middle of this with Lex probably targeting her.”

“Yes.  She needs to hear what’s going on.  Plus, it wouldn’t hurt for old wounds to be healed and hatchets to be permanently buried too.”

It was 6:43 PM the following day.  The nights had become colder, and the sun disappeared earlier.  Clark pulled into the truck stop, parked and then blurred back to the Daily Planet.  He met Lois at the bullpen.  “You ready to go?” he asked, and she nodded.

“It’s going to be more than a little weird with Tess knowing your story and us being in the basement together working for her,” Lois said as they hailed a taxi to take them to the Queen Industries office building.  They checked in at the security desk and took the elevator to the top floor.

The elevator opened into Oliver’s foyer.  He was there to greet them.  He hugged Lois and shook hands with Clark.  “Tess is already here,” he said, and led them to the den where she was seated.  “Can I get you anything to drink?” Oliver asked as they entered the room. 

“I’ll take whatever Tess is having,” Lois said, and then looked at her boss.  “Hello, Tess.”

“Hello, Lois,” Tess replied as Oliver went to the bar in the den to get Lois a glass of wine.  “Clark,” she added, acknowledging him and giving her something to say.

They sat silently in the comfortable overstuffed chairs that sat in the room.  Finally, Lois said, “Well, this is the most uncomfortable dinner party I have ever attended.”

“I was thinking the same thing, Lois,” Tess offered.  “I have to confess, I’m not prone to being nervous but this is high on the list of the most awkward situations I have ever been in.” 

Oliver handed Lois a glass of white wine and sat in a chair next to Tess.  “We need to break the ice,” he said.  “We’re all part and parcel of a larger effort and to make it work like it should, we need to be able to get along and trust one another implicitly.”  He looked at Tess.  “Lois is not one of the members of the team but she’s very aware of what Clark is doing.”  He paused.  “They’re together.”

“That could be the worst-kept secret in Metropolis,” Tess offered with a slight smile.  “They are like each other’s shadow at the Planet, it’s difficult to see one without the other.”

“Which is why I think it was a good idea for Lois and me both to be here when Oliver suggested this dinner meeting,” Clark said.  “For us, working for you during the day, Tess, we need to be comfortable that there aren’t any unresolved issues or agendas that would create a problem for whatever comes up, work-related or otherwise.”

“I considered all that when Oliver approached me about Chloe’s issue and taking her place.  I was almost certain you were part of his team to begin with, and I knew if I was permitted to be a part of it that this moment would have to happen.” She set her glass on the end table next to her chair and leaned forward.  “Clark, Lois; I’m committed to making sure that whatever the team needs, I intend to help it in any way that I can.  While I’m not as accomplished as Chloe in the manipulation of external data systems, I do have some skills in that area. 

“As far as working at the Planet, I can compartmentalize the Watchtower responsibilities when it comes to me functioning as the paper’s publisher.  Just know that I will always have your best interests and the team members’ best interests at the forefront of any decision I make. The working relationship we currently have at the Planet should seem no different to the other employees.  Doing so would create undue attention and that won’t help anyone.  I am considering some minor changes but it should not change the outward dynamics of our professional relationship; what others see.”  She looked at Lois and an almost imperceptible smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.  “We’ve clearly had our disagreements and spats, Lois.  But I’m absolutely serious when I tell you that I’m anxious to put those behind me, and I hope you’ll be able to do the same and give me the chance to prove it.”

“Tess, all you need to know about me is that I will protect Clark and his other life to my last breath.  There are two aspects about our history that will affect how we move forward, Tess: holding a grudge over what happened in the past and remembering what happened in the past.” She paused to let that sink in.  “I can let go of the past. Honestly, I’ve never felt there’s a point in holding onto a grudge.  But just so you know, I have a long memory.  I’m honestly willing to let the past remain in the past, but it won’t mean that I have forgotten everything that has happened in the past.  I won’t interfere in anything you do for this team of metahuman protectors unless I think it will jeopardize Clark’s identity or his activities.  I’m more than fine working with you while you’re doing your thing at the Watchtower, and I actually enjoy working for you at the Daily Planet, our past notwithstanding.  So, I don’t see any reason why what’s happened in the past between us should cause any problems now or in the future.”

“I appreciate that, Lois.  I hope to fully earn your trust and everyone else’s that I have no intention of doing anything that would be harmful to anyone on that team or anything that team needs to do.  I will exercise every bit of caution in whatever I do to keep the members identities and abilities secret.”

“It’s game over for us if that information ever leaked and Tess is very aware of that,” Oliver added.

“And I’m afraid Lex is dead set on finding it out, particularly about Clark but the others as well,” Tess said.  “So, I’m committed to doing whatever it takes to keep him from learning it. That’s why I’m glad Clark brought you tonight, Lois.  Not only to lay the ghost but also to be a part of the solution to holding Lex at bay.”

Clark looked at Lois and Lois shrugged.  “I’m good,” she said.

He looked back at Tess.  “So, Tess, I’m curious.  What theories do you have about me?”

By the end of the evening, the four had found a way to bury the hatchet, had eaten a delicious meal, and Clark shared his secret with Tess.  Lois learned vague details about the others on the team that Clark worked with on occasion.  In telling Tess his secret, he withheld some information about his abilities and certainly about his vulnerabilities.  In fact, even Lois was not aware of them, and it reminded him that he needed to tell her about them.  As they departed for the evening, Lois and Tess hugged awkwardly and Clark thought it was a good start. 

Before they all left, Tess said, “Lois, because of the reaction to your article and the amount of web traffic that it has generated for the paper, I’ve spoken to HR and I’m moving you and Clark up to a private office on the fifth floor down the hall from Legal.  You’ll be able to work the city beat and beyond out of there and Clark, you’ll be able to come and go more freely without all the attention.”

Lois lit up.  “No!  Seriously? I don’t know what to say.” She looked at Clark, then Oliver, then back at Tess.  “I’m so grateful I can’t find the words.”

“Well, that’s an awkward condition for a journalist, don’t you think?  And you not being able to find words has to be a first for you, Lois,” Oliver said, smirking.  She flashed a sarcastic smile in return.

“Thank you is all I can say, Tess, but that hardly seems enough.”  She turned to Clark. “Smallville; our own office!” she smiled and smacked him on the chest.  “I get to choose the order of the names on the door.” 

“Thank you, Tess.  That will really make it easier for me to leave unseen if needed,” Clark added but frowned.  “Are you at all worried that this will cause some consternation among the other staff reporters in the basement?”

“That was HR’s concern, but I’ll deal with that,” she replied coolly.  “As I see it, I am removing a distraction from the bullpen.  All the attention that Lois received recently, I am told, was a distraction for the other reporters and the work being completed in the basement.  I’m sure more articles are ahead that will continue to generate more demand for your time, Lois.  Yours too, Clark.  You two are a team after all.  And actually, George Taylor was the one who mentioned the distraction Lois’s article created, so this decision can be attributed to his concerns.”

“That’s perfect!” Lois said, grabbing Clark’s hand.

“I’m relieved Mr. Taylor had brought it up to you.”  He looked at Lois and then back at Tess.  “I don’t know how to thank you, Tess.  We both appreciate it, and I speak for Lois when I say we’ll do our best to keep the Planet on top.”

“I expect that, Clark.  There is one thing I ask in return though.”

“Sure, Tess.  What is it?” he asked. 

She had a sheepish look on her face.  “That someday, when the time is right, you show me what it’s like to fly.”  She paused, but before he could respond, she added, “Only this time, I want to be conscious.”

“Well, that’s easy enough,” he replied.  He looked at Lois.  “Right?”

“Of course!”  She turned to Oliver.  “In fact, we were flying home tonight.  Ollie, can you point us to your balcony again.  It’s been a while since I was last here.”  She looked at Tess and said, “Clark only flies at night and during the day he blurs.”

Oliver led them to the sliding doors that accessed the balcony which was three floors above the rooftop of the rest of the building.  Clark picked up Lois in his arms, “Good night,” he said and then gently launched them upward, slowly at first, and then quickly picking up speed and arcing westward until they were no longer visible.

Tess gasped and then turned to Oliver.  “My God.  After that, I’m anxious to meet the rest of the team.”

“Clark’s the heavy hitter among all of us.  It will take some time to learn everything about him, but you learned the most important things tonight. Maybe the most important thing to know about Clark is the relationship he has with Lois and how it must be protected, too.  It’s why she is not a part of the team but integral to it because of Clark’s reliance on her.” He pulled Tess closer. “So, after learning all that you did about Clark tonight, are you disappointed with me now?  I’m just an above average archer.”

Tess smiled.  “Oliver, you’re Christmas, New Years, and the Fourth of July all wrapped up in a single package.  There’s no way you could disappoint me.”

He led her back inside and closed the sliding door.  “It would be really nice if you decided to stay the night, Mercy.”

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

“So, explain to me why this isn’t working?”

“The signal is starting to fail, sir,” the man on the other end of the call replied.  “Under most circumstances, at best it can last about three months.  Any longer than that is unrealistic, Mr. Luthor, and it’s nearing the end of that three-month period.  You will get occasional signals for the next couple months if all conditions are right, but they won’t be completely reliable and they will be less frequent.”

“Why would I want unreliable?  We need a new way of transmitting a signal.  Give me your recommendations in the morning.”  Lex ordered and abruptly disconnected.

Over the past month, Lex had periodically monitored the tracking device transmitting Lois’s location.  If he had not been in hiding and did not need to keep the circle around him small, he would have assigned full-time monitors to document Lois’s every movement.  But as it was, he would monitor her location and document it if he felt there was something extraordinary.  The tracker showed that most of the day she was in Metropolis, principally at or around the Daily Planet building.  At night, there were a variety of places she went to in Metropolis, undoubtedly looking to find or meet with the Red Blue Blur. 

There were also times that she was in Smallville where her cousin Chloe had an apartment and where the Kent farm was located.  This was usually on the weekends although some weeknights he had found her tracker signal coming from Smallville.  It was a long drive back and forth between Metropolis and Smallville.  Why would she make that trip during the work week? Lex wondered.

He had learned that Chloe Sullivan had some serious marital issues and suffered a medical emergency lately.  Was it too much to imagine Lane was driving there some nights to see her cousin? he wondered.  She probably just rides with Clark, he surmised. 

Before he went into hiding, Lex had seen Clark driving into the city on his way to work at least a hundred times.  He once figured that Clark got to Smallville around 7:30 PM and had to leave by 5:30 AM to get to the Planet by 8 AM.  That would be a monotonous routine but being raised on a farm, early mornings and late days were the norm, and Lex did not read too much into it.  Those hours were not unusual to him.

This time, Lex did not ignore the signal.  Realizing that the signal was nearing the end of its ability to transmit her location, Lex began to pay closer attention to the tracking system.  This time the GPS signal moved north and arrived at the same location as he had seen it before, somewhere in the Arctic.  He captured that location and began researching the area, using all means at his disposal including spy satellites he could still access at certain times of the day. 

He tried to see what was at the geolocation where the signal kept ending at but at nighttime, it was impossible to see anything on the ground from a satellite. He looked at his watch and calculated when the geosynchronous satellite would be in position during daylight hours.

Something is obviously there and I’m going to find out what it is.  It must have something to do with the Red Blue Blur.  Perhaps it’s where that band of terrorists operate from.  I wonder if Queen footed the bill for whatever is there since he seems to belong to the group?

It all began to make sense now to Lex.  That is where the metahumans lived or was their headquarters.  And that is where he took Lois Lane after she finally met the man or the being. That is where I’ll find him, maybe even all of them.

Lois Lane was a riddle to be solved and once he solved it, he would be able to expose the Red Blue Blur and his comrades as the domestic terrorists he knew them to be.  But he needed evidence to provide to the right people.  And if he was right, the Red Blue Blur’s identity would be a surprise to everyone but him.

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

It was Friday night before Thanksgiving and Clark had flown Lois to the fortress after he had blurred home and brought back some warmer clothes for her.  He had promised her they would return and spend the weekend there, but Lois wanted to watch football that weekend.  So instead of going to the farm and leaving on Saturday, they left from Metropolis instead.  They hung out at the office waiting for the staff to depart and once it had, Lois bundled up and they flew from the rooftop of the Planet building to the fortress. 

The magnificence of it still astounded Lois.  “I don’t mean this the way it will sound, Clark, so don’t take this as anything negative about you.  But I never really thought of you as an alien being until I came here, even after all I’ve learned about you.  And that’s a credit to you and your parents for raising you to appear no different from anyone else. 

“This place is just so incredibly unique, so different from anything humankind would create.  It’s simply breathtaking and at the same time, frightening to think that there was a race of people so advanced that they could create this with just a single crystal.”  She looked around as the nighttime fortress seemed cavernous compared to it during the daytime.  The ceiling was barely visible at night. “How does it stay warm without sunlight? Is it stored solar energy?”

Clark nodded.  “That’s mostly what it is, Lo. There is also a thermal tube that runs far beneath the surface of the planet that recirculates water when days go by without sunlight.  It’s geothermally heated water and it spins a turbine that generates power.  Most of the time sunlight provides power, light, and warmth but the super-heated water produces it whenever there is no light.  It maintains a pretty constant 68 degrees Fahrenheit in here.”

She wandered to the bedroom and flopped on the bed.  “This is surprisingly comfortable.  Is this a Kryptonian mattress?”

Clark laughed.  “No, this is an Earth mattress.”

“How did you get it here?  I can’t imagine you flying with here a huge mattress…or blurring here with it.” 

“It’s a California King I actually bought in Smallville and brought it here using the portal,” he replied.  “Yeah, trying to fly it or run it up here would have been awkward.”  Clark flopped on the bed next to her.  “It’s more comfortable with you in it,” he added.

She took a deep breath.  “This place…it’s so amazing.  It’s like something out of a fairy tale.”

“Sleeping Beauty, perhaps?”

She rolled over close to him and put an arm and leg over his outstretched body.  “Well, I’ll definitely get some sleep but that’s not what I had in mind right now.”  She kissed Clark and the kiss became more passionate as he pulled her on top of him.  Before long, they were making love and when they finished, they lay snuggled against one another and fell asleep.

The next morning, they showered together and then dressed.  Before they left, Lois asked, “How do you get back to the caves from here?”

“I either fly or run there.”

She frowned and cocked her head.  “What about nonpowered people?  How would I get back if you had to leave me here for some emergency?  I know there’s some food and lots of water here but it’s not exactly Sandals Arctic if you’re not here.”

“Well, I’d try never to do that but let me show you just in case.”  Clark took her to the console and pulled a small crystal from beneath.  “This small one opens and closes the portal on this end.  When I come via the caves, I take it out of the receptacle at the portal threshold to close the portal and it can’t be opened even with the key in the cave receptacle.” He led Lois to a shallow alcove a few steps from console.  “This right here is what I call the ‘threshold’.”  He pointed to a horizontal crevice, the shape of the crystal.  “You insert the crystal in this receptacle, and it reopens the portal. One step and you’re back at the console in the Kawatche caves.”

“So, both have to be inserted for the portal to work.” 

Clark shook his head and slid the crystal in the receptacle and the bright white-golden glow appeared as the portal opened. “No. This opens and closes the portal from the Fortress.   The key in the cave will only open the portal to the Fortress when the crystal is in the receptacle here.  If the crystal is removed, nothing happens on either end.”

“We flew here.  The key isn’t in the portal in the cave, right?”

He smiled.  “That’s right.”

“But if the crystal is removed, you can’t open the portal from the cave even with the key.  Right?”  He nodded.  “Okay, I got it!  Good to know.  So, let’s go home.  The Bulldogs are playing the Fighting Irish this afternoon and that should be a good game.”

They stepped through the threshold and found themselves in the cave.  “When you come here by way of the cave, once you’re back, you have to remember to take the key out of the Kryptonian console or the portal stays open. You don’t want that.”

“What happens if someone comes into this place after you go through the portal and steals the key?” Lois asked.

“Once you access the Fortress from the caves,” Clark explained, “the key locks into place when the crystal at the Fortress is removed.  It cannot be removed.”  He paused.  “That’s another reason I pull the crystal at the Fortress as soon as I walk through the portal and I will reinsert it before I leave no matter how I go back.”

They walked casually back to the Kent farmhouse.  Somewhere along the way, Clark took Lois’s hand, and that little gesture caused her to smile.  “It’s such a pretty day,” she remarked.  “Thanks for just taking a regular stroll home rather than the Kent express.  This is nice.  The air is so clean and clear.”

 “It is nice,” he began, “taking the time to see and appreciate the beauty around you.”  He stopped and turned to face her.  “I’ll never take being with you for granted, Lois.  After so much time wanting life to be just like this, I will never do anything to ruin it.  And if you feel like I am, just know that it’s not my intention and please tell me how to fix it.”

“I feel the same way, Clark,” she said and leaned in and kissed him chastely.  “Times like this reminds me what is important in life.  Headlines, scoops, awards; they’re just achievements or events in our field.  They are documented but they are quickly forgotten.  What is important is what’s happening right now, with us.  This, right here, what we have; this will never be forgotten.”

Chapter Text

Senator Martha Kent arrived at the Kent farm mid-morning on the day before Thanksgiving, which turned out to be just in the nick of time.  Lois was beginning to get panicky at the prospect of preparing the Thanksgiving dinner by herself.  She had spent two days scouring the internet for videos and felt that she had the vegetables under control; the green bean casserole and the sweet potato casserole seemed simple enough, as were mashed potatoes and gravy.  She had also picked up two packages of spring mix salad greens, tomatoes, croutons, olives, shredded cheddar cheese, and three different salad dressings.

“Mom!” Clark declared excitedly as Martha came through the front door.  He blurred to her and enveloped her in a hug.  He kissed her on the cheek.  “You should have called,” he said. “I would have come to pick you up!”

“It’s no problem,” she said. “Sweetheart, it is so good to see you.  You look so good, Son, so…happy! It’s such a great look on you.”  She let go of Clark and spotted Lois standing in the doorway to the kitchen.  “Come here, you!” she said and pulled Lois into a warm embrace.  “I’ve missed you!” Then she whispered, “And I know you’re the reason he looks so happy.”

“Oh Mrs. Kent, I can’t tell you how glad we are that you could make it.  It’s so good to see you,” Lois said. “It’s almost like old times.”

Martha chuckled.  “I just hope this time you’re not tormenting each other!”

“I did that?” Lois asked, acting perplexed.  “Huh! I don’t seem to remember,” she said and smirked.  “So how was your flight?”

After the pleasantries were exchanged about her trip from Washington, Martha asked Lois, “How is everything looking for tomorrow?”

“Pretty good, I think.  But I could use a second opinion,” she replied.  “I’m a little nervous about the turkey.”

She smiled.  “Turkeys are simple, Sweetheart, but the rest can be tricky.  Let’s go take a look.” They walked into the kitchen.  “Is it just the three of us or did you invite others?”

“We have the three of us and we invited Oliver Queen.  He said he might be bringing a friend along and I invited the most amazing person you’ll ever meet!”  Martha smiled at Lois and said nothing.  “Oh shi…shoot!  Okay, the second most amazing person you’ll ever meet,” she corrected.

“So, six,” Martha said after laughing at Lois’s faux pas.  “What size turkey did you get?”

“A ten pounder,” Lois said. 

Martha nodded.  “That is a good size…particularly for your first turkey.”

“Oh, this isn’t my first,” Lois corrected.

“It will be your first edible one,” Clark called from the living room.

Lois looked exasperated and exhaled loudly. Martha suppressed a smile.  “Oh, did someone just find where their sense of humor has been hiding all these years?” she fired back, and Martha laughed at that.

“That’s a good size for this many people too.  There will probably be leftovers but that’s okay.”

“Post-Thanksgiving turkey sandwiches.  They were legendary at the Lane household!” Lois replied. “Oh, that reminds me.  I need to get some cranberry sauce.”

“You just need the cranberries, Dear,” Martha replied.  “There’s nothing easier than making fresh cranberry sauce and that canned stuff isn’t nearly as good.  But like the pies, you need to make it today or else you’ll need to be up early tomorrow.”

Within twenty minutes, Clark had a shopping list of a few items that Lois needed, and he drove to the market to get them. 

“Everything looks on track, Lois,” Martha said.  “You just have to get the pies done the day before because between the turkey and the casseroles, the oven would be too crowded, and the turkey tends to flavor the pies if you try to do them at the same time.” 

“Pies,” she exclaimed. “I haven’t even thought about dessert.  Oh, man, I have no idea how…”

“I seem to remember you always enjoyed the pies I made, Lois,” Martha said. 

“Who wouldn’t, Mrs. Kent?  They’re practically a food group within themselves.  They’re better than any bakery or restaurant I ever ate at.”

“Then I’ll teach you if you’re interested.”

“If? You better believe I’m interested.  Clark always talks about your pies and rightfully so.  If I could learn to make them half as good as yours, then no one would be able to complain!”  Lois paused.  “Would you like some coffee, Mrs. Kent?  It’s still fresh,” Lois asked and Martha nodded. Lois poured two mugs of fresh coffee.  She sat at the kitchen table with Martha. 

“Clark is not the only one who looks happy.  Aside from worrying about tomorrow’s dinner, you seem different too, Sweetheart.  You seem at ease with life, like someone who finally found the answer to a question that had been plaguing them for a long time.”

Lois reached out and put her hand on Martha’s arm.  “I’ve never been happier, Mrs. Kent.  I’m in love with Clark and honestly, I’ve been like that for a while.  I just wasn’t sure before now.  He’s just the most wonderful guy and you and Mr. Kent raised him to be such a good man.”  She began to get teary eyed.  “Ever since Clark told me about his special abilities and powers, I’ve replayed every single time I could remember that he said or did something that seemed stupid or like an excuse just to avoid me.  I never understood why and didn’t trust him. I thought for a while I was his stand-in for Lana.  He didn’t seem to want to be that close with me whenever I tried to get close, and I was dropping hints like crazy. I thought he just didn’t get the hint or that he didn’t like me that much.  Then, after knowing his secret, I understood why he did and said the things that he did.” 

“He was scared to death to tell you, Lois.  Clark and I talked about it many times over the phone at night when he came back from work or wherever he was doing his second job.  He was so afraid that when you learned his secret that you’d reject him.  It was paradoxical for him, Honey.  He wanted so badly to tell you, but he was afraid of losing you if you knew.  He thought the solution to keep you close was to stay with you as a friend, then he wouldn’t have to worry about losing you.”  Martha chuckled. “You see how well that worked out.  Not to sound boastful, but I told him that it wouldn’t work and that he needed to be honest with you.  I told him that maybe you would reject him, but you’d never betray his secret.”  She paused and then said, “He just loved you too much to stay friends.  It was killing him inside not to be more than friendly coworkers.” 

A tear raced down Lois’s cheek and Martha’s eyes got glassy and she said, “I’m just so happy that he’s in love with you, Lois, and that you, knowing his secret, are so in love with him too.  You may think that someone like Clark has had it easy.  He never gets sick, he’s smart, and physically, he’s remarkable.  But it’s the things you can’t see that made his life harder than you’d ever imagined.

“Jonathan and I were always worried about him being taken by the government.  So, we drilled into his head that he had to hide his abilities and to act like a normal human being and that he couldn’t be who he is and be seen as a normal human being and lead an average human life.  He was different, odd.  He’s always wanted to be accepted as a human but had to act against his nature to keep his true differences a secret. 

“But other than playing football, he never really fit in and that made him even more worried about not being accepted, particularly by those people he is connected to and loves.  It’s hard to imagine but think what it would be like to have walked around on eggshells your entire life, knowing one mistake could change your life forever.

“Sweetheart, you’ve made him a different person, a more authentic Clark who doesn’t have to hide who he really is or what he can do.  He’s the Clark we love, the one we raised when he is around you, and it’s so wonderful to see.”  She sighed.  “I only wish Jonathan was here to see it.”

Lois wiped the tears from her eyes.  “Clark says that all the time, Mrs. Kent.  It’s sweet how much he talks about you and misses you.  But it’s heartbreaking to know how much he missed his dad when he says he wishes his dad was here to talk with or to see or hear something.”

“All the more important that you’re here, now,” Martha said and wiped a tear from her own eyes.  “You’re living here with Clark, right?” Lois nodded.  “I don’t mean to pry but are you sharing a bed?” Martha asked.

“Um, yes we are,” Lois replied wincing, unsure if Clark wanted his mom knowing that bit of information. 

Martha exhaled, relieved.  “I was so worried that Clark couldn’t…” she paused searching for the right phrase.

“Be intimate?” Lois suggested.

“Yes, be intimate with a human.  I know it was something that he once admitted to me when he and Lana were fussing about something along those lines.  He was a few years younger, not even out of high school yet.”

“He told me the same thing…conveniently omitting the Lana reference,” she said and chuckled. Martha smiled and made a mental note that Lana might be a touchy subject around Lois.  

“We really discouraged him from being intimate for fear of unintentionally hurting Lana or any other girl for that matter, not that there was a waiting line of girls.”

“Well, I know of one,” Lois interjected.

“Chloe?  Yes, I imagine Chloe would have happily taken Lana’s place, but Clark had Lana on a pedestal, and I thought he would never get over her.  Lana was sweet but she was not right for him.”  She paused and took a sip of coffee.  “But I’m so relieved that he can safely be with a human woman.  I mean I expect that I’ll never become a grandmother, but I just know that he has so much love to give to someone and being able to physically show that love is so good for him.”

Lois blushed, smirked, and was about to report to Martha how good it was for her that he was able to show it, but caught herself.  Instead, Lois simply said, “You’re right, he is so very loving.”

When Clark returned, Martha was teaching Lois how to make pie dough.  “You can’t use the store-bought crusts.  I mean, if you’re in a hurry and just want to have something for a work function, they are fine.  But for family and friends at home, you use homemade dough, Dear.”

Lois was kneading the ingredients into a giant dough ball.  Martha cut it into four large pieces. To use for the pies.  Two were pumpkin pies and the other two were fruit pies, apple and cherry.

“So what time are people coming tomorrow?”

“I told them to plan on coming any time after 2 PM and we’d eat dinner around 5 PM.  Oliver and his guest will probably fly in his corporate jet.  Zee said she’d be here, but I don’t know how she’ll get here.”

Martha figured out the time to put the turkey in the oven.  “It sounds like you have everything under control, Lois.  As long as we get these pies done and the cranberry sauce made, you won’t have to wake up and get started so early!”

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

“Zee!” Lois squealed and pulled Zatanna into a hug.  “I’m so thankful that you could come.”

Zatanna beamed and handed Lois a bouquet of flowers for the center of the table.  “I’m the one who is thankful, Lois.  I always seem to end up eating at a restaurant or some catered event.  I never have home cooking for Thanksgiving so this will be a real holiday treat for me!”

“You say that now…” Clark said, smirking behind Lois at the doorway.

“Happy Thanksgiving, Clark,” Zee said.

Lois intervened and blocked Clark out.  “Oh, don’t mind him, Zee.  Clark discovered his sense of humor yesterday and has been practicing it ever since,” she pasted on a fake smile, “no matter how inappropriate the timing.”

Zee laughed.  “Well, thank you for the invitation, anyway,” she said, and Clark hugged her.  “It smells wonderful in here!”

“Come in,” he said.  “Let me introduce you to my mom.”  Lois darted into the kitchen to put the flowers in the vase and Clark led Zee into the living room.

She found a vase and added water to it.  She put the bouquet of flowers in that Zee had brought and set it in the center of the dining room table.  Lois turned to join the others in the living room when she heard a car door slam outside.  Instead, she went to the front door, opened it, and saw Oliver opening the passenger door.  He held out his hand and helped Tess out of the passenger seat.  Tess reached inside the passenger compartment and pulled out two long, slender gift bags.

“Hey, you two,” Lois shouted from the doorway and Oliver looked up to see her behind the screen door.  They both looked and smiled as they headed for the porch.  “Happy Thanksgiving!”  She turned to the living room.  “Clark, Ollie and Tess are here.”

Lois held the door and Oliver and Tess entered.  Each had a gift bag with a bottle of wine in it.  “Thank you for inviting us, Lois,” Tess said, handing the bag to Lois who thanked Tess. 

“Wow,” Oliver exclaimed, “it smells amazing in here.  I take it Mrs. Kent arrived in time?” he said to Lois with a wink.

She hugged Oliver and said, “Boy, this day just gets more hilarious by the minute.”

Clark appeared and welcomed them both.  “Tess, have you met my mom, Senator Kent?”

“I have not,” Tess replied and followed him into the living room where he introduced Martha to Tess.

They all sat in the living room while the turkey finished cooking, the incredible smells that stoked their appetites.  Clark served beverages and Martha had helped Lois with some cheese, smoked sausage, and cracker appetizers that she brought out.

The conversation was lively as everyone in the room was fully aware of the secret lives that Oliver, Tess, and of course, Clark, were leading.  “How do you like working at the Watchtower,” Lois asked Tess.

“It’s eye-opening and humbling at the same time.  Chloe did some great things for the group.  I’m just trying to keep things going at this point.  But the amount of information that Chloe had amassed about threats and criminal activity is truly astounding.”

“Have you found anything on Lex that you can use against his challenge to reclaim the Luthor estate?” Clark asked.

She nodded.  “I have found some very incriminating information that ties Lex conclusively to illegal and unauthorized cloning experiments using human DNA.  According to my attorneys, that information will be enough to possibly put him behind bars for many, many years.”

“Will it be validated somehow?” Zatanna asked.

“Yes.”  She paused.  “My attorneys also have a team of paralegal investigators who are scouring the area for some of the scientists who were working on various aspects of the process but were compartmentalized.  The lawyers said these scientists could easily claim they had no knowledge of the purpose of the work they were asked to do because they worked in such isolated conditions or locations.”

“My Lord,” Martha exclaimed.  “Cloning human beings is such a repulsive thought.”

“He was working with a black book Pentagon contract to create super-soldiers for the military,” Oliver replied.  “We literally shut his underground lab down two years ago, planting explosives there and evacuating the facility before we detonated them.  That is when Lex had appeared to be killed by an adjacent explosion that detonated the fuel tank in his car.”

“Well, why didn’t you just turn it over to the authorities?” Martha asked.  “Because it was a black book project?”

