By Carrie Smith <quacky1@flash.net>
Rated PG
Submitted January 1999
Summary: Lois and Clark are distracted from their upcoming wedding when Lex Luthor escapes from jail. In order to track down Luthor and his suspected accomplice, Dr. Mamba, Lois and Clark team up with FBI agents Dana Scully and Fox Mulder. Romance is in the air as the foursome treks to Brazil in pursuit of Luthor. Two of the decade's top television shows, Lois & Clark and The X-Files, are combined in this thrilling rewrite of the episode "I Now Pronounce You …"
From what I've read in other stories, and from other sites, there are an awful lot of FoLCs that are also X-Philes, and vice versa. I happen to be one of them who is both. So, if you enjoy both shows, you should like this piece I've written. It's timed to take the place of 'I Now Pronounce You' in L&C; I'm not exactly where it would be in the X-Files timeline. The characters of Lois & Clark and the rest belong to Warner Brothers and D.C. Comics. Mulder and Scully belong to Fox, and to Chris Carter. Enjoy… DF
By Carrie Smith <quacky1@flash.net> (DFantum on Yahoo! Chat)
***
FBI Headquarters, Washington D.C.
7:45 pm Sunday, February 11, 1996
"Hey, Scully, look at this."
The file was dropped on the desk where Agent Dana Scully was busy typing up a report on her computer. "What's this, Mulder?" she began as she glanced into the face of her partner, Agent Fox Mulder, then read the file. "Clones? Frogs — I don't know, this seems even too far fetched for you to have even come up with, Mulder."
She looked up to see him grinning at her remark. "Doctor Isaac Mamba — I think I've heard of him. Said he could eradicate all known diseases by cloning human cells that were capable of fighting off viruses more aggressively than normal cells. Last I heard, he was discredited and pretty much vanished from the face of the planet."
She handed the file back to him. "So, what's all of this have to do with the X-Files?"
Mulder smiled at her slightly. "Well, he's mentioned in an X-File from several years ago, and word has it that he's resurfaced again."
Scully shook her head and sighed. "Ohhh, where do we have to go this time — let me guess, some small, out of the way town in Nebraska?"
"Nope." Mulder shook his head and grinned. "We're headed for Metropolis. It seems that Mamba's latest research is being funded by Lexcorp."
"Lex Luthor? I thought he was in prison for the next 300 years." Scully scratched her head for a moment, recalling the article she'd read about him.
Mulder closed the file and looked up at her. "Yeah, he is, but apparently he's got someone on the outside handling his business for him while he's out of commission."
Scully sighed deeply. "Okay, when do we leave, Mulder?"
Mulder got up out of his chair and headed for the door. "Tonight."
***
Daily Planet, Metropolis,
9:15 am Monday, February 12, 1996
Lois Lane walked into the Daily Planet building with her writing partner, and fiance, Clark Kent. As usual, she was a bundle of nerves, babbling as she walked on. "Let's see, we've got the church reserved, the minister, reception hall — ughhhhh! I know I'm going to forget something."
Clark just let her vent out her frustration, hiding a small grin from her. "Lois, come on, everything's going to turn out just fine. Just wait and see — this time next week, we'll be Mr. and Mrs. Kent." He turned to her and kissed her lightly on the lips, ending her tirade.
Lois sighed contentedly and wrapped her arms around his neck, as they got on the elevator. "I can't wait." She giggled as the door closed behind them.
Jimmy met them as they stepped off the elevator into the City Room. "Hey, Lois, C.K.! Perry said he wants to see you as soon as you get here. I think he's still in his office."
"Hmm, I wonder what's up?" Clark cocked his head to one side, confused.
"Oh, you know Perry. Probably just wants to make sure we don't get involved in anything too big this week, seeing as we get married on Saturday!" Lois grinned as she said that last part.
Clark poked his head in the doorway of Perry White's office "Uh, you wanted to see us, Chief?"
Perry looked up from his desk. "Yeah, come inside and shut the door." He pointed to the two agents sitting on the sofa. "Lois, Clark, these are Special Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully from the FBI."
The four shook hands and exchanged greetings as they sat down. "Ms. Lane, Mr. Kent, we've read your work. I must say, you two know how to get to the truth."
Scully shook Lois's hand and politely asked her a question. "Uh, correct me if I'm wrong, Miss Lane, but didn't you write the first Superman sighting story?"
Lois smiled at them politely. "Yes, I did. "
Mulder looked at her, fascinated. "I'd like to meet him sometime. Imagine, Scully, a real live alien from another planet, living among us."
As he shifted in his chair, Clark stared at them. "Uh, you wouldn't happen to be associated with Bureau 39, would you, Agent Mulder?"
Mulder glanced back at Clark. "No. I'm familiar with that group, however. It was a rogue paramilitary agency obsessed with ufos and alien life forms. They were known for using some very harsh methods in their searches. The group disappeared two years ago without a trace. We're with a department of the FBI known as the X-Files. We deal mostly with paranormal phenomenon, although we do have our fair share of ufo related cases."
Mulder glanced at Scully who just nodded her head and rolled her eyes at him as she spoke. "Miss Lane, you're familiar with Lex Luthor, right? We understand you were engaged to marry him at one time."
Lois shot Clark a nervous look and nodded her head. "Well, yes, but, that was before I realized what kind of a monster he was. Why?"
Scully continued her explanation. "We have reason to believe that he's funding a Doctor Isaac Mamba's research into human cloning. Rumor has it that Mamba's operation is based somewhere in Metropolis."
