HELLO!!!!
I'm still unemployed, which really sucks. Stupid credit crunch. All I've been offered so far is a 4 hour contract at minimum wage, which would barely cover my transportation costs i the first place. Grr, just needed to let that out.
Thank goodness my parents are so understanding. But at least I had my results the other day! I got a 2.1 for my degree! Which is great, but I was a little dissappointed. After getting a first for my dissertation I was hoping to get a first over all. It was a long shot as my other tutor is a bit of a d***, but 2.1 is still a great mark! So I am officially educated! I have letters to my name. I'm qualified to doodle.
Anyway, I hope my previous AN wasn't too harsh on you guys. It really has been lovely to read your comments, and I know it's not always easy to leave comment because sometimes you just can't find anything to say. So enjoy Chapter 10!
Lois pulled up to the curb and shifted into park. Clark glanced over with a slight look of consternation.
"Honey, you couldn't have let me drive?" He remarked.
"Clark, I do not need a chauffeur!" Lois growled in response.
"I know you don't! But eventually you're going to have to think about taking it easy." Clark reiterated.
"I'm driving a car. What about that is not taking it easy?" Lois responded vehemently, fanning her hands out for emphasis.
"The way you drive?" Clark was quick to reply, "Come on, would it be so difficult to let me drive?"
"I was the one that got the directions from Dr. Roberts' old secretary. It makes far more sense to just let me drive rather than explaining it all to you. Is that so difficult?" Lois explained, refusing to give Clark an inch.
Clark sighed in resignation, "I know it seems silly, but you are having a baby." He turned to Lois and clasped her hands reassuringly, "I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you. Driving the car is one thing, but eventually there'll be other things that you'll need me to do for you too. I'd rather do this now than wait. If you can't let me do this now, then we're going to have real problems when you're really pregnant…"
"Really pregnant? Am I not 'really' pregnant now then? Is this just the transition phase? Is this baby a phantom until I have to wear those ridiculous maternity pants with the infinite elastic waist? Am I only semi-pregnant until I'm waddling around like a beached whale? Is that what you're saying?" Lois railroaded ahead, leaving Clark completely bemused.
"Erh… no. You're definitely pregnant," Clark assured her. He took a glance down then met Lois' glare dead on. "And believe it or not, I can already see the changes in you. They're subtle and you normal pants still fit you, but to me you look completely pregnant. But more importantly, you look like the mother of my child, and that's all that matters to me."
Lois paused, the frown on her face gradually dissipating. A weak smile touched her lips as she grabbed Clark by the lapels. A moment later she soundly kissed him on the mouth and felt his sigh of relief.
"You're smooth Kent," Lois whispered, desperately trying to hide the lump in her throat. She pulled the door open and began to climb out before Clark had a chance to move, "but you're still not going to be my chauffeur."
He followed her as they walked towards the apartment building. Whether Lois believed him or not, her gait had changed in the last month. The sway of her hips ahead of him was slightly wider and her steps a touched more cautious, and somehow Clark found this a thousand times more enticing.
"This was the last known address for Dr. Roberts before he was forced into early retirement by the facility. His secretary seemed to think he'd still be living here." Lois said, forcing Clark to pull his attention away from his appraisal of his wife's alluring legs.
"Retirement? What about the experiments he was doing? I thought he was fired."
"No, the evidence was circumstantial. They couldn't pull together a formal charge so eventually they convince Roberts to take early retirement." Lois explained.
"Eventually? So what happened between the project being shut down and Roberts taking retirement?" Clark wondered.
"According to his secretary, Roberts was on suspension. She said he wasn't seen much at the facility, except to supervise the handling of his research."
"I'm surprised they let him anywhere near his research." Clark remarked.
