I do not own Smallville. This story is completely AU, so Lex and Tess are not brother and sister!:) Please, read and review:). Enjoy:)

5 years later…

Lois, Clark and Oliver are 30 and they met at Yale University. Lois and Clark began dating when they were 20, after being best friends for 2 years. They are now married and have babies, Jane and Ben Lane-Kent. Chloe is 28 and she moved to live with Lois when she was 11 for reasons which will soon become clean and Chloe attended Metropolis University "Met U". A year ago, she married Jimmy Olsen and had a baby, Nicolas Sullivan. Lex met Clark when he moved to Smallville at the age of 18. He and Tess are 34 and they have 2 sons, Alexander and James Luthor, 10 and 4-Lex and Tess both attended Kansas State University. Tess is Clark's adopted sister and she and Lex are not half-brother and sister, so there is no incest. Felicity is a childhood friend of Oliver's and they began dating after Chloe and Jimmy married.

Chapter 1: 5 years later…

Clark Lane-Kent descended the stairs in his home after dressing for work. He now worked for Oliver, at Queen Industries and Lois had been a writer until she had gone on maternity leave to have the twins, Jane and Benjamin Lane-Kent, which she had only done a month before their birth. He walked into the kitchen and saw that Lois was feeding Jane and Benjamin their breakfast whilst they were in their chairs, as it was the only way to keep them still. Clark walked over to his children and kissed them on the head. "What time did you get up?" he asked his wife.

"About 5. You slept like a baby." Lois remarked, smiling, with a sparkle in her eyes which Clark had not seen since their twins had been born. She leaned forward and they kissed, before Clark began rummaging around for his own breakfast. "Is there any food?"

Rolling her eyes, Lois replied, "Yeah, there's some in the fridge. I'll go shopping today." Clark sighed and murmured, "I'm sorry for snapping." He turned to his wife and squeezed her free hand. "I really am sorry, Lois."

Lois smiled. "Smallville, it's fine. I'll go shopping today, I promise." She paused, then asked, "Are you-are you regretting having Jane and Benjamin?"

Clark stared at her in shock. "Lois, how can you ask that? I love them more than anything, besides you. I'm so glad that we decided to have children, because it's made me realise just how precious life is. I would give my life for them without a second thought and I'd do the same for you. You know that." He smiled and was relieved to see Lois smile back and she replied, "Yeah, I do, Smallville. I know and I understand." Clark leaned closer to her and they kissed passionately, before he whispered, "I love you." He then kissed Jane and Benjamin goodbye and left the house to go to work.

"Clark!" He turned and Lois ran over to him and hugged him, before going back into the house to take care of their babies. Clark smiled to himself and made his way to work. Once there, he walked into his friend, Lex Luthor, who immediately said, "I need to talk to you." The two friends walked into Clark's office. Lex was married Clark's adoptive sister, Tess, and they had been married since their early 20s, so over ten years and they had two sons together Alexander Luthor, who was 10 and James Luthor who was 4. "What's up, Lex?" Clark asked, as he opened up his laptop.

Realisation suddenly dawned on Lex's face and he almost ran to the door. "Doesn't matter." He walked out of the room quicker than Clark had ever seen him move. Clark shook his head and began work, hoping that there was nothing wrong with Tess, Alexander or James, although he was quite sure that Lex would have told him if there were.

Meanwhile, in Metropolis, Chloe Sullivan was working whilst feeding her 1-year-old son, Nicolas Sullivan. Her husband, Jimmy Olsen, walked into the room and kissed the baby on the head before kissing Chloe. "You're very good at multi-tasking, Chlo." He remarked, with a smile on his face. "One of the many reasons I married you." They both laughed and kissed again. Their relationship had started over a year ago and they had married when Chloe had discovered that she was pregnant; she and Jimmy had not planned to have a baby so soon, but they loved him more than anything. Chloe was Lois's cousin and her best friend was Oliver Queen. She had worked for Queen Industries before she and Jimmy had married and she now worked for them again, in a leading ICT role.

Jimmy collected food for his breakfast and sat down, "I have an idea. How about we give little Nicolas to his godparents for the night? I'm sure that they wouldn't mind." Nicolas's godparents were Oliver and his girlfriend, Felicity Lance; they had been together since Chloe and Jimmy had married and Chloe was glad that Oliver had found someone to love. "Yeah, I'll go and see Felicity later, she isn't working today." She paused, then asked, "You know that I love you, right?"

