Lois arrived home with one thing on her mind – to make sure that Clark would not find out the secret about Marsha. She knew him well enough to know he would freak.

"Have a nice coffee?" Clark asked as she walked in the door. "I hope you are hungry. I have made us some lunch. Have a seat!"

"You are quite a domesticated creature, arent' you? I don't remember you being like this when I lived at your place. Maybe your mom insisted on doing everything."

"I did do most of the farm chores you know." He defended himself. "I was not a lazy bum."

"I know that." She replied.

"When is Marsha coming around again?" Clark inquired.

Lois clamped up. "Actually I have not made any plans."

"Oh I see. I thought you two got on really well."

"We do but she does have her own life." Lois fired back.

"What's up with you, Lo? You have been prickly since you came back." Clark asked concerned something was happening.

"Nothing, you're paranoid. I think it is just the lack of sleep last night."

"Never mind, have some lunch. I thought we might go for a drive to the countryside for a walk. Shelby is a little bored of being on his leash. He needs a run."

"Sounds nice. I must say it is getting a little overbearing being watched in this place." Lois smiled.

Mid afternoon they drove into the Virginian Hills. It was a beautiful spring day. Clark had never visited this part of the country before but his mom was always saying how much she loved spending weekends off here.

They headed off up a track. For some reason, Lois automatically grabbed his hand when they started walking. Shelby was way off ahead.

"Clark, there was something I needed to talk to you about."

Clark took notice, hoping he would find out what Lois was hiding from her. " I know I shouldn't be asking this but do you know what happened with Chloe. Who took her?"

Lois definitely knew how to ask awkward questions. "Why don't you ask her?"

"She refused to tell me, saying she does not want to talk about. You promised to bring her back at the hospital and you followed through on your promise, didn't you?"
Clark looked at her. "Lois, I am sorry but I have to take Chloe's silence as a sign she does not want you to know."

"That is not an answer, Clark. She needs someone to talk to and I am the closest thing she has to family in Kansas. I can tell she is burying all her emotions and she needs to deal with it."

"Maybe you're right but it is not my place to betray her confidence. I hope I have not upset you too much."

"No I understand and I know you have a close relationship with her and you will be there for her to talk to. I always thought you two would get together." Lois smiled.

"She would have liked to, but I never saw past Lana. Saying that I have never seen Chloe as anything more than my best friend. I guess you can't make yourself fall in love with someone."

"Guess not!" Lois said, disappointed at that response as it sounded that he was still holding a candle for Lana. Marsha was obviously way off the mark."

The track came to a crossroads. "Which way?"

"How about this way" he pointed towards a wooded area.

"Ok then. We'd better remember the way out though." She joked.

"We have the best sniffer dog in the world." Clark laughed.

"How was the General at the funeral? Did you get on ok?" Lois asked as they continued their walk arm in arm.

"He was actually nice to me, but I think that is because he wanted me to look out for you. He could see how devastated I was when I thought you were..." Clark stuttered at the last few words, he couldn't get them out.

Lois stopped him. She turned to him and could see the heartbreaking emotion in his eyes. "I am fine, Clark."

Clark continued to stare into her eyes. "I thought I had lost you forever. The pain was unbearable, like someone was tearing through my heart with a knife. You don't realise how much someone means to you until you lose them."

"You have not lost me Clark. I am here now!" She smiled, tenderly running her hands across his cheek.

They started to move towards each other, not breaking their eye contact. "There is no one watching us. We don't have to act." She said in a monotone voice, too distracted by his approaching lips.

"I'm not acting Lois."

Their lips were just about to meet when a shot rang out from the trees behind them...

The shot rang out through the woods. Clark did not hesitate, he scooped Lois up in his arms, but before he could move Lois and he were sitting in the lounge of their house with John standing over them.

"Who are you?" Lois asked, still hyperventilating from the fast change of scenery.

"It's Marsha, Lois."

Lois started to panic looking over at Clark for his reaction. There was no look of emotion on his face, just bewilderment. It was obvious he was still in shock.

Lois looked at Jonn. "You go. I will take care of this." She said as she nodded towards Clark.

"I will go and get Shelby and see where the shots were fired from." John sped out.

