A/N: I can't believe it's been so long since I updated. Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed and thanks for your patience. Here's the last chapter, finally! lol Hope you enjoy it. The epilogue will be posted in a few days.

Chapter 37

It was still early morning when they left their apartment in Metropolis. The sky was clear and the sun was shining. Lois snuggled against Clark's chest. She had her arms wrapped around his neck, savoring the warm breeze hitting her face and blowing in her hair. She was staring at their surroundings, still amazed at how everything seemed to move in slow motion around them. It was an incredible sensation. One that she would never get tired of.

"Can you go faster?"

"Sure," he acquiesced, instantly increasing his speed.

Everything turned into a blur, the adrenaline causing her pulse to accelerate.

"Whoa!"

"You like that?"

"I love it! It's so much fun. Better than a roller coaster ride!"

Clark smiled at her enthusiasm.

"You can ride me anytime, Lois," he teased.

She arched an eyebrow, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Are you flirting with me?"

"You bet I am."

"I love this playful side of yours."

To show her appreciation, Lois licked his earlobe and dipped her tongue into his ear. Her actions sent a jolt of electricity throughout his body. He groaned.

"You better stop. Or I might accidentally smash into a tree."

"Fine, I will. For now," she added with a wicked grin.

A few minutes later, he slowed down and stopped running, gently putting Lois back on her feet. The wind had made her eyes watery. She blinked a few times, looked at the familiar yellow house in front of them and turned to him, perplexed.

"Smallville! You tell me to dress up for the North Pole and you bring me to the farm? What's up with that?"

"There's something I need to pick up in my loft."

"A coat?"

"No, I don't need one. My body isn't sensitive to extreme temperatures."

"Aren't you lucky. Well, since we're already here, why don't we go say hello to your mom and have breakfast with her? May I remind you that I didn't have my coffee yet? Besides, I never pass on the opportunity to eat her cooking."

He could only agree. Martha was enchanted to see the young couple and welcomed them with open arms, even if their visit was unexpected.

"Why are you carrying your winter coat, Lois?" she asked, intrigued.

"Because Clark is taking me to see Santa."

Her answer made Martha smile.

"I'm glad you're finally going to meet Jor-El."

"Is that Santa's real name? Is he an alien too? I should've guessed. The red nosed reindeer was a big hint. Not to mention the flying around the world in a sleigh…"

Both mother and son laughed.

"Seriously, I need coffee."

"Coming right up, sweetie."

Martha happily prepared her famous blueberry pancakes, ones of Clark's favorites. After they finished their meal, he left the two women talking in the kitchen and went to his loft.

"I'll be right back."

There was a sudden gust of wind and Clark was standing in front of them again, holding a small wooden box. Martha, knowing the content, smiled approvingly to her son.

"You made the right choice, honey," she whispered, hugging him.

"Thanks, mom."

"So, when am I gonna see what's inside Pandora's box?" Lois inquired, curious.

"Patience, my love. I wanna show you something else first."

"Patience isn't one of my strong suit."

"Like I don't know that!"

Lois jabbed Clark in the ribs with her elbow. A light chuckle escaped him. They said goodbye to Martha and left the house.

"Ready?"

She nodded.

"Air Kent, ready for take off!"

He scooped her up in his arms and super sped away. The next stop was the Kawatche caves. They stood outside the entrance, the only sound breaking the silence was birds chirping in the background.

"I remember this place. I haven't been here since Chloe, Lana and I were possessed by witches."

"Yeah, I remember that day too. Especially the sexy black little number you were wearing," he said with a toothy grin.

"You do, huh?"

"Very vividly. You should wear skirts more often, Lois. You have amazing legs…"

He gazed lustfully at them, clad in low cut jeans, his eyes slowly making their way up, pausing briefly on her breasts and finally stopping at her beautiful smiling face.

"…the rest isn't bad either."

She scanned his body from head to toe. He was wearing jeans too with a blue t-shirt that hugged his toned arms and abs like a second skin.

"I can say the same for you, Smallville."

