Disclaimer: DC Comics/Warner Brothers owns these characters. No profit is being made from this story. This is strictly for my own amusement.

Author's Notes: In this next chapter, Lois and Clark share a sweet moment at the Fortress, Tess wants to help, but can they trust her, and later, a threat arises in Metropolis. Please read and review. Thanks, everyone! :D

~o~o~

Chapter 6: I Have Nothing

Meanwhile, back at Luthorcorp:

Tess had a lot of thinking to do. After Oliver Queen had been killed, she had discreetly found out where and to whom he had sold the kryptonite he had found all over Smallville and the surrounding areas. On her drive back to Metropolis, Tess had made a decision about her life. Her new mission was to help Clark, not to hurt him. She could never hurt him, but in her own way she would love him always, so she decided to help him by removing all the kryptonite.

It did not surprise her to learn that it was her Father, Lionel Luthor, who was responsible for all of it.

Deep down, she knew Clark was right, Lionel was gone, disappeared without a trace. Now they were both free, free to do whatever they wanted without any manipulation or coercion from a man who probably had been totally insane.

I know what I have to do.

~o~o~

Later that same night:

"Clark, where are we going?" Lois was hanging on for dear life. This was their first flight together, and she loved every minute of it. When they had first taken off, it was hard to keep her eyes open because she felt dizzy, but after a few minutes, she opened her eyes and all she could see were clouds and every now and then, land would appear, and it was so far away, but she couldn't look away. It was breathtaking.

Clark watched her for a moment. "I knew you would love it."

"I do love it, but how long have you been flying like this?"

'Not long, a few weeks now."

"Oh, since we met?" Lois asked, loving that idea.

"Yeah, you could say that." He smiled at her.

Before they had left the farm, he had wrapped her up inside his coat, and now, Lois could not put it off anymore. She reached out and touched the scar on his wrist. "What happened to you?"

"It's a long story. Let's just go and enjoy the ride Ok?" He didn't want to discuss it, so they took off into the sky.

Lois wanted to talk about the scar, but she could see that now was not the time. "Alright, Clark, but you know you can trust me, and I want to trust you as well, but in order to do that, you have to open up to me. I won't judge you. I promise."

"You say that Lois, but there are a few things you haven't told me."

Lois frowned. "What things? You know my life Clark."

"Really? What's the real reason you married Oliver Queen?"

Lois was taken aback by his question. "You know why. I thought I loved him."

"And you had no idea that he was out to kill me, to destroy me?"

"No, of course not." She watched him for a moment. "Why all of these insecurities now? Is this because of Tess and what she said? I told you, she's wrong about you."

"Is she?" He still had doubts about his life and about her.

:"Of course, she is. You've changed. Don't you believe that? I do."

He thought about her words. "I'm sorry, Lois. I guess I just want this to work so badly. I couldn't bear it if you turned away from me if you left me."

"I would never do that." She touched his cheek. Suddenly, it was very cold. "Clark, where are we?"

He pulled her closer to keep her warm. "This is my Kryptonian home, Lois. Clark Kent brought me here and showed me that Jor-El, my birth Father was here waiting for me."

"Really, he brought you here?"

"Yes, well, it was more like, I followed him because we had a disagreement and we needed to talk."

"Oh, I see, and your Father was able to help you, but how?"

"Here, I'll show you. Are you warm enough?" She still had on his coat.

"I should feel cold, but I don't."

"Good, now, it's just over there." He took her hand.

Lois was in awe at what she could see and hear. After activating the console, Clark then introduced her to Jor-El, his Kryptonian Father. Lois sensed he was actually pleased to meet her. After a few minutes, something happened that surprised her and shocked Clark.

"Son, you need to see this," Jor-El announced then a crystal chamber opened on the other side of the Fortress.

"Clark, what is that? Is that a costume, the colors … it's beautiful."

Clark came closer to the chamber. Lois was right behind him. As they both approached the chamber, they instinctively reached out to touch it.

Jor-El spoke again. "Kal-El, when the time is right, you will wear this suit. You will make us proud, my son." He paused for a moment as he tried to explain. "After what happened to you when you arrived on Earth, your Mother and I decided to remove everything from Luthor's possession, meaning what we had left for you in your spaceship, we took it from him. And so later, your Mother Lara, made this suit for you."

