"What can I do for you?" Clark asked as he walked back towards the wall to flip on the light switch. Batman held up his hands and trekked into the kitchen, coming out with a bottle of water.
"I came to finally meet you."
"I've been in Gotham a few times, haven't really met you either." He acknowledged. "But why now?"
"Your absence was something interesting. I never approved of a super powered god who could do whatever he wanted and no one could stop him."
"If you've followed the news since my return, I can be stopped, as you say." Bruce pulled back the cowl and looked him in the eye.
"I've been amassing a file on you for quite a while… I wanted to know your secret identity, since I know from first hand experience that it would be quite exhausting to be…you all the time."
"What's the file for?"
"I don't want to watch you crack up one day… throwing around buildings, and the like." Clark watched him down the water with a raised eyebrow.
"I'm fine."
"That's what they all say before they don the make up and start terrorizing people." Bruce smiled tightly. "If I have to be, I'll be standing between the world and your insanity."
"What about you? I've heard quite a bit about you. You're quite… liberal towards violence."
"No I'm not."
"There has been footage." Clark smiled slightly as the man before him tried to appear offended.
"You mean towards the crazies that I put away? The ones who decide there is no law but their own? Yes, I am a liberal." He confirmed. A beep at his wrist caused both men to look down, and Bruce frowned and started walking towards the balcony. "We'll have to finish this talk later, I'm being called."
"You won't tell anyone, will you?"
"And if I do, you'll make my life a living hell?"
"If you've been making a file on me, you know better than that." Clark frowned as the wind picked up his hair and blew it into his eyes. Bruce pulled the cowl down and turned back to him.
"I see no need to reveal your secrets, for now. But if you step one toe out of line, then I will be forced to do so. I'll make it so that there is nowhere on the planet to hide."
"Tough talk coming from a person who in is either loved or hated by the people of Gotham… in both of your identities." An icy smile was all Clark gave as he turned to go back into his apartment, letting out a breath as the swish of the cape let him know that Bruce was gone.
> > > > >
> > > > >
Tuesdays were usually hardest. Monday was a light day because everyone wanted to get home before any actual news happened. Tuesdays disgruntled employees told on their employers, wives killed husbands and vice versa, and major business deals went down. The joy of Tuesday. It was four in the afternoon before Lois' stomach reminded her that she hadn't eaten. Jason was somewhere around, probably still looking over Superman pictures with Jimmy.
She couldn't escape him. When she wanted him she couldn't have him. Now that she would rather have him at arm's length… they were inseparable due to the raven haired child whose giggle Lois could faintly hear. The migraine came with a vengeance, causing her to put her research away and rub her temples slowly, exhaling as if her life depended on it. What was with her lately? Lois wasn't prone to headaches, but as of late they've been appearing more and more.
"Are you okay Lois?" She jumped and looked up into the mildly concerned face of Clark.
"Yeah, I'm fine. What's up?" Shifting uncomfortably in her seat, she watched him shrug slightly.
"Nothing. I saw you wince, and decided to see if there was anything I could do."
"It's just a headache Smallville. Nothing I can't handle." He smiled and pushed those infernal glasses up farther.
"I'm sure, but I've noticed that you haven't had lunch today. I wondered if you wanted to go get something to eat."
"I don't know." Lois looked at her desk, the disarray was always a sign she was on a story. "I haven't eaten all day…"
"True. So why don't you and Jason come with me to pick up something?" The smile he gave her was almost overwhelming in its need to help.
"Sure. Jason!" She stood and grabbed her jacket. "Jason?" Abby leaned out of her partition and waved.
"He's over here." Lois shook her head and walked over; smiling down at her son whose mouth was full of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. "He said he was hungry, so I went and picked him up something. And the bread is whole wheat organic." She reassured.
"Oh, okay… well Clark, since my son has a lunch date, I guess we can go without him."
"I like this sandwich." Jason nodded and looked at Clark with pineapple jelly smeared on his cheek.
"I think we can all see that." Abby looked up and wiped his face. "Try to keep the food inside, okay?" Jason opened his mouth to show his half eaten food and cracked up.
"I swear, I don't know how that keeps him so amused." Lois shook her head and started off towards the elevator. "Are we doing this Kent or what?" She asked over her shoulder, and Clark walked after her, heart beating wildly in his chest.
> > > > >
"I didn't peg you a Thai kind of guy."
"What kind of guy am I then?"
"Someone who would go to the All American Diner, order a cheese burger…" Lois shook her head as if dizzy and frowned at her peanut chicken.
You could have knocked Clark over with a feather. He watched as she examined the statement she made before frowning and mouthing it again. "I like all types of food." He reassured her, putting down his fork and wishing his hand would stop shaking. Taking a deep breath he looked back up at her and glanced around the table for something to spill. The water, a classic, was within his reach. Making for the salt he tipped it over and Lois was instantly interested in avoiding getting splashed.
