Zoe Meta – Life After
By zebraclrgard
May 12, 1996 – Big Girls Don't Fly original airdate
"It's over, everything's over…" Lois cried as she felt her world falling down around her. "I shouldn't have let him go…"
Four years later...
Lois slammed the lid of her laptop shut in aggravation. Perry had sent her there to investigate a possible scandal at the Tulsa branch of the Williams Company. This "scandal" was supposedly the cause of the imminent collapse of the company. Now, here she was in Tulsa, Oklahoma with no partner and no story. She sent Perry an email telling him what she had found: nothing. The Tulsa office had as much to do with the Williams Company's current state as the Easter bunny had to do with Santa Claus.
Lois flipped through the latest edition of The Daily Oklahoman. She was about to give up hope on it containing anything of interest when she saw the front page of the next section. "Tinker Air Force Base in Jeopardy Again" by Jerry Click. 'Great' she thought, 'the military is closing bases again. I bet Metropolis is on the list, too.' She read the article, then stopped and reread it. She looked at the byline: Jerry Click. Who in the world was that? She'd never heard of him.
And why did his writing remind her so much of her partner?
'He's gone and you've just got to accept that.' A voice in her mind told her.
No. I won't accept it. I can't accept it. I just can't.
Soon she found herself in tears, again. It seemed like all she did these days was cry. And here she was, crying again. When will the pain go away?
Never.
Never doesn't have an ending. It continues forever.
I don't want to feel this way forever.
She threw down the paper in aggravation. She came here for a story, and didn't get it. It had been years since she had last seen Clark. It still hurt to even think of him, to think of how good it felt to be in his arms, flying over the Earth, soaring above the clouds.
She stopped.
To be in his arms period. That would be a wonderful thing.
Dwelling over the past wasn't going to get her anywhere, except more depressed. She stood and began to get her things collected. Since there was no story, there was no need to remain in Oklahoma any more. Perry would be upset that the Planet had spent the money to fly her out here for nothing.
She was upset again. Now she was mad at herself. She couldn't remember the last story she'd felt good about.
Yes, she could, but she didn't want to. It was the last story she'd worked on with Clark. To even think about it made her want to cry again. She'd lost her edge when she lost Clark. What had happened to her? She was a good reporter before Clark Came into her life, so why wasn't she now? She tried to refocus on the task at hand: packing.
'Not just packing', the voice reminded her. 'packing to go to Smallville'.
She was going to Smallville to visit Clark's parents. She had planned to wait until the weekend, but since there was no longer a story, she decided to drive up there early. Lois had called Martha when she found out about the story in Tulsa and Martha had suggested that she drive up. Lois quickly jumped on the idea. Clark's parents had been like a rock during this whole thing.
'Take care of them… please'
She could still hear Clark asking her, no begging her, to take care of his parents for him. 'Funny,' she thought, 'I'm supposed to be taking care of them, but they're the ones that have taken care of me. When did I become so weak?'
She realized that she had yet again been diverted from the task at hand. "At this rate, I'll never make it to Smallville." She mused aloud.
She was about to begin packing, again, when the phone rang.
"Lois Lane"
"Hi, Lois, it's Martha." Martha's cheerful voice poured out of the receiver. 'How can she be so cheerful all the time?' Lois wondered.
"Hi, Martha, how are you?" Lois asked, trying to be upbeat.
"I'm fine. I was just calling to see if you were still coming out this weekend."
"Yes, I am. As a matter of fact I was packing when you called. If it's okay with you I am going to drive in tonight." Lois said, silently hoping Martha wouldn't reject the idea.
"Your story is already finished?" Martha asked, amazed.
Lois sighed. "No, it fell through." 'Again' she thought to herself.
"Oh, honey." Martha said sympathetically. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay. I'm sure that the next one will be good." Lois said, half-heartedly. "So, can I go ahead and drive in tonight?" She asked again, trying to change the subject.
"Of course you can! You know you're always welcome here. Especially if you bring new pictures of that boy with you." Martha answered, in an attempt to cheer Lois up.
"You know I will." Lois responded. "I'll leave here as soon as I get finished packing. How long of drive is it?"
"Probably two or three hours I guess."
"Okay," Lois said, glancing at her watch. "It's seven now, so I'll try to be there around ten or eleven, okay?"
"Sounds good. You have your cell phone with you, right?"
"Yeah, you still have the number?"
"Yes."
"Okay, I'll see you tonight then."
"Be careful."
"I will."
"Bye." Martha said, and then hung up the phone.
"Bye." Lois answered quietly, as she slowly returned the phone to its cradle.
She took a deep breath, stood up and then continued packing. It was 7:45 when she finished. She gathered her things, paid the hotel bill, then loaded her rental car and headed toward the only place she called home now, Smallville, Kansas.
She pulled into the Kent's driveway a little before 10:00. Martha was waiting for her when she pulled in.
"Hi, honey." Martha said as she welcomed Lois with a hug.
"Hi, thanks for letting me come early. I was about to go crazy in that hotel room."
"Anytime." She said as the two women walked to the farmhouse.
"So, how has your trip been so far?" Martha asked, as the women sat down at the kitchen table.
"Okay, I guess. It's frustrating because yet another one of my leads fell through. That's the fourth one in a row. I don't remember having a streak this bad."
"I'm sure it will be alright soon. Everyone goes through a slump now and then." Martha said, trying to comfort her.
Lois laughed cynically. "A slump… If this continues much longer, it won't be a slump, it'll be a crisis." Lois sighed as she stood up. "You're only as good as your next story. Right now I don't have a next story. I wouldn't be surprised if Perry let me go soon."
Martha stood up and moved to be by Lois. "You know he'd never do that."
Lois began pacing in frustration. "I don't know, Martha. It never seemed this hard when I was working with Clark. Stories seemed to just fall in our lap. Now I have to dig to find something that comes close to resembling a story. I don't understand." She turned to face Martha and stopped. "Am I a bad investigator? Did I just ride on Clark's coattails?"
Martha enveloped her in a hug. "No, sweetie, of course you didn't. You'd been a reporter long before Clark got there. You're just in a slump that's all. It will end eventually, just be patient. Okay?"
"I hope so. If not, I'm afraid I may be looking for a new line of work."
Martha took her hand and led her to the table and sat down. "Now tell me how my grandson is doing. Do you have any new pictures?"
Lois smiled. "He's good, getting into more stuff every day. I swear. That boy is going to be the end of me yet. He's so feisty. Was Clark like that when he was little?"
Martha laughed. "Oh, Lord, yes, honey. It's called 'being a boy'. I hate to break it to you, but they're all like that. It doesn't get any better. The older they get the worse it gets."
"Great." Lois said, sarcastically.
Martha laughed again. "Oh, sweetie. Boys are fun to raise. Just give it time. You'll see."
Lois smiled. "I know, Martha. It's just... oh, I don't know... I guess... I guess I feel like I'm not being the parent he needs. I wish Clark were here. He would be a much better parent than me. He's so patient and kind and loving... I'm impatient, hard-nosed, and difficult to get along with. Who would want a mother like that?"
"I think you're doing a fine job with Jerome." Jonathan said as he entered the back door. "Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop." He told her as he gave her a hug. "But, I was on the back porch taking my boots off and heard you two talking."
"It's fine, Jonathan." Lois said, as she returned his hug. "I guess I'm just moody."
He reassuringly patted her on the back as he continued the hug. "I know it must be hard, raising Jerome on your own like you are. But, we'll always be there for you. You know that, right? You're our daughter and the only link we have left to our son."
Lois nodded silently. "I know." She finally backed away. "I've been doing good here lately, but... Oh, I don't know... maybe it was this article I saw today... it was just so Clark...and I miss him so much...I just feel empty inside." She said, her voice quivering.
"Oh, Lois. Now, you've got your little boy and your job at the Planet and you know you're like family to us. I'm sure that you're just being hard on yourself." Martha said, trying to reassure her.
"I know. And I love my son, I love my job and I love you guys. I just feel like a total failure right now and I don't know what to do to change it." Disgusted, she turned and plopped down at the kitchen table.
"Lois, it will okay. You just need to give it time."
"How long does it take?" She asked, pleading. "It's been four years. How much longer does it take?"
Martha shook her head slightly. "I don't know." She replied softly.
Jonathan joined them at the table. "It's late. Why don't you go take a shower and get a good night's sleep. You'll feel better in the morning." He suggested quietly.
