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Clark replaced his cell in his jeans pocket and enfolded Lois in his arms. "Mom and Dad can't wait to meet you."

Lois looped her arms around his waist and leant into his chest. Clark kissed the top of her head.

Contentment and optimism surged through him. No longer did the future stretch uncertainly before him. No longer did he fear that his life would be lived alone.

He had Lois.

He had everything he had ever wanted.


Part 27

West of Warrnambool was Port Fairy - an enchanting little town built on the mouth of the Moyne River. It had retained much of its old-world charm with carefully preserved buildings amidst the dignified rows of Norfolk Island Pines.

Lois and Clark parked the Jeep and strolled along the main street, passing a host of cosy cafes and quaint gift shops. Finally, Clark succumbed to the tantalising aroma of coffee. "Are you hungry?" he asked.

Lois inhaled deeply. "Mmmm," she said. "That coffee smells great."

Clark grinned. "So?"

Lois paused, clearly undecided. "Is it too early for lunch?"

"You can have lunch any time you want, honey," Clark told her.

Lois pointed ahead. "If we keep walking, we will meet the river, and on the banks there is one of Australia's great fish and chip shops. They take delivery of the fish directly from the commercial fishing boats."

Clark smiled at her enthusiasm. "It's not Friday," he teased gently.

She wasn't deterred. "We'll skip the fish and chips on Friday and have them now," she said. "Do you like whiting?"

"Yes."

"OK, we'll get you some King George Whiting," Lois said. "It is supposed to be the best-tasting fish caught off southern Australia."

"What will you have? Gummy shark?"

Lois thought for a moment. "No," she said. "Today, I feel like butterfish."

Twenty minutes later, they sat on the springy grass overlooking the Moyne River. Lois unrolled the steaming bundle, revealing two pieces of battered fish and a pile of fat fries.

Clark's whiting had a delicate taste that was the equal of any fish he'd ever tasted. Lois ate her butterfish without speaking. When the fries were almost gone, and she'd still said nothing, Clark was sure there had to be a reason for her silence. A fishing boat drifted slowly up the river - heading back to the port - yet Lois didn't seem to notice.

"Are you OK, honey?" Clark asked.

Her eyes focussed on him, and she smiled. "I'm fine," she said.

"You're very quiet."

Lois wiped her fingers on the edges of the white paper. "I was thinking ... about us."

Clark felt the resurgence of every one of his pessimistic tendencies. "What about us?" he asked, trying to sound casual.

"I can't help wondering how this is going to work," Lois said. "I mean, for the next couple of months, it's easy. But what happens after that?"

"I know I want to be with you."

"And I want to be with you," she said. "And with your ability to get places quickly, we will have advantages ..."

"But it's still not simple."

"No," she said. "If I stay in Melbourne and you go back to Metropolis - we could see each other, but ..."

"It would be difficult to avoid situations that can't be explained. Something as simple as eating out, for instance, could be awkward. We couldn't do it in Melbourne - the risk is too great that someone would recognise me."

"Is Metropolis big enough that it's possible to hide?"

"Maybe," he said uncertainly. "But I don't want to hide you. I have hidden so much of my life ... I don't want to hide my relationship with you."

"I don't either," Lois said. "If I'm supposed to be living in Melbourne - but spend a lot of time in Metropolis - eventually someone is going to ask questions that we can't answer. And we would have to try to coordinate different time zones. And there are also the legal issues of visas and passports."

"You're still an American citizen, aren't you?"

She nodded. "I have joint citizenship."

"So you wouldn't be an illegal, but, I agree, we would have to be constantly on guard for complications."

"And if we were in Metropolis, and you had to go to an emergency, I couldn't really ring Browny and tell him I'm stranded in the United States." She attempted a smile, but it wasn't strong enough to dispel the solemnity from her eyes.

"What if I stay in Melbourne?" Clark asked.

"Permanently?"

He nodded.

