Lois couldn’t believe they were leaving the quiet of the open Kansas fields for the quiet of a remote cottage in the woods. She would have preferred someplace a bit more exciting, but she was glad to be getting away with Clark.
“Are you sure Chloe can do without you for a whole weekend? I mean, what if the world needs saving?” Lois asked, half-jokingly.
Clark glanced over at her then back at the road, keeping his focus on his driving. “Chloe assured me everything is under control. Besides, if there is an emergency, at least I can tell you now and I’d hope you’d understand, right?”
“Sure, Smallville. I have to admit, I am looking forward to having your undivided attention this weekend. Or at least your theoretical undivided attention. I mean, barring any major earthquakes or whatever.”
He reached over and squeezed her hand. “I’m looking forward to spending some time with you as well.”
“By the way, did you figure out who called me as ‘The Blur’?” Lois asked, having been trying to find a good time to bring it up since they left Smallville.
Clark sighed. “You might as well know… Lois, it was Zod.”
“Zod? Why would he want to pretend to be you?”
“I don’t know… He is using you to get to me. Though for what purpose, I don’t know,” Clark said, clearly irritated.
“Well, we don’t have to worry about it this weekend, right?” she said, trying to be encouraging.
Clark didn’t feel nearly as convinced, but he forced a smile for Lois’ sake. “Right. We don’t. This weekend is all about us.”
Just then, they pulled in front of a cozy looking cottage called The McDougal Inn.
“Looks… quaint,” Lois said, trying to summon enthusiasm for Clark’s choice of retreats.
“Come on, I thought you’d like this place… I mean, I saw a brochure for it at the Talon and I thought—“
“Wasn’t mine, Smallville,” she laughed. Then seeing Clark’s look of disappointment, she grabbed his free arm, the one that wasn’t carrying her suitcase. “Don’t worry about it. I’m just happy to be here with you. Now, let’s go check in.”
~L&C~
Some last minute finagling on Clark’s part eventually got them a room. Lois was impressed by how cozy and welcoming it was, considering how the front desk clerk had talked like the room might be a dump. Had Clark done something a little… super to fix it up for them?
However they got the room, Lois was glad that it would just be her and Clark for a few days. Maybe being alone together could help her sort out her doubts, so that they could move on and start looking ahead to when the baby would arrive.
It was time to get ready for bed, and though Lois wasn’t sure what Clark was expecting from her, she decided to come prepared just in case they did decide to go there. She knew it would be a mutual decision, but she wasn’t entirely sure if she was ready yet. And although Clark had the patience of Job, his kisses on the sofa the other night were an indication that he did have a clear memory of how it had been between them, and she couldn’t help the frisson of excitement at the idea of them being together. Obviously there was something strong, and real between them.
Whatever had happened in that stolen moment in the future, it had been something that meant more than a one night stand. Lois was sure of that.
She stood behind an old-fashioned room separator, an array of choices for bed time apparel hanging in front of her: everything from a granny nightgown to a red teddy. She knew the teddy would be too much, but she did want to look appealing. Her waistline was thickening, but her hormones made her want to look sexy for Clark.
She decided on a short blue number that emphasized her breasts, but had a full enough skirt that her baby tummy wasn’t entirely noticeable at first glance.
She peered through the slats of the room separator, wondering what Clark was doing. He was nervously rearranging the pillows and fluffing the comforter. She felt better knowing he was a bit nervous about tonight as well.
A sudden fear went through her. What if he was nervous because it hadn’t been good between them that one and only time? What if he didn’t want things to go that far tonight?
But just as that fear went through her, she reassured herself by recalling Clark’s kisses from the other night. There’s no way he thought things hadn’t been good between them. In fact, she was sure that he was looking forward to tonight.
So she took a big breath and stepped out from behind the separator. Clark looked up from where he was once more fluffing a pillow on the bed. He was staring at her, and she suddenly doubted herself again. “Too much?” she asked shyly.
“No,” he reassured her. “You’re---beautiful.”
She smiled at his obvious discomfiture and headed over to the bed. “Well, bedtime.”
