A Summer in Love
Chapter Twenty-Four:
Songs used in this chapter: 'I miss you' by Beverly Craven and 'You're gone' by Diamond Rio
"I'm pregnant."
Lois, who had just taken a sip of her soda, practically choked on her drink, at the unexpected and shocking words that came out of her best friend's mouth. She breathed in and out, heavily, trying to catch her breath and took a few seconds to let what Cassie just said sink in. "What the hell did you just say?"
Cassie, who wasn't too sure why she just blurted that out, stared at her for a moment before repeating her words. "I think I'm pregnant."
She couldn't believe it.
Her best friend was pregnant.
Cassie was going to be a mother.
Wes was going to be a father.
And, her, well, she was going to be an aunt to an adorable niece or nephew.
She grinned from ear to ear, at the thought of having a mini Wes or mini Cass to spoil to death before jumping from her seat, and enveloped Cassie in a bear hug. "Oh my god! Are you serious? Are you really pregnant?"
Cassie chuckled before pulling away from her. "Well, at least I think I am. I've been having some symptoms the past week or so, and I'm late."
"This is great, Cass! Wes is going to be so happy!"
She paled, visibly. "Woah! Hold on a minute. We can't tell him anything until I know for sure."
She frowned. "What do you mean until you know for sure?"
"I haven't taken a test yet."
She stared at her, in complete shock. "Why the hell haven't you taken one yet?"
"Well, you know how crazy my work has been the past couple of weeks so, I haven't been able to get off base to buy a damn test."
That was true, she thought. It was like everyone on base was gearing up for something, even Wes, and it had Cass working on overload. What could it possibly be? She didn't know, but figured that it wouldn't be such a bad idea to ask her father, if she even saw him today. He was exceptionally busy lately, even more so then usual.
"Why don't you just tell Wes? I'm pretty sure he would happily buy the test for you."
"No!" She practically yelled out, then took a deep breath before calmly replying, "I can't do that. You don't know how bad he wants this. It's all he talks about. I don't want to get his hopes up, if it's just a false alarm, you know?"
That was understandable, but how did she expect to get the test if she couldn't do it and neither could Wes?
Cassie shifted, quite uncomfortably from one foot to the other. "That's kind of why I'm telling you. I, um, I was hoping that you could try to get me the test."
Of course, she would be the next best option, and she would gladly do it for her, but there was only one problem. "Cass, you know I would if I could, but there is no way I'll get off base, especially after my little escape a few months ago."
"Is he still pissed about that?"
"That's an understatement."
"Doesn't he understand that you were just worried about your cousin?"
A few months ago, she had found out that Chloe, had been in some safehouse explosion, and since the authorities weren't saying jack shit she wanted to find out what exactly happened to her whether she had to go through the small town's authorities or Lionel Luthor himself. She managed to escape base, which was quite tricky, but only made it about two miles before her father had, had her surrounded, and dragged her back to base. Ever since that day, things had gotten so, so much worse. She wasn't able to leave base under any circumstances, not even with him. It was like she was really a prisoner now.
The only good thing that came out of this was that her lovely cousin was safe and sound, and it turns out that she wasn't murdered, but kept under protective services, by her father no less.
No wonder he didn't want her searching around for her, she thought, he already knew where she was. It all worked out. Chloe was safe, and back to living a normal life, but she couldn't help wondering when she could have a somewhat normal life. She couldn't wait to leave for college, that way she could escape from the likes of her father for good this time.
"I highly doubt it."
"Could you at least try to get off base?"
It was going to be hard, she thought, but this was for her best friend. "Alright. Alright, I'll try."
She grinned, widely before wrapping her arms around her, and squeezed, tightly. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
Lois chuckled, and pulled away from her. "Don't thank me yet. I highly doubt I'll be able to get off base, but I'll try."
Cassie sighed, and shook her head from side to side. "I can't believe that he still won't let you leave base."
"Yeah, tell me about it," she grumbled, miserably.
"What's it been? Like a year?"
"One year, and three months," she corrected her, and reddened, slightly at the look she received in return for her comment. "I've been keeping count, but I guess that's my punishment for running away for three months, and trying again a few months ago."
"Well, if you want my opinion I'd say that it's completely outrageous and out of proportion. You're eighteen now, Lo, you shouldn't have to follow his stupid rules anymore."
They were both surprised to hear his voice, since they never even heard him come in, and it made Cassie wonder how much he had actually heard.
Lois laughed, and turned to look at her other best friend. "That's great advice, Wes. Maybe you should tell him that. You know, for the sake of your best friend."
"What? Are you crazy? I'll get my ass handed to me, not to mention my job if I even tried to speak on your behalf. I think I'll just leave his bad attitude and temper to you."
She glared. "Wow! I'm really feeling the love, Wes."
He chuckled. "Aww, come on, Lo, you know that I love you."
"Yeah. Yeah, whatever." She turned towards Cassie, winking, discreetly, and said, "I'll do my best, Cass."
She just nodded, not wanting to say too much in front of Wes, and watched as she left her room.
He looked over at his beautiful girlfriend, with a questioning gaze. "What was that all about?"
"Nothing important," she replied before quickly changing the subject, "So? What are you doing here? Did you get a break or something?"
He sighed, heavily. "Yeah, I wish. The next few months are going to be hectic. I'm only here to give you the bad news."
She eyed him, curiously. "What's going on?"
He walked over to her, and wrapped his arms around her. "The General has been working us all hard for months, as you know. Well, now we know why."
"What is it?"
She listened, intently, as he told her of what was happening, and all thoughts of her impending pregnancy disappeared, and were transfixed on her best friend. "Has he told her yet?"
"Nope, but I'm sure she'll find out soon enough."
"She isn't going to like it."
Nope, she was definitely not going to like this new turn of events, and there was absolutely nothing either her or Wes could do about it, but maybe this would be good for her. It might just bring her out of her shell that she still seemed to be encased in since she returned from her little extravaganza a little over a year ago, and maybe, just maybe she'd be able to move on from the man she was still completely in love with, but she doubted it.
Clark kneeled carefully—precisely behind the center, and eyed the other players, as he replayed the last play of the game over and over again in his mind. "Blue 42! Blue 42! Set! Set! Hut!"
He staggered back a few steps after Brad Williams hiked the football to him, and looked for an opportune opening before fake throwing the ball to the wide receiver, Justin Chrisely. Instead of finding another opening, he took off running down the field since their original play was no longer concrete.
He bypassed every player from the other team, even jumping over one of them that attempted to tackle him, and swiftly passed the end zone, as the buzzer ending the game rung loudly.