"No, Clark. Metropolis is your home. You have your ideal job there. You've become a good footy journo in a short time, but I know it isn't what you really want to do."

"Perhaps I could apply for other positions with any of the Melbourne papers," Clark suggested.

Lois shook her head. "I think Superman should cultivate a relationship with the people of Metropolis first. That's his city. That's where he needs to be."

"Lois, if I have to choose between Metropolis and you - or even Superman and you - there's no contest."

"I know that," she said. "But I can't stop you doing what you need to do."

Clark was conscious that there was one option remaining, but he didn't think he should be the one to suggest it. To ask Lois to relocate to Metropolis would be to ask her to give up everything she held dear - her friends, her job, and Hawthorn. He knew she loved him ... but was that love enough that she would be willing to give up *everything* else she loved? Everything she had worked for? They both knew that her extensive knowledge of Australian football would count for little in Metropolis.

Was it even fair to ask her?

"I think we're both thinking the same thing," Lois said. "That I could move to Metropolis."

"Lois, I'm not going to ask you to leave your home."

"But if we're going to be together in any meaningful way, I can't see any other options."

"Could you live in Melbourne during the footy season and ..."

"Live in Metropolis the rest of the year?" Lois finished. "Realistically, there's a six week break between the Grand Final and the start of pre-season training. That hardly constitutes a married life."

Clark's eyes darted to her face. "*Married*?" he breathed.

Her face had gone scarlet. "I'm sorry," she said. "I ... I ... I shouldn't have said that."

"Don't be sorry," Clark said, aware his heart was thundering. He reached over and put his hand on her shoulder. "It's OK, honey."

"It's not OK," Lois said. She was more flustered than he'd ever seen her. "It was rude and presumptuous, and I shouldn't have said it."

Clark grinned. "Did you think for one moment that I *don't* want to marry you?"

"No," she said. "But it's polite to wait to be asked - not throw it into a conversation like a pathetic attempt to entrap you."

Clark brushed the hair from her shoulder. "Honey," he said. "I'm already trapped."

She gave him a restrained smile that broke through her embarrassment.

"Lois," Clark said softly. "The *only* reason I haven't already asked you to be my wife is that I don't want to rush you."

"I'm still sorry," she said. "I should've been more careful with my words."

"If you said it, does that mean you've thought about it?"

She nodded.

Clark grinned wider. "What were you thinking?"

"You told me you're Superman."

"Yes ..."

"When you said that, I knew immediately that it came with so many ramifications. And that multiplied when you said that you'd never told anyone else - it wasn't too hard to realise that you saw our relationship as close, lifelong, intimate, exclusive, special."

That hadn't occurred to Clark. "I ... I didn't mean to pressure you," he said. "I was just trying to be honest."

"I know that," she said with a small smile. "But I knew that you wouldn't have told me unless you had considered the future ... and in looking into the future, you envisaged us as being married."

"I did, but ..."

"In *telling* me you're Superman, you *asked* so many questions, and I needed to find answers for all of them. Eventually, after churning through all the possible consequences, I realised that my answer to every question is 'yes'."

Clark smiled. "You are an amazing woman, Lois Lane."

"No," she said. "I'm merely responding to the most incredible leap of faith I have ever witnessed. You showed enormous trust in me - but more than that, you showed your total commitment to me. This is not something you can walk away from; you made a lifelong commitment - as long as I live, I will know the truth about you. You didn't hold back anything - not even how much you want us to be together. And you asked nothing in return - you didn't demand my loyalty or my promise that I would honour your trust; you left yourself wide open - knowing you could never go back."

Clark's mind was reeling. "I ... I didn't think about it like that."

A slither of doubt crossed her face. "Did I misread the situation?"

"Not at all - but I wasn't expecting you to fathom all that from two words."

"You completely answered every important question I had about you. I don't have to wonder if you're committed to me - you are, and you always will be - you *have* to be. You made the choice to be."

