"Ms Lane, I need to talk to you and apologise for my behaviour the other day."
"Why don't you just crawl under the same rock you came from. I will never accept an apology and when Clark finds out what you did, he won't be happy." Lois threatened.
"Ms Lane, can I suggest that Clark doesn't find out. You will soon discover that he has been emotionally weakened by the events of the past few days and needs your support. If you love him as much as you say you do, you will not push him further on the matter. He will tell you when and if he feels up to. After all what do you think drove the wedge between Lana and him." Lionel said, got up and walked out.
Lois was going to fight back but was stunned by Lionel's little speech. She decided to hold fire until she could assess what sort of state Clark was in. She did not want to turn into Lana.
Clark peeked around the door and smiled. His look shocked Lois. His usually sparkling eyes were dead. He looked tired and weary from whatever he had been through. Lois knew she needed to help him through his trauma, although that would be difficult if she did not know what had caused it in the first place.
" Hey, Smallville." Lois said coolly.
Clark smiled again. "Hey, how are you feeling?"
Lois grimaced in pain as she sat herself further up the bed. "Bad enough to know I'm still alive. You know, honestly... I don't even remember the plane going down. The cabin lost pressure and I was gasping for breath and then I was in this palace of ice. It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. I was bathed in this warm light, and I knew everything was gonna be okay.
Clark held her hand. "Lois, you were, uh, hurt pretty badly. Maybe you were hallucinating."
" No. It was real. I think I died and went to heaven."
" Then I'm glad you're back."
"I'm just thankful that your mom is going to be okay." Lois commented.
"So am I." Clark replied. "I have been so worried about you both." He went to kiss her but then the comments of Chloe and Lana came flooding back.
Maybe with all these secrets Clark had, he didn't love her as much as she thought. She recoiled and changed the subject.
"Listen Clark can you ask the doctor if I can be discharged now. I hate hospitals, they remind me of when my mom died. I feel all stir crazy."
Clark was a bit taken back by Lois's rejection of his advances. Then he realised that she had been through so much and needed time to deal with things.
"I'll go and ask if I can take you back to the Farm." Clark smiled.
It was like Grand Central Station, a few minutes after Clark left the room, Chloe came in. "I have just passed Clark. He said you were awake. I was so worried when you passed out."
"I'm fine Chloe, no drama." She accepted Chloe's hug.
"How are you?"
Chloe blushed. "Well things are a little awkward between Clark and me. I think he may have read more into the kiss than he should have done."
"What do you mean?"
"He seemed a little uncomfortable when I told him I was seeing Jimmy." Chloe explained.
Lois squirmed in her bed. "I'm sure he's not jealous. There has never been a 'you and him', has there?"
"No, but I wonder if he wants there to be." Chloe explained.
Just then Clark popped his head around the door. "The doctor says if your vital signs are stable you can come home."
Lois smiled, but was distracted by what Chloe had just said. "That's great."
"I will come and look after you." Clark smiled. "I just need to let mom know."
Lois smiled. "Ok." He left.
"Look, you won't tell Clark I came looking for him the other day. He will think I am going soft on him and will never let me forget about it." Lois asked Chloe.
"Ok... I won't. My lips are sealed."
Clark arrived at his mom's room. "Lois is awake." He grinned.
"That's great. I've been so worried about her."
"Do you mind if I take her home. She is going mad in the hospital. I will come and visit later." Clark smiled.
"No, of course not." She smiled. "Are you sure you are ok?"
"Not really, but Lois and you are my top priority at the moment. I will worry about me when I know you are both okay."
Martha looked at Clark. "Lionel told me his connection to Jor-El is gone."
" Along with any influence he had over him." He added
"Clark, Maybe we're all better off without Jor-El in our lives."
"I took Raya's crystal to the Fortress for safe keeping. I tried to talk to Jor-El, but he wouldn't - he wouldn't answer. The Fortress is dead. Everything's changing. Dad's gone. I can't talk to Lex. Lana's... I don't know where to go from here."
"I didn't either when I was your age. Just follow your heart... and you'll always do the right thing. You have Lois." His mom replied with a knowing smile.
"Jor-El sacrificed himself trying to save Krypton. Raya died saving me. Above all though it has made me realise I cannot lose Lois as well."
"Every world needs its heroes, Clark. They inspire us to be better than we are. And they protect us from the darkness that's just around the corner and I'm sure you would lay down your life for Lois, as she would for you." She hugged him.
"How did you know about Lois and me?" Clark asked.
"I guessed but Lois confirmed my suspicions when we were on the plane. I will say the same to you as I said to her. There's no need to creep around at the farm." Martha winked. "I couldn't be happier."
"So am I, mom. Just think if dad hadn't bought those tickets, Lois and I may have missed what was right in front of us all the time. It is just so different to what I have ever experience before. For the first time I feel like sharing all myself with her, secrets and all."
"I think she would be able to handle it."
"I just need to give her some time to get over the trauma of the last few days." Clark suggested.
"Look, you'd better go, I'll be fine. No doubt Lois is packed and waiting by the truck by now."
Clark grinned. "Yeah, that's Lois for you."
Martha was half right – Lois was packed but was still in her room.
"Are you ready?" Clark asked, grabbing her bag.
They got to the truck and Clark helped her in. "Thanks, but I can do it myself." Lois exclaimed.
"Are you ok?" Clark asked.
"Yeah fine, just what you would expect after I'd been in a plane crash." Lois smiled.
"Sorry for asking. I am just worried about you. Do you want to talk about it?" Clark put his hand on hers.
She pulled hers away. "Not really. I'm still tired from the surgery. Can I have a sleep when I get back."
