Lots happening with Lois. She has a long way to go, so hang in there with me. We'll get her feeling better... eventually.
Enjoy!
++++
At ten, Clark walked into the building that housed Mayson Drake's law practice. He was immediately admitted into her office and was surprised to see Lois sitting in front of Mayson's desk. She'd obviously showered because she was wearing different clothes. She and Mayson were laughing as if nothing was wrong.
"Hey," he told her as he sat down, not taking his questioning eyes off her. She, however, barely looked at him.
Mayson didn't miss the exchange between them, but she didn't say anything. "The lawyers in Sydney won't have the final proposal ready for you until Monday," she informed them, thinking it best to skip pretenses and get down to business. She and Lois had been talking about the relentless pursuit of the media when Clark came in.
Clark tore his eyes away from Lois so he could focus on Mayson. "That's fine."
"I also wanted to address the legal issues involved with the twins..."
"What legal issues?" Clark asked.
"Well, I assumed both of you would want to formally legalize Perry's birth."
"How *did* you get away with keeping her all of this time?" Lois asked Clark, her eyes boring into his.
"Perry knew guys," Clark began.
"Who knew guys," Lois finished, very familiar with that phrase. She turned her head back to look at Mayson. "How do we do that?"
"Dan has contacted the midwife who delivered the twins. We have a formal statement of her involvement with Luthor, including the birth of both children. That, along with the evidence Paul Lang supplied, is enough to get a legal birth certificate. And to amend Collin's. But..."
"There's always a but," Lois said dryly.
"This one isn't so bad," Mayson told her as she swiveled her chair back and forth slightly. "I think we should wait until I get the judge to decide on the legality of your marriage before we make a move with the children."
Lois nodded, completely agreeing with her. She didn't want anything to connect back to that monster.
Mayson looked from Lois to Clark, who kept glancing toward the other woman. He was obviously upset about something, but she wasn't about to ask in front of Lois. "If we're going to wait until the other decisions are made to move on Perry's birth, maybe we should wait to discuss the rest of the situation as well."
"What situation?" Lois asked, interrupting Clark from doing it.
"Clark's the biological father," Mayson pointed out. "I would assume he'd want to be their legal father as well."
This time Clark turned his head to look at Lois. He really hadn't thought about the legalities involved with being the twins' father.
"Maybe we should wait," Lois supplied.
"I'll do this any way you want to do it," Mayson assured them.
When Lois didn't say anything else, Clark spoke. "Just let us know when everything comes through."
"I'll do that," Mayson told him.
"Is that all?" Lois wanted to know.
"For now."
Lois nodded at Mayson and stood up. "Thank you, for all you're doing."
"Not a problem," Mayson said again. She watched the other woman hesitate before she turned and left the room. Clark, who was still sitting, sighed heavily and stood up. "What's going on, Clark?"
"I honestly don't know," he replied. "She's having a hard time dealing with everything that's happened."
"That's understandable."
"I know." He glanced toward the door, then pushed his hand through his hair. "I'll call you," he told Mayson.
"I'll be here," she replied and watched him leave. She'd really hoped the exchanges she'd seen between those two weren't a figment of her imagination. She loved Clark and wanted to see him happy. Although now she wasn't sure Lois was who could help make that possible.
By the time Clark made it out of the building, Lois was gone. Whatever was going on with her must be worse than he'd first thought. Or either she was fighting the healing process. He felt it was probably the latter. But what could he do? She was going to do what she wanted to do and there was nothing he could say that was going to change that.
****
Lois and Clark were supposed to join Jack and Jimmy that night to listen to Jack's band play. When Lois didn't return to the Planet, Clark bowed out. Jack was smart enough to know there was something going on and didn't attempt to protest. Lois was still MIA when Clark went home, though he could see where she'd been there earlier in the day. He ordered pizza to eat while he watched the baseball game. It wasn't what he really wanted to do, but what choice did he have?
