After seeing Oliver, Lois went to meet Jimmy. She was obsessed already with the RBB but she had to dampen down her and Jimmy's enthusiasm because of what Oliver said. They decided to just keep an eye out for more saves and to keep a file on him. The picture would not be published, well not yet anyway.
By the time Lois got back to the Farm, it was gone midnight. She expected Clark would be in bed, but as she crept in the door, she saw Clark sitting in the dark infront of a blazing fire.
"Clark, what are you doing sitting up in the dark?"
She walked up to the sofa. He turned and gave her a half smile. "Just thinking!"
"Can I sit down?"
Clark nodded and gestured for her to sit down.
"So what did Jimmy have to say about this mysterious hero?"
"To be honest Clark we're not publishing the story. I have decided not to push for him to reveal his identity. He will come out of hiding when he feels ready." Lois smiled, not realising how prophetic her words would turn out to be.
"That's what makes you different, isn't Lois. You care, you put other people's feelings before your own." Clark said softly.
"Maybe I do. What about us?." Lois suggested.
Clark looked at her. He had been so blind. There was this amazing woman right in front of him and had been for the last four years. She had claimed his heart, without him even realising...until now.
"Lois, I cannot protest my innocent much more. I understand why you may have your doubts, in fact I would if I was in your position. But I will say one more thing on the matter. When I was younger I discovered it is highly unlikely that I will be able to have children." Clark said with such emotion.
Lois was confused. "Clark, I don't understand. I know about you and Lana's baby?"
"What about Lana's baby?"
"I know she lost your baby, Clark. I have wanted to say something but I knew it would hurt you too much." Lois explained, placing her hand on his for support.
"Lois, Lana was not carrying my baby or Lex's for that matter. She was never pregnant. Lex gave her drugs which induced pregnancy like symptoms and then made her experience a fake miscarriage. He wanted to make sure that she would go through with the wedding."
Lois realised that is why everyone remained quiet on the issue. "I thought that is why you were so devastated."
Clark shook his head. "No, it was seeing Lana marry another man that almost destroyed me."
He continued. "I have thought about Lana a lot since she left."
Lois interrupted. "Yeah I know you love her."
"That's the point Lois. My life with Lana was always based on dreams and aspirations and no matter how hard we tried, life never lived up to those dreams. It was like chasing the fairytale that never happened."
He gazed at Lois with a look she had never seen before. "I did not know what real love was until now..."
Clark did not need to say anymore, Lois was hooked. She moved towards him.
"No running this time, Lois." Clark whispered as he gently started to kiss her neck.
Clark was going for the sensual approach, not that Lois was complaining at first. Then the frustration crept in, she needed him now.
She climbed on him, and started kissing him so hard it would have bruised his lips if he hadn't been invincible. Clark was shocked by Lois's change of pace but soon kept up with her.
Lois felt Clark's hands travelling up her back.
"Lois, can we stop now or I won't be held responsible where this leads."
"you mean where I am hoping it will lead. If it doesn't, I won't be held responsible for what I do to you."
Clark laugh was interrupted by Lois's kiss. He would never have gone this far with Lana fully powered so why wasn't he hesitating. It was because it felt right!
Their clothes were starting to be removed when the phone rang. Clark and Lois had no intention of answering it, until it went to voicemail and they heard her voice. They pulled apart.
"Clark, it's Mindy. I want you to meet in Metropolis in the morning."
Lois looked at Clark. "Do you trust me?"
Clark nodded, curious where this was leading.
Lois picked up the phone. "Hi Mindy, its Lois. Clark's in the shower, shall I get him to ring you back."
"What are you doing there?"
"Well considering Clark and I live together and are getting married next month, I don't think it's so hard to believe is it."
"Married?" Mindy sounded shocked and hung up.
Clark gave Lois that look. "Married, don't you think that was a bit OTT."
"It will keep her off your back, Clark. I just got carried away. I was going to say dating, the word marriage just slipped out." Lois tried to smile to pacify Clark.
Clark looked at her and grinned...
