A/N: okay, so, as I mentioned at the beginning of chapter 1, I'm ignoring most parts of the Smallville series (even though I sort of like it). In my story, Clark used to be Lana's boyfriend but they didn't sleep together. As for Lois, she's never been to Smallville, she isn't related to Chloe, and she hadn't slept with anyone before Clark. Cheesy? Probably. Shrugs
I have some SR-related fanart that linked into my ffnet bio, you can view them there if you're interested :)
I've replied to many reviews, but since ffnet was down for a while and didn't send out alerts and various messages, I'm thanking every single people who reviewed after I posted chapter 3 (in case you didn't get the reply to your review): The Spooky Mulder, whiteroses12, blightedmetal, Sunny2006, Jackia, Mr. Firenze, septempopuli, Alphie, marielise, G.A. Clive, Alyspins, estetson47, Volucris12, atlantiandragoness and unsigned ()
Chapter 4
Girl Talk
As the first buildings loomed into view in the distance, Lois drove to the side of the road and stopped the engine.
"What?" Clark looked up from the map he was holding upside down. "We aren't in the town yet."
"That's why I stopped. Get out and jump into the trunk."
"Huh?"
She heaved a sigh. "I'll have to ask people in the town to tell me where the Kent house is, and if they recognise you sitting right next to me, they will be asking questions as to why you can't show me the route. We don't want to wake suspicion."
"Oh. Clever." He quickly folded the map, got out of the car and flopped into the trunk. "Too small," he complained, as he let the lid fall back in place.
Lois drove into the centre of Smallville and parked the car by a restaurant. "Excuse me, Mister," she called out to the nearest passer-by, "Can you tell me where the house of the Kents is?"
The man shook his head. "I'm new in the town, just moved in two weeks ago. Sorry, Miss."
"Are you looking for the Kents?" a female voice asked.
The reporter saw a pretty, dark-haired young woman with almond-shaped eyes. "Oh, yes. Can you tell me please where they live?"
"It's just Martha Kent now," the other woman replied. "Her husband died long ago, and her son left town to live in Metropolis."
"I know that, he's my friend," Lois said with a smile. "And he writes brilliant articles."
"Oh, Clark's brilliant in everything," the local girl laughed.
Lois couldn't help but nod. Clark was indeed brilliant as Superman, saving thousands of lives, and brilliant as a reporter too, even though she'd failed to recognise him for his talents when he was wearing his three-piece suit and idiotic glasses. "So, you know him well? Are you his friend too?"
The woman giggled. "Sort of. Though, we used to be more than just friends." Seeing Lois's frown, she shrugged with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "He's absolutely dashing. I wasn't the only girl in Smallville who had the hots for him. But to your question, drive down the main road until you reach the other end of the town. There turn left at the crossing and drive for another ten minutes. From there you can't miss the Kent farm. Tell Martha that Lana Lang says hello."
With a forced smile, Lois nodded. "I will. Thank you, Miss Lang."
o O o
Once Lois had reached the edge of the town and was driving down the road towards her destination, a blur of brown swished past the car, opened the door in the blink of an eye and dropped itself into the seat next to her.
"Don't do that again, you nearly gave me a heart-attack!" the woman breathed.
"Sorry. I was running out of Oxygen in the trunk," Clark grinned sheepishly. "Nice girl, this Lana Lang, too bad I don't remember her…"
For a second Lois stared at him with a confused expression, then it dawned on her. "Of course, X-ray vision. You saw her through the lid."
"Yes, I did. Um… do you think that she and I could have… you know…?"
Lois gave him a piercing stare. "I don't think so."
"What makes you think she and I didn't? She said we used to be more than just friends…"
"Just… just because you aren't the type to sleep around."
"Having one single girlfriend doesn't mean sleeping around," he pointed out. "Too bad she had a wedding band…"
"Did she?" Lois stared at him in surprise.
He shrugged. "I think I'm a bit more perceptive than the average. Never mind, she isn't blonde and I like blondes. Ah, see, there's the Kent house!" He pointed at a tiny dot in the far distance.
