A/N: This will be the start of a what if series I decided to write. This prompt had been whirling in my head as, like most people, this 5-episode arc in season 8 bugged me to no end. I decided to rewrite it. This will be part 1, and there's probably going to be more to follow. After, you can probably expect what if one shot situations varying in timeline. If you enjoy the read, please feel free to leave a review. Enjoy!
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Part 1:
It was a moment in time or so it felt that way. Like a thousand lifetimes passed by, but, at the same time, it ended in the blink of an eye. In that moment, two hearts beat as one, and the movement was that of a partnership long forged. Two figures on a single dance floor. One adorned in orange and the other in black. Had the moment not been interrupted, where would it have all ended?
Lois looked up at Clark nervously as they swayed. A clear uncertainty passed between them. As if weeks of teasing and years of friendship all came together in that moment to ask a simple unspoken question. A question neither was sure they wanted an answer to, but both also wanted to know. Lois wasn't sure what the feeling was, and she feared that more than anything. It was a feeling of knowing comfort and peace, but also fear and anxiety. What would this mean?
Clark looked down at Lois enjoying the moment he was in as they swayed. He was nervous, and a part of him questioned why. It was Lois Lane after all. His annoying, bull headed, caring best friend-partner. A dance was just a dance and yet it felt like the most dangerous game he could play at this time. Something in him stirred that had been long forgotten. A feeling of want and uncertainty, of hope and happiness.
Both fell in a trance as they finally locked eyes. A magnetic pull was felt that neither were trying to fight anymore. Clark slowly inching forward as if asking for permission, and Lois taking her time to decide if it's what she wanted. A brief pause hung in the air between the two before Lois made her decision. Grabbing his head, lips crashed together, both now in the moment they felt would never come.
As lips met, the feeling of anxiety and fear left Lois and was quickly replaced with excitement and want. Like a child that never had candy, she finally tasted the sweetness of it and feared she would only want more. That fear left and was replaced with certainty. She knew she would want more. And as new as it felt, she also sensed the familiarity of it all. It was as if what was happening was natural and meant to happen all along. She relished in the way his lips felt on her, the taste of his mouth, the scent he seemed to naturally exude.
Clark knew in that moment that his lips met hers what he didn't want to admit to himself all along. He loved Lois, and the fear he felt to admit that when chained up by the jeweler went away. This was right, and the moment only solidified that in his brain. He savored the feeling of her in his arms, the way her body seemed to fit almost perfectly with his, the way her hair always seemed to have a faint smell of lavender, the way her lips teased his as if in a playful dance.
The moment lasted forever in their minds with the two of them swaying, lips locked, breathing in sync. As quickly as it started, it ended as if cold water had been dumped on both of them. With one exclamation from the bride, both Lois and Clark broke their moment of eternity and glanced at the commotion.
Fear and anxiety crept back into Lois's mind as the guest of honor made herself known. The moment of clarity once shared among the two seemed to be clouded now for her in a thick haze as she glanced at Clark who seemed just as confused and surprised as she was. Run, was the only thought in her mind as she let the realization of it all set in. Like a bandit caught red handed, she grabbed a champagne bottle and retreated to outside the venue not wanting to see the ending of the fairytale that wasn't hers.
Clark stood shocked at the sight before him. A woman he thought he'd never see again, and there she was as if to have never left. Every feature was how he remembered her, and the old teenage feelings he once felt hit him like a tidal wave. The moment before not forgotten but pushed to the side as he sifted through his conflicted mind. He sensed Lois's presence leave and quickly whipped around to only see her retreating figure. If he didn't know better, he would've thought she had super speed.
Turning back around, he stood transfixed as if caught between the boy he was and the man he was becoming. A part of him wanted to run away with Lois, retreat to a familiar place away from the confusion and anger and sadness he felt all at once. The other part of him needed to stay, needed to hear why she ran, why she left. The decision bouncing in his mind back and forth as if to weigh his options.
