Title: The Recovery Period

Author: Damara

Rating: K+

Disclaimer: The characters herein are NOT mine. I just wanted to bring them out to play for a little while…They belong to Warner Brothers and the CW Networks, as well as to the creators of Superman, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. I promise to return them when I'm done with them…NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT IS INTENDED.

Spoilers: For Season 6

Summary: Lois/Clark (Clois) - Sequel to "In the Ruins". Now that Lois finally knows his secret, Clark must adjust to their newfound honesty...and Lois will find herself smack dab in the middle of an honest to goodness adult relationship.

[Chapter One - Roommates Again]

"Lois!" Chloe admonished from her cousin's bedside. It had been a week since Lois wound up in the hospital battered and unconscious from her encounter with Titan.

And a long week it had proved to be. Sitting here at her cousin's bedside, Chloe knew that Lois' forced immobility was a necessary evil, although she honestly wasn't sure how much more of this place she or Lois would be able to handle.

Nevertheless, as Lois' voice of reason, she'd always do her best to get through to her...if only to prevent her cousin from committing further injury to herself.

"Listen, I realize that patience and co-operation with authority have never really been your strong suits, but seriously Lois, keep squirming around like that and you're going to rip out your IV!"

Off her injured cousin's stern glare Chloe continued on despite the threat. Her cousin's bark always was bigger than her bite, "Knowing your luck you'll sever an artery and ruin your chances at being released."

Chloe was relieved to discover how that bit of reasoning seemed infallible even to Lois.

"I can't help it Chloe," she whined, "This hospital is making me crazy. One week in this bed and I'm talking myself out of gnawing off my own arm just for the excitement of something to do."

"Gee Lois dramatic much?" Chloe smiled. But then knowing her cousin she couldn't be sure how much she was exaggerating either.

At a loss for what else to do, Chloe deferred to her usual method for handling Lois in these situations; she'd appeal to her conscience, "And what about Clark huh? How do you think he'd feel finding out that in your anxiousness to break out of the asylum you made your injuries worse?"

Appropriately chastised, Lois waivered when faced with that brand of logic—since she and Clark had recently re-zoned the boundaries of their relationship, he'd become even more protective of her than usual. She'd only just yesterday convinced him that he'd had no fault, direct or indirect, in her decision to follow the lead that landed her in the hospital. Frankly she couldn't bear the thought of giving him something else to blame himself for or worry about.

"Fine...," she sighed, "I promise to try and sit still. Happy now?"

"Very," Clark's satisfied tone wafted from the doorway and startled them both. He stood there, a contented smile pulling at his lips as he watched two pairs of eyes shift in his direction. The smile that greeted them was infectious; and when he slowly stepped into the room and inched closer to her bedside, Lois squelched the urge that rose up in her to pull him down into bed with her.

And thankfully it turned out she didn't need to; because once he was within reach, Clark bent down to whisper a more personal greeting and left a gentle kiss on her lips. The tenderness of the gesture stilled Lois's breath, as did the careful way he handled her before edging a position on the bed to sit beside her.

Over the last week she'd been repeatedly struck by how easy it was to be this close to him...thinking back now she honestly didn't know why she'd fought the temptation for so long.

"Hey Chloe," he smiled over at his best friend, before taking Lois's hand and cradling it in his lap. Then with a slightly disapproving tone he returned his attention back to the beauty at his side, "I thought we had a deal Lois. You promised me last night that you were going to make an honest effort. Dr. Williams said he'd release you today as long as you were able to keep your blood pressure down."

"There's nothing wrong with my blood pressure," she maintained before adding coyly, "Except maybe for when you're around."

Smiling Clark lent down to press another kiss across her lips, "Nice try Lois. But even Chloe will tell you that the more agitated you've been these last few days...the more the doctor and nurses have had to scold you about staying calm."

In her periphery Lois saw her cousin nod, "Yeah or your next of kin because you refused to listen."

Traitor.

"Am I supposed to be able to help the fact that hospitals make me nervous?" Lois complained to no one in particular. And when she sensed compassion for her plight she plowed onward, "And then they chain me to this bed and coup me up in this room, as if that's supposed to make me feel more comfortable!"

"Lois you have two broken ribs! What did you expect them to do?" her cousin spoke up.

"I don't know," she sighed in frustration. Of course it was no secret to either of them why Lois felt so strongly about hospitals. At some point in the last week, Lois and Clark's growing honesty had culminated with her confiding something that only her cousin knew...that ever since Lois had watched her mother lose her battle with lung cancer in a hospital there wasn't any place that she feared more.

Lois shifted an apologetic gaze in their direction. "I'm sorry guys. I just want to go home," she pouted before adding softly, "Or anywhere really other than this place."

Clark tried to smile reassuringly, but his brow shot up in surprise. It was just a few seconds later when their attention was collectively drawn once again to the doorway; only this time the stares that were centered at the intruder seemed more apprehensive.

"How are you doing today Miss Lane?" Dr. Williams spoke as he stepped over the threshold. The older man had a calming presence about him, Clark noticed; probably the result of years spent putting others at ease. Lois however wasn't in the mood to be placated; she simply wanted to be let out of the asylum. Sensing her anxiousness, Clark stood up to address him as he approached the foot of the bed.

"I'm fine," Lois asserted, "And I'm ready to go home."

Disappointed by Clark's sudden departure, Lois tugged at his hand, a sign that she intended for him to stay close. Glancing down at her in pleasant surprise, Clark gently squeezed her hand before directing his attention back to the doctor.

But when the other man fell silent after opening Lois' chart and reading her blood pressure, Clark began to squirm with impatience. Fixing the doctor with an uneasy stare, Clark tried to keep his voice even when he asked, "How is her blood pressure doctor?"

"Well it's better today than it was," he answered a bit ambiguously.

