Chapter 8
She stares back at him with a shocked expression on her face. "I thought he was doing better?"
Clark looks back down at the beer bottle with a sigh. "I thought so too - but by the time I got to the hospital, he had already passed away."
"I'm so sorry," she whispers softly while resting her hand on his thigh. "Is there anything I can do?"
"No, but thank you for asking," he responds as he rises to his feet and extends his hand to her. She takes it as she stands up.
"So I guess it's too soon to ask if any arrangements have been made," she asks as they both go into the house.
"I talked to Pete's mother and she said that the funeral will probably be in a few days. She'll call me when the final arrangements have been made," he says as he rinses out the beer bottle, then tosses it into the recyclable bin.
He turns around to look at her. "Have you had dinner yet?"
"Not yet," she answers.
"You don't mind leftovers do you?" he asks as he peers into the refrigerator. "I still have some leftover meatloaf and mashed potatoes from last night."
"I don't mind at all," she replies. "Throw in a tossed salad and you've got yourself a deal."
"Okay then," handing her the plate containing the leftovers, then pulls out some spring mix and grape tomatoes. "I also have some cucumbers and olives," he remarks as he puts all the vegetables on the table. He prepares the salad while Lois sets the table and heats up the leftovers in the microwave. When she hears the beep, she takes the food out and places it on a couple plates, then brings it over to the table.
"Do you want something to drink?" she asks as Clark tosses up the salad.
"I'll have a beer," he replies as he sits down.
"You read my mind," flashing him a small wink as she grabs a couple bottles and tosses him one.
"Thanks," sitting down and flipping the cap off.
"So how many beers did you have before I arrived?" she asks as she sits down.
"Two," he replies as he takes a slug. "It's not as if it affects me," he says in his defense when she gives him a curious look.
"No need to get defensive," shrugging her shoulders as she takes a bite of meatloaf. "Now what do we do?"
"I have no idea," he says with a sigh as he sets the bottle down. "I've been looking everywhere I can think of, but Zod has covered his tracks pretty well."
"What about Tess?" she asks next. "Do you think she's still alive?"
He looks up at her. "I hope so," he says in a worried tone.
The conversation lapses into silence as they both begin to eat. "This is really good," she mumbles between bites. "Your Mom's recipe?"
"Yeah," not looking up while pushing his food around the plate with his fork.
She looks up at him. "You really should eat something."
"I'm not hungry," he mutters.
"That doesn't sound like you," she says as she lays her fork down.
"I just lost two people that I cared about in less than a week, and another one is missing. Excuse me if I don't have much of an appetite for once in my life," he snaps as he throws his fork into the sink and abruptly storms out the front door.
"Smallville!" she calls out as she rushes outside but he was already gone. Where'd he go? She wondered as she continues to stand on the front porch and scans the immediate area. Damn him and his super-speed, shaking her head. She turns around and reaches over for the doorknob when she suddenly hears a loud crashing noise coming from the barn.
She immediately lets go and runs in the direction of the barn. She takes a couple steps into the barn but then dives out of the way when a hay bale whizzes right past her and barely misses her. "Smallville, have you lost your mind?" she asks as she rises to her feet and watches as he picks up another one.
"Son of a b!tch!" he yells out as he throws it in a different direction.
Lois stares in disbelief as the hay bale crashes into the staircase leading up to the loft. "So does destroying the barn make you feel any better?"
He whips around and glares at her; his eyes narrowing for a moment before he super-speeds over to her and grabs her by the waist, then pushes her up against the wall.
"Small-" the word dying in her throat as his lips meet hers in a fiery kiss. Her eyes stay open for a split second; stunned by his bold move. Then her eyes slowly close as he presses his body against her; his hands moving from her waist to her backside. Her hand moves to the back of his neck as they continue to kiss; their tongues gently caressing the inside of each other's mouths.
"You are so beautiful," he murmurs as he lifts her up the wall, then grabs hold of her legs and wraps them around his waist. He tears his lips away and presses them on the skin behind her ear.
"Mmm," a soft sigh escaping her lips as his lips make their way down her neck. Her hands slip beneath his t-shirt to graze his back with her fingertips.
Clark groans softly as her fingers make their way around his stomach and up to his upper chest. Their lips meet again; the kisses becoming deeper and more intense. "Bedroom," he whispers as he walks out of the barn with Lois still in his arms.
"Yes," she whispers as he kicks the front door open with his foot and carries her inside. Just as he's half-way up the stairs, his phone rings. He opens his eyes just as Lois opens hers and they gaze at each other. "You better get that," she says as she removes her legs from his waist.
"It's just a text message," he says as she runs down the stairs. "Lois, where are you going?" catching up to her on the porch and grabbing her arm.
"I…uh…have to go home and feed my cat," she stammers slightly. "He's probably hungry by now."
"Tobias will be fine," still holding onto her arm. "Besides, you don't usually give him food in the evening, so what's the real reason why you're leaving?" quirking his brow.
