Title: Lois Lane: Converged
Author: Nadia Mack
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I Own Nothing
Timeline: Post-Commencement, End of summer 2005
Summary: Three-Part Story. Beginnings, New Heights and Converge. - Kent Home, Smallville KA -

Lois parks her rent-a-car by the Kent driveway; she didn't think that after two years, the town would still have such an affect in her. When she drove through it, she was immediately brought back to the Meteor Shower and all the devastation it left behind.

Nightmares didn't just exist in her dreams anymore.

Holding herself together, she owed it to The Kent's to visit them, she still felt that after everything they've done for her when she stayed with them, anything she did to repay them didn't feel enough.

Slowly making her way to the front porch, she made sure to take her time, so she could take in her surroundings. Despite the hardships, this farm was her first home, it truly was.

bark bark

Lois turned around and was greeted by nothing but slob and fur. Dare she say it; she's missed him a lot.

"Shelby!" She hugged him and brushed her hands through his soft golden fur. He wasn't the only one missed, Shelby missed her too. "How ya doin, boy? Missed me?"

barks

She smiled. "Yeah, I missed you too." She didn't have to worry about sneezing too much anymore, she found herself a pretty good doctor to help with that overseas.

Just then, Martha Kent stepped out of the house wondering what all the commotion was. She gaped in surprise. "Lois!" she exclaimed, wiping her hand on her apron and sprinting to hug the young woman. "How are you?" she says, still in a hug. She let her go and looked at her more closely. "You look beautiful"

Lois blushed at the compliment. Martha Kent always had a way of making her feel very welcome.

"Thanks, you too"

They hug once more.

"Come inside, the boys are at the market. I was just about to make lunch"

"You don't have to do that," insisted Lois, but Martha would have none of it. "Fine, but I'm setting the table." Martha happily agreed to her demands.

Ten minutes later, Clark arrived home with bags of groceries on both hands while his dad unloaded the bags on the porch. It wasn't until he reached the living room did he hear fits of laughter coming in from the kitchen.

He didn't know they were having company.

Clark stopped in his tracks when he realized who the other person is with his mother. Frankly, at first he didn't believe his ears, but as he listened closer, it was becoming more and more evident whose voice that belonged to.

Watching them converse, he let out a high pitched "Hi." His voice startled both ladies unexpectedly. Then again, the visitor occupying the chair next to his mother was unexpected as well.

She didn't say a word, but she smiled.

"Martha, whose car is that outside?" Jonathan said, entering from the kitchen. When he saw the guest in the house, he says, "Lois"

She turned and greeted him with a hug and an affectionate smile, a welcome far greater than what Clark received just seconds ago.

"Hey Mr. Kent… you look great"

"So do you," replied Jonathan, his eyes swerving between his wife and son. The tension in the air suddenly came out of nowhere, but Lois seems to be taking it all in stride.

Noting his son's quick faltering demeanor, he signals to Martha outside. "I have a few more things to clean up, why don't you and Clark catch up, okay," Jonathan says, giving Lois one more hug before going outside with his wife.

For the first time in over two years, neither Lois nor Clark knew what to say.

She cocked her head to the side. "Need a hand?" she says after a moment of uncomfortable silence.

"Huh?" Clark jumped at the sound of her voice, of all the things to say… he looked down to his hands and noticed the groceries he still held. "No, I'm okay," he answered weakly.

He put the groceries on the kitchen counter, keeping his eyes focused on anything but her. When he was done, he turned back to see that Lois remained silent. It appeared she avoided him as well because she was staring outside at nothing in particular.

"So how are you?" Clark clumsily asked. He didn't know what to say to her anymore. They're like strangers now.

But he did notice a change.

Many things about her had changed. The way she dressed, her posture, the way her laughter when he heard them earlier seem to be filled with so much happiness, and most of all was the silence. Never since he'd known her did she ever practice the art of silence so effortlessly.

"You look great by the way," he complimented when she didn't respond to his first question.

"Thanks," she says.

Clark wished he could read her as well as he read other people. Somehow, Lois had a way to fly under his radar without him noticing.

"I should go," she added, walking past him without a glance back.

Reflexes forced him to grab her wrist. "Wait!" he says. Lois stopped abruptly and spun around, looking back at Clark. "Could we talk… please?"

She saw how much he needed her to talk to him, but there was still a part of her that was reluctant to give him the time of day. Going against her own advice, she nodded.

"Do you mind if we talk at the loft?" she asked politely.

Clark was a little thrown by her nice behavior and subconsciously nodded his head by her request.

- The Loft -

Walking up the steps to the Loft, she noted how little it has changed the past couple of years. The telescope by the window. The couch by the stairs. The scattered books all throughout. It's like seeing an old friend again, but then again, she could just turn around and there he was.

