Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Lois & Clark Fanfic The One Where Lois and Clark Make Some New Friends, 1/?: A Birthday Fic for Annette

Well, as I'm sure most of you are aware, Annette's birthday was Saturday. However, since she was out-of-town over the weekend so we decided to wait to post until today.

This is a crossover with one of Annette's other favorite shows - Friends. One day I read her Reader's Choice and she mentioned in there that she wished someone would write one so here goes...

For those of you unfamiliar with Friends - here is a pic:

Top row from L to R: Joey, Monica, Chandler
Bottom row from L to R: Ross, Phoebe, Rachel
Hope that helps some of you.

Very special thanks go out to my co-author, Missy, and our BRs Elena, KatieS and Anna [who spent countless hours letting me paste to her in IM and helping with characterizations].

Unfortunately [or fortunately, depending on your perspective *g*], the characters took on a life of their own and this turned out to be longer than originally expected and is not quite done. Until it's finished we're going to post once a week.

The story begins at the end of Whine, Whine, Whine in Lois and Clark timeline and after the Friends come back from England and Ross' wedding to Emily and after Phoebe has the triplets in the Friends timeline.

None of the characters contained in this story belong to any of us and none of us are going to make any money off of it.

And without further ado...

The One Where Lois and Clark Make Some New Friends, A Birthday Fic for Annette

*****

Part 1

*****

Clark took one last, long look around his apartment. He would miss it. It had been a good home for him the last two years. He didn't want to leave but he certainly didn't want to stay. Not after what he'd seen earlier. There was no way he could stay in the same city, much less the same state anymore.

His mind kept playing the same scene again and again - Lois walking into her apartment with *him*...

It had ended. She'd told Superman it was over and that there was someone else. It had been confirmed when he had seen them on steps talking and sharing some intimate conversation.

Well, it was obvious who the other man in her life was and it wasn't him. All they'd been through, becoming best friends, deciding to date and then that wonderful kiss, seemed like it didn't matter to her. It was like it had never happened.

Guess he'd run off one too many times, given one too many lame excuses, and now he had lost her. It was his fault for thinking he could juggle both ends of his two identities. If only he had trusted her enough to tell her the truth about who he was. But now it was too late.

Lois was in love with Dan Scardino.

He sighed and folded the last box flap under.

It was time to move on.

*****

"Monica! Come here!" Rachel waved her roommate towards the window.

"What?" Monica tossed her magazine on the chair and joined Rachel. "WHO is that?"

"Who cares?!"

They stared out the window and down just a little bit, excited by what they were seeing.

Ugly naked guy was moving out.

And a really hot guy was moving in.

Ten minutes later they were sitting on the balcony in lawn chairs, sipping iced tea, watching for a better glimpse of this new guy.

A blond head poked through the window leading outside. "What's up?"

"Hey, Phoebs! Pull up a chair." Monica poured some tea into the extra glass she'd had waiting for Phoebe when she arrived.

"Oh, thank you."

Rachel leaned up to peek over the side of the balcony again. "Oh! Oh! Oh! There he is again!"

"Who?!" Phoebe rushed to her side. "Ugly naked guy?"

"Nope. New guy."

Phoebe's jaw dropped as the new tenant emerged from the back of the apartment. "He's hot!!! What're we gonna call him?!"

Rachel sighed and stared off into space. "Just call him 'all mine'."

Monica snorted. "Yeah, right. Like you've got a chance with him."

Rachel glared at her. "And why not?"

"Well, first, you'd have to meet him and then you'd have to get him to ask you out. Face it, all we're gonna get to do is enjoy some eye candy."

"Hey, it could happen!"

Phoebe giggled. "Not if I get to him first."

They watched as the man returned to the bedrooms and then gasped when he came out.

He was wearing a pair of what seemed to be sweat shorts and then nothing from the waist up. He poked around in a box and then pulled out a shirt.

"NO! NO! NO!" All three yelled in unison.

"It's a *sin* to cover up that chest!" Phoebe was practically hanging over the side of the balcony.

"I *know!* Monica rested her arms on the side and sighed. "But think of all the times we might get to see him..."

They sighed in unison wearing identical far away expressions.

"Hey, what's going on out here?" A head full of tussled brown hair poked out the window.

"We're watching bare chest guy move in." Phoebe jumped up and down just a bit, clapping.

Chandler moved out of the window peered across the alley. "He's got a shirt on."

"He didn't a minute ago."

Rachel sat back down. "We can't call him naked chest guy. How about..." She sipped thoughtfully on her tea, basking in the warm sun. "...really yummy guy?"

