A Virtue Rewarded

By Barbara (Bml44@aol.com)

Summary: Lois' memory slowly returns as she lies in her hospital bed, and she finds herself attracted to Clark all over again. He takes her to Smallville for some R&R. A WAFFy story that picks up after the episode "Seconds."

I wrote this one morning while trying to pass the time in bed with a virus. Please forgive me if it is as incoherent as I was at the time...funny what a fever and medication will do for you. After reading it without medication, I realize it is a bit WAFFy. Oh well...maybe it will help anyone who reads it overcome a little L&CWS. It was written right after I saw "Seconds" and picks up where the show left off.

***

She had been asleep for over 36 hours. With all of the events of the past week, there was little wonder that she was exhausted. He had been by her side the entire time. He let her go once...he wouldn't make that mistake again. He spent the time staring at her face, wondering what she was thinking or dreaming. He had held onto her hand since the nurse told him she had drifted off to sleep. Somehow, he subconsciously hoped he could will their memories back into her mind.

He worried about what she would think when she awoke and found him there. Would she remember him? He also realized when the nurse came in to check on her IV that there was something missing...the ring. That small symbol of gold and stone was gone. How would he explain to her that it was now under a ton of rock on another woman's hand? Finally, after willing himself awake for almost 3 days, he too drifted off to sleep. He laid his head on the side of her bed and draped his other arm across her, *shielding* her from danger.

A tiny beam of light began to break through the edge of the blind, shining directly on her face. The room remained dark except for this one intrusion of light. She felt as if she was coming out a deep fog, not quite able to collect her thoughts or uncloud her mind. She slowly opened her eyes, trying to get some sense of bearing. The room was dark and she was unable to figure out where she was. Instinctively, she whispered, "Clark?"

Jumping up as if a bomb had exploded in the room, he was by her side in an instant. "Lois..."

"Clark...where are we? Is this dream ever going to end?"

"Lois, you are in the hospital. You had a nasty bump on the head, but you're going to be all right."

"Maybe that's why I had this crazy dream."

"What dream, Lois?"

"Well, we started out getting married, well you did... I was taken off by...Lex. And was trying to get back to you and was hit by a car and ended up singing..."

Clark interrupted her, "Lois, it's okay...I know."

"You...know?"

"It wasn't a dream...it actually happened. Lex abducted you right before we were married and replaced you with a...well...a clone. He wanted you for himself."

"Clones...right...the ones that eat frogs."

"Yes...but..."

She cut him off and sat up in bed, suddenly pulled out of the fog she'd been in. "So, it did happen? You are married to...a clone...of me?

"Well, technically...yes...well, no...it's complicated."

"A clone went on my...our...honeymoon with you. Shared our wedding night..."

He reached up and caressed the side of her cheek. It was his special way of letting her know he loved her and would always be there for her. "Lois...it's okay. Nothing happened. Lex could clone your body, but not your mind. I love everything about you and realized it wasn't you. You, the real you, will still be my first...and only."

She hated how he could bring her to tears in two seconds. No one could affect her like he could. He wiped away the tear that had begun falling down her cheek. "Clark, I want this to be over with. I want to be your wife. Will it ever happen?"

"Come on, Lois...we've been through too much to give up now. I've been thinking about that and I have a plan...but first..." He was just leaning down to kiss her when the nurse came in.

"Oh, I see our Sleeping Beauty has been awakened by her prince," the young nurse said jokingly.

Clark was a bit embarrassed, so he quickly added, "We were about to call you and let you know she was awake."

"Yeah, sure you were. It's okay...I saw the story in the Planet...you two deserve a little time alone! I'll call the doctor and tell him you're awake."

"Good! I want to get out of here and go home." She looked at Clark and whispered, "Wherever that is now."

"Let's just see what the doctor says..." The nurse paged the doctor and took the required readings. When the doctor got there, Clark was going to wait in the hall, but Lois wouldn't let him leave her side. The doctor said that she would be fine and could go home, but that she should get plenty of rest for the next few days.

