Lois was glad the drive to Smallville from the airport wasn't an extremely long one because she had become sick of the tiresome flat expanse of road that she had been driving on. There was nothing to see - just miles and miles of flat farmland intermingled with fields where cattle grazed behind barbed wire fences.
That sounds a little boring - no place for young lovers to make out, eh?
Turning into their driveway and making her way towards the house, Lois marveled at how time just seemed to stand still somehow out in the country. It was so much different than the hustle and bustle of life in a big city.
There was no way she could ever live in the country. It would drive her insane. The constancy of it and repetitiveness. She needed excitement, challenges... variety.
I can sympathize. No, the place I live in is nothing like Metropolis, most certainly... but still, there are about 250,000 people living in Malmö, so there is certainly some variety here. And Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, is only forty minutes away by train, and there is a train for Copenhagen every twenty minutes. And Lund, a smallish but charming city with the second most important university in Sweden, a true city of wit and academia, is only fifteen minutes away by train.
“Tornados? Are you kidding?” Lois asked before giving her a lopsided grin. “So there is some truth to Dorothy, Toto and Oz, after all?”
Wow, DJ, I had forgotten! It was indeed a tornado that brought Dorothy to the land of Oz. Eh... well... that's an idea, you know? Bringing on a tornado... and having it drop Clark and Lois in the land of Oz?
“Martha, is he that sick? Has he gotten worse since I talked to you yesterday?”
Martha's shoulders slumped and she let out a soft sigh. “I don't know. He won't talk to me. Somehow I get the impression that it's not just illness keeping him in that bed. I think part of it is a lack of desire to get out of bed.
![[Linked Image]](http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-2/653261/melodrama.jpg)
Oh, woe is me... (add bed to picture)
Clark was lying in bed with his back to the door and the blanket pulled up high around him. His only answer was an indecipherable grunt.
“Clark? What's wrong? Why won't you talk to me?”
“I just don't feel like it,” he mumbled, still refusing to turn and look at her.
How could she be so blind as to not realize how her words had hurt him? “Clark *is* the ordinary man leading the ordinary life and you didn't love him. The only reason you care about me now is because you know that the man who you only considered to be your partner and your friend is actually your super hero. It changed your perspective of me, but it didn't change *me*,” he paused for a moment and when he continued, his voice was very quiet, “I'm still the same person I've always been and when it comes right down to it, you never loved that person.”
“Oh, sure, you say that now. You know that I'm Superman now. That's the only reason you've changed your mind.” Clark had no idea why he was pressing the issue at this particular moment. He really didn't feel like talking about it – like talking period. It just hurt to know that Lois loved her super hero so much that she would hop on a flight to come down here and check on him, but if it were really just Clark, she wouldn't have come.
Clark felt a rush of pure pleasure run through his body at that knowledge. It was somehow vindicating to know that before Luthor had died, he had known that Lois loved Clark more.
Yeah, well, the problems some people have... like not being content until Lex Luthor knows that your mild-mannered persona has out-attracted his eligible billionaire!
“Oh,” she said softly. Lois got up from the bed unsure of what to say next or where to go. She certainly wasn't in a position to talk to him about Klein. And it wouldn't do any good right now, anyway; the sun was already starting to go down.
No, no, no, you must
tell him that he must stay in the sun, Lois!
Tell him!!!!
Clark frowned half-heartedly. “Are you doing the cooking?” She shook her head "no' and he continued with a smile, “Then I think I might be able to make it down.”
Lois stuck her tongue out at him in mock indignation and hid a smile. He was already feeling better.
Well, Clark needs to be slapped upside the head and be put over Lois knee and spanked, but I guess I'll have to settle for her sticking out her tongue at him.
Lois rolled her eyes. “Martha, I don't think he's sick. I think he's faking it.”
Martha laughed. “It wouldn't be the first time a Kent male had feigned illness for some TLC.”
“Hey!” Jonathan protested. “It was too beautiful of a day that fine spring morning to spend it away from my new blushing bride. I don't remember hearing any complaints.”
“Dad!” Clark exclaimed. His cheeks had turned rosy and it made Lois laugh. He looked over at her and caught her eye, a grin spreading across his face. “I have to admit that I do feel better. In fact, what would you say to taking a walk with me?”
Take a hint from your dad, Clark. But hey, as for that walk... didn't Martha say something about a storm brewing?
Clark surprised her when he reached out and took her hand in his as they walked. Maybe she hadn't covered her stumble as well as she thought she had. Lois smiled, enjoying the way her skin tingled where it met with his.
That's so sweet. Maybe she should stumble more often.
“Sometimes I miss *this*, he said and gestured at the sky, “living in the city.”
Lois bit her lip. “So I guess that means you aren't really missing the city, yet?”
You'd better miss your city girl, Clark!
Clark glanced over at her and flashed her a smile that she could barely see through the darkness around them. “No, I miss it, but I've got the best part here with me tonight,” he said softly, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.
Good boy.
She was glad it was dark out so hopefully he couldn't see the color that she could feel flushing her cheeks. “When do you think you'll come back?”
Lois heard him sigh softly. “I don't know. When do you think Perry will want me to come back?”
She thought for a moment. In truth, Perry probably wouldn't need Clark for at least a couple more weeks, but she didn't want him to be gone that long. “Next week?” she replied hopeful.
“Next week?” Clark stopped walking - beginning to feel the soreness threatening to return in his side - and turned to face her, trying to read her expression through the darkness. He was cursing the fact that his powers had deserted him. His eyesight was normally much better. “Is that when he wants me back or when you want me back?”
She hesitated for a moment before replying, “I would want you to come back tomorrow.”
Awwww!!!! That's so sweet! Clark, return to Metropolis as soon as possible!
“That day... the park... wasn't your fault,” he consoled her. “I caught you off guard. I shouldn't have...”
“No, Clark, I lied about my feelings that day.” She had to make him see that she loved him, make him understand that she had gone to Dr. Klein to help him. He needed to know what Klein had told her. But the potential to wreck everything loomed over her, threatening to smother her voice. Or maybe that was just the humidity. “Clark, I...”
She paused because of a crack of thunder and flash of lightning from the field next to them. “Wow, that was close,” she breathed.
And then the rain came.
Noooo! Thunder and lightning and rain interruptus! Just when she was going to tell him that she loves him!
Lois planted her feet, forcing Clark to stop. He turned to look at her and she frowned at him. “Don't.”
Clark gave her a look of confusion. “Don't what?”
“Don't you do that, Clark. I don't care about your powers. I mean it. I would just as soon have your arm around me keeping me warm.”
He tightened his hold on her. “I can definitely do that.”
“Okay, good,” she said, sounding satisfied. “Now let's get you inside before your cold turns into pneumonia.”
I love Lois putting her feet down!
Clark opened the door for her and followed her inside. Lois looked around expecting Martha to come in and fuss at Clark for getting caught in the rain, but she wasn't anywhere to be seen. “Where's your mom?”
Clark gestured upstairs. “They go to bed pretty early because they have to get up before the chickens,” he said, smiling at her. Then he shrugged. “That's life on a farm.”
Have Martha and Jonathan just gone to bed? I don't think so. Are you up to something ominous here, DJ? Clearly you need to post the next part soon, or else we may start moping and taking to our beds!
![[Linked Image]](http://www.ics.uci.edu/~eppstein/pix/charlotte/Moping-s.jpg)
Ann
