Author's Note: Just a fluffy fic for every Clois fan that has been smacked in the face with the god awful Clana crap these past few weeks. I thought I'd offer you a small escape from the angst. Not my best, but it's been pretty hard to think of a plot lately that doesn't involve Clark getting punched in the face :)

In regards to Fortress: I know a lot of you have requested a sequel to my first (and so far only) multi-chaptered fic. I have yet to decide whether or not there will be one. It's not that I don't want to, but you guys were so good to me with that story that I want to give you the very best with that storyline. I don't want anything to be forced. So I am considering it, but I will only do a sequel if inspiration strikes. May take a little time though; as you may imagine, my Clois muse hasn't been with me lately, thanks to recent episodes :(

Cold dinner. That's what you get when you spend the whole evening pulling people out of a burning apartment building. Sure, you get lots of 'thank yous' and 'you've saved our lives', but that didn't change the fact that he had sped home three hours later than he'd intended. Not that Clark Kent regretted taking the time to save all those people; he just wished he hadn't missed time with his family, most of whom were probably in bed by now. He wished fleetingly that he was curled up on his couch with his beautiful wife rather than covered in soot and sneaking into his own home.

Pushing his apartment door open quietly, he slipped inside. A plate of spaghetti sat forgotten on the counter, completely untouched. Clark groaned. He was so dead. Tiptoeing across the kitchen, he made his way towards the hallway.

A sudden weight latched itself onto his back, and Clark felt two arms wrap around his neck. His heart sped up as it always did, and he shivered pleasantly as two lips brushed against his ear.

"I may not be the one with super-hearing, Smallville," the voice teased in a throaty whisper, "but you aren't exactly quiet."

Clark grinned and reached around to pull her into his arms. Lois Lane smiled up at him, her hair waving loosely around her face and her hazel eyes carefree. Clark felt a surge of hope; maybe he wasn't in as much trouble as he thought.

"I'm sorry I'm so late," he said, gently brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes.

Lois shrugged. "It's okay. I saw the news. You were just doing your job."

Clark looked surprised. Since when did Lois Lane ever let him off the hook so easily? He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "So you don't care that I was three hours later than I promised?"

"Well…" Lois grinned mischievously. "There are always compensations, right?"

"Compensations such as…?"

Lois leaned up, slipping her fingers into his wavy hair. Very slowly, she pressed her lips against his. And just like that, Clark forgot about everything else. He forgot that he was three hours late for supper, that he was starving, that he was exhausted, and that he was covered head to toe in ashes. His only focus was on Lois and her soft lips moving in time with his, taking away all his worries.

Lois deepened the kiss, parting his lips with hers. This elicited a groan from Clark, who clutched her tighter. Lois pulled away a moment later and winked at him.

"I'm sure you'll think of something, Clark," she murmured. It wasn't that she was actually upset with Clark for being late; she just knew that it got on his nerves when he thought that she was annoyed with him.

Clark opened his mouth to reply when a sudden thud drifted from up the hall.

Lois looked towards the noise before looking back at Clark. "You should probably go see her first. She's been waiting for you to get home before she goes to sleep."

Clark smiled and dipped down a bit to set her back on her feet. He pressed a quick kiss to her forehead and whispered, "I'll be back in a minute."

Lois smiled as he sped off towards the small purple bedroom.

Clark poked his head inside the room, a grin lighting his face at the sight before him. A pair of tiny, four year old legs was sticking out from underneath a large dresser that was being propped up with one small hand. As quietly as he could, he slipped his fingers under the dresser and used his other hand to hoist the legs into the air beside him.

Clark laughed when the surprised face of his four year old daughter blinked up at him. Her long, dark waves hung straight out from her head, and her wide hazel eyes looked up at him, shocked.

She smiled brilliantly. "Daddy!"

Clark turned her right side up in his arms and hugged her tightly. "Hi sweetie."

The little girl pulled back, looking at his sooty face. "What happened? Did you fight a fire?"

"Well technically the fire fighters fought the fire," Clark said. "I just pulled the people out. Why were you under the dresser, Rachel?"

Rachel opened her palm to reveal a small, shiny ball. "I dropped my lucky marble."

"I see. Shouldn't you be in bed?" he questioned.

