Hidden Feelings
Author's Note: As promised, here are my replies to everyone who has reviewed so far:
daisy31 – Thank you! Yes, Patrick will surely get Lois to stop thinking about Lana & Clark for a while, but the real question is, will her feelings for Clark change? Read & find out!
LoisNClark4Ever – Ah yes, everyone hates Clark right now. Don't worry, he will eat his heart out and get the karma that he rightfully deserves soon enough. Thanks for reviewing!
oye – LOL, sorry about the Clana stuff in the past chapters; I'll warn you if there are any (this chapter, not so much). And no, Patrick won't be evil, I promise. The Grant name just came randomly to me, so I completely forgot about that character in the show, haha.
esra – Yeah, let's hope Clark gets super jealous that he finally realizes that the reason for his jealousy is because he has some lingering feelings for Lois as well. Thanks!
mea mcarron – Lois & Clark will get together, in time. And I promise you, it will be grand.
imhooked – Hopefully this wasn't as cruel as a cliffhanger either! And you certainly have a good eye for realizing the connection between Patrick being from France & Lois getting sent there. Watch out when that comes full circle!
Hot-chocolate329 – Yes, sometimes a good character is very much needed. Thanks for reviewing!
evilredknight – I'm sorry if you don't find this story line interesting. I know that there had been many takes on the Bride episode, but that's also why I told everyone from the first chapter that this was going to be my take on that. There are many other stories floating around out there, so hopefully you find one that suits your taste.
sunset – Why thank you! I thought 'Bride' was perfect up until Lana showed up. I wanted to throw my popcorn at her, grr. And don't worry, I will finish this story! I hate leaving things unfinished, and besides, I want to see how Clark & Lois will get together, don't you?
Pau Lane – Aw, thank you! I'm no poet but I try to capture their feelings the best that I could. But no worries, this story won't be all about heartbreak!
devary – If only I wasn't so busy I'd update everyday. I will keep them coming though! Thanks!
ebatcl – I'm glad you like this story. It's nice to know someone out there appreciates my work. And btw, thanks for your words of encouragement. I've yet to reply to you.
Elicia1 – Clark could be very stupid at times. I'm just glad that he finally realized that him & Lois belong together (in the show). Thank you!
sammi – Yeah, I really feel for Lois in the past chapters. To be humiliated like that and still be able to put a smile on her face…being a Lane sure has its advantages & disadvantages.
Gladius Grim – Clark could be such a coward sometimes, especially when his feelings are on the line. Let's hope he mans up in the coming chapters. But thanks for the review!
jade2nightwing – Thank you for enjoying this take! I'm glad you like it!
IceQueen825 – I thought it was horrible enough that the writers didn't address the aftermath of the almost kiss, but then to witness Lois go through the heartbreak might be unbearable to watch. And yes, Lois & Clark is destiny.
sarah – Clois will come soon enough! But thank you!
Clois16 – Thank you! And I'll try to update as fast as I can, really!
Louise – We've definitely gone a long way from Chapter 1 to Chapter 5. Hopefully you're still following! Thanks!
Storytellermama – No, thank you for reviewing! I always thought Jimmy and Chloe were cute together, but I have to admit, I did jump into the Chlollie bandwagon now. Not saying I don't like Chimmy anymore!
Kairan1979 – You know everyone disliked the Bride episode when you see thousands of fanfics doing a take on what should've happened, haha. Thank you!
Allison – Well thank you so much for your support!
Okay, without further ado, here's Chapter 5! It's the longest one of all the chapters I have so far, so I hope you all enjoy!
Chapter 5: Stranded
"So don't forget, if Oliver stops by, tell him I have the files and I'll send it to him when we get back."
Chloe carefully locked the diamond earring on her left ear as she made her way to her cousin's bedroom. Lois was on the bed with her cellphone, texting. She stifled a small giggle as she pushed more buttons on the miniscule device.
