The Ties of Fate

by pumpkinmoose22

Just when they thought they had a chance to celebrate their first anniversary, Lois and Clark are forced back into the past to save their younger selves from an evil who claims to be from the future. With a mission to destroy the Man of Steel in order to rid the world of future heroes, will this evil succeed or will Lois and Clark prevail? Sequel to Forever Yours and Yours Alone.

10. Resistance is Futile

AN: A huge thank you to all who have reviewed! This chapter is one of my absolute favorites of this story so far. I hope you like it!

10: Resistance is Futile

Clark, Metropolis

Even though I wanted nothing more than to stay at Lois's side, she urged me to go to Warehouse 13 to catch Falcone's men in action the next day. "It's about time we knew what they were shipping!" she'd argued.

I decided to wait until midnight when the job would be halfway done. I slowed my speed to a casual walking pace once I reached the docks. Extending my hearing, I paused with concern. There was plenty of noise coming from the docks several hundred feet down but Warehouse 13 was as silent as the grave. I poked my head around the corner. Like before, there was no one in sight. Frowning, I x-rayed the whole area; not a soul.

Frustrated, I came out of hiding completely, marching over to Warehouse 13 and wrenching the door open. The inside was bare except for a few startled rats that ran for the shadows to escape the sudden light. I wanted to kick something. How was it possible that in the two times I'd overheard the location of the shipments, I arrived to an empty scene? Someone had to know that I'd been listening in; that was the only logical explanation. But how could they know?! Nobody knew the Blur had super hearing and nobody knew that he was even at the club listening in to Falcone's schemes! But what else could explain the lack of activity at not one but two locations I'd visited? Confused and sincerely irritated I turned on my heel. I was about to take off when my right foot bumped into something.

"A bolt?" I questioned, holding up the small piece of metal to examine it further.

I peered at the ground. There had definitely been activity here and it looked to have been done in a hurry. Frowning, I decided to pocket the bolt; some piece of evidence was better than none, right? Looking back and forth and finding nothing else, I decided to call it quits for the night.

As I rushed back to Lois, so many questions plagued my mind…Did they know I'd be here? Was the bolt part of the shipment Falcone wanted taken care of? If so, what did it belong to? What was Falcone smuggling? And – for the thousandth time – who was the disappearing man that shot Lois?

Lois, Smallville

It had been three weeks since the Homecoming Dance and one week since Chloe, Pete, and Lana knew the secret. Lana's shiner -courtesy of my fist at the dance- was finally gone. Clark was no longer a hermit, having returned to school, and Pete and Chloe were almost completely different than the Pete and Chloe I'd first been introduced to since coming here. Actually, the two of them reminded me of the Pete and Chloe I knew in the future. They had both been surprised that Clark wasn't a human infected with Kryptonite but accepted his true origin with ease. In fact, they thought having a super-powered extraterrestrial friend was the coolest thing since sliced bread.

Lana, however, was an entirely different case. She avoided Clark at all costs. If she saw him in the halls, she'd turn and walk the other way. It was plain to see that Lana and Clark were over. I felt terrible for Clark. The break up had hit him hard. More out of hurt than abhorrence, Lana had ended their relationship right after Clark had confessed the truth. Even if she promised to keep the truth a secret, her reaction to his heritage had left deep wounds over Clark's heart. I frequently caught the poor guy looking forlorn by himself, separated from others, his eyes on the ground. He put on a good show when he was with Chloe and Pete, laughing at their jokes, listening to their every day conversations, and supporting them in their struggles.

But I knew better.

I saw how deep the pain was that lingered behind those unearthly blue eyes; it was similar to the looks I'd see in both Clark and Superman directed towards me before I knew his secret and long before we were married. I wanted more than anything to wipe that pain away but wounds needed time to truly heal. It would be uncouth to make romantic advances when I felt what Clark currently needed more than anything was a shoulder to lean on.

It was a week before Thanksgiving and a mini vacation had graced the school for the weekend. Strangely, the fair had come to town, arriving a little later in the year than people were used to; apparently their schedule had been thrown off a bit due to weather in other states. Chloe and Pete were planning on attending and had invited Clark and me to join them. Pete had tried to invite Lana too but when the redhead found out that Clark might be going she'd turned him down flat. Clark was hesitant at first but I persuaded him to tag along.

To ensure he'd show, Chloe and I were headed to the Kent Farm to pick him up; Pete was going to meet us there. "Do you think he's going to back out?" Chloe muttered as we wound our way down the road covered with fallen brown leaves. Winter had nearly taken over but there were a few yellow leaves clinging to the trees for dear life.

"I'm not going to give him a choice in the matter," I said fiercely, looking out the window at the bright blue sky overhead.

To my surprise, Chloe slowed the car down until she pulled over. I looked at her curiously. The blond was staring straight out the windshield, her gaze so intense that if she'd had heat vision, the glass would have shattered.

"Chloe?" I asked hesitantly.

She closed her eyes and let out a deep breath. "This is probably the most difficult thing I've ever had to do," she muttered, her voice cracking against her will. To my bewilderment, tears fell down her cheeks. Turning to me, her large blue eyes were filled with pain.

"Chloe, are you okay?! What's wrong?" I asked, reaching out to take one of her hands.

She didn't draw away from my touch but she didn't tighten her hold around my fingers either. Wiping at her tears, she smiled, "Gosh, I'm so pathetic…look at me…"

I waited. Something told me this wasn't the time to try to play psychiatrist. After another minute, Chloe reigned in her emotions enough to talk. "Lois, I'm sorry. I've been such a jerk to you in the past and you haven't even deserved it."