"You recognised it?" she asked hopefully. "Then you're starting to remember?"
"No. I just read the word 'Kent' on the mailbox."
No matter how hard she strained her eyes, Lois couldn't make out the mailbox for another five minutes, until the car came close enough to the house.
"So that is Home Sweet Home…" the man said quietly, taking in the small house and the barn behind it. "Very rustic, isn't it?"
Lois had to give it to him. "Yes, it is. Just to imagine that Superman grew up on a farm milking cows…"
"We don't have cows," he replied as he got out of the car.
"So you do remember things!"
"No. I just X-rayed the place. No trace of cows. Chickens mostly. And look, a dog!"
A friendly dog came running towards him, barking loudly. Clark crouched down to it and the dog immediately started licking his face. "Lois, he loves me!" Laughing, he pulled his glasses off to wipe dog-drool off it. "I wish I remembered his name…"
"His name is Shelby," came the voice of an old woman from the open window. "Welcome home, Clark."
The young man stared at the woman smiling at him affectionately from the window. "You must be my mother. You look familiar…"
"Oh, Clark…" Tears welled up in the old lady's eyes, and she hurried out of the house.
There were not many times when the Man of Steel was nearly swept off his feet, but the hug he got from his mother made his knees go weak. "I was there, Clark…" she muttered. "Before, at the hospital, waiting for news on you… I thought my heart would break if I lost you too…" She looked up, sniffing. "When I saw you jump from the window, my heart truly missed a beat. I think… I think I even screamed your name in fright…"
The man knitted his eyebrows. "I remember that. People were shouting all kinds of things, but someone from the crowd shouted 'Clark'. I just didn't know then that I was Clark…"
"When… when did you remember? And how much do you remember?" his mother asked, never letting go of him.
"Truth be told, I don't remember a thing." Clark shook his head. "If Lois hadn't came up with the idea of helping me find my memories and disguising me with glasses for the purpose, she wouldn't have realised that I was both Superman and Clark Kent, and then I wouldn't know who I am." He let out a small laugh. "I still don't really know who I am… All I know is what Lois told me. And I'm here for more information from you. I hope you can help."
"What would become of the world if mothers didn't help their sons?" Martha smiled weakly at him. "I wish… I wish I could have helped you in Metropolis already, but I couldn't. They wouldn't let average people into your room, and I knew I couldn't just go there and claim to be your mother… they would have found out my real name, and your identity wouldn't have been a secret any longer." She shook her head, and a few locks of her grey hair whipped around her. "When the news came out that you were physically healthy but had amnesia, I played with the thought of calling out to you, but… I wasn't sure you would come. I feared that as soon as you saw I wasn't in danger, you would fly away, and I wouldn't even have a chance to tell you that… that I'm your mother. So I came back here, hoping that you'd heal, like you always do. My big, strong son…"
Lois examined Clark's expression as the old woman clung to him, and she could tell that he was slightly embarrassed. Not because he was being hugged by a 'complete stranger', but because he didn't remember her, therefore didn't know how to comfort her. She saw the despair in his eyes at his own helplessness. The strongest man on Earth, and he couldn't handle a mother's affection.
Clark's eyes met Lois's, and she sent him an encouraging smile. He returned the smile, and gently began caressing the old woman's silvery hair. "It's okay, Mom. You see I'm fine. I'm sure my memories will return in time."
Martha Kent looked up again, wiped her tears and finally released her son. "Let's go in. We have so much to talk about…" She turned to the younger woman whom she easily recognised as the famous reporter Lois Lane her son had been in love with for years. "Miss Lane, please forgive me my impoliteness at not having greeted you earlier. I was simply so afraid I'd never see my child again… and when I saw him, I forgot about everything else."
"It's okay, Mrs Kent." Lois said, trying to tame her features into a gentle smile instead of the grin it wanted to tuck into after having heard Martha call Superman a 'child'. Then again, for a mother, her son will always be a child, even if he grows almost two metres tall. "I know what it is like to worry about your child. I have a son of my own."