"Okay, Lois, are you seriously going to be on that thing the entire day? There are some people in the real world who wants to talk to you too, you know," Chloe let out, a little frustrated that Lois hasn't been paying attention to anything she just said. It was almost as if she was invisible.
Lois let out another giggle, this time much louder than the previous. She pressed her lips together in a thin line, now looking up at Chloe.
"Sorry, it's just that Patrick—"
"Yes, yes, I know. Patrick is telling you a joke. Patrick is telling you some bizarre story. If he's not calling you, he's always texting you."
"Not true," she opposed.
"No, very much true! Ever since you met this guy, I feel as though you're spending more time with him than you are with me, even when we're both at home. Doesn't that tell you something?"
"…That I made a new friend?"
"Ha-ha. Very funny," she replied dryly.
"Come on, cuz. Don't feel neglected," she smiled at her. "What's up?"
A sharp scoff escaped Chloe's lips.
"You are unbelievable," she said, shaking her head. "Anyway, if you had been listening earlier, I told you that if Oliver came by—"
"…tell him you have the files and you'll send it when you get back," she finished. "See? I was listening."
Chloe narrowed her eyes, a little surprised that Lois was actually listening. From the window, she heard Jimmy honk the car, impatiently waiting for her to join him.
"How do I look?"
"Stunning. Now go; don't keep your husband waiting."
Chloe's heels clicked on the floor loudly as she left Lois' bedroom. She went downstairs and exited the Talon, determined to enjoy one of the many dinners she'll be sharing with her spouse.
An hour later…
A loud knock pounded on the apartment door.
Irritated, Lois jumped off her bed and into the living room. She expected to see Oliver on the other side of the wooden board.
As she opened the door, two heavyset men dressed in suits barricaded the entire hallway. They were wearing dark shades, completely hiding the third person who was standing right behind them.
"Wow, Ollie. Since when did you start bringing your own entourage?"
The two men moved on opposite sides, making way for their companion. The man removed his shades as well, and it was then that Lois realized that her expected visitor wasn't Oliver.
"Hello Lois," he greeted her, his voice dark, yet soothing to the ear.
"Patrick," she began, surprised. "What are you doing here? How did you even know where I—"
"I hope you don't mind, but someone told me where you lived," he replied. "These are for you," he said as he handed her a bouquet of yellow roses.
She brought her nose near the roses to smell their aroma. They smelled sweet, their appearance indicating they were freshly cut. It was the eighth time he'd given her flowers ever since they met. Not that she was counting.
"They smell great. Thank you."
He smiled as he watched her place the flowers on a large vase.
"So I'm going to assume that you didn't come all the way here just to hand me some roses again. What's going on?" She looked at the heavyset tall twins once again, a little concerned.
"Oh, please don't mind them. I'm so sorry I had to drag them here with me," he told her, hoping she wasn't disturbed by their strong presence.
"I see that you took my advice well." She remembered the subtle warning she told him the first time they bumped into each other. This is Metropolis; people will be all over you!
"Yeah," he chuckled, "they make me look so feeble. Not a lot of people know, but I do have a black belt in karate."
"Mm, very impressive," she said, mocking him when he acknowledged her position at the Planet.
"Anyway, I wanted to ask you—"
"Ask me what?"
"Come with me tomorrow. For dinner."
"Huh." That was all she could say.
"Tomorrow's my last day here, before I go to Greece. I'd like to spend it with you, if you don't mind."
She didn't think about it twice. Besides, for the past few months, most of her dinners were usually spent either at the Talon, the Daily Planet, or at the Kent farm. It was time to dine in other vicinities.
"I don't mind at all."
Patrick smiled, relieved that she agreed to join him for dinner. He took a quick sigh.
"Great, I'll pick you up at—"
She shook her head. "No need. Just tell me the time and place, I'll be there."
"Okay," he nodded. "Thank you, Lois."
One of the men pointed his head towards the stairs, reminding Patrick he had to go. Lois shot a glance at him, understanding the gesture.
"I'm so sorry I can't stay for long. I have another meeting I have to get to. I'll see you tomorrow," he kissed her lightly on the cheeks.