"Of course you can. I'll even give you a bell to ring when you need something." Clark said tenderly.
"I'm sure there is no need for that." Lois snapped.
"Ok, Lo." Clark held up his hands. "Whatever you want!"
The drive back to Smallville was a strange affair. Lois was sat in silence, as though she was deep in thought. Even the offer of Whitesnake on the CD player was rebuffed. Clark knew she was tired but all of a sudden, she was cold towards him.
Four days ago, they were lovers now there was nothing between them. Clark realised he had totally underestimated the stress Lois had gone through and wondered if she had reassessed their relationship after her near death experience. He knew he needed to give her space and be there for her.
Lois did not know what to think. She needed to go to bed and have some time to decipher the events of the last four days. Could she trust Clark? Maybe there had been other hidden reasons why Lana and he had broken up. She had always thought of Clark as an open book, but had now discovered her new boyfriend's life consisted of twists at every turn. She knew she needed to pull herself together and be there for him.
The sleep was the perfect antidote to pull herself together. She had a shower and went down to the kitchen attracted to the smell of cooking. Clark was setting the table for dinner, smiling when he saw her.
"Hi Lo, feeling better?"
"Much, thanks!"
"Have a seat! I have just heard that Lionel is flying mom back to Smallville hospital later to be closer to home. I said I would visit tomorrow so I guess we can just have a quiet night tonight. Maybe we could watch a movie."
"Ok." Lois replied.
Clark was actually not such a bad cook, much better than herself, Lois thought. He had made a lovely pasta dish for her and had a bottle of wine ready.
"I think I'd better lay off the wine."
"Yeah, it does have an odd effect on you, not that I was complaining the other night." Clark smirked.
Lois felt uncomfortable where this was going so changed the subject. "Lionel, does a lot for your mom these days. Does it not worry you?"
"No, I think he has changed for the better." Clark explained.
"Are you sure, once a Luthor, always a Luthor." Lois stated.
"Do you know something that I don't?" Clark asked.
"No of course not." Lois snapped. "Why would I?"
Clark decided to let the subject drop. "Do you want to go through to the living room and watch a movie now."
"Ok, sounds good." Lois smiled.
Clark put on one of her favourite movies and went to sit next to her. He tried to put his arm around her but she shot out the chair before he managed to do it.
"I'll go and get some popcorn." Lois suggested.
Clark was distracted but decided he needed to go along with it. "That'll be great."
Two hours later, the credits rolled. He looked over at the other side of the chair where Lois was asleep having only made it halfway through the movie. He carried her up to his room and laid her on the bed.
She moaned slightly at being moved but soon fell back to sleep. Clark was about to head to bed in the guest room but decided he wanted to be near Lois in case she needed him. He climbed in with her, and put his arm around her as they slept.
Lois woke up halfway through the night to movement next to her. She wondered how she had got in Clark's bed and even more interestingly how he had ended up next to her. He was thrashing about as though he was having some kind of nightmare.
"Raya, I'm so sorry...I shouldn't have let it happen...I should have been there for you, Raya..." he screamed out in his sleep.
Suddenly he sat bolt upright in bed. It took him a seconds to realise he wasn't in the Phantom Zone anymore.
"Clark, are you ok?"
"Just had a nightmare. Let's just go back to sleep." He lay back down and put his arm back around her.
Lois woke up early that morning and decided to go for a walk to clear her head. She wondered who Raya was. Was she something to do with where Clark had been. This was like an impossible jigsaw puzzle.
When she got back, Clark was cooking bacon and eggs for them. "I could get used to this." She joked.
"Are you sure you should be running with those stitches?"
"Thanks for your concern, Nurse Kent but for your information I only walked. Smells lovely! I could get used to this." Lois smiled. Without thinking she ran her hands underneath his tee, up his torso.
He leant down to kiss her. "I've missed this."
She opened her lips to allow him access. "Me too." She moaned.
Just as things were heating up, they heard a car pull up. It was Chloe.
"Damn, I was just getting warmed up." Clark smiled.
Lois went to the door to let her cousin in. "Hi Chloe."
"Am I disturbing your breakfast?" she asked.
"No, we were just getting started." She smirked at Clark who started to shift about uneasily, so much so Lois could not help but notice.
"Do you want some?" Clark asked.
"No, it's ok? I just popped over to see how Lois was?"
"I'm fine. Have some breakfast?"
"She said she didn't want any?" Clark said.
Chloe looked at Clark. "Look, I have to get to work." She walked out of the door.
Lois shot Clark a look. "Do you mind telling me what all that was about?"
"What do you mean?"
"The dance on eggshells between you two." Lois exclaimed.
"I don't know what you mean." Clark tried to sound innocent.
"Don't play all innocent. I know you kissed Chloe at the Planet the other day."
Clark's expression changed. "Let's get one thing straight Lois. I did not kiss her, she kissed me. She thought it might be the last time she would see me with all the chaos that was happening around us."
"Well Clark, she thinks you have feelings for her."
"I don't Lois. You are the one I have fallen for. I have never had those type of feelings for Chloe. I was just shocked by the kiss. I am so glad she has found Jimmy."
"And you don't have any hidden feelings for her?"
"No, I can't see past my feelings for you. They are intense. I love you more than I ever have anyone before."
"Even Lana?" Lois thought she might as well clear up the Lana issue now.
"I told you, I don't love her anymore. In fact I now know I never loved her. It was more like a fantasy, based on chasing the Lana I had put on a pedestal for so long. Our relationship never lived up to that fantasy. Lois, I promise you, there is no one else for me but you and there never will be again."
Lois responding by kissing him hard. "I love you too."
They forgot all about breakfast and headed upstairs.