By Renee Charles
Summary: After a dozen years of marriage, Lois and Clark are still lovey-dovey, which is an endless source of embarrassment to their children. Things hum along until it seems the kids might blow Superman's cover to Mayson Drake.
This is my first attempt at fanfic, mind you, I am only 14. Thanks to Lola McClellan for proofreading this, and to everybody who fed my imagination to bring different aspects to my story. Your input is welcomed. =)
Two of the characters are very made up. It comes from lots of speculation, and hoping on my part. =)
***
Josh Kent walked home from Metro Middle school, with a frown on his face. He didn't understand it. Today in gym, he had started climbing the ropes, and all of the sudden, he was FLYING up the ropes. Not fast climbing, but honest to goodness flying. He knew his dad was special, but he was happy, up till now, that he got his mother's side of the gene pool. That wasn't entirely true. He had dark, curly hair like his father's, and dark brown eyes. But HE didn't heat eggs with his eyes! In all his eleven years on this planet, he had never shown any hint of superpowers. Not even in his mother's pregnancy!
His sister, Hallie, on the other hand, had super powers from the moment she was conceived. (He remembered asking his Mommy why she was floating around whenever she claimed the baby was awake.) But NOW, now, of all times, he started to fly.
***
"Clark, will you get that for me?" Lois batted her eyes at him (even after twelve years, he was such a stinking sucker!), and he obliged and grabbed her pen off the floor. No doubt was this a happy marriage, but the passion from the beginning wasn't gone yet, either. Lois chuckled softly, remembering yesterday night, when Josh and Hallie walked in on something quite interesting to young eyes. Of course there was an explanation (Daddy had a bad day at work and was feeling lonely), but Josh knew what was going on. He'd exclaimed later, when six year old Hallie was sleeping, that he couldn't believe his parents were STILL fooling around. Mom, mom, he had cried, none of my friend's parents do that! Which caused Clark to laugh, and that set her off too. Josh had just rolled his eyes and left the room.
"What's so funny?" Clark asked Lois, wrapping his arms around her neck. "Josh, last night." Clark nodded, and then laughed Perry White came out of his office, looked at the two, shook his head and sighed. Their work hadn't changed, they were still the hottest reporting team in Metropolis. Perhaps a bit better, Clark had gotten seasoned with years more experience (well, 12 would do that for you) and they had some strange source that gave them all kinds of information, like PAPERS inside files that they couldn't possibly have seen from where they were looking! They were good, the best. And, Perry told himself, they're married. No more jealousy. But that wasn't true. Dan Scardino dropped by every so often, just to irk Clark, but Lois had good reasons for not turning those visits into anything more. One, she loved Clark. Two and Three, Josh and Hallie.
Those kids were like his own grandkids, sweet and lovable, and that Josh was remarkably witty. (Lois got the credit for where credit was due). Hallie was sweet, honest, and quite innocent, even for six. Pretty little thing, with long, straight, dark hair and big brown eyes. Josh had gotten Clark's curls. Lois and Clark brought them into work every so often, but Josh had a knack for doing something to get practically the whole newsroom off track. Like a few weeks ago, he had decided that it would be funny to switch his parents' computer files around, so the name didn't match the file. Let me assure you, he thought, they loved that one. About as much as Elvis loved that last drink! He chuckled. Another amazing thing, three years after Lois and Clark were married, Jimmy Olsen was engaged to Lucy Lane. Jimmy, married? It was too good to be true. They got married 5 years after the engagement, but now they were separated. Jimmy was also the senior photographer for the Daily Planet. His thoughts moved to the present, where Lois and Clark gathered their things and headed home. He glanced at his watch, noting that it was 7:00 PM, early for them. The kids must have been feeling lonely again.
***
We're home!" Lois shouted from the doorway, Clark peeked in from behind her. Lucy looked up and at the clock, "early, sis, early!" Lois shot her a look and said "as if I don't come home early." Josh appeared, sullen, and replied, "no mom, you don't."
Clark, with a look of concern, wandered over to Josh, tousled his hair and said "Josh, we'll go talk."
