Previously...

"You're okay Lois. You're safe."

"But I'm back." She said this with so much conviction, as if she knew exactly what was going on.

"Back where?" He didn't understand, what did she mean 'back'?

"I'm in heaven. It's the same place I came after that plane crash. The one I told you about in the hospital."

"Lois, you're not in heaven. Believe it or not this place belongs to me." Clark placed his hand to her cheek, she shivered in response, he was so warm. Pulling her upright, Clark sat down, her in his lap, and held her close. She was getting too cold. "But I'll explain later, okay? I promise. Just relax. I'll get us outta here."

Lois nodded and closed her eyes, burrowing further into his chest. Clark stood up, Lois still in his arms, and sped off taking the familiar route back to the farm and back to the place where two blonds were waiting impatiently for them.

"Where are they?!" Chloe Sullivan paced the living room of the Kent Farm frantically, tears streaming down her face as she choked out words. "It's been hours and they're still not here!"

"Chloe, you need to calm down, they're sure to be back soon..."

"But you don't know that Oliver!" She stopped and abruptly whirled around to face him, all of her agitated energy being thrust out as anger. " You don't know any more than I do! Lois was shot and Clark ran off with her over ten hours ago; not even Bart could keep up with him! They could be anywhere! And Lois... S- s- she could be, she could b- be..." Before she could finish her sentence, Chloe was overwhelmed with the new tears that poured as she thought of what could have happened to her cousin.

Oliver went over to her, and wrapped his arms around her as she broke down. "Shhhh... It's okay. Lois will be fine, we both know that Clark would never let anything happen to her, even if he had to give her a louder voice and a higher caffeine dependence." Chloe smiled half-heartedly, partly humouring Oliver but was slightly cheered up by imagining having to deal with such a Lois. 'Clark would certainly have his hands full...'

The pair separated, Chloe quickly finding the nearest tissue box, needing to clean herself up desperately - even with waterproof mascara she looked a mess. "I think I'll make us some coffees, it's been a long night." Oliver shot Chloe a quick smile before disappearing into the kitchen, his relationship with Lois had at least taught him one thing: Where every person she knew kept their caffeine supply. Feeling suddenly exhausted, Chloe sat on the sofa and drifted off to an unsettled sleep...

Her eyes opened and the scene before her was nothing if not confusing. She stood in the Smallville Cemetery familiar faces standing beside her all looking as grim as the cloud-ridden sky. She saw her father, Jimmy, Oliver, Tess, Mrs Kent and Clark. 'Clark! He was there, he was alive!'

"Clark! What's going on I thought-"

"I'm so sorry Chloe." he interrupted as if she hadn't spoken at all, that stony expression set like cement on his face. "It's all my fault. I couldn't save her, I was too late. It was all my fault."

"What do you mean? I don't understand." Clark didn't speak, he only pointed straight ahead, that same disturbing emotion radiating off of his body.

Chloe adjusted her gaze so that it was in the direction of her friend's extended arm. Her eyes widened as she caught sight of what was before her. In front of her were two people she knew only because of their relation to her: her uncle and younger cousin, otherwise known as Sam and Lucy Lane. They were on their knees clutching at each other as tears of despair ran out of their eyes, behind them was a headstone that read:

Lois Lane
1986 - 2008
Beloved Daughter and Sister
Now joins her mother
long before her time

Delicate flowers were etched around the top of the gravestone, draping around the words like curtains, but it didn't make it any more real. Chloe's mind reeled. 'How could this have happened? It can't be true it just can't be!' She tore her eyes away and turned to look at Clark, only to find that he wasn't there. She was stood alone in the cemetery, only the pathetic attempt at a summary of the only family member she ever thought of as family as company. Turning from side to side she searched for him, the one guy who could solve anything.

"Clark!? Clark! CLARK!"

