Title: Undercover Lovers
Author: Dee (DD)
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I own nothing except this story. I mean no harm, just enjoying my writing.
Pairings: Clois (of course) and a bit of Chimmy.
Spoilers: Season 8, Committed. (Well, what I'd like to see happen)
Summary: Couples are being kidnapped, including Chloe and Jimmy. So Lois and Clark go undercover and make a huge discovery about themselves.
Undercover Lovers
Chapter 1
"This is Chloe, Jimmy's girl. Leave a message and I'll get back to you soon"
"Hey Chlo. Just checking in to see how your meeting with the Martin Short-wannabe-wedding planner went. Call me." She really needs to change that message, Lois thought as she snapped her phone shut.
Lois had woken up that morning to discover Chloe's bed empty, guessing that her cousin had stayed at Jimmy's place, which was now a normal occurrence since they had gotten engaged. She had tried to call Chloe ever since she had awakened but only kept getting Chloe's voice mail message. Realizing she wasn't having any success with the cellphone, Lois decided to get ready for work and stop at Jimmy's place before heading to the Daily Planet.
As she drove to Metropolis, she had called Chloe a few more times but only got her voice mail again. Ok, now this is getting weird. Lois thought and wondered why Chloe wasn't answering her phone.
Two hours later, Lois turned down Jimmy's street and pulled up outside his apartment building directly behind Chloe and Jimmy's cars. As she climbed out of her car, she shoved her keys and phone in her bag and headed inside. A few minutes later, after exiting the elevator, she arrived at his door but slowed when she saw the door partly opened.
Hoping she wasn't going to walk in on something that could traumatize her for life, she slowly opened the door and called out to them. "Chloe? Olsen? Are you here?" When she walked further inside the apartment, worry came on full force because it looked like there had been a struggle. Items were knocked over and smashed on the floor. Their wedding guest list and other papers were scattered over the living room floor, the coffee table was over turned and she saw Chloe's cell phone on the floor by the couch.
Lois immediately pulled out her phone and called the police. She explained what the place looked like and they said they would send someone immediately. After she ended the call with them, she headed out into the hallway as the police had instructed her to do and dialed Clark's number. It rang three times before she heard his deep voice answer.
"Clark Kent."
"Smallville? Where are you?" Lois asked, trying to remain calm.
"I'm almost at the Planet, Lois. Don't have a panic attack alright."
"I'm not having a panic attack."
"Well you sound panicked." Clark stated.
"Ok, so maybe I am panicked, but it's not over you being late, again. Look, forget the Planet. I'm at Jimmy's place; you need to get here now." Lois commanded him.
"Why? What's wrong, Lois?"
"I tried to call Chloe a few times this morning but I kept getting her damn voice mail. So I decided to stop at Jimmy's . . . you know what I don't have time to explain. Just get here. I think something has happened to Chloe and Jimmy." Lois said nervously.
"Have you called the police?" Clark inquired as he drove straight past the Daily Planet headed for Jimmy's apartment.
"Yes, of course I have. I'm not stupid Clark." She exclaimed offended. "Actually, I have to go, they've just arrived."
"I'm almost there, Lois. Just stay calm. I'm sure they're . . ." He didn't have time to finish his thought as Lois disconnected their call.
After driving a few more minutes, he turned down Jimmy's street and parked up the road because the police were blocking the other parking spots and had cordoned off the area outside of the apartment building. He climbed out of his blue truck, clipped on his Daily Planet press badge and headed towards the apartment building. He stopped to show the police his badge and once they permitted him through, he walked inside and went up to Jimmy's apartment.
**********
"So Miss Lane, you say your cousin and Mr. Olsen were meeting with a wedding planner last night?" Detective Sawyer inquired as she wrote in her notepad.
"Yes. Chloe told me they were meeting the wedding planner at his office at seven o'clock and that she would be home at the apartment we share in Smallville, around midnight." Lois explained remembering how excited Chloe had sounded when telling her.
"Do you know the wedding planners name or where his office is?"
Lois stood trying to remember the name, getting frustrated as the seconds ticked by because nothing came to mind.
Clark entered the apartment and saw Lois standing in front of a tall brown haired woman who looked very familiar to him. He saw Lois pacing back and forth, mumbling to herself incoherently. So he walked towards them and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
When Lois ceased pacing and turned to see who it was, she sighed relieved to see her partner and best friend. "Clark! Thank god you're here,"
"Hey. Are you alright, Lois?" He inquired sincerely.
"No, not really," she answered softly. "Do you remember the name of the wedding planner Chloe and Jimmy hired or the name of the business? I can't remember it and Detective Sawyer wants to know."
