imhooked: Thanks! I'm glad you liked it :)

Guest #1: Thank you and you're welcome too :) You'll see in this chapter that at least one of your concerns is not a concern at all, and yes I agree, Lois Lane is made of sterner stuff. She's not vindictive, thank goodness, but she wouldn't take this lying down ;)

clarkfan325: Thank you! I hope you like what happens to them here :)

Guest #2 & #3: I have a feeling you're one and the same :) Actually, I hated writing that too, but in this chapter it will be explained why it happened that way. Thanks for reading :)

Guest #4: Thanks! I agree, Clark needs to suffer, and suffer he will ;)

tua33915: Thanks! I hope you find the Clois here good too :)

Guest #5: Thanks for reading :) I hope what happens here satisfy you :)

Here is the next chapter of No Other You :)

Chapter 13

"Please, Linda. Help me. They did this to me. Punish them."

"I will, Maxima. They will feel my wrath and you will be vindicated. But stay with me. Do not leave me."

"Punish them, Linda. Punish them."

"Do not leave me. You are the only family I have left. Do not leave me."

"Don't leave me!" Linda shouted, her eyes flying open, sweat trickling her face and neck as she awoke with the start.

But she stayed still on the small cot, inside an abandoned hut near the lake at Smallville. It was always like this, every time she expended her powers at length. The Duke had not noticed it before, but when Maxima was with him, Linda would always stay in their room, recuperating and recovering from the great strain of transforming Maxima into Lois Lane.

Linda cursed. For the first time, she regretted leaving her father's family early to search for her mother. They have been training her ever since she joined them, for they told her that she had great potential, given the nature of her powers. But then again, being with her sister was one of the greatest joys she had experienced in her life.

Linda remembered her life as a nomad. She did not hate it, but she did not like it either. She remembered when she was younger, she always inquired about her mother, only for her father to tell her to best leave it to the wind, each and every time. One day, when she was fifteen, she had asked again, and received the same answer that she had lost her temper and made the boiling pot of water just a few feet away from them explode.

She did not think any of it, but her father instantly knew. She had inherited his magical abilities. He was extremely jubilant and he went to work right away in honing her talents, but it took time to determine all of her powers.

Instantly Linda and her father knew that she could control water. Then came her ability to transform into it. The elders thought that it was enough, but her father wanted more. She still has not manifested his power of reshaping objects with his mind, and he vowed to work on that.

What they got was more. Linda was able to transform herself into another person. Her father was ecstatic, but the first time Linda did it she had stayed in her bed for a month. But her father was not deterred, and he had pushed her. Every time, she thought she had reached her limit, but every time she overcame it, until finally she was able to transform other people as well.

The last of her powers was accidentally discovered. It was one of those days that she was wondering about her mother, and of course had inquired her father about her. Her father gave Linda the same answer, but instead of getting angry, she tried a different route and pleaded.

Linda approached her father and laid a hand on his arm. "Please father." Linda said, her voice already tinged with desperation. "You have to open up to me. I need a mother. Please tell me where she is."

And suddenly, her father looked at her in a trance, his face softened and told her everything about her mother.

Linda instinctively knew that she somehow had made her father reveal her mother's identity. Armed with that theory, Linda had tried with the other members of their group. With each touch, the more difficult the emotion or action she willed them to feel or do. Linda made a boy who was afraid of heights climb a majestic tree. She even made one elder give her the secret recipe of a potion that the he was guarding closely. The more absurd the act, the more Linda grew confident that she did not need her father's guidance.

The time came that Linda so desperately wanted to meet her mother. Her father was adamant; she was all he had left, he had told her. But Linda was determined, and one touch from her made her father release her so that she can find her mother. Two weeks after she left, she had received word that her father had died, and that elders would not welcome her back if she desired to return. It was fine with her, she had always thought that with her powers, she was meant for bigger things.

She has found her mother, or at least her mother's family. She was already dead, but Linda was welcomed by her half-sister Maxima, who knew of her existence, but told her that she must act as her lady's maid for she did not want any scandal to surface since they were members of the society.

Linda then made it her life mission to make her sister happy, and Maxima had told her that to make her to happy was to have the Duke of Metropolis.

It was difficult, because the Duke was mostly away during season, and when he does attend a party, he would mostly stay with his close friends away from the majority of attendees. That one exception was the Earl and the Countess of Star's masquerade ball, when the Duke went out of his comfort zone and had not left a woman's side.

That night she had worked strenuously. Taking into account everything Maxima had told her, she had tracked down Lois' sister, her transformation into water helping her move faster, and then using her persuasive touch, made the General ride during the night to reach Lucy, and another touch made the General decide that they needed to return to their home immediately. Knowing that the real Lois would not be a hindrance to their plans, Linda had used her powers to transform Maxima into Lois, and at the handshake, had made Clark delirious in desire for her sister who was in disguised in another woman's body.

