Title: Reverse 1/2

Author: Nadia Mack

Spoilers: Spoilers up to "Blank"

Disclaimer: I Own Nothing

Summary: A tragedy in the future forces Superman to travel to the past using any means necessary.

Author's Notes: This is a two-part story.

Metropolis 2017

"I have to do this"

"Clark, be rational!" Bruce urged to his longtime friend and confidant.

"I have to go after him, if I don't, he'll never stop killing innocent people. I can't just stand by and do NOTHING"

Just then, another voice broke into their conversation. "Bruce is right, Kal-El, it's much too dangerous," Diana also known as Wonder Woman and Princess of the Amazons said in agreement with Bruce.

"I know how you feel, but this is reckless planning, Clark, you know that," Bruce desperately tried to get through his friend.

"I don't care," he replied emotionally.

"Kal-El, please, let us help"

"No!" He pulled away from them and flew off in light speed. Wonder Woman may be able to fly, but she can't fly as fast as him.

She turned to Bruce. "We've got to stop him"

"And how do you suppose we do that, Diana?"

"Are you saying we should give up on him, then?"

"He's hurting. Nothing we do or say is going to make it stop"

"Then we just let him fall apart," she hoped that she misinterpreted Bruce wrong. "Tell me what he wants, and we'll get it for him"

"He wants his wife"

As soon as it left his lips, Diana knew that it was the one request she couldn't give.

Smallville 2005

Looking into the mirror, he stared astonishingly at the image he saw in front of him. It worked, the incantation actually worked. In all his experience, he has never been fond of magic, but when the situation called for it, he knew what he had to do.

"Clark!" A familiar voice yelled out from outside the bathroom door. "You're going to be late for school!" The voice continued on.

When he realized who it was, "I'll be right there, mom!" he responded back.

Clark looked at himself in the mirror once more. In his mind, he's in his late twenties, but at his present situation, he was seventeen. Could things get anymore complicated?

And then…

His ears became attuned to a familiar sound.

His rhythm…

As his eyes widened at the implication, he rushed to exit the bathroom only to nearly collide with the one person he wasn't prepared to see.

"For God's sake, Clark, it's the bathroom not a track field," she quipped out loud, nearly tumbling backwards from the farm boy's sudden exit.

"I, um…" his words failed to form a coherent sentence. "Sorry," he finally says, head bowed down. Clark wasn't ready to look her in the eye.

"Clark," she spoke in concern. Her voice calmed him down like the smooth waves of an ocean after a thunderstorm. "You okay?"

He snapped out of the moment.

"What?"

"Are you okay?" she says again, this time, more softly.

Once Clark looked up at her, eye to eye, all control and caution was gone and he reached out to engulf her in an embrace that was anything but friendly.

Lois stood in his arms dumbfounded. She didn't know how to react.

"Are you possessed?"

She heard him chuckle, and for a brief moment, she did as well. But when Clark didn't let her go, she began to worry.

"Clark," she tried to get a word out. "Umm… not that I don't appreciate this moment of bonding and all but…" she patted his back a couple of times. "You need to let me go now"

She felt his head shake to answer otherwise.

Lois had to roll her eyes, and then she squeezed her hands in between their bodies so she could put it in front of his chest so as to gently push him away.

And when he reluctantly let her go, he cast his eyes downwards yet again and shoving his hands in his pants pocket.

"I know I've been living here with you and your family for a few months now, but did something happen?" Lois and Clark don't normally just give each other hugs unless it was due to some kind of dire situation, like possession for an example.

Clark remained silent, and whatever it is that he couldn't quite say in words, Lois simply nodded and put aside for now. He looked like hell.

"You should get downstairs, your mom's been screaming for you all morning"

Clark was relieved that Lois didn't pursue is out-of-character behavior any further. If only she knew how in-character it was for him.

"Thanks," he answered weakly.

They parted on awkward terms, but Lois didn't show it much. Clark on the other hand was reeling over who he had just seen and what he had just done. He couldn't help himself; he glanced at her several times till she was physically out of his view. Clark had to will more himself not to see through those walls separating him from the love of his life.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, he is greeted by a very happy Shelby.

