BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR By Alexis Waters Rated PG-13 Submitted August 2002 _____________________ All Lois and Clark characters are copyrighted by DC Comics, Warner Brothers and December 3rd Productions. All other characters are owned by me. I would like to thank my editors Mar Brian (Mar Brian@aol.com) and Nancy (DNCPNissen@aol.com). I would also like to thank my best friend Tina (ringowolf1@aol.com) for giving me the opportunity to bounce ideas off her even though she didn't start watching Lois and Clark until 1998! :) I would also like to thank LnC fanfic lists in general. If it wasn't for these venues, then I wouldn't have started writing fanfic in the first place! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lois fumbled for the keys in her purse while Clark gave his commentary on the night's events. "Well, that was one of the more interesting birthdays I've had." "I'm sorry, Clark...I really tried to pull off a party for you." "That's okay. I like this anyway." Clark Kent put his arm around his beautiful and vivacious wife, Lois Lane. "You're sure?" she asked. Lois almost sounded disappointed as she got lost looking into her husband's chocolate brown eyes. "Yeah. Just you and me." "Ha! Alone at last!" Suddenly, it dawned on them. This was the first time in eight days when they were finally alone. No one was calling Superman for help. Tonight Superman could take a siesta. With the clink of the door keys, husband and wife propelled their bodies toward one another. They were two trains on the same track ready to collide. Clark ran his tongue along the roof of Lois' mouth. Boy, did it feel good to be back in her arms. He couldn't wait to take her upstairs and make love to her. Eight days had been way too long for him. Heck, it was way too long for any newlywed couple to wait. All he could think about was the smoothness and contours of her unclothed body. He loved the way her heart beat in time with his. Clark wanted to get her into bed as soon as possible, but with all of the kissing and caressing that was going on, it was making it hard for even Superman to turn the doorknob. Since the doorknob didn't want to turn, Clark decided to use his super-strength to open the door. He grabbed Lois around the waist and took a giant leap forward. The door flew open with a BANG! *Yes!* he thought to himself. Clark would have raised his arms in victory, but Lois was unbuttoning his shirt. Suddenly, the light exploded on from above. "What the...?" muttered Clark under his breath. Before Clark could get off the floor to investigate, he heard the word that he most feared in a situation like this: "SURPRISE!!!!" Clark couldn't believe it. There was the Chief, Jimmy, and most of their coworkers from the Planet, basically watching him make love to his wife. Clark was very embarrassed. He knew this would be the office gossip for weeks to come. *Okay Kent...just act normal. Act normal and keep cool.* "Ha, ha!" Perry chuckled. By this time Clark helped his half-clothed wife put her jacket back on. The cheering continued while the clearly bewildered couple stood. Perry was the loudest of them all. His deep belly laugh overpowered everyone else's voices. "I figured the only way to throw a surprise party for you was to surprise both of you. So did it work? Are you surprised?" Perry inquired. Lois and Clark looked at each other. Each hoped the other one would speak. "Ahh...well...yeah, yeah," mumbled Clark. "Stunned!" Lois answered sheepishly. Applause erupted at her outburst. * * * * Another two hours had passed. Lois and Clark were so clearly turned on from their brief roll around the living room floor that they tried to find little corners of their house where they could get away with having some sex. They tried behind the stairs, behind the kitchen door, in the closet, under the table. But no success. Just when they thought it was safe to go to the next base, someone would interrupt. That someone was either Jimmy asking for another beer, or Perry trying to introduce them to another one of his peculiar friends. Lois and Clark counted the minutes until this surprise party would FINALLY be over. * * * * It was approaching midnight when the last of the guests left. Just as a precaution, Superman made sure that no one was left lurking in the brownstone. "All clear for takeoff!" Superman shouted. Lois giggled at his obvious pun. "Let's say you and I get into our...or should I say, out of our clothes and into our birthday suits," Lois purred. "Did I ever tell you how naughty you can be sometimes, Lois?" "I don't seem to recall that, Superman. Maybe I need you to remind me?" With a reckless whoosh, Lois and Clark vanished into the bedroom. As Lois lay on the bed, her mind wandered. She couldn't wait to wake up next to her husband's muscular body. Even after a couple of months of marital bliss, she still couldn't get over how well defined he was. She loved the way the bed sheets clung to her body. The static cling from the fabric created electrical sparks that tickled her legs. Those same sparks were created in bed each time she and Clark made love. Tonight she and Clark would try out some new satin bed sheets. She'd seen them on TV the other day and had just had to buy them. The satin sheets were red, the perfect color for Clark's skin tone. "Oh, Clark!" Lois moaned, as she was gasping for air. "Shh, Lois, shh..." Clark covered her mouth with his. His breathing quickened. His blood was pumping. He could feel every last muscle in his body tense with excitement. Clark's strong index finger outlined the curve of Lois' spine. She felt an excited shiver running down her body. "Do it again, Clark..." she whispered in his ear. Just as Clark let Lois' bra fall to the floor, he heard a noise. "Oh my God!" "What, Clark? What?" Lois scurried to find the nearest pillow to cover her naked chest. "There's been a major explosion in Honolulu. The whole city is burning! I have to go!!!" "But...but..." "I'm so sorry, Lois! I'll be back as soon as possible. Don't wait up for me too late, okay?" WHOOSH!!!!! Lois started to cry as she put her bra and shirt back on. * * * * *Why does this always have to happen to us?* Lois asked herself between sobs. *I mean, Clark and I are married now. Superman takes up so much of his time that we barely have time to ourselves. Tonight! Tonight was supposed to be OUR night! It was OUR night to hold each other in the darkness. Is it too much to ask for one night of uninterrupted passion?* *Oh, Clark...* Lois burst into tears. She was laying face down in Clark's pillow, her chest heaving with sorrow. *I miss you already.* "Sometimes I wish there wasn't a Superman!" Lois said between sniffles and sighs. CLICK! "Oh my God! Clark, is that you? Clark???" Lois was worried that Clark heard her sudden outburst. The handle on the window was jiggling. Lois got off the bed to take a look. If Clark was in trouble, she wanted to be there to comfort him. "Hello? Is anybody out there? Clark? Are you hurt; do you need help?" Lois opened the window. The air was quiet. Her husband in the red and blue tights was not waiting for her. Lois thought it must have been a twig or something that brushed up against the window. But something else happened. "What the heck? What's going on here?" Lois couldn't close the window. It was like an outside force equal to Superman's that prevented her. "WOW! Sheesh! I thought I'd never get out of there! Do you know how screwy those 5th dimension vortexes can get?" "Wha...who...?" Lois asked, startled at the visitor. "Oh, I'm sorry. We haven't been formally introduced! My name is Mxyzptlk," he said as he extended his hand. "But you can call me Mxy." "Oh, no! Don't tell me you are another leftover of Lord Nor's scraggly army?" "Heaven's no, my dear! I'm an imp from the 5th dimension. I have more power then any one of those Kryptonians and your 'overgrown muscle' of a husband, put together!" "You mean you know that Clark...I mean, uh, Superman...comes here often?" "Of course I do! I've been observing you and SUPER Clark for quite a while. In fact, I witnessed a very interesting display of affection that took place on that bed a few moments ago!" Mxy winked. "Oh God!" Lois' face turned a shade of pink. She felt this overpowering urge to fall back. If it wasn't for Mxy's quick reflexes, Lois would have knocked herself out on the bedpost. Mxy gently set her on the bed. "I think I need some water; cold water!" She tried to stand up. "Please, Ms. Lane, sit back down. It would be my pleasure to get you that glass of water." Mxy took a perfect glass of water out of his shirt sleeve. Lois' mouth opened in disbelief. "Umm...thanks...I think?" Mxy had strategically placed Lois next to Clark's pillow, the man she could trust. He hoped Clark's scent would put her at ease. Mxy's plan seemed to be working. Her face was no longer pink and her breathing slowed. "Well, Mr. Mxy...what did you say your name was?" "Oh, it's Mxyzptlk, but you can call me Mxy." "Ah, yes. Mxy. Well, Mxy, I hope you're not here to take over the world, because if you did, you picked the wrong house to..." Mxy interrupted her. "Oh, but I would if I could. I admit I used to be a bad imp, a very, very, bad imp. But I have seen the error of my ways. And if I can't take over the earthlings of this planet, then I might as well join them. That's where you come in, Ms. Lane...or Mrs. Kent! Hehe." "Me?" "Yes. I'm here to help you. I was sent here to grant you your wish!" "My wish?!? I don't have a wish." "Oh, yes, you do, Ms. Lane. Remember your wish for a life without Superman? Well, I'm here to grant it." "Oh, goodness! I didn't mean anything by that. I just yelled it in a fit of frustration. I mean, you of all imps should know how crazy us earth women get! Ha ha ha..." Lois felt really uncomfortable. There was no telling what this guy would do. *Maybe he has a secret stash of Kryptonite up his sleeve. Literally.* "Now, I think you'd better just go back to wherever you came from, Mxy, or whatever you are! If you stay any longer I'll be forced to yell for Superman!" "Temper, temper, Ms. Lane. I'm here to grant your wish and that's exactly what I'm going to do!" "But... NO! You can't! You don't understand!!!" "Hush now, Ms. Lane. You've had a long day. It's time for you to rest." * * * * It was a beautiful, spring-like morning in Metropolis. The sun shone through the brownstone's bedroom window. Lois felt her body tingle. *Shoot, I must have left the heat on when I fell asleep and had that very weird dream!* The alarm started blaring, BEEEEEEP!!!, and her thoughts about her weird dream dissipated. *Oh, jeez! I must have set the alarm so I could be awake when Clark returns.* "Okay, okay. I'm coming!" Lois tried to open her eyes, but the sunlight blinded her. "Arrggh!!!!" The alarm kept blaring. "Okay, okay! Hold on just a second." Lois tried once more to open her eyes, but she couldn't. Suddenly, the alarm stopped. *Hmm...it's quiet and the alarm has stopped. I guess the battery ran out or something. Oh well, that'll just give me a few extra minutes to wake up here!* Lois stretched her arms out. It was going to be a long night. "Mmm..." Lois pulled her arm back. *What on earth was that? It wasn't me. Unless I'm sick, or some...* "Mmm..." *There it is again! Things have been awfully weird lately!* Lois let her fingers wander across the bed sheets. She was startled when she came across something that she didn't remember being in the bed with her. She ran her fingers across a smooth and very muscular surface. "Mmm..." The loud groan freaked Lois out. Her body shot straight out of bed. "Oh my God! Clark???" The man in bed with her leaned up against the bedpost and kissed her hand. He looked at Lois with his sleepy, chocolate brown eyes. "Mmm...good morning." "Clark??? What on earth are you doing home?" "What do you mean?" "What do you mean, what do I mean???" Lois was frenzied. Her arms were waving. "Clark, Honolulu is burning! I know you're Superman, but even YOU can't be that fast! I mean, you were only gone for ten minutes." "Man, I knew this was worse than I thought." "Clark? What is it? What's wrong?" Lois almost hit Clark in the head with her arm. Clark grabbed her arms forcefully. Lois wanted to break away, but she couldn't. Lois knew there was something wrong with her Clark, but he just wasn't listening. "LET ME GO! You're scaring me, Clark!" "No, you're scaring me, sweetheart." Clark's grip lessened and he started massaging Lois' hands. "Okay, first of all, Lois, I need you to calm down and take a deep breath." "But I don't want to..." "Hush, Lois! Just do it, okay? When you calm down I'll explain to you what's going on." Lois found Clark's behavior to be extremely odd, but she decided to do as he said. "Last night after the surprise party that Perry threw for me, you and I went upstairs, and while we were in the middle of undressing each other, you accidentally bumped your head on the bedpost. You developed a bad headache and fell fast asleep. That's why you woke up with your clothes on." "A bump on the head, Clark? You're going to have to give me a better story then that! I mean, hello, you're talking to Lois Lane, intrepid reporter for the Daily Planet. I think I would've remembered a bump on the head!" "Not necessarily," Clark interrupted. "Clark, stop it! You're really scaring me here! If this is some idea of a joke, then it's not funny!" "It's not a joke, Lois! Come on, it makes perfect sense. First you wake up and yell at me and accuse me of being Superman, and then the next thing..." "Clark, did you just hear what you said? You just said you're not Superman! Are you nuts?!? You've been Superman all of your life!" "No, I haven't, and you know it, Lois." Clark's voice took a somber tone and his eyes looked down at the bed sheets. "Clark? What on earth is that supposed to mean? You're not Superman.... Do you think I'm that stupid!" "Lois, please don't put me through this again. I beg of you." "Put you through what, Clark? What on God's green earth is going on here???" "It's a long story, Lois, and it will soon come back to you once I nurse you back to health." "Clark???" "Oh, Lois, I'm so sorry I had to drag you through all of this!" Clark cried as he pulled Lois into a strong embrace. "Drag you through what, Clark? What do you mean?" Lois' voice had softened. She had never seen Clark break down like this before and it alarmed her. "Clark? Are you okay?" There was no response. Clark buried his face in her shoulder and continued to cry. All Lois could do was run her fingers down his face and wipe his tears away. This proved to be too much for Clark. Suddenly, he laid Lois down upon the bed and engulfed her mouth with his. Lois tried to break free from his passionate embrace, but it was all too much for her. She enjoyed the feel of Clark's lips brushing up against hers. She groaned for more. Clark's hands went under her shirt and undid her bra strap. As Lois and Clark continued to make love, Clark inadvertently hit the radio with his arm. "Clark!" Lois giggled as the song on the radio was blaring. "Well, think of it this way...we can have some