Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Lois & Clark Fanfic Double Jeopardy 27/?

I know it's been a while, but RL has been... a little tough for a week or two. Just have to keep pushing on.

WARNING: This piece is PG-13 in the extreme. I've tone it down as much as possible for this side of the boards, but it's still graphic. If you'd rather not hear of Lois' treatment at the hands of Luthor, then don't read this. And don't say you weren't warned.

And although the light moments are needed because overall, this is a dark fic, those are slow to come. I'm glad everyone enjoyed the date, but the healing is taking time. If you still want to read, grab something to drink and enjoy!

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Thankfully Lois was gone when Clark woke up, but it still didn't help ease the tightly wound tension in his body. Holding Lois the way he had for those few blissful hours reminded him painfully that it had been a while since he'd had sex. It also reminded him how much he missed it.

Well, maybe that wasn't exactly true. He *did* miss having sex, though right now he didn't want just a quick physical release. He wanted so much more, which he was fairly certain he could attain in a relationship with Lois Lane. He'd admitted to his mother right before their first date that he already loved Lois. It wasn't a lie. He did love her, baggage and all. It didn't matter to him what she might have to deal with in order to heal. It didn't matter to him if it was months before she was ready to progress past friendly affection. It might be heart wrenching, physically painful, and frustrating beyond belief, but for her, he'd wait as long as she needed him to.

He showered and went to find the woman of his dreams. She'd showered and dressed already.

"Hey," she told him when he came into the kitchen.

"Hey," he said offering her a bright smile. "I missed you when I woke up." He told her as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

"I thought I'd let you sleep. You looked so peaceful." She looked up at him, her eyes studying his.

He lowered his coffee cup and lifted his hand to touch her cheek with the backs of his fingers. "Will you go out with me tonight?"

"Can we fly?"

He chuckled softly. "We can."

"Then yes. And I want to do something fun. Really fun," she told him as she started toward the door. "The twins are watching TV in the den."

"Yeah, I saw them. Are you going into the city with me this morning?"

"If you don't mind," she said as she stopped to look back at him. "We have to be at the Hall of Justice at ten anyway..."

"Maybe after the hearing we can go look at another car. You guys need one here."

"Perry won't mind you ducking out on him?"

"Are you kidding? He's going to get a nice little bowtie to put on the Luthor story." Clark took another drink of his coffee.

"True. Down in ten," she called as she went through the doorway.

Clark went out to the den to say good morning to his kids before they left. Twenty minutes later his mom had come to sit with the twins so they could head to the city. Lois hung out at the Planet until time to go the hearing at the Hall of Justice, looking into information on Lex's personal physician. If something hinky was going on, Mad Dog was determined to sniff it out.

As the time for the hearing approached, Lois became more agitated. She snapped at both Jack and Jimmy before they left, which she immediately apologized for. Perry gave her a warm hug and told her to hang tough. On the way to the hearing, Clark had to grasp her hand to keep her from biting her nails.

"It's going to be okay," he told her.

"Yeah." She pinched the bridge of her nose to relieve a bit of the stress slamming into her especially hard today. "I just want it over with."

Clark rubbed her hand with his thumb as he made the final turn toward the parking garage next to the Hall of Justice. They had to sit in the Jeep for several moments to allow Lois the time to work up enough nerve to get out. There was a huge crowd of media already gathered outside the building waiting to hear the fate of Lex Luthor. Wisely, Clark took them in through the back entrance. Mayson had called him earlier and instructed him to do so in order to save Lois a little stress. The hearing itself was going to be bad enough. Luthor's crimes were going to be detailed for the court. And even though the DA had agreed to a plea bargain, the judge could decide against it and order Luthor to be bound over for trial.

"How are you doing?" Mayson asked Lois when they made it to where she was standing outside the door of the courtroom.

"I'm... here," she said. "But you didn't have to be."

"Of course I did," Mayson replied with a smile as she rubbed Lois' shoulder. "I've been with you guys from the beginning and I'll be here until the end."

"Do you realize that might be years?" Lois asked her. "It won't be over until the bastard's dead."

"Then I'm glad we're friends."

Lois gave Mayson a smile of appreciation as they were called in to speak with the DA. The deal was outlined and he briefly explained what would happen during the hearing.