"Does that mean you trust me?" Clark asked.

"Completely," she said. "Because you showed such trust in me."

"So, you're no longer worried about other women?" Clark said.

She smiled. "Well ... I don't necessarily trust them," she said. "Because you sure are a tempting package. But I do trust you."

"I don't want anyone else," Clark said fervently.

"I know," she said with a sweet smile. "You proved that."

"Lois, I'm sorry," he said. "I was so caught up in what this meant for me ... I didn't think too much beyond never having to deceive you again. I didn't realise how huge this is for you. Were you mad at me? Even for a time?"

She hesitated.

"Tell me," Clark coaxed.

"At first I was a little bit mad," she admitted. "I felt like I'd lost Clark, and I didn't know Superman, and this third person, Superman-Clark, had invaded my relationship with Clark and taken him from me. I didn't *ask* to be included in this tiny exclusive group who hold - and must protect - the biggest secret in history." Her voice had risen, and when she stopped speaking, she looked around as if suddenly worried that someone could have heard. Seeing no one, she turned back to him.

Clark searched for something profound to say but he knew that if he opened his mouth, the only words that would emerge would be, "I'm sorry."

Lois continued - in a quieter voice. "I felt like you'd made all the decisions. You'd decided that we would have this unbreakable bond. You'd decided that we would always be together."

"I thought that if you chose to, you could walk away. I was so scared that is what you would do."

She smiled. "But even had I walked away - that never changes that I *know*."

Clark nodded. It was easier - and probably safer - than trying to think of something to say.

"Then I began to think about every moment we had spent together," Lois said. "And I realised that although some things are ridiculously easy for you, other things are ridiculously hard. And right at the top of that list would be relationships - particularly love relationships. And the toughest decision would be whether to tell."

"I couldn't *not* tell you, Lois."

"You didn't tell Lana."

"That's because you're ... different. What I feel for you is different from what I've felt for anyone else."

Lois smiled again, and put her hand on his arm. "I realised that. It took all night to think it through but by morning I had made my decision."

Clark smiled. "And that decision is?"

"That I want to be with you," Lois declared. "And I know this, too - because you're Clark Kent, you'll want to make this official and public."

Clark stared at her, completely lost for words.

Lois smiled - most of her heightened colour had faded to the prettiest pink imaginable. "But I did plan to let you actually do the asking."

"I still intend to," he said.

She grinned. "I can predict two things about your proposal."

"Really?"

"You'll try to make it incredibly special and - despite everything I've said here - you'll still worry that I'll say 'no'."

"You're probably right on both counts," Clark admitted with a smile.

"Well, you can take this as a warning, big guy," Lois said. "If you ever ask me to marry you, I will have you in front of a preacher so fast, there won't even be time to say 'Superman'."

Clark felt his joy erupt into a stream of exhilaration. "Have I told you today that you're perfect?" he asked.

"Good thing, too," she said, pointing a forefinger at him. "Because you're stuck with me, Kent."

Clark hauled her into his arms and took her with him as he collapsed back onto the springy grass. He hadn't completely thought through the consequences of his actions, and suddenly, Lois was lying across a good portion of his body.

He swallowed down his shock - and his delight - and looked into Lois's eyes. She was smiling. "This is very nice," she said.

"But perhaps not so wise," he replied.

She lowered her mouth onto his for a kiss that was short in duration, but steeped in feeling.

Then, in a smooth movement, she swung onto her feet and offered him her hand. Clark took it and sprang up. They picked up the discarded paper and began to walk along the riverbank boardwalk.

Clark had difficulty keeping his feet on the ground. Lois ... marriage ... Lois ... with him forever ... Lois ... his wife ... Lois.

He loved her so much.

||_||

For about the hundredth time that day, Martha Kent leant over her kitchen sink and peered out of the window. Clark had said *late* afternoon, but that hadn't stopped her watching for them since lunchtime.

