Chapter 10
Metropolis
Monday, December 21, 2020
In the late hours of Sunday evening, Lois finally fell asleep. With very little sleep that day, she had written a lengthy story about the interview of Metropolis Fire Department Lieutenant Robyn Williams, sent it to Clark for his review, made the spelling and grammar corrections he identified or suggested, and submitted it for print, all before 2 PM in the afternoon. Yet, it was not until after 10 PM before she drifted off to sleep.
Clark slept for six hours while Lois wrote the story. He awakened when she sent it to him, made corrections and sent it back to her. In the early hours of Monday morning in Metropolis, he flew to Spain and spent over an hour combing through the joyerias, Spanish jewelry stores, along Calle Sierpes and Calle Tetuan in Seville, looking for a Christmas present for Lois. He found a beautifully handcrafted silver bracelet that he bought.
Twenty minutes later, he landed in the Metropolis darkness and dashed to his apartment. He slept two more hours, then got up, cleaned up, and headed into the Planet. He knew that it would be a big day for them and he did not want to miss a minute of it.
Lois came from the meeting at 9:20 AM. "How did it go?" Clark asked.
"Great! It's been a good day already, Clark. Perry was extremely happy with the story, pleased with the picture with it, and said all I, or we, had left was to get the AAM on the record face-to-face." She sat down and leaned over to look at Clark. "If I can just convince AAM to do a face-to-face when we do talk, we'll have a front pager above the fold!"
"Did you tell Perry about the note?"
She shook her head. "Not just yet. I want to be sure he'll contact me before I say anything to Perry. I don't think it's a prank but I'm taking no chances. Otherwise, he'll just pester me about it forever." She leaned back over and looked at a black monitor screen. Lois stood up and looked down at Clark's.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
She frowned. "Something we should have done a month and a half ago." She cleared the accoutrements on her desk and slid her monitor to the right corner of the desk, angled toward her place at the desk. "Slide back, Smallville," she ordered, and he did. Lois repeated the same process with his monitor as she did her own. She walked back to her desk and sat. "There!" she announced. "Now, I don't have to lean over or stand up just to talk to you face-to-face."
"I always thought you just wanted your privacy," Clark said.
"And I always thought you wanted to goof off over there and bug me. Well, that's not gonna happen anymore!" Lois said with a smirk. "You can't hide from me anymore, Farmer John."
As the clock approached noon, Clark asked Lois if she was interested in going to lunch. "I'm always interested in eating, Clark. Just not with you, today," she replied, smiling. "Actually, I have an errand to run and I'm going to grab something to eat here on the way back. Shall I grab you something?"
"No, I'm okay," he said. "Hmm," he muttered, looking around, "have you seen Cat today?"
She exhaled and rolled her eyes, exasperated. "Oh sure," she said.
Clark smiled. "Just kidding, Lois."
"See! That's what I'm talking about," Lois said, "always goofing off. That's why I moved the monitors. Until Perry releases me from this miserable duty, I have to keep an eye on you." She raised an eyebrow. "I'll see you when I get back."
Lois left to go to a gift shop that she had been in when Lucy visited. There she asked about a pen that caught her eye. It was an executive-type pen, made of titanium and was in a beautiful, velvet-lined box. She asked the store owner if he could get it engraved. "Sure. In fact, I do it here myself."
"Can I have it done before Christmas?" she asked.
"You can have it done by five this afternoon if you want," the man said.
"Oh, that's great! I'll take it."
The proprietor went to the back and brought out a new pen, still sealed in its box. "That one's been in there a while," he said, gesturing to the pen on display. "The ink might have dried up in it. This one's new." He removed the plastic wrapping, opened the box to show her. Lois nodded. "What would like engraved on it?"
"Clark Kent," she said. "C-L-A-R-K, space, and K-E-N-T." The shop owner wrote it down, showed it to her and she said. "Perfect." He showed her several different fonts and she picked one that looked like the print face of an old typewriter. "This one right here," she said.
She returned to find Jimmy hunched over Clark's desk, pointing to an array of photos. "Hey Jimmy! What's going on?"
Jimmy turned around with an excited look on his face. "I've been trying to contact you!"
"Did you try my cell phone?"
He frowned. "No, your desk phone. It's like a half hour after lunch," Jimmy said.
She huffed. "Well, who died and made you the hall monitor?" The young photographer looked stunned. "What's the emergency, Jimmy?" she asked with a bit of an irritated tone.
"Miss Lane, come look at this." She put her purse down and draped her coat over the back of her chair and walked around to Clark's desk. "Look!" he said.
Lois looked. Jimmy had laid an array of photos on Clark's desk side-by-side. They were black and white photographs of the front door of WJOB. She bent over at the waist and perused the pictures and then stood up.
"Looks like a lot of pictures of the radio station I spent five hours looking at on Sunday morning," she announced, and began to turn away.
"No, Miss Lane," Jimmy insisted. "Look closer."
"What am I looking closer for?" She looked at each picture. They all looked the same. She looked at Clark. "Do you see anything?" Clark said nothing but smiled inscrutably.
She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Okay, James. I want you to walk me through these pictures that you find so fascinating and exciting."
Jimmy collected them all up and began laying them out one at a time. "Don't focus on the building at first, Miss Lane, focus on the side of the passenger side of the front windshield." He laid the first one down, then the second one, and the third. "Do you see it?"
Lois saw what appeared to be a smudge or slight light leak on the side of the front windshield. "That?" she said, pointing.
"Yes," Jimmy said excitedly. He laid the fourth photo down and the smudge was gone but the front door was now open. When he reached the eighth photo, the very faint smudge had reappeared outside near the front door but was almost out of view. By the ninth and tenth photos, it was no longer there.
She looked at Jimmy puzzled. "Do you think that's…"
"Him!" Jimmy finished. "That's the Avenging Angel of Mercy! I'll bet my life on it."
Lois smile widened. "Is there anything you can do to make it more detailed or anything?"
"I can try but if you look closely, you can kind of see an outline of a man-like thing with something trailing him or something."
"Like a cape?" Lois suggested.
