This crash is definitely making my days a little harder, just as real life is. I have barely enough time to write, much less to read what you posted. I'm sorry. I was bad about writing more and this scenes were particularly difficult. This is why you had to wait for part 16. On the other hand is the crash serving to hide that. 
I hope you'll enjoy this part and I thank LaraMoon very much for her criticism on it. I knew that it wasn't good, but I had no idea how to fix it. She was kind enough to point out the weaknesses and I hope the two of us together created something better than my first version. Of course you won't be able to compare, so I don't really expect an answer to that. 
From Part 15:“I’m not sure, Lois. I don’t want to have Becca tell me whether I’m allowed to love you or not. You and me, we have to think about this next step. And I want Becca to know about this before anyone decides anything about her future. She deserves this much honesty. Tomorrow I will tell her that I’m in love with you,” Clark said softly. “Please understand me.”
“I do,” Lois replied hoarsely. “But you’ll have to make up for this, Clark.” She grinned. “And it won’t be easy, buster.”
Part 16:“I know.” He shot her another apologetic glance. “Lois, I…” A scream interrupted him. “Oh my, it’s Becca. She’s having a bad dream. I better have a look.”
Clark left Lois alone in the living room and made his way up to Becca’s room. From afar, he heard Lois sigh with frustration. From the sounds of it, he could tell that she was wrapping herself in his blankets, trying to calm down. She muttered a curse which Clark could only second. Closer to him, Becca was whimpering, sobbing softly. It tore at his heart. As much as he wanted to talk to Lois right now, he knew that soothing Becca was more important. Clark opened the door to her room and switched on the light. He went over to her bed.
“Shhh, honey it was just a dream,” he muttered and sat down beside her. Small arms touched him as if to make sure that he was real and not a part of the nightmarish monsters that had disturbed her sleep. Clark pulled her closer. “Tell me what happened, pumpkin.”
For a while she just leaned in his embrace, shaken by her sobs. He kissed her hair and muttered comforting nonsense, caressing her back softly as he waited for her to calm down enough to tell him what was causing her distress. It took a while until Becca’s breathing became more even and she stopped shivering. She looked up into her father’s concerned eyes, her cheeks wet with tears. He gently wiped them away.
“I dreamed that someone came to take me away from you,” she mumbled. “I couldn’t even say goodbye. It was just like Belle and her father in ‘Beauty and the Beast’ when she offers the Beast to stay if he lets her father go.”
“Becky, they won’t take you away. I wouldn’t let them. Lois has found something out that will probably help us so that we will never see those Child Service’s ladies again. And even if we don’t succeed, honey, don’t you think that I would do anything to keep you with me? And you know what anything means, don’t you?” he said and looked into her eyes.
She nodded and gave him a weak smile. He brushed a stand of Becca’s hair out of her face and smiled back at her. She embraced him again and rested her head on his chest. Clark was painfully aware of the effect telling his little whirlwind about Lois might have on Becca. That would be another painful moment. But how much more painful would it be if she caught him kissing Lois before he had had a chance to explain the situation to her?
“Honey, would you like to go sledding tomorrow? Just the two of us?” Clark asked.
“Only you and me?” Becca whispered excitedly. Clark nodded with a grin.
“Now close your eyes, pumpkin, and get back to sleep. Dream something pleasant. I’ll go back downstairs now.” He tucked the covers around her and kissed her goodnight.
“I love you, Daddy.” She said softly. Clark squeezed her hand.
“And I love you,” he whispered and got up. He looked at Becca as she cuddled into her pillows and closed her eyes. He switched off the light and went out of the room. “Good night, honey.” He said into the darkness and closed the door.
“Good night, Daddy,” Becca replied.
When Clark returned to the living room, Lois was still wrapped up in his blanket. She lay on the sofa and was fast asleep. She looked like a princess, no matter where she was. On Lois’ face was a peaceful smile, she seemed incredibly relaxed considering what he had done to her. He still suffered from a strong feeling of loss. Knowing that it had been right to stop their amorous play before they got more serious wasn’t making it any easier. His body ached for her kisses, it ached for more. He was bound to live with the images in his head now. He sighed silently.
Clark thought about carrying Lois back to his room. She would certainly be more comfortable in his bed, but he wasn’t so sure if it was a wise idea to touch her body again. He didn’t want to disturb her peaceful sleep, anyway. He allowed himself to drown in the sight of her for another couple of minutes before he felt able to sleep. Perhaps he could continue in his dreams what had ended so abruptly in reality.
Clark floated up and stretched out in the air. It was the most comfortable place to sleep that he could possibly find, other than a bed. He felt a bit sorry for Lois. The sofa wasn’t really uncomfortable, but flying was better. She would be better off going back to her bed, but he didn’t have the heart to wake her, much less the courage. He just couldn’t do it the rude way, which was calling her name. The soft and gentle way would only lead to further problems. Kissing her awake as the prince had kissed Sleeping Beauty wouldn’t be an innocent kiss. Clark wasn’t sure whether there was anything connected to touching her that wouldn’t drive him insane, just like a single drop of alcohol was doom to an alcoholic.
