EPILOGUE

Lex

Lex's three-day memory loss was attributed by his doctors to un unidentifiable drug, which he assumed had been slipped into his food or drink by someone on his personal staff. He had them all replaced and underwent several different very aggressive regression therapies to try and regain those three days, but met with no success.

In taking inventory of all of his father's assets after his demise, Lex discovered an unmarked case full of biological specimens, six of which were documented as embryos. There was little paperwork to accompany them, but analysis revealed that they were not of human origin.

Investigation of his father's death revealed that Lionel Luthor was not in fact in the MedEvac helicopter when it exploded, so he was labeled as a fugitive from justice. Exhaustive searches for his whereabouts proved fruitless.

The Kents

Jonathan and Martha did their best to return to life as usual, or as usual as life on the Kent farm could ever be. Jonathan took on the unpleasant task of disposing of Lionel's body, the details of which he never divulged except to say that he would never be found. He and Martha, along with Clark, attended Marin's funeral in Metropolis, which was arranged by Dr. Crosby, who also signed off on the cause of death being a gunshot wound to the abdomen. No autopsy was performed, and no suspect was ever sought in connection with the shooting.

Clark was deeply affected by Marin's death and his belief that he'd never have the chance to be a father. He never got the chance to find out what might have become of him and Marin, but he took their last conversation to heart and decided to trust that she knew what she was talking about when she said she saw something between him and Lois. Over time he began to realize she was right, and he worked toward the day when he could see Lois again, though he knew she wouldn't recognize him.

Chloe and Lois

Chloe, though deeply conflicted, convinced Lois and her doctors that her amnesia must have something to do with the contusion on the back of her head, though Lois of course could not remember how she got it. Though unsettled by losing three months of her memory, Lois persevered through her years at Met U, thanking God for spellcheck every step of the way.

Chloe followed in Lois' academic footsteps, but with considerably better spelling, and went on to work for the Inquisitor. The Planet had been her dream, but the Inquisitor allowed her to fill a duel role: rag reporter and Superman spinner. As years passed Clark found it necessary to have someone behind the scenes who could cover his tracks now and then, and Chloe was exceptionally good at that. She was also his conduit to Lois (which she didn't mind, having long since resolved her feelings for Clark and settled into a solid relationship with a colleague at the Inquisitor - one who had never been exposed to kryptonite, so was in no way a meteor freak), keeping him informed until the day he showed up for work at The Daily Planet.

Epilogue II: Lois and Clark

Adapted from a scene from Superman: The Movie

"Okay, this is it Mac - the Daily Planet," the cab driver announced as he slowed to a stop in front of the Metropolis paper's headquarters.

Clark swallowed past the nervous lump in his throat as he climbed out of the backseat and absently overpaid the driver. Yep… this is it. He drew in a deep breath of the city air and gave the building a lingering once-over before he stepped through the door. Before his nerves had a chance to catch up, he found he'd been ushered in to the office of the paper's editor, Perry White, where he was perched on a chair listening to what was surely an oft-spouted monologue for new employees about good journalism.

"A good reporter doesn't get great stories, a good reporter makes them great," Mr. White was saying as a familiar brunette barged through the door behind him with a camera-toting youth in tow.

"Chief, here's that story on the East side murder case. The way I see it it's a banner headline, front page, maybe my picture right there…" the brunette rattled with no regard for what her editor may have been doing before she'd interrupted.

Clark's heart turned a somersault in his chest. He knew she'd be there, but seeing her like that, so abruptly and without warning… As if it could be any other way. He smiled nervously, and was thankful that it went unnoticed.

"There's only one 'p' in rapist," Mr. White said in response to the reporter. "Lois Lane, say hello to Clark Kent."

"Hello Miss Lane, how are - " Clark stood and held out a hand in greeting, but Lois breezed by as if he were a coat rack.

"Remember my dynamite expose…" she continued, following Mr. White to his desk as he struggled to open a bottle of Perrier.

Clark stood awkwardly for a moment and pushed his glasses up onto the bridge of his nose.

The bow-tie wearing young man who'd followed Lois into the office stepped up to greet Clark instead. "How ya doin,' Jimmy Olsen, photographer."