Lois nodded slowly. "Your right." She said as she stood from the table. "Thank you for everything. I'll see you in the morning."
"Don't think anything of it. We love having you." Martha reassured her. "Now, get a good night's sleep, alright?"
Lois nodded again. "I'll try. Goodnight." She said, then ascended the stairs to Clark's room.
The next morning, Lois descended the stairs refreshed. During the night she had thought of the perfect plan and couldn't wait to share it with Martha and Jonathan. They were sitting at the kitchen table when she walked in.
"Morning." She said brightly as she grabbed a cup of coffee.
"Well, good morning." Martha said. "I guess that a good night's sleep helped."
Lois turned with a smile. "It did. I came up with the perfect idea last night." She said as she joined Martha and Jonathan at the table.
"What?"
"I'm going to move to Tulsa and work at the newspaper there." Lois happily told them.
"And leave the Planet?" Jonathan asked, unbelieving.
Lois looked at her coffee cup as though it held all the answers. "I'm not happy there anymore. And I don't want Jerome to grow up in Metropolis. I want him to have the same raising that Clark did. In the country." She answered softly.
"Why Tulsa? You could go to work at the Smallville Post." Martha asked.
"I know. But there are all of the memories of Clark here and I would be immersed in them. There are enough in Metropolis as it is. But, here in the home he grew up in, the town he grew up in. I just don't think I could handle it. Besides, I'm not ready to completely leave the city yet. I just think somewhere smaller than Metropolis would be better. Tulsa is a nice sized town that is still close enough to Smallville for Jerome and me to drive up here whenever we want."
"Don't you think that the Tulsa World would find it a little odd for Lois Lane to want to work there?"
She nodded. "I thought about that, too."
"I'm going to change my name and start from the beginning. I don't want any ties to Lois Lane anymore."
"Why in the world would you do that?" Martha asked, shocked.
"Every time I hear Lois Lane, I automatically think Clark Kent. There was no Lane only since Clark. It was always Lane and Kent. And, I can't take it anymore. I can't even hear my name without it bringing back memories of what I am missing. How can I move on with that constant reminder?" She looked to Jonathan for understanding.
"What would you change it to?"
"I hadn't really decided on anything yet. I was thinking about Karli Kent. Jerome's last name is already Kent and it would be easier for him to not have to explain why his mommy's last name is different when he starts school. Besides, in my heart, Clark is my husband."
"I know, but leaving every symbol of your life behind? You can't run from the pain, honey. It will catch up to you."
"I know. But, I think this is the best move for me right now."
"We'll support you whatever you do." Martha assured her.
"It would be nice to have Jerome so much closer." Jonathan supplied.
Lois called the editor of the Tulsa World the following Monday to set up an interview as Karli Kent. It was scheduled for the coming Friday at 4:00. She printed some of her early stories, changing the by-line to read "Karli Kent". The editor hired her as a junior reporter and told her to start in two weeks.
She went into Perry's office first thing Monday morning to tell him the news.
"Perry, I need to talk to you."
"Ah, not now, Lois, I need you to get down to Hobbs Bay, there's a standoff going on." He said, shooing her out the door.
Lois did not move from her spot. "I'm giving my two weeks notice, Perry."
The old newspaper man stopped dead in his tracks and turned to face her. "Now, Lois…" he began, but she interrupted him.
"I've got a job at the Tulsa World as a junior reporter. Jerome and I are going to move down there."
"Lois, are you sure you know what you're doing?" Perry asked questioningly.
"I'm sure that I can't stay here anymore. I haven't written a good story in… well, I can't remember the last good story I wrote."
"You're doing fine, honey. Now, get down to Hobbs Bay and stop talking this nonsense."
Lois held her ground. "I'm taking the job, Perry. I start two weeks from today."
"Lois."
"You can't talk me out of it. I'm going."
"Okay." Perry finally acquiesced. "If you're sure that's what you want to do."
"It is." She replied confidently. "I'm headed to Hobbs Bay."
"Be careful down there, there's no one to watch your back now." As soon as he said the words, he immediately regretted it. Lois looked as though someone had just slapped her.
[i]One year later…[/i]
"Lois, we must speak with Clark." Ching said forcefully.
Lois stared at them blankly. "Lois, please, we are short on time. We need to speak to Clark." Zara said softly.
"Why are you asking me? He's still with you." She said, her voice filled with venom.
"What?" Zara questioned quietly.
"I haven't seen Clark in six years. Not since the day he flew off with you and left everyone he loved." There was fire in her words.
"You must be mistaken." Ching said rigidly. "Clark left New Krypton over a year ago."
"And you're just now figuring out that he's gone? So, now you've come to take him back. The noble planet of New Krypton can't be without their Lord Kal-El. Even if I knew where he was, why would I tell you? So you could take him from me again?" Lois was furious. "I don't know where he is, and I wouldn't tell you if I did."
Zara stepped forward once again. "Lois, we're not here to take him from you."
"Then what do you want?" Lois was at the end of her patience and the curtness of her voice was proving it.
"We found something that we believe can help him with his injury." Ching said, remaining calm, but still with a tone that commanded attention.
"His injury?" 'What are they trying to pull now?' She thought. 'Kryptonians can't be injured.'
"He was severely injured during a battle on New Krypton." Zara supplied.
Ching elaborated further. "Since New Krypton has a red sun, Clark slowly began to lose his superpowers, including his invulnerability. However, he continued to fight, even though the Council of Elders did not approve. During one of the battles, Clark was hurt, badly."
"That is why he was allowed to return to Earth." Zara finished.
Lois sat down on her couch. "I'm lost."
Zara sat on the couch next her. She took a deep breath. "On New Krypton, nobles who suffer a handicapping injury are killed to escape the dishonor of living with their injury. We convinced the Council of Elders to allow Clark to return to Earth instead of being executed." She looked directly at Lois. "This was home to him and he wanted to come back."
"We returned him about 20 months ago." Ching offered.
Zara turned toward Lois again. "We assumed that he would come to you the moment he arrived. Have you not heard from him?" She asked softly.
Lois shook her head. "No, I haven't." Her voice was sharp. "Why are you doing this? Clark left me to go help you and he HASN'T come back. So, why are you doing this to me?"
"He did help us." Zara replied patiently. "For almost five years." She sighed heavily. "We were about to win our struggle when one of Nor's men slipped into our camp in the middle of the night and severely injured Clark so he could no longer fight."
"Wait..." Lois interrupted. "I thought he went there to prevent a war, not fight in one."
"That is what we intended." Ching said, his voice a little softer than before. "However, war was inevitable." He paced the room as he spoke. "Nor challenged Clark for the throne, thereby launching the world into war. We fought. Clark fought right beside us, even though the Council of Elders disapproved of ruling the Lord of New Krypton being on the battlefield. He was right beside us until he was injured."
"Injured? Injured how?"
"We told you, by Nor's hit man." Zara said softly.
"No," Lois said, shaking her head. "That's not what I mean. I want to know what his injures were."
Ching and Zara exchanged a look. Ching nodded. Zara looked at Lois carefully. "Clark's spinal cord was severed when Nor's hit man attacked him with a blade." She took a deep breath. "Lois, Clark is paralyzed."
Lois felt her world collapse around her. Clark was home. No, NOT home. Home was with her. Clark was on Earth. And, he was badly injured. Then, the worst part: he didn't tell her he was back. Why wouldn't he tell her? Did he not love her anymore? No, she knew better than that. He was probably trying to protect her... as only he could. Damn him! Why did he have to act so noble?
"Lois, please, will you tell us where he is?" Ching asked sharply, breaking into Lois' thoughts.
Lois sighed and dropped her head into her hands. She lifted her head up slowly until her chin rested in the palm of her hands. "I honestly don't know." She said, looking Ching directly in the eyes. "I haven't seen him since he flew out of the Daily Planet with you." She said softly, pain evident in her voice.
Zara turned to Ching. "We must search for him then." Ching nodded in agreement.
Lois jumped up. "I'm going with you."
Ching shook his head. "You can't. We don't have much time. We need to find him as soon as possible."
Lois headed toward the window. "Then why are we still standing here? Let's go." She said impatiently.
"Lois, we'd be flying so fast that you'd be vaporized."
"But I want to see him." She defiantly replied.
"Lois, please understand. Time is not a luxury right now." Zara interceded. "I'm sorry. We must leave soon and need to give this to Clark before we have to go. Don't you want us to be able to help Clark?" When Lois didn't answer, Zara looked at Ching. "We could give him a message. Is there anything you want us to tell him?"