Rachel shrugged, her pink lips pouting slightly as she played with the collar of his shirt. "I can't sleep."

Clark poked her stomach. "How can you try if you aren't even in bed?"

She giggled as he carried her over to her bed and set her down. Clark leaned down, planting a kiss on her forehead. "You need to get some rest; it's late. Your brother isn't awake right now."

Rachel scowled. "That's only 'cause he was sent to bed early for setting my bear on fire. On purpose."

As if for proof, she pulled a half charred teddy bear out from underneath her pillow and held it up for Clark. He stifled a laugh. "Well you know; he is just learning to control that particular ability."

Sliding off the bed, Clark made his way over to the doorway to switch off the light.

"Wait!" Rachel sat up, her wide eyes pleading. "Will you tell me a story?"

Clark hesitated, knowing Lois was waiting for him. But there was no way he could resist either of his kids' puppy dog eyes. He crossed the room and sat back down on the edge of the bed. Rachel sidled up beside him, her round face peering up at him expectantly.

"So what story do you want me to tell?" Clark asked. "Rapunzel? Sleeping Beauty?"

Rachel wrinkled her nose. "No, I don't like those stories."

He frowned. "Why not?"

"Because Rapunzel and Sleeping Beauty are boring. They don't do anything. They just sit in their towers and wait to be rescued." Rachel lifted her chin. "Mommy says they were anti-feminist, prissy princesses."

Clark was amused to hear Lois's words coming out of the little girl's mouth, but not surprised. "Yeah, but Mommy was also the one who got you hooked on the Die Hard movies, so her judgment on Disney films isn't exactly reliable. Well, then what story do you want to hear?"

She shrugged. "Why don't you make me one?"

"Make up a story?"

Rachel nodded excitedly. Clark leaned back and sighed thoughtfully.

"Okay. Lay back then."

Rachel complied, waiting for him to start.

"Alright," Clark sucked in a breath. "So, once there was… a farmer. He… lived on a farm."

Rachel snickered until Clark fixed her with a look. She stopped, her face innocent.

"So anyway," he continued, "this farmer was, um, magic. But… he wasn't allowed to tell anyone about his powers."

"Why not?" Rachel interrupted.

"Well, because it was dangerous for people to know about the farmer's magical powers. Because then the evil… prince might try to hurt them." Clark shook his head. He wasn't very good at this. But Rachel didn't seem to mind.

"Did the farmer have any friends?"

"Sure he did. But he was very lonely. No one really understood the farmer, so life was very hard for him." Clark thought for a moment until inspiration struck. "That is until one day, when he met a maiden from a far off kingdom."

"Was she pretty?"

Clark grinned at his daughter. "She was beautiful. Very smart, and funny. She was the daughter of a three star gen – knight. A three star knight."

"Did they become friends?" Rachel asked curiously.

"Not at first. At first the farmer didn't really like the maiden. She was bossy, and pushy. He found her very annoying."

This stumped Rachel. "But… then how did they become friends if she was like that?"

"Well she wasn't just bossy and annoying. She was very caring too. And it wasn't like the maiden liked the farmer very much either. She thought he was annoying too and a bit boring – she didn't know about his magic. She didn't seem to like the way he dressed very much either… But the maiden and the farmer needed each other's help, so they tried to get along as best as they could."

Before she could ask why they needed help, Clark explained, "A friend of both the farmer and the maiden had gone missing, and they both wanted to find her. Eventually, they both rescued their friend and brought her back to the village."

"Did the maiden go back to her kingdom?"

"No, she stayed on the farm with the farmer for a while before she moved out. But she didn't go very far, and the farmer got to see her almost everyday. The farmer liked getting to see her everyday; he didn't find her as annoying anymore. After a while, the farmer and the maiden became best friends; even if they did still drive each other crazy everyday. They went on a lot of great adventures together, and helped each other through some very hard times. Eventually, the farmer fell in love with her."

"Did he ask her to marry her? 'Cause that's what always happens in the movies. They live happily ever after in a big white castle and -" Rachel stopped when she noticed Clark's amused stare. "Sorry Daddy."

"It's okay. No, they didn't get married. At least not yet."

"Why not?" Rachel demanded, her expression confused.

"Because the maiden didn't know the farmer loved her."

"Why not?"

