By Barb Pillsbury <megats1776@yahoo.com>
Rated: G
Submitted: September, 2003
Summary: When Lois closes the door in Clark's face, a familiar story helps her find her dream.
Here's a short story that came to mind while rehearsing a scene for my theatre group's current musical — yes, my mind wanders from time to time.
I have to thank my wonderful BR, Laswa, who, as usual, had so much to offer to help make this story better.
Citations will be at the end.
***
"That's why I can never see you again," Lois insisted vehemently and slammed the door.
"Lois?" Clark implored as he looked at the door that stood shut hard and fast against him. He reached out and touched it, as if he really couldn't believe that she—the woman he was madly in love with—had shut him out.
What had he done?
Had he hurt her in some way?
Clark looked up to the heavens and then back at the closed door. He toyed with the idea of x- raying the barrier she had placed between them—to see her once more, to see perhaps into her heart, her soul to find out why…why…?
Clark sighed, turned and slowly walked away. He needed some time to think—some place to sort things out. He ducked into an alley behind Lois' building, looked around and, seeing no one there, spun into his suit and flew up into the sky.
***
Lois leaned against the door she had just closed. Why? Why had she done that? She had just had the most remarkable evening with a man that she had ever had in her entire life, and it didn't even involve a tumble in the hay, as Paul had called it.
She had spent other wonderful times with Clark—sharing a pizza, watching a video, working into the late night hours on a story. But this, this had been so very different. The relationship had definitely moved on from a fantastic friendship to…to… That's what was scaring her. To what?
Did she want to lose what she had with Clark to gain…what? Would it be like the office romance she had briefly shared with Claude? No! She couldn't have that, wouldn't have that. But, knowing Clark, it would never be like that. He wasn't like Claude and he wasn't like Paul. Clark was special. He was kind, generous and the most incredibly gentle man she had ever met.
Lois walked over to the couch and, picking up a cushion, sat down and hugged it close to her. Tears came to her eyes.
Needing something—anything—Lois reached out and picked up the remote and pressed the button. The TV screen lit up, with a scene from the movie 'The Sound of Music' appearing before her.
<Why that one?> Lois asked herself. It just had to be her favorite childhood movie playing out in front of her. Why couldn't it have been an innocuous movie like 'Paint Your Wagon', where Clint Eastwood sings to the trees, or…or a Mel Gibson movie—nope that would remind her of Clark. No, of course, it had to be 'The Sound of Music'—a movie that made all sorts of promises—following a rainbow until you found your dream, the song said.
Lois had believed that once—had believed in those dreams strongly—when she was six years old, sitting on her father's lap and watching that wonderful movie for the very first time as it aired on television.
But Lois quickly learned that raindrops and rainbows, blue satin sashes and snowflakes were a part of childhood—and Lois had grown up quickly and put childhood toys, dreams and wishes away in a closet with her idealized vision of her father and closed the door.
Lois swiped at the tears and looked at the television.
Christopher Plummer looked down at Julie Andrews from the terrace, as the young potential nun was silhouetted against the sky and the beautiful lake beyond; he slowly walked down the stairs.
Julie moved over to a stone bench and sat down. The sadness in Maria's face was reflected in Lois' eyes.
Captain Von Trapp joined Maria on the bench. "I was…um…wondering…thinking two things," he stammered. "Maria, why did you run away to the Abbey? And what was it that made you come back?" he finished, looking over at the young novice.
Julie Andrews rose and moved away from the bench.
"The Mother Abbess," she paused. "She said that you have to look for your life," Maria responded.
"Often when you find it, you don't recognize it," he explained, following her.
Lois closed her eyes. "No," she said aloud.
"No," Maria repeated.
"Not at first, then one day—one night—all of a sudden," the Captain interjected. "It stands before you."
"It stands before you," Lois whispered.
"Yes," the actress agreed softly.
"I look at you now," Christopher Plummer said, moving closer to Julie. "And I realize this is not something that has just happened. It is something I've known—deep inside of me—for many weeks. You knew it too. That's why you came back," he said, his loving voice filling Lois' living room.
Known it. Yes, Lois knew it. She knew it, too, just as Maria did.