Lois realized, reluctantly, that she would have to stay behind. "Yes," she replied softly, "tell him that I love him... and I'm still waiting." Tears slowly rolled down her face. "and, I miss him."
Zara nodded. "Anything else?"
Lois slowly shook her head and wiped her tears off her face. "Could you please let me know where he is when you find him?"
Zara laid her hand on Lois' shoulder. "If we have time, we will return and tell you, okay?"
Lois looked her in the eyes. "I don't have a choice, do I?" She asked softly.
Zara smiled sadly. "Not really."
Lois nodded. "Good luck."
"Thank you. Goodbye, Lois." Ching said solemnly.
As quickly as they had appeared, Zara and Ching were gone. Lois slowly slid down the wall as a sonic boom announced the pair's departure. She remained crouched against the wall and cried out with everything she had.
Hours later, Martha and Jonathan opened the door to Lois' house to find her on the floor, curled up in a ball, silently sobbing. They immediately rushed to her side.
"Lois, honey, what is wrong? Is there something wrong with Jerome?" The worry was evident in Martha's voice.
"No," came the muffled response. "He's fine."
"Well, what is the matter?" Martha asked, as she helped Lois sat up.
"It's Clark..." She said softly.
Martha felt her chest tighten in anticipation. "Is he..."
Lois slowly lifted her head to look at Martha. "He's back."
Martha quickly stood up and started scanning the house. "Where is he?"
Lois stood up beside Martha. "I don't know." She said quietly.
Martha turned to look at her. "Then how..."
"Zara and Ching came to me because they needed to speak to Clark and thought he would be here." She paused to recollect herself and sat down on the sofa. "Apparently he's been back for over year."
"What?" Martha and Jonathan asked in unison.
Lois sighed. "That's what Ching and Zara said." She took a deep breath. "They said he was severely injured in a battle and returned to Earth to escape a ceremonial killing."
Martha gasped. "How could they even consider doing something like that? Killing a man because he was injured..."
"Kryptonians believe death is more preferable to living with a handicap. Especially if the person is of noble birth."
Martha and Jonathan sat down on each side of Lois on the couch. "What type of injury does he have?" Martha asked quietly.
Lois gathered herself for a moment. "He was stabbed and it severed his spinal cord." She said softly. "He'll be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life."
Jonathan stiffened at her words. The color drained out of Martha's face as she processed what Lois had said.
This was not what the Kents' expected to hear. Their son, who would never intentionally hurt anyone, was injured, almost killed, for a world that he sacrificed his life on Earth to help. He had made too many sacrifices already, but now... Now he had made a permanent sacrifice for them. And they wanted to repay him by killing him. Silently they thanked the person who suggested he return to Earth instead of being killed.
"Where are Zara and Ching now?" Jonathan asked, after a long pause.
"Looking for him. They said they found something that could help him heal." Lois supplied, quietly.
"Help him heal?" Martha questioned. "How are they going to do that?"
Lois shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know."
"Grampa! Grama!" Jerome yelled as he ran through the front door.
Jonathan scooped him up in his arms. "Hey, Jerome. How was school?"
"It was fun!" The excited four-year-old replied.
"Was it?"
Jerome nodded. "We had a party all day!"
"What did you learn today?"
"Grampa, it's the last day of school. You're not supposed to learn anything." Jerome answered matter-of-factly.
"Is that so?"
"Yep."
"Well, was it a good party then?" Jonathan asked, as he and Jerome walked toward the kitchen.
Lois listened to her son's voice fading as they walked away.
"So, any sign of his father's talents yet?" Martha asked after they were alone.
"I'm not sure." Lois replied. "Sometimes, I think that he might be getting the hearing, but I don't know for sure."
"That was the first thing that Clark developed." Martha supplied. "I think the first time we noticed was when he was five or six."
"I want Clark to be here when Jerome gets older to help him control and understand his powers."
"You know about them, too, Lois." Martha reminded her.
"I know, but that was so long ago and even then I didn't understand them really; it was all I could do just to control them and not burn anything."
"True, but every little bit will help because if he's anything like his father, he's going to be scared and confused as his powers develop."
"I know. But, Clark will be here. Even if I have to scour the earth myself to find him, he'll be here."
"I just can't believe he's been back for a year and hasn't contacted us." Martha said, dejected.
"I know. I accused Zara and Ching of being liars." Lois confessed. "Why would he not tell us?"
"Maybe he was waiting on the yellow sun to heal him and it never did."
"He had better not be just acting noble." Lois said. "'Cause if that's the case, I'd like to give him a piece of my mind…"
"Lois?"
"But I'd just be so happy to see him that I'd probably forget to tell him." She admitted.
Martha smiled. "I know. But remember, if he really is hurt like Zara says, he's probably trying to protect you."
"I know." Lois agreed. "But, why does he do that? I want to see him no matter what. Doesn't he want to see you or me?"
Martha smiled. "If I know my boy, he's probably a lot closer than we think. So he can watch us or at least find out how we are doing pretty easily."
Lois nodded. "Yeah, he's probably right under our noses and we don't even know it." She looked at her watch. "I've got to get to work."
"Now?" Martha asked.
"Yes, I get the bad hours since I'm just a junior reporter, but I think he maybe moving me to senior status soon. Then I'll work days again." Lois replied grabbing her coat.
"Here comes Jerome." Martha said quietly.
"Jerome, are you going to be good for grama and grampa while Mommy's at work?" She asked as she pulled him into her lap.
"Yes, Mommy. When will you be home?" He asked softly.
"As soon as I can, sweetie. You do what your grama and grampa tell you to, okay?"
"I will." He answered, then gave her a kiss on the cheek.
"I'll see you guys tonight." Lois called as she walked out the door.
The Kent's spent the rest of the week sightseeing and spending time with Jerome. Lois was enjoying their visit and she could tell that her son was, too, but she was still thinking about Clark and had not heard another word from Zara and Ching since they left her house the other night.
Lois had just arrived at work on Sunday morning when a television news break came on. "This just in… the I-40 bridge near Webber's Falls has just collapsed. Once again, the I-40 bridge near Webber's Falls has just collapsed. We will bring you more information as it comes in."
Lois' editor walked out of his office. "Karli…"
"I'm on it." She replied as she grabbed her coat and headed for the elevator.
Lois pulled into Webbers Falls about an hour later and easily located the debriefing site. The next update was scheduled to occur in about half an hour. She busied herself trying to acquire information while she waited on the press conference. Finally, the conference began.
"… The rescue attempt continues to be impeded by the weather…" Lois was not paying attention to the speaker. All of her attention was focused on a sandy-blonde haired reporter a few rows in front of her. From her vantage point, she couldn't make out his features, especially since his back was to her, but she could tell that he was in a wheelchair. He must have sensed someone staring at him, because he turned around. His face was covered with a full beard. Their eyes locked for a moment, and time seemed to stand still. Lois gasped from the intensity of his gaze. Only one person had ever made her react that way.
"I will take a couple questions at this time." Every reporters' hand immediately went up. "Sir…" The speaker called on a reporter. Lois searched for the selected reporter. It was the man she had been staring at. She listened intently as he spoke.
"Jerry Click, Daily Oklahoman. When do you expect to have a final victim count?" 'The voice was the same.' Lois thought vaguely. The speaker answered the question, but Lois did not pay any attention to his reply. The man looked back toward Lois.
"… we will bring you further updates as we have them…" Lois blinked to break the contact as the speaker's words registered with her. The news conference was over and she missed the whole thing. She remained fixed in her seat. The man that had distracted her was slowly moving away from the debriefing site.
'You should go after him' her mind told her, but she was glued to her seat.
"Clark…" she whispered. The man lifted his head for an instant, then continued on, as if he had not heard anything.
She remained there for another moment, then the shock finally wore off and she immediately went into action. She planned to find out everything she could on Jerry Click.
Lois returned to her desk at the Tulsa World. Her editor saw her arrive and met her at her desk.
"Karli, what did you get?"
"The bridge collapsed because a barge went off course and took out some of the support beams. They're still searching for victims, but there won't be anymore survivors." Lois replied. "I'll LAN it to you as soon as I get it typed."
"Alright, just hustle."
"Will do." Lois sat down at her computer. Soon the story was written and on the way to the editor.
"City Room. This is Jimmy."
"Lois Lane, please."
"May I ask who is calling?"
"Jerry Click."
"Um… just a moment, please."
