Title: The Whole Story
Author: llk6165
Pairing: (if any) anticipates Lois and Clark
Rating: PG for first 2 chapters. Maybe PG-13 for updates
Spoilers for Spell, Bride, Bulletproof, Power and Requiem
Short summary:This story explains the events between Bride until. This is my first fanfic. Includes scenes not aired.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything or anyone in this story
Chapter 1 What He Didn't Know
Lana looked at her cell phone. Her text message read, "Did the archer believe you?" She smiled. She typed her text reply to Simone, "Yes, and I am here to implement step 2 of the plan. Meet me later tonight at Isis. Bring the amulet."
The first step in Lana's plan was to get the Green Arrow to trust her. She did not need him interfering with her plans. She could not manipulate him easily – like she could Clark. Clark was the last impediment to her plan. By the time her plan came to full fruition, not even the mighty Clark Kent would be able to stop her.
Lana would make Clark love her again, and then he would be subjected to her every whim; he would believe her every lie. In the past during their childhood, Lana had always maintained a pretty good reign on Clark's emotions. Her influence over him amused her. Once she learned about his powers, the thought of being able to manipulate him empowered her. She found the feeling intoxicating and craved even more, but she would never get what she needed playing house with Clark Kent. Not even Lex Luthor satisfied her craving. That is why she left all those months ago. Now she was back and power, as known by no other, would soon be hers.
Initially, Lana was confident she could make Clark love her again. After all, that is what she had done so many times before, but she needed the amulet. With it, she could place him under a spell to insure he would not prevent her from achieving her goal of becoming the most powerful person on the planet. Even when he professed his love for her, Clark still stubbornly lived by his annoying code of morality and goodness.
When Lana walked into the barn at Chloe's wedding her initial confidence in her ability to control Clark wavered. He did not rush into her arms. Instead when he met her in the loft, he complained that she did not give him prior notice of her arrival. Lana did her best to control her temper and showed Clark only the side she wanted him to see –the sweet, loving, selfless girl of his childhood. Lana laughed to herself at the thought of the illusion she had perpetuated over the years. There was also the fact that if Lana had not shown up when she did, Clark would have kissed Lois.
Lois Lane - the only possible snare in her plan. Lana wondered how susceptible Clark would be to the magical powers of the amulet with Lois around. During her seven months away, Lana had moles reporting back to her on the activities of Clark Kent. She knew that Clark had succumbed to the powers of Maxima – until he saw Lois. Once he saw Lois, Maxima's spell was immediately broken.
Lana thought back to the time she had caught Clark and Simone together years ago. Even though Clark had seen Lana, it was not enough to break the spell Simone had placed over Clark. Lana wondered why Lois could break Maxima's spell, when she herself was not able to break Simone's spell.
"No matter," Lana thought to herself. "With the amulet, he will be putty in my hands once again – as long as I keep him away from Lois." Killing Lois would be too obvious. Lana had to find another way to get rid of her. Fortunately, unexpected help arrived in the form of a freakish monster, who swept Chloe away and nearly killed Jimmy Olsen. With Chloe missing, Lois ended up going away to take care of Jimmy. Lana was grateful for the strange being. Whatever that thing was, it took care of the Lois Lane problem.
After the attack and when Lana got out of the hospital, she met Simone at Isis. "You're late." Simone complained.
"A little side trip," Lana replied. "Where is the amulet?"
Simone notice blood on Lana's dress, but didn't care enough to inquire. "Where is the money?" she asked instead.
Lana opened a briefcase revealing the bills to Simone. Simone did not demand as much money for the amulet as Lana had expected, and with the money she previously stole from Lex, Simone's demands were no problem. "A prudent investment," Lana thought.
Simone removed the amulet from her neck and placed it on the desk. Lana took it and pushed the brief case towards Simone. "I am glad to see there are no bad feelings since our last encounter." Simone said, reaching for the briefcase.
Lana smiled. "Aunt Nell always told me to keep your friends close and your enemies closer."
Lana returned to the Kent farm. With the amulet, she was ready to move forward with her plans, but was delayed. Clark was preoccupied with finding Chloe. Although Lana found Chloe irrelevant to her own goals, she feigned concern. She did not want to risk Clark's loyalty to Chloe interfering with the amulet's powers. Then, three unexpected visitors, allegedly from the future, created another problem. If they were truly from the future, Lana feared they would be able to break any spell she put on Clark. It was not worth taking the risk. She would be patient.
After Clark found Chloe, he did not spend too much time with Lana. He was busy fixing the damage to the farm created by the strange monster. After that, he insisted he had to get back to work in Metropolis to continue on some project he and Lois and been working on. Once the three visitors left, Lana was ready. She invited Clark out for dinner the next night. They agreed to meet after he got out of work.
