The title comes from the (okay, it's the title of a) song by Celine Dion. Right now it is out as a single if any of you care. :) The song comes off of her Falling Into You CD and it (just like everything else I'm using, even this stolen laptop J/K) was also used without permission.

<< * >> denotes messages sent telepathically (now what other show's fanfic could use THAT one? <g>) and * * denote emphasis. ' * ' means a thought…Oh yeah, and if something is in these little things: " * " , well, that means that someone is saying something.

Okay, I hope you enjoy.

***

Lois sat staring up at the sky… again. It had been three months since Clark left her. For the longest time she thought that he would come back to her; that he wouldn't be able to get farther than Pluto before having to come back to her. But something else inside of her knew that he wouldn't go that far, put her through this much misery, just to go to Pluto and back. She knew he would do his best to save who he could, just as always had. Somehow this was comforting, and yet in some ways it just made it harder… wondering if he would ever come back to her. She always pushed that thought out of her mind. 'Of *course* he will come back!' she said to herself every night.

Through those three months she also cried. She cried up at the sky, she cried herself to sleep, she woke up in tears. It was just that somehow tonight, she couldn't cry. She knew she should be sad, she should be in tears, but yet she wasn't. She realized that her tears were all dried up… there were no more tears left to cry. Now it was time to face reality… no matter how hard that was. She had to go on with her life. Clark wouldn't want her to suffer forever. That night Lois vowed that she would start her life again in the morning. She'd give up those sappy stories she had insisted on doing since Clark left and get into the juicy stuff. She would be friendlier… she would be tougher… she would be *Lois* again. Then something happened.

This had happened a few times before… three that she could remember. It was Clark. Not in flesh and blood but in mind and spirit. Almost as good. Again, just like the night he left her for 'some space rock'. <<Lois? Lois… you there? I wish that you could respond back to me.>> The hardest part of these little conversations for both Lois and Clark was that Lois had never been able to respond to Clark's messages, no matter how much she longed to.

<<Oh, Clark. I wish I could too. I'm trying, really I am.>>

<<Lois?!? LOIS!!?!! Did you just… you did, didn't you? It worked!! You can talk back to me!!>>

<<It what? It *worked*?? How? Why? Oh, who cares! I can talk to you!! This feels so great… I just can't describe it.>>

<<Well, I just wanted to say that I am still here, and I still don't know when I'll be back. Soon, I hope.>>

<< Yeah, so do I. Isn't there anything you can do?>>

<<I'm trying Lois, really, I am! It's just so hard!>>

<<I know. Don't worry. I'm still waiting. Are you sure that you are still okay?>>

<<Yes, Lois. I'm sure. Believe me. Soon, I hope, you will be able to see so for yourself. Well, my people are calling, I really have to go. I'll try to contact you as soon as I can.>>

<<Okay, Honey. Be careful! And I love you.>>

<<I love you too.>> And then he was gone. Somehow Lois decided that she could wait on that 'starting her life again' thing. That could wait. It was obvious that, through this separation their love was growing stronger. How else could you explain her being able to respond telepathically now? It was true, absence *does* make the heart grow fonder. Clark was still coming. Somehow, she knew that it wouldn't be long.

***

The next morning Lois walked into the Daily Planet newsroom just as she had for years… but somehow it was different. She was happy for more than one reason, but of course the main reason was her talk with Clark last night. Then, she HAD decided to go on with her life, but still make sure there was room for Clark. He couldn't come back and find that she hadn't functioned as normal without him there, could he? No, of course not. It would show that she was weak, and she would not allow that to happen!

Upon entering the newsroom Lois droped her purse in a drawer in her desk and then walked into the Editor-in- chief, Perry White's, office. "Perry, I want a decent story! I'm sick of these fluff pieces, I want something like the stuff I used to do!" At first Perry just stared at Lois. She hadn't been like this for about three months, since right before Clark 'went to South America and was lost,

ed dead.' This was the Lois he knew! But still, he wasn't sure about this.

"Lois, are you sure you want to do this. I mean since Clark, um…"

"Yes, I'm sure! Clark's disappearance is one of the reasons that I am doing this. First off, I know that he wouldn't want me to mourn him forever. Second, when he comes back I have to look like I could survive ALONE, because I can."

"Lois, honey, you know he may not…"

"Yeah Perry, whatever. So, do you have anything for me?"

"Um… no, not right now. You have always been so good at scooping out those things; why don't you just go do so now?"

