CHAPTER TWO - ODYSSEY OVER
Black Creek facility, June 2008
Amazing; of all the times to send her to, and they send her back for another fight. In reality, this was a search and rescue operation, but if things went as well as last time, Lois knew there would be fighting.
Why did she agree to this? Trying to save the world once wasn't enough for her. Evidently, she just had to go back and do it again.
Let's hope this time turns out better.
And now it was her job to save Clark Kent, the man she had killed to save the world just weeks ago. Okay, so she didn't shoot the arrow that did it, but still …
It felt so wrong.
Again, she battled against the anger and resentment she'd felt since she woke up alone in her younger body. Without Imra around to sense them, all Lois' negative emotions surfaced, until now those feelings were the ones that drove her, carried her through the moments and days she didn't want to re-live, like that stupid stand-off with Tess in Lex's library yesterday.
Talk about meetings better left forgotten.
Adding to her frustration was the fact that the subject of her assignment wasn't anywhere to be found. Why the Super Kids had returned her to a time when the target was MIA, and had been for over a month, was beyond her. Oh, she knew she'd run into him here somewhere, but still all that time by herself was unsettling.
Free time just meant more time for questions. Why him, anyway? Sure, he was an alien with superpowers, but what made him so special? How was he better than Dinah, Oliver or J'onn? The Darkness had certainly used him efficiently, but without leadership, Clark was kind of weak.
Why her? Why hadn't Mrs. Kent, Chloe or Lana been able to steer him from the dark side? Really, Lois may have been carried away by some "sparks in the trenches" at work and an almost kiss but nothing every came of any of it. Of course, when he was Night … no, she wasn't going there.
Lois stopped, leaned up against one of the tiled walls that all looked alike in the Black Creek facility, and shook her head. Why was she going over all of this again? She'd already made these arguments to the Future Kids and lost. That was bad enough but, alone, with no one to yell at, she felt pressured, pushed, and a bit off balance. How did you develop a strategy for mission like this?
Focus, that's how.
Straightening her body, she began striding down the empty halls of Lex's prison, looking for Chloe. Even though she'd been here before it was all a bit fuzzy, especially in this industrial building where every hall looked the same. Lois hated how it smelled like a hospital; it seemed worse the second time around.
She heard the footsteps before she saw the two guards. They looked familiar.
"What are you doing here?" asked the sandy-haired one.
"That's a long story," Lois said. "Not sure you want to hear it … but, then again, maybe you should, before you two end up like me."
They looked at her strangely but didn't appear nervous; they seemed to be accepting her uniform as authentic. She started walking in a direction that seemed familiar. The guards followed.
Always act like you know what you're doing.
"Well, I used to work for Luthorcorp Security in Metropolis; you know, beautiful big city Metropolis?" She caught the dark-haired guard rolling his eyes.
"Never been to the big city, Mountain Man?" Lois snarked. He blinked.
"Never mind, one day, I was supposed to watch our illustrious leader, you know, Lex Luthor himself." At that, the sandy-haired guard looked mildly impressed.
"He was heading out of town to wherever it is he hasn't come back from." Both guards swallowed at that.
"Well," she continued, on a roll now. "The batteries in my alarm clock went dead and I overslept; missed the biggest security gig of my life. I thought I'd get fired for sure but, after Baldy never returned, I got transferred here."
"I can't believe it," she said, walking through one of the many internal doors. "One alarm clock malfunction and suddenly you're demoted and sent to Deliverance territory."
She just happened to look right to get her bearings and froze. There stood Clark at the end of the hall. Shock, anger, resentment, fear, and something she couldn't name seemed to tighten in her chest until she couldn't breathe. She blinked and rubbed her neck, no scars.
She steeled herself against her emotions; she still had to get near him if this was going to work. Infuriated by his innocent, surprised expression, she stormed over to confront him and prevent his capture.
Idiot.
It was childish to call him names in her head, but it did make her feel better.
"What the hell are you doing here?" she asked abruptly, allowing herself to vent some of her anger and frustration. It seemed appropriate under the circumstances. She would get through this … again.
