This is an old fic that I wrote, but I thought I would post it here for others to read :)

Prologue

Clark sat staring blankly at his computer screen. For the last half an hour he hadn't done anything else. His mind was elsewhere at that moment. Sitting in the dark empty basement of the Daily Planet, he should be focusing on his job, should be typing something, he knew.

But no matter how hard he tried he couldn't get his mind off recent events. He knew what had caused it, a certain vivacious brunette had been weighing heavily on his mind since she had sauntered out of the Daily Planet that night, two weeks earlier and he had barely seen her since.

The only times he had a chance to speak to her were when she popped in quickly to get something or late at night when she was leaving. She was always out chasing down leads, she never stayed in the same room with him for very long and he knew that she was avoiding him. He wasn't sure what to do about it, and he had to admit that he missed her being around.

"Why don't we just table this whole office, thrown together in the trenches, sparks thing? Okay? Back to basics, keep the game on the field." She had told him after she found out about Chloe's little mishap with Zatanna.

Clark didn't really know why, but those words had had a weird effect on him and even though he had agreed and said that was a good rule, it had caused the last few weeks to replay in his head.

One that stood out, however, was telling her his secret. Even though she didn't remember it, he did, and he remembered her reaction clearly. He honestly didn't know what he had been expecting of Lois Lane but he had been surprised that she had been so accepting of him.

And when things took a turn for the worse, she had been fiercely protective of him too. He knew that he could tell her now and she would react the same way but he didn't want to do that to her. He wanted her to be free of the pain and trouble that knowing who he really was, would cause.

He sighed and rubbed at his eyes, why couldn't he get her off his mind?

Part of him knew why but wasn't willing to admit it out loud. The fact that she had had three dates now with the man she had met on her flight back from Mexico was bothering him more then it should.

"Looks like someone's having a busy night." A voice spoke from the doorway and Clark's head snapped up to see Chloe standing there, smiling at him sympathetically.

"Hey Chloe, what are you doing here this late?" He asked as she grabbed a chair and sat down next to him.

"You weren't answering your phone and you weren't at the farm. I figured I'd take a chance and find you here. What are you sitting in the dark for?"

"I'm just catching up on a few things. How's things going with Jimmy?"

Chloe took in a deep breath at the mention of her husband's name and grimaced.

"Slowly, very slowly. But hey, at least he's talking to me again."

"Do you think you two can patch things up?"

"I don't know Clark, it's early days but if he can't trust me I honestly don't know where we can go from there. Anyway, how about we go grab some dinner. I'm starving and I would say that you could use a break too." She said getting halfway out of her chair before he spoke.

"Actually I think I'm gonna hang out here for a little longer." He replied, avoiding her gaze. She sat back down and sighed.

"She isn't coming back here tonight Clark. She's out on a date so I should say she'll go straight home." Chloe said softly.

"I wasn't…" He trailed off at the look Chloe gave him. "I'm not hanging around here for her. I really had some things I needed to take care of." He defended.

"And the fact that Lois is out on another date tonight doesn't bother you at all?"
Chloe asked, throwing him a sceptical look.

"No. She can date whoever and whenever she wants." He said but again avoiding her eyes and fiddling with his tie.

"Uh-huh." Chloe nodded, clearly disbelieving. "Come on Clark we've talked about this already. I know you're still a little hurt over what happened with…well after recent events but I thought you'd decided to put all that behind you?"

"I have but that doesn't mean I'm just gonna jump into something with Lois when she could end up getting hurt because of it. I can't do that to her Chloe. I've already hurt her enough."

"Is that all it is?" He looked over at his best friend, her eyebrows raised questioningly at him.

"Of course, what else would it be?" Chloe looked down at her hands and shook her head.

"Clark, I'm not going to launch into another 'I think you should go for it' speech because I know you're not going to listen anyway. But for the record, if you are truly over Lana and you want to move on, you need to think about doing it soon. Lois may have made her feelings to you crystal clear but she's not the kind of person to sit around moping and waiting for you. And personally I don't think she should either."

"Like me you mean?" He asked and she just shrugged. Clark smiled a little and leaned back in his chair.

"Oh this is all such a mess. I don't even know if I want something to happen with Lois. She doesn't really know what went on when Lana came back and I'm kinda glad. She just thinks that Lana came back for a few weeks and then took off again. Besides, things with Lana ended so badly that I didn't really get the closure that I now know I needed."

"Careful Clark, you're starting to sound like a man." Chloe chuckled.

"Hey!" He glared and was about to ask her what she meant by that when Chloe's phone started ringing.

"Hello?" She said still chuckling at Clark as she answered.

"Chloe? Um are you in Metropolis?"

"Yeah Lois, what's up?" Chloe asked, silently observing Clark's head shoot up when he heard who she was speaking to. She lowered her head but still managed to see his face from the corner of her eyes.

"Well this is kind of embarrassing but could you come pick me up?"

"Uh…sure where are you?" There was a pause on the other end. "Lo?"

"I'm at the Metropolis police station." She said in a low voice.

"What? What are you doing there, shouldn't you be out on a date with what's his name?"

"Well actually I'm kind of in the police station but…um it's a long story Chloe and I'll tell you when you get here. Please?"

"Okay, I'm on my way. Be there in a few." She was about to hang up when Lois' voice stopped her.

"Chlo? Are you by any chance with Clark?"

"Yeah why?"

"I don't want him here okay?" She replied in a firm tone that Chloe knew not to argue with.

"Okay no problem." She hung up and looked at Clark. He was frowning.

"Why is she at the police station?" He asked.

"Clark! You eavesdropped?"

"No actually turns out I didn't need to anyway. You have your volume set so loud I could hear it from here without any advantages." He replied.

Chloe huffed out a sigh and said. "I don't know why she's there, maybe she got a lead on a juicy story or something. Anyway, I'd better go."

"But why wouldn't she want me to come with you?" Chloe had been hoping he hadn't heard that part. She turned to face him.

"I don't know Clark, she didn't say. But I don't think it's hard to imagine why. I'll call you later okay?" He nodded but didn't reply as she walked out of the bullpen.

He looked at his computer screen one more time, his hands hovering over the keyboard but his mind was going over what he'd just heard. Why was Lois there of all places and why didn't she want him to come?

He thought that they were at least still friends but judging by that phone call and the fact that she hadn't even thought to call him, something had obviously shifted in their relationship. He didn't want that to happen.

He wanted to know that if nothing else, he still had her friendship. It was important to him and he didn't want to lose that.

After a few minutes of arguing with himself he put on his jacket and headed out the door.