Jimmy grinned and nodded. "Exactly like a cape," he said.
Lois looked at Clark. "What do you think?"
"It's hard to make anything out in detail but I have to admit, it's not a film flaw or light leak. They don't move around pictures. There's definitely something there in those pictures." He looked at Lois and smiled, nodding.
"Oh my God! Olsen, you have to lock these things up! Make several copies of the pictures but lock the negatives up. This is incredible. Historic!" She was excited. "If you can make duplicates of the negatives, do that too." She hugged Jimmy. "You're the best, Olsen." Jimmy blushed. "Well don't just stand there blushing, get going!" she said.
"What's so incredible and historic?" Cat asked from her office door. "Did Jimmy get pictures of you on a date or something?" she asked, smirking.
"Kind of, Cat," Lois said. "You could say that."
Lois's desk phone rang and she scurried around to answer it. It was Mayson Drake asking her to come by tomorrow morning for her deposition. They made arrangements and Lois hung up.
"I think I'm going to go home," she said.
"You just got back from lunch," Clark said.
"Oh my God. First Jimmy, now you?" she said incredulously. She looked around. "What the hell happened while I was at lunch?"
Lois and Clark both left the office early that afternoon. Clark said he was tired from the weekend and Lois was too, although she was running on pure adrenaline since seeing the pictures from Jimmy. She knew that once she calmed down, she would be ready to drop. But she took the adrenaline rush as an opportunity to get some things done.
She went to a local upscale department store and spent about an hour looking at something for Lucy. She found a beautiful scarf that she thought would look good on Lucy. The woman at the counter said they could wrap it but it would be a little while. She gave Lois a receipt and a claim ticket to pick the wrapped gift up at the Customer Service desk. "They're really swamped back there today. I'd say two hours or maybe three to be safe," she said. "It should be ready by 7 PM. With the volume of customers, please try to come back today." She leaned over the counter a bit and said quietly, "Holiday help is not always very diligent at giving out the correct gifts we wrap." She stood back up. "We close at 10 tonight with holiday hours and all."
Lois looked at her phone and the screen showed 4:22 PM. She decided to go back to the gift shop to pick up Clark's gift. She arrived and the pen was ready. The owner showed it to her, and Lois inspected the engraving. She thought it looked very classy and thanked the owner for his quick work. She left and went home.
When she got there, she changed out of her work clothes and into some jeans and a sweatshirt. At that moment, her fatigue hit her, and she lay back on her bed exhausted. She decided to close her eyes for just a few minutes before going back to the department store to get Lucy's wrapped scarf. Within fifteen seconds, Lois was asleep.
She awoke and suddenly realized where she was, what day it was, and that she had to get to the store. She looked at the clock and it was past nine-thirty. She worried her day would be tied up with Mayson Drake and she had to pick up the scarf immediately.
She ran downstairs, fired up her Jeep, and drove quickly to the department store, parking in the closest public parking garage. She ran to the door and the security guard was standing there. "We close in five minutes, Miss," he said.
"I just have to pick up a wrapped gift," she said, holding up her claim ticket. He let her in, and she went directly to the Customer Service counter. The young girl there took her ticket, found the scarf box, and handed it to Lois. "Oh, thank you, so much," Lois said, taking the box.
She left the store at 10:03 PM and the security guard let her out, locking the doors behind her. She was walking back to the parking garage half a block away when suddenly, the screeching sound of tires skidding on the asphalt roadway pierced the quiet night.
In a blink of an eye, she spun around to see a taxi behind her jumping onto the sidewalk and smashing into a block and a half of scaffolding that had been erected over the sidewalk two months ago. The screeching became a cacophonous crash as an explosion of scaffolding pipes, connectors, and plywood burst into the air and were traveling directly at Lois. Car tires squealed as other drivers on the street braked furiously. She screamed and instinctively crouched, covering up on the sidewalk, cradling the package in her midsection with her hands laced over her neck, anticipating the impact of the debris at any instant.
Lois felt impact but it did not seem to hurt at all. It was gentle, in fact, and she heard the sound of metal ricocheting off the building, steel clanging onto the sidewalk, and hissing from a burst radiator. But she felt no pain at the moment.
Adrenaline, she thought. I'm probably hurt badly, and I'm in shock and adrenaline is blocking the pain. Once the clanging and squealing tires stopped, she unlaced her hands from behind her neck and peeked up.
Across the street, a taxi had smashed into the building being renovated, causing the scaffolding to break apart and collapse, sending pieces of it flying along the sidewalk and street. She slowly stood and her gift box fell to the sidewalk in front of her. As best as she could, she reached behind herself to feel for any pipe or angle iron pieces that lodged in her back but felt nothing. Not a scratch and suddenly it dawned on her what had happened and how she got from one side of the street to the other unscathed. She searched the rooftops around her hoping to catch a glimpse of him as drivers exited their cars to check on the taxi driver. She heard sirens.
When the evening was out, Lois had a story about a taxi driver working two jobs and who was taking medication for a severe cold just to work enough hours to buy his wife and child each a Christmas present. Amazingly, no one was hurt. And there was no mention of the damages or Lois's miraculous escape from injury.
Tuesday, December 22, 2020
Lois awoke at 7:20 AM.
Although she was still shaken from the accident the night before, she had been able to fire off the story to the evening editor before she went to bed. She looked at her phone and decided that she would go in a little late, having submitted a story the night before and not having a morning meeting. The phone screen indicated that she had a text message.
She unlocked the lock screen and tapped the icon for messages. There were several. The oldest was from Jimmy the day before asking where she was. There were others that were advertisements or app notifications. The last one was from an unknown number at 1:47 AM that morning. She opened it and it read, "That was close. We'll talk soon, Miss Lane. AAM"
Excitement coursed through her body like a bolt of lightning and her breath caught in her chest. "How did you get my number?" she muttered to herself. Maggie would know. She would ask her before leaving for Smallville on Thursday she concluded. But why me, she thought. I can't wait to show Clark.
