CHAPTER SEVEN - IDENTITY IMPACT
Metropolis, one week later
"Look, Jimmy, I believe you, I do," Lois was telling him, "but no one else will unless we get proof. Without a photo, this story is about as relevant as a five-part expose on the tooth fairy."
She was on a Blur hunt with Jimmy, not that Jimmy realized it. Last week, she would have been thrilled by the idea of finding the Blur. Now she was more excited about the chance to get away from Clark. When the man said he would stick to her like glue, he wasn't kidding. Even when she was able to sneak away for a little freedom, he was like a bloodhound, showing up unexpectedly in all sorts of unusual places. After finding him standing outside the ladies' room, she decided it would be easier to tell him where she was going and so she did, inviting him everywhere. It hadn't lasted long.
"Clark, I'm going to the copier," Lois said as an experiment one day. "Want to come?" When he refused, she stayed seated at her desk.
"Clark, I'm going to sharpen my pencil, interested?" Lois asked wiggling her eyebrows.
He looked up, irritated, and she gave him a gloating look.
His eyebrows rose in challenge, "Sure, Lois, let's go sharpen some pencils together."
She heard sniggering from some of their co-workers and gave him a death glare. His face flushed, but he didn't back down.
Currently they were working under an uneasy truce. Lois promised to carry a charged cell phone with her and to tell Clark if she was leaving the building. He called her incessantly and she hung up on him regularly.
Tonight her reprieve was short-lived. She and Jimmy were on their way to have dinner with Chloe and Clark at a small restaurant across town.
Coming out of her musings, Lois realized that Jimmy was still talking while they walked, trying to convince her that his hero was real. Lois let him go on, but as they turned a corner, she stopped listening. Her nerves went to high alert as she anticipated the attack she knew was coming.
Clark would kill her if he knew she was purposefully walking into a robbery.
When the guy jumped out from the alley and demanded her purse, Lois struggled to keep it from him and take off his ski mask. She was able to fight off the robber and expose him in fairly short order.
"Jimmy, get a picture of his face!" she yelled. That's when the robber pushed her into the path of the oncoming car. As primed as she was, she barely felt the arms that grabbed her and placed her on the other side of the street. Not even a glimpse of a face.
Man, he's good.
Lois stood there heart racing and blood pumping, determined to learn about the Blur this time. Nothing could stop her. She may have lost that hero worship when Oliver told her that Night killed the Blur but, with just a hint of his name, all of that excitement and all of those memories came back in full force. Now, the fascination seemed even stronger. After the bond they'd formed the first time, Lois was determined to find out who he was this time.
Trying to ignore the niggling feeling of guilt that came when she remember that her focus was supposed to be Clark, she looked across the street to see if Jimmy got the photo. He was staring at his camera while she stood there breathing heavily from the adrenaline and the excitement.
"Oh, my God," she heard him say. "It's him."
He got it.
Daily Planet, next day
Somehow, Lois wasn't surprised when she overheard Jimmy pitching the story to Clark the next morning.
"Does this have front page written all over it, or what?" Jimmy was telling Clark as Lois stopped at the door of the dark room. She'd planned to ask Jimmy about his photo.
"Jimmy, there's no way that Tess is going to publish an out of focus photograph," Clark replied. "I wouldn't even bother showing her."
"Too late, caught her in the elevator and she seemed mighty interested," Jimmy said excitedly. "She even agreed to let you write the copy."
"Don't you think you should ask me if I was interested first?" Clark replied, sounding irritated and, if Lois didn't know better, a little frightened. Surely, Clark wasn't worried about looking foolish in front of Tess?
"Clark, I was doing you a favor," Jimmy told Clark, sounding sincere. "I mean, this is a huge story. Look, I've been stuck in Lois' shadow ever since I landed at the Planet, and I'm pretty sure the same is true for you. It's time that we made names for ourselves."
Lois felt her heart constrict a little at that statement. She thought she'd given Jimmy and Clark a lot of story opportunities this time around. Did Clark resent her, too?
"I'd rather be stuck in Lois Lane's shadow than be in the spotlight for some make-believe story. Lois is where she is through hard-work and good instincts," Clark's indignant tone was enough to make Lois' heart swell. At least he wasn't feeling threatened by her.
As Lois stomped back to her desk, she couldn't suppress a snort. Olsen was trying to keep her away from the Blur story, her story.
Good luck with that.
At her desk, she checked her messages and discovered that the guy who attacked her last night had been released on bond. Infuriated, she called Metropolis PD, again and was hung up on, again. You'd think they could keep a robber in custody the second time around.
"There she is, the legendary Lois Lane."
Lois slammed down the phone and turned to see Sebastian Kane. Finally, something and someone she remembered. She tended to remember the ones who tried to kill her.
He was as charming as before but Lois knew to keep her hands busy when he introduced himself. He gave her the same story about having been a reporter in Iraq, and she told him about being an army brat.
"In that case, you know what it feels like to be the new kid," he said. "This is my first time in Metropolis. I still haven't quite gotten my bearings."
"You know what you need?" Lois offered, "Lois Lane's survival guide for the big city. I know all the tips and tricks."