She took the cloth from the drawer and again wiped the window ledge that she had already dusted twice today.

She had imagined this day a thousand times - the day her son would bring home his love.

What would she be like, this Lois? Clark had said he was in love with her ... and that was all Martha needed to conclude that Lois Lane was a very special young lady.

"You're not dusting that ledge again, are you?"

Martha turned to Jonathan, who had come in while she'd been lost in her ponderings. She crossed the kitchen and stepped into his arms. "How many times have you swept the path today?" she fired back.

"Three," he admitted with a rumbling laugh.

"It's a big day," Martha said. "Our son bringing home his girl to meet us for the first time."

"That's true," Jonathan said. "We'd already known Lana for years when she and Clark got together."

"This is a lot different from Lana," Martha said. "They seemed such good friends, but Clark never came close to sharing everything with her."

"But he's told Lois after three weeks."

"He knows it's right. He knows she's the one."

"She must love him -"

"Mom! Dad!"

Martha pulled away from her husband, and together they opened the door. Clark was there - his face lit with excitement, and his expression radiating happiness. Standing next to him - with his arm resting protectively across her shoulder - was a petite young woman.

"Mom, Dad," Clark said. Martha heard the slightest tremor in his voice. "This is Lois Lane."

Martha dragged her eyes from her son and smiled at his companion. Lois smiled back. Martha gathered the younger woman into her arms and instantly felt the foundation of a bond between them.

Martha glanced up to Clark and smiled. "She's perfect," she mouthed.

Clark's smile broadened. "I know," he mouthed back.

||_||

Clark watched as his mother and Lois embraced. Two vital elements of his life had come face to face ... and connected.

After releasing Lois, Martha turned to Clark and flung her arms around him. Clark saw Lois and his dad hesitate for half a breath, and then Jonathan held out his arms to Lois, his smile wide with welcome. Lois stepped forward into his hug.

Clark saw the tears glistening in his mother's eyes. His heart flooded again with appreciation for this wonderful woman who had been so steadfast in her love for the baby that had become her son in the most unusual of circumstances.

They sat around the already-prepared table, and Martha brought a huge stack of pancakes from where they had been warming in the oven. "Lois," she said with a smile. "Please help yourself."

Clark met Lois's eyes and smiled. He knew she'd been nervous about meeting his parents. In a way, he could understand it - Clark wasn't entirely sure he was looking forward to meeting Sam and Ellen Lane. But he'd known that his parents would love Lois from the moment they met her. Lois answered his smile, and it seemed genuine enough that Clark could hope that most of her concerns had already been assuaged.

"Clark gave me a recipe for something called lamingtons," Martha said as she poured the boiling water into the teapot. "I made them last week."

"They were delicious," Jonathan said with unmistakable appreciation. "Do you have any more Australian recipes that Martha could try?"

"Hedgehog?" Clark suggested, looking at Lois. "Do you know of any recipes for hedgehog?" He turned to his parents and laughed at their questioning looks. "Yeah," he said. "My first thought was that spiky animals wouldn't be too tasty, but I'll get you a recipe, and you'll be able to see for yourselves."

"Are they good?" Jonathan asked. "These hedgehogs?"

Lois giggled softly, and Clark took it as a sign she was relaxing further. "Hedgehog is sublime," he said.

"Browny's wife, Sue, will have a recipe," Lois said.

They talked of general things as they ate their pancakes and maple syrup. Clark's parents asked Lois a few questions about herself. She answered simply and openly, and Clark watched as his parents fell in love with Lois just as completely as he had.

When they had significantly reduced the pancake stack, Martha put the kettle on to boil water for more tea. "Have you seen the papers?" she asked casually.

Clark saw a look pass between his parents and detected a deeper significance to her question. "No," he said cautiously. "Lois and I went on a road trip on Monday evening, your time, and we haven't heard any news since then."