As he stammered and stuttered in response, her irritation increased.
One of the guards spoke up, "You know him?"
"Yes," Lois responded quickly, looking at the guard.
"No," she heard Clark say at the same time.
"He wishes he didn't know me," she responded, turning back to Clark. "I thought I dropped you at your cell?" Lois continued, nodding her head, trying to give him the hint to play along.
"I'll take him back," said the guard closest to her, reaching for Clark.
Lois stuck her arm out. "And get me sent to the Sahara?" She argued, moving closer to Clark before she turned to face the guard.
"One demotion this week is enough," she added.
The sandy-haired guard wasn't buying it. He stepped toward Clark. "I'll handle it," he said.
But Lois was ready for the fight this time, and she took out both guards before Clark could even move. The sandy-haired one got her hand in his throat at the same time she delivered a roundhouse kick to the other guard. Once her training kicked in, she felt calmer.
Punching and hitting certainly works out the frustration.
Leaving both guards sprawled out on the floor Lois relieved the sandy-haired guard of his gun and took off down the hallway. She knew Clark would follow, but she couldn't look at him right now. Again, she rubbed her neck – no scars. She needed to get her head in the game.
"What are you doing here?" she asked harshly.
"I hear they make a good espresso," Clark replied.
"What, you disappear for a month and come back with a sense of humor?" she returned just as snidely, marveling at how natural it felt to banter with him. She checked the clip in the gun and returned it efficiently to the butt.
"I've been tracking Chloe down," he replied, taking long strides to keep up with her. "Question is, how did you get here?"
"Feminine charm," she quipped without thinking, and then stopped. Lois was not good at repeating herself, and this was not a game, no matter how natural it felt.
She turned to face Clark, holding the gun in front of her, not exactly pointed at the ground, and watched as Clark took a step back.
"You have a lot of nerve!" Lois' fury boiled over and she just couldn't play with the same words. "You just took off to look for Chloe, gone without a word," Lois turned and cocked the gun. "You left your friends, your family, turned away from everyone …" She stopped, as she realized she was starting to talk about dangerous territory, Darkness territory. This was not the time to demand explanations. She needed to get a handle on her antagonism or this would be over before it began.
"Why don't you put a sock in it, and do exactly what I tell you," she said as she continued down the hall. "That way we can find Chloe and stay alive at the same time."
Clark followed quietly as she led the way down two more hallways. Lois took one last right as Clark caught up to her.
"I'm sorry, Lois," he said softly. "You're right; I just-"
"Don't wallow in it, Clark; no time for a pity party," she interrupted, still not able to look him in the eyes.
She caught his dejected expression out of the corner of her eye.
Aw, hell.
He was not the enemy. She'd volunteered for this mission - but seeing him again, talking to him, bantering with him, it brought back memories from the past and the future - flashes of sitting in the barn, telling him to trust his gut. She could see him holding her hand in the hospital after the plane crash with his mom. Then the blasts from his eyes, eyes that held no emotion, no remorse …
It was too much. The flashes, the memories, were forcing her to deal with emotions she wasn't ready to face. She'd tried to tell the friends from the future she wasn't ready. Why did no one ever listen to her? Lois stopped and took some deep breaths.
Clark stopped as well.
"Mind not pointing that thing at me?" He interrupted her thoughts, looking at the gun in her hand.
Unbelievable.
He was pissing her off again; looking offended and pretending that a gunshot could actually hurt him.
"God, Clark, I'm not aiming at you," she said, though the thought was becoming more tempting as every second passed. "Besides, it's only your knee cap."
"Oh, that makes me feel so much better," he responded sarcastically.
She laughed.
She didn't know why she was laughing. Clark certainly didn't expect it and wasn't even trying. He looked stunned, which only made her laugh harder. God, she had forgotten how he could make her laugh.
That thought sobered her immediately. She should not be having those kinds of thoughts; not when she was still upset with him and with this entire situation. It was all his fault and she needed to remember that.
Lowering her weapon, Lois continued toward Chloe's cell, walking up to the door and looking at her through the window. This was a rescue operation after all. Lois felt her anger increase as she saw Chloe looking so fragile, strapped in a chair, wearing big, brown coveralls.