Clark scratched his chin "So, what do you need from us, Agent Scully?"
She looked at Mulder, then back at Clark. "We need you to find out any information you can on Lex Luthor's connection to Dr. Mamba. In return, we'll give you the details to print the story for the Daily Planet after we have Mamba in custody; provided that you agree to leave our names out of the story. It would jeopardize our careers, and possibly endanger our lives."
Clark nodded at the agents. "We understand, and will cooperate in any way."
Lois spoke up, anxious to uncover as much as she could from them. "What has Doctor Mamba been doing exactly?"
Mulder glanced at her, trying to decide if she could be trusted with the whole story. "About 4 years ago, he was involved in cloning human cells that would fight off invading viruses more efficiently. I, that is we, have reason to believe he was in league with a group that was creating a biological weapon from alien DNA. He was allegedly trying to create a vaccine for it. We would appreciate it if you could keep this as low profile as possible."
The two agents stood up to leave. "Oh, Mr Kent, uh, do you think you could get in touch with Superman for us? I think he would be a big help."
Clark shook Mulder's hand and nodded his head. "I think I can get a hold of him, Agent Mulder."
Mulder handed Clark a card as he and Scully started to walk out. "This is where we're staying if you have any information for us. We'll be in touch."
Scully looked up at him as they got on the elevator. "So, Mulder, do you think we can trust them with every detail about this?"
"Yeah, I think so, Scully. X told me that they're pretty well known for their honesty and trustworthiness," Mulder said as the door closed.
***
"So, what do you think our first move should be, Clark?" Lois asked as she walked up to Clark's desk.
Clark looked up from his terminal. "Well, the first thing I'm going to do is check out who we're working with. I mean they know an awful lot about us, so it's only fair." Clark typed at super speed and tapped into a file listing of government employees. "Hmmmm, Fox Mulder, degree in Psychology at Oxford University, went into the FBI Academy, where he was tops in his class and had earned the nickname 'Spooky' Mulder from his classmates. "
Lois turned to Clark and smiled. "Well, he wears that name very well. What else?"
Clark smiled back at her as he continued. "At the FBI, he was one of their most brilliant agents in the Violent Crimes Division. He's telling the truth about this X-Files thing, and there's no mention about Bureau 39 or Trask. "
Lois breathed a sigh of relief that they wouldn't have another problem with Bureau 39. Twice in a lifetime was enough for her. "Okay, so what about Agent Scully?"
Clark typed some more and read the file aloud. "Dana Scully — majored in Physics at the University of Maryland, then went to medical school immediately after graduation. It says here that she entered the FBI Academy as a teacher in Forensic Medicine. After two years, she was transferred to the X-Files to back up Agent Mulder. Well, they're both on the level."
Lois sat on the corner of the desk. "So, where do we go from here?"
Clark took her hand as he spoke. "I say we find out as much as we can about this Dr. Mamba and try to nail Luthor once and for all. That way, he can't interfere with our wedding plans and our marriage. I mean, he practically kidnapped you the last time we encountered him in that subway tunnel." He kissed her hand lightly, then pulled her down gently and kissed her lips.
As usually is the case with them, someone interrupted their kiss by clearing his throat. It was Jimmy. "Hey guys, uh sorry to interrupt, but the Chief said you needed some help?"
Clark looked up at Jimmy, his lips still poised to kiss Lois. "Uh, yeah, Jimmy. We need you to look up a Dr. Isaac Mamba. Get us everything you can on him, especially involving cloning and virology."
"Okay, C.K." Jimmy started to leave, but turned back at the last second. "Uh, cloning? Sounds like something out of 'The Twilight Zone' if you ask me."
Lois glared at him, but smiled after a few seconds. "Yeah, we know. We'll explain it all later, now go."
Jimmy walked off, whistling the 'Twilight Zone' theme song.
***
Room 18, Kozy Motel, Metropolis.
8:23 pm Monday, February 12
<Knock, Knock, Knock> "Mulder? Are you in there?" Scully stood at his door, with a pizza and a six pack of Soder Cola in her hands.
The door opened and a slightly dazed Mulder stood in the doorway. "Uh, Scully — sorry, I dozed off. What's up?"
He moved aside so she could come in. "Well, I thought you might be hungry," Scully murmured, with a smile playing at her lips
He took the pizza, opened the lid, and sniffed at it. "Oooh yeah, I could use some food right about now, Scully, thanks."
***
They sat at the small table in one corner of Mulder's room, and ate their dinner. "So, have you heard from Lane and Kent yet, Mulder?" Scully asked, reaching for a slice of pizza.
Mulder's reply was muffled, but understandable. "Yeah, Mr. Kent, uh, Clark called me about 4:30. They haven't come up with anything solid yet, but they have a couple of leads they're checking on. He also said that Superman's helping them look for Mamba."
After a few minutes, the phone rang, Mulder picked it up and motioned to Scully. "Mulder — hello Mr. Kent — yeah? He's where? Okay, give us 30 minutes or so."
He hung the phone up and turned to Scully. "Well, our two friends found out where Mamba is."
Scully looked at him, afraid of where this conversation was headed. "Where is he, Mulder, or do I want to know?"
Mulder shrugged his shoulders and tried to stall for a moment by looking at the ceiling.
Scully accented each syllable as she asked again. "Mul-der! Where — is — he?"
He said only one word, very quietly. "Brazil."
