Sorry this took so long, but again, I'm notorious for not posting story parts on a schedule. RL just has a way of getting in the way. I do have another excuse this time- I've been writing!
And so you know, the story I've been writing is finished, the writing stage at least. Have to do those pesky touch-ups and additions/cuts- all that jazz.
Anyway, this is the next to last part. I hope everyone has enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing it. Someone commented they wished falling in love could be this good. I guess that's why I write. I can have any outcome, any date, any kiss... you know what I mean. Okay, so...
ENJOY!
++++
Lois had just exited the bathroom the next day when her new cell phone rang. "Hello?" she answered with a smile.
"Good morning," came the sexy voice on the end of the line.
"Good morning to you. Sleep well?"
"Like a baby. I forgot to give you the charger for your phone. I'll drop it by the gallery this morning."
"Could you stay for breakfast?"
"Sure."
"My treat this time."
"Okay..." He paused. "Got to run. Someone needs Superman."
"Okay. Bye."
"Bye."
Lois closed her phone, grinning widely.
"Must be serious if he gave you a phone," Lucy remarked as she inched into the room.
"It's been serious for me since..." She just sighed and flopped to the bed.
"I know," Lucy replied as she sat down beside her sister.
"We had dinner at Callard's and drank expensive wine. I met his best friend."
"I know that, too," Lucy replied as she held up a paper Lois hadn't seen until now.
There, on the front page of the paper, was a picture of her and Clark. The headline read: 'My Inspiration'. The short article proclaimed Clark Kent had found his inspiration. The byline belonged to Jimmy Olsen. Lois smiled even wider. "I want the whole world to know."
"Yeah, well, most of them are waiting downstairs." Lucy motioned with her finger toward the other room.
"Are you okay with this, Luce"?"
"They don't want to see me, girl."
"Yeah, but you'll kind of end up in it all by default."
Lucy wrapped her arm around Lois. "I'm thrilled for you, sis. You forget I listened to you cry at night when you thought no one could hear. I'd much rather see you smile."
"Thanks." Lois leaned her head on Lucy's shoulder for a minute before something came to her. "Oh," she said, sitting up. "Clark wants you and Daddy to fly to Smallville with us for Christmas."
"What?"
"He wants me to spend Christmas with him. And he wants to be with his folks. And doesn't want me to be away from you guys. So... I'm pretty sure Jimmy will be there. And..." Her eyes widened. "You'd be so perfect together!"
"Lois!"
"How 'bout it? Want to spend an old fashioned Christmas in Kansas?"
"I certainly never thought Kansas would be a place to go for the holidays, but for you, when do we leave?"
"Good!" Lois began to talk excitedly about their holiday. Soon enough Lucy was adding in her own thoughts. This year would certainly be much different than she'd imagined just a few days ago.
****
Lois walked along with Clark through the grove of pecan trees behind the barn on his parents' farm. They'd just shared one of the best Christmas dinners she'd ever eaten. Her father and Lucy had indeed joined them for the holiday. Clark had been an immediate hit with Sam Lane. The younger man was just as crazy about the older one. And Lucy and Jimmy seemed to be interested in one another because they had taken a walk down to the pond.
The annual Kent Family Christmas party was a smash. Clark's childhood friends had taken to Lois at once. She'd told him she felt like she'd been engulfed in love. Clark had assured her she'd always feel that way with him.
Martha and Jonathan were tickled to have guests this year. They'd rolled out the red carpet for their new friends. The small guest house was spotless and stocked with plenty of coffee and snacks. Fresh linens covered the beds and the bathroom was filled with clean towels. There was also a small Christmas tree twinkling in the den to welcome them in.
Gift opening had been met with mixed emotions. Lucy had convinced Lois that Clark would probably ask Lois to marry him. While Lois would say yes in a heartbeat, she'd told her sister that she was crazy. She and Clark were not ready for that yet. Though his gift had been very beautiful, Lois couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. And when she'd looked around, everyone else seemed just as disheartened. She was even sure Jimmy had been about to say something, but was ribbed hard by Lucy.
