A/N - I want to thank Sep for all her help bringing this story to life, without her this story would have never been. And I would like to welcome Sana, who has been an enormous help in forming the sequel. I have been having trouble finishing this story; I keep imagining things for the sequel instead of the ending of this story. Starting with this chapter Sana will be one of my Betas. For all my readers; I would like to apologize for the break in updates; I hope to finish this story very shortly. The sequel as of right now will be about a month in prep before it starts getting posted. I hope you like this installment, and once again I would like to apologize for the lack of updates for the past two weeks.
Crack The Bank!
I live for Operation: Piggy Bank!
Gunn
Chapter 14 (Part II)
After breakfast, Clark drove Lois to her apartment in the family truck and parked in the back of the Talon. They had ridden in a comfortable silence with Lois leaning on Clark's shoulder, enjoying this quiet time together. She reveled in his masculine country scent.
For his part, Clark was actively memorizing everything about Lois. Her clean and simple scent, the little brown streaks in her otherwise green eyes, the slow steady beat of her heart, and even the tempo of her breathing. He was acutely aware of his impending training and was trying to remember everything about Lois.
Clark had asked Lois to pack her possessions as he brought her larger items downstairs to the back door. Each time Clark would re-enter the room, Lois would look up and give him a sweet smile that would make his heart do flip-flops in his chest. He would then blow her a kiss followed by a huge smile. After several trips, all that as left were the small things Lois was packing, so Clark asked if there was any thing else he could do.
"Just sit here by me and talk to me," Lois replied, indicating the floor right next to her.
Clark settled down comfortably and watched as Lois continued to pack.
"Well Smallville, aren't you going to say something?" Lois looked over at him with a smile.
"I love you," Clark said almost speculatively, a bit unsure of what she expected him to say.
"Could you say that with any less conviction, Smallville" Lois replied mockingly. And then quickly added, "And on the subject of love, while it was incredibly sweet; I think you hated me when we first met."
Lois looked directly into Clark's eyes daring him to tell her she was wrong.
"No -- I never hated you. Don't you remember? I said that I felt a connection, a feeling of belonging. You even asked me once, what I considered myself," Clark said, recalling that day two years ago.
"You said 'you were an outsider.' I remember, but what does that have to do with this 'connection?'" Lois asked, intrigued. She rolled her eyes - never had she had met a man who wanted to tell her so much about himself and his feelings.
"That's right, now you know why I felt I never really fit in; I always had to lie. But, then you came into my life. Even as Kal-El you had some power over me; my mother had to tell me she could help me find the sign that I was waiting for to get me to co-operate with her. But, you …I followed you because it seemed right. Even later, after my mom freed me, there was a connection to you that I didn't want to admit. Lana even saw the connection, she thought that we had a relationship from the first time she saw us together." Clark admitted, having a hard time putting into words what was in his heart.
"So…Lana, huh, what did she say?" Lois asked her curiosity piqued
Clark laughed quietly then said "Lana said she had thought it would take longer for us to move on."
Lois laughed heartily, and then said, "You moved on, that's good."
She laughed some more before adding "You had to almost be knocked down and dragged out of that train wreck."
"I know. I just thought if I tried hard enough, I could make it work. I had imagined her and me together for so long, I didn't really see anyone else as an option." Clark replied quietly, fixing his gaze on a worn spot on the carpet, while avoiding Lois' inquisitive eyes.
Lois looked him over thoughtfully. "Okay, but I seem to remember a certain wife of yours, which made you forget all about Lana."
Clark sighed and glanced towards her, a look of pain in his eyes. "Lois, I'd rather not go there - I still miss her. She accepted me and made me feel whole in a way no one else had."
Lois held back a smile. She pretended to be offended, replying in a dejected tone, "So, apparently, I have competition for that heart of yours."