The crowd jumped up from their seats, in a frantic excitement, just as he tossed the football to the ground, relishing in their big win, and heard them chanting, "Smallville Crows!" over and over again.
The cheerleaders screamed and shouted, as they did their victory cheer routine, and he could hear his parents and friends in the stands clapping and voicing their own excitement to his epic win.
Perks of super hearing, he thought.
It had happened roughly about six months after returning home. He had been shopping at the town' local jewelry store, searching for a gift for his mother' birthday, and of course, it wasn't emerald like he thought it would be—it was green kryptonite. Nathan Dean, another meteor infected teen had attempted to rob the store with his ultra-sonic scream, which was painful as all hell, and when he tried to use his heat vision to stop them he accidentally hit the green kryptonite causing it to reverberate back into his eyes, blinding him. He had to adjust to his downfall, and in the process gained another ability…super hearing, as he liked to call it. In order to save Pete from certain death, he had to rely on his new hearing ability over his other abilities.
It was an incredibly, horrible experience. One that he would hopefully never have to experience again because those glasses he was forced to wear were absolutely atrocious. He would never, under any circumstances, wear glasses of any kind ever again.
Every single one of his teammates, who hadn't taken to him very kindly at first, but were more accepting now, ran up to him, slapped him on his back before lifting him up into the air, and chanted, "Kent! Kent! Kent!" over and over again, as they carried him down the field, and into the locker rooms.
After a very well-versed pep talk from Coach Quigley and Assistant Coach Teague, who was currently dating Lana, which was extremely weird and disturbing, they were all dismissed to shower and relish in their victory.
As he was packing away his uniform into his black duffel bag, one of his teammates came up to him. "Yo! Kent!"
"Hey, Justin."
"The team is all going to The Talon for a little celebration party, you in?"
He thought about that for a few seconds. It would be nice to just let loose for a little while, especially after the week he's had. "Yeah, I'm in."
Of course, he still had to ask his parents if it was okay, but surely, they would let him have some fun just this once. His father would probably protest, while his mother thwarted him into letting him go. It always seemed to work that way, he thought.
"Well, well, if it isn't Smallville's newest super hero."
He grinned from ear to ear, as he exited the locker rooms, and was greeted by his two best friends. "I don't know about super hero."
Pete smirked. "Oh, I don't know about that. I think the way you jumped over that player in the last play would definitely qualify as super hero quota."
He glared at him, mentally telling him to 'shut up'.
Chloe grinned. "Yeah. That was insane! How did you do that?"
He really, really wanted to kill Pete at this moment. Chloe still didn't know the truth about him, of course, he wanted to tell her, but he didn't know how to explain to his journalistic best friend that he was an alien from another planet. "Uh…adrenaline, I guess."
She didn't seem to believe that, but didn't press any further, and clapped her hands together, excitedly. "I think this calls for celebration. Don't you think, Pete?"
"I think you're right, Chlo. So, Clark where are you taking us?"
"Yeah, Clark, where are we going to celebrate on this lovely day?"
He glanced at his two best friends, and shook his head at them. "You two are ridiculous, you know that?"
"Yup! But you love us anyways." Chloe interjected.
He rolled his eyes. "Okay. Okay, fine. How about The Talon? Some of the team are having a little celebration there."
"Oh, fun. A room full of over-confident jocks. Should be exciting."
He glared at her, playfully. "And what would that make me?"
"You're the exception."
"Whatever," he playfully replied, "I'll meet you guys there. I have to talk to my parents first."
"Meaning, he has to convince his dad to let him go," Pete commented.
"Shut up!" He smiled, and shook his head from side to side, as he watched his friends trot towards Chloe's car. They were both pains in his side, but he would be lost without them, especially since they were really his only true friends. His teammates only liked him because he was good at football. The girls only liked him because he now wore a letterman's jacket, and Lana, well she was a completely different story. One he'd rather not think about…at all.
He walked through the parking lot, his eyes roaming as he searched for his parents, and found them waiting by the bright, red truck.
"There's our superstar," he heard his mother say, as he walked up to them.
He groaned, outwardly. "Not you to."
She chuckled, and enveloped him in a hug. "I'm so proud of you, Clark."
"Thanks, mom."
"That was one hell of a game, son."
He smiled at his father, "Thanks, dad."
"Now, about that last play…"
How did he know he was going to bring that up? "I know. I know. I shouldn't have done that, but it was kind of a heat of the moment thing. We really needed this win dad."
"Why? So, you could make it to the championship?"
He was really getting tired of this. He loved his father, but his trust in him when it came to his abilities was beginning to irk.
"Jonathon…" Martha warned, warily. She didn't need them fighting about his abilities right now. "It's not like anyone noticed."
Except someone did, he thought, but he wasn't going to mention that Chloe was becoming more and more curious about him. He really needed to tell her the truth.
He glanced at his parents. "Um, so, there's something I want to ask…"
"What is it, son?"
"Some of the teammates are throwing a celebration party at the Talon—"
"And you want to go?" His mother guessed.
He nodded, and hoped against all odds that they would let him go.
Jonathon crossed his arms over his chest. "And what about your chores?"
Of course, his father would protest, just like he figured he would. He looked at him. "I've already done most of them before the game, besides I can do them when I get home."
"That doesn't mean you can slack off just because you want to have some fun."
"Oh, shut up, Jonathon!" She scolded before turning towards her son, "Of course, you can go, sweetheart."
"Martha…"
"Don't start with me, Jonathon. He wants to go celebrate with his friends, and were going to let him. He will be home by curfew, won't you Clark?"
He nodded, enthusiastically. "Of course." He kissed his mom on the cheek, "Thanks, mom."
"What am I? Chopped liver?"
"Thanks, dad. I'll see you guys at home." And with that, he ran off towards an isolated location so, he could superspeed to the Talon.
They both smiled, as they watched him run off, quite excitedly. It had taken him a very, very long time before he was able to truly smile again after he returned to them, fortunately, six months ago he had started to get back to his old self. He was smiling, laughing, and even spending more and more time with his friends.
"It seems that Clark is finally back to his old self again," Jonathon commented.
"Mhmm," She off-handedly agreed, but didn't comment any further.
Anyone would make that assumption just from seeing the way he acts, and would deduce that he was back to his happy, cheerful self, but she knew the truth.
He was still in pain.
He was still consumed by his sadness.
But, of course, he hides that part of himself from everyone, unless he was completely alone.
She had noticed things—things he had no idea that she knew about. At first, it started out as little things here or there, but as time went on the instances kept coming more and more often. She wasn't as naïve, as he might believe.