But everything went downhill after that. She did not know why, but it seemed like Clark snapped out of her magic. He grew disillusioned and had lost interest in Maxima not even a week into the wedding. The Duke's disregard of Maxima had pushed her sister into the arms of Wes Keenan, which turned tragic at her sudden death by fire, the one element that she had no power over.

Revenge had filled her mind ever since, but it was proving to be a daunting task. Twice the Duke had broken free of her magic, if you did not count the time the Duke was married to Maxima. First was when he saved Lois from drowning in her own bed. Linda had tried to place the Duke in a cloud of confusion, but he had broken free of that. The second time was just yesterday, when she had touched Clark at the market, filling him with hate towards Lois, only to sense that that too had been broken. Linda could not believe it, but it seemed like the bond between the Duke and Lois was a strong one.

But no matter, she still has some things in her arsenal. Spells were not the only things that can further her cause. Gathering her remaining strength, Linda knew what had to be done, and that it had to happen as soon as possible.

Clark shook his head. Now he does not know what to do just to get back at Lois' good graces. He stared down at the half-eaten bouquet of roses, discovering it at the floor inside one of the boxes in his stable.

It was the day of the picnic, and Clark woke up early, thinking he would offer his assistance to his mother and Lois. Only his mother paid attention to him.

Seventeen times. Seventeen times she ignored him. He had tried to talk to Lois, or at least stay close to her in an effort to help her, but every attempt was turned down just by being silent and giving him the cold shoulder. And that was only this morning.

It was then that Clark decided to soften Lois with flowers. Paying a visit to his mother's rose bush in the garden, he handpicked the blooms, removed the thorns, and tied it, albeit a bit sloppily, and left it by the door outside her room, knowing she was inside preparing to leave with her mother for the picnic.

Clark knew that he had to keep his distance. He fought the urge to stay hidden just so he could watch Lois' reaction to the flowers. Instead, he took his horse and went for a ride, and after an hour he returned, only to find the bouquet serving as a meal for one of his horses.

Now he was at a loss. Maybe he needed to brazen his way with her, knowing she was a woman who does not do anything at half measures.

No plan formulated at all, Clark allowed a few more minutes of rest for his horse. Deeming the horse well rested now, he mounted him again and headed to the church grounds. Not a few minutes had passed and he reached his destination.

Reaching the gate, Clark dismounted and led the horse to the tree by the entrance to tie it there. The grounds sloped down, and Clark could see that the picnic was in full swing. Lois and his mother did a magnificent job of holding the event. The grounds were packed with people, and they were all having a merry time. There were small stalls at the edge of the field, with some of the villagers displaying their produces and wares to anyone who was willing to purchase. Most adults were by the tables, which were manned by none other than the Dowager Duchess of Metropolis herself, a bright smile on her face as she served the food. He had not seen Lois yet, but he knew that she was close, knowing this was a project close to his mother's heart and that she will do anything to help her.

His eyes scanned once more, and he found a group of children, their sound of their laughs filling the air, while they play, to Clark's understanding, the blind man's bluff. That was when he saw her, and from that moment his eyes stayed only on her.

He smiled as the boy with the blindfold ripped the cloth from his eyes and let out a victorious cry after he had correctly guessed that it was Lois he had touched. Soon, Lois took the black cloth from the boy went to the center of a circle marked on the grass. She put on the blindfold, and then shouted, "Blind man's bluff!"

Clark watched as Lois stayed still while she counted from one to ten. Once she reached ten, there was silence, followed by a few snickers from the other players. Lois extended her arms forward, and slowly took steps trying to find a player to guess correctly so that she may pass on the blindfold.

Clark never took his eyes off her, the reason he was almost too late when he realized that Bruce was in fact also a participant, and that Lois was headed directly towards him.

Acknowledging a possessiveness he never once thought he would feel, Clark broke into a run and silently thanking Lois that she was taking small strides. He arrived just in time to pull Bruce out of the circle and replace him in the game. The thought of Lois placing her hands on Bruce incensed him. He did not even turn around to see Bruce's reaction, which was one of astonishment and curiosity.

Clark's action elicited a smattering of giggles and chuckles from the kids inside the circle. The adults were not as discreet as the younger ones though, and they guffawed at the obvious jealous streak of their lord.

Lois stopped, head tilted to the side, wondering at the merriment that has taken over the players and the spectators. The kids laughed more loudly, intriguing Lois more, but she just gave a shrug as she continued walking, finally bumping into something hard that she waved her arms around to regain her balance.

Lois stilled and smiled, this was too easy. Only one other adult was a participant, and she knew that she will soon relinquish the title of the blind man. "I wonder who this could be?" she said comically, tickling the children, who thought she still had no idea who was in front of her.

