Title: Upon a Time 1/4
Author: Nadia
Rated: PG
Disclaimer: I Own Nothing
Timeline: Pre-Season 4
Summary: Clark Kent finally meets the cousin his best friend, Chloe Sullivan, has been telling him about for years.

Smallville High School, The Torch

Clark has spent the last few hours after school typing furiously on the keyboard for an article he was forced to complete after one of Chloe's volunteers caught the flu.

He keeps on typing, trying to come up with a suitable closing so he could finally end the day.

He found none and his mind was oblivious to everything around him.

"Careful there, farm boy, I doubt the Board of Education file claims for students who develop carpal tunnel syndrome."

Clark turned around, mildly bewildered. The voice was unfamiliar to him and meeting her face to face, her eyes weren't either.

"Excuse me," he could only say.

Looking at him from top to bottom, "So you're Clark Kent," she says.

He raised his eyebrows; a neon sign can fly across him that said confused while the girl… or woman before him looked at him with a sly grin.

"Have we met?" Clark's stomach starts to flutter and it was a feeling that only ever happens when he's nervous.

"Not until now," she quipped, approaching him and holding her hand out. "Nice to finally meet you, Smallville"

"Huh?" He briefly wondered where she came up with the term 'Smallville' but then realized he was living in the town. "I'm sorry," he hesitantly shook her hand. "I'm a little confused"

And then that's when it happened. Her grin turned into a smile, and to him it was infectious.

They stood, staring at one another for a moment when another person walked into the room.

"Sorry I took so long, cuz." Clark turned to see Chloe pass him and hug the woman he still has yet to meet.

He points back and forth. "You know her, Chloe?" The question was stupid; of course they knew each other. A reporter he is not.

"Yup!" she exclaimed, her face gleaming with excitement. "Clark, meet Lois Lane, my cousin," she announced cheerfully. Clark had never seen her look or sound so happy, especially when it had nothing to do with a story.

"Lois Lane?"

She raised a hand in the air. "Guilty," she replied, smiling.

"Wow," Clark says softly.

Chloe and Lois looks at him oddly with a 'huh' and 'what' reaction.

"Cow," he recovered. "Umm… I… umm… have to get going?" He goes to grab his stuff messed across several desks.

"Now? I was hoping we could all go out for dinner," says Chloe.

Stuffing one last piece of notebook in his back pack, Clark turned to them, but keeping eye contact away from Lois.

"I'm really sorry, Chloe, but I forgot that I have to check on the farm tonight." He walks around several desks. "I'll see you guys later." He stopped and halted in front of a still Lois, confused about which direction to leave in, her left or her right. "It's nice meeting you, Lois"

Then he was gone.

"He was pretty weird," observed Lois.

"That's Clark Kent for ya," Chloe agreed.

Then Lois added, "Works for him though"

To be continued…