Little WARNING: In this one Lois is badly hurt (physically), but I hope it's not too crude.

' Italic' indicate the thoughts /-/ indicate flashbacks and dreams

The Weak Point

"Clark...I'mmmm...I'mmmm...freeezzz...zzzing. It...it's...so...so...cooooold!"

"I know, honey, I know... "

Clark had to make a real effort to move again; he had spent the last of his energy getting Lois to a safe place. Luckily this area was full of caves, but the problem was that they were all quite cold and damp. He tried to light a fire, but his heat vision, along with his other powers, had still not returned. Kryptonite exposure affected him differently each time, it seemed. Sometimes the effects vanished very quickly, but this was not going to be one of those times. The contact he'd had this time had been quite intense. He knew it would be hours... perhaps days before they might return, but he knew that they would return to him.

He had saved Lois, again, but this time he'd really risked everything. They had wanted to kill Superman, as usual, and kidnapping Lois was the easiest method to guarantee that he would come to them. She had been missing for three days... that could easily explain her condition. Who knew what they had put her through.

"I'm so sleepy... let me sleep... just a little..."

"Please, Lois... don't... you have to stay awake... Please!!!! Speak to me!!"

"You always say I talk too much!"

"I never said that!"

"You've thought that..."

Clark smiled in spite of his fears. HIS Lois was never going to change.

"Lois... how about you tell me about your first article for the Planet?"

'Please Lois...stay awake...'

"No... now I just want to sleep!!!"

'God! She seemed as helpless as a baby... Keep her safe... make it so she'll be able to keep going... at least until I'm able to get her back home... please...please. '

Clark tried his heat vision again, this time he was able to emit a small burst of heat, but it wasn't enough.

"Lois... you have to get out of these wet clothes!"

"I can't... do it..." Lois made an enormous effort to speak more but she was unable to keep her bloodless lips from trembling.

"Believe me... I don't want to do this... but you can't stay like this..."

"I know..."

Clark forced her to a sitting position, and he started to slip off the little jacket of her outfit. It came off quite easily; she helped him as much as she could. Next came her shoes, then he came to her skirt. The task started to become more arduous for him. It, too, slipped off quite easily considering how wet it was.

Now Clark's hands started to tremble, but it was not from the cold. Swallowing became an effort as he started to unbutton her blouse... one button after the other. Slowly, trying not to think too much about the feeling of his body or the image of him lying on top of her, he continued with his task.

"Lois... are you awake?"

"I think so... I'm not going to die of frostbite, am I? I don't wanna die..."

"Lois, I won't let that happen!"

Lois smiled. "You've said that already... you remember? When the Prankster... threatened me... at your place... do you remember?"

"It's true..." He held her in his arms as he slipped the blouse off her shoulders.

"It's good to be in your arms... you know? I've always liked it..."

"Lois..." How many times had Clark longed to hear these words from her, but now, they almost physically hurt him. "Lois..."

"And I love the way you say my name..."

"Stop it..."

"I want to tell you these things," she whispered, trying to fight the uncontrollable shivers that were making her shake violently. "If I don't wake up tomorrow, I want you to know... "

"Tomorrow you'll be better..."

"Clark... my slip... it's too wet..."

"Are you sure?" She nodded, trying to stay awake, it would be so easy to fall asleep...

Clark took a deep breath as he started to slip the spaghetti straps of her slip off her shoulders. He knelt near her, slowly removing the undergarment from her body.

Clark held her, noticing for the first time the marks she had all over her body. Abrasions and bruises covered the greater part of her body, especially around her wrists and ankles. He wondered what sort of tortures she had been suffering these last three days.

"I never thought it would happen this way..."

"What are you talking about?!"

"I thought so many times... about being undressed by you... but I never thought it would be like this." Her voice was shaking from the sobs that now came from her. Clark held her tightly, in order to protect and comfort her, caressing her hair.

"You're all wet, Clark."

Clark laughed despite of the situation. "You have that right."

"You've got to undress yourself too, Clark, you're going to catch pneumonia..." Well, he knew that was not really possible, but until his body temperature was back to normal he wouldn't be able to warm Lois.

He quickly slipped out of his shirt and trousers. His 'Suit' he had already removed before going to rescue Lois. He couldn't risk both their lives if somehow someone found out his other identity.

They held each other. Clark tried every few minutes to warm her with his heat vision and every time it seemed he had a bit more intensity to the bursts he used. Almost without realizing it, both of them soon fell asleep.

