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Broken	By : MidnightBard Category: G through L > Lois & Clark Views: 2191 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
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Chapter List
- 11
- 12
- 13
Two days later, Clark finally came home. The mudslide had been exponentially worse than he'd feared, when he'd heard the initial report of it. He'd managed to save a great many people, but many, many more had perished, despite his best efforts. He simply couldn't be everywhere at once. Once he'd saved all he could, he'd helped put a stop to the landslide, though by the time he'd arrived on the scene, it was naturally beginning to taper off. Then had come the truly hard part - searching through the mud, broken trees, rocks, and demolished homes for the bodies of those unlucky enough to be buried in the disaster.
                During the search, he hadn't stopped moving. He hadn't eaten. He hadn't slept. He hadn't even taken a sip of water, though it had been offered to him more than once. He'd kept himself in motion, digging through rubble and mud alike, flying back and forth over the miles of destruction, scanning with his powerful hearing and x-ray vision. Extracting broken, lifeless bodies, one after another, had weighed heavily on Clark's mind. He'd needed Lois to recharge his spirit, so much more desperately than he'd needed the sun's rays to fuel his body, but he'd forced himself to subsist merely on the thought of her, bringing to mind her smiling face whenever his energy levels dipped or he felt as if recovering one more dead child would break him.
                Finally, toward sunset on the second day, Clark found himself entering the home stretch. He had only one small section to check. That was when he heard a sound that made his heart skip a beat. He stopped short in his flight and hovered, x-raying through the dirt until he found what he sought. A natural pocket made in the mud, where a home had been demolished, within which was a baby boy, still alive, but just barely. Clark dove down, tunneling through the earth with his hands, faster than he had moved all day long. In seconds, he'd cleared a path to the child and extracted him from what would have soon become his tomb. He'd held the baby close against his chest, cradling him as the boy began to cry weakly, and had flown him to the waiting arms of paramedics who were on the scene.
                Now Clark was home again. He showered, lingering for a good half an hour as the hot water rolled over his tired body, washing away the filth covering him and the soreness in his muscles. He heard a siren while he stood there, head bowed to his chest, but as he listened in more intently, he found the situation well in hand by the police. For that, he was immensely glad. He wasn't sure he had the strength to lend his aid. He shut off the water and dried his body, wrapping the navy blue towel around his waist when he was done. He rinsed out his uniform, scrubbing out as much of the mud stains as he could, then hung it on the shower curtain rod with a mental note to do laundry soon. Shuffling off to his bedroom, he pulled out socks, a t-shirt, and a pair of underwear. He dressed and collapsed on the bed, falling asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.
                He slept deeply and dreamlessly. He awoke half an hour before he was supposed to be at work. Dressing at super speed, he dashed out the door, making it to the Daily Planet building with just enough time to grab a coffee and a donut from the street vendor outside before heading into the bullpen. Lois had left him a message on his machine at home - a nasty cold was going around the paper and Perry had thought Clark was home sick with it.
                "Morning, Kent," Perry said as he passed Clark's desk.
                "Morning, Chief."
                "You feeling better?"
                "Like a new man," he answered honestly.
                "Good. How's Lois feeling?"
                That took Clark off guard. "What?" he asked, before he could stop himself.
                Perry shrugged. "What? You didn't know? She called in sick. Said she caught the bug that's been going around."
                "Oh," Clark said, trying to cover. "I haven't talked to her much in the last day or so."
                "Oh, really? Everything okay between you two?" the older man asked in a gentle, caring tone.
                "Yeah. I was pretty out of it," Clark said. "Especially last night."
                Technically, it was the truth. He just hadn't been sick.
                "But you're okay now?" Perry asked again, arching an eyebrow.
                "Absolutely," Clark assured him. "Never better."
                "Okay then," Perry said with a nod. "The school board is making an announcement this afternoon at one. I want you to cover it. Take Jimmy with you for photos."
                "No problem," Clark said, more than happy to have a task to do.