He'd finally gotten over his wounded ego trip and was worried about Lois. He also knew he'd probably compound the problem if he went looking for her. Half way through his pizza, his cell phone rang.
"Hey, CK," came Jack's voice the time he answered. "Something's wrong with Lois."
"What?" he asked, leaning forward on the couch.
"She's drank a lot and she's falling over some guy she said she went to college with. They're talking about renting a room next door at the Salem Arms."
His first instinct was to jump up and fly to the club, but like it or not, Lois was a grown woman. "Ah, Jack, Lois is a big girl..."
"Clark, I know something happened between you two, but don't let her do this. Jimmy's talked till he's blue in the face..."
"Jack..."
"Come on!" Jack's voice gained a little momentum. "Just get off your ass and come talk to her."
Before he could say anything else, Jack hung up. Clark closed his cell and stared across the room. Should he go? Should he take the risk that she'd hold his interruption against him? Her huge, soulful eyes flashed in his mind and he stood up. Luthor had devastated Lois and it had ruined her self-esteem. A one-night stand with a virtual stranger wouldn't help matters any. It was worth the risk, he decided as he slipped his button up shirt on over his muscle shirt. It wasn't cool enough for a jacket, so he pocketed his keys and headed out. She could stay angry at him for a month, but he had to try to keep her from making a huge mistake.
He entered the club a few minutes later and immediately spotted Lois on the dance floor with a blonde-haired man young enough to be illegal. Before he could cross the room, the song ended and she headed toward the bar. She wrapped her arms around Jimmy from behind, causing him to wince in discomfort. He'd obviously been dealing with an inebriated Lois all night and he looked about ready to burst. A deep breath for courage and Clark started toward them. Lois moved from Jimmy over to another man he didn't know. She stood between his legs, wrapped her arms around his neck while he grasped her buttocks, they grinned at one another, then kissed. He had to stop and look away, fury surging through him like he'd never known before. Although he didn't have the right to be jealous, he was. Incredibly.
Clark reached out to pat Jimmy's shoulder when he made it close to the bar. The poor guy looked up, relief flooding from him in waves.
"CK!" He thumbed toward the couple trying to devour one another. "Please take her home."
The pleading look on Jimmy's face convinced him that protecting what was left of Lois' virtue was worth any rebuke she threw his way.
"Lois?" he said and reached out to grasp her arm firmly.
She pulled away from the man she was kissing. When her eyes focused, she grinned widely. "Clark!" One swift turn and she had her arms wrapped around his neck. "Dance with me."
"Not tonight, Lois," Clark said sternly and pried her arms out from around him.
Her smile turned to a scowl. "Aren't we the party pooper?"
"Come on," he told her, reaching over to the bar to grab her bag.
"I'm not ready to go," she told him, tugging against his hold.
"Yes, you are."
"Hey, pal," the man said as he stood up. "Take your hands off the lady. She's leaving with me."
Clark's eyes swept across the other man before settling on his face. "Not tonight." Again, he pulled on Lois' arm.
She jerked away from him. "Later, Clark. Greg and I have plans." Her eyes flashed as she gazed at the other man.
"I know. He's going home to his wife and you're coming with me."
"Wife?" Lois looked at him. "Greg," she said in a sing-song voice. "Are you married?"
The man pushed his left hand into his pocket. "No," he said loudly. "Let's just go get that room. In a little while you won't care if I'm married." His brows danced seductively at her.
Clark rolled his eyes and reached out to grab her arm again.
"Let me go," Lois told him harshly. When his expression challenged hers, she stepped closer. "Don't make me say things you don't want people to hear."
Whatever it was in her eyes, it was enough to convince Clark that he was wasting his time. He released her arm, thrust her bag into her hands, and turned to leave.
"CK!" Jimmy stepped over to block him from leaving. "Come on, man, take her with you."
"She doesn't want to go with me," Clark told his friend. "Let her do this. Maybe it'll jar some sense into her."
