"CLARKIE: A Lois & Clark Thanksgiving Story" By Leigh Raglan Rated PG First published -- November 1994 Revised & Resubmitted March 2004 Copyrighted (c) 1994, 1998, and 2004 by Leigh Raglan All Rights Reserved [Author’s note: Continuity-wise, this story follows second season episode "That Old Gang of Mine" in which Clark got shot and had to pretend he had been killed to avoid revealing he was really Superman. There are also references to events in earlier first and second season episodes. At the time this story was originally written in 1994, although caller ID was available in some places, it still was not commonplace (at that time when I lived in Manhattan, it wasn’t even available in my neighborhood), which is why Clark didn't have to worry about calling Perry from his apartment when he was suppose to be in Smallville (one fan wrote me asking about this, hence this explanation). The computer game Lois plays is fictional but was based on some non-Windows PC graphic action games of the early to mid-1990s such as the original three non-3D Duke Nukum games by Apogee, and 3D Epic game, Jazz Jackrabbit, which really was a pink bunny! Since this story is a romantic holiday story told predominantly from Clark's point of view, there are a few places where I refer to him as Clark even though he’s dressed as Superman, to emphasize it is Clark in the costume. -- Leigh Raglan] * * * * * * * * * * * Daily Planet Newsroom -- Lois Lane sat back in her chair, yawned and stretched. When she looked up she saw her partner, Clark Kent, smiling at her. "Tired, Lois?" "A bit. Writing about little old ladies being fleeced by insurance scams takes something out of me. Especially when it happens around the holidays." Clark grimaced. "I know. It's awful." He watched Lois lean back even further in her chair. She was in danger of toppling it over. "Careful!" Before Lois could grab her desk, Clark was behind her supporting the chair. "Wow! You're fast. Thanks." She sat up straight, began rotating her neck and then reached back to massage it with her hand." Clark said, "Here let me." Very gently, he began massaging her neck. She was very tight. He looked down at her as he did this, registering the rather blissful expression on her face. "That feels very good, Clark." He smiled with pleasure and continued, feeling her start to relax under his touch. "So what are you doing for Thanksgiving?" Lois asked him. "Going home for dinner with my folks. My mom makes the best pumpkin and sweet potato pies. Great turkey, too," Clark said. "How about you, Lois?" She yawned and her eyes started drooping a bit. "Don't fall asleep on me, Lois." "Who's fallin' asleep?" Perry White interrupted striding out into the newsroom from his office. "What is this? A massage parlor? There's work to be done." Clark released Lois and headed back to his desk. "What's up, Chief?" "Fire at the Ambassador Hotel. Started in a kitchen, worked its way up the building, and people are trapped on the upper floors," Perry said looking back and forth between Lois and Clark. Clark was already out of his chair putting on his jacket. "I'll take it, Chief." He then looked at Lois who nodded her ascent. "Have fun," she said. "Hardly," he grimaced. "Lives at stake and all that." "You're starting to sound like Superman, Clark." He hesitated and stared at her a moment before heading for the exit. When he was out of view of Lois' desk, he poured on the speed. In blur of motion, Clark disappeared into the storage room and streaked out the window, a flash of red and blue. He soared up into the sky and across the city toward the source of the screaming fire and police department sirens. He could see black smoke pouring into the air. His work as Superman was cut out. * * * * * * Back in the newsroom, Perry called Lois into his office. Sitting in a cozy plaid chair in front of his desk, she asked, "What's up, Chief?" "Lois, I hate to ask either you or Clark to do this, but I'm short-staffed on Thanksgiving. One of you is going to have to come in and cover. I'll more than make it up to whichever one of you decides to do this by giving you a couple of extra days off over Christmas." "Well, Chief, Clark has already made plans to go home for Thanksgiving. I'll do it." "Now, Lois. Don't you want to talk it over with Clark first?" Lois shook her head. She suddenly remembered how he looked lying there on the floor after he was shot, how she thought she had lost him forever. "No, Perry. I really want to do this, but you have to promise me one thing." "Uh oh. And what's that, Lois?" Perry said gruffly. "You can't tell Clark." "Now I don't know about that, Lois. Clark may not want--" "Perry, please," Lois interrupted, her eyes filling with tears. "I nearly lost Clark when he was shot. And he got shot trying to protect me. I want to do something for him in return. I don't have any plans, I... I just want him to have a happy Thanksgiving." "But don't you want him to know you're doing this?" "No. Because he wouldn't let me do it if he knew. He'd cancel his plans and stay here in Metropolis. So please don't tell him now. Tell him after Thanksgiving's over." Lois then smiled. "Yeah. Then you can tell him. Maybe he'll get me something nice for Christmas." Perry laughed. "I knew you had an ulterior motive behind all that." Lois got up to leave. "And Lois. Thanks. I'm sorry I had to ask at all. And I won't forget about Christmas." "Don't, Chief. Because you can bet I won't." Perry chuckled as Lois went back to her desk. He would be sure to let Clark know after the holiday. Lois looked like she finally might be drifting Clark's way. He knew Clark had been carrying a torch for her for what now seemed like forever. * * * * * * It was the middle of Wednesday afternoon before Thanksgiving. Clark had just finished his last piece: an article about the investigations of the Ambassador Hotel