More Than Just A Four Letter Word

Authors Note: Hello everybody, welcome back. I GOT MY LAPTOP FIXED! I'm happy that you guys are still sticking with me, but like I said in the last chapter this story will be coming to an end pretty soon, but I will be back (as long as you guys want).

janahjean: Yeah, you inspired me to do the honeymoon suite scene. *face palm* You're right, they should rest, I completely forgot about it, I'll mention it in this chapter.

scimas: Oh, haha, I'm sorry you don't like my story, but hey, all reviews are good reviews.

BigRed67: Haha yeah, we'll get deeper into how they got their room once they get back home and OOOOOHHHH! You have kids, that's so cool lol tell them I said hello.

PS: If you guys do follow me on any social medias let me know lol I would love to talk to you guys.

Disclaimer: Not mine

Chapter 8: Conference

Lois Lane was serene.

Last night, after they put half of their things away, Lois got hungry so Clark decided to order rooms service but before the food came to their room Lois fell asleep. She's surprised she hadn't passed out sooner.

She slept for a few hours before her stomach won the battle, surprisingly though, when she woke, she found herself on the couch, wrapped in a sleeping Clarks arms.

So now as she looks at a sleeping Clarks face, she remembers the reason she fell in love with the man in the first place, under the armor he wears all the time, is a big fish in a small pond just trying to find his way in this crazy world.

But her private piece of heaven was ruined when her thoughts clouded her mind and she reminded herself if she keeps running before learning how to walk, she'll fall and end up hurt… again. So she forced Clarks hand off her waist and walked towards the mini-kitchen to prepare some food.

She was happy she and Clark are getting back on track, but she's smart enough to know when to not move too quickly.

She slammed the microwave door closed, and Clark jumped up from his sleep. She turned around and started the coffee pot while Clark rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "Morning Lois," he stands up and stretches his arms. Lois is still trying to clear her mind of waking up with Clark, so she doesn't answer with words, she just lifts her eyebrows in acknowledgment.

He doesn't seem to notice her stand off-ish vibe. He lets her know he's going to hop in the shower so they can start their day. The press conference doesn't start till 12 o clock. She averts her eyes to the digital clock on the nightstand and sees it's only 9am.

Forgetting all about her appetite, Lois decided to go for a jog at the park across the street, that way she can clear her head and focus on the task of the day.

"I'm gonna go for a run!" she yells to the bathroom, not waiting for a reply.

About a 30 minutes later Lois comes back to their hotel room to find Clark on the couch watching a rerun of the movie Titanic. He doesn't seem to be paying attention to, more like staring into space. He also doesn't seem to notice Lois walking in either. She cleared her head on her run and realized she was thinking too deep into the situation. They will be sharing the same space for the week and maybe the jetlag caused them both not to make it to the bed. The morning cuddling was just a lack of space thing. Duh, that had to be it.

She walks behind the couch and crouches down so she's level with his ear. "Spoiler, the boat sinks." She gets back up and heads to the kitchen, she sure worked up a bigger appetite after the run.

Clark gets up from the couch and turns off the TV. "How was your run?" he heads towards the kitchen as well and grabs 2 water bottles. He tossed one at Lois – which she caught without looking – and took a swing of his.

"It was good," she answered "very much needed."

They both stood there nodding for a few seconds before the microwave went off, letting Lois know her re-reheated food is ready. "Well I'm going to eat and then we need to get ready to go to the conference."

"Ok, how long is it?" asks Clark, already heading to the room.

"From 12 to 3"

"Ok, well it's 10:07 right now so we have plenty of time."

"Yeah but we gotta be there 45 minutes early." She smiles and he just rolls his eyes playfully and walks into the room.

Later, as they are making their way inside, Lois is surprised to see the conference held at a Theater. She feels like she is just waiting for the opera singer to come out at any minute. Although it does have a giant cross at the top.

"I wonder why they held it here." She tells Clark. It wasn't a whisper but not loud enough for everyone to listen in.