"Don't worry about that, doctor. I have that all taken care of," Clark said will a sly grin.

When the doctor left, she of course had to know what he was planning. "Okay, Kent...exactly what do you have up your sleeve...besides a blue suit and a cape?"

"Oh, it is good to see the old Lois is coming back."

"Funny. But it doesn't answer my question..."

"Well, I had this little out of the way place in mind..."

"Somehow...I figured as much..."

***

Jonathan and Martha had been making plans since Clark called. They had prepared Clark's old room for Lois, purposefully taking out the TV and radio...no sense in giving her any temptations. Martha knew she would be hungry, so she had a huge kettle of soup ready by the time Clark and Lois appeared on the porch. Clark carried Lois into the kitchen and placed her in a chair at the table. He went over to his mother and gave her a big hug. "Hi, Mom!"

"Hi, Clark!" Turning to Lois..."Hi, Lois. It's good to see you looking so healthy. From Clark's description, I would have thought you were on death's door."

"Hi, Martha. It's good to see you too. Maybe you can help me convince your son that I am okay. He has been carrying me around like an invalid." She looked a little mischievously at Clark. "I must admit, I rather enjoyed it at first, but it's beginning to get on my nerves," looking back at Martha with a smile.

"Well, son, she sounds fine to me."

"Okay...okay! I know when I'm outnumbered." He went over and gave Lois a peck on the cheek as if to call a truce. Turning back to Martha, "Where's Dad?'

"He's up in the attic. We were in the middle of a little spring cleaning when you called."

"I'll go give him a hand...that is if you two can manage without me."

Lois smiled mockingly at Clark and threw a towel at him as he was leaving the room.

***

"Dad?"

"Over here, son." Jonathan Kent rose from behind a stack of boxes and gave his son a hug. "It's good to have you home, boy."

"It's good to be home."

"I know this has been a rough week for you...both of you. Your mother and I have been working on getting everything ready, like you asked. Look what we found." Jonathan opened a trunk and held up what was inside.

"Oh...it is perfect, Dad!"

***

"Clark told us about what happened. I am so sorry you two had to go through all of that." Martha moved over to the table and sat next to Lois. "No two people have ever had such a time trying to get married...and no two people are meant to be together like you and Clark."

"I know, Martha. I feel like we have already been married for years. At this point, I just want to get the ceremony over with and get back to a normal life...well...whatever *normal* is for us." She paused, as if not sure she should ask or really wanted to know the answer. "Martha, did Clark tell you...everything?"

"Yes, Lois, he did. Actually, we were there the day after the wedding delivering some wedding gifts to Clark's apartment. He told us what happened."

"How is he doing, really? He always tries to put on a brave face for me...but I know this has to be hard on him as well."

"Lois, Clark is a strong man and he loves you so much. He loved you enough to let you go with Lex when you said that's what you wanted. Your happiness is always going to be more important to him than his own. That's what being in love is all about."

"And all I ever seem to do is hurt him...now...everything has changed..."

"Come on, Lois. You can't help the situations you two have been in. He knows that. If you don't think he still feels the same way about you, just take a look at those eyes of his when you two are alone. He may be physically invulnerable, but his eyes give him away every time. It came in handy when he was growing up..."

They were sharing a laugh when Jonathan and Clark came in. "What came in handy when I was growing up, Mom?" Clark asked a bit hesitantly.

"Oh nothing, son." She winked at Lois and went back to check on the soup.

"Martha, we better get going if we don't want to be late." Jonathan turned to Lois, "We have to run into town. There's a meeting at the church we can't miss."

Martha looked at her watch and turned to Clark. "I didn't realized what time it was. Clark, dinner is ready and you know where everything is." She gathered up her things and headed for the door. "We'll be back sometime after 10:00. You two try to behave."

"Well, I will Mom, but you know how Lois is always throwing herself at me..."

