AN: This is an old story that I wrote on Sweet over a year ago, but I wanted to repost it here. Be sure to read and review.

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Chapter I

The steady tapping of rain on the window should have lulled her to sleep hours ago, but there was too much on her mind to even consider sleeping. She sighed and opened her green eyes to glance at her clock.

3:57

Sighing, she slipped out of her bed, silently padding out of her room and over to the couch. Might as well look out the window and sort through her thoughts. She ran her fingers through her raven hair. She was newly divorced with an upcoming trial for custody of her seven-year-old daughter.

Lana turned her thoughts to Mike. The bastard. He didn't care about their daughter. She couldn't figure out what she ever saw in him. The only good thing that had come of their marriage was her gorgeous little girl. It was when their daughter had turned five that the issues really came into light. When she approached him about his drinking problem, he had started yelling at her, with their daughter in the room.

Her little girl had huddled in the corner of the room, wide-eyed and scared, watching her father unleash his fury on her mother. It was when Mike had started coming home drunk and would scream at their daughter that pushed her over the edge. They had tried marriage counseling, and she had once tried to convince him to go to rehabilitation, but nothing worked.

"Mommy?" A timid voice jerked her out of her thoughts. Lana lifted her eyes from the floor to the doorway. The center of her universe stood meekly by the door, her hazel-green eyes watching her mother.

"Did the storm wake you?" She smiled warmly at her daughter, patting the couch beside her welcomingly. Her daughter hurriedly made her way over to sit by her mother as lightning flashed outside. Lana put an arm around her daughter's shoulders reassuringly.

"Mommy, tell me the story about the tornado again." The little girl snuggled against her mother securely. Lana laughed softly and rubbed her shoulder, a light smile gracing her lips.

"You never get tired of that story do you, Kyla?" She chuckled, brushing Kyla's soft, silky raven hair out of her face. "Well, it was the day my boyfriend, Whitney, was leaving to join the army. I was driving back from the bus station and out of nowhere, a row of mailboxes slammed into my windshield. I lost control of the truck and ended up swerving into a ditch." Lana looked down into her daughter's wide eyes before continuing.

"I opened the door and fell out of the car. I made my way over to the road, trying not to be pushed back by the vicious wind. There were three tornadoes heading right for me, so I ran back to the truck, jumped in, and tried to call 911 on my cell phone, but the service was out. The tornado had almost reached the truck when Clark just kind of appears. I scream out for him just as the tornado reaches me. I'm lifted into the air by the tornado. I roll off the front seat and lay face down on the floor, thinking that I'm going to die; but next thing I know, or at least what I think happened, Clark was on top of me, saying that everything would be okay. After that I remember waking up in the hospital."

"Clark saved you." Kyla told her, smiling confidently. Lana stroked her little daughter's hair affectionately. Her little girl was so sweet, so adorable. That just gave her even more reason to have sole custody of her. Mike didn't give a damn about her.

"Now, off to bed with you." Lana hugged her for a moment before gesturing to the door. Kyla giggled and kissed her mother on the cheek, before scurrying off to her room. She smiled after her, sitting back on the couch. One way or another, Lana would do everything possible to have her child.

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"Hey Clark, could you e-mail me the sources for that bank robbery article?" The young woman grinned at her long time friend.

"I'm on it Chloe." He grinned back before sitting in front of her laptop and pulling up a document. "So how's little Maria doing since I last saw her?"

"She's fine, but somehow Pete's successfully been able to get her to turn down all my offers to show her my make-up. He's dead set on keeping her a tomboy." Chloe sighed, smiling as a third woman slid into the desk chair beside them.

"That's not a big surprise. If you had a son, then you'd be able to at least attempt to get her involved in more girl activities." Lois chipped in as she opened her own laptop.

Lois Lane, Chloe Sullivan-Ross, and Clark Kent. The three biggest reporters in Metropolis, and also very close friends. Clark and Lois had dated for a while, but they broke it off after a few months, agreeing to just be friends. Chloe was happily married to Pete Ross with a daughter, but used the last name 'Sullivan' in her articles.

"I bet Pete's enjoying every minute of it too." Clark grinned, chuckling, as he sent the e-mail to Chloe.

"Of course he is. He doesn't have a son, so he treats our daughter like a boy to make up for it." Chloe brushed her hair out of her face, mock-scowling at Clark and Lois' laughter at her situation.

"Don't worry Chlo, once she hits thirteen, she'll start going out, liking boys, maybe not wearing make-up, but still…." Lois shrugged, smirking at her cousin teasingly. Chloe grumbled under her breath, turning back to her laptop. Lois and Clark exchanged a grin and chuckled.

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"My client would like to grant sole custody to the mother."