"I got an idea," he said. "Why don't I take you out for dinner and you can share some of those secrets?"
"I'm busy tonight," Lois replied, trying to sound regretful when she was really trying to avoid getting killed, "but how about coffee tomorrow?"
"Uhm, sure," he said. "See you tomorrow."
Even with her memory of these events, Lois needed to review her flash drive at the farm. It contained the information she'd stolen from Lex about the meteor infected at Black Creek, along with their powers. Lois knew Sebastian Kane would be on it; he could read people's memories with a touch. That's how he'd learned she was on to him last time because Lois had foolishly let him read her palm. The problem was that she didn't know why he had been interested in her in the first place. Had someone hired him or was he working solo? All she knew was that Kane would have shot her if it hadn't been for the Blur.
Now she had even more secrets to protect and was less interested in Kane as a story and more concerned with him as a threat. Maybe she should reconsider and handle this sooner rather than later. Lois caught Sebastian on the stairs and made arrangements to meet him that night. This time around, she planned to call in reinforcements.
Kent farm, that night
Lois could hear the door slam up in her room, where she was putting on her earrings. What had happened? Clark never slammed the door unless he was upset.
Uh, oh.
He was already upset and now she'd have to explain her plans. She'd been hoping to avoid him all together. It'd been fun last time trying to make him squirm. This time, it felt wrong, not that they were any more than just friends right now. Her strike first plan had faded to a distant memory after the jeweler's escape. What if she lost Clark completely? As much as she hated to admit it, she needed him. Even if he didn't commit to her, she didn't want to lose him again, couldn't lose him again.
She double-checked her reflection in the mirror. The little red dress might be too much tonight. Last time, she'd worn it to distract Kane but it hadn't really worked. He'd still figured out her plan.
Snatching a more conservative skirt and blouse from the closet, she walked out into the hall toward the bathroom and ran head-on into Clark. While he managed to hang on to the laundry basket he was carrying, Lois dropped her clothes.
Shifting the basket so he could hold it in one arm, Clark bent down to retrieve the skirt and blouse. He was already out of his work clothes and in jeans and a gray t-shirt that Lois couldn't remember having seen before. His eyes, which met hers when he handed over her clothes, were now the light color of the shirt he wore. Her breath caught at the beautiful color. Man, he looked good in gray.
Clark had to clear his throat before she realized he was standing there with her clothes in his hands, waiting impatiently for her to take them. It was when he handed them over that she noticed his expression; Clark's stress level was high.
What's going on now?
Thinking back on the day, it hit her that Clark hadn't called her more than two times today, a record low since he'd started watching out for the escaped jeweler.
"Where are you going dressed like that?" He demanded, as irritation flashed in those beautiful light gray eyes.
"What's wrong with how I'm dressed?" Lois asked, annoyed by his tone. Clark had become far too dictatorial since the jeweler escaped. The guilt she was feeling about tonight's little escapade started to fade.
"Uhm, nothing," Clark's irritation diminished with her question and he looked flustered. "I just … where are you going?" He finished, face flushing.
"Actually, I'm going on a date," Lois said, the guilt starting to resurface at Clark's flustered appearance. Her heart began to race as she realized just how much she enjoyed making him flustered …
"A date?" Clark asked and Lois watched the hurt appear in his eyes before he quickly masked it.
"Yes, a date," Lois said stepping forward and looking directly at him. "When a guy likes a girl he asks her out." Unable to resist, she put a hand on his chest right above his heart. She could feel its erratic beat and her fingers started to curl.
Clark swallowed and stepped back, "I know what a date is."
"Right, that's why you're doing laundry tonight," Lois replied, looking pointedly at the basket in his hands and raising her brows with a smile.
"At least I know how to dress for a date," Clark muttered, moving to step around her.
"Excuse me, what did you say?" Lois asked, moving to block Clark's path. Guilty or not, she was not letting him get away with that.
"Nothing," Clark muttered again, putting his head down and stepping to the left to try to get around Lois.
Lois moved to her right and stepped in front of Clark again. "Well then, can you help a girl out?" She asked, turning her back to him. If he was going to make snide remarks, he deserved a little flustering. This had certainly done the trick before. Besides, it'd been too long since he touched her … "I need a zip."
Holding onto the forgotten skirt and blouse with one hand, she lifted her hair with the other. Her breathing stopped as she waited for the feel of his warm hands on her skin. When she felt the heat, followed by his smooth fingers as he slid the zipper up, she released her breath. Instead of stopping, Clark's hands continued softly up her back to her shoulders. An involuntary shiver ran through her. He hadn't done that before.
"Who is this guy?" He asked, his voice close behind her sounding low in Lois' ear as he squeezed her shoulders.
"New guy at the Planet," Lois replied, a little breathless. The urge to lean back against him was overwhelming.
"You're going out with someone you've never met before when the jeweler is on the loose?" Clark said incredulously. "I don't think so."
Lois sighed and stepped away. Leave it to Clark to ruin the moment by arguing about her safety.
"Look, I'm meeting him at the Ace of Clubs and J'onn will be there," she replied, trying not to think about Clark's warm, strong hands as she turned to look at him.
"Why will J'onn be there?"
