Author's Notes: I'm trying to envision an ending to this, but I assure you, it won't come as fast and choppy as Metamorphosis. Thank you all for your continued support and reviews, I highly appreciate it.

And to continue my shameless self-promotion, I have another story out there called Displacement. Clark Kent and Arthur Curry switch bodies ala Transference, and Arthur's dating Lois, so you can imagine what exactly I'm trying to do.

Chapter 11: Table for Five

LAUGHTER was heard all around the table. It was nearing eight o'clock in the evening and Martha Kent had cooked one of her best meat loaves to date. She looked at each person seated and couldn't help but smile at the scene.

To her right is her husband, Jonathan Kent. He was smiling and beaming at all the wonderful and funny stories being exchanged through the course of the night. Tonight would probably go down to being one of his most easy going evenings.

It always warmed her heart to see him this happy.

To her left is Chloe Sullivan, a late addition to dinner but certainly a welcomed one. She was glad that she's become the great friend to her son she had many times hoped she would be.

Finally, across from her is her son, smiling and laughing besides Lois Lane, and young woman who, for the last three years, have become like a daughter to her. Now, she can officially say she is. As different as they are, they complimented each other so well and tonight, that very compliment shined through brighter than it ever has before.

"No, no, no, no, no." Lois laughed, taking another sip of her red wine. "That is not what happened, I assure you"

"I can't believe I missed that," said Chloe regrettably, yet laughing at the same time. Jonathan and Martha's reactions weren't far away either.

The newlyweds were sharing their little story about the crazy cheerleaders spiking their boyfriends' drinks a few years back. That gym scene where she catapulted her husband-to-be to a boy-obsessed Mandy has the entire table keeling over with laughter.

"And you actually played a long with it, son?"

Clark sighed, trying not to look embarrassed. "I had no choice." He points to Lois. "She's very demanding"

Lois scoffed at the comment and smirked. "I call it being assertive"

"Uh-huh." Clark wasn't buying it. "I needed help and you sacrificed me"

"I was there the entire time," Lois reminded him.

"Hiding!"

Chloe and Martha almost spill their drinks from laughing too hard while Jonathan tries to keep his composure. If they had shared this to his father three years ago, Jonathan would have no idea exactly how he would react. Probably not as well as now.

Clark grabbed his glass of water with his left hand while his right reached for his wife's hand, intertwining them. Everything felt so real, he wanted to hang on to it for as long as he can.

Forever if he had anything to say about it.

"And then Chloe showed up out of nowhere and tries to kill me," Lois continued to share with all the mannerisms and sound affects that you would expect no less from an expert storyteller.

"I did not!" Chloe denied.

"You had a wrench"

"Really?" She thought about it for a moment. "God, I don't remember that part"

"That's because I knocked ya down, sistah!" And all of them laughed some more. Little did they know, there was another unexpected guest standing outside of the Kent porch, staring idly at the happy family.

Lana Lang stood watching them interact through the window.

She watched sadly as Mr. and Mrs. Kent laugh alongside and equally happy Chloe, but that isn't why she was stood frozen in her spot. What she couldn't believe, even though she's seeing it with her own two eyes were…

Lois and Clark.

Sitting next to each other. Hands interlaced intimately. Laughing. Smiling. Clark lifting her hand so he could kiss the back of her palm.

And lastly, the most shocking of all, the ring that sparkled on her left ring finger when he did.

It stung her more than she ever expected it to.

Lana just stood there for a few more seconds until she met eye-to-eye with Lois's eyes. It sparked her to leave immediately.

At the dinner table, Lois was surprised to see Lana watching them outside. "I'll be right back, Smallville." She gave him a quick kiss on the lips before excusing herself. Clark nodded, a little curious, but the warmth and happiness radiating off his family was enough to distract him.

Lois rushed outside, reaching Lana just as she got into the driver's seat.

"Lana, wait!" Lois held the car door from closing.

Lana pulled on her seat belts, locking the buckle in its place. "There really is nothing for us to talk about," she said bitterly.