As she got ready, she wondered why Clark was the first person she wanted to show. They were working together, loosely, on this but that was not the reason. She wanted to share the exciting news with someone who would share her excitement and be happy for her. That someone was Clark. She knew that wanting Clark to be the first person she shared the information with meant something. She looked in the mirror and smiled.
He wants to talk to me.
It was 8 AM and a reminder sounded on her phone, and she looked at it. Deposition – 10 AM. "Oh yeah, that's today," she said. She decided that she would go directly to the deposition first and then to the office. That gave her more time to get ready and Lois decided to take a little more time getting ready and wear dressier clothes than usual. She was ambivalent about Mayson Drake the District Attorney but saw her as an interloper in Lois's relationship with Clark. And although Drake was a smart and attractive woman, Lois felt that she was better looking and clearly had more in common with Clark than the DA. Clark had not encouraged Mayson Drake's advances either. However, her dad had taught her never to leave anything important to chance and for as long as Drake was circling Clark, she would try to stay one level above and one step ahead of the determined district attorney.
The deposition went about as Lois expected. Drake was coolly professional and polite towards Lois but little about their interaction was warm or inviting. At the conclusion of the deposition, Drake did thank her for coming in and being forthright with her.
Lois asked her if the owner – operator of ASC Salvage had been questioned and Drake said that ever since the death of Mickler and burglary in the warehouse, ASC Salvage shuttered its business and its owner had apparently moved. No one had been able to reach him for an interview.
"ASC was under contract with LexCorp, you know," Lois mentioned. "Maybe Lex would know where he was."
"Yes," Drake replied matter-of-factly. "I interviewed Lex Luthor personally about a month ago, just before he left on a long business trip."
Lois frowned. "That's odd. He never mentioned that to me."
"Why would he?" Drake asked. "You're a reporter."
"Oh, it's not like that. Lex and I see one another casually," Lois said. "Usually, dinners at his place or an occasional lunch when he has a moment," she added, and then realized that her revelation may encourage Drake's advances toward Clark and instantly regretted saying anything.
Mayson blinked her eyes. "You're dating Lex Luthor?"
Lois winced. "Dating is a strong word. I'd describe it as periodic friendly social engagement." Mayson looked at her with a questioning expression on her face. Lois shook her head. "That sounded like a euphemism from a cheating wife who just got caught, didn't it?"
Drake nodded. "Yeah, that was right up there with 'we are just good friends'," Mayson replied. She frowned. "How long have been 'not-dating' Lex Luthor?"
"We've been having our plutonic dinners since 2016, I think." She paused. "Although it was a couple of years between our first and our second dinners together. I think if I were dating Lex Luthor, you would probably have read or heard about it in some gossip rag or from one those ridiculous TV scandal show hosts that parade themselves as a journalist."
"So, you were having these dinners during the time that MPD was investigating my former client then, right?" Mayson furrowed her brow. "I'll have to keep that in mind. I'm not sure it's relevant to anything but it might have more questions for you later on. Would you be willing to answer them?"
"That's a loaded question. I have nothing to hide regarding illegal activities, if that's what you're asking. I'd rather my personal life not get dragged into the public square. Plutonic or otherwise."
"Understood. It would only be as a rebuttal witness if that was ever needed."
"You think Lex had something to do with Mickler's death?" Lois asked incredulously.
"Not at this point. Nothing indicates that but Mr. Luthor is within the circle of associates of the late Mr. Mickler."
"So is Mickler's barber," Lois replied.
"Exactly," Mayson answered. "As I said, I don't believe Mr. Luthor had anything to do with the murder of Mr. Mickler. Nor do I think Mr. Mickler's barber did, either."
Mayson Drake explained that Lois's deposition would be transcribed next week since the stenographer was on vacation this week. She would let her know when it was ready her signature. She thanked Lois and showed her out.
She hurried to the Daily Planet, texting Clark in advance to see if he would go to lunch with her. He replied that he would. She blew into the bullpen, excitedly told Clark that it was time for lunch, and practically dragged him from his chair up to the lobby.
"What's all the excitement about, Lois?" he asked.
"Clark, there's so much to tell you that I can't do it here. We have to go somewhere quiet to sit because you're not going to believe everything that has happened since yesterday."
Lois was almost like a child at Christmas and Clark smiled. "Lead the way," he said.
Thursday, December 24, 2020
Lois and Maggie were having their pre-Christmas lunch. Lois had brought a little gift for Maggie and Maggie had brought one for Lois. She told her about the scaffolding incident on Monday night and the text she received late that night. Then she told Maggie about the deposition. "Mayson told me that she deposed Lex Luthor in November. That was right before he went on his Asia trip."
"So?"
Lois looked down at her food. "Well, I was just surprised that she had been looking into it that far back." Lois was going to say more but decided not to.
"That's when I got the DNA hit. When I heard Flint was in custody, one of the first things I did was call Drake." She paused. "Mayson Drake is a smart and insightful woman, Lois. Don't underestimate her ability to connect dots. She can do it pretty fucking quick."
"I suppose you're right." Lois said nothing else and a quiet hung in the air between the two.
"So, are you looking forward to spending Christmas with Clark's family?" Maggie asked. "Or are you nervous?"
Lois perked up. "To be absolutely honest, a little of both. They're such nice and welcoming people and I really get along with them well. So, spending it with them will be great. It sure beats sitting in my apartment alone. But, still, they're Clark's parents and I don't want them jumping to conclusions either." She pushed some grains of rice around her plate with her fork. "I just don't want them thinking this is a 'meeting the parents' moment, you know?"
"Well, you already met them. So, the hardest part is over." Lois told Maggie about Clark texting his parents to see if they had any problem with Lois coming to spend Christmas there. "They sound like the type of family you want to spend Christmas with," Maggie said.
"I just know it's going to be a Christmas like the ones we used to have when my mom was alive," Lois said. She was about to say more but a lump in her throat stopped her.
Maggie patted her on the hand. "Hey, even though you're going to his family's home, you're still keeping him in your world. Good going, girl!"
Just before sunset, Clark and Lois arrived at the Kent farm. Martha and Jonathan came out onto the porch to welcome Lois. They gave Lois a hug and Martha took her arm to lead her inside. "Let me help you with the bags, Son," Jonathan said.
