Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Lois & Clark Fanfic Aussie Rules (25/?)

She grinned suddenly. "And since you think this feels like a dream, it might as well be a good one."

She reached up and kissed him.

At the first touch, the dream theory shattered. It wasn't possible to feel this level of intensity if it wasn't real. Lois slipped her hands around his neck and nestled closer in their embrace.

Clark held her close and kissed her as he had dreamed of kissing her.


Part 25

Clark drew back from kissing Lois and gazed into her face as the enchantment of their closeness flowed through him. Lois - with him, loving him, kissing him.

He had imagined this ... yearned for it ... but deep within him had lodged the unrelenting fear that no Earth woman could possibly love an alien man.

Not once she knew the truth.

But Lois did.

She laid her head on his shoulder and gave a little sigh. "Are you all right, honey?" Clark asked.

"I am really tired," she admitted.

"Would you like me to drive?"

"Would you be OK with that?"

"If you're OK with it."

"We have a long way to go today, and the next bit is relatively straight and flat," Lois said. "It's the best stretch of road for a newbie. Further west, it gets tight and twisty."

Clark opened the passenger door for Lois, and then settled himself into the driver's seat. He made the necessary adjustments for his greater height and familiarised himself with the controls.

"Any questions?" Lois asked.

"No. Everything seems to be somewhere near where it should be."

"Just remember to keep left," she said.

"Thanks."

"Actually, I'm *really* tired. Will you be all right if I fall asleep?"

He turned to her with a smile. "I'll be fine - you just relax. Do I just stay on the Great Ocean Road? Is it clearly marked?"

Lois nodded. "Out of Torquay, the road goes inland for a bit. We meet the ocean again at Anglesea, and then we go along the coast to Lorne. It should take about an hour."

"What happens if I get lost and you're asleep?"

She smiled. "Just keep the ocean on your left, and the rest of Australia on your right, big guy, and you can't go far wrong."

Clark grinned. "Where do I go after Lorne?"

"Nowhere," she said. "Wake me. There's a beautiful grassy hill looking over the ocean. It's one of my favourite places, and I don't want to miss it."

Lois reached over to the back seat and retrieved a pillow enclosed in a Hawthorn pillowcase. Clark grinned. "I noticed that when I was in your bedroom yesterday."

"It helps me dream about Hawthorn premierships."

"Really?" Clark said. "Do you dream about anything else?"

Lois smiled mischievously. "Well, I have to admit, I have never dreamed about a gorgeous guy taking me flying, but who knows ... are there Superman pillowcases?"

Clark grimaced. "I think so. There is a *lot* of merchandise."

"Don't you control it?"

"No," he replied. "I never even thought about it ... just suddenly ... there it was. Kids wearing copies of the suit and pictures of Superman plastered on just about anything you can buy."

Lois yawned and covered it hastily with her hand. "We should get moving," she said. "Or I'm going to be asleep before we get out of Torquay, and the next thing you know, we'll be in Ballarat."

"I assume we're not supposed to go to Ballarat?"

"No." Lois wedged her pillow between the door and her seat. "Are you going to be OK driving?"

"I hope so." Clark started the motor. "You're very trusting," he noted. "Sleeping while being driven by a newcomer American with no experience on Australian roads."

She settled into her pillow. "No, I'm not trusting at all," she corrected. "I don't trust anyone unless I'm sure he is trustworthy."

Clark wanted to dwell on the fuller meaning of her words, but he figured she expected him to drive. He backed away from the point, turned, and headed for the road.

"Turn right," Lois instructed. "Remember, wide right, sharp left."

"Wide right," he repeated. He drove onto the road.

"OK," she said. "Next left up Bell Street. Tight left."

He followed her instructions.

"Good job," Lois said.

Clark resisted the temptation to look at her. It was somewhat disconcerting to have cars coming towards him on the right side of the road.

"OK, here's your big test," she said. "We need to turn left at the roundabout up here. If you can manage going around clockwise, you can cope with anything. Remember, *look* right, *drive* left."

The roundabout safely navigated, Clark shot her a very quick smile.

"Well done," Lois said. "You're now on the Great Ocean Road."

The next time Clark glanced to his left, Lois's eyes were closed. A slender lock of her hair had fallen across her cheek, and a little smile shaped her mouth.

