A/N: Hello, gentle readers! I've finally gotten around to updating this! I really love writing this story, and it's probably one of my favorites that I've written so far, so I'm really glad to get back to this! Anyway, I'm probably not going to drag this out for much longer- a couple more chapters maybe. And I'm still pretty busy, so my update schedule is going to be sporadic and likely drawn out. But, I'm giving this to you anyways for the time being. Enjoy! And as always, leave me a review for what you liked and what you want to see next!

Love, SJT ;P

Clark awoke to the sound of a heartbeat, pounding heavily as it came nearer. This time, however, it was not Alice White's frantically beating pulse as she approached his bedside with a baseball bat.

He shot up in bed with the realization.

It was Lois. Lois Lane was here, at Perry White's house. In the middle of the night, no less. That had to signify something.

Alice was up, too, he heard, answering the door in surprise. "Lois, what are you doing here? What's wrong?" Clark tried his best to turn his ears away from the conversation, but was failing quite miserably. The instant he knew something had indeed gone wrong, he knew it was a lost cause. He had to know why. And since he didn't want to spy, that meant he'd have to go out there and face her.

"Is Clark here?" he heard Lois ask in a shaky voice as he struggled to button his shirt up at a slow enough pace. His fingers kept shaking with a nervous energy he couldn't contain. He felt his heart flutter when she spoke his name.

"Yes, dear, he's sleeping in the guest room. Why? Do you want me to go get him or-"

"Oh, no, that's okay. I'm gonna go now anyways. I don't know why I came here in the first place really."

"Lois, what's happened? Are you alright?"

"I don't want to talk about it anymore."

"I'm sure it'd be no trouble to wake Clark-"

"No! I don't want to see him right now!"

Clark froze, his hand hovering gently over the door handle behind him. His eyes went wide as he stared at a distraught looking Lois Lane who had not yet realized Clark Kent was standing just outside his bedroom door. Drat. Okay, Clark. Time to go back.

Then the door slammed shut behind him.

Both Lois and Alice snapped their heads over to face the sound. Clark still appeared surprised, but his surprise quickly turned to embarrassment and guilt. His face reddened. Stupid cross breeze, he thought. Between his bedroom window and the front door being open, the draft had sealed his fate along with his door.

Lois began to glare at him. Clark tried to save face. "I-I was just leaving. Y-you guys can stay and talk. If you want."

Lois bit her lip to keep from crying, from spilling all to him. She didn't want to have to face him yet. She didn't want to just run from the arms of one man into the arms of another. She didn't want to seem desperate. She didn't want to have another man comfort her.

But she needed comfort.

Clark took in Lois's appearance- still in the same clothes she had worn to work yesterday, red puffy eyes and a red nose, indicating she had been crying. He desperately wanted to take her into his arms and console her, even not knowing what had happened. Considering it was four am and she looked like that, it couldn't have been anything good.

Alice looked between the two of them and cleared her throat. Both pairs of eyes turned to look at her. "Well? I mean, I love you both and all, but it is the middle of the night-" she raised her eyebrows at Clark pointedly.

He cleared his throat. "Uh, right. I'll be going now. I guess I'll see you tomorrow, Lois. Or today, I suppose." He gave her a slight smile. She wanted to return it, but it was taking everything in her to keep from breaking down in tears that instant. Even now he was trying to cheer her up. He always was sweet, wasn't he?

Clark glanced at Alice with a look of discomfort. She nodded at him, as if signaling that she would take good care of her. A quick look of relief flitted across Clark's brow. "Okay," he muttered, and in a flash of color he was gone, his door open once again and his clothes folded neatly on his bed. Lois sighed.

Alice patted her shoulder lightly. "Come on, dear. Why don't you have a seat and make yourself comfortable? I'll get you something to drink. Tea okay?"

Numbly, Lois nodded and made her way over to the couch. She felt bad about making Clark leave- although she didn't exactly make him go- but still. She shook herself. She wasn't ready to talk to him yet. She needed time, time to herself. Time to think and to ponder and figure out what the hell happened to her life this past month.

She had been happy before. Happy with Jason being Richard's son, and happy being with Richard. Well, maybe happy wasn't quite the right term. She and Richard had been having a rough go of things for a while now, but they hadn't necessarily been unhappy. They'd just been... normal. Adequate. Good enough.

Alice approached with two cups of tea in hand. Lois took the proffered cup with a weak smile and a gracious nod. After a moment of silence, Alice spoke up. "Is everything alright, Lois?"

Lois shook her head.

"You want to talk about it?"

She shook her head again. Alice nodded and simply sipped at her drink, knowing the girl would open up about it when she felt comfortable with it. Alice would wait patiently, until that moment came.

Lois swiped an obtrusive tear away and sniffled slightly. They sat like that, together in silence for what seemed like forever, though in reality it was probably only five or ten minutes. Eventually, Lois spoke.

