Hey readers I'm sorry I haven't updated in awhile. I went down to North Carolina for 6 weeks and then I had really bad writers block. I hope you like this new chapter. Keep up with the reviews I love reading them.

Lois sat out on the balcony wrapped up in a blanket looking at the sky. The stars she always used to see in Smallville were gone, hid behind the bright lights of the city. She sighed and took a sip of the hot chocolate she held. She missed home. She missed the sky and the smells of the country. She missed being able to talk to Martha, and she missed Clark. She missed the fighting and the talking and the looks that happened once and a great while.

Across town in his new apartment Clark was sitting in his window seat staring at the same starless sky. Wondering what Lois was doing, who she was with, if she was happy. He hoped selfishly that she was sitting in her living room, alone, and devastated, but that would be too much to hope for. He sighed and stood up walking across the room to the kitchen. He was having a hankering for some hot chocolate. He smiled as he remembered the nights when Lois and he were teenagers and would sit out on the front porch of the farm and drink hot chocolate and watched the sky. Those times he remembered were the ones he felt closest to her. In the silence that was between was when it felt like all the barriers were down and there was nothing either of them couldn't do.

Clark looked over at the phone hanging on the wall, and his fingers itched to call her and tell her everything. He wanted to let all the secrets go and he wanted her to love him for everything he was and was going to be. Before he could talk himself out of it he was picking up the phone and dialing the number.

The phone ringing startled Lois out of her thoughts and she got up to answer it. Who would be calling at 11 at night?

"Hello?"

"Hey Lois, I'm sorry I called so late."

"Oh hey Bruce, Its fine I wasn't able to sleep anyways."

"Well I know this sounds blunt but I'm happy for it." Lois smiled then chuckled. Bruce Wayne had been one of her dearest friends from when she lived in Gotham with her father. Now that she lived in Metrapolis she was closer and could see him more often.

"Well I'll have to say I'm happy for it too. So what can I do for you Bruce."

"Well I'm going to be in Metrapolis tomorrow and I was wondering if you would like to go out and have some dinner with me."

"Oh…well…I would love to Bruce but…"

"Don't tell me previous arrangement."

"Kind of, tomorrow night is pizza night with the kids. I couldn't just leave them hanging like that."

"Well by all means bring them with you. Actually why don't we have pizza at my house there."

"Oh I couldn't impose."

"Your not imposing Lois, I am inviting. Plus they should have fun. So what do you say? You aren't going to break my heart here are ya?"

"Batman isn't going to be on call his he?"

"Not tomorrow I have a day off."

"Well if you're sure."

"I'm sure, I'll send a car around 6pm."

"It's a date."

"Well I'll say good night to you then Lois, and I can't wait to see you tomorrow."

"Same to you Bruce."

Clark hung the phone back up when he heard the busy sound come on. Clark sighed and moved back over to the stove where the chocolate was melting down. He had almost told her everything and part of him was happy that the phone line was busy. But the other part was ripping him apart because he knew if he kept his secret much longer he would lose her for good.

"And I will probably like the bastard too." Clark said out loud. Then he laughed at himself. "Look at me I'm jealous of a man that doesn't exist yet." Rubbing his hands over his face he groaned.

"What are you doing Clark. What are you doing to yourself? You're getting yourself pissed off at some guy that doesn't exist. The kids would have told you. And why am I talking to myself in the third person." Clark poured the hot chocolate in the mug he had gotten down and shook his head. He had to get those thoughts out of his head. It wasn't going to help getting Lois back. He had to concentrate on what he needed to do. That was becoming a family with Lois again. He walked back over to the window seat and looked back out the window hoping Lois was thinking of him just as he was of her.

The next day Lois sat at her desk and pondered on a story. Well actually she was thinking about Clark and Bruce and the kids and everything else in the sky. She hadn't gotten much work done with the staring off into space going on in her head. People just walked by and smiled or shook their heads. It had been happening a lot with Lois now a days.