"My Mother made it? Is she here? Can I speak to her?"

Minutes went by, then, "My son," Lara spoke to her son for the first time. A few moments later, Lara materialized before them, "I am here, Kal-El."

"Mother, is that you?" Clark wanted to cry, so happy to meet her. She was beautiful.

Lois came closer and took his hand and held it tightly. He turned to her. "I can't believe this is happening. Do you see her too? I'm not imagining this?"

She smiled indulgently at him. "Yes, Clark, I see her."

Lara continued, "Like your Father said, you will make us proud, my son."

With all his heart, he wanted to believe her.

"Now, do you believe it?" Lois asked when he hadn't said anything.

"Believing it and it actually happening are two entirely different things," he said, still doubtful. "I don't deserve to wear that suit."

"You will, in time," Jor-El said, hoping to encourage him. "Kal-El, there is no time for feeling sorry for yourself. A dark threat is coming."

Clark raised his eyes to his Father. "What kind of threat?"

"I'm not sure, but the threat will reveal itself very soon now, but you have to be ready, my son."

"I will be ready, and I have friends now. They'll help me."

"I'm happy to hear that, but it will be up to you to stop this threat. The world will depend upon you, and you must be ready," Jor-El stressed his point.

"I will, I promise," Clark said, meaning it.

"We have every faith in you, my son, but it means nothing if you don't have faith in yourself and your abilities," Lara said, also encouraging him.

"Thank you, Mother, Father. I will make you proud. I promise I will."

Both pleased with his words, they turned to each other, and then they were gone.

After a moment or two of stunned silence, Lois spoke up, "Wow! That was incredible. How are you feeling?" Lois asked when he just stood there and watched the spot where his birth parents had disappeared. "Clark?"

He slowly turned to face her then he touched her cheek softly.

"Say something, please," Lois was beginning to worry.

Clark decided to let his actions speak for him. He pulled her closer and then he kissed her. Lois was surprised at first then she kissed him back for a moment. Sighing he rested his forehead against hers. "I want you."

"Now?!" Lois was thrilled, but where would they do it?

"Yes now!"

"But …"

He didn't let her finish, but picked her up and took her to his private chamber, a place where he had spent weeks learning about his heritage and what he had to do to turn his life around, but now he knew that Lois was the center of it.

And with that thought in mind, Clark kissed her over and over again in deep kisses that had her writhing and thrusting her hips against him. As he slowly undressed her, he took note of her hips as they lifted off the bed, her breasts flushed in her excitement, her nipples hard waiting for him and her head was thrown back on the pillow eyes shut as if waiting for his next move. Her underwear were the last to go as he removed them slowly, he inhaled her scent, and he felt his body instantly react to her unique essence.

"Lois, do you have any idea what you do to me?"

Lois opened her eyes and what she saw on his face melted her heart. "I have some idea because I feel the same way. I want you, Clark."

He kissed her then, in a way that was so warm and coaxing that every rational thought vanished from Lois's mind. She was getting light-headed and dizzy as she clutched at his arms needing to get closer. Gradually his mouth shifted away from hers, and he bit softly at her throat. He was murmuring something, and Lois had to concentrate to hear him.

"I have no self-control where you're concerned. Every minute I'm not with you, all I can think about is being close to you like this."

"Oh, Clark," Lois murmured. She could not remember ever being so turned on. His hands were everywhere, smoothing over her breasts and tweaking her nipples, and then down her back, touching her thighs. Lois' hands were anything but still. She loved touching him.

Clark thought the few times they had made love had been incredible, but this was something else entirely. Lois parted her thighs and Clark stroked her there. She was so warm and ready for him. He thrust into her then, filling her with a low, thick slide. Lois gasped with an effort to accommodate him. Once Clark was inside of her, he became gentler finding a bit of control. His mouth returned to hers, thrusting his tongue inside, even as he pushed deeper, taking more of her than he ever thought possible. Lois could feel her muscles begin to tighten and strain. She raised her arms and legs to encircle him and pull him closer. Clark quickened his pace and drove her to a piercing climax, and he was right behind her, then he pulled her close and stroked her hair and arms.