unexpected background music while we make out." Clark winked. His winks always made Lois melt. "Mmm..." Lois groaned as Clark playfully nipped her ear. "THIS JUST IN: A bomb has gone off in the city of Bakersfield, 50 miles north of Metropolis. Thousands were evacuated and there is no word on casualties. Stay tuned to this radio station for further details." "Mmm...Clark? Shouldn't you go?" "Go where, Lois?" Clark asked between kisses. "You know, to Bakersfield to help in the recovery." "Oh, that! Yeah, that's really sad." Clark cupped Lois' chin in his hands and he kissed her passionately. "Mmm...no! Clark, stop it! You're acting really weird here. Now go out there and fly! I'll still be here waiting for you, I promise." "Lois, I never thought we'd have to relive this nightmare again, but if it helps you remember, then we'll have to." Clark took a deep breath and held onto Lois' hands as he spoke. "If you recall, a couple of years ago there were those crazy Newtrich sisters who used the Red Kryptonite laser on me. The laser hit me and transferred my powers to you. After that you became Ultra Woman to help me out." "How could I forget," Lois remarked. "Well, unfortunately the powers were then transferred from you to Lucille Newtrich. I tried using a replica laser that Dr. Klein made, but all it did was remove the powers from Lucille and it malfunctioned before I could transfer them back. If it weren't for you, I don't know how I could've gone on. You were a tower of strength. You promised to love me no matter what and we were married two months later." "This has got to be quite a nightmare. In a few minutes I'm going to wake up and find Superman standing above me." "It's no dream. I'll prove it." Clark took his wrist and smashed it on the night stand. He grimaced with pain. Blood trickled from his wrist. "Clark! You're bleeding! Superman doesn't bleed!!" Lois grabbed her robe and put it on. Her body shook and she ran her fingers wildly through her hair. "I can't take this anymore. I have to get out of here!" Lois got off the bed and walked to the window. Clark tried to stop her, but she was too fast for him. Lois threw open the blinds. "Aack! It's light outside." "Of course it is, Lois. What did you think it was, the dead of night?" "Well, I just figure if I'm going to have this dream with my husband in it, then it should at least take place during the night, because I miss..." Lois stopped in mid-sentence. It was like a light had turned on. "Oh my gosh! Mxy!" "Huh?" "Oh! Uh, I said, oh my gosh, I'm missing something at the Planet. I need to get there as soon as possible!" Lois tried to get back to the bed so she could get dressed, but she felt a wave of drowsiness sweep over her. "Lois!" Clark rushed over to his wife. She was lying in a heap on the floor and Clark went to the ground to cradle her. "Lois, honey? Lois, please wake up!" Clark stroked his wife's face and rocked her back and forth in his arms. "Please come back to me! I can't live without you, Lois." "C-l-a-a-r-k..." "Thank you!" Clark said while he looked up to the sky and hugged his wife. "Clark, I need to go. I need to get ready to go to the Planet." "You'll do no such thing. You need to rest. I won't let you out of this house until you at least take a nap." "But, Clark, I need..." "Shh!" Clark hushed Lois as he picked her off the floor. He carried her in his arms and laid her on the bed. Although Clark was definitely different now, Lois still loved the secure feeling she got whenever he carried her in his arms. She let out an unexpected sigh as he helped her out of her robe and covered her with the bed sheets. "Now Lois, you get some shut eye while I go and take my shower." Clark bent over and kissed her forehead before he headed off to the bathroom. * * * * Clark let the water droplets rush down his body. He loved how the hot water hit his skin. Since he couldn't go flying off into the clouds anymore, he looked forward to his daily shower. The shower was the only place where he could unwind and let his cluttered mind clear. He especially loved it when Lois joined him, but that would have to wait. Lois wasn't tired, so all she did was stare at the ceiling. She wanted to get to the bottom of the mess that Mxy had put her in. She looked forward to going to the Planet. There might be something there to focus on so she wouldn't go completely insane. Clark stepped out of the bathroom, clad only in a white towel. *Darn!* Clark looked so good to Lois that she wanted to undo the towel and take a test drive. *Stop it, Lane! You need to focus on what's more important here! You need to remember that Mxy put you in this mess. There's no time for test drives!* Clark's worried voice broke up her forbidden thoughts. "Dangit! Now where did I put it? Ahh, here we go!" Clark held out a pair of black shorts and waved them around like a flag. "I can't forget my lucky shorts and lucky briefs! Hehe...it wouldn't be right for me to workout without them!" Clark stepped back into the bathroom. "Workout?" "Yeah, Lois, workout. Jimmy and I go to the local gym together. Jimmy works out to pick up babes and I workout to keep up with you!" Clark stepped out of the bathroom again and winked. Lois almost swallowed her saliva the wrong way! Now her husband was clad in only black shorts and he looked even better. *Please, God, let Clark put a shirt on before I do something I don't want to do!* Her prayer was only half answered. Clark put on a muscle shirt. His well-defined muscles shone in the sunlight. Lois wanted to reach out and rub her fingers across them. "I should be home sometime this evening. I need to stop by the Daily Planet before I leave for the gym. Please try to get some shut eye when I'm gone, okay?" Clark leaned over and kissed Lois lightly on the lips. "I love you." "I love you too," Lois said breathlessly. * * * * [Inside Menken's Gym] "I just don't get it, Jimmy. I mean, how could a bump on the head cause her to act so weird? She was acting like Lois, and then in a way she wasn't acting like Lois. Right when things started to get hot and heavy, she would pull away and try to pull off some excuse for why she or I had to go somewhere." Clark babbled while he pumped iron. Jimmy pedaled his heart out on the stationary bike. Clark was careful with his words since he still didn't want Jimmy to learn that he once moonlighted as the "Man of Steel." Clark grimaced with pain as he brought the dumbbells up to his chin and back down again. He often spent hours at the gym improving his physique. A lot of those times were spent after a long, hard day in the newsroom. It wasn't exactly his favorite thing to do, but if he could maintain Superman's well-defined muscles, then that made him happy. Plus his workouts were also keeping him healthy after snacking on Twinkies and Ho-Ho's for many years. "Well, C.K., a bump on the head can be pretty traumatic sometimes. People can have amnesia. Just be happy that you don't have that problem." "Yeah, I guess." "Give Lois time. Maybe her head hurts and she needs some time to rest. Or better yet, go home early and accompany her to the Planet. The Planet always helps her bounce back!" * * * * A yellow Metro taxi cab pulled up in front of the Daily Planet. A man in his middle 30's stepped out of the car. He was a tall man about 6'-3" and he had black hair and brown eyes. He resembled Clark Kent, except for the fact that he didn't wear glasses and that he had a small body frame. The man walked through the revolving doors of the Planet and headed straight for the information desk. "Excuse me, Miss, but where can I find a Mr. Perry White?" "Oh! Just go up the elevator to the 3rd floor. That should bring you to the newsroom. You should find Mr. White either roaming around the Pit, or in his office. Someone will direct you to him once you exit the elevator." "Thank you, Miss." "You're welcome, Sir." * * * * [Inside Lois and Clark's brownstone] Clark walked up the stairs to his bedroom. "Lois? Oh, oops!" Lois was snuggled in the sheets fast asleep. Clark couldn't help but smile when he noticed her hugging the teddy bear he won for her back in Smallville a few years ago. He kissed her forehead and pulled out a chair. He decided to work on an upcoming article for the newspaper while Lois slept. * * * * [Inside the Daily Planet] The elevator opened and the man stepped out. The Pit wasn't its usual bustling self, since it was a Saturday. He walked up to a man in his early 30's. The man had on the weirdest colors he had ever seen put together. He was wearing a purple shirt, pink tie, and gray pants. His name was Ralph and he was the goofiest reporter within those walls. "Oh, hi, bro! How's it going?" Ralph slapped the man on the back. The man looked puzzled. "Excuse me, but am I supposed to know you?" "Oh jeez, man, sorry! For a moment there, from your profile, you looked a lot like a coworker of mine, Clark Kent. But the more I think about it, you look nothing like him. I mean, you're skinny and he's buff!" Ralph flexed his muscles to illustrate his point. "And he's much better look... " The man gave him a dirty look as Ralph rambled on. "I, uh, well...I...uh, yes! How can I help you?" "I'm looking for a Mr. Perry White." "Ah, yes, Perry...or the Chief, as we like to call him. Well, actually he's Mr. White to most of us, but he's the Chief to important reporters like Lois and Clark and myself!" Ralph flashed a sleazy grin. He noticed the man roll his eyes as he rambled on. "Well, um, to get to his office, all you need to do is walk straight through the Pit, past Lois Lane's desk and take a right. That should take you to his office. You can't miss it!" * * * * [Back in Lois and Clark's brownstone] "Lois? Wake up. Lois, sleepyhead...?" "Hmm?" Lois rolled over and stretched. Clark thought that Lois was her sexiest when she woke up. He never understood why he thought that, but maybe it had something to do with her eyes. Her eyes shown like perfect pools of light, pools that Clark could drown in. Clark's mind flashed back to the first time he and Lois shared living quarters. It was during their first stakeout for the Planet. They'd posed as a newlywed couple in the honeymoon suite of the Lexor Hotel. Lois was a knockout. He wanted to tell her that morning, but instead he'd said some lame comment about her looking "pretty decent." Lois' groan brought him back to reality. "Lois, honey. It's time to wake up. You need to get ready before we go to the Planet." "The Planet?" Lois asked sleepily. "Yeah. I came home early so you and I could go together. All I need to do is finish up this article and then we can be on our way." * * * * [Inside Perry White's office] A gray-haired man in his middle 50's sat at a desk strewn with papers. The middle-aged man was up to his armpits in red ink. In the corner of the room hung a portrait of Elvis. It looked like the picture was taken sometime in the 1970's. The younger man tapped lightly on the door. "Excuse me, Mr. White?" "Ah, yes, that would be me. What can I do for you, son?" "I'm looking for a job." "Well, uh, what kind of job are you looking for?" "A reporting job." "A reporting job? Well, son, we have all the reporters we need." "Oh, please, sir! Just give me a chance before you write me off!" The man handed Perry a folder. Perry opened it up and inside he found examples of the man's work from very prestigious institutions. "The New York Times, The Seattle Times, Newsweek, Time Magazine? Wow, those are some pretty highbrow places. What makes you want to write for a "little" newspaper like the Daily Planet?" "Well, sir, I heard all about Metropolis while I was abroad, so I wanted to take a look for myself. There were so many exciting Superman stories floating around that it sounded like the place to be." "Ah, yes. Superman. He's been gone for almost two years now." Perry was almost in tears. "It's a shame that he had to go back home to New Krypton. But, uh, well, uh, enough about that! If you truly want to work here at the Daily Planet, then I have a reporter's position just waiting to be filled, Mr. ...uh...?" "Damian Johansen," he said while he shook Perry's hand. "Well, uh, Damian, you can just call me Perry. I think what I'm going to do is team you up with one of my favorite reporters, Lois Lane. She's married to the other half of Lane and Kent, Clark Kent. Lois will be able to show you around the Planet and tell you how things get done. I might even team the both of you up for your first story." "Oh! I've heard a lot about Ms. Lane and Mr. Kent. I can't wait to meet them." "Well, then, Mr. Johansen, welcome to the Daily Planet!" * * * * It was 5pm when Lois and Clark walked out of the famous Daily Planet elevators. Lois wore a white sweater and blue jeans, while Clark wore a tan sweater and blue jeans. Lois and Clark were a very attractive looking couple walking arm in arm into the Daily Planet newsroom. Lois was very excited about getting back to the newsroom. The closer she got to the newsroom, the closer she felt to being able to crack the problem that Mxy had thrown at her. If this was the way her husband was going to act, then she felt she could put up with it for at least a couple of days. That was assuming that the world could go on without Superman's assistance for a while. "Oh, hey! Come over here, you two! I have someone I'd like you to meet." Perry motioned them to his office. "Lois and Clark, I'd like you to meet Damian Johansen." "Hi. It's nice to meet you." Clark shook Damian's hand. "And you must be Lois Lane." Damian kissed Lois' hand, and it caused Clark to wrap his arm around her waist in a possessive gesture. Perry could sense the tension in the room. He tried to break the deafening silence. "Well, Damian here is going to work alongside you two. I'm even thinking of pairing him alongside with Lois for his first story." "What???" Clark's mouth dropped. "Well, uh, of course with your help, son. I mean, we can't have Lane without Kent! Ahem..." Clark's grip tightened on Lois. "Ow!" "Sorry..." Lois slapped his hand off her thigh. "Quit it, Clark! My gosh, you're acting like a little boy who doesn't want to give up his toy!" "Okay, if you really feel that way..." Clark mumbled. His head lowered as he walked back toward his desk. "Oh, Clark! I'm so sorry!" Lois ran over to her husband and threw her arms around him. She started to sob as she apologized to Clark. "All I do is snap at you because my head hurts and I'm exhausted. There's no excuse for my actions. I should never take out all of my frustrations on you." Whatever Mxy had done to the world, it had started to temporarily take over Lois' mind. Lois no longer remembered why she wanted to go to the Planet. "Lois, it's okay. I understand." "No, you don't, Clark." Lois laid her hands on his cheeks and brought his face forward. "I mean, if I ever lost you...I would...well...I..." "I know, Lois. I know. I feel the same way." Their lips met for a kiss. As the kiss got deeper and deeper, the rest of the world melted away. Things were heating up! "AHEM, um...folks?" Their lips parted and Lois and Clark looked at Perry with sheepish grins. "Oops," the lovers said in