Clark rested his head on his arms and closed his eyes. Lois’ even breathing next to him and her steady heartbeat unified to the sweetest lullaby that anyone would ever have the pleasure to hear. Just a little later, he was sleeping as well.
* * *
A scream brought Clark’s dreams to a sudden end. He almost crashed into his mother’s favorite vase. He managed to stop his fall just barely an inch above it. Lois stared at him, open-mouthed. He should have known. A partner who floated in his sleep wasn’t actually something common. Clark cursed himself for not having told her about this habit of his. He bit his lip and got a safe distance from the vase before he set his feet on the ground.
“I didn’t mean to scare you, Lois,” he said. “I… you were sleeping and I didn’t want to wake you.”
“You were floating.” She gasped, still staring at him, amazed.
“You’re sleeping in my bed,” he stated matter-of-factly as if this explained everything. To him, it was all there was to say. Lois, on the other hand, had just been introduced to a new interesting side of Clark Kent. A smile appeared on her face and there was a gleaming in her eyes that was hardly visible. But what Clark could see of it was telling him that Lois was enjoying the idea of knowing something about Superman’s sleeping habits. Lois had seen him in a way that no one else would be able to witness.
Clark mused that there was much more than floating in his sleep that Lois would be the only one to experience. In fact, his parents and Becca had already seen him floating. But no one else had ever been so close to him as Lois had. He had never been so close to making love with a woman. Hadn’t he stopped it, Lois would have been his first. She would be his first someday soon. And he was quite sure that she would be his only one. If by any unpleasant twist of fate they didn’t end up living happily ever after, Clark was convinced that he wouldn’t want another woman. He slapped himself mentally for allowing his thoughts to return to the previous night.
Lois’ scream had alarmed the majority of the Kent family and soon they joined Lois and Clark in the living room. Jonathan and Martha were already dressed, since a day on the farm usually started early in the morning. Clark wondered briefly whether his parents had seen them earlier. From the very surprised expression on their faces, he figured that they had probably seen him floating in mid-air, but not Lois sleeping on the sofa.
“What happened, Lois?” Martha asked worriedly.
“Lois found me floating in my sleep,” Clark explained with a shrug. His parents just stared at him intensely as if they were trying to find out if he had completely lost his mind. “I told her about my secret yesterday evening.” Clark hurried to say. He knew that at least his mother would understand. She had advised him to tell Lois about his feelings, and he was pretty sure that this included telling Lois about his abilities. His mother wouldn’t want him to lie to the woman he was in love with.
“You told her?” his father asked hoarsely. Clark almost heard him add that he was going to be dissected like a frog, because he had told a reporter about him. But Jonathan didn’t say anything more, maybe because he was stopped by Martha’s glance. It could also have been Clark’s expression, or a combination of both.
“Of course he did! He’s in love with her!” Martha added softly to stop any argument about this before it could even start. “Uh, you told her that as well, didn’t you?” She asked somewhat nervously and barely above a whisper, just in case Becca was anywhere close. Lois and Clark nodded simultaneously and his mother sighed with relief
“Oh, okay.” Jonathan agreed weakly. He obviously wasn’t sure if he should consider this a good thing. He had come to like Lois, but this might not be enough. Knowing that his statement wasn’t strong enough to emphasize his consent, Jonathan felt forced to say something more. “You should have told her about the floating, son,” he remarked dryly.
“You do that regularly?” Lois asked surprised and shot Clark another fascinated glance.
“It happens from time to time,” he said with a nod.
“I’ve got some work to do.” Jonathan obviously wanted to escape the awkward situation, maybe because he didn’t consider himself to be the right person to deal with the news properly. Martha was the better person for giving advice and support. He wished everyone a good morning before he turned around to leave.
Martha chuckled, knowing her husband well enough to figure why he had left so quickly. She needed to break the spell that had been cast on Lois, Clark and herself. They needed some distraction and fortunately her granddaughter came down just in time to help her. Becca looked a little drowsy as she came downstairs on her bare feet. She tried to stifle a yawn, but her eyes were otherwise gleaming with expectation.
“It’s not nice to scare all the girls around you, Clark.” Martha grinned broadly as the sight of Becca reminded her of a similar situation a couple of years ago.
“Mom!” Clark protested. “It’s not like I do that on purpose.”
“Yeah, all right, Clark. Lois, how about some breakfast? It’s the best household remedy against shocks so early in the morning.” Martha took Lois’ hand and dragged her towards the kitchen.
“Thank you Martha, that sounds nice,” Lois managed to say and followed Martha obediently. She didn’t have much choice anyway. Besides, she was hungry.
“Good morning, Becky,” Clark greeted his daughter and received a brief kiss, before he went to the kitchen as well. Becca was close behind him. Martha smiled at her granddaughter and greeted her as well, before she held out a package of cornflakes and asked her whether she wanted them or preferred pancakes.
“Dad and I won’t have breakfast with you!” Becca stated, smiling broadly.
“You won’t? “Martha asked slightly surprised.