Minutes later, he was almost asleep, but Lois lay there watching him.

He knew what she wanted. "I'll tell you."

She leaned up on her elbow to see his face. "Only if you want to, but I didn't think you could be harmed in that way, but apparently you can."

"Yes, there are various forms of kryptonite out there, including green and gold."

"Did you say 'gold' kryptonite? What does it do to you?"

"It can hurt me, physically, and it can take my powers away permanently if I come in contact with it for a long period of time." At her frown, he continued. "Lionel knew about it and after I ran away …"

"You ran away, when?"

"I was a teenager at the time, but he found me. Once the greenk had weakened me, he pulled out the goldk and of course, I had no resistance to it, so he engraved the Ultra-man sign into my arm so I would never forget who Lionel was to me and how important Ultra-man was to him."

"Oh, Clark, how awful for you," Lois said, and then she did something that shocked and surprised him. She lifted his arm again, then leaned over and kissed the scar.

"Lois?" Clark was truly moved by her gesture.

"I wish I could take away the pain of what he did to you." Eyes shining, she touched the scar again. "He's not you, Clark. Ultra-man is gone, and like you said, Lionel is dead. He can't hurt you not anymore."

She was amazing. Clark suddenly rolled her to her back and kissed her over and over again. After a few minutes, he whispered, "Lois, I … I knew you were what I needed, what I wanted the most and so I pursued you and convinced you to write my story. But deep down, I knew we would be together; I knew it and here we are." Clark was rambling a bit, trying to sort out his feelings.

"Here we are," she repeated his words. "Clark, I … I want you to know that you can count on me, and you don't have to be alone anymore."

He watched her closely and then he had to say it. "Lois, I …"

Before he could say it, she touched his lips softly. "I know, just kiss me, Ok?"

"Whatever you say," he whispered and then he kissed her.

~o~o~

A little while later, back at the farm:

There was a knock at the door. It was Tess again.

Jonathan was reluctant to open the door, but he did it anyway. "Now what? Haven't you done enough?"

"May I come in?" He thought about it for a minute, then reluctantly let her inside. "I'm sorry, but I have to tell Clark something, it's important."

"He has a cellphone." That was Martha with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, no, it has to be in person."

"Just tell us what it is then leave." Jonathan was getting impatient with her dramatics.

Tess was reluctant to speak, but then she realized that Clark trusted them. "Alright, but please don't tell anyone else. What I tell you now could put all of us in danger."

Jonathan and Martha glanced at each other, both wondering if they could trust anything she said.

Tess wasn't surprised by their glances. "I know I haven't shown that you can trust me, but believe me, I would never do anything to hurt him." They were silent. "Please, you have to believe me."

"You love him." Martha was sure of this.

"Yes, I've loved him for as long as I can remember, but I know he doesn't love me, not in that way."

A full minute passed. "Alright, we won't tell anyone else," Jonathan finally said.

"Thank you," Tess said and then she told them everything she knew about Cadmus Labs, Lex's mad schemes and Lionel's ultimate revenge.

Jonathan finally found his voice. "I can't believe this."

"It's true, Mr. Kent. Both my brother and father truly feared him, but in their own way, they worshipped him too."

"Clark is not a god, Ms. Luthor," Martha told her sternly.

"I know that, but we have to protect him. He needs to know about … the Doomsday Project."

"We'll tell him," Jonathan whispered, but inside he was terrified for all of them.

"We'll tell him what?" Clark asked as he and Lois walked inside the house.

TBC!

~o~o~

Song Inspiration: I Have Nothing (If I Don't Have You): Whitney Houston.

A/N: Ok, now you know where I'm going with this, but I just may have a few surprises in store. I so enjoyed writing this chapter with Clark, Lois, Jor-El and Lara at the Fortress. Wow, I love writing Fortress scenes, but of course, I had to stretch it a bit concerning the suit, but you know I had to add that. Clark will prove his worth to everyone, because he is the 'real deal'! Thanks for reading everyone. Reviews are love.