By Tank Wilson <TankW1@aol.com>
Rated PG
Submitted December 2007
Summary: When Clark breaks up with Lois "for her own good," Lois decides to fight for what she wants.
***
Lois couldn't believe this was happening to her. Not again. She hadn't wanted to, but she'd fallen in love. This time she'd thought it was the real thing. She'd never before felt like this; never been this deeply in love. She had fought it, but Clark had worn her down and won her over. Still, she had been afraid to commit; afraid to say yes to his marriage proposal. But now… now that she had finally come to the realization that a life with Clark, no matter what extra problems that brought, was worth the risk; it was all going to be for naught.
She could feel her heart tearing in her chest as his words stumbled out of his mouth. He was leaving her; just like every other man she'd ever allowed herself to love. She was so stunned that she couldn't speak. Did he even understand what he was saying? What his stupidly twisted nobility was doing to her?
"I'm sorry, Lois. I love you. I love you too much to see you hurt because of me. We… we can't be together."
Tears flooded her eyes as she saw him suddenly shift his attention to something that she couldn't hear. "I've got to go." He jumped up and moved toward the window.
"Clark?" He didn't look back. "Clark!" He stopped and looked at her.
She saw the pain in his eyes, but she also saw the firm set of his jaw. He was hurting also, but he was determined. He thought he was doing the right thing.
"I know that you have to go, but you come back as soon as you can. I mean it. This isn't over." She took a quick breath which did nothing to ease the constriction in her chest. "I'll be watching the news so I'll know when the emergency is over. You come right back here, or I swear I'll go up to the roof of this building and throw myself off so you have to come back to rescue me."
"Lois, you aren't serious."
Her eyes blazed and she spoke through gritted teeth. "I'm deadly serious. You get your shiny spandex-covered butt back here as soon as possible… or you can let me become sidewalk pizza."
The wind caused by his departure mussed her hair. She wiped at her tears with the back of her hand as she reached for the remote. She heard the commentator talk about the breaking story of the fire down in the warehouse district. His manner became more animated as he announced that Superman had just arrived on the scene. Lois mentally tuned out his voice as she forced the heartbreak she was experiencing into the background and, instead, built on her anger over Clark's words and actions. She would need that anger to allow her to focus on formulating her attack when he came back.
She would need her wits for the coming battle. Too often, Clark, would let his misguided sense of noble sacrifice for some imagined greater good cause him to act stupidly. He had a tendency to be a real lunkhead sometimes. She would need to counter with logic, and never give him a chance to mount any defense. She loved him, lunkhead that he was, and she was certainly not going to just slink off to some corner to lick her wounds. She was Lois Lane; she fought for what she wanted… and what she wanted was Clark Kent.
***
Lois sat up in her bed, staring at the screen of her television set. It had been at least a half an hour since the fire had been safely gotten under control. All that was left was the mop-up by the Metropolis Fire Department. She glanced over to the far side of the room where a certain small brown teddy bear was lodged up against the wall.
"Sorry, Clarkie, it's not your fault. I just needed to vent my frustration." Her head still ached badly, but she forced herself to get up. It looked like Clark was going to call her bluff.
She didn't bother to change out of her pajama tops, but she did pull on a pair of well-worn jeans. She eyed her jacket but decided she wasn't going to need it. If things went the way they were supposed to she wouldn't be up on the roof that long. If not… well, she'd jump off that bridge when she got to it.
The trip to the rooftop was a short one. She only had to climb a few flights of stairs, but the effort had still made her dizzy enough that she had to stop at the top to rest a few moments. When she opened the door to the roof she was greeted by a strong breeze which caused her to shiver. Maybe she should have worn her jacket.
As she closed the door behind her she could feel his presence. So he had come. He was hovering up in the sky somewhere watching her building. Idly, she wondered how long he would have stayed, waiting to see what she was going to do.
Without looking in any direction, especially up, Lois made a beeline for the edge of the building. She had reached the short parapet that encircled the rooftop and began to climb up onto it before she felt the rush of extra wind that his landing produced.
"Lois!"
She stopped, climbed down from the small wall, and walked back toward the roof door. "Come on, we'll go back to my apartment. It's too cold up here to have our *discussion*."
Out of the corner of her eye she could she him shaking his head. "Lois, I…"
"I said, come." Without another word, she entered the stairwell and made her way back into her apartment.
She stood inside her door, leaving it open. She waited a moment. A blur whipped by her and materialized as the blue clad hero standing in her living room. She closed the door.
"Lois, shouldn't you be in bed?"
"Probably." She nodded toward the couch as she entered the living room. "Sit."
"I'd rather stand."
"Suit yourself."
