I do not own Smallville. Read, enjoy and, please review; let me know what you think of the relationships.

Chapter 25: Baby steps.

Kara was pulled her head out of her hands when she felt someone's comforting hand on her shoulder and she knew that it was her brother. "Kara, who's made you cry like this?" Clark asked, although he already knew the answer: Lex. He sat down next to his sister, taking hold of hands. "Kara, what happened?"

His elder sister buried her head in his chest, before sitting up straight and replied, "I told Lex that I'm in love with him and, it turns out that he had feelings for me years ago. Life really sucks, doesn't it?" She bit his lip. "He doesn't even love Victoria. He said-he said that he and I weren't you and Lois, he said that we aren't destined to be together."

Clark forced a chuckle. "Kara, Lois and I obviously are not destined to be together, she's with Oliver and I have to accept that-just like you have to accept that Lex is with Victoria."

"How can you give up, Kal-El? How can you give up on Lois like that?" Kara sprang to her feet.

"Kara, I'm not in love with Lois and, please, don't call me by that name; my name is Clark." When his sister just glared at her, he remarked, "Besides, the two situations are completely different; Lois isn't in love with Oliver and they're not engaged to be married."

Shaking her head, Kara murmured, "Not yet, Kal-El, but the longer they stay together, the closer they'll become and they'll be more likely to fall in love with each other, and you need to be prepared for that." With that, she walked out of the café, leaving Clark wondering if she was right and beginning to worry even more.

Hours later, after checking on his sleeping sons, he heard Oliver walk into his apartment and he walked over to him. "Hey, have you just got back from Lois's?" he did his best to try to sound casual. Oliver looked up at his friend and replied, "Yeah. Are you ok, you're not usually up at this time?"

Clark bit his lip, then asked, "Are you and Lois-are you happy together?"

Oliver frowned. "Yeah, we are. Clark, are you sure that you're ok?" There was a silence, then he added, "Lois is worried about you too, you know." Fury filled his entire body and Clark hissed, "I don't need your pity, Oliver." He walked to his bedroom before Oliver had a chance to ask him what was wrong or what he had meant by that; he had a feeling that Clark was angry with him for something, but he did not know what. He sighed, then made his way to bed. Lois texted him and he smiled to himself; he knew that she really did care about him.

The next morning, Oliver found that Clark had already left and taken the boys to breakfast club and nursery. He sighed, wondering why Clark was avoiding him. What had he done wrong? His thoughts were interrupted when he was told that 'Miss Lane' was at the door to see him.

Lois walked in, holding two cups of coffee. "One of the perks in living above a coffee shop." She smiled, as she passed him a cup of coffee. Observing his facial expressions, she asked, "Oliver, are you ok?"

Oliver pulled on a jumper and replied, "Yeah, I'm fine, Lois, I'm just worried about Clark."

"I'm glad that I'm not the only one," Lois sat down, "I've been worried about him ever-ever since you and I got together. He's been acting so strange, there must be something wrong with him. Do you think it's because he misses Lana or is there something else going on?"

Their conversation was interrupted when one of Oliver's staff walked in and informed him that his representative at the Steal Union was there to see him. As soon as he was gone, Oliver smiled and sighed. "I'm sorry, Lois, I have to go and work. I'll see you later, ok?" He kissed Lois on the check and they smiled at each other, before he walked back into his bedroom to change, taking his coffee with him. Lois sighed, worried about Clark and she decided to confront him at work and ask him directly what was wrong.

Meanwhile, at The Daily Planet, Jimmy threw his bags down onto his desk and sighed. Lois walked past and stopped, when she saw how stressed he looked. "Jimmy, are you ok?" she asked, genuinely concerned about her cousin's boyfriend.

Jimmy shook his head. "No, not really. I've been kicked out of my place and I don't have anywhere to go."

"You can come and stay with me and Chloe, until you find a place of their own-you can sleep on the sofa."

