9.02am

Chloe decided to head the ten miles to Granville but her cars had other ideas. It would not start and she realised there was only one option. She could not ask for a lift, and she did not have time to wait until her car was repaired.

Clark and Lois owed her big time, not to mention the explanation she wanted when they were finally released from captivity. Could a Kryptonian get a human pregnant anyway? It didn't matter anyway, she had no choice but to head to the drugstore in town.

"Hello. Can I help you?" a posh voice announced from behind the counter.
Of all the people to be serving today, it would have to be Susan. Susan was a 60 year old spinster who had never married or even been a relationship for that matter. She was a devoted church goer and one of the most prolific gossipers in town. It could not get much worse.

Chloe cleared her throat and decided just to come out with it. "Hi...I need an emergency contraceptive pill." She whispered.

Susan looked over the top of her glasses at her before saying. "Ms Sullivan, could you please repeat that. My hearing is not what it used to be."

Chloe was getting annoyed and she knew that Susan had heard. "I need the morning after pill please." She said in a loud voice, sure the store was empty anyway.

"Do you require some counselling before I sell you one."

Not from you, Chloe thought to herself. "No, it's fine. I would just like a pill."

She could see that Susan was loving this and no doubt the gossip would be round the town in hours. She nodded, and handed over the pills to Chloe.

"You know how to take it and that you have to take precautions for the next 7 days." She announced snootily.

"Oh I didn't think of that. I'd better have an extra large packet of condoms too." Chloe said loudly.

Just then Susan looked past her. "Morning Mrs Kent, here for Mr Kent's heart tablets are you?"

Chloe instantly went red when she realised that Martha had probably heard everything. Chloe paid and ran out of the shop. Martha turned around and followed her.

"Chloe, do you want to talk about it?" Martha asked gently. It was pretty obvious Martha was asking out of concern rather than prying.

"Not really." Chloe did not know what else to say. She turned around. "Mrs Kent, I am sorry to sound short but it is a little awkward to talk about."

Martha could see by the look on Chloe's face that she did want to talk to someone. In reality Chloe did want to get things off her chest. It had slowly sunk in that Clark was in love with her cousin and as hard as she tried to be happy she did have a deep seated jealousy of anyone that Clark fell for.

They walked back together to the Talon. "Let's grab a coffee. I do not want any details Chloe but something tells me you have something on your mind."

Chloe did not want to drop Clark and Lois in it but she needed help to deal with her emotions. She could not just switch them on and off like a tap.

Martha decided to probe to see if Chloe was interested in talking. "I didn't know you had a boyfriend."

Chloe smiled. "I haven't. It is a bit complicated to be honest."

"Look just tell me if it is not any of my business, but if you need someone to talk to, I am here."

"Thanks, Mrs K. What are you doing today?" Chloe asked.

"I was going to hang around here all day and do some farm accounts. I am a little lost to be honest with not being on the farm. Jonathan decided to go into town by himself today."

"How likely is it that Susan will talk?" Chloe asked concerned.

"About 100% probability. It may have paid to go out of town." Martha smiled.

"I planned to but my car is off the road."

"Chloe, you should have asked me to help you." Martha put her hands on Chloe's.

"No, I couldn't."

"Maybe Lana could have taken you."

"No, please don't let her find out. That is the last thing they need." She slipped without thinking.

"They? These aren't for you, are they? What have Clark and Lois been up to? Although maybe it would be better if you didn't answer that question. It is pretty obvious they weren't for you."

"Ok, Clark came to be this morning and asked me to get some. Lois needs them."

"Oh well, looked like my prediction has come true. The moment I found out that they were going to be locked up together for a week. I knew the sparks would start flying."

"You knew?"

"Chloe, I have been watching them side step their feelings for the past year. Something was bound to give sooner or later. Does Lois know about his powers?"

"No, he has to keep sneaking off the farm." Chloe smiled.

"How are you dealing with this?"

"Not good. I should have accepted Clark will never feel the same way as me."

"Chloe, you do know that you are the best, most trusted friends of Clark's and you always will be. I can tell he trusts you with his life and he will always need you. Let's face it, Lois is a better match for Clark than Lana. She won't treat him like something she has stepped on." Martha suggested.

Chloe laughed. "That's true. And I agree I need to deal with this and I have just the tonic. Jimmy, someone I met at the Daily Planet in the summer has invited me out. I am going to give him a ring. He is so cute." She texted him.

Ten minutes later, Jimmy texted to say he was free that afternoon. Before Chloe could turn him down, Martha had given her the keys to her car.

"Chloe, go now." Martha said.

"What about Clark?"

"Text him and let me deal with him. I will be gentle."

"He will kill me for telling you."

"You didn't tell me Chloe, I guessed and I have had to talk to Clark about a lot more serious topics than this before. All you need to worry about is driving to Metropolis."

