Fic: Man of Steel: A Turning Point (5/?)
Title: A Turning Point (5/?)
Author: Babette babettew54
Fandom: Man of Steel (AU); Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (Canon Crossover)
Pairing; Characters: Clark Kent/Lois Lane, Lana Lang, Martha Kent, Cat Grant, Perry White, Lex Luthor
Rating: M
Summary: AU: It’s five years before Man of Steel. Clark has finished college and decides to return to Smallville to help his Mom, but of course, he can’t ignore these urges to help people. Lois finds out about this vigilante and goes looking for him! The story continues years later in Metropolis after the invasion.
Disclaimer: DC/WB Entertainment owns these characters. No profit is being made from this story. This is strictly for my own amusement.
Words: 3,200
Author’s Notes: In this next chapter, the Harrington case takes a surprising turn, Lois puts herself in danger, and later, Lex Luthor has an intriguing question for Lois. I hope you enjoy it. Please read and review. Thank you!:D
Previously:
( Chapter 1)( Chapter 2)( Chapter 3)( Chapter 4)
Chapter 5: No One But Me
Minutes later, in the bullpen:
Cat Grant knew it was true; it all made sense to her. From the moment that Kent had arrived, it seemed to her that Lois and Clark had been inseparable. If you saw her, you saw him.
Once she arrived back at the bullpen, Lois and Clark were not at their desks. She spotted Perry, grabbed his arm and pulled him into his office.
"What in the world is going on Cat!?" Perry was not in the mood. The Harrington case had fallen apart and after speaking with his source this morning, there may just be a way to find out the truth about Thaddeus Rourke and about his true motives.
Once inside his office, she whispered, "I have a secret."
"Not now, Cat. I don't have time for gossip." Perry headed to his desk.
"Oh, it's not gossip. You should know that I saw Lois and Clark at the hotel last night with luggage, and just now Lois kissed Clark on the cheek in the elevator."
"Are you done?" Perry asked, sounding bored.
Cat frowned. "You sound as if you know."
He didn't answer her. "Get back to work, Cat, and no more gossip!" Perry was firm with her.
Cat shrugged her shoulders and left his office. Once she closed the door, Lois and Clark had arrived and were at their desks.
They both wondered what was going on.
~o~o~
Meanwhile, in his office, Perry was deep in thought. He had a dilemma. His plan to test the waters as a partnership had reaped results, but just not what he expected. He made a quick phone call then called in the best reporters on his staff.
"Lane, Kent; get in here!" Perry hollered from his office door.
"Yeah, Chief?" Lois asked. They glanced at each other then sat down.
Perry watched them for a minute. "Any more leads about the story?"
"No, Chief, nothing yet, but Clark and I will find out about Rourke, and why it was so important to end Luthor's tests."
"Yes, Rourke is the key to this story, not Harrington. I have a source in mind, and I think he may be able to help us."
"And who might that be?" Clark asked.
"Clark, we never ask about sources," Lois said reprimanding him.
Perry grinned. "His name is 'Sore Throat,' because he always seems to have a cold."
"I see, sorry, Chief," Clark said, head down.
"No problem, Kent." He paused for a moment and glanced at his watch. "We have ten minutes to get there." He pulled his car keys from his desk.
"You want us to go with you?" Clark asked surprised.
"Yep, let's go!" Perry said and grabbed his coat. He waited for them at the elevator. Moments later, they were gone.
"I wonder where they're going in such a hurry," Cat wondered aloud to anyone who would listen.
"It's probably about the stakeout last night," Jimmy told her.
"What stakeout?" Cat asked.
Jimmy filled her in. Now, Cat felt like the worst kind of person.
~o~o~
In an alley, not far from the Lexor Hotel:
Perry drove for a several minutes and entered an alley and pulled up to many huge dumpsters. After waiting for five minutes, a man peeped out from behind one, but he was sneezing and blowing his nose. It was springtime and Perry thought it was probably allergies.
Perry greeted him. "Throat."
"Chief."
"Any news?"