"What did you want to talk about?" she asked when Clark himself didn't know where to start.

"Why'd you leave?" he says going right down to business.

"I needed to get away," she answered simply.

"From me," he concluded.

Lois raised her eyes in consternation. "Don't flatter yourself"

"Then what?" he countered, becoming upset. "You never even said goodbye"

She gives him a sardonic laugh. "Coming from you, I'm sorry that it didn't break my heart"

Her words cut deep. "You didn't even let me explain…" but Lois cut him off.

"You didn't have to, Clark." If he wanted the truth from her, he's going to get it. "It wasn't about you leaving, it was about you not telling anyone. Not a phone call, a letter, or even a postcard. Your parents told me you needed to be somewhere and that you'll be back, and for a while, I believed them… but then I'd hear your mom cry many nights and your dad struggling to keep the farm together… and then I realized… they had no idea where you were. They were worried about their son, a son they loved very much and you didn't even give them the time of day." Her voice rose dangerously loud as she ended her strong explanation.

Clark held his emotions together. She was right is so many ways. How could he make her understand? "I had my reasons, if you would just let me…"

"Don't. We didn't start off as friends, seems fitting we end it that way don't you think?"

"They understood where I was," he argued in a weak attempt to defend himself.

She looked him dead in the eyes. "You're their boy not mine. I'm not as forgiving." With those words hanging heavily in the air, she left.

- Kent Home -

Clark entered the house ashamed, hurt but most of all, angry. Angry that Lois Lane has the audacity to come here and start accusing him of not loving his family, his friends.

That's what she was. A friend. Even with their differences, she had been a good friend.

When Martha heard the loud thud, she came into the living room. "Clark, what's wrong?" she asked her son worriedly. "Where's Lois?"

"She left again," he responded rather bitterly. "At least I saw her leaving this time rather than finding out the next day"

"Clark," his mother says sympathetically. She was tired of seeing her son so lonely and unhappy. When he had entered the kitchen earlier and saw Lois next to her, he had smiled that rare smile the family rarely sees anymore.

It lifted her heart to think he'd be happy again.

But it fell as quickly as it had risen.

- Metropolis -

"Mrs. Kent," Lois says rather surprised to see Martha Kent in her apartment building let alone Metropolis.

"Hi, I was hoping we could talk"

"Let me guess, Clark"

She nods. "Clark"

- A few minutes later -

Once Martha was inside and comfortable in a couch Lois couldn't wait to burn, it had been left in the apartment when she rented the place. She had purchased a much nicer one a few days ago, so it won't be in for another day.

"Sorry about the mess, I'm still settling in," she apologized, throwing books and papers on the ground. "I'm normally messier, so I would actually consider this clean," she tried to lighten.

"Its looks fine, Lois," she smiled.

"You're always too kind." She cleared her throat to continue. "So, what's up?"

"You know, Clark really feels terrible after that summer," Martha began to explain. If there was ever a time she had wanted to tell someone the truth, the whole truth, this would be it, but she knew that it was Clark's secret to tell so she tries her best to explain it to Lois without sounding too protective of her son.

"You really don't have to explain"

"But I do, I want you to know how I feel." Martha takes deep breath before continuing. "When I first met you, I didn't know exactly what to think"

"Gee, thanks"

Martha laughs. "No, not like that," she corrected, but Lois understood what she meant and was just messing with her. "But there was something about you… something genuine and real and compassionate…"

"All that and you only met me for a second," she chimed in but then silenced herself when she realized she was being rude.

"I told Clark once that the first time I saw Jonathan, I knew he was the one for me. It's kind of the same thing with you… and Clark for the matter. I saw him and I knew… I knew he was going to be my little boy"

Lois smiles weakly. "Not so little any more," she whispered.

Martha shook her head knowingly. "He'll always be my little boy"

"What do you want me to do?" Lois says, her voice cracking with each word.

"Give him a chance"

"Why?" she questioned wholeheartedly. "Seriously, Mrs. Kent why does he care what I think about him? It isn't like we're the best of friends"

"Aren't you?"

"No," she quickly responded, but then took it back. "I guess we were okay friends"

"He may not show it, but Clark really appreciates you"

Lois chuckles at the idea.

"I doubt that"

"You haven't been here for the last two years, Lois. You leaving really hurt him. I'm not saying forgive him, but I do want you to understand and if you feel it isn't good enough, then tell him, just don't shut him out"

"I didn't realize… he was really upset?" That couldn't be right, she and Clark barely got along. One of the reason's why she stayed away was that she thought Clark didn't want her around too much. With that idea on top of how upset she was about him disappearing, it was easy to forget about him.