Clark looked at Lois, she was still sitting on his lap. He went to start where they had left off, but the phone rang again. It was no doubt Mindy...
Clark answered this time. "Hi Clark. It's Mindy. We need to talk at 7.30am tomorrow outside the railway station. By the way that was a great save of that old man this afternoon, although red and blur are a little eye catching if you are trying to hide your double identity."
Mindy hung up. Clark did not know how to react. His head was quickly trying to think of a way of dealing with this. The problem was Lois, she was expecting an encore now.
"Who was that?"
"It was an old friend, he's just arrived in town. I said I would meet him before work tomorrow." Clark lied.
Lois was suspicious but decided to let it lie until she could find out the full story behind it.
"Oh, I see. So I guess you need an early night." Lois smiled.
"Lois, do you mind if we take a raincheck on..."
"No problem, Clark. You need to sort out your friend first." Lois suggested.
"I'll sleep in the guestroom tonight." Lois was disappointed, he could tell.
"Ok, then."
Clark went up to bed. He was angry. Mindy was taking things too far, in fact she had resorted to blackmail but what did she want in return. His moment with Lois had been spoilt. He had wanted it as much as her. He would make it up to her once things were sorted.
Early next morning, Clark deliberately left early so he would not have to lie to Lois anymore. He arrived at the station to see Mindy waiting for him. He couldn't believe when he saw her. She seemed nervous and even vulnerable, nothing like the ***** she acted like. He could tell she had been crying.
"Clark...you came!" Mindy said.
"Why are you blackmailing me?" Clark asked directly.
"Clark, I have no choice." She burst into tears. "My father would not understand my predicament." Clark was shocked by her demeanour.
"Are you pregnant?"
"yes, I am, but my father would go mad if he found out who the father was. I told him it was you."
"Why me?"
"Because my father is always going on about how impressed he is with your mom's input at the Senate and how you must take after her. He has kept a close eye on your work and has big plans for you and Lois."
"Lois?"
"Yes, my father is a bit of a visionary and has an uncanny ability to spot talent. He thinks you and Lois could become the Planet's biggest assets." Mindy explained.
"But how long are you going to keep this charade up." Clark asked, starting to see Mindy in a new light. She seemed desperate.
"I need to let the pregnancy news sink in, and then I will break the news of who the real father is. However I understand if you are mad and I tell my father the truth now if that is what you want. I am so sorry I dragged you into this mess."
"Look. I can see you are upset but this is starting to affect my relationship with Lois. Who is the father?"
She whispered in his ear. Clark was shocked but it helped him decide to help Mindy. It would only be for another week.
"By the way, I will never divulge your secret to anyone. You are a good man Clark, who goes out of his way to help people." Mindy smiled and hugged Clark.
Clark was still confused. His loyalty had to be to Lois but for some reason he found himself implored to help Mindy. She was not the cold hearted ***** he had thought she was. He would only have to keep this from Lois for a week until the news broke.
"Lois and you make a good team. If you feel at any point it is becoming a barrier to you and her, I will understand your need to tell her."
Clark smiled. "I will try and do my best to help you. I won't lie to anyone about being the father, but I won't deny it either."
"Thanks you so much." She hugged him again.
What neither of them realised is that Lois was watching from across the street. She could not hear what was being said, but she didn't need to. The body language told the story. Her heart shattered into pieces...
Clark arrived at work to find Lois sitting at her desk typing away. Clark had known her long enough to know that something major was bothering her.
"Lois, can we go out to lunch today. We need to talk." Clark asked hopefully.
"I can't I'm too busy. Got a tight deadline on this poodle contest scandal piece." Lois said in a flat tone without even looking up from her computer.
"Sounds important." Clark tried to make a joke.
Lois got up and walked past him, muttering. "Gotta go..." as she left.
Clark waited for her to return from her story but she never did. He was starting to worry about her, so he decided to go out and search for her. She did not answer her cell.
