TWO WEEKS LATER-TALENT SHOW NIGHT
Two weeks had not been a lot of time to get things together for the Smallville Talent Show. But surprisingly, Lois had managed to draw in what she thought would be a big crowd, by corralling some big acts.
Either that or a lot of people lied about what they could do! And if they lied, that meant that they would probably die!
Like Ollie...Jesus! Yes, she knew he was Green Arrow and that he could shoot straight. But he had some sort of knife act, involving Lana planned. That performance alone was causing people to purchase tickets online from over a span of five Kansas counties!
And Jimmy...Lois didn't even want to think about it! He had a comedy act set up. Lionel and Martha were singing a duet...Chloe was doing some sort of hoola hoop act and Clark...
Lois didn't know what Clark was doing. She had not had the time to see him since the meeting that night. She tried not to think about him, since she knew by now he had gotten his memory of their encounter back. His not coming around probably was her answer to whether he had liked it or not. He probably just wanted to forget it.
And hadn't she told him to do just that when his memory did come back? Lois blinked. She had to get Clark Kent out of her mind! The point of this thing was to draw in the Talent Show thief and catch him red handed trying to rip them off!
Lois had set it up so that what he, or she, tried to rob, was the money from the refreshment stand that would be set up. There was no way she was letting sticky fingers get near the cash from the ticket sales!
Clark arrived early to the auditorium. He knew Lois would be there alone. She was standing on stage, writing on a clipboard. Lois stopped writing, as if sensing his presence and looked over at him. He was grinning at her! Lois sensed he had definitely gotten him memory back! She walked over to him still carrying the clipboard.
"Okay, Smallville. I can see that you remember everything. I enjoyed it too. But let's forget about it and get on with our lives, alright? Now, I still don't know what you're doing for the show tonight?"
Clark just stared at her. Lois waved a hand across his eyes.
"Smallville? Lex is announcing the acts and he has to be able to tell people something."
Clark finally found his voice.
"You know, you skipped a lot when you told me about us in my truck."
"No I didn't."
"Oh...I think you did."
"Alright, well, I have to get back to work so..."
Lois turned to leave but Clark reached out and grabbed the back of her shirt, pulling her back.
"Let's begin by that name you have for me. 'Smallville'."
"What about it?"
"Well you didn't exactly say it normally that day. It wasn't 'Smallville' it was 'Smmmaaalllviillle!"
"Oh you! Look I told you enough! Is this how it's going to be between us now? Are you going to grinning at me everytime I turn around?"
"Yes. I have to go and get ready now. By the way, I'm going to be performing a juggling act." Clark told her before he walked off. Lois raised a brow. A juggling act? Juggling what?
Lex was wearing a tux. The lights really seemed to gleam off of his head!
He was surprised and slightly impressed with the turnout. All thanks to Lois Lane. Yes, he was impressed indeed. Even more so with what he had found out in her file...
Lex looked at the list of acts. Jimmy Olsen was first...Lord! He was doing a comedy act! This he had to see!
"Ladies and Gentleman, thank you for coming to the First Annual Smallville Talent Show!"
The auditorium burst into applause. Lois, who eyed the two money boxes by the refreshment stands, looked onstage. Annual? Not if she could help it!
"Our first act," Lex continued, 'is a comedy act performed by Jimmy Olsen!"
Jimmy stepped out wearing a tux as well! Chloe was standing by the curtain and gave her boyfriend the thumbs up sign! Jimmy smiled back, before taking the mic from Lex.
"Thanks everybody, thanks a lot! So one day a grasshopper goes into a bar, hops onto a stool and orders a beer. As the bartender sets the mug in front of the the bug, he says, "you know, we have a drink named after you."
"Really?" asks the grasshopper. "You have a drink named Charlie?" Jimmy finished.
There were maybe two people that laughed. Lois moved back stage as Chloe cringed behind the curtain. Lex shook his head. Lord!
"Why didn't the skeleton go trick-or-treating? Because he didn't have any "body" to go with! Get it? A 'body'...a skeleton..." Jimmy trailed off as someone began to boo!
