Plot: Chloe has arranged for the gang to go by rail around Europe after graduation on a month long adventure.

Alternate Universe: (there are a few changes to characters/events)

Clark – is still in love with Lana and hopes she will dump Jason. He does like Jason even though he is going out Lana.
Chloe – likes Clark, but is reunited with Jimmy who she had a fling with during the previous summer.
Jason – He is not a baddie. He did meet Lana in Paris, but had no ulterior motives. They have been dating for almost a year.
Lana – is with Jason, but would like to get back with Clark, but things have stopped them. She is staying with Jason to make Clark jealous
Lois/Jimmy – no changes

Graduation went as planned, there was no second meteor shower.

Chapter 1

June 1st 2005

It was all planned and booked. Clark did not know how it had happened, but he did not want to go. The thought of staying in Smallville was looking more attractive by the minute. How had his parents afforded it, he would never know, but this made him feel obligated to go.

He could hear his dad's words at last night's dinner table. "Clark, you deserve a break after graduation. You are 18 yrs old now and it is time you had some time to relax and enjoy yourself."

He could have killed Chloe. This had all been her idea. If only she had stopped and thought about how awkward it would be to spend a month with his ex and her boyfriend. Matters were made worse when he heard who else would be accompanying them – Lois. The one redeeming feature of the trip had been the break from the constant teasing and needling from the army brat, but even this dream had been shattered.

Clark did not need psychic abilities to see how this trip was going to go. Chloe was going to be caught up with some guy named Jimmy Olsen, who he had not met but had never stopped hearing about from Chloe since she had a fling with him last Summer during her internship at the Planet.

Jason and Lana would be lovey-dovey, so where did that leave him, and to be more precise who did that leave him with – Lois. The situation was not helped by the constant reminders from Lois about the trip.

At least Lois was only going to be staying with them for the first few weeks as she had to meet her father in Germany to try and locate her delinquent sister. He told himself that it was not going to be that bad – he counted to ten and took deep breaths. How bad can it be...

Welcome to the rollercoaster ride around Europe, he allowed himself a smile at the thought.

The plane left in two days – first stop Amsterdam.

Most people look forward to a holiday and even enjoy the ritual leading up to the holiday including the packing. However all Clark was thinking about whilst packing was the dread of going on holiday. He would rather jump into a pool full of Kryptonite.

Lois was the complete opposite. She had spent the last few days singing to herself. The whole idea of a backpacking holiday was to travel light but obviously no-one had told Lois. She would have about two cases just to fit her underwear in. In fact she spent a whole afternoon, parading up and down the landing in her bikinis.

Unfortunately for Clark, he was the only one in the house at the time and she kept coming in his room and asking for his opinion. She would be the death of him, after all he was only human, well he wasn't but he reacted the same way. And Lois was not unattractive, as much as he hated to admit it to himself.

Lois was having so much fun. Tomorrow the adventure would begin and in the meantime she was having so much fun winding up Clark and no doubt Clark Jr with her antics. She loved to see Clark turn a bright shade of red, something he did quite often when he was 'flustered'. Lois knew from Chloe that Clark had never got past first base with Lana or with anyone for that matter, and if he didn't loosen up, he probably never would. She chastised herself for thinking of Clark in that way. It was gross. He was like the annoying little brother she never had.

Lois had one mission during this trip, well apart from meeting some gorgeous men. She was going to get Clark to loosen up and enjoy his trip and her ultimate goal was to help him forget Lana and meet some women. She still told herself – the last part was Mission Impossible, unless she could find a European girl with a fetish for plaid and some knowledge of the working of a tractor engine.

As long as he could forget about Lana for a bit. He had been moping all year and she did not know how much more she could take. Jason was everything Clark wasn't – exciting, trendy and most importantly Lana seemed happier than she had been with Clark. Lois had never got to the bottom of what had gone on between Lana and Clark, but they never seemed happy when they were together.

Lois was particularly interested to meet Jimmy. Chloe had barely stopped talking about him, since she had a 'thing' with him last Summer. He sounded cute by Chloe's accounts but she wanted to meet him so she could form her own opinion of him. Roll on tomorrow, Lois thought.

Clark still was struggling on what to take with him. He could always run back if he needed anything, but as Chloe pointed out this may look a little suspicious. Clark was glad when he found out that Chloe knew about his secret. God knows she had been dropping enough hints for the past few months that she knew. It was only when they had their little talk a few weeks ago that Clark told her everything. Maybe he was looking for someone else to confide in since Pete left last year. He trusted Chloe with his life, he only hoped that her knowing would not put her in danger, like Pete often found himself. He told himself not to feel guilty because Chloe had told him that she would have figured it out even if Alicia hadn't shown her what Clark could do.

Finally after two hours Clark and Lois were packed and ready to go..

Martha had cooked a special meal that night for Lois and Clark going away. Clark joked it was the last supper before being taken to his execution. His parents laughed but deep down it was not far from the truth. He knew he had to get over this reluctance to go and at least try and enjoy himself. One thing had brightened up his day. When he went over to the Talon to see Chloe and Lana about the plans for the following day, he arrived to the sound of Jason and Lana having a row and happened to overhear the comment Jason made that he thought Lana was still in love with him.

