AN: I had so much fun writing this chapter! I hope you like it! Sorry it's been so long!
11: Thanksgiving
Clark, Metropolis
"I don't care if you're closing in on finding out the biggest scandal in the world! You're not going back to that club, Lane!"
I sighed. Perry and Lois had been going at it for almost ten full minutes. I huddled behind one of the stringer desks, my fingers raking across the keys to finish an article concerning real estate rates in Metropolis and the surrounding area. I figured that if I kept out of sight, Lois wouldn't drag me into the argument. Unfortunately she did.
"Perry, Kal hasn't been outright shot at! Why can't he go back and continue to snoop around?"
Perry swelled like a bull frog. "You think I'm going to wait around for that to happen?! If the Blur hadn't been there we wouldn't be standing here having this conversation, Lois! No, you're not going back to that club! No, Kal isn't going either! And yes, I'm forcing you to drop the story!"
"WHAT?! DROP THE STORY?! Perry, you can't! This is big news!"
"I am not willing to let you or Kal get deeper in this than you already are. You're both on the Mafia hit list! The only way to ensure that they leave the two of you alone is to stop digging around in their business."
"But-"
"NO Lois! Your life is more important to me than a story! You're on your way to becoming my star reporter and I'm not going to let you die before that dream comes true. If you want to pursue this… you're fired."
Lois's mouth dropped. My eyes widened. It was a good thing they were having this conversation in the privacy of Perry's office. I looked over to see if I needed to intervene. Lois stood there, her hazel eyes storming dangerously, a mixture of hurt and disbelief on her face. Perry was resigned, his gray eyes never deviating from hers. Then, to both of our surprise, Lois broke into tears.
"If you really wanted me to be a star reporter then you wouldn't stop me from getting this story," she cried, forcing open the office door.
Perry rushed forward. "Lois-"
Twisting around, her long loose curls flying all over the place, she screamed, "I HATE YOU!" before rushing for the elevators.
The entire bullpen had fallen silent. Perry stood in the doorway looking forlorn. His saddened eyes turned to steel as he forced the walls to cover the aching of his heart. "What are all of you standing around for?" he snapped. "This is a newspaper! Get to work!" he turned and slammed his door shut.
Slowly the room came alive again. Abandoning my computer, I checked on Lois (she was on the roof) before heading to Perry's office. The man looked like he'd lost a daughter. I timidly knocked before coming in.
"Chief?"
Perry didn't look up; his eyes were focused on a picture sitting on his desk. Using my x-ray vision, I noticed it was a picture of Lois winning her first award for a story in a small competition amongst the Daily Planet staff. I closed the door and Perry finally looked up.
"Kal! What are you doing here son?"
I smiled apologetically. "I don't need to know exactly what went on between the two of you but I don't think you need to worry about Lois, Chief. She's just upset. She loves her job and doesn't do well when told she can't do something."
Despite himself, Perry showed a small smile. "You're right about that one, Kal. I just hope I didn't cross the line this time. I haven't seen her burst into tears before."
"I'll take care of Lois," I assured.
"Be careful," Perry warned. "She can be a pit bull when she gets like this."
I laughed. "I will. Thanks Chief."
Lois was still on the roof sniffling though no longer showing tears. My arms wrapped around her and she immediately relaxed into my chest. "I knew you'd come up here eventually," she mumbled as we both stared out at the Metropolis skyline.
I kissed her head. "After a performance like that I figured you'd like someone to vent to. Since I'm invulnerable, you can even throw things if you want."
That got a small laugh out of her. "I don't think I could ever throw something at you, Kal."
I had to stifle a laugh. Little did she know, one day she would! Though not frequent, there had been several occasions where I'd had to dodge a lamp, a remote, and even a jug of milk during some rather ferocious fights with my wife; I suppose it had to deal with the fact that I was completely invulnerable anyway so none of the items actually hurt. We would laugh about the scenarios after we'd made up of course. Thinking on this, I had another moment where I missed my wife and the particular closeness she could give.
Sighing, I unconsciously found my face had burrowed into Lois's hair, my lips touching her skin just below her ear. Her heartbeat had escalated and her next words came out with a slight stutter. "K-Kal? Are you okay?"
I got a hold of myself. "Yeah," I muttered, kissing her neck before moving away to rest my chin on the crown of her head.
"You really know how to distract me," Lois muttered shyly. "Here I was thinking all these terrible thoughts towards our boss and then you have to go and pull something like that! You ruined my silent brooding."
I smiled. "You seem so upset about that."
I could practically see her roll her eyes but then she sighed. "I was just so angry, Kal. Perry tells me all the time that I'm slowly becoming a star reporter but how can that even happen if he keeps pulling the plug on everything I want to do? We were really digging our claws into this one! That bolt you found is proof that Falcone's moving something! If Perry would only let us stay on this story…"
"Lois," I said gently, "you know as well as I do that it's not possible to go back to the club. You could have died."
"No. You were there."
"If I hadn't gotten to you in time, that bullet would have gone straight through your heart," I pointed out. "I didn't even realize there was a fourth man until he'd already fired the gun."
Lois rubbed her hand over her still bandaged shoulder. "I'm glad you were there, Kal. But reporters get shot at all the time when on the job. I'm not about to cut this story loose."
"But Perry said-"
"Kal, we can't quit now! You can't tell me that you're just as anxious as I am to get to the bottom of this?" she asked, twisting around in my arms.
I frowned before running a hand through my hair. "Fine, yes I am. But Perry's thrown us off the case, Lois. He's going to give us new assignments tomorrow."
"Then we'll just have to continue to investigate everything from the shadows," she said stubbornly.
I shook my head, though I knew it was pointless to argue. "You really are like a pit bull," I muttered, "Once you've got your teeth sunk into something, you're not going to let go until it's dead."