Minutes passed and Jimmy had not returned to the phone. 'This isn't good.' He thought to himself. 'Has something happened to Lois?' Jerry was into full panic mode by the time Jimmy returned to the phone.
"Mr. Click?"
"Yes?"
"I'm sorry, Miss Lane is not available. I could connect you with one of our other reporters, if you would like."
"I am calling on personal business, not for a story." Jerry explained. "Does she have a cell phone or pager that I may call to contact her?"
"I'm sorry, sir. I am not at liberty to release that information."
"Who would have the authority to release it?"
"Our editor-in-chief, Mr. White."
"May I speak to him, please?"
"Yes, sir. Just a moment."
Jerry sat in silence again. 'This would be so much simpler if I just told them who I really was.'
"Perry White."
"Mr. White, this is Jerry Click. I am trying to contact Lois Lane. The gentleman who answered the phone could not give me her contact number, and said that you might."
There was a long pause. "What is this regarding?"
Jerry carefully weighed his response. "I hesitate to say, Mr. White, as it is a very personal matter."
"Mr. Click, I will not release any personal information until I know what this is about."
Clark sighed inwardly. He should have expected this. Truth be known, Perry was just as stubborn as Lois when he wanted to be. "It is about her former fiancé." He acquiesced.
"Come again?"
"I have information about Clark Kent."
"Mr. Click, I don't know what you are trying to pull, but Clark Kent is dead. He has been dead for the past six years. Now, unless you have anything else…"
"I realize that, sir, but I have details about his death that I believe Miss Lane should be aware of. I have tried diligently to find her on my own, but have been unsuccessful. If you could give me any information on how to contact her, her office hours, email address, anything, I would be grateful."
"I'm afraid that Lois doesn't work for the Daily Planet any longer."
Jerry paused a moment to recollect himself. 'Why would she leave the Planet and why is Perry being so protective of her?' "Could you tell me where she is now?"
"No, sir. Not until you level with me."
"Pardon?"
"You may be able to pawn that garbage off on someone else, but I'm not falling for it. Now, if you want to know where Lois is, you better stop blowing smoke and start telling the truth."
'This was a mistake.' Jerry finally realized. 'I should've hung up as soon as I was transferred to Perry.' He sighed. 'Oh, well, too late now. I might as will spill everything.' "Okay, Chief, I'll tell you everything, but I would prefer not to discuss it on the phone. Would it be okay to meet you in the conference room by your office, say, around 8:00 tonight?"
"I hesitate to do so, but I guess I will."
"Thank you. One more thing, you might tell Jimmy to come also. He will want to hear this as well."
"Okay. 8:00 tonight."
"Thanks again."
Jerry returned the phone to its cradle and glanced at the clock. 4:30. He had three hours before he needed to leave. He knew it would take an hour to get ready. That left him with two hours to figure out what he would tell Perry and Jimmy.
He had spent the better part of a month deciding what to do. When he returned from New Krypton initially, he had planned on isolating himself just long enough for the properties of the yellow sun to heal his injuries, because he didn't want to put his family through the mental, emotional, and physical stresses of him being disabled. After six months, he began to lose hope in the sun fully restoring him. After a year, all hope diminished. 'I'll wait until Zara and Ching come with the recommendations from their doctors,' he had told himself, 'then, I will go to them.'
Zara and Ching returned with the best solution the doctors on New Krypton were able to come up with, but it was unsuccessful. The key to the treatment working was the full restoration of his powers once he returned to Earth. It was technology well ahead of anything this world had, but depended on his ability to levitate to be useful. The sun's inability to restore all of his super powers and heal all of his injuries was inexplicable at best. He hypothesized that it was due to the poison that was on the blade. He thought that the severed cord would fuse back together once he was living under a yellow sun, but something was preventing it. Maybe whatever had kept his spinal cord from healing was also preventing the return of some of his powers.
He had been on New Krypton long enough that he was not accustomed to using his powers on a daily basis, but it still put a void in his life. Out of all the powers that had not returned, the one he missed most was being able to fly. That was the one power he needed in order to use the solution that the Kyptonian doctors had developed. But that wasn't the only reason. Flying gave him an opportunity to be free, to go wherever he wanted whenever he wanted. He could soar high above the Earth and get away from everything below him, but he couldn't do it anymore, even though he had been on Earth for almost two years. He seriously doubted if it would ever return. Which brought him to why he was here: to talk to Lois.
Lois had once had Superman's powers and knew the basics of how to use them. She just had to have them in order to do it. As much as it pained him to admit it, he would never be able to be Superman again. Ultrawoman, though, could exist. That was possible. The question was: would Lois be willing to become her again? Would she even consider it? These were questions that he needed answered, soon. Hearing the cries of help and being powerless to do anything about it was about to push him over the edge. He was driven by an internal need to help anyone that was in trouble, but without the majority of his powers, he was left with nothing except a sense of guilt and frustration. If he wasn't going to have all of his powers, then why did he have any of them? It was more frustrating than anything else. What good was his superhearing if he couldn't swoop in and save the day? Lois had to understand, she had to be willing to help him with this. Otherwise… Otherwise what? He had no back-up plan for this whatsoever. The fact of the matter was that he could not fail, there was too much at stake. The death toll at Webber's Falls could have been much lower if there had been a superhero to help with the search and rescue. Only fourteen people died that day, but, to him, that was fourteen more than should have died. The world needed a superhero and Lois would have to understand that.
First, though, he had to talk to Lois and Perry had effectively become a roadblock to that happening. Why would he not give out Lois' contact information? Why was he being so protective of her? What had happened during his absence that would cause Lois to need protecting? The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he became. When he returned from New Krypton, he checked on her and found that she was still at the Daily Planet. He resisted the urge to go to her because he didn't want her to know about his disability when it was only temporary. Then, after some soul-searching and acceptance, he realized that it was not temporary: this was permanent. He made the decision that he could not burden his family or Lois with taking care of him like this. It was then he came up with the idea to give his powers to Lois and leave her and his parents to move on, without him. The desperate loneliness was torture to him, but the idea of making anyone take care of an invalid was even worse. No, he would not burden them with his welfare. Just give away the powers and leave, that was what he had to do to ensure their happiness. End of discussion. When he tried to contact Lois to tell her this though, she was no longer at the Daily Planet. In fact, he could not find anyone at any paper by that name. Knowing Lois though, she stayed in contact with her friends at the Planet and they knew where she was. He just had to convince them to tell him that information.
As the elevator doors opened, Jerry took a deep breath. The City Room still looked the same. It was already deserted for the day and Jerry was grateful. He had not planned on being here at all, and did not want to accidentally run into anyone that might remember him. He took a long look at his and Lois' desks, silently wishing that Lois and he were there again, working on their latest story. He quickly pulled himself out of his reverie. Wishing for something would not make it so. He quietly made his way to the Conference Room. God, how he hated being here. It made him miss her that much more. He would have picked a different location to meet, but he was afraid that Perry would not come if it were held anywhere else. He positioned himself at the conference table with his back to the door. He still had not figured out what he was going to say. He didn't want to tell them EVERYTHING, especially his secret identity, but it didn't look like he had a choice.
The door to the room opened and Perry and Jimmy approached Jerry. He turned to face the pair and offered his hand.
"Mr. White? Jerry Click." He said as Perry shook his hand. "Please forgive me for not standing." He then turned to Jimmy. "Jimmy." He shifted slightly in his chair. "Please sit down, Gentlemen."
Jerry repositioned himself, took a deep breath, and ran a hand over his beard before he began. "I am sure you are wondering what I could possibly say to explain why I need Lois Lane's contact information. I assure you I have a very valid reason." Jerry removed his hat, exposing his now long sandy blond hair, and took off his sunglasses, quickly replacing them with his usual pair of glasses. "The fact is: I am Clark Kent." He said, returning his voice to its normal tambour. He waited a moment for the reality of his revelation to sink in.
"As I told you on the phone, Mr. Click, Clark Kent is dead, and has been dead for six years. It has been difficult for us to accept, but he is gone." Perry said forcefully. "I still don't know what kind of game you're trying to pull, but I will most certainly not allow you to speak to Lois if you're going to give her the same cockamamie story."
"She's been through enough." Jimmy agreed.
Jerry sighed. Lois must have said that Clark had disappeared-assumed dead, or had been killed in an effort to explain his disappearance at the same time as Superman. Perry and Jimmy's insistence were proof that her story was a viable one. Apparently, everyone believed that Clark Kent was dead. Now, the question was how to convince them that what they thought to be a certainty was in fact a lie. What could he do to prove to them that he was who he said? "I assure you that I am speaking the truth." He finally replied.