"You can't mean that?" Jimmy asked with a horrified expression.
"No," Clark said in a low, defeated tone. "But I can't have her shouting things I'd rather the world not know about me."
"Oh, this is bull," Jack announced. He'd walked up to catch the end of the exchange between the them. He stepped over and grasped Lois by the arm. Despite her squealing and loud protests, he threw her over his shoulder. "Grab her bag," he told Jimmy and headed toward the door.
"Hey, put her down," shouted 'Greg'.
"Back off!" Clark told him sternly and followed the other men out.
Lois was still shouting and had started pounding Jack's back by the time they reached the end of the block. He bent back over and stood her on her feet. "Shut up!" he told her. Her mouth clamped closed and she stared at him. "You'll thank me for this tomorrow," he said and released her arm to Clark.
"Don't you dare," she told him.
"Dare what? Stop you from making a huge mistake?" When she glared at him, he glanced back at the bar. "Fine. I'll rent the room myself. Hell, I'll take a few pictures so you'll have a reminder tomorrow." For the second time in twenty-four hours, Lois hit Clark. Only this time she'd done it on purpose.
"Go to hell," she breathed before she snatched her bag from Jimmy. She jerked her arm from Clark's grasp and stormed across the street.
"Damn!" Jack commented. "That's pure fire and ice right there."
"She's messed up, Jack," Jimmy pointed out.
"I know," the younger man said. "How could she not be after all she's been through?" He shook his head, then turned to go back to the club.
"Need me to help, CK?" Jimmy wanted to know.
"Nah." Clark clapped the other man's shoulder before heading out after Lois. She walked with determined purpose, albeit in the opposite direction of the apartment. He wasn't sure where she was going until she came to an intersection he recognized. Lois hurried across the street and into Lex Towers.
The elevator to the penthouse was sealed, so she made her way toward the stairwell. It took a few minutes but she finally managed to pick the lock on the door leading to the luxury apartment she once lived in. Lucky for her there was a fair amount of light coming in through the massive windows that made up the outside walls. Clark stayed in the shadows, watching her more with his super vision than anything else. Once inside the penthouse, she walked slowly, gazing around her. She stood in the doorway of the room with the cribs. When she'd had her fill, she headed toward another room. It must have been Luthor's suite because he could tell that she'd started to shake as she looked around. After a moment, she eased further into the room. He could hear that she was crying, her sniffling a sure sign. As he watched, she pulled a fencing sword off the hanger on the wall and began lashing at the furniture. She swung with violent force, bringing the metal in contact with the mattress over and over. She moved from the bed to the nightstand, then a chair at the foot. With each swing, sobs wracked her body.
Clark had never felt so awful in his life. What must she feel to be so distraught? What could he possibly say or do to help her?
When she'd completely worn herself out, she sank to the floor. Her sobbing had subsided. She must have been all out of the energy to even do that. Slowly she stood and started toward the door. She picked up her bag where she'd dropped it when she went in, then continued through the dark apartment. She was about to go back out the way she'd come in, but stopped and hurried back into the first room. A cabinet door in the corner banged against the wall loudly and she dug around for several moments. When she emerged again, she was holding a small shoe box. She stuffed it into her bag before she got up to leave.
Her aimless ramble took her through the park. With no particular purpose or direction, she walked in circles before finally heading toward Clinton. Clark flew ahead of her, spun into his sleep shorts, and settled on the couch to make it appear he'd been there a while when she came in. She didn't even look at him, just hurried into the bathroom.
His head turned toward the bedroom and he sighed in frustration. Not much he could do until she decided she was ready to talk. When he heard her open the fridge and pop a top on a beer, he decided that maybe he should say something.
"Don't you think you've had enough?"
"Have you ever been to hell?" she asked after slugging back half her brew. "Why don't you go? You might like it." She'd gone back into the bedroom and by the sounds she was making, she was packing.