And before Lois was truly ready, they were watching the bailiff bring a shackled Lex Luthor into the room. She shivered involuntarily as his cold eyes met hers, but she didn't look away. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction. He leered at Clark, then sat down beside his attorney. The judge entered and court was called into session.

The district attorney was a middle aged man with a proven track record for getting justice. He'd helped put away some of the biggest criminals in the city, but this case was, by far, the biggest of his career. He outlined several of the charges against Luthor, including fraud, racketeering, kidnapping, and murder.

"This brief says that you are adding additional charges," the judge said as he read over a paper in his hand.

"Yes, Your Honor," the DA replied. "We have charged Mr. Luthor with kidnapping, criminal neglect, imprisonment, medical interference, assault, nine counts of rape, and four counts of sodomy."

Clark's eyes widened just a bit when the new charges were read. He'd known Luthor had raped her, but sodomy? That was...

Luthor truly was a sadistic individual.

Beside him Lois bounced her leg at a frantic pace, her hands nearly white where she was squeezing the edge of her seat on either side of her.

"All charges are in relation to a single victim?" the judge wanted to know.

"Yes."

"Is she in the courtroom?"

"Yes. But, Your Honor, we are respectfully requesting that she not be acknowledged. I will read the statements myself detailing the crimes which led to these additional charges," the prosecutor said.

"Objection," came the quick response of Sheldon Bender, Luthor's attorney. "My client is entitled to face his accuser."

Lois' leg stopped and she held her breath.

"Come now, Mr. Bender," the judge said. "Your client is well aware who his accuser is."

"Yes, Your Honor, but Mr. Luthor states that he will reject this deal unless his accuser gives a statement."

Spots danced in front of her eyes as Lois sat there. Mayson had assured her she wouldn't have to speak at this hearing. There was more than enough evidence to support her claims in the form of statements they'd attained from different people that worked for Lex. Now that the monster was behind bars, everyone he'd ever wronged was coming forward. Since his initial arrest, charges had been added almost daily to the already incredibly long and mind boggling list of atrocities.

"Are you kidding me?" came the remark from the bench. "Mr. Luthor, don't you think you've humiliated this poor woman enough?"

"Your Honor!" Bender protested.

The judge held up his hand. "Relax. I am not making her do this. And just for the record, Mr. Luthor, I don't care if you reject this deal or not. You will be bound over for trial and I can assure you there is more than enough evidence to present to a jury."

"Then my client pleads not guilty to all charges."

"Suit yourself," the judge told them.

Luthor tugged on Bender's sleeve and the balding man leaned down to listen to his client for a moment. Whatever Luthor said caused him a great deal of surprise. He argued with him for a moment in hushed tones.

"Mr. Bender," the judge spoke out.

Bender sighed heavily, then looked back at the man on the bench. "Your Honor, my client wishes to take a brief recess to speak with the DA."

"I don't think we need a recess."

"He's willing to agree to a new deal." Bender looked toward the DA. "One I'm sure the prosecutor would be only too happy to hear."

"With the court's permission," the DA spoke up. "The state is willing to hear him out."

"Very well," the judge said. "You have ten minutes." The bang of the gavel gave them a brief reprieve.

Lois turned to Mayson with wide eyes. "I can't do this," she said fiercely.

"Relax. You're not." Mayson jumped up and went to find out what that monster was up to.

Lois practically ran from the room. Clark followed her out to where she was pacing back and forth in the hall.

"I can't do it, Clark," she said as she looked up at him, not slowing her journey across the tile.

"You don't have to."

But that didn't make her feel any better. Her short heels clicked as she nearly stomped down the hall then back again. Clark recognized her need to vent some and wisely stayed across the a hall. Mayson came out a few minutes later, a grim expression on her face.

"You were right, Lois. The bastard's mad."

"What does he want?" Clark asked her.

"He's willing to plead guilty on all charges if she details for the court what he did to her."

"NO!" Lois said immediately.

"Lois, he's willing to take whatever sentence the judge deems fit."

Her eyes widened in shock. "What?"

"He's willing to lay his life on the line."

"Just to hear me say it out loud?" Lois shook her head in disbelief. "That sick, sick, twisted, perverted... bastard!" She walked a few paces away and threw up her hands. "Either way I'll have to do it. If I don't go in there now and do it, I'll have to at his trial."

