Chapter 3- Three Times! Continued….

Having eaten lunch with Lois in surprised silence and lack of conversation, Chloe decided to ask Lois to spend the rest of the day together at her and Bruce's penthouse. She was worried about her cousin, and most importantly, she found it really unlike Lois to even go an entire sitting without rambling about something or other. That in itself set off her radar and told her that her cousin was definitely not doing 'fine', no matter how much she asked her and she repeated the same sentiment.

Her attitude at Lucky Luke's was simply unnatural when compared to other outings at the immortal pizza place. Lucky Luke's was a place that held memories of countless crazy college nights of all you can eat pizza contests and even held the order of Lois' own famous extra supreme pizza with everything on it. What she did note however, despite the silence, was that whenever she mentioned a certain farm boy, or the event of what happened at the Planet earlier, her cousin would freeze up, or completely divert the conversation or lack thereof.

With this new found information she knew she had to pull a 'boys suck' girls day. A day where they would sit and watch mushy romantic comedies, with all the junk food they could eat, and before the end gorge themselves on their favorite ice cream. Yep, today definitely calls for it.

When Chloe initially asked her if she wanted to spend the rest of the day at her penthouse, her first thought was that her cousin had sensed her mood.

She tried to keep up with her end of the conversation at Luke's, admittedly she did a poor job of it, but her straying thoughts kept her usual motor mouth in park. The only thing she could think of was Clark with Michelle. Her thoughts kept jumping from one thing to another, but they never jumped too far from Clark.After leaving the restaurant she called Richard and told him of her plans to spend the day with her cousin, and made a regrettable call to Perry and told him that she'd be gone for the rest of the day. To say that he wasn't happy with her decision would be a serious understatement. Lucky for her she had the advantage of not being face to face and was able to hold her cell away from her ear, but at one point she could swear she saw speckles of spit leave the speaker of her phone as he yelled at her.

After five minutes of listening to Perry bellow at her on the sidewalk, she finally ended the call and followed Chloe to where Alfred was ready with the car door already open and ready for them to enter.

Never resisting a chance to try to rile up Alfred, despite her mood, with her signature smirk she teasingly said "thanks Alfie".

The ride to the penthouse was much like the restaurant. Chloe would try to strike up a conversation, but Lois remained in her own little world. Giving up on trying to have a conversation, Chloe sat back and watched her cousin muse to herself. She had to admit, it was a bit humorous to watch Lois ramble to herself.

Silently mouthing as she sat in the car with Chloe and Alfred, "Michelle and Clark, Clark and Michelle." They don't even sound right together. Why did he take her out to lunch, I mean we're supposed to be partners. What does he see in her? Is he planning on dating her? Why should I care, I'm with Richard, and I love him… right? Her last thought made her pause with a conflicted frown on her face, I love Richard, I'm pretty sure I love him. He's a sweet honest man, with great teeth, and a nice smile. What's not to like… I mean love, I meant love, Lois you meant love. With a triumphant smile on her face, Yes Lois you love Richard, Clark's the past, or in the past, no, Clark doesn't matter…right? With and angered look, damn you Clark…

Finally reaching the penthouse, and feeling that it was past due that she pry some information out of her cousin, Chloe made her way to the fully stocked kitchen and began to rifle through all the junk food that was currently in the pantry.

"So cuz, what do you wanna do tonight?", still going through the pantry, "I have all of our favorite movies, and any and every junk food imaginable."

Seeing Alfred standing in the opening of the kitchen Chloe turned to him, "Alfred, Lois and I will be fine for the rest of the evening, and if we need your help Lois or I will be sure to call for you." Seeing Alfred about to remind her of something, she quickly interrupted with a smile, "o and I can assure you, neither Lois nor I will even go near the stove".

Feeling satisfied, Alfred turned to leave, "good evening Ms. Lane", and with a smile towards Chloe, "Mrs. Wayne".

Throwing her purse on the far end of the long elegant white couch, kicking off her shoes, and removing her suit jacket, Lois plopped exasperatedly on the couch. Wow, this thing is really comfortable, I could definitely get used to this.

Finding the remote to the overly large plasma TV, she turned it on and went to the television guide to see what was on. Out the corner of her eye she could see her cousin struggling with all the snacks in her hands, it was wrong of her, but she sat for a second to watch her cousin amusingly try to juggle the food in her hands. Feeling that it was time to help she got up and began to take some things from Chloe, "here Chlo, let me help you with these."

"Thanks Lo, though it took you long enough".

"Sorry Chlo, I figured you'd make it over here before I actually got up to help".

Dropping an arm full of snacks on the coffee table, Chloe turned to Lois and motioned for her to sit on the couch. Not bothering to look at the TV, she sat and stared at Lois for a moment to see if she would start talking.

Knowing that Chloe was openly staring at her and not the TV, Lois finally gave up and in a soft voice "I'm confused, I shouldn't be, but I am."

With a confused look, Chloe spoke, "Lo, what are you confused about and why shouldn't you be", she knew what she said was basically a restatement, but what else could she say. She finally got Lois talking, and she wanted her to continue.

With a single breath she replied, "I'm confused about Clark and what I'm feeling for him, and about the way I feel and am supposed to feel for Richard", with a deep breath she continued, "I mean when he showed up a week ago at the Planet as my new partner, I was more than surprised, I was shocked. When he left to travel the world, I didn't know where we stood, and after everything that happened between us, or didn't but could've happened, I thought I missed my chance with him. It took a while after he left for me to finally accept that, but I did, or at least thought I did".

