Chapter Eight

Gotham, 2008

"Let us in, Alfred," Lois said again, speaking in an authoritative voice into the intercom. "Trust me – your Master Wayne definitely wants to see us."

Clark looked at her with amazement and then gazed at the high gates stretched out before their little rental car. He considered telling Lois that they could just break in but decided not to. After all, she probably had some reason for going about this the hard way. A hard way that consisted of spending thirty minutes arguing with a British butler over the intercom.

Chloe leaned forward from the back seat and stuck her head between the two of them. "How long is this going to take?" Apparently, she had less faith in Lois's methods than Clark, since she added, "Because Clark could just break us in, you know. I'm getting a leg cramp back here – this backseat was not made for a normal sized person."

Lois took a break from her lengthy argument with the intercom to turn to Chloe. "Not my fault that your cousin's credit card maxed out and this was all we could afford."

"My cousin's card maxed out because you bought three airline tickets to Gotham at the last minute," Chloe pointed out and rolled her eyes. "The girl's a college student, remember?"

Lois paused and thought for a second. "Oh yeah. Sorry." She offered Chloe a tentative, sheepish grin and then turned back to the intercom. "Alfred, you have to let us in. I've got a girl in the backseat suffering."

"With all due respect, Ms. Lane, the hospital is five miles away. You are welcome to go at any time," the butler responded in a mild, polite tone.

Lois tapped the steering wheel impatiently with two fingers and then took a deep breath. "Okay, I didn't want to do this…" she muttered and then poked her head out the window to speak into the intercom in low tones. "Tell Bruce that if he wants to be batty and act like a caveman, racing in his little cars, then he should let me in. He'll want to talk to me."

Clark exchanged a look with Chloe and they both turned to Lois. She ignored them, her eyes focused on the silent intercom. One full minute later, the gates swung open.

"Yes!" Lois smiled triumphantly at Clark. Her hazel eyes were dancing with excitement. "Even stuck in the past in a different dimension, Lois Lane's still got it."

Clark couldn't stop the answering grin. "Apparently, Lois Lane is modest in every dimension, too."

"You're just jealous," Lois shot back, with a smirk, as she drove the tiny compact through the gates and up the long drive towards the main house.

"Jealous?" Clark asked, with a raised brow. "Why would I be jealous?"

She parked in front of the main doors, turned to him and explained. "Because I can use my brains instead of just relying on brawn. You, on the other hand…."

"How was that using your brains? It was more like using your ability to irritate people," Clark responded, adopting her same teasing tone. "You annoyed the guy so much that he had no choice but to let us in. Are you sure super-annoyance isn't one of your abilities in the future?"

"For your information…"

"Enough," Chloe interrupted, sticking her head between the two of them again. "Am I going to have to separate you two? Because, honestly, you're giving me a headache. Clark, I know you have issues being mature around the usual Lois. But I definitely expected more from you, Lois. You're supposed to be older than us."

Lois and Clark both looked at her in surprise. Then, they looked at each other. Lois held his eyes for a moment with an unreadable expression on her face.

Finally, she said, "Right, I'm sorry, Chloe. I just forgot who I was for a second." Then, she looked away and added in a much lower tone, "Or I forgot who he was."

Clark kept silent, not exactly knowing how to respond to that. The silence grew in the tiny car until Chloe tapped Clark on the shoulder. "Could you get out of the car? I'm kind of trapped back here."

Clark started. "Oh yeah, sorry. I forgot this was a two door." He climbed out and helped Chloe extricate herself from the backseat. Lois had already gotten out of the car and was halfway towards the front door before he could run around to open the door for her. He couldn't help but grin slightly – his Lois would have done the same thing.

Clark and Chloe caught up with her at the front door of the dark, imposing mansion. Chloe stared up at it with awe and even Clark couldn't help but be impressed. It wasn't anywhere near as spectacular as the Fortress, but for a human mansion, it ranked up there. It definitely outstripped Lex's mansion back in Smallville.

"Wow," Chloe uttered softly, looking completely dazed. "He is a billionaire."

Lois appeared completely unfazed by the grandeur surrounding them and she reached out to knock briskly on the door. "Yeah, he is. He's also a pretty nice guy."

"I don't know, Lois," Chloe said skeptically. "Are you sure he's Batman? I can't really picture it. He's got a reputation – "

"For being a playboy?" Lois supplied. She looked around and found the bell. She pushed down on it impatiently. She turned to Chloe and Clark and explained, "It's an act. Kind of like how Clark's dorky Daily Planet routine is an act. Bruce's playboy thing is an act."