He stood up and walked to the doorway. Sure enough, Lois was stuffing clothes into the backpack she'd had when he first found her in his apartment. She stopped her packing and walked over to pick up her bag. She dug inside for a second, then tossed some money on the bed.
"I'll be out of here as soon as I'm done packing." She indicated the money with her head. "For the things you bought."
He glanced at the money, but didn't speak. What was going on with her?
She finished her packing, then grabbed the beer from the dresser where she'd set it. After it was empty, she headed back toward the kitchen to toss the bottle. She went into the living room to look around, making sure she had all of her stuff. "I'll see Mayson tomorrow and tell her what I want her to do about the twins."
"And what do you want to do?"
"Just pick up the damn papers when she gets them ready." He'd stepped back into the other room and was standing between her and the door. "Get out of the way. You've already ruined my night once."
"Really?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "Don't you think *Greg* would have done a bit more than that?"
"By giving me what I want?"
"You want meaningless sex with a stranger?"
"I want you to get out of my way," she said, punctuating each word.
"No," he replied. "I don't exactly know what's going on with you, but..."
"You're in my damn way is what's going on!" she shouted at him.
"Fine!" He stepped aside. "Go! Go do whatever it is you feel like you need to do." He held up his hand toward the door.
Lois stomped past him, stopping at the bottom of the stairs to grasp the banister. She stared down at the floor for so long Clark thought maybe she'd gone to sleep. "I've been there," she said softly, so softly he almost had to use his super hearing. "To hell."
"Don't you think I know that?"
"You might know, but you can't possibly understand what I'm going through."
"No, I can't," he told her as he took a step toward her.
"I don't understand myself." She looked up toward the ceiling, taking a deep breath in an effort to calm herself. "I feel like dying," she finally admitted.
Clark did, too, he decided as he reached out with a hesitant hand. His grasp was gentle as he squeezed her shoulder. He needed her to know that he was here for her, although he didn't want to send her off on another tangent.
"I should have never come back." She shrugged away from him and climbed the stairs. "Take care of them," she said just before she opened the door and left.
Clark was standing in the middle of the small alley leading out to the main sidewalk when she looked up. "Sleep on it, Lois. Come back in and go to bed. If you still want to leave tomorrow, I'll get you a plane ticket, bus ticket, or a car. Just don't leave while you're like this. What's one more day?"
"Time enough for me to feel worse than I do today. This won't go away, Clark."
"You're right. It won't. You can run to the ends of the earth and it'll still be there. You can walk away from your own kids and it will still be there. You can pick up a different guy every night of the week and it won't take away the pain."
"What will? Playing mother of the year? Or chasing stories to my next Kerth? Oh wait. I know. You can turn on that Kansas charm and seduce me into your bed. Maybe *Superman* can make me feel like a woman again."
"Can you say that a little louder? I don't think they heard you in Gotham City," he said fiercely.
Lois continued their stare down for a moment before she whirled around and went back inside. Clark threw his hands up in frustration and followed her in. She'd obviously taken him to heart because she'd dropped her bags in the floor and was toeing off her shoes. She reached over and swiped up the money she'd carelessly tossed on the bed earlier, threw it onto the nightstand then jerked the covers back. She didn't bother to turn the lights off before she crawled onto the bed, clothes and all.
"Don't you want to take your clothes off?"
"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" she asked sarcastically.
Clark huffed his agitation and stepped into the room to turn the light off. Damn, if she wasn't a stubborn woman! He flipped off the rest of the lights and dropped onto the couch. And he was giving up his bed for this treatment?
"Superman is a whole lot easier to deal with than this," he mumbled to himself as he flopped backwards. Of course, being super was what got him involved with this woman to begin with. Well, not technically. Perry did that. But his super side had forever tied him to that woman. How would he handle her instability?