Fate won out in the end as Lana beat him to the punch. "Hey, Clark," she said almost shyly for Lana as if she was unsure of the territory she was crossing into. She hadn't seen him in over a year, and now here she was. As much as she rehearsed the speech she'd give him over a hundred times, when the reality came to be, her words seemed to fail her. All she could hope for was forgiveness from the man she left high and dry.
"Lana," he replied in a more than surprised tone although the bitter fondness of his voice wasn't lost on either of them. "What-what are you doing here?" Clark swallowed almost nervously. He didn't want to be having this conversation at Chloe's wedding or much at all he realized. Did he really need to open a door that had been closed and locked to him for over a year now? Whereas before he felt a close fondness with Lana, he realized there was now an ocean between them, one that they both had built for each other it seemed.
Lana smiled unsure of herself more than she was before. Had she not left and gone off the grid for this man? Did he not realize she had no choice if he wanted to be protected. But, she felt the space between them, and the space he was continuing to put there as they stood. "Well, it's Chloe's wedding, and I figured it wasn't something I should miss." A pause filled the air that seemed to speak a thousand words and yet none at the same time between the two. She stepped forward almost hesitantly. "I also missed you, Clark," she finished as if those words would build a bridge to him that he would allow her to cross as he used to.
The words hung in the air between them as Clark's face contorted into confusion and question. It was a white flag, no it was an SOS signal she was shooting across the harbor to him. "Lana," he started the name hanging in the air as if it was from a stranger and not the woman he used to share a vision of the future with. "I can't say I haven't missed you, but-" And that was it for him, the singular word seemed to bring clarity to his cloudy thoughts. But you left without giving me a say, but you made the choice to leave me completely heartbroken, but you chose to become the stranger you are today, but I'm a different person than who you once knew. "Things have changed," he finished as if that was explanation enough. "I'm happy to see you, but there's a lot to talk about."
A collapsed feeling settled in her gut, and just like him the word he spoke brought just as much clarity to her. But I left to protect you, but I made this choice to keep you safe, but I had to do this I had no choice. The words failed her. She knew looking at him, he wasn't the man she left. Her Clark wouldn't have let the divide between them remain, he would've built a bridge and crawled his way over. "Yeah, I think there is much to talk about," she responded letting both of their words settle between the two in finality. "And I suppose a wedding isn't exactly the place to do it, huh," she joked creating levity in the tenseness.
Clark chuckled a bit and shook his head. "I don't think it is." And with that, the intensity between them broke and a familiarity settled in. Common ground seemed to be found for the moment at least. "Look, I have something I need to take care of, but please enjoy the wedding. We'll find time to talk after assuming you're planning on staying in town?"
The words stung her a bit. In his mind, she was a runner, and she supposed that was fair given the circumstance. "I have some business in town, so I'll be around for a while. We'll get lunch or something?" She wanted to reach out and grab his hand. She wanted to hug him and apologize for everything and tell him she'd be there for him going forward, but she knew that wasn't what was needed in this moment. Lana knew she'd have to settle for the peace offering given if she hoped to hold onto any part of him at all.
"Yeah, I think we could do that," he responded briskly yet a bit distracted. "I'll catch up with you later," he finished as he brushed passed her with a determined mindset. He knew things needed to be said between him and Lana, but he also knew that he no longer craved the closure he wished she'd given. He didn't need to bring up the past to know their relationship was over. The chapter of their book closed when she left. Now, he needed to focus on the present.
Making his way out from the barn, he listened for the familiarity of a heartbeat he knew all too well. Until this moment, he wasn't even sure if he was aware that he listened for it as often as he did, but he knew it's melody. Tracing it wasn't hard to do. It brought him to the farm's porch where he saw Lois speaking with Oliver. A sinking feeling hit his gut wondering exactly what they were talking about. He wanted to urgently rush over, but instead took his time only catching the tail end of the conversation.
"Cause I know Clark," Oliver finished with his famous playboy smirk.
The sentence confused Clark, but he decided to persist his way to the porch.
"Speaking of the boy scout," Oliver said as he acknowledged Clark's approach. He gave a knowing look to Lois before chuckling and shaking his head. "She's all yours, big guy. Good luck." He patted Clark on the shoulder and started heading towards the barn.