"I think I will! Thanks Perry!" Lois said as she ran out of his office, out of the building. That's what she would do. Go out on the street and wait for a story to fall in her lap.

***

"Hello, Lois! How is everything going? So sorry Clark had to go to that planet. Come with me." Said an all to well known voice; the one of none other than Lex Luthor.

"I don't think so, Luthor."

"I do. Come now."

Lois timidly followed Lex through an alley into some old abandoned building. She had mixed emotions about this. She knew that she shouldn't be going with Lex, who knew what he would do to her? But then again, Lex had always made a good story. She would survive this (eventually!) and get out, write a story, and win a Pulitzer. If only it was going to be that easy…

They entered a room surprisingly bright for a hide out. It was actually almost… cheery. "Okay, what now Lex?"

***

"Why must you think something is wrong? I can't just see the one I love when I want to?"

"No, you can't. And how… why… are you here anyway? You were dead!"

"Simple, Lois! Asabi, he left before everything collapsed. After that boyfriend of yours left, he came and rescued me. Simple. Got my soul before he left, got my body after you left. Put them together and… well, it's obvious. There's a friend of mine I want you to meet."

Lois watched as none other than Tempus walked into the room. "Tempus? But… how?"

"I escaped, duh!" Tempus responded, simply. Slowly Lois was realizing that maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to go with Lex. "We have someplace we would like to take you."

"Another time or another dimension?"

"Yes," both answered in unison.

"Well, which?"

"It wouldn't be as much fun if we told you. You can just wait and see… it'll be a surprise," Tempus answered.

"Oh, joy."

***

A bound and gagged Lois Lane was thrown in the back of a time machine with Lex Luthor and Tempus sitting in the front. After Tempus pushed a few buttons the machine disappeared, reappearing in a little room. The room was painted white and it had everything you could imagine wanting. There was a TV, a VCR, and, best of all, a hell of a computer. ;) Just no people. No doors. No windows. All the light was coming from the florescent bulbs in the light fixtures hanging from the ceiling. Slowly Lex untied Lois and took the gag out of her mouth. "What the…" Lois began, until Tempus cut her off.

"Your new home! Bye!" And suddenly Lex and Tempus were in the time machine and gone.

Lois looked around the room. "All white, nice touch…" Lois noted. And in this she was correct… everything was white — very white! A white TV, a white VCR, a white computer, a white phone, a white refrigerator, a white bed with white sheets. Everything was white, not even off white. With the lights it got really… bright to say the least. Walking over to the refrigerator Lois looked inside. "Well, at least I won't starve!" she remarked looking at all the food you could imagine. "Now… how to get out… But first, where am I??"

"Oh, Lois, I forgot to add something. Don't worry, we will both come to check on you… you are not completely alone!" Lex added as he somehow reappeared and was gone just as quickly.

"Ah, a phone! I can just call the police!" But when Lois picked up the phone she noticed that there was no dial tone. "It's a fake! Okay, the computer… e-mail." As you probably figured, there wasn't any of that either. The TV broadcasted no news.. no LNN or even ESPN! No eleven o'clock news either. "Now what…" Lois knew that there would have to be some way for her to get out… she had to see Clark again. Then various thoughts popped into her head. 'Can he contact me telepathically while I'm *here*? Since I don't know where I am, maybe he could hear my screams? See me somehow? There has to be SOMETHING!' Then Lois decided to lay down and sleep on it.

***

"Lois, wake up…" Lex started to awaken Lois from some wonderful dream she was having about Clark. "Lois, wake up… we have something for you!" Lois awoke to both Tempus and Lex surrounding her along with a needle — a very long needle — pointing straight toward her neck.

"What do you think you are doing?" Lois asked as Tempus slowly injected her with whatever drug he had.

"Oh, nothin' much, Lois. Just giving you a little something that will… change your perspective on things. Who knows how… it's a new drug." Tempus replied.

"Okay…" Lois said as she started to go into a deep, deep sleep.

***

<<Lois? Lois, you there? Please say something!!>> Clark *tried* to send to Lois telepathically. <<LOIS!!!>> Somehow he knew that his little tornado was in trouble… again. There goes that great news.