fire the preceding week, which had so far revealed that the hotel had been a fire trap. It had been a lucky thing Superman had been there to help out. Few of the sprinkler systems were working. There were hazardous materials everywhere. Lawsuits were already starting to fly all over the place. He looked up at Lois. She was leaning back in her chair, pondering the pencil she had stuck between her upper lip and her nose. "Groucho Marx," Clark said conversationally. Lois let the pencil drop and smiled, "Finished?" "Yep. Just now. And you?" "I'm all done." Clark hesitated. Ever since he had been resurrected after having "died," things between them had been a lot warmer. They seemed to be poised on the edge of something they both felt very tentative about. Each was afraid to take the first step. Asking as lightly as he could, Clark said, "How 'bout I walk you home then, unless you've got other plans?" Lois looked at him appreciatively. "That would be nice, Clark." Outside it was already dark and the streetlights were on. The air was crisp. They chatted amiably about work and about Clark's trip home. Clark then said, "I forgot to ask, but what are you doing tomorrow?" Lois hesitated and said casually, "Oh, ah, my mom's coming over." "Really? That's great. You haven't seen her in a while, have you?" "Not since my wedding." Lois felt her eyes tearing. That had almost been the last time she had heard from her, too. "It'll be nice," she lied. "Well, I'm sure it will be nice. Is she fixing dinner and everything?" "Oh, ah, yes! She's doing all of that. She likes to cook. She's arriving in the morning and starting first thing. I've already bought everything." Lois found herself starting to embellish the lie. "She even bakes, though I think this time she'll do something out of a box." Clark was surprised. From what he had heard about Lois' mother before, he hadn't gotten the impression the woman was anything like Martha Kent in terms of being much of a homebody. But he was pleased for Lois. Still, he had a bit of an odd feeling about all of this he couldn't quite put his finger on. "Well, thank goodness neither of us has to work tomorrow. I hate working holidays." "No!" Lois said a bit too sharply, causing Clark to look at her and frown for an instant. "I hate it, too," she added. They had just arrived outside of Lois' apartment building. "Want to come in for a bit?" Lois asked. Clark looked at her and hesitated. He'd love to, but he remembered telling her he was flying to Wichita on an early evening flight. Although he actually was flying his very own Superman air transport system, he had to be careful that his departures and arrivals as Clark coincided with scheduled airline flights so as not to arouse any suspicions. "I'd like to but I better not. I'm due at the airport in a couple of hours and I'm still not packed." "Oh, okay." She sounded a bit disappointed which pleased him. "When are you coming back?" "Tomorrow evening. I'll give you a call." "Sure," Lois smiled. Clark turned to go, hesitated an instant, and then gave Lois a quick kiss on the cheek, which took her by surprise. Before she could respond, he was half-way down the block calling over his shoulder, "Bye, Lois. Take care." Lois wandered into her building with her hand on her cheek where his lips touched her. She broke into a smile. Far above her Superman watched her and grinned. * * * * * * The phone in Lois' apartment began to ring. After three rings the answering machine came on. Clark hung up. Lois probably didn't want to be interrupted while her mother was there. He wandered into the farmhouse kitchen and smelled the wonderful aroma of his mom's cooking: freshly baked pies, the two turkeys still roasting in the oven. "Anything I can help out with, Mom?" "No, honey. Why don't you and Jonathan play one of those board games while you're waiting." "I thought I'd wait until later. They're not much fun to play with less than three people. I've got to make another call." He took the cordless phone up to his room and dialed the number for The Daily Planet. Lois answered. "Lois!" Clark was shocked. "Wh--what are you doing there? I thought you had off." Suddenly the phone disconnected, and Clark found himself listening to a dial tone. "Lois? Hello?" Clark pushed the redial button. This time a male voice answered. "Jeffrey? It's Clark. Is Lois there?" In the newsroom Lois shook her head at Jeffrey and he said, "She's not here, Clark. Can I take a message?" "But I just called and she answered-- Oh, no, never mind. Thanks, Jeffrey. You have off on Friday, right?" "Yes, Clark." "Well I'll see you on Monday, then. Sorry you pulled this shift." "Me, too. But my wife and our family are having Thanksgiving dinner tonight when I get home." "That's great. Bye." Clark rang off frowning. He would have sworn it was Lois who answered the phone the first time he called. He knew her too well. Loved her too well not to recognize her voice. He lay down on his bed and waited about ten minutes. Then he sat up and redialed the Planet. "Daily Planet." He hung up. THAT was Lois' voice! He'd swear to it. And she wasn't answering her own phone with her name as she usually did. She didn't want people calling to know she was there. Clark ran back downstairs and into the kitchen. "Mom, how soon is dinner ready?" "In about forty minutes." "That's enough time. I'll be right back." With a whoosh he was out the door and into the sky, a violet streak as he rocketed back to Metropolis. Superman first flew to Lois' apartment. It was dark. Lois' mom was definitely not slaving away in the kitchen. He aimed his x-ray vision at the kitchen. It was empty except for some dirty dishes in the sink. He then looked inside the refrigerator. "Lois lied," he said to himself. There was nothing of interest in that refrigerator. Nothing, he noted, that even he'd want to eat. No one would