Lois dropped her coat to the ground and inched closer to him with a mischievous look in her eyes that made him feel like he was a canary about to be devoured by a cat. She placed her hands on his broad shoulders and crashed her mouth on his, slipping her tongue between his parted lips to deepen the kiss.

Clark wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing his hard body against her soft form, moaning into her mouth as their tongues twirl around in a heated dance. He gripped her butt with his free hand, the other still holding the box. Her hands skimmed over his back and traveled to his front. He drew a ragged breath when she began stroking him through his pants.

"I know what you're trying to do," he warned in a husky voice.

"And what's that?"

As she was about to grab the box, he pulled it out of her reach and raised his arm over his head.

"Oh, come on! Let me see! Pleeeease…"

He shook his head with a smug smile.

"All in good time, Lois."

She pursed her lips and folded her arms across her chest.

"Alright, you win. But I'll get my revenge."

"I don't doubt it," he chuckled.

She picked up her coat and they entered the caves, taking a moment to let their eyes adjust to the contrast between the bright sunlight and the gloomy interior. Clark pointed the first pictogram to Lois.

"This one represents the story of Naman, a man who fell from the sky in a rain of fire. He had the strength of ten men and could shoot fire from his eyes. To the Kawatche people, he was a great hero."

Her eyes widened in stupefaction.

"It's you, isn't? You're Naman."

"I believe I am, yes."

"This is incredible, Clark!"

"Yeah."

He then showed her the next pictogram on the wall, a figure with two heads.

"This one represents Sageeth. He was like a brother to Naman but in the end, Sageeth turned to evil and they became bitter enemies."

There was no doubt in her mind as to who that was.

"Lex…"

"That would be the logical choice. Lex was my friend once. I still can't believe he's gonna marry Lana."

"I'm so sorry, Clark."

She squeezed his hand tightly in hers. He sighed deeply.

"Seems like it was written in the stars long before either one of us was born."

He stayed silent for a moment.

"Do you believe in destiny, Lois?"

"To some extent. Why?"

He walked a few steps further and showed her the last pictogram.

"This painting represents Naman's soul mate. Do you see the bracelet she's wearing?"

"Yes."

"My friend Kyla had one exactly like it. For awhile I thought she might've been my soul mate. But I was wrong. When she died, her grandfather gave me her bracelet and told me to give it to my soul mate. I want you to have it, Lois."

His words resonated in her mind, their meaning finally hitting her with full force. He thought of her as his soul mate! Her eyes glistened with tears.

"Oh, Clark…"

He opened the wooden box he was carrying, took out the jewel that was inside and handed it to Lois. It was a silver bracelet with a diamond shaped turquoise stone in the center.

"It's beautiful! Thank you."

"I'm glad you like it."

"I love it. And I love you, Smallville. My soul mate."

She cupped his cheek with her palm. He smiled and covered her hand with his, the love he felt for her shining in his eyes.

"I love you so much, Lois. Here, let me help you," he said tying the bracelet around her wrist.

As soon as he did it started to glow, as if it had somehow recognized its rightful owner. Lois stared at the bracelet with a little apprehension.

"What's happening?"

"I have no idea."

"Welcome, my child."

She frowned and turned around to see who was there. But they were alone in the caves.

"Did you hear that?"

"No, what?"

"A woman's voice."

"There's nobody here but us, Lois."

Was she hallucinating?

"I heard it as clearly as I can hear you. Do you think it's coming from the bracelet?"

That was the only logical explanation she could come up with.

"Could be."

He shrugged.

"Could also be that the sun hit you too hard on the head."

"Ha ha, very funny, Clarkie," she said punching him in the shoulder.

Lois noticed the bracelet wasn't glowing anymore. Did that meant the connection was broken?

"We can solve the mystery another time, Nancy Drew. Right now it's time for your surprise."

Clark took out an octagonal key, walked over to the podium and slid it into its opening. He wrapped his arm around Lois' waist and pulled her closer to him. A bright light engulfed them and an instant later they were transported to the Artic.

"Holy crap! We're definitely not in Kansas anymore!" she exclaimed, her eyes growing wide as saucers.

"No we're not, Dorothy," he replied jokingly, which earned him another punch in the shoulder.

