Life at thirty-something

by ANNAFLORINDA

Follow the lives of: Lois and Clark Lane-Kent are new parents, with their twins; Lex and Tess Luthor have a more challenging relationship; Chloe Sullivan, Lois's cousin, is married to Jimmy, with a baby, but not all is at it seems and Oliver Queen is Clark's old friend and has a complex history. How will they all fair? AU. Established Clois, Olicity, Chimmy...

6. Chapter 5: Thanksgiving

I do not own Smallville. Read and, please, enjoy:). This is endgame Clois. What do you think should happen with Chimmy? This story is completely AU, so Tess and Lex are not related.

Chapter 5: Thanksgiving.

The sun seeped in through the curtains and made Tess aware that it was morning because of the glare of the sun. Her heart sank as she realised that Oliver was not lying in the bed next to her and she also saw that his clothes, which had been on the floor the previous night, had gone and she began to fear that he had left her. Quickly, she threw on some clothes and ran into the kitchen to find him sitting at the kitchen table, with a cup of coffee for her next to his. "Why have you made me a cup of coffee and why are you dressed?" Tess asked in a quiet voice.

Oliver sighed and replied, "Tess, I'm sorry about last night. It was a mistake and I am sorry."

"How was it a mistake? We're each other's first love and we finally admitted our love for each other. I don't see anything wrong about that!"

"It was a mistake because you're married, Tess," Oliver's tone was very stale, as if he were trying to keep a tight control over his voice, "you're married and, whilst I don't like him and think that he's a jerk, he is still your husband and you made a vow to be loyal to him and I don't want to be the one to break up your marriage." Tess sat down with tears in her eyes. She inhaled a deep breath. "Oliver, I love you more than I've ever loved Lex. Leaving you for Lex was the biggest mistake of my life and I regret it more than anything… Don't leave me now, when I need you. My marriage with Lex is falling apart around me. I need you. Please, don't leave me!"

Biting his lip, Oliver smiled slightly and murmured, "I'll always be with you, Tess, you know that… but not in that way. I'll always be there for you as a friend… but nothing else. I'm sorry."

"You made love with me and you haven't done that with Felicity! She was your girlfriend! That doesn't make sense. You love me, Oliver! You know you do!" There were tears falling down her face now, but she did not mind. "If we-if we do this again, Lex won't find out. You don't have to worry about that."

"That isn't what I'm afraid of, Tess," Oliver whispered. He took hold of her hands. "Tess, I did love and maybe I always will, and no matter how much a part of me wants this to happen, I know that it would be wrong. If you won't do it for Lex, do it for Alex and James. Think how they'd react if they discovered the truth."

Tess folded his hands in her own and looked down at them, fighting back her tears. "I always knew that your code of ethics would be the end of us. Ok, let's pretend that last night didn't happen and go on just being friends." She forced a smile, then pulled Oliver into a hug. Oliver held onto her, inhaling a deep breath, ignoring the part of his brain which was telling him that he loved Tess. Out of instinct rather than thinking about it, he whispered, "I love you."

Burying her head in his shoulders, Tess whispered back, "I love you too and I understand why you're doing what you are. I wouldn't be strong enough to do the right thing… so thank-you." There was a long silence, then they ended their embrace and Tess squeezed his hands again. "Thank-you." They both smiled slightly, before Oliver stood up, grabbed his jacket and left the house. As soon as the door was closed, Tess began to cry. Why had she chosen Lex over Oliver? She did love Lex, she knew that she did, but not as much as she loved Oliver and that broke her heart more than anything. She had married the wrong person.

A week passed and the week of Thanksgiving was soon came upon them. For once, Clark was glad that his parents and brother were away working, because he and Lois both wanted to have a quiet Thanksgiving with the twins and not have to worry about serving or providing for a large group of people. Lois's parents were visiting Lucy in Switzerland and spending Thanksgiving there. Lois and Clark agreed to invite Oliver for Thanksgiving, as he had no family with whom to spend it; they had also assumed that Chloe and Jimmy would want to be alone with Nicolas on this special day, but that had been before Chloe and Jimmy's separation. "What are we going to do about Chloe and Tess, for that matter?" Clark asked a couple of days before Thanksgiving, as he fed Jane and Ben.