Clark had been so thrilled when he found out that in one week he was going to get to go back to Earth, back to the Planet, back to his parents, back to *Lois*. Then, of course, she disappears. Typical. As Jimmy once said "If it isn't one thing with you two, it's another." 'Damn right!' Clark thought to himself. The battle with Lord Knorr [author's note — guess what! I found the real REAL way to spell that, ain't it grand? <g>] had been finished about a month ago, the day after he talked to Lois, to be exact. The last month he had been battling the Kryptonian government to annul his marriage to Zara. Finally, today, he had won all those battles and now he could return to Lois… or so he thought. 'Maybe,' Clark was thinking on the positive side, 'maybe when I get to Earth I'll find her. Maybe. Probably. Probably not. Of course I will…'

Boarding the spacecraft that would bring him home Clark tried to think positively, but that was really, *really* hard to do with Lois.

***

Lois woke up and decided immediately that she had to get contact to the outside world, or her time, or her dimension, or her planet… anything would do. Without thinking Lois just started babbling uncontrollably. "Okay, I have to get out of here. I can't stay here. What can I do to exit? The phone doesn't do anything. Maybe the cables are disconnected or something. I should go check. That's what I'll go do. If that doesn't work I'll get out that AOL disk that I always carry in my purse in case of emergencies because I get them in everything. Magazines, for one. And then they come in the mail weekly. What is with those people? Don't they know any other people to send those things to? Oh well. Don't have time to worry about that now. Good thing I just bought that modem today at Computer City and stuffed it in my purse too. Okay, first to the phone, though. If I can't get the phone lines to work, the modem won't work either, so that would have been useless. Okay, here I go." Just wait until Tempus and Lex come back! Won't they be… shocked… by what that drug did to Lois!

As Lois went to attack the phone lines she was still mumbling something to herself about wicker. Inspecting the phone lines she noticed that everything seemed okay, but yet the phone wouldn't work. She walked over to the computer [author's note again: IBM compatible, if anyone cares] and put in the AOL disk. She typed in a:\setup like it said to and went through the whole procedure of setting AOL up. (Saying to herself "Good thing I memorized all my credit card information! If not this whole thing would have been useless. It would have made no sense at all…" You can imagine how it continued.) After setting up AOL and her modem, she noticed that nothing worked. Realizing that she didn't have a chance either of the ways that she tried, she screamed "HELP SUPERMAN!!!!!! HELP CLARK!!!!!!" and then a <<Clark? Can you hear me? PLEASE??>> She rotated these for awhile, but stopped when she couldn't muster more than a whisper. At that point she relied on her telepathy.

***

In his little spaceship Clark thought he heard something. It was Lois, but it sounded a little detached. <<Cla — you me — peas?>> He translated that to "Clark, you, me, peas?" wondering what Lois had in mind… but sensing something was wrong.

***

For five days Lois worked on every mode of communication she could think of, including screaming at the top of her lungs. Of course, that drug still hadn't worn off. On any given day she would be yelling "HELP SUPERMAN!!!!!!!!! HELP CLARK!!!!!!!!! I KNOW YOU ARE THERE SOMEWHERE! IS EVERYTHING OKAY WITH YOU!?! I AM FINE, BUT I AM STUCK HERE. I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHERE I AM, BUT I DON'T LIKE IT. NO CHOCOLATE!! CAN ANYONE OUT THERE HELP ME? PLEASE? THE PHONE WON'T DO ANYTHING. NEITHER WILL THE MODEM THAT I HAD IN MY PURSE! NOT EVEN WHEN I PUT IT WITH THE COMPUTER HERE AND USED AMERICA ON-LINE! NOTHING WORKS, SO I REALLY NEED HELP. ANYONE WOULD DO, BUT CLARK… I MEAN SUPERMAN WOULD BE BETTER! HELP SUPERMAN!!!!!!!!!" Whenever Lex came and 'visited' she would babble on and on about him being a 'sick, twisted, sociopath' and when Tempus came she would say something about 'putting that gun down and working on your manners.' After awhile, both of them realized that just *listening* to her wore them out and their visits became less frequent. During her time alone Lois would think. 'How did this happen? I go out for ONE good story and THIS happens! Why? I have been doing fluff pieces for three months and nothing has even happened to me directly since… well the wedding from hell. Why now? It just doesn't make sense. ARUGH!!'

***

As Clark landed on Earth he could sense that something was really wrong. He went directly to Lois' apartment and found everything where it should be. He waited there until nine o'clock that night with still no sign of Lois. The next morning he went into the Planet.

"Clark! You're back! Where in the Sam Hell were you, son?" Perry greeted upon seeing half of the world famous Lane & Kent.

"CK! Welcome home!!" Jimmy yelled.

"Yeah, I'm back, I'm here, I was… away. Anyway, where is Lois? I have been home for a day and haven't seen her anywhere!"

