Home Is Where My Lois Is

By Gina Blank (Blankh@cadvision.com)

Summary: A story that takes place just after the episode "Big Girls Don't Fly." Lois is staying at the Kents' in Smallville when she receives a message from Clark.

This is my second attempt at fanfic. I think it will be better than my first one, entitled "Will You Be There?" It's kind of what I hope to see happen in the premiere this fall. If you have any comments, feel free to write me!

***

Lois lay in her bed in the dim light staring up at the ceiling...just thinking. Actually, she was in Clark's bed, thinking. After Clark had left for Krypton, Lois had moved to Smallville so as not to be asked a lot of questions by her colleagues at the Planet, and so she wouldn't have to look at the empty desk across from hers each day. Martha, Jonathan, and she had also needed each other, so Lois was staying with them. They had given Lois Clark's room, and so that's where she was sleeping.

Anyway, that's where Lois was. Just thinking...mostly of Clark. In fact, ALWAYS of Clark. He had been away almost four months, and still Lois thought of him every day. Lois' thoughts were interrupted, however, when a loud crash startled her into an upright position.

A glowing white sphere about the size of a grapefruit had come through the bedroom window, and was illuminating her bedroom somewhat more than the night-light had been. Lois cautiously got out of bed, put on her slippers, and went over to where the sphere had landed.

Lois picked it up. It wasn't hot, and it seemed to be made of some sort of glass. But when Lois racked it against the wall to see if it would break open, nothing happened. It seemed almost indestructible. But being the ever-curious person that she was, Lois wanted to get in there, because she had heard something shaking lightly inside the ball.

Lois managed to find a seam running around the middle of the sphere, and, twisting one half forwards, and the other half backwards, Lois managed to open the sphere. As soon as it was open, it immediately stopped glowing. Lois dropped the right half on her bed, and pulled out a note that was sitting in the left half in her hand. It was a letter, on a silvery piece of paper. Lois carefully unfolded the note, and held it fully open. It read:

Dearest Lois,

Oh, it has been so long. I'm sorry if I startled you with the odd arrival of this letter, but I didn't have any other way to reach you. I have some very good news. I'm coming home.

Lord Knor has died, and so he is no longer a threat to the society of New Krypton.

Zara and Ching have fallen in love and have just gotten married, so I am free to go!

It will be SO good to hold you again, dearest Lois. I'll be holding you in my arms within a week of your getting this letter--that's a promise. Tell my parents.

Love always,

Clark

P.S. I still have your necklace, and whenever I look at it, I think of you.

Lois cried some happy tears, turning Clark's signature from 'Love Always, Clark' into 'Love always, Clrbl.' She couldn't believe it. Clark was *finally* coming home! She had to tell Martha and Jonathan.

"Martha! Jonathan!" Lois cried. "Wake up!" Lois flew into their room like a child on Christmas morning. They were already up and standing.

"What on Earth? Lois, are you all right? What's wrong?" Martha asked, noticing Lois' tears.

"Nothing! Nothing! Clark's coming HOME!" Lois cried as she gave Martha a big hug.

"Are you sure?" Jonathan asked.

"Positive. Look! This came through the window!" Lois held up the half-sphere, and the note that came with it. Martha and Jonathan skimmed it briefly.

"Yes....YES!" Jonathan cheered. The trio hugged again. Lois had the biggest smile of all. Within ONE week, Clark would be holding her in his arms. Within ONE week. Waiting for Clark would make it the longest week of her life.

***

"Yes!" Clark cheered, pulling his fist in beside his waist in a pumping action. He had been watching the sphere on a monitor to see that it made its way safely to Earth, and into his house in Smallville. He guessed Lois would be there, and even if she wasn't, Clark's parents would soon find the note and notify her themselves. The sphere *had* reached the house safely, and Clark breathed a sigh of relief. In ONE week...

***

Lois became very anxious waiting for Clark. On the first day after she'd received the letter, she would glance out the window every chance she could. When she washed the dishes, she washed them blindly, for she was looking out the kitchen window over the sink. Lois spent half an hour re-cleaning the ones that didn't get fully washed as a result.

And when she helped Jonathan in the farm (she'd become quite the farm girl since Clark had left. She found it was a way to keep her mind busy.) she wanted to work outdoors, rather than in the barn, so she could see if Clark was coming.

That night, Lois spent an *hour* sitting in front of her bedroom window. Just looking, just waiting. *Guess you won't be home tonight,* Lois thought, *but you said within a week. You'll be here within 6 days.* Lois yawned, rested her head in her arms on the windowsill, and fell asleep.

***

The second day went much like the first one. Lois glanced out the window whenever she could, and spent another hour that night looking out the window. The third day passed just the same, with the window-watching.

Lois was looking out her window again that night--it was a beautiful night out--when she felt a hand on her shoulder. "A watched pot never boils, Lois, dear," Jonathan said from behind her.

Lois sighed, "I know. But I have been waiting SO long!"

Jonathan chuckled, "I know you have, dear. But he said within a week. We're only about halfway through that week. Give him time..." Jonathan silently exited the bedroom. Well, as silent as you can get in that room. The floorboards were old, and creaked with every step.

