Keys Anyone?

By Tia <metropolis_00@hotmail.com>

Rated: PG

Submitted: October 2001

Summary: From winning Kerths to discovering secrets, no task is too big or small for the tenacious Lois Lane. Or is it? In this vignette Lois ransacks her home in a search for missing…keys? Oh, where, oh, where could those missing keys be?

Author's note:

This is my second attempt at fanfic writing. I submitted one before, but that was way back in ancient history! I decided on writing this fanfic after reading several other L&C stories. I just had this sudden urge to write a story.

As I dug deeper into that L&C fanfic site, I discovered that I could post a message for a beta reader/editor. I needed one badly. Thanks to LabRat, I successfully found one. Thank you so much! I finally registered and posted my want ad. Not surprisingly I had a beta reader just like that.

Merry, although you say you are not creative, I just want to thank-you for taking time out to read this story. I know that deep down inside, you have this huge boiling room just *full* of so many creative ideas and plots and such. I would appreciate it greatly if you stayed one of my beta- readers as I progress. Thank you for also clarifying that little misunderstanding of 'clay-do' and 'play-dough'. <g>

Well, if you enjoy this story of mine, e-mail me and tell me what you like most about it. It will make my day. And if you don't, hey, I can't change your opinion, but I can improve my writing. So, if you find this story much to your disliking, **PLEASE** have the courtesy to e-mail me and tell me why. Thank-you! I've babbled on far too long, so I'll just shut my mouth and let you read. Without further ado:

Keys Anyone?

***

"Clark?" came Lois's muffled shout as she took apart the living room couch and tossed pillows haphazardly on the floor. Clark poked his head from the top of the staircase. He was dressed in his black trousers, an unbuttoned flannel shirt, and was obviously in the last stages of shaving as bits of cream were dotted here and there on his chin.

"Clark!" Lois shouted again as she began taking apart the other couch, grunting and muttering a string of threats as she continued her search further.

"Honey, what are you *doing*?" Clark asked glancing at his watch. "Why aren't you getting ready? It's almost 7:00, and Carlo's babysitter is going to be here soon."

Scattered across the living room carpet were items such as lost pieces of a puzzle, a Barney pacifier, loose pennies, and an old pair of glasses that Lois discovered in her search for whatever it was she was looking for.

"Hey, Clark! I found the glasses that you lost last week," Lois announced, holding up the horn-rimmed spectacles. "I told you to look for them. See, they're right here."

"Uh, thanks, Hon."

"Oh, here's Carlo's binkie that he-"

"Lois, get ready!" Clark urged as he finished tying his tie.

Carlo, their two-year-old son, sat giggling behind the couch as he played with his Legos and 'sculpted' a large mass of mixed up colors of play dough.

Lois, attempting to arrange the couch in its usual neat order, threw the pillows on top of one another in exasperation and stormed into the kitchen. Clark followed her inconspicuously and wrapped his sturdy arms around Lois's waist from behind, giving her a light peck on the ear. She turned her head and twisted herself from Clark's strong grip.

"Not now, Clark."

"Lo-is!" he pouted as he made an attempt to catch her wrist.

"Clark, not now," she said through gritted teeth and continued with frustration ringing in her tone. "I've been looking for the car keys for the last 15 minutes. Have you seen them?"

Clark shook his head as he wiped the rest of his shaving cream off of his face. "Oh, wait. Weren't they lying on the coffee table outside somewhere?"

"No, I checked there. They're missing." She shook her coat hanging on the rack near the door, listening for the familiar rattle of the keys, as Clark headed up the staircase.

"Ask Carlo," he called over his shoulder. "He might've mistaken them for a toy."

'Like Carlo would *actually* know where my car keys are, Clark' she thought, sarcastically.

Ironically enough, she ended up asking Carlo for her keys, though she felt stupid in the process. 'Here goes nothing.'

"Carlo," she cooed in a singsong voice. "Carlo, have you seen mommy's keys?" He looked up curiously and formed a spit bubble as he threw a Lego at Lois. He burst out with giggles.

"Keys?" Carlo asked, pounding the play dough. "Mommy keys?" Lois sat on the floor next to Carlo and planted him on her lap.