For the first time since he came to, he took his attention away from Lois and focused on the mutt tugging at his leg. "Hey, Shelby, how's it going, boy?" Clark kneeled and ruffled the canine's face when suddenly he found himself subconsciously catching a glimpse of his wife… no, future wife as she made her way down the stairs and into the living room.

"Sweetie," another voice broke off his thoughts.

Turning to see his mom by the fridge, "Morning mom," Clark says great to see his mom. She still lives in his future, but all the same, it was good to see her.

"I'm glad you're finally up"

He looked at his mom keenly so he didn't have to look at Lois "Where's dad?"

"He went to the store early"

Clark noticed his mother was dressed. "Where are you going?"

"I'm meeting an old girlfriend from college; she's in town for the weekend. I'll be back before dinner," she kissed him on the cheek and headed out the door leaving Clark and Lois alone.

Clark kept gazing at his mother even though she had gone out of view.

"What did I say about uncomfortable silences?" Lois broke through from the still quiet air.

"That you're uncomfortable with them," he answered without turning his back to her.

"Exactly! So, you mind telling me what's bothering you"

"What makes you think something is bothering me?" She had always had a way at figuring him out, even at this age.

"I don't know," she shrugged. "Your impromptu gesture a few minutes ago is clear evidence that something's wrong"

He finally faced her. "I don't need a reason to hug you Lois," he defended. He'd forgotten how very different they were when they were younger, but then he suddenly mentally scorned himself for the slip.

Lois shifted uncomfortably. It was an answer she wasn't expecting. Actually, she was expecting some lame attempt at some form of explanation, but what she got was a simple honest-to-God direct answer.

Reaching for her jacket, "Gotta get to work," and rushed out of the house.

Instinctively, Clark reached for his own but halfway to the door he realized that work wasn't The Daily Planet. He mournfully watched Lois climb into her car and drive away, getting only a smile as a form of 'see ya later.'

It was at that point Clark realized the predicament he placed himself in. He had no real plan of action. Not even a back-up plan. He was in the past for one reason and one reason only, to ensure Lois, his wife, was safe.

To him, that was enough.

"Clark," someone says. He turned to see a younger looking Chloe Sullivan walking towards him. "I see you've finally got some peace and quiet around here," she mused at the situation her two bestest friends got themselves in.

"Hi Chloe," he greeted in return. He searched his mind and tried to recall everything that had happened during this part of his life.

Remembering one of the most crucial:

Chloe knew of his abilities.

As they two stood silently before each other, it was he who broke the silence. "Thank you for everything you've done for me"

His words caught her off guard.

"What do you mean everything?"

Clark knew he needed an ally, and next to his parents and Lois, it was Chloe Sullivan he trusted just as much. "I know you know I'm different," he further explained.

Chloe took a couple more steps up the stairs until she was just in front of him.

"I…"

"It's okay, I'm grateful you kept it to yourself, even though I'm sure you were angry with me for never telling you." He knew he was using his memories of the future to help him get through it in the past, but what other choice did he have?

"I didn't want you to feel obligated to tell me," says Chloe finally finding her voice.

"I wasn't. Not now or ever," he assured her, catching her exhale the breath she was holding.

"I'm glad that I don't have to pretend with you anymore. It was getting a little exhausting," she admitted with a rue smile.

He tried to smile at her but there was just too many thoughts running through his head, he could barely focus. Instead, he closed his eyes and focused his hearing to the familiar heart beat of Lois Lane. It was about the only thing keeping him sane.

"Are you listening in on someone?" Chloe interrupted with hesitancy. It's all finally out in the open, but she didn't want to appear pushy.

"No…" he paused opening his one eye to her and then both. "Yes," he admitted.

"Let me guess," insisted Chloe. "Does that someone have the initials L.L?"

"How'd you…"

"Come on, Clark. It wasn't hard to figure out; you've been in love with Lana forever now"

Clark tried not to burst in surprise laughter. "You thought I was listening in on Lana Lang?"

Chloe quirked an eyebrow in his direction with deep puzzlement, "Aren't you?"

He shook his head.

"No"

"You're not?" Chloe couldn't believe Clark Kent just admitted that he wasn't in some way trying to connect with his childhood crush. When she thought of another person with the same initials, she pulled back a face and stared at him oddly, "Lex Lu…"

"No!" Clark chuckled, but then the smile faded when he saw Chloe's face flush with sadness. She knew now too.