"I'm afraid that that is not good enough." Perry answered roughly. "You're going to have to do better than that."
Jerry racked his brain for something, anything that he could give as proof. As skeptical as they were, it would have to be something that would prove his identity beyond a shadow of a doubt.
"Mr. Click," Perry impatiently interrupted Jerry's thoughts, "I am eager to hear your explanation."
"I know, Chief," Jerry answered. "Lois doesn't like for anyone to edit her copy." He said, stalling for time.
"That doesn't prove anything," Jimmy snapped. "Anyone with half a hemisphere could tell that Lois didn't tolerate that from anyone."
Jerry nodded, smiling. "That's true. Not even Superman." He smiled to himself at the memory. "Lois originally wanted to call the green rock at Wayne Irig's place 'Kryptonium', but I said that since it was from a meteorite, that it should be called 'Kryptonite', and you," he continued, looking at Perry, "told us that we would have to work it out on our own."
Perry nodded. "I remember that. That was a long time ago." He studied Jerry carefully. "I'm still not sure," he admitted. "Like Jimmy said, Lois has been through enough. I don't want to get her hopes up, and then you turn out to be a fake and break her heart all over again."
"You must believe me, Chief, I would never want to do anything that would cause her anymore pain. I know that it must have been hard for her for awhile. I know how hard it was for me." Jerry said his voice full of sadness. "Remember when we were up here late one Saturday and the Planet was taken over by those people looking for Dragonetti's vault? Jimmy, you walked in when they called in the 'mastermind' behind the raid, so everyone thought it was you until we saw Willie had you at gunpoint. And, Lex Luther got shot and I told you to make a compress for the wound out of tea bags, chewing gum, and…"
"Orange juice." Perry finished.
Jerry smiled. "Orange juice." He echoed.
"Clark?" "CK?" Perry and Jimmy asked in unison. They both still seemed unbelieving, but hopeful.
"Yes, it's really me. I didn't die six years ago."
Perry eyed the wheelchair questioningly. Although he tried to be subtle, the gesture did not escape Clark's attention. He looked at his former boss. "I'll explain everything, if you would like for me to." Perry nodded silently.
Clark took a deep breath. "Okay, before I begin, I need to tell you something else that may come as a shock to you." He paused. "I was Superman." He said plainly. Receiving no response from his audience, he continued. "I went to New Krypton to stop a Civil War, but I was too late and the war had already started. During one of the battles, my spinal cord was completely severed and I was returned to Earth."
"How long have you been back?"
"Just over a year. Zara and Ching were supposed to design a device that would allow me to walk again, but it did not work. I was waiting until I was well to let everyone know I was alive, but I now know that will never happen. I've been trying to track Lois down ever since I came to this realization. I found her when I first came back and had been keeping tabs on her until she disappeared about a year ago. I could not find anyone in the world named "Lois Lane." I finally gave up on finding her on my own and thought I would get the information from you. I didn't realize what I would have to go through to get it though. I wanted Lois to be the first one to know I am back." Clark finished softly.
"She was." Perry replied simply.
"What do you mean?" Clark asked, puzzled by the statement.
"Zara and Ching came to Lois a few weeks ago, looking for you."
"What?"
"Yeah. They came and told her that you had been paralyzed during a battle on New Krypton, sent back to escape execution, and they needed to find you."
"Why would they contact her?"
"I guess they thought that you would contact her as soon as you returned to Earth."
"And she told you everything?"
Perry nodded.
"So, that means she told you about my secret identity as well."
"She waited years before she told us. In fact, she didn't say anything until the night before she moved to Tulsa."
"Tulsa?"
"Yeah, she started working at the Tulsa World."
Clark was dumbfounded. "Why?"
Perry shrugged. "She just came in one day and said that she couldn't work here any more. It was too hard for her."
"But that still doesn't explain why I can't find her name anywhere." Clark pointed out.
Perry nodded. "I know. She changed her name when she moved."
"Changed it?" Lois loved the prestige that her name held. Why would she change it? "To what?"
"We don't know." Jimmy supplied. "She wouldn't tell us. I tried to track her down, but couldn't. She calls from time to time, but we have no way to reach her."
"How did Ching and Zara find her?" Clark inquired.
The pair shrugged. "I don't know." Perry replied.
"Maybe they scoured the Earth using their super powers." Jimmy offered.
Clark sighed heavily. After all of that, he was still no closer to his goal: finding Lois. Next stop: Smallville.
Clark took a deep breath, then knocked on the door. He did nothing to hide his surprise when a five year old opened it. The little boy peered at him through the screen door.
"Can I help you?" He asked without opening the door.
Clark faltered a moment. "I… I'm sorry." He stammered. "I must be at the wrong house."
"You look kinda fam… fa…" The little one stumbled on the word.
"Familiar?" Clark supplied.
"Yeah. That's it!" He stood there a minute. "Who are you looking for?" He asked, finally.
"The Kents."
The little boy smiled. "My last name is Kent!" He offered proudly.
Clark opened his mouth to respond when a voice within the house stopped him. "Jerome!"
The boy turned. "Yeah, Gramma." He yelled back.
"Who are you talking to?" She asked as she approached the door. "Is there someone at the… oh, my God!" She said as she made eye contact with the visitor.
The little boy looked up at his Grandma. "Gramma, you okay?"
Martha nodded slowly as she opened the door. "Clark." She said softly. She slowly reached for his hand as though he would disappear at any moment. Suddenly, her arms were around his neck and she was crying into his shoulder. "Oh, Clark."
Jerome was tugging on his Grandma. "Gramma, what's wrong?" He couldn't understand why she was crying. "Gramma?"
"Martha, who was at the door?" Jonathan asked as he approached.
Martha slowly pulled away from Clark so Jonathan could see. "Clark?" He asked, disbelieving.
Clark nodded silently. "Son." Jonathan said, grabbing his son's shoulder in a familiar gesture of affection. "It's good to see you, Son."
"You, too, Dad." He replied quietly.
"Grampa, what's going on?" Jerome asked impatiently. "Grampa, who is he?"
Jonathan picked the little boy up. "Jerome, this is Clark JEROME Kent." He said, answering his grandson.
"Hey, I'm Jerome Kent, too." The little boy said, obviously excited.
Clark sat there, obviously confused, while Jonathon and Martha laughed silently at their grandson. "I know, Honey." Martha replied.
"Why is his name the same as mine?" Jerome asked, eyeing the stranger.
"That's a long story, Sweetie." His Grandma answered. "Why don't we take this conversation inside where it's more comfortable?" She asked as she let Jerome down.
The little boy hurried to the door to open it for his grandparents and their visitor. He was about to explode with curiosity. The group filed into the livingroom. Martha and Jonathan took their usual seats in their recliners. Jerome bounced about on the sofa until he was scolded by his grandma, and resolved him self to sitting still on one end of the sofa, for the moment. Clark moved his chair as far into the room as he could, shifted slightly, then turned to his parents.
"I guess you weren't surprised to see this either, considering the ramp out front." He said quietly, gesturing to his chair.
"No, Son." His dad answered. "Lois told us about her visit from Zara and Ching a few months ago."
Clark nodded. "Perry and Jimmy told me about it."
"You've seen Perry and Jimmy?" His mother asked, obviously shocked.
"Yes," he admitted quietly, "I was trying to find Lois, so I contacted the Planet."
"Did you find her?" Jonathan asked.
"Not yet, all they could tell me was that she had moved to Tulsa," Clark answered. "That's part of the reason I'm here. I wanted to go to her first, but since I couldn't find her, I figured you would know how to get in touch with her." He paused. "at least, I was hoping you would." He finished quietly.
"Well, Son, she'll be here in a few minutes." Jonathan said, answering his question.
"Huh?" Clark's head shot up to look at his father.
"She's on her way to pick up Jerome." Martha supplied. Clark looked at the little boy, who had quietly moved from the couch to the pile of his toys in the corner.
Clark rolled that piece of information over in his mind. "Is he…?" He began, his voice thick with emotion.
Martha nodded slowly.
"My son?" Clark asked, uncertain.
"Yes." She replied simply.
"Oh, my God." He said his voice a bare whisper. Tears threatened to fall as he sat there; absorbing the information he had just been given.
"Martha," Lois yelled as she came through the front door.
"In here." Jonathan yelled in response.