Lana was surprised Clark took a job in Metropolis at the Daily Planet. She had always thought Clark would dedicate the rest of his life to working on his family's farm. He had told her that Lois encouraged him to apply for a job. "Always Lois Lane," Lana snorted.
Lana waited for over an hour before finally realizing that Clark was not going to meet her for dinner. She managed to track him down at Metropolis General Hospital. When she confronted Clark, she was in for a surprise. He forgot about their date.
"So much for the good old days." Lana thought. Fortunately, she had the amulet with her. She held up a cup of coffee out to Clark. When he reached for it, she raised the cup so that it was on the same level of the amulet. As Clark reached for the cup, the amulet caught his eye. Clark blinked a couple of times and shook his head as if trying to clear his mind. "He's fighting it." Lana thought. He would need continuous exposure to the amulet for her to completely control him.
Lana did not see Clark for a few days. He was working on solving some crime, and did not return her calls. Finally one night when Lana was behind the bar at the Talon, Clark walked in. He casually mentioned something about being 14 again. Lana quickly moved from behind the bar and stood directly in front of Clark so the amulet would catch his eye. A few moments later, Clark told Lana he was tired of making sacrifices for everyone else. "Kiss me," she quietly commanded. He seemed to have difficulty finding her lips, but eventually he complied.
Lana knew the value of having a backup plan. She did not want to have to rely solely on the powers of the amulet, particularly when there was a small chance Lois would show up and possibly break the spell. With a little help from Tess Mercer, Lana was able to convince Clark that she had been kidnapped and forced to make the goodbye DVD at gunpoint. She then hired a homeless person to meet Clark at the Luthor home to pose as a man who trained Lana to endure torture and pain. It was a farfetched story, but Clark seemed to buy into it. Throwing Clark off track with these stories gave Lana just enough time to obtain her powers.
Once her powers were in place, Lana was ready for the Kryptonite infusion. As expected when Clark first found out she had powers, he was not happy about it. He was concerned she would abuse the powers like she did last time. She had to keep the spell over Clark, so he would not try to interfere with her plan and the most important step – the Krytponite infusion.
Using the amulet, she was able to make him believe he was in love with her, although she was a bit surprised in the middle of the night when Clark called out Lois's name. Apparently, when Clark slept, the spell weakened because he was not looking at the amulet, but during the day exposure to the amulet captivated him again. Lana made sure she stayed close to keep Clark's eye on the amulet.
When the time for the infusion came, Lana used the old her old standby, "I have to sacrifice myself because I love you Clark. This is for the good of the world." Lana didn't really need to tell him that because she was controlling him with the amulet, but old habits die hard.
Once the infusion was complete, Lana was anxious to be on her way, but still needed to make sure it worked. After that, she would have no further use for Clark. Once she was gone, the spell over Clark would be broken, but if the infusion worked, she would no longer need to the amulet to control him. She had the Kryptonite. She was the Kryptonite.
Lana summoned Clark to meet her in the loft. She had to get him close to her to make sure she could weaken him. Making sure his gaze was focused on the amulet, she told him she was leaving. As she expected, he rushed to her, but quickly fell to his knees. Lana felt a rush of power surge through her with the realization that she was indeed the most powerful person on the planet.
Lana thought briefly about killing Clark, but held back. She enjoyed seeing him on his knees reaching out to her. She wanted to remember him that way. With the Kryptonite, he was no threat. As she left the loft, she glanced over her shoulder and saw him - still on his knees reaching for her. She laughed and then sped away.
Chapter 2 His Own Revelation
The spell was starting to wear off. At first, Clark did not realize he had been under a spell. He left the loft, and was now alone in the living room of the farm house. The room was dark. Everything was quite. As he sat on the couch, Clark thought back to the events of the last few months, particularly the last few weeks.
During the time Lana was gone. Clark felt himself moving on. He stopped holding on to his life on the farm. He began to embrace his destiny. He got a job in Metropolis at the Daily Planet and was working with Lois.
He smiled as he thought of Lois. She was so… so Lois. Clark couldn't think of the words to describe her. He was the strongest, fastest man in the world, but the thought of Lois Lane overwhelmed him. She was a whirlwind. Clark found that his head was always spinning when he was around her. She was intimidating to say the least. The more time he spent with her, the more fascinated he became. Over the last few months, the spinning in his head, turned into butterflies in his stomach whenever she was near. The funny thing was, instead of feeling weak around her, he felt stronger. He wanted to be stronger for her - not just physically, but emotionally as well.
Clark knew he was falling for Lois. He never acted on those feelings because well, she was Lois Lane. Clark feared she would reject him and run. He never quite knew where he stood with her. Just when he felt like he was beginning to understand her game plan, she changed the rules on him. When they first met, years ago, she taunted him and frustrated him; but most of all, she always kept a distance. Over time, the space between them closed but not as much as Clark would have liked.