-O-

Clark woke after a couple of hours; it was still dark outside. Lois was still in his arms and he held her a little tighter in order to make her feel his presence.

"Oh, my god, Lois!" Her body was burning up! She had to be running a very high fever. He called to her a few more times, he grabbed his shirt, which was still damp, and wiped it over Lois' face, trying to reduce her temperature. He blew on a small puddle, creating ice that he wrapped in his shirt, passing it over the body of the woman he loved.

"Please, honey... Wake up...wake up... let me know that you're OK!"

Clark stayed seated, holding her in his arms. He felt so helpless, he was the most powerful man in the world... and now he was unable to do anything.

'Please... let my powers come back...Please!!!!'

Almost without realizing it, Clark started to rock back and forth, almost as if he were cradling her. Lois opened her eyes, almost without seeing him. "You know... I was brave... I didn't say anything... nothing..."

"What do you mean?"

"They... wanted to know... who Superman is... how I could contact him... they wanted me to call him so they could kill him... I didn't say anything..."

Clark felt a deep pain in his heart: she got into all of this just to save her hero. He was responsible for what happened to her. What kind of people could do this to someone else! They tortured Lois and she didn't call Superman.

"You were very brave... " he whispered

"I didn't say it... I couldn't do it... I couldn't tell them that you are the only man in the world able to find him... one day you have to tell me how you do it..."

Clark almost forgot to breath from shock. Lois had gone through this for HIM not for Superman! For Clark! Why? And how she was able to resist? Instinctively, Clark held her more tightly, as tight as he could without hurting her. Her body was so badly injured.

But Lois was still talking "... and someday... I also want a house... and some babies..." Clark realized at that moment that she was raving because of the fever. "And I want a dog... and I want my son to have your eyes... and your smile... I love your smile... Clark."

"I'm here...I'm right here..." he reassured her, holding her tightly against himself. Lois felt the contact with his bare skin against her face. She turned her head and her mouth started looking for his. She explored his body, trying to reach his neck and mouth. She found his nipples and her tongue started to play with them. Her breath was hot on his skin.

"Lois..." Clark's voice was husky and extraordinarily sexy, and in her confused state Lois was only able to feel the pleasure that contact with this male body made her feel. The salt taste that still covered their bodies made her crazy.

Clark stopped her, raising her face until he was able to look into her eyes. They stared at each other for a long time, slowly their mouths moved closer until their lips brushed each other. At the beginning, it was a very light kiss, as if they wanted to be sure that they were safe and were no longer going to be hurt; then there was a second one, more passionate, sweet and furious at the same time.

'I have to stop her... I have to stop myself!' Clark's mind was screaming, but his body started moving of its own accord. They found each other, Lois by way of delirium and Clark by way of passion.

And in that moment all the fear they had felt for each other in the last three days exploded. Both of them had been terrified they would never again see the person they loved. Dark, deep fears that now were been dissolving into their passionate kisses, and caresses and wonderful emotion.

"I love you Clark... I love you so much..." Clark seemed to start at these words. He stopped in order to stare at her. "I love you too, Lois...more than anything in the world!" Lois started kissing him again, the heat rising from her body was intoxicating. When Clark's excitement became more than evident, he pulled himself away suddenly.

"Clark Jerome Kent! What kind of man are you?" he cried out loud. "You say that you love this woman more than life itself and then you take advantage of her this way! You are a rat!" Clark almost cried to himself, then he turned to Lois. "I'm going to get you out of here... I still don't know how yet... but I'm going to take you away from here... I promise!!!!"

Lois just kept whispering his name and other words he was unable to understand. He got up suddenly.

"Think Clark... think... OK! I've got to get her covered!!! Her clothes, try to dry her clothes." Clark started to order himself aloud, as though speaking in this way helped distract him from the lure of Lois' naked body. He grabbed them and, again using his heat vision, they were dry in a few moments.

After drying his clothes in the same way, he quickly slipped his on, then approached Lois. Putting her clothes on was strangely easier; he tried to concentrate on what he had to do and not on the way her body reacted to his touch.

Next he tried to float and he found he was able to do it with no problems. Metropolis wasn't that far, he would take her there then... no... he couldn't take her home. He was quite sure that Bureau 39's men would be lying in wait for them, watching both of their apartments. There was one place in the world... far from here, but safe, where he could take her.

To Be Continued