"I swear, you're going to have to pay more attention." She chided; intent on sopping up the free running liquid. "So your choice in food changed while you were gone?"
"You could say that." He didn't lie per se, but it felt just a slim line between the statement and the omission.
"Right." Inhaling the food, Lois glanced up and saw that Clark was no longer eating. "I didn't take away your appetite, did I?" She asked, sort of sorry.
"No, it's just been a long week." Full of surprises, and I don't know how many more I can take. Isn't this what I wanted? A lunch alone with Lois Lane, the woman I owe to making me the happiest man in the world by giving me a son that is the spitting image of both of our best traits?
"Maybe you should think about taking a vacation. Perry will understand. It's been busy since Superman's been back, and you're running almost twenty four hours a day. You're at the office when I leave and when I come in. But that might just be to cover for the fact that no one can ever find you. Except Abby that is."
"What?" He asked, genuinely surprised. "What are you talking about?"
"You two are the new IT team. Remember when that used to be us?" Lois joked, wiping off sauce from her chin, looking down at her blouse to make sure that none landed there.
"I'm sure Perry's just pairing us because she needed someone to take her around Metropolis." He grinned. "Besides, while I was gone you've gotten so big you don't need a partner."
"Truthfully, it was hard to deal with a partner after you left. You crawled under my skin Smallville, and no one could get on my nerves like you did. Besides, most of the people Perry thought would be good all had something to prove. I needed someone who would just do their job." He nodded and found his appetite return. "So, have you met anyone new?" The fork clattered back to the table, hunger walking out the door.
Realizing it was futile to try and pretend, Clark pushed his plate away. "No. I'm still married to my work." He smiled tightly, itching to tell her everything. Watching her brown head bent over the plate he smiled and even opened his mouth to say what he's wanted to say the moment he saved her for the first time… but it wasn't responsible to put her into more danger.
"Well, take it from me; let your work be the mistress. You should get out there and meet someone. I'm sure that Polly Ann from the farm is around here somewhere… just getting off of the bus, needing someone to show her around the great big city…" She laughed, and Clark shrugged. That wasn't really funny the first time you said it, a long time ago. Humoring her, he chuckled.
"That'd be swell."
"I will never get used to that…" Lois looked down and pulled her cell phone from the clip on her waist. "Hello?" She said as she held up her finger. "Hi sweetie. I'm eating lunch with Clark down at that restaurant around the corner from the office. The Thai one… yeah, I know. I told him so." She laughed and threw her napkin down on the plate. "Yes, I'll be right there." Snapping the phone closed, Lois gathered her things and looked back at Clark. "My story might have blown wide open. That was Richard. I'll see you at the Planet, okay?"
"Sure!" Cursing the real squeak that came out in his voice when he was dealing with Lois, he watched her walk out of the restaurant, already calling Richard back. Looking down at his barely touched plate, he looked around and almost literally inhaled his food. "Check please."
> > > > >
> > > > >
Richard looked at the clock and knocked on his window, Lois automatically looking up and over towards him. Tapping his watch she waved and stood, knowing that mean that it was Jason's pick up time. They really did need to find some sort of afterschool childcare… it couldn't be good to have such an inquisitive child around a bunch of hardnosed reporters. He smiled as his mind drifted across the two reporters in particular that had taken a liking to him, and he vice versa.
Abby wasn't at her desk, which at this time of the day was kind of unusual. Kent was at his though, typing along on the article that was due in less than five minutes. In the span of time that Richard's known that man, he came to find out why Clark was known (behind his back of course) as Mr. Deadline. You wouldn't be able to find him all day, but they all knew that his articles were always on time. His foot came across the drawing paper that Jason always left around his desk… and Richard sighed as he realized there had to be at least ten crayons underneath his desk… and on the sofa right in front of the window…
Picking up the various pictures of sky with clouds in them, the prerequisite pictures of Superman in many forms, something shiny tumbled out of the stack to roll again under his desk. Bending down, the light of the afternoon sun caught the gem and he stopped. It was an engagement ring.
Lois looked down at her watch as the elevator opened. Two hours and she was packing it in, and going home with her men to the bed that had been calling for some time. It was pretty quiet, with quite a few people having already left on account of it being a slow news day. The only people left seemed to be Clark, Perry, and Richard… who was pacing in his office. "Sweetie, why don't you go to the board room, and start your homework, okay?"
"Can I say hi to Mr. Clark first?"
"Sure. Just make sure you don't bother him. He's probably hard…" She trailed off as Jason ran towards what seemed to be his almost favorite person in the world besides Superman. Lois put her and Jason's things down at the desk and walked into her fiancé's. "What's wrong?"
He held up a diamond ring and she blinked. "What's that?" She asked, closing the door and taking it from him. It was a large stone, with a specially made band that looked to be delicate leaves made of platinum. "Wow…"
"I found it with Jason's drawings." Richard frowned. "What was he doing with it?"