Martha had given Lois a shadow box depicting a gallery. The younger woman was thrilled and had hardly been able to take her eyes off of it. She'd offered the older couple a pair of tickets to an art show, another pair to an antique tractor show, and a rare Lois Lane painting. She'd painted it especially for them. She'd also painted her father a portrait of her mother and another for Lucy. It seemed she, too, had found new inspiration. Clark had stared at the self portrait she'd given him most of the afternoon.
Everyone had held their collective breaths while Martha and Jonathan opened the single gift Clark had given them. Knowing his history of going all out for his folks, they couldn't wait to see what he'd come up with this year. But none had expected a first copy of a new book. It was his childhood memoirs, a rare glimpse of how he became a super man. It detailed his life on a farm in Kansas with extraordinary parents and because it was mostly about them, he assured his parents not another book would be printed unless they gave the okay. He also explained that, should they decide to release the book, profits would be deposited into a retirement account for them. Just as they'd anticipated, Clark had gone all out once again for his parents.
He'd also gone all out for his guests. He gave Lucy a year's worth of trips to the spa two blocks from the gallery. He'd told her that if she had to put up with all the media hype over his relationship with Lois, the least he could do was provide her with a few hours of escape. Lois had confided that Sam still loved to fly but couldn't afford the fees to rent a plane. Clark's gift came with its own hanger at a small airport just outside the city. That had stunned the man so completely he couldn't speak for nearly an hour.
They'd had an intimate, family affair and planned to have another celebration with the rest of the gang when they got back to the city. They'd spoken to Scott, Deb, and the others on the phone that morning. Poor Mike couldn't wait until their dinner.
Lois fingered the diamond heart that hang from a necklace around her neck. There was little doubt that it was the real thing. It was beautiful and probably very expensive. She loved it, of course, but there was a small part of her that would rather have gotten a diamond for her finger. It was crazy, she knew. And she'd even managed since to tell herself that it was sensible to wait. They'd just gotten back together and really didn't know one another well in the first place. They'd only had three dates! Yes, it was very sensible to wait before taking a huge step like marriage. Yet, her heart just didn't agree.
Clark pulled her just a tad closer, her new leather jacket crinkling slightly under his touch. She'd been amused when Jimmy offered her a jacket to match Clark's. Clark's jacket had been a gift from Jimmy years ago, and the younger man insisted they'd look 'cool'.
"Have you enjoyed your Christmas?" Clark asked her softly.
"Very much," she replied. And she had. Still...
"I love my painting. Now I can look at you even when you're not with me." He laughed a little, but she just smiled. He sighed and turned them slightly so that they were entering a field. "I wanted to show you something," he told her.
That got her attention. "What?"
He pointed across the field. "See that large oak tree?" She nodded. "Right under it was where my folks found me."
"Really?" Lois glanced up at him, then back at the spot he'd pointed to. They crossed the field, dredging slightly through the fresh snow. It had come down pretty good during the night.
"Dad said my ship landed right about here." He waved at the ground. "Then skidded across the ground, coming to a stop just under the tree." They continued to walk until Clark found just the right spot. "About here," he told her as he stopped them, turning to face Lois. "I wanted you to see where my life on Earth began."
She looked around, trying to imagine the tiny ship she'd seen in his holograms lying beneath the tree. Finally she lifted her eyes back to his. "I'm glad you landed in this field."
"You have no idea how many times I've thanked God I did, too. If I'd landed anywhere else, I wouldn't have such great parents."
"And you wouldn't be such a wonderful man." She pulled her glove off her hand so that she could touch his face.
"I might have never met you," he told her. "And might have never been able to give you this." He pulled his hand from his pocket and opened his palm. Lois' eyes landed on the solitaire lying there and her breath caught. "I saw the disappointment in your eyes when you opened your gift today. I saw everyone's disappointment. It nearly killed me to do that to you, but with so much of our lives being out in the open, I felt this was something we should share in private."
Lois' eyes flashed between his and the ring. Before she could say a word, Clark dropped to one knee.
"This was where my life began and I wanted this to be where it changes forever." He held up the ring between his fingers. "Lois, will you marry me?"