"WHERE'S THE KNIFER????" someone screamed from the audience. Lois knew they meant Oliver and Lana's act! Lois shook her head.
"Chloe, Jimmy is really bombing out there!"
"Tell me about it!"
Lois looked at Lex.
"Who's next?"
Lex looked at Chloe.
"You, my dear. You and your hoola hoop act."
Lois hurried past a few stacked chairs to get Chloe's hoola hoops! She picked up three! Lois hurried back to Chloe with them.
"Uh cousin, I don't mean to be rude here, but where are the others?"
"What others? I'm going to use three hoola hoops at the same time!"
"Uh...yeah." was all Lois said. Who couldn't do that?!
"BRING ON THE KNIFER!!! BRING ON THE KNIFER!!!" the audience began to chant. Lex hurried on stage to send Jimmy packing. Jimmy looked horrified!
"I was just warming up!"
"You reeked, just like your pictures! Get off the stage!" Lex hissed.
"Damn that's cold!"
"I'm trying to save your hide, Olsen! Now these people are getting ready to throw things!"
Jimmy took the hint and hurried off stage! He pulled Chloe into an embrace.
"Break a leg, baby!"
Chloe kissed him, then gave Lois the thumbs up sign, before waiting to be introduced by Lex. Clark appeared suddenly, looking like something out of 'Aladdin', tasseled hat and all! Lois and Jimmy did a double take.
"What happened? I thought I heard boos." Clark noted. Jimmy smirked, but Lois touched his gold vest.
"I like the threads! I'm really impressed Smallville. It's nice to see SOMEONE getting into the spirit of things." she said looking pointedly at Jimmy.
"I was just warming up!" Jimmy complained again. Clark eyed Lois.
"You never said what your act was either."
"No, I didn't." Lois almost purred. The trio then grew quiet, as Lex introduced Chloe's hoola hoop act. Lex then came back stage and looked at Clark as if he were insane!
"Uh...Clark...nice outfit."
Clark didn't respond. He was nervous, but not for himself. Oliver and Lana's knife act didn't sound like a very good idea.
Meanwhile Chloe was wriggling her hips, making all three hoola hoops go at once. A CD of Destiny Child's 'Bootylicious' was playing. No one knew if it was the CD or the act that caused the boos. But soon Lex had to run back onstage to save Chloe's hide as well!
Chloe ran to Jimmy as soon as she got back stage! She looked as if she were near tears!
"I don't understand it! I performed that same number in grade school! Granted it was a different song...but everyone liked it then!"
Clark remembered that. He had actually liked it. Maybe it was the song choice.
"GET THE KNIFER OUT HERE OR GIVE US BACK OUR MONEY!!!"
"The knife act of 'Queen and His Lady' will be out soon. Right now, we have a tender duet between Lionel Luthor and State Senator Martha Kent."
Clark coughed! He had been listening to this song being rehearsed at the farm. It made him sick everytime he thought about the song, Lionel and his mother!
Lionel moved past them in a tux, his hair was tied back. Martha squeezed Clark's bare arm. She was dressed in a tasteful looking black dress adorned with sequins. Her hair was lightly curled.
"Wish me luck!"
Lois reached out and hugged her.
"Good Luck!" she said. She then looked over at Lionel.
"Good Luck!"
Lionel smiled tolerantly.
"My dear, we won't need it. We will bring down the house. Come along, Martha."
Clark rolled his eyes! Lois linked an arm through Clark's.
"It won't be that bad." she reassured him.
But it was. The song...the singing...
Lex stood with everyone, as the lights went low and only a spotlight was centered on Martha and Lionel. Lionel began the first part of an old Lionel Richie and Diana Ross song called 'Endless Love'.
"My love, there's only you in my life,
The only thing that's right."
The Martha sang:
"My first love, you're every breath that I take,
You're every step I make."
