Hey, everyone! Sorry the intros of late have been quite short. So much is going home at the home of LS that we're spending all of our spare time plotting the upcoming finale. Don't worry, though. It's still about two months or so away. But we'll have a brand-new rollercoaster for you until then. We promised you Clois and Clois you will get, as well as the Richana returning to the fold shortly. We hope all of you are even half excited as we are!

I believe in love
Now who knows where or when
But it's comin' around again…

I know nothin' stays the same
But if you're willin' to play the game
It's comin' around again.

Carly Simon, Coming Around Again

When Martha stepped back from him, her eyes gleamed with unshed tears. For long moments she simply stood there, staring at Clark as if committing every detail of his face to her memory. Lana quietly made herself scarce.

"My son," Martha sighed. "Do you have any idea how much I love you, Clark?"

"Yes," he replied softly. "Yes, Ma, I know. At least, I think I do. Because…"

"Because of Lois' twins?" Martha asked, and Clark's eyes went wide. "Lana told me. I got to see them, briefly, and their mother, when they left S.T.A.R. Labs. Jason looks a lot like you did at that age, except your hair was as black as Kala's."

Clark blinked at her, startled. "I … I need to sit down." A few moments later he was seated on one end of the sofa, Martha at the other. When he'd marshaled his thoughts into some semblance of order, he asked in a low voice, "So … what did you think?"

"Of the kids?" Martha asked. "By all accounts they're amazing. I only saw them for a few seconds, but they seemed bright and well-behaved. A lot of children these days would've gone wild at the sight of that crowd, and all those cameras."

"Yeah, the twins are pretty well-behaved," Clark said. "And Lois?"

Martha pursed her lips slightly. "I'd like to meet the woman first, before I have anything to say about her," she replied, then her expression softened slightly. "She was completely focused on her twins when I saw her, though. That's certainly a mark in her favor."

That made Clark a little uneasy. It seemed as though the two women he loved best in the world might not be instant friends.

"Lois would move heaven and earth for those children," Lana said softly from the doorway. "Martha, I think you'll like her. She takes a bit of getting used to – she's sure not like anyone we know from Smallville – but I have the greatest respect for her."

"Lana, darling," Martha said with a smile. "I'll bet Clark is thirsty after flying around in this cold weather. Would you run downstairs and see if they have anymore coffee? We're out."

The redhead winced slightly, but accepted the dismissal. As the door closed behind her, Clark cleared his throat and said, "Ma, you just have to meet Lois. She's, well, she's incredible, to tell the truth. She's smart and strong and brave and funny … and she saved my life."

"She's also the woman you love," Martha said gently. "And the mother of your children."

It was still something of a shock to hear aloud. Clark glanced downward again. "Ma, I'm … I'm really surprised at how well you've taken, you know, all this." He made a looping gesture in the air that seemed to encompass all the things he couldn't quite name.

One silver brow arched up. "You mean the fact that I have two six-year-old grandchildren I've never met? And the other fact, that my son isn't married to their mother?" Clark began to blush as Martha crossed her arms and continued, "Clark, I can't say I'm absolutely thrilled about all of this. You've made some choices that, quite frankly, I thought your father and I hadn't raised you to even consider. "

"Ma," he whispered, unable to meet her eyes. "Ma, I didn't mean for everything to end up this way. I always intended to marry Lois…"

"But you didn't," she replied, and her voice was softer. "Clark, I'm not saying you set out to become an absentee father. Circumstances beyond your control intervened. But that's why we do things the way we do in Smallville. If you don't go to bed with the woman until you've married her, you don't have to worry about being surprised by a set of twins when you come back after breaking up with her six years ago."

Clark was blushing furiously, even the tips of his ears red. Ma was right, of course, but at the time everything had seemed different. Being with Lois had seemed the most natural idea in the world, and waiting – waiting even a day, when they finally had the truth between them – had seemed ludicrous. Surely, he'd thought, they would have plenty of time to discuss marriage and children. Neither he nor Lois had expected the world to fall apart, Zod and his cronies to invade and conquer, during their absence. Explaining all that to his mother, however, wasn't so easy, and Clark kept silent.

"The situation you're in now is the consequence of your own actions," Martha continued in the same mild, factual tone. "And yes, I'm disappointed in you. However…" Martha paused and caught Clark's chin, making him look up at her. "It doesn't mean I love you any less, Clark. You've made mistakes, but you're man enough to admit to them and to do your best to rectify them. You're still my son, my beloved boy – nothing could change that."

Those words brought a tentative smile to Clark's face, and Martha continued, "Nothing will change the way I'll treat your son and daughter, either. It's not the kids' fault." Then she sighed. "I only wish I could say the same about everyone back home."