unison. "Well, uh, that's okay. I just wanted to get us all back on track, if you know what I mean." Lois and Clark held hands as they rejoined Damian and Perry outside of his office. "Well, why don't you folks get aquatinted while the night is still young." Clark piped in, "Hey, why don't we go out to dinner!" "That sounds like fun," Damian remarked. "You can join us too, Chief." "Well, Clark, I'd love to, but I have tons of editing to finish before I put the Sunday morning edition to bed. Plus I promised Alice that when I got home, we'd curl up on the couch together and watch 'Jail House Rock.'" * * * * Lois, Clark, and Damian chose a tiny Italian restaurant. Clark ordered pasta. He gave Lois a sexy smile. He hoped Lois was thinking the same thing. "So Damian, tell me a little about yourself." Clark frowned. "I was born in New York. After high school I attended Oxford University, where I got my journalism degree." "Journalism degree?" "Yes. When I attended Oxford, I studied English and I took part in a pilot journalism program." "Oh." "Journalism worked well for me, so I decided to travel abroad and work for newspapers like the New York Times." "So let me get this straight. You're a Rhodes Scholar and you're in Metropolis. May I ask why?" "I was curious about Superman. I was hoping to meet him and then interview him, Ms. Lane." Clark cleared his throat loudly. "I count you extremely lucky, Ms. Lane. You were able to get to know him on an intimate level before he had to leave." "Leave?" "Yes, Mr. White told me all about it. About two years ago, Superman left for New Krypton. Don't you remember? If I recall, you were extremely upset, along with the rest of Metropolis." "He di...?" Lois looked over at her husband. He was mouthing something to her and he looked distressed. It looked like he was trying to say, drop the subject! Lois assumed Clark didn't want his secret identity exposed. "So Damian, do you have any ideas on what you want to write about?" "You'll have to excuse me, Ms. Lane, but that will have to wait." Damian stood up. "I have a previous engagement scheduled for tonight. But I'd love to meet you guys for coffee or something tomorrow morning. Is that all right with you?" "It's fine with me. Is it all right with you, Clark?" "Sure." At this point Clark would say anything if it meant getting rid of Damian and getting Lois home ASAP. The pasta started to take an effect on him and he felt this sudden urge to go underneath the sheets with Lois. "I'll call you guys tomorrow morning at 10am and then we can go from there. Bye!" "Bye!" the couple said in unison. "Well, he's gone, so let's go!" Clark was trying to push Lois out the door. "Clark? Why the big hurry? "Hurry? I'm not in a big hurry!" "Clark...come on, you're practically trying to shove me out the door!" "Well, it's getting dark out there and I just want you to be safe. There are so many weirdos out there that I think the best thing for us is to go home." "But we haven't had dessert yet!" "We can have dessert at home..." "But...I..." "Come on, Lois, let's go!" Clark hurried Lois out of the restaurant and they both got into the Jeep. Clark decided to drive because he wanted to get home fast. It took them 10 minutes to get home. Lois headed straight for the couch. "Uh, Lois, I was thinking of serving dessert upstairs." "I'm not feeling so well. I think I'll rest on the couch for a while." "Well, Lois, if you come upstairs, I can make you feel better! I know just the thing!" "Clark, that's nice, but not tonight!" Lois left her husband's side and plopped down on the couch. She let out a sigh as she stretched. Clark started wringing his hands as he watched her sitting there. He didn't know how long he could last. He sat down next to her and started kissing her neck. "Clark! Clark groaned and continued necking her. "Clark! I told you not tonight and I meant it!" "Lois, relax, I'm only trying to make you feel better." "I know you are, Clark, but I have a headache and your constant necking isn't helping. I'm going to go upstairs and turn in early." "But Lois, I thought..." "I'm sorry, Clark." Lois kissed Clark on the cheek and walked upstairs to the bedroom. * * * * A dim light illuminated Mazik Jewelers. The light was left on for security reasons. A black shadow passed by the store. It seemed to stall in front of the doorknob. It was like it had a mind of its own. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. The air was still, so one can imagine how odd it would be to see a black shadow spin around like a twister. The twister thinned and passed through the keyhole. * * * * "Ah, Ms. Lane. It's very nice to see you again." "Mxy?!?" "Why, yes. Who else would be floating in midair besides Superman. Oh, whoops! My bad. Superman doesn't exist. But enough of that. I didn't come here to sling Superman insults. I came here to express my deepest condolences." "Condolences?" "Of course, my dear. And may I add, you make a very attractive widow." "Widow??? Wh-a-a-at...I...am not a, I...am...not..." Lois stepped backwards. The room was dark except for the light that shined on Mxy's face. "A widow. Now who's being stupid here? You're Lois Lane, intrepid reporter for the Daily Planet! I can't believe that you don't remember your own husband's passing!?!" "Clark isn't gone! I left him sitting on the couch." Tears welled up in her eyes. "Ha, ha, ha, ha..." Mxy's maniacal laughter echoed. With one flick of his wrist, light filled the room. Next to her feet lay a body, Clark's body. Lois felt weak and she fell to the floor. She immediately flashed back to the time when Clark took the bullet for her at the gangster club. Clark had faked his own death to save her life. She hoped Clark was doing the same thing now. "Clark, honey, please wake up. Lois is here. It's okay. I'm right here." Lois' tears fell like raindrops across Clark's face. He didn't move. "Oh, Clark!" Lois lay across his chest and sobbed. As she touched his face, Clark started to fade away. Everything faded. Clark was disappearing. "Oh my God! What's going on here? What's happening?" Lois stood up and violently shook Mxy by his shirt collar. "TELL ME WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!!!" "Ms. Lane, it's very simple. Clark doesn't exist anymore. You got rid of Superman, so Clark can't survive! Without Clark there can be no you, and without you there can be no Utopia. And without Utopia there can be an earth just waiting for me to inhabit." "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" * * * * Clark was asleep on the couch when he heard Lois' blood curdling scream. "OH MY GOD, LOIS!!!!" Clark quickly ran up the stairs to his bedroom and kicked the door down. He found Lois kicking and screaming on the bed. He went over to her and held her in his arms. She continued to kick and scream loudly as he held her tightly to his chest. "Lois! Calm down. It's okay, I'm here." "Noooo, Clark...I want Clark!!!! Noooooooooooo......" Lois went on with her struggle. Clark tried calming her down. "Lois, wake up! You had a bad dream. Everything will be okay. Please wake up!!! LOIS!!!!!!" Suddenly, her eyes opened and she looked up at Clark. "Oh my God, Clark!!!" She grabbed him in a teary embrace, soaking the front of Clark's shirt, but he didn't care. "I had this dream and you weren't there...I called, and you...and you and I..." Lois was in a frenzy. She violently shook as she cried and clung to Clark's body. "Shh, Lois, it's okay. I'm here now. You had a nightmare. It's all over. Shhh...." "No, Clark, you don't understand. I called for you and you weren't there!!! I mean..." Lois screamed again. Clark didn't know what to do. He continued to hold her tightly, as she struggled to break free. Lois was hallucinating. She was awake, but something from that dream still haunted her. Eventually, Lois became exhausted and her struggling stopped. Clark sat on the bed with her cradled in his arms. He stroked her hair and assured her that everything would be all right. "But Clark, I..." "I know, honey, it was a nightmare. It's all over now. I'm not going anywhere. Shh..." * * * * The phone rang. Clark groaned while it continued. He wanted to pick it up, but Lois was asleep in his arms. He didn't move because he was afraid she would wake up and scream again. Fortunately, Lois didn't fall asleep on his legs. Clark really wanted to get the phone, so he used his foot. He took his right leg and swung it over the bed. His toes were used to grab the phone chord and pull it on the bed where his hand waited. "Hello?" "Oh, hi, Clark! It's Damian." Clark rolled his eyes. "It's 10 AM and I was just checking in. Are you and Lois available for a cup of coffee?" "Well, uh, normally I'd say yes, but something happened last night and now I'm in a position where I can't really get up and leave." Damian's first reaction was that he had just got a firsthand account on Lois and Clark's love life. But maybe Clark was an open book and Damian just had to get used to it. "Oh, well... I..." "Oh, no!" Clark chuckled. "It's not what you think! Lois had a nightmare last night." "Wow! Is she all right?" "Yes. She's sleeping peacefully in my arms right now, but I don't want to disturb her. So until she wakes up, I won't be going anywhere." "Oh, well, I completely understand. If I had a wife like Lois, well, heck if I even had a wife, I'd do the same thing. I'm at the Planet right now and Perry just gave me a beeper, so why don't I give you the number and you can page me when you two are ready." * * * * Damian hung up the phone and walked over to the information desk. The woman whom he talked to yesterday was there again. "Excuse me, miss? But I couldn't help but notice how pretty you look this morning." "Me?" the woman blushed. "Yes." Damian grabbed her hands and brought them next to his lips. "I have a confession to make. I was instantly attracted to you. I'm new in town, so I was wondering if you'd like to show me around, maybe tonight?" "Well...I..." "Oh, please say yes! I'm lonely and I'm looking for some companionship. You strike me as a nice, young woman who knows her way around Metropolis. You don't have to worry. I won't bite!" Damian and the woman laughed. "Well, when you put it like that, I guess I can't refuse." "Great! I'll pick you up at eight. We can go out to dinner and take it from there." Damian let go of her hands and leaned over the desk and kissed her lips. The woman almost lost her footing as he walked away. "WOW!" * * * * Clark felt like he was burning up. Lois fell asleep before he had a chance to take off his clothes. His tan sweater was soaked with sweat and tears. It clung to him like a second layer of skin. Lois squirmed. "Clark?" "Oh, thank goodness you're awake! Now don't take this the wrong way, but I really need to take this shirt off!" Clark peeled his sweater off while Lois grinned like the Cheshire cat. "Ahhh...now I feel better. Sorry about that." "Honey?" Lois started laughing. "There's no need for you to apologize. Besides, I like it better this way." Lois leaned over and made a trail of kisses on his stomach. "Actually, sweetheart, I need to take off all of my clothes. I'm sweating up a storm here and I feel like a walking sauna." Clark moved Lois off his chest and stood up. "So if you want, maybe you could finish your 'little Safari' in the shower with me. We could be each other's tour guides." "Okay!" Lois said as she leapt off the bed and landed in Clark's arms. Clark grinned. His wife was acting like her old self again and they were about to rekindle the love they shared. Things couldn't get any better then that. It was going to be a wonderful day. * * * * Lois and Clark grinned as they entered the newsroom. Lois wore a short, one-piece white dress for Clark's behalf. She loved the look on his face when he stared at her long, shapely legs. Clark wore nice slacks and a dark blue button-down shirt. Lois undressed him with her eyes. "Hi, you two!" Perry walked up to Clark and patted him on the back. "Damian told me that you had a nightmare last night, Lois. Are you all right, honey?" "I'm fine, Chief. Thanks to my doctor here," Lois purred as she nipped at Clark's ear. "Well, uh, honey, that's more then I needed to know! Hehe...but I'm glad to hear that you're okay. Damian is in the cafeteria waiting for both of you. Oh, but before you go, I have something to tell you. There's been a robbery at Mazik Jewelers. And get this--the security cameras saw no one. All they saw was some gold jewelry floating out the door." "Jewelry floating? I wonder if this has to do with that story Clark and I worked on a couple of years ago; you remember, the invisible suits?" "I dunno, Lois, but it might be." "Well, I for one don't care how it happened. This sounds like front page news to me!" Lois was excited. She finally had a breaking news story to focus all her attention on. "That's exactly what I was thinking, Lois! You and Clark get on it as soon as possible!" "Got it, Chief!" Lois and Clark chimed. Perry walked back to his office. *You know, I'll never get used to that.* Lois and Clark found Damian sitting at a table in the cafeteria. "Wow! Lois. You look great!" "Yes, she does, doesn't she!" Clark pulled her to his waist. "Clark...I can speak for myself." Lois smiled at her husband. "Thanks, Damian." "Uh, guys, about this first story thing..." "You want to work on the robbery story." "Well, yes. I was just about to say that." "I knew it! Ha, ha! I can see that determined look in your eyes. It's the same look I had when I started at the Planet. So don't worry, I have everything covered!" "You do?" "Of course, Clark. Well, okay, I don't, but all I have to do is tell Perry and he'll be all for it. What a better way for Damian to make a name for himself than with this story!" "Uh, Lois?" "Yes, Damian?" "Thanks for being so nice. I mean, you don't have to do this." "Oh, it's no problem. Why don't you and I go tell the Chief that we'll be at Mazik Jewelers. Clark, you can stay here and call our sources." "But I thought you and I would go together like we always do?" "I know, Clark. But this is the perfect opportunity for Damian to be in the midst of the action and I don't think it would be right for a crowd to follow." Lois was excited. She practically jumped up and down in the middle of the room. She grabbed Damian by the sleeve and ran out of the door. Clark yelled after her. "Hey, Lois!" "Yeah?" "I love you." "I love you too! We'll keep in touch by cell phone!!" * * * * "C.K., are you all right?" Jimmy found Clark staring at a blank computer screen. "Hey! C.K., are you okay?" Clark continued to stare at the screen. He slid his glasses down his nose to rub his eyes. "Clark!" "Huh? Oh, hi, Jimmy." "C.K., are you all right? I called your name a couple of times and you didn't respond. You looked like you were on another planet." "Oh, sorry about that. I have Lois on my mind." "When don't you?!" Jimmy laughed and Clark gave a small smile. "No, Jimmy, this is different. It's a guy problem." "A guy problem?" "Yeah, a guy problem named Damian Johansen." "Damian? Oh, you mean that guy who looks a lot like you from the back." "Well, uh, I never really noticed that, but okay, if you say so." "C.K., you and Damian are almost like twins. You have the same hair and eye color..." Clark shook his head. *Where is a gag when I need one?