Clark weighed in.  “Mom, we didn’t trust turning it over to the authorities.  Even turning it over to General Lane was considered but since it was a Pentagon project, we were concerned that he might already have known and would try to stop us.”

“Son, General Lane and I have had many conversations over the years.  He is a hard-nosed military man but he’s also a moral man with honor and integrity.  He would not have tolerated any such thing, and I can hardly imagine him knowing about it and not stopping it or exposing it himself.”

“Well, we took care of it because we weren’t sure,” Oliver said.  “Now, with Tess diving into the database that Chloe built, she’s uncovering evidence of his experimentation with human DNA.  It’s really sickening.”

Martha asked about Chloe.  Oliver and Zee reported that she was doing much better and would be heading to her new position as senior database administrator for the Queen Industries server farm outside of Colorado Springs, Colorado the following week.  Lois asked about what Chloe would know and not know.  She had indicated that she wanted to visit her sometime soon but did not want to mess up her mind.

Dinner was served and surprisingly delicious.  Guests were lauding Martha Kent’s cooking, but she was quick to redirect those remarks towards Lois.  “All I did was teach Lois how to make homemade pie dough and gave her some tips on timing her dinner.  Lois did all the cooking herself,” she insisted.  Lois beamed and thanked her guests for the compliments.

Clark was looking out the window, curiously searching for something outside and Lois asked what he was looking at.  “Well, I think Hell is freezing over and I was looking for signs of it.”

Oliver began to laugh, and Lois turned to the others and said, “And there’s that wildly inappropriate sense of humor Clark is still trying to come to grips with.”  Clark grinned, leaned over and kissed Lois on the cheek and told her how good the meal was.

“Well, you two don’t seem very different than you do at work,” Tess observed.  “And that’s refreshing.  Most people act differently at home than they do at work.”  She looked at Martha and said, “Other than Clark’s secret, they don’t seem to hide anything else.  This is just like the normal workday at the Planet,” she said with a smile.

The women gravitated to the kitchen to help pick up and put leftovers away.  Clark had said he would take care of the dishes and Lois accepted that offer.  “You’ve never seen dishes get washed and dried so fast in your life,” she said.  Clark and Oliver watched the NFL game that was on until the women came back to the living room. 

It was 9:30 PM when they began to leave.  Oliver told Zee that he would take her back to Metropolis and she could stay at one of the two executive hotel suites that Queen Industries maintained.  Tess announced that she was going home but Lois and Clark suspected that she spent the night with Oliver.  Tess had also previously announced that Friday after Thanksgiving would be a paid holiday for all the reporting staff, giving Lois and Clark a long weekend ahead.

The next morning, Martha said that she had to return to Washington late that morning because of some pending bill that they would be debating on Monday, and she wanted to read through it before the debate.  They drove her to the airport, embraced and thanked her for coming.  “Don’t thank me, thank you!” she said.  “It was wonderful seeing you two together and so happy.  I hope things work out for the two of you, I really do.”  She hugged Clark and said, “I love you, Son.”  She turned to Lois, hugged her, and whispered, “Thank you for loving my son.”

They returned to the farm and Lois mentioned that there were two college football games on that afternoon.  “Aren’t you exhausted from yesterday?” Clark asked. 

“No, I feel pretty good.  Why, are you?”

He stretched.  “I could lay down for a little while,” he said.

Lois caught the hint.  “Maybe you’re right.  I could lay down for a little while, too.  Those games don’t start for another couple of hours.”

They went upstairs and in minutes were engaged in heavy lovemaking.  For both, it was cathartic in a way.  Neither had realized the pressure having guests and a parent visiting would create and while they thoroughly enjoyed the day, this act of lovemaking was the product of pent-up anxiety they had meeting expectations and facing realities of living together and others knowing exactly what it involved.  They both reached release more quickly than normal and then slowed to a less frenetic pace, enjoying each other’s bodies and touch.

“Your mom said something that made me think and I should have asked you before now,” Lois said, brushing damp strands of hair from her forehead.  “She asked if we were having sex, and I told her we were.”

“Mom asked that?” Clark asked, shocked.

Lois chuffed.  “Not like that but she did ask about our physical relationship. So, there’s no secret there anymore, Farmer John.”

“What did she say that made you think you should have asked me about?”

Lois frowned.  “When we decided to come here for our first weekend of debauchery, I called my lady doctor and had her prescribe some birth control pills for me and I immediately started them, so I didn’t think much of it until now.  But your mom said that she never expected to become a grandmother.  Is that because she thought you’d never have sex with a woman or that you couldn’t create a child with a human?”

“We cannot conceive a child together, Lois.  Even though I look just like a human, our biological makeup is far different.  We were a humanoid race that evolved for millennia before Earth humans developed.  Our DNA evolved to the extent that it is no longer compatible with humans from Earth.  There may have been a time when Kryptonians and Earth-born humans could have conceived but that would have been thousands of years ago.”  He paused and kissed her.  “So, the pills are unnecessary.”

“Does your mom know that?”

“Yes.  Before Dad died, he and I talked.  It was about the time that I was thinking about having sex with Lana and I talked with him about it.  He urged me to find out if making love to a human could result in a pregnancy.  I went to the Fortress and asked Jor-El, and he said humans and Kryptonians were different species of humanoid and incompatible for procreation.  His words.”

“So, you can’t get me pregnant.  That’s good to know,” she said but her voice also had a tinge of regret.

“Yes, it’s definitely good information to have,” Clark replied.  “During that time that my Dad was certain that I would cause internal injuries to a human girl having sex with her.  He said that it would be impossible to avoid crushing a girl or damaging her internal organs by having sex.  It was my dad and mom that planted that seed!  I think they just wanted me to wait.”

“For me!” Lois chirped but then said, “But I guess you didn’t really, did you?”

“Well, you’re the first human woman without superpowers that I made love to or that I made love to when I was fully powered.  Does that count?”

She frowned and then raised an eyebrow. “Those are technicalities,” Lois said, “but I can live with knowing them.  I feel like I can still claim the title notwithstanding those technicalities!”

“Me, too!” Clark added. “It’s settled.  You’re the first girl…woman…to ever make love to me without special circumstances.” 

They embraced and it led to another round of lovemaking.  Afterwards, Lois asked, “Feel like leftovers?”

“Absolutely.  Let’s get cleaned up first,” he suggested, that implied showering together which Clark really seemed to enjoy.

They took a long shower, dressed, and went downstairs for lunch.  Lois made turkey sandwiches and re-heated some of the casseroles from the night before. Clark made a pot of coffee.

“I think I want to go see Chloe when she gets settled in her new position,” Lois said.  “But I think I should go alone.  What do you think?”  Clark agreed and she set a date for the second weekend of December.  “I’ll go on the weekend just to see how she’s doing and try to fill in family-related gaps she might have that I can help with.”

“What if she wants to come visit you?  What will you tell her?” Clark asked.

She thought for a moment.  “For now, I’ll just tell her that I’m in between places and that things are kind of upside down and it’s not a good time to visit.”  She paused and played it out in her head.  “Yeah, I think that will work.”

Chapter Text

The holiday season was in full swing in Metropolis.  The air was crisp, and people spent evenings window shopping along store fronts, searching for Christmas gifts.  Clark and Lois were among the throng of people who were out enjoying the festive atmosphere portending the upcoming holiday. The mood was jovial, and citizens seemed more friendly and tolerant of crowds and people bumping into them.  The town was awash in twinkling golden lights that were strung in trees along sidewalks and red, green, and white ribbons wrapped around light posts to mimic candy canes.  Thin vertical banners were affixed to other light posts proclaiming ‘Seasons Greetings’ and ‘Joy’, ‘Peace’, and ‘Love’.

The upcoming weekend was alive with activities and Centennial Park was the official center for Metropolis festivities.  City workers decorated trees and shrubs with multi-colored lights and huge ornaments.  A small gauge train ride for children was set up that took children around the park to see all the holiday displays, lights, and a stop at Santa’s Workshop, replete with a very cheery Santa, elves, lots of wrapped boxes, and a photographer.  It was also the site of the annual Metropolis Christmas Tree lighting, accompanied by an outdoor skating rink, choirs from local churches and schools performing during the evenings, and the Metropolis University orchestra on weekends.

Christmas music was heard in stores and restaurants.  People were cheerful, feeling safe, prosperous, and anticipating the holiday season ahead.  The Red Blue Blur had been active leading up to the holiday season and his presence was reflected in the mood of the citizens of Metropolis.  Lois had written nine stories about Red Blue Blur interventions since her interview in August.

Lois and Clark were adjusting to the privacy and quietness of their new office.  The hustle and bustle of the bullpen was gone and for Lois, it was a bittersweet change.  Having Clark close, being able to easily talk without the fear of being overheard and having their own private coffee pot were among the major advantages. The daily tempo of work, the cacophony of voices, file cabinets slamming closed, keyboards tapping, phones ringing, and the occasional bursts of laughter that were characteristic of the bullpen were missing and getting used to not working in that environment was an adjustment.

“I love being in here with you, Clark.”

“I sense a but coming,” he said without looking up from his monitor.

She exhaled.  “But…sometimes I miss the routine of the bullpen.  It’s almost too private in here, ya know?  Sometimes I miss just being down there.”

“Give me your mug, I’ll race on down and get you a cup of coffee,” he replied.

“God, anything but that,” she cried.  “Seriously, don’t you ever miss life in the bullpen?”

He looked at Lois and sat back in his chair.  “Honestly, as long as you’re here with me, I’m not missing a thing, Lo.”

She crossed her arms and cocked her head. “Now how do you expect me to respond to that?”  She chuffed. 

Clark’s snapped his head toward the door and Lois looked that way.  A woosh sent papers from inboxes flying and he was holding her in his arms just inches from her face.  “How about with a kiss?” 

She smiled, obliged him, and when their kiss ended, she said, “Maybe I was a bit hasty in forming that opinion.  Nice head-fake, by the way.”

Clark released her and picked up the scattered papers.  “I like the privacy.  I wouldn’t have been able to do that in the basement without luring you into the copy room like before.”

“Luring me?  ‘Luring’ me suggests that I was unwittingly enticed into going into the copy room with you. I knew exactly what you were up to every time, Farmer John.”

“You did, huh?  Then why the surprised look when I kissed you the first time?”

She chuffed. “Me?  Surprised?  Smallville, the only thing I was surprised about was the fact that you summoned the nerve to kiss me.  And let’s correct the record here.  You kissed me in the middle of the bullpen…with other people around!  I was the one who kissed you in the copy room.”

“After I lured you in there.” Clark smiled knowing that he was not going to win this debate and did not want to.  “Yet, here I am, holding you in my arms right now.”

“Well, like the Beatles song says, Clark, ‘the long and winding road’.  Aren’t you glad you took that road?”  He acknowledged that.

“Speaking of long roads, I was going to head over and see Chloe this weekend.  What do you think?”

“Sure,” he replied.  “I haven’t made any plans and I didn’t plan on being at the Fortress this weekend either.”

Lois winced.  “I think I should go alone, Clark. I’ll find out if she remembers anything about her time in Metropolis and see if I can help stitch some gaps in her memory together for her. I think if you’re there it would really complicate things.  Let me feel the situation out first.”

“How long to you plan to stay?”

“Just overnight. I’ll leave on Saturday morning and be back Sunday evening.”

He frowned.  “What if you rent a car from somewhere nearby Chloe is living and I fly you there just before the sun comes up.  Then when you’re ready to come back, call and I’ll come pick you up.  Just make sure it’s after sundown when you call.”  He paused.  “Do you know where she’s living now?”

Lois nodded. “I called Ollie a few days ago and got her address.  She’s in some apartments not far from the server farm she works at.”  She thought about it. “Flying me round trip is a good idea.  I’ll be able to spend more time with her and I think it will be good for both of us.”

“True,” Clark admitted. “Maybe I’ll visit Jimmy while you’re gone.  He’s in rehab about forty miles outside the city.  I’ll let you know how he’s doing when you get back.”

That weekend, Clark flew Lois to a diner on the outskirts of Colorado Springs where Chloe was living.  They had breakfast together before Lois went to the rental car office to pick up a car she had reserved.  She called Chloe once she got in the rental car.

“Is this Lois?” Chloe asked cheerfully as she answered the phone.  “What a surprise!”

“A pleasant one, I hope,” she replied.

“Pleasant indeed.  To what do I owe the honor of your call?” she asked.

“I was wondering if you would be up for a visitor this weekend?  I’m in town after following a lead on a story and I got finished sort of late last night.  I thought, ‘While I’m here, I should see if my favorite cousin is available.’  And at least you’re available by phone.”

“More than that, Lo.  I’m pretty much open the whole weekend except tonight.  I have dinner plans with a guy from work.”

“Whaaat?” Lois asked, comically.  “Don’t you know how disastrous office romances can be?” Chloe hesitated in her reply.  “Just kidding, Cuz.  But, I don’t want to interrupt your date tonight.”

“No way!  Come along with me.  I’d like you to meet Mark anyway.  He won’t mind.”

“Are you kidding?”

“No, I’d love for you to meet Mark.”

“Really?  Because I would mind if I had my plans for the evening set and then my date showed up with his cousin that I never met.  Who’s to say Mark will love meeting me?”

“Lois!  Everyone loves you,” Chloe replied.  “At least the Lois I remember always was.”

It was in Chloe’s last comment that Lois realized how effective Zatanna’s spell had been.  “If you say so,” she replied.  “Can we meet up sometime this morning?”

“Of course,” Chloe replied.  “Come over now.  You have my address, right?”

Lois found the apartment complex.  It was a nice, modern complex with many amenities that catered to single occupants.  She lived on the second floor of a three-floor complex that was a series of three-story buildings perfectly laid out for easy use of the facilities it offered.  Surprisingly, the building had ample guest parking. 

Chloe welcomed her cousin with a great hug and brilliant smile before ushering her inside.  “It’s so great to see you,” Chloe said excitedly.  “How long has it been?”

“I’m not sure,” Lois replied, “but it’s been a while!”  The apartment was nicely furnished with clean, modern furniture and accessories that looked like images in a design magazine.  “Wow, this place is beautiful, Chloe!”

“Isn’t it?  Queen Industries leases it and all I pay for is utilities.  It’s really nice.”

“Geez, they sure take good care of their employees,” Lois remarked and looked to the kitchen.  “Hey, is that fresh coffee I smell?”

The cousins spent the rest of the morning and all afternoon talking.  What Lois gleaned from their talks was that Chloe remembered some things, like Lois’s articles in the Daily Planet and early days in Smallville.  She knew Oliver Queen but not personally. 

She commented that in looking at Lois’s articles, she saw the name ‘Clark Kent’ as a contributor and asked if he was the same Clark Kent from Smallville that she knew in high school. “It is,” Lois replied.  “He’s the same, dorky hick from Smallville,” she explained, “and the reason he appears in so many of my stories is the bureau chief asked that I take him under my wing, so we’re teamed up.” 

Chloe seemed to buy that embellishment by Lois but said, “I didn’t think he was all that dorky in high school.  I remember having a huge crush on him when we were in school back then, but he was under the spell of Lana Lang and there was no breaking that spell no matter what I tried.”  She paused.  “Is Lana still around?  Is he still smitten with her?”

“I’m pretty sure she no longer lives in Metropolis.  You know, she ended up marrying Lex Luthor, right?”

“She did?” Lois said nothing but wondered why that had been erased.  “That must have happened during one of their off-again cycles.  They were always on-again, off-again but the off-again was always Lana’s choice.  Clark Kent was always on-again with Lana or pining over her if he wasn’t.”

Lois chuffed.  “I didn’t ask him too much because, frankly, I’m not that interested,” Lois replied.  “He’s a nice man and God knows he’s kinda hot in an Old MacDonald sort of way, but he’s got a better chance of raising chickens than raising a blip on my radar.  He’s starting to get better, but he’s not even in the minor leagues at this point, let alone the major leagues that I play in.”

Chloe laughed.  “Speaking of that, are you seeing anybody?”

“Not really.  I’m usually too busy or too broke to try and hit the dating scene in Metropolis.” Lois paused, wondering if she should say anything about her time with Oliver.  She figured it would not matter because Oliver knew if Chloe ever mentioned it, he could cover it. “I was asked out on a couple dates by your boss, Oliver Queen, when he was angling to buy the Daily Planet.  That didn’t last very long but we are still friendly,” Lois assured.

“Did you know that he was doing vigilante work in Metropolis?”

“Not at the time he had asked me out on dates.  I don’t know if that would have mattered or not, but it doesn’t matter to me today.”

“He’s extremely good-looking too,” Chloe commented.

“Well, he seems to have taken a shine to you, Cuz, because I doubt every Queen Industries employee gets the white glove treatment you’ve gotten!”  She looked around at Chloe’s surroundings.  “I wish the Planet did this for their employees.  I’m in a month-to-month rental awaiting something more permanent.”

They continued talking, laughing, and hanging out, Chloe showed her around Colorado Springs and offered to take her to the top of Pike’s Peak.  Lois declined, falsely claiming that she was not a fan of thin air and high heights.  She claimed that heights like that would give her vertigo.

As dinnertime approached, Chloe asked if Lois wanted to spend the night there or if she had a hotel room.  Lois said she’d stay on the couch if that was okay, and the younger cousin immediately offered it.  “Is this guy a friend or boyfriend, Chloe?”

She grinned and blushed a bit.  “He’s an in-between.  I think you’ll like him.  He’s down to Earth and very polite.”

“What, handsome but dorky hick isn’t working for you anymore?” Lois chided.

Chloe giggled.  “That was a lifetime ago, Lo.  I’d pretty much forgotten all about Clark Kent until I saw his name next to yours in the articles you wrote.”

The three of them met up at the small brew pub only a few miles from where Chloe lived.  They spent about three hours having dinner, drinks, and lots of conversation.  Chloe was right; Mark Wilson was a nice guy and above-average looking.  He was slender and not very muscular, a casualty of his profession, Lois thought.  But he was engaging and did not seem to mind Lois’s presence at all and seemed very affectionate with Chloe.

The normally chatty Lois went quiet and at first, no one thought anything about it.  But after fifteen minutes or so of her silence, Chloe asked her if there was something wrong.  Lois winced.  “My stomach is a little upset, that’s all.”

“Do you want to go back to the apartment? I have some antacid tablets there.”

Almost whining, Lois replied, “I don’t want to ruin your evening, you guys.  I’ll hang in here and maybe it will pass.”

“Lois,” Mark replied, “Chloe and I can go out anytime.  If you’re not feeling well, it’s okay to head back.”  He looked at his watch.  “It’s starting to get late anyway,” he concluded.

They eventually unanimously decided it was time to go and said their goodbyes.  On the way back to the apartment, Chloe asked Lois what she thought of Mark.  “Top grades in all areas, Cuz.  He’s a sweetheart!” she declared.

“I think so too.  Glad to get the ‘Lois Lane Seal of Approval’ on him.  That means a lot to me.”

She nodded.  “Well, he got it!”

Chloe found the antacid tablets and handed the bottle to Lois.  “Take a few,” she said, “I always do.  Sometimes I eat them just for the calcium.”  Lois shook six out from the rather large bottle, took three, and handed the bottle back to Chloe. 

Chloe brought out a sheet, spare pillow, and a blanket for Lois.  They hugged and Chloe retreated to her bedroom.  “Hope you feel better in the morning,” she said.

Lois changed into flannel pajamas and turned out the lights.  She felt exhausted.  Before she fell off to sleep, she thought about Clark and texted him.  “Going to sleep, now.  Miss you.  C U tomorrow. Lots to tell.  ILY”. 

Clark replied with a similar text message, and she fell asleep almost before receiving his reply. 

Lois awoke to the smell of coffee brewing.  She reached over and scooped the three antacids that she had not yet taken, popped them in her mouth, and began chewing.  She swallowed and sat up.  “That coffee smells good,” she said.

“Well, good morning, Sleepyhead.  Or should I say, ‘good afternoon’?”

“What?” Lois said, groggily.  “What time is it?”

“It’s almost 1 PM,” she answered. “You’re no stranger to sleeping in but I don’t ever remember anyone ever saying you slept past noon unless you were out all night.  Didn’t you sleep well?  Is that couch uncomfortable?”

She shook her head.  “I don’t think I woke up for one minute,” she replied.

“You must be burning the candles at both ends, Lo.  That’s not healthy.  I know you’re dedicated to your job but my God, Cuz, there are tons of newspapers but only one Lois Lane.  Maybe you need to start pacing yourself.”

Lois rose and stumbled to the kitchen.  “You should probably stand back from me,” she said.  “It’s not that I feel so tired, it’s that I sort of feel weak.  I may be coming down with something.”

Chloe frowned.  “How does your stomach feel?”

“Still doesn’t feel great,” Lois said as she sipped her coffee.  The steaming brew helped her awaken a bit more.  “This coffee helps,” she commented.  “Maybe a hot shower will wake me up.”

She shivered before getting into the shower and Lois wondered if she had the flu.  Upset stomach, weakness, and now chills.  It is cold and flu season after all, she thought.  She felt better once she exited the shower, dried off, and got dressed.  Better only meant that she did not feel as sick to her stomach or as tired as she did when she awoke.  She did not feel great but was determined not to let that ruin the few hours she had left with Chloe.

They sat at opposite ends of the sofa Lois slept on at the elder cousin’s insistence.  Flu shot or not, she did not want to be the cause of Chloe getting sick.  Chloe popped some popcorn, talked, and half-watched a football game that neither team was of interest to Lois.  By half-time, the sun had already begun to sink below the horizon, and it would completely dark in less than an hour. “I think I should be getting back to the airport.  My plane leaves in about two hours,” she lied.  “I have to turn the rental in.”

“Maybe I should follow you to drop off the car,” Chloe offered but Lois shook her head. 

“There’s a shuttle and it’s not worth your time.”

“But you’re still not feeling yourself, are you?”

“Mostly tired,” Lois said.  “I’ll be fine and be back home in a few hours.”

They hugged.  Lois held her breath during it and then quickly stepped back.  “You don’t have leprosy, Lois,” Chloe said. 

“You don’t want to feel like I do right now.  I’ll just keep my distance.”  She picked up her bag and walked to the door.  “It was great catching up with you, Cuz.  I’ll do my best to keep in touch if you do the same.”

Chloe grew misty-eyed and it surprised even her.  “It seems so long since we’ve been together,” she began, “we can’t let it go that long again.  I really miss you, Lo.”

“And I miss you, Chloe,” Lois said, kissed her fingertips and touched Chloe’s cheek with them.  “Thanks for the hospitality and the good time last night.  I really did like Mark.”

They bid each other goodbye, and Lois went to her rental car, climbed in and left, waving to her cousin on the way out of the parking lot.  Once she turned in her car, the sun had completely dropped below the horizon and the day had quickly faded to night.  She dialed Clark.  “Come get me,” she said.  “I’ll be…” and she heard a woosh and Clark appeared from around the corner of the building in which the rental office was located.  He hugged her and went to kiss her, but she pulled back.

“What’s wrong?”

“Just checking.  You don’t get sick, do you?  You’re immune to Earth diseases, right?”  He nodded.  “Just wanted to be sure,” she said and planted a kiss on his lips.  They lingered in the kiss and finally, they broke.

“Are you sick?” Clark asked.

“I think I’m coming down with something.  Probably the flu.  Believe me, I’ll survive,” she replied.  “I have an upset stomach, and I feel really tired…weak.  I just want to get back to Smallville, curl up with my own personal heater, and sleep.”

“I’ll take it easy, then,” he said.  “No need making your stomach feel any worse than it does.”  Clark led her to the side of the building by which he had landed, which was dark and not visible to any adjacent buildings or businesses that might still be open.  He scanned the area to make sure, picked Lois up into his arms, and slowly launched them straight up and then into an arc, heading towards Smallville.

They landed at the Kent farm about fifteen minutes later and he put Lois down.  “How are you feeling?  Was that okay?”

“It was fine, Clark.  Like I said, my stomach was bothering me a bit but mostly, I’m just tired.  I feel so weak.”

“Do you feel like having something to eat?  Soup, maybe?”

“You’re going to make me soup?”  She rolled her eyes.  “From a can I suppose.”  He nodded.  “If you have some chicken noodle, that sounds pretty good to me.  And some of those oyster crackers if you have some.  If not, saltines would be okay.”

“You go upstairs and lay down.  I’ll bring it up to you when it’s ready.”

Lois had barely enough energy to make it to the top of the stairs and once there, just enough time to open her small suitcase, put yesterday and today’s clothes in the hamper, and pull her pajamas on before Clark was entering the room with a tray.  She was climbing into bed as he waited for her get settled. “Sorry for the wait.  I had to run to the store for some oyster crackers.”

“Wait?  My God, I wish that’s all the longer I ever had to wait for things.  Thank you, Smallville.  Notwithstanding my previous opinions, you are the very best!”  He laid the tray on her lap and kissed her.  She grabbed the back of his head as he began to pull away, pulled him back, and kissed him once again.  “That’s for being so attentive!”  Her eyes suddenly got watery.  “No one has cared for me like this since my mom died.” He smiled as a tear ran down her cheek.

“I love you, Lois.  There’s nothing more important to me than your welfare.  I’m here for you for as long as you want me, for the rest of our lives as far as I’m concerned.”  He smoothed her hair back from her brow.  “Do you want something to drink?”

“Just some ice water, maybe,” she said.

She shifted around and leaned over to take a spoonful of soup.  She grabbed an oyster cracker and threw it into her mouth after she swallowed the soup.  He sat of the end of the bed, opposite corner to where Lois sat and watched her for a while.  Then he stood.  “I’m going to grab something to eat downstairs.  Just yell to me when you’re done, and I’ll come get the tray.”

About twenty minutes later, Lois called out and Clark dashed upstairs. “Do you want to stay up here or would you rather go down and watch the Sunday night game?”

“As much as I’d love to snuggle with you on the couch watching football, I’m just exhausted, Clark.  I think I just need to stay here and go to sleep.  I’m sure I’ll be fine in the morning.”

He took the tray from her, watched as she slithered down and lay back in bed and then he covered her with the blankets.  “Sweet dreams, Lo.  I’ll try not to wake you up when I come in.”

By the time he reached the kitchen, he heard footsteps from upstairs moving quickly, followed by the sound of Lois throwing up.  He put down the tray and blurred up to find her on her knees in front of the toilet.  He grabbed a washcloth from the rack and wet it, waiting for her to finish vomiting.  Once she had, he handed her the cool washcloth and she wiped her face.  “Damn!  I almost didn’t make it,” she said.

“Maybe you should go to the Smallville Urgent Care clinic, Lois.  I can…”

“What are they going to do, Clark?  Tell me that I have the flu and give me a prescription of Tamiflu?  I don’t need all that.  It just has to run its course and getting some sleep will help it along.”  She stood and flushed the toilet.

“Do you feel any better now?  Do you want some more soup?” he asked.

She shook her head.  Lois was at the sink now, rinsing out her mouth.  “No on both counts,” she said, wiping her face with the damp washcloth.  “What I need is probably a bucket next to the bed though.  And I don’t think you should sleep in here tonight.  I’ll just keep you awake.”

“I’m not worried about that, Lois.”

“Well, I am.  Someone has to hold down the fort at the Planet tomorrow and I don’t think it will be me.”

He helped her back to bed, dashed to the barn and retrieved a large feed bucket.  He took it to Lois and set it beside the bed along with some towels.  He agreed to sleep in his bedroom but listened most of the night for any sign of more stomach troubles.

The following morning, he rose and prepared for work.  Lois stirred and he peeked in on her.  “Good morning,” he said.  “How are you feeling?”

She sat up.  “Better. Probably not 100 percent but better than yesterday and much better than last night.”  She yawned and stretched.  “I feel like I could go to work today.”

“Why?  You’d risk spreading the flu or whatever bug you have to everyone else at the Planet.  Just stay home for the next day or two and I’ll let Tess know you’re sick.”  He waited for her to protest but that protest was not forthcoming.  “Is there anything I can get for you?  Some coffee?”

She nodded.  “Coffee would be good.  I’m really hungry though.  I’ll probably just go to the Smallville diner and get some breakfast there.”  Clark disappeared and came back within seconds with a steaming cup of coffee.  “I’ll get your breakfast.  You just stay here, Lo.”

He went to the kitchen, retrieved her mug of coffee and blurred it up to her.  She took a swallow but before she could thank him, he disappeared down to the kitchen where he broke three eggs, sprinkled in some shredded cheddar cheese, and put them on the stove.  He found a package of frozen bacon and, while stirring the eggs on low heat, used his heat vision to thaw the bacon.  He placed the bacon on a cookie sheet and cooked it to a crisp with his heat vision.  In the refrigerator, Clark found some bagels they had brought from Metropolis earlier in the week.  He toasted two of those with his heat vision, just as the scrambled eggs were finished cooking.  He placed all the food on two plates along with a fork and some napkins.  Along with the plates, he included a small tub of cream cheese for the bagel and butter knife to spread it with.

When Clark appeared at the door with the same tray that had the soup the night before, Lois’s mouth began to water.  “I am so hungry,” she said, “and this looks and smells delicious, Clark.  Thank you, Honey,” she said as she dove into the eggs first.

“You call me if you need anything, Lois,” he said.  He kissed her after she wiped her mouth and motioned him over to her.

“I’ll be fine.  You go!  Just have a good day and I’ll call you at noon to let you know how I’m doing.” She paused and then added, “When you get back home, I’ll give you the scoop about Chloe.”

“And I’ll tell you about Jimmy,” he replied.  He smiled and Lois smiled back and in the blink of an eye, he was gone.

Chapter Text

New Years Day had come and gone.  

The holidays had been a mixed bag of cheer and disappointment.  Martha Kent had fortunately returned from Washington for the Christmas break and was able to help Lois and Clark with cooking and shopping for food.  Lois’s sister, Lucy, had reached out and alerted her sister that she was planning a visit, but Lois talked Lucy out of coming, citing her illness and fatigue.  That was disappointing, largely because it would have been an occasion to strengthen the frayed bond between the two sisters and have given her a chance to get to know Clark.

