Spoilers: Starts after season 10... but will cover events through season 4-10 depending on how the story goes.
Plot: Metropolis 2012 - Lois wakes up to a world without Superman...Something has happened in history which has messed up the proper course of history. Jor-el sends her on a quantum leap style adventure to put things right...
A/N: This is my first attempt at a time travel fan-fic. I have trouble getting my head around time travel paradoxes etc...so please forgive any glaring inconsistencies.
Lois woke up, as she often did. She stretched over and felt out for Clark but he was not there. In the six months since they married, she had become accustomed to his vanishing at all times of the day and night. She knew when she took her vows that she would have to share him with world, something that never made her resentful. It made her proud.
Ever since Clark had turned into his alter ego Superman and come out of the shadows, life had been much easier for him and for other superheroes. The Vigilante Registration Act had been scrapped due to overwhelming public pressure.
She turned over in bed to go back to sleep but then realised that she heard something odd. She listened carefully and heard the blaring of horns and police sirens. If she hadn't have known any different she would have sworn she was in the middle of the city rather than on the peace and quiet of the Kent Farm.
She jumped out of bed to see what was going on and promptly tripped over the rug on the floor. There had never been a rug on the floor. Panicking she ran over to the window, and came face to face with doors leading on to a balcony. She went out, and noticed the skyline of Metropolis surrounding her.
"What the hell?" Lois started to hyperventilate. "I need to find Clark."
Suddenly she was enveloped in a bright light. She opened her eyes to find herself standing at the Fortress of Solitude.
"Jor-el, do you know what is happening?" Lois shouted at the structure.
"Lois, there has been a breach somewhere in time which has caused your present reality to change." The voice boomed. "I have been able to trace the cause but not when the breach occurred. Lana Lang somehow acquired the legion ring which took you into the future three years ago. She has gone back and changed something in the past."
"We need to talk to Clark. He is the only one who can confront her with her superpowers."
"That may prove difficult. In this reality Lana is married to Kal-el. She may not have powers if she changed events prior to putting on the suit."
Lois could not believe what she was hearing but then realised this was not her Clark. "That is obviously her motive for changing things. I have waited for her to come back at some point. So what can we do?"
"Can you try and get the ring back off her and bring it to the Fortress? I can keep it here and use it to send you back. If Lana keeps the ring, there is a chance that she will go back and change more things. " Jor-el replied.
"Send me back where?" Lois asked.
"Back to the time to change things back. Lana is aware of events which have changed but no one else is, so you have to be careful to act normally as though you do not know anything is amiss." Jor-el explained.
"Ok, I will see what I can find out. I just wish I had some idea what this new reality was like. Why have I not been affected by the change of events? I should not be able to remember how things used to be." She said, her head spinning trying to get her head around this time travel concept.
"When you married my son, I have shielded you from an event such as this, although I expected Brianiac to be the main threat. You are the main reason my son has become the man he is today and now you are the only one who can change his destiny back to how it should be."
Lois was transported back to her apartment where she needed to formulate a plan to get the legion ring back.
Lois got dressed and started looking through her apartment for any clues that would help her cope in this new alien world. She was relieved when she found no signs of a wedding ring or photos of her and another man in the apartment. It was hard enough to witness Clark married to someone else never mind having to play happy families with someone else.
Jor-el could only give her limited information, the rest she would have to work out on her own. She had managed to work out that she was still a reporter at the Daily Planet but was still in the basement working with Jeff as a partner. There were photos of her at work, and some with Chloe. Luckily the one with her cousin looked recent. She found her cell phone on the bedside table and flicked through the phone numbers. Chloe was number 1 on speed dial.
She waited until 7am and then dialled. "Hi Chloe..."
"Lois, what time do you call this? You have woken up Jimmy now and you know how grumpy he will be if he doesn't get his sleep."
"Can we meet for breakfast this morning? I need to talk."
"Ok, how about 8.30am at the coffee shop on Main Street." Chloe whispered.
"Ok, see you there." Lois said hanging up the phone and she hoped there was only one coffee shop on that street.
Chloe did not look much different, just a slightly changed hairstyle. She did look happy though, in fact maybe she would have done if Jimmy had survived. Oliver and she never quite worked out because ever since the day Chloe had put on Dr Fate's helmet, she had always had a more important purpose.
She would disappear out of Oliver's life for long periods of time. Ollie was besotted with her, but even Clark had commented last week about the growing closeness between him and Dinah. Who could blame him?
"Hi Lois. You look rough! Did you not sleep? I bet you spent the night chasing a story. I always said you were married to your work."
"How is your job going?" Lois asked, hoping Chloe did have a job otherwise her cousin would soon be getting suspicious.
"It going well. Working with Oliver means two days are never the same." She smiled.
Lois wondered what she did for Oliver, but worked out it would something to do with computers.
"So how is it going at the Planet?" Chloe asked.
"I love journalism. After all the time I spent telling you I didn't want to be a journalist." Lois smiled.
"I know. I am convinced that you only went into journalism because Gabriel Grant told you that you would make a good reporter. I soon noticed that it was in your blood."
"So any gossip?"
Chloe smiled. "Just the usual, nothing ever changes in this town except the rising crime figures."
"It's getting bad isn't it?" Lois added to try and gain more information.
"It is even getting to the point where Oliver is reluctant to go out as Green Arrow because he thinks he will get killed. It is starting to affect the economy. No one will come near the city with business."
"Isn't it Lana birthday soon?" Lois asked out of the blue.
Chloe just glared at her. "Are you trying to be funny? There is no way I will ever talk to her again after what she has done to Clark."