That was another topic to which Clark hadn't given much thought. With the chaos of the past week, he'd barely had time to wonder how Ma would react to the twins. But his other friends and acquaintances in Smallville… What would they think, when they heard the news? "It's a lot to think about," he said, tugging at his collar nervously. "I mean, I'm still trying to figure things out between me and Lois. I hadn't even started to wonder how other people – besides you, of course – are going to react. People back home are going to have a lot of questions…"

Lana had just been coming back into the room with a couple of packets of coffee, and she snickered to overhear the last few words. "Oh, you'll start a river of gossip when folks back home find out about the twins." As she started the coffee brewing, she raised her voice to a mockery of breathless excitement and accentuated her Midwestern accent. "Clark Kent? That nice boy who went off to Metropolis? He did what? Ohh, wait 'til his ma hears about this." Lana dropped the imitation of their hometown gossips and added, "It's high time someone gave them something new to whisper about, anyway. They're still talking about me divorcing Don with no good reason."

Clark couldn't help chuckling; Lana had lightened his mood considerably. Martha, on the other hand, had narrowed her eyes at the redhead. "Well, Lana, I suppose you've had more time to get used to the notion of my son's children?"

"Martha, I've lived in Gotham, New York, and Milan," Lana said coolly. "The way people in Smallville like to stick their noses in everyone else's business is fairly laughable after you've been places like those. Now, yes, I was shocked when I first heard that those kids were Clark's. But we've both been hearing about them for a while now, haven't we? The possibility was first brought up to me – and not by Clark – around the time the twins were kidnapped."

"Yes, well," Martha began, but Lana didn't intend to be shrugged off.

"And to be honest, Lois is a city girl. Things are different in Metropolis. Relationships tend to move faster, and a lot of things that would shock people back home are just part of everyday life…" Lana trailed off. It had just occurred to her that the twins were around six years old. Not quite seven years ago, those other Kryptonians had tried taking over the planet, and Superman had been conspicuously absent… Well, I guess I can understand why he didn't wait, then. Suddenly aware of his own mortality and Lois right there as always… "Given the circumstances, everything that was happening back then, I think we can be a bit more understanding."

"It's not that I don't understand," Martha said. "The mother in me just wants to crow with delight that I finally have grandchildren, and by all accounts they're both precocious and adorable."

"So give Clark a break," Lana said. "He's got enough guilt for five men, he doesn't need you to tell him where he went wrong."

"Thank you, Lana, but I think I can handle this without your help," Martha said. "I do believe I know how to raise my own son."

"Martha, he left thirty in the dust a while back. If he's not grown up by now, he never will be." The quick retort left Lana's lips before she could censor it, and the redhead covered her mouth in surprise. Oh dear God, I've been spending too much time around Lois.

Clark could barely stifle a snort of laughter, and Martha swatted his shoulder. "Well, Lana, I can see why you're such a fan of Ms. Lane," she said archly, but a little traitorous smile lurked on her lips.

"And I really wish the two of you wouldn't talk about me like I'm not here," Clark said. "Or like I'm five years old and caught with my hand in the cookie jar."

"Like Jason and Kala rifling through people's coat pockets for sugar-free candy," Lana muttered under her breath.

"All right, enough," Martha sighed. "Children, it's late. This old lady needs her rest."

"You're not old," Lana and Clark chorused.

Martha reached over to touch her son's arm. "Clark, I love you. You know that. Whatever happens, whatever you decide to do, I'm always here for you."

"I know that, Ma," he replied. "Thank you."

Mother and son simply looked at each other for a long moment, then both leaned toward each other for a hug. "Good night, son," Martha said. "Take care."

"I will, Ma," he replied. "I've got a lot to do, and I'd better get started."

Martha hugged him as hard as she could, knowing she probably wouldn't see him for a day or two. But Clark suddenly winced, and Martha drew back in alarm. "Clark? Are you okay?"

He held one hand against his side, making a disagreeable face. "I guess this wound isn't totally healed up yet. I left it bandaged, and it hasn't bothered me much all day, but it's still a little tender…"

"Let me see," Martha said, a trace of motherly worry in her voice.

Clark obediently started unbuttoning his shirt. Both injuries had given him little pangs before, but the euphoria of flying with Lois and then the twins had masked the pain. Really, he felt lucky to be alive. A few twinges were a small price to pay for being stabbed and shot with the one substance that could kill him.

He wasn't wearing the suit underneath his clothes, having had to stop by his apartment to change out of uniform before coming to visit. So taking off the buttoned-down shirt and undershirt bared his chest, the perfection of it marred only by two large white bandages. "I'll be in the other room," Lana muttered, and Clark started to blush again. He'd forgotten she was even there.

