Plot: Clark has returned from his missing weeks in the Arctic and is finally settling into life at the Daily Planet. But now he must face his most dangerous and unpredictable enemy... Prologue
no not Doomsday...but...
Mindy, the dizzy blond secretary from the twelvth floor who has a new man in her sights – poor unsuspecting Clark
Clark had never given journalism a second thought. In fact in all his visits to the Planet to see Chloe and Lois he had never felt a pang of jealousy. He had not decided what career path he wanted to follow but being a reporter was not it.
But a month ago things had changed the love of his life had broken his heart. He still remembered the tears burning into his cheek as he sat and watched Lana say the words which would send him into emotional freefall.
The one constant in his life for the past 4 years –Lois Lane – had convinced him to apply for a job at the Planet. The thought of spending everyday sitting opposite the one person who could get under his skin on a daily basis had not been very appealing.
He still could not work out why he had changed his mind, but something had.
Here he was sat at his desk. Lois had offered to go out and get the donuts and coffee. He had to admit to himself that this reporting lark was starting to get to him. He found himself looking forward to coming into work every day to see what story he would be covering next. He even enjoyed the time he spent with Lois, even though he had trouble admitting it to himself. All of the staff had been friendly and welcoming.
He looked up to see the smiling face of Mindy.
"Hi Clark, the mail room got mixed up and sent this up to my desk again." Mindy gave him a letter addressed to him.
"Thanks Mindy." He smiled at her
Lois walked in and past Mindy. She sat down at her desk.
"Hi Mindy, more lost mail..." Lois commented.
"Huh...See you later Clark." She stomped off.
Lois glared at Mindy as she left, something that did not go unnoticed by Clark.
"Lois, what is your problem with her." Clark asked.
"She is after you Clark!"
"Lois, don't be silly"
"Clark, that is the sixth letter this week that has been sent to her desk 'by mistake'. I don't need to be a reporter to work out that something fishy is going on." Lois smirked
"You're imagining things, Lois. She is harmless!" Clark replied.
If only he had listened to Lois...
That night at the Talon apartment, Lois was trying to work on a story but her mind kept drifting back to the greatest mystery of the universe. Was Clark Kent really that naive. She figured he must be. He had led a sheltered life on the Kent Farm, maybe it was a good thing that he was finally spreading his wings and tasting life in the big city.
The job at the Planet was the best thing to happen to Clark in a while. His life had been pretty dramatic in the last few months and he had spent that month away looking for Chloe. Lana had walked out of his life for some reason only known to her.
Lois used to like Lana, but she was fed up of the way she treated Clark like a doormat, leaving him whenever she fancied. Lois had made the mistake of giving Clark her opinion the other week when they were on a stake-out , only to be met with frosty glances and a mutter that 'Lana and him were complicated.'
That was an understatement. Lana and Clark's relationship was like a never ending rollercoaster – one minute they were together and in love, next minute she was married and pregnant with his best friend's baby. The baby she mysteriously lost but no-one would talk about it including Chloe.
Lois knew why but had never discussed it with anyone – it was Clark's baby obviously, because soon after Lana and Lex broke up for undisclosed reasons. The one tell tale sign had been Lex's reaction to the miscarriage. He seem unmoved by the tragic loss of 'his' baby. Clark, on the other hand, had been an emotional wreck during those last few months of Lex and Lana's relationship.
Then the Clark and Lana's relationship took a strange turn. Lana moved in with Clark, and Lois was amazed whenever she saw them together. The atmosphere between them ranged from icy to one of close-ish friends. They never resembled a couple who were madly in love or lust.
Lana spent most of her time at Aunt Nell's and Clark never seemed very bothered. Maybe the miscarriage had blown their relationship apart. Lois knew not to pry further.
All these thoughts were sending Lois's brain into meltdown, and why did it bother her anyway. The thing is for some reason it did bother her, no doubt because she 'loved' Clark as a friend.
What did worry her was 'Mindy'. She was a potential stalker and Lois was not going to let that happen. Clark was at his lowest emotional ebb, the last thing he needed was a relationship with a psycho, not that Mindy was his type anyway. Unless she was 5ft 4 with long dark hair and went by the name of Lana, Clark would not be interested.
Lois decided it was time for bed, she drifted off to thoughts of her and Clark making out on the sofa at the Kent Farm. It was official, her head was screwed...
Clark sat at his laptop trying to write a story, but his mind wandered off like it normally did recently. He hated to admit it to himself but he was actually lonely. Lana and his mom had left. It was him and Shelby and as much as he loved him, dogs didn't exactly keep up their end of the conversation. He found himself looking forward to spending time at the Planet with the woman who had made his life 'hell' for the past 4 years.
The reason why Lana left was still eating at him but it was getting easier each day. The not knowing was actually worse than rejection. She said she would always love him, but obviously that wasn't true. His mind was not on his work so he decided to call it a night.