Clark hauled his eyes from that mouth.

He had kissed it.

And kissing it was even better than he had ever imagined.

||_||

An hour later, they reached Lorne. Clark continued through the town until he saw a wide expanse of grass leading down to the beach. He parked the Jeep, killed the motor, and looked at her.

Lois.

She was so beautiful.

And ... she was with him.

She loved him.

She'd kissed him.

She knew everything about him.

And she loved him.

He couldn't help himself. He reached over and tenderly brushed the lock from her cheek.

How many times had he wanted to touch her yet restrained himself? From now on ... what an incredible privilege that he could touch her ... hold her ... kiss her.

His fingertips swept over her soft cheek and to her mouth - a mouth shaped so exquisitely, he knew he would never tire of looking at it.

And as for kissing it ...

Lois's lids flickered and her eyes opened. Immediately she saw him, her mouth stretched to a beautiful smile. "G'day, big guy," she said. "Did you get us lost?"

"Does it matter if I did?"

"Not at all," she said easily. "We're together."

He felt exactly the same. He skimmed his hand along her jaw. "Tempting though it was to get lost with you forever," he said, "I did find Lorne. And I even found your stretch of grass."

"How many times did you veer onto the other side of the road?"

"Not once."

She straightened from her pillow and looked around. "I'm hungry," she said. "I forgot to eat last night."

"That was probably my fault," Clark said.

"Yep," Lois agreed. "But you can make up for it right now. There's a cafe across the road that has the most amazing hedgehog known to humankind. And they have pretty good coffee, too."

"Hedgehog?" he queried. "As in little spiky animals?"

"No," she said with a wide grin. "As in chocolate heaven."

"Better than Tim Tams?"

She paused and thought for a moment. "Maybe," she said. "I'll let you decide after you've tried it."

Clark lightly touched her forearm. "Will you stay there?" he asked. "Long enough for me to open your door for you?"

She chuckled. "You're going to do the whole gentleman thing, aren't you?"

"If you'll let me," he said.

Lois smiled her agreement, and Clark quickly jumped out of the Jeep and crossed to her side. He opened her door and offered her his hand. She took it with a smile, and together they crossed the road and entered the cafe.

||_||

Ten minutes later, they sat on the grassy hill, drinking coffee and sharing a slice of hedgehog. Clark discovered that it was a chocolate fudge creation, with bits of cookie inside it and topped with soft, thick chocolate frosting.

The view before them was amazing. Ahead was the majestic expanse of ocean - serene in the distance, and restless and jittery close to the beach where vigorous waves crashed onto the wide semi-circle of sand. To the left and right, dark green hills rose against the pale blue sky, reaching around the town like two mighty arms.

Clark stretched onto his side, supported his head with his hand, and looked at Lois. She licked a slither of chocolate frosting from her finger, and then saw him looking at her and smiled. He hoped she would never grow weary of him looking at her - he knew he would want to watch her forever.

Lois reclined on the grass, facing him. She swung her leg and rested it on his knee. "You look like a happy man," she said.

"Happy doesn't even begin to describe it," he said. "From the moment I met you ... I knew I wanted to be with you."

"I thought that because we live in different parts of the world, nothing could ever happen between us," Lois said. "I didn't know that you were dealing with much bigger issues."

"Now you have to deal with them, too," he reminded her.

"I have you to help me," she said.

She was truly amazing. "Lois," Clark said. "Lois. You sound so wonderfully sure about this."

Her forefinger skated along his jaw. "Why don't you kiss me again and find out how sure I am?"

His eyes slid low to the delectable temptation of her mouth.

"And you should do it quickly," she advised. "Or eltse I'll kiss you."

He didn't take the time to process her dig at his accent. Instead, he leant towards her mouth. He kissed her long and he kissed her tenderly as they lay on the grass above Lorne beach.

And for the first time ever, Clark Kent didn't care that he wasn't just like everyone else.

||_||

When they returned to the Jeep, Lois insisted on driving. "I'm not tired at all now," she said. "And I want you to be able to concentrate on the view."

As they left the town, the ocean side of the road underwent a dramatic change - serrated rock face replaced the long flat beaches. "A feature of the Great Ocean Road is the cliffs that have been carved by the waves," Lois said. "Have you heard of The Twelve Apostles?"

