Chapter 7
Ordinary People

Clark landed on his balcony and immediately sensed Lois. He could hear her heartbeat and admitted that he liked it. They'd gotten home from their honeymoon a little earlier, but he'd had to go out on a call for Superman shortly after unpacking. Now, as he took in the sight before him, he immediately realized he was glad to be home.

Lois was in his kitchen... cooking. Cooking! That was a surprise and he stopped to watch with a sappy smile plastered on his face.

Suddenly, she realized she was being watched and looked around to see him in the doorway. "Hi." She held up a finger and lifted the phone to her ear. "Okay, Martha… Uh huh." She did as she was obviously instructed. "Okay… That's it?… Wow. Thanks… Yeah… He's home. Okay… You, too. Bye." She cut the connection and laid the phone on the counter.

"Taking cooking lessons?"

"Just felt like living on the wild side," she said with a grin as she sprinkled cheese on her dish and slid it into the oven.

Clark shook his head and went into the bedroom to change. Mere seconds later he came back, dressed casually in flannel shirt and jeans, to find Lois fighting with a bottle of wine. "Here." He took the bottle and held it until the cork popped out.

"Okay," Lois said with crossed arms. "How did you do that?"

"Pressure. It's hard to explain."

"How 'bout the spin thingy? Show me that one."

"Right now?"

"Yeah. You're not dressed in the suit, but I guess the method is the same. You know, do it slower so I can see how you do it. That's if you feel up to it, of course. I mean, you were sick and we just got home and unpacked... and then you had to go rescue someone or something. So, if you're too tired, I'd understand...."

"Lois, take it easy. It's okay. I feel fine now." That wasn't totally true; he did feel a little tired, but his super powers were all there, and if this made Lois happy, then he'd do it. Besides, she seemed to be in somewhat of a relaxed state since their return. He certainly didn't want to ruin it.

Clark smiled and stepped back from her. He started spinning. Although it was slower, she had to concentrate to make out what he was doing. He undressed down to his shorts and t-shirt, then redressed again. When he stopped he'd left his glasses off and was grinning widely.

"Happy?"

"Yes. Very. But you don't wear shorts beneath the suit? I mean they'd leave a line beneath the tights." Lois' gaze dropped to his thighs without thinking and she quickly dragged her stare back to his face.

"Yes they would.... I wear briefs!"

Lois nodded sagely, then her eyes narrowed as another thought came to her mind. "How about the cape? What happens to that?"

"It's complicated, Lois. Let's just say I'm very good at fast vacuum packing." Clark grinned over his answer.

"Yeah, I noticed in the hotel, and your heat vision takes out the creases... neat! Packing and unpacking should never be a problem again." She turned happily, satisfied with the small insight into some of his powers and, retrieving the plates from the counter, she handed them to Clark.

He grinned broadly over the fact that Lois had made a passing reference to their future together, took the dishes and began setting the table. "Ah, not that I'm complaining, Lois, but to what do I owe this pleasure?"

"I just felt like cooking tonight." Lois twisted back to the stove, trying to hide her true reason. Martha had asked Lois to keep an eye on her son's health and feeding him properly seemed to feature pretty heavily in that process. She just hoped that the results were as good as her intentions.

Clark smiled over at her. "In that case, I'm glad I'm Superman."

Lois swatted his arm lightly. "I'll remember that."

"Did you tell my mother you'd make sure I eat well?"

Lois looked up at him with an incredulous expression. "How did you know she asked?"

"Lois, I know my mother."

"Excuse us for caring." She turned and took up two wine glasses, almost running into Clark when she went back for the wine and sparkling water.

"I like it that you care," he said softly.

"Good." She lifted the bottle and poured him a glass. "They say wine has cancer fighting agents in it," she told him as she held out his glass.

"I've heard that." He took a long sip. "But I guess the same can be said for Lois Lane."

She laughed at his lame joke. "Clark, it's really nice to see you relaxing a little."

"It's nice to be able to." They shared a gaze before he moved away to check his mail.

Nearly an hour later they'd eaten and cleaned up the dishes. Clark toweled his hands dry as Lois put a container of leftovers in the freezer. When he was done, he turned to Lois. "Thank you. Dinner was wonderful."

"You're welcome, but I couldn't have done it without your mom's instructions. Don't expect too much!" Her words seemed to remind her that this togetherness wasn't all it appeared, and she drew back, pointing over her shoulder. "I want to take a bath."

"Okay. I think I'll just go make up the bed in the loft. I'm a little tired and want to turn in."

Lois halted in her backward movement towards the archway. "Oh, I should help you with that."

"No, Lois, I can manage...."