"BRAZIL? What the hell is he doing there?" Scully asked, slightly agitated.
"Clark said he'd fill us in when we get to the Planet. Come on, Scully, everything's going to be just fine." Mulder put one hand on her shoulder, reassuring her that he'd watch over her, just as she looked out for him.
"Alright, Mulder. Let's go." Scully sighed, resigning herself to her fate.
She then walked out the door, with Mulder following close behind her. "Well, look at it this way, if we catch him quickly, we could always spend some time on the beach, working on our tans." Mulder chuckled as he locked the door.
***
Daily Planet. Metropolis.
8:23 pm Monday, February 12
"Here you go, C.K., this is all I could find on this Mamba guy." Jimmy walked into the conference room and handed him a stack of papers an inch thick.
Lois was on the phone to Bobby Bigmouth, arguing a fee for his services. "Yeah, okay Bobby. I'll take you to that new seafood restaurant. Now, what have you got for me about Dr. Mamba? He's WHERE? Well, what's he doing in South America? Okay, thanks, Bobby, bye."
She hung up the phone, and put her hand over her forehead and sighed. "Well, I found Dr. Mamba. He is in Brazil, somewhere between Sao Paolo and Salvador on the Sao Francisco River. It turns out that he's been using a certain frog DNA in his cloning experiments. The only place you can find these frogs is in Brazil. So much for our wedding on Saturday."
Clark shook his head in amazement. "Come on, Lois. All we have to do is let Mulder and Scully know where he is. We won't be going with them."
Clark fished the phone number Mulder gave him out of his pocket and picked up the phone. "Hello, Agent Mulder? It's Clark Kent. Uh, we found Dr. Mamba. He's somewhere in Brazil. Uh, Brazil. Maybe we should explain it to you in person. Do you think you two could meet us here? Okay see you in a few minutes."
He hung the phone up and looked at Lois. "Do you think you could explain that story about Dr. Mamba one more time, Lois? They'll be here in 30 minutes."
Lois nodded, exhausted from her bargaining with Bobby. "Yeah, I can tell it one more time. I swear, Clark, if we miss our wedding over this, you are never going to live it down." Lois grinned maliciously at Clark who just sat in his chair, squirming over what Lois was scheming.
All of a sudden, Jimmy ran back into the conference room. "Hey you guys! I think there's something you need to see on the news."
They walked out into the City Room and stared at the screen to see a live picture of Stryker's Island Prison. "…And we repeat, Lex Luthor escaped this maximum security prison at approximately 7:30 this morning. Uh, we have a late breaking development in this story. Minutes ago, a man fitting Luthor's description was spotted at a small airfield outside of Metropolis. He reportedly boarded a private jet bound for parts unknown before he could be captured again. We will keep up with this breaking story and report any further developments as they happen."
Lois shut the television off and sighed. "Well, so much for the wedding going off without a hitch. What else could possibly go wrong?"
***
Daily Planet. Metropolis
9:15 pm, Monday, February 12
"So that's what we know, Agent Mulder. Mamba is somewhere in Brazil, gathering some unique kind of frog that has a type of dna that, when it is combined with DNA from another organism, replicates that organism almost perfectly. Our source says that he has some plans for cloning humans for Lex Luthor," Lois explained to the two agents.
Mulder scratched his head, for this even puzzled him. "Yes, but what would Luthor want with clones that have a lifespan of only a few weeks, and that crave live frogs?"
Clark recalled a story he heard about from an informant inside the prison. "Well, there have been a few rumors about his health ever since he was 'brought back to life' by his doctor, Gretchen Kelley. Word is that Doctor Kelley used a technologically advanced cloning procedure to 'grow' Lex a new body that's beginning to show signs of dying off."
Lois nodded at Clark. "Maybe the rumors are true, maybe his body really is deteriorating. Now that he's escaped from prison, who knows what he's up to?"
Scully looked at Mulder and gave him a confused look. "Well, I for one can offer no scientific or medical explanation for this one. Mulder, I don't think we're going to be able to handle this one alone. What we need is someone who knows Luthor and understands how he thinks." The two agents glanced toward Lois.
Lois turned to Clark and whispered into his ear. "I had to ask what else would go wrong, didn't I?" She then turned to the agents and half-smiled. "When do we leave?"
***
Metropolis Airport
10:45 pm, Monday February 12
<Aero Brasil Flight 119 for Brasilia now boarding at gate 17>
Clark gently nudged Lois, who had fallen asleep against his shoulder. "That's us Lois. Lois? Come on, wake up."
Lois jumped up as she realized where she was. "Mmmmm, huh? Oh, are we there yet?"
The four picked up their bags and headed for the plane. Mulder glanced over at Scully. "It's about a ten hour flight, Scully. I called the airport in Brasilia — they've got two vehicles reserved for us. I figure that if we were to split up, each pair taking a part of the area that Mamba was last reported to be in, we should be able to track him down fairly quickly."
***
The foursome discussed their plans as the plane lumbered through the air above the southern part of North America. Mulder looked over at the younger man, sitting across from him. "Clark, are you sure that Superman's willing to help our search?"
Clark cringed a little bit. "Uh, yeah. Luthor's number one on his list of people he wants to see behind bars permanently. He told me that he'd do anything necessary to bring him to justice."
Scully looked at Clark, fascinated. "So, how do you get in touch with him outside of Metropolis, if you don't mind my asking."
