By Pam Garfield
Summary: An "in between" scene from the episode "The Source" that explains why Clark might have chosen to appear as Superman when he went to deliver his pep talk to Lois.
In The Source, Superman shows up at Lois' apartment to give her a pep-talk and speed cleanup. We all loved that scene, but I wondered what happened from the time Clark leaves Lois on the sidewalk to attend the press conference until he shows up at her apartment as Superman. When did it occur to him to put on the suit for her? We never seem to see those moments when he decides it's what he wants to do, so I decided to play Peeping Tom at Lois and Clark's windows. Here's what I saw:
***
Lois's apartment, evening. She's seated on the couch, a bag of chocolate covered popcorn in her lap. The TV is showing Home Shopping Channel. Phone rings.
Lois (picking up phone, sounds blue): Hello?
Cut to Clark, seated on his bed, on the phone. Movement in the kitchen can be heard and briefly glimpsed -clanking of pots and pans as Martha cooks dinner and Jonathan reaches for dishes out of the cabinet.
The phone conversation is shown split-screen.
Clark: Hi. It's me. How are you?
Lois: I'm okay. There's a new vacuum cleaner I might want to get, if I get a new job.
Clark: Lois, c'mon.
L: How was the mayor's press conference?
C: It was the mayor, what do you think?
L: That good, huh?
C: So, do you have any leads?
L: Clark, I'm unemployed…remember?
C: You're not unemployed, Lois. You just have to work from home until Perry can -
L: I've already made enough of a mess for Perry. For everybody.
C: (distraught) Lois, c'mon!
L: Clark, I got a man killed! I could've gotten your parents killed too!
C: My parents are fine. Don't worry about them.
Jonathan calls from the kitchen: Clark, supper's ready!
L: I should've listened to him, but I had to go off and -
C: Listened to who?
L: Superman. He told me to bring Stuart to the police. I should've done that.
C: Well, um… Lois, you did what you thought was best to protect Stuart. No reporter could have done more.
L: I made a mess, Clark.
C: It wasn't your fault. Whoever is behind this tried to kill you too, and who knows how many more people will get hurt before they're stopped. You've got to get going, Lois. You've got to expose them. Nobody can do that better than you.
L: yeah, sure.
C: Do you want me to come over?
L: No. Thanks. I really just want to be alone.
Martha calls from the kitchen: Clark! Supper's on the table. It's getting cold!
C: (sighs) I'll talk to you later.
L: Okay. Bye.
Clark hangs up the phone. Goes to the dinner table.
Jonathan and Martha look at their son's serious expression.
M: That was Lois?
C: Yeah.
J: How is she?
C: I don't know. I'm worried about her. She doesn't sound like herself.
M: Well, it can't be easy to get suspended.
C: I guess not.
M: Give her time, Clark. She's a strong woman.
C: Yeah.
They eat in silence. Clark picks at his food. Suddenly, he gets up.
C: I've got to go.
M: But you haven't eaten a thing.
C: I'm not hungry, mom. Sorry.
He strides into his bedroom. A split second later, he strides out in the Superman costume, hair still down in Clark's hairstyle. He's taking his time. Jonathan and Martha stare at him, wide-eyed in astonishment.
J: Trouble somewhere, son?
C: (checks his appearance in a mirror, slicking his hair back to become Superman) Uh…yeah. Trouble.
J &M's jaws have dropped wide open.
C: (notices this) What? What?
M: Oh…nothing.
C: See you later. He superspeeds out the balcony door.
Jonathan and Martha catch each others eyes, shake their heads, and begin chuckling and tittering.
Then we see Lois in her apartment. She's taken out her rolodex and begun to make those phone calls. Superman appears at her window and the scene progresses as we saw it.
THE END
Pam Garfield Alema@aol.com
(inbetwen.txt)