Clark almost laughed. There was so much of Lois in this little girl; she was utterly impatient, only viewing the world in black and white. "Because, Rachel," he said patiently. "He didn't tell her."

"Wh-?"

Clark tickled her stomach, cutting off her next question. "Would you just wait a minute?" he laughed.

Rachel grinned apologetically and fell silent.

"He didn't tell her because he was afraid that she wouldn't love him back. He was afraid that she might not accept him because of what – because of his magic. So for the longest time, he didn't say a word about it to her."

"Did he ever tell her, Daddy?" she asked, stifling a yawn.

"Not quite yet. A few years after he had first met the maiden, the farmer decided that it was time to start using his magic to help the people of the kingdom," Clark continued, pleased with the way his story was weaving into place.

"How did he do that?" Rachel mumbled, shifting to use his arm as a pillow.

"The farmer used his magic to make himself into a knight. That way no one knew who he was. He knew he had to disguise himself, because if his enemies – like the evil prince – knew who he was, they might hurt the people he cared about."

"Like the maiden?"

"Yes, like her. And for a while, everything worked perfectly. The farmer used his magic to save a lot of lives, and protect the people he loved." Clark grew a bit more serious. "Until one day, the evil prince kidnapped the maiden, hiding her away from the farmer."

Rachel's eyes grew round. "What did the farmer do?"

"He panicked," Clark smiled softly. "He was terrified for the maiden's safety; he couldn't bear if something happened to her. So he rushed to try to rescue her."

"Did he save her?"

"He almost didn't. See, the prince knew the farmer's one weakness," he explained.

"What was it?" Rachel asked excitedly. "Dragons? AK-47 semi-automatic rifles?"

Clark stared. "AK–? Seriously. Mommy has got to stop letting you go through her movie collection."

Rachel grinned. "I like her movies."

"I can tell." He ruffled her hair.

"So what was his weakness?" Rachel asked, settling back in beside him.

"Um… magic stones."

"Oh. Okay. Then what?"

"The farmer went to the prince's castle disguised as the knight to save the maiden. But when he got there, the maiden was all tied up, surrounded by the magic rocks. The farmer was scared." Clark sucked in a deep breath, his eyes far away. "He knew that going near the Kry – magic stones would kill him. But he had to save her. He loved her too much not too."

Rachel's voice was hushed as she asked, "How did he save her? He did save her, right?"

Clark looked down at her concerned expression and smiled slightly. "Yes, he saved her. But it was dangerous, and he wound up very hurt. The farmer was too weak to get out of the castle by himself, so the maiden helped him outside. She was scared – she thought he was dying."

"He wasn't, was he?"

"No, he was just recovering from the magic rocks. But in that moment, the farmer decided that it was time to tell the maiden the truth. He turned himself back into the farmer, so she could see who he really was – her friend, instead of the knight. Then he told her all about his magic."

Rachel frowned, toying with her marble. "Was she afraid?"

"No." Clark's smile was bright. "She accepted him. She was surprised, of course – even though she tried to insist she had known all along. So then the farmer told her the most important thing of all."

"What was it?" she asked excitedly.

"That he loved her. And you know what?" Clark nuzzled his nose against hers. "She loved him too."

Rachel smiled contentedly and leaned back down to her rest her head on his side. She yawned again and closed her eyes."Then what, Daddy?"

He didn't even have to consider the next part.

"They lived happily ever after," he smiled. He glanced down at Rachel. She was fast asleep, against his arm, her little hand knotted in his work shirt.

Clark smiled and held her close for a moment. His baby girl. It baffled him to know that it was possible to love someone this much. But his two children and Lois…

Lois. Clark's eyes widened. He had almost forgotten his promise to meet her.

Rachel mumbled in her sleep and snuggled closer. Clark smiled down at her and placed her newly crisp teddy bear in her arms.

Maybe he could spare a few more minutes.

Lois moved from her spot by her daughter's door in the hall. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she slipped past the door and into her and Clark's room. She tried not to laugh at his 'story'; for someone who had a secret identity, he could be the most transparent person… She didn't doubt that even Rachel had seen past the fairytale façade. Leave it to Smallville to spin their life story into a bedtime tale for their little girl. She was glad she'd listened in on that.

