"I'll be there in a second," Clark spoke into the phone.
"Okay just let me get dressed real qui-" Chloe started to say before a gust of wind flew into her room knocking off the towel she wore, exposing everything.
"Whoa, Chloe…I'm...I'm so sorry." Clark quickly apologized as his face became red. He turned around and closed his eyes.
"It's okay Clark." Chloe got dressed quickly. "Besides, it's always been a fantasy of mine for you to do that. Until recent, it's always gone in a totally different direction if you know what I mean." She winked.
"Okay, that's enough. I've experienced way too much intimacy with you Lane-Sullivan girls for one night."
Chloe's eyes got wide, "Really!? Yes, yes, yes, YES!" She screamed.
"I don't know what you're so excited about. I just saw my best friend naked, you're like the sister I never had."
"I swear, given all your abilities, you are so slow when it comes to stuff like this. I was talking about you and Lois!"
"Oh. Of course, of course, yeah me and Lois."
"So what happened?"
"Look Chloe, we have a problem right now and I'd kind of like to focus on it right now."
"Not until you give me something."
"Fine, we kissed. My parents know. End of story. Besides you're just going to call Lois the first chance you get so I'll let her give you all the details."
"That's all I wanted to know!" She jumped up and hugged him. "I'm so happy for you, for both of you."
"Thanks. We probably couldn't have done it without you."
"Yeah you could have. It just would have taken forever and I couldn't wait that long." She hugged him again.
"Okay, so what can you tell me about Lionel and Lex?"
"Unfortunately, I don't have any more information. I'm heading to Metropolis in the morning to meet up with Jimmy. He said he should be able to get some more info through his internship at the Daily Planet."
"Lois is on her way to Metropolis."
"What but I thought you all just-"
"Her dad showed up. He's around for a few days and wanted to spend some time with her so she went back with him for the weekend. Oh and there was this other guy with him, Wes I think his name was."
Chloe's smile turned to a frown. "Wes? Um Clark there's something you should know. Lois wouldn't want me to tell you everything but this much I can. Wes is the only other guy she's ever been with. Take what you had with Lana and add a couple of years. Then add in the fact that he joined the military as soon as she told him she loved him. It devastated her. She turned rebellious. She started getting into trouble and quit caring about school which is why she had to make up those credits. She's had trust issues ever since. I was the only one she could truly trust."
Clark was shocked. He had no idea. Just when he thought he knew her completely, he had been hit with this bomb shell. She was someone that seemed so strong. Nothing could penetrate her skin. She was intimidating, sexy, smart, and the most caring person he had ever met. He had no idea she could be so vulnerable.
"I had no idea," Clark sighed still trying to process everything. "I've never known her to be so vulnerable."
A smile formed on Chloe's face, "That's because her vulnerability disappeared the day she met you Clark. The night before she picked you up, she cried herself to sleep because she had just gotten an email from Wes telling her not to contact him anymore. Her heart was completely shattered. That morning she almost didn't get out of bed. I practically drug her out. She complained the whole time about having to go to this 'stupid farm school' and that she knew she was going to hate everything about it."
Clark sat there in disbelief.
Chloe continued, "I finally convinced her to go pick you up as a favor to me. I left that morning hoping she would be okay. When I saw her at school she was definitely emotional."
Clark remembered Lois punching him.
"But when we walked away from you, she smiled and said 'maybe this place won't be so bad after all.'
Clark smiled. He suddenly didn't care about Lionel or Lex, he just wanted to hear more about Lois.
"Then when she got home that night after you all hung out, she couldn't shut up. She talked about some of her classes but the conversation would always steer back to you. She must have asked me a hundred questions about you. I saw something in her eyes that night that I hadn't seen in a long time. Hope. You gave her hope in everything that she had lost. You are her beacon, her guiding light. I think you saved her Clark. And guess what, you didn't super speed, you didn't lift something heavy, you didn't jump over a building, you didn't set anything on fire, and you didn't use your super breath. Instead you used the strongest ability you have, your heart."
