Author's Notes: Cloisers… This is the moment!

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. This is an AU story.

Warning: Always be prepared. *wink*

Chapter 9: Revelations

Metropolis (2004)

Clark wanted to see Lois. He needed her presence in order to clear his head. He decided to temporarily forget about the problems he had, just for one night. He silently unlocked the door of her apartment; lights were on somewhere inside the slightly unguarded comfort room, which illuminated the sala where she was. Her laptop was open and she was sitting on the dimmed side of the room. Pieces of paper were thrown everywhere. He missed her so much.

Then Clark heard her. "Stay where you are."

"Lois?" He finally said.

He stared at her; the darkened room left him unable to fully see her face.

"Leave me alone." She said in a low volume, but with emphasis.

"I can't leave you while you're looking like that. What happened to you? Are you okay?" He said, almost rambling.

"Looking like a tramp? It's okay Clark, Joseph, Jerome or whoever you are… Lana needs you. Me? I don't. So, just go."

He was stiffened hearing those names from her. "Lois, I'm sorry, I didn't intend to…" He needed to explain his side, but she was too angry. He didn't expect that Lois would discover about Lana. But who was Joseph? Who was Jerome? Who are they? He never heard those names. Even those few days he had with Lana after he came back from a strange island, she never mentioned such names. Are they related?

"SHUT UP! How many times have I already heard those words from different people who ended up hurting me? I just… I just didn't think you would be one of them." She choked on her last words and stopped for a while. She could feel her tears were coming. "Just go. I don't want to hear another batch of lies."

"Lois." He pleaded.

"I'm going to be fine." She stood, chin up.

Reluctant to go, he stayed there for a minute watching her. She didn't move so he turned his back and closed the door behind him.

She whispered the words again while shedding tears for him. "I'm going to be fine."

-o0o-o0o-o0o-

Centennial Park (2004)

She shouldn't have been there. She must have hid somewhere else, where he couldn't find her, but still her feet brought her there. After hearing Clark's voice on the other end of the line, her instincts told her that something huge was about to explode. She thought that she must accept whatever it was or maybe it was more than one thing. What kind of person she was? She wondered. Was she a masochist? Because she already knew the topic would involve certain Lana Lang, Clark Jerome and Joseph. By now, she knew their backgrounds, thanks to the internet. She should be mad at him. She should throw all of his bullshit on his face. He was a liar! Then, why did she feel the need to hear the truth from Clark's voice? Who was he? All along, she thought she knew him fully, but now she wasn't sure. He was a fraud. He wasn't Clark Jerome, the one she fell in love with. Was he? Or maybe her heart was playing tricks on her. She stepped back, wanting to return and pickup the little pieces of her. But when she saw his drooping shoulders, every fuming emotion she felt before was suddenly faded. She silently moved towards him.

"Thanks for coming." Clark said in a deep baritone voice. Lois sat on the other end of the bench. She smiled feebly. He didn't want to open his super hearing but he did anyways, just to hear her heartbeat. 'God, how much I missed her?'

She was nervous and he could tell, because he knew the feeling was mutual.

"How are you?" They said almost at unison, making them stop into a minute of uncomfortable silence. There were kids laughing, screaming, crying and talking all around the park, so they opted to sit on a place where they could talk privately.

"The lady must speak first." He finally said.

"Maybe you must speak first." She replied.

He looked down trying to collect all of his thoughts, because he didn't want to forget a single detail of his speech.

"Three days ago, I found my old journal inside the old treasure chest I have in the barn." His voice was calm as he continued to speak. "There were entries written by me that helped me to recover my memories. I found my way to The Fortress – there I met my biological father, Jor-el."

She said nothing, so he continued. "He helped me to recollect the things that I wanted to forget – those were the hurtful events from my past. Jor-el was stored as part of the Kryptonian heritage but he was a real genius by developing such technology." Still, he didn't get any answer from her. He wanted to tell Lois about the whole story why he was here and how two Kryptonians got here. For the meantime he opted not to, he had to explain what had happened to him this past year. Still wishing Lois would understand because they were too much to take in.

"You're right, I'm Clark Joseph Kent. I'm sorry Lois." He sighed. "Jerome died because of me." He could feel her stare and it almost bore a hole through his soul. "If I wasn't late… or… or… I learned about my abilities as early as he did… or if I accepted the responsibilities of saving the world it wouldn't have happen."