"Because we had plans for later, so he said he'd wait at the bar for me," Lois told him. "I thought you could use a break from babysitting."
Clark narrowed his eyes but when Lois continued to hold his gaze, he face relaxed a little.
"Actually, I do have a few things to do tonight," he told her, trying one more time to move around her to get down the stairs.
"I didn't realize laundry was such a priority," she teased, looking at the basket in his hands as she blocked his way one more time.
When he gave her a steady look, she stepped aside. Whatever was bothering him was serious. He wasn't taking her bait. Lois was contemplative as she finished dressing in her room. What could be bothering Clark now? For once, it wasn't something about her. He'd agreed to let her go to the city without much of a fight and hadn't even given her grief about her date.
Her last thought lingered depressingly as Lois left her room. Before she could reach the stairs, she heard voices.
"Jimmy, I thought I told you I'm not interested in the byline for some make-believe story," Clark sounded irritated.
Lois stopped. It sounded like Jimmy was still trying to pitch her story to Clark. She wasn't going to let that happen, but she stopped at the top of the stairs, wanting to be sure.
"You're going to change you tune once you see my research," Jimmy said. "I think the Good Samaritan started saving lives right here in Smallville."
"That's a pretty random leap." Clark said.
"Not really." Jimmy replied, and Lois heard him pause. "Teen Mysteriously Saved in Lake, Girl Rescued in Robbery, Freak Accident Saves Woman," Jimmy sounded like he was reading headlines.
Chloe's stories?
"All those happened around the time that you and Chloe were in the ninth grade." Jimmy continued, confirming Lois' theory. Of course, Clark started helping people around that time …
"...all the people involved went to Smallville High," Jimmy continued. "Then right around the time you and Chloe graduated, these mysterious incidents, started …" Jimmy seemed to lose his train of thought. "They started popping up more often in Metropolis."
"What's your point?" Clark asked.
"I was just wondering if anyone at Smallville High stood out." Jimmy paused again. "You know, had hero potential."
For someone so convinced of his theory, Jimmy seemed to be awfully distracted. What was going on down there?
"No, not that I can think of," Clark told him.
Then Lois caught her breath at Clark's next words. "Even if this guy did exist, don't you think it's his decision to go public?"
Lois didn't hear Jimmy's response because her head was spinning.
Could Clark be the Blur? No, it's not possible.
Oliver told her that Night killed the Blur. Why would he lie about that? And yet, in her gut, Lois was starting to believe Jimmy's theory. So much of it made sense – the powers, the isolation, the hero complex. At the thought, Lois had to grab the rail for support. For her, the implications were staggering. She needed to listen.
"Be careful with that Jimmy, it's fragile." Clark's voice was raised in alarm. "Since when do you take such an interest in my family's photographs?"
Photographs …
Lois could see all the family photos in her mind, but the most prominent featured Mr. and Mrs. Kent standing at the farm with Clark, who was wearing that plain red jacket, the one he wore all the time, usually with a blue t-shirt.
Of course, Jimmy was looking at the red and blue. Lois hadn't really noticed it earlier but Clark's laundry basket had been overflowing with those colors.
Trying to hide it or get rid of it?
"Look, Jimmy, I've got a lot of work to do," Clark said and Lois heard the door open. "I've got to fix the tractor, so-"
"It's all so clear," Jimmy said quietly. "That's what's been going on between you and Chloe. She's known this whole time."
"Jimmy, you're not making any sense," Clark sounded desperate.
Problem was, for once, Jimmy was making perfect sense. One thing Oliver had made clear was that Chloe had known about Clark's abilities for a long time.
"No, it makes perfect sense," Jimmy said, vocalizing Lois' thoughts. "It's you, isn't it?"
Lois waited but there was no denial from Clark. The silence was like a confirmation. Why hadn't she seen it, especially after she learned about Clark's powers? Of course, Night always flew; she'd never seen him use super speed …
There was one way to find out - she had to see Clark and look into his eyes. The truth would be there.
Making sure her footsteps were heard on the stairs, Lois walked into the kitchen and came to an abrupt halt as she saw all the confirmation she needed in Clark's expression. He looked completely panicked, almost sick with it, not that Jimmy could necessarily tell, but Lois knew that look all too well. There was only one reason Clark would be so alarmed. One look in his eyes and she saw it …
Clark Kent was the Blur.
Her thoughts in turmoil, Lois still tried to prevent her sharp intake of breath but couldn't keep completely quiet. Clark's eyes snapped to hers and she realized he'd heard her. The tension continued to build until Lois had to act. She turned to Jimmy, responding to the fear in Clark's eyes, even though her own emotions were churning.
"Hey, Jimmy, what are you doing here? You never showed me your photo from last night; is that it?"
"Uhm, yeah, Lois, here it is." Jimmy handed her the photo, lifting his eyes to Clark.
"Kind of blurry, isn't it?" Lois asked, trying to distract Jimmy. "Where's this hero?"
"What?" Jimmy responded. "Right there, Lois. He's just so fast that he's a blur on the photo."
"This is it? I thought there'd be more, like … I don't know … a face?" Lois challenged, hoping a little challenge would do the trick.
