Ghost From the Past
Folc4evernaday | Rated: M | Chapter 2
STAR QUARTERBACK BENCHED
By Lois Lane and Clark Kent
Lois looked happily at the headline in front of her as she took her seat in the lecture hall. It didn't matter how many times she saw her byline on the front page it never grew old. She glanced up when a familiar arm came around her shoulders and whispered, "Admiring your work?"
She smiled back, "Our work…" She cocked a half smile at him. "Couldn't have done it without you,"
"Oh, really, and here I thought I was just another Neanderthal macho jock…" he teased.
"Sorry," she winced, remembering the names she'd called all the football players before she'd known he was actually one of them. "I guess I WAS being a bit stereotypical…"
"Nah, really?" He teased back. "It's fine." He took the paper from her and leaned back in his seat, "So, what are you going to do now that you're famous on campus for stopping the evil football players from stealing good grades?"
She smirked back at him, "Do you always have to be such a smart ass?"
"No," he shook his head, "but I really enjoy it."
"Peggy wanted me to come to that party at the Lexor tonight, but I'm not really sure…"
"You should go," He reasoned.
"Why? It's just a bunch of kids getting way too drunk …."
"….or not." He interrupted.
"….and trying to hook up."
"It could be fun." He reasoned.
"Fun?" she repeated. "No."
"Chicken."
"Excuse me?" Lois glared at him. "I am not."
"Yes, you are." He laughed. "You are so afraid you might actually have a good time. No one's going to make you do something you don't want to do. Just live a little. Cut loose and have some fun. What's the worst that could happen?"
"Why did I let you talk me into this?" Lois asked, tugging on her skirt for the umpteenth time.
"Because you always have to be right," Clark challenged as they walked through the doors of the Lexor Hotel. "It's a party. In some societies, people actually have fun at parties and don't try to work…" He glanced at the notepad in her hands.
"You never know where your next story will come from…" she winked at him.
"Yes, read all about it, 'Lois Lane at a Party!'" He teased.
She glared at him. "You're not funny."
"I'm hilarious." He shot back. "You just don't have a sense of humor."
"Enough of this!" she stood up, walking towards the crowd around the keg, "I'm getting a drink."
"Beer?"
"Water…" she corrected.
"Party animal," he teased.
"Shut up,"
Sometime later, Lois found she was actually enjoying herself. The room they were in had the center cleared out for dancing. Music was blaring and everyone was having a good time. She glanced over at Clark as she fiddled with the top button of her blouse nervously. Would it be so terribly bad if they started dating? The year was almost over and he was definitely a lot of fun to be with and a good friend. Smart, funny, and really really hot…
He was sitting with Joe and Pete laughing but she noticed he kept gazing over at her. What would he do if she asked him to dance?
"Hey, I know you…." A drunken slur whispered in her ear. "You're that one that squealed…and messed up the team…"
Realizing who was behind her, she turned around to face her accuser, "Whitley Roarke…" she breathed coolly. "Don't you think you've had enough?"
"I'll tell you when I've had enough …" He hissed angrily. "You and your big mouth…You better watch yourself…" His face was a few millimeters away from hers as he pointed at her angrily.
"Maybe you should spend more time studying and less time conniving…" She shot back. She turned to leave and he grabbed her tightly by the wrist.
"Why you little…"
"Roarke…" another voice interrupted. It was the running back, Thomas Jenkins. "Back off…Take it easy…" Roarke let her go and she rubbed the area on her arm where Whitley had grabbed her. "Sorry, my apologies…" He handed her a red solo cup, "Cheers,"
She looked at it hesitantly, "Uh, thanks…"
"Club soda," he said with a grin.
She nodded and took a sip before turning back to where Clark was with her friends. She knew being a reporter could be dangerous but it had been the first time she'd been threatened like that. "Hey," She walked up to where Clark stood with Peggy, Pete, and Joe laughing.
"Hey," Clark smiled at her. That smile…
'Here goes nothing'
She took him by the hand and pulled him away from everyone, "Where are we going?" he asked.
"To dance…" she said with more determination than she actually felt at the moment.