Lois's tone didn't have the hostility it usually did when she mentioned Clark's dual personas. Clark considered it a step in the right direction. He smiled and replied lightly, "I think Bruce Wayne is better off – his act seems like a lot more fun."

Lois cast a startled glance at him at his comment. "I guess so… I never thought about it." She looked at him for a second and then focused on knocking at the door again.

"I don't think it's working, Lois. They're obviously not going to open the door. Let's see…" Chloe commented. She took a hold of the handle, turned it slightly and pushed the door open. It swung inwards smoothly, revealing a dark entryway. Chloe shot a crooked grin at Clark and Lois. "Sometimes it works to just go for the easy way."

Lois reached out and grabbed her arm before Chloe could walk in. "Wait – it could booby-trapped. Knowing Bruce, it probably is," Lois warned, in a whisper.

"What if it is? We're with Clark," Chloe pointed out, as she looked back over her shoulder.

"Yeah, I know," Lois replied. "I'm not suggesting that we not go in – I'm just saying let Clark go first – we only walk where he walks."

Clark listened to them argue it out for a moment and then rolled his eyes. He hit the door slightly, making it open further. "At this rate, they'll have taken off through the backdoor. Let's hurry this process up. You guys behind me – and the second this guy starts acting weird, we leave. Okay?"

Lois cleared her throat. "Um, Clark? He's a guy that dresses up as a bat. Bruce is already as weird as it gets."

Clark paused and thought about it for a second – she had a valid point. Then again, who was he to judge? Apparently, he wore red and blue spandex in the future. "Okay, well – the second he starts acting dangerous, we leave. I'll super-speed you guys out of there if I have to – and no arguments from either of you."

Chloe nodded immediately, but Lois clearly looked like she wanted to tell him off. Before she could say anything, he added in a grim tone, "You can't hurt this body, Lois. Our Lois might not have a body to come back to if you do – just remember that."

Lois closed her mouth and reluctantly nodded. She moved away and let him go before her. He heard the two young women following behind him as he walked through the long shadowy hallway, where he could clearly see a room at the far end.

Music was wafting through and he could hear laughter coming from the room. He quickly x-rayed the hallway and saw that only one person was in the well lit room. Clark glanced back, making sure Lois and Chloe were close behind, as he led them into the room. All three burst in and stopped abruptly at the sight that met their eyes.

A tall, handsome young man – in his late twenties – was standing near a bar. He was drinking straight from a bottle and looked like he'd just come from a party. It didn't take a genius to figure out that it was Bruce Wayne. And he was clearly continuing the drinking part of the party, if the empty bottles surrounding him were any indication.

Bruce turned to the three of them and his dark eyes focused on them – or, at least, tried to focus. "Friends?? Who are you?" His gaze narrowed on Chloe and he grinned in delight. "I know who you are!"

Chloe looked taken aback. "You do?"

"Yeah," he declared, as he walked closer to her. He made a production out of checking her out and declared, "Now, usually I go for the leggier chicks. But I like blondes," His eyes traveled up her body to her face. "And blue eyes. Why'd you bring the guy? I don't go for that – but the other girl can stay."

Horrified by his comment, Chloe gasped and took a step back. Clark, on the other hand, took a step forward to grab the guy and instill some Kent family manners into him – preferably through bodily force. Before Clark could get close enough, though, Lois reached out and stopped him.

"Don't worry, it's an act," Lois assured both of them, as she stepped closer to Bruce. Her hazel eyes narrowed on his face thoughtfully. "And not a very good one. I have to say, you pull this playboy image off in a much more subtle fashion later on in life."

Before he could respond, Lois had grabbed the bottle from his hands and downed it in two good gulps. She swallowed and turned to Chloe and Clark. "See? It's iced tea."

Chloe finally regained her voice. "That still doesn't prove he's Batman." Chloe shot Bruce a hostile look. "In fact, I would rather he isn't. Then we'd have to work with him."

Bruce didn't respond. His face had lost the glazed, drunk look. Instead, he was analyzing the three of them with an alert look in his dark eyes. Slowly, he moved closer to the well stocked bar a few feet away. Clark noticed the slight movement and x-rayed the bar. It was well stocked with weapons of all types. Okay, this is getting out of hand.