Then the two of them joined hands and began to sing a chorus. Lois clung to Clark's arm tighter. She knew what he was going through listening to this crap. And she had gotten the sense that Martha liked Lionel much more than she was willing to admit.
Lex raised a brow. The singing wasn't bad. It wasn't great but no one seemed to be booing, which is what was needed.
Soon, the song ended and there was a rather thunderous applause! Lex went out on stage and half hugged Martha, while ignoring his father altogether. His eyes went to his list. The Queen's were next...thank God!
Oliver was dressed in some kind of red balloon looking pants and no shirt. Lana's outfit was red as well, but skimpy, in a French Maid sort of way. Lana smiled at everyone.
"Hello, everyone. Wish us luck."
Oliver nodded.
"Yes...Lois, this is a great turnout."
"I know." was all Lois said. A few volunteers shoved a wheel sort of thing out on stage. The basic premise was that Lana would be tied to the wheel and it would be spun around, while Oliver threw knives at her.
Lex introduced them and Oliver and Lana came out to the loudest applause to date! Oliver looked at Lex.
"Do you think you can be decent and help me get Lana on the wheel?"
"Of course. This is for charity. Just try not to miss." Lex said back, as they both secured Lana onto the wheel. Lex then spun it gently and moved out of the way, backstage. Everyone there watched as Oliver began throwing knives and missing Lana...
Then Lana fell off the wheel as it was spinning! She landed on her head onstage! Someone in the crowd screamed as one of Oliver's knives barely missed her! Clark shoved Lex!
"I knew you couldn't be trusted to secure Lana up there!"
"I tied those binds tightly! Maybe Oliver should've thought of a better act!" Lex snapped. Lois eyed Lex. She didn't believe him either, as did anyone else within hearing distance.
Lex reassured everyone that Lana was alright but the mood was spoiled. Children began crying and people wanted their money back. Lois was really, really annoyed by this turn of events and then...
GOOD LORD! She had forgotten all about the Talent Show Thief!
Lois hurried to the money box's by the refreshment stands and found that the box's had been cleaned out! Damn! Damn! Damn!!!
It was almost after midnight when Lois trudged into her apartment. Jimmy and Chloe had followed Oliver and Lana to the hospital. Lex was at the police station, since Oliver pressed charges. Martha told her that they still had to come up with another idea to raise money for the victims of Dark Thursday...she had let the thief slip away with the refreshment money...
So the last person Lois expected to see when she turned on the light to her apartment, was Clark!
"Uh, Smallville...you almost gave me a heart attack! How is Lana?"
"She's fine. Just a little shaken. It also looks as if Lex may get off."
"Well that's par for the course. Look, I'm kind of tired..."
Clark, who was still dressed in his costume, moved toward her.
"I want to talk about what happened between us."
"It's late..."
"Like I said," Clark continued, as if he had not even heard her, "you left out a lot."
CLARK'S MEMORY OF WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN HIMSELF AND LOIS
Clark opened the door to the apartment and saw Lois reaching for a book off a shelf. She looked over at him.
"Smallville? What did I say about just walking up in here? I could have been naked."
Clark walked up to her and took the book out of her hand. He tossed it into a nearby chaise.
"And would that have been a bad thing?"
Lois sighed.
"No, I guess not."
Soon, the two of them were in each other's arms, undressing one another and unleashing their pent up attraction for one another. Clark remembered feeling as if he didn't know if he was doing the right thing, but also knew that he couldn't deny himself any longer. He prayed Lois felt the same way.
Then common sense seeped in as he began to mutter between kisses, about a condom in his jacket. Lois, who by now, had her legs wrapped around his waist, told him to get them down on the floor so that she could get it out of his jacket.
But the movement down onto the floor, in that position, caused premature entry! By then Lois didn't care about a condom or anything else and took control of the situation, as Clark's world began to spin and spin...
When it stopped spinning, they were on the couch. Lois was lying on top of him holding the 'condom'. She put it in her mouth where it disappeared for a few minutes and returned on the end of her tongue in the shape of a bow! Clark passed out again...