Lois entered the room. "Who's car is…" She suddenly stopped when she saw him.
"Clark?" She asked quietly, looking to Martha and Jonathan for confirmation.
Clark turned around to face Lois. Her hair was longer, had been dyed blond and she now wore glasses, but he would recognize her anywhere. "Hi." He said so low Lois almost didn't hear him.
Suddenly Lois was in his lap, her arms wrapped tightly around him.
"I told you I would be back." He whispered in her ear. She nodded silently.
The two remained unmoving for several moments. When Lois looked up again her son was gone, as were his grandparents.
"Oh, Clark. You're here, you're really here." She said, kissing him firmly.
"Yeah. I'm here."
"And you're never going to leave me again, right?" Lois continued. Clark sat quietly. "Right?" She challenged.
Clark sighed, pushing her off his lap. "Please sit, Lois."
"I was until you pushed me off." She stated sharply.
"In a chair, Lois." Clark clarified.
Lois sighed and slowly moved to the couch. Clark moved to where he was in front of her. He took a deep breath and released it slowly. He raised his face to look her in the eye. "I'm not here for the reasons you think." He said simply. "I came to ask you a huge favor." Lois sat, listening to him silently. Receiving no comment, he continued. "I want to use the red kryptonite laser to transfer my powers to you."
"What?" Lois exclaimed.
"I can no longer be Superman, but this world needs a hero. I want to give you my powers so you can be UltraWoman again."
Lois stood up and started to pace. "I can't. I won't." She began. "You're Superman. I was horrible at it, remember? I couldn't get the heat vision right and I couldn't get there in time. I didn't get to…" She continued, in full babble mode.
"Honey, you were great at it." Clark said, trying to stop her tirade.
"I'm not Superman, you are. How could I ever do that? It would kill you to see me do that. It was bad enough when the transfer was temporary, much less doing this." She argued.
"I know." He admitted. "But it would hurt me much more to see innocent people die just because there was no hero to save them. The results greatly outweigh the sacrifices and my personal pain." He paused. "Please, Lois. There's no way I can do it any more. I don't even have all of my powers. I can't fly, my invulnerability is gone." He sighed. "But I still hear the cries for help, the pleas for someone to save them. Do you know how much it hurts to hear someone calling out, begging for mercy and being unable to help them. It's killing me."
Lois' mind was working in overdrive. "So, the only reason you are here is to ask me to become UltraWoman. Not to see me or your parents? As soon as I agree and the transfer is made, which I still haven't said I would to do, you'll leave again? That's it?" Lois asked, enraged. "What about Jerome? You want him to continue to be raised without a father?"
"Look at me." He barked. "How much of a father can I be? I can't feel anything from the waist down." He continued, his voice rising with every word. "I won't be able to teach him the things that fathers normally do. He's better off without me." He finished, his voice filled with anguish.
Lois felt like she'd been slapped in the face. She wanted to slap him, hoping it would bring him to his senses. Did he really want to abandon his son?
"It's not fair to you either, Lois." He continued. "You need someone who is able to work around the house and able to earn a living."
"I don't care about any of that, I just want to be with you."
"Now. But, what about a year from now, five years from now, ten, twenty?" He sighed. "You'll get tired of it, and me."
"How dare you presume to know what I will and will not do. I would not get tired of you. I love you! I want to be with you, regardless. Besides, I thought that Ching and Zara had come up with a treatment."
Clark shook his head. "They thought they had, too. After I was injured, the doctors on New Krypton immediately began working on a solution; however, their work was incomplete before I left. Zara and Ching were instructed by the Council of Elders to come to Earth with the findings of the doctors when their work was complete. If their treatment was a success, the Council expected me to return to New Krypton and resume my position."
"What?" Lois exclaimed, interrupting him. "They were going to kill you because you were injured, but then they were going to have you come back if you were healed? What kind of twisted logic is that?"
Clark nodded. "I would have fought it, if there had been a need. As it turns out, though, it was not a problem. The method they developed depended on me getting all of my powers back once I was back on Earth and that didn't happen."
"Are the doctors going to keep trying?"
"No, it is over. The only solution they could come up with is what Zara and Ching brought a few weeks ago. Since that didn't work, there are no other options for me." He took a deep breath, trying to summon the strength to follow through with his decision. "That is why I want to give you my powers and leave you to your life, let you be happy."
"I wouldn't be happy without you, especially now that I know you aren't on New Krypton anymore. What do I need to do to prove that to you?"
"Nothing, Lois. I know that is how you feel now, but I can promise you that those feelings will change. I thought I could handle this at first, but each day it has gotten harder and harder to accept that this is how I will be, forever." He ran his hand through his hair. "That's how I know that you will eventually regret wanting to be with me. I don't want to get that far and hurt both of us, or Jerome." Clark straightened himself. "That is why I am leaving once the transfer is complete, regardless of what you say."
"Did you tell your parents this hair-brained idea?" Lois asked, her temper barely in check.
"No, not yet. I wanted to talk to you first."
"What?" She practically screamed. "You knew that I wouldn't be happy about it. Did you think I would be okay with this? Did you think I would just roll over and take this? Did you honestly think I had changed that much?"
"No, but I was hoping." He admitted. He ran a frustrated hand through his hair.
Lois remained on the couch as she watched him move out of the livingroom. From her vantage point, she could see him pause at the foot of the stairs. She rose to meet him. "Clark?" He turned to face her. "What are you doing?"
"Nothing." He paused. "Just wishing."
"For?"
"I want to see my room."
"Well… come here. I want to show you something." She said, grabbing his wheelchair handles.
"Lois, please, I just want to be left alone." He argued.
"Too bad." She said as she stopped at a door.
"You wanted to show me the den? Lois, I used to live here. The den has looked the same for the past 20 years."
"Patience, Clark." She replied, opening the door.
"I'm telling you…" Clark continued, "it looks just like…" He paused as he finally noticed the furniture. "my room?" He moved into the room, Lois following closely behind. He turned to her. "What is this?"
"After Zara and Ching told us about the attack and everything that happened, we installed the ramps and moved your room downstairs."
"How did you know I would be back?"
"We didn't. We just hoped you would."
"I'm surprised any of you would still talk to me after you learned that I had been back for so long without telling you."
"Of course not. We love you. I won't deny that it hurt, but we realized that you were being a lunkhead, and hoped that, one day, you would come home or I would find you." Lois finished softly.
Clark looked around his room. "Could you give me a minute?" He said without turning to face her.
"Sure." She said, patting him on the shoulder as she left, closing the door behind her.
He heard the door quietly shut. He sighed and slumped into his chair in defeat. This was even harder that he imagined. How could they still love him after everything he had done?
Lois went out and sat with Martha under the oak tree in the back yard.
"Where's Clark?" Martha asked as Lois approached.
"In the den." She answered, picking up her son. "He wanted some time alone."
Martha nodded. "Makes sense."
"Martha, he wants me to take his powers and be UltraWoman again."
"What did you tell him?"
"I haven't. I'm scared that I won't be able to do it. What about Jerome? Who will watch him when I'm at an emergency?"
"Now, what's the real reason?" Martha prodded.
"I'm scared that once I agree to do it, and the transfer is made, that he will leave again."
"Surely not."
"He said he would."
"Well, of course he won't, especially after he gets to know this little boy."
"Mommy, who is that man?" Jerome asked softly.
Lois looked to Martha for guidance. "You might as well tell him." Lois nodded.
"That man is your daddy."
"My daddy?" Jerome questioned. Lois nodded. "Why's he in that chair?"
"Because he hurt his back and can't walk."
"When will his back get better?"
"It won't, honey." Lois answered quietly. Her son struggled to get out of her lap. "Where are you going?"
"Get a drink." He said, and took off toward the house.
Clark looked up when he heard the door open. "Jerome, what are you doing?"
The little boy walked slowly toward Clark. He stopped just in front of his chair. "Are you my daddy?" He asked quietly.
Clark looked at him a moment. "Yeah, I am."
The little boy stood there a minute. "Mommy told me you hurt your back; that you can't walk."
"Yeah."
"Does it hurt?"
Clark smiled. "No, it doesn't hurt."
"Did your mom kiss it and make it better?"
"No, I was a long way away when I got hurt."
"Oh." Jerome looked around the room then turned back to his dad. "Is it okay if I give you a hug?"
"I'd like that." Clark answered.
