Soul...Mates? A Wendy and Tank Challenge

By Wendy Richards <wendy@lcfanfic.com> and Tank Wilson  <TankW1@aol.com>

Rated: PG-13

Submitted: November 2003

Authors' Notes: Wendy: Lately, Tank has taken to claiming that he's retired  as a writer. Despite producing the occasional evil vignette  and even a sequel to his alt-universe series, he still  pretends that he's no longer a participant in this  wonderful world of fanfic-writing. Well, as great a fan of  his writing as I am, I couldn't possibly let that pass  unchallenged. And so the time appeared to be ripe for  another little challenge. Just something short, I thought;  something which wouldn't occupy too much of his time or  strain his injured shoulder too much. A little bit of fun  which he could polish off in a few pages - just to keep  himself in practice. Well, for some reason this time he  decided to change the rules of the challenges, and his part  2 ended with a `Back to you, Wendy... <g>'. Not to mention  the planned evil haircut he snuck in along the way! Well, I  couldn't stand for that, and so part 3 was designed to undo  all the evil he had wrought. I even ended it with an  emphatic `The End'. But no. That wasn't acceptable. Along  came an epilogue! And so I think Tank's shown pretty  comprehensively that he is definitely NOT retired as a  writer - so we can all look forward to plenty more from his  keyboard in the months and years to come. A terrific  outcome!

Tank: Actually, this just shows you that Wendy truly is the  evil one in this partnership. I had abandoned my contention  of retirement, when I was cruelly struck down by a by  product of my advancing years. The pinched nerve in my neck  which caused the shoulder and arm problems effectively  forced my retirement for a good three months. My  'condition' was getting better and I thought I might be  able to try a few short things when Wendy sprung this  latest challenge on me. Of course, it was then that my  ancient body decided to betray me. I suffered a short  relapse which made it difficult to write again. Needless to  say, I got better and did write a response to Wendy's  challenge. But I had to find some way to 'punish' her for  putting an old man through that. I'm sure the gentle  readers would agree that I was justified in my little 'turn  around' which threw the story back at Wendy. Besides, it  wouldn't have been as much fun to just have Clark find Lois  and let them live happily ever after... would it? As for  the 'evil haircut' (her words, not mine). As anyone can  see, I was the gracious one here. I let Wendy win this one,  and Lois got to keep her long hair (though why anyone would  want to keep Lois from getting her much deserved 'proper'  haircut is beyond me).  I guess I'm just a darned nice guy.

Wendy and Tank would like to thank their Archive GE, CC  Aiken, for her very careful and good-humoured approach to  preparing this story for upload, and we look forward to  joining battle- uh, *working with* her again soon.  Thanks,  CC!

Disclaimer: All rights to the copyrighted characters in  this story belong to DC Comics and Warner Bros. Luc belongs  to us. ;)

~ Soul...mates? ~ A Wendy and Tank Challenge

Part 1

Clark Kent stood on the sidewalk, staring up at the tall  building looming in front of him. This was it. This was the  place he'd dreamed of working ever since he'd realised that  he wanted to be a journalist.

The Daily Planet. In Metropolis.

He had an interview with the editor-in-chief in fifteen  minutes, so he had a little time just to stand here and  soak up the atmosphere. He was nervous, of course - a lot  was hanging on this - but, thanks to the last couple of  weeks, he was calmer than he might otherwise have been.

Because he now knew that working at the Daily Planet was  what he was meant to do. And that inside that building  lay... his destiny.

Clark caught his breath, thinking that soon - very soon, he  hoped - he would get to meet her. Lois Lane. The woman  whose writing he had admired for the last few years, but  whom he'd never thought would be special to him, except as  a colleague he'd be honoured to work with, if he got the  chance.

That was... until the strangest thing of his life had  happened. Even weirder than discovering all those powers he  possessed, and learning that he could fly.

An odd little man wearing old-fashioned clothes and a  bowler hat had appeared on his Smallville doorstep one  evening. And he'd been dumbfounded by the tale the man had  told.

Of alternate universes. And other men who, just like him,  could fly. And were also called Clark Kent - and who were  from a planet called Krypton.

One of those Clark Kents, the man named Wells had said,  needed his help.

And so he'd allowed himself to be persuaded to accompany  Wells, via what the man had called a `dimensional transport  mechanism', to another universe. There, he'd met a man who  looked almost exactly like himself, except a few years  older.

And he'd met a woman who'd made his heart stop beating the  instant he'd laid eyes on her.

Her name was Lois Lane, he'd discovered. And she worked at  the Daily Planet along with this world's Clark Kent. And...  they were married.

His initial sense of crushing disappointment on realising  that this woman was off-limits had quickly been replaced by  elation. In his own world, there was also a Lois Lane -  he'd been reading her stories in the Daily Planet for long  enough to be aware of that.

And she was still turning them out, every bit as good. Take  that morning's edition - interrupting his reminiscences of  his universe-hopping, he smoothed out the paper he'd  carried tucked under his arm and studied the front-page  headline once more.

Three more corpses found in Hobb's Bay by L. Lane.

Lois Lane.

If his world was as similar to the one he'd visited as his  had hosts assured him, then his world's Lois Lane would be  the woman he would fall in love with. And, if he was very  lucky, he'd get to marry her.

The other world's Lois had been pretty confident of that.  She'd told him that she knew of at least one other world  with a Clark Kent, and that that Clark had found his own  Lois a year or so ago - apparently, she'd been lost in the  Congo while investigating a gun-running story. But with  Wells' help Clark had found out where she'd gone missing  and had finally found her, suffering from amnesia and  living as an adopted member of a remote tribe.

They were married too now.

Clark had spent close to two weeks in that other universe.  At first, Lois Lane had been impatient; she'd said  something very puzzling to Mr Wells once she'd noticed how  young he was. "You couldn't possibly have managed to find  someone a bit more experienced, I suppose?" she'd asked  sarcastically. "Twice isn't enough for me to have to create  Superman?"

"But you are so good at it, honey," Clark's counterpart had  interjected, causing his wife to thwap him lightly.

Wells had muttered some excuse and left, and then Clark had  been blown away by the series of explanations which had  followed - the biggest of which had been Superman.

Superman. His counterpart actually dressed up in red and  blue Spandex and flew around openly, helping people.

It would have sounded crazy, if it hadn't at the same time  sounded so utterly... tempting.

*He* could do that. *He* could use his powers to help  people, the way he'd always wanted to, but had never  thought he could dare to do.

And he would, too; when Wells had reappeared to take him  home again, Lois had presented him with a bag containing  one of her husband's Suits. "Use it well," she'd told him.  "You'll make a terrific Superman, I'm sure of it. You've  done great while you were here."

The reason for his presence in that universe had soon  become clear during that initial conversation: Clark Kent,  alias Kal-El, had to make a trip to a planet called New  Krypton - which had required several further explanations -  to lend his support to its rulers, the Lady Zara and her  consort, Ching. Because he and Lois hadn't wanted to  advertise Superman's absence, they'd asked Wells to see  whether a Superman from another universe would be prepared  to lend his presence for a week or so. Clark Kent, they'd  decided, would be visiting his folks in Smallville, so  Clark wouldn't be needed to pretend to be his counterpart  in his normal identity.

It had been a fascinating two weeks, playing the part of a  superhero and learning about the lives of another Clark  Kent and Lois Lane. And, he remembered, learning from Lois  how *not* to behave with his world's Lois Lane, once he met  her. The lesson which had stuck in his mind most firmly was  Lois's advice not to give her counterpart the chance to  fall in love with Superman.

"I understand why he did it, but Clark really shot himself  in the foot," Lois had explained. "Every time I started to  feel close to Clark, he'd visit me as Superman and make me  all confused again. Even worse, a couple of times he kissed  me as Superman. It was no wonder I couldn't choose between  them!"

That made a lot of sense, Clark thought as he studied the  famous globe attached to the front of the Planet building.  He certainly wouldn't make that mistake.