"Lois, I-" He started wanting to find the words, the prefect thing to say to smooth everything over. He wanted to hold onto that moment in the barn forever, but he didn't know how to fix the mess he had inadvertently made.
She interrupted before he got the chance. "Save it, Smallville. It's clear the wedding bliss of the day went to both of our heads." She looked at him schooling her features the best she could. "Maybe it's best we leave it at that," she offered creating familiar ground between the two to save herself the inevitably that was Clark and Lana.
"Lois," Clark responded almost strained at the possibility of letting that little string of hope go. "It wasn't that for me," he finished with finality. The truth slamming both in the face. He didn't want familiar, he wanted more. His nervousness dissipated after speaking it into the universe. It felt right. "I'm not good at any of this, I know, but I-" and then their conversation broke as screams filled the air.
Lois and Clark's head snapped to the chaos in the barn. The anxiety Lois felt upon Clark's clear confession was completely blown away by the utter terror that replaced it. She and Clark exchanged looks before both took off towards the barn.
"Lois, stay here," he insisted to her annoyance. "I'll go check it out. Just stay," he begged the desperation in his voice hanging between the two.
"Like hell I'll stay. Clark, Chloe's in there," she insisted following on his heals.
That's when Oliver stumbled out of the barn covered in blood. Both rushed to him quickly.
"Oh my god," Lois breathed out looking at the horrific sight.
"Oliver, what happened," Clark urgently rushed in concerned at the state his friend was in. Doing a quick assessment on his friend, he noticed a few sprained muscle but nothing too serious. It would seem the blood was coming from somewhere or someone else.
Oliver caught his breath and looked up at Clark before shaking his head. "The monster. He-he took Chloe, Clark." There was a pause as he tried to regain his bearings. "Jimmy's not doing well," he finished before fully allowing his body to relax. He knew he was going to have to get ready for a fight.
Clark and Lois looked at each other. Lois showing her absolute fear at anything that could do this to Oliver. Clark showing his concern and worry for the whole situation. "Lois, stay with Oliver. I'm going to go find Jimmy."
The authority he spoke with almost spooked Lois as it felt so foreign. She couldn't imagine the blood bath he was about to walk into. "No, what if it's still in there. I'm coming with you," she insisted again standing behind him in defiance. Her concern for Clark outweighed any regard she seemed to have for her own life in this moment in time.
Turning towards her, Clark shook his head. "Lois, Oliver needs you here. Get him together and call for help." A silence fell between them as they seemed to communicate everything with their eyes the best they could. I'll be fine. Take care of Oliver. I have to find Chloe. I have to help. Please stay.
Lois wanted to scream at his boneheaded agenda. Are you insane? You could get hurt! What if you die!
The beat didn't last much longer as Clark interluded. "Do you trust me?" The question was simple but also heavy. Both knew he was asking about more than just trust.
Lois kept her stare on him debating in her head what she wanted to say but knowing there was no time. She had to trust Clark, and she also needed him to know she did with her life. "Yeah, go," she finally got out as she watched him hesitate slightly at her words. "Go," she insisted before turning her attention to Oliver. A part of her broke at the thought of the danger she just allowed him to stupidly run into, but she couldn't think of that now. She had her orders, and she knew her mission.
"Ollie, can you get up," she asked as she finally took in the sight around her. People were running and screaming grasping for their cars to drive away from the nightmare they just incurred. The barn was in shambles. The darkness of the night only seemed to add to the foreboding feeling that lay in the pit of her stomach.
Oliver struggled to stand but managed to pull himself up. "Here, I have a satellite cell phone in case of emergencies," he commented handing her the device. Upon her confused look, Oliver rolled his eyes. "You get trapped on a deserted island for years then let me know what you carry around, legs. Hurry call for help."
She hesitantly grabbed the phone and began dialing. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" She watched him begin to take steps towards the barn and didn't like the implication of any of it.