"I saw the little boy." Martha nodded. "He went with you to the hospital. Really beautiful child, Miss Lane."
"Please, call me Lois."
"Only if you call me Martha in return." The old woman took both Clark and Lois by the arm and guided them into the house.
o O o
After Lois had dropped her suitcase in the guest room, she descended the stairs. The first thing her eyes fell upon was Clark – without his glasses – examining a few photographs on the mantelpiece. As always when seeing Superman (or Clark without glasses), Lois felt a flip-flop in her stomach.
The man was deeply immersed in examining the photos, oblivious to the fact that the woman was practically devouring him with her eyes. Finally, he glanced at her and sent her a smile. "Nice pictures. Too bad I don't recognise anyone in them."
"Well, I think… that must be you." Lois pointed at a picture showing a much younger Clark sandwiched between Martha Kent and an older man.
Clark rolled his eyes, laughing. "Yes, I realised that much. And I even recognised Mom here, but that man… could he be my father?"
"It is… was. It's Jonathan Kent, my late husband," said Martha from the kitchen door.
"Jonathan?" Clark whirled around. "So that's why I liked the name Jonathan!"
The elderly woman gave him a confused look.
"See, when Clark didn't yet know he was Clark, he asked me to call him Jonathan instead of Superman," Lois explained. "Must have been the work of his subconscious."
"And the fact that I don't like being called Superman," he added.
His mother continued to look confused. "And why don't you like being called Superman, Clark?"
He shook his head. "I couldn't explain, Mom. I think it just sounds too… macho. I mean, surely I'm not that special… Yeah, I can fly and lift heavy things, but being called super for that? What's next? Hyperman? Megaman? Sheesh. Not to mention that suit…"
"The one I made for you?" Martha asked.
Lois thought Clark seemed to have shrunk several inches in a second. "Er… that suit," he muttered with a sheepish grin. "The one you made for me. Have I mentioned how much I love it?"
Good boy, Lois thought, hiding a smile. He doesn't remember his mother, nor does he remember ever having loved her, but he's too much of a gentleman to hurt her feelings.
"No, Clark, you never mentioned it." Martha shook her head. "But I'm glad you do. It goes perfectly with your eyes."
The young man again produced a shy smile. "Um, Mom… Lois and I've been trying to solve a riddle, and now that I don't remember anything of my life as Superman, I don't know how… and perhaps you could tell… So, how on earth did that huge red cape fit under my everyday clothes?"
Lois had to bite into her lower lip to hold back a chuckle. He was just so cute when acting like a lost puppy and asking stupid questions… Certainly, sometimes his stupid questions did annoy her, and truth be told, his whole stupid Clark-behaviour had annoyed her for years, but at the moment she couldn't help thinking it was endearing.
Martha, however, didn't hold back her laughter. "Oh, Clark, you always know how to brighten an old woman's days… The cape… I made it of a very light material that, if folded, doesn't take up much place and doesn't form much of a bulge. If you had your suit jacket over your trousers, no one could tell there was a huge red cape tucked in there. Naturally, knowing you, I chose a material that doesn't wrinkle, no matter how carelessly you tuck it into your trousers."
"What do you mean, knowing me?" Clark raised an eyebrow at his mother.
Martha gently patted his arm. "You were very untidy as a child, Clark. You wore half your shirt tucked into your trousers, the other half hanging out. God knows, I spent hours ironing your wrinkled things!"
Lois could no longer fight back her giggles. "Superman the Slob! I can't imagine it, knowing boringly tidy Clark Kent!"
"So, you think I'm boring?" He folded his arms.
Lois was still fighting with her facial muscles. "Not when you're holding maps upside down or running into ward-walls at full speed…"
"Are you sure it's my son you're talking about?" interjected Martha.
"Yeah… amnesia has changed him a lot," the younger woman replied, straightening her features.
"For the worse?" asked Clark with a worried expression.
Lois shrugged. "I don't know. But I hope to get to know you better."
The man nodded eagerly. "I hope to get to know myself better too. And you too, Lois. After all, we are friends…"
Lois's eyes locked with Martha's, and she knew that the old woman was aware of Clark's one-time affection for her.