"You know, usually people ask one another if they want to…" He began to tease but stopped when she grabbed him by the collar and kissed him. At first, he seemed too shocked to respond but then she felt him kiss her back. His tongue outlined her lips and his hand moved to cup her cheek as their kiss deepened.
She slowly broke off the kiss and smiled up at him, satisfied with herself, "Finally speechless…" she murmured against his lips.
Present Day…
He sat on the steps shakily. He didn't know where he was or who he was. Everything was so fuzzy. The pain seemed to have subsided but everything around him seemed … terrifying. He glanced down at the torn shirt he wore.
Memories of the green glowing rock that he'd been tortured with were seared in his mind. He saw flashes of a young woman…brunette…but he had no idea who she was. Hell, he had no idea who he was.
"Hey, this is a no loitering…." A middle-aged man with balding hair approached him, wagging his finger at him, "Kent?" he stared at him in disbelief.
Kent? Was that his name?
"I…."
"What the hell happened to you?" The man took a few steps closer to him and he felt his body flinch. He wasn't sure why he did that. He wasn't sure of anything. He held his hands up and took another step towards him. "It's okay. It's okay. I've still got your apartment. Your parents and Ms. Lane have been paying the rent while you were…uh, wherever you were…"
"Parents?" he asked curiously.
"Yeah, the Kents…" The man nodded. "Real nice people. So, you probably should get cleaned up…Do you want me to call your folks?"
"I…." He shook his head, "I don't know…"
"Okay, how about we just get you in your apartment and we can go from there?" the man offered.
"Okay," he nodded, looking up at him curiously. "Who are you again?"
"Floyd. I'm your landlord."
"Landlord?" He asked.
"For your apartment…." Floyd explained, motioning to the building behind him. "Come on, we'll get you cleaned up and then make some calls…"
He wasn't sure who this man was but he didn't seem to have an ulterior motive and it couldn't hurt. "Okay," He stood up shakily and followed Floyd to what the man claimed was his apartment. "So, you know me?"
"Yeah," Floyd looked at him with concern. "You don't remember?"
He shook his head, "So, my name is Kent?"
Floyd shook his head as he unlocked the apartment, "Clark. Your name is Clark Kent,"
Six Years Ago…
She had kissed him. She had kissed him like her life depended on it. He could still feel her lips against his as she sashayed away from him, leaving him speechless. That was apparently the point. From the comment, she had murmured right after, 'Finally speechless.' It had been her intention to make him speechless and she had definitely succeeded.
He'd spent the last few months working alongside her, trying to get the courage up to ask her out. This fiery brunette that had crashed into his life…literally. The more he got to know her and spend time with her the harder he seemed to fall. He'd been surprised when she'd appeared at the Daily Planet too with her own internship. They'd spent months working together on campus and at the Planet. There was something about her…
"Kent, nice investigating work on that expose," Paul, the Editor for the Met Daily said as he approached him, patting him on the back. "Top notch,"
He smiled back, "Thanks, but that was actually more Lois than me."
"Even so, good work." Paul shook his hand. "You've got a real shot at making it in this business…"
He nodded, enjoying the compliment. He'd always looked up to the investigative reporters that exposed companies for their wrong doing and making a difference in the world. It was something he'd always wanted to do. Despite his 'gifts' he always felt like he was doing everything with one hand tied behind his back. He could never use his powers without fearing being found out. It was his and his parent's biggest fear when he'd left Smallville. But after promising to stay under the radar his dad had finally caved and let him go.
He glanced around the room, looking for Lois. Where did she go?
Her head was a fog as she struggled to find her way towards the bathroom. Something was wrong. She could feel the room spinning around her.
"Well, well, what do we got here, boys…" the familiar voice of Whitley Roarke echoed in her ear as she felt someone grab her from behind.
"No…" she stammered out, struggling to release herself from his grasp. She looked up at Thomas Jenkins who held her securely in his grasp.
"I told you to watch your back…"
"Let go ….of me!"