Lois gave me a ferocious grin. "They don't call me Mad Dog Lane for nothing, Kal! So, you're not going to report me to Perry?"
"Oh, I'm going to report to him alright," I began. Lois opened her mouth to retort but I put a finger to her lips. "But it'll be a strict working with the police job."
Lois looked outraged but I argued that it was the only way Perry would be comfortable with the two of us continuing to chase after the mafia. Lois consented after another fifteen minutes of reasoning. After proposing the idea to Perry, he wasn't happy about it but let it slide seeing that Lois was willing to compromise so much.
"Alright you two have yourself a deal," Perry muttered against his better judgment. "But you let the police handle the knitty-gritty stuff and you just do the reporting. Got it?"
Lois nodded stiffly. "If that's what it takes."
I grinned. "Thanks, Chief."
We both got up to leave but Perry called out, "Lois? A word?"
Still smiling, I closed the door behind me, listening in.
The two were quiet for several minutes before Lois sighed. "Perry, I don't hate you. I shouldn't have said that."
"You were angry, Lane. It's understandable. You can't blame me for being worried about you. You're like the daughter I never had."
"I know," she muttered.
"You really are on your way to being a world class reporter, Lois. It takes guts to come back and ask for a story that could get you fired."
Lois became defiant though she was smiling. "Well, I did hear from an old man that when it came to a strong story do everything necessary to get the exclusive."
Perry chuckled. "That may be true but even great reporters have to take a break to enjoy the holidays. I don't want to see your face around here until Saturday, you hear me?"
Lois laughed. "Same goes for you, old man."
"Happy Thanksgiving, Lois."
"Happy Thanksgiving, Perry."
I pushed myself away from the pillar I had been leaning against to join Lois as she headed for the elevator. Wrapping my arm around her tiny shoulders, I gave them a soft squeeze. "That went well."
"I suppose so," Lois admitted.
"So, Lucy is coming into town tonight?" I asked.
Lois nodded. "Yeah… are you sure you don't want to spend the evening with us?"
I shook my head. "I'm going to stake out Night Flight and get a heads up on their next location. We need to keep in the know if we're ever going to crack this story."
Lois nodded though she didn't seem too keen on missing out on the action. "Alright, fine. But I want to hear all about it on Friday! Deal?"
"You got it," I promised.
We stepped out of the Daily Planet building onto the street. Immediately my ears picked up the click of a gun and then two shots rang through the air. Before I could even decipher where exactly the shots had come from and prepare myself to stop them even if that meant revealing the Blur, a streak of white raked across my vision. People were screaming and looking around in confusion; Lois had grabbed onto me in pure surprise; but all I noticed were the two crunched up bullets lying on the sidewalk.
"What in the name of Rao?" I muttered aloud.
Looking around, I couldn't find the shooter or the thing that stopped the attack. Before I could even think of slinking off to investigate, the police arrived and demanded details, giving the suspects all the time in the world to disappear into the shadows from whence they came.
Lois, Smallville
Chloe knocked on my door, a sly smile on her face. "Oh, Lois?" she called.
I poked my head out of my closet, working my toothbrush furiously through my mouth. "Whsit?" I asked through a mouthful of toothpaste.
Chloe smirked, eyeing me. "Someone's here to take you to school."
I scrunched my eyebrows as she sauntered into the room and pointed out the window. Coming over, I peeked through the flowery patterned curtains to see Clark leaning against the driver's side door of his father's bright blue pickup truck. I rushed over to the bathroom and spit out the froth in my mouth.
"You've got to be kidding me," I mumbled, frantically brushing through my already brushed long hair.
Chloe laughed at my antics. "Lois, you look adorable so stop freaking out."
Ignoring her, I ran back into my room and yanked on my knee high boots. "When he said he'd be picking me up I didn't think he'd be coming in his dad's truck," I muttered.
"What were you expecting? For him to run to school with you in his arms?"
I shrugged. "I guess so…"
Chloe smirked. "Well, obviously Mr. and Mrs. Kent approve of you since they're letting Clark drive the truck to come get you."
I felt a deep blush creeping over my cheeks. "How do I look?" I muttered, modeling the long golden yellow sweater dress I was wearing.
Chloe nodded, approving. "Very nice; it brings out your eyes. You'd better get going before Clark get's cold."
I snorted. "Yeah, because he's totally susceptible to cold weather like the rest of us."
"See you at school," Chloe called cheerfully as I tromped down the stairs.
I opened the door and Clark's entire face lit up. "Hey," he said after kissing me.
"Hi," I replied, blushing.
Ever the gentleman, Clark made sure I was in the truck before getting into the driver's side.
"Your parents let you borrow the truck for the day?" I questioned.
Clark shrugged. "They insisted."
"But what are they going to use if they have an errand to run?"
Smiling, Clark dug into his jacket pocket, pulling out a list. "I hope you don't mind but we have to go shopping after school."
I grinned. "I don't mind at all, Smallville."
"It's just a few items Mom needs for tomorrow."
"That's fine. I just can't believe they're making us come to school the day before Thanksgiving. It's even half a day! Why go to school at all? You know what? Let's play hooky!"
"Lois."
"Kidding."
Clark laughed as he turned down the main road leading to the school. My heart started picking up. Though it had circulated around town for five days, Clark and I had tried to keep our relationship quiet because we didn't want to cause a huge stir. Unfortunately, Martha found out and declared that if we were going to be together then we might as well go public. So instead of showing up at school with Chloe and Pete, we were going solo.
"I'm just as nervous as you are," Clark admitted as he pulled into an empty stall.
I nodded. "Let's just get it out in the open."
"Okay," Clark muttered.
