Author's Note: This fic that's posted here is a very edited version of a much racier one over at Livejournal, which is an NC-17 version (and original version, which if you ask me isn't necessary, but a lot more fun if you're over the age of 17; if not, stick to this version here please). I did say that I wouldn't post it on this site, but I changed my mind because this story is beginning to develop in my head to be a bit more lengthy and meaty it terms of plot than I had originally intended. So I'm going with it!

Thanks to Kabuki_Party at LiveJournal for putting this plot bunny in my head, and the idea of a "Brois" fic. I know I said I'd focus on "Proximity" if anyone reading this is familiar with that longer fiction, but this one just had to get written. Oh, one more thing; this isn't betaed, so read at your own risk.

Rating: R--for violent and adult concepts

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, just the plot.


The Darkest Hour before Dawn

It was a phone call that felt surreal. It had to have been a dream, this wasn't really happening.

But it was.

Lois Lane's fingers felt numb in a haze of distorted reality as her fingers scrolled through her husband's cell phone. She remained cradled in her sister's embrace; the softness of the thick sweater was damp against her cheek after having absorbed more than a fair amount of tears.

The tin ring of the phone finally ceased as a warm British voice answered. "Good evening, Wayne manor, may I inquire to the nature of your call?"

"Alfred," Lois whispered, as her voice had grown hoarse. "It's Lois; I need to speak to Bruce."

A pause on the other end of the line came as the old man detected desperation in Lois's voice; and the unusualness that she had called. Lois never called, it was usually her husband.

"Master Wayne isn't here I'm afraid. He's out for the evening," Alfred rattled as their known code that Batman had been called and was busy.

"Put me through, please Alfred," she pleaded. "I know he's somewhere in Metropolis, but I need him…" she trailed as she managed to swallow another eruption of tears that had welled in her throat.

"Of course," the man's voice became solemn.

Lucy Lane looked at her sister with confusion, why she wanted to speak to Bruce Wayne, was beyond her. She had no idea her sister was friends with such a polar opposite from herself. Granted, as a highly reputable journalist, her list of professional contacts was impressive as it was lengthy but Bruce Wayne was something of an enigma.

Lucy's fingers rhythmically combed through her sister's hair and looked out the window. Tears began to fall down her own face as the incredible sadness continued to seep into her.

So many things had happened so quickly, so much information had come to light for their family that Lois had kept pent up for nearly a decade. Lucy found it unfathomable to digest that Clark Kent was Superman. Lois, her sister was married to not only a wonderful husband, but the world's hero. Superman.

"Bruce? It's Lois. We need you," Lois paused and looked up at her sister whose gaze had remained blank out the dark window. "I'm at Metropolis General. How soon can you be here?"

"Ten minutes, I'm in the neighborhood" he replied. "I've been a bit busy around here."

"I know."

Bruce sighed. "Any word?"

Lois began to sob uncontrollably as Lucy took the phone from her sister's limp hand. She looked around at all the machines in the large room that surrounded the singular hospital bed.

"Hello?" She stated into the mouthpiece as she looked down at her sister again. Lucy wasn't exactly certain what to say to the billionaire. If Lois had kept Clark's identity a secret from her own sister, more than likely she hadn't shared it with anyone else either.

"Lois?"

"This is her sister, Lucy. Mr. Wayne," she said hesitantly.

Bruce and Lucy skipped the pointless pleasantries of introductions.

"Do you have any word?" he repeated to the new set of ears.

Lois's muffled voice interjected in broken sentences between sobs from her sister's embrace. "It's okay Lucy. He knows. You can tell him everything."

Silence on the line caused a knot to form in the man's stomach as Lois's sister sighed after an abnormally long refrain.

"Bruce, Superman is dead."

***


Lucy marveled at the sharp contrast between the flashy larger than life executive playboy and the quiet, somber and down to earth individual who was in the highly guarded hospital room. With the exception of his handsomely strong features, brown eyes, immaculately groomed sandy brown hair and clothing, Bruce Wayne was nothing like the man the press portrayed.

His eyes closed as Lois buried her face into his chest.

