A Love Story in Four Parts
by Cyrano the 2nd
This story takes place one year after the movie, Superman Returns and contains spoilers. I do not own Superman, but if I did, I would be rich.
Part Four- The Understanding
Lois was late for work the next morning.
She had spent most of the morning laying in bed, trying to figure out what to say to Clark. By the time she had actually forced herself out of bed, she still hadn't decided. She was hurt and angry and there was a part of her that wanted to yell at him. But there was another part that just wanted to bury herself in his arms and tell him to never go away again. She could not reconcile these urges- especially not when she remembered the dream she'd had last night.
Lois didn't remember most of it, but she was sure that in the dream, Superman had been in her room, and he had said words that sounded like 'good bye'. Lois shook her head, and parked her car, heading into the crowded building and making a beeline for the nearest elevator.
She marched into the Daily Planet's newsroom, determinedly not looking in Clark's direction as she made her way to her office. She needn't have bothered. She snuck a glance out her office window a moment later to find that Clark wasn't at his desk. She pursed her lips, and then blew air out in annoyance. She was being silly, and she knew it. She couldn't avoid him forever. They would have to talk about it, and soon.
Lois sat down at her desk, satisfied that she'd made that much of a decision. She flipped open her laptop. Her assignment was, thankfully, not Superman this time. But she still found herself staring at the blank screen, unable to write a single word. She would try to focus on a particular sentance, and instead she would see Clark's face in her head, looking down at her with those huge glasses perched on his nose. Glasses! What kind of a disguise was that?
It fooled you, Her internal nag supplied.
I thought I told you to shut up, she told it. The voice lapsed into sulky silence, and satisfied, Lois put her hands to the keyboard and started typing.
And hour later she had only got as far as 'The Wider World of Wayne by Lois Lane'. She stared at the screen, trying to think of something-anything- from her interview with the eccentric millionaire that she could write down.
Let's see, she thought. Charities-no that angle's played out. His latest flame? Ugh, Perry's right, I'm no good at writing about sex. What else?
Lois stretched out over the back of her chair, surrepticiously looking towards Clark's desk. His chair was still empty. Lois' eyes went to the TVs hung in clusters above the newroom, but Superman wasn't on any of them. Well, that was odd...
"Lane!" Lois jumped as Perry thrust his head through her door. "You done with that article on Bruce Wayne yet?"
"I'm still working on it, Chief."
Perry grimaced. "Hurry up, I want it finished for the afternoon edition."
"Right." Perry began to pull his head back out of her office but her exclamation stopped him. "Chief!"
Perry raised an inquiring eyebrow and Lois realized that she had almost shouted. "Um, sorry. I was just wondering if you knew where Clark was. I was hoping for his help with this."
"He called in sick this morning."
"Sick?" Lois echoed. Even before she'd known he was Superman, that would have been unusual. Now she knew it to be impossible. "Clark's never sick."
"Yeah, I know." Perry entered fully into her office and lowered his voice. "I won't make a formal announcement about this until the staff meeting tomorrow, but since you and Clark used to be a team, I'll tell you. Clark came into my office early this morning and quit."
"WHAT?" Lois' voice went up an octave. Perry gave her the gimlet eye. For the second time that day, Lois found herself moderating her tone. "Why would he do that? I thought he was happy here." With me.
"He said he had personal reasons, Lane. I respect Kent enough not to ask."
Lois nodded, bewildered, thinking back onto her dream the night before. Was it possible that dream wasn't a dream at all? Was it possible that Clark would leave Metropolis, would leave Jason and her?
"Chief, do you know Clark's phone number?"
Perry frowned at her. "Lois, you leave that man alone. If he wants to leave, its none of your business why."
He turned and left her office, leaving Lois in a state of near-panic. Clark didn't know that she and Richard had broken up. He probably thought he was being noble.
Idiot! she thought. I'll kill him!
But first, she had to find him.
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Clark stood in his empty hotel room, surveying his forlorn travelling trunks and trying to convince himself to pick them up and just go. He had not slept at all last night, the thought of Lois twisting around his heart until he'd finally gotten up before dawn and begun packing. It was sad, really, that his whole life could fit comfortably inside of two overlarge suitcases.
Clark sighed, sitting on the side of the bed and let his eyes roam over the dingy room that had been his home for the last year. It was a typical budget hotel room; complete with faux-gold chandelier and rumpled orange bedspread. Clark had found it almost impossible to find an apartment that he could afford in the city, especially with no references and a five-year gap in his rental history. He'd ended up in the hotel by accident when he'd saved it from a fire last year. It had not looked too bad, and it was close to work. Most of the staff quickly got used to seeing him everyday, and made no comment on his late comings and goings, or his frequent disappearances. As long as he paid his bill on time, he was left alone.
