Title: We always fail destiny

Spoilers: Up to 'Power' then goes AU

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't profit.


The knock on the adjoining door surprised her for reasons she didn't expect. Lois slid her brush back onto the counter and walked towards the door, the bottom of her dark blue pajamas whispering across the carpet as her heart began to race in her ears. It was ridiculous to feel this way – like a girl around her first crush, unsure and sickly nervous.

"Hope you're not here in hopes of seducing me, old man. I'm not sure your ticker could take it."

A bead of water fell from his newly washed hairline near his ear and slid down to his neck. She swallowed as she leaned on the open door.

"You might want to be careful, Miss Lane. That sounded like a challenge."

He placed a hand on the doorway, softly letting it bear a fraction of his weight as he looked down at the woman who suddenly didn't seem so confident. His ego received a stroke and he couldn't help but smile as he reveled in the fact that he still had this effect on her.

"No comment, Lois?"
"Oh, please. I was just shocked you made it out of the shower without falling and breaking a hip."

"Did you want to see me naked?"

"You've got quite an imagination."

"You have no idea."

Clent lowered his eyes briefly, not able to stop himself from falling into old sensual habits that had been part of their lives until the last morning that stole everything away from him. He suddenly felt guilty.

"Well," he straightened away. "I wanted to tell you goodbye since I didn't know what time you were leaving."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"But…we found Clark."

"I know."

The glasses on his nose shifted slightly forward but he made no move to right it.

"Why would you stay?"

Lois shrugged a shoulder, trying to play the nonchalance so she actually felt it. There wasn't a reason to stay and she knew it. She just knew she wanted to be here. She needed to.

"Someone's got to make sure you two boyscouts don't burn the marshmallows."

"And Wayne is okay with that?"

"Well," she shrugged her shoulders. "It's not like he has a choice."

The last two times she'd come back he'd welcomed her back home with an open mouth and willing lips. This time he watched her from across the room, everything changed and not for the better in light of new knowledge.

"Clark, do you believe him?"

"There's no reason he would lie."

"What…what does he want to do…with you?"

Clark sighed and leaned against the wall, sticking his hands into the pockets of his jeans. He didn't know what Clent had in store, and whether or not he would want Lana around for any of it.

"He wants to help me."

Lana nodded her head and brought her arms across her chest as she took a step forward. She wanted to know. She wanted to know every word Clent had brought with him from the future, different world or not.

"With your destiny?"

"Yeah. He thinks I'm behind."

"Oh."

"Look, it's been a long day. You should go on to bed, Lana."

"What about you?"

"I'm, uh, going to be up for a while. I'll sleep on the couch."

"Clark," Lana shook her head. "You don't have – ."

"I think it's better this way."

He saw the way her face flashed with hurt and he wished he didn't feel this way, or that he didn't have to tell her. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her.

"For now at least. Things are going to be crazy for a while."

They both dreamed of the same woman that night. For one man she was a storm that thundered in and wouldn't leave, bathing him with her water and fury and he couldn't have cared less, as long as it washed away a part of him that had floundered without her. The other man saw her as his blinding core, a strength that never wavered and that he always felt as he saved lives countries away when all he wished he could do was hold her while she slept.

When Clent woke he was full of the sadness that had swallowed him two years ago. But there was lightness, just a door away, and he didn't want to let go.

When Clark woke he fought his dream and the feelings of anxiousness that told him something about his heart had changed. He had no idea it was because of her.

Lois's first words to Clark in the morning were, "Hope you made a pot of coffee, Kent."

"Morning to you too," Clark replied as Lois marched past him into his house. When he turned back around to face Clent he narrowed his eyes. "What's Lois still doing here?"

"She wanted to stay."

"And you let her?"

"Has it really been that long, Clark? This is Lois we're talking about."

"How are we going to…you know?"

"My first plan would be to tell her the truth so we don't have to worry about it."

"Next idea."

"That was kind of the only plan I had in mind."

"It's too dangerous. I can't." He bit his lip before running his hand over his head. "What about Smallville?"

"What makes you think she won't follow us there?"

He was saved the answer. Dependable Lois.

"What the hell kind of coffee is this, Clark?! A four year old wouldn't drink something this soft!"

What she would give to be a fly on the wall, or a fly in the air considering Clent was outside in the open on the phone with Bruce. Lois leaned her elbows on the countertop and bit down on her lip as she watched Clent take his glasses off to rub his temple.

"What's the verdict?" Clark asked.

"I don't know." Lois didn't look beside her. "Bruce isn't very…trusting."

For a moment, he found himself watching the back of her neck, the slight dark brown hairs that hadn't managed to fit into her ponytail lying gently across her skin. His gaze wandered up higher to the side of her face, the tightness of her jaw and the firm set of her lips. She was the same Lois, unbelievable and one of a kind.

His eyes caught sight of her ring, flawless, and he remembered she had a whole new life. That was good. That was what he'd wanted four years ago.

"Congra – ."

Lois could feel him staring at her, touching her without physical contact, and it wasn't nice. It was unwanted, hard, too far gone to be friendly at this point. At that moment, she realized what an idiot she'd been to worry about his wellbeing. What did she care? Had he cared about her? No.

"If you're wondering, that article about the new Subway was hardly presentable. I had to rewrite the entire thing before I could even think about letting Tess see it."

"Uh, Subway article?"

"Yeah," she clicked her tongue. "The one I found on your desk when I came back from Star City and you went AWOL."

"Oh."

Clearing his throat, he let his eyes wander everywhere but on her. "I – ."

"Look, Clark," she sighed. "That thing with us yesterday was just a heat of the moment, oh my gosh, what the hell, moment. I've moved on without you rather well. I'm not your friend anymore. No hard feelings." Lois took in a deep breath and moved away from the counter as the screen door opened. "What'd you say to him, Clent?"

Clent frowned as he shut the door behind him. "That guy…."

"I know," Lois smiled at his perplexed look.

Clark swallowed, thrown by Lois's confession and then by the way his future self and her were standing – so close.

"Well," Clent sighed. "We're going to Smallville."

"Smallville?"

"Yeah, you know. Going back to Clark's roots to see where everything began. But, uh, during Bruce's Riot Act, he ordered you back home."

"What?! What did you tell him? Didn't I tell him I could take care of myself?! Give me that phone."

"Calm down, Lois." Clent couldn't help but widen his smile at her suddenly red face.

"What's so funny, old man?!"