"Oliver," Lois said, not knowing whether to be relieved or not. She opened the drapes to let in the light.
"That's how you greet me after so many days apart?" He was teasing, but there did seem to be a little hurt in his expression.
"What are you doing here?"
"Well, I just looked at our credit card account about an hour ago and saw a payment went to the hospital in Smallville. Naturally I was concerned."
"Oh, right."
He picked up her hand, making her jumpy. "But now I can see why. Are you okay?"
No she was not okay. Nothing about any of this was okay. "I'm fine. My cousin's not talking to me, but I don't want to leave yet."
"Ah, that explains the hole in the wall over there. I'm sorry it's not going well. Anything I can do?
She perked up. If anyone could soft talk Chloe, it would be Oliver. "Maybe there is."
"You want to drown your sorrows in beer? I'm game for that."
She laughed. She'd almost forgotten what good chums they'd been before they'd gotten married and gotten busy with their careers, and their outings had usually ended in beer-drinking. Lots of it. They would have been terrible together. "Thanks, but I'm trying to cut back."
"Since when?"
"Since now. Quit clowning around and follow me."
He saluted. "Yes, ma'am."
She rolled her eyes. She probably did sound like the General just then, but she was in no mood to be saluted.
sss
"When's the last time you saw Lois?" Martha asked casually as she scrubbed a particularly stubborn pot.
Clark had just sat down at the table with a ham sandwich and had it halfway to his mouth before her odd question stopped him cold. "What do you mean?"
"Oh, nothing, I suppose. I just remember how close you two used to be. I was just wondering if you kept in touch over the years."
"You mean Lois Lane, right? We used to fight like cats and dogs."
She chuckled. "Come on now. You're not teenagers anymore. You two were attracted to each other."
"Maybe a little or a lot, but nothing ever came of it."
"Do you wish it did?" she said, turning around to look at him.
He concentrated his focus on her yellow Brillo pad. Anything to keep from looking at her. Almost robotically, he said, "I'm happy with the way things turned out."
"You never were a very good liar."
He set his ham sandwich down because he could see he wasn't going to be eating it anytime soon. "What does it matter whether I'm happy? Things are the way they are. I can't go back and change the past."
"No, but you can change the way they are now. You can change the future."
"Are you suggesting I leave my pregnant wife to go find out what might have been with an old high school crush?"
"No, of course not, but your answer confirms what I thought that you still have feelings for Lois."
Clark was so glad Lana was not in the house right now and out visiting her aunt. "Okay, yes. I do, but nothing will ever come of it. I have an obligation to my son and to his mother."
"She's pregnant too, you know. I saw her today at the hospital."
"Is she alright?"
"I think so, but I almost wondered-never mind."
He didn't know why the thought of her, Oliver Queen, and a baby bothered him, but it did. It crushed him even.
"She seemed sad for a woman who just discovered she was having a baby. I don't know what's going on. She wouldn't open up to me, but I think she could use a friend right now."
"Who? Me? Why me? She has you. She has Chloe."
"I just know what I saw, a lonely woman who acted as if she lost her best friend." She shrugged and turned back around, letting the subject drop.
She knew him too well. He had to talk to her again despite his resolve not to see her anymore and make sure she was really alright. Was she so grieved over his saying they couldn't see each other? Or was something more going on?