"…and I hope to get reacquainted with the rest of my friends too," Clark continued. "Oh, really, Mom, what was between me and Lana Lang?"
Martha's eyes widened. "Do you remember her?"
"No, I just saw her while Lois was asking her where the Kent farm was. She didn't see me, though, as I was hiding in the trunk."
"The trunk?" the old woman gasped.
"Long story." Clark waved. "The point is that Lois and Lana talked a bit, and Lana mentioned that we had been more than just friends…"
The old woman looked a little embarrassed. "You were fascinated with that girl, Clark. For a while, she was your girlfriend, but in the end, it didn't work out."
"I assumed that much." Clark made a grimace. "She had a wedding ring on her left hand. By the way, she also mentioned that she wasn't the only girl in town who… how did she put it… had the hots for me?"
His mother shook her head. "No, she wasn't. There was Chloe Sullivan too. She truly loved you, but you only had eyes for Lana, never even noticed the poor girl."
Like I only had eyes for Superman, and never noticed Clark, Lois thought bitterly. I was in love with an icon, with a pretty face and a pair of strong arms, and failed to see the warm-hearted man behind the glasses…And now it's too late. I have Richard, and the new Clark likes blondes. That's my luck!
"Um, what hair colour does Chloe have?" enquired Clark.
"Blonde," replied his mother.
"Really?" the man sounded excited. "And do you think she's still… interested in me?"
"I seriously don't know, Clark. She moved out of town years ago."
"That's my luck," he sighed. "Oh well…"
"Come you two, let's have dinner," Martha suggested, ignoring the sour glances on both Clark and Lois's faces.
o O o
Lois again couldn't fall asleep. Just like the previous night, Superman was sleeping only a few yards from her, in the adjacent room, and she simply couldn't bear the thought of being so close to him and yet so far. She chastised herself for still desiring him after all these years, and for no longer feeling angry with him. She should be angry, he had left her in trouble, after all! And yet, whenever she saw that innocent, boyish Kent-smile on his face, she couldn't find it in her heart to be mad.
She ran the conversations of the evening across her mind over and over again. From Martha she had learned so much about Clark – about his favourite meal (spaghetti Bolognese with lots of ketchup and cheese), his favourite type of beer (Guinness), his favourite colour (sky blue), his habit of sleeping on his side, curled into a foetal position, and his liking for anything composed by Wagner. Clark himself claimed he didn't remember any of these, but two minutes after Martha had put a huge bowl of his favourite spaghetti before him, he was finished with it, a contented smile (and a few smeared drops of ketchup) on his face.
By the time they'd finished dinner, it was dark outside. Martha had advised her son and their guest to go to bed early and rise early to be able to have a look at Clark's spaceship as soon as the sun had risen.
Now, as she lay in bed, listening to the soft, rhythmic breathing coming from the adjacent room, Lois realised she was thirsty. Must be the spaghetti, it was quite salty, she thought, and with a sigh, she got out of bed and headed downstairs for a glass of water. As she passed before Clark's room, she heard his breathing even stronger. Superman snores?
She was surprised to find Martha still up, sitting by the kitchen table. Hearing the wooden staircase creak, the old woman looked up from the book she was reading. "I see you can't sleep either," she said simply. "Come dear, sit down."
"No, I really can't sleep." Lois filled a glass with water and took a place at the table, facing Martha. "Clark at least is fast asleep. I envy him for that."
"Envy, dear?" Martha laughed lightly. "I hardly think he's enviable. It isn't often that Superman gets to sleep through a night. Somebody always needs his help. And now, he needs ours."
"I know that, Martha." The younger woman nodded. "And believe me, I'm trying. And I saw you were trying hard too, but it didn't seem to me as though your tales about his childhood had triggered any memory at all."
"Be patient, dear. I'm sure he'll remember in time."