* He looked up at the Daily Planet clock. It was going to be a long day. "Man, I'm sorry." Jimmy looked over at Clark who was staring at the bay window. "Here I am rambling about this guy who seems to have charmed Lois somehow." "Charmed?" Clark's voice grew louder. He took his wrist and banged it on the table. Unfortunately, this was the same wrist he had used to prove to Lois that he was no longer the Man of Steel. Jimmy backed away. Clark was a pretty strong guy and he wasn't sure what Clark would do next. "OW!" "C.K., are you all right?" "Yeah, yeah. I think I just hit my funny bone." "C.K., you look wound up. Maybe you should take a break or something." "I can't, Jimmy. I promised Lois that I'd stay here and call all of our sources." "Oh, come on, C.K.! A group of us are heading on over to my pad to watch the Metropolis Metros vs. the Seattle Mariners game." "Um, Jimmy, I'm sorry but I can't. I promised Lois I'd stay here." "Aww, C.K., you know Lois. She's an independent newswoman. She'll be okay without you. Anyway, didn't she tell you she'd keep in touch?" "Yeah, by cell phone." "Well, there you go. So come on. We can take my motorcycle." "But Lois..." "C.K.! You're too wound up to focus on anything. If I were Lois I'd be happy that you went off for a bit to clear your head." * * * * [Inside Mazik's Jewelers] Lois was frustrated. Damian wasn't paying attention to anything she said. He spent his time staring at all of the jewelry. He acted like he was taking a leisurely stroll through a jewelry store instead of trying to cover what might be the crime of the century. Lois' arms waved in the air as she let out a couple of "OY's!" *Where is Clark, when I need him? Oh, yeah, I left him back at the Planet...* Lois cupped her forehead in the palm of her hand. What on earth was she thinking? She left her life-long partner, her best friend, Clark, at the Planet. Lois looked down. Her dress had hiked up about an inch. Lois blushed. She had no clue how long it had been that way, but without a second thought, when no one was looking, she pulled her dress back down. Lois then went to the back of the store and pulled out her cell phone to call Clark. * * * * It was the bottom of the third and the Metros were down by one. Clark wasn't sure if he should be hanging out with Jimmy, but he couldn't help, but enjoy it. The game got really exciting. While Clark was watching the game, he flashed back to his Superman days. He used to enjoy playing baseball against himself. He could zip from base to base in a matter of seconds. No matter what the score was, he always won. He thought if he ever wanted to relive the fun of playing baseball, he'd have to relearn the game as a "normal" human being. Maybe Lois could give him a few pointers... CRACK! Jimmy's bachelor pad erupted with cheers. The Metros had hit a home run and they were up by three. "Yes!" Clark yelled as he gave Jimmy a high five. A humming noise broke up the yelling. "Hey, C.K.! What's wrong with your pants?" "Huh? Oh! I guess I left my phone on vibrate." Clark took his cell phone out of his back pocket. "Hello?" "Hi, Clark. It's Lois." "Lois?" "Clark, I just wanted to apologize for my behavior. I don't know what I was thinking. I ditched you, my life- long partner." "Lois, I..." "No, Clark. What I did was inexcusable and I apologize..." "Hey, Clark, is that Lois?" Jimmy leaped over the couch and grabbed the phone out of Clark's hand. "Uh, Jimmy, I..." "Hey, Lois!" Jimmy yelled. "Uh, hi, Jimmy!" Lois held the receiver away from her ear. "I haven't seen you in a while. How are you? How's that story going? Do you have any good leads yet?" "Jimmy!" Lois laughed. "One thing at a time. I'm doing fine. Are you helping Clark on the robbery story?" "Actually, no, I..." Lois didn't hear Jimmy finish his thought as a choir of male voices filled the air. "Oops, Lois, I gotta go. The Metros just hit another home run." "Baseball?" "Yep. The guys and I thought we'd spend our Sunday hanging out at my place." "You did, huh?" "Yep, but like I said, I gotta jet so I don't miss the rest of the game. Do you want me to put Clark back on?" "Yes. Please do!" Lois said in a clearly agitated voice. Jimmy handed the phone back to Clark. "Lois wants to talk to you and she sounds kinda upset." "Oh jeez..." Clark answered as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Good luck, man." Jimmy patted Clark on the back, as he went back to join the others. Clark reluctantly brought the receiver to his ear. "Umm...Lois, I..." "CLARK JEROME KENT!" "Uh-oh." "Why on earth are you watching a baseball game, when you should be working on this breaking news story?!" "I, uh, well, I..." "Arggh! Clark! You really frustrate me sometimes! I was holding out against all hope that you of all people would be working on the story! You know, you and Damian are so alike!" Clark was usually in control of his temper, but this was the final straw. "Okay, now you've gone too far!" "You should talk! I mean you...you...oh I don't know..." Lois slammed her cell phone closed. "Shoot!" Clark muttered as he put his phone back in his pocket. He climbed off the couch and got ready to leave. "C.K., where are you going?" "I'm sorry, Jimmy, but I gotta go to the jewelry store and talk to Lois." "Okay, whatever. It's your loss," Jimmy replied as he turned his back toward Clark and stared at the TV screen. Clark walked out the door and whistled for a cab. He found Jimmy's behavior to be extremely rude. Out of the few years that he had known Jimmy, he never once remembered Jimmy snapping at him. It was as if Lois' coldness toward him was rubbing off on all of the people she came in contact with. In a matter of minutes, Clark was being dropped off at the jewelers. He got out of the cab and paid the driver. Clark had been sweating a bit, so he had to push his glasses back up on his nose. He wished he could just throw them away, but ever since he'd lost his superpowers, he actually found that he needed to use them. He walked inside the store and found Lois talking to Inspector Henderson. "Hello, Lois," Clark said as he lightly tapped her on the shoulder. "What? Oh gee, it's my husband, Clark. Now the party can begin," Lois remarked in a sarcastic tone toward the Inspector. The Inspector looked away from the angry couple. He tried to look busy because he wanted no part in this silly little lover's spat. "Lois, I think we should talk. And I think it would be best for all of us if we talked outside." "Okay, whatever," Lois said as she rolled her eyes. "Inspector, if you'd please excuse us." Clark grabbed onto Lois' arm and walked her out the door. "Okay, Clark. You can let me go now! We're outside." "I don't think so, Lois. We need to talk and if I have to do it by force, then so be it." "Getting tough now, are we?" Lois smirked as she looked into his eyes. "LOIS!" "What?" Lois asked slyly. She tried to break free, but as she struggled, Clark's grip tightened. "You know what I mean, Lois. I came here to apologize for going off and watching the game." "The apology isn't necessary, Clark. Instead of working on the story, you went off to watch a baseball game. It's obvious to me that you don't care, which is fine by me, because I have everything under control." "Lois..." "Clark, like I said, everything is under control, so if you'd kindly let me go, then I can continue to talk to my sources." "Actually, I think the best thing for us to do is to go back home and talk. You and I, especially you, have been acting quite odd for the past couple of days." "Me? You're the one that acts like an overprotective freak whenever Damian is around!" While Lois struggled to break free from Clark, Damian watched from the store's front window. He couldn't help but smile as Lois defended him to Clark. But he couldn't dwell on that too long, since he had a date to prepare for. He decided it was time to make an exit. "Damian!" Lois said as she broke away from Clark. Damian walked toward Lois. "Guys, if I'm the cause of this fight, I want to apologize. I didn't mean to come between you and Clark." "Oh no, Damian. I'm not mad at you. I'm just trying to explain to Clark here that he's keeping me away from my sources. Isn't there a phrase that says 'time is of the essence'?" "But Lois, if I..." "Damian, you're doing no such thing!" Lois grabbed his hands. "Okay, I admit, you weren't focusing a lot on the story, but that's understandable since you're a beginner. Hopefully, I'll be able to help you along." "Well, thank you, Lois. Now if you would please excuse me, I need to go get ready for a date." Damian slipped his hands out of Lois' and started to walk away. "Damian!" Lois said as she ran up to him. "I'll see you tomorrow." Lois leaned over and gave him a prolonged kiss on the cheek. Clark's mouth dropped. He didn't know whether to punch Damian out, or grab Lois and throw her into the car. "Um...okay." Damian's voice sounded shaky as he left. "LOIS LANE KENT!" Clark yelled angrily. Lois tried to ignore him as she walked toward the Jeep. "And may I stress the name, KENT!" Clark added. "What are you doing? You did that on purpose! I'm your husband, Lois. Your husband!" "Clark, it was just a peck on the cheek. Don't get so huffy about it." "Not from where I was standing! Heck, you even shocked Damian. The guy could barely talk straight!" "Well, can I help it if men can't resist my lips?" "Um...well...okay, I guess I can't argue with you there. But I guess I'm just upset that Damian gets a kiss on the cheek and I get nothing!" "Okay, here." Lois leaned over and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Are you happy now?" "Lois, quit with the sarcasm because it's not helping!" "Sorry. I was just trying to lighten the mood." Lois pulled her car keys out of her purse. She unlocked the front door and climbed inside. "Now if you would please excuse me, I'm late for an appointment. I'll see you later." Lois pulled the door shut. "Lois...don't do this!!! Lois!" Clark frantically banged on the door. "Lois, open the door now!!! Lois!!!" Lois rolled down the front window, as the motor started. "Unless your feet are made of steel, I suggest you get out of the way!" Clark moved back as Lois stepped on the gas pedal and sped away. "DARN IT!" Clark yelled as he kicked at a garbage can. "Hey now! I'd advise you to stop that before you get arrested." Inspector Henderson walked out of store only to find Clark kicking at garbage cans in a fit of anger. "I'm sorry, Henderson, but Lois is just making me so mad! Arrgh!!!" Clark kicked at another garbage can. "Okay, Kent. Just calm down." Inspector Henderson grabbed Clark by the shoulders and moved him away from the cans. "Kent. You don't stay married for twenty-five years without learning a few things. I could see this coming from miles away." "You did?" "Oh yeah! It's so obvious that it's almost laughable! I mean, it's obvious that you two haven't, well, uh, how can I put it? You two haven't had a 'romantic evening' in quite a while." "Well...yeah," Clark answered as he looked down at the ground and shuffled his foot. "Well, there you go, Kent! Go out there and buy things she likes! Shower her with love and affection. Tell her that you're sorry. Surprise her when she comes home." * * * * Lois drove down the street toward the Morris home. She was going to revisit the inventor of the "invisible suits." She turned on the radio. Ricky Martin's song, "She's All I Ever Had," played. #...it's the way she understands. She's my lover, she's my friend. When I look into her eyes, it's the way I feel inside, like the man I wanna be. She's all I'll ever need." "Oh God!" Lois remarked as she quickly turned off the radio. Lois pulled up to the house. The Morris family still lived in the same white, picket-fenced home located on the same quiet street. It amazed Lois how nothing had changed since she and Clark had walked down that same street just a few years ago. Lois rang the doorbell. A little boy answered the door. He was about three feet tall and had dark brown hair and brown eyes. He wore blue jeans and a red T-shirt. The little boy looked up at Lois and smiled. In a weird way he reminded her a lot of Clark. "Hellwo." "Uh, hi. Is Mr. or Mrs. Morris here?" A shadowy figure appeared behind the boy. It was Helene Morris. "Welcome, Ms. Lane," Helene said as she leaned over to shake her hand. "Honey, this is Ms. Lane. She's friends with Superman." "WOIS!!!" The boy yelled her name as he grabbed onto her legs. "Well, he's certainly friendly." "Oh, Ms. Lane, he isn't that friendly with just anyone," Helene laughed. "But please come inside and make yourself comfortable. Alan is waiting for you in the living room." Helene led Lois and the little boy into the living room. Alan welcomed Lois. "Hello, Ms. Lane. It's nice to see you again." On Alan's lap sat a little girl. "Ms. Lane, I'd like you to meet Tara." She slid off his lap and curtsied. "It's nice to meet you, Ms. Lane." Tara was around nine years old. She had wavy brown hair that fell just below her shoulders. She wore a pink, frilly dress. Lois couldn't help but flash back to the time when she was a little girl. It reminded her of all the times her mother tried to force her into those nasty things. And that was only on days when she was sober. Lois shuddered at the thought. "And this cute little boy here," Alan continued his introductions, "his name is Dean." "Hi, Wois!" Dean waved his little hands in the air. Lois forced a smile. "Why don't you go sit over there so we can begin the interview," said Helene, who led Lois to a white couch. She joined her husband in a chair of the same color that was located across from the couch. Tara and Dean joined Lois on the couch. Tara was on her right and Dean on her left. "A-ha. Well, okay, I.... Mmph. Excuse me?!?" Lois was interrupted when Dean tried to sit on her lap. "Oh, don't mind him," Helene stifled a giggle. "Dean looks at you as some sort of super hero. Whenever I talk about Superman, your name seems to pop up. He wants to be near anything and everything that comes in contact with Superman." Her voice lowered. "But we'll never tell him that Superman is no longer living in Metropolis. It would break his little heart if he found out Superman doesn't hang out in the clouds while keeping an eye on the city." "Oh." *Not the nonexistent Superman junk again!