                He enjoyed working with Jimmy. The younger man was his closest friend outside of Lois, and had an exceptional photographer's eye. He was, Clark thought, perhaps the best photographer the Daily Planet had on staff. Plus, they always had fun together, on assignment or outside of one. And, he also knew, having an assignment would help the day pass a little more swiftly. He and Lois sometimes worked different days, and those always dragged on to infinity before they could finally be together. He chuckled to himself. Lois' presence in the bullpen should have distracted him. Instead, the opposite was true. He had no attention span when Lois wasn't sitting across the way from him.
                He looked longingly over at her desk and sighed. It was going to be a long day indeed. He'd been looking forward to seeing her smiling face that morning, needing it desperately after his ordeal in Peru. Now, he would be denied that until work was done for the day. He glanced at his phone, wondering if he should call her. For a long minute, all he did was stare at the device, at a loss. Finally, he shook his head and turned to the piles of research Jimmy had left on his desk while he was away. Lois rarely ever took off from work, unless she was really feeling poorly. And even then, it was often a struggle to get her to stay home and rest when she needed to. It was also still very early in the morning. He really didn't want to risk calling and waking her up. He would wait, as patiently as he could, to see her after work.
                A smile touched his lips as he thought about surprising her after work. She might already suspect that he was home - Clark was fairly certain the news would have reported on Superman's deeds and departure from the affected area in Peru. Still, she would want to see with her own eyes that he was still in one piece. And she would want to hear all that he was willing to tell her. What she wouldn't expect would be the extra surprise his visit would bring - homemade chicken noodle soup, which he would cook for her, right in her own kitchen. He still remembered his mother's recipe, clear as day, as though he'd watched her make it just the day before.
                He sighed softly to himself, pretending to peruse the documents before him. The intervening years since his parents' deaths had done nothing to lessen the ache in his heart whenever he thought about them. He missed them severely, wishing often that he could have just one more day, one more hour, with them. He wished they could have met Lois, knowing in his heart that they would have loved her as he did.
                For a few moments, completely lost as to where to start his morning, Clark drummed his fingers on a bare patch of his desk, staring at the cursor blinking on his screen. He snuck another longing look at Lois' empty desk, then forced himself to focus. He had at least one story he could hand in to Perry that morning. He had the story of Superman's unlikely rescue of the trapped infant from the mudslide. And it wasn't like it was a rare thing for he or Lois to snag an "exclusive" story that the superhero gave to them alone.
                Fifteen minutes later, he had the story written, re-read, polished, and sent off to Perry. He would have been done sooner, but he kept getting distracted, still partly expecting Lois to come out of the elevator every time he heard the soft ding on the opposite side of the newsroom.
                How he got through the day, he wasn't quite sure. It was a relief to get out of the bullpen to cover the school board announcement with Jimmy, though the announcement itself wasn't anything more interesting than to let everyone know that school lunches were now going to include fresh fruit. Still, it was nice to get out on what proved to be a very slow news day. Clark grinned to himself as he shrugged into his coat at the end of his shift. Lois would be pleased to know that she really hadn't missed anything important while she was home sick.
                Finding an empty alleyway after exiting the Daily Planet building, Clark took off like a shot, flying home to his apartment with all speed. There he showered and dressed in casual clothes in the span of about twenty seconds, then he checked through his refrigerator. He frowned, realizing he had none of the ingredients he needed for the soup he was to make Lois.
                "Guess I'm making a run to the store," he said as he shut the door again, speaking to no one in particular.
                He threw on his jacket and left the apartment again, noting with amusement that he'd been home for less than two minutes. He hailed a cab outside of his building and took it to the grocery store closest to Lois' apartment. He liked the one near his place better, but knowing Lois, her cupboards were probably close to bare. With that in mind, Clark was determined to remedy the situation. He methodically went through the store, choosing the items he needed, as well as comfort foods he knew she enjoyed. He ransacked the medicine aisle as well, pulling various bottles of liquids, boxes of pills, and bags of cough drops from the shelves, comparing them to one another. He almost wished he'd had the experience of being sick before, so that he could make a more informed decision. He lingered in the aisle for a good fifteen minutes, debating the pros and cons of each medicine and the powers they boasted on their labels. He finally made his decisions and added them to his cart before making his way to the register.
