Entity

by Raudell

While Clark and Lois are adjusting to their new life together, a dark entity descends upon earth, its sights set on Kal El. Sequel to Transfer, set 3.5 years later. Clois & Chlex.

21. Conversations

Chapter Nineteen - Conversations

Lois winced as she tried to shift herself up, pain shooting through her right shoulder. She looked at it for a moment and winced again...it was clearly dislocated, and realizing that fact only made it hurt more.

She took a quick inventory of the rest of her body. Her ribs, her back, and her legs hurt, but none of them hurt as much as her shoulder, so she guessed that they weren't broken. It still hurt to move, and it was a struggle to think clearly with so much pain, but she forced her thoughts into focus and propped herself up on one arm to take a look around.

Clark! Lois bit back the pain and made herself get up. She stumbled, picked herself up, and stumbled again. Finally, she settled for crawling one-handed, scooting her way across the cold floor of the fortress to where Clark had fallen unconscious. She made her way to his side and checked his breathing. Slow and weak, but still there. His pulse was also weak, and it was growing weaker. Damn it!

She had to move him. If she could get him into the sunlight, his body would do the rest. Come on, Clark, hold in there for me.

Lois grimaced as she realized what she would need to do next. This is going to hurt a lot. She tried to stand, but settled for sitting up on her knees, letting her right arm hang down loosely. She gritted her teeth and squinted back the pain, exploring her shoulder gently with her left hand. She gripped her biceps, grabbed under Clark's chest with her right hand and pulled, using her left hand to keep the arm straight. She gasped in pain as the shoulder set back into place, but she shook it off, knowing that the worst was behind her.

Her cries drew the attention to herself, and she glanced up to see Lex and Chloe walking over, hand in hand. Chloe looked at her with concern. "Lois, are you okay?"

A groan from Clark drew her attention away from them. He was grimacing in pain, though still unconscious. What was happening?

It suddenly clicked, and in a surge of adrenaline, Lois stood up and pushed Lex as hard as she could, not realizing she had done so until he was lying on the ground. She winced as her shoulder protested to the effort, but she managed, the pain not nearly as intense as before. "Get that away from him!"

"Lois! What are you doing? It's Lex. Zod's gone."

"He has Kryptonite, Chloe! Clark's barely breathing as it is."

Lex looked down at his hand in surprise, took off the ring, and threw it away from Clark. It skidded across the floor and into the bedroom, and Lois mentally noted the spot where it landed, tucking it away in her mind so she would remember to retrieve it later.

"Help me with him. We have to get him outside and into the sunlight." Chloe and Lex nodded, and Lex grabbed him under the arms as Chloe and Lois each took a foot. She was thankful that they were both there...she was sure she could have gotten him outside by herself, but with her injuries it would have been extremely difficult.

Together, they lifted him slightly off the ground and carried him into the biting cold. They set him down on the snow, and Lois bent down and checked his pulse. It was still slowing. She looked up at the overcast sky and cursed under her breath.

An idea occurred to her, and Lois quickly got up and hurried as fast as she was able back to the fortress. She scanned the ground, located the crystal Zod had dropped earlier, and picked it up and returned to Clark, pressing it against his hand.

The crystal began to glow, though it was much weaker than before. Zod's continued use of it must have drained most of its power away. She only hoped it had enough left to get Clark out of immediate danger so she could get him back to Smallville. The skies had been clear there, when she had left.

Clark's hand gripped the crystal, squeezing it. Her heart warmed as she saw his color start to return.

The crystal stopped glowing and began to cloud. A moment later it grew brittle and crumbled into pieces under Clark's iron grip.

Clark stirred, and Lois was at his side immediately. "Clark?"

He mumbled something unintelligible, opened his eyes for a moment, and drifted back off. Lois checked his pulse again, sighing in relief as she felt the strong, steady rhythm.

"Let's get him back inside, to the portal. He's fine for the moment, but I'll feel better when we get him back into the sunlight."

Lois went to his feet again, but Lex shook his head. "I'll get him." He then bent over, grabbed Clark's torso with both hands, and lifted him up over his shoulder effortlessly, shocking Lois and Chloe. She knew Lex worked out weekly, but Clark wasn't a small guy. How had he just...?

She noticed that Lex's arms and chest were larger than she remembered, and it hit her. Hadn't her body taken on a similar transformation when Clark had spent several days in it a few years ago?

Smiling at the lust in Chloe's eyes, Lois led the way out of the cold to the portal, activating it and sending them all back to the caves. She closed the inner chamber behind them, and they made there way through the passageways and out into the bright, welcoming sunlight.

"Come on, let's get him into the car."

Chloe looked at her incredulously. "You drove?"

Lois smirked. "Cuz, I couldn't exactly leave Lily at the apartment by herself. We had to drive to be able to drop her off at the Kent's."

"Oh. Right. Lily."

Chloe's eyes lit up, and Lois smiled. "Excited to see her?"

Chloe smiled and nodded.

She nodded, and remembered that there was someone she needed to see as well. Her heart flipped, and her repressed worry and sadness came back in full force.

"Lois? What's wrong."

She turned to Lex. "Do you mind dropping me off at the hospital before swinging over to the Kent's with Clark?"

He nodded. "You should probably see a doctor."

She rolled her eyes and then groaned. He just had to remind her of her pain, didn't he?

She shook her head and turned to Chloe. "Lucy's not doing well. I need to see her. And yes, get my shoulder and ribs checked out, too."

Chloe nodded, and got into the front passenger side seat of Clark's truck. Lois jumped into the back and slipped under Clark's legs, suddenly thankful they had taken the truck instead of her '73 Mustang. There was no way they would have all fit into her convertible, even if it was so much more fun to drive.

As Lex backed up and pulled around, she took Clark's hand and tried to calm the sudden flood of worry for her sister. With everything that had been happening with Chloe, she had pushed her concern for her sister to the back of her mind. But now that Chloe, Lex, and Clark were all safe, the worry wouldn't go away. A coma. Lucy was a fighter, and Lois had hoped against hope that she would pull through. She still hadn't given up hope, but her odds hadn't improved, either.

She was suddenly anxious. She wouldn't allow herself to think about the possibility of losing her, but her body still responded to the thought regardless. She should have volunteered to drive. They were going too slow. She had to make it to her sister's side before...she had to be there, no matter what was to happen. Hang in there, Lucy. I'm coming.

---

"The name of the patient?"

Lois sighed in frustration. "Lucy Lane. She was in room one-oh-six before." Why hadn't they just kept her there?

The receptionist typed in her name and waited for the results. "You're relationship with the patient?"

"I'm her sister."

"May I see ID?"

"Are you serious?" When the receptionist only nodded, she shook her head and pulled her driver's license out of her jacket, noticing as she did that it still read 'Lois Lane'. She would need to get that fixed.

She showed the license to the receptionist, and she studied it, looked up at her, and looked back at the ID. Nodding, she said, "She was moved to the Intensive Care ward. Room two-twenty-seven."

"Intensive care?" She frowned. The Doctor had told her on the phone that she had slipped into a coma. He hadn't said anything about her needing intensive care. "What has happened to her?"

She typed a few more strokes into the keyboard, frowned, and looked up and shrugged. "It doesn't say. I can send the doctor down when he is available to explain it to you, if you are going to be with her for a while." She paused. "And to check on you. You look awful," she added.

Lois nodded and smiled despite herself. "That would be great, thank you." Then she left the desk and made her way up to the second floor. She found room 227 near the end of the hall, and pushed open the door an entered.

The scene shocked her. Her sister rested motionless on the hospital bed, and she was hooked up to a respirator and several other machines that she didn't recognize. Several tubes went into her nose and her mouth, and an IV was hooked up to her arm. If the amount of equipment hooked up to her was any indication of her sister's condition, then she was much, much worse.

The chair beside her bed held another surprise. Her father sat next to her, his head resting on the top of the bed and her hand clenched in his. He was sleeping softly. How long had he been there?

Lois found another chair and pulled it up to the bed beside her father, placing her good hand on his knee. It still hurt like hell to move her right arm. It was a good thing she was left-handed...she was pretty sure she wouldn't be using the arm for a week or two.

Her father was there. It still blew her mind. She shouldn't have been surprised, she realized, but she was, and that fact spoke to the unhealed wounds still present in her heart. He had never taken an interest in her or Lucy's life growing up. She had wondered at times if he even loved them, or if they were just a burden he had been forced to bear, a reminder of the loss of their mother. She could only remember two times that he had ever told her he loved her. On a sunny summer day when she was four and her mother was still healthy, and six days ago, just before her wedding ceremony had begun. Has it really only been six days?

