Chapter One

"Maybe he's here looking for a wife."

"In Metropolis?" Jenny shook her head at her coworker before returning her attention to the paperwork before her. "I doubt it."

Cheryl giggled. "You never know."

"Who's looking for a wife?" Lana walked past the front desk and to her makeshift mailbox. She narrowed her eyes playfully and tried to suppress a giggle herself. "You guys wouldn't be holding out on me, would you?"

If anyone ever wanted the day's scoop, all they had to do is stop by the city's renown psychiatric office. That's where Gossip Queen Cheryl Cross could be found, working as one of Dr. Lang's secretaries.

"Girl, please don't tell me you haven't heard." Jumping up from her swivel chair, Cheryl tailed Lana into her office, an expectant look upon her countenance.

Jenny quietly made her way past Cheryl in the doorway to pass the young psychiatrist today's schedule. Respectful and a little shy, Jenny Pryce was like the protective mother of the three; the counterpart to Cheryl's independent, easygoing nature.

"Swann?" Pausing, as if waiting to strike a chord but missing, Cheryl continued, "Dr. Virgil Swann of Swann Communications…He's in town."

Lana tossed The Daily Planet on her desk along with her keys before exchanging a glance with Jenny. "I've heard of him. I thought he lived in New York."

Her eyes sparkling with excitement, Cheryl spilled the juicy news of the day, " He does. That's why his visit is such a mystery. Everyone is talking about it! I mean, the guy hasn't left his home in years, and then all of a sudden he just jumps on an airplane for an impulsive sojourn to our fair city? I don't buy it. He's got a reason."

"Like finding a wife?" Jenny giggled and poked Cheryl in the side.

"Scoff all you want. The guy's probably getting up there in his years. Guess he figures it's about time he makes a love connection." Cheryl waggled her eyebrows at the two. "And speaking of love connections, Lana…You won't believe what arrived this morning via carrier." She popped her gum while leaning against the door frame, that ever present smirk lingering on her face.

"Oh really?" Lana settled her shoulder bag next to her chair and dropped her pile of mail on the desk, sharing a smile with Jenny. "What's that?"

Cheryl held up a finger and darted out the office a second before reappearing with a large bouquet of assorted flowers and a large grin. "Ta da!"

Lana stood from her desk to admire the beautiful gift. "Who sent them?" she inquired.

"Um…" Cheryl plucked a small card hidden within the pedals and handed it to her boss. "Here."

Lana unfolded the note to handwriting she knew very well. "Aw…it's from Derek."

"Derek…you mean your boyfriend Derek?" Cheryl placed her hands on her hips and pouted. "The boyfriend I have yet to meet? That Derek?"

Lana smiled sheepishly before answering, "The one and only."

Jenny snatched the card from Lana's slender fingers and held it under her glasses. "'Can't wait to see you. It's felt like an eternity.'" Jenny looked up from the card to her friend. "How long has he been gone?"

Lana sighed and ran her hand across the lilacs, leaning down to breath in the scent. "Three days."

Cheryl swallowed her gum, "Three days!?" Lana nodded.

Cheryl grabbed the small love note from Jenny and continued reading, "'Meet me at seven this Friday. You know where…'" Cheryl huffed. "How come you always get the good ones? I always get stuck with the drug addicts and psycho stalkers."

Lana chuckled at the petite blond, "Believe me. I've definitely had my share of those too."

"Well," Cheryl tossed the note onto Lana's desk and then crossed her arms, "This Derek sounds like a keeper."

Lana's face suddenly fell, and she looked down sadly at pink card in front of her eyes. "Yea…a keeper."

Her boss' frown was not lost on Jenny, she hooked her hand around Cheryl's arm and steered her out to the front desk. "We better get back to work…lots to do."

Lana looked up for a moment to catch Jenny's reassuring glance. After taking a deep breath, the young psychiatrist unfolded her newspaper to catch up with the world before her first appointment arrived.

That evening, Lana opened her apartment door to find the Dynamic Duo watching Kate and Leopold on the plasma screen while pigging out on her popcorn stash - good ole Chloe and Lois.

Chloe was the first to tear her eyes away from Hugh Jackman and acknowledge her friend. "Hey, Lana. How was work?"

Lana shook her head and dropped all her stuff on the counter.

Chloe frowned and muted the movie, "That bad, huh?"