"In time?" Lois sighed. "I doubt that. My chief, Perry White gave us both an ultimatum. We need to deliver him a Superman exclusive by next Wednesday or we'll be both fired. Clark said we could do it, but… I don't know. He tries to be both Clark and Superman, while he doesn't remember either role. He's working hard to play both roles, and I find it downright endearing, but what if never regains his memories? Will he stay like… he is now?"
"Why, what is he like now?" the old woman asked calmly.
Lois shook her head. "I… I don't know. Just strange. Half Clark, half Superman. Sometimes a mixture of the two, sometimes neither."
"I didn't see much of a change in my boy," Martha replied. "He seems a bit confused, which is understandable, but other than that, he's the same kind, fun-loving but shy person he has always been."
Lois stared at the glass in her hand, not meeting the old woman's eyes. "I wish… I wish I knew him before. I mean, really knew him. Not just the red-caped pretty boy saving millions or the klutzy reporter, but the man behind both masks. I'm sure there's more to him than I had ever expected…"
"Of course there is. Clark is a mystery." Martha winked at her young companion. "Even for me, and I'm his mother. We mothers think we know our children perfectly, and they prove again and again just how wrong we were…"
"Yes… I know the feeling." Lois smiled. "My son too had a bit of a surprise for me last week…" She took a sip of the water. "Martha, I…"
"Yes, dear?"
Chewing her lower lip, Lois looked up to meet the old lady's eyes. "Clark doesn't hear us talking here, does he?"
"When he's sleeping, the only thing he hears is a cry for help, apart from that you could fire cannons next to him, he still wouldn't wake. But I'll go, check on him if that sets your mind at ease."
The old woman mounted the stairs with the agility of a much younger person, only to return in a minute with a reassuring smile on her face. "He's sleeping like a baby." She sat back down at the table, giving the young woman a curious glance. "I trust you wanted to tell me something, Lois?"
"I did." Lois took a deep breath. "About my son, Jason. Martha… he's Clark's."
Mrs. Kent's eyes widened and she pressed a hand on her lips in shock. "Heavens…"
"Yes, that's exactly what I thought last week, when I saw the proof that Jason was indeed his son," Lois said with a grimace. "You must think I'm a slut or something, but…"
"No, dear. It is not my place to judge you or anyone. Not even Clark, who apparently made a mistake." Martha gently squeezed the younger woman's hand. "Tell me about it… if you want to."
Lois's eyes were fixed on a blotch on the tablecloth. "Martha, you need to know that I haven't… haven't talked about this to anyone before. Not my mother, not even my sister… no one, ever. But you are his mother… if you don't understand me, then nobody will."
Martha gave her an encouraging smile. "Speak away, dear. I promise to be a good listener."
Lois looked past the old woman's shoulder, out the window. The moon was shining brightly, bathing the cornfields in an eerie, bluish light. "I don't remember everything of how it happened. There are certain… holes in my memories. I haven't had a chance to ask Clark yet, and I don't even think it's a good idea in his current condition… but as soon as he remembers things, I will ask him whether he really took my memories of certain things…"
"What makes you think that he took any of your memories?" Martha knitted her eyebrows.
"I remember… seeing him – Superman - by Niagara Falls. I was there on an assignment with him – Clark. I don't remember whether I had realised there that Clark was Superman, but I suppose I must have, given the fact that I slept with him not much later. At least… I think it wasn'tmuch after Niagara Falls. A few hours, perhaps a day later… I don't know. All I know is that one day at the Daily Planet I learned that during the past two days Earth had been conquered by a trio of Kryptonian criminals and that Superman had taken care of them. People even claimed I had been there, serving as bait for Superman… and I had absolutely no recollection of those events! That's why I think he must have somehow… manipulated my mind, robbing me of those memories."
Lois took another gulp of the water, her eyes still fixed on the moonlit fields. "You have no idea how bewildered I was when I realised I was pregnant. I had had dreams in which I remembered having slept with Superman, but… at first I thought those were just the work of my too vivid imagination…" She let out a small, nervous laugh. "When I realised I was with child, I knew I hadn't been with anyone besides him, if it had been real at all." She looked at Martha with an embarrassed grimace. "I… had always been a headstrong, choosy girl. Already in high school. No one was good enough for me, I ignored all the boys, I thought they were so immature and so… two-dimensional. At the Planet, there had been men trying to awake my interest, but all had been boring compared to… to your son. I mean, his Superman-self. I'm so embarrassed to admit it, but Clark Kent never… never for a moment interested me. It was the hero in the blue suit who made my heart throb."