Chloe faked her amusement. "Two down, only one other person who fits that description left," she described weakly. "I don't know why I'm even asking, but when? I mean, just yesterday, you couldn't stand one another, and now, you're standing here listening in on her"

"I'm not listening in on her"

"Oh yeah, then what the hell were you doing?" She questioned angrily.

"I could be a thousand miles away and I can hear her," he revealed, garnering a look of amazement that shifted away from jealousy across Chloe's features. He continued, "I'm not spying on her, Chloe. I'm simply listening to her heart"

"Her heart… you mean her heart beat?" She sorely didn't get it.

"It's kind of my rhythm." He was having a hard time explaining it. The only other person who understood his connection to Lois on that level was his friend Bruce.

"You're rhythm? Clark, you and Lois aren't even together," she says completely baffled at Clark's actions.

"Not yet"

Again, Chloe looked at him in great surprise.

"Whoa, wait a second. What do you mean, yet? Clark, what's going on?"

Taking a deep breath, Clark prepares himself for the impossible. "What if I told you I wasn't the Clark Kent you knew for the past 5 years? What if I told you that my future self came back taking the form of his teenage self? What would you say? How would you react?"

Chloe was speechless.

"Are you telling me that I'm talking to Clark Kent from the future?"

"Yes"

Skeptical, "I trust you, Clark, but so many things happen here in Smallville that can easily distort fact and fiction, that…"

Clark cut her off. "Ask me anything about Lois, Chloe. Things she made you swear not to tell anybody," he challenged. Clark didn't have time to be tiptoeing around and thought best to just get on with it. "I know them all, Chlo. I know Lois better than she knows herself. She's a part of me, she CAN'T NOT be"

Of all the years she had known him, she has never heard Clark talk so openly and so emotionally about anyone, not even about Lana, the high school sweetheart she was convinced Clark would never grow out of.

Clark just had to prove her wrong… again.

So it what he was saying is true, that he really is from the future… a sudden feeling of dread fills her stomach.

"Something happens to her, doesn't it? You wouldn't have come back here if that wasn't the case"

Clark looked out in the fields of the Kent Farm, his eyes glistening with tears. Chloe's question was answered.

"Can I ask what happened?"

"No"

Chloe understood, and a part of her was relieved he didn't answer her. Despite the huge surprise, Lois has and always been the one true constant in her life, the one person she could always rely on, and the only other person who loved her unconditionally. If something bad really did happen, and everything her best friend had told her is true, she has to have faith that there's a way to beat whatever speed bump she got into.

"What are we going to do now?"

Clark noted Chloe's use of 'we' and was utterly thankful he has her in his side.

"I haven't quite figured that part of the plan yet"

Chloe just stared at him with an open jaw.

"You don't have a plan?" she yelled out. "What the hell were you thinking time hoppin like that?" She slapped him on the shoulder to emphasize his stupidity. "How the heck did you pull it off anyhow?"

"I know, all right. I just need to think and I'll figure it out." Clark put himself several feet apart from Chloe to explain. "Magic, I used magic to come back here"

"Magic?" Things were going from weird to crazy. "Come on, Clark, I need something more than that?"

At this point, he realized that even though she knows about his abilities, she had no clue of his true origins. Things were going to be even more complicated.

"Just trust me when I say that it's true"

"I don't know, Clark," she replied skeptically. "I barely know anything and the things that you've told me… it's pretty hard to swallow"

"I know, and I'm sorry you found out this way"

"I think the batteries in my brain have fried." She walked further into the porch and sat on the bench in hopes she could comprehend everything that she just learned. It was a long shot, but she had to give it a try. "And don't be, Clark." She thought back to her older cousin. "I'm happy that it's Lois," she softly admitted, even if she had a hard time picturing the two together.

This time, it was Clark that looked at her with surprise. "You are?" He knew she was okay with it in his future, but he didn't think it would be that easy to pass in this particular period of their lives.

He and Lois don't get together for another year and a half, the half being spent by both ignoring and denying that there was something there.

She rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine, I'm a little hurt, but I'll get over it. I can't exactly be mad at my cousin right now, especially when she thinks so little of herself"

Clark's mouth turns into a grin. "That'll pass"

Chloe smiled despite the gravity of the situation.