Josh nodded at his father, and Lois stepped over and brushed that curl in the front of his head out of his eyes. She paused, andthen did the same to Clark. "Go, Hal and I'll make dinner," Lois said, smiling at Hallie. "I'm glad you're home, Mommy."
Lois hugged her daughter.
Meanwhile, in Josh's room, Clark was explaining to Josh that it was inevitable that he wouldn't inherit any of his superpowers.
Hallie had them all, down to the X-ray vision, and Josh could levitate a bit. Clark assured him that it was okay, and to keep it a secret from all his friends.
In the kitchen, after Lucy had left, Hallie floated to the cabinet and began taking down glasses. "Hallie Elizabeth Kent! How many times have I told you NOT to get the glasses like that!"
Hallie smiled, a gap toothed smile (she lost her top teeth), and apologized as Clark entered the kitchen.
"Smells good," Clark lied.
"Really?"
"No, but I was hoping for…"
"Dad! Not that stuff again! You and mom are SO disgusting!" Josh yelled, covering his eyes.
Lois grinned and mouthed "later" to Clark, who started with that silly grin again.
The kids were in bed, and Lois and Clark curled up on the couch to watch a movie. Ah, but watching was not on the agenda for the night!
The couple began kissing, passionately. Clark unbuttoned the top buttons of her blouse to which she murmured "cute, Kent. In front of the TV, 10 minutes after the kids are asleep." Clark kissed her neck, and replied "Do you care?"
"Not particularly." The both dissolved into laughter. At that, Hallie wandered outside her bedroom and said "My tummy hurts."
"It must have been Mommy's cooking!" Lois slugged Clark, not too hard, but certainly not soft. "Honey, your tummy can't ever hurt. You're special like me." Hallie pouted. "Everybody else gets the flu and stays home. I've never missed even a half a day!" Amazing that kids could cry over not getting sick. But, also like her father, Kryptonite weakened her, so they were careful with that. (So careful, in fact, that Lois disposed of the Kryptonite bullet she had buried three blocks from their (Clark's) apartment,) It was not a risk she was going to take having both her husband and her daughter dying from a rock allergy. "But my tummy HURTS!" Hallie screamed, not sickly.
Clark sat up, and Lois rebuttoned her blouse. "Come here, Hallie. You can stay with me and Daddy." The little girl lit up with excitement and plopped herself down between Lois and Clark. No sooner had she sat down when the doorbell rang.
"Party tonight, huh," Clark drawled, sarcastically, getting up to answer the door. A sad young man stood at the door. "Jimmy! What happened?" Clark asked, concern etching his voice.
"Nothing, nothing, CK, I miss Lucy."
Clark looked at him over his glasses. "Maybe you should have thought of that when you went out to lunch with that Angela girl. She got the wrong idea again, just like before with Brittany and Laura…"
Lois stepped up from behind "And Janine, and Kelly and Sarah.." They both finished together "and Jennifer and Angela." Clark spoke first. "Maybe you have too many girl friends. Lucy thinks you're having multiple affairs. Not even Lois and I know what you do with them."
Jimmy backed up. "Nothing, CK! I swear, absolutely nothing!
Lucy's just going off the deep end, like that familiar Lane trait both of us have grown to love."
Lois crossed her arms. "You may love that trait, but now she doesn't trust you enough to come home. Another Lane trait, we don't trust men. Except Clark, of course." She smiled up at him, and he nodded, smirking at Jimmy.
"Nice to be trusted."
Hallie flew off the couch and threw her arms around Jimmy. "Uncle Jimmy!," she squealed. "Where have you been? Aunt Lucy and I miss you!"
Clark flashed a sick look in Lois's direction, and Lois shook her head. "Hallie, honey, Uncle Jimmy doesn't have time—" "Time? I've got time! Talk away, Hallie my dear!" Jimmy's face lit up at the mention of Lucy.
"Excuse me, Hallie, but your father and I have work tomorrow. If Jimmy's willing to call in sick to stay home with you, then by all means, talk away. Because neither I nor Daddy are going to stay home with you. We have a hot story, and we need to work on it."
Jimmy nodded eagerly. "I'll stay home!"
Lois sighed. Reverse psychology NEVER worked on Jimmy OR Hallie. "Okay, goodnight then." She and Clark wandered off to the bedroom, hand in hand, and closed the door.
