Chapter Five - Tests
She meant it. She was the luckiest woman alive. The most honorable, the most loving, and the most interesting man she had ever met was her husband. He loved her for who she was and let her be herself. He didn't stifle her independence. He encouraged it and loved her for it. All of the things she had always thought had driven men away were the things he loved her for. When she was with him she had no doubts. She could truly be herself, even the vulnerable person she hid from the rest of the world. She could cry and she could laugh with him. And could they ever laugh together.
Lois smiled as she thought about that. They had so much fun together. She loved being with him. She was lucky to be with him. Not many women she knew could say that they had as much fun with their husbands as she could say she had with Clark. No one could make her laugh like he could. Chloe was the only one that came close, but even she came up short. Being with Clark Kent made her truly happy. She enjoyed herself so much more when he was around. Even something as simple as studying the face of his sleeping form gave her goose bumps.
As Lois continued to study his face, her eyes fell upon a small smudge of leftover soot smeared above his right eyebrow, and she was reminded that their life together would not always be only good. The hard times and struggles would come, too. In fact, the hard times had come already. But no matter how hard it got, she would never regret giving herself to Clark. She would never regret becoming his wife. She understood the sacrifices that would be involved in devoting herself to Clark, and she had accepted them then just as she accepted them now. He was worth it.
Lois licked her thumb and gently rubbed it against the smudge on her husbands head, wiping it clean. Clark stirred slightly at her touch, and opened his eyes.
"Hi," Clark said, running a hand through her hair.
"Hi." She smiled. She would never get tired of those deep blue eyes. "I didn't mean to wake you. You had a smudge."
"A smudge."
"Yes, a smudge. Soot, I think."
"You're beautiful, Lois."
"You seriously can't stay on topic, can you? Perhaps I should go put some clothes on."
"And take away my breast privileges? I think not."
Lois laughed. "Did you seriously just say 'breast privileges'?"
"I did. I do have breast privileges, right?"
"Well…" She smirked mischievously, giving Clark's body a one and then two over before locking her eyes with his. "Only if I have Clark privileges."
Clark raised an eyebrow at her remark. "Clark privileges? I guess I was aiming a little too low."
"Actually, I'm a little taller than most. But I'll throw in the lower regions too, if that'll make you happy."
Clark chuckled. "Lois, you are what makes me happy. Freckles in weird places and all."
"You noticed those, huh?"
"Not the only things I've noticed. You've helped me see nudist societies in a whole new light."
Again, Lois laughed. He really never did cease to amaze her. Even physical intimacy with him was fun. How amazing was it that she was going to get to spend the rest of her life with him? At least she hoped it would be the rest of her life.
She sighed nearly inaudibly and laid down on his chest, pulling her arms around him. Being close to him helped her suppress the anxieties of the previous day, which were threatening to resurface. While she did understand what she was getting herself into when she agreed to marry him, it still didn't make dealing with her emotions any easier. She still worried about losing him.
"Lois, what is it? What is bothering you?" His voice was one of concern and love, and it made the thought of losing him that much worse. But he did not need her worries to burden him. She needed to be strong for him. It was hard enough for him to deal with his own worries without her adding to them.
"It's nothing."
Clark sighed. "Lois, I know something is wrong. Please, be honest with me."
Please, be honest with me. What had she vowed to Clark less than twenty-four hours earlier? I love you, and I commit right now to always love you, always cherish you, always be honest with you, and always cleave to you, and only you, from this day forward, and till death do us part. She had already let him down, and not even a day had passed.
"I'm sorry."
"Hey, this is new to both of us. I'm not use to being completely honest either. But we're a team now. We're in this together, no matter what. Your worries are our worries. We have to be honest with each other or this is never going to work."
"I know. I'm really sorry, Clark. I've let you down."
"No you haven't, sweetheart. You hide because you love me. I understand. I feel the same way sometimes. But we can't hide who we are out of a sense of protection. We're stronger together. We always have been."