"Be careful with mine, I have something fragile in there," she called to Clark. He lifted the bag and felt the weight of it.
Clark pulled out a very large suitcase. "What have you got in here, bricks?"
She cocked her head and frowned. "Just a few things for the weekend, Smallville. Maybe Santa needs to bring you a gym membership for Christmas!" Jonathan chuckled.
Clark had a weekender bag slung across his body and Lois's suitcase in both hands. "Dad, there's a cardboard box on the back seat. If you could get that, I think that's all we have." He acted like he was struggling with Lois's suitcase. "At least I hope it is."
When they got inside, Martha stood there waiting to hug Clark while Lois looked around. The fragrant smell of cinnamon and pine from the decorations mixed with the wonderful scents coming from the kitchen pulled on Lois's heartstrings. "This is exactly how I remember it," she said. She turned to the Kents. "Thank you for having me. I know it's an imposition to have a stranger in your home during the holidays so thank you for offering to share it with me," she said.
"Well, you're wrong on two accounts, Lois," Jonathan said as he closed the door behind him. "It's no imposition and you're not a stranger to us, Lois."
"You don't know her well enough yet, Dad," Clark said, trying to suppress a smirk. "No one is stranger than Lois."
"Well, will you look at that! Clark made a joke," Lois replied. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "All this time I thought you had no sense of humor, Smallville. Who would have guessed you've just been hiding it out here at the farm?" She looked at him with a pasted-on smile.
Jonathan laughed and Martha did too. "Oh, this is going to be a fun weekend," he said as he walked into the kitchen.
"Make yourself at home, Lois. Don't mind Clark," Martha said. "You'll be staying in Clark's room upstairs." They both looked at Martha, surprised. "Clark," she added, "you'll be on the fold-out couch."
Clark carried Lois's suitcase upstairs and dropped it at the foot of the bed. He showed her to the room. "This will be your room for the weekend. The bathroom is out the door and to the left in the hall, you just passed it," he said pointing. "The stairs are in the hallway, you just came up them, mom laid out towels on the bed over there," he said pointing, "and spare blankets are on the shelf in the closet if you need them."
"Cute," Lois said. She flopped onto the bed. "Oh, this is a nice one," she said, grinning. "I'm going to enjoy this." She sat up and smirked. "Your couch looked comfy."
"You're welcome to two nights on the jinky pullout sofa in the living room if you'd prefer."
"No, no. I'm fine right here," she said, smiling. He stood there and looked at her lying on his bed. It was not the first time that vision was in his head, but it was the first time it was really happening.
"Come on down, you two. Dinner will be ready in a couple of minutes," Martha yelled from downstairs.
She hopped up and walked past Clark. "Let's go, Farmer John. You heard your mom!"
Lois was setting the table in the dining room while Clark went out to the woodpile next to the barn to get more firewood for the fireplace. "The dynamics are going to be fun to watch," Jonathan said under his breath as Martha opened the oven and pulled out a large hen she had roasted.
"Clark's acting put out, but you know he's loving every minute of this," she said softly. "It's sweet."
"You're right about that. I'm glad, too," his father said. "He needs someone other than Lana around."
"Amen to that," Martha whispered.
They carried the food to the table and Lois was standing at the fireplace looking at the decorations and photos of Clark, Martha, and Jonathan through the years. She saw four stockings hanging from the fireplace. Three were older and had been used for years but the new one had the name, 'Lois' on it. She was touched by the sentiment. She noticed there were already items in it and was almost embarrassed that they went to that trouble. Lois turned to Martha who had just set a platter down. "This is so sweet of you, but you didn't have to go to this trouble, Mrs. Kent."
"Nonsense! It was no trouble, Lois. There are just a few goodies in there, nothing big." She walked back to the kitchen. "But no peeking!" she called out.
Clark walked in with a carrier full of wood that he put next to the fireplace. He stood, standing next to Lois and looked at her stocking. "It looks like they're putting on a full court press," he said. "Sorry about that."
"For what? I think it's incredibly sweet that I've been included. I'm really touched by it." She turned to look at Clark and she had tears in her eyes.
"Are you ready?" Martha asked and Lois wiped her eyes.
Clark said he had to wash his hands first. He returned a moment later, as they stood by the table. Jonathan pulled Martha's chair out for her, and he looked at Clark, frowned and jerked his head, gesturing for him to do the same for Lois.
The dinner conversation was lively and polite. Mostly Clark talked about their work and Lois talked about her family and its Christmas traditions before her mom died. "Those traditions died with my mom," she said. "Dad just couldn't handle keeping up with them."
They finished dinner and had dessert, a homemade strawberry-rhubarb pie that Martha had made. "You could have your own TV show with this pie alone, Mrs. Kent," Lois said. "I hate to be a pig, but I can't help myself," she said, taking another slice.
"Thank you, Lois. But it's just a pie," Martha said.
"Just a pie? You could achieve world peace with this pie," Lois said and then took a swig of coffee. Martha blushed.
When finished, Lois asked that Martha and Jonathan stay seated as she began clearing the table. "Clark and I will take care of the dishes," she said, looking at Clark. He looked exasperated. "But I have something for you, but I don't want to wait until tomorrow to give it to you." She got up and disappeared upstairs.
Jonathan looked at Clark and he shrugged. "I don't know," he said.
She scurried back down the stairs with a wrapped box. "This is for having me here to spend Christmas with you. I can't tell you what it means to me. Hopefully, you'll think of me when you see this each year," she said.
They unwrapped the box and it was a German Christmas pyramid. "I bought this in Germany for my family hoping someday we could have a real Christmas again, but they never did. I hope you like it."
The ornate handmade and hand-painted wooden pyramid had four levels and six candle holders that, once lit, turned a large propeller at the top that turned the ornate carvings on the levels depicting the Nativity and all those who came to the manger. Ot the top level were small wooden angels with trumpets depicting them heralding the birth of the Christ.
"This is just exquisite," Martha exclaimed. "It's so original and unique. I love it!"
