This is the last chapter y'all. I hope you have enjoyed the story! I'd like to especially thank Spaniard for sticking with me and encouraging me from the very beginning! I'd also like to thank harrypotterlovekitten, BenderTheOffender,LionRawr, Razgriz 24, hacker-g, kyalpn, sealkid 3, ElDani, Wilhelm001, Chlollie, and kixtoby. Thank you for letting me know you like it and encouraging me to keep on posting!

Whew!! I'd have never made it without you.

Now…on with the story…

Stars and Water

Chapter 33

Clark and Maria drifted through the sky over the ocean towards home. Now that he had her safe in his arms Clark was in no hurry. He checked Maria thoroughly for any injuries and could only find a growing bruise on her cheekbone. "Are you okay?" he asked, as he peered into her eyes, they looked oddly dilated and he hoped she didn't have a concussion.

"I'm fine Clark," and Maria giggled, her speech slightly slurred "The drug that Lex injected me with seems to have taken away my headache." And she sighed and rested her head against his chest, melting into his arms.

"Lex injected you with something! What was it?" Clark felt terror wash through him. What had Lex done? Was it lethal? He studied Maria and felt a little reassured, her heart beat was strong and steady, and she seemed okay.

"Hmm" Maria sighed and kissed Clark's neck as she answered happily, "It was a truth serum. He thought he could find out your secrets from me but I didn't let him." She giggled again, and patted his chest "You should have seen his face when I jumped!" then she looked up with wide eyes. "I didn't want you to know that!"

Clark felt like his heart had stopped. "You…" he had to clear the lump from his throat to talk and still it came out as a whisper "You jumped." It was his worst nightmare, someone he loved dying to protect his secret.

"Believe me, I tried to fight first but he won." Maria touched her cheek and frowned, then she looked up at Clark and smiled, "but we beat him in the end!" and she laughed happily. "I still can't believe you can fly!" Maria looked around at the sparkling water below them and the puffy white clouds scattered above. The breeze whipping her hair was cold but she felt warm in his arms. The drug had taken full effect now and it made her feel drowsy and relaxed.

Clark was not relaxed at all. He was wrestling with the concept that Maria had chosen death over betraying his secret to Lex. He spiraled down into a circle of guilt and self doubt. He should have gotten to her sooner; he should never have let Lex take her in the first place. If he had really loved her he would never have told her the truth and she wouldn't have been in such danger to begin with. He unconsciously pulled her tighter to him at the thought of her leap out of the plane. My God she was brave, he thought, feeling unworthy of such love.

Maria felt his arms tighten and even through the happy haze of Lex's drug she knew all was not well with Clark. She looked up at him and saw the pain in his eyes. Time for more truth she thought.

"Clark if I hadn't met you I'd already be dead." She said bluntly, Clark looked surprised and started to argue. "No, please let me finish." She said, brushing his lips with her fingertips. She was distracted for a moment at the touch of his lips but brought her wandering mind back to the topic at hand when she looked into his tortured eyes.

"One, you saved me from the river," she held up one finger for emphasis, "Two, I made an enemy of Lex with no help from you in his 33.1 lab, and then you saved me again." Maria poked him in the chest, then frowned and rubbed gently where she had poked him, forgetting it couldn't possibly have hurt his bullet proof skin.

"Then I was kidnapped by Lex and you rescued me." She could see she was getting through to him but he still looked disposed to argue, "Finally, its true Lex wouldn't have kidnapped me this time if I didn't know your secret. He would have simply killed me to hurt my mom." Clark looked stunned, he hadn't thought of that. "One last thing," Maria said quietly, "I love you and there is nothing you can do about it so please stop torturing yourself and kiss me."

Clark stared at Maria letting all she had said sink in, and then he bent his head and put all the love he could into his tender kiss. Maria felt her head spin as she returned his kiss passionately and when she could speak again she whispered, "I think I like this kissing while flying thing, let's try it some more. Besides you can't take me home yet, God knows what I might say to someone before this stupid drug wears off." She looked around at the empty sky and grinned at Clark, "Let's find out what you can do, Fly Boy"

Clark grinned back and laughed out loud at her whoop when he poured on the speed and shot up higher, did a barrel roll and then dove towards the sea. Maybe it was the lingering effects of the drug, or maybe it was just her faith in Clark but Maria felt no fear as they played in the air, pushing Clark's limits. Much later Clark slowed down, lying on his back with Maria sitting confidently balanced on his lap. "Well, what do you think?" he asked a little breathlessly. When Maria shifted her weight it took his mind off flying and they sank towards the sea a little every time she turned to look around.

Maria's eyes were bright with excitement, "Better than the world's best roller coaster." She declared happily and then she noticed the sun was setting. "We should probably go home now, are you tired?"

Clark watched the sun sink into the ocean with a flare of green against a deep red sky. "I'm a little tired," he admitted, "but it really doesn't take much energy to fly. It feels as natural as walking now. I can't believe it took me so long to learn." He gathered her in his arms and spun in the air until they were upright with her hands clasped behind his neck. The sky was a deep blue now and the first stars were out. The ocean had become calm beneath them and the stars were reflected on its silky dark surface. As they kissed they drifted above the swells and in the dark it became hard to tell where the stars began and the water ended.

The End