And there was another mistake he wasn't making. His  counterpart, once he'd returned from New Krypton, had asked  him about his preparation for the upcoming interview with  Perry White. And, as a result of the other Clark's advice,  nowhere in Clark's portfolio was a certain story about the  mating habits of knob-tailed geckos. Instead, he had a  collection of articles concerning both hard news and human  interest stories. Most were relatively low-key compared to  the kind of articles the Planet ran every day, but they  were well-written, Clark thought, and they showed his  ability and potential.

With luck, he wouldn't have to jump through the kind of  hoops his counterpart had in order to get the job.

Realising that time was moving on, Clark entered the  building, giving his name to the security guard in the  foyer. Within seconds, he was being directed to the  elevator, the guard saying that he would call ahead to the  newsroom floor.

And then the elevator doors opened, and Clark was actually  in the newsroom of the Daily Planet.

It looked, sounded and even smelt like a newsroom - a very  busy one, at that. Clark felt a sense of excitement as he  glanced around, seeing busy reporters at work, typing into  computers, talking on phones or yelling at gophers or copy- boys.

He couldn't, hard as he looked, see Lois Lane anywhere. But  then, she was probably out chasing down leads or  interviewing someone. Never mind, he told himself. He'd get  to meet her some other time - he just hoped that it would  be soon.

This was it. This was the place where he wanted to work.

All he had to do was impress Perry White sufficiently so  that the editor would offer him a job.

He almost held his breath as the editor invited him into  the corner office. But ten minutes later he was grinning  from sheer delight.

He had a job. He was a reporter for the Daily Planet,  effective immediately.

"I can't tell you how much this means to me, Mr White," he  said emphatically.

The editor offered his hand. "Welcome to the Daily Planet,  Kent. And rest assured, I'll be expecting you to show me  just how much it means to you! I expect hard work and lots  of it from my reporters."

"And you'll get it," Clark promised. "By the way, will I  get a chance to work with any other reporters?"

"If the occasion demands it," the editor said. "Got anyone  in mind?"

"Well, I'm a huge fan of Lo -" About to say Lois Lane,  Clark broke off. Lois's columns always had the byline L.  Lane, and he didn't want to invite any comment - and  especially not from Lois - about how he knew her first  name. "L. Lane," he finished.

"Aw, yeah," the editor drawled, a distant smile on his  face. "L- "

Just then the door opened abruptly, and out of the corner  of his eye Clark could see a slight figure enter. Perry  White turned to see who the intruder was, just as the young  man said excitedly, "Chief!"

Clark glanced over, pleased to see that someone else  clearly enjoyed working at the Planet just as much as he  was going to. The newcomer was around his own age, he  guessed, smartly dressed in a dark suit and pale shirt, and  with hair in a neat, short style. Dark hair framed an  almost boyish face, and eyes almost as dark as his own  looked curiously over at him.

"Just the person," Perry White said enthusiastically.  "Kent, I'd like you to meet our star reporter. Lucas Lane,  meet Clark Kent."

*********

Clark stared, shocked into speechlessness, as the young man  came forward and extended his hand toward the Planet's  newest reporter. This couldn't be happening! Lois Lane, the  woman who he had been led to believe was going to be his  one true love. The woman who would complete him, be able to  share his great secret, and end the loneliness that came  from his being different. The woman who would eventually  become his wife... was a man!

"Good to meet you. Ah, Kent isn't it?"

Clark's gaze moved from the bemused expression on the  handsome young man's face to the hand being held out in  front of him. "Ah, that's right, Clark Kent. Nice to meet  you, Mr. Lane." Clark spoke haltingly as he belatedly  clasped Lucas' hand. He pulled away quickly as it seemed  like an electric spark passed between the two men.

Lucas Lane glanced at his hand and then up at Clark, a  slightly confused look on his face. "That's quite the  handshake you have there, Kent. And, please, call me Luc.  We aren't that formal around here."

Perry stepped in and clapped the two men on the shoulder.  "Luc, Kent here is a new hire who I think I want to pair up  with you for a time. He's a good writer and seems to have  some good instincts. I think a little time with you will  whip him into shape fairly quickly."

Lane frowned at his editor-in-chief. "I don't know, Perry.  You know I work best alone." He nodded in Clark's  direction. "I'm sure Kent is a good guy, but I can't have a  rookie slowing me down when I'm on the trail of a hot  lead."

Perry fixed his star reporter with a stern look. "I don't  remember asking your permission on this. Last time I  looked, I occupied the big office, and that means I make  the assignments around here." Perry gave Lucas a rather  insincere smile. "And that means, for now, you have a  partner."

Lane held his hands up before him in a gesture of defeat.  "Hey, okay, I give. Don't ever say I'm not a team player."  He glanced at his watch, then gave Clark a tight smile.  "I'll be back in about an hour." He turned his attention to  Perry. "I've got to meet Lucy. Something about her tuition  not being received."

Perry shook his head. "I thought she was about to  graduate?"

Lucas laughed. "She is. Her final exam is next week. Go  figure. Only Lucy could get things this messed up." Lane  raised his hand as if to slap Clark on the shoulder, but  then pulled it back, having changed his mind about  initiating more physical contact with him. "I'll bring you  up to speed when I get back, Kent." Lucas turned and  quickly made his way to the bank of elevators.

Perry chuckled, then noticed Clark's look of bewilderment.  "Lucy is Lucas' sister. Nice kid but kind of  scatterbrained."

Clark nodded. "She's in college?"

Perry rolled his eyes. "Beauty school." He looked around.  "Jimmy!"

Suddenly a short, freckle faced, young man came bursting  into view. "You bellowed, my liege."

Perry cocked a brow at the grinning young fellow. "Don't  push your luck, Olsen." He placed his hand on Clark's arm.  "This is Clark Kent. He's new. Show him around the newsroom  and get him a desk near Lane."

"You got it." The young man smiled up at Clark. "Come on,  I'll get you set up." Jimmy leaned in close and  conspiratorially whispered. "Wait till you get a load of  the gals in typing."

*****************

Clark sat at his desk, the Daily Planet's employee handbook  lay open in front of him. He wasn't seeing the words on the  page, his mind was too preoccupied with his current  situation.

Lois Lane, star reporter for the Daily Planet, and future  companion of Clark Kent and... Superman, didn't exist on  this world. Instead, in her place, was Lucas Lane, star  reporter for the Daily Planet, and... what? Clark was  confused. Had Wells known that there was no Lois on his  world? Of course he hadn't. Otherwise why would he have let  that other world Lois and Clark fill his head with all the  stories of love at first sight and soul mates? What ever  that was supposed to mean.

The other world Clark had described what it had been like  for him when he first saw his Lois come charging into  Perry's office during his job interview. He explained how  he'd known from the moment he saw her that she was the  woman he'd been looking for his whole life. He hadn't even  known he'd been looking, but once he'd met her he knew.  There was an immediate connection which he could feel. A  special spark that existed between them, that told him that  she was the one. And that scared Clark.

The booklet in his hands was slowly being crushed as he  stared, unseeing, at the handbook. There had been no Lois,  yet he had felt something. He couldn't deny that. When he'd  first sighted him, there had been a feeling akin to  excitement in meeting the young man, until the shock of his  name had stunned Clark. Then there was the handshake. There  had definitely been something there, something almost like  an electric shock. But how could that be?

How could Clark be having this kind of reaction to Lucas  Lane? Did it mean that he was... attracted to Lucas... in  that way? He had never considered the possibility that he  might be gay. He might not have dated a much as some of his  friends had in high school and during college, but he  hadn't been a monk either. He had frequently enjoyed the  company of attractive young women. He had never crossed the  line to full intimacy with any woman, but that had been  because of his upbringing and the fact that he was  'different' from everyone else, not that he might be gay...  wasn't it?

