Well... after reading my assignment my muse bit me...
Thanks to Nancy (anonpip) and Rel for betaing.
I hope you enjoy this Michael =)
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Three ChristmasesBy Lieta
Lois Lane was on a mission.
She sighed as she flipped another page. Why did cooking have to be so complicated? She scanned through yet another recipe.
She muttered to herself, “This one is supposed to be easy... a smoked ham... butt? Ew... never mind...” she flipped a page again, “Ah ha! A turkey... you’re going to eat your words Lucy...”
It had been one week ago that her sister had called to tell her she was coming to visit for Christmas. Lois had been happy for the visit but had made one of her patented speeches about the holiday. She muttered under her breath as she remembered her sister’s warning.
“Just don’t try to cook anything Lois...”
She would teach her!
She looked through the ingredients on the page. She almost wished Clark hadn’t left for Smallville... she could at least have had him call his mother for her. Martha Kent was a wonderful cook. She smiled as she remembered the food she had had earlier that year during that fiasco in Smallville when Trask had shown up. She still wondered if he had tried to lure them out to the rural area in another attempt to destroy Superman...
Her eyes glazed dreamily as she thought about her hero.
Bringing her mind back to the present, she once again focused on her page. A frown crossed her face. You had to thaw the bird for *hours*? She sighed, she better get to the store quickly then. Ripping the ingredient list out of her book she rushed for the store.
She returned an hour later simmering. That clerk had been so rude! He had the gall to suggest that she buy a pre-prepared meal after helping her find all her things just because she asked for a turkey with dressing inside it... like she would give Lucy the satisfaction of finding out she had cheated...
She sighed and set the turkey out to thaw... it would be... she squinted at the timetable... 20 hours before she could cook it... she frowned. She should be able to cut that in half. A satisfied smile lit her face as turned on her oven... she would just stick it in there and thaw it that way. The oven was almost heated up when she was interrupted.
“Lois... what are you doing?”
She shrieked and whirled to see Superman standing just inside her window, “I... I’m cooking a turkey for Christmas...”
Superman’s eyes went wide. She had to be kidding... he hoped she was kidding... “Do you mind if I ask why? I was under the impression that you didn’t like holidays very much...”
Lois scowled at him, “Has Clark been telling tales?”
Superman groaned to himself, he had certainly botched that one. “I... think you mentioned you didn’t like them at some point...”
Lois frowned, maybe she had... she really did get in to her... objections to the holiday sometimes. She shook herself and smiled at her hero, “It doesn’t matter... did you need something, Superman?”
Superman fixed a smile on his face, “I wanted to thank you... for proving everyone in Metropolis wrong last week...”
Lois beamed, “It was nothing... I’m just glad you’re back...” she walked over to him, hoping to encourage a little closer interaction.
Superman sighed inwardly, “I’d like to help you somehow... do you want some help with your turkey?”
Lois froze, “You can cook?”
Superman just smiled, “Yes, I can.”
Lois smiled back, “Then I would *love* your help!”
Superman scanned her groceries, “Well... you need to let the turkey thaw... on its own, first of all... it’ll ruin it if you put it in the oven now...”
Lois sighed, “It’s just going to take so long!”
Superman chuckled, “It’s worth the wait though... why don’t I come by tomorrow to help you?”
Lois smiled shyly at him, “I’d like that... I’ll see you then...”
***********************
The next day Superman landed in Lois’ apartment with his arms laden with groceries.
Lois came out of the kitchen smiling, only to stop and frown at him, “Why did you bring more food...” her frown deepened, “How did you *pay* for more food?”
Superman blinked, he hadn’t thought of that, “I... people I’ve helped were willing to donate to a friend’s holiday...” Lois raised a brow in disbelief and Superman sighed, “I borrowed money from Clark...”
Lois giggled, “Did you tell him why?”
Superman blinked and decided to dodge the question, “I... we need to get started... let’s get to work...”
Lois frowned for a moment before shrugging off his evasion. She led him into the kitchen and there Lois and Superman passed several hours preparing the turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, home made bread and several other dishes.
