A/N: This chapter moves the plot along a bit more than the fluff-fest that was chapter 12. Hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 13

The calendar was pinned to the wall next to Clark's desk. He had this habit of crossing the days off. Lois guessed it was because of how easy it was to lose track of time up here. It wasn't like he could check the date on the newspaper. She'd noticed the calendar on her second day here, and she glanced at it every now and then, but it hadn't really drawn her attention until now.

February 15th, said the calendar.

She'd forgotten it was coming, had been too distracted by Clark and... whatever it was that they were doing.

They hadn't named it yet. Neither one of them had even spoken about what was between them. They just went on as before - except now there was kissing. Lois didn't say anything because it was too new, too fragile for her to risk jinxing it. Clark, she suspected, was just being his usual considerate self and following her lead.

Looking back, Lois couldn't find an exact moment when this thing between her and Clark had begun. It was too easy to say it began when she kissed him, because things had been happening before that.

She'd been attracted to him from the start. As she'd gotten to know him, she'd developed a... well it wasn't even really a crush at first, not in the traditional sense of the word. It was more than that - a genuine admiration of him as a person. She wished she was more like him, that people she knew were more like him. She'd never felt that way about a guy. But then, she'd never met Clark Kent before either.

Somewhere along the line though, her feelings had taken a leap. Before she had felt flushed half the time because he was just so ridiculously attractive and charming, and here she was stuck in a cabin with him. Later, there was still that, but also this queer, almost sickening feeling that threw her off balance when he said good morning to her and smiled that blindingly beautiful smile at her.

And there was the other feeling - the one that she didn't dare examine too closely. Every so often, when she was talking to him, or watching him, or even just thinking about him, Lois would get this rush of emotion so strong it just blew every thought out of her head. That feeling made Lois want to run away from him, because it was so pure, so powerful it might just destroy her.

Lois realised she was staring at the calendar. She tore her eyes away from the paper and its incomplete pattern of red Xs and continued to the bedroom. She grabbed her misplaced jacket and pulled it on, her thoughts drifting.

Chloe was a year younger than Lois. The year Lois was nine and Chloe was eight, Lois had had a growth spurt; the kind that leaves you lanky limbed and bumping your head on things you used to walk right under without a thought. Lois had always been taller (would always be taller) but that was the first year she had found herself tilting her head down to meet her cousin's eyes. She was so little – her baby cousin. And now she was gone.

Trying not to let the sadness get to her, Lois shook her head and forced a smile onto her face as she stepped through the door Clark was holding open for her. She knew from experience if she dwelt too long upon her feelings about the loss of her beloved cousin, she'd summon up a fresh stab of that old grief.

She followed Clark as he checked the orange snow depth markers that stood amongst the trees at various spots. Clark was chatting to her – explaining something about measurements and forecasting. She was only half-listening to him, as the other half of her mind was occupied with consciously not thinking about how this was the day that her cousin had 'rolled' her car turning on a straight road.

She was glad Clark was feeling talkative today. His voice was doing a wonderful job of cheering her up – auditory sunshine if ever she'd heard it. Ever since she'd kissed him he had been practically floating with levity. She couldn't believe that he was ever friends with Lex Luthor – they were complete opposites.

"Lois Lane." Lex greeted her cordially. "I was so sorry to hear of your cousin's accident."

Lois was filled with a hand-shaking fury at Luthor's words. How dare he speak of her cousin? How dare he pretend civility when Chloe's death was only good news to him?

"It wasn't an accident. You know that." Lois voiced seethed with barely controlled fury at the man she knew in her heart had something to do with Chloe's demise.

"I assure you, I don't," Lex said smoothly. There was the barest hint of a threat as he added more quietly, "Ms Lane, I hope you aren't letting your grief drive you to wild accusations."

She wanted to hit him, to scream at him, to expose his true nature to the scores of people at this ridiculous party - but in that moment she could do nothing but hope the pure hatred streaming out of her eyes might actually bore a hole through that odious visage of his.