Clark couldn't help but admit that when Lucas left a while  ago that he felt a vague sense of loss. And every time the  elevator bell signaled a stop on the newsroom floor he  found himself looking over in expectation. Could it be?  Could this 'thing' that Wells and the other Lois and Clark  kept telling him about be true for him, even if Lois wasn't  a Lois, but a Lucas?

"Well, hello there, handsome."

Clark suddenly found himself being accosted by a tall,  auburn-haired beauty. She was over made-up and under  dressed, but still quite a striking woman. Her mouth was  curved into a predatory smile. Clark couldn't help but feel  like a mouse staring up into the gaze of a particularly  hungry cat. "Um, hello?"

She extended her hand in a provocative bent wrist manner,  like she expected him to bring it to his lips. "Catherine,  'Cat', Grant. I write Cat's Corner. I take it you're the  new guy I heard about?"

Clark reached out, grabbed her hand and shook it in the  normal manner. "Yep, that's me. Clark Kent, nice to meet  you, Ms. Grant."

"Cat." She drew out the name, putting a seductive emphasis  on the 't'.

"Right, Cat." Clark mimicked back at her. She smiled and  patted him on the cheek. "So, Ms. Gran - er, Cat. What can  I do for you?" he asked.

Her smile became positively carnivorous. "Oh, I think it's  more what I can do for you?" She slid her tongue slowly  across her lips. "Have you had lunch yet?"

Clark was beginning to sweat. "Ah, no. But I think it would  be best if I stayed here for a while. I'm waiting for my  partner to get back."

"Partner?"

"Yes, Mr. White paired me up with Lucas Lane."

Her face suddenly fell. "No, don't tell me you're one of  them."

"One of them?" Clark was confused. "I hope to be as good a  reporter as he is some day, if that's what you mean."

"No, I mean you're not a waste of perfectly prime man  flesh, are you?" she asked as she ran her hand up and down  his chest. Seeing that Clark wasn't catching on, she  sighed. "When it comes to things involving men and women,  Lucas Lane bats for the wrong team. If you catch my drift?"

Clark's lips formed a silent 'oh' as he realized what Cat  was implying. So Lucas Lane was gay. Did that have a  bearing on his own inexplicable feelings? Did Wells know  this when he sent Clark to help out the other Clark? Was  meeting that Clark's Lois, and finding out about the whole  soul mates mumbo-jumbo, supposed to help him accept things  when he finally met his own L. Lane? If so, it didn't. It  just made things more confusing for Clark.

Just then the ring of the elevator caused Clark to turn his  attention to the doors as they slid open. Before he knew  what he was doing, his lips stretched into a wide smile as  he saw the attractive young man step out of the car. Their  gazes met and Lucas gave him a wink and a nod as he moved  toward the befuddled, yet inexplicably excited, rookie  reporter.

Cat too had looked toward the elevator when its arrival had  sounded. She saw Lucas step out and glanced at Clark for  his reaction. A frown pulled her lips down and furrowed her  brow. "Crap, I give up." She turned and stormed off.

Lucas came over and sat on the edge of Clark's new desk.  "Well, I see they've at least given you a desk and a  computer." He raised a brow as he glanced at the retreating  form of Cat Grant. "And I see you've met some more of the  staff. But now we need to see about getting you into some  real investigative reporting."

"Great." Clark felt a strange tingle when Lucas patted him  on the shoulder.

"Okay, but before we get started we need to get one thing  straight. I like you Kent, you seem like a nice guy, but  I'm the senior partner, you are the junior. You aren't  working with me, you are working for me. If you are going  to learn from me, you'll have to listen. That means that  I'll be doing all the talking in our interviews. In this  little partnership, I'm the top banana, got it."

Clark opened his mouth to respond, but then closed it. He  just couldn't say it.

****************

Part 2

The next week went by rapidly and Clark had to admit that  it was quite a heady experience. Even with his 'special  gifts' he was hard pressed to keep up with the award  winning reporter. Lucas Lane had been amazing in his drive  and his passion for his work. The two of them had managed  to deliver two page one stories and three lesser, but still  solid, pieces in just their first week together. Perry had  been impressed.

During that time Clark also found himself being drawn more  and more to the charismatic young man. It had only been a  week, but he could swear that they were well on the way to  developing a real friendship. The thing that Clark still  couldn't come to terms with was... was there supposed to be  something more? Would their becoming good friends be enough  to satisfy whatever 'was meant to be' between them? Did  Lucas' sexual orientation have any bearing on it?

Clark never considered himself a bigot when it came to a  person's sexual preferences. A person's romantic partner  made no difference to him. It was just the thought that he  might be put in that position that made Clark  uncomfortable. So far, he'd been able to avoid any awkward  situations or conversations. But as time went by, as they  became closer, even as friends, the subject was inevitably  going to come up. Then what?

The thing was, Clark really liked Lucas. He was bright,  funny, and when he got excited he tended to babble. He  could be stubborn at times, but his dedication and passion  for his job was extraordinary. No one would call him  ruggedly handsome but there was no denying that Lucas Lane  was a good looking man, though in a softer, more cultured,  almost feminine way. If he'd let himself admit it, Clark  would have to say that he found Lucas pleasant to look at,  but then having met a Lois Lane it was probably just the  obvious family resemblance that he found attractive.

"Say, C.K., you doing anything tonight?" Lucas had come  over to Clark's desk and sat on the edge as he had gotten  into the habit of.

Clark leaned back into his chair and ran a quick hand  through his hair. "Nothing too exciting. Just some laundry  and bad television." Clark smiled at Lucas' raised brow.  "No cable."

"Ah, well, no problem. I was wondering if you'd like to  come over to my place for dinner tonight. Perry has  intimated that he likes this partnership and I have to  admit that I've enjoyed it so far myself." Clark noticed  just the slightest hesitation in Lucas' speech. "I thought  we could celebrate the Planet's newest dynamic duo." He  chuckled. "I'm a pretty good cook, if I do say so myself.  And I have over a hundred channels on my cable box." He put  his hands up in the classic gesture of surrender. "But  don't ask me what they all are. I rarely have time to watch  it." He suddenly seemed almost shy. "So, what do you say?"

Clark hesitated. He felt guilty for feeling it, but he  couldn't help but wonder what Lucas' motives were. Was this  just a simple dinner, as he said? An informal get together  to salute their work partnership. Or was there something  more to it? Was Lucas going to 'make a move' on him?

Clark was instantly ashamed of that thought. Lucas was his  partner, and becoming his friend. At no time in the last  week had the young man acted in a way that Clark could  construe as inappropriate. He noticed that Lucas was  waiting for an answer. It didn't matter what his own  paranoid fears might be, there was no reason for Clark to  be hesitating over an honest invitation from his partner.

"Sounds great. What time?"

Lucas smiled. "Seven o'clock." He scribbled something on a  scrap of paper. "Here's the address. Should be able to find  parking on the street in front."

"I don't have a car." Clark glanced at the address. "But  you don't live too far from my place. If it's nice, I'll  just walk."

"Great." Lucas hopped off Clark's desk. "Well, I'd best be  off to the grocery store if we're going to want something  besides last night's take out and flat cream soda for  dinner."

Clark watched Lucas move purposely up the ramp toward the  elevators. In another minute the elevator came and, with a  final smile and wave, he was gone.

It was just dinner. Sure it was. Clark couldn't explain how  he knew, but there was no doubt in his mind that before  tonight was through the furthest thing from his mind was  going to be the meal.

*****************

Clark hesitated for a moment before knocking on the heavy  wooden door leading to Lucas Lane's apartment. What was he  getting himself into here? As ridiculous as Clark tried to  tell himself his fear was he couldn't help but wonder if  this wasn't going to be a seduction dinner. He shook his  head at the thought. It was unworthy... wasn't it?

The past week Lucas hadn't been sending out any signals  that he was interested in Clark in any way beyond  friendship. And, for his part, Clark hadn't been giving him  any reason to think that he was interested in anything more  than that either, had he? Certainly, Clark had found  himself enjoying his new partner's company, but that was a  perfectly normal consequence of normal male bonding. Sure,  that was it. Nothing romantic there. Clark took a deep  breath and knocked.