He had expected his mom to respond with a knowing smile, but she didn't. The little spark of his apprehension fanned into a fire of trepidation. What had been happening? Had they found more of the green rock? Had the government decided that the alien had to be caught and suppressed?

"You rescued Mayson and took her to the hospital?" Jonathan asked.

Clark clamped down on the automatic groan that rose at the mention of that name. "Yes," he said. "Why?"

"Did you talk to her? As you flew her to the hospital?"

Clark shrugged. "I think I asked her if she were OK. I don't remember much. I'd had a dose of the green rock."

"Did you talk to her about the green rock?" Martha asked.

Clark shook his head. "No," he said.

"She wrote a story saying she'd interviewed you as you flew her to the hospital. She says you told her that Trask was correct in his conviction that you were powered by the green rock and that you had faked weakness to try to trick him into keeping the rock here."

"I said nothing to her," Clark said.

"She said you struggled to pick her up and had only been able to fly at a much reduced speed because you were already losing power."

"I did struggle," Clark admitted. "But I didn't tell her why."

"Why would she lie?" Lois asked.

Martha rolled her eyes. "Because Mayson Drake will write anything for a story," she said with disgust. The kettle boiled. Martha stood and poured water into the teapot.

"Do they believe her?" Clark asked. "Do they think Superman is finished?"

"They don't know," Martha said. "And the speculation has been frenetic." She reached for the shelf and brought down a bundle of newspapers. "The Star and the Planet have been trying to outdo each other with Superman stories."

"But Superman hasn't been seen in nearly a week," Clark said.

"That hasn't stopped them," Jonathan said.

Martha slapped the bundle of papers onto the table and Clark recognised the top one as the Metropolis Star. He resisted the urge to scan them. "What has happened?" he asked.

Lois's hand slid across the table and rested on his arm.

"Well," his mom said as she sat down. "They're calling it 'Superman Wars'."

"Excuse me?" Clark said.

Martha unfolded the papers. "Following the whole Trask debacle, the Daily Planet had the advantage with Mayson claiming another exclusive interview - and, of course, the Planet staff were actually there. The Metropolis Star fired back with a series of stories aimed at eroding the credibility of the Daily Planet. They reminded the public about Mayson's past stories and her championing of Jason Trask. They surmised that the reason Trask took hostages from the Daily Planet was to ensure that Perry White kept his part a secret deal to bring down Superman."

"By sending the green rock into space?" Clark asked.

His mom nodded. "Perry White denied there had been any deal with Trask, and the Star responded by taking the high moral ground and printing an editorial that apologised to Superman for the way humans had treated him."

"Has the Planet countered that?" Clark asked. "Has Perry explained that the stories giving such credence to Trask's theories were published when he was in the hospital?"

"He has," Martha said. "But I'm not sure that means much to the general public."

"What else has Perry said?"

"That he regrets the allegations following the train crash. He also reiterated that the Daily Planet fully supports Superman in his efforts to make Metropolis a safer city."

"Did the people accept that?"

"This is being perceived as a fight between good and evil, between Superman and Trask, between the Star and the Planet," Jonathan said.

"And the Star is supposed to be the *good*?" Clark exclaimed.

His father nodded gravely. "The Star has made astonishing ground in less than a week. This morning, they are claiming that for the first time in history, the Star has a higher circulation than the Planet."

Clark swallowed. "The Planet's circulation numbers are three times those of the Star," he said.

"Not anymore," his mother said grimly.

Clark's thoughts went to Perry White. This must be demoralising for him.

Martha lifted the top paper - a copy of the Star - and placed it on the table in front of Clark.

The headline was bold and black - "$500,000 for Superman Interview!"

Clark speed-read the story. It took him less than a second to realise that the Metropolis Star was offering him half a million dollars for an exclusive interview.

The shockwaves were still reverberating through him when his mom unfolded the next paper and laid it on top of the Star. It was the Daily Planet. "$1,000,000!" the huge headline shouted.