Martha nodded with a knowing smile, though Lois thought she'd seen the shadow of pain in the old woman's eyes. It must have hurt Martha to see that her son was adored as Superman and ignored as Clark.
Lois took a deep breath and carried on. "You will surely laugh at me, but… Superman… Clark, was my first."
"Why would I laugh at you?" Martha asked gently.
"Surely, I was the only virgin at twenty-seven…"
The old woman smiled. "Here in the countryside old virtues still live. I don't think it old-fashioned to save yourself for your true love."
Lois shook her head. "It wasn't even because I was old-fashioned… I was just choosy. I wanted the best. And I got the best… only to lose him." She blinked back a tear and straightened her back. "Since… since I had been a virgin before him, when I learned I was expecting, I could easily find out whether it had been him or…" she rolled her eyes at the thought, "immaculate conception." Her cheeks turned rosy in the dim light of the lamp hanging above the table. "I checked myself… with my fingers. And it wasn't there. No barrier. Nothing whatsoever. So, my dreams had been proven right. I had slept with Superman… and he'd left. Without a word." She sniffed, still fighting back her tears. She had to remain strong. "That was when I met Richard. He was attractive, entertaining, and a real gentleman. I… I couldn't let the world find out who the real father of my child was. I had to find a father for him before anyone could suspect… So I practically flung myself into Richard's arms. Both to forget him, and to keep my baby safe. I don't know if I did the right thing, but at that moment I saw no other solution…"
"I don't think any other woman in your place would have acted differently," said Martha. "Don't blame yourself, child. You only wanted the best for your son. Does your fiancé know…?"
Lois shook her head. "I never managed to screw up my courage to tell him. He loves Jason so much… I have been hoping and hoping for years that my secret would never be revealed, but last week… last week Jason displayed super-strength. It's only a matter of time and Richard will know. And probably others as well." She shuddered. "Luthor knows."
"Lex Luthor?" Martha gasped.
"Yes. He asked me who Jason's father was. I replied it was Richard, but not much later Jason threw a piano across the room, and I'm sure Luthor has been informed about it. That man is completely crazy, but… clever enough to put two and two together. I'm so afraid for Jason… I hated leaving him, but if Clark doesn't regain his memories, then he can't help Jason, so I first have to help Clark to keep my baby safe."
"Don't give up hope, dear. Clark will fully heal, and he will protect your son. His son…" A gentle, motherly smile spread on Martha's face as she savoured the words. "His son… Who would have thought? My shy, abstinent Clark…"
"As far as I remember from my dreams, he didn't seem that shy that night," Lois replied with mischievously twinkling eyes.
Martha leaned closer with an equally mischievous expression. "Was he good?"
"No. He was amazing. Being with him was undoubtedly the most erotic experience of my life… Richard, being as tender lover as he is, never managed to make me feel so… giddy with ecstasy... And to think that Clark didn't even his powers when…" Lois stiffened in her seat. "Oh. My. Gosh." She muttered. "He didn't have his powers!"
"What are you talking about?" Mrs. Kent asked with a confused expression.
"There was a crystal chamber…" Lois whispered. "He stepped into it to give up his powers… His mother… His Kryptonian mother had told him that if he wanted to live with me, he had to be a human like me…" She shook her head in disbelief. The amount of memories that had suddenly attacked her was simply too much to bear. "He gave up his powers for me…" Tears welled up in her eyes, and she no longer tried to fight them back. "I understand it now… finally, I understand."
"I fear I don't," Martha replied.