"Clark, I want to! It's because of me that you're having to sleep up there, so the least I can do is make sure you're going to be comfortable."

Clark looked a little doubtful, but he could tell by the set of Lois' chin that she was determined and he wasn't up to quarrelling with her over something so trivial. "Okay, if you're sure."

"Clark, this is why we got married and are living together, so I can help you with domestic chores like this."

A sad smile crossed Clark's face as he went over her earlier words. She was correct; if it hadn't been for her insisting on separate bedrooms, this chore wouldn't need doing. Besides he wasn't quite sure what Lois would say when she saw the loft space. Any moment now, though, he was going to find out since she followed him up the narrow winding staircase.

He'd managed to clear the attic out and give it a quick freshen up with paint before the wedding, yet nothing would make the room look anything other than the storage space it was meant to be.

Lois stared around her as Clark stood back revealing the small attic. It was obvious he'd cleaned it out, and even painted it up with a bright lemon paint, but that couldn't disguise the dinginess of the tiny room.

A skylight in the sloping roof and the tops of the large bedroom window peeping above the floorboards were the only sources of natural light in the room. Through the glass in the ceiling, a partially cloud-cloaked moon shed an eerie path across the floor. Clark switched on the light, revealing a bare bulb hanging from the middle of the roof, while the only pieces of furniture in the room were a small camping cot and a side-table.

Lois blinked a couple of times. "Clark! You can't sleep here! It's terrible!" she walked down the center of the room, ducking the light fixture as she went. "Look at this. I doubt the only place you can stand up straight is in the middle of the room and this light thingy is in the way." She pointed angrily at the offending electric appliance.

"Lois, it's not so bad." Clark forced a smile as he came forward and quickly sat on the bed -- there was no point in verifying her observation. "With the wedding so quick and everything, I didn't have time to do much in here. But with a proper bed... a few more bits and pieces and curtains.... Oh, and I'll move the center light and put in a few lamps. I could even get my desk in the corner." Clark stretched out a hand to Lois and pulled her to stand in front of him. "It'll be fine, I promise. And you can help me fix it up, if you like."

She looked around doubtfully, trying to see how it could be improved and a few ideas crept into her mind. Her fish tank might fit in the other corner -- there really wasn't room for it in the living room, and Clark wouldn't feel so alone if he had her fish to keep him company. Then another thought intruded. "But what about Superman?"

"What about him?"

"Don't you use the balcony to fly out of here?"

"Yes, and I can still do that during the day. And once I'm up here, I can use the skylight." He pointed to the glass in the roof. It was probably just big enough for him to get through. "Actually, it's a good idea, because I doubt if anyone could see me leaving from there, especially if I fly straight up. Don't worry, Lois, between us we'll have this room looking really homey."

Lois let herself be persuaded. She really did want a room of her own, and having Clark sleep permanently on the living room couch wasn't really an option. "Okay, we have to go back to work tomorrow, so we can work on it over the weekend." She lowered her head and gave him a quick smile. "You might not believe me, but I'm pretty good with a paint brush."

"Lois, I painted it!" Clark's free hand gestured round the room.

"Yes, but it's so plain... it could do with a few touches here and there. And maybe some pictures...." Lois started to walk around the small space, her mind obviously busy on decorations and furnishings. Clark was prepared to let her have her way. He kind of liked the idea of their doing home decorating together.

"Yes, you're probably right...." A huge yawn cut off his words and he felt a sudden lassitude overtake him.

Lois was immediately on the alert. "Tired? Are you okay?"

"Lois, there will be days when I'm tired. It doesn't mean I'm dying at that moment."

"I know. It's just…"

"I'm scared, too," he told her as he put an arm around her shoulder when he stood and walked her toward the stairs. "It's okay though. I don't think I'll die today."

"Don't kid about this."

"I'm sorry." He kissed her temple, then shoved her down the first few steps. "Go bathe, will ya'?

"Yes, just as soon as I get some blankets for that bed." She smiled and disappeared down the stairs.

Once they'd made the bed up to her satisfaction and Clark had settled in, Lois went off to have her bath. She spent some time relaxing in the water and reviewing the day. All in all, they'd had a pretty nice honeymoon, if you could call two friends having fun together a honeymoon. But it had ended worryingly. Lois didn't like to see Clark being sick; it reminded her too much of his uncertain future. Yet he did seem to recover fairly quickly. She really had to have a chat with Dr Klein and find out what to expect in the next few months. Having decided on a course of action, Lois allowed herself to unwind.

A little later, smelling fresh and clean, she slipped on her robe and crept up the stairs. Clark was lying on his side facing the top edge of his picture window, yet somehow Lois sensed he was still awake.