Due to it being Smallville, everyone in the school parking lot knew who the blue truck belonged to. It also didn't help that Clark was the star quarterback – meaning that everyone at least knew who he was. Ignoring the stares, Clark walked around to my side, opened the door, and helped me out. Immediate whispers, cheers, cat calls, and jeers filled the sky as Clark threaded his fingers through mine and headed for the entry doors. Both of us found ourselves smiling sheepishly over the situation but for the most part I was happy the general reaction had been positive. A couple of members of the football team were so bold as to clap Clark on the back and declare things such as "Nice catch!" and "I knew you had it in you, Kent!" Clark would take it with a pleased smile and a shy "Thanks" before continuing down the hall.
We made it to my first class. Despite the giggles and incessant stares, Clark leaned in and kissed me full on the mouth. It wasn't a peck either; he kissed me long and deep. My eyes fluttered open, my head feeling all fuzzy.
"See you later," he grinned.
I smiled breathlessly. "Bye."
My face was on fire as I saw all the smirks, thumbs-up, and a couple of angry glares from my classmates. Grateful I'd taken a seat in the back at the beginning of the year I headed to my desk and buried my face in my math book. I couldn't believe Clark had kissed me like that! The last time we'd kissed in such a way, we'd ended up floating near the ceiling of the barn in his loft. That had been two days ago. I was surprised that a similar thing hadn't happened. I'd tried all weekend to train Clark to keep his feet on the floor when we kissed; I guess he'd finally been able to control himself. Still, not a very smart place to give it a go and see if he could make it work this time! I'd have to have a talk with him about it later.
The confrontation I'd been anticipating occurred after fourth hour. I had one more class before I'd get to see Clark again at lunch. Leaving my history class, I saw Lana Lang out of the corner of my eye. The redhead looked terrible. Dark purple circles clung below her bloodshot eyes, her hair didn't have the usual sleek and shiny look, and a frown was plastered to her smooth face. I thought she was going to blow up at me like last time but instead she just looked at me, her expression filled with hurt. She seemed broken.
Sighing, I walked over to her. Immediately people stopped to stare. Tired of all the prying, I whipped around, releasing a little Mad Dog Lane. "If any of you knows what's good for you, you'll head to class and keep your nose out of this! Those who don't will wish they had! I have a way of finding out every single dark secret that anyone possesses and I wouldn't even bat an eyelash sharing it with the school newspaper in a heartbeat! So beat it or else!"
Most of the populace moved on but some people thought I was joking – that is, until they saw my face. Their smiles disappearing, they shuffled on their way. Lana looked at me strangely but I just shook my head. "Come on." Without her permission, I grabbed her hand and stormed outside. Lana trailed along behind me, probably too shocked to put up a fight. I hauled her behind the bleachers and spun around on my heel.
"Lana, this has to stop. I'm tired of it – all of it – and frankly I think it was obvious to you that your relationship with Clark was failing way before I even showed up."
Lana sighed and walked away a few paces before turning around. "You know, I really envy you, Lois."
I cocked an eyebrow. I hadn't been expecting that.
Lana held a sour expression as she continued, "Do you want to know why?"
"Sure, enlighten me."
She took a deep breath and cried out angrily, "Because you're right! Mine and Clark's relationship was doomed from the get-go! I knew that but I cleaved to him anyway because I was under the delusion that our issues would resolve. Growing up with him, I knew that he always liked me but I didn't start actually seeing how amazing of a catch he was until this year. I started dating him despite the fact that I knew he had been hiding something from everyone his whole life. That secret of his ruined any possible chance of having our relationship turn into something more but your arrival in this town was the last straw. I noticed the way he looked at you from the moment he saw you. He may have not figured out his feelings until recently but I knew from the beginning. It didn't help that you egged him on! And then when it was apparent that you knew something we didn't…I was livid. I've acted like a total witch to you and honestly I'm sorry. I was raised better than this. I guess I'm just furious that no matter what I do, I'll never be like girls like you. You're talented, you're mature, you're sure of yourself, and you're dating a guy who is madly in love with you! I feel like such a loser…"
Lana broke down crying for probably the third time today; from how bloodshot her eyes were, I wouldn't have been surprised. She was probably feeling humiliated. She'd gone from being the star quarterback's girlfriend to the jealous reject. The whispers around campus didn't help. I hated high school. Snot-nosed teenagers that were so full of themselves, thinking they were the kings and queens of the world; graduation was going to be a horribly fantastic wakeup call for all of them!
"Lana, for starters you need to get it out of your head that you're a loser because you're not," I consoled firmly.
The redhead looked up at me through puffy eyes. "How do you know?"
I rolled my eyes. "Everyone knows you're smart, creative, and possessed with the potential to actually get out of this hick town and become something that will influence the world for good! I know you want to be a fashion designer. Everybody knows that."
"Yeah…but…I'm not that good," she said, belittling herself.
I scoffed. "Are you kidding? Your drawings are incredible! You can't tell me that you haven't been offered scholarships."
"I have."
"There you go," I said, "you being a loser is null and void."
"Just because I have scholarships doesn't mean people will love my work."
"If you keep yourself holed up in Smallville you'll never find out if that's true or not," I surmised. "Your success or failure is up to you. But I've got to tell you, if you stay here, your life is going to rot. Do you really want to work at a place like the Talon for the rest of your life?"
Lana shook her head. "No."
"Then get it out of your head that you're a failure and a loser. Don't listen to what everybody else has been saying! They're full of it! And about Clark… yes, you two broke up and I'm dating him now. But that doesn't mean that you have to put your friendship with him on the chopping block! It may have been some freak accident that resulted in you finding out his secret but, honestly, he was going to tell you anyway! It just so happened that Jake got in the way first. Now, I don't know why you chose to break up with and ignore him like you have but I'm guessing it was because you were hurt?"
Lana nodded. "Yeah…"
"Well, I would have been mad and hurt too. But Lana, he's your friend. He came out and confirmed to you what you've been craving to really know. He trusts you. Don't let this weird turn of events kill a friendship that both of you enjoyed for years. Clark may be my boyfriend now but that doesn't mean I'm going to stop him from hanging out with the people he cares about. And Lana, you're right, he's a fantastic guy but he's not your fantastic guy."
