It had been several weeks since Lois and Oliver split. She was still down, but Clark and Chloe had been so supportive it was hard to stay sad for long. It was only late at night when the depression started to creep over the corners. But Lois was strong. She could get past this, she could handle this, as she had handled everything else she'd ever come across.
And it didn't hurt that Clark seemed to have gotten past his despair at Lana's acceptance of Lex's proposal. In fact, he seemed to be happier than he'd been even when they had been together. And if Smallville could do it, so could she.
One morning, she and Chloe were having breakfast in the Talon apartment. There was a knock on the door, and then the man himself walked in the door. "Hey Chloe," he said. "Jimmy said you weren't answering your phone, so I thought I'd drop by and see if everything was okay."
Lois snorted. "God, you can be such a boy scout sometimes, you know that Smallville?" The strangest look passed across Clark's face. It was like he couldn't decide whether to laugh or tear his hair. He'd had that look on a lot lately. It perturbed her. And when Lois was out of her depth, there was only one conceivable course of action. She made use of her razored tongue.
"Yeah, you know, most people would just call and check in. You tramp in here and totally destroy my peaceful breakfast," she said as witheringly as she could manage. Clark's eyebrows shot up. "Peaceful? You? In... anything? I find that hard to believe. And just for your information, I did call. Chloe's cell phone is off, yours went to voicemail, and your land line is disconnected."
That was better. This was how it was supposed to be; Clark teasing her and (though she'd never admit it) making an excellent point, her answering back in the greatest height of sarcasm. Anything else just annoyed her and, if she was really being honest, scared the hell out of her.
She grinned. "What? Seriously? I find that hard to believe. Chloe paid the phone bill last month, after all." Chloe raised her eyebrows. "Um... Lo? Last month was your month to pay the bills," she said. Lois felt her stomach dropped, and she reached over to pick up the phone.
"Dammit! No dial tone. God I hate it when you're right, Smallville," she groaned. He grinned cockily. "You must hate a good portion of your life then," he teased. "Oh, don't you wish," she answered back. "How about you get out so Chloe and I can finish our breakfast in relative calm?"
He shrugged. "I'll let Jimmy know your phone's dead," he said, and reluctantly turned to leave the apartment.
Lois smiled triumphantly. She'd won this round, at least. Clark Kent got the better of her far more often than she'd like. She turned around to find Chloe looking at her, perplexed.
"What?" Lois asked. "What the hell was that?" Chloe asked, looking unusually serious. Lois cocked an eyebrow. "What the hell was what?"
"That," Chloe said. "You've been moping all morning. You might not have thought so, but I know you. There was no complaining when I made the coffee, no complaining about your jerk editor, no complaining about the complete lack of leads on your latest story... whether you know it or not, this whole Oliver thing has really messed with you.
"But the second Clark walked in you just... lit up. And you've started repeating his phrases. 'I find that hard to believe' was definitely his line first." Lois looked incredulous. "What are you talking about? You make it sound like I've got a thing for... for Smallville? Are you freaking kidding me? I'd think you, of all people, would know better than that."
"Fervent denial noted," Chloe said calmly. "I just call it as I see it, Lo." Lois folded her arms, and Chloe held up one hand in defeat. "Fine, fine. I'm officially butting out." What Lois didn't see was Chloe's other hand, fingers crossed behind her back.
"By the way, the Green Arrow's been spotted in Star City. Maybe you should pay him a visit." Lois looked surprised. "Really? What's he doing there?" she asked. Chloe shrugged. "It's where he first showed up, you know. Maybe he got homesick. Or maybe Metropolis just ticked him off."
Lois grinned. "Well, there are a couple of charity events going on in Star City next weekend. Maybe I just will drop in and poke around." Chloe gave her a knowing look. "I mean... it would be a fantastic story if I could unmask him," she hastened to add. Chloe smiled and left the apartment, determined that for once she would actually arrive at the Planet on time. The three hour drive was killer.
Alone in the apartment, Lois smiled to herself. Picking up her cell phone, she dialed her editor. "Yeah, Mr. Forston? Lois Lane. Listen, I think I might have an angle on some of those charity events in Star City. Next weekend. Yes. Yeah, I can do that." She continued to listen for a few minutes, occasionally scribbling down a quick note on the pad of paper sitting in front of her. She hung up the phone and grinned wickedly. "You can't hide from me, whoever you are..." she said absently, gazing out the window.