She could feel the heat of Jenkins breath against her neck as he shoved her against the door to one of the rooms. "I don't think so…." He grinned, "What's wrong? Feeling a little under the weather? Maybe you should lie down…"
Roarke opened the door to one of the rooms on the floor of the party. "Time to teach you a lesson in keeping your mouth shut…since you like opening your mouth so much…"
"No…no….no, no, no!" she screamed as she struggled against Jenkins who was attempting to drag her into the room. She'd been drugged. As hard as she fought she could tell it wasn't doing anything to fend them off. No one seemed to be paying them any attention.
"Shut up!" Roarke hissed, slapping her across the face.
She felt a searing pain across her face as she glared back at Roarke. "Go to hell!" she spat back.
He raised his fist to strike her again, and she closed her eyes, preparing herself for the blow. Only it didn't come. She felt a gust of wind against her face and opened her eyes slightly, seeing Clark, hoisting Roarke up against the wall, "Get your …..hands off of her…now!"
"Kent…we were just playing around…" Roarke wheezed out as Jenkins released her from his grasp, taking a few steps back.
Before she knew what had happened Jenkins had been hoisted in the air along with Roarke. "I don't think so!"
"What's your deal, Kent? We were just having a little fun…" Jenkins argued.
Clark tightened his grip around their necks then stopped for a moment, seeming to contemplate something before throwing them to the ground. "Don't you dare come near her again…" he warned as Jenkins and Roarke scrambled out of the hallway, leaving him alone with her. He knelt down next to her, inspecting her wrists, neck, and arms where Jenkins had grabbed her. "Are you okay?"
"I think…they…drugged…me…" she managed to whisper as she leaned back against him. "Thank you…."
"I'm gonna get you to a hospital," He said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder protectively. "Can you walk or do you need me to carry you?"
She couldn't answer. Everything around her continued to spin as she leaned against him more securely, feeling confident he wouldn't let anything happen to her. It had taken everything in her to fight those guys off. Now that her adrenaline was no longer coursing through her she could feel her body giving into the effect of the drugs…
"Lois? Can you hear me?"
She gave into the sweet serenity of darkness as everything around her continued to spin.
Drugged. She had been drugged. He silently cursed himself for letting her come to this party. It had been his idea. His teasing that had made her step out of her comfort zone. He should have known. He should have been there to…
He watched as the ambulance pulled up outside the Lexor and sighed in relief. It had taken everything in him not to fly her to the nearest hospital but she had been in and out of consciousness and on the off chance, she was more alert than he realized he didn't want to have to explain…
He'd carried Lois outside and waited with her on the steps. As the ambulatory workers began assessing her they kept asking, "What did she drink? What was she drugged with?"
"I…I don't know…" he stammered. Anger coursed through him as he fought the urge to find Roarke and Jenkins and force them to tell him what was in that drink.
He followed them as they loaded Lois into the ambulance, taking a seat next to her as they continued to assess her. "Yes, I've got a female approximately twenty-one years old…."
The ride to the hospital felt like it was taking forever. They continued to pump fluids in her as they kept checking her blood pressure. He'd never seen Lois look so pale …. Counting the time around Finals when she'd had the stomach flu.
As she was checked into the hospital, he stayed nearby. He watched as the doctors continued to work on her. He gave the nurse Lois' emergency contact information and paced outside her room in the Lobby. He'd never met her mother before, but from the stories he'd heard, she was a force to be reckoned with. He glanced around the entrance and saw a woman with short blonde hair and a young brunette that looked to be around seventeen right behind her. He'd recognize that look anywhere. Lois wore it on her face every time she got determined about a lead or angle on a story they were working on…
He approached them before they could check with reception, "Mrs. Lane?"
She turned to face him, giving him a once over. "Yes?"
"I'm Clark Kent. A friend of your daughter's…."
"Friend?" she fumed at him. "A friend wouldn't have allowed her to be in this situation in the first place…."
"Mom, calm down," the young woman whom he assumed was Lois' younger sister, Lucy pleaded. "He probably didn't have anything to do with that…"
Ellen seemed to swallow her anger for the moment, "I'm sorry. I'm just very…."
