Sequel to "More than a Memory", "Save Me?", and "What's in a Memory?". The song is "Feels Like Tonight" by Daughtry. I own nothing here.

--

"Lois. What… what are you doing here this late?"

She turned and smiled softly. Walking closer, she reached out, wrapping his hand in hers. "We need to talk."

"Oh alright. Would you like to…?"

She shook her head, holding one hand up. "No. I just… I have to say that I've been doing a lot of thinking. And I'm sorry. But I can't do this."

His expression changed, from that charming smile to a confused frown. "What? Lois, what are you talking about?"

She took a deep breath and steeled herself once more… and squeezed his hand again.

"I'm so sorry…"

She sat in her car, staring out the window and thinking back to what she had done. It hurt, but she knew it was necessary, and she just hoped he'd understand. She rubbed her hands together, eyes shut tightly.

"I'm so sorry."

He looked down to his hand, seeing the ring glitter in the low lights of Wayne Manor.

"I just can't marry you."

She climbed out of her car and headed for the old barn, her arms folded, hugging her coat tighter around herself. Stepping through the door she smiled at the scent of fresh hay and cut wood. Even the smell of grease from the tractor was welcoming. Climbing the steps to the loft, she curled up on the old, worn sofa, tucking her legs underneath. Propping her head up on her arm, she watched the moon crest over the horizon.

She knew that this was the night.

You, you got me
Thinking it'll be alright.
You, you told me,
"Come and take a look inside."

She hadn't gone into the office that day. Clark had called her to check in, but she had played it off, saying she was on a big lead. She wasn't sure if he believed her, but he hadn't said anything else. She spent the day looking up the unexplained saves and researching more of the Blur's appearances, and several times she noticed an overlap of some lame excuse Clark had given for why he had disappeared.

You believed me,
In every single lie.
But I, I failed you this time.

Clark was the Red-Blue Blur.

She should have been so pissed off at him for hiding it, but she wasn't. He hadn't kept it from her to lord it over her head in the privacy of his fortress of solitude. He didn't lie to her just for fun. He was protecting her. She realized that now.

But his protection came at a price… for him.

And it feels like tonight.
I can't believe I'm broken inside.

Clark thought that to protect those around him, he had to be alone. Knowing about his secret would only get people into trouble, and he might normally be right in that assessment. But hey, she was Lois Lane, she got in plenty of trouble all on her own.

Can't you see that there's nothing that I wanna do,
But try to make it up to you?

She couldn't even describe how much better she felt when she realized Clark wasn't just running off with some bimbo secretary, and that had scared the hell out of her. She shouldn't feel that kind of relief that Clark wasn't with anyone, that didn't matter for them, right?

"You're the queen of BS Lois, but you can't bull shit yourself."

The picture from the dunk tank was the only picture she had bothered to frame and put out in her apartment.

She slept in one of the flannel shirts she had stolen from Clark's closet years ago… well, one of the several shirts she had stolen over the years.

When she thought Clark was seeing some little airhead intern she had discretely scouted out every woman she saw Clark talking to, looking for little signals in his behavior and acting even more hostile towards them than usual.

And that's when it hit her. She had just left her fiancée under the self imposed pretense she just wanted to be there for Clark while he did his good work. But that wasn't it. She could have been there for him on the sidelines even as the new Mrs. Wayne.

"But Mrs. Kent sounds so much better doesn't it Lois?"

She had actually blushed during the conversation with herself.

And it feels like tonight,
Tonight.

She checked her phone and saw the update on the hold up at one of the big jewelry stores in Metropolis said the suspects had been apprehended. Checking the name of the store, she blushed again, remembering the undercover operation she and Clark had done last year looking for Chloe and Jimmy.

I was waiting
For the day you'd come around.
I was chasing,
And nothing was all I found.

She told Clark she managed to slip the lie detector off her finger before she answered that she loved him, but that was another lie. Another lie in a looong line of them between her and Clark. But her reasons weren't as honorable as his.

But that's why she was here. No more running, no more hiding.

From the moment you came into my life,
You showed me what's right.

She watched the moon move slowly across the sky, her eyes getting heavy. She shifted on the sofa, trying to stay awake, but it was a losing battle after the long few days she had been through. She laid on the sofa, snuggling the pillow that smelled very much like her farmboy, and fell asleep with a smile.

--

She woke up in her old bed. Well, technically Clark's old bed. She sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes and trying to remember how she had gotten here. She had been out in the barn and then… she must have dozed off. But how did she…

She heard someone downstairs, and she smiled. Clark had found her and brought her to her room. She stood up and looked around at the mementos from years ago. Clark hadn't really changed anything in here since she had moved out. He had moved into the master bedroom after Mrs. Kent left, but he had left this room just the same.

And it feels like tonight.
I can't believe I'm broken inside.