Lois sniffed. "People at the Daily Planet told me about those Kryptonian criminals… and that Superman had defeated them. He must have realised that… that it was a wrong decision to give up his powers… He must have got them back somehow, then, I don't know… he wiped my memories to spare me the suffering?" Lois asked, without expecting an answer from Martha. To this question, only Clark knew the answer, and only if he remembered. Lois gulped, tears still freely running down her cheeks. "I can't believe what he did for me… that he loved me so much…"
"And you love him too… don't you?"
With teary eyes, Lois looked at the elderly woman. "I don't know what I feel, Martha. I loved Superman. But… not Clark. And I love Richard. Not as desperately as I loved Superman, but still… What I currently feel for Clark and Superman, I don't know."
"He still loves you, you know…"
"He doesn't. He likes blondes," Lois pointed out, and despite the seriousness of the conversation, she couldn't hold back a giggle.
"Blondes, of coooourse," Martha joined in the laughing. "Oh, don't even listen to him, Lois. Just give him time to remember you, and give yourself time to decide what you feel for him." She stood up from the chair. "I think it's time for bed, for both of us. We have to get up early, Clark will be up at five, demanding that I show him his spaceship."
"At five?" The younger woman looked shocked.
"That's how life is in the countryside. Early to bed, early to rise-"
"…makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise." Lois nodded. "Good night, Martha. And thanks for the talk."
"You're most welcome, dear. By the way, do you have a photo of Jason you can spare?"
A warm, bright smile spread on Lois's tear-soaked face. "Of course. I always have at least three-four pictures of him with me. Remind me tomorrow… just not in front of Clark."
"Not in front of Clark." Martha nodded knowingly. "Good night, Lois."
o O o
"What's that smirk on your face, Lex? Good news?" Kitty asked casually, although – even if she didn't want to admit it to herself – she had a sinking feeling in her stomach. In the past few weeks she'd learned that her boyfriend was ruthless, and his ruthlessness sometimes scared her. The fact that he had an evil smirk on his face could only mean that he was up to something, and that might not be good for Superman, or the world, or both.
"Good?" Lex looked up at the woman. "Wonderful is a more appropriate word for it."
"Why, what happened?" she asked, flopping down into an armchair, facing him.
"You remember I told you I had a friend at NASA. I've talked to him about the Kryptonite and he assured me that he could get me some. Perhaps not only some… a lot. But that's not the only good news. I've learned that Lois Lane left Metropolis this morning. You know I have friends everywhere… even at the Metropolis airport. This guy informed me that Miss Lane left the city with her co-worker, Clark Kent and they were headed for Kansas City."
"And?" Kitty raised a pencilled eyebrow at him.
Lex treated her to a cold smile. "Superman might have escaped from the Metropolis General Hospital, but I'm sure Miss Lane knows where he is, and that's why she left. I'd bet anything she's dying to help him get his lost memories back... After all, she loves him. She even bore a child for him…" Luthor's smirk grew wider by the second. "I have every reason to believe that wherever she is, we will find Superman around. All we have to do is monitor her."
"And how can we monitor her?" the woman wondered, absent-mindedly fondling her Pomeranian.
Luthor rolled his eyes. Kitty could be so… blonde sometimes, even though she had dark hair. "Satellites, of course. My friend at NASA placed a recently decommissioned satellite at my disposal. We put it on Miss Lane."
"Aaaand?"
"We found that after she and Kent arrived at Kansas City, they rented a car and drove to a town at the back of beyond. Smallville. They are at Kent's farm right now, and wherever Lane is, Superman must be close… All we have to do is sit back and wait."
"And then?"
Luthor shrugged. "Then all hell will break loose."
o O o
A/N: next stop: the Niagara.
Looking at my stats, I've made a little calculation according to which only three percent of my readers review this story. Three. In other fandoms (Artemis Fowl, the Bartimaeus Trilogy), it's ten percent. I wonder, why the huge difference between the reviewing attitude of readers in those fandoms and in this one? Can anyone explain it? I'm really curious…
Dear readers, please remember that it takes an author days to write a chapter. For you it takes a minute (or less) to submit a review. So listen to your conscience and click on that pretty violet-blue button below :)