Lois had recovered from her bouts of nausea about a week before Christmas and had returned to work at the Daily Planet.  But she continued to feel tired and weak most of the time at work.  Just before Christmas, Clark finally convinced her to see her physician.  Her physician had told her that the seasonal virus going around was leaving people feeling tired and fatigued long after the stomach flu symptoms had passed.  She assured Lois that she had not been contagious for over a week and sent her off with a prescription for Tamiflu in the event there was a recurrence.

By the time New Years Eve arrived, Lois felt rested and sound enough for a night in Metropolis.  Lois dressed in a gorgeous deep red sequined sleeveless gown with a Mandarin collar.  She wore pearl stud earrings that Clark had given her for Christmas.  Clark was in a dark blue suit and a deep purple power tie his mom had given him for Christmas, festooned with an engraved sterling silver tie tack, the gift he had received from Lois.  “You look beautiful, Lois,” he said as she came down the stairs. 

“You look pretty strapping yourself, Smallville,” she quipped.

She had a woolen ankle-length overcoat that she slipped into once she reached the first floor.

They had asked Martha to join them, but she declined, opting to stay at home and go to bed early.  “Before you go,” she said, “I have something for Lois.”  Martha produced a beautiful string of pearls that Jonathan had given her on their 25^th anniversary.  “Please wear these tonight,” she said.  “They’re too pretty to sit in a box in the house and too simple and honest for anything the Washington DC crowd might conjure up.”  She fastened them around Lois neck.

Lois hugged Martha.  “Thank you, Mrs. Kent.  I’ll be sure to take good care of them,” she said, looking at them in a mirror that was part of a hall tree in the foyer. 

Once outside, Clark hoisted Lois, and they flew to the top of the Daily Planet building.  Lois had moved her car to the employee garage before New Years Eve, and they rode down the elevator to the lobby.  A security guard looked puzzled when he saw them.  “Where did you come from?” he asked.

Lois smiled.  “We’ve been here since noon, Roy,” she told the man.  “We just stayed here and after everyone else left, we got cleaned up and changed upstairs.  We’re going to a New Year’s Eve party.”

The security guard nodded.  “Okay, then.  Have a good evening and I guess I’ll see you when you get back.  Happy New Year!”

Oliver had paid for an eight-person table at the Metropolis Regis Hotel and its New Year’s celebration party that included a lavish buffet, four bottles of champagne, and live entertainment beginning at 7 PM and lasting until 2:00 AM on New Year’s Day.  Tess accompanied Oliver and Arthur Curry and his date, Mera, joined them.  Lois and Clark had not previously met Mera who, like Arthur, was secretly an Atlantean.  Lois had met Arthur years before when she first arrived in Smallville investigating her cousin Chloe’s presumed death.  She was pleasantly surprised to see him again.

When the clock struck midnight, Lois was in Clark’s arms dancing to Auld Lang Syne, enjoying a deep passionate kiss along with the over one hundred other revelers in the massive ornate ballroom.  As the evening wound down, the group dispersed with hugs and handshakes after 1 AM. 

“I was thinking of taking you up above the fireworks this evening,” Clark told Lois as they reached the sidewalk outside the Regis hotel.  “But I think I’ll wait until July 4^th when the fireworks are really going strong.  We’ll fly over New York City and then over Washington, DC.  You’ve never fully seen fireworks until you see them from above.”

“Sounds fun.  I’m glad we’ll wait though.  It’s a little chilly for me, even with you holding onto me,” Lois replied and snuggled against them as they headed down the street and out of the crowd.

“How are you feeling?” Clark asked.

“Surprisingly great!  I worried that I’d wear out long before now, but I feel good.  I’ll probably be laid out for a few days but for now, I feel fine. In fact,” she began, “I feel like we should probably have a personal celebration of our own back at the farm.”

“With mom there?” Clark asked.

Lois made a face.  “I’d forgotten all about your mom being there.  Thank God she’s been there but this is one time I wish she hadn’t.”

“Well, I have an idea,” Clark said.  They had separated from the majority of the people who had begun to leave the hotel celebration.  Clark steered Lois around a corner into an alley, picked her up, and launched them straight up into the night sky.  The lack of a moon gave them cover to turn North and head to the Fortress.  He flew extra fast to reach the Fortress and arrived there in under three minutes. 

Clark went directly to the console to increase the warmth in the Fortress.  He looked at the array of crystals and something appeared amiss.  He counted them quickly and they were all there but did not seem to be in the same order that he normally kept them in. He quickly scanned the area inside the Fortress for signs of an intruder but could not spot anything that seemed unusual, missing, or out of place.  He dismissed his concerns and activated the auxiliary heating system.  The geothermal steam immediately circulated through the radiator devices in the sleeping and bath chamber of the Fortress.

“Thank you!” Lois shouted from the bedroom, feeling the heat as she let her gown drop to the floor of the Fortress.  She removed the rest of her clothes and jewelry and slipped into the bed and waited for Clark to join her.

They made love for a little over an hour, neither wishing to stop but Clark was concerned that continuing would expend whatever energy Lois had left and leave her thoroughly exhausted for days. He said as much to Lois and she agreed.  “This was a great way to ring in the New Year and I’m glad we came here.” She chuffed. “I bet Jor-El never expected you to use this place for an intergalactic booty call,” she said, smiling. “In fact, the whole evening has just been extra special.”  She looked into his eyes.  “I love you, Clark.”

“And I love you right back, Lois,” Clark replied. 

They kissed once again and got dressed.  “We’ll go home by way of the caves tonight and I’ll carry you to the house.  It will be warmer for you that way.”

It was about 2:45 AM when they arrived at the Kent farmhouse.  They crept inside and Clark picked Lois up and gently floated her up the stairs and into the bedroom so as not to wake his mom.

The next day, Lois slept until about 10 AM.  She awakened when she heard a suitcase closing and being latched.  Clark was already awake and downstairs, and it sounded like he was in the kitchen.  She rose and went into the bathroom, brushed her teeth, then her hair, and rinsed her face with cold water to wake up.  She pulled on a robe and tied it closed.  When she emerged from the bathroom, she nearly ran into Martha rolling her suitcase toward the stairs. 

“Well, good morning, Dear,” Martha said.  “I am happy that you woke up before I left.  Clark was going to wake you up earlier, but I wouldn’t hear of it.  How do you feel?”

“Honestly, just a little tired but not fatigued like I had been with that virus.  It just feels like the morning after a late night out.”  She smiled.  “I’m so happy I got to see you before you left, Mrs. Kent.  I wanted to thank you for coming and for helping make our Christmas so nice.  I just wish that I had been in better shape to visit with you more.”

Clark bounded up the stairs.  “Morning, Lo,” he said cheerily.  “Mom, I’ll take you suitcase down the stairs.”  He grabbed the bag and headed for the head of the stairs. “There’s a fresh pot of coffee brewing for you, Lois, and Mom made some cinnamon rolls this morning that you must try.  I’ll come back and join you after I drop Mom at the airport.”

Lois hugged Martha and wished her a safe flight.  Martha whispered in Lois’s ear how wonderful it was to see the both of them so happy with one another and then gave Lois a kiss on the cheek.  “If you ever make it to DC, you have to make sure to stop in and see me!”

With that, Martha headed down the stairs where Clark was waiting for her by the door.  They walked out and Lois began to head down to the kitchen for coffee and a cinnamon roll.

Clark returned twenty-five minutes later. “Mom got off fine,” he announced as he came through the door.  He joined Lois in the kitchen, poured himself a cup of coffee, and then sat down across the table from her. 

“I love visiting with your mom.  She’s so sweet but doesn’t mince words. I love that about her.  You can always trust that what she’s saying is what she means.”  She took a swig of her coffee.  “That’s unheard of from a politician.”

“It’s probably why she struggles so much in Washington,” Clark agreed.  “I have a feeling that she’s going to be a one-term senator.  She’s not loving what she’s doing.”  He noticed that the pan of cinnamon rolls had not been touched further.  He frowned and looked at Lois.  “Are you starting to feel sick again?”

Lois smiled and shook her head.  “No.  I was waiting for you.  I wanted to have breakfast with you on the first day of the new year.” She got up to refresh her coffee. “I just feel like this is going to be a really big year for us and I didn’t want to start it without you.”  She filled her mug and planted a kiss on his cheek on her way back to her chair.  She sat down and then reached out and grabbed a cinnamon roll.  “I’ve been dying to eat these,” she said just before taking a huge bite.

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

“Sir, I think we’ve come up with a substitution for the issue of the beacon,” the man said at the other end of the line.  “We’ve found a different…”

“Don’t you think you’re a little late,” Lex asked sharply, cutting the man off in mid-sentence.  “I no longer need your solutions, Mr. Ingall.  I acquired what I needed, notwithstanding your incompetence.  Consider your contract terminated and this your termination notice.”  He disconnected from the call.

Lex smiled.  Meteor rock.  It had been fairly common in Smallville for years and he wondered why he had not thought of it before.  He knew the Department of the Interior had spent a fair amount of time and money collecting and removing it due to the effects it had on the residents in the surrounding area who had been exposed to it for long periods of time.  He was certain, however, that more must exist, and he had initiated very robust but surreptitious efforts to locate more of it.

There were also loose ends that needed to be tied up.  He picked up his phone and pushed the number for someone who would be able to help him with that matter.

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

Monday, January 4^th

It was the first workday of the new year.  Lois and Clark had just arrived refreshed and eager to get started after a long weekend that involved a lot of popcorn, hot wings, beer, football, fun, relaxation, and lovemaking.

“We need a good story to start the year off right.  What do you think about starting a piece on Lex Luthor and his return from the grave?  Do you think we could pitch that?”

Clark winced.  “I’m not sure.  What would the angle be?  How or why he faked his death?”

“You know what he’s going to say about why.  He’s going to say he was a target of industrial competitors, environmental terrorists, or some garbage like that, and he had to fake his death and go into hiding to protect himself.”  She shook her head.  “That slimy son of…” Her thought was cut off in mid-sentence when the phone rang.  “Lois Lane, Daily Planet,” she answered.  She listened for a moment, said, “Okay, thanks Tess,” and then hung up.  “That was Tess.  She’s calling an early meeting to introduce our new editor-in-chief.  We need to go to the conference room.”

Clark frowned.  “What happened to Mr. Taylor?”

She shrugged.  “I guess we’ll find out at the meeting.  Sounds like he was replaced since we’re getting a new one.”  She paused.  “It’s a little strange we didn’t get a heads-up from Tess or Ollie about this, don’t you think?”

“I do,” Clark agreed.  “Unless it just happened over the weekend, I can’t imagine why they didn’t say anything during the New Year’s Eve party.”  He paused.  “I hope everything is okay with Mr. Taylor.  He was a little aloof, but he cared about the quality of the Planet.”

The meeting explained the situation.  Tess had received an offer from Bruce Wayne to purchase the Daily Planet in early October.  She accepted the offer, and the sale was finalized a few days later with an effective date of the first business day of the new year.  Mr. Taylor had been notified of the change in ownership before Thanksgiving and he submitted his retirement papers with an effective date of January 1st.  He agreed to come to the Planet the first working day of the new year to see a smooth transfer of editorial control.  Tess was retained as on-site advisor to the publisher and a new editor-in-chief was selected and notified.

Tess stood next to Bruce Wayne as he explained his philosophy of ownership to the employees gathered in the conference room.  He told the employees that he thought the Daily Planet was worth a Wayne Enterprises acquisition because of its sterling reputation for truth and accuracy, and its team of dogged reporters who consistently found the story behind the story.  He thanked everyone for their hard work and to be secure in the knowledge that there was only one position that needed a replacement and that was the position of Editor-in-Chief and only because of George Taylor’s retirement.  Bruce said that he would leave that announcement to Tess Mercer but extended an invitation to all Daily Planet employees to the retirement reception for George to be held at the Metropolis Regis Hotel beginning at 6 PM that evening.

Tess stepped up to the podium. “Thank you, Mr. Wayne and thank you to the Wayne Enterprises Board of Directors for approving the sale.  With the change in ownership from Lexcorp-Queen Industries to Wayne Enterprises, we’ll be wishing George Taylor all the best in his retirement.  George has been a fixture at the Planet for over a decade and we hope he enjoys a long, happy, and healthy retirement. 

“In his place, it’s my privilege to introduce you to our new Editor-in-Chief who begins work today.  He is no stranger to any of you who have been with the Planet for more than a couple of years.  He’s been a long-time Daily Planet staff reporter, section editor, and special correspondent all over the world.  He has most recently returned from an assignment where he was embedded with the US Special Operations team in the Congo and reporting the situation to our International Affairs section editor.

“So please welcome possibly the best journalist the Daily Planet has ever known, Mr. Perry White; your new Editor-in-Chief.”

The conference room attendees broke out in enthusiastic applause and Lois was dumbfounded. Standing next to Clark in the back of the room, she never noticed Perry until he walked to the podium. “Perry?” she squealed.  “This is so great!  He’s going to really energize this paper!”

Perry spoke for a little while but spent a good portion of it talking about George Taylor and the fine job he had done over the years as the Editor-in-Chief.  He thanked Bruce Wayne, Tess Mercer, for their confidence in him, and all the staff and management at the Daily Planet for making the paper one of the few that was worth reading these days.  He ended by barking, “Now, get to work!”

They all filed out of the conference room and Lois wanted to wait and talk with Perry but he was surrounded by Wayne, Taylor, and Tess.  “Come on, Lois,” Clark said.  “Perry will be with us for the foreseeable future.  There will be plenty of time for you to talk to him.”

“I know.  I just wanted to say ‘Hi’ and congratulations.  But I guess we can stop by Mr. Taylor’s retirement reception after work.  I’m sure he’ll be there.”  They headed to their new office on the fifth floor. 

Clark picked up the phone and dialed Oliver’s number.  After a few rings, Oliver picked up.  “Hello Clark.  What’s new?” he said, tongue in cheek.

“Ollie, I was curious about the new ownership announcement this morning.  Why didn’t you mention it to me or Lois during all the times we were together.  It sounds like this was done months ago.”  He paused.  “I’m hurt that you kept this from us but more concerning is why.”

“Clark, I’m really sorry.  With acquisitions like this, they are never finalized until the effective date and one of the cardinal rules in these types of deals is no leaks, no announcements prior to the date.  To do so would violate the provisions of the sale and threaten the deal. With Lex filing suit any day now, it was important not to tip him off and him try to block the sale somehow or tie it up with a lawsuit.

“Keeping it secret from everyone else, including you and Lois, was more of a habit than some intentional snub.  It’s kind of CEO 101.”

Clark listened and nodded.  “Okay, Ollie.  I get it; especially with Lex being on the verge of filing a lawsuit to get Lexcorp and the rest of the estate back.  But still…”

“Clark, I think the only thing that has delayed him from filing is the awkward explanation he’ll need to provide of his miraculous resurrection.  That’s according to Tess’s attorneys.  Lex has to worry about being charged with perpetrating fraud upon the court.  Otherwise, he probably would have had the lawsuit filed already, along with an injunction against dissolving any portion of the Lexcorp holdings, contracts, or subsidiaries.  If that had happened, the Daily Planet would have been in play.”

After the conversation, Clark explained what Oliver had told him, and she dismissed it as nonsense.  “Considering the things you know about him, and he knows about you, worrying about keeping the sale of the Daily Planet on the downlow is a little ridiculous, don’t you think?”

Clark nodded.  “I do.  But I also don’t think it was done with any malice.  Oliver said it was ‘CEO 101’ not to spill before the deal becomes final.  You have to admit, Ollie and Tess are creatures of habit.”

Lois plopped down in her chair and powered up her monitor while Clark went out to get fresh water for the coffee pot.  Thirty seconds later, the door swung open and she heard a voice with a distinct Southern accent shout, “Great Shades of Elvis!  Who gave you your own office?” 

Lois jumped up, ran to the door, and threw her arms around his neck.  “Perry!” she said.  “Oh, I’m so glad to see you, so glad you stopped in to see us.  Clark is getting some water; he’ll be back in a minute or two.  Come in and have a seat.”  She moved a chair for him to sit in.  “We were so thrilled to hear you’ve been named as Editor-in-Chief.  First of all, congratulations on that.  When did you get back?”

“Thank you, Lois.  I got back from Africa about the third week of December.  I spent all of the holiday period with Alice in order to reconnect.  After about nine months in Africa, we had developed our daily routines down and now those are all changing and it takes a minute to get in sync.”

“Well, how’s that going?”

“It’s smoothed out now, but it was a little bumpy at the outset,” Perry said.  He shifted topics.  “I wanted to stop in and say congratulations on getting that headline interview with the Red Blue Blur.  I know I’m almost five months late, but I wanted you to know that I didn’t miss it. That was a big ‘get’ and I know it really helped supercharge interest in the Daily Planet.”

“Thank you, Perry,” Lois replied.  “And thank you for the basket of muffins and cookies you sent.  You can’t imagine how timely that was!  I had been swamped by calls and interview requests…”

Perry frowned and cocked his head.  “What basket?  I think you have me mixed up with someone else, Lois.  I was in the middle of the Congo embedded with the Special Ops teams when that article came out.  I didn’t see it until I was getting caught up on my way back to the States.”

“What?  The card expressly said it was from you.  I showed it to Clark.”

Clark entered the office and set down the coffee pot as Perry rose.  The two men shook hands and Perry clapped Clark on the back.  “You’ve got a great partner here, Clark.”

Lois looked distressed.  “Clark,” she said.  “Remember the basket of muffins and cookies that Perry sent that came the day the article came out?”

Clark nodded.  “Yes, it came after the lunch break that you were too busy to take and refused to let me to bring you something.”  He smiled and looked at Perry.  “It came just in the nick of time, Perry, or else I think she would have been nibbling on the potted plants.  The coffee was great and helped her wash down all the muffins and all but two of the cookies.”  The look on Perry’s face stopped Clark in his tracks.

Lois spoke.  “Perry says he didn’t send that basket.  He says that he didn’t read the article until he was on his way back to the US from Africa a few weeks ago.”

Perry shrugged.  “Maybe Alice sent them under my name, knowing that I would have done something had I been here.  But that’s all I can think of.”

Lois nodded.  “You’re right.  It probably was her.  That makes sense.”

“You can ask her tonight if you and Clark are going to George’s retirement ceremony and reception.  She’ll be there with me.”

They switched subjects and began talking about the paper and their impressions of how things were going and what they would do if they were editors-in-chief for the Daily Planet.  Perry left after about twenty minutes, saying he had other offices to stop in before getting back to his desk.

On his way out, he remarked at the office door.  “Who decided ‘Kent-Lane’ as opposed to ‘Lane-Kent’?”

“Excellent question, Perry.  The patriarchy must have decided.”  She smirked.  “The sign painter is a guy.”

“Well, Lois,” Perry began, “unless you’ve changed over the last year, I suspect it won’t read that way for long.”

“Nope!  I already have the request in,” she said.  “As EIC, you could expedite it if you feel like it, Chief.”

Clark weighed in.  “I kind of like it the way it is,” he said with a devilish grin.

“Hey,” Lois said, smacking him on the chest, “I’m the top banana in this office; I get top billing.  Unless you get a headline real soon, Smallville, those names are going to switch places.”

Perry chuckled.  “It sounds like you have your hands full, Son,” he said to Clark, winked at Lois and closed the door.

“God, it’s going to be great having Perry as Chief,” Lois said.  “I love they selected him for the job; he’s like a father to me, only a really good father.”

By the time 6 PM arrived, they had finished up work on the assignments that remained in their workload.  Two articles apiece had been sent to Perry for first editorial review, and they had collected their belongings and had left the lobby enroute to the Metropolis Regis.  The weather was chilly, but the distance for the Daily Planet was six blocks and walking arm-in-arm allowed Lois to stay close and absorb some of the heat Clark radiated.

They entered the lobby of the hotel and saw a placard listing the George Taylor Retirement Reception in the grand ballroom.  “I hope this will be as nice as our New Year’s Eve celebration,” Lois said.

Clark let Lois precede him as they walked into the ballroom that had already begun to get crowded.  The stood still momentarily getting oriented on the layout and then proceeded to the reception line.  They shook hands with George Taylor, his wife, Bruce Wayne, Perry White, and finally Alice White.  Alice hugged Lois. “Stick around,” Alice whispered to her.  “I want to have a quick chat with you.”

“You can count on it,” Lois replied and moved on.

They made it to the beginning of the line to one of the bars that had been set up in the ballroom.  Lois ordered a beer, and Clark had tonic water and lime.  “You’re not drinking?” a woman behind him asked and he looked behind him and saw Tess. 

“Oh, hello, Tess,” Clark said.  “It’s pointless for me,” he said quietly, and she smiled and nodded.

“Lois!” she called, and Lois turned around.

“Good evening, Ms. Mercer,” she said, to convey to anyone that might hear that they had strictly a superior-subordinate relationship.

“When you get a chance, I’d like to speak with you for a moment.  The workday was pretty packed and didn’t get a chance to earlier.”

“Yes, I imagine it was a very busy day for you,” Lois said.  “I’m going to grab something to eat, and I’ll be sitting wherever we can find a place to sit.  It’s more crowded than I expected.”

Tess nodded.  “Yes, I can’t decide whether it’s to say farewell to George or hello to Perry.  Judging by the reaction this morning, I would say it’s a 50-50 split.”  She ordered herself a scotch on the rocks as Lois and Clark dissolved into the crowd.

“Or the open bar,” Clark said to Lois as they made their way to the food and hors d’ oeuvres.

Lois filled up her plate with food.  “I feel like I’m eating all the food but I’m starving for some reason.”

“Maybe because we worked right through lunch?”

“Did we?”  She frowned and then said, “Well, okay then, I don’t feel so bad now.  But I hate these tiny plates!”

The found a table and sat, eating the small fancy foods that were available and drinking their drinks.  Tess came up a little while later and she sat with them.  “I got a call from Oliver and I just want to say sorry for not saying something earlier about the change.  It’s just a habit we get in to.  So often these deals fall apart before they’re completed, and everything gets more confusing when the word gets out.  We didn’t mean to give the impression you two weren’t trusted.”  She paused.  “So please accept our apologies.”

“It’s okay, Tess,” Clark said.  “We talked about it.  No harm done.”  Lois nodded in agreement while trying to finish a meatball.

After she swallowed, Lois added, “You made an excellent choice with Perry White.  I’ve known him for a while and in fact, he sort of got me interested in journalism.  So, you have him to pat on the back or kick in the butt for me being at the Planet.”

“I’ll give it a month or so,” Tess replied.  “I wouldn’t want to act too hastily.”  Clark laughed and Lois smiled. 

They talked for a few minutes about what changes Tess should expect with Perry at the Chief position and Alice White appeared.  “Hi.  May I join you for a moment?”

“Well, of course, Mrs. White,” Tess replied, and scooted her chair to the side as Clark pulled a chair over to the table for her.

“Oh, please; call me Alice.”  She looked over at Lois.  “How are you, Dear?”

She smiled.  “I’m great, Alice.  Even better now that Perry is our Chief.  I was over the moon when Tess introduced him.  I didn’t even know that he was in town.  What a great new year surprise!”

“It’s good news for all of us.  Perry is getting a little long in the tooth to be traipsing through the Congo with a bunch of soldiers.  Having him finally settled here in Metropolis is a dream come true for us.” She paused.  “But I wanted to ask you about something that Perry mentioned on the way over here.  He said you received a basket of food with a congratulatory note from Perry after your headline interview with the Red Blue Blur.  He told me that he had not sent you anything and asked if I had sent it for him.  But I wanted to tell you, Dear, I wish I had thought to do it, but I can’t say that I did.  I didn’t know anything about it until Perry said something this afternoon.”

Clark looked directly at Tess, and she raised an eyebrow.  “Could there have been some mistake, Lois?  Did you read the name on the card correctly?”

“I did, Tess.  I handed the card to Clark afterwards.  He read it too.  It had Perry’s name there.”  She paused.  “Since you said that, Alice, it put me a little on edge.”

“You should be on edge, Lois,” Clark said, and Tess nodded her agreement.  “Some stranger sent that basket under Perry’s name, and you ate the food.  Who knows who it really came from?”

“Could it have been from another reporter? I don’t know, maybe Steve Lombard?” Alice asked.

Lois chuffed.  “Steve would never have put Perry’s name on it.  He would have made sure it had his name in big, bold letters if he had sent it.”

“Well, it sounds like you have a mystery on your hands, Dear.” Alice rose.  “It was so good to see you all and thank you for coming over to Mr. Taylor’s reception.  It’s going to be so nice to be able to see you all again.” 

With that, Alice disappeared into the crowd.  Tess looked at Lois and then at Clark.  “What do you make of it?”

Lois shook her head.  “I have no idea,” she said.  “All I know is that they were heaven sent because that day I was starving!”

Clark looked troubled and exchanged glances with Tess again.  “What’s that look?” Lois asked.

“Something Oliver said at dinner that night when we all sat down at his apartment.  He said Lex would be targeting you to get to…” he never finished because they all recalled the conversation.  “You were sick for about two and a half weeks, Lois.”

She cocked her head. “I had the flu, Clark.  It happens, even to someone like me.”  She winked.  “And I got that basket on August 7th.  I got sick around the middle of December, over four months later.  That’s a pretty slow-acting poison, don’t ya think?”

“It’s too peculiar to just dismiss.  I think it’s something the three of us should look into,” Tess said, and Clark agreed.

Chapter Text

A month had gone by, and Tess, Clark, and Lois were no closer to finding out the truth behind the mystery of the basket of muffins than they were when they first discovered it.  Tess had slid into Chloe’s role at Watchtower and was learning more every time she sat behind the wall of monitors and had even tried to use its resources to try to track down the source.

Accessing the database that Chloe had constructed was complex at first and required extraordinary password breaking efforts conducted behind the scenes using technology that was developed by Wayne Enterprises.  Once broken and the system administrator duties were reassigned to Tess, she was able to conduct rigorous searches within the various public, private, and a variety of government databases to which Watchtower’s cutting-edge servers had surreptitiously accessed, courtesy of Chloe’s earlier hacking abilities.  However, nothing of use emerged and the three had run out of ideas to find the individual and his or her intentions behind the basket.  

Lois was the first to declare surrender and suggested that the trio move on to more important pursuits.  After all, it had been six months since she received the basket, practically inhaled its contents, and nothing had happened as a result.  “I wasn’t affected in six hours, six days, or even six weeks.  It’s been six months since then.  We need to move on,” she said.

Tess was less inclined to agree but to keep the peace, she consented to focusing on other concerns.  However, when not focusing on other priorities, she continued to scour systems for anything that might give a clue to what had happened.  In that regard, her primary focus was trying to determine if anything pointed to Lex and his ‘non-negotiable’ obsession with the Red Blue Blur and Lois’s interview.

In late-January, Tess Mercer was served with a subpoena to appear in the Metropolis appellate court based on the January 15^th filing of a suit by attorneys for Lex Luthor.  Upon receiving the subpoena, Tess assembled her team of attorneys to represent her in court. 

The news that Lex Luthor was alive and had filed a lawsuit to return Lexcorp and the Luthor estate to him hit like a nuclear detonation and not just in Metropolis.  One of the richest billionaires in the world thought to be dead for over two years had come out of seclusion.  The event raised questions and countless conspiracy theories among television commentators, print journalists, radio talk shows hosts, and internet forums. Although she publicly stated that she would vigorously fight the lawsuit that was rooted in Lex Luthor’s fraud committed against the court, Tess was prepared to lose everything except money that Lexcorp had generated after the estate was granted to her.  That money, according to her legal team, was earned by her either directly or indirectly, and totaled well over $42 million. 

In truth, Tess was relieved that Lex had finally shown his hand and had decided to seek a legal remedy rather than one that involved eliminating her.  She would follow her attorneys lead in the case, but in truth, she was content to retain her $42 million in cash, retain the Luthor mansion and its grounds, and work full time at Watchtower if fate chose that route.  She knew that fighting Lex in court, along with Queen Industries, would also bleed her half-brother of his resources and wagered it would drive Lex to reach an equitable settlement for her and deny him outright ownership of Lexcorp.

The merger with Queen Industries had made the simple transfer of Lexcorp from Tess to Lex impossible and Lex would face not just resistance from Tess but also a countersuit from Queen Industries.  Tess had rightly attributed the merger to slowing Lex from immediately filing the suit in the first place.

The court ordered a complete audit of the Luthor estate that included all businesses, holdings, contracts, facilities, subsidiaries, real estate, cash, equities, and securities.  The audit would be charged to the estate and was directed to be completed in 8 weeks by a court-directed audit firm, putting the beginning of any arbitration proceedings in early April.

Oliver, Tess, Lois, and Clark discussed the court order over dinner at the Luthor mansion.  Tess hosted the dinner in hopes of discussing extrajudicial strategies to keep Lex from getting a grip on Lexcorp.

“What evidence remains of Lex’s cloning activities?” Lois asked.  “It seems to me that if there was substantial evidence, then any civil lawsuit would have to have to take a backseat to a criminal case being filed against Lex.  Isn’t that the case?”

“Yes,” Oliver replied.  “That’s what Tess was told by her attorneys.  The problem is finding conclusive evidence that the police or FBI would accept.”

“The other problem is the protection of Watchtower and the team members,” Tess interjected.  “I’ll look for electronic communications and documentation of it in the database that Chloe built, but that I’m not sure that the FBI or state police would take accept it.  The problem with that is the source, Watchtower.  We don’t want that to become public knowledge and I’m afraid without a source, it would be hearsay and inadmissible in any trial.  The police would just ignore it.”

“What if John Jones received it,” Clark suggested.  “He’s a Metropolis PD detective and that would give us a better chance of getting it into the police or FBI possession and get them serious about opening an investigation into it.”

Tess looked at Oliver.  “Didn’t you tell me that the DDS was hot on Lex’s trail just before the lab was exploded and Lex allegedly died?  I mean, they had to have had some evidence to open a case and were looking to nail him.  That’s why he went into hiding and faked his death.”  Oliver nodded.  “Give them a piece of evidence, hard evidence, and that could seal Lex’s fate, right?”

“The problem is any evidence is under 350 feet rock and dirt,” Oliver replied.  “Without knowing what to retrieve, it could be pointless.”

“Chloe had hacked the security cameras in that lab.  I’m sure there’s something on those videos that could be hard evidence,” Tess offered.  “I’ll watch them and timestamp anything I think could be useful.  I’ll also go through communications and documents that might give clarity on what the videos show.  Chloe had installed a very sophisticated search program that will make it easier than it sounds.”