I shook my head. "No, seriously, you don't need to apologize."

Chloe argued, "Yes I do! Lois, I've treated you terribly because I've been jealous! I had to put up with always living in Lana's shadow…Clark never had eyes for me… so many times I hoped…" – her voice faltered – "But then you showed up. I've told you before, Lois; I'm not blind. I've known Clark my whole life. I've never seen him look at, act, or even laugh the way he does when you're around. The guy is so blind he can't even see that he's never had real feelings for Lana! All he's ever had is infatuation. Why do you think they're relationship tanked? They've both been trying to create something that just isn't there. They never had romantic chemistry. But you do.

"I've seen the way he looks at you. I've seen the way you look at him. You both unconsciously gravitate towards each other. The Homecoming Dance fiasco was the last straw for me. I realize now that I'm fighting against something that's simply meant to be. There's no accident you showed up here when you did. He needs you. And as hard as this is, I've decided to let go of my feelings for Clark. You win. You have my permission and my support, Lois. You're going to make him what he needs to be. I can see that now. I'm sorry I've been such a jerk. I hope…I hope he eventually sees what I see. You love him and as his friend, I'm glad."

This poor girl; these were the words of a broken heart. Unrequited love…I'd never thought Chloe's feelings for Clark ran so deep. No wonder she looked at him with such admiration at the Corn Festival when I'd first met her in the future! She'd had to curb her feelings for years, watching other women sweep her crush off his feet. She was the best friend longing for a hopeless romance. Oh, if only I could introduce her to Richard now! All of her problems would be over in a heartbeat!

I squeezed her hand. "Chloe, you're one of the strongest people I've ever met and I'm not just saying that. I can't imagine going through what you've had to for so many years. I'm sorry that you never got to date Clark…and…I'm thankful for what you said. I do love him and I promise to love him forever – and Chloe, when I make a promise, I keep it. And I can promise you right now that one day, a man is going to come into your life and make all that's broken come back together so well that it won't feel as if anything ever was broken in the first place."

Chloe laughed through a sob, "I wish I could believe you. I can't imagine feeling this way about anybody else…Clark is one of a kind."

I smiled. "That's perfectly true since he's the only Kryptonian around. But, Chloe, there are still regular human guys out there and one of them is your one of a kind."

Chloe sniffed. "You think?"

"I don't think. I know."

She stared at me for several seconds before drying her cheeks. "You know…for some reason, I believe you. Thank you, Lois. You're a good friend."

I reached over and gave her a hug. "Not as good a friend as you are, Chloe. You going to be okay?"

"Yeah," she sniffed. "Just let me take a moment to fix my face before we get Clark. I don't want him to think anything's happened."

I rolled my eyes. "Don't worry; I'm sure Smallville's plenty occupied at the moment. Martha was making him slave with her in the kitchen when I called him."

"Can I ask you something?" Chloe said as she dabbed at her eyes in the mirror.

"Sure."

"Why do you call Clark Smallville?"

I grinned but realized I couldn't tell her that the first time I met Clark was in the Daily Planet bullpen and when I found out where he was from the nickname was born. I decided to lie. "I'm not quite sure," I hedged. "The name just stuck."

Chloe smiled hesitantly. "I think it's kind of cute, to be honest. It only makes sense for you to call him that since you're the only person around for miles that grew up in the big city."

"Yeah, I like it."

"Alright!" Chloe exclaimed after a brief pause. Slapping her face lightly on both cheeks, she said, "Let's go!"

As we pulled up to the Kent Farm, I turned to Chloe. "You're amazing, you know that?"

She smiled gratefully.

Clark came out with a slight grimace. I rolled my eyes. "Don't look too sour, Smallville. You're going to kill the remaining sunflowers in the yard."

He looked at the feeble plants running on their last leg and smirked. Chloe appeared amused but didn't say anything as I got out, offering Clark the front seat; his legs were way too long to fit in the back.

"Are you okay back there?" Clark asked as I shuffled around to get comfortable.

"Clark, relax, I'm fine," I said. "It's better for everyone this way; if we tried to stuff you back here, you'd be a pretzel."

Chloe laughed, "She's right about that one. You've grown like a beanstalk since last year. Do you think you'll stop growing or will you…?"

"Continue to grow until I'm a giant?" Clark asked. Chloe nodded. "I don't know, honestly. I don't think so. My other father, Jor-El, said we were fairly similar to humans."

"I see," Chloe muttered before shaking her head. "I still can't believe I thought you were just some infected human. Shows how great I am at being an investigative reporter…"

Clark shrugged. "This town is usually used to extraordinary powers being caused from Kryptonite so it was only natural to think the way you did."

A few minutes later the fairgrounds came into view, the sides of the road packed with cars and people walking all over the place. Chloe managed to pull into a spot between two trucks and after wiggling our way free, we bought our tickets at the gate. After paying for our one day passes (includes unlimited access to all rides!) we headed for the cotton candy stand where Pete had promised to meet us. The young blond was leaning against the side of the booth munching from a large stick full of blue cotton candy when Clark spotted him.

"Are you sure you should be eating that much sugar?" Chloe asked as Pete wiped blue residue from the corners of his mouth.

"Oh, come on, Chloe, cotton candy is a mandatory tradition when coming to the fair! We always got it when we were kids."

