Sorry this took so long. Let's see what they're up to now.
Enjoy!
++++
An alarm tore him from his sleep the next morning. Superman spent the first few hours after dawn fighting a fire at an office building just inside the business district. Luckily he'd heard the fire call from the station close to the house. Every fire crew within ten miles had been called to help. Clark had the situation under control in minutes, saving six people in the process. He helped with clean-up, then sped home for a shower.
Lois was jogging up the stairs when he came out of his bedroom. She'd been for a run. "Hey," he said, appreciating the affect sweat had on her body. Her skin glistened, causing a flash of a different kind behind his lids. One of her skin, sweat, and his skin.
"Clark?"
He blinked several times before focusing on her. "Sorry. I was..." He stopped and glanced away. He'd been two seconds from telling her exactly what he'd been thinking.
"Thinking about me?"
"Oh yeah," he breathed, then blushed furiously when he realized just how he'd sounded. "I think I need to go find some breakfast," he said and stepped around her to start down the stairs.
Lois grasped his arm to halt his progress. "I think about you, too."
"Not like that," he said under his breath. He was staring down, refusing to look at her.
"Yes." When he turned toward her, she smiled at him. "Like that."
"Lois, whatever this is, I won't ever force anything on you."
"I know that." She wiped the sweat from her face with her palm. "I also know that the things I think when I look at you should be the last thing on my mind. Everything I've been through... everything ahead... None of it matters. It doesn't matter that I cry myself to sleep now and then. It doesn't matter that I have a hard time controlling the shaking when I think about... *him*. It doesn’t matter that I still get butterflies when I look at my children because I'm wondering if I'm doing everything right." She took a breath as she continued to look at him. "It doesn't matter that we've only known each other a few weeks. Or that I break out in hives when I think about having sex again. My body refuses to cooperate. It just reacts and my mind isn't far behind."
He gulped hard, feeling the intensity of the moment washing over him. She felt the same way about him as he did her. He turned and lifted his hand to cup her face. "Looks like we're in this together then."
"Good," she said as her hand came up to cover his on her face. "I didn't want this to be one-sided."
"Not one-sided a bit," he told her as he dropped his hand away.
"Where are you going?" she asked as he started down the steps.
"To get breakfast. I'm starved."
She shook her head with a laugh and went to take a shower. Things were about to get a bit more interesting around here. And for the first time in a long time, she was looking forward to the future.
****
The rest of Lois' furniture had also been in the storage room at Lex Towers. Her stylish but uncomfortable sofas were now the centerpieces of the formal living room of the house. Her small dining table fit perfectly in the kitchen and her fish tank would be a topic of conversation for the den. Clark's more comfortable sofa was positioned in front of the wall that would hold a new television. Clark had explained that he wanted a larger set to hang there- to see the games better. He'd left his dining table for Jack and Denny, along with a few other pieces of furniture. As they surveyed the house, they decided they needed to go shopping. The larger space was desperately empty despite having both sets of furniture in place already. New big kid beds would be purchased for the twins so they could make the transition from their cribs. Even though Jonathan had converted the baby beds into daybeds, it was past time for new ones.
Clark closed the door of the trophy case he'd put in the oversized front hall. His lonely Kerth award was now joined by two more.
"My Kerths!" Lois said as she walked over to stare at the case.
"I hope they're okay here."
"They're..." She tore her eyes away from the trophies and smiled at him. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," he said, grinning back.
"Oh, Jack called when you were in the garage. He said, and I quote, 'tell CK that the new furniture is bitchin'."
Clark laughed as he headed back toward the den. Lois was sorting through the things he'd unpacked, giving him instructions where it should all go. He'd told her he'd do all the work in a blink, but she insisted on helping. She'd chosen spots for his various trinkets he'd collected while traveling. It appeared now that she'd moved on to photos, if the array of frames spread out on the coffee table and couch were an indication. He reached down to lift an image he'd never seen before. It was of the twins when they were very small.
"Three days old," Lois told him. "It's the only picture I've kept close. I was completely lucid that day. Sara took the picture." She moved over to look at the image with him. "I had mine blown up from a wallet." Her fingers smoothed over the glass covering the photograph. "Do you like it?"