Lois shot into the conversation and began babbling. "Well, Superman's ship supposedly landed near Smallville Kansas, Clark's hometown, when Clark was a child, and ever since then, there's been this link between them. I'm not even sure how he does it exactly, and I'm marrying Clark!"
Mulder slapped himself on the forehead. "That's right, you two are getting married on Saturday! Hopefully, we'll have captured Luthor and Mamba by then."
Clark gave a look at Lois that made her stop babbling. "I also have a signal watch that Superman got from S.T.A.R. Labs. It emits a high frequency sound that only he can hear."
Mulder yawned and stretched his arms out as he looked at his watch. "Well, I don't know about you three, but I 've got to get some sleep. Scully, can I borrow one of your shoulders?"
Scully nodded sleepily as she shifted herself closer to Mulder. He laid his head on her shoulder and whispered to her. "Thanks, Scully. G' night."
Lois watched the two agents for a moment and smiled. "You know something, Clark? I think there's more to those two than just partners and friends. Still, they've got the right idea about sleep. Goodnight Clark, I love you." She kissed him lightly on the cheek and then curled up next to him and fell asleep. It wasn't long before Clark shut his eyes and fell asleep too.
***
Brasilia Municipal Airport
9:30 am. Tuesday, February 13
Inside the airport terminal, Clark and Mulder were waiting for their rental cars to be delivered, while Lois and Scully sat on a nearby bench, laughing. "Okay, Clark, here's my cell-phone number, assuming that these things will work this far out in the middle of nowhere."
Clark took the slip of paper and put it in his jeans pocket. "If they don't, I'll have Superman get in touch with you, somehow. Good luck, Agent Mulder."
They shook each other's hands and looked over at where the two women were sitting and laughing. "You know, Clark, I don't think I've ever heard Scully laugh as hard as she is right now. I wonder what they're talking about."
Unknown to Mulder, Clark's hearing was picking up the conversation between the two women. He smiled to himself as he listened as the women traded stories. "…so Mulder burst inside and I looked over at him standing there in my doorway, with his mouth hanging open. Then the Mulder sitting next to me changed into this Van Blundht guy, and I pushed him away from me. Oh, I couldn't believe I almost kissed that idiot."
Lois wiped a laughter induced tear from her eye and giggled. "Oh, I don't know, Agent Mulder is sort of handsome."
Scully looked over at Mulder and sighed. "Yes, he is, isn't he. If it wasn't for the Bureau's rule against agents becoming involved, I'd…"
She cut herself off as she saw the two men approaching. "Okay Scully, time to get going. Lois, Clark, we're going to go towards Salvador." He pointed to a spot on the map of the area, then to another one and pointed to them. "And you two will be driving here toward Sao Paolo, and hopefully, between the four of us, we'll have Luthor and Mamba in custody in a couple of days."
Clark and Lois started off in the direction of their rented jeep. "Oh, Mulder, I'll have Superman find you if we run into trouble. Good luck you two."
Mulder picked up his and Scully's bags and carried them to their truck. "The same to you. Oh, don't get into too much trouble. Remember, you two still have to get married." The two vehicles took off in different directions at fairly high speeds.
***
Somewhere along the Sao Francisco River Basin
4: 28 pm. Tuesday, February 13
"Okay, Mulder, where are we? I mean, we haven't seen a soul since we left the airport." Scully looked up from the map she was reading to gauge Mulder's reaction.
He pointed to a small, run down station with an ancient police car parked out front, and two men standing outside. "Well, Scully. Why don't we stop here and ask these 2 police officers where we are?" Mulder looked at an English to Portuguese dictionary for a moment. He then flashed his badge and said something in what she guessed was Portuguese, but couldn't understand what it was. He was rewarded with a gun pressed into his nose.
The next thing either of them knew, they were pulled out of the vehicle. "What did you say to him, Mulder." Scully asked, with an exasperated look in her eyes.
Mulder looked back at her, as surprised at the policeman's reaction as she was"I — I thought I asked him if he could tell us where we were."
They were taken into the jail, and placed in separate cells. The cell that Mulder was in was inhabited by a scruffy looking man who kept staring at him. "So, what're you two in for, peddling insurance without a license or somethin'?"
The man let out a loud belly-laugh that caught Mulder by surprise. "No, we — you speak English? Hey, Scully! Scully?" He looked over at her to find that she was curled up on a ragged cot, crying softly. "Scully, what's the matter? Hey, guard!"
The guard came to the cell door and Mulder tried to talk to him. "Please, let me in there with my partner. She needs me, can't you see she's frightened?" Mulder yelled at the guard once more, but the man didn't understand English. Behind him, the scruffy-looking man said something to the guard, who nodded his head. He took his keys out and opened the cell door. Mulder stood up and followed him to the cell that Scully was in. He locked Mulder inside and walked out, singing off-key in Portuguese.
Mulder walked over to the cot and sat down. "Scully? Hey, come here."
He put his arms around her shoulders and pulled her close to him. "Mulder? I'm scared." She laid her head against his chest and sobbed softly.
He whispered to her reassuringly, and stroked her auburn hair. "Shhh, I'm here, Scully. It's going to be alright." She lifted her head up and half-smiled through her tears. He placed his hands on the sides of her face, and wiped her tears with his thumbs. Slowly, he pulled her head to his, until he could feel her breath against his cheek. Their lips met ever so gently, as Scully slipped her hands around Mulder's shoulders.
They broke the kiss only after they heard the man in the next cell snoring loudly. Scully sighed, as she laid her head on Mulder's shoulder. "Mulder, I've wanted to do that for so long; even before that thing with Eddie Van Blundht."
