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Formaldehyde and Lilies
A Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Story
by BillA1
Copyright January 2007
Rating: (PG-13)
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Disclaimer: Superman and all related characters and elements are owned by DC Comics. Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman is owned by December 3rd Productions. This story is intended for my own pleasure and is not for profit. It has been posted to this site for others to read. Places and characters not own by DC Comics are my own creation. This story is based on characters from the Lois & Clark episode Contact written by Chris Ruppenthal.

Note: Spoilers up through Contact. This is NOT a Smallville futurefic. This story is based on Lois & Clark: TNAOS. Familiarization with that series is suggested, but it's not required. Thanks to Merlin Missy for her beta on this story.

Synopsis: Clark speaks to a Gala and Lois attends a roast while investigating a murder.

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Chapter One - Clark Speaks to a Gala
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Superman –"Lois, I love you too much to ever let something like this happen to you again. I know I can't control everything, but I can control people not using you to get to me. That's why I came here. To tell you ... I don't think this is going to work out. I'm sorry." - Contact

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(The following Tuesday after that conversation)

The quiet of the neighborhood was broken by the siren of a police car speeding down the cross street. The sound wasn't unusual for this part of the city or this time of night. The only people on the street tonight were either heading to the safety of their homes or were at home on the street. The neighborhood had seen better economic times, but no one currently in business could remember when.

Paul Blair had just turned out the lights in his little shop and was preparing to walk out the door when he noticed the black sports car pulling up in front of his store. He stared through his store's glass door for a moment as a man, wearing a dark trenchcoat and a fedora pulled down over his eyes, hurriedly got out of the vehicle and walked down the street toward the pay phone at the alleyway. Blair thought to himself that it was too bad that most men nowadays didn't wear hats like that anymore.

"Oh, well," Blair said aloud. At least it wasn't a potential customer. Not that he discouraged business, but he needed to leave the store right now or he was going to be late for his meeting down at the Metropolis harbor. He ran his fingers through his thinning hair and nodded to himself. Maybe tomorrow he'd buy a hat like that man wore. He'd probably look good in it. He patted his sports jacket breast pocket one last time to make sure he had his wallet.

Blair looked back into the store, mentally confirming everything was secured, then pushed the door open to leave. He heard a noise in the storeroom in the back. Probably another damn mouse.

As he set foot in the back room to check, someone stepped out of the shadows and shot him twice.

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(Wednesday afternoon)

The mid-day edition of the Daily Planet had gone to press on time and Clark was pleased with himself. Today's paper carried two stories with his byline. As he sat at his desk, reading the paper and deciding if he should send a copy of his articles to his parents for their scrapbook, he noticed Lois yawning. She sat at her desk, across from his, looking over the photos Jimmy had taken of Mindy Church at a museum art event.

"They're not that bad, are they Lois?" Jimmy asked.

Lois looked up and covered her mouth with her hand as she yawned again. Glancing over to Clark, she said, "Sorry, Jimmy. Your photos are fine. I had a late night. My informant was supposed to meet me down at the docks last night at ten. I waited 'til midnight, but he was a no show. And now he's not answering his phone."

Clark frowned and folded his newspaper. He stood, tucked the paper under his arm, walked over to her desk and asked, "You went out last night? On a story?"

"Yes," she answered, leaning back in her chair, giving him the 'I'm not giving you the look' look.

Jimmy's face lit up in a smile as he gathered his photos from Lois' desk. "I'll give you two a moment alone."

"What happened to 'we're partners'," Clark said after Jimmy walked away. "You know, Lane and Kent." He adjusted his glasses as he added, "Investigative reporters."

She held up the page of the newspaper with his articles on it. "What happened to my name on the byline for your two stories in today's edition?"

"Perry did that - not me!" He paused, lowering his head. "This is still about the other night, isn't it?" He looked around making sure no one could overhear him. "When I said we shouldn't be --"

"Together because the bad guys will use me to get to you," she interrupted, standing. "I know. It's like a bad soap opera: breaking up with me for my own good." Her tone sharpened. "No, Clark, this isn't about that." She turned away then turned rapidly back to face him and pointed her finger in his chest. "You know what, Clark? I was a star reporter on this newspaper before anyone heard of you or Superman. If you wanted to partner with someone else, you should have told me first." She put her hands on her hips. "Oh wait. I forgot I was talking to Mister 'we shouldn't be together because you love me too much.' Well, I didn't think you meant professionally as well. Let me tell you something. I don't need you to --"

"Now, you two aren't fighting because I gave Clark a shared byline on two of Mark Eastman's stories, are you?"

Both Clark and Lois looked up as Perry White stepped between them. He turned to Clark, "Fine work on those articles, Clark, real nice job of filling in." He turned to Lois. "Lois, Mark Eastman had a family emergency come up. So I had him give his notes to Clark and the boy whipped out two fine stories in no time flat."