Almost immediately the door opened and Clark was greeted by  a slender young woman, probably in her early twenties. She  was cute and had short brown hair which looked like it  wanted to curl even if she didn't want it too. Her coloring  wasn't quite as dark as Lucas' but the family resemblance  was clear.

"Hi," she said with a smile. "You must be Clark. I'm Luc's  little sister, Lucy."

Clark returned the young woman's smile. "Guilty as charged.  Hello, Lucy, it's nice to finally meet you. I've heard  quite a bit about you."

Lucy pouted momentarily. "Don't believe a word he says  about me. He doesn't think I can do anything right. He's  such a... a... big brother."

Clark laughed. "No, it was all complimentary, really."

"Yeah right." Lucy didn't look convinced. "Come on in.  Luc's in the kitchen. I swear he got all the cooking talent  in this family." She waved him toward another part of the  apartment as she breezed off in the other direction.

Just then Lucas came out of the kitchen, wiping his hand on  a towel as he approached. Lucas was wearing a simple black  pullover shirt with a pair of dark slacks. He looked quite  handsome.

"Dinner should be ready in about ten minutes." He gestured  over at the table which was set for four. "I hope you don't  mind, but I invited my sisters over for this dinner. I  wanted my family to meet my new partner."

"Sisters?" Clark's voice betrayed a faint hope.

"Yeah. They couldn't believe I'd actually found a partner  that I could stand to be with." Lucas clapped Clark on the  back.

A sharp knock on the door drew everyone's attention to the  front foyer. The door began to open. "Everyone better be  decent because I'm coming in."

The voice was strangely familiar. Clark's eyes widened as  they took in the young woman pushing the door back and  entering the room.

"Lois! I'm so glad you were able to come." Lucas hurried  over and threw his arms around the dark-haired woman.  Keeping his arm around her, Lucas turned, and with a big  smile, nodded toward Clark. "Honey, I want you to meet my  new partner, Clark Kent. Clark, this is my twin sister,  Lois."

She stepped forward, her hand extended. "Hi."

His twin sister! Clark was frozen, his heart beat painfully  in his chest. He had trouble catching his breath. Moving  toward him was the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen.  Her simple outfit, burgundy slacks and a cream-colored  blouse, did nothing to hide the curvy, yet athletic, build  of the woman. Her glossy hair hung sleekly to her shoulders  in a classic bob, a longer style than the woman he'd met in  the other world. The smile she had on her face seemed to  light up the room, and it suffused Clark with a warmth he'd  never felt before. It was Lois Lane - *his* Lois Lane.

It took some effort for Clark to find his voice. "Ah, hi.  It's so good to meet you."

Their hands touched and both people stood stock still,  their faces betraying a confusing sense of wonder. Neither  spoke as they looked into each other's eyes for several  heartbeats.

"Lois!" Lucy came rushing in from the other room. "I'm so  glad you're here."

Seemingly with reluctance, Lois tore her gaze away from  Clark's eyes and turned to her exuberant sister. "Lucy, how  are you?" She reached out and stroked her sister's short  hair. "My goodness, what did you do? Your hair looks cute,  but it's so short."

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Lois, I'm in beauty school. Who do  you think we practice on?" Lucy chuckled. "Not too many  long-haired gals stay that way by the time they graduate."

Lois returned Lucy's laugh. "No, I suppose not."

Lucy's features suddenly changed from animated to pensive.  "Ah, Lois, I was wondering if I could ask you a huge  favor?"

Lois stepped back from her sister and eyed her with a wary  look. "What now?"

Lucy bit her lip. "Well, tomorrow is my final exam... and  we need to bring in our own model for the cut."

Lois' hand went instinctively to her hair. "What kind of  cut?"

Lucy couldn't meet Lois' eyes. "We don't know until we get  there. The instructor chooses the style and we don't have  any idea what it will be until we're ready to go."

Lois frowned. "I don't know."

Lucy grabbed Lois' arm. "Come on, Lois. Mom was going to be  my model but she called me just last night. She's come down  with one of her imaginary illnesses and can't make it. None  of my girlfriends are available tomorrow. You're my last  hope. Please!"

Clark was mildly amused with the byplay between the  sisters. He cleared his throat, getting the attention of  the two women. "I, ah, know it's really none of my  business, but I've recently met a woman who bears a  resemblance to you, Lois. She wore her hair in a short,  layered style, and I have to say it looked quite good on  her."

Lois turned her frown toward Clark while Lucy got more  animated again. "See, it'll be great. You'll look great.  I'm really pretty good, and the teacher is right there and  won't let us screw things up too much."

Lois raised a brow at her sister. "You're not inspiring a  lot of confidence." Lucy just bowed her head, her lower lip  protruding in a pronounced pout. Lois shook her head and  sighed. "Oh, all right. I'll do it."

Lucy jumped up and down. "Good! Thanks."

Lois continued to shake her head. "If I come home with all  my hair chopped off, Lex is going to kill me."

A chill ran down Clark's back. "Lex?"

"Yeah," Lucas interjected, a definite note of disapproval  in his voice. "Lex Luthor, her husband."

Clark was stunned. "Luthor! But he's a criminal."

********

A shocked silence descended on the room.

Clark bit his lip, wishing that he could sink through the  floor. How could he have been so indiscreet? So *stupid*?  Just because he'd met the *real* love of his life - the  woman he was sure, thanks to his trip to the other  universe, was his soulmate - only to find that she was  married to another man, a man he'd been assured was a  master criminal, he had to act like the biggest idiot since  the dawn of time?

And anyway, what if this world's Lex Luthor *wasn't* a  criminal? After all, in the other Lois and Clark's universe  Lois wasn't a twin.

Lois and Luc were looking at each other with what Clark  suddenly realised were awkward glances.

Awkward. Not outraged. Not angry. Not disbelieving. So  what...?

The only person in the room who seemed completely at a loss  was Lucy, who was looking from her siblings to Clark with a  completely baffled expression on her face.

"What gave you that idea?" Lois demanded bluntly, finally,  glaring at Clark.

But he wasn't fooled. She'd delayed too long in answering  him; too long for him to let her get away with assuming  that expression of injured innocence.

To Clark, the implication was clear: this world's Lex  Luthor was up to shady dealings, at the very least, and his  wife knew all about it. And so too, judging by the looks  they'd been giving each other, and Luc Lane's increased  heart-rate, did her twin brother.

Were they all in cahoots? Was this world's Lois dirty too?  And Luc? Luc, his colleague, who'd fast been becoming his  friend?

He had to answer Lois's question. And he was going to call  her bluff.

Giving her a cool look in response to her angry challenge,  he said casually, "I have my sources. And they've been  pretty reliable so far."

Lois and Luc exchanged another glance. Lucy shook her head,  frowning again. "Lois? What's going on? Lex isn't...?"

Lois and Luc spoke simultaneously. "Lucy, stay out of  this!"

"Come on! You two can't pull that one on me now!" Lucy  retorted, furious. "What's going on?"

"Maybe Mr Kent here would like to explain that," Lois  countered, giving Clark a challenging look.

Clark shrugged. "Like I said, I have my sources. Where  would you like me to start? Fraud? Bribery? Graft?  Corruption? Blackmail? Sabotage? Or should I skip all the  trivial stuff and go straight to murder?"

"Luc!" Lois exclaimed. "What's going on here?"

"I have no idea, Lois!" Luc said, clearly frustrated.  "Look, Clark," he began, his tone impatient and irritated.  "I don't know where you've got any of this stuff from, but  this is *our* story, so butt out! If you're looking for a  front-page byline, there's plenty of other stuff going on.  Luthor's ours!"

So his hunch had been right, Clark thought triumphantly -  and with some measure of relief, too. Lois and Luc knew the  truth about Luthor. Lois wasn't blissfully in love with the  man.

But she was still married to him...