ever marry Lois for her cooking. It was a good thing he didn't actually have to eat, he thought. Superman then flew to the Planet and carefully hovered outside a window where no one could see him. He wrapped his cape around himself tightly so it wouldn't billow and attract attention. Lois was there at her desk in a pair of jeans and a sweater. She was eating an unappetizing-looking sandwich that he recognized as being something leftover from a day or so earlier, while she read the printed pages of a manuscript. He could see something up on her monitor and, when he zoomed in on it, he realized it was a portion of her novel. She was making some corrections on the manuscript when the point of her pencil broke. She got up and walked over to Clark's desk. The phone rang and she picked it up. Clark activated his superhearing and heard the phone disconnect. Whoever it was had hung up. Lois put the receiver back down and started using Clark's pencil sharpener. She then looked down at the picture of his parents on his desk. As he watched and listened, she picked it up and said softly, "I wish I had parents like these." She bit her lip, put the picture back down, returned to her desk, and went back to making corrections. Clark felt a lump coming in his throat and flew off to his apartment. He had one more phone call to make, and it couldn't wait until he returned to Smallville. Without changing out of his Superman suit he grabbed his phone and called Perry White. "Hello," the gruff voice of his Editor-In-Chief came on the line after the third ring. "Chief, it's Clark." "Well hello, Clark. Happy Thanksgiving." "Happy Thanksgiving to you, too. Sorry to bother you but I was calling to ask you about Lois. Is she working today, Chief?" Perry hesitated. He didn't want to spoil Clark's Thanksgiving by telling him the entire truth, on the other hand he didn't want to lie to him, either. "What makes you think that, son?" "Please, Chief. I called the Planet and she answered the phone." "Okay, Clark. Yes, she is. But she volunteered for it--" "Lois VOLUNTEERED?" Clark was flabbergasted. "Yes, she did. But don't feel too bad for her, Clark, she's getting a few extra days off over Christmas because of it." "Well, that's good. Makes me feel better. Can't believe she volunteered, though, even with extra time off as compensation." "Surprised me, too, son." "Well, Lois can sure be full of surprises. Sorry to bother you, Chief. I've got to be going. My mom's about to put dinner on the table. Happy Thanksgiving." "Happy Thanksgiving to you, too, Clark. And you tell your folks ‘hello’ for me." "All right, I will, Chief." * * * * * * Martha's dinner was delicious. Clark had three helpings of everything: turkey, homemade stuffing, cranberry sauce, sweet peas, sweet yams, corn pudding, corn bread, fresh salad with homegrown tomatoes. Jonathan watched him and wished he could. It was amazing how Clark could look like an athlete in peak form no matter what he consumed -- and he ate just about anything and everything without giving it much thought -- while Jonathan had lost his battle with the bulging waistline years ago and constantly had to control himself. But both Jonathan and Martha noted that, despite Clark's appetite, he seemed a bit down. He was very quiet through most of the meal. Over coffee and several servings of both pumpkin and sweet potato pies, Martha finally asked, "You seem preoccupied, Clark. Is anything the matter?" "I don't know, Mom," Clark said and, registering the look of concern on both his parents' faces, added, "but nothing serious for you two to worry about. It's just that Lois is working today. I called Perry and he said she volunteered to do it and that he's making it up to her with extra time off at Christmas. Still--" Martha and Jonathan exchanged glances. Clark was hopelessly in love with Lois and had been practically since the moment he met her, but the romance had clearly been going nowhere. Clark knew Lois really cared for him like a brother, while she truly loved Superman. His love for her was so endearing, but also so pathetic. It pained them to see him so unhappy. "So you feel bad about her working, Clark, when you have off?" Jonathan asked. "Of course, Dad. But it's more than that. Lois lied to me about it. She told me her mom was coming over and making dinner for the two of them and that she'd bought everything. She obviously didn't want me to know she was working. I flew by the Planet before dinner. And, there she was, eating some awful leftover sandwich, working on this romance novel she never works on unless she's got nothing better to do. She looked miserable, and it's just a wretched way for her to have to spend Thanksgiving." "Clark," Martha smiled, "it's so sweet that you care so much, but you can't let it ruin your day. I'm sure she didn't tell you because she didn't want to spoil your day. Besides, she is getting the extra time off for doing it." "I don't know, Mom," Clark said, "it's unlike Lois to volunteer for something like this. I just hope nothing's wrong at home. I mean she has no one, you know. I never hear her talk on the phone with her family at the office the way everyone else does or even I do. And she keeps such late hours that she can't possibly call them often from home except possibly on the weekends." He looked down and bit his lip. "I wish I could take care of her," he said spontaneously. "I just know I could make her happy if she'd ever let me -- if she'd ever get over Superman." They all fell silent. The Kents really not knowing quite what to say since only Clark could really make decisions about how to run his love life. Although Clark could just have told Lois he was Superman, they knew he couldn't and wouldn't do that because then he'd never know if she loved him for his powers or himself. Clark wanted Lois to love him as a mortal everyday guy, not