Okay, everyone! Sorry about the wait, but it's finally here! Hope everyone thinks it was worth waiting for. If you want someone to blame for the dealy…blame Mrs. Kent. She was the one causing me problems this time.

October

"I have an idea!" Lois cried as she burst through the front door to the apartment above the Talon and jumped onto the couch next to her fiancé. "Let's elope! If we take off now, we can be married by nightfall and start our honeymoon early. What do you think?"

With a laugh, Clark replied, "Lois, our wedding is tomorrow!"

She groaned and rolled her eyes. "I know. But there's absolutely no reason why we should feel compelled to exchange vows in front of four hundred people…"

Still sounding amused, he mumbled, "I think the number is closer to twenty."

Lois carried on as if she hadn't heard him. "…When it would be so much easier if the two of us just ran away together. Plus, if we elope, there's no reason for me to keep dealing with the Wedding Planner from Hell."

"Oh, is that what this is about?" Clark sat back and looked at her with an indulgent smile. "I should have known. You know, if you have such a hard time dealing with her, we could have hired someone else."

Lois scowled. "She was willing to deal with our uncertain schedules and the tendency for one or the other of us to disappear on her without reason or warning. Plus, she agreed to travel from Metropolis to Smallville to put on the wedding, and she was willing to take care of most of the smaller details, like making sure the cake is ready in time, which is great because there's no way I'd keep it all straight."

"She sounds wonderful. So what's the problem?"

"The problem is that she's also horrendous! She makes Fascist dictators seem warm and fuzzy! I've met drill instructors with more patience, understanding, and tact!" When Clark snorted with laughter, she exclaimed, "It's true! I swear, if she me gives me one more frankly pitying look because I can't discern the difference between egg shell, off-white, and cream, I'll…well, I don't know what I'll do, but it won't be pretty. You should have seen the look on her face when I told her I couldn't possibly care less what color announcements we have!"

"Really? I never realized," Clark said, then sighed theatrically. "In that case, I'm going to have to ask for that ring back." At her astonished look, he continued, "I'm afraid I can't marry a woman who doesn't know the difference between eggshell and cream."

Lois glared at him. "Hasn't anyone ever told you that you should never mess with a bride on the evening before her wedding? Men have died from doing just that sort of thing before."

Clark smirked. "I'm invulnerable. I'll take my chances."

Arching an eyebrow at him, Lois threatened, "Not if you want a wedding night."

"I take it back!" he replied quickly.

Lois couldn't help but laugh. Somehow, Clark had done it again. She didn't know how he managed it, but he always made her see humor in a situation just when she was about to explode with anger or frustration. As her mirth subsided, she relaxed beside him on the couch, laying her head upon his shoulder. She was about to drift off to sleep, however, when she remembered something and jerked upright again. "I almost forgot! Wait right here; I have something for you." Without waiting for a response, she jumped to her feet and rushed into the bedroom.

When she came out again, she had a small square box in her hands, wrapped in white paper with a big silver bow on top. As she hopped back on the couch, she turned her body towards Clark, pulled her feet under her, and thrust the package at him. "This is for tomorrow," she informed him as he took her gift.

Lois watched with a smile as Clark tore the paper off the box and opened it to reveal what lay inside. For about three seconds, his brow wrinkled in confusion as he looked down at the contents. Then, pulling the object slowly out of the box, he turned his bewildered gaze on her. "Earmuffs. Um…thanks, Lois," he said dubiously as he gave her a searching look. "You know, it's not really that cold in Kansas in October, and, even if it were, I'm not that affected by the cold weather anyway."

Lois laughed at the confusion on his face. "They're not actually meant to keep your ears warm. I just know how things go with you, and I need you to promise me that you'll wear these until right before the ceremony tomorrow."

He looked at her with a halfway amused smile on his face. "And what exactly is it that you think is going to happen?" he asked as if the idea that anything could interfere with their wedding day was preposterous.

Lois rolled her eyes and said, lowering her tone to mimic his voice, "I do…believe I left something in the car. Hold that thought; I'll be right back."