Why? He simply couldn't understand that. Had she been in  love with him in the beginning? Had she married him and  only then found out the truth about him? At what point had  she gone to her reporter brother and asked him to  investigate her husband?

She was Lex Luthor's *wife*. Whether or not she believed  that he was a criminal, she was still married to him.

Trying desperately to squash the depression which had  resurfaced at that realisation, Clark focused on Luc. "You  said... `our' story. Just who would that `our' be?"

Watching Lois and Luc then was like looking at a person's  reflection in a mirror. Luc bit his lip and, a second  later, Lois imitated him. Then Luc sighed.

"Ours, as in mine and... Lois Lane, the other half of L.  Lane, award-winning investigative reporter," he explained.

"You... what?"

At the same moment, Lucy demanded, "Just what's going on  here? Lois, are you saying that Lex...?"

It was Lois's turn to sigh. "Like he said, Luce, Luthor's  dirty. And Luc and I are investigating him. I'm undercover,  and Luc's on the outside."

"You're... undercover?" Clark echoed. "As... Luthor's  *wife*?"

"What?" Lois exclaimed. "I'm not *married* to him! No way!"

"But..." Clark gaped, swallowed, looked from Lois to Luc  and back again. "But Luc called him your... your husband!"

"Oh, he always does that!" Lucy said. "It's because Lex is  so... well, I guess domineering. He always knows what he  wants and what he prefers, and he likes to get his own way.  So Luc complains that Lois jumps to do his bidding too much  - when he wants to make a point, he calls Lex Lois's  husband instead of her boyfriend."

"You're not married!" Clark gasped. "Oh, thank God!"

********

Part 3

Lois groped for a nearby chair, sinking into it gratefully.  Just what was going on here? And who was this Clark Kent,  anyway?

Oh, she knew that he was Luc's new partner at the Planet;  Luc had talked about little else for the past week. How  cute he was. How intelligent, but also fun to be with. How  he had a terrific smile - well, that was certainly right,  as was the cute part.

Luc was on the verge of falling in a big way. And, Lois  already knew, one thing about herself and her twin hadn't  changed. They still had the same taste in men.

But Kent wasn't just a cute guy, she reminded herself  firmly. He was a rival - a threat. And that was a problem  which had to be dealt with.

"So... Clark, is it?" she said sweetly, giving him a bright  smile. "How did you manage to find out all this stuff about  Lex Luthor?"

He reacted exactly as if he'd spotted a piranha in his  path. He stilled, and his expression grew wary and very  intent. Then he smiled back, but carefully. "I don't think  so, Lois. At least, not yet."

She rolled her eyes. "Okay, what do you want?"

"For starters?" Kent began. "We work as a team to bring  Luthor down. We pool all our information. We keep nothing  from each other. And we all get the byline."

"You don't want much, do you?" Lois commented sourly. "And  you think we'll go for it? How do we even know that you  have anything worth using?"

"How do I know that you two've got anything?" Kent  retorted. "After all, if your posing as Luthor's girlfriend  had got you any decent results, you wouldn't still be  worrying about what your *boyfriend* thinks of your  appearance!"

"How dare you -!" Lois began.

Luc cut across her. "Clark, cut that out. You don't know  the first thing about my sister, so don't judge her, okay?  Now, your deal sounds as though it might have potential,  but I want to know more about your sources before I'm even  going to be willing to consider it."

That was what she should have said, Lois told herself,  instead of letting her temper get the better of her at  Kent's accusation. Yes, Luc was right. She wanted to know  about these so-called `sources' of Kent's.

Kent was looking thoughtful, she noticed. But not worried  in any way. He must be pretty confident about his  information, she concluded.

"Yes," he said finally. "Agreed. Can we talk after dinner?  Just the three of us," he added, gesturing from Luc to  Lois. "I don't mean to be rude by excluding you, Lucy," he  continued. "It's just that... well, this is sort of  confidential work-related stuff..."

Now he seemed less sure of himself. Lois let him flounder  on for a few seconds before she decided to rescue him.  "Luce, you know what it's like when Luc and I are working  on a big story. There are times we just can't tell you  what's going on."

Lucy pouted. "Okay, okay. But I want you to tell me  everything you can later. Like just what the deal is with  Lex! And I can't say I'm sorry that you're not really  dating him. I never liked him - I don't care that Mom  thinks the sun shines out of his - "

"Lucy!" Luc interrupted. "Come and help me serve dinner."

*********

As the apartment door closed behind Lucy later that  evening, Clark took a very deep breath, trying to calm  himself down. This was it: he was taking a huge leap of  faith here. He was about to do something he'd never done  with anyone before. He was actually going to trust someone  - two someones - with his secret.

But it was his experiences in the other universe which had  told him, before dinner when Luc had asked about his  sources, that this was the right thing to do.

"So," Lois said, turning to face him with a challenging  look on her face. "What have you got? And who are your  sources?"

If he let her steamroller him now, Clark realised, he'd  never have a chance. She would walk all over him if he  showed a sign of weakness - and he suddenly remembered that  the Lois from the other world had hinted at exactly the  same thing.

"Who said I get to go first?" he retorted. "Why don't you  spill what you've got?"

"No way!" she countered. "Look, you're the one who wanted  this - "

"And you're the one who's worried about what I know and  what it'll do to your chances of an exclusive," Clark  pointed out.

"He's right, Lois," Luc said, moving over to stand close to  his sister. "We have to share what we've got too. That's  what we agreed." Turning to Clark, he added, "The problem  is that at the moment we don't have much that's concrete. A  lot of suspicions, sure. Some circumstantial evidence.  Sources who only talked to us on condition that we never  name them or reveal anything which could identify them.  Nothing at all which even approaches the concept of proof,"  he concluded wryly.

"I don't have any hard proof either," Clark said. "But I  think I know how to find it."

"And that's *it*?" Lois demanded incredulously. "You  *think* you know how to find proof. You don't have  anything? Heck, I have hunches - dozens of `em! And if I  could only get the combination to Luthor's safe I'd have  all the proof I need for some of the stuff we want to nail  him with!" She pulled a face. "Night after night I have to  spend time with him, smile at him, pretend I'm enjoying  myself. I have to let him paw me and kiss me - and let me  tell you, he may have been with some of the most beautiful  women around, but they sure weren't with him for his  technique! And I still can't get close enough to find what  I need."

"Lois, I can help," Clark said firmly. "If you need a  combination to a safe, I'm your man."

She threw him a sceptical  glance. "Look, Kent, I've broken  into some of the toughest locks around. If I can't get into  Luthor's safe, then I doubt very much if you can."

Clark bit back a laugh, contenting himself with giving her  an enigmatic smile. "Let's just say, Lois, that there's a  lot about me that you don't know - yet. And until you do,  you might want to hold off on deciding what you think I'm  not capable of doing."  "Okay, so why don't you tell me?" she challenged, calling  his bluff.

He shrugged. "I intend to. But first I need to warn you  that what I'm about to tell you will sound... well, pretty  weird. In fact, I already know that you're not going to  believe me - heck, I wouldn't have believed me if someone  had told me this before it actually happened to me. But,  please, hear me out."

Luc made an expansive gesture. "Go right ahead."

"I've just come back from spending two weeks in an  alternate universe," Clark began.

Before he could continue, Lois had interrupted with a loud  "What? You actually expect us to believe that?"

Luc, speaking almost at the same time, was just as  sceptical. "Come on, Kent - what is this? Taking your Star  Trek fantasies a bit too far, aren't you?"

Clark held up his hand; they subsided. "I know. You  probably don't believe that there are any such things as  aliens from other planets, either. And yet I'm telling you  that I'm from another planet."

"You're... WHAT?" Luc almost yelled. "Look, this is rid -"

"Who is this lunatic you brought home?" Lois demanded,  cutting across her brother. "I'm out of here. This is a  complete waste of my time!"

"Wait, Lois," Clark commanded, in what he'd come to think  of as his Superman voice. And then he allowed himself to  drift several feet off the floor.