Lois sighed. "Well, Chlo will probably go and spend Thanksgiving with her dad. I don't know about Tess. I mean, Lex still isn't back and it isn't as if we can ignore her and the boys in those circumstances, but on the other hand, it is our first Thanksgiving together as a family… What do you think?"

Clark took hold of her hand and looked into her eyes. "I think that as long as I'm with you and Jane and Ben, I don't mind who else is with us." They both smiled, leaned in and kissed each other. Just then, their front door opened and Chloe walked in. To her husband, Lois muttered- "Does everyone have a key to this place?" –before turning to her cousin. "Chlo, what's up? Where's Nicolas?"

Chloe sat down at the table, pulled Jane out of her highchair and put her onto her knee, looking very stressed. Lois and Clark exchanged a look and Clark stood up. "I'll leave you to it, I've got some work to do." He kissed Ben on the head and walked out of the room, throwing his wife a fleeting smile as he left. Lois wiped her son's mouth, before sitting down with him on her knee. "What's up, Chlo? You look really stressed? Has something happened with Jimmy?"

"No, but all of the train's to Smallville have been cancelled because of the snow which means that I can't go there to spend Thanksgiving with my dad," Chloe smiled at Jane before continuing, "I was really looking forward to seeing him, I haven't seen him for months and he wants to see Nicky. Jimmy's spending Thanksgiving with his grandfather and he's made it quite clear that he doesn't want to spend it with me. I just-I thought that our problems would be solved by now and we'd be back together, but we're not and I don't know what else to do. We shared a moment about a week ago, but… I don't know what to do, Lo." Tears formed in her eyes and Lois inhaled deeply, wishing that she could do something to ease her cousin's pain. "Look, I know that nothing can substitute you being with Uncle Gabe, but how about you spend Thanksgiving with us? It'll be just like when we were kids."

To her surprise, her cousin shook her head and forced a smile, "No, Lo, I can't do that to you and Clark. I know that you want to spend this time alone with Jane and Benji, so I can't ruin that. Besides, I don't think that Clark would like the idea."

"Smallville was just asking me if you could join us for Thanksgiving," stated Lois, convincing herself that she was not lying, but bending the truth, "you're family, he'd love you have you with us. Besides, Oliver's joining us, so what's the harm in one more, right?"

Chloe frowned and asked, "Why's Oliver joining you?"

Lois kissed Ben's head and smiled at him, "Well, he doesn't have any family, does he? And he and Smallville have been friends for years, so it only seems right. Besides, I think he's still depressed about Felicity leaving and who wouldn't be? I still can't believe that she left, but…that's how some things work out, I guess." She smiled and added, "You and Oliver are good friends, you always have been, so having you and Nicky with us won't be a problem at all."

Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Tess, followed by Alexander and James. The two boys ran over to their adoptive cousins, so Lois and Chloe placed the babies on their play-mat so that the four children could play before turning their attention back to Tess. "What's up, Tess?" Lois inquired, even though she was sure what the problem was.

Glancing over at her sons, Tess replied in a low voice, "Lex still isn't back. I've called and texted him and had no response. And it's Thanksgiving, the boys are going to notice if he isn't here, they'll get upset and I can't face that. Lex can't keep running away from me, he has to face this."

"It's a good job I'm here then, isn't it?" Lex's voice came from behind them and Tess turned around and saw him. At that same moment. Clark walked into the room and Alexander and James saw their father and cried, "Daddy, Daddy!" They ran over to him and Lex picked up both of them, before turning his attention to his wife. He walked over to her and they threw their arms around each other, enjoying being in each other's arms once again, despite their transgressions over the recent weeks. "I'm so glad you're home, Lex." Tess whispered into his ear so that only he could hear. He looked up and Lois and Chloe. Their greeting was not so pleasant and from the look in their eyes, he knew that they knew what he had been doing in Smallville. He also knew that, if Lois knew, Clark would also know sooner or later.

