This is supposed to be posted tomorrow, but since I'll be cooking wildly and dangerously in the kitchen tomorrow, I decided to post a day early. Hope you don't mind!

Part 5

"Clark! Get over here! I think something is happening," Lois tossed over her shoulder as she intently peered through the lens. "Clark?"

Darn! He must have gone down to the lobby for some more late night snacks - again. She couldn't believe how much Clark ate, and what was even more astonishing was how good a shape he appeared to be in. After all, she had seen his wonderful chest and strong muscles...

Before she could get too distracted, her attention was drawn once again to what was happening across the street. A light had come on some piece of equipment in the office. Lois focused a bit harder and recognized a fax machine as it spit out a piece of paper on its top.

A possible piece of evidence! She just had to try to get it! Clark was gone for how knows how long and it appeared it was up to her to handle this. Checking to make sure she had her lock picking tools, tape recorder and camera with her, she left the room.

Once inside the building, she calculated the number of stories and window to where the office would be and set to opening the lock of an office door, praying that she had the right one.

The lock suddenly clicked and Lois slowly opened the door. The office was dark and quiet, apparently unoccupied. Lois moved quickly to the back room to locate the fax paper that she saw being printed earlier. It was a long shot, but hopefully would reveal some proof that Harrington was accepting bribes.

It was a dud, revealing nothing but some confirmation for some office supplies. Disgusted that her efforts hadn't yielded any results, Lois began rummaging through the desk drawers and file cabinets.

Someone rattled the doorknob and startled her, sending her scurrying for cover. She dove behind the desk chair just as the door opened. Nope! She wasn't about to get stuck hiding under furniture again. She had seen enough of the underside of desks to last her a lifetime. There had to be some way to escape without getting caught.

Scooting over to the window, she pushed on the window and it swung outwards. One of the benefits of these older buildings was that they were built before central air conditioning, so there had to be a way to get fresh air circulating back then.

She peeked out the window and confirmed that the ledge was really there. During the many hours that she and Clark had been keeping watch, she had planned and plotted her way out of this window so many times, it made her head spin. Yep. The ledge was secure just as she had thought. Her foot tested the stone ledge, and she eased herself through the window until she was completely outside.

The traffic from the street buzzed in the street over, and she was glad she was off on a side street. Suddenly Lois felt the sensation of being watched and that she was not alone. A strong finger tapped her lightly on her shoulder, causing her to jump, and her footing on the ledge slipped.

But not too far. With two hands on her shoulders, Kal set her back on the ledge and steadied her balance, then floated casually besides her.

"Whatcha doin'?" he asked, folding his arms.

"Don't you know you should never sneak up on a person who's sneaking around on a ledge?" she sputtered. "You're violating... the Spying Code!"

"Spying Code?" Kal smirked. "May I ask you something? What laws are you violating now?"

"Well, if you don't get caught, then you're not violating anything. Besides, I'm trying to do my job." She shot Kal a look, then inching her way past the window so the intruder in the office couldn't see her, Lois peered in the window to see who first interrupted her snooping expedition.

It was Harrington! And he was starting to rummage frantically through the desk drawers obviously looking for something. He had the desperation of an animal being cornered as he tore through the contents of the desk, strewing everything about carelessly.

"See," she whispered in Kal's ear. "You almost made me miss this: desperation at its finest."

"I see you scored high on the mercy scale," he stated while placing a protective hand against her elbow.

"Who needs mercy when there's a story to get. Now be quiet, and do your vision gizmo thingy. See what he's looking for."

"Lo-is..."

Just then the door burst open, and Peter Rourke walked in, gun in hand, and trained it immediately on Senator Harrington. Kal moved forward slightly and Lois stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"Wait! You can stop a bullet in time. Let's see what's going on."

Inside, Senator Harrington stood up quickly and threw back his arms. He staggered slightly backwards, appearing a bit drunk in the process. Recklessly, he waved in the air. "You caught me, so do me in!"

"Way too easy, old man. You know the deal. Now where's the money?" Rourke demanded.

"You've got it all. There is no more money! I want the documents just like you promised."

Rourke shook the gun at the Senator menacingly. "You think a bit of information like being in a convicted criminal's pocket for years is going to dry up soon? I don't think so."