Martha carefully pulled up the edge of the bandage on his side, and hissed with sympathy. The wound left by Luthor's kryptonite shiv was now a raised scar, slightly discolored. She touched it gently, and Clark flinched more because he expected it to hurt than because it actually did. "It seems to be healing well," Martha murmured. "The wound's closed, and there's no swelling, just a bit of bruising."

"Leave the bandage off, then," Clark told her. "It itches."

The bullet wound was worse; there had been more trauma to his flesh, and it was deeply bruised. But it was healing, too, and Martha sighed with relief that it wasn't any worse. "You'll be all right," she said with finality.

Clark put his clothes back on, the tips of his ears still a little red, and said, "Thanks, Ma. I'll see you tomorrow."

"I'll look forward to it." With one more kiss on the cheek, she let him leave. Lana stepped out of the kitchenette long enough to wave goodbye, smirking with amusement.

…

Ah, déjà vu. Barely a week ago, I was lying awake in this same bed, staring at the ceiling, so supremely uncomfortable that I couldn't sleep. And here I am again. Lois sighed, shifting a little. She and Richard had planned to let the twins sleep in the master bedroom with Lois, while Richard slept in the guestroom. But Jason and Kala had awakened while being put to bed, and sleepily insisted on having both parents nearby. So the two children occupied the center of the bed, sleeping deeply for the first time since their kidnapping, while the adults slept on either side of them. While Richard and the twins slept the sleep of the exhausted, Lois' restless mind had awakened early.

Being in bed with Richard – even with the twins as insulation – was distinctly awkward. At first, sheer exhaustion had let her sleep for a few hours, but now she found herself awake again, troublesome thoughts chasing each other around her mind.

For Lois, everything was in flux. She and Richard had officially broken up, but no one else knew it. And they were still presently living in the same house, a situation guaranteed to unnerve her. She worried about how their situation would ultimately be resolved; doing what was best for the twins was easy to say, but in practice they had many decisions to make. Who would keep the house? How would they arrange custody? How in the name of God were they going to be able to continue working for the same paper?

As soon as Lois firmly told herself to stop worrying about the difficulties she would face in breaking up with Richard, another fear popped up. She and Clark had many things to work out, too. She'd kept secrets from him and lied to him, and though Clark seemed to have forgiven her, Lois still felt guilty about it. He had done his share of damage to their relationship, as well, and though Lois had finally relinquished her anger, that didn't mean that she could simply turn around and give him her trust once again, as blindly and wholeheartedly as the first time.

Yes, we love each other, Lois thought. But we loved each other the first time, and look what a mess that turned into. This isn't some fairy tale where the hero and the damsel in distress declare their love on the last page, and the story ends with 'and then they all lived happily ever after'. Being with someone, trying to make a life and a family with them, isn't so easy. In real life, there's always more to the story past the flowery declarations of undying love. There are always complications.

Not least of which are my in-laws. Lois shivered just a little; Jor-El surely hadn't changed his mind about her. She couldn't begin to imagine how the hologram would react to the news that his precious son had gone back to the same human woman who'd tempted him from the path of greatness once before. Not to mention the illegitimate half-breed twins; Lois ground her teeth silently, promising herself that she'd put a bullet through the giant floating head if he said anything amiss about her children. It wouldn't hurt the hologram, but it would do a great deal for her feelings.

Then she remembered that Luthor had stolen the crystals. He'd been very anxious about a locked steel case on the helicopter, and Lois figured that the crystals were still in it. So maybe she would never have to deal with her father-in-law again. Wait, father-in-law? What the hell am I thinking? I sound like my sister, calling Ron's parents her in-laws by the third date. Good Lord.

Even if Jor-El was out of commission, though, she still had Mrs. Kent to worry about. Truth be told, Lois was more worried about her than anyone else. She knew all too well how much a mother cared for her children, and she'd seen how attached Clark was to his mother. Lois wasn't looking forward to being introduced to Ma Kent, the sweet little gray-haired Midwestern lady who'd raised Clark to such exacting moral standards… 'Good to meet you after all this time, Mom, I'm the woman who corrupted your son. Oh, and these are your out-of-wedlock grandkids. Surprise!' I'm sure she'll be thrilled. I mean, I just have to be exactly the kind of woman she wants for her son. Yeah, right – she probably hoped he'd marry someone like Lana Lang. Hell, what do I mean, like? He was stuck on Lana long before he knew I existed.