He would sit in the barn at night, almost every night, thinking about the one thing that was always on his mind…his three-month adventure and her.
He would zone out several times a day, no doubt thinking about the woman he loved so deeply—so madly—so irrevocably.
Every time someone mentioned his three-month disappearance act or how he needed to find a woman to love he would inexplicably leave the room.
She had even seen him crying, a few times before, but, of course, he didn't know that she had seen him, and it broke her heart.
Her son still missed her—still loved her, and she knew deep inside that he always would.
Lois sighed, heavily, as she walked, quite desolately, towards Cassie' quarters.
That went well, she thought.
After leaving Cassie and Wes, she had confronted the guards at the main gates with a hell of a lot more determination than she actually felt. It went just as well as she thought it would, maybe worse, but at least she could tell Cassie that she tried.
Because that's exactly what she had done, she even tried bribing them with the normal drinking waivers, and even money, but of course, they refused, repeatedly telling her that it was orders.
Orders from her father no less!
She was completely and utterly sick of this bullshit!
It was bad enough that she was reminded of the consequences of her actions over and over again, especially by her father, but that didn't mean she needed to be treated like a damn prisoner.
A few more months…A few more months…A few more months.
She repeated that in her head, consistently, reminding herself that she only had to deal with this for a few more months before she could officially be free.
She was going to college, hopefully Metropolis University, and she couldn't wait until she could leave the life of a military brat behind her…forever.
If only she had the ability to speed time, she thought.
She walked into Cassie' room, without knocking, and immediately regretted her decision. "Oh my god!" She quickly covered her eyes, and turned away from the spectacle she just walked into. Her two best friends were wrapped around each other, making out quite intensely on the couch.
It wasn't the first time that this has happened, but that's her own fault since she kept forgetting that they were in a very heated, and committed relationship.
She was happy for them, she really was, but in all honesty, she hated—despised seeing couples looking so lovey dovey together. It only reminded her of what it was like to be in love, something she had experienced firsthand, but most of all, it reminded her of how she lost the one person who meant everything to her.
She quickly shook her thoughts away, not wanting to think about losing the best thing that has ever happened to her, even though it was always there…every single day and night, eating away at her subconscious. "Um, sorry."
"You can turn around, Lo, were decent."
She very, very slowly did. "Um, sorry for interrupting, but, um, I needed to talk to Cassie."
He quickly stood up. "Don't worry about it. I should get going before The General finds out I've been slacking; besides I need to talk to him about something."
"You and me both," she muttered.
He shared a worried glance with Cassie, both of them wondering the same exact thing. "He told you?"
She frowned. "Told me what?"
"Uh…nothing." He quickly kissed Cassie, and walked out of her room.
"What the hell was that about?"
Cassie shifted, uncomfortably. "I don't know."
She squinted her eyes at her best friend, studying her. "You're lying."
"No, I'm not!"
She crossed her arms over her chest. "Really? Then what does The General want to talk to me about?"
"It doesn't matter."
"Yes, it does. Now, are you going to tell me or am I going to have to find out the hard way?"
"I'm sure he'll tell you soon enough." She quickly changed the subject, "Um, so I'm guessing since you're here that means you couldn't get off base?"
She knew that she was keeping something from her, but she wasn't going to force her to tell her, besides if it was important her father would eventually fess up. "You would be right. I tried everything."
"Bribery?
"Duh!"
"Not even the drinking trick worked?"
"Nope."
"Did you bribe them with money and alcohol?"
"What do you take me for? An amateur?"
She chuckled. "Definitely not. So, what do you think I should do?"
"Tell him, Cass. I know you don't want to, just in case it's not true, but whether it is or isn't, he isn't going to love you any less."
"Are you sure about that?"
She quickly grabbed her hands, and squeezed, softly. "He loves you, Cass. I'm pretty sure he loved you long before you two even got together."
She sighed. "Your right. Okay, I'll tell him, but not today, not with everything that's going on."
She narrowed her eyes at her. "And what would that exactly be?"
"I can't tell you, Lo, but I think you should go talk to your father."
A little part of her began to worry, especially with the way everyone was acting, but quickly pushed it away. It couldn't be that bad, could it?
Even though she told herself not to worry, she couldn't help but doing just that as she walked towards her father's office. It was infuriating that everyone except her knew what the hell was going on, and whatever he wanted to talk to her about had to be about why things have been in such an uproar around here lately.
"Lois!"
She stopped walking, and turned towards her father. Just the man she was looking for, she thought. "Hi, daddy."
He gruffly replied, "I need to see you in my office," before brushing past her, and swiftly headed towards his office.
What the hell was going on?
Once they were in his office, they stayed in uncomfortable silence for a few minutes, until she couldn't take it anymore. "Okay, what the hell is going on? Cassie and Wes are acting extremely weird, and now you've dragged me in here. Care elaborating?"
He folded his hands in front of him, and stared at her. "Let me ask you a question. How are those applications for college going?"
She was stunned and shocked by that question. When did he start caring about her college education? "Um, well, I've applied to a few campuses, but I'm really waiting for the acceptance letter from Metropolis University."
"I wouldn't get your hopes up because it's not coming."
She frowned. "What the hell are you talking about?"
He opened his desk drawer, and pulled out a few envelopes, tossing them to her. "All of these came in the mail this week."
A heavy mask of disappointment washed over her, as she read the several letters, even one from Metropolis University. Every single college she had applied to, had sent denial letters, but it didn't explain why.
"They're all denial letters," she stated, unnecessarily before looking up at her father, glaring, heatedly, "You kept these from me? Why?"
He stood up, and crossed his arms behind his back. "If I must remind you, Lo, anything that concerns you comes through me first."
She groaned, outwardly. "No need for the reminder, daddy. It's been like this for well over a year now."
"And who's fault is that?"
She rolled her eyes. "Whatever! So, is there another reason why I'm here or did you only want to rehash everything I've done that's disappointed you?"
He ignored that barb. It wasn't that he was disappointed in her, but more so that he couldn't trust her to make rational decisions, especially after her disappearing act a year ago and how she tried to escape again not even a few months ago. "Drop the attitude, Lo. I wanted to inform you personally that you wouldn't be going to college this semester."
She glared at him, ferociously. "You can't stop me from going, daddy. I'm eighteen now. I have choices—rights, and if I want to go to college then I will!"
"I'm not trying to stop you from going, Lois, actually I want you to get an education, but that doesn't change the facts."
"What facts? I'll just reapply. I probably filled out the paperwork wrong or something."
"You didn't fill out the paperwork wrong, Lo. You never graduated from high school."