"Not even to be funny but I don't think Horace has that many safer buildings. This is also the local church, so it doesn't get that much trouble," Clark explains.

Lois thought it was beautiful in all the crazy in this city that children and family had a place to feel safe together. She was about to voice her opinion until a lady announces they are about to start.

There's a bit of shuffle as some reporters take out their recorders. Some more people take the stage and stand towards the sidelines, waiting for the main speech to be over, Lois guesses it is the families of some of the victims. One woman in particular stands out to her, it's a woman in about her late 30s early 40s, she's crying silent tears and is holding a picture in her hands. Lois can't help but feel for her, it must be terrifying not to know where you'll see your loved ones again.

"Hello everyone and welcome to the Horace Abduction Press Conference. We've come here today to discuss our stratagem to get our hostages back. We've luckily had two people come forward: Curtis Damon, and Emmylou Greta. They've confessed that they took part in this heinous crime and gave us a location that we cannot disclose until further notice of a rescue. Just to go over a few important details that we know and are able to share, there are a total of 19 people missing in action and we have evidence to confirm that the local gang Intense Quota is behind this. Recently we received a video message. The face was blurred but the message clear, they threated to start killing off detainees the police need to find a way to get in there without suspicion."

Lois felt as though the newsmaker was speaking to her, she wasn't sure how but Lois' goal was to find her way into the kidnap club.

To her left Clark rolled his eyes, he knew Lois felt a connection with the lady's last comment and he hoped Lois wouldn't get into trouble while they visited California but deep in his heart he knew, especially with their specific story, that either Lois Lane would find trouble or trouble would find Lois Lane.

"We have a few families her that would like to say a few words, not all the families wanted to attend so bear with us but we were able to get 5 brave relatives of the hostages."

The first woman that walks up is holding a sleeping baby, she looks to about ready to break down. She tells the story about how her husband was working a late shift at the factory. He was calling her, telling her he was on his way home when she could hear him getting ambushed, them the line went dead. That was last week, it's been hard for her since, she has a total of 4 kids and they keep asking where their father is and she's scared he may not be coming home.

After her a man comes onto the stage, he lost his daughter and her boyfriend. Her daughter was going off to college but she wanted to move across state so she could go to the college her boyfriend is going to. Her father told her it was a bad idea because they've only been dating for a month and they may not last together. They argued before heading to bed, she must've snuck out because later the next day the police came knocking at his door letting him know the terrible news.

While listening to the next 2 families come up and tell how they lost their loved ones Lois could see Clark clench his fist and transferring her pen behind her ears and her notepad and recorder in one hand, she grabs hold of his wrist until he unclenches his hands. She slides her hand into his to let him know she is just as angry about these disappearances. She's incredibly thankful for the career path she chose, Lois was never one to stand on the sidelines of justice but she doesn't have powers like the blur, but she does have her incredible writing skills.

Finally, the lady Lois had first noticed walked up to the wooden podium. She wasn't sobbing anymore but small crying. The woman looked down at the picture she was holding, closed her eyes and took a deep breath before speaking, "Hello, my name is Kendra Otto. First I want to apologize to all the families, even the ones that couldn't be here, I know this must be a terrible time and I hope you can get reunited with your loved ones as soon as possible." She takes another deep breath, trying to suppress her tears, "I don't know what these hooligans want with our loved ones but I do know we will not sit quietly while they continue to harass us.

"I would tell you all the tragedy of my life, like how my husband is cheating on me or how my 17 year old son is dealing with the wrong people or how my 12 year old daughter is dating a boy much too old for her. No, I'll spare the news my sob story, I know my life is crazy, and I wish for things to change every day, but one thing I would never wish is for them not to be in life again. They were the first victims of this, and it's been a terrible 2 months without them. I search for answers every day just to come up to the same dead ends. Somedays I want to beat the answers out of people, others days… other days I just want to cry my worries away and never leave the bed." She turns the picture around for the audience to see, "I know my family is dysfunctional… but I wouldn't have them any other way. All I ask to the people doing this, stop, please, just let them go. Thank you."