"I love it." His eyes met hers. "Thank you for doing this."
"Thank you... for giving that sample."
"Lo-is," he breathed. The look in her eyes conveyed more gratitude than she could ever show him. He adored those wide, expressive eyes.
"I thought we could hang it in the middle of the wall in the hallway."
"I think that's a great place for it." He went in the other room and carefully chose the right spot. When he'd finally placed it on the hanger, he stood back to admire it.
"Now, hang these around it." She shoved a stack into his hands.
He chuckled and went to retrieve more hangers. She certainly wasn't shy about keeping him busy. Of course, he didn't mind working with her either. She was wearing a pair of shorts and a tank top with no shoes. Putting the house together slowly allowed him plenty of time to catch glimpses of her perfectly sculpted body. He hadn't realized just how toned she was.
"Hey, Lois," he said after eyeing her for the tenth time in the last two minutes. "I was thinking we could use part of the third floor for a gym."
"Are you trying to tell me something, Kent?" she asked as she put a hand on her hip.
"Yeah, I'm telling you that you're fat and need to drop a few pounds." He rolled his eyes as he walked across the room to pick up another photo.
"I know I'm small," she said briskly. "But I've gained seven pounds," she told him defensively. "I eat, but every now and then I still get sick."
Clark stopped to look at her. "Lois, I think you're doing great. Mom told me you've been upset a time or two about your weight. And you *do* look better. I also happen to think the muscle tone is impressive. I thought you might want to keep up with your workouts."
"You like my muscles?" she asked, although she still looked rather upset.
"I do," Clark said as he lifted his hand and smoothed it over the arm propped on her hip.
Her eyes moved over to watch his hand. It stopped at her elbow and she looked back up at him. "Go back to work," she told him and stepped back over to grab the last few frames from the coffee table.
After a couple deep breaths to steady himself, Clark zipped around the house hanging the pictures and putting away everything he could. When he stopped, he grinned widely at Lois. "It's lunch time and I think we should grab a sandwich on the way to the antique mall in the Corridor." The Corridor was a popular shopping district on the outside of the city and it just so happened, this was the side it was on.
"Philly steak with extra peppers?"
"And lots of cheese," he said as he went to retrieve his wallet and keys from the counter. After she grabbed her shoes and bag, they headed out. The rest of the day was spent shopping, talking, and laughing, all of which was exactly what they needed.
Stopping off at the store, Clark grabbed the stuff to grill burgers for them for supper. They ate just before dusk, swam for a while, then put away a few of the things they'd purchased that afternoon. Plans were made to shop for the new electronics the following day and they both headed up to bed. Settled with thoughts of the other on their mind that night, they fell asleep quickly. Life was certainly better today than it had been a few weeks earlier. It was also very, very different.
****
On Monday, Clark headed to work while Lois stayed at the house to write. They'd talked to the twins that morning and Martha said they'd be in the next evening. Lois was going to go to the market for a few things they needed before everyone else got there. They also had to have other supplies. Clark had said he could stop off to shop on his way home, but recognized the look in her eyes to feel that she'd accomplished something, that someone depended on her for something. He even went so far as to jot down a couple of items he needed from the store as well.
She wrote for an hour or so, then headed out to do the shopping. She stopped off at the Costmart, sure she'd find a wide variety there. And she wasn't disappointed. She chose everything on her list and a few things that weren't. She decided to put off buying groceries until after lunch because she wanted to surprise Clark.
Clark was talking with Jack, laughing at something he'd said, when the younger man patted his shoulder. "Damn! That's the best looking woman in two states."
Swiveling his chair so he could see who Jack was talking about, Clark smiled when his eyes fell on Lois. "You do know that's Lois?"
"You do know if I was a few years older you'd have a bit of competition?"
Chuckling at his friend, his eyes met Lois' as she made her way down the ramp. She'd chosen something casual to wear today- slacks and a form fitting blouse- which made her look as good as always. As she neared his desk, Clark noticed she was holding a bag.
"Hey," he told her, still leaning back in his chair.