Lois kept a wall around her heart. On rare occasions, Clark caught glimpses behind that wall. He was amazed by what he discovered - a woman with a great capacity for love, but with just as great a fear of getting hurt. She had experienced so much emotional abandonment starting from when she was a little girl. Now, as a grown woman, it was as if she was still trying to protect that side of herself, but she was always there for him when he needed her.
Clark thought about the recent months with Lois and their time together at the Planet. The way they worked together amazed Clark. Most times, they disagreed about how they should pursue a lead or write a story, but ultimately they balanced each other out. No, it was more than that. They completed each other.
Clark found he was becoming tuned in to Lois. He seemed to always be aware of her presence, and it even got to the point where he could pick her heartbeat out of a crowd in the middle of Metropolis – even if he was in Smallville. Although Lois was never predictable, Clark somehow began to anticipate her actions. She began to do the same with him. Clark could feel energy flowing between them, like electricity.
Sometimes Clark would watch Lois. Fortunately, because of his super speed, he never got caught, but it was also because of his super speed that he would catch her looking at him. Whenever he tried to make eye contact, she would quickly look away. He noticed that during this time her heart would skip a beat. Clark wondered if she was starting to develop feelings for him as well.
Clark wanted to know what was inside the heart and mind of Lois Lane. He wanted her to know what was in his heart and mind. He needed that. He was waiting for the perfect moment to talk to her about his feelings, but it never came.
Lois was always looking into some lead or chasing some story. It got to the point where it went far beyond the line of duty. Lois started to become consumed with work. She would not talk to him about anything else. Clark wondered if perhaps she was aware of the bond developing between them and used work to avoid the truth – to avoid the inevitable.
Clark thought back to the day, Lois was forced to admit her feelings for him- the day of the polygraph. The two of them were facing each other strapped into chairs. The Kryptonite made him helpless and vulnerable to electrocution if Lois lied. She had to tell the truth, even if it was not what he wanted to hear.
The question, "Underneath it all do you love this man."
Lois was crying. She did not want to answer the question. Clark looked at Lois. "Just tell the truth." He said. She remained silent.
Again the question, "Do you love this man."
"Tell the truth," Clark urged.
Lois, her eyes cast downward and still crying, finally answered, "Yes." She slowly looked up at Clark. Clark braced himself for the electrical shock. It never came. She was telling the truth. She loved him.
Even though he had hoped she had feelings for him, hearing her admit it, shocked him. Clark took a deep breath. He knew he would be required to answer the same question. He took a deep breath. This was hardly the perfect moment he had been hoping for, but he had no choice. He could not cause her any pain. He prepared himself.
"And you, do you love this woman." Their captor came very close to Clark. It was probably his only chance to escape and save Lois. His declaration of love would wait for another time, a better time. Clark managed to hit their captor, and in the struggle the Kryptonite fell down a sewer. It only took a moment for Clark to regain his strength. He broke the bonds that restrained him, and then subdued the madman.
Clark returned to Lois and freed her from her bonds. He looked up at her. She was trembling. He could her heart racing. Clark wasn't sure if it was because of what she had admitted to or because of the trauma of the kidnapping.
The next morning, Clark looked for Lois, but she evaded him for most of the day. Finally, he managed to get her alone in the elevator. He wasn't sure what to say. Should he just declare his love for her? The elevator hardly seemed like the perfect place. Lois deserved better.
Clark made small talk. Eventually, Lois claimed she had freed herself from the polygraph sensor and that her declaration of love had been a lie. The stabbing pain in Clark's heart surprised him. At that point in time, he would have preferred Kryptonite.
Gradually things between Lois and Clark went back to normal or at least normal for them. They followed leads, met with informants, wrote stories. Lois would always find trouble, and Clark would always reprimand her about taking too many chances. The days and months went by.
Clark never seemed to find the right time to talk to Lois. He wanted the moment to be perfect. So, he did nothing until the night of Chloe's wedding. During the reception, the band began to play a slow song. Clark stood a few feet from Lois and stared at her. He let her catch him looking this time. He heard her heart skip a beat. In typical Lois fashion, she started to rush off mumbling something about needing to rest. Clark laughed to himself. He never knew Lois to rest.
As she walked past him, he grabbed her hand and nodded his head towards the dance floor. He slowly led her to the dance floor, never taking her eyes off her. They danced in silence. He could hear her heart beating; he could feel his own heart beating as he moved closer to her. It was as if their hearts were reaching towards each other.
Suddenly Clark felt Lois's body suddenly pressed up against him. He felt a surge of electricity pass through him, but as quickly as it happened, it was gone. Someone accidentally pushed Lois into him. She quickly jumped back, and Clark felt a sense of loss at the separation, but he refused to let her go of her hand. He slowly pulled her towards him but not to dance. He stood there staring at her. She looked at him with a question in her eyes. He moved closer. He looked past her eyes and into her soul. He wanted her to see his soul.