Lois' shoulders shook with silent, mocking laughter. I'm so screwed. I can't pretend to be anything like Lana. Mrs. Kent's going to hate me, most likely, just as much as Richard's mother did. I saw how much weight Jor-El's opinion carried with Kal-El, I'm not eager to see what happens when his mother gives him a piece of her mind about me.

She wrenched her mind out of that track, reminding herself that Kal-El wouldn't leave her this time – he had never completely given up on her, not even when he had left the planet in search of Krypton. Always, he had held her in his heart, and never loved another. And she had absolutely no intention of letting him go. The love between them was the one thing Lois could be sure of, besides the twins. Her only question was, would it be enough to overcome all the obstacles between them?

Not least of those is which man I'm going to be with. Clark or Superman? He and I and the twins know the truth, but the public doesn't. It would look very strange if Lois and Superman were to resume the relationship everyone assumed they'd had before, while Clark spent a great deal of time with the twins. Richard, at least, had assumed Clark was their father, and others in the pressroom might know or guess. Rumors flew through the Daily Planet building faster than a speeding bullet, and if Richard's suspicions had been overheard by even one person, half the staff would know by now. If he and Lois became a couple, the fact of the twins' parentage would surely be flung in Superman's face every time he met the press.

On the other hand, they couldn't allow anyone to even imagine that Jason and Kala were Superman's. Lois had battled that rumor since they were born, sacrificing her own reputation for her children's safety. Look what had happened when just one of Superman's enemies found out about them: Lex had nearly managed to kill the entire family. If the twins' heritage became common knowledge, every criminal in the world would try to use them against their father – assuming they weren't kidnapped and imprisoned in some top-secret lab somewhere.

Choosing Clark presented its own problems. Anyone who had known them years ago would have trouble believing in Lois and Clark as a couple. She was the ambitious, aggressive, too-hot-to-handle star reporter, and Clark was the resident nerd – although he was at least as good a reporter as Lois herself. The only real time anyone at the Planet had seen him really hold his own ground was when he was fighting for a story. They seemed comically mismatched, to say the least. Would anyone believe that he had managed to get her, when no one else in the office could even get a date? Except Richard, of course.

Furthermore, if they somehow managed to convince people that they really were together, people would taunt Clark with the supposed history between Lois and Superman. The rumor that the twins were actually half-Kryptonian might be brought up just to torment Clark, no matter how many times Lois snarled at people for not being able to count. And every time Lois covered a Superman story, the whispers would start again. He's his own competition all over again, Lois thought. No matter what we do, Kal-El's going to have a hard time of it. Only a scant handful of people know the truth, and the rest of the world will think him a homewrecker or a fool. Or both – one image problem per persona.

A last terrible possibility occurred to Lois then. If she chose Clark, the secret of his identity might be irrevocably compromised. Everyone would compare him to her ex, and perhaps more than a few would start to see the resemblance. The similarities of height and coloring were easy to ignore when you actually met Clark, but if he announced that he was the father of 'Superman's girlfriend's' twins, it would certainly cause speculation…

Lois heaved an aggravated sigh and sat up in bed. Enough of this. I'm screwing myself up to back down from this, the one thing I've wanted in my deepest heart for years. I never used to analyze things to death in the old days. I'd just charge in and make the best of what I had … which is how I wound up with amnesia and a mysterious pregnancy.

No, diving in headfirst doesn't exactly work for me anymore. But neither does worrying myself into knots. This time around I'll be intelligent and actually talk about these things with Kal-El. Before we jump right back into a relationship of any kind…

Firmly putting all of those speculations out of her mind, Lois got out of bed carefully. This is impossible. I'll just make myself sick trying to puzzle this all out alone. Wait until you can talk to Kal-El. We'll figure this out. Richard and the twins stayed asleep, the latter curled up together as if to be sure of the other's presence. Again, she caught herself gazing at the two of them, her heart aching. The two little lives that they had created hung in the balance on this one. There was more than just the two of them to consider this time. We'll figure it out, most of all for them.

Staying a moment more, the first rays of the sun starting to peek through the drapes, Lois finally turned and started downstairs to make a pot of coffee.

…

The next few days passed in a blur of activity for everyone involved. Clark stayed absent from work, and Richard told everyone he'd given him two weeks off. Superman was very visible around the city, helping to clear debris and rebuild. Feeling responsible for the destruction, he worked around the clock, taking only brief breaks to sleep. He wouldn't have done that if he hadn't brought Ma to his apartment; she insisted that he get some rest. The only thing he hadn't been able to do was see Lois and the twins, despite the fact that he had already started to miss them. After the way they had parted, he wasn't quite sure of the protocol. He decided to let her make the next move.