"Hey." She glanced up at Jack. "Hi, Jack."
"Hi, Lois. You look great."
"Thank you. You're not so bad yourself."
His face lit up as if she'd agreed to go out with him. "Told you, buddy." Jack patted Clark's shoulder and went to find more work to do.
Clark laughed as the other man walked away.
"What was that about?"
"He's young and male." His eyes glanced at the bag she held. "What's in the bag?"
"Lunch. And a couple of things I bought the kids I wanted to show you."
"Why don't we head to the conference room?" He stood and led the way.
Lois looked over toward Perry's office. "Where's Perry?"
"Meeting with the board."
"Ah..." She set the bag on the table and pulled out a couple of containers. "Hope you like grilled chicken fettuccini."
Clark's eyes flashed at hers, but he didn't say anything, although Lois didn't miss it.
"What?"
"Nothing," he lied and sat down, reaching over to grab one of the plates.
"Nothing my foot." Lois sat and glared at him. "Tell me."
"You don't want to know." He took the top off his lunch, looked at the food, and sighed.
"Clark, you don't have to eat it if you don't like it."
Clark paused, the fork half way to his mouth, then sighed again. "It's not that I don't like it. I love pasta." He sat back and looked at her.
"I know we're not... whatever we're not, but I'd love for us to be truthful with each other."
"Me, too. And the truth is pasta metabolizes a bit differently in my body for some reason."
"Makes your blood sugar go up?"
"Ah, no." He leaned up again, prepared to eat the dish no matter how much he didn't want to. Not that he didn't want to, but well, eating it with Lois... "Pasta makes me..." He felt his face burn in embarrassment.
"Makes you what?"
"It... excites me," he finished in a quick whisper, shoving the first bite in his mouth.
Lois' brows furrowed for a second, then dawning flashed. "Oh," she replied. She ate for a minute, then looked over at him. "Really?"
"Really," he replied. A slow smile spread across her face as she continued to eat. "You don't have to be so... happy with my discomfort and embarrassment here."
"Yeah, I know." She chewed the food she'd shoved into her mouth before grinning widely. "I'll be sure to learn how to cook pasta."
He nearly choked on his next bite. "You would," he said and pointed toward the bag. "Show me what you bought, okay?"
She pulled out two little outfits, then showed him two swim suits that had floats built in that were designed to help teach children to swim. She informed Clark she thought they would be perfect for the twins. She also had each a pair of flip flops. He couldn't help but be thrilled with her enthusiasm. Lois was proud of her choices and it showed.
They finished lunch and she packed up to leave. There was more shopping to do, she explained, and headed out. Just as he did every time he was with her, Clark felt like he'd been hit with an electric jolt. Suddenly he looked forward to getting done with work so he could go home.
****
Clark took a quick peek inside the house when he got out of the Jeep. Lois was sitting in her room on the floor against the wall under the window. She was nursing a beer and she'd been crying. He zipped upstairs and stopped outside the door. "Lois?" She didn't even acknowledge he'd spoken. He hesitantly stepped inside and walked toward her. He sat down and leaned against the wall beside her. "Hey."
She turned up her beer as she stared unseeingly across the room.
Tearing his eyes away from her, he looked across the room, too. What happened since lunch? To put her in such a mood?
They sat there for over ten minutes before she spoke.
"I went to see Daddy after lunch."
His eyes moved back to her. "He upset you?"
"Oh yeah," she replied sarcastically. "That bastard sold me out for a million dollars." She jerked her head around to look at him. "Do you think that was a fair price for my sanity? Or how about my womb?" His brows rose a bit, but he didn't answer. "His daughter was exchanged for money... like she was a piece of meat!" She slugged back the beer, then looked at him again. "You know what he said? 'At least you can have more children'. At least I can have more children?! What kind of crap is that?"
"How does he know you can have more children?" If his guess was right...
"Working with doctor feel good gave him a chance to look at all the research and records."
That's what Clark thought. No matter Sam's motives for helping get Collin out of a madman's grasp, the man was a scientist to the core.
"I know, in some twisted, deep ravine inside his infinitesimal brain, he thinks he did this amazing thing by rescuing Collin. But that one thing doesn't make up for all he's done."