Lois reached out to touch Clark's back tentatively. "Feeling okay?"

"Just tired."

"Okay!" She rubbed his back a few times, and Clark pulled her hand round to his chest, giving it a quick squeeze. Lois leaned over and her lips gently brushed his cheek. "I'll go to bed then. Goodnight, Clark, and if you need me during the night, just shout."

"I'll be fine. Goodnight, Lois." He turned slightly and placed a quick kiss on her palm, then released her hand. "Oh, and if you hear anything during the night, don't panic. I'll probably just be flying off to rescue someone."

"Clark!" Lois objected. "I don't think that's such a good idea. You're tired, and you need to rest. You were sick today."

Now it was Clark's turn to look doubtful, but he had to admit that Lois had a point. "It's okay, Lois. I usually sleep pretty deeply if I'm exhausted and I wouldn't hear any calls anyway. But if I do, I promise I'll be careful."

It was clear that this was the only concession that Lois was going to get -- Clark was wearing his stubborn look. Lois tousled his hair and smiled. "Alright. Goodnight, Clark. Sleep well!"

****

The next morning Lois woke slowly, disorientated as she looked around the room. For a few moments she hardly knew where she was -- then she remembered this was Clark's bedroom and that this, for the foreseeable future, was where she would be living. Somehow she couldn't quite bring herself to call it home.

That was strange; she'd been waking up these past few mornings in close proximity with Clark and it hadn't troubled her much. But then she concluded that might have been because they'd both been in neutral territory, whereas now she was definitely in Clark's place. Why hadn't she given much thought to this before?

And this *was* Clark's place. She'd literally thrown him out of his room and banished him to that small attic space. Still, she was going to help him do something to cheer up his small room, and the separate sleeping accommodations did make her feel more comfortable about this whole sharing thing. But just how was she going to cope with living with someone on a permanent basis?

The only person she'd shared an apartment with since she'd graduated from college had been Lucy, and that hadn't always been a successful arrangement. It had mainly worked because she'd seen very little of her sister. Lucy had usually been on her way out to party when Lois got home from work and she'd slept late most mornings due to the hours she kept, so the times that the two sisters had spent together were few and far between. That was hardly going to be the solution with Clark -- they even worked together. Talk about over-exposure! And not just for her. She was high-maintenance; Clark would soon grow tired of her being around all the time.

Momentarily, a feeling of panic overwhelmed her, but she steered it aside as she pushed the last vestiges of sleep away and sat up in bed. Lois wasn't one to indulge her fears. She was an adult and she'd made her choice; she wasn't about to run out on her responsibilities just because she was feeling a little anxious. Ignoring the unease she felt, she climbed out of bed and walked into the bathroom to get ready for work.

In the kitchen Clark heard the noises of Lois waking, of drawers opening and closing, and minutes later the shower was turned on. He'd pulled on an old comfortable flannel robe to make breakfast for them, knowing that it would take him only seconds to get ready for work.

To tell the truth, he too was slightly uneasy, wondering what sort of reception he would get from Lois this morning. He'd been touched by her care of him last night, but you never knew with Lois if her mood of the night would be carried into the next day. His partner -- he wasn't really in a position to call her his wife yet -- wasn't a morning person, and she needed her first daily shot of caffeine before she could function like a normal human-being.

Clark quickly poured a mug of his finest coffee and placed it on the table alongside a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice and a few slices of toast. His stomach hadn't felt up to preparing a full Kansas-style breakfast this morning, but he was sure that Lois would prefer the continental type anyway.

Sitting down in front of his own meager breakfast, he toyed with his food while he waited for Lois to arrive. She didn't disappoint him, rushing in a few minutes later fully dressed for work and carrying her briefcase.

Lois eyed her place at the table and her partner a little like both were something from an alien planet. "Oh, breakfast. I don't often do breakfast... don't really have the time, though I will have that coffee." Lois sat down on the edge of the seat, ready to run off at any second. "Thanks," she said as she savoured the drink, her eyes fixed on the contents of the mug. "You always make the best coffee, Clark."

"Morning, Lois," Clark addressed her as cheerfully as he could, while wondering why Lois was refusing to look him in the face. "And thanks for the compliment. I hope you like the rest of your breakfast."

"I'm sorry, Clark, but I don't think we've got time. We're running late already. Maybe we can grab a doughnut at the office." Lois ignored the tiny voice in her head trying wildly to tell her that Clark should really eat a balanced diet for the sake of his health.

The only answer was a strangled groan.

"Clark?"