Superman popped a pumpkin pie into the oven and set the timer. As he straightened, Lois smiled and leaned in to kiss his cheek, “Thank you... Superman...”
Looking into her eyes at that moment Superman would have given anything for her to know who he really was.
A knock on the door shattered the moment. Superman pulled away, “I guess... I had better go...”
Lois bit her lip and nodded, “I’ll see you later...”
Superman nodded, “Yes... later, Lois...” he left through the window and listened as Lois opened her door.
“Lois! You’re never going to believe who I ran into at the airport... it was that Olsen guy...” Lucy cut off mid-babble, “Wow... who did you get to cater?”
Superman chuckled to himself and headed for Kansas as Lois shrieked in outrage.
***********************
Lois looked at the laden table and fought back tears. She had cooked everything just like Superman had taught her one year ago... but no one was coming. Her family was scattered across the country... even Lucy wasn’t coming this year... she had invited her friends from the Planet but... Perry was with Alice and Jimmy was with Angela... and Clark was in Smallville.
But then... she hadn’t known that she would end up alone. She had told both Perry and Jimmy to go... Lucy had only called her a few hours ago. She scowled as she thought of her scatterbrained sister... she had had the nerve to ask if Lois was going to use the same caterer this year.
“So much for Christmas magic...” she whispered to herself as she contemplated the meal before her.
For the first time in a long time she had given the season a chance... she had bought a tree and invited her family and close friends to a dinner... all mostly thanks to Clark... she smiled as she thought of her best friend... maybe she should have asked him to take her with him to Smallville instead of inviting her insane, and unreliable, family... Martha and Jonathan wouldn’t have minded...
And she could have been with Clark. Lois groaned and rubbed her temple as she thought of her best friend... it was almost always enough to give her a headache. Last year at this time she had barely acknowledged his friendship. Trask and the heat wave had disturbed her, but she had still been in denial about his importance to her. The pheromone incident was better off being ignored but their honeymoon stakeout had been the first time she really relaxed around him. Things had started to deteriorate soon after that though... as she had gotten more serious about Lex... she shuddered to herself... she still couldn’t believe how badly she had been duped... but also during that time... Clark had told her he loved her...
How she wished she hadn’t turned him down that afternoon in the park...
By the time she had said no to Lex and he had died... Clark’s love must have died too... When Stern had saved the Planet she had let him take back his vow of love gracefully. She smiled sadly, did he really think she would believe he would lies and declare his love just so she would turn Lex down? That wasn’t Clark... maybe... he had thought that erasing his words as a ruse would be kinder somehow than telling her she had killed his love with her acceptance of Lex...
She had also learned her lesson about Superman... oh he wanted her... but he wouldn’t ever do anything about it... and she could live with that... now...
It was Clark she wanted...
She had been hurt when she realized he had truly moved on... when she had seen him with Mayson... but she had been devastated when she lost him totally... at that nightclub...
She shook herself, best not to go back to that time. She would be his friend, even while she wanted his heart... it would hurt too much to loose his friendship...
She smiled sadly, maybe it was her just reward... after all... he had done the same the year before...
A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts and she cautiously approached it. After a glance through the peephole she gasped and threw her door open, “Clark!” she threw herself into his arms, “You came!” she released him and he came inside, smiling at her. “What about Smallville... your parents?”
Clark smiled at her, “Uh... my plane got snowed in.”
Lois blinked, “But it’s not...” she stopped herself. He was lying... as he seemed to do so often before he disappeared... but this time he wasn’t running out on her... he was running *to* her... and what did it really matter, he was here... he *chose* to be here with her just because he knew she would be alone at Christmas. She couldn’t ask for a better friend.
Clark tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, “I’m sure it *will*... besides... I didn’t want to miss your cooking...” Lois smiled shyly at Clark then froze at the look in his eyes... maybe she would have to see if she couldn’t resurrect Clark’s feelings for her this next year... just as the Planet and Clark himself had been resurrected since last Christmas...