The two walked towards the barn, the place where Clark found solace in growing up, they stopped as Chloe wondrously thought up questions to ask.

"So…" Chloe began. "What's she like now, in the future I mean?" She had been dying to know.

Clark stopped to smile as he went into his memory and recalled every detail of her into one word.

"Perfect"

"That great, huh?" Chloe's mind went into overdrive. This Clark has love written all over his face when talking about her cousin.

"She has this air about her," he began to explain. "A confidence and compassion and so many other things rolled into one, some times I wonder if I could be dreaming"

"You really love her, don't you?" She regretted the question once she saw Clark's face turn into sadness. Whatever happened in the future that would make Clark go all the way to the past, in a time that would probably rank as the lesser happy years of his life, must truly be bad. She's always seen him strong, even when things went sour with Alicia Baker; he always managed to bring his feet back up.

Now, he looked so much like a lost little boy.

A thought came to, and she knew it would be the craziest idea.

"Maybe we should let Lois in on this?"

"No!" he immediately reacted, the tone in his voice throwing Chloe back a little.

"What! Why not?" She argued. "It seems like it's her life on the line. Maybe if she knew, she could prepare herself"

"I'm not going to burden her with the future like that. I won't. Chloe, you don't understand, I didn't just come back here to watch over her, I came back here to stop the man that…" He stopped when he realized how much he was about to reveal.

"What, Clark? Tell me, I'm her family, I deserve to know," she cried out.

"No, Chloe! I can't!"

"Why not?" She bellowed out.

"Because I'm her husband!"

Chloe put a hand to cover her mouth. "Oh my god," she whispered, reminiscent of the first time she saw Clark use his powers. "You married Lois"

Clark remained quiet. It's all out in the open now.

"You married LOIS! You and Lois are married!" She exclaimed.

Clark sighed. "I heard you the first two times, Chloe"

Chloe couldn't help but chuckle a little. "I'm kind of dying to know how in the world that happened," she commented, not realizing what her words meant to Clark. Chloe's journalistic instincts kicked in and tragically put two and two together.

Shaking in disbelief. "No… no… " her eyes begins to water with tears. "Tell me she's okay. Tell me she's going to be okay, Clark… tell me please," she pleaded shakily as Clark looked on breaking inside. He had to stay strong, if not for himself, but for the future. "Tell ME!" he heard her yell at him. "No, no… don't, I don't want to know," she stifled.

"Chloe," he started in a low whisper. He watched her crumple from his silence, and he opened his mouth to explain but…

"What's going on here?" Someone says climbing up the stairs.

Clark is unprepared and Chloe quickly turned to wipe the tears in her eyes.

"Hey!" The head of Lois Lane crept up from the staircase, and in a matter of a few steps, her whole body appeared. "Chloe?" She saw her little cousin stifling a cry and instinctively, she runs up to console her. "Are you okay?" She rubbed her back gently in an attempt to get her to relax.

Lois turns towards Clark, if she had heat vision, he could swear her eyes would be blaring red right now. She was probably wondering what he had done to Chloe this time?

"What happened?" she asked him hoarsely.

Clark cringed at the voice. If she only knew…

"Oh, it's nothing," Chloe chimed in and pulled her cousin into a hug. Though not as weirded out by the gesture as she was when Clark had done it, Lois still found it a bit odd that she was holding on so tight and long.

"Shh… hey, it's going to be all right," Lois responded in a soft soothing voice. She felt Chloe tighten her grip around her. "Uh… cuz, I love you but could you please tell me what's going on?"

"I'm sorry," Chloe let her go and sniffed. "I just…" Another look towards Lois's way and she found herself launching into another hug, much to her cousin's growing confusion. She looked at Clark and mouthed a 'what's wrong with her?'

Clark kept his sadness at bay at the emotional scene and shrugged with a silent 'I don't know.' Lois rolled her eyes at him as she gently pulled away from Chloe.

"Are you okay now?"

Chloe nodded her head, looking so childlike and innocent that it made Lois recall memories of them when they were just small kids.

"I thought you went to work?" Clark found himself intruding, he needed to keep those two apart for at least a few days, but that was an idea that was next to impossible.

