This Ficathon fic is written for amberlea. I hope you like it.
It took me ages to find a way to work all three requests into this story, as I know almost nothing about request no. 3. So I hope this works for you. 
Let us just pretend that the movie mentioned in this story took place around the time of L&C in this universe…
A word of caution is in order... as I left this to be finished at the very last minute due to a demanding RL, I am posting this unbetaed. So I apologise for any mistakes that may be left in. *****
A Christmas Carol
*****
“Remind me why I’m doing this again, Clark. Especially tonight of all nights!”
“Come on, Lois, you promised you’d come along. Besides, think of all the fun this will be.”
“Fun? Walking outside in this cold weather, on streets covered in snow?”
“I’ll make sure you’ll stay warm and won’t fall. Now come on, we don’t want to be late for this,” he replied as he ushered her out the door.
With a sigh, Lois followed Clark out the door into the unknown event. She still wasn’t sure how he had managed to talk her into this. This was *so* not her thing, so how could she have possibly agreed to it?
*****
One week earlier *****
Frustrated by the lack of real news this time of year, Lois shoved her chair back and stalked over to her partner’s desk. Maybe he would have a lead, a rumour, just anything to get her mind of Christmas and back to work and some hot story.
As she neared his desk, she peered over his shoulder to look at his screen. What she saw didn’t please her at all. It looked to be about Christmas, which probably meant Clark had nothing to work on as well.
“Found any leads yet, Clark?” she asked, as she sat down on the edge of his desk.
He turned around to look at her and shook his head. “Nothing for us to work on. It seems the whole city is on its best behaviour with the holidays coming up.”
“There has to be something!” Lois growled. “A jail break-out, a governor doing something illegal, a bank robbery, someone getting kidnapped, a stupid law coming up… just anything would do!”
Clark had that look in his eyes that told her he thought she was too obsessed but would just let her rant anyway.
“Really, nothing is happening. I called all my sources, but they had nothing to say. I did get them to promise to give us a call as soon as they hear something. Even on the Superman front it’s quiet.”
“Great!” Lois threw her hands in the air in frustration. “What am I supposed to do all day then if nothing is going on?”
“Well,” Clark said with a carful tone, “maybe you can help me with the story I’m working on.”
Lois gave him a dirty look before saying “Some fluff piece about Christmas, I bet. No thanks, that’s really not my forte.”
“Can I at least try to awaken your interest in the story? I happen to think you might like it.”
He gave her one his famous smiles, one that made her heart skip a beat and turn her weak in the knees.
“Oh, go on then. What is the story about?”
“There’s this group called The Metropolis Carollers who go carolling throughout the city to raise money for the orphanages. They try to give those children a good Christmas. Perry agreed with me that it would make a good story for the city page, so I’ll join them on Christmas Eve.”
Lois looked at him incredulously. He thought she might be interested in *that*? It was about Christmas and children and some feel-good stuff. If there were three things she greatly disliked, then he just mentioned them all.
“How is money that’s raised on Christmas Eve going to a wonderful Christmas for children?” She just had to raise the big flaw that immediately glared her in the face.
He just smiled at her before explaining. “That money will be kept for the next year, so there’s a buffer and head start then. But the best part about carolling on that night is that each group ends the evening in the Metropolis Orphanage Home to meet each other and hear what the final amount they raised is. Isn’t that just wonderful?”
Clark was practically radiating. Of course he would be. This was just his thing. Helping others, making them happy, celebrating Christmas. He was very welcome to do his story, as long as he would leave her very far out of it.
“And why should that interest me, Clark? You know I’m no good with children, that I don’t like Christmas and most of all, I can’t sing!”
He just stared at her. Good, that got him speechless. He should have known better than to involve her in this. But then there was that smile again. He really was enjoying this, wasn’t he?
“Lo-is! You know very well that you can sing. Quite extra ordinarily so, in fact. And I’m aware of your other objections. But think about it. You have nothing to do on that night, do you?”