After falling over each other, arguing which side they would sleep on, they eventually settled into bed. They lay facing each other, both feeling a little nervous. “Don’t let the bedbugs bite,” Lois said softly.
“Sweet dreams,” he whispered back. They slowly moved closer to each other, Clark’s arm reaching to pull her waist closer in to his. Clark leaned in, about to kiss her, when they were both startled by a scream coming from somewhere on the other side of the cottage.
~L&C~
After racing out into the hallway, along with several other couples to discover what had happened, Lois and Clark were both shocked to see Chloe and Oliver standing together, dressed in their pajamas.
“Clark! Look! It’s Oliver and Chloe! What the hell are they doing here?”
Clark glanced at where Lois was conspicuously pointing to, and then turned them both away so as to avoid eye contact with either Chloe or Oliver. “Well, it looks like they are doing what we are doing, Lois.”
She gave him a shocked expression. “Did you know about this?” she whispered fiercely, meanwhile trying to see over Clark’s shoulder to get a better look at them.
Clark, however, steered her back towards their room, gently pushing the small of her back. “No, I didn’t know. And obviously, they didn’t want us to know. So let’s not draw attention, okay?”
They eventually made it back to the room, the odd scream in the middle of the night all but forgotten after the revelation of seeing Oliver and Chloe together.
“I mean, I’m happy for them. This is perfect!” Lois said, setting up the pillows to sit up more comfortably in bed. “It means we can double date!”
“Lois, before you begin booking our calendar for the next six months, you need to consider the fact that they might want to keep this a secret.”
“From us?” she looked at him askance, pursing her lips. “From you, maybe. But Chloe is my cousin and Oliver is…well… why wouldn’t they want us to know? I think it’s fantastic!”
“Lois, please. This weekend is supposed to be about us… can we forget about Oliver and Chloe until the morning, please?” he said, reaching for her hand so she’d look at him.
Lois sank deeper into the pillows, turning to face Clark. “Sorry… I just got a little excited, that’s all. You’re right. This weekend is supposed to be about us… only, I just can’t believe my little cuz is dating Ollie!”
Clark sighed.
It was going to be a long night.
~L&C~
The next morning at breakfast Lois still couldn’t stop talking about seeing Oliver and Chloe. “How can you be so ‘eh’ about this, Clark? This is Chloe and Oliver. Together. Here.” Lois spotted the now notorious couple on the stairway and waved. “We should sit with them,” she said enthusiastically.
“Or we can give them some space,” Clark suggested calmly. “They obviously came out here to escape from everything, kind of like we did.”
Lois turned towards Clark, feeling momentarily sorry that she was still not over the idea of her cousin and Oliver together. “Look, I know that I ran a verbal marathon last night and then I fell asleep, but I promise. Tonight is about the two of us,” she said sincerely, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.
“I waited for you to get ready for three hours. If it means being with you, I can wait forever,” Clark said warmly, making Lois almost wish she hadn’t babbled like a brook last night.
Lois made eye contact with Chloe, and her mission to get to the bottom of things renewed. “Hey, guys, come here,” she said, waving them over. “Sit with us.”
“We had no idea the two of you would be here,” Oliver said apologetically.
Lois nodded, a huge grin on her face, “And we had no idea there was even a ‘you two,’ which I think is perfect. I think fate has brought us together.”
“Well, it was a little less fate, actually,” Chloe hedged.
“More like fame,” Oliver explained.
“This inn is so far off the beaten path that even the society pages couldn't find star city's most eligible bachelor here,” Chloe elaborated.
“You mean ex-bachelor,” said Lois, still beaming.
“Okay, enough about that,” Chloe responded, suddenly finding her menu much more interesting than looking either Clark or her cousin in the eye.
“How did you guys manage to find the road less traveled? I found the brochure for the inn at the apartment,” Clark said, curious despite himself about how they came to be there. “I figured - Lois wanted to come here.”
Chloe looked at Clark askance. “What brochure?” Then, as she realized what must have happened, she shook her head. “That wasn't Lois' brochure, Clark. That was mine.”
“How was I supposed to know that Oliver—“ Clark said, clearly flustered by the whole thing.