Lois watched him from her window as he got in his black sports car, driving off. The two men got in a black SUV, quickly following him from behind. She hoped that Patrick was smart enough not to bring his entourage for their dinner tomorrow night.
"Wow, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you're going on a date."
Lois stepped into Chloe's room ready for her dinner with Patrick. She wore an elegant red mini-dress that complimented her contours of her curves perfectly, paired with some shiny black pumps. Her hair had also gone from its natural wavy style to a straightened do.
"It's not a date, it's just a dinner," she reminded her.
"Whatever you say."
As she grabbed her purse, Lois took one last good look at herself in the mirror. She admired the reflection that looked back at her, happy to see that for once, the imitation had a genuine smile on its face. She was excited to see Patrick. She was excited to hear more of his bizarre stories, excited to hear more of his not-so-funny jokes. She realized that meeting him took her mind off of Clark, but if she was really being honest with herself, her feelings for him never changed.
Turning around, Lois saw Jimmy arrive at Chloe's room, holding a bowl of popcorn.
"Whoa, Lois! I take this isn't just some dinner you have planned with Clark, huh?"
"Clark? Jimmy, what are you talking about?"
"Don't you and Clark always have dinner together? I thought you two planned a special…"
Jimmy looked at her with a confused expression on his face. He turned to Chloe, hoping she'll fill in some blanks.
"No, Jimmy," she chuckled, "Lois is having dinner with her 'new friend'." Chloe made air quotes as she mentioned the last two words.
"Oh. Well I totally didn't see that one coming."
"Okay loverboy, that's enough. Eat your popcorn and watch," she met Chloe's gaze. "I brought my keys, so don't wait up for me."
She nodded in agreement. "Have fun, Lois."
When Lois arrived at the restaurant, she saw Patrick patiently sitting down, waiting for her arrival. As she got closer to their table, she cleared her throat, letting him know of her presence.
He turned his head around and was surprised to see a smiling Lois in a red dress. He got up from his chair and kissed her on the cheek, followed by another set of—this time—red flowers.
"You look beautiful."
"Thank you."
He walked around the table as he led her to her seat.
"I'm glad you could make it tonight."
"I told you I'd be here," she replied.
Couple minutes later, a man wearing a black bow tie approached their table. He handed them each a menu, and as Lois took a peek inside, she was overwhelmed with the different types of entrees they had to offer. The prices weren't inexpensive either.
"You ready to order?"
Lois flipped the pages once again. She couldn't find one thing that enticed her. Everything seemed too good to pass up.
"You know what? Could you actually order for me? I'll just make a quick stop to the little girl's room." She got up and excused herself from the table.
Patrick nodded his head as he waited for their server to come back and get their order.
As Lois exited the restroom, she noticed the restaurant was becoming more crowded. Left and right, she saw couples dining together, enjoying a wonderful night out in Metropolis. She marched back to the table only to be blocked by a couple waiting to be seated. She accidentally bumped into the man, which seemed to catch Patrick's attention as well.
"I am sor—"
The man and his girlfriend turned around, and much to Lois' surprise, she was able to identify his face. She knew him well; there was no way she was hallucinating. It was him.
"Clark?"
"Lois?"
"Lois?"
"Lana?"
"Lois?"
Three pairs of eyes turned to the last person who called Lois' name. Patrick stood up and walked over to Lois' side.
Both Lana and Clark shot Lois a confused look, unsure of who was the man she was having dinner with. She patted Patrick in the arm and introduced him to the pack.
"Clark, Lana, this is Patrick. Patrick, this is Lana, and this is Clark."
Patrick shook Clark's hand firmly. On the other hand, he shook Lana's hand, kissing it right after. She blushed.
"I'm sorry, but Lois never mentioned about you. How did you two meet again?" Clark asked, suspicious.
"Oh Clark, always the joker," she lightly slapped his arm.
"Well we actually met at the Daily Planet," he answered.