"Listen, Clark is going to need help getting people out." He looked at her knowing she wasn't going to handle this well. "Lois, I'll be fine. I need you to make sure emergency services gets here and try to get the remaining guests calmly out, okay?" He paused ensuring she understood what he was saying He knew she'd put up a fight like only Lois could, but he needed her to be safe. Clark needed her to be safe. "Whatever you do, get yourself to safety, okay?"
"But-" she began to protest feeling more than frustrated at the two men in her life.
"Lois, get yourself to safety. If Clark finds out I let you get hurt, he'll kill me," he commented and added in his head 'and an Oliver bonfire roast for one doesn't sound too good to me.' "Just get as many people to safety as you can then get yourself there. We got this."
She nodded her head not loving the situation but knowing he was right and she had no choice Oh, both him and Clark were going to get an earful for their stupidity if they survived the ordeal. Like a good soldier she made her way over to the guest and tried to do the job given to her. Get everyone to safety.
Meanwhile in the barn, Clark had entered and looked around. The carnage was evident, but he focused on scanning the area for bodies or survivors. There was one moving but laying in a large pool of blood. He ran over as a passed out Jimmy lay on the floor soaked in his own blood. Clark quickly grabbed him and zoomed off to the hospital before dropping him off with the medical team. He made sure they started working on him before super speeding back to the farm.
He heard the snap of some wood once he stopped running, and his head snapped in the direction. There stood Oliver looking like a school boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "Where's Lois," he asked more urgently than he expected. He continued to scan the barn for any injured party noticing a few scattered about the place. He quickly whisked them off and dropped them at the nearest hospital as well. Thankfully, it seemed that most guests got out of the ordeal unscathed.
When he finally was in one place for longer than a millisecond, Oliver decided to reply. "I sent her to help get others to safety and then herself." He looked around the barn area to see most people had cleared out. Lana seemed to join by both his and Clark's side with a gash on her head.
"What the hell was that thing," she asked looking between the two for an explanation. She touched the small trickle of blood that seemed to be making it's way down her face.
Clark kept scanning the area, now feeling antsy about having left Lois on her own. "It's Kryptonian. The destroyer." He paused causing Lana to give him an exasperated look.
"What is it supposed to destroy exactly?" Clark always being vague even when she was in his inner circle of secrets.
Looking her in the eyes, the corner of one side of his mouth twisted up slightly more in a grimace than anything else. "Me." He tried to concentrate and listen for any sign of Chloe or the beast, but the silence was loud. "He's gone," he said with finality and anger dripping under his words. How could he have dropped his guard so low to allow his best friend to get taken by that monster. He took a singular deep breath wanting to yell and punch or throw something. Focusing his attention, he glanced over at the two
"Get yourselves to the hospital and get checked out. I'll meet you both there."
They both looked at him as if he was crazy. Neither was going to leave, but upon his look of insistence, Oliver caved. "Okay, Lana come on," he prompted gently grabbing her arm. "I'll make sure Lois gets there if she hasn't already left," he added before nodding his head to the side for Lana to join.
"What are you going to do, Clark," Lana asked instead of taking the prompt. She wasn't the high school girl that was left in the dark to fend for herself anymore, and she wasn't going to be treated like that either.
Clark looked over at her determined. "I'm going to do one more sweep of the place and anywhere surrounding it before meeting you guys. Just go." His words had come softer than before. The adrenaline that had pumped through him began to wane as the events of the night played out in his head.
Conceding, Lana nodded her head and began following Oliver out the barn door. "Just be safe, Clark," she spoke in a low voice as she left knowing he probably heard her.
And with that, he superspeeds away.
Meanwhile, Lois had been dealing with the chaos that was the crowd. Occasionally, she'd glance at the barn to see what was going on, but when she heard nothing, she assumed that it was fine. Or at least, she convinced herself of it. The irony of the night wasn't lost on her. Just as quickly as the events that put her in a state of bliss and put her on cloud nine, the follow up events caused all that to come crashing down. It only solidified the idea in her head that good things don't last long in her life. A part of her mind echoed 'what about Clark' which only caused her stomach to twist further. Maybe this was fates way of saying they weren't meant to be. Maybe the earlier assessment of it not being her fairytale was correct. Looking around her at the carnage and chaos only solidified that for her. She wasn't meant to live in a happily ever after. No, her life had always been that of a Shakespearean tragedy.
