A/N: So this chapter sort of wrote itself but I felt that it was needed. I don't really like the Lois on Smallville but I can't deny that her and Chloe at one time had a great family connection and I felt it was important to do homage to that at least once before the end. Thanks for all the reviews and I hope that you like this chapter...

All in the Timing

Chapter Eleven: Bittersweet

Fourteen Hours before Doomsday...

The Talon...

She woke to a pair of indiscernible green eyes staring down at her. Her head was throbbing and her mouth felt as though it were filled with something similar to cotton and sand.

"Chloe…" Her voice sounded loud even to her own ears. She reached up placing her fingertips to her temple, trying to squint away the sunlight that seemed to encase the entire apartment. "What the hell happened last night?" She asked mainly to herself. Looking down at her state of undress she felt the blush come to her cheeks. It only took her a moment as the previous night's events came rushing back to her in a jumbled mess. Snippets of a drunken conversation…

"…I'm her cousin, why wouldn't she want me to come and see her?" The words came out slurred, uttered in what could only be described as a drunken stupor. I'm her family you know... you would think that she would call me... but no... she calls... she calls..." She stuttered.

"...CK. She always calls him." Jimmy fell into the seat next to her on the couch and she looked at him puzzled. She wasn't even sure when he arrived.

'Had she let him in?'

Quite honestly she couldn't remember but it was such a fleeting thought as he handed her another shot. She downed it without preamble remembering the reason for the liquor in the first place.

"…it's Smallville… he's her…her… her…" She rambled not able to come up with the right word.

"…her everything." Jimmy supplied. His words were no less slurred but the twinge of sadness and jealousy was evident unable to be hidden beneath his alcohol-induced haze.

He had looked over at her and gave her that lopsided grin trying to brush off his feelings as though the pain wasn't still so fresh.

"You still... you still love her." She furrowed her brow because she wasn't sure if she were asking him or simply stating a known fact. The haze was creeping upon her fast but she felt as if he needed to reply.

"When I say forever... I mean it." He remarked raising the shot glass to his lips.

She didn't know who reached for whom first. Just that lips had crashed together and hands moved across the other's body in a desperate frenzy. Tangled limbs and heated flesh blended together until the memory began to fade to the present.

She looked to her side and saw that he was still passed out by her side. The sheet barely covering his pale skin she swallowed hard before looking up into her cousin's eyes.

"Chloe…" She didn't know what to say.

"Why don't you meet me downstairs so that we can talk?" It was a demand thinly veiled as a request. She didn't even bother to wait for her response as she hopped off the stool and left the apartment.

The door closed with a soft click that was deafening to her own ears. She rested her head in her hands feeling as if somehow she had broken something extremely precious between the two of them.

Ten minutes later…

She came down the steps the scent of strongly brewed coffee permeated the Talon. Chloe was seated at a table by the window staring out at the rising sun. She held her mug by the handle and the bottom as was her habit as she brought it to her lips and took a sip. She looked over at Lois and those eyes again remained unreadable.

"I poured you a cup." She gestured to the one across from her.

Lois smiled widely but they both knew it was forced. She slid into the chair and grabbed the ceramic between her palms. "Should I be wary of poison?" She asked only half jokingly. Looking up she sighed, the regret evident in the slump of her shoulders.

"How are you feeling?" Her eyes went to the bruise that was fading on Lois's temple. Davis had not been gentle but he could have done a lot worst.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that question?" She shot back. "You were the one that was abducted by some red-eyed, skin-bulging monster! I mean you were gone for two weeks! I'm so glad that you're back… I was so worried about you Chlo! I couldn't eat, sleep… I even broke into the DP trying to hack my way into Tess Mercer's computer system to see if there was anyway I could find you."

"You were going to hack into a computer?" The amusement danced in her green eyes as she gave Lois a small smirk.

She shrugged. "Well you know… I was going to try!" She laughed. "Lucky for me Jimmy was there and…" She trailed off realizing she had just said the taboo word. She looked down into her cup as she licked her lips absently. "Look Chlo…last night was…"

"I need you to do me a favor." She cut in.

Lois furrowed her brow. "What; anything." She remarked.

"I need you to get out of town… both of you." She stated resolutely.

"Wait… what?" She asked confused.

"Look Lois there are things that are about to happen… things going on that you don't have a clue about and trust me this place is about to become something akin to a battlefield in about fourteen hours."

"Hold on… just back up a sec! Does this have something to do with the red-eyed, crazy thing that goes by the name Davis Bloom?" She asked. When Chloe didn't respond she reached out instinctively grabbing her cousin's hand. "Hey… are you okay? I mean did he hurt you?" She asked.

"No… it wasn't like that. Davis wasn't trying to hurt me." She remarked.

"Well I've got the bruise the size of a baseball that says different." She joked darkly.

"Just trust me on this one Lois. I know that it looked bad but you... you have no idea what's about to go down and when it does I really don't think you need to be anywhere near here."

"Are you kidding me? This is probably going to be the biggest story of the century! You and I both know that Davis Bloom is not from this side of the galaxy and when I get the scoop on what really makes that guy tick I'm practically writing my own ticket to a Pulitzer! Can you imagine the publicity not to mention..." She began.