"The tests will go forward."
"Before the vote, but that makes no sense?" Lois asked.
"Who are you?" Throat asked.
"This is Lois Lane and Clark Kent, they're reporters."
He stared them down. "To answer your question, the vote happened last night. Shockwave has been approved, but there's a problem."
"What kind of a problem?" Lois asked.
"The test could be sabotaged meaning Shockwave will fail, and they may use Rourke's system instead."
"Luthor will not be happy, but that means that Harrington could be in danger," Clark said, voicing everyone's concern.
"Tell us everything you know about Rourke," Perry said.
"Rourke and Luthor have always butted heads over one thing or another. Then Rourke developed his own experimental defense system, but it does have its flaws. That office building where he and Harrington met is owned by Apocalypse Consulting, a subsidiary of Luthor Technologies, and it's also where Rourke built the system, pretty much under Luthor's nose." He sneezed and blew his nose.
"So how do we locate him?" Lois asked.
"He owns a warehouse just outside the city near the docks. He probably moved his base of operations there." He gave them the address. "Well, good luck!" He sneezed again then he was gone.
"I have a gut feeling about Rourke and what he may do to retaliate against Luthor and Harrington," Clark said.
"Meaning sabotage; I think you're right," Perry said. "I think it's time we contacted the authorities, Harrington's office, and the Defense Department."
~o~o~
Once they arrived back at the Planet, Lois did a bit of snooping about the test. While Clark was on the phone with Harrington's office and Perry was calling the police, Lois headed downtown to speak with her contacts at the Defense Department. Clark frowned then he watched her leave.
After contacting her Father on the phone, she headed to the warehouse. Lois instincts about these things were at play, and even though she technically hadn't lied to Clark, she realized that he might be upset if anything went wrong.
She picked the lock to the door and made her way inside and when she passed by an open door, but was brought up short by Harrington. He was tied to a chair and he appeared to have been beaten. She pulled out a camera. Lois gasped. She was then grabbed from behind.
It was Jones and he had a knife.
~o~o~
Meanwhile, Clark received a call from Lois' father looking for her. Now, Clark was worried. He asked everyone where Lois could have gone. Perry knew exactly where she went, and now so did Clark.
Clark headed to the elevator, but Perry stopped him with his next words. "Kent don't screw this up, not this time!"
"Right, Chief." Clark understood then he left the bullpen, streaked through the elevator and headed to the warehouse. Moments later, he peered through the walls, but they were lined in lead. He crashed through the main door and that's when he saw her. Rourke was holding her hostage along with Harrington.
"Let them go!" Superman was calm. He came closer.
He was holding a gun and standing to Lois's right. "I don't think so Superman." Lois and Clark glanced at each other but only for a moment. Rourke caught their looks. "She's important to you."
"Everyone is important to me. Just let them go!" Clark nearly shouted.
He cocked the gun. "It's too late, Superman. The drone will reach land in exactly two minutes. You can't save them both and stop the test. Even you with all of your enormous speeds, you can't stop it and save them as well." Rourke pulled the trigger. Clark catches the bullet before it blasted through Lois's skull.
Using his heat vision, the gun melted in his hand. Rourke tried to run, but Clark caught him and tied him up in seconds. He spotted Jones and he was also caught.
He then untied Lois and Harrington, then he spoke up. "Superman, Rourke's test is far too dangerous. He sabotaged Luthor's drone, and it was not designed to be used this way, and if it detonates, there could be a tsunami."
"Superman, you have to hurry!" Lois shouted to him.
Clark streaked out the window.
"Ms. Lane, please, we have to get out of here. If the tidal wave hits land, we're done." They helped Harrington and Jones and ran out the building, but it was too late. The drone hit the ocean and spiraled down to the Earth's core creating a tidal wave. Superman had seconds to stop it before it reached the shore.
Still running, it sounded like a freight train coming towards her. Lois screamed then she felt compelled to look back and what she saw would haunt her dreams for days. A giant wave was just behind her. It was useless to run.