Clark snorted. "I wouldn't do that!" After a brief pause, he amended, "Well, I wouldn't come up with an excuse that lame, at least." When she didn't say a word, she just looked at him with raised eyebrows, he finally said a bit sheepishly, "Okay, I certainly wouldn't do it in that voice!"

"Yeah, just try it, Kent, and the guests will see a white blur go streaking down the aisle as I charge after you. I have no problems doing a full body tackle in a wedding dress if it'll stop you from flying away."

Clark grinned. "Well, that would be an interesting…," he paused and sobered when she glared at him. Clearing his throat, he changed the subject. "So these are like earplugs? I hate to tell you this, sweetheart, but I don't think they'll do much good."

Lois scowled. "Wear them."

"You know, I have really good hearing…"

"Wear them," she demanded again, refusing to listen to his reasoning. Whether or not they actually worked wasn't really the issue; just knowing that he was at least trying not to let the world's constant need for Superman get in the way of their wedding would make her feel better.

When he looked ready to protest once more, she stared him down until he closed his mouth and shrugged. "Okay, okay! I'll wear them! I'll look ridiculous, but I'll wear them!"

"You promise?" Lois asked, staring at him with narrowed eyes.

"I promise," he replied. "I won't take them off until right before the ceremony, no matter what."

Lois grinned happily. "Good." She made a great show of yawning widely as she nudged him gently with her foot. "It's getting late; we should probably call it a night."

"You know, I could stay," he offered as he leaned in for another kiss, but she put her hand on his chest and gently pushed him away.

"Thus defeating the whole purpose of me staying in town. Who would have thought that your mom was so superstitious?" When Mrs. Kent had suggested that Lois spend the night before her wedding at the Talon, she'd explained that it would remove the inconvenience of Lois having to travel into town early the next morning to get her hair and makeup done. However, it became clear that Martha had an ulterior motive when she insisted that Clark spend that night at the farm. Clark had jokingly accused her of being superstitious, but Martha had shrugged and said there was nothing wrong with upholding tradition. Lois smiled at the memory, but she said firmly, "Now get out of here. Some of us need beauty sleep."

"I don't think it'll do much good," Clark replied, but before she could whack him with a pillow, he continued, "You couldn't possibly get any more beautiful than you are right now."

Lois snorted. "Yeah, yeah…go on, Mister. I've already agreed to marry you. You don't need to keep buttering me up," she joked as she nudged Clark playfully.

Clark grinned down at her. "But we're not officially married until tomorrow. I'm not taking any chances."

Lois laughed as she escorted him to the door, leaned forward, and gave him a quick kiss goodbye. "Night, Smallville."

"Night, Lois," Clark replied regretfully as he backed through the open doorway, not once taking his eyes off of her until the solid wooden panel of the door stood between them. For all Lois knew, he could have kept his eyes on her even after.

Just as she had on a night a few years before, Lois rested against the front door to the apartment for a moment, savoring the remnants of the warmth she always felt when she was with Clark. When she heard the sound of the outside door opening, however, she ran to the bedroom window to get one last glance of him as he left. As she stood and watched, he moved towards his car and unlocked the door. Before he got inside, however, he turned to look up at her through the window, a knowing smile on his face, and Lois couldn't resist the urge to respond with a grin of her own. Clark gazed up at her for a while before getting in his car and driving away, and it was only then that Lois pulled away from the window and headed for bed.

If Lois got any sleep that evening, it was a miracle. She kept trying to relax enough to fall asleep, but she just couldn't seem to manage it. Every time she was about to drift off, she'd start thinking about how she'd be getting married the next day, and she'd get so excited that there was no way she'd be getting to sleep until she calmed down again.

So when the alarm went off the next morning, Lois had a bit of difficulty crawling out of bed. She didn't have long to contemplate her exhaustion; she barely had time to gulp down one quick cup of coffee before she had to throw on some clothes and launch herself into the numerous preparations for the day. The wedding was going to take place outside, at Crater Lake, and a large tent had been set up there for her to use as a changing area. However, she still had to get her nails, hair, and makeup done in town, and she had it on good authority that these preparations could take a while.