"So, my darling little niece, what did Aunt Lucy say today?"
Hallie smiled, she liked gossip. "Well, you know how Aunt Lucy stays with us on Thursdays? Well today, we were playing with my Barbies and she took my ken doll and named it Jim.
She also made him fall into the river, but that's okay. Then she sighed and said that she wouldn't be so upset, except for the fact that she missed you. But then she told me never to get married, because men are rats and you can never trust them." She held up a decapitated ken doll. "Then she ripped off his head."
Hallie pouted. "Now I have to buy a new one!"
Jimmy laughed, in spite of himself. "No you don't. Here," he took the doll, screwed on the head again and smiled. "There you go, Hallie. All better."
Hallie looked thoughtful. "I wish you and Aunt Lucy were like Mommy and Daddy. And she could put your head back on, so you can see that you can't play with the way she feels."
Jimmy did a double take. A six year old child had just explained his love life using Barbie dolls!
"Mommy and Daddy left the TV on. Since I can stay home tomorrow, let's watch something!"
Jimmy was only too happy to oblige, Hallie had spilled some nice information.
***
Jimmy awoke to the sun streaming through the window of the balcony. There was a note taped to the refrigerator.
-Jimmy- If you wake up and Hallie isn't there, she's at the bagel shop about a block from here. It's okay, she'll make it home. -CK
Jimmy shrugged and walked to the kitchen window so he could see the street where Hallie was walking. He spotted her, with a white bagel bag heading home. He peered closer. There seemed to be a black car following her. An ugly man in a cowboy hat stepped out, (note: also in a tacky Hawaiian shirt) and began talking to her. "You look just like your mom!" the man said, happily. Hallie grimaced. Man was he UGLY! "So? Who are you?" The guy nodded. "I'm Uncle Danny, and I swear Hallie Lane, you look just like your mother!"
Hallie smiled sweetly. "But I hit just like my father!" She brought her arm back and hit Dan out cold.
Jimmy just stood there, open mouthed. He'd only seen that punch before from SUPERMAN! Whoa, that little kid could hit!
***
Meanwhile, at the Daily Planet. "So you actually think Mayson Drake has substantial evidence to prove that Superman has relatives?" (note: Mayson is NOT dead in my story!)
Clark shook his head. "Her theory is so wild, it'll never make it. She says that Superman is spawning clones from outer space."
He lowered his voice. "Besides, they aren't from outer space. And Josh can't fly, and Hallie doesn't use her powers at all."
Lois nodded. "We're safe for now."
The elevator opened. It was Jimmy and Hallie, arriving to work.
"Hi!" she called to Perry, and walked over to Clark's empty desk. Lowering her voice, she pretended to answer the phone. "Kent here. No, you've got the wrong number. Pizza Hut is not making deliveries out of the Daily Planet." She smiled angelically. "I want some pizza, daddy. Take me out for pizza."
But Clark was not listening. "Gotta go, uh, get some donuts!" He left the room in a hurry. Lois knew why, and let it go. But Hallie had other plans. "I'm going with Daddy!" She ran after Clark, and it was pretty easy for her to catch him. He was about to take off, when she called out "Dad! I'm coming too!" Clark stopped dead in his tracks. Mayson happened to be walking down the street at that moment. "Daddy? I'm sorry, honey, but that's only Superman."
Hallie nodded, pretending to be upset. Clark smiled. "I'll help her find her father."
"No!", Mayson called. "You won't. That's POLICE job. And besides, maybe she's one of your clones!"
Hallie picked a bad time to float around. "Definitely, Superman, I believe this girl is Kryptonian. Which proves my theory that you are trying to take over the world using your own kind. I just didn't know they were children!"
Superman folded his arms. "Mayson, she was looking for Clark Kent. That's his daughter."
"Aha, but why was she… flying?"
"She wasn't flying. She was standing on the box over there."
Hallie nodded, "yes, lady, only a box."
Mayson nodded. "No, I'm not buying it. You're coming to the station with me."
"Do you have a warrant? Excuse me, that's violating my rights! I demand to speak with the chief of police!" Hallie screamed.
