This story has been on my hard drive unfinished for ages, and when I was doing some hard drive "housekeeping", I stumbled across it and read through what I had. From that moment on, it wouldn't let me sleep at night or work on anything else until I gave it the attention it demanded. So, unable to resist it calling to me any longer, I finally sat down and gave it my full attention. (I even found myself calling my three-year-old son 'Clark' on more than one occasion, which should tell you how focused I was on writing this. If I'm not careful, I'm going to give him a complex! ) I need to send out a *huge* thank you to my good friend Kathy Brown, for spending many late nights on IRC brainstorming this story with me. I couldn't have done this without her, especially since we seem to share a brain. Without her ideas, enthusiasm and support, I would've been completely lost. Thanks, Kathy! :) Just to let everyone know, chronologically this story takes place and branches off from the original LNC storyline somewhere near the end of second season, sometime after WWW but before ATAI. It has both WHAMs and WAFFs, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Comments, criticisms and/or sarcastic remarks are always welcome. What It Means to Love You by Erin Klingler Rated PG Submitted January 1999 "Lois!" Perry bellowed from his office. "Where's that story you and Clark have been working on?" Lois leaned back in her desk chair so she could see Perry from where she was sitting. "On its way, Chief! I just sent it to you." Perry grumbled something about getting stories at the last possible minute before deadline, and Lois couldn't help but smile. She was used to Perry's "nothing is ever good enough" attitude. But even though he grumbled and complained about things during the day, Lois knew that inwardly he loved the challenge of putting together a world-class newspaper, deadlines and all. With a relieved sigh, Lois leaned forward and turned off her monitor. Now that the story had been delivered to Perry, she could finally call it a day. She and Clark had been at the Planet since very early that morning trying to wrap up their latest story on the crime ring that had infiltrated Metropolis about six months ago. But thanks to some good old-fashioned hard work, they'd been able to track down some leads, had gotten information from their sources, and were finally able to uncover the inner workings of the crime ring. Several indictments had already been made, and there were surely more to come. The story was definitely page one material. Perry was going to be pleased. Lois leaned over in her chair and was reaching for her purse in the bottom desk drawer when a voice behind her made her jump. "All done?" Lois turned quickly in her chair and saw that Clark was smiling down at her. Unable to resist the charming smile that reached all the way into his chocolate-brown eyes, she smiled back. "Yes, but no thanks to you," she accused teasingly. "Where've you been?" Clark's smile faded for an instant. "I, uh, I had a...source...to talk to," he explained, fiddling with his glasses. "I tried to hurry back to help you finish up, but I see I'm a bit late for that." "Yup, you are." Lois finished retrieving her purse from the drawer and then gave Clark a sidelong glance. "If I didn't know you better," she went on, trying to sound serious. "I'd think you purposely ditched me so you wouldn't have to do the work." Clark's eyes grew wide. "Lois, you know I'd never--" Lois laughed and stood up next to him, their bodies inches apart. "Clark, I'm just kidding," she assured him with a mischievous smile. She placed her hand lightly on his chest, tracing a slow, torturous path up to the knot of his tie. She glanced up into his face, noting the muscle tensing in his jaw and the aroused look in his eyes. Thoroughly enjoying the reaction she'd gotten from teasing him, she giggled, breaking the tension she'd just created. She tugged at the knot of his tie. "Clark, you always take me too seriously. You really need to loosen up." The muscles in his face visually relaxed and he grinned at her. To prove she wasn't mad, Lois stood on tiptoe and kissed him invitingly. He moaned softly, both surprised and thrilled by her public show of affection. He slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him, returning her kiss hungrily. "Hey, hey, hey! Enough of that!" A deep, throaty voice echoed in their ears, causing them to pull apart. They turned to see Perry coming toward them, several papers clenched in his hand. "Oh, uh, hey Chief," Clark stuttered, stepping back slightly from Lois, but keeping a possessive arm around her slender waist. "I was just, uh...." "Thanking Lois for finishing up the story by herself?" Perry said gravely, causing Clark to squirm guiltily under his scrutiny. Perry cast a quick glance at Lois, and she saw the twinkle in his eyes that meant he was only teasing. She smiled to herself. Clark never *had* been able to tell when Perry was serious or when he was joking. "Lois, you did a first rate job with this story," he told her gruffly, but the pride in his voice was clearly evident. He gave her a quick smile, then gestured with his head in Clark's direction. "Even if you *didn't* have the help of your partner, here." "Chief," Clark began, shifting his feet anxiously. "I'm sorry, I--" Perry guffawed and held his hands up to stop Clark. "Just funnin' with you, son. I'm sure there's a perfectly good excuse why you had to spend the afternoon doing...." He paused thoughtfully. "Say, what exactly *was* it you were doing, Clark?" Clark looked from Perry to Lois and then back again, surprised to see that they were both staring at him, waiting for his explanation. He hated these awkward moments. "Uh, there was a source I had to meet with, to discuss something I've been looking into...." As Clark continued to try to explain in what was obviously the vaguest way possible, Lois couldn't help smiling to herself. She always got a strange kick out of watching Clark stutter and stumble over his words whenever somebody asked him where he'd been. For as long as she'd known Clark, he'd been like this. And the better she'd gotten to know him, the more predictable it was. As soon as somebody asked him where he'd gone, Clark would immediately start fidgeting with his tie or glasses, and then shoot off some explanation. And those excuses he came up with! Some of them were positively off the wall. His strange excuses were almost as predictable as his obvious anxiety when explaining himself. She'd come to accept his strange behavior as just one of his odd little idiosyncrasies, but that still didn't erase her curiosity. Why *did* he act that way? It was almost as if he was nervous. Or had something to hide. But what was the big deal? It wasn't like he wasn't allowed to leave the Planet to run errands or anything. Why did he always act like a little kid who'd just been caught stealing cookies out of a cookie jar? So his strange behavior never made any sense to her since he'd always been a very straightforward kind of guy. That straightforwardness was probably the thing she liked the most about Clark. As Maisie had said about Clark that afternoon when they were in Smallville, 'What you see is what you get'. And it was true. Clark was a genuinely nice person, who was careful about the feelings of those around him, and stuck by his old-world values. So his constant "disappearing act" and the uncomfortable explanations afterward seemed strangely out of character for him. If he really was what he seemed, what could he possibly have to hide? But, even though it continued to baffle Lois, she really didn't see that it was worth attacking. She loved him, and something seemingly so insignificant was just as easily overlooked. "Well, it sounds like you've both had a long day," Perry responded when Clark finished "explaining". He didn't really looked convinced that Clark was telling him the truth about where he'd been, but he seemed willing to let it drop. "Good work on this story, you two. Now get. You definitely deserve the night off." "Thanks, Chief," Lois smiled, threading her arm through Clark's and steering him toward the elevators before Perry could change his mind. "See you in the morning." When Lois and Clark were alone in the elevator, Lois let out a long, tired sigh. "Man, it's been a long day." "I'm sorry I made you do so much without me," Clark apologized sincerely. He moved back a half step so he could put his hands on her shoulders and massage them gently. "I really didn't plan on being gone that long." Lois leaned back into Clark's hands. "I know. It's okay, really." She turned to smile at Clark over her shoulder. "But you owe me one." "Oh, yeah?" "Yeah." Clark stilled his hands on her shoulders and turned her around to face him. Lois could tell by his thoughtful expression that he was already thinking about how to repay her. After a moment of deliberation, he slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, his eyes meeting hers as he spoke. "How about we stop by the grocery store on the way to my apartment," he pulled her closer, moving his mouth so that it was only inches from hers. "I can pick up some things to make us an amazingly wonderful dinner." He touched his lips lightly to hers. "Then we'll go to my place, put on some soft music," his lips lingered on hers a bit longer, "and we can have a nice, quiet, romantic candlelight dinner." He finished with a deep, intoxicating kiss that made Lois tingle clear down to her toes. "Mmmm," Lois mumbled dreamily when they finally pulled apart. "You really know how to talk a girl into something." He laughed, giving her one last quick kiss as the elevator door opened. She felt heady and happy as Clark guided her out of the elevator, his arm still wrapped securely around her waist. The drive to the grocery store and then to Clark's apartment was fun, with lots of kidding around and light-heartedness. Then when they'd reached his apartment, Clark had insisted that Lois sit back and relax while he cooked. As she watched him make dinner, she found herself reflecting on how much her life had changed since Clark had come into her life. He was the sweetest, kindest, most thoughtful person she'd ever known, and every minute she spent with him made her love him even more. He was always going out of his way to do something nice for her. Like just the other morning, he'd surprised her by picking her up some bagels and coffee since he'd known she had to be at the Planet early and couldn't meet him for breakfast. She loved that he was always thinking about her, about what she might need or how she was feeling. He was always there for her, and that sense of warmth and security she got whenever they were together made her feel like she was right where she was supposed to be. Being with a man like Clark was a gift she'd never thought she'd have. She'd almost convinced herself over the years that finding that 'special man' was something that would never happen to her, that something as fairy tale as finding the man of her dreams and falling head over heels in love was only something that happened to other people, or to fictional characters in the movies. But then Clark had come into her life. It hadn't taken her long before she found herself trusting him, then being best friends with him, and finally, falling head over heels in love with him. He'd turned out to be her proverbial knight in shining armor. 'Not that he's perfect,' she amended silently. 'He has his faults like any other person does.' But when she tried to make a mental list of them, her mind drew a blank. But when she started making a list of his qualities, the list seemed to go on and on. The first thing anyone noticed about him was his boy-next-door, handsome good looks. And his build...she sighed, a smile crossing her face. Well, that was another story. But after you put his physical attributes aside and looked deeper, there were things about him that were even more attractive than his outward appearance. It was inner strengths that made her keep falling in love with him all over again. He was kind and gentle, and, most impressive of all, he had an almost overabundance of patience. When others steered clear of her whenever she was in one of her infamous bad moods, he simply waited patiently for a tantrum to pass, occasionally even arguing back, proving that he wasn't in the least bit intimidated by her. If she didn't know any better, she'd think that Clark actually enjoyed the challenge of standing up to her. And when he did, it made her respect him even more. Most guys would--and had--run as far away as they could, thinking she was too much to handle or too dominant. But not Clark. And she loved him for it. He knew how to handle her, and he did it with precise, almost calculated care. They were perfect for each other. She was fiery and stubborn, he was patient and solid. Lois sighed happily. Clark was really something. "Ready to eat?" Lois looked up to see that Clark was standing at the edge of the kitchen with a plate of steaming food in each hand. She smiled and stood up, walking quickly over to him. "Clark, this looks and smells incredible!" she gushed, taking the plate he held out to her. She sat down at the table and pushed the saucy pasta around on her plate with her fork, allowing the steam to rise up from the bottom. The delicious smells of garlic, mushrooms and meaty sauce wafted up, filling her nostrils with its tantalizing smell. She shook a cautious bite, careful not to burn her tongue, and then closed her eyes in sheer ecstasy. When she opened her eyes, she was startled to see that Clark was watching her, his eyebrows raised and a smile of amusement on his face. "What?" she demanded, feeling suddenly self-conscious. Clark laughed. It was a deep, rich sound that she'd always loved. "Nothing," he answered quickly. "I'm just glad to see that you're enjoying it so much." She relaxed. Spearing a meatball and then twisting her fork around several more strands of pasta, she shook her head at Clark. "You never cease to amaze me," she told him, putting the forkful in her mouth. "Oh, yeah?" he asked, taking a bite. "Why's that?" Lois finished chewing her mouthful and swirled her fork above the mound of pasta on her plate. "This!" she told him after she'd swallowed. "Who knew that spaghetti and meatballs could taste this good! I'm sure that if *I'd* tried to make this, it wouldn't even resemble pasta." Clark laughed again, nearly choking on his food. He quickly took a sip of his water. "I'm sorry," he began, seeing the 'laugh and I'll kill you' look appear on her face. "But you're the one who said it, not me." "That doesn't mean you have to laugh at it," she scolded him teasingly. "I know, I know." Clark leaned over to give her a soft kiss. Lois closed her eyes, savoring the sensations of Clark's lips on hers. When their lips parted, Lois giggled. "You taste like spaghetti." "You do, too," Clark grinned. "I like it." The easy atmosphere followed them clear through dinner and into the evening hours as they lounged on the couch talking. Lois was completely content as she leaned into Clark's side, her feet propped up along the length of the couch and his arm draped around her shoulders. She'd come to enjoy these laid- back evenings. It was nice to simply be with someone she loved, and not have to worry about doing