Clark's eyes fell to his suitcases and he sighed again, knowing he was just been delaying the inevitable, and had been all morning. He knew he should go. It was the right thing to do.
Then why does it feel so wrong?
Clark had no answer for that. He hoisted himself from the bed, feeling the heavy weight in his heart bearing him down. It was time to go.
Without warning, the front door crashed open. Clark turned in surprise to find a very angry looking Lois Lane standing in the doorway.
"Just what," she said in a dangerously calm voice, "Do you thing you are doing?"
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The expression of caught-little-boy on Clark's face would have beenadorable is Lois wasn't so furious.
"Trying to slink off without saying 'goodbye' again, where you?"
"I said goodbye to you last night," Clark answered quickly , and then looked like he wished he could take the words back. Lois narrowed her eyes, looking him up and down.
"Mm-hmm," was her only comment. She walked further into the room, closing the door behind her.
For the first time she looked at the room they were standing in. She'd been a little shocked when she'd found out that Clark was living a hotel room. Superman-the saviour of the world-living in some low-rent room. The thought constricted her heart, especially when she remembered that she had never once asked him how his apartment hunting was going.
Lois' eyes returned to the man in front of her. His clothes were rumpled and his hair was standing up and he looked like he haddn't slept at all last night. He was beautiful.
Lois felt her heart soften. "Why would you leave?" she asked softly.
"I-I want you to be happy. You have your life. You have Richard. I don't want to ruin that for you."
"And what about Jason?"
"I would never abandon Jason," Clark said with a spark of vehemence. "But maybe- maybe he would be better off with a normal family. I can't give that to him."
Lois sighed. "Clark, Jason needs you. You're his father." She couldn't miss the flush of pleasure that suffused Clark's face at the admission. Lois stepped closer to him. "I need you to."
Clark looked away. "Richard-"
Lois cut across him. "Richard is gone, Clark."
"Yes, but he'll be coming back," Clark argued.
"No," Lois said softly, "He won't. We broke up before he went to London. That's why he went to London."
Clark shifted, looking guiltly. "Because of me," he said, and there was a world of pain in those words.
"No," Lois exclaimed. "Clark Kent, don't you dare blame yourself! Richard and I broke up because of me. Richard saw, even before I would admit it to myself, the reason why I would never set a wedding date. All those five years I was waiting, and when you came back..." Lois shrugged. "Richard knew he couldn't marry a woman who was in love with someone else." Lois stepped even closer. "I love you, Clark."
Lois closed the distance between them, hoping to finally share the kiss that her anger had denied them on that rooftop a year ago. She tilted her face towards his. But Clark took her gently by the shoulders and stepped back.
Lois opened her eyes, dazed and hurt.
"Lois," Clark sighed, "We've been here before."
Lois closed her eyes for a moment. This was her chance, her one shot to say the right thing. Tears sprang to her eyes as she spoke in a low voice.
"Yes, we have," Lois said carefully. "And before I said that I didn't want to share you with the world." Clark was nodding. "But-" Lois continued. "That was before I lost you for five years. That was before I stood beside a hospital bed, afraid that I was going to lose you forever. I don't care about the rest of the world, Clark. I just want you. Please."
Her voice broke on the last word, and she felt the tears spill down her cheeks. But it was enough, because Clark was pulling her to him and his lips were kissing her tears away, his strong arms around her, his chest flush against hers. Clark's lips met hers and Lois last thought, before she was swept away on a tide of sensation, was- everything is gonna be okay.
And then, she couldn't think at all.
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One year later
"I can't believe you're really getting married."
Jimmy's eyes met Clark's in the mirror, giving his friend a wide smile, which Clark answered with his own goofy grin.
"Lois is a lucky girl," Jimmy said.
"No," Clark disagreed with a smile, "I am. She's the best thing that ever happened to me."
The strains of the traditional wedding march started, and the door opened. Jason's head peeked through, his wide blue eyes searching out Clark.
"Daddy, its time," he said, with mock impatience.
Clark felt the flush of pleasure that always accompanied Jason calling him 'Daddy'. Clark would never take Jason's acceptance of him as his father for granted.
"I'm coming," Clark told the little boy. Jason gave him a grin and a thumbs up before disappearing out the door.
Clark surveyed his reflection in the mirror for a final time, pulling at his cuffs and pushing his glasses up his nose.
"Jimmy, do I-" Clark gestured to his suit, suddenly nervous. His friend grinned at him.
"You look great," he said sincerely. "Now get going."
The End
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A/N- Yep, this is the end. I can't tell you what all your comments have meant to me. My thanks to all who have reviewed. Also, much thanks to my daughter Kitty, who gave me the seeds of this ending. Thanks babe!