****
Lois hadn't slept well at all. Clark heard her get up four times before he decided he wasn't going to sleep any either. It was nearly dawn, so he rose and went to gather his clothes so he could shower. He was as quiet as he could be, even though she wasn't sleeping. He could tell by her breathing. She had the covers pulled up to her neck tightly and she didn't move. He glanced her way and her blink told him she was staring across the room. He finished gathering his clothes and went to shower. Lois would talk when she was ready.
If she was ever ready.
When he went back into the other room, she was sitting on the window seat with her legs drawn up and her arms wrapped around them. There was a cup of coffee on the window seal and he almost smiled. If she felt well enough to drink coffee, there might be hope.
He pulled a button down shirt on over his muscle tee and stepped over to the mirror to comb his hair. It was Saturday- the first one he'd had off in a long time. He planned on flying out to see his babies for the day. He grabbed his shoes and went out to the living room to slip them on.
"Can I still go?"
Clark looked up to see her standing in the doorway, looking for the world like a lost child. "Of course you can go," he said, keeping his tone light. "Do you need to take a shower?"
She nodded, wiping the tears that were spilling from her eyes, then turned to go back in the other room.
He sighed as she gathered up her clothes and went to take a shower. Over the steady spray of the shower, he could hear her sobbing. Then she started to talk angrily.
"You won't win! You can't win. I won't let you." Her breathing was labored and hard between her crying. "Dammit, I won't let you," she said again. The chanting continued in the same vain until the shower stopped. She was sniffling now, obviously trying to get control of her emotions before she came out. He stopped listening and went to grab some coffee for himself.
When she came into the kitchen, he was writing out a check for the light bill. "I need to drop this in the mailbox out front when we leave." She didn't say anything, just went over to dump the rest of her coffee in the sink and rinse out her cup. He sealed the envelope for the bill, then closed his checkbook. He returned it to the drawer he kept it in, turning the lock after he did. "Ready?"
"Yeah." She disappeared into the bedroom and when she same out, she was carrying the small backpack. "Is it okay to take this? I have some things for Collin and Perry."
"Yeah. Just slip it on." She did and he led them out the door. "I'll be right back." He ran to the front and put the bill in the drop box. She was in the back of the alley, where they'd taken off from last time, when he came back. "We'll have to get up and go in a hurry today." Nothing, but she did lift her arm. He reached down to pick her up and was off. It didn't even cause her to blink today. He didn't slow down until they were high enough not to be seen. And then it was only enough so Lois could breathe easily. He figured the sooner they got to Kansas the better. She wasn't in a talking mood.
They made the journey in silence, but the tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. He landed beside the barn and set her down. He held up his hand for her to go ahead of him. Although she looked totally distraught, she started walking slowly toward the house. They were just about there when the back door banged open.
"Daddy!" Perry ran toward Clark as quickly as she could, her feet leaving the ground when she was within a foot of Clark. He reached down and caught her, swinging her around.
"Hi, sunshine!" They exchanged their usual nose rub and Clark gave her an appropriate dose of kisses. "How's my big girl?"
"I'm good!" She looked over and grinned at Lois. "Hi, Wois!"
"Hi, Perry," Lois said with a watery smile.
"Did you come to play?"
"I did." She pulled the pack from her back and opened it. "And I brought these." She held up a bag of donuts. "For our tea party."
"I like donuts!"
"I thought you might."
Perry struggled against her daddy's grasp and he set her on her feet. "Come on," Perry told Lois.
Clark could see Lois was still struggling, but at least she was willing to play with Perry. They went inside and he followed a few moments later. "Hi, Mom," he said and kissed his mom's cheek.
"What's wrong with Lois?" Martha whispered when Lois and Perry had entered the playroom.
He grasped his mother's arm and pulled her out to the porch. "She's struggling pretty badly."
Martha looked back at the house. "That poor girl."
"Don't expect her to act like she did the other night. She's in a really bad place right now."
"We'll just have to carve her a wide berth."
"Oh yeah," Clark agreed as he opened the door to go back in. "Where's my boy?"
"On the tractor with his grandfather. I can call them."