"Yes, he was"

She sighed; her life was much less complicated when she didn't care. "All right," she agreed. "No promises though"

"That's more than enough," Martha says, reaching in to hug her. Lois welcomed her embrace.

Once Martha left, Lois looked up to the ceiling and fell flat on her back atop her bed. She didn't like it, but Mrs. Kent was right, she left without giving Clark the benefit of an explanation. Besides, she never needed an explanation and he didn't owe it to her to give her one either, she just wished that when his parents and friends needed him the most, he could've at least been there.

Casting those thoughts aside, she quickly fell asleep.

- The following Day -

Her first day at Met-U again and she's running late, sort of. She's made an effort to arrive at least 10 minutes early to any appointments and classes aren't an exception. Sitting with dozens of other students, they were all pretty crammed up there.

Luckily for her, she finds herself a seat.

Five minutes left until class starts, Lois takes out her notepad and tape recorder and prepares herself. The tape recorder was Professor Dela Vega's idea; he always said that some times, you've got to read between the lines. In the beginning, reading between the lines has either gotten her a headache or a D. At this point, she prefers the former.

With class starting, her new Professor, Professor Jacoby is introducing the outline for the semester when a late student enters abruptly stopping his introduction.

Lois couldn't believe who it was.

"Mr. Kent, if you're going to be in my class, you'd better start exercising timely manners. Hurry, take a seat"

He nods embarrassingly.

Looking up into the sea of students, there weren't any seats available.

From the top, noting his sudden shyness, Lois asked the guy next to her if he could perhaps move down and a couple seats.

At the bottom, Clark noticed a shift in the middle row and was surprised to see a bunch of students move to make room, and then, he realized why.

He didn't know what to say.

"Mr. Kent, are you going to sit down?"

"Oh yeah, sorry, of course." He rushed up the stairs and looked at the row and saw the empty seat next to her.

Lois is still shaking her head in disbelief. 'What are the odds?' she thought idly to herself before gesturing to the seat next to her.

Getting to his seat, he looks at Lois in confusion. He was going to say thank you but she beat him to it.

"You're welcome"

Clark smiles for the first time all week. He found it difficult to sit next to Lois and pay attention to class. He had no idea she was attending Met-U again, maybe perhaps this is another chance to start over.

When class ended, she got up and left.

Clark looked on. Well, maybe not start over just yet.

He decided right then and there to go after her.

She was a lot faster than he realized because by the time he got to the hall, Lois had made a left turn and went clear out of his view. Clark quickly picked up his pace while doing his best to be discreet amongst the crowd.

Turning the same corner Lois had just a few seconds ago, she was nowhere in his line of sight.

He sighed, greatly frustrated.

Shaking his head in disappointment, he turns to leave until he spotted the familiar reflection of one Lois Lane through a window.

Clark quickly spun around and saw her across the street sitting in the shade beneath a maple tree. With one deep breath, he slowly approached her.

"Lois," he softly called out so as to not startle her.

She kept her head angled towards her book but her eyes looked up to meet his.

"Clark," she dutifully answered.

"Can we talk?" Clark asked her shyly.

Over the course of the year he has known her, he often found it difficult to stay mad at her, even back when she lived with his family in Smallville. She would do something completely grating on his nerves but then, it'd go away and the feeling often left him confused.

Lois goes back to reading her book.

"I could die of shock right about now. You were always complaining about the lack of dead air whenever I'm around," she commented lightly, still avoiding eye contact.

"That was a long time ago," he defends. "Besides, I like it when you talk." His jaw tensed after saying those words. He had no idea where that confession came from.

Lois must've noticed, because this time, she met him eye to eye.

"I'm sorry," she says obscurely, taking Clark by surprise.

"Sorry? Why are you sorry?"

"About earlier," she cleared but then raised her hand. "Don't get me wrong… I meant every word… but I'm sorry for attacking you the way I did. You were right, I don't know everything, I just know how I feel and for that, I apologize"

"I'm sorry too, if that's any consolation," Clark replied sincerely. He gestures to a space next to her. "Do you mind if I join you?"

Lois nods. "It's a free country"

Clark smiled at the improvement of their conversation and took his spot besides her, resting his elbows on his knees.

"My mom let me read your letters," he revealed, hoping to further their conversation. He missed this, the talking. They did it a lot back then.

"That's a lot of letters," she responded blankly.

When he read those letters, it was always so full of life.

"I'm glad you're happy," he admitted, careful not to reveal his disorienting feelings whenever he's around her.

"Define happy"

"Aren't you?" he questioned, eyes raised in a bit of confusion.