When Chloe had accompanied her cousin to the salon earlier that week, they'd tried a series of different hairstyles to determine which would look best with Lois's strapless gown. They'd finally determined it looked best to have her hair pulled into a loose knot on the back of her head, with tendrils falling to frame her face. A few rhinestones, matching the ones adorning the bodice of her dress, would be threaded into her hair. For such a simple style, however, it took an absurd amount of time to achieve, and Lois almost groaned with relief when the stylist finally stepped back after securing the veil and declared her finished.

Then came the makeup and manicure, both of which Lois would have happily taken care of herself, but she'd finally caved to the wedding planner's insistence that it had to be done by professionals. Finally, after what felt like hours of being poked, prodded, and painted, it came time to head out to Crater Lake. She still had to get dressed, and it would no doubt take a while to get into her gown without mussing her hair or smudging her makeup. Glancing at her watch, Lois realized that the ceremony was scheduled to begin in a little under an hour. That was more than enough time to get ready and pose for some photographs, but she still shouldn't waste too much time.

Humming softly to herself, she jumped in her car and headed toward the lake. It was turning into a beautiful day. The sky was the blue of Clark's eyes. The breeze was as soft as his breath against her skin, and… "Okay, well, this train of thought clearly has to stop," Lois chastised herself as she shook her head gently. "You're getting married; you're not losing your mi –" She gasped and cut off in mid-sentence when something streaked across the roadway in front of her car. Her breath caught in her throat as she jerked the wheel to the left and slammed on the brakes.

For a moment, Lois couldn't move. She stared in the rear-view mirror, looking for the animal that she'd probably hit – and it had been an animal, Lois was certain of that. She'd only seen it for a few seconds, but she was pretty sure it had been a cat. Considering its small size, it was more likely a kitten. There wasn't anything in the road at the moment, but that didn't really put her mind at ease. Even if it wasn't lying dead it the road, it was still possible she'd critically wounded it and it had crawled off to find somewhere to die.

Murmuring a prayer under her breath, she killed the engine and stepped out of the car. She was going to have to track the little critter down and make sure it was okay; if she didn't, she'd be worrying about it for the rest of the afternoon. With a quick glance at her watch, Lois noticed that the ceremony was scheduled to begin in forty-five minutes. She had plenty of time.

She still had the problem of not knowing where the kitten had gone, but she didn't see any movement in the open field to her right. To her left, however, stood a partially constructed house – Smallville was expanding every year, believe it or not – and a construction site provided lots of places for a small animal to hide. Or curl up and die. No, she wouldn't think that way. The kitten was going to be fine. Everything she'd hit with her car had ended up okay; she wasn't about to break her streak now.

"Here, kitty!" Lois cried encouragingly as she walked onto the property and entered through what would one day be the front doorway. "You can come out; I won't hurt you. I'm a very nice person, I promise!" But her encouraging words were belied by the string of curses she muttered when she banged her leg hard on a stack of plywood.

Clutching her wounded shin, she cried, "Come on, kitty, please come out? Please?" Lois couldn't help the pleading note in her voice. She didn't have time to go rooting around in dark corners for a feline that may not even be injured, but her conscience wouldn't allow her to walk away until she knew the cat was unharmed. "That's it," she huffed to herself as she let go of her leg and scooted around some boards stacked up on the floor. "I'm never driving again." Just as she made this promise, she saw movement out of the corner of her eye and turned just in time to see the cat dart through the wooden wall slats into another room.

The kitten didn't move like it had been critically wounded, but Lois followed it anyway. She'd only seen it for a brief moment, and it could have been limping. As she crossed into the other room, Lois lamented the numerous places that provided excellent cover for a small kitten. "Okay, kitty. You really need to come out now," she said matter-of-factly as she peered behind some sheets of drywall. "I have four hundred…okay, twenty…people waiting on me right now, and it just doesn't look good for a girl to show up late to her own wedding. Look, if you help me out and come out of hiding, I'll give you some nice tuna. I don't have any on me now, but I'll definitely owe you one."