"No, I can't do that." When Lois gave him a look, he explained, "Moving in with the two of you, well-it would be a big step for Chloe and I and I-I wouldn't want to do something like that without discussing it with her first, you know. She is my girlfriend, after all." Lois nodded slightly, then walked away and over to her own desk.

An hour later, Chloe arrived and Lois told her about her proposal to Jimmy. Her cousin looked at her shocked, before leaving her work and going to find Jimmy. She found him at the vending machines. "Jimmy, what's this about you staying with me and Lois?" she asked, deciding not to dance around the subject.

Biting his lip, Jimmy replied, "Look, in my defence, I told Lois that I didn't want to agree to anything before I spoke to you about it. It would be a big step for us, even if it's only tempory. Chloe, if you don't want me to, if you'd be uncomfortable with it, that's fine. Honestly. All long as I'm with you, I don't mind where I live." He looked into her eyes and she smiled and kissed him on the check. "You really are very sweet, Jimmy." She smiled. "Ok, you'll have to sleep on the sofa and it's just until you find a place of your own."

Her boyfriend looked at her in shock. "Are you-are you agreeing to this?"

Chloe chuckled and nodded, "Yeah, I am. I wouldn't be a good a very good girlfriend if I didn't give you a roof over your head, would I?"

"Thanks, Chloe, I'll find a way to make it up to you."

"Being with you is thanks enough, Jimmy." Chloe replied, in a whisper. She took a step forward and they kissed, before embracing each other in a tight hug. Over Jimmy's shoulder, Chloe saw her cousin watching them and she smiled a smile of thanks.

Lois turned back to her computer and saw that Clark was sitting opposite her. "You look very happy." He observed, smiling.

"Yeah, well, my cousin's happy with Jimmy, so I'm happy. I'm so glad that they're together because they work so well together. Do you know what I mean?"

"Like you and Oliver." Clark murmured, but Lois did hear him and she smiled, not hearing the dark side to his voice. She sighed, then remarked, "Clark, I think I know what's been bothering you for so long and I think that we need to talk about it."

In both horror and relief, Clark looked up at his friend and asked, "You-you do?"

Lois nodded. "Yes, it's obvious; I'd have to blind not to see it: you're in love with Chloe, aren't you?" There was a long silence, then Clark pretended to concede defeat, as it was easier than admitted that he had feelings for her. "What gave me away?" As he asked, he attempted to mask the disappointment in his voice, as a part of him had hoped that she had worked out that he had feelings for her.

Smiling, his friend answered, "It all makes sense. You've been moping ever since Lex and Victoria's party and that was when you and Chloe really kissed. I can't even imagine how painful that was, seeing her with someone else." She could, remembering the days when she had pinned after Clark and wanted him to see him in that way, but those days were behind her now. Clark stood up, internally sighing. "I have to go, I'll be right back." He paused, then asked, "Lex's wedding's tomorrow. Are you and Oliver going together?"

"Of course we are; we are officially a couple now, although we haven't told the press yet-I think he's nervous about doing that because of what happened to Estrella." With that, Clark walked off without looking back. All he wanted to do was to move on with his life and forget about his feelings for Lois.

At lunchtime, Lois and Oliver met at the Talon to have lunch together. As they began their lunch, Lois told him, "I've found out what's wrong with Clark. It turns out that he's in love with Chloe. Isn't that sad? I mean, I'm glad that she's with Jimmy, but that's still sad, because Clark's in love with her and she used to be in love with him too, until Jimmy came along. Maybe a part of her still is, but she won't admit it." Lois stopped talking when she saw the distant look in her boyfriend's eyes and she began to worry. "Oliver? Are you ok?"

Oliver nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine, Lois. Tell you what, I'll have a word with Clark, man to man." He bit his lip, as he had an idea of what was going on; why Clark seemed to be annoyed with him and what the cause of all of this was: Lois. Lois smiled, then remarked, "Well, if you're ok, I have to get back to work. Are you sure you're ok?"

