All Sewn Up

30-minute Episode Extension Challenge Fic: All Shook Up

by Meredith Knight <meredith@putwet.demon.co.uk>

Rated: G

Submitted: May 2002

I was nagged mercilessly on IRC to produce something for  Wendy's 30-minute episode extension challenge. <g>  It took  me considerably longer than 30 minutes, though - I don't  know how you guys do it.  Either I'm hopelessly long- winded, or I need more practice (or possibly both.)

Many thanks to Jenni Debbage for considerably improving my original ending, and to Jenni and LabRat for lightning BR turnaround.

Without further ado, here's...

ALL SEWN UP

From the script:

LOIS (looks out the window): Superman.  What he must have  gone through, huh?

CLARK: Hey, Lois, this asteroid was no picnic for me,  either.

LOIS: Clark, please.  Superman put it all on the line, not  just once, but twice.  You, you fell into some garbage cans  in the dark.  No offense, but I don't think you can put  yourself in the same league with him.

CLARK: Whatever you say, Lois.  Whatever you say.

**********

Lois saved her file and looked across at Clark under her  lashes.  She'd seen the way his face had fallen when she'd  made that crack about him not being in the same league as  Superman.  And, manfully as he'd tried to hide it under a  cheerful smile, she'd also seen how his face had changed  when she told him she loved him like a brother.

And she'd watched out of the corner of her eye as he'd sat  at his desk all day looking tired and disheartened, clearly  not sharing in the festive mood holding sway amongst the  rest of the Planet staff.

In spite of her best efforts, she was feeling guilty.

Making a sudden decision, she stood up and strolled over to  Clark's desk.  When he looked up, she smiled brightly at  him.  "We shouldn't be working late on a day like today.   Care to walk me home?"

His eyes grew wary, and she felt another stab of guilt; but  he smiled in return and rose to fetch his coat.  "Sure."

**********

Clark had found the day an almost unbearable anticlimax.   Everyone around him was celebrating their last-minute  reprieve from what had seemed like certain death, and he  knew that he should take pride in the fact that, once  again, he had been able to use his extraordinary abilities  for good; yet Lois's jeering words seemed to have sucked  all the joy from his day.  At one level he was deeply  grateful for her help in finding his lost identity, and he  knew that he himself was responsible for the deception that  kept Lois from recognising his true contribution to the  day's events.  But at another level, he was just as deeply  hurt by her laughing dismissal of his suffering over the  last few days.  He felt as though the precious gift of her  love had been dangled before him and then snatched away.  A  part of him was even finding a kind of angry pleasure in  the fact that she was, in all innocence, making a total  fool of herself.

As they left the Planet building Lois linked her arm  companionably with his, and they walked for a time in  silence, Clark brooding darkly over the impassable chasm  between the simple friendship Lois was offering and the far  closer relationship he yearned for.

Finally, as they turned into Carter Avenue, Lois spoke.   "Clark, I owe you an apology," she said in a low voice.  "I  shouldn't have made that crack about you and Superman."

Clark's steps slowed in surprise, and she halted and turned  to face him.  "I can only imagine how hard these last few  days have been for you - losing your identity, having to  work out from scratch who you are, who to trust..."

Clark stared at her, speechless.  Once again, his partner  had managed to take him completely by surprise, showing her  fundamental generosity of spirit.  Suddenly he felt deeply  ashamed of the spiteful thoughts he'd been having.

"Lois, you don't have to apologise," he said, squirming  slightly.  "You went out of your way to help me... if you  hadn't been there for me, it would have been much worse."

He continued walking, and Lois fell into step beside him.   His conscience was berating him.  Lois had shown herself a  true friend, and he was repaying her with deceit.  He knew  now that she didn't love him for himself - not the way he  wanted her to - so what was the purpose of continuing to  hide his identity from her?  He could trust her to keep his  secret - at least, he thought he could - and if she'd known  it earlier, she could have done so much more for him when  he had lost his memory.

They reached the steps of Lois's apartment building, and  Clark came to a decision.  "Lois, can I come up with you?   There's something I want to talk to you about..."

**********

Lois watched her partner stride up and down her living  room, clearly at a loss to know how to begin.  Of all the  possible reactions to her apology, embarrassment was the  last thing she would have expected from him.  Now there was  something he wanted to tell her... she just hoped she  wasn't about to hear a passionate declaration of love.

"Clark, whatever it is, just spit it out," she recommended.

He halted and turned to face her.  "Lois, if you knew a  secret about Superman - something very private, that nobody  else knew - what would you do about it?"

Lois stared at him, her mind racing.  She knew the two men  had a close relationship, but what could Clark know about  Superman that he hadn't told her?  And why was it an issue  now?  Did Clark know where Superman had been when he'd  disappeared?

"Would you print it?" Clark insisted.  "If it would get you  your Pulitzer?"

Lois frowned anxiously.  "Don't do it, Clark," she advised.   "Perry would have a fit if he heard me say this, but there  are things that are more important than the story - and  friendship is one of them.  Besides, Superman does so much  for us - he deserves some privacy."

Clark's shoulders relaxed a trifle.  "What about your  friends?  Would you tell... Luthor, for example?"

Lois bridled.  "Not if it was private.  Where's this going,  Clark?  If you're going to start in on Lex again..."

He shook his head, grimacing.  "No, I didn't mean... I just  had to be sure."  He took another turn around the room and  stopped again.  "Lois, there's something I need to tell you  -"

"Wait a minute - you want to tell me some secret about  Superman?" she interrupted hastily.  "I thought we'd just  established that one shouldn't tell even one's friends  about something private.  If Superman wants me to know, he  can tell me himself."

To her surprise, Clark broke into soft laughter.  "I guess  that could be arranged," he said, still grinning.

"Oh, you're just going to conjure him up, and he'll decide  to tell me?" she said, nettled.

He threw her a quick glance that was half amused  exasperation, half apology.  Then he began to spin on the  spot, becoming a multi-coloured whirlwind.  When the  whirlwind slowed and stopped, Superman stood before her,  arms folded, cape swirling gently about his ankles.

**********

The seconds lengthened, and Lois was still staring at him  with eyes like saucers, not saying a word.  She seemed to  have lost the ability to breathe.

Clark felt his nerves tightening.  He was conscious as  never before of the way the tight Suit outlined his every  muscle.  If Lois so much as let her gaze drop, he thought  he would probably die of embarrassment.  And as for her  crush on his alter ego... he hoped she wasn't going to  insult his intelligence by flinging herself at him.

Lois finally drew a long, sobbing breath and closed her  eyes.  She covered her face with her hands and sank forward  as if she could hide herself in her own lap.  "Oh, my god -  I'm so embarrassed..." she whispered.

Clark cleared his throat.  "I guess that makes two of us,"  he said quietly.

Lois sat up slowly and looked at him from behind her hands.   As she took in his obvious sincerity her face cleared, and  the two of them smiled tentatively at each other.

The End... for now <g>

(c) Copyright 2002, Meredith Knight

Table of Contents

Start