She frowned. "What the hell are you talking about? I might have missed a few classes here and there..."
"You didn't just miss a few classes, you failed the last semester."
She couldn't believe it. Of course, she knew that she had skipped way more than a few classes, but that wasn't exactly her fault. If her father would stop dragging her around the world like she was a spare piece of luggage then maybe, just maybe she wouldn't have failed.
But, she knew it wasn't entirely his fault either. She just wasn't classroom friendly. The teachers, the students, and worse the homework was just not her style, and it never would be.
"I guess that means I'll be repeating the last semester of my senior year then?"
He nodded. "But not here."
"What do you mean not here? Where the hell am I supposed to finish my last semester? And I swear to god if you say online, just so you can keep an eye on me, then we are definitely going to have a problem!"
"Not online, Lo, I don't trust that you will actually get your school work done."
She huffed at that. She didn't need a reminder of how much he didn't trust her. "Then where the hell am I supposed to finish my senior year at?"
"I'm sending you somewhere where I know you can't get distracted easily."
That perked her interest…immensely. "Your letting me leave?"
He knew this could very possibly be a bad idea, letting her leave on her own, but he had taken precautions. "Yes, but I wouldn't get any smart ideas if I were you. If you're not there within three days' time I will know about it, and if you think this past year has been hell for you then I'd think again. I could still send you to military school."
Back to the military school threat, she thought, it had been about the millionth time she's heard it, and it was getting very, very tiresome.
A small part of her wanted to rebel against his direct orders, and escape from him again, but it was pointless. She knew that for a fact, especially if what happened over a year ago said anything, but it wasn't just that. It was what he had said that caught her full attention.
How the hell would he know if she showed up or not?
And that's when a horrible thought popped into her head. She hoped to all the gods that he wasn't sending her where she thought he was sending her. That was last place she wanted to go. It was his fault that all this had happened in the first place. If he would have just kept his damn mouth shut then maybe, just maybe her life would be a hell of a lot better. She wouldn't be miserable—she would be happy—happy with the man she still loved with all of her heart.
She stared at him, questioningly, before cautiously asking, "Where exactly am I going?"
He smiled, slightly. "Pack your bags, Lo, you're moving to Smallville, Kansas."
That was definitely not what she was expecting. What he said was starting to make more sense. If she didn't show up then her uncle Gabe would be the one that informed him, and Chloe, well she would be the reason she wouldn't get distracted.
How wrong he was about that, she thought. They used to get into all kinds of trouble back in the day, but of course, he didn't know anything about the chaos they caused all those years ago in Metropolis.
One part of her was extremely excited about spending some very much needed quality time with her favorite and only cousin, but the other part of her was not happy about this situation.
Kansas.
That was the last place she wanted to be. It was filled with memories—memories that only made her pain—her sadness increase, tenfold.
It was where she met him. It was where she found out the truth about him. It was where she had felt their undying connection. It was where she said goodbye to him…for the first time.
Yeah, she definitely didn't want to live in the place, where memories of him would flood her mind every minute of every day, but it's not like she had much of a choice in the matter.
Clark, Pete and Chloe sat on their usual couch in The Talon, talking about trivial things, laughing, and enjoying spending some quality time together. It wasn't every day that they were able to talk about nothing and everything.
Chloe was usually busy with the school newspaper, and her boyfriend, Jimmy Olsen, who lived in Metropolis. She visited him practically every weekend, except for the times he had come down to Smallville for the weekend.
Pete, on the other hand, was usually busy helping Clark solve the mystery of his origins, which was getting more and more confusing by the minute, especially with these stones that Jor-El wanted him to find. He was also helping Clark deal with the meteor infected, that seemed to enjoy causing havoc on the lives of the people they cared about. But, most of all, he was trying to steer the likes of Lex Luthor as far away from Clark's secret. He was the last person that needed to find out the truth.
Chloe was in the process of telling them a story about her and Jimmy, when her phone rang, and she couldn't stop herself from grinning ear to ear at the caller id. "It's Jimmy. I'll be right back."
They watched her disappear out the front door, huge smiles plastered on their faces, at her obvious happiness.
"I can't believe that they've been dating for over a year now."
Clark nodded. "I never thought that Chloe would go for a guy like him, but I think they're kind of perfect for each other."
Pete laughed. "Do you remember the first time we met him?"
It was a month or so after he returned. Chloe had been super secretive about him, to the point of driving them insane, and finally one weekend they all went up to Metropolis to meet the man who had Chloe so smitten. It was eventful to say the least. Jimmy connected with Pete right away, but he was a different story. Chloe had obviously told him about her past feelings for him, and it had caused some uncomfortable tension between them, but Clark had taken care of that before leaving. He had explained their friendship to him, and reassured him that nothing romantic would ever happen between them. Ever since that day, things had changed for the better, and they considered each other really good friends.
"I remember that he was completely terrified of me."
"That's because he thought you were going to steal away his girl."
"You know, after I had that conversation with him he started calling me CK, and hasn't stopped since."
"I think that nickname suits you, perfectly, besides would you rather him call you farm boy or something?"
He cringed, internally, at the nickname. It was the first time he's heard that in such a long time, and it immediately brought back so, so many memories. He definitely didn't want Jimmy or anybody else using that nickname. It was for her and for her only.
He shook away the sadness that started to consume him, and changed the subject, "So, I haven't heard much about this new girl you've been seeing. What's her name again?"
Pete frowned, slightly, at the random change of conversation, but didn't dwell on it. "Natasha. How many times do I have to tell you that? We've been dating for like a month."
Clark smirked. "You mean, you were already dating her in your mind two weeks before you had the guts to ask her out."
"Shut up!"
"Seriously. Tell me about her. I've only met this girl once, and I'd like to know about the girl who has captivated my best friend."
He grinned from ear to ear. "Well, she's beautiful."
Was that all he could say about her? He could care less about what she looked like, actually he didn't even notice things like that anymore. It wasn't something that he paid much attention to. Of course, he noticed a woman's beauty, but he wasn't affected by it, and the only reason for that was because they weren't her. Nobody, in his eyes at least, would ever compare to her.
"Okay, besides that, what is she like?"
He grinned, like a maniac. "She's…perfect. I mean, I know nobody's perfect, but to me she really is. She's loyal and honest. She never lets anybody tell her what she can or can't do. She speaks her own mind. She isn't afraid to tell you what she's thinking, and she is extremely caring about everything and everyone she cares about. I-I can't explain it, but I've never felt this way before. Do you believe it's possible to feel this way after only knowing her a short amount of time?"