"I guess… sometimes I am"

"I know you and I didn't always get along… but you matter to me." Clark revealed suddenly. Where that came from either, he had no idea.

Lois shifted a bit uncomfortably at his present use of 'matter.'

"You left and all of the sudden, I missed you," he added softly.

"Is that why you read my letters?"

Clark shrugged, unsure what his thoughts were trying to convey. "For the first few months after you left, I kind of thought it was temporary, like you would come back and we'd work things out."

"That doesn't answer my question"

"I waited for you," he expressed suddenly. "I don't know why, but I did. When a car pulls over I rush outside hoping it was you. When the phone rings, I think 'maybe it's her.' But never... I was gone three months, Lois. You stayed away from me for two years"

"Is that what you think? You think I went away to avoid you?" She says with raised eyebrows.

"Didn't you?"

She laughs at the possibility. "No," she expressed, mildly amused. "Just because everyone else works around your life doesn't mean I do"

"I didn't mean it like that," he replied defensively. Why does she always make things complicated?

"But it was very much implied," she quickly retorted.

"That's not it!"

"Okay, then for argument's sake, let's say that it was. I left for a number of reasons, but that's not to say you weren't one of them. It's just, the others happened to be a lot more important"

"Great," he remarked sarcastically. Lois always had to be brutally honest.

She smiled at him this time.

"I've been lazy a long time, Clark. One time, I was content living my life day by day, but after the meteor shower, everything that I thought was insignificant changed. I wanted my life to matter, if not to the world, at least for me. That's why I left for Tokyo. Lucy needed help, even though she didn't want it, I want her to know that I'm there for her. Always…"

"I wish you would've said goodbye"

"Just because I wanted to change my ways didn't mean I wasn't angry with you"

"I still wanted a goodbye," he pressed. He hurt a lot of people when he stayed away for three months with no communication to his family, but to him, three months was nothing compared to Lois' two years. She hurt him too.

"I didn't think we were that friendly," she replied hastily.

"You thought wrong." Clark surprised himself more and more with how he was aggressively trying to mend their friendship. "You want to get some lunch?" he asked.

Lois watched him curiously.

"Are you asking me out?" she asked, surprised.

He shrugged; he hadn't realized that his question came out that way until she noticed.

"I… uh… Yes," he replied embarrassingly. "Unless you don't want to," he added. He certainly didn't want to pressure her, particularly since their relationship had been in limbo for over two years. He wanted to start over, he truly did, and he just wants to do it right this time.

Lois didn't know what to say, think, or do. She was still reluctant to carry out a friendship with him again let alone any other kind of relationship. Truthfully, she had never really considered him as a romantic option for herself, although, she does admit he was easy on the eyes.

"I'm sorry, I didn't see that coming"

Clark kept himself from looking disappointed, but the frown on his face made it hard not to.

"I shouldn't have asked," he attempted to take back. He already knew it had been too late. The damage has been done; Lois Lane knew what he wanted.

Lois shook her head, trying to comprehend and analyze what he asked as quickly as her mind can process it. All the training her Professor had instilled in her was not helping her in this moment.

"You asked me out," she unconsciously said loudly to herself.

Clark wasn't sure if she was just repeating what had happened or if the statement was directed to him.

"Yeah," he admitted, although he was wondering if he should've just remained quiet.

She finally turns to him. "I'm a bit confused Clark," she finally came to grips with it. "You're asking me out… why?" She was genuinely curious this time.

"Because I'm not 17 anymore," he explained. "Because I realized that my life was more than I made it out to be. You weren't the only one that changed, Lois. I did too," he honestly admitted. "I would really like to get to know you again"

She shook her head. "You never knew me, Smallville"

Clark grinned.

"Whose fault was that?"

"Certainly not mine," she replied, smirking.

They both laugh.

When the laughter died down, Clark got up but bent down to meet Lois' gaze at eye-level. He extended his hand out in a gentlemanly manner.

"What do you say…" he smiled hopeful. "Will you go out with me?" He was taking a risk, he knew that, but it was a risk he was more than willing to take.

Though ten times more guarded than she was before, Lois cautiously took his hand with her own and that's when it happened. It went by so quickly, they almost didn't notice.

They shared something.

A spark…

The feeling had her crossing unfamiliar territory. "One condition," she says.

"Anything," Clark easily replied.

"Don't disappear"

Clark smiles hugely; thrilled she was giving this a chance. "Not this time," he eagerly replied.

The End

Author's Notes: Buwhahahaha… Thanks you all, I'll let your imaginations run wild with this one. This was pretty hard for me to write, I'm like, trying to put myself in their position and it's hard some times because 1. I'm no alien and 2. I wished I was really Lois Lane