"Quit with the nicknames, that's my thing. What is this place?"

"It's called the Fortress of Solitude."

"Isn't that what you call your loft?"

"This is the real one. It's a library of Kryptonian knowledge."

"It's beautiful," she said in awe, admiring the white crystals that were surrounding them. "It looks like an ice palace."

As soon as she pronounced those words, she noticed the change in the temperature. It was freezing. The cold air enveloped her, making her shiver.

"Now would be a good time to put on your coat, Lois."

"Gee, you think? You weren't kidding when you said I would need one."

"Nope. That's why you should always listen to me."

She glared at him while shoving her hands into her coat pockets, regretting not to have brought a pair of gloves like he advised her to.

"Don't push it, Smallville. Or I just might have to kick your hot alien butt."

He chuckled.

"Your lips are turning blue. Here, let me warm you up."

He wrapped his arms around her back, pulling her into a tight embrace. She sighed in delight, the warmth of his body immediately conveying to her own. She rested her head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat. She felt safe. He placed a finger under her chin and lifted her head to make her look at him, staring into her beautiful hazel eyes. Then he leaned in and kissed her tenderly, warming up her lips and her heart simultaneously.

"Hello, Kal-El."

The disincarnated voice startled the young couple and they pulled apart, a little breathless.

"Hello, father."

"You have brought a human with you."

"Yes. I wanted to show the fortress to the woman I love. Her name is…"

"Lois Lane."

"This is a computer generated version of my biological father, Jor-El," Clark explained when he saw the shocked expression on her face.

"How the hell does he know my name?" she asked, incredulous. "Can he read minds or something?"

"I do not possess that power. But I have known about you for a long time and I have been waiting for my son to bring you here."

"You've known about me? How?"

"Your destiny is closely intertwined with Kal-El's, as you are his soul mate. The bracelet you are wearing is proof of that."

Lois looked down at the antique jewel on her wrist and then glanced at Clark.

"He can see us?"

"I cannot see you."

"Then how…," she began, frowning.

"But I can sense the energy emitting from the bracelet."

"Holy crap!"

"I know this is probably overwhelming, Lois."

"You mean more than the fact that you're an alien?"

"I prefer the term intergalactic traveler."

"Same thing," she retorted, rolling her eyes.

"The day will come soon where you will have to complete your training, my son."

"I know, father. And this time I promise I'll happily oblige."

"It pleases me to hear that, Kal-El. Your destiny awaits. Lois Lane, take good care of my son, as he's your planet's protector."

"Don't worry, Smallville's in excellent hands," she winked at her companion. "I mean… Kal-El."

"Please don't call me that, Lois."

"Why not? I think Kal is a pretty cool name."

His shoulders slumped.

"Kal was the alias I took when I went into exile for three months in Metropolis. I was under the influence of Red Kryptonite, which is like a drug that strips off all inhibitions and I used my powers to steal money and commit crimes," he revealed shamefully.

She gazed at him, shaking her head in disbelief.

"You took drugs…?"

"It's not what you think."

"…and committed crimes? Plural? No way!"

"I'm not proud of it, Lois."

"I can imagine."

"I wish I could go back in time and prevent it from happening but last time I did that, something horrible happened."

Lois stared at him, mouth agape. She thought he couldn't surprise her anymore, but boy was she wrong.

"Are you telling me you actually went back in time? How is that even possible?"

"It's a long story."

"Come on, spill it."

He took a deep breath.

"The day of the election, I invited Lana and took her to the fortress. I showed her my powers and asked her to marry me. She said yes."

The hurt he saw in Lois' eyes was like a dagger through his heart but he couldn't lie to her.

"I'm sorry. I know this is hard for you."

She waved her hand dismissively.

"It's OK, Clark. Continue, please."

"The night my dad won his election, Lana called and told me she went to see Lex at the mansion. He was drunk and depressed about losing the election. He noticed her engagement ring and realized she knew about my secret. He threw a fit, scaring her. Lana left and sped away in her car but Lex chased after her. She was distracted and driving too fast. She had a fatal accident."

"Oh my God!"

