Chapter 4- Bonding Time

One Month Later…

"Oh my God, did you see that guy?" with a husky voice, "Hey babe my name is Carl, and I know I'm the man for you".

Michelle was perched on the side of Clark's desk currently retelling the incident of what occurred at the restaurant they went to last night; when a "suave" guy tried to pick up a woman sitting at the bar area with a friend. It was bad enough that the guy tried to use a pick up line, but it was made even worst when the guy found out that the woman he was trying to pick up wasn't even playing for the same team, and that her friend was actually her girlfriend.

Clark, though he was there when it happened couldn't help but laugh at the retelling. Michelle had put her own twist on the story, and that made it drastically better. Out of the corner of his eye he also couldn't help but to watch Lois as she mocked Michelle. Every few seconds her mouth and head would move in a mocking manner, all while she typed on her keyboard. He should have somehow subtly reprimanded her, but he found her actions cute…in a Lois kind of way.

As he continued to look at Michelle, while at the same time trying to watch Lois, he heard a cry for help off in the distance.

He quickly jumped up from his chair surprising both Michelle and Lois, he reached for his jacket and began to stutter out an excuse.

"Ah, Michelle…y-you know it's about lunch time, so how bout I go pick us up a few sandwiches", hearing a robbery in progress, "a-and maybe stop by your favorite pastry stand and get you a..ah cupcake".

Looking clearly surprised by his change in demeanor, and sudden movement Michelle replied, "Ah, okay. Thanks, and don't forget I like honey mustard on my sandwich".

Reaching out towards Clark before he bolted off, Michelle grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him within reach of her lips, and gave him a not so chaste kiss. After a few seconds of his lips she gently pushed him away and wiped her lipstick off his lips with her thumb.

"O, and uh hurry back"

Clark simply nodded and retreated towards the stairs.

As he flew towards the building where a woman was dangling off the ledge and a man was retreating into the stair well, his mind drifted back to the incident at the Planet. It wasn't unusual for Michelle to kiss him, when considering they had been dating nearly a month now. But that was the first time she'd kissed him openly in the bullpen, and in front of Lois. When she kissed him, for the first time since their first kiss, he felt really uncomfortable. He didn't know if it was because it was in broad daylight with all of their coworkers around, or if it was because Lois was sitting less the three feet away.

Deciding he could think about his issues later, he refocused his attention on the young woman who he'd just helped down off the ledge of the building, making sure she was okay, and then handing her off to the paramedics.

"Hey Sups, people are saying there was a man up there with her, did you see anyone else up there?" asked an officer.

"Yeah, he ran into the building just as I showed up, I'm going to fly thru the building to see if I can find him". With a nod towards the officer, he turned with the intention to fly off, when he felt a sudden breeze on his face.

When he turned he was clearly surprised to see a man dressed in red, with yellow boots, with things that looked like lightning bolts sticking out the sides of his head, and with a yellow lightning bolt in the middle of his chest, and in one of his arms the man who was also on the roof of the building.

"Here you go officer", the guy in the red spandex suit said as he handed over the suspect.

Finally turning towards Clark with a smile, "Sup big guy?"

After finally hearing the man's voice, recognition didn't come to Clark. So he did something that some would say is really unfair of him to do in regards to another superheroes identity, but in this case he was fairly sure who the man beneath the mask was, he just couldn't believe it.

As he used his x-ray vision to peel away the layer of the mask, Clark saw his old friend Bart Allen. It had been years since he'd seen him, and apparently in those years his growth spurt had finally kicked in because now he didn't really have to look down too far to acknowledge him.

In a questioning whisper, "Bart?"

"Yep, it's all me". Leaning in to whisper, he continued, "O and the names Flash out here in public big guy". With mock offence, " And I should feel offended that you violated my privacy by using your vision thingy on me, what if I wanted to keep my identity a secret and be some sort of blurry lone ranger going around saving lives and be immortalized for the work I'm doing"?

With annoyance in his voice. "Bart?"

"You know I can see it now. The Blur…or Flash, doesn't matter, they both mean I'm… you know fast. Anyway, The Blur/ Flash saves the day, did u…

"Bart?

"Yeah man?"

In a hushed tone, "Shut up, and let's go somewhere where we can talk without having to whisper"

"Okay lead the way big guy, or maybe I should, seeing as I'm faster than you" replied Bart with a mocking smile.

"Bart, just meet me at the farm"

"Whatever you say big guy", with that said, he blurred off towards the Kent farm.

Still standing, looking at the spot where Bart was just standing, Clark shook his head and took off into the sky towards the robbery in progress, with the intention of meeting Bart at the farm afterwards.

