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Chapter Seven

~~*S*~~

"I beg your pardon?" Though he continued to smile, Lex Luthor's voice betrayed his shock.

"You should get used to it. Begging, that is." Lois gave a soft, dark chuckle. "You thought you had me fooled, didn't you? But the truth is… I've been playing you for the fool. I know who you are, Lex Luthor. Who you really are. And I could never love someone like you." She leaned in close, her next words for his ears only. "Especially not when I am completely in love with Clark Kent."

As she pulled back, she watched with great satisfaction as his features shifted, contorting his face with dark fury. Before he could utter another word, though, the doors of the hall burst open, and in marched Inspector Henderson, along with several uniformed police officers. Perry, Jimmy and Jack were all hot on their heels.

"Stop the wedding!" Perry's voice bellowed through the hall, reverberating loudly.

"Too late, Perry," Lois said with a smug grin. "I already stopped it."

Henderson kept marching down the aisle until he stood toe to toe with Luthor. "I have a warrant here charging you with arson and other crimes too numerous to mention."

"You're through, Luthor," Perry added. "We have all the evidence we need against you."

Henderson nodded his head at a couple of the officers, who began to move in on Luthor. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney—"

"I can afford a thousand attorneys!" Luthor roared, backing away from the officers. "I'll have your badge for this! I'll have your head on a platinum platter! Get the mayor on the phone! No, get the damn President!"

Luthor turned his enraged scowl back to Lois. "This is not over, my dear." He turned back out to the audience that was enthralled by the drama taking place. He suddenly spotted his adversary, Clark Kent, who was watching the spectacle with immense satisfaction written all over his face. Luthor lunged for him, but was quickly thwarted by the uniformed men. He threw them off like a professional linebacker and made his escape through a door on the side of the great hall. Every officer in the room immediately gave chase.

"Wow," Lois breathed as the commotion continued. All of the guests were rapidly fleeing the room, and soon the only people left inside were Lois, Perry, Jimmy, Jack, and Clark, who rushed over to Lois and wrapped his arms around her.

"We did it!" Lois exclaimed softly. "We beat him. It's over."

"It's over," Clark repeated, a wide smile filling his features and lighting his eyes.

"Why don't we get you out of here, darlin'," Perry said, earning a nod of agreement from both Lois and Clark. The group left the hall, Lois and Clark walking hand in hand and unwilling to take their eyes off each other for even a second.

A few minutes later, they were standing outside. Before they could try to work their way through the crowd, someone screamed and everyone looked up to the top of the tall building. A small figure was standing on the ledge. To the complete horror of the onlookers, the figure jumped off the ledge, plummeting headfirst towards the ground.

Lois felt Clark stiffen beside her, his entire body straining upward for a split second before he sagged against her. "I can't," he growled in frustration. Just before the body impacted the earth, Lois turned away and buried her head against Clark's shoulder. She heard the dull, sickening thud and her whole body quaked in Clark's arms.

Clark held Lois close, his arms tightening around her as she began to tremble almost violently. Without releasing her, he began slowly maneuvering through the stunned crowd that was being forced back by various law enforcement and security types. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned his head to see Perry White clearing a path for them.

Once they were a fair distance from the throng of people, Perry paused. "How about I give you a lift out of here?" Perry offered.

Clark nodded his head as Lois lifted hers. "Wait," she said, "I left something inside… I need to go back—"

Just then, Jimmy stepped forward, his young face ashen in response to the horror they had all just witnessed. "I can go. What did you need?"

Lois turned to face him, relief and gratitude filling her expression. "Um… my overnight bag. It should still be in the dressing room."

"Got it," he replied, disappearing into the crowd.

"Why don't we get you two over to the car to wait," Perry suggested, earning a nod of appreciation from both Lois and Clark. "Did you want to go back to your place, Lois?"

Lois shook her head adamantly. "No. That place is still full of Luthor's bugs."

This time it was Jack who stepped forward to offer his assistance. "I'd be happy to get rid of them for you," the young man told them.

Lois turned to regard him with a mixture of appreciation and apology. "Jack…" she began slowly, "I know I haven't always been… well, nice to you… and for that, I'm sorry. I know how much you've helped with this investigation, and I want you to know that you have earned my gratitude… and my respect." She leaned forward and brushed a gentle kiss across his cheek.

