What an episode, we get Clark flying with Lois, again alternate reality, virtual reality, whatever, the point is I am tired of all these big moments not happening in real time. God help me it is almost 1 AM and my brain is shutting down. Saddest part of the episode is Chloe asking Clark

"Do you trust me?" and Clark hesitantly giving his hand than pulling away. "I want to but I can't"

Best part was boss Chloe commanding, "Stand down!"

I am not a big Chloe fan, but I am a fan of strong intelligent woman kicking butt in heels.

Not to go unmentioned, loved the roof scene with the multi Chloe and Lois encouraging her man like always. "I believe in you." Love the look on his face after she said that.

h-g-g-l-e-r-k, hope this makes you a little happy this is a longer chapter.

Imhooked, yes, I like Clark assertive and strong too. Lana died because Clark did not reverse time, I had Jor- El refuse him adamantly.

Alias4747, glad to hear you are enjoying things so far, the ride is just beginning.

Jeremy Shane, here is more, and yes, you are right Clark did not rewind time when Lana died.

Lady DI II, thanks, hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

Naomieblue, my favorite villain is just getting started.

Alexindigo, thank you, when I was writing that speech at Lana's grave I was so worried it would come off wrong or sappy, I don't know, I seem to be always nervous about every scene I write anyways.

LoisNClark4Ever, I love writing Lois and Chloe scenes because there is so much love and their bond allow them to push each other emotionally. They can play off each other and poke fun at one another like sisters. My sister and I interact that way, it's nice to know there is someone who will always be confident to tell you what you do not want to here.

As always, happy reading and let me know what you thought.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my thoughts and the stories I create.

In Medias Res

"Into the middle of things"

"Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars." Kahlil Gibran

Chapter 56

You Are So Fired!

Chloe looked over at Lois who had her head down on the bar counter, she was mumbling about tiny big mouth blonds with low alcohol tolerance, making the worst drinking buddies ever. Chloe fought the urge to laugh at her cousin, sitting in bars with Lois as she tries to chase away what ever problem she had over the years, have become as common to them as a tub of Ben and Jerry.

"You know cuz eventually you're going to have to deal with the feelings you have for Clark."

Lois' head shot up and stared at her,

"Who said anything about feelings and Clark Kent?"

Chloe shrugged,

"Well, you did confess to being giddy with joy over your new title as Clark's…"

"You know what Chloe, I'm considering firing you."

Chloe chuckled,

"You're firing me; I am a hostage, a reluctant accomplice at best."

Lois grimaced at her,

"You are a buzz kill, next time I'm taking Jimmy, he knows better than to yap my buzz away."

Chloe scoffed,

"That's because he is scared of you, you're scary."

Lois chuckled finding great pleasure in that.

"I am scary, why can't you be scared of me?"

Chloe shook her head,

"Oh I am sometimes, but at the end of the day, I know you won't bite me too hard."

Lois leaned closer to her and snapped her teeth at her in a mock biting motion.

Chloe laughed in good humor and Lois joined her. As the laughter died out between them, Lois let out a heavy sigh,

"Do you have feeling for Clark?"

Chloe asked, Lois rolled her eyes,

"Yeah sure, aggravation, frustration, annoyance, ang…"

"How about love?"

Lois shook her head forcefully,

"I don't do love, you know that Chloe."

Chloe nodded somberly,

"I now you run away every time a man says they love you."

"That's not what happens."

She denied staring at the empty shot glass wishing it were full.

"That is exactly what happens Lois, they love you and you run, it was like that with Ollie and it was like that with Bruce."

Lois rolled her eyes,

"You don't know the whole story Chloe, you weren't in the relationships with us, and there were other things, more important things."

Chloe scoffed,

"Like what?"

Lois bit her lip, damn Chloe, how the hell did this become about her past relationships?

"N O!"

She declared instead, Chloe let out a dragged breath,

"Really, have we met? You don't honestly think I'm going to accept N O for an answer do you?"

Lois shrugged,

"It's private, so yes, you will have to accept N O for an answer."

Chloe reached over and placed a hand over hers, Lois looked down at it and up at Chloe who gave her a most heartfelt sympathetic look.

"It was the sex wasn't it, once you go Clark, you never go back?"

Lois moved her hand away and staggered a bit to her feet.

"You are so fired!"

Daddy's Back

Martha and Jonathan sat on the couch in the living room with a contentedly distracted JJ comfortably nestled between them as they watched the Ice Age 2. Suddenly, JJ shot up his head turned in the direction of the kitchen.

