ok, here's chapter 2. i pray that this is making sense and it's not repetitive.

feedback is always welcome! i hope you enjoy!

Author: Alison

Disclaimer: Characters belong to DC, WB, AlMiles, etc., etc., etc. I only own the story. My cat sued me when she found out I mentioned her in the last disclaimer.

Chapter 2

So, there it was.

He knew it had to be something, but never would've guessed it was something so personal. But it made sense. And, in a way, he could relate.

"I'm sorry." He paused and looked at her as she closed her eyes. "And I know I wasn't the one that got her hooked on cigarettes behind the gym during high school."

She laughed softly, which made him smile. He looked at her, sitting there with her head down. He couldn't believe it, but he really did want to make her feel better.

"But I'm sorry you have to go through this. I can't imagine what it's like to lose a parent, especially when you're only six years old."

And he honestly couldn't. He didn't remember much about his short time with his birth parents, but he did know how much he loved the parents who raised him. He didn't know where he would be without them.

"Yeah, well, you gotta play the hand life gives you. If it was up to me, I would've grown up in a loving home with two parents. But instead, my mom died, my sister was shipped off to boarding school and my father dragged me all over the world like a spare piece of luggage."

She was back to defensive. He almost had her. He almost got her to completely open up.

He didn't know why he was still there. When he left the farm, he thought he'd drop off the food and go back home. He never thought he'd want to stay…with Lois.

But for some reason, he wanted to know about her life. Maybe it was because he couldn't remember his own mother. Maybe some part of him thought that if he could understand Lois' childhood, it might give him insight into his own. Whatever the reason, he just wanted to know.

"What do you remember about her?"

He didn't expect her to tell him. He thought she'd say something smart like 'mind your own business, Smallville.'

But she didn't. And that surprised him.

"Well, you've met my father, right?"

Oh, that guy? How could he forget being chased through a field, a helicopter landing in his yard, and the order to show his daughter around Smallville High? Let's also not forget the fact that he's a three-star General. No, you don't forget a man like that.

"Yeah."

"Well, she was the complete opposite of him."

He laughed. Somehow, he knew that had to be true.

"She was always the peacekeeper. She kept Lucy and me in line. And she could calm down the General by simply placing her hand on his shoulder, looking him square in the eye and saying, 'You're never dealt more than you can handle. And if you can't handle it, then that's what I'm here for.' She'd always say it with a wink and a smile." He watched her as she paused and stared into the fire. "I miss her."

He'd never admit it out loud, but at that moment, his heart sank. For the first time, he was seeing Lois in a whole new light. There was more to her than the bossy, rude, sarcastic person he'd come to know over the past year. He was secretly glad he hadn't knocked on the door.

He was still holding the picture. Still studying it. Her mother looked so happy. She looked like the kind of mother you'd want if your own wasn't so wonderful.

He watched as she turned away from him. He knew she wanted to cry. He knew she'd rather be alone.

But he couldn't just leave her like this. Something was keeping him there. And that was driving him crazy.

This was obviously something Lois kept inside. It was never meant to be seen by anyone. He wondered if Chloe even knew about it. Surely, she did. They were cousins, but were closer than sisters. He wondered if he should even mention this to Chloe.

That infamous half-smile graced his lips as he tried to think of something. Something that needed to be said. He wanted to tell her that everything would be okay. But would it?

"Lois…I don't know what to say. But, I'm here for you. And I know we sometimes don't get along. But, just remember…," he said smiling and leaning over towards her, his voice softer, "we are friends now."

She smiled more at that moment than she had all evening. And for the first time that night, he was glad he'd stayed.

"You haven't told anyone about that, have you? Because if you did, I'd have to hurt you, and not in the good way."

He smiled. He knew the wall wouldn't stay down long. It never did. But he was glad he got through while he had the chance.

"I wouldn't dream of it."

"Good."

He was surprised that he didn't want to leave. But he felt he'd accomplished something by stopping her tears. She was smiling now. So, maybe he should leave before the insults start. He was pretty sure they would now that she was starting to appear like the old Lois he knew so well.