Jack blushed, lifting a hand to touch his crimson cheek where her lips and been. "Uh… yeah, sure… no problem."

"I don't think we should touch those bugs, though," Clark interjected. "Henderson may need them as evidence, you know."

"Oh. Right. Evidence. Evidence? But Luthor's dead." Jack looked more than a little confused.

"True, but he had plenty of hired help, and those people still need to be held accountable for their actions," Clark explained.

Jack nodded in understanding. "Well, if you want, I can go find Henderson, let him know they're there," he offered.

Lois's eyes widened, surprised that Jack would be willing to approach an officer of the law so readily. "Thank you," she told him. "I'd really appreciate that."

Jack nodded once more, then turned and disappeared into the slowly thinning crowd.

"Ready to get out of here?" Clark asked a moment later.

Lois nodded, and Perry led them down the road a ways to his illegally parked car. Upon spying a parking citation on his windshield, he snatched it up, crumbling it in his hand and muttering a disgruntled complaint. He opened his door and climbed in, unlocking the rest of the car.

Clark held the back door open for Lois as she crammed the voluminous layers of her wedding gown inside. Once she was seated, he climbed in beside her and pulled the door close. She immediately scooted as close to him as she could manage with the bulky gown, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer still. She rested her head on his shoulder with a weary sigh.

Perry started up the ignition and switched the air conditioning on high to cool down the stuffy car. The stereo came blaring to life, blasting them with the upbeat strains of Elvis's "Hound Dog". Perry chuckled as he pushed a button to wind the cassette past that track. "Seemed appropriate on the way over here," he told them. A moment later, the cassette automatically engaged in the next track. Perry lowered the volume to a more comfortable level as the gentle strains of "Love Me Tender" filled the car.

Halfway through the song, the front passenger door opened, and Jimmy climbed inside, setting Lois's small overnight case on his lap. "All set," he told them as he shut the door. "I ran into Jack on my way back. He said he'd catch up with us later."

Perry nodded, giving the young man a moment to fasten his seat belt before pulling away from the curb.

As they neared Clark's apartment, Perry spoke up. "I'll get a couple of hotel rooms for me and the boys so you two can have some, uh, privacy, to, uh, get reacquainted." He glanced back at Clark through the rearview mirror, a knowing grin quirking his lips.

"Thanks, Perry," Clark replied, mild embarrassment lightly staining his cheeks. Then they were pulling up to the curb in front of Clark's place. Once the car reached a full and complete stop, Clark opened the door and got out, reaching inside to give Lois a hand in extracting herself from the vehicle.

Jimmy opened his door and passed Lois's bag to Clark, who again thanked him profusely for all his help. "Anytime, man," he told Clark graciously before closing his door.

The couple stood outside for a moment, watching as Perry's car disappeared around the corner before turning to face one another. As their eyes met and locked, slow smiles crept across their faces. Clark pulled Lois in for a sweet kiss before turning to unlock his door. They entered the apartment hand in hand; the moment the door was closed, though, they fairly pounced on each other.

Bodies and mouths collided in a flurry of hunger and need. Lips crashed together, tongues danced and dueled, arms and hands tangled together. It was a very long time before they finally broke apart for desperately needed air.

Their breathing was heavy and ragged as they stared wordlessly at each other. Their eyes were dark with passion, and their smiling lips were just a little swollen from their enthusiastic activities. Clark reached up and gently removed the veil from Lois's head, smoothing her hair with his other hand as he dropped the headdress to the floor.

Lois sighed softly, reaching up to caress Clark's cheek. "It's really over," she said at last. "We're free!"

Clark grinned broadly, dipping his head down to capture her lips in a much gentler kiss than their encounter moments ago. When he pulled back, Lois's eyes were sparkling with unshod tears. He grazed his thumbs across her eyes, smoothing the moisture away.

"I need to get out of this dress," she said finally.

Clark grinned, waggling his eyebrows a little. "Need some help?"

Lois smiled back. "As a matter of fact, yes." She pulled herself out of his embrace and began walking down towards his bedroom. "This thing has all these tiny buttons in the back that I have no hope of reaching myself."