as a superhero. After a while Jonathan finally said, "Has anything changed between you and Lois since you've been resurrected or is everything the same as before?" Clark shook his head. "Well, things are warmer between us and Lois is with me more. We do more things together now. Nothing's romantic, but that's kinda my fault." "How's that?" "Well," Clark hung his head, "Lois offered to drive me home the night I came back, after Capone and the gang were rounded up. I was unbelievably tired. I guess from all the tension plus not having slept in two days--" "You're not going to say you fell asleep on her?" Jonathan said. Clark grimaced and nodded his head. "'Fraid I did and just as she was starting to open up. She was telling me how much I meant to her and that she thought perhaps there was more to our relationship than just friendship when I conked out." "Great timing, Clark," Martha sighed. "Yeah. But you know I didn't really want to deal with it then, either. It was sort of like when Lex died, you know. I didn't want Lois settling on me then because Lex was a monster and Superman wasn't available." "But how does that compare to you're being, or rather her thinking you died and came back?" Martha asked. "It doesn't really except that she could just have missed me as a friend or someone she loved as a brother, not romantically. I know she really cares for me, which is great, but I don't know she has any romantic feelings for me, Mom. Because she still loves Superman." "Well, Clark," Jonathan said, "she may always love Superman. Have you ever thought of that? And she may even love you, too. What I'm saying is she may never just love you alone." "If Lois could love me ROMANTICALLY even HALF as much as she loves Superman, I could live with that." "Could you? And how do you know she doesn't?" Jonathan said. "Because, Dad, it isn't in her eyes when she looks at me. There isn't even a glimmer of what is in her eyes when she sees me as Superman. The only time there was anything was when she first saw me when I came back. But later, as tired as I was, I didn't see that same look when we were in the car." Clark sighed heavily. "I know I'm probably wanting the impossible, but I don't want Lois by default. I want to be number one with her, not the second guy in line who gets her because she can't get the first guy." "Superman." "Yeah, Superman. Sometimes I wish I had never created him. I sure wish I had never flown her into the newsroom that time." They all became quiet again. Then Martha's face lit up as an idea came to her. "Clark, why don't you take back a package of leftovers for Lois? There is plenty here to go around." Clark looked up and suddenly grinned. * * * * * * Lois Lane aggressively hit the spacebar on Clark Kent's keyboard. Three androids were blown to bits by a barrage of firepower coming from the high powered weapon carried by her hero —- a pink Easter bunny. "10,000 bonus points" flashed on the screen. "Yes!" She marched, or rather, hopped her fuzzy hero to the exit, activated the exit door with one of the keys he'd picked up in the level, and it was off to round six. Rubbing her hands together expectantly, Lois was so absorbed in the action onscreen she didn't see the action in the newsroom. Superman had not only flown into the newsroom, but had landed behind her, and was watching her play while the few other Planet employees in the newsroom gaped. "Hey, Lois! Superman's here," one pointed out. "Not now, Wally. I'm in level six here and it's very intense!" She stabbed the spacebar, annihilating a couple of carrot-carrying jackrabbits. Superman watched in amusement with his arms crossed. He was actually happy to see she found something entertaining to do to brighten up what must have been a drab and dreary day. As soon as she completed the round, he reached over her shoulder and pressed the F1 key bringing up the "Save" function. "Hey!" Lois said before realizing the arm in front of her was encased in a very familiar shade of blue. She leaned back and looked up nearly falling out of the chair when she went back a bit too far. Superman grabbed hold of her chair. "This is becoming a habit," he commented and, catching himself, added quickly, "y-- you, ah, better be careful." Lois frowned a moment, then smiled, "Superman. What are you doing here?" "Slow news day?" he said, pointing to the screen. "Well, Clark's been telling me about this game he downloaded off one of the online services. And it has been kinda slow. You know how to play?" Lois completed the save. "I--I've played a few computer games. They usually use F1 for 'Save.'" Lois laughed and shook her head, "I would never think of Superman sitting in front of a computer keyboard playing games." "I do a lot of normal stuff, Lois. You'd be very surprised." "I guess so. You've never told--" "So why are you working on Thanksgiving?" he said quickly to cut her off. "Well," she smiled. "Actually I'm doing it for Clark." Clark tried to conceal his surprise. "Sounds nice, but I'm not sure I get it. Want to tell me the whole story?" "Well, Perry told me that one of us would have to come in today and I knew Clark had plans to go home for Thanksgiving. So I volunteered." "Does Clark know you're here?" "No. At least I don't think so. He called earlier today, but I disconnected him, and, when he called back, someone else picked up." "Not a very nice thing to do." "What?" "Disconnect your partner." "Well, I didn't want him to know I was here. It probably would upset him. Believe it or not, Superman, Clark is something of a Boy Scout himself." Clark suppressed a smile at this pronouncement. Lois continued. "He would not like the idea I had to work on a holiday when he had the day off. If he had known, he probably would have cancelled his trip home. I didn't want him to do that. I told Perry not to tell him I was working." "So what did you