Clark pulled his leg up and rested his arm on his knee while she vented.
"I have a hard time thinking sometimes because of the hokey dust he created!" Polishing off her brew, she slammed the bottle down beside her. "So, how 'bout it, Clark? Want more kids? You might be able to get a real steal now. He needs money for a good lawyer."
She ran out of steam and they sat there in silence for a moment. Finally she answered the biggest question on his mind.
"I don't even know why I went to see him." Staring at a spot near the door, she nodded her head. "Yes, I do. I needed to look him the eyes while he explained to me exactly why he did what he did. I needed to hear him say he willingly took that monster's money."
"And now?"
"And now..." She sighed heavily. "I feel... violated on an entirely different plane." She turned her head so their eyes met. "He might as well have been the one raping me."
Clark reached out and hesitantly touched her hand. "I'm sorry."
"Yeah, and if I could have gotten my hands on him..." Lifting both her hands, she made a squeezing motions. She yelled loudly in frustration. "There... I feel better."
"Good." They lulled into another silence. Finally Lois stood up.
"I think I'm gonna turn in early tonight."
It was still light out, but Clark didn't say anything. He stood up when she made it clear she meant what she'd said. "Don't you want some supper?"
"Not tonight," she replied.
That was his cue to leave. She'd pulled away and he was not about to push her. The last thing she needed tonight was to fall into the abyss of anger and pain that seemed to call to her all too often. He pushed his hands into his pockets and left. As he stepped into his room he heard her door close. His enthusiasm from earlier quickly slipped away.
Clark closed his own door and slowly changed his clothes. Inside his bathroom he noticed the new aftershave on the sink. He also had a bottle of shampoo, shower gel, and a new toothbrush. Looking around he noticed the other changes. There was an entire bathroom set- new rug in front of the shower, another under his feet at the sink. The rugs matched the soap dish, tissue holder, and trash can. It seemed Lois had been busy today.
Downstairs he found she had shopped for the kitchen as well. A very nice tablecloth with matching napkins and pot holders were all in their places. Stainless steel canisters, matching salt and pepper shakers, and a brand new coffee pot all lined the counters. There was a new place setting for four in the cabinet.
Everywhere he looked he saw things she'd bought. New pillows in the den, a rug in the mudroom, another at the front door. There were curtains in every room- beautiful, rich colors. Yes, she'd been busy. Had she put everything in place this afternoon? As a way to vent her anger? She'd said she'd come to the Planet after stopping off at Costmart. Surely she hadn't done this earlier.
She'd stayed busy, trying not to think about the things Sam had told her. But at some point it had all hit her- hard.
He was glad when he heard a call for Superman. At least if he was doing something, he wouldn't be in the house near her knowing he couldn't be with her.
Lois heard the sonic boom that indicated Clark had left. She rolled over and pulled the covers up around her neck tightly. Not tonight, she told herself. Tonight she wanted, *needed* to clear her mind and take a break from her demons. She closed her eyes and was glad when her body began to relax. A short time later, she was asleep.
****
It had been a while since he'd felt like someone was watching him, but he knew even before he opened his eyes. Lois was sitting on the bed next to him, watching him sleep.
"Hey," he told her.
"Hey." She cocked her head to the side as if she was studying him. "Do you know you snore when you sleep?"
"Only when I'm really tired."
"Was it that bad?"
"Just messy. A chicken truck wrecked on the interstate, then there was a mudslide in California."
"That's why you smell like dirt."
"I showered... twice," he defended himself. He still hadn't moved, lying on his side facing the middle of the bed.
She leaned over and sniffed. "Might need another one."
He chuckled softly and closed his eyes. "It'll have to wait till daylight."
"That's still at least three hours from now." She watched him for a moment. "Can I stay here?"
His eyes opened again. "In my bed?"
"I won't bite, Clark," she told him sharply.
"I know that. Besides, if you do, you might lose some teeth."
She laughed when he waggled his brows. "Can I?"
"Yeah," he answered, closing his eyes back. He was still pretty tired.
Lois stretched out on her side so she could watch him, her hand tucked under her head.