The 'happy reunion scene' was interrupted when Oliver walked in and signalled to Chloe that he wanted to talk to her, so she walked past Tess and Lex and followed him outside. "What is it, Oliver?"

Sitting down on Lois and Clark's front wall, her friend answered, "I heard about the trains being cancelled from Smallville to Metropolis, so I've arranged for a Queen Industries jet to pick up your dad and bring him here for Thanksgiving. It solves one of your problems, right?" He smiled, slightly, watching her, waiting for a response. A faint smile came across Chloe's lips and her eyes narrowed, as she asked, "Why are you doing this, Ollie? I mean, I really appreciate it, but why?"

"I'm doing it because you're my best friend," Oliver paused, before adding, "And I know that, were my parents still alive, that I would want to spend Thanksgiving with them and I don't think that anyone should be deprived of their parents." He stood up slowly and kissed Chloe on the head, before walking away. Chloe smiled to herself, before returning inside where Clark and Lex were talking.

When Lois gave her a questioning look as she was holding Jane, Chloe explained, "Oliver's sent a jet to pick my dad up and bring him here for Thanksgiving, so that solves one of my problems-his words, not mine." Lois smiled and raised her eyebrows, as she remarked, "Hmmm..if I didn't know any better, I'd say that Oliver Queen has a crush on you, Chlo."

Chloe shook her head. "Lo, Ollie and I are best friends, nothing more, nothing less. Besides, my heart belongs to Jimmy."

"I didn't ask that." Lois retorted in barley a whisper. She fixed Chloe with the 'Lois stare' under which her cousin did not flinch or crack, before taking Jane up to be changed. As soon as she was gone, Chloe inhaled a deep breath, shaking her head; Lois was seeing something which was not there. Jimmy was the man whom she loved, her husband, and Ollie was her best friend-the two had their distinctive places. They were both very important in her life, but they were separate from the other.

Clark led Lex into the living room and Alexander and James followed, not wanting to be separated from their father again. Tess lingered in the doorway for a while, before deciding to help Lois with changing Jane.

Alexander climbed onto his father's knee and James onto his adoptive-uncle's and the two men chuckled at the excitement of the two boys. "So, what are your plans for Thanksgiving?" Lex inquired.

"Well, Oliver and Chloe are coming over for dinner." Clark paused, before asking, "What about you and Tess?"

"We'll probably have a quiet time at home with the boys." Lex replied, smiling at his sons, before telling them to go and play. The two boys jumped down from the sofa. As soon as they were back in the kitchen, Clark asked, "Why were you away in Smallville for so long?" There was no hint of anything in his voice and Lex knew that there would be if Lois had spoken to him, so he was grateful for that.

He sighed, as he replied in a quiet voice, "I couldn't face Tess, Clark. I couldn't look her in the eye. I love her more than anything, but things haven't been easy between the two of us lately. Can you understand that?" Clark just sighed and shook his head in reply; there was still a part of him which wanted to tell Tess about Lex's infidelity, but despite that, he could also see how much Tess and Lex loved each other and he knew that she would be devastated if she ever discovered the truth and there would be damage to Alexander and James. Clark did not want to feel responsible for causing his sister and nephews so much pain.

Tess and Lex left with the boys before lunch and Chloe agreed to help Lois and Clark out with lunch, as Nicolas was spending the morning with Jimmy. As Lois and Clark prepared lunch, she entertained the twins on their play mat. "You know what, I think that Lex has turning over a new left," Clark remarked, "I think that time in Smallville and time away from Tess has helped him to clear his head and reliises that he's been an idiot about cheating on her." Lois and Chloe exchanged a look, before Chloe carried the twins into the sitting room to give her cousin and her husband some privacy.

Sorting out the food, Lois began, "Smallville, I know you're naïve, but come on. Do you honestly believe that? What do you think Lex was really doing in Smallville?" She paused for a couple of seconds, before continuing, "Chloe follows Lana o Facebook, Clark and guess where she was for these past weeks? Smallville."