"Clark, over here," she motioned for him, trying the door, but it was secure.
"The door's locked; see if you can get it opened," she whispered, remembering the guy on the other side. Clark looked at her like she was crazy. She just stared at him and motioned to the handle with her head.
"Come on, chop, chop; Chloe's in there," she said, knowing Clark would do it for Chloe. He tried to turn the handle and push on the door but nothing happened.
"Come on, Clark, this is an old building; I'm sure these things are not that sturdy," she encouraged, in case he was simply trying to hide his powers. He gave her a look but tried harder. Lois could tell he was putting effort into it, but the door wouldn't budge.
"Out of the way," she told him, raising the gun. She was surprised it had come to this, given what she knew about him. What had happened? Maybe he didn't have powers now. Oliver had never given her day-to-day specifics. In fact, he preferred not to talk about Clark's origins at all. Most of that information she got from J'onn.
Firing at the lock, she rushed past Clark as the door swung open. Her weapon raised, she called out to her cousin in relief.
"Chloe," she cried, close to tears. To have Chloe alive again made it all worth while.
"Lois, look behind you; watch out," Chloe yelled. Lois had almost forgotten about the guy behind the door but months of hand-to-hand combat had honed her skills. Zap, and he went down, the victim of his own taser.
Lois quickly ran to Chloe and began working at the arm restraints.
"Lois, how did you find me?" asked Chloe
Before Lois could respond, Chloe exclaimed, "Clark, where have you been? I've been wait-" Chloe stopped and Lois looked at her. She looked guilty that she'd almost spilled what? That she'd been waiting for Clark to rescue her? No surprise there, even if Lois didn't know about Clark's powers. Lois kept her expression blank and watched the relief on Chloe's face. Man, was she always protecting Clark? It would explain so much. Lois gave Chloe a hug with a new-found sense of understanding. She had really missed her.
"Let's get out of here," Chloe said, looking at them both.
"We need to split up," said Clark. "I have to find Oliver;" Clark gave Chloe a look that spoke volumes.
"I don't care how we get out of here as long as we do," Lois replied, moving through the door. "Let's go, you guys can catch up later."
Lois started down the hallway, but turned when she didn't hear Chloe's footsteps. There she was, standing close to Clark, with her hand on his arm. Chloe was saying something, speaking intently, but Lois couldn't hear her. Her hands itched at Chloe's proximity to Clark. If only her cousin knew ... would she see the threat? Probably not; Chloe had always been there for Clark.
In the future Lois had been optimistic but now she felt deflated. Lois couldn't support Clark any more than Chloe. What did Clark need from her? For the first time, she had the urge to run, to grab Chloe and get away from everything as fast as she could. Chloe wouldn't understand, but Lois could explain …
You can never leave him.
When the words came, they kept playing in her head until she doubled over from the shame or frustration, she wasn't sure which one. Resting her hands on her knees she tried to get control of herself. A good soldier knew how to keep her head down, so she waited in that position until Chloe walked up to her. Finally looking up through her lashes, Lois could see her cousin's nervous expression.
"Chloe?" Lois questioned, relieved that the need to bolt had eased.
"I'm worried about Clark and Oliver. The guards had just pinpointed Oliver's location before you two busted me out. I'm afraid the guards are closing in and that they'll get the jump on those two," she said.
"Look, I know he's more comfortable with cornstalks and Jersey cows than rescue operations, but Clark can take care of himself," Lois said, shrugging slightly. "Of course, he had me watching out for him," she added. Lois thought it sounded like something her old self would say. Crap, she hated having to watch her words, especially when she knew that Clark could take care of himself.
Chloe smiled slightly and looked behind her. "I just think we should have stuck together. I mean, there's no reason we couldn't all find Oliver."
"Clark probably didn't want me seeing Oliver in his Green Arrow getup," Lois responded before looking around the corner for guards they left behind. Maybe this wasn't the best direction to be headed after all.
Glancing behind her, she caught Chloe's expression.