If this was true, maybe this was the perfect opportunity for him and Lana to sort things out whilst they were away. Jason was the problem, because Clark actually thought he was a decent guy who treated Lana well. He was jealous of course, but then again he would be jealous of anyone who was with Lana. It was nothing personal against Jason.

Friday 4th June 2005

Clark should have seen it coming. Before all this he was actually starting to look forward to the trip, but now could things get any worse. The plan had been that they would get six seats together so they could swap round and talk to different people but thanks to Lois that would not be happening.

Lois had decided at the last moment, she was not happy with her choice of underwear and started to unpack. In the middle of all this mess, she lost her passport. Even Clark with his x-ray vision could not find it until she realised that it was in a different bag anyway.

God this woman drove him crazy. He pitied the man who ended up with her, anyone that did should be given a sainthood for their patience – they would need it. They finally made to Metropolis Airport with a few minutes to spare. The result was that the six of them were split up on the plane

Jason and Lana were near the front, Chloe and Jimmy were over the wing and Lois and him were at the back. These seats were obviously not used very often and offered virtually no leg room, which did not suit Clark's 6ft 4 frame. It is lucky he did not feel pain.

It was not so much the seats that bothered him, but rather the company. The flight lasted 14hrs 55 mins and that meant over 15 hrs sitting next to Lois. He would have to pretend he was asleep the whole way before Lois ground him down.

Lois was not happy, she could not believe she would have to spend 15hrs hearing Smallville moan on about the trials and tribulations of his relationship with Lana. She thought back to the scene on the movie 'Airplane' and the main character who drove the people sitting next to him to kill themselves.

Lois knew it was her fault. If she had not forgotten where her passport was, they would have sat as a group. She decided the only way to cope with it was to make Clark 'suffer' a little by winding him up and make him flustered. She often asked herself why she liked teasing him in that way.

Chloe once came up with the absurd explanation that Lois was attracted to Clark. Lois spat her coffee out at that suggestion. Her and Smallville – yeah right!

Lois leant over to Clark and whispered in his ear "I'm frightened Smallville, I hate flying."

Clark swallowed hard. "What...you never said anything about this before"

"Well I was embarrassed to admit it before." Lois smiled to herself

The plane taxied to the end of the runway and before long the pilot applied the full throttle.

Lois pretended to freak and grabbed Clark's hand for 'support'. Clark felt obligated and took hold of her hand. Without realising he started to stroke her knuckles with his thumb. Lois started to enjoy the sensation but soon snapped out of it. She looked down and realised that Clark's hand was getting a bit too familiar with her own

Clark realised what he was doing and looked up at Lois who was staring at him with a puzzled face.

"What's the massage thing about Smallville." Lois asked,

Before he answered he pulled his hand away from hers quickly. "Umm...umm... sorry" were the only words he could get out.

"It's ok now Smallville, it is only take off and landing I hate." Lois said nervously

The first few hours of the flight went quite quickly as the regular onslaught of drink and meals started. Lois could not work out while they insisting on giving people so much to eat and drink on planes, and why they were showing 'snakes on a plane' as one of the in-flight movies.

Clark had actually being quite bearable, just talking about his plans to start Kansas Uni after the Summer. Lois did not know what to do. No doubt her father would be making that decisions for her when they met up in Germany.

She could not work Clark out sometimes. He was one of the most attentive and good listeners she had ever met. She always found herself letting down her barriers when they had a heart to heart. She allowed very few people to see that side of her, so why did she act that way with Clark.

But then on the other side of the coin, Smallville got on her nerves and they spent a lot of time play fighting and bickering. She did not know exactly what it was about him, that wound her up so much, but he knew which buttons to press .

Clark hated to admit it but he was actually enjoying his time with Lois. He knew the barriers she put up were just a front to the real Lois Lane. Behind all the bravado and the playful punches, there was a sensitive and caring woman. He had always enjoyed their heart to hearts in the barn. Lois was a good listener and actually gave decent advice. But often in the midst of a conversation he could see her barriers would shoot up. It was as though she suddenly realised that she was giving too much away and had to protect herself.

Clark looked down at Lois who was asleep. It was dark outside and although it was not nighttime yet in the US, he decided to close his eyes. The stewardess had just given out the blankets but there was only one left by the time she got to the back of the plane. Clark was putting the blanket over Lois when she opened her eyes, and unfolded the blanket so it was covering both of them.

Clark woke up a few hours later. Lois was sound asleep and had cuddled into Clark's shoulder. She looked so peaceful, he didn't want to wake her. She looked so beautiful lying like that. His thoughts came back to Lana and he wondered how it would feel to wake up next to someone every morning. He shut his eyes again at that thought but all he could visualise was Lois's face lying next to his...

What was going on in his head, he asked himself. Lois was actually getting to him. He told himself it was due to their close proximity of the last 12 hours or so...