She bites her lip before she finally answers. "I don't want to be just a one night stand," she says in a soft tone. "I don't want to be anybody's one night stand."
He lets go of her arm; in shock by what she just said. "But, Lois-"
"I have to go," she whispers as she rushes to her car and gets in.
"Lois," he calls out to her as she starts the engine.
"I'll see you at work tomorrow," she answers as she does a three-point turn, then takes off down the long driveway.
He continues to watch until her car disappears from his immediate view, then turns and goes back into the house and leans back against the door with a sigh. Lois, you could never be a one-night stand. He pulls out his cell phone and checks the message. Junk mail. Perfect, he mutters angrily as he presses the 'delete' button and shoves the phone into his pocket.
He goes into the kitchen to clear the table when his phone rings again. He checks the caller id first before he answers. "Hi," he says as he wraps up the leftovers and puts them in the refrigerator. "No, you're not interrupting," he says in a wistful tone as he closes the door. "I can be there in about a half hour," he replies as he leaves the house and locks up. "Okay, see you then. Bye," hanging up and promptly super-speeding back to his apartment in Metropolis. He enters his bedroom and opens the door to his closet. Now what should I wear? he wonders as he scrutinizes his wardrobe. I think this will do, he decides as he pulls out a pair of black slacks and a blue shirt.
Ten minutes later…
Lois enters her apartment and locks the door behind her, then kicks off her shoes and collapses onto the couch; closing her eyes and resting her head back. They open again when Tobias jumps onto the back of the couch and begins to nuzzle her head.
"Come here," gently picking him up and settling him on her lap. "At least I'm not allergic to you," she says as she lightly strokes his soft, gray fur. "Why do things have to be so complicated?" she wonders. "Why did he have to kiss me?" He looks up at her with quizzical eyes. "Why did it have to be so damn good?" a touch of longing in her voice. Tobias mews in response and rests his head on her chest. "Not a care in the world," shaking her head with amusement.
She sits there for a while until Tobias jumps off her lap and runs over to the food dish and sits down. She looks curiously at him until he opens his mouth and meows. She sees that the bowl is empty and gets up. "I guess I didn't lie to Clark after all," she says with a soft sigh as she goes into the kitchen and opens one of the cabinets. "Here you go," pouring some cat biscuits into the dish before setting the bag down on the kitchen counter.
While he's eating, Lois goes into her bedroom and takes off her clothes; dropping them on the floor. She stands in front of her closet and starts to pull out her usual sleeping attire when a glimpse of red catches her eye. She reaches for the football jersey and gazes at it; her finger lightly tracing the number eight on the front.
She pulls it over her head, then flips the light switch before getting into bed; knowing that she probably won't get much sleep tonight.
At the same time…
Clark enters the Ace of Clubs and makes his way over to the bar. "A beer please," he tells the bartender as he sits down on one of the stools.
"I'll have one too," a voice calls out. Clark spins his stool around.
"Hey, DiNozzo," Clark says with a smile and shakes his hand.
"You got here pretty quick," Tony replies as he sits down next to Clark.
"My apartment is not far from here," Clark replies as the bartender hands them each a bottle. "So what's the big news?" he asks as he pours his beer into a glass.
"I've decided to leave the police force for a position back home," Tony says as he twists the bottle cap off.
"That is big news," Clark says as he sips his beer. "What's the position?"
"I'm going to be a detective with the Baltimore Police Department," he replies as he takes a slug of his beer.
"Wow," says Clark as he sets the half-empty bottle down on the counter. "I didn't know you were even looking for another job."
"I've wanted to move back home for a while now, but it was only until recently that a position opened up. An old friend of mine on the force told me about it."
"That's great," Clark says as he picks up his bottle. "Congratulations," clinking his bottle against Tony's bottle. "I'm gonna miss you."
"Thanks," he says with a smile as he scoops up some nuts from a dish and pops them in his mouth. "So what did you think of the RUSH concert the other night? Amazing show, wasn't it?"
"You went to the concert?" his eyes widening with shock.
"Sure I did," Tony replies as he continues snacking on the nuts. "They even played a song from their next album."
"Sh!t!" Clark scowls as he slams the beer down on the counter.
"Strong words coming from the Clarkman," Tony grins. "Weren't you supposed to be there?"
"That was the night that my ex-girlfriend was murdered. Lois and I had to cover the story."
"Lana Lang-Ross?"
"Yeah," Clark replies.
"Wasn't the funeral this morning?" Tony asks as Clark picks up his beer once more and takes a sip.
"Yep," Clark says as he continues drinking.
"What about her husband?" Tony asks. "Wasn't he just stabbed yesterday? I haven't heard any new information about it."
"He died an hour ago," Clark says with a sad look on his face.
"I'm sorry to hear that," says Tony with a solemn expression.
"My only consolation is that we patched up our differences last night. I don't know if I could have lived with myself if we hadn't."
"Yeah," Tony nods his head. "So is there anything else going on with you?" He asks with a mouthful of peanuts.