*********

It felt as if her entire world had shifted on its axis.  Since that evening, two days ago, nothing had been the  same. Clark Kent, the amazingly good-looking guy her  brother had brought home from work - the amazingly good- looking guy Luc was attracted to - was really from another  planet. Or, at least, so he assured them. And since he was  able to bench-press practically all the furniture in her  apartment - at once - she kind of believed him.

He could fly too, and his demonstration of that ability had  been... cool. Very cool.

But his tale of having been to another universe, where he'd  met another Lois Lane and a Clark Kent, had been the most  amazing of all. She hadn't wanted to believe him, but the  things he'd told her had been just too convincing. He'd  known things about her - her childhood, her career, her  ambitions - that he simply couldn't have known without  actually having spied on her for years, and she was sure he  hadn't done that. He couldn't have without her knowing.

So he really had been to another universe. And his hosts  had told him enough about Lex Luthor's criminal activities  to give them enough leads to nail him. Which was what  they'd been working on the past couple of days. While she  was still playing the role of Lex Luthor's dutiful  girlfriend, of course. She was *really* looking forward to  relinquishing that role!

Clark had been very puzzled about her role in relation to  the Daily Planet, and they'd finally managed to explain  much later that night. It was a jobshare arrangement which  she and Luc had come up with a long time ago, when they'd  first graduated, both with degrees in journalism and both  desperate to work for one of the best newspapers in  America. But each of them had also wanted to travel the  world, something they'd never managed when in full-time  education - Sam Lane's early death from a rare blood  disorder, and associated medical expenses, had left the  Lane family with insufficient money for college funds and  Lois and Luc had needed to work their way through  university to pay for whatever scholarships hadn't covered.

So they'd proposed an arrangement to Perry White whereby he  got two reporters for the price of one. The Lane siblings  wrote under the byline of L. Lane, but most of the time  only one of them was actually in residence at the Daily  Planet. That had been a very useful cover, too, once Lois  had decided to investigate Lex Luthor: Luthor had no idea  that the Lois Lane who'd approached him at a charity  benefit, pretending to work for a glamour magazine, was  actually L. Lane, the reporter whose work he loathed. And  Luc had arrived back in time to become the Planet reporter  again. He and Luthor had treated each other with a stiff  politeness, and Lois had simply pretended that she and Luc  didn't get along very well.

She couldn't wait to see Lex's smarmy face turn purple when  he learned who Lois Lane really was!

Getting the evidence together to expose Lex was just one  great thing about the last couple of days. And a tangential  benefit, Lois thought with a mild twinge of guilt, was that  she'd just been too busy to be Lucy's model after all. Her  mind boggled at the thought of what bizarre style Lucy  might have thought was appropriate for her! No doubt  something so short her neck would've been completely bare -  a style which definitely wasn't for her. She'd had a  moment's pause at the reminder that Clark had said a  shorter style would suit her - he'd had to have been  talking about the other Lois, she'd realised. And suddenly  she'd wanted very much to reinforce in his mind that she  was *not* that Lois. She was her own person, and she wanted  him to know that.

She'd almost managed to persuade Luc to take her place, but  he'd pleaded equal pressure of work, and in the end Lucy  had dragged their mother along.

Clark's powers had been incredibly useful in enabling them  to find some of the proof they needed - and he'd proven to  her that he could break into Luthor's safe, much to her  mingled chagrin and delight.

Clark.

Thinking about him suddenly, Lois stilled her attempt to  search through the bundle of financial records Luc and  Clark had left with her - though Clark had promised to go  through them himself later if she didn't have time. He'd be  able to analyse them in a couple of minutes, he'd assured  her.

Clark Kent. The most attractive man she'd ever met. And the  most intriguing - and that was even before she took his  amazing powers into account. Or the fact that, as he'd told  her, he wanted to become Superman in this world too. He'd  already, it seemed, got his costume.

He was thoughtful - very, very considerate. He had an  utterly gorgeous smile. He had a great sense of humour;  sometimes corny, but never cruel. He had beautiful hands.  And a body to die for. He was intelligent and very, very  quick on the uptake. One look from his brown eyes made her  feel as if she was drowning. And sometimes when he said her  name she just wanted to melt.

She was falling in love with Clark Kent.

But Luc was interested too - and Luc had seen him first.

But was Clark interested in Luc?

That was the great imponderable. Lois had been watching the  two of them over the past couple of days - in her position  as Luthor's fake girlfriend, she hadn't been able to do  much of the legwork for fear it would blow her cover, and  so Clark and Luc had been spending a lot of time alone  together. So far, she had no idea whether Clark was in any  way attracted to her brother, or whether he just saw Luc as  a friend.

But then, she had no idea either whether he was attracted  to her...

Okay, he'd stared at her in a very particular way when  they'd met - but was that just because he hadn't expected  to meet a Lois Lane in this universe? He'd told them both,  after all, that when he'd been introduced to Luc at the  Planet he'd come to the conclusion that this universe's  Lois must be male. Or maybe it had been that he was  surprised because she looked so much like Luc.

Was he interested in Luc... or her? Or maybe neither of  them?

It was driving her to distraction, this need to find out  how Clark felt about her; whether there was any possibility  that he might be... well, interested.

He had seemed to be very pleased to discover that she  wasn't married, of course... but that could just have been  relief that she wasn't married to Luthor, as Luc had led  him to believe.

She hadn't talked to Luc about it, but she knew that he was  aware of her feelings, just as she was of his. It was just  one of the minor downsides of being a twin, this awareness  of each other's emotions. And, of course, Luc being gay,  the fact that they were forever finding themselves  interested in the same men.

In the past, it had never mattered all that much; neither  of them had been all that serious about any of the men  they'd dated. So if one had been inclined to swing Luc's  way, Lois had just given him a wry smile and a thumbs-up.  Where it was clear that the guy in question preferred  women, Luc had given Lois a shrug and blown her a good luck  kiss.

Only this time, she had a sneaking suspicion that Clark  Kent was special. Would be special to whichever of them he  showed an interest in - assuming, of course, that he liked  either of them romantically.

Lois sighed again, then laid the bundle of documents back  on the table. She was getting nowhere fast, and the men  were due back soon.

And, right on cue, she heard a key in the apartment door.  Oh god... Clark was back. And she wasn't ready to let him  see her like this - he was bound to know that she'd been  distracted. With his special powers, too, she wouldn't put  it past him to figure out why...

"Hey, sis!" Luc's voice preceded her twin into the room. He  sounded cheerful, but Lois knew her brother too well to be  deceived. He was putting on a good act, but there was  something wrong.

She gave him a loving smile. "Hey, yourself."

"Not getting anywhere?" He nodded at the pile on the table.

"Nope."

He snagged a chair and sat beside her. "Got some news for  you."

"You do?"

"Yeah." He picked up her pen and began to fiddle with it.  "Once this story's broken, I'm going to go back to London.  Remember I told you that when I was freelancing there, one  of the papers I wrote for offered me a job? I've decided to  take it. I think it's about time that L. Lane became Lois  Lane, anyway."

Luc was running away - that was the only conclusion Lois  could come to. And, for once, she had absolutely no idea  what was bothering her twin. Why was he leaving? Had Clark  said something to him? Rebuffed him?

If Kent had hurt her twin, she'd tear him limb from limb.  Somehow. There had to be a way, even if he was  invulnerable.

She said nothing, knowing that he'd tell her more if he  wanted to. And, after several moments, he did.

In apparently idle tones, Luc observed, "Did you know that,  in the other universe Clark went to, the other Clark Kent  was married to that world's Lois Lane?"

"What?" Lois exclaimed. "You're kidding... he is?"

"Yep." Luc nodded, emphasising his answer.

So that was why Clark had said very little about their  other-universe counterparts, Lois realised. It would have  been a pretty embarrassing addition to their conversation  about his visit there - "Hey, do you know that in that  other world you and I are married?" - yeah, that would have  been a fun conversation, all right!

