Chapter 22

"Lane. I still haven't gotten any word from your interview yet. What's the holdup?" Perry walked up to her in rage.

Lois rubbed her temples, "I'm working on it chief. Haven't even gotten close to him."

"Doesn't seem like you're trying hard enough Lane. What happened to that reporter I used to know?"

"She had her heart broken." She said under her breath, but Perry never heard her. She turned to him, "I'll do what I can. But I should tell you he's become shy towards reporters." She was trying to make up excuses from the back f her head to get Perry off her back.

Perry shook his head, "Look. I don't even need you to get a quote from him. Just cover a story about his rescues, take quotes from witnesses and when he's ready, he'll fly back to you like old times."

Lois sighed, "Yes, Sir." Perry nodded and walked away. Lois looked over at the desk in front of her. Clark hadn't been at the Planet all day. Where was he? She swallowed hard. Maybe he left... again. At the thought of never seeing Clark again made her heart ache, like before. She was starting to get scared. She stayed at the Planet all night, pretending to work on something, but secretly waiting to see if he would show up at one point. He never showed up. Tears formed in her eyes. Maybe her instincts were right. Maybe he gave up fighting for her and got out of her hair for good this time. She looked at the time, it was almost 1am. She took her bag and headed out of the office. Chris was sleeping over at Oliver and Chloe's so she was heading home alone.

It started pouring hard in Metropolis. Lois could barely see where she was walking. She parked her car a few blocks down. She covered herself with her black trench coat while trying to find her way to her car. On her way down the isolated roads, she saw three men in dark clothes standing in her way, drinking beer. She sighed, another night in Metropolis with drunk low lives. One of the men spotted her and hit his friends in the arm catching their attention to the lone woman walking around at night. They kept whistling and making noises at her. The men didn't scare Lois, she just kept her eyes on the ground and tried to walk past them. One of the men blocked her way and was standing closer to her than she would like. She looked up at the man who smirked at her, "What's a fine lady like you doing walking alone at night?"

Lois sighed, "Trying to get home thank you very much."

She tried brushing past him when another man took her by the arm, "Hey! Where do you think you're going?"

Lois rolled her eyes, "You must be deaf since I just told your friend here I was heading home." Lois snatched his arm off hers, "Touch me again and I'll be sure to break that scrawny arm of yours."

"Ohhhh snap we got a feisty one here boys! C'mere!" The man took her by the shoulders and pushed her against the wall and hard as he could. Lois winced at the pain, but she had no time to whine about it. She took the man who touched her by the neck and kneed him hard in the crotch. The man bent over yelping in pain on the ground. Another man wrapped his arm around her from behind, locking her arms. Lois tried to struggle away. She saw the third man come up to her from the front and graze his hand up her side. Lois kicked him in the stomach and ran backwards to a brick wall which knocked the guy with his arms wrapped around her. She elbowed him hard in the ribs which made him loosen his grip as Lois took that opportunity and started to run.

The man who she kneed in the crotch finally recovered and grabbed her before she went too far. He took her by the hair and threw her against the wall, knocking her head hard against the brick wall. Lois' head started spinning. The man locked her against the wall with a knife to her neck, "You move again and I'll slice your head off you crazy bitch!"

The other two men had recovered from Lois' hits and locked her arms to the side against the wall. Lois tried to pull herself out, but it was hard as she felt the steel of the knife cut against her neck. She felt pain as she felt blood run down her chest. One of the men ripped her blouse open, she heard the buttons fall to the ground. She screamed out, "GET THE HELL OFF OF ME! HELP SOMEONE PLEASEE HEEEEELLLPPPP!" She kept her eyes shut when she felt a hand on her breast and another running up her inner thigh, heading up her skirt. Then she suddenly felt no hands on her whatsoever. No one locked her hands, she didn't feel a knife on her anymore. She did hear screaming from the men. She opened her eyes and saw a dark figure take two of the men and knocked their heads together. He dropped them unconscious on the ground. He looked over to see the third man, still holding the knife, crawl away, crying for help. He took him by the collar of his jacket and started choking him in the air.

The man struggled to make out words, pleading for mercy, "P-please! I'll do anything!" The man holding him huffed out of anger and took him and both his friends and threw them into a dumpster far away.

The dark figure stood there with his back towards Lois. She saw his shoulders lift up and down from breathing hard. Lois looked down, nearby, she saw a pair of familiar glasses. She sighed of relief when she saw them. She bent over and picked up the glasses, when she stood up straight, her head started spinning again. She pinched the bridge of her nose, wincing at the pain in her head. She had a massive headache. Everything that just happened was so overwhelming she just wanted to fall to the ground and cry her heart out. She lifted up her head and gasped when she saw Clark a few inches from her face. He looked so concerned, she gulped as he said with a husky voice, "Are you okay?"