Richard called Lana the very next day, and she was delighted to hear from him. The day after that, however, she started to be very difficult to reach, and he wound up leaving messages on her voicemail or at the hotel more often than not. With Lois and Clark both off work, Richard had precious little time to himself anyway. He still missed Lana, even though he felt slightly guilty about it.

Lana herself avoided Richard as much as possible, precisely because she wanted to see him so badly. She kept in touch with Martha and Clark, though, and even got a call from Lois when the reporter managed to get her ruined cell phone replaced. Lana wound up being a go-between, relaying messages from Clark to Lois when the two of them were too uncertain to call each other. That amused her, but talking with Martha made her a little uncomfortable. Especially when she groused to the older woman about how she really needed to get everything packed and head off to Milan, she was supposed to be making a circuit of the major fashion markets, her personal assistant had been calling twice a day … and Martha simply looked at her, smiled, and asked why she was staying. Richard's roguish smile immediately popped into Lana's mind, and she changed the subject.

Lois tried to go back to work and was gently pressured into taking personal leave by Richard and Perry. Kal-El was busy with the city-wide clean-up and she didn't feel comfortable pulling him away from that, not to mention the fact that Lana had informed her that Mrs. Kent was now staying at his apartment. That had been reason enough to let things calm down more first, to let him contact her. Nevermind the fact that the separation had begun to tug at her. But she had nonetheless teased Lana about hiding from Richard, much to the redhead's surprise.

She and the twins spent a couple of days visiting with Ella and the Troupes; Lucy burst into tears on seeing them, having finally heard the truth about the danger they'd been in. Once everyone's tears had dried, Lois sent the twins outside to play with their cousins and sat Ella, Lucy, and Ron down at the big dining table to tell them that she and Richard were breaking up. "Amicably," she added quickly, seeing even Ron go pale.

"Are you serious?" Lucy said, wide-eyed.

"Of course," Lois groused. "Would I even mention it if I wasn't? Look, we've been having problems. And he's met someone else."

"That sorry sonofagun…" Lucy began, but Lois cut her off.

"And I approve," the reporter continued, making Lucy and Ron stare at her wide-eyed. "She's perfect for him, and I'm happy for them both." Lois didn't see the sly, knowing smile on her mother's face.

"Well … what about the twins?" Ron asked slowly. "And who's going to keep the house?"

Lois sighed heavily. "We're still figuring all of that out. You guys are pretty much the first to know."

"Do the twins know?" Lucy asked, glancing out the window.

"We're getting there," Lois said grimly. "They know something's up, but we want to finalize things before we try to explain it all. I'm thinking about taking them and getting out of town for a few days, and Richard will probably do the same later."

As for the twins themselves, they went back to school a couple of days later and were instantaneous celebrities. The story of how a bad guy kidnapped them and Mommy, only to have his plans ruined when Superman rescued them, was repeated throughout the school in tones of awe. Every time another child told them how cool they were for knowing Superman, Kala and Jason just shared a small, private smile. They were still having nightmares, but were sleeping in the big bed with Mommy most nights so she was right there to comfort them. Besides, in some weird way their newfound fame made up for the bad memories.

…

Maggie dropped by the riverside house two days after Superman left the hospital. She found Toby camped on Lois' doorstep, hoping for an interview, and had to chase the Star reporter off before going inside. Toby couldn't leave without calling over her shoulder, "You have to talk to someone, Lois, it might as well be someone who actually cares how you're represented in the press!"

Any further commentary on her part was forestalled by Maggie threatening to lock her out of their apartment. Lois just shrugged; she had expected as much. Her answering machine at work was already clogged with requests from other journalists, and at least Toby had asked how she and the twins were doing before fishing for a quote.

Once inside, Maggie gave her the good news right away. "You're cleared," she said. "Forensics proved that whoever shot Grant had stepped in Riley's blood, and we have video showing that you never did. There won't be any charges."

"Thank God," Lois sighed. "Now if only I could get my gun back from that rat bastard."

"Well, I guess I can help you out a bit there," the lieutenant said. "You know there's a ten-day waiting period on handgun purchases in the city, right?"

"Yes," Lois growled, "and I didn't dare go out and buy one while Officer Smith was trying to hang me for at least one murder."

Maggie grinned and unbuttoned her jacket. Her service pistol hung at her belt, as always, but she was carrying a second gun in a shoulder holster. Lois recognized the rosewood grip and her eyes brightened. "Now, this is the model 65, not the model 60 you had. A little heavier and a little bigger, but it has less recoil and fires six shots instead of five. I already had my gunsmith polish all the working surfaces and lighten the trigger pull for you."

She set the gun and holster on the table, and Lois just grinned. "Thanks, Maggie. This goes a long way toward making me feel better whenever I hear noises at night."

