Chapter 3-The Baby-Sitter

Clark let go of Lois and took two steps away from her. He was embarrassed and happy for Chloe's interruption. He usually had a tight reign on his emotions, but something in him snapped and he could no longer take Lois' ranting. He felt he had to do something to get her to stop.

Lois was also relieved her cousin appeared when she did. She wasn't sure she could handle Clark's sudden anger. He was about to kiss her and that scared her. She liked Clark Kent to be meek and shy, mild-mannered even, not confident and well, aggressive. She could handle Clark's usual behavior. She wasn't attracted to that, but the way he was behaving a second ago, she couldn't handle. She wanted him to kiss her and that was disturbing.

Chloe only stared at the two. Lois looked embarrassed and so did Clark. It was a relief to her. Their embarrassment meant they were both themselves and not on red kryptonite. By the way Clark was holding Lois, she thought they might have been, well at least Clark.

"Chloe, hi," Lois said nervously.

"Hi," Chloe said suspiciously. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's fine," Lois and Clark answered in unison.

Lois began to walk up the stairs to their apartment. Clark followed close behind.

"Are you sure," Chloe asked the pair as she followed her cousin.

The two were acting strange and her reporter instincts were telling her that there was more to the scene she had just witnessed.

"Yeah," Lois said opening the door and entering the dwelling. "Why would you think otherwise?"

She went to the nearby closet, opened the door, and pulled out the biggest suitcase she could find. She heaved it onto her bed and unzipped it, flipping the flap open.

"Because it looked as if you two were ready to jump each other, that's why," Chloe said with a raised brow.

She glanced over to the awkwardly quiet Clark. He was standing in the doorway with his hands in his pockets looking as if he didn't want to be there.

"Chloe, there is nothing to worry about," Lois assured as she busied herself with packing. "Clark and I are fine."

She was hoping the task would get her mind off of what had happened downstairs.

"Uh huh," the blonde said still disbelieving her cousin's claim. "Well, I got a call from a Dr. Margret O'Neil, I assume she's your therapist."

"Yeah," Clark said shyly.

"She wants me to keep an eye on you two," Chloe continued. "Make sure you follow through with her assignments."

"You don't have to if you don't want to," Clark said.

"Yeah, you can just say we slept in the same building, in the same bed," Lois added before she disappeared into the bathroom. "No one has to know."

He was hoping Chloe would say she wouldn't and allow Lois to stay here. He hoped she would be on both of his and Lois' sides and lie for them, a hope that died as soon as he saw a mysterious twinkle in his best friend's eye.

"Ah, come on," Chloe teased. "I bet it will be fun to play house."

"We have to share a bed," Clark told through clenched teeth.

"So, what," Chloe smirked. "It's not the end of the world."

"It is, the way Lois puts it," Clark mumbled.

"I think it would be fun," the petite woman said. "Besides, I think you two deserve the lesson. Maybe now, you won't bicker as much."

"Love you too," Clark grumbled just as Lois reappeared from the bathroom.

Her arms were full of her toiletries. She placed the items into her suitcase and closed the flap over her things.

"So, Chlo, what are you going to choose, the dark side or the light side," Lois asked after she zipped up her suitcase.

"I'm going with light this time," Chloe said.

"Thanks," Lois said curtly.

"She thinks we need to be taught a lesson," Clark explained.

"On what, how to kill each other," Lois questioned cynically.

"No, on our bickering," the Kryptonian answered.

"Are you sure it's not on how to kill each other," Lois asked. "Besides, we bicker because we care."

"Funny, I thought we bickered because we can't stand each other."

"Hey, I'm still in the room," Chloe interrupted.

She felt another bicker session coming on.

"Like I told Clark, I believe this would be could for you two and I think Mrs. Kent is all for it too," Chloe said. "Do you really think she's going to let you skip out of your assignments?"

"No," Clark pouted. "She was always a stickler for homework and she'll probably think of this like it is homework."

Lois groaned and walked over to Clark. Actually, she was walking towards the door; Clark was still in the way.

"Grab my bag, Smallville," she ordered as she shoved him out of the way.

"Hey, cus, how are you going to make sure we follow through with the assignments anyway," Lois asked.

"Simple, you won't be the only one staying on the Kent Farm," Chloe answered. "Mrs. Kent called me and asked me to keep an eye on you two when she's away. I said I would."

"You've talked to my mom," Clark asked as he lifted the suitcase, pretending it was heavy.

"Of course, she wants you two to go through this legitimately," Chloe explained. "So, she asked me to baby-sit you tonight. Tomorrow we're planning on a workable schedule for watching you."

"We don't need a baby-sitter," Lois groaned.

"Yes, you do," Chloe said.

She reached beside the sofa hoisted her overnight bag she had placed there earlier over her shoulder.

"We don't," Clark insisted as he walked over to her and reached out for her bag.

Chloe happily dumped in on top of Lois's. Clark pretended to slightly buckle under the wait.

"Trust me, you do," Chloe said walking over to the door. "Someone has to make sure you don't kill each other."

"I'll give her that, Smallville," Lois said.

She moved away from the door so that Clark could walk through. She and Chloe followed. Chloe locked the door.

"Yeah, yeah," Clark said. "I know."

END OF CHAPTER 3