Hidden Feelings

Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews/alerts/favorites! I know it's been a month since I last updated, but life has just been SO hectic, I can't even tell you. Sorry for taking so long! If you're still following the story, well many thanks to you. I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart. Alright, without further ado, here's chapter seven!

Chapter 7: Freedom & Long Distance

Silence. Complete silence.

After admitting to Chloe about his unexpected reaction from last night's events, Clark started to think that telling her about it was a mistake. First of all, Chloe was Lois' cousin; as much as she'll try to make things fair between her cousin and Lana, there'll still be that slight bias of her favoring Lois. But, she was the one person Clark confided in his whole life. He had to let her know. Besides, she would find out soon enough on her own if he decided not to anyway.

"You know Clark, I always thought, 'There is no way in this world that these two will ever develop feelings for one another other than hatred,' but, quite honestly, a part of me never believed that."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying, the idea of you and Lois becoming more than…you know, isn't exactly on the realm of the impossible, but it isn't very obvious either. You two couldn't even stand each other when you lived in one roof together."

Clark pondered on this idea as a million thoughts raced in his mind. He knew that he loved Lana; her returning was one of the best things that ever happened, but now, why is he starting to feel things for Lois that he didn't feel before? Perhaps, they were there all along, but he just never paid any attention to them.

Clark felt a cold touch wrap around his hands. It was Chloe's, and, on her eyes, he knew that she could understand the messy situation that he was in.

"Tell me, Clark, and I want you to be completely honest with yourself: do you still love Lana? Do you still love her the same way that you did before she left?"

Every inch of his body stiffened as Chloe asked him the inevitable. Of course, he still loves Lana. She was his first love; no one can ever deny that. He never wanted anything more than being with her. But, all of a sudden, why doesn't he feel so strongly about this? Surely, it can't be because of Lois. Not once did he ever see her as someone he would fall for. No, of course not.

"Clark?" she asked him once again. No response.

"Okay, you don't have to tell me the answer to that question. But, you know what? It's okay to admit that you don't feel the way you used to feel about her. Just make sure that whatever you do, it's what your heart is telling you to do. You need to be honest with yourself and with everyone else, since many things are on the line. And, gathering from personal experience, I can pretty much tell you that people will get hurt. Doesn't mean it's not for the best though."

Still not hearing anything from a suddenly unresponsive Clark, Chloe helped herself with more water from the faucet. She watched her best friend carefully, his face almost masked with a tortured look, when all of a sudden the front door opened, revealing Jimmy with a handful of bags.

Both pairs of eyes turned to Jimmy as he closed the door behind him.

"Hey, CK! Didn't realize that you were here," he said as he placed the bags on the kitchen counter. He gave Chloe a soft peck on the cheek.

"Hey, Jimmy," she answered, "you got home pretty fast."

"I-It's Lana. Guess she just wanted to window shop so I ended up doing all the shopping instead of her…" his voice faded as soon as he realized that Clark and Lana still weren't on good terms.

"I-uh, think I have to get going," Clark soon interrupted.

"But I just got home, CK! We could still—"

"Maybe next time, Jimmy," he replied, and met Chloe's eyes.

"Clark—" Chloe began.

He exited through the front door and super-sped back to the farmhouse.

Paris, France Saturday, 8:02pm

Dressed in her journalist attire, Lois pinned her Daily Planet badge on the collar of her suit. Since the original invitation to the artifact showcase was meant for Tess, she instead managed to score tickets merely as part of the public paparazzi. Little did everyone know she was babysitting the precious artifact and report back to her boss for information. She was on a private mission.

As soon as everything and everyone was settled, a woman in a white gown held a cordless microphone and began to speak.

"Bonjour and good evening, everyone! Welcome to Musée du Louvre, and thank you for being a part of this wonderful Egyptian-themed showcase. Tonight, you will bear witness to seven newly-discovered works of art that will soon join our Egyptian Antiquities collection. We hope you enjoy this, and have a great time."

The woman with a thick French accent stepped down from the stage as the lights dimmed a little. Before the first art was revealed, Lois' eyes scanned the room to identify the three men Tess wanted her to keep an eye on. They were all sitting near the front, seated right next to one another. That made her job a lot easier.

She took a quick sigh and sat herself down on one of the chairs near the back. "Showtime," she whispered to herself. This was what she was born to do.

Smallville, Kansas Saturday, 1:02pm

After feeding Shelby his usual lunch meal, Clark went straight to the barn and up to his personal lair. Though he doesn't really stay and sleep there on most nights, it was the place where he usually goes to think. This day wasn't any different. There were plenty of things running through his mind, and he knew that at some point, he had to face them.