"Forget it. I do believe she IS Lois Lane's daughter." Mayson strolled away, taking notes. But she stopped around the corner, and waited.
"Hallie, don't do that again! You almost blew our cover."
Mayson held back a scream.
"You worried me there, hon, Mommy won't behappy with you."
Mommy? Who was this superchild's mom? It obviously wasn't Lois Lane, if it was Superman's descendant. Unless, Lois was cheating on Clark! Why yes, that was possible! And she would prove it, and maybe win Clark back after 13 years of waiting.
Yes, Mayson still held a torch for Clark. She was hopelessly in love with him. It KILLED her when they held their wedding. And a while later, bumping into them on the street, she had found that Lois was pregnant. Clark's baby. But she had been pregnant AGAIN, with what she SAID was Clark's baby, too, but MAYBE it was Superman's! And she was keeping it from Clark, saying it was his! Mayson smiled. It was so easy. She was going to expose Superman, and take Clark back from his unfaithful wife!
***
Lois could barely hold her laughter at the press conference later that afternoon. Mayson was rambling about Superman's children, alien clones. Nobody was paying much attention. Mayson stepped down. "Lois. May I have a word with you?" Mayson called, sweetly Maybe TOO sweetly for her.
Lois nodded and headed over to Mayson. "Yes?"
Mayson laughed. "How could you cheat on Clark with that alien?!?"
Lois did a double take. "Excuse me? What? How DARE you accuse me of that!"
Mayson grinned. "I have proof! That little girl, Hallie. Your daughter, is a descendant of Superman. A clone, half Kryptonian, half human."
Lois arched her eyebrow. "Ms. Drake, that is Clark Kent's daughter you are speaking about. My child, his child." Mayson grunted in frustration. "No! That is Superman's child. You were cheating on—"
Superman flew behind the two women. "Lois Lane-Kent and I have never had any sexual relations."
Lois smiled at his declaration, a lie.
"That is not my child. And that was wrong of you to accuse Lois of cheating on her husband. She loves him, and he loves her. That is their baby, their child. Leave her alone." He flew off.
"That's NOT his baby?"
"No. And I beg you to stay out of my personal affairs. Goodbye."
*** As much as Mayson hated to admit it, she was wrong. The child couldn't be Superman's, it had to be Clark's. And Lois obviously wasn't cheating, even though Mayson thought she still held a torch for Superman. But she never could admit this, and back down.
Later that evening, Lois, Clark, Josh, Hallie and Jimmy gathered in the small living room for dinner and a movie. It was a Friday, and Jimmy didn't have anything better to do, considering Lucy was gone.
Hallie curled up on Clark's lap, and Lois sat next to them on the couch. Josh sat on the other end, scowling at Hallie, for super throwing his baseball out the window. AGAIN. He knew she didn't MEAN to, it just happened.
Jimmy sat listlessly on the floor, mindlessly polishing a camera lens, and staring blankly at the TV. No sooner had the movie begun, when the doorbell rang. Josh rose to get it. To his (and Jimmy's) surprise, it was Lucy, looking worn and tired.
"May I come in?" Josh nodded, and she stepped inside.
"Oh, Jimmy. You're here too." She made a face, and sat beside Josh.
The couch was getting crowded, and Lois made a motion for Lucy to sit with Jimmy on the floor. Lucy obliged, sitting on opposite ends of the room. Jimmy stood.
"Look, Lucy. I didn't do anything with Angela." Lucy looked surprised.
Clark intervened. "Or Sarah, Jennifer, Janine, Brittany or any of the others. He loves you, and only you."
Jimmy looked up, gratefully, and looked back at Lucy. "I love you."
Lucy nodded, tears welling up. "I love you too, Jimmy, but you have to promise me that you won't fool around with any of those women.
Promise me."
"I promise."
"Swear?"
"I swear." Lucy wrapped her arms around his neck, and the couple left together.
"Clark Kent, I didn't know you were such a romantic!" Lois exclaimed, her mouth curving into a smile as she ran her hand down his arm.
"Oh yeah, Lois and to show you…"
Josh leapt from the couch. "NOT AGAIN!"
To be continued at some future date …
THE END
(1bighapp.txt)