Realisation suddenly dawned over Clark's face and he suddenly hissed, "I'm going to kill him." He made his way to the kitchen door, but Lois ran there and stood in the doorframe, pleading with him. "Clark, I understand how angry you are, but you cannot do anything to him nor tell her!"

"Why did you tell me then? She's my sister, Lois! It's my duty to protect her!"

Lois raised her hands slightly. "I know, I understand. I told you because I thought that you should know everything about Lex Luthor. But you cannot tell her."

Clark glared at his wife. He was not angry with her, but with the situation, "And why can't I tell her, Lois? She has a right to know! She's married to him, for goodness sake! I cannot believe that he would do this- again!"

"Smallville, it would crush her. She would be devastated-beyond that. For a reason which I cannot comprehend, she loves him. I agree that she should know, but Lex has to be the one to tell her. It's only right. If he wants to continue to be a lying, cheating jerk at some point, she will work it out, I'm sure, and then she can make a decision." There was a silence, then Clark murmured, "He always tells me he loves her and yet he cheats on her. It doesn't make any sense, Lois."

Smiling and taking hold of his hands, Lois replied, "Adult relationships rarely make sense, Clark. I mean, look at Chloe and Jimmy. They love each other with all their hearts and yet, they're apart. Why? It makes no sense. And personally, I think there is the potential for something between Chloe and Oliver, but… that's another story."

Clark stared at his wife and smiled slightly. "What makes you think that?" Lois looked over her shoulder to ensure that Chloe was not within hearing distance, then led Clark over to the kitchen table. "It's what my gut is telling me, Smallville. I can't explain it. I just suspect something, that's all. I think that… if she weren't with Jimmy, she would be with Oliver. And it isn't too far of a stretch considering that he was in love with her not that long ago." Clark smiled, sat down and pulled his wife onto his knee, with their faces inches apart. "Is there anything you can't do?" Lois chuckled and replied, "Not really." They kissed, then Clark returned to preparing lunch and Lois went into the sitting room to play with Ben and Jane.

When Tess and Lex arrived home, Alexander and James ran up to their playroom, leaving Tess and Lex alone. The couple walked together into the living room and Lex sat down, whilst Tess stood by the fireplace. She could not bring herself to look at her husband in the eye, after her one-night stand with Oliver and declaring that she loved him more than the latter. "So, do you have any ideas for Thanksgiving?" Lex inquired, after sitting in silence at great length.

Tess kept her hands on the fireplace, pretending to be pre-occupied with the fire and the wood. "I was thinking that maybe we could go to my mother's. She hasn't seen the boys for a while and my Mum and Dad are away…But if you don't want to do that"-

"No, that sounds prefect." Lex was concerned about why his wife was not looking at him in the eye.

"Lex, I-I am guilty for something which I deeply, deeply regret and I want you to know how sorry I am," Tess turned around to face him and there were tears in her eyes, "my transgression was that-that I questioned my love for you, the love you have for me-our entire relationship. Questioning why I left Oliver for you and I am sorry. It was wrong of me to have those doubts, Lex. I deeply regret those feelings I've had since you've been away." She knew herself that she was not lying, she was wording it in a way so that she did not confess completely, as she did not know how he would react if he discovered the entire truth.

There was a silence, then Lex walked over to her and rested his hands on her arms. "Tess, I too am guilty for those feelings and transgressions. I questioned your love for me and I am truly sorry. I believed that you loved the boys more than me. That insecurity comes from how my father treated my mother. When they looked at each other, there was no love, but resentment and hatred." He swallowed, before continuing, "I promise, Tess, I will never let that happen to us. I gave you my word and I will stick by it. I love you, Lutessa. You're the only woman I can ever imagine spending my life with." With that, he leaned in and kissed her gently and she kissed him back, before their kiss ended and they embraced each other in a hug. As soon as their faces were no longer visible to the other, the guilt swelled onto their faces and they held onto each other. They knew that if the other ever discovered their secret-that Lex had had affairs and that Tess loved Oliver more than him-their marriage and relationship would be over and they did not want to face that… At least not yet.