Lana let out a few more tears. "I know…but then who is?"
I bit my lip. Should I? Why not! It was going to happen anyway! I'd just plant the idea… "Have you ever considered Pete?"
Lana's mouth dropped open. "Pete? You can't be serious!"
I shrugged. "Why not? He's cute!"
Lana snorted as she laughed.
"What? I'm serious!"
Lana's laughter died away as she bit the inside of her cheek. "Well…I guess I never really noticed because I was always focused on Clark…"
"A friendly suggestion? You might want to reconsider the guy because, in his own right, he's definitely what I would call a keeper," I said. "The girl who ends up with him is going to be very lucky indeed. Keep in mind, he is Clark's best friend and Clark's friends turn out to be the most genuine people you'll ever meet."
Lana became very quiet. I shivered as a blast of happy autumn air whistled its way through the bleachers. After a minute Lana held out her hand and smiled. "Thanks for the advice, Lois; I'll keep it in mind. I'm sorry for being such a jerk. Truce?"
I took the offered hand. "Truce."
Lana smiled. "You're a good friend and a good person. Clark's lucky."
"You're not so bad yourself, Red," I said, smiling. "Come on, I think it's about time we head back. They're serving Thanksgiving dinner for lunch!"
Clark, Metropolis
The smells of turkey dinner permeated the entire atmosphere of the United States. I'd bid Lois good morning just a little while ago – I snuck onto the balcony while Lucy was in the shower to give her a kiss. I was still a little weary about leaving Lois after the incident outside of the Daily Planet but the pull to see my father was too strong to ignore. Besides, if needed, I could get back to Lois's side in less than a minute and she'd promised that she and Lucy were going to stay indoors all day at a hotel just in case Lois's apartment was being watched by the Mafia. This gave me enough reassurance to stick with my original plan. Even so, my hearing stayed focused on her heartbeat as I raced from state to state, making my way towards Smallville.
If I remembered right, during the beginning of Thanksgiving Day my senior year, I had to take care of a little kryptonite infected incident in town. I wouldn't be home for a good couple of hours. I wouldn't have to worry about meeting my other self and I'd be able to see my dad, even if it was from a distance.
As the lovely autumn landscape of Kansas blurred across my vision, I breathed in the smells of home and sighed. I loved Metropolis but Kansas would always have a special place in my heart. I reached Smallville, jetting past the town so fast I might as well have been the wind. In my excitement of seeing my father again, my hearing involuntarily switched from listening to Lois in Metropolis to the Kent Farm but what I heard caused me to trip over my feet, sending me flying end over end across the road for a good two hundred feet.
Picking my face out of the pavement, I looked up, bewildered. The farm was well behind me but the noise filling my ears was unmistakable…
"It's not possible!" I whispered.
The heartbeat I was hearing, without a shadow of a doubt, belonged to Lois.
Lois, Smallville
"I just got off the phone with Clark," Martha informed me and Jonathan who were both sitting in the living room watching the parade in New York on TV. "He's not going to be home for a couple of hours."
"Why do you say that?" Jonathan asked.
"He ran into some kryptonite infected person; a little boy throwing a tantrum in the store just started lighting everything on fire."
A hand covered my mouth. Clark had said that most of the cases died! "How is he going to solve this one?"
Martha shook her head hopelessly. "He didn't have time to say. Unfortunately the child will probably be carted off to Belle Reve Sanitarium. When the meteors first hit, many people were taken there for treatments and such."
"Will they be able to heal the boy?" I wondered.
"It's hard to say, Lois," Jonathan said sadly.
I thought of the poor mother who would have to watch her son grow up with fire abilities. I was grateful that I at least knew what abilities to look for in Jason's upbringing. Then I realized that Jonathan and Martha had to raise Clark without having any knowledge of what to expect! The reality of how terrified they must have been began to crash down on me. If I hadn't known Superman and Jason had started showing all these extraordinary powers, I would have been scared out of my wits.
"It must have been really hard raising a son who was different from the other kids," I muttered.
Martha and Jonathan smiled. "It was hard," Jonathan admitted.
"And terrifying," Martha supplied.
"But we took it in stride," Jonathan said. "We didn't know what to expect but we knew one thing for certain: we loved Clark from the moment we saw him. Sure, we were a bit terrified of his abilities at first but we never saw him as something to be afraid of."
"He was special," Martha smiled. "And we made the decision to always remind him of that, no matter how different he was. We treated him like he was supposed to be treated and that has made all the difference."
Jonathan nodded. "Monsters are created based off what people say, Lois. Clark would have grown up to be a very different man if we had treated him like an alien threat but because we decided to have him be our son, he has become a man that both of us are very proud of."
Clark
My eyes filled with tears. Dad had often said he was proud of me but hearing him speak again…it was like a balm to my soul. And to hear him speaking with Lois! I didn't understand how it was even possible. What was she doing here? She couldn't have followed me! I trained my hearing back in Metropolis and sure enough, Lois's heart was beating happy and healthy back in the city.
But how was she here too?!
I needed to get her alone, to talk to her; but how?
Lois
"Thank you both for raising such an incredible son," I said from the bottom of my heart. "He's…the greatest thing that's ever happened to me."
Martha, teary eyed, stood up and gave me a big hug. "Oh, sweetheart, you're the greatest thing that's ever happened to him too."
"I second that!" Jonathan declared, smiling widely.
I don't know what possessed me to look out the kitchen window at that moment but what I saw nearly made my heart stop. Clark was waving at me frantically to come outside while miming to keep my lips sealed. I scrunched my forehead wondering why on earth he wouldn't want me to tell his parents that he was outside. Figuring he had a good reason, I wildly thought of an excuse.
