ok. so after much debate, mainly with myself, i've decided to post Clark's POV to Lilies. if you haven't read Lilies, you can probably still read this and be okay, but it still might be better to read Lilies first. Something For Lois was Chloe's POV to Lilies. you don't have to have read it before this, though. but i do recommend that you read it, but then again, i'm a little biased.
this will be several chapters at least, but i'm not sure how many at this point. but more like Lilies, which was Lois' POV.
and again, i'm doing my best to not be repetitive. but parts of this story will follow close to that of Lilies. just so you know. but let ME know if this is too repetitive and i'll do my best to remedy that.
so, i hope you enjoy. feedback is appreciated and loved. it truly means a lot and i hope it makes me a better writer!
oh, and chapter 2 should be up in the next day or so.
Author: Alison
Disclaimer: Characters belong to DC, WB, AlMiles, etc., etc., etc. I only own the story. I will never again say I own my cat. We all know what happened last time.
Chapter 1
"Do I have to?"
Why? She doesn't need it.
"Yes, you do."
"She's making her own money now. She has a job. Why do we have to keep feeding her?"
So, maybe he just didn't want to see her right now. Didn't want to hear her insults. She always had them. Of course, he had a few of his own lately.
"Clark Kent. Shut your mouth and take this food to Lois. No questions asked."
Usually, he wouldn't back talk his own mother. But this was about Lois, the woman who, single handedly, had become the bane of his existence.
He sighed. Loudly.
"I feel bad that she couldn't come over tonight for dinner. Besides, she's done a lot for this family, Clark. The least we can do is feed her. She deserves a home-cooked meal after all she's done."
Setting his now half-empty glass of milk down on the counter, he swiveled around on the barstool and saw the look on his mother's face. That look. The Martha Kent half-smile. Somehow, he always fell for it.
He dropped his gaze and nodded his head. He knew she was right. But he wasn't going to admit it. Not yet.
He slowly slid off the barstool and walked to the dining table, grabbing his jacket off one of the chairs and keys off the table.
Throwing his jacket on, he walked to the kitchen island and picked up the bag of leftovers. The leftovers he should be eating for lunch tomorrow. But obviously someone else deserved it more.
His mother stood there with that knowing smile plastered on her face. Somehow, it appeared, she knew he'd do it.
She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek as he hurried out the door. The sooner he left, the sooner he could get back. Why would anyone want to spend more time than necessary with Lois?
The rain beat down on him as he ran out to the old red pickup truck. It was freezing. He wouldn't have been able to tell, but his breath, visible through the raindrops in the night air, gave it away.
He hopped in the truck, started the engine and began the journey he didn't want to take.
Why was he going? He could've put his foot down. She doesn't need the food. She's got her own. Why did he have to do anything for her?
But it was starting to appear that Clark Kent couldn't resist any of the women in his life.
He pulled the truck into the back alley of the old movie theater. He grabbed the bag of food and stepped out, making his way through the downpour to the back entrance.
He slid the key in the lock and turned the handle. His heartbeat picked up speed. His mind was racing with possible comebacks to possible insults that might be hurled upon his entrance.
He walked through the dark stock room and kitchen, making his way through the swinging door to the front counter of the small café, and muttering under his breath all the while about ways he should've responded to her comments in the past. He slowly sauntered over to the stairs and up to the small one bedroom apartment.
His feet suddenly stopped one step from the top. He should've heard it sooner, but his muttering kept him from it.
There it was again. But, it didn't seem right.
Was she crying?
Lois Lane never cried. Well, that's not true. He did see her cry once, but it was an accident. Sort of. He honestly didn't know she'd be at Chloe's grave then. But even when he heard her crying from across the cemetery that day, it didn't sound like this.
No, this was different. Somehow, this was deeper.
He was pretty sure she wasn't hurt. He was pretty certain there was no one in there hurting her. After all, she could take care of herself. And she didn't cry when she did it.
He didn't want to look.
But he did it anyway. Just to make sure.
Focusing his eyes on the door, he instantly saw through it and into the tiny apartment. She was sitting, holding something in her hand, with her back to the door.
What had happened? Was she okay?
He didn't want to disturb her. Well, part of him didn't.
He slowly and quietly turned the doorknob and carefully slid into the room.
Should he say something? She was just sitting there. Crying. He felt a need to comfort her.
Wait. A need to comfort Lois? No, that's not right. Right?
What was going on?
He took a deep breath, set up his defenses, and mustered up his courage to prepare for anything that came hurling his way. Verbally or physically.
"Lois?"
She didn't move, though he swore he saw her flinch.
"Smallville, you have got to start knocking. That's what the door is there for."
He could tell she was trying to wipe the tears away. She obviously didn't want him to see. It probably wasn't a good time to tell her that he had super-hearing and knew she was crying before he even set foot inside.
No, that conversation was for a later time. That is, if it happened at all.
He didn't need this right now. He didn't deserve to be treated this way. He was just trying to do something nice by bringing her some food.
Okay, so really his mom threw him a guilt trip and he fell for it. But still. She didn't know that. She could be nicer.
"I'm sorry, Lois, I just came by to bring you some food. Mom felt bad when you said you couldn't make it over to dinner tonight. She made meatloaf and we had extra. She insisted I bring the leftovers to you."