Her father stirred, sat up, and looked over at her. He woke up quickly then, looking at her with concern. "What happened, Lois? You look awful."

Lois laughed. "You're the second person to tell me that in so many minutes. I must look pretty horrid."

"No, you just look...well yeah, horrid. Who did this to you?"

"I...it doesn't really matter." She paused as she realized how it sounded. "Clark didn't do this, I swear."

Her father frowned. "Of course not. He's not that kind of man. He couldn't hurt you if his life depended on it." He paused, considering. "Fine, I'll let it go, for now. But you are going to tell me about it later."

Lois nodded in reply.

They sat silently for a few minutes, and Lois realized her hand still rested on her father's knee, and quickly withdrew it. "How is she?"

He turned to Lucy with sadness in his eyes. "The doc said he doesn't know what is wrong. He can't find a plausible explanation for what is happening to her. She stopped breathing on her own about two hours ago, and all of her other organs are starting to fail. She's in a deep coma; completely unresponsive, and he doesn't hold out much hope that she'll survive."

"Daddy, I..." Her eyes were wet, though she was in control enough to keep it from going any further than that if she wanted to. "How long?"

"Two days. Maybe less. The machines are the only thing keeping her alive at the moment, and he said that even they won't be able to hold her for long, if she continues to get worse."

"What...what are we going to do?"

"I have a specialist flying in right now to take a look at her. The doctor really hasn't had as much time to devote to her as he normally would, what with the influx of people from Metropolis settling down here until they have a place to live."

Lois shook her head. "That's not what I meant."

He closed his eyes and sighed, then opened them and looked at her. "I know...but I'm trying not to think about it. She's a Lane. She's a fighter. If anyone has a chance to pull through anything, it'd be Lucy."

"Daddy, I..."

"Come here, Lo'." She took a deep breath to suppress a sob, and stood up as her father pulled her into a hug...careful of her sore arm. He sat back down and pulled her with him, settling her into his lap. "It's okay to cry, Lo'. It's okay to cry."

Her resolve broke, and she let go, breaking down in her father's arms. He held her, stroked her hair and her back, and whispered soothing and loving words into her ear. As she cried, the old wounds closed up and healed. She couldn't doubt him now. He loved her. He was there for her. And he would continue to be there for her...even if Lucy was not.

---

Brandon paced back and forth from his position of safety, two hundred feet from the entrance to Smallville Medical Center. He was close enough to see the purple hue surrounding any approaching threat, but far enough away to not actually feel the pain. His trip out of Metropolis had given him some additional insight into his new skills, and he was slowly but surely understanding how it worked and how to avoid unnecessary pain.

Was he really going to do this? Escaping the crowded city had been one thing...it was a necessary evil, even if it had been almost unbearable. But this was entirely different. This was walking into the lion's den, soaked in animal's blood. What he was considering doing was crazy. Not for the first time, he wondered at his sanity. Was he slowly losing his mind? What other explanation could there be for what he was thinking about doing?

Brandon stopped pacing and listened to his voicemail message for the sixth time in the last hour. "Hello, my name is Harmony, and I am an assistant of Dr. Lamprey at the Smallville Medical Center. One of his patients, Lucy Lane, has you listed as an emergency contact, and I am calling to inform you of the change in her condition. She has been moved to the Intensive Care ward, and her condition is now listed as critical. Dr. Lamprey urges you to contact anyone who would want to visit her as quickly as possible. Thank you." Brandon shook his head. How had a girl named Harmony ever found her way into the job of calling people and telling them that their loved ones were going to die?

The first time he had listened to the message, it had woken him up from his stupor, and it similarly affected him this time around. Lucy was dying, and he could do something about it. There wasn't anything to think about.

Brandon closed in closer to the hospital, surveying the level of threat. At first, he had only been able to see the purple haze around those in pain when the pain was affecting him, but his struggle to get out of the city had sharpened his skills, and now he could even see the haze through solid objects.

The hospital really was a death trap. The first floor was the worst, having the most traffic and activity, and the second floor came in a close second. By the number of hazes quickly fading away, he measured a guess that it was the Intensive Care ward.

Brandon studied the movement of bodies, attempting to get a feel of the layout of the hospital and the safest route to the second floor. It took him ten minutes of surveying to locate the elevators, and he hoped that the stairwell was close by. An elevator would be far too slow and far too dangerous; if the power gave out, he would be locked in the death trap.

He spent another ten minutes planning his route, identifying which threats would need to be eliminated. He had faced a similar hurdle during his escape of Metropolis. Some individuals were in too much pain for him to bear in addition to the combined mass of other people, and he had been forced to hone in on those intense hazes and take them out of the equation. A brief, momentary contact of his skin to theirs was all it took to bring the pain back down to a manageable level, while still being a brief enough contact to contain the amount of light that would emit from his hand at the contact. A full body heal produced an almost blinding light, and that hardly helped him remain unnoticed.

Satisfied with his plan, he took into a run. Hardly a way to keep from drawing attention to himself, but he needed the adrenaline to keep him moving once the pain started, and with all the furried activity on the first floor, he doubted he would get a second glance from most of the people he passed.

Twenty feet from the entrance, the pain began to kick in, and he forced himself to ignore it and continued through the doors and to his first target. He barely even registered the elderly man as he touched him and moved on. The young child with the scorched arm, the young woman with no hair being rushed to surgery, the middle aged man sleeping restlessly in a room; none of their conditions registered to him, only the pain they caused and the necessity of removing the burden from him found any place in his mind.

He made it to the elevators and located the stairwell, and quickly pushed the door open and began climbing them, two at a time. He stopped half-way up the level, sufficiently away from the suffering to feel it fade slightly, and took a few moments to catch his breath and refocus himself. The next leg of his journey would be the worst by far. Most of the patients on the level were in critical condition, and he didn't know which room Lucy was in. He would have to check each room one by one.

He hesitated. Could he do this? Was he strong enough to bear all of the pain that he could plainly see covered the second floor from end to end? Would it be worth it?

It's Lucy.

The next two minutes passed in a blur. The pain was overwhelming, and it occupied the entirety of his conscious thoughts. One moment he was ascending to the second floor, and an eternity later he was at the end of the hall, gasping as he looked around. His skin was charred once again, his legs, arms, and ribs were broken in several places, and the once overwhelming purple haze present on the floor was all but gone.

Brandon watched in surprise as the burns healed and scarred over and his bones reset themselves and healed in a matter of moments. Seconds, not hours like before. It seemed that the more damage he absorbed into himself, the faster his body healed after the fact. An interesting fact to remember for later.

Brandon stood up and looked around. Only three threats remained on the second floor; the first two were far enough away that he didn't feel them, and the third was just behind the door that he had collapsed by. Was this Lucy? Or had he already healed her? Was she even on the floor at all? There was only one way to find out.

He pushed the door open and stepped in, gasping as he saw Lucy's near lifeless form on the bed in the center of the room. A wave of pain hit him, but it wasn't the pain he had been expecting. Emotional pain; deep, cutting, immobilizing. What had been done to her? What had she been forced to go through? He recognized physical pain under the surface, but the emotional trauma emanating from her was so overwhelmingly strong that her physical pain barely registered at all. She was suffering still, even in her state of unconsciousness.

Brandon rushed to her side and took her hand, unhooking her from the machines with his other hand. He healed the physical pain first, in less than a blink of an eye, and then closed off his mind and focused on her emotional trauma, taking it into himself and reaching in to smooth away the scars on her heart. He didn't stop when the haze faded, forcing himself to absorb more, to take away even the memory of the pain from her mind. Someone as special as Lucy didn't deserve to have suffered so much, and he loved her too much to allow even a small remanent of that pain to be left behind inside her. It didn't matter what it did to him. Her well being mattered more than anything. More than his own life.

It was done. She began to stir, and he stood up and turned to leave. He hesitated. If anyone could accept him as he was, scarred and deformed, Lucy could. He knew she already cared for him, and there was a good chance that he could still be with her, even after the change that had taken place in him and turned his world upside down.

No, it couldn't be. Not as he was. There had to be a way to reverse what had happened to him, to remove his curse. He would go, he would search, and he would find it. It might take him a long time, but eventually, he would fix himself, and get his life back. And he knew he had to take the journey alone.

He put his head in his hands, then glanced back at her. Goodbye, Lucy Lane.

---

It was gone. She didn't know what it was that had left, but she somehow knew that it had. She felt calm. Peaceful. Loved. Different from before, but she didn't remember every feeling otherwise. It was odd, knowing that she was missing something, yet feeling whole at the same time. It didn't make any sense.