"What?" Lois responded, "I've known for a while, but since it wasn't my secret, I didn't say anything. I get the feeling since he's helping Clark with this prison break that you and Clark both know about him, right?"
"Right," Chloe released a breath. "So can we find Clark and Oliver?"
"All right; I'm not exactly keen on running into the guards we left behind," Lois added as she took off with Chloe, keeping the gun ready and taking the lead.
A couple of twists and turns later, Lois heard voices. She turned to Chloe and put a finger to her lips.
Chloe stopped with Lois to listen.
"It's Clark," she whispered.
Then Lois heard a louder voice.
"Oliver," she whispered back. "Let's go."
They burst through a set of swinging doors and Lois froze as she watched Clark fall to his knees, clutching at his bloody chest, a shocked look on his face. Then he collapsed, falling on his back, shaking in pain and struggling to breathe.
Chloe ran down the stairs, calling Clark's name.
Lois' mind screamed.
No-o-o-o!
It was Clark lying on the floor covered in blood but in Lois' memory, she was seeing Night. The pain expressed on Clark's face was the same, the same amount of blood was covering his chest, and even the arrow had pierced in exactly the same location. Lois couldn't separate Clark from Night in her mind, in her memory. Feelings of shock, guilt and remorse assaulted Lois, rooting her to the spot.
Not this time, not again.
While her body stood rooted to the spot, her thoughts were screaming at her to move, to help, to do something. What if Clark died? Lois didn't remember any of this from her past. Of course, she'd been knocked out the last time.
Could he die without the meteor rock, the kryptonite? Lois couldn't see any of the green stone, but Clark hadn't used any abilities earlier. He looked so weak and pale. Lois didn't want to look but her eyes continued to stare.
Chloe and Oliver were working to stop the bleeding but they seemed powerless. Clark's face was growing even paler and, at one point, Chloe cried out. Lois felt her fist tighten at her side, as if she was back on the roof of the Chronicle with the meteor rock clutched in her hand.
Her body was immobile but her thoughts continued to churn. Even if he survived, what would happen? Clark didn't want her. He'd made that clear when Lana returned. Nothing seemed to have changed in that regard. Why had she let the kids talk her into coming back? This Clark hadn't lived as Night, hadn't experienced the Darkness as she had. Could she even relate to him now or deal with his secrets?
What if she couldn't separate the Clark from Night in her head and heart? Could she succeed if she couldn't forgive him? She wasn't sure she could forgive herself right now. If she couldn't, she'd be forced to re-live the Darkness, the evil, Night. If Clark died, it would be worse. She would have failed in every conceivable way.
Again, she tried to move, to go to Clark and help but her breathing turned shallow and her vision started to blacken around the edges.
She could not fail.
It was her last thought before the room started to spin and everything went black.
Kent farm, next day
You can never leave him.
As Lois drove up toward the Kent farm, her stomach constricted. She'd spent all of her time on the way back from Black Creek vomiting, unable to settle down once she'd regained consciousness and found Clark gone. Less than one day with Clark and she'd lost him. Now, no one knew where he was or how he was. Whether they were all seriously in the dark or simply protecting Clark's secret wasn't clear, but it was maddening.
When the farm came into view, Lois felt a sense of calm settle over her and the tightness in her stomach eased. The peace she felt was the kind that she could only get from being here. Everything looked the same. Bathed in the early morning light of the sun, the farm felt welcoming, achingly familiar and safe.
After turning off the engine, she sat behind the wheel, simply staring at the yellow house and fighting back tears. What would happen to the place if Clark died? The very thought brought back the tension and the nausea, so she leaned forward to rest her head on the steering wheel.
Breathe.
Deep breaths seemed to help, and so she continued with a steady rhythm until the sickening feeling in her stomach passed. Lifting her head, she looked around the place again, soaking in its timeless quality with a feeling of reassurance. Deep in the recesses of her mind she could hear the voice of Mrs. Kent gently reminding her that she hadn't come here to feel sorry for herself.
"Come on, Lois, you're strong. You can do this," her quiet voice continued and, for a moment, Lois could see her red hair flashing as she worked in the flower beds along the side of the house. The shadowy reflection straightened, wiped her hands on her apron and smiled.
