Clark Flew Home

By Katie Green CloudyEyes@aol.com

Summary: A story that details what might have happened after the ending scene of the episode "Metallo," when Superman brushed off Lois and told her that she and Clark were lucky to have each other.

From this point forward, I will not be lazy and forget to send fanfic in to be distributed. I wrote this story on the Sunday night right after Metallo, so it's about two weeks late. It kinda rambles on a bit (I think someone set my ramble switch to ON permanently, I've been rambling a lot lately). Forgive me.

Here's an alternative for those of you who weren't satisfied with what happened in the show. What if Clark had flown back to his apartment really fast and had answered the phone?

***

"Hello?"

Pause. "Clark?"

"Lois?"

"Yeah… it's me. I…" Lois takes a deep, wavering breath. "I just wanted to talk I guess…" She bites her lip.

"Okay, is everything all right?"

"I guess so… it's just that…"

"What?"

She wants to say that she's so, so lonely and so, so sad and that she wishes that he could be there with her. "When I thought… that I'd never see you again… I was so scared, Clark. I… I don't know what I'd do if they did something to you…" She starts to cry.

"Lois… don't cry… I'm all right now… everything's okay…" Clark winces to himself because it's the same speech she gave Superman.

"No, it's not…" she cries softly. "Because… because…" Because I love you, she thinks. No! That can't be true, can it?

"Would you like me to come over?"

Relief floods through Lois' body. "Would you?"

"Sure… if that's okay."

"Clark, I'm just so… I don't know what to think anymore…"

"I'll be right there, Lois. Okay?"

"Yes… thank you, Clark…"

***

Lois sat, her heart pounding. It was two different signals combined into one. One signal was joy, Clark was coming. But the other was total humiliation. Right before the incident she had just finished her relaxing evening bath and was a little chilly stepping out. But when Superman had flown in the window she suddenly felt warm all over. However, that feeling changed when he took her hands off of his shoulders. As soon as he reached for her hands, her heartbeat changed dramatically from a rapid, excited beating to a harsh, sharp pound. It's like he didn't want me, she thought. Her whole body had become an icy cold, especially her hands. Her fingertips were bluish, almost as if the color from his suit had rubbed off onto her. She tried to detach the offending hands from the rest of her body. They were the hands that he didn't want, that he squeezed slightly after they had been rejected. As if to warm them again. It's no use, Lois thought. Superman then said something about being lucky to have Clark, and Lois said something about doing anything for him. It was all a blur. When he left, she wanted to cry almost. It was more embarrassment than anything else. She had made a fool of herself, acting like Superman thought she was special when it was blatantly obvious that he didn't feel the same way. Throwing herself at him! And the night when she asked if there would ever be a future for them, how did she forget? But then she also felt this longing to be with Clark, the man who had never hurt her. Though he had come close days before when he "surprised" her by not bringing her any frozen yogurt. That was cruel and childish, Lois thought. But she let it pass. Even though she didn't know why on earth he had done it, there must have been some explanation. Perhaps he dropped the yogurt and was too embarrassed to admit it. But suddenly she wanted it to be tomorrow! Why? So she could go to work and see Clark's cheerfulness, hear his comforting words. That's when she discovered—

There came a knock at the door. Clutching a pillow in her shaking, clammy hands, Lois got up. It was then that she realized she was still wearing the blue silk bathrobe that she had been wearing when Superman arrived. She dropped the burgundy pillow, her lifeline at the moment that she had been taking all of her frustrations out on, onto the bed and quickly looked around. She spotted a pair of sweats and put them on. Then she headed for the door. It was Clark, of course, wearing a navy T-shirt and jeans.

"Clark…" Lois barely got the words out before he held her in an embrace. She sobbed onto his shoulder, wishing that he would never let go of her. Concern was written all over his face, though he knew partially why she was crying. But Clark didn't know that Lois had just realized she wanted him, not Superman. Clark was there now, letting her cry on his shoulder, and Superman was not.

They sat on the sofa and Lois buried her head in Clark's chest. "I feel like such a fool," she sniffed.

He brushed her soft hair out of her face. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"

"Oh, Clark, it's *him*! Superman! I… I was so dumb to think he ever felt anything for me…" Lois sat up and faced her partner. Clark was glad that she trusted him enough to tell him about this painful incident. "He flew in here… I had just gotten out of the bathtub actually…"

Clark remembered well.

"… and I was telling him how I was afraid I'd never see him again… and he was acting like he didn't even care…" She began to cry again and Clark gave her a warm hug.

"I'm sorry, Lois…"

"Clark, don't be sorry. It isn't your fault." Getting up, Lois wandered towards the kitchen. It was amazing how great she felt now that Clark was there, she marveled. Five-thousand different emotions were coming at her at once. She felt relieved, happy, a longing to be with Clark, and sad. But Lois was not hungry for once. Hunger didn't count as an emotion though, did it? The thought of eating ice cream at that moment seemed totally revolting. Lois wanted to sit next to Clark again, but at the same time she was too scared. "Rocky Road?" she offered, peeking into the freezer.

All too typical, thought Clark. The ever-so-popular journey to the freezer. Something's up. "You don't have to eat away your problems, Lois," Clark said. Suddenly he wondered if that was the wrong thing to say. Just a few days before, Lois had accused him of implying that she was fat. Clark was shocked to know that Lois could even think she was fat for one second, because she certainly was not!

But the thought didn't cross her mind. "I'm not eating away my problems… I'm just hungry, that's all."

"Come here, Lois…"

She obeyed, straying from the freezer. Clark was a little surprised, but not completely. "Yes?"

"I just want you to know that I'll always be here for you. Just give me a call, like you did tonight, anytime you want to talk. Okay?"

It was so sweet, Lois practically melted. Her warmth was coming back fast. "Okay."

"Do you want me to stay a little longer?"

Yes! Stay forever! She was floating on cloud nine, getting closer to the sun every second. "No, I think I'm going to be okay."

"You sure?"

Lois hugged him appreciatively. Her heart was jumping up into her throat with joy. "Yes, I'm sure. Now go home and get some sleep, or Perry's going to be on your case tomorrow." She could barely speak, her words came out in jumbled nonsense it seemed.

Smiling, Clark got up. With one last good-bye, he left and Lois closed the door behind him.

Lois walked over to the bedroom and fell into bed. But instead of feeling heartbroken, she had a small smile on her face. Her face, however, did not even begin to match the happiness she was feeling inside.

THE ENDClark Flew Home By Katie Green CloudyEyes@aol.com