tell Clark you were doing today." "Having dinner with my mom." "And did you or are you?" "No. My mom's in Europe right now." "I'm sorry, Lois. It's a very nice thing you did for Clark, too. I know he'd be very pleased if he knew." "Well, I sort of wanted to do something for him after he got shot and all. I, um, don't know what I would have done if you hadn't saved him, Superman." Lois stood up and reached for his hand. "Lois." "I mean it, really. Every time I close my eyes I can see Clark lying there on the floor after he got shot." She felt Superman's hand tightened on hers. She then felt tears welling up in her eyes. "I don't know how I would have gone on without Clark if you hadn't brought him back, Superman. Thank you so very much for saving him." Lois stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the lips. He found himself responding involuntarily and leaned a bit towards her, his mouth clinging to hers. It was Lois who broke it off. "Can we talk? Privately, I mean?" she then asked him. "S--sure, Lois. Ah, can I give you a lift home?" Lois looked around and noted that people were watching them. "If I could meet you outside or something. Everyone's watching." "Okay. The alley behind the Planet building when you get off." "Thanks." He turned to leave, then stopped and said, "Be careful on level seven, the fifth door is booby trapped. Don't open it." Lois' mouth dropped open as he floated up into the air and went out the windows closing them behind him. "The fifth door," she repeated to herself and smiled. "Superman has PLAYED this game!" * * * * * * When Lois stepped into the alley, she found Superman already there waiting for her. He was leaning against the wall, his arms crossed in that macho sort of way of his, and he was standing on one foot with the other propped up behind him. He stood up, unfolded his arms, and came towards her smiling. "Hi, Superman." "Hi, Lois." "I forgot to ask, but what were you doing at the Planet?" "I was flying by and happened to look in. Saw you there. I was surprised to see you working on a holiday." He reached down and gently picked her up. She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Ready, Lois?" "Yes." Smiling down at her, Superman gently lifted off and soared up into the air. Despite the chill in the air, the warmth from Superman's body kept Lois from being cold. Looking down as they soared above the city with all the twinkling lights on at night, it looked like a fairy tale city: no grime, no crime. "It's beautiful from up here," Lois said. "Isn't it. This is the best view of the city," Superman said. "I just love to fly." "And I do love to fly with you," Lois said. "It's the one thing I will miss the most." "Miss?" he said startled. "Yes. I--I'll tell you at my apartment." He frowned, wondering what this was all about. Lois suddenly said, "You know, Clark once told me he wished he could fly." Superman looked down at her a moment, then his arms tightened around her. * * * * * * Inside Lois' apartment, Clark watched in silence as she unbuttoned her coat, removed it, and turned on a few lights. She seemed to him to be a bit nervous. Then she faced him but couldn't seem to find the right words to say. After a few moments of silence, he said, "What did you mean out there about missing the flying?" "Superman," she began a bit tentatively, "do you remember how I once told you I was completely in love with you?" "Yes, Lois," he said solemnly. "Well, it was true whether you believed it or not. But I feel you've never--well you always hold back with me." "Lois--" "No, please. Let me finish." "Okay." "I've come to realize that whatever my feelings for you are, that we're not going to have a life together, that I don't know much more about you now than I knew way back when you gave me your first interview. And while I still love you and will always love you, it's not in the same way as I loved you before. I--I'm really sorry." "Well," he began slowly, "you're right about things not working out between us. I wish they could, but there are things about me I simply can't tell you -- for your own safety. That doesn't mean I don't care about you. I'll always care." "I know. And the last thing I ever wanted to do is hurt your feelings, Superman, but now the way I feel for you, it's really more like the way I'd love a friend or, a brother." She watched Superman's mouth open in surprise. "A--a BROTHER?" Lois nodded. "And do you remember how I said I would love you if you had no powers at all, if you were like everybody else?" "Yes." "Well, the thing is, I now am in love with a normal guy." Clark tried to contain his shock. Who could it possibly be that Lois knew that she'd have these kinds of feelings about? He was drawing a blank. He also felt numb. There was an empty pit in the bottom of his stomach. He had just gotten his wish for her to stop loving Superman, but now it looked like he was losing her altogether. This new development was infinitely worse than the former scenario of her loving the superhero. "I--I don't quite know what to say, Lois, except I hope you'll be happy, of course," Clark said almost inaudibly, stunned by the news. "Well, I don't know about that because I don't know if the feeling is mutual." "You don't?" "No." Lois looked down for a moment, then said impulsively, "Superman, can I ask you something about Clark?" "About Clark?" Superman sounded surprised. "Yes. You know Clark pretty well. I mean I guess you know him as well as you know me, right?" Superman frowned. "Well, sure. I think I know him as well as I know you--maybe even better--" "Well, do you think, has... I mean, did Clark ever talk to you about me?" Superman's eyes widened. "W-what do you mean?" "I was just wondering--do you think I've got a chance with him at all?" Superman just stood there staring at her, dumbfounded. "Because you know Clark was the reason