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New Chapter ...

"I hear congratulations are in order" Oliver added as he cleared his throat. Clark and Chloe had been holding each other for a while and he was starting to feel left out. As if jolted from a dream Clark let go of Chloe and looked at Oliver. He still had a daze look on his face.

"Yeah, I guess so," murmured Clark. "How did you know?" he asked in a soft voice looking at Chloe, waiting on her reaction. She looked calm and collected on the surface but he could tell that there small embrace had affected her. He could hear the racing of her heart, and could detect a change in her scent. She was nervous. She fidgeted a little. He was so absorbed with looking at her that he missed Oliver's response.

"Earth to Clark!" said the young blond trying to get his friends attention away from the petite woman, who was trying her best to keep her composure. She looked at the floor as she felt Clark eyeing her intently. She was berating herself mentally for letting herself go in his arms that way. She shouldn't have hugged him back. She should have stayed stiff. She can't let him in ever again. With determination she looked back at him and said.

"I guess pretty soon Clark we will be related" She plastered her fake smile on her face.

"So as I was saying Clark" started Oliver, tapping the young man on the shoulder to return his attention on him. Clark looked at him. "A devastated bat told me."

"Bruce?" Asked Clark

"Yup…I guessed he still held a torch for the beautiful Lois Lane and now you took her off the market man."

"I am sorry, I didn't know" Clark said taking off his glasses. He shot a glance at Chloe who still had her fake smile on.

"Personally, I wouldn't have minded if you had asked for my permission first before starting something with my girl" Oliver started. He reached passed Clark and grabbed Chloe's hand. He brought it to her lips and with a wink he added. "But I know of a way where we could be even." Chloe turned red, at the insinuation of what Oliver was saying. Clark without thinking stepped in between them breaking them up, glaring at Oliver.

"Could you both excuse me for a minute" Chloe said turning away as fast as she could. She didn't want to be there. She didn't like this conversation. She needed to breathe before the lump in her throat chocked her. Clark and Oliver were always like this. She didn't want the trip through memory lane. She needed to compose herself and be alone. She headed for the nearest balcony. As soon as she made sure she was deserted. She dropped herself on one of the chairs and held her face. A few seconds later she couldn't help the tears that starting to fall down her cheeks or the sobs that shook her body. "Why do I have to hurt so much, why can't I be okay? Why do I have to feel so alone" she thought. And at this time she wished with all her heart that she had someone to confide in. Someone like the Clark she used to cherish so much but was no more.

"You made her feel uncomfortable" said Clark as he watched Chloe's back disappear in the crowd.

"I think you did that for me" Oliver answered staring in the same direction as his friend.

"Chloe is married" Clark said looking at his friends. "And it wasn't great of you to flirt with her that way"

"Get off you moral high horse Kent." Oliver said. "I was lightening up the mood. I was not the one molding myself to her, or the one undressing her with my eyes."

"Don't you…" Clark started but he stopped. "Was it that obvious?" His friend nodded and Clark glanced one more time at the section he had just seen Chloe disappear.

"I don't think she noticed though. So you and Lois are actually tying the knot. I guess my invite must have been lost in the mail, as well as a few other people invitation?" said Oliver changing the subject. Clark pulled on his collar and cleared his throat. He knew that this would come up some day on why so many of his Justice League friends had been left out of the festivities.

"Not that AC and Bruce would have wanted to be there anyway" Oliver pointed out enjoying his friend's discomfort. "The only people who seemed to be genuinely happy about the news were Victor and Bart."

"Look I really wanted to send you guys invite but I didn't think it would be appropriate." Clark started.

"Answer me this. Is Lana invited?" interjected Oliver cutting him off.

"Yes" answered Clark looking at the floor. He was dreading the next question.

"Than how come we were not?" Oliver asked pointedly.

"I invited Lana. She is my friend and is involved with my best man. Lois thought that it might be awkward inviting Bruce and honestly I didn't think that either you or AC would want to be there. So is Bruce really devastated" Clark asked changing topic.

"Not more than usual" Oliver replied, grabbing a glass from one of the waiters. He took a few sips before adding "Not that any of us could tell if there was something wrong with him. He is always brooding and short with everyone with the exception of Diana. But I do think that the news of your engagement to Lois Lane came as a shock to him."

"How do you know that" Clark asked intrigued.