* Lois thought. Lois wasn't sure what to do next. She wanted to get this interview over with and then go home. She preferably wanted to get home before Clark, so she had to think of something fast. "Well, Dean," Lois looked into the child's brown eyes. "if you're a good boy, I might give you something I know that Superman has, too!" "Really?" Dean's eyes sparkled. "Yeah. Oh, wait a minute! I might have it with me." Lois unzipped her purse and searched through the clutter. "A- ha! Here we go!" She pulled out a Daily Planet business card and handed it to the boy. "Now I'm positive that Superman has one of these!" "Kewl! Look! Look! Look!" Dean ran around the room and waved the card around until he settled himself in the corner of the room and pulled out his crayons. The biggest smile crossed his lips as he scribbled on the Daily Planet design. Lois looked over at Tara. "I suppose you want one, too?" "Oh, no, Ms. Lane. Coloring is for babies. I'm nine years old. Definitely not a baby!" Lois couldn't help but smile. Tara exhibited many of the same characteristics she'd had at that age. "Well, your children are certainly outspoken." "Oh, no, Ms. Lane. They aren't our kids," Helene remarked. "Tara and Dean are our niece and nephew. They live in California and occasionally they like to stop by Metropolis for a visit. Dean has a fit every time we drive by the Daily Planet. He always points to the Daily Planet globe and yells, 'Big gwobe! Supaman! Big gwobe!' It's like he thinks Superman lives there or something. Alan and I can actually picture Dean working there someday. Tara, too." "Actually, Auntie Helene, I want to be President of the United States. Although being editor of the Daily Planet wouldn't be so bad either." "Speaking of the Daily Planet, we heard about you and Mr. Kent. Congratulations!" exclaimed Helene. "Thanks." "We were hoping Mr. Kent would be with you this afternoon. Where's that wonderful husband of yours?" "He's, uh...working on a story." *Yeah right!* "Oh, that's too bad, because I was hoping to congratulate him also. I think it's great you and Mr. Kent got together. I could tell, when I first met you a couple of years ago that it was meant to be! Now you two are planning a future together! Have you..." "Oh, no. We don't want kids. Well, it's not like we don't want kids, we're just waiting," Lois blushed. "With our careers being so busy, as they are now, we just want to enjoy each others company." *When we're not at each other's throats!* "We basically want to live alone for a while. Take a few years to discover and learn new things about each other. Do what newlyweds do." "Ah, I completely understand." Helene winked. "A-ha. Yeah." Helene could sense that something else was on her mind. She noticed Lois kept pulling on her dress while fidgeting on the couch. This was highly unusual behavior for the Daily Planet's top investigative reporter. "Well, Ms. Lane, how about we get started? You probably have a lot of things to ask Alan, and I know how busy you investigative reporters can get." "Uh, yeah. Okay. Well, let's get started then. Last night Mazik Jewelers was robbed. No one saw the culprit, and the weirdest part was that, technically, no one was seen. My editor told me that the surveillance tape only showed a bunch of gold jewelry floating out the door. There were no hands or wires involved. It was just floating on its own, out the door. I hope to talk to Inspector Henderson again and get a copy of the tape. Maybe analyze it, piece by piece. But for now all I have to work with is what Mr. White told me. That's why I'm here. I wanted to ask you about those invisible suits you made a few years ago. Are any of them missing again?" "Well, Ms. Lane, I don't think that could happen, since I destroyed all of the suits and the blue prints to them, after Superman brought Helene and me back together." "Oh." "Actually, according to what you've told me, I kinda wished it had been the case. Without those suits, it makes things more complicated, huh? I'm sorry I couldn't be of any help." "Don't feel so bad, Alan. Your information is very useful. It'll help the police narrow down suspects and motives for the crime. It has also caused me to realize that this story is bigger than I thought. This might just be the story that gets me that Pulitzer!" BOOM! "Uh-oh!" Dean said as he pointed to the window. "Uh-oh" was right. Outside, the heavens had opened and they were pouring tons and tons of rain. So much rain fell that in a matter of seconds, the streets started to flood. Lois got off the couch and walked to the window. Alan and Helene followed. "Well, Ms. Lane, I guess you'd better get going," Alan suggested. "It sure is pouring out there and I don't want to see you get wet." Helene agreed. "You can do what Alan and I do. Go home and watch the rain fall, as you cuddle with your honey on the couch." Helene started to giggle as Alan playfully kissed her cheek. *Ahhh! Get me out of this nightmare!* Lois turned away from that unnecessary display of affection and watched the water running down the window pane. Her mind wandered... The melodic sound of raindrops fell upon the roof. Lois let out a sigh as Clark ran his fingers down her leg. She felt the shift of his weight as he moved to other parts of her body. They were on the floor making love by candlelight. Body upon body... Lois ran her fingers down her lips as she continued to stare out the window. *Oh my God! What am I doing? I'm supposed to mad at Clark!!! Not lust after the man!! Sheesh, I really need to get out of here. Get a grip, girl!!!* Lois turned away from the window and walked toward the front door. "Well, I guess I'll be going now. I want to send my notes to Mr. White before it gets too stormy." "Okay," the Morrises said between kisses. Lois rolled her eyes. "Buh, bye, Wois!!" Dean waved his hands wildly as Lois turned the doorknob. She had no clue why she did this, but before she stepped out the door, she blew Dean a kiss. "I can't believe those two. I mean, of all the nerve. Especially when I'm supposed to be mad at Cla... Arrgh!!!" Lois had been so worked up about the Morrises that for a moment she had totally forgotten about the rain. Unfortunately, the only thing she was wearing at that time was the white dress. If there had been a wet T-shirt contest going on right at that second, Lois would have won first prize. She quickly got into the car and put the key in the ignition. The car wouldn't start. "Come on! Come on!" It still wouldn't start. "COME ON!!! ARRGH!" Lois slammed her fists on the steering wheel. "Okay, okay. Just calm down. You have your cell phone with you. Now would be a good time to call your husband." She dialed the number. No one answered. "Hmm, there's no answer. Maybe I dialed the wrong number?" Lois dialed the number again. Still no answer. She hit redial again. Still nothing. "What the heck?" She hit the redial button yet again. This time there was a click. "Finally! Clark?" NO ONE CAN ANSWER YOUR CALL RIGHT NOW. SO LEAVE A MESSAGE WHEN YOU HEAR THE BEEP. "Darn it!!" she yelled as she slammed the cell phone shut. "Where's that man? Okay, that's it, Kent. No second chances! You just overstepped your boundary. I was going to forgive you, but now I'm not quite sure how long it will take!" Lois was so desperate to get back home that she grabbed the sunshield to use as a cover for her head and exited the Jeep. * * * * It took Lois a little over an hour to reach the brownstone. She was so wet and so tired that all she wanted to do was take a long, hot shower and go straight to bed. Gone were the thoughts of making love to Clark while the rain fell outside. She actually found herself cursing all rainstorms. Lois turned the doorknob, relieved to see the lights were still off. Clark wasn't home. #Here I am on broken wings. Quiet thoughts, unspoken dreams. Here I am alone again. I need her now to hold my hand. Lois dropped her bag as her mouth fell open. She must have been too distracted to notice it before. There was Clark, surrounded by candlelight, dressed in black silk boxers and waiting for her on the couch. "Lois," he remarked as he flashed her that famous Kent grin. He got off the couch and walked toward her. Everything moved in slow motion. Lois stood in awe at the sight before her. He touched her slightly on the shoulder. Lois jumped. "Huh?" "Sorry, Lois. I..." Clark searched for his words. Lois was soaked. Her clothes were so wet that he could see the outline of her shapely figure. "Lois, I...I... Aiyiyiiii!!!" *Okay Clark, get it together! Your wife is soaking wet. You need to make sure that she's okay. There will be enough time to stare at her figure later.* "I, um, uh...Lois, you're all wet!!!" "Of course I am, Clark! I mean, duh!" "Well, here, let me..." "Clark! Take your hands off me! All I want you to do right now is turn off that annoying song!!!" "Not much of a Ricky fan, huh?" Clark chuckled. "Clark, just do it, okay?" "Okay, okay. Hold on just a sec." *And I thought this CD promised to bring couples together, so to speak.* "I don't want to anger you any more than I have." He grabbed the remote and turned off the stereo. Lois stood there for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts. The water dripping from her clothes was creating a puddle under her feet, but she didn't care. She had more important things to worry about, one being what was going through her husband's mind. He actually thought he was going to make it up to her with a night of romance. *Ha! Well, he's got something else coming!* Lois tried to look away from what Clark was wearing--more like the lack of what he was wearing. Clark returned to the couch and Lois followed. "Lois, the couch!" "Okay, okay, Clark. I'll just sit on the floor." "But Lois, you're..." "Enough of that, Clark. Right now I don't care. What I want to talk about is all of this!" Sitting on the coffee table were a dozen red roses and a bowl full of chocolate covered strawberries. "Clark, do you really think these temptations would make me forget about today?" Clark slid off the couch and joined Lois on the floor. "Actually, Lois, I didn't. I was hoping that being with me would help. Those things on the table are merely decorations. I love you, Lois, and I want to show that to you. The love that we share is something really special and I don't want to lose that. If I had my way, you and I would go far away from this place. We'd be together, away from the rest of the world. We'd get lost within ourselves." Clark reached over and brushed her cheek. Lois remembered the first time Clark touched her that way. She had this sudden urge to melt into his arms. She experienced that same feeling every time he touched her. It was like the first time, over and over again. As Clark caressed her cheek, shivers went down her spine. "Lois, you're shivering! That's a good reason why you should get out of those wet clothes. I can warm you up in no time. I also brought down your favorite blanket." "What?" Clark reached behind the couch and brought out the blanket. He brought it near her face. "See? So here, let me help you with your dress." His body drew closer to hers. He wrapped his arms around her and reached for the dress zipper in the back. Lois pulled away. "Clark, no." "Shh, Lois," Clark silenced her with his soft lips. "Mmm...Clark." Lois' groan was an invitation to him. Clark's kisses grew deeper. He tasted the sweetness of her mouth. It was a taste he was longing for. He was apologizing to Lois without words. "Clark..." Clark reached behind Lois and unzipped her dress. He slipped the dress off her shoulders and rubbed his hands across her back. Lois groaned for more as she leaned into his muscular body. While Lois physically wanted to make love, she wasn't mentally ready to jump into the sack with Clark. *Lois! You need to focus here. You didn't become the strong news woman you are by submitting to someone you didn't want to.* Lois pulled away from him. "Clark, no." Clark wasn't listening. He grabbed Lois and brought her near his chest. She could feel the sweat dripping off him. *Come on, Lois! This is your husband here. Just walk away, Lois. Shove him away from you and yell NO!* "Clark. NO!" Lois put both her hands on Clark's chest and pushed herself off the floor. "What?" "I said no, Clark! I can't do this anymore." Lois had one hand on her dress as she tried to keep it up. She almost stumbled backwards as she tried to back away from Clark. Clark tried to get up to help her. "Clark, stay where you are. I don't want you to be anywhere near me." "Lois?" "Clark, I know what's on your mind and I just don't want to do that." "Um, honey, I don't know what to think. But you sure fooled me on the floor about thirty seconds ago." "I know that, Clark. Physically, I want to make love to you, but mentally I'm not ready to move on from what happened today. You really ticked me off and I don't think you realize that. You think making love to me will make everything better. Well, it won't! I don't want to make love to a man when I don't mean it." "Any man?" "Come on, Clark. You know what I mean! See? This just proves my point." Tears were welling up in her eyes. "You can't accept that Damian and I have a strictly professional relationship and it's driving you nuts!" "Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I should never say that. I know you'd never do anything like that to me." "You got that right! That's why I have to walk away. I can't make love to you, Clark, when I don't mean it! I'd only be doing it out of guilt. And that's just not right." "Lois..." Clark pleaded as a tear fell down his cheek. "Oh, my God, Clark. You're crying! I actually made you cry." Seeing Clark crying caused Lois to really lose it. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. "Lois, it's not a tear, it's just sweat." Lois knew that Clark was lying. She could see it in his eyes. Lois stood there for a moment and just looked at her husband through her tears. She had been crying so much it looked as if Clark was being covered in a thick fog. It reminded her of the nightmare she'd had last night. "Obviously you and I need to talk. But right now isn't a good time. I'm sorry!" Lois remarked. Clark picked up the remote and turned on the Ricky Martin CD. He lay on the floor and held the blanket close to him as he watched Lois run up the stairs. * * * * Damian took his date to a small Irish pub located in the heart of Metropolis called "Casey's Pub." "Bree, what a beautiful name." "Yeah, well, I come from an Irish family. This is our favorite pub. They have the best Irish food." Damian looked into her eyes. Her voice put him in a trance. He was in love. "Why are you looking at me that way?" Bree inquired. "What look?" "You keep staring at me. I bet you're shocked!" "Shocked?" "I bet you don't believe me when I say I'm Irish. Most people expect the red hair and green eyes. I have blonde hair and green-gray eyes." "Actually, I wasn't really thinking that. I was wondering what it would be like if I had my way with you..." "Damian!" Bree blushed. "Just kidding," Damian said as he kissed her left ring finger. * * * * The dessert tray passed the couple. Bree eyed it like a cheetah after its prey. "Well, how about some dessert?" "Actually, I was hoping we could have it in my apartment." Damian smiled. "Well, I don't know." "You might not know this, Bree, but I'm actually a great cook and I'm not talking about the kind of cook you're thinking of." Damian touched her on the nose and they both laughed. "Okay, your apartment sounds lovely." Damian hailed a cab. The two of them were sitting in the back of the car, holding hands. For the first time in her life, she was truly happy. This just might be Mr. Right. No more lonely nights for her. It took them only twenty minutes to reach his apartment. Damian lived in a studio apartment. It was more appropriate for an artist than a newspaperman. He walked over to his refrigerator and took out some chocolate mousse. Before he joined Bree on the couch, he picked up a spoon. "Here you go, my dear," Damian said as he brought the spoon up to Bree's red lips. "Mmm...this is really good!" "Thanks. I made it myself." Damian brought the fork back to her lips. As she was savoring the second serving of cake, Damian slipped off her jacket. "Damian, what are you doing?" "Hush," Damian said as he leaned over and engulfed her mouth with his. As the seconds passed, the kisses got deeper and deeper. Bree reached over to the buttons on his shirt. "Oh my gosh!" "What? Did I do something wrong?" "Oh, no darling. I just remembered something. That's all." "What?" "Actually, it's something I want to give you. I want to give it to you, before we go any further." "You got something for me?" "Yeah. It's crazy, but ever since I saw you behind that information desk, I instantly thought that you were the one!" "It's not so crazy, because I feel the same way." Damian reached over to the table next to the couch and pulled out a tiny box. "Bree, I'd like to give this to you as a token of our 'newfound' love." She opened the box and inside she found a tiny gold bracelet. "Wow, Damian. It's so beautiful!" "It's a beautiful bracelet for a beautiful woman. Here, let me help you put it on." "Wow." The bracelet shone on her wrist. "You look so beautiful, my dear, that I think I want a picture of you to capture this moment." "Okay." "Just stand over there and I'll get everything ready." Damian took a tiny, black contraption out of his back pocket. The black object looked a lot like a garage door opener. "Okay. Now just stand over there and look really pretty." Damian hit one of the buttons on the black device and a blue light shone all around her. "Wow, Damian. That's so cool! How do you do it?" "It's magic, my sweet. Now hold still." He hit another button, and all of a sudden it became really windy. The blue light turned into a funnel cloud. The funnel cloud was trying to pull Bree inside. It was so strong that it ripped the blouse right off her. "DAMIAN!!! Is this your idea of a joke?" "No, no, sweetheart. I just want this picture to be dramatic and seductive. So just hold still." Damian hit yet another button and the funnel became even stronger. It held Bree by both of her legs. The funnel was pushing her. "DAMIAN!" she wailed. "Just one second, my dear. I have to find the camera. Ah, here it is." "Damian! Please, help me! Can't you see I'm in trouble here?" Bree cried. "Camera shy, eh? Just smile pretty for me and it will be over real soon." "DAMIAN!!!" By now the only thing apart from the funnel was her head. "Okay, sweetheart, say good-bye as I snap the picture!" "Good-bye??? Damian, I'm scared!" "No, Bree, I'm not going to help you." "What? I thought you said you loved me?" "I lied. Sorry." "You lied?" "Yes, I lied. Now say good-bye." "No, please, Damian. Please help me out here." "I have no more use for you. So if you don't say good-bye, Bree, I will." Damian brought his finger near the last button on the device. "No, Damian! Don't touch that! Damian!!!! NOOOOO...." Bree's screams filled the room as Damian hit the button. Then there was silence. Bree and the blue funnel were gone. "Oh goody, it worked!" Damian said happily as he returned the black device to the table drawer. The only signs that Bree had been in the room were her jacket and blouse. He picked up the jacket and then the blouse. He brought them up to his nose. "Hmm...if only I was human and had a heart like Clark Kent's, we might have had a future together. Oh well," Damian remarked as he mashed the clothing together. He was so strong that he got it to the size of a ping-pong ball and threw in the garbage. His apartment only had one window. It was a bay window. Damian walked up to the window and looked at the dazzling city below. "Lois, Lois, Lois..." he cooed. "Lois, you're making this waaay too easy for me!" * * * * "Face it, Ms. Lane. He's gone," Mxy stated. "Clark? Clark? Clark???" Lois called out for him. "Your precious Clark is gone. This is what you wished for, am I right?" "NO!" "Well, my dear, you did wish for Superman to go away, so to speak. So, in essence, your wish was granted." "No...no..." Lois repeated as she slumped to the floor of the windowless room. "You know, I was going to kill you, but I've reconsidered. I'm going to let you live so we can be together." "I'd rather be stuck in this windowless room forever than to be with you!" "Oh, I know right now it doesn't sound like much. I'm just a simple imp. But think of the possibilities. Once I take over the world, you and I can rule together. I may have superpowers, but one thing I can assure you is that I'd never run away--or should I say, fly away--to help some stupid human in need! Especially if we were in the middle of something important." Mxy winked. Lois had a look of disgust on her face. "Well, that's where you and Clark differ." "I know. Isn't it great?" "No." "Okay, I admit I don't look like flyboy, but I think you could grow to love me, especially if I look like.... Well, I'd better stop there. I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise." Mxy moved closer to Lois and ran his finger down her cheek. Lois slapped his hand. "Ooh, feisty, are we? I love that in a woman. Nonetheless, I'll eventually tame you. We must get going now." "NO!" "Ms. Lane, there's no choice. You must come!" "No! STAY AWAY FROM ME!" As Mxy drew closer to Lois, his body turned into a huge, black fog cloud. The cloud started to overcome Lois. "No!!! Clark? Help me! Clark, where are you??? Clark!!!" Suddenly, Lois shot out of bed. "Oh my God! It was just a dream." Lois looked over at her husband sleeping peacefully beside her. She took her right hand and ran it down his cheek. "Oh, Clark..." Clark shifted unconsciously toward her. Startled, Lois grabbed part of the quilt and handed it to him. Clark hugged it tightly to his chest. * * * * Monday morning was breaking in Metropolis. Early morning traffic was atrocious at the beginning of the week, so Lois and Clark liked to start out early. The bedroom was quiet except for the sound of Clark's heavy breathing. "Lois, I'm so sorry..." "Shh, Clark. It's okay. I completely forgive you." "Lois, I..." "No, Clark. No, no, no! Just shut up and kiss me." Lois stood up and unzipped her dress, letting it fall to the floor. Clark reached over and touched her legs. He made a trail of kisses that started at her feet. As he went farther and farther up her body, she sank lower and lower to the ground. Pretty soon Clark was watching the candlelight playing upon Lois' stomach. Watching Lois' body glowing in the candlelight only fueled his desire. He kissed her mouth with a fury like a desert-dweller who had just found a reservoir. He then traveled down her neck and to her shoulders. Lois groaned in appreciation. "Lois..." "Clark..." "Lois..." "Mmm...Clark..." "Lois, Lois...LOIS!" Clark sat up straight, rubbing his eyes. He had yelled her name so loud that it had startled him out of bed. *Well, I guess I won't have to worry about that alarm going off today. I just hope Lois slept through it.* Clark opened his eyes and looked down. He was hugging Lois' pillow, but there was no Lois. On the night stand was a note: I went to the auto body shop to get the Jeep fixed. Lois "Arggh!" Clark yelled as he crumbled the note and then threw it across the bedroom. * * * * Clark left the brownstone around seven, but didn't get to the Planet until nine. He was so depressed that he decided to walk. Why bother getting to work on time if Lois wasn't going to be there? He did a lot of thinking on his long walk, coming to the conclusion that Lois' distanced attitude toward him was eating him up inside. He no longer cared about the Daily Planet and his career. If Lois didn't care about him, then he didn't care about himself. He was only going to the Planet in hopes of seeing his wife. He stepped out of the elevators and into the Pit. No one seemed to notice that Clark was running an hour late. It was Monday morning, so news was breaking all over the place. Part of Clark was disappointed that no one noticed him walking into the Planet. He could've really used the attention. Clark headed on over to his desk and did a double-take. "Lois?" Lois sat at her desk, answering email. "Lois, what are you doing here?" "Oh, hi, Clark," Lois didn't even glance at him. She continued answering email. "I thought your note said you'd be at the auto body shop." "It did. And I was heading there until I bumped into Damian. He gave me a jump-start." "I bet he did," Clark muttered under his breath. "What was that?" "Oh, nothing." "Whatever, Clark. Since I know you, it was probably an insult toward Damian and frankly I don't give a damn what you think." "Lois, instead of answering your email, I think you and I should talk." "For your information, this happens to be more important then arguing about something petty with you!" Things were heating up. Clark took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself down. He didn't want to make a spectacle of himself, especially in front of his colleagues. Fortunately for Lois and unfortunately for Clark, Damian came running out of the conference room. "Hey Lois! Perry told me that he'd meet with us in about a half an hour to discuss my theory. He'd have made it earlier except for the fact that he's arguing with the printers. It has something to do with a possible union strike." "You have a theory?" Clark inquired. "Yes, he does, and a very intelligent one, if I might add," Lois answered. "Thanks, Lois. I have a theory about the robbery at the jewelry store. Around the same time the store was robbed, a couple of prison inmates broke out of jail. I think they might be involved." "Oh?" "Clark, don't treat him that way! He spent a long time working on this. I bet he came up with more then you did!" "Well..." "Clark, you're welcome to join us in the conference room. I can give you more details in there." "Hold it right there, Kent." Lois' hands brushed Clark's chest. Clark wanted her do that all day, if that meant he could have some physical contact. "Before you go charging into our meeting, I need to know what you've got." "Got?" "Yeah, what have you learned so far about the robberies?" "Um, nothing." "Nothing. Well, it's been nice seeing you." "Lois..." "Clark, you know my rule. If you don't have anything to report, then you can't join my conferences." "But Lois..." "Yeah, Lois. Maybe you should let him join." "No, Damian. I try never to break any of my rules. In this case I'm not going to make an exception, even if he's my husband. So let's get going before Perry wonders where we are." Lois walked toward the conference room and Damian followed. She looked back at Clark, who was clearly angry. His whole body shook as he sat down at this desk. "I guess I'll be seeing you sometime at home." Clark was resting his face on the desk and didn't look up. * * * * A half an hour had passed. Perry was still on the phone. Clark looked up and stared into the window. Lois looked up at the same time and stared at Clark. After a few seconds, she turned away and moved closer to Damian. They both started to laugh. Lois and Damian were enjoying themselves at Clark's expense. "DARN IT, LOIS, what am I going to do with you?" Clark cried as he threw the computer keyboard to the ground. The buzzing stopped. Everyone in the Planet turned around to look at Clark Kent, who was clearly having a mental breakdown. He stood up and threw his chair across the room. It almost hit someone in the head. "Darn it, darn it, darn it!" he yelled. He dropped to the floor as tears started to stream out of his eyes. "Lois, no. Lois! NO!!!" He covered his ears as he yelled. No one came to assist him. They were all too shocked. Lois looked out at Clark, like a deer caught in headlights. She stood frozen like a statue. Perry came charging out of his office. "What in the Sam Hill is going on here? Can't you see I'm in the middle of a really important phone call, folks?" The room remained still except for the sound of Clark on the floor. He was mumbling something to himself. "Judas Priest! Kent, are you all right?" Perry noticed Clark lying on the floor. He walked over to him and tapped Clark on the shoulder. Clark jumped like a frightened animal. "Uh, hey, it's okay. It's just me, Perry. Is everything all right, son?" "Lois..." "Lois? Well, she's in the conference room right now. Would you like to talk to her?" "Lois.... She doesn't love...she doesn't love me anymore. So I can't go on..." "Kent! Where did you go off and get a cotton picking idea like that? The woman is madly in love with you, son. I knew it from the first day she met you!" "She told me she doesn't care..." Perry looked up at Lois. All she could do was shrug her shoulders. "Okay, well, it looks like something is clearly bothering you right now. So why don't you pick yourself off the ground and we can talk in my office." Clark got up off the ground while Perry patted him on the back. "Now that's good, son. Just follow me, and if you want to, you can talk to Lois a bit later." While Perry led Clark to his office, Clark looked back at Lois. They both stared at each other with blank eyes. Clark looked away from Lois when Damian came up behind her and gave her a hug. * * * * "Kent? Is everything okay? You're acting mighty peculiar. You're not yourself." "No, Chief. I'm not okay! I'm having major problems with Damian Johansen! That man has practically ruined my life since he joined the Planet and he has charmed his way into Lois' life. He's trying to take her away from me and he's doing a DAMN good job of it! Did you know that Lois and I haven't...well, you know...in quite a while now! Hell, I don't even remember the last time we did. All I can say is that we haven't done much of anything since he's been here! GOD, he's making me so mad!!!!" "Okay, okay, Kent. Now, we don't need to go around using those kind of words." "Well, I'm sorry, Chief, but he is!" "Kent. I think your problem is that you're not giving him a chance. Damian can be really nice once you get to know him. But son, you immediately went off the deep end once he showed any attention toward Lois. Damian and Lois are just friends. Heck, the boy even went on a date last night and from what I've heard, it went really well. So don't worry Kent. It's not like he's Lex Luthor." "This is exactly what I mean, Chief! He has everyone duped, including you! That's it. I gotta get out of here." Clark walked over toward the door. "What the heck? The doorknob won't turn." "I thought it would be best if you stayed in here for a while, son." "No, no, no..." Clark started running his fingers wildly through his hair. He started pulling on his clothes. Clark pulled so hard on his shirt that he ripped it open. "Oh, great! Now look what I did. My shirt is ripped!!! Darn it, I can't take this much longer..." A crowd of people gathered outside the office. When Clark started tugging on