As he placed Dr. Virgil Swann's journal in its usual hiding place, he accidentally knocked over a photograph that was sitting on the bookshelf. Flipping it over, he realized that it was an old picture of him and Lana, taken during the night she came over and gave him a birthday cake. That was also the night where he finally had the guts to kiss her. It seemed so long ago, but it was a moment Clark never forgot even after so many years had passed.

After picking up the broken glass pieces that came from the frame, Clark placed the picture of him and Lana on the large table. On the bottom-right corner of it, he saw another photograph—this time with him and Lois. Judging from their outfits, he quickly realized that the event was Jimmy and Chloe's wedding. It was taken during the reception, which explained the smiles on their faces as they sat next to each other. He remembered seeing her in that exquisite dress; her face radiating like a thousand stars. Dare he say it, she looked beautiful. He saw her in a different light that night, he was sure of it.

He took both pictures that were on the table and decided to keep them in a photo album. As he was about to place the picture of him and Lois, he was reminded of the time when she'd come over the barn just to check up on him. She was, after all, the one who helped him get through his heartbreak over Lana.

-Flashback—

"Smallville? Hey, are you ready in there? I found this new movie we can watch tonight," she said as she went up the steps leading her to Clark's personal retreat.

Looking out the window, Clark's eyes suddenly shifted towards the picture that was on his hand. It was a picture of him and Lana, when they used to be together.

"Clark…"

"All my life, all I wanted was to be with the woman that I love. I fought so hard to be with her, because I knew that I wanted us to have a life together. I wanted to build a future with her; I wanted to grow old with her. How could she tell me that we're not meant to be?"

Lois moved towards Clark and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"As much as I hate to quote clichés, sometimes, Clark, when you love someone, you do have to let them go. That's what Lana did—not because she wanted to, but because she loved you."

"She didn't have to leave." He was on the verge of crumpling up the photograph when Lois took it away from his grasp.

"Clark, listen to me," she spun him around until he faced her, "Lana left for a good reason. She's doing this for you. And with her gone, you can't expect your life to suddenly stop. You, as I'm sure with Lana, have to move on. It's the only way. And I am here for you, as long as that may take."

He looked into her eyes and realized that she might be right. However, he still didn't want to accept it. Accepting it meant he had to acknowledge the fact that Lana was forever gone.

"I'm just not sure how to go on knowing I just lost the love of my life," he continued.

"It's not the end of the world, Clark. Just because you and Lana weren't meant to be doesn't mean that you're never going to meet her. She's out there somewhere, and you might not know it, one of these days, she could be standing right next to you and you won't realize it."

Clark smiled at Lois for her attempt at cheering him up. He knew he was difficult sometimes, but somehow, Lois never seemed to get tired of looking after him. She was, like she'd told him a million times before, there for him—however long it might take.

He grabbed the photo away from Lois' hand and placed it back inside the photo album. Deep down, he knew that Lois was right: the woman meant for him will come, when it was time. For now, he'll just have to wait, and recover from the ill-fated tragedy of his relationship with Lana.

"Thanks, Lois. You always know the right thing to say."

She shrugged her shoulders. "What are frie—co-workers for," she told him, "now, come on! We'll miss the movie!" she yelled out as she grabbed his hand and led him downstairs.

"What are we seeing, anyway? Can't we just watch a DVD or something?"

"No, I've been patiently waiting to see this for weeks! If we get there and the movie's already started, you're paying for the popcorn and drinks," she threatened.

He chuckled as Lois dragged him out of the barn and into her car, still holding each other hand-in-hand.

-End Flashback—

Ever since Lana left Clark all by himself, he started to realize that Lois had been the one who stood by him after that challenging trial in his life. Other than Chloe, Lois was his support system. She was the one who patiently stayed and helped him get over the heartbreak he endured from Lana's actions. She was the one who welcomed him with open arms when he started working at the Daily Planet. She was the one, despite how different they may seem, who cared for him no matter how ugly things turned out to become. He didn't see it before, but now, he realized just how much of an impact Lois had in his life.

Thinking back on some of the conversations he had with Chloe before, he began to understand that perhaps, she was right on some things.

"Love—first love, that has to count for something, right?"

"I-I don't know, Clark. All I know is that the only one that matters is the last."

"I want you to be completely honest: do you still love Lana? The same way that you did before she left? It's okay to admit that you don't feel the way you used to feel about her."

"People will get hurt. Doesn't mean it's not for the best."

Even though it had been about six days since Lois and Clark shared a kiss, Clark still didn't know how he really felt about Lois. Sure, he cared for her—as a friend, but he didn't know if there was more to it than that. All he knew was that he liked being around her, liked working together with her at the Daily Planet. As much as they didn't get along sometimes, he knew that they have a level of understanding, which, he felt, should become disturbed, would have damaging and lasting effects. And he didn't want that. He didn't want to lose Lois and what they have, whatever that thing actually might be. But, one thing was certain: his feelings for Lana have changed. He'd been afraid to admit to them, but Chloe's been right all along.