"Yes, Mommy's keys," she said slowly.

Carlo cocked his head sideways as he always did when he was going to answer. Lois waited patiently, expecting nothing, really, but a silly reply or gesture. He handed his blob of play-dough to his mom.

"Here. keys." he laughed. "Keys, keys, Mommy's keys," he chanted, shoving the blob closer to Lois's face.

"No, Carlo. Not *play dough*. Mommy's *keys*," she emphasized, setting the play dough next to his pile of Legos. Instead of an answer, she got a ripple of laughs and giggles as Budgy, the puppy Lois and Clark had given Carlo last Christmas, came bounding around the corner and licked the boy's feet. She glanced tiredly at her wristwatch and sighed.

"Carlo, mommy's gonna get ready. Lani is coming over again to watch you while daddy and I go out for dinner with Uncle Perry and Auntie Alice. Okay?" she asked Carlo, placing him back on the floor to continue his wrestling with Budgy. As Lois walked away, Carlo started whimpering and crawled toward the stairs trying to follow her.

"Clark, can you watch him while I get ready? It's almost 6:30,"

"Coming."

"Maybe you'll have some luck with the keys," she murmured as she jogged up the stairs.

***

Upstairs, trying to rid herself of the thought of the lost keys but hoping that they would turn up soon, she hurriedly applied her make-up, which consisted of a dash of eye shadow, a swipe of lipstick, and a final touch of blush.

'I'll survive the night without eye liner just this once' she thought. She swung open her closet, which revealed a whole row, and more, of assorted articles of clothing that were varying shades of black, gray, or white.

"I wonder if it can get any more colorful in here?" she joked sarcastically to herself. Muttering quietly, she pulled out a silky black dress with sheer sleeves and a mid-knee, gray and white floral skirt with a black top.

"Hmm..Cla-rk?" 'If anyone knows what'll look good on me, it's-'

"Clark, what are you doing? You look ridiculous!" She laughed as she leaned over the banister and peered into the living room where she saw Clark looking distinctly cute with chunks of clay smeared over his hands and with the wide grin that melted her heart every time he used it spread across his face.

"Yeah, but look what I found." He smiled, jangling the keys in front of her.

"Where did you find them? I looked everywhere!"

He tickled Carlo's feet as he spoke. "I told you to ask Carlo." Lois sat on Clark's lap as he sat on the floor next to Carlo.

"I did," she said, kissing Carlo's hands. "Right, Carlo? And all you showed mommy was your toys and your play dough, you silly!"

"Keys? Here are mommy's keys!" Carlo bubbled, grabbing at Budgy's tail.

"You'll never guess where the keys were hiding,"

"Where?" Clark gathered the two broken halves of the gray colored clay and meshed it into one.

"In here."

"What!" Lois's eyes widened as she turned her attention back to her son. "So, Carlo *was* telling me where the keys were, weren't you sweetie?"

Carlo's brown eyes twinkled as he clambered into Lois's lap. She carried him to his playpen while Clark tidied up the living room.

"You wanna skip this one tonight and just have a quiet evening away from it all?" Clark asked, positioning himself on the lumpy couch. Lois joined him and nestled her head onto his warm chest.

"You mean stand up Perry and Alice?" she joked, wrapping her arms tighter around him.

"Well, I lied about the Perry and Alice part," he confessed. "It was only going to be you and me as an early birthday present for you."

"Very early!"

"So, what do you say?"

"Yeah, a quiet evening sounds good," she agreed sitting up and giving Clark a short kiss. "Maybe we can heat up some hot cocoa and sip it outside on the patio like old times," she suggested laying her head back on Clark's chest. "Or maybe rent a few movies and stay up late like newly weds. Or we could even-"

"Lois," Clark interrupted combing his fingers gently through her hair.

"Hmm?"

He stroked his fingers across her lips, "Don't babble when we could be kissing."

"What! I was *not* babbling! I-" but she was cut off by Clark's lips connecting with hers.

"Babbling's good," she breathed in between kisses.

"Very good," Clark mumbled mischievously, pulling Lois closer.

THE END