Chapter 18

The subject of any "testing" of Superman was officially off limits as a subject with Clark. Lois could take a hint as well as the next person. Well, she could when it was so obviously cloaked in this new rigid and unbending attitude of Clark's. That didn't mean she liked it.

He'd been difficult for over a week now. The desk for the new office had been delayed so they were still in the basement. They were still being ribbed about the coming arrangements, or at least Clark was. The office jerks knew that kidding Lois about much of anything was tantamount to risking bodily injury so they pretty much kept it to Clark abuse.

She stared over at his desk thoughtfully. He was gone again. She'd forgotten what excuse he'd used this time; they were beginning to be so repetitive. At least the job of a reporter allowed one to be in and out a good part of the day. All those pesky little things one needed to attend to during the day could be taken care of under the guise of "chasing a lead."

Yeah, pesky little details like—

Her phone rang. "Lois Lane. Yes, I'll be there. At six. Anything I should bring? Fine, oh, have to go."

She hung up to see a very agitated Perry White standing over her.

"Where's Clark?"

"Uh… probably out chasing a lead?" She knew her voice sounded doubtful and she hoped her boss didn't notice.

"Good man."

Lois thought ruefully, Yeah, you think he's Mr. Can-Do-No-Wrong anyway.

"Lois, I just got a call from the F.B.I. and they're wanting to know your source for the Senator Jergens story."

She stood up to object and her voice rose a few hundred decibels with her, "Chief, I am not—"

"Of course you're not." He calmly pushed her back down in her chair. "That's what I told them. We don't divulge sources. But the guy apparently crossed the state line with the seventeen-year-old and that makes this federal. Just wanted you to know you're going to get some heat on this one. So, any follow-up stuff with your source, make sure Clark goes with you. Understand?"

She started to protest, but Perry cut right across her words, "Teamwork, Lois. That's what I want from now on from you two. Clear?"

"Clear." She sighed.

"Oh, and the office is ready anytime you two want to move in. Sorry it took longer than expected." He started walking away, but turned back again. "And I picked blue carpet, not red. So…play nice."

Lois frowned, and wondered, Was there anything that Perry White missed?

********

At 5:45 PM, Lois got up to leave. "I'm off, Smallville. See you tomorrow."

"You're going home?" Clark asked, never taking his eyes from the police report he was scanning on his screen. There was looting going on in a neighborhood not far from Lois' apartment. It was possibly gang related and the police seemed to be handling it, but he wasn't sure at all about her leaving just then.

"Not exactly." And she was out the door.

"Lois!" But she had already made it to the elevator. He took another look at the police reports of unrest on the streets she might be traveling and made his decision. Following her was the only option, so he made for the roof.

********

Superman kept his distance in the air while keeping an eye on the looting at the same time. When Lois' car made a completely unexpected turn, he had to choose. One more look convinced him the police would be able to handle the gang situation, and he chose to follow Lois.

He hovered high above the entrance to Metropolis University, completely puzzled that Lois would have an appointment with anyone there. What was she up to now? As she wound through the hallways, his X-ray vision followed her. He felt guilty at the shameless eavesdropping, but his curiosity was now piqued.

A well dressed man met her in a hallway, and Superman watched carefully as he led her down another hall and into a classroom of sorts. They were talking and laughing and, against feelings of outrage at himself for invasion of Lois' privacy, Superman tuned in his super-hearing to their conversation.

"…and I was thinking we'd try an Italian—" the man was saying, as Lois interrupted.

"No, I found the one I want. This one." She held out a piece of paper to the man and tapped it for emphasis.

"Boeuf Bourguignon?" The man smiled. "Miss Lane, are you sure? I thought you said the man you're doing all this for is a meat and potatoes kind of guy."

"Well, it's got meat in it," she reasoned. "I can make potatoes to go with it, surely?"

"It's rather a complicated recipe for a novice, and there's Cognac, red wine—?"

"Look, this is the one I want to learn how to make. It sounds impressive. He'll like it. I'm sure of it."

At that moment, a bank alarm sounded a few miles away, and Superman had to reluctantly withdraw. As he flew toward the bank, his mind was not on catching whatever unlucky criminal had just made a very major mistake, but on the subject of the conversation he'd just heard.

Lois was taking cooking lessons?

Lois had never even expressed an idea that she wanted to learn how to cook. The whole idea was ludicrous! And to impress a man! That didn't even sound like Lois. Men were always coming on to her all the time at work. He knew; he'd seen it often enough. Her looks were all it took to impress any man. And what man? What had he missed?

Mentally, as he flew, he went through all the men he'd seen talking to Lois in the past few weeks. He saw her smile at one after another so clearly, and wondered which one had sparked such a reaction in her that she'd resort to something as foreign to her very nature as cooking lessons.

It did explain one thing. That was why her kitchen had been so well stocked!

His jaw set tight as he made his mind turn to the job at hand.

Landing just outside the entrance, he stood and crossed his arms as two men came running out, firing wildly. He could hear the sound of a squad car just rounding a corner down the street.

When they robbers saw Superman standing in front of them, they fired at him. Watching in fear as the bullets merely bounced off his chest, they stopped when he started toward them. His face was a mask of anger as he reached for their guns with lightning speed and crushed them in both hands.

"How dare you raise a gun to me!" Superman's voice was low and deadly.

In seconds, he had discarded the crushed. worthless guns and had raised both men off the ground by the collars of their jackets.

"We'll take over from here, Superman!" A voice came from behind him, and he forced himself to relax his hold on the men and lower them back to the ground. Without a word, and without turning to face the police, he took to the air.

The policemen watched him soar upwards as they cuffed their prisoners and read them their rights.

"Who knew Superman could be in a bad mood?" One chuckled, as he led his man away to the waiting squad car. "You guys should be grateful we got here so quickly."

The other officers laughed as the two bank robbers looked skyward while being hustled into the back seats, the terror still written on their faces.

********

"I thought you said the man doesn't drink, Miss Lane. I really don't think anyone who doesn't even approve of drinking is going to really like this."

"But it's got allspice in it."

"Allspice berries, yes, but—"

"Well, isn't that what's in apple pie? He'll love it, because I know he likes apple pie. Besides, I'm paying you to teach me. And this is what I want to learn how to make tonight."

"Well, we can get started tonight. But this one will take a bit more time than we have tonight. We do have to spend some time on marinating the meat."

"Marinating?"

"Yes, as in 'overnight' marinating, and the cooking itself takes about three and a half hours."

"Crap."