AN: Here it is, the poker game has arrived. Let the fun begin.
Chapter 3 – Full House
Getting out of their seats, Chloe and Lois helped the guys with what they had brought in and put it in the storeroom.
"What do you have planned for Pete tomorrow?" Chloe asked Clark.
"I thought that we could use the theatre, watch a movie and catch up on things," Clark answered.
"Is that all?" Lois asked.
"Well, this was kinda a spur of the moment thing. I guess I didn't really think it through..."
"When do you ever think, Smallville?" she teased.
Clark shot right back, "What do you think we should do?"
As the seconds and minutes ticked away, Clark's question was answered with complete silence.
"Not always so quick with an answer, are you, Lois?" Clark challenged. "We'll come up with something."
Before Lois could get into it with Clark, Chloe asked him, "What time did you want to start and who is getting Pete over here?"
"I'll email him when I get back home and tell Pete to meet us at the Talon at 8 pm tomorrow. My mom said it was okay to close the Talon early tomorrow, but we should get here at 7 to have things set up," Clark answered.
"Sounds good, Clark," Chloe agreed happily.
"By the way, Chloe, did Lana say she would be coming?" Clark asked, not sure how he felt about it.
Chloe answered in a soft voice, not knowing how Clark would react, "Yeah, Lana said she'd come. I'll let her know what time to get here. Are you still alright with that, Clark?"
"Yeah, I'm fine with it. So, remember to be here tomorrow at 7."
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Clark and Jimmy were the first to arrive at the Talon. Lois would've been there already, being that she lived in the apartment above, but Martha needed to go over a few items of state business with her before heading over. Lois told the guys to go ahead and that she would meet them there.
Clark and Jimmy had the place to themselves to get things ready before the others came. Clark went to the theatre to set up the movie while Jimmy got some bowls, chips, pretzels and popcorn from the storeroom.
When he was done setting up the film, Clark heard someone enter the Talon. To his surprise, it was Lana.
"Hi, Clark," Lana greeted her ex.
"Hey, Lana," Clark answered warily, not sure how she was feeling about him right now, "How are you?"
"I'm alright. Can we talk for a sec?"
Clark gave her a nod and led her over to a booth.
"Have you been avoiding me?" Lana asked curiously
"Not intentionally, I just wanted to give you some space and not have to worry about me being in your face," Clark responded with a smile.
"I appreciate that Clark. It has given me time to think about us and what happened with our relationship. I think why our relationship failed is because we both went in with certain expectations that never were fulfilled."
"I agree." Clark said regretfully, "I'm sorry about that."
"Don't be, because I was just as much to blame as you were. Plus, I think that was why we couldn't really be open and honest with each other. Maybe one day we can be that way with each other. I still care for you a great deal, Clark, and if you can't be my boyfriend, I'd rather have you as a friend."
Clark reached across the table and grabbed Lana's hand. "I still care for you, too. I'm glad that we can be friends."
Clark led Lana to the back to see if Jimmy needed any help. Grabbing the box that Jimmy was lifting and putting it on the counter, Clark introduced Jimmy to Lana.
"So, you're an intern at the Daily Planet?" Lana asked Jimmy.
"Yep, I'm a photography intern there," answered Jimmy proudly.
Jimmy and Lana continued getting to know one another. As Clark was bringing in some glasses and ice, Chloe and Lois walked in.
"Hey, I see we aren't the first to arrive," Chloe began. "And it looks like the two of you don't need to be introduced."
Lana said, "No, Clark took care of that when I got here."
"Where is Smallville, anyway?" Lois asked with amusement.
"Right here, Lois," Clark replied, bringing the last of what was stored for Pete out.
"Do you need a hand?"
"Yes, and thank you."
Clark then gave each one of them something to do before Pete got there. Over the next several minutes, they got things ready when they finally heard someone enter the Talon. Clark and the others went to greet the guest of honor.
"Clark, Chloe, Lana, it's been a while," Pete greeted his three friends enthusiastically.
"Too long, Pete," Clark replied happily giving Pete a hug.
"I totally agree with that," Chloe said just as happily and she too gave Pete a warm embrace.
"What they said," chimed in Lana with a smile and a hug as well.
"It's nice to see you guys again. I hope that we don't have to wait this long to see each other," Pete told his three friends. He then noticed the two people he didn't know and asked, "Who are your other friends?"
Lois introduced herself to Pete, "I'm Chloe's cousin, Lois Lane."
"It's nice to meet you, Lois. I've heard a lot about you from both Chloe and Clark."
