LoisNClark4Ever: Linda doesn't stop, does she? About the smut chapter… it's a mystery when it will come :)
tua33915: M is one of my favorite letters as well ;)
Guest #1: Thanks! Hope you like this chapter too :)
imhooked: Yes! Linda got tired of relying on magic alone, she literally put matters in her own hands by trying to kill Lois physically, glad it didn't work :)
polks87: Thanks! At least now they have an idea and they can move forward :)
clarkfan325: Thank you! That Clark and Bruce conversation used to be Clark and Martha, and then realized that maybe it was better if he talks with Bruce, stir up that jealousy in Clark. In effect, Bruce now has a lengthened role (but too much :))
Guest #2: Hi! It's here! :)
Without further ado, here's the next chapter of No Other You :)
Chapter 16
It was not difficult leaving a sleeping Lois, she was a heavy sleeper after all. But then again, deciding on going back on his promise of letting her help him had been one of the more difficult decisions he had to make. Last night Lois has proven that she could hold her own, but he would not risk it. He would not dare put Lois in the path of danger by including her in his investigation
It took every bit of his resolve not to think of anything else when Lois asked him to stay. Sleep was all they did. Perhaps with the weight of another attempt on her life, once Lois' back met the bed, she was in deep stupor. Clark elected to take the chair, and as he was already accustomed to it from all his past missions, has found his own rest there.
Today would be the last time he would leave her. Now that he was certain that Linda was really after him, he could not discount the fact that once he was away, Linda might attack again. Not one to discount every possibility, he had planned to pass by Bruce's estate before leaving for Granville to ask him to watch over his mother and Lois.
Arriving at his own room, he finished his morning ritual in record time. It was still dark outside, and Clark knew that this was the perfect time to leave.
Clark passed by his mother's room, and after a short explanation, gave Martha a kiss goodbye, with her promising that she and Lois will look after each other.
One more stop at the kitchens to grab bread and a canteen of water and he was ready. Arriving at the stables, Clark headed straight to Sultan's box, only to find Lois already inside stroking the horse's mane. A master spy of the kingdom and here he was caught red-handed of leaving a woman he promised he would bring with him.
"Out of the goodness of my heart, it will be my firm belief that you simply have forgotten to wake me as opposed to deliberately leaving me behind while you conduct your inquiry." She said without looking at him, still stroking the horse lovingly and gently.
"Then that is my truth as well, that I have forgotten to wake you." Clark said, amused instead of annoyed that Lois had managed to join him after all. With a small nod, Clark went over to the farthest box and pulled out a chestnut colored horse, and Lois immediately saddled it up, not waiting for the stable boy to do the job.
"What time did you awaken? I was so quiet." Clark said as he adjusted the stirrups.
"It was around the time you stood up and walked over to the door."
Clark looked at Lois, and thought that her statement was not yet finished, that she still has a thought in her head, but then opted not to continue.
Clark did not say anything as he watched Lois mount her horse quietly, and soon he followed suit. "Are you accustomed to a long ride?" he asked.
"No, but I would rather have a horse underneath me than sitting inside a blasted carriage."
Clark nodded, knowing that Lois was very different from the women he knew. Furthermore, with them on horseback, they will reach Granville in a shorter amount of time, as opposed to riding a carriage.
"We will pass by the Duke of Gotham's estate first before heading to Granville." Lois nodded, and Clark continued. "Do you have everything you need?"
Lois glanced to her back, eyeing the small satchel tied securely to the saddle, and nodded.
Clark nodded back, and soon they were off to Bruce's estate.
The sun already set and the dark creeping in, Clark knew that they have to make haste. If not for that heavy downpour, they would be in Granville now. As soon as they arrived at Bruce's estate, the rain started and did not let up until it was almost noon, taking away precious time from their journey as well as their quest to understand Linda's motives as to why she sought revenge against Clark. Their take away from the unforeseen hurdle was that they were well rested and fed by the time they had to leave, and that Bruce was informed of what had transpired the past night and was now more vigilant knowing magic was involved. Bruce promised that he will leave for Smallville immediately after them.