After placing the photo album back to its usual place, Clark headed for the stairs only to be stopped by the woman who stood in front of him.

"Clark, can we talk?"

Without a fight, he took a deep sigh and nodded. This was it. He had a few things he felt he had to confess, and this would be the right time to do it anyway.

"For our final piece, tonight, we have here an ancient compass dating back thousands of years ago. According to myth, it was created by a secret society in Egypt who believed that, when activated, the compass will lead them to their savior. Many have tried to activate this sacred compass, but unfortunately, no one has succeeded. Only time will tell when this masterpiece will show its true history and beauty."

Inside a glass box, a gold antique-looking compass sat in the middle, wowing the crowd with its simplicity. After taking her eyes off of it, Lois focused her vision on the three men. All had a huge grin on their faces as they watched the compass glimmer under the soft light. If Lois didn't know any better, they all had the intent of figuring out how to activate the said piece. Before they could do that, however, she was sure that they were deliberating of ways on how they could get their hands on it first.

After five silent minutes to let the audience take in the radiance of the compass, the woman in the white gown grabbed the microphone again and walked up the steps to the mini-stage.

"That's it, everyone! We hope you all enjoyed this exquisite collection we've shown you tonight, and we thank you for coming! We hope to see you all on our next gala. Goodnight, merci!"

To set her plan in motion, Lois joined the leaving crowd and ran to the nearest restroom. Once there, she changed from her black suit to a deep red dress which accentuated the contours of her body nicely. She was going to entice the men and extort as much information from them as she could. It could be her last time seeing them, and she had to seize her chance.

Gathering around the glass box where the compass sat, Lois joined the three same men that were on her extortion list, trying to get their attention. It didn't take much effort for their eyes to finally land on her.

"It makes me wonder if there'll ever come a time when we will get to see this compass activate right in front of our eyes," she said in the most seductive voice she could produce.

"Mademoiselle," the heavier one of the group came forward and kissed her hand. She was dying inside as she watched these pathetic men fall for her like a lovesick puppy.

"The lady didn't mention it, but there is a way to activate the compass," the one with the darker complexion responded.

"I wonder what it could possibly be," she began again.

"There's another piece—one much smaller than the compass. No one knows what it is, but, if placed correctly, it could finally activate this magnificent compass we all long to see," said the one with the blue eyes. Lois couldn't help but chuckle at how pathetic they looked.

Once everyone else was out of sight, and all that was left was the three men and her, Lois began questioning them a little more.

"Another piece? Does the museum curator know what that piece is?"

"No. But I have my men working on it."

"I sent a field of experts down to Egypt to find it."

"I'm working with an analyst who is trying to understand the history of this compass."

Guess these big pile of losers still don't have anything useful to me yet, she thought to herself.

Out of nowhere, men dressed in black suits and shades entered the area, escorting the three men to leave the museum, since it was time to go. They all kissed Lois on the cheek, and finally, before leaving, the man with blue eyes asked her one last question.

"And your name, mademoiselle, is?"

There was no way she was going to give her name. Quickly trying to scramble for a name, she smiled at the man and shook his hand.

"Francille," she answered. Hopefully it sounded French enough.

"Au revoir, Francille." He exited with the two other men with their collected secret service agents, and that's when it hit Lois: the three men were in on this together.

"Lana, I—"

"I'd like to go first, if you don't mind," she said in the calmest way possible.

He looked her in the eye and immediately knew that something was wrong. He didn't like the feel of where the conversation was headed, but remained quiet.

"When I decided that I would show up at Chloe's wedding, I knew that I would have to face the one person I've learned to love and care so much my entire life. I knew that it was going to be hard, seeing you, especially with the way I left things when I…disappeared."

Her eyes studied the wooden floor and then took a quick sigh. Tears were starting to form in her eyes but she prevented them from falling.

"I knew that if I were to come and see you again, there was a chance that I'd never leave and go back to the life I've accustomed to. And, I was right. I looked into your eyes that night, and I knew. I knew that there was no way I could ever leave you again. It hurt too much when I left you the first time."

He couldn't find enough words to express to her just how much it hurt when she left.

"And then, there we were. We were back in each other's arms, and it felt good to be reunited with the man I love. But, after that little fallout a week ago, that's when I realized: everything changed, including you."

Looking up at him now, Lana tried to fight the tears coming down her eyes. She failed miserably.

"Which is why, I know that I'm making the right decision when I tell you this: I'm letting you go."