Lois looked at Clark, giving him a weak smile. Clark shrugged his shoulders. Perry put his arms around them both. "You two are still a team, right?"

Clark flashed a glance at Lois before answering. "Right, chief."

Lois lowered her head. "Still a team."

"Good." Perry said he turned to walk away. "That's what I want hear because I'd be mighty upset if I had to make personnel moves because of personality conflicts."

The fact that Perry started humming "Heartbreak Hotel" wasn't lost on Clark as both he and Lois watched their editor walk back to his office.

They turned to each other.

Lois sighed loudly. "All right. Say it. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions."

"It's okay. I might have done the same thing," Clark smiled. He thought she would say, 'really?' and then he would answer, 'no,' and they'd both laugh or at least maybe she'd smile at him again.

But instead she said, "Damn right you would have." She sat down, picked up her phone, and hit the redial button. After a few seconds she mumbled, "Why doesn't he pick up?"

"That would be your informant?"

She looked up. "Yeah. All I know is his name, Paul Blair, and his phone number."

"Did you say Paul Blair?"

Lois' eyes narrowed as she straightened up. "Yeah. Why?"

Clark shrugged. "Don't shoot the messenger, but I think you're about to get bad news." He handed her his paper. "Read the crime watch section, fifth paragraph."

Lois read aloud. "Paul Blair, owner of Permanent Memories, was found dead today in his store. An employee discovered the body and called the police. The store specialized in cremation urns and other memorial products. The cause of death is under investigation."

Lois sighed loudly as she slammed the paper down on her desk before muttering under her breath, "Dammit."

Clark took the paper and placed it back under his arm. "What were you working on with him?" Maybe the person who killed Blair knew he was supposed to meet Lois last night, Clark thought. Maybe he or Superman should keep an eye on Lois until he was sure she was in no danger or at least, knowing Lois, in her typical 'probably-upset-someone-somewhere-or-getting-stalked-by-some-supervillian' danger.

If Lois sensed his concern, she pretended otherwise. "It probably wasn't much of a story anyway," she said throwing her arms in the air. "I don't know what he wanted. He said it involved a theft of some sort, but wouldn't say anything else over the phone."

Clark took his car keys out of his pocket. "Come on. I'll drive you over to his store. We can talk to that employee and see what he knew."

Lois' eyes widened then sharply narrowed. "We?"

Clark twirled his keys on his finger. "You heard Perry. We're still partners, remember?"

Lois stood and shook her head. "He said 'team.'"

Clark suppressed a grin. "Okay, a team -- but I still like the sound of 'partner' better. Don't you? "

Lois smiled weakly, took her keys out of her purse and headed for the elevator. "We'll take my car and I'll ask the questions."

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Gala stepped back behind the glass counter, turned and faced the two reporters. "Yes, you heard me right. My name is Gala Party." She paused. "And please. No jokes. I've heard them all and I'm sure any you can think of won't be funny."

Both reporters nodded, but Gala noticed they both smiled as if suppressing a laugh.

"Like I told the police, Miss Lane," she continued. "The door was open and I found Mister Blair on the floor near the storeroom." She glanced toward the storeroom and then at Mister Kent. "The police told me not to talk about the cause of death or anything like that so I can't tell you anything else." She paused again trying to convey non-verbally that she was sorry she couldn't be more helpful. "Why would anyone want to hurt Mister Blair? He was such a nice man."

Miss Lane didn't answer, but continued to make notes in her red notebook while Mister Kent looked around the store. He didn't touch anything, but every now and then he'd lower his glasses down the bridge of his nose and look over the top of them. Too vain for bifocals, she guessed.

Mister Kent said, "This is an unusual store. I mean, you didn't get many customers, did you? It was just you and Mister Blair, right?"

Gala frowned. "Yes, it was just me and Mister Blair. And as I told the police our relationship was purely professional - nothing on the side. I am or I was just an employee. As for the business, we're not that unusual, Mister Kent," she said flatly. "People and their pets die every day. There are quite a few places that sell grave markers, urns and other memory pieces, but they generally sell to funeral homes and crematoriums. Those places in turn sell the items to the grieving families at a huge mark up. We sell only to the public."

She paused and wiped a tear from her eye. "Mister Blair always said that we made grieving less expensive. I think that's a lovely philosophy, don't you?"

Miss Lane looked up but said nothing and continued to write in her little book.

Mister Kent walked over to a display shelf and picked up a bronze urn. He turned it over to read the price and gently set it down again. "It is a nice philosophy."