"You know, even though my dad is overseas right now I need to call him," I lied. "He likes to hear from me on the holidays."
"Would you like to use the land line?" Martha offered.
"Oh that's okay," I said, waving her off. "I've got the cell he gave me. I'm just going to go call him in the loft…you know…privacy and all…"
They both bought the lie with ease. "Take all the time you need," Jonathan said as Martha joined him on the couch to watch the parade.
"Thanks," I called over my shoulder before heading out the door.
The second I stepped outside, a strong pair of hands grabbed my waist and the next thing I knew, I was rocketing into the sky.
Clark
Lois let out a surprised shriek as I forced us up into the clouds. Oh, it felt so good to fly again! The wind whistled in my ears, flowing through my hair, ruffling my clothes. The only thing missing was the cape flapping behind me. Lois's arms were wrapped tightly around my chest, her head resting right against my heart. I closed my eyes, sighing. I'd wanted to take her flying again for so long and though I didn't know how she could possibly be here as well as in Metropolis, I was too happy to really care. She was here, with me, above the clouds.
Once we broke through the clouds to the welcoming warm sun and the endless blue sky, I came to a halt. Noticing the wind was no longer whipping her long curls around her face, Lois looked up at me. Before she could even say a word, my lips were on hers. I have no idea why I felt such a strong desire to kiss her senseless but I gladly obliged; we were dating so I figured it was no shame.
Our lips slid over each other again and again. Lois's hands snaked through my hair and her body inched up against mine as she pushed herself even further on tiptoe to move her tongue against my lower lip. This move surprised me; Lois hadn't been this bold in our kissing yet…not the one I'd been spending the past few months with…
I pulled away to look into Lois's eyes. They were alight with fiery desire.
Lois
Gasping for breath, my eyes baring into Clark's, I knew whom it was I was kissing. Grinning madly, my heart hammering in my chest, my body longing to satisfy a craving I'd been denying it for months, I kissed Clark deeply before pulling back to stare into his gorgeous blue eyes.
"Hello husband," I whispered, my smile so wide I was sure it would split my face in two.
Clark's eyes filled with wonder and positive delight as he lifted a hand to caress my cheek. "Hello wife," he whispered tenderly in return.
And then we were both laughing, Clark spinning me around and around in his arms. Our lips met, cutting off the laughter, the two of us enjoying not having to hold anything back. My hands roamed over every inch of Clark's chest, back, neck, hair, and arms while his paraded their way over my curves again and again; he was limited in his pleasures since he was the only thing keeping me airborne. After we'd curbed a little bit of our much deprived needs, we both pulled back to breathe.
"How is this even possible?" Clark muttered.
"The two Dr. Fates sent me back here," I said.
"They sent me back too. Why did they send you?"
"They said you wouldn't exist and time would be altered if I didn't come back to the time you were a senior."
Clark frowned. "But…that doesn't make any sense! I have no memory of ever meeting you in my senior year."
"I have no memory of writing articles about the Blur either," I countered.
"You know about the Blur?"
"The front page of a copy of the Daily Planet a while ago showed a picture of you. You think I wouldn't recognize my own husband even if his hair was gray, his eyes were brown, and his name was different?"
Clark lightly blushed. "The name was your idea."
That threw me. "Wait, do I know?"
He nodded. "You know everything."
I punched him in the arm. "What the heck, Smallville? You come back in time and you automatically tell me who you really are?! Why couldn't you have done that the first time we met?"
"Lois, apparently the first time we met was this time."
I shook my head. "This is so confusing! Let's just both agree for now that we didn't meet until we were adults. Agreed?"
"Okay."
"So, why did they send you back?" I asked though I figured my earlier suspicions were going to be dead on.
"The Dr. Fates told me that a threat from the future had traveled back in time to kill you in a time period where Superman didn't exist."
"So we're basically protecting each other?"
"I guess so."
I laughed exasperatedly. "How weird!" Sighing, I rested my head against Clark's shoulder, breathing in his wonderful fresh air, cornfield scent. "I missed you."
Clark kissed the top of my head. "I missed you!"
"Do you know how hard it's been, watching you fawn over Lana?" I asked, suddenly feeling the need to reprimand him.
Clark grimaced. "You saw all that?"
"You bet I did! It's been an absolute nightmare having to watch that she-devil pull all kinds of moves on you for months."
"But we broke up after she found out the truth," Clark muttered.
"Which was three weeks ago," I supplied. "And you and I hooked up last week."
"What?!" he yelped. "We're dating?!"
I rolled my eyes. "This may come as a shocker to you, Smallville, but Clark Kent is irrevocably in love with me."
Clark laughed weakly. "I have no memory of dating anyone else after Lana. In fact, I didn't chase after another girl until the moment I saw you at the Daily Planet."
"Well, you're dating me now. Oh, and your parents highly approve."
Clark smiled. "Well, Mom already loved you by the time I introduced the two of you last year."
"And I have your dad's approval…he's fantastic, by the way. I can see why you admire him."
Clark nodded. "I came here today to see him…from a distance… I wasn't expecting…"
"To find me here?" I questioned.
"Well, yeah! I can hardly believe this is real!"
I smiled, my toes resting on his boots as I leaned upward to kiss him. "Same here but I'll tell you one thing, I'm sick of being celibate."
Clark's face went bright red but his eyes gleamed playfully as he spoke between kisses. "We could remedy that, you know."
"Oh really?" I said between kisses. "The other you is going to be coming back any minute!"
Clark pulled away, listening. "I forgot all about that. I'm afraid I'll be quite busy, Lois. I won't be getting home for another hour and forty minutes. We'd have plenty of time."
I blushed. "Clark, as much as I want to…where would we go? We can't go to the loft; your parents might sneak up on us! And I don't even want to think about anyone else walking in on us either!"