"And you ended up sick every single time," Clark voiced.

"Ahhh, but this is a different vendor!" Pete defended.

I raised an eyebrow. "You know, somehow I'm not sure that makes too much of a difference."

"I agree with Lois," Chloe said.

Pete frowned. "Fine then, I was going to share but now I'm keeping it all to myself."

"You do that tough guy," Chloe muttered.

"So," I said, clapping my hands together, "where do you guys want to go first?"

After several debates on whether to start with the Rocket (a roller coaster of sorts) or the Spinning Wheel (an attraction that moved up and down as you rode around in circles) we settled for the Spinning Wheel first. The line wasn't particularly long and when it was our turn, we realized each compartment only sat two people. Without a word Chloe grabbed Pete and headed off to an available spot, leaving me standing next to Clark.

"I guess we can take this one," I said, pointing at a blue compartment lined in red.

Clark followed me wordlessly. I had to bite back a laugh as he tucked his legs into the small space. The worker came by and locked us into place, checking to make sure everything was secure.

"Are your legs going to survive?" I teased.

Clark managed to grin. "You know, Lois, people don't seem to have much consideration for those over six feet tall."

I snorted. "Oh yes, because most people definitely grow to be that tall, Smallville."

"I think everyone else just hasn't caught up to their true height," he argued playfully.

I poked him in the side. "Uh-huh, sure Clark."

After a moment's silence, the ride jerked to life and we rose into the air. Instead of grabbing onto the handle bar, I automatically wrapped my hands around Clark's arm. The ride wasn't what I would call smooth; the metal creaked and groaned as the compartment moved up and down while we spun round and round.

"What's the matter, Lois?" Clark laughed into the wind. "We're perfectly safe."

"I'll only believe that if you stay right where you are next to me," I snapped back. "This contraption feels like it's going to fly off any second."

"That's just because it's old."

Nevertheless, I kept my hands securely around my future husband's arm. I wasn't about to admit it but these kinds of rides tended to scare me. Ever since I'd gone flying with Clark, any other mode of being in the air wasn't the same. The only thing I was comfortable getting into now were helicopters and planes. But carnival rides? If Clark hadn't come, I would still be on the ground; that was one of the reasons I'd pushed so hard to get him here. I didn't like getting on these kinds of things without my Superman.

As the day moved on, I managed to sit next to Clark on every single attraction ride. I had my suspicions that now that Chloe had put her flames over Clark to rest, she was determined to spark the fire between the two of us. Not that I minded. Pete was completely clueless but Chloe manipulated every situation so as to get Clark next to me, even lying at one point about not wanting to sit on the inside of an attraction and telling me to switch places with her.

At around five o'clock, Pete finally admitted that he wasn't feeling good. We'd known that he'd been trying to hide his discomfort since two in the afternoon but the guy was pretty stubborn. It wasn't until we got off the Zipper that Pete's face turned a lovely shade of green. Chloe more commanded than invited him to come with her so she could drive him home; he'd walked to the fair since he only lived four blocks away. Waving goodbye to both Clark and I, Chloe dragged Pete into the crowd and disappeared.

It suddenly became very obvious to the two of us that Chloe had manipulated the situation into a date. I was ecstatic but found myself nervous. Would Clark want this? Was he going to suggest going home too? I sincerely hoped not. I waited, unsure of what to say.

"So…is there anything you want to do right now?" Clark hedged, nervous as well.

I filled with hope. He wanted to do something with me! I quickly looked around and my eyes landed on the Ferris Wheel. "How about that one?"

Clark followed my finger. "The Ferris Wheel?"

I swallowed. Was that too forward? I decided not to care; Clark was my future husband after all! If I wanted to go on the Ferris Wheel with him I had every right to do that! "Sure! Unless you're afraid of heights."

Clark smirked. "You're talking to the guy that can leap over entire cornfields; heights aren't a problem."

Deciding to be bold, I grabbed his hand. "Then let's go!"

The electricity sparked between us immediately and to both my surprise and delight, Clark didn't pull his hand away. Instead his fingers curled over mine. I looked at him and smiled. He smiled hesitantly back. Joining the masses, we headed for the Ferris Wheel, talking about what we thought of the fair, the ridiculous toys vendors carried, the horrible fried food, the good fried food, and anything else that suited our fancy.

"Hey, um, could we head in there after the Ferris Wheel?" Clark asked nervously while pointing at an attraction titled Fantasy Land. "I didn't get to go in last time because Lana thought it looked dumb."

Intrigued by the gargoyles that stood as sentinels on either side of the entrance and the sexy fairy that rested on top of the word Fantasy in the title, I nodded. "Why would she think that? It looks cool!"

"Really? Because, if you don't want to, we really don't have to…"

Clark's nervousness was too cute. I squeezed his fingers and caught his eye. "Smallville, I want to go. It looks interesting."

Clark smiled, relaxing immediately from my reassurance. "Okay."

We reached the Ferris Wheel. Since it wasn't quite dark yet the worker wasn't trying to pack people into every compartment like sardines. Clark and I somehow managed to get one all to ourselves. Instead of sitting on the opposite side of the compartment, Clark sat right next to me. The warmth of his body was soothing against the chilly weather and as we climbed higher into the sky, I found myself cuddling even closer to him. Clark had released my hand and was fidgeting with his fingers in his lap while we made small talk about how beautiful the view looked.

"You know, Smallville gets prettier the more I see it from this kind of view," I muttered looking out at the crop fields surrounding the town.