Clark's whole countenance changed, his eyes darted to hers. He let out a sigh when he saw the playful mirth dancing in their hazel depths. He shook his head. "You seem to derive some perverse pleasure from making me uncomfortable, Lois. Always with the little digs about me; but you know what, I wouldn't have it any other way. But to answer your question; no Lois, you alone have my heart. But I do love her. I also love Chloe and Lana, just as you would love anyone who's had a big impact on your life."
Clark leaned forward and grasped both of her hands in his own, still lost in her eyes. He spoke quietly from the depths of his heart. "You, Lois, I can't explain. Somehow when I'm with you, all is right with the world. I can't put into words the depth of the connection I feel for you. It's as if you hold the last piece of the puzzle that is my life. On some level, I think you feel it too."
Lois tugged on his hands and bringing his palms up to her lips, she kissed them gently. She nodded, too overcome with emotion to speak.
"When my parents asked why Alicia, I told them she made me feel special and normal at the same time. But you, Lois Lane, you make me feel loved and accepted. I finally accept that I'm not 'normal' and that's because of you. You've always accepted me as I am; when I screwed up, you let me know. You, Lois, are unique and I've always envied you."
Lois was startled by this last statement. "Envied me? Why? I'm nothing special. Hell, I didn't graduate high school, I got booted out of college, and I was happiest as a muffin peddler."
Clark laughed, released her hands and placed his on either cheek gently ensuring that they would be looking each other in the eye. They were gazing into each other's eyes when he said "Lois, you have such a strong character, your love of family and friends, and your willingness to dive right in to do what you think is right. These are all qualities to be envied. I've been drawing strength from you for a while now. I've always wanted to be normal. While I'm anything but normal, you on the other hand accept who you are and make the most of that. So I'll be taking a page from your book and will try to accept myself for who I am."
"Well, Smallville, that's what I'm here for – to teach you how to be a better person. I'm all about helping other people better themselves." Lois winked at him. "It keeps from having to focus on my own faults."
Clark laughed. "Lois Lane? Faults? Never – you're perfect the way you are."
Lois smiled at that, but then suddenly became more somber. "Clark, honestly, you're my best friend. Until I met you, I never had a best friend – other than Chloe, of course. Truthfully, I never even had a friend."
"Well you have me, now and forever. I'm proud to call you a friend and overwhelmed that you honor me by being my girlfriend." Clark said earnestly.
Lois pulled Clark into a tight embrace and whispered in his ear "And you have me, now and always."
Clark held her for a moment and kissed the top of her head, pulling back slightly. "You know, Lois, this is odd for me. I've always been alone. I have my parents, but no one really knows what it's like to be me." Clark said quietly.
"Tell me, please." Lois took his hand and squeezed gently. She put their intertwined hands on his cheek and repeated, "Please tell me."
Clark pulled her hand to his mouth and kissed each of her fingers. "My abilities are normal for me. It's not like I decide to go super speed, I have to decide not to. It's like that time you had your memory repo –I love your colorful descriptions, by the way." Clark added and shot her a grin before continuing. "Anyway, Chloe brought me to the farm and I tried to open the door and ripped it off its hinges because I didn't consciously pull on the door with a slight tug. I do it almost subconsciously now, but if I lost that control …."
"Clark," Lois interrupted, "I know, it must be so hard. And I can't promise I'll ever know exactly what you're going through, but I can tell you this – I'll always be here for you, no matter what." She lovingly stroked the side of his face and smiled. "I'll always be here to kick your butt and make sure you never lose control – I'll try to understand any way I can."
"I know, Lois, and I couldn't ask for anything more than that." Clark's throat tightened with love for the woman in front of him.
After opening the Talon for the day, Lois went up to her apartment to finish packing everything with Clark's help. They brought the rest of her belongings down; Lois spoke to the girls working the counter, while Clark loaded the truck. Lois joined him in the truck after a few minutes and after a quick kiss they headed back to the farm.