"All of it good, I hope?"
"Of course," Pete answered slightly smirking, especially remembering a few anecdotes that Clark had told him about Lois.
Next, it was Jimmy's turn to introduce himself. "I'm Jimmy Olsen. I intern at the Daily Planet as a photographer. That's how I met Chloe."
Pete replied with interest, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Jimmy."
After the introductions were over, Pete, Clark, Chloe and Lana caught up with each other. Lois and Jimmy were included enough that they didn't feel left out and Pete got to know a little more about those two.
"So, what do you have planned for tonight?" Pete asked.
"I've got a movie set up in the theatre that we can watch," Clark mentioned, looking around at everyone.
"What is it?" Chloe asked.
"One of my favorites: Maverick. Do you guys know it?"
Only Lois and Chloe nodded in recognition. The other three shook their heads.
"Ah. Well, it's based on the old TV series… and it's about how Bret Maverick raises twenty five hundred dollars to enter the All Rivers poker tournament," explained Clark.
Everyone agreed that it sounded like a good movie to watch.
"Hey, I've got an idea!" Chloe began enthusiastically. "Instead of watching a movie that has poker in it, why don't we play poker instead? Since it's Friday, we can stay up late. No one has to worry about school or work or whatever."
"I don't know, Chloe…" Clark replied.
"Come on, Smallville. What's the matter with a friendly game of poker?" Lois asked.
"Nothing, I suppose."
"You're not chicken, are you?" Lois asked Clark and began clucking like a chicken.
Clark then adamantly replied, "No, I'm not chicken."
Lois stopped her clucking then extended her hand saying, "Good. Because I challenge you to a game of Five Card Stud."
Clark shook her hand with gusto. "I accept."
Just before he let go, Lois pulled him toward her, and gave a startled Clark a kiss to seal the agreement.
"Whoa, baby!" Pete exclaimed as Lois and Clark split apart.
"You can say that again," Jimmy added.
Wow, Clark thought, totally shocked at what Lois had just done
Pete was about to say it again when he received a few smacks from neighboring friends.
"I've got a deck of cards upstairs and something that'll make the game that much more interesting that I'll need some help with. Chloe, Lana, do you want to give me a hand?" Lois asked, fully composed after the kiss with Clark.
"Sure," both Chloe and Lana answered not understanding why Lois had kissed Clark like that. They shared an astonished look before following Lois up to her apartment.
Once the guys were alone, Pete asked Clark, "What was that?"
"That was totally unexpected. Nice… but unexpected," a very dumbfounded Clark replied.
Jimmy then asks, "Is there something going on between you two?"
"No, there is nothing going on between me and Lois."
Jimmy was a little puzzled at that response because of the kiss Clark had given Lois on the cheek before he and Clark left for the caves.Pete asked Clark another question. "Have you ever thought about something happening between the two of you? Because Clark, if you haven't noticed, Lois is one fine looking lady."
"I know. Lois is very beautiful – and that thought has crossed my mind – but I just don't know," Clark answered, not sure what he should do with his feelings towards Lois.
"If you don't act soon, someone else will come along and…"
Pete didn't get to finish what he was saying as the three girls came back with a few trays in hand, stifling giggles."What's all this?" Clark asked as Lois, Chloe and Lana sit the trays down on a nearby table.
"Haven't you seen Jell-O shooters before, Smallville? Jeez, you need to get out more often," Lois replied, pulling out a deck of cards and slipping on a green visor on her head.
Clark eyed the visor with a cocked eyebrow, but Lois simply raised her chin and smiled enigmatically, refusing to explain. He shook his head. "I know what Jell-O shooters are, Lois – what are they going to be used for?" Clark asked.
"I'm glad you asked. I was originally going to use these in case Pete's party went south, but since we're playing poker, I thought it would be good to use them as part of the game. Instead of playing for money, I thought it would be interesting to incorporate Truth or Dare into our friendly game. Anyone who folds has to take a shot, while the loser/losers have to take a shot and partake in the truth or dare segment of the game. Agreed?"
"Agreed," everyone chimed in.
They all gathered at a table close to the shooters and when everyone was seated, Lois dealt out the first hand.
Putting an unlit cigar in her mouth just for show and getting completely carried away with the role she was playing, Lois asked, "Anyone need a card?"
Clark and Chloe asked for two, Jimmy four, Pete and Lana three. Lois took just one card.
"Well, I fold," Jimmy said, upset at his hand, tossing his cards in the center of the table and taking a Jell-O shot.