"It looks pretty different from the big city, huh?"

"Yeah but I think that both have a different kind of beauty to offer. You've been to cities, haven't you, Clark?"

He nodded, his eyes trained on his hands still. "Yeah… being fast has some advantages."

I chuckled. "I bet."

Sighing, I looked up at the clouds. We got all the way to the top before the wheel stopped moving, giving us a breathtaking view of the entire town and surrounding area. It was then that Clark decided to finally make the moved I'd been waiting for: reaching up, he curled one strong arm around my shoulder. Immediately I snuggled into his side, resting my head against his chest. I knew he was surprised from the way his body tensed up from the sudden intimacy but after another second, he relaxed. I smiled.

"Thanks for noticing I was getting cold, Smallville," I muttered.

Clark managed to laugh, his chest moving up and down slightly against the side of my head. "Well, at least I'm good for something."

"Darn right," I giggled. "You're like a personal space heater."

Clark snorted. "I guess I am."

After a moment, the wheel started turning again. I took Clark's other hand with my own and fiddled with his fingers. "You know you're more than a space heater to me, right?"

"Oh?" Clark asked, his voice dripping with amusement.

I knew what he was trying to do; he was always like this. Well, I wasn't going to flatter him anymore for now. "Yeah but I'm not going to tell you what else you might be," I teased. "We don't want your head to get so big that even all your strength can't lift it."

Clark laughed heartily and I realized that it was the first real laugh he'd made since his and Lana's break up. It came from deep within his chest and the sound caused me to start laughing too. It was unfortunate that right then the compartment stopped at the ground floor and the worker came to kick us off; I wanted nothing more than to scoot into Clark's lap and kiss him. I settled for being satisfied with Clark's fingers lacing through mine as soon as we stepped off the ride back into the crowd.

My heart was doing little flips by the time we reached Fantasy Land. I didn't think it would be possible to fall in love again with someone after already loving them but here I was head over heels for Clark Kent as if it was the first time. I smiled, feeling content. This is how it should be.

I was distracted from my feelings as we stepped inside Fantasy Land. Immediately I felt like we were in a new world. The walls were painted to look like those of a castle and they even had vines hanging down and creeping across the tarp ceiling overhead. There was a sign at the end of the hall explaining that Fantasy Land was a maze filled with magical creatures designed by some famous movie guy. There was a plea not to touch the works of art but consent to take pictures should so one desire.

"A maze, huh? I hope we don't have to fight off trolls or anything," I joked as we turned the corner.

"Don't worry, I'll try to go easy on them," Clark laughed.

I giggled. "What are you talking about, Smallville? I'm the one that's going to have to save you!"

"Yeah, right!"

The figurines that decorated the maze were gorgeous, ranging from sparkling fairies to warty witches and fearsome dragons. Several times Clark and I made a wrong turn which ended with an ugly looking troll or gargoyle standing next to a sign that read TRY AGAIN. We'd merely laugh and turn around, choosing a different direction. I refused to let Clark use his x-ray vision, stating that we needed to conquer this monster the traditional way. Clark didn't seem to mind.

After being in the maze for twenty minutes, I was about to give up and ask Clark to get us out of here when we turned the corner and came across a beautiful scene. The walls must have been made of something thick because I hadn't heard the running water until we stepped out into a large circular space with a glorious fountain in the center. A pegasus stood in the middle of the fountain, the water coming from the tips of its wings and trailing down through its stone mane and tail. It stood on its hind legs.

"Oh, wow," I breathed as we moved closer.

"Hey, it's a wishing fountain," Clark muttered, pointing at all the coins glittering at the bottom from the streams of white Christmas lights and vines lining the tarp ceiling.

"Well, we have to make a wish!" I said, digging in my pockets with my free hand.

Clark held out his hand, exposing two quarters. "One for you, one for me," he said.

"Thanks," I mumbled, taking one. "Okay, you got your wish figured out?" –He nodded – "Alright, on three! One. Two. Three!"

We tossed the coins in, disturbing the water enough to add our own ripples to the ones already sprouting from the pegasus. After a pause, Clark put an arm around me. "So…what did you wish for?"

I hesitated. "It won't come true if I tell."

"Oh come on," he said.

I bit my lip. Curse my hopeless romantic side! Of course I'd wished for Clark to forget about Lana and think only of me. But there was no way I could actually tell him that! "If you tell me, I'll tell you," I lied.

Clark hesitated but then a determined gleam came into his eyes. "That's fair since I asked first."

My heart skipped a beat. Seriously? He was going to tell me? Clark stepped back, removing his arm from around my shoulder to slip his hand back into mine. He took the other one as well. I unconsciously took a step towards him. He took a step towards me.

His beautiful blue eyes searching mine, he softly muttered, "All my life I've wished for the same thing until today." – I gave him a questioning glance but he merely shook his head – "Ever since I found out the truth about who I really am and where I came from, I convinced myself that my wish would never come true. The wish," he took a step closer, "of being just like everybody else…of fitting in…I never thought I'd be able to feel that way. Even so, I wished for it, longed for it…" He paused to sigh before a small smile climbed his cheeks.