Clark remained on the landing for a moment, watching the gentle sway of her hips with great appreciation as she slowly made her way through the apartment. He shook his head in a vain attempt to clear some of the fog of desire that had clouded his brain. He picked up the overnight bag he had dropped during their frenzied encounter and followed her back to his room.

Lois came to a stop at the foot of the bed. Clark dropped the bag near her feet as he came up behind her, wrapping his arms low around her waist as he pressed feathery-soft kisses along her neck, then down the exposed flesh across her back. A soft moan escaped her lips, the sound sending tendrils of fiery longing racing through his blood. He slowly pulled his hands back around her waist, up her sides, finally coming to rest at her shoulders, all the while continuing to rain those light kisses across her skin.

His hands were actually trembling by the time he finally began to work at undoing the buttons of her gown. They were indeed tiny, and he fumbled a bit with the first ones. He finally had to stop kissing her, lifting his head so that he could see what he was doing. One by one, the buttons came undone, revealing her creamy skin a scant few millimeters at a time. It felt like a lifetime had come and gone by the time he finally slipped the last little button free.

He parted the fabric of her dress with both hands, smoothing them up across her back to her shoulders. Sliding his fingers beneath the soft material, he gently eased the sleeves down her arms. She pulled her hands out, resting them atop his as the dress finally fell to the floor. They stood still like that for a moment as their breaths caught.

Now clad in a simple, strapless, low-backed white brassiere and lacy white panties, Lois turned around and wrapped her arms around Clark's neck. His arms wrapped back around her waist as he pulled her firmly against him. He was utterly delighted by her playful smile as he lowered his mouth down to hers once again.

Before they could get too carried away, though, Lois broke apart, pulling back and bending to retrieve her overnight case. "I'll be right back," she told him with a slightly mischievous little grin. Clark groaned in mild frustration as he watched her disappear from sight.

Clark slipped out of his suit jacket, hanging it up in his closet as he toed off his shoes and socks. Next came the tie, then he unfastened his belt and slacks. As they dropped to the floor, a soft sigh behind him alerted him to Lois's return. He turned slowly, his eyes widening with warm appreciation as he took in the angelic sight of his beloved.

She was positively glowing as she smiled shyly at him. Her "wedding night" attire was a simple white gown. Thin strips of material held up the sweetheart neckline that barely contained the soft swell of her breasts. The silky fabric clung to every inch of her curves, flowing all the way down to the floor, and as she began to walk slowly towards his frozen form, a generous slit up one side parted to expose the creamy flesh of her long, shapely leg.

She came to stand before him, less than inches separating their bodies. Finally shaking off the awe that had momentarily paralyzed him, he brought his hands up to curve around her small waist, his fingers splayed out across her lower back. As the tips of his fingers grazed the naked flesh the low cut of the gown left exposed but unseen, he moaned. The embers of desire that she had left smoldering while she went to change suddenly erupted into a wild inferno that threatened to consume him instantaneously.

Keeping that modicum of space between them, Lois's hands came up to his chest and began working the buttons of his shirt free. As each one gave up its hold, she dropped hot, open-mouthed kisses onto his burning skin. Each point of contact between her hot, wet mouth and his body made him tremble. As she released the last button and dropped a kiss just at the top of his boxers, his knees nearly gave out beneath him.

She stood back up, dragging her hands up along his torso to his shoulders. She eased the material of his shirt down his arms, and he barely had the presence of mind to help pull his hands free of the garment. As it finally floated down to the floor, Lois wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him into her, pressing every inch of her body intimately into his. With a sound rumbling deep in his chest that was part groan and part growl, he claimed her mouth with his own.

Without warning, he scooped her up into his arms, causing her to cry out in surprise. The sound was immediately swallowed up in a passionate kiss as he crossed the short distance to his bed. He tore the comforter and sheet back singlehandedly before laying her down with great care, lowering himself down alongside her. Their kissing slowed, and they both pulled back at the same time to stare in affectionate wonder.

Clark slid one hand beneath her cheek, and she turned her head slightly into his soft touch, mimicking his gesture with her own hand. His other hand began trailing lightly along her neck, then across her shoulder, slipping beneath the thin strap and pulling it away from her body. He leaned forward then, pressing his lips into her soft skin, following the same path his fingers had taken. Not one millimeter was missed by his loving lips as he slowly worked his way around her throat, along her shoulder, then slowly down her arm.