"Come on, Lois; this guy …" Jimmy looked up at Clark again and paused. "Uhm, he's really fast."
"So you're telling me that this person saved me and I didn't feel anything?" Lois scoffed.
"That's just how good he is," Jimmy responded, getting irritated and shoving the photo into Lois' hands. "You said we needed a photo. Here it is."
He happened to take his eyes off of Clark and the photo long enough to look at Lois this time. "Wow, you look great. Where you going all dressed up?"
Lois smiled weakly at Jimmy, glancing out of the corner of her eyes at the door. Clark was gone.
Metropolis, same night
Walking to meet Jimmy, Lois was feeling a little out of it from the earlier events at the Ace of Clubs. She was also wishing she'd worn more comfortable shoes. Overall, the day was starting to catch up with her. How did Clark do it? Oh, right, he had super speed.
Clark Kent's the Blur.
Lois was still trying to grasp the idea. Just when she thought she knew everything about him, he threw her another curve ball. He'd been doing that since they met. In her mind she could hear his comments years ago while they were walking to Chloe's safe house.
"That doesn't happen to you often, does it?"
"What?" Lois asked.
"Not being able to peg someone right away," Clark concluded.
"Oh, get over yourself, you are not that complicated."
She wouldn't admit it back then, but he was right. Lois was pretty good at figuring men out; she'd had a lot of practice on the different military bases. It was a survival skill she depended on. Clark had never fit any of the known patterns. He still didn't.
Lois pulled her phone out of her trench coat and dialed J'onn's number. It was nice to have back up.
"Are you in costume?" She asked, listening for the response.
"I'm sure you look great. I'm about five minutes away," Lois responded to the voice on the other end. She listened further.
"All right, I'll look for you when I get there … and remember to be quick," Lois hung up.
There was an angry part of her that wondered why she was trying to help Clark right now. After all, he hadn't just kept secrets, he'd lied to her. He'd pretended to be someone else, talking to her, letting her tell him things … things she'd never told anyone else. She'd even talked to the Blur about Clark. How could she have been so stupid?
Then it hit her that she was upset about things that this Clark hadn't done. Wrapping her mind around that concept was difficult when she'd lived through these events already. Either way, she knew she couldn't hold Clark's future decisions or, was it past decisions, against him. That would defeat the whole purpose of her mission. This time travel thing was giving her a headache. Couldn't the Future Kids have at least mentioned that Clark was the Blur?
Now her perspective had changed. Hooking up with Clark Kent was one thing but knowing he was the Blur was something else entirely. The Blur had once consumed her thoughts; talking to him had been the highlight of her day.
Knowing he was Clark all along …
Her breath hitched and her body trembled at the thought. Reconciling the two was going to take some time. Right now, Lois was afraid that the two of them combined made for a person who could consume her completely, take her whole heart.
Rubbing her forehead as if that would ease her jumbled thoughts, Lois halted in the middle of the sidewalk as she felt an uncomfortable sensation hit her gut, one she'd felt on and off for the past few days. Taking slow steps, she looked around but saw nothing, yet she could feel eyes watching her. Picking up the pace, she practically ran to the next street light.
The sound of her phone made her jump as it rang. Quickly, she checked the caller ID. It was Jimmy. She'd have to give him credit. He'd put it together all on his own and, after Clark left, kept his theories to himself, promising to meet her later tonight in Metropolis for some hero hunting.
"I'm walking a mile to get there and my feet are killing me, so you'd better not be canceling," Lois answered.
"Uh, no, I just wanted to tell you that C.K. is with me. I didn't think you'd mind," Jimmy told her.
"Clark is with you?" Lois asked.
"Sure, uhm, he wanted to go hero hunting with us," Jimmy replied.
"Okay, but tell him no nonbelievers on this excursion … and he'll need to keep up," Lois smirked as she disconnected. That should put him in his place. What was Clark up to anyway? He wouldn't be out with Jimmy unless he was trying to put him off the scent.
This could be a problem.
She tried calling J'onn but got no answer. Throwing her phone back in her purse, she turned the corner and stopped, looking for him. Up on the roof top she saw movement. Relieved, she started walking but then she saw more movement on the rooftop two buildings down. A flash of red caught her eye.
Crap.
Lois started running, pulling the phone out of her pocket. She could see Jimmy and Clark walking up the street together and a car driving slowly past her toward the two men. Lois was waving her arms in the air, making it look like she was trying to get Jimmy's attention, not really caring if Jimmy saw her. She was signaling J'onn.
Don't let me screw this up.
Just as Clark and Jimmy started across the street toward Lois, the car Lois had seen earlier accelerated and headed straight for the two men.
A shout caught in Lois' throat as she moved to warn Clark and Jimmy. Before she could do anything, a figure in blue and red swooped down and push the men out of the car's path. The caped champion continued on as the car sped away, rising through the night until he was standing at the top of the building across the street, red fabric billowing in the breeze.
Lois stopped in her tracks and watched as Clark pointed out the figure to Jimmy, who immediately started taking pictures. The flash of the camera was bright on the darkened street, and passersby seemed drawn to it like moths to flame, crowding around Jimmy and Clark, looking up, their faces filled with excitement and awe at the red-caped hero on the roof.