"It's okay," Clark ground out from behind his hand. "I just need to go to the bathroom. I feel like I'm going to be sick." He disappeared into the other room. Lois dumped her mug on the table and went to check on him.

"Clark?" She grabbed a cloth and held it under the cold tap for a couple of minutes, then lowered it to his face as she leaned over him. "What made you so sick all of a sudden?"

"Bad day. I'm sorry."

"You have to stop apologizing for everything." She wiped his face again.

Clark was about to agree when he got sick again.

Lois smoothed his hair back as he heaved. She wanted to help him or cry or something. When he leaned back into her body, she took all his weight as she kneeled. She wiped his face and the part of his chest which was now exposed by the gaping robe, trying to make him feel better.

"I feel awful."

"You think we need to get to Dr. Klein?"

"Nah. I always feel this way when I'm sick." He turned slightly into her body. "Lois?"

"Hmmm?"

"I'm glad you're here."

"I am, too, Clark." Lois blushed guiltily as she spoke, knowing she'd spent the morning having second thoughts about the fact that she was here in his apartment.

"If we hadn't gotten married, you wouldn't be here."

She smoothed his hair back off his head. "I know." Suddenly she pushed him straight up, her misgivings totally forgotten. Her hand and the cloth were full of blood. "Clark!"

He must have realized something was wrong because he lifted his hand to his nose. It was bleeding. "Oh God!"

"Lean forward and pinch it." She lifted his other hand to hold the toilet bowl. "Hold on while I get you some clothes."

Lois shot up from the floor, cleaned her hand, and ran into the bedroom. With a speed that would rival Superman, she pulled on a clean blouse, her own having been spotted by blood, then raced back in to him with a set of sweats.

His nose had just about stopped bleeding so together they were able to get him into his clothes. She helped steady him as he walked back to the bedroom. She pulled a pair of socks onto his feet, pushed his shoes on, and quickly got hers on. Clark never protested as Lois drove them to Star Labs and neither of them thought of the fact that Lois had helped Clark dress. All was forgotten in the need to get to someone who could explain why this was happening.

****

"I should have told you this was a possible symptom. Often leukemia will cause victims to have nose-bleeds. It's one of the ways your body is still fighting this disease." Dr Klein recorded some figures on Clark's chart, having completed a fairly extensive exam and satisfying both himself and the patient that the situation wasn't too serious.

"What about his white cell count?" Lois demanded.

"It's only a little altered from two weeks ago."

"So the disease hasn't gone wild?" That had been Lois' overwhelming fear when she'd seen all the blood earlier and she held her breath, still not willing to accept the doctor's verdict until he'd answered all her questions.

"No. It's still pretty much the same, but I have to warn you here that this disease can worsen very quickly and there's every chance you'll have more incidents like this one." He looked down at Clark. "Up your intake of water. Another reason you could have gotten this nose-bleed when you did was because the membranes inside the nose weren't moist enough and when you were throwing up, they ruptured. You need more water and you may consider saline nose drops now and then."

"Okay." Clark sat up and started pulling his shirt on as Lois automatically reached over to help him.

"I, ah, assume we're still moving forward with the baby thing?" Klein stammered.

Lois looked up and forced an awkward smile at the doctor. "Yes, why wouldn't we?" she asked defensively. "And so that you know, Clark and I got married."

Bernie's brows rose to meet his shiny scalp. "Really? That's fantastic. So does this mean you'll be shooting for a natural conception now?"

Clark's head shot up so his gaze met the doctor's. "Not right now. We'd…" He glanced over at Lois. "I'd rather go ahead the way we planned."

"Oh." Bernie looked a little disappointed. "But… with this new development we really should speed things up a little. I don't want to worry either of you, but I believe Clark is at the beginning of the end. It's not an exact science, of course, but I estimate his powers could be gone in a matter of months."

"Okay, Dr. Klein," Clark told him, putting on a brave front, but not completely succeeding. "What do you suggest?"

"I suggest we widen the window and start the insemination procedure three days before Lois' fertile time and continue three days after, as well as at completely random times. Sometimes conception takes place when you least expect it." He turned back to writing something in the chart while he continued. "If it were me though, I'd try a little extra curricular activity as well." He glanced up again to find the couple both had astonished looks on their faces, which did puzzle him. The doctor couldn't imagine why two healthy, attractive adults would rather use artificial means of conception. Frankly, he thought that Lois and Clark made a great couple; yet, for some strange reason, neither one of them was willing to admit that fact. Then again, what did he know? He wasn't really good at 'people skills', and it was their choice. "I didn't mean to…"

"No, it's okay," Lois spoke up quickly, still trying to assimilate what she'd just heard. The artificial insemination process wasn't pleasant, in fact, it was down-right mortifying and she'd just heard that she'd have to endure a whole lot more of these than she'd expected. When she'd first thought up this scheme, she'd optimistically believed she'd get pregnant very quickly. In fact, if she were honest, she'd never given much thought to the actual procedure. Lois quelled inwardly, but chanted her mantra, "We'll… we'll just take it one day at a time."