Clark looked at his parents, bewildered. "A *million* dollars," he said weakly. "For an interview? The Daily Planet can't afford that."

"Perhaps someone on the board can," Jonathan said darkly.

Clark turned to Lois. "I can't ... I can't take this money," he said. "You know that?"

She smiled. "Of course I know that."

Clark shook his head. "That ... that is immoral ... so much money ... for one person."

"They're awaiting your answer," Martha said.

"They won't be getting an answer," Clark said grimly. "I don't care if they think Superman is finished - I won't be giving either of them an interview."

Lois's hand pressed gently into his arm. "I don't think you should reject it without consideration," she said.

"Lois!" Clark said emphatically. "I am *not* taking that much money ... I'm not taking *any* amount of money. Superman can't be bought."

"You don't have to take the money," she said quietly. "I'm sure you could find a worthwhile charity that could benefit greatly."

Clark thought about that. "You think I should do the interview and direct the money to a worthwhile cause?"

Lois nodded. "I think this would be a wonderful way for Superman to begin to allow people to see him as he really is." She gestured to the papers. "Obviously, both editors have assessed public opinion and believe that right now - with the whole mystery of whether he is dead or alive and whether or not he still has his powers - Superman is the hot topic of interest. Now is *exactly* the right time to set some things straight - to tell them that there is only one of you and that you are here to help."

Clark heard his parents' sudden sharp intake of breath. "Lois thinks that Superman's aloofness provided the perfect breeding ground for distrust and suspicion," Clark explained. "I guess people didn't know if I intended harm, because I never said I had come as a friend."

"I think that if the public could see just a little of Superman's compassion and his heart, they would know immediately that idiots like Trask are sprouting rubbish," Lois said.

"What are you going to do?" Jonathan asked his son.

"I don't know," Clark replied. He placed the papers side by side. Both featured a picture of him - they must have trawled the archives for the best they could find. In the pictures, his expression was deadpan rather than surly. "I wouldn't even know which paper to choose."

"The Daily Planet, obviously," his mom said.

Clark shook his head. "The condition is that Mayson Drake gets the interview," he said. "And Superman can't be seen to be favouring the Daily Planet." He looked at his parents. "Was there something else that contributed to this? Other than the speculation that Superman is dead or powerless?"

"Many details have come out about Trask," Martha said. "He had totally lost his grip on reality. He misused his authority terribly to the point that whenever someone didn't agree with him, he had him murdered. There has been an uproar about accountability in government."

"I'm guessing that Mayson's alignment with him hasn't done the Daily Planet any favours at all," Clark said, wishing he could go to Perry White and offer his support.

"And because it was Mayson who broke much of the story of Trask's atrocities, it was easy for the Star to claim that she had inside knowledge," Jonathan said.

"Have the police investigated her?" Clark asked.

"Yes," Jonathan said. "But at this stage, they haven't been able to nail her with anything. She says she befriended Trask in order to get the story."

Again, Clark perused the newspapers. He could give the interview to the Planet - that would help Perry arrest the slide. He wasn't comfortable with Superman being used for something as petty as a war between two competing commercial entities, but he had always believed that the Daily Planet was about more than circulation numbers and advertising dollars - that it stood for something important ... justice and truth and equality. The Metropolis Star - while not as trashy as the National Inquisitor - had certainly nudged the line of ethical propriety more than once.

Despite everything, his strongest tendency was to ignore the offers. He turned to Lois. "What do you think I should do?" he asked.

"I think you should tell them that the price is half a million," Lois said. "And the condition is that *both* papers get the story. That you will only give an interview if both Mayson and ..." Her eyes flittered over the copy of the Star. "... and Linda King are there."

"I talk to *both* of them?" Clark said.

Lois nodded. "It's too risky to choose the Daily Planet, and if you choose the Star, you are practically signing the death warrant on your own paper."