A couple of days later, Lois and Clark took Ben and Jane to the park after work and Chloe and Jimmy also brought Nicolas. Oliver also went alone, as he wanted to spend some time with his godchildren and his friends. Chloe and Jimmy were being very friendly to each other and they were both hoping that they would soon be able to build back their bridges and live together as husband and wife once more with their baby, but neither of them dared to express their feelings out load. Tess approached them and asked to speak to Oliver in private. He kissed Ben and Jane on the head, before following her behind a shed.

"I-I kind of told Lex. In code about… what we did." Tess whispered, as she did not want to be overheard. "I just-I want you to know that, I really regret leaving you for Lex. If I could live my life again, have a second chance, I would do it all differently. I just want you to know that. But as it is, we're just friends and I have to accept that." She walked past him, but Oliver called her back and she walked back into the shadow of the bike shed. Oliver put his hands on her arms in a comforting way, "Tess, I am sorry. I did love you. You were the first person I let in after my parents died." He paused, before murmuring, "In another life, you and I would be together, Tess. Just not in this one." There was a silence, then they began to move their faces closer together, so close that they would feel the other's breath. Looking into each other's eyes, they kissed passionately, savouring it as they had done with their first kiss and their last kiss was just as passionate. The kiss ended and they held each other for a while, before Oliver smiled slightly and walked away. As soon as he was gone, Tess wiped away her tears and whispered, "I love you, Oliver. I always will."

On the other side of the shed, Oliver rested his head on the shed, breathing in and out slowly. What he and Tess had done had been wrong, but he had loved her. He sighed to himself, then left the park and made his way home.

Meanwhile, Chloe ran over to where Nicolas was playing and picked him up to make him laugh, which he did do and it made her heart warm with joy. Upon looking at her son, she could see both herself and Jimmy and that made her so happy. From where he was sitting with Lois and Clark Jimmy was watching and he murmured, "Wow, I love her!" He did not intend for Lois or Clark to hear. They both did, but continued to play with their twins as if they had not heard anything. Their thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of a woman whom none of them had seen since Lois and Clark's wedding.

Clark stood up and walked over to his cousin. "Kara, what are you doing here?" He embraced her into a hug. Over his shoulder, Kara met Jimmy's eyes and the two of them stiffened. Feeling her uneasiness, Clark released her and asked, "Kara, what's wrong?" As children, they had always been very close and he did worry about her.

"Nothing. I've moved to Metropolis so I thought I'd come and say hello." She walked over to Lois and pulled her into a hug. Lois threw her husband a confused look and glanced at Jimmy, as she had seen the exchange between her cousin-in-law and her cousin's husband. Kara smiled at her and asked, "Who are these guys?" She picked up Ben and held him in a rather precarious fashion. Lois, who had Jane in her arms, threw Clark a look, so he smiled and took Ben from Kara's arms. "This is Ben and that's Jane. Lane-Kent, obviously"

Kara stared at Lois and asked, "You changed your name? Wow, I thought you were a feminist, Lois. I guess I was wrong."

Before Lois could reply, Clark asked, "So, Kara,er, what brings you into town?" He had not seen his cousin for five years, so he was curious as to why she was here now. He was very confused about her not knowing the names of his children, considering that he had told her after their birth.

Kara smiled and answered, "I got a new job here in photographer. I'm really excited!" Her eyes met Jimmy's again and, once again, they both froze and Kara felt a stab of physical pain as she saw the wedding ring on Jimmy's finger. "Do you two know each other?" Lois inquired curious to find out what the story behind all of these looks were, but Clark gave her a look and indicated to her that they should leave. Rolling her eyes, Lois obliged and carried Jane to another part of the park.

Jimmy and Kara stood in silence for a while, then Kara asked, "So… how long have you been married?"