Lucy tried to focus her thoughts, trying to recall the last thing she remembered. She could recall Lois' voice, speaking to her, though she didn't remember the words. Or perhaps she hadn't heard them. Before that...flying, floating...Clark. And then people in trouble...the feeling of needing to find someone, to bring them to safety. No, not someone. People. Anyone she could find. There was trouble, danger, but she couldn't remember what it was or why she was so afraid. She had never felt as safe as she did at that moment. What was there to be afraid of?

She sensed a presence in the room. There was someone there, beside her. Someone she loved. Not Lois, not her father. Someone else. Brandon.

She shook the fog from her head and opened her eyes, looking around. She was in a hospital, machines buzzing loudly beside her. She recognized the sharp, steady tone of the heart monitor, and panicked slightly. Had someone died? Looking down at herself and her position next to the equipment, she quickly dismissed the idea. The machine was buzzing for her. But that didn't make any sense either. How could she be dead and looking around?

It clicked a moment later, and she laughed at herself for her stupidity.

The sound of moving feet caught her attention, and she turned to her right and saw a man making his way toward the door. "Brandon?" Why was he leaving?

He paused for a moment, continued on, and stopped again, turning around.

Lucy gasped. It was Brandon, but she barely recognized him. His face heavily scarred, and it was only his eyes that convinced her of his identity. No one else had green eyes like his.

What had happened to him? Was he hurt? Was he still in pain? She wanted to comfort him, to ease his pain, to help him. There had to be something she could do or say to make him feel better. She couldn't stand the pain and conflict in his eyes.

Her eyes suddenly recognized the conflict, just as he turned around again. He was leaving.

"Wait!"

He paused again, but he didn't turn around. After a moment, he continued to the door and pulled it open, letting it shut by itself behind him.

She got off the bed to follow him out, to find him and bring him back, but she stopped when she remembered his look. She knew him well enough to know what it meant, and no matter what she said, even if she had managed catch up with him, he would have still left. She had the feeling that she wouldn't see him again.

She sat down and waited for her heart to break. Sadness fell over her, and tears formed in her eyes. Brandon was gone. She had meant what she had told Lois earlier. Brandon was her man, and she had been determined to win his heart and make it official. But that wouldn't happen now. She would never be Lucy Brown. At least not as a result of Brandon. And it made her sad, knowing what they could have had and what he was throwing away.

A tear fell. Several others followed. And still, she waited for her heart to break, for the flood of emotions to come. But they didn't. It hurt to lose him, but it wasn't overwhelming like she had expected it too. It wasn't like what she had seen her sister go through when she had thought she had lost Clark. What she was feeling didn't even come close to that. Lois had been devastated; she was...sad, disappointed. But not heart broken.

Lucy sighed and took a deep breath. Perhaps it wasn't meant to be after all.

---

Oh no.

Lois watched Dr. Lamprey pass her with a panicked look on his face, and she knew it was bad.

"How long has she been flatlined?" Lois heard him ask the nurse as they rushed down the hallway to Lucy's room.

"Three minutes. The defibrillator is charging as we speak."

The doctor nodded and continued to talk to her as they hurried down the hall, their voices escaping Lois' range of hearing. Lois left her soda on the counter and followed them to Lucy's room, pausing outside it. Would going in distract the doctor from his work? What was the procedure in a situation like this?

Lois spotted a bench along the wall, and she sat down and waited, suddenly wishing her father were still there. He had left ten minutes before to get them something to eat. She needed him, needed his support. She quickly checked on Clark, but found him still sleeping deeply, not even dreaming. He was probably still passed out at the farm, recovering from everything that he'd been through the night before and that morning. She knew he could have made the trip in a few seconds to help support her, but she wouldn't be able to rouse him in his current state of mind.

She was alone.

She had known when her father had left that this was a possibility, but she had insisted that he go anyway, assuring him that she would be fine. Now she wasn't so sure. She didn't think she could handle losing her sister with no one there to hold her and help her handle the pain.

Dr. Lamprey exited the room only a few minutes after entering, a shocked look adorning his face. He didn't even notice her there as he walked by; the nurse had to tap his shoulder and point in her direction.

Lois attempted to brace herself for the news, but knew that it was a fruitless effort. How could you prepare yourself for losing a sister?

"I...don't know what to say. She's...she's fine. I'll need to run some more tests to be sure, but as far as I can tell, she's in perfect health. I've...I've never seen anything like it. It's a miracle."

A commotion down the hall drew his attention away from her, and he hurried down the hall to investigate.

Lois didn't wait to find out what was going on, getting up and hurrying into her sister's room. She found her sitting in a chair beside the bed, lost in thought.

"Lucy?"

Her sister's eyes shot up and a smile spread across her face. "Sis!" She stood up, and Lois had her wrapped in an enormous hug a moment later, her tears coming back in full force.

"I thought I'd lost you."

"Shh...it's okay, big sis. I'm fine. I'm okay."

Lois held her tightly for a few more minutes, afraid to let go else she wake up and find her sister slipping away once more.

"Really, sis, I'm fine. I'm okay." When she didn't let go, Lucy continued, "As much as I appreciate the lovin', my near nakedness is making me a tad bit uncomfortable. When I asked you to tell me about your love life, this is not what I had in mind."

Lois pulled away and looked her sister over, realizing that she was wearing a hospital gown...and nothing else. She laughed despite herself. "Sorry Luce. I'll be sure to keep it verbal only in the future."

Lucy smirked. "I'm going to hold you to that. Including the conversation itself. No more of this avoiding Lucy and keeping her in the dark about the hot husband and wife sex. Especially now that Brandon is gone. I expect full disclosure, all the minute details," she said, waving her finger at her in mock rebuke.

Lois prepared her rebuttal, but paused as she processed what Lucy had said. "Wait, what do you mean, now that Brandon is gone? When did this happen?"

She shrugged. "Five minutes ago, give or take. He was here when I woke up. He healed me, I think. Though I don't know how. His face and arms were all scarred, from what looked like burns. I don't think he wanted me to see him that way. And he just left."

"He healed you?" Burns?

"I don't know what else to think. I woke up and he was there, and I wasn't hooked up to any of the machines. I know it sounds crazy, but with all the equipment in this room, I can't think of anything else that makes sense."

"I don't believe it. He must have been the one to bring me back from the dead too."

"You died?!"

Crap. She really couldn't keep her mouth shut, could she?

"Yeah, yesterday. Lex kidnapped me and set a test up for Clark. Brandon got there just before the bomb went off, but I didn't make it out in time. I felt the heat hit me, and then Mom was telling me that Clark still needed me, and I was back. I thought she had just pulled a wildcard to get me back in the thick of things, but I guess it was Brandon that brought me back."

"Lex? Mom? Lois, you've completely lost me. What exactly has been going on?" Her eyes shot wide open. "Oh my goodness! Clark! He put me here! No, but that doesn't make any...but I saw the shield..." She paused, her face a hurricane of confusion. "Uh, sis? A little help here?"

Lois chuckled at her sister's bewildered expression, recounting what she had just told her sister over again in her mind. No wonder she was confused.

"I guess I should start at the beginning."

"Definitely. That would be helpful."

Lois paused a moment, trying to determine what Lucy would know and what she still needed to know to put all of the pieces together. Where exactly had it all begun?

---

"Wow."

Lois laughed. "I know, right? It's like something out of a comic book. If I hadn't married an alien myself, I probably wouldn't believe it."

Lucy nodded. It was like something out of a comic book. A planet eating entity that possessed the evil in order to corrupt the world enough to blow it out of existence? She wasn't exactly a comic book expert, but she seemed to recall at least something along those lines being published somewhere. Gargantia, or something?

And then there was Clark. He had the suit and everything. He would have definitely fit into the pages of a comic book. And with the reception he had gotten from Metropolis, and in turn, the rest of the world, she did not doubt that he would end up there eventually, even if they missed the best parts of the story.

"You know what, Lo'?"

"What?"

"If your life was in a comic book, it would be my favorite."

Lois laughed, a bit perplexed. "Okay...I don't know what to say to that."

"No, I'm serious. You and Clark totally inspire me. You're like my all time favorite love story. And I'm a student of love stories. I get tingles just thinking about it."

"Tingles?"

"Yes, tingles. It's awesome. Although I guess there is one reason why I'm glad your life isn't a comic book."

She guessed that Lois knew where she was going with this, but she took the bate anyway. "Why?"

"Because then I wouldn't be privy to all the hot details of your relationship."