"You're welcome," Sawyer replied. "Just don't expect a Christmas present this year. Or next year, for that matter."

…

On an overcast afternoon three days after he'd left S.T.A.R. Labs, Clark stood in front of the hall mirror, straightening his tie and smoothing down his hair. He was so focused on making sure he looked his best that Martha's voice startled him badly. "Well, son, where are you going looking so very handsome?"

Clark whirled around, still not used to sharing his small apartment with his mother. Having dinner cooked for him every evening was a definite plus, but random maternal supervision was something he could do without. "I'm going out, Ma," he said.

"With whom?" she asked, silver brows rising.

"What makes you think I'm going with anyone?" Clark asked.

Martha just chuckled. "Clark. I love you, son. When did you call Lois?"

"Earlier this morning," he muttered. "We're going to dinner. I figured she ought to know… Well, there's a lot we need to talk about. Especially if I'm going…"

"And you want to see her," Martha said shrewdly. "Don't look so surprised, son. I've been in love enough to know it when I see it. Just don't forget, there's still her fiancé to consider."

"Not anymore," Clark said. "Lois told me this morning. The engagement's off; Richard ended it, not Lois."

"Well, now that's interesting," Martha said, but Clark didn't let her interrogate him further.

"I have to run, Ma. We're meeting in an hour, and I can't use any 'special' means of transportation to get there. Not in this suit, anyway." He straightened the lapels of his new black three-piece suit, silently praying that the city would take care of itself long enough for him to have an uninterrupted meal with Lois.

…

Lois was trying to hurry and get ready without admitting to herself that she cared quite so much about this dinner. I will not act like some idiotic high-school girl, dithering all over the place because her crush asked her out. I will not. I ought to be a little more calm about this – we have six-year-old twins, for the love of God!

In spite of what she kept telling herself, she was running late and panicking about it. She'd gone through her entire closet trying to find something to wear, something elegant but not overdone. Something that respected the occasion and the man she was meeting for dinner, but that didn't make her seem as if she'd put too much thought into the choice. The blouse and skirt she'd finally chosen now lay on the bed, and Lois was wearing only her bra and panties while she stood in the bathroom putting on her makeup. After all, Richard was at work and Ella had picked up the twins, so she had the house to herself.

So thinking, Lois put the final touches on her makeup and walked out into the bedroom, her mind firmly on getting dressed and out the door with enough time to make the dinner date…

A moment later, Richard just walked in the bedroom door and skidded to a halt. For one long second, Lois and Richard stared at each other in utter shock. Then he mumbled, "Sorry," as he turned to leave, and Lois retreated to the bathroom with a startled yelp.

She laughed nervously as she flung on a robe. Oh my God, what's wrong with me? When did I turn into a modest little ninny? "This is ridiculous. It's not as if you've never seen it before."

"Yeah," Richard replied, and his laugh sounded forced. "I was just coming in to get a different shirt. Olsen managed to spill coffee on me right before that stupid dinner with the investors." He paused, standing outside the open bedroom door while Lois picked up her outfit and retreated to the bathroom again. "So … you're going out?"

"Yes," she answered, dressing quickly and telling herself she was being an idiot. You slept with him for three years, Lane, why are you suddenly acting like this? Hell, you haven't been body-shy since you were a teenager. And there's not an inch of said body that he hasn't already seen. Get real!

Richard was silent for a long time, then he said quietly, "With Clark?"

"Yes," Lois replied in what she hoped was a nonchalant tone, unable to look at him as her heart clenched. Why did the softness of his voice have to make her feel so guilty? "Momma has the twins."

"I'll get them after the meeting," Richard said. "Lois … I was thinking about staying over at Perry's for a while."

She stopped in the act of putting her earrings in. Now she was the one who sounded hurt when she said, "Oh. I guess … I guess that means we have to talk to the twins first. I don't want to surprise them."

"Very little surprises Kala," Richard replied. "She hears everything whether she wants to or not, and Clark already said something to them."

"She understands, but not completely," Lois said, adjusting the blouse slightly. She came out of the bathroom looking very serious. "Richard, I don't think the kids have even imagined you moving out."

Richard raked his hand through his sandy hair, watching Lois hunt for her shoes with a slight smile. He didn't like it, but seeing her fidgeting around made him feel vindicated. At least he wasn't the only one who found this topic profoundly uncomfortable. "Well, that's something all three of us probably need to talk to them about. When he gets some free time, you know."