Mulder slid his arms down around her waist. "I know, Scully. I have too, ever since the day you first walked into my, uh, our office." He down looked at her, to find that she'd dozed off against him.
***
100 miles N. of Sao Paolo
5:00 pm
The jeep rumbled along the dusty road that ran alongside the river bank. Clark put the road map he was reading down on his knee and cleared his throat. "Lois, I've been thinking…why don't we ask Mulder and Scully to the wedding? I mean, if this case is solved by then."
Clark looked at her glaring at him intensely. "Which, of course, it will be solved by Saturday, I have no doubt about that. What do you think? Should we invite them?"
Lois's gaze turned softer as she thought about Clark's suggestion. "Of course! I think that's a great idea. Who knows, maybe we can light some kind of a spark between them. From what Scully said, he's basically the only really close friend she has."
Clark nodded his head in agreement. "Yeah, Mulder said something like that too. He told me that if anything happened to Scully, it would probably destroy him. They kind of remind me of us. I couldn't imagine my life without you, Lois." He took her hand and raised it to his lips.
Lois sighed as she felt Clark's lips softly on her fingertips. "Oh, Clark. I don't know how I managed to live my life before I met you." She tore her gaze away from his to concentrate on where she was driving. All of a sudden, the jeep came to a dead stop.
Lois looked at the gas gauge and noticed that it was on empty. "Arrgh! I knew we should have gone with the economy model! My jeep gets better gas mileage than this heap does."
She beat her fist on the steering wheel to emphasize her words. Clark slipped his hands over hers, ceasing her violent movements. "Calm down, Lois. Remember, I can fly us out of here in a second. Besides, I don't run out of gas."
Lois smiled at him mischievously. "You better not, or it's going to be a short honeymoon." They got out of the stalled jeep and walked into a nearby group of trees. Clark looked around to make sure that no one was around, and changed into the suit. Lois jumped into his arms and they were about to fly off when the phone rang. He set Lois down gently, and pulled the phone out of his jeans, stashed in the hidden pocket of his cape, and answered it.
***
Santa Pedroza Jail
5:35 pm.
"Scully, wake up I've got an idea." Mulder gently shook Scully's arm, rousing her out of a deep sleep.
Scully rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and yawned. "Hmm, Mulder? What time is it?" She looked around the jail cell, then into Mulder's eyes.
"About 5:30. How'd you sleep?" He asked, with a look of concern in his eyes.
Scully shrugged her shoulders as she answered him. "Okay, I guess. Thank you for being here with me."
She yawned again, and stretched her arms out. "Now, you were saying something about an idea?"
He pulled out his cell phone and began to dial it. "I guess these guys don't do thorough searches when they arrest somebody. The phone on the other end picked up and a voice on the other end spoke, through a considerable amount of static.
Clark: "Hello?"
Mulder: "Clark? Yeah, it's me, Mulder. Listen, can you get a hold of Superman? It's a real emergency."
Clark: "Mulder? I can barely hear you. Where are you two?"
Mulder: "We're in jail."
Clark: "What !?! Where?"
Mulder: "Some little village named Santa Pedroza. Anyway, we need Superman's help."
Clark: "Okay, I'll try to get him. If I can't, Lois and I will be there as soon as we can."
Mulder: "Okay."
***
Mulder folded up his phone and placed it back in his pocket. "Clark said to sit tight, Superman will get us out of here."
He put his arm around Scully's shoulder and held her against him. "Mulder…Fox, how are we going to handle this? I mean, what about work? You know the rules about agents being involved."
Scully looked up at him, tears forming in her eyes.
"I don't know, Scul — Dana. I guess we act like nothing's going on, when we're at work."
He wiped a lone tear from her cheek. "But what about after work, and on assignments? Now that we both know how the other feels, we can't keep denying those feelings."
Mulder squeezed her shoulder gently. "Well, we'll just have to be careful out in the field; but, what we do outside of work is no one's damn business but ours. I love you, Dana. No one, not Skinner, or Blevins or even Cancer Man can change that."
Scully reached up and kissed him lightly on his cheek. "I love you too, Fox."
Mulder smiled at her mention of his first name. "You know something, I kind of like it when you call me Fox. Even when I told you to call me Mulder when we staked out Tooms, I secretly liked hearing you say it."
Suddenly, the door to the cell opened up and the guard and Superman were standing in the doorway, speaking in Portuguese.
Mulder looked up in surprise and smiled. "Superman?"
Superman nodded to the guard who walked back to the other room. "Clark told me you were here. They had some car trouble, so I brought them along. They're outside now."
Mulder rubbed the back of his neck. "Did you find out why we were arrested? The guard doesn't understand English."
Superman blushed as he looked at the two agents. "Uh, yeah. He told me that you said something about his mother and a goat?"
Scully giggled as she heard the comment. "I told you not to watch so many of those foreign porn films, Mulder."
Superman laughed a little at her remark. "Anyway, I smoothed it over with him and he's agreed to drop the charges." Superman shook both of their hands and flew off.
Mulder looked over at Scully and smiled. "Maybe we can investigate the publishers of that Portuguese dictionary next, Scully."
Clark and Lois were standing by the other vehicle when Mulder and Scully walked out of the jail. "Well, we think we've gotten a break in this story."
Lois started, the gleam in her eyes growing with each word, "Superman told us that he spotted a small private jet that matched the description of the one that Luthor escaped in on an abandoned airfield about 50 miles east of here."