Moments later, Superman used his tremendous speed, twirled and spun through the giant wave to reverse its pursuit. The wave slowed down and only a small amount of water hit the shore causing minimal damage.
Lois breathed a huge sigh of relief.
~o~o~
Later that evening in the bullpen:
Perry held up the headline for all to see: 'SURF'S UP: SUPERMAN BUILDS UNDERSEA TRENCH' by Lois Lane. Below the fold was a drawing of a huge wave, and if you look closer you could see a red and blue blur swirling inside. Based on Lois's eyewitness account, the art department did a fine job.
"Good job, guys!" Perry said to this new reporting team, even though they didn't know it yet.
"Thanks, Chief," Lois and Clark said at the same time. They smiled at each other.
Jimmy and Cat chuckled at how in tune they were. "Where are Rourke and Jones?" She wanted to know.
"In jail of course," Lois replied. "Sorry, Cat."
She shrugged. "Well, I knew it was too good to last. He was fun."
"And you had no clue he worked for an illegal arms dealer?" Clark asked.
"Let's just say, we didn't talk about work," Cat replied and grinned. "Oh, did you hear the latest news about Harrington? Apparently, he says that it was all a setup, a sting operation that he concocted when Rourke contacted him weeks ago."
Everyone shook their heads, amazed at the news.
Just then Lex Luthor walked in, unannounced and walked over to Perry.
"Mr. Luthor, what a surprise," Perry said. He shook his hand.
"Good evening, Perry." He turned to Clark. "Mr. Kent, Cat, and." He hesitated when he turned to Jimmy.
Clark couldn't help but notice that he did, in fact, command a room. He stood up a little straighter. Clark looked him over. He was tall, well dressed in a suit and tie. His hair was dark brown, smoothed back and curled slightly at the ends. He appeared to be slightly older than himself, but not by much.
Lex finally turned to Lois. "Hello, Lois; it's nice to see you again," he said and walked over to her.
"Hello, Lex. Why are you here?"
"Well, I wanted to congratulate you on your story. It's unfortunate that the test failed, but the Defense Department gave me the contract anyway, so I wanted to thank you for your diligence."
"It was nothing. It was Superman who saved the day."
"That's true, but if not for your legwork, well, I don't want to think what could have happened."
Perry thought this was as good a time as any. "Everyone, I have an announcement. Lois and Clark did a fine job on this assignment. I admit that it started out a bit rocky, but they came together just as I knew they would. So from now on, they're partners."
Lois and Clark glanced at each other. "Partners?" They both asked at the same time.
Jimmy and Cat smiled at the news. "Congratulations!" Cat said and so did Jimmy.
Everyone seemed pleased except Lex. He glanced between them and they were staring at each other; they spoke to each other without words. There was definitely something there.
"Congratulations!" Lex said. His sentiment did not reach his eyes. He shook Clark's hand then turned to Lois. "May I speak to you privately for a moment?"
"Of course," Lois said and followed him. They walked over to the elevators. Lex couldn't help but notice that Kent was staring at them as if he wanted to pull them apart if he could.
"You seemed a bit surprised by Perry's announcement," Lex said.
"Only a little; Clark and I haven't known each other very long," Lois admitted keeping up appearances.
"Well, being partners will probably change that."
"Probably," Lois thoughtfully said, distracted. Clark was probably listening to them.
"Lois, I wanted to ask you a question."
"Sure, what is it?"
"How would you feel about leaving the Planet and coming to work at my station? Your salary would triple, and I just know the camera would love you," he asked and smiled.
Lois was shocked. "Leave the Planet?"
"I know this is out of the blue, but I've been thinking about it for some time now." He paused as he stared at her. "I can see you're a bit thrown by my question, so I'll say goodnight."
Lois shook her head, distracted. "Goodnight, Lex."
Once Lex had left, she hesitated knowing what Clark must be thinking. She turned back to the bullpen, but he wasn't there. She rushed over to them.
"Where's Clark?" Lois asked.