Jonathan agreed excitedly. "I've never seen anything like it before! Do we have to assemble it?" Lois nodded. "Then let's put it together right now!"
"I was hoping you'd say that," Lois said. She and Jonathan sat at the dining room table assembling the pyramid while Clark took care of the dishes. Martha refilled coffee cups and took them to Lois and Jonathan and sat. Being out of sight, he sped through the process.
When done, leaned against the doorway to the kitchen watching Lois and his dad put the pyramid together. Lois seemed so natural sitting there with his parents. She interacted with them like they had known one another for years, talking and laughing easily. Nothing seemed awkward or forced and the conversation remained lively. At one point, she glanced up at Clark. "Done already?" He nodded. "Oh shoot!" she said, smirking, and went back to assembling the pyramid.
They positioned the assembled pyramid in the center of the dining room table, lit the candles, and watched it rotate, marveling at the craftsmanship and beauty of it. "Thank you, Lois," Martha said. "This is just magical, and I imagine it will be our Christmas centerpiece for the rest of our lives."
Smallville
Friday, December 25, 2020
The smell of ham cooking in the oven, bacon frying, and coffee brewing woke Lois, and she was disoriented at first. Her surroundings quickly reminded her of where she was, what day it was, and she lay in bed enjoying the morning light peeking through the curtains, the quiet of the day, and the aromas wafting in from below. She stretched and smiled. She was not a country girl nor a city girl. There was no place that she felt rooted except the Daily Planet and that was no way to live. She stretched again and thought that country living, for all its drawbacks in services and entertainment, offered a more peaceful and gentle existence.
She rolled over and then rolled out of bed, threw her robe on, put on her pink bunny slippers, went to the bathroom to wash her face, brush her teeth, and comb her hair before plodding downstairs and into the kitchen. "Good morning, Mrs. Kent," she said. "Merry Christmas! May I get a cup of coffee?"
"Merry Christmas to you too, Lois," Martha replied and walked over and hugged her. "Help yourself. You never have to ask for a cup of coffee in this house! Breakfast will be ready in about ten minutes."
"It smells wonderful in here. If you could bottle this smell, you could retire after a year selling it!" Martha smiled as she flipped the bacon.
"I saw Clark is already up," she said. "Did he go outside?"
She nodded. "He should be in any minute now; he went help his dad with a tractor."
"Can I help you with anything?" Lois asked. "I need to earn my keep," she added.
"Sure," Martha replied. "Would you toast some bread and butter it? We need about a dozen slices."
The two women worked together easily, and Lois remembered the few times she spent in the kitchen with her mom. Those days were far and few between and she wished she had spent more time with her mom learning her way around a kitchen.
Clark was in the barn helping his dad free a rusted part on the family tractor without breaking it. Jonathan asked Clark what was really happening between Lois and him.
"I really like her a lot, Dad. Even though she can be a handful at times, I never regret trying. I thought she was bossy and rude when we first began working together. But I've learned to see past that act. She does that to cover up her insecurities, her vulnerabilities, and hide her sensitivity and how much she cares about others. That façade is like her armor and if you don't take the time or try to see the person beneath, that armor of hers keeps you away. I think she does that to weigh guys' intentions and determine what their real interest is in her." He paused for a moment. "Does that make sense?"
"It makes perfect sense. She hasn't had an easy life and it's her way of protecting her heart, Son. A woman who is as beautiful and fun-loving as Lois seems to be, must be sure about the guys who show interest in her." Jonathan leaned up against the tractor's fender. "I think Lois has a lot of love to give but she's not going to give it to someone who doesn't measure up because she would be wasting it."
"Why do you say that?"
"Clark, look at the way she's folded right into our family at the height of the season when most families close around one another. She doesn't feel like an imposition. She doesn't feel like a burden on our family. And she doesn't feel like some outsider who wandered into our home, and we have to tip-toe around." He pushed himself off the tractor. "That's why I know she has a lot of love to give because it's clear to me that she desperately wants to give it to someone. But not just anyone, someone that matters."
"But she's in a relationship with Lex Luthor."
"Are you asking for my opinion?"
"Yes, Sir."
"Then I'll say this. You can't attract a woman of Lois's quality by possessing her. For Lex Luthor, possessing things is all he knows, to include people. He may not be a bad guy, but I don't sense a woman like Lois is about to be relegated to the role of someone else's possession or object.
"If you're talking about love, then do the things you know that matter to her. It's the small everyday things that people do for those they love that endear one person to another. You don't need to rent a skywriter or own the tallest tower in Metropolis to get Lois's attention. All you need to do are the things that you know that matter most to her."
"I do things like that all the time, but our relationship is so uneven and rocky sometimes," Clark replied. "One day things are great and then something stupid happens and she's ready to drop kick me."
Jonathan smiled. "But she's here with you now, isn't she?" He sprayed lubricant on the rusted bolt that Clark was about to remove without breaking it. He unscrewed the bolt and began cleaning the rust from it. "And from what I can tell, spending Christmas with you and your mom and me meant more to her than anything Lex Luthor could have given her." He paused to let Clark think about that. "That's what I mean about knowing and doing the things that matter to her."
They came in from the barn and Martha announced that she needed about fifteen minutes before breakfast was ready. Clark said he was going to wake Lois up and his mom told him that she was already up this morning while he was out with his dad. "Where is she?"
"Upstairs," Martha said, "she was just getting cleaned up before we eat."
Clark looked at his hands. "I need to do that too."
As if on cue, Lois came bounding down the stairs. "Merry Christmas, Mr. Kent!" She looked at Clark. "You look like your just pulled apart a 1972 Ford Mustang Mach 1."
"Close," Clark replied. "A 1952 International Harvester." He smiled. "Merry Christmas, Lois."
"Right back at you, Smallville," she said with a wink. "I wanted to tell you how comfortable your bed is. Man, I slept like the dead." She looked at the couch and then back at Clark. "How about you?"
Jonathan began laughing and walked out into the kitchen.
Clark said nothing, squeezed past her, and ran upstairs. "I'll be down in fifteen minutes," he yelled to his mom.