"I assume you're not talking about the Bible?"

"No. The Twelve Apostles are very famous rock stacks near Port Campbell. Originally, they were limestone cliffs, but over time, the wind and water erosion have washed away the softer rock - firstly forming caves, and then tunnels, and then finally stacks."

"Will we see them?"

"You bet. If we make good time through the Otway Ranges, we should be there before sunset." She glanced to him. "What happens if you have to fly in the dark?" she said. "Can you see?"

"Perfectly."

Lois smiled as she added that piece of information to the file in her brain that must be bulging with his anomalies. "That must come in handy."

Clark marvelled again at her easy acceptance of his idiosyncrasies. "It does."

"We'll be in Apolla-bay soon," she said. "After that, the road heads north into the Otways. There's a lovely walk through the forest at a place called Melba Gully. We could buy lunch at Lavers Hill and take it for a picnic."

"Sounds great," Clark said.

Half an hour later, they drove into the small town that, in contrast to Lois's pronunciation, was signposted as 'Apollo Bay'. They passed the last of the brightly painted seaside houses, and the road began twisting up the side of a mountain densely covered in towering eucalyptus trees and rainforest-type ferns. The road carved a tortuous path between the steep drop on one side and the sharp rise on the other. Lois slowed significantly in deference to the environment.

"I didn't expect this on the Great *Ocean* Road," Clark commented.

"The road leaves the coast and detours through the Otways," Lois said. "We'll be back to the ocean soon."

"I'm not sure we'd want to meet a truck on this road," Clark commented. "It's pretty tight."

"I'm not sure any truck driver in his right mind would come this way," Lois said.

They swung around a sharp corner and Lois braked hard and brought the Jeep to an abrupt stop on the side of the road. In front of them, a jagged trail of broken-off plants plunged thirty yards down the incline, finishing with the back of a van. The front appeared to be wedged between two large trees.

Lois parked as close to the edge as she dared. "You right to get out?" she said. Without waiting for his reply, she jumped from the Jeep and began hurtling down the hill.

Clark opened his door and, hoping no one in the van was watching, overtook Lois, and grabbed her hand. They arrived at side of the van, and Clark saw that both front doors were pinned shut by trees. The windshield was smattered with blood. Inside the van, the driver's seat was empty - a man was in the back, trying frantically to release the sliding door. A heavily pregnant woman in the passenger seat had turned awkwardly, and was trying to calm the four children as they flocked around their father.

Lois rapped lightly on the window of the sliding door and the man peered out at them, his face flooding with relief as he saw them. He slid open the window.

"Is anyone hurt?" Clark asked.

"No," the man said. "But the child-lock is on this door and I can't open it from inside. Can you get us out? Please?"

"Sit still," Lois said. "I have a Jeep and a tow rope. I'll pull you out."

The man reached out of the window and groped for the door handle. The tree trunk made it inaccessible.

Lois put her hand on his arm and summoned his attention. "It's OK," she said calmly. "Get all your kids back into their seats and make sure their seatbelts are on. Then get into the driver's seat and try to keep the wheels straight as we pull you out."

"No," he said breathlessly. "I need to get the kids out of here."

"They'll be safer inside the car," Lois said. "It's too dangerous for them to wait up on the road, and they're too young to be on a slope this steep. Think about your wife - she's not going to be able to climb up that hill. It's best if you all stay in here together."

The father didn't seem convinced. "But -"

"See to your kids," Lois said firmly. "We'll have you out in a jiffy."

"What sort of rope do you have?" he demanded.

"A strong one."

"Because if it snaps halfway, we'll be worse off than ever."

"It won't snap," Lois said confidently.

"I don't think you'll be able to get us out," the man said desperately. "It's too steep."

Lois reached into the window and briefly touched his shoulder. "You just leave that to me," she said. "Your job is to look after your wife and keep the kids calm." She looked beyond him to the four young faces. "Back into your seats, kids," she directed. "Last one in a seatbelt is a Collingwood supporter."

That galvanised the kids into action and the father turned from the window to assist the youngest child.

Lois and Clark hurried back up the hill. At the Jeep, she lifted the hatch and took out a rope so flimsy that, in different circumstances, Clark would have laughed aloud. "That's it?" he asked. "That's your tow rope?"