"Oh hi, Clark Kent, nice to meet you." Clark replied with a steady handshake, though it was only a moment before he looked over his shoulder again at Lois.

"…It's got everything, it's got sex, it's got violence, it's got the ethnic angle…" Lois was still rambling on, persistent as ever.

"Yeah, so does a lady wrestler with a foreign accent. Kent, can you open this?" Mr. White asked, holding the still unopened bottle of Perrier out to Clark.

"Oh, sure Mr. White." He took the bottle and made quite a show of having trouble turning the cap.

"This could be the basis for a whole series of articles. 'Making Sense of Senseless Killings,' by Lois Lane." Lois somewhat distractedly grabbed the bottle from Clark and tapped the top on the edge of the desk to break the seal, then handed it back to Clark, all without looking at him or pausing her diatribe. "I mean, we get psychologists and -"

"Lois, Lois, you're pushing a bunch of rinky-dink tabloid garbage. The Daily Planet has a reputation - "

Clark had finally managed to get the bottle open, only to have it spray all over him. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

"Oh, gosh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to shake it up like that!" Lois cried, finally shifting her focus off of her article long enough to notice that there actually was another person in the room.

"Of course not Lois, why would anyone want to make a total stranger look like a fool." Clark tried to smile winningly after his quip, having momentarily forgotten that they had no precedence for banter, as far as she was concerned.

She looked back at him blankly and smiled wanly.

"I'll take that," Mr. White interjected, holding out his hand for the bottle.

"I'm sorry Mr. White." Clark apologized as he handed the bottle over and tried to wipe off his hands.

"Olsen!" Mr. White shouted suddenly. "Why am I paying you when I should have you arrested for loitering? Go get Mr. - "

"Kent."

"…a towel. Move kid, move!"

"Right Chief!"

"And make mine black and no sugar," Mr. White switched gears to a coffee order as Lois continued to read her article out loud to herself.

"Right Chief!"

"And don't call me sugar!"

"Right Chief," Jimmy called over his shoulder as he exited and passed on the order to someone else, adding a cup of tea with lemon for himself.

Mr. White moved to usher Lois and Clark out the door. "Uh, Lois, why don't you take Kent out to meet everybody, huh? Just introduce him around, he's starting at the paper today. I'm giving him the city beat."

Lois hadn't really been listening, so at first the chief's comments didn't quite register. "Chief, that's my beat!" she exclaimed when the realization hit her, then turned on her heel and charged back into the office.

"Lois," Mr. White replied in exasperation. "Clark Kent may seem like just a mild-mannered reporter, but listen - not only does he know how to treat his editor-in-chief with the proper respect, not only does he have a snappy, punchy prose style, but he is - in my forty years in this business - the fastest typist I've ever seen!" He again pushed her out the door.

"Excuse me - " Clark tried to interject.

"Here, you forgot my article." Lois interrupted, charging back into the office once more.

Clark timidly stood in the open doorway as Lois exited. "Oh, um, excuse me Mr. White, I was wondering if, um, you could arrange for half my salary to be sent to this address on a weekly basis."

"Your bookie, right?" Lois interposed.

"My what?"

Lois grinned at Mr. White. "Don't tell me, he sends a check every week to his sweet gray-haired old mother."

"Actually she's a red-head," Clark corrected with a shrug.

Lois looked taken aback. Mr. White wordlessly took the address and retreated back into his office, closing the door behind him.

"Well," Clark offered as a segue, standing awkwardly in front of Lois. At least this time I'm not naked.

"Any more at home like you?" Lois asked coyly.

"Ah, not really, no." Clark shook his head his head.

"Didn't think so." Lois muttered as she turned around. "Well, get yourself a desk over here…"

Clark had a little trouble focusing on her words as he followed behind her, but was brought back to reality by the startled look she gave him when he got a little too close as he passed behind her to get to his desk. He sheepishly took his seat and began to arrange his belongings on the desktop, furtively sneaking glances at his new colleague, seated across from him. His heart thumped and his head was swimming, but he couldn't suppress his hopeful smile.

Yep, he thought as he glanced once again at Lois and tucked his press pass into his pocket. This is it.