'Don't leave me. Wes? No, no, no. No! Wes? Wes! Come on! Don't leave me!' She'd cried crouching over the lifeless body of her childhood friend as the colour and life faded from his body before her hazel eyes. Clark had watched her from the shadows of the abandoned Military-Base, hearing her words as they ripped through his heart.
'Don't leave me!'
Lois' words echoed through his mind as he trudged home later that night.

It was his fault. He'd killed Wes Keenan. He'd done it to save himself – to save Lois, the fear he'd felt as he had watched her disappear before his eyes earlier that day, playing in his mind. And to watch Wes; choking the life from her, rendering Lois unconscious - had made his stomach clench in despair. Clark had caught her mid-air in his arms easily, quickly removing her from harm's way, smoothing her long hair from her face as he ensured that she was still breathing. He'd exhaled softly when he discovered that she was.

He'd watched from afar as her eyes had fluttered open and she'd rushed to Wes' side. Sobbing, pleading, begging him to live - but he hadn't. He had died in her arms. Reassuring her that; it was better that way, making her promise not to let what had happened to him, happen to anyone else. Sobbing, she'd agreed, her voice cracking as she begged him not to leave her…

Clark growled. This was Lex's fault. Lex's 33.1 researches, experiments – whatever they were - had turned Lois' friend into a robotic assassin: one that had almost killed her. Frustrated he ran a hand through his mop of dark hair. He wandered through the front-yard, slowly making his way up the porch-steps and pushing open the front door. The house was dark. Clark breathed a sigh of relief, dropping his keys to the hallstand and drifting towards the kitchen, absentmindedly searching for Shelby. Clark caught a glimpse of a honey-coloured fur, lying in a content comfortable heap beside the couch – and he wasn't alone. Clark sighed. There was only one person who could actually affect Shelby in that way. The one person, aside from Clark whom Shelby was always ecstatic to see, constantly happy and contented to be around: Lois Lane.

He stood silently in the doorway. Unsure of whether he could face her. It was his fault that her friend had died, his fault that she was now sitting sadly on the floor of his living-room. His mother had invited her to stay. To keep her safe. Clark watched her, her eyes focused away from him as she unconsciously ran her fingers through Shelby's honey-coloured locks. He smiled softly – she hadn't started sneezing yet. His eyes fell in the large bottle of Jack Daniels and empty glass sitting on the coffee table in front of her.

'Drinking away the pain?'
'Thinkin' about it.' Lois replied, her eyes not meeting his.

Clark slid to the floor beside her, his broad shoulder resting comfortably against to her own. He extended a hand across her body, brushing his large hand over Shelby's soft furry ears. Clark's eyes fell on the Classified Military Records sitting on the coffee table before her. He smiled; she'd been right about Wes. Of course she had been. She almost always was – though he would never tell her that.
'I take it, you've read those?'
'Yeah… Riveting stuff.'
'Did you talk to the General?' Clark asked her softly, sighing as Lois shook her head.
'Couldn't reach him. Surprise, surprise.' She answered sourly, gingerly picking up the Military Records and frowning at them before dropping once more.

'Wes didn't deserve this.' Lois whispered. Clark shook his head.
'No, he didn't.' He caught Lois' faint smile out of the corner of his eye.
'You would've liked him.' She whispered, concentrating on Shelby's ears. 'He was a good guy.' Clark nodded with a small smile. 'Lex isn't going to get away with this.'
'Lois,' Clark began, reaching out his hand towards her. She flicked it away quickly.
'No! Don't even start with me, Smallville! Lex deserves to go down for Wes' death!' Her voice cracked as she choked out the word. 'It's his fault! It's his fault that Wes died – right in front of me!' Lois snapped, furiously wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her red-long-sleeved shirt. His stomach clenched painfully as he watched tears track steadily down her face, missed by her sleeve. Clark felt the need to comfort her in some way. To ease her pain in any that he could. The same way she was always doing for him. He grasped her shoulder, his elbow resting on the couch behind him.
'I'm sorry.' Clark said softly in her ear. Lois sighed audibly as her tears subsided. She turned to look at him.
'Thanks, Smallville. I… I just can't believe he's gone. Actually gone.' Lois confessed.

'Wes was my first real best-friend – apart from Chloe.' She volunteered with a shrug. 'He knew what it was like; moving from Base to Base – different countries, a different time-zone every other month – Wes got it, because… it was his life as well.' Lois reflected with a sigh. 'It was nice, to have someone there for a change. Someone who got it. We would just hang out around the Base, cut class together, broke into a few warehouses… You know; the sorts of things normal best-friends do. He uh… He was actually the first boy I ever kissed.' She added with a smile. Clark raised his eyebrows with a smile.
'Really?' He asked cheekily, which earned him an elbow jab in the ribs – but his comment had made Lois smile and roll her eyes – which made it all worth it.
'Yeah, we uh… broke into the General's liquor cabinet one night and were just mucking around in this storage warehouse – the same one, where he uh… The same one he took me to, tonight…' She paused, clearing her throat. 'And, I kissed him.' Lois confessed. 'Then, his less than iron stomach kicked in - and he threw up and cracked his head on the floor. That's how he got the scar above his eye…' She chuckled softly, shaking her head. 'Never could hold his liquor.' Lois muttered finally.

'Lois,' he whispered as his hand caught her own.
'I know.' She replied squeezing his hand gently.
Their eyes caught, her hazel orbs swimming in the warmth and depth of own deep blue-green ones.

'I'm still going after Lex.' Lois announced quietly. Clark sighed.
'Lex is dangerous – and I know that you can handle yourself…' He added quickly as Lois opened her mouth in protest. 'Just… Be careful alright?' He pleaded. 'I mean, look at what's happened already…' Clark had seen what Lex Luthor could do. Over the years he'd watched his former friend spiral into darkness; in constant search of power. He'd seen what happened to those who had gotten too close. The thought of that happening to Lois, was almost too much to bear. Somewhere along the line, between the Guitar-Hero weekends and the late-night movie-marathons; Lois had become more than his on-off roommate. Much more.

'Okay.' She answered, pulling him from his thoughts.
'Seriously?'
'Yes, I'll be careful.' Lois replied, rolling her eyes good-naturedly with an exaggerated sigh. Clark grinned around at her, squeezing her hand again. 'Ok, I am in serious need of some Chunkey-Monkey. There'd better be some in that freezer of yours, Smallville.' She said, jerking her thumb over her shoulder, in the direction of the kitchen. Clark rolled his eyes and rose to his feet.
'Lois, you've been living here on and off for years now, do you honestly think I'd risk my life by forgetting to stock up?' He snickered. She grinned, poking her tongue out at him.
'Well then, chop-chop Clarkie.'

Shaking his head, he made his way towards the freezer. Fetching her favourite frozen-good and rummaging around quickly in the cutlery draw before her short-fused patience, gave out.

Re-entering the living-room, he noted that Lois and Shelby had moved from the floor to the cushions of the couch. He smiled, passing Lois the tub of ice-cream and sinking into the cushions beside her. She smirked softly as she accepted the spoon he handed her.
'Thanks.' Lois whispered with a smile - thanking him for much more than just the spoon – she settled back into the cosy cushions of the couch – and Clark.