Gala approached the display shelf, repositioned the urn and then said, "It sure is, Mister Kent. I've worked for Mister Blair for five years and I know he wasn't a maverick and he certainly wasn't a threat to anyone. In fact, he was so well liked, he was the treasurer of Forever Loved."

Miss Lane walked up to Mister Kent and positioned herself between Mister Kent and Gala. "Forever Loved?" she parroted.

Gala pursed her lips into a tight line and walked back to the counter. "Yes, it's some sort of business organization he belonged to. A small group of merchants banded together to get discount pricing for themselves on the items they sell."

Mister Kent followed Gala back to the counter. "Sort of like a Co-Op?"

Gala smiled, "More like an association except in this case one of the member stores manufacturers everything the rest sells." She paused, leaned forward on the counter and smiled broadly at Mister Kent. "Are you married?"

Mister Kent stepped back and cleared his throat. "No, not married. How about an address? I mean, the address of Forever Loved?"

Gala smiled as she took a business card from the counter and wrote the address of Forever Loved on the back. Then she offered the card to Mister Kent, but before he could take it, Miss Lane snatched the card out of her hand and said, "I'll take that."

Mister Kent seemed surprised as he stuttered, "Now, Lois."

Miss Lane pointed the card in Mister Kent's face. "Partners, remember?" Miss Lane put the card in her purse.

Mister Kent took a deep breath, reached into his coat pocket and gave his business card to Gala. "Here. Take my card and forgive my ... teammate's manners," he smiled and then his brow suddenly furrowed. "Something's been bothering me, Gala. Why are you even open today? Your boss just died. Who owns this place now? You?"

Gala laughed as she put Mister Kent's card in her purse. "Not me. The new owners called this morning while the police were still here and said for me to open the store as normal today to finish up current sales, then to close for the next two days and conduct an inventory. I'm supposed to transmit the inventory listing to them and they will pay me five months' salary while they determine if they will keep the store open."

Mister Kent flashed a grin at Miss Lane, who frowned. He turned back to Gala. "My. That's certainly a very generous gesture on their part. Would you give me the name of the new owners?"

Gala grinned. "Certainly, Mister Kent." She reached in her purse, withdrew a business card and wrote on both sides of the card. "Not married, huh? Are you seeing anyone?"

Mister Kent shrugged his shoulders and Gala noticed Miss Lane fold her arms across her chest and rapidly tap her foot on the floor. "Here," Gala said, first glaring at Miss Lane then winking at Mister Kent. "My phone number is on the front of the card and the address of the new owners, Forever Loved, is on the other side."

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Lois was driving too fast on the freeway and she knew it. She'd noticed Clark occasionally glancing over at the speedometer and clearing his throat. "Don't you think you should slow down a bit, Lois?" he said. She took a deep breath, let it out slowly and at the same time slowed the car down.

"I can't believe you," she snapped. She glanced at Clark. "Were you flirting with her?" She paused. "You were flirting with her, weren't you?"

Clark smirked. "Why Lois, if I didn't know you better, I'd think you were jealous. Anyway, she was flirting with me.

"You were flirting back. All three of us knew that, Clark. You weren't just trying to worm some more information out of her about this story with your 'Here take my card' and it was a wonder she could see anything the way she kept batting her blue eyes at you. "

Clark looked straight ahead and after a long silence said, "This is about the other night, isn't it?" He adjusted his glasses again.

"Not everything has to do with the other night, Clark." She took a deep breath. "Okay, so yes, this does have to do with the other night. It's just that ..." She stopped short.

Wait a minute, she thought recalling Clark's gesture. She softened her expression as she glanced over. She cleared her throat to get him to look at her. "So," she said with a fake lightness in her voice. "Did you see anything when you ... ah." She imitated his motion of pulling his glasses down on his nose to look over them.

"Huh?"

"You know." She made the motion of pulling glasses down her nose. "Your vision thingy."

Clark's grin widened, "Vision thingy?"

"You did see something, didn't you?"

Clark said nothing. That sly cat, self-amused grin of his was really irritating her now.

"All right, then don't share," she fumed. "You see. This is so typical of you."

"Lois, the only thing I saw was ... wait a minute." His expression suddenly became serious as his smile flattened and he looked over his shoulder.

"What? Did you hear something?" She asked. She hated this most of all. She could understand that he could hear cries for help, that he felt an obligation to answer every one he heard, but they always seem to come at the most inopportune moment.

Clark, his face hardened, looked at Lois. "Yeah, I need you to find a place to pull over. There's a bank alarm going off twelve blocks from here."

Lois nodded and within a minute had pulled off the freeway and on to a side street. Clark jumped out of her car and disappeared down a nearby alley. Moments later, Lois watched as Superman streaked away over head. As she pulled her car back onto the freeway, she cursed out loud with the realization that Clark didn't tell her what he saw.

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