Christopher leaned in and kissed Julie Andrews sweetly on the lips and then again more passionately. He looked at her longingly and kissed her yet again on the forehead and drew her to him.
Lois reached up and touched her lips.
Julie snuggled into him, her head on his chest.
Lois hugged the pillow tighter.
"Reverend Mother always says that when a door closes, somewhere God opens a window."
Lois stared at the scene in front of her. "When a door closes," she said aloud and grabbing her coat, ran out of her apartment.
***
Superman landed on his terrace, opened the back door of his apartment, and walked in. His few minutes of flying had yielded no time to think or even sulk, as he had heard cries for help and had rushed to rescue a family trapped in a burning building.
He was just about to spin into his sleeping shorts when Lois burst into his apartment, leaving the front door completely ajar.
"Clark, Clark?" she yelled out.
"Lois," Superman said to her. "What…?"
"Where's Clark?" she asked him as she moved swiftly down the stairs and into the apartment.
"Uh…uh…"
"Where *is* he? Is he asleep? And what are you doing here? Has something happened? Just where is Clark?" she questioned, totally in Lois babbling mode.
"Lois, I…that is he took a walk. He told me that he needed time to think."
"It's my fault," Lois sighed, as she began pacing back and forth. "It's all my fault. I shut him out. I pushed him away. And I shouldn't have. I really didn't want to, because I love him. Don't you understand, I'm completely in love with him," she ranted, stopping right in front of Superman.
Superman looked around, trying to figure a way out of there, a way to switch back into Clark.
"Lois, you…" he began and stopped to stare at her, realizing what she had said to him.
"I know, Superman," she said looking up at him. "I shouldn't be talking to you this way. I usually talk to Clark when I'm confused. But it's Clark I'm so confused about."
"Confused?" Superman asked.
"Yes, and scared. Mostly scared," she said, starting to pace again.
Clark looked at Lois' tear-stained face and his heart went out to her.
"Don't be, Lois," Superman said, stopping her and putting his arms gently on her shoulders and making her look at him. He's scared too."
"He is?" she asked. "Oh, Superman, I need him. I need to tell him that I shouldn't have closed that door and that I'm in love with him."
"And he…" Superman began and then paused looking into her eyes. The woman that he loved, loved deeply had just told him that she loved him—that is Clark, not Superman. The worshiping look had gone from her eyes and been replaced by a warm, loving, inviting, hopeful gaze, but not for the Man of Steel. Instead, it was there for the ordinary man beneath the suit. She had closed the door on him earlier, but was now giving him an opening, a chance to…
Clark reached out and cupped her face and then leaned down and brushed her lips softly. "He loves you too, Lois. That is…I love you."
Lois looked up at Superman. Memories tugged at the back of her mind. She had kissed him before and had kissed Clark and had never realized that…that… But it couldn't be. Yet, a thousand questions that had always been there were suddenly answered. Doors that Clark kept closed were suddenly opened.
Superman, seeing her realization, spun into jeans and a T- shirt, and there was Clark standing in front of her.
"I have loved you since the first moment I saw you. And I will always love you," he promised as he took her face in his hands, kissed her softly again and then slowly deepened the kiss.
Lois responded passionately, saying Clark's name into the kisses. She put her arms around his neck and pressed even closer, and as she did, doors opened.
The door shutting out the dreams and the wishes flung open. The doors she had locked securely to keep her heart intact—her heart safe—burst open as a flood of passion let Lois believe, love and find her dreams.
Lois felt Clark's tongue gently caress her lips. She parted them to allow Clark to seek her out even more. She knew that she should be angry with him for not telling her—she should be—but, oh, all she could think of right now was the way it felt when he kissed her—when he held her and touched her just the way he was right then.
Lois pulled back to get some air and looked up at Clark. "You're not totally off the hook yet for lying to me," she said playfully as she stroked the side of his face. "But I'm in the mood to forget it…at least for now. Because now all I want is…" she began as she kissed him once more.
Clark smiled and lifted Lois into his arms. He turned and using his super breath, closed the door.
THE END
The scene from 'The Sound of Music' is actually a compilation of both the movie and stage play, as the play's words fit so much better. The play(1959)and movie (1965)are by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. The movie first aired on television in 1973.