"Lois, you don't have to do this at all," Clark told her.

"Yes, Clark, I do. If I don't, he'll get away with it. Is that what you want?"

"I want you healthy and able to breathe every morning when you wake up."

"I want that, too," she said. "But it won't happen if I don't do this."

"Lois, he has so many charges on him..."

"Clark, I know..." She shoved a hand through her hair in frustration. Stopping a few feet away from him and Mayson, she stared toward the exit where she could see the gang of reporters on the other side of the door. This was absolutely not what she'd wanted to do today, but... "It's like pulling the band aid off fast," she declared when she turned around. "Let's go send this monster to hell."

Clark watched helplessly as she walked past him, back inside the courtroom. "Mayson, you can't let her do this."

"I can't stop her," the woman told him. He was about to protest further, but she placed a hand on his chest. "Clark, you might not want her to do this, but I think she has to."

"But..."

"If you can't handle it, stay out here." Mayson left him standing there arguing with himself.

The absolute last thing he wanted to do was go in that room and listen to Lois talk about the things Luthor did to her. But he couldn't stay here and let her do this alone. Against his better judgment, he took a deep breath and went inside.

The unorthodox situation was explained and the judge agreed to pass sentence after Lois testified.

"Now, you understand that you do not have to do this, Ms. Lane," the judge said after she'd taken her oath.

"As long as you understand that I do," she said, looking straight at the graying man.

He seemed to understand completely and nodded his head. "Very well. Let the record show that Lois Lane is ready to give her statement."

Lois sat down, took a deep breath, and looked straight at Lex. The DA stood up and walked closer.

"Ms. Lane, we will keep this informal. You just tell the court what you wish to say."

"Could you move?" He'd stopped between her and Lex. If she was going to do this, she was going to look that devil in the eyes.

"Excuse me?"

"I need you to move. If he wants to hear me say it, then I need to look at him when I do." The DA, too, seemed to understand and moved back over near his table. She met and held Lex's gaze while she began to speak. "Just so you know," she said directly to him. "This will be the abridged version. I won't drag this out for hours so you can get whatever sick, perverted pleasure you hope to receive from it." Lex gave a nod of his head, a huge grin on his face. The man truly was sick. She had no idea why he felt he needed her to do this, but if it would help rid the world of him, she'd say enough to send him to hell.

"I met Mr. Luthor at a charity event several years ago. He agreed to an interview. During that interview he was charming and impressive, and I agreed to see him again. We saw one another over the course of few months before I shared dinner with him at his penthouse one evening. The next morning I woke up in his bed. At the time I thought I'd had too much champagne and lost my mind. Since then I've learned that Lex himself helped me to lose my mind. I was drugged."

"Objection," Bender said.

"Your Honor," the DA protested.

"Mr. Bender, the agreement was that she speak freely," the judge reminded the attorney.

Bender sighed and sat down as Lex tugged on his sleeve.

"Please continue, Ms. Lane," the judge told her.

"Just weeks later I found myself married to Lex, another affect of the drugs. And it became painfully clear why he'd wanted to get married. The first night he drugged me, he had Dr. Paul Lang inseminate me. Of course, the drugs were supposed to make me believe the children were his. I did until much later." She tucked a wayward hair behind her ear, still intent on looking at Lex. "During our *marriage*, I was drugged daily. Most of the time I didn't know who I was or where I was. I was pregnant with twins I never bonded with because I was denied that right. I birthed those twins inside a room in the penthouse with nothing for pain. Lex needed a boy so my little girl was never acknowledged. Her birth was never registered. He needed my son to collect money from his other life, but my daughter was kept to control me. She was six weeks old the first time he threatened to kill her if I didn't perform oral sex on him."

Clark's brows shot toward his hair and he looked away. No wonder she felt like clawing men's eyes out!

"That became a weekly event. He'd hold his hand around her neck until I did what he wanted me to do." Lois paused to allow her hatred to give her enough strength to continue. "I discovered the drugs in my juice and stopped taking them. When I became lucid enough to think for myself, I got my daughter out of there. When he discovered she was gone, he hit me, killed the babysitter, then framed me for murder."