In fact, sneaking up on Clark was only possible when he was around their two children. It was the only time he tuned the world out completely to just focus on being Clark Kent. Lois had seen a lot of Clark's sides – she smirked at the private joke there – and there was none she loved more than the one that belonged to his kids. Clark was a great father; he would throw himself in a pit of molten Kryptonite for his family if he had to.

Perhaps it was the fact that he never took his family for granted, like so many others did, that made him such an amazing husband and father. When they had first gotten together, and after she had been in the know about his secret, Clark had been up front with her about their future's prospects: he wasn't sure if he could even have children. She remembered his broken expression as he had offered her an easy out. If she wanted kids down the road, it wasn't something he could promise her. He understood if she wanted to walk away. But Lois hadn't cared; she wanted Clark. And if someday down the road they got to the point where they wanted kids, they could adopt.

So both of them were surprised – and ecstatic – when she'd gotten pregnant only two months after they had gotten married.

I hadn't been easy, of course. Given the fact that she was a human being carrying a partially Kryptonian baby, neither one of them had known what to expect. She hadn't even been able to go to a normal doctor; Oliver had contracted a doctor for them, one who had dealt with members of the Justice League before. It hadn't been as rough as she had expected, though. Besides, the mixture of excitement, joy, and slight panic in Clark's eyes everyday had made it worth it.

Jay had come first – actually named Jonathon, in honor of Mr. Kent. He was Clark in miniature; right from the dark hair and beautiful blue eyes, to the sweet personality. The five year old boy hero-worshipped his father – no pun intended – grabbing any opportunity to be around him, whether it was running out to the grocery store or watching football on the couch. Lois had often pouted and teased about the lack of influence she had gotten with their son, to which Clark's response was always to point out Jay's quick temper. Which was evidently there, if his affinity for setting his sister's toys on fire when he was angry was any indication.

Rachel had shown up just a little over a year after Jay. She was a perfect division of both Clark and Lois; his dark waves and charming smile, her hazel eyes and pretty face. Rachel was their little genius, both smart and quick-witted. Lois had no doubt that she had had some influence there.

Although there had been a time in her life where she hadn't regarded kids a possibility in her future, she now couldn't bring herself to imagine a day without her kids. They were her and Clark's miracles; the centers of the universe they had created together. The three of them, her family, made every struggle she had faced to get to this point worth it.

"Am I interrupting something?"

Lois looked up to meet Clark's amused stare. Damn, he looked good. She smiled from her spot on the edge of the bed and grabbed his hand, pulling him down with her. He grinned as he pressed her into the mattress, watching her intently. Lois toyed with his hair absently.

"I heard your fairytale, Smallville," she said, smiling up at him.

Clark smirked. "I should have known you'd listen in. How'd I do?"

"Meh, the story could use some work," she shrugged. "Not the way I would have told it."

"Oh?" he quirked an eyebrow. "And what would you have said?"

"I don't know. Something like: once upon a time there was a slightly idiotic farm boy who met an extremely hot girl who, by the way, totally kicked ass –"

"Not to mention the fact that she was extremely modest," he added with a laugh.

"And," Lois continued as though he hadn't commented, "they annoyed the hell out of each other for a good five years before the idiot fell in love with the hot girl –"

"Why is the farm boy the only idiot? The hot girl wasn't exactly a genius about it herself," he smirked again.

"Fine," Lois rolled her eyes. "They were both idiots."

"Idiots in love," he grinned broadly.

Lois smacked his shoulder before leaning up to kiss him. He was right, after all. Clark pulled away after a moment.

"So how does your version of the story end?" he asked, moving to brush his lips along her neck.

"Oh you know," Lois sighed contentedly. "They got married, had a few kids, and continued to ravish each other every night."

Clark grinned against her neck. "I was keeping my version of the story PG, Lois."

"I know," she smiled. "That last part was just for me."

"And me," he added, kissing up along her jaw line. Lois placed a finger over his lips, stopping him before he found her own.

"What do you think you're doing there, Smallville?" she teased softly.

His smile was blinding. "Compensating, remember?"

Lois grinned. Yes, she did. She moved her hands down to his chest and let him kiss her deeply, content where she was with her own happy ending.

Once upon a time there were two idiots in love. Yeah, that pretty much said it all.

Please Review! :) It may bring back my muse faster. ;)