Jimmy was obviously fooled by the substitute but not Lois. She knew what this was because her plan had been exactly the same. Somewhere J'onn was waiting on the roof ready to swoop down and save the day. He was even wearing the same cape. Lois would've laughed if she hadn't been so engrossed in Clark's reaction to the crowd. As he looked around, Lois could see his surprise at the people's obvious enthusiasm.
Would the man ever understand his own value?
Lois shook her head. Of course not; he was a mild-mannered farm boy first and foremost. Standing on the street surrounded by people admiring a substitute Blur, it was if a blindfold had been removed. All of the pride and admiration she felt for the Blur transferred to its rightful recipient. Clark was the real hero, not seeking attention or accolades, but simply trying to do the right thing like his parents had taught him to do.
Clark will save people without asking anything in return. Surely you can give some of that back to him?
Garth's words propelled her toward the object of her admiration but, before she could start toward Clark, Lois was stopped by a hand covering her mouth. Quickly she was jerked back toward the alley behind her. Within seconds she was kicking her legs but it didn't work as the man simply lowered her until her feet were dragging. She tried to bite his hand but her captor knew enough to keep it flat across her mouth. She struggled against the arm around her but it was large, effectively keeping her pinned.
"Stop it," the man muttered in her ear as she continued to struggle. "I'm just here for the blue crystal and then I'll let you go."
The blue crystal?
Lois hadn't seen it since the night she went to the mansion. Had Tess sent this guy? Headlights appeared and Lois increased her struggles. If they got to the car, she was a goner. When her struggles making no difference, she changed strategies and let her body go limp.
Her captor grunted under the additional weight but didn't lessen his grip. He kept dragging her closer to the car, so Lois let her head drop along with her body, stiffened her feet against the pavement and slammed the back of her head as hard as she could into the kidnapper's face. That did it. His hand loosened enough for Lois to shout out before he covered it again.
In a flash, the red-caped hero who saved Clark and Jimmy dropped down in front of Lois and her captor.
"Let her go," a familiar voice called out.
Oliver? Lois squinted toward the mouth of the dark alley.
Picking up her foot, she slammed it into the leg of her assailant. He cried out but didn't release her. Instead, his grip tightened.
"Stay out of this," his gravelly voice warned.
A commotion erupted in the car behind them and her captor quickly pulled her to the side, trying to adjust to this new situation as he faced two potential threats. She turned her head but saw nothing behind the bright headlights except the rocking of the car.
Oliver stepped forward, and Lois felt the hand on her mouth shift and tighten.
"Come any closer and I'll snap her neck," the guy threatened and Lois knew he was in the right position to do it.
Oliver must have known it too because he stopped moving. Before Lois could attempt another diversion, the activity in the car stilled and a second figure emerged, also wearing a red cape.
"What the ..." her kidnapper queried. "Now there are two of you?"
For a minute no one moved. Then Lois felt a stiff breeze behind her and her assailant dropped like a stone.
Her legs gave out just as two sets of hands reached for her simultaneously. She looked at the caped crusaders and smiled.
"You guys look cute in your matching outfits," Lois smirked at them and watched with amusement as Oliver and J'onn warily eyed each other's costumes.
"Excuse me, caped wonders, but can we get out of here?" Lois rolled her eyes as each one assumed his best tough guy expression.
Oliver reached out to pull on one arm, while J'onn tugged on the opposite one. Lois gave both of them a direct stare and jerked her arms away. Shaking her head, she ran to the mouth of the alley, wanting to get some by-stander quotes to go with Jimmy's pictures. Besides, if she stuck around, she might feel compelled to point out that these two substitutes were not as good together as one real Blur.
Kent farm, same night
Sleep wouldn't come no matter what Lois tried. The events of the night kept replaying in her head. Sighing she rolled over and flipped the pillow, laying back on the cool side. The clock on the nightstand said one in the morning.
The two red-caped heroes had been a bit of a concern. Luckily, Clark couldn't say anything to her about it without revealing himself. He truly had been a blur when he'd dropped her captor. With her eyes closed, Lois could feel the breeze on her skin where he'd passed behind. She shivered under the sheets, releasing her breath slowly.
Thank goodness her other two rescuers hadn't been seen by the public. Even Jimmy would have known something was up if he'd seen two Good Samaritans running around in red capes.
She had to assume that Oliver agreed to help Clark while J'onn had dressed up at Lois' request.
Did that mean that Oliver had forgiven Clark? Lois hoped so; she missed her sparring partner. He'd been the playboy since her birthday party and Lois wasn't the only one feeling the loss of his company. Chloe and Clark both had been acting sulky at any mention of their absent friend. If she believed the tabloids then hero work, even the substitute kind, would be good for Oliver. Of course, she'd have some explaining to do the next time she saw him. Oliver would definitely be grilling her about why there was another guy posing as the Blur. Lois chuckled to herself. Even the upcoming interrogation would be worth it to have him back.
