2.15pm

They finally made it out of bed and raced downstairs to make some lunch. Clark got a text off Chloe to say all the cameras were online and she could not deactivate them until that evening without looking suspicious.

"Lois, do you want a sandwich?" he asked.

She eyed him suspiciously. "Smallville, why are you being nice to me all of a sudden?"

"We have another few days to go so we should make that extra effort or we will be carried out in body bags." Clark explained.

"Okay then." She smiled. "Look why don't you go and do some chores and I will make lunch."

"10/10 for effort." He replied sarcastically.

Lex and Lana were sat in his office watching the video feed.

Lana was growing impatient. "We only have two days left to find out what is happening. All we are getting is pictures of Lois and Clark spatting at each other, and I seen enough of that with my own eyes since she arrived last year."

"It is not like he is going to blurt out his secret to Lois. We just need to be patient and see what happens." Lex suggested.

15.25

Lois pottered on in the kitchen whilst Clark went in the barn to work on the tractor. Last night had been the most amazing experience ever and he daydreamed about it whilst he worked. He was still annoyed at the intrusion by Lex and Lana.

Lois was singing away in the kitchen. She was enjoying this time alone with Clark, because once his parents moved back in, Clark and her fun would have to be severely curtailed. Suddenly she heard a thud and a scream come from outside.

Sheriff Adams heard the scream as well. She used her binoculars and reached for the cell phone. She saw Clark coming out of the barn with blood pouring from his hand.

"God Clark, come in the house."

Lana 's interest was soon perked by the sound of a muffled scream on the video feed followed by Lois running outside like a bat out of hell.

"What is going on?"

Her question was soon answered when Clark appeared in view closely followed by Lois who was holding a cloth over his hand. The blood was seeping through the piece of cloth. Lois picked up the cell but it rang.

"Sheriff Adams, I need some medical assistance here. Clark has a deep laceration on his forearm. I need some large dressing and some glue. That is unless you will send someone to come and suture his arm for him."

"I can't take the risk with my team, so the items you ask for will be left at the outer paddock. Please wait until my man is clear before you come and get them." Sheriff Adams.

Lana was amazed. She often wondered if Clark was invulnerable because he rarely got hurt but he looked badly hurt now. She hoped he would be ok, because it had been her idea to invent a virus. She could see the panic in Lois's face as she tried to get on top of the bleeding. Eventually it stopped as she glued and dressed the wound.

"Clark, are you ok? Nothing like giving me a heart attack. What the hell happened?" she shouted at him.

"The tractor hood fell on me and the corner caught my arm."

"Hope you have had your tetanus injection?" Lois asked. "Sit down until you get over the shock. You look pale. Do you want a malt whiskey? I found an old bottle at the back of the larder."

He shook his head. "That is a family heirloom."

She got up. "Tough, it is getting opened. You need a strong drink. There is no other alcohol in the house and it is an emergency." She took the top of the bottle before he could react.

She grabbed two glasses and poured a large measure of it in each. She handed one to Clark, who downed it in one go.

She laughed when his face screwed up. "You don't drink too much so I bet you will be on the floor within an hour."

"I bet I can out drink you."

"Ok, you're on." She downed her glass and poured another one.

An hour later, they had drunk almost a third of the bottle. "Let's slow down." Clark announced with a slight slur in his voice. He moved closer to her on the sofa. She shifted subconsciously away from him.

"Think that might be a good idea, Smallville. You seem to be getting a little carried away there."

"I don't know what you mean." He smiled at her. "are you drunk?" he asked.

"Not yet. I was the champion drinker on the base so you don't stand a chance."

"Damn, I was hoping I was in with a chance." Clark whispered, as he moved closer.

"God Clark. I wish I had never opened the bottle. What are you planning to do? Seduce me?" she sounded annoyed.

"If I was, what would you say?"

Lex turned to see a red faced Lana. "What the hell is going on with those two. Maybe that is why Clark does not drink. Lois will tell him where to go." Lana muttered.

Clark leaned over and tried to kiss Lois who moved away at the last minute, standing up. "Clark, we don't even get on most of the time. I am not going to be your rebound girl."

"You're not. I finally have my blinkers off. How could I have missed you for the past year?"

"You will be back with Lana as soon as you get out of here." Lois fired back at him.

"No, I won't. She was the biggest mistake of my life." He sneered.

Lana almost choked on her coffee. "The bastard! How could he talk about me like that."

"Yeah right." Lois exclaimed. "Why do you keep going back to her?"

"I don't know. Maybe it was first love syndrome."