Clark continued to move towards Lois. Although, her eyes questioned, she moved towards him as well. He slowly leaned into her. He felt her hand over his heart. He could her hear heart racing and he wondered if she could feel his heart pounding beneath her hand. He was so close. He felt her soft breath on his lips. He closed his eyes. Then, the sound of Chloe's voice drew them apart. He looked up.
Lana was back. That was the last thing Clark expected. A chill overcame him as he felt Lois withdraw the warmth of her body from him. In shock he stood there watching Chloe and Lana for a few moments. He knew he had to deal with this. This was his opportunity to say goodbye, to close that door. Lana denied him the chance seven months ago. Recovering from his shock, Clark turned to explain to Lois that he needed to talk to Lana, but she had disappeared. From that point on things went downhill.
Clark did not see Lois again until much later at the hospital, but because of everything that had happened, it was neither the time nor place to try to resume what he had started on the dance floor. He remembered the look on Lois's face as she left him at the hospital. It broke his heart. In that moment, Clark realized his heart had never truly been broken before; but until he found Chloe, there was nothing he could do.
Soon after Clark found Chloe, he called Lois. He wanted to be the one to tell her Chloe was safe. He imagined the smile on her face when she heard the news, but he never got the chance to talk to her. She did not answer the phone, so he left a message instead.
Clark wanted to take Chloe to Star City to be with Jimmy. Then, he could see Lois. One thing stopped him - Lana. She asked him to have dinner with her. Being Clark Kent, he did not want to hurt her feelings, plus he wanted to find closure with her. That was important to him because he knew Lois would never accept him, if she thought he any feelings left for Lana. He agreed to meet Lana for dinner the next day after work.
The next day, Clark tried unsuccessfully to call Lois. He began to wonder if Lois was screening her calls. Clark's insecurities surfaced. Had he been imagining things during their dance? Was she avoiding him, the way she did after the polygraph incident? Maybe she didn't want to talk to him because he tried to kiss her. Maybe his feelings for Lois were one sided after all.
Clark worked late into the evening that night. About a month before the wedding, he and Lois began investigating a series of brutal killings. Each killing had one thing in common. Davis Bloome was the first paramedic on the scene for each of the victims.
Clark went to the hospital to review ambulance logs. At some point, he heard a familiar voice and turned around - Lana. He wondered why she was there holding two cups of coffee. She reminded him that they were supposed to meet after work. Between his thoughts of Lois and of work, he had completely forgotten about Lana and lost track of time. Lana seemed to understand. She raised a cup of coffee towards him. When he reached for it, she did not release the cup immediately. Clark looked at the cup and then past it. For a moment, he felt dizzy, but he shook it off.
Clark did not see Lana for a few days. During this time, he often thought of Lois and the possibility that he could have someone special in his life and embrace his destiny at the same time. While he was working undercover, he met a number of police officers. He noticed that even though they helped people, many managed to have families of their own.
One officer told Clark that family made it all worthwhile. The officer then asked if Clark had anyone who made it all worthwhile. Clark immediately thought of Lois. He said goodbye to the officer. Once alone, Clark pulled out his cell phone and dialed her number. On the fourth ring, he heard her voice. It was then he realized he had been holding his breath.
"Hello…hello,"
Clark didn't understand why he froze but he did. He couldn't speak
"Smallville, is that you."
Finally, he found his voice. "Uh, yeah. Lois. Hi. It's me…Clark," he said. His voice was shaking.
"Why do you sound so nervous?" Lois asked. They both were silent. Lois, of course, broke the silence.
"Look Smallville," she said impatiently, "Chloe called. Thank you for finding her, but I am still waiting for her to get here, and Jimmy is still in a coma. I'm busy here ok. Chloe's fine and she told me you have Lana back now. So, you have nothing to complain about. I gotta go. They're bringing Jimmy back from his MRI."
The phone went dead. Clark felt the same sense of disappointment he felt the day in the elevator after the polygraph. As much as he wanted Lois to return his feelings, he couldn't make her feel something she didn't feel. Clark loved Lois too much to push her and risk losing her friendship. If all he could have was her friendship for now, he'd have to take it. As painful as it was, not having her in his life at all was unbearable. He would wait and hope. She was worth it. They were worth it.
Walking through the sleepy streets of Smallville, he found himself at the Talon. A light was on. He walked in expecting to see Chloe. He would offer to take her to Star City. Instead, he saw Lana behind the bar. For a moment, his mind flashed back to the times of their youth, their childhood love. After the sting of what he believed to be Lois's rejection, he suddenly felt comfortable with the childhood memory, but quickly reminded himself that that was all it was – a memory.