"Daddy's back!"

He screeched and quickly jumped off the couch and ran towards the kitchen. Clark face light up as JJ came running to him and he scooped up the child. Both held on to the other tightly as Clark with his eyes closed whispering repeatedly,

"I love you so much."

JJ tightens his hold around his daddy happy to have him with him. He smiled.

"I love you too daddy."

Martha and Jonathan entered the room silently delighting in the display of affection before them.

Sensing them there, he opened his eyes and all three shared a silent exchange that said that he was okay, and that everything was okay.

He moved towards them,

"I'm sorry about taking off; I had to sort things out."

He explained, Jonathan nodded understanding,

"I went to find you but you weren't in the loft where I thought you would be."

Clark went and sat down at the kitchen island, seating JJ on his lap as the child leaned against him.

"Seeing that ring again, it brought it all back for me. I loved Lana and I can't pretend she didn't mean something to me, but things are different now, I refuse to let the past eclipse the present and derail my future."

He declared, his parents smiled pleased to hear him say those words with such conviction.

"I am glad son."

Martha nodded,

"Now all you have to do is tell Lois everything you just told us."

JJ lifted his head at the mention of his mom. 'That's right, she is angry at daddy!' he remembered.

"Mommy took a time out!"

He announced, Clark frowned,

"A time out?"

JJ nodded,

"She called aunty Chloe told her to get her superhero wrangling butt over to the farm ASAP."

Clark looked over at his parents who nodded confirming.

"Are you alright if I leave again, I need to go find mommy."

JJ shook his head yes,

"We were watching Ice Age 2."

He added with a smile. Jonathan walked over and picked up JJ from Clark's lap.

"Come on JJ I want to find out what happens to that neurotic squirrel with the nut fetish."

I Don't Care

"!"

Chloe stopped and placed a hands on her hips and stared at her cousin,

"Really lo, that is so infantile."

"Whatever works Barbara Walters."

Lois leaned against Chloe's car,

"Lo, I just think if you just admit that…"

"!"

Chloe threw up her hands,

"Fine, but you can't run from your heart forever."

Lois rolled her eyes,

"Sooner or later you will have no choice but to embrace the possibility that you might actually indeed do love."

Lois groan,

"For the last time, I don't do love, I don't believe in happily ever after and fairytales, and I don't want any part of it. You think I want to be like you, you walk around guilt ridden over the fact that you are neglecting Jimmy AKA the man you love. You finally found your place in this world, found your calling and because of love you can't fully let yourself be happy for that."

She pushed herself off the car and advanced towards Chloe,

"And there is Clark, love almost tore him apart, it left him broken, and in turn he…"

She shook her head,

"You are trying to make me cry, you are trying to make me break and start babbling about feeling hurt and let down, but you see Chloe, I am not going to, because I just don't care."

Chloe said nothing, as she watched Lois flare her arms about as she continued her 'I don't care' rant.

" I don't care if I like waking up to the smell of him in my apartment, or that he makes me his special bacon omelet, or that I think he is the sexiest when he is just interacting with our son. I don't care if my day doesn't seem right until I have laid eyes on him, or that he always seem to know when I need a maple doughnut fix."

Chloe pursed her lips trying to fight the urge to say "aww!" aloud.

"I don't care if Clark wants to run off to his loft and brood over Lana, I don't care, because at the end of the day, he will choose Lana, like he always did back then, and like he did tonight."

Chloe looked at her with piteous expression on her face.

"I did not choose Lana!"

Came a strong male voice behind them, both women turned and faced Clark.

He shook his head,

"Lana is my past Lois, I don't want to live in the past, I put the ring where it should be, buried with her. It had no place in the present, Lex brought it convinced it would derail me, I have no intention of letting that monster get in the way of all the progress we've made."

Lois shook her head,

"So you weren't brooding in the loft?"

Clark shook his head,

"At the table, the more I sat there trying not to brood, the more I kept feeling the pressing need to. That ring, having it in my pocket while we sat together as a family, it just did not belong, so I left, unable to stand it any longer. I went flying, it clears my mind."

Clark explained with a smile. Lois nodded and pointed to Chloe,

"I opted for a vodka induced time out, but she ruined it."

Clark looked over at Chloe, who merely shrugged.

"Thank you Chloe."

Clark said gratefully with a smile. Lois rolled her eyes,

"Yeah, thanks chlo, next time I need a sobering glass of short yappy blond, I'll be sure to give you a call."