The slippery little devil was eluding her easily, and Lois muttered another curse, looking at her watch again. She had a little over a half hour now. Time was sliding irrevocably into the past, and she was no closer to catching the kitten then she'd been ten minutes ago. Lois gathered up her veil and wrapped it around her left arm to prevent it from getting either dirty or snagged as she dropped to her knees and looked under the stand with a table saw on top. Still nothing. She peered behind a stack of pipes. No kitten. She even looked to see if it could be taking cover inside a box with some electrical wiring. Nothing.

Lois groaned and looked at her watch. Twenty-eight minutes. It would take her a good fifteen to get to the lake, maybe ten if she chose not to heed speed limits. Even if it only took her five minutes to get into her gown, that still only left eight to have her picture taken. She couldn't afford to waste any more time; she had to get going. With a frustrated scowl, Lois turned and headed for the exit, telling herself that if the kitten was this good at hiding from her, it was no doubt going to be fine. She also reminded herself how much she didn't want Clark to worry that something had happened to her. Still, she paused before she'd gone more than a dozen steps. She just couldn't leave now. Her conscience would plague her for the rest of the day if she did. She'd never been good at relying upon faith or assumptions for anything; she had to know. Sighing, Lois paused and considered her options. Twenty-seven minutes to go.

"Kitty!" she called in exasperation as she gazed around the room desperately once more. It wasn't behind the drywall or the toolbox; she couldn't find it anywhere. She glanced at her watch again. Twenty-six minutes.

With a heavy sigh, Lois admitted defeat and did something she really didn't want to do. "Superman!" she called as she made her way to the exit and went outside. There was no way she was going to make it in time on her own. If Clark came to help her, he could find the kitten and still get her to the ceremony with enough time to get changed and have the necessary pictures taken.

"Come on, Clark," she muttered to herself as she looked at her watch again. Twenty-five minutes. Then she thought about his earmuffs and groaned. What if he didn't hear her calling for him? "Why did I ask him to wear those stupid things?" she asked herself in frustration.

"I've been asking myself that all morning, actually," she heard Clark say from above her, and she tilted her head back to watch as he landed in front of her. He was still wearing the dorky earmuffs she'd bought him. With a bit of a smirk, he reminded her, "I told you…I have really good hearing."

The sight of Superman in fuzzy white earmuffs caused Lois to let out a shout of laughter, which she tried to stifle but couldn't. "Oh, Clark," she said softly. "Take those off. You look ridiculous!"

"I promised I wouldn't take them off before the ceremony," he said in an implacable tone as he crossed his arms over his chest and glared down at her. "But I am going to get you back for this some day."

Lois snorted with laughter once again, but once she'd gotten hold of herself, she said a bit breathlessly, "Clark, as much as I would love for you to tell me what kind of revenge you have in mind, unfortunately, there isn't time right now. A kitten ran in front of my car while I was driving out to Crater Lake, and I thought I'd hit it so I followed it in here." She gestured to the house behind her. "Only now I can't find it, and I don't want to leave before I have. Even though I don't think I hit it, it could get seriously hurt in there."

She could tell he wanted to make some crack about her driving, but he somehow refrained from doing so and instead stared intently at the structure behind her. "I see it. Wait here; I'll be right back." It only took him seconds before he returned with a little black bundle meowing piteously in his arms. "I've looked her over; she's fine," he said as he passed the kitten to Lois, who gave it a reprimanding glare for all the trouble it had caused. "I can fly her out to the farm before the ceremony. I'm sure my mom wouldn't mind watching her until we get back from our honeymoon."

"Wait. What?" Lois said, taken aback by his plans. "I never said I was going to keep her!" she protested, though she didn't stop stroking the little furry ears as she did so.

"Why not?" he asked. "She's adorable! Plus, she's clearly more trouble than something her size should be. I think we should call her Lois," he deadpanned.

Lois looked up at him with narrowed eyes. "You know, Clark, one of these days, we really are going to have to talk about how you're not nearly as funny as you think you are."

Looking bemused, he asked, "If you say so, but isn't there some place you're supposed to be right now? You don't want to be late to your own wedding, do you?"

"It's not like they can start without me," she reminded him, as she threw him her sweetest smile.

Clark shook his head and gave a long-suffering sigh as he stepped forward and scooped her into his arms. "And you thought I was going to be the one causing trouble today."