Martha had lunch ready when they drove up. As they ate, Martha asked what plans they had for the rest of the day. They said they had no plans other than to move Lois into her room. Martha asked if they could spend some time together later that evening and they all agreed that it would be just the three of them for dinner so they could do whatever she wanted afterward.
After lunch, Lois directed Clark on what to move into the room Quite surprisingly, she became incredibly upset when she found that all of Clark's flannel shirts had been moved to the loft. Martha explained that's where they were storing everything they didn't move into her room. and what of Clark's she didn't need. Clark laughed when he saw Lois bringing the flannel back to the room.
"I thought you hated all my flannel," he pointed out, with a grin.
"I need something to remind me of you while …" Lois started but, couldn't finish. She had promised herself, she would be strong until it was time for him to leave.
Clark noticed the change in her attitude and timber of her voice; he sped to her side and held her. Tenderly he said "I'm really sorry, I was just kidding around. You're welcome to anything of mine. I know … I'll miss you, too."
They stood and held each other for a couple more minutes.
They spent the rest of the afternoon telling each other stories of their past. Clark told her about the first time he got each of his abilities. Lois told him about all the different places she had lived. He told her about his adventures. She told him about her mother. Each traded stories, laughs, and tears; trying to forget about their impending separation. The day passed quickly, before they knew it Martha was calling them in for dinner.
Martha had made all Clark's favorites; dinner passed amiably, everyone keenly aware that this was one of the last times they would have to themselves. Conversation was light and jovial as they ate. After they finished dinner, they sat down in the living room and spoke of Clark's childhood once again. Martha told them of her memories of Clark's early years, she also told them of Jonathan and her fears and hopes for Clark. After a couple hours, Martha bid them goodnight and went to get ready for bed.
Neither wanted to sleep, each wanted to be with the other for as long as possible, so they sat on the porch and basked in each other's presence. After a short while, Clark rose and offered his hand to Lois.
"I believe I owe you a dance." Clark said as Lois stood, leading her away from the porch.
Lois laughed quietly remembering that night, the night of his prom.
"I thought that was Lana's dance," she replied playfully.
Clark looked her in the eyes as they stopped in the drive and replied wistfully, "A mistake I hope to rectify, with your permission."
Clark bowed deeply with a flourish of his right arm as he asked, "Miss Lane, would you care to dance?"
Lois giggled at the juxtaposition of the formality of his request and his casual attire, but she quieted and answered in an equally formal tone, "I would be delighted to Mr. Kent."
Clark rose and positioned himself correctly and started a slow waltz.
Lois, while impressed, playfully rebuked, "Smallville, this would be easier with music."
Clark responded in an earnest tone as he dipped her, "Lois, my heart sings when you're around. I don't need any other music than the rhythm of my heart."
Clark changed styles without a missing a beat, slowly increasing the tempo.
Lois was truly amazed as they began a very flirtatious rumba; she had rarely ever seen Clark so confident. She was barely keeping up with him as he spun her and had her all but touching the ground in the resulting dip.
As he brought her back to the starting position, Lois closed the slight gap and kissed him; then said breathlessly, "That was amazing Smallville, where did you learn that?"
Clark replied earnestly "Mom taught me. I never really danced like that though; I usually did one dance at a time. You just inspire me, Lois. Let's try something else." Clark wrapped both his arms around her.
"Put your feet on mine, like during a father daughter dance." Clark instructed, as he held her tightly. He began rising, taking her with him as they swayed gently in mid-air. Lois looked around at the clear, starry night. "You know, just when I think I know everything there is to know about you, you take my breath away with something new."
Clark responded before he took her lips with his own "Good, because that's exactly how I feel every single time I see you."
Martha looked out to see them dancing framed by the moon. She quietly closed the door, remembering what is was like to be so young and in love; she only wished that Jonathan could see them now. Suddenly, a warmth spread through her, and then she knew in her heart – he did see them. And he was happy.