Lois didn't answer; she allowed him enough time to say whatever he had on his mind and heart.

"He was not just my brother, but he was also my best buddy. We were inseparable until the age of fifteen, when our adoptive father had a fatal heart attack. Jerome wanted to leave and do what was right – locate our birth parents and find out the answer of why we were different. Jonathan – our father opposed because he was afraid that if people knew about our abilities, they might haunt us or put us in a lab for experiments. He told us that we were too young… that there would be a proper time for us to show ourselves to the world. But Jerome didn't heed his warning. He said, "There's no enough time, Dad. Allow me to go." Our father was saddened by Jerome's departure. He didn't talk to any of us. At the time, we didn't know Dad had a frail heart, until one morning Mom tried to wake him up for breakfast. He never responded. We tried to save him, but the doctors at Smallville Medical Center declared him dead on arrival." He paused for a moment while collecting his thoughts.

I attempted to contact Jerome, but he was nowhere to reach. Later on, I found out that he underwent formal training with our biological father, somewhere in an icy part of the globe. I wanted to see my true father too, but Jerome said it wasn't my time yet… That I had to wait. Soon, I realized he was right; our mother needed my support, so I stayed. I tried to revive what was left from the family, but I couldn't turn back the hands of time. Since our father died and Jerome didn't want to go back, our Mom removed all their memories inside the house. Photos…. Clothes…. All the memorabilias…. Mom said 'we need to move on and we cannot if these things are here'. I wanted to disagree, but by seeing her face – I finally understood she was too determine to make it happen. Though I knew, she wasn't strong enough from the inside. It was just a façade. Mom, the strongest person in our family, gave us up only after a year. She died on a car accident. I wanted to stop it from happening, but I wasn't fast enough." He stopped briefly to wipe away his tears.

"I'm sorry." She whispered to which he answered by nodding slightly as he continued to speak.

"I wasn't fast enough to save her. Jerome never came back since the last time he left. He always blamed himself for what had happened to the happy family we once had. But I'll always remember what he told me. 'I need to do this, because there's no enough time.' I admired the bravery of using his powers to save other people, I always will. I also made a few saves by myself; maybe we did those to erase the guilt we had for not saving our parents on time."

"It wasn't your fault, neither was his." Lois said; her left hand patted gently his shoulder.

"I am nothing, but a coward." Clark Joseph avoided her gaze, standing up and looking upward.

"No, don't say that." He heard her say which calmed him a little.

"One night, Jerome called. He told me that he had met a beautiful woman on a train station." He turned around to meet her hazel eyes. "He said, 'she's so confident and lovely. I think she's the one.' I actually laughed at him, asking if he really believed in love at first sight. He answered me honestly, 'Yes'. I never believed him, because I never felt that way with anyone else, until you came." Clark Joseph really wished that Lois would believe him. Her heart skipped a beat at his declaration.

He went back to the bench and kept on telling her the truth, nothing but the truth.

"With our parents gone, there was nobody to keep the farm going. My brother was out there and I was here. I chose to stay with Lana. I really wanted to be normal, not to worry about the rest of the world. I just wanted to be here with her, build our own family, and have a happy life. It was a simple dream, but it has never been easy. Like any other couple we had ups and downs and it came to a point that I almost gave up on her. She loved her career, even more than she loved me. I kept on supporting her with the best that I could, just like the way she encouraged me when I lost everything. She gave me her strength, the only thing that mattered to me at the time was her, only her." His blues searched her face. He was too surprised that he couldn't read what was there.

"When I met you, I really thought I was my brother. I had his memories. Memories of everything he had told me about you. Maybe I was too caught up on what he had that I didn't have. I admit the fact that I envied him for that. I wished that I was him. He did many mistakes while seeking where he fitted, but he stood up for what he believed in. While me…" He paused for a while, taking a deep breath, he let air fill his lungs. "While me… I opted to stay on my comfort zone, not because I had too much guilt but because I was a coward to face my responsibilities. I only thought of myself." He choked as he tried not to cry in front of the woman he loved. How he wished he could be a better person for her.

"Where was I the night he fought the deadly monster? Yes I got there, but it was already too late." He closed his eyes, reliving the memories of the night he had buried within him, but they still came to the surface. "The day started with a beautiful sunlight aligned with puffy white clouds, blue skies and green fields. But it ended up with dark clouds, destructed buildings, bloodied death, and cries of help. I witnessed them all."