"You don't really think he took it, do you?" Lois scoffed, admiring the light in the stone. "This is at least a fifty thousand dollar ring."
"I know, that's what worries me. He didn't find it in the street, because neither of us let him pick anything up. So where could he have gotten it?"He took it back and frowned. "And why does it look familiar?"
"I was just thinking that…"
"You don't think that… that Superman could have given it to him?" Richard asked lowly. Lois looked at him and really did laugh.
"Come on, for what? This is an engagement ring." They both turned as Jimmy knocked on the door.
"Come in." Richard waved, and the photographer dropped off a folder.
"I was almost home when I realized you were going to need these to get them to print." He looked at the ring in Lois' hand. "What are you doing with Abby's ring?"
"This is Abby's ring? I just found it." Richard took it from Lois and looked at it again. "Why hasn't she said she it was missing?"
"I don't know, but she's been upset all day." Jimmy shrugged.
"She has?" Lois asked, trying to remember anything outside of the press conference that she covered earlier about an opening of a new hospital with a controversial new cancer procedure. When she was consumed by a story, she could ignore a flash flood. "Where is she now?" She asked trying to keep the guilt out of her voice.
Jimmy closed his eyes briefly before shaking his head. "I've got nothing. But her coat is still at her desk, so she's around here." Jason opened the door and stuck his head in.
"She's in the closet!" He smiled. "She must be playing hide and go seek!" Lois took the ring back and walked past Jason to the supply closet. When she opened the door, she didn't know what to expect, but it wasn't Abby standing there wiping her eyes.
"Abby! What's wrong?" Lois closed the door behind her. "Why are you in here crying?"
"Because I got strange looks in the bathroom." She laughed slightly, sniffing.
"What happened? Did Perry yell at you?" Lois wasn't very good at comforting anyone except Jason or Richard, so she felt woefully out of her element here, but she would try.
Abby laughed again. "No. It's Derek."
"Is that why my son had your extremely expensive ring lumped in with his drawing?"
"I'm sorry. In a fit of rage I gave it to him. At least someone should enjoy the damn thing." Lois shook her head and gave it back to her.
"He can't have this. I'm sorry about Derek. What happened?"
Abby took a shuddering breath and shrugged. "What I was too blind to see before in Gotham I guess. He loves his job, he loves his hospital, and his friends… he wasn't going move. I realize that now."
"Well, maybe you can work it out. I know at least four bicoastal couples. They just make it work. If you truly love him, it's not going to be difficult to make accommodations."
"I have. Many… accommodations over the years. I wanted to make the move to Metropolis and he agreed. Then he asked me to marry him. Now they've given him a huge promotion. He would be head of Oncology there… but if he were to move, he would remain in the position he's in now. I don't want to talk about it anymore." Abby shook her head and walked around Lois, running out of the office and to the elevator.
Lois sighed and rubbed the back of her neck as she came out and almost ran into Clark. "Smallville, watch where you're going."
"I'm sorry Lois, but what's wrong with Abby?"
"It's complicated, and if she wants you to know, she'll tell you." He nodded as she walked off, watching Abby get onto the elevator and taking it up to the roof. Smiling, he took a look around and slipped out of the door.
> > > > >
Abby screamed into the air, bellowing out the anger she felt over the last couple of weeks that built up slowly but surely. Rearing back she threw the ring over the side of the roof, feeling a sense of euphoria when she couldn't see it anymore. "I'm sure you'll want to do something other than that with this." The voice behind her caused her to jump a foot into the air, turning around and almost collapsing.
"You scared me!"
"I'm sorry." Superman landed on the roof and handed it to her. "That's a little too expensive to throw just anywhere." She shrugged.
"I don't care."
"You might eventually."
"Why are you here?" He was taken aback. Most people wanted him around.
"Because you screamed." Abby had the grace to look embarrassed.
"I'm sorry. That's the way I let out steam. I didn't mean to call in a false alarm."
"No problem."
"And I wanted to thank you for saving Jason and me." She shrugged. "I was a little out of it that day."
"You took a pretty good knock to you head, so I'm not surprised." He smiled back, feeling a rush of affection for her.
"Well… I'm sure you have a lot of people to rescue, so I'll let you get to it."
"… Okay. I'll see you around."
"I'm sure you will." Abby turned away first, and Superman thought for a moment before flying off. The door behind her opened and she smiled as Clark adjusted his glasses in the afternoon light. "Clark, what are you doing out here?"
"It got a little stuffy in the office." He said, corrected his tie and coming to stand beside her. "How are you doing?"
"I'm okay."
"If you want to talk, I'm here." Abby looked at him and nodded.
"Thank you. You don't know how much you mean to me." Clark's eyebrow rose at the comment. "I mean, you don't know how much that means to me." She closed her eyes and leaned against the ledge. "This week has been one big headache."
"That's understandable."
"That's because you're an understanding type of guy." Abby nudged him and he laughed.