Jerome stepped forward. Clark picked Jerome up and set him in his lap. Jerome wrapped his arms around Clark's neck and held on tight. Clark held his son close to his chest. The two stayed that way for several minutes. Tears ran silently from Clark's eyes.
"Clark," Lois opened the door to the den. "Have you seen…" She stopped when she saw her son in his lap.
"I'm sorry." She said, scooping her son up. "He said he was going to get a drink…"
"It's okay."
"I know that you need some time alone."
"It's okay really." Clark looked at his son. "He's cute."
Lois smiled. "He looks like you." She sat him down. "Go see your grandma."
"Okay."
"He seems like a good boy."
Lois nodded. "He is. He had to be. I have taken him to work with me since he was old enough to walk."
"I was never that quiet or still when I was that age."
"That's what Martha said."
Clark nodded. He looked around the room. "Looks like you got everything of value in here."
"We tried." Lois said looking at Clark's numerous trophies. "Everything else from your apartment was put in storage. We kept everything."
"I figured you would." Clark replied. "I didn't expect this, though."
Lois sighed. "After Ching and Zara came, we realized that when you came back, you might not be able to use your room upstairs. We wanted you to be happy and feel at home again."
Clark nodded silently.
"Kids, dinner." Martha yelled from the kitchen.
"Come on." Lois said, opening the door. "One thing I've learned in the past six years is 'don't be late to the dinner table'."
"I definitely remember that." Clark said, following Lois out the door.
Clark pulled up to the table. "Why'd you get a new table, Mom?"
"Well… the other one was just so old and needed to be refinished. It was just easier to get a new one." She answered, putting the pinto beans on the table.
"Uh, huh." Clark replied, unbelieving. "You guys thought it was too low for my chair to fit under." He said quietly.
Lois nodded. "We tried to think of everything." She answered, as she put Jerome in his booster seat.
"Thank you." He sighed. "I just wish you didn't have to do all of this."
"Honey, we did it because we love you." Martha said as she started the fried potatoes around the table.
"I just wish…" Clark began.
"Wishing isn't going to change anything, Son." Jonathan interrupted.
Clark nodded. "I know."
"Clark, what are you doing out here?" Jonathan asked, approaching his son.
"Nothing, just thinking." He paused, "The stars aren't this bright in the city."
"Still living in the city?" Jonathan asked, innocently.
"Not Metropolis, not even a city the size of Metropolis, but it's still big enough that you can't see the stars."
"Ah."
They remained in silence for a moment.
"Oklahoma City is so spread out though."
"Yeah."
"The Daily Oklahoman's not a bad paper."
"I like it."
"You had some good articles lately."
Clark turned to his dad. "Wait a second. How did you know what articles were mine? How did you know I was even there?"
Jonathan smiled. "Remember the I-40 bridge collapse?"
"Yeah, what about it?"
"Lois was at the press conference."
"She was? I didn't see her."
"Yeah, she was there, on assignment from the Tulsa World. She pegged you as soon as she saw you at the briefing, then you asked a question, giving her your name and the paper you worked for to her without knowing it."
"Why didn't she come to me?"
Jonathan sighed. "You'll have to ask her about that, Son. I know she talked about it at one time, but then she didn't do it, so I don't know."
Clark nodded. "I didn't think anyone could recognize me."
"Everyone that loves you can."
"What about Lois?"
"What about her?"
"Why did she change her name and everything?"
Jonathan paused a moment. "She was running away, Clark."
"Running away? From what?"
Jonathan looked at his son directly in the eye. "The pain, Clark. The pain of living in Metropolis without you, working at the Planet without you, raising Jerome without you."
Clark was shocked. "She just decided one day to throw her entire life away?"
"Without you, she didn't want that life. Her work started to go downhill; she never got to see Jerome, and couldn't take it. So, she changed her name and interviewed at the Tulsa World as a junior reporter."
"Lois, a junior reporter?" Clark asked, incredulous.
Jonathan nodded. "That's why she was at Webber's Falls that day."
The pair remained in silence for a few minutes.
"What did she change her name to?"
"Karli Kent."
"Kent?" Clark questioned, obviously shocked.
"Yes, she wanted her and Jerome to have the same last name."
"What about Karli?"
"You'd have to ask her. I think it was the girl name that she could think of that was closest to yours." Jonathan answered.
"Why would she change her name though?"
"She wanted a new start, where she wouldn't always be associated with you."
"Oh," Clark said, disheartened.
"She wasn't trying to forget you, Clark, just the pain. She missed you so bad, it hurt. Every time she heard her name without yours, it hurt her. She couldn't stand being without you. Then her work started to suffer, and she just could not take it. Like I said, she was running away."
"I just can't believe that Lois would run away from anything."
"When it comes to you, Lois is completely different." Jonathan explained. "She loves you so much that being away from you causes her pain."
"Lois?" Clark called as he entered the house.
"Back here."
"What are you doing?" Clark asked as he entered his room.
"Getting a pillow and blanket." She answered, heading toward the door with her things.
"Why? Is your bed not made already?"
"All the beds are full, so I'm going to sleep on the sofa."
"Why don't you sleep in my old room?"
"Jerome claimed it. He likes sleeping in there because it was yours. Anything that deals with you, he claims." Lois smiled. "And, apparently, little boys are not supposed to have to share a bed with their Mommy, so… that puts me without a bed."
"My parents actually let you get away with sleeping on the couch? Guests were never allowed to sleep anywhere other than a bed. It was rude to make them do that."
"I'm not a guest. I'm family."
"I know, but still. They would have never let me take the bed and make an adult sleep on the couch."
"I don't usually."
"What's different this time?"
"The owner of the bed that I usually sleep in is here to use it." She admitted.
"Oh." Clark replied simply. "I get it." He looked at her. "I would be more than willing to sleep on the couch if I could."
Lois smiled. "I know. I don't mind, really. If I had to choose between seeing you and getting to sleep in a bed instead of a couch, I think the choice would be obvious."
"I just don't like the thought of you having to sleep on that uncomfortable thing." Clark looked at the bed. "Hey, wait a minute. This isn't my bed." He said accusingly.
"I know." Lois said quietly. "We didn't know how much room you would need or anything, so we got you a queen size bed and hoped it would work."
Clark nodded. "More changes…" He mumbled. He looked at his bed again. "Well… you know, I don't really need that much room and I won't move around at all at night, so…" He said shyly.
"Mr. Kent, are you suggesting what I think you are?" Lois asked.
"Nothing like that…" He quickly corrected, his facing turning crimson. "Just… sharing… the bed. That way you wouldn't have to sleep in the couch."
Lois sat down on the side of the bed. "It's fine with me. I just don't want you to be uncomfortable."
"Lois, we've slept in the same bed before." Clark pointed out.
"Yes, I know." Lois quickly responded. "I believe I was there and I have proof of it."
"Oh, yeah." Clark answered, shyly.
"Yeah." Lois answered softly. "Let me just go get my stuff." She said moving toward the door. "I'll be right back."
"Alright."
Lois took her time getting her things and securing the house. She stopped in and checked on her son, who was sleeping peacefully in Clark's old bed room. She smiled to herself as she shut the door to his room. When she got back to the den, Clark had already gotten in bed. She turned the light off, and then climbed in beside him, slowly edging over to his side of the bed, giving him plenty of time to reject her actions. To her relief, he made no move to stop her. She finally stopped when her head was resting on his chest.
Clark silently wrapped his arm around her. He knew that it was a bad idea to get so close, but he had missed having Lois in his arms just as much as Lois had missed him and he was relishing every moment. It would make it that much harder in the end to leave, he knew, but he just could not pass up the opportunity to spend the night with Lois by his side.
"I've missed this." Lois said, burrowing further into his chest.
Clark planted a kiss on her forehead. "Me, too. I've missed a lot of things." He said softly.
"I know." She answered quietly. "But, you don't have to anymore."
Clark took a deep breath. He wished Lois could understand where he was coming from. He squeezed her arm gently as she snuggled closer. Within minutes he heard Lois' breathing slow and he knew that she had fallen to sleep. He smiled and kissed her hair softly. Soon, he, too, was sleeping peacefully.
Clark slowly awoke to Lois restlessly sleeping on her side of the bed. Turning on the light on his side of the bed, he could see that she was wildly fighting her covers.
"No." She moaned. "No, Clark, don't leave. Don't leave me." Clark reached over and carefully pulled her toward him. "Clark." She continued. "Please, don't… no, Clark, no." He wrapped her up in his arms, holding her tightly to his body.
