Author's Notes: Thanks again to those who keep on reading and/or reviewing TRNT. ^_^ So Cloisers, here's another installment of the fic, we're almost half way of the story. Hope you'll stay til the end 'cause I guarantee that you'll love the twist… ^_^

Remember, The Roads Not Taken features three time lines – 2003 (bold); 2004 (italics); 2011 (normal). Pronouns/sentences/paragraphs that are really important to the story will be underlined.

Chapter 5: Fate

Fate is building a bridge of chance for someone you love.

(My Sassy Girl – (Korean movie 2001)

Metropolis (2004)

I stepped out of my apartment, for the second time that morning. I saw the security guard and one of my oldest neighbors. "Good morning Mr. Anderson." I said.

He waved. "Hey Lois, it's nice to see you again." I imagined myself when I get that old, hoping I would be like him too. Despite his old age, he was still sturdy and active. Not to mention that his family was always there to support him, especially Mrs. Anderson. Lucky him. Theirs was one of the love stories that would be treasured forever. She waited for him until he got back from World War II. Maybe it was their fate; regardless of the years that had passed they still have the magic. That was special. Lost in my own thoughts, I almost dreamt of my own situation. It was really odd, just like Mr. and Mrs. Anderson, but mine was a lot harder than what I thought. When I turned around, I bumped into someone who was much older than me and made her loose her balance.

I reach out my hand to help her stand. She appeared a little weird to me, but weird was already part of my daily living. She had thick make-up and silver accessories down to her shiny clothes, it seemed like she came from the outside world.

"I'm sorry. It's my fault, I was not looking." I apologized honestly, but when she held my hand, she closed her eyes and said, "The one you're meant to be with is already within your reach. Starting today, there will be lots of obstacles both of you will need to go through. You lost two of the most important people in your life because of him. They protected him and led him to your doorstep."

"I'm sorry, I don't follow you." I stared at her waiting for an answer.

"Don't give up on him. Wait until its February 11, 2011." February 11, 2011? What was the significance? Though I was puzzled and unable to speak, I let her walked away.

Smallville, Kansas (2004)

"Thank you for saving me." He followed immediately.

"Don't mention it Mr. Red and Blue." I grinned widely. "We're even now." He stared at me like he was weighing what he was about to say.

"You're him." It was more than a statement than a question.

He nodded while his puppy dog-eyes were fixed on mine.

"You're him." Lois voiced it out, which made Clark give her a sideway glance. She was a little distracted by the voice from the past, though she tried not to let it show. They were on top of the barn, standing on their bare feet. Their elbows were placed on the window' sill, hands supporting the side of their faces. She whispered almost inaudibly, knowing he would pick her words up. And so he did.

"What do you mean?"

She rolled her eyes as she spoke. "I know you heard what I said a while ago."

"What's the point?" He eyed at her with a big question mark on his face.

"That's exactly the point. You can hear me even when I spoke in a very low voice." She smiled at him, which made him break one of his own.

"Do I really have those powers? And one of them is…" She cut him off, answering his unfinished question. "Yes you do. Super hearing is just one of them. You have to trust yourself that you really have them and that you're using them for a greater good. You have to believe in the power within you."

He stared at her intensely. She was really one-of-a-kind girl; he wanted to tell her so.

"Smallville, follow me. First, close your eyes… no peeking."

"Okay."

"Relax and concentrate." She added with a hint of excitement. "What do you hear?"

He followed what she had said and answered truthfully. "There is the sound of the crickets; the wind softly blowing the hays of corn."

"And?" She asked again. She spotted him opening his eyes. "Hey! No peeking," She punched him on the arm. "Just tell me, what you hear?"

He chuckled and closed his eyes once again. "Mr. Hubbard, my neighbor, is asking his dog if he wants to stay inside the house. The dog answered by barking twice."

"And then?"

"Now I hear the honking of cars, the busy streets, the sirens, and a lot of different voices." He paused for a while. Lois gazed at him, waiting for his next statement.

"Someone is proposing to his girlfriend."

She smiled, knowing one of his super powers was truly awakening. "What's her answer?"

"Shh… She's silent."

"Aww… so full of suspense." She admitted. "What makes her not to answer quickly?"

"Shh… She's breathing so hard… She's going to answer." He grinned widely.

"What?" She shook his shoulder.

"Wait… That's it… She said yes."

"Wow! Finally!"

They kept silent for a couple of seconds; then he blurted out while keeping his eyes shut. "Lois?"

"Yes, I'm listening to what you've said." She replied while keeping her hands on the side of her face.

"Behind the noise of the city and the quiet sways of the wind of a small town, there is something that stands out among the rest of the sounds." He declared openly.

"What's that?" She eyed him curiously.

"I have to concentrate, Lois. It's like a rhythm… a beat…"

"A beat?"

"Sshhh… It's different from the others. It's like it can calm the stormy sea. It's like… It's like your heartbeat." He opened his eyes and discovered she had a spark of tears in her eyes.

"Did I say something wrong?" He asked with a concerned tone. "Did I say that to you before?"

She shook her head. "No…" She blinked back the tears that were about to fall. "This is the first time."

He bridged their distance and for the first time since they met, he gave her a real kiss. He almost devoured her, kissing her hungrily but ever so gently at the same time. He angled his kiss a bit to the side and didn't waste a second as soon as Lois opened her mouth, letting him in. They broke apart only to allow themselves to breath.

"Lois?" He said, trying to even his breathing.

They were both flushed red and out of words to speak.