-The Bullpen-

After Clark had suddenly left, O, but not before smooching the woman who was still sitting at his desk. Lois tried her damndest not to blow a fuse, or stomp off into the break room.

I was pissed; I can't even tell who I'm more pissed off at, Clark, or his "girlfriend". I really don't like that word, especially when it's associated with that woman and Clark, hell, I don't even like her name. Michelle just doesn't sound right rolling off my tongue. Ughhh! And to make matters worse, the woman was still sitting at Clark's desk as if she belonged there. And she didn't seem to be taking my subtle hints to leave no matter how hard I typed, how loud I shuffled papers that didn't need shuffling, or how LOUD I sighed. The dope just sat there in Clark's chair without a care in the world. Unbelievable!

With her frustration mounting, her mind veered to the man who she couldn't believe was dating the woman across from her. She couldn't believe that he would just up and leave saying that he was going to buy that other woman lunch and not even acknowledge her, I mean we're partners for crying out loud. Isn't there supposed to be some kind of 'bro's before hoes' kind of deal in a partnership?

Ughhh, that man. I love him, but he's just…I can't even find the word to describe what kind of idiot he is at the moment.

As soon as she thought this, her eyes popped with realization. If Michelle or anyone were to have looked at her in her moment of realization, they would have simply thought she had some sort of break in a story she was writing, but only Lois knew that the break she had, had nothing to do with a story.

Of course she knew she felt love for Clark, but she'd never really admitted it so easily to herself. Whenever she would think about Clark and the way she feels about him, she always felt guilt. Guilt that had to do with the fact that she was still engaged to a man that was apparently head over heels for her, guilt because she didn't feel the same way for him, and guilt because she was afraid of hurting him. With that she was reminded by something her cousin pointed out a month earlier, "…either way you try to tackle this thing someone gets hurt…", and that was the one thing that made her afraid to vocalize her feelings towards either man.

"Hey Lois, Clark is taking an awfully long time isn't he"?

With a huff, and a lack of interest in her voice, "I would think so, seeing as he left to get you lunch over thirty minutes ago". Shaking her head, the gall of that woman, to ask about Clark's errant lateness when he completely forgot about her.

Not hearing the exasperation in Lois' voice Michelle continued, "Oh well then. Since he doesn't seem to be coming back anytime soon I'm going to the vending machine to soothe my need for food", rising from Clark's chair with a look towards Lois, "do you want anything, because knowing the way you eat, you're probably famished"

In the fifteen seconds before Michelle addressed Lois, any bystander would attest to the fact that the normally riled up and talkative Lois Lane was 'peacefully' working on an assignment. She may have looked a little frazzled, but no one would disagree with the fact that there was a constant rhythm of her fingers hitting her keyboard keys with rapid succession. Hell, you could say she looked like a soothed baby, but if you were smart you wouldn't say that aloud.

Now fifteen seconds after Michelle's comment, the bullpen had gone eerily silent. Fingers weren't hitting keys, papers weren't being shuffled, and all eyes were trained on the once peaceful woman.

The woman in question had stopped typing, her breathing became obviously shallow, and if you looked just close enough you'd notice a slight twitch in her right eye. There was a storm coming, and everyone was glad not to be Michelle Atkins.

Lois during the sudden stillness of the bullpen did a little introspection.

That bitch! First she starts dating Clark, then she insults me and my cousin when they first met, and NOW she has the f***ing balls to question or even insinuate about my eating habits. Taking a deep and calming breath. Okay Lois, breathe…breathe…and breathe again. We are not going to let slutty Anna get to us, we're just gonna forget she spoke a word. We're going to think about Smallville, and what the Boy Scout would do. Yes, what would Smallville do? Smallville in this situation would look adorably pleased that someone thought of him, and then pleasantly say 'yea thanks'. Lois you're Smallville, breathe and be Smallville…dammit

With a devilish smile, and a sugary sweet tone, "You know what Michelle no, I don't want anything from the vending machine, and further I'd appreciate it O so much if you'd get out of Clark's chair and do what in my opinion, your being overpaid for"

With a stunned look on her face, Michelle walked away feeling like she should have been thoroughly insulted. The tone of Lois' voice didn't hint at any under lying malice, and this left her confused.

With a shrug she thought, Maybe she hit a snag in her story.

Seeing that there would be no eruption of Mt. Lois, the bullpen went back to its previous rhythm of work.

Lois feeling accomplished and less aggravated, took a deep breath, thanked her channeling of Clark, and went back to work…until her stomach made her presently aware that she was hungry.

Hmm, maybe I do need something from the vending machine…