"Clark..." Lois said, turning a little red.

As Martha headed out the door, Lois heard her say, "Good luck, Lois!"

***

Clark played the perfect host, serving dinner and catering to Lois' every whim. He had even remembered to tell his mom to pick up some Rocky Road. He was saving that for later.

"You better watch out, Clark...I could really get used to this royal treatment."

He reached over and mockingly kissed her hand. "Can I get you anything else, your majesty?"

"I am stuffed. Your mom is such good cook. I'm going to have to get her to tell me her secrets."

"Hmm...Lois Lane...the galloping gourmet...somehow, I just don't see it."

"Somehow...I don't either. Well, you cooked, I'll get the dishes," she said, as she started to get up.

"You'll do no such thing. I have a spot already prepared for you on the couch...and I'll be doing the dishes. No arguments!" With that, he took her hand and led her to the couch in the living room. "Get comfortable and I'll be back in a jiffy. Clark went into the kitchen, cleaned up in super speed and was back in seconds. He sat down beside her and cradled her in his arms.

"Now *this* is more like it," he sighed.

"Somehow I think you had this all planned..."

"What?"

"Your parents just *happened* to have a meeting tonight?"

"Actually, they did. Maybe luck is starting to turn our way?"

Lois turned to look at him. She hesitated for a moment, but finally found the courage to speak. "Clark, I'm sorry for putting you through all of this. You put up with so much from me...it amazes me that you do."

"Lois, none of what happened was your fault. It was all Lex...and he is dead now, so he'll never come between us again. The only thing that matters is getting on with our lives...and you really becoming Mrs. Kent." He leaned over and kissed her. It was the first intimate moment they had shared since the night of the rehearsal. Any doubts Lois had about things not being the same were gone now. How could he do that?

"Clark, let's just go somewhere and get married. No hassles...just you and me and a justice of the peace...they have those around here, don't they?"

"Very funny...but actually, I had something else in mind. Wait right here.." With that, he flew off and returned with a trunk. He placed it in front of her.

"Lois, I started thinking about the wedding your mother planned and the wedding we had talked about. All I want in the world is to marry you...any way that you want. But, I also want it to be special, and having Maizie's husband marry us in the hardware store isn't exactly romantic. So...I have an idea."

He opened the trunk and pulled out a beautiful wedding dress. It was a simple design with pearl and lace accents. It had obviously been white at one time, but had aged to a delicate ivory. "It was my grandmother's wedding dress. Mom wore it when she got married and I asked her if she still had it. She would be thrilled if you wore it...that is if you want to. If not, we can go to Paris and get the latest fashion. It's your choice."

She got up and held the dress. "Clark, this is the most beautiful thing I ever seen. I would be honored to wear it." She looked down at the dress and she could feel the tears beginning to well up in her eyes. "You never cease to amaze me." She leaned over and gave him a kiss.

He just held her for a while until he regained his train of thought. No matter how many super powers he possessed, he was putty in her hands. She could reduce him to a babbling fool by just walking in the room. It scared him at first, but now he cherished it. He *was* human when it came to his feelings for her.

"Now that we have a dress, we need a place to get married..."

Lois laughed. "Let me guess...the meeting at the church."

"My dear, you are the expert investigator," he said with a grin. "We'll get married when you feel up to it. The church is free all week. Mom and Dad are making the arrangements with the minister."

"How about tomorrow...I don't want you running off with Lana Lang or Sheriff Rachel while I'm not looking."

"Not a chance...you are stuck with me now...like it or not...honey."

"I like it...sweetie."

"Well then, Lois Lane, will you marry me tomorrow?"

"Yes!"

***

Lois and Clark were still snuggling on the couch when Martha and Jonathan returned. She was trying to get the wedding details out of him but he wouldn't tell her a thing, except that it would be *special*.

"Hello you two. I didn't expect you to be up, Lois," Martha said while hanging up her coat.