The four got into the jeep; Lois and Clark in the backseat, Mulder driving and Scully reading the map. "Mulder, about 5 miles ahead, there's a fork in the road. Which way did Superman say this airfield was, Clark?"
Clark looked up from his map and pointed the direction out. "He said it was to the east, toward the river basin." Clark settled back into his seat and put his arm around Lois' shoulder.
***
They came to the fork in the road and took the east road. Unseen by any of the four, was a sign laying on the side of the road that read in Portuguese: "Road Ends 3.5 km". Several minutes later, the road stopped at an ancient wooden foot bridge across a 100 foot crevice.
They got out of the jeep and peered into the gorge. "Well, I guess we walk from here. Do you think that bridge is safe to cross on foot, Clark?" Lois asked, half seriously.
Clark stepped cautiously onto the bridge and found it to be sturdy enough to hold his weight. "It should be, provided we cross one at a time. I'll go first, then Lois, Scully and you, Mulder."
He crossed the bridge safely, followed by Lois. "Okay, Lois. Now just take one step at a time and you'll be alright."
She got halfway across when she stepped on a weak board that started to give away underneath her feet. "Claaaaaark!" Without thinking, Clark took off at superspeed and flew Lois safely back across the bridge. Mulder and Scully stared at each with wide eyes and open mouths. "Scully, did you see that? Clark — he — he's…"
Scully finished Mulder's broken sentence. "Superman?"
Clark closed his eyes and hung his head down. "I — I hadn't planned on you two finding out, but I couldn't let Lois fall. She's what makes my life worth living; without her, I wouldn't even be Superman."
Mulder recovered his voice as the realization of what they saw really hit. "Uh, Supe—Clark, don't worry, Scully and I won't tell anyone what we witnessed. You can trust us to keep your secret safe."
Scully nodded her agreement with Mulder's promise not to reveal Clark's I.D. "Well, at least we know how you communicate with Superman now."
He nodded at the agents, then flew the three across the bridge, one at a time.
Clark took off at a low altitude, so he could keep an eye on the other three as they walked through the underbrush. About two hours went by when they came to the airfield, where sure enough, was the plane that Lex escaped in. Clark landed behind a small, run-down hangar and rejoined Lois and the two agents. "I don't see anybody, Clark. Do you think they know we're here?"
Clark scratched his chin for a moment. "You may be right, Lois, it could be a trap set for intruders. I think the best thing to do now is for you three to lay low inside, while I scan the area."
Mulder looked at him, puzzled until the realization of what Clark said hit him. "What do you mean? Oh, yeah, the x-ray vision thing."
Clark nodded and used his x-ray vision to look around. After a few minutes, he turned to see that Lois and Scully were gone, and Mulder was knocked unconscious. "Mulder?" He lightly shook Mulder to try to awaken him. "Mulder, wake up."
A few moments later, Mulder came to, calling for his partner. "Wha — what happened? Scully? Scul — mmmh."
Clark clasped his hand over Mulder's mouth. "Shhh, we've got to be quiet, if we're going to find the girls."
Mulder nodded as Clark got a strange look on his face, and turned around. "Oh, boy."
Mulder tapped him on the shoulder. "What? Clark, what's wrong?"
Clark shook his head, as he sat down on the ground. "It's Luthor, he's got Lois and Scully. He's going to use them, Lois mostly, to lure me, Superman, into a trap. I — I think he's got Kryptonite."
Mulder thought for a moment at Clark's problem. "Clark, I've got an idea. You go to Luthor, I'll be behind you, in the bushes. If it is true about the Kryptonite, I'll take the shot at Luthor."
Clark started to protest, but Mulder continued. "We've got no other choice, Clark. Remember, he's got Lois and Scully. From what I've heard about him, he'd do anything to get Lois back. That probably includes killing Scully and me." Mulder fought back his anger as he thought about his partner.
Clark hung his head for a moment and sighed. "Okay, Mulder. I understand what you're talking about. If it was Lois whose life was in danger, I'd do the same thing. Let's do it."
Clark spun into his suit and took off toward the airstrip, with Mulder running behind him. Clark looked down to see Lois and Scully tied to a light pole. He landed and ran immediately over to them and began to untie them. Lois looked at him, frightened. "Cl — Superman! No, go back! It's a trap!"
Clark suddenly collapsed in pain as Luthor and Mamba walked toward them. "Yes, my dear, Doctor Mamba. You see, that's how you trick a Kryptonian. You may have the body for your experiments after his death."
Mamba turned to Luthor, and pulled a pistol on him. "No, Luthor, you don't understand. I need Superman alive. If he dies, then his tissue starts to decay. That means it becomes unusable. Now how can I do my experiments on an unusable subject."
He fired his gun, hitting Lex in the stomach. Lex dropped the piece of Kryptonite and fell to the ground, critically wounded.
Mulder ran out of the bushes in time to see Mamba lean over and pick up the Kryptonite. "Mister Mulder? I think you might want to dispose of this,"
Mamba handed the Kryptonite to Mulder, who threw it as far away as he could. "Doctor Mamba, why?"
Mamba smiled at Mulder and put his gun away. "Luthor wanted me to clone him a new body using Superman's DNA, so he would be invincible. I got wind of the other part of his plan. He wanted to get Clark Kent out of the way so he could wed Lois Lane; then he was going to have me killed. Besides, when I learned that you and your partner were involved —"
Mamba was cut off by Clark moaning as he began to come to. "Lois — Lois."