As soon as the sun peeked through the clouds, Clark and Lois left and continued on to their journey, not at breakneck speed as Clark would have preferred, for he was sure that Lois' horse would not be able to handle Sultan's speed, but it was more than enough to at least reach an inn along the road on the way to Granville.
Arriving at the inn, Clark and Lois dismounted and handed over the horses to the owner, who happened to be taking out empty barrels. Clark placed a handsome amount to the owner's hand, who Clark knew, to make sure that their horses were well taken off, and with their bags headed inside.
Soon they were joined by the owner with a big smile on his face. "Your grace, always happy to be of service."
"I need two rooms." Clark said authoritatively. "Next to each other, preferably at the end of the hall."
The owner nodded and checked his records, before looking up with a worried expression on his face. "Forgive me, your grace, but we only have one room available. But it is the one at the end of the hall."
Clark and Lois looked at each other, and with a shrug from Lois, Clark sighed and turned to the owner. So much for trying to keep his hands away from Lois. "We will take it. And please have hot meals brought to the room."
"Rest assured your grace." The owner left the counter with the key and showed them the room.
Clark had to try once more. "Is there an extra mattress or bedding that I can use?"
The owner visibly cringed and before he could answer, Clark reassured the older man. "Do not fret. We would be fine."
The owner sighed with relief and soon, Clark and Lois were deposited in their rooms. It was tidy, with a small table and two chairs, and one window with a view of the road on the wall on the other side of the door.
"Will there be anything else you need, your grace?" the owner asked graciously.
"Just the hot meals." Clark said, then added as an afterthought. "Do you still have that fine ale you serve?"
The owner was visibly thrilled by Clark's praise of his ale. "Yes, your grace. I will have a bottle sent with the meals."
"No." Clark answered hastily. "I will take it downstairs as per usual."
Lois faced away from Clark to hide her disappointment. She knew that she should not be upset; men drink spirits after all, especially after braving the cold weather after that freak thunderstorm. But somehow, she had an inkling that he does not want to spend any more time with her.
The owner finally left after some more arrangements with Clark and they were left alone. Lois' heart started to thud wildly, baffled at her reaction when back in Smallville they had spent nights in her room, albeit sleeping separately: her taking the bed while Clark slept in the chair.
"Your grace." Lois started, knowing her cheeks are burning from embarrassment at her suggestion.
"Yes, Lois." Clark answered, who was now over by the window checking the hinges.
"I assume that you are not accustomed to sleeping on the floor. Maybe we could share the bed, but I would sleep under the covers, and you on top of course."
Clark's eyes widened in amusement, and Lois realized the connotation her words have presented. She stammered in her response. "I-I mean you c-could sleep on top of the covers."
"I know what you meant." Nodding as he replied. "It was a very gallant offer, my lady, but contrary to your opinion, I am not a stranger to the floor. Past missions had me sleeping in stables, dungeons, and pig sties. The floor would be an upgrade from those."
Lois wanted to voice her disagreement, but instead nodded at what seemed to be a firm negative from him. She decided to change the topic.
"Do you think Bruce would be capable of protecting Martha? That is the reason we stopped by his estate, isn't it?"
Clark was surprised at Lois' question. They were all in one room when Clark had spoken with Bruce, but the conversation took place in the farthest corner from her. Clark had intended to tell Lois of his plan soon enough, but not of his request to Bruce to watch over his mother in his absence. He does not want to her to worry all the more about the thoughts that consumed him.
Before he answered, Clark decided that he needed to know how she was aware of Bruce's involvement. "How could you possibly know that? We were talking in whispers and a good thirty feet away from you."
Lois waved her hand nonchalantly and sat down on the bed to retrieve her sleeping gown from her satchel. "I learned to lip read spying on the General. My sister and I would often watch from outside his study whenever Father had visitors over."
Clark was amazed. Apparently, you cannot hide anything from this woman. "But those might be confidential meetings, matters of the crown."
"We knew when to stop. Whenever the king or the queen was mentioned, or anything about the military, we would stop immediately. Mostly the conversations we spy on were the ones about the neighbourhood and of course casual conversations about his views on politics and economy."
"And you did not find that off-putting?"