I didn't marry Lex Luthor." "W-what?" Clark felt like he was about to faint. He reached out and grabbed hold of the back of the sofa. But his eyes were shining. Lois nodded. "Clark had told me he loved me, but I didn't realize I really loved him romantically until we were separated during my engagement. Which is why I said, 'I can't' instead of 'I do' at the altar. But after Lex died, Clark told me he had lied. He told me he had just said that to try and stop me from marrying Lex." Clark closed his eyes for a moment. He then said slowly, "And did you believe him?" "I didn't know what to believe. When he changed his mind, I became confused. I wasn't even sure how I felt anymore either, until he seemed interested in that Mayson Drake woman." "Then you were jealous?" Clark said, managing to stifle a smile but feeling quite pleased with the new developments. "I guess," Lois replied not noticing Superman’s reaction. "All I knew was I felt a bit panicky and I didn't want to lose him. But then when Clark got shot trying to protect me..." her voice trailed off. "Lois," Superman said carefully, "have you told Clark any of this?" She shook her head. "Because I don't know that he cares for me as anything but a friend. And I don't want to risk spoiling our partnership or friendship. That's why I was wondering if you might know how he felt?" Lois sat down on the sofa. Superman stood there a moment watching her. He wanted to blurt out that he was Clark, or rather Clark was Superman and that Superman was just his disguise. He wanted to tell her he loved her. He wanted to hold her. Above all he wanted to kiss her. But he knew he could not do any of these things. Not now. He had come too far with Lois to risk blowing it because of sudden impatience to get to the finish line and seize the prize. Lois felt tears start to trickle down her cheeks. "I'm s- sorry to hurt you, Superman, and then to talk about Clark." She watched Superman sit down on the sofa beside her. He was looking at her very tenderly. He gently raised his fingers to her cheeks to brush away her tears. "Lois," he began cautiously, "you know I care for you, and Clark. The two of you are my best friends." He paused a moment, then continued, "Lois, I... I know Clark very well. I think it's safe to say I know him better than I know you." "Better?" she said looking up. "Well, sorta like a... a... a brother!" "A brother?" she repeated, trying to smile. "Yes." He reached for her hand and, looking earnestly into her eyes, Superman said, "I think I can say with absolute, ah, confidence, that you don't have to worry about losing Clark." "You don't think so?" He shook his head. "Absolutely not." "Y-you t-think he might care a bit?" "I definitely think he might care. A lot!" Lois looked up at him, her eyes widening. Clark smiled at her and had to make a conscious effort not to lean forward and kiss her. He stood up. "I have to go now, Lois." She also stood up. "I can't thank you enough for everything, Superman. You've been so nice about all of this and I am truly sorry about my feelings--" "Lois," he interrupted her. "It's okay. Really! Believe me, things are so much better this way." And before she could respond, he had nodded to her, and made one of his rare exits through the front door. Lois looked puzzled by his last remark. What had he meant by that? How could things be "much better" for him if she loved Clark? She couldn't fathom what he meant by that or why he would have made such a remark. She had expected him to have reacted quite differently than he had. Still, it was quite a relief he had taken it so well, and that telling him her feelings was now behind her. The most important thing was Superman's utter conviction that Clark cared for her. It made her smile. Feeling happier, she wandered into her kitchen and opened the refrigerator. She made a face. It was time to throw away half the stuff inside. Even Lois didn't want to eat any of this. There were a couple of items which had more fur on them than a kitten. When she went to get a trash bag, the phone rang. She looked at it expectantly. Clark! Maybe it was Clark. He had said he would call her when he returned from Smallville. Lois grabbed the phone. "Hello," she said, feeling unexpectedly breathless. "Lois, it's me. I'm back." The sound of his voice actually made her thrill. She couldn't recall feeling this way before about it. "Clark! Oh I'm so glad to hear from you." "I, ah, hope you had a good Thanksgiving, Lois?" The lie. She had told him that lie about her mom. Lois twisted the phone cord in her hands. "Yeah," she said somewhat unenthusiastically. "How 'bout you?" "It was great! But my mom's a fabulous cook, you know. Everything she makes is delicious." All Lois could think of was her pitiful sandwich she'd eaten for lunch. She suddenly felt really hungry. "Well, that's nice, Clark." "I brought back a lot of leftovers and I was wondering--" "That would be great, Clark. I'm starving. Can you come now?" "You're starving? I thought your mom--" "Oh, I lied," Lois said breezily. "Mom’s not even here." "You lied!" He was startled by the instant confession. Lois was throwing nothing but curve balls at him tonight. "I do that sometimes; you may have noticed." "Actually, I have noticed you tend to do that a lot, Lois," he commented. "But why did you lie?" "Because Perry asked one of us to volunteer to work today. He was short-staffed, and you already had plans to go home and I didn't," she said airily. "I knew you wouldn't go if you knew. So, I lied." Clark was taken aback. He hadn't really expected Lois to be so forthright about this. She was just full of surprises as of late, but they were all of the most pleasant variety. "So you did this... for me?" "Don't flatter yourself, Kent," Lois said in her typical I'm-not-going-to-admit-I've-got-any-feelings-for-you way. "Perry's giving me