"This is it," she confirmed. She bent low and expertly secured the rope under the bumper, and then handed the other end to Clark. "Call when you've tied this to their tow ball."

He took the rope and surveyed their surroundings. "Be careful, Lois," he begged. "Keep the Jeep off the road in case anything comes around the corner - but don't get too close to the edge."

She gave him a brief smile and touched her hand on his. "I'll be fine. All I have to do is back up along the side of the road."

Clark ran down the steep slope and twirled the rope around the tow bar of the trapped vehicle. He heard Lois start the Jeep.

"OK," he called loudly. "It's ready." He bent low, took a firm grasp of the tow ball, and carefully hauled the van up the hill, trying to match his progress to the Jeep as it slowly reversed down the road.

Once the van was safely perched on the edge of the road, Clark disconnected the insubstantial rope from both vehicles.

"I'll get that out of sight," Lois said.

He gave her the rope and then went to the passenger door, opened it, and helped the woman alight from the van.

"Are you all OK?" Lois asked when they were assembled between the two vehicles.

One of the children, a boy of about seven, had blood down the front of his sweater, but no obvious injury. Clark crouched beside him. "Are you hurt?"

"I had a blood nose," he announced importantly.

"Did you hit your head when you went off the road?" Clark asked.

"No," he said. "My nose was bleeding before that. It just started all by itself."

The father stepped forward - he carried a girl of about three in his arms. "Jordie said his nose was bleeding, and then he sneezed, and the blood shot forward, and I took my eyes off the road for just a moment to see if he was OK, and the next thing I knew, we were careering down the hill." He looked from Clark to Lois, clearly awaiting their verdict on his culpability.

"Easily done," Lois said. "This is not a road with much give in it."

Clark turned to the woman. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

She smiled, a little shakily. "Glad to be out of that hole," she said. She scanned the kids. "I think everyone is all right - thanks to both of you."

The father gestured to Lois. "You're ... you're Lois Lane, aren't you? The one they call Flinders? The footy journalist?"

"Yes," Lois said.

Clark figured this was a good moment to discreetly drift away from the group and check out the van. He continued to listen to the conversation as he assessed the damage.

"Is ... is there any chance we could keep this out of the newspaper?" the father said.

"Why?" Lois asked. Clark could hear the trace of suspicion in her question as he ducked low to look under the car.

"This is my wife," the man said. "And two of the kids are mine, but two of them are my wife's kids from her previous marriage, and if her ex finds out that I drove his kids off the road, there is going to be all hell to pay."

Clark lowered his glasses and welded a long gash in the muffler.

"Are you supposed to have these kids now?" Lois asked. "You didn't break the custody arrangements or anything like that?"

"No," the man replied earnestly. "We have the kids this week, and we thought we'd take them on a holiday before the new one is born. It's just that ... things are difficult enough as they are with the kids' father. This would set him right off."

Clark glanced up from where he had realigned the sliding door so it again moved easily to open and close. He saw Lois make a point of scanning their surroundings. "I'm a footy journo," she said. "I don't see anything here that would make the sports pages."

The man and his wife smiled with relief. "Thank you," he said. "Thank you for everything."

"Do you think the car is still driveable?" the woman asked anxiously.

Clark finished his covert straightening of the wheel alignment and moved back to the group. "I think it should be fine," he said. "It's a bit banged up, but I think it will drive OK."

"Really?" The father seemed surprised.

"Why don't you try it?" Lois suggested. She met Clark's eyes for the tiniest second, barely more than a flicker, but it was enough for him to know that she fully understood what he'd been doing.

The father climbed into the van and turned the key. The engine roared to life. He experimentally drove a few yards forward, and then poked his head out of the window and looked back at them. "Would you mind staying with my wife and the kids while I do a bit of a test run?" he asked.

"Of course not," Lois called back.

He drove off, cautiously at first, but Clark heard him accelerate once he'd passed the first corner.

Lois looked down at the bloodied child. "So, Jordie," she said. "Who'j'barrack for?"

He grinned. "The Mighty Bulldogs," he said proudly.

"The Bulldogs?" Lois said in mock horror. "The *Bulldogs*?"

His grin widened. "We're better'n those dodgy Hawks," he said.