Lois scowled and asked without much hope, "Is there any chance you're ever going to let me live this down?"

Clark grinned down at her as they rose into the air. "Not much of one, no."

With his help, she managed to get to the wedding in plenty of time. As Clark relieved her of the furry bundle in her arms, promising to take it back to the farm, Chloe and Mrs. Kent ushered Lois away and helped her get into her gown. To Lois's surprise, she wasn't chastised for her tardiness, and she idly wondered if she should be offended that neither Chloe nor Mrs. Kent even seemed particularly surprised that she'd been delayed

Though her arrival at the lake had instigated a flurry of activity as the three women rushed to maneuver the bride into her gown and pose for a series of photographs, Lois was allowed a quiet moment to herself before the ceremony began. Standing in front of the mirror, she wished she hadn't made it to the wedding with quite so much time to spare. As she considered her reflection, a sudden bout of nervousness struck, making her a bit queasy. She knew that Clark was the proverbial "One", that she'd never stop loving him. But what if she was absolutely horrendous at being married? When she'd first met Clark, she'd had the privilege of watching Mr. and Mrs. Kent interact on a day-to-day basis, and she'd come to believe that their relationship epitomized the way a marriage should be. However, Lois wasn't deluded enough to think she was anything like Mrs. Kent; she knew for a fact that there was no way that she could be that patient and understanding.

What if she blew it? What if Clark woke up tomorrow and saw the real her – all the horrible aspects of her personality that he had to be ignoring up to this point, because there was no way that he would be willing to be tied to her for life if he actually saw them? What if he realized that he'd made a mistake? What if she messed everything up (as she had a tendency to do) and he regretted having married her?

Oh, god, this was a mistake. What was she doing? She didn't want things to change between her and Clark. Everything was perfect the way it was, why tempt fate? She should go out right now and tell Clark the wedding was off. He'd understand; she was sure he would understand. Wouldn't he?

Before she could bolt for the exit, however, she heard a noise behind her and turned to see that her cousin had just entered the tent. Chloe gave her a wry smile and said, "Well, it's good to see I haven't lost my touch for arriving just in time." At Lois's confused look, she explained, "I figured you'd be gearing up for a full-scale panic right about now.Calm down, Lois. No matter what it is that you're thinking, you really don't want to go out there and call off your wedding."

Lois looked at her cousin in surprise. "How did you…?"

"Because I know you. Lois, you're the most confident, self-assured person I've ever known. That is, until it comes to Clark."

Lois scowled. "I'm not different when it comes to Clark! I always have a healthy dose of pragmatism, is all. I just can't help but wonder, what if he realizes that marrying me was a big mistake?" At Chloe's skeptical look, she continued, "Think about it, Chlo. He deserves someone with a modicum of patience. The ability to compromise. The willingness to occasionally admit that she might not always be right. Basically, he deserves the complete antithesis of me."

"Yes, well, as far as I can tell, he doesn't want any of those things. He seems to want someone who's stubborn and opinionated and never knows when to back down."

"Thanks. I love you too," Lois said sarcastically before turning to face the mirror again. Meeting her cousin's eyes in the reflection, she said morosely, "I'm just afraid that he doesn't know what he's getting himself into."

"Really? Because I think he knows exactly what he's doing," Chloe contradicted her. "He's not blind, you know, and you're not exactly adept at pretending to be something you're not. I mean, think about it, Lois. Can you think of anyone in the world who knows you better than he does?"

Lois looked down as she pondered that bit of truth, and when she met her cousin's eyes in the reflection again, she had a wry smile on her lips. "So you're saying I'm being pretty ridiculous, huh?"

"Pretty much, yes. But if it makes you feel any better, I saw Clark just before I came in here and he's just about as much of a nervous wreck as you are."

"Really?" Lois asked with a short disbelieving chuckle.

With raised eyebrows, Chloe responded, "He's so tense, any second now I think he's going to start levitating. I wouldn't be surprised if Mrs. Kent has resorted to tethering him to one of the tables."

"Well, that would certainly be difficult to explain," Lois said humorously, glad that Chloe had effectively managed to diffuse the sudden bout of irrational anxiety. "Okay, so you're right. I was being an idiot," she conceded. After a brief pause, she said, "Let's just keep this between us, okay? I don't want Clark to misunderstand and think that I ever had second thoughts about marrying him."