"Seriously, if you ever want to talk, you know, we could go and get something to eat and talk." Clark offered.
"Hanging with you is going to ruin my figure."
"Highly doubtful." They both laughed, and he felt a lot better for slowing down her heart rate.
> > > > >
> > > > >
It was the quintessential early winter evening, and he enjoyed the looks he received while he jogged slowly with his dog. The dog was trained to stay exactly two paces in front of him, a perfectly friendly black Labrador. His eyes scanned the park, taking in the sights. He didn't come here often because most of the women wouldn't take the time to talk to him, being mostly career driven women who forgot they were supposed to live lives outside of the office.
Many a pretty lady was out today… the air crisp and clean to the point where you could forget you lived in a smog filled city. The sun was a beautiful golden orb in a cornflower blue sky… He stopped as a woman passed him on his left with her own dog riding in her hunter green leather handbag. Their eyes connected, and while she smiled shyly there was a hint of sadness about her… He stopped and turned around, jogging to catch up. "Hi." He said easily. "I had to come back to tell you that you're absolutely beautiful."
"Really?" She asked, dabbing her eyes and sniffing. "I'm sorry; I'm kind of going through something."
"I didn't mean to intrude…. I just wanted to say that."
"Oh no, you're not intruding. I'm Sarah."
"Hello Sarah. I'm Daniel."
"Nice to meet you." She laughed, and Daniel even thought her laugh was beautiful. Her skin was a very fine porcelain color, meaning that the fire color her hair wore was probably natural.
"I don't mean to intrude on your grief, but what caused you to cry?" Sarah shrugged.
"I've just had a pretty bad breakup. An office romance at that. I was so stupid."
"I don't think you are. You're not going to be able to deny the heart what it wants. But if I may be so bold, why are you wasting tears on someone who obviously doesn't deserve it? Why don't we go out to dinner tonight? I know a beautiful place that will make you forget all your woes. The tiramisu is to die for."
"I don't usually do this…" She looked down at her coat, belting it tighter against the crisp breeze.
"So break tradition. You've been liberated, come with me and have some fun." Sarah looked at him. His enthusiasm was infectious.
"Okay, that sounds fun."
> > > > >
> > > > >
Lois looked over her shoulder as she brushed her hair, watching Richard tiredly taking off his shirt and pants. "Long day, wasn't it?" She asked, putting the brush down and yawning.
"Yeah. It's been so busy as of late… I don't know how we're going to keep up." He yawned too, scratching his head and looking around. "I don't even know what I'm looking for."
"Jason gets that from you." Lois laughed and stopped. "I mean…"
"Lois, Jason is still my son, no matter who his father is." She stood and nodded seriously.
"I have never thought of him as not your child. I swear the hardest thing I had to do was to tell you he wasn't your biological son." Richard pulled her into his arms, enjoying the warmth between them. He couldn't lie, the past year had to be the most trying of his life, fighting a one sided war for the woman he loved. If the other participant in the battle didn't have the level of grace that he did… this moment wouldn't be possible. "I love you Richard, with all my heart." Lois' sediment was slightly muffled, but he heard it anyway.
"I know. I love you too." She looked up at him and smiled.
"I finally picked out my flowers."
"For what?"
"My bouquet. I can't just walk down the isle with any old flowers. Besides, Jason's allergic to half of them." They laughed and closed the door, not realizing that Jason was sitting on the stairs, sort of listening. He wasn't really trying, but it was like they were speaking with him in the room. Going to his room and closing the door, the voices only became slightly quieter.
Jason whimpered, looking for something to distract him. Going to his Lego bucket, he searched around for his favorite guy, but couldn't find him. After ten minutes he remembered sending him on a mission under the bed. Smiling; the turned and knelt down, trying to feel around for the spaceman. All he felt was the perfectly clean carpet that his mother was always sure to vacuum under every day, because he was allergic to dust.
She must have pushed it further under the bed. Without thinking Jason grabbed the post and lifted… and continued until the bed was a foot in the air. His eyes widened and he didn't know what to do. Before he could call for his mom a hand held the bed while the other took his and led him away. Superman gently rested the bed back onto the floor, and he sighed and looked at Jason, who was looking slightly weirded out, and yet excited. Well goodness gracious… this is actually happening…
> > > > >
> > > > >
"You have been distracted for the past couple of days."
"I know. It's been busy at the Planet, hasn't it?"
"Not so much that you can forget to eat lunch for a week… and yet all you do is sit there and pitter patter at your computer and stare at the screen." Clark shrugged.
"What, are you watching me?" He half kidded. As of late it was hard to keep his thoughts contained. Life was about to get very difficult and extremely complicated very shortly.
"Sort of." Abby smiled and pushed some of his files out of the way and perched on his desk. "Do you want to talk?"
"No, not really."