Chandler shook his head in disgust. "You can't call him that! Are you going to *eat* him?"

Rachel opened her mouth.

Chandler glared at her. "Don't say it."

"Fine. How about... super cute guy?"

Phoebe shook her head. "Great abs guy."

"No..." Monica and Rachel answered together.

Another head popped through the window. "What's going on?"

Chandler gestured towards the building across the street. "They're watching a new guy move in."

Joey looked. "He's kinda hot."

"JOEY!" Chandler stared at him.

"What?!" Joey shrugged. "Just because I think he's hot doesn't mean I'm..." he sputtered.

"I know, but still!"

"We're trying to come up with a name for him."

Monica sat straight up. "Sexy naked guy!"

Rachel sat back and pouted. "He's not naked."

"Sexy half-naked guy?" Monica sounded a bit desperate.

"How about hot shorts guy?" The question was posed thoughtfully.

"JOEY!" All four spoke simultaneously.

"I like it!" Rachel turned to stare back at the guy across the street. "Who are you hot shorts guy?"

Phoebe pointed. "He's leaving!!!!!"

"What?" Monica rushed to Phoebe's side. "No, hot shorts guy! Stay!"

"Stay! Stay! Stay!" The three women chanted together.

And then the door closed. Somewhere overhead a boom sounded.

Phoebe looked up. "What was that?"

Rachel sighed. "Doesn't matter. Show's over." She picked up her glass. "Nothing more to see."

Rachel followed Phoebe and Joey back into the apartment.

Monica started to follow her when a gentle hand on her arm caused her to stop.

"Monica..." Chandler looked at her with soft blue eyes.

"What?" She could see something.... undefined on his face.

"Are we..." He pointed to each of them. "...okay?"

"What?" She was genuinely surprised by the question. "Of course we are!"

"Well, after the whole thing with the male nurse..." He stared at his feet and shuffled a bit. "And now *hot shorts guy*... Are we okay?"

"Yes we are." She reached up and placed a gentle hand on the side of his face. "I'm happy right where I am, but if I didn't act all excited, what would Phoebe and Rachel think?"

"You could say you don't think he's that hot after all?" Chandler asked hopefully.

She just stared at him. "Be realistic here. He is *hot*! To say otherwise would be... just *wrong*!" She turned to look inside and satisfied herself that their friends were occupied and then gave him a swift, hard kiss on the lips. "But you're still the only one I want to be with."

Chandler looked through the window too and then gathered Monica in his arms and just held her for a minute. "Thanks. I needed to hear that."

A tap on the glass of the large picture window caused them to jump apart.

Rachel waved them inside. They looked nervously at each other and then left the balcony.

"What was all that about?" Rachel queried.

"All what?" She couldn't have seen the kiss. Could she?

"That hug. Is everything okay?"

"Um, fine." Chandler looked at Monica, desperately trying to come up with some excuse. "I, uh..."

"Shrunk his favorite socks."

Chandler jumped in. "Yes, I did. I'm very sad about this."

Joey looked at Chandler panic-stricken. "Not your lucky socks!"

Chandler nodded seriously. "Yes. They're shrunk. I may have to give them to Ben."

Joey just stared at him. "Ben is *not* old enough for those socks."

Chandler turned to look at Monica. "I was wearing those socks when..."

Phoebe jumped in. "When what?"

Chandler shifted nervously. "When, um, the, um, last time, um... Oh, gosh. What's for dinner?"

"Chandler, why don't I teach you how to do laundry later?"

"No, I'm good."

Monica's eyes grew wide and she spoke through gritted teeth. "I'll *teach* you how to do laundry later."

"Oh, um, okay, sure."

Joey started to whine. "Let's just go out. It'll take too long to make anything here."

Rachel tossed her hair. "As long as we can sit outside. This is the first *really* nice day we've had all spring."

"Let's go then!" Joey led the way out the door. Rachel and Phoebe followed him.

Monica put a hand on Chandler's arm to stop him. "Lucky socks?"

"You're the one who started it."

She smiled shyly. "And you were really wearing them when..."

He smiled back. "Yep." He leaned in to kiss her, softly and gently this time. "And you're still the most beautiful woman in any room."

"Aww!" She kissed him again. "Wanna skip dinner?"

"Will you teach me how to do laundry?" He grinned impishly.

"You bet."

*****

Monica's head rested on Chandler's chest. "And that's how you do laundry."

"I'm not sure I got it. Can you show me again sometime?"

Monica giggled. "You bet."