"He said he needed some fresh air. He may be on the roof. He headed that way," Cat replied.
"Thanks, Cat."
Cat was thoughtful as she watched her leave. They'll deny it, but I know the truth.
Lois rushed back to the elevator and headed to the rooftop. Clark was indeed there. She came closer. He was looking up at the night sky, hands in his pockets. "Are you leaving me?"
The pain in his voice brought tears to her eyes. "You can't get rid of me that easily."
Relieved beyond measure, he turned to her. "Do you mean?"
"Yes, Clark, I'm not leaving you or the Planet."
He pulled her to him and kissed her over and over. After a minute, he clutched her to him tightly, just a bit too tight, but she didn't mind.
Lois pulled away and touched his cheek. "You were really worried?"
He bowed his head. "Yeah, I was."
"Oh, Clark, you're my home now. I love you."
"I love you too."
Smiling, she went back into his arms. They turned toward the sky and stood that way for several long minutes.
But Clark had to know. "You weren't tempted at all, I mean, triple your salary?"
"Clark, I love my job and now."
He pulled her closer. "And now?"
"Let's just say that I won't need the 'honeymoon suite.' I mean." She tried not to blush again.
"I know what you meant," he said and smiled.
"Clark, you haven't said anything about my going to the warehouse alone."
"Oh, do you mean, was I upset?"
"Were you?"
"No, not upset, just worried."
Lois was relieved. "You know Clark, that's just how I do my job; whatever it takes."
"I know your motto and I agree with you. The truth has to come out, no matter what, but."
"But."
"We're a team now and it's important that we know each other's whereabouts; that's all I'm saying."
Lois got the hint. "I agree."
"Good." Clark was relieved. They kissed with a new understanding about their lives together and how unpredictable it could be meaning things could change in an instant.
~o~o~
Meanwhile, downtown in county lock-up:
Rourke and Jones were in separate jail cells, but they were right next to each other. Rourke was pacing back and forth back and forth.
"What are you thinking?" Jones asked as he came over to him.
"Superman has a crush on Ms. Lane," he whispered.
"You think so?"
"Yeah, I know so." Payback would be his if he found the right person to tell. Luthor came to mind, but he dismissed that idea for now.
Jones was not happy with his line of reasoning. Whatever he was planning, it won't bode well for anyone. He felt bad about using Cat, Ms. Lane or Mr. Kent. He didn't know the reporters, but they were just doing their job, the same as him. He didn't have a clue about Rourke until it was too late. The money meant everything to this family, but now it was gone and he was in jail. Maybe there was a way to warn them, stop Rourke and in return, testify against him. He could turn his life around. He wanted that more than anything.
"Are you listening to me?" Rourke asked.
"Sure boss."
"My lawyer assured me that we could be released on bail tomorrow."
Jones wasn't listening.
~o~o~
The next day, not far from the Planet building:
Lois and Clark had just gotten their coffee to go and stepped outside. The sky blackened but only for a moment.
"Was that an eclipse?" Clark asked.
"No, we would have heard about it before hand," Lois replied. She got an idea then pulled out her phone.
While Lois called the Planet, Clark waited for her to finish her call. Someone tapped his shoulder. It was a gentleman in uniform. "May I speak with you for a moment in private?"
Clark frowned. "Of course."
"Is there any way you could reach Superman? I know the Planet seems to have an inside track on stories about him."
"Why do you need to reach him?"
"That wasn't an eclipse."
"What was it?"
The gentleman glanced around, then he whispered, "It was a meteor and only Superman can stop it."
Lois overheard them, then she gasped and looked up at the sky. "Oh, God."
TBC!
~o~o~
Song Inspiration: Could I Have This Kiss Forever, Enrique Iglesias ft. Whitney Houston.
A/N: Ok guys, I'm having a blast writing this, even with all the sharp left turns in the plot. The next chapter will open their eyes to the kind of life they're 'building' in Metropolis. This is it for them. Now, for that last scene, there may be a left turn or two. Tell me what you think. Thanks for reading everyone. Reviews/kudos is love.
