A/N: Here's the final chapter guys. I can't tell you how much fun this story was to write, with all the characters in both universes, and I just hope I was able to give them zll proper justice. Now, in this final chapter, four kindred souls are reunited at last. Please read and review. Thanks, everyone! :D
~o~o~
Chapter 7: Reunited
Lois, Tess and Oliver watched as Clark Luthor disappeared in a flash of blinding light right before their eyes.
"Now we wait," Oliver said unsure of what they should do now.
Lois just kept staring at the spot that Clark Luthor had just disappeared, wondering again if they had done the right thing. Suddenly, she was very weary and she was ready to head back to the ranch and wait for Clark to return. "Walk me out guys and I'll call as soon as Clark arrives," she said and couldn't help but notice Tess and Oliver glance at each other. "He will return, now I'll see you both later and I'll be at the ranch; he will come back to us," Lois stated firmly praying that it would happen as the doubts invaded her mind, but she fought it harder than she'd ever fought anything in her life.
"Of course, he will, Lois; we'll walk you out," Tess said worried about her.
Oliver and Tess watched as Lois drove off into the night. The past twelve hours had felt like a roller-coaster with low valleys and sharp turns, but now they had time on their hands, time to wonder and worry if they would ever see Clark Kent again.
Tess closed the door slowly and rested her head against the door. Oliver watched her for a minute and he could see she was also exhausted. "Tess?"
She slowly turned to face him. "What if …"
"Don't even think it."
"I can't help it; Lois must be losing her mind worrying about him."
"I know; we'll call and check up on her in a little while."
She turned from him to put some distance between them, because all she wanted to do was put her arms around him and try to forget the past twelve hours, and it was hard to think when he was close, but a part of her wanted to tell him her secret. "Oliver?" Tess hesitated, wanting so much to tell him the truth, but she was terrified.
"What is it?" Oliver asked wondering if what she wanted to talk to him about earlier was still weighing on her mind.
She sighed as sat down at her desk and tried not think about her secret. "I was just thinking about fate and the tricks it plays on us unsuspecting humans and non-humans."
"You're talking about us, aren't you?" He asked as he leaned against her desk watching her closely.
"There is no 'us' Oliver," she replied trying not to get distracted by his nearness.
He ignored that remark, and then reached over and shut off the computer.
"What are you doing Oliver; I need to concentrate on something before I go crazy here."
"I know one way we can forget, if only for a little while," he flirted with her with smiling eyes and a quirk of his lips.
Tess's eyes widened familiar with that look. "You can't be serious."
Oliver was totally serious as he pulled her up from her chair and tried to kiss her. Tess leaned back and shoved at his chest just in time before their lips met.
"I thought we were done playing games with each other Oliver, and what happened to our friendship pact?"
"This is no game, Tess, and you know it."
"And how exactly would I know that, and suddenly you're over her and you know who I'm referring to," she dared to ask him.
He ignored that question. "Tess, you and I both know that this, you and me, will never be sudden." He dared to take her hand. "I miss you Tess."
"You miss me, but we see each other practically everyday," she couldn't look at him knowing that wasn't what he meant.
"Now whose playing games," he said and slowly stood up and took hold of her other hand and then she too was standing. He touched her cheek and Tess couldn't seem to stop herself as she closed her eyes and leaned into his hand, but sanity returned for only a moment.
"But I thought we were friends," she repeated as she glanced at their joined hands. "I don't want to loose that Oliver."
He raised her chin so she would look at him. He smiled at her. "Don't you know by now, you'll never loose me, but can I ask you something?"
Her heart began to pound as she stared at him. "Go ahead."
"What did you really think when Clark Luthor declared that Lois and I were engaged in the parallel universe? I want the truth."
She straightened her spine, turned from him to hide her face. "I thought …" She hesitated.
"The truth Tess," he reminded her.
She couldn't look at him as she shook her head. "I couldn't believe it at first because you and I both know that Lois and Clark belong together, but who knows what happened in that universe? Maybe you two are desperately in love or something."
"Tess, you didn't answer my question; that's not how you felt; I want to know how you felt in here," he stated hand over his heart.
She was losing her patience with him. "And what possible difference could it make what I felt? There is no more us anymore, not in this universe or any other universe. You need to accept that Oliver, once for all." She turned from him and hurriedly headed for the stairs.
He caught her easily turned her around and her face was streaked with tears.
"Let me go Oliver," Tess pleaded with him struggling to be free of him.
"I can't Tess; I can't let you go."
She stopped struggling, stared into his eyes trying to see the truth, then she grabbed his face between her palms and kissed him, but her secret was still there between them. "Oliver, Oliver wait, I have to tell you something."
"Can't it wait, I want you Tess," Oliver said between kisses on her cheek and her throat.
"I want you too, but ..."
"Stop talking," he said and picked her up and headed for the stairs.
Tess held on tight, as she kissed his cheek and his ear. Oliver groaned and as soon they were in her bedroom, he laid her on the bed, and then they each undressed the other with an urgency that left them both breathless and wanting.