Lois smiled, snuggling a bit deeper into the arms of her husband. He was right. They were stronger together.
"I really like it when you call me sweetheart."
"I like calling you sweetheart, too. I've never called anyone sweetheart before."
"No one has ever called me it before, either. It makes me feel special."
"You are special, sweetheart." He paused for a moment. "Are you ready to tell me what was bothering you earlier?"
"I'll try." She took a deep breath and sat up so that she could see his eyes. For once, they were locked completely on her eyes and not drifting down to her exposed chest. "I…I was worried about losing you. You could have been identified last night. If it wasn't for all the ash and soot that covered you, you likely would have."
"I know. It scares me to death to think that something might happen to you because of what I have chosen to do with my life. But I'm not going to take that chance anymore."
"No, Smallville. You cannot quite. I won't let you. Metropolis needs you. The world needs you. And I will not let you let them down because you are afraid of what might happen to me."
"Thank you, Lois. That means a lot to me. Really. But I wasn't talking about quitting. I was talking about wearing a disguise."
"Oh."
"Ms. Sullivan."
"Bryan? What are you doing here?" Chloe asked as she closed the door to her apartment.
"Mr. Luthor sent me to check on you."
She smiled slightly. It was just like Lex to do something like that. "I was on my way to see him myself."
"You should stay here, Ms. Sullivan."
"Are you kidding? I'm not going to sit around and wait. I may not be a journalist major anymore, but I'm not about to take an event like this sitting down. Besides, I need to check on my friends."
"The Kent's are safe. Mr. Luthor called on my way over and assured me that he had personally made sure that the new husband and wife were completely safe, with instructions for me to tell you this news and have you stay here. It is not safe on the streets this morning."
Chloe breathed a sigh of relief. So Clark and Lois were safe. If Lex had handled it, then Clark's identity had been protected as well. This, at least, was good news.
"Ms. Sullivan, I really must insist," Bryan Marshall said as Chloe made no effort to turn back towards her apartment. "You need to stay here."
"Look, Bryan. You know I'm not staying here. I still need to talk to Lex in person, and there is bound to be something I can do to help. You might as well give in now and take me yourself."
"I was afraid you would say that. Very well. I still do not believe this is a good idea. Mr. Luthor is quite busy. But I know there is no point in arguing with you once you've set your mind on something."
"Damn right there isn't." Three steps from the stairwell, she stopped. "Are you coming or not?" She smirked as he hurried to catch up with her, and again as he held the door open for her. The man reminded her of Clark. Same towering height, same well built physique, same gentlemanly manners. He was quite a bit older than Clark, but otherwise his appearance and character were strikingly similar. The two of them even worked in the same field.
"After you, Ms. Sullivan."
Okay, so Clark never called her Ms. Sullivan. In fact, she would likely slap him if he ever called her Ms. Sullivan, despite the fact that doing so would hurt her more than it would hurt him. But it was the thought that counted. The principle of the thing.
She was still glad Lex had hired him. She liked him. And his two children were adorable. Bryan was one more good example, one more beacon of light to keep Lex focused on what was truly important. And he did a good job, too. She felt nearly as safe around him as she did when she was with Clark. You'd have to be crazy to try and take a man as big as him one on one.
But not one on five. Chloe gulped as the two of them exited her apartment complex. Five fairly large men with malicious looks on their faces were there to greet them. This didn't look good. She cursed under her breath. For the second time in only a few minutes, she really wished she had her purse. Her taser would really come in handy right about now.
"Yes, I understand, Dr. Warner."
"Good. I'm sorry about your position, but I'm afraid I cannot spare the time."
"You would be well compensated, I assure you."
"I am well compensated now. I'm sorry, Mr. Luthor. I'm afraid you will have to find someone else."
"Yes, Dr. Warner. Thank you for your time."
Lex didn't give him time to respond, closing his cell phone in frustration. Seven phone calls in an hour, and seven rejections. How could these people call themselves doctors? Did any of them even care about people? At all?