Chloe smiled warmly at her. "Your secret dies with me. What are cousins for?"

Before Lois could respond, General Lane walked through the opening to the tent and said, "I thought you'd be here, Chloe. The wedding planner was looking for you; I think the ceremony's about to begin."

Lois grinned. "You'd better get out there, Chlo. I'd hate to imagine what she'll do if she thinks that her Matron of Honor's gone AWOL at the last minute."

Rolling her eyes, Chloe retorted caustically, "I'm surprised she didn't make us wear GPS trackers so she could follow our every movement." But even as she said this, she headed quickly for the exit. Apparently, Lois wasn't the only one cowed by the brusque woman.

"Don't give her any ideas!" Lois called after her with a laugh, but when Chloe had disappeared from view and the bride turned her attention back on her father, the smile she wore suddenly became a bit shakier than it had been a few moments before. "Hey, daddy," she said softly as she stepped closer to him.

"My Little Lo," her father said roughly as he looked down at her. His eyes looked suspiciously wet when he leaned down to kiss her cheek "You look beautiful, sweetheart. If only your mother could see you now."

Stifling the sudden urge to cry, she leaned forward to give her father a hug. "I love you, daddy." She didn't know where this sudden inability to contain her emotions came from, but before she found she couldn't resist the urge to indulge into an embarrassing scene, she heard the first strains of the wedding march begin to play. Smiling up at her father, she took his arm and asked, "You ready to do this, General?"

Though he looked like he'd be much more comfortable to be asked to storm a beach than to give his eldest daughter away at her wedding, General Lane nodded. "I knew I should have locked you in the brig when you were eight and never let you out," she heard him mutter darkly as they stepped out into the sunlight.

Lois couldn't help but laugh. She knew her father liked her fiancée and was genuinely happy that the two of them had found each other; he just hated to think that he was losing her. She opened her mouth to make a pithy reply, but then she caught sight of Clark and everything else melted away. She forgot about her earlier fleeting apprehension, forgot about the people sitting in chairs on either side of her, forgot everything but how much she loved the man waiting on her. All she could see was the look on his face, like she'd taken his breath away.

Lois may not have ever tried to picture her dream wedding, but she couldn't have ever imagined a more perfect day if she tried. The light filtering in through the leaves of the trees around them cast patterns on the people below as Lois walked down the aisle, and the faint mist that still hovered above the lake lent the atmosphere a fairly dreamlike aura.

When she reached Clark's side, she kissed her father's cheek gently and then turned to face the man she loved. With a bit of surprise, she realized that Chloe had been telling the truth – Clark truly did seem somewhat nervous. He kept looking at her as if he expected her to disappear at any moment. Whispering, Lois teased, "This is it, Smallville. Last chance to make a break for it." When her words were rewarded with one of his heart-stopping grins, she couldn't help responding in kind.

"You're not getting out of this one, Lois, at least not in the dress you're wearing. You make a pretty obvious target, and even if you did run away, I'm pretty sure I could catch you," he teased her in return.

Before they could continue with their affectionate bantering, the ceremony began. Lois barely listened to what he was saying. She just wanted to be married to Clark, and now that the moment she had been eagerly anticipating was upon her, she didn't really know that she had the patience to get through the elaborate dog and pony show to make their union official. Clark seemed to recognize her impatience and be amused by it, because he took her hand in his and squeezed it gently. As she held his hand in hers,Lois felt a slight trembling didn't know if it came from her or from Clark. His hands and voice were steady, however, when he said his vows and slipped on her wedding ring, and hers were likewise when she did the same.

Finally, the words she had been waiting for were spoken. "You may now kiss the bride."

Lois threw her arms around Clark's neck and whispered, "Too late, Smallville. You missed your chance."

"Yep. You're not getting away now," he said in return, and then he kissed her. She could barely restrain her shout of joy when she realized that it had finally happened; she and Clark were actually married! She didn't stop kissing her new husband until the soft sound of Chloe clearing her throat behind her caught her attention, and Lois turned to catch the significant glance her cousin was throwing the audience. With a sheepish grin, Lois pulled away and likewise turned toward her guests, beaming with joy as she and Clark stood together for the first time as man and wife.