                Two stores down was the video store he often rented from, when he and Lois wanted a night in together. He stopped inside, aware that he had a small army of bags dangling from his wrists and fingers. But he also knew that Lois' favorite television show had just been released on tape that day. It wasn't hard to find. A huge display filled with the tapes stood right in the front of the store, directly across from the register. Clark picked up a copy of each of the four seasons available, doing a bit of a juggling act as he struggled to keep the tapes and the groceries in hand without dropping anything. In the end, he barely made it to the register before one of the seasons slipped from his grasp and tumbled to the counter.
                The young teen at the counter barely looked at Clark as he rang up the purchase. He was too busy watching the movie trailers playing on the wall mounted television screens all over the store. He didn't even look as he took Clark's credit card, swiped it, and handed it back. Only when he slid the receipt over for Clark's signature did he ever acknowledge the existence of another person in the room with him.
                Finally, Clark found himself at Lois' building. A few of her neighbors were lingering outside, chatting away and smoking, so he pretended to struggle with the weight of all the bags he was carrying. It must have worked, because Pete opened the door for him, trying to be helpful.
                "Hey, Clark," the man said, stepping away from his wife to grab the door. "How's it going?"
                "Pretty good, thanks," Clark responded. "You?"
                "Can't complain," Pete said, grinning.
                "That's good. How's the hip?"
                "Getting better every day, but man, I wish it would stop hurting."
                "Sorry to hear it's still troubling you," Clark said, shifting the bags in his hands.
                "Eh, what can you do?" Pete said, shrugging. "But I don't want to keep you. It looks like you've got your hands full. Shopping for Lois, huh?"
                Clark managed a shrug of his own. "I thought I'd pick her up a few things. She's got a nasty cold."
                "Ah, well, tell her to get well," Pete said.
                "I will," Clark said, nodding and stepping into the building. "See you around, Pete."
                "See you," Pete said, giving him a little wave and turning back to the others.
                With some fancy maneuvering, Clark pushed the elevator button with his elbow, then did the same once the car came. He rode up to Lois' floor alone, more than eager to see her. The hallway was empty when the elevator came to a stop, letting Clark off on Lois' floor. He took the opportunity to speed down to her door, knocking almost before he was completely at a halt.
                From beyond the thick wood, he heard a violent sneeze, followed by a muffled "Coming!" He smiled. Only Lois could sound sexy while being completely congested. He waited, rocking on the balls of his feet, until he heard the five locks and bolts being undone. Lois opened the door and gave him a wavering smile.
                "Hi," she said, before sneezing again.
                "Hi. And bless you."
                "Thanks. What are you doing here?"
                Clark held the bags aloft. "I come bearing food."
                Lois stepped back from the door so he could enter the apartment. Clark stepped inside, letting Lois close the door behind him. Straight to her kitchen he went, setting down the bags he carried. Then he turned to her, gathered her in his arms and kissed her forehead.
                "I missed you so much," he told her, burying his lips in her hair. "It was torture to be away from you."
                Lois giggled and squeezed his body a little tighter. "It was no picnic being away from you either. But Superman was kept pretty busy, from all the new reports I watched."
                Clark sighed. "I'm so sorry. Being called away to a mudslide is not how I planned our engagement night. Actually, everything about that...about our engagement...I wanted to apologize. I'd wanted to do it someplace more romantic. And I certainly hadn't wanted to put a damper on things by bringing up my...issues."
                "Clark, you know it's not about what was said, or where, right? The fact that you and I love each other, and are committed to spending our lives together, that's the only thing that matters."
                "I know. But don't you feel...I don't know...cheated?"