or saying something wrong. She knew Clark loved her for who she was, and that was a great feeling. Feeling a rush of love for this man who had captured her heart, she reached up to grasp Clark's hand as he tangled her fingers in the ends of her silky hair. Pulling his hand down to her lips, she kissed the back of his hand gently. Then she tipped her head back so she could look into his face. "I love you, Clark," Lois said warmly. A few months ago, that would've been all but impossible for her to say. But now, it felt as natural as breathing. Clark smiled softly and lifted his free hand to stroke her cheek with his fingertips. "I love you, too, Lois." Thinking back, Clark remembered the first time they'd said 'I love you' to each other. It had been the night she'd come over to his apartment to tell him that she and Dan Scardino weren't going to be seeing each other any more. She'd obviously come over, set on putting her fears aside and getting things out in the open. The fact that she cared enough about him and was serious enough about their relationship to want to make things work was enough to warm his heart. He'd listened carefully as she voiced her concerns about what had been going on between them, and she'd even suggested that they'd been hiding their feelings from each other because they were scared. Clark knew she was right. The idea of their relationship going bad scared him, and because of that, he'd held back. He'd been afraid of losing so many things: their friendship, their partnership, but most of all, he'd been afraid of losing *her*. Yet he knew that if things were going to progress, they needed to put their fears aside and commit to making their relationship work. Then Lois had kissed him deeply, telling him without words how much she cared about him. But then she'd pulled back and looked seriously into his eyes. "Clark, if you're going to run away from this, tell me now," she'd said, the fear of the last few months of him dashing off still evident in her soft, vulnerable gaze. Matching her intensity, he'd looked directly back into her eyes and assured her that he wasn't going to run, that he was ready to take the next step if she was. Then they'd kissed again. It was a kiss full of love, hope and promise, sealing the deal to take the next step towards a committed relationship. Afterwards, they'd cuddled on the couch, talking about what they'd been feeling for each other, their frustrations, their hopes for their relationship, where they wanted to go, and what they expected from each other. It had been liberating to talk so freely and openly. A short time later, Clark had gotten a phone call from his parents, who'd gone out for Chinese before Lois arrived. When they'd heard she was there, they told Clark they'd just go back to their hotel and see him tomorrow, leaving them alone for the night. So Clark returned to the couch, content to spend some quiet, uninterrupted time snuggling and talking on the couch with the woman he loved. Sometime near dawn, when they'd finally talked themselves out, they just relaxed in each other's arms, content to simply hold each other. Clark remembered staring down at Lois as she laid across his lap and rested her head in the crook of his arm. Never had he felt such love and warmth for anybody, and he knew he couldn't keep it to himself. Lifting a hand to tuck a dark strand of silky hair behind her ear, he smiled into her sleep-filled, yet content eyes. "I love you, Lois," he'd said quietly, hoping that his words wouldn't scare her off. But Lois' eyes had grown misty with happy tears as she looked up at him, and she returned his soft smile and whispered, "I love you, too, Clark." Their words had instantly seemed to open up a whole new world for them. Their relationship flourished as it moved to a whole new level, and their friendship became even stronger. Since that night several weeks ago, they met often for breakfasts and lunches, and spent nearly every evening together. It was wonderful, Clark decided, to be in a committed relationship. He loved not having to wonder what she was thinking or feeling, or if she felt the same way about him as he felt about her. That night had changed his life. He'd known for a long time that he loved Lois, but to say it out loud to her, and to hear her say it back, it had really turned his life around. Coming back to the present, Clark glanced down at his watch and realized it was nearly eleven. He squeezed Lois' shoulder. "It's getting late. I'd better get you home." As he slid out from behind her, she moaned in protest. "Oh, and I was so comfortable!" Clark grinned. "Sorry, but I'm sure Perry needs us at work first thing tomorrow to do the follow-ups on our story." He held out his hand and helped her to her feet. "Come on. I'll make sure you get home okay." "Clark, I'll be fine," she told him, getting her coat. "I have my car, remember?" "I know. But what kind of gentleman would I be if I didn't see that you got safely home?" Lois smiled at him as he helped her on with her coat. "Well, far be it from me to turn down a chance to spend more time with you. But how will *you* get home?" "I'll do what I always do. I'll walk," he said simply. Because of the lateness of the hour, there was very little traffic to slow them down and they arrived at Lois' building in record time, much to Lois' disappointment. They took their time walking up the stairs, neither wanting the evening to end. When they finally reached her door, Lois turned to Clark and smiled softly. "Well," she began. "Well," he echoed. He closed the distance between them, taking her hands in his, and rubbing the backs of her hands with his thumbs. "Thanks for tonight." Lois laughed. "What, are you kidding? You can cook for me absolutely anytime you'd like." She brought her hands up to his chest and tilted her face up to his invitingly. Never one to pass on a chance to kiss the love of his life, Clark lowered his head and kissed her softly. Lois sighed happily. Kissing Clark was incredible. The touch of his lips always sent her reeling. When their lips parted, Lois was breathless. She opened her eyes to look at Clark, and their eyes met. Leaning down to kiss her again, their lips met with slightly more intensity this time and Lois was immediately caught up in the passion of their kiss. Almost as if they had a mind of their own, her hands began to roam over the tautness of his chest. It always amazed her that she could feel his muscle definition even through the fabric of his shirt. She fingered one of the buttons on his shirtfront, tracing its smooth, round surface. She'd always been tempted to give in to her desire to unbutton his shirt and enjoy the sensation of her hands on his bare skin. But she'd never actually been brave enough to take such a bold step. Although she felt ready to take the next step in their increasingly intimate relationship, Clark didn't seem to be ready, so she didn't want to push him. Clark, his kisses becoming more intense, lifted his hands to tangle his fingers in her hair, then let his hands slide down to cup her face in his hands. Lois leaned further into his kiss, causing Clark to lose his balance slightly and bump against the doorjamb. Lois giggled. "Sorry," she mumbled against his lips. He laughed softly. "Mmm, that's okay." His mouth continuing to roam over hers as his hands slid down to caress her shoulders and then drifted lower, settling on either side of her tiny waist. He rubbed his thumbs in slow, torturous circles, making Lois' heart race crazily. Clark, affected just as deeply as Lois by their kisses and caresses, knew that the time had come for him to take control of the situation. If he didn't, he seriously doubted his ability to stop things if they went any further. And he didn't want that to happen. Not yet. While he still had the willpower to do so, Clark pulled back, making Lois groan in disappointment. She opened her eyes and looked at him questioningly. She noticed that he, too, was having a tough time catching his breath, and that his cheeks were flushed. "I think I'd better say goodnight before things get out of hand," he told her with a sheepish grin. "Besides, we have an early day tomorrow. And *you*," he cupped her face in his hands. "need to get some sleep." He leaned in to kiss her again, though more casually this time. "What about you?" she asked. "Don't *you* need to get some sleep, too?" His face froze momentarily. "Oh, uh, yeah. That's what I meant." He cursed himself silently for making the slip. Then he rushed on, hoping to cover himself before Lois noticed his anxiety. "I meant that we *both* need to get some sleep." Lois looked at him strangely for a minute. She was an investigative reporter. She prided herself on being able to tell when someone was trying to cover something up. And this time, it was obvious. But before she could think about it any further, Clark's dazzling smile returned and he pulled her against him for one more long, earth-shattering kiss. It made her forget everything except the feel of his lips on hers, the lingering taste of spaghetti when their tongues entwined, and the floating feeling she always got when they kissed so deeply and passionately. When the kiss finally ended, Clark gave her hand a gentle squeeze and took a step backwards. "Goodnight, Lois." "'Night, Clark." She smiled wistfully at him as he stepped out into the hall. "See you tomorrow." After he was gone, she went about getting ready for bed, practically floating on air. Being in love was a wonderful feeling. As she was rummaging through her bottom dresser drawer looking for her favorite red satin nightie, she suddenly remembered Clark's reaction to her simple question about sleeping. "Shoot! How could I have forgotten to ask him about that?" she groaned, mentally kicking herself for being so easily distracted. She found the short, red nightgown and pulled it roughly from the drawer. "One kiss, and all my investigative journalism instincts fly right out the window." But then when she remembered his kiss, a broad smile spread across her face. Who *wouldn't* be distracted by a kiss like that? But as she climbed into bed, she couldn't stop wondering what it was he might've been hiding. 'Come on, Lois,' she scolded herself. 'What could he possibly have to hide? You know Clark better than anyone you've ever known.' Still thinking, she climbed into bed and turned off her light. She stared up at the ceiling for a long time, unable to stop the scene from replaying itself in her mind. His reaction had been strange enough that she wasn't able to simply dismiss it as one of his nervous explanations. After all, it was one thing for him to act strangely when he disappeared out of the blue. But what did that have to do with sleeping? After going over and over it in her mind and reaching no conclusions, she finally gave up and did her best to force it from her mind. She rolled over in bed and let her mind wander contentedly back to her perfect evening with Clark. She loved being with him, and the way he made her feel. Every minute they were apart, she found herself thinking about him, wondering what he was doing or where he was. When she really thought about it, it was actually pretty pathetic. Suddenly, after doing all this thinking about Clark, she knew she had to hear his voice. 'He was just here an hour ago,' the little voice inside her argued. 'I know that,' she argued back. 'But I miss him already.' So, Ignoring the quarrelsome voice in her head, she reached over to turn on the bedside light and then picked up the phone, dialing the number she knew by heart. As she did, she smiled and shook her head, muttering to herself, "You really *are* pathetic." But that didn't stop her from smiling in anticipation at the thought of hearing his voice again. **************** Clark landed on his apartment's balcony after flying around Metropolis for a solid hour. Usually, flying helped him to clear his head, but this time it hadn't worked. He hated lying to Lois. He went into his apartment and flopped down on the couch with a weary sigh. 'I hate keeping this from her!' he thought angrily. 'It's not fair to her, and it's not fair to me. Besides, she deserves to know.' He remembered how innocent it had seemed to lie to her about his other identity when they'd first met. It had been no big deal to rattle off some excuse about where he was going or where he'd been. But when they'd started growing closer, each lie that came out of his mouth ate at him. And now that they were practically engaged...well, lying to her filled his entire soul with guilt. What was worse, he realized, was that he'd gotten too good at rationalizing it. At first, it had been necessary. She was a great reporter on a hot story: Superman. Telling her was simply out of the question. Then he found himself falling for her, but he didn't want to jeopardize the trust he was slowly earning by admitting that he'd been lying to her. And up until recently, he hadn't wanted to tell her before he was certain that she loved him for who he was, and not for what he could do. Now that he knew she did, the time had come. He had to tell her. His frown quickly evolved into a smile, though, when he thought of their evening together. Just merely thinking about her made his heart swell. She was everything he'd ever wanted and more. The realization that he'd finally found his soulmate filled him with such joy that it was all he could do to keep from taking off and soaring into the sky. On the other hand, knowing that he'd found the love of his life also brought new challenges. Once the barriers were down between them and they grew more comfortable with each other, it wasn't long before their interludes of kissing began to intensify. It took all of his strength and willpower to force himself to stop before things went too far. She was so beautiful, so perfect for him, that he wanted more than anything to take their relationship to the next level by being completely intimate with her. But he knew he couldn't do that until he'd told her everything about himself. The phone rang suddenly and he jumped. Laughing at himself, he stood up and walked over to the phone. "Hello?" "Hi, Clark." "Lois!" he exclaimed, surprised. "Is everything okay? Is something wrong?" "Oh, no, no, no, Clark, everything's fine," she quickly reassured him. "I know you were here just a little while ago, but...." Her voice trailed off as she suddenly felt foolish. "I guess I...just wanted to talk to you once more before I went to sleep. I didn't wake you up, did I?" Clark's mouth curved into a pleased grin. It was nice to know he wasn't the only one who had separation anxieties. When he spoke, she could hear the smile in his voice. "No, I wasn't asleep. I'm glad to called." Lois laid back on her pillow, content to hear Clark's voice. "So what are you doing?" Clark tucked the cordless phone between his shoulder and ear and wandered into the kitchen. "Oh, nothing really. Just unwinding before I go to bed. How about you?" "Well, after you left, I got dressed for bed and turned in. But I've been lying here in bed ever since. I just can't seem to go to sleep." Clark froze. The thought of her in sleepwear and lying in bed was almost enough to send him bolting for a cold shower. "Oh," was all he could think of to say. There was a long, comfortable silence where neither of them felt pressed to say