Lois shook her head empathically. "Oh no. We find it rather interesting. I remember one time, Lucy and I had an argument because she was opposed to father's view of Kandor's politics while I agreed with him. I think we did not speak of each other for a week." She said with a fond smile.
"You must miss your family terribly so." Clark noticed.
"I do. But I will see them, something tells me this little problem of ours will soon be over." Lois declared. "Which brings me to my original question you still haven't answered."
Clark sighed. Talk about a woman with a tunnel vision. "Yes. Bruce is capable enough to oversee things while I am away. He might not seem like it but he was well trained after his parents were ambushed and killed on the road by thieves. The king also avails of his services for the crown from time to time."
Lois nodded. "Do you think that Linda will attempt to get to your mother?"
"We should not overlook all possibilities." Clark answered, looking out the window once again. "I still have not discounted the idea that one who attacked you might be Wes after all. But in any case, either be it Wes or Linda, I am the common denominator between the two."
"Who do you intend to find in Granville first? Linda or Wes?"
"Whoever I get to first." Clark saw Lois' pointed look, and dutifully amended. "Whoever we get to first."
It was at that point when their food arrived. Settling at the table, they ate in silence, Lois asking questions sporadically about their subsequent journey. Satisfying both her concerns and her stomach, Lois told Clark that she would go down to ask for a bucket of water to clean herself.
"You stay here. I intend to go down anyway to check on the horses."
And drink that ale. Lois thought. She just nodded at Clark as she watched him leave the room.
It was past midnight when Clark returned to their room. He took his time checking the horses, and it was a good amount of time when he entered the inn and sat down on the corner facing the inn's entrance. The buxom server, the owner's daughter, fawned over him as she served his ale. Clark grew annoyed at her cloying advances and with a surreptitious glance to the owner, he dragged his daughter away for an impromptu work in the kitchen.
He was ruined, truly ruined for other women. There was only one who filled his impure thoughts, graced his lustful dreams. And yet it was the only woman he was not allowed to touch, given the circumstances.
Clark had so much respect for Lois. He even married her impostor, thinking it was her, because he believed that Lois was one of a kind. It was that respect that made him return much later in their room, knowing the less time he spent with her in the bedroom, the less time for temptation to seep in.
True enough, Lois was already in deep sleep. Walking over to her side of the bed, Clark looked down at her face. It was a face that he will never forget. Perfectly arched brows, straight nose, and luscious lips, he wanted to memorize every part of her. It was her words that made him think. She had a feeling that this will be over soon, and that means that they will part ways after once everything was resolved.
Clark could tell that she already missed her family. But Clark understood her desire to stick with him: she does not want to extend the peril to them if she elected to return to Fort Ryan. She needed to face the threat head on if she wanted to be free of it.
It was another trait he had admired in her. While it also puts him on edge, he could not help but appreciate her conviction. Few women have followed the course they laid out in life, and Clark was true to his word when he said that he respected women who did not succumb to the dictates of society. His mother for instance, had defied her father in marrying the man she loved, rather than the one his father chose for her. That Jonathan turned out to be a duke put Martha's father more in the defensive because he had thought he was a lowly farmer and he had judged the man before truly knowing him.
His mother did not stop there. She could have chosen to sit down in one of her vast drawing rooms, entertaining ladies and planning balls, but she chose to live with her husband in Smallville, helping him in running his estates, that as husband and wife they have a shared responsibility to the crown and to their tenants.
Lois was no different. Instead of having her father's soldiers do the task, she personally went to Metropolis to search for her sister. Instead of running away from him when he was stark raving mad, she met him with courage knowing she did not commit any wrongdoings against him. Even the little things, such as learning to play poker and her knowledge of horses, meant that she was one not to conform to what others thought should be a lady's pastime.
Resisting the urge to touch her, Clark sat down on the chair by the table. Maybe they would have their answers tomorrow, maybe not. But one thing was certain, he wanted Lois to be a part of his life, always and forever.
There you go, I know not much happened, but at least we had a glimpse of their thoughts :) What I can promise you is that the next couple of updates will be action packed! You know the drill, love you lots!