He nodded, "She's still unconscious, but they won't tell me anything…"
Ellen nodded, looking at him sympathetically. "I'll get you an update when I know something…" she pushed past him and headed towards the front desk. The nurse seemed to recognize her and took her back to Lois immediately. He waited patiently but hadn't seen Ellen or Lucy return. He tuned in his hearing to try and find out something…
"Mrs. Lane, we're doing everything we can, but right now we don't know what she was drugged with. Her blood pressure is very low and we've pumped her stomach but…"
They needed to know what she'd been drugged with. He drew a fist as he held in his anger. He headed towards the exit and headed back to the hotel. If finding out what Lois had been drugged with would help he would get an answer for them one way or another.
Seeing Roarke inside the hotel room he'd tried to force Lois in, Clark headed towards it to confront him. He banged on the door, "Hey, open the door!"
"Piss off, asshole!" Roarke shouted drunkenly from the other side of the door.
It took everything in him not to tear the door off its hinges right there. "Piss off?" he repeated softly to himself. "Okay," He looked around and saw other people watching him. He couldn't use his gifts but as he examined the door it wasn't made of the best material. He could break it down without anyone being the wiser. He took a step back and lifted his foot, holding back as much strength as he could he kicked the door open.
"Hey!" Roarke's eyes widened when he saw Clark heading for him and tried to make a run for it.
"I don't think so…" Clark said as he grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the wall.
"Kent, what's your deal man?" Roarke whined against him.
"What did you put in her drink?" He spat angrily as he pushed him against the wall.
"I didn't put anything in anyone's drink…" Roarke argued half-heartedly. He could tell from his heart rate he was lying.
He slammed him against the wall once more, "You can tell me or you can tell the police…What the hell did you put in her drink?"
Roarke seemed to be contemplating his situation for a split second before rolling his eyes and admitting, "It was nothing, man. Just a roofie."
"Where are they?" He tightened his grasp on Roarke's neck.
"I…" Roarke shrugged
He was lying. Clark released his grasp on him, holding onto his anger as he held back his strength with everything he had, and punching Roarke in the face before grabbing him by the collar once more. "Where are they?"
Frightened by the anger he saw reflected in Clark's eyes, Roarke reached into his pocket and pulled them out, "Here…" he held up the silver pack.
Clark took the pack from Roarke, releasing his grasp on him once more before striking him again and grabbing him by the collar once more, "You better pray to God she's all right…" he warned before throwing Roarke to the ground once more and heading back to the hospital.
The monotone beeping seemed to register around her as she slowly woke up. She looked around the room and saw monitors and what looked like a hospital room. She glanced across the room and saw Clark in a chair by the door, slumped over asleep with his glasses sliding down his face. Fragmented memories from the night before came flooding back, "Oh, God…" she winced as she tried to sit up. The pain in her head became more prominent as she tried to move.
"Lois?" She glanced to the side and saw Clark was by the bed next to her, awake.
"Clark?" She looked around, wincing as she became more alert and feeling the more pain as she moved. "What happened? Where am I?"
"Do you not remember what happened last night?" he asked concerned.
"We went to a party….that Roarke guy threatened me….I remember us dancing…." She trailed off looking at him for confirmation, "I think I was drugged….I remember someone saying something about me needing to lie down…."
Clark's expression was grim. "Yeah, that guy Roarke and Jenkins drugged you….I was able to stop them in time and find out what it was they put in your drink….Doctor said it was a mild sedative…" He looked at her with concern, "How are you feeling?"
"Okay, I guess…" Lois sighed. She looked at him in concern, "They didn't….I mean…"
He seemed to thankfully realize what she was referring to and shook his head. "No, no, nothing happened. Thankfully I got there before they could…You were fighting them tooth and nail. Then, once the adrenaline wore off you passed out."
Lois nodded, taking his hand in hers, "Thank you," She recalled something else that had happened last night but wasn't sure if she remembered correctly. Had she really done it? She glanced up at him cautiously. He looked like he hadn't slept in a week. The worry on his face was evident. "Clark…"
"Hmmm?"