"I don't know how this happened, Alice." Alice looked up at her questioningly, not uttering a word in return, signaling her to continue. "It's just... ever since Clark returned... well, things just haven't been the same. And now... I just don't know what to do."

Alice gave her hand a comforting squeeze. They were starting to slip back into silence, so the older woman finally decided to move things along. "So what happened with Richard?"

Lois felt her lower lip quivering and clamped down on it forcefully. "I- I told him I'd made my decision."

"And what was your decision?" Alice asked.

Lois looked into her gentle blue eyes, the kindness behind them, and immediately knew she couldn't lie to her, despite the fact that it might break her heart. She looked down to her lap and softly answered, "Clark."

Alice nodded and gave her hand another slight squeeze. "I'm sure Richard understands."

Lois shook her head. "No, Alice. You don't get it. I lied to him. To Richard. I didn't tell him I'd chosen Clark. I said I'd chosen him. I would have thrown it all away for him, if he'd wanted me to."

Alice's brow wrinkled in concern. "What do you mean? You told Richard yes?"

Lois nodded before jumping to her feet and pacing. "I mean, I did. I said I wanted to be with him, and he looked so... hopeful and elated. And then I don't know what happened, if something in my expression gave me away or if he just knows me well enough to tell when I'm lying- but suddenly, it all came tumbling down. He said he couldn't let me do that to myself, to be with him when I wanted to be with Clark. He gave me up."

Alice felt her heart breaking for her nephew and for Lois all at once, beginning to realize just why Lois was so distraught.

"And I don't even know why it bothers me so much- I mean, he basically set me free! Free to be with Clark- the man I love. But I don't feel anything but this... this terrible ache. Like there's a hole in my chest. It hurts so bad, Alice," Lois stopped pacing, finally breaking down and crying.

Alice got to her feet and enveloped the girl in a strong bear hug. "Oh, sweetie," she murmured as Lois' tears continued to let loose. "It's okay. Sh-shh. Everything will be okay." She rubbed her back soothingly as her tears subsided. Alice managed to coax Lois into sitting back down on the couch before speaking again. "Don't you care for Clark?"

Lois scoffed slightly as she dried her face, ruining what little was left of yesterday's makeup. "I love him, Alice. I really do. But... but I love Richard, too. I don't think I realized it even that much until tonight. I mean, I really was ready to give up a life with Clark just because I loved Richard so much. Because I'd rather keep him happy. Isn't that what love is about?"

Alice didn't know how to respond to that. Lois continued on.

"And yet, I feel the same way about Clark. I know why he left before-"

Alice looked mildly surprised. "Clark said you didn't know."

Lois snorted. "I'm not stupid, Alice. I know he ran from me. Well, I know that now. I guess I can't really claim to knowing anything then. But still. The fact that I had hurt him so badly that he even felt he had to run away from me, to escape his pain- I mean, I know he was trying to be the bigger person... but it's caused so much more heartache since. And it's all my fault."

"It's not your fault in the least, dear. You know that. No one could have predicted that any of this would happen."

She shrugged helplessly before returning her gaze to her lap. "I should have given myself up for him, too. Or even stayed with him back then." She felt the presence of tears stinging at her eyes and paused to compose herself. "I love them both, Alice... I just don't know if I'm in love with either of them. What if I can't choose? What if I hurt them both for no good reason? Or worse, what if, when I finally am able to choose, neither of them will have me?" Her voice broke on her last words, and Alice enveloped her in another warm hug.

"Oh, sweetie," she murmured. Alice didn't really have an answer for that. It was all up in the air. She knew Clark would wait an eternity for her... but if it was Richard she wanted, she couldn't be sure. "Don't you worry about that right now. You just take care of you. Okay?"

Lois nodded slowly, drying her tears. "Right. I know. I will." She sniffled a bit and blew her nose before they lapsed back into silence.

"You know, Lois, you're always welcome to stay here with us. If you want. I mean, I don't know if you do. But just in case... you know. Our doors are always open to you- and Jason."

"I know that, Alice. But I don't want to be here when Clark's still staying here. And I don't want to put you out."

"Nonsense. You wouldn't be putting us out in any way, shape or form. And Clark's not going to stay here forever. He's really just waiting for his apartment to clear out so he can move in. It can't be more than a day or two more. Just let us know if you do, alright?"

Lois nodded and they once again slipped into silence- this time, a more comfortable one, though.

A noise from behind them prompted both of them to turn. A puzzled looking Perry White emerged from the back bedroom wearing striped pajamas and fuzzy slippers. "Lois? When did you get here?" The image of her boss in such attire paired with the confused look on his face proved too much for Lois, and she broke down in genuine laughter for the first time in what felt like forever.

A/N: So? What do you say? Alright? A little short? Let me know!