sorry for the wait. been a lot going on in life away from the world of fic writing..

so here it is. enjoy. look for the breadcrumbs and easter eggs.. they're really there. and don't be fooled by the end of this chapter. i did say darker, right? the next chapter should be up soon.

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Author: Alison

Disclaimer: Characters belong to DC, WB/CW, AlMiles, etc., etc., etc. I only own the story so please don't take that away from me. My cat stole my 'Bo-Delicious' shirt after I got back from DukesFest. She claims it looks better on her. I said Bo Duke would disagree.

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Chapter 9

"Chloe, I need your help."

She'd driven all morning to get to Metropolis. This wasn't the kind of thing that could've been discussed over the phone.

Chloe plopped in her swivel desk chair as Lois sat on the edge of the desk in the basement of the Daily Planet.

"Sure, Lois. But what's so important that you had to come all the way here this morning?"

Did she really want to answer that? Was she ready to?

Just say it. Just tell her what you want to do.

She'd thought about it all the way there. She vaguely knew what she wanted to do. The idea was in her head, but she need to flesh it out with someone. And Chloe was the perfect someone.

She took a deep breath.

"I want to do something."

Well, that wasn't vague at all, Lane.

Chloe looked confused as Lois tried to avoid her cousin's questioning eyes.

"Okay, Lois. But you know I can't help you unless you tell me what it is you want to do, right?"

Yeah, yeah. She knew that.

But it was just the fact that she was about to admit out loud a little piece of a much larger puzzle. And if anyone figured out that puzzle, and it got back to him, well, she didn't know if she was ready for anyone to know. She didn't know if she was ready to know either.

She closed her eyes and braced herself for the eventual onslaught of questions and knowing smirks.

"I want to do something for Clark, okay?"

She didn't want to do it. She didn't want to open her eyes.

But she did. And there was that smirk plastered all over Chloe's face.

Lois rolled her eyes and stood, crossing her arms as she walked away from her cousin and over to the copy machine.

"Oh, come on, Lois. I figured it had to be something like that to make you come all the way here on such short notice. I mean, besides, what else has even been on your mind lately other than Clark?"

Lois slowly turned around, her arms still crossed against her chest. She stared at Chloe, smiled faintly, then lowered her gaze to bustling Daily Planet's hard stone floor.

Did Chloe even understand? Did she even realize all that happened between her and Clark lately? Did she know how close they were? How they didn't need words between them? That it only took one look for either to know what the other thought?

Maybe if she showed her…

She walked to Chloe's desk and reached in the bag she'd brought. Maybe this would…

"I want to do something with this."

She held out the torn and tattered picture as Chloe took it from her.

"Lois…"

"I know, Chloe. I just… I want to do something with it, but I just don't know what. All I know is that I want to do it…for him."

Chloe smiled. And this time it looked more heartfelt. Maybe she did understand after all.

"Well, what if we did more than just this?"

"What'dya mean?"

"A scrapbook."

Scrapbook? Why didn't she think of that?

She looked at Chloe, a smile on both their faces. She knew it wouldn't be a wasted trip to Metropolis that morning.

"A scrapbook? Maybe of Mr. Kent's whole life? His achievements, awards…"

"Right, with pictures from his childhood and with Mrs. Kent and Clark. I could even find some newspaper clippings from the Smallville Ledger and the Daily Planet from his campaign and Senate run and that time he won the Smallville Best Citizen Award."

She grinned as Chloe stood and handed the picture back to her. It was happening. She could feel it. It was that all-over tingly feeling. It was excitement and anticipation. It was finally finding something that might just make him feel better. A small token of how she really felt, sure, but something nonetheless.

"Thank you, Chloe." She pulled her closer into a hug. "I couldn't have done this without you."

"Oh, sure you could have. It might not have been as good…"

Lois pulled away and lightly slapped her cousin on the arm.

"But how are we going to get family photos? I mean, what do I do? Break in to the Kent house and rummage around until I find some pictures?" Chloe grinned and raised her eyebrows. "Oh, no. Chloe…"

"Come on, cuz. It'll be…fun." She paused as Lois gently slid the picture back into her bag. "Besides…I thought you wanted to do something for him?"

She did. She just didn't like the idea of breaking and entering in order to make him feel better.

"I do, Chlo, but…"

She didn't know why it happened, but her mind immediately drifted back to last night. She was completely taken by surprise at his gesture to make them both feel better. For those brief few hours, it was only the two of them, lying in a field watching shooting stars dance across the cold, crisp night sky. They'd laughed, shared a blanket and fondly recalled his father's wisdom.

Then, something happened that shouldn't have. Or maybe it should have. It did feel right somehow. Sometimes she wondered if there was always going to be that small part tugging at her, wondering if it should feel right with him, of all people.

But she rose as he moved his arm under her. She rolled on her side and laid her arm across his chest, her head resting on his shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her. It was so instinctive for both of them that she didn't think much of it until nearly three in the morning when they'd finally decided they should head home.

They were so comfortable with each other. They were so in tune together. They just…clicked. It made sense, but it didn't. She just hated to see him upset. She knew what he was going through. She'd been there herself. She just wanted to make him happy.

"Then do this for him and make him happy, Lois."

She glanced up at Chloe and smiled. Sometimes, she swore that girl could read her mind.

She reached for Chloe and pulled her into another hug. Both girls smiled and Lois closed her eyes as she tightly hugged her.

"Thanks, Chlo."

Lois pulled away and picked up her bag.

"No problem, cuz. Just give me a call when you've got something."

"I will." She turned to head out the door, but stopped and slowly turned around. Chloe had sat back in her chair and was already speedily clicking away at her keyboard. "And, Chloe…" Her cousin glanced up from her desk. "Let's not mention this little project to anyone, okay? Especially…Mrs. Kent."

Chloe's eyes went wide as Lois smirked and turned to leave, heading up the stairs. Apparently, Chloe didn't think Mrs. Kent was the tattle-telling kind.

It was finally all coming together. It was finally all making sense.

She stepped outside the massive Daily Planet doors into the bright sunlight and walked down the street to her car.

It was finally all going to be okay.