"And that's why you're going," Lois concluded. "You're...  leaving the field clear for me?"

Luc shrugged. "It makes sense. And anyway, I always planned  to go back to England. I told you that, didn't I?"

"Yes, but... Luc, how do you know that this world will be  the same? That Clark -"

"He told me, sis," Luc said quietly. At Lois's puzzled  look, he continued. "The thing about the other Lois and  Clark being married - well, that just sort of slipped out.  I could see by his reaction afterwards that he'd never  meant to say it. And then - well, a while after that, he  asked me if you were seeing anyone. Well, apart from  Luthor, that is. And when I said you weren't... well, he  was pretty darned happy."

"He asked you?" Shocked, Lois reached out to grab Luc's  hand, holding it tightly between both of hers. "How  insensitive can he get? He must have realised...?"

Luc shrugged again. "Why should he? Though you're right. He  did know. I mean, he was aware that I'm gay - the Planet  grapevine filled him in on that one soon enough. And I'm  pretty sure that he figured out I was... interested.  Anyway, that's the only explanation I have for the  apologetic look he gave me when he asked about you."

"Oh."

"Lois, Clark is attracted to you. He wants to date you,"  Luc pointed out. "And I know you want him too. So go for  it. Anyway, I can tell you that even if you weren't on the  scene there'd be nothing between him and me - he just  doesn't swing that way."

"You weren't sure of that before," Lois pointed out.

He lifted one shoulder. "Oh, I knew it - I was just...  well, hoping, I guess. Or maybe it was just that until I'd  actually heard him say it, it was as if it wasn't true."

Lois could understand that. "Luc, are you sure about this?  You don't have to go away -"

He gave her a crooked smile. "Oh yes, I do. But it won't be  for ever, I promise." He squeezed her hand. "Just give me a  couple of years. I couldn't stay away permanently, you know  that."

He stood then, bending to drop a kiss on her head. "Just do  me a favour, Lois?"

"Sure! What?"

"Go for it with Clark. Don't hide what you feel for him, or  keep him at a distance the way you usually do with men you  like."

He knew her too well. But he was right, too. It would be a  pretty poor return for Luc's gift to her if she didn't act  on her feelings this time.

So she nodded. "Okay. I promise."

*********

Part 4

Waiting outside the apartment, Clark battled to resist the  urge to listen in on Luc and Lois's conversation. He didn't  know why Luc had asked him to wait outside, but he had his  suspicions based on their conversation earlier.

Luc was probably telling Lois that he - Clark - had been  asking about her. About whether she was available. And  maybe, Clark thought, assuring his sister that he wouldn't  get in the way. The unspoken exchange he'd had with Luc  earlier had made that clear; they knew where they stood  with each other. He regretted causing Luc pain, but Clark  knew where his true feelings lay.

He was in love with Lois Lane.

Just then, Luc came out. Giving Clark a friendly clap on  the shoulder, he said, "I think she could use your help,  pal. Those financial papers defeated her."

"Sure, that's no problem," Clark agreed.

"Right. I'll see you later, then."

"You're going somewhere?" Surprised, because they'd  originally agreed to spend the rest of the afternoon going  over what they had so far, before Lois had to go out for a  date with her `boyfriend', Clark frowned at his partner.

Luc shrugged lightly. "You two don't need me. I've got some  stuff to sort out." He gave Clark a friendly, yet wistful,  smile. "She's all yours, pal."

About to go inside, Clark hesitated. Something was telling  him that there was more to Luc's actions than he was  letting on. He wasn't just talking about this afternoon, of  that Clark was sure.

"What are you talking about, Luc?" he asked sharply.

Luc hesitated, then said wryly, "There's no fooling you, is  there? Look, we both know the score. And - like I've just  told Lois - I'm overdue for another trip abroad. I'm going  to get a job in London for a while."

Of course, Clark understood why. "I'm sorry," he said  softly.

"Just be good to my sister," Luc warned him. "Because if  you're not, then invulnerable or not I'm coming after you."

Clark smiled. "I hate fighting with family - and since I  want to be your brother-in-law, I promise that's not going  to happen."

"See that it doesn't, *brother*," Luc said, then tugged  Clark to him for a quick hug before walking away.

********

Lois looked up again as Clark came into the room, and her  heart immediately did flip-flops at the warm smile he gave  her. "Luc says you could use my help?"

She pushed the pile of paperwork towards him. "Be my guest.  Want a coffee?"

She was treated to another brilliant smile. "Sure."

He worked beside her in silence for a couple of minutes,  speeding through the papers at a rate which seemed, to her,  to break all laws of physics... but then, of course, he was  the man known in other universes as Superman. Most  documents remained in the main pile, but a smaller, growing  bundle appeared beside her. Evidence. A step closer to  sending Lex Luthor to jail.

"Luc tells me he's going back to London."

Lois almost dropped her coffee. She hadn't been expecting  Clark to speak; he'd seemed engrossed in his work.

"Yes," was all she could find to say.

"I'll miss him," Clark told her. "I hope he doesn't stay  away too long."

Clark would miss Luc? What did that mean?

About to find a way to change the subject, Lois remembered  her promise to Luc. And the longer she left it, the harder  it would be.

"Why will you miss him?" she asked abruptly.

Clark looked across at her, frowning slightly. "Because I  like him. It's been great working with him for the past  week or so. He's a nice guy, and someone I'd like to  consider a good friend."

"But... no more than that?"

He shook his head. "I like him, but... no. Not *that* way.  Uh, Lois..." Now he was looking awkward and avoiding her  gaze.

She took a deep breath. "Clark, is there a possibility  that..."

"Lois, would you go out with me some time? When all this is  over, I mean, and you're not pretending to be Luthor's  girlfriend any more?" he asked, the words coming out in a  rush.

Lois's breath caught. "I'd love to!"

Another blinding smile took her breath away completely. And  then, slowly, they leaned across the table towards each  other, and their lips met. And the world melted away.

********

"What'cha reading, honey?"

Lois looked away from her monitor to smile at her boyfriend  of exactly one month. Clark perched on the edge of her  desk, a position he was adopting as his own, and caught her  hand in his.

"Email from Luc," she explained. "He sends his  congratulations to us on the Luthor series."

"Took long enough for it all to get into print," Clark  grumbled good-naturedly. They both knew why it had taken so  long; in order not to prejudice the trial and so enable  Luthor to get off, they'd had to agree to sit on most of  what they knew until the police told them it was safe to  print. Just in the past week, the DA's office had  negotiated a series of plea bargains with close aides of  Luthor, to the point where the man himself was trapped with  no escape. And one night, alone in his cell, he'd committed  suicide.

They'd been able to go to print the following day. And  already the industry was talking in terms of award-winning  potential. If they didn't get it for the Luthor material,  Lois thought with a satisfied smile, then they were sure to  for the story which had launched Superman into the public  gaze.

"So how is he?" Clark added, bringing her attention back to  her twin.

"Claims he's having a great time," she said, scanning Luc's  email again. "Course, we've seen some of his work in print  - he might not be getting the sort of exposure we are here,  but he's had some pretty great stories lately."

"Yeah." Clark smiled, clearly pleased. "If you think he'd  like it, I could always arrange for him to have a Superman  exclusive," he added with a grin.

"That's sweet of you." Lois leaned across and kissed him;  even one month on, that was still an incredibly distracting  activity, so it was several minutes before she could tell  him the rest of her news.

"I don't think you'll need to," she said at last. "Arrange  that exclusive, I mean."

"Why not?"

"Well, this is going to sound very weird, but Luc says he's  met this guy -"

"Didn't take him long," Clark interjected, raising an  eyebrow.

"Clark! Not like that! Well..." She hesitated. There'd been  something about Luc's comment... "He didn't say, but  reading between the lines, I'm wondering whether... Anyway,  he says he thinks this guy can do some pretty strange  things. Not like y- well, Superman, but not normal human  stuff, all the same."