"Ms. Lane, I have to ask you to describe..."

"I know," she told the DA, interrupting him. "After I was off the drugs for a while, things started coming back to me. The first time I figured out things weren't quite what they seemed was on our wedding night. He had sex with his secretary. Or at least the secretary for that week. He went through a lot of those. I'd check missing persons reports. I'm sure some of those women have never gone home again."

"Objection!"

"Mr. Bender, please sit down," the judge told him. "Continue," he said to Lois.

"Of course, the sex with the secretary was after he'd raped me. I realized things didn't feel quite right, so I told him no." She glared at Lex, conveying in her dark eyes just what she thought of him. "No was not a word I was allowed to use. We never had a conventional relationship. I slept in one room, he in another. I slept alone, he slept with whomever he wanted to. The night he found out I was pregnant, he raped me. Told me it was a reward for being such a good girl."

Clark's leg was the one bouncing now. How had she lived through that?

"After that, he left me alone until Lang told him I'd reached my first trimester. He celebrated that night. That was the first time he sodomized me." Her eyes jumped to Clark briefly. He looked miserable. Why couldn't he have stayed outside? He'd never want to touch her again after today, let alone go out with her tonight.

Who was she kidding? She wouldn't want to go tonight. She was going to want to spend the next three days taking scalding showers and trying to scrub her skin off. She was already beginning to literally feel dirty and used all over again.

She went on to describe each and every time Lex raped her, leaving out how those encounters had made her feel or the fact that she'd bled for hours after the last one. She'd hid that from him, hoping at the time that she'd lose the baby. At the time, she couldn't have imagined a sweeter revenge. But now... He'd made that one count the most. He'd made her scream in pain and further humiliated her because he'd made her watch while he raped another woman just an hour later.

Lois stopped talking when Clark shot to his feet and hurried from the room. Lex turned to watch the other man leave, then grinned even wider when he looked back at her. Lois glared at him again.

"After all you've done, I'm still here. But look at you. Getting your jollies listening to the woman you kidnapped and raped repeatedly talk about what you did to her. I hope you enjoyed it because unless you become big Bubba's bitch on the inside, this is the last time you'll ever get your jollies, and never again from a woman." She finished with a satisfied sigh when she saw the expression on Lex's face cloud over. "Is that enough?" she asked the DA.

"More than enough," was the answer.

"You can step down," the judge said.

Lois stood and held her head high as she walked past Lex and Bender. She thought about going after Clark, but she'd started this. She had to see it through to the end. Mayson reached up to pat her shoulder when she sat down.

The judge sat there for several long moments before he looked up. "I have never had an accused man agree to lay himself at the mercy of the court just so he could hear something so..." He just shook his head. "Mr. Luthor, your request tells me that you are indeed a very disturbed man. However, because you have chosen to put yourself in such a position, I am inclined to pass judgment quickly and firmly. The people of this state deserve closure. For your victims, you owe them nothing short of justice. I am not saying it is right or even the best thing to do. However, I feel it would be a burden on the state to house you for the remainder of your life. Considering the evils you've perpetrated, it's an expense I'm not willing to inflict on my constituents." He picked up a pen and wrote for several seconds. "Stand while I pass judgment." After Luthor was on his feet, the judge looked him in the eyes. "Lex Luthor, in accordance with the laws of this state and in light of the nature of your crimes, by your own admission, New Troy seeks justice. You are hereby sentenced to die by lethal injection for your crimes at a date and time no more than ten years from this date, barring appeals fail to render a different outcome. May God have mercy on your soul."

The bang of the gavel resounded loudly, echoing inside Lois' head. It was her turn to get up and hurry from the room. Clark was standing just outside the bathroom with his head lying against the wall. He looked up when she breezed past him into the ladies room. She barely made it to the toilet before she emptied the contents of her stomach.

"Did you hear?" Mayson asked Clark outside when she made it to his side.

"No."

"Lethal injection."

Part of him wanted to cheer. But his more rational side wouldn't allow him to celebrate any man's impending doom. Not even Lex Luthor's. He was more angry that men snapped and became like Lex Luthor. Of course, he didn't really believe Luthor had snapped. He believed he'd always been rotten.