“We could show John exactly what Tess uncovers, get him to agree that it’s admissible evidence, and then I can recover it,” Clark added.  “The lab is buried and I’m sure most of the cloning pods were destroyed by the explosions, but I’m pretty sure corridors are still intact and orienting myself to locations where evidence might exist should not but that difficult.”

“Well, what do you do about air down there?” Lois asked. 

Clark smiled.  “I just don’t breathe.”

“But you’d be underground, Clark,” Oliver reminded.  “You’ll need to come up if you’re down there any length of time to recharge.  You don’t want to end up like Doomsday.”

“I won’t be that deep and I don’t imagine I’ll be down there that long, either.”  Clark paused and thought of something. “In fact, to make it more official, I could burrow direct access to it and John could drop down and recover it.  With a body cam, he could even record recovering it.  There wouldn’t be any hearsay issues with the evidence.”

Oliver chimed in.  “I could have some Queen Industries drilling equipment nearby if questions came up about how John gained access.”

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

It had been a little more than three weeks since the group meeting and Valentine’s Day had come and gone.  Clark and Lois spent a very private Wednesday night flying down the Florida coast to celebrate Valentine’s Day.  They had dinner at the Versailles restaurant, enjoying a delicious Cuban meal before returning to Smallville.  They flew back, along the Gulf Coast of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, before turning North and flying above the Mississippi River, accelerating as the temperature began to drop.

The weekend was upon them and Lois complained of feeling weak and nauseous again.  “Let me take you to see Emil Hamilton,” Clark said with a worried tone.  “This isn’t you re-catching the flu.  I think something else is wrong.”

Lois had met Dr. Hamilton once before and he seemed to be a nice enough man, but she preferred to not involve him in something as trivial as a bug.  She compromised, however, and agreed to go to the Smallville Urgent Care Clinic on Sunday when she felt so weak, she did not want to even get out of bed or shower.

The attending nurse practitioner swabbed her throat and sent it for testing, suggesting that it might be mononucleosis. “One of its major symptoms is feeling weak.”

“Isn’t that a kissing disease,” Lois asked.

The nurse smiled.  “It’s a communicable disease but it’s not specific to kissing, Ms. Lane. More than likely, working as a reporter, you contracted from someone at your work or if you contact the public very often.”

Because Clark was not related to Lois, he had to wait outside in the lobby but listened closely to the nurse’s diagnosis.  The nurse prescribed amoxicillin and told Lois to take it for a week and remain isolated to prevent its spread.

Lois called Perry when they returned, explained the situation and told him that she would be essentially quarantined for a week.  “Unless something really juicy comes up that you want me to handle,” she added.

For the next four days, Clark sat in their office and worked diligently on his assignments when a call from the receptionist in the lobby for Lois was forwarded to him.  “Mr. Kent, I have a man on the line who said it was very important to speak with Ms. Lane.  I told him Ms. Lane was not available but that you were her reporting partner and asked if he would like to speak with you.  He said he would.  Can I send him to your office?”

“Yes, please,” he replied and waited for the man to arrive.  The visitor knocked on the door three minutes later and Clark invited him in and slid Lois’s chair around to the side of the desk for the man to sit in.  “The receptionist said you had something you wanted to report to Ms. Lane.  She’s been out sick all week.  Is there something I can help you with?”

“Yes,” the man replied.  “My name is Dr. Timothy Johns.  I am a doctor of nuclear medicine and I have a private practice just outside of Chicago.  I used to work at the University of Chicago Medical Center but left there to start my own practice.”  The doctor paused.  “You said Ms. Lane is out sick.  If you happen to know, is she out because she’s been diagnosed with an illness?”

Clark nodded.  “She is.”

“Would the symptoms be chronic fatigue and weakness, along with recurring nausea?” 

Clark leaned forward.  “Those are exactly the symptoms she described to me.  She was diagnosed with mononucleosis last weekend.”

“Very similar symptoms but I’m afraid her condition may be far more serious than a viral infection.”  The doctor shifted uncomfortably in his seat.  “Is there any way I can speak with her?  I am in violation of HIPAA laws if I discuss any specific medical matters with you without her consent.”

Clark frowned.  “I’m not sure she’s going to answer but I’ll try to contact her.”  He pulled up Lois’s cellphone number and pushed the receiver icon.

After several rings, Lois answered.  “Smallville, you woke me up,” she said, groggily. 

“Sorry Lois but I have Doctor Timothy Johns here in the office and he has information regarding your medical condition but cannot speak to me about it without your consent.  I’m putting you…”

“What?” she asked.  “Did you call a doctor about me?”

“No, Lo.  Doctor Johns came to the office to speak to you but because you weren’t here, he came up to talk to me.  But he can’t disclose anything…”

She groaned.  “Okay, Clark, put me on speaker.”

“Doctor Johns, go ahead,” Clark said, and the doctor confirmed he was speaking with Lois.

“Miss Lane, I am a nuclear medicine physician, and I believe the symptoms you are having are not caused by a virus but instead, likely a result of radiation poisoning.”

There was silence for a moment and Lois said, “Radiation poisoning?  How? There isn’t a nuclear power plant or nuclear material processing facility nearby.  I haven’t been anywhere except home and around Metropolis.”

“You have not been exposed that way,” Johns told her.  “I fear your radiation poisoning is a result of ingesting a radioactive isotope.”

“I’ve had some hot wings that were listed as ‘thermonuclear’.  They were pretty damn hot, but I had no idea that they were that hot.”

“This is no joke, Miss Lane.  If I’m right, the isotope you ingested has been in your system for some time now, by my estimation, since the middle of last year.  Radiation poisoning symptoms are nausea, extreme fatigue, and general weakness at a level that exceeds a typical illness.”  Dr. Johns went on.  “The symptoms go away after a while as the body fights off the effects of the poisoning but eventually, the symptoms come back again.”

The doctor went on to explain that he had been contacted by an acquaintance who specialized in remote monitoring of movement.  The man, Xander Ingall, had a private security and surveillance business that Johns had used when first starting his practice.  He went on to explain that because he stored Schedule 2 pharmaceuticals at his facility, he needed to have security systems in place in order to open his doors to patients. 

“I’m a radiologist, Miss Lane, and my patients have been diagnosed with various forms of cancer.  Besides the pharmaceuticals, I use radioactive isotopes in my treatments that I can track with the equipment I have on hand once they are introduced into the human body.  They are injected directly into the bloodstream or can be taken in oral form depending on the application.” 

“Is that what you think?  That one of your isotopes is in me right now?”

“No, Miss Lane.  Those isotopes are medical-grade isotopes that have an extremely short half-life, about six hours.  Like x-rays, they are generally safe as long as they aren’t overused.

“Mr. Ingall, the acquaintance I spoke of, specifically asked if I could acquire an isotope with about a 3-month half-life.  He claimed he needed it for an experimental project that enabled satellite monitoring of terrestrial movement that he was developing in conjunction with a defense contractor.  He said he needed a radioisotope that lasted enough to send a unique positional beacon to the receiving satellite. The concept was to track the movement of special forces soldiers behind enemy lines for their protection and monitoring.  He said the contractor was having difficulty getting an isotope because of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and EPA red tape and that the project was in jeopardy of missing DOD deadlines for proof of concept.”

“Wait,” Clark interrupted.  “Are you saying a radiologist can just acquire an isotope that has a higher half-life?”

Johns looked at Clark.  “No,” he said, “at least not legally. The longest half-life for medically safe radioisotopes is 8 days. But I referred him to the company called, RadSource, my source for the isotopes I need for all types of applications I use in my practice.  My contact at RadSource subsequently told me that he produced an isotope with a half-life of about 3 months in his facility and had provided it to Ingall.”

“So, how does that translate into me ingesting an isotope?” Lois said and audibly yawned.  “Sorry,” she said.  “I’ve never met anyone named Ingall.”

Johns looked at Clark.  “The defense contractor he was working with was Lex Luthor.  Mr. Ingall was found dead from a bullet to the back of his head about a month ago.  One of technicians that developed the satellite tracking software called my contact at RadSource to cancel a new isotope he was in the process of developing for Ingall and in that exchange, told him that Ingall’s business deal with Lex Luthor had been terminated and implied that Ingall had been terminated as well.  The tech was worried that he might be next.”

“What does that have to do with you, Doctor Johns?” Clark asked.  “How did you learn all this?”

“Nothing directly, Mr. Kent.  I was reordering isotopes and just casually talking with my contact at RadSource.  He told me about all of this.”

There was silence on the phone and finally Lois broke the silence.  “Okay, I’m still missing something.  Where do I come in on all of this?”

“My contact told me that during his conversation with the security technician, the man mentioned that ‘the reporter who interviewed the Red Blue Blur guy in Metropolis’ was the target that Lex Luthor was tracking.  The tech said there was no DOD acquisition offer with deadlines, just a deal between Luthor and Ingall, and it had been terminated.”  He paused.  “The tech thought the isotope was somehow planted on you.  The tech didn’t know how it was to be planted on you.  He believed that it was an irradiated piece of jewelry or something you would have in your possession at all times.”  He paused and lowered his voice.

“Miss Lane, the only way to ensure this tracking isotope could be in your possession all the time is either by a subcutaneous injection or introduced in something you swallowed.  As soon as I learned this, I had to come and alert you.”

“So, you believe Lois was poisoned with a radioactive isotope and that’s what’s causing her symptoms,” Clark asked. 

“Yes, Mr. Kent.  That is exactly what I’m saying.  The fact that Miss Lane is exhibiting symptoms of radiation poisoning tells me that the radioactive particle is in her body.  Unless you received a random injection from a stranger, Miss Lane, the isotope was ingested.  Do you recall an instance where you consumed a beverage or even a food from an unknown source?”

There were several seconds of silence and Lois finally said, “No, Doctor, I can’t think of anything like that except at a New Year’s Eve party where there was a buffet.  If that were the case, everyone would have been poisoned, I think.”

“Well, I recommend you get a more sophisticated examination than a cheek swab, Miss Lane.  If you did indeed ingest the isotope, a 3-month half-life means it has been poisoning your body since last summer.  Even though a half-life sounds benign after that point, it is not.  It’s just a measure of how long the isotope remains its most radioactive as it decays.  It remains radioactive after it passes its half-life.”  He paused and looked at Clark.  “I’d strongly suggest it, Miss Lane.”

Clark thanked Dr. Johns and ushered him to the door.  He purposely did not disconnect the cellphone call with Lois, and she did not say anything until she heard the door close.  “What should we do, Clark?” By the sound of her voice, Lois was frightened.

“That there’s no time to waste.  I’m going to let Tess know what’s happening and then I’m coming to get you.  I’m taking you to see Dr. Hamilton and then probably to the Fortress after that.”

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

Tess was rattled by what Clark told her but remained under control and offered to tell Perry.  She told Clark to take whatever time they needed and asked him to keep her posted.  When Clark got to the farm, Lois had showered and was dressed.  She looked exhausted and pale.  “You think you’ll be okay to blur to Dr. Hamilton’s office?”  Lois nodded and Clark picked her up and then blurred to the doctor’s office. 

Lois vomited the moment he stopped and put her down. “Ugh,” she groaned.  “Do you have a piece of gum or a mint?”  He fished a piece of peppermint candy from his jacket and handed it to her.  “Thanks.”

Dr. Hamilton greeted them in his lobby.  “Lois, you look like you’ve lost a bit of weight.  Any idea how much,” he asked.

“I don’t know.  But I haven’t been able to keep anything down for the last week.”

Emil confirmed what Johns had said about the symptomatic effects of the isotope and expounded on the damage radiation does.  “Radiation damages human DNA.  As you know, DNA holds the body’s instructions for cell development.  The body replenishes about 330 billion cells each day, nearly 4 million per second.  Most of those are blood cells.  Damaged DNS creates mutated cells meaning the potential for 4 million mutated cells per second are being produced in your body.  Not knowing the type of isotope you ingested makes determining the damage it has caused difficult; not all isotopes are the same, they don’t give off the same type of radiation.”

“Is there any way to eliminate or neutralize the isotope,” Lois asked.

“Yes, but I can’t do it here,” Emil replied.  “I’d need specialized equipment to locate it.  It is a subatomic element so it’s not easy to isolate.  Once that happens, I’d have to then determine how best to neutralize it or find an alternative.  My guess would be that it is attached somewhere in your stomach lining.  It’s not floating around in your blood stream, that would require an intravenous injection.”  He looked at Clark.  “Finding it would take a while, and with any type of poisoning, time is of the essence.  You might want to consider the advanced capabilities you have in your compound up North.”

“I was already contemplating that, Emil.  Thank you for seeing us so quickly,” he added.

“I wish I could do more.”  He took Lois’s hand and patted it.  “Good luck, Miss Lane.” 

Clark hurried Lois to the door, picked her up and raced to the remote limits of the city and then launched them out and up.  He flew as fast as he thought prudent, blocking the jet-blast of wind with his fist, diverting it over and around them.  In under a minute, they arrived at the Fortress.

The trip this time did not have the same effect on Lois as blurring did.

Clark remembered to withdraw the small crystal from the threshold before activating the AI module of his father.

When the image of Jor-El appeared on the large plate of crystal in front of him, he asked Jor-El if a radioactive isotope could be neutralized in the Fortress.

“Of course it can, Kal-El,” the voice boomed.  He asked what the process was to accomplish that.

“It is quite simple, my Son.  Put the article in the wide vertical chamber in the fissure to your left and once it is there, advise me and I will neutralize it.”

He glanced at Lois who looked frightened.  “Jor-El, this radioactive particle is isolated within the body of Lois.  Can it be neutralized without harming her?”

“The process is quite harmless to her.  In all, Kal-El, the process will require approximately five Earth seconds to neutralize the radioactive particle, and it will be painless.  I will also conduct a scan to ensure it is completely gone and assess any damage it may have caused to the female human’s internal organs and composition.  That will take another seven-point-eight Earth seconds.”

“I guess it’s like a reverse x-ray, Lois.”  He took her hand and led her to the chamber created by the fissure.  “I think you’ll need to remain standing and probably motionless.”  She nodded.

“Jor-El,” Clark shouted.  “Commence the process, please.”

Almost instantly, a blueish-white light from within the length of the crystal chamber appeared.  For what seemed much longer than five Earth seconds, Lois was bathed in the light, standing perfectly still.  When the blueish-white light disappeared, she was bathed in a golden light for another eight seconds.  During the entire time, Lois remained motionless.

“The process is complete,” Jor-El’s voice reported.

Clark frowned.  “Lois!  Are you okay?  Are you hurt at all?”

“Yes.  No.  I mean, I’m fine; I didn’t feel a thing.”  She stepped out of the chamber and joined Clark at the console.  He pulled her close to him.  “Jor-El, can you tell us the extent of any damage to Lois caused by the particle?”  He squeezed her hand, and she leaned her head against his chest.

“There is no further damage to be done to the female human from the radioactive particle.  However, I detected a noticeable alteration of Lois Lane’s DNA.  It appears damaged or altered, unlike the DNA of a normal human being and it is likely producing mutated or altered cells,” Jor-El reported.  “The mutated cells at this stage, however, do not appear to have caused any substantial damage to the Earthling’s internal organs, cardiovascular or neurological systems.  However, this is a condition that should be regularly monitored,” he added.

“Is this a condition that should be monitored by a human physician or here?”

“Earth technology is millennia behind that of Krypton technology.  It would be wise to have her condition monitored here. A record of her current physical status has been stored and can be used as a baseline or benchmark for further scans.  I would recommend to you that she be scanned every three Earth months or sooner for as long as it requires the analysis to determine if the mutated cells or altered DNA pose long term health risks for her.”

Clark looked at Lois who seemed at peace with what Jor-El had said.  “What do you think?”

She smiled.  “I guess I’m not out of the woods, but all things considered,” she began, “that is about the best news I could ever have hoped for,” she said and pulled him into a deep, passionate kiss.

When they broke, Lois called out, “Jor-El!”

“Yes, Lois Lane.”

“Thank you.”

“You are welcome,” the voice replied, and Clark withdrew the large crystal, and the image faded away.

“Let’s go home,” she said.

Clark retrieved the small crystal from beneath the console and they moved to the threshold.  He inserted it into the receptacle and the white-golden light appeared.  They stepped together across the threshold and into the Kawatche cave.  Their next step extinguished the glowing light from the threshold, and they exited the cave.  Clark hoisted Lois in his arms and blurred to the farmhouse. “You get some rest, Lo.  I’ll go back and let Tess and Perry know you’re on the mend and you’ll be back to work very soon.”

“I actually feel better already,” she said.  “I still feel weak, though.  I’ll rest up here until you get back.”  She smiled.

“Is that your way of asking me to bring dinner home,” Clark asked.

“Ya know, since mention it,” she replied, “I’m sure in the mood for Mediterranean.  I could get by with just a large beef shawarma platter, some pita and tzatziki sauce, three or four mixed souvlaki skewers, a side of baba ghanoush, and maybe a gyro for lunch tomorrow.”

“I guess you are feeling better,” he exclaimed. 

Lois smiled. “Uh huh.”  She faked a yawn and stretched. “Still a little tired though, but nothing that a nice afternoon nap couldn’t put a dent in.” 

Clark looked amused and kissed her on the forehead.  “I’ll see you tonight, Lo.”

“Okay, Honey,” she replied, then squinted and rocked her head side to side.  “So, maybe throw in a couple squares of baklava to have with some coffee as long as you’re going.”

Chapter Text

The next day, Clark called Tess at Watchtower.  “Hello Clark.  How is Lois this morning?  Did everything get resolved?"

“Much better, Tess.  She’s still tired but she ate a lot…a whole lot…last night and kept it all down.  I’ll let you know tomorrow afternoon if she’ll feel like coming back to work on Monday.”  He paused.  “I was calling because I wanted to ask you to contact John and have him meet me at Watchtower in about 30 minutes.  The three of us need to talk.”

“You want me to be in on the conversation?”  Tess was surprised.  In the three months she had replaced Chloe, she was rarely part of a conversation about something other than Watchtower itself.

“I do, Tess. You’re part of the team now and what I’m going to tell you and John is something the three of us need to work on if John agrees.”  She acknowledged the request and sent John a message.  He immediately acknowledged it and she informed Clark.

Twenty-five minutes later, Clark arrived at Watchtower.  John was right behind him and Tess unlocked the doors for them.  The two men shook hands and joined Tess in the meeting room where Clark began.  He explained what had happened to Lois, how she had been poisoned with a radioactive isotope that emitted a signal that allowed a Lexcorp satellite to track.  He explained what the result had been for Lex and the damage it had caused Lois.

“This is horrible news, Clark,” Tess said, and then added, “on three levels.  We have to assume Lex knows Lois is living with you and if tracking her closely, would see she moves rapidly between Metropolis and the farm.  Secondly, since she’s been to the Fortress, it’s likely that Lex tracked her there and knows where it’s located.  That cannot be good news for you.”  Clark nodded. “The third level, of course, is Lois’s long-term health.  She was irradiated for more than six months.  That must have caused some damage.  Is there any prognosis on her condition?” Tess asked.

“Her DNA was damaged by the radiation causing her body to produce mutated cells.  We’re not sure what cells those might be or what the long-term effect they will have.” Clark clenched his jaws for a moment.  “It may be too soon to tell, but I have Emil and the most advanced diagnostic system known to man at my disposal and I won’t hesitate to use both of them to keep Lois healthy.”

John Jones looked at Tess and back at Clark.  “What do you need from me?  I’ll do whatever I can to put an end to this,” John offered.

“First of all, Tess is one hundred percent correct.  A lot of things cleared up in the last twenty-four hours.  We know who sent Lois a mystery basket of muffins the day her interview with me appeared in the Daily Planet.  We know how Lois was poisoned and why.  When we were at the Fortress on New Year’s Day, I noticed some things seemed out of place.  I can only now assume that Lex had been there at least once,” he said grimly.  “If he figured out how to access the information stored there, I am in deep trouble and likely the entire Watchtower team is too. 

“There’s one way to stop him from doing further harm and that’s taking him off the chess board.  We need to have him locked away.” He looked at the two of them.  “Tess, have you come up with anything from the database that John may be interested in?”

“I believe so.  There may be more but since time is of the essence, I think John needs to evaluate what I’ve come across and determine its evidentiary value.  If there is important evidence, we need to secure it immediately and turn it over the DDS or at least see if they’re interested.  If not, then possibly Metropolis PD might be.”

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

The search Lex had surreptitiously launched for meteor rock had been fruitless and he had grown impatient.  He needed that mineral and without it, his ability to expose the domestic terrorists that had destroyed his lab would remain untenable as long as an alien being was a party to its activities.  To expedite the process, Lex ordered a small flyer to be prepared citing an agricultural department’s research study to determine the effects of meteor rock on crop yields and offered $1,000 for each pound of meteor rock turned in.  He instructed this staff to have it posted in hardware, farm equipment, and farm supply stores.  Farmers, he surmised, did not have to be secretive about digging up thousands of acres around Smallville.  He learned about the origin of meteor rock at the Fortress and its effects on the Kryptonian who built the structure.

The tracking system he had acquired had twice pinpointed the same location in the Arctic.  Out of curiosity, he had traveled to the GPS coordinates and discovered the amazing alien structure that existed there. He explored the structure on two occasions.  In the process, he learned it was the home of the Red Blue Blur and it was where the being had apparently taken Lois Lane to on two occasions that he knew of.  The visits he made were quite educational.  He learned that the Red Blue Blur is an alien whose given name is Kal-El.  He learned that bits of the destroyed planet were transformed when entering Earth’s atmosphere. Those planetary fragments had arrived in the form of a meteor shower. 

Lex immediately pictured Smallville and all the pieces fell into place.  Clark is an alien who was once called Kal-El.  Lex also learned that the Earth’s sun is the source of some incredible powers that could not be accurately predicted other than speed and strength.  That bit of information would explain his ability to run so fast that images of him were nothing but a blur.  This proves it, he concluded. Clark is an alien who goes by the name The Red Blue Blur.  Lois Lane is his press secretary or girlfriend…maybe both.  Another thought came to him.  Or maybe she’s under some alien influence or mind control he can project.  If that was the case, Lex felt more than justified in finding a way to destroy him.  He needs her.

He devoted his second visit to the Fortress to learn about the meteor rock, a mineral that emanates radiation that is generally harmless to humans but causes immediate crippling pain and weakness to these aliens, and that prolonged exposure to it can even cause death.  That was the information he found most useful.

“Sir, our man in Junction City, Kansas has obtained a fairly large piece of the meteor rock you were seeking.  He purchased it from a farmer by the name of Silas Millard is here.  Our man delivered it to an intermediary who just arrived.  Do you want to speak to him, or shall I just pay him and take the rock?”

Lex looked up from his monitor.  He had been researching various materials and their molecular structure suitable as a containment device for the meteor rock he was hoping to obtain.  “Send him in,” he said, turned away from his monitor and awaited his visitor.

The doors opened and the courier was escorted into the chamber by a large, burly man in a suit.  “Sir, this is Teddy Monroe, our courier,” his escort announced and closed the doors.

Lex rose from his desk and walked around to the front as the Ted Monroe approached.  “Mr. Monroe,” Lex began, extending his hand to the man.  “I understand that you have brought me something that for months I have had people searching for.”

The two shook hands and Monroe spoke.  “Yes, sir, Mr. Luthor.  I received the meteor rock from Paul Burns, a man that posted flyers at all the farm supply type stores in a 100-mile radius of Smallville, Kansas.  A farmer named Silas Millard who has a farm on the outskirts of Smallville had found the chunk of rock in his field, dug it up, and had stored it in his barn for over seven years.  He saw a flyer in the Smallville Tractor and Farm Supply store and contacted Mr. Burns.”

“How much did this chunk of rock weigh?”

“Just under ten pounds,” Monroe told Lex.

“And where is it now?”

“I brought it in a small shipping crate that I’ve left in the main foyer.”

Lex nodded.  He extended his hand and Monroe shook it.  “Thank you, Mr. Monroe.” He motioned to the man who escorted him in.  “This gentleman will pay you for your services.”

Once the courier left, Lex had the article brought to him.  The top of the small wooden crate was pried off and Lex saw a box padded with straw and an oblong glowing piece of green meteor rock.  A slight smile danced across his face.  “That will do just fine,” he uttered.  He looked up at the staff member that had brought it in.  “Replace the top and move this down to the vault room and stand by until I come down and secure it.  Is that understood?”

“Yes, Sir,” the man replied, grabbed the crate and its top and exited the room.

Once the man had left the room, Lex clenched his fist, exhibiting a rare show of excitement.  Now, how best to deploy this as a weapon?  He knew carrying around a rock that size was impractical, even if being chauffeured.  He needed to fashion a small array of weapons that could incorporate the meteor rock and began to think of the best options.  An economy of scale was needed until he could acquire more. A knife, a few 9-millimeter bullets, insets in brass knuckles, and a piece prominently set in a ring should get me started.

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

The eight-week duration date given by the court for the audit to be completed was quickly approaching.  Weeks earlier, Tess had found the name of the DDS case agent that had led the investigation into Lex’s illegal cloning operation that was documented in the Watchtower database.  Detective John Jones contacted him and explained that he had recovered certain pieces of evidence in the investigation Metropolis PD had initiated as a parallel investigation after learning of the DDS investigation.  He inquired if the DDS investigation could be reopened based on his recovery of several pieces of evidence of the illicit experiments from the collapsed laboratory.  He suggested they meet to review what evidence he had recovered and determine if DDS wanted to take the lead in a prosecution or leave it to the municipal authority. 

With the evidence review concluded that Detective Jones had recovered valuable evidence against Lexcorp and Lex Luthor in particular but the DDS agent felt he needed higher headquarters approval.

The court-ordered audit of the Luthor estate had been completed and submitted to the appellate court and both parties were scheduled for arbitration.  Lex’s attorneys rejected any solution short of returning the entire existing estate, minus that which was added over the last 29 months since Lex’s disappearance.  Tess’s attorneys argued that she had legal right to the estate, the issue having already been decided upon and awarded to her in probate and it was appropriate, given the estate information at the time, considering Lex’s deception on the court.

After ten days of discussion, the case went back to the appellate court and preliminary arguments were scheduled on the docket to begin the third week of April.

Oliver Queen’s attorneys, representing the Queen Industries interest in the Lexcorp-Queen Industries company and Tess’s attorneys had two weeks to strategize in earnest.  They felt they had a strong case to make given the deception Luthor had committed two and a half years earlier and the suggested reason for the deception.  The greatest interest Tess and Oliver’s attorneys had was what evidence would Luthor present that justified him deceiving the court by faking his death.

The Monday prior to the commencement of the appellate hearing, the Luthor attorneys provided all documents and testimony collected in advance of the trial.  They also provided the witness list.  Among the witnesses to be called was Lana Lang, listed as a hostile witness to the aggrieved party.  As one of the beneficiaries of proceeds from the Luthor estate, she was reticent to appear and was subsequently subpoenaed. 

It was Saturday before the opening arguments of the lawsuit.  Lois and Clark were enjoying their lunch when there was a knock on the door.  Clark walked to the door and found Lucas Ross on the front porch.  “Hello, Mr. Ross,” Clark said.  “Please come in.”

Lucas Ross, Pete Ross’s father, entered the Kent home and Clark introduced him to Lois.  “What brings you up here?” he asked Pete’s dad.

“Well, I came to ask a favor.  I hate to interrupt your lunch, but I wanted to see if you could give me a hand for a little while.  I’m sort of embarrassed to say that I was getting the field ready for planting and got the tractor jammed up.  I’ve tried getting it out but I can’t do it alone.  I need some help freeing it.  Would you have time to help me, Clark?”

He smiled.  “Of course I can, Mr. Ross.  Lois and I were just finishing lunch, and I’d be happy to help.  Have you eaten anything since breakfast?  If not, there’s plenty here, you’re welcome to join us and we can get you un-stuck afterwards.”

Lucas shook his head.  “I did grab a bite before I came up here.  I’d take a cup of coffee while you finish up, if that’s okay?”

Lois jumped up and grabbed a cup from Lucas.  She poured it and asked what he took in his coffee.  “Just black is fine, Lois.”  He paused.  “Didn’t you go to Smallville high school for a while?  I think I remember Pete talking about you.”

Lois grimaced.  “I did.  I knew Pete mostly through Clark.  You couldn’t hardly talk to one without the other two feet away!  I hope Pete said some nice things among all the other things he could have said about me.”

Ross laughed.  “He said plenty of nice things, Lois, and I don’t recall him ever saying anything but nice things about you.”  He sipped his coffee.  “You wrote that article about that Red Blue Blur fella, didn’t you?”  She nodded and smiled.  “How was that?”

She looked at Lucas.  “That was the most amazing moment in my life,” she said, and then added, “to date.”   She looked at Clark and shrugged.  “Sorry, Clark.”

Lucas laughed.  “Well, that was a fascinating article.  I must have read it half a dozen times.  I cut it out of the paper and sent it to Pete.”

They talked for a little while longer, but Clark could tell Mr. Ross was anxious to get his tractor freed, so he finished his lunch quickly to coincide with Lucas finishing his cup of coffee.  “Shall we go?” Clark said, standing up.  Lucas nodded.

The two men began walking down the sloped dirt access road to the Ross farm.  “So, how did the tractor get stuck,” Clark asked.

“The plow blade hit a huge rock just as I lowered to start a new row, and I made the mistake of backing up and it wedged under that thing.  Then the tires started to dig in so I tried moving forward, but the blade wouldn’t come up and the tires dug in that way.”  He grunted.  “The thing is almost buried to the transmission.  I just made a mess trying to get it out on my own.”  He took a few steps and said, “Ground’s been awfully wet.”

“Well, we’ll get it freed up, Mr. Ross.”

Back at the farmhouse, a black Lexus EV pulled in.  Lois was washing up the dishes following lunch and was unaware of the vehicle or anyone in it until the doorbell rang.  She dried off her hands and went to the front door and opened it. 

“Lana?” Lois said, surprised and trying not to show her uneasiness.  “Wha…what are you doing here?”  Before Lana could speak, Lois said, “Come in,” regaining her composure.