The newsmaker, whose name is Susie, lets the reporters know the last 30 minutes are allowed for questions. That goes by pretty smoothly with Lois asking enough questions and Clark even getting in a few himself. If they can get enough information, they will be done righting this story before the week is over.

After the conference Lois and Clark decide to stop for lunch at Wylie's Diner. While waiting for their food, Lois starts a conversation, "So what do you think we should do now?"

Clark, who had been sipping his drink, looked up at Lois and thought here we go. "Lois are you sure you don't wanna just sit this one out, I mean the police already had 2 people come up and confess. It looks like they're really getting somewhere."

"And I'm proud of them for that but how long are going to have to wait for families to be reunited?" Clark can see it in Lois' eyes that she was passionate and determined so he decided the best way to go along with her plans and make sure she stays safe. "Ok I'll help you, but we have to have communication at all times."

Lois was contemplative at first, sometimes Clark can be too overprotective and foil her plans but if it would get him off her back, then she has to make sacrifices to make ends meet. "Fine, but you have to stay opened minded." She's about to pull out the plans of her idea when the waiters comes back with their food. When she leaves Lois tells Clark a diner might not be the safest place to discuss their plans.

Half way through their meals Clark gets this distant look that doesn't go unnoticed by Lois. She sees him about to get up but notice that she's still there. Before she gets the chance to ask him what's the matter he speaks first, "I… I think I left my pen at the conference… I'll be right back."

He leaves to quickly before she gets the chance to respond. Lois is used to Clark's disappearances and his excuses but this was just pathetic, how important can a 50 cents pen be.

She sits and waits for him for about an hour and a half before throwing the money on the table and storming off. If he had better things to do, he could've just said so. She makes the 30 minute walks back to the hotel and storms into their room. Unsurprisingly Clark isn't there.

1 hour turns into 5 and by this time Lois' anger disappears and worry takes over. She has already called him over 50 ties but never did he answer. Lois thinks about going out to look for him but she sees it's getting dark outside. Maybe he forgot how to get here and his phone died, don't get paranoid Lois, he'll be here any minute.

Even more time passes and Clark still isn't back yet. A few times Lois wanted to turn to a bottle and ease her nerves but she knew drinking herself to a stupor wouldn't be effective. She tried his phone a few more times but still no answer.

Lois looks out the window again and sees it has gotten even darker out, but she can't just sit around and worry herself to death. For all she knows he could have gotten kidnapped. She's hopes beyond hope that it isn't true.

She retraces their steps through the day, going to the theater—twice—, the restaurant and even the park, but everyone she asks say they haven't seen him. She asks herself how could a 6'5 farmboy not stand out but knows that wouldn't help herself.

After hours of searching for him, Lois stops on an empty street and puts her head in her hands. "I just don't understand, where could he possibly be."

She doesn't feel like he was kidnapped, I mean Smallville maybe a simple farmboy, but he isn't light or manipulative, he could've easily fought them off.

She stands there for a few more minutes, thinking, before hearing someone talk, "Hey toots, how can I make it better."

She lifts her head out of her hands and looks up at her visitor, the man is about 6'2 and has tattoos all over his arms and face. She ignores his and he walks closer to her, when he gets too close for comfort, she takes few steps back and acknowledges him, "Look man, I don't know who you are but I'm not in the mood to kick your ass today so just back off."

Lois starts to walk off until he grabs her arm, she whips around and punches him in the face. She hits him hard enough to trickle blood. He spits it out and glares at her. "You have no idea who you're messing with b*tch."

Before Lois has the time to try and make an escape, he grabs at her again, this time causing pain. Before she gets the chance to scream out, he throws her to the ground. Lois tries to get up but he kicks her in the side.

One last thing she sees is a van pull up and feels herself being carried into it. I'm sorry Clark, I got myself into trouble… again.

Then her world goes black.

Wow, haha I don't even know what to say.

Well let me know how you guys like it.

Arrianna Out!