"Lois, I'm fine, really. You don't have to worry about me." Oliver forced a smile, as he did not want her to worry about him, as there was no reason to do so. Lois leaned over and kissed him, before walking away. Oliver watched her as she walked away and sighed. He really cared about Lois, he knew that she felt the same about him, but he was now certain that Clark now had feelings for Lois. Deep down, he wondered, if she had the choice between himself and Clark, who would she pick?

That evening, Chloe and Lois helped Jimmy move his stuff into their apartment. Most of Jimmy's belongings stayed in his bags, as he did not want to scare himself or Chloe into thinking that this was a permanent move, but he laid duvet on the sofa, which was where he was going to be sleeping. As soon as he was settled, he walked over to Chloe who was in the kitchen, making a cup of tea and took hold of her hands. "Thanks, Chloe, I don't know where I'd be without you."

Chloe smiled and leaned over the counter so that she was closer to him and their faces were close. "You're so sweet. It's one of your many attributes which made me fall in love with you." Jimmy stroked the side of her face and whispered, "I love you, too, Chloe, you know that." Chloe leaned in closer and they kissed, before Jimmy let go of her hands and walked out of the apartment, he did not want to intrude too much and he wanted Lois and Chloe to have time together. As soon as he was gone, Lois walked over to her cousin who was still standing in the same position she had been when Jimmy had left. "I've never seen you so happy, Chlo." She whispered, smiling. "You really love him, don't you?"

Pulling herself out of her trance of thinking about Jimmy, Chloe nodded, "Yeah, I am. I love him… In fact, I think that we may be ready for the big step." She gave her cousin a look and Lois understood and nodded, "I get it, Chlo. Listen, come and sit with me."

The two of them sat down on the sofa and Lois began, "I'm not going to tell you how to live your live, cuz, but before you done it, just be sure that Jimmy is the guy you want to remember forever. To tell you the truth, I wish that I hadn't done it with AC and I don't want you to have that kind of regret. Chloe, are you still in love with Clark?"

"I can't believe you, of all people, would ask me that!" Chloe snapped a little too quickly, from which Lois discovered her answer. She shook her head. "You are, aren't you? Does Jimmy know?"

Standing up, Chloe replied, "No, because it isn't true! I love Jimmy, not Clark!"

"Chloe, the longer you deny this, the more it will consume your life and that will stop you from ever moving on!" Lois snapped, standing up. "I was in love with Clark, but I woke up and I realised that he was never going to feel the same way about me and I've moved on and you have to do the same! You can't wait for him forever, Chlo." She whispered the last part, as she saw that tears had appeared in her cousin's eyes and she could see the conflict in her eyes; a part of her did still love Clark, but she also loved Jimmy. A part of Lois wanted to tell Chloe that, as far as she knew, Clark was in love with her cousin, but she had also never seen her happier than when she was with Jimmy. She, like Chloe, was conflicted, but for different reasons.

Little did she know how wrong she was; that it was her for whom Clark really had feelings.

Lex opened the door and let Clark into his apartment. "Victoria's staying at a hotel. The next time I see her, she'll be walking down the isle." There was a hint of sadness in his voice and Clark internally sighed, wishing that Lex did not feel obligated to marry Victoria.

"How are you feeling about the wedding tomorrow?" he asked, as he sat down, watching Lex play pool.

Hitting a shoot, Lex kept his eyes fixed on the ball, as he could not bring himself to look at his best friend. "A part of me wishes that I didn't have to go through with it, but I do know that, if I do, my life will be so much easier; I'll have married someone of whom my father approves and I know that Victoria will bless me with children, which is what I need. Don't get me wrong, I do want to have children, but I also have to have them." There was a silence, then he remarked, "I know it's hard for you to understand, Clark, but sometimes you have to do something that your heart is telling you not to; if you were dictated to by your feelings, you would never get anywhere in life."

Clark shook his head and murmured, "I'll never feel that way. I'm not in love with Lois, but I do wish that I was with her."

"Are she and Oliver in love?" Lex inquired, as he hit another shot.