She helped pull her arm free of the slight strip of fabric that was the strap of her gown, then held stock still as Clark began kissing her hand, slowly drawing each finger deep into his hot mouth. She sighed and trembled as he swirled his tongue around each digit while he slowly pulled it back out of his mouth. After her last finger slipped free, he pressed an open kiss into her palm, his tongue tracing each contour of her hand before he began dragging his mouth back up the inside of her wrist. Again he slowed as he reached the inside of her elbow, and again, his tongue teased the sensitive flesh there, drawing out a low moan of pleasure from Lois.

His questing mouth continued its upward trek, gliding across her collarbone to repeat those tenderly passionate caresses down her other arm. Again, each of her fingers was drawn into his mouth to be tasted, teased, and released. She was whimpering by the time he made his slow way back up that arm.

As he began kissing his way across the top of her chest, his hands slowly dragged the bodice of her gown downward, the slight material gliding over the swell of her breasts until those soft mounds practically sprang free of the fabric. His lips and tongue continued to work their magic as he worked his way slowly around one breast; meanwhile, one questing hand found the other, kneading it tenderly before trailing his fingers in slow circles. Around and around went his fingers on one side and his lips and tongue on the other, finally reaching each taut nipple simultaneously. He lightly pinched the sensitive flesh between his fingers while his lips latched on and drew her into his mouth. Then, as his tongue began swirling lazily around her, his thumb imitated the pattern on the other side.

Whimpers alternated with moans as Clark showered her with his physical loving. After a while, mouth and hand traded sides as she began moving beneath him, her back arching up, eager for closer contact. Clark lifted his head, releasing her from his mouth as his hand eased her back down into the soft mattress. He touched his lips to the valley between her breasts, his tongue darting out to taste her as he began moving inexorably lower once again.

He kissed and licked his way across every inch of her flat stomach, dragging her gown lower and lower as he went; she giggled lightly as her crossed sensitive patches along the sides of her abdomen, then moaned low and deep when his tongue dipped into her navel. Still his mouth and hands moved lower, along the slightly protruding bones of her pelvis, then down the outside of her left leg, his hands continuing to slide the negligee down as he went until she was finally completely liberated of the garment.

When he reached her foot, he gave it the same loving treatment her hands had received. He dropped a tender kiss against her instep, then the inside of her ankle, before he began his slow journey back up her leg. As he moved up the inside of her thigh, he dragged his tongue across her hot, sweet skin until he finally reached the glistening juncture between her legs. A low hum rumbled through his throat as he slid his tongue between her slick folds, dragging it slowly up to the very top. He pulled his tongue back into his mouth, savoring every nuance of her taste for a moment before moving over to her right leg, intent on lavishing the same loving ministrations her left had received.

By the time he finally made his way back to her center, she was starting to writhe beneath him, her hips tilted back and those slick, swollen folds straining towards him. The scent of her arousal filled his nostrils, almost overwhelming him. She was so ready for him that she was practically dripping wet. He thrust his tongue out to lap her sweet juices up into his mouth, his fingers moving to part her flesh. She spread her legs wide beneath him, begging for his touch with barely coherent murmurs. All too happy to give her anything and everything she wanted, he finally began exploring every nook and cranny of the very core of her. When at last he began focusing his attention on that tiny bundle of nerves that he had quickly learned gave her the utmost pleasure, her writhing intensified. She cried out his name, over and over, sometimes in praise, sometimes a plea. He slid two fingers deep inside her, thrusting slowly at first, then faster and faster, his lips and tongue also increasing in tempo until he was pulsating pure energy into her. He felt her tighten around him for an eternity before her climax finally ripped through her. She convulsed around and beneath him, and still he did not let up for even a second; if anything, intensifying until she finally screamed out his name before completely collapsing beneath him.

As she grew still beneath him, he finally slowed, then stopped his movements altogether. Eventually he had completely withdrawn from her and moved up to lay on his side next to her. He was content to simply stare at her for a while as her shallow breathing grew steady and even over several minutes time.