With a look of shock, "wow, Lois, I mean wow. I knew this had something to do with Clark, but wow."

She knew she should have more to say than 'wow', but to learn that her ex-boyfriend Jimmy was right about Lois and Clark having feelings for each other was a lot, considering they never dated during college and whenever they were confronted with the idea Lois would scoff and make some off handed comment, while Clark would laugh it off and turn a slight shade of red. When Clark left for his training, she did notice that Lois was a bit different. Her sudden interest in a specific type of man should have set off alarm bells.

When Lois first started working at the Planet her first boyfriend was a lawyer named Robert. Robert unlike his colleagues was deluded with the fight for justice in a corrupt system. He was a tall, dark haired man, with an innate sense for justice and for doing the right thing. If he didn't scream 'Clark', then she really wasn't paying attention, then again it could've been because she had a certain billionaire trying to ask her out on a date.

When Lois and Robert broke it off because he was relocating to Washington, where according to Lois he was 'taking the fight for justice to a place where it really mattered', it didn't take long for Lois to rebound. A month later she literally ran into Richard, they started officially dating a week later, around the same time she finally accepted Bruce's request for a date. They dated for about two and a half years and just two weeks ago got engaged, whereas a year after Bruce and her started dating they got engaged and married a month later.

Finally breaking the overbearing silence, Lois turned to the TV and saw that Bridgette Jones's Diary was currently playing. Turning the channel to that station, she sat and waited for her cousin to stop staring at her with her mouth open and actually say something.

"Ok Chloe, are you gonna stop staring at me or not?"

"Well, I mean you just said something that shocked me into silence"

"When you think about it it's really not that shocking, I mean Clark and I did have chemistry, he obviously thought so, to have asked me out three times."

"Clark asked you out three times?"

With a shrug, "Yeah, the first time he asked I don't think either of us was ready, he was getting over 'the Pink Princess', and I was getting over Ollie, so it was only right that I said no, I didn't want either one of us to be each other's rebound and that's what we would've been to each other."

Turning to finally face her cousin, and with a reminiscent look "the second time he asked, we were in our sophomore year, he was walking me back to my dorm after he escorted me to the spring social. He walked me up to my room door, and then he asked me again", with an amused smile, "in his own Smallville way."

"The reason I said no that time was because I wasn't ready. I didn't think I could handle a relationship with him, and knowing that if it didn't work out, that I'd not only be losing a best friend, but my heart." As she finished, a slight crack could be heard in her voice.

Not feeling that she could break down in front of Chloe and then pretend that everything was alright tomorrow in front of Richard and Clark, she quickly steeled herself.

Recomposing herself, she continued, "the third time he asked, it was actually the week before he announced that he was leaving to travel the world. After he made the announcement, he and I went for a walk around the farm."

In a reminiscent tone she continued, "I remember we were walking in silence not knowing what to say to each other, and then he stepped in front of me and took both of my hands in his. He had the most determined look in his eyes, and then he kissed me. I kissed him back because it felt right and because I wanted to. When he pulled away, that's when he asked me. He told me that in the week he had left that we could date and then if I wanted we could try a long distance type thing, though I did note that he said the last part without much conviction.

With a sigh, "as you can already guess, I said no. I didn't want to have him for a week and then do a long distance relationship that's been proven time and time again to rarely if ever work, and plus I didn't want him making a commitment knowing that there was so much of the world for him to see. If I would've said yes, I would've been the anchor to his ship," with emphasis, "and Lois Joanne Lane is no one's anchor".

Finally finishing and looking up at her cousin, Lois waited for a reply.

With a shake of her head and a look and tone of disbelief, "three times!" staring at Lois for a moment with a confused look, "three times, you mean to tell me reluctant of commitment Clark Kent asked you out twice in the span of four years that we were in college and once before we even left Smallville?"

In a calmer and understanding tone, "I mean after hearing your reasoning, I get it, but now that he's back what are you gonna do. I mean the way I see it either way you try to tackle this thing someone gets hurt, but if these feelings that your feeling for Clark is strong enough then I think you should go for it. Richard's a nice guy and all, but this is Clark," not knowing how else to describe the man that they both knew she continued, "he's Clark, and besides if you don't do anything, then I'm sure he and Michelle will live happily ever after. After you and Richard do of course." Knowing that what she said was a low blow, she waited for her cousin to erupt.

Instead of Instead of erupting like her cousin thought she would, Lois sat silently fuming and thinking of some disturbing things to do to Michelle if she even did anything with Clark.

- Clark's Apartment -

As he entered his apartment, and threw his keys on the end table next to the door, he couldn't stop smiling.

After he had taken Michelle out to lunch, where he found her company to be pretty enjoyable, especially the fact the she had an even bigger case of 'foot in mouth' syndrome than Lois, he went back to the Planet to find that Lois wasn't at her desk. Deciding he didn't want to know where she was, he sat trying to finish up his work, until Michelle came up to ask him out to dinner. At first he didn't know what to say, but then thinking about Lois being with Richard, it was really a no brainer. Lois apparently was engaged to some dud, so he could date whoever he wanted.

The dinner like lunch was also enjoyable, and when he thought about it, Michelle was really beautiful, and maybe she was the person he needed to get over Lois.

Before he finally closed his eyes to sleep, whether he was aware or not, the one person he was trying to forget was the only name whispered from his lips

"Lois"

Okay, that was long... Chapter 4 probably won't be up til the weekend

*Let me know what you think *