"I'll go out and find them." He grabbed a biscuit from the basket and grinned when his mother swatted his rear. As he crossed the backyard, he decided that maybe what Lois needed today was to be here with Collin and Perry. They'd sure made him feel better on more than one occasion when he was down. If that didn't work, he didn't know what would.
****
By lunch time, Lois was smiling and laughing as she played with the twins. They'd had tea, drove toy cars through the house, had a race on the swings, rode the tractor with Jonathan, and explored the farm. Even though she looked happy, Clark could tell that the smiles didn't quite reach her eyes. He saw the deep shadows marring her expressions, but she plowed along as bravely as she could. She shared donuts with the twins and gave each a toy- Perry a rag doll, and Collin a football. She also had new outfits for them both.
She was certainly resourceful, he thought as she gave the kids their gifts. Mayson probably gave her an advance on her money.
Lois shared a picnic lunch with the twins on a blanket near the pond. They blew bubbles and flew a kite. Clark was happy to allow them this time to spend alone. He helped his dad make some necessary repairs. Wayne Irig's son was going to move into the bunk house near the south side of the property and care for the cattle when his parents moved to the city. They'd discussed leasing the farm, but would make a final decision later.
By dinnertime, Lois looked a lot better than she had earlier in the day. She talked mostly with Collin and Perry, although she answered the few questions his folks asked her. As much as Clark loved visiting his twins, he was glad when it was time for bed. Lois read the bedtime story on the sofa after the kids were bathed and in their pajamas. Each one gave her a hug, then went up to bed. Lois had told Martha and Jonathan that she would stay next time and after Clark said good-bye to his parents, they left.
When they landed outside the apartment, Lois hurried inside. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and went in behind her. She was sick again, but this time he left her on her own. He kicked off his shoes and flopped down on the couch, deciding to give Superman the night off. He'd been out a few times today and things seemed quiet.
Lois showered again before she left the bathroom. She was wearing a pair of Clark's shorts and one of his shirts when she went into the kitchen. Although Clark's eyes glanced at her from time to time, he didn't lift his head from where it rested on the back of the couch. He was trying to appear interested in the game.
After pouring herself a glass of milk, she went back to the bedroom. Twenty minutes later, she clicked the light out. He sighed heavily and forced himself to remain seated. This was beyond ridiculous now. She needed to talk, even if she didn't want to.
"Would you accept an apology?" Lois said from the other room, trusting him to hear her. "Don't answer that. Just..." She sighed. "I'm sorry." She sniffed. "I'm just tired of hurting... all the time."
"It'll get better," he said loud enough for her to hear him without shouting.
"I know. I've just never been very patient."
He smiled at that. No kidding! He hadn't known Lois but a few days and already knew that much about her.
"I want to wake up and breathe without dragging air into my lungs to do it. I want to work like I used to, not wonder if each new thing I uncover is related to that monster. I want to... look at men without wanting to choke the life out of them just for being male." The covers ruffled and she sniffed again. "I want to love my children without hating how I got them." She was silent for a long time before she said, "I want to call their father my friend and not want to rip his eyes out at the same time."
Clark's head snapped toward the bedroom.
"I don't mean to, Clark. I don't want to. I happen to think you're an amazing person. And you're the hottest son of a bitch I've ever met. But at the same time..." She sniffed again. "I don't hate you or anything. And I've only had that thought once or twice."
Since she'd mentioned it, Clark could completely understand how she felt. She blamed any and everybody for what happened to her, including him. It was natural to do so, and whether she realized it or not, it was also a huge part of the healing process.
"I'd rather tease you and flirt with you shamelessly," she admitted after a long silence.
He laughed softly. He'd rather she did that, too. He'd missed her teasing, no matter how much it affected him.
"Thank you... for stopping me last night."
"You're welcome," he said, although he wasn't sure she heard him. The relief he felt knowing she hadn't spent the night in a hotel room with... *Greg* made him lightheaded. If she'd gone off with that man...