Rapture. That was the only word to describe the expression on her face. She was positively glowing in rapture, her lips turned up in a blissful smile. Her eyes slowly fluttered open, her head turning to the side to face him. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but nothing came out. She tried a couple more times before giving up with a soppy smile.

"Speechless?" Clark asked, both amused and rather proud of himself. In answer, Lois dragged one hand up to caress his cheek, urging him towards her. Their lips met in a long, slow kiss.

As they continued to kiss some long moments later, Clark felt Lois pressing against him insistently until he had no choice but to fall back into the mattress beneath him. He felt her maneuvering over him, her warm and naked skin sending jolts of electricity into him at every single point of contact between them. He moaned into her mouth as it continued to plunder his, growing ever more passionate with every thrust of her tongue.

Without warning, she tore her mouth away from his, and he whimpered at the loss, feeling suddenly bereft, adrift. But that only lasted for the briefest second, for she almost immediately began trailing fiery kisses along the line of his jaw. He groaned when he felt her tongue tracing the contours of his ear. She pulled his earlobe in between her lips, then nibbled it between her teeth for a moment before releasing him.

She then kissed her way up across his forehead, and Clark couldn't resist the temptation when he peeked through his shuttered eyelids to see her breasts swaying gently before his face. He raised both hands to cups those soft globes. Before he could begin to appreciate the feel of their weight in his palms, though, she grabbed both of his hands in her own, lifting them up to pin them together over his head.

"Uh-uh," she told him with a shake of the head and a decidedly wicked gleam in her eyes. "Just lay back and enjoy," she whispered as she lowered her head back down to his other ear. Then her tongue darted out to tease that sensitive flesh the same as the other, and Clark quickly grew utterly incapable of anything resembling rational thought.

He let his eyes drift shut once more as she kissed her way down and around his throat to his broad chest. He felt his pectoral muscles twitch and flex beneath her exploratory lips and tongue; his back arched reflexively as she began to tease first one, then the other of his nipples. Her hands never stilled, alternately kneading and caressing the solid muscles of his chest, then his abs as her mouth kept working down lower and lower along his torso.

He gasped, his hips bucking up off the bed as she found his navel with her tongue. She giggled as she moved with him. Taking advantage of the opportunity presented, she slipped her fingers beneath the waistband of his boxers and began sliding them down over the generous curve of his posterior. Then she stretched the material in the front to accommodate the generous erection straining for freedom from the confines of the soft material. At last he bobbed free, fully exposed to her, as she dragged the boxers down his legs.

Her mouth had continued its journey, seeming bent on exploring every inch of him in the very same way he had familiarized himself with her body. The feel of her soft, hot lips across his skin was nearly unbearably arousing to both his body and his heart. Each sensation she evoked stole his breath, melting his insides even as he felt himself growing harder than diamonds as she finally made her way back to the one place on his body she had yet to begin stimulating.

Somewhere in the back of his foggy mind, he wondered if this rare physical vulnerability was contributing to the way he was responding to her, the way he was becoming so thoroughly overwhelmed by the feelings she wrought within him. Then he felt the tips of her fingers lightly stroking the length of his steely shaft, and all thoughts immediately flew out of his mind. A guttural moan filled the room, and a moment later he realized it had come from him.

Her fingers gently traced the length of him a few more times before those teasing digits curled completely around him, squeezing and sliding up and down his ample length. He felt her hot, moist breath flow ever the sensitive tip of his engorged member and he moaned yet again, trying vainly to press up into her, but she held him firmly, keeping her mouth achingly close but not quite making contact for what felt like an eternity.

When at last he felt her lips close around him, a ragged sigh of relief escaped his lips, followed immediately by a groan of sheer ecstasy as her tongue pressed into him as she slid him deeper and deeper down her throat, until he was buried to the hilt inside her hot, wet mouth. The hand that had been treating him to such great pleasure scant moments before had quested lower to gently cup his testicles, lightly rolling the delicate balls around as she slid her mouth back up his lengthy erection.

Her free hand came up to join her mouth then, squeezing him firmly as she slid her hand and mouth down, relaxing as she moved back up. Her tongue was swirling around and around with every mind-blowing pass, and he was totally lost in her. The feel of her completely surrounding him with her hands, her mouth, her love… it was quickly driving him out of his mind, and before he knew it, he was on the very edge of heavenly bliss.