Of course, she'd really like to confront him about lying to her but, since he'd done it in the future, she couldn't really mention it. After mulling it over, she'd come up with her own answer anyway. Oliver had been bitter about Clark and was always trying to downplay his contributions to their little group. Besides, he knew that Lois practically idolized the Blur and he was probably trying to protect her feelings because she'd been upset enough about Clark turning into Night.
Night – not going there.
Lois shifted again on her pillow and forced herself to think about something else. The earlier part of her evening came to mind, given the outcome. Her date with Sebastian Kane had taken a startling turn at the Ace of Clubs.
Walking across the floor, Lois spotted J'onn in the back and started to make her way toward him. It wasn't until she was halfway across the room that she noticed Sebastian moving to intercept her from the direction of the bar.
"Lois Lane," he waved to get her attention over the sound of the crowd.
Lois smiled and waved back, turning her head to make sure that J'onn could see them. When Sebastian was closer, Lois pointed out J'onn's table.
"I see a friend here that I need to talk to," Lois told Kane. "Come with me and you can meet him … all part of the tour."
"Sure," Sebastian told her, falling in step with Lois. "I really appreciate you doing this tonight. You look fabulous, by the way."
Lois smiled and smoothed down the front of her dress, subtly avoiding the hand that Kane extended in her direction.
When they reached J'onn's table, Lois made sure to stand on Sebastian's left, where she could reach out to Kane's left hand just as J'onn shook his right. It was their first plan of attack, J'onn's idea really, to momentarily short-circuit Sebastian's abilities by flooding him with more than one set of memories.
Lois rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. When they both touched Kane, Lois wasn't expecting to feel the head pain that accompanied her own memories of the future but being propelled to the future was never something she could predict.
It was over and, for the first time, she felt like the prisoner, or was it the prize, she was supposed to be.
Feeling defeated, Lois sank down on the edge of the bed, pulling Oliver's silk sheet more tightly to wrap around her, her other hand rubbing the scars along the column of her throat.
Night was gone and Clark was truly lost. Failure was not supposed to be an option and yet here she was staring it in the face. It had been snatched away by the very man she was trying to save. After Clark had returned to his body, he'd reverted to Night when faced with the guilt caused by his own actions. Lois had seen the awareness return to Night's eyes, watched as Clark's memories surfaced, and heard the primal cry wrenched from him when he remembered what he had done.
If she'd only known ahead of time that she was getting close, she could have responded but everything happened so fast. In some ways, she was still shocked by what had brought him back to himself. All of her escape attempts, all of her yelling at him, talking to him, and none of that had worked. Instead, he had responded to something so simple … or maybe not so simple. Why? Did all creatures have but one basic desire, despite what the Darkness tried to twist and turn within them?
Lost in her own thoughts, Lois jumped when she heard her nickname.
"Lieutenant?" J'onn called from the balcony door. Lois couldn't look in that direction. Night had flown out those doors just minutes ago.
When she heard J'onn move stealthily into the room, she looked up through her lashes, not bothering to hide the pain of her failure. After all, J'onn would see it in her thoughts soon enough.
"Lieuten - Lois, are you all right?"
In response Lois let the tears fall.
Wrapping her arms around herself, Lois watched the moonlight play across the ceiling. Even now her memories touched her, filled her with the emotional fallout from that morning. Of course, at the club, the feelings were even stronger.
Lois dropped to her knees. Her heart was pounding furiously; she took a few deep breaths and waited until the hammering in her chest eased, while simultaneously looking for J'onn, who sitting at the booth with his eyes closed. When Lois tried to get up, she realized that Kane was sprawled in front of her, out cold.
Slowly she became aware that other patrons were bending over asking her questions. Ignoring them, she called out to Sebastian, gently slapping him in the face when there was no response. She felt for a pulse and found it, letting out a sigh of relief.
Her peripheral vision picked up J'onn's movement and she could see him reach for his pocket as she continued to call out to Kane.
"I've called 911," J'onn's voice whispered in her ear after a couple of minutes. "What happened?"
"I don't know," Lois told him, lowering her voice. "I think our plan worked but I didn't expect him to pass out."
While J'onn handled the bystanders, Lois continued to call Sebastian's name. After a few minutes, his head started moving. When he let out a small groan and opened his eyes, Lois removed her hands.
"Hey, Sebastian, are you all right?" Lois asked, relieved that he'd finally regained consciousness.
A blank look was his only response.
Lois grimaced as she continued to watch the play of the moon across the ceiling. Turns out that Kane had complete amnesia and his abilities appeared to be gone as well. She hadn't intended for things to go that far, but it was still a better outcome for him than the last time she'd lived through these events. Back then, Sebastian had died in the hospital after trying to kill her.
Lois sighed, rolled over and turned her pillow again. Kane's memory loss wasn't the only unexpected consequence of their plan. J'onn had been affected by their contact as well.
"So, you've found out that Clark is Jimmy's Good Samaritan," J'onn said, standing with Lois while they put Kane into the ambulance.
"How do you know that?" Lois responded, letting her surprise show. They hadn't even been talking about Clark. After the future memory, Lois was specifically avoiding the subject.
"I could hear it in your thoughts," J'onn said, a sense of wonder appearing in his eyes, along with that sparkle that Lois knew so well from their future time together.