"It seems fate finally heard me. The way I'm feeling now I've never felt before around anyone. You're something else, Lois. Rationally I shouldn't be feeling this way when just a week ago I was in a long term relationship but since the moment I saw you rational thought and feeling leapt out the window… It was like some cosmic force smacked me upside the head and all I could think about was you. I can't pretend that these feelings are false when the very thing I've longed for came true the moment we met. I wished that I could have a chance to be with you, Lois. Call me completely crazy but I want to be with you. You make me feel like I belong here on Earth. I know this may seem too fast and I might be coming off as shallow for wanting to date you not even a month after breaking up with Lana but I've had a few months of longing building up inside and now that I'm free I want to ask you before anyone else can take you away from me. Will you give me a chance, Lois? Will you allow me to court you?"

The poor guy looked like he was going to keel over if I said no. It was so remarkably like Clark's office persona that it took everything I had not to giggle. Staring into his eyes, the windows of his soul confessed his irrevocable love for me. Smiling tenderly, my whole body feeling as if it were on fire, I leaned forward and gently graced his lips with my own. My kiss was simple, it was sweet, and it was given with perfect clarity. I pulled away slowly, and opened my eyes.

I smiled. "You're the only chance I want to take, Clark," I whispered, cupping the side of his face. "You being with me was my wish."

His eyes widened a moment in pleased surprise before a genuine smile climbed his face. He leaned in and kissed me this time, the gesture giving me a taste of what he'd been harboring inside for so long. The kiss was filled with desire, longing, and passion. I wrapped my arms around him as he placed his hand in the small of my back while the other climbed into my hair.

Finally I was in his arms the way I wanted to be, the way I was designed to be. I was made to fit this man just as he was to fit me. Together we became one. I'd felt so lost, so out of place, since coming to this time period. I had an inkling of how Clark felt, lonely and filled with longing to be whole, to be complete and now, at this very moment, that had come true. Clark had filled my emptiness and I had filled his. Who cared if he'd only come out of his relationship with Lana a week ago? Who cared about how the town would gossip for weeks on end about the strange city girl who captured the star quarterback's heart? Those were trivial matters if the face of love. Love wasn't supposed to make sense. Neither was it rational. It was strange, exciting, and full of endless twists and turns. It happened when it happened and I honestly felt that my relationship with Clark was my own. I didn't have to explain myself to anyone and neither did he.

Besides, who can really explain love anyway?

Clark pulled away, jerking his head slightly to the side. "Someone's coming," he muttered.

I made to step back but the ground wasn't there. With a yelp, I frantically grabbed onto Clark's arms to keep myself from falling backward. Clark's face was filled with complete shock as both of us stared down at our feet. We were standing about two feet off the ground. Terrified, Clark lost control and we both went tumbling to the floor. I landed right on top of him just as another couple entered the room.

"Wow…um, are we interrupting something?" the boy asked while his date giggled. "Hey…wait a second…Clark?"

Clark peeked out from around my curls and recognized the boy the same time I did. It was Kevin Hughes, one of the linebackers on the football team. His girlfriend was Alice Hemmingway, one of the school's lead cheerleaders.

"Kevin!" Clark said hastily, trying to get up from the floor. "Fancy seeing you here…"

After disentangling from each other, Clark helped me to my feet. To my surprise, Clark kept his hand firmly attached to mine. I'd been expecting him to want to keep our relationship a secret but this obvious gesture and the close proximity between us were enough figurative neon signs indicating that Clark Kent was dating the city girl. A bubble of happiness exploded in my chest.

Kevin's brown busy eyebrows were almost disappearing into his hairline as he noticed our intertwined hands. Alice's eyes narrowed; she didn't look happy at all. Sniffing loudly, she angled her head up a little as she asked, "Aren't you that city girl who transferred here a couple months ago?"

Jealous much? Smirking, I responded with a firm nod, "Yep, that's me, Lois Lane. Who are you?"

Alice's jaw dropped. "You honestly don't know who I am?"

I turned to Clark, faking confusion. "Is she supposed to be some kind of town mascot or something?"

Clark frowned. "Lois, this is Alice Hemmingway. She's one of the school's lead cheerleaders."

"Oh, really?" I said, turning to her. "Do you plan to be a professional some day? I heard it's a tough business to get into."

Alice scowled and tossed her hair. "I feel I have a pretty good chance – unlike some people."

Kevin and Clark felt the tension in the air but didn't know how exactly to ease it. I smirked, "Oh yeah, I can see that. Good thing that such careers are totally based off solely what you look like. Hey, aren't careers like that really short lived because of that? Oh yes, they are."

Alice looked like she wanted to bare her claws. Deciding that I'd had enough of being looked down upon by the cheerleader, I turned to Clark and put my hand on his chest. "Come on, Clark, this room is obviously not the best place to really get to know each other. See you around, Kevin!" I waved cheerfully, dragging a rather befuddled Clark into the hallway labeled EXIT. Apparently we'd made it to the end of the maze because a moment later we were standing back outside in the now low sunset.

"Lois, was that really necessary?" Clark asked as I walked side by side with him back towards the vendor booths.

I frowned. I was supposed to be thirty four years old not sixteen! And yet here I was acting like some teenager that had to leap on the bandwagon of ridicule the second some insecure girl lashed out at me. I knew she was jealous and it hadn't been necessary to belittle her like that but I tended to get defensive when threatened. I sighed. "I'm sorry, Clark. I tend to get defensive over stuff like that."

Clark squeezed my hand. "If you need to hear it, I think you're prettier than any girl in the whole school and the whole world for that matter."

I quirked an eyebrow. "Flatterer."

He shrugged. "It's the truth."

I blushed deeply, smiling despite myself. "So, I guess now that we've been caught the entire town is going to know before the end of the day that we're going out?"