Somehow in the haze that she had created in her mind to focus on the task at hand, she had been loaded into a nearby ambulance and rushed to the hospital. She always hated hospitals. The smell of the sterility, the depersonalized walls, the somberness of it all never sat well with her. She knew she needed to find Jimmy as she wasn't sure his state, and she knew she needed to find Clark.
Upon arrival, what was usually a quiet small community hospital, was replaced with buzz and urgency. As she walked through the waiting room, she saw guest after guest with injury or blood actively showing on some part of their body. Nurses and doctors were whirling around the room trying to intake each patient or take them back to be seen. A stark contrast to the joy they all had experienced not even an hour before.
Swallowing, she made her way to the front desk as she waited for one of the busy nurses to notice her. Usually, she would make herself known. She was Lois "brass" Lane after all. But for some reason, the willingness to fight had left her in that moment. Maybe it was because a part of her knew the kind of stress everyone was under. Maybe it was because she knew she wasn't even an injured party. Maybe it was because she was hoping Clark would be here and just show up like he always seemed to at these kind of times. She once used to find that trait more than annoying, calling him a stalker. Now, she kind of hoped more than anything he would just pop up behind her.
"Lois," she heard making her heart skip a small beat, but the voice wasn't from the man she had expected. Relief still came to her a bit all the same.
"Ollie," she replied barreling at him for a hug. Grabbing tightly, she sighed slightly knowing at least one person she knew and loved was safe. "Where's Clark," she asked looking around behind Oliver hoping he was making his way inside the place.
Pulling back a bit, Oliver looked her in the eyes. "He's fine, Lois. He just stayed back to try to clean up a bit before heading here. You know how he always is, a boy scout." Oliver knew it wasn't the full truth, and it always killed him to lie to Lois like that. There was a reason he told her his secret.
She nodded in response feeling grateful for the update but still very much unlike herself in that moment. A part of her knew she wouldn't be able to settle until she saw him with her own eyes. "I was just going to check with the nurses and ask about Jimmy, but they're a bit busy." She smiled sadly towards Oliver still feeling dazed and confused. In her mind, she knew her father would've been so disappointed for her not being able to soldier on, but Chloe was missing, and Jimmy was god knows where, and Clark was still not here. Her chosen family was everywhere but with her, and it was hard to focus on anything else.
Oliver had noticed her expression and brushed past her. Using all his boyish playboy charm, he was able to get the information he needed. Although, the news reported wasn't as good as he was hoping. He sauntered over to her hoping to find the words he needed. "It's not good, legs," he said finally as he watched her eyes start to well up. Quickly, he engulfed her in a hug. "I'll get my people to take care of it, okay? It will be fine," he said trying to comfort her as well as make it all better.
Lois swallowed back the thick tears that wanted to spill from her face. All she could do was nod in his arms and hope that was confirmation enough. She was relieved at the comfort given, but somehow Oliver's words seemed to fall short for her. How could anything be okay after tonight?
She pulled back from his hug and gave him the best grateful smile she could muster. "Thanks, Ollie," she finally got out not daring to speak more. "I'm going to go," she trailed off trying to figure out what she was going to do. "I'm going to go wait," she landed on as she walked off to a find a quieter area.
Oliver pulled out his phone and began to make some calls. He wasn't sure he'd ever seen Lois quite like she currently was. Usually, she was tough as nails and could hold it together, but considering how the night went, he couldn't blame her. He was sure it didn't help at all that Clark hadn't arrived yet. With Chloe gone, and Jimmy in surgery, it was he and Clark that were left to hold down Fort Lois. "Boy scout, you better hurry it up," he mumbled under his breath as the phone rang.
Clark sped through most of the metropolitan area if not the whole state to not find any sign of Chloe or the Kryptonian monster. It was like they had vanished completely. The sinking feeling he had felt earlier upon the chaos ensuing returned. He thought he was protecting Chloe by taking away his secret from her, but he wondered now if he put her in more danger. If the events of the night occurred because of one decision he had made. The fault lying solely on his shoulders alone.