"That afternoon, after I stacked the bales of hay inside the loft, I went upstairs to watch the sways of trees. I noticed that a storm was about to come. With the gray clouds, cold and moist wind, lightning and thunder, I couldn't help but wonder that something might happen. The odd feeling never faded, in fact, it got worse. I could almost feel someone was punching me and then there was a sharp stabbing pain and familiar cry of agony. Jerome and I always had that kind of connection. When he was in pain, I could feel it too. I super sped away from the farm and let my instincts told me where to go. I found my brother in Metropolis, under the pile of rubble, with torn clothes…" Clark Joseph paused again, trying to regain his control, but his sobs had been traitors. "I could barely tell that he was my brother. His bloodied face… His swollen left eye was totally shut off. His lips were crushed and he was barely breathing. I took him out of the fallen debris. Though he was too weak, he managed to give me this bracelet. He whispered that I must find you. He made me promise that I should meet you at a specific date and time, or else the world's situation would be worse than I already witnessed that night."

Clark Joseph stared at Lois's lovely face now wet with tears. He could tell her heart was torn for his twin brother. Her heart really belonged to Clark Jerome. While he was just an impostor who wanted to live his brother's life though he was thankful for he had a chance to know her and love her in his own ways. "He loved you so much." He offered the bracelet which she accepted with trembling hands. "I love him too." She replied which broke his heart. Present tense. She still had feelings for Jerome and he couldn't blame her. That was the truth and like the old saying declares 'reality bites'. He almost choked as he looked up, then he put his hands inside the pocket of his leather jacket.

"When I saw the beast, my anger ascended, my adrenaline rushed. It was very strong. It overpowered me so many times, but I never gave up. I was doing it for Jerome and for the rest of Metropolis. The creature punched me more than I could contain. I was thrown a few feet away and I could feel my cracked ribs. I couldn't figure out how or where the beast got a sharp shard of green kryptonite. I stood up; drawing the last strength I had and saw Doomsday running towards me, kryptonite in hands. It was aimed on me, but I had to fight him at any cost or many people would die. Then Jerome stood before me unexpectedly and the kryptonite was stabbed on his chest. He said your name before he landed on my arms, lifeless."

Clark Joseph closed his eyes and discovered his tears flowing down so freely. "I managed to get the beast away; I jumped as high as I could. I could say that I flew it away from earth; I threw it into the sun. Since then, the last thing I remembered was the gravity of Earth pulling me down. I found myself in an island where people didn't understand technology. Though they didn't have knowledge of what the city could offer, their golden hearts took care of me, a stranger. I stayed with them until I recovered some of my memories."

Clark Joseph looked at Lois and discovered that they were both crying. He held her face, her eyes turning the darker hue every time she cried. "I'm sorry Lois, I couldn't save him. I'm sorry I told you that I was him. I really thought I was him. I didn't want to hurt you."

"But you did." She bit her lower lip, trying not to release her tears, but she failed. Her face was wet with the warm liquid.

"I am really sorry," he whispered. "I love you so much Lois Lane. It's not about the obligation of fulfilling my brother's wish, but it's because of what I feel for you." He searched her eyes, but all he could see was uncertainty. It ached even more, but he had to accept her answer.

"I don't know Small-" She paused. "Joseph…. I'm… I am not sure… I'm sorry, I hope you understand."

He nodded, of course he should understand. His hands dropped on his sides and, at the same time, he shifted his gaze on the grass.

"About Lana… I know what had happen to her." Lois smiled bitterly. "She needs you." More than I need you. She wanted to add, but couldn't.

He searched for something in her eyes. "Lois, please don't push me away!"

This time, it was her turn to hold his face. She couldn't believe how fragile he was at the moment. He was the strongest person alive on Earth yet the hurt he had been through was too much for him to bear. He was the kindest person she knew, just like his brother, but this pain would make him tougher, more than he ever thought. "Listen Clark, you spent more than half of your life with her. She was the source of your strength ever since. While me… we only had a few weeks… less than a month. Do you think it could erase all your feelings for her so easily? Maybe… Maybe we're just confused with all the sudden things that happened between us. I maybe different with Lana, but that doesn't mean that I'm better than her."