"Yeah, we did. Remember Clark? I told you about Patrick, like, last week."
His face wrinkled as he tried to remember the event in his memory. He could only remember the time when Lois told him that Patrick wasn't "work-related".
"Hm, I'm afraid not," he challenged, smirking.
Finally, Lana joined the conversation. "Either way," she shot Clark a look, "it's a pleasure to meet you, Patrick. We'll leave you two as our table is ready as well."
"If you'd like, we could all sit together at our table," Patrick offered.
"No!" she cleared her throat. "No, actually, I think Clark and Lana would like some privacy, since, you know."
Patrick nodded his head. "Of course."
"It's nice to meet you, Patrick," Clark said as he shook his hand again. He took Lana's hand as they danced around the other tables, following a woman who showed them to their seats.
Lois watched as Clark and Lana walked hand-in-hand to their table. Patrick saw the tormented expression in her face, finally understanding why she refused to share a table with them. He knew that look too well not to recognize it.
"Ready for some dessert?"
Lois lifted up the glass of water and brought it to her lips. All that eating made her parched. She wasn't going to let dessert pass by just like that though.
"Yep," she said as she finished drinking. She was just glad Patrick didn't bring up what happened earlier in their conversation.
As the waiter took their empty plates, Patrick ordered the dessert platter for each of them to devour. The waiter ran back to the kitchen to follow up on it.
"So… is he the one?" he asked, his eyes quickly glancing towards Clark.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she answered nervously. She didn't meet his eyes.
"Come on, Lois. Let's not dodge the subject. I'm not going to judge you."
"Seriously, I don't know what you're talking about."
"I'm talking about you and Clark."
"Clark & I are work together, and we're friends. That's all."
"The look you gave him earlier doesn't really convince me that you just think of him as a friend."
First Oliver, now Patrick, she thought to herself angrily. Do I really make it that obvious?
"Well that's where you're wrong, mister."
He wiped his lips with the napkin sitting on his lap. He wasn't going to let Lois get out of this conversation now.
"Lois, Lois, Lois," he took her hand and squeezed it.
"Don't you believe me?"
"I do believe you. I just want you to be honest to me, and to yourself."
Without putting up a fight, Lois decided to come clean to Patrick. Sure, she may have only met him for a couple of days, but he was the only one she could talk to about these things. Admitting it to anyone else who lived in Smallville—with the exception of Oliver—could have damaging effects.
"Well, is he?"
She turned her head and stole a glance at Clark and Lana's table. The happy couple was busy eating their food. She looked back at Patrick, and, without saying a word, nodded her head.
Yes, he was the one. The one who was capable of making her heart beat faster, the one who was also capable of breaking it into pieces. He could make her feel so high, yet make her feel so low all at the same time. Out of all people, it had to be him. Her colleague, her friend, her Clark.
"That's all I need to know, Lois. Thank you for trusting me," he kissed her hand as he released it.
"I had a wonderful time, Clark."
Lana rummaged through her purse as she and Clark walked out of the restaurant. She looked for the keys to his truck as she was going to drive back to the hotel, while he was going to go for his daily nightwatch. It became a usual theme for them to do the activity, since Lana knew being the Red-Blue Blur meant having responsibilities that could take some time out of his personal life.
"So did I," he said, hugging her before she got in his truck.
"Goodnight, Lana."
"I'll drop by with your car first thing in the morning. Goodnight," she replied back and slipped inside the red vehicle. She started the engine and drove off, leaving Clark standing all by himself.
On the other side, Lois and Patrick said their goodbyes as well after exiting the same restaurant.
"Thanks for making my stay in Metropolis a memorable one. Hanging out with you these past couple of days sure beats all the business meetings I've attended for the entire year."
"Well I do make an excellent tour guide," she said proudly, hands on her hips.
Just then, Patrick reached inside his coat and pulled out a square rectangular box. He opened it and inside was an antique-looking necklace that sparkled when it caught the glow of the moonlight. Lois' eyes widened as she admired it, astounded.