As the image faded, the feeling of encouragement remained. Taking one last deep breath, Lois got out of the car and closed the door. Shelby came running from the barn to greet her.
"Hey, Shelbs," Lois murmured, running her hand through the dog's soft fur, "you haven't seen your master, have you?" Shelby wagged his tail expectantly.
She blew her bangs out of eyes and sneezed. Out of habit, she glanced up at the barn window, her body growing still when she saw a familiar figure standing there.
"J'onn," she whispered to herself, in the next minute shouting his name.
"J'onn!"
Lois started running toward the barn but stopped when she saw him raise his hand in a halting motion. She waited impatiently as he turned from the window and finally walked out of the barn.
Meeting him halfway, she grabbed him by the shoulders.
"J'onn, I can't believe it's you. What are you doing here?" She asked him, the words tripping over themselves as she looked him over. He looked just like the man she'd left standing on the roof of the Chronicle.
"I'm sorry," he said, smiling slightly while eyeing Lois. "Do I know you?"
"Very funny," Lois said, punching him lightly in the shoulder. "You know me." At J'onn's quizzical look she continued. "Look, I know you can at least see yourself in my thoughts."
She saw J'onn stiffen; his look turning wary. "You have some interesting ideas about me, Miss … uhm."
"It's Lois, J'onn," Lois said, responding with some confusion. What was going on?
She looked down as Shelby butted her hand with his head. Patting the dog reflexively, she tried to collect her thoughts. J'onn was without telepathic abilities; what did that mean?
"Are you a friend of Clark's?" J'onn asked.
"Clark," Lois said, gripping her friend's shoulders tightly, this time in relief. "You've healed him and lost your powers."
J'onn pulled away at her words. "Whoa, okay Miss …"
"Lois," she reminded him, undaunted now that she'd put it together from the stories she'd coaxed out of J'onn on those long nights battling the Darkness.
"I don't know where you're getting your information from or what powers you think I possess but you have the wrong ideas about me." J'onn was as smooth as always, but Lois could see the slight wrinkle between his brows. He was worried.
You can never leave him.
When the phrase ran through her head, Lois felt her focus return. Maybe now was time to back off with J'onn and get to the real reason she was here.
"Is Clark here?" Lois asked, watching as J'onn's expression grew guarded. She reached for his upper arm, panic starting to set in again at the echo of Rokk's words.
"I need-," she started, letting her anxiety show. "I just need to know he's all right."
J'onn patted her hand and held it gently in his for a moment. He looked behind him toward the loft.
"He'll be back to his old self in no time," he told her with a small smile, looking back into her worried face. "He's just recovering right now."
"Thank you, J'onn," Lois said softly, throwing her arms around the surprised Martian. Everything else may be messed up but at least Clark was going to be okay.
Daily Planet July 2008
The first time Lois Lane really felt like herself after being sent back in time was when she spotted the globe atop the Daily Planet. She was energized by walking through the revolving doors and by the time she got off the elevator, she was planning a future. This was what she needed, the activity, noise and smell of the Bullpen. It was her restorative.
Working as a reporter again was invigorating and within a couple of days, long hours were the norm. By the end of her fourth day, Lois was already working late. Walking back to her desk, reviewing some notes, she looked up and saw Clark sitting at the desk across from hers.
Crap.
She'd been so caught up at work, that she had forgotten this interaction entirely. Instead of preparing for their next encounter, she'd been busy getting back to reporting.
Not good.
She couldn't look at him; somehow she knew seeing him alive and well would send her emotions into overdrive, so she sat down at her desk and kept working.
Maybe he'll go away.
It took only a minute before she heard the squeak of the chair as Clark started swiveling it back and forth.
She squirmed a little, not at the noise, but at the situation. Could she really go through this all again? She was never good at pretend, even as a little girl. Lois dealt in reality, and the reality was that she was not the same person she'd been the first time around.
Of course, in any time, she liked living in the now and, right now, that noise was bugging the crap out of her. Lois sighed and looked around her computer screen at Clark.
He smirked, and had the nerve to look innocent.