The ladies room door opened and Lois stepped out. Her face was white, her hands were shaking.

"Are you okay?" Clark asked her.

"Are you?" she wanted to know as she stepped closer to him.

He offered her a sad smile and reached out to cup her cheek. "I'm better now that it's over."

"Me, too," she said and wiped her face with the paper towel she was holding. She noticed he was holding a towel, too. "It made you sick?" she asked in a whisper.

"Lois..." he breathed. It had made him sick. For the first time since he was little, Clark had thrown up. But they didn't need to talk about that now. Not here.

"Lois, you were amazing," Mayson told her, interrupting their exchange. "Strong beyond anything I could have ever imagined." She reached up to clap Clark on the upper part of his arm. "You might want to take lessons from this woman."

"Believe me," Clark told her. "I am constantly taking notes." He held out his hand and was relieved when Lois took it. "I think we're going home," he told Mayson.

"I'm filing a motion Monday for an expedient decision on Lois' legal state," she called after them.

Lois stopped and turned toward the other woman. "Thank you."

"Thank you. You made sure today that a serious threat to society was put away."

With a sad nod, Lois tightened her grip on Clark's hand and allowed him to walk her out. When they settled in the Jeep, he turned toward her. He was about to say something when she spoke.

"We need to get to the Planet. I have to write this up before I lose my nerve."

"Don't you think that can wait?"

"Clark, I *need* to do this." Her expression begged him to understand. She couldn’t explain, just felt that if she didn't do this now, she'd never be able to do it.

He finally sighed and twisted back toward the wheel. "Okay," he said and started the car. As he drove, he recalled the things she'd said. Mayson was right. Lois was a very strong woman. She hadn't needed to do what she'd done. Yet, she'd sat there, stared her captor- her rapist- in the eyes and told everyone what was done to her. He knew how much it had cost her to do it, what it was going to cost her. She'd done it and now she'd tell the world she'd done it.

They pulled into the parking garage of the Planet and climbed out of the car. The subdued mood clouding around them felt stifling. Clark watched as Lois seemed to walk on autopilot into the building. Nothing was said on the elevator ride to the newsroom.

"Use my computer," Clark told her and held out the chair for her.

She gave him a grateful smile and sat down. "Why don't you write a tag for the article? You were there, too. It would be a great addition."

She wouldn't look at him, but he heard the desperation in her voice. Why desperate? "I'll see if Jimmy will let me use his computer."

"I can use his..."

Clark placed his hand on her shoulder. "Stay. Please," he said. She nodded and turned her eyes to the screen. He left her and walked over to Jimmy's desk. Jimmy relinquished his station and went to say hi to Lois. With a sigh, Clark shrugged out of his jacket and got to work.

Lois spoke with Jimmy, then pulled open the bottom drawer on the desk to put her bag inside, smiling when she saw how neat Clark's workstation was. Her eyes lit on the picture on the corner of the desk of her two babies. That was what she was working so hard for, she thought as she called up a program on the computer. For them and the man across the room. Glancing at Clark she felt sick all over again. He must think her horrible and filthy now. How could she ever look at him again? He'd told her he was better now that it was over. What did that mean exactly? He'd been sick. Clark was Superman. Superman didn't get physically ill. Had it all repulsed him that badly? How much would her presence effect him now?

And why was it so important to know exactly what he'd been thinking? How he felt? More than anything else right now, that's what she wanted to know. Needed to know.

It was important because she was banking everything on that man. She wanted... something with him.

A life! She wanted a life with him, she admitted. No matter how irrational, she wanted a life with him. Was it possible now? Had she ruined everything?

Had Lex ruined everything? Had Lex ruined the rest of her life? Even now? Even though she was free of him?

But she'd never be completely free of Lex Luthor. He'd always haunt her, in some way, in some form, Lex would be with her for the rest of her life.

Right now, though, she was going to tell the world that at least one day it would be free of him.

****

Sighing for what seemed like the hundredth time since they'd gotten home, Clark was beginning to wonder if he should see Bernie about getting an oxygen tank. It would probably be easier to have a steady supply. He and Lois had written up their pieces on the day's events and headed home. She'd told him she just wasn't up to looking at cars today, even though he hadn't asked. Just as they pulled into the driveway, she'd also told him she wasn't in the mood to go out either. He'd known she wouldn't be. He also knew she was hurting.