Lois took a deep breath and nodded her head. Rain was pouring harder on them, Clark saw the cut on her neck was still bleeding, he brushed the tip of his fingertips on her cut which made her shudder. She took his hand with hers and squeezed it, "I'm fine." She looked down at the glasses and placed them in his hand, "You should be careful. Those men could've seen your identity."

Clark shook his head, "I don't care about that. I care if you're safe."

Lois swallowed hard, "Still. They could use it against you any time. They're a bunch of low lives, if they know about you. They'll use it against you for sure."

He gently touched her arm, he looked her deep in the eyes, "Lois. I. Don't. Care. I'm not going anywhere." Tears started to form in her eyes, but Clark couldn't see through the rain. Clark looked down at her ripped blouse. Her bra was exposed, Lois covered it with her jacket, he took a deep breath, he was ready to rip open the heads of the men who touched her, "Did they... did they hurt you."

Lois shook her head, "Nothing I can't handle."

"Are you sure you don't wanna get that checked out at the hospital?" Clark voiced a tone of concern.

Lois shook her head, "It's just a cut, I'm gonna be in the waiting room for hours I'm fine." They stared at each other for a moment, "Thank you Clark."

She turned to walk away when she felt his arm wrap around her. He whipped her around to face her. The look on his face was stunned, "You don't expect me to just let you go home alone after what just happened?"

Lois sighed, "The worst is over. I can handle walking to my car."

"I'll bring you your car in the morning. It's raining hard and you're in no condition to go home alone." Lois narrowed her eyes at him, "Lemme take you home. My method of transportation is much safer let alone faster."

Lois opened her mouth, "I don't know..."

"Lois.. please." Lois looked back at him. He wasn't going to leave her alone. Though, she had never been so relieved than when she saw Clark save her from those men. She had been so scared. Forget Clark. SHE wasn't ready to be left alone tonight. Lois nodded at his offer. Clark smiled to her, she walked closer to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him so hard it was like she was holding on for dear life. It's been so long since she flew with him. Clark placed his arms on her back, securing her to him. "Hold on." He said softly, Lois nodded against him when he shot up to the sky. Lois looked down at the city of Metropolis. She remembered her and Clark used to do this many times years ago. She looked up at his face as he was looking straight ahead. He felt so warm, she had forgotten how warm he was. Within a few seconds, their short trip landed her on the balcony of her condo.

Lois reluctantly let go of Clark and faced him, "Thank you." Clark nodded. She turned around and held on to the handle of the window, but she couldn't open it. She turned around again to face him, "You know I thought you left again today." Clark blinked at her, she continued, "When I didn't see you at work today I assumed... I thought maybe you... gave up again. That you left Earth for good this time. I was.. I gotta admit I was scared. I guess that's always gonna be there you know. That fear that something's gonna tick you off and make you leave."

Clark looked at her sympathetically, "Lois.. last time I didn't think I had a choice."

Lois shook her head, "We always have a choice Clark."

"I know that now. I know I made the wrong one. I've grown now Lois. I know now that my only option isn't to leave. I hurt you. But I want you to know one thing... There wasn't a moment when I was away, that my heart wasn't here with you and our son."

Lois nodded she walked closer to him, not taking her eyes off his. She cupped both her hands on either side of his face, as they continued to stare at each other. Lois leaned her forehead against his and closed her eyes. She felt his breath on her. Her heart sank at the closeness. She wanted to stay this close to him. They stood like that for a while until Lois pulled away. "Thank you again... You're always saving me."

The edge of Clark's mouth twitched upwards, "Somebody has to." Lois nodded and backed away into her house. Clark called out to her once more, "Lois..." She turned around at the sound of her name, Clark hesitated, "Are you sure you're gonna be okay tonight?" She gave him a faint smile and nodded while backing away into her condo. She closed the window and then with one more glance at Clark, she shut the curtains between them. Clark took a deep breath and flew off. Lois walked into her bedroom, hair soaking wet, but she didn't care. She sat on her bed, thinking about Clark. Maybe he wasn't going anywhere this time. She was twiddling her fingers as she thought about her family. How badly she wanted her family back now. She opened the drawer to her nightstand and reached in to grab a small box in the back of the drawer. She stared at the box for a while and hesitated to open it. When she finally built up the courage to open the box she stared at the object before her. She pulled it out and examined it in front of her. The round gold figure was still shiny and flawless as ever. She read the inscription on the inside rim of the ring:

L&C Always and Forever

Lois sighed, "Always and forever. That's what we promised." After four years, Lois placed the wedding ring on her finger and continued to stare at it. Lois closed her eyes. She took the ring off her finger and placed it back in the box and hid it in the back of her drawer.