anything. Finally Lois spoke. "I really enjoyed tonight, Clark. Thanks for saving me from eating something I might've had to cook." Clark laughed. "I never thought about it that way. I guess you could say, then, that my cooking dinner for you could be considered a mission of mercy." Lois laughed, too. "I guess so." She paused. "Well, I should let you get some sleep." "Yeah, it is getting pretty late. How do you feel about meeting me for breakfast tomorrow?" Lois couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face. "I'd love that. Jenny's Caf‚?" she asked, bringing up the name of their favorite breakfast meeting place. "Of course," he agreed. He knew he should say goodbye and hang up, but he just couldn't seem to bring himself to. Just then he heard her yawn. "I heard that," he said with a grin. "I'll let you go." "Sorry," she mumbled through the last half of her yawn. "I guess I'm more tired than I thought. So I'll see you tomorrow morning?" "You bet." He paused, leaning back against the kitchen counter. "And Lois...?" There was silence on the other end of the line for a few moments. "Yes, Clark?" she prompted. When he finally continued, his voice was low and husky. "I'm glad you called," he told her for the second time. Lois felt the glow start at her heart and spread throughout the rest of her body. "Me, too. Goodnight, Clark." Clark smiled softly. "Goodnight, Lois." It wasn't until he heard the 'click' on the other end of the line that he set the phone down in its cradle. He shook his head and chuckled to himself. "What would I ever do without her?" He shut off the lights in his apartment and went into his bedroom, crossing over to his dresser. Opening the top drawer, he moved aside several pairs of socks and carefully removed a tiny black, velvet-covered box. Slowly, almost reverently, he opened the lid. The sparkle of the brilliant solitaire diamond ring nestled within caught the light from the room and reflected it back, sparkling and gleaming as Clark tilted the box slowly one way and then the other. He smiled. Lois was going to love it. He'd had it for a while now, but so far he hadn't been brave enough to actually propose. He wanted everything to be perfect: the night, their surroundings, the circumstances under which he proposed. He wanted it to be the most incredible and memorable event in their lives. At least, of their lives so far. He snapped the lid shut and tucked the ring box back into its hiding place, then closed the drawer and started getting undressed. 'I'd better hurry and figure out how to propose,' he thought as he finished stripping down to his boxers and climbing under his covers, 'because I don't want to keep this secret from her any longer.' ********** "Lois! Clark! I need to see you in my office, pronto!" Perry yelled as soon as they stepped off the elevator the next morning. Lois glanced at Clark, who was walking behind her, and smiled at him. "After that big breakfast, I was kind of hoping to ease into the workday." Clark laughed. "Yeah, me, too." He put his hand gently on the small of her back and guided her across the newsroom. As soon as they put their stuff at their desks, they headed for Perry's office. Perry was sitting at his desk, a red pencil in one hand and a stack of papers in the other. He looked up at them the second they walked in, and Lois recognized the look. He always got that look when something big had happened. "I've got something for you two," Perry said, gesturing at the couch across from his desk. "Have a seat." They sat down, then looked at Perry curiously. "What's up, Chief?" "I just got a call from one of my buddies who's a warden at Metropolis State Prison," he began. "Apparently, there was a riot last night, and when all was said and done, two prisoners were missing." Lois leaned forward eagerly. "Did he say who they were?" Perry nodded. "It was Everett Price and his cell mate." "What?!" "You've got to be kidding me!" Lois and Clark blurted out simultaneously. "No, I'm very serious," Perry told them. "The guards discovered they were missing last night when they did their bed checks. He called to let me know this morning, and I thought you two should know, since you were the ones who put Price away." Lois caught Clark's eye. "Yeah, he wasn't very happy when Clark and I got that tip about his gun smuggling ring and started poking around. And then with some help from Superman, we were able to track down enough evidence on him to put him away." She paused. "Well, until now." "Who was his cell mate, Perry?" Clark asked. "Do you know?" Perry retrieved a piece of paper from underneath the larger stack. "Yeah, his name is Karl Hendricks. He was in for two counts of armed robbery." Clark turned to Lois, but she shook her head and shrugged. "Doesn't ring a bell." "To me, either," he admitted. "Well, okay then! It sounds like you've got some digging to do," Perry said, handing them the piece of paper. "I want you two on this like flies on a T-bone. Don't come back in here until you've got something for me. Got it?" They nodded in unison. "Got it, Chief." Clark followed Lois over to her desk, where she sat down and pulled out a notepad. "I think the first thing we need to do is find out who this Hendricks is," she told him. "Maybe that'll get us started." ********** "Okay. Here's what I dug up," Lois announced a short time later when Clark came over to her desk. "Price was in prison a year before Hendricks became his cell mate. And from what I've been able to find out, I don't think they knew each other before then." "Okay," Clark nodded. "What else did you find out?" "Well, Hendricks was caught a week after he'd stolen some specialized equipment from Star Labs. Apparently, he was able to bypass their building security and tap into their computer system. They never did find out how he did it. As far as anyone can tell, he probably had some inside help." "What did he want the equipment for?" "He didn't. He'd been contracted to break in and steal the stuff for someone else." Lois shrugged. "It seems to me that he's basically just a contracted thief who knows how to get in and out of high-security buildings. Only this time he got caught." "Hmmm. Well, that explains how they were able to break out of prison," Clark mused. "But the more important question is, what are they planning?" Lois sat back in her chair and looked at him thoughtfully. "Do you think they're up to something?" Clark shrugged. "Well, they *did* break out of prison. And I doubt it was only because they hated the food." Lois smiled. "Right." She thought for a minute. "Well, this is just speculation," she began haltingly. "But do you think he could be planning on getting back at Superman? He was the one who found Price's secret vault, which contained all the paperwork needed to incriminate him. Because of that, Price blamed Superman for his arrest and was very public with his hatred of him. He even threatened that when he got out, he'd make him pay for putting him in prison. So do you think he could be plotting some kind of revenge against him?" Clark let out a deep breath. "The thought had crossed my mind, yeah." Lois stood up abruptly from her chair and reached for her coat. "We've got to warn Superman." "Lois, where are you going?" he asked quickly. "To warn him!" Clark laughed. "Come on, Lois, think about it. Where, exactly, are you going to go to warn him?" Lois paused in her attempt to put on her overcoat. "Oh. Yeah, I guess I didn't think about that." "Lois Lane, again jumping into the pool without checking the water level first," he teased, a wicked gleam in his eye. She glared at him. "Ha, ha," she responded dryly. "Excuse me for wanting to warn a friend that he may be in danger." Clark smiled apologetically. "Lois, I'm not making fun of you. I'm just pointing out that we shouldn't be rushing into something we know nothing about yet. All we have is the news of two prisoners' escape and some speculation. Besides," he said, putting his hands on her arms and rubbing them lightly. "I'm sure Superman has nothing to worry about. Even if Price were to find him, what would he do to him? He's invulnerable, remember?" "Yeah, I guess you're right," Lois admitted half-heartedly. Clark sat down on the corner of her desk. "I think we also need to consider the possibility that Price might be planning on coming after us instead of Superman." Lois looked at him curiously. "What makes you say that?" "Well, like I said, Price can't do anything to Superman, and I'm sure he knows it. So where does that leave him?" Lois saw where Clark was going with this. "He'll be looking for somebody else to take it out on, so who better than the two reporters who helped put him away?" Clark nodded. "That's what I was thinking." "Well, then we'll just have to figure out what he's planning, and find him before he does anything." Lois reached for her coat again. "Now where are you going?" "*We*," she emphasized. "Are going to go have a talk with Bobby Bigmouth. Maybe he can give us some information about Price and Hendricks." Clark flashed her a grin. "Now you're thinking!" He watched her as she grabbed a notebook and pen from her desk and quickly stuffed them into her bag. Her eyes danced with excitement and her cheeks were flushed with enthusiasm. Unable to help himself, he asked, "Have I told you how beautiful you are when you're excited about a story?" Lois paused in mid-stuff and looked up at him in surprise. He was looking back at her tenderly, and she could tell from the look in his eyes that he meant what he'd said. Her lips curved into a smile. "You want something, don't you?" Clark laughed loudly. "Lois, I was just paying you an nice, honest compliment. Leave it to you to turn it into something twisted." She laughed, too. "I'm just kidding," she told him, standing on her tiptoes to give him a quick kiss. "I guess I'm just not used to getting compliments like that. You're really very sweet to say something so wonderful." Then she threaded her arm through his and started to lead him away from her desk. "Now let's get going!" Shaking his head, Clark allowed himself to be pulled toward the elevators. He knew that he'd gladly follow her wherever she wanted to take him, even if it was to the ends of the earth. ********** "So, other than the little pieces of information we got from Bobby, we have absolutely nothing to go on," Lois complained as she slipped her key into the lock and pushed open the door to her apartment. She walked in and dropped her keys and folders onto the table. "I can't believe we spent the entire day on this and came up empty handed! What a waste." "It wasn't a waste," Clark assured her. "We just learned that our regular sources don't know anything about what Price is planning. We'll just have to talk to other sources." Unable to share Clark's enthusiasm, Lois flopped onto the couch in frustration. "Clark, you're an incurable optimist. I admire that, I really do. But the bottom line is, we have *nothing*." Clark shook his head and smiled as he turned to get their Chinese take-out from the large paper bag on the table. He'd learned better than to argue with Lois when she was like this. She simply hated when things didn't go her way with a story, and no amount of consoling would make her feel better. He just had to let her frustration run its course. "What would you rather have?" he asked Lois, holding up two containers. "The sweet and sour chicken or the chow mien?" Lois lifted her head from the arm of the couch to look at the two boxes Clark was holding. "The chow mien, I guess." She stood up and walked over to the table, plunking herself down in a chair. Clark couldn't help laughing. "Don't sound so enthused, Lois," he teased, placing a plate in front of her and spooning some of the chow mien onto it. "I'm sorry," she told Clark as he sat in the chair next to her and spooned the rest of the container's contents onto his own plate. "Don't mind me. I'm just in a bad mood. I *hate* it when we run into dead ends!" "Lois, Price and Hendricks just broke out of prison yesterday," Clark pointed out. "Give yourself some credit. If there's information to be found, you'll find it. It just may take a few days. Now, if you're done sulking, you can eat your dinner." His tone was very much like that of a parent who was patiently putting up with the tantrum of a small child. It made Lois smile in spite of herself. Looking at Clark, she realized how lucky she was to have somebody who understood her drive to be the best, and who willingly put up with her dramatic mood swings. "You're so good for me," she told him sincerely. "Nobody else would put up with me like you do." "I know," he answered, giving her a disarming smile. He immediately laughed and ducked away as she slapped him lightly on his arm. "Don't you dare act so high and mighty with me," she retaliated teasingly. "It's not just *you* who puts up with *me*, you know. You're not so easy to put up with, either, Mr. Goody Two Shoes!" Clark laughed at that, and she went on. "You'd rather miss a story than bend a few rules to get the scoop." "You don't have to bend the rules to get a story, Lois," he insisted, enjoying their standing argument. "There's always a way to get what you want by following the rules, whether you believe that or not." Lois' demeanor softened, and her lips curved into a warm smile. "That's what I think I love about you the most, Clark," she told him seriously. "You've proven to me that there are people out there who have morals and ethics, and will stick by them no matter what. I've learned that I can trust you, and I love the fact that we don't have to keep secrets from each other. It's what made me fall in love with you in the first place." Clark winced. Her words made him feel like somebody had just driven a stake through his heart. He forced the smile to remain on his face, afraid that if he stopped smiling, Lois would know something was wrong. And that deceit in itself made him feel even worse. The rest of dinner went by in a blur for Clark, and he hoped that the small talk he made was enough to mask his bottled up feelings of guilt. He'd been feeling guilty enough having to keep this from Lois. But then to hear that she looked up to him for his ethics and honesty, well, that hurt. He had to tell her before things got any further out of hand. And after the conversation they'd just had, he was afraid of what she might do or say. But he knew he had to do it. And he had to do it tonight. After they finished eating, Clark offered to help Lois with the dishes. He scolded himself for being so chicken, and for putting off telling her about himself right then and there. But he rationalized it by telling himself it would be easier if he could tell her after the dishes were put away so she wouldn't have anything to throw at him. Lois started telling him about some ideas she had for follow- ups on their crime ring story, but Clark found himself only half-listening. He was too distracted to do more than add an 'uh-huh' or 'I like that idea' in what he hoped were the appropriate places. When the last of the dishes had been dried and put away, Clark made himself take a deep breath. But before he could say anything, Lois slipped her arms around his waist and smiled up at him. "You're not leaving yet, are you?" she asked, running her hands along the muscles of the small of his back. He shook his head, forcing himself