"It wasn't my fault! I didn't want to do it. Luthor was so persuasive..."

Advancing towards the wayward senator, he held the gun with both hands and pointed towards the window. "Let's go, Harrington. After the officials pick you out of the ground, they're going to find everything they need to rule this as a suicide. Get moving!"

Lois held the tape recorder up to show it to Kal. In a flash, he had Rourke tied up and Harrington was standing shocked. "Better be careful what you say around Lois Lane, boys," he quipped.

Stepping back through the window, Lois handed the tape recorder to Kal and said, "Take this and that piece of scum to the police, then get back here to bring me to the station. I have a story to write."

Taking a second glance across the street, she added, "We have a story to write."

Kal grinned, and asked, "I take it you want me to contact your partner?"

"If you don't mind. He's probably chewing his nails down to the knuckles wondering what is happening over here. He worries – kind of like you do."

Breaking her off, Clark wasn't quite ready for her to put two and two together. He faced the two men and hoisted them up by their jackets. "Let's go, boys..."

"Hey! I wasn't the one with the gun!" Harrington complained.

"No, but you have some explaining to do, along with why you accepted bribes and traded top secret information."

"But I was being forced! By that two-bit..."

"Explain it to your lawyer, bud," he calmly replied as he flew out the window.

Lois watched her friend fly away, glad that Harrington hadn't realized that she'd been in his office illegally. Like she'd told Kal, she was just doing her job. Technically, she hadn't been in his office, just outside on the window ledge.

A few minutes later, Kal returned to fly her to the police station to wrap up the case. Lois cornered Henderson and made him promise that she would be the first journalist to get the official police report.

While waiting to be released after giving her statement, she scribbled an outline of an article on a notepad she borrowed from Henderson's desk, wanting to get a head start in case she was given an exclusive right away. Lois was deep into concentration, when a soft voice said, "Hey there."

"Hi, you missed all the action," she smiled, happy to see Clark.

"I caught up with the action on the surveillance tape. I saw your snooping." He grinned at her horrified expression. "Don't worry. There's enough evidence collected here that we don't need it."

Lois frowned at him. "What else did you see?"

"On second thought, maybe it was just Superman just catching a couple of criminals... Didn't he collect you on the street and bring you up through the window? That's what I saw. You'd never break and enter." He gave her an exaggerated wink.

Lois studied him for a second. "You're okay, Kent."

"So are you, Lane." Clark regarded her with a side-ways smile. "I guess our little venture in the gaudy Lexor is over?"

"What would you expect with a name like Luthor attached to it? But I guess we're finished," she admitted rather sadly.

"Guess we'd better gather up our things and check out," Clark said reluctantly.

A couple of hours later, they were finished at the police station and were on their way out the door of the honeymoon suite. Clark sighed as he locked the door for the final time.

Lois stood by his side, her arms full of baggage and equipment, and reaching up on her tiptoes, kissed him on the cheek. "Bye! Thought I'd tell you goodbye here."

"I'm glad," Clark replied, then leaned in and placed his lips lightly on her temple. "I guess we'd better meet our taxi. Ready?"

"Ready, partner."

*****

After slipping into an old pair of sweats and a well-loved T-shirt, Lois was preparing to settle down on the sofa with a book for the evening. It was obvious that Kal was busy with some sort of emergency or rescue, and he probably wasn't going to make it tonight. It was a relief to be finished with the Harrington investigation, but having it wrapped up so quickly was a bit of a disappointment.

She'd wanted to set things right with Clark again. Even though they appeared to have cleared the air, it still bothered her how she had treated him. It had been an instinctive reaction to push him away so abruptly when he'd thrown her on the bed and kissed her to fool the maid. How could he have known that she would fly off the handle that way?

Maybe she wasn't ready for a relationship with him. Maybe it was still too soon. No, it wasn't, she thought determinedly. She'd go to him tomorrow and drag him off so they could finish their talk, that was, after she apologized and explained why she had acted like a scared rabbit. He'd been so understanding and sweet about taking it slow. He made her feel as though she was worth the extra patience and trouble she was putting him through.

She pulled the warm throw over her legs and settled into the soft pillows. The new pillows that Kal's mom had made her were so much nicer than the stiff decorator ones that she had before. One of these days, she needed to twist Kal's arm and get him to take her to meet his parents. She would love to thank his mother personally, not to mention meeting the parents of her best friend.