"Kevin and Alice have already talked to five people who are each talking to three or four people as we speak," Clark informed, his ears on the prowl.

"Hey, if it means that every girl in this town knows that you're mine, I'm fine with that," I said possessively.

Clark smirked. "Well, you've got one thing right." He spun me around suddenly so I was facing him. "I'm all yours," he muttered before kissing me.

I stepped back after the kiss, grinning. Clark had a similar expression but then paused.

"What's up?" I asked, curious.

He shook his head. "Lois…right before Kevin and Alice showed up, we were hovering above the air! I've never done that before when awake. I mean, sure, I've leapt across corn fields, but hovering? That's the first time that's ever happened."

I squeezed his hand. He sounded nervous. I decided to ease the fears. "Clark, that wasn't the first time."

"It wasn't?" he asked, confused.

I shook my head, smiling. "You probably didn't notice but you hovered three weeks ago when we were dancing."

Clark's brows drew together. "I don't remember that."

"Well, you did have a lot of other stressful things happen that night," I said lightly, signifying I wasn't upset he forgot.

"You're right about that," he muttered. "I thought you'd just stumbled on your heels."

I laughed. "Well, I did but it wasn't because I have bad coordination. I wasn't expecting stepping back several inches above the ground." Clark nodded, his nervousness still showing through. I squeezed his hand. "Hey, Clark, this isn't something to be scared of. How did you feel when we were up in the air?"

He looked at me before looking at the sky, thinking. "I felt…good," he said after a moment.

"Was it comfortable?"

"Well, yeah, but that could have been because we were kissing."

I chuckled. "That probably added to the comfort. But setting that aside, how did you really feel being off the ground?"

"Well, at first, it felt natural," he admitted, "but then I started to think about how unnatural it was and I got scared. Then we fell to the floor."

I nodded slowly before hitting him lightly in the arm. "Well then, Smallville, we're just going to have to see if we can get you to not think about how unnatural it is."

Clark stared. "You mean…you're not freaked out that there's a possibility that I can defy gravity?"

I rolled my eyes. "Are you kidding, Clark? Who wouldn't want a boyfriend who can literally sweep you off your feet?"

He grinned and I could see the tenseness leave his shoulders. Score! I'd done my job! I'm not going to lie, knowing that I was there when Clark showed his first signs of flight made me feel really special. I suddenly felt determined to help him learn not only how to hover but to fly. Oh, our dates were going to get really interesting in the future…

I was pulled from my thoughts when a booth caught my eye and an idea came to mind. "Hey, Clark, wanna make a bet?"

"A bet?"

I pointed at the shooting game across the way. "I bet I can hit more targets than you can."

A mischievous glint came into his beautiful blue eyes. "I'll take that bet, Lois. What's the prize?"

I tapped my chin. "Let's see…if I win, you have to go to Switzerland and get me a pound of their finest milk chocolate. If you win, oh, I don't know…what do you want?"

That playful glint was still in his eye as he smirked. "I get to take you to the Windmill."

I raised an eyebrow. "The Windmill?"

"It's a tradition in Smallville for couples to go to this old windmill out in Grayson's Field on the outskirts of town at night. They say that if you climb to the very top and manage to see a shooting star you'll have good luck in your relationship."

I smirked. "That's the corniest thing I've ever heard but, if that's the prize you want, why not?"

Clark grinned. "Prepare to lose."

"In your dreams, Smallville."

Paying for both of us, Clark took his position at the first gun while I took the second. The worker appeared amused as he stepped back and started up the game. "Three strikes and you win a prize," he stated, pointing at the various stuffed animals lining the ceiling.

Clark and I started shooting our guns like crazy, aiming for the targets with much more precision and skill than should be expected of two teenagers. What did you expect? I trained for years with my dad growing up and later I shot off rounds with Maggie at the Police Station in Metropolis (I had special privileges to get in and use their equipment) while Clark had the best eyesight on the planet. There was no way either of us were going to miss the required targets. Sure enough, we each hit three but unfortunately for me, Clark hit his third right before I did.

"Ha!" Clark cried, putting his gun back in its holster. "Looks like it's the Windmill!"

I gave him my best scowl before smiling widely. Alone at the top of a windmill in the middle of the night with Clark? Yes, please! I suddenly remembered over a year ago, when I first learned who Clark really was and had chased after him to Smallville he'd taken me to a windmill. Could this be the same one? A feeling deep inside caused pleasurable shivers to run down my spine. That was where Clark and I had our first French kiss. Too bad I couldn't do that to this Clark; we were a little young for that kind of stuff whereas the first time we were both adults and ready for the next step of marriage. My head started to hurt as I thought more on that. It was good that Clark distracted me just then by asking me which stuffed animal I wanted.

"Since I not only hit three targets but every single one under thirty seconds we get to choose one of the jumbo prizes," he said humbly.

I shook my head, grinning. "You couldn't afford to miss even one, Smallville?"

He grinned. "Not when so much was at stake."

"Gee, this Windmill better be fantastic since you went to such lengths to win," I teased, looking at the options above.

Surprisingly, all of them were rather cute. There was a dolphin, a tiger, a crow wearing a Smallville High tee shirt, a unicorn, a dragon, and a fuzzy light brown teddy bear with a huge blue bow around its neck. I decided to go with the teddy bear, thinking that it would be the best one to cuddle up with in the evenings. The vendor got it down and handed it over. The thing was three feet tall with a texture as soft as a fleece blanket. Its large black eyes shined happily in the artificial light and its warm smile greeted me as I took it from the worker.