As Pete spilled everything he felt inside about this girl, he couldn't help but think about the one woman who had made him feel all the things that Pete was feeling at that exact moment. Love. He might not know it yet, but he was already falling for her, and it made him happy, but also sad. This Natasha girl was just like Lois. They both were open-minded, caring, and most of all, perfect in the eyes of their lovers. Except Lois wasn't his anymore. He remembered feeling all of these things, hell, he still felt them, but it was different. Where Pete could live in the moment with this girl, he only had the option of reliving the memories that were seared into his mind.
He smiled, sadly. "Yeah. Yeah, I do."
Pete stared at him, wondering, briefly how he could know such a thing since he wasn't in a relationship, but then he saw the expression on his face, and immediately regretted talking to him about this. It had brought back memories of her, the girl he was still completely and irrevocably in love with. "You felt this way with her, didn't you?"
He nodded.
"Oh, man, I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"For bringing this subject up. For bringing up things you don't want to think about."
He smiled, reassuringly. "I asked you about her, besides it brought up good memories."
That made him feel a little better, but he could see the pain—the suffering his best friend was feeling, and wanted to find a way to make him feel better. But what could he possibly do or even say to help his friend feel better about the fact that he couldn't be with the girl he wanted—needed, and desired above all else?
Clark felt his heart clenching tightly in his chest. He had lied when he said it brought back good memories. Of course, he had thought about all the times she made him feel like that, but mostly, it only reminded him that he was never, ever going to feel that way about anybody ever again, and that's what hurt the most. He would never feel a connection with someone again—he would never fall in love with someone again—he would never be truly happy again.
It was sad.
It was depressing.
But, it was his choice to make, even if that meant he would be alone and miserable for the rest of his life. It was either her or no one.
Pete was about to change the subject, when Lana waltzed into The Talon, and plopped down on the couch, purposefully putting herself in between them. "You guys would not believe the night I've had! Remember I told you how Jason wanted to take me out for the night, well let's just say that it wasn't what I was expecting…"
They both tuned her out, as she went on and on about her failed date with Jason. Pete could care less about Lana and her constant problems with the assistant football coach. Clark, on the other hand, wished upon all the stars that he could be anywhere but here at this moment. It wasn't that he didn't care about what was going on in her life, it was the fact that it was the same thing every single time they had problems. Her love life was like an overdramatic soap opera.
"I'm glad to have been able to get that out." She quickly turned towards Clark, placed her hand on his thigh, and fluttered her long eyelashes. "But, enough about Jason. I want to hear about you. I heard about the game. I would have been there, but Jason just wouldn't take no for an answer. So, how was the game?"
He immediately became annoyed, with her antics. It was obvious what she was doing. Every single time she had a problem with Jason she would come to him about it, and he had a feeling it had nothing to do with wanting support from a friend. No. She was trying to make him jealous, and it was becoming very, very tiring. He had been trying to keep his distance from her, as of late, but not because he didn't want to be around her, it was the fact that she was trying everything possible to win his affections and heart.
It was useless, he thought. His heart, mind and soul were taken, it didn't matter that they weren't together because he would always and forever be hers.
Pete was amused by the situation. It was incredibly fun watching Clark squirm, uncomfortably when Lana flirted with him. It was practically an everyday encounter, and her attempts to attract him were becoming more and more hilarious. He had a feeling that if it was her, the girl he missed more than anything, he wouldn't be so guarded, hell, he'd probably be more at ease. Maybe he'd even flirt with her. Now that was a sight he would love to see, but knew that would never happen because there was no way in hell he would even think about being with another woman, let alone flirt with one.
Over the past year, he had heard very few things about her, and he only got those things out of Clark by provoking him. A part of him wished he could know more about her, but he was scared to ask because he knew it would only make his best friend even more depressed than he already was.
Chloe walked back inside, and towards her best friends, but stopped dead in her tracks, at the scene she had just walked into. Lana was flirting, more than she's ever seen before, with Clark. Pete was refraining himself from laughing, and she couldn't blame him because it was quite hysterical. And Clark, her poor best friend, looked as if he wanted the floor to open up, and swallow him into a dark abyss.
It was quite a scene indeed, she thought.
Normally, she would have basked in his obvious torture, but figured she'd help him out this once, besides she needed to talk to Lana about Jimmy, things she couldn't talk to Pete or Clark about.
She walked up to them, not able to stop the smile from appearing on her face. "Hey guys. Lana, when did you get here?"
"A few minutes ago. Clark, here, was just telling me all about the game. I wish I could have been there, but I had no doubt in my mind that he would win the game."
He ducked, in embarrassment. "It wasn't just me, there is other players on the team."
Lana flipped her long, brunette hair over her shoulder. "But, you're the quarterback. That makes you the most important player on the team."
Wow! She was really pulling out the stops tonight, Chloe thought, too bad her attempts were useless. There was no way in hell Clark would ever fall for that, maybe before he fell in love with a woman in his three months away, but now, it was like no other woman could compare to her. It was quite romantic, but also a little sad.
"Lana, how did your date go with Jason?"
She never took her eyes off Clark. "Horrible."
"Really? Well, maybe we should talk about it you know, anywhere but here."
"But, I was about to ask Clark a question."
"And, I'm sure you can ask him later." She grabbed her hand, pulling her off the couch, and away from Clark, "Besides I need some much-needed girl advice."
Clark sighed, in absolute relief, as he watched Chloe pull, a reluctant Lana away, and reminded himself to thank her later. It had been the worst five minutes of his damn life. It wasn't a new or surprising thing for Lana to flirt with him, but she had been more assertive this time, and that was disconcerting.
Pete, who had been holding himself back, burst into a fit of laughter.
He glared. "It's not funny, Pete!"
He laughed, even harder. "I'm sorry, man, but I can't decide which was funnier. The expression on your face or Lana practically throwing herself at you."
It did seem like that, he thought, and he wondered, briefly if she was up to something. He remembered her telling him that she would wait for him the day he came back home, and it wasn't the first time she had said it. When was she going to understand that he didn't want to be with her?
Pete sobered, several minutes later. "I think that's the hardest she's ever come onto you before. Why do you think she's upped the game now?"
He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I know she wants to be with me, and two years ago that would have meant everything to me, but now, it's the last thing I want."
"Because of her, right?"
He stared at him, in complete shock, at his remark. "Am I really that transparent?"
"No, you're not, but you don't exactly hide your feelings very well either. You realize that you haven't even talked about a girl or went on a date in over a year, right?"
"I-I just can't."
"Because of her. Because you still love her. Because a part of you still wishes you were together. Because you can't imagine being with anyone else. Because you miss her more than anything."