"Are you gonna watch me the rest of the night?" he asked without looking at her.
"Maybe."
Any other time he'd be thrilled to have her in his bed. But tonight he was beat. Even so, he reluctantly opened his eyes. "What's on your mind?"
"Razor blades."
"Razor blades?"
"You didn't have those on the list. You had aftershave, but not blades. I thought it odd, then I figured it made sense. I mean, you can't shave like normal people. You're invulnerable."
"I use my heat vision. The aftershave cools the burn."
"It burns?"
"It... tingles."
"And your hair? Do you cut it the same way?"
"Yep."
"Can I watch you shave in the morning?"
"If you'll go to sleep."
"Sorry." She closed her eyes, but they popped right back open.
"What?" he asked, having kept his open, knowing that wasn't what was really on her mind.
"Lex is ready to make a deal with the prosecutor."
That brought him wide awake.
"He's trading some of his dirty little secrets for life in prison." She rolled over on her back and stared up at the ceiling in the dark. "He won't plead to anything about me until he talks to me."
"Are you up for that?"
"Yeah. I want closure."
Clark could understand that.
"He wants to talk to you, too."
"Me? Why?"
"He's found out the kids belong to you." She shrugged. "Probably wants to face the man he feels out done him. Mayson's trying to talk the prosecutor out of both meetings."
"Is that why I haven't heard about it yet?"
She nodded and stared up at the ceiling for a moment before looking back at Clark. "Are you up for that?"
"I'd only talk to him if you wanted me to."
"I don't *want* to do it myself."
"You know what I mean." He sighed and rolled over to throw his arm above his head.
She pushed up on an elbow to look at him. "I'm curious to know what the hell he wants."
"Me, too," he admitted, glancing up at her.
"Thanks," she said, knowing he'd go. Her eyes moved down to his chest. He hadn't put a shirt back on after his shower tonight. "Why don't you have hair on your chest?"
"I don't know," he answered through his laughter. He rolled back over and reached out to grasp her side. "Why don't you?"
"Very funny." Lois shifted and turned on her other side, facing away from him. She grinned when his arm settled around her. "This is nice," she said after a while.
"Mmm," he replied through his haze. He was almost asleep again.
She sighed and threaded her fingers through his where his hand rested against her stomach. A girl could get used to sleeping like this, she thought as she closed her eyes. Moments later, she was asleep, too.
****
His body became aware of the proximity of the female lying close to him before his mind did. He was instantly on alert, fire raging through him. This is bad, he thought as he squeezed his eyes shut and took several deep breaths to control himself. But the smell of her shampoo, the shower gel she'd used, and the scent that was uniquely Lois all worked to remind him just how male he was.
Don't move, he said to himself as he felt the change in her. Please don't move.
Her hand smoothed over his arm and she leaned her head back against him. The rapid drum of her heart told him she was affected by their position as much as he was. She shifted and he moved so she could lie on her back, which brought his hand to rest on her stomach. Her wide, dark eyes met his and they stared at one another.
"I think we should go out soon," Lois said softly.
Clark moved his hand, just a bit, to feel her solid abs, he told himself. "Friday night?"
"Let's make it Wednesday," she replied.
He smiled and rolled over onto his back, taking a deep breath to calm himself. "Sorry."
"Yeah, me, too," she shot right back. She, too, was breathing heavily. They both laid there, staring up at the ceiling, until they could breathe normally. "I think that's the first time I've ever had sex without doing a thing," she finally said.
Clark's lips spread into a smile, then he started to laugh. Before long, they were both laughing. "I'm gonna shave. Still want to watch."
"Yep," she answered and jumped to her feet to follow him into the bathroom. Two minutes later, she was staring at him with wide eyes. "Wow!" Her hand went up to feel how close he'd gotten. "Think you could shave my legs?" She stuck one of her limbs up.
"It'll burn."
"Burn or sting?"
"Sting. Are you sure?"
"Yep." She moved so that she was sitting on the counter, her leg lying across the sink. He shook his head and moved his eyes up her skin, searing the short stubble as he went. When he was done, he smoothed his hand up to her knee. "There."