But he thought back to the night, and how happy Chloe had seemed for the first time in as long as he could remember. Was it wrong to want your friends to be happy? To allow them to live the carefree life he never got to? It seemed that regardless of his intervention, she was still put into danger. She was still a target. Was everyone that ever got close to him going to be a target? Or were they going to all just get fed up with him and leave? Was he destined to live the life of isolation he so feared his whole life?
Shaking the thoughts away, he focused on the task at hand. Doing one more loop, he finally conceded to going to the hospital. Pushing his failures aside, he had to make sure everyone was okay.
As he arrived, he noticed the hushed whispers of the guests as they all tried to comfort one another in some fashion. The doctors were running from room to room, and the nurses all looked like they could've had super speed of some kind with how quickly they were working. The guilt feeling began to settle again in his stomach as he looked around at the results that were brought by the night's events.
Passing by one room, he spotted Lana and went in. "You okay," he asked genuine concern showing on his face.
Lana looked up at him and gave a tight smile and nodded. "Yeah, just some bumps and bruises. Nothing I can't handle." She looked down at her hands then back at him. "You don't have to worry about me, you know."
And he knew that he didn't need to worry about her. Lana had transformed into a warrior from what he remembered. He always held an image of her from high school. The girl next door high school cheerleader that needed his protection and saving. But, looking at the woman in front of him, he wasn't sure he could even see the girl she used to be. Maybe she was never that person to begin with, and he had just put those expectations on her. "I know," he responded nodding his head before refocusing on her. "I'm just glad you're okay," he finished putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I should go check on the others."
Nodding her head in response, she watched him leave her hospital room. She knew after this event exactly what she needed to do going forward. The plan she had originally intended would continue. Although, at first she thought she was doing it for Clark, she realized in this moment, it wasn't for him. Maybe a part of her hoped it could work out for them after the transformation, but she wasn't so sure now. They were very different people than the teenagers they once were. But, her purpose still stood. She was going to through with it and make a difference in the world as she always wanted to, with or without Clark.
Lois had found a relatively quiet area in the hospital given the circumstances of it all. Standing in a quiet corner, she drank the coffee she had picked up at the hospital coffee machine. It tasted like battery acid, but it was keeping her thoughts distracted. All she could do was wait. Wait for Chloe to come home, wait for Jimmy to get out of surgery, wait for Clark. She hated waiting. Watching as Oliver came over to her with a sympathetic look didn't help her whole situation much. She hated feeling helpless. This was officially her new nightmare scenario.
"Jimmy's condition has worsened, Lois. I've made some calls, and I'm getting him emergency Metavac-ed to a hospital in Star City." He waited for a response, and she just nodded her head looking as if to accept the situation laid in front of her. "I can get one of my private planes together, if you want to meet him over there." It was an offer he knew she would take. Lois didn't leave family out in the cold, not even chosen family.
"Yeah, that sounds great, Ollie." She paused looking around the hospital for any sign of Clark Kent. Shaking her head, she gave him a tight smile. "Thank you for everything, Ollie." She glanced past him one more time knowing she needed to go but hoping to say goodbye to Clark at least beforehand.
Oliver gave her a reassuring smile. "How about, I go get a car together, so you can pack your things up, and you go find Clark." She looked at him surprised as he shook his head. "I saw him in the room down the hall on the right. Just come outside whenever you're ready." At the small smile that appeared on her face at that statement, he knew he did the right thing. Clark totally owed him one.
Giving one last glance at Ollie, Lois brushed past him making her way to the room he pointed out. What she imagined was Clark bruised or gashed and needing to get stitches or something. He was probably sitting in the room, nervously bouncing his leg waiting for the doctor. She rolled her eyes at the thought. Leave it to Clark to injure himself on clean up.
What she found, however, stopped her in her tracks. Clark was talking with Lana and had laid his hand on her shoulder in a gesture of comfort. It stung a bit to think he went searching immediately for Lana after tonight. Did she even cross his mind? Maybe she had been wrong that he had grown up. Maybe he was still the hopelessly, clumsy teenager she knew before.