He was dumfounded. Pete had never been this forward with him about Lois before, and it made him feel very, very protective over the choices he's made since coming back home. "Yes, it's because of her! Is it so wrong that I still want to be with her—that I wish we were still together?"
"Of course not."
"Then what's with the third degree?"
"Because I want to hear you say what we all know."
"Fine! I still love her! I miss her more than anything! I can't imagine being with anybody else, because she is the only person that has made me feel this way before! I don't just wish we could be together. I dream about it. I think about it. I want it more than anything than I've ever wanted before. I'd do anything to see her again—to see her smile again—to just be with her again."
Pete smiled, slightly. "I know, Clark. It's obvious to everyone except Lana, and you just proved what I have been asking myself for over a year now. She was the one, wasn't she?"
He didn't hesitate. "Yes."
"I know you don't like talking about her or the time you spent with her, but I think you should talk about it. What was she like?"
He smiled, sadly, memories of them rushing to the forefront of his mind. "She was perfect. She was everything you said about Natasha, but so, so much more."
"Tell me about her."
"She was unlike anybody I've ever met before. She was fascinating—alluring, but most of all, she captured my heart from the first moment I laid eyes on her."
"Was it love at first sight?"
"I guess you could say that. I-I felt this undeniable connection to her from the first moment we met, and it only took me a few weeks to realize that I had fallen hard. I had never felt this way before, and it only made me want to spend more time with her. She excited me. She cared about me. She loved me. But, more importantly, she healed me."
He frowned. "Healed you? What are you talking about?"
He took a deep breath. It was hard talking about this, but a part of him knew that he needed to share this with somebody who wasn't his mother, besides Pete would be the only other person who would understand. "After leaving Metropolis, I was consumed by the pain—shame, and guilt I felt, but that all changed when I met her. She made me understand that it wasn't my fault. She helped me forgive myself. She's the reason why I came back home."
It was probably the most incredible thing he had heard, and it was amazing that one girl did all of that for him, but it did raise questions, one in particular. "Clark, how could she have helped you through all of that if she didn't know about the real you."
He looked him straight in the eyes. "She did know the real me."
"Y-you told her?"
"Yeah."
"How did she react?"
He smiled, remembering her reaction to his bombshell. It might have been slightly painful then, but now, it was a good memory. "She accepted me, Pete. She didn't judge me or even ridicule me. I didn't even know her at the time, and all she wanted to do was protect me from the world."
"What do you mean you didn't even know her?"
"I-I told her within only knowing her a few hours."
That was surprising, especially since he had always been so careful about who he shared his secret with. "Wow! It really must have been love at first sight."
He smiled. "It was."
Never, in over a year, had he heard this much about her, and he wanted to know more about her. He wanted to know everything. "What was her name?"
"Lois. Her name was Lois Lane."
He smirked. "Another LL? Why am I not surprised?"
"Shut up!"
"So, how did you and this Lois meet?"
He opened his mouth to speak, but quickly closed it again. It was nice talking to someone about her, but now that he had actually said her name out loud, which is something he hasn't done in a very long time, made him realize what he was doing. In over a year, he had never talked about her this much, and now that he had, it only made him miss her more. "It doesn't matter."
And just like that the walls were back up, Pete thought. They had come so far, but he figured that was all he was going to get out of Clark tonight, and that was okay because he was starting to understand why he was so smitten with this Lois Lane.
He quickly stood up. "Um, I should probably get going. I promised my parents that I'd be back in enough time for dinner." And without another word he walked away, and super sped home.
It was a lie, of course. He still had a few hours before his parents were expecting him, but right now, he just wanted to be alone. He had said way, way too much tonight, and it had brought back a lot of emotions that he had kept hidden within himself. It had been easier than he thought it would be talking about her to Pete, but now that he had gotten his deepest feelings off his chest, he wanted to just live in their memories because that was the only thing keeping him together these days.
In a matter of a few hours, Lois had all her things packed, which was only some essentials, and a few things Cassie and Wes had given her.
And now, now she was standing near the foot of her bed, slightly hesitating, and she wondered if she was ever going to get her feet to move. It was hard enough looking at those items every single night before she went to bed, but the thought of packing them away made her sick inside. It was one of the only things keeping her going—keeping her from completely breaking down.
It was now or never, she thought, before making her way to the bed, sat down, and slowly lifted her pillow. She stared down at the two items, an emptiness consuming her, and she could feel her heart clenching in unbearable pain.
The first, was a wooden-framed photo of Clark and herself smiling widely at the camera. It was the day he surprised her by taking her to the beach in Washington.
She smiled, tears already pooling in her eyes, as she remembered how she had gotten that elderly woman, Shelia, to take the picture. Clark had teased her endlessly about it, afterwards, but it was so worth it because if she hadn't of done that then she wouldn't have this to remember him by.
A few tears rolled down her cheeks, as she thought about the heart felt words she shared with them, and a part of her wondered if it was a foreshadowing of some kind because that was their very last day together.
The second, the one she cherished the most, was the strip of photos from their first date in Colorado. She felt more and more tears fall down her cheeks, as she remembered that day.
It was one of the best days of her life.
She remembered the Ferris Wheel—the mind-blowing kiss—the bear he had won for her—the photo booth—the way she fell asleep in his arms, which seemed to happen a lot—and the way she woke up the next morning with his arms wrapped around her.
She slowly, and tentatively ran her fingers across the five photos, lingering them over the one where they had kissed…passionately. It had been amazing, and only left her wanting more. She clutched the photo to her chest, and softly closed her eyes, as more and more of their memories washed over her.
It had been the best three months of her life, and now, now she was left feeling utterly empty and completely alone. Instead of packing them away in her suitcase, like she intended to, she put them in her purse.
They were safer there—closer to her there.
She grabbed the locket that hung loosely around her neck, and flipped it around so she could read the engraving, just like she would whenever she needed some faith—some hope. She desperately needed some right now, and he was the only one that could give it to her, even if she couldn't see him or hear him, he was with her always and forever.
The tears fell more fiercely down her rosy cheeks. It had been one of the last things he said to her, and it was true, whenever she felt like the world was crashing down around her, she would grab this locket, remembering all the love he shared with her—all the love she hoped he still felt for her.
She still missed him like crazy, and even though it's been well over a year, she still loved him just as deeply as she did the day she left him.
She left him.
That thought was what made this so hard. As much as she wanted to believe that she had no choice, she couldn't help but blame herself for everything that had happened, even though he had told her that he didn't blame her. She had broken his heart more than once, and no matter what she tried to tell herself, the truth would always come crashing back to her.