"Oh, I'm sorry, is this bothering you?" he asked, still swiveling in the chair.
God, he's exasperating, even the second time around.
She responded without thought.
"The chair or you in it?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.
His smile made her smile, even though it seemed too soon to be bantering with him so easily. She rubbed her throat, noting the lack of scars, and frowned.
"Lois," Clark's eyes dropped but his smile didn't as he stopped swiveling, leaned forward and picked up the name plate across from hers.
"I wanted to say I thought you did well in Montana," he said, looking up at her while fiddling with the name plate. "You really earned your stripes at your Dad's boot camp."
She stared at him. Years ago, he had said something similar and she had been flattered by the compliment. Now, she was dazed and … confused. Chloe must have told him that she'd passed out and done nothing to help him when he was injured. Hell, she hadn't even called him in the last four days. She'd run off after making sure he was okay, unable to deal with her emotions.
The memories alone flooded her with all the same feelings. The fear about Clark's injuries, coupled with her guilt over leaving him, and the doubt over how to handle J'onn's loss of abilities made her feel inadequate. Now with a simple compliment, Clark had her rendered speechless. She was practically choking on her emotions.
If you make this choice … Clark needs you.
Hot tears stung her eyes. She had to get out of there now before she turned into a complete basket case. Jumping out of her chair, she turned to walk away and stumbled over the chair in her haste.
Somehow Clark caught her before she could fall on her face and steadied her with his hand on her arm. Lois gasped and swayed slightly at the touch of his hand.
Warm, so warm …
"Lois?" He questioned her.
She wasn't expecting the warmth … Night was always so cold.
A fresh onslaught of memories, this time from the future, overwhelmed her to the point that she closed her eyes in response. She thought she could shut them out that way. Instead, all she could do was feel – his touch as his hand gripped her arm, the warmth from his hand, and the heat from the rest of him as he stepped closer.
"Lois, are you okay?" Clark was starting to sound anxious. "What is it?"
His hand tightened on her arm, but it didn't hurt, just increased the heat until Lois felt it flowing from her head to her toes. It was like a switch, slowing turning off the loneliness and exchanging it with the need she felt only for him. This was the same feeling she'd had on the roof of the Chronicle, the longing for Clark to come back to himself. That's why she'd fought so hard to turn him back.
Now he was here; all she had to do was look.
Surprised by her own reluctance, Lois forced her eyes open and discovered that she couldn't resist looking at him now, at his strong face so full and tan, no longer gaunt and sallow; at his beautiful warm blue eyes which were studying her with curiosity and concern. Eventually her eyes rested on his full lips, always compelling, which were now pressed together. Clark's expressive features were merely inches away. Some part of her couldn't believe it.
"Clark?" It came out as a whispered question.
She stepped closer to his warmth and, without warning, was hit by an intense awareness. Here was the man who'd haunted her in the future, the one she'd tried to resurrect with the meteor rock. She'd failed him then but now that he was here, so close, the yearning for him was even stronger.
Such strong feelings demanded an outlet, and so Lois lifted her hands to his face, feeling the light stubble on her fingers before she pulled him down and touched her lips to his. She caught a glimpse of his surprised expression, but forgot about it the minute she felt those full, soft lips pressed against her own. She couldn't stop herself from tasting them, nipping and teasing along the edges, until they parted ever so slightly. Then she slipped her tongue inside to explore the rest of him.
Lois was lost. Clark's warm, wet mouth captivated her until she forgot everything but his taste and feel. Just when she was thinking about pulling back, Clark moved his tongue against hers and it was if she was being consumed. He responded like a man who'd never really been kissed, like a man drowning, like he could never get enough. Her body, already melting on the inside, molded itself to Clark's solid frame, her curves naturally fitting themselves to him. The heat from his body stoked the fire burning inside of her, his tongue made her tingle all over. Soon it was Lois who couldn't get enough. She wanted to burrow into him, to burn even hotter and make him burn, certain that this is what she wanted, what she needed, what she could have, if only …
A sharp pain to the temple and Lois was unexpectedly propelled to the future, where the lips she was kissing were frigid, the arms she was holding were cold, where she frantically fought to wake him up, to bring him back, wondering in the back of her mind how she'd become so desperate.