His mother made a move to curb his tone, but Lois smiled to her. "It's OK," she said. She crouched low so she was face to face with Jordie. "Who's your favourite player?" she asked.

"Chris Grant."

"Good choice," Lois said. "Are you going to play for the Doggies when you grow up?"

Jordie nodded earnestly. "I'm gonna play in the ruck," he said.

"Footscray will need a young ruckman in about ten years," she said. "If you keep working on your skills, I reckon it could be you."

The kid smiled so broadly, Clark figured that the bloody nose and the runaway van would fade to insignificance, but he would always remember the moment Lois Lane had told him that she thought he could play for his beloved Bulldogs.

Jordie's mom smiled and it encompassed both Lois and Clark. "Do you have children?" she asked.

Lois ruffled Jordie's hair and straightened. "Not yet," she said.

"Maybe one day, hey?" the woman asked.

Lois nodded. "Maybe one day."

Inside Clark, a splash of excitement rose as he realised that Lois hadn't corrected the misconception that they were married. It was such a small point - totally unimportant to the situation - yet it was hard not to attribute greater meaning to it.

The van appeared from around the corner. The father parked in front of the Jeep and jumped out. "It's fine," he announced cheerfully. "Absolutely fine. Hop in, kids."

With a final smile of gratitude to Lois and Clark, the mother began to herd her children into the van.

The father offered his hand to Clark. "Thanks, mate," he said. He shook hands with Clark and then with Lois. "Thanks, Lois," he said. "Thanks for everything. Lucky you carry a strong tow rope with you, hey?"

Lois grinned. "Enjoy the rest of your trip."

"You, too," the man called as he jumped back into the van.

When they had disappeared around the first corner, Clark gathered Lois into his arms and held her. "We're a good team," he said quietly.

She withdrew enough to examine his hands. "I was a bit worried you might not have fully regained all of your powers," she said. "But there wasn't really any opportunity to ask if you thought you would be able to haul a fully loaded van up a hill."

"You were amazing," Clark said.

"I didn't do anything," she said. "Without you, there is no way I could've got them out. The tow rope would've given way before I'd moved them an inch."

"But you thought so quickly - it was as if you had everything planned within seconds."

"I told you ... I spent last night thinking this through. I'm not saying I considered this exact scenario, but I did reflect on how tough it would be to use your powers discreetly."

"Yeah, it is," Clark agreed.

"Of course, you could always make up stories about family secrets and warming socks," she teased. Apparently satisfied that his hands had received no damage, she released them. "Other than when you've been hit by the green rock, is there anything you've not been able to budge?"

"Lois Lane," he muttered.

Her mouth flew open with laughing indignation. "Me? You asked me on a date, and I said 'yes'. You asked me to come on this trip, and I came. I have been incredibly accommodating. I probably should have kept you at arms' length for at least another month."

Clark sobered. "Do you regret that you didn't?"

Lois's smile didn't fade. "What do you think, big guy?" she said. "Do I look like a woman full of regrets?"

Smiling again, Clark shook his head. "Honestly?" he said. "You look like a woman who is supremely happy."

She placed her hands on his neck in a soft caress. "And exactly whose fault do you think that is?"

"I'm hoping it's mine," he murmured.

"Got it in one," she said. "I'm in love with you, Clark Kent."

Then she slid her arms around his neck and kissed him.

||_||

Fifteen minutes after leaving the site of the rescue, they emerged from the steepness of the mountains, and the dense rainforest gave way to gently undulating farmland scattered with dairy herds. Clark stared out of the window.

"Are you thinking of your home?" Lois asked.

Again, Clark was astonished by her ability to read him so accurately. "A little," he said.

"How often do you visit your parents?"

"I've only been back a few times," he said. "When Mayson published the story about Trask and his allegations, we decided it might be wise to minimise my flights - just in case someone can track my movements."

"Do you think that's possible?"

"I hope not," Clark said grimly. "That would lead them directly to you."

"How long have you been flying?"

"About fifteen years."

"I think if it were possible for them to track you, someone would have done it by now."

"Yeah, but when it's about my parents and you, any risk is unacceptable," Clark said. "Mom was really upset about Trask's theories and how Mayson was portraying Superman."

"Your parents must be amazing people," Lois said.