He seemed really distant. This man sitting next to her was not the same young man she'd come to know over the last six months. He was terrified. She tightened her grasp on his hand, "I'm okay." she squeaked out, not so convincingly. "You know me…jumping in without looking…I guess I should have given that scoop to the school board before printing it like you said…"
"Lois, this is not your fault," Clark reassured her adamantly.
He was a few inches away from her, holding her hand in his own. There was something about him that made her feel so safe. It was one of the many things she loved about him. She'd definitely fallen hard for him. Had she really kissed him last night? She really wanted to…
He'd saved her last night.
"I know," she said softly before grabbing his collar and pulling him towards her to capture his lips. He tasted of coffee and doughnuts. She could feel him respond to her immediately as his hand moved to cup her cheek. She smiled against his lips as she released his collar, allowing her hand to rest against his cheek.
"Lois? Are you awake yet? I brought some breakfast…." Her sister's voice intruded before she could break off the kiss. "Oh, my…"
She couldn't help but blush as Clark pulled away, glancing back at her kid sister, standing there with a bag of what looked like biscuits. "Hi, Luce…" she could feel her cheeks turning a crimson red as she glanced at her sister.
"Hi," Lucy responded, looking everywhere but at them.
"Ahem," Lois cleared her throat, "Have you met Clark?"
"We met last night," Lucy said with a grin. "Friend, huh?"
Clark blushed, not responding as Lois countered. "The best,"
Lucy nodded, "I'm gonna leave these here and ….I'm gonna go let the nurse know you're awake…"
"Thanks, Luce," Lois said, fighting back laughter as she watched her very embarrassed little sister leave the room.
"You did what?"
Clark hung his head as he listened to his father tear into him about how irresponsible he'd been. After making sure Lois had gotten home okay and leaving her with her mother and sister, he'd flown out to Smallville for his weekly visit with his parents. Unfortunately, visiting wasn't high on Jonathan Kent's priority list at the moment.
"Jonathan, calm down," his mother urged, placing a supportive hand on Clark's shoulder. "It was lucky Clark was there…"
"What if someone had seen you?" His dad fumed, "How would you have explained…You can not afford to lose your temper like that…"
"Gee, I wonder where he gets it from…" His mom said with an arched eyebrow at his dad.
"You could easily lose control and slip up and then…Metropolis isn't the Outback, you know. People in the city are always looking to make a quick buck. If they find out about you, they'll put you in a laboratory, and …" His dad continued.
Clark rolled his eyes and finished the familiar phrase with him. " … 'dissect me like a frog.' I know, Dad. Believe me, I'm trying my best to be like everybody else here, but I didn't know what else to do…" Clark stood up and paced around the room. "You weren't there…You didn't see what those…I could have killed them if I wanted to…and believe me, I was tempted to…but I didn't. The door wasn't made of very good material. Anyone could have kicked it in…" Clark shook his head. "It was my fault she was there, to begin with…"
"Son, this is nobody's fault but those …illiterate…pea-brained…Darren Sharper wannabes…" He was doing his best to keep calm but it was hard. Clark noticed the way he held his hands in a fist as he fumed angrily about the situation. He knew he'd done the right thing, but knowing how scared his dad was for his safety made everything feel less satisfying. He hadn't exactly been satisfied when he'd confronted Roarke about drugging Lois, but he hadn't been ashamed either.
"I think what's important here is that Lois is safe and those thugs are in jail…" His mom began, trying to change the subject. She turned towards Clark, "You have to be careful, though. You can't be drawing attention to yourself like that…"
"I know," Clark shook his head, "I know, I'm sorry…It's just…seeing them…knowing what they were trying to do to Lois…"
"I'd have clocked 'em too," His dad admitted sheepishly. He was quiet a moment then patted Clark on the shoulder, "You really care about her, huh?"
"I think I love her," Clark said quietly.
His mom looked at him quizzically, "Are you just figuring this out? Your dad and I have known that from the first time you spoke about her…"
"Well, don't wait too long to tell her." He said, giving him a hug. "Please just be more careful. If anything ever happened to you…"
"I know," Clark sighed, "I'm sorry for worrying you guys."