"Clark, I think I need to go downstairs and breathe some fresh air." She finally said.

"Lois, I'm sor-"

"No, you don't need to say sorry." She raised and then lowered her hands as she turned around. He looked at her puzzled while she almost ran downstairs. He waited for the sound of her car's engine to start, but it didn't. He shut off his super hearing and followed her.

Looking around, he finally spotted her leaning against her car. She was standing, looking at the skies. When she felt his presence, she spoke. "Do you notice that one?" He followed where she pointed with the index finger of her left hand. "The one that stands out among the stars... It's one of the brightest on the night sky."

He continued what she was saying "It's the Polaris, the northern star."

She nodded. "They say that when you're lost, you just have to look up and find that star. Follow it and you'll find the right direction."

He gently held her hand while they were both leaning on her car and looking at the stars.

"You're giving me the right direction, Lois. Can you be my Polaris?"

She squeezed his hand and then retracted her hand back. She laughed softly, "That was…"

He waited for the rest of her response, though he knew yet another of her quirky answers was about to put a smirk on his lips.

"That was totally corny. Where did you get that line?"

He put his right hand inside his pocket while his left one ran through his hair. He was smiling like a teenage boy in front of his crush.

"I only got corny when it comes to you." He admitted shyly.

"Since when did you get so shy? Cause I remember how confident you are every time you talk to me." She patted his shoulder as she moved away. She opened her car's door and took one last look at him to wave goodbye. "Yes I can." She slid in her car, driving away from him. Her smile never detached from her lovely face.

Seconds after what she had meant finally sunk on him, he grinned like an idiot as he ran after her. She was surprised when she hit the car's brakes. He appeared suddenly, standing in the middle of the road. She opened her car.

"What do you think you're doing?" Lois screamed against the wind.

"I guess I'm running after you?" Clark said, giving her a quizzical look.

"You guess?" She put both hands firmly on her hips. "After or before me?" She smiled, knowing how cute he looked, standing there barefoot.

"Ah Lois, how did I get here so fast?" Confusion was evident on his face.

"I think that's what you call super speed."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Lois?"

"Clark?"

He cleared his throat. "Can you stay with me at the farm tonight?"

"Well, it depends." She pondered.

"Depends on what?"

"What's your plan for tonight?"

He scratched his head making her laugh. "So Clarkie, I'm waiting."

"How about we have a movie night?" He replied, holding his breath for her answer

She extended her hand which he joyfully took. "Kent, you drive."

Popcorns were spread everywhere while the young couple sat on the carpeted part of the living room, their backs against the couch. There was the familiar sound on the television signaling the movie had just finished. Then there was also the soft snore from Lois while her head lay on Clark's shoulder. He neither moved nor complained. He simply enjoyed the moment, smelling the aloe-vanilla scent of her shampoo and holding her as close as he could without disturbing her. He couldn't afford to wake her up for he knew she was tired from teaching him all day. His face turned red when he caught the sight of the valley of her breast peeking on her v-neck blouse.

Gently, he carried her towards his parents' room. She was feather-light to him as opposed to his strength, though he could tell she carried a heavy burden knowing his secrets. He knew she had to lie more than once to cover-up for him. She sought his warmth, settling her head on the crook of his neck.

Carefully, he tugged her under the covers and silently watched her over the light from the lamp shade. He noticed her smiling while sleeping. She looked like an angel, an angel fallen from the sky just to be with him. He would love nothing more than to have her in his life forever. His lips curved into a smile as he kissed hers before he turned off the lights.

"Night Lois, I'll see you in the morning."

He went back downstairs to clean up their mess. Using his super speed, it took him only seconds to put everything back in its place. He really enjoyed being with her. There was this renewed strength and confidence, knowing that he could trust someone completely. He opted to sleep on the couch, so he could easily attend to her needs. His super hearing was attuned to her heart beat. He listened to its normal rhythm; it was like music to his ears, until he fell into a deep slumber.

"When I first met her, I was so surprise to witness how beautiful she was. When I finally saw her face to face, I was stunned. It was a breathtaking scene, especially when I'd been able to talk to her. Even if it was for a brief moment, but there was something about her eyes that completely put a spell on me. She took my heart away. Her voice… Her spirit... She's so special. I wish you would be able to meet her someday."

"Don't tell me it was love at first sight?"

The answer was made on the other line. "Whether you believe it or not, it is."

His voice was too excited for him to contradict. He laughed, "If you say so, though I wonder how many times you already told me about love at first sight?"

"Like five times, I guess. But this is different. Got to go now, sirens..."

Clark woke up hastily. , It was just a dream, though it felt like it happened somewhere in time, but he couldn't remember when.

TBC

Reviews are welcome!

Chapter 6: The Flight is written by Lily and Enid

Excerpts:

First Part (written by Lily aka Lilah)

Lois shook her head and laughed softly. "You have to believe in yourself, Clark. This isn't just going to happen."

"Why do I have to learn anyway?" he asked sadly turning away from her. "I've made it this far without flying. Who needs flying anyway?"

Second Part (written by Enid aka Deliverance Territory)

Clark stepped closer to the couch and kneeled down to level his face with hers. Gently he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, making her shift a little. Slowly, Lois opened her eyes, still sleep-hazed, and found herself lost into his deep blue ones. He smiled and she… well, she partially thought he was just part of her dreams.

"Hi." He whispered.

"Hi." She responded, just as subtle.

Very exciting! Isn't it? That's chapter 6…