Note: Sigh. That's how I feel after this chapter. Not sure you all will, but…SIGH. Bruce and Clark. Heated Bruce and Clark. Heated Bruce and Clark over Lois. SIIIIGHH. Ok. Sooooo, here you go. Hope you enjoy reading as much as I ADORED writing this. Would LOVE to know what you think!!!

p.s. I noticed a few of you mentioned thinking Lois was being weak or (and this one hurt) like Lana. OK, you're opinions are totally allowed and valid, but I just wanted to clarify something. Putting Lois in a situation where she's made a commitment to one man while discovering/admitting her feelings for another is a really tight line to walk. I don't want her doing anything to really betray Bruce--because then she'd just be a cheat and then she WOULD be like Lana. But, part of this story has been about Lois trying to run from who she is and what she feels so she won't get hurt. Until Clark arrived, she had no reason whatsoever to believe she WOULDN'T be hurt by him. And when he did arrive? He's not the Clark she's used to...so if you can, please give her (and me) a little leaway and know she'll come out alright in the end. It's a process and sometimes confusion and fear of being hurt are a part of that. Ok. I'm done. I truly do thank everyone for all their opinions -- whether critical or not!! :) Thanks!!!

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Chapter 15

Had there been a rug on the floor, Lois Lane would have worn a hole through it.

As it was, the hardwood floor beneath her was getting a very good polishing. Her nails were being chewed down to the nub. Her hair, a tangled mess of finger rakes and frustrated twirls.

God, what a mess. She had no idea how she'd ended up here. How any of this had happened. Or how she was going to get out of it without causing major damage to one, two, maybe even three very precious hearts. Here she was with two amazing, wonderful, incredibly hot men declaring their undying love for her. Vying her for her attentions, her heart, her love.

And she hadn't a clue what to do.

Traditionally, things like this did not happen to Lois Lane.

Like walking the beam of a teeter totter, Lois moved in one direction, firmly placing her heart in the safety of a marriage as secure as the Wayne billions sitting in a bank vault.

Stop. Spin.

Then she moved in the direction of risk and excitement. Danger and passion. And all the Clark Kent goodness she could manage to devour in one sitting. From what little she'd experienced so far, she guessed that would be a lot. Quite a lot, actually.

Stop. Spin.

No perky and perfect ex-girlfriend to deal with. No denied or repressed feelings. No lingering doubts. No bone-melting, toe-curling, rock-her-to-her-core kisses.

Stop. Spin.

No playing it safe. No half-ways. It'd be all or nothing. Squeeze your eyes shut, take a deep breath and leap into the insanity of the glorious unknown. There would be no turning back. No room for doubt. Just two wild, crazy in love souls taking on the world.

Stop. Spin.

No…Clark.

She paused dead center. Her fingers lightly, reverently brushed across her lips. They still ached from Clark's last kiss. And burned from his first. Lois had known passion in her life. But that kiss was…

She blew out a breath and felt the heated flush race through her body.

How could he do that? It had been five, maybe ten minutes since he'd left her and she still felt his hands on her face. His lips claiming hers. The heat of his body as it pulled her into him. Even more, she still felt the erratic beat of his heart keeping time with hers.

She'd never wanted anyone more.

But relationships were about so much more than a kiss. More than passion. They were…friendship, compatibility, trust and love.

Love.

The word tumbled around her head like a bad omen.

Lois Lane had never been that lucky in love. When she wasn't choosing the wrong guys, she was busy being herself and rebuffing the right ones. Or attaching her heart to unavailable Weekend Warriors that cared more about conquering the world than saving it.

Clark was different. Wasn't he? Then again, so was Bruce…

Well, there was only one thing to do. As her wise old grandmother used to advise, when in doubt…flip a coin.

Her eyes slipped closed. Her world went black. In the center was a shiny new quarter. Clark's face was engraved on one side, Bruce's on the other. She took a deep breath. Heard the mental ting as the coin left her invisible hand. The silver flashed and twisted and floated with elegant grace in pitch darkness.

She held her breath. And prayed. Prayed that when it landed…

Crap.

Bruce Wayne was smiling up at her.

Ok. Best two out of three.

That's when she knew. That's when her heart declared with certain clarity that it belonged, lock-stock-and-barrel, to one Kryptonian born, Kansas raised, Lois Lane devoted Clark Kent.

That hadn't been so hard after all.

Then again, listening to one's heart never is.

A bubble of joy burst through a giddy giggle as unshed tears filled her eyes. Her gaze shifted to her left hand. A tear slipped down her cheek as a finger caressed the beautiful diamond given with so much hope.

Her lips trembled in regret. "I'm…so sorry, Bruce." Lois whispered as the ring started to slip from her finger.

That's when she heard the voices.

"Ouch! Dammit, Clark, could you at least try to watch what you're doing?"

"Me? I'm not the one that's squirming like a mouse in a trap…"

"Can you blame me? Do you honestly think I want her to see me like this?"

"Do you honestly think I care?"

"You're doing this on purpo—ooowww!"

"All's fair, right?"