“Well, hello Lois!” Lana said slightly confused.  She stepped inside.  “I came to talk to Clark.  I flew into Metropolis last night from Paris because of the probate hearing.  I was subpoenaed and have to be there Monday morning.”

“Come and sit down,” Lois said.  “Can I get you something to drink?”

Lana walked to the dining room table and sat. “No thank you.”

“That’s a long drive just to see Clark.”  Lois wondered if she had brought a suitcase.  “He’s not here right now.  He went to help Pete Ross’s dad get his tractor un-stuck.”

“I don’t mean to sound rude, Lois, but why are you here on a Saturday?  Are you two working on a story over the weekend or something?”

Lois had regained her footing.  “I’m living here now,” she said.

“Oh…oh my,” Lana said and looked sheepish.  “I’m sorry, Lois.  I didn’t know.  No one...”

“It’s okay,” Lois replied.  “There’s no reason you would know.  But I moved in around the middle of last August.” 

There was an awkward silence and Lois knew why.  Lana obviously did not know if Clark had shared his secret with her yet and because of that, wondered what she should or should not say.  While Lois knew this was causing Lana to be uncomfortable, she thought she would let it play out a little longer.

“The lease on my apartment in Metropolis expired in mid-August and I had to find somewhere else to live.  There was really slim pickings that I could afford on a reporter’s salary, other than in the Suicide Slums and I would sleep in my car or a Centennial Park bench before living there.”  Lana smiled and nodded.  “So, Clark was kind enough to offer me the chance to live here, and I jumped at it.”  She paused. “I lived here for a while when we were all in high school, remember?”

“Of course,” Lana replied.  “I remember that now.  You also lived above the Talon for a little while, too.”  She hesitated and then said, “Isn’t Metropolis pretty far to drive every day?”

“Well,” Lois began, enjoying the cat and mouse routine for a little longer.  “I go with Clark.  He drives in.”

“He does?  From here?”

“No,” Lois replied, “from the truck stop outside of Metropolis.  He leaves his truck there Monday through Thursday and then drives here on Friday after work.”

“Sooo,” Lana began, “you do what; drive to the truck stop and back every day?  That only saves about twenty minutes of driving.”

“Each way,” Lois added, “from the truck stop to the Daily Planet and back to the truck stop.”

Lana frowned.  “So where do you stay Monday through Thursday nights?”

“Here,” Lois replied, matter-of-factly.

“But how…”

Lois began laughing.  “Clark carries me between the truck stop and the farm every day.  He’s pretty fast, you know,” she concluded and winked.

Lana let out a huff and rolled her eyes.  “I didn’t know if you knew he was special in that way,” and giggled.  “I was thinking, I don’t know if she knows or not.” 

“We’re a couple now, Lana.  I know everything,” Lois said.  “I just wanted to have some fun with it.  Sorry.”

“That’s okay.  How did you find out?”

“He told me,” Lois said, knowing that Lana had found out by hiding in the Luthor wine cellar when Chloe got locked in the cellar freezer and called Clark to rescue her.

“So, you two are a couple.  I hope that’s going well for you…both.”

“It’s been amazing, Lana.  Seriously, I never thought I would find someone like Clark.  But you know what a great guy he is.”

“I sure do,” she replied.  “Look Lois, I know things have been strained at times between us, but I never wanted to see you get hurt by the relationship between Clark and me.  I am sincerely happy for you both.  He is a great guy, one of a kind.  I really believe you two together make so much sense.  He deserves to have someone like you and you him in your lives.”  Tears welled up in Lana’s eyes.

Lois reached out and put her hand on Lana’s.  “You have no idea how much that means to me, Lana.  Thank you.”  She paused.  “You sure I can’t get you something to drink?  I don’t know how long it’s going to take Clark.  If it was only him, about five seconds but with Mr. Ross there, he’s going to have to take his time.”

“Maybe so.  Do you have any tea?” Lana said and wiped her eyes.

“I think so,” Lois said and hopped up.   “Mrs. Kent had some just a few months ago.  I’m sure there is some left.  Come out to the kitchen, we can talk there.”

They talked for over an hour.  Lana explained that she was living in Paris and working with a private firm under contract with an anti-terrorism unit in the French government.  She was part of the intelligence unit tracking known and suspected terrorists that operated in and out of Europe.  Eventually, the conversation came around to her time growing up in Smallville and being a neighbor of Clark’s. 

“I loved him so much but he could be so frustrating and I never understood until I knew the truth about him,” Lana explained.  “It caused so many breakups because I thought he was lying to me and couldn’t understand why.”  Lois nodded and said she and Clark had the same experience.

As the conversation grew more personal, Lana mentioned that she had intimate moments with Clark but only on two rare occasions when he was de-powered or when she was wearing a Lexcorp power suit.  Lois surprised her by saying they have both had the most satisfying nights, afternoons, and mornings of lovemaking.

Lana looked stunned.  “You’re kidding?  He was always so worried about intimacy with me or any normal woman.  I didn’t understand for the longest time, and even after I learned the truth about his background, it still caused a lot of friction in the end because he treated me like an antique porcelain doll.” She looked down and chased her teabag around the bottom of the cup.  “I’m glad he realized it was safe, that he could control himself.”  She looked up.  “You’re a lucky lady, Lois Lane.”

“Thanks, and not to rub it in but you’re right.”

Lana looked at her watch.  “I better be going.  I need to get back to Metropolis and I actually have to drive there.”

“Is there something I can pass along to Clark?” Lois asked.  “Or do you want me to give him your number?”

Lana winced.  “I came to tell him Lex is on his trail.  He is singularly focused on finding Clark’s secret and I’m pretty certain that he believes Clark is the Red Blue Blur.  He will absolutely stop at nothing and if he gets Lexcorp back, it’s going to be even worse than before.”

“I think he knows most of that, Lana.  I know you’ve been out of the country since you…your…”

“Divorce?” Lana finished.  “For good reason.  The sole reason Lex married me was to exert pressure on me to get information about Clark.  I never told him a thing and he got genuinely dangerous because of it.  I divorced him about two months before he was killed by a car bomb.”  Or should I say,” and she gestured with air quotes, “assassinated”.”

“Do you know how his DNA was found on the body of the cadaver in the car?”  Lois had her theories, but she wanted to know what Lana thought.

She shook her head.  “I can’t be 100 percent sure, but he was always doing things with DNA and supposedly cloning.  I learned about the cloning rumor after I had divorced him.  A special agent from the DDS came to talk to me.  My best guess is that the cadaver was a failed clone of Lex, staged to give Lex a chance to hide.”

“That was our thought too.”  She paused.  “You sure you don’t want to leave me your number?  Clark may have questions that I don’t.”

“If you don’t mind him having it, I’ll gladly leave it with you.  He can call anytime this weekend.  I have no plans.”  Lana scribbled her number on a napkin and then asked Lois for her number.  She texted a smiling emoji and Lois captured the number.  “That should do it.”  She stood.  “Thanks for the tea and hospitality, Lois.  It’s really been nice reconnecting.”  She reached out her arms and hugged Lois.

“I agree,” Lois said, hugging her back.  She led Lana to the door and followed her out to the car. 

“Maybe it was better this way,” Lana offered.  “I wouldn’t have been able to spend so much time with you had Clark been here.”

Lois snorted.  “Yeah, whenever he’s around, he thinks everything is about him, ya know?” 

Lana giggled, put the car in reverse, turned around, and rolled down the window.  “Take care, Lois.”  She waved out the window and headed to the main road.

As she drove away, Lois reflected on their visit and realized that she felt sorry for Lana.  For all the frustration she had unintentionally caused Lois, in the end Lana was the loser.  She was glad she did not throw out the picture Clark had kept of Lana in the footlocker out in the barn.

No more than forty-five minutes later, Clark showed up at the front door.  He was covered in muddy clothing.  Lucas had driven him the short walk to the house in appreciation for his help.  Lois heard the Lucas’s truck and came to the door.  She took one look at Clark and said, “No, no!  You’re not coming in here with all that mud caked on you.  Go to the back porch.”  Clark smiled and did what she asked only to find her standing at the back door, blocking his way in.  “Get those muddy clothes off out here!” she ordered.  “You can’t come in like that.”

“Lois, you’re on a farm.  Dad and I used to come in like this all the time when he was working out in the fields. It’s the way…”

“Well Farmer John, I hate to break the news to you, but the maid has been sent away.  There will be no tracking mud throughout the house anymore.  Now, get them off and leave them out here because I just cleaned up the kitchen and I don’t want it all muddied up.  You can hose them off later after you get cleaned up and let them dry out before throwing them in the washing machine.”

He liked that fact that Lois was taking charge of the house.  It was her home too, and asserting her own rules made her seem less like a tenant and more like an owner.  “It may take a little while for them to dry out, Lois.  It’s not the middle of the summer, you know.”

“And?” she said, eliciting an explanation. 

“Well, there will be wet clothes hanging over the back porch railing for a while.  Are you going to be okay with that?”

She rolled her eyes.  “With the knowledge of the 27 known galaxies at your disposal, that’s your response to problem solving?  I thought you could radiate heat from your eyes.”

He smiled and began peeling off his clothes.  She stood and watched for a moment.  As he was stripping down to his boxer shorts, Lois said, “Slow down,” she said.  “I’ll go upstairs and get the shower warmed up for you.  I’ll call you once it’s nice and steamy.”  She ran upstairs and turned on the water to let it heat up.  A few minutes later, she yelled, “Okay, it’s ready now.”

Clark came in and dashed up to the shower.  Steam had begun to fill the bathroom and warm it. He dropped his boxer shorts and pulled the curtain aside to find Lois waiting for him to join her.  “Come on in, the water’s fine,” she said seductively.  She held a washcloth in one hand and a bottle of body wash in the other.  “I’ll get your back while I tell you about the visitor that came by while you were gone.”

Chapter Text

The next day, Lucas Ross showed up at the front door with a flyer.  “Clark, have you seen this?”  He handed Clark the flyer that Lex had distributed in the area.  “I don’t know if you ever came across any of that stuff or not, but I did.  I got this flyer from the Feed and Farm store and called the guy.  We met about an hour ago and he gave me $600 for my piece of meteor rock.  I dug them up for a while a few years back.  Threw them away mostly but I kept the biggest piece.  I took that piece to the guy, and he weighed it and paid me on the spot. 

“I thought if you have some you that you might want to get a hold of the guy and sell it to him, too.  It’s a few more bucks for you!”

Clark thanked Lucas and said that he did not have any laying around and that they had never found any on their property.  Lucas insisted that Clark keep the flyer and then left.

“What do you make of that, Clark?” Lois asked.

“Lex has learned about Kryptonite.  He’s trying to collect all he can to use against me.”

Lois's eyes grew watery.  “That can kill you, right?”

“Yes, but I have to be exposed to it for a long time." He wrapped his arms around her.  "I’ve been exposed many times before.  It's not a pleasant experience; it temporarily robs me of my powers and is extremely painful.”  He paused and looked down at her.  “It’s actually pretty smart of Lex putting out this flyer though.  It’s hard to tell how much of it has wound up in his possession because farmers uncovered this stuff for years and like Lucas, I’m sure a lot of them have saved it as a souvenir.  But direct and prolonged exposure to humans can affect them too.”

“Meteor freaks?” Lois said.

“Exactly!  So, I hope those that did save some of it back then have gotten rid of it since then or at least have it hidden and forgotten that they have it.  Lucas apparently had some stuffed away in his garage.”

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

On Monday, the appellate court consisted of a three-judge panel.  The opening argument by the attorneys for the plaintiff, Lex, had explained that the probate division of the estate was improper given that Lex was not a party to it.  When asked about Lex Luthor’s death certificate, the lawyers argued that Lex Luthor was the target of threats and a possible assassination plot, as evidenced by the destruction of his research facilities by domestic terrorists.  He devised a way to prevent these terrorists from killing him by fabricating his death.

They introduced Lana Lang as a witness as she was a beneficiary of assets belonging to the estate.  A few questions were asked of her but little in the way of the big issues: Lexcorp and the value of the estate holdings, valued at $19.7 billion.  Lex’s attorneys argued that because Lex was not a party to the probate hearing, the awarding of the entire estate and holdings to Tess was improper. 

Tess’s attorneys presented their argument that Lex Luthor had perpetrated a fraud upon the probate court and the rest of society by fabricating his death, and that the probate court acted properly by awarding the Luthor estate to Tess, minus that which was retained by Lex’s ex-wife, Lana Lang, which was not a matter in dispute.  Tess Mercer was found to be the legal daughter of the Luthor family patriarch, Lionel Luthor, a fact unknown to her or the probate during the hearing conducted after Lionel Luthor’s death. That is when the entire estate was awarded to Lex Luthor, presuming he was the only living heir.  Tess’s attorneys argued that Lex Luthor abandoned his claim to the estate by falsifying his death and remaining in seclusion for over two years.  They further argued that the period for contesting a probate decision had long passed the 60-day appeal period.

The appellate judges concluded the hearing and ordered that the principals and witnesses to be held over until the next day when a decision would be announced.

Neither Clark nor Lois were tapped to cover the hearing.  Perry had originally wanted Lois but seeing that she had taken ill, selected Clark to take the lead covering the hearing.  However, Tess intervened and dissuaded Perry from assigning it to Clark, citing Clark and Lex’s relationship over the years.  In his place, he assigned Ron Troupe to cover the story. So they remained at the Planet and was eagerly awaiting word from Tess or Lana or Ron Troupe about how the hearing went.

Reporters filed out of the court room once the hearing was concluded, followed by the lawyers and then the principals.  Lex and his team of lawyers exited first, followed by Tess and her lawyers, with Lana and some other observers bringing up the rear.  On the steps outside the courthouse, Lex’s lawyers addressed media questions before Tess’s lawyers could weigh in with their position on the matter. 

After Tess's lawyers began to speak, Lex's attorneys pulled him away, leaving the gaggle of reporters on the stairs. His attorneys split off in one direction while Lex headed to his waiting limousine. As he reached the sidewalk, he was stopped as he was about to enter the car by six DDS agents.  They encircled him, advised him he was under arrest for suspicion of crimes against humanity, and placed him in handcuffs.  The agents walked him to their waiting Suburban with blacked out windows, placed him inside, and drove off almost without the media noticing.  Almost.

Several reporters who noticed the DDS agents circle Lex broke from the rest of the press and scurried down the steps.  They were kept back from Lex and the two agents that had him by the arms and were putting him in the vehicle.  Lex said nothing to the reporters yelling questions at him.  Ron Troupe caught one of the DDS agents before he left and asked him about the charges and the incident in question. 

“Mr. Luthor is under arrest by the DDS for crimes against humanity based upon newly discovered evidence that he allegedly engaged in illegal human cloning activities.  I can provide no further information at this time,” the agent said before climbing into his vehicle and speeding off before other reporters could reach him.

Troupe called in the story for the Daily Planet website with more information to follow.  As soon as Tess read it on her phone, she called Oliver. 

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

“See this?” Lois asked Clark.  She spun her monitor around with the headline, “Back From the Dead…and Arrested”. 

Clark looked at it and his jaw clenched.  “What if he makes some public statement once he’s released on bond?”

“Released?  They won’t release him.  He’s got untold wealth stashed away somewhere and he disappeared for two years without being discovered.  No federal judge in their right mind would set a bond for him.  A bond hearing, sure.  But no judge is stupid enough to allow him to post bond.  At least, I wouldn’t expect it.”

Clark nodded.  “You’re probably right,” he agreed.  “It’s just that I have to worry about being exposed and all that follows that.  I remember what happened in that alternate timeline when you wrote your article about me.”  He stared blankly at the window.  “It was chaos, and it was horrible.”

“That was then, Clark.  No one knew about the Blur at that time.  They already know now, and all Lex could…” Lois’s reply was cut off by their office door opening.

“I take it you saw the news?” Tess said, a slight smile on her face.

“We were just talking about it, Tess,” Lois replied.  “Clark’s concerned that Lex will make some public statement about him by name and fold him into their eventual defense against these charges.”

Tess nodded and closed the door behind her and stood in front of it, keeping anyone from inadvertently opening it.  “Oliver and I came up with what we think is a plan to prevent that from happening.  We put it in motion about ten minutes ago.  If all goes well, you won’t have to worry about Lex saying anything to anyone about your…situation, Clark.”  She paused and looked at Lois.  “We’ll all be safe from it.”

Lois frowned.  “You’re not saying what I think you’re saying, are you?”

Her slight smile returned.  “You’ve seen too many movies, Miss Lane.  Besides, that didn’t work before, why would I want to do the same thing and expect a different result?  I’m not insane, and for the record, I’m not that brand of Luthor.”

“I hope you’re right, Tess,” Clark replied.

“So, what...?” Lois was about to ask when Tess's cell phone rang and interrupted her.

“Hold that thought, this is my lawyers.”  She listened.  “Okay,” she said.  “Right, yes,” she replied.  “No, we’ll be there.  You need to make sure Miss Lang knows, too.”  She disconnected.  “Okay, given the events following the hearing, the appellate court will reopen final arguments tomorrow.  I have to be there and so does Miss Lang.”  She paused.  “You know, Lex won’t be in the courtroom tomorrow and if you want to sit in on the hearing, I’m sure Perry will let you do that.  It’s still going to be Ron Troupe’s story, though,” she added, giving Lois a subtle warning.  “My lawyers believe we’ll get a ruling tomorrow too.” She glanced at the clock on the wall. "Damn! I have to go. I'm late for a meeting with the Board of Directors," and raced out of the office.

After Tess left, Lois’s suggested to Clark that he call Lana and ask her if she could meet them for dinner at a small family-owned Italian restaurant that he had discovered on the outskirts of town.  Lana had driven all the way to Smallville to speak with him and never got the chance. He needed to make the effort to hear what she had to tell him. He agreed and at 5:50 PM, Lois and Clark arrived.  The receptionist recognized Clark, thanked him for coming in, and he asked for a quiet table in the back. 

The restaurant was dark and the décor a bit dated, but the advantage was the quiet and low-key nature of the establishment.  “I don’t know about the food,” Lois said, “but the smells in this place are worth paying for!”

Lana arrived and was escorted to the table.  Lois and Clark both rose.  Clark hugged Lana first before she turned to Lois who hugged her as well.  “Thank you for inviting me to dinner,” Lana said.  She sat across from Lois and Clark.

“It sounds like you had a pretty good day in court,” Clark said.  “From what Tess told us, it seems like there’s no reason for returning the estate to Lex.”

She nodded.  “As long as they haven’t been paid off by Lex, I think it will fall in Tess’s favor.”

“What about you, Lana?” Lois asked.  “You suffered under him, and I know you said that you had an account that was yours alone carved out prior to the marriage, but that’s a massive estate.  Don’t you think you’re entitled to a little bit more of it?”

“I am comfortable with what I have.  If the court wants to award more to me, then fine, but the truth is, I’ve never seen anyone with loads of money that are truly happy.  It seems almost like a disease when most people get too wealthy.  All they want is more.  I don’t want to fall into that trap.”

“Like politicians and power,” Lois offered.

“Exactly!” she replied.

“Lana, you stopped by on Saturday.  I’m sorry I wasn’t there.  Pete’s dad needed some help.”

“Lois told me that.  I’m sorry you weren’t there either, but I can talk here.  And with Lex locked up, it might be better now anyway.”  The waitress arrived and asked for drink orders, cutting Lana off prematurely.

Once the waitress left, Clark said, “Why better here?”

“I don’t trust him.  No matter where I go, I am always looking over my shoulder.  Clark, he is dead set on finding out about you and your secret.  He thinks you’re the Red Blue Blur and he’ll do anything to find out the truth.  He was becoming desperate when I left him and there's no telling where he's at mentally nowadays." She looked at Lois. "There’s nothing he won’t do to include hurting those you love or who he thinks know you best to find out.  I want to suggest that you closely scan your farm for listening devices, recording devices, or anything that sends out a signal that you’re not aware of.  Check your phones for malicious software that may be on them.  Even your cars.  Both of you.”  She paused.  “He’s like a madman.”

“Well, we just recently discovered the lengths he would go to,” Lois said.  “He poisoned me with a radioactive isotope planted within a basket of muffins just to be able to track me because I wrote about the interview with the Red Blue Blur.  He thought he could link the Blur to me.” She filled in the backstory about the details of the aftermath of the interview and the muffin basket.

Lana looked sickened.  “I know this sounds disgusting, but I can believe that of Lex. I would not believe it of a normal, thinking, feeling human being but Lex, it doesn't surprise me.  Oh my God, Lois, I’m so sorry.  I don't know what to say. Will you be okay?”

“The radioactive isotope has been neutralized but the jury is still out on the long-term effects,” she replied. “We found out that the radiation has damaged my DNA and that damaged DNA is creating mutated cells inside of me.  Whether those mutated cells will cause me any problems is what we don’t know yet.  I’m confident I’ll be okay.”

Lana leaned forward and spoke in hushed tones.  “You mean like cancer cells?" Lois nodded glassy-eyed, and Lana swallowed hard and began to tear up. "There are times I wished him dead before he faked his death.  When I heard about his death, I felt bad at the time thinking something like that. But after hearing what you’ve just told me, I hope someone will just end him in prison.”

“I believe Lex has all the information on me he needs now,” Clark said.  “I’m pretty sure he’s been to the Fortress at least once but probably more like twice.”  The waitress returned with beverages and asked if they were ready to order.

“Can you give us about ten more minutes, please?” Lois asked with a smile.  “We’ve been talking instead of looking.”

The waitress smiled, nodded, and left.  They all picked up their menus.  “So, what makes you think that he got to the Fortress?” Lois asked.

“Two reasons. I noticed things had been moved around in the Fortress when we went the last time. And secondly, because he’s learned about Kryptonite.  I know that because he's made a pretty clever way of collecting it and what other reason would he have for it if he didn't know it can stop me?  I know he's collecting it because Lucas Ross sold a small piece of it to one of Lex’s men.  Lucas gave me a flyer that had been posted at the Farm and Feed stores around Smallville. I did some checking, and the cash paid for the piece of Kryptonite Lucas sold can be traced back to one of Lex’s rare Earth mining companies.”

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

At the conclusion of the hearing the next day, the judges directed all parties to remain in the vicinity of the court as they deliberated.  Lex, of course, was not among the parties in attendance.  Being a civil case, he was represented by attorneys and there was no consideration given by the federal government to allow him to exit the pretrial detention facility in which he was being housed.  He was allowed to listen to the brief truncated arguments offered by his attorneys and the rebuttal from Tess’s attorneys via a closed circuit television in the correctional facility.

Tess and Ron Troupe huddled with Clark, Lois, and Lana in the back of the courtroom discussing the information Ron had begun to gather on the charges that Lex was facing.  Opposing attorney teams talked among each other at extreme opposite sides of the courtroom.  Reporters and visitors milled around, checking email on their phones, going in and out of the courtroom while waiting for the judges to return.

Unnoticed by any of the Planet employees huddled in the back was a young woman with jet black hair pulled into a bun and black rimmed glasses, similar to those that Clark wore.  She slipped in the courtroom as others were going in and out. She wore a smart dark suitcoat and slacks with white shirt and high heels.  She carried a padfolio and appeared to be a member of Lex’s legal team. 

She pulled all his legal team into a huddle, further insulating themselves from Tess’s team of lawyers.  When Tess looked up and noticed it happening, she excused herself from the group and went to speak with her attorneys.

The unknown woman spoke quietly to Lex’s attorneys.  They all stared intensely at what she was saying and the lead attorney nodded. She took his card, wrote something on the back of it and put it in her padfolio.  She handed each of them one of her cards, spoke to them again briefly, and then left.  The lead attorney pulled out his phone as the others gathered around him to shield him from others who might see or overhear him.

As she left, Lana caught her eye and for a moment, thought the woman looked familiar.  She had seen her before but could not place the name.  As the mysterious woman reached for the door, one of her cards fell out of her padfolio.  The card fluttered to the floor and Lana moved to retrieve it. Lois saw Lana move and glimpsed up to see the back of the woman, just as she exited the courtroom. 

Lana retrieved the card and read the name: Mercy Graves.  She knew the name and thought that she was no longer part of Lex’s life since he was declared dead.  I wonder if she’s reinserting herself back into his life, she thought.  Then again, maybe she never left and like Lex, just disappeared.  But if she’s trying to reconnect with him, it’s probably a little late, now.  She shoved the card in her pocket and turned her attention back to the group.

“Who was that?” Lois asked, turning to Lana.

“Mercy Graves.  Have you heard of her before?” she asked.

“Is that who that was?  Yes, I’ve heard of her.  It’s been a while since I’ve heard her name mentioned,” Lois said.  “I only got a glimpse of her back.  I wish I had seen her because I’d like to keep an eye out for her.”

“So then, I guess you know that she has been at Lex’s side for some time,” Lana said, “at least the business side of Lexcorp.  She was very loyal to him and I’m pretty certain that he was using her to do a lot of his dirty work in the company.”  Lana paused.  “It’s been about three years since the first and only time saw her.  At the time, I was in the back of a limo, and he talked to her through the back seat window that he had lowered about halfway.  But I heard him talking to her on the phone in cryptic sentences more times than I can count.”

Tess returned to the group and Lana announced that Mercy Graves had just spoken with Lex’s legal team and then left. 

“Is that who that was?  I’ve never met her,” Tess said and frowned, “but I’ve heard lots of stories about her.”

“She dropped this,” Lana said, handing Tess the business card. 

Tess looked at the card and said, “Hmm.  There are a lot of people connected with Lexcorp that told me that they were afraid of her and avoided any interaction with her when she was Lex’s assistant.  She was very close to him, and no one trusted her because of it. Stories are that she could be a stone-cold bitch that did his bidding.”

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

The senior officer on duty at the federal correctional facility where Lex was being held answered the phone.  The caller was Lex Luthor’s lead attorney and told the officer to add Ms. Mercy Graves’s name onto Mr. Luthor’s visitor list for today, and that she was part of Luthor’s defense team.  He also told the officer that she was currently enroute to the facility and once she arrives, she needs to meet with Mr. Luthor as quickly as possible.

The officer checked the clearance list and her name was on it. He acknowledged the information and told the attorney that he would see to it that she had unsupervised attorney-client private time with the prisoner as soon as she checked in.

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

The three-judge panel returned to the courtroom.  The judge presiding over the hearing brought the court to order and was prepared to announce the judgment.  “In the case of Luthor versus Mercer, Lexcorp-Queen Industries, et al.,” he began, and described what the court awarded Lex Luthor: the Luthor mansion, half of the cash, holdings, and subsidiaries of Lexcorp as they currently exist, minus any increase in value that occurred since the probate order issued after Lex was declared dead. 

Ownership of Lexcorp itself was to remain with Tess, along with the other half of the cash, holdings, current contracts and subsidiaries owned by Lexcorp prior to its merger with Queen Industries. 

Residential properties owned by the Luthor family were awarded to Lex, minus the condominium in the Lexcorp headquarters building, corporate housing in other cities, and an estate on the island of St. Maarten.  Those were awarded to Tess.

The judge also announced that seventeen million dollars in cash and stock had been carved out of Lex Luthor's portion of the estate and was awarded to the ex-wife, Lana Lang, in view of the expenses, pain, and mental suffering that the fraudulent disappearance of Mr. Alexander Luthor had created for her. In addition, a very small vineyard in Burgundy was awarded to her.

Tess’s lawyer leaned over to her and whispered, “That’s actually better than we expected.  You are now the undisputed owner of Lexcorp and the publisher of the Daily Planet, too.”

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

“You’re not Mercy Graves,” Lex said to the woman who sat across from him.  “So, who are you?”

“I am the newest member of your legal team.  My name is Anna, Mr. Luthor.  Mr. Morgan, your lead attorney, sent me to talk to you.”

“What is it you’re here for?” Lex demanded, angered that a new member of his legal team had been added without consulting him.  “Why are you using Mercy Graves’s identity to get in here?”

“Miss Graves was previously on the list of people cleared for access to you, Mr. Luthor.  I’m here to give you some important legal information.  Mr. Morgan felt that what I have to tell you is too important to wait for me to get a clearance to see you.  Time is of the essence, Sir.  You have an arraignment coming up tomorrow morning.”

“I’m keenly aware of that.  Is Mr. Morgan unable to represent me?”

“No, of course not, Sir.  He’ll be there.  But Mr. Luthor, you are facing serious charges, and I happen to have a certain set of skills that Mr. Morgan thinks will help in prepping you for tomorrow’s arraignment.  He wanted me to get started with you immediately and felt there is no time to waste.”  She paused and then said, “Are you agreeable to work with me or shall I leave?  Mr. Morgan is still tied up in the appellate hearing but I’m sure he’ll make time at some point today or tonight to come see you.”

Lex looked peeved.  He did not like changes that he did not decide on.  Yet, there was a solid rationale to what Morgan was attempting to do.  “Okay,” Lex said.  “But when we’re done, I want Morgan in here to follow up with me.”

“Yes, Sir.  I’ll let him know as soon as we’re done here,” she replied.  She looked around the room, leaned forward, made eye-to-eye contact, and in a conspiratorial tone she said, “You need to listen very carefully to every word I am about to say.”

Less than thirty minutes later, the mysterious woman using Mercy Graves’s identity left the federal correctional facility. 

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

The courtroom was clearing out.  Ron Troupe had left to complete his story after sending a summary for the webpage. Tess told her reporters that she would meet up with them later, that she was taking the legal team out to an early lunch.

Lana had lingered in the back of the court waiting for Clark and Lois to exit.

"So, you own a French vineyard now! How neat is that?" Lois declared as they stopped to talk to her.  “Would you like to go back to the Planet and we can go to lunch together?” Lois asked. 

“I'd love to but I really need to be getting to the airport.  My plane leaves in about two and a half hours and I have to go through TSA, CBP, and all that.”  She paused, looked at Lois and said, “I really meant it when I told you that I was happy for you, Lois.  You deserve someone as special as Clark,” she said, tearing up in the process.  “He’s special because of who he is, not what he can do and I'm sure you know that.”  She hugged Lois and turned to Clark.  “Take care of her,” is about all she could manage before being overcome.  She hugged Clark and he looked at Lois awkwardly.  She rolled her eyes and made a face but then turned away and quickly wiped her own eyes. 