Detective Maggie Sawyer. Well now I remember her, Clark thought. "Yeah, his name was Jarrod Rucker and the business was Rucker's Wedding Designs." He answered, looking directly at Sawyer.
"Rucker? Are you sure?"
"Yes, absolutely." Clark confirmed nodding his head for emphasis.
Sawyer sighed deeply, shook her head and said, "Would you excuse me for a minute?" Then she walked over to one of the officers.
"What do you think that is about?" Lois asked curiously, as she watched Sawyer having an intense conversation with the officer.
"I'm not sure, Lois, but I'm sure everything is ok." Clark said reassuringly. When he focused his super hearing in on Detective Sawyer and the officers' conversation, he discovered everything wasn't ok.
Add Sullivan and Olsen to the six others in the Rucker case. Sawyer said.
Another one? What the hell is going on? That's seven couples.
I'm not sure but since the six other couples are still missing, I'm going to go with my gut feeling and say it doesn't look good for Miss. Sullivan and Mr. Olsen.
What are you going to tell those two? The officer asked, looking at Lois and Clark.
The truth . . . or as close to it as I can.
"Smallville? Smallville?" Lois turned around to see why Clark wasn't answering and saw him looking towards Sawyer and the officer with a blank expression on his face. So she nudged him in the chest with her elbow and smiled when he looked at her. "I've called your name a few times. Were you outta space again?"
Clark shook his head and said, "No. sorry, I was just thinking?"
"Oh, ok then. Did you see the expression on that officer and Sawyers face, just now?" Lois whispered to him softly.
"Mm-hmm. Something is going on, that's for sure." Clark whispered back concerned. "Shh! Here she comes."
"Detective, what's going on?" Lois asked gravely.
"I'm not sure, Miss Lane but as soon as we know anything, we'll let you know."
Lois' reporter's instinct was telling her that Sawyer was keeping something from her. "You already know something. Why don't you just tell us the truth?" She asked forthrightly.
"I'm not at liberty to tell you anything involving a case, Miss. Lane. I know you're both worried but I can't tell you anything else." Sawyer said sternly.
Clark could see Lois was frustrated and he also knew she would lash out soon, so he looked at Sawyer and pleaded with her. "Detective Sawyer? This is Chloe and Jimmy. They're our friends. Please, maybe we could help. Isn't there anything you can tell us?"
Sawyer took a deep breath and shook her head in defeat. She shouldn't do this considering it's an on-going serial case but the MPD haven't come up with anything. "Over the last five months, there have been six engaged couples reported missing. Each of these couples saw the same wedding planner that Miss. Sullivan and Mr. Olsen saw, right before they disappeared."
"Have you found any of them?" Lois asked concerned, calming when she felt Clark place a hand on her shoulder.
Sawyer shook her head. "No. They're all still missing."
"You think he's kidnapped Chloe and Jimmy, don't you?" Clark asked watching her slowly nod her head in agreement. "Do you have any idea how they were kidnapped?"
"No. That unfortunately, is the one thing we haven't been able to find out." Sawyer said frustrated. She looked at Lois and Clark and thought about how they had helped solve the head of the sex slave case years ago. "But maybe with the information I just gave you, you two can come up with something."
Lois and Clark stood silently acknowledging that Sawyer was putting her job on the line by trusting them with classified information.
"Well we're finished in here now." Sawyer said, extending her hand to them.
"Thanks," Lois said as they shook hands.
"You're welcome. If you think of anything further or can provide me with more detail that might help, call me." Detective Sawyer instructed as she handed them her card.
She flashed both Lois and Clark a knowing look, wordlessly conveying that if they come up with something during their own investigation that might crack the case to call her. Sawyer then left with the other officers.
Lois and Clark glanced at each other with worried expressions. When Clark saw Lois' bottom lip tremble as she attempted to hold back her tears; he pulled her into his arms for a hug. Then to comfort her, he softly rubbed her back up and down with his hand, like he had done the night he comforted her after her second break up with Oliver.
A few minutes later, she pushed out of his arms and smiled at him appreciatively. "So Clark, what do we do now?"
Clark sighed, knowing she was blocking out her emotions with work. "Well, why don't we tidy this place up and hopefully during that time, one of us can come up with an idea?" He suggested.
"Actually, why don't you play Molly Maid, while I begin working on our case?" Lois suggested staring directly at Clark.