"I bought this when I was in Egypt. I want you to have it."
"No, no. I could never. I don't want you to think—" she was interrupted by his next words.
"I'm not expecting anything in return, Lois. It's my token of gratitude to you."
A short pause crowded the area.
"This may be hard to believe, but you are one of the few who I can truthfully call a good friend. You're honest, you're yourself, and you don't treat me differently even with my given reputation. It's very hard to find someone like you."
He walked behind her as he carefully placed the necklace on her neck.
"This should always remind you of me."
"I don't think it's necessary. Besides, who could forget going to dinner with one of the most sought after bachelors in Europe?" she joked.
As he walked around to face her again, he chuckled, followed by his award-winning smile. It was sure to knock girls off their feet. All except for Lois, anyway.
"You're an amazing woman, Lois Lane. I'm sure you'll find someone worthy of you someday." He took her right hand and kissed it again.
"Are European men always this romantic? I'm sure all the girls swoon every time you do this to them."
He laughed once more. "Not exactly. My mother raised me to show respect for women."
Before they departed, Patrick hugged Lois tightly, smelling the strawberry scent of her hair. He didn't know when they were going to see each other again, but he knew in his heart that he wanted to see her the next time he came back to Metropolis. He liked being around her, and it was the first time in his life where he felt he wasn't being judged by who he was.
"Okay, well have a safe trip," she said, breaking the embrace.
"I will," he uttered as he got inside the car. The engine roared to life.
"Oh, and Lois? If you're ever in Europe, let me know." He drove off as he raised his free hand in the air.
As Lois was about to get her car, she was surprised to see Clark still standing in front of the restaurant. She walked up to him.
"Smallville! What are you still doing here? And… where's Lana?"
Distracted from Lois' questions, Clark stopped listening in on the city. Everything was safe and sound—for now. He focused on her and as soon as he met her eyes, it felt as though someone just knocked the wind out of him. He couldn't help but admit, she looked exquisite.
"Lana's on her way to the hotel. She was uh, a little exhausted," he said.
"And leave you here to walk all the way home?"
More like running, he thought. He couldn't tell Lois that he didn't need a car to get back to the farm. Even more, he couldn't tell her that he was on Red-Blue Blur duty. Instead, he shot a smile at her.
"I was going to call Jimmy and see if he could—"
"No need, I can give you a ride home," she offered, erasing Clark's idea out of the conversation.
Ever since Lana entered their lives once again, especially with Patrick keeping her mind off of the recently reunited couple, Lois felt her friendship with Clark slowly deteriorating. Their weekly movie nights disappeared out of thin air, and her random visits to the farm to raid his fridge became less frequent. She missed the good old days when they would simply get together and laugh until their stomachs ached. She missed Clark. She missed him even though he sat right across from her at the Planet each and every single day. Things took a sudden turn after the night of Jimmy and Chloe's wedding, and she wasn't sure they were for the best.
As she recollected the conversation between her and Tess a week ago, she remembered that with her leaving for Paris, she'd see Clark less often than she did now. Since her flight wasn't until in two days, she thought it would be good if they took one night to do the things they used to do—before all the emotional chaos took place. It was going to be an innocent, fun night she wanted to spend with him before she'd have to leave. Besides, she didn't know when Tess would send her back home—or worse—she didn't know what could happen when she comes back after her solo mission.
"Actually Smallville, do you want to go on a rendezvous with me?"
"What? I-I don't know, Lois…" he hesitated.
"Come on, it'll be fun! Just like before, we could go to a bar, drink, and sing some karaoke!"
The look on Lois' face was excited, as if she was ready to take on the world. Clark couldn't disappoint such a face. Little did he admit, he missed the things he and Lois used to do together too. It was going to be one pleasurable harmless night.
"Lead the way," he shrugged in defeat.
Everyone in the bar hollered and clapped as Lois finished singing one of her favorite songs.
"Thank you, thank you everyone!" She waved to the crowd as she walked back to Clark.
"I told you they love me!"