"We could go back to my place," he suggested. "You're busy spending the day with Lucy and I have the day free. I was going to stick to the shadows, watching over you like usual."
"Clark, if someone's out to kill me, I'd much rather you protect the other me here in this time so I don't die."
"I promise my ears will keep a look out."
"What about your parents? They might come looking for me."
Clark looked down at the house. "They're watching the parade. They won't come looking for you until it's over, believe me. They don't like to miss even a moment of the parade every year. I'll have you back here before anyone comes looking."
I smiled. "Well, I guess that covers all our bases. Alright, husband; are you going to take me away or not?"
Clark grinned. "Lois Lane, it will be my genuine pleasure."
Clark
I kept Lois close as I flew at top speed back to Metropolis. "I'm sorry I'm going faster than usual, sweetheart."
"That's okay," Lois muttered her head tucked against my neck. "Are we close?"
I heard the eagerness in her tone and couldn't help but grin. "Another minute and we'll be in my apartment," I promised.
She kissed my neck in response. Shivers of pleasure danced down my spine and it took everything I had to thrust my thoughts solely on flying instead of what was about to occur. The skyscrapers of Metropolis appeared a minute later.
"Hold on, honey," I muttered, picking up speed. Flying deviously through the clouds, I waited until we were right above my apartment before zooming into the alley next door. Landing on the fire escape just outside my apartment, I slid open the window and slipped inside without anyone knowing the wiser.
Lois looked around. "Feels like home," she commented.
"It's pretty small but it gets the job done," I said, leading the way into the bedroom.
Lois's heartbeat was practically ricocheting around in her chest as she followed in my wake. I pounced the second she stepped over the threshold of the bedroom, my lips hungrily devouring every inch of her bare skin. She gasped and closed her eyes in pleasure, tilting her head back so I had better access to her neck. Her whole body erupted in shivers as I left a trail of hot kisses from her earlobe to her lips. With each kiss we took a step towards the bed, helping to remove the clothing hindering us from what we both so desperately desired. Having successfully removed my shirt from my arms, I gently picked Lois up and carried her princess style onto the bed.
Her long loose curls surrounded her flushed face like a halo, her hazel eyes overly bright with anticipation. Smiling up at me with her cherry red lips she whispered, "Sorry I didn't pack any lingerie."
I laughed lightly. "Though it would have been fun to see, you're exquisite without it, Lois."
An adorable blush colored her cheeks and her eyes filled with tenderness as she leaned upwards to kiss me. "I love you, Kal-El," she whispered against my lips.
"I love you, Lois Lane," I whispered back, caressing her figure.
Lois
About an hour later, I lay tangled up with Clark, my eyes simply bearing into his. His tender blues softened as he removed a loose curl from my face and with a sweet caress, he whispered in Kryptonian, "Forever yours and yours alone."
"Forever yours and yours alone," I repeated leaning in for another kiss. "Oh, Clark, I've needed this."
"You and me both," he muttered, pulling me closer to him. "It was hard enough keeping my hands to myself when I returned to Earth after my five year hiatus. This…this is torture."
"Tell me about it," I muttered, playing with the famous Superman curl that had come loose across his forehead. "Being your girlfriend is a step down from wife. There are so many rules…"
"So many limitations…" he sighed.
I twisted around so my back was against his chest, my hands playing with his. As expected, his lips automatically started leaving kissing trails all over my exposed neck and shoulder. The action caused me to arch my back even further against him as pleasurable sighs escaped me.
"Clark? Is this how you felt when you came back? Seeing me and yet not being able to make love…how did you cope? I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to throw caution to the winds and haul your younger self into the hay out in the barn."
Clark laughed. "Yes, sweetheart, this is exactly how I felt." He resumed kissing my neck.
My eyes fluttered closed happily. "I'm so sorry I put you through that."
"It wasn't your fault, Lois. You didn't remember."
I shook my head, twisting around so I could deliver my own kisses in a similar manner he had to me. "I'm still sorry."
After another couple minutes, Clark sighed.
"What is it?"
"The parade is coming to an end," he muttered. "I'm almost done in town; I'll be heading back home in about thirty minutes."
I frowned. "I really don't want to leave this."
"Me neither."
"Do you think we could do this again? Soon?" I asked hesitantly.
Clark squeezed me gently. "I want to."
"Do you think we should?"
Clark bit his lip. "If we do, it might be hard to keep our emotions in check around our other selves."
I sighed. "I was afraid you were going to say that."
"How about we give each other our cell phone numbers and if either of us gets to the point where we need a reprieve, we can arrange a time to meet up."
"I'll be calling you more than you me," I said seriously. "You've had more practice at this kind of abstinence than I have."
Clark chuckled. "I suppose. We'd better start getting dressed."
Reluctantly, we disentangled ourselves from each other and hunted around the room for our scattered clothing.
"I miss Jason," I whispered while buttoning up my plaid shirt.
"Me too," Clark mumbled, his words heavy with emotion similar to mine.
It took a lot of energy to stop the tears from falling down my cheeks. "It's so hard," I cried softly. "I see little kids all over and my heart bleeds. I want to go home, Clark. I wish we didn't have this stupid threat to deal with! Everything was just getting into a familiar routine and then this guy had to come along and try to kill both of us in the past. How is this fair?"
"It's not, sweetheart, but we can't quit now. We each have a part to play, a part that I feel neither of us fully understands just yet."
"It's so frustrating," I mumbled.
Clark put his strong hands on both my shoulders, rubbing the small tension knots away. He was just about to say something when a crash in the living room made both of us leap out of our skin.
"What the?!" I cried, holding my heart.
Clark spun around but before he could even move something broke the door down. Clark barely had time to push me out of the way before a large white blur came soaring across the room – accompanied with a bark?
"Wow!" Clark shouted, his body disappearing on the other side of the bed, his legs sticking comically up in the air.