She had to nod at that. That much was true.
“So it could be a nice way to spend the evening,” Clark continued. “Then it is for a very good cause. I know you’re not very good *with* children, but you do care about them. I know you would want every child to have as good a Christmas as possible. Why not try to help out and go carolling? Maybe it will even help you get the feeling of Christmas back.“
She blinked. Clark just saw too much. Or maybe she told him too much. But he had guessed correctly that she wanted every child to have a good Christmas since she never got to enjoy celebrating Christmas when she grew up. Still, he wasn’t going to talk her into joining him carolling.
“But Clark, I thought you were going to Smallville for Christmas?”
“I am. I’ll leave on Christmas morning and get back on the evening of Boxing Day. So I have plenty of time to go carolling. What about you, Lois?”
Her first instinct was to say no immediately. But he did have a point. She had no plans for the evening, and it was for a very good cause. Besides, she would be spending Christmas Eve with Clark. And how bad could this possibly be? Maybe it was worth going a bit out of her usual way. It wasn’t like she didn’t enjoy singing.
He must have noticed her hesitation when he made his next offer. “What if I cook us dinner before we go carolling?”
That was unfair! He knew perfectly well she enjoyed his cooking and that it would convince her to give in.
“All right, fine. I’ll give it a shot,” she told him. In an afterthought, she added, “but if I don’t enjoy the evening, you will make up for it on New Year’s Eve, mister!”
*****
As Lois and Clark walked out of their neighbourhood centre with the others of their group, Lois thought this could turn into a good night after all. Everyone was dressed warm and in dark clothes, and they had all got a special Christmas hat so it was obvious to all who saw them that they were part of the Metropolis Carollers. All carried a lantern with a candle in it; she was told it would add effect to their performance. Everyone was cheerful and determined to enjoy themselves as well as their audience.
They were headed for the park on Orange Drive where a lot of people would be gathered around this time. Lois had looked over the list of carols they could sing in the centre, and concluded she knew most of them. From Carol of the Bells, Silent Night, Joy to the World to Do You Hear What I Hear, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing and Deck the Halls and many more. When they would sing a song she was unfamiliar with, she would just hum along.
The streets looked very festive now. The holiday lights were shining brightly, from inside homes she could see the lights burning on the Christmas trees, people were walking hand in hand and everyone was very friendly. In the park, people were huddled together or slowly sipping a cup of chocolate.
Right now, she was very glad Clark had convinced her to come along. The experience was great, and she was relaxed and enjoying herself.
Then, they reached the middle of the park where they would start singing. They reached for their lanterns and lighted their candles to add to the joyous atmosphere.
Many songs later, they were walking to their next spot when Clark appeared by her side.
“Isn’t this amazing?”
She smiled at him. “It’s wonderful. Thanks for talking me into this. I had no idea I could enjoy such a thing so much.”
“I’m glad about that. I haven’t been carolling since I left Smallville, and doing this again just adds to the magic.”
Lois lifted her light to have a better look at his face. He was smiling and she could see the enjoyment and love for Christmas in his eyes. With his looks, the radiant face and the old-fashioned light, he reminded her of one of those people from A Christmas Carol from Charles Dickens.
She suddenly had to giggle as a thought popped into her head.
“What?” Clark stopped walking and turned to her in surprise. “What’s so funny all of a sudden?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” she replied, still giggling.
“Come on, share the joke with me. Or do I have something on my face?”
“No no,” she reassured him, “I just had a weird thought.”
Clark poked her in the side. “Come on, just tell me. Don’t I always listen to your ramblings when you’re on a hot trail, even though you don’t make much sense until you get to the end?”
He had a point there. “Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you first.”
“Okay,” he agreed.
“Well, I suddenly had to think of the Muppets. And that’s what got me laughing.”
“The Muppets? How would you have reached that point?” Clark asked, sounding surprised.