Clark couldn't speak; he didn't know what to say. He didn't even realize he had that power. Then he said the first thing that came to his mind.
"I'm going to tell Lois who I really am. I don't know when or how but she's the one. I want her to be the first person that I actually tell. But first," he paused, "I need to deal with Lex or I might never get the chance. I'm going to go talk to Jor-El."
"Be careful Clark, you know how unpredictable he is."
Clark stood to leave, "You be careful too Chloe, I don't know what Lex has planned and for all I know you could be in his cross hairs too."
"Thanks but I have faith it'll all work out. I do have YOU on my side."
Meanwhile Lois sat in the front seat of the jeep next to her father. He asked her the usual questions about school and if she was behaving herself. He asked her how the Kents were treating her and how she liked living with them. They made their way back to the military base fairly quickly. Wes helped Lois get set up in her room before stopping her and pulling her close to him.
"God I missed you," he breathed as he kissed her cheek and then her neck.
Lois closed her eyes and all the memories came flooding back. Wes made his way to her lips. Lois wanted to give in, she almost couldn't stop it. Wes took her shirt off and it fell to the floor. Lois immediately felt uncomfortable and unsafe. She looked down and saw it. It was Clark's flannel shirt. She pushed Wes away.
"What's the matter baby? I thought you've been waiting for this since I left two years ago. All those emails indicated this and much more. Don't tell me you changed your mind because of what I said."
Lois bent down, picking the shirt back up and quickly put it back on. "It has nothing to do with that."
"Oh come on, of course it does. I didn't really mean it, I was oversees fighting. I wasn't in the right state of mind."
"Wes, it's really not about you."
Wes laughed, "You really are stubborn. I had you on a leash Lois. You did anything I asked. I had your heart right in the palm of my hand and now you're saying this has nothing to with me? Do you think I'm really that naïve?"
Lois pulled Clark's shirt tighter around her, "I was young and stupid. I thought my crush on you was love but it never was. I know that now. I was never in love with you, Wes. I've finally found what that really is and it's the greatest thing that's ever happened to me. He is the greatest thing that's ever happened to me. "
Wes didn't believe her.
"And who exactly is this guy? Some high school kid?" He started laughing again. "Here I am, a MAN, serving directly under your father. And you are going to tell me you have chosen some high school kid? Who is he, Lois?"
Lois moved her hands up to the collar of Clark's shirt.
Wes' face became filled with disgust. "Don't tell me it's the farm boy. Come on Lois, I knew as soon as I saw that kid that he was worthless. He's not a man and never will be."
Lois suddenly became furious. "That's it, I'm sick of this! You talk about being a man. What kind of man runs away from a girl that just confessed her love for him? What kind of man decides joining the military out of fear of a girl? You are not a man Wes, you are a coward! You will NEVER be the man that Clark Kent already is!"
Wes grabbed Lois and picked her up by her shoulders. "Do you see these stars and stripes that I wear? They are what make me a man. I'm risking my life for this country while that kid plays in the hay. If he were such a man then he would enlist. But I looked into his face and could tell he would never be military material!"
Lois spit in his face, "Clark has a much bigger purpose in life than to run around with my dad playing militia. You haven't done anything! My father has given you everything while making sure you were never in any actual danger. Get over yourself! I don't love you and never will. I love Clark and there's nothing you can do about!"
Lois proceeded to kick Wes in the groin and ran out of the room. She found her way to a bench outside and let it all out. The tears came again for a third time that day. She finally let out all the pain that Wes had caused her. Her fear of going back to that person she used to be scared her more than anything. She was just about to lose faith in herself when her phone lit up. It was a message from Clark that simply read, 'I miss you too Lois Lane, can't wait to have you back in my arms." Lois smiled, suddenly feeling better. It was like she found a whole new strength inside herself and knew it came from Clark.