"I'm too excited to sleep...Clark filled me in on your plan." She reached down and picked up the wedding dress from the trunk. "I am so honored that you would let me wear your wedding dress, Martha."

"I'm the one who's honored. You are going to be so beautiful. Come on...let's go see how it fits."

The women headed off to the bedroom and Clark went over the details with his Dad.

"The reverend is all set whenever you are. We spoke to Jim at the jewelers and he will have the rings ready in the morning. Your mom took care of the flowers, cake and photographer. The license can be picked up whenever...Maizie has it all written up. Oh...and we have the tuxes on hold. All you have to do is say when."

"Well, Lois says tomorrow."

"Okay then."

"Dad, you and Mom are the greatest! Thanks!"

***

He woke up to the wonderful smell of his Mom's pancakes. No one could make them as light and fluffy as she did. He went in and poured himself a cup of coffee and gave his Mom a peck on the cheek. "Morning, Mom."

"Good morning! I called around this morning and everything is set. Lois' parents will be here at 1:00. Lucy was able to make it as well."

"How do you do it? You think of everything!" He smiled and gave his Mom a hug. "I'll just go and wake up Lois."

"You'll do no such thing. It's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding...and we're taking no chances! Go eat your breakfast. Your Dad is waiting for you outside...you two have a lot of errands to run. I'll take Lois her breakfast."

Clark followed Martha's orders and was out the door to prepare for the big day.

***

Lois could hear people moving around and could smell breakfast. She was about to get out of bed when she heard a knock on the door. "Go away, Clark....I'm not going to be anywhere near you until there is a minister in front of us."

"Lois, it's Martha. I have some breakfast for you."

She got up and opened the door. "Sorry, Martha, I thought you were Clark."

"Don't worry, I threatened him with his life if he got anywhere near you...you're safe. He and Jonathan went into town to run some errands. They won't be back for hours. You have plenty of time to get ready...without your future husband in the way."

"Husband...I like the sound of that."

"So do I, daughter-in-law."

***

Lois was just putting the final touches on her makeup when she heard the door open. She about fainted when she saw her mother and sister standing there. "Mom...Lucy...what are you doing here? How did you..."

"Clark called us and told us what was happening. Where else would I be on my daughter's wedding day. I made Lucy come with me to make sure she got here. Your Dad is picking up his tuxedo and will be here shortly."

Lois ran over to them and gave them both a big hug. "Now *this* is the wedding I've always dreamed of!"

***

She didn't know what to expect when she got to the church, it had all been planned so quickly. But, as usual, this small town had sprung into action. The photographer was waiting to take the traditional *last minute preparation* pictures and there were bouquets waiting for her and Lucy. Her dad looked so handsome in his tux and her mom looked more relaxed than she could remember.

"I'm so glad you could all be here...it means so much to me."

Her mom came over and gave her a hug. "You look beautiful...and that dress...is perfect." She turned and looked at Martha. "Thanks, Martha...for everything."

Martha smiled back at Ellen Lane and walked over to Lois. "Your mom is right. You look beautiful. Ellen, it's time for us to head for the sanctuary...I think Lois and Clark have waited long enough."

***

Clark was nervously adjusting his tie, for the millionth time. His dad was trying to calm him down when the minister came for them. Clark was proud to have his Dad stand up for him...he was the *best* man he knew. He walked down to the front of the church. His mom had already been seated, so he walked over and gave her a kiss. "Thanks Mom," he whispered.

He heard the music begin and saw Lucy coming down the aisle. She smiled at him and turned to wait for Lois. The wedding march began and then he saw her. She was more beautiful than he could have imagined. When she looked up and saw him...he was beaming. He felt his knees going a little soft when she made it to the front of the church. He was still trying to regain his composure when he heard the minister say,

"Who gives this woman to be married to this man?"

"Her mother and I do," Sam Lane said proudly and sat down next to Ellen.

Lois took Clark's arm and they followed the minister to the pulpit.

