The Frozen North

By Erin Dawn McInnis (emcinnis@pris.bc.ca)

Summary: Lois and Clark, stuck in a blizzard, find shelter from the storm.

Note: This story takes place in my own little world, without Maysons and Scardinos, and before any revelations and/or admissions of love. Replies and comments will be greatly appreciated. And here we go...

***

"Ah, Lois? Shouldn't you slow down? There's a curve coming up."

"Trust me, Clark," Lois said reassuringly, "I know what I'm doing."

Suddenly, the rental car swerved and skidded on the icy Canadian road, and promptly landed in the ditch.

"Trust me, Clark. I know what I'm doing," Clark mimicked, after checking for broken bones and leaking gas tanks.

"This stupid rent-a-car!" Lois fumed, "It handles like a lawnmower!" She pounded on the steering wheel, "The air bag didn't even work." She pounded once more on the steering wheel, and the air bag exploded open into her face. It took every last bit of Clark's restraint to keep from keeling over with laughter, while Lois struggled to get it out of her face. "Mmmhhff!! Hhhfff!!!" Finally, in desperation, Lois stabbed the air bag with her fingernail. The air gushed out of the air bag.

"What did that air bag ever do to you, Lois?" Clark asked with a grin, which quickly dissolved into full-fledged laughter at the indignant look on Lois' face.

"Well, now what are we going to do?" asked Lois, trying to regain her composure and failing miserably.

Clark sobered, and quickly assessed the situation. The rental car was stuck in a rather deep snowbank. He could easily lift it out, but not with Lois hanging around. "Looks like we're not going to make it to that interview after all."

"Serves Perry right for sending us up to this popsicle of a province," Lois declared.

"Territory," Clark corrected her.

"Whatever. We can't stay here, that's for sure." With the car heater off, the inside temperature was dropping rapidly.

"But it has to be at least another 100 miles to the nearest town. If you hadn't taken that shortcut..."

"Shut up, Clark," Lois remarked. "There must be a diner or gas station around here somewhere. We'll just start walking."

"What if it starts snowing?" Clark asked doubtfully.

"Don't be silly, Clark. There's not a cloud in the sky," Lois said with a smile.

***

Snow poured out of the sky, covering everything with a thick blanket of white. They'd been walking for over three hours, and no sign of a diner or gas station. Clark wrapped his arm around Lois' shoulder, to keep her from getting separated from him in the blinding blizzard. Even with his x-ray vision, Clark was having trouble finding their way. The cries of the wolves he had heard earlier were steadily growing closer.

Just as Clark was about to swoop Lois up into his strong arms and fly her back to Metropolis, his x-ray vision picked up the form of a solid object just ahead. A cabin!! Clark steered Lois in that direction. Checking first to make sure it wasn't inhabited by squirrels, raccoons, or a rifle-wielding homicidal maniac, Clark opened the door and they walked inside.

Clark surveyed the bare furnishings. A small bed in one corner, a couple cupboards, and a wood stove. "Not much, but it'll do," Clark commented. "I guess we're stuck here for the time being."

"But we have to get back to Metropolis!" Lois protested.

"We're not going anywhere until this storm blows over," Clark told her. "And right now, we have to make sure you don't get pneumonia or hypothermia. Your clothes are soaking wet. You'll have to take them off," he said somewhat apologetically.

"Excuse me? Did you just say what I think I heard you say?" Lois questioned.

"You can't stay in those wet clothes. Wait, I'll look for some towels or blankets." Clark went to check the cupboards. Assorted pots and pans, some canned food, and two blankets. Clark took one over to her, "You can cover yourself with this, and I'll make a fire. That should keep you warm."

"And what are you going to do? You're just as wet as I am."

Clark looked down, and realized she was right. "Oh, I...uh...I don't get sick. Ever."

"But you must be freezing, and..."

Clark cut her off. "Right now I'm worried about you. Do you, ah, need any help?" he said with a grin.

"I'll manage," Lois told him with an icy glare.