Martha knew when they got home, too. She'd looked devastated because Lois was in pain, but she hadn't said anything. She'd graciously cooked dinner for the small family and offered to take the twins home with her and Jonathan tonight. Lois, however, said she wanted them to stay with her. She managed to smile and laugh a bit as she played in the pool with Collin and Perry after the kitchen was cleaned. And even though she included Clark in their play, she still wouldn't look him in the eyes. She insisted on handling bedtime duties, so Clark was relegated to staring at the wall in the den because he still hadn't picked out a new television. He'd also left his old one for Jack and Denny. Maybe he'd head to the electronics store tomorrow. At least with a TV, he could have watched the game.

Deciding that working on the furniture in the office was better than doing nothing, he got up and headed that way. He'd sanded the last bookshelf and was cleaning up when he looked up to see Lois standing in the doorway. "I was beginning to think you had already gone to bed."

"I have too much on my mind."

He stopped what he was doing and looked at her. For the first time since they'd left the Hall of Justice, she held his gaze. "That's understandable."

"How about you?"

"What?" He picked up a towel to wipe his hands.

"What's on your mind?"

He cocked his head so that he could really look at her. She wanted the truth and nothing less would do.

"Please tell me," she said. "Because it can't be worse than I'm imagining. I realize your opinion of me has probably changed now."

"What?"

"Excuse me for being raped repeatedly." She held up her hand to stop him from speaking. "I knew if I told you exactly what he'd done, it would make a difference."

"Lois, it does matter that you suffered. I hate that you did. You didn't ask for any of that. But what difference is it supposed to make? I feel the same way now that I did before today."

"It's made some kind of difference. You didn't even speak to me on the way to the Planet. Or on the ride up to the newsroom."

"Oh, Lois," Clark said as he tossed the towel on one of the shelves. "It wasn't because I didn't want to. I didn't think you wanted to talk. You seemed so distant."

"I was distant. I was thinking about how much what you heard was going to effect us."

He walked over to her and lifted his hand to cup her cheek. "I hope it brings us closer together."

"How? How could it?" she asked and turned around to walk back into the den. "After what you heard, after all of that, how can you stand to look at me, much less touch me?" She stood in front of the fireplace, staring at the screen, her arms crossed over her body.

Clark walked up behind her and gently wrapped his arms around her. His hands gripped her wrists, his face rested on her shoulder. "You mean like this?" He smoothed his hands over hers, back up her forearms. "Like this?" He rubbed his cheek against hers. "Or this?"

With each touch she'd tensed. When his face touched hers, a sob escaped. Then another.

"Or how about like this?" Clark asked as he turned her toward him and pulled her against his chest. She slowly began to cry. Her arms unfolded and she reached around him to grasp the back of his shirt. He held her while she let go one more round of grief and frustration. When she calmed, Clark ran his hands up and down her back. "Nothing, *nothing* could change how I feel about you."

She pushed away from him and wiped her face as she put some distance between them. "You can't honestly tell me that you weren't a little sick listening to what you heard."

"Yes, I was. Physically. That's why I left the courtroom. But, Lois, Luthor forced you to do those things. If you think *you* somehow make me sick because of those horrible things, you have a lot to learn about me." She slowly turned to face him. "I was and I still am horrified that he... humiliated you like that. To think of how badly he hurt you makes me want to forget I'm Superman and kill him myself. But this idea you're trying to create is not going to happen. I could never be sickened by you. After all of that, you're still here and you're still beautiful and..."

"Desirable?"

"You have no idea how much," he told her as took a step in her direction. "When you came to me last night, and let me hold you..." He took a breath. "That was incredible. The trust you put in me... I told you last night and I'll tell you again, except this time I'll say it clearly so you can't mistake what I mean... I am incredibly attracted to you. I find you so desirable, it hurts at times." He moved to stand just inches from her. "And I want you as much now as I did last night."

"How can you, Clark?" she groaned. "How can you possibly want to be where he's been?"