He zipped around the city with no luck. He assumed she must be back at the Farm. He was just about to head back to Smallville when he heard a familiar scream. It was coming from an abandoned building on an industrial estate on the outskirts of Metropolis. He was there within seconds.
He went in and found Lois tied to a chair, surrounded with two men. One had a gun pointed at her head. She was blindfolded.
"You made a big mistake, Ms Lane." The tallest man sneered. He was about to pull the trigger.
Less than a second later, both men were on the floor. Clark grabbed Lois and left the building. Lois hung on for dear life. She was still blindfolded but still felt as though she was travelling very fast.
Eventually they arrived at the Farm.
Clark put Lois down. Lois would recognise the smell of the Farm anywhere.
"Thank you...whoever you are."
She was just about to remove her blindfold when Clark grabbed her hand to stop her. She stopped immediately. Clark tried to remove his hand but Lois kept hold of it. He could have easily removed it but something stopped him. She kept hold of it and moved her hand up his arm until she could feel his face.
"Why do you hide in the shadows. You must be so lonely."
At that moment, Clark wanted to tell her how he often used to feel alone but he didn't anymore. He stared at her lips. It took everything in his being to stop himself kissing them. She ran her fingers over his cheek and then onto his lips.
He placed his hand under her chin and tilted it gently upwards. His lips quivered as they travelled slowly towards hers. As soon as Clark's touched hers, panic set in when he realised what was about to happen. He had to escape from Lois, otherwise he would reveal everything.
It took all the strength he could muster to tear himself away from her. Deep down he wanted to be honest with her but this was not the time.
He supersped upstairs.
Lois was still holding her hands in midair as if the RBB was there. She snapped out of it when she heard Clark shouting from upstairs.
"Is that you Lois?" Clark asked.
She took her blindfold off. "Yeah, it's me."
"Are you ok? I was starting to worry about you." Clark went and hugged her but Lois pulled back. Her face crumpled and she started sobbing.
"I was almost killed. I got a lead from the poodle story that led me to a major drugs deal that was going down. I crept in, but they spotted me. If it hadn't been for the Blur, I would be dead. He brought me back here."
She decided not to elaborate on the moment her and the RBB shared, as she felt guilty by the inappropriate feelings she was starting to have for him. She told herself that it was caused by the adrenaline of being snatched from the jaws of death.
"oh my god, Lois are you ok?" He went to the kitchen and poured her a bourbon.
She grabbed it out of his hand and downed it before heading across and pouring another one. After a few minutes, she started to calm down.
"Lois, sit down." Clark held her hand and led her to the kitchen table.
"Do you want something to eat?" Clark asked as he knew Lois liked to graze when she was stressed.
He got a lasagne out of the freezer and cooked it. He opened a bottle of wine.
"Lois, are you ok? If you want to talk about it anytime..."
"I'm fine." Lois wasn't but decided to try and put events of this evening to the back of her mind. However her mind kept going back to her moment with the RBB.
Clark knew exactly what was going through her mind, as exactly the same was going through his. His heart was telling him to reveal all and take her upstairs to finish what they started the previous night. His head was yelling no.
Lois wanted to confront Clark about Mindy but she was exhausted. "Do you mind if I head to bed. I have had an eventful day."
Clark kissed her on the forehead. "Of course not! If you need me during the night, let me know."
During the night, Clark could hear her sobs as she buried her head in the pillow to stifle them. He had to be with her so he got up.
Lois was reacting badly to the near death experience. Her usual Lois Lane bravado could not suppress the feelings. She lay there sobbing. Suddenly she felt the duvet being peeled back and felt Clark climb into her bed.
"Lo, are you ok? If you want me to leave I will. I just want to hold you tonight." Clark had a tear in his eye.
Everything to do with Mindy and the RBB were put on hold until the morning. Tonight she needed Clark's strong arms around her. Soon she went into a deep sleep and started to dream.
She was standing the kitchen like she was that evening. The RBB placed his hand on her chin and lifted her lips to meet his. Before their lips met, he ripped off her blind fold. All she could see was a familiar face – Clark...