"Anyone else?" Lois asked the remaining players.
The remaining players said, "I'm in."
"I'll go first," Chloe began, showing her cards. "I've got two pairs, threes and sixes."
Pete went next, disappointed that his hand wasn't better than Chloe's. "I've just got a pair of aces."
Lana added, "I have two pairs as well, fours and sevens."
"Sorry to disappoint you, Lana, but I have three-of-a-kind with three fives," Lois said, happily thinking that she had won the hand.
"Not a bad hand you got there Lois, but mine's better," Clark said, "I've got a flush, all clubs."
Lois was dumbfounded at seeing Clark win the opening hand.
"I guess it's truth or dare time, but I have a proposition for you guys. For the whole game, the losers can take the truth or dare as a group or individually. How's that?" Clark asked, trying to be nice.
Everyone agreed to Clark's suggestion and Lois told Clark, "We'll take the dare as a group, Smallville."
That brought a smile to his face. He challenged, "I want you to sing The Lumberjack Song from Monty Python."
Jimmy laughed at the dare. Lois let out a slight groan, but she also had a slight smirk on her face. They each took their shot and then launched into a very off-key performance of The Lumberjack Song. Both Clark and Jimmy laughed during their performance and clapped enthusiastically when it came to an end.
They immediately started into the next hand.
Taking a look at their hands after getting the requested amount of cards, Pete said, "I'm out."
Lana added, "Me too," tossing her cards on the table.
"Damn it, so am I," a frustrated Jimmy said.
Pete, Lana and Jimmy each took a shot.
Chloe won the hand with a full house. Lois and Clark picked the truth and Chloe asked them what their biggest fear was. They both took a shot. Clark revealed that he feared being alone, both Chloe and Pete understood what he meant by that. Lois' biggest fear was that after she was done being Senator Kent's Chief of Staff, she would wind up in a dead end job with no excitement.
As the game continued, Pete won the next hand, which everyone stayed in for. Everyone took truth, and Pete asked, "So... did anyone sleep with a stuffed toy when they were little? And do you still sleep with it?"
They each took a shot and Clark began, "I never slept with a stuffed toy."
"Me either," replied Jimmy.
Lana admitted, "I have a pink rabbit. But I don't sleep with it anymore!" she finished.
"I don't sleep with the teddy bear I have either," Chloe added with a wink at her roommate.
"Lois?" Chloe directed at her cousin. "What about you?"
With a defiant glare, Lois shot back, "You know Yogi stays strictly off the bed at night."
The next few hands went rather quickly with Clark winning a couple and Chloe winning a couple. Jimmy and Lana won a hand each.
When Clark won yet another hand, Lois and Chloe were the only ones that remained. The cousins picked dare and Clark dared the duo to sing one of the songs from the score of HMS Pinafore.
A dumbfounded Lois asked, "What is it with you and musicals, Smallville?"
"I remembered an episode of the Simpsons that had Sideshow Bob singing the entire score to it," replied Clark.
"I remember that episode, it happens to be one of my favorites," Chloe said.
"Whose side are you on, cuz?" a frustrated Lois asked.
"Just be thankful Clark didn't ask us to sing the entire score, Lois."
A reluctant Lois joined Chloe in singing the first song from the play, "We sail the ocean blue." They tripped over the words several times. Whether it was the alcohol or the obscurity of the song, Clark had no idea.
Lois was starting to get frustrated by not winning a single hand yet.
Lois' luck finally changed when she won her first hand with four Jacks. Chloe was the only one that stayed in to the end. Everyone else folded, especially when Lois didn't take any cards.
"I'll take the dare, Lois," Chloe said after taking her shot with the others.
Happy that she won her first hand, Lois dared her, "I would like for you to recite the Star Spangled Banner… backwards."
Chloe took her time with her recitation, stumbling a bit at the beginning but finished off very well.
Watching Lois' clear amusement, Clark thought back to when he had seen Lois in a star spangled bikini. Now that is definitely something that I would salute.
After Chloe finished, everyone laughed except for Jimmy and Lana who, after taking several shots, passed out.
Chloe and Lois took Lana while Clark and Pete took Jimmy and they deposited their friends comfortably in a booth.
"I guess that's it for those two. You guys want to continue?" Lois asked the remaining players.
They all agreed to continue playing.
"Two down and three to go," Lois said, nodding to her three remaining opponents, as she dealt out the next hand.
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AN: Another chapter has come to an end and the poker game will continue on in the next chapter. Please let me know what you think with a review, but no flames.