"How is that possible?" Lois whispered. "I thought you lost your powers."
"Something about Kane's meteor ability must have triggered my natural ability," J'onn responded, his brows wrinkled as he concentrated. "It doesn't feel like anything else has returned, just the thought processing."
"Thought processing, is that what you call it these days?" Lois teased. Before J'onn could respond, Lois turned serious, asking the question she'd been dying to ask since they started this conversation. "Does that mean you know why I'm here?"
"I do … Lieutenant."
Lois smiled. "Then how would you like to help me with a mission?"
"Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like this?" J'onn said ruefully, shaking his head.
Snuggling into the covers, Lois relished the idea of having J'onn back. She hadn't missed the Darkness or the things that went with it, but she missed her brothers in battle. Now at least someone besides her could share in some of her memories of the future-
A noise in the kitchen interrupted her thoughts and made her sit up in bed. Heart pounding, Lois grabbed the knife she kept under her pillow and waited. When she didn't hear any other sounds below, she threw off the covers and headed for the door. Tonight wasn't made for sleeping, evidently.
Knife at the ready, Lois stopped at the top of the stairs. A dim light was shining from the kitchen and so she crept quietly down the stairs. On the landing, she spotted Clark standing at the refrigerator, with only the light from the refrigerator showing his profile, as he drank milk right out of the bottle. Just the sight of him stopped her dead in her tracks. He was half-naked, wearing only his sweatpants with his chest bare. His hair was tousled from sleep and he looked … incredible.
When he didn't immediately respond to her presence, she let her eyes drink him in, starting at the floor with his masculine feet, which were bare, long and narrow. Continuing upward, even the gray sweats couldn't hide the outline of his well-developed legs, narrow hips and firm … back. Without his usual t-shirt, Lois could see his tanned chest and powerfully built arms.
Her mouth started to water.
Mesmerized now, her eyes followed one of those arms as it turned the bottle up to his own full lips, which wrapped around the opening as he drank. She watched as his throat muscles worked when he swallowed and felt her body temperature start to rise. Even when he lowered the bottle and placed it on the shelf, she couldn't drag her eyes away.
"Lois, what are you doing up?"
Clark's words were directed at the refrigerator as he stood with one arm resting on top of it. The fact that he wasn't looking at her made Lois wonder if he knew that she was staring at his profile. Feeling slightly dazed by the thought, Lois backed up to the bottom step, gripping the hand rail tightly with one hand while she tucked her knife behind her in the other.
When she didn't respond, Clark turned to face her, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, while Lois felt her undisciplined gaze followed the trail of it across his lips. She felt herself swallow, hard.
He's the Blur.
She released a shaky breath.
Get a grip, Lane.
"Your mother would tell you to get a glass," she pointed out, trying to bring her mind back to the reality of the situation.
"But you won't, will you?" He asked softly, running his hands through his hair, his eyes everywhere but on her.
Lois could only shake her head at the tenor of his voice. Was that affection she heard mixed with the exasperation?
Surprisingly, Clark was the one to break the silence. "Couldn't sleep?"
"Heard a noise down here," Lois told him, her voice sounding gravelly from sleep or a lack of it, she wasn't sure which. Maybe it was from seeing Clark all bare from the waist up.
"Hmm, usually you can sleep through the sound of a marching band ... unless you were already awake?"
"Just thinking about things," she replied, wincing a little at her imprecise answer.
"Things … like what, your date? How was it?" Clark asked, finally closing the refrigerator door and plunging the kitchen in darkness.
"Typical," Lois responded with a smirk. "He left in an ambulance."
She could see Clark's white teeth flash in the now darkened room, "Wasn't your type, I take it?"
Lois turned serious, "It wasn't really a date, Clark. I was working on a story. The guy was one of Lex's lab rats at Black Creek. I recognized him."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
In the light of day, Lois would have produced a glib response but in the intimacy of the dark kitchen, the truth spilled out.
"He was dangerous, Clark. He could read peoples' memories and thoughts. You didn't need to be exposed to that." The passion in her words hit her when Clark didn't react. Standing by the kitchen counter he eventually responded, his voice low and sincere.
"Thanks for trying to protect me."
His words sent a tingle through Lois. Was he talking about the date or the later Blur bungle? It was a little thrilling to think that he knew that she knew …
"Anytime, Smallville," Lois told him, intentionally giving her voice a lighter tone. The darkness and the lack of dress, combined with his suspicions - everything was getting too intense. "That's what friends are for. After all, you've been babysitting me for a week. Only fair and all that …" She drifted off when she realized she was babbling.
"Well, looks like Jimmy got his story. Metropolis has its own hero," Clark said, gauging her reaction and Lois tried to suppress an involuntary shiver. Had Clark seen both substitute Blurs?
"Actually, Jimmy got the photos but I got the quotes from the crowd. Looks like Lane and Olsen will be pooling their resources on this exclusive."
"Oh, I thought you didn't share bylines …"
Unsaid but clear as day was except with me. That was interesting. Lois wondered if Clark was becoming possessive about their working relationship, too.
"Well, this is a big story-" Lois began eagerly, without thinking, and then she saw Clark's body tense at her words. Despite everything that had happened tonight, he was still worried about his identity. Lois took a deep breath.