"It was bad wasn't it?" Lois said, not knowing what she was talking about.
"You don't even know the full story." Chloe looked annoyed. "She trapped him, making him feel guilty every time he tries to leave the marriage. That farm is going under and she blames him for everything."
"Are things that bad at the farm?" Lois inquired.
"They are worse than bad but she won't even get a job to help them out. Lana would kill him if she found out that he had kept in touch with me all these years." Chloe smiled.
"Why don't I go and see if I can talk some sense into her." Lois replied.
"Yeah right...Lois, you have always been further down on Lana's popularity list than me. Clark has never forgiven you either for investigating him for your father."
"I never did that." Lois replied.
"I know you didn't, but the evidence was really stacked against you with that anonymous letter and all those photos of Clark found in your bag. I have always said that Lana planted them." Chloe announced.
"Why would my father want to spy on Clark anyway? Can you tell me the whole story again?"
"Isn't it obvious? Lana was convinced you knew Clark had powers. She found out through Clark had by getting him to save her after she fell off the bridge. I am still puzzled as to how she managed to fall over two sets of barriers. Anyway she was convinced you had found out and you were going to betray him to your father, putting him at risk from the US Security Dept. It still shocks me how the Kent's took her side and chucked you out on to the streets."
"Do you not think he will be over it by now? I mean how long ago wasn't it?" Lois asked, grasping at straws.
"As you tell me all the time May 14th 2005 was the date when you were chucked out because you always blame that as the day your life was screwed up." Chloe joked. "Are you ok this morning? It's like you have never been here before."
"Just tired, I guess."
So now Lois had a date, she needed to get the legion ring and head back in time to prevent Lana turning Clark and his family against her...
At lunchtime Lois decided to tell her boss that she was going out of town on a story and headed towards the farm. She did find it embarrassing when she needed to ask someone which car was hers. She looked at it, not entirely convinced it would make it on the hour's drive to Smallville.
Chloe had mentioned that Lana was out of town for a few days and that Clark had his mom and dad visiting. Lois was thrilled that she was going to see Jonathan again. He had obviously not died in this reality. She was horrified when Chloe mentioned that Lana had made Clark throw his parents off the farm so she could take it over. Apparently there was no love lost between Lana and his parents and that is why they visited when Lana was out of town.
In fact during her morning at the Planet, Lois had done a little investigation on events going on in the world. Some of the facts startled her. Lex and Lionel Luthor were still alive and were making a bid for the 2012 Presidential Elections. Rumour had it that it was the Luthor's who had driven Metropolis into the crime infested city it now was.
The thought of having Lex in charge of the country was terrifying. It mirrored a dream Clark had once had about the world plunging into World War 3 when Lex was in charge.
She pulled up the driveway of the farm. She was shocked by the scenes of ruin and dilapidation. The barn was covered in holes, the wood starting to rot and the house looked as though it had not been painted since she lived there.
She parked her car and went to knock on the door. Martha came to the door, but not the usual smiling and happy woman that Lois was used to. Somewhere along the way she had lost her usual sparkle and 'mom' look as Lois liked to call it.
"Lois, what a surprise!" Martha hugged her. Lois breathed a sigh of relief as she did not expect a cordial welcome. "It has been years since we last saw you. How have you been?"
"Fine, how about you?"
"You know..." Martha replied flatly. "Come in...Lana is away for a few days so it should be fine to stay for a while." She seemed scared of Lana.
Lois sat down and had a cup of coffee. "So how are you really? Something tells me that things are not great."
Martha placed her hand on Lois's. "Lois, I need to apologise for kicking you out of the house that day. We should never have chosen to believe Lana over you. We know she set you up because she was jealous of your friendship with Clark."
"Do you not get on with Lana?" Lois asked.
"No, not after the way she has treated our son and kicked us out of the farm. I think Clark even hates her now, and that can't be healthy for Christopher. We keep telling Clark to get out but he knows he cannot leave."
"I don't understand, why can't he just leave?"
"Lana threatens Clark with the fact he will not see his son again."
The colour drained from her face. Clark and Lana had a baby and that is why he would not leave. "How old is Christopher now?"
"He will be six in March." Martha said proudly.
Suddenly Clark and his dad came through the door laughing and joking. Lois noticed the cute dark haired child sitting on Clark's shoulders. He ducked so Chris would not hit his head on the door frame.
"Almost hit my head, daddy." Chris giggled at his dad. "Can I go and play on my computer please."
"Ok." Clark replied, tickling his son as he put him down, and then suddenly noticed the familiar person sitting at the table. He looked at her with a horrified expression. "What are you doing here?" he said with venom in his voice.
"Clark, Lois just came by to see how we were doing?" Martha defended her.
He waited until Chris was out of earshot. "I told you never to come here again. I will be in the barn until she is gone." He walked out of the door.
Lois knew this would not be easy but she needed to find the legion ring. "I need to go and see him."
Lois followed him into the barn and climbed up the stairs to the loft. "Clark, we need to talk." She said.
He gave her an intense stare. "No we don't..." he marched up to her, making her back away in fear of what he would do.
Soon she was up against the railing, she could not go back any further so waited for him to do what he was about to do. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. Suddenly she felt his lips on hers. Automatically she reciprocated, deepening the kiss. Within seconds she could feel his hands undoing her blouse.
She pulled away from him, realising what was going to happen. "What is going on?"
His face was full of emotion. "I am sorry Lo but this is the only way I could get sometime alone with you. I know I have been promising to spend more time with you but if she finds out, she will take Chris away from me."
Lois realised what Clark was saying. They were having an affair...