After the ceremony, the group moved to a nearby pavilion that had been erected to house the reception. Though the ceremony had been small and intimate, she and Clark had left the reception open to just about anyone who wanted to come, and the citizens of Smallville had shown up en masse. Apparently, the rumor about small towns wasn't entirely fiction. Everybody seemed to know everybody else, and they all wanted to wish Lois and Clark their heartfelt congratulations on the wedding.

Dinner had been served, toasts had been given, and now Lois smiled as she moved around the party, stopping every so often to chat with her guests. Though she was enjoying herself, she couldn't help but wonder why she and Clark had thought having a large reception would be a good idea. She was more than ready to run (or, more accurately, fly) away with him to begin their honeymoon, but it didn't look like they'd ever get to leave at the rate things were going. Clark was on the other side of the pavilion, deeply engrossed in a conversation with Perry, and it wasn't as if she could sneak up next to him and steal him away. It seemed likely that somebody would notice the sudden absence of the bride and groom.

As she took a sip of her champagne and thought over the situation, a wicked idea suddenly struck Lois. There were certain hidden benefits to being married to Superman, after all. With a devilish gleam in her eyes, she said her husband's name softly, knowing he would hear her from across the room. When she thought she might have caught his attention, she continued, "Have I told you yet what I have planned for our honeymoon? Before we even get to our room, they're going to deliver champagne. And strawberries." She almost snorted into her champagne when she saw Clark's shoulders stiffen in reaction to her teasing; she definitely had his attention. Wanting to prolong the slow torture, Lois paused to speak briefly with a few guests, waiting until it looked as if Clark had relaxed again before she continued, "And chocolate." She almost laughed aloud when he jerked in surprise at her words.

"There's a Jacuzzi big enough for two in the room," she purred almost inaudibly, and she watched as Perry looked at Clark in concern; her husband's distraction was apparently being noticed, though Perry couldn't know the cause. Ruthlessly, Lois continued, telling Clark more about their honeymoon suite. The candles. The bed. The massage she had planned for him. Finally, she offered the coup de grace, "And have I told you that I bought something special to wear for you tonight? I'm wearing it right now, in fact. It's white. Lacy. Almost transparent." When Clark turned around to face her, however, she hissed, "Don't you dare!" She could tell that he was about to use his x-ray vision to look for himself, and she didn't want him to ruin her little game.

"I'm sorry, Lois?" the question came suddenly from her left. She whirled to see Mrs. Kent standing not five feet away, giving her what Lois could only describe as an entirely too knowing look. "Did you say something?" Martha prodded gently.

A blush creeping up her neck to her face, Lois felt her stomach sink with dread as she wondered if her particular brand of foreplay had been overheard. "Oh, hey, Mrs. Kent. It was…uh…my dress. It caught on something and I was…er….worried that it would tear." As she stammered out her unconvincing excuse, Lois glared at her fiancé…no, her husband; she could tell he was having a hard time hiding his amusement as the tables were turned on her.

Glancing at the hem of her dress, Martha responded, "You seem to be in luck. It looks perfectly fine to me." Lois breathed a deep sigh of relief when her mother-in-law stepped forward and enveloped her in a hug; perhaps she hadn't been overheard, after all. "I came over because I wanted to tell you how proud I am of the two of you," the older woman said, her voice just a little unsteady. Leaning back, she continued, "When Clark was growing up, I always hoped that someday he'd find the kind of love that the two of you share. I only wish Jonathan could see the people you both grew up to be." She paused and then said softly, "He loved you like a daughter, you know. And so do I."

"Thank you, Mrs. Kent. You don't know how much that means to me."Lois murmured, wishing she could find the words to tell the woman in front of her how much the affection and understanding she'd shown for the brash, feisty young girl Lois been had meant to her for all these years. Unable to put her emotions into words, she leaned forward to hug Clark's mother, who she'd long ago come to care for as her own.