Author: Babette babettew54
Fandom: Man of Steel (AU); Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (Canon Crossover)
Pairing; Characters: Clark Kent/Lois Lane, Lana Lang, Martha Kent, Cat Grant, Perry White, Lex Luthor
Rating: M
Summary: AU: It’s five years before Man of Steel. Clark has finished college and decides to return to Smallville to help his Mom, but of course, he can’t ignore these urges to help people. Lois finds out about this vigilante and goes looking for him! The story continues years later in Metropolis after the invasion.
Disclaimer: DC/WB Entertainment owns these characters. No profit is being made from this story. This is strictly for my own amusement.
Words: 3,200
Author’s Notes: In this next chapter, the Harrington case takes a surprising turn, Lois puts herself in danger, and later, Lex Luthor has an intriguing question for Lois. I hope you enjoy it. Please read and review. Thank you!:D
Previously:
( Chapter 1)( Chapter 2)( Chapter 3)( Chapter 4)
Chapter 5: No One But Me
Minutes later, in the bullpen:
Cat Grant knew it was true; it all made sense to her. From the moment that Kent had arrived, it seemed to her that Lois and Clark had been inseparable. If you saw her, you saw him.
Once she arrived back at the bullpen, Lois and Clark were not at their desks. She spotted Perry, grabbed his arm and pulled him into his office.
"What in the world is going on Cat!?" Perry was not in the mood. The Harrington case had fallen apart and after speaking with his source this morning, there may just be a way to find out the truth about Thaddeus Rourke and about his true motives.
Once inside his office, she whispered, "I have a secret."
"Not now, Cat. I don't have time for gossip." Perry headed to his desk.
"Oh, it's not gossip. You should know that I saw Lois and Clark at the hotel last night with luggage, and just now Lois kissed Clark on the cheek in the elevator."
"Are you done?" Perry asked, sounding bored.
Cat frowned. "You sound as if you know."
He didn't answer her. "Get back to work, Cat, and no more gossip!" Perry was firm with her.
Cat shrugged her shoulders and left his office. Once she closed the door, Lois and Clark had arrived and were at their desks.
They both wondered what was going on.
~o~o~
Meanwhile, in his office, Perry was deep in thought. He had a dilemma. His plan to test the waters as a partnership had reaped results, but just not what he expected. He made a quick phone call then called in the best reporters on his staff.
"Lane, Kent; get in here!" Perry hollered from his office door.
"Yeah, Chief?" Lois asked. They glanced at each other then sat down.
Perry watched them for a minute. "Any more leads about the story?"
"No, Chief, nothing yet, but Clark and I will find out about Rourke, and why it was so important to end Luthor's tests."
"Yes, Rourke is the key to this story, not Harrington. I have a source in mind, and I think he may be able to help us."
"And who might that be?" Clark asked.
"Clark, we never ask about sources," Lois said reprimanding him.
Perry grinned. "His name is 'Sore Throat,' because he always seems to have a cold."
"I see, sorry, Chief," Clark said, head down.
"No problem, Kent." He paused for a moment and glanced at his watch. "We have ten minutes to get there." He pulled his car keys from his desk.
"You want us to go with you?" Clark asked surprised.
"Yep, let's go!" Perry said and grabbed his coat. He waited for them at the elevator. Moments later, they were gone.
"I wonder where they're going in such a hurry," Cat wondered aloud to anyone who would listen.
"It's probably about the stakeout last night," Jimmy told her.
"What stakeout?" Cat asked.
Jimmy filled her in. Now, Cat felt like the worst kind of person.
~o~o~
In an alley, not far from the Lexor Hotel:
Perry drove for a several minutes and entered an alley and pulled up to many huge dumpsters. After waiting for five minutes, a man peeped out from behind one, but he was sneezing and blowing his nose. It was springtime and Perry thought it was probably allergies.
Perry greeted him. "Throat."
"Chief."
"Any news?"
"The tests will go forward."