She was right. "So," Clark mused, "You think I should offer one interview, to be conducted by both Mayson and Linda, and direct that a joint payment totalling half a million dollars is to go to ...?"

"Are there children's charities in Metropolis?" Lois asked.

"You think it should be something that helps Metropolis?"

"Definitely."

"What if they refuse?" Clark asked. "What if both the Star and the Planet refuse to pay for an interview that isn't an exclusive?"

"You could *offer* the joint interview but leave it open as to what happens if one refuses. If either paper believes that accepting the joint interview is the only way to stop the other from getting an exclusive, they won't like it, but they will accept it."

Clark settled back in his chair and put his arm around Lois. He looked across to his parents. "What do you think?" he asked.

They glanced at each other. Finally, his mom said, "I think the days of Superman being able to fly even partially under the radar are over. This whole Trask thing has been too big - he was a top government agent. From now on, every appearance by Superman will cause a media brouhaha, and it's possible that the best way to deal with that would be to meet them head on and give them the interview."

"And it gives you the chance to speak for yourself," Lois added. "You can make a clear statement of your intentions."

Clark considered her words.

"Do you have reservations?" Lois asked.

"Some," Clark said. "Mayson will be infuriated. She won't like having to share with Linda. At the best of times, their animosity sizzles at a hundred yards - and it will have gotten worse since the Star speculated on Mayson's involvement with Trask."

"You can do it," Lois said. "If you believe in yourself, others will, too."

"I wish you could be there with me," he said.

"You can do this, Clark," Lois said. Suddenly, she grinned. "We can have a mock interview. I'll think of every intrusive and awkward question I can, and you can practise answering without actually saying anything at all. It's not hard - football coaches do it all the time."

Clark turned to his parents. "Do you think this is a crazy idea?" he asked.

They hesitated. Then his father spoke. "When we read the papers, we thought there was no way you would agree to the interview. But now ... perhaps Lois is right ... perhaps this is the perfect opportunity for Superman to make a firm statement about who he is and what he believes in."

"And," Martha added, "If Mayson Drake is willing to write complete lies about supposed interviews with you, it might be safer to talk to her with Linda King there."

Clark took a deep breath and smiled at the three people he loved most. "Then I guess Superman will give his first real interview," he said.

"Take a day to think through the details," Martha suggested. She smiled at Lois. "And talk it over with Lois. I'm sure you'll make the right decision together."

Clark stood reluctantly. He didn't want to end the time with his parents - he had so enjoyed seeing them get to know Lois. "We need to go," he said. "It's after eight o'clock in Australia and we have to be back in Melbourne this afternoon."

Once outside, Lois and Clark hugged his parents and then he checked for anyone in the vicinity. Finding it clear, he turned to Lois and smiled. "Ready, honey?" he asked.

Lois smiled back. "I'll always be ready to fly with you," she said.

Clark's heart leapt. No matter how often she affirmed her feelings for him, he knew he would never tire of hearing her vocalise them.

He swept her into his arms and held her close against his body. "Bye," he said to his parents.

His dad's arm was across his mother's shoulder, and they were both smiling brightly. "Come again, soon," his mom said. "Both of you."

"We will," he promised.

He paused long enough to drop a kiss on Lois's cheek and then shot them both into the deep blue of the Kansan sky.

||_||

"Tell me about Mayson Drake," Lois said.

Clark looked across to where Lois was driving them towards Melbourne. "What would you like to know?"

"I've been thinking about this interview. What she might ask. What she *really* wants. Why she lied about you and the effects of the green rock."

"If she believed Trask, she probably thought I would never be able to refute her claims," Clark said.

Lois nodded but didn't seem convinced. "Did you date her?"

Clark grimaced. "A couple of times. It's hard *not* to go on a date with a woman when you arrive home and she's ensconced herself in your kitchen and has supper prepared. Then, at the end of it, she refuses to leave until you've agreed to take her out to repay the meal you now owe her."