Tucking those thoughts away for another time, Lois beamed at him, “Oh, you are just the best. And you are going to get stuffed! I went all out. Turkey, cranberries, potatoes, stuffing... a... good friend of mine taught me how to cook it all... so it’s even edible...”
Clark smiled as he remembered how fun it had been to teach her how to cook. Returning to the present he held out a small package to her, “I have a present for you.” Her eyes widened and she accepted the gift, “You might want to open it.” She started to unwrap it and Clark watched nervously, “I... told Superman your story about the tree when you were twelve...” he glanced at the tiny tree she had bought, “...and we thought this might look good on this little guy.”
Lois gasped as she looked at her gift. It looked like a piece of crystal-clear ice in the shape of a star. “It's beautiful. I've never seen anything like it. Where...?” Clark smiled and pointed to the sky, “...oh.”
Lois carefully removed the star from the box and placed it on her tree. Her tree was still tiny, wilting, and pathetic... but somehow it was also perfect. “I love it,” she whispered. She laced her fingers through Clark’s as they looked at the tree. She glanced back up at her partner and for a timeless moment they were lost in each other’s eyes. Clark leaned down as Lois tilted her head back but the moment passed as they heard singing outside.
Lois blushed and looked out the window, “Look... carolers...”
Clark smiled wistfully, “Yeah...”
As they watched the singers, Lois leaned her head on his shoulder. After a moment Clark leaned his head down on top of hers and the two watched in silence as snow began to fall from the sky.
Lois closed her eyes for a moment and made a wish.
***********************
Lois shook her head in amazement... who would have thought that one of her dad’s crack pot ideas would come in handy... but here they were, two Christmas trees powered by an android her father had built...
The only person missing was Lucy... but both her parents and Clark’s were here. Clark took her hand and pulled her towards the fire escape. She heard their parents chatting together and smiled, the farmers, the nurse and the doctor... who would have thought...
It had been another eventful year... Lex was alive... Mayson was dead... she and Clark had started dating and then taken turns stupidly sabotaging their relationship... she had dated Dan and Clark hadn’t told her he was Superman... her eyes narrowed for a moment in remembered rage at how he had had the gall to *propose* to her without telling her his secret...
But... they were together now... they had survived the Churches, some really crazy psychos... including an ex-boyfriend of hers, Lex’s son, Nazis, a modern day Noah... she smirked to herself, and she had gotten to experience Clark’s powers for a short time...
And just one day ago Clark had been on the brink of death... her *fiancé* had almost died... before they could enjoy the life they both longed for...
And her dad had saved him... that might even make up for his actions in her childhood...
Out in the open, Clark pulled her into his arms. “I love you, Lois...”
Lois smiled as she let go of her remembered terror and snuggled into him, “I love you, too, Clark...”
Clark nuzzled her neck, “Maybe by this time next year we’ll be in our own house...”
Lois giggled, “And we can both cook Christmas dinner again...” she pulled back, “You’ve made Christmas special for me three years in a row Clark... first as Superman, then as Clark... and now the best of all... as the real you...”
Clark pulled her into a kiss, “All I wanted both years was what we have now... no lies, no pretenses... just the two of us enjoying the magic...”
Muffled laughter echoed from inside and Clark grinned, “Still wanna elope?”
Lois considered him carefully, “I almost lost you, Clark...” she looked in at their family, “I think... they would understand if we did...”
She looked up in time to see Clark’s eyes widen in shock before he smiled at her, “If that’s what you want... just say when...”
Lois pulled him down for a kiss, “How about New Year’s?”
Fin
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Darth Michael: [Lieta]
Three things I want:
1. Lois (tries) to prepare a homemade Christmas Dinner
2. Relationship-tension between Lois and Clark
3. A significant appearance of "Lucy and Jimmy" and/or Cat. They always come in handy when it comes to relationship-fun.
Preferred season: 1, 2, 3
Three things I do not want in my fic:
1. A Superman revelation
2. Any sort of physical WHAMs,
3. Significant A-plot
The recipe Lois mis-read:
Paula Deen\'s Christmas Ham