"We were hoping you would know… maybe you should come into my office." Perry started heading toward his office with both Clark and Jimmy at his heels. "Jimmy, not you. Go… do something. Anything. Just go!"

Perry closed the glass door and slowly went so sit at his desk, motioning for Clark to have a seat too. "Well, it seems that Lois is… gone. First you, now her. She disappeared about a week ago. Out looking for a big story to impress you with when you came back. We have no idea where she went, but Tempus has broken out of jail."

"I knew that something was wrong. Thanks. I'll talk to you soon." Clark replied.

'Okay, Tempus is out. She isn't here. She isn't even HERE. She is either in another time or another dimension… where could she be and how do I get there?' Clark thought to himself while he went out for a good, long fly.

Three Months Later

Lois didn't know what do. She had been trapped in this little room for three months now with still no luck. Superman had yet to get her out of this problem and she was starting to feel very alone. VERY alone. It looked as if she was going to be in there for… for a really long time. Too long. She couldn't stand the loneliness, and she longed for a 'good friend'. Clark would work, but right now she was desperate for a substitute. She had somehow started to develop, as 'the Kryptonian babe' would have said, 'feelings' for… Tempus. Somehow she knew that Lex was out of the question. It would seem that Tempus would be too, him being a criminal and all, but he had this witty sense of humor. She was falling, and falling hard, for Tempus and she knew it. Starting tomorrow she was going to make sure that he knew of her feelings too.

***

Clark was walking along the street after just finishing 'checking out' the country… again. still no Lois. An older man walked up to Clark saying that he may be able to help in his search for Lois. Of course, at just the mention of this Clark followed the older man to a small park and sat on an old park bench with him. Clark, in his own polite way said, "Excuse me, but do I know you?"

"Well, it depends on how you look at it. I knew you and you knew me, but there is no way that you could remember. To your recognition, no, but in actuality, yes." H.G. Wells responded.

"Please don't say you're from… another planet." Clark responded.

"No, of course not, my boy. I am from Earth. Kind of. And I do know your 'secret'."

"You what? How? Who are you?"

"I know your secret, I have known for a very long time, and I am Herbert George Wells."

"Okay you know my secret, have known for a long time, and you are Herbert George Wells as in H.G. Wells. Okay, hate to break it to ya', but H.G. Wells is dead. Do you by any chance visit Star?"

"Who? Oh, never mind that. Just close your eyes and you'll remember. Trust me."

Suddenly Clark remembered who this quaint little man sitting beside him was. "Okay, now that we have everything straightened out," Clark said with a smile, "how can I get Lois back."

"It seems that I overheard a conversation that Tempus had with Lex Luthor and they -"

"Wait! Lex Luthor? He's dead!"

"No, he is very much alive. Don't ask how, it doesn't matter now. As I was saying, I overheard Tempus talking with Lex Luthor. They were planing to take Lois away to yet *another* dimension where Lois would be the only inhabitant. I believe that that is what they have done. Now, it seems that I have found a way to get to this place that Lois is in. I myself have built my own time machine taking what I know about Tempus' and I have set it to take us to where I believe Lois to be."

"Okay, great! Let's go!"

"I just need a few more things… I haven't gotten enough ivory yet. There are some other things; precious things; that I need before it is complete."

"Anything! Name anything and I can get it." Clark responded with no worry in his voice.

***

Lois decided to come right out with it to Tempus and he fully understood. It seems that he had felt the same way about her. In the last two days they had gotten very close. Lois thought she had banished Clark from her mind. At least that's what she had told herself, although she knew that she would always remember somethings… one thing in particular. He had left her six months, one week, and six days ago. But she continued to tell herself that none of that mattered. Now she had Tempus and she was happy. She loved him.

***

"Okay, so *now* where are we? Lost again?" Clark asked Mr. Wells smugly.

"No, I know *exactly* where we are. Athens, Greece, 1896. First modern Olympic Games. Isn't it grand?"

"Yeah, it's great, but I want to find Lois. NOW!"

"That's fine. I think I have figured it out now. I'm sure of it," 'Herb' said with a little too much cheer in his voice.

***

"Lois! I'm here! I came! I'm back! I found you!" Clark exclaimed as soon as H.G.'s time machine landed in 'Lois' Room'. There, on Lois' bed were Lois and Tempus. Together. Asleep. Clark just watched in awe. In anger. In a ton of emotions, too many and too much to describe here. He had always enjoyed watching Lois sleep, as he had snuck into her apartment many times in the past just to watch her do so. But this was a little… different. Usually Lois's wasn't sleeping near a… near Tempus.

