Different Worlds by Arcadia
A quarter mile from Julia's home in an unmarked van sat Lois Lane
and Cat Grant. The women arrived in Wakefield from Metropolis in the
early morning and used the time putting up cameras, arguing with
each other on where the cameras should go and almost breaking a few
limbs and killing each other in the process.
Lois sat with Cat in the back of the van sipping coffee, looking at
the view of the cameras around Julia's lake and her home. Normally
she would have orange juice but being up all night and dealing with
Cat, she needed some caffeine in her system. Alcohol would be better
but she needed her mind to be sharp.
"I gotta hand it to you, Cat. You're pretty good with the cameras.
The range is incredible. We didn't have to plant any of the cameras
near the house and we can see it perfectly."
Cat had a donut in one hand and a vanilla latte in the other. "What,
you thought I was all boobs?"
"The thought had crossed my mind," Lois quipped.
"Cameras like these got me some hot stories." Cat pointed to a
camera that had a good view of the lake. "I used that camera to bust
the governor with his mistress in that cheap hotel." She pointed to
once with a view of Julia's door. "I used that camera to catch the
singer, Titania sniffing coke at Club 112. I use this one-"
Lois put a hand up. "I get it."
"So, Lois, tell me how did you get a hold of this information?" Cat
questioned.
"A true reporter never reveals her source," Lois responded drinking
her coffee.
"Humph. I figured you would say that." Cat turned her attention to
the monitor. "As long as I get my story. Ooh! And here comes Mr.
Hotness himself."
Lois silently viewed Superman flying into view of one of the
cameras. *So, it's true. Clark Kent is Superman.* At the revelation,
a bevy of emotions went through Lois: triumph, sadness, anger,
confusion. But she couldn't dwell on it now as she had to focus on
the matter at hand. She would deal with her emotions later.
"Look, Superman has picnic basket," Cat commented. "Seems Superman
and Wonder Woman have a date."
"And he brought his dog?" Lois commented seeing Krypto landing with
Superman. "I didn't know he had one."
Cat looked surprised. "You, Lois Lane didn't know? That has to be a
first."
"Shut up."
But Cat wouldn't. "You're pretty determine to keep Superman for
yourself to go this far, Lois. So, how good is he in bed?"
"Superman and I haven't slept together," Lois commented with a trace
of bitterness in her voice.
"Seriously?" Cat laughed. "All the times he saved your life and you
haven't *thanked* him?" Cat laughed even louder. "You really need to
learn how to work it, Lois. If Superman saved my life as many times
he saved you, you better believe he would've had a taste of Cat
already and I'll know for sure if he's really a man of steel."
"He'll also be the first superhero to get tested for an STD," Lois
bitterly remarked.
Cat made a face at Lois and turned her attention back to the camera.
Superman landed in front of Julia's house with Krypto. He walked up
the steps and knocked on the door. A moment later Diana opened the
door. She wasn't wearing her normal Wonder Woman uniform. She wore a
yellow printed dress with matching sandals with laces that wrapped
her legs to her calves.
Diana embraced Clark, "Kal, it's so good to see you."
Clark returned the hug with one hand as his other held the picnic
basket. "And I brought a friend."
Diana looked down and saw Krypto. "Krypto!" Diana knelt and rubbed
the dog's white coat while he licked her face. "How are you, my
friend?"
"He's missed you," Clark commented. "With you being by yourself
here, I thought it was easier to bring him out."
"Too bad we can't get any audio," Cat mused as she viewed the pair
with Krypto. "Too many wires and range wasn't close enough."
"We're getting footage," Lois said. "That's enough."
"Speak for yourself," Cat said as she sipped her latte. "I want to
know what they're saying to each other."
Diana and Superman walked to the lake nearby where she helped Clark
set up the picnic he brought. Krypto ran around freely in the open
field, often taking to the sky. The dog was happy to be out of the
fortress and into fresh open space. Diana opened the picnic blanket
and placed it on the ground while Clark took the food out of the
basket and placed it on the blanket.
They sat together eating fried chicken, biscuits, potato salad and
macaroni and cheese Clark cooked and talking. Diana listened to
Clark's life at the Daily Planet, his co-workers, his parents,
things he was doing at the fortress and with the league. It was nice
to hear what was going on in his life for a change instead of
talking to Clark about hers. For a man with such amazing abilities
he lived a fairly normal and appealing life.