                Lois shook her head. "No. I have you. That's all I care about."
                Clark placed another kiss amidst her hair. "You have no idea how much I love you."
                Again, Lois laughed. "I think I have a pretty good idea. So...what'd you bring me?"
                "Huh? Oh. Just some essentials." He started to move toward the pile of bags on the table. "How are you feeling?"
                "Miserable," she said, shrugging. "But better now that you're here."
                A knock sounded at the door. Lois and Clark exchanged a look, wondering who that could be. Lois went to the door and peeked out of the peephole. She groaned.
                "Great," she mumbled. "My mother and Lucy. Can I just pretend I'm not home? Or dead?"
                "Lo-is," Clark said in amusement, though inwardly, he was less thrilled than Lois was.
                He had thought he'd be afforded some time to be alone with Lois. Plus, Ellen Lane was one of the last people on Earth he wanted to see at the moment. He knew how much she disliked him, how much she disapproved of Lois being with him. What would she say once she discovered that they were engaged to be married? Or did she already know?
                Lois sighed and unlocked the single bolt she'd put back into place after she'd let Clark in.
                "Mom! Lucy!" she said in a thick, nasally voice. Clark could hear the feigned delight in her words.
                "Lois! What are you wearing?" her mother asked, sweeping through the doorframe and into the living room.
                Lois looked down at her pajamas and the fluffy, powder-blue bathrobe she was wearing. "I wasn't expecting company," she said through gritted teeth.
                Ellen shot a look at Clark and raised her eyebrows. "Clearly," she said, and Clark didn't miss the scorn in her voice.
                "Ellen," he said, as politely as possible. "Nice to see you again. You too, Lucy."
                "Hi, Clark," Lucy said, giving him a smile and a quick hug.
                "Look," Lois said, sniffling. "I'd love to chat but I'm really not feeling well. Could we catch up some other time?"
                Ellen sat in an armchair across from Lois. "Just like we 'caught up' about the fact that you got engaged? When were you going to tell me?"
                Lois sighed. "Mother, please, not now."
                "Don't give me that! You were able call Lucy and tell her that you're engaged, but not your own mother?"
                "Because Lucy doesn't hate Clark!" Lois exploded, before a fit of coughing overtook her.
                Clark winced and ducked into the kitchen. He dug around in the shopping bags and found one of the bottles of cough medicine. He took off the plastic wrapper, measured out a dose in the attached cup, and brought it to Lois. He knelt by her side.
                "Here," he said gently. "Drink this. It'll help."
                "Thanks," Lois choked out between coughs. She downed the medicine in one long swallow and shuddered at the sharp taste. "Cherry flavored. Yeah, right."
                "No problem," Clark said, giving her a smile and ignoring her complaint. "I got you some others. I'll put them in your medicine cabinet, okay?"
                Lois nodded. "Okay."
                Clark took the cup back from Lois, washed it in the kitchen sink, then took the bag of cold medicine down to the bathroom. He quickly put all of the bottles and bags of lozenges away. He resisted the urge to listen in on Lois and her mother, though the effort to do so was great.
                Returning to the kitchen, he unloaded the groceries, then set to work getting a pot of water on the stove to boil, cutting up the chicken and vegetables, and setting aside the pasta for the soup he was making. He cheated a little with the water, using his heat vision to bring it to a boil before it otherwise would have, carefully ensuring that Lois, Lucy, and Ellen were all deep in conversation and not paying him any particular attention.
                When he could feign busyness in the kitchen no longer, he went back into the living room, bringing Lois' tapes with him. He set them on the coffee table.
                "Got you a gift," he said.
                "Oh, wow!" Lois' eyes lit up. "Thanks! Didn't these just come out today?"
                "They did," he confirmed. "I thought you might like to watch them while you're stuck home."
                "Awww," Lucy cooed from her seat.
                "What were you up to in the kitchen?" Lois asked. She sniffled, but Clark guessed she couldn't smell anything at all.