Slowly Lois stretched as she woke up. She looked down at Tempus and smiled. Then she became aware of the two other men that stood there watching. First her eyes fell upon Mr. Wells who she greeted with a smile, remembering how much help he had been to her. Then she saw Clark. Her eyes were wide open. Her face wasn't really emotion-less, but it was kind of like the Mona Lisa's. Not a smile, not a frown, not anywhere in between. She didn't know what to do or what to think. Then something clicked and it was obvious. Her face broke into an emotional smile, one that showed all the love in the world. She got out of the bed and ran into Clark's open arms. Both knew that everything would work out now. Then standing on her tip-toes Lois reached up to whisper something in Clark's ear. "Nothing happened. I knew you would come back."

Tempus slowly awoke to find Lois in the arms of Clark, a short gray-haired man watching, and Lex. All with smiles on their faces. Even Lex. Somehow Tempus didn't find it amusing. He walked up to Clark and slowly tapped him on the shoulder. As soon as Clark turned his head toward Tempus he tried to punch Clark in the nose forgetting who he really was. Quickly Clark reached out and grabbed Tempus' wrist before any contact was made. Tying both Lex and Tempus together and tossing them on the bed, Lois, Clark, and Herb got into the time machine and left.

***

"Mr. Wells, I forgot to tell you something." Clark announced upon arriving back to Metropolis.

"Oh? What's that?"

"I just wanted to say that I do believe in time as the fourth dimension. It makes perfect sense. Oh, and great book!*"

"Thank you, my boy!"

"No, thank you for all your help. Without you we wouldn't be together now." Lois responded.

Then, just as suddenly and quietly as he came, H.G. Wells left again with a smile on his face.

***

When Lois and Clark were alone again they started talking about the events of the past six and a half months. Somehow music ended up playing and they ended up dancing. (But none of that earthbound stuff, mind you.) A song started playing that somehow summed it all up for Lois.

**There were nights when the wind was so cold That my body froze in bed If I just listened to it Right outside the window

There were days when the sun was so cruel That all the tears turned to dust And I just knew my eyes were Drying up forever

I finished crying in the instant that you left And I can't remember where or when or how And I banished every memory you and I had ever made

But when you touch me like this And you hold me like that I have to admit That it's all coming back to me When I touch you like this And I hold you like that It's so hard to believe but It's all coming back to me (It's all coming back, it's all coming back to me now)

There were moments of gold And there were flashes of light There were things I'd never do again But then they'd always seem right There were nights of endless pleasure It was more than any laws allow Baby, Baby

And if I kiss you like this And if you whisper like that It was lost long ago But it's all coming back to me If you want me like this And you need me like that It was dead long ago But it's all coming back to me I can barely recall But it's all coming back to me now But it's all coming back There were those empty threats and hollow lies And whenever you tried to hurt me I just hurt you even worse And so much deeper

There were hours that just went on for days When alone at last we'd count up all the chances That were lost to us forever

But you were history with the slamming of the door And I made myself so strong again somehow And I never wasted any of my time on you since then

But if I touch you like that And you kiss me like that It was so long ago But it's all coming back to me

If you touch me like this And you kiss me like that It was gone with the wind But it's all coming back to me (It's all coming back, it's all coming back to me now)

There were moments of gold And there were flashes of light There were things we'd never do again But then they'd always seem right There were nights of endless pleasure It was more than any laws allow Baby, Baby, Baby

When you touch me like this And you hold me like that It was gone with the wind But it's all coming back to me When you see me like this And I see you like that Then we see what we want to see It's all coming back to me The flesh and the fantasies All coming back to me I can barely recall But it's all coming back to me now

If you forgive me all this And I forgive you all that We forgive and forget And it's all coming back to me When you see me like this And I see you like that We see just what we want to see All coming back to me The flesh and the fantasies All coming back to me I can barely recall but it's all coming back to me now

(It's all coming back to me now) When you kiss me like this (It's all coming back to me now) And I touch you like that (It's all coming back to me now) If you do it like this (It's all coming back to me now) And if we…

THE END

*Referring to "The Time Machine" by H.G. Wells ** The song I talked about in the beginning (duh! <g>) ***This is dedicated to Jennifer Eagan (JEAGAN@aolcom) — the best scenario writer I know and my friend. ~LL***

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