“You weren't,” Chloe responded, looking red in the face. “That's the point.”
Clark glanced at Oliver, hoping he’d shed some light on how Clark had gotten this one wrong.
“Don't look at me,” shrugged Oliver. “I learned a long time ago not to assume what belongs to whom in that apartment. You got to use context clues…”
Lois was still grinning over the fact that Oliver and Chloe were together. “Yeah, speaking of clues, let's talk about Mr. Green, in the bedroom, with my cousin.”
“There it is,” said Oliver, obviously discomfited sitting across from his ex who just happened to be his new girlfriend’s cousin.
Clark noticed Oliver’s uncomfortable glance and tried to shake some sense into his own girlfriend. “Lois, I think they came here for brunch.”
“Good point,” she answered, realizing that she wasn’t going to find out anything from the boys. “Look, Chloe, there's food,” Lois overstated as she tugged her cousin out of the booth, giving her and Chloe a chance to talk.
As soon as they got out of earshot of the guys, Chloe turned to Lois. “Okay look, Lois, I know what you're gonna say. That with Ollie's less-than-perfect track record, I should really just cut my losses—“
“Or I could say that this is one for the ‘win’ column. I think it's great that you and Oliver are together,” Lois said, surprising Chloe.
“You do?”
“Yeah, and the best part is now we can double-date. How awesome is that?”
Chloe waved her hand in front of Lois, doing her best to stop the oncoming couple train. “Before you book us up for the next two months, let’s get something straight. Oliver and I are not a couple.”
“Okay, sure. Then what are you?” Lois persisted, suddenly seeing her dreams of double dating going up in smoke.
“We're having fun,” Chloe answered, making it sound as if whatever she and Oliver were doing was anything but fun. “And we're not complicating things by using labels and definitions.”
Lois wasn’t buying it. She knew both Oliver and Chloe, and knew that both of them were excellent at throwing up walls whenever they felt unsure about something. “This is a relationship, Chloe, not a spelling bee.”
Chloe got immediately defensive. “I'm glad that you have found someone that makes you happy, but we're not all cut out for coupledom. And with Ollie, I don't have to worry about that. We're no flowers. We're no presents, no pressure, no strings…. And with you, we're no comment.”
“But Chloe… I’m happy for you two. I want you both to be happy, too.”
“Yeah, but it’s up to Ollie and me. Not you to write our happily ever after, okay? Right now, this is what we both need. A little fun. Now, let’s have breakfast before the boys choke on their awkward small talk.”
~L&C~
After breakfast, the couples went their separate ways, quietly acknowledging the awkwardness of the whole situation.
Oliver seemed to let out the largest sigh of relief once he and Chloe were back in their room. “I don’t know what was worse. Lois’ forced smile or Clark’s sudden protective big brother mode.”
“Actually, with Lois – she told me she’s genuinely happy for us… for whatever ‘us’ is.”
“Really? Well, I guess that’s good. Maybe she can convince Clark to feel the same.”
Chloe rolled her eyes, tossing herself on their bed. “Yeah, I don’t know what got into Clark. It’s not like he doesn’t know you.” She suddenly giggled. “Okay, maybe that is the problem. Your playboy reputation does precede you.”
Oliver sat down next to her on the bed, laying on his side so he could look at her. “Yeah, but I haven’t played that role in years… I just don’t like how judgmental Clark can be at times. It’s not like he’s perfect. And he sure is taking his time about letting Lois in on his secret.”
Chloe laced her fingers with Oliver’s, quietly telegraphing what she hoped they would spend their time doing for the rest of the afternoon. “How do you know she doesn’t already know?”
“Because I know Lois. And a secret that big would send her running. At least temporarily.”
Chloe looked away from his gaze, knowing they were getting into dangerous secret territory.
“You know something, don’t you?” Oliver pressed.
“Tell me.”
“It’s not my secret to tell.”
“You can’t leave me hanging like that. Come on. What is it? Did Lois find out?”
Chloe got up and headed to the bathroom. “Can we forget about Lois and Clark for now? And focus on us?”