Clark sighed heavily and glanced away from her. "My first instinct is to kiss you senseless and make love to you right here, right now." Her brows crept toward her hair and his eyes went back to hers. "I know that's not possible. But I promise you, I *want* you. I want to make love to you, but when I do... And yes, I said when. *When* I do, it will be *nothing* like that." He stepped a little closer, nearly touching her. "I want to replace those memories with wonderful, exciting memories that leave little doubt about where I want to be."

She stood there staring up at him, searching his eyes for any hint that he didn't mean what he'd just said. His words set her own fire. She wanted him to make love to her, too. Yet, she was terrified. Although, the conviction she saw and felt from him, left anticipation deep in the pit of her stomach. He'd do what he said. One day, Clark Kent would replace those nightmares with sweet memories. Finally she smiled. "Well, okay then."

"Okay then," he replied with a smile of his own. "Now, since we didn't get to go on our date tonight, what do you say we do something here?"

"Like what?"

"We can play cards or a board game or..."

"Look at cars on the internet?"

"Race you to the computer." His eyes flashed, but it was too late. She was half way to the kitchen. The laptop was on the counter. They decided to set it up on the coffee table so they could sit on the couch and settled to spend the next couple of hours haggling over which vehicle would be best. Clark was relieved that another breakdown was behind them. Patience, he reminded himself. He needed tons of patience. As long as he had that, his time would come. The time when he'd be allowed to hold Lois the way he truly wanted to.

As they sat there looking over the choices on the computer, Lois kept snatching glances at the man beside her. Jack was right. Clark was one of a kind. She wasn't entirely convinced that he could get past what he'd heard, but she had too much vested in him not to find out just how deep his feelings ran. She'd lost her heart to this man and couldn't ignore it even if she wanted to.

****

'Even though the sentence seems to have been dealt unbelievably fast, the public is screaming it was the right path to take. When the evils of Lex Luthor were first revealed, disbelief swept across the city. After all, he was the biggest benefactor Metropolis has ever had. As the evidence came forth that indeed Lex Luthor was everything he'd been described to be, the public demanded justice. Well, yesterday they got it.'

Lois turned from watching the television broadcast from where she sat at Clark's desk.

"I like this a lot better," Clark said as he held up a copy of the Daily Planet. The next morning nearly every news channel was broadcasting the final chords of Lex Luthor's swan song. Lois' article was splashed across the front of the Planet with Clark's sidebar below the fold.

"You know," Perry said as he stepped out of his office. "I think you two should try a little piece together," he told Lois and Clark.

"Funny you should mention that," Lois started. After perusing the net for vehicles for a while the night before, she'd mentioned that the only thing she regretted in the whole Luthor, Delconto situation was that Bill Church seemed to be getting away with way too much. Clark agreed that the Costmart CEO was as dirty as Luthor. That sent them surfing through the net where they uncovered several inconsistencies, which was easy considering they knew where to look. They decided they would work together to bring down the final leg of criminal activity in Metropolis in the form of Bill Church and Intergang.

For the next week and half, the team of Lane and Kent worked to root out all of Church's dirty activities. Martha was only too happy to sit with the twins. She saw the work as therapy for Lois and secretly hoped the extra time with Clark helped them grow closer.

The first venture of the new reporting team was as volatile as it was successful. They had a huge argument over creative differences just two days into the investigation. By the fifth day, Lois was the one to say she was sorry first, citing she missed Clark too much to care who was right or wrong anymore. That led to an emotional apology from Clark and a short, late night date out by the pool. They simply sat staring at the water and holding hands- reconnecting. The next day they were on fire. The Friday before Father's Day the first Lane/Kent byline graced the front page in huge sixty point headline.

"Let's hope this isn't a one shot wonder," Perry said as they stood around the newsroom celebrating the fall of Intergang.

"Maybe not," Lois said as she cut her eyes at Clark. They had a date that night and all she could think about was getting out of there so she could get ready.

"Don't forget," Clark said as he looked around at Jack and Jimmy. "Cook-out at our place on Sunday."

"We wouldn't miss it," Jack told him. "And we're swimming, right?"

"Swimming, eating, maybe playing a game of basketball." He was going to put up a goal over the garage doors tomorrow.

"We'll be there," Jack told him. "Early. Your mom invited us to breakfast." He patted Clark's shoulder and was gone.

"She invited me, too, buddy."

"I'll be sure to sleep in," Lois joked as she stood up.