"Before the vote, but that makes no sense?" Lois asked.
"Who are you?" Throat asked.
"This is Lois Lane and Clark Kent, they're reporters."
He stared them down. "To answer your question, the vote happened last night. Shockwave has been approved, but there's a problem."
"What kind of a problem?" Lois asked.
"The test could be sabotaged meaning Shockwave will fail, and they may use Rourke's system instead."
"Luthor will not be happy, but that means that Harrington could be in danger," Clark said, voicing everyone's concern.
"Tell us everything you know about Rourke," Perry said.
"Rourke and Luthor have always butted heads over one thing or another. Then Rourke developed his own experimental defense system, but it does have its flaws. That office building where he and Harrington met is owned by Apocalypse Consulting, a subsidiary of Luthor Technologies, and it's also where Rourke built the system, pretty much under Luthor's nose." He sneezed and blew his nose.
"So how do we locate him?" Lois asked.
"He owns a warehouse just outside the city near the docks. He probably moved his base of operations there." He gave them the address. "Well, good luck!" He sneezed again then he was gone.
"I have a gut feeling about Rourke and what he may do to retaliate against Luthor and Harrington," Clark said.
"Meaning sabotage; I think you're right," Perry said. "I think it's time we contacted the authorities, Harrington's office, and the Defense Department."
~o~o~
Once they arrived back at the Planet, Lois did a bit of snooping about the test. While Clark was on the phone with Harrington's office and Perry was calling the police, Lois headed downtown to speak with her contacts at the Defense Department. Clark frowned then he watched her leave.
After contacting her Father on the phone, she headed to the warehouse. Lois instincts about these things were at play, and even though she technically hadn't lied to Clark, she realized that he might be upset if anything went wrong.
She picked the lock to the door and made her way inside and when she passed by an open door, but was brought up short by Harrington. He was tied to a chair and he appeared to have been beaten. She pulled out a camera. Lois gasped. She was then grabbed from behind.
It was Jones and he had a knife.
~o~o~
Meanwhile, Clark received a call from Lois' father looking for her. Now, Clark was worried. He asked everyone where Lois could have gone. Perry knew exactly where she went, and now so did Clark.
Clark headed to the elevator, but Perry stopped him with his next words. "Kent don't screw this up, not this time!"
"Right, Chief." Clark understood then he left the bullpen, streaked through the elevator and headed to the warehouse. Moments later, he peered through the walls, but they were lined in lead. He crashed through the main door and that's when he saw her. Rourke was holding her hostage along with Harrington.
"Let them go!" Superman was calm. He came closer.
He was holding a gun and standing to Lois's right. "I don't think so Superman." Lois and Clark glanced at each other but only for a moment. Rourke caught their looks. "She's important to you."
"Everyone is important to me. Just let them go!" Clark nearly shouted.
He cocked the gun. "It's too late, Superman. The drone will reach land in exactly two minutes. You can't save them both and stop the test. Even you with all of your enormous speeds, you can't stop it and save them as well." Rourke pulled the trigger. Clark catches the bullet before it blasted through Lois's skull.
Using his heat vision, the gun melted in his hand. Rourke tried to run, but Clark caught him and tied him up in seconds. He spotted Jones and he was also caught.
He then untied Lois and Harrington, then he spoke up. "Superman, Rourke's test is far too dangerous. He sabotaged Luthor's drone, and it was not designed to be used this way, and if it detonates, there could be a tsunami."
"Superman, you have to hurry!" Lois shouted to him.
Clark streaked out the window.
"Ms. Lane, please, we have to get out of here. If the tidal wave hits land, we're done." They helped Harrington and Jones and ran out the building, but it was too late. The drone hit the ocean and spiraled down to the Earth's core creating a tidal wave. Superman had seconds to stop it before it reached the shore.
Still running, it sounded like a freight train coming towards her. Lois screamed then she felt compelled to look back and what she saw would haunt her dreams for days. A giant wave was just behind her. It was useless to run.