“We’re going sledding,” Becca exclaimed, thrilled. She turned around to leave the kitchen, now that she had made sure her father wouldn’t forget about his promise. She hurried up the stairs to get dressed and ready for their day outside.
Lois shot Martha and Clark a puzzled glance. “What does sledding have to do with breakfast?” she asked.
“Oh, that means that the two of them will have their breakfast somewhere outside. It’s one of the things I never really understood. I mean, you would think that everyone else would like to have it nice and warm. Becca is a special case, she loves picnics and she doesn’t really care for the temperature,” Martha explained.
“It all started two years ago. Becca and I were in the south of Germany at that time and spent a few days in the Alps. One day, we climbed to the top of a mountain. I decided to go rather early in the morning, so that we had enough time. We took breakfast with us and ever since Becca keeps insisting on this little ritual,” Clark added.
Martha looked at her son and noticed the insecurity in his eyes. She could tell that he was nervous. It was impossible to ignore that Lois had been sleeping on the sofa. Martha hadn’t actually seen her lying on it, but that wasn’t necessary. She could tell anyway, by the weariness in her eyes. Lois just didn’t look like she had spent the night in a comfortable bed. And Clark hadn’t just floated in his sleep; he had slept floating. Something had happened between them a few hours ago, she knew. Martha hoped that it had been a pleasant something. She had hoped for her son to find the one woman that would make him complete.
“You’re gonna tell Becca about Lois, aren’t you?” Martha asked.
“Yes, I am. I figured that I need her in a good mood to break it to her gently. I’m still clueless on how I should do that, but I will try,” he muttered. “When I’m back, we can talk about everything that still needs to be explained. I bet you have a lot of questions, Lois.”
“You bet I have. But take your time, Clark. I imagine this will be difficult. Have patience with her, Clark.” Lois squeezed his hand quickly to give him her best wishes. She didn’t envy him his fate, so much was clearly visible.
“I’m sure you’ll make it.” Martha said convincingly. “Lois and I will have some breakfast and I’m already looking forward to showing her all these cute pictures of you.” She winked at him and pulled Lois towards the kitchen.
“Pictures?” Lois asked excitedly, grinning. She saw Clark flinch, which made her laugh. She sounded strangely relieved, maybe because Clark’s embarrassed expression reminded her that he was still the normal guy he had seemingly ceased to be after telling her his secret.
* * *
Hugh Danes sat with a couple of men who were the most loyal members of his group. Their meeting lacked the usual mysterious aura that he liked to project around himself. They were in a bright, comfortable hotel room; nothing special really. It was the only place that was available in this town. The other men who were working for him stayed in a motel way out of town. They wouldn’t see him anytime before dawn. Apart from his voice and intense glance, he wasn’t impressive. As soon as he had found out who had committed the theft, back in the better days of the institute, he had decided that a religiously embellished view would give him easier access to willing helpers.
The three men who were watching him now knew the truth about him, they didn’t believe in the image he had made up about himself. One of them was a geologist; the second man was a physicist. The third man didn’t know much about energy and natural sciences, but he was nonetheless very important. He had degrees in history, literature and ethnology. He knew everything about the techniques that were useful to influence people, only did he lack the talent to really use this knowledge.
With the help of these three men, Hugh Danes hoped to finally reach his goal after years of tiresome research and countless setbacks. The eerie green glow that had fascinated him ever since he had first seen it was going to change his life. He had almost the entire amount that he needed. There wasn’t much that separated him from reaching the critical mass. He was almost sure that there was still something left of the meteorites that had landed in Smallville so many years ago.
What they knew about the critical mass was mostly deduced from hours of discussion and based on pages and pages of calculations which most likely were incomprehensible but for his friend, the physicist. But even their pessimistic estimations promised something big. Each single piece of crystal held an immense amount of energy of its own, emitted in a formerly unknown kind of radiation. Just like the right amount of plutonium or uranium could cause a blast forceful enough to destroy entire cities, the right amount of “danesium” would allow him to rule the Earth. He didn’t actually want to use the critical mass as a weapon. The mere possibility of generating it would serve as a powerful threat. And then he could use this sheer endless power source to change the face of the world forever.
“Do we have all the crystals that have been stolen?” Hugh Danes asked his confidents.
“We have the amount of danesium that was registered by Meadows. Everything has been prepared for the search of the meteorites that Meadows left here in Smallville. The Shusters are on vacation just like you suggested. Our man, whom they hired a couple of months ago, is taking care of their farm. It won’t be a problem to remain unnoticed,” the other geologist replied.
“That’s good. Make sure that no one gets suspicious,” Danes advised.
“Uh oh, this won’t be easy. A field that’s covered with snow isn’t likely to be dug up. But I guess I can manage to find an explanation,” one of his friends said and got up to leave the hotel and head for Shuster’s field.
“Take care of any passersby. I don’t want any witnesses, at least not before we are sure we have the right amount of *danesium*.” Danes shot his friend one of his famous intense glances and awaited the other’s nod. As he received it, he smiled with content and waved at the two men who were still sitting in front of him. The meeting was over.
to be continued...