"Clark!" I exclaimed, rushing around the side of the bed. My jaw dropped in pure surprise when I realized what the attacker was.
Clark
After toppling over the bed, the white blob came into focus just before a large pink appendage began to fling saliva across every inch of my face. Amidst the licks, I determined that what had tackled me to the ground was a white dog as big as a full grown German Shepherd! Its large tail wagged back and forth in excitement, smacking into my legs, while its tongue continued to furiously lick every inch of me in its path.
"A dog?" Lois gasped in surprise.
I tried to force the overexcited animal off my chest but to my surprise I was actually struggling to remove him! "It's stronger than you'd think," I muttered to Lois. "Down boy!"
Immediately the dog backed off though it started to whine; it obviously wanted nothing more than to continue licking every inch of me that it could.
"How on earth did he get in here?" Lois asked, looking at the broken door; half of it still hung on its hinges while the rest had splintered all over the floor.
I got down on one knee in front of the dog, staring at it intently. The dog's whining intensified and its head jerked forward but it stopped itself from licking my face again. Then something in my brain clicked and a forgotten memory passed before my eyes: a small white dog running towards me after catching a bright red ball, a golden collar flashed around its neck bearing the symbol of the house of El.
I gasped. "Krypto?"
The dog let out an excited bark, wagging its tail furiously.
"Krypto?" Lois repeated.
"Lois…I don't know how but…this is my dog!"
She cocked an eyebrow. "This isn't Shelby."
I shook my head. "Not my dog from Earth, Lois! From Krypton!"
Lois's mouth dropped open. Her hazel eyes widened as she looked from Krypto to the broken down door littered across the room. "Well, that would explain the door," she muttered. "Animals from Krypton have superpowers like Kryptonians I guess? But how did he get here?"
I shook my head. "I have no idea! Maybe my father sent him into space?"
Krypto barked.
Both of us looked down at him.
"Um…can he understand us?" Lois questioned.
Krypto barked again.
"I guess so," I muttered. Ignoring the foolishness I felt, I asked, "Um, Krypto? Did my father send you after me?"
The dog shook its head.
"Did Jor-El send you before Clark , I mean, Kal-El?" Lois asked.
Krypto nodded, barking twice.
Lois and I shared another look. We were talking to a dog and he was technically talking back. Yep; just another typical day in the life of Lois and Clark.
"Clark, your dad was a scientist. I'm sure that he tested other ships before sending you off into space."
"But why would he send Krypto?" I asked, suddenly remembering that the dog had meant the world to me. "I loved Krypto. I can't see my father thrusting him out into space."
"Maybe Krypto was the last resort," Lois shrugged. "Krypton was dying, Clark. I think when it came down to it, Jor-El got pretty desperate."
Krypto barked again, nodding to Lois's words. My eyes widened. "That's true boy?"
Krypto barked again.
"Why did you never find Clark in this time period?" Lois wondered aloud.
I bit my lip, thinking. "Lois? Maybe…maybe Krypto and I never met in my teenage years because you and I took him back with us to the future…"
Lois frowned. "Clark, are you trying to tell me that what we're doing here isn't altering the past at all?"
I shrugged. "Maybe."
"Then why can't either of us remember anything that's happened?" she demanded.
As if on cue, someone cleared their throat in the doorway to the bedroom. It was a good thing Lois and I had finished getting dressed before Krypto had smashed the door in.
Dr. Fate stepped into the room. "Forgive me but the window and door were…open."
Krypto started to growl. "Easy boy, Dr. Fate is a friend," I said. Immediately the dog relaxed.
"Are you the one from our time or this one?" Lois asked exasperated; she was probably starting to get a headache.
Dr. Fate turned his gaze to Lois. "I am of this time period, Mrs. Kent. It is nice to meet the other half of Superman."
"Nice to meet you too…again…for the first time…oh, forget it," Lois muttered, shaking her head.
"Is there something wrong, Dr. Fate?" I asked.
He paced back and forth, his yellow cape flowing around his legs with every step. "Yes and no," he admitted. "The common enemy each of you is facing is on the move. You must continue to be vigilant or he will succeed. I am still working on what I have been assigned but I can assure you progress is being made. As for Mrs. Kent's question, neither of you remember what has occurred in this strange turn of events because I am to place a memory blocking charm on all who are involved in knowing you when it is time to return you to your timeline."
Lois looked peeved. "So my memories were tampered with before Clark's ridiculous kiss? Just great! Is there any other time I need to be aware of where precious memories are going to be stripped from me?"
I smiled weakly. "Lois, honey, think about it in the long run. None of our history would have worked out the way it did if we'd already known each other before."
Lois pouted. "I understand that, Clark, but that still doesn't mean I'm not happy about it!"
"I apologize," Dr. Fate said, "but these are the orders that I must carry out. If you desire the lives you have in the future, you must forget all that is occurring in this time period."
Lois sighed. "Fine. But, one question."
"Yes?"
"What about the dog? Does he come with us?"
Dr. Fate looked down at Krypto. "Do either of you have any memory of growing up with him?"
Lois and I shook our heads. "Then he leaves with you. Unless you desire to leave him on his own."
"No," I said firmly.
"Great," Lois muttered, "first thirty alien pets inherited from the Preserver and now we have a superdog from Krypton… I'm not cleaning up after him, Clark! If he makes a mess in the house, you're cleaning it up!"
I laughed while Krypto growled lightly next to me. "I think you offended him."
Lois looked down at Krypto before suddenly getting down to his level. Looking right into the dog's eyes, she gave him the famous Lois Lane stare. "You do everything we say," she said, naming off her conditions, "You go to the bathroom outside, you keep your powers hidden – whatever they may end up being – and you can't bring a girl home without my permission. Does all of that sound good to you?"
Krypto licked her hand once.