“You see, I was just thinking of how they used to go carolling a long time ago. We kinda look like them, with the dark clothes and the candle lights. And that got me to Charles Dickens and A Christmas Carol. And didn’t the Muppets do a remake of that story as a movie?”
Clark just nodded in agreement.
“So I pictured you as a Muppet.”
Clark just stared at her, incredulously. Her train of thought wasn’t that weird, was it?
At last, he started to laugh and she just laughed with him.
“Sometimes, Lois, sometimes I really wonder how you come up with such leaps of logic and conclusions.”
She just shrugged. “That’s just me, you know.”
“I know.” And with that, he put his free arm around her shoulders and started walking again.
Soon, the both of them were caught up in the magic of the evening again and enjoyed more carolling. They had such a good time that neither noticed the evening was drawing to an end and their group had reached their last carol.
“Love and joy come to you,
And to you your wassail too,
And God bless you and send you a happy New Year.
And God send you a happy New Year.”
A round of applause from the audience followed, and people dropped money in their basket in appreciation.
“Lois, there’s a special gathering at the Metropolis Orphanage Home where the total amount of money we raised will be announced and were all the carollers who helped this year can mingle. Would you like to join me there?”
“Sure, Clark,” she said with a smile on her face. “I had a great time tonight and I’m not ready for it to end just yet.”
“Come on, then!”
*****
The evening was nearing its end and most volunteer carollers had left already. But Lois and Clark were still there, talking to two other volunteers who had sung that evening but had been in a different group.
The main room of the orphanage was decorated for the occasion. There was a huge Christmas tree with all sorts of ornaments for decoration and plenty of lights with a star on top. Candles had been set on every table to light the room. Boughs of holly, garland, wreaths and other colourful decoration were put up on the wall. To Lois, it looked like a room filled with Christmas. And for once, she actually enjoyed being in such a place.
The evening itself had been wonderful, as had been the meeting that had followed the singing. Lois had had no idea that so many people went out carolling for the orphanages each year, but now she understood why everyone helped out. Maybe there was something to that whole Christmas feeling after all. All together, they had raised enough money to give all the children a real Christmas dinner and presents.
Together with Clark, they had spoken with a lot of the other volunteers. They should be able to turn this into a great story for the paper coming out on Boxing Day. Perry would be proud of her. And even more surprised that she had enjoyed the evening.
After they said goodbye to the people they had been talking to, Clark turned back to her. “Ready to go home, partner?”
“I am. Thanks again for convincing me to come along, Clark.”
“Any time, Lois. Shall we join again next year?”
“Oh yes! This is the best Christmas I’ve ever had,” she exclaimed.
“This was your best Christmas?” Clark looked surprised. “And it isn’t actually Christmas just yet.”
“I know. How pathetic am I?”
He blinked a few times and obviously swallowed before asking, “Well, how about making this Christmas even better?”
She looked at him puzzled. What did he have in mind now? He was leaving first thing tomorrow, leaving her all alone. She would find something to do tomorrow to hold on to her newfound Christmas spirit, but how could that involve Clark?
He pointed to something above them, and when she looked up, she saw what it was.
Mistletoe.
“Do you mind if I kiss you?” Clark whispered.
Before she had time to think about it, she shook her head.
Slowly, they moved closer, until Clark bent his head and their lips touched. A kiss filled with passion and magic followed. It was a kiss that left her breathless and eager for more.
Just before Clark’s lips closed over hers for a second kiss, she thought this really was turning out to be the Christmas ever.
*****
The End
*****
Amberlea requested:
Three things I want in my fic:
1. a tradition (old or new)
2. candles
3. Muppets
Preferred season(s)/holiday [if applicable]: any season/Thanksgiving through New Year's
Three things I do not want in my fic:
1. major villain time
2. alternate love interests (Scardino, Mayson, etc.)
3. Songfic
PS. The carol I used was Here We Come A-Wassailing.