"Nothing to write home about," he says with a sigh as he finishes drinking his beer.
Tony looks at him curiously. "It's Lois, isn't it?"
Clark looks up at him with a stunned expression. "How did you know?"
"It's written all over your face," Tony replies. "I've seen the eye sex between the two of you. If it were me, we would have been dancing in the sheets a long time ago," he smirks.
Clark just rolls his eyes. "And just how long would it have lasted, Tony?"
"Probably would have been a one-night thing, but it would have been worth it just to have those long legs wrapped around me. Man, they would drive any man crazy with lust," he says just before Clark slaps him on the back of the head. "What the hell did you do that for?" he glares at Clark as he rubs his head.
"She's not that kind of woman," Clark declares; his eyes flashing with anger.
"Then what kind of woman is she?" Tony asks while still rubbing his head. When Clark doesn't answer right away, Tony's eyes widen as he comes to a realization. "You're in love with her."
"No, I'm not," turning away and flagging the bartender down. "Another beer please."
"Yes, you are," Tony says in a low voice after the bartender leaves. "You are totally in love with her," he smirks again.
"So what if I am?" Clark raises his voice as he gets up from the stool, but then his jaw drops when he realizes what he just said.
"I knew it!" Tony declares with a grin. "You've got it bad, my friend," he replies as he clasps Clark around his shoulders. "So what are you going to do about it?"
"I don't know," Clark shakes his head sadly as he sinks back down on the stool.
"I'm sure you'll figure it out," Tony says when he hears his cell phone ring and pulls it out. "Duty calls," he says with a frown. "I gotta go," slipping his phone back into his pants pocket.
"So when is your last day?" Clark asks as he gets up.
"I have to report for duty in about a month," Tony replies as he also gets up. "Let's get together for a farewell drink before I leave."
"Sounds good to me," Clark says with a smile and shakes his hand. "Bye," he waves to Tony as he disappears into the crowd.
Clark finishes his beer, then throws a few bills on the bar and walks over to the elevator. Maybe I'll go for a walk, he decides as the elevator rapidly descends to the first floor. Once he steps out of it, he makes his way outside. He walks down a couple blocks before a couple of police cars and an ambulance race past him in the opposite direction. I better see what's going on, Clark decides; taking a quick scan around before shifting into super-speed.
He comes to a halt in an alley in Suicide Slums - one block away from where the police cars and ambulance have stopped, then casually walks towards them. He recognizes one of the officers and calls out to him. "Hey, Neil," he calls out to one of the officers.
The officer turns around. "Hey, Clark," walking over to him. "What are you doing in this part of town?"
"I was on my way home when I heard the sirens. What's going on?" Clark asks.
"Somebody just found the Captains sister beaten and unconscious in that alley," pointing in the direction of the ambulance.
Clark has a stunned look on his face. "Does he know?"
Before the officer can answer, a car comes screeching up to the curb and Lex hops out.
"He knows," both Neil and Clark say at the same time as Lex strides towards them.
"I better get back to work," Neil says and quickly walks away.
"So how did you know about Tess being found?" asks Lex as they both walk towards the ambulance.
"I was just on my way home," Clark replies as they reach it. "I hope she's okay."
"Me too," says Lex as they both peer into the back of the ambulance. "She's not here," Lex says with a frown.
"Would you please step out of the way?" one of the EMT's says to him as they carry the stretcher with Tess on it.
"Tess, it's Lex," he says while holding her hand.
"And Clark too," he pipes up.
She slowly opens her eyes and raises her head. "Clark," she whispers.
"Who did this to you?" Clark asks in a concerned voice.
"Zod," she continues to whisper.
"I knew it!" Lex says angrily.
"Did he say why?" Clark asks next.
"Revenge," she says. "He wants to take away everyone you've ever cared about, then kill you."
"If that's the case, then why didn't he kill you?" Lex queries.
"He wanted me to give Clark a message," reaching into the pocket of her ripped up jacket and extracting something out of it. "Here," holding it out to Clark.
He takes the object from her. "I don't understand," looking confused. "Why would he give me this?"
"He didn't say why," her head falling back on the stretcher.
"Clark will figure it out," says Lex as they carry her into the ambulance. He climbs in and sits down next to her.
"I will. I promise," says Clark as the doors are closed and the ambulance takes off.
He continues to stare at the object in his hand as he continues walking down the street. I don't get it, shaking his head as he enters his apartment and locks the door, then slides the deadbolt into place. He changes into his sweatpants and t-shirt, then lays the item on the nightstand before getting into bed. He picks up a book from the other nightstand and reads for a few minutes, but he's unable to concentrate. After tossing the book to the side, he lays back down and closes his eyes. I just don't get it, he thinks again for what seemed like the millionth time.
A few minutes later, his eyes pop open and he bolts out of bed. He changes into his Blur clothes and super speeds out of the apartment; leaving the watch behind on the nightstand...
TO BE CONTINUED…