Lois laughed, rolling her eyes. "Our love life is not that hot." She frowned. "What am I saying? Smallville is amazing. He loves me like...I don't even know how to describe it. When he touches me, it's like he's been given the greatest gift in the whole world. He looks at me with such honor and respect...I'm his wife, I'm his, completely, and yet when I give myself to him, he's overwhelmed with love and awe on a scale that I wouldn't be able to understand if I hadn't felt it flowing from him myself." She paused as her eyes widened. "Damn. I'm the luckiest woman alive."

Lucy laughed, thrilled by her sister's understanding. "What do you think I've been trying to tell you all this time? I joke about the Lane wiles, and they are considerable, I'm not discounting that...but a man like Clark...you could search a thousand years and not find his equal. They don't make men like that anymore."

Lois shook her head in agreement. "They really don't, do they?" Her eyes widened when she realized what she had said, and she quickly tried to recover. "I'm sorry, Luce, I didn't mean it like that. I'm sure there's a guy out there for-"

Lucy cut her off. "Lois, it's fine. Really. I'm fine. And I'm not just saying this to reassure you. I'm not quite sure even why I am so happy, especially after who just walked out of my life, but I am. I wasn't kidding before. I love you, so so very much, and it makes me so happy to see you so happy. It doesn't make me jealous, or lonely, or even sad that I haven't found what you have yet. It makes me happy. Truly, blissfully happy. I see the sparkle in your eyes every time you see Clark, and my eyes sparkle with you. You love him, and I never thought I'd see you so happy, and it makes me so glad that you are.

"I don't know what my life has in store for me. But the future, it doesn't frighten me. I have everything I ever wanted right now. I have you, and I get to see you happy. And I have Daddy. And I never thought I'd have either." She laughed. "Daddy can't stand me half the time, but that's half the fun. I know that underneath all of his annoyance, he loves me to death, and I know you know how great that makes me feel. I'm still young. I've got plenty of time for love. Right now, I have never been more content with my life. I have never been more happy."

Lois pulled her sister into a hug. "Wow. Lucy...just wow. Thank you for telling me that. I really needed to hear that. It's no fun being happy all by myself."

Lucy returned the hug, and pulled away and smiled. "I know, right? There's nothing like happiness to spur on happiness. Now come on, let's go spread the cheer. If I'm right, Daddy's spent many an hour at my bedside, worrying about my well being. Time for us to lift his spirits up a bit." She paused and held up a finger. "But first things first. I need to get some pants."

Lois laughed and nodded. "Right."

---

"Clark?"

Clark sighed in contentment and yawned loudly, stretching out and reaching for Lois on his bed. He found her side empty, and opened his eyes and looked around.

He was in his old room at the farm, and Lois was nowhere to be found. He frowned. He was sure he had heard her whisper his name, as she sometimes did when she slept. And yet not only was she not sleeping with him, she was not even in the same room. Had he been dreaming? Was Lois okay?

His ears tuned in to her heartbeat, and his frantic heart calmed when he heard the steady rhythm. She was fine. Not in the room, but still fine. But then what had he heard?

"Clark? Are you awake?"

Of course. "Lois?"

"You're awake. Are you feeling better?"

"I feel fine. Is something wrong?" His previous worry began to creep back in. Lois never talked to him through her thoughts unless something was wrong. "Is Lucy okay?"

"Yes, she's fine. Great, actually. She's awake, and has made a full recovery. I'm with her and the General right now. We're on our way to the base to get her something to wear besides the hospital garb. I just wanted to make sure you were okay, and let you know where I was."

Clark felt the sudden urge to kiss his wife. "Thank you, Lois. Yes, I feel fine. I don't feel any aftereffects from my fight with Zod." He paused. "Wait, how did I get here?"

Lois laughed her sweet laugh, and his urge to kiss her intensified. "Lex and Chloe took you home after dropping me off at the hospital to visit Lucy."

"And Zod?"

"If Chloe's still there, she can fill you in on the details, but the short version is she found a crystal containing Mira's essence and it talked him into letting go of Lex so he and Chloe could have the chance that they never got."

"Wow. I didn't know he even cared for her. She didn't mention it when I spoke to her before."

"Wait, what? You've spoken to Mira before?"

"Yes. Lara mentioned her every once in a while when I spoke to her at night before going to bed, and I was curious to meet her myself. They were really close friends. I talked to her once about a year ago, but she only mentioned Zod in passing."

"Wow, that's-" She paused, and Clark waited for her to continue. "I'm sorry, Clark, I'm going to have to let you go. We're at the base, and I want to catch up with Daddy and Lucy. I'll talk to you later?"

"Okay. I love you."

"I love you too, Smallville."

Clark smiled and pulled himself off the bed, glad that Lois would have a chance to spend some quality time with her family, especially her father. She had always had a rocky relationship with him, and it was good that they were finally working beyond the scars of the past and establishing a strong relationship. He loved her, and she needed to not only know it but feel it. And it seemed that she was starting to.

Clark glanced down at himself, and walked over to his closet. He was still in the clothes he had put on that morning, and his shirt especially was a little worse for wear. He took it off and looked through his options, smiling at the fact that half of what was left in the closet was Lois'. She had moved some of her stuff into the room after their engagement, as she was down to see his parents almost more than he had been. His job at the Metropolis Cultural Museum had kept him in Metropolis most of the time, and when he wasn't keeping the museum safe, he was keeping the city safe. When he was home, and she was there, he had simply slept on the couch, like old times. He hadn't minded, but it pleased him that he would never have to sleep on the couch when Lois was there again.

Most of his and Lois' clothing had went with them Sunday to their new apartment, and there was very little to choose from. Most of it was flannel, and he had long since fazed out of his flannel tendencies. His eyes brightened when he spotted an old red flannel shirt, and he took it and put it on. How had that shirt been left behind? Lois loved it, and he was very much looking forward to seeing her in it later, as he would if their talk that evening ended as he hoped it would. He would shed it, and she would slip it on afterwards. His shirts definitely looked better on her than they did on him.

Clark slipped out of his pants and into a pair of jeans, put on his shoes, and made his way downstairs. Finding his mother in the kitchen, he leaned down and planted a kiss on her cheek.

"Morning, Mom."

She turned and smiled. "Afternoon, is more like it. We were wondering if you were ever going to wake up."

Clark looked out the window, and sure enough, the sun was low in the west sky. "How long was I asleep?"

"You've been out for about six hours. I was just about ready to start making dinner. I thought it would be nice to have the whole family over again, since they're all in town."

Clark nodded. "So Lois called and filled you in while I was asleep."

Martha nodded, then frowned. "Yes, but how did you...oh, I forgot about her bracelet. Of course."

Clark grinned widely. "Actually, it wasn't her bracelet. She lost it a few days ago."

She paused, not picking up on his teasing, concern filling her face. "Oh, Lois must have been devastated. I know how much she treasured it. I think she saw it as her lifeline to you."

Clark shook his head. "Really? I knew that she treasured it, but I didn't think that was why. She doesn't need a lifeline to me. I'm hers already."

"I know, honey, but Lois has always been insecure about her relationship to you. She loves you, but I don't think she's always believed she deserved you."

Clark pondered that for a moment. It didn't make much sense for her to think that way. He was the one that didn't deserve her, not the other way around. She was the most amazing woman in the word. How could she not see that?

He sighed. "I wish she was here, so I could talk to her about it."

"You can't?"

He shook his head. "No, it doesn't quite work like her bracelet. She can talk to me, and she can read my mind, but I can't do either. If she doesn't initiate the conversation, I can't talk to her."

"She can read your mind? What exactly happened between you two?"

Clark grinned again. "I'm afraid I can't tell you that. Not until I can talk to Lois."

"Well, you could always call her on the phone. I need to get in touch with them anyway to let them know they are invited to dinner tonight. I told Lex and Chloe that they were welcome for dinner before they left with Lily for the mansion, but I haven't had the chance to talk to Mr. Lane or Lois yet about it."

"That's okay. I can wait until she gets here. I'd rather talk to her face to face." It's more fun afterwards that way.

His mother shook her head and smiled. "You're spending too much time around Lois."

"Why do you say that?"

"Aren't you delaying talking to her just to keep me in suspense?"

He nodded and smiled. "Partially, yes."

"That is a very Lois thing to do. The son I raised would never keep his poor old mother in the dark."

He laughed and winked. "She's a good teacher."

His mother laughed in return, and made her way over to the phone. "Well, if you aren't going to call her, then I better. I need to know how much food to prepare."

Clark nodded. "Is Dad outside?"

"Yes, he's out working on the tractor. It broke down again."