Lois tries to explain. "What you saw in there – "

"Was made loud and clear," Lana finished for her, her voice still laced with bitterness. "I can't believe you duped me so easily. All this time, it was you. You're the woman he married"

"It wasn't like that"

"I'm sure that helps you sleep at night"

"What's happened between me and Clark – it wasn't planned"

"You don't honestly expect me to believe that. I bet you two have been doing this even when he and I were together"

Now she was crossing the line. "Careful Lana, now you're making false accusations"

"You know, I honestly thought we were friends"

"This has nothing to do with friendship. You're just here trying to put Clark back on a leash he loathes"

"You know nothing about me and Clark"

"I know a lot more than you think"

"Than why the hell did you come out here for? You want throw it in my face some more? Well good job, mission accomplished"

"What are we in, grammar school? I came out here to explain that what happened between me and Clark had nothing to do with you"

"Oh, and that makes me feel a whole lot better"

"Don't play the pity card with me, Lana. I won't stand for it. It may work for the rest of this town, but it doesn't with me."

"Congratulations, Lois Lane…" She gulped. "Kent"

"Lana!" Annoyed by her lack of self-awareness, Lois jumped into the back seat and climbed her way into the front passenger's. "We're going to talk about this"

Lana squeezed on her wheel. "What is there to talk about that I haven't already seen"

"How many times do I have to say it, we didn't do it to hurt you"

"Oh, believe me Lois. I know." A flash of them happily conversation back at the house hit her like a ton of bricks. "I'm barely even an afterthought"

"Now you're over exaggerating." This chick obviously thinks everything is about her. One of many traits that Lois despises. It always made her appear selfish, and it wasn't even a label. She just is. And worse? She doesn't seem to notice it.

"You lied to me. You and Clark." She laughs spitefully. "That obviously makes you two the perfect match"

"You may have grounds to say that about him, but not to me."

"What are you going to do, drop kick me?"

"I don't know. Will that make you get rid of your attitude?"

Lana shook her head disbelievingly. "I can't believe it. You and Clark." A long pause soon followed. Her voice suddenly turns low, "I mean… at first I thought…"

Lois raised her eyebrows, curious. "Thought what?"

Lana didn't want to get into the particulars of it. "I don't think you ever knew it, but I was always jealous of you." She knew from the beginning that there was something between, she had seen it the very first time she saw the two of them here in the farm after she returned from Paris that one summer.

"Jealous?" Lois laughed at the mere thought. "Of me?" But Lana didn't see it at the same way.

"Even when we were dating, who do you think he felt like talking? Certainly not his girlfriend"

Lois knew that. In fact, she berated Clark herself for treating his so-called relationship with Lana so poorly. Back then, she hadn't realized that there were bigger secrets he was hiding, so for the most part, she always thought his actions were largely selfish and idiotic.

Now she knew Clark was just uncomfortable sharing that part of himself with her. This inevitably led to the demise of their relationship.

"Just tell me one thing. And tell me the truth"

Lois remained silent, nodding.

"Did Clark ever cheat on me with you?"

"No," Lois answered wholeheartedly and with as much truth as she could imbue in such a little word. "He has never, ever, cheated on you"

Lana nodded trusting her even when she didn't want to. Lois stepped out of her car and she drove off without saying another word.

Once her car disappeared from view, Lois walked back to the house. Before going inside, sat back on the porch swing. "How much did you hear?" She inquired out of the blue.

Clark appeared behind her. "All of it," hands in pocket as he made his way up the porch steps and to the seat next to her.

After she left the dinner table, he wondered what was taking her so long so he stepped outside when his super hearing caught the sound of two very stressed out voices. To his own surprise, he was unintentionally listening in on his past and present duping it out in the driveway.

"I'm sorry for eavesdropping," he apologized softly.

She curled her lips and crossed her arms, but she wasn't angry. She was just thinking.

"It's fine. Saves me the trouble of telling you anyway," she said with a weak smile. Clark reached over and held her tightly. "I'm sorry too"

"For what? Making me happy? Don't ever apologize for that. I'm much too in love with you to understand properly"

That got a chuckle out of her.

"I've never really liked her but we should've told her sooner"

Clark shook his head. "I should've been the one to tell her. There is just so much drama and hurtful feelings between me and Lana, and that selfish part of me didn't want us anywhere near it"

"Sometimes I wonder if we're in over our heads"

"Are you having second thoughts?" he asked, worried.

"God No!"

Clark is relieved which was soon followed by a frown. "Don't scare me like that"

She chuckled, tugging his collar pulling him in for a kiss. When they let go, "Come on, let's get back inside before your parents call a search party on us"

He groaned in dissatisfaction. He wanted to stay outside holding her.

"O---kay, but only because you're my wife"

She grinned. "You got that right"

To be continued…