"Thank you... for listening." She burrowed into the bed and sighed. "I love our twins," she felt he should know. "And I haven't felt as alive as I did today in a really long time."
"I'm glad," he said. She was quiet again and before long her slow, steady breathing told him she was asleep. She probably needed to sleep. More correctly, she needed to rest. He briefly wondered if she'd see someone, get a prescription to help her sleep.
He shifted so he could lie down. Maybe tomorrow would be better.
****
She was watching him; he could feel it. He slowly opened his eyes and she was right there.
"Hey," she told him softly.
"Hey," he replied without moving.
Lois just stared at him, not saying a word. He stared back for a moment, then closed his eyes again. She could sit there the rest of the night if she wanted to. He was tired. Superman had been needed a while ago and it was draining as hell keeping up with her. Not that he had.
There was movement, then she sighed. He opened his eyes when she grasped the fingers of the hand he had draped over the side of the couch. Lois was lying on a bed she'd made up on the floor. Suddenly he realized that she fought against him so hard, against herself so hard, because she was scared. She was probably closer to being terrified. For a woman who'd been independent and strong, able to care for herself, it was almost impossible for her to cope with the fact that she'd been stripped of her self-control. What she needed more than anything was to feel safe again. Until she did, she wouldn't be able to regain her confidence.
Did she feel safe with him? She'd moved her bed next to him and held his hand- it must indicate some kind of trust in him. As he smoothed his thumb over the fingers that held his, he made up his mind that if being close to him made her feel better, she could hold his hand all the time.
She went back to sleep, and after watching her a while, so did he. When he woke up again, she was sitting on the floor, leaned back against the couch so that if she turned her head, their faces would be inches apart. She was still holding his hand where it hang across her shoulder. The television was playing a cartoon movie and she was actually laughing now and then. He moved a little, squeezing the hand she held. She turned her head and looked at him.
"I didn't wake you, did I?" she asked him.
"Uh uh," he told her and shifted so that he was lying more fully on his side. He'd been on his stomach when he woke up, the same position he was in when she reached up to hold his hand earlier. His new position brought his face closer to her head. The small of her shampoo, or his, invaded his nostrils. "You smell... manly."
That caused her to laugh. "If you'd buy some decent shampoo..."
"What's wrong with my shampoo?"
"Nothing, for you." She released his hand and shifted so she could see his face. To prove her point, she reached up to play with his dark hair. "How do you manage to get all of that gel out?"
He let out a grunt of laughter. The hand she'd released came up to smooth across her back. "Heat vision."
"Really?"
"Mmm," he said and closed his eyes. She was still playing with his hair and it felt good.
"Hey, Clark?"
"Umm?"
"I noticed that Perry talks better than Collin."
His eyes opened again so he could look at her. His gaze was reflected right back while she waited on his answer. "We had Perry a year longer," he told her. "Doc Nate says that he's right on course."
"Okay," she said and laid her head over against his arm. "That feels good." He was still rubbing her back. His hand stopped and he was about to draw away. "Don't stop," she begged. He put his large hand back and moved it around on her body again. "I went to see Lucy."
"How is she?"
She lifted her head to look at him. "In a lot of ways she's probably better off than I am."
"Don't say that," he said softly.
"Would you miss me?" The teasing glint was back in her eyes and he couldn't help but laugh.
"Maybe when I didn't have anybody else to talk to."
She elbowed him in the chest, causing him to grunt. "You know what, Kent? You can just bite me."
He pulled her arm up to his mouth and bit her before she knew what happened. She jerked her arm away, her mouth hanging open as she stared at him. "You told me to," he said innocently.
"What if I told you to jump off a bridge? Scratch that. You wouldn't even hit bottom." She turned back around and leaned up against the couch with a sigh.
The hand that had been on her back went around her chest and grasped her by the arm so he could pull her back, closer to him. "Want to jump with me?" he asked next to her ear.
