The way out.

Lois had woken up earlier than usual for a Sunday, intending to head into Metropolis and see how Chloe and Jimmy were getting on. Jimmy was on the mend but was currently housebound. He generally only ventured out to visit the rehab clinic for his physio sessions. The muscles in his left leg had atrophied following his injuries and the extended period of inactivity so the sessions had been designed to build up the strength in his leg once more. The metal brace had been removed from his leg a week ago, replaced by a protective padded cast, so successful had the surgery been. Jimmy was well on the way to a full recovery and hadn't lost his sense of humour, joking with Chloe about her doing her magic thing that had once healed a cut on his finger. All in all, he was coping admirably. The moment his recovery had really taken the fast train was when Chloe walked into his hospital room almost a week after her disappearance. The depression cloud had lifted immediately and was a big reason why he never made a big deal over being cooped up at home all the time. Chloe was safe and with him.

Lois had chosen to dress simply and casually, selecting a plain white tank top, purple hoodie and grey joggers with white sneakers. Her hair was tied into the ponytail she usually wore when going casual. The intention was to head back home later and continue working on researching instances where the Red-Blue Blur was believed to have intervened according to onlookers. She was building up a picture of what this anonymous hero was like. She admired both the good he or she was doing for the city, as well as the lack of self-promotion. This hero was in it to be an anonymous beacon of hope, not to feed his or her ego.

She was just putting some paperwork away and closing her laptop while sipping what was left of her third coffee of the morning when she heard a knock at the door. Not expecting company, she called out to whoever it was that the door was open. The voice at the door caused her to turn around with a start.

"Hi Lois."

Clark was dressed in blue jeans, with a long-sleeved light grey t-shirt beneath a short-sleeved dark grey one. He was holding his navy jacket in his right hand. Lois looked at his face, seeing the last vestiges of the dark circles that had been around his eyes for the best part of a month. He looked like someone who had a million and one thoughts whirling around inside their head with no way to decipher their meaning. The square shoulders were stooped ever so slightly, only noticeable to somebody who usually saw him standing tall and proud. He remained at the threshold, waiting and hoping to be invited in.

"Clark!" she uttered, surprised.

They stood there, no more than about 15 feet apart, and yet it felt like a chasm between them. The tension was palpable.

"I...uh, I wasn't expecting to see you," Lois finally said, keen to fill the silence and break the tension.

Clark used the moment to drink Lois in. She'd looked so sexy at the wedding when all dressed up in her orange number, and he thought she still looked sexy now even though she was apparently 'slumming it' in joggers. He could not help but notice the colour that had returned to her cheeks, a far cry from when he last saw her at the hospital, drained of colour. He no longer saw devastation in her hazel eyes. Instead, it was a combination of curiosity and nervousness.

"Yeah, I was on my way home and thought I should stop by."

Lois felt herself becoming flustered by the presence of the man who'd broken her heart. She began to babble, busying herself with tidying up the kitchen counter she'd already tidied up. Anything to not look at his face or show the hurt.

"Chloe's been staying at Jimmy's place to get some quality time in with the husband. So if you're looking for her, you need to detour over to Metropolis."

Clark stepped further into the apartment, closing the door behind him. The distance between them was now little more than 5 feet. Lois instinctively backed up a pace.

"Yeah. I've spoken to Chloe and Jimmy, and I'm glad he's on the mend. It's actually you I've come to see, Lois," he cautiously explained.

"Oh," she squeaked. She kicked herself inside for letting him get to her once again.

Clark's eyes were pleading. "I know we haven't spoken in weeks, but I got tied up trying to handle a family matter."

"Yeah. When I spoke to your mom, she mentioned that you'd had to go to Poughkeepsie. She didn't say what for but she did mention something about your uncle. I take it whatever it was is now sorted out?"

Clark's shoulders relaxed, so he made his way over to the fireplace, looking at nothing in particular as he answered.

