Increments: Just Another Phase

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Wednesday

6:30 pm

Smallville High

Clark Kent walked into the Torch office after football practice expecting to find an irritated Chloe waiting for him at her desk. Instead he saw something completely unexpected: Lois Lane sitting quietly at her laptop, brow furrowed in intense concentration and chewing a pen cap as she typed.

He walked towards her expecting a smart remark at his late entry. But she didn't even acknowledge his presence.

"Hey, Lois. What are you still doing here? I thought you'd be gone by the first bell." He cringed. That had come out more insulting then he intended.

Lois glanced up distractedly, saw who it was, then turned back to her screen, obviously deciding he wasn't worth much attention.

"Funny, Smallville. Nice of you to show up. Chloe waited as long as she could, but believe it or not, she does have a life that doesn't always revolve around you."

He winced at her words. He knew he was well over an hour late. Again. But he had a good reason, again. "Practice ran late. Coach Quigley wasn't happy with our execution – too sloppy. And we had to learn some new plays for-"

"Clark."

"Yeah?"

"Does it look like I care? Listen, I'm glad you made the football team and all, but some people actually have an article to write."

"Oh. Right. Sorry to bother you. When you see Chloe, will you tell her…just tell her I'll call her later."

He heard Lois let out a deep breath as he turned towards the door. He tried to make it before she said anything else.

"Clark? How do you spell 'serythro'?"

He caught the undertone of her question and took it for the apology it was. But if she wanted his help he was going to make her work a bit first. "What?" he asked, perching himself at the corner of her desk.

She rolled her eyes up at him and bit the inside of her cheek. He had come to know her impatient look well in the few weeks he had known her. And she definitely wasn't fooled by his clueless act.

"Serythro – the suppression medication Dr. Fine was using on Abby. Have you finished your article, yet?"

He nodded. "Yep, last night. I was going to give it to Chloe today, but I guess I'll just drop it off later. How's your teen cosmetic piece coming along?"

She shrugged.

She contemplated the screen for a second, biting her lip in concentration…or was it nerves? But why would she be nervous?

"Lois? Is something wrong?"

"No," she answered quickly. She hesitated for a moment and then reluctantly craned her neck up to look at him. "I don't think I'm cut out for this journalism thing. Chloe was so excited, but she really wasn't thinking when she poked and prodded me to write for the extra credit."

Clark blinked in surprise at the uncharacteristic display of honesty. Was there actually a chink in her armor?

He wasn't stupid; he knew there was a little more to the abrasive, overconfident person in front of him. He'd caught a glimpse of it at Chloe's grave and again the night they ate ice cream on the steps of Chloe's apartment.

But it was still surprising to see.

"Really? I think there might be an investigative reporter in you yet. I mean, you did have Dr. Fine figured out before Chloe and I, and you definitely had no problem getting information about Brett from the guys in the locker room."

Lois smirked. "I'm not saying I'm not good at it. The investigating part was easy. And anyone can string a bunch of sentences together-"

Then he got it. "You don't want to let Chloe down, do you?

She bit her cheek in annoyance. "Maybe. Partly. It's stupid, I know. And I should be glad, after this she'll get off my case about joining her in her imaginary 'bullpen'. This is her thing, not mine."

He glanced at all her notes and research scattered around her. He sped-read the article on her screen. Whoa. Except for a few spelling errors, it was actually pretty good.

"But what if you're good at it?"

Lois' eyes widened. She stared at him for a second, seeming to debate something with herself, maybe if he could be trusted.

"That might be even worse" she finally admitted.

"Why?" he asked, genuinely puzzled.

Lois shook her head and turned back to the screen. He knew she regretted saying anything in the first place.

Why would it be bad if she might be good at it? Chloe had been nagging her about her article for the last couple of days. He knew she wanted her cousin to share in her passion for… oh. Oh. Now he got it.

He slid off the desk and leaned over Lois' shoulder. "With another journalist here, especially a competent one, Chloe will be ecstatic. Think of the potential for investigating more angles and stories. You know she'll be in her glory bossing us both around."

Lois rolled her head back and groaned. "Great. Now I'm really going to have to get out of Mayberry. My cousin on a power trip is not healthy for anyone's sanity."

He grinned at the thought. It was true. Chloe would be happy to have her cousin more involved in her life, including the things she loved. And Chloe excited could make her a little hard to handle.

But there was no way she'd get jealous or insecure with Lois at the Torch. At least he didn't think so. He hoped not, anyway.

He turned back to the screen. "Lois, there's no I in serythro. It's a y."