to return her smile. "No, I wasn't planning on it." Her smile faded a bit. "Clark, are you okay? You seem...I don't know, distracted or something." "Yeah, I'm okay, it's just...well," he turned to glance at her living room. "Can we sit for a while? I wanted to talk to you about something." Lois looked at him strangely, but she nodded. "Sure." Clark took a long, slow breath and then let it out again. It was now or never. He sat on the couch beside her, and she immediately snuggled into his side, resting her head on his shoulder contentedly. Then she turned her head slightly so she could look up at him. "What did you want to talk about, Clark?" Clark stared down at her, and instantly he felt his determination waver. She loved and trusted him in a way that she never had with anyone else in her life. It showed in her countenance, and in the way she looked at him. How could he possibly do what he was about to do? But then he gave himself a mental shake and forced himself to be strong. But before he could speak, Lois suddenly leapt to her feet, causing him to nearly jump out of his skin. "Clark!" she practically yelled. "We forgot to talk to Joe down at the mission! Since we started talking to him about six months ago when he got out of prison, he's always been able to tell us things that nobody else knows! And didn't he finish his time in Met State Prison?" Clark blinked. She was right! Temporarily putting his admission aside, he nodded, caught up in her enthusiasm. "Yeah, he was!" he agreed, standing up beside her. "Maybe he knew--" "Price and Hendricks!" Lois finished, nearly bursting with excitement. "Why didn't we think of that?!" "Lois, you're amazing!" Clark exclaimed. He grabbed Lois in a big bear hug and twirled her around in a circle, causing Lois to squeal with delight. When he finally set her down, her cheeks were flushed with pleasure and her smile lit up her face. "See?" he told her, his eyes sparkling. "I told you you'd think of something!" "Oh, Clark! I'm just so excited we're not at a dead end!" she gushed. Then she looked thoughtful as she continued. "I guess the first thing we need to do tomorrow morning is put in a call to Joe. We can ask him if he knew Price and Hendricks, and if they'd ever talked about escaping or if they were planning on getting revenge on anyone...." Clark shook his head and smiled to himself as she rambled on. It never ceased to amaze him. Lois always found a way to get the leads that led to big stories. It's what made her the best. Lois' ramblings trailed off when she noticed that he was staring at her, a smile on his face and a sparkle in his eye. "What are you staring at?" she asked self consciously. "You." "What about me?" Clark took a step closer. "I just love seeing you get so excited about things," he told her. "Your cheeks get flushed, your eyes light up, and you seem to glow all over. It makes me want to do this." He cupped her face in his hands and leaned down to give her a deep, passionate kiss that made her tingle all over. When Clark pulled back and smiled at her tenderly, Lois noticed how incredibly sexy he looked just then, with his face slightly flushed from excitement and his eyes all lit up as he stared back at her. Giving in to her sudden desire to kiss him, she launched herself at him unsuspectingly, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him intensely. The force of her weight caused him to stumble backwards and bump into the arm of the couch, and he made a grab for the end table in an attempt to steady himself, but he succeeded in knocking a couple of things off the table as he did. His first thought was to pick the things back up, but instead he simply dismissed them with a wave of his hand and refocused his attention on kissing Lois. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her tightly against him, tangling his fingers in her hair as he cradled her head in his hands. Then his hands slid down to her shoulders and then continued on down her back, caressing the muscles in her back as they went. He doubted he could ever get enough of her, of touching her, of feeling her touching him. He knew he should stop this and get on with saying what he had to say, but her kiss rendered him virtually powerless. The feel of her lips on his, and the way she stroked her fingers through the hair at the base of his neck made him forget about everything except the woman in his arms. Lois' lips left his and kissed their way to the sensitive spot behind his ear. Clark closed his eyes, shivering at the sensations of her lips against his skin. Then she began kissing her way down his neck, and he titled his head in order to give her better access. "Mmmm," he murmured blissfully as her kisses continued to send jolts of sheer pleasure throughout his body. Lois smiled against his skin, pleased that she could have such an effect on him. She felt his hands slide down to her lower back and then they proceeded to move lower. Feeling completely caught up in the moment, Lois ran her hands up the front of his shirt, her fingers pausing at his buttons. Maybe it was the glass of wine she'd had with dinner, or maybe it was just the fact that she was feeling more and more comfortable with him, but for whatever the reason, she found herself fumbling with the buttons on his shirt. In the back of her mind, she wondered if Clark would stop her, or if he would object to what she was doing, but he gave her no indication that he wanted her to stop, so Lois persisted. When she'd undone three of his buttons, she pushed aside the fabric of his shirt and slid her hands underneath the thin material. As soon as her hands found his chest, Clark moaned into her mouth, immensely enjoying the feel of her hands caressing his chest. She continued to let her hands explore, enjoying the sensation of her hands against his warm skin. She slowly traced a finger down his sternum, sending a fiery trail of ecstasy burning through Clark. He moaned again, capturing her hands for a moment, then releasing them in order to do a little exploration of his own. Kissing her again, his tongue entwined with hers, taking great care to explore every crevice of her mouth. Slowly, he moved his hands from her hips and edged them up her sides until they were resting on her ribcage. Lois instantly felt as if her body temperature had shot up about twenty degrees at his touch, her skin suddenly feeling hot and clammy. She pulled back from their kiss to look deeply into Clark's eyes and saw that they were clouded with arousal, probably much the same as hers were. Completely breathless, Clark stared back at Lois, taking in her tousled hair and kiss-reddened lips, and something deep inside told him that he wanted to be with her right now. Tonight. He didn't want to wait any longer to be with the woman he loved. Moving forward to capture her mouth again, he crushed her against him, urged on by the little noises of pleasure she made at his aggressiveness. Lois encouraged him further by wrapping her arms around his waist and slipping her fingers under the waistband of his slacks at his lower back. "Hey, Lois!" A loud voice and a sudden pounding on the door startled them, and they jumped apart from each other. Then the voice came again. "Lois? It's Jimmy! Are you in there?" Lois rolled her eyes and groaned. "That boy has great timing." Clark laughed, though it sounded forced to his own ears. "Yeah, he sure does." Jimmy knocked again. "Lois?" "Um, I'm coming, Jimmy!" she called out. "Just a minute." She hurried over to the mirror near her door and hastily checked her appearance. She quickly combed her fingers through her tousled hair, then proceeded to tuck in the front of her blouse. She turned back to Clark. "Do I look okay?" she stage whispered. He nodded, and she quickly made her way to the door. She had her hand on the doorknob when she noticed that his shirt was still unbuttoned. She did some quick miming, and when he realized what she meant, he mouth formed a silent, "Oh!" and then hurried to redo his buttons. Watching his nervous movements, Lois couldn't help smiling. She loved it when he looked so anxious and vulnerable. Then, taking a deep breath and doing her best to make herself act casual, she opened the door. "Hi, Jimmy," she greeted. "What's up?" "Hey, Lois," he responded cheerfully. "I was beginning to think you weren't home. I've got some information for you on Price and Hendricks." He took a couple of steps into the apartment before he noticed Clark standing over by the couch, straightening the end table's lampshade. "Hi, Clark. I should've known you'd be here." Clark grinned. "Well, I just can't seem to stay away." Lois was amazing at how Clark could act so calm when she, herself, felt like she'd just been on a wild roller coaster ride, leaving her heart pounding and the adrenaline rushing through her veins. "I was able to dig up some more information for you," Jimmy told them, completely oblivious to the fact that he'd interrupted something. "I was on my way home, so I thought I'd just drop it by. I tried to call you from my cell phone a few minutes ago, but your line was busy." Lois gave Clark a confused look, but he just raised his eyebrows and shrugged imperceptibly. She glanced over at the end table and was surprised to see that the phone wasn't there. Following the cord with her eyes, she suddenly realized that Clark must've knocked it off the table when they'd been concentrating on each other, because it lay half-buried in a basket of folded laundry next to the end table. She glanced up at Clark, who had just spotted the phone and was looking rather guilty. Lois had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing. Anyway, here's that information," Jimmy was saying, holding a file folder out to her. "I have to hurry and get home. I've got a date." Lois grinned conspiratorially at him as she took the folder from him. "Well, good luck, Jimmy. I hope this girl of yours knows how lucky she is." That brought a sheepish grin to Jimmy's face. "I'll tell you guys all about it in the morning," he promised. "You'd better!" After Jimmy was gone, Lois shut the door behind him and leaned up against it. "Whew! I thought he'd never leave." She grinned. But Clark's returned smile seemed less than enthusiastic. She pushed off from the door and went over to sit beside Clark on the couch. "Well, it was nice of Jimmy to bring all this by," she commented, thumbing briefly through the papers in the folder before setting it down on the coffee table. "Yeah, it was." An uncomfortable silence filled the room, and Lois started to feel anxious. Finally, Clark broke the silence. "I think that's the closest we've ever come to...well, you know..." he said, still trying to come to terms with what had happened--or almost happened. Lois studied him carefully, trying to read into the serious expression on his face. Reaching out, she put her hand on his knee and rubbed it gently. "It sounds like that bothers you." "No, it doesn't *bother* me," Clark told her truthfully. "It's just that I wanted to talk about a few things before we got to that point." She smiled supportively. "I think that's a good idea. What would you like to talk about?" Clark opened his mouth to speak, but just then he heard that all too familiar cry for help. "Umm," he stammered, standing up abruptly. He gestured with his hands toward the door feebly. "I just remembered that I, uh...." He searched his mind frantically for an excuse. Any excuse. But his mind was a total blank. "Well, I've got to go and get...something. Can we talk about this later?" Then, without waiting for an answer, he hurried to the door, mumbling something that resembled an apology, and then he was gone, leaving Lois staring after him in bewilderment. ********** Clark was furious with himself as he spun into the suit in a dark alley near Lois' building and then rocketed into the sky. 'What on earth were you thinking?' he scolded himself angrily. 'You promised you weren't going to get intimate with Lois until you told her the truth, and yet you let things go as far as they did tonight. You know how she makes you feel. You should've been more prepared and not let yourself get distracted.' Clark heard the cry for help again and he flew in that direction, trying to set aside his thoughts and self-directed anger. He could finish giving himself a stern talking to later. Right now, he had a job to do. ********** A few run-of-the-mill rescues and a couple of hours later, Clark soared up into the night sky. Once again, he was able to be alone with his thoughts. But now that he was, he realized he no longer wanted to be. He needed to talk. He didn't want to go back to Lois', though. She was sure to be angry with him for running off just as they were about to have a serious talk. And an argument wasn't what he wanted right now. He needed to go someplace where he could talk to somebody without worrying about letting things slip. Suddenly, it occurred to him where he should go. Changing directions, he headed for the one place where he could always be himself. Smallville. ********** "Clark, if I'd known you were coming by, I would've saved you some dinner." Clark laughed as his Mom continued to fuss over him, pulling leftovers out of the fridge and piling things on a plate. "Mom, you really don't have to feed me. That's not why I came. Besides, I just ate a couple of hours ago." He turned to his dad. "Can't you do something to make her stop?" His dad laughed heartily as he sat down at the table with him. "I wish I could. You know how she is, Clark. Once she gets her mind set on something, there's no stopping her." Clark laughed, too. "That sounds like someone else I know." Martha smiled as she pulled the plate out of the microwave and set it on the table in front of Clark. "Speaking of Lois, how *are* things between the two of you?" "Great," he told them enthusiastically as he took a bite of his food. "Actually, things are going better than I ever could've hoped for." His parents studied him closely as he took a drink of milk. "And?" He smiled. Nothing ever got past his parents. "And," he continued. "Tomorrow night I'm planning on asking her to marry me." His mom gave a shriek of delight, and his dad's face broke into a huge grin as he leaned over to clap Clark on the shoulder. "Oh, Clark, I can't believe it!" Martha exclaimed excitedly, giving him a big hug. "That's just wonderful!" "Congratulations, son," Jonathan told him as soon as Martha had released him. "Well, she hasn't said 'yes' yet, Dad," he pointed out. "Oh, but she will, Clark," his mom assured him, dropping into the chair next to him. "I know how much you two love each other. You belong together." Clark smiled, though less enthusiastically this time. "Yeah, I know that. But I can't help worrying about a few things." Jonathan's brow furrowed in confusion. "Like what, son?" "Well, I've been thinking a lot about how and when to ask her, where I should take her...and how I should tell her that I'm Superman...." He let his voice trail off. "Ahhh," his dad said understandingly. "You're afraid of what she's going to say when you tell her." "Wait a minute," Martha began, clearly confused. "I thought you were going to tell her *weeks* ago." Clark took a drink of his milk and shook his head. "I was. But every time I started to bring it up, I guess I just...kind of, well, chickened out." "Clark, you can't