Lana rushed out from behind the bar and stood directly in front of Clark. For the first time Clark consciously noticed an amulet hanging from a chain around Lana's neck. Clark felt drawn to it. He heard himself say, "But what about what we need?" His own voice sounded strange to his ears – as if he was a thousand miles away.
Clark saw Lana's lips moving. She said something to him, but he wasn't quite conscious of what it was. Before he realized what he was doing, he leaned down towards her. Their noses bumped into each other awkwardly, and before he knew it their lips were touching. With his eyes closed, Clark saw Lois's face.
Clark furrowed his brows and broke the kiss. He looked down at Lana. She moved back slightly and the amulet caught his eye. He tried to look the other way, but did not have the power to do so.
As he stared into the amulet, he vaguely heard Lana's voice. After that night at the Talon, Clark's feelings for Lana seemed to grow more intense. The more they were together for the next few weeks the more his feelings seemed to grow. Clark remembered dreaming of Lois at night, but during the day when he was with Lana, he barely thought of her.
Things became very strange. Almost bizarre. Lana suddenly got superpowers then she became infused with Kryptonite. Then she left him – again. This time, she left him on his knees in the loft. He had begged her to stay. She didn't listen. As she sped away, he heard the faint sound of her laughter. He then lost consciousness.
Clark did not know how long he had been on the floor of his loft, when he had a startling sensation as if he had just been suddenly awakened. His felt his head start to clear. The last few weeks seemed like a dream, but he knew they weren't.
Clark tried to figure out why all his old feelings for Lana had resurfaced. As he thought more about it, he realized they weren't his old feelings. They were different. During this time, Clark remembered a part of him screaming to fight back, but something more powerful than his own strength seemed to be in control. Clark wondered what could have been stronger. It had not felt like Kryptonite – at least not until the bitter end. The only other thing Clark had ever been vulnerable to was magic.
Clark thought back to two other times he had felt so out of control with his emotions. One time was when Maxima kissed him. He had fallen under her spell, which was broken as soon as he saw Lois. The other time, a woman named Simone cast a spell on him. She had worn a chain around her neck with an amulet at the end. The amulet mesmerized him and held him captive. During that time, Clark was subject to Simone's every whim.
Even though it was years, ago Clark remembered the amulet as if he just saw it. He thought about what it looked like. Then, realization hit Clark like a bolt of lightning. Lana wore the same amulet at the end of a chain around her neck.
Clark's thoughts instantly went to Lois. "Oh, God, what have I done!"
Chapter Three Tracking Device
Lois looked at her cell phone as the tune "Hold and Cold" played indicating an incoming call. She looked at her screen and saw Clark's image on caller ID. Lois sighed. She didn't think he would keep calling her after she basically told him to go back to Lana. Well, the calls did stop for a couple days, but then for no reason they started up again. Lois let the call go to her voice mail. Now that she had been in Star City awhile, she chalked up the events of Chloe's wedding to temporary insanity – a perfect defense - just in case anyone asked.
Today would be her first day to actually get some rest. Well, not actually rest because after all, she is Lois Lane, but at least she could enjoy the city a bit. Chloe finally arrived to stay with Jimmy. At first, Lois was reluctant to leave, but at Chloe's insistence Chloe insisted, she finally agreed to get away for a few hours. Besides, now that Jimmy was out of his coma, he and Chloe would probably want to make goo goo eyes at each other and make up for lost time, to the extent that it was possible considering Jimmy's condition and the fact that they were in a hospital. Lois definitely did not want to bear witness to that.
Lois had hoped to sleep in that morning, but after getting virtually no sleep in the hospital, she didn't seem to need it. She wondered if she was turning into one of those people who considered themselves "morning people." She laughed never imagining herself as an "early to rise" kind of girl. However, it was equally true that she never would have imagined herself as an "attracted to plaid…" She caught herself before she could finish the thought, and convinced herself that her bout with temporary insanity was just that – temporary.
Leaving the high rise apartment, Oliver had arranged for her to use, she headed out into the city. She wasn't sure where she wanted to go or what she wanted to do so she just started wandering aimlessly through the busy streets and did some window shopping. Nothing caught her eye. This was Star city, so of course, there was no plaid in sight – not that she was looking for any.
Of course it didn't' help that her cell phone rang every 15 minutes. She rolled her eyes. Smallville again … and again, and again. She took out her phone and was about to begin changing the ringer to silent mode but changed her mind. She wasn't going to give Smallville the satisfaction of knowing he was getting under her skin. Not that he would ever know she had turned her ringer off, but she would know, which still counted. Besides, she convinced herself that she needed the ringer on in case Chloe needed her.
She eventually found herself at the pier, and continued towards the edge overlooking the ocean. As she watched the waves, Lois realized she needed to make arrangements get back home and back to work soon. Now that Jimmy was on the mend and Chloe was with him, there was no reason for her to stay. Besides, she was anxious to get back to Metropolis and pick up where she left off in her quest to find the Red-Blue Blur.
