"He looks so happy," the first girl said, looking through the wide french windows from the darkness of the balcony.

"And she's practically radiating," replied the second one, slowly making her way to a stone bench located there.

"He can't seem to be able to take his hands off her," the second girl commented again, refusing to move from her position by the windows.

"Well, she can't seem to move that far from him either," the blond replied from the bench, as she smiled wistfully.

"When did it happen?" the brunette finally turned from the windows to make her way to sit by her friend.

"I don't know, when I was away, I suppose, or even earlier" came the reply.

"Does she know? Of his secret?"

"Yes, she does."

"And she is ok with it?"

"Well, according to him, he should have told her earlier. He said she made him strong; and gave him the courage to be stronger."

"Wow, and we didn't?" came an indignant reply.

The blond smiled, "I don't know... Apparently not. Come to think of it, I think I sort of pushed him to be who he's supposed to be well before he was ready for it."

"While I pulled him back …. and so she came at the right time?"

"She was there for him at the right time."

The brunette nodded at the blond's words.

"Are you ok with it? I know you have claimed that stake on him well before we came along?" the beautiful girl asked.

The blond smiled, "I've learned to accept it a long time ago, I guess."

"But, you have Oliver now. A worthy substitute."

"Well, maybe a more suitable one. But worthy and comparable to him….I don't know…." She trailed off. "What about you?"

"I've stopped looking completely," the brunette answered ruefully.

"I was not good enough for him, while you, the cheerleader, were too unattainable," the petite blond laughed slightly. "While my cousin….she's just right."

"She's perfect for him….perfect for a super man."

"She gave him that name, you know, as with The Blur and the Green Arrow….I suppose she does have a knack with words…," the blond stared into the night, reminicsing of the profession that should have been hers. "Who would have thought, huh? Him and her?"

"I did. He once said that she was bossy, stuck up and rude; gosh, I can still remember his words," the brunette said with a little laugh. "But I told him that the best ones always started that way. Little did I know, huh? I only meant it as a friendship."

"Well, it did start of that way, I think. But sometimes, I feel that they hid it from us. Always pretending to be at loggerheads all the time," the petite blond laughed thinking at some of the antics of her cousin and bestfriend. "I guess I knew way back when too."

"Really, how?"

"Oh, I don't know, little things. Like the way they argue all the time but still never failing to tease each other. It was covert flirting, if you asked me," she smiled. "He never flirted with me that way; and not with you either, right? With you, it was more of a reverence, while with me like a pal who happened to be of the opposite sex."

The brunette smiled at the truth behind the blond's words.

"It was also the way they knew what the other was thinking or going to say. How she got him all riled up from nothing. You know how laid back he normally is. But when she is around, he seems to be sitting on the edge of his seat. Waiting to jump at the slightest thing she says," the blond continued.

"But the most telling was at the school fair once, when she managed to dunk him in the water. It was all in the open and quite innocent really, but when they laughed, it was like the whole world was blocked out and it were just the two of them there. It was there and then that I came to terms that, he will never be mine. He will be yours, hers and anybody else but me," she said sadly.

And then, like she could not stop her train of thought, she continued, "But Ollie told me that he confessed that while one part of have always loved her, it was actually The Blur who made him realised that he was in love with her."

"The Blur?"

"Uh huh, he called her once, out of the blue. He said it was to keep her out of trouble, but personally, I think he's been wanting to speak to her as The Blur,but just could not find the right time to do so," the blond replied.

"How did the Blur make realise he's in love with her?" asked the brunnette, not really eager to know the answer but curious just the same.

"Well, he always suspected that the brash side of her is just a mask. That she's really hiding her true self. She just acts bossy and loud as a built in defence. And it's true. On the phone and with a faceless stranger, she shared her inner most secrets. Along the way, she bacame his confidante as well."

"As much as I hate to say this, buy I am jealous as hell. I still feel that I have some claims on him, given our history together. I don't even mind sharing him with you because you came in even earlier than me, but her…" the brunnette trailed off. "You know how much I want to say that it's all right and that the right guy will come along one day, which for you, one already has," she smiled, "I also know that he is one in a million and that, there can be no substitution."

The brunnette continued, "Before I knew his secret, I already felt that he was special, and that there was a huge secret that he was protecting. His family was undercover agents, or that they were in a protection programme. Then later, I thought he was meteor infected. Hmmm…never did I imagine…" she trailed off.

"Well, at least, he told you on his own accord. I found out by accident," the blond said grudgingly, then realizing her mistake, she laughingly added, "after all this time, and even with Ollie by my side, he still manages to upset me like this."

"But at least you are still part of his life, and he went through hell and back with Oliver to find you," the brunette smiled trying to reassure her but then continued a little bitterly, "He didn't even send me a letter to ask me how I was when I left. Or to me help find a cure."

The blond had no words to console her friend. She could only reach out and hug her from the side.

"Let's go in. It's getting chilly," she said.

"No, Chloe, I'm still not ready to meet him again. And looking at him now, I don't know when I ever will," her friend answered.

"Don't you want to come in and say hello to everybody," Chloe asked in alarm.

"No, dear, not this time. This is their engagement party. Remember what happened at the last matrimonial event I attended," she smiled.

"Are you sure…" the blond tried again.

"Yes, very. Please tell no one I was here tonight. I just read the announcement in the news and had to see for myself," she smiled ruefully. "This is torturous enough, so I don't think I'll gate crash the wedding either," she laughed.

"Lana…"

"I'll be fine, Chlo. You make sure that everything works out ok for you and Oliver, you hear. At least one of us deserve to end up happily ever after with one billionaire," she smiled.

"You bet your pants I will, that or die trying," the petite lady laughed.

"I'll be off now, Chlo. You take care and help take care of all those I love here too, ok, including your dear cousin. She really deserves him."

"Yes, she does. She has gone through a lot for him too," the blond said.

"I know. Bye now, Chloe. I love you."

"I love you too, Lana. Please don't be a stranger and do come home soon," she pleaded.

The beautiful brunette simply smiled and gave her friend a tight hug.

In a split second, all Chloe Sullivan felt was a cloud of air between her slim arms.

Smiling sadly and silently wishing her friend well, she went back into the Queen Mansion to be in the bosom of her family and friends and to continue celebrating the couple in question - the Man of Steel and his Intrepid Lady Reporter.