"Hmm," Lois said. "She's determined, isn't she?"

"I'm not sure it's determination," Clark said. "More, it's an obsessive inability to accept that life sometimes doesn't go the way you want it to."

"Do you think she has any idea about you?"

He sighed. "I think she's suspicious that I'm hiding something from her - after all, she is the top investigative reporter in Metropolis, and I work in her newsroom."

"Maybe she thinks you're hiding your true feelings for her."

"Maybe."

"Do you respect her?"

"At first, I did ... professionally."

"But?"

"The more I got to know her, the less regard I had for her."

"Was there anything specific?"

"Three months ago, I was at a function - most of the Daily Planet staff was there. Mayson had just landed the first big exclusive interview with Lex Luthor - he's the third richest man in the world - and she was called up during the presentations to say a few words."

"What did she say?"

"She announced our engagement."

"She did *what*?"

"She announced that we were engaged to be married."

"Oh, Clark," Lois said. "What did you do?"

"It was ugly." Clark removed his glasses and hooked them on his knee. With the heels of his hands, he rubbed his eyes as he recalled his confrontation with Mayson Drake. "Perry helped me get her off the stage, and Jimmy took her home in a cab. She'd had a fair bit to drink, and I think the party atmosphere and the adrenalin from getting the interview with Luthor ..." He sighed again.

"Surely she can't have believed you would simply fold and marry her?"

"I don't know what she believed," Clark said. "I'd told her over and over again that I don't feel that way about her. After that, Perry didn't put us on stories together." He hesitated. "It hasn't affected her work - she is still a brilliant reporter."

"Not if she has to fabricate interviews," Lois said.

"Maybe she realised that Trask's downfall could damage her reputation, so she wanted to make him appear less deranged."

Lois turned to him and smiled. "Don't worry about Mayson," she said. "She can't hurt us."

Clark wasn't so sure, but he said nothing.

"We're nearly home," Lois said. "Back to the real world after the magic of being alone."

"But it's a real world that includes you."

"Always," she promised.

||_||

Lois entered the Herald Sun building with Clark. In the corridor, she stopped and faced him. "I had the greatest time," she said.

"I did, too," he said.

"I'll miss you."

"We'll be in the same newsroom."

But he would miss her too - she could see it in his face. "I won't be able to kiss you whenever I want to."

He smiled and loosely grasped her hand. Together, they walked into the newsroom, and Clark's hand discreetly slid from hers.

Immediately, every head turned in their direction and silently stared. Lois stopped, her eyes darting from face to face. Had they heard that she and Clark had gone away together and drawn their own conclusions? Perhaps, in their absence, they had been the talk of the newsroom.

It must have been a slow news week.

The silence stretched to breaking point, and still no one spoke.

No one moved.

They just kept looking at her and Clark. Lois felt him shuffle behind her. His hand came to rest on her back.

Banjo stood from his desk and uneasily approached them. "Ah ... Lois," he said. He looked down at his hands. "Have you heard -?"

"Flinders!"

Lois jumped and turned to where Browny had emerged from his office.

"Come into my office," Browny invited quietly.

His tone caused an icy river to flush through her. Browny never spoke like that ... not unless something was very wrong.

"You come, too, Rubber," Browny said, in that same soft tone.

Lois walked into the office and heard Clark shut the door. "What is it, Browny?" she asked. "What's wrong?"

"You haven't heard, have you?" he said.

Clark's hand was again on her back.

"Heard what?" Lois said as her heart roared in her eardrums.

"Hawthorn and Melbourne have announced their intention to merge," Browny said. "To form the Melbourne Hawks."

||_||

Port Fairy - Moyne River - http://www.cyf.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0003/137163/port-fairy.jpg

Moyne River - http://weewillystine.net/round/images/010111PortFairy.JPG

Main street - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/50/Port_Fairy,_main_street,_30.11.2009.jpg