What had happened to Metropolis was one of the worst tragedies Lex had ever seen. So many people had been killed. Thousands more had been seriously injured. Metropolis needed more doctors. Metropolis needed more help. He was doing all he could, but even his resources were limited. He only had so many doctors on hand.
Lex pounded his fist on the table in frustration. Damn it! How could people be so heartless? What was the world coming to? Didn't anyone care? People were dying, yet no one seemed to care. Even just one more doctor would make a difference. But he couldn't manage to convince even one burn specialist to come help. All the money in the world did not matter if he could not use it to help people.
Lex sighed, attempting to real in his anger. Chloe wouldn't want him to react this way. He could not let her down. He loved her too much to let her down.
Chloe. Where was she? Why hadn't he heard from Bryan? It had been over an hour. Traffic may have been bad, but surely he would have found her by now. Why hadn't he called? What was taking so long? Was she alright? Was she safe? Was she hurt? Was she…no. He could not allow himself to think about it. She was fine. She had to be. His sanity depended on it.
It wouldn't hurt to make sure. Lex opened his phone and dialed Bryan's number. One ring. Three. Six. His voicemail picked up, and Lex closed the phone, again in frustration. Where the hell was he?
Bryan Marshall had never felt this helpless. Another fist impacted with his face, and he went down hard. He wouldn't last much longer against these odds. He had very little strength left. A full power kick hit him in the side, cracking a rib and sending him rolling over in pain. He nearly lost consciousness, but sheer force of will kept him awake. These were not the kind of men to leave a man alive after a beating. Once they tired of their games they would finish him. He had to stay conscious. His life depended on it. And he wasn't about to leave his wife or his two beautiful daughters. Loni had her mother's eyes, and Missy had her father's. They were the two most beautiful things he had ever laid eyes on. He could not leave them fatherless. He needed a new plan. Brute force would not win out. Four against one were not very good odds. At least Ms. Sullivan had managed to escape. He did not even want to think about what they would do to her if they had caught her.
Bryan rolled onto his good side and put his hands on the ground, attempting to pull himself up. Then he allowed himself to fall back down, feigning unconsciousness and fighting it all the while.
His phone rang, and he silently thanked his luck. He had dropped it during the fight, and the sound drew the attention of all four men. In a flash he was on his feet, and he chopped his right hand into the neck of the first man, kicking his legs out from under him only seconds later. Swinging one hundred and eighty degrees, he grabbed the second nearest man by the throat, pinning the inside of his elbow under his neck and cutting off his air supply.
The two other men turned their attention back to Bryan, and he considered his options. He could take them both at full strength, but he was anything but at full strength. But he couldn't leave it at a stalemate, either. Time was not on his side.
Both men advanced on him, and Bryan smiled. Idiots. In one fluid motion he broke the neck of the man in his arms and flung him at the nearest advancer, knocking him over. As the last man neared him Bryan kicked him hard between the legs, then again in the chest. Five against one was hardly fair. There was no reason for him to play fair either.
A sharp pain emerged from his back, and Bryan realized his one miscalculation. The fifth man. Of course he would return once Ms. Sullivan escaped. But at least she had escaped.
Bryan collapsed to the ground, and the fifth man pulled the knife from his back. I'm sorry, Lori. I'm sorry, Missy. I'm sorry, Ahna. I've failed you all.
Blackness clouded him as his very life drained from his body, the blood from his back reaching his hands and his face. His vision was gone, his hearing nearly gone. He registered voices talking above him, but the meaning of the words escaped him, the lack of oxygen in his brain preventing coherent thought.
One last phrase registered, and he knew it would be the last words he would ever hear.
"I caught the girl. I have her unconscious in the car."
That voice. He recognized it. It was the voice of one of Mr. Luthor's penthouse security guards. He worked under Bryan. His failure was worse than he had thought. He had never thought it would end like this. He never thought he would go out like this. His only wish was that he could see the face of his wife one last time. But he knew he never would look upon her beautiful face again.