the door, most people fled in fear that he was going to break a window. Only Jimmy and Lois remained. Clark wasn't in control of himself and there was nothing she could do about it. Lois almost regretted not making up with Clark last night, but she had to do it. She was relieved that Clark was sensible enough to keep his superpowers from getting the best of him. Although, she found it odd that Clark wasn't wearing the suit under his clothes. Maybe he forgot it, as a result of all of the confusion. That confusion was probably a blessing in disguise. People would have definitely figured out who Clark Kent really was if they had seen the 'S' on his chest. Perry looked over at Jimmy and mouthed the words, "Call the police." Henderson and his men were there in less then two minutes. It was almost as though they were waiting for Perry's call. They burst into the office. Inside they found Clark beating on the garbage can. Perry was in the corner of the room, hugging his Elvis picture. Clark could destroy anything in that room except for Elvis. Nobody touched that picture except for Perry himself. "Clark Kent, this is Inspector Henderson, from the Metropolis Police Department. You're under arrest for disturbing the peace and destroying public property." "Excuse me?" "You heard me, buddy. Now put your hands behind your back!" "Hey!" Clark yelled as one of Henderson's men pinned him down and slapped the handcuffs on. "You have the right to remain silent...anything you say will be used against you in a court of law. You have a right to an attorney; if you cannot afford it, one will be appointed for you..." "You can't do this to me, Henderson! I need to talk to Lois!" "I don't think so. You need to calm down before you go scaring Lois half to death." "No!!!" Clark screamed. "Take him away, fellas..." Clark was being dragged out the door. He tried to break free, but to no avail. Clark's flailing around made it hard for the police to get him out the door. "Clark?" Lois watched her husband being dragged off in handcuffs and she started to cry. "I'm sorry, honey," Perry remarked as he walked up to Lois and gave her a hug. "Clark!" Lois yelled as she broke way from Perry. Clark looked up at her with reddened eyes. She ran up to him and gave him a prolonged kiss on the lips. "Lois, you took quite a chance there. Are you nuts???" Inspector Henderson inquired. "I know, Henderson. I really don't know why I did it. I guess I just hoped it would calm him down." "Well, I'd love to stay and chitchat, but I've got a man to book into jail. Good day, Ms. Lane, Mr. White." "NO, DON'T TAKE ME AWAY!!!! Lois needs me. She just said so with her kiss. Please let me go!!!" Lois wiped the tears from her face and returned to the conference room. * * * * When they got to the police station, Henderson locked Clark up in an empty cell. "Clark, I'm not really going to arrest you. I just had to say that because it's standard procedure. Perry and I thought it would be best if you 'cooled your heels' at the police station." "Whatever." "Seriously, Clark. I'm sorry this is happening to you. You're usually a pretty cool-headed, mild-mannered sort of guy. So this must be a pretty major thing between you and Lois. I just don't like seeing any of my colleagues hurt, especially you." Clark wasn't in the mood to listen to Henderson's sympathy violins, so he turned around and stared at the wall. "Well, I guess I'll be going now. I'm going to leave you at the station for a couple of hours. I was going to bring you back home by squad car, but I don't think that would be a good idea. I don't want to ruin your wonderful reputation that you have within our community." * * * * [Back at the Planet] "Can you believe it, Damian? Clark was arrested! I can't believe that Perry would do something like that." "Well, Lois, he was disturbing the peace, while harassing you. The guy almost hit someone in the head with his chair! I know it wasn't on purpose, but I think sometimes he underestimates his own strength." "Clark wasn't harassing me." "He wasn't? Then what do you call his constant calling out of your name and his need to get near you?" "I call that desperation, not harassment. Clark was desperate to talk to me." "Oh, come on, Lois. Even Perry felt it was best to lock him up. He looks toward you as his daughter. He wanted to make sure you were okay and he wasn't going to take a chance with Clark. "I know..." "I usually don't like to get involved in personal affairs, but I can't believe you've totally forgotten about last weekend. The way Clark was watching some stupid baseball game instead of working on the story." "I haven't forgotten!" "As I said, I don't want to get involved, but you might want to remind yourself what got you there in the first place. But instead of wallowing in our own misfortunes, why don't we do some investigating?" "Well..." "Come on, Lois. We can stop by the prison and check things out. I might not be Clark, but I'd honored if you'd be my partner." * * * * [Inside the Metropolis Police Station] "Okay, John. I'll get on it right away. But next time remember to bring a three-layer cake instead of a one-layer cake. The more frosting, the better!" The cake man turned around and noticed Clark staring at the wall. "Clark? Hey, Clark, it's me, Bobby Bigmouth." Clark turned away from the wall. "Bobby?" "Yeah, buddy. Long time no see!" "Yeah..." "I heard you and Lois got hitched a while ago. Congrats! So how are you? Oh, wait a minute. What am I saying? Here you are, stuck in a jail cell and I'm asking you how you feel! Sorry, man." "That's okay." "By the way, why are you stuck in the slammer? Is it for a story?" "Not exactly. Besides, it's a long story and you probably don't have time" "Lucky for you, Clark, I just ate some cake, so spill it." * * * * [Inside the prison] "Damian, this isn't worth it. Let's go." "Ah, come on, Lois, we just got here. We haven't even begun our investigation and we have so many inmates to talk to." "Well, I don't want to talk to them, so let's go and we can pick up the police report on the way out." "Lois, why are acting so weird? Are you afraid?" "Yes." "Well, don't be. You have me to protect you," Damian remarked as he pulled Lois to his waist. "Well, that's easy for you to say." Lois pushed herself away from him. "You don't have men staring at you like a play toy!" "Lois, what's up with you? I thought you were the world's best investigative reporter. The woman who took risks, who wasn't afraid of danger." "Well, that's because I have Clark with me. I feel safe with him. I know that nothing bad will ever happen to me. He gathers me up in his strong arms and I just want to stay there forever. Obviously, I didn't know it at the time, but meeting Clark was the best thing that has ever happened to me. Falling in love with him has been so easy, I don't know why I fought it for so long..." Lois looked out a window and sighed. Her fingers brushed the glass. * * * * "Jeez, that's quite a story." "You believe me, don't you?" "Oh, yeah, man. You're my friend. And I take your word over his. Personally, Damian sounds a little psycho to me." "Tell me about it." "Tell you what, I'll keep close tabs on this Damian character and I'll do it for free. I really want Lois and you to make up. Plus there's something about Damian I just don't like." "Wow, thanks a lot!" "No problem. Just think of this as my way of paying you back for all those meals!" Bobby and Clark chuckled as Inspector Henderson returned. "Hey, Bobby! I just came back to tell Clark that he's free to go. But before I let you go, why don't I take a quick trip to the Planet and find Lois." "Actually, Inspector, you won't find her there." "Why, Bobby?" "Well, I tried calling down there because I had some news on the robberies, but Lois wasn't there. Jimmy said something about Lois and Damian heading down to the prison." "WHAT?" The men looked over at Clark, who started tugging on the bars. "Okay, okay, Kent. Calm down. It's going to be okay," Inspector Henderson reassured. "Yeah, Clark. I'll go find her and bring her back here!" * * * * "Lois!" "Bobby? Oh my God! I haven't seen you in months! Come here." Lois gave him a big hug. For the first time in a few days, Lois actually looked truly happy. "Bobby...I'm so glad to see you! This place is weirding me out so much! Oh, how rude of me. Bobby Bigmouth, this is Damian Johansen. Bobby, Damian. Damian, Bobby." "So this is Damian, hmm?" Bobby said as he shook his hand. "What?" Damian asked. "Oh, nothing. It's just that I've heard a lot about you." "Good things, I hope." "Um, yeah. Hey, Lois, I was looking for you because they're ready to release Clark from the police station. "They are?" Lois' face lit up. "Yeah, so let's get going." "Okay, good. I'm so excited about seeing Clark again. Um, Damian if it's not too much trouble..." "Yes, I can finish up here. No problem, Lois. You go have fun with Clark!" Damian leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Tell Perry I'll see him tomorrow. And thanks again. You're such a lifesaver!" * * * * "Clark!" He looked up and his eyes widened. Lois was reaching through the bars to get to him. He saw true love reflecting in her eyes. "Can someone please open this annoying piece of junk? Inspector?" "Okay, okay, Lois! Between you and Clark, I've had my hands full!" The Inspector unlocked the prison door and Lois rushed in. "Oh, God, Clark! Oh, Clark, oh, Clark, oh, Clark!" She repeated his name as she madly kissed his face. At that moment Clark wanted to collapse into her arms. "Come on, let's go home. I have so much to say. And you don't have to worry about the Planet because I told Perry we'd be taking the rest of the day off!" Lois smiled as she ran her finger down his chest. * * * * On the way home, Lois kept rubbing her right hand up and down his leg. Clark leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes. He felt her hand travel up to his crotch and he jumped. "Oh, I'm sorry, Clark!" Lois blushed. "No. There's no need to apologize. I was just a little startled. You haven't touched me there in quite a while. That's all." "Well, hopefully that'll change," Lois said huskily. Clark looked up to the sky and whispered, "Thank you!" Lois giggled. * * * * When they got home, Lois led Clark to the couch. "Okay, Clark. Now I think we should talk before we go any further," Lois said between kisses. "Although my hormones think otherwise. I'm willing to forget everything that happened in the last couple of days if you're willing to do something for me..." "What is it, sweetheart?" Clark asked her as he pressed his lips hard upon her shoulder. "You have to tell Damian that you're sorry." "What?" "Come on. The guy has apologized constantly for moving in between the two of us. The least you could do is say you're sorry that you went off the handle toward him." "Lois...I can't believe you're actually suggesting this!" "Well, if we want to put this far behind us, this is what we have to do." "I can't believe I actually have to pull a 'Lois' right now!" "Excuse me?" "I'm going to get up and walk out! That's pulling a 'Lois.'" "Clark!" "Lois, you know I can't apologize to him. So if you can't accept that, then forget it!" "Darn it, Clark! You're making it so hard to move on. I want to move on from here. I want to turn on some soft music and make love to you." "Lois, you know I'd make love to you in a heartbeat, but I can't go against something I believe in." "Clark..." Lois reached out to Clark who was now standing. "Lois, I really don't want to travel down this road again. If today is any indication of how unstable I am, then it's best that I leave now. Excuse me." "But Clark..." He walked up the stairs as Lois was pleading for him to stay. He headed straight for the bedroom. Lois put her hands to her eyes and sobbed. * * * * Clark closed the bedroom door and flopped on the bed. He stared up at the ceiling and sighed. *What am I going to do? Maybe I should've just said I'd apologize. No, I can't do that! That would be lying and I can't lie! Arrgh! I need to get out of this nightmare!!* Then a light bulb went off in his head. He was going to call the two people who could help him in any situation. The people he had been meaning to put on the bedroom phone speed dial. "Hello?" "Mom!" "Clark!" "Hi, son!" "Hello, Dad!" "It's so nice to hear your voice again." "I know, Mom. I miss you guys, too, now that I can't...you know...anymore." "Yeah..." Martha's voice took a somber tone. The day that Clark lost his powers was a sad day for the Kents. It hit them like a ton of bricks. It felt like they had lost a beloved member of the family. "Son, you sound a bit agitated. Are you okay?" "Yeah, Dad, I'm fine. Actually, no, I'm not! I'm having major problems communicating with Lois." "Aww, that's too bad, honey. Just remember that married couples go through this a lot! Heck, your father and I went for days without speaking to each other." "But Mom, it's not like that. There's another man who's coming between us." "Oh no!" "That's not the half of it! She's dumped me as a partner and gone off with this character!" "Oh, honey.... Do you want me to fly out there and go talk to her?" "No, Mom. I think we're okay." "Do you think she's in love with him, son?" "No! No...I mean, the Christmas tree lights are still working. Except for a few times, when we have tried to plug the lights in and things went POOF!" "Well, has Lois been under a lot of stress?" "Yeah, your father makes a good point. Is she under a lot of stress, Clark?" "Perry did assign her to a jewelry break-in story and she can't seem to find any leads. But what I don't understand is why she leans toward this inexperienced reporter when she and I have been together for years! So I make one mistake and go off and watch a baseball game when I should've been working on the story! What else was I supposed to do when Lois was ignoring me? Because of the distance she's creating between us, I was arrested! Well, not exactly arrested, but I was still thrown into jail!" "Yeah, we heard about that. Mr. White called us about it. I hope you know that your father and I are very disappointed in you! But now it all makes sense." "Excuse me?" "Well, it's obvious that Lois is angry at you, and frankly, I don't blame her. You left her alone with the story. She was left with the other guy who knew nothing..." "But Mom..." "Hush, Clark. Lois is mad at you because you were watching sports instead of working. With both of you on the case, you could've solved it in a matter of hours. That way you could've had more time with yourselves and you wouldn't be experiencing this Christmas light problem." "Your mother does have a good point, son." "Um, whose side are you on here? I thought you were on my side. I'm your son!" "Yes, but Lois is our daughter now and this time we support her." Clark punched the mattress. "Well, I better go...I just realized I have an article to work on. Bye." Clark hung up the phone before his parents could respond. Clark picked up his black gym bag from off the floor. He started filling it with clothes. He was determined to get out of the brownstone as soon as possible. When