"Oh?" Now she really seemed to have piqued Clark's  curiosity. "Who is this guy?"

Lois shrugged. "Means nothing much to me, but Luc says he's  a wealthy businessman based in London. Name of Bruce  Wayne..."

********

~ Epilogue - Lunch with the Lane Sisters ~

Lois brushed her dark hair out of her face as the wind  playfully pushed it in front of her eyes one last time  before she entered the building. Some quick finger combing  put the shoulder length tresses back into some semblance of  order before she had gone more than a few feet into the  restaurant. She let her gaze sweep the cozy eatery until  she spied what she was looking for. She waved, and was  answered in kind by a young woman who, not surprisingly,  bore a more than passing resemblance to herself.

"Lucy," she cried out as she approached the young woman's  table. "I'm so glad we were able to find time for this  lunch date. I'm really curious as to this 'big' news you've  got to tell me."

Lucy Lane smiled up at her big sister as Lois sat in the  only other chair at the small corner table. A waiter zoomed  in and took their drink orders.

"So," Lois began. "What's this all about?" She could see  that Lucy was nearly bursting.

"Well, you know that I've been working for Cindy, at her  shop, since graduation."

Cindy had been a childhood friend of Lois' who owned a  beauty shop on the other side of town. Both the Lane  sisters had been going to Cindy for a number of years.

Lois nodded. "Yeah, and Cindy told me you've been doing a  great job too." She paused as the waiter returned and  placed their drinks on the table. "Look, Luce, you know I  would have been there for you at your final exam cut if it  weren't for the story Clark, Luc and I were working on. I  just didn't dare take the time."

Lucy shrugged. "I admit I was pretty ticked off at first,  but I guess things worked out for the best. No hard  feelings."

"That's sweet of you, but I can't help but feel guilty  about it, especially after what happened."

Lucy rolled her eyes and snorted in a very unladylike  fashion. "Yeah, well who could have foreseen that mom would  freak out like that. I no sooner had the cape fastened  about her neck when she jumped up in a panic." She took a  sip from her water glass. "I can still hear her... 'I'm  sorry, sweetie, but I can't go through with this', and she  bolted out the door."

Lois took her own sip of water. "You were lucky that the  instructor was sympathetic to your plight."

"I'm not so sure he was all that sympathetic," Lucy said,  shaking her head. "I think he was enjoying my humiliation.  I don't think he ever really liked me."

"He let you do a make-up, didn't he?"

Lucy nodded. "Oh yeah, he gave me one whole day to find  another model. I was beyond desperate. I tried calling you  back, you know."

Lois looked surprised. "No, I didn't know. There was no  message on my machine."

"That's because I didn't leave one.  I knew that, if you  weren't home, I wasn't going to be able to get in touch  with you in time for a session the next morning."

"I'm sorry, but if I remember correctly, didn't someone  tell me that you had been at the Planet that day?"

Lucy's smile was self-conscious. "That just shows you how  desperate I was. I hoped to catch you at work. I thought  I'd at least have a chance to find you there and guilt you  into being my model."

Lois chuckled softly. "If I'd have been there it probably  would have worked. But, I was out with Clark tracking down  some leads on Luthor that he had." Lois leaned back in her  chair. "So, what finally did happen? How did you find the  guinea pig you needed?"

"Well, while I was there I happened to be talking to Jimmy  and bemoaning my misfortune and saying some not too nice  things about mom - and you."

Lois grinned. "I can only imagine."

Lucy grinned back. "Anyway, Jimmy volunteered, which was  sweet of him, but I told him I had to have a woman. Just  then that new intern from France came by."

Lois frowned, as she seemed to search her memory. "You mean  that one with the unusual name... Kae - something?"

"Kaethel, yes, she's the one. So, she had apparently  overheard part of what Jimmy and I had been talking about  and asked what the problem was. Once I explained my  situation, she volunteered to be my model."

Lois' eyes suddenly got wide. "You were the one who did  that to her!"

Lucy's look was one of guarded hurt. "What do you mean -  'did that to her'? I gave her a haircut, and did a darn  good job too, if I do say so myself."

Lois was shaking her head back and forth, a smile slowly  spreading across her lips. "Wow, am I glad now that I  couldn't be your model." She looked up at her sister, whose  lower lip was thrust out in a definite pout. Lois held her  hand up in front of her. "No, I don't mean it was a bad  haircut. But it was so short... and so red."

Lucy blushed. "Yeah, I feel a little guilty about that. I  didn't know my instructor was going to spring a color job  on me, and top it off with a pixie cut. I thought the poor  woman was going to faint when he read off what I was  supposed to do." Lucy smiled at the memory. "But Kaethel  was a trooper. She didn't say a word as I cut off most of  her hair, and then made her look like a lost child of Bozo  the Clown."

Lois was laughing softly. "Oh well, it'll grow back...  eventually. Now I understand why she's been so hostile to  me these past several weeks." Lois reached and took another  sip of her water. "So, what's the big news?"

Lucy took a deep breath, as the excitement she showed  earlier came back. "Well, Cindy has decided to open another  shop, one on this side of town." Lucy's smile was beaming.  "And guess who's going to manage it?"

Lois grabbed her sister's hands and gave them a big  squeeze. "Oh, Lucy, that's wonderful. I know Lucas will be  so proud of you also."

Lucy nodded. "Yeah, I know he will be. I just wish he  weren't so far away. I miss him."

"So do I," Lois added. "But not for long. I guess he and  this Bruce Wayne fellow are getting along quite well and  they'll be back in the States soon. Apparently this Wayne  has a big estate outside of Gotham, and they'll be moving  in together there."

"Wow, that's really cool. I hope this one works out for  Luc, since obviously the one he had his eye on previously  didn't." She gave her sister a calculating stare.

Lois blushed under the scrutiny of her Lucy's stare.   "Well, since you brought him up. I have a little news of my  own to share." Lois glanced around, making sure no one was  listening in on their conversation. She reached over and  grabbed Lucy's hands again. "You have to promise me that  you'll tell no one. I haven't given him my answer yet."

Lucy looked confused. "Given who? What answer?"

Lois bit her lower lip, then let a smile turn up the  corners of her mouth. "Clark asked me to marry him."

Lucy squealed in delight as she came out of her chair to  hug her big sister. "That's great!" She pulled back. "Wait,  you haven't answered him yet? I thought you were head over  heels for this guy?"

Lois tried to shrug nonchalantly, but failed. "Well, I  can't let him know that, can I? Not yet anyway. A girl has  to keep her guy guessing for a little while."

"Uh huh," Lucy said, nodding. "When did he ask you?"

"Last night."

"And when are you going to say yes?"

"Tonight."

Lucy patted her sister's hand. "Way to hold out." Lucy  joined Lois in laughter. As the laughter died down, a coy  look came over Lucy's face. "This is perfect. The new shop  will be up and running soon, and that gives me the means to  give you a most excellent wedding present."

Lois' look was guarded. "What?"

Lucy reached over and gave Lois' long dark locks a tug. "A  good haircut."

Lois gave her sister a bright smile. "That's a great idea,  Lucy! I guess I could use a trim - but nothing shorter.  Clark really, really prefers my hair down around my  shoulders. I'll bring a photo with me to show you what I  want. But what would be really terrific would be if you  could take Luc in hand - his hair's a mess!"

Lucy nodded. "Yeah, I've been itching to get my scissors at  him for weeks!"

"Great!" Lois raised her glass in Lucy's direction. "But  you know what? Now that Luc and I are... well, paired off,  we need to find someone for you. And I know just the  person! We'll invite Jimmy to the wedding!"

Lucy considered for a moment, then grinned impishly. "Only  if I can give him a haircut first!"

~ The End ~

(c) Wendy Richards <wendy@lcfanfic.com> and Tank Wilson  <TankW1@aol.com> 2003

Table of Contents

Soul...Mates? A Wendy and Tank Challenge

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4