"Are you going to be able to carry that thing?" Clark laughed as I hefted it in my arms, looking for a better grip as we walked away from the booth.

"This is nothing compared to Jason," I said.

"Who?"

I wanted to smack myself in the forehead. Stupid, stupid, stupid! What was I going to say? Think Lane, think!

"He's someone very dear to me," I said honestly. "He's a seven year old I cared for back in the city."

Yeah, that worked. Clark bought it.

"Oh. Did you babysit him often?"

I smirked. "Oh yeah, all the time! I almost consider myself to be his mother."

Clark laughed but my heart throbbed painfully as a fresh wave of memories of our son paraded behind my eyes. Clark saw the look on my face. "Lois, are you alright?"

I sniffed. "Yeah, I'm okay," I said, wiping at my eyes. Darn tears!

"He must have really meant a lot to you."

"Yeah," I muttered, reigning in my emotions. "Sorry, Clark. It's just… I spent a great deal of time with that munchkin - practically since he was a baby. I try not to think about him too much because it hurts knowing that I'm not there right now."

Clark put his arm around me. Treating the subject with respect and delicacy, he asked, "Did he come from a good home?"

"Oh, yeah!" I said automatically. "His parents just have to work a lot so I would help out in watching him every day. But both his parents are fantastic… especially his father. He's one of the kindest men I've ever met and the greatest father too." My voice became softer as I added, "You could say he's one of my heroes."

Clark smiled. "Maybe I can become one of those someday. I've always wanted to be a father."

Oh the irony! This conversation was one of the strangest ones I'd ever had.

"You're already my hero, Clark," I said kindly. "And I think you're going to make a terrific father one day, just like Jason's dad."

"You think?"

I nodded. "Yeah, you've got what it takes Smallville."

Clark seemed pleased. "Well, for what it's worth, I think you'd make a fantastic mother, Lois. Jason's a lucky kid to have grown up with you helping to raise him. I'm sure he's a terrific kid."

I smiled. "He is. One day I think you'll get to meet him."

"I'd like that."

And you have no idea how much you'll appreciate it when you find out who he really is, I thought, smiling widely.

Taking the bear from me with one hand, Clark kept our fingers intertwined with the other. "Come on; let's get out of here."

"Okay."

Clark waited until we'd left the crowds behind before scooping me with the giant teddy bear into his arms. "Hold on to him tight," he advised. "I'd hate to lose him in the run."

I grinned. "I hope you can see. Isn't he blocking your vision?"

"Why Lois, I'm surprised," Clark chided playfully, "you're boyfriend has the ability to look through anything but lead, remember?"

"Ahhh, yes, how could I forget?" I laughed.

"Hang on tight," he said again.

"I'm hanging."

Checking that the coast was clear, Clark took off. The wind blasted into the side of my body and I redoubled my grip on the teddy bear. Just when the right side of my body started getting cold, Clark leapt into the air. We went soaring straight upwards until he landed gently on the top of the Windmill.

"Ta-da!" he said, setting me down.

My suspicions were correct. It was the same windmill Clark and I eventually would stand upon shortly after becoming a couple. How ironic was it that here I was, just barely becoming Clark's girlfriend, and we were standing in the same place as we would in the future? This wasn't luck. This was fate.

The corn fields were devoid of the tall grasses due to the time of year, instead leaving a wide range of open fields to our viewing pleasure. But the sky…the sky was just as clear and radiant as it had been that night. The Milky Way paved its way across the sky amidst the countless stars that twinkled up above. Clark took the teddy bear and set it aside before sitting on the windmill's platform, inviting me to join him. Unthinkingly, I sat down in his lap; it was what I usually did after we'd put Jason to bed and weren't quite ready to head to bed ourselves.

Clark didn't seem at all upset about the gesture but he was rather shy; he made sure to keep his hands to himself though he did put his arms around me. I leaned into his chest and his unique heat spread down to my toes, warming me instantly. We sat like that for a few moments in comfortable silence, not feeling we had to converse. We simply enjoyed each other's company while the stars danced above us.

After a while, Clark started playing with a strand of my long loose curls. "You know, normally I'd be completely uptight and terrified to find a girl with me like this – especially since we only became an official couple not even three hours ago."

"Do you think we're moving too fast?" I asked nervously. I didn't want to ruin something that was supposed to be just because I was a married woman trying to fill what she'd been deprived of for months.

Clark shook his head though, quieting my fears. "That's just it; I don't feel like we are. I mean, it can't go any farther than this…"

"Then we'd better set some ground rules," I said logically.

"Okay," he said. "Um, would you like to go first?"

I smiled. "Let me put it this way, Clark… You were raised with a moral honor code that's probably a lot higher than the one I've ever lived so why don't you tell me what you want and I'll follow."

"Are you okay with that?" he asked nervously.

I twisted a little in his arms so I could kiss him. "I'm not a saint, Clark. I'm probably not the type of girl you'd normally even chase after. But if following your code of ethics means I get to stay with you, I'm willing to do whatever is necessary. I know a once in a lifetime opportunity when I see it, Smallville, and believe me" – I looked him up and down – "I love what I see so much that I'm never going back to human men."

That got a laugh out of him. Shaking his head, he muttered, "I never thought I'd get so lucky as to meet a girl who would say she'd rather be with an alien than her own kind."