Clark was waiting outside the Daily Planet, as per the instructions Chloe had left on his voicemail earlier that afternoon. When she finally made her way through the revolving doors, he stood up from the table where he had been sitting. They walked together to her car, and he slid into the passenger seat.
"Hey. So what was so important it couldn't wait until you got back to Smallville?" he asked. "One of these days I just know I'm going to regret sticking my nose in where I probably shouldn't," Chloe sighed. Clark shot her a look as she turned onto the main road that would take them to the highway.
Taking a deep breath, she began. "Well, I've been doing a little Watchtower work for Oliver on the side--" "What!? Are you... is he crazy?" Clark shouted. "No, no no no!" Chloe interrupted before he could get any further. "I haven't been going with them or anything. Just long-range guidance and some hacking and stuff." Clark calmed at her words, but he still didn't look too happy. Chloe concentrated on the entrance ramp to the highway for a moment before continuing.
"Anyway, after one of their more recent missions, they came by the Planet to pick up some hard copy stuff from me, and I got a chance to talk to AC." Momentary dread crossed Clark's face, only to be replaced by a kind of resignation. "You'd think he'd know to keep a guy's hangover ravings private," Clark sighed. "Yeah, he mentioned something about kryptonite beer... but what really interested me was... something else."
Clark nodded. "Yeah, I know. It's just so crazy, you know? I never thought I would be in love with anyone but Lana, and this... I can hardly see straight when I'm around her." Chloe looked at him, silently urging him to continue.
Encouraged, Clark plunged on. "It's not a relationship I'd have ever even considered, but now that I realize I've got... feelings for Lois, it just feels so... right. Even if we're not together, even if she just sees me as an annoying little brother or something, being in love with her is so... easy."
Chloe turned to face him and said seriously, "So are you going to do anything about it?" Clark shrugged. "I want to. But it just doesn't seem like the right time. I mean, she's still upset about Oliver, and I know how much that hurts..." Chloe nodded. "Well, she might be hurting still, but she's not the only one that kiss made one hell of an impression on. She's planning a trip to Star City next weekend."
Clark looked questioningly at her. "I may or may not have let it slip that Green Arrow was back in Star City. She's going up there next weekend on the pretext of covering some of those charity events. One of which is sponsored by your mother..." Chloe trailed away, and Clark gave her an apprehensive look. "Please tell me you're not suggesting what I think you're suggesting," he groaned. Chloe gave him an evil grin. "Did I mention that one of them is a costume party?" she asked.
"Dear god, I look horrible! This is not what Oliver's costume looked like!" Clark said, staring at himself in the floor length mirror in the Talon apartment. Lois had left for her hotel in Star City several hours before.
"Look, the costume store was nice enough to let me rent this for a week, half charge. It's not an exact replica, but it's enough to fool anybody who hasn't seen it up close," Chloe explained. "Which Lois has," Clark pointed out.
"Well, I doubt she'll notice. She'll be too preoccupied with trying to get your hood off," Chloe said. "Yeah, and that's another problem. She's not going to be too happy if she succeeds. I mean, to her, I'm just her cousin's best friend," Clark said.
"Clark, shut up and stop trying to talk yourself out of this. And quite honestly, I think Lois pretty much sees you as her best friend as well as mine. Maybe more..." she trailed away. Clark gave her a questioning look. "I don't think you'd get it, it's a girl thing. But she was so down about Oliver over the past few weeks, and whenever you walked into the room she just... relaxed. It was like she was really able to be herself again. I don't know how to explain it better than that."
"That may be, but I still don't like this idea. I mean, the last time I let you talk me into anything involving costumes, we wound up being attacked by vampires," Clark argued, in a last-ditch effort to get out of this.
"That was a freak accident and you know it," Chloe said. "Now, your mom made reservations for you at the Whiteside Hotel. You are going to go, and you are going to check in, and then you're going to attend your mom's charity ball, and then you are going to go and find Lois and you are going to sweep her off her feet." She handed him a fully packed suitcase and a clothesbag for the Green Arrow costume. Clark sighed and took them.
"Fine. I'll call you and let you know how it goes. Most likely I'll be calling to ask you again why the hell I let you talk me into this." And then he supersped out of the apartment, out of Smallville, and away north in the direction of Star City.