Lois sighed again, closed the bedroom window, and climbed into bed.

***

On the fourth day, Lois didn't spend as much time glancing out the windows during the day, but still spent an hour looking out it at night. It had become a routine, almost, as she had done so every night previous. So she waited on the fourth night, and the fifth night, and the *sixth* night.

"Only one more night, Clark, where *are* you?" Lois asked to nobody in particular, as she sat in her usual position at the windowsill.

Suddenly, Lois had a horrible feeling. "Martha! Jonathan! Martha! Jonathan!" Lois cried. She ran out of her room to look for Clark's parents.

"What? What is it?" Martha asked when she saw Lois' distressed look.

"Well, Clark's not here yet. It's been *six* days! What if his space ship crashed on the way here? What if it *exploded*? What if he they wouldn't let him leave? What if the NEW Krypton exploded--oh, my--he could be DEAD!!!" Lois babbled frantically.

"Lois, sweetie, calm down," Martha soothed as she placed her hands on Lois' shoulders. "I'm sure Clark is fine. He wouldn't break a promise. Especially not to you."

"He has. He said that 'nothing bad was gonna happen' on our wedding day, and look how THAT turned out!" Lois pointed out.

"Hmm...you're right. But Lois, when you lost your memory, Clark wanted nothing more than to have you back in his arms. And I'm sure he wants nothing more than that, now. Nothing's gonna keep him from coming to you. Nothing," Martha managed to convince Lois of what she said, and Lois sighed and turned around to go back to her room.

When Lois got to her room, she resumed her seat by the window. "Clark, come home," She whispered, her voice slightly choked up, as she looked up at the tiny stars in the vast sky.

***

"Well, Jonathan. What say we head off to bed?" Martha asked her husband.

"Sounds good to me. It's been a rough day at the farm, working by myself. I wish Lois would help more, but she's always daydreaming," Jonathan explained.

"But can you blame her?" Martha asked, smiling and wrapping her arms around Jonathan's waist.

"No, I guess not," Jonathan sighed, "She's been patient so long. I guess it's just running out!" He laughed. The couple headed to their room, passed Lois, who was still staring out the window, and climbed into bed.

Martha and Jonathan had not been asleep long-- maybe half an hour--when they felt a gust of wind blow through the window.

"Jonathan, did you remember to close the window?" Martha asked him groggily.

"Yes, I'm positive." Jonathan replied. They both looked towards the window, and saw their son descending to the ground after having come through it.

"Clark!" Martha cried, her cheeks about to burst from the wide smile that she wore.

"Shhh..." Clark said, putting a finger over his mouth, "I don't want Lois to know I'm here, yet." Clark walked over and pulled the door closed quietly, and then went to hug his parents. "Oh, it's so good to hug you again," Clark told them.

"It has been *so* long," Martha said, her voice muffled by his chest.

"Too long," Jonathan agreed, "What did they do to your hair?!" He asked, suddenly noticing Clark's new do. It was a buzz-cut, and made Clark look like he'd just come out of the army.

Clark chuckled softly, "I had to! It's a newly-wed ritual on Krypton. Don't ask!"

"All right. You'd better go see Lois. She almost went ballistic tonight!" Martha told him.

"I suspected as much. I'll see you guys in the morning. You get some sleep," Clark said, as he drifted about half a foot off the ground. He knew of the creaky floorboards, and so he silently drifted into Lois' room.

Lois was standing rather than sitting now, and she was still looking out the window. She was too jittery to sit anymore. So she just stood. Clark drifted over to her, and placed his right hand on her shoulder.

"Hi, Jonathan. No sign of Clark yet," she sighed, not even turning around. Clark smiled. He slid his right arm down Lois shoulder as he brought his left arm around the other shoulder, joining them in front of Lois' stomach, in kind of a reverse-hug. (1)

Lois' eyes immediately widened. Jonathan didn't hug her that way, and Martha *certainly* didn't hug her that way. Lois' heart skipped a beat. "Clark?" she asked softly. Lois turned around slowly inside the still-clasped pair of arms and found Clark smiling down at her with that gorgeous smile she loved. "CLARK!" she cried, wrapping her arms around her fiance.

"Oh, Lois," Clark said, running his hands through her hair, "it feels *so* good to hug you again!"

"Mmmm....." Lois replied, "Oh, Clark, I missed you *so* much!" Lois looked up at him with tears in her eyes, to find Clark's eyes were watery as well.

"I thought of you every day, Lois. *Every day*," Clark told her.

"Me, too. But you're back, and that's all that matters," Lois said.

"Well, you know what I said--'I *always* come back,'" Clark replied, "And I'm not going away again."

"Good," Lois said. She removed her arms from around Clark's waist and clasped them around his neck, pulling Clark into a deep kiss.

"Mmmm...." Clark responded. The couple kissed for a long time, and then settled down on the bed, falling asleep in each other's arms, happier than they'd been in a long time.

THE END

(1) If that description made absolutely NO sense, it's the same position Clark held her in in HIWTHI, when he said, "Maybe next year, we'll be spending Christmas at *our* house."

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