Lois began to cry with joy as she heard him call her name.
Mulder walked over to the two women and untied them. Scully leapt into Mulder's arms immediately.
Lois ran over to Clark and enveloped him in a bear hug. "Oh, Clark. I thought you were —"
She broke off her sentence and kissed him, softly.
"Lois — Doctor Mamba might see us and find out about — you know." Clark looked up to see that Mamba was gone. "Where — where did he go?"
Clark looked over at Mulder, who just shrugged his shoulders. "He just disappeared, but he left me a file and told me that it would explain everything. Come on, let's go home."
Clark leaned into Lois and laughed slightly. "See, Lois, I told you we'd have this thing figured out by Saturday."
Mulder and Scully turned and looked at each other. "Oh god, we almost forgot the wedding, Mulder."
Lois giggled at the two befuddled agents. "That's okay, I don't think Superman would miss his own wedding on account of Lex Luthor.
Clark nodded his agreement and looked back at Lois. "Oh, by the way, we would like you two to stay for the wedding, as our special guests."
Mulder smiled as Scully accepted the invitation. "We'd be honored to attend."
Wylie Chapel, Metropolis
9:00 A.M. Saturday, February 17
The chapel was filled to overflowing as friends, coworkers, and relatives came to witness the wedding. Also in attendance were two FBI agents. Mulder glanced over at Scully and smiled.
Clark stood at the altar, nervously. Jimmy, his best man, patted him on the shoulder. "Easy, C.K. You're getting the best woman in the world, you know." Clark chuckled to himself and smiled at Jimmy. "I know, Jimmy, I know."
Suddenly, the doors in the back flew open, and Lois and her father stepped inside. The crowd in attendance oohed and ahhed as they saw Lois in her wedding gown. The 'Wedding March' began playing and the two started down the aisle.
As Lois walked past, she smiled at Mulder and Scully, who smiled and nodded back at her. Lois and her father reached the altar, and motioned to Perry, who was sitting with his wife, Alice, who had taken him back on a trial basis.
She smiled at him through her tears of joy. "Perry, I would like for both you and my father to give me away."
Sam nodded at Perry and shook his hand. "So would I, Perry. You've been a stabilizing force in my daughter's life, and for that, I am eternally grateful."
The preacher walked up and cleared his throat. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here to witness the joining of these two people in holy wedlock. Who gives this woman to this man?"
Sam and Perry looked at one another and nodded. Sam spoke his part proudly. "Her mother and I do."
Perry then turned to Lois. "And I do, also."
The preacher chuckled softly and continued. "If there is anyone here who can show just cause why these two should not be joined, let them speak now or forever hold their peace."
There was no answer from the crowd.
"Clark Jerome Kent, will you take this woman to be your wife. Will you love her and keep her, being faithful only to her, until death do you part?"
Clark nodded and answered softly, but assuredly. "I do."
The preacher turned to Lois. "Lois Joanne Lane, will you take this man to be your husband. Will you love and keep him, being faithful only to him, until death do you part?"
Lois wiped a tear from her eye, and answered. "I do."
The preacher turned to Jimmy. "May I have the rings?"
Jimmy grinned, and fumbled through his tuxedo pockets for a moment, until he found the two rings, and handed them to the preacher. "Um, here they are."
The preacher handed the smaller one to Clark. "Place the ring on her finger, and say these words. This ring I give you in token and pledge of my constant love and devotion."
Clark's hand shook slightly as he slid the ring on Lois's finger. "Lois, this ring I give you in token and pledge, of my constant love and devotion."
The preacher handed Lois the larger ring. "Place the ring on Clark's finger, and say these words. This ring I give you in token and pledge of my constant love and devotion."
Lois slid the ring on Clark's hand and smiled. "Clark, this ring I give you in token and pledge of my constant love and devotion."
Mulder looked over at Scully, who had tears in her eyes. He slipped his right arm around her shoulder, and took her hand in his left one. She looked up at him and smiled, and squeezed his hand lightly.
The preacher held his hands out over their heads. "Now, by the power vested in me by the state and county of New Troy, I now pronounce you husband and wife.
Clark leaned over to Lois, and lifted her veil from her face. Their lips met softly in a kiss that sealed their love for all eternity.
The preacher turned to the congregation and smiled." Ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to introduce to you Mr. and Mrs. Clark Kent. What God has joined together, let no man put asunder."
***
The happy couple walked into the reception at the lavishly decorated ballroom at the Lexor Hotel. Perry walked up to them and petted their shoulders. "Lois, Clark, I — I'm proud of you two. Lois, thank you for letting me help give you away. You both have been like a son and daughter to me."
Lois hugged Perry tightly and sighed. "No, Perry. I should thank you. You — you were the one who paired me with Clark, even when I protested. You knew what would happen if we got to be friends; that I would fall in love with him, and him with me. You were the one who initiated the changes in my life. If you hadn't done that, I —" She broke down in tears of joy, and could speak no further words.
Clark put his arms around her and pulled her head to his shoulder. He the nodded to Perry and smiled. "Perry, thank you for being there for Lois, before we met. You were the strength that she so desperately needed in her life. I wish there was some way I, WE, could repay you."
Perry scratched his head for a moment and grinned at the couple. "Well, now that you mention it, there is one thing you can do. A Pulitzer would look rather handsome in the City Room." He laughed a booming 'Perry White Belly Laugh' and once again patted them on their shoulders, and then walked off to find his wife.