"They are." Clark took a moment to look at her before adding, "They are really looking forward to meeting you."

"Me?"

"You don't really think I could visit them and not once mention the very best part of Australia?"

She smiled. "What did you tell them?"

Clark took a deep breath. "That, after all the years of searching, I had finally found her."

Lois looked sideways and there was a tiny tear glistening in her eye. "Clark," she said. "You are so ... so incredibly willing to put your heart on the line. You let me see every nook and cranny of it ... and you don't even seem apprehensive about how vulnerable that makes you."

"I trust you," he said simply.

"You certainly proved that," she said. They shared a smile. "You should ring your parents soon - although I'm not sure there will be network in Port Campbell. But tomorrow we'll go to Warrnambool, and there will definitely be network there."

Clark nodded. Brewing in his mind was not the possibility of calling his parents, but of visiting them. And introducing them to the woman he would love until his last breath.

The Great Ocean Road swung through the picturesque Aire Valley and touched the coast for the briefest rendezvous, before climbing again into the mountains. Ten minutes of driving along the ridge brought them to a wide intersection and the town of Lavers Hill that had been blessed with breathtaking views across lush valleys to the distant ocean.

Lois stopped outside a quaint bakery. They pushed open the door and were enveloped by the marvellously rich aroma of freshly baked bread. There was a huge oven built into the far wall, and in front of them lay row upon row of bread rolls boasting a bewildering array of toppings.

Lois chose the mushroom and cheese variety, and Clark chose olives and ham drizzled in rivulets of cheese. Lois added two apple-and-custard scrolls and two bottles of orange juice to their order, and they took their bounty back to the Jeep.

"We'll be at Melba Gully in about five minutes," Lois told him as they pulled back onto the road.

"Sounds good to me," Clark said. He didn't add that *anything* would sound good so long as it didn't involve being separated from Lois. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"How did you know Jordie and his family didn't barrack for Collingwood?" he said. "The whole 'last one in his seat is a Collingwood supporter' could've backfired horribly."

"There was a Bulldogs sticker on the back window and a Saints beanie on the seat," Lois said. "I went with the odds."

"I didn't even notice them," Clark said.

She grinned at him and turned onto the track to Melba Gully. When they stopped, Clark put their lunch and drinks in a backpack, and they set off along the walking track with Lois's hand in his. Soon, towering eucalypts and tall tree ferns surrounded them.

It was cool and crisp in the heavy shade. The ground was darkly damp and the air smelled like sweet musk. From somewhere not too distant, he could hear the gurgle of running water.

They walked mostly in silence for fifteen minutes. It gave Clark time to try to take stock of how far - literally and figuratively - they had come since he had first heard the knock on his door this morning.

Literally ... well, that wasn't quite so earth-shattering - not for a man who could circumnavigate the world in less than a minute.

But figuratively ... it felt as if Lois had been in his life for years - yet that in no way reduced the newly discovered wonder of simply being able to hold her hand.

He didn't even want to think of what his life had been like without her ... and he vowed with every last ounce of his powers that he would do everything to ensure that she always wanted to be with him.

Because, as he knew with complete certainty, life without Lois was ... unthinkable.

||_||

RL people

Chris Grant - Played for Footscray (who later changed their name to the Western Bulldogs) from 1990 - 2007.

From Wikipedia ... 'Near the end of 1996 Grant was offered a large amount of money to move to Port Adelaide, but one factor which changed his mind was when a little boy, Ryan Adams, sent him a letter with an attached 20-cent coin saying it was all he had and that Grant could keep it if he stayed with the Western Bulldogs.'

Pics

Hedgehog - recipe - http://womansday.ninemsn.com.au/food/everydayrecipes/1024553/chocolate-hedgehog-slice

Lorne beach - http://www.lorneviewmotel.com.au/images/Lorne-Gallery/Lorne-Beach.jpg

Typical pictures of the Otway Ranges - http://www.oren.org.au/oren/logging0708.htm

The Aire Valley (1) - http://a3.twimg.com/profile_images/150310665/Aire_River_Wildlife_Reserve_bigger.jpg

The Aire valley (2) - http://www.otwaysaccommodation.com.au/images/GORmassage3.jpg

Custard and apple scroll -
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3083/3665607130_1300c23c7e.jpg