"It depends on where we're jumping to," she replied as she lifted her hand to grasp the arm across her chest. "Or what we're jumping into."
Her close proximity threatened to send his system into shock. But for the life of him, he couldn't pull away. His thumb stroked her shoulder and he turned his head into the side of her face, inhaling deeply.
"Clark," she breathed, his action causing her to close her eyes. Her hand squeezed his arm tighter.
"Do you realize what you do to me?" he asked her softly. "Just being in the same room."
She swallowed hard, her body feeling completely alive.
Clark shifted so that he could push her hair off the side of her face with his other hand. "Help me, Lois. Help me find the woman under all the pain." He rubbed his face against hers. "If you affect me this much now, just think how much you'll move me then."
Lois felt the tears sting her eyes. How could she possibly cry anymore? She shifted so she could turn around. Clark recognized her need and wrapped his arms around her, giving her the comfort she sought. When she'd cried herself out, she drew back to look at him.
"I'm really high maintenance."
"I like a challenge," he said with a grin, his hand going up to cup her cheek.
She let out a humorous snort before leaning over to rub her nose against his the way their twins did.
Clark was the one to pull her back into another hug, needing the time to calm his raging nerves. She'd sent him into hyper drive and his body was behaving like a teenager.
From a damn touch! On the nose!
When he drew back, she was smiling. "Let's go do something fun today," she said as she pulled away and stood up.
"Like what?"
"I don't know," she said with a shrug. "What do you like to do?"
"I could name a few things," he mumbled as he sat up.
"Still hear you," she called over her shoulder on the way into the bedroom.
"Still want you to," he declared as he stood to gather up all of the covers. He zipped through the apartment and put the folded cover in the window seat. Lois stopped what she was doing and grinned at him.
"Not very original," she said.
"Might not be original, but it *did* impress you."
"And how would you know that?" she asked as she folded her arms across her body.
"Your eyes... they tell me way too much about you."
"Then maybe I should start wearing shades."
"Ah, but I can still see your eyes." He shook his finger like that was a no-no as he stepped around her to get clean clothes out of his dresser.
"Damn! I forgot about that." Lois snapped her fingers, still smiling widely. She had so much fun teasing Clark.
"Should I cook breakfast or do you want to go out?" Clark was pulling a shirt from the closet.
"Let's go out. I know this great little place in Hobs Bay."
"Lola's Cafe?"
"How did you know?" she asked as she turned his way.
"I like to eat, too."
She threw a shirt at him, then started toward the bathroom. "Me first." She stopped in the archway and looked back. "Or you could just join me."
Clark grinned, then pulled his head out of the closet to grin at her. "What are you going to do the day I take you up on that?"
Her eyes swept the length of his body before settling back on his. The dark orbs were nearly black now, a few naughty thoughts undoubtedly dancing around in her head. "I could think of a couple of things," she told him honestly.
The grin faded from Clark's face as they stood there staring at one another. His body was screaming at him, the attraction for this woman undeniable.
"I have to tell you another reason you unnerve me so much is because I'm so damned attracted to you," she told him softly.
"And that bothers you?"
"No. It..." She glanced away to break the tension between them. "Okay," she said when she looked back at him. "It *does* bother me a little. Not that I don't like being attracted to you." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I just have all of this stuff... rambling around in my head. Then when I look at you..." Her eyes went back to his. "The storm can be raging out of control, but one glance at you and..." She glanced toward the bathroom. "I'm going to shower now because I've said too much."
Before he could say a word, she disappeared behind the bathroom door. He sighed heavily because he knew how she felt. He was so incredibly attracted to her it was starting to be painful to be close to her. Lois was unlike anyone he'd ever met. And he was pretty sure he hadn't even scratched the surface on her true personality yet. Granted, with all that had happened to her, he might never know the person she was, but he was certain the person she was going to become would be one heck of a woman. He was glad he'd met her.
