Lois was being shaken and her name was being called over and over. She tried to ignore it, but at last she gave up and opened her eyes. Clark was standing over her and it was still dark. Suddenly she was very awake.
"Clark, you can't be in here!" she whispered loudly. "It's the middle of the night," with a glance at the alarm clock that read 1:32 a.m. "and your mother's in the next room."
Clark smiled. "Don't worry. I have a valid excuse for being in here. We have to go into work."
Lois looked at the clock again and threw the blanket back over her head. He pulled it back off. "Come on you know it's not a 9-5 job and just think, this could be the story that gets you a Pulitzer or at least upstairs."
She groaned, but got up and met him downstairs 5 minutes later. She had gotten very tired again; she hadn't recovered from Sunday. She wasn't put together very well in her sleepy attempt at getting ready. Some of the buttons on her shirt were in the wrong holes and it didn't look like her hair had been brushed. It was in a very sloppy ponytail.
"Don't get me wrong," he smiled at her. "You look cute, but I doubt you want to make an appearance at the office like that."
She mumbled something unintelligible.
Still smiling, he unbuttoned her shirt for her and buttoned it back up.
"If I wasn't so tired, I'd be turned on right now," Lois said, her eyelids half closed.
"Maybe this will turn you on. I mean wake you up," he said, handing her a paper cup filled with coffee.
She took a sip and her eyes flew open as she looked at the cup in her hand and said in disbelief, "Is this from the coffee shop in Metropolis that I like?"
He nodded. "I got it for you while you were getting ready."
"Oh, right," she said, her eyes going back to their droopy state. "I forgot."
He opened the front door for her. "How do you forget that your boyfriend is a super powered alie--intergalactic traveler?" he changed when he got a glare from Lois.
"Things slip your mind when you have to get up before the chickens do," she shot back. Then she stopped in the doorway. "Wait a minute. How did they know to contact me here? Did you tell them I was living here now?" she demanded.
"First of all, when you change your address, you have to let your workplace know and second of all, no I didn't. Tess knew somehow."
"That woman gives me the willies, but of course, she would if she's Lex's second in command. I was hoping to put it off the moving thing for a little while because I know she's going to say something snide about it or just grin her wicked, knowing smile, the one that makes you want to slap her."
"Believe me. I know what you mean."
Lois sighed as Clark scooped her up and she asked unenthusiastically, "So what's this important story that we're supposed to be covering?"
He didn't answer until he was sitting her down next to the Daily Planet Building, which had only been a matter of seconds. "Apparently the mayor's been shot."
"Oh, that is good news," Lois said.
Clark looked at her surprised.
"Not good news for the mayor, of course, but a good front pager. Did she tell you anything else?"
"No, I guess she'll tell us more inside."
Clark and Lois went into Tess' office where she was waiting for them. She smiled the wicked, knowing smile that Lois had predicted. "Well, well, if it isn't my two favorite reporters who live together now. How sweet and convenient."
"Cut the crap and let's get down to business," Lois said. "Where's everyone else? Are we the only ones covering this?"
"You're the only ones writing it," she slid a paper with notes to the other end of the desk. "I sent Reed down to the mayor's office and Jackson down to the hospital to keep an eye on his condition. I want you two to write up the actual article and man the phone for any additional information they send you. You two live too far away to be any help when I need a reporter to go somewhere local. You might what to consider leaving that little farm behind and moving to the city."
Lois looked like she wanted to make a snarky comeback, but instead she read over the notes. Clark was reading them over her shoulder. "This looks like a pretty open and shut case," Lois commented. "Politician stays late at office with secretary, wife finds out and shoots him. Whether he lives or not is the only angle to this story. Why did you need the both of us to write it?"
"Well, I didn't really," Tess answered. "I just wanted Clark. He has impeccable grammar skills and saves a lot of time in the editing department. You could learn from him, Lane," Lois snuck Clark a dirty look and he responded by grinning back at her. "I just figured since you were there, you might as well help. I've noticed the number of sold copies seems to go up when you two work on a story together. Don't go downstairs for this. I don't want to waste any time. You two can use Jackson's computer, and they'll call you on Jackson's phone too.
Tess stayed in her office and Clark and Lois took a seat at Jackson's computer. They started the article, but they had to wait on the mayor's condition to finish it. Clark had to admit that Lois was very patient during the first half hour of waiting. Then she started clicking around on the computer.
"Lois, what are you doing?"
"What does it look like, snooping. It's what every good reporter does."
"Well, stop it. Jackson's computer isn't a story."
She sighed. "How did I get stuck with a goody-goody-two-shoes?"
He smiled. "The laws of nature. Somebody has to keep an eye on you and I'm the only one up for the job."
"How about we make Jackson a funny wallpaper or screensaver?"
Clark shook his head sternly.
Lois threw herself back in the chair. "Fine. Let's just sit here and be bored."
"I'd offer to keep you entertained, but Tess--"
"I know, I know."
"Can't you play alien invaders or whatever it is you play on the computer?"
She brightened and patted his knee. "Then there are times when I know why I'm stuck with you."
Clark smiled as he watched Lois play. She was amusing to watch with her shouts of "die" and "take that". She got into her games. Tess poked her head out one time to see what all the yelling was about. She rolled her eyes, shook her head, and closed the door again, tighter this time.
Around 5:30 a.m. the report finally came in. The mayor had survived the surgery. Lois gave a satisfied click of the mouse as she hit print and then laid back to rest. Tess had gone downstairs for a bit to check on something, so they only had to wait for her to come back. "I'm exhausted and I'm a mess," she said, feeling her hair. "I need to go home and sleep."
He felt her hair too and then ran his hand down her cheek. "You're a beautiful mess."
She took his hand in hers and kissed it. "Don't start what you can't finish, Kent. Tess is liable to come back any minute."
He pulled her into his lap. "Haven't you heard of stolen moments. The danger only makes it all the more fun."
She smiled. "You're starting to sound like me," and then she leaned down to kiss him, but before she made it to his lips, she swiftly and gently found herself on the floor. She made a noise that sounded something like a growl and then looked toward the elevator, expecting to see Tess step off, but it was Clark's mother instead.
Martha was bringing a paper bag. Lois quickly peered under the desk. "Yes," she whispered, victoriously. Jackson had a pencil under his desk. She stood up wiping the dust off her pencil and the back of her pants. "I was getting this pencil. It rolled under the desk."
"Of course, it did," Martha said warmly. Lois looked at Clark, who didn't make eye contact with her and then she looked back at Martha, who was pulling breakfast out of the bag. Lois couldn't tell if Martha meant what she said or if she was humoring Lois, but if she was only humoring Lois, wouldn't she say something about it? She looked back at Clark. He didn't seem suspicious and he should know his own mother. "I hope you don't mind," Martha continued, "but I haven't gotten a chance to see you two at your workplace."
"Of course not," Clark said, taking a muffin, "but we work normally work in the basement."
"That's what the security guard said," she smiled, "but I'm sure you'll both be up here before you know it."
Lois relaxed and took a muffin. "Thanks, Mrs. Kent."
"I have one question though," Martha said. "How did you two get here without the truck or Lois' car?"
TBC