Questions about the Red-Blue Blur flashed through Lois's mind. She would have to remember to write them down when she got back to her apartment. Why was he so mysterious? What motivates him? How did he get so fast? What else could he do? Was he married? Lois startled at the direction her thoughts had taken her. Then, she quickly reasoned that questions about his personal life were necessary for the story. It would certainly add a personal touch to her first exclusive with him. With that realization justifying her thoughts, Lois let them wander a bit more.
Her cell phone rang out again. She continued to look out towards the ocean pretending she was not seeing Clark's image in her mind as he waited for her to answer the phone. She smiled smugly as she imagined him getting frustrated with her. She pretended not to her his voice directly behind her asking, "Why won't you answer my calls?"
Here's an update. I wanted to get this out before Thursday, and wrote it quickly. Had a bit of a block in February, or you would have got them then. But maybe the timing is better after all.
The comments from everyone really put a smile on my face. You guys are nice.
I want to thank Kelly (dreamsofnever) who is my writing hero and inspired me to try my hand at fan fic. I also want to thank her for letting me borrow something she wrote in Story of a Lifetime. It is the third sentence of the third paragraph of this fan fic, but you will read it soon, so I don't want to spoil it.
Chapter Four Face to Face
Lois decided she was going to stick with the original plan and pretend she didn't hear him behind her. The fact her plan seemed childish was not the point. She took a couple of deep breaths and continued to stare out into the ocean.
"Lois?"
She knew she couldn't continue her charade, but when she felt one hand on her shoulder and the other at her waist, she wasn't sure if she even had the physical strength to turn around. He was so close she could feel his breath on her neck like a soft caress. One more deep breath and she put on her best poker face, then won she used when she was broke and had nothing in her hand.
She turned around quickly, but wasn't prepared to see how close he actually was to her. Instinctively she took a step back, but she was already at the edge of the pier and her foot landed on the air behind her. She struggled for her balance, when Clark grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into him to keep her from falling into the ocean. Lois felt her body slammed up against Clark's; her face pressed into his chest. At least this way, she thought, I can't see him. However, she did feel his face nuzzle against her hair for the briefest of moments.
Lois pushed on his chest slightly and he stepped back. He smiled at her and said casually, "Be careful Lois. I'd hate to have you go plunging into the ocean."
"Not to worry Smallville," Lois replied. "I'm sure AC would have shown up to save me."
Clark's eyes quickly darkened at the mention of AC's name. Lois tossed him half a grin and raised her eyebrow, defying him to say something about AC. Convinced she had gained the upper hand, she tossed her hair over her shoulder and started walking along the pier. He followed her.
"So, this is a surprise." she commented making sure she kept her eyes focused ahead of her to resist the temptation to give him even the slightest glance.
Walking alongside Lois, Clark unconsciously reached for Lois's hand, but pulled back when he realized what he was about to do. Clearly, she did not appear to be in a mood to hold hands.
"Well," he replied. "If you would have answered your cell phone, you wouldn't have been surprised. I've been looking all over town for you." Clark neglected to mention that he was able to track her by the sound of her cell phone ringing.
"So, here to see Jimmy?"
"Sort of. I'll probably stop by to see him. Chloe called and told me he came out of his coma. That's good news."
"Very good news," Lois agreed.
Clark sighed. There was so much he wanted to tell Lois, he wasn't sure where to start or how to start. But he was getting tired of the casual chit chat. "Lois…," he began, but trailed off.
"Clark," she echoed slightly dragging his name out for the sole sake of sarcasm. She snuck a glance up at Clark. He realized she was mocking him and rolled his eyes in frustration. She smiled feeling confident in the knowledge that she could continue to banter and bait him.
Clark suddenly stopped. Lois tried to continue walking, but only managed a couple of steps before she felt Clark's hand reach out to hers stopping her from going any further.
He sighed. "Lois, I don't know where to start. I have a lot a want to tell you, but the first thing I want you to know is that the main reason I'm here is to see you."
Listening carefully, he heard her heart beat quicken momentarily. He looked at her face, but saw no change of expression. He reminded himself never to play cards with her.
She crossed her arms in front of her and tilted her head at him signaling him to continue.
"I missed you." Clark waited for a reaction, but all he got was a raised eyebrow. He shrugged then smiled sheepishly at her.
Lois pulled her hand out of Clark's and continued walking slowly down the pier. "Well, that's sweet of you Smallville, but honestly, with the Daily Planet, the farm, and your most recent reunion with Lana, I would have expected you to be way too busy to hop on a plane and come all the way out here."
"I didn't fly," he answered momentarily forgetting she did not know about his powers. When he realized his slip he quickly amended, "I don't care much for flying. You know that. There are other means of transportation." Fortunately, she didn't question him about these means or which one he used.