Lois walked into the kitchen, rinsed her mug out, and poured herself another cup of coffee. "Something tells me he'll be down sooner than that."
Martha gave her a puzzled look and Jonathan asked, "Why is that?"
She took a sip of her coffee. "I think I used a lot of the hot water," she said and grimaced. "Sorry." Moments later, the upstairs shower turned on and seconds after that, they heard a shriek that Henry Lang could have heard, and the water turned off. "I guess I used all of it."
Clark came down five minutes later. "That was quick," Lois quipped. His hair was still damp. "If there was ever a guy who looked like he could use a cup of coffee, it would be you," she said. "Let me get you one." Martha suppressed a smile and Jonathan looked out the kitchen door to hide his snickering.
They ate breakfast and opened gifts. "Oh Clark," Lois gushed, "this is beautiful. It's so unique. Where did you get it?"
"Spain," he said, absently, looking at the engraved pen and leather-covered journal with a Daily Planet logo on it.
Lois frowned and chuffed. "Spain? When were you ever in Spain?"
He looked up. "Oh, the internet," Clark corrected. "It's from Spain." He cut a glance to his mom and dad.
"Well, it's absolutely gorgeous. I love it, and thank you, Clark." She got up and hugged him.
"And Lois, this pen and journal; it's so professional-looking! Everything about it is perfect. I love the font you had them use for the engraving. It is so thoughtful of you. You didn't have to do this, but thank you, Lois," he said.
"Sure, I did," she said and plopped down next to him on the couch. "It's the least I could do for stealing your bed and relegating you to the couch for Christmas!" She grinned mischievously and stared at her bracelet. "Did I ever tell you how comfortable I think your bed is?" She then nudged him with her shoulder, smiling.
Jonathan looked away, rubbing his face to cover his grin.
After the gifts were opened and stockings were emptied, Lois asked Martha if she needed any help in the kitchen today. Martha told her that it was not necessary, that she should just enjoy the day with Clark. "I see him every day," Lois complained. "He's a quick read. He's like a two-page brochure for car insurance, you know everything about him in about thirty minutes." She looked at Clark and raised an eyebrow. "Or less."
"Learning a few tips in the kitchen from you though, that's something I would definitely love to know," she added.
"Well, if you don't have anything else on your agenda, I can always use the help," the elder Kent replied. "I'm making some biscuits for later and some pies. With help, I could make a couple extra pies for you two to take home," she said.
"You don't have to ask me twice!" Lois replied. "My dessert repertoire is limited to toaster pastry a la mode. There's nothing too basic for me to learn, Mrs. Kent."
Martha looked at her watch. "In fact, I need to get started," she said and got up. "Thank you for the gifts everyone. Every year you guys do too much!"
"When it comes to you, there's no such thing, Sweetheart," Jonathan said.
Martha blew him a kiss and Lois followed her into the kitchen.
"Is there anything I can help you with, Dad?"
"It's Christmas, Clark. How about watching a football game or two with me?"
Before dinner, Clark found a note card in the stationery drawer of a desk in the corner of the living room. With his new pen, he wrote a thank you note to his mom and dad for the Christmas gift. He added that the best gift they gave him was opening their home and hearts on Christmas to Lois.
He then wrote a second card for Lois, thanking her for spending Christmas with him and for the beautiful gift she had given him. During a commercial break between games, Clark ran upstairs and put it in her suitcase.
Martha was patient with Lois as she explained things to the young woman about the nuances of cooking, seasoning, and making desserts. While waiting for things to cook, boil or bake, they sat the dinette table in the kitchen and talked.
"Honey, I know this will sound odd to you, but I wanted to thank you for befriending Clark. He hasn't had many friends in his life, and I worry constantly about him living in Metropolis all alone. I don't worry about his safety, because, well, he can take care of himself. I worry about the safety of his heart. He has a really big heart, Lois, but he has few people to show it to. And I know that he wants to show it, but he has trust issues."
She nodded a little. "He has Lana there. I guess that's something, right?"
Martha made a noise that indicated Lois may not be right.
"I mean, he's dating her, right? He goes to dinner with her, and I guess she spends weekends with him." She paused. "But you're right, he doesn't really share that with me or anyone else for that matter."
"Can I tell you something, Sweetheart? Clark doesn't love Lana the way you think. They don't have that type of relationship. Not anymore. Not since she…" Martha stopped.
Lois blinked several times. "What?" She grabbed her phone out of her pocket and dug up the picture of Lana swept into a kiss at the company Halloween party. "Look at this." She showed it to Martha, explaining it was taken at a Galaxy Communications Group Halloween party less than a month ago. "Does this look like the type of relationship you think they have?" She put her phone back in her pocket. "It's the type of relationship I wish I had," she muttered.
Martha patted her hand and left it there. "Lois, I would bet the farm that Clark and Lana were just playing it for the camera. Every time Clark calls and talks to us, he talks about you. I mean, he tells us things are fine at work and all but it's always about you."
"He's never kissed me. Certainly not like that."
"Well, it's not my place to meddle in my son's affairs but Lois, your friendship…companionship even…it means the world to him. You need to realize that. There are things about Clark you don't know that once he tells you will make you see him completely differently. Please be patient with him because whether he says so or not, you mean the world to him." She got teary eyed. "Oh, look at me!" she said and blotted her eyes with a dish towel.
Lois squirmed in her chair a little and then looked at Martha. "When we first met, and I mean met eye-to-eye, something happened between us. We both felt it when our eyes met for the first time. Since then, I feel it and I think he does too. That was over three years ago and ever since, I've been trying to understand what it means." She turned her hand over and held Martha's. "I thought maybe it was just a momentary infatuation or something; you see a very handsome man and you get a little weak in the knees. But Mrs. Kent, that wasn't it. It was more primal. I felt it in my core and still do at times. There are times that when we share a glance, it's like a pleasant bolt of electricity goes through me that draws me in. I can't explain it."
"Have you talked to him about it?"