"Okay, but I'm there." Clark sighed and looked up at her. Okay Abby, Jason is my son, and now he's exhibiting some of my…stronger tendencies and I don't know how I'll be able to be there for me without telling Lois and Richard that I'm Superman. I don't think they'll take it as well as I hope, and I might be lucky to even get a glimpse of my son afterwards…
"Thanks, but it's kind of complicated."
"It's always going to be complicated. Let me ask you, have you eaten anything today?" He thought back to his morning. A tornado in Kansas, a block wide fire in Madrid, and a botched demolition in Germany. Nope, no breakfast…
"Can't say that I have."
"Then why don't you take a lunch break."
"That actually sounds good." She nodded and hopped down.
"Then I'll join you at the elevator." Clark picked up his jacket and frowned as something came across his hearing. Crap. Jimmy walked past him and he reached out and grabbed his shoulder gently. "Jimmy!"
"Clark! What's up?" He asked, rubbing his shoulder slightly.
"I need you to tell Abby that I have an errand that I need to run, and I will meet her at the restaurant." The photographer nodded and watched Clark jog out of the door. Abby walked up behind him, buttoning her blazer as they both watched him leave. "You heard that right?" He asked, glancing at the look on her face. She wouldn't be the first person he's blown off or canceled on, and more than likely not the last.
"Of course." She rolled her eyes and walked at a more sedate pace out of the office, a weird look in her eye. "But exactly how does he plan on meeting me there when he doesn't know what restaurant I'll be at?"
> > > > >
Clark adjusted his tie as he swept through the door of some restaurant that he hadn't been to before, and the only reason why he was there now was because halfway back to the Planet he realized that he hadn't asked Abby what restaurant she wanted to go to. Then he wasted four minutes searching for her throughout the eateries housed within five square blocks from the office. When he found her head bent over a file, he ducked into an alley after retrieving his clothes and changing quickly, walking out as if he were normal. If only…
"Hi, sorry I'm late." He stammered, pushing his glasses up and realized that his heart wasn't in it today. Abby looked up at him and gave a halfhearted smile.
"It's amazing."
"What is?"
"I didn't tell you what restaurant I was going to."
"You told Jimmy."
"No, I'm sure I didn't." Clark sighed and thought quickly.
"Well, if you didn't… how would I know where you were?" She opened her mouth and then closed it.
"Whatever. Look, while you've been in lala land for the past couple of days, I've been researching the last day of each of the women that died. What I can't find is any type of similarities." He took the file, which grew almost on a daily basis, and frowned.
"Not a single similarity?"
"Nope."
"You sound like Jason." Clark kidded.
"Yep." She leaned closer. "What if we can't find anything different than the Police? Since we've taken the story, this madman is still killing. He's smart enough to stay under the radar, but the added press coverage still hasn't slowed him down. Perry's talking about putting of any more printing until he's caught, because we might stir up the public."
"Maybe, but we need to make sure that all single women are on the alert. They could be a potential target, since there doesn't seem to be any sort of type that he likes." For right now he didn't want to talk shop, he just wanted to exist where everything he came across at the planet didn't mean it was something he missed as Superman.
Abby looked at him and handed him the menu. "Why don't we order?"
"You waited for me?" He looked up in surprise.
"Of course."
"Gee… you didn't have to do that."
"When someone invites someone out to lunch, it generally means they'll wait for them."
"Gotcha." Clark buried his nose and smile into the menu, but he didn't really need it, based on the smells emanating from the kitchen, his stomach decided for him. A pretty waitress came with a smile and a pad just in time, and they spent a moment ordering. He nodded to himself, finally something normal.
"So, Kent."
"Yes, Daniels?" She cracked up.
"What has you preoccupied for the past couple of days?" Abby twisted the drink in her hands, the clink of the ice relaxing, but when she looked up she noticed Clark was wincing. "Sorry."
"It's okay. I have sensitive ears."
"I believe it. So, what was it?"
"What was what?"
"What was it that was keeping you preoccupied for the past few days?"
"It's complicated."
"People always say that." He looked at her and smiled.
"Trust me, this is seriously complicated."
"Trust me; I'm sure I can wrap my puny brain around it." Clark smiled slightly. How many times had he wondered what it would be like for someone to ask him what was troubling him? Someone who wanted him to open up?
"I'm sure you could… but it's not really my problem. I mean, it's a friend's problem." He clarified, and Abby's eyebrow rose.
"Well then. You can't betray a friend's trust. But let me tell you something, don't let your friend's problems become your own. You're such a great guy; you take on other people's problems. I told you when I first met you that I could see the weight of the world on your shoulders. The same is still true."
"Well, you know me…" Clark finished lamely.
"Trying to at least." He looked up just as the food arrived, thankful for the diversion.
> > > > >
Lois looked up and blinked to make sure that what she was seeing was real. "Uh… what did you say?" She said again, not trusting her ears at all.
"Clark Kent. I was told his desk was around here somewhere, but I can't navigate the canyons of paper." The tall man chuckled slightly, holding out his hand. "Bruce Wayne."