Clark shook his head disagreeing. "I don't think so, Lois. We're partners and Chloe and Jimmy are our friends. Well actually, Chloe is your cousin and one of my best friends and Jimmy—"
"Jimmy is the twerp who's marrying my cousin, so that makes him almost family. Fine, I'll help but I'm doing it for Chloe only." Lois sighed in defeat.
Clark simply smiled triumphantly and then with a shove from Lois, they headed into the living room to clean up.
***********
Half an hour later, the apartment was tidy again and they even washed and dried the dishes. Now they both sat in the living room with a coffee each, voicing ideas on how to begin their investigation.
"How about . . . we go and speak to friends and family of the other missing couples. Maybe they have some information?" Lois suggested.
"The police have probably already done that."
"Yeah, you're right." Lois sighed. "Ok, how about we call other wedding planners and see if they have heard of him?"
Clark nodded his head affirmatively. "Chances are the police have tried it but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to speak to them ourselves."
"Ok, good. That's one thing to try." Lois said pleased as she took a sip of her coffee.
"Do you think we should've asked Sawyer what they have done?" Clark asked with a chuckle ducking as Lois picked up a cushion threatening to whack him. "Ok, wrong question."
They both were silent for a few minutes deep in thought, contemplating on what else to do. Suddenly an idea struck Clark and he feared for his life at suggesting it to her, even though he was invulnerable.
He sat up and turned to her face to face. "Lois . . . I have an idea on how we could find Chloe, Jimmy and the other couples, but it's really out there."
"Anything you suggest is out there, Clark. What's the idea?"
"Ok . . . well, umm." He was nervous being close to her while he suggested the idea so he stood up and walked around to the back of the couch.
"Spit it out Smallville. If it can save Chloe, Jimmy and the others, I want to hear it."
Clark took a few deep calming breaths and then said, "Well this Rucker guy seems to kidnap engaged couples, right?" He saw Lois nodded her head in agreement. "Well . . . I think we should go undercover as an engaged couple to draw him out."
She scoffed. "You're right, that is right out there." But then saw the serious look in his eyes and exclaimed, "You have got to be kidding?"
"No, I'm not. It's perfect Lois. We pose as an engaged couple and draw him out into the open. The police bust him. We help save the couples and get a front page article to write as well." He explained enthusiastically.
"Uh Clark, there's one flaw in your crazy plan. Lois and Clark engaged doesn't make sense and sounds absolutely insane. Now, Chloe and Clark, Lana and Clark, hell even Tess and Clark I could support because at least it sounds believable." Lois stated surely.
Clark sighed and ran his hands through his hair in frustration at how she just totally dismissed it. So he walked over, sat down on the couch and looked directly at her. "I don't believe that, Lois. First of all, Chloe is one of my best friends and I don't think of her that way. Lana and I are through and I'm never going back down that path again. As for Tess, well she's our boss and I don't think of her that way either."
"Really? Because she shamelessly flirts every time she's in the same vicinity as you. And I see you grin every time she does." Lois scoffed, annoyed.
"Are you jealous, Lois?" Clark asked with a cheeky grin on his face.
"In your dreams, Smallville. I'm . . . I'm simply stating why it would be more believable with someone else other than me."
She's jealous, Clark thought to himself. "I don't want to do this with anyone else but you. You're my partner, my best friend and . . . we work well together. Besides, I think it could be fun." He smiled happily.
"Fun? You and me posing as an engaged couple is fun?" She looked at his smile, not at all convinced this was a good plan. "You're so weird sometimes Clark." She commented rising up off the couch.
Lois stood, looked down at him as he sat on the couch with a proud grin, and wondered what made him come up with a half assed idea. Then as she ran through the plan in her head, it became clearer to her that it was the best idea they had come up with after all it would give them a legitimate excuse to contact Rucker's Wedding Designs.
I'm so going to regret doing this. She sighed and, mentally slapped herself for agreeing because she knew they would have to act like a couple madly in love, by hugging, holding hands and god forbid maybe even kissing. "Ok, Kent, we'll go with your plan."
"I knew you'd see it my way." He smiled as he stood in front of her.
"We have to make this look completely real though." She saw him raise an eyebrow at her. "That means, we're going to have to hug, hold hands and—"
"Kiss." Clark ended her sentence, gulping nervously. If we kiss, she might figure out it was me that night in the alley. Bad idea Clark, Undo it, undo it, he thought panicky. "Ok, it was a bad idea. Let's just forget it and try and come up with something else."
"No, you're right, it is a great idea." Lois praised him.
"No it wasn't. It was a very, very bad idea. We, uhh . . . we shouldn't do it."