Chloe woke with a start. Blinking quickly, she tried to speed up the adjustment of her eyes to the new level of light, or darkness rather. She was in the Kent's living room, on the couch. It had to have been a dream. Nothing much had changed, except she was now lying vertically, instead of the slumped position she had held earlier, she was also covered by a blanket and her shoes were on the floor, by end of her feet. A weight on her legs panicked her slightly, before she realized that it was Shelby, curled up and snoring on her knees. Upon further inspection, Chloe saw the cold cup of coffee on the table next to her and Oliver snoozing in the armchair.

It could have been minutes or hours later when she finally found herself awake enough to reach into the delves of her pockets to retrieve her phone, which promptly told her that she'd been asleep for a little over five hours. She was still exhausted.

Sighing, Chloe lay still and tried to get herself to rest. However, just as her body began to drift off a familiar gust of wind jolted her body into an upright position. She didn't even notice the head rush.

"Clark?" Now standing, blanket forgotten at her feet and a not very happy Shelby thrown on top of it, she looked towards the huge figure heading towards her, eyes instantly drawn to the limp body in his arms. "Oh my God, Lois. Is she-?"

"It's okay, she's just asleep. She's fine." Clark answered her prematurely, not wanting her sentence to be finished and putting the idea of Lois dead into the atmosphere.

Chloe took a moment to let the relief wash over her before launching into another question. "What about you, are you okay?"

"A little tired, but I'm fine." Clark's voice was weary, he almost sounded elderly.

"Where did you go? When you left, Bart tried to follow you, but you were running too fast for him to keep up..."

"I went to the Fortress. I got Jor-El to heal Lois." Clark was too drained, he didn't want to do this now but Chloe deserved to know at least a bit of what had happened. With her journalistic curiosity combined with the relationship between her and Clark, and her and Lois, Clark knew that she would have been out of her mind knowing that she was out of the loop. "I used this special crystal, but I can't give you any details until Lois knows everything. It wouldn't be fair if you knew anything before she finds out herself."

Chloe nodded, before yawning widely.

"You should get some sleep. Why don't you take my room? I'll sleep in the loft."

Chloe, too sleepy to argue, began the long journey upstairs, abandoning her shoes which were still by the end of the sofa. Shelby gave a sharp bark, clearly fed up with being ignored, which caused Oliver to wake up with a start. Still carrying Lois, Clark went over to his semi-conscious friend in the armchair. After a few seconds, Oliver spoke. "I'd better be going, you've had a lot to deal with today." He started to get up and leave, but Clark's voice stopped him.

"You should stay here, you're way too tired to drive anywhere. Take the couch, I'll put Lois in my parents' room." His friend reacted similarly to Chloe, doing exactly as Clark had suggested with little hesitation.

Clark headed upstairs towards the room he still considered to belong to his parents, despite the fact that they hadn't shared it in three years. His bedroom door was shut and, when Clark listened, he could hear the steady rise and fall of Chloe's lungs - a sure sign that she was already asleep. Clark got into his parents' bedroom and took Lois to the bed. Thinking that she'd be more comfortable, Clark stripped her down to her underwear and placed one of his old shirts over her head. He wrapped the duvet snugly around her and folded her clothes onto the chair next to her.

The sudden knowledge that Lois was safe and resting made Clark realize how tired he truly was. He looked out of the window at the full moon in the blackened sky. It must have been around one in the morning... 'Lois would understand me taking a break from my protector duty... Right?'

The appeal of a warm bed too strong, Clark took off his jacket, shoes, socks, shirt and pants so that he was left in just his boxers. Not really considering the possible results of his actions, he slid into the bed next to Lois, wrapping his arms around her, knowing that he had finally done it. He had found the person he could spend the rest of his life with. He just hoped that after the inevitable conversation tomorrow, he would survive long enough to tell her that.

A/N Okay, I just think I'll add that I've written the next two chapters on paper and I think I'm pretty much finished from there. I might do an Epilogue, but that depends on how I feel once I've posted up Chapter 22. The next chapter is called 'Coffee Confessions'. When do you think I should post it?