"Don't forget this one." She hopped down, ran around him and threw up her other leg. He chuckled and repeated the unconventional shave.
"Nice and smooth," he announced when he was done.
She ran a hand over the skin to check his work. "Too bad you can't do bikini lines," she mumbled.
His eyes glanced at her for a second before he whirled around and headed back into the bedroom.
Lois giggled and closed the bathroom door. When she came out, Clark was putting on his tie. "I saw this really great tie yesterday."
"I'm surprised you didn't buy it," he answered.
"What's that supposed to mean?" she stopped and asked him.
"Nothing. I just meant you bought so much..."
"It was my money," she defended herself.
Clark looked over at her, recognizing her expression immediately. "Lois..."
"Lois, what? If I want to buy stuff, I can."
"I know you can," he tried again. "I just meant..."
"I know what you meant." She tossed the box in her hand at him, then turned on her heel and stomped from the room.
Clark caught the box that had been sitting on his dresser. He hadn't noticed it last night. He took the top off and felt like kicking himself. Underneath a hand written note was a tie that looked like a drawing, only without color. The note explained that it could be colored with the special pens included. Lois thought he might like for Collin and Perry to color it for him. 'Just because', the note stated.
"Dammit!" he said and finished putting on his clothes before going to look for her.
She was standing at the window in the den, staring out at the pool. He walked up behind her, not quite touching her, but close enough she could feel his breath on her ear. "I like the things you bought. The stuff in my bathroom was the perfect color. I want you to feel at home and if you want to fill this house with things, please do." He lifted his hand and squeezed her upper arm. "The tie is great. Thank you."
Lois remained stiff for several more seconds before she relaxed a bit. "I take everything the wrong way."
"No. I said it the wrong way." He tugged gently to get her to turn around. "I really do like the stuff."
"I just wanted..." She looked around, unable to explain what was on her mind.
"I know." Clark opened his arms and she stepped forward into the hug he wanted.
"This is a switch," she mumbled against his chest.
"Huh?"
"You wanting the hug instead of me."
Clark chuckled as he squeezed tighter. "Yeah, well, even Superman needs a little TLC every now and then."
"Just let me know. I'm more than willing to help you out." She drew back so she could smile at him.
"I'll keep that in mind." Clark gave her another quick hug, then pulled away to go cook breakfast. Before he left for work, they were laughing again. One emotional disaster averted.
Thank God.
****
Cursing his abilities for the third time, Clark was finally able to land in the alley next to the Planet so that he could pick up the Jeep from the parking garage and head home. The rest of his family should be home by now and he'd wanted to be there before they got in. Unfortunately, it seemed everyone needed Superman today. When he turned the last corner, he couldn't help but smile. The coach his parents had rented was pulled alongside the curb just past the house. Lois' rental was gone, which put the frown back on his face temporarily. He pulled into the drive and heard the sound of laughter and splashing coming from the backyard, so he headed in that direction.
"Hi, son," his father called from his position in front of the grill.
"Hey, Dad."
"Daddy!" Perry climbed out of the pool and came running.
Clark had just enough time to toss his jacket on a lounge- where had that come from- before he bent to catch his wet little girl. "Hey, Sunshine!" He held her close, sighing to finally have her home. He drew back and they exchanged their usual nose rub before he kissed her several times. She started laughing loudly. When she'd had enough, she struggled to get down and he set her on her feet. Collin wasn't as happy to see him. He was still in the pool with Lois. Clark walked over to the edge and smiled down at them. "Hey, son."
"Hi, Daddy. Mommy teach me to swim."
"She is."
"Uh huh. Watch!" And he went under the water and swam to the side. "See?" he said when he came up and grabbed the side.
"Wow!" Clark bent to touch his hand. For the first time he noticed Collin wasn't wearing his floaty. "That's great, big guy!"
"I jump off board, too."
"Let me go get changed so I can join you."
"'Kay." The boy told him and turned to swim back to his mother.
Clark's eyes lifted to Lois' who was smiling brightly. "Looks like you've been busy."
"They wanted to get in." She shrugged and went back to her swimming instructions.