"We did years ago when it first happened. But he was seeing that swimmer and he seemed very involved with her. Then, she…well, died and I know Clark blamed me for it for a long time. Then, the next time I see him, he is with Lana. And say what you will, but she's so gorgeous, and she's sweet, and so perfectly refined, and they seem very happy together. I don't want to interfere in that." She hung her head. "And if I'm being honest, there's no way I can compete with her. I know that." She looked up at Martha, "So we don't really discuss it much at all because there's no point to it."
"But unless I'm mistaken, Lana is leaving for Washington, D.C."
"What?" Lois said and sat up in her chair. "When?"
"Soon. In early January, I think," she said. "You don't know that?"
"Is she leaving for good or just like on an assignment?"
"I'm pretty sure that Clark said it was a work reassignment. But maybe I heard him incorrectly. My impression was that the corporation she works for now offered her a job in Washington and she took it." She shook her head. "Why don't you know that?"
Lois slumped back in her chair. "I guess like you said, Clark doesn't share his personal life to people that he's not comfortable with. Maybe that's the reason."
"Well, remember what I said, Sweetheart. All he talks about is you and you are more important in his life than you know. You may someday and I hope it is you." She squeezed Lois's hand. "Jonathan and I think the world of you, Lois." She stood up. "And no more of that poppycock about not being able to compete with Lana Lang, young lady. Take a look around; Lana's not here, you are." She winked and Lois sat back in her chair feeling dazed, but a faint smile appeared on her face.
Martha and Lois had dinner ready at the break between NFL football games. "Time to eat," Martha announced. They gathered around the table, held hands and Jonathan gave thanks for the meal and they sat.
"So, who's won," Lois asked.
"The Chiefs," Clark said, and Lois did a fist-pump. "But it was a pretty close game, 34 - 31."
Lois frowned. "Who is Detroit going to lose to tonight?"
"They play Dallas, but I wouldn't count the Lions out if I were you," Clark replied. He looked her in the eye and said, "Watch it with me and I'll tell you a few things about football," he said with a grin.
Lois grinned back. "That's odd. Telling me things doesn't seem to be your strong suit, Smallville."
Martha glanced up at Jonathan and he rolled his eyes.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Clark asked, warily.
Martha looked at Jonathan again and he smirked.
"Oh, your mom told me all your secrets. And I have to say, I was mildly surprised by some of them," she countered, nodding her head.
"I doubt she told you all of them."
"Right down to the thread count of your favorite flannel shirts, Farmer John," she said, grinning. "You know moms."
Clark glared at Martha and Jonathan covered his mouth as he smiled. "What?" Martha said. "Lois and I were talking about you and growing up here and things like that. You need to be more open with people, Clark. Don't be so, so…"
"Cryptic," Lois interjected. "It's why you don't have friends, Smallville. They don't know what's behind 'door number 2' with you. You're a vault. A sphinx." Lois took another slice of ham and put it on her plate and Clark caught Jonathan glancing at Martha. "But now that I know…" she said, trailing off.
He looked at his dad. "What's wrong with not sharing your personal life with the world? And I have friends. There's Pete, Lana."
"Keep going," Lois said as she cut her ham and took a bite without looking at him.
"Jimmy," he said.
She looked up. "Seriously? Jimmy makes friends with everyone. He's friends with the shoeshine guy at the bus station."
"Cat Grant!" he exclaimed.
Lois put her head down and shook it. "Oh no. Don't even get me started on Cat." She looked up, "After all, this is Christmas and we're enjoying a delicious meal at the dinner table." she said, smirking. They held their gazes until they both smiled.
Jonathan fought back a smile and said to Clark, "I think the point is, Son, you have good instincts. You know who you can trust and who might be an opportunist. You don't need to share with people you're not sure of. But you can never be sure of people if you don't let them in. When you share things with people you can trust, it makes you closer, and you know they will always have your best interests at heart."
"Like me!" Lois said. "But, you're too late. Your mom told me everything, so you don't have to burden yourself with telling me any big news or anything like that you'd like to share with a trusted friend."
He looked calmly at her. "I don't have any big news to share, Lois."
She looked at him and exhaled, exasperated. "Could you have a worse poker face?"
Clark looked at his dad and Lois looked at Martha. They were looking at one another. The elder Kents were struggling to suppress a laugh.
"Maybe we should go into this later," he said. "Let's just enjoy the meal, okay?"
"Well, I certainly am enjoying it!"
The Kent family, including Clark, all took showers that night. Jonathan and Martha headed to bed and Clark unfolded the pullout bed from the sofa. Before she headed off to bed, Lois sat next to Clark. "Ooo. Comfy," she said and bounced a bit and the springs squeaked and clanked.
"The offer still stands," Clark said, smiling at her.
"No thanks," she said.
Lois reached down and took his hand. "You can trust me, Clark. I'll never turn on you and I'll always support you no matter what. You know that, right?"
"I'm beginning to believe that," he said. "When you're not tormenting me, you can be almost bearable," he added with a slight grin.
She looked deeply in his eyes, and he felt the attraction, the strange connection, and he thought she did too. "I think," he started, "coming here for Christmas was a good choice. I'm glad you came." He searched her face. "My parents are wild about you, that much is clear."
"And you?" she asked, bending closer to his face.
"I find you…almost bearable most of the time."
She leaned closer and thought, I'm going to kiss him. He laid still, watching her get closer, ready to accept her lips on his.
"Hey kids," Martha called from upstairs, and Lois sat up. "Tomorrow in town they have all their after-Christmas sales stuff out and you should take Lois there. I think she would enjoy it. There are always a lot of homemade things for sale at good prices."
Lois jumped up. "Well, I'm psyched! I better get a good night's rest because I plan to do some military-grade shopping tomorrow." She smiled. "Good night, Mrs. Kent. Good night, Clark."
"Good night, Lois," he said and watched her bound up the stairs and disappear into his room.
Saturday, December 26, 2020
Clark took Lois to town on Saturday morning after she got up, had coffee, and got cleaned up. They hit the street market at about 11:30. "This stuff looks awful picked over," she said quietly. "There must have been a rush on stuff."
"They opened at 8 AM, Lois."
"Oh!" she said and nothing else.
"Did you hear from your dad or Lucy?"