The band started playing, and the emcee's voice filled the room. "Okay, now we'll have the bride and groom's first dance. C'mon, you two lovebirds!"
Everyone in the room cheered as Lois and Clark shyly walked out onto the dance floor, hand in hand. Clark pulled her to him and slowly, they began to dance. Lois looked up at him, tears of joy still shimmering in her eyes, and smiled, saying without words that she would love him, forever.
Clark leaned over to her, and kissed her softly. They were interrupted by the catcalls from the audience watching. Perry's booming voice could be heard above the hoots and hollers. "Y'all leave those two alone, people."
The song ended, and the couple walked, arms around each other, toward their table, which they shared with Perry, Alice, Jimmy and his date, Angela, and Agents Mulder and Scully. "Hey, guys. Scully was just telling us about your adventure in South America." Jimmy, being the impressionable young man that he was, sat through the retelling of the story, awe-struck.
The band started to play another song.
Mulder stood up and held his hand out to Scully. "Dance with me, Dana?"
Scully took his hand and rose from her chair. "I'd love to, Fox." They walked out onto the dance floor and Scully snuggled into Mulder's embrace.
I must have rehearsed my lines, a thousand times,
until I had them memorized…
But when I get up the nerve, to tell you the words
Just never seem to come out right…
If, only you knew,
how much I do,
do love you…
Ooh, if, only you knew,
how much I do,
do love you…
Scully looked up at Mulder, smiling at her, tears forming in his eyes. She placed a hand on the side of his face, and wiped a tear running down his cheek with her thumb. Then, she pulled his head down to hers and kissed him, softly and sighed at the feel of his lips on hers.
I dream of moments we shared,
when you're not there,
I never knew the passions from you…
Clark and Lois watched the two agents from their table and reached for each other's hands. They looked into each other's eyes and knew that their love was the strongest thing that either of them had ever known.
'Cause you don't even suspect,
could probably care less,
about the changes I've been going through…
Lois giggled as she stared into Clark's eyes. "I hope those two will be as happy as we are, Clark. They look like they're so much in love, don't they?"
If, only you knew,
how much I do,
do love you
Clark leaned over to Lois and kissed her lightly on the lips. "Yeah," he sighed as their lips parted. "I know exactly how they feel." He stood and led Lois to the dance floor.
If, only you knew,
how much I do,
do love you…
'Cause you don't even suspect,
could probably care less,
about the changes I've been going through…
Oooh, if, only you knew,
how much I do,
do love you…
The two couples danced together, side by side, each smiling at the other. Clark nodded at Mulder, who just looked down at Scully and sighed deeply.
The four went back to their table, laughing and talking about their adventure in the Brazilian jungle. Clark tapped Mulder on the shoulder. "Hey, Mulder, what was in the file that Dr. Mamba handed to you before he left?"
Mulder pulled Scully's chair out , then sat down by her. "Well, it was an old case file from the 1950's. It concerned a project that the government was working on. Apparently, Mamba, my father and some of the top men in the government were working on a biological weapon to use against the Soviet Union if they were to ever strike at the United States with nuclear weapons. The file also stated that the main components of their weapon were extraterrestrial in origin."
His eyes teared up as he continued. "Dr. Mamba left me a letter inside the file. It said that he promised my father a long time ago that he would watch over me, if anything ever happened to my dad. There was one more thing…my sister…she…" Scully rubbed her hand across Mulder's shoulder, encouraging him to continue. "Samantha…she was a test subject in the project. Mamba said that she was subjected to tests that left her immune to the effects of the weapon. She's alive, Scully…she's alive." He put his head on the table and cried out in relief.
***
Metropolis Airport
10:00 am Sunday, February 18
Clark shook Mulder's hand as he readied to board the plane back to D.C. "Thanks for not letting my secret out about…you know what… If you ever need help, you can reach me at the Planet."
Mulder smiled and nodded his head. "Thanks, Clark, for everything. I've got a solid lead on Samantha's whereabouts. All Scully and I have to do is just find her exact location. Good luck with your marriage, I know you and Lois will be happy for a long time to come."
Lois and Scully exchanged hugs. "Scully — Dana, hang onto Mulder. He's a really good man, he just needs someone to love him unconditionally. I know, I was that way once, until I met Clark."
Scully squeezed Lois's hand and bent over to pick up her bag. "Thanks, Lois. I'll send you and Clark an invitation to the wedding when we decide on when and where. We just have to be careful not to arouse any suspicions at the Bureau until we have the X-Files out of the control of whoever is trying to shut us down."
Mulder walked up to Scully, and put his arm around her waist. "You ready, Dana?"
She nodded at him.
"Good. Thanks again for your help, you two." He nodded at Lois and Clark and the two agents headed for their plane, and their future.
Lois hugged Clark and sighed. "Do you think they'll ever find Samantha, Clark?"
Clark laughed and nodded his head. "Yeah. Those two, they can do anything, as long as they have each other."
Lois laughed and pressed herself deeper into Clark's chest. "Just like us…together, forever." She reached up on her toes and they kissed each other for a long time. They broke the kiss and walked out of the airport terminal knowing that they, too, could do anything as long as they were together.
THE END
The song "If Only You Knew" is by Anita Baker. No infringement is meant by the use of it. And yes, I did consult an atlas, so the locations I mentioned should be accurate, except for Santa Pedroza (I made that one up.) Peace, DF.