He abruptly dug both of his hands into her hair, dragging her up away from him. "Lois…" he began raggedly, "I don't exactly have my…. Super-stamina… and if you don't stop now—

"Clark," she said, gently extracting his hands, "we have all the time in the world." She held his hands between hers for a quiet moment, gifting him with such a loving smile that he felt his heart melt all over again. Then she released his hands, and with a predatory gleam in her eyes, she dropped her mouth back down onto his throbbing erection.

Lips and tongues and hands and fingers picked up right where they left off, and he immediately felt his insides tensing in anticipation of his impending release. She increased her tempo, and he growled out her name as his orgasm finally exploded through him. She sucked greedily as wave after wave of his essence poured into her, his entire body convulsing and shuddering beneath her for an endless moment.

Some time later, he finally fell back into the soft mattress, feeling like his entire body was made of jelly. He lay there, barely aware of Lois moving up along side him. As full awareness slowly seeped back into his consciousness, he felt her fingers gently raking through his hair, tenderly massaging his scalp.

He raised heavy eyelids to gaze at her with eyes still dark and foggy with desire. "God, I love you, Lois," he told her, his voice husky and more than a little ragged.

She smiled in response, lowering her mouth to his for a lazy, sensual kiss. "I love you, Clark," she told him back as they parted a bit later.

He lifted a heavy hand up to trace the delicate curve of her cheek, marveling at the light of love shining brightly in her eyes for him. She tipped her head into his caress, turning to press a soft kiss into his palm as he continued lightly stroking her soft skin.

Just then, the phone rang, interrupting their gentle explorations. With a sigh of mild irritation, Clark reached over to his nightstand with his free hand, lifting the receiver to his ear. He immediately regretted the harsh bark he greeted the intrusive caller with when he recognized the voice of his former boss.

"What's up, Perry?" he asked in a much gentler voice. His eyes widened as he took in the news being delivered into his ear. "You're kidding!" he exclaimed when Perry finished. "Wow. Didn't see that coming," he mused aloud. "Yeah, I'll let her know. Thanks, Perry." He listened for a moment longer as Perry apologized for interrupting, then assured Perry that it was a worthwhile interruption before bidding him farewell. He disconnected the line, feeling a bit stunned as he absently returned the phone to the bedside table.

"What was that all about?" Lois asked, her voice filled with curiosity.

Clark returned his gaze to her, the shock finally subsiding, to be replaced with a sense of pure relief and undeniable satisfaction. "There was an accident… the coroner's van was struck by a propane tanker on its way downtown. Both the drivers made it out just before the whole thing exploded."

Lois's eyes grew wide for a split second, then a soft chuckle rumbled deep in her chest. "Well," she managed between fits of laughter, "I guess we won't have to worry about a certain arch-villain returning from the grave."

"Nope," Clark agreed with a broad smile. "It really is over."

Her laughter subsided then, her eyes filling with relief. "Thank God," she breathed.

"Yeah," he echoed. His hand, now tangled in her silky tresses, urged her head down to meet his in a lingering kiss. As she began to respond, her lips melding with his and her tongue dancing about deep in his mouth, Clark moaned happily as he felt a certain region of his anatomy also responding to their renewed activities.

He rolled her over to pin her body beneath his, the rapidly swelling evidence of his arousal pressing into her thigh. She shifted restlessly beneath him until he felt himself slip in between her legs. At the first hint of the warmth of her ready entrance, he felt his member stiffen fully, fairly roaring back to life and eager to be joined with her. He ground his hips forward, not quite ready to bring them to completion. As his tip pressed firmly into her thoroughly aroused and highly sensitive clitoris, she moaned low and deep.

"Please, Clark," she begged breathlessly. He pulled back, only to thrust forward against her again. She dragged her legs up along his, wrapping them high around his waist as she arched her pelvis towards him. Clark growled as he felt his tip pressing into her opening, sliding just the tiniest bit forward inside her. Still he held back, even as she pressed up higher into him. "Clark!" she cried out. "Please! I need you," she pleaded, her voice raspy and plaintive.

Clark dropped his head down to capture her mouth in a deeply passionate kiss as he finally filled her with one hard, deep thrust. Her entire body surrounding him, contracting around him, nearly sent him right over the edge with that first thrust.

