By Jennifer Ayotte <moonstryker90@hotmail.com>
Rated PG
Submitted October 1998
Summary: In an unexpected return, a nemesis from Lois' past is holding her against her will. Meanwhile, Clark has scoured the earth but still can't find Lois. Will our favourite couple ever be reunited? Find out in this sequel to the fanfic "Prelude to a Kiss."
Here is the conclusion to part 1 of this fanfic. Hope you enjoy it! Feel free to send in your comments to Moonstryker90@hotmail.com.
***
"Why would you want me after all these years? Why would you kidnap me?" Lois asked, her voice scratchy and tired. She had been in the clutches of Claude and his men for about 26 hours or so now, unfed, bruised, tired, and, most of all, lonely. She missed everyone, especially Clark, and was losing hope that anyone was going to find her before something else happened.
"Lois, my dear," he started with his suave French accent, "I don't want anything from you. Okay, I'm lying. I want your reputation."
"My reputation? I don't understand."
"Well, it's simple. You're a prize-winning journalist. You've gained most of the world's respect, and your work is read all over the world. To be blunt, I'm jealous. You see, I knew you had a gift when I met you. And you wrote that Pulitzer winning piece, that I happened to come across, but I never did get much farther than that. I never lived up to those expectations again, and people began to question why that was."
"I can't help what I've done …"
"I know, I know, but you certainly can help me."
"How?" she wasn't sure if she wanted to ask this.
"That's the simple part. I kidnap you, which is already done, and then I fake your death, I hold you hostage, and you begin to write my stories for me, which will make my stories great, I will get respect, and to start it all off, I will write the exclusive story on the death of the famous Lois Lane. Of course, it will frame someone else, probably one of my guinea pigs, and will contain details about your death nobody else will know about."
"You're really twisted. What makes you think that Superman won't find me, and that I would actually help you write your stories?!"
"Oh that's right, I forgot, you and Superman are kinda chummy huh? You're kinda like his favorite little playmate? Well, I will take care of him when he becomes a problem for me."
"How? He's Superman. You can't hurt him."
"Oh, that's where you're wrong, you see, I was friends with Lex Luthor's lawyer. Before he was eliminated, I got a very valuable piece of information concerning a little green rock you so boldly named Kryptonite. I think I've got all my angles covered. Don't you?" With that, he turned back and walked away, locking the door on his way out.
***
Meanwhile, back at the Planet, Clark was going nuts. He felt so helpless. He didn't know what to do. Not even as Superman. He was beginning to think, way in the back in his mind, that it was almost hopeless. But he wouldn't give in that easily. He had already put out an APB on her, filed a missing persons report, circled the city and other nearby cities as Superman, and had half of the town out on search. But so far, nothing. It had been nearly 3 days now.
"Hey, CK! Any news?" but from the look on Clark's face, he already knew the answer.
"No Jimmy, not yet. But Superman's hopeful." Clark had said that, although almost completely falsely, but to try and give Jimmy a little more hope. He knew how much Jimmy missed her. She was like a sister to him, and Clark could tell he loved her like as a sister. As Perry loved her as a daughter. And as Clark loved her, utterly and completely.
So far, though, dealing with Lois' mom, her sister Lucy, her dad, Clark's own parents who had taken her in as a daughter long ago, and himself as well, was only the beginning. He had beaten, harassed, arrested, and nearly killed a good amount of sources, both of hers and his own, Lex's pals, lawyers, criminals on the inside, all for information none of them seemed to have. But he wasn't finished there. He was ready for anything. That was the problem now. He didn't know what else to do from here. he tried to sustain himself from thinking that by now there might not be much else he could do. But, the longer Lois remained missing, the more that thought seemed to creep into his mind.
***
Lois' vision was getting blurry was getting blurry. She had been refusing to eat or drink, and she knew that she was being drugged. Claude's accomplices were beginning to think that she wasn't going to crack and help him, no matter what he did or said. The longer she refused, the more frightened they got.
"She is stronger than I had expected her to be, but it's only been a few days. Maybe we just haven't found her soft spot yet."
"But, sir, how much longer will she go on starving herself? Now, we have started the procedure as you ordered, but I don't think …"
"I could have told you that!" Claude interrupted. He was getting frustrated at how fast his men were cracking.
"If you want to live, then you will continue with the drug until she has received the full dosage. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir. I just wish you would have waited just a few more days so that the doctor could have run a few more tests. We still don't know how much someone could take, or what the side effects will be."
"Well, would you rather return her and have her tell the cops and Superman who the kidnappers are?" And with that, Claude left.
***
The headlines and stories about Lois Lane's disappearance had slowly decreased in number over the past week, and people were beginning to try to convince Clark that he was holding on to a dream. He, of course, wouldn't listen to any of that kind of talk, but even his parents were in the process of accepting. The world was beginning to remember Lois Lane as one of the world's greatest, respected, and deceased reporters.
***
ABOUT 8 DAYS LATER …
Sirens were going off everywhere, and the bright lights were blindingly white. She felt numb all over, and couldn't talk or barely even see. But she could hear a lot of voices, all muffled and faint. She tried to open her red eyes, but as much effort as she put into it, they wouldn't open much past a quarter of an inch.
"LOIS LANE FOUND" and "LOIS LANE NOT DEAD," along with "THE SEARCH IS OVER" and "SUPERMAN, AS WELL AS THE WORLD, CAN REST" read the headlines the next morning.
After weeks of hopeless searching, she had been found. According to the doctor who had been one of Claude's men, Lois had been given a drug to make her invulnerable to any messages, and to be completely vulnerable so that Claude could replace her; talent-wise that is. The doctor had made a statement about everything that went on, and informed the hospital of what drug Lois had been on and what her conditions were as a result of her lack of eating and drinking. Although she wasn't doing very well now, the doctor reported that she was recovering slowly.
***
Clark couldn't express his joy in words. He had cried he was so relieved and happy. He had been by her bedside since the day she was dumped in the hospital lot.
After a few days, she was able to talk a little better. The first name she called was Clark. They just sat there for hours, not even talking. Then they kissed. Tenderly, passionately, and so deep it could swallow an ocean. He couldn't wait until the day she could go home.
THE END