"I know who you are. I've covered you a few times." She stood and held out her hand.
"That's right. I usually pride myself on never forgetting a face, but forgive me; I've been around the world in eighty hours."
"I'm sure. Did you say Clark Kent?"
"I sure did." Bruce looked around. "Where is he?"
"Uh… how do the two of you know each other?" Other people were starting to stare, Lois included.
"You are inquisitive." Was all he said, still glancing around the room.
"To a fault. Reporter." She pointed at herself with a hapless laugh.
"Mommy, who's he?" They both looked down at Jason, who Bruce frowned at briefly before kneeling on one knee and extending his hand.
"Bruce Wayne, at your service." The tyke giggled slightly.
"At my service? I don't think so." Lois' eyes widened as she nudged her son.
"Behave Jason."
"Yes mom." He wandered off and Bruce stood and straightened his jacket.
"Well, it seems that he's not here. Could you give a message that I came by?"
"Was he expecting you?" And if he was, I am going to kill him for not telling me!
"No, not really." The elevator dinged and they both turned to the entrance, where Clark and Abby came out of the elevator, laughing at some joke. "Ah. No wonder. If you'll excuse me." Lois stared after the Prince of Gotham and scratched her head.
"Lois, what's going on?" Jimmy asked, snapping pictures of Wayne meeting Clark and Abby just outside the bullpen's doors.
"I haven't the slightest idea."
"Perhaps there's more to Clark than meets the eye." Jimmy shrugged and wandered off, leaving her to her best to watch.
> > > > >
"What are you doing here?" Clark was very much so taken aback, and the question was out before he realized. Abby disengaged her arm from his and held out her hand.
"Mr. Wayne, nice to see you again."
"Daniels. Still won't take my offer?" He asked, enjoying the slight discomfort on her face. Clark look back and forth between the two of them and frowned.
"Sorry, can't do it." She turned back to Clark. "I'll be at my desk." Throwing them both a smile, she left them alone and Bruce chuckled.
"What was that all about?" Clark dropped his perky voice and crossed his arms, trying not to seem defensive.
"I asked her back to the Inquisitor for double her salary here."
"And she refused?"
"She said she had her own reasons." Bruce shrugged. "So, I came to see how you were doing."
"How I was doing?" Clark was a little incredulous. "Somehow I doubt that."
"Am I that transparent?"
"Well, in a second you could be."
"That was creepy. I am going to be in town for a few days, and I wanted to know if you wanted to talk about your serial killer case. I have some good leads from Gotham that might help."
"Why don't the police have them? From what I understand your Commissioner is a fair-minded man who understands that most of the criminals that are locked up are due to your detective work."
"While that's true, the evidence that I've collected was obtained by technology that hasn't been introduced on the market, and therefore inadmissible."
"Ah."
"Yes. People just take you at your word if you say you saw something. Me… it's a little difficult." Bruce watched Clark continuously glance into the office, from where they were getting lots of stares and glances of their own. "Is there something wrong?"
"Yes, you're causing undue attention."
"So?"
"So, my disguise depends on not attracting attention."
"Clark, you're a six foot four man with an obviously athletic build. Regardless, you're going to stand out." Bruce raised his hands and laughed. "Besides, you should be used to it."
"You hide in plain sight, that's fine for you."
"Well, if you wore a mask…" He whispered, shrugging. Clark shook his head. It was bizarre, this man standing in front of him. It was as if someone had switched a different personality on. This was playboy Bruce Wayne. Happy go lucky with his mountains of money.
"I will not wear a mask, and we're not going to talk about this here." Clark was an immoveable rock, and that seemed to amuse the man before him even more.
"Okay, have it your way. What are you doing tonight?"
"Well… you know."
"Right. After that?"
"I don't know."
"Good. Come to my penthouse, I have some questions."
"And just like that I'm supposed to jump?"
"I can't make you do anything."
"You're right. You can't."
"Lighten up Kent." Clark shook his head. "Well, my balcony will be open…"
"You're not patrolling Metropolis, are you?"
"No. A little. Maybe."
"Don't." Bruce bristled, and quickly smiled as someone stepped out of the elevator and stopped briefly. Both men retreated to the other side of the doors, and allowed the reporter to walk between them.
"Your city."
"Mmm."
"Well, I'm going to be on my way. I have a ground breaking ceremony to attend in half an hour."
"Then you should go. Traffic is really bad this time of the day." The two men smiled tightly, and Clark pushed off of the wall and went back inside, and as soon as the doors swung open everyone suddenly became busy, and he looked down at the questioning eyes of Lois.
"What was that?"
"That was Bruce Wayne."
"I know, but what was he doing here?"
"He wanted to talk." Clark walked past her, suddenly tired of every single lie in his life.
"About what?" Jimmy joined the two of them at Clark's desk, eagerly anticipating a little office gossip. "I didn't know you knew him!"