“So you admit there is an ‘us’,” Oliver prodded. “If that’s so, then we should be able to trust each other with our secrets.”
“Oliver, I told you, I don’t want to complicate things. And what happens between Lois and Clark is their business, just like what happens between you and me is ours. Now, I’m gonna go in that bathroom and change…when I come back, I hope you’re ready to drop the subject so you and I can have a little fun. Okay?”
Oliver sighed over-dramatically, shrugging out of his t-shirt. “Fine… twist my arm. But I will know all of your secrets, Chloe Sullivan. Despite how much ‘fun’ you insist on to dissuade me.”
She gave him a smirk and shook her head, then closed the bathroom door.
~L&C~
“Clark! Come here. I think I just felt the baby kick.”
Lois was sitting on the porch swing, waiting for Clark to come back with a tea for her and a cappuccino for him. They were on the back corner, away from where most of the guests were coming and going, enjoying the view.
Clark sat the drinks down on the side table and knelt next to her. He hesitated a moment, glancing at her to get permission to touch her belly. She smiled and gently guided his hand to the spot where she had felt the movement.
“Do you think Oliver noticed? I’m getting bigger every day… “
Clark smiled, “No, he was too busy worrying about what you and I think of him and Chloe dating.”
“Hmm… perhaps,” she answered, willing to let the “Chlollie” situation go for the moment for more important matters. “Do you think everything is still… normal? With the baby?”
Clark was squinting in concentration as he gently rubbed her stomach. Lois had left the blue k bracelet upstairs, thinking the sun might be good for the baby as well as Clark. She still worried about the effects of too much blue k on Clark.
“My powers are fine,” he said when he saw her look, assuaging her fears. “I can hear his heartbeat… and yours.”
“How far along am I now, do you think?” she asked, looking vulnerable and a little worried.
“Jor-El said you would come to term quicker than a human birth… You look about five or six months pregnant in human terms. I think we have about another two months.”
“Two months… this is all so fast, Clark. What if we’re not ready? What if I am not ready… what if my body can’t handle the pace of the changes? What if—“
Clark took her hand in his. “Lois, there are always ‘what ifs’ in a pregnancy. Any pregnancy. But I promise, I’ll be with you each step of the way. How do you feel, though?”
“Besides feeling lost and rushed and…” she glanced up at him. “Confused? Health wise, I guess okay. It feels nice to be in the sun. I feel like it strengthens me a bit as well. But I think I know now when I’ve had too much, and when I need the bracelet,” she said, almost guiltily. “It’s just – can we do this, Clark? I mean, are you and I okay?”
“Lois, I know this isn’t how we planned any of this. But…yeah, I think we’re okay.” Clark took a seat next to her, still holding her hand in his. He seemed to contemplate her hand in his grasp for a long while before speaking. “Lois, the night we made love… I know I said it was on the verge of WWIII and we didn’t know what tomorrow would bring, but—it was much more than that. And I experienced it as a memory, through your memories. Which is ironic, since now you don’t remember. But, what I am trying to say is that I want us to make new memories. To change the future by making it the present… I know I am not the easiest person to read, and I’ve kept things from you in the past to protect you, but now… I want you to know all of me. And I want to know all of you… So the only question you need to ask yourself is, are you ready for that?”
She looked him in the eye a long moment, mulling over what he had just said. She thought about all the times she had been hurt in the past, and all the times he had lied to her. Intellectually she understood it had been to protect her, but her heart was still a little lost. This baby meant that they would always be connected… but she wanted more than that. “I am ready, Clark. I want to know all of you, too.”
Clark leaned in, cupping her cheek. “I love you, Lois. I need you to know that.”
“I love you, too,” Lois responded, feeling her throat constrict with emotion.
Their lips met, and it felt as if a fire cracker had ignited between them. Lois suddenly needed to be closer to him, but it was hard to get close comfortably on the short seat of the swing.
They paused, as if realizing where they were and then giggled like guilty children. “Why don’t we take this upstairs?” Lois suggested.
“Thought you’d never ask.”
They locked hands and headed back into the inn, the now cold tea and cappuccino left sitting untouched on the side table.