"Clark, are you ok?" she placed her hand on his knee.

"Yeah that was a little expected." Clark explained.

"I know. You need to listen to me. Marsha has a few powers you may have noticed. He...She is actually meteor infected." She explained but turned around to see the look of distraction on her face.

"Kal-el, she knows all about me but she is trying to protect my secret from you because she feels you will not handle it." Clark heard with his superhearing

He turned his attention back to Lois. "I guess coming from Smallville that should not surprise me." He smiled.

"So you're ok with it."

"Of course, I am just glad he...she was out there to save us." Clark suggested.

"It is a little confusing with her ability to change appearance." Lois laughed.

"I wonder who was shooting at us." She thought out loud.

"Let Marsha find out. She will be back soon so I think we should not waste any more time." Clark said with a strange expression on his face. "Now where were we?" He whispered as he moved in on her lips.

She could feel his warm breath on the side of his face and suddenly forgot all about the events of the past ten minutes and she met him half way. Clark pulled Lois towards him so that she was sitting on his lap and then he pushed his mouth onto hers, desperate for nothing to disturb them this time. The limited time they had before John returned only made their lip exchange more frenzied.

A few minutes later they heard a knock at the door so they broke apart gazing into each other's eyes Their eyes both acknowledged the new level of their relationship. All barriers were now down.

"Let's finish this later." She whispered in his ear, nibbling it at the same time

Lois reluctantly climbed off his lap and went to answer the door. Clark sighed to himself secretly wishing he could take Lois to some deserted island to be alone with her, with no distractions.

"Hi." She said as Shelby greeted her and then brushed past her to see Clark who had got up to join Lois.

"Come in..." he signalled for John, who was in his Marsha disguise, to come in.

Lois looked embarrassed as they sat in the lounge. "can we just ask what we should call you?"

"I can see my form may be puzzling you so let me explain. I am John Jones. This is my usual form. I will stay in this form unless I am at risk of being spotted by any town people when I will assume my Marsha form. Agreed."

Clark stuck out his hand. "Well John. I would like to thank you for rescuing us." He couldn't help himself. "I must say though, you are not your run of a mill meteor infected person. You seem to have a lot of special gifts."

Lois nudged Clark in the side and glared at him. "Sorry John but I had to tell Clark about you. I wish I hadn't now since he is being so rude and forward with you."

Clark cleared his throat. "Um...I am sorry if I came across as rude and forward." He made a point of repeating her words.

"It is quite alright." John laughed.

"So who was taking pot shots at us?"

"No-one. I found some hunters in the woods. They were actually nowhere near you. It was just the echo of the woods which made it sound like they were. Don't worry they did not see anything."

Lois took a sigh of relief. "Thanks John."

John noticed the signs of the shift in Lois and Clark's relationship and realised that he should give them some space.

"I will keep an eye out for anything suspicious." He said as he got up to leave. "Not too close an eye though." He winked at them not leaving them in any doubt what he was getting at.

Lois shut the door, then leaning against it she looked at Clark. Her look left him in no doubt what she wanted to happen. He pushed her against the door, hitching up her legs so they were around his waist. He plunged his mouth onto hers.
"Lois, what are we doing?" Clark groaned.

"Nothing we both don't want to do." She groaned back. "This door is not very comfortable." She hinted.

He was just about to carry her into the bedroom when something in his head started to nag him. He was not comfortable with this. He needed to tell her everything before they elevated their relationship to the next level. He just hoped she would take it ok.

"Lois, can we not do this!"

"Do what?" she said, kissing the side of his neck, eliciting louder moans out of his mouth.

"I'm not ready Lois." He groaned.

With that, she jumped from his grasp and looked at him. She was just about to let off a barrage of questions but she could see by his face that his rejection was not what it seemed.

"What is it Clark?"

"There are things we need to talk about before we take the next step. You need to know everything so you can make an informed decision about our future together."

"That sounds worrying." Lois replied. "You're not an axe murderer are you?" she said trying to lighten the mood.

"There are parts of me I have kept hidden, secrets I have kept buried. I don't want to lose you but I need you to know the truth about me."

Lois took a deep breath and waited for the revelations which no doubt would be about Lana...