"Okay. I think I'm going to go out and help him." He walked over to the door and opened the screen, pausing before going out. "By the way, you're wrong, Mom."

"What do you mean?"

"It's impossible to spend too much time with Lois." He added another wink, and then went outside, hearing his mother laugh behind him.

---

Lois laughed and shook her head. "You're crazy."

Lucy smiled brightly. "And proud of it." She paused, and her eyes brightened. "Oh look! We're almost there."

Lois looked out the window, and sure enough, the Kent farm was coming into view. The half hour drive from the base to Smallville had passed in no time at all. If only she could take Lucy with her every time she had to make long trips. The drive from Metropolis to Smallville would be a lot less boring with her to keep her company.

"And it looks like we're the last ones here, too. There's Lex's car and Lana's minivan. I didn't even know the Teagues were coming. Oh! I haven't seen Laura since the wedding. I can't wait to see how her and Lily get along."

Their father grunted in the front seat, and the two of them looked at each other in confusion. Lois voiced what was on both of their minds. "What?"

"If they're anything like the two of you, they're likely already fighting."

Lucy rolled her eyes and Lois followed suit. "Whatever, Dad," Lucy said. "We never fight."

"What do you call what you two have been doing this whole time?"

"Arguing. Duh! Get with the program, Dad. Arguing and fighting are totally not the same thing. Arguing is fun. Fighting is bad. Totally different."

Lois nodded in agreement. "Totally."

The General chuckled and shook his head, then pulled the jeep up and parked beside Lana's silver Town & Country.

Lois turned to Lucy to issue her another warning. "Now remember, I'll kill you in your sleep if you say anything to Clark."

Lucy only smirked mischievously. She really was going to go through with it, wasn't she?

Lois laughed and rolled her eyes, then reached over and opened the door.

Lucy got out quickly and ran around the back of the jeep, then offered her her hand for support. Lois suppressed the instinct to resist the help, and took her hand. She used it for balance as she stepped down and closed the door behind her. "Thanks."

"No problem, big sis. Clark is going to be mad enough with me later. No need to edge him on any more by letting my sister get hurt worse."

Lois groaned and looked down at her sling. "Clark is going to freak when he sees me."

As if on cue...

"Lois? What happened to you? Are you alright?"

Lois looked up, and her heart melted. Gawd, how she loved him. Her eyes grew wet and she shook her head in amazement. She was married to this man. He was hers. Smallville, Clark Kent, the greatest man to ever walk the face of the Earth. Or any other planet, as far as she was concerned. How had she ever lucked out so immensely?

"Lois?"

He touched her face, turning her head from side to side to look at the bruises, then let go and looked into the eyes that were locked on his.

"Does it hurt a lot?"

She shook her head. "No. The worst is over. It feels more like I had a hard workout than anything else. The doctor said that I should be back to normal in a few days, except for my arm, which should take a week or so to get back to normal."

He nodded, then hesitated. He began to say something, stopped, then began again. "Is there anything I can do?"

Lois smiled. "Yes. You can kiss me."

Clark smiled and obliged her, kissing her softly and taking her good hand in his and squeezing it. "I love you."

Lois choked up, and could only smile in return, hoping her eyes told the story that her heart no longer told him.

"Hey Clark! Are you going to throw it back or what?"

Clark took a few more seconds to check to make sure she was okay, kissed her again, and smiled. "I'll see you inside." Then he turned around and effortlessly let loose a long bomb to where Jason was waiting impatiently. Jason took off in a quick sprint and caught the football midstride, then slowed and tossed it back with all of his might.

Lucy nudged her gently in the side and laughed. "Come on, let's let the boys do their thing and see if we can't find something productive to do inside."

The kitchen was a bustle of activity. Martha was at the oven, putting the finishing touches on a roast, while she monitored the rest of the food and kept Jonathan's hands out of the dishes. Lana was there as well, mixing a salad and chopping up last second additions, and Laura and Lily were running around the table, into the living room, and back again, Lily apparently having showed the younger brunette how to play her favorite game. Chloe was trailing slightly behind them, trying to keep the two girls out of everyone's hair, and not having much success.

Martha turned to them as they entered. "You're here. Great! Lucy, can you start on that pie for me? I haven't had a chance to get to it yet. And Lois, could you help Chloe with the girls, perhaps take them outside?"

"No, that's alright, Mrs. Kent, I can handle them," Chloe cut in as she rounded the table. "Put Lois to work."

Mrs. Kent frowned and looked at Lois doubtfully, then back at Chloe. "Are you sure?"

"Of course. I'm fine. Put her to work."

Lois laughed. "You do want the food to be edible, right, Chloe? I'm useless in the kitchen."

Lucy had already started work on the pie when she turned around to answer. "I wouldn't say that, Lois. You've improved a lot in the kitchen. That gravy you made the other day was excellent."

Lois smiled at her sister's attempt to help. "Thanks, but I still have a bit to go before I'll reliably whip out edible meals. Unless there's something easy you could let me do?" she asked, turning to Mrs. Kent.

She looked around, then shrugged. "No, I think we have things pretty much taken care of. You can start setting the table, if you wish, but the food itself is just about done."

Lois smiled and accepted. "That's a job that I think I'm qualified for. How many plates do we need, anyway?" she asked no one in particular. She started doing the math in her head. Martha and Jonathan, herself and Clark, Lana and Jason, Chloe and Lex, Lucy and the General, and the two girls. She grabbed twelve plates, three at a time, out of the cabinet, and stacked them on the counter, and then turned around and looked at the table. "I don't think we're all going to fit. How exactly are we going to do this?"

Martha looked over at her in surprise. "Oh. I hadn't thought about that. I suppose we'll do it the way we did last time we were all together."

Lois nodded, remembering the day well. That first dinner after her and Clark's engagement would be a part of her forever.

"We have a few more this time, though, so we'll probably need to set up some extra chairs in the living room. I'm going to go out to the barn and get the fold outs."

Chloe came bounding by again, and stopped for a second to address her. "Grab Lex to help you on your way out. He's been wanting to talk to you all day."

Lois nodded and made her way into the living room, where Lex and Jonathan were talking about the business of farming, wondering what was on Lex's mind. "Sorry to interrupt, but I'm going out to the barn to get some extra chairs, and I was wondering if I could borrow one of you to help."

Lex got up before she had finished. "Sure. I feel kind of useless anyway around all of this cooking."

Lois laughed as she made her way to the door. "I know exactly what you mean."

They made their way to the barn in silence, Lois still trying to figure out what Lex would want to talk to her about. The only thing she could think of was that he needed advice on his new relationship with Chloe, but she figured that he would go to Clark for such a topic. He had never come to her before.

Lois found the chairs in their normal spot behind the barn tools, and grabbed a couple with her good arm, testing her ability to carry them before settling on bringing just one. No need to push her luck.

"Lois, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Lois smiled and leaned against the back of the barn. Chloe was happy with Lex. If he wanted advice, she was happy to give it to him. "Sure. What's up?"

"I wanted to apologize for everything that I did this week. I hurt you and Clark especially, and I'm sorry for that."

This was what this was about? "Lex, you don't have anything to apologize for. It was the Destroyer and then Zod that did those things to us, not you."

He shook his head. "That's not completely true. It was me, too, for a while."

Lois shook her head. "I can't see how. You were possessed. That's all there is too it. From what Clark tells me, I hurt him pretty badly once when I was possessed, and he doesn't blame me for that." Lois shivered as she remembered the day. Those awful clothes...

"No, there was a time where I wasn't possessed. For a while, the Entity and I were joined together as the same person. The joining influenced the way I thought, but it was still me."

Lois' mouth dropped. This was news to her. "That doesn't make any sense. How? When did this happen?"

"It was Monday. The Entity was hurting Chloe, whispering thoughts in her mind, and she was breaking. I had to do something, and the Entity was distracted and didn't have its defenses up. I managed to work my way into its mind and see what it saw, and I merged my mind with its mind in order to gain its powers and help Chloe turn those thoughts around."

Her eyes widened in realization. "Oh my gawd. You are Chloe's angel."

He looked at her in confusion. "What?"

"When Chloe was at her apartment alone, she was so lost that she nearly killed herself. She told me that she was just a few seconds from jumping out her window and ending it right there, but that an angel came to her and whispered to her that she was loved. You saved her."

His eyes widened, and he didn't say anything for a while. When he did, his voice was full of emotion, and Lois could tell he was holding back tears. Clark had mentioned that Lex could be as emotional as the next person, but until that moment she had never truly believed him. "You mean...I really made a difference? I didn't think it mattered, what I did. But I couldn't stand to see Chloe suffer, and I didn't know what else to do. It really made a difference, the words I spoke to her?"

