Chapter Two

After all these years Clark Kent stood face to face with Lois Lane once again only this time the twinkle in her eyes was replaced by a look of regret and longing that she soon covered up by plastering on a fake smile, "I'll just leave you two alone for a bit. When you're ready just come and find me." She walks away berating herself over the feelings that swarmed through her which she quickly stamped down.

Maggie had silently watched the two barely speak a word to each other and stared up at her father confused as to why he suddenly looked sad, "What's wrong Daddy?" she asks while tugging at his hand.

Clark shook himself out of his personal thoughts and looked down at his daughter's inquisitive gaze that caused a small smile to spread across his face, "You don't need to worry about me sweetie, Daddy's just tired from the trip." He brushes a strand of hair away and gestures towards her things, "Why don't you go finish a puzzle or read a book while I finish up here."

She stares at him for a few minutes before walking back to her seat where she pulls out her Native American Mythology and Symbolism book to continue where she left off.

He tries not to chuckle instead opting for a smirk and a shake of his head in amusement while he made his away across the busy bullpen towards Lois's desk that was to no surprise cluttered with post it notes, empty coffee cups, tons of files, and a dead plant.

"Nice to see you haven't lost your touch Lane." He jokes touching one of the plant leafs only to have it break apart.

The glare she sends him over her computer causes him to shut up. Clark looks around the bullpen while rocking back and forth on the back of his heels humming a tune that he knew would annoy her, "Can you do that somewhere else? This is the Daily Planet not American Idol." She looks at him for several minutes and just as quickly looks back at her computer screen ignoring the smirk that appeared on his face.

He stops the rocking and humming to look her over, "You look good." he states in a hushed tone keeping their conversation private from prying ears, "I like the new Lois Lane although I didn't really mind the old one all that much either."

"Yeah well there's a lot about me that's changed." She clicks a few things on the computer with her mouse and rises to her feet, "I've changed." she says softly keeping her gaze down at her desk giving the allusion that she was looking at something but really wasn't.

Clark notices a frame on the mini filing cabinet behind her; it was a picture of her with a handsome man in a military flight jumpsuit standing right next to her with his arm wrapped around her as a Boeing F-15 Eagle stood behind them, "I can see that."

Lois looks up at him suddenly and looked over her shoulder at the photo he was staring at, "I was doing a story on Ferris Aircraft and ran into an old friend from my army brat days in Coast City. His name's Hal… and he has a girlfriend named Carol."

She watches a sudden change in him as if he was relieved to know she was single causing a sudden upbeat of her hear to which she quickly tried to ignore by turning around headed towards the copy room with Clark following close behind, "Not that it should matter." She states pausing at the printer, "I just didn't want you getting the wrong impression…" she quickly turns around to face him with a serious look on her face, "But don't think for a second that you have a chance with me. I don't date the men I work with, especially one that likes to stand up his date and disappear the next day without so much as a goodbye."

Silence.

The tension between them mounts with Clark burying his hands deep inside his pockets and Lois trying to run the printer which at that very moment decided to act up, the screen on the printer started to blink with an error message causing her frustration level to rise and a few curses to slip past her lips as she slammed her hand against the machine without a reason, "I told Jeff to add more paper to this damn thing." She says to herself while bending down to grab a new stack of paper oblivious to the blush that crept up his neck, "If he wasn't such a good intern I swear he'd be back in the basement pushing the mail cart." She rises back up to reload the paper into the printer.

Clark can't help but smile at the fact that she hasn't changed all that much from the strong-minded college student he met in DC.

He sees her struggling with the piece of machinery and quickly comes to rescue bay reaching around her to lift up the lid and ripping out a stuck piece of paper, "There's your problem." He smirks holding the ink splattered paper in front of her before tossing it in the nearest recycling bin.

Unbeknownst to him, the moment his chest brushed against hers all the air was knocked out of her lungs and her heart soared when his arm brushed against hers despite what her head was telling her, "Thanks."

"That's what I'm here for."

The pair remained in silence with Lois keeping her back to him watching her work spew out while Clark kept to himself with an occasional glance her way, "I never meant-"

"Can we not talk about this here?" she cuts him off turning around to face him with her freshly printed pages in her hand, "It's not even your first official day here and you're already causing problems." She brushes past him where she staples her work and throws it in a small basket at the end of her desk before turning around to face the towering farmboy, "Your desk is gonna be over there." She changes the subject quickly avoiding further questioning as she points across from her towards the only empty desk in the bullpen, "Chloe should have everything set up on your computer by time you check in and your ID should come be coming in a few days."

Clark would've pressed their previous conversation but knows what happens when you push someone to their breaking point and decides to end it all right now, "I already know my way around this place so you don't have to show me around. I'll let you get back to your work." He stands there staring at her for a few minutes before turning to walk away letting out a long held breath when he was out of eyesight.