With a shake of his head, Clark stood back up and moved over to where his dad was grilling burgers and dogs. "You didn't have to cook."
"Oh, I don't mind. Besides, we're enjoying watching them play."
"Where's Mom?"
"In the kitchen getting everything else ready."
Clark glanced up at the house. "Where's Lois' rental car?"
"The company picked it up a little while ago."
"Maybe we need to pick out a second car. We're not in the heart of the city anymore and calling a cab every time you go somewhere seems like a waste of money."
"Sounds like a plan." Jonathan finished flipping the burgers, then grinned up as his son. "The house is great, boy. You didn't have to go to so much trouble. Just a couple of nice rooms would have been okay."
"Are you kidding? I can offer something a bit nicer and I did." Clark leaned over and kissed his dad's cheek before stepping around him. He grabbed his jacket and jogged up the back steps. Martha was on the way out when he entered the mudroom. "Hi, beautiful."
"Hey yourself, handsome," she returned and stuck her face over to accept the kiss she knew he was going to give her. "Hang your shirt up so it'll dry," she told him before going out the door he was holding open.
"Yes, ma'am." He laughed softly after she went out, then went to find his swim trunks. Five minutes later, he was tossing a squealing little boy across the pool. Lois yelled at him to no avail. Collin loved the rough play and Clark was only too happy to oblige. Perry, however, was much too timid. She kept on her floaty and remained firmly in the shallow end of the pool. She and Lois played together for a while, then he moved in their direction with Collin. They all played until Martha called them to eat.
"Here's to our first family dinner in our new home," Jonathan said, holding his glass of iced tea up.
"Here, here," Lois added with her own glass. The other adults joined in and she grinned at Clark when their eyes met. Their life was going to be very different from now on and she was looking forward to it. For the first time in a long time, she couldn't wait for another day.
After dinner, after bath time, Clark carried Collin in to sleep in his bed. Perry would join Lois because they'd failed to purchase the twins' new beds yet. They made plans to do so the next day. Clark was going to meet them at a popular furniture store not far from the Planet right before lunch. They planned to pick out new beds, then share lunch. Hopefully, things would stay calm enough for Clark to get away long enough.
Once Perry was settled, Lois went downstairs to get a cup of coffee. There was light on in the room Clark wanted to turn into an office. She grabbed her coffee and walked over to the doorway to watch as Clark's hands became a blur as he worked. He was building a set of bookshelves. When he stopped, the wood was assembled. He stepped back to admire his skills.
"Not bad."
He turned to see Lois behind him. "You're the only person that can actually scare me."
"Sorry." She walked over next to him. "Do you plan on building all of the furniture for this room?"
He shrugged. "Maybe." He pointed toward a wall. "I want to put three of these on that wall, which will fill it up. I'd thought about an oversized desk that can accommodate a work station on either side."
"Why one on either side?"
"You need a place to work." He leaned over to pick up the scrap wood left over from the shelf. When he stood back up, she was looking at him with an expression he hadn't seen before.
"You're adding me to every aspect of your life."
"You're already there," he told her as he stepped past her to deposit the pieces of wood into a can. "I thought I'd use these to make Perry a dollhouse for her birthday." Lois was right in front of him when he turned back. "What?"
"It's where I want to be," she said softly.
"Good," he replied with a smile.
Lois lifted her hand and touched his cheek, smiled at him, then headed out the door. Clark was left in stunned silence, the tingle where she'd touched him lingering on his skin. That woman was not only part of his life, she was quickly becoming part of his very being. She'd moved in and took over, and he wasn't about to ask her to leave. She was where she wanted to be.
She was where *he* wanted her to be.
Lois had settled and wrapped her arms around Perry when Clark made his way upstairs. She could see his outline as he stood just outside the door for a moment, then headed toward his room. With a smile on her lips, she closed her eyes. She hadn't lied to him; she was exactly where she wanted to be. It might not be the most rational place to be, but it was certainly the place that made the most sense. Everything about him just seemed to make sense to her. In her crazy, mixed up world, Clark 'Superman' Kent made sense.
With a satisfied sigh, she hugged her daughter closer and waited for sleep to wash over her.