"Actually," she started over, trying to ease Clark's tension. "This is more than a story. This hero represents hope for a city that desperately needs some right now."
"How do you know this guy is what the city needs?" Clark's asked her, uncertainty in his tone.
"Are you kidding? You should hear the quotes I got from the people tonight, like 'I'm glad there's someone out there willing to help,' and 'It's great that our city has its own super hero …' I must have taken a dozen or more statements like that," Lois answered unable to hide the enthusiasm in her voice. "Metropolis is lucky to have someone like him running around."
In the shadows, she could see Clark push himself away from the counter.
"You don't really believe that, do you? This guy could be some kind of freak … some kind of meteor freak, I mean."
Lois felt her heart jump in reaction to his insecurity and, while she could understand it, her heart yearned to give him confidence.
Clark will save people without asking anything in return. Surely you can give some of that back to him?
The words rushed out of her as she tried to make Clark understand that his heritage was so unimportant in the scheme of things, that he wasn't alone, and that this was about the person he was choosing to be. The man needed some confidence and, if she could, she would give that to him.
"Of course I believe it! He's exactly what Metropolis needs. Personally, I don't care if he's a meteor freak, Elvis come back from the dead, or the E.T., the extraterrestrial. What's important is what he's choosing to do with his talents. He's a hero, saving people without asking anything in return. That's all that matters."
Clark stood frozen, his eyes fixed on her face. He'd stayed that way during her entire tirade, unblinking and unmoving. In the dim light she let her gaze meet his and the intensity of his floored her. For the first time that night, shirtless Clark was making her nervous. Her hand reached for her neck and, next thing she knew, Clark was in front of her, gently pulling her hand away and lightly rubbing circles in her palm.
"Do you mean that?" He asked quietly and, in the glow of the hall light, Lois could see the wonder in his eyes, as if she'd given him a great gift.
"Of course," she responded in a whisper, voice trapped in the beauty of his expression and the comfort of his hand on hers. His wide eyes were like that of a little boy and Lois was enthralled by the appreciation she saw in them. He even stood a little taller as if her words had worked their desired effect. She felt herself straighten in response. Maybe this was the real reason she was sent back and, if so, she seemed to be making progress. It felt good.
Then, still grinning, Clark leaned forward, supporting himself by placing his other hand against the wall. Lois felt surrounded by his body heat and his scent; her eyelids fluttered as delicious sensations filled her body in response to the closeness of his. Looking through her lashes, she waited, eyes on Clark's smiling mouth. Eventually, he leaned in and gave her a quick peck on the cheek.
"Thank you, Lois," he said, still grinning like an idiot.
Lois couldn't help but smile back. He looked so carefree. "For what?"
As his smile faded, she mentally kicked herself for reminding him of his secret. She watched the play of emotions cross his face as he considered an honest answer.
"For giving me hope … for this hero," he told her stepping back, his eyes no longer meeting hers. "You know, I'm surprised you settled for bystander quotes and didn't go after the hero himself," he commented, and Lois recognized her own distraction technique being used against her.
Still lost in the sensation of having Clark's smiling face so close and having him touch her hand and kiss her cheek, Lois responded without thinking, "No, I think it should be his decision to go public," she said seriously.
Clark's gaze slammed in to hers at her response, suspicion and fear evident, just as she remembered that she'd overheard Clark say those same words to Jimmy earlier in the evening.
Great, now Clark knows I was eavesdropping.
"Anyway," Lois interrupted before Clark could ask questions she wasn't ready to answer, "I won't need to go after this hero." Needing to distance herself from him before he could get the truth out of her, she turned, hiding the knife in front of her as she started up the stairs.
"What makes you think you won't need to go after this hero?" Clark's voice followed her, his tone suspicious.
Looking over her shoulder, Lois raised her eyebrows suggestively and placed one hand on her hip. "He'll come looking for me when he's ready."
"You don't know that. This guy may not want any publicity-"
"People will want answers, Clark, and this man's a hero which means he's helpful. Soon, he'll want to give those answers," after her recent debacle Lois spoke carefully, not wanting to reveal that she'd dealt with this hero in the past and that she knew he would turn to her eventually.
"Even if you're right, what makes you think he'll come to you?"
Lois grinned at him and wiggled her brows, trying to tease Clark out of his suspicions, "Hello … because I'm me."
For once Clark didn't roll his eyes at her but narrowed them instead and, even in the dim light, the emotions in them sent Lois running.
"Yes, you are," he responded, his husky voice drifting up the stairs and sending Lois' heart into overdrive.
Slamming her bedroom door behind her, Lois stood with her back against it, trying to calm her racing heart. The look Clark gave her just now was almost ... predatory. What had she done or said to cause that kind of reaction? He'd never reacted to her teasing like that before unless he'd experienced elevated endorphins. Replaying everything in her head didn't help. There was nothing.
As Lois crawled back into bed she realized that running from that kind of look was probably counterproductive but, right now, she needed to get her emotions in check. Knowing Clark was the Blur changed things. Developing a confident Clark changed things. A girl needed time to recover.