Lois slipped her heels on and glanced at the clock, wincing. Trying to stop feeling like her conscience was bleeding. She had never felt the urge to flee so badly. "Oh, crap. I'm gonna be late. Dammit. Richard, I'm sorry, I've got to get going…"

She'd been walking toward the door as she spoke, and Richard stepped to one side to let her pass. For an instant, it was almost like old times, brushing past each other casually on the way in or out of a room. For the last three years, Richard would have automatically taken the opportunity to steal a kiss, and for most of that time Lois would have already been tilting her face up to his in expectation.

Their eyes met for the first time since Richard came home that day, Lois' wide and wary, Richard's resigned and wistful. Lois' expression turned sadly apologetic as she placed her hand on his shoulder, neither of them knowing what to say.

Richard covered her hand with his and gave a little squeeze, forcing himself to smile. Lois looked up for a moment more, and then whispered, "Don't be noble for my sake. I know about her and it's okay. Call her, Richard. Forget about propriety and call her."

He laughed shortly. "I tried. She's not answering. Not returning calls, either. I guess she's not as interested as I thought she was."

Lois sighed, tilting her head as she shook it at him. "Richard. She's running because she's that interested."

"What?"

"Lana's been divorced once, and she's an old-fashioned girl. Plus, you two have known each other less than a month. She's scared. The only reason she came to Metropolis was to do a fashion show, and she went and fell in love with you. Not to mention nearly getting killed saving the twins – that wasn't on her day planner, either."

"Oh, nice to see you're comparing falling in love with almost getting killed," Richard replied with a touch of his usual sarcasm.

"Hey, it's two of the most terrifying things I know of," Lois said seriously. "All I want is for you to be happy, Richard. If she'll make you happy then I'm all for it."

"Well, I'm glad someone is," he said.

"She doesn't want to be a rebound, Richard," Lois told him gently. "I've known her long enough to know that. And she's probably never fallen head over heels this fast before. She knew her ex-husband for, what? Most of her life? Give the girl a chance to get her mind wrapped around it."

He nodded wearily, and said, "You'd better get going if you're already late. When should I tell the kids you'll be home?"

"Around eight, at the latest," Lois replied. "You think about what I said."

"Yes, General," Richard teased, and saluted her.

Lois grinned and touched his cheek before hurrying to leave. She waited until she was at the front door to call over her shoulder, "Smartass!"

And had the satisfaction of hearing Richard laugh.

…

Dinner was a strange event for both of them. Katrine's Ristorante specialized in upscale Italian cuisine, but most of the locals hadn't yet discovered it, so it was fairly easy for Clark to get a table where they could talk privately. Lois arrived only a few minutes late, finding Clark waiting for her. He had been early, of course. They shared a nervous chuckle over the fact that both of them had worn black – "Look, we're a matched set," Lois tried to joke anxiously.

They'd been out to dinner in the past, before Lois knew the whole truth, but she rarely thought of those as dates. It was Clark after all, her best friend, and half the time they'd been going someplace casual with Ron and Lucy after work. All of the coffee and donuts consumed at three AM while they chased a story together didn't count as dates, either – that was business.

This experience was something else entirely. Lois hadn't expected him to take her to the kind of restaurant that didn't print the price on the menu. For that matter, she had never imagined dinner with Clark to involve an unbearable level of sexual tension.

He was being himself, for one thing, not the clumsy and clueless person he was around the office. And the black suit fit him very well indeed, recalling the night of the Pulitzer ceremony to Lois' mind. As a matter of fact, he'd been wearing a black suit in that godawful suite in Niagara, too. The night she shot him and learned the truth … the night the twins were conceived. God, it seemed like everything reminded her of something in her past with this man these days.

Lois started to blush and glanced down, feeling even more like a fool when she realized she was wearing the ankle-strap heels. Their waiter saved them by arriving, and Lois ordered wine with her portobello chicken marsala. After placing his own order, Clark scolded her gently. "Isn't it a little early for wine, Lois? It's barely four o'clock."

Lois' eyebrow arched up and she retorted without thinking, "Listen, you. If I have to sit across from you, looking like that, in a black suit that fits that well, and go home alone afterwards, I'm damn well having a drink." Clark was so startled he couldn't help laughing, and it was the richly amused laugh she could feel like her bones.

That set the tone for the entire meal. Unintentional double entendres flew back and forth between them, as always, somewhere between the usual Lois and Clark teasing and the bantering Lois and Superman had enjoyed. Lois limited herself to two glasses of wine, knowing she had to drive home, and for the most part they simply enjoyed each other's company and conversation during the meal.

After the last course had been cleared, Lois leaned back in her chair and sighed with pleasure. "Ummm. Clark, that was lovely," she said, the name seeming a little less strange after having used it for the last couple of hours. Then her lips quirked up, and she added in an almost-offhand way, "It only took seven years and a pair of twins to get dinner somewhere other than a diner."