"Apparently the work was of such a sensitive and highly specialised nature that Roberts was the only one who could ensure its secure handling," Lois shrugged, "Personally I think they should have just destroyed all of his notes but-"
"But then the facility wouldn't be able to make any profit from the legitimate aspects of Roberts' research. So we're here because-"
"Because, if whoever stole those psychological profiles wanted to use them, Roberts would be the only one with any understanding of them." Lois concluded.
The doorman gave the reporting couple a wary glance, allowing them to ruminate on their lead. He didn't know if they definitely were reporters but their attire was a pretty good sign and he was pretty certain he could see the notepad poking out of a pocket.
"Excuse me, I'm hoping you could help us," Clark address the doorman, "We're trying to get in contact with Dr. Roberts. Could you tell us if he's still living here?"
"I'm afraid not sir." The doorman replied without preamble.
"Look surely you can at least let us know if he's in the building. We can arrange to meet with Dr. Roberts later…"
Lois could see the slight incline towards the negative in the doorman's expression.
"We're Lois Lane and Clark Kent, reporters for The Daily Planet. We need to ask Dr. Roberts a few questions about our investigation. It's really important that we get to Dr. Roberts now or else-"
The doorman seemed surprised to have the notorious reporters standing before him but he was quick to respond, "I'm sorry ma'am but I can not help you because Dr. Roberts has not been seen for the last three days. If I recall he was last seen leaving here at nine pm last Friday."
"Ma'am?" Lois growled.
"Thank you for your help. We'll let you know if we find anything on Dr. Roberts," Clark cut in, grasping Lois securely.
The doorman watched Clark lead Lois away, murmuring to her in a placating tone. All the doorman could hear in response was another incredulous utterance, "Ma'am?"
Lois briefly glanced over her shoulder in consternation.
"The nerve of that guy! 'Ma'am' I ask you! Do I look like a 'ma'am' to you? A 'miss', a 'hey lady' maybe, but a 'ma'am'? Lois continued to growl.
"Lois, I sure it didn't mean anything…" Clark assured her.
"Yes it does! It means I am of a certain age! Do you know what it's like to be a woman looked at and considered of a certain age?!" Lois barked.
"Easy sweetie, no I don't, but then I'm not a woman." Clark conceded.
Lois paused and took a deep breath. She shook off the tension for a moment and brought herself back into investigation mode.
"Okay, Roberts was our only lead on why someone would want to steal those psychological profiles. He's not been home for three days, which means he's either left town, or he's been kidnapped." Lois summarised.
Clark nodded and concluded, "If he left town, it could mean he doesn't want to get involved with his old research again. But if he's been taken, it could mean he hasn't got a lot choice."
"Clark, check out his apartment," Lois did the swooping signal with her hand, "See if he's taken any clothes, his passport; anything to indicate he might have left of his own accord."
Clark nodded again and in a whoosh he was gone. Lois waited a few moments, still chewing over the facts out loud so that Clark kept up to date with her thought process. Occasionally she would come out with suggestions of other signs to look out for in the apartment, knowing that her husband was keeping track of her monologue even as he searched the building fifty feet above her.
Clark returned empty handed
"Nothing. The place has been swept clean. His clothes are gone, his books, no picture frames anywhere. The apartment is completely empty, and Dr. Roberts was not the one who cleared it out." Clark said, his concern evident.
"I think we can assume," Lois replied, "that Dr. Roberts did not leave of his own free will."
"And whoever took Dr. Roberts, is also responsible for these robberies."
They headed back to the parked car, Dr. Roberts disappearance heavy on their minds. At least heavy in Lois' mind until she realised Clark was climbing into the driver's seat. Her hand shot into her pocket and found it empty.
"You sneak!" Lois growled, "When did you steal my car keys?!"
Clark you sneaky devil! If you can guess when Clark stole her keys, full marks to you because I haven't a clue when he did it. Super speed and all that is a useful thing.
And poor allusive Dr. Roberts. Seems everybody wants him atm. Here's hoping Lois and Clark can find him before he gets into real trouble..... Nah.
XJaxX