"Lois, I…"
"Shut up!" She crossed her arms over her chest in a pose more familiar of Superman. "I had to listen to your idiotic ramblings earlier tonight, but now I get my say. You can sit, or you can stand, I don't care, but you are going listen."
It looked like he was going to say something but she held her hand up, glaring at him. He wisely closed his mouth. She took a deep breath and began to pace.
"How dare you come to me, tear my heart out, then just fly away. Where did the arrogance come from that allowed you to make life altering decisions for me, without even considering my input?" She stopped her pacing. "I thought that when you asked me to marry you that it meant that we would both be involved in any question that related to *us*. I thought that the love you professed for me meant that we would work out the difficulties that this unique relationship would present. I admit that I had some personal commitment issues to work out, but I never questioned my love for you, nor doubted your love for me. Perhaps I was wrong. Perhaps your love wasn't strong enough to deal with those difficulties we both knew would crop up. Maybe you don't really love me. That is the only explanation I can come up with for your actions."
"Lois, I do love you. But I love you too much to…"
"Don't say it!" She began to pace again. "Okay, lets examine this *problem*. First of all, I sometimes put myself in situations that are potentially dangerous. It's part of my job. I did it before I knew you and I'll continue to do so when I deem it necessary even if you walk away. Have I been occasionally put in danger because I know Superman? Yes, I have. It's known that I'm Superman's friend and sometimes that can lead to a situation where I could be put in danger. But Perry and Jimmy are also known friends of Superman. Heck, as Clark Kent, you've even been kidnapped in an attempt to strike back at Superman. You remember the incident with Metallo."
She placed her hands on the back of the couch and took another deep breath. "Let me pose a question to you. If a criminal grabbed someone, anyone, a perfect stranger, and placed a gun against their head and told you to fly away or he'd blow that person's brains out, what would you do?"
"Lo-is."
"What would you do?"
He shrugged. "I'd fly away."
"Exactly!" She nodded in triumph. "Superman has friends. There's nothing that can be done about that now. Criminals, because they tend to have little imagination, are going to be more likely to pick on them in an effort to get to you than someone off the street. But the truth is, Superman is a true hero, and anyone could be used as leverage against him." She came around to the front of the couch and sat on the arm, looking up at him. "If you want to distance yourself from me as Superman, that's fine. It's probably even a good idea. But how do we do that? Well, I suppose you could spread your exclusives around a bit. Let other reporters besides Lois Lane and Clark Kent get some of the headlines."
She got up, walked to him and placed her hand on his chest. "But do you know what I think the best way for people to perceive a distance between Lois Lane and Superman? It would be for her to be in an acknowledged hot and heavy relationship with someone else. Someone like her hopelessly clueless partner."
Clark stared at the ceiling for a moment before meeting her eyes. "But, Lois, you know that Clark Kent is Superman. What if someone drugged you, or somehow forced you to reveal that information? It would make it even more dangerous for you to be with me, in either guise."
"Are you sorry that I found out?"
He shook his head. "No, I've hated lying to you. But surely even you can see how our relationship would put you in even greater danger."
"Baloney. I know what I know and there's no going back from that. But I'm not worried about the incredibly small chance that anyone who would want to take me to use against you would think to try and extract the secret of your true identity from me. A secret identity that they'd have no reason to believe exists. No, the best way to reduce the inherent level of danger that exists from just being your friend is to been seen as distancing myself from you by being in a monogamous and committed relationship with someone else. Like, maybe being married to someone else."
She had to smile at the confused look on his face. "What are you trying to say, Lois?"
"Star said something to me that really made me think. She said that if I was willing to risk my life for my job, why not for love. Suddenly all my silly fears of commitment because of my fear of failure no longer seemed important. What was important were two hard facts that continued to stare me in the face. One; I wanted you in my life. And two; I've never loved anyone as much as I love you."
She walked back to the couch and placed her hands on it like she needed the support for what she was going to say. "Okay, here it is. Since I assume that your little speech from earlier this evening effectively rescinded your marriage proposal, I'm now asking. Marry me… or walk away… forever."
A tear slipped out of the corner of her eye. "I'm not strong enough to see you every day at work and pretend that we're 'just friends'. It has to be all or nothing. Either you want me or you don't. And if you don't, one of use has to leave."
She could see the agonized look on Clark's face. "Lois, it doesn't have to be like that."
She was resolute. "Yes it does. I've said my piece. I've told you how I feel and what I want. Now the choice is yours. This will be decided tonight. What's it going to be, Clark? Do you want a future with me that may hold some tough times? Times that I honestly believe will be outweighed by the rewards of a life together. Or, do we go our separate ways?"
She watched the display of emotions as they played across his face. She held her breath. Finally he gave his head a barely perceptible nod and spun into his Clark Kent persona. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she knelt down in front of him and looked up at his face with watery eyes. She took his hand in hers.