"We are gathered here on this special day to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony. Marriage is an honorable estate, instituted by God, and not to be entered into lightly. If anyone knows of any just cause why these two should not lawfully be wed, let them speak now or hereafter hold their peace."

Clark leaned over and x-rayed Lois' ankle and saw the spot where it had been broken. Lois was puzzled, but Clark smiled and whispered, "I'll explain later."

"Clark, do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, keeping only unto her, as long as you both shall live?"

Clark looked into Lois' eyes and said, "I do."

"Lois, do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, keeping only unto him, as long as you both shall live?"

Lois looked into Clark's eyes and said, "I do."

The minister looked at Jonathan and Lucy. "The rings, please." They placed them on the bible he held out to them. Lois hadn't thought about the rings. She turned to Clark to ask about them and he whispered, "I'll explain later."

"Clark, take the ring, place it on Lois' hand and repeat after me: This ring I give in token and pledge of my constant faith and abiding love."

Clark and Lois repeated the minister's words and exchanged rings. When Lois put the ring on Clark's hand, the tears she had tried so hard to fight back finally fell down her cheek.

"By the power vested me, I now pronounce you, husband and wife. Clark, you may kiss your bride."

Clark turned and faced Lois. He wiped a tear from her face and said, "I love you, Mrs. Kent." When he kissed her, it felt as if it were for the first time. In a way, he thought, maybe it was.

***

Jonathan and Martha had planned a small reception back at the farm house. They gave the newlyweds their gifts and helped them pack for their honeymoon. Clark had rented a car to *take* them to the airport. After they said their good-byes and Lucy caught the bouquet, they were on their way.

"So, Clark, are you going to tell me where we're going?"

"Well, Mrs. Kent...it is somewhere we can't get by car...this was just for your parent's benefit."

"Okay, Mr. Kent, where is Superman Express taking us?"

"Just a little spot I found during my travels..."

"You're not going to tell me, are you?"

"Nope."

"Okay, everything else has been a surprise today...so I'll let you continue with your plan."

"Thank you, Lois...I can see marriage is already starting to have a positive effect on you!"

She leaned over and punched him in the arm. She looked around and realized that they were at Shuster's field. "Clark, isn't this..."

"Yes, Lois. I thought, what better place to start our honeymoon than where *it* all began. The first time I came to this field, I was alone. Now, I leave it with something more precious than life itself." He got out of the car and held out his hand for Lois. He scooped her up in his arms and they were on their way. "Close your eyes and hang on, we'll be there in no time."

***

Clark came back to earth and began walking, somewhere. Lois was dying to know where they were.

"Clark, can I open my eyes yet?"

"No...not just yet...I have to carry you across the threshold."

"What threshold..."

Clark climbed a few stairs and set Lois down.

"Okay, you can open your eyes."

Lois looked around and saw the most beautiful room she could ever imagine. There was a large picture window the length of the room that looked out onto a quiet beach. "My God, Clark, this is incredible. Where are we?"

"We're on a small private island near Fiji. Superman saved the daughter of the man who owns this place. Superman told him about some good friends that needed a special place for their honeymoon and he offered it. He also offered to fly us here, but Superman said he had that taken care of."

"You are really unbelievable...it's perfect." She put her arms around his neck and kissed him. After a few minutes, she whispered, "And getting more perfect by the minute."

He picked her up and carried her to the bed. They had waited so long for everything to be perfect and it finally was. He leaned down and kissed her hand and said, "There's only one thing missing..."

"What?'

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the most beautiful emerald engagement ring she had ever seen.

"I realized that you needed a new ring...one that carried only good memories. I was going to give it to you before the wedding, but I thought it would mean more tonight." He placed the ring next to her wedding band. "I love you, Mrs. Kent."

"Oh, Clark...I love you..." She reached up and pulled him towards her. "Clark..."

"Yes, Lois."

"I think you've been patient long enough."

"So do I, Lois...so do I."

THE END

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