keep Lois in the dark about this," his mom insisted, reaching out to cover his hand with hers. "She loves you. And she deserves to know the truth about you so that she can love you for all that you are, and not just for the parts of you that you choose to let her. That's not what love's all about." Clark sighed. "I know, Mom." "And Lois is a smart woman," his dad chimed in. "Sooner or later, she's going to figure it out. And then where will you be? You'll be worse off than if you'd told her yourself." "I know," Clark said again. "I keep telling myself that. But I keep thinking about how she's going to react when I *do* tell her." He shook his head. "I don't know for sure how she's going to react, but I *do* know one thing. She is *not* going to be happy." "Probably not," Jonathan agreed. "But what choice do you have?" Clark looked from his mom to his dad. "You're right," he nodded. "As usual, you're right." He gave them a quick smile, then looked down at his plate thoughtfully and slowly pushed his food around on it. "Is something else bothering you, Clark?" his mom prompted, putting her hand on his arm. Clark sighed as he set his fork down and looked up at his parents. "I guess it's just really been bothering me lately that I've spent so many years lying to Lois about this. I mean, at first, I had to. But then when we got to be partners, and then best friends, lying to her made me feel more and more guilty. And now that we're in a serious relationship...." He shook his head dejectedly. "I practically hate myself." "Oh, Clark, you shouldn't hate yourself," his mom told him firmly. "You had a darn good reason for keeping things a secret. And when Lois gets over being mad," she smiled at Clark. "She'll realize that, and understand why you did what you did." "I guess I know that," Clark admitted. "I think I just needed to hear you say it." He gave his mom and dad a grateful smile. "Thanks, Mom and Dad. I knew you'd make me feel better. I'm glad I came." Martha laughed and hugged him tightly. "We're glad you came, too. You know that we're always here for you, right?" When he nodded, she went on. "Good! Now make sure you call and tell us how things go tomorrow night with Lois! But remember, we'll be at the Johnson's." Clark's expression was blank. "The Johnsons?" Then it clicked. The Johnsons were some friends of his parents that used to live in Smallville, and they'd recently moved to a suburb of Metropolis. "Oh! That's right. You were planning on visiting them for a few days. I forgot about that." She nodded. "Yes, and they're only forty-five minutes from you. So if you want us to come into the city to do something with you and Lois, just call us. We'd love it." Clark smiled. "That'd be great. I definitely will." It was late when Clark finally said goodbye to his parents and flew back to Metropolis. When he climbed into bed, he hoped that he would fall right asleep so the night would pass quickly since he was feeling both nervous and excited about tomorrow's big event. Whether he'd realized it at the time or not, he'd been waiting for this moment since the first day he'd met Lois, and finally it was here. Unable to shut off his thoughts, though, he tossed and turned for what seemed like hours. Finally, he realized it was useless. With a frustrated sigh, he climbed out of bed, spun into the suit and flew out into the night sky. It was going to be a long night. ********** As Clark stepped off the elevator the next morning, he found himself feeling apprehensive about seeing Lois. He never knew how she was going to react after one of his bouts of running off as he did last night. In his hand, he clutched a white baker's bag that contained a couple of chocolate eclairs that he hoped would be viewed as a peace offering. He scanned the newsroom and saw that Lois was already at her desk, engrossed in something she was typing on her computer. He went over to her desk and leaned down to give her cheek a quick kiss. "'Morning, Lois. What are you working on?" She glanced up at him and gave him a brief smile, then sat back in her chair and pointed to something on her monitor. "A lot of the information that Jimmy dug up on Price and Hendricks is interesting. I've been adding it to what we have so far." "Ah. Just diving right in, as usual, huh?" he grinned. She smiled back. "You know me." "I sure do." Then, suddenly remembering the bag, he set it down on her desk ceremoniously. Lois stared at it in confusion, then looked back up at Clark. "What's this?" "I figured you were going to be here early working, so I stopped by the bakery on my way here." A smile spread slowly across her face. "Let me guess. Chocolate eclairs?" Clark looked at her in surprise. "How did you know that? Can you smell chocolate from a mile away or something?" he asked with a teasing smile. Lois shook her head. "No, but I do remember a certain somebody who ran off on me last night just when we were about to have an important discussion." She picked up the bag. "You always think you can smooth things over with chocolate." Clark laughed. "Am I that predictable?" "Yes." Clark walked over to his desk to set his stuff down, shaking his head and chuckling to himself. "I guess I need to rethink my 'making amends' strategy, if it's that predictable." When he looked up, he saw that Lois was coming toward him. She stopped next to him, her expression serious. "Clark, I think we need to talk about what happened last night." "About my leaving?" "Well, yeah, that, too," Lois told him. Then her voice dropped to a quiet whisper, making it apparent that what she was about to say was meant for his ears only. "But what I meant was, things were getting pretty serious last night between us, if you know what I mean." Clark's cheeks reddened, and Lois could tell he *did* know what she meant. She forged on, her voice still soft and her tone relaying her vulnerability. "Clark, it bothers me to think that at the first chance you got to get out of there, you bailed. Do you know how that makes me feel, considering my past history with men? I thought that maybe you were afraid of getting intimate...." Clark quickly jumped in, cutting her off. "Lois, I didn't bail, and I'm not afraid of getting intimate with you." He reached up to stroke her cheek gently. "In fact, there's nothing I'd love more than to be *intimate* with you." Lois grinned, a blush spreading across her cheeks. "But there are a few things I think we should talk about before we take that step," Clark told her. An uncertain look crossed Lois' face. "What things?" "Well, one thing, actually," Clark admitted, squirming uncomfortably. Lois stared at him for a long minute, confused. When she saw that he remained serious, she started to grow nervous. "Clark, you're worrying me." "Oh, no, no, no..." Clark said quickly, trying to erase any fears she was having. "It's nothing to worry about," he assured her. "It's just...well, it's something I've been needing to tell you for a while, and I haven't exactly found the right way to tell you." "Well, if it's nothing to worry about, just tell me now." Clark glanced pointedly at the people around them. "Lois, this isn't exactly the place where I want to tell you something like this. Actually, I was thinking that maybe we could go someplace where we could be alone, and not be interrupted every two seconds." "Lois, Clark!" Perry bellowed from his office doorway. "How's that story coming? I need to know what you've got!" Clark laughed and gestured in Perry's direction. "See what I mean?" Lois laughed, too. Looking toward Perry, she yelled out, "We'll be right there, Chief!" Then she turned back to Clark. "Okay, you've made your point. So where do you suggest we go?" "Well, I was thinking that maybe we could talk about it after dinner." He smiled broadly. "I just happened to be able to get us reservations tonight at Chez Pierre." "The new French place?" Lois asked, looking impressed. "How'd you manage that? I heard they were booked for two months solid." Clark stood tall and straightened the knot of his tie, trying to look important. "It all comes down to who you know," he grinned. "So how about it?" Lois grinned. "You've got yourself a date." ********** When Clark knocked on Lois' door that evening to pick her up, he couldn't help feeling nervous. So much was riding on this night and how things played out. He heard her footsteps approaching, and then the door opened. What he saw took his breath away. She was wearing a beautiful wine-colored evening gown with a plunging neckline and a short hemline, which showed off her long, shapely legs. His approval must've shown on his face because Lois flashed him a confident smile. "It looks like I chose the right dress." "Lois, you look absolutely stunning," he told her, unable to take his eyes off of her. A pleased smile crossed her face. "Thank you," she answered, at the same time taking in his appearance which included a light gray suit, white shirt, and a flashy yellow tie. "You look pretty incredible yourself." Clark gave himself a mental shake, trying to force himself out of his daze. "Not nearly as terrific as you. Are you ready to go?" She nodded. "Just let me grab my coat." Dinner was even more perfect than Clark could have imagined. In fact, he didn't think there was any way it could have possibly turned out any better. Lois was beautiful and enchanting, and he found himself absolutely mesmerized by her. The combination of their beautiful surroundings and the beautiful woman across the table from him was enough to take his breath away. When they'd finally finished their dinners, they ordered dessert and ate slowly, savoring every minute of their perfect evening. They spent a great deal of time talking, or simply gazing into each other's eyes over the flickering candlelight. Then afterward, Clark suggested they take a walk through the restaurant's beautifully landscaped grounds. Lois accepted eagerly. 'Anything to keep this night from ending,' she thought. They wandered hand in hand down the flagstone path that led through an iron gate and into the gardens that were surrounded by four-feet-high well-manicured hedges that formed a solid wall of green. When they stepped inside, Lois was surprised at how secluded the gardens felt. Raised beds of colorful, fragrant flowers surrounded a beautiful gurgling fountain, and strategically placed up lights cast a mysterious glow throughout the branches of the nearby trees. Caught up in the beauty of their surroundings, they strolled along for a short distance without speaking. Finally, Clark broke the silence. "It looks like you're enjoying yourself." Lois smiled and nodded. "I can't ever remember enjoying an evening more." Clark gave her hand a squeeze, feeling a rush of pleasure at her words. Then he gestured to a beautifully carved wooden swing just off the stone path. "Feel like sitting?" Lois nodded, and they settled into the swing. Clark stretched his arm along the back of the seat, his arm brushing against the back of Lois' neck. Lois let her head fall onto his shoulder, and Clark pushed at the ground with the toe of his shoe, setting the swing into a gentle, rocking motion. For several minutes they were quiet, enjoying their beautiful surroundings and the stillness of the evening. Finally, Clark broke the comfortable silence. "Are you cold?" Lois smiled softly and shook her head. "No," she answered quietly, as if speaking above a whisper might disrupt the mood. "I'm perfect, the evening's perfect...I can't possibly imagine things being any better. You couldn't top this evening if you tried." Clark knew he'd just been given the perfect opportunity. He slipped his arm from around her and moved back a little. "Well, that sounds like a dare, if I've heard one," he told her with a smile. "Let's see what I can do about that." Lois watched him curiously as he slid from the swing and dropped down onto one knee in front of her. Then, in shock and disbelief, she watched him pull out a tiny velvet box from his coat pocket and lift the lid. She gasped when she saw the sparkling diamond within, and immediately her eyes filled her tears. She put a shaking hand to her mouth and looked up into Clark's eyes. "Lois," he began, his voice rich and deep. "I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?" Swallowing the lump in her throat, she finally found her voice. "Yes!" she exclaimed, her voice breaking with emotion. In a rush, Clark let out the breath he hadn't even known he was holding. Overjoyed, he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her deeply, telling her without words how happy he was and how special she was to him. When he finally released her, they were both breathless and deliriously happy. Tearing his eyes away from Lois', he glanced down at the ring box still clutched in his hand. Carefully, he removed the ring and dropped the now empty box back into his coat pocket. Then he looked back up at Lois, their eyes meeting for a moment before he reached for her hand. Her cheeks flushed with pleasure as he took her delicate fingers in his strong ones and slipped the ring onto her finger. She stared down at the ring on her hand, admiring the way it glimmered in the subdued lighting of the gardens. "I can't believe you did this!" she exclaimed, looking back up into Clark's eyes. "How long have you been planning this?" He returned her brilliant smile with one of his own. "For a few weeks now. I've had the ring for a while, but I have to admit, I was pretty nervous about asking you." "Oh, Clark," she breathed, lifting her hand and placing it gently on his cheek. "You shouldn't have been nervous. There's no way I would've turned you down." She looked down at the ground and continued haltingly. "Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to meet the one special man who would take me by surprise and sweep me off my feet. But then I had all those disastrous relationships, and I ended up completely writing off men." She laughed a little. But then she looked back up at him, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "Then you came into my life and proved to me that such a man could really exist, one who could love me as much as I love him." Clark felt a lump rise in his throat. "And he does," he insisted. "He...*I* love you more than you could ever know." A single tear spilled down Lois' cheek. "I love you, too, Clark," she said, her voice filled with emotion. Clark reached out to cup her cheek in his hand, tenderly wiping the tear away with his thumb. Then he leaned toward her, sharing a kiss that was tender, loving, and passionate, and held promises of wonderful things yet to come. When they finally made their way out of the gardens and returned to the car, Clark helped Lois into the passenger side, then hurried around and climbed behind the steering wheel. He glanced over at Lois and noticed with a smile that she was holding her hand up to better see the ring adorning her finger. She caught his eye and grinned. "I would never have pictured you as the romantic type. But I can tell there are still things about you that I need to learn." She leaned over to kiss him tenderly. Clark kissed her back, but the earlier excitement he'd felt had somewhat dissipated. Yes, he'd proposed and she'd accepted. But the big test was yet to come. When they got her back to her apartment, he was going to tell her the truth. ********** Lois unlocked the door to her apartment, turning to smile at Clark as she pushed open the door and went through. Clark did his best to calm the butterflies in his stomach as the door closed behind him. Lois slipped her coat off and draped it over the back of the sofa, then returned to Clark's side. "Are you going to stay for a while?" she asked, slipping her arms around his waist. She smiled playfully and took the lapels of his suit jacket in her hands. "I can make it worth your while." To prove what she meant, she stood on tiptoes and pressed several light, flirtatious kisses against his jawline. Clark closed his eyes, fighting the waves of pleasure that threatened to overcome him. *Be strong,* he told himself. *You can't let yourself get distracted.