"I think you might want to stop walking and listen to what Lois has to say," Clark suggested mildly. He slowly drew Chloe behind him as he moved closer to Lois. "We're not going to hurt you."

Bruce paused and stared at Clark in surprise. After a beat, he burst out laughing. "You walk into my house and tell me that I'm Batman – and then you assure me that you're not going to hurt me?" Bruce shook his head, still looking amused. "I don't what's funnier – that you think I'm a guy that runs around in a bat suit or that you think I don't have a hundred security guards outside the door just waiting for me to give the command to kick you out."

One quick x-rayed glance revealed no such cavalry was coming, so Clark shot him a half grin back. "Something tells me that you would never have let us in if you didn't want to hear what we have to say. Something also tells me that the bar is full of weapons."

A fleeting look of surprise crossed Bruce's face for a second and Clark's half smile turned to a full-fledged grin. He was kind of enjoying himself. "So, again, you might want to listen to what Lois has to say. We wouldn't have bothered you if we didn't need you."

Bruce crossed his arms and scowled at the three of them. It was apparent that he didn't like being backed into a corner. In an arrogant, authoritative voice – devoid of any hint of drunkenness, he stated, "Okay, fine, but on my terms."

Clark glanced at Lois and she nodded. "Okay," Clark agreed. "But you have to apologize to Chloe first," Clark added. "Act or no act – you shouldn't disrespect people like that."

Lois looked surprised at his comment and started laughing. Bruce rubbed his hand across his face in a tired manner and then contemplated Chloe for a moment. Chloe, for her part, looked mortified and was glaring at Clark.

"Ms. Sullivan," Bruce finally said, obviously striving for a polite tone. "I apologize. Not because I said I like blondes – because I do. And not because I said I like blue eyes – because not only do I like blue eyes, you have a pair of the most spectacular blue eyes I've ever seen."

At that, Chloe flushed a deeper shade of pink and Clark almost rolled his own blue eyes. Lois had a pained expression on her face and was very clearly trying not to gag.

Bruce wasn't finished. "I apologize because Mr. Kent is right – no woman should be treated that way. I hope you'll forgive me?"

Clark shot Lois a look of disbelief. Was this guy for real?

She gave an answering shrug and whispered, "I told you – he's better at this in the future." Then she cast a speculative look at his best friend and added, "Although, it seems to be working, so he must be doing something right."

Clark followed the direction of her gaze and saw that Lois was right. Chloe and Bruce were chatting away and he could hear Chloe apologizing to him because they'd caught him off guard. Bemused, Clark shook his head – how was it that some guys managed to be jerks and women just lapped it up? I'll never understand women.

Metropolis, 2019

Lois stared out over the water next to the patio and shivered a bit in the chilly evening air. Clark must have seen the slight movement, because he immediately shrugged out of his suit jacket and handed it to her. With a small smile, she took it and wrapped it around herself. It was huge on her, but still felt warm and comfortable.

"So, Bruce sent us out here to resolve our issues," Lois finally said, breaking the silence that had settled between them. "Have any idea what he's talking about?"

Clark didn't answer immediately. Instead, he looked out over the water, avoiding her gaze. Lois waited patiently, having learned from experience that Clark Kent could not be rushed when he was in the process of going through a good brood. Apparently, the brooding gene spanned years and universes.

"Yeah, I know what he's talking about," Clark admitted, raking his hand through his dark hair before to turning to face her. "We talked about it on our way here."

"Care to let me in on the secret?"

"He thinks that I'm getting too close to you. He's afraid that I can't differentiate between you and the real Lois – the Lois I'm in love with," Clark flushed and looked away again. "Bruce is worried that you and I will…" Clark cleared his throat and finished quickly, "he's afraid that I'll use you as a substitute for Lois and when this all gets cleared up, our relationship will have wrecked havoc on two different timelines across two different dimensions."

Lois nodded slowly, trying to absorb his words without flinching. "Except for one thing," Lois pointed out in a mild tone, trying to hide her annoyance. "You guys both sort of forgot about me in that theory."

Clark shot her a confused look. "What do you mean?"

"I can easily tell the difference between you and the other Clark," Lois shot back. "What makes you and Bruce think that I'm going to fall for you? How arrogant – I'm not even in love with my Clark, so why would I fall for you?"

Lois didn't even blink as the lie left her lips. Well, technically it's not a lie. I mean, I'm not really in love with Clark – just kind of have a crush on him. And this Clark doesn't need to know that.