Clark decided that night that things were going to change. No more moping for Lana. He had to move on with his life and he decided to do that through using his powers. He had always hidden in the shadows mainly rescuing his friends and family from trouble but this was about to change.
He had got his powers back for a reason, he was going to become more pro-active in his approach like Ollie had always told him he should be. He would become a protector for the city, fighting crime on a daily basis. The job at the Planet was the perfect way of keeping in touch with events in the city.
He moved an old radio onto his desk and started to stay back later. Lois had asked what Clark was upto, so he told her it was better than sitting at home moping for Lana.
At that suggestion, he got an anecdote about wild cherry being better than vanilla. He spent ages trying to work out what Lana and ice cream had to do with each other but then give up. Even with all his superpowers he would never understand women.
The following morning Lois decided that it was time to do something about Mindy. She decided to do some investigation. First of all she headed to the mail room, then up to the twelfth floor but she was met with the same response from everyone.
Apparently Mindy was a lovely girl who would not hurt a fly, let alone stalk someone. One member of staff even admitted he had mixed the mail up six days in a row, but he would now rectify it.
Lois started to think that she had entered the Twilight Zone. There was no way Mindy was a squeaky clean employee, there had to be something on her. She was puzzled as to why everyone was going out of their way to defend her, but her question was soon answered.
"Lois, Ms Mercer wants to be see you now." Randall bellowed across the bullpen.
"So much for the confidentiality clause in my contract." Lois muttered, looking around to see everyone staring at her wanting to know what she had done.
She turned back and her eyes met Clark's who looked puzzled too. "Lois, what have you been upto?"
Lois snapped. "maybe she wants to give me a raise. Who said I was in trouble."
Although she admitted to herself that she was in trouble because Tess Mercer and she had already crossed swords at the Luthor Mansion.
Lois knocked and walked sheepishly into the Tess's office.
"Ms Lane, you don't need to take a seat. This won't take long." Tess announced.
"What have I done now?"
"Ms Lane, if you want to keep your job stop your one woman crusade to discredit Mindy Adams." Tess replied.
"She is bothering Clark and seems a little unstable if you ask me." Lois fought back.
"Well I'm not asking you, and she is one person not to mess with. One word from Mindy and you might as well wave goodbye to your journalism career before you started."
"Why is everyone so frightened of her including you it seems."
"Her father is Peter Adams and as I am sure you will know he is the biggest contributor to this paper. If he pulls the plug on his funding, the Planet goes under. Simple as that."
"So she can get away with anything she wants." Lois suggested.
"Yes, basically Ms Lane. Anyway I am sure Clark can look after himself. He is a big boy now."
"I won't let her hurt him." Lois announced.
Realisation hit Tess's face. "You have feelings for Clark, don't you?"
Lois clamped up. "Don't be so ridiculous. I just think he has had a rough time lately and does not need any more heartache."
"My god, you ARE in love with him and you don't even realise it yet, do you?" Tess gave one of her annoyingly smug smiles.
"You really do have a screw loose, Tess." Lois walked out the office muttering to herself about the ridiculous suggestion about her feelings for Clark. What she couldn't work out was the nagging doubt in her head that maybe there was some truth in it...'Stop being stupid, Lane,' she told herself.
She arrived back at her desk to find Mindy sitting on Clark's desk apologising for yet another mail mix up. Lois knew this was going to take some serious lip-biting to stop herself giving her opinion.
"Hi Mindy." Lois felt two faced but she loved her job at the Planet, but she still was adamant she would not let Mindy hurt Clark. She decided to take a step back and see how things progressed.
"ugh...hi." Then Mindy turned her attention back to Clark.
"Clark, maybe it was fate that the mail ended up on your desk. Let's do lunch today at one. Meet you at entrance." Mindy ordered him.
"Mindy, look I can't. Lois and me are working on a story that can't wait." Clark tried to let her down gently.
"Oh, I see..." she stomped off in a huff, glaring at Lois as she passed.
"So Lois, care to elaborate?" Clark gave her that look.
"I don't know what you are talking about." Lois answered back.
"Yes you do. Why did you have to see Tess and why are you suddenly being nice to Mindy."
"None of your business." Lois looked a little annoyed.
"Let me guess, Tess told you off for being horrible to Mindy as her father is one of the most powerful people at the Planet?"
"How the hell..."
"Mindy spent the whole time you were in with Tess telling me about her father and how important it was not to upset him."
"No way. Look I want to keep my job here so I will keep quiet in future. I may be wrong about her." Lois gave a half smile, almost like she was trying to convince herself about Mindy.
Clark stood up, approached her and gazed into her eyes with his own. She had to admit he was stunning and she suddenly felt the urge to kiss him, but obviously held back.
"Lois, I know you were protecting me. And you were right about Mindy. I know she thinks she can get me to go out with her because of who her father is. I am not that naive. And by the way, do you want to come over for a movie marathon tonight."
Her head was saying no but her mouth wasn't agreeing. "I would love to Clark. About seven. I will bring the popcorn."
What was going on with her at the moment – must be hormonal she told herself.