***

While Lois was getting undressed, Clark knelt down with his back to her, and used his heat vision to light a fire in the wood stove, trying to ignore the sound of Lois' wet clothing being peeled off and dropped to the floor. When Clark finally turned around, Lois was sitting on the bed, holding the blanket tightly around her, and her clothes piled in a wet heap on the floor. Even dripping wet, with the bulky blanket wrapped around her, she was still the most beautiful woman Clark had ever seen.

Clark recovered from his momentary daze, and went to pick up her mound of clothes. "I'll dry these out now."

"The sooner the better. This wool itches," Lois grimaced while she fidgeted. "You're not getting any drier, either.

Clark squirmed. The cold wouldn't bother him, but if he didn't pretend it did, Lois was bound to get suspicious. Reluctantly, Clark pulled off his jacket, and began tugging at his shirt. "I guess you're right." Clark picked up the other blanket, and when Lois turned to face the cabin wall, he started to take off the rest of his clothes.

He placed his clothing beside Lois' in front of the wood stove, and stood in the middle of the cabin, wearing nothing but an old, frayed blanket across his hips. He turned to look at Lois, and saw that she was curled up on the bed, looking sad and weary. Clark sat beside her, and gently brushed back a stray strand of hair that had fallen into her face.

"Clark, I'm sorry I took that short-cut, and then crashed the car, and then made us walk, and..." A tear rolled down her cheek.

"Shhhh. It's not your fault," Clark softly wiped the tear away. His hand lingered on her cheek, while his other hand came up and cupped the back of her neck. Slowly, he pulled her head towards his. When their lips met, Lois' arms came up and wrapped themselves around Clark's neck. The kiss started slowly, and just when Clark was about to pull back, Lois drew him closer.

When they finally tore themselves apart, Clark looked deep into Lois' eyes, and there he saw the love and desire burning inside her. Their bodies melded together as they fell back onto the bed.

***

They eventually fell asleep in each others arms, many hours later. They didn't know what dangers, either physical or emotional, tomorrow might bring, but Clark and Lois were both content with the knowledge that they would face it together.

The End

(frozen.txt) The Frozen North By Erin Dawn McInnis (emcinnis@pris.bc.ca)

Summary: Lois and Clark, stuck in a blizzard, find shelter from the storm.

Note: This story takes place in my own little world, without Maysons and Scardinos, and before any revelations and/or admissions of love. Replies and comments will be greatly appreciated. And here we go...

***

"Ah, Lois? Shouldn't you slow down? There's a curve coming up."

"Trust me, Clark," Lois said reassuringly, "I know what I'm doing."

Suddenly, the rental car swerved and skidded on the icy Canadian road, and promptly landed in the ditch.

"Trust me, Clark. I know what I'm doing," Clark mimicked, after checking for broken bones and leaking gas tanks.

"This stupid rent-a-car!" Lois fumed, "It handles like a lawnmower!" She pounded on the steering wheel, "The air bag didn't even work." She pounded once more on the steering wheel, and the air bag exploded open into her face. It took every last bit of Clark's restraint to keep from keeling over with laughter, while Lois struggled to get it out of her face. "Mmmhhff!! Hhhfff!!!" Finally, in desperation, Lois stabbed the air bag with her fingernail. The air gushed out of the air bag.

"What did that air bag ever do to you, Lois?" Clark asked with a grin, which quickly dissolved into full-fledged laughter at the indignant look on Lois' face.

"Well, now what are we going to do?" asked Lois, trying to regain her composure and failing miserably.

Clark sobered, and quickly assessed the situation. The rental car was stuck in a rather deep snowbank. He could easily lift it out, but not with Lois hanging around. "Looks like we're not going to make it to that interview after all."

"Serves Perry right for sending us up to this popsicle of a province," Lois declared.

"Territory," Clark corrected her.

"Whatever. We can't stay here, that's for sure." With the car heater off, the inside temperature was dropping rapidly.

"But it has to be at least another 100 miles to the nearest town. If you hadn't taken that shortcut..."

"Shut up, Clark," Lois remarked. "There must be a diner or gas station around here somewhere. We'll just start walking."