Dr. Klein nodded. "While you're here, let me take your temperature."

"Sure," she stated determinedly, while Bernie retrieved his thermometer.

To tell the truth, Dr Klein wasn't any more comfortable with increasing the procedures than Lois.

****

Lois sat very stiffly in the driver's seat of her Jeep as she started up the engine.

"Okay, Lois, what's wrong now?" Clark asked hesitantly -- he wasn't sure he wanted to know. She'd been acting very strangely all morning.

"Wrong! Why should anything be wrong?" Lois busied herself with pulling out of Star Labs' carpark and refused to look in her partner's direction.

"Lois, I know you. When you came into the kitchen this morning, you were pretty evasive. Something has to be bothering you."

"No!"

"Lois, this is me you're talking to, your hus...." No, that wasn't right! "Your partner!"

"Well, that just shows how little you know me," she lied; Clark probably knew her better than anyone. "I'm just eager to get to work. I'm looking forward to getting back into the swing of things at the Planet, but I'll drop you off at home first."

"I'm going into work too, though I suppose getting changed would be a good idea." He looked down at the old set of sweats he was wearing. "Not exactly the correct dress-code for work." Clark was babbling with the best of them. "But you could drop me off and I could fly in once I'm changed."

That got Lois' attention. "You're not flying anywhere at the moment, and you're not going to work!"

"Why not, Lois? I feel fine now. And you heard Bernie; my cell count isn't much worse than before. I don't really want to sit around at home getting bored. I'll go crazy."

"Better that than making yourself ill," she snorted.

"Lois, I don't think that's true. Isn't there a school of thought that says that having a positive attitude helps fight a disease?"

"I guess, but I just thought you might need the rest. Maybe you could come into work later." Now that her anxiety at the thought of Clark overdoing things was receding her voice sounded flat.

Clark reached over and placed a hand on her arm. "Lois, won't you tell me what's bothering you?"

For a few minutes Lois seemed to study the traffic and Clark was sure she wasn't going to let him in on her thoughts.

"It's hard, Clark. It's all a lot harder than I'd ever thought possible!"

Clark swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat. He'd known from the beginning that Lois was against the marriage, but they'd gotten through the last few days in a pretty friendly manner. Okay, she'd insisted on separate rooms, but she hadn't been so hostile until today. Last night she'd even suggested helping him fix up his tiny room. "Lois, are you having second thoughts about all of this?" he asked sadly. "Because you were the one who kept insisting we go through with the baby idea."

"And you were the one who insisted we get married!" Her habitual retort snapped out.

Lois glanced over at Clark, already aware that she'd hurt his feelings. Now why had she come out with something quite so crass? Yes, she was experiencing a little claustrophobia at having to share living space, but she *had* agreed to marry him, so she shouldn't have thrown that in his face... again! They'd been through this argument a number of times, surely it was time to move past it.

"Clark, let's not fight about this. And I'm not having second thoughts. It's just a huge difference thinking about artificial insemination and actually having to go through it. It's not the greatest experience, you know. And now Bernard wants us to do it more often!" Lois tried to keep the testiness from her voice but wasn't sure she'd succeeded.

In fact, she knew she hadn't when Clark replied tightly. "It's not the easiest thing for me either, to keep turning out those specimens."

"But, at least, you get to do it on your own!"

"Yeah, on my own... maybe that's the problem." Clark mumbled, unable to hold back that sentiment.

Lois concentrated on negotiating her Jeep safely through a particularly busy traffic junction, so perhaps she hadn't quite picked up Clark's last words correctly, she surmised. And if she had, she wasn't ready to address that subject. Besides, she seemed to have lost Clark's attention. He had twisted his head slightly as if he was listening to something else.

"Lois, pull over! Please!"

There was a note of desperation in Clark's tone that Lois couldn't ignore. Fortunately, she'd just turned on to Clinton Avenue and she slid the Jeep into the first available space.

"Clark, what's wrong? Are you sick again?"

"No, Lois." Clark gave a tiny smile at her concern. "Some woman is screaming for me. I've got to fly!"

At once, Lois' hand fell on Clark's shoulder, holding him back. "But you can't, Clark. You're not fit to be Superman yet."