Maggie looked up from her giant book to see her dad standing in the doorway, "Did you get the job daddy?" she asks hopeful but readies for bad news from the look on his face.

He looks at her and puts on a smile, "Of course I got the job honey or else I wouldn't have moved us all the way here." He walks towards the end of the table to grab her backpack, "Why don't you pack your stuff so we can head out on the road and have dinner with Aunt Chloe."

Nothing could make his mood lift more than the excited look that crossed his daughter's face at that very moment as she closed her book with a loud thud and slipped it to the pack which Clark quickly zipped up, "Where are we going?" she asks slipping her hand through his as he carried her backpack in the other hand, "Is it Chuck E. Cheese?" she inquires with a large infectious smile on her small face.

"After what happened last time we went to Chuck E. Cheese, I don't think they'd let us back in."

She hides her disappointment but understands the reason, "I was too old for that place anyways." She states heading towards the elevator where she quickly pushed the down button oblivious to the surprised look that crossed her father's face.

Bibbowski's Bar & Grill

The small bar and grill was one of those places where you could live in Metropolis all your life and never know it was there until happening upon it by accident or heard of it from word of mouth.

Chloe, Clark, and Maggie sat in a booth in the far corner when the waitress came walking towards them with a large glass of chocolate milk topped with whip cream and their orders, "Here you go sweetie" she says handing the glass to Maggie followed by two sodas for Clark and Chloe along with their burgers, "If you need anything else don't be afraid to ask." She throws a wink at him before walking away.

"I think she likes you daddy"

Chloe suppresses a laugh as she took a sip of her soft drink and watched Clark try to dig up something to say, "Maybe you should ask her out." He shoots her a look, "It wouldn't be the first time you've impulsively asked out a woman you barely know."

The little one pokes her head up suddenly causing her aunt to laugh and her father to shake his head at the fact that there was a whip cream mustache on his daughter's face, "What?" she asks looking at the two adults confused, "And they call me the child" she thinks while she wipes off the cream with her napkin.

The night continued on with the two friends catching up on old times with Clark telling her stories from his oversea adventures with Maggie occasionally cutting in to point out the fact that on some her father's journalistic adventures she was at the farm helping with the cooking and the chores and several instances where she actually got to go with her father on the less dangerous ones like his trip to Australia for a piece on the aborigines and a trip to Vancouver to cover the Olympics.

By the end of the night it felt almost as if Clark Kent had never left the state of Kansas. The trio said their goodbyes with Clark carrying his drowsy daughter in his arms towards the truck ready to head on to their new metropolitan home.

The freight elevator door slides up and Clark steps inside with his daughter sound asleep in his arms as he looked around at their new home with a solemn look on his face while walking past the sheet covered furniture towards the spare room that doubled as a study.

He clicked on the desk light showing that the furniture in this room wasn't covered and looked as if someone had been living here because of the single sized cot mattress in the corner of the small room.

Maggie moved her head away from the obnoxious light burying her face deeper in her father's embrace causing him to look down at her and carry her towards the bed where he proceeded to take off her jacket and shoes before pulling the covers over her.

Clark sits at the edge of the bed watching her sleep for a few seconds before looking around the room that housed memories he longed to forget.

When he pulled his hands back Alicia was stunned to see a large loft like living space, "I know its not much but there's a kitchen…" he says walking towards the small open kitchen before walk across the wood floors towards a door, "Two bedrooms but we can convert that one into a study, unless of course you want to turn it into a guest room for when-" he's cut off suddenly when her lips press against his suddenly, "That's one hell of a thank you." He responds in a breathless whisper when she pulls away to press her forehead against his.

"Well I just wanted to thank you for being the most amazing fiancé I could ever ask for." She begins to play with the hair on the nape of his neck, "I know it's been hard lately with your folks having financial issues with the farm and your dad's heart problems. But I want you to know that no matter what, I'll always be there for you." She leans up brushing her lips against his, "Kryptonian or Human. I love you either way"

A sad smile had crept up his face at the memory that came to mind, a few months after that they discovered that they were gonna have a baby.

He rose up from the bed and pulled went to grab the stuffed teddy bear she kept in her backpack, "Welcome to our new home." He whispers to the plush animal before tucking it under her arm and pressing a kiss to her forehead, "I love you Maggie."

She rolled around with the bear clutched tightly to her chest and mumbled in her sleep, "Love you too Daddy."

TBC

There's gonna be a little mystery as to what happened between Lois and Clark as well as what happened to Alicia. There's gonna be a little of everything from comedy to drama that sort of make it something you guys will hopefully enjoy. Also for those wondering after the end of this chapter; Clark is not one of those single father's that drops the kid off at the grandparents for an extended amount of time, he sort of juggled the career and parent thing (like all single parents do) it'll be easily explained in future chapters also in a clois flashback.

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