That came out nicer than he meant. Sometimes, he wished his parents hadn't taught him to be so good. But apparently, he couldn't help it. And sometimes, he was grateful for that.
"Thanks. You can just put it in the fridge."
Just put it in the fridge? He glanced into the kitchen. No plates, clean or dirty. Nothing in the sink. She more than likely hadn't eaten.
"Aren't you hungry?"
"No."
Something wasn't right. She was clearly upset about something.
But did he dare try to figure out what it was?
He should've walked out right then. He should've thrown the food on the counter and left. He should've told her that she shouldn't treat people that way when they were only trying to be nice.
But he didn't.
"Are you okay? Do you want to talk about it?"
So maybe he just couldn't stand seeing anyone upset. Maybe he just had a natural tendency to want to help people. Because for some reason, he just couldn't leave.
"Not really. I just wanna be alone right now. I'm fine."
She's fine? She had a very loose definition of the word 'fine.'
He walked towards the sofa. He plopped the bag of food on the counter as he stepped closer to her.
She didn't move, except for her hands, which were furiously moving pictures from one spot on the floor to a small box filled with old photographs next to her. What was she doing?
"Really, Smallville. I'm okay. Tell your mom thanks for the meatloaf. I'm sure it's delicious."
She wouldn't look up. But as she reached in front of her on the floor to grab a handful of pictures, that's when he saw it. He saw her face.
It was tear-stained and red. She had been crying. No, this wasn't just crying. This was much more.
He had never seen Lois like this. Lana? Now she cried. She didn't care who saw her cry.
But not Lois. Lois only cried when she had to. Like at Chloe's grave. But, why now? It just didn't make any sense.
He had to know.
He walked closer and sat on one end of the couch. Her hands never stopped moving. Moving from the box to the floor and back again. The pictures were circulating. She didn't seem to notice.
"What're you doing, Lois?"
"Just organizing some things."
Organizing? Lying wasn't always one of her strong point.
He noticed she held a tight grip on one picture in particular. He studied the woman's face before he realized who she was. He remembered the picture in the General's office at the base.
"That's your mom, isn't it?"
Her hands stopped moving as she hesitated before answering.
"Yeah."
Her voice was softer. So, was this the reason she was upset?
He looked at the picture again. The woman had long blonde hair and hazel eyes. She was sitting on a large rock holding a bouquet of lilies as a great valley spread out behind her. Lois looked like her mother.
"She's beautiful."
"Yes, she was."
"You look like her."
Oh no. He didn't mean to say that. Er…well, he did. But, only about Lois' mom. He thought Lois' mom was beautiful. He wasn't saying that Lois was beautiful. Well, Lois was attractive. No. Wait. Uh…it's just…um.
"Thanks."
What? No insulting remark? No 'so you have been checking me out, Smallville' comment? Just 'thanks'?
He was pretty sure he'd hear about it later.
He watched as she gently placed the old photo back in the box and then began sifting through the piles of pictures that were scattered in the floor.
She wasn't talking. She wasn't offering up anything. He hadn't been insulted once since he got there.
"Lois, are you sure you're okay?"
He had to know. This was gonna drive him crazy until he knew.
Lois Lane perplexed him. He hardly ever knew what she was thinking, yet somehow they always seemed to understand each other.
Of course, she also infuriated him. She bossed him around when she had no right to do so and she was rude a majority of the time.
But maybe that's why he was so confused now. She wasn't being Lois Lane. At least, not the Lois Lane he'd come to know.
She stopped what she was doing and turned to look up at him. His eyes met hers. He saw her face fully and was immediately taken aback. Now, he was worried.
Somehow he'd come to care for her over the last year. Maybe it was because she was Chloe's cousin. Maybe it was because she helped out his parents after the meteor shower. He might even admit it was because they secretly acknowledged they were friends.
But, it was certainly not because he had feelings for her.
She held his gaze for a brief moment, then quickly turned to sorting the pictures once again.
He sighed. What was the point? She wasn't going to talk. The woman was stubborn as a mule.
His gaze fell to the box that sat in the floor in between Lois and his foot. The picture was right on top. That picture meant something. She was holding it so tight. He reached in and slowly picked it up.
"Where was this taken? It looks gorgeous."
"Germany. In Heidelberg overlooking the Rhine Valley. That was about a year before I was born. My dad was stationed at the base there."
"So they were already married?"
"Yeah. It was their anniversary and everything had to be perfect. They went up to the castle above the city for a tour and had a picnic afterwards. Daddy said he had to look in every florist shop in town to find those lilies. They were Mom's favorite." She stopped and smiled. "I remember her telling me when I was little that he said he would've moved mountains to find those flowers that day."
He'd never heard her talk about things like this. Even when Lucy made her surprise visit, the sisters didn't speak fondly of their family life.
But he remembered how Lois defended her mother to Lucy that day in the mansion. He remembered her biting, defensive words. "Don't you dare bring mom into this."
Lois loved her mother. That much was obvious. But she had also said that she could talk about it. She wasn't crying when she admitted that. So what was different now?
He slid off the sofa and sat in the floor, the box of pictures in between them. He leaned back against the sofa and studied the picture more carefully.
"She died thirteen years ago today."
