Chapter 32
"Horse back riding? You got to be kidding."
"Why do you keep saying that?"
"Do I even know how to ride?"
"As a matter of fact, you're quite and accomplished horsewoman. At least that was your story that day." He gave her a boost up and she took a seat atop the mare she had ridden the day of her accident. The plan was that they would take a horseback ride to the spot where she had fallen and see if it triggered any memories. They continued to banter as they rode.
"You sound as if you don't believe that I was telling the truth."
"You may have exaggerated a little. Sometimes you stretch the truth when we are in the middle of a wager or a challenge."
"A challenge? Explain."
"We were going to the Renaissance Fair. You bet that I couldn't stay in character longer than you. When we got there, you wanted to ride in the jousting tournament, and I didn't want you to. I was worried that you would get hurt."
"And we argued."
"You remember?" Clark slowed his horse as they came to a clearing in the trees.
"No. Not the argument—just hearing you and Chloe talk about it when I was in the hospital." He brought his horse to stop.
"Does anything look familiar to you?"
"No. Nothing."
"Well, we shouldn't expect it to work like a light switch. I thought we'd just hang out here a bit. Maybe something will be familiar—you never know." She allowed Clark to help her down from her horse.
Lois nodded, and fell in step beside him. They walked along the woods in silence for a bit, the horses meandering near by. At length Lois asked:
"You already do everything for me. What could I hope to gain from these bets?"
"It's not about making me do things for you. You dream up crazy things just to humiliate me; Like having me bring you breakfast in bed with me dressed in a stupid costume."
"Oh." She said, slightly puzzled. "What were the stakes this time?"
"Huh?"
"Why were you so determined not to lose this particular bet? What was at stake?"
"If I would have lost then I would have to wash your car--"
"That doesn't seem so bad." She interrupted.
"—wearing a speedo."
"Ohh." She grinned, "I'm sure that my wanting to see you in a speedo didn't have anything to do with wanting to see your . . . humiliation."
He blushed all the way to his hairline. In that moment, she got an inkling of why she enjoyed finding ways to embarrass him—his bashfulness was so endearing.
Clark avoided looking at her, his cheeks still burned with his discomfort and busied himself with spreading a blanket out and setting out the lunch he had prepared. They enjoyed the view as they ate.
"This is a beautiful spot. Do we come here often?"
"No, this is part of the Luthor Estate. I'm not exactly a welcomed guest on the property anymore."
"Because of Lana?"
"No. Lex and I stopped being friends long before Lana got involved with him."
"You used to be friends?"
"Yeah, once. It seems so long ago now."
"That seems so odd—you're from completely different worlds. How did you meet?"
"He ran his porshe off the road into a river and I saved him from drowning."
"Wow."
She had a million questions. He answered them all as they finished their lunch. First, she had more questions about the day that Clark saved Lex. She stretched out lazily and laid her head in his lap. He absentmindedly played with the curled ends of her auburn hair, twining and twisting the silky strands in his fingers. She downshifted into interview mode, covering a variety of topics; from football to farming to children.
"It's not that I don't want children, I don't know if I can have them."
"Why would you even think that?"
"I think about it sometimes. My parents couldn't have any children." She wrinkled her brow at this comment. "I was adopted. My parents found me in a corn field."
Lois gave him a strange look. He recognized it as a similar look to when they were on the plane.
"What is it Lo?"
"It's nothing. It's just . . . when you said your parents found you in a corn field, I saw an image of you as you are now and you were naked. . . . Phew, I must be getting tired. I'm hallucinating."
"Lois, that's real--That's how you found me."
'Whaaat?" She bolted up, nearly knocking heads with him.
Clark filled her in on the details of why she had come to Smallville looking for him to help investigate the death of her cousin.
"You mean to tell me that the same Lex Luthor that we don't trust now helped protect Chloe against Lionel Luthor because he was trying to kill her. The same Lionel Luthor that loaned us a jet, not once, but twice? The same Lionel Luthor that helped us yesterday with the consultation?"
"Uh, yeah."
"No wonder I'm confused and can't recover my memories. It's like the world is inside out!" She sat forward and rubbed at her temples.
"I think it's time to get you home."
Clark gathered up their things while Lois went to round up the horses. No sooner had Lois climbed atop her mare, the horse bucked and threw her off. Clark was able to catch her just in time to prevent her from falling and hitting the ground. Her heart beat wildly in her chest at the realization of her near miss. Clark determined that Lois' horse had thrown a shoe. They were lucky that he'd caught her in time. He remembered reading that a second head injury to a patient with amnesia could have devastating and permanent effects.
"I've got you." She tightened her arms around his neck, trying desperately to control her breathing. She had been frightened by this incident. But more than that, she had the strange sense of familiarity—She had been in this position before, where he'd caught her and averted danger with seconds to spare. She was sure of it. Pull yourself together Lois—you're really losing it. She thought to herself. She was grateful when Clark announced they would be heading back home immediately. She sagged against him as he settled her in front of him on his horse. In no time at all, she began to calm in his embrace. Her eyes fluttered to half mast and she began to doze lightly, the exhaustion of the afternoon and the previous evening finally overtaking her.