Lois hugged him. They were both shaking as they drew their strength from each other. "Lana needs you too much. She's sick; give her the support she deserves. She did the same when you needed her. Don't you worry about me. Jerome promised he would always be here for me. And he always is."

Soft wind blew before them and Lois took a moment to fill her lungs. "Joseph, Jerome is here. Do you feel the wind? He's here." She could feel his affirmation through his silence.

"Smallville, does it make me a bad person if I say goodbye to you?" She swore to hear him becoming stiff for a second. And then his arms tightened around her.

"No Lois… No." She heard his answer. His reply could mean two different things. Either that she wasn't a bad person or that he didn't want her to go. She closed her eyes as another batch of tears flowed down her lovely face.

"We can't continue this relationship if someone is hurting. On my part, I want to make sure about my feelings for you. If we're really meant for each other, fate will bring us together again. If not… I'll always treasure what we had."

He looked her in the eyes and flashes of the past passed before him. It was him in a five-year-old body and her, she was crying in front of the man who saved his life from a fast-moving vehicle. Before, his memory of the accident was too vague, but now it was all loud and clear.

Lois held him to steady his face. "Clark! Clark! Look at me!"

Now Clark Joseph knew, her Dad saved him. "Lois, I was the one your father rescued." Lois was taken aback on what he just said. Years, she was wondering for so many years, what happened to the boy who caused the death of her father. And now, he was here. Life is too ironic.

Again, Lois heard the fortune teller's voice in her head. "You lost two of the most important people in your life because of him. They protected him and led him to your doorstep." She was in deep shock. She could feel herself trembling too.

"Why did Jerome and your Dad serve as a bridge in order for me to be with you if we have to separate our ways like this?"

She couldn't believe how everything unfolded in matter of days. "I honestly don't know the answer yet", she paused. "But we'll be able to find it someday. Trust me, pain will ease in time. Don't ever forget, you're destined for a much greater purpose. Always believe."

Joseph kissed the top of her head; soft music was playing on a nearby store.

Somewhere down the road

Our roads are gonna cross again

It doesn't really matter when

Somewhere down the road

I know that heart of yours will come to see

That you belong with me

"I will never forget you Lois Joanne Lane."

Lois wiped away her tears. "Thank you." Two simple words of gratitude, fair but not enough. "Clark Joseph Kent… once we part our ways, don't look back." She tried not to look at him because of the pain she could see through his eyes.

"I still believe in us, Lois." He pleaded.

She closed her eyes for a moment and then opened them with much guilt and regret. "Please, don't make it harder for both of us."

Clark Joseph nodded with slumped shoulder. She eyed him and he did the same. He wanted to decipher her innermost feelings. Although he was sure of his feelings for her, it didn't count that she did the same. He and Jerome might have the same physical appearance but they were two completely different person. They both loved the same woman. But, in his mind, his brother was way much better than him. He needed to be tough for her. Sometimes goodbyes were not meant to last forever. He had to hold on that small bit of hope.

"Lois, I won't say goodbye 'cause I know we'll see each other again. Maybe not next week… next month… next year… but we will."

She nodded as she gave him a piece of stone. "Don't try to find me. When the time comes that you're ready to forget me, just throw it into the ocean."

He enveloped her for an embrace, for the last time. "I won't do it Lois. I won't do it." He whispered. "Take care of yourself." The only thing he could do was to watch them fading away.

She stepped back. "At the count of three, we'll simultaneously leave this place, never look back."

"One." They both felt how hard it was to say.

"Two." It was more painful than they thought.

"Three." That was it… Heavy footsteps heard on the back ground. 'Never look back.' The words echoed on their minds.

Clark Joseph broke the rule, he turned around but she had already disappeared. He closed his eyes as tears came out uncontrollably. He could hear and feel her pain. As the soft wind blew, a voice whispered something to him… "It's going to be okay. This isn't the right time."

TBC

Reviews are welcome!

Excerpts for Chapter 10: Dusk or Dawn

"It's a beautiful morning Clark! I wish I could witness more mornings like this." She exclaimed as she pointed out the sun about to rise. "Look Clark, dolphins!"

He followed her direction, but he also noticed the gray bruises on her arms.

She knew what he was looking at, though she heard him say "Yes, they seem to be celebrating."

"Clark, it's normal… the discoloration. They're going to disappear soon."

An uncomfortable silence sunk between them. He sat on the white sand beside her wheel chair.

"Clark, who's Lois?"