They walked together in silence for awhile taking in the breeze from the ocean and stopping briefly from time to time to do some window shopping. Clark couldn't remember a time he and Lois had been together that long in silence. For a change he was the first one to break the silence.
"Lois, I want to talk to you, about what's been going on back home, about the last time I saw you … everything." He noticed a small café on the pier. He gestured towards it. "Let me buy you lunch and we can talk."
Before she could object, he gently placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her to the restaurant. It was a quaint café. They were seated at a booth. Lois looked around the café, pretending to be interested in the nautical themed decorations. She pointed to a couple of things she saw commenting on them. Clark, waited until they had their drinks and had ordered before he began.
"I'm not sure where to begin," he started. "A lot has happened since I last saw you."
Lois closed her eyes briefly and composed herself. She had no other choice. When she opened her eyes she smiled at Clark, hoping it at least looked sincere. She nodded, "I know Clark. Chloe told me that you and Lana are back together … again." She paused deliberately for a subtle dramatic effect, and then slightly shook her head opting instead to take the high road. No more temporary insanity, she chastised herself. After all, she truly wanted Clark to be happy. With that in mind she smiled again, and this time her sincerity reflected in her smile and in her eyes.
"I am happy for you Clark; I hope this works out the way you want it to."
Clark was about to respond, but the arrival of their meals momentarily interrupted him. He put his hand on his chin and looked at her reflectively. He leaned forward towards her over the table. "Lois, I don't think you understand what I'm trying to say. First of all Chloe doesn't know the whole story. I didn't even figure it out until Lana left."
Lois looked up at Clark in surprise. "She left?" She held up her hands in the air silently asking him the reason for yet another departure.
"When Lana came back to Smallville, it wasn't to get back together," Clark explained, but also wanting to reassure her he added, "and when I saw her at Chloe's wedding, I didn't want to get back together either. She had some, uh business to take care of. I honestly, don't understand a lot of it Lois. She's not the person she used to be or at least she's not the person I thought she was."
Clark struggled to find a way to explain things to Lois without revealing too much about his powers. He wasn't ready for that – not yet.
"Well, maybe that's not what you originally intended, but that is certainly how it ended up," Lois said challenging him to deny it. He rose to the challenge and looked directly into her eyes. "No, it's not how it ended up. Do you remember a woman named Simone?"
Lois rolled her eyes. "Ah yes," she said with more annoyance than she intended. "The one who captivated you," she emphasized the last two words.
"It was a spell Lois. She had an amulet that kind of took over my emotions. Lana had the same amulet, or at least one that looked just like it. After I found Chloe, Lana was around a lot, and then …" Clark ran his hand through his hair, trying to choose his words carefully. "I can't explain it very well. It was like I was possessed and something else was in the driver's seat of my mind. Like magic."
Lois nodded, feigning agreement. "Ah yes, magic," she said as she continued to nod her head slowly. She picked up her soda and brought it to her lips. Her eyes locked into his as she placed her lips over the straw and took a drink. Clark, for his part, found himself mesmerized again, but instead of the amulet causing his trance, it seemed to be the straw. When he realized he was staring at Lois' mouth, he shook his head to clear his thoughts and pretended to be interested in his lunch. Well, he thought. At least she seems to understand, and with that thought he allowed himself to relax a bit and gave her a small, happy smile.
Lois's eyes narrowed as she watched Clark take a bite out of his sandwich noticing that he did not seem as tense. Apparently her attempt at sarcasm sailed over his head, which only served to annoy her more than his lame excuses about Lana. She tapped her fingers impatiently on the table and leaned forward. She pretended to look around to make sure no one was listening to them. Her actions caught Clark's attention, and he found himself looking around as well as he leaned towards her again in anticipation.
"You know Smallville," she whispered conspiratorially. "Don't worry about the magic amulet. Why just yesterday, I was having a latte with the tooth fairy, and she said the magic amulet's powers are only temporary. She even admitted to using it on Leprechaun once, but it didn't last." Lois leaned back and appeared to contemplating something very seriously. She shook her head and leaned forward again. "You know that really surprised me. I didn't think she was that kind of girl." Lois smiled innocently at Clark then focused her attention on her lunch.
Clark felt his jaw tense. "Lois, are you making fun of me?"
Lois shook her head and fought to keep from laughing. She failed, but for the heck of it finally said, "Not at all Clark. Why would you think that?" She finally stopped laughing when she noticed the serious expression on Clark's face. She put her hands up as if surrendering the point.
"No," she lied, and then added "Well, yeah I am, but I'm sorry. Sort of." She brought her hands together and rested her chin on them mimicking his earlier motion. "So, what happened? Lana came back. You guys didn't' get together or you maybe did, but it was a spell and now she's gone, and here you are. Isn't that nice." She paused to take a breath, and then continued. "She came back for what? Business? To put a spell on you? And while you're at it, I don't think you explained why she left."