"It did. You saved her."

Lois could see the burden of guilt fall off of him as if it were a backpack that had fallen to the ground. The relief on his face was the only apology she needed, and she suddenly knew that whatever happened, Chloe would be okay. Lex would move mountains for Chloe, just as Clark would do the same for her.

Several more minutes passed in silence, and Lois allowed him to think in silence as she studied him and thought about what he could be for her cousin. She had never thought he was good enough for Chloe, but now she was sure that there was no one who was a better fit.

Lex looked up and broke the silence. "I have something for you."

She frowned. This puzzle was even more surprising than the first. What could he possibly have for her?

Lex put his hand into his pocket and pulled something out, showing it to her. Her eyes brightened when she saw what it was.

"My bracelet! You found it." She took it and held it to her chest. "Thank you."

He smiled and shrugged. "I didn't find it. I stole it. And I figured you would want it back."

"You're right. I thought I lost it forever. Thank you for giving it back to me." She paused and then brightened. "I have to go show Clark. Can you take the chairs inside?"

He smiled. "Sure. You wouldn't have been much help anyway."

Lois laughed. "Ain't that the truth of it. I feel like a cripple. You really don't notice how much you need two hands until you don't have them." And as she looked down at the bracelet, she knew that was true about nearly everything. She could barely contain her joy as she ran out to find Clark. He was going to be thrilled.

---

"This was such a great idea, Mom. We should do this more often."

Lois grabbed another plate and handed it to Mrs. Kent as she waited for her response. She took it, dipped it into the soapy water, and began scrubbing it as she responded. "Thanks, Lois. I thought this would be just the thing to lift everyone's spirits. There's nothing like a warm meal and the company of family and friends to wash away past hardship."

Lois nodded, handing her another plate as Mrs. Kent finished with the last one. "I know. Today has been really great. I never get to spend time with all of my family at once. This should definitely become a regular occurrence."

A hearty round of laughter came from the living room, and Lois looked around and smiled. "I don't think you will get any argument from them about that, Lois. They do seem to be enjoying themselves."

"Indeed. Even Jason acts like he's known us all for years. Lana I understand, she's practically one of the family already, but I was surprised by the way Clark and Daddy warmed to him. Daddy hardly ever warms to anyone right away, and Clark...I guess I never saw the respect those two have for each other before."

The creaking of the stairs drew Lois' attention, and she turned to see her sister bouncing down with one of her shirts on. At her look, she explained, "Laura spilled Kool-Aid all over my other one."

Lois laughed. "That sounds about right."

Lucy smiled back, and then winked before heading into the living room to join the others.

Lois turned to Mrs. Kent. "Will you be okay by yourself for a few minutes. I think I might be needed for damage control."

"Damage control? What do you mean?"

"Lucy told me about an idea she had to ruffle Clark's feathers on the drive over here, and I think she's about to cash in on it. Actually, you might want to come to. This could get pretty interesting."

She nodded and finished washing the dish, then placed it in the sink and dried her hands. "What is she going to do?"

Lois laughed. "She..." She paused, trying to make herself say the words, but gave up. "You'll just have to watch and see. That's if she dares. I've threatened her with death if she even thinks about bringing it up, but well...that's Lucy for ya."

Lucy was just finishing her prep into the conversation as they approached. "What about the time that Clark and Lois switched bodies. That had to have been classic."

"Oh, it definitely was," Chloe said.

Clark laughed. "You're one to talk, Chloe. Shall I tell everyone the theory you had behind the cause of the body switch?"

Chloe blushed. "No, that's okay. I'll shut up now."

"Well now you have to tell us," Lucy demanded. "Anything that would make Chloe turn red is definitely something I need to know about."

Clark laughed and turned to Lucy. "She was convinced that the whole thing had happened as a result of sex, and that the only way to reverse it was to, you know...come full circle, so to speak."

Chloe groaned and hid her face, and Lois followed suit. Could Clark have set Lucy up any better?

"Well now that we know what has gone on between you two, I have a question for you, Clark."

"And what would that be?"

"Which was better? Being inside my sister, or being inside my sister."

"Lucy!"

"What, Dad? It's a valid question. You know you were thinking it."

Jason stood up and cleared his throat, and everyone turned to him. "Well, I can't think of a better introduction to what I have to say." Lana hit him, and he laughed, then turned back to the group. "Lana and I seem to have a unique reaction to our intimacy as well."

Lana hit him again and stood up. She smiled brightly. "I'm pregnant!"

---

Chloe tucked Lily in and kissed her on the head. She stirred slightly in her sleep, and Chloe thought she heard her whisper "mommy", but she wasn't sure.

Satisfied that she was asleep and content, she got up and left Lily's makeshift room. She was glad that Lois had agreed to let her take her for the night. She loved taking care of her, and for some reason she slept better knowing that Lily was close by. The nightmares never came when she knew she was there.

Chloe walked down the hall and into the den, taking a seat on the sofa, where Lex sat thinking. He looked over at her when she sat down.

"Is Lily asleep?"

"Yes, she's sleeping peacefully."

He nodded and smiled. "I really enjoyed myself tonight. It was nice of Mrs. Kent to invite us over."

"It was definitely fun. And Lana, pregnant again! I'm so excited for them. There's nothing quite like having a new child in your life."

"You really love her, don't you?"

Chloe frowned. "Who?"

"Lily."

"Oh. Yeah, I do. I've never met anyone more full of life. She's amazing."

Lex nodded, and pondered for a moment. Chloe leaned back and stared at the fire, just enjoying their time together. They really hadn't had a moment alone since their first date Saturday night, and it was definitely something she had missed.

"What would you think about keeping her?"

Chloe looked up in surprise. "What?"

"She's alone, and needs a family. You two are great together. Like best friends, the way a mother and daughter should be. I think you would make a wonderful mother for her. Would you like that?"

"What about Lois and Clark? I thought they were going to take care of her."

"I talked to Clark this evening. He agrees with me."

Was it really possible that Lily could become her daughter? If she was honest with herself, there was nothing she wanted more. Not music, not to become a journalist. Lily filled the hole in her heart that she had never known was there. She gave her purpose and happiness in a way that nothing else had.

"But how? They wouldn't let me adopt her. I'm not married, I don't have a job, and I wouldn't even have an apartment if you didn't pay for it. I hardly have time to care for her and go to school."

"Well, as far as school is concerned, you won't have to worry about it for the rest of the semester. Met-U canceled all their classes for the rest of the year until they can put the campus back together. Personally, I don't think you would have any trouble. You could take her to class with you if nothing else, and if you're not comfortable with that, I know Lois or Clark would be happy to watch her while you're away. I'd be willing to watch her myself."

"And financially? How will I support her?"

"Chloe, have you seen my house? I have more money than I know what to do with."

"No, I can't take your money."

"Chloe, please, let me do this for you. I know you don't want to take advantage of my financial security, and I admire you for it. But this once, let me do this. I'll set up a trust in your name, if you're worried about it affecting our relationship, and make sure that only you can access it."

"I...don't know. I still can't see them ever letting me adopt her."

"I have a lot of pull in the agency. Look Chloe, it's not a matter of if it is possible, it is a matter of whether you want it or not. If you want this, I'll make it happen. Do you?"

There was no hesitation. "Yes."

"Are you sure? It is a huge responsibility, being a parent. I'm not trying to question your resolve. I just want to make sure that this is what you really want."

"I know I'm young, and I understand the responsibility that being a mother entails. And yes, I want this. I've never wanted anything more in my life. You really think they would let me have her?"

"It's already done. All you have to do is come down with me to social services tomorrow and sign some paperwork, and she's yours."

Chloe laughed, and then realized that he was serious. "You mean you already have everything taken care of?"

"Of course. I told you, if this is something you wanted, it was yours. I didn't want to bring the subject up if I wasn't sure it could be done, so I made the arrangements in advance."

"What about extended family?"

"I checked into that as well. Her parents were her only living blood relations. Really, if you want her, she's yours. I wouldn't bring this up if I wasn't sure."

"I...don't know what to say. Thank you, Lex. Thank you. I..." She didn't know what else to say. "I need to see her. Do you mind if I go to her room for a while?"

"No, of course not. Go ahead. I'll still be here when you get back."

The promise in the words made her smile, and she couldn't contain all of her joy. Throwing caution to the wind, she threw herself at him and captured his lips with her own. She kissed him passionately until she had no breath left, and then pulled away and ran down the hall to Lily's room, leaving a very flustered Lex on the couch.

"I'll definitely be here when you get back," she heard him say as she left the room, and she giggled. It was great to be alive.