A slight breeze swept through the room, and Lois looked up and saw Kal staring at her with a frightened, haunted look in his eyes. She immediately jumped to her feet to greet him. He just stood there, fighting some sort of demon, seemingly unable to move on his own any longer.

"Kal? What's wrong?" She took his hand and pulled him towards the couch. He walked behind her in a robot-like fashion, his mind not in the room with them, but somewhere else, a place where Lois suddenly knew she didn't want to be.

She sat next to him and gripped his hand firmly with both of hers.

"What is it, Kal?"

"I couldn't save her. There was nothing I could do. She's gone, Lois."

"Who is gone?" she probed gently.

"This little girl. An automobile accident. I got her out immediately after the crash, but she was too badly hurt. She was awake when I held her. She put her hand on my cheek and told me, 'Thanks, Superman. I knew you would save me.' She fell into unconsciousness right before the EMT's could get there."

"You did everything you could. Please Kal, don't blame yourself."

"She died in my arms, Lois. All the super powers in the world couldn't save her. I didn't want to fly her to the hospital. She had internal injuries and I could hear the sirens coming. I was afraid I would hurt her more if I flew her somewhere," he continued shakily. "She was so tiny."

Lois looked into Kal's eyes and saw tears glistening in the corners. His chest was heaving in jerky motions as he was trying so hard to fight his emotions.

"Come here, big guy," she said softly, and placed her hand around the back of his head and tugged it towards the hollow of her shoulder. She felt him stiffen and resist her. After a few moments, she felt him give in as the weight of his head buried itself against her neck. She wrapped one arm around him and the other stroked his broad shoulder, comforting him as one would do to a small child.

She held him there, letting her tears flow with his. It was amazing that the strongest man in the world had a heart that was so fragile, so capable of deep caring and vulnerability. She spoke soft soothing words to him, barely noises, as her hands smoothed and caressed his hair.

Sometime during the hours that followed, Lois leaned back against the soft pillows his mother had made, the big super hero's head resting against her shoulder. He lay on his side, his back resting against the back of the cushions with the bulk of his weight off of her.

She lay awake for a time after his breathing evened out and she knew he was asleep. She was so glad that he had chosen to come to her after this rescue. He could have so easily have gone elsewhere and tried to deal with this on his own, something that she would do, she though wryly, but instead, Metropolis's hero needed her tonight. And she was beginning to realize just how much she needed and relied on him in her life. She was a different person around him then when she was working at the Daily Planet. She could let her guard down and be herself, without the added pressures of holding it together in front of everyone, especially Clark.

Sleep was beginning to overtake her and she blanked out her mind. The steady rhythm of Kal's breathing made her feel secure for the first time in a long time. He was the one thing that was right in her world, the one thing that wasn't a huge mess, and she wasn't confused, for the most part, as far as their relationship was concerned. Reaching for his cape that was bunched against the sofa behind his back, she pulled it gently over the both of them, tucking them in for the night.

"Good night, Kal," she whispered softly, dropping a whisper of a kiss on his forehead, then rested her cheek against his head and fell asleep.

***

He rose to semi-consciousness to the sound of a heartbeat, a familiar one that was engrained in his very being. Lois. He must be dreaming about Lois again. Warmth and scent began to filter into his senses. He burrowed his face into the welcoming softness and nuzzled it gently. These dreams were becoming more real. It felt good, so good. His hand was resting on something soft and round, and he flexed his hand around it gently. So good, so comforting. His lips parted slightly and he pressed them repeatedly against the warm silkiness. Murmuring, "I love you," he allowed himself to sink back down into a deep sleep once more.

***

Such wonderful sensations were being created at the base of her neck. Heaviness rested on her chest and her upper body. Hmmm... something warm and gentle was squeezing the generous flesh beneath her T-shirt. Lois opened her eyes to Kal's face, inches from her own. His cheek was brushing against her jaw and from the corner of her eye, she could see that he was still sleeping, or he appeared to be sleeping, as he was dreamily planting lazy kisses on her sensitive skin. And his hand was on her chest! It was fascinating the way they seemed to fit against each other - the large curve of his hand against the flattened mound of her flesh. Seemed so right, so good... together. Breaking out of her trance, she shifted slightly in surprise to her reaction to the feelings he was stirring up inside her, and to her greater amazement, she heard him whisper, "I love you."