This was really the only way to travel. There was nothing quite like flying. It was one of the most thrilling sensations she had ever experienced. Having her husband hold her in the process was only an added bonus. And a very welcome one.
"Having fun?" Clark asked her silently. The wind was too loud for her to hear his voice, as they had figured out earlier. But she didn't mind resorting to telepathy. It was yet one more thing that made their relationship special.
"You could go a little bit faster, Smallville."
His speed increased dramatically as his hold on her tightened. Despite the wind, and despite the temperature of the air, she felt warm.
"That better?"
"Oh, much."
"Enjoy it while it lasts. We're almost there."
True to his word, a minute later he slowed and descended to the entrance to the Kawachi caves. He set her down gently, and his feet touched the ground. She took his hand and began to lead him towards the portal to the Fortress, when he paused.
"Clark, what is it?" He certainly didn't feel upset or cautious. If anything, he felt happy. She looked back at him and saw clearly on his face that it didn't seem like he had a care in the world. What was with the hesitation then?
Her question was answered as Clark pulled her close to him and captured her lips with his own. Lois closed her eyes and took in the joy that always surrounded each and every one of his kisses. Her arms naturally slid behind his back and his slid around her waist and up the back of her shirt.
The first kiss lasted what seemed like an eternity and yet at the same time ended too quickly. Clark withdrew slightly, leaned in again and kissed her softly, and pulled away to look at her. What he likely saw was a woman completely and totally in awe, giddy with happiness. Wow. It was all her mind could process.
When coherent thought returned to her, she looked at her husband questioningly. "What was that for?"
"I missed the taste of your lips."
"Oh."
Clark took her hand in his and pulled her towards the cave like a little boy on his birthday, and Lois followed slightly incoherently. Her mind may have recovered, but her body still hadn't. Her hesitance must have been too much for Clark, as he stopped and picked her up into his arms, making her scream in delight.
"Put me down, Smallville."
"I don't think so. I like having you in my arms. Besides, this way I have quick access to your face."
"But-" Her words were cut off as he once again leaned in and kissed her. She slipped her arms around his neck as a smile spread across her face. She suddenly didn't want him to put her down. How did he do this to her?
"See?"
"Just this once, then. But you'd better not drop me."
"You barely weigh anything. I doubt I'll have that problem."
Of course he would say that. Three ton trucks didn't weigh much to him.
Lois relaxed as she let herself savor the contentment of being in her husbands arms. For once she didn't mind letting him win. Not when him winning meant ending up being closer to him, whether it be in proximity or in spirit. And in this instance she believed it was both. If letting him win meant letting her get what she wanted anyway, there was no logical reason, other than principle, not to give in.
About half way to the painting room Clark stopped and kissed her again and she laughed. "Can't keep your mouth off me for two minutes, can you?"
"More like I don't want to." To emphasize his point, he leaned in and kissed her again, over and over.
"You better pick up the pace, Smallville. That Kryptonian bed is sounding really nice right about now."
"You want to have sex again?" he asked, not ceasing to shower her with kisses. "What about my costume?"
"That'll have to wait for later. I want you, and I want you now."
Clark didn't need to be told twice. Within moments he was at the end of the cave, and moments later he was in the inner cave. He set her down, closed the door behind them, took her hand, and inserted the key into the table in the center of the room. Several flashes of light and fancy colors later, they found themselves in the ice fortress in the Yukon. Clark picked her up again, then zipped past the Ice Cycle of Knowledge and into their bedroom. A flurry of clothing later and they were in their bed, laughing, kissing, and enjoying each other's bodies. Lois had never felt happier in her life.
Lex paced back and forth in one of the offices of his penthouse. His worry had become too much to bear, and he had driven back to his penthouse to ask Clark to help him find Chloe. But he was no longer there. Only a note had been left, thanking him for what he had done and letting him know that they had left to look into the "disguise" issue. And while he was thankful that Lois had taken him up on his advice, and that, from the condition of the bed, the two of them had been able to have their time together, he was still angry that they had gone. He wasn't angry with Clark for leaving. He was angry that Clark wasn't there to help, that he couldn't get a hold of Bryan, and that he had no idea if Chloe was safe or not. Gawd, I hope she's alright.