* But his determination was quickly waning with the mind-numbing kisses of his fiancee. *Fiancee.* Clark's eyes flew open. The realization of what he'd done and what he had to do struck him. He couldn't let another day go by without telling her about himself, especially now that they were engaged and he knew she loved him for who he really was. He moved his hands from Lois' waist and slid them to her shoulders, pushing her away gently. "Lois, we need to talk about something." "Of course we need to talk!" she exclaimed. "We're getting married! There are a ton of things to talk about." She gave him another quick kiss before turning and going into the kitchen. "Do you want something to drink?" "Yeah, sure," he sighed, coming the rest of the way into the living room and sinking down onto the sofa. This wasn't going to be easy. With all the excitement of the evening, Lois had obviously forgotten about their earlier conversation at the Planet when he'd said that he'd wanted to talk with her about the one thing that was keeping him from being intimate with her. Lois returned a minute later with two sodas. "Sorry, but this is all I have," she apologized as she handed one of them to Clark. "I haven't gotten to my grocery shopping yet." Clark grinned. "Why doesn't that surprise me?" Lois rolled her eyes as she dropped onto his lap. Then she held her can of soda up and asked, "Do you think we'd jinx things if we toast our engagement with cream soda?" Clark's smile softened. "No way," he insisted. "Everything's going to be perfect." "Then, here's to us," she toasted. "To us." They clinked their soda cans together, laughing as they did. Lois noticed, though, that Clark's smile seemed a bit strained. But as quickly as the thought came, she pushed it away, writing it off as pre-wedding jitters. Her eyes automatically wandered over to the answering machine on the table next to the sofa, and the blinking red light caught her eye. Carefully, she leaned across Clark and pressed the 'play' button. An unfamiliar, raspy male voice came through the speakers. "Word's out on the street that you're looking for information about Everett Price. If you want to know what I know, come to the old warehouse on ninth and Oxford at eleven o'clock." There was a loud click, and then the answering machine was silent. Lois sat in stunned silence for a moment, then she quickly glanced down at her watch. "Hey, that's still a half hour from now! We can make it if we hurry!" Feeling the familiar rush of adrenaline, she hastily set her soda on the end table, sloshing some of the drink over the edge. Then she jumped up from Clark's lap and hurried towards her bedroom. "Let me just change my clothes and I'll be ready to go." Clark stared at Lois' retreating figure, his mouth open in disbelief. "Lois, you're not seriously considering going, are you? It could be a trap!" The sound of drawers opening and shutting came from the bedroom, and a minute later Lois came hobbling out of her bedroom in sweats and a T-shirt, trying unsuccessfully to put on a sneaker as she half-walked, half-ran into the front room. The familiar unsettling feeling that he always got whenever Lois went rushing blindly into a story came over him. He wasn't sure if it was his intuition, or if it was just the realization that this was now his fianc‚ who was taking the risk, but he didn't like this one bit. "Why don't *I* just go?" Clark suggested as Lois dropped into a nearby chair and fumbled with her shoelaces. "I can check out this tip while you stay here." Lois looked up from her shoe and gave him an indignant look. "Excuse me? We're partners, remember? That means *we* do the investigating *together*." Then, with a smile, she held up her left hand for him to see the shiny ring adorning her finger. "Besides, we'll soon be partners in other areas, too, so you may as well get used to it." He had to laugh in spite of himself. He stood up and walked over to her. Sitting on the arm of her chair, he lifted her hand to his lips, kissing the ring on her hand tenderly. "There's nothing I'd love more." **************** In spite of his better judgement, Clark agreed to let Lois accompany him to the old, deserted warehouse. When they pulled up in front of the crumbling building, Clark tried one more time to convince Lois to let him go in alone. "Not on your life," she argued firmly, stepping out of the car. "I want to find out as badly as you do what Price is up to, and so far this is our only lead." Clark sighed as he got out of the car and caught up to Lois halfway across the street. He reached out and grabbed her shoulder before she could enter the building. "At least let me go first," Clark whispered in frustration. "Let me see if there's anything suspicious inside." Lois stepped back from the door, though her expression clearly told him she was not happy at being told what to do. "Fine," she shrugged. "You go first." Clark gave her a stern look. "You wait here." When she saw that he was waiting for her to respond, she raised her eyebrows and shrugged again. "Yes! Okay! I get it," she answered, obviously miffed. Clark creaked open the door and stepped inside. With a quick glance back to make sure Lois wasn't watching, he lowered his glasses and hastily scanned the building. His face creased into a frown. Half of the building's inner walls were covered with peeling lead-paint, making it virtually impossible for him to check it out as thoroughly as he wanted to. Suddenly, something bumped up against him, making him jump. Hastily pushing his glasses back up on his nose, he spun around and saw that Lois had come through the door and was now standing next to him. He rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Lois, you never listen!" he scolded in a stage whisper. "I told you to wait outside!" "This is my story, too!" Lois shot back. "I'm not going to stand outside waiting all night while you...." "Well, well, well, isn't this cozy," a voice leered, interrupting their argument. Their heads jerked in the direction of the voice, and Lois gasped when she saw the large, burly man step out from the shadows with a revolver trained on them. Recognizing the man from his mug shot, Clark automatically took a step in front of Lois, putting his body between hers and the man. "Karl Hendricks, I presume?" The man nodded. "You presume right. Now, if you'll both please step over here, I believe we have some business to discuss." Lois and Clark exchanged a nervous glance, then reluctantly moved in the direction Hendricks indicated. Clark made sure that he kept himself between Lois and Hendricks, not wanting to risk the possibility of her getting shot. They were ushered toward the back of the warehouse and into a large, dimly lit room that was about the size of a basketball court and littered with old machinery. Then, with his gun still leveled at them, Hendricks picked up a couple of lengths of rope and roughly began tying them to separate support beams about ten feet apart. Clark, unwilling to do something that would reveal himself as Superman to their captor, and knowing he could still get to Lois in a heartbeat if he needed to, went ahead and played helpless as his wrists were tied behind him and around the steel column. "That should hold you," Hendricks muttered in satisfaction as he stepped away from them. "Now don't you two try anything funny before the boss gets here." As he walked across the room and began to rummage through the contents of a large green duffel bag, Lois looked anxiously at Clark. "The boss?" she whispered. Clark shrugged, feeling a bit anxious himself. "Any bet he means Price?" Lois sighed, then began to work her hands against her restraints. "Maybe if I can slip out of these ropes...." "Lois, what are you doing?" he whispered fiercely. He gestured with his head in Hendricks' direction. "He's got a gun!" She glared at him. "So that means I should just stand here and wait for him to shoot us? I don't think so. Besides," she went on. "Superman will save us. He always does." "Now *that's* something we need to talk about," Clark muttered sarcastically. Lois leveled a hard stare at him. "And just what is that supposed to mean?" Before Clark could respond, a new, yet familiar voice reached their ears. "Well, what have we here?" Lois and Clark immediately stopped talking and turned to see Everett Price coming into the room. His smile showed that he was obviously very pleased with himself. "Everett Price," Lois said in disdain, her lip curling in disgust. "What do you think you're doing? What do you want from us?" He smiled smugly, making a clicking noise with his tongue. "So many questions, Lois Lane, star reporter." His smile turned into an angry frown. "Because of your annoying questions, you and this partner of yours sent me to prison, a place I vowed I would never go." "You sent yourself to prison, Price," Clark snapped, successfully drawing the man's attention to him and stopping the man's advance toward Lois. "Oh, is that the way you see it, Mr. Kent?" he glowered. "Well, the way I see it, if you and Ms. Lane hadn't stuck your nose in where it didn't belong, I'd still be a free man." He turned to Hendricks, who had come to stand beside him. "Isn't that right, Karl?" Karl nodded gruffly. "That's right." Price turned his attention back to his captives. Directing a leering smile at Lois, he said, "But don't worry your pretty little head, Ms. Lane. It's not you or your partner I'm after. You're both just a convenient way to lure that stupid superhero to me. He was the one who saw to it that there was enough evidence to convict me, so he's the one I have the bone to pick with." He turned to Hendricks. "Let me know when our boy has arrived." Then, with one last infuriating smirk at Lois and Clark, he left the room. It was quiet for a long minute as the three stared at each other. With a quick surveying glance, Lois noticed that Hendricks had tucked his gun into the waistband of his jeans. As inconspicuously as possible, she twisted her hands in the ropes, trying to create enough slack for her to be able to work herself loose. Lois decided a distraction was in order if she were to successfully distract the man while she fidgeted with her ropes. "So, when Superman *does* get here," she asked, her voice laced with sarcasm, "what are you going to do? Shoot him?" "Lois," Clark cautioned quietly, giving her a stern warning glance that she knew meant 'don't provoke him'. Choosing to ignore it, she looked back at Hendricks, who laughed cynically. "We don't *need* to shoot him, Ms. Lane," he scoffed, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small metallic box. "We have this." He started to open the lid, and immediately Clark felt a wave of pain sweep over him. Not noticing Clark's discomfort, Hendricks continued, looking at its contents proudly. "It's our little ace in the hole for our plans to destroy Superman." Lois eyes grew wide as she recognized the familiar green glow emanating from the rock inside the box. Instantly, a feeling of panic set in as she realized the gravity of their situation. 'If Superman *does* try to rescue us, he could be killed!' she thought anxiously. A sudden movement to her left caused her to look over in Clark's direction, and what she saw made her heart leap into her throat. Clark's face was pinched with pain, and, as Lois watched helplessly, he doubled over in pain and dropped to his knees, somehow having managed to work himself free from his ropes. "Clark!" she cried out, fighting unsuccessfully against her own restraints. "Clark, what's the matter?!" In a surge of panic, she turned to Hendricks, who was looking as confused as she was. "Can't you see that something's wrong?" she yelled, frightened tears gathering in her eyes. "Please help him!" Unnerved at the prospect of being blamed for something happening to his partner's hostages while they were under his surveillance, he took a hasty step forward. Almost immediately, Clark cried out in agony and rolled over onto his side. With her heart in her throat, she watched in shock and confusion as Clark writhed in pain on the hard cement floor, his agony only seeming to increase with each advancing step of their captor. Her mind worked furiously, trying to figure out what could possibly be wrong with Clark. Other than being tied up, nobody had done so much as to lay a hand on him since they'd arrived, so that couldn't be the problem. But it was apparent from his clenched teeth and agonizing cries that he was in serious pain. Tears filled her eyes at the thought of losing her partner, best friend, and, as of tonight, her *fiance*. She struggled once again to get free from her ropes as the tears started to spill down her cheeks. "Hendricks, what are you doing?" she yelled at her captor. "Something's wrong! Go get some help!" Hendricks stopped his advancement, looking nervous. Without taking his eyes from Clark's writhing body, he took a step backward, obviously trying to decide if he should go for help. When he did, Lois noticed that Clark's constricted muscles relaxed slightly. Confused, she looked from Clark to the glowing rock in Hendricks' hand, then back again. Then her eyes grew wide with sudden realization and she gasped as things began to fall into place. Clark was Superman! The room started to spin crazily and the blood drained from her face. Instantly, everything began to make sense: all those times when Clark had made a hasty retreat whenever some crime or disaster was taking place, all those ridiculous excuses, and most of all, why she'd never seen the two men together. But before she had time to sort out the flood of emotions that threatened to overwhelm her, a loud shout brought things around her back into focus. She saw that once again Hendricks was moving toward Clark, causing Clark's tormented cries to fill the air. "Stop!" Lois shouted frantically, finally understanding what was happening. "Get away from him! You're killing him!" Hendricks' face reflected his utter confusion, but at least Lois' shouts caused him to stop his advance towards Clark's crumpled form. Lois knew that it wasn't going to be enough, though. From her past experiences dealing with Superman and Kryptonite, she knew she had to get the Kryptonite as far away from Clark as possible. She twisted and turned her hands frantically within her ropes, and then with one last painful yank, she freed herself and bolted forward. Before Hendricks knew what was happening, she had lunged for the glowing rock in his hands, succeeding in knocking it to the ground. Lois bent over to make a quick grab for it, but was immediately tackled and forced roughly to the ground. In the next