"I'm here, Lois. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere." He consoled her. "Shh, I'm here." He softly stroked her hair. "Shh, it's okay. I'm here. I'll never leave you again. I promise."
Lois slowly started to relax in Clark's embrace. Within minutes, she was quietly sleeping again. Clark sighed heavily. What now? He squeezed Lois tightly as he looked at the ceiling for answers. Damn Kryptonians. Why did he ever go to that forsaken rock? He was sure that Lois had wondered the exact same thing a million times when he was gone. Why did he go? At the time, it seemed like the logical thing to do. His 'people' needed help and he could help them. At least, he thought he could.
Once he arrived, he realized that it was going to be a much more difficult task than he had imagined. Nor and his men had already well-established their ground. The area they controlled gave Nor's group a significant advantage tactically. Clark determined this quickly upon his arrival to New Krypton. Understanding that his experience in this type of situation was limited at best, he quickly solicited Ching's assistance to create a battle plan to give his troops the upper hand. Slowly, his army began to reclaim crucial pieces of land. Each day, Clark's people reduced the power Nor and his men held. Each day, Clark would hope that that day would be the day he and his people finally defeated Nor and he would be able to leave the Hell Hole he was in. Each day, he and his men would fall short and he vowed that Nor would be defeated tomorrow.
Clark remained on the front line day after day, month after month, year after year, while the Council of Elders chastised him for doing so. 'Your place is in the palace' they said, but Clark remained on the battlefield. 'How can I order men to fight for a cause that I am not willing to risk my life for?' He argued. Finally, after hours of debating, the Council acquiesced to Clark's insistence on fighting with the army. Looking back, Clark realized that he should have listened to the Council's advice. If he had, he would not be at this point. Then again, had he not been injured, he would probably still be on New Krypton, although the war would be over by now, he would still be there, light years away from his family, light years away from the woman he loved.
He loved her more than life itself, more than being Superman, and, he realized suddenly, more than the use of his legs. Lois meant more to him than anything in his life. He would rather spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair with Lois than living on New Krypton, where he could have any tangible possession, without her. It was worth it, he finally determined. It was worth everything he had been through in the past two years, just to be here holding her in his arms.
Given the same situation, he would do it all again in a heartbeat. The only thing he would change was his decision to leave in the first place. That was where he made his mistake. If he had not left, he would have been there when Lois was carrying his child, he could have witnessed the birth of his son, he could have watched Jerome grow. But, that was a decision that could never be taken back, he realized sadly. Now only one decision remained, have Lois in his life, if she would have him, or run away, make the transfer and disappear forever.
Did he really want to make Lois take care of him for the rest of his life? It was a heavy burden to make her bear. Could he do that to her? 'No' he concluded, but then a new thought entered his mind. Could he live without her? No. So where did that leave him? At the beginning. He remembered what his father had told him about Lois earlier that evening. 'She loves you so much that being away from you causes her pain.' he had said. Clark recognized that he felt the same way about her. The past six years had been hell for him. Longing for Lois every day had been pure torture. Why put himself through more pain? No, it had to stop here. He would ask Lois to take him back, if she would. Tomorrow, he would propose to her again, to give her an opportunity to back out, if she wanted. He just prayed she wouldn't. With the decision made, Clark squeezed Lois tightly, moved her closer to him, and then drifted back to sleep.
Martha opened the door to Clark's room early the next morning, looking for Lois. She smiled softly at the scene she found. Lois and Clark were sleeping soundly in each other's arms, both with a small grin on their face. She quietly closed the door and let them sleep.
Jerome came barreling down the stairs just after 8 o'clock. He was about to go to the den to look for his mom when his grandma stopped him. "You're mom's still asleep." She said softly.
"Is she okay?" He asked, worried. She never slept this late.
Martha nodded. "Yes, Honey, she's just fine."
"Where's my dad?"
"He's asleep, too." Martha answered. "Will you do me a favor?" The little boy nodded. "Will you go get me some eggs from the chicken coup for breakfast? Do you think you can do that?"
"Yeah."
"Now remember what I told you about the chickens." She called after him.
"I know." He answered. "I'll be careful."
"Good boy."
Lois was the first of the pair to wake up. She slowly untangled herself from Clark, trying not to wake him up as well. Having successfully done so, she quietly made her way to the door. She found Martha sitting at the kitchen table.
"You look like you slept well." Martha observed as Lois got a cup of coffee.
Lois smiled as she sat down at the table. "I did." She answered. "I think I had a nightmare early on, but then I just felt so calm afterward that I slept like a baby."
"You looked very comfortable when I checked on you two earlier."
Lois blushed. "Yeah, Clark didn't like the idea of me sleeping on the couch, so he suggested we share the bed."
Martha smiled. "I didn't like the idea either, but I didn't know how to take care of it."
Lois smiled. "Well, Clark took care of it."
"What did I take care of?" Clark asked as he came in, still in his boxers and a t-shirt.
"Clark Jerome Kent!" His mother said, shocked. "Where are your clothes?"
"I know. I'll go get dressed in a second, but I needed a cup of coffee. Besides, I wanted to know what I took care of."
"Me sleeping on the couch." Lois explained.
"Oh, that." Clark said, blushing.
"What is it with you two?" Martha asked laughing. "Why are you blushing at the idea of me knowing you slept in the same bed last night? For heaven's sake, you have a son. Do you think I don't know how that happened?"
Lois and Clark looked at each other. Lois shrugged helplessly while Clark just shook his head and moved to the coffee pot, got a cup and retreated back to his room. He reemerged a while later in a fresh t-shirt and athletic shorts.
"Better?" He asked as he reentered the kitchen.
"A little." His mom answered, briefly taking her attention away from the eggs frying on the stove. "Those shorts aren't much better than boxers in my opinion."
"Where's Lois?"
"Out on the porch watching Jerome play, I think." His mother answered.
"Lois," Clark called as he made his way onto the porch.
"Out here." She answered.
"What are you doing?" He asked, moving beside her.
"Just thinking." She answered softly.
"About?" He prodded.
"Us. What we've been through, what happens now."
"I've been thinking about that, too." He admitted.
"Have you found any answers?"
"Maybe." Clark replied, removing his necklace. "At least I know what my next move is going to be."
Lois sighed defeated. "You're leaving, aren't you? I thought you would. Don't worry, I'll agree to the transfer. The world needs a superhero…"
"Marry me." Clark said, interrupting her.
"So, I'll go ahead and do it because…" What Clark said finally registered. "What?" She asked.
"Marry me." He said simply.
Lois' eyes filled with tears. "Okay." She answered, moving to sit in his lap. "You promise you won't leave?"
"Never. Being away from you causes me pain."
Lois smiled. "Me, too, Clark. Me, too." She said, kissing him firmly on the lips.
Epilogue:
Lois held up the latest edition of the Tulsa World. "UltraWoman Extinguishes AirGas Blaze" by Lois Lane and Clark Kent. Clark looked at the article admiringly. "Not a bad debut."
Lois smiled. "I know. Nothing nearly as dramatic as saving a space shuttle, but I guess it will do."
Clark laughed softly. "Well, you can't have everything." He answered.
"I know." She said, kissing him softly.
She put the paper down on his desk, and then moved back to her cubicle. She looked toward the Editor's office. He had been surprised to say the least when he found out that Karli Kent, a junior reporter, was in fact the great Lois Lane from one of the best newspapers printed. He quickly upgraded her status and her assignments began to be worthy of being on the front page. If that wasn't enough to give him a mild heart attack, two days later Clark Kent came in to interview for a position at the paper. The editor didn't waste any time in getting the former award-winning team back together. Soon, 'Lane and Kent' bylines were gracing the front page of the Tulsa World. They both missed the Planet, but agreed that they didn't want Jerome to be raised in Metropolis.
Lois looked over to her husband and smiled, thankful he was there. The adjustment period had been rough, but they survived and were enjoying their life together. They had bought a house in Verdigris, a small suburb north of Tulsa. It had a small school that Jerome attended, but was close enough to Tulsa that the family could get the things they needed.
The power transfer worked and Lois was constantly busy acting as the world's resident superhero. Perry and Jimmy stayed in close contact with the Kent's and were the only people outside the family that knew the true identity of the new hero. Of course, Perry had been upset initially with their decision to not return to the Daily Planet, but understood their reasons.
Lois thought about her life now compared to what it was that horrible night so long ago. That night when she thought everything was over, that life would never be the same. But, in the end, life went on, and the life after was wonderful.
Fin