Trudging over to her sofa, Lana Lang stepped over Lois' propped up feet and just collapsed between her best friends.

"Lana - "

"It's nothing I can't handle." Lana sighed and sat up straight, stealing a sip of Chloe's dr. pepper.

Rolling her eyes, Lois placed the popcorn bowl on the coffee table and turned to face her friend. "Look Lana, we both know you're tough but, no offense, you look like crap."

"Gee, thanks, Lois." Lana fiddled with a napkin corner and looked around the room. The fan, the television, anywhere but at her two best friends. "It's just been a hectic week…hectic month is more like it."

"How about a weekend getaway?" Chloe offered, munching on some junk food. "We haven't left the city in a while."

"I'm already behind schedule. Just too much to do." Lana shrugged and sighed once more.

Lois gathered up the popcorn bowl and their empty cans of soda, bringing them to the sink. "You've been working yourself too hard, Lana. You really do need a break. Cut back some appointments or whatever."

Looking back at her cousin, Chloe scrunched her eyebrows, "Can psychiatrists even do that? I mean, aren't these sessions keeping the mentally unstable from toppling over the brink of insanity."

"And you," Lana chuckled, swatting the giggling body beside her with the television guide, "have been reading too much fiction. My patients aren't that bad. They just got some issues to work out."

"You say that now," Lois winked at her cousin, "but without the marvelous Dr. Lana Lang, who knows where these people would be? Lost, plain lost."

Lana rolled her eyes and threw her arms up in the air dramatically, "Fine! Fine, I give. I'll check with some of my patients next week to see if with we can cut back on some of the sessions. I do, after all, have some people in my office every day."

"Oh, Lana! You wouldn't happen to have some hottie stashed away, stopping by every day to work out his issues." Lois nudged Lana in the ribs, smirking.

Lana grabbed a pillow and smacked Lois in the face, laughing the whole time. Lois feigned hurt. "Serves you right."

Chloe smiled at the two, shaking her head. Pulling out the disk, she flipped back to cable, which was still on mute. The news was on, and plastered across the screen was the headline "Swann visits Metropolis!"

"Swann this, and Swann that. It's like the only thing the city can talk about." Lana made a frustrated sound. "It's not like they have any real information anyway. I mean, it's all speculation and rumor as to why Swann is here. He could very well just be passing through!"

Chloe and Lois looked at each other.

"What? What was that look?" Lana waited, her eyes darting between the two.

"Well," Lois began, delicately, "We might know something. I mean, being reporters and all." The smirk was back.

"Haha, very funny. Now spill." Lana jumped on the couch and crossed her legs, hugging a pillow close to her chest as if anticipating story time.

Chloe leaned up against the kitchen counter, looking up to the ceiling as if the answers were up there. "Now, we don't have a lot -"

"Gah! Then just tell me what you got!" Lana was practically squeezing that poor pillow to death.

"All right," Chloe held in a giggle, "All right, we are able to confirm that last night Dr. Swann left his mansion helipad alone. He was supposed to arrive around three this morning unannounced and under the cover of night."

"This is the part where everything gets hazy," Lois chipped in, resting her elbows on the counter by her cousin. "The jet was late. Apparently, it took a little detour about an hour off it's route. The reports say that two passengers disembarked that morning."

"Swann must have picked someone up on his way over." Chloe tilted her head and shrugged her shoulders. "We just don't know who yet."

Lana nodded and digested the new information. "Got it. Well, if you find out anything else…"

"Don't worry," Lois chuckled. "We'll call you."

Just then, Chloe's beeper went off, making the reporter jump. "Oh, sorry, Lana. Duty calls." She rushed around the apartment, gathering her belongings. "We'll talk more this weekend." Grabbing her jacket and throwing it over her shoulder, she had to practically drag Lois out of the apartment.

"Bye Lana! Be good!" Lois winked and slammed the door behind her.

Lana looked around the now-empty room and her smile fell once more. She never liked living alone, especially at night.

She picked up her stack of mail on her way to the bedroom. Might as well crash early. She kicked off her heels while shuffling through the letters. Junk. Junk. Taxes. Junk. Taxes. Junk…

Lana squinted, trying to make out what was plainly in front of her eyes. She blinked and rubbed her temples before looking down one more time. It was still there…In her hands was an envelope addressed to her, and in the upper left hand corner, although unbelievable, was the official Swann Communications logo.