Once finished with their meal, Clark pulled out an apple pie he
brought. He reheated the pie with his heat vision and as he handed
Diana a slice of apple pie, he grinned at her. "You owe me,
princess."
Diana looked puzzled as she took her plate. "For wanting to see
you?"
Clark shook his head as he cut a slice for himself. "No. For almost
causing me to expose my identity during the Feast of Five. I came
this close to changing to Superman."
Diana took a bite into her pie. "When did you know it wasn't me?"
"During Menalippe opening rites, she spoke so dull and you didn't
react at all. When `you' stared back at me, your eyes were so cold.
I knew it wasn't you but I couldn't give away my hand yet." Clark
sighed. "I'm glad when I finally found you turning into a tree; I
was able to snap you out of it."
"Thank the Gods you were there. Who knows how it would've turned out
if you weren't?" Diana was half finished with her plate. "This food
is delicious, Kal. Did your mother make all this?"
"No, I did." He caught the surprise look on her face. "What? You
don't think I can cook?"
Diana shook her head. "Oh, no. I didn't know you cook so well. I
thought your mother did the cooking."
"When I was a kid," he quipped. "I'm a grown man living on my own
now." Clark smiled at her playfully. "Can you cook, Diana?"
"I…" Diana looked uncomfortable. "I can prepare a meal for myself."
"That wasn't the answer I was looking for, Diana. Have you cooked a
meal for Julia and Vanessa? Have you cooked a feast on Themyscira?"
Diana looked away shyly. "I'm not required to prepare a feast. I
know how to hunt and cook a meal over a fire."
Clark chuckled. "Diana, Princess of Themyscira, Wonder Woman can't
cook." He laughed again. "So, you're not perfect after all."
Diana frowned at him. "I never said I was."
"But many see you as perfect. So did I, but I found a flaw." He
chuckled. "You *can't* cook."
Diana looked annoyed. "I told you I can prepare a meal and it is not
as funny as you think."
Clark continued to laugh as he ate. "Oh, yes it is and what is a
meal to you, Diana? Making a sandwich, preparing a salad?" He
smirked at her. "Are you saying you can create the meal I prepared?"
Diana huffed. "I wasn't expected to do such things, Kal." Clark
laughed again. "Why is this funny?"
Clark grinned. "It's just is."
Diana shook her head. "You people of Patriarch's World find humor in
most unusual things."
"I bet you don't know how to drive a car," Clark teased.
"Why should I?" Diana asked. "I can fly."
"And if you couldn't?"
"Julia would take me where I need to go or I could catch a cab."
Clark sighed. Not the answer he was expecting. Diana didn't get it
and it seemed he would have to explain it to her. "Diana, you want
the world to accept you. You want to spread your message of peace,
but Diana as you walk among humans, dress like them, even live with
them, you still keep yourself apart from them."
Diana cocked her head puzzled. "What? How so?"
"You live with Julia and Vanessa but you don't do human things they
do. You don't go to school or work. You don't have bills to pay or
go through everyday human problems. I think part of the problem of
some people not accepting you is they feel you do not relate to
them. They here you speak of peace but to them it's easier said than
done and feel you don't understand how hard that is or how hard life
can be because you have not lived the life they have."
Diana listened to what Clark said. She suspected people may think of
her mission as unattainable because she could not relate to the
people but to actually here the words and from her friend was
disturbing.
"I may not live as human as you say but it does not mean I don't
empathize with them."
And Clark wholeheartedly believed Diana but he knew that wasn't
enough. "I know you do, Diana, but sometimes that might not be
enough."
Diana sighed. "Hellene said something similar. She said I could
never understand her and our Sisters difficulties with opening our
world to yours, how I can never understand Amazon history as I have
not lived through those times."
"I would never suggest you go through the difficulties of your
Sisters or the horrors human experience to understand them," Clark
said. "Sometimes empathizing is all you can do but there are other
ways to reach humanity."
"Like what?" she asked.
"For starters, stop holding your world different from ours," Clark
advised. "When you talk of this world, you often say, `your world'
instead of my or ours. We're all on the same planet, Diana.
Patriarch's world is *your* world, too. For years now you've only
lived in a small part of it on your island, but now that you left,
see that this is your world you want to change. Don't think of it as
trying to change a world different from yours. Think of it as
helping a neighbor just as if you would help your Sisters."
Diana nodded welcoming the advice. "Thank you. I'll try but I have
to admit there are so many things that are different from my wor-"
she caught herself. "My home that it makes it more reason to say our
worlds are different."