"I'm sorry I couldn't have gotten here sooner," he quietly apologized.

"I know, you were busy," she managed as she pulled away. Her hand lingered in his as the two friends advanced a few paces the bed in the room. Both sets of eyes traveled the lifeless man who remained beneath the sheets.

Lucy observed the steely eyes of the man became glassy; wet with tears as he put his hand over Clark's battered one.

"I'm sorry Clark, I'm so sorry," he whispered. "I should have been there. I was too late, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..." he trailed as his voice became obstructed by silent sobs.

Lois's head leaned against the square shoulder of Bruce's wool coat. "It's not your fault." She looked at the now peaceful face of her husband's body that had been cleaned of his own blood.

"I should have been there," he repeated darkly.

A flicker of fear flashed through Lucy as she saw the anger that seethed in his brown eyes. The two seemed oblivious to Lucy's presence in the room.

Hours passed as the three sat in silence in the room. No one wanted to accept that this was the last time they would see either Clark or Superman. If they left, it would become too real.

Eventually, Bruce took Lois in her arms and looked at her resolutely. The time had come to leave and make arragnements. Tears again began to flow as Lois looked at her husband's lifeless body. As she stood, her knees failed her as she nearly buckled to the floor in grief. Her screams of anguish echoed down the hall.

She couldn't leave her husband.


***

The dust glimmered as it caught the afternoon sunlight that filtered through the tall windows at Wayne Manor. Lois sat in the sunlight and soaked up the warmth as her dazed expression had remained unchanged since they returned from the cemetery.

The tea cup that remained cradled in its saucer spun as Lois absent mindedly twirled it. At last, it was quiet. She was alone with her thoughts, not that she had wanted it that way. But it was a necessary step of the grieving process and she knew at some point, it had to come.

Bruce had entered the room quietly, Lois hadn't attended to his presence, and perhaps she was unaware of it until her figure jumped when his hand came to rest upon her shoulder.

"I didn't mean to startle you."

"It's alright. My mind was elsewhere, besides, you have a habit of being pretty quiet."

Her hazel eyes looked up and met his, they were filled with an emptiness Bruce had known all to well.

"Stay as long as you need to," he murmured.

"Thanks. I will."

Lois felt horrible; he knew from far too much personal experience. When his parents were killed, when Rachel was taken from him, it was an ache, a deep void of nothing, a numbness that only someone could relate to once they had been unfortunate to suffer such a loss.

Lois hadn't had time to grieve, since Clark had passed away, Superman's national memorial service had kept Lois in an extremely public view. What was her and husband's career had now become a double-edged sword. The media had been relentless despite one of their own had experienced such a loss. Rumors of romance had always circulated from the day Lois Lane's "I Spent the Night with Superman" article was printed.

With the exception of himself, her sister, now Perry White and Clark's close friend Jimmy Olsen, no one else knew Lois was saying goodbye to her husband when she stood on the podium and spoke of Superman. Bruce was well aware that as far as the public was concerned, Lois Lane was the strongest human connection with the Man of Steel; his friend and perhaps lover, and therefore was the most logical choice of media attention as well as speaker at his memorial service.

But that was a few days ago. Today was different; during the small and more private funeral for Clark Kent, it was the day Lois Lane buried her husband.

"I've got to go," he said.

"I'll be fine," she stated flatly. "Alfred's good company; his tea is better than yours."

"He's English."

"That explains it," she remarked, relieved for a bit of normal sarcasm. "I always knew there was something different about his accent."

"Glad I could clarify," Bruce turned but gave pause before he continued down the long corridor. "If you need me, just let Alfred know. I'll be in Metropolis. Gotham can do without me for a night."

Lois looked at him with gratitude. They both knew that criminals weren't so disappointed Superman wasn't there anymore. Someone needed to keep chaos from erupting. Batman had been more than helpful, though his distribution of justice wasn't so kind.


Please leave a review and let me know what you think. This crossover is going to be a good blend of Lois Lane and Bruce Wayne's world so therefore I've put it in the crossover section between Superman and Batman.