"A year. My wife and I have a son together. His name's Nicolas." Jimmy answered, in an uncharacteristic tight voice.

"Nicolas, after your grandfather?" Kara asked. She smiled awkwardly, then remarked, "I always knew that you would be a good family man, James." Her memories were cut short when Chloe walked over to them, with Nicolas in her arms. She looked between her husband and Kara, then held her hand out to her. "I'm Chloe Sullivan. Have we met before?"

Nodding, Kara replied, "Yeah, we have. I'm Clark's cousin, Kara Kent." There was a tone in her voice which made Jimmy feel sick and he knew that Chloe would not care for it. With the mention of her name, Chloe raised her eyebrows and remarked, "Oh, as in that Kara?"

Kara looked at her as if she were mad and demanded, "And what do you mean, that Kara? Who are you anyway?"

"She's my wife! Don't talk to her like that!" Jimmy snapped, throwing her a look. Chloe turned around to face him and she smiled slightly. Their eyes connected for a couple of seconds, before she turned back to Kara and replied, in an equally sharp tone, "What I meant was that you're Jimmy's ex-fiancée, aren't you? His ex from his university course?" Their eyes met and Kara's eyes showed nothing but hate and contempt for the woman standing across from her. Glaring at Chloe, she hissed, "You have a beautiful baby. You do know who he's named after, don't you?"

Chloe glared at her and was about to reply, when Nicolas began to cry, indicating that he needed his nappy to be changed. Rolling her eyes at the situation rather than her son, she turned to her sort-of-husband and said, "I'm going to take him home and change him. Will you be ok?" she asked in last bit in a quiet voice and her eyes conveyed understand; Jimmy had told her about Kara and who she was, so she was not intimated by the other woman in any way.

Jimmy smiled slightly and nodded, passing her Nicolas's baby-bag and kissing his son on the head, before Chloe placed him in the pram and walked away. As soon as Chloe was gone, Jimmy began, "You have no right to talk to my wife like that!"

"I have every right; I'm your first and true love!" Kara snapped, her eyes were fiery with anger.

Sadly, Jimmy shook his head. "No, you're not. Chloe is my true love. Just because somebody's your first love, it doesn't mean they're the love of your life. You should know that better than anyone-especially after what you did!"

"James, I was drunk!"

"Being drunk doesn't give you an excuse to make love with someone else, epically when you're engage to someone else and when you haven't even made love with your fiancée!" Jimmy glared at her. "Why do you think I left? I couldn't stand to be around you anymore-not after what you did to me!" He paused, then asked, "Did you even love me?"

Kara sighed and nodded. "Yes, I did, James. More than anything and I always will." Jimmy rolled his eyes and began to walk past her, but she asked, "Does your wife know? I mean, does she know everything?"

Jimmy stopped walking and rolled his eyes. "Yes, Chloe knows everything. She's my wife and I trust her, in a way I could never trust you again."

"You loved me! I know you did! Why can you not trust me?"

Jimmy turned around and looked her in the eyes as he murmured, "Because you broke my heart, Kara." With that, he turned his back on her and walked away. As soon as he was out of her sight, he texted Chloe, asking where she was. She replied and he made his way there.

"So, who is this Kara?" Lois asked her cousin. "I mean, I know who she is-I mean, what's her deal with Jimmy?" They were sitting in Oliver's apartment waiting for Jimmy. Clark rolled his eyes and inwardly wished that Lois was not always so eager for knowledge. Chloe smiled slightly and sat down, with Nicolas on her lap. "I don't want to tell you, because it's Jimmy's past to tell, so I don't want to break his trust."

Lois pouted and began to jiggle Ben around on her knee, making him smile. "There's no secret, Chloe," Jimmy walked into the sitting room, "I'm surprised that you don't know, Clark, but Kara and I were engaged to be married, before I was with Chloe."

"When did you meet?" Oliver inquired, in a careful voice.