                "Making you a sure-fire cure," he said, sitting next to her on the couch, drawing her to him. "Chicken noodle soup, just like Mom used to make. Well, okay, not exactly like hers. Mom used to put onions in. But I know you hate them, so...I don't think she'd mind the slight recipe modification." He shrugged a little and kissed the top of her head.
                "Careful, you don't want to get sick," Ellen said, eyeing Clark with an expression he couldn't quite read.
                "Mother," Lois warned, rolling her eyes.
                "It's okay, Ellen," Clark said, refusing to let Lois out of his embrace. "I've got a pretty strong immune system."
                "So..." Ellen said, dragging the word out as if searching for how to follow it up. "I hear you've asked Lois to marry you."
                Clark nodded. "Yes. I did."
                Ellen made some sort of unintelligible noise in her throat. Clark couldn't tell if it was of acceptance, anger, disbelief, or if she was just clearing her throat.
                "I know what I must seem like to you," Clark added, when no one spoke for several long seconds. "The guy with the terrible past. But it is the past. I'm not the drifting, homeless kid I once was. I've fought hard for my success, and, thanks to Lois, I've become a better person than I ever thought I could be. I love your daughter, Ellen. And I would do anything for her. You have to believe that."
                "You really think you're good for her?"
                Was Clark imagining it, or did Ellen sound curious and not accusatory?
                "Mom!" Lucy said sharply.
                But Clark only nodded. "I do. Look, Ellen, I know I'm not perfect. I still have a lot of areas where I can improve," he acknowledged. "But no one will ever love Lois the way I do. No one will ever try as hard as I will to be worthy of her. And I know that Lois is the only person in the world who could make me feel...as safe, secure, and loved...as she does."
                Ellen nodded and hummed to herself, but didn't speak. Clark snuck a glance at Lois, but she too looked to be at a loss as to what to say. Clark folded his hands in his lap trying to give himself something to do.
                "Well," Lucy finally said, breaking the oppressive silence, "I, for one, could not be happier. I've always wanted a big brother and now..." She spread her arms as if to embrace the room. "I'm getting the coolest brother-in-law ever."
                Lois and Clark couldn't stop the chuckles that bubbled up out of their throats. Clark grinned at Lucy.
                "Thanks...sis."
                Another silence fell, this one not quite as uncomfortable as the last, but still enough to make Clark squirm ever so slightly. When the phone rang, shattering the quiet, he breathed a discreet sigh of relief. Lois started to rise, but he beat her to it, gently touching her shoulder to still her movement.
                "I've got it," he said in a low voice, then kissed the top of her head.
                He crossed to the kitchen and picked up the phone as it rang once again. He was surprised to hear the voice of Long Legs Lulu, a prostitute who attracted mainly high-society clientele, and who also happened to be one of their snitches. He spoke to her for several long moments, nodding as he listened, and making mental notes.
                "Okay, sure. I'll be right there," he said after she gave him an address. "Bye."
                "Clark?" Lois called. "Who was that?"
                "Long Legs Lulu," he said, calling over from the kitchen while he checked on the bubbling soup on the stove. He stirred it a few times, happy with the progress so far.
                "Lulu? What did she want? We haven't heard from her in...what? Four months?"
                "Yeah," Clark confirmed. "She says she has some information for us regarding that missing money from the homeless shelters. She gave me an address to meet her at. She didn't want to say much over the phone."
                "Well, what are we waiting for?" Lois asked, just before a sneezed ripped through her. "Let's go!"
                "We are not going anywhere. I will go meet her. You are staying her where it is warm, so you can get better. Got it?"
                "But, Clark..."
                "No buts, Lois. I promise, you aren't going to miss a thing. And I'll be back before you know it. Lucy? In about twenty minutes, if I'm not back, could you take the bones out of the soup, add the vegetables, and start the pasta? Everything's right on the counter, waiting."
                "Sure, Clark."