extra time off at Christmas, if you must know." "I see. Well, I just couldn't imagine why else you'd volunteer to work on a holiday." He smiled and added the barb, "Was Superman busy or something?" "Superman? Clark, you simply must get over this inferiority complex you have about the man." "Me feel inferior to Superman? Please, Lois. Why on earth would I possibly feel that?" he teased. "Shut up, Kent. And bring over the food. I'm starving." Clark laughed. "See you soon, Lois. I'll fly." * * * * * * When Lois answered her door less than twenty minutes later, Clark was surprised at her appearance. She had changed completely and had put on black tights, black suede pumps, and a deep green corduroy dress he couldn't recall ever seeing her wear before. She had redone her makeup and fixed her hair. In short, Lois had gotten dressed up for his visit and Clark couldn't help but feel thrilled about it. She looked beautiful. For his own part, he had on a pair of dark gray slacks, a navy long-sleeved polo shirt, a navy blazer, and black loafers. He was holding a very large shopping bag in one hand and re- adjusting his glasses with the other. "Hi, Clark." She stepped aside and let him in. "Hi." He followed her to the kitchen. On the way he noticed that she had set up her dining table, put down a tablecloth, and even lit a pair of cream-colored candles. She had already laid out her best dishes and silverware, which he knew her mom had given her. "Very nice," he said admiringly as he set the bag down on the kitchen counter. "Thanks. I thought we should make it special since it is Thanksgiving. This is really nice of you to bring all this stuff over." "Well, I figured you ought to have a nice Thanksgiving." Lois stared at him, "What do you mean?" Clark turned and looked at her. He smiled, "I really appreciate what you did, Lois, and this is my way of thanking you. I called Perry this afternoon." "What! You knew all along? Clark! And Perry! He wasn’t suppose to tell you. Why that two-timing--" "Lois! Perry just said you volunteered." "Oh." Lois watched as Clark began unpacking the bag. She was amazed by how much food Clark had brought over. The bag must have weighted a ton, yet he had carried it effortlessly. Clark was pretty athletic looking although she couldn't imagine when he found the time to work out or how he could eat the way he did and not have a weight problem. Different metabolism, she guessed. He removed an entire pumpkin pie, half a turkey ("my mom roasted two of them," he explained) and an assortment of large plastic containers. Except for the cranberry sauce, everything was still warm. "I heated it up before coming over," he explained, but Lois couldn't figure out how he managed to do all that and still arrive at her apartment within twenty minutes. Clark smiled to himself. Heat vision was a definite asset. Lois began opening all the containers: corn bread, corn pudding, sweet peas, stuffing, sweet yams. "You brought all of this home on the plane? You went to all of this trouble, for me? I don't know what to say." "Well, I usually bring stuff back, Lois. As I've said before, my mom's a great cook. Believe me, it really wasn't as much trouble as you may think." * * * * * * A long while later, Clark leaned back in his chair and watched with a smile as Lois put away a second helping of pie. Having eaten earlier and not wanting to deplete the supplies (he hoped Lois would have something appetizing left over to put in her refrigerator), he had given himself smaller proportions than usual and only took a single helping. Lois, on the other hand, had consumed two helpings of the turkey with rather generous servings of everything else before reaching dessert. Clark could not recall having ever seen her eat like this before and was extremely pleased at her reaction to his mom's cooking. "You were famished," he commented. "Your mom is a great cook, Clark." "Thanks. I'll pass it on. I know she'll be pleased." He stared at her for a moment and their eyes met. Clark sucked in his breath. She was looking at him in that way she had previously reserved only for Superman! Lois broke the gaze, suddenly feeling shy. She was alone with Clark, and there was something happening between them now which was more than just partnership and friendship. The look in his eyes mirrored her own, even behind the glasses. It kind of gave her a bit of a thrill and, to cover, she started busying herself removing the dirty dishes from the table. Clark got up to help her. Not wanting the evening to end so soon Lois said, "I know we have to work tomorrow, but would you, can you, stay a bit? Perhaps we could play a game or watch a movie. I've taped a bunch I never got around to watching." Pleased at the prospect of spending more time close to Lois, Clark said, "Sure, I can stay a while longer. Why don't we watch a movie?" "You sure you don't want to play a game first?" "I don't think so, Lois, you like to win." "Of course I like to win, Clark, why else would I play? Oh, that's right, I remember now: you 'play to play.' Winning isn't everything to you." "I just don't feel like competing with you at the moment." "I'll let you win." "Oh, well now, that's going to lend excitement to the proceedings. I might have to call 911." "Clark!" "Where are the videocassettes, Lois?" She sighed. "They’re next to the VCR." Clark went through them, searching for something he hadn't already seen. "Have you seen 'In the Line of Fire?'" Lois called from the kitchen. "It's a Clint Eastwood film. Supposed to be very suspenseful. He’s a US Secret Service agent." Clark found the tape. It was a film he had planned to see in the theater, but Superman had kept him too busy at the time to go to the movies. He turned on Lois' TV and inserted the videocassette into her player. He then sat down on the sofa in front of the set. Lois joined him. He noted she