"Neither did I. Hiding things from us?" Clark looked briefly at Lois before smiling brightly.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
> > > > >
> > > > >
It wasn't his fault. It wasn't his fault. It wasn't his fault. It wasn't his fault. It wasn't his fault. It wasn't his fault. It wasn't his fault. He looked down at the saw in his hand and was grateful that he sharpened it beforehand. How could he have been so stupid? Taking a breath he continued sawing, relieved when he sawed through the spinal cord. The rest was a breeze.
She was so beautiful, and he asked her to wear green to match her hair. Sarah did it, smilingly and thrilled to be the object of someone's attention. Then it changed. The wistfulness… she actually missed her selfish paramour. How could she! He did what he had to. Why would you lead a man on, when you've… He reached over and grabbed another knife, a slimmer one to slice through the last of the skin and tendons.
Sarah wasn't perfect… which was probably the problem. It's always the problem; the women are always so… flawed. He was doing the world a favor, doing men around the globe a favor and getting rid of these… vixens. They never know what they want, and they made it so that a man tried, when all they wanted; no, all they appreciated was someone who fucked them over and left them high and dry. What happened to a lady appreciating a gentleman?
He watched the blood pour down the funnel, into the large jar he always used to do this. He had to have a collection… He snapped his fingers. Must remember to call the place and order more jars. Can never forget the details… The body would need to be tipped now, to make sure the blood was gone. Couldn't get anything on the car upholstery… Where did he put that tarp?
> > > > >
> > > > >
It was strange… to be in your body, and no longer have any power over it. The feeling was… beyond upsetting. Abnormal. Especially for him. Ironic, and a bit maddening, to be left with your own thoughts moving a mile a minute, but unable to make any outward sign that you've heard everything that goes on around you.
After he woke up, it was torture. Taking the first move in over three days… almost didn't happen. Of course it had to be a cloudy day when he had to climb through the air like molasses. The sun allowed him to feel again… which was a blessing and a curse. He had a son. His son, his beautiful son came to see him, and it was his kiss that more than anything pushed him to wake up. Half of his mind told him he wanted a break. Superman wanted to rest. A rest from feeling guilty about everything, every screw up, every misstep and happenstance that he hadn't been able to avoid or salvage.
But Clark had a son. Superman had a son. A son that will need answers, and be looked after… As the clouds dissipated and the warm sun enveloped him the weariness lessened, but the resolve was back. There was nothing that could keep him from his son now…
Sometimes he didn't have dreams. Clark sat forward and wondered how long the same recollection of those few days would plague his nights. After saving a boat that capsized in the Atlantic, he came home and after scanning the span of his hearing for anything he would have to handle… solitude was something he cherished and cursed. Left with nothing to do but sleep, Clark would sometimes dream, other times random memories would bubble to the surface and it was as if he were reliving them…
Pulling on clothes, Clark realized that not only was sleep unnecessary tonight, but it was also impossible. Might as well do some work, or thoughts would think themselves…
>
"And here I was, thinking that you weren't coming." Bruce smiled over his glass of wine, watching Clark land in the ornate garden on his balcony.
> > > > >
> > > > >
Jason swiveled the chair around in front of his mom's desk, watching intently at the busy workers around him. The adults that worked with his mother didn't pay much attention to him unless he was in their way. He couldn't help that he wanted to see what everyone was doing. They went about their jobs as if it were the most important thing in the world, mommy included. But at least she spared him a few minutes to make sure he wasn't bored.
With that thought Jason watched his mother in his Uncle Perry's office, yelling about a story she was working on. Boring… One more spin, and then he'd run over to his Daddy's office and close the door to see if the sounds would be quieter then. It wasn't too bad, but the loudness came and went when it wanted to.
Jason twirled again, and watched the doors open, his Aunt Abby walking through the door with her long hair down and blowing around her face from the wind of the door, and through the black strands he could see she had been crying. Especially since her jacket wasn't buttoned right and she didn't notice.
Twirl…
Twirl…
Twirl…The chair stopped abruptly and he fell against the back, looking up into his mother's eyes. "Jason, I'm going to need you to find something to do with your father, okay? I'm kind of busy right now, and if we're going to stop by the video store to get your DVD, then we're going to have to let me do my work now."
"Okay, sorry."
"It's okay. Mommy just needs to hurry up before she has to ring your uncle's neck." Lois smiled and playfully shoved her son out of her chair, pushing his hair behind his ear and he found himself in the aisle with a new sketch pad and his crayons. It's okay, there were plenty of other people to play with. He walked around the partitions and saw his Dad on the phone, his door closed and a frown on his face. Why not start there?
Jason had to put his stuff down before he could get the doorknob to open. When he finally made it through his dad smiled at him and waved, pointing to the dreaded couch. The same couch he had to sit on when he was in trouble, and he didn't do anything yet so he didn't want to sit on it until he had to.