He placed the picture back in the top of the box and reluctantly pushed himself up off the floor.

"Well, I guess I'd better be going."

"No, wait!"

What?

Did she want him to stay? What was she doing?

He was completely thrown for a loop yet again by the unpredictable Lois Lane.

"Look, could you just stay for a little while?"

Stay? She wanted him to stay? This was weird, even for Lois.

He eyed her cautiously.

"I thought you said you wanted to be alone?"

"I did. But, that was then. This is now. And now I want you to stay. I mean, it's cold, it's raining and it's late. I'd hate for you to drive all the way back out to the farm. The roads are probably slick and who knows what kind of crazies are out. Why don't you stay here tonight?"

Uh…

"Stay…here?"

That came out more high-pitched than he meant. But this didn't seem like a good idea. How would it look? How would he explain it to his parents? Heck, how would he explain it to anyone? Everyone, from Chloe to Lex, knew he and Lois couldn't get along.

Besides all of that, the tiny apartment brought back too many memories. Some good and some painful. And he didn't know if he could make it through the night without visions of clothes flying, Lana, and nakedness. No, this wasn't a good idea at all.

"Yeah, here. Look," she said, pointing over her shoulder, "I have a couch. You can sleep there."

She wasn't gonna budge on this, was she?

Why did she want him to stay? This made no sense. They couldn't stand each other. Could they?

He took a deep breath and shoved his hands in his pockets, the way he did so many times when he was nervous.

"Lois, I don't know."

Why couldn't he say it? Why couldn't he just tell her no and leave?

He was dancing around it. He wanted to walk out. He wanted to go back to his quiet refuge in the barn.

But a part of him wanted to stay and discover more about her. But only a small part.

He watched as she sighed loudly, put the pictures she'd been holding in the box and stood, placing her hands on her hips the way she always did when she was defiant.

"Well, you're not leaving. I'm not going to be responsible for you careening off the road at eleven o'clock at night. Or worse, you could hit something."

He grinned. Well, she walked right into that one.

"Like a dog?"

She smirked and crossed her arms.

"Cute, Smallville. I just don't want to have to explain an accident to your parents."

So, at least she cared. Sort of. And the more persistent she became, the more he actually did want to stay. But only to keep her company. It was not because she asked.

"Okay. I'll stay. But, on one condition."

She hesitated.

"And what's that?"

"You have to eat. My mom packed you a whole meal and I don't want to have to explain to my parents why you didn't eat her food."

It's not that he cared one way or the other. He was just doing what his mother told him to do. Right?

"Fine. But you're going to warm it up."

He smiled. She never stopped. Did she know how to be anything but bossy?

She turned to walk away from him. And that's when he felt it. He could feel the flutter in his gut. And for some reason, he just had to say something.

"Hey Lois?" She turned and faced him. "You wanna watch a movie or something? I mean, I know it's late, but if you didn't want to go to sleep right away, I figured we could do something."

What was he saying? He wanted to spend more time with her?

"Yeah, a movie sounds great. I've got a ton of DVDs over there on those shelves. Go pick something out. And while you're doing that and warming up my dinner, I'm gonna go dry my hair."

He watched as she smiled and turned to walk to the bathroom. He waited until she closed the door before he smiled.

He reached into the bag on the counter and took out the bowls of food his mother had fixed. Reaching into the cabinet, he took out a plate, dished some food onto it and stuck it in the microwave. He stood there, lost in his thoughts as the plate slowly rotated on the turntable.

He didn't think he'd want to stay and still wasn't sure why he'd agreed to. It was only a little while ago that he was complaining about seeing her at all.

But it waswhen he saw her sitting there, so open and vulnerable, that he realized he didn't mind being there after all.

She truly surprised him that evening. He'd never seen her like that. She was honest and open with things he never thought she would share, especially with him. And he was grateful for that.

She had asked him to stay. For some reason he couldn't resist. And he loved it.