instant, Hendricks was on top of her, pinning her against the cold cement floor. Knowing that Clark's life depended on her ability to get rid of the Kryptonite, she fought her captor for all she was worth. She yanked and pulled as she struggled to free her hands from his grasp, but her struggles were no match for the brute strength of the large, burly man. Then suddenly Lois' Tai Chi training took over and she brought one knee up swiftly, kneeing the man in the groin. With a strangled cry, Hendricks released her hands and rolled off of her and fell to the ground, moaning in anguish. Lois leapt to her feet and grabbed the Kryptonite that now lay unnoticed on the floor a few feet away from her moaning and writhing captor. Once she had it in her hand, she quickly turned and scanned the room, trying to decide where and how to get rid of the lethal rock. Just then Everett Price rushed in, clearly trying to determine what the commotion was all about. His eyes went from Lois, who was still standing in the middle of the room, to his partner, who was still lying on the floor gasping for breath. "What's going on here?!" Price hollered. Finally, Hendricks was able to pull himself up on one knee and gestured in Lois' direction. "She's got the Kryptonite!" Price's eyes grew wide. "Well, don't just sit there! Do something!" Lois glanced quickly at Clark, noticing that he'd recovered at least enough to push himself up off the ground slightly with his arms. He was watching her with a pained, yet extremely worried expression. Suddenly, his stare shifted over to Hendricks and his eyes grew wide with shock. Lois followed his gaze, turning back just in time to see Hendricks reaching for his gun. "Lois, run!" Clark shouted frantically, trying unsuccessfully to get to his feet. Almost as if in slow motion, he watched Lois turn to run just as Hendricks lifted his gun and leveled it at her retreating figure. Clark watched in horrible realization as he saw the man's finger tighten on the trigger. "Noooooo!" Clark yelled helplessly, knowing he was still far too weak from the Kryptonite exposure to prevent the inevitable from happening. Fear gripped his heart as he saw Hendricks pull the trigger, and the sound of the bullet being fired from the barrel of the gun made him physically sick to his stomach. Unable to do anything but watch in sickening terror, he saw the bullet rocket toward Lois. Lois heard Clark's anguished cries at the same moment she heard the shot fired. Almost instantaneously she felt the bullet slam into her back, followed by a searing, burning pain in her right side. An overwhelming dizziness encompassed her, and her legs gave out, causing her to fall forward and collapse onto the hard cement floor. "Lois!" Clark yelled in agony as he stared through tear-filled eyes at her motionless form. Once again he tried to get to his feet, but after only one awkward, lurching step, he fell back to the ground. A shout from Price caused Clark to turn, and he saw that Price was starting to run toward Lois. With a quick glance in her direction, he saw what the man was after. The Kryptonite had been jarred from Lois' hand and had rolled a couple of feet away from her. And now Price was going after it. By sheer willpower alone, Clark made a diving lunge for Price's feet, succeeding in sending the man sprawling. Price took a swing at Clark, but missed him as Clark barely managed to avoid the man's fist. As the two men continued their scuffle, Lois' consciousness began to return. In a daze, she opened her eyes slowly and blinked a couple of times, trying to clear her blurred vision. The sound of the fired shot was still resonating in her ears, and, in a state of shock, she realized what had just happened. An almost overwhelming feeling of panic begin to ebb up inside of her, and she closed her eyes again, trying to listen to her body...trying to decide how badly she'd been hurt. But the shock of what had just happened seemed to have taken over all her senses. 'I don't want to die!' she screamed silently. 'I can't die. Clark needs me as much as I need him. Come on, Lois, get up! You're probably imagining it worse than it is....' Forcing herself to move, she started to lift her cheek off the hard, cold, cement floor, but the bullet's stabbing pain immediately made her rethink her efforts. She dropped her cheek back onto the cement, clenching her jaw and shutting her eyes tightly as she tried to stave off the darkness that was threatening to reclaim her. But she found that it was almost impossible to concentrate on anything except the excruciating pain radiating from her back where the bullet had ripped into her. A moment later, she heard Clark yell from somewhere behind her. The sounds of a scuffle that he seemed to be involved in immediately brought everything rushing back. Her eyes flew open. 'The Kryptonite!' her mind screamed out. 'I've got to get rid of the Kryptonite.' Forcing her eyes to focus, she noticed in a haze that the Kryptonite was lying a few feet in front of her, and that it was only inches away from a large, metal sewage grate. Knowing what she had to do, she forced herself to block out the pain and raise herself up off the ground. She did her best to ignore the screaming pains in her muscles as she lurched forward, bringing herself almost within arm's reach of the Kryptonite. The sound of footsteps running toward her made her realize she didn't have much time. So, mustering every ounce of strength she had left, she made a final, desperate lunge for the glowing rock. Her fingers touched the smooth surface of the rock, and she quickly grabbed it and inched it toward the large slatted openings in the grate. When the chunk of Kryptonite was sitting on top of the slats, she realized in a panic that the metal slats of the grate were closer together than she'd thought. She shoved the rock down between the slats as best she could, working it back and forth in able to help it get through. Then, with one final effort, she pounded the rock with her fist, forcing it the rest of the way through the slats. The blow did the trick, and Lois heaved an inward sigh of relief as the rock slipped through the metal bars and dropped the dozen or so feet into the sewer system below. Completely spent and in excruciating pain, Lois collapsed back onto the cement floor, only vaguely aware of the arrival of her captors. They dropped to the ground next to the grate, ignoring her completely as they peered through the metal slats. "The Kryptonite! It's gone! I can't believe this!" Price shouted in anger and dismay. Just then the sound of approaching sirens filled the building. "The police!" one of them exclaimed. "Let's go!" Price made a dash for the back door of the warehouse, but Hendricks, not thinking clearly, ran out the front. His escape was immediately cut off by several police cars. Clark heard a series of shots fired, and suspected that Hendricks had panicked and decided to fight rather than surrender. Turning his attention back to Lois, Clark weakly pushed himself up on unsteady legs and half-walked, half-stumbled his way over to where she lay. With tears streaming down his cheeks, he dropped to his knees beside her. "Lois!" he managed to choke out. He reached out to touch her shoulder with a shaking hand, his heart in his throat. He quickly looked her over to determine how badly she was hurt, and almost immediately noticed the large, dark spot of blood forming on her T-shirt where the bullet had hit. Clark, nearly overcome by waves of guilt, wished desperately that he could pick her up and fly her to the hospital, but he knew he was still too weak to do that. Instead, he silently willed the ambulance to hurry. "Lois," he repeated, grabbing her hand in both of his and holding it to his chest. "Can you hear me?" A wave of relief flooded through him when he saw her eyelids flicker, and then open at the sound of his voice. "Clark," she responded softly, her voice sounding tiny and strained. She opened her mouth to say more, but she grimaced with sudden pain. "Sssh, Lois. Don't try to talk," he told her softly. "I'm here. I'm right here." She shook her head slightly and swallowed noisily. Opening her mouth, she tried again. "Clark," she whispered hoarsely, a single tear escaping and sliding down her cheek. "Why didn't you tell me?" Clark felt as if a hand was clutching at his throat, and he could barely get the words out. "I guess I was afraid, Lois," he admitted in a choked voice. "I was afraid I might lose you if I told you the truth." But then the shock of his own words struck him. 'You might lose her now, anyway,' a small, scared voice inside of him pointed out. Lois felt Clark's hand gripping hers, and she tried to focus on that instead of the overwhelming pain that threatened to drag her into the looming darkness. The sound of an approaching ambulance siren gave her hope, and she struggled to keep her eyes open. But she knew she wasn't going to be able to stay conscious for much longer. Clark felt her grip on his hand weaken, and in desperation he scooted even closer to her, talking constantly to try to keep her awake. "Come on, Lois, stay with me. The paramedics are on their way. You've got to stay awake." She heard him talking, but his voice sounding increasingly far away, as if it were coming from the end of a long, dark tunnel. Finally, unable to resist it any longer, she gave in to the darkness and let it overtake her. A knot formed in Clark's stomach when he saw Lois' eyes start to glaze over, and her eyelids began to droop. "Lois!" he yelled desperately. "Lois, don't you leave me!" He clung to her, hoping beyond hope that he could transfer some of his life force to her, anything that he could do to keep her alive. But even as he held her, her body went limp in his arms. "Lois, nooo!" Seconds later, Clark felt his hands pushed roughly aside by the arriving paramedics and he was forced away from her as they moved in to go to work on her. Tears streamed unashamedly down his face as he sat outside the circle of the EMT's, feeling as if his world was crumbling down around him. He barely noticed when a paramedic dropped to the ground beside him, asking him questions and trying to assess his condition. Too occupied with watching what was happening with Lois, Clark pushed him away, insisting that he was okay. A blanket was thrown around his shoulders, and he was allowed to stay where he was, sitting back and watching helplessly as the paramedics slipped an oxygen mask over Lois' nose and mouth and simultaneously applied pressure to her wounds to try to stop the bleeding. An I.V. was hooked up to her, and it seemed like an eternity before she was finally lifted onto a stretcher and wheeled quickly toward the waiting ambulance. Clark was helped to his feet, and he stumbled along after the paramedics, waiting for them to load her stretcher into the ambulance before scrambling up into the vehicle after them. As they sped off toward the hospital, Clark felt lost and alone as he watched the paramedics continue to work on her, his face tired and drawn as he hunched over beneath the thin blanket, as if protecting himself from the cold. Minutes later, the ambulance screeched to a halt in front of the hospital, and the back doors were thrown open. There was a scramble of people as they jumped out of the vehicle and brought Lois out on her stretcher, calling out instructions as they rushed her into the emergency room. It was all Clark could do in his weakened condition to keep up with them, and he found himself panting from exertion when they finally stopped inside. Almost immediately, a handful of doctors and nurses rushed over and begin to assess her condition. Before Clark could completely catch his breath, they whisked Lois off down the hall and into one of the rooms for further evaluation. Clark tried to follow them in through the double doors of the room, but one of the doctors put a hand on his chest. "Sir, you can't come in here," the doctor said quickly, preventing him from entering. "But she's my fiancee!" Clark shouted, quickly losing his grip on his emotions. "I need to stay with her...." The doctor hastily interrupted him. "Sir, we can't help her if you don't let us do our job. Please, if you'd just wait down the hall in the waiting room, we'll let you know how she is as soon as we can." Then, before Clark could respond, the room's windowed doors swung shut in front of him, separating him from Lois. It made him feel as if a door had just been slammed shut on his life. Through the windows, he watched helplessly as the medical crew worked quickly, almost frantically, on Lois for a few minutes. But then his emotions overtook him, and he knew he couldn't watch any longer. 'I can't do this,' he thought in desperation. 'I just can't. I need to get some help.' Staggering away from the doors, he managed to reach the pay phone at the end of the hall. With shaking fingers, he thumbed through the pages in the attached phone book until he found the number he was looking for. Then he fumbled for some change in his pocket, inserted a few coins into the slot and dialed. A sleepy voice answered on the third ring. "Hullo?" Clark tried to speak, but only a choked sound emerged. He cleared his throat hoarsely and tried again. "Can I speak to Martha or Jonathan Kent, please?" he managed weakly. "It's an emergency." Several moments passed before he heard his mother's anxious voice. "Hello?" "Mom?" "Clark?" Martha asked, suddenly sounding wide-awake and very distraught. "What is it? What's wrong?" Clark felt the tears come once again. "Mom, can you and Dad come down to Metropolis General Hospital right away?" he asked, his voice strained and barely above a whisper. "I need you to come...." Martha's voice rose, and Clark could tell she was becoming frantic. "Clark, are you sick? What's the matter?" "No, it's not me," he explained, trying to keep his voice from breaking. "It's Lois. She's been shot--" He heard his mom gasp. "Clark, no! Is she okay?" He swallowed, then went on, "Mom, I--I don't know...." In the background, he heard his mom relay his words to his father, and then his dad's voice come over the line. "Clark, you just stay where you're at, son. We're on our way." Then his dad hung up. Not trusting his legs for one more second, he replaced the phone and then slumped onto the cushioned bench next to it. His head fell back against the wall and he closed his eyes, wishing with all his heart that when he opened them, he would find out that this had all been just a horrible, terrible dream. He stayed that way for several minutes, searching inwardly for strength to get him through this. But then a commotion down the hall made his head snap back up and he saw that the doctors were wheeling Lois out of the room and into the elevator across the hall. He scrambled to his feet and hurried toward them, but the elevator doors had shut before he could reach them. He must've looked pretty panicked because the doctor he'd talked to a short time ago came over to him and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Did you say you were her fiance?" the doctor asked him. Clark nodded. "Where are they taking her? Is she okay?" "We don't know yet," the doctor told him truthfully. "There was no exit wound, so we know the bullet's still inside. It's caused some internal bleeding, so she's heading to O.R. right now for