Before she could control her rage enough to form a sentence, the murderer excused himself – he had to go speak to a colleague across the room.

Lois wasn't naive enough to believe that Chloe's death wasn't related to her investigations into Lex Luthor. She must have gotten too close to something.

Lois hadn't realised the extent of Chloe's investigation until she'd gone through Chloe's computer after her death, but Chloe had mentioned her suspicions of LuthorCorp's activities, had told Lois she was checking up on them. If only Lois had stopped her then, told her it was too dangerous – she might still be alive.

Lois inwardly flinched. There was that stab of grief she had been trying to avoid.

Lois was not traditionally a cuddler in relationships. She didn't subscribe to that school of cootchy-coo cuteness – but she was finding that she didn't mind Clark tucking her head under his chin and enfolding her in his arms for minutes at a time. In fact, she kind of wanted him too. It made her feel safe, and right now she really needed to feel safe.

Lois was certain all she needed to do to get a hug would be to tap him on the shoulder and open her arms. Clark had already proven himself to be very affectionate – she'd been hugged and kissed more in the last two days than she probably had been in the whole of last year. He probably wouldn't even question the reason for it.

"Lois?" Clark prompted, turning to see why she wasn't replying.

"Huh?" Lois realised she must been asked a question that required more than an 'mmhmm' response.

"What's wrong?" Clark asked, frowning. "You're so quiet this morning."

"Nothing's wrong. I'm just thinking."

"Are you sure?" Clark prodded.

"Really, I'm fine," Lois reiterated.

"I don't trust you when you say that. Usually when you say you're fine, you're anything but fine," Clark frowned at her again."You seem sad," he said, scrutinising her.

Oh, god. He was worrying about her again. She could just feel his anxiety. Lois sighed – she was going to have to tell him, whether she felt like talking about it or not.

"You remember my cousin, Chloe?" Lois asked.

"The one who got you into journalism?"

Lois nodded.

"She died," Lois told him. "Five years ago today."

"Oh Lois," Clark immediately pulled her into the hug she'd been wanting. "I'm sorry."

Lois leaned into Clark and wrapped her arms around his waist, just revelling in the comfort he exuded. She couldn't picture this happening back home; not with any of the guys she knew, none of the men she'd dated.

It was just so easy to be with Clark. None of their interactions felt awkward or forced. She was surprised how much she wanted to be close to him, how much she got out of a simple hug.

"Why didn't you say something?" Clark murmured over her shoulder.

"I don't like to talk about it."

"I understand that," Clark said, rocking her slightly side-to-side.

Lois stayed where she was for another minute before she pulled back.

"You think I'd be used to it by now," she said in an attempt at dark humour. "I lose everyone, one way or another."

"Don't say that," Clark said, taking her by the arms.

"Why not? It's true," Lois pointed out, the sarcasm slipping from her voice.

"It's not true." Clark insisted, "You won't lose me. I won't let you."

"But I'm leaving!" Lois said, "In two weeks, I've got to go back. I'll lose you then."

Lois knew that was going to hurt – she'd let him get too close, let herself get too attached – but she couldn't stay here. She couldn't. She had to finish what she had started when she carried on Chloe's investigation. She couldn't let her cousin down again.

"No," Clark said firmly. "You can stay here. Or I'll come with you. It's not the end."

"You'd come with me?"

For some reason, the possibility of Clark leaving the mountain, accompanying her back to the real world hadn't occurred to her.

"If you let me," Clark said, and then a little less confidently, "If you want me to, I mean."

"I want you to," Lois agreed immediately. "Of course I want you to."

Even if this was just delaying the inevitable, she needed to try. She needed Clark.

"Good," Clark said. He pressed a quick kiss to her lips before pulling her into a hug so tight her feet left the ground. "Because I don't what I'd do without you anymore."