"Of course, you wouldn't have married me if you didn't." Jimmy kissed her on the check and Chloe received it with pleasure before walking out of the kitchen to get ready for work. As soon as he was gone, the smile faded from Chloe's face and she inhaled a deep breathe. She did love Jimmy, she always had, but a part of her heart wondered if he was her soul mate, her true love and she knew that sometimes he wondered the same thing; they were not Lois and Clark, they were not destined to be together. So with whom was she destined to be?

Her thoughts were interrupted when the doorbell rang. She picked up Nicolas and carried him to the door and saw that it was Felicity. "Hey, Fel. How are you?" She handed Nicolas to her friend, who made a baby noise, before replying, "I'm fine, thanks-apart from the fact that work is stressful and Oliver's-well, Oliver." She bit her lip and whispered, "I've known him since we were kids, I love him but I'm not sure if he feels the same way about me."

Chloe frowned. "What makes you think that?"

Felicity hesitated, then replied, "I think that he was in love with someone else before he was with me and I think that he can't quite get over her. I love him and I want to marry him, but I don't think that he feels the same way about me. Do you want me to watch Nicolas for you and Jimmy tonight?"

"Yes, please. Jimmy and I would be very grateful. I think that we need some time alone." The two friends talked for a while, then Felicity left to return to her flat and Chloe rang Lois and told her what Felicity had told her and they both wondered who the woman was whom Oliver had loved before Felicity.

As lunchtime came, Clark found Lex in a café. "Lex, what were you going to tell me earlier?" Lex tried to change the subject, but Clark would not give up, so Lex sighed and asked, "Clark, I know that you love Lois, but have you ever… had an affair?"

Clark stared at his friend, before shaking his head and replying slowly, "No. Have you?" When he received no answer, he knew what the answer was. "How many times? With whom?"

Lex looked down at the table as he replied, "Loads of women over the years. There was only one I was in love with, your ex-girlfriend, Lana Lang. I feel really bad about it, I swear I do. I love Tess and I love our sons, but we married too young and we've changed into different people. Tess doesn't know, we used to tell each other everything and now….it's all ruined. Promise me you won't tell anyone." He looked into Clark's eyes. Reluctantly, Clark nodded. "Yeah, I won't tell anyone." Lex knew that his friend would tell Lois, as they told each other everything, as they always had and always would, because they had a pure relationship and they were destined to be together.

After leaving Lex in the café, Clark called Lois to ask her how she and Jane and Benjamin were and she told him what Chloe had told her about Oliver. As she finished, there was a knock on the door of Clark's office, so he told Lois that he would see her soon and invited the person into his office. It was Oliver. "Why are you here so late, doesn't Lois need your help?"

Clark smiled. "I'll go soon. Hopefully, she and I will get some quality time together. I love her more than I can express, you know. The day we married was one of the best days of my life along with the birth of Jane and Benjamin." He paused, then asked, "How are things between you and Felicity?"

Oliver put his hands and his pockets. "We're fine. I mean…we haven't gone to the next level, but there isn't any rush, right?" He bit his lip, then fixed Clark with his piercing stare. "Why are you asking me?"

There was a silence, then his friend answered, "Well, she spoke to Chloe and…she seems to think that you're in love with someone else as well as her. Is that true?"

"Of course it isn't true: I love Felicity!"

"That isn't what I asked." Clark sighed, then asked in a gentle voice, "This other woman you were in love with, what happened between the two of you?" Their eyes met and Clark knew that Oliver was trying to work out if he should tell his best friend the truth or not and the doubt in his eyes were evident. Ever since being orphaned as a young child, Oliver had had problems with trusting people and Clark had learnt that rather quickly when they had been at Yale together. Oliver bit his lip and sighed, "She was my best friend, she still is. I had feelings for her and... I didn't tell her how I felt and she married someone else and they had a baby together."

Clark walked over to his friend and murmured, "I think I know who this person is. You do know that Chloe is never going to leave Jimmy; they love each other and they have a baby together."

"Yeah, I know. I know that."

"Then why are you holding back when it comes to your relationship with Felicity?" Clark asked in a low voice as he met his friend's eyes. "I know that, if Lois had married someone else, I would have been devastated, but in the end, I would have had to accept her wishes and moved on and that's what you need to do. Felicity is a great woman, so stop dwelling on something that never happened and move on." Oliver fixed him with a hard stare, before walking out of the office and slamming the door behind him. He knew that Clark was right, but he also knew that he did not love Felicity the way he loved Chloe and it broke his heart.