"But you were always so desperate to keep her. In fact, desperate enough to string her along with your lies." Lois spat at him.

"What lies?"

"I know you kept her thinking you had this big secret to keep her interested. Why was that Smallville? Were you worried that she would not be interested in a naive farm boy with a plaid fetish?"

"You don't know what you are talking about?"

She did not stop the onslaught. "Lana was obsessed with your secret and you figured that she would be obsessed with you if you kept her thinking that. How do you think she will react when she finds out that you are just a normal person who's greatest ability is being able drive a tractor in a straight line."

Clark moved towards her. "Maybe that is what attracts me to you. You know the real me." He kissed her hard on the lips. Within seconds she was responding, kissing him harder.

It did not take long for her to come to her senses. She moved back from him and slapped him across his face. "How dare you?" she screamed.

"Lois, I know there is something between us and I will not give up until you realise it." He smiled as he marched upstairs. "I am going to rest my arm."

Lois stood there looking shocked by what had just happened.

6.23am

Clark heard the shower running and went to investigate.

"Are you going to join me?" he heard a voice saying from the midst of all the steam.

"Ok then." He replied.

She giggled and waited for him. As soon as he was in, she started to peel the dressing from his arm. The smell was disgusting.

"Next time we play special effects, can we use red paint instead of Ketchup." She giggled.

"As long as they fell for it, I don't care. I missed you last night. I cannot believe there is a camera in my parent's room, otherwise I would have crept in."

Lois smiled. "Have you ever thought that Lex may not have planted that camera? Maybe it has been there all along."

Clark realised what she was implying. "Lo, that is gross." And then he laughed.

She kissed him...

An hour later, Lois and Clark were eating breakfast. He had put a long sleeved shirt on so he did have to have a new dressing on. Chloe had texted to say she had managed to disable the cameras for an hour or so.

"This is our last day of captivity, thank god." Lois announced.

"Do you really mean that? Are you not enjoying our time alone?"

"Yeah I am but I need to see something other than these four walls. I am going stir crazy. I hope you are coming to stay at the Talon, if Lana still let's me live there. I don't think your parents will let me stay over at the Farm." Lois added.

"I don't think we will be able to share." Clark agreed. "I think Lana may have to let you stay at the Talon. After all she is not going to admit that she had installed cameras all over the farm. As hard as it is going to be, we need to act as though we don't know anything about Lex and Lana's plan."

"Are we going public with our relationship?" Clark asked.

Just as Lois was about to answer, the cameras were back online.

Her mood changed in a split second. "Will you leave me alone, Clark? The answer was no last night and still is."

"But Lois, why won't you give us a chance? I am a free agent and so are you. You must see an attraction between us."

"More like a fatal attraction!" Lois joked. "I just hope I don't come home to find my bunny slippers boiled."

Clark had to stop himself from laughing and keep up the pretence. "Lois, can you not take us seriously?" He marched up to her and pushed his lips to hers, waiting for a reaction.

Lois tried to resist but she found it impossible. Acting or not, Clark was a great kisser. She was soon lost in the moment.

"Let's head upstairs." She whispered in his ear, loud enough for the microphones to hear.

He scooped her up and walked upstairs to his room. "Even though they cannot see us, shall we do some rehearsing?" He said as he laid her on the bed.

"Why not." And she pulled him down on top of her.

Lana almost had steam coming out of her ears. "How could he do that?" she screamed at Lex.

"Lana, calm down. You broke with him. I thought we were together." Lex said impatiently.

"We are, but I thought he would be more upset than this."

"Lana, we have the proof that we needed. Clark is a normal human being. He said all those things to keep you."

Lana felt despondent. "I guess. Ring your scientists now and get the curfew lifted and then you can take me shopping for some clothes to make me feel better." She demanded.

Lex would never have let anyone else speak to him that way, but Lana was special and he would do anything for her.

Jonathan and Martha were thrilled when they got the call from the Sheriff to say that they could return home. They zoomed to the roadblock from the Talon.

"Hi Sheriff. Can we go back?" Jonathan asked.

"We have been unable to reach your son or Ms Lane." Sheriff Adams announced. "If you need medical attention for your son's injury, let me know."

"What injury?" Martha asked concerned.

"Your son sustained an injury from some farming equipment. We sent in medical supplies and we have had no word since."

They walked worriedly towards the farm. "It must be green kryptonite. I hope he is ok."

The house was eerily quiet when they entered. Martha was worried that Clark and Lois may be preoccupied. Jonathan did not know yet.

"Clark, Lois." She said at the top of her voice.