"Something like that. The time away from the farm and away from work gave me time to think too, but something's come up and I need advice." He turned to face her, pointedly adding, "I thought you were the best person to talk to."

"Why me?" she asked, curiosity now completely replacing the nervousness.

He smiled weakly. "You always seem to know the right thing to say, in a weird way. I value your opinion, Lois. I also came to see how you were."

Lois went back to being unnerved as Clark continued to look at her. She wondered if he'd even blinked, so intense was his gaze. She detected that whatever it was, it was troubling him and had probably been troubling him for quite some time.

"I'm fine. Work keeps me busy." Then, because she was Lois and not given to infinite patience, she demanded in a neutral tone that he tell her why he was here. "OK, well spill it, Smallville. What happened while you were away?"

This was it. The moment he would have to reveal the truth. He couldn't lie to her. Not after everything they'd been through. He owed her the truth. Still, super-powered or not, he could feel his mouth getting drier. He'd gone over this conversation in his head so many times but now it was actually happening, he was struggling to get the words out in the way he had imagined.

"I uh…I think I fell in love."

Lois blinked in shock. "You think?"

"That's just it. What I feel about this girl is different to anything I've felt for anybody else. She's special, unique."

Now he'd gone down this path, he felt it best to continue. Lois interrupted him before he could expand on the issue so he let her say whatever it was she had to say. It could well inform whatever he was going to say next. She was bound to ask who this new girl in his life was, wasn't she?

"You either are or you aren't, Smallville," began Lois on an insistent note as she stepped into the living room and stood by the end of the couch. "There is no in-between. You know for sure when the other person becomes all you can think about. They become the centre of your world. Thinking about them puts a smile on your face. Being with them puts an extra spring in your step."

She surprised herself with the words that came out so readily, and was suddenly aware that they could be construed as a personal view based on experience. Hugging herself, she opted to clarify in the hope that Clark wouldn't pick up the same insinuation behind the words that she just did.

"Uh...at least that's what books, movies and TV will tell you."

"In that case, I guess I am," Clark sighed.

At that, Lois was now absolutely certain that her chance of something more with her Smallville was gone. He had already moved on, or maybe moved back to the familiar.

"Oh. Well that was fast. You've only known this girl for a month and yet you're in love?"

"It's not like that, Lois. I've known her for a lot longer than a month. I've known her for years."

Lois was now sure that he was talking about moving back to the familiar. The Clark-Lana rollercoaster was set for another go-around. He and Lana had never got any real closure when things ended between them last time. Lois remembered how crushed Clark was when seeing the DVD Lana had left him. He'd felt as though his last chance at true happiness had gone. Whatever Lois had felt about the Clark-Lana relationship – and she had a few misgivings – it was not pleasant to have to face the end of a long-term relationship. Lois knew Clark was not someone given to flings and rebounds. He was somebody who would cling to a relationship in the hope of having the sort of lasting commitment that his parents had had before his father's life had been so cruelly cut short. Still, she could only gulp out one name as she waited for the inevitable.

"Lana?"

It was Clark's turn to look incredulous. Were his Lana blinkers that strong?

"What? No...Lana and I are through. Honestly, we were through long before she fell into her coma. Her being in a coma had just delayed the inevitable. You were there when I watched her video. I was upset but at the same time, it was liberating. I had to break away from Smallville, the farm and the life I knew. Taking the job at the Daily Planet was the right move, and one I've never regretted."

"Lana was there at the reception," she noted.

Clark sighed. "She was, and we talked briefly during the reception, and again at the hospital. She'd been hurt when that…thing…attacked the guests. She told me she would head back to Africa where she was working with a relief mission. We parted amicably and I hope she finds happiness with whatever she does. We will always remain good friends but Lana and I are over."

Lois mulled it over. Clark's tone certainly gave it an air of finality but where Lois should have felt a sense of hope, there was still the issue of this mystery woman whom Clark had fallen for over the past few weeks. She resigned herself into believing that whatever sexual tension there had been between them at the wedding was now merely the romantic haze that wedding days sometimes bring rather than the beginnings of something more. Those feelings had to be locked away in the box marked 'Do Not Open'.