Clark stared at her for a second and then started laughing. "I know that – I didn't say I agreed with him. I just said that he was afraid about this – on my part – and that's what he meant by the issues. When he saw us in there, I think he just thought that we needed to address it upfront. I know you're a totally different Lois than my Lois, and you don't need to worry about anything."

Clark's eyes twinkled in amusement as he stared down at her. "And, I'm not arrogant enough to think that you'll fall for me, Lois. God knows, even my Lois doesn't look at Clark Kent twice. She's in love with Superman – not her bumbling, Daily Planet partner."

Immediately, Lois's irritation faded away. Her heart ached at the pained look that came to Clark's eyes at his admission. Without even realizing it, she took a few steps closer to him.

Lois gazed up at him and smiled softly. "I'm sure she does look at you twice, Clark. She's just a little confused, that's all. And, really, can you blame her? You can't expect her to love a man who only gives part of himself to her."

Clark looked down at her soberly and shook his head. "But I don't just give a part of myself to her. Who she fell with – Superman – he's who I am just as much as Clark is. And I've given her opportunities to look at Clark. She's the one who chooses not to look at him the same way she looks at Superman."

"That doesn't count, Clark. You're still hiding behind the mask when you're one or the other. You've never let her see the both of you in the same man before." Lois reached out and placed her hand on his arm. "Take my advice, Clark. When this is all over, tell her the truth. Let her see the real Clark – not the two personas you've created. Maybe she's been in love with the real Clark all along, and neither one of you even know it."

"Maybe...but it's too late now. Things are too complicated between us. I don't think we can ever go back. There's Jason and Richard…"

"So what?" Lois interrupted and shook her head. "Until there's a wedding ring on her finger, she's up for grabs. Maybe you'll tell her the truth and she'll still choose Richard. I'm not saying it's not a possibility. But I think she at least deserves to be able to make an informed decision about it. If you love her so much, you should be able to do that for her."

Clark seemed surprised by her words, but still looked doubtful.

"I can't believe you can a take a bullet to the chest, but you can't even face the slightest risk of rejection." Lois rolled her eyes. That settles it, all men are wimps. Even invulnerable ones.

Clark considered her words for a second and then winced. "I know, you're right," Clark agreed softly. He avoided her gaze and looked out into the inky night sky.

"So you'll do it? You'll tell her?"

Clark hesitated. "Let's just say that I'm a lot closer to it than I was a few days ago."

"Okay," Lois nodded, satisfied that he'd at least come that far. "I guess I can live with that."

"Good, because I'm starving and I think the food's here," Clark responded. He glanced back at and met her eyes with a teasing smile. "Talking about my feelings always makes me work up an appetite."

Clark turned to walk back towards the house.

"Funny, it's never stopped the other Clark before," Lois replied with an answering grin, as she started to follow him. "Then again, it might explain why he eats so much."

Clark had been about to slip through the sliding doors leading into the main house, but at her words, he turned back to look at her thoughtfully.

"There is one thing I don't understand, though," Clark said, with a raised brow.

Lois stopped and looked at him curiously. "What's that?"

"You keep saying that you're not in love with Clark and he's not in love with you. It just can't be," Clark answered, with a puzzled expression.

Lois rolled her eyes. "And there you go with the arrogance again – it is possible for me to not fall in love with every Clark Kent I meet, you know. Clark Kents are not irresistible." Except for the whole 'yes, they are' part.

Thankfully, Clark couldn't read her thoughts. He seemed to take her words at face value and responded in a serious tone, "Yes, of course I know that; just look at how my Lois thinks of me - or doesn't, actually. But that's not the part that's impossible." His deep blue eyes held her gaze as he shook his head slightly. "Don't you see - it doesn't matter what dimension it is or what year it is. In any world… in any time… there is no way Clark Kent can meet Lois Lane and not fall in love with her."

Lois's breath caught in her throat. Before she could formulate a response, he had disappeared into the house. Which was a good thing, because if he hadn't she would have said something she regretted. Something she could never take back. Something like Well, it appears to be impossible for Lois Lane not to fall for Clark Kent, too.

But he didn't stay and she didn't utter her thoughts out loud. Instead, with a sigh of relief, Lois shook her head and tried to clear it of any romantic illusions. She shrugged and started to follow him back inside. But, before she entered the house, Lois couldn't help but cast a speculative glance over her shoulder at the stars twinkling above her. What do you want from me?