Lois stood up, satisfied. "Well, I'm not allergic to him so I guess he's a keeper."
"Yes!" I exclaimed happily while Krypto let out a couple of excited barks. "I promise he'll be the best dog you've ever had, Lois. Jason's going to be thrilled!"
Lois smiled despite herself. From that expression I knew she really liked him.
Dr. Fate appeared amused. "Be sure to keep his powers under control, Superman. I sense he has similar abilities to your own."
"A dog with heat vision?" Lois sighed. "Great; there goes the furniture."
I laughed, wrapping an arm around her waist. Kissing her, I said, "Don't worry, honey; I won't let Krypto destroy anything."
Dr. Fate turned his head ever so slightly. "You had better return to Smallville, Mrs. Kent. It would be unwise to remain here any longer."
He turned to go. "Dr. Fate?" Lois called. The hero stopped. "Um… is it okay for Clark and I to see each other like this once in a while?"
"It is understandable that husband and wife desire to be together but I would give caution. You're both here to protect your past selves. Don't allow your needs to get in the way of accomplishing the task you were sent here to do. But yes, Mrs. Kent, once in a while, it will be fine. I will try to keep an eye out for your other selves when those times arise."
"You were watching over them while we were here together, weren't you?" I asked.
Dr. Fate nodded. "It's my duty to do everything I can to help both of you at this time. But, like I said before, Mrs. Kent must return to Smallville without delay."
To his surprise and mine, Lois crossed the room and kissed his helmet where his cheek would have been. "Thank you, Dr. Fate," she said sincerely.
If I x-rayed him, I was positive I would find Dr. Fate blushing. Denying myself that notion, I expressed my thanks in a firm handshake. Dr. Fate even went so far as to rub Krypto's head before walking out of the room and disappearing in the hallway in a flash of yellow light.
"Well, I guess we'd better get you back to Smallville." I scooped Lois into my arms. "Are you ready?"
She nodded. "Wait, what about Krypto?"
I looked down at our dog and smiled. "I get the feeling that he'll be able to keep up."
Lois looked at me questioningly while Krypto let out a hearty bark before rushing out of the room at super speed. I followed him, leaping out of the broken window into the open air. Sure enough Krypto flew right next to me as we rushed up into the clouds before anyone could notice us.
"He can fly?!" Lois shouted, shocked.
"I think he can do everything I can, Lois," I said happily as we soared away from the city towards Kansas.
"A boy and his dog," Lois laughed weakly.
"You do like him don't you?" I asked as we looked at Krypto who had his long pink tongue flapping out of the side of his mouth.
Lois smiled. "Of course I do, Clark."
I grinned. "You hear that boy? Lois likes you!"
Krypto barked excitedly, flying closer to lick Lois's face. At first I thought he'd made a bad call but instead Lois laughed like a little kid, rubbing Krypto's head. "Dumb dog," she said affectionately.
As we flew over somewhere in Indiana, I asked Lois what she thought we should do with Krypto. "Who should he stay with? I'd honestly feel better if he stayed with you. He could keep an eye on you for me."
"Clark, he's a super-powered dog! What happens if he sets the curtains of fire with his heat vision?"
I frowned. She had a point. "What if I train him to control his abilities? Then would you let him stay out in Smallville with you?"
Lois narrowed her eyes. "You want me to have another bodyguard besides you?"
I shrugged. "Can you blame me?"
She smiled. "For some reason I find that really sweet of you Smallville. Okay, you train him to keep his powers in check and then he can live with me. But if you need him for anything, call him, okay? I don't want to keep him all to myself if you're the one in need of help."
"It's a good thing he's the fastest dog alive then," I grinned. "If we need to, we can send him back and forth between us. Does that sound good, boy? Do you mind?"
Krypto panted while shaking his head.
"I guess that means he's fine with the arrangements," Lois said, chuckling as Krypto flew a little ahead of us to do a couple of barrel rolls through the air.
Lois
Clark and Krypto landed behind the Kent barn two minutes later. After my feet were securely planted on the ground again, Clark leaned forward and kissed me long and deep. He held me close for a moment longer before reluctantly pulling away. "My younger self is running home now," he sighed.
"Then it's a good thing you have an eidetic memory," I said. "My number is 253-582-4752. Call me later."
Clark leaned in and kissed me one more time. "I will. I love you."
"I love you too," I sighed. "See you later, Krypto." I rubbed the dog between the ears and got a lick on the hand in return.
Clark left the ground but he didn't rocket into the sky right away. Instead he kept his eyes trained on mine as he slowly ascended into the air. When he was six feet above the ground, he blew me a kiss. I blew one back. Whistling to Krypto, the dog licked my hand one more time before taking off. I watched until the two of them disappeared into the clouds and sighed. "See you around," I whispered.
"Lois? Lois, are you out here?"
"Coming Martha!" I called before running around the side of the barn to meet her on the porch.
A burst of wind met me on the steps and I turned to see Clark grinning from ear to ear at the sight of me. "Hey, Lois," he greeted before kissing me lightly on the lips.
I sighed happily. Even if he was simply my husband to be, his kiss was just as sweet and special as the kisses I'd shared with my husband. Oh Clark, how I love you!
"Did you take care of the trouble in town?" Martha asked.
Clark nodded. "Yeah. They're taking him to the usual place. The mother wasn't happy but she was supportive instead of repulsed."
Martha pulled Clark in for a hug. "Then it was a good rescue."
Clark hugged his mother tightly back. "Yeah, it was."
"Dinner's almost ready," Jonathan called from inside.
Martha pulled away. "Come on you two. We've got to make this a Thanksgiving Lois will never forget!"
I smiled. "Oh, I think it already is, Mrs. Kent."
Lacing my fingers in between Clark's, we followed her into the house.
Reviews are always appreciated! :) Thanks for reading! More to come in the future.