Walking right back out the door, he sighed and wished he could go to the roof. It was a windy day, and after the vitamins, the replacement inhaler and the windbreaker that was zipped up the collar of his shirt. Why not stay out of everyone's way and draw on the roof? If he went now, they wouldn't notice he was gone for at least a couple of hours, enough time to get quite a few pictures done. Besides, he really wanted to see Finding Nemo, and since he broke his last two copies, renting it was the only way it would be in the house. He would have to be good until then.
Jason looked back at his father, who was furiously scribbling on his note pad, and at his mom, who had her feet up on her desk and using that fake voice she used when she wanted someone to do something they didn't want to do. She'd use that voice on him often, and he really did hate it. Making the final decision, he closed his pad and made sure he had a good handle on his crayons. They were a new pack brought by his other daddy, and they were jungle colors.
Slipping out the door was easy, no one looked down but he was used to it. No one really looked at him if he didn't want them to. The elevator took forever to get to the floor, the lights above the doors blinked until it stopped at the floor. The doors opened and people streamed out, talking so loudly that it blurred together and he had to move aside to avoid being squished.
Just as he stepped one foot into the elevator, someone grabbed his arm, and Jason looked up and up and up into the very blue eyes of his other daddy. Great… "Hi." He said, resigning to the fact that he would have to stay inside for the rest of the day.
"Hello Jason, where are you going?" Clark asked, moving his hand down his son's arm and taking his hand.
"To the roof."
"And what were you going to do on the roof?" Jason shrugged.
"Draw."
"You can do that here."
"It's boring here."
"I know, but it's really not safe for you to go up on the roof by yourself, and I think you know that." Clark sighed and took the little boy to his desk. "You do know that right?"
"Yes. But I was going to be really careful."
"The wind is very strong the higher you go in a building." Jason tried not to be sullen as his dad took off his coat and adjusted his tie. "You could have been blown off of the roof."
"I'm sorry." He whispered. It wasn't as if he wanted to always be in trouble, but that's where he seemed to find himself most days. "Are you mad at me?"
Clark opened his mouth and closed it, looking around before kneeling before his son. "No, no no. Not at all." He took Jason in his arms and gave him a hug. "I'm just worried about you. I don't want anything to happen to you."
"Nothing's going to happen to me."Jason smiled against his neck. "You're going to save me all the time."
"Right. But you can't make my job harder by putting yourself in danger, okay?"
"Right." The tyke nodded and sighed. "But I'm bored."
"Bored? Well what do you want to do?" Clark straightened up and looked down at his drawing tools. "What about drawing in your dad's office?"
"You don't want me here either?"
"Jason, you know that's not true. Would you like to stay here and draw with me?"
"Yes."
"Okay, no problem. Um…" He looked around, picking up a few stacks of files from his desk and set them up as a makeshift desk and a smaller stack as the accompanying chair. "How's this?"
It seemed that all Daddies were able to build cool stuff. Jason nodded with approval. "It's great."
"Thanks. Now you sit down, and I'm going to sit down, and we'll all do our work."
"Cool." Jason opened his sketchbook and started with a drawing, allowing Clark to take a drink of his coffee and sit down at his own desk. After while Jason looked up at his father and watched him work. His hands blurred over the keyboard, and on the screen only one red squiggle was under the word, not like Mommy, who always had a lot of red squiggles. Daddy laughed at her, and he's seen his other Dad laugh at her too. She says that her bad spelling isn't her fault, as long as she gets the story.
Jason abandoned his drawing and sighed heavily, causing Clark to stop and look over his shoulder. "What's wrong Jason?"
"Nothing."
"Okay." He went back to finishing his article. Jason went over to his desk and watched his fingers move. Clark watched Jason watch him, smiling briefly as he really kicked up the speed, and Jason laughed as he couldn't see his father's fingers… then the keyboard broke. They both jumped simultaneously, and Jason laughed harder. "You think this is funny?"
"Yes." The small child pushed his chair back and climbed into his lap. "Do you break things a lot?"
"When I'm not careful, and when I try and show off. It always backfires." Clark warned him.
"So you always have to be careful?"
"I don't want to hurt anyone, so yes, I have to be extremely careful."
"What are the two of you talking about?" Jimmy smiled as he came up to the two of them. "Here Clark, I have those photos you wanted, and the Chief wants to see you."
"Thanks Jimmy. Jason, if you're going to stay here, then make sure you stay here. If not, I'll take you back to your mother or father. Which is it?" Clark asked as he stood and put his son down on the ground. Jason looked around and shook his head.
"I'll stay here."
"Okay." Jimmy looked up at Clark as they walked away. "What?"
"I didn't know you were so good with children." The photographer shrugged. "I think it will help you land a woman." Clark's eyebrow rose as he watched the man walk back to his desk. He wanted to scream. There was a downside to working with a group of people such as reporters. Very few things actually continue to escape their observation, and it was only a matter of time that someone put two and two together and got five…or worse, ten.