It was all her fault, and she would never forgive herself.
A loud, booming knock on the door brought her out of her stupor, and she quickly composed herself, wiping away her tears before opening the door.
It was her father.
"It's time to go," was all he said before walking away.
She grabbed her belongings before leaving her room, and as she walked towards the main gates she prepared herself for saying goodbye to the two most important people in her life. Cassie and Wes.
Several hours later, she drove down the highway, all the windows rolled down, the wind whipping around her face, and listened to soft music coming from the radio.
It had been so hard to say goodbye to Cassie and Wes, but she knew deep inside that she would be seeing them again sooner or later.
Her father, on the other hand, hadn't showed any emotion, as she said goodbye, but of course, she wasn't surprised by that. She knew that he cared about her—that he loved her, but he just didn't know how to show it, and it had always been like that between them.
A song came on the radio, one she didn't know, and was about to switch the channel, but stopped her hand midair, as she realized that it reminded her of him—of Clark.
Here in the silence I wait
There's nothing else I can do
It feels like my heart's gonna break
And all I can think of is you
And how my aching arms long to hold you
And show you how much I care
But I'm counting the hours without you
And I don't know how much I can bear
The words hit her like a jackhammer, but she couldn't stop herself from continuing to listen to it, and slowly lowered her hand.
'cause I miss you
More than words can say
And I need you here
In my life always
Yeah I miss you
And I'll always be
Waiting here for you
Til you're back with me
Just like that, everything faded, and her vision began to cloud, as tears filled her eyes. The words 'til you're back with me' rung in her mind, and she completely broke down because that was never, ever going to happen.
She slammed on her brakes, pulling off the side of the road before jumping out of her car, and leaned up against the car door, as tears strolled down her cheeks.
You found a place in my heart
From the first moment I saw you
And you are my light in the dark
And I would do anything for you
'cause you're everything I've ever wished for
The answer to all of my dreams
And I want you back
Home is here with me
She missed him so god damn much. There hasn't been a single day where she wasn't thinking or dreaming about him, and it seemed that every day that passed she fell in even more in love with him. How was it possible to love someone when you never saw them—never heard their voice?
She didn't know, but she did know what she wanted.
She wanted to be with him again—she wanted to see his boyish, handsome face again—she wanted to feel his touch again—she wanted to feel him holding her—kissing her again.
She just wanted him, and she knew that, that would never happen again.
He was gone.
She would never, ever see him again.
She slowly slid to the ground, her body trembling, as sobs rocked her to the core, and she wished—prayed that she could see him at least one more time.
Oh I miss you
More than words can say
And I need you here
Clark stood in the barn, leaning against the wooden beams, and stared out into the night sky, as the radio played a song that only reminded him of how alone he felt—how he didn't have her anymore—how he hasn't had her for over a year now.
And I bless the day I met you
And I thank God that he let you
Lay beside me for a moment that lives on
And the good news is I'm better for the time we spent together
And the bad news is you're gone.
As the words consumed every fiber in his body, he slowly made his way over to the treasure chest, opened it, and pulled out the large bear—the bear he had won for her.
He brought it to his chest, and inhaled deeply, sighing, peacefully when he could still smell remnants of her sweet and overpowering scent.
It had been one of the most prominent memories he had.
Their first date.
It was special.
It was unique.
But, most of all, it fitted them perfectly.
He had used his abilities, just so she could have the one she wanted, and it was one of the best decisions he had ever made. He wouldn't have this, right now, if he didn't do that, that day.
Looking back it's still surprising
I was sinking you were rising
And with a look you caught me in midair.
He walked over to his desk, opened the drawer, and pulled out a wooden-framed picture of them. It was the day he took her to the beach in Washington.
He smiled, weakly, as he remembered how she had wrangled that elderly woman to take their picture since he obviously couldn't do it right.
His smile fell, and he could feel the tears prickling behind his eyes, as he remembered that, that was their very last day together, hell, that was their last truly carefree and happy moment together.
He had lost her that day.
If he knew that, that was going to happen than he would have made that day so, so much better, but he couldn't change the past even if he wanted to.
If he could turn back time, they never would have said goodbye to each other, and she would be with him right this minute.
Now I know God has his reasons
But sometimes it's hard to see them
I lie awake and find that you're not there.
He slowly pulled out his wallet, opened it, and pulled out the strip of pictures they took on their first date. He stared down at the five photos, his eyes lingering on her beautiful face, and felt his heart ache in a pain he knew all too well.
After all this time, he was still heartbroken—still in pain, and deep inside he knew that he would always feel this emptiness—this loneliness inside.
He softly closed his eyes, trying to stop the tears that he knew were coming, just like they did every single night, but it was useless, especially when images of their three months together flashed behind his eyes.
You found hope in hopeless
You made crazy sane
You became the missing link that helped me break my chains.
He squeezed the items in his hands, tightly before collapsing to the ground, as their last words echoed in his mind, and he completely broke down, the tears cascading down his cheeks causing his entire body to tremble.
And I bless the day I met you
And I thank God that he let you
Lay beside me for a moment that lives on
And the good news is I'm better for the time we spent together
And the bad news is you're gone.
He missed her so god damn much—he wanted her here with him, like they planned—he wanted to see her beautiful face again—he wanted to feel her touch again—he wanted to hold her and kiss her again.
He just wanted her, and he knew that, that was never going to happen.
She was gone.
He would never see her again.
His head fell back against the wooden beam, the tears falling faster and faster, as he stared up at the ceiling, and wished—prayed that he could see her at least one more time.
Umm umm
Ohh ohh you're gone
Ohhh you're gone!
Chloe sighed, heavily, and took a deep breath, as she watched Lana walk away from her.
It had been the worst two hours of her life.
They had spent that entire time talking about her difficult situation with Jason, and her feelings for Clark, which was driving her absolutely insane. Lana was either complaining about how Jason wasn't there for her when she needed him to be and how she felt like he was hiding something from her or how much she wants to be with Clark, but doesn't know what to do to make him see that they would be perfect for each other.
It was irritating as all hell.
The only reason she was with Jason was because she wanted to make Clark jealous, which was obviously not working, but that didn't seem to even faze her. She might have loved Jason when they spent the summer in Paris together, but ever since she saw Clark again she had been back to her annoying self.
She really, really wished that she would just give up already and move on because it was quite obvious to everyone else that Clark already had. She has spent most of the past year revolving herself around him, flirting, trying to win his heart, but what she couldn't see was that he didn't share those same affections. Ever since he returned over one year ago, he was different—he had changed, and that was all because of the woman he fell in love with, hell, the woman he was still in love with.