In the next instant, Lois nearly jumped out of her skin when a kick to the door sounded like the entire cabin was crumbling down around her. Instead, it was the door falling straight forward and hitting the floor with a thunderous thud.

In its place, through a cloud of dust, stood Clark Kent…

…carrying Bruce Wayne in his arms.

Her engagement ring fell back into place.

"Oh, my God. Bruce!" Lois immediately rushed to Bruce's side. A quick inspection revealed blood. A lot of it. "Bruce, you're bleeding!"

Clark sighed in borderline agitation. "He's fine. The bullet went straight through his side." Clenched teeth muffled the remainder of his complaint. "Though with the way he's whining about it you'd think he was on death's door."

Moving past a frantic Lois, Clark placed Bruce on the couch. Hard. Lois pushed past Clark, her focus on finding the source of the blood. She lost no time in ripping Bruce's shirt open, her hands making a quick inspection only to find a bullet sized hole just under his arm.

Immediately jumping into action, Lois disappeared and returned before either man could blink. Equipped with first aid supplies, she began cleaning the blood away from the wound to see how bad it really was. Lois glanced up at Bruce first then Clark. "Well? Spill. What happened?"

"What happened? I'll tell you what happened." Bruce practically spat out his intention as an irritated glare snapped to Clark. "Mr.-I'm-so-super here didn't follow orders like he promised." He winced and jerked away when Lois unintentionally grazed the wound.

She sent him an apologetic grimace.

"Orders? Yeah, right." Clark rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Like I was going to let you go off and play the martyr all on your own while I came back here to get my head chewed off by Mad Dog Lane." Hands on hips, Clark made his stand. "I may have been blind all these years…I'm not stupid."

Lois' loud sigh filled the tense silence. "What the hell happened?"

Sensing Lois' increasing agitation, Bruce sucked in a calming breath and began to explain. "I went to meet Luthor and…"

"…on his own. Without waiting for me." Clark interrupted. His arms were crossed in front of him now. Clearly, he viewed that as a major point for his side.

Lips tightened into a frustrated line. "I didn't really have a choice now, did I? The guards showed and you didn't…"

"Oh, God, I knew it." Lois' worry filled sigh interrupted Bruce's accusations. Jumping to conclusions, Lois attributed Clark's lateness to their two previous eye-opening, confession-filled 'discussions'. "I knew we shouldn't have…" She bit down on her lip and cast a guilty look in Clark's direction.

This was not, by any means, lost on Bruce Wayne.

Pushing her hands away, he propped himself up on one arm. His gaze flickered from Lois to Clark then back to Lois. "Shouldn't have what? What did you do?"

Another exchanged look between Lois and Clark. This time it was accompanied by a fierce blush across Lois' cheeks and a smug tilt of Clark's lips.

Getting the picture really clear, really fast, Bruce sank back into the cushions. His head fell back against the arm of the sofa. He blinked up knowingly at the ceiling. "Riiiight. Leveled a field. Scored a goal." He shook his head and chuckled, though it didn't last long. Another stab of pain twisted his features. "I should have known."

An accusatory gaze snapped upward to meet Clark's. "So? Whadya give her? A perfect ten?"

Lois gasped. "Bruce!"

"Puhlease." Clark rolled his eyes. "There wasn't enough time for that kind of score."

"Clark!" Lois' shocked gaze snapped to Clark's face.

"And if there had been?"

"Don't be an idiot." Clark shot back, the reason prompted a look of disgust on his face. "She's still engaged to you."

"Clark…"

"That wouldn't stop some people."

"Bruce…"

"Yeah, well, I'm not some people and neither is she." Clark's jaw worked angrily. The level of sarcasm in his voice was full to overflowing. "But hey, if you actually knew her, you'd know that."

"Know her?" Bruce sat up, wincing at the sudden movement. His eyes narrowed as confidence slipped through his expression. "Oh, I know her."

"Really?" Clark took a challenging step forward, backing his movement up with words. "Wanna prove that?"

"AAAARRRGGGHHH!!!" Lois' yell shocked both men into silence.

She jumped to her feet, threw a bloodied cloth down and waved her hands in obvious distress. "Stop! Just stop, ok? God, the two of you are just…" Flinging one spark shooting gaze in Bruce's direction then a second in Clark's, Lois brushed past Clark and stomped her way across the room before stopping and spinning back around. "Can't you understand how important you both are to me?"

"Lois…" Clark attempted to take a step toward her.

A warning eyebrow rose. A halting finger followed. Tightened lips and a look that could kill. At two hundred yards.

Clark stopped dead in his tracks.

Chest rising and falling with agitation and hands on her hips, Lois offered a directive not to be ignored. "By the time I get back, those massive egos better be back in your pants or so help me I will slice something off. Got it?"

Both men swallowed hard.

Lois took their silence as tacit agreement, nodded once and disappeared from the room with a flip of her hair.

A low whistle emanated from the couch. "Wow. She's pretty, uh…"

"Yep." Not needing to hear the rest of that sentence, Clark agreed wholeheartedly. A hint of knowing satisfaction slipped through Clark's voice as he crossed his arms over his chest and rocked back on his heels rather proudly. "That's my girl."

Tbc…