He slid one arm beneath her, low around her waist, and pulled her upward as he lifted himself up onto his knees. She began immediately rocking against him, and the heady sensation of her moving over and around him threatened to truly drive him out of his mind. Holding her impossibly close, he somehow managed to slip his other hand between their bodies, his dexterous thumb finding the sensitive bundle of nerves hidden just above that place where their bodies were so intimately joined.

Her entire body reacted immediately, tightening around him, almost but not quite constricting his movements against her. He began thrusting in and out of her, slowly at first, but quickly escalating in tempo. Grunts and moans of passionate pleasure filled the room, the heavy scent of their activities surrounding them and arousing them further and further as they drove harder and faster together. He felt her entire body tense up around him just as his began doing the same, and they cried out together as their mutual climaxes consumed them in a tumultuous burst of light and sound and sensation.

They collapsed, landing on their sides, still intimately clenched together as consciousness slipped away.

~~*S*~~

Late the next morning, Lois and Clark had gathered with Perry and Jimmy for a final farewell to the remains of the Daily Planet.

"I know I've said this before," Perry growled, "but I hate that Luthor got his way, especially in this one thing," he finished, gazing sadly at the ruins.

"He didn't'!" The voice had come bellowing from out of sight around the corner, but shortly, a stout, dark skinned man emerged. "Look!"

Franklyn Stern gestured to the street he had come down as the roaring sound of a truck drowned out the cacophony of shouts from the small group. A large flatbed trailer backed into view, followed by an even larger crane. As soon as the truck stopped, workmen removed a large tarp off the object secured on the trailer: the familiar globe of the Daily Planet.

"Great shades of Elvis!" Perry exclaimed, his surprise echoed by the other three.

"We'll start on the building next week," Stern informed them. "But I thought we'd announce to the world that we're back in business. I thought about your proposal, and I agree with you. Metropolis, and the world, needs the Daily Planet. And one more nail in Luthor's coffin suits me just fine." The two older men moved off, continuing to discuss business.

"I've never seen anything so beautiful in my life," Clark breathed. Lois thought he was talking about the sight of the globe at first, but when she turned her head towards him, she realized he wasn't looking at the old landmark at all. He was staring at her with unabashed love.

"You never gave up," she said, her voice filled with wonder. "On the Planet, on your friends… on me," she finished quietly.

"How could I? You just named just about everything in the world that is precious to me." His smile was soft and filled with so much love it brought tears to her eyes.

"I don't think I will ever meet anyone quite like you," she told him softly. Clark pulled her into his arms for a brief hug before stepping back, a strange gleam in his eyes.

Curiosity tinted Lois's gaze, and when Clark began to lower his body to kneel before her, she gasped in wide-eyed amazement. She began to tremble as he slipped a hand inside his jacket, extracting a small, black velvet jeweler's box. He opened it to reveal the single most beautiful diamond ring she had ever laid her eyes on.

She was vaguely aware that the men across the way had suddenly halted their dialogue to watch the drama unfolding between her and Clark. She swallowed once, trying desperately to keep her knees from knocking as she continued to tremble before the sight of this incredible man kneeling at her feet.

"You are the most amazing woman I have ever known," Clark began, his voice low and filled with emotion. "You are stunningly beautiful, insanely brilliant, fearless, with unimpeachable integrity, and more passion than anyone I've ever known… I can't imagine my life without you in it. You give me more strength than I could ever manage alone. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and I swear I will do everything in my power to make sure you are just as happy as you've made me." He took a deep breath before finishing. "Lois Lane, will you marry me?"

For a moment, she was rendered utterly speechless. She opened her mouth, her chin quivering as a tremulous smile filled her face. Unable to hold herself up a moment longer, she fell to her knees in front of Clark, wrapping her arms around his neck for support. "Yes," she whispered at last.

"Yes?" Clark echoed, incredulous.

Lois laughed. "Yes!" she shouted, finally finding strength in her voice. "I would be honored to marry you, Clark Kent." Before she could utter another word, and to the delighted cheers of their friends and every other onlooker that had crowded around them, he pulled her in for a deep, loving kiss.

~~*S*~~