END OF CLARK'S MEMORY OF WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN HIMSELF AND LOIS.
"And after," Lois finished, "I just didn't want Chloe to know...or really face it. Clark, we're not ready to get into anything this heavy. You have issues to work out with Lana and..."
"And you're not over Oliver?" Clark asked softly. "You're over him, Lois, just like I'm over Lana. And I now realize that something else is making you run from what we have."
"I'm not 'running'. I just think you still get a little dewey eyed when Lana is around, that's all. And I have no desire to get attached right now, is all."
There was a knock on the door. Lois frowned and walked over to it and opened it. It was Lionel Luthor.
"I'm sorry to bother you this late, Ms. Lane...Clark."
Clark just nodded.
"I was giving the matter of how we can raise some real money for the victims of Dark Thursday and a wonderful idea came to mind."
Clark moved to stand next to Lois.
"I can't wait to hear it." Lois replied.
"I own a TV station among other things. I would like to put on a sort of 'Amazing Race' type of event. Teams will sign up to find clues in other countries. Whoever wins will get a million dollars, to be donated to the victims."
Clark folded his arms.
"Why don't you just donate the money, Lionel?"
"Son, that would be tacky and in poor taste. Smallville has to give the perception of giving. We have to do our part, don't we?"
Lois shrugged.
"I guess. How does Martha feel about it?"
"I haven't run it by her yet. I was thinking we could have a breakfast meeting in the morning."
"Of course. And thank you for all your help, Lionel." Lois felt obliged to say. Lionel nodded at Clark, before turning to leave. Lois closed the door behind him and turned back to Clark.
"I think it sounds like fun. Maybe Chloe and I could do it."
"Or," Clark corrected her, "maybe you and I could do it?"
Lois eyed him, before bursting out into laughter!
"You and I? Doing an Amazing Race?"
"Why not? We could be 'Team Clois' or something."
"No, Smallville. We'd kill one another first or something. Now I think you should..."
Clark suddenly produced the piece of paper that he had taken off of her desk two weeks earlier, unknown to her. It was folded up as he handed it to her.
"What is this?"
"That is how I know that you take me a little more 'seriously' than you let on."
Lois frowned and opened the piece of paper. She then tried to refrain from gasping!
It was her doodling paper! And on it there was:
Mrs. Clark Kent.
Lois Lane Kent
Lois Kent.
Clois.
Clois Kent...and a picture of a wedding veil that she had sketched.
Lois folded the piece of paper back up, unable to look at him. Not that she had to. Clark turned walked towards the door whistling, 'Here Comes The Bride'. She did not see him grin at her as he closed the door.
Lex's Private Investigator stood in front of his desk as he finished a second report on Lois Lane. One that answered more than a few questions about the preliminary report.
"So this happened shortly before Lois Lane came here to find out about her cousin?" Lex asked, standing up.
"Yes. Apparently this boy was a bit older than anyone realized. General Lane was about to bring one hell of a lawsuit against the school."
"Lois falls in love with someone that she thinks is just some new student jock...and finds that he's really about four years older."
"That's correct. General Lane could not file statutory rape charges because his daughter was eighteen."
Lex shook his head, his eyes perusing the file.
"I don't understand why HE chose to handle it this way. I mean if he thought that one of his highschool interns was stealing from his company to sell drugs at this school, then why didn't he let the police just handle it? Infiltrating the school to bring the student down just seems very vigilante like. And that's not a word I would apply to 'Mr. West'.
"Well now you see sir, that considering who he really was, General Lane knew when to back down."
"And you're saying that Lois never knew that Bryan West was not his real name? She still doesn't know who her 'boyfriend' really was?"
"General Lane was about to have her transferred to another school out of Gotham City, when word came out that Chloe Sullivan had been killed. She came here. As you can see, once it was clear who this man was, it was easy to see why he never suffered any repercussions."
Lex sighed and closed the folder. No, he would not expect the CEO and owner of Wayne Enterprises to suffer any consequences at all.
THE END ???