"Great, then there's no reason I can't be discharged," Lois supplied resolutely.

"Your blood pressure has stabilized, but I still have reservations about releasing you Miss Lane," he cautioned. "It's important that you continue to immobilize your arm, and you'll have to wear a sling. Your rib fractures should heal within the next 6 to 8 weeks. And it you'll need to stay mostly on bed rest, at least for the next week or so. If you can follow those instructions I can't see any reason why you can't go home."

Upon hearing those words, Lois squelched the mini celebration that erupted in her head. And then the good doctor ruined her party when he added, "That is, assuming of course that you'll be staying with somebody who will be able to assist you."

Uh oh

All at once three pairs of eyes turned on Chloe; she was after all Lois's closest relative...and roommate.

"Oh! Me? Lois you know I would, but remember I told you my Editor is sending me on assignment to Topeka? It's an opportunity of a lifetime, and I already accepted the story," she explained apologetically, "If I turn it down now..."

Great!

Lois sighed disheartened. She could see her freedom already slipping away; not that she faulted her cousin for needing to go. If anyone deserved to get their big break it was Chloe.

It was just her timing that royally sucked!

"That's not a problem Chloe," Clark spoke unexpectedly, "Lois can stay with us at the farm."

"That's perfect!" Chloe started.

"NO!" Lois suddenly chimed in.

His fingers still gripping hers, Clark's gaze was instantly drawn back down to Lois' reclined form.

"What's the matter Lois? I thought you said anywhere was better than having to stay here?" his confidence apparently deflated by her lack of enthusiasm.

"Look Clark, no offense. I appreciate the offer, I just couldn't impose on you and your mom," she lamely explained.

"Impose?" Clark was openly befuddled. "Lois in all the time you've stayed with us at the farm you've never once considered it an imposition," the words slipped out before he knew what he was saying. They came out completely wrong of course; a fact that he realized when he heard Chloe stifle a chuckle.

"...And neither did we," he added to cover the thoughtlessness of his previous statement.

Lois regarded him skeptically; she clearly knew better then to believe that he'd always viewed her intrusion with such a welcoming attitude.

Not that she blamed him; she knew she was a pain in the ass to live with.

And the last thing she was going to do was ruin the great thing she and Clark had going by moving back into the farm and driving him crazy.

Again

Clark was the most patient guy she'd ever known, but she was sure that even he had his limits. And chances were good that if he had to deal with her while she was in this condition he'd kick her to the proverbial curb in no time flat.

"Things are different now, Clark," she answered meekly. Her sudden unwillingness to meet his searching gaze gave her away. The full weight of her meaning settled over Clark. Lois' concern was genuine; nonetheless it was also completely ridiculous in his opinion. Whether he and Lois were dating or not, the farm was just as much her home as anywhere.

Or at least it had been once.

And Clark hoped that was still true.

Returning to the conversation, Dr. Williams intervened thoughtfully, altering the appropriateness of Clark's need to explain his feelings on the matter, "Well Miss Lane...if that's how you feel about it then I think it'd be best to keep you here. At least until Miss Sullivan returns home to properly assist you."

Unbelievable! How are these suddenly my only two options?

Lois' quiet struggle was made obvious by her constant shifty gaze and troubled frown.

"Fine," she conceded.

"I know when I've been beaten. I guess the farm it is...but only until Chloe gets back," she added as a condition.

Smiling happily, Clark nodded his agreement to her terms, "Deal."

"Okay then," Dr. Williams summed up, "I guess it's settled. I'll go ahead and let the nurse know that you'll be going home this afternoon. She'll give you your instructions, and I'll want to see you back in two weeks alright?"

"Yeah," Lois sighed; she'd been through more than enough of her fair share of hospital discharges and she knew the drill.

"Thank you doctor," Clark bid the doctor goodbye, and his voice sounded more than a little pleased.

Chloe stood up and moved to follow him out of the room, "I'm going to check with the nurse to see what paperwork we need to sign. I'll be back in a few to help you get changed okay?"

"Thanks Chloe," Lois was smiling again.

Finally left alone with Clark, Lois was keenly aware of the satisfied grin he was flaunting beside her. Truth be told, if his eagerness at having her stay with him and Martha hadn't been so unsettling, it might have been exciting.

"Have I told you that it's really annoying how much you're enjoying this?" Lois grumped.

"Aw, come on Lois...it'll be nice having you around the farm again. Just like old times," he offered hopefully.

"Yeah sure, just like 'old times' only more awkward now that we're...you know...?"

"Not awkward Lois," he corrected, "I doubt that you and I are capable of being awkward around each other."

"Oh don't kid yourself Smallville, we're plenty capable."

Clark couldn't help the chuckle that bubbled out of him. Instead he returned to his position beside her on the bed; he sat gingerly beside her and anchored his weight by placing both arms on either side of her body, effectively trapping her inside the circle of his arms.

"Well maybe just think of it then as an opportunity," he suggested.

His proximity was completely distracting, whether he was aware of it or not, "An opportunity for what exactly?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Clark started optimistically, "How about as a chance to be completely open and honest with each other? You know Lois there's still a lot about me that you don't know. And I can't think of a better place than the farm to show you," he finished evenly.

"...And besides," he went on while her eyes searched his, "I'm kind of looking forward to taking care of you."

"You are?"

"Yeah, plus I figure you can't be any worse a patient there than you've been here in the hospital," his voice was so deadpanned it took her a second to register the candy coated barb.

"Hey!" she pushed at his chest in mock irritation, "You laugh at my expense now Smallville, but don't you forget that I give just as good as I get." Her voice may have sounded annoyed, but she could hardly stay angry with him when he looked at her with that warm smile and those soft eyes.

Yep, she thought to herself.

This was going to be interesting.