"Oh, funny, Lane," Jimmy said as he wrapped an arm around her neck in a mock choke. "How long's it been since you had a noogie?"

"Don't you dare!" Lois said loudly.

Clark's phone rang and he laughed as he picked it up. "Clark Kent." His smile faded as he listened for a moment. "When?" He listened again. "Yes. She'll be there." Lois was waiting patiently when he hung up. "Lucy is asking for you."

"What?"

"She's asking for you."

Lois grabbed her bag and took off for the elevator. Clark just made it through the doors before they closed.

"I'm glad I'm Superman," he said with a chuckle. She grinned at him, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. Her mind was on her sister.

Luckily traffic cooperated and they made it across town to the hospital where her sister was receiving treatment in less than forty minutes.

"Ms. Lane," said the charge nurse as she met them at the front desk. "Your sister has made quite a turn."

They walked along beside her toward the wing Lucy stayed in. "Why such a drastic turn?"

"Well, it's not exactly drastic."

"If she's lucid enough to want to see me, it's quite drastic," Lois argued. "I was here a couple weeks ago and she barely knew me."

"After the detox, her mind cleared. Her new treatment has succeeded our expectations."

"What new treatment?"

The nurse stopped them. "Your father has been treating her."

"My father?!"

"Believe me, we had our doubts. However, his treatment has produced visible results." She turned and opened the door on the closed wing. "As you will see."

When they stepped into the room occupied by her sister, Lucy looked around and smiled. "Lois," she breathed.

"Lucy," Lois whispered as she looked at her baby sister. Her dark eyes were wide and clear. Moving around to sit across from Lucy at the small table, Lois reached over to grasp her sister's hands. "How are you?"

"I'm better," she replied. "Really better. My mind is clear for the first time in a long time."

"I'm so glad to see you," Lois told her softly, tears filling her eyes.

They shared a wide smile before Lucy's eyes glanced up at Clark. "Who's your friend?"

"Lucy, this is Clark." Lois motioned for him to come closer. "This is Collin and Perry's father."

"What? I thought Lex... Perry? Did you get remarried and have another baby?"

Lois laughed softly. She forgot that Lucy didn't know everything.

"Lois, you've been in prison. When did you have time to get pregnant?"

"Lucy, Collin has a twin sister- Perry." Lois was about to dig in her bag when Clark flipped out a photograph. She gave him a grateful glance and took the picture to show Lucy. "See?"

"Oh," Lucy gasped as she saw the image. "Look at them!"

"Lex is a maniac," Lois told her. She gave Lucy the abridged version of the past few years and when she was done, Lucy looked back down at the kids in the picture.

"They're gorgeous." Her eyes lifted to meet Lois'. "I miss Collin. He kept me sane for so long."

"Maybe I can bring him to see you."

"Both of them?"

"Yeah."

Lucy looked up at Clark. "I'm really glad you're their father, and I don't even know you."

"Well, why don't we change that?" Clark stepped forward and sat down in the other chair. "Clark Kent," he said and held out his hand.

Lucy took his hand and smiled. "Lucy Lane. And I'm really glad I can remember that with clarity now."

"Me, too." Clark held her hand just a beat, then drew away. "Can you remember any juicy stories I can use to blackmail Lois... you know, just in case I might need to one day?"

"Don't listen to him, Luce." Lois said as she pushed his shoulder. "He's a practical joker who loves to give me a hard time."

Lucy laughed softly, but proceeded to tell Clark a story she did, in fact, remember about her sister. For the next hour or so the sisters caught up and included Clark in their conversation.

Lois held Clark's arm as they walked out as he smiled down at her. "How do you feel?"

"Oh, Clark, I can't describe how I feel."

"Well, however it is, I love seeing it."

She stopped them beside the car and grinned up at him. "Wait till you see me after our date tonight."

"Still want to go?"

"Are you kidding? If we don't go, I won't talk to you for a week." She patted his cheek and held out her hand. "Give me the keys. I'm driving."

"Did I ever tell you I love an assertive woman?"

"No, but get used to it," she replied as she took the keys. "I'm the most assertive woman you've ever met."

"I have no doubt," he said and climbed into the car. They both kept grins on their faces as they headed home.