She knew she had to play it cool. While she wanted Clark to be happy in his personal life, she would have no part in it other than the status quo of good friend and work colleague. "So, this new love of your life - what's she like?"

Clark moved over and sat on the edge of the couch. He wanted to be careful with his words. "Well, she works in a fairly high-profile position. She's really passionate about her job and really good at it too."

Lois thought it to be a vague answer but stayed quiet. A high-profile position? Perhaps this woman was a politician introduced to him by his mom. Maybe she was a celebrity. Saying that, were there any celebrities living out in Poughkeepsie? She hoped Clark would elaborate.

"She's beautiful, with the most amazing smile I have ever seen. I feel more like myself when I'm with her than when I'm with anybody else. I was with Lana on and off for years but I never felt this way. I once thought I had this with Alicia but I realised that what I felt for her was more down to circumstance than something that might stand up in the long term."

"Uh huh," replied Lois flatly. She could feel her heart breaking into a million pieces. This time it was painfully slow, like death by a thousand cuts.

Clark wasn't done. His lips curved upwards into a smile. "When I'm with her, I am the best version of myself. She makes me feel like everything is going to be OK. She makes me feel like I belong. I would do anything to make her happy."

Cut. Cut. Cut. Cut. Cut...

Lois watched him as he stared at the wall opposite, still smiling wistfully. Obviously he was picturing the new love of his life. She quietly raised her hand to her face and closed her eyes, trying desperately to stop her nose from twitching and the tears from falling. She caught the sob in her throat before the sound came out. He would never ever be her Smallville. It was now that she knew what Chloe had felt like when growing up. Here was this incredible guy who was unattainable and only had eyes for someone else. Being friend-zoned by Clark Kent was a painful experience. Still, she had to say something.

"How did you realise that she was the one for you?" It was almost a whisper.

"It wasn't any one thing, just lots of little things. Do you remember Maxima?"

Recalling Clark mentioning the name, Lois' eyes went wide and she couldn't help but release a chuckle. In the middle of his revelation, Clark had somehow managed to bring some levity to proceedings with a statement right out of left-field.

"The nympho meteor freak? Don't tell me she's the one!" Lois laughed.

Clark shook his head, chuckling softly. Trust Lois to come out with that. "No she's definitely not the one! She told me she was my soulmate. When I told you about it afterwards, you said that I would know my soulmate had come along when the right girl walked into my life. You were right, because that's what has happened here."

Lois' mood reverted back to being depressed and heartbroken. Clark had found his soulmate and was going to live happily ever after. It dawned on Lois that he had yet to mention the love of his life by name. He hadn't exactly been evasive about it, but she also realised that she hadn't asked her name either. Not that it mattered because they were bound to be introduced sooner or later. Lois didn't care to know the name of the woman who'd stolen Clark's heart.

"Soulmate huh?" she again whispered. This one sounded like it had stuck in her throat.

Clark was again looking at the wall opposite. "I think she is. When you realise you need that other person just as much as they need you, and that you are both better versions of yourselves when you're together, I'd say that qualifies for soulmate status, right?"

He turned to face her raising his eyebrows as though expecting her to answer. She did, avoiding eye contact and staring at the coffee table in front of her. This was like torture now. Clark was telling her all the wonderful things about some girl he knew and it was as if the romantic interlude at the wedding hadn't happened. Was he blind? Was he just an idiot? What advice did he want from her anyway?

"Yeah I guess it does. But Clark, what advice do you need from me? It sounds like you've already made your decision. Are you looking to be talked out of it?"

"No," he answered. "I just wanted to be sure I was doing the right thing. Like I said before, I value your opinion."

Her opinion was that he was a clueless fool for not noticing or acknowledging what was there in front of him. She wanted to retreat into her shell and fire barbs at him angrily but something about his demeanour held her back. She could tell there was more to the story, but how to reply? Maybe it was time for levity again.