"I know," Clark agreed. "I was the same way when I came to
Metropolis from Smallville. It was completely different: the noise,
the people, the culture but I adjust and maybe I'm rushing you since
you haven't lived here as long as I."
True, but Diana was up for the challenge. "If you can do it, then so
can I," Diana said confidently. It was nice being with Clark, Diana
realized. He understood her, helped guide her. She felt comfortable
being with him, even more so than her Sisters sometimes and Diana
found that as strange. How could she be more at ease being with
Clark whom she has known for a little over a year than her Sisters
which she has known for several years?
There was something else Diana wanted to do with Clark she didn't
want to do with her Sisters and with Julia and Vanessa gone now seem
like the perfect time to do so, but she didn't want to rush it, she
wanted to work herself up to it.
Subtlety, Diana moved closer to Clark. "So, what other suggestions
do you have with me fitting in with the world?"
Krypto had returned and wanted to play. Clark picked up a Frisbee he
had in the basket and tossed it in the air. Krypto flew after it.
Without looking at her, he said, "Just do things regular people do.
One day don't use your powers. Maybe get a disguise and walk among
the people, observe them. You know the saying, `Walk a mile in my
shoes….' There's no better way to understand humans and find other
ways of spreading peace than to walk among them in disguise."
"Are you saying I should live a double life like you?" Diana asked.
Krypto returned. "Good boy." He took the Frisbee and tossed it again
and Krypto disappeared in the sky once more. "No, but you could have
a disguise and walk among the people once in a while to see what
it's like."
"That sounds like an idea I would like to try." Diana moved a little
more until she was almost touching Clark. "And with Julia and
Vanessa not here, I could do this without interruption."
"I'll help you with your disguise," Clark said and as he turned to
face Diana he found himself up close with Diana, staring into her
eyes. The stare she was giving him made him a bit flustered. "Um,
are we still talking about you fitting in with society?"
"A little," Diana said. "Kal?"
Her voice was a little heavier, husky. It was enough to send Clark's
blood going south. "Yes?"
"Does having a relationship with humans or even an alien who's
lived among them bring me closer to them?" Diana asked, her eyes
search his and Clark could see a fire building. This was the moment,
Clark realized and he was using all the will in him not to pounce
her. The last thing he needed was to scare her off.
"Th-that is a human thing to do," Clark said his voice heavier, his
control waning.
"Remember our meeting at the Balkans?" Diana asked. She moved closer
to him but wasn't touching him. "You kissed me and after the end of
our date, we said goodbye but you didn't kiss me? Why?"
Having her so close to him and not being able to touch her was
excruciating. He wanted to touch her badly but he wanted Diana to
make the final move.
"Well, I was too forward. I didn't want to make the same mistake
again."
"It wouldn't be a mistake if you kiss me again," Diana told
him. "You could've when we returned from Themyscira."
"Vanessa interrupted us."
Diana gazed into his eyes, her desire obvious. "Nessie's not here,"
Diana whispered. Diana moved in to kiss Clark but pulled back as if
teasing him. "I'd like to kiss you again."
That was all the invitation Clark needed. Diana felt Clark's mouth
cover hers. Just as their first kiss, she didn't kiss back. She
allowed it to happen, allowing the kiss to affect her. Her mind was
spinning at the whirl of emotions spreading through her, the scent
of Clark teasing her, the taste of him tempting her. He pulled back
slowly, much too soon for Diana. He looked at her, seeing the okay
in her eyes and kissed her again. This time, Diana kissed back
slowly, trying to send back the heat and passion Clark was giving
her. Again, he pulled back too soon. Diana wondered if Clark was
teasing her with these short kisses.
"Don't tease me," Diana whispered impatient.
Clark smirked. "No teasing," Clark said giving her a kiss and
pulling back. "Only a little payback."
When Clark kissed her again, Diana wasn't going to let Clark pull
away until she was ready. Diana put her arms around his neck kissing
him with more fervor. Clark pulled Diana closer, pressing her
against him. While his hands moved up and down her back, Diana's
hands traveled through Clark's thick hair while the other massage up
and down his strong back.
"Now that is the money shot," Cat was grinning from ear to ear. "Who
needs audio when you have that? Look at them. They're like a bunch
of horny teenagers."
Lois was silent. Watching Superman and Wonder Woman in each other's
arms kissing, Lois felt her heart break. They were happy together
and it would be best to let Superman and Wonder Woman be but Lois
wouldn't admit defeat.