"We met at university, we were on the same course. We began dating and two years later, I proposed and she accepted. A couple of months before we graduated, a year later, Kara was at a party, she got drunk and she-she had sex with a guy at the party and he told me about it the next day. So I broke up with her. End of story." Jimmy sighed, then added, "I haven't seen her since, so that's why our meeting today was a bit…weird."

There was a silence, then Chloe turned to Clark and asked, "How come you haven't seen her for five years, since you and Lois married?"

Clark glanced at Lois. "It's complicated. Our parents fell out, Kara was forced to take sides and she took the side of her father. He and my dad don't speak anymore. I'm guessing one of the reasons she's moved here is to be near me, to try to mend our relationship. We were very close when we were kids." He sighed and rocked Jane about on his knee. "She wasn't even there when the twins were born. Her father really does control her life-or at least, he did until she moved here."

The door opened and one of Oliver's butlers walked in, clearing his throat. "Mr. Queen, there's a young woman here to see you, sir."

Oliver frowned and asked, "Who is it?"

"Felicity Lance, sir."

Oliver felt as if his heart had stopped. He was silent for a couple of moments, before clearing his throat and asking for her to be let it. As his butler left, he turned to face the wall and his friends could see the conflicting feelings of pain, joy, happiness and loneliness came across his face. If Felicity had a job in London, why was she in Metropolis? Why had she gone to see Oliver? Before he could ask them to do so, his friends left the apartment. At the door, Chloe stopped and threw her friend a reassuring smile, which he received with a small smile and a nod, before returning his attention to the issue in hand: Felicity. He knew that he loved her, but he thought that she did not love him, that was why she had moved to London. So why was she there?

The door opened and Felicity walked in. The two of them froze where they were standing for a couple of seconds, then Felicity fiddled with her glasses on her nose, before Oliver asked, "Why are you here? I thought you had a job in London?"

Felicity sighed and replied, "The job was moved to Metropolis, so I accepted it and moved back here. I can even get my apartment back." She smiled, then asked, "How have you been?"

Oliver walked over to her. "You told me that you didn't love me. Is that still true?" His voice was in barley a whisper, but Felicity heard him and her heart broke as she thought about what to say. She stood there in silence for a while, before remarking in a similar tone, "Oliver, I want things to be normal between us. I don't want to lose you just because we aren't together anymore. I want us to be friends, like we were before we started dating. Can we do that-can you do that?"

"That doesn't answer my question, Felicity." Oliver murmured, before shaking his head. "I mean, yeah, sure. We can be friends and forget about…. Everything else. Just pretend that we were never more than friends, right?" Felicity nodded and forced a smile, before walking away. Outside of Oliver's office, she rested her head against the wall and closed her eyes. She knew that she did love him, but she did not want to be his second choice, as she knew she had been when they had been together. She knew that lying to him about her love for him was the only way for him to let go, so that she could move on. Move on with her life, as she knew she had to do, despite her heart telling her that this was the wrong thing to do and that to be honest with him would be the best thing. She had to do this for her own sake as well as Oliver's.

The day of Thanksgiving arrived. Lex and Tess drove down to stay with Tess's mother with Alexander and James and Chloe's dad caught the jet which Oliver had provided for him. Jimmy went to his grandfather's, after kissing his son goodbye. On the morning of Thanksgiving, Oliver was babysitting Jane and Ben whilst Lois and Clark were doing some last-minute shopping. Felicity had gone to Star City to spend the weekend with her parents and Oliver was glad, as her being at Lois and Clark's would have been too painful.

There was a knock on the door and Kara walked into the kitchen. Her eyes fixed on Oliver, then she said, "I don't remember you. Why are you babysitting my cousin's babies?" Unsure if she was being genuine or manipulative, Oliver juggled Ben in his arm and held out his hand to her. "I'm Oliver Queen. I was Clark's roommate when we were at Yale."

