Chapter 16 - Ringing in the New Year

"You be good for Grandma tonight. You better be in bed when I get home too." Brit looked at her dad decked out to the nines and shook her head in affirmation. "Good girl." Clark kissed her and looked at Martha. "I have no idea what time I'll be home. Thanks for watching her tonight." He walked out the door and took off to the banquet.

Inside the banquet hall, chandeliers hung all around. Clark stared at the ceiling and then down at the program to see where he was sitting. He found the table and saw that Lex and Lois had already arrived.

"Clark, where's Megan?"

"She couldn't come. She started feeling sick last night." He sat down in front of his place card he noticed that the empty seat that was next to him was filled by Chloe. "Chloe?"

Chloe walked up beside him and hugged him, almost jumping into his arms. "Clark, oh my god, it's so nice to see you again. I couldn't believe when Lois told me that you two were working together again." Lex, who had been on his cell looked up at this.

"Lois, you didn't tell me that you and Clark knew each other from before." Lois and Clark shot a death look to Chloe who realized that was not common knowledge.

"Yes Lex, we met in college one summer. We worked on several articles in a summer class one summer." She saw Lex shake his head.

"Calm down honey. You said summer three times...I get it." Looking at Clark, he smirked confusingly, "Wow, you can really make the women nervous." Lex sat back in the seat as Lois continued musing about the work she and Clark had done together.

This must kill him to see us. Lex thought as he remembered now that Clark had been the first person to propose to Lois. He wondered if Clark had been the reason for Lois acting strange lately.

"So Lois, so how does it feel going into the next year with a wedding coming up?" Perry had come to sit down next after greeting several other editors and managers in Metropolis remembered now why Clark had looked so familiar. One night Lois was looking through photos with him she had passed up a picture of the two of them at some restaurant together. He had insisted on knowing about her past relationships.

"I think the upcoming wedding is giving her a new glow." Clark quietly answered as he looked over at Lois and then at Chloe. Lois glanced back in surprise by the comment. "So, I guess you're ready now to tackle the hard line journalism and family at the same time." Lois could tell that Clark was fishing to see how she would react to reminders of the wedding.

"Well, I feel that I am old enough now to learn to balance a career and a relationship without messing either one up. I mean, not that you haven't gotten just as far as I have even with being divorced and having a daughter. I don't think I could handle all of that at this point." Clark smiled at the cutback and almost laughed at Lois' attempts to put him down not so subtly.

"At least she sounds sure of herself," Clark whispered to Chloe. Lois looked over at him when Chloe laughed at his joke. He's talking about me...about us, Lois thought as she looked back over at her own date. "Care to dance Chloe?" Clark took her hand as she rose from the table and they disappeared onto the dance floor.

"Lex, would you like to dance?"

"Lois, you know that I really don't like to dance." He took her hand, kissed it as she halfway smiled at him. "Actually, Congressman Brinks is over there and I would like to talk to him for a minute. I'll be right back." Lex got up from the table and Lois looked over for Perry, who had left her also.

On the dance floor, Chloe looked over and saw her cousin sitting alone on the dawn of the New Year. "Clark, please go spend some time with Lois; dance with her or something. Lex doesn't dance and Lois was worried that this would happen. It would be like old times for you two." Clark sighed hard and squeezed Chloe's hand.

"That's what I'm afraid of, but I'll go." He walked over to the table where Lois was sitting, staring into space. "Lois..." Clark sat down in the chair next to her and smiled. "I hope you know that I really didn't mean what I said on front of everyone."

"I know. I'm not sure if I really am telling the truth about being ready for marriage and all. It's a big step. I mean all I have ever cared about is my work and my job and my position and my..." Lois felt Clark touch her wrist. "I'm rambling again, but you get the point." He smiled at her, and she started feeling better.

"Marriage is a big step. There's a lot more involved than just getting the wedding right. I can vouch for that. I wish I had seen it coming when Lana and I. I'm going to stop there. I have Brit and that's the best thing in my life. I would never give her up for anything."

"She's really wonderful. And she loves you so much and thinks you are everything. I hope when I have kids that they're as special as Brittany."

"You will be a wonderful mother when the time is right, but there's something else that has to be done now." Lois looked over at Clark quizzically. Clark stood up and smiled and put out his hand. "Dance?" Lois smiled.

"Thank you Clark." She whispered and blushed as he led her to the dance floor.

"So, Lois how is your New Year's shaping up?" Clark took Lois in his arms. He felt her quiver at his touch.

"I think I was worried about what would happen tonight, but now I feel good. I think this year is going to be a good year."

"Why do you say that?"

"I have Lex, who I love very much." Lois paused for a moment and looked into Clark's eyes. "And you; you came back to me and now I have the best partner I possibly could get." Lois stopped suddenly after realizing her double meaning. When Clark touched her face and she looked back up at him, she knew he figured it out too. "You can waltz?"

She didn't finish the sentence because Clark took her hand firm and swept her feet up off the floor. She swore that she wasn't touching the ground. Lois, at the same time, hoped that Lex would notice the good time that she was having.

Ring out the old, ring in the new

A midnight wish to share with you

Your lips are warm, my head is light

Were we alive before tonight

I don't need a crowded ballroom

Everything I want is here

If you're with me, next year will be the perfect year

"Clark, this feels so good."

"I know - you don't realize how bad I wanted to dance with you just once. And to tell you that I hope you and Lex have a wonderful life. You deserve the best of everything." She smiled at him, knowing he tried hard to sound sincere.

"Thank you." He felt her put her head down and then leaned into him as the music interlude sped up. They started to almost float around the room again, spinning past Perry, Chloe, and Lex.

It's New Year's Eve and hopes are high

Dance one year in, kiss one goodbye

Another chance, another start

So many dreams to the tease the heart

We don't need a crowded ballroom

Everything we want is here

And face to face we will embrace the perfect year.

"10, 9,8..."

"Where's Lex?"

"I don't know." Clark shook his head no and got flustered that she suddenly forgot that he was even there. Chloe and Perry watched as the two looked on frantically, knowing Lex left to the restroom after seeing Lois and Clark together. "Clark..."

"3, 2, Happy New Year" Lois was almost in tears - Lex was gone on New Years. She felt something touch her familiar. Looking up at him, she ran her hand along his hand. Touching her face, he looked around at the other couples, checked for Lex, and moved her lips to his. Lois quivered as their lips met and closed her eyes. Clark kissed her slow and deep. Letting go, Clark looked at Lois and smiled.

"I know it doesn't mean much, but Happy New Year Lois." She looked at him, smiling and kissed him back quickly.

Across the room Lex saw Lois kiss Clark back and cringed. On the other side of the dance floor, Perry and Chloe smiled at each other. "I think there is hope." Perry responded with Chloe agreeing.

"May I cut in?" Lex tried to be cordial to Clark. Backing away, Clark slowly let Lois' fingers slip from his and let Lex in. "Happy New Years honey. Sorry, but I was in the restroom." Another song had started up by this time and Lex decided he had to try to dance. "Let's dance."

Lois looked up at him in surprise and then over to Clark, but he was already gone. By the end of the night, Clark was long gone from the party and Lois remembered only the person that was there after the year started.