"I don't have a ring handy, but, Clark Kent, will you marry me?"
For the first time that day, she saw a smile on his face. He reached down and lifted her up. "Yes, Lois, I will marry you."
"Oh good." She slumped into his arms. He quickly picked her up. "I wasn't sure I was going to make it much longer. Now kiss me and put me back to bed. I feel like there are some demented blacksmiths pounding away inside my head."
Clark laughed, but then complied with her wishes. "Lois Lane, you are incredible, do you know that?"
She gave him a coy smile back. "Yes I do. Now, let's just hope that you never forget it again."
Clark laid her down on her bed. "Well, if I do, I'm sure you'll be there to remind me."
She reached up and pulled him back down for another sweet kiss. "Bet on it."
Fin.
***
When I first posted this story on the message boards I got several favorable comments on it, and I thank those gentle readers for their kind words. Still, I couldn't help but get the impression that many of them were expecting … a different kind of ending?
So, in an effort to satisfy all those who secretly (or openly) were looking for something else in the way of a resolution to Lois and Clark's problem, I came up with a couple of alternate ways this little vignette could have gone. So, without any more fanfare, I offer you my alternate takes on "A Cure for Lunkheadedness".
Tank (who says, never mess with the master)
***
Alternate Ending Number One.
The trip to the rooftop was a short one. She only had to climb a few flights of stairs, but the effort had still made her dizzy enough that she had to stop at the top to rest a few moments. When she opened the door to the roof she was greeted by a strong breeze which caused her to shiver. Maybe she should have worn her jacket.
As she closed the door behind her she could feel his presence. So he had come. He was hovering up in the sky somewhere watching her building. Idly, she wondered how long he would have stayed; waiting to see what she was going to do.
Without a glance upward she walked quickly to the short parapet that surround the building's roof and climbed up onto it. The effort made her a bit dizzy, but it really didn't matter. Pausing only long enough to take a deep breath, she launched herself into the night sky.
Her body turned in mid-air so that she was facing up as the wind created by her falling tore at her hair and clothes. Her eyes grew wide as she noticed that spiraling lazily overhead was a large eagle… but no Superman. He hadn't come.
Her concussion must have really messed up her senses because she was so sure that she'd detected him hovering overhead, but she hadn't. He'd called her bluff… only she hadn't been bluffing.
"Oh shi…"
End of alternate ending number one.
***
Alternate Ending Number Two.
She walked back to the couch and placed her hands on it like she needed the support for what she was going to say. "Okay, here it is. Since I assume that your little speech from earlier this evening effectively rescinded your marriage proposal, I'm now asking. Marry me… or walk away… forever."
A tear slipped out of the corner of her eye. "I'm not strong enough to see you every day at work and pretend that we're 'just friends'. It has to be all or nothing. Either you want me or you don't. And if you don't, one of use has to leave."
She could see the agonized look on Clark's face. "Lois it doesn't have to be like that."
She was resolute. "Yes it does. I've said my piece. I've told you how I feel and what I want. Now the choice is yours. This will be decided tonight. What's it going to be, Clark? Do you want a future with me that may hold some tough times? Times that I honestly believe will be outweighed by the rewards of a life together. Or, do we go our separate ways?"
She watched the display of emotions as they played across his face. She held her breath. She could hear the heavy sigh that escaped from his lips as his slowly walked over toward her. He looked like a man walking the last mile. Hot tears began spill out from her eyes. He reached out and cupped her cheek with his hand, then leaned down and gave her a gentle kiss.
"I'm sorry, Lois." He turned and quickly strode to the window. Without a backward glance stepped through and was gone.
Lois was left staring at the empty window as her tears formed rivers rolling across her cheeks.
***
Everyone was shocked when Clark Kent had come in and given his notice and resigned from the Daily Planet. He'd given Perry some half-hearted excuse that he was needed to help out back home.
They'd been more shocked when Superman had called a press conference to announce that he was going to be leaving Metropolis. He'd told them that as much as he loved the city and its people, he felt an obligation to the entire world and he didn't feel it was fair for him to spend so much time in one place. His intentions were to, in effect, patrol the world. The world-wide criminal element would never know when, or where, he might show up. Hopefully, in this manner he would be able to do the most good for the most people.
Lois hadn't bothered to listen to the speech. She'd stayed home.
Six weeks later the badly beaten body of Lois Lane was found stuffed in a dumpster in the alley next to the Daily Planet. A red 'S' was carved into her forehead, and a note was pinned to her torn, tattered clothing. It merely said "Compliments of Intergang".
Superman's leaving hadn't helped the perception that Lois Lane was still a way to get vengeance on him, but it had made it a lot easier for them. He hadn't been around to save her.
End of alternate ending number two.