That evening, after Felicity collected Nicolas, Chloe and Jimmy sat together on the sofa and watched a film, with their arms around each other. As the film came to an end, Jimmy smiled at his wife. "You know, I know that we didn't plan to have Nicolas, but I love the way our lives are now. It's perfect, isn't it? In a couple of years, I think that we should have some more children, if that's ok with you." They hugged and kissed, but the question which Jimmy had always wanted to ask Chloe was still on his mind, but he kissed his wife and ignored the question which he had ever since they had married. He knew that she loved him and he knew that he loved her, but he also knew that their marriage had been very rushed and he wondered if that haste had been so that she did not change her mind after the baby was born.

Just as Nicolas fell asleep in his cot, there was a knock on the door of Felicity's apartment, so she made sure that Nicolas was asleep and answered it. It was Oliver. "Are you ok, why are you here so late?" she asked, wondering why he was there as he let him into the flat.

"I just came to talk to you, I feel as if I haven't seen you for ages." The two of them stepped inside and Oliver followed his girlfriend into the living room and Felicity stood there, waiting to hear what he had to say. Oliver sighed. "Felicity, you've always been there for me, you were there for me after my parents died all of those years ago and I-I think that I've taken you for granted and I want to apologise for that."

Felicity smiled, her heart racing with every word he said. "Oliver, I know all of that and I know that I love you. Do you love me, I mean the way to love this mystery woman? I know that you're in love with someone else." She said the last part in a whisper, because it pained her to say it. Their eyes met and she saw both love and confusion in her boyfriend's eyes. He walked closer to her and replied, "Ok, I am in love with someone else, but she's married, so that's never going to come to anything and I do love you, Felicity. I really do. You're the best part of my life and you have been for many years. How do you feel about me?"

"Oliver, I love you with all of my heart and I want to spend the rest of my life with you!" Felicity raised her voice, glaring at him, with tears falling down her face, "But I can't be with someone who wishes that I was someone else and I fear that's what would happen if our relationship continues!" She inhaled a deep breath and rubbed her eyes. Oliver was watching her intensely, his heart aching because he was causing her so much pain. "Oliver, do you honestly see a future with me? Do you see yourself marrying me and having kids with me, because that's what I want out of life?"

There was silence, as Oliver put his hand on a side of her face and leant his face closer to hers. Closing her eyes and giving in, Felicity kissed him passionately and he kissed her back with the same force. They whispered that they loved the other as their kiss ended and they held each other in a tight hug, not wanting to let the other go.

Clark opened the front door and tiptoed into the house, because he guessed that the babies were asleep and he did not want to wake them. Lois walked over to him, they kissed and she led him into the kitchen. As they began their dinner, Lois asked, "How was your day, Smallville?"

"It was good, thanks. How was your day?"

Lois chuckled and replied, "I spend all of my day either looking after the twins or cleaning the house. I love them so much… Tess was here earlier. Have you seen Lex today?" Her husband tensed and his face tightened and his wife knew that he knew something which she did not about Lex and Tess's relationship. Moving closer to Clark, she mused, "Let me take a stab in the dark- Lex has had an affair, hasn't he?" Clark looked at her and the look in his eyes was conformation of Lois's fears and she asked how many times it had happened. Clark told her all of what Lex had told him, including the part about Lana Lang.

"I also found out that Oliver is in love with Chloe."

"Chloe, as in my cousin?" Lois asked, shocked. "Well, that makes sense, but why did he not tell her how he felt before she and Jimmy got together?"

Clark shrugged. "I think that he may have told her had she not got pregnant with Jimmy's baby. She loves Jimmy and he loves her." He looked into Lois's eyes and saw doubt, once again showing how well they knew each other. Smiling, he asked, "Do you know something, Lois?"

Lois sat down next to Clark, taking hold of his hands. "All I know is that Chloe thinks that her relationship with Jimmy moved too quickly. I know that she loves him, but sometimes I think she doubts if he's the one for her." She paused, then murmured, "When you and I got together, Smallville, there was no such doubt in my mind. I knew that you were the one, without a doubt."

"I felt the same way and I think the fact that we were friends first helped, because it meant that we already knew each other before he began dating." They both smiled and their faces moved closer together, but Jane began crying, so Lois stood up and ran to her crying, baby daughter. Clark exhaled a deep breath; he loved his children, but he had never shared Lois with anyone before and it was hard to accept that she was not just his anymore.