She waited expectantly. From the way she looked at him, Clark could tell she was getting annoyed. "Lois please. There is a lot I want to tell you, but I can't just yet. Please, just believe me."
Lois shook her head. "Sorry Clark. I really don't believe in magic spells, and potions and what-not. I guess you can think of me as a girl who likes to live in reality."
He looked up at her suddenly and decided to turn the tables. "What about that magic lipstick a few years back? Remember…"
As soon as Clark saw that she about to say something, he cut her off and continued. He was going to enjoy this rare advantage as long as he could. "So, let me understand this. Thinking back, I remember something about lipstick. Then, Lois gone wild … Whitesnake mix … Hmmm. No such thing as magic, you say? If you're right then …" he trailed off letting the silence finish his sentence.
Lois threw her napkin on the table desperate to get back in the driver's seat of the conversation. "Don't flatter yourself Smallville. That isn't even the same thing. You just said Lana put some magic spell over you that made you feel something you didn't really feel. The lipstick was a completely different thing. It's comparing apples and cherries."
"So, Loooois," Clark replied, drawing out her name as she had done earlier with his. "That would mean if the lipstick didn't make you feel something you didn't really feel, you acted like that because… you were really feeling it." Clark smiled. He enjoyed seeing her squirm. She was so cute when she got nervous. Then, he remembered something she had said to him about a year ago, using ice cream as a metaphor. His smile widened as he decided to goad her some more. "And isn't that saying supposed to be 'apples and oranges?'"
"I have to get back to the hospital," she declared getting out from the booth.
He laughed and stood up blocking her way realizing that no matter, how much he was enjoying this; it was time to stop, before she really became angry.
"No, wait," he said placing a hand on her shoulder and gently pusher her back into the booth. "Let's call a truce."
She gave him a suspicious look before settling back down in the booth.
He took his seat again. "Lois, I know this sounds crazy. The main thing is I just want you to know I'm over Lana. I was before she even came back."
"But Chloe," Lois started.
Clark put his hand over Lois's hand. "Listen, I told you Chloe doesn't know the whole story." If she wasn't ready to accept his explanation, he didn't want to belabor the point. "Let's just set this all aside right now and finish lunch," he suggested.
They finished their lunch in silence except for an occasional comment. Hoping to pick things up where they left off at Chloe's wedding, Clark contemplated telling Lois about his feelings for her, but he knew better. From the way Lois reacted to his attempts to explain Lana, now was the worse time for any romantic declarations. If she didn't believe the story about the amulet, she would think he only came to see her for… well, one thing, and that was the last thing he wanted her to think. He wanted her to know he was over his past. He knew it was the only way she would accept him.
He sighed wondering if he would ever find the right time to tell her about his feelings. At this point, he wasn't even waiting for the "perfect time." He would settle for a time that wouldn't blow up in his face. He was lost in his thoughts until he heard her knock on the table."
"Earth to Smallville," Lois said.
"I'm sorry Lois. What did you say?"
"Are you okay? What's with the big sigh."
"Oh, sorry. I guess maybe I'm a bit tired from the long trip."
"How long are you staying?" she asked.
"I have to get back tonight."
Clark's answer surprised Lois. "You're kidding," she asked. "Why so soon?"
"I have things to take care of at the farm. It's not like the cows milk themselves, you know."
Lois chuckled at the image, but then looked confused. "Why on earth would you come out here for just a few hours?"
"I told you already. I missed you and wanted to see you or at least hear your voice. It's not like you returned any of my calls."
From the combination of the expression on Clark's face and his words, Lois did not know how to respond. Except for the look in his eyes, the questioning look she gave him went unanswered. Lois looked away. She remembered that look. She had seen it once before, but refused to let herself dwell on it now.
After they left the restaurant, they walked for hours through the city. There was very little conversation, but a very comfortable feeling settled over the both which seemed to alleviate the need for words. They ended up at the front door of the apartment. Each shifted awkwardly, not sure of what to say or do next. Lois broke the silence. "So you're heading back."
Clark nodded hating to leave, but not wanting to overstay a welcome either. He touched her check with a light caress. "When are you coming home, Lo?" Clark asked quietly.
"Thursday." Her answer surprised her. She knew she needed to get back to Metropolis soon, but hadn't actually made the arrangements. She wondered why she picked Thursday.
"Good." Clark smiled. "Let me know what time you get in. I'll pick you up at the airport."
Lois nodded. She turned to open the door, and then turned back to Clark. "Well, I guess I'll see you Thursday," she said shrugging.
Clark nodded, and winked at her. He kissed her on the fore head and turned to leave. Lois entered the apartment never losing sight of Clark until she finally closed the door.
She leaned back against the door and sighed. In just two more days she would be back home.
TBC … on Thursday March 12….