He glanced up and saw her devilish smile, his own answering it. "What, dinner at the Fortress didn't count?" he replied in a low voice.

Hazel eyes gleamed with mischief. "Of course not. I had to tell you how to make the soufflé. Which was very good, by the way, if I do say so myself. And I do."

"So was everything else you taught me that night." His voice had gone very soft, and Clark blushed to have said such a thing. Not that it made it any less true…

Lois blushed to remember. Oh dear God, I can't believe he said that. Out loud, even. I think that's the first time either of us has actually said something overt about it, in spite of all we've thought about and alluded to… She couldn't resist upping the ante, however. "What, you're trying to discount the next morning?" Lois couldn't stop her voice from sounding breathless, her expression softening.

"No, that was beyond the power of words to describe," he replied huskily.

The words hung in the air for a long moment, blue eyes staring into hazel, and in their minds the pair of them were taken right back to that night and the dream that wasn't a dream. The room suddenly grew warm, and both of them knew that they were only a word or a touch away from leaving the restaurant to finish what they'd started in the hotel room on Cape Cod. It had begun as a half-asleep mistake, but Lois was wide awake now, and her heart beat quickly.

Clark took a deep, shuddering breath, and she looked away from him, unable to bear the tension. Breaking eye contact seemed to help a little, and Clark chuckled nervously. "Lois, there was something I wanted to talk to you about."

"Fine, as long as I don't have to look right at you for the next five minutes or so," came her muffled voice, her face buried in her hands. The magnetism between them was as strong as ever.

He cleared his throat and pressed on. "I've been thinking… And this is the perfect illustration, you know. Neither of us can think clearly when we're around each other."

"That's one way to put it."

Clark toyed with his napkin, trying to figure out how to word it, and then sighed. "Lois, I'm going back to Smallville."

"What?" Her head came up from her hand quick as lightning to stare at him in shock, her heated thoughts suddenly evaporating.

"Not permanently," he hastened to say. "Just … Mom needs to get back, and she doesn't much like flying alone. And I have leave time from the Planet. I can commute to my other job, but staying in Smallville will help me sleep better, I think. I've … I've been having nightmares, and all of the noise of construction keeps waking me up, too."

The effort to restore the city had been going on round the clock, and most citizens weren't complaining about the noise level since it was rebuilding their homes. Kal-El could hear everything, but Lois knew that was only part of it. She looked at him very seriously and said after a moment with a knitted brow, "It's me, isn't it? You're leaving town because of me, because of this."

"I hear your heart wherever you are," Clark replied. "I … Lois, I love you. I've known that for years. And I know you love me, too. But whether we can be together … that's a little more complicated. A lot of things are going to change, for all of us. I just… If being around you affects me this much, I assume it does the same to you. And I don't want you to make a decision just based on this, on how much we long for each other."

Lois' brow furrowed even more. "I'm not…" she began, then stopped herself. He had a point. And it occurred to her that Clark didn't want to be a rebound either. "All right. I understand. I don't like it, but I understand." It was impossible not to feel just a little hurt.

He reached across the table and took her hand. "Lois, don't think I love you any less. And don't think I don't want us to be a family. I want that with every bit of my soul. But I want you to be sure this is what you want. I can't be half of who I am, like my father wanted me to be. It has to be everything, Lois. And it won't be easy."

"I know," she muttered under her breath. "It hasn't exactly been a walk in the park so far, you know."

"Yes, I know, and I'm sorry I made everything harder for you by leaving," he said sincerely.

Lois chuckled then, unable to help herself. "Oh, for crying out loud. I didn't mean that part of it. I meant the last week – the twins getting kidnapped, Luthor, all of us almost getting killed…"

"That, too," he said. "You and the twins will never be entirely safe if you're with me. But I can deal with that – I can keep you as safe as possible."

"I wasn't entirely safe from the moment I met you," Lois reminded him in a soft voice, eyes on his. "Especially not once I realized how I felt about you. Everyone in the world knows that Superman always comes to rescue Lois Lane."

"Always," he said, squeezing her hand slightly. "So. I just want to give you a chance to think without me constantly hovering nearby. I'll be in Smallville. I'll have my cell phone. You can call me anytime you need to talk to me. I'm not leaving, I'm just taking a break."

"How long?" she asked.

He shrugged. "A week, no more. I need to get back to work before Perry decides rehiring me wasn't such a good decision. Maybe less than a week. But it will give us both a breather."

"All right," Lois said with a deep breath that trickled out into a sigh, and she squeezed his hand back. "One week."