"Well, according to Lois, the longer they're together, the more likely they are to fall in love, which I guess makes sense." He sighed. "This makes my relationship with Lana seem so simply. I know that Lois and I haven't had a relationship, but it feels as if we have. I just have to get over it and I need to do it soon." He stood up, then turned at the door and smiled, "Lex, everything will be okay."

Lex finally looked at Clark and nodded. "Thank you, Clark. You're the only real friend I've ever had." He smiled, then Clark walked away, leaving Lex alone. He picked up his mobile phone and called Tess, but she did not answer. He threw his phone across the room and yelled; he blamed Oliver for his sister's leaving and now, when he needed her more than anything, she was not there. Kara was also on his mind and he could not get her out of his head, but he needed to talk to her before he married Victoria.

Clark opened the door to Oliver's private apartment in Queen Tower and he found that Oliver was sitting up, waiting for him and he sighed, as he wanted to avoid his friend. As he put away his coat, nothing was said, but when he sat down, Oliver walked over to him and began, "Now I know what your recent problem is with me, why you've been so evasive." He bit his lip. "It isn't Chloe you're in love with, is it?"

There was a silence, then Clark shook his head. "I'm not in love with anyone, but no, it isn't Chloe."

Oliver sat down opposite him. "Clark, why didn't you tell me?"

"I only worked it out when Lois told me that she was going to the party with you!" Clark snapped, glaring at his friend. "That was the moment it finally clicked, the fact that I have feelings for her. Why did you ask her the party? Just to show me what I'd lost, rub it in my face? Show that you've won? Well, you've won now, because she's with you now!"

Shaking his head, Oliver retorted, "Clark, Lois isn't some sort of prize! She has feelings, feelings which you ignored for years. I had feelings for Lois for some time, but I didn't act on them because of you, but you didn't make a move, so I decided to do so, so don't stand there and act as if you're the victim!"

Clark stood up. "She won't fit in your world, Oliver. And you've never been in a serious relationship before in your life, what makes you think that you can be serious with Lois? What makes you think that you've changed now that you're with her?"

Oliver stood up too. "You know what, Clark? This is your fault-you missed you chance. Lois has feelings for me and I have feelings for her, so let her be happy, ok? Let her life her life, as she wants to."

"Do you ever think that Lois will ever love you? Do you really think that anyone could? Do you even know what love looks like?" Clark knew that what he was saying was completely irrational and cruel and the look in his friend's eyes hurt him more than he could express. He expected Oliver to hit him, but he did not; he walked past him in silence, grabbed his jacket and left the apartment by the lift.

The next morning, when Clark saw that Oliver had not returned, he began to worry. He called him, but his friend did not answer. Grateful that his sons were with his mum and dad, he asked a guard if Oliver had returned and when he replied that he had not, so he grabbed his red jacket and made his way to the Talon, hoping that Lois knew where he was.

Clark knocked on the door and Lois answered. "What's up, Smallville? It's 8:30 in the morning."

Feeling very guiltily, Clark replied, "He and I had an argument last night, he stormed out and he hasn't returned. I thought you might know where he is." The look on Lois's face confirmed his worst fears and she let him into the flat and hissed, "So, you had a row with my boyfriend, he left Queen Tower and you didn't think to tell me? Clark, how could you do that? You know that he has a history of depression and alcoholism!"

Clark flinched. "Lois, I'm sorry. We will find him, don't worry him." Lois threw a glare at him, before opening up her laptop and entering something into the search engine. "What are you doing?"

Keeping her eyes fixed on the computer screen, Lois answered, "I think I know where Oliver is." She stood up, grabbed her coat, scribbled a note to Chloe, then made her way out of the apartment and Clark followed her, wondering where she was going, where she thought Oliver was.