"You know, sometimes I wonder if you actually agreed to marry me so you have an excuse to see my mom more often," Clark's voice interjected as the embrace ended. Though she hadn't heard him coming up beside her, Lois was grateful for his interruption, since it allowed her time to regain her composure. As he gently rested his hand on the small of her back, he said, "Not to mention her pie."

With feigned nonchalance, Lois replied, "Well, I did tell you once that the only thing cool about you was your mom. I never said I'd changed my mind."

Laughing, he kissed her and then stepped forward to enfold his mother in a hug, kissing her cheek. "It's getting late; Lois and I should probably head out soon. After I have one last dance with the beautiful bride," he said softly.

Martha nodded. "Of course." She smiled at the two of them, but before they moved away, she said, "Oh, and, Clark…it really isn't fair of you to use your x-ray powers on another person like that." The soft smile on her face took the sting out of the rebuke, however, and she there was definite amusement in her eyes as she watched the growing expressions of horror on the newlyweds' faces.

"Oh, God," Lois whimpered when the two of them were alone again. "She overheard me, didn't she? I'm never going to be able to show my face on the Kent Farm again!"

Looked as horrorstruck as she felt, Clark attempted to reassure her, but he wasn't entirely convincing when he said, "Nonsense. Just because she knew I was about to use my x-ray vision doesn't mean she necessarily overheard what you were saying. I mean, don't you always say I get a particular look on my face just when I'm about to –?"

Looking at him askance, Lois interrupted him, saying flatly, "You don't really believe that."

He shrugged awkwardly and muttered, "I can't say how much I'd like to." Lois groaned in response. "By the way, I wanted to say that it wasn't at all uncomfortable, having that particular image in my mind while talking to Perry. I want to thank you for that," he said dryly. As he spoke, Clark stole her glass of champagne, handing it to a passing waiter without taking his eyes off of her. "I may be scarred for life, did you know that?" he demanded sternly as he took her hand in his.

Lois laughed as he swept her out onto the makeshift dance floor. Their guests edged back and allowed the newlyweds room while the final bars of a song played softly over the speakers set up to one side. As she took a moment to kiss her husband, their last dance of the evening began to play.

You ask how much I need you
Must I explain?
I need you, oh my darling
Like roses need rain

You ask how long I'll love you
I'll tell you true
Until the twelfth of never
I'll still be loving you.

Moving close to him, she caressed the back of his neck with one hand as she placed the other on his shoulder. She rested her cheek against his chest and sighed as, together, they moved along with the music. Once again, the rest of the world and everyone else at the reception might as well have disappeared for all Lois realized they were there.

Hold me close
Never let me go
Hold me close
Melt my heart like April snow

I'll love you till the bluebells
Forget to bloom
I'll love you till the clover
Has lost its perfume

Closing her eyes, she wanted to preserve this perfect moment forever. She never wanted to forget how she felt right now, or the way Clark could so easily steal her heart again and take her breath away, just by holding her in his arms like this. It was amazing to Lois that he didn't even seem to really realize the effect he had on her or that the little things he did made her fall in love with him all over again. Every single day.

I'll love you till the poets
Run out of rhyme
Until the twelfth of never
And that's a long, long time

Yes, that's a long, long time

Pulling away slightly, Lois looked up to smile at her husband as the song ended. He looked so wistful, she couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking. "Penny for your thoughts," Lois offered as she brushed a soft kiss on his chin.

Gazing into her eyes, he asked, "Do you ever regret that we lost so many years? We spent so much time ignoring what was right in front of our faces…time we could have spent together if we'd only known."

Lois smiled softly as she reached up to sweep his hair off his forehead. "We didn't lose that time, Clark. We spent it learning how to love each other."

Clark looked at her almost ruefully. "I'm not sure that loving you is something I learned, Lois. It's like breathing…I couldn't keep myself from doing it, even if I wanted to. I just wish I'd realized the inevitability of it sooner."

She chuckled as she pursed her lips thoughtfully. Finally, she asked, "If I swear to love you for the rest of my life, would that be enough?"

"Not even remotely," he replied gravely.

Lois sighed heavily and said in exaggerated resignation, "Well then I suppose it's good that I can't help but love you forever."