seemed a bit nervous, tense, and didn't sit too close. He smiled to himself. Lois, suddenly a bundle of nerves about sitting with her best friend and partner to watch a movie, was definitely good news. As the film began and Lois became absorbed in the story, she began to relax. She shifted herself so that she was now against him. Clark put his arm over the back of the sofa to make room. It reminded him of the time she came over to his place and they did this after she received a threatening phone call from the Prankster. She had fallen asleep then. He frowned and looked down at her. She was falling asleep now! Clark smiled. Same old Lois. As he had done before, he put his arm around her, but this time he actually pulled her close against him. And this time he also worked up the courage to stroke her hair. It was very soft to the touch and smelled awfully nice. He wondered what she used to wash her hair. Last, but not least, he rested his cheek against her head and continued to watch the film until he, too, nodded off somewhere in the middle of the picture at the height of an action sequence. Clint Eastwood would have to save the President without an audience. * * * * * * Clark woke up several hours later. Lois was still sound asleep against him. Very carefully, he slid out from behind her and stood up. He turned off the TV and her VCR. Then he carefully picked Lois up in his arms, carried her to her bedroom, and gently laid her down on her bed. After first removing her shoes, he managed to get her under the covers without waking her up. Looking down at her, he hesitated a moment before bending down and kissing her on the forehead. A few moments later, he was in the kitchen whizzing through it at superspeed as he washed, dried, and put away dishes. He then cleaned up everything. He went back to the living room and got his jacket. Then he returned to the bedroom. "Lois?" he said softly. She opened her eyes sleepily and noticed he had his jacket on. Stretching a bit she said, "You're going?" "It's really late, Lois. And we have to work tomorrow. I better be going. I cleaned everything up for you." Lois looked up at him and smiled, "Clark, you didn't have to do that." "Believe me, it was no trouble. Didn't take any time at all," he replied with a smile. "Clark," Lois said reaching for his hand. "You're really special. I'm so glad you're back, that I didn't lose you." He stared at her and then slowly sat down on the edge of the bed, still holding her hand. "Lois, I--" "Clark, I just want to thank you for dinner tonight and everything. That was really sweet of you. It really cheered me up. I was feeling a bit depressed." "Leftover sandwiches are not especially good on Thanksgiving." "What? How did you--" "Or whatever you ate for lunch," he added hastily, trying to cover. "Actually, it was a leftover sandwich from a day ago. Sometimes, I think you're psychic, Clark." "Only with you, Lois," he smiled giving, her hand a gentle squeeze. "Thanks for covering for me. It means a lot to me." "I hope so. Because I expect something in return for Christmas." "Same old Lois." "You better believe it." Clark looked at her a moment and hesitated, actually feeling an attack of shyness come on. "Do you have any plans for Christmas, Lois?" he asked hesitatingly. "Not really. Why?" "Well... I wouldn't want you to feel strange about this or anything, but I'm going home again for Christmas. I was wondering if you might like to, ah, come along? The farmhouse is big enough. And my parents do the whole old-fashioned Christmas bit. It's really nice and I know they'd love it if you did come--" he broke off, staring at her. "Wouldn't your parents--" Lois began. "I mean, wouldn't they rather be alone, or you be alone with them? Family time?" "They'd love to have you, Lois... and so would I. It would be fun. Think about it. You don't have to decide right away." "Okay." They gazed at each other a long moment. Then Clark began to slowly lean towards her. Lois looked at his lips and hers parted expectantly. Then he kissed her. As her arms wrapped around his neck, his kiss deepened and he pulled her against him. They continued kissing for a long while. Clark could feel and hear her heart pounding. He didn't want to stop, didn't want to ever let go of her. When he finally came up for air, he felt a sudden attack of shyness. "W--well," he said breathlessly, "I, ah, really ought to get going." Clark compelled himself to stand up. Then he spotted her teddy bear lying on the floor, partially under the bed. It was the black and white one he had won for her in Smallville at the fair more than a year ago. Lois had kept it all this time! The only thing he had ever won for her and she had chosen the bear instead of a stupid Superman doll. Clark bent down and picked it up, feeling a wave of emotion overcoming him. The bear smelled like Lois. She must sleep with it all the time. Lois looked at him standing there, holding the bear tightly in his arms, almost as if he didn't want to let it go. He hesitated and then handed it to her with a smile. "You won him for me, remember?" Lois asked. "'Course I do. You should probably give him a name." "I have already." Lois said. "He's called Clarkie?" Clark raised his eyebrows in surprise, "Clarkie?" "Yes. After his benefactor," she giggled. Clark gazed down at her holding the bear. "I like it, very much, Lois." He bent down and kissed her again. His lips lingered on hers before he compelled himself to stand up and start walking to the doorway. "Clark?" she called after him. He stopped and looked back, "Yes, Lois?" "If you're sure, and it won't be any trouble or anything--" she hesitated. Clark looked at her expectantly. "I would like to go home with you for Christmas." He broke into a big smile. "That's great, Lois." And nodding to the bear, he added, "And be sure to bring Clarkie, too." THE END