And it changed him for the better, she thought.
It was clear that he was still in pain over what had happened, not that he talked to her about it, but he was at least just a little bit happier since he returned home. He was still in love with the woman, who had stolen his heart, and she doubted that he would ever stop.
RING! RING! RING!
It was probably Lana, she thought, and quickly answered the phone without checking the called id. "What? You know, I'm not really in the mood to rehash this…yet again."
"Well, hello to you to cuz! Is that any way to greet your favorite cousin?"
Chloe was shocked to hear her voice on the other line. "Lois?"
"Well, yeah. Who else would be calling you from this number?"
"I'm sorry, cuz! I thought you were someone else."
"Obviously, and by the sounds of it, it was someone you really didn't want to talk to."
She sighed. "Not particularly. I've been talking to her for the past few hours about the same old bullshit. Can you believe that she is dating one guy, but desiring another, one who wants nothing to do with her by the way."
"Oh great! Something to look forward to."
That comment puzzled her, but she didn't think about it for too long. "Why are you calling me so late? I thought uncle Sam was watching your every move, which included who you contacted since your little escape."
"Don't remind me, and for your information it isn't that late. I just wanted to chat with my lovely cuz!"
She wasn't buying that for one second. "Spill, Lane! I know you, and you don't just call out of the blue. You either want something or something is wrong. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Don't get your panties in a bunch, but I did want to tell you something."
"Well? What is it? Don't leave me hanging here?"
"I hope you have room for one more at your house because I'm currently driving towards that pathetic small town of yours, as we speak."
She nearly dropped her phone, at her words, and quickly calmed herself before replying. "What? Are you fucking serious? Why are you driving here? Does uncle Sam know about this?"
"Woah! One question at a time, damn girl, you're starting to sound like me, and that's scary." Chloe could hear her chuckling on the other line. "Yes, I'm serious. My lovely father enlightened me on the fact that I failed last semester, and instead of sending me back to school near base he is shipping me off to that town you call home."
She couldn't believe it. This was the best news she has received in quite a long time. "Oh my god! I can't wait to see you! It's been what? Over two years?"
"Three, I think, but who's keeping count?"
Something she had said finally registered. "Wait a minute! He actually let you leave? On your own? How does he know that you won't just drive somewhere he couldn't find you?"
"He talked to uncle Gabe, and threatened military school if I didn't arrive within three days."
"My father knows? Why the hell didn't he tell me?"
"I have no idea, but if I had to guess, it would be because you haven't been home in a few hours."
She was speechless. How the hell did she do that? It was like she could read anyone perfectly, whether she could see you or not. "How do you know I haven't been home?"
"Firstly, you just confirmed it, and secondly, do you realize who you're talking to?"
"Whatever! So, when are you going to be here?"
There was a brief silence before she replied, "Well, I've been driving all day and night so, I would say about two days tops."
"Two days!?"
"Jesus! You don't have to scream so loud, yes, I'll be there in two days."
"Oh my god! I'm so excited! I can't wait to see you!"
"Yeah. It's going to be great repeating my senior year and being stuck in yet another small Kansas town."
"Oh, come on, it won't be that bad, besides that town you were stranded couldn't have been that bad."
"Oh, but it was. Look, I've got to go, but I'll see you real soon, cuz!"
Chloe hung up the phone, still unable to believe the turn of events, and started mentally planning all the things they were going to do together. She was so lost in her thoughts, that she didn't even see or hear Pete. "Hello? Chloe? Earth to Chloe!"
"What?"
He frowned at her. "I've been trying to get your attention for over five minutes now."
"You have?"
He nodded. "What has you so distracted? I don't think I've ever seen you this way before."
She grinned from ear to ear, and practically jumped up and down in her seat. "I just got the best news! My cousin, Lois, is moving to Smallville! She'll be here in two days!"
He smiled, at her apparent enthusiasm. He hadn't heard much about her cousin, only that she was an army brat and that they used to be really close when they were younger. It was obvious that she was super excited about this, and he was happy for her, but that happiness faltered once he realized what she had actually said.
Lois.
Her cousin' name was Lois.
Could it be? Was it even remotely possible? "What did you say her name was?"
She frowned, at that question. "Lois Lane, why?"
He couldn't believe it. It was her. The woman his best friend missed terribly, and loved entirely was Chloe's cousin. What were the chances of that? "Oh my god! I can't believe it!"
Now she was extremely confused. He was acting really weird. Firstly, he wanted to know Lois' name, and now it was like he was having a realization of some kind. "What? What is it?"
He grinned from ear to ear, not able to hide his excitement at what was to come. It wasn't possible, but it was happening. "Your cousin, Lois, is the same exact girl Clark spent three months with."
"What? Are you crazy? Clark's never met Lois before."
"How would you know?"
"Because she would have told me if she met some guy, and fell in love with him."
"Not if she was hurt so badly from the prospect of losing him, and doesn't want to talk about it. Just like Clark. Think about it for a second. Your cousin' name is Lois Lane, and the woman Clark fell in love with has the exact same name."
She shook her head, vehemently. "No, it's just not possible. It's a common name. There could be thousands of people with that name."
That was true, he thought, but he wasn't going to be deterred. He knew he was right about this. "Okay, you have a point. Do you know if she might have gone on a summer vacation or something at the same exact time that Clark was gone for those three months?"
It hit her, almost immediately. Lois had run away from base around the exact same time Clark had disappeared, and she had also returned to base not even a day after Clark returned home.
She couldn't believe it. It was true. "Oh my god! Your right! This entire time I've been in constant contact with the one person he has been missing—the woman he loves!" A feeling of queasiness rolled inside of her stomach, at the thought. "If I knew—if I would have just convinced Clark to tell me her name than they could have been reunited by now! Why the hell didn't I question him more about it?"
"Because you're his friend, and you didn't want to hurt him more than he already was. Neither of us wanted that. But, hope isn't lost, Chloe, we could still reunite them."
"What do you mean?"
"You said she's moving to Smallville, right?"
She nodded.
He grinned, feeling more excitement than he's felt in a very, very long time. "I think I have an idea…"
She listened, quite intently to his plan, and it was a brilliant one. It could work. It would only be a matter of time before her cousin and best friend' lives got turned completely upside down, hopefully for the better.
She couldn't wait.
This was one hell of a chapter to write, since it was extremely long, it was a whole 28 pages long, and that's the longest chapter I've written before. I could have split it up again, like I've done before, but I didn't want to keep you waiting too much longer for that promised reunion.
I hope you enjoyed chapter twenty-four!