"LOIS GET YOUR BUTT INTO MY OFFICE!" Came Perry Whites voice over the intercom startling her out of her thoughts. Lois sighed and got up from her seat and made her way to Perry's office. When she entered she saw a man standing by Perry facing away from her. She smiled to herself and thought 'New meat, very toned and tall new meat with all that black glorious hair'.

"Ahh there you are Lois. I want you to meet your new partner. Lois Lane meet Clark Kent." And Lois's eyes almost fell out of her head. Her mouth opened and then her eyes rolled into the back of her head as she fainted.

"LOIS!" Clark yelled as he ran to catch her before she hit the floor. He didn't make it time. A grunt came from her mouth when she fell and she opened her eyes and rubbed her head. She looked up and saw Clark's face in front of her. She looked over his shoulder at Perry then back at Clark.

"Are you okay Lois?" Clark asked the voice of concern. Lois stood up with the help of Clark and she rubbed the back of her head. She looked at Perry and narrowed her eyes.

"This is some kind of joke right boss. I'm on candid camera or Oprah. When exes work with you."

"I take you know each other then." Perry said with a smile at Lois and Clark.

"Yeah, you could say that." Clark said, looking back over to Lois who growled at him.

"Look boss I don't need a partner especially when it comes to Clark Kent over here. I'm better when I work by myself anyways."
"Look Lois. I'm the boss and the privilege of being boss means you get to tell people what to do even though they might not like and they do it anyways. So you and Clark are partners. Everyone else has a partner now so do you."

"But…"

"Ahhh what did the boss say. Why don't you show Clark around and give him a desk."

"Why don't I."

"Good girl. Now get along." Lois walked out and Clark followed close after her.

"Lois I hope your not angry with me. You know coming to work here. It was the only job opening in journalism that I could get." He lied. She didn't say anything.

"This is a real nice place. I think I'll like working here. I hope we can get along well enough to be partners." Lois whipped around for that and sneered at him.

"Listen Clark. We aren't partners."

"But Perry said…"

"What Perry says and what I do are two different things. Here's your desk."

"Lois what happened to us trying to be friends?"

"That was before when you lived 3 hours away and I didn't have to see you everyday."

"Geez that's harsh Lois."

"It's a harsh world, Clark. Maybe the faster you learn that the better off you will be." With that said Lois walked off to her own desk.

Clark waited for Lois after work down by the entrance. He hoped he could reason with her and maybe have dinner with the kids and her. The chances of her actually saying yes were nil but he figured he had a better chance if he asked. When he spotted her he went after her.

"Hey Lois." He said and she looked over her shoulder then shook her head and moved faster.

"Lois wait a minute." She kept on walking and finally Clark got angry. He grabbed her arm and spun her around.

"I don't think you heard me when I said wait a minute."

"What do you want Clark."

"I want a minute to talk too you without you jumping down my throat for every thing I say. God I try to be nice and I try to be civil but all you do is bitch, bitch, bitch. You make it hard for me to try even."

"Okay then tell me what you want to tell me so I can get home. I have a date I need to get ready for and the kids are coming with so I don't have that much time."

"Well I wanted to ask you if…wait what did you say?"

"I said I have a date. You have a problem with that?"

"No, no I don't. I was just going to ask ummm…when we could ahhhhh….start working together on a story?"

"Didn't I hear what I said at work?"

"Yes, didn't you hear Perry. I wonder what he would say if he found out about your little chat with me earlier. What was it you said? 'What Perry says and I do are 2 different things,' I think that's what you said."

"You're good at blackmail when you want to be Clark. I'm impressed." She tapped her foot on the sidewalk measuring him up. Then she sighed her shoulders slumped.

"Fine. You find a good story, and I will partner up with you on it."

"You serious?"

"Yes, why would I lie about it. Now can I go? I have to get ready."

"Yeah, yeah I'll see you tomorrow, Lois."

"See you tomorrow Clark."

Then Lois walked away down the road to her apartment and Clark just stood there until he couldn't see her anymore. Then he went off in the other direction pondering what he had just heard. Date, she had a date. Maybe it was to late for them….

Thanks for ready this chapter PLEASE WRITE A REVIEW. I will get to the next chapter as soon as possible.