Moments later, Superman used his tremendous speed, twirled and spun through the giant wave to reverse its pursuit. The wave slowed down and only a small amount of water hit the shore causing minimal damage.
Lois breathed a huge sigh of relief.
~o~o~
Later that evening in the bullpen:
Perry held up the headline for all to see: 'SURF'S UP: SUPERMAN BUILDS UNDERSEA TRENCH' by Lois Lane. Below the fold was a drawing of a huge wave, and if you look closer you could see a red and blue blur swirling inside. Based on Lois's eyewitness account, the art department did a fine job.
"Good job, guys!" Perry said to this new reporting team, even though they didn't know it yet.
"Thanks, Chief," Lois and Clark said at the same time. They smiled at each other.
Jimmy and Cat chuckled at how in tune they were. "Where are Rourke and Jones?" She wanted to know.
"In jail of course," Lois replied. "Sorry, Cat."
She shrugged. "Well, I knew it was too good to last. He was fun."
"And you had no clue he worked for an illegal arms dealer?" Clark asked.
"Let's just say, we didn't talk about work," Cat replied and grinned. "Oh, did you hear the latest news about Harrington? Apparently, he says that it was all a setup, a sting operation that he concocted when Rourke contacted him weeks ago."
Everyone shook their heads, amazed at the news.
Just then Lex Luthor walked in, unannounced and walked over to Perry.
"Mr. Luthor, what a surprise," Perry said. He shook his hand.
"Good evening, Perry." He turned to Clark. "Mr. Kent, Cat, and." He hesitated when he turned to Jimmy.
Clark couldn't help but notice that he did, in fact, command a room. He stood up a little straighter. Clark looked him over. He was tall, well dressed in a suit and tie. His hair was dark brown, smoothed back and curled slightly at the ends. He appeared to be slightly older than himself, but not by much.
Lex finally turned to Lois. "Hello, Lois; it's nice to see you again," he said and walked over to her.
"Hello, Lex. Why are you here?"
"Well, I wanted to congratulate you on your story. It's unfortunate that the test failed, but the Defense Department gave me the contract anyway, so I wanted to thank you for your diligence."
"It was nothing. It was Superman who saved the day."
"That's true, but if not for your legwork, well, I don't want to think what could have happened."
Perry thought this was as good a time as any. "Everyone, I have an announcement. Lois and Clark did a fine job on this assignment. I admit that it started out a bit rocky, but they came together just as I knew they would. So from now on, they're partners."
Lois and Clark glanced at each other. "Partners?" They both asked at the same time.
Jimmy and Cat smiled at the news. "Congratulations!" Cat said and so did Jimmy.
Everyone seemed pleased except Lex. He glanced between them and they were staring at each other; they spoke to each other without words. There was definitely something there.
"Congratulations!" Lex said. His sentiment did not reach his eyes. He shook Clark's hand then turned to Lois. "May I speak to you privately for a moment?"
"Of course," Lois said and followed him. They walked over to the elevators. Lex couldn't help but notice that Kent was staring at them as if he wanted to pull them apart if he could.
"You seemed a bit surprised by Perry's announcement," Lex said.
"Only a little; Clark and I haven't known each other very long," Lois admitted keeping up appearances.
"Well, being partners will probably change that."
"Probably," Lois thoughtfully said, distracted. Clark was probably listening to them.
"Lois, I wanted to ask you a question."
"Sure, what is it?"
"How would you feel about leaving the Planet and coming to work at my station? Your salary would triple, and I just know the camera would love you," he asked and smiled.
Lois was shocked. "Leave the Planet?"
"I know this is out of the blue, but I've been thinking about it for some time now." He paused as he stared at her. "I can see you're a bit thrown by my question, so I'll say goodnight."
Lois shook her head, distracted. "Goodnight, Lex."
Once Lex had left, she hesitated knowing what Clark must be thinking. She turned back to the bullpen, but he wasn't there. She rushed over to them.
"Where's Clark?" Lois asked.
"He said he needed some fresh air. He may be on the roof. He headed that way," Cat replied.