Lana let these words run through her head. He hadn't even wanted to fight for his daughter, but that was fine by her. Kyla held her hand, brightly walking alongside her mother.

Now that Mike was out of both of their lives, they could have a fresh start, a much better life. She had everything she could have wanted. She had her precious daughter, a good job, a home, and money wasn't an issue. Well, she had almost everything.

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Chapter II

"Chloe Sullivan here." The ace journalist answered, flipping her black cell phone open and resuming her work on her article on her laptop. Lois and Clark would be back at any moment from a little errand to pick up lunch for the three of them.

"Chloe?" That voice was really familiar, but she hadn't been in contact with her for a little over three years. Chloe stopped her typing to sit back in her chair, brow furrowed in confusion. "Lana? Lana Lang?"

"I guess it's a bit of a shock, me calling you after all this time." Lana sounded nervous, uncertain. Chloe shrugged mentally, settling more into her chair. "I-I was just hoping you could do me a huge favor."

"Oh, uhm, sure. Of course Lana. What's your dilemma?" Chloe smiled curiously, her blue-green eyes trailing over the text on her computer screen. Her mind was racing, going over possible reasons that Lana would call her of all people.

"I have to go to work, you know I'm a fashion designer, and I can't take my daughter with me." Chloe raised an eyebrow at this, trying to figure out where this was heading. "I was hoping you could take her for the day, just until 8:00." At this Chloe beamed, pleased that she was the one Lana wanted to look after her little daughter. She had actually never seen Lana's daughter.

"I'd be honored. I've never seen your daughter before, Lana. Where is her father, anyway?" Chloe asked, curious. Her question was met with a slightly downcast sigh, and a slow intake of air.

"We just recently divorced." Lana said, sounding a little bitter. "There had a custody trial about a week ago. He didn't want anything to do with my daughter, before the trial he said that she was a liability, too much trouble to be bothered with."

"He's sounds like a bastard, if you don't mind me saying. Of course, I'll be glad to take her, are you going to bring her over or should I come and pick her up from your apartment?" Chloe stood up from her desk, stretching out her arms and legs.

"I'll bring her by in a few minutes, and thanks again Chloe, I really owe you." Lana told her gratefully, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Anytime Lana, that's what friends are for. See you in a few Lana, bye." Chloe bade her good-bye and slowly closed the phone just as Clark and Lois strolled over to her desk, carrying bags of their lunch. It was going to be a very interesting day.

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"Mommy, where are we?" Kyla held her mother's hand tightly, her hazel-green eyes taking in everything as they entered the Daily Planet building. Lana smiled down at her, leading the little girl over to an elevator.

"This is the Daily Planet, honey. It's a newspaper. A friend of mine works here." Lana explained to her daughter, walking into the elevator and pressing the button for the tenth floor. Kyla looked at the buttons curiously, before turning to look around the elevator more thoroughly.

Soon enough, a mild 'bing' sound echoed in the elevator and the doors slid open, allowing mother and daughter to walk out. It didn't take long for Lana to spot her friend, a smile spreading on her face. Kyla was looking around at all the people, seemingly intimidated.

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"Lana! It's so good to see you." Chloe Sullivan cheerfully hugged her for a moment before standing back. Her green eyes trailed down to the little girl hiding behind Lana's legs. Chloe smiled gently, crouching down so that she was eye level with the girl.

"Hey there, I'm a friend of you mommy." She said a welcoming smile on her lips. She took in the girl's appearance. It was amazing how much she looked like her mother. Straight, silky raven hair, bright green eyes, and unmarred tanned skin.

"I've gotta go to work. Don't worry sweetie, Chloe will take care of you. I'll be back at eight. Chloe, her name is Kyla." Lana brushed Kyla's hair gently, before entering the elevator and leaving her daughter with Chloe.

"C'mon, I'll show you my desk." Chloe said energetically, leading her through the number of desks. Lois and Clark looked up from their laptops, watching Chloe with the little girl curiously.

"Chlo, who's kid is that?" Lois asked, raising an eyebrow. Chloe poked her cousin in the shoulder, in a reprimanding fashion.

"Be nice. This is Lana's daughter, Kyla." She saw Clark's eyes widen at the mention of Lana. His eyes moved immediately to Kyla, who was shyly looking at the ground, little hands clasped in front of her. Lois curiously took in the little girl as well, examining her appearance.

"She's gorgeous." Lois stated simply, nodding. Clark was inclined to agree. How had he not seen the resemblance before? They had the same fair skin, the same intelligent, gentle eyes, even the same silky hair.

"My name is Lois Lane, I'm Chloe's cousin." She then pointed over to Clark. "And that is Clark Kent, he's known your mommy since they were your age." At this Kyla lifted her eyes to Clark, amazed.

This was going to be an interesting afternoon indeed.