He could tell by the look in her eyes that she was genuinely afraid for him, so he said apologetically, "Lois, I can, and I am. I can't ignore a call for help." His hand covered hers where it rested on his shoulder. "It might be a life and death situation."

"Yes, yours!" Lois argued.

"Lois it's not that bad... yet." The distant cry of 'Help Superman' came again, and Clark removed Lois' hand gently. "I have to go, Lois. But I promise, if it's a hard rescue, I'll come home and try to catch some sleep before I meet you at the Planet."

He gave her another sheepish grin and was gone.

"Fine, go do your Superman thing, but, if you get sick, don't forget I told you so!"

Lois grimaced and pulled out into the traffic again to head for the Planet. Why was it that she always had to have the last word?

****

Lois was still a little angry with Clark by the time she made it to the Planet. She couldn't believe that he'd flown off to a rescue like that, even though he still hadn't felt all that well. He was so stubborn... and it irritated her! Needless to say, she was not in a good mood when she arrived at her desk.

"Hi, Lo-is," Cat purred as she stalked up to Lois' desk. "Where's your other-half this morning? You don't look blissfully happy for someone who's madly in love." Cat grinned broadly as she waited for a comment from her victim.

Lois was still pretty lost in her thoughts and only heard about half of what Cat had said. She looked up from where she had been turning on her computer. "What?" she demanded, bewildered. What could Cat be up to now?

"Ahh. I was right. Marriage must not be all you thought it would be." The woman was looking very smug, almost as if she were on the trail of another bit of juicy gossip for her column. Well, Lois wasn't about to give her anything.

"Cat, what *are* you talking about?"

"Well, judging by your mood, I'd say there's trouble in paradise. What's wrong? Clark realize how irritating you really are?" Cat grinned wickedly as she watched her remark hit its target.

Even though Cat's comments usually did little more than annoy her, Lois felt her cheeks turn red. It wasn't so much that Cat was right in her assessment, but marriage was definitely something Lois knew nothing about and, at the moment, she was finding it very difficult to deal with. Of course, she also didn't want anyone to discover just what kind of marriage she and Clark had... especially this anyone!

"For your information," Lois said, her hands on her hips. "I've had a very stressful morning!"

Cat snickered slightly. "Yeah. I hear not getting any will do that to you," she said and turned to walk away.

Lois could only watch helplessly as the infuriating woman strode off. What was she supposed to do? Yell out for the whole newsroom to hear that the problem was not the lack of intimacy between herself and Clark, but that she'd *chosen* not to share a bed with him.

The hard thing was realising that she herself was partly to blame for Cat's snide misinterpretation. She was the one who had led Cat to believe that she and Clark had been... 'doing it', even prior to their marriage. Lois didn't want the gossip mill to know such a thing, but she also didn't want them speculating about the sexual side of this relationship now. Yet she couldn't have it both ways, could she?

And she definitely couldn't shout out that she and Clark had fought over his flying off to be Superman or because they couldn't agree on their insemination procedure. The last thing she wanted anyone to know was they were trying to make a baby. They'd find that out soon enough.

Before she could think about that further, Doug, from Sports, passed and offered her his congratulations on her new marriage.

Her marriage. That was more than a mouthful. Lois smirked weakly at the guy and eased into her chair as she waited for her e-mail program to come up, her thoughts definitely not on anything work related.

She had to be honest here and admit she hadn't put a lot of thought into this whole situation before jumping in. Wasn't that what she did though? Jump in without checking the water level first? Sure, she was committed to having this baby and helping Clark recover. She was even committed to this marriage... in a way. But that didn't mean she was going to give up her own identity.

<No way!> She told herself.

Visions of her parents' marriage flashed through her mind, of how Ellen Lane had tried, in the beginning, to please her husband and be the kind of wife she believed Sam needed. But even presenting him with two lovely daughters hadn't been enough to satisfy Sam and, eventually, Ellen had given up and taken to the bottle.

For a long time, Lois had presumed that none of the Lane women were good enough to hold Sam Lane's interest, but as she'd grown into an adult, she'd come to understand that the fault lay with Sam and not his family. Sam just wasn't suited to that kind of commitment, and Lois had quickly learned from her own experiences with the opposite sex, that very few men were.

Clark might be the exception, but Lois wasn't 'in love' with Clark. She may have agreed to this marriage, but one thing he was going to have to understand right away was that she wasn't about to go down the road her mother took. She was her own person and wasn't about to change for him or anyone!

With new resolve, she focused on her computer and got to work. It would be a cold day in hell before anyone changed 'Mad Dog'.