"Doing the right thing? Wait, you were in Poughkeepsie helping your uncle. Oh god! You don't have the hots for your cousin do you? Because that would be beyond weird."

Clark practically fell off the edge of the couch, slumping right into the seat having been completely thrown by Lois' comment. How on earth did she reach some of her conclusions?

"What? NO! Lois!" he cried vehemently, earning a shrug from Lois as she smirked. This was the closest she had felt to things returning to normal. Teasing Clark and getting a rise out of him were sport. Familiar ground. A safe way to hide her emotions.

She stood up, hands on hips, ready to chew him out and tell him to get over himself. If what he was saying was correct, he had moved on with his life and found the perfect person for him. It was highly likely that she would be moving to Smallville or Metropolis pretty soon. He looked up at her, jolted by her sudden movement, and his face took on a look that was pleading for understanding. Somehow, she needed to confirm that if he really felt this way, there was only one thing to do. She wasn't prepared to wait for the small possibility that she could have something with him one day when he was talking about this other girl in such glowing terms.

"Look Clark, if this is how you feel...how you both feel...then all I can tell you is that you should go for it. I'd want any guy I'm with to be confident and decisive otherwise what's the point? You're just a plane stuck in a holding pattern."

"Or walking inside a maze full of dead ends and no way out, right?" Clark nodded to himself.

"Something like that."

"You're right. I should act on it." Almost immediately, he became nervous and unsure once again. His head drooped, and Lois noticed it.

She sighed resignedly, shutting her eyes. They had only been talking for a few minutes, but it felt like hours and she was feeling weary now. His confession had hit her for six, adding to her tiredness. He had come to her, explained the situation in a roundabout way and asked for advice. She had suggested he go for it, believing that he merely wanted reassurance that he was doing the right thing.

What was troubling her was that Clark almost seemed pained about it. Maybe he wasn't such an idiot after all. Maybe he knew he had hurt her feelings at the wedding reception. Maybe he knew she would retreat behind her emotional walls and not wish to make a big deal out of it, to cover her heartache and humiliation. Maybe he knew she would change the subject if he even hinted at bringing up what happened that night. Maybe he knew her too well. Maybe he actually knew her better than anybody.

She would have to accept that her role in his life was to be one of his closest confidants. She could live with that, as Chloe had. Remaining a part of his life was the important thing. She would rather have him as a friend than not have him at all. Right now though, Clark was sitting there full of doubt, almost as if he'd been rejected after opening his heart for this mystery woman. Is that what the problem was here?

"Clark, does she know all of this? Have you told her?"

"Yes."

So it was confirmed that Clark's new girlfriend knew how strongly he felt for her.

"And what did she say? She'd better have given you an answer and not left you hanging. I mean, you've put yourself way out there and-"

At that, Clark stood up and looked Lois in the eye with his trademark puppy dog eyes. They were more effective on her than she'd ever dared to admit. He cut in to break off her babbling.

"Well...uh, I'm hoping that she will give me her answer in the next few seconds."

The small but subtle raising of his eyebrows rammed home the point, causing Lois to gasp involuntarily. She raised a hand to her chest, eyes widening with understanding and her mouth open. Her brain was quickly processing everything she had learned in the past few minutes. As bombshells go, this was a biggie.

Lois was unable to utter a sound. She could feel her legs about to buckle from beneath her and the room begin to spin, so she shifted closer to the end of the couch just so her leg was in contact with something that would help keep her upright. If she were to buckle, at least it would be onto the couch and not the floor or the coffee table.

Clark stepped forward to close the space between them, and Lois mouthed a silent 'Me?' as she tilted her head up to look him in the eye. His face broke out into a soft smile as he nodded in affirmation. His eyes were dancing as he cupped her cheek, closing the gap between them completely and leaning in to do what he'd not quite managed to do at the reception.

He had negotiated his way through the maze of uncertainty and found a way out into a world of new possibilities.

FIN.