A knock came at the door, and Lex's heart jumped. "Come in."
Paul, one of the security guards under Bryan, entered the room, a folder tucked neatly under his arm.
"Sir, I have information about Chloe."
"Thank God. Is she safe?"
"Yes, sir. But…"
"What is it? And where's Bryan?"
"He couldn't bear to deliver the message in person, and asked me to give you the news."
News? What news? Chloe was safe. What else mattered?
Paul closed the distance between them and handed him the folder. "I'm sorry, sir."
Lex opened the folder and his heart shattered. His knees weakened, and he slid to the floor. "It's fake."
"No, sir. Bryan took them himself. He knew you would not believe it any other way."
"No. She wouldn't do this." He looked at the photo again, and it told him otherwise. How could she do this to him?
"She checked into a hotel room shortly after you dropped her off last night. The hotel staff confirmed her arrival, and the video footage confirmed that she did not leave the room. She spent the night with that man. I'm sorry."
"Who is he?"
"We are still trying to determine his identity. He checked in under a false name, and ran off when Bryan showed up."
"And Chloe?"
"Bryan is with her now."
"Leave me."
"Sir, I need to know what to tell Bryan."
"I said get the hell out of the room! Now!"
"Yes, sir."
As Paul left the room, closing the doors behind him, Lex flipped through the photos one last time. It was Chloe; that was certain. A tear fell from his eye as his head fell in rejection.
"Why, Chloe? I loved you. Why would you do this to me?" A second tear fell, but he wiped it away quickly. Now was not the time for tears. He would cry later, when all was said and done. Now, he had work to do. He would find out who this man was, and he would kill him. No one touched Chloe. No one. Consensual or not. And then there was Chloe. What was he going to do about her?
A sense of evil filled him, and he felt his old darkness creeping up around the corners. For a very small moment of time, he wanted her to suffer. Suffer, like he was suffering. She had captured his heart and then torn it from him. It was only fair to return the favor.
No. He couldn't do it. She may have let him down, but he couldn't bear to let her down. He didn't care if she loved him or not. He loved her, and that was final. He wouldn't do anything to hurt her, and he wouldn't do anything to disappoint her. He couldn't bear to. He would forgive her. He had forgiven her already.
Lex shook his head, attempting to clear the evil thoughts from his head. The thoughts lifted, yet the sense of evil still surrounded him. Had he gone too far? Was it to late to turn back? No, it couldn't be. He closed his eyes and focused on Chloe, on a time that was happier than the current moment. She was at the piano, playing a song she had written just for him. He was on the sofa, the song healing his anger and softening his heart. She loved him back then. Her music told the story plainly. How he had not seen it then was a mystery to him. But he knew now that it was true. She may not love him now, but she had loved him then. He was sure of it.
Soon the song became all he thought about. The rhythm coursed through his mind, keeping him from going over. Yet still the evil remained, tempting him. He would not give in. Chloe was too important to him to give in. He would never give in.
The rhythm of her song filled him, and he drew strength from it. As long as the song filled his mind, he knew he could fight it. And she had played it for him countless times. He knew it by heart, and his heart was filled with it.
It was then that he realized that the battle before him was not one of the heart but one of the mind. His heart was safe. His mind was where the battle was taking place. But how? The heart controlled the comings and goings of evil. The mind simply responded to the heart's proddings.
Lex opened his eyes and looked around. He was no longer in his office. What? How? And then he saw it. On the wall was a glass window. Outside the window, the office. It made no sense. Unless…
The picture in the office changed and rose higher, turned towards the desk, and looked in the mirror on the desk. In the mirror stood Lex, an evil smile on his face and a flash of purple in his eyes.
Lex's eyes widened in horror. The mirror did not imitate his expression. This is not happening.