"Oliver Queen… I'm guessing Thanksgiving must be a hard time for you." Kara remarked, in a serious yet compassionate voice which Oliver had not expected after everything Jimmy and Chloe had told him. When he made no reply, she sighed and stated, "I'm not a monster, you know, despite what my ex-fiancée may have told you. I made a mistake, one which I regret more than anything in my life. I love Jimmy and I always will. And I lost Clark's support after my father fell out with Uncle Johnathan. I hate my father. I really hate him. I know that you, of all people, won't understand that, but I do. I hate that he's torn this family apart and it was because of him that I got drunk, the night when I cheated on Jimmy. It was because of him that my life's over."

Oliver bit his lip and tried to offer a supportive smile. "Kara, just because you're not with Jimmy anymore, it doesn't mean that your life is over. I mean, my girlfriend broke up with my recently and I was heartbroken, but my life isn't over and nor is yours."

Shaking her head, Kara sighed. "You don't understand. Jimmy was my soul mate, my entire world. Without him I am nothing! You must know what it's like to love someone like that."

"Once," Oliver replied in a hollow voice, "I've only ever loved someone like that once in my life." Their eyes met and they reached an unspoken understand of each other, before Kara smiled slightly and walked out of the house.

Oliver shook his head at his judgments of Kara, as he laid Ben down on the floor and began to entertain him and his twin sister with some of their toys. "You really enjoy that, don't you?" He looked up and saw Chloe with Nicolas in his arms.

Smiling, Oliver stood up. "Chloe, hey. What brings you here so early?"

Chloe kissed Nicolas on the head and replied, "Well, I wanted you to meet my dad. I mean, it's because of you that he's here, so thanks." The door opened and Chloe's dad, Gabe Sullivan, walked into the kitchen.

"You must be Oliver Queen. I hear that it's because of you that I'm here, with my daughter and grandson."

Oliver held out his hand and smiled. "It's an honour, Mr. Sullivan. I'm just glad that I could help." Gabe shook his hand and smiled, but there was a look in his eyes which made Oliver feel uncomfortable, as if he were surveying him… the way Sam Lane looked at Clark.

Sensing Oliver's awkwardness, Chloe asked, "Dad, how about we go home and freshen up?" She passed her son to her dad, who gave Oliver one last look before leaving the room. Chloe turned to her friend and smiled, "Thank-you, Ollie. I don't know how I'm ever going to repay you for this kindness."

Oliver smiled back and looked down at his feet. "Well, I'm glad that I've helped. Sadly, I can't bring Jimmy back to you, but I'm sure that he'll be back soon." He hesitated, then whispered, "He really loves you, Chloe, and… he'd be a fool to let you go." He looked up and saw that Chloe's eyes were full of tears. Without saying a word, Chloe stood on her toes and kissed Oliver on the check, before saying goodbye to Jane and Ben and leaving the room.

Hours later, Lois was beginning to become insanely stressed about the dinner. Clark walked into the kitchen and grabbed her, looking her in the eyes. "Lois, look at me. Everything is going to be fine. I meant what I said before: all that matters to me is that I'm with you and the twins. I love you, Lois." Lois smiled and the stress disappeared from her face. "I love you too, Smallville. I don't know how I got so lucky." They rested their heads together for a while in silence before continuing with the cooking together. They really were a team, a partnership.

As dinner began, Jane, Ben and Nicolas were placed into their highchairs near their parents or parents, so they could keep an eye on them, before dinner officially began. Chloe's felt her mobile phone buzz on the table. She looked at the screen and saw that the text was from Jimmy. It simply read: 'Have a great dinner, you and Nicky. I miss you .' Smiling, Chloe quickly unlocked the screen and replied: 'Thanks. Have a good time too. See you soon"- she paused deliberating whether to put kisses or a smiley face, so she settled with one of each before locking her mobile phone again. Her eyes caught her cousin's, who had witnessed the entire exchange and, much to her surprise, Lois smiled before returning to feeding Ben.

Oliver had also noticed and Clark saw him look uncomfortable. He exchanged a look with Lois, before making a speech, declaring that he was most thankful for his family: his parents, brother, sister, cousin, wife and children. In his head, the former and the latters on the list were the most important and, as he looked into Lois's eyes, he knew that there was no need to say it aloud, because she knew. She had always known.