Disclaimer: I don't own Superman.

I like this chapter, it's a nice mix of romantic and funny. Currently, Lois is confused and wondering if she's right about Clark being Superman. Clark has a kind of love/hate relationship with Bruce, it's confusing, but they're actually great friends. I think, though, that they'd be a little possesive about their skills and territories, so it's a good friendship with them.

"Are you finished packing those bags, Lois?" called Clark, his suitcase neatly filled and ready to go. Lois scowled and packed faster. She should probably add his super packing speed to her notepad, but now wasn't the time.

"Give me a goddamn second, will you?" she yelled, feeling a little resentful. It just wasn't fair! He shouldn't use his powers to help him pack. That was cheating.

"Do you need help, Lois?" he asked, edging through the partially open door. She glared at him over her shoulder.

"Kent, I'm not a little girl anymore, I think I can handle a bit of bag packing," she scoffed, packing faster to prove her point. He shrugged and left the room, and she zipped up her bag.

"I can't believe you get to have all the fun," pouted Lucy, holding Jason's hand. Lois laughed.

"Oh yeah, a week in Nowheresville with farm boy Kent…it's gonna be a blast," she said dryly, kissing the top of Jason's head, her tone immediately changing to the caring mother.

"Oh, baby, I'm going to miss you so much," she cooed, giving him a hug. Clark stepped over to hug Jason, too, and then they left.

"Okay, we're on flight twenty two," said Lois, checking the schedule, "Now, if only we could find it…"

Clark scanned the airport briefly, checking signs. Trying to make it more understated, he picked up a map of the airport.

"Uh, I think we keep going straight and then make a right," he said, pointing it out on the map. Lois frowned, and then made a mental note to add this to the list.

The plane trip was fairly boring. Lois insisted on the window seat, of course. Clark listened in on any important emergencies, but either found none or the police covered them. He hated flying in airplanes, they hampered his ability to be anywhere at anytime to get to an emergency. Suddenly, he heard a faint noise, just loud enough for him to be alarmed. Something was wrong.

"Lois…I have to go to the bathroom," he stuttered, glancing at his female friend. She was fast asleep, curled into a ball against the window. He got up and went to the bathroom, locking the door.

Quickly, Clark scanned the airplane. Sure enough, the engines were slowing. The plane was losing power, and would start to fall any second. He heard the alarm go off in the control room, and heard the oxygen masks drop. He also heard the flight attendants telling the passengers not to panic, and to buckle themselves in.

Clark cursed at the plane. He started thinking fast when he felt the plane begin to lower in altitude. Suddenly, a completely obvious and ingenious idea struck him, and he levitated a few inches to put his hands on the ceiling of the bathroom.

Flying upward, he felt the metal strain, but it didn't crumble. He heard the shock and surprise of the pilots, and heard his name mentioned several times. He kept the pressure on the back of the plane to keep it aloft, and scanned the ground under them to find the airport. Once found, he released the plane and let it drop, with the pilots steering them to safety. The passengers applauded their unseen hero, and Clark stumbled out of the stall.

He flopped down next to Lois, who stirred and blinked, sitting up to stretch. She yawned and looked around.

"Mmm…how was the flight, Smallville?"

"Oh, you know…boring as usual…"

Smallville looked exactly like when he left. The airport was small, and the people were few and far between. He looked around excitedly, seeing familiar faces everywhere he went. Smallville was named for a reason. He even saw Lana Lang, and talked to her while Lois meandered around the gift shop.

Of course, Martha had moved to live with her new husband, Ben, but Clark had refused to let her sell the farm. Instead, she gave it to him, though he had no idea what to do with it. He decided to rent it to the Lawtons, a young couple with two small children. Currently, though, they were visiting relatives in Canada, so the house was empty.

Lois stepped out of the taxi, breathing in the fresh country air. It was a little dusty, but better than in Metropolis. Clark seemed happy to be here, and enthusiastic to show her everything. He led her into the small but cozy house.

"It's not much, but it's where I grew up," he admitted, showing her to her room. She smiled at him affectionately.

"It's lovely, Smallville," she said, setting her suitcase on the bed. She stayed in the guest room, while Clark was staying in his parents' room.

Suddenly, a call for help echoed into Clark's mind. He groaned. No, not now! Why did people seem to need him when he was most busy? He tried to think up an excuse.

"Ah, Lois, I'm going to go down to the grocery store and pick some supplies up for dinner. Feel free to take a look around," he said, exiting the room. Lois nodded and smiled, having a plan of her own.

Lois wandered around the house, her detective side flashing up. She checked under couches, in drawers, behind bookshelves, for anything suspicious or Superman-related. Of course, nothing came up.

She softly opened the door to Clark's old room. It was bare, the picture of a young teen's room right after he leaves for college. She felt a twinge of envy. When she left for college, her parents had remodeled her room into an entertainment center, with a TV and stereo and paintings…but Clark's parents hadn't changed a thing. Did they really miss him that much?

She didn't have much time. The store was ten minutes away, and Clark would make sure to come back at the appropriate time…if he really was Superman. Lois shook her head briefly. Was this curiosity or obsession? It was hard to tell anymore. She heard Clark walking up the wooden steps, and fled, leaping onto the bed as she heard the door open.

Clark froze, one hand on the doorknob, hearing noise. He scanned the house, finding Lois sitting casually on the bed. Something was wrong, though; her heart rate was far above average, and she was breathing heavily, as if she had been running. Clark's eyes narrowed; was she catching on? Well, good, then; it was about time. Now, how quickly would she find out?

He walked up the stairs, making as much noise as possible, even bumping into the wall for effect. He smiled his goofy grin when he saw Lois, though it wasn't forced; he was always happy to see Lois.

"Do you want to check out the stables?" he asked, and she smiled her charming, toothy grin.

"Why, sure, Clark," she said, sighing. Maybe she was just being paranoid. After all, she had no real proof that he was Superman.

The barn smelled softly of fur and manure. She used to ride horses, but that was a long time ago. Clark led her to the stalls, and she hesitated.

"This is my old horse, Duke," he said, setting his hand on the gate. She peeked around him and eyed the large brown horse carefully. He looked reasonably harmless, so she stepped forward. She bravely reached out a hand to stroke his neck, enjoying the firm feeling of living flesh under her fingertips.

Rather nervously, Clark brushed his hand against hers, hoping against all odds that she wouldn't be disturbed or, worse, disgusted. Quite the contrary, she smiled at him and took his hand in hers, leaning against his shoulder. Suddenly, he noticed the growing darkness.

"Oh, Lois, come outside," he said excitedly, taking her hand and practically dragging her behind him. She gasped, trying to keep up. For a clumsy, bumbling businessman, he could move damn fast! Unless he was Superman…

Lois winced and scolded herself. He wasn't, couldn't be, Superman. Suddenly, and without warning, Clark stopped, and she bumped into him.

"Ouch, geez, Kent, couldn't you have warned me or something? I should sue you for manhandling me, Smallville," she snapped, but she lost all of her ability to speak when she looked up. There, unhindered by the city lights or the tall buildings, the magnificent sun was setting, casting a fabulous display of purples, pinks, and gold across the sky. Her breath was swept away at the sight, and she fully understood Clark's love for the country right then. It was definitely worth the trip.

So, what do you think? I like this chapter, and feel free to leave comments...the feedback from the last chapter was great! I was really surprised...but I hate reading too many fanfics that rotate around the plot and don't leave room for Lois and Clark, so I leave plenty of room for them in my story! Please review!