                "Thanks." He gave the younger woman a grateful smile. "Anything you need while I'm out?" he asked, directing his question to Lois.
                "I think you covered it all with what you brought earlier." She sniffled a bit and blew her nose.
                "Okay then. I'll be back before you know it."
                Before she could argue further, Clark shrugged into his coat and left the apartment. As he walked down the stairs to the ground floor, he considered sneaking around to the back of the building and flying to the location Lulu had given him across town. He shook his head and dismissed the thought almost immediately though. As much as he wanted to get back to Lois and save her from her family as quickly as possible, there was simply no way he could justify showing up so swiftly. He would have to hail a cab and make his slow way across town like any ordinary commuter.
                He was relieved to find the front steps of the building devoid of Lois' neighbors. As much as he enjoyed exchanging a few words with them, he had no desire to do so now. He simply wanted to meet Lulu, get whatever information she had for him, and get back to Lois. He jogged down the steps to the ground and craned his head from left to right, searching for a cab, but none were to be seen. He was about to cross the street and make his way a few blocks over to a busier area where he might have better luck, when a cry for help reached his ears. He spun on his heel and ducked into the alleyway behind Lois' building. In seconds, he was in the suit and flying off in the direction the call had come from.
                He followed the pleas for help to a small park about half a mile from Lois' apartment. A young boy was up in a tree, a cat in his arms. Tears glistened on the boy's cheeks and he sniffled. As Clark came into view, the boy used one arm to roughly wipe the tears from his eyes.
                "Superman?"
                "That's me," Clark said with a grin. "What's the matter?"
                "I...I...I can't get down," the boy admitted. "I came up to rescue Tinker, and now I'm stuck."
                Clark gave him a reassuring smile. "Well, that's easy enough to fix. Come on, I'll get you out of this tree."
                "Tinker too?"
                "Tinker too," he affirmed.
                The boy awkwardly shuffled into Clark's arms, one arm still clutching the brown and white cat so he couldn't escape. Clark closed his arms around the boy and gently lifted him off his branch and floated them all down to the ground. The boy let out a sigh of relief to have his feet on the dying grass of the park once more.
                "Thanks, Superman."
                "No problem," Clark told him, giving Tinker a pat on the head. "Do you need me to take you home?"
                The boy shook his head, his shaggy black hair swishing with the movement. "I'm okay. I live just over there," he said, pointing at a red-brick apartment complex.
                Clark looked at the building. Every window was shut tight against the swiftly plummeting temperature. No wonder no one had heard the boy's cries and come to his aid. He nodded.
                "Alright. But you and Tinker take care, okay?"
                "Okay, Superman. And thanks."
                "You're welcome."
                The boy turned and, still holding his cat, left the park. Clark leaned against the trunk of the tree and watched as both boy and cat made their way to the sidewalk, checked for cars, then crossed to their home. Once the boy was safely inside, Clark took flight, leisurely heading to the place where Lulu wanted to meet with him.
                He landed lightly behind a large, unoccupied van near the front of the parking garage Lulu had told him about and spun back into his Clark clothes. Then, with a brisk pace, he headed deeper into the garage, his keen eyes searching every shadow for the woman. When he finally found her, he was in the very back of the garage, where several of the ceiling lights had blown out, allowing the shadows to breed, multiply, and engulf everything.
                With much hesitation and countless nervous glances in every direction, Lulu told Clark what she had seen. Clark nodded in the dark, hoping she could see the movement, and gently prodded her for as much information as she was both willing and able to give him. It did not take long for her to give Clark all of the limited information she had. Minutes later, Clark was retracing his steps back out of the garage, spinning into the suit, and taking to the sky again. He stopped two muggings on his way back to Lois, but still found that he'd made better time than if he'd traveled by subway or cab.
                "Clark!" Lois said, more than happy to see him when he knocked on her door again.
                "Hey, Lois," he said, kissing her brow. "Missed you."
                "Wow, that was fast," Lucy commented, coming in from the kitchen. "We were just about to eat, Clark."