She stepped out into the hallway, leaning in the doorway to Clark's new room. It still looked very much like it had when the Kent's were here, but there was one major difference.

The bedding was now blue plaid.

She covered her mouth to stifle the laughter, her eyes watering slightly. "Good ol' dependable Clark."

But that was part of the problem wasn't it? He thought he was just dependable to her, not vital.

Can't you see that there's nothing that I wanna do,
But try to make it up to you?

But that changed tonight.

And it feels like tonight.

She walked down the stairs slowly, seeing it was still dark outside. The clock over the stove told her it was only 1:45. "You keep some pretty late hours nowadays Smallville."

He turned from the stove, and the omelets he was making, to look at her with a smirk. "You know how it is, those wild and crazy parties in town. The Talon started running a late showing, stays open all the way to midnight now."

I never felt like this before.
Just when I leave, I'm back for more.
Nothing else here seems to matter.

Lois had to admit he was getting better at his cover stories. "Must have a pretty bad influence in his life now." She smiled to herself at that thought, watching him flip the omelets. "Are you that hungry?"

"I figured you'd be up pretty soon, you were pretty deep asleep. You always wake up after a few hours if nothing else to check the updates on your iPhone. Extra cheese in yours right?"

In these ever-changing days,
You're the one thing that remains.
I could stay like this forever.

She smiled back at him, leaning her head against the wall, her arms still crossed. "So when you decided to play Emiril at 1 AM, was that before or after the hold up at the jewelry store?"

The spatula he was holding slipped from his hands. He had to force himself to let it drop instead of grabbing it with his speed in front of Lois. "Whoops. Must have gotten the no stick spray on it. What uh… what hold up? Which store?" He moved to the sink to clean the spatula off.

"The one the Red-Blue Blur stopped."

He shrugged as he went to take the pan off the stove, scooping the omelets onto a couple of plates. "I hadn't heard anything, I had the radio off on my way home from the movie."

She shook her head as she reached into her back pocket and pulled out a piece of wadded up fabric. She turned it over in her hands, staring, and then held it up in front of her.

"I know the truth Clark."

And it feels like tonight.
I can't believe I'm broken inside.

He looked up at her, his eyes taking in the piece of red cloth. "What's that?"

Lois unfolded the wad of fabric, revealing another one wrapped inside of it. She walked over to the counter and laid them in front of him.

Clark's eyes widened slightly. A small scrap of his old red jacket and what was left of his blue tshirt from the night Bruce's limousine was attacked were right there in front of him. "So uh, what are these? Part of some story you're working on?"

She shook her head. She heard it in his voice he was worried about someone finding out about his secret now. "I'm not going to tell anyone about this, don't worry."

Can't you see that there's nothing that I wanna do,
But try to make it up to you?
And it feels like tonight.

He looked up to meet her eyes, licking at his lips. "Lois, I don't know what you think is going on here, but…"

"I saw you that night Clark."

He reached out, picking up the scrap of his jacket. "I… I won't apologize for not telling you Lois. I did what I needed to."

She laughed out loud for the first time in days, smiling at him. "So, what, you expected the classic 'Lane Blow up and Chew out?' now that I know?"

He looked around the room, then back at her, an incredulous look on his face. "Well… duh. I'm just going off of years of experience here, but it seemed pretty likely."

'Cause there's nothing that I wanna do,
But try to make it up to you.

She smirked. "I guess I deserve that. I haven't been the poster child for keeping my emotions in check in the past. But this… I understand Clark. I get it." She stepped around the counter, touching her hand to his face, her thumb stroking his cheek gently.

His pulse racing, Clark laid his hand over hers, squeezing it softly. His eyes were shut tightly, almost afraid that if he opened them he'd realize this was a dream.

She leaned in closer. "But I do have one request if you don't mind?"

He finally opened his eyes, looking back into hers. "Yes?"

Taking the last step, Lois kissed Clark softly, lingering for several long wonderful moments. When she finally pulled back, she smiled at the look of shock on his face. "From now on, I'd like to at least be aware of when the man I'm in love with is off facing danger and protecting the innocent citizens of Metropolis if you don't mind?"

If possible, Clark's eyes flew open even wider, his free hand grasping her left hand and lifting it up… seeing the bare spot where the ring used to be. He looked back to her, words not coming to him for a minute. "You… you're not…?"

"Lois Lane Wayne just seemed… meh." She shrugged her shoulders.

Clark grinned, and then in a show of testosterone driven machismo she usually hated, he threw Lois over his shoulder and moved to the stairs, carrying his giggling bounty up three steps at a time.

"Wait Smallville, what about my omelet?!"

"There plenty of eggs in the fridge, we'll worry about that later."

Many, many hours later.

And it feels like tonight.
Tonight.