****

Clark had flown back from that first rescue, feeling really bad about his spat with Lois over Superman. He'd insisted it might be a life and death situation, but it had turned out to be some poor women, loaded down with sacks of groceries and a couple of young children, who'd forgotten her door key and had wanted Superman to let her into her apartment. He'd obliged and turned to head back towards the Planet, hoping that Lois wouldn't ask him what he'd been doing.

He was also willing to admit that he'd been pretty mean over Lois' hang-ups about the mechanics of the insemination procedures. It was true, he didn't want to give more specimens, but he recognised the importance of what they were trying to do, and Lois was making just as many sacrifices as himself. In fact, her participation was probably the more humiliating experience. They'd both accepted that the end result would hopefully be a good thing, and arguing about the process was a useless, childish exercise.

So, the moment he had a chance after arriving back in the newsroom, he'd offered up an apology for his behaviour and agreed to allow Lois some space. He wasn't insensitive, and he realized just how skittish Lois would be about marriage. All her life, Lois had fought to keep her emotions in check because she'd been hurt so many times in the past. She'd been caught off guard by his insisting they be married but in the end she'd agreed, under protest. Now what she needed most was some time and space to get used to the practicalities of married life or, at least, sharing a home with someone. Hey, he needed some of that himself!

Thankfully, Lois had accepted his apology, even offering and, surprisingly, even offered up a slightly grudging one herself.

****

At work, things between the couple didn't change much -- they were still as good a team as they ever were. But, unfortunately, Clark had to admit that the situation on the home front was very different.

The first week hadn't been so bad. In fact, Lois had been unexpectedly civil toward Clark, when she'd finally made it home that first night. She'd told Clark that she'd stayed late at the Planet to catch up on some work on some older cases which she'd shelved for other more immediate investigations. Clark was pretty certain it was just an excuse, but he hadn't felt up to the effort of confronting her. One argument in a day was enough. Besides, it did tie in with his idea that she needed time to herself.

However, having Lois spending most of her time at the Planet wasn't an ideal situation, so Clark began tossing around ideas that would ultimately leave Lois alone in the apartment. It was his hope that she'd become comfortable in what was now her home, too.

Flying Superman patrols all night was out because Bernie had warned him of over-exerting himself. He was far too exhausted most of the time for that anyway.

Staying elsewhere wasn't an option either because of the initial argument they'd had about living together. How could he justify such an action after that? And being dishonest with her was certainly no way for them to start their marriage either.

Clark needed to become creative with his ideas, but meanwhile, the weekend they'd set aside to decorate his little room arrived. It started out the way he'd always imagined sharing his life with Lois would be. They'd hit the stores early, buying more paint -- 'for contrast', Lois had told him. They'd also chosen prints for the walls, a brightly colored bedspread and matching curtans.

At the furniture store, they'd selected a new bed -- three-quarter size for comfort and practicality. An amoire with both drawer and closet space was also a must have due to space constrictions, both pieces chosen to match Clark's existing side table. A decorative table lamp later, Lois was satisfied that they had everything to make the bedroom more homey, so they'd stopped for lunch at their favorite deli.

The remainder of the afternoon was spent attacking Clark's small loft room, turning it into somewhere he'd be comfortable spending time. An offer to super-speed the painting was foregone in favor of being able to watch Lois show off her decorating skills. A choice Clark didn't regret because it allowed him to spend an enjoyable afternoon with Lois.

Lois was puzzled at first to find he didn't own a stepladder. How on earth were they meant to paint the contrasting stripes she envisioned on the sloping roof of the room? He grinned as he suggested showing her.

Lois stuck her hands on her hips and regarded him with a 'don't mess with me' glare. She looked so cute with a streak of paint on her cheek, but she didn't protest as he placed his arm round her waist and floated her up to the slanting ceiling.

"Oh, oh!" she cried out in shock to find herself hovering in the air at just the right height. "Hey, you might have to let me get some paint on my roller." Without warning she dabbed his nose lightly and laughed at the comic effect. "That color suits you Clark, but it really should be red!"

"Very funny, Lois!" In a blur, Lois was back on the floor and Clark had dipped his brush into the paint and was stalking Lois round the room.

"Don't you dare, Kent," Lois warned menacingly.

"Turn about is fair-play, Lane, and you did start it." Lois unwittingly backed into a corner and there was no escape. "Besides, you need a streak right here, to match the one on the other side." Clark's hand reached out and Lois felt the brush tickle her skin.

Lois ducked under his arm as Clark laughed at the view she presented with a splodge of color on each cheek. She ran, rolling her 'weapon' down his back as she went.

"Superman has a yellow streak right down his back," she chortled.