Present Day…
Floyd set the phone down for the umpteenth time, shaking his head. "Well, uh, I'm not getting an answer…"
Clark nodded, looking around the apartment skeptically. The man hadn't been lying. This was definitely his apartment. It had pictures of himself with a young brunette woman all over. There was a picture of himself with an elderly couple, his parents he guessed.
He stared at the pictures intently, hoping that looking at them would help jog some kind of memory. As he stared at the picture of himself and the young woman once more, he couldn't help but smile. The way she was looking at him…he could feel his heart well up. This was someone he loved very much. That much he could tell.
Floyd seemed to notice Clark's gaze and nodded. "That's your fiancée, Ms. Lane. Real looker…She never gave up on you. Was convinced you were out there somewhere."
"Out where?" Clark asked confused.
"Wherever you've been," Floyd shrugged. "After so long the police declared you dead…"
"WHAT?"
Floyd shrugged, "That had been five years ago." He looked around uneasily, "What happened to you?"
"I don't know….I remember running until I found myself here…Everything else is pretty hazy." Clark explained. A hesitant hand rested on his shoulder.
"Try and get some rest. I'll keep trying the Kents and see if I can get a hold of someone for you…I, uh, I'm glad you're safe now."
"Thanks," Clark nodded, looking around the room.
'Safe?'
Was he safe? He didn't know. All he could remember was fear. Now, all of a sudden he was faced with new emotions and wasn't sure how to handle them. He glanced at the picture again. Fiancée. He had been engaged. He had loved this woman. Something in him told him he still did.
He looked around the apartment aimlessly, hoping to connect with something. He walked toward the bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed. It felt comfortable enough. He pulled the sheets back and noticed a silk negligee that had been bunched up in the corner. He glanced at it, picking it up, fingering the material gently. He brought it to his face, inhaling the scent of lavender and orchids. There was something so familiar about that smell…
Trask poured over the site plans as he barked out orders, "Jenkins, you take the south perimeter…" He pointed at an area in red on the map and then pointed at an area in blue, "Myerson, take the east and Johnson you take the west. I'll take the north. He couldn't have gotten far…"
"Mr. Trask, without the meteorite he could have gotten a lot farther…" Johnson began to argue.
"Then, we'll have to expand the search…" Trask snipped. "I've worked too hard and too long to let it all blow up in our faces now…"
Lucy Lane touched the edge of the couch hesitantly, tapping her fingertips against the fabric as she gazed at Lois cautiously. "So, this Nightfall…kinda scary, huh?"
Lois turned back to her sister with a watery smile, "Yeah,"
Lucy caught her gaze and placed a hesitant hand on her shoulder, "Do you want to talk about it?"
Lois shook her head, "What's to talk about?"
"Jimmy called me earlier. You can't let people like that get to you…" Lucy began.
"I know…" Lois sighed, raking a hand through her hair "It's just when people talk about him like he doesn't matter…I just get so…"
"You're grieving. It's natural, but you've gotta hold it together when you're at work." Lucy soothed.
"It's been five years today…" Lois said in between tears. "Five years…"
"Clark wouldn't want you to do this to yourself…" Lucy said, rubbing her sister's back.
"How do you know what Clark would want?" Lois snapped. "It wasn't supposed to be like this. None of this makes sense. We were supposed to…" The tears fell down Lois' cheeks and Lucy held her close.
"I know…" Lucy sighed. "If there was anything I could do to fix this you know I would…"
Lois nodded, pulling herself away from Lucy for the moment. "I know. I just ... Everything I thought…dreamt….it's gone, Luce. It's not something you just get over…"
"Have you tried talking to someone?"
"Like who?" Lois asked. "How do I even begin to explain what happened in Smallville…what happened to Clark….and Jamie…" her voice cracked as she mentioned the last name. Every time she mentioned Jamie's name she cried.
"Lois…"
"Every time I feel like I'm going to be okay or … start to feel human again I get pulled right back again. Is it insane that I keep hoping he'll just show up on my doorstep like the last five years never happened?"
Lucy shook her head, "No, I think that's only natural when you lose someone you love…"
TBC...