Sounds of chatter floated into Monica's room and she sat straight up, clutching the sheet to her chest. "We've got to get out of here."

"What'll we do?"

Well, get dressed!"

They quickly dressed and Monica used her fingers to comb through Chandler's hair and then her own.

"Why were we in here?" Chandler stared at her wide-eyed.

"Why do I always have to come up with the excuses?!"

"You're better at this than I am!"

"I'm a better liar than you are?!"

"No! That's not what I meant at all!"

"Then what did you mean?"

"You're smarter than I am! You think better, quicker!"

"You're smart!"

"We don't have time to argue over who's smart! Think of an excuse!"

There was a knock on the door. "Monica," came Rachel's voice. "Are you okay? We missed you at dinner. Is Chandler in there with you?"

Monica and Chandler exchanged panicked looks. "I'm fine, Rach. And no, Chandler's not in here. Why would he be?"

"He didn't come to dinner either."

"What do you mean I'm not in here?" Chandler hissed.

"He didn't?" She called to Rachel. "You can't be in here!" She hissed back.

"Then where am I?"

"How the heck would I know?"

"Can I come in, Mon?"

Monica looked around. "Under the bed. Quick."

"WHAT?!"

"Just a minute, Rach!"

"I'm not getting under the bed!"

"Do it!"

"Is there someone in there with you, Monica? It's Richard, isn't it?!"

"What?! No! I'm just talking to myself." Monica motioned for Chandler to get under the bed.

He rolled his eyes and complied.

Monica smoothed her shirt and then opened the door to let Rachel in.

"Are you sure there's no one else in here?"

Monica laughed nervously. "No. Who else would be in here?"

Rachel eyed her suspiciously. "You're not hiding hot shorts guy are you?"

Monica snorted. "As if."

"Seriously. I heard two voices."

"You were imagining things."

Rachel gave her a look of disbelief and then shrugged. "We're going to go get ice cream and thought we'd find out what happened to you and Chandler. Wanna come?"

"Um, no thanks."

"And you don't know where Chandler is?"

"I told you... *I don't know*!"

Rachel peered around her. "Why isn't your bed made?"

"I, uh, decided not to make it this morning."

Rachel's eyes narrowed. "You always make your bed."

"Well, I decided not to today," Monica answered defiantly.

"Okay. Well, we're leaving. Talk to you soon." Rachel looked around and then left.

Monica shut the door behind her and leaned up against it, breathing a sigh of relief. "She's gone."

Chandler's head emerged from the other side of the bed. He propped himself up on his elbows. "So, no ice cream?"

Monica grinned at him. "Nope."

"Wanna show me how to do laundry again?" he asked, grinning.

"Sure."

"Good."

*****

Lois dug around in the bottom of her ice cream bucket and came up empty. Darn. Third gallon of ice cream finished in the past two weeks. She sat the container on her lap, looked in the small handheld mirror and sighed. Yep! The blemishes were still there. All the chocolate she'd eaten lately was catching up to her – big time!

This had to end soon. She couldn't keep going on this way. Who knew that a broken heart would be so hazardous to her complexion? It was all Clark's fault! She closed her eyes and tried to shut out the mental image of his empty apartment. She had been too late. And Clark had been too much of a coward to see her in person. Instead, all he'd left was a short note telling her that he couldn't stay in Metropolis and that he was moving on.

No explanation. No lame excuse.

He was gone and she was heartbroken.

Drat him anyway! Who did he think he was to leave her just when she had made up her mind that it was *him* that she had chosen? Just when the picture had become crystal clear, he had muddied up the waters again by moving on.

She didn't even have the friendship of Superman to fall back on. A few days after Clark had disappeared, Superman held a press conference informing the public that he was now going to be based out of New York for a while. The police department needed his help in rounding up the latest outbreak of gang wars. Crime was at an all time high in the New York and the city officials hoped that his constant presence there would help them get things under control.

Superman... now there was a thought. Maybe he knew where she could find Clark, if only for the reason of giving him a piece of her mind. Of course, she'd have to find Superman. The superhero had been spending all his time in New York lately and now that she thought about it, he hadn't visited her since he'd left five months ago.

In frustration, she tossed the empty carton across the room and watched it barely miss the kitchen sink. Oh goody! Another mess to clean up. She looked at the pimples on her face and frowned. If she was going to hunt down Clark, then she'd better stop eating all this junk food and get back to a healthier diet. It would take her at least a week to make all the arrangements if she was going to take a trip to New York.

Her heart lightened briefly as she wondered if her one of her sorority sisters still lived in New York. It was worth a try.

*****

TBC