Unfortunately, however, in her laughter, she hadn't noticed she was getting very close to her paint tray and before she knew it, she kicked it over. Sunshine yellow paint spread across the floor and Lois could only watch in horror as it trickled towards the stair.

Once more there was a small whirlwind in the room, and minutes later Clark stood triumphantly, having cleared up the mess, a satisfied grin on his face. "Having super speed does come in handy sometimes, Lois."

"I'll bet!" Somehow Clark's show of his powers unsettled Lois, reminding her of the strange state of her life now and why she'd agreed to this whole set up. But Clark's smile was disarming and hopeful and she wasn't about to dampen the atmosphere. It would be like kicking a friendly puppy. "Okay, superboy. It's getting late and you have to sleep up here tonight, so why don't we finish up this painting?"

"You want me to use super speed? I could finish this off in no time," Clark suggested, trying hard to retain his earlier glow.

Lois could see, though, that her agreement would disappoint him. "No, I don't think that's necessary. I'm enjoying the work," she reassured him with a smile, realising that she really had been having fun. Sometimes physical work was very satisfying and it did keep her mind off other more problematic subjects. "Why don't we continue for a while and see how far we get?"

"Okay," Clark readily consented, proving to Lois that she'd been correct on her assumption about his feelings. "But are you sure you're ready for floating? I could fly to Smallville and pick up a stepladder?"

"No, that's okay. Floating is good, and it saves all the time we'd spend fumbling with a ladder in this small space!"

The slapstick comedy ended and they moved on, working busily but in perfect harmony. Finally, in early evening, they both stood back and viewed the room. Now the yellow walls had a few contrasting horizontal stripes in pale oranges and darker ochre, while the wooden accents were given a fresh stain. Clark cleaned and swept the wooden floor and Lois threw down a couple of ethnic rugs she'd found in one of Clark's cupboards. He'd collected them during some of his travels and they made a perfect addition to his new room.

"Looks good, doesn't it?" Lois said contentedly, her conscience at making Clark sleep in a bare attic now assuaged. "Tomorrow we can put up the pictures and, once the new furniture arrives, it should be really comfortable."

"Sure, Lois," Clark agreed, willing to go along with Lois to retain the easy atmosphere which had prevailed for most of the day. "I'm going to be fine up here. Now, I don't know about you, but all this work has made me hungry. I don't feel like cooking though. How about take out?"

Lois could feel her edginess return. She couldn't see a way out of eating with Clark; it really was too late to pretend she had other plans. And surely it wouldn't be so difficult to share a meal with Clark -- she'd been doing that for months now. She could always feign tiredness pretty quickly after they'd eaten and go to bed.

"Yeah, Clark, take out sounds fine, and, since I'm the expert on that, why don't you go take a shower and let me deal with ordering the meal? Is pizza okay?"

He tried hard to ignore the fact that Lois' uneasiness was back in full force, yet he could hear her quickened heartbeat and the emotional withdrawal was undeniable. Was this the way it was always going to be? He really had to think up a reason for Lois spending time here alone. If she could feel comfortable in his apartment, maybe it would help toward making her comfortable around him. For tonight those plans would have to be put on hold. All the work had tired him out more than he'd thought possible. He just couldn't summon up the energy to fly very far.

"Pizza is fine, Lois. I'll go shower first. I think we both need to get rid of all this paint!"

The next day again started out fairly satisfactorily. The pictures were hung, the curtains put up and the new bedspread thrown over the cot, where it looked a little incongruous trailing on the ground by the narrow bed.

Yet, as soon as they ran out of things to do, the mood changed drastically. Lois seemed to close in on herself. She withdrew from Clark and retired to the bedroom to work on the computer, leaving him to sigh disappointedly and settle to watch the football game on television. By late afternoon, Clark gave up trying to pretend that everything was normal between them and informed Lois he was flying to Smallville to see his folks and asked if she wanted to go along.

Completely forgetting that she'd decided in Florida that visiting Clark's parents would be a good thing, she immediately came up with an excuse as to why she couldn't go along. He wanted to insist, but chose not to push her further. After all, hadn't he resolved to give Lois some space? In fact, perhaps he'd just discovered a way to do just that, without making it seem too obvious. He'd have to run it past his parents before he mentioned it to Lois, of course, and he was fairly confident they'd back him up, if he could persuade them it would help Lois become more acclimated to her new life.

The following week went by in much the same way. Lois stayed late at the Planet and Clark went home alone. She didn't even give him a chance to come up with his suggestion that she spend time in the apartment while he flew home to Smallville. It was a melancholy situation and he began to question his wisdom in getting married at all.