"Thanks, Cat."
Cat was thoughtful as she watched her leave. They'll deny it, but I know the truth.
Lois rushed back to the elevator and headed to the rooftop. Clark was indeed there. She came closer. He was looking up at the night sky, hands in his pockets. "Are you leaving me?"
The pain in his voice brought tears to her eyes. "You can't get rid of me that easily."
Relieved beyond measure, he turned to her. "Do you mean?"
"Yes, Clark, I'm not leaving you or the Planet."
He pulled her to him and kissed her over and over. After a minute, he clutched her to him tightly, just a bit too tight, but she didn't mind.
Lois pulled away and touched his cheek. "You were really worried?"
He bowed his head. "Yeah, I was."
"Oh, Clark, you're my home now. I love you."
"I love you too."
Smiling, she went back into his arms. They turned toward the sky and stood that way for several long minutes.
But Clark had to know. "You weren't tempted at all, I mean, triple your salary?"
"Clark, I love my job and now."
He pulled her closer. "And now?"
"Let's just say that I won't need the 'honeymoon suite.' I mean." She tried not to blush again.
"I know what you meant," he said and smiled.
"Clark, you haven't said anything about my going to the warehouse alone."
"Oh, do you mean, was I upset?"
"Were you?"
"No, not upset, just worried."
Lois was relieved. "You know Clark, that's just how I do my job; whatever it takes."
"I know your motto and I agree with you. The truth has to come out, no matter what, but."
"But."
"We're a team now and it's important that we know each other's whereabouts; that's all I'm saying."
Lois got the hint. "I agree."
"Good." Clark was relieved. They kissed with a new understanding about their lives together and how unpredictable it could be meaning things could change in an instant.
~o~o~
Meanwhile, downtown in county lock-up:
Rourke and Jones were in separate jail cells, but they were right next to each other. Rourke was pacing back and forth back and forth.
"What are you thinking?" Jones asked as he came over to him.
"Superman has a crush on Ms. Lane," he whispered.
"You think so?"
"Yeah, I know so." Payback would be his if he found the right person to tell. Luthor came to mind, but he dismissed that idea for now.
Jones was not happy with his line of reasoning. Whatever he was planning, it won't bode well for anyone. He felt bad about using Cat, Ms. Lane or Mr. Kent. He didn't know the reporters, but they were just doing their job, the same as him. He didn't have a clue about Rourke until it was too late. The money meant everything to this family, but now it was gone and he was in jail. Maybe there was a way to warn them, stop Rourke and in return, testify against him. He could turn his life around. He wanted that more than anything.
"Are you listening to me?" Rourke asked.
"Sure boss."
"My lawyer assured me that we could be released on bail tomorrow."
Jones wasn't listening.
~o~o~
The next day, not far from the Planet building:
Lois and Clark had just gotten their coffee to go and stepped outside. The sky blackened but only for a moment.
"Was that an eclipse?" Clark asked.
"No, we would have heard about it before hand," Lois replied. She got an idea then pulled out her phone.
While Lois called the Planet, Clark waited for her to finish her call. Someone tapped his shoulder. It was a gentleman in uniform. "May I speak with you for a moment in private?"
Clark frowned. "Of course."
"Is there any way you could reach Superman? I know the Planet seems to have an inside track on stories about him."
"Why do you need to reach him?"
"That wasn't an eclipse."
"What was it?"
The gentleman glanced around, then he whispered, "It was a meteor and only Superman can stop it."
Lois overheard them, then she gasped and looked up at the sky. "Oh, God."
TBC!
~o~o~
Song Inspiration: Could I Have This Kiss Forever, Enrique Iglesias ft. Whitney Houston.
A/N: Ok guys, I'm having a blast writing this, even with all the sharp left turns in the plot. The next chapter will open their eyes to the kind of life they're 'building' in Metropolis. This is it for them. Now, for that last scene, there may be a left turn or two. Tell me what you think. Thanks for reading everyone. Reviews/kudos is love.