Half an hour, they found Oliver. He was sitting on a bench, staring at a monument to his parents, Bella and Isaac Queen. Clark felt a wave of guilt swimming over him and he looked at Lois, but she had vanished into the woods and he could not see her, so he slowly walked over to Oliver and sat down next to him. "Oliver, I'm sorry about what I said. You and Lois deserve each other and, I'm sure that one day, she'll love you and when that day comes, you'll be the luckiest man on this planet." He glanced over his shoulder and was glad that the bench was far away from the wood, because it meant that Lois could not hear their conversation.

Oliver smiled slightly and murmured, "Thanks, Clark. Do you know where Lois is? I'd like to talk to her."

Walking away from the bench, Clark called Lois and she gave him a small smile before walking over to her boyfriend and sitting down next to him. She placed her hand next to his on the bench. "I was worried about you." She whispered. Oliver bit his lip, then remarked, "Do you remember when I told you that I don't read the Daily Planet because I don't have the time? That was a lie: I don't read it, because of their coverage of my parents' death. It was years ago and I can still remember it like it was yesterday. You came here to look for me?" he sounded surprised.

Lois nodded. "Yes, of course I did and I brought Clark so that he would apologise to you." She bit her lip, then continued, "I really care about you, Oliver, you know that."

"I do now." He smiled and kissed her on the temple. Lois blushed, as she always did when he kissed her. "Can I ask you something, Lois?" Oliver asked, in a very quiet voice so that Clark could not hear. "If you had a choice of being with me and Clark, who would you pick?"

Lois's eyes met his and she replied, "The feelings I had for Clark were a fantasy, a school-girl crush, nothing more, nothing less. What I have with you is different and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I'd pick you any day of the weak, Oliver." She whispered the last part, hoping that he saw that she was telling the truth. He did and, smiling, they shared a slow kiss before sitting together and talking.

On the other side of park, Clark was watching them, with his heart aching, Lois was so happy when she was with Oliver and he looked happy when he was with her, so what right did he have to infer with that? It was not as if she had ever had feelings for him, or at least that was what he thought.

A couple of hours later, the Catholic Chapel just outside of Metropolis was packed with Lex's friends and Victoria's family. As Lex was walking around to see who was there, his eyes fell upon Kara's and he gestured to her to follow him and she did. As soon as they were alone, he began, "Look, what you told me"-

"Lex, forget about it," Kara interrupted him, "you're getting married, I had no right to tell you that. Let's just pretend that it didn't happen, ok? Let's just forget that entire conversation." With that, she walked away, leaving Lex regretting not speaking to her about this when she had first told him.

As Chloe and Jimmy were about to walk into the church, Jimmy stopped walking, wrapping his arms around her neck. "I just want us to stand here and remember this moment forever. You look amazing, Chloe." They kissed and closed their eyes, before holding hands and walking into the church.

Half an hour later, Lex and Victoria took their vows, kissed and became husband and wife. As they kissed again and walked down the isle, Kara looked down at her hands and made a decision: she would force herself to move on from Lex. She had no choice and she knew it deep down. She had always known it.

That afternoon, after the reception, Chloe, Oliver, Lois and Clark and Jimmy made their way to the Talon and they ordered drinks and sat together. Clark felt very awkward, as he was the only one who was there alone, with no girlfriend. Oliver and Lois were not publically affectionate, but it was obvious by the way they were speaking and Chloe and Jimmy were very obviously a couple, with their arms around each other and kissed each other every five minutes. Clark had wanted to spend time with his sister, but his mum had taken her for a drink. He hoped that she was alright.

Their conversation was interrupted when a woman walked over to them. It was Alba Lopez, Estrella's mum, who was Spanish. She caught Oliver's eye and said something in Spanish. Oliver nodded and replied, then he turned back to his girlfriend and friends. "She says she has to talk to me about something, so I'm going to go and see what she wants." He stood up and Lois stood up too, making eye contact with her boyfriend and asked, "Is everything ok?"

Oliver bit his lips and squeezed her hand. "I hope so, Lois." He kissed her on the temple again and she smiled, before he walked off with Alba and out of the Talon. Lois smiled to herself as she watched her boyfriend walk away and she did not notice Clark watching her with great pain in his eyes.