Epilogue

"I brought you some doughnuts. Chocolate frosting," Clark offered Lois the bag.

"Oh good, I was starving," she said taking it eagerly.

Clark looked at her pointedly.

"I said 'starving' not 'dying'," she protested, shoving one into her mouth.

"All the same, I'd like us to stay away from saying things like that for a while. How's the forehead?"

Lois hand instinctively went to the bandage. "It's fine, three stitches, and before you ask none for the collarbone. How did things end up with Teresa?"

Clark sighed. "She's under observation at Lance End. They found evidence of her having moved Margaret's body to Luthor's. They also found the room and it turns out, she had both Amy and Stacey's bones in there, and some other…stuff."

"Do I want to know?" Lois asked over a mouthful of doughnut.

"No. You don't," he said, which Lois knew was code for "I don't want to tell." Which was fine, all things considered. "What'd they piece together?"

"Teresa had always wanted to be with Luthor, she was upset that other women got the opportunity she felt she couldn't have."

"Because of Margaret."

He nodded. "So eliminating them was more of routine. Margaret though, was pure rage on her part. She felt her sister betrayed her and dismissed all she had done for her and she had her own vendetta against Luthor—who by the way wants you to name your reward. Anyway, are you sure you're okay with not being on the byline for this one?"

"Sure," she said. "You did most of the work. And tell Luthor he can keep his money."

He looked at her, then went to look out the window. Lois continued, "I'm so glad you brought these, I swear the food here is garbage. Do they purposely feed crap to patients? I mean you're already sick you don't ne—"

"That was a risky stunt you pulled going to see Teresa like that."

"You didn't believe me," Lois said absentmindedly. "So I had to check it out on my own."

"You didn't even give me a chance."

"I told you I had my suspicions and you completely disregarded them," Lois said defensively.

"I just felt that you were trying to dismiss anything I agreed with."

"That's ridiculous."

"Is it?" He turned to look at her. She shifted and patted the side of the bed beside her.

He sighed and went to sit on the bed. "I don't think I'm ever going to sleep again," he said after a moment.

"Margaret? The room?"

He shook his head.

"You. What happened anyway?"

Lois looked away. "You tell me."

"You really don't remember?"

Lois shook her head.

"To be completely honest," Clark said after a few seconds. "I don't remember much either. Just…being scared."

It was Lois' turn to sigh. "I guess that makes it the second time I scare you half to death."

Clark looked at her with an expression that was decidedly not amused.

"Sorry, sorry," she reached looked up at him with a soft smile. "But it's all over now. So what are you so afraid of?" He didn't reply and for a moment she thought he'd stand up and leave, but instead the opposite happened as she found herself in a tight embrace. She blinked in surprise.

"Out of curiosity," Lois said after a while, her voice muffled over his shoulder, "what were the stakes of that bet we made? Anything you wanted?"

Clark pulled away and smiled. It had been a while since she'd seen him smile and it somehow made her feel oddly warm. The feeling brought an immediate surge of discomfort.

He shook his head

"What?"

"I just wanted you to notice me." He hurried to add, "As a reporter-- a good reporter."

"Oh."

"What?"

"Nothing, just--," she shrugged, contemplative for a moment, "That's kind of boring."

"Well, I think we've both had all the excitement we can stand," he said lightly as if intending to continue, but paused when he noticed Lois' frown. "What is it?" He murmured.

"I don't know if you're cut out for this Clark," she said softly, turning away from him. "I don't mean being a reporter, because I think you're good, you know," she spoke quickly. "I mean, being my partner."

"What?" She could hear the surprise in his voice.

"Well, you were," she paused for a second, "--and are-- very affected, by things like this--and well, these things, happen. Those are the risks that good reporters face, you know? Putting everything in line for a good story. I don't know if you're ready for that. You seem...easily spooked."

"Easily spooked?" He asked irritated and she felt strangely hollow and dissatisfied, even as she had accomplished her goal. "Right," Clark continued sarcastically. "Because the sight of you emerging from the ground pale, naked and bleeding wouldn't call up any associations with the undead. Not to mention the theatrics."

"Look," Lois said sharply, crimson flooding her cheeks, despite her own earlier claim of ignorance. "I'm just trying to protect you."

"Protect me? I wasn't the one attacked by a lunatic."

"But you could have been!"

"Lois, I wasn't the one jumping into danger head first!"

"What do you call breaking into Luthor's?"

Clark opened his mouth then closed it, glaring at her.

"That," he said pointedly after a moment. "Was different."

"How so? Because you're a big, strong man? Like Superman?" She looked away and sighed, rubbing the bandage on her head absentmindedly. That was enough, a voice inside her admonished, just lay back, be quiet and that's it.

But somehow she couldn't end it like that. "This isn't about bravado," she added softly. "This is about how much you can take. For every twenty stories we do, there might be one like this. Decapitation, mutilations, rapes-- if you're going to fall to pieces when we go for those stories like that, then this is not the place for you."

Suddenly, his eyes widened. "This isn't about me," he said in an odd tone which put Lois immediately on guard. "This is about you."

Lois looked away, clamping down on the strange unease. "That doesn't make any sense," she said forcing a laugh.

"You're worried about me."

"I don't want a partner that will slow me down because he can't hack it!" She snapped.

"You're worried about me and that makes you nervous. You're scared you'll slow yourself down by worrying about me."

"Please."

Clark she could hear the smile in his voice. "If you don't want to admit to it that's fine," he said magnanimously. "I find your concern touching. It's nice."

"It's-it's not true!" She sputtered. "Just leave. I'm tired."

He didn't. She felt his weight on the mattress, mere inches from her. "I'll be fine, Lois," he said solemnly after a few seconds. "As long as," he paused as if searching for the right words. "As long as you take care of yourself, I'll be fine."

Lois felt unbalanced, groping for anything, finally asking defensively, "What is that supposed to mean?" She didn't even wait for his reply, adding, "I can go to Perry at any minute and let him know this isn't working out. He'll dissolve this partnership in an instant."

"Because I worry about my partner? I thought that was a good sign," Clark replied neutrally.

She gathered enough presence of mind to face him. "You're in no position to ask me for anything," she said.

"Not even for you to be safe?"

Lois steeled herself. "Nothing," she said flatly. "And if you can't deal with that then just say so."

Clark stood up, and she felt that strange hollowness once more. That was that, she thought.

"Fine, then," Clark said lightly.

"What?" She looked up at him quizzically.

"I won't ask anything of you. But I'm not running away from being your partner," he said. "If you can't handle it, then go to Perry, by all means."

Although she tried, she couldn't temper the wide smile. "Oh, please," Lois said with her usual flair. "I can handle anything."

END