"STOP!! Just stop!" She shouted. Her voice was a mixture of frustration, anger, and undeniable fear. "You don't... you don't understand! This is bigger than you could ever imagine. It's more dangerous than you think and I swear to you, writing the next great story should be the last thing on your mind! There are forces at work here that you can't even begin to understand! Davis is not who or what you think he is and what he did to you..." Staring down into her forgotten coffee she sighed before continuing. "...just believe me when I say; it could have been a lot worst." She finished quietly. "You just... you have to trust me on this Lois. You can't... you can't stay in town. Call your father and just go... get as far away from here as possible." She whispered and this time there was no doubt of the fear in her words.

"Chloe I..."

"Promise me Lois! Promise me that you'll call the general and get out of town... you and Jimmy." She remarked.

She had never seen fear like this from Chloe and it was more than enough to unnerve her and get her to say okay. "Yeah... yes I will. I'll call him. I'll tell him that we need the helicopter to come and pick us up and get us out of here."

Chloe sighed before catching her words. "Wait... I'm not going with you. I can't." She stated.

"What? Chloe are you crazy? You just gave me a full blown lecture about how dangerous it's about to be! You really think I'm just going to hop on a flight and leave you here to whatever big bad that's about to go down?"

"You don't understand..." She stood up needing to distance herself from the inevitable.

"No you don't understand. I'm not going without you!"

"I have to stay... there are things that I need to do... people who are depending on me."

"Like Clark? This has something to do with him doesn't it? He's apart of this somehow and you're staying to protect him aren't you?"

"Lois please don't make this about Clark." She sighed thinking about last night's events. She had gotten up early and left before he work. Placing her hand in her pocket she felt the coolness of the crystal touch her fingertips. She hoped that he would understand. She hoped that they all would.

"But it's always about Clark! He always comes first with you and I just can't understand why... I mean the big lug doesn't even appreciate it... or you!"

"Yes he does! He needs me! I need him!" She snapped.

"What about me?" Lois asked softly. The vulnerability in her voice caused Chloe to turn and stare. It was so rare that Lois ever exhibited anything close to sensitive. "I need you." She whispered.

"Lois..."

"I'm serious Chlo... you're more than just my family... you're my best friend... you're... everything to me. And if something should happen to you..." She swallowed hard feeling the lump stick in her throat and the tears cloud her eyes.

Walking across the room she knelt down placing her hands on her knees. "Lois look at me. Please just look at me." She waited until their eyes met and she gave her most reassuring smile. "Everything is going to be okay. Whatever happens... whatever happens... just believe that it's all going to work out exactly the way it's meant to." She smiled through her tears. "Besides... you still have way too much explaining to do about Jimmy and there's no way I'm going to let you off the hook for that!" She pointed out. "You know when I left the Kent's this morning to come see you... this was the last thing I expected."

Lois looked up. "Chloe it was one night and it didn't mean anything! The guy is still madly in love with you!" She tried to convince her but Chloe shook her head brushing off her words.

"I know... I know how much I hurt Jimmy. I know how much he's still hurting because of me... that's why I'm asking you, as a favor to me..." She swallowed hard. "...keep him safe. Take care of him..." She requested. "I need you to do for him what I was never able to... protect him." She smiled sadly.

"Who's going to protect you?"

"Don't worry about me..." She smiled with so much thought behind it that it was unnerving. "And don't blame Clark...whatever happens." She finished quietly.

Before Lois could question her the unmistakable sound of someone tripping over a chair was heard behind them.

Taking a stand Chloe caught her ex-husband tangled in a chair right by the door. He looked up, a blush coming to his cheeks and shame clouding his eyes.

"Seems someone could use a cup of Joe... what do you think Lois?" She asked with a smile.

Lois was quiet staring at her cousin's profile.

"I thought maybe you guys needed to talk. I didn't want to interrupt."

"Oh fess up Olson. You were trying to make a quick and silent retreat! Next time try the back door." She brushed over the awkwardness that was desperately trying to settle over them by going to the coffee pot and grabbing him a cup. "Lois was just telling me about a lead that she got... and was hoping that you would be kind enough to offer your assistance with some great shots for her story... weren't you Lois?" She asked pointedly handing him the mug.

Lois eyed here for a moment before nodding. "Yeah... yeah... what do you say Olson... you up for the challenge?" She asked.

"I uh... well I mean..." He couldn't seem to get his mind to form a coherent sentence.

"I'm going to take that as a yes!" Lois supplied. "We leave tonight... pack light." She offered.

"Well I've got some errands to run... I'll see you guys later." Walking to Lois she reached out and pulled her into a warm embrace. "I love you."

"You too! Please be careful..." She whispered into her ear.

Pulling back she smiled, the tears reflecting the light of the sun. "Don't forget to lock up." She threw out beginning to leave only stopping a moment to stand before Jimmy.

"Chloe... I..."

"I'm sorry." She talked over him and saw the questions in his eyes. Reaching out she placed a hand to his cheek. "I'm really sorry for everything." Without warning she pulled him close hugging him tightly to her... perhaps for the very last time. "Make sure you get out of town... no matter what." She whispered into his ear. "Take care of her." She gave him a small squeeze and then was out the door never looking back.

They watched her go, her form vanishing into the brightness of the sun and for some reason Lois felt her heart begin to hammer in her chest as if something was about to go horribly wrong but unable to do anything to stop it. All she could do was keep her promise. Looking over at the man beside her she sighed. "You don't get airsick do you?"