Clark woke up with a start, as did Lois. "Did you hear that? It sounded like mom." He got and got dressed quickly.

As he got downstairs, he saw his parents, looking concerned. "Are you ok?" his dad asked.

"Yeah, but what are you doing here?"

"The curfew has been lifted. Where is Lois? How is your arm?"

"It is a long story. I am fine. Lois will be down in a minute." Clark replied.

There was a knock at the door. Clark recognised him as being one of the officers talking to Lex in his car the previous day. He guessed he was here to take down the cameras.

"Mom, dad...just play along with me."

Clark went to answer the door. "Hello, can I help you."

"Hi, I am one of the virology specialists attached to the police dept.. The sheriff asked me to check that the area is definitely free of any contamination. It is just routine, nothing to worry about."

Clark smiled. "Of course."

"Would you mind leaving the property for half an hour or so."

"No problem, we will be in the barn." He said looking at his puzzled parents and then noticed Lois coming down the stairs. "Lois, come down. We need to get out of here for a while."

They headed to the barn where Clark had a lot of explaining to do...

They all headed up to the loft. Jonathan took a seat and sat Clark and Lois on the sofa as though he was planning to interrogate.

"So Clark, do you mind telling me what is going on?" his dad asked calmly.

"Well you know I told you that Lex and Lana were spying on us to try and find out my secret."

Jonathan shifted in his seat and looked awkwardly at his son and Lois. Clark picked up on what his dad was worried about.

"Lois knows everything. She helped me convince Lex and Lana that I was just a run of a mill guy and they seemed to fall for it." Clark smiled.

His dad turned to Lois. "So this must have been a bit of a shock for you."

"It was but that doesn't change the way I feel about Clark." Lois explained.

Jonathan picked up on the intonation in her sentence. "And just what way is that?"

"We're together." Clark announced proudly. He waited for the fall-out but it never came.

Instead his dad laughed. "Martha, looks like you won the bet. I said there was nothing between you two. Guess I was wrong. Lois, I know we can trust you with the secret. Welcome to the family."

Clark grinned. "We are not getting married or anything. But then again now you mention it."

The colour drained from both his parents and Lois's face. "I don't think..."

Clark looked serious and then burst out laughing. "I had you all fooled."

"So what does that man want?" Martha asked.

"He is working for Lex. He was the one who installed the surveillance equipment. We cannot let that we know that Lex and Lana are together." Clark explained.

"Do you mind if Lois and me head to the Talon for a coffee? We can bring any stuff back that you have left."

They headed into town. "It is great to see some different sights. I do like the farm but it gets a bit monotonous after a few days." Lois smiled.

Chloe was waiting for them at the Talon. She had improvised a small party and put up banners saying 'Freedom at Last."

She hugged Clark and Lois. "I've missed you guys. How did you manage not to kill each other?" She joked.

"It's ok, Chloe. Lois knows about my secret. I think we managed to convince the two peeping toms that there is nothing different about me." Clark smiled.

"Maybe you will find out now." Lois smiled, as she noticed Lana approaching their table.

"Hi Clark." She said totally ignoring Lois and Chloe. "Can we talk?"

"Ok." He got up and followed Lana up to the apartment.

"What did you do to your arm?" she asked innocently when she noticed the bandage.

"I cut it on some farm equipment. Luckily Lois knew some first aid and
fixed it for me."

"That's nice of her. How have you two being getting on?" Lana asked.

"It's funny. Before all this kicked off, I would have dreaded spending a week with Lois but now it has made me see her in a totally different light. If it hadn't have been for that virus, we would never have fell in love."

"Fell in love..." her mouth fell open. "what about us?"

"What about us, Lana? You dumped me by phone a few days ago if I remember rightly."

"How can you be so fickle? How could you have moved on so fast?" Lana snapped.

"Maybe my fickleness just shows that we were not meant to be." Clark replied. "Anyway I have been hearing rumours about you and Lex? Are they true?" he teased.

"Rumours? What rumours?"

"It doesn't matter. I was just curious if they were true."

"They were...until I found him in bed with his secretary an hour ago. Let's give it another go, Clark. I will forgive your little transgression with Lois. We can put it down to you two being in close proximity for the past week."

"No way, Lana. I love Lois."

Lana's attitude soon changed. "She will soon find out what a boring and uninteresting person you are." She said cattily.

"Lana, I would rather be that than a vindictive and spoilt individual who thinks she can get everything she wants."

Lana stomped off as she usually did when she did not get her own way. He went back to Chloe and Lois.

"So where were we?" he kissed Lois on the forehead.

THE END