"He said something that Lois had swore she wasn't the marrying type or something like that and he had closed himself in his office."

"I am really sorry to hear that." Clark murmured. He had wanted his friends at the wedding but he knew that it would have been weird having some of them there due to their history with Lois, especially Bruce who had dated Lois for the longest and it had ended in sour note.

"Chloe is looking great tonight!" Oliver said fixing his suit a little and looking around.

"Yes she does." Clark replied looking around for the petite blond.

"She is in the balcony in the far right. You should go keep her company. I have to go mingle with the crowd. I am in town for a few days, we should catch up." Oliver patted Clark in the shoulder and seemed to be swallowed by the crowd of teenagers and city officials. As soon as his friend disappeared Clark headed in the direction that Chloe had disappeared in.


Chloe was at the moment very happy that she had chosen waterproof mascara as she dabbed away at the remnants of her tears. She had regained her composure and was giving herself a pep talk when she heard someone join her in the balcony.

"Chloe Sullivan" said a raspy voice. Chloe turned around startled; she hadn't heard someone join her.

"Perry?" Chloe asked smiling genuinely and moving closer to the balding editor in chief of the Daily Planet. She couldn't believe her eyes. She hadn't seen her old editor in what felt like an eternity. This man had believed in her, when most people didn't and even after she had left the DP officially she could always count on this old man to publish her stories, even if they were a little controversial.

"You are a sight for sore eyes kid." Perry said hugging Chloe.

"What are you doing here? Not that I am not happy to see you" she quickly added.

"Well, I am the celebrity speaker tonight. And I should be asking you that question. You are the last person I would expect to see in Metropolis. Please tell me you are not writing for the competition, that rag they call Metropolis Daily." Chloe let out a small laugh at hearing the disdain in her old editor's voice at the mention of Paula Kahn's newspaper. Paula had been the first person to give Chloe a job at the Daily Planet, and Chloe had blossomed under Perry Whites tutelage. There had always been some rivalry between the both on who was the best editor, the better writer and in Chloe's case the better mentor.

"Sorry to disappoint Perry, but I am not longer a reporter. I am here because some of my students are up for a few awards tonight." Perry's mouth drew a big "o" before he was able to add.

"You are a teacher. Chloe Sullivan, Investigative reporter a teacher?" Perry asked. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You know when you called me a few years back telling me you were passing the mantle to your cousin, I didn't think it was going to last. I had hopes that you would reconsider and pen a few more articles." Chloe looked at him uncomfortable. "Not that Lois isn't great, she was a bit rough around the edges but she has penned some amazing stories that do make your pen name proud."

"I figured that one reporter in the family was enough" She said smiling. "I do enjoy teaching."

"Mrs. Ambry, Mr. Queen is asking for you." Said a small voice interrupting their conversation.

"I am sorry Perry; we can catch up in a few." Chloe said disappearing into the crowd.

"What a shame," the old man thought. He really liked this kid; she has shown so much promise as a reporter. He wondered what had made her change her mind about journalism. He could still remember how exited she got about writing a story. Her and Clark would go off and dig for the truth never caring about the danger. A lot like Lois he thought. He remembered that he had been looking forward to oversee the Sullivan-Kent team but by the time Clark finally realized that journalism was his calling Sullivan had gone MIA. "Where is Kent?" Perry thought suddenly remembering that he had assigned to the bumbling reporter the task of covering this event. He walked back into the hall intent on finding his missing reporter.


Clark had been standing for less than a minute in the balcony when he heard her voice coming from behind him. She was talking to a teenager who was pointing to where he was.

"Where is Mr. Queen?" She was asking

"Mr. Queen asked that you wait for him here. He will be right with you" replied the youth pointing again at the balcony

"Thank you" Chloe said entering the balcony. She couldn't see much but if this where Oliver wanted her to wait for him, she would. She came to a full stop as soon as she spotted Clark. Without a word she turned to go back to the room full of people but was stopped by the young man's hand. As soon as he had seen her stop when she had seen him, he had sense that she was going to walk away.

"Chlo' stop" Clark said in a soft voice. He gently tugged at her hand and she turned to look at him.

"Don't go, stay with me." He saw her freeze as he let the words slip out before he could think.

"I am sorry." He continued. "I am sorry for whatever I did that made you leave everything you knew five years ago, I am sorry for not being the friend that you needed. Chloe, I …"

To be continued……..