Chapter 2: How things have changed

Five years passed before Clark returned to Smallville. When he returned, he found that Lana was still waiting for him; he had not expected her to do so, but he was grateful that she had.

Lois had now been Lois Queen for five years and she and Oliver had led a very happy life; they had a 4 year old daughter, whom they had named after Oliver's mum, Laura, a 3-year-old son, named Robert and a baby daughter, Ella, who was named after Lois's mum. They were very happy with their three children. Never for a moment did Lois regret marrying Oliver-she knew that Clark loved Lana and that he would never love her. She had convinced herself that her love for him was gone.

Chloe was also married to Jimmy; they had married about a year after Lois and Oliver had married and they had a 3-year-old son, named Clark Olsen. Chloe had decided to name her son after her best friend, as she had been unsure if she would ever see him again.

On a Saturday morning, when Lois was playing with Robert and Ella and Oliver was picking Laura up from ballet, Chloe and Jimmy rushed in, looking flustered. Jimmy placed little Clark with Robert and Ella.

As the three children played, Lois walked her cousin and cousin-in-law to the kitchen and asked, in a snappy voice, "What are you guys doing? I'm trying to have some quality time with my children and"-

"Lana came to see me." Chloe stated, looking at Lois in a meaningful way. There was a pause, then she continued, "She came to see me this morning and she says that he's back and he wants to see you."

"Well, it took him four years to come and say congratulations, so I should hope so." replied her cousin, in a very flippant manner, but in reality, she was panicking. Why did Clark have to show up now, just when her life was perfect? She had a wonderful husband and three beautiful children. Why did he return now? She knew that Chloe knew that she was thinking.

The door opened and one of the security called for Lois, so she and Chloe walked to the door and Jimmy went to check on the children. "Mrs. Queen, there's a Mr. Clark Kent here to see you and Mrs. Olsen, but he doesn't have an appointment. Should we let him up?"

Lois nodded. In order to have physical comfort, she picked up her youngest daughter and held the little girl in her arms.

Clark came up and his eyes instantly fell on the baby girl in Lois's arms and on the three boys on the floor. Then his eyes went to Lois's and he found the same, warm eyes he had always found. "Lois," he forced a smile, he had not expected her and Oliver to have children. "How-how old are the children?"

Knowing why he was asking, Lois replied, "Well, Laura's 4 and she's out with Oliver, Robert's 3 and Ella, here, is a couple of months old." She kissed her youngest daughter and the baby responded by reached out for her mum's hair. Lois took hold of her fingers and kissed them.

Clark found himself transfixed with Lois as a mother, then he saw the other child on the floor and for the first time, he became aware that Chloe and Jimmy were in the room. He walked over to Chloe and hugged her and, upon seeing her wedding ring, exclaimed, "You got married!"

"Yeah," Jimmy replied, walking over with their son, "Yeah. 4 years. And this is our son, Clark."

"You named him Clark?"

Chloe nodded. "You are my best friend, after all." Chloe smiled.

Lois put Ella down in her playpen, then walked over to Clark and gave him a brief hug, before asking, "How are you, Smallville? Have you spoken to your mum or Lana?"

Stepping away from Lois, he answered, "Yeah. Yeah, they're both fine, thanks."

He sat down and talked to Lois, Chloe and Jimmy about their jobs; Lois and Chloe were both journalists, though Lois worked part-time, so that she could spend time with Laura, Robert and Ella-and with Oliver, she added in a stern voice. Jimmy was also working as a part-time photographer and he spent a great deal of time with little Clark. Clark felt honoured that Chloe and Jimmy had named their son after him and he was glad that they were together.

Their conversation was interrupted by the entrance of Oliver and Laura. Laura ran over to her mum and she climbed her way onto her knee. Oliver walked over to Clark and embraced him like an old friend, which Clark supposed he indeed was.

Half an hour later, Oliver asked Clark to help him with something in the kitchen, which Clark knew was code.

"So, how have you been? Really, Clark?" Oliver seemed genuinely concerning.

Sitting down, Clark replied, "I've been fine, thanks. Out fighting crime. Are you still the Green Arrow?" He hadn't seen the papers for four years.

Oliver laughed. "Of course I am."

Clark was silent for a moment, then he inquired, "Does Lois know?"

Sitting down next to him, Oliver answered, "Of course she knows: she's my wife."

There was a silence, then Clark observed, "I didn't expect you and Lois to have so many kids-maybe one, but not three." He saw a shadow fall across Oliver's face and was worried that he had touched a nerve, but his friend didn't seem offended.

"Well, we had Laura a year after we were married and that pregnancy and birth was easy. Then we had Robert and Lois had to have a section, because they couldn't get him out. Thank God they did. We-er-we had another baby, about a year ago. Her name was Demi." Oliver looked down at his hands. "Her birth was normal and she and Lois were fine, but she-she passed away when she was about 6 months old and Lois and I agreed that we didn't want anyone more children. Then, about 11 months ago, we discovered that she was pregnant again. Ella's birth-was-well, we thought that we were going to lose both Lois and Ella, because of a heart condition Lois developed after Demi's death. I love my children, and I'm glad that I can't have anymore; I was recently diagnosed with a condition which means that I can't have children, but its fine, because I have the girls and Robert. And I have Lois. What more could I ask for?"

Clark was very surprised that Oliver had shared so much about his relationship with Lois and about their children, but he guessed that Oliver didn't know the nature of his relationship with Lois-or what it had been 5 years ago, anyway.