Lois stood with her arms folded across her chest and left foot tapping on the floor, summing him up, trying to figure out why he had changed his mind so suddenly. Then she remembered he had changed his mind after she said they would have to kiss. So when she turned to look at him and saw him looking everywhere around the room but at her, she tried to hold back from smiling at her revelation.
"Aww, is Clarkie scared of kissing little ole me?"
Clark chuckled and replied defensively, "W . . . what!? Of course I'm not."
"Yes, you are."
"Yeah . . . well so are you," He exclaimed childishly.
Lois gulped and coughed nervously. "N . . . no . . . I'm not. I'm perfectly fine about it."
"Sure you are." He replied sarcastically.
"I am!" Lois cried out annoyed. "In fact, I'll kiss you right now to prove it."
Clark knew she would and that there was no way of getting out of it. Maybe she doesn't even remember the kiss? Clark stood back up, smiled when he saw Lois freak out a bit and then looked at her challenging. "Well, I think that . . . we probably should do a practice kiss. You know to make sure we feel comfortable and . . . make it look realistic."
"Practice kiss? How many kisses do you plan on us sharing, Clark?"
"Considering you're my fiancé and we're madly in love, we have to kiss to make it believable. So, there will be a few." Clark said grinning.
"We don't need to practice, Smallville. So forget it." Lois said in a commanding tone.
I know I'm going to regret doing this, Clark thought as he gently lifted her up to her feet, straight into his arms.
Lois saw his lips slowly descending closer to hers and knew she should push him away or step back but for some reason, she couldn't will her body to move and she also figured he was right. The kiss had to happen so they could make it look realistic in public. She closed her eyes when his lips touched hers lingering and slowly caressing hers. Then as the tension they had felt before drifted away, they just melted into it as if it were a normal thing for them.
Suddenly they pulled a part, shocked by what had just transpired between them and then glanced into each others eyes, only to quickly look away.
"That was a, uhh . . . good kiss . . . very realistic." Lois stammered before she brusquely walked to the kitchen to fetch some water. As she walked to the sink, she softly touched her lips and wondered why the kiss felt familiar.
Clark walked over to the window and rested his forehead on the glass, his warm breath fogging it up as he took deep breaths. As soon as he felt her lips softly caress his, his mind had instantly returned to the alley and Valentines night. Her lips were so soft against his that just thinking about it made him breathless and his heart beat erratically. What was I thinking of suggesting this plan? He silently scolded himself. When he heard Lois re-enter the room, he turned and saw she was as confused as he was.
After a few minutes of silence and staring at each other, Clark broke it by saying, "So we know we can—"
"Yeah, we can. So . . . what do we do now?" Lois asked as she stood staring him down, trying to forget about how his soft lips felt on hers.
"Well, now we put our plan into action." He said in a serious tone, also trying to forget what had happened minutes ago. "As soon as we exit the elevator and walk outside, you're the soon to be Mrs. Kent."
"I'm not changing my name. I'm keeping Lane. Wait, what the hell am I saying?" Lois exclaimed as she threw her hands up in frustration.
"I have no idea." Clark said grinning.
"Me either." Lois chuckled shaking her head confused.
Lois looked at him as they entered the elevator and shook her head when she saw him smiling and whistling. Then when he called her "Mrs. Kent." she punched him in the shoulder and leaned over to press the button to take them downstairs.
Clark glanced at her hand as she pushed the button and a realization hit him. "I'm going to have to get you an engagement ring."
"Huh! What?!" Lois sighed nervously as she looked at him and her left hand. "Do I really need one?"
"Well yeah. No fiancée of mine, fake or real, is going without a ring." He replied with certainty.
As the elevator arrived on ground floor, she saw Clark reaching out his hand towards hers. It took her few seconds to realize what he was doing but then reached out and resisted the urge to pull her hand back at the jolt she felt when his fingers slowly entwined around hers, as they walked out of the building towards her car.
When they reached her car, Clark released her hand from his. "Umm, my truck is parked up the road because the police had barricaded the area."
"Ok," Lois said as she numbly nodded her head, still reeling from the kiss before.
"Ok." Clark leaned down, gave her another soft kiss on the lips and then winked at her before walking up the road to his truck.
She leaned back on her car, wondering what the hell was going on and why she was going along with the plan willingly and enjoying the kisses. Then the next thought that went through her head was actually wondering about the color and style dress she would wear for her wedding. We've only begun pretending and already I'm wondering what my wedding is going to be like. Uhh, knock it off Lane. Get a hold of yourself. This is Clark Kent. Smallville. Shaking those crazy thoughts from her head, she climbed into her car, pulled away from the curb and headed to the Daily Planet.