"You were right, Lois, you are the life of the party."
"Thank God for Whitesnake, right?"
He laughed as he popped a handful of peanuts in his mouth. He'd never seen Lois as happy as she did, well, if he really thought about it, before Lana arrived.
"Here's to us." She raised her bottle of beer, waiting for Clark.
"To Lois and Clark," he said as he raised his bottle, tapping hers.
They finished the beers as Lois gestured for the bartender to bring them another pair.
"You know, I'm really glad we're doing this, Lois."
Taken back from what he said, she moved her eyes away from the bartender and locked them with his.
"Yeah, me too," she breathed.
While enjoying a wild night out with Lois, Clark didn't forget about his duty to keep Metropolis safe and sound. Already he has excused himself out of the club twice, letting Lois think he went to the bathroom when really he'd been stopping robberies and attacks from happening. He used his super hearing again to check if there were any violent commotions.
"No, please! Somebody help me!" he heard a little girl cry out from afar.
"Here's the next round of—" Lois said, holding a beer in each hand.
"Actually, go on right ahead, I'll be back."
"Where are you going?"
"I-I, uh… I have to use the restroom."
"Again?"
"I'll be back, Lois. I promise."
She fanned her hand, letting him go.
Clark super sped out the bar and found himself in a dark alley where he saw a little girl crying.
"Hey, what's wrong?"
"Those men took bag! My money and my toys are in there!" she sobbed.
As he looked out into the street he saw two men with ski masks on their head running away. They looked back and saw Clark comforting the girl. They started to run faster.
"Stay here, I'll catch them, okay?"
She nodded her head as she wiped the tears from her eyes.
He super sped again as he finally caught up to where the two men were running. Their eyes almost jumped out of their sockets when they realized that the man hugging the girl earlier and the man that was now in front of them were the same. How could he have possibly ran that fast?
"That bag belongs to the little girl."
The two robbers attacked Clark as he effortlessly swung a punch to each of them, causing them to land near the trash dumpster. The girl ran to where they were as she quickly grabbed her bag out of one of the man's hands.
"Now get out of here; I don't want to catch you two doing this again!" he warned them. They got up from the ground and ran briskly, away from Clark and the girl.
"Thank you, mister."
"Hey, go home and lock all the doors, alright? Watch out for those bad guys."
She nodded her head and gave Clark a hug. As she started to run, she accidentally ran into the trash dumpster, causing some of her toys to fall out. Since the bump was loud, she didn't notice her toys falling out of her bag, and she continued running. Clark picked up a toy as he yelled out to her.
"You forgot some of your—"
Before finishing his sentence, Clark instantly began to feel weak, immediately falling down to his knees. As he got a closer look, right next to a large gem was also a huge green kryptonite, slightly covered with a small cloth. He didn't have enough power to push it out of the way, so instead, he was left lying down on the pavement, hoping someone will come and take the meteor rock away.
Couple of hours later…
Just like Clark, Oliver scoured around the city to make sure everything was peace and orderly. As he jumped into another building, he saw what looked like a figure lying down on the floor in a dark alley. He went down to check it out.
"Clark?" he asked, surprised. His eyes rapidly searched for the green kryptonite.
"O-Oliver, ov-ove-r th-there…" Clark grunted faintly.
He followed Clark's finger pointing to the meteor rock as he swiftly threw it away, enough that it was out of Clark's presence. His face winkled.
"What happened?"
"A young girl was being robbed by two men. Little did I know she carried green kryptonite as one of her toys."
Just then, Clark's phone started ringing. He pulled it out of his jacket as he saw the name pop up on the screen.
"It's Lois. I left her in the bar two hours ago," he said, agitated.
He took a quick sigh as he picked up the call and waited for a woman's voice on the other line.
Author's Note: I'm sorry if it took me a while to update! I've just been so busy with so much stuff. I don't know when, but I'm sure my next update is going to be after the New Year's. With that said, I hope everyone has a lovely New Year's Day! Cheers guys!