                He nodded. "Great. And yeah, that didn't take as long as I thought it would. Superman gave me a lift." He wasn't sure why he was making a justification for his timeliness, but it somehow made him feel more comfortable. "Here, let me give you a hand with dinner, Lucy."
                Before Lois could quiz him on what Lulu had told him, Clark ducked into the kitchen. Lucy had already set the small table, from the look of things. Clark busied himself instead with ladling out the soup into bowls. As usual, he tended to Lois' needs first, filling her bowl with a large helping of the steaming soup, setting out some crackers to go with it, and pouring her a glass of cream soda, her favorite. Then he took care of Ellen and Lucy, leaving his own meal for last, sitting down only when he was sure no one needed anything.
                "This is really great," Lucy commented after a few mouthfuls. "Where'd you learn how to cook, Clark?"
                "From my mom," he answered truthfully. "She was an amazing cook. I wish I was half as good as she was in the kitchen."
                "Clark isn't giving himself enough credit," Lois said, her voice thick with congestion. She coughed harshly before continuing. "He's a great cook. You'll have to visit some time when he makes chicken francese.    I haven't had restaurant food that good."
                "She exaggerates," Clark said modestly, his checks warming a little with a blush. His eyes dropped to his soup and he swirled his spoon around in the broth.
                "And he's too modest," Lois argued back.
                Clark bit back a smile. Lois had to be feeling a little better, and a lot more relaxed with her mother and sister, if she was arguing with him. It warmed his heart to come to that realization.
                "So," Ellen said cautiously, nibbling at a cracker, "this engagement of yours..."
                "Yeah?" Lois asked.
                "Did you have any plans? For the wedding, I mean."
                "So....you approve then?" Lois asked, clearly surprised.
                Ellen sighed. "I don't really have a choice. You seem happy with him and, from what I've seen tonight, Clark does take care of you. You do, don't you?" She pointed her question at Clark.
                He swallowed down a sip of his own drink. "Absolutely, Ellen. As much as humanly possible."
                "Not even Superman could treat me better than Clark does," Lois added, giving Clark a conspiratorial smile, which he returned.
                Ellen raised a questioning eyebrow, but said nothing about their shared smiles. "Okay," she said with a nod. "I guess I owe you both a congratulations. And if there's anything I can do to help with the planning, let me know."
                "Thanks, Mom," Lois said with a genuine smile. "But we honestly haven't had a chance to really talk about it yet." She turned to Clark. "So, are you going to tell me what Lulu had to say?"
                Clark chuckled. "Sorry. Guess I got caught up with everything else. Anyway, you know Lulu's usual level of clientele."
                She nodded. "Of course. Mostly the rich and sometimes famous."
                "Mmmhmm," Clark agreed. "Well, last night she was...working. Her client brought her to the Lexor for their, ah, business meeting."
                "The Lexor? Fancy," Lois commented.
                He nodded. "He rented out the honeymoon suite for their time together. Before they could...do...anything, the guy got a phone call. Lulu said he took it in the bedroom. She was left in the living room for about twenty minutes. She was looking out the window when she said that the building directly across from them...well, the lights in one of the offices turned on. It was late, so it caught her attention as being kind of strange. She recognized the guy in the office across the way as Graham Pembroke."
                "The guy from Safe Haven shelters?"
                "One and the same," Clark confirmed. "She recognized him from one of our articles. Lulu said he met with another man, but he had a wide brimmed hat on that shadowed his face. Graham pulled out a duffel bag and extracted a sizable amount of cash from it."
                "Enough to be our missing funds?" Excitement had crept into Lois' voice, dueling with the tiredness her cold had brought.
                "Lulu thinks it is. After Graham left, the other man made a phone call, then circled a date on the wall calendar - the 18th."
                "Another meeting?"
                "It has to be."
                "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
                Clark grinned. "I'll talk to Perry about a stakeout, first thing in the morning."
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Broken