A/N- So I realize this fic has come off as much more of a Lois/Clark fic when really it ends up as more Chloe/Bruce. Because of the awesome reviews (thanks for those) I'm going to add some more Lois/Clark!
Disclaimer- I don't own anything.
Martha Kent hadn't had this many people staying in her home for years. She absolutely loved it. They had set up a cot in Clark's old room and all three girls were sleeping there, Clark on the other hand was, in Lois's mind, in his rightful place, on the couch. There were constantly people arguing for the washroom, the kitchen was always filled with the smell of freshly brewed coffee and every time they sat down to eat, every chair but one at the head of the table was filled. She had waited a long time for this sense of peace that had washed over her and her family.
"So Chloe, what is your millionaire up to this evening?" Lois spat out while reading the paper.
"He's not MY millionaire, Lois and he's a person. Can't you even call him Mr. Wayne?"
"Is that what you call him? Mr. Wayne?" every set of ears in the house had tuned in to the conversation in the living room.
"Yes, it is. That is the proper way to address a co worker." Lois rolled her eyes and then hollered over the couch.
"Hey, Mr. Kent did you finish the piece about the missing Santa's for the chief?" Everyone except Chloe attempted to cover their giggles, at Lois's antics.
"Sometimes, I really don't like you Lois." Chloe grabbed a sweatshirt off one of the chairs and was out of the house in seconds.
"Oh, Lois…" Martha sighed motherly.
"I was only joking; I'll go and talk to her." Lois was about to get up when Martha stopped her.
"Let me." Martha grabbed a jacket and fallowed the footprints in the snow to the barn. She sighed again as she heard Clark berating Lois.
Martha found Chloe staring threw Clarks old telescope. She grinned at how young she looked; it seemed hard to believe the young girl who had been so in love with her son was now a woman herself.
"What's wrong Chloe?" Chloe turned on a dime at the sound of Mrs. Kent behind her. She forced a smile and shrugged her shoulders turning to look back at the sky.
"Most of the time, Clark is just who he is; every once and a while though I'll catch myself looking up into the sky and I find myself in utter disbelief at who he really is." A silence filled the room; Martha knew that Clark wasn't the main reason Chloe was up in the loft by herself. But she let the young woman go on.
"It's so easy for Lois, she's hurting like hell inside wanting Clark and not allowing herself to have him and yet she acts like it's nothing, she makes jokes and goes on with work. I finally fall for someone else and it takes every ounce of me just to pretend that we're co-workers, let alone friends. After everything that happened with Jimmy and then Davis, I never thought I would feel anything like that ever again. It only gets harder the more that he opens up to me. I thought my childhood was hard, but Bruce, he's lost so much and he's become such an amazing person regardless. I can't talk to Lois about it because; well you know why I can't talk to Lois." They shared another smile at this. " And as much as Clark tries it's just too much for him to come and see me, and I don't resent him for it in the slightest, I know what he's doing is important and I have so much respect for him, but every once and while I can't help wishing he could just be my best friend again."
"I hate sounding so helpless, but sometimes it feels like the only friend I have in Gotham is a man dressed in Kevlar masquerading as Bat and jumping to my rescue every night. Batman's great he has such an intense passion for the people of Gotham and the city itself and yet the people continue to treat him as if he were just some common vigilante, the city is so corrupt that most of the time they label him as more of a hindrance than the hero that he really is. He always rescues me then suffers my yelling at him for rescuing me and no matter how badly I treat him, he just keeps coming back. Then I met Bruce a few months ago and Bruce, oh my god Mrs. Kent for the last two years I have been bombarded with magazines and images of Bruce Wayne, he is like the ultimate bad boy billionaire, when they asked me to work with him I refused there was no way in hell I was going to sit and listen to some spoiled rich kid complain about his childhood, turns out he wanted to do this even less than I do, the first few sessions we just sat in silence. Then he started to open up, everything is just so messed up right now, and I know Lois didn't mean to hurt my feelings, I usually wouldn't take her so seriously except that I honestly haven't been able to stop thinking about Bruce since I left Gotham. It's just him and Alfred, his butler, in that giant house and if you think Lois handles the holidays badly you've obviously never met Bruce." Chloe finished talking and pulled the elastic out of her long hair shaking it out loosely around her shoulders, and tugging her sweater closer around her.
"It sounds to me, like you're calling him Bruce." Both women burst into a fit of giggles at this.
"Thank-you Mrs. Kent"
"Can I give you some advice Chloe?" Martha's tone became serious again, Chloe nodded.
"Enjoy the next couple of days and then when you go home, slow down, you have always known exactly what you wanted and you are one of the most ambitious people that I have ever met. Which is a fantastic thing, but you've never really been selfish and at one point or another we all need to be a little selfish. Before you think with your head listen with your heart, if you have feelings for Bruce, or you think you could possibly develop feelings for him, don't stop that from happening, let life take you were it wants, instead of pulling it along behind you." Chloe sat back and let the very wise words sink in. she thought Martha was finished and was about to thank her when the woman spoke again.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you more Chloe. When Clark was little it was just so intense having a little boy of my own. When your mother left we should have spent more time with you, but then Clark started developing his 'talents' and things just revolved around him. I always saw you as such a strong girl that when it came down to it I spent more time trying to help Lona through all of the things she was dealing with. Then Lois moved in and you know as well as I do how time consuming your cousin can be, I almost forgot that you lost your mother as well. I just want you to know that I respect you more than you will ever know, the decisions you have made with your life and the strength with which you have carried Clarks secret amaze me, and whenever you need to talk, to anyone, well I want you to know that I am and will always be here. You are my little boys' best friend in the entire world and I love you very much." Chloe's eyes were filled with tears as she leaned in and hugged Martha Kent.
"Thank-you" Chloe whispered,
"No, thank-you" Martha whispered.
The rest of the holidays passed without incident, although it was becoming more and more clear to Antonia just what she was up against with Clark and Lois. Chloe felt bad for the women, she obviously had very strong feelings for Clark but you just couldn't compete with Lois, no one would ever be capable of doing that and the sooner that Clark and Lois realized this the easier it would be on the rest of the world.
Finally the holidays ended and they all returned to Metropolis. Clark dropped Lois and Antonia off at home and then told Lois that he was going to drop Chloe at the airport, when really he would just fly her home. It would only take 5 minutes and he always joked that she should use the money she saved on tickets to buy him presents. Chloe would just swat him in the arm and tell him that it was only fair considering she had the story of a lifetime and had bitten her tongue for the past ten years.
Once inside Chloe's apartment Clark came to a stop at the patio door before leaving and turned around.
"Are you okay Chloe?" Chloe turned around and plastered on the most sincere smile that she had in her, "No, I'm not Clark," Clark was about to speak but Chloe held up her hand to stop him and continued on, "There is nothing you can do, this time it really has to be me that fixes my life, for once Clark, let me save myself." Clark's head fell, how had he not noticed his best friends' distress sooner.
"I'll be fine Clark, go home. Check on Lois before you head to Antonia's." Clark smiled and she gave him a reassuring hug and sent him on his way. She sighed to herself as she watched his red cape flapping behind him in the wind.
Please Review ~ Next Chapter brings us back to Lois and Clark