A couple of weaks later, Oliver and Lois were throwing a party in their home and they invited Clark and Lana. Lana refused to go, because she and Clark were "taking a break", but Clark agreed to go.

Upon hearing this news, Chloe went to the Kent Farm to talk to him, leaving little Clark with Lois, as Jimmy was working.

"Clark, why are you going?"

Annoyed with his friend, he replied, "Because I haven't spoken to Lois at all and I need to try."

Staring at him, Chloe demanded, "Try and do what, Clark? She's married!"

Clark glared at Chloe and shouted, "Look, I let Lois slip through my fingers and I won't do it again! I love her. I've always loved her. Why do you think I stayed away for so long? Because I couldn't bear to see her with Oliver! It hurts too much, Chloe and it kills me and I have to try. She may still love me!"

Chloe walked around the table and sat next to him. Sighing, she remarked, "You know, Clark, Lois and Oliver haven't exactly had the best of times; they had a daughter who died, Demi. Lois really loves him and-I hate to say this-but she doesn't love you anymore. You never made your feelings clear and it's too late, Clark. Lois is happy. You need to move on. You have Lana and I'm sure that she'll make a wonderful wife for you." Taking hold of his hand, Chloe whispered, "You need to move on, Clark." She stood up, picked up her handbag and left the farm.

"Lois!" she called, as she walked into Oliver and Lois's flat. "Lois, are you there?"

Her cousin walked into the sitting room. "Yeah, I just dropped the kids of at my dad's, because of the party tonight."

Inhaling a deep breathe, Chloe sighed. "Yeah, about that. Clark's gonna come."

Her cousin rolled her eyes and snapped, "Chloe, for the last time, I'm not in love with Clark anymore. I'm with Ollie, I love him, so stop this. Clark is my friend." Knowing what her cousin's reply to that was going to be, she added, "I've been busy, so that's why I haven't see him!" With that, she walked off, before Chloe could say another word.

Later that night, because of the atmosphere of the party, Lois walked onto the balcony for some fresh air. She felt someone behind her and thought that it was Oliver. She turned around to find that it was Clark.

"What are you doing out here, Smallville?" she inquired.

Smiling, Clark replied, "I want to talk you to," Before Lois could voice any objection, he began, "What I said in the barn those years ago, about you not being Lana, what I meant was"-

Lois backed away from him. "You know what? I'm really not interesting in digging up old skeletons. What was said, was said and that's that."

"So, are you telling me that what I said didn't hurt you? Are you that unfeeling, Lois?" Clark knew that he was being harsh, but he wanted to get a reaction from her.

Lois punched him and not in the way which she had playfully done years earlier-had he been human, it would have hurt. Glaring at him, she hissed, "Don't you dare thing that, Kent? What you said broke my heart, but I've moved on with my life and you need to do the same. Now, grow up!"

There was a silence and for the first time in 5 years, their eyes properly met. Clark's eyes searched her and he leaned in to kiss her, for which she slapped him around the face. He fell back in shock, but the pain was mental; she was no longer loved him, he could see it in her eyes.

This scene was interrupted by Oliver's entrance. He looked sad, as if something were deeply troubling him.

"Oliver, what's wrong?" Lois asked her husband, as she took hold of his hands,

Squeezing her hands, Oliver whispered, "It's Jimmy. He was at work, that's why he wasn't here tonight and…he's dead, Lois. He's dead." His voice shook as he delivered the news and Lois pulled him into her arms.

Clark ran into the party and found Chloe, who looked as white as a sheet. He pulled her into a hug and she cried into his chest. Crying for her lost husband.

As Oliver and Lois prepared themselves for bed, Lois watched her husband and she was worried about him, as he had not spoken a word since he had informed her of Jimmy's death and she had been focusing on caring for her cousin. "Ollie, what's wrong?" she asked in a soft voice, as she sat down next to him.

Instead of replying, Oliver handed her a copy of the 'Daily Planet.' It was from about for years ago, but Lois read it:

'In the early hours of this morning, Tess Queen, the wife of Oliver Queen, was found dead at the Daily Planet. The cause of her death has been put down to a terrible miscarriage from which she suffered and it is suspected that she lost too much blood.'

Lois stopped reading, tears filling her eyes. Oliver had lost both his wife and his child. She hugged him and they lay together, in silence, holding each other. Lois fell asleep in this position, feeling happy and loved.

Much later that evening, Clark knocked on the door of Lana's flat and waited. She was going to snap at him, but upon seeing his condense, she told him to come inside. They sat together and he told her about what had happened to Jimmy.

"How's Chloe?" was Lana's first question, as she wiped away her tears.

Sighing, Clark answered, "She's as good as can be expected, I guess. She's staying with Lois and Oliver tonight and she's going to go and pick up little Clark first thing in the morning. She's being so strong." He took hold of Lana's hand and whispered, "I can't take anything for granted anymore. I know that now. Lana, I love you so much."

Squeezing his hand, she whispered, "I love you too, Clark."

"Lana, will you marry me?"

Tears filled her eyes again. She nodded and they kissed and embraced. Clark knew that he would be happy with Lana, but not as happy as he would have been with Lois. Lana was his second choice.

A weak later, a couple of days after Jimmy's funeral, Clark and Lana took their wedding vows in the Church in Smallville. They promised to love each other till death parted them.

Clark looked for Lois's face in the crowd. He found her, smiling, with Oliver by her side. A chapter was ending and a new one was beginning, or that's what Clark told himself.