A thrill of adrenaline shot through her body, but then a rock-hard feeling in her stomach sank with a surprising jolt. There was another woman he loved in his other life. He has to be dreaming of her, she thought. Confirming her suspicions, Kal began to rise in the air, floating about one foot above her. Lois was able to scoot out from underneath him, then she sat on the edge of the sofa to watch him sleep.

He was lying on his stomach, still curled in the position from sleeping next to her. He bobbed gently in front of her, his cape swaying softly below him. Her hand rose involuntarily toward his face, but pulled it back jerkily before she touched him. His lashes were long and he had a vulnerability about him that reminded her of a little child. She was glad he was able to sleep last night. He looked so bone-tired when he arrived last night.

As she watched him rest, she began to ponder about her friend. Who was this woman who held him so captivated? What was her personality like? Was she a blond and ditzy airhead? She had to be if she couldn't see what she had in front of her, Lois thought, becoming slightly annoyed. That was what she wanted to believe, but knowing Kal the way she did, this woman would be special. Kal deserved someone extraordinary. Whoever she was, she was a very fortunate woman to have Kal love her as much as he obviously did.

Her fingers hovered above his face again and felt once more the urge to stroke his disheveled cheek covered with prickly razor stubble. Unable to resist the temptation, she grazed the side of his temple with the tip of her index finger. Her breath caught sharply in her throat as the full realization hit her. This was Superman! Sleeping on her sofa, or hovering above it if you wanted to get the details correct, but he was a virile man, one with the desires and passion of any full-blooded male. Not knowing she was holding her breath, air escaped from her lungs quickly as she stared at his face.

This epiphany baffled her. She still felt the tingle from where his hand had rested on her chest moments earlier, and was bewildered by what it had stirred up inside of her. He was just supposed to be her best friend, not another man in her life. Laying her hand against his roughened skin, she studied him in earnest until he lost a little attitude. He probably was waking up, but realized that she wasn't quite ready to give up this close proximity to him.

She stretched out on the sofa again, and grasped the edges of his cape and tugged gently. He bobbed slightly in the air and then rose to his previous height. Rolling him to his side with more pressure from one side of his cape, she lowered him down next to her inches above the cushions. This time he stayed and she rested her arm lightly on his chest. Slipping into the hollow of his arm, she snuggled close to him and unknowingly smiled as his arms tightened around her. This was her best friend and if he needed her, she would be there. Sighing, she closed her eyes and drifted back to sleep.

***

This fantastic, wonderful dream was back. Lois was in his arms again, her curves molded perfectly against his body, her warm scent delicately tickling his senses. Her lips were yielding willingly beneath his, and their tongues dancing to a primal rhythm, slowly at first, then increasing in fervor. His hands had pushed the thin fabric of her nightshirt upward and now he was caressing the silky skin of her back and sides.

It was just like he had remembered and had dreamt about countless times since their breakup. Lois willingly responding to him as he made love to her, no pretenses, no secret identities, just all of him, loving her completely and without reservation.

He heard himself passionately moan as her hand snaked its way down his spine and settled in to trace lazy circles in the small of his back. This was so real, so vivid. Surely he would be waking up soon as he always had when things started to become interesting.

A tug at his zipper from her other hand suddenly startled him as it slapped against the fabric next to his skin. Did he forget to take his Superman suit off? Superman suit? This was becoming confusing. Who was Lois kissing, and why couldn't he recall what had happened? They had kissed earlier that day when he was with her as Clark. That he remembered. But Lois was playing with the zipper at the back of his suit. Surely she hadn't discovered that he was Kal? Where were the fireworks? Where was the explosion of Lois Lane that he knew was to take place upon his discovery?

In an instant, he was fully awake, although still kissing Lois. Horrified at his behavior, he pulled away from her lips and her sweet body, and sat up, hoping that this was a dream after all, and that he hadn't ruined whatever friendship/romance they had in the works.

Lois appeared just as horrified as he shoved on his boots. "Sorry, Lois. I can't. This was a big mistake. I've got to go."

Still breathing hard from their unexpected kissing session, Clark left with a whoosh and the curtains fluttering wildly in his wake.

******