He returned Lana’s hug and said softly, “I know you can take care of yourself but if you ever need me, Lana, all you have to do is call.  Nothing will change that and I want you to know that.  You call me anytime, okay?”

She nodded and then pulled him down low enough to kiss his cheek.  “Thank you…both of you. I’m going to miss you both.”  She half-chuckled, half-cried, “It actually makes going back to Paris a hard decision.  Who have you heard ever say that, right?”  She wiped her eyes, turned and left the courtroom.  Lois and Clark followed her out, said their goodbyes once more, and then returned to the Daily Planet.

“I’m still uneasy about Lex and the things he has learned.  Him having Kryptonite will present a problem for me,” Clark said when they returned to their fifth-floor office. 

Lois sat down and snapped on her monitor.  “We’ll find out what the plan Tess and Ollie hatched as soon as we see her. We'll know after that if we think it will work or not.  Until then, keep your powder dry, Farmer John.”

When it was quitting time at the Daily Planet, Lois and Clark were winding down and getting ready to head home when Tess came to the office.  “Good, I’m glad I caught you before you left for the day.  You don’t have any plans for this evening that you can’t change, do you?”

Lois looked at Clark and shrugged.  “Nothing that cannot wait until later,” she said, “or tomorrow.”

“Excellent!  I’ve reserved a room at the Ace of Clubs for dinner.  Ollie will be there.  It’s a little in-house celebration for the outcome of the case today. I thought after all that you have been through, you should join us.  The meals and drinks are on me.  Since I have officially become wealthier than I ever imagined, this is the least I can do to compensate you two for all the garbage you've been put through by Lex.”

“That’s very thoughtful of you, Tess,” Clark said.  He looked at Lois and then back at Tess.  “Sure.  We’d love to join you.  What time do we need to be there?”

“Right about now,” Tess said.  “Let’s go.”

They walked down the sidewalk.  It was a beautiful Spring afternoon, and the leaves had begun to pop out from all the trees along the sidewalk in sprigs of bright green.  They talked about the arraignment that Lex faced tomorrow and their concern that some twisted judge might just set a bond hearing for him rather than flatly denying the defense’s motion for bail. Clark and Lois both said they were unsettled at the last-minute legal maneuvering that Mercy Graves was apparently involved with and asked Tess about the plan to keep Lex quiet about Clark. She told them that it would all become clear during dinner when they had time to fully absorb it.

They entered the building and went to the top floor where the Ace of Clubs was.  Ollie was there with the woman they thought was Mercy Graves.  They approached and she turned around.  “Zee?” Lois cried out and rushed over to her and hugged her.  “What are you doing here? Was that you in the courtroom today?”

"Yes," Zatanna replied. "Didn't Oliver tell you?"

Oliver stepped forward, pulled Lois away and into a hug, and then shook Clark’s hand.  “I never had time, everything happened so fast. Zee was the last piece of the plan.”

“Clark,” Zatanna said.  “You don’t have to worry about what Lex learned about you again.  In fact, next time you see him face-to-face, he won’t even know who you are.  He won’t remember he ever thought about finding out the identity of the Red Blue Blur or ever remember going to the Fortress, or remember anything he learned there.  He went there twice, by the way.”

“Of course!” Lois exclaimed.  “Like you did with Chloe, right?”

Zatanna nodded.  “Exactly.”

The five of them ate, drank, and talked for nearly four hours.  When the evening wound down, Tess announced that it probably was best for her to get back.  She thought that she would go to the federal courthouse tomorrow to watch Lex’s arraignment.  They all said their goodbyes and Clark whispered something to Lois.  She rolled her eyes and exhaled, then nodded with a slight smile.

Clark insisted on the two of them walking Tess back to the Planet since it had gotten late. “I’m fine, Clark.  You two go home,” she said but Clark would not hear of it.

They entered the lobby and got on the elevator.  Clark pushed the button for the top floor.  “What are you doing, Clark?” Tess asked. 

“It's payback time, Tess,” he said sternly, and Lois sneered.

"Just because you treated us to dinner do you think that evened the score between us?" Lois asked, threateningly.

“What do you mean?” Tess asked, unsteadily, glancing back and forth between them.  “I thought we were all on the same page, the same team now.”

“We may all be on the same page, Tess, but we’re not even, not yet,” Lois chimed in.

“Even?  Clark, Lois, what does that mean? I had no idea what Lex was up to, you have to believe me.”

The elevator door opened, and Clark led Tess to the roof access door and suddenly, Tess understood.  “Oh my God,” she said.  She turned and looked at them excitedly.  “You’re right, you’re not even yet but I think you’re about to even the score.  Is that right?”

Clark opened the door to the roof, and they stepped out into the dark, starry night.  “Yes, Tess.  It’s time for your payback,” Clark said and lifted her effortlessly.

“I’ll be waiting for you in the office when you get back,” Lois said but stayed to watch Clark gently launch the two of them into the dark night. She heard Tess let out a faint gasp and Clark gradually sped up, and then the two of them shot out of sight.  She thought about her first flight with Clark and smiled to herself.  Take your time, Smallville.

Chapter Text

Lex was arraigned the next day in federal court on charges of crimes against humanity.  The arraignment process was brief.  The charges against Lex were read and the judge asked for a plea.  “Not guilty, your Honor,” Lex stated defiantly, as if he was somehow above the law and it was an offense to even consider a criminal charge against him.  The judge accepted that plea and announced that there would be no bail hearing in this case, given Lex Luthor’s presumed wealth and ability to hide.

As Lex was being led out of the courtroom into pretrial confinement, he shook loose of the hold the two custodial officers leading had, paused, and glaring at Tess, said, “This isn’t over, Tess,” he threatened.  “Far from it!”

Tess gave him her taciturn smile.  “I’d love to stay and chat, but unlike you, Lex, I have a company to run,” she replied flatly as the two officers yanked him to resume his movement to the exit.  He sneered in reply.  “This isn’t over!” he shouted as they took him out the exit doors and to a holding area for transport to the federal detention center.

As promised by Zatanna, Lex showed no signs of recognizing Clark, who was standing next to Tess, or Lois who was standing next to him.  He did not even make eye contact with them.

As he exited the courtroom, Lois leaned forward and looked at her publisher.  “Good one, Tess!” she said, “and good riddance!” Tess agreed.  Lois turned to Clark.  “You ready to go, Smallville?”

Clark said nothing but nodded and Lois could tell he had something bothering him.  “What?” she asked.  “I can tell you’re thinking about something.  What is it?”

He frowned.  “Before we destroyed his lab, he had successfully created clones.  The problem with them was they died prematurely.  How can we be sure the man that they walked out in chains is the real Lex Luthor and not a clone?  He’s been in seclusion for over two years doing something.  Nobody knows what he’s been up to or where he’s been.  Who is to say that wasn’t one of his clones?”

The thought raised the hair on the back of Tess’s neck.  “He’ll be coming after me if that wasn’t the real Lex.  And he’ll be coming after you, too, Clark.” 

Lois nodded.  “And he knows your vulnerabilities,” she said quietly.

Tess reassured them both, saying, “I’ll work overtime at Watchtower searching for any sign that he may not be the one that is in prison.  I think I know his mannerisms and idiosyncrasies all too well.  If I think that’s not the real Lex, you’ll be the first to the call, Clark.” 

They walked out of the federal courthouse together.  There was one reporter on the sidewalk below doing a live on-air report about the verdict and sentencing of Lex Luthor.  They began down the courthouse steps when a black sedan with black tinted windows pulled away from the curb a block and a half away.  It slowly approached the courthouse and then began to speed up.  Clark heard the sound of a bullet being chambered into a weapon and looked around quickly.  As the car drove past, the rear window rolled down halfway, a short barrel appeared and shots from a fully automatic weapon rang out.

In a blur of movement, Clark pushed Lois to the side and pulled Tess backward and down before either had a chance cry out.  He blocked one bullet on a trajectory to strike Lois snatched and two of the bullets that would surely have hit Tess in the upper chest and then laid partially across Lois and Tess.  The other rounds either ricocheted off the steps or impacted the wall of the federal courthouse before the car sped out of sight.  He laid still until he was certain the car was not going to return.

“Is everyone okay?” he asked as he slowly rose.

“I’m fine,” Lois said, unevenly.  “Just a little shaken is all.  Except I think I ripped a seam on the shoulder of my jacket,” she added, picking at a loose thread on the shoulder of her suitcoat.

“Tess, are you okay?” Clark asked.

He looked at Tess and she had tears in her eyes. “Yes, I think so.  I know I wasn’t hit.” She said lay across the stairs for a moment and then rose, brushed herself off, and checked herself for injury.  “I think I’m fine, thanks to you, Clark,” she finally said.

The camera crew on the sidewalk below were slowly getting to their feet.  “Is everyone okay?” Clark called out.  They gave him a thumbs up and told him they were uninjured and began retrieving the video equipment that they had tossed to the ground when they dove for cover.

“Let’s get out of here before they get us on video,” he said.  He blew into his hand to cool the bullets on the way down the steps.  As they hurried to Tess’s awaiting car. When they reached Tess's car, he handed one to Lois. “Here’s a souvenir for you,” he quipped.  Then, he handed one to Tess.  “I didn’t see your name on it, but it was definitely headed in your direction.”

Tess looked at the bullet and then at him, wide-eyed.  “You caught them?”

“Only the important ones, Tess,” he said and smirked.

“Only the important ones?” Lois mocked.  “You know, Clark, you can be a goober a lot of the time, but sometimes, you can say the neatest things.”  She hip checked him as they stood on the sidewalk.  “You need to work on saying the neat things more often.”

Before getting into the car, she turned and hugged Clark.  “I guess we’re not even any longer.  I owe you my life, Clark.  Thank you.” 

“Don’t thank me; thank Lois.  She can be miserable to be around when there’s a big change at the office,” he said and winked.  “I’d do anything to prevent that from happening.”

“Hey!” Lois protested and playfully shoved him.

Clark opened the back passenger door for Tess.  She started to get in but stopped and frowned.  “I think you missed one,” she said and shifted his tie to the left.  Beneath the tie was a bullet hole in his shirt at chest level.

“That one I didn’t care too much about,” he said quietly and looked at Lois who looked annoyed with him.  “What? It’s an old shirt.”

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

Friday, June 29th

The Friday following Lex’s arraignment in federal court, Clark flew Lois to the Fortress.  They had promised themselves a long getaway and since the Fourth of July was the following week and Clark had promised to fly Lois high above the fireworks, it was a perfect time to spend time alone in the Arctic.  Clark had flown Lois there after work.  She had packed a small weekend bag and brought it to work that day.  She plopped the weekend bag on the bed and opened it up to take out the things she had packed.  She was about to say something to Clark when she saw a black rock in her bag.  “What’s this?” she asked, holding it up to show Clark.

“A souvenir from our first weekend together,” he replied.  “Remember when you wanted me to get Buffalo wings and beer for you?  I stopped and picked this up in Pennsylvania on the way there.”  Lois looked puzzled.  “It’s for you.  A reminder of our first weekend as a couple with no secrets between us.”

Looking less than enthusiastic, Lois turned it in her hand.  “Is this a lump of coal?”  She frowned and looked at him.  “I love the sentimentality, Clark, but this has all the romantic allure of a beer coaster.  You didn’t happen to grab one of those too, did you?”

He smirked.  “You haven’t seen what it’s good for.”

“What?  Heating this place up for about two minutes?” she quipped.

“Sure, it can do that,” he replied.  “But it can do other things, too. Let me show you.”  He held out his hand and she handed it to him.  He cupped it in one hand and put the other hand over top.  He looked at Lois.

She made a face.  He pressed until it began to glow red, then orange, then golden, and finally a brilliant white light and puffs of smoke.  He held it, applying more pressure.  Lois was transfixed on the extraordinary metamorphosis occurring in the palm of Clark’s hand.

As the light died out, Clark reduced the pressure on the stone.  He removed his top hand and lightly blew away ash.  What was left was a clear stone.  “Is that a crystal?” Lois asked.

He blew on it again to make sure that it was not hot and then handed it to Lois.  “Not exactly,” Clark said with a smirk.

Her eyes grew large.  Lois turned it in her hand and held it up to the light.  She looked at Clark and spoke quietly, although there was no one else to hear.  “It’s a diamond, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” he replied.

Lois looked at Clark and the breath caught in her chest.  “I can’t believe this.  Every time I think you’ve shown me everything imaginable, you do something like this.”  She stared at the stone once again.  “I need to lock this someplace safe,” she said.

“Here,” he said, reaching out his hand.  “I have just the place for it.”  Lois handed him the stone.  “I’ll be right back,” he said and disappeared.  Two minutes later, he reappeared.  “Okay, I’ve secured it.”

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

The next morning, Lois awoke and Clark was not in bed.  She padded out of the bed chamber to find him at the console.  “Good morning,” she said.

“Good morning.  How did you sleep?”

“Like the dead.  You’re up early.”

Clark grumbled.  “I wanted to get an early start today,” he replied and said nothing more. Lois was excited to spend the weekend there, but Clark seemed quiet, almost sullen, and she wondered if something was bothering him or if something had happened.

She tried to engage him in conversation.  “Have you explored this entire place?”

“Yes, I did when it first appeared.  Why?” Clark asked.

She shrugged.  “It’s just so massive and amazing.  I didn’t know if you had the time to look around.  I’m amazed every time I’m here.  Are there different levels?  Is there like a floor below this one?”

“There are different levels but not different floors.  There are no stairs or elevators to take you to lower floors, if that’s what you mean.  It is one continuous surface but it’s not flat, as you’ve seen.  You have to take a few steps up or down.”

Clark was looking at the console and the crystals arrayed beneath the surface of the console.  He pulled each one out individually, looked at it, and then returned it to its place.  He conducted the audit quietly.

Lois wandered into the great chamber where the console was and the large crystal screen on which Jor-El’s image and other images were projected.  She watched Clark for a few moments.  “Okay, what’s going on with you?”

“Excuse me?” Clark said, puzzled.

“What’s bothering you, Smallville.  I can tell, you have something on your mind.  Spill it, Kent!”

He smiled.  “Okay.”  He took a deep breath and exhaled.  “I think I should destroy this place.”

Lois was shocked.  “But why, Clark?  This is your inner sanctum.  And it’s our getaway.”

“It’s a liability too,” he said.  “I have been thinking about this since Lex was sentenced and the idea that the real Lex Luthor is out there somewhere and knows about this place worries me, Lois.  He knows about my weaknesses and has figured out how to exploit them already.”  He paused.  “I don’t know how much he learned while he was here, but I know the information this place contains is so immense that, in his hands, it would be very dangerous to the world if he possessed it.  Or even possess the ability to access it whenever he wanted,” he added.

“Can’t you find a way to secure it somehow?”  She looked around.  “What if you took the crystals that operate the system here?”

“And if he came and they were gone, he could raze the place, and I’d have no way of accessing the information anymore either.”

“But the same will happen if you destroy it.”

He smiled.  “Not necessarily.  I’m thinking of moving it.”

She looked puzzled.  “Moving it?”

Clark explained that he had discovered the command crystal could recreate the Fortress if it had become irreparably damaged.  In that way, he would destroy the existing Fortress and create a new one with the command crystal.  “So, I need to create a new one, move stuff that I…we…brought here to the new Fortress, and then destroy this one.  That way, if Lex is still free, he can’t come here and find the Fortress.”

“Won’t he be able to find the new one?” she asked.

“I don’t think so.  This one won’t be visible from the surface.  I just need to figure out how to do it.”

“An underground fortress?” Lois said.  “That’s a pretty neat idea.”

“I think it is too,” he agreed, “and I need to make sure there’s a way to access it.”

“What about the transport in the Indian caves?  Will it still work?”

“I think so,” he replied.  “The portal is like an interdimensional portal or wormhole in space.  It’s not dependent upon location.”

Lois looked around.  The crystalline structure was massive but so impressive.  If a below surface fortress was created, would it look so incredible, she wondered.  “So, without the crystals to collect the solar energy, will you still have the ability to power it up?”

“I think the geothermal energy would be more than enough. Sinking a geothermal loop was part of this structure, I can only assume it would be the same if another was created.  That’s all part of the process.”

Lois nodded and stared at Clark who was staring at the crystals, now array on top of the console.  “There’s no instruction manual, is there?”

He shook his head.  “Unfortunately not.”

“I guess you’ve asked Jor-El?”

“Not yet.  I’m concerned what his response will be,” Clark said. 

It was the first time she had ever seen Clark reticent about something dealing with his birth father that was not just an information exchange.  He was genuinely worried what an artificial intelligence program would reply.

She put her hand on his forearm.  “Clark, this is your decision, not anyone else’s.  It’s definitely not your birth father’s artificial intelligence responses.  You’re the one at risk and I feel like if he were here right now, he would support you decision.  An AI program cannot replace emotions, and if the actual Jor-El knew your life could be at stake, there would be no discussion about it, right?”

“That’s just it, Lois.  I don’t know.  Jor-El can be very regimented in his thinking.  Everything is logic-based, not emotions based.”

“Seriously?  You’re going to talk to me about regimented thinking?  I grew up in that environment, remember?”  She softened her tone.  “Clark, you’re not talking to the man that sacrificed everything to send you away knowing that you could have a life here on Earth.  You’re talking to a sophisticated computer program.”  She pointed at the crystal screen.  “That is not your father any more than it is your dad.”

He said nothing, weighing what Lois had said.  “Your right,” he finally said.  “It’s just a program.  But it’s one I’ve come to appreciate and it’s like a video chat with your parent.”  He paused.  “I’ll miss it very much if I can’t replicate it elsewhere.”

“But you won’t know until you ask, Honey.  Just ask the question, Clark.”

He clenched his jaw.  “You’re right.  I’ll ask.”  He took the largest crystal and inserted it into a cylindrical receptacle.  The large crystal screen lit up and an image of Jor-El appeared.  “Kal-El, my son.  What is it you ask?”

Clark learned that replacing the Fortress was quite possible and not much different than the one he was standing in.  He stated that he wanted a fortress that was less obvious to the naked eye, perhaps an underground fortress.  AI Jor-El replied that it understood and recommended casting the command crystal along a mountainous ridge.  The crystal would create a new fortress within the ridge.  The structure would be different than the original but offer a different advantage: it would be undetectable to observation methods employed on Earth and have a more secluded point of access.

To initiate the process, Clark merely had to command the program to initiate a new fortress creation. 

“Before I do,” Clark started, “I want to run another scan on you, Lois.  We need to determine what, if any, changes have occurred to you since the last scan.”  He pulled the crystal from the receptacle and inserted a different one.

“Jor-El,” Clark began.  “Please scan Lois Lane for any cellular changes that have taken place since her last scan.”

“Very well,” the AI Jor-El replied, and Lois stepped into the chamber she had previously stood in.  The bright golden light enveloped her and in less than five seconds, it disappeared. 

“The scan has been completed, and the results are conclusive, Kal-El.  The previously damaged DNA has been permanently altered. Production of mutated human cells continues.”

Clark looked at Lois and swallowed hard.  He turned back to face the AI Jor-El image.  “Jor-El, what will be the outcome of those mutated cells being created in Lois Lane?”

“Outcome unknown,” Jor-El replied. “The evaluation of the relationship between the mutated cells and existing cells is inconclusive.  However, at this time, there appears to be no negative influence on the normal human cells inside Lois Lane.  This could, however, change and possibly imperceptible to the host.”

“You mean Lois,” Clark said sternly.

“Yes.  Miss Lois Lane,” AI Jor-El repeated.

Lois stood next to Clark and she took his hand and wiped the corner of her left eye as discreetly as she could.  “It’s fine, Clark.  I don’t need you to ask any further questions.  I’m going to take the results that there are no negative relationships between the mutated cells and normal cells as good news.” She braved a smile and snuffed to clear her throat as a tear escaped and rolled down her cheek. 

“Are you sure?  There’s nothing more you want to know?”

Lois nodded.  “I’m sure.  Go ahead and start the new fortress program thingy.”

Clark smiled gently, then looked at the screen and spoke, “Initiate new fortress creation!”  The receptacle holding the command crystal glowed so intensely white, Lois could not look at it.  Once the glow faded, Clark retrieved the command crystal, and it was no longer clear but an emerald green color.  He removed the green crystal and placed it inside his jacket pocket. 

“Now, I need to find a place to put the new fortress,” Clark said.

Lois weighed in.  “I think it makes a lot of sense to put it along a ridgeline.  It’s camouflaged there and with layers of snow will look like just another mountain.”

He nodded.  “It will be interesting to see how it forms.”   He paused.  “I’m going to fly around and scout out a location.  It’s going to be cold so maybe you should just stay here for now.  Once I find a place, I’ll come get you.”

“What about the stuff that is in here…like, the bed and mattress and other things you’ve brought from the farm?”

“Once the new fortress is created, I’ll move all that stuff over there before we destroy this place. The new fortress will have a new command crystal.  Activating that fortress begins the destruction of this fortress. While that’s happening, you can help us get settled in the new fortress if that’s okay?”

“Sure,” Lois replied.  “I want to be part of it.  Hey, all my years as a brat, all the places we were stationed had a name.  They weren’t all the same name, and I think we should name these places. I’ve been thinking about this, and we can call this place Fortress Clana.  Get it; Clark combined with Lana equals Clana?  It’s the old place when Clark and Lana were a thing…well, at least sometimes.  And we could call the new place Fortress Lork.  The symbolism is perfect.” She arched one eyebrow.  “What do you think about that?”

“That’s an interesting thought, Lois.  Is that the result of a lot of thought or…?” he trailed off and he shrugged.

“Hey!” she replied, feigning being insulted.  “It only makes sense that we don’t have to keep saying, ‘The Old Fortress; the New Fortress’ in our conversations.”

“The new fortress name sounds like dork,” Clark replied.  “I’m not sure that it’s fitting.”

“Well, not for one of us at least,” she snarked, but she nodded and winced.  “Yeah, I know.  I thought that too.”

“Clois!” Clark declared.  “Fortress Clois.”

“That would be logical, but I was looking for a name where you’re not first all the time.”  She paused and exhaled loudly.  “But I guess there’s no easy way around it.”

“So, when Fortress Clois is erected, maybe you can start exploring the place to figure out where I should put things.  Is that okay with you?”

“Absolutely.  We don’t want the place ending up looking like the loft in your barn.”

An hour later, she stood with Clark on a frigid plain outside a snow-covered ridgeline.  Even with her jacket, he held her close to him to keep her warm.  He pulled the green crystal from his jacket, located a spot he thought would be the best for the new fortress, and threw the crystal.

Nothing happened for about thirty seconds.  “Is it working?” Lois asked.

“I’m sure it is.  The first time I created the Fortress, there was a delay, and I remember wondering if I had just thrown away my only connection to Krypton.  It just takes a little time…”  Before he finished his statement, rumbling was felt, and something was happening along the ridgeline.  “There we go,” he said.

Within five minutes, a new fortress appeared but different than the first.  This one pushed rock and soil upward to recreate the appearance of a mountain nestled among the other peaks along the ridgeline.  The difference was there was less snow on the new peak the crystal had created compared to those around it.

Once it appeared the construction was complete, Clark flew Lois close to the new fortress.  He scanned the eruption to find the access point and observe the inner layout.  “I think we’re ready to go in.”  He picked her up and slowly flew into a fissure in the side and turned sharply upward once it was entered, thus giving the appearance of a dead end from the outside.  About one hundred feet above the surface, a great passageway appeared.  Clark slowed and flew a few yards into it.  He placed Lois down and together they walked carefully until they reached the massive chamber inside the entrance.  It looked nearly identical to the other fortress.

Clark went to the console and observed an array of crystals beneath the surface of the console, identical to the other fortress.  He withdrew the largest crystal and examined it in the faint light that was transmitted from the massive crystals thrust upwards creating exterior support and various interior walls and chambers.

“This looks perfect,” he said and replaced it under the console.

“Aren’t you going to put it in that tube-thing sticking up?”

“Not yet.  I have to move stuff over,” he replied.  “Once I put this in the receptacle, the sequence to destroy the other fortress begins.”

“Oh, you’re referring to Fortress Clana,” Lois jabbed.

Clark grinned.  “Yes, Fortress Clana.”

“Okay.  There’s enough light coming in for me to look around while you’re collecting things up.  It’s also a lot warmer in here than I thought it would be.”

“That’s fine, Lois.  But be careful walking around too much and don’t go into dark places until I get back.  When I come back, we’ll activate this fort…Fortress Clois,” he said.

“Now you’re getting it,” Lois said.  “Go.  Let’s get this place up and running.”

Within twenty minutes, Clark had moved the things he brought from Smallville and elsewhere to the new fortress.  Lois had found what she believed was the best location for the bedroom and Clark agreed.  There was a bathroom connected to the bedroom by a short hallway.  She also located a suitable place for a kitchen that actually had room for a table and chairs if he chose to bring some.  There were other chambers created in the new structure that did not exist in the previous one.

“Do you want to watch Fortress Clana collapse?” he asked.

“I kind of already have,” she said with a grin, “If I’ve seen it once, I’ve seen it a hundred times!” she added and nudged him with her shoulder.  “But I’ll go with you and watch what I know will be the absolute final version of Clana collapsing.”

Clark retrieved the command crystal from the console, inserted it into the receptacle.  The light suddenly increased in the grand chamber.  He picked her up and they flew to the entrance of the giant passageway where he paused and then floated down the one hundred or so foot shaft formed inside the fissure to reach the surface.  From there, they flew outside the fissure and to a location from which they could watch.  It took two minutes for anything noticeable to occur but once it began, it reminded Lois of skyscrapers being demolished.  The structure collapsed upon itself in a plume of powered snow.  Within a minute, it had vanished and a slight indention in the surface was all that was left.  “It will fill with snow and eventually, pack down and look like the rest of the terrain here.”

He flew to the new fortress and before reaching the entrance, landed and put Lois down.  “I need to camouflage this place a little better.  He took a deep breath and began blowing snow.  It created a giant flurry of snow that eventually covered the new ridge peak the crystal had created.  Once Clark was satisfied, he stopped, and Lois was left dumbfounded.  The new peak looked no different than any other peak along that ridgeline.

“I’ve never seen you do something like that,” she said.  “That was incredible.”

They reentered the new fortress.  It was lighter and warmer than the previous fortress and Lois noticed the difference immediately.  “It has to be fifty degrees or warmer in here,” she said.  She peeled off her heavy jacket and sweater, but left her thermal undershirt on.  In the light she could tell there was no ice to be seen in the cavern that had formed.

“We’re probably thirty or forty feet beneath the soil surface,” Clark said.  “That has an insulating effect.  The old…Fortress Clana was created above ground.  Fortress Clois was created below ground.  That’s the difference.”

“But the light,” Lois began, “it’s just as bright as before.”

He nodded.  “There are two sources.  The flat tops of the crystals on the surface transmit some light, even though they are covered with snow.  But most of the light now comes from the power generated by the geothermal system, the light and warmth should be more like our home in Smallville.” 

He pulled the small crystal from beneath the console and found the threshold to the Kawatche caves, close to the platform that the console emerged from.  There was a small horizontal fissure that served as the receptacle.  He slid the small crystal in it and the threshold glowed and intense white-golden light.  He withdrew the small crystal and put it back beneath the top of the console.  “This won’t take long getting accustomed to,” he said absently.

“Okay, then,” Lois began.  “While you geek out here, I’m going exploring.  I want to see the layout of Fortress Clois,” she said and smiled.  “I’ll be back when I run out of placed to explore.”

While Clark went through his routine of opening AI Jor-El and other systems checks, Lois wandered off into the gently-lit corridors and chambers the new structure offered.  It seemed larger to her than the other one.  Having the solid walls of rock and soil gave it a more substantial feel.  There were two additional chambers that could serve as a second and third bedroom.  There was a separate bathroom to which each room was connected.  A Jack and Jill bath?  They had those on Krypton, she wondered.

She followed the remaining passage that ended in a ninety-degree turn.  That opened into a larger promenade that was about the same width and height of the one that formed the entrance to Fortress Clois.  It reminded her of the great halls depicted in movies about knights and kings in medieval days.  She saw the end and thought it would be a neat location for a large table that the team could sit around if Clark wanted to bring members here.  She wondered what awaited at the end.  As she walked down the boulevard toward the end, an opening appeared to her right, causing her to jump.  The opening lit up as a slab of crystal slid aside to display a full-length suit of brilliant blue and red material with a yellow-gold trim.  The suit was emblazoned with the symbol Clark had burned into walls in Metropolis to show that he had been there.  It was the Kryptonian symbol, he had said, of the House of El.  She gasped, staring at the unique material and the brilliant colors.  The suit was completed with deep red boots and a full-length deep red cape.  It’s beautiful, she thought.  Clark would look amazing in this.  He has to take this back with us.

She continued walking to the end, every ten feet she walked a new pod opened and a different version of the suit appeared.  In all, five different versions of the suit were displayed and Lois concluded one of them needs to be the suit he wore the day he announced himself to the world and in her opinion, it was the very first one.  Of the five suits she was presented, the last was unique.  It was two tones only, a black and silver suit.  It had a certain unique allure and Lois stared at it for a long time.  It was bold and intimidating; a suit for combat, she mused.  A suit for another day, she concluded.  She could hardly wait to show Clark.  There was no room like this in Fortress Clana and she wondered why there was one now and she was fairly certain that one or more of these would appeal to Clark.

The end of the promenade was an enlargement of the hallway itself.  As she imagined, it would be a perfect place for a large table or a retreat within the inner sanctum.  She chuckled at the thought of Clark sitting in a leather overstuffed chair, with a cigar, a glass of bourbon, and his feet propped up on an ottoman on those days that had been particularly bothersome. 

Lois returned to the grand cavern where Clark was finishing his systems check.  He looked up as she approached.  “I’m about done here.  Everything seems to be functioning properly.”  He smiled.  “I’ve been exposed to this for seven years now and I have to admit, I’m still amazed by the technology that my predecessors created.  To recreate the fort…Fortress Clois…so simply and flawlessly is incredible.”

“You haven’t seen incredible yet, Smallville,” Lois said.  “Wait until you see what I found.”