Tess melted against him wanting him like never before and she was tired of fighting him, tied of fighting her feelings for him because she wanted and needed him desperately. All during last night's ordeal, she just kept thinking, what if it was Oliver trapped in some other universe away from me, away from the people who loved him, and what if I never saw him again? It didn't have to be that way; it could be like this now and forever, but what if I told him the truth, then what?
Oliver was losing her, he could feel it. He stroked her hair and made her look at him. "Tess, look at me; now listen and listen carefully, it doesn't matter, whatever it is you wanted to tell me, it doesn't matter." He smiled then as he stroked her hair. "You see … I love you, Tess and whatever it is, that will never change. You have to believe that, Tess, because it's true."
"I want to believe it, but …"
"No buts, Tess, you have to have faith in us and what we feel."
"I want to."
"I know you do; come here," he pulled her tightly to him as he stroked her hair and kissed her temple. "We have all night, but I want you to remember something important Tess."
"What is it?"
He turned to her then, took her face between his palms, smoothed hair away from her face and then he looked into her eyes. "We will make it work this time, Tess; I truly believe that, because ..."
"Because why, why now?" Tess was doubtful about all of this.
"Because in spite of all we've been through, we're still here, our feelings, they haven't changed, not really. Can you look me in the eye and deny that fact?"
Tess thought about for a minute. "You know I can't."
Oliver smiled and Tess pulled his head down and kissed him and held him close, but this time a bit more slowly because he wanted to cherish her body and show her how much he loved and needed her and like he said, they had all night.
Tess studied his handsome face trying to decide which of his features appealed to her the most. Was it his eyes, his full, perfectly shaped mouth, which now drew her gaze? Her look turned him on beyond measure. He had to have her. "You're so lovely," Oliver said so enthralled, he didn't think he could go slowly but he would try.
Oliver continued to kiss her and hold her tight, then settled back into her arms as they clung to each other and their heartbeats slowed, then he smiled against her temple as he stroked her hair.
Content, Tess closed her eyes and snuggled closer to him, happy about their new bond and thinking … it really doesn't matter, not at all.
~o~o~
Lois pulled up in front of the ranch house, gripped the steering wheel and with a determination that even Clark would admire, went inside the house, and as soon as she opened the door Shelby bounced over to her climbing up her legs to her chest, and Lois had no choice but to squat down on her haunches and give her a hug and a kiss. "Hey, girl, miss me? I missed you too so much," Lois managed to say as she swallowed her tears and hugged her close. "Are you hungry? Here, let's get you fed ok, come on, girl."
After Shelby was fed and down for the night, Lois slowly climbed the stairs dreading going into the bedroom, but she was so tired that it would be welcome to lay her head on a pillow, Clark's pillow, that she fell into the bed not even removing her shoes, took a deep breath, inhaling his unique scent, closed her eyes, and she was asleep in moments.
Clark smiled at her relieved just to see her again and after listening to his Mom's voice as she left a message that she would be visiting in a few weeks, he sighed and watched her for a few moments more. He stood in the corner of the room and waited for her open her eyes again but she didn't, and he could see the circles under her eyes and knew it was because she must have been so worried about him, not getting any rest so he had to make it up her somehow, someway.
He smiled again as he slowly removed his clothes, and leaned over her careful not to wake her, and then slowly began to kiss her cheek, her nose, her eyelids and then he began to undress her very carefully, and she was so exhausted that she only whimpered and said his name a few times, but didn't wake up.
Minutes passed and he smiled at the contented look on her face. "Open your eyes, Lois."
Lois was in a dream world and Clark was kissing her and loving her and she never wanted to wake up, not ever. What a wonderful dream. She moaned as he kissed her breasts, her stomach, her long legs and shapely calves and then he was there between her thighs and he patiently waited for her to open her eyes.
"Clark?" She slowly opened her eyes and he was there. "Am I dreaming?"
"No, you're not dreaming and neither am I." He held her tightly to his chest. "I missed you so much," and then the talking stopped for a while as Lois welcomed him back into her arms. Lois smiled and stroked his hair. "Welcome home, big guy."
Clark chuckled and kissed her breast. "Miss me?"
Lois closed her eyes as memories from last night made it impossible to speak.
"Lois?"
She finally managed to answer him. "You have no idea."
"I think I do," he pulled her within the circle of his arms and kissed her forehead. "I'm home now; I'm home." He stroked her hair. "Lois?"
"Uh, huh?"
They would talk later, much later. "I love you."
"I love you too, Clark," Lois said and smiled as she pulled his head down and kissed him again, hungry for him, a little desperate to assure herself he was really there with her and not someplace she couldn't find him, touch him or hold him.
Clark held her close and kissed her back loving her with an intensity that it felt like anguish sometimes, but he wouldn't trade it for anything, not for a million lifetimes for her love was always with him, no matter where he ended up or where he landed.
She would always be with him.
The end!
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A/N: I hope you all had as much fun reading this as I had writing it. Thanks for reading and taking this journey with me. Please leave a review. Reviews are love! :D