Clark finished packing his bag and swung it over his shoulder, he walked downstairs and found Lois busily taking notes while she watched the five o'clock news. "Lois?" "Yeah..." Lois hit the mute button on the TV. "Wait a minute, why the bag? Are you on a stakeout?" "No, not exactly. Lois, I'm leaving you..." "What?" Tears started spilling out of her eyes. "No, no, no. Please don't cry. I didn't mean it like that, sorry! What I meant to say was that I'm going away for a while, temporarily. Well, at least for tonight." "Oh." "You and I have been fighting so much that I think the best thing right now is to have some time apart. I'll be at the Lexor if you need me." "Okay." "See you tomorrow, sweetheart. I love you." Clark leaned over and gave her a kiss on the lips. He wanted to carry her off to the bedroom, but he painfully controlled his hormones. * * * * "Lois, can I speak with you?" "Yeah, sure, Chief. Let me just finish sending this email." "Okay, honey." Lois hit the enter button on the computer keyboard and walked into Perry's office. "Lois, honey. Are you all right? You're dressed all in black." Lois looked down at her sweater and skirt. "Hey, yeah! I guess not having Clark next to me in bed can do that to me!" Lois chuckled. "Honey, it'll get better, I swear. You don't need to fake happiness with me. I know how much you're hurting inside." Perry gave Lois a big hug. "Thanks, Perry, for caring so much." "It's no problem. I like to look after my top reporters!" The phone rang. "Ah, Lois, I'd better get that." "Yeah, Chief. I think I'll call Bobby and ask him for an update." Lois walked out of Perry's office and headed for her desk. "Hello?" "Perry?" "Oh, hi, son! How's it going?" "It's okay. I'm just about to leave for the Planet. I'm at the Lexor right now." "Yeah, I heard. Lois was devastated last night..." "What?" "Lois called Alice and me last night in tears. She told us that she couldn't sleep because you weren't next to her." "She had that problem, too?" "I mean, you should have heard her, Kent. She was heartbroken. Alice and I offered her our guest room, but she refused. We figured she probably cried herself to sleep." "Is she still at home?" "No, she's here at the Planet, but she doesn't look so good. The woman dressed in black and she didn't even realize it until I pointed it out to her." "Oh." "I think Lois could really use the company, if you know what I mean." "Oh...okay. Well, anyway, I'll be at the Planet in about ten minutes." "Okay, Kent. See you then." * * * * Lois sat at her desk and stared at her screensaver, a flying Superman cape. She really missed Clark, but she didn't know how to tell him. She figured he wanted nothing to do with her. Lois heard the elevator doors open and her face lit up. *Clark?* It wasn't Clark. It was Damian. Lois quickly grabbed a pad of paper and a pencil. She wanted to look busy. "Hey, Lois!" She didn't answer him. *Hmm...she must be busy.* Damian walked off in the direction of the cafeteria. The elevator doors pinged again. Lois was afraid to look up. But much to her surprise, it was Clark. He was wearing his typical Daily Planet attire, along with one of his goofy ties. Clark walked up behind Lois and touched her shoulders. "Hi," he said as he kissed her cheek. Lois felt a tingle go up her spine. "Hi." The air was quiet for a few minutes until Perry yelled out of his office door. "Lois. Clark. Could you please come in here for a minute?" They walked toward his office. This would be the first time in a while that they had actually been in a room together. Damian was eating a doughnut when he saw them walk by. He smiled, but Lois didn't respond. Clark wondered if Damian had done something to Lois that upset her. He shot Damian the evil eye. Damian quickly went back to eating his doughnut. "Hey, you two, I'm going to re-team you guys on the robbery story. I'm going to reassign Damian to another beat with Jimmy." "Okay..." Lois' voice trailed off. "Inspector Henderson says that he looks forward to working with you both again. He's the one who suggested this partnership. Even if you're at each other's throats!" Lois snickered. "What's so funny?" Clark asked. "Oh, nothing. I just had this really funny mental picture." "Oh!" Clark and Lois were both laughing now. Their hands brushed and they smiled. "Well, if you two are totally against this, then I won't force you to do it! I just think that having Lane and Kent on the case would move the investigation along quicker. But please don't do anything that would make you feel uncomfortable," Perry babbled. "It's fine, Perry. We're on the case!" Lois and Clark said in unison. Their eyes widened. "Well, I guess we've still got the magic!" Clark remarked as he brushed her cheek with his finger. "Hmm..." Lois answered. "Great! Then why don't you two kids go compile your notes while I call Inspector Henderson and tell him you two are on the case!" Lois and Clark walked back to her desk. "Lois..." "Clark..." They could hold back their emotions no longer. They grabbed onto each other for a huge embrace. "I missed you so much, Clark!" "I know..." "Let's never fight again!" "Mmm..." Lois could clearly tell that her husband was thinking the same thing she was, so she leaned over and whispered something in his ear. Clark smiled and grabbed her hand. They walked out of the Pit together. They walked down the hallway until they came to a door marked: STORAGE ROOM. This wasn't the same room that Perry caught Clark trying to go out the window a few years ago. This room was never used, except when Lois and Clark needed a little private time. Clark took a little key out of a nook inside the wall. When he unlocked the door, Lois pushed him inside and slammed the door shut. She shoved Clark all the way to the wall and then she started feverishly kissing his mouth. Clark returned the kisses with just as much passion. He started loosening his tie as Lois went for his pants. The pants made a whooshing noise as they fell to the floor. Clark groaned, as Lois reached for his briefs... "You know, you guys really should remember to lock the door." Lois screamed and Clark almost lost his footing as he scrambled to button up his pants. The embarrassed pair turned around to see Jimmy standing in the doorway. "JIMMY!" they both exclaimed. "Ha-ha! I figured you'd both be in here!" "Huh?" Clark remarked. "Excuse me?" Lois asked. "Lois, don't assume that we all don't know where you and Clark go. The whole news room knows, except for Perry." "OY!" "At first we weren't quite sure what was going on, but we caught on real fast! You go down a hallway that's rarely used. The only thing down there is that storage room that hasn't seen the light of day in years! What really gives it away is when you come out twenty minutes later with the biggest grins!" Jimmy started cracking up. Their faces turned a deep shade of red. In all of the confusion, Clark had forgotten to zip up his fly. The sound of his zipper broke up Jimmy's laughter. "Well, I guess we'll just have to find a better hiding place, won't we?" "Uh, yeah. Well, if it's so important to come in here and interrupt us, then spill it, Jimmy!" Lois said in an agitated voice. It took Jimmy a few seconds to actually respond. It finally dawned on him what he had just witnessed. It actually turned him on a bit. Then he felt bad. Clark was clearly about to 'get some' and he'd ruined it by opening the door. "Wow..." Jimmy muttered to himself. "What?" Lois asked. "Oh! Well, I...um...I was just reacting to this note Perry wanted me to give you." Lois took the note from Jimmy and opened it. "Oh my God!" "What?" Clark asked as he looked over her shoulder. "It says here that Bree from Information has officially been listed as missing. Also, someone from Lulu's old hangout was put on the 'missing persons' list. I guess that means we'd better give these people a visit." "Sounds like old times again." Clark grinned. "Yeah, to a point." Lois shot Jimmy a look. "What? I'm sorry, but you two were the one's who left the door unlocked!" Clark shook his head and chuckled as he patted Jimmy on the back. * * * * "Damian, did you hear the news?" "No, what happened?" "Your date, Bree from Information, is reported missing." "Oh no!" "When was the last time you saw her?" "When I took her to my place." Damian looked toward Clark for the international sign for 'Oh, you scored!' but instead Clark rolled his eyes. "Well, uh...she left soon after!" "Okay, Damian. Clark and I are going to look into this." "Hey, can I help?" "No, Damian, not this time. Perry is going to reassign you to a different story. He figures that this story is a little too complicated for a new reporter to deal with." "Oh." "Plus, I want to spend more time with my husband. We're partners and I think lately I've been forgetting that." Perry stuck his head out of the door. "Damian? Could you please come here for a minute?" Damian turned towards Perry's office. "Well, it looks like Perry needs me, so I'd better get going. I hope your investigation is successful." "Arrgh!" "What is it, sweetheart?" "It's just Damian. You know, Clark, you're actually right! That guy is getting so clingy. And do you know how much I want you right now?" "A little louder, Lois...sheesh!" "Well, I'm sorry, but I do! If I could, I'd take you right here!" "Hehe Lois...you have no clue what this conversation is doing to my...well, you know. But why don't we go investigate now and then play later before we embarrass ourselves again!" Clark winked. "Okay. But not before I do this!" Lois pulled Clark by the tie and kissed him full on the lips. Clark had this sudden urge to rip her clothes off. It took a lot of control for him not to put his hand up her shirt. *Man...Lois. Sometimes you make it really hard to control myself!* Their smooching was interrupted by someone in the back of the Pit yelling, "Get a room!" "Ah, shut up!" Lois answered back as she and Clark laughed. * * * * "Ah, that's so sad..." "I know." "I have this really weird feeling that Bree is dead,or that they'll never find her." "Yeah." "What really got to me was seeing her mother and sister break down in tears over the thought of Bree being gone." "While they were thinking of that, I was thinking of a life without you, Lois..." "Oh, Clark...I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere." Lois quickly kissed his lips and continued driving. They were going to Lulu's Place. Lois parallel parked the Jeep. She was one of the best parallel parkers in the city, besides Clark. Clark could just use his body to move the stubborn vehicle. Lois couldn't help smiling as she thought about the little dance his posterior did every time he hit the car. She looked over at her husband. Her eyes seemed to wander to his belt buckle. She started to mentally undo it as a smile spread across her face. Her thoughts were broken up when she heard Clark's voice. "Are you okay?" "Hmm...yeah, I'm okay." "Okay. It just looked like, for a moment there, that you were on another planet." "Oh, I was! I was on the planet of Clark!" "Uh-huh..." Clark said as he raised an eyebrow. "I just can't stop thinking about tonight," Lois added as she leaned over the passenger seat to play with Clark's belt buckle. "I know. We haven't done this in a lifetime!" "I want this so bad that I'm even considering playing hooky!" Lois said as she started blowing in Clark's ear. "Lois and hooky?! Hmm..." "Hey, cowboy! I've been known to play hooky occasionally..." she purred. Lois took her index finger and ran it slowly down Clark's chest. This caused Clark to shift uncomfortably in his seat. It wasn't because he didn't like it. It was that he was really liking it. "I...um...I..." "Really, Clark. You're so tense. You need to sit back and enjoy the ride..." "Now, now, Lois. We promised Perry we would do this. The sooner we do this, the sooner we can go home and play 'hooky!'" "Yeah, I know. It's just I can't get you out of my mind..." "Same here. But I think I found a way to temporarily cure us of this problem." "Okay, anything." "On the count of three, let's both close our eyes and think of the person that annoys us the most!" "Okay..." "Well, do you have a better idea?" "No." "Well?" "Oh, what the heck! I guess it's worth a shot." "Good. Okay, on the count of three. One...two...three." The couple closed their eyes for about ten seconds. "Okay, I'm cured!" Lois exclaimed. "Me too!" Clark added. "Who did you think of?" Lois asked. "Lex Luthor. And you?" "Cat Grant." Lois and Clark laughed. "Well, I guess that tells us something," Clark commented. "Yep, it certainly does! But let's get going. The hookers await us! Jeez, that sounded so bad!" "Yep." Clark laughed loudly. * * * * "I figure you've heard the news already." "Yes, sir." "I'm sorry about Bree being missing. She was probably someone special." "Yes, she is, Mr. White, and I won't give up until she's found!" "But you'll do it from a distance. I'm sorry, but I can't have you working on the case with Lois and Clark. You're just too close to the victim." "I understand." "I promise you, Lois and Clark will let you know if any new information breaks. But until we hear anything, I'm going to team you up with Olsen. You guys can work on a lighter story. It'll be something to get your mind off the fact that your girlfriend is missing." "Okay." "I think Olsen said something about a motorcycle convention. Does that sound like something you'd like to cover?" "Yeah. I actually own a motorcycle, so I was thinking about heading down there anyway." "Great! I'll sign you two up for that story. You should find Olsen in the dark room." * * * * "Hey, would you look at that," Lois remarked. She and Clark were walking down an alley until they came to the famous corner where Lulu used to frequent. Lulu, or 'Long Legs' Lulu as her clients liked to call her, had been killed a couple of years ago in this same place. "What do you know, Lulu actually has a place!" Across the street stood a small tent. Hanging above the front flap was a piece of paper. Written on it, in big block letters were the words, LULU'S PLACE. "I wonder if it's 'first-come, first served,' or it's just one big orgy?" Lois questioned. "Uh..." Clark muttered as he held onto Lois' hand tighter. "Clark?" "I, um...I...just want to keep you safe. There's something about this alley that I just don't like!" "I know...and thanks." Lois brought his hand up to her lips and kissed his fingers. Clark smiled. They walked across the street and into the tent. The tent seemed bigger once they were inside. Actually, the tent seemed to fill the whole back alley. The interior was covered from floor to ceiling in red satin. "Talk about being tacky..." Lois whispered. "I don't know. I kinda like it! Red satin sorta turns me on!" "Oh, stop it!" Lois exclaimed as she playfully hit him in the stomach. In the corner of the room sat a seedy man at a small desk. He looked like a cross between Miami Vice and the A-Team. He was wearing white cargo pants, a Hawaiian shirt, and gold chains. He had black, greasy hair and olive skin. It looked like he hadn't shaved in a few days and he had a small gap between his front teeth. Lois looke