Large tears had filled her eyes and the only thing she could do was cover her mouth with her hand.
"I know our relationship is relatively new. I know there's tons of things we don't know about each other. But the few months we were apart was enough for me. That little ugly voice in my head keeps insisting that you'll get tired of the media hype and my fairy tale will come to a screeching halt. My heart wants to shut it up for good. Marry me, Lois. I don't want to spend another second without you."
Slowly she lowered her left hand. It shook slightly as she whispered. "Yes."
"Yes?" he asked as if he couldn't believe she'd said it.
She blinked away her tears, swallowed to clear her throat, and repeated her answer with more conviction. "Yes." Clark's hand was the one that shook as he slowly pushed the ring onto her finger. He leaned to kiss her finger, then stood to pull her into his arms.
"I love you," he whispered into the hollow of her neck.
"I love you... with all my heart."
Clark pulled back so that he could kiss her. She moaned into his mouth and he pulled her closer. His tongue asked for and received entry into her mouth, desperately reacquainting itself with Lois. He trailed kisses across her check and up to her ear. "I want you," he breathed.
"You have me," she assured him.
This time he moaned as he kissed her lips again. When he drew back, he smiled at her. "Feel better now?"
"Huh?" Her mind was much too clouded to understand his quick change of subject.
That caused him to chuckle. "Your gift."
"Oh," she replied and held up her hand with a grin. "I love the necklace, but this..." She just grinned as her ring reflected the light.
Clark laughed and reached down to lift her into his arms. "What do you say we go deflate the rest of the disappointment balloons back at the house?"
"Let's do that," she squealed happily, kicking her feet as he lifted off into the air.
**
Behind another oak just across the small grove, a couple faced one another with huge smiles.
"I feel horrible that we overheard that," Lucy said as they started toward the house.
"Yeah, me, too," Jimmy agreed. "Never tell them. Okay? If Clark didn't hear us, then he was too wrapped up in Lois. We'll let them keep their moment."
"Yeah." They hurried along in the snow. "But wasn't it so romantic?" she asked dreamily.
"Absolutely. I couldn't be happier for Clark. This is all he's wanted his whole life- someone to love him unconditionally."
"And Lois has finally gotten her knight in shining armor." They continued on in the snow. "I hope they wait until we get there."
"Me, too," Jimmy agreed excitedly. He'd always been a bit of free spirit, but he was thrilled for his friend. It felt almost like his best girl had said yes. Glancing at Lucy, it flashed through his mind that maybe it would be sooner rather than later when he would be the one making an announcement of his own.
****
Clark was so happy he was nearly shaking. He couldn't blame it on the cold because he didn't feel the cold. He'd decided to show Lois his hometown from the air before taking them back to the farm. The rapid thump of Lois' heart told him she was feeling every bit of the moment like he was. There was something else. It was almost like both of them had relaxed. There was no one in the world he felt more comfortable around than Lois, even his parents. But now it was as if he could totally lay himself out for her to see. Just by the slight change he'd noticed in her, she felt the same way.
She'd asked dozens of questions while they made their short flight. And every now and then she'd press her lips to his cheek, or his brow, or the side of his mouth. Clark loved each second. He was thrilled she felt so comfortable with him now.
He landed them softly in the snow at the back door. When she pulled away, he reached out and gave her tush a slight tap.
"Clark Kent!" she reprimanded, a look of surprise on her face.
"I had to see if it felt as good as it looked," he defended himself with a smug grin.
She looked as if she was going to say something, then clamped her mouth shut. "If you want a piece of..."
"Hey, guys!" Lucy's excited voice interrupted them.
Clark glanced back at the approaching couple, then stepped over to Lois. His hand went around to grasp her rear firmly in his large palm and he leaned close so that his mouth was at her ear. "I want the whole thing," he told her in his sexiest rumble. When she shuttered, he squeezed her butt, leaving little doubt of his statement. Then he quickly turned around to smile at Lucy and Jimmy. "Did you two find the pond?" Beside him Lois struggled to swallow. He wasn't sure whether it was because she was stunned or turned on. Probably a combination of both.
"I tried to get Lucy to go out on the ice with me," Jimmy told Clark as they came closer. "City girls don't have spines!"