surgery. There the surgeons will be able to remove the bullet and determine what kind of damage it did. Other than that, I don't have a lot of answers for you, I'm sorry to say. The best thing I can tell you to do is stay positive and wait until we have more information for you." The doctor patted his shoulder sympathetically and then went back to work, leaving Clark alone with his fears. With a shuddering sigh, Clark decided to head up to the O.R. and wait there. A half-hour later, a very harried Martha and Jonathan rushed off the elevator and over to the O.R. nurses' station. "Excuse me," Martha spoke anxiously to the nurse behind the desk. "I'm trying to find Clark Kent. We were told downstairs that his fiancee is in surgery...." Jonathan interrupted her with a hand on her arm, and she looked up to see that he'd spotted Clark coming toward them. With a huge sigh and a quick 'thank you' to the nurse, she hurried over to her son and threw her arms around him in a supportive hug. When she pulled back, she took a good look at her son, taking in his pale skin, drawn features, and lifeless, red-rimmed eyes and immediately began to fuss over him. "Oh, Clark, honey, let's get you to a chair. You look like you're about to fall over any second." Jonathan helped her guide him to the nearest chair and lowered him into it. Then they sat on either side of him and put their arms around him comfortingly. "So how is she?" Martha asked finally. Clark shrugged dismally. "I don't know. They rushed her into surgery soon after she got here. They said she had some internal bleeding and that they needed to remove the bullet, but other than that, nobody's told me anything." There was a long pause as Clark tried to compose himself. But then the floodgates opened, and they watched as he visibly began to fall apart before their eyes. "Mom, Dad, I just...I can't go on living without Lois. I don't know how I'd go on...." He broke off, dissolving into uncontrollable sobs. Martha drew him to her, tucking his head under her chin and holding him tightly as he sobbed. Jonathan put his arms around him, too, and together they did their best to comfort him and let him know that they were there for him. When his tears finally dissolved into shuddering sighs a while later, he sat up and wiped at his tear-soaked cheeks. "Now, before any of us jump to conclusions," Martha stated, taking control of the situation. "We should go and find out how Lois is doing." "I'll go," Jonathan spoke up. "I'll be back in a minute." He rose to his feet and hurried over to the nurses' station across the hall. Barely noticing his dad get up, Clark leaned over and put his elbows on his knees, then buried his face in his hands. Martha reached over to rub his back gently. "Clark, can you tell me more about what happened?" she asked quietly. "Can you tell me how Lois got shot?" Clark started to tell her the story haltingly, including how he'd been exposed to the Kryptonite, which led to Lois finding out about his other identity. Martha cringed at this, but remained silent as continued. When he got to the part about how Lois had been shot, his voice became hushed, and she had to strain to hear him. "Mom, I keep seeing her there, lying so still on the cement floor. And then when I got to her, I saw the blood all over her...." Clark's voice trailed off and he choked back a sob. Then in a strangled whisper, he finished, "I just can't get it out of my head." His mom reached out to place her hand on his cheek. "I know, Clark," she told him quietly. "It must've been horrible." Clark was quiet for a long minute before he spoke again. When he did, he couldn't bring himself to look into his mom's eyes. "You know what's even worse? I keep going over and over it in my head, trying to think of what I could've done differently, how I could have prevented her from getting shot. I feel like this is all my fault." "Clark, don't you dare think like that!" Martha responded immediately, forcing him to look at her. "This is *not* your fault, and I won't let you blame yourself for it! Yes, it's a horrible thing to have happen, but you can't keep blaming yourself every time somebody gets hurt. Do you understand me?" Surprised at the forcefulness in her tone, Clark nodded. "Good," Martha said, her voice softer this time. She reached out and squeezed his hand. "Have you tried to call Lois' parents?" "I tried, but all I got was the answering machine," he explained. "And this wasn't exactly the kind of message I wanted to leave, so I'll just try them again later." Just then Jonathan returned. "The nurse checked for us, and she said that Lois is still in surgery. But her surgeon said to tell us it looked as though she was going to be okay." Clark nearly wilted with relief. Just knowing that Lois was going to pull through was enough to make the rest of the wait bearable. Some two hours later, a doctor, still wearing his scrubs, approached them. Clark stood up anxiously, immediately asking to know what Lois' condition was. "Everything went well," the doctor told them. "Fortunately, the bullet went in cleanly and didn't do as much damage as it could have. As it is, it caused some internal bleeding, but it wasn't so bad that it caused any irreparable damage. So, other than some stitches and bruising, she should be back to normal before you know it." Clark closed his eyes against the tears of relief and muttered a silent 'thank you' in the direction of the heavens to Whomever might be listening from above. Jonathan spoke up. "Can we see her?" The doctor hesitated. "Well, she's just been wheeled into recovery. I'd like to monitor her for a little while longer, and then we'll move her into a private room where you can see her. Okay?" They all nodded, relieved to know that everything was going to be okay. They stayed in the waiting room for what seemed like forever before they were finally approached by one of the nurses. "Are you here for Ms. Lane?" Clark nodded. "Yes. I'm her fiance, Clark Kent, and these are my parents. Is Lois okay? Can we see her?" The nurse smiled patiently at him. "Her doctor has okayed some visiting time, but only for a brief duration. She's just coming out of the anesthetic, and she'll probably be tired and groggy, and will need to get some sleep very shortly." Promising to keep their visit short, the nurse told them what room number she was in and pointed them down a long hallway. When they reached Lois' room, Clark slowly opened the heavy door and they slipped inside. Lois was lying motionlessly in the bed, her eyes closed and her breathing even. Clark took a couple of silent steps toward her. "Is she awake?" his mom asked in a whisper. Clark shook his head. "I don't know." He walked to her side and lowered himself into the chair beside her. Taking her hand in his, he called her name softly. "Lois?" He felt her hand twitch, but her eyes remained shut, her breathing unchanged. He turned slightly to his parents, who remained a step behind him. "She's still asleep," Clark whispered. Deciding not to wake her up, he sat by her quietly and held her hand. He looked down at the white tape on the back of her hand that held her IV needle in place and ran his thumb over it lightly. It was then that he also noticed the painful looking red marks around her wrists where her skin had been rubbed raw from her desperate attempt to pull her hands out of her ropes. Seeing the ugly marks on her wrists and realizing that she was lying in a hospital bed after coming out of intensive surgery caused a fresh wave of guilt to sweep through him. The familiar, gut-wrenching feeling that filled him whenever he couldn't get to somebody when they were in trouble was now intensified almost to the point of being physically painful. This time, it had been *Lois* who had gotten hurt. In his mind, he replayed the horrible scene over and over again until he'd exhausted himself mentally. He hated living with the "Maybe I could've..." or "What if I had..." thoughts that encompassed him. But the self-inflicted torment seemed so useless. The bottom line was, he couldn't go back and change things, even if he wanted to. With a troubled sigh, he reached up and brushed a lock of dark hair from Lois' forehead, letting his fingertips trail gently down her cheek and finally come to a rest on the creamy skin of her throat. He could feel the warmth of her skin and the steady pulse under his hand, reassuring him that, no matter what had happened, she was alive. But suddenly his other concerns flooded to the forefront of his mind. Lois knew that he was Superman. Yes, he'd wanted her to know, but this hadn't been the way he'd wanted her to find out. He couldn't help feeling angry with himself that he'd allowed something like this to happen. 'If only I'd told her weeks ago when I was going to,' he berated himself. 'Things might have been easier.' It made him wonder how things were going to be between them now that she'd found out the hard way. Knowing Lois the way he did, he was sure he was in for a rocky couple of days. The silence in the room was interrupted when the door swung open. Clark looked up to see a policeman standing in the doorway. "Is one of you Clark Kent?" he asked quietly. Clark nodded at him. "I am." The policeman gestured toward the hallway. "Can I ask you a few questions about what happened at the warehouse?" Clark nodded again, rising to his feet. Carefully, he placed Lois' hand back on the bed and then turned to his parents. His mom read his question before he even asked it. "You go ahead. We'll stay here with Lois. If she wakes up, we'll let you know." ********** Shapes and colors floating, weightlessly drifting past; dim lights shining somewhere in the distance; smatterings of colors; the low, distant rumblings of undetermined sounds; an awareness of her body that wasn't there before; the distant memory of an unpleasant situation. The shapes, sights and sounds began to draw themselves together as if being pulled by a gravitational force, slowly forming a dim picture around her: someone yelling, luminescent greens, a loud rocket. Desperate to grasp onto something to pull her from the blackness, she set the images in motion. The darkness formed a shadowy silhouette, writhing in pain. With each step that the robed beast of the darkness took, the shape on the floor faded until, finally, it was gone altogether. In a silent, victorious gesture, the robed figure stood triumphantly over the puddled blur, holding the glowing item above his head, shouting his conquering cries into the gusting wind. The gusts became a rushing, roaring wind that drowned out the beast's words. Pieces of the vision began to rip away, and she suddenly felt herself being hurtled through the maze of darkness. Awareness began to come, and the beginnings of dawn lurked ahead. She fought her way toward the ever-increasing light, following the sounds that lie in wait. The low rumblings became clearer and more distinct as she drew closer. One by one, she found herself being able to pick them out: subdued beeping, faint murmurings, low voices...her name. "Lois? Lois, can you hear me?" Her eyelids fluttered open and she turned toward the sound of the voice. Confused and dazed, she saw two familiar figures hovering over her. "Martha? Jonathan?" she whispered questioningly, her voice sounding gravelly and unused. Her gaze moved to take in her surroundings. "What happened? Where am I?" "You're in the hospital, Lois. How are you feeling?" She closed her eyes and swallowed noisily. "Tired," she admitted groggily. "It's probably the medication," Martha reassured her, rubbing her arm lightly. "You've been through a lot, but you're going to be fine." Lois laid quietly for a while, waiting for her head to clear. When she finally began to feel stronger, her eyes begin to roam around the room, and questions began to form in her mind. Something had happened to her. She remembered that much. But what? She searched her mind, but she couldn't seem to get through the grogginess that encompassed her. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to remember. The darkness behind her eyelids brought the events of her dream rushing to the forefront of her mind. Suddenly the shapes and objects became recognizable. The luminescent object became a glowing chunk of Kryptonite, the shadowy silhouette morphed into Clark's writhing body, and the robed beast's face turned out to be that of Hendricks' as he advanced on Clark. Lois' eyes flew open, and instantly fear gripped her heart. *Clark! The Kryptonite!* She struggled to recall the outcome of the events affecting her dreams as well as her reality, but her muddled mind wouldn't produce any answers. In desperation, she turned to see that Clark's parents were still beside her, but when she scanned the rest of the room, she saw that Clark wasn't with them. 'If Clark's parents are here, but he's not, that must mean....' The thought sent her spiraling into a panic. "Clark?!" she cried out frantically, struggling unsuccessfully to right herself in bed. "Where's Clark? What happened? Where is he?" Martha laid a comforting hand on Lois' arm, trying her best to calm her. Lois' color had drained again, and Martha was worried that she was going to overexert herself. "It's okay, sweetie, just relax. Everything's going to be fine." "No, you don't understand!" Lois insisted hoarsely, tears prickling at her eyes. "Clark was exposed to the Kryptonite! I tried to help him, but I must not have gotten rid of it in time...." Martha glanced at Jonathan, feeling helpless to stop Lois' rising hysterics. Jonathan decided to try. He leaned forward, his hand joining Martha's on Lois' arm. "Lois, Clark is fine," he tried to explain. "He's here, he just stepped out for a second to talk to someone." Lois shook her head disbelievingly and rushed on. "No, Clark's gone...I didn't help him in time...." Her voice trailed off and she started to sob weakly. Just then the door opened, and Martha heaved a huge sigh of relief when Clark appeared in the doorway. "Lois!" Lois' head jerked up, and her sobs turned into tears of relief when she saw Clark coming toward her. "Clark! Oh, Clark...you're okay...." Unable to stand seeing her so incoherently desperate, he rushed over to her and, as gently as he could, leaned over her and slid his arms around her shoulders, gathering her into his embrace. He buried his face in her hair and closed his eyes, thankful that he'd been given another chance to hold her in his arms. Lois did her best to wrap her weary arms around his neck and then pulled him tightly to her, wetting his neck with her tears. "Oh, Clark, I thought you were dead," she sobbed into his shoulder. "When I woke up and saw your parents here, but not you...." "Sssh, sssh. Lois, I'm fine. I'm just fine," he soothed, stroking his hand through her hair. "I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere." Moments later, Lois went limp in his arms, completely spent and exhausted. Being careful not to hurt her, he lowered her gently back onto the bed. He took in her red, puffy eyes, her pale complexion, and the groggy look in her eyes still left over from the anesthesia, and again an enormous wave of guilt washed over him. Forcing himself to push his guilt aside, he smiled gently and lifted a hand to smooth her hair back from her forehead. He watched as she visibly relaxed at his touch. "Everything's going to be okay, Lo