"I got a text from both of them. It was one of the those deeply personal, heart-wrenching group texts that get you in the feels."
"Really?" Clark said.
"No!" she said, frowning. "It was so impersonal that it made the obligatory greeting from the clerk playing with his phone at the gas station seem touching."
They spent the rest of the day roaming the town and having lunch and then hot chocolate before heading back to the farm. When they arrived, Lois went immediately to the kitchen to see if she could help Martha.
Jonathan was watching a college game and it was getting dark. Clark went to the barn and up to the loft. He opened his chest and looked at the contents. So many memories were there but few of them were really important to him. He took out his letter jacket from Smallville High and tried it on. It fit but was tight.
He found a scrapbook that his mom had made for him. There were pictures of his dad and mom playing with him when he was a child. There were Pete and him at this birthday parties. There was one with Lana in it. There was a prom picture with Lana and him.
There were some clippings from his Metropolis University football days and several pictures of him with Lori. He stared at them and wondered what his life would be like today if she had not felt the need to stay away?
The last thing in the book was the letter from Lois. He had put it there and he took it out and read it. Could he trust Lois? Maybe with my secret but not just yet, he thought. But what about with my heart?
He was willing to take that risk. He risked it with Lori and while it did not end the way anyone could have imagined; it was wonderful while it lasted, and it was not her fault for leaving. And she never betrayed his trust. They're all not going to end like Lana, he thought.
"Whatcha doin'?" Lois called from the barn door. She walked up the stairs to the loft. "Wow, this is like the 'He-Man Women Haters Club' in the Little Rascals movie," she said, looking around. "Can I come in or is it boys only?" she asked with a smirk.
"It's where I hung out when I had friends," he said, emphasizing the last word. He scooted over on the loveseat to make room for her and patted it directing her to sit with him.
"Pump the brakes, Smallville, you know I was just teasing you," she said and sat down next to him. "You know, this place is kind of cool. Actually, downright cold tonight," she said and shivered.
He opened his trunk and pulled out a blanket and wrapped it around her. "Good God," she said, looking into the trunk. "Are you saving up for a flannel museum?"
"Mom got carried away at the mercantile," he quipped.
"Mercantile…good one, Farmer John!" She leaned up against him. "Aren't you cold?"
"That's why I got my high school letter jacket out and was trying it on."
"And?"
"It was a little tight," he admitted.
Lois lifted the blanket, scooted up against Clark and wrapped it around his shoulders. "There. That will keep you warm," she said. "Although, you seem awfully warm already. You don't have a fever, do you?"
He shook his head. "It's natural for me. I tend to run a little hot," he said.
"Well, it's nice." She laid her head against his shoulder. "Thank you for bringing me here, Clark. Your family. God, if my mom was still alive, our family might have been like yours." Clark did not see it, but Lois's eyes got glassy. "Your parents; they're just the best, you know? Your dad was so cute putting the pyramid together. He was like a 10-year-old boy. And your mom! God, what can I say that I haven't already said. Don't ever take them for granted, Clark."
"I'm glad you're getting along so well with mom. She can be a tough nut to crack but you sure had no trouble doing it."
"She's easy to talk with," Lois said. "It's almost like having my mother back when I'm around your mom.
"So, you never answered my question. What are you doing up here?"
"Just revisiting old memories. Some good, some not so good."
"Your mom told me that Lana is leaving for Washington D.C. Is that right?"
He nodded his head. "Yes. She was offered on on-camera job in D.C. with the Galaxy affiliate there."
Lois sat quietly for a moment, leaning into him, and feeling the warmth. "Why didn't you say anything about it?"
He shrugged a bit. "I guess it's because we don't share that type of information with each other. We are co-workers, you're the top guy, I'm the low man in this arrangement, remember?" he said. "You have Lex in your life and with Lana leaving, I didn't want you to think I was just some desperate guy looking for sympathy or trying to latch on to someone. But I ended our romantic relationship back before Halloween."
"You did? Because Cat sent me all the pictures of that night. I saw the picture of you kissing Lana very passionately. It sure didn't look to me like the romance was over that night."
He made a sound. "That was all Cat's urging. I had ended our relationship over a week before and Lana asked if I would still take her to the party so that she didn't have to go alone. I felt like I owed her at least that much and we agreed to remain friends. But I shouldn't have kissed her like that because it made adjusting to things harder for her."
Lois wriggled a bit. "You know, Clark, Lex and I only have a platonic relationship. Our relationship is not what others perceive it to be, but I let them think what they want because of Cat and all her snide remarks. But we're not actually intimately involved."
"I didn't know that," Clark replied. "Like everyone else, I just presumed that you're Lex Luthor's girlfriend and he's your boyfriend."
"Well, it's not true," she said. Then, she sighed and said wistfully, "But you know what is? I must have looked at that picture of you and Lana about a hundred times."
A brief smile flashed across his face. "And that's about the same number of times I've read the letter you wrote me after Lori was gone," Clark replied, softly.
She sat still, absorbing his warmth. "You know, Clark, I know I get frustrated at times and I may say things that I probably shouldn't, but I don't usually mean them. You know that, right?"
"I'm not always sure when you're teasing and when you're serious. But I'm starting to learn."
"Well, I don't do it to hurt your feelings and sometimes, you have a good comeback for me. But you know it's all just for show, right? I mean, I know I have a way of dealing with people that others occasionally find off-putting."
"Occasionally off-putting?" he quipped.
"See. That's what I mean. We banter. We say things we don't really mean. Sometimes, I do it to maintain a certain image or as a way of keeping people at arm's length. But real friends know what to believe and what's just said for fun.
"I've always felt that the two most important parts of being trusted friends is being honest, and being confident that they can share personal things knowing they'll never be divulged, no matter what." She paused and then said softly. "I'd like to think that we're more than just co-workers, Clark, and if you ever want someone to talk to about things like that, you can trust me." She looked up at him. "Others may have let you down, but you don't have to worry about me."
Listening, he was staring into her eyes. "I'm not worried about you, Lois." Clark put his arm around her, and she laid her head back on his shoulder. I'm in love with you, he thought.