Clark could do no nothing but stare at that smile, and it transported him back to the time they were in Chloe's gardens, a blindfold in place of a domino, hiding part of her face to him. Once Lois put her hands lightly on his arms, Clark knew he was a goner. Hands swift and sure, he pulled Lois to him and kissed the luscious mouth that was keeping him awake during the nights.

A gasp escaped Lois, and instantly she knew that the lips that had claimed hers were the ones that she had tasted during her cousin's masquerade ball. She had known then that his kiss was second to none, and she was reaffirmed of that as Clark molded his practiced lips to her innocent ones.

Passion overtaking her, Lois opened her mouth and immediately Clark took advantage and filled her mouth with his tongue, mating with hers, making her quivering with desire. Slowly one arm left her waist, and it travelled up, finally resting behind her head, and Lois was lost. In fact, she had forgotten everything that has transpired yesterday up to this morning. She had forgotten that they even had an audience.

The kiss seemed to go on and on, and Lois did not want it to stop. She felt the blindfold loosen the same time Clark ceased the kiss. Opening her eyes, she stared at Clark's clouded ones. Seeming to search for an answer, she was devastated when Clark released her and walked away.

Silence enveloped the once cheerful affair. Lois looked down at her feet, the piece of cloth that served as the blindfold covering her right foot, ashamed at her own uninhibited response after everything he had said and done to her.

"Lois." A voice called out. Recognizing it as Martha's, she looked up and pasted a smile on her face. "Would you help me set up the food on the table?"

With a nod, Lois reached down picking up the blindfold and handing it to the nearest kid, before heading towards Martha. Better fill herself with thoughts other than the puzzling and aggravating Duke of Metropolis.

Clark did not stop until he had reached the tree were his horse was tied. Catching his breath, he leaned against it, trying to calm his racing heart. Only one thing filled his mind. This Lois was his Lois: the Lois who played poker with him, the Lois who had extensive knowledge of equines and Greek mythology, the Lois who had taken his breath away with a kiss in the gardens surrounded by exquisite marble statues.

Clark then shook his head, he had made another wrong move. He should not have left her standing there, but somehow he had to. Now that he had seemingly picked up his scattered brain, he straightened and turned around, only to find Bruce staring angrily at him.

"What the bloody hell do you think you are doing?" Bruce asked.

"None of your damn business, Bruce." Clark said, still miffed at the protectiveness Bruce was exhibiting.

But Bruce was not easily deterred. "Lois is a good woman, Clark. What you did yesterday and then today? A good woman does not deserve that."

Clark sighed. Bruce was right. Lois was different, rare. He turned to Bruce and proceeded to tell him so. "I know. That is why I am heading back to ask for her forgiveness, something that I have been trying to do ever since this morning."

Bruce only raised an eyebrow. "You tried asking her for her forgiveness?"

Clark nodded. It was not every day that Clark would admit he was wrong and purposely seek out a person just so he could be absolved of his guilt. Even Bruce had to admit, Clark was rarely wrong.

"Care to explain your statement yesterday, then."

He knew immediately what Bruce was talking about. He looked again at the once again busy picnic, and saw that Lois was assisting his mother. She would not go anywhere, she was sleeping in the house he called home, for crying out loud. He had all the time in the world to talk with her.

Bruce waited patiently at Clark's decision. No use in keeping him in the dark, Clark thought, for Bruce would find another way, and it was better to hear it from him. Clark recounted the story, and was thankful that Bruce did not pass any judgment once he was finished. He only had one question for him.

"You do realize that the one you are with now and the one you claimed to marry are completely different people?"

Clark nodded. That kiss earlier made him believe that, which meant that she was innocent and that she would have to be returned to her family sooner. The thought of parting ways with this Lois wrenched at his heart, and his eyes sought her again from the distance. His eyes scanned the field, noticing the crowd suddenly gathering at the tables. Initially he thought that the food was now being served, but after grave faces turned to him, dread filled him. His mother's anguished call confirmed his fear and Clark started running, followed closely by Bruce.

The crowd parting to make way for him, Clark felt the blood drained from his face, as he saw an unconscious Lois sprawled on the ground, an empty goblet beside her, and the grass where the liquid had spilled was not the dewy green it was before, but an ominous black.

"Do not touch that goblet." Clark ordered as he bent down and carried Lois' limp body, running towards his horse.

"Your Grace, the abbey is closer!" someone shouted.

But Clark did not stop. The only place Clark felt that Lois was safe was in his home. Bruce realizing his intention, overtook him and reached the tree first, untying the horse and readying it.

Clark mounted his horse, with Bruce assisting him in settling Lois on his front. "Tell my mother to not let anyone eat or drink from that table. And call for Dr. Hamilton." Clark told Bruce, then spurred his horse on, not looking back to see if Bruce had understood his request.

He had just found his Lois, he was not about to let her go again.

So, what do you guys think? You know the drill! Love you lots! :)