"Ok, you have a deal, but can I text him when I am on my way out of town. I would not want him to catch me at the Talon."

Martha waited for her son...

11.15am.
Clark got the text he was hoping for at last. He had hated to get Chloe involved and Lois would probably kill him but he had no other option.

He zoomed in the door. "I am so sorry about this..." he was just about to finish his sentence when he saw his mom sitting in the lounge.

"Hi Mom...I was expecting Chloe to be here."

"I know you were." She smiled, patting the seat for him to come and sit down. "We need to talk."

"Ok..." he replied suspiciously,

"I can't stay long. Lois will be suspicious if I am away too long."

"Ok, then. Firstly you need to know that Chloe did not tell me. I was in the drugstore when she bought them." Martha explained.

Clark's face was dark red. "I don't know what to say. This is a bit embarrassing talking to you about it. How mad are you?"

"If it had been any other girl I would have been very disappointed but it is different with Lois. I know you have deep feelings for her, in fact I have seen you fall deeper for her every time you're with her."

Clark smiled. "We weren't reckless..."

"Clark, I know you weren't. I trust you and Lois. Look I know you have to get back so here you go." She said as she passed him the bag.

He looked in and noticed the other item in the bag. He went a deeper shade of red.

"I will not tell your dad about this but I will start working on him about you and Lois being together and please don't take this out on Chloe."

Clark smiled. "I won't." Just as he was about to speed out the door, there was a knock at the door. He zoomed to the bathroom and shut the door.

"Hi Lana." Martha said sweetly.

"Hi Mrs Kent. I was wondering if Chloe was in. She seems to be spending a lot of time here rather than Met U."

"She has gone into Metropolis."

"I really need to talk to her before things go any further around town."

Martha knew Susan had already spread the gossip. "What is going around town, Lana?"

"I should not really say anything but the latest gossip is saying that Chloe has been buying something unusual at the drugstore."

"You mean the contraceptive pill. I told Chloe she should have gone out of town. She is doing a story on how easy it is to obtain the pill." Martha lied.

Lana looked disappointed by the revelation. "Oh I see."

Clark stood in the bathroom listening. His mom was actually quite a convincing liar. He hoped Lana would go soon or Lois would definitely know something was up.

"So have you heard anything from Clark?" Lana asked.

"No, just a phone call. How about you?"

"Same, I think he is caught up with Lois. She is giving him a run for his money." Martha joked.

Clark laughed to himself at that thought.

"It must be pure torture for those two. He deserves it, he dumped me." Lana started putting on the tears.

"Maybe it is for the best. I have always thought that you two would be better off apart since you seem to spend all your time arguing."

"We did not." Lana defended herself. "It was because that son of yours kept secrets from me."

Martha was annoyed. "And you don't have secrets?"

"No, I tell Clark everything." She said smugly.

"That's odd, I am sure he does not know that you are seeing Lex Luthor. Maybe you can tell him when he gets out off the farm. That gossip goes around the town like wildfire, doesn't it?" Martha smiled.

"I have to go." Lana muttered as she walked out of the door.

Clark waited a few minutes and then appeared. "That was quite impressive, mom."

"I never did like the way Lana treated you. Do us all a favour and stick with Lois."

He smiled as he sped back to the farm.

He went back into the house to hear the shower was running. "Lois." he shouted up.

There was no answer so he headed up to see she was ok. He opened the door to see the bathroom filled with steam. She obviously had been in the shower a while.

"Hi Clark, could you do me a favour and scrub my back."

"I'll get wet." He replied.

"Well take your clothes off." She laughed.

"Not a good plan after last night. We have things to sort out first." He commented. "I will be in the bedroom waiting for you to come out."

Lois finally came out of the shower wrapped in a towel. "So what did you want to talk about?"

"I got some pills for you." He handed her the packet.

"Where the hell did these come from?" she asked, startled.

"All will be revealed in good time. I have brought you a glass of water for you." She read the instructions and then took a pill and looked at him.

"Looks like our games will have to stop until we get out of here." She said disappointedly.

"Maybe not." He showed the contents of the bag.

She suddenly had a wicked smile on her face. "Later, but first we need to talk. Right I am not going to push you to tell me anything but I am just going to lay down some facts."

Clark nodded curious where this was happening. "Right, you got shot rescuing Shelby. That was a bullet hole in your shirt. The other day and this morning I have scoured the farm looking for you and it was as though you had disappeared into thin air and now you come up with some goodies from the drugstore."

Clark was about to say something when he felt her fingers on his lips. "Before you say anything Clark. I think it was seeing you pull down a helicopter with a rope last weekend which really made me suspicious."

Clark gazed at her, his expression unchanged.

"Well aren't you going to make excuses." She smiled waiting for his defence.

"If you were Lana I would have done, but not for you. I have other things in mind." He kissed her and pushed her back on the bed, her towel falling off in the process...