---

Lois heard Clark climb up the stairs to their room and close the door behind him. She felt him walk up behind her, and giggled when he kissed her on the side of the neck.

"Whatcha doing?"

Lois turned around to look at him and laughed. "Trying to type up an article. Hopefully for the Planet."

"Really? That's great! What's the article about?" He paused and read the title out loud. "Smallville Miracle in Intensive Care."

"Yeah, its about Brandon and what he did at Smallville Medical Center. He healed nearly every person on the floor."

"I assume you're leaving out the fact that it was him."

"Yes. I took some comments from the hospital staff and some of the patients, and I'm just using that. Metropolis needs to read something positive after everything that has happened."

Clark wrapped his arms around her and kissed her again on the neck. "Will you be coming to bed anytime soon?"

"Eager, are we?"

"Definitely." The desire in his voice made her heart skip several beats. "You're so beautiful when you are flustered."

"I am not flustered." Okay, so maybe she was. A little bit. Or a lot. She looked up at the page and tried to remember where she was. Right. The reactions of the hospital staff. She tried to ignore Clark's advances as she went back to work on the article, slow as it was. Typing was a chore when you had to do it one handed.

She lasted another three minutes before she couldn't take it anymore. "You're really not helping, Clark. I really want to finish this and email it in tonight."

Clark picked the chair up with her in it and set it aside, then got down on his knees in a position in front of the computer.

"What are you doing?"

"Helping you finish faster. Just dictate it to me, and I'll type."

"I don't think I can do that. I have to see the words to be able to think about what to say next."

He got up and moved the chair back, left for a moment, then came back with her bracelet. He put it on her wrist, and then took the keyboard from the computer and brought it over to the bed.

"Clark?"

"You said you have to see the words. Now you do. Just think as if you are writing them, and I'll type for you."

"You're crazy."

"Just try it."

Lois sighed and shook her head. This was never going to work.

"Sure it is. Just try it."

Lois smiled. She had missed hearing his voice in her head.

"I know, I missed this too. You have no idea how frustrating it is not being able to talk back, not knowing if you hear me or not. Now focus. I know we can do this."

Lois pursed her lips in determination and closed her eyes. She imagined her hands on the keyboard, then opened her eyes and looked at the screen. How could he hear her thoughts? The bracelet had never allowed them to do that before. Only intentional thoughts could be heard.

Lois felt excitement flow from him, and she turned around and looked at him. "What?"

"No, I'll tell you later. Now come on, let's do this."

She felt Clark's resolve, and she smiled. She had missed that too, always knowing what he was feeling. She knew that they were great together even without their connection...the last few days had proven that. But she had the feeling that the bracelet would be taking up a permanent residence on her wrist in the near future. It was like sex, a gift she could live without but didn't really want to.

"You do realize how hard it is to concentrate when you are thinking about sex, right?"

"Sorry. I'm focused this time. I promise."

Lois refocused on the story, making her mind think about what had happened. She quickly read over what she had written, took a few glances at her notepad, and looked back up at the screen and imagined that she was typing.

Her mouth dropped as the words in her head appeared on the page as she thought them, like magic. Wow. That was so cool.

"I told you we could do it. Now lets keep going."

Lois felt another surge of desire from Clark and laughed. He apparently had an ulterior motive for helping her finish faster.

"What do you expect? Look at you. You're beautiful."

She blushed, and she felt Clark suddenly become a statue of self-control and resolve.

"No more distractions. Article. Daily Planet. Healed patients. Let's get to work."

That worked. Her mind shifted sharply to the people of Metropolis, and how much they needed some hope to get them through all that they were going through. And she continued where she had left off.

She finished faster than she would have thought possible. It still amazed her how natural it felt, writing without her hands and watching the words appear on the computer. She had been sure that she would never be able to do it when she started, but as she put the finishing touches on her article, she realized that it felt like second nature to do. Clark even typed it as she would have, her spelling and grammatical errors and all. How did he do that?

Finished, she saw the cursor fly around the screen furiously as Clark went back over the article and fixed all of the mistakes. He typed so fast that the article continued to correct itself even after he had finished typing.

Clark got up off their bed and leaned in behind her, replacing the keyboard in its spot and using the mouse to open her email and send the article off to the Daily Planet's drop box.

"There. We're done."

She shook her head in amazement. "We are. That would have taken me all night."

He began to kiss her neck again, and she groaned softly. "I know. And I couldn't have that." And with that, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bed.

---

The warm sunlight drew Lois from her dreams, and she groaned and rolled over, burying her head in Clark's bare chest to block out the light. Inhaling his scent, she snuggled closer to him.

She felt his arms tighten around her, and she sighed contently. He was awake, she knew, but she wasn't quite ready to leave the pleasant fog of sleepiness. Perhaps it was Clark's contentment that kept her in place, or perhaps it was her own. She wasn't quite conscious enough to know which was which, and she liked it that way. She felt close to Clark, and that was enough for her.

She was happy. The previous evening had been so wonderful. She never thought her life would be like that. Her, Lucy, and the General had never functioned like a real family, and she had always thought that it would never change. But it had. And oh, how it had. Everything had felt so natural, so real. Lucy, her father, Chloe, Lex, Lana...they hadn't come out of compulsion or a sense of responsibility...they had come because they wanted to. They enjoyed her company and they enjoyed each other's company. They were truly her family, quite possibly for the first time in her life. She smiled. Life didn't get much better, and she couldn't imagine being happier than she was at that moment.

Clark began stroking her hair with one hand and gently tracing the lines of her back with the other. His thankfulness and awe overwhelmed her, and once again she found herself tearing up. She never used to be this emotional-outburst prone, but then she had never used to wake up next to Clark each morning either. A man like Clark could change anyone, and he had definitely changed her. He had opened her up in a way that she never thought she could be.

"Good morning," he whispered into her ear, tickling it with his breath. She giggled softly, and he laughed in turn, unable to help himself. When their laughter subsided, he continued. "How are you doing?"

"I'm happy."

He laughed. "I know, I can tell. I'm happy too." He kissed her, and smiled. "We never did get to talk last night."

"I didn't hear you complaining then."

He shrugged. "I couldn't help myself. You overcame me."

"I noticed. It's good to know I can still drive you crazy."

Clark laughed. "Driving me crazy has never been your problem, sweetheart."

"Oh? And just what is my problem, then?"

"That you drive me crazy, of course."

"And that's a problem because...?"

He opened his mouth to speak, closed it, opened it again, and hesitated again. "Good point. I guess you don't have any flaws."

"Damn right I don't! And don't you forget it."

He laughed and rolled his eyes, and she smacked him on the chest.

"Ow!"

"Liar."

"No. That actually hurt a little."

"What? Really?" She looked at him, surprised. How was that possible? Was he losing his powers? And what was with the wide grin on his face? What did he know that she didn't? "Okay, spill."

"That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about. I think I know why our connection was reestablished, and why it is different than before."

What did their connection have to do with him losing his powers? "What are you talking about?"

"Did I ever tell you about the story behind the bracelet?"

Was he on drugs? "You're not making any sense, Smallville."

He chuckled. "Just let me get through this."

"You've rehearsed?"

"Of course."

If he had rehearsed the conversation, then it had to be something big. He was still nervous and afraid, and that bothered her. "What the hell is going on?"

"Will you please let me get through this?"

"Fine. But this better not be about you leaving again, or I'm going to beat you senseless." She paused. "Which apparently I could actually do now."

"Leaving? Why would I leave?"

That set her mind at ease. Good. So he wasn't thinking about leaving. "You got arrested, remember?"

"Oh. Lex didn't tell you? There are no records that I was ever there. The Destroyer needed my name clear in order to move on with its plans, whatever they were, and so it destroyed all the evidence. Lex went back after and cleaned up anything it missed."

Of course he had. That was Lex, always looking out for everybody. He was almost as bad as Clark in that regard. "So you're not going to turn yourself in?"

"No. It was silly of me to be worried about it in the first place. How many times have I broken into a locked building before? I just happened to get caught this time..." He laughed. "I'm still not sure how that happened. I must have been too worried about you to really pay attention."

Lois shook her head. "And all for nothing, too."

Clark frowned. "What do you mean?"

"You were worried about nothing. I asked Brandon to turn that story in for me. I should have told you, but I didn't think about it. I'm sorry."

"So that's really what happened? He didn't steal the story from you?"

"No, he didn't. Ms. Khan is famous for turning a blind eye to new talent. Having a proven star submit a story written by what she would consider an amateur was the only way I could think of to get her attention. I've written some great articles since graduating, but they always either get burried or ignored completely. So I asked him if he would help me out, and he agreed."