"I beg your pardon," Lucy objected.
"You tell him, Luce," Lois put in, defending herself as well.
Clark moved his hand higher up Lois' back so he could pull her close. "You need to watch the footage of Lois handling Nunk, Jimbo. I assure you *this* city girl definitely has a spine."
"Okay, so maybe it's just Lucy here," Jimmy teased.
"You'll pay for that!" Lucy announced as she reached down to scoop up a handful of snow. A second later, she launched it at Jimmy.
"This means war," he replied as he shoved his hands into the snow.
"Oh, don't you dare," Lois warned Clark when his eyes flashed at her.
He just grinned wider as he reached down for a pile. Lois squealed and ran across the yard. From a perch behind the well house, Clark would have sworn she had super powers because she hit him in the face with a snowball before he could throw one of his own. Within seconds, the war was raging. The guys were getting pummeled by the girls.
"I thought you were Superman," Jimmy shot at Clark after a particularly wicked ball landed between his eyes.
Clark laughed even harder. He hadn't had this much fun in a long time. He allowed them to get bombed for a few more moments before turning on the heat. The snowballs leaving his hands looked like missiles. The poor girls didn't stand a chance.
Jimmy began to cheer when the girls went down. "Yeah!" he shouted.
"Stop!" came Lucy's scream of defeat.
"Clark!" Lois shrieked and went down.
Clark immediately stopped his assault and shot across the yard. He'd hurt her! His heart pounded as he kneeled before her. "Lois, honey, what's wrong?!"
She was huddled over on her knees as if her stomach hurt. When his face leaned over her shoulder, he realized his mistake. A huge ball of snow met him head on, catching him off guard. She used his surprise to her advantage and flipped him onto his back. With him sprawled out like a wounded bird, she stood and dropped her foot in the middle of his chest as hard as she could. He actually grunted.
"Don't ever trust your enemy!" She turned and gave Lucy a high five.
"Damn!" Jimmy declared as he saw the fate of his friend. He walked over and looked down at Clark. "She's good, bro."
"Too good," Clark replied with another grunt as he struggled to get up. "I think Superman is in *deep* trouble!" He wiped the snow from his face and chest as he grinned at Lois. She had a satisfied expression on her face.
"Pay back's hell, big boy," she declared as she clapped the snow from her gloves.
Clark just shook his head. He was in so much trouble. "Come on, Jimmy. Help me lick my wounds." He was about to walk away when Lois reached out for his hand. When he turned, she yanked and before he knew what was happening, she kissed him hard.
"Better luck next time, honey," she told him when she released him.
He was left standing with his mouth hanging open. Lois and Lucy laughed happily over their victory as they made their way inside.
Jimmy, who'd watched them along side Clark, shook his head. "Close your mouth, Clark." He swatted the other man's chest, then ran toward the house.
Clark could only stand there grinning like an idiot. Lois Lane had changed his life in more ways than one. If this was just the beginning, he could hardly wait for the middle.
****
Clark was waiting at the bottom of the stairs when Lois came out of the bathroom. She'd been soaked from their snowball fight. When Clark looked up, he almost passed out. She was wearing one of his flannel shirts.
"I hope you don't mind that I borrowed your shirt. It was hanging behind the door. Mine was wet."
"Ah, no." He swallowed hard. "You look great," he breathed.
He'd changed his clothes as well, and he was wearing a tight white tee shirt. "So do you," she replied as she reached out to lay her hand on his chest.
Not being able to help himself, Clark leaned over to steal a kiss.
"Hey, hey, hey. Get a room," Jimmy reprimanded.
"Later," Clark whispered as he leaned back. "Ready?" he asked Lois, his fingers toying with the ring on her finger.
"Yes," she replied, a word he was coming to love.
He held her hand as they entered the living room. Everyone was sitting around chatting. "Hey, guys. I was wondering if you'd like to see the other Christmas gift I gave Lois."
Conversation stopped and for a second there was total silence. Then a very loud, very excited 'yes' resounded throughout the room. To Clark, it sounded like air being released from that very large disappointment balloon.