Shocked and confused at Lana's words, Clark looked at her dumbfounded. He thought that the reason why she came was to forgive him after what happened a week ago, but he was largely mistaken. He never expected to hear her say anything like this.

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying it's over, Clark. We are not the same person that fell for each other back then. We need to grow up, and move on."

"Why would you—"

"I spoke to Lois before she left. Actually, she begged to see me, and if it weren't for her, I don't think I'd be standing here right now doing this with you. She made me realize I needed to do this."

She wiped more tears from her eyes and continued to speak.

"She told me everything that happened from the night before I saw you together. She tried to defend you, but I didn't believe her at first. Then, she told me just how much you suffered after I left you. The days you spent longing for my return. The days you spent wishing everything was just a joke. The days you spent trying to heal, when, for a fact, you never really healed, did you? She told me everything. She told me how much you loved me, which made me realize, that I had to let you go."

"How could you say that, Lana? Do you have any idea what you put me through?"

"I do. And that's exactly what I'm trying to avoid. I don't want to put you through that kind of pain again. Especially now that I know that you have moved on."

A part of him felt that he needed to fight for her, but a part of him also felt that she was right. As much as he hated to admit it, they were not the same person as they were before. They have different wants, different needs. He just didn't know which one he should believe. Perhaps, he was just too afraid to accept the latter.

"I know you feel it too, Clark. I know, that deep down, you know that we're not meant to be together. You shouldn't be afraid of accepting that. You have to let me go too."

"I don't know what to say, Lana."

She shook her head. "You don't have to say anything. I just need you to know that I'm setting you free. I want to leave Smallville on a good note, and with everything in its rightful place."

"You're not staying?" he asked, a little perplexed.

"No. I need to leave so I can really move forward. I'll still visit from time to time. Besides, you have Chloe and I know Lois will take good care of you," she mused.

"Lois? Lois is still bossy, annoying, careless…" He realized that he could go on and on. But, he wouldn't. It wouldn't be fair after all the things that she'd done.

"Admit it, Clark. I know you feel something for her."

"What are you talking about? We are talking about the same Lois, aren't we? Bossy, loud…"

"And everything you can't live without. I know she feels the same way too," she told him.

"How would you know?"

"Because I saw the way she cared for you when she came and met me. She told me that she couldn't stand the thought of you feeling down, and I saw the look of concern she had when it came to you. She cares for you more than she shows it, trust me."

"That's not true."

"You're going to thank me soon, Clark. I know you will."

As soon as no on else was left in sight, Lois immediately took out her phone and started taking pictures of the Egyptian compass. In case Tess needed to see what the artifact was, she would be ready with proof. She was about to place the phone back in her mini-purse as five men crowded around her. They looked like the museum security.

"Mademoiselle, we ask that you refrain from taking photographs of these highly-sensitive collections. No one other than the people invited here today has seen the exhibited pieces, and we'd like to keep it that way. May we see your telephone?"

Just then, another man came out running towards the glass box, where Lois and the five men were. He whispered something on one of the men's ear, presumably the head security, and with a quick snap, the four other men snatched Lois' phone and cuffed her hands behind her back.

"Hey, what the hell is going on here? Why are you cuffing me?"

"We ask that you come and follow us without any fight, ma'am. We'll explain everything to you soon enough."

After being taken to a dark room, Lois was asked to sit on a chair while the head chief of security reviewed the tapes again from a small-screen television.

"Can anyone explain to me why I'm still locked up on this dungeon? What the hell is going on?"

The man watching the tapes turned around and met Lois' eyes intently.

"Miss Lane, could you please explain to me why you decided to go from switching your dress suit to this fancy red dress? What were you talking about when you spoke with some of our guests?"

"Wow, I don't have the freedom to wear whatever the hell I want? Just what kind of country is this?"

"Miss Lane, the press was asked to leave right after the host announced the end of the showcase. Unfortunately, you were not granted the luxury of being able to see the antique collections in close-up, so why did you do it? Do you have any intention of taking the collections away from the museum's premises?"

"You are unbelieva—"

Before Lois even finished her statement, she was suddenly interrupted by a man's voice.

"Release her."

Eyes widening, Lois realized that she knew who that voice belonged to. Sure, she may not have heard it many times in her life before, but she couldn't be wrong. She knew who was giving the orders. The question was, what was he doing there?

Without any hesitation, the man who was interrogating Lois just a little earlier followed exactly what the man asked for. He took the cuff off Lois' hands and returned back her cellphone.

"Lois, are you alright?"

Looking up at him, Lois couldn't help but feel confused. She had no idea how he knew about the event, let alone the fact that she was there, in Paris. Was it purely a coincidence?

"Patrick," she let out, a little unsure whether he could still be trusted. She was about to find out.