I kissed him again. "It helps when the alien is more attractive in every way than every guy the girl's planet has to offer."

Clark grinned. "Well, we'll see how attractive I am after I tell you what I have in mind relationship-wise."

"Do your worst, Smallville," I invited, "cause nothing you propose is going to send me running for the hills."

"Alright…" Clark muttered. "Well the first thing I suppose should be what's acceptable."

"Fair enough."

"So…um…holding hands, kissing, and cuddling are okay."

He looked at me nervously to see my reaction. I merely smiled and kissed his cheek. "That suits me just fine. And the don'ts?"

Clark's face turned bright red. I had to laugh. Even after we got married, Clark was so shy when it came to this subject. It was so adorable I couldn't help but laugh!

"Oh, come on, Smallville, we're both old enough to talk about the birds and the bees," I said. "No touching under or over clothes in private places, no removing clothes, and no sex, right?"

Clark was as red as a cherry. "R-Right," he stuttered.

I laughed so hard my insides started to hurt. Twisting around and wrapping my arms around him, I gave him a tight hug. "You're so cute when you're embarrassed, Clark! I love it!"

"Well, it's a delicate thing to discuss," he muttered, even more embarrassed than before. "Especially with me, considering what I am."

I kissed his cheek. "Don't worry, farm boy, I'm not going to tease you about it all the time. Actually, your moral honor code makes you five hundred times more attractive to me."

"It does?" he asked, surprised.

I nodded. "Of course it does! It makes me want to be that way too." I leaned back into his chest and both of us stared up at the sky again.

"My parents always tried to teach me good values," Clark said after a while. "When I found out my true parentage, respecting and treating relationships the way I was taught became even more important to me. Family became one of those things I treasure most since there's a chance I might never have one of my own," he finished quietly.

"Don't think something that important is impossible, Clark," I muttered. "You never know until you give it a try. When the time comes for you to want to be with someone forever and have a family, it'll happen, I'm sure of it."

"You really think so?" Clark asked quietly.

"Yeah, I do. Call it the romantic in me," I said.

Just then a shooting star flew across the sky. I grinned. "I guess that's a sign that our relationship is going to be a lucky one?"

"I sure hope so," Clark whispered.

"Me too."

We stayed up there for another twenty minutes before Clark decided to take me home. He reached Chloe's house about a minute later. I suspected he hadn't run as fast as possible since usually he can get to Chloe's in five seconds if he so wished. I didn't mind though; extra time to be in his arms was always a good thing to me.

Setting me down on the porch, he waited until I placed the teddy bear by the door before wrapping his arms around me to give me a good night kiss. We kept it brief but oh, how wonderful it was!

"Do you have any plans for Thanksgiving?" he asked, desperate to keep me a moment longer on the porch.

I shook my head. "Not really. Chloe and her dad are going out of town. I just figured I'd spend the time here at home. My dad and I are still a little rocky in our relationship right now; time's the best healer with us."

He pushed a stray strand of loose curls from my face. "Would you like to spend the holiday with me and my parents?"

I grinned as wide as the Nile River. "I'd love that, Clark."

"Great," he said, smiling warmly. "I'll see you soon."

"Okay," I sighed. "Good night."

He kissed me one more time. "Good night, Lois."

I slipped inside with my humongous bear, my large smile still plastered to my face while butterflies danced all around in my stomach. Chloe was waiting upstairs to interrogate me, displaying a huge smile of her own when she saw the way I looked and the large bear I was holding.

"Tell me everything," she commanded, following me into my room.

I gladly obliged.

Clark, Metropolis

"Hey, Kal?"

I looked up from my computer to find Lois standing there twisting her fingers together. "What's up, Lois?"

She bit her lip. "Well, Thanksgiving is coming up and I just wanted to make sure you have some place to go. I just got a call from my sister and she wants to spend the holiday with me since our dad has to go overseas to check on some things. You can spend it with us; I don't have a problem with that!"

"Lois," I said gently, cutting her off, "from what you've told me about your sister she's seriously due for some big sister attention. I'm perfectly fine letting you two spend the holiday together."

"But what about you?" she cried, sincerely worried.

I smiled. "I'll stick to the shadows. Somebody has to keep their eye on you even if it's the holidays. As far as I know, the Mafia don't take vacation time for such things."

"I guess you're right," she sighed. "But are you sure you don't just want to spend the day with us?"

"Lois, if you want me to, I will."

Lois bit her lip. "I really, really, really want you to… but Lucy…"

I took her hand while kindly smiling at her. "I understand. Don't worry. I'm fine being in the shadows. Honestly."

She sighed. "Okay... if you're sure…I'm really going to miss you!"

"I'll miss you too but don't worry; I'm only a shout away."

She leaned forward and kissed me long and deep. "I'll keep that in mind."

Lois walked away to call her sister to confirm the visit. I sat back and thought of the coming holiday. Though I hadn't voiced it to Lois, I had every intention of going to visit Smallville for about an hour on Thanksgiving. I'd thought about it long and hard. The truth was my dad was still alive and I desperately wanted to see him. I figured it wouldn't hurt to rush in, be in Smallville for an hour, and then rush back to Metropolis to discretely watch over my wife to be. I'd keep my ear tuned in to her the whole time and besides, if the situation became dire, I could be back at her side in less than a minute (I'd have to break the sound barrier flying if it came to that). My mind made up, I looked at the calendar on the wall next to my computer.

Thanksgiving couldn't come fast enough…