Whoa.
What was that?
Lois pulled back quickly, grabbing Clark's red jacket to steady herself. Afraid to look at his face, she stared at her hands wondering why she'd thought of that moment, the one she was sure she'd thoroughly blocked. She couldn't think, couldn't breathe as feelings of desperation from two different times commingled.
"Uhm, Lois?" Clark asked, his voice sounding a little choked. He cleared his throat.
Lois closed her eyes. She was surprised he could speak; she wasn't sure she had the ability. Just as well, since she didn't have any answers for him. When the silence continued, Lois looked at Clark through heavy lashes and responded in the only way she could.
"Yes?"
Clark stared blankly at her, his breathing a little ragged, his hand still gripping her arm.
There was something in his eyes.
Looking back down, Lois realized that her hands were still gripping Clark's jacket. Of their own accord, they moved to his chest, sliding over the smooth muscles near his heart, where the arrow had pierced.
"Lois?" Clark asked again, and this time, his voice sounded little higher in octave.
"You could have died," she told him, still staring at where the wound should have been. She smoothed his shirt over the spot and felt him flinch. There was no scar.
She looked up when he didn't respond, seeing the surprise and confusion on his face. Her hands stilled and his expression changed. She realized he was waiting for the punch-line. Lois started to get irritated and it must have shown on her face.
"Uh, … I'm fine," he replied, a bit dismissively, too dismissively, as far as Lois was concerned. Didn't he care that he was shot, seriously injured, and without powers?
"You could have died," she insisted, a bit louder, drawing out the words for emphasis. He wanted answers and, for once, she couldn't run and hide. This was the best she could come up with for her sudden bout of crazy. He needed to accept it.
"I am fine," Clark responded, drawing out his words in the same way and looking even more confused by her continued concern.
Now he was pissing her off.
"YOU … COULD … HAVE … DIED ..." She emphasized each word with a jab to the chest. Couldn't he accept that she might care about that?
The surprise was clear on his face before he gave her his Kent smile. Her heart stopped. She had forgotten about that smile. Butterflies exploded in the area of her stomach and she felt something click, something familiar.
"I … AM …FI -" Lois placed her hand on his mouth. She didn't want to hear it. Truth was they could go back and forth like this all night before either would give in. This, whatever it was, was what they did and, right now, she welcomed the familiar.
"I know," she said sarcastically, removing her hand and waving it in the air dismissively. "You're fine." She took a deep breath. At least he seemed to have accepted her explanation. She turned back to her desk.
"So, why are you here, if not to remind me of our little adventure where YOU ... ALMOST … DIED?" Lois asked, looking over her shoulder to smirk in his direction, letting him know that she would get the last word.
He was staring at her, looking confused, but then he looked down and shook his head as if to clear it. When he looked back up at her, his expression was relieved. He was more comfortable on familiar ground as well.
"Right, uhm, I wanted to tell you first, since you gave me the application. You're looking at the newest recruit to the Daily Planet." He stood there staring at her, looking like a kid who wanted an approving pat on the head. Lois had to smile. Then his eyes lowered to her mouth. She gulped.
"Good for you, Smallville." She said, turning back around to look at the papers on her desk. Now her voice sounded a little high. She cleared her throat and asked him if he would be working in the mail room. She didn't need to ask but did it anyway; they both needed the distraction.
She heard the smile in his voice when he replied. "I'll be working a little closer to home. It looks like we'll be neighbors, Lane."
Lois turned toward him, relieved that he was heading for the stairs. "Think you can handle it?" she asked, without thinking, putting her hand on her hip and tilting her head. He stopped walking but didn't turn around.
Crap.
When he didn't respond, Lois jumped in, "Well, see you Monday."
"Uhm, yeah, see you Lois." She watched from the corner of her eye as he took off, running up the stairs two at a time, like he was running from a fire. Maybe he was; heavens knew her body was still feeling the heat. She let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
You can make him see.
Lois smiled as she thought of Imra. It was a start.