Chapter Text

Wednesday, July 4^th

It was the perfect day for an Independence Day celebration.  Lois had insisted on spending it in Smallville.  The town had a county fair on the outskirts of the town and it was crowded with kids and young people enjoying the celebration of the country’s birthday.  Clark won a large stuffed dog that Lois carried around with her as they went from booth to booth, sampling the foods and desserts the local townspeople had prepared.  She enjoyed talking to those who recognized her and others who learned that she was the reporter who broke the interview with the Red Blue Blur.

Music was provided by local bands, and some were actually pretty good.  Clark goaded Lois into singing in a karaoke event and she shocked him with an impressive performance of The Eagles’ hit, Love Will Keep Us Alive.  Before she sang the song, she told the crowd that she was dedicating the song to Smallville High’s former quarterback and her boyfriend, Clark Kent. 

As the day proceeded to dusk, Clark suggested that they head home.  “And miss the fireworks?” she asked.

“We may miss the start of the Smallville fireworks but you’re just going to see a lot of them tonight from a new perspective,” he replied and smiled.  “Let’s go.”

They almost did not make it to the East Coast in time, as people stopped them to say hello and chat briefly as they made their way to Lois’s car.  When they reached the farm, Clark said he wanted to wait until the very last moment so that it was dark as possible before he launched them into the air from the Kent farm barn.  He flew high into the sky and rocketed to New York just as the firework display began.

Lois was enthralled at the sight of fireworks bursting below as Clark drifted lazily well above the altitude of the display.  After about twenty minutes, he flew south and drifted above Washington, DC.  Nearly still, they could hear the orchestra below playing Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture.  It was simply magnificent, Lois told him.  They ended with a passionate kiss before heading back to catch the grand finale of the Smallville firework show.

They returned to the loft and Clark set Lois down.  “What did you think?” Clark asked.

“I’m speechless!” she exclaimed.

“Speechless?  I’ll have to make a note of that in my diary,” Clark quipped, and then pulled Lois into another kiss.  “I love you, Lois Lane,” he said as they broke the kiss.

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

Monday, July 10^th

The following Monday, they attended the morning meeting at the Planet.  “President Walters and Secretary of Defense Rooney are heading to a NATO conference in Belgium that begins with a reception and dinner on Wednesday night.  I got a seat for the Daily Planet on Air Force One as part of the press pool. It leaves from Andrews Air Force base tomorrow forty minutes before midnight.”  He looked at Lois.  “Are you ready for an overseas assignment, Lois?”

She about leapt from her chair.  “Seriously?” she cried. “Yes! Of course I am, Chief,” she said and pumped her fist.

“Good.  Get packed for the trip,” Perry barked.  “I want you to try to get a one-on-one with the President.  If you can’t, then at least an interview with the SecDef.  Tell ‘em your dad is General Lane.  This is your big opportunity, Lois.  Ron isn’t available and you’re next up on my list.  Make the paper proud, young lady.  Got it?”

“Sure thing, Chief.  Thank you!  I won’t disappoint you.”

“I know you won’t, Darlin’,” he said.  “Kent!”

“Yes, Mr. White,” Clark replied.

“Where are we on that water main SNAFU near Centennial Park?”

Later that day, Perry stopped by their office.  “Lois,” he said, sticking his head in the doorway.  “That assignment with the president.  I wanted to let you know, you still need to fight for a one-on-one but off the record, the president asked for you by name.  He said he wanted you after reading your interview with that Red Blue Blur fella.  He feels you won’t be taking cheap shots at him.”  He winked.  “By name, Lois.  Make sure he sees you, knows you’re there, and be ready at a moment’s notice.  He’s a busy man but he wants you to interview him.  Okay?”

She tried to be professional.  “You got it, Chief.”  As if she needed any more enthusiasm for the trip, Perry had just turned the dial way up.  When he left, she turned to Clark.  “I can’t believe he asked for me by name?”

Clark stood up and hugged her.  “I can.  I gave you an interview and no one else.  You were the only one who believed in me.  The president apparently feels the same.”

For the next four days, Lois felt like she was trying to nail down a whirlwind.  On the flight to Belgium, the president made some brief remarks to the accompanying members of the press on the plane.  He then disappeared, presumably to prepare for his meeting with the NATO ministers and get some sleep.  When Air Force One landed, the president immediately began to hold meetings with the US ambassador to Belgium and US military commanders in Europe.  Wednesday was the dinner, and Thursday was the start of the NATO conference that lasted all day.  At the conclusion of the meeting, the president held a joint press conference with the other heads of state at the event.  The press conference was followed by another dinner and more one-on-one meetings with NATO figures.  Lois quickly realized her best opportunity to interview the president would be during the flight back to the US, scheduled to depart from Brussels at 9 AM following a half-hour press availability period that began at 8:15 AM.

During the press availability, Lois made sure to ask a question that allowed the president to pay tribute to the NATO allies.  But her real objective was to ensure the president knew who she was and what she looked like.  The maneuver paid off.  As she boarded Air Force One an hour later, the president’s aide told her that President Walters had requested to speak with her approximately four hours after departure.  The aide said the president wanted to have lunch and badly needed some rest before their meeting and that when he was ready, the aide would come get her.

Thirty minutes into the flight, Lois found a way to accidentally bump into the Secretary of Defense, Mark Rooney, as he exited a briefing room on Air Force One.  “Excuse me, Secretary Rooney,” she said.  “I was looking for some fresh coffee,” she added.  “The stuff they have in the press corps break area tastes like Daily Planet coffee.”  She rolled her eyes.

“Daily Planet,” Rooney repeated.  “That would make you Lois Lane and if I’m not mistaken, your father is General Sam Lane.  Is that correct?”

“Yes, Sir, it is,” she replied.

“Do you know I served with your father when he was a Major and I was a Captain?”

She smiled.  “No Mr. Secretary, I had no idea.  Did you work for my father or were you just acquainted with him?”

“Just acquainted,” he replied.  “I never had the pleasure of working for him,” Rooney said.

Lois snorted.  “If you had worked for him, I doubt it would have been pleasurable.”

Secretary Rooney chuckled.  “He did have a reputation for being a…pretty demanding officer,” he settled on.

She smirked.  “I think the term you were looking for was an unreasonable hard-ass, Mr. Secretary.  I love my father but don’t forget, I had to live with him.”

“Please, call me Mr. Rooney or Mark, preferably.  I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to Mr. Secretary,” he said quietly.  “But look, your father is fair.  He’s feared but respected by those who work for him.  If they work hard and do what he asks, they have no problem working for him.  It’s the others that build his reputation.”

“Can you teach me to do that?” Lois said, in a low, conspiratorial tone.

He cocked his head and frowned.  “Do what?”

“Say nice things about my father and keep a straight face,” she replied.  Rooney burst into laughter.

“You’re all right, Lois Lane.” He paused, and then said, “Hey, you know what?  There’s fresh coffee in the briefing room that will just get thrown out in an hour if no one else drinks it.  You’re welcome to it if that’s what you’re looking for.”

“I sure am,” she replied. “That would be much appreciated.”

“Well, follow me.  We’ll get you some decent coffee,” he said, opening the door to the empty room he had just exited.

Lois walked through the doorway and Rooney followed her.  “And if you have a few minutes to spare, I’d love to get your thoughts about the conference for the Daily Planet if that’s okay with you?”

An hour later, Lois and the Secretary of Defense left the conference room laughing like old friends.  She shook his hand.  “Thank you, Sir,” she said.  “It was a pleasure meeting you and I promise you that nothing you said about my father will pass from my lips!”

Rooney laughed out loud.  “You know, technically the man works for me, but he still intimidates the bejeezus out of me.  So, thank you, Lois. I’ll sleep better knowing you made me that promise!”

Lois returned to her seat and considered how she would turn her impromptu meeting with the Secretary into an article on Mark Rooney.  In her estimation, he was a good man, very intelligent, and had the right temperament for the job.  It will be a flattering article, she thought.  She put her noise canceling ear buds in and listened to the beginning and end of the recorded interview.  Satisfied that she had captured it completely, she tried to relax in anticipation of her next interview.  The one with President Walters.

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

Clark picked up the phone and dialed his mom's private number.

"Clark?" she said, picking up on the third ring.  "Is everything okay?  How are you, Sweetheart?"

“Hi Mom," Clark began.  "I'm fine and everything's okay.  In fact, more than okay.  I have an idea I want to talk to you about.  Do you have a few moments?  I’ll be quick."

"For you, Son, always!" Martha said.

"First of all, I have an idea for a party, and I wanted to invite you.  It's a surprise party for Lois.  I don't have the details all worked out yet, but it will around this time next month.  Will you be available?"

"I imagine so, Son.  I'll be in recess and working out of the Topeka office," she replied.

“Great!  That’s what I thought," Clark said.  "I will call you again with all the details about it.” He paused.  “So secondly, can you give me General Lane's private number?  I need to speak with him, too, but he probably won’t answer.  I doubt he'll recognize my number though."

“Probably not,” she replied.  “But Sam Lane always answers his private line, Son.  We all do.  It's why we have them,” she added and after a few seconds, she gave him the number.  “Anything else?” she asked.

“No, that’s all for now, Mom.  How are you doing?”

“It’s the same old rat race here, Sweetheart.  Don’t believe everything you hear.  As much as it seems things change, this town seems immune to two things: change and acting responsibly for the taxpayers.”  She sighed.  “I’m really past being tired of it all!”

Clark felt bad for his mom.  She had taken the job because his dad was initially elected and then died shortly afterwards.  It was not something she ever aspired to do.  “Well Mom,” he began, “I’m sorry it's been hard on you.  But I am really proud of the positions you take, and I think almost all of the Kansans are too.  I'm proud to be your son, Mom.” 

They said their goodbyes and Clark disconnected and then dialed Sam Lane’s private number.

“Lane!” he answered.

“Good morning, General.  This is Clark Kent, Senator Kent’s son.”

He growled nearly inaudibly.  “Oh yes.  What can I do for you, Mr. Kent?”

Right to the point, Clark thought and smiled to himself thinking about all the things Lois had said about her father’s lack of sentimentality.  “General Lane, I wanted to ask you something if you have a moment.”

“I have about five minutes for you right now, son.  Proceed quickly, Mr. Kent.”

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

Her nervous anticipation kept her awake until it no longer could.  And four hours later, Lois was awakened by the president’s aide.  “President Walters just woke up and will need another twenty minutes before he’ll be ready to meet with you.  I’ll come and escort you to his conference room.”

“Thank you,” Lois said.  She grabbed her purse and rummaged through it until she found her toothbrush and a small tube of toothpaste.  She carried them and a brush with her to the lavatory.  Ten minutes later, she was back in her seat awaiting the aide’s return and reviewing the questions she had prepared. 

The aide returned fifteen minutes later.  “The president will see you now, Miss Lane,” she said.  “Please follow me.”

Lois took her digital recorder and padfolio with her and followed the woman to a room toward the front of the aircraft.  The aide opened the door and introduced Lois.  “Miss Lane,” the president began, “it’s a pleasure to meet you.” He extended his hand.  “I’ve been anxious to speak with you ever since I read your article about that superpowered being in Metropolis.”

“It’s an honor, Mr. President,” Lois said.  “Thank you for asking for me by name.” 

The president motioned to a chair and Lois sat.  The president sat in an executive chair directly across from her.  “Well Miss Lane,” he began, “I’m afraid I can only spare about half an hour.  So, what would you like to talk about?”

What Lois lacked in years of experience, she more than made up for in probing but non-threatening questions and an easy manner that put the subjects of her interviews at ease.  Given enough time, Lois had a knack of making those she interviewed feel like the two of them were friends just having an honest conversation and because of that, she often got insights and information that other reporters never captured.

An hour and twenty-two minutes into the interview, the pilot announced that turbulence was imminent and that all passengers needed to immediately fasten seat belts.  The aide came to the door.  “Excuse me, Mr. President, the captain…,” she began, but a sharp jerk to the right followed by a quick acceleration caused the woman to slam against the door frame and fall onto the floor of the small conference room.  Lois was closest to the woman and reached out for her, pulling her out of the doorway and up into a seat. 

The aide was unharmed but dazed.  Lois buckled the woman’s seat belt and jumped back to her seat just as the plane took a sharp left and drop in elevation, causing Lois to fly out of her seat and slam against the ceiling of the conference room, damaging several of the acoustic tiles, before she fell onto the floor next to her seat.  She quickly regained her orientation and was able to scramble to her seat and fasten her seat belt before the next evasive maneuver occurred.

“Are you all right, Miss Lane?” the president yelled to be heard above the roar of the jet engines.

“Yes Sir,” she replied, just as the jet shook violently and accelerated again.

Lois saw her recorder on the floor beneath the seat of the aide.  Straining against the seat belt, she pulled it closer with her foot and then leaned over and grabbed it.  She stuffed it in her inner jacket pocket.

“Miss Lane, I think we need to end this interview, we went well past the hour anyway,” the president advised.  “Did you get everything you needed?”  Lois replied that she had.

Air Force One pilot Commander Ed Gaines banked left and announced that due to a stronger than expected low that had spawned very strong storms and tornados moving into the North Atlantic, the president was being diverted to Atlanta and would remain until the front passed, possibly overnight.  Turning south helped limit the effects of the turbulent weather long enough to give Lois a chance to rush back to her seat in the press pool. 

“Thank you, Mr. President,” she said and scurried out. 

One and a half hours later, and through decreasingly turbulent weather, Commander Gaines safely landed Air Force One at Hartsfield International airport in Atlanta.  The White House press secretary notified the press pool that the president had decided to remain in Atlanta overnight and would leave in the morning.  He asked who among the members of the press pool would want to get their luggage and depart or remain in a hotel overnight.  Lois was among those who wanted to return to their office that day.

She was able to retrieve her suitcase and with her laptop and personal bag, she was able to secure a standby seat on a 2:15 PM flight to Metropolis.  She called Clark to let him know that she was flying back and would land at 4:00 PM. 

“Are you sure?” he asked.  “Why not just stay the night and come back when it is safer to fly?  These storms are really strong.”

“I’ll be fine, Farmer John.  I already went through the worst of it. It was really wild.”

He clenched his jaw and a thought crossed his mind. “Well, I’ll pick you up at the airport.  I’ll meet you at the baggage check.”

“Okay, thanks.  I can’t wait to see you.  Love you.”

When the flight reached cruising altitude, the captain welcomed passengers and advised they anticipate some turbulence during the flight due to the massive storm front that was causing the severe storms across the country.  He advised that seat belts should remain fastened for the duration of the flight.  Midway into the flight, the captain announced that cabin service would be discontinued due to anticipated turbulence.  He directed the flight attendants to secure the cabin, return to their seats, and buckle in.

Within minutes, the plane began to rumble and shudder.  The rumbling and shudders were soon joined by bumps that felt like driving over speed bumps too fast. While occasionally jarring, they were not nearly as alarming as those Air Force One passengers experienced over the Atlantic.  Lois was unfazed and sipped the bottled water she purchased before getting on the plane.  When the disturbances grew stronger or for a longer duration, the captain announced that they were climbing in order to fly above the storm.

The plane rocked and bucked as it climbed through dark thunder clouds.  Accelerating and decelerating to fight the buffeting gales and limit their effects, the jet continued its ascent. Through the window, Lois observed flashes of lightning before the clouds grew lighter as the plane climbed through the line of storms.  Turbulence decreased and ten minutes later, the plane emerged above the clouds and sunlight filtered through the windows.  The flight smoothed out and subsequently, the captain apologized for the rough ride but that the flight should be smoother now that they were above the storms.  He cautioned that passengers should remain in their seats with their seat belts fastened throughout the flight and that for the remaining ninety minutes of the flight, cabin service would remain suspended.

The flight was forty-five minutes from the scheduled arrival time and the captain announced that they would begin their descent into Metropolis.  He cautioned passengers to stow all items and return tray tables to their upright and locked positions since they would be descending into the storm once again.  Within five minutes, the sunlight was no longer filtering through windows, and the flight began to experience turbulence once more.  The plane shuddered a few times and suddenly, a series of lightning bolts in rapid succession exploded outside of the plane.  Two passengers several rows behind Lois screamed and claimed the plane’s wingtip had been hit.  Sitting in the center seat, Lois could not see but asked the passenger in the window seat to look and see if there was damage to the wing.

The passenger leaned forward and craned his neck to look back at the wing.  “I don’t see anything,” he said.

The aircraft continued to descend and rumbled as air pockets caused strong bumps and more violent jerks.  Lightning flashed and the plane’s interior lights flashed and blinked out.  Several shrieks and cries began to fill the cabin.  The plane banked sharply to the left and then straightened out.  Auxiliary lighting along the floor lit.

The captain came on the intercom.  “Ladies and Gentlemen,” the captain began.  “I’m afraid we were just now struck by lightning, and it caused some electrical damage as you can tell.  The aircraft remains airworthy, so please remain seated and remain calm.  I’ll keep you advised of any further problems.”

In the cockpit, the captain radioed Metropolis International air traffic control tower.  “Metropolis tower, this is Arrow Air 225 inbound to your location descending at an altitude of 28,500 feet.  We’ve experienced a lightning strike, and it has disabled some flight controls and electronic heads-up airspeed display.  We are declaring an emergency and requesting priority landing.  Please advise.”

“Arrow Air 225, this is Metropolis tower.  Affirmative.  Set course to 024 degrees.  Runway Zulu 6 will be cleared for your approach. Expect continued turbulence with gusting winds exceeding 90 knots at altitudes between 14,000 feet and 30,000 feet.  Please acknowledge.”

“Roger, Metropolis.  Arrow Air 225 heading 024 degrees.  Confirm runway Zulu 6.  Descending to 13,000 feet, airspeed 415 knots.”

The captain attempted to push the nose slightly downward to begin descending but there was no response from the plane.  “Oh shit!” he hissed.  He looked to his co-pilot.  “You try,” he said, and the co-pilot pressed forward with the same result.  “So much for fly-by-wire.  We’ve got a serious problem,” he said and began reducing the engine thrust to slow the plane down.  “I’m guessing that lightning strike zapped the controller.”

The captain looked at the air speed indicator and the jet slowed to 340 knots.  “We can slow down to reduce altitude but without response from the flaps, we’re either going to hit the runway far too fast or we’re going to stall and fall before we reach it.”  He pulled back on the yoke and the jet’s nose rose slightly.  “Looks like we might have some lift capability.  That may help.”

“The winds from this storm front are going to play hell on us trying to bring it in for a smooth landing using throttle only,” the co-pilot offered.  “One minute, we could have an airspeed of 140 knots and two seconds later, our airspeed is 110.”  As if to emphasize his point, the plane hit a downdraft, and it dropped as though it fell into a hole before ending in a jarring halt to the descent.  They could hear the screams and cries from the passenger compartment.

“Damn!” the captain exclaimed.  “Given the choices, I’d rather run out of runway than drop out of the sky,” the captain replied, and the co-pilot agreed. He radioed the tower.  “Metropolis tower, this is Arrow Air 225.”

“Arrow Air 225, this is Metropolis tower.  Go ahead.”

“Metropolis tower, Arrow 225 experiencing catastrophic aileron failure.  We’re unable to descend normally and are reducing throttle to reduce altitude.  Currently at 280 knots and 7,800 feet.  What are the surface winds doing?”

“Arrow Air, this is Metropolis tower.  Affirm your aileron failure.  Surface winds from the west at 32 knots, gusting to 56 knots. Clear sky. Continue approach to Zulu 6.  We have you on radar Arrow 225 and you’re about 85 miles out.  Continue reducing altitude and speed on your approach.” 

“Doing our best, Metropolis.”

“Arrow 225, we’re redirecting all flights to give you airspace.  We’ll have emergency equipment in place for your arrival on Zulu 6.”

“Roger Metropolis.  We’re likely coming in very hot,” the captain replied.

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

Clark arrived at the airport fifteen minutes before the pilot of Arrow Air flight 225 radioed in their emergency.  He purposely arrived early because he decided to surprise Lois at the security zone exit rather than waiting for her at the luggage carousel.  He was anxious to see her.

He looked at the electronic arrival and departure board and saw Arrow Air 225 arrival time had changed, showing a 10-minute delay.  Bad weather.  She should have waited until tomorrow, he thought.

Rather than standing around, he went to an observatory level outside of the security area where people awaiting arriving passengers could watch flights come in and out.  After about ten minutes, he noticed fire trucks and EMT emergency vehicles moving to a specific location in mass.  The vehicles were pre-positioned in the grassy area between the concrete landing strips.  He watched and wondered if it was a drill or an actual emergency.  Although the sky was clear, it was windy with periodic gusts of high winds. 

Clark watched two planes land and two take off while seated.  But he returned his gaze to the emergency vehicles that were in place with no apparent activity by their occupants that might indicate a drill.

Excited voices rose from the escalator to the observatory level and Clark assumed it was people racing to watch a specific flight land before meeting their party at the exit to the security zone. He turned to look at the commotion and saw professional video cameras and reporters coming up the escalator.

They headed to an area of the observation level that gave them a direct view of the emergency vehicles.  Clark headed over there as well.  “Clark Kent, Daily Planet.  I’m here to pick up a colleague.  What’s all the excitement about?”

One of the reporters turned to him.  “So, you haven’t heard?”

“No.  What’s going on?” Clark asked.

“There’s an inbound flight that was hit by lightning and it apparently damaged the plane, and it may not to make it to the airport or it may be landing at a much higher-than-normal speed.”  The reporter paused and then said, “It’s an Arrow Air flight out of Atlanta and it’s coming down this runway if it makes it to the runway,” he said, turning and pointing to the runway where the emergency vehicles were prepositioned.  When the reporter turned back around, Clark was gone.

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

Lois was getting nervous while people around her were panicky.  The flight attendants had remained seated but had repeatedly told passengers to remain calm and that they would be on the ground in a few minutes.  Bumpy flights are one thing, but this situation was a whole new level of shi…, she thought when the captain interrupted her thoughts.

The captain came on the intercom and advised passengers of the situation.  “Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking.  When we were struck by lightning, it damaged controls for the plane.  Don’t be alarmed though.  We will be able to fly safely to airport but we’re going to have a very hard landing and extreme difficulty braking before we run out of runway.  Emergency services are standing by and we’re going to do the best we can to keep those services from having to respond to us.  But as we approach, I’m asking each of you to be prepared for a hard landing and possible exit from the runway before we stop the plane.  When the flight attendant tells you to brace for impact, immediately assume a protective position in your seat.  This will prevent unnecessary injury.  Keep your seatbelts pulled snuggly across your lap and make sure everything is secured so it doesn’t end up flying around the cabin.  Thank you and we should be landing in the next few minutes.”

The captain looked at his co-pilot.  “You ready for this?”

“Yes, Sir,” the co-pilot replied.

“Please monitor air speed and I’ll manage the throttle to get us there and through this wind,” the captain said.  “Lower landing gear.”

The co-pilot engaged the landing gear but seconds into the process, a red light flashed indicating the landing gear did not fully lower into position.  “Good God!  Landing gear is screwed,” the co-pilot.

“Damn it, what else can go wrong?” the captain said rhetorically.  “Air speed, please.”

“220 knots, Sir.”

“Metropolis tower, this is Arrow Air 225.  Our landing gear has malfunctioned.  We’re slowing the best we can but the headwinds are forcing us to throttle up, keeping our descent difficult.  Not sure we can pull up enough to make another attempt if we’re too high over the runway.  Please acknowledge.”

“Arrow 225, Metropolis tower.  Roger.  We have you in range.  Standing by.”

“Damn!  Ground speed is 140.  We’re still too high and…what in the hell?”  The captain was distracted by movement out his side window and saw a man in blue with a red cape flying next to the jet’s side window.  The captain blinked and shook his head.  The flying man was still there.  The flying man began gesturing to cut the engines and the captain frowned and shook his head.

“Captain?” the co-pilot called.

The captain looked at the co-pilot.  “Look!” he said and leaned back in his seat and pointed at the figure outside of the jet.

“What in the hell is that…is it a person out there?” the co-pilot asked.

“Yes,” the captain chuffed.  “I thought I was seeing things.”

“Well, what…how…” the co-pilot stuttered.

The captain would not cut power to the engines and Clark took it upon himself to cut them.  He floated back to the side of the engine and punched into the engine casing and stopped it from rotating, disabling it. 

The jet dipped to the left and then leveled out.  He then flew up to the captain’s window and signaled him to cut the other engine.  The captain again shook his head.

“What the hell is going on?” the co-pilot asked.

“He disabled the port engine, and he wants me to cut the starboard engine,” the captain replied.  “I’m not doing it.  Air speed.”

“200 knots.”

“We can’t go slower with this wind.  Ground speed is under 92 knots.  We can land safely if we had landing gear.”  He looked at the co-pilot.  “We’ll stall if we throttle back and now we’re short one engine.”

Clark flew to the front of the jet and motioned to cut the engine.  He then slipped below the aircraft and lifted it while slowing its speed by holding onto the landing gear that was only partially deployed. 

“Did you feel that?” the co-pilot asked.  “We gained altitude but slowed down. Air speed is 170 knots.”

He then flew back to the nose and stared at the captain and co-pilot, motioning them to slow the aircraft.

“I think this guy is going to fly us to the airport.  I know how crazy that sounds, but he’s lifted it and he’s slowed it.  I say we trust him, Captain.”

“Okay, throttle back but don’t cut the engine.  If it looks like we’re in danger of falling out of the sky, I’m hitting the throttle,” the captain said.

The captain nodded and the co-pilot gave a thumbs-up signal and Clark slipped beneath the plane. 

The craft was now slowing considerably but gently losing altitude.  The descent angle was not as severe as it would have been under power, but Clark had slowed the approach and was bringing the plane down on a gentle glide path.  The winds buffeted the plane, causing it to rock side-to-side a bit but otherwise, the landing was proceeding smoothly albeit unnaturally slow and quiet.

“Are we gliding?” one of the passengers said aloud.  “I can’t hear the engines.”

Clark was slowing the plane and allowing it to descend.

“Metropolis tower, this is Arrow Air 225.  Are you seeing this?”

“Arrow 225.  Roger.  We see it but we don’t believe it.”

In the observatory level, four news crews filmed as the Arrow Air jet was carried over the landing strip by a figure in blue with a red cape and dark red boots.  The observatory level was getting crowded by onlookers hearing the live reports over the airport televisions.  They cheered as the jet hovered twenty feet above the runway, directly in front of the emergency vehicles and then gently lowered to the ground, similar to the way a helicopter lands.  The flying man flew up from beneath the plane where just enough space existed between the runway and the partially lowered landing gear.  He flew to the passenger door, unlocked it and opened it. 

Clark stepped inside the body of the jet and looked directly at the passengers.  “Is everyone okay?” he asked.  He saw Lois and she smiled at him, tears in her eyes.  “Okay then.  Just follow the instructions of the flight crew so you can safely unload the plane.” 

The cockpit door opened, and the captain stepped out.  “Sir,” he called, “I’d like to shake your hand.”  The man extended his hand and Clark shook it.  “You saved a lot of people today.  Thank you.”

Clark smiled. “I’m just glad I could help, Captain.”  He turned back to the passengers who were cheering and had their phones recording Clark.  He nodded, flashed a smile, and gave a quick wave before he turned to the door.  He looked up at the observation level and that was lined with faces pressed against the glass, along with cell phones and news crew video cameras all capturing the moment.  He gave a polite smile, waved at them, flew slowly toward them before rocketing straight up and disappearing out of sight.

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

Thirty-five minutes later, the passengers and crew of Arrow Air flight 225 began emerging from the security zone.  Four news crews and two newspaper reporters awaited them.  Passengers were enveloped by the reporters with cameras, recorders, and microphones thrust at them.

The reporter from the news crew at WGBS caught Lois.  “Aren’t you Lois Lane from the Daily Planet?” she asked.

“Yes,” she replied. 

“You’re the reporter that interviewed the Red Blue Blur, isn’t that right?” she asked.

“Yes, that was me.”

“Was this man we saw today the Red Blue Blur?”

“No,” Lois replied.  “That was not him.  The Red Blue Blur left Metropolis about a month ago.  And I know that because he told me before he left and asked me not to report it.”

The reporter cocked his head.  “Why did he leave?”

“He said that other cities needed him more urgently,” she ad-libbed. The reporter nodded slowly as she continued.  “But he was concerned that if I reported his departure, it could embolden criminals.”

The reporter pressed.  “But the man today had the same symbol that the Red Blue Blur burned into billboards and walls when he was actively preventing criminal acts.  Are they partners or related to one another?”

“The Red Blue Blur told me that the reason he left those marks was to alert people that this super man would be coming to Metropolis and when he arrived, he would not be a threat.  He said he would be a ‘beacon of hope and light’ for all people no matter how dark things might seem.”  She paused.  “Now that he’s here, the Red Blue Blur knew he was no longer needed here and could serve another city in another state or country that needed him.”

“Miss Lane, did you say that his name is Superman?” another reporter asked.

She paused for a moment.  “Yes, that’s his name.  Superman.  The incredible feat you just witnessed saved my life and the life of every person aboard that plane thanks to Superman, the beacon of hope for humanity.”

“Have you been able to interview him?  Do you know how to contact him?” the first reporter asked Lois.

“Not yet and no, I don’t know how to contact him.  But if he’s watching this right now, you owe me an interview, Superman,” she said with a smile.  “And starting today, I promise everyone that I will get an interview with him, and we’ll all know more about him.  You’ll be able to read it in the Daily Planet soon enough.”  She smiled.  “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to meet my party that came to pick me up.”

Lois slipped out of the crowd that clogged the exit from the security zone as reporters were getting a first-hand report from passengers on the plane.  She rode down the escalator to the ground floor and went directly to the luggage claim carousel.  Clark was alone, waiting for her, sitting on the edge of the carousel that was not operating at the time.

She threw her arms about his neck, and they dove into a kiss, lingering longer than normal.  “I’ve missed you,” Clark said as they broke. 

Tears were in her eyes.  “I love you so much,” she said.  “It’s a big day for both of us.”

“Yes, it is,” he said and then whispered, “I couldn’t have wished for a better reason to make my public debut.” He locked her arm in his.  “Come on.  The bags won’t be unloaded until late tonight.  They will hold them, and we can come back for yours tomorrow.  Shall we go home?”