"I was desperate to save her so I came to the fortress and pleaded with Jor-El to fix it. He gave me a crystal that could reset the day back to the beginning. He warned me that fate can't be stopped, but I didn't listen."

He ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

"Next thing I know, I'm back in my loft again, waiting for Lana. But this time, when she asked me why I invited her, I couldn't tell her. She realized I was hiding something from her and broke up with me. I brought her back but I lost her anyway."

Clark started pacing back and forth.

"I went to Metropolis and told Chloe everything. She promised to keep an eye on Lana for me. That night, the election party played out a little differently. I came up to your apartment and found you unconscious on the floor."

Lois remembered her trip to the hospital.

"Lana still went to see Lex. The same thing happened, only this time I was able to stop the bus before it hit her car. She was shaken, but alive and well. I saw Lex consoling her about our breakup. Meanwhile, my dad had a secret meeting with Lionel at the farm. They had a fight and the stress caused my dad to have a heart attack. He collapsed on the ground and died in my mom's arms…"

His voice broke.

"Just like Jor-El predicted, fate had taken its course. I sacrificed my dad to save Lana and look how it turned out. I feel so guilty, Lois. My dad died because of me. It's my fault if my mom is alone now."

"No. You gotta stop thinking like that, Clark. Your dad had serious heart problems. His time left with us was limited. It's sad, but soon or later he would have died anyway. And there's nothing you could have done to change that."

He managed to smile.

"You're right. Thanks."

"For what?"

"For always knowing exactly what to say to make me feel better."

"It's one of my many talents," she replied with a smirk. "And here's another."

Cupping his face with her hands, Lois lifted herself on the tip of her toes and pressed her lips on his, pulling him into a searing kiss.

"What is that training Jor-El was talking about earlier? You wanna be in the Olympics?" she asked teasingly a moment later. "That would be a bit unfair to the other athletes, don't cha think?"

"It's not for the Olympics, Lois."

"Care to enlighten me, then?"

"It's to learn more about my powers and my home planet. But also learn how to fly, like I did when I was Kal. I wanna fly with you, Lois."

"Well if it's half as fun as super speeding is, I can't wait till you master it and take me to Hawaii!"

"I would love that."

"I have to say that staying in a tropical paradise and drinking pina colada on the beach is a lot more appealing than staying in this oversized igloo where I'm freezing my butt off."

"I know a pleasurable way to warm you up," he said in a suggestive tone, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Wait. Here? With your father eavesdropping on us? Kinky, but no thanks."

He chuckled.

"Don't worry, Lois. He's not gonna hear us."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I have something else to show you. And I have a feeling you're gonna like it."

Clark pushed a crystal in the console, revealing a hidden room.

"Well aren't you full of surprises, Smallville."

"These are going to be my sleeping quarters when I stay here to complete my training."

"If there's a fireplace in there with a polar bear rug, I'm gonna slap you."

"No such thing, I can assure you," he grinned, grabbing her hand.

She followed him into the room.

"So basically this place is kinda like your bachelor pad, except with your father watching over you at all times… in a none creepy sort of way, of course."

"You really know how to put things into perspectives, Lois."

Like the rest of the fortress, the bedroom was all white, with a king sized bed fitted for the last son of Krypton and the symbol of the house of El embroidered on the bedspread. There were no windows but crystals placed on the walls were used as lamps and provided enough light. The magical movement of the northern lights was captured on the ceiling, creating a soothing effect. It reminded Lois of the ice hotel in Sweden where she stayed once with her sister Lucy.

"I don't suppose you've got satellite TV, by any chance?"

"We can make our own entertainment."

"Oooh, I love the way you think! Just one thing, though. It's still five degrees below zero in here."

"Let me take care of that."

Using his heat vision, Clark turned one of the crystal flaming red and immediately the temperature in the room became warmer.

"That's a pretty neat trick, Smallville. But I wish you would've used it an hour ago, when I still could feel my fingers."

He responded by pushing her onto the large bed.

"That mattress is very comfy," she giggled.

"Too bad we're not gonna be using it for long."

Lois shot him an inquisitive look.

"Because I plan on making you float. For years and years to come…"

TBC