"It still doesn't make sense. Why would he help you?"

"You really don't like him, do you?"

Clark shook his head. "I don't like the way he works. He is only out for the scoop, and he doesn't care who he hurts along the way. You shouldn't have to do that to get to the truth."

"Sometimes getting a story means getting your hands dirty."

"Yes, but not at the expense of someone else. I don't know. I'm no journalist. I guess I don't really know how it works. But I've always managed to figure out what is going on in the past without hurting anyone else. Getting to the truth isn't more important than innocent people."

Lois nodded, thinking. He was right, of course. The truth was about helping people, and it didn't make sense to hurt people in order to get to the bottom of it. She had always admired Brandon's accomplishments, but she hadn't really thought about the way he had gone about getting them. It wasn't right. And in that moment, she determined to never follow in his example. She would still pursue the truth. She would just do it in the right way.

"You right. But he's not all bad. And if it wasn't for him, you wouldn't have me and I wouldn't have Lucy."

"What?"

"He was the one that healed Lucy. And he healed me too, when I was dead."

"I didn't...I guess that makes sense. I owe him a thank you."

She nodded. "We both do."

Lois paused and waited, giving him the time he needed to think. She still wanted to know what the hell was going on, but she knew he needed to think everything she had just told him through, and she trusted him. He would explain it to her when he was ready. She was content to simply rest in his arms.

"Hhhmm."

"What's that?" she asked him.

"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking out loud. I guess Brandon isn't as bad as I thought he was. Perhaps there's still hope for him to come around."

Lois nodded. "I hope so."

It was silent for a few more moments, and then Clark looked down at her.

"I suppose you are dying to finish our conversation."

"Whenever you're ready."

He nodded, and started to speak, then stopped. She could feel a mixture of excitement and fear flowing from him, and again, she started to worry. What was going on? What could he possibly be afraid of?

He began fiddling with the bracelet on her wrist, studying it. "They didn't always have these bracelets on Krypton, you know. There was a time when there was only one thing that could connect a couple together, allowing them to feel what the other felt and speak to each other without words."

Was he talking about the crystal that had joined them together in the first place?

"A child."

Wait, what? What was he talking about?

"We're a lot alike, Kryptonians and humans. We look the same on the outside, but there are a lot of differences too, like the reaction to a yellow sun, for example. Pregnancy is another aspect that is different. A child connects the parents together, allowing them to access each other's thoughts and memories and letting them feel each other's feelings. I think it was a way to give soon-to-be parents the motivation to develop the closeness to each other that they would need to care for a child. It's hard to find time for each other with a baby thrown into the mix, and I think the connection was a natural balance to that fact.

"For a long time a child was the only way for a couple to feel that connection, and once the child was born, the connection would fade with it. That didn't sit well with some couples. They got used to the connection, and wanted it to continue. And so the bracelet was developed as a way to artificially duplicate what two soon-to-be parents shared during the pregnancy, so that they could continue to share it after the child was born."

He paused and tried to gauge her reaction, the same mixture of fear and excitement in his eyes and in his heart. She didn't answer right away. It was a lot to process. Was he suggesting what she thought he was suggesting?

"Lois?"

She didn't know what to think. "I'm pregnant?"

"I think so."

It didn't make any sense. "But how? We've been intimate for less than a week."

"It only takes once."

She laughed despite herself. "I know that. But even a pregnancy test won't work until a few weeks after. The baby wouldn't even be attached to me yet. How could the connection have already appeared?"

"I don't know. That's just how it works. The connection usually established itself a few days after conception. A week at most. There was really never any need for pregnancy tests on Krypton."

"So it's really possible that you're right?"

"I'm almost positive that I'm right. Everything is too similar to be explained otherwise."

She couldn't believe it. She was pregnant! No wonder he was so conflicted earlier, and even now. She felt the exact same way. It excited her and it scared her at the same time. Would she be a good mother? Was she ready for that? What would a baby do to her relationship with Clark? Was it too soon? Would it be a boy or a girl? What would he look like? Would he have Clark's eyes, or hers? Would he have all of Clark's abilities? How would she handle that?

She would have to have a talk with Mrs. Kent. She didn't even know how to begin caring for a child, much less a child with superpowers, and Mrs. Kent had lived through the experience already with Clark.

She thought about that for a moment. She was beginning to understand that she had barely scratched the surface of her understanding of the woman. She couldn't imagine how hard it would have been for her to raise Clark, not knowing where he had come from or what to expect. She was even stronger than Lois had given her credit for, and she had given her credit for a lot. The woman was simply amazing.

It would be easier for her. She had the Kents too lean on, she knew what powers she might have to deal with, and she had Clark. If nothing else, he could keep a growing toddler from destroying the house.

She was pregnant! She was having Clark's child! How awesome was that? "We're having a baby, Smallville!"

She kissed him in delight, not able to contain her happiness.

She had been wrong before. It actually was possible to be happier. Finally having her family feel like her family was awesome, but starting her own family with Clark? There weren't words to describe how happy she felt, or how thankful she was to Clark for giving her this.

As she dug her hands into her husbands hair, she marveled. He made her so happy. And their life together had only just begun. It would only get better from here.

---

Clark sighed pleasantly, enjoying the afterglow of the morning's bout of passion with his wife. She lay naked, on top of him, her head resting contently on his chest, a direct reflection of how he felt.

His fear earlier had been completely unfounded. Lois was as thrilled as he was about her pregnancy. She was joyful, happy, content,...thankful. It was enough to overwhelm him. She was more than a man could ever hope for and more. And he was the man lucky enough to win her heart, to get to spend the rest of his life with her. To give her children.

The strong voices of the Goo Goo Dolls interrupted his thoughts, and he silently cursed Lois' phone. Couldn't it see what it was interrupting?

"I should answer that."

"No you shouldn't. You should stay right here with me."

She sighed contently in his arms in response, then groaned as the chorus started again. She leaned far enough off of him to reach out and grab the phone off the nightstand beside their bed. She retreated back to his chest as she answered it.

"Hello?"

"May I speak to Lois Lane?" Clark frowned. The voice sounded familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.

"This is Lois Lane Kent."

"Ah, that's right. You are married now. This is the new editor of the Daily Planet, Perry White." Perry was the new editor? Clark smiled. He really had gotten his life turned around.

"What happened to Ms. Khan?"

"She resigned for personal reasons. I won't say any more than that. It isn't my business to look into her affairs. It's my business to get this paper back in ship-shop shape. And that means hiring new talent.

"I read your story on the miracle at the Smallville Medical Center. You've got some real promise in the news business. And it seems that I am left short an investigative reporter. Brandon Brown turned in his resignation this morning as well. Are you interested in the job?"

"You're offering it to me?"

"Listen, Lane. I still expect you to prove yourself. I will not have the Daily Planet morph into a sub-par paper. But you have natural talent, and the job is yours for the taking, if you are up for the challenge."

"It's Lane Kent. But yes, I'm up for it."

"Great. I expect to see you here bright and early Monday morning. Welcome to the world of journalism."

"Thanks."

There was a slight pause, and Mr. White continued. "Kent, you say? Would that be any relation to Clark Kent, from Smallville?"

"Yes, he's my husband."

"What the hell. I owe him a favor. If you don't mind him as your partner, he has a job as well. I'll see you Monday." And with that, he hung up.

Lois sat up on top of him, taking his breath away yet again with her figure. How was it possible for someone to be so beautiful?

"I can't believe it. I'm an investigative reporter at the Daily Planet. Who would have guessed?"

"I would have. You totally deserve it."

She smiled, and once again, he was breathless. "Thank you. But I'm not the only one that seems to have been noticed. You never told me you knew Perry White."

"Oh. Yeah, I met him several years ago. He was a little down on his luck."

"Really? I find that hard to believe. He's the most decorated journalist of our time. He won the Kerth every year for nearly a decade, and won a Pulitzer several times along the way. I'm glad that he is going to be my boss. And yours, apparently."

Clark tried to frown, but just couldn't manage with Lois looking down at him like that. "I don't think I'm reporter material, Lois. I don't write. I fly."

"You underestimate yourself, Clark. I think you'll do great."

"I'm not so sure."

"Well think about it this way. You'll be working with me all day long, and I'm pregnant. I've heard that a pregnancy can make a woman pretty horny."

A beat.

"So when do we start again?"

Lois laughed and leaned down and kissed him, and it soon became apparent that that was not all she wanted. Had those pregnancy hormones kicked in already? He smiled as he spun her over. He could definitely get used to this.