“Not home; the office.  I want to write up the story from a first-hand perspective and get it on the website. It will go viral, believe me.”  She squeezed his arm. “Then we’ll go home and make up for lost time.” He smiled. “By the way, the suit?  You looked amazing!”

They exited the airport and headed for Clark’s truck.  “Okay,” Clark said.  “While you write your story, I’ll go out and make myself more visible to the people in Metropolis.  I’ll come back to get you after 90 minutes or so.”

She stopped and pulled him to a stop with her. “Hey, no interviews, okay?  Public statements, fine, but no interviews.  I’m getting the first interview with Superman.”

“Superman?” he said.  “Is that what they’re calling me?”

She raised an eyebrow.  “They are now,” she replied. 

Chapter Text

Thursday, August 3

For the remainder of July, Superman seemed to dominate the headlines with amazing feats of strength, speed, and timely interventions to intercept criminals in the act and rescue those in danger.  Perry demanded that the Daily Planet cover everything that Superman did and become the paper of record of all things having to do with this incredible being. 

His interventions were heralded but not just by the Metropolis citizenry, but of citizens around the world threatened by criminals and natural disasters. By the time calendars showed August had arrived, it was clear that the entire world knew of Superman.  But, no one knew much about Superman. The one thing that had not made the news was an interview with the amazing Superman.

There were baseless stories of his origin surfacing online and speculation over the reason for him being on Earth.  Fortunately for Clark, none of the stories implied a nefarious reason. But by the beginning of August, Lois and Clark knew that in the absence of his official story, society would continue to create myths and the longer they were left unopposed by facts, the more difficult it would be to dispel those myths. Together, they determined the best way to proceed.

Lois discussed an idea with Perry, and he immediately agreed to it. Her idea was to interview Superman face-to-face, in a 20-minute live broadcast at the WGBS studio.  Afterwards, Lois would continue the interview, recorded and streamed in ten to fifteen-minute segments from the Daily Planet website. 

“There’s just one hiccup with your plan, Darlin’,” Perry said.  “Superman has to agree to it.  Has he even contacted you or do you know how to contact him?”

“He has and he did, Perry.  He came to my home, and he introduced himself.  He said he was concerned about the stories that were popping up and wanted to set the record straight,” Lois replied. “He said that because of my interview with the Red Blue Blur, he trusted me to do a fair interview of him.”  Perry looked agitated.  “He didn’t stay long, Chief.  But I suggested a live broadcast so everyone could hear him speak.  But I’d save the really good questions for the Planet.”  She paused and Perry said nothing.  “The live broadcast will be like a big commercial for the Daily Planet. It will whet people’s appetites for more that they’ll get through us.” 

“When in the Sam hell did all this occur and when were you going to tell me about it, Lois?” Perry asked, slightly peeved that he was just finding out about it. 

“It happened last night, Chief, and I’m telling you now.  I’ll need your help to get it set up with WGBS.”

Perry relaxed a bit.  “Okay.  Well, that will be a big deal for WGBS so I can't see them balking at it.  To have a live broadcast interview with the man should drive every eyeball in Metropolis and beyond to their broadcast.”

Lois nodded.  “But it won't just benefit WGBS.  It will be a huge deal for the Planet as well.  I figure that I can keep him talking for at least half an hour afterward.  We would have three, maybe four ten-minute segments WGBS could record and produce that the Daily Planet could stream.  Think of the advertising dollars that something like that would attract.”  Lois paused.  "I'm just spit-balling here so I'd defer to you on how to best advertise those segments and how frequently we should run them from our website.

“Okay…so, how do you go about contacting him?  It doesn't look like he carries a cell phone around in that costume he wears.”

“By leaving a cryptic message in the newspaper classified ads.  He’ll know to contact me once he sees that.  I’ll get his final approval, and we’ll set a date and time.  I’m thinking around the time of the evening news.  What do you think, Chief?”

“Perfect time, Lois.  You go now and get that message in the classifieds for tomorrow.  I’ll get WGBS on board.  If they don’t bite, I’ll go to the next station but I'm guessing I won't need to.  I’ll have an answer by the end of the day, probably before lunch.”  Lois scurried out of the office with a sly smile on her face.

When she got back to the office, Clark asked how it went.  “A little rocky to begin with but by the time I was finished, Perry was picking up the phone to call WGBS.”  She smiled.  “He’s stoked!”

A week later, Lois had Superman sitting in a chair directly across from her in the WGBS studio.  The evening news anchor introduced Lois and Superman and Lois began with the question, “Who are you?”

They had rehearsed the questions in advance and Clark knew what he would be asked.  The rehearsal was beneficial in that it kept the questions from revealing too much so that Clark would not have to refuse to answer the question but were substantive from the perspective of understanding who Superman is and what his beliefs were regarding his role in modern society.  The session was designed to give a feeling of hope to those who watched.  The heavily advertised live interview lasted exactly twenty minutes on the evening news and it garnered seventeen and a half million viewers more than the station’s normal broadcast hour viewership.

As agreed, at the conclusion of the televised interview, the news anchor stated that additional interviews with Superman will be found on The Planet Today, the Daily Planet news website.

With WGBS cameras recording, Lois sat with Superman for another 47 minutes.  At the end, she asked him if he would be willing to do additional ones sometime in the future and of course, he agreed. The producers at WGBS broke the segment into four sessions, two of them were approximately twelve minutes, the third ten minutes, and the fourth was thirteen minutes in duration.

While they were producing those segments, Clark flew back to the Daily Planet and waited for Lois to arrive.  Once she returned, Clark told her that if another media outlet requested an interview, he would be obliged to accept it, so long as it was a legitimate news outlet.  Lois rolled her eyes.  “How will they contact you?” she asked with a smirk.  “Not through me, I can tell you that!”  She shuffled some papers on her desk and then said, “Are you ready to go home?”

They arrived the next morning and as soon as the coffee was made, she grabbed a mug of it and headed out the door.

“Where are you off to?” he asked.

“To see Perry.  I want to see what his thoughts are on when to put up the interview sessions on the website.”  She paused. “Do you think they could crash the website if too many people tried to access it at once?”

He nodded.  “I think there’s a real possibility of that happening and you should put the bug in Perry’s ear about it.  He’ll have to work with the service provider to increase bandwidth or something.”

“Do you want to come along with me to discuss it with him?  You seem to know a little more about it than I do,” she asked pleadingly.

“Nope.  I have work that Perry assigned me and I was tied up all night with some bossy lady asking me questions.”

She made a face.  “Well, maybe someday I’ll try that…tying you up all night, that is.”

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

Monday, August 14

“Hey Sis!” the voice on the other end of the line said when Lois picked up her desk phone.

“Lucy?” she replied.  “What are you calling me about?”

“Huh,” Lucy grunted.  “I love you, too.”

Lois rolled her eyes.  “Okay, maybe I deserved that.  But it’s not common for me to hear from you except at Christmas.  Is everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine.  I’m heading back to finish up my major this week and I thought I’d stop in and visit with you for a couple days before I go back.”  She paused.  “Is that okay?”

Lois winced as if she was in pain, rolled her head back, and squeezed her eyes shut.  “Sure, Lucy.”

“Great!” she replied.  “Because I’m arriving right after lunch, 1:37 PM to be exact. I can stay with you, right?”

“Of course,” Lois replied, wincing again because she did not have any excuse to offer.

“Are you sure?  Cause you don’t sound like it’s okay,” her sister replied.

“No, it’s fine, Luce.  It’s just that I can’t take any time off this week. I’ve got a slew of work on my plate.”  She paused, then added, “You know, the Superman interviews really backed me up.  I’m so far behind.”

“No problem, Metropolis is a big place.  I’m sure I can find something to do while you’re at work.  I can do some shopping before I get back to school anyway.  We’ll have the evenings together to get caught up.”

“Uh…about that,” Lois began. 

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

Wednesday, August 16

Lois rode with Clark in his truck all the way from Smallville to Metropolis and back, much to her dismay and annoyance. For her, it meant awakening an hour and a half earlier than she normally did, skipping her lunch hour and eating at her desk whatever Clark brought to her while working, and then creeping home in the midst of suffocating traffic making the two-hour trip home to Smallville seem eternal.

Upon realizing that Lois was now living in Smallville again, Lucy was less enthusiastic about being stuck out in the country with nothing to do before she returned to school. She slept late every day while Lois was at work and had little to do while waiting for her sister to get home at around 7:00 every night.  Lois left her car for Lucy since Tuesday and had ridden into Metropolis with Clark since then.

Lois had gotten tired of hearing her little sister make comments about how little there was to do in Smallville and offered to take Thursday off so the two of them could drive to Metropolis and do a little shopping before she left on Friday.  She figured that spending a day with Lucy would help them both get a little closer as well as keep her from punching her younger sister if she heard her complain again.

That plan imploded on Wednesday afternoon when Perry announced an ‘all-hands’ meeting the next day.  No exception, he had mandated.  As a consolation, Lois told Lucy that she should drive to Metropolis and if possible, Lois would meet up with her during the day.

Lucy did call Lois on Thursday when she got to Metropolis, at about 12:20 in the afternoon, 40 minutes before Perry’s ‘all-hands” meeting.  Lois bristled at the situation and that Lucy waited so long to get into Metropolis.  “I’ll just see you at home, Luce.  I’ll try to get out of here a little bit early.”  She immediately turned to Clark.  “You can leave early, right?”  He was on the phone but looked at her and nodded.

The two of them left a little over two hours earlier than they normally did.  Lois had tried to reach Lucy and see if she’d meet her and Clark for dinner in Metropolis and they could spend a sister’s night out.  But Lucy was not answering her phone.  “To hell with it!” Lois muttered and disconnected.

The sun glared brutally in her eyes as they crept West, amplifying the stifling August heat barely tempered by the air conditioning in his truck. Her blouse was sticking to her back, forcing her to lean forward to allow the air conditioning to circulate behind her.  Clark could tell she was miserable.

"One last trip and we won’t have to do it again," he commented.  Lois said nothing.  "It was nice of you to let Lucy drive your car so she could come to Metropolis during the day," trying to take Lois’s mind off the heat and creeping traffic.  “I’m sorry you couldn’t meet up with her.”

"And she had to go shopping today? Hello?  Why not do it when she gets back to school?"

“I don’t know, Lois.  Maybe you should ask…”

“That was rhetorical, Farmer John,” she barked.

"Oh.  Well, she’ll be gone tomorrow,” Clark said.  “She won’t be there to interrupt our weekend.  We're usually pretty 'busy' on the weekend, if you know what I mean," he replied with a grin.

"Yeah, I know what you mean.  But how about cutting out the cheesy innuendo, Romeo. I'm not in the mood for it." Michael Jackson began to play on the classic rock station and Lois snapped the power button to silence the King of Pop. "Classic rock my ass."

"What's the matter?” Clark interrupted.  “I know you’re tired and it’s been a very demanding two weeks for you with the interviews and all the calls again, but you’ve been irritable all day since this morning."  She said nothing and Clark was determined to get her to talk.  “Lois, are you starting your…”

“Don’t say it!” she said, sharply cutting him off.

“Don’t say what?” Clark asked.

“You know what.  It’s what every guy says when a woman is being ‘irritable’,” she replied, using air quotes.  “I know you’re thinking it so don’t you even utter the word.”

Clark stifled a laugh but said nothing in return.  They drove in silence for four minutes and then Clark said, “But if you think I’m thinking it, why would it matter if I said it?”

Lois nearly exploded.  “I knew it!  You couldn’t not ask about this, could you?  So, the answer to your question is no.  It’s not that time of the month, Smallville.”

“So, what’s the problem?”

"You’re kidding, right?" she asked rhetorically. "It's only a million friggin' degrees in this truck, the sun is scorching my retinas.  I feel like I stepped in to a steam bath with my street clothes on, I lost at least ninety minutes of sleep each of the last three days and then sleep at night because my sister is wide awake and wants to talk all night, and we're racing home at the breakneck speed of..." she leaned over to look at the speedometer, "…27 miles an hour."

"Is that all?" he replied. "Huh. I thought being a General's daughter had made you a little tougher than this."

She shot him an icy glare. "And I thought a man with access to the entire knowledge of 27 known galaxies would have a little more awareness than this."

He cocked his head. "Awareness of what?  What do you mean?"

She turned to look out the passenger window. "Oh, I don't know, maybe a certain awareness of space and time."

He frowned. "Space and time?  What is that supposed to mean, Lois?  What’s bothering you?"

"Never mind," she said, plopping back against the seat and imagining she heard a squishing sound. She opened the console between the seats and rifled through CDs. "Where's my Whitesnake CD?" She glanced up at Clark and back down into the console. "No Def Leppard. No Skid Row. No Guns N Roses. What the hell, Clark?"

"Oh, sorry Lois. I took them out and left them with Lucy so she could use the CD player in the house.  She told me that all she could get on the radio was the religious stations."

She pulled out one. "The Best of the Slim Whitman? You've got to be kidding me, Clark."

"That's my Mom's."

"It's in your truck. Jesus!" She huffed and jammed it back in the slot shaking her head. She pulled out another. "The Best of Boston. Finally! Something I feel like listening to." She opened it up and slid it in the CD player.

"I'm really sorry, Lois. Who knew the traffic would be this bad at this time of the day, especially since we left a couple hours early.  I didn't know it would be this bad on a Thursday."

"Right," she said sarcastically. "Well Clark, at least you know what day of the week it is."

He looked at her and made a face. "Look, I'll make it up to you, Lois; I'll take you out to dinner."

"Why, because this day has turned into a living hell for me? No thanks. I just need to get home and take a nice cool bath. I feel like a pig after sweating to death over here. It's part of the human condition, Clark, you wouldn't understand," she said and instantly wished she hadn't; it just slipped out. She was angry and annoyed but in the last twelve months since she learned about his secret, she had never made light of his differences. She looked at him worried that the comment had hurt him. "Oh Honey, honestly, I didn't mean it like that," she said apologetically.

He stifled a chuckle knowing that by laughing, he would lose his momentary leverage. Instead, he just nodded. "Look, you get cleaned up and we'll go to dinner; I insist."

"Oh, perfect,” she said sarcastically.  “You insist?" she protested. "You're not the injured party in this debacle. It's me that has to insist and if you must insist on taking me, then I must insist that you take me someplace decent, not the Smallville diner."

"Okay," he replied. "There's a steakhouse over on Route 12. How does that sound?"

Her demeanor changed slightly and she weighed her response. "Okay, Smallville.  That’s a step in the right direction, but don't think that's going to get you entirely off the hook. What about Lucy?  I mean, okay, it’s a good start. But if you think you can just buy my affection with a steak dinner, you have another thought coming." She pushed the power button on his car stereo.

He rolled his eyes. "Of course, Lucy can come too.  But buy your affection? I don't understand why you're so annoyed with me.  You used to make this trip every day when you were living at the Talon. I'm the one…" he began and then halted, reconsidering the wisdom of continuing.

"You're the one, what?" she asked, cocking her head to the side. "Being inconvenienced because you have to drive me home?" 

Clark did not know how to answer that. "Never mind," he replied just as the first notes of More Than A Feeling began to play.

“Never mind, is right,” Lois said, reached out and cranked up the volume.

An hour and fifteen minutes later, they pulled up to the farm. Lucy was not home when they arrived, and Lois could not reach her on the phone to give her directions to meet them at the restaurant.  "Great," Lois declared.  “Now we can listen to Lucy whine some more.”

“You can get her a takeout box,” Clark said.  Lois said nothing, jumped out of the truck and hurried to the bathtub.  In almost no time flat, Lois emerged and looked more refreshed and seemed to be in a better mood.

“Are you ready to go?” she asked.  “I’ll keep trying Lucy on the way.  It’s closer to Metropolis anyway.”

Clark drove fast to get the restaurant and in under an hour, they arrived.  Lois groaned as they pulled in.  "It looks like they're closed."

Clark frowned. "They can't be closed! Not on a Thursday." He craned his neck. "It looks like there are some cars in the back of the parking lot.  Wait,” he said.  “Let me look inside.”  He x-rayed the establishment.  “Yes, there are people in there.”

"I'm sure it's just the employees, Einstein. Why would customers park all the way back there?" Although she felt less irritable now than before, she was famished. "Look, let's just turn around and find someplace else. I'm starving. That roadkill we just passed after the intersection back there made my mouth water."

"Let's check it out first, Lois." He turned off the ignition and got out as Lois groaned. The August air was still fairly humid, but the sun had set, and the temperature had moderated a bit. 'It's closed,' she mouthed to him as he walked around and opened her door.

"Thank you, Clark," she said annoyingly and followed him up to the building. A note was posted on the front door that read 'Closed for Renovations'.

"See? I told you it was closed," Lois said. "C'mon," she said, pulling on his arm, "I'm not kidding, I’m starving to death and you're quickly burning through all of your brownie points, Smallville."

He pulled on the door handle, and it opened. "Okay, I just have to use the restroom first."

"You?" she said with a confused look.

He held the door open, and she walked into the darkened restaurant and he followed. "Clark, I don't think…" she began but was cut off in mid-sentence.

"Surprise!" was shouted by a group of voices and the lights snapped on in the restaurant. There were friends and relatives all wearing silly conical party hats and blowing noisemakers. The restaurant was decorated with balloons and a large banner that read, 'Happy Birthday'.

Tears pooled in her eyes as she smiled. She turned around and punched Clark in the arm. "You jerk!" she said grinning, then threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. The crowd erupted into hoots and cheers. "I thought you forgot," she said when their lips parted.

"Gee Lois, is that why you've been in such a foul mood all day?" he asked, grinning. She closed her eyes and shook her head in amusement.

A huge smile spread across her face, and she turned around to greet all her guests as they moved into the group. She first hugged Zatanna, followed by Oliver and then Lucy.

She made her way past them and was greeted by Tess and John Jones. The last of the guests were Martha, Perry, Alice, Chloe and Chloe's boyfriend, Mark. It was the first time she had seen Chloe since leaving her townhouse in December and a pang of sadness ran through her. She smiled and hugged Chloe. Martha took her hand and led her to the other side of the restaurant where a large square table arrangement had been set up.

"My favorite older cousin," Chloe exclaimed. "It's seems like forever since I've seen you," she said, grinning broadly. "Why haven't we gotten together sooner?" She looked in Lois' eyes and detected a flash of sadness and regret. "It's okay, Lo; I've been busy too." She turned to her boyfriend. "You remember Mark, right?  We work together at Queen Industries."

Lois shook hands with the nice guy that was holding Chloe's hand. Turning back to Chloe, she said, "We'll catch up tonight and get together more often. I promise." She hugged Chloe fiercely and tears came to her eyes. Chloe returned the hug and when she opened her eyes, she spotted Clark talking to her boss, Oliver, in the corner of the restaurant. She pushed back from Lois. "That's Clark over there, isn't it? He looks so different."

Lois released her, looked over her shoulder and then back. "Yes," she replied.

Chloe grinned wildly. "Wow! I haven't seen him since…graduation, I think. Remember the crush I used to have on him? Why is he here?"

"Remember? I had to deal with all the fallout from that one-sided soap opera." She rolled her eyes and Chloe giggled. "He's here because we're a couple now, Chloe," Lois replied. "He's my boyfriend."

Chloe shrieked. "You're kidding!  You and Clark? Oh my God, all I remember is you two tormenting each other most of the time she was living with your family."

"We still do," Lois quipped, smirking.

"Incredible! That ranks right up there with the stories on my 'Wall of Weird'." She giggled and pulled away from Lois. "I have to go say 'hi' to him," she said. "We'll catch up later," she added and scurried off dragging Mark with her.

The guests all ate their dinners soon after Lois and Clark arrived. When everyone finished, a birthday cake was brought out decorated with an image depicting a dark-haired female sitting on top of the Daily Planet globe and two candles, one a large 3 and the other a large 0.

After the cake was cut, the bar was opened and the music began to fill the restaurant: Whitesnake, Skid Row, Def Leppard, and Guns N Roses. Lois thought it was ironic that Clark danced with Chloe to Skid Row's ballad, I Remember You, because it was painfully clear that their days in high school were about all she remembered. As Sebastian Bach belted out the final strains of the song, Chloe smiled brilliantly, hugged Clark, and dragged him back over to where her boyfriend was standing.

Lois made her way around the table, thanking people for coming. She talked to Perry, Alice, and Martha, squatting down between their chairs to have a more private conversation. "Hi Mrs. Kent," she said. "Thanks for being here. I know you're in recess and working in Topeka right now, but I also know how busy you are at your office."

"I would have flown from Washington if I had to, Sweetheart," she replied. "I wouldn't have missed this for the world."

When asked, Martha said she was growing weary of life in Washington and that she had decided not to seek another term, although the senior senator from Kansas and the party chairman were trying to change her mind. She mentioned that she was anxious to get back to her home and her family and that Lois's party was just another reminder of everything she was missing by being in Washington.

She turned to her Perry and Alice. Perry explained that the all-hands meeting was Clark’s idea to keep her from taking the day off and messing up his surprise party plans.  “Lucy was in on it too,” Perry said. “So don’t feel bad that you didn’t get to meet up with her today because that was all part of the plan.”

“Well thank you for coming, Chief.  You too, Alice.  It’s so nice that you did.”

“Well Darlin’, I tell everyone that is safe to tell that we feel like you’re the daughter we never had.  I wouldn’t have missed this for anything.”

Lois continued to move around the table, stopping at Lucy who immediately made a face. "What's going on with Chloe?" Lucy asked in a low voice.

Lois squatted down next to her. "Apparently she had a little breakdown, according to Oliver. If she talks to you, just humor her. She asked me what Clark was doing here." Lois wanted to look sad but Lucy's expression kept her from doing so.

"She already did talk to me.  What a wacko! Her boyfriend's pretty hot though and seems nice." She chortled. "So, she's gone all Aunt Moira on us? She acted like she hadn't seen me since 2005. Then she starts talking some bullshit about college and managing Queen Industries databases and stuff. Oh my God!"

Lois snorted, suppressing her laughter. "Shhh! Look, it's like she had a break and all the tragedy in her life was erased. She seems happier and more carefree than I've seen her in years. Maybe she can get it together now and lead a normal life. Let's just try to be supportive, okay; she's still our cousin even if she's a few sandwiches short of a picnic."

"Okay, Nurse Ratched," she replied, "whatever you say." Lucy dug in her purse, pulled out a stun gun and displayed it below table level to Lois. "But in case she needs help, I've got a little shock therapy I may be able to administer to her."

Lois laughed and hugged her sister. "Happy birthday, Lo, I love you even though I had fun pissing you off this week," she said. "You know, Clark set this all up. He invited me and told me exactly what to do before I got here. He knew it would aggravate you and make tonight an even bigger surprise. But I was glad he did."

"Me, too, Luce. And now that I know he was behind everything including you, it makes it even more special."

"It does, doesn't it?  He's a great guy and I think you lucked out landing him," Lucy said.

"Lucky?  Are you kidding?  He's punching way above his weight getting my attention!"

They both laughed and Lucy hugged her sister's neck. "Now, you better go get your man. Chloe is monopolizing his time over there and he looks trapped.  Call me over if you need help." She pushed the button on the stun gun and an arc crackled across the electrodes. Lois shrieked and laughed as she headed off to rescue Clark.

Lois strolled up to Oliver. "I think it's your turn to babysit. I want to dance with my man."

"How about if you and I dance and Clark just babysits.  He's been really good with her and Mark," Oliver said and winked.

She pulled him into a hug. "Thanks for this, Ollie; I know you had a big hand in it. I love you, Dude," she whispered.  “Who did you squire to the party, Tess or Zee?”

“Both,” he said and winked.

She kissed him on the cheek. "Well, thanks again.  Now get your ass over there so I can dance with Clark, or I'll be forced to call my sister over along with her stun gun."

At 10:45 PM, the restaurant owner announced that he had to close up. By then, Lois had danced with every man in attendance except Mark but saved most of her dances for Clark. The final one she enjoyed the most, Whitesnake's ballad, Is This Love?.  She was exhausted by the time the guests began filing out.

Clark carried birthday gifts for Lois out to the truck and then returned to the restaurant. Lois was collecting little mementos to save. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"Oh, I'm just collecting a few souvenirs." She turned and looked at him. "It's been a long time since anyone threw a surprise party for me."

"Me too," he replied, raising an accusing eyebrow.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she replied, "You're accusing me of forgetting your birthday, aren't you?"

"I don't recall you remembering it this year," he answered.

"Not so fast, Speed Racer," she countered. "There was no February 29th this year. We went right from February 28th to March 1st. I'm golden for another three years," she quipped. "If I miss that one; then you can talk to me about forgetting." She flashed a victorious smile, and then added, "I did think about making you a cake this year."

"Well, thank God for unanswered prayers then," he snarked.

"Oh my God, did you open a present marked sense of humor inside and keep it for yourself?" she asked flatly.

He shook his head, smirked and walked to the cake table. "So, did you like the earrings?  You know where the diamonds came from, right?”

Lois smiled.  “I love them…obviously.  I also know what you earn each month so I am guessing those diamonds came from the stone you had stashed away at the farm.”

He smiled.  “You’re right.  So, when was the last time you had a surprise party?"

"The year before my mom died.  And it wasn’t a surprise so much as just a big party with all the people I knew at school and the neighborhood.  The surprise was that the General actually attended rather than staying in his office chewing out some poor soldier for some minor infraction."

Clark feared that would be her answer. "I'm sorry, Lois, I didn't…" he said apologetically.

"Why?" she interrupted. "Don't be, Clark. I love that you did this for me." She walked over to him as he placed the remnants of her birthday cake in a box. "You know, every time I think you couldn't surprise me more, you find a way to do it." She put her arms around his waist and pulled him close. "You did a good job with this one, Soldier, but you’ve exhausted your ammo. I'm not that easy to surprise you know." She kissed him sweetly and separated. "I usually can see big things like this coming from a mile away." She winked.

"It must be your military upbringing that makes you that way," Clark postulated and finished boxing up her cake. "I guess I lucked out. How will I ever be able to top this one?"

"The short answer is that you won't, Farmer John. Now that I know your modus operandi, I'm afraid surprising me again just isn't in the cards, it’s just not gonna happen."

He smirked. "You seem pretty sure about that, Lois."

"I am sure," she replied. "Look, you’re a salt-of-the-Earth farm boy, Smallville, and I love you for that.  But I'm the master of deception, not you. You surprised me with this party, but the chances of ever surprising me again just slipped from slim to none." She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. "But don't worry," she added as she walked off, "I think surprises are overrated anyway." She plopped down in a chair and grinned. "I had such a good time tonight. I can't remember the last time I danced so much, but God, my feet are sore."

"Then you just sit there while I finish taking the stuff out to the truck." He bundled up the remaining gifts, cake, and her CDs from the bar and carried them out to the truck.

"Is that everything?" she asked when he returned.

"Not exactly," he replied and sat down in a chair facing her. “There's one last thing I think you should hear, and I don't think tonight will be completely right if I don't say it."

“Well, tonight was completely perfect to me, I can’t imagine there’s anything I’d want more than what you did for me tonight.  So, whatever it was, it doesn’t matter because I never expected all this to begin with.  So, come on, Smallville.  Let’s go home so I can show you just how much I appreciated this amazing surprise,” she said with a wink.

“No,” he said abruptly.  “It matters to me,” he replied.  "I spoke to the General a few weeks ago when you were flying around with the president."

She raised her eyebrows, alarmed. "You what?" Lois asked incredulously. "You spoke to my father? What did he want and why didn't you tell me he called?"

His brow furrowed.  "Because he didn't call, Lois.  I called him."  

Lois leaned back in her chair, almost disbelieving him. "You...Clark Kent?  You called my father?  And you spoke to him?  On purpose?"  She leaned forward shaking her head slowly.  "That had to be the most unpleasant 35 seconds of your life.  Why in the world would you do that, Clark?"

"I wanted to ask him for Lucy's phone number to invite her to come here this week.  I also wanted to invite him to this party and ask if he would consider attending it.  He said that he could not because the Supreme Allied Commander of Europe was meeting with him this week to work on some issues that the president had raised last month.  But he said he wanted me to tell you happy birthday on his behalf."

She relaxed.  "Well, that's a nicer birthday wish than I usually get from him."  Lois reached over and patted his arm.  "Thanks for braving the lion's den on my behalf," she quipped.

"There's more," Clark said and Lois frowned.  "We spoke for about fifteen minutes.  He asked how you were doing, and I told him that I thought you were at the top of your game right now.  He said that he had read your interview with me and how impressed with you he was that you got a headline.  He said he made everyone around him read your article and made sure they knew that it was his daughter that wrote it."

"He said that?" Lois asked, eyes getting misty.

He nodded.  "Yes, he said almost those exact words, Lois."  He looked sadly at her.  "Then he asked if I thought you were happy in your personal life, and I said that I was fairly certain that you were."  Clark paused for a moment and then continued.  "He asked me how I could be so certain, and I said because you and I had been living together now for a year.  Needless to say, he was quite surprised to hear that."  Until that conversation, Clark did not know that Lois had not said anything to her father about their living arrangements.

Lois looked down, clearly ashamed that she had not told her father that the two of them were living together.  "Clark, I don't share those type of things with my father.  I don't share them with Lucy because she'll turn around and tell him.  I have tried to stay off his radar ever since I realized that I could never do enough to impress him, and I don't need to make choices out of concern for what that man will think anymore." She looked up at him.  "The choices I make now are those that I think are best for me and the only other person's opinion that I really care about is yours."

"Well, he was surprised, and I wouldn't say pleasantly so at first.  But after we talked a while, he seemed to have accepted it, and he said he was pleased that after all these years it seems like your life is on track."  He looked into her eyes as he pulled out a small black box from his pocket.  "I asked him something else, Lo.  I asked him for his blessing," Clark said.  "He said that I had his blessing if you should say yes to this question." Lois gasped and tears instantly pooled in her eyes.  Clark opened the black box and then turned it around, revealing a gorgeous 2-carat sparkling diamond ring.

Tears crested the lower eyelids and streaked down her face.  "Lois," he said, slipping out of the chair and down on one knee, "Will you marry me?"

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

End of Story