Chloe finally let go of Lois. Lois turns to Clark with a questioning look, but no questions came out of her mouth. "I left something in the house and I saw Chloe's car." She looked at Chloe once more. "You want me to stay?" she asked her genuinely.

Chloe looked at her gratefully but then saw Clark shake his head behind her.

"No, no, it's all right. I've just had a lot on my mind…" Lois wasn't getting her point, so Chloe thought up the best legitimate lie she could. "You know, with high school ending, and all of us going our separate ways"

Clark silently thanked her.

"You sure?" Lois understood that, but she couldn't help but feel there was a lot more to it.

"Very sure"

"Okay," she replied reluctantly.

Chloe gives her a hug one more time, but soon realized she was making it worse for herself so she gives off some lame excuse about doing errands for the newspaper, leaving Lois and Clark alone, again.

Chloe whispered 'sorry' because she knew Clark could hear her. He needed a game plan, so who else to help him if not for the woman that's stolen his heart.

Clark couldn't believe that Chloe just left him with Lois. She should know he was having a hard time seeing her as it was.

Lois approaches Clark cautiously. "Okay, this morning was weird, but what happened just now was downright off," she claimed. "Clark, seriously, what's going on? What is wrong with you two?"

Clark thought fast. "Shouldn't you be headed to work?" he asks walking right past her.

Lois doesn't waver. "My shift doesn't start for another half hour, so spill Smallville"

"I don't know what you're talking about." God she was always so persistent, and she doesn't grow out of it either.

He does his best not to look at her, but as Lois gripped his forearm, he had one of two choices. Face his greatest weakness or run fast out of there and risk revealing his secret to her sooner than it was suppose to. Naturally, he chose the former.

"Lois, please," he pleaded with her.

"What?" She says exasperated. "I don't know what's gotten into you but…" Lois was cut off as Clark's lips touched hers with such passion. After a moment of surprise distraction, Lois pushed Clark off of her.

"What the hell was that?" she tells him in disbelief.

"I'm sorry… I." Clark really wasn't, but he couldn't exactly tell her that. "I don't know what came over me," he lied.

"You don't…" A headache suddenly hit her. "You just kissed me, you realize that don't you?"

Clark nodded sheepishly. "You kissed me back," he argued without thinking. That was a bad move.

"Oh, you can't be that arrogant." She points a finger at him. "Don't you dare blame this on me. You're the one bringing out your inner testosterone"

Clark couldn't take it anymore and shut her up by pulling her in for another kiss. One, to get her to stop talking and two, because he's wanted to since the first time he kissed her seconds ago.

Lois made a valiant attempt to pull away, but she found herself returning his advances much to even her dismay.

"This is… so wrong," she mumbled into his kiss.

Clark moaned in satisfaction, intimate memories that happened between them in his future threatening to push him further into his desire to be with her. He's missed her so much and all he wanted was to hold onto her.

For Lois, her mind was traveling in all different directions. Clark's actions were aggressive and downright bold, yet he handled her with such gentleness and swift caress, her mind could barely contemplate the minutes passed as they tore into each other with each kiss.

"Whoa!" Lois pushed him away again, catching her breath.

Clark had done the same thing.

"I'm sorry, did I hurt you?" was Clark's immediate answer.

Lois couldn't believe what she was hearing. Clark didn't look unnerved at all about what just happened. Was it not just a few days ago where he lost his memory and went all gooey-eyed towards his long-time crush? Where did this sudden burst of attraction come from on his part?

"I'm fine," she replied breathlessly, the taste of Clark Kent's lips still lingered on her lips. She forced her head into focus. "I'm gonna go to work," she added hesitantly. "When I get back, you and I are gonna have a nice little chat, maybe then you'd have some time to contemplate the meaning of life and explain to me what the hell just happened here just now because I sure as hell don't"

"Lois…" he wanted to close the gap between them but knew he couldn't. He'd taken a big risk already.

"I'm going to go now." Lois straightened her self out and headed back towards the stairs of the barn. She takes one last look at Clark, noting the changes in his usually stoic features. He seemed different; yet still the Clark Kent she had gotten to know for the last year.

And then, she left without a word, leaving Clark in his own thoughts.

He wasn't going to lose her, he won't. He'll die trying first.

To be continued…