The next morning, Chloe brought Nicolas to Lois and Clark's house so that she and Lois could spend some time together; she loved Jane and Benjamin as if they were her niece and nephew, which was effectively what they were as she and Lois were like sisters. "After Nicolas was born, did you and Jimmy have problems?" Lois asked, as she began to put down the twins for their nap. Chloe was silent, before answering, "Jimmy and I hadn't been together for a long when Nicolas was born-only about 9 months. We love each other, we tell each other and we know that we do."

"If you were sure of that, you wouldn't have to tell me." Lois remarked, looking at her cousin directly in the eye. "Your relationship with Jimmy moved too quickly. If you hadn't been pregnant, would you have married him so quickly? You were only together for a few weaks when you married, Chlo."

"I don't want to talk about Jimmy! You were the one who asked me the question!" Chloe snapped, but immediately felt guilty. "Lo, trust me, I know true love when I see it. I see the way that you and Clark look at each other and, whatever problems you're facing, you will work it out. The two of you are destined to be together. I've always thought that, ever since you first met."

Lois smiled, then gazed down at her baby twins who were sleeping. "I'm so lucky, I have a wonderful life, a wonderful, loving husband and two beautiful babies. What more could I ask for?" Chloe looked down at her son who was sleeping as well. She loved him, as did Jimmy, but she feared that the problems which plagued her and Jimmy's marriage would affect him. She and Jimmy loved each other, but was that enough?

At work, Clark was interrupted by a knock on the door and he saw that it was Lex, who was looking very nervous. He walked over to Clark and began, "What I told you about-you know-you won't tell Tess, will you? I know she's your adoptive sister, but I haven't had an affair in nearly a year, I swear. I really am trying, Clark, and I know that it goes against your code of ethics, but I do love her and I'm trying."

"Lex, the only reason I haven't told her is because I think that it would cause her far too much pain if it came from me-if anyone is going to tell her, it has to be you."

"Tell who what?" Oliver was standing in the doorway. He and Lex glared at each other, before Lex walked past him and out of the office. Closing the door, Oliver remarked, "I really don't know why you're friends with that guy, Clark. What do you see in him that I don't?"

Sighing, Clark asked, "Why do the two of you hate each other so much? Seriously! I get so fed up with it!" He knew that his voice had risen, but he also knew that Oliver would know that it was not just this which was annoying him. "Clark, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. I'm fine." He paused, then looked up at his friend. "How long were you and Tess together?"

Oliver frowned, wondering why Clark was asking, but he put his hands in his pockets and replied, "Well, we started dating when we were 18 and broke up when we were 20 and shortly after that, she started dating Lex and they got married. Anyway, I've got to get back to work." He walked over to the door before pausing. "Erm, Clark, thanks for the talk yesterday. I think I've sorted things out with Felicity, so thanks." As soon as he was gone, Clark ran his hands through his hair. He was angry with Lex for cheating on Tess, he was angry with Oliver for being in love with Chloe as well as Felicity, he was angry with Chloe for marrying Jimmy so quickly….

That evening, when he returned home, the house was dark because of the hour and the whole house was in silence, which was a rear occurrence since the arrival of the twins. Clark saw Lois sitting in the darkened sitting room and he walked into the room. "I'm sorry, Lois."

"You're not that late, Smallville."

He shook his head, as he slipped off his jacket. "No, I'm not talking about that. I-I feel really guilty. I'm a little jealous of the babies for having all of your attention. I love that you're an amazing mother and that's one of the reasons why I fell in love with you. Also, ever since I met you, you've been my best friend and we've always told each other everything."

Lois smiled. "Smallville, you're my best friend too. Can you stop worrying so much? I love you!"

"What if love isn't always enough?" Clark asked, in a panicky voice, sinking down on the sofa next to his wife. "What love isn't enough? It isn't enough for Chloe and Jimmy or for Tess and Lex, so how can it be enough for us, Lois? How can it?"

Taking hold of his hands and squeezed them, Lois whispered, "Because you and I are a team, Clark Lane-Kent. Whatever challenges we face, we face them together and we always will. That's what a true marriage is. I'm sorry that we haven't made love for months and I would give anything to have a night alone with you, but I still love you and that's never going to change."

"I love our life, Lois. I love that I fell in love with my best friend, married her and now I have two beautiful children, but life has never been easy, has it? But we'll face everything together, as you say." They embraced each other in a tight hug and rested their heads on each other's shoulders, enjoying being so peaceful and being together. As their hug ended, they laid their faces together, closing their eyes, as if absorbing strength from the other. They were a team and that had been cemented in their marriage vows, the vows in which they would believe until the end of their days.