She didn't have much time to lament or run away as Clark exited the room. Her gut reaction was to slap him for making her feel foolish, but all that washed away as the images of tonight played in her mind. Relief replaced that horrible feeling and made her want to cry. She quickly rushed at him meeting him halfway as he held her tightly in a bear hug. His arms bringing her the familiar warmth and comfort he always seemed to exude. In that moment she realized, that even if she wasn't Clark's great love story, she was willing to try to fight to stay a side character at least. Because, to her, he was worth it. She was sure she'd cry about it all later away from everything, and she sure as hell was going to give him hell, but, for now, she relished in the familiarity. Her world fell apart, and he was here and that's all that mattered.
Realizing they had been hugging for some time, she pulled back clearing her throat a bit and looking into his eyes. Those stupid blue puppy dog eyes. Maybe her first instinct to run had been right, and she should've listened. "Um, Jimmy's not doing well, Clark," her voice broke a little at the statement. She was holding back tears, and she knew that he knew it. He always could read her in that annoying way of his. "Ollie is flying him out to Star City where he's got some of the best doctors to help out." She paused looking down at the ground then back at him. "I'm the only family he has left right now, so I'm going to go," she finished, the reality of it slamming both in the face.
She realized at this point; she was just pushing the inevitable together. Exiting a situation, she was never meant to be in. By the end of the week, she was sure he'd be in happily ever after bliss with Lana, and she'd be helping Jimmy recover. And all the events of tonight would slowly fade away. One day they'd reminisce about the circumstances way down the line as if it was a silly what if situation that they never pursued.
Clark tried to keep eye contact with Lois to express the thoughts he had reeling in his head, but he knew she was lost in her own thought. Where normally she could read him like a book, now she seemed on another planet or in another time. Without thought, he grabbed her back into a hug. A part of him hoped that if he held tightly enough, she wouldn't slip away from him. Something in him was screaming this was her way of saying goodbye, and yet he felt powerless to it all. He said the only thing he could think of in that moment. "I promise I'll find Chloe. Everything will be fine, Lois. I'll fix everything" He said it with such certainty, he almost believed himself. He didn't want to let go in fear that once he did she'd be a memory in the wind. He wasn't willing to let that happen. He'd get Chloe back, and Lois would have a reason to be here, to be near him.
She pulled back from the hug knowing that if she didn't, she'd stay in that comfortable place forever if given the choice. Her hand still held his as if her body was making one desperate attempt to stay there with him. "But what if you can't," she spoke voicing the thought she dared not speak to Oliver earlier. What if the two men in her life couldn't fix everything? Couldn't put back the pieces that shattered inside of her tonight. Couldn't find her lost family. Couldn't save Jimmy. What if Clark couldn't save the relationship they once had?
The thought punched Clark in the gut. He had been so determined to make everything right, he refused to let the thought Lois voiced enter his mind until now. A part of him knew she was asking more. Something in her eyes told him that, but he didn't know what to say to make it all better. "I will," he insisted as if there was no choice to it. As if to tell her, he was going to fight; fight for Chloe, fight for Jimmy, fight for them.
She swallowed thickly and held in her tears. She knew he could see it and there was no use hiding it from him, but she couldn't break a long standing habit. "I should go, Oliver's waiting." She gave him one last look as their hands stayed linked together. Neither person was wanting to budge and let go. Slowly, she dropped her last lifeline she had to Clark Kent. Refusing to look back, she walked down the hall of the hospital as a stray tear trickled down her face. She couldn't look back. She needed to be there for Jimmy, and she needed to mend her shattered heart.
Clark stared intently into her eyes trying to convey what he couldn't seem to say right now. It wasn't the right time. As she turned, he felt her hand drop from his as coldness replaced the warmed area. He begged her in his mind to turn around one more time, but he knew she wouldn't. She was being a soldier, and he had to do the same in order to put things back together and make it right again. Still, it stung watching her walk away. That stinging feeling of loneliness crept into his body followed by a resolve. He had to save Chloe, and he had to get Lois back.
End of Part 1…