Note: Thanks for all your reviews! Hope you all had a nice Christmas (For those of you who celebrate it. For others, happy holidays!) Sorry if I took a long time to get this chap out. Anywayz, hope you like it. The next one will have more clana in it.

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Metropolis: The Daily Planet: Lois Lane's cubicle/office

4:23 P.M.

Friday, June 11th

"…and no one will comment on the fire! I mean, it's been a week and still no comment! I can't believe this…Perry will have a stroke when catches wind that there will be no story on his desk by six! What the hell am I gonna do?"

Lois Lane sat crossed legged on her desk ranting on about her latest deadline. Clark Kent, her coffee boy and her personal stress ball, was busy trying to drum out her crazy rants; which was proving harder than he had originally thought.

The aftermath of Sunday night was easy enough. Clark and Lana had decided to return back to Smallville where life was simpler (except for the meteor freaks). Chloe had heard of the night's events from Lois and had called them around five o'clock in the morning. The only information she managed to interpret from Clark's grunts over the phone was that Lana was fine and he was breathing. An hour later, Martha Kent had come pounding up the stairs and into their apartment. To her surprise, she found her supposed-virgin son in bed with his girlfriend, both sound asleep. After swearing that nothing had happened, Clark quickly gave her a brief summary of what their evening had composed of. He failed to mention that he and Lana were engaged.

Which brought the idea of throwing a party onto Lana's lap. She had convinced Clark that a small gathering of friends and family wouldn't hurt to announce their engagement. On a Tuesday morning, Clark would have completely agreed with her. But, on a Friday afternoon, after receiving a phone call from her that she had invited her aunt and step-uncle, he downright disagreed.

"Kent, are you listening to anything I'm saying?" Lois' asked, annoyed that he had tuned her out.

"Sure, Lois," Clark replied dryly, which earned him a disapproving stare.

"Look, Clark," Lois began, but stopped when Clark raised his eyebrows. "What?"

"You called me Clark."

Lois blinked before stating, "Well, duh, that's your name."

"Well you don't call me by it," Clark defended. "You want something."

Lois gave a loud laugh. "Me? Want something from you?"

But her expression gave it away. "Let me guess…" Clark smiled triumphantly. "An interview, right? To replace your story that was originally due last Monday morning."

Lois sighed and jumped off her desk with a clink from her heels. "You're the only thing I got right now. I'm thinking of an almost-tragic-love story. Maybe it'll grab suckers like you."

It was Clark's turn to frown and roll his eyes. "For the last time, Lois, no." Lois had been pestering him all week for a cover-up story. She had even tried to get Lana to do it.

"Look, Kent, Perry's gonna kick my ass if I don't have something on his desk by six. You're the only something I have."

Clark sighed and shook his head firmly. If she hadn't treated him like dirt for the past week, he would've felt sorry for her.

"Kent! Get in here; your wife's on the phone again!" Perry White stuck his head outside the office with a cordless phone in his hand.

Clark sighed. "She's not my wife!" He announced to the whole floor.

"Not yet, anyway," Lois added that brought giggles to the women close enough to hear her. Clark sent her a death stare as he jogged away.

Lois gave an exhausted sigh as she sat down at her desk and opened her writing application on her computer. What's this? She wondered as her cursor trailed over her recent documents. The document that she hadn't remembered ever creating was titled Innocent Flames or Illicit Flame? Her curiosity peaked when she noticed that the last time it had been opened was last night at 7:52. Who had been at the office that late at night and why were they using her computer?

Apparently, the phrase 'curiosity killed the cat' had no effect on her as she proceeded to open the file. To her amazement, the article was written by Clark Kent.

"Clark?" Lois muttered in disbelief. Her trained eyes scanned through the article. Illicit drugs…Lex Luthor…source from Chloe Sullivan, Lois' head swum with those thoughts. So, my cousin and Kent are planning to unhand me, are they?

Upon hearing approaching footsteps, Lois quickly minimized the article.

"Lana just called to ask if you wanted to come to the party," Clark said rather grumpily.

Flashback to five minutes earlier

"Lana?" Clark brought the phone to his right ear and ducked into a deserted hallway.

"Honey? Sorry to bother you at work again…I was trying to call you on your cell, but you didn't pick up," Clark noticed she sounded breathless, like she had been running around all day.

"Yeah, my batteries are dead," Clark explained. "Lana, are you okay? You sound sort of…tired."

Clark heard her breathe in and then out. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

Clark smiled. He could imagine her right now, running around the Talon and making sure every little thing was in order. "Then why do I hear my mom in the background telling you to relax?" Clark kept a laugh in, knowing he had her. When he heard the scrap of a chair being moved and Lana sighing, he let out a chuckle.

"I'm just sorta stressed out about this party…It's been a while since I've thrown one…."

Clark smiled, remembering that the last party she had thrown was his birthday party in their junior year at Metropolis U. He had to admit, it was a long time ago, but she had thrown one heck of a party. She had even managed to book strippers for his football buddies; though she had made sure they were no where near Clark.

"Don't worry, Lana," Clark tried to calm her nerves. "The last party you threw for me was great."

Clark grinned when he heard giggles over the phone. "That's because you were too busy playing with your present," Lana replied grinning too.

"Hell yeah I was." Clark laughed, remembering walking into his dorm room and finding Lana Lang in nothing but sheer black panties and a bra. He had barely contained himself from giving a shout of excitement when she patted the bed underneath her. Although they didn't go all the way, Clark was glad to say he gained some experience from that night.

"Clark, I think we're veering off subject now," Lana laughed. "Besides, I don't want you to have a hard-on when you return back to work."

"I think I already have one…." Clark said cheekily.

"Poor baby…you'll have to take a cold shower."

"Are you gonna be joining me?"

"Haha…don't push your luck, Clark."

Clark chuckled. "So, did I manage to de-stress you?"

"I think you have…." Clark could envision her smiling and her nose crinkling up.

"Kent, I thought you said you two weren't married! Let's wrap it up here! What, does she need you to drop by Walmart and pick up some condoms or something?" Perry White busted Clark's tranquil thoughts of his wife-to-be.

"Umm…I have to go, Lana." Clark said hurriedly, not wanting to get fired.

"Okay. Ask Lois if she wants to come," Lana said, dropping the reason she called.

"Lois?" Clark repeated in disbelief. "Why?"

From the impatient click of her tongue that Clark heard over the phone, he knew Lana was getting agitated. "Just ask her, okay? I have to go help your mom with the drinks."

With another click, Clark Kent was left gaping at the phone in his right hand.

End Flashback

"What?" Lois asked.

"Do you want to come to the party Lana and me are throwing?" Clark repeated through gritted teeth. He couldn't believe Lana had put him up to this. She knew Clark and Lois got along like water and oil. Just do this for her….Clark kept chanting in his head.

"Umm…tell her sorry, but I have to work late tonight. Although, I'd love for you to bring some of your mother's apple pie with you to work on Monday," Lois added as an afterthought.

"Sure, whatever," Clark said, though on the inside he was celebrating. "I'm getting off work now. See you on Monday, Lois."

"Bye, Smallville!" Lois called to his retreating back. She turned back to the computer and hit the print button. Looks like she was going to have a story by six after all.