"What if it starts snowing?" Clark asked doubtfully.

"Don't be silly, Clark. There's not a cloud in the sky," Lois said with a smile.

***

Snow poured out of the sky, covering everything with a thick blanket of white. They'd been walking for over three hours, and no sign of a diner or gas station. Clark wrapped his arm around Lois' shoulder, to keep her from getting separated from him in the blinding blizzard. Even with his x-ray vision, Clark was having trouble finding their way. The cries of the wolves he had heard earlier were steadily growing closer.

Just as Clark was about to swoop Lois up into his strong arms and fly her back to Metropolis, his x-ray vision picked up the form of a solid object just ahead. A cabin!! Clark steered Lois in that direction. Checking first to make sure it wasn't inhabited by squirrels, raccoons, or a rifle-wielding homicidal maniac, Clark opened the door and they walked inside.

Clark surveyed the bare furnishings. A small bed in one corner, a couple cupboards, and a wood stove. "Not much, but it'll do," Clark commented. "I guess we're stuck here for the time being."

"But we have to get back to Metropolis!" Lois protested.

"We're not going anywhere until this storm blows over," Clark told her. "And right now, we have to make sure you don't get pneumonia or hypothermia. Your clothes are soaking wet. You'll have to take them off," he said somewhat apologetically.

"Excuse me? Did you just say what I think I heard you say?" Lois questioned.

"You can't stay in those wet clothes. Wait, I'll look for some towels or blankets." Clark went to check the cupboards. Assorted pots and pans, some canned food, and two blankets. Clark took one over to her, "You can cover yourself with this, and I'll make a fire. That should keep you warm."

"And what are you going to do? You're just as wet as I am."

Clark looked down, and realized she was right. "Oh, I...uh...I don't get sick. Ever."

"But you must be freezing, and..."

Clark cut her off. "Right now I'm worried about you. Do you, ah, need any help?" he said with a grin.

"I'll manage," Lois told him with an icy glare.

***

While Lois was getting undressed, Clark knelt down with his back to her, and used his heat vision to light a fire in the wood stove, trying to ignore the sound of Lois' wet clothing being peeled off and dropped to the floor. When Clark finally turned around, Lois was sitting on the bed, holding the blanket tightly around her, and her clothes piled in a wet heap on the floor. Even dripping wet, with the bulky blanket wrapped around her, she was still the most beautiful woman Clark had ever seen.

Clark recovered from his momentary daze, and went to pick up her mound of clothes. "I'll dry these out now."

"The sooner the better. This wool itches," Lois grimaced while she fidgeted. "You're not getting any drier, either.

Clark squirmed. The cold wouldn't bother him, but if he didn't pretend it did, Lois was bound to get suspicious. Reluctantly, Clark pulled off his jacket, and began tugging at his shirt. "I guess you're right." Clark picked up the other blanket, and when Lois turned to face the cabin wall, he started to take off the rest of his clothes.

He placed his clothing beside Lois' in front of the wood stove, and stood in the middle of the cabin, wearing nothing but an old, frayed blanket across his hips. He turned to look at Lois, and saw that she was curled up on the bed, looking sad and weary. Clark sat beside her, and gently brushed back a stray strand of hair that had fallen into her face.

"Clark, I'm sorry I took that short-cut, and then crashed the car, and then made us walk, and..." A tear rolled down her cheek.

"Shhhh. It's not your fault," Clark softly wiped the tear away. His hand lingered on her cheek, while his other hand came up and cupped the back of her neck. Slowly, he pulled her head towards his. When their lips met, Lois' arms came up and wrapped themselves around Clark's neck. The kiss started slowly, and just when Clark was about to pull back, Lois drew him closer.

When they finally tore themselves apart, Clark looked deep into Lois' eyes, and there he saw the love and desire burning inside her. Their bodies melded together as they fell back onto the bed.

***

They eventually fell asleep in each others arms, many hours later. They didn't know what dangers, either physical or emotional, tomorrow might bring, but Clark and Lois were both content with the knowledge that they would face it together.

THE END

Table of Contents

Start