Clark's day had resembled a rollercoaster ride. In the last 24 hrs he had found out his 'Uncle' had not been the man he thought he was, he had rescued Lois from a life as a sex slave and perhaps most intriguingly of all he had been treated to a lapdance by a girl called Amber, or should he say Lois. His thoughts were interrupted by groaning sounds from upstairs.

He went upstairs to see what was happening.

"Lois, what is going on?" he asked curiously.

He found her sitting on a suitcase, trying to get it to fasten.

"I can't fit everything in."

"What are you packing for?" Clark asked.

"Your personal space is about to be reinstated , Smallville."

"You just moved back in."

"Well, now that Lana's living with Chloe, I'm taking the place. You don't have a key to the apartment, do you? You know, now that you two have been doing it?" she smirked.

Clark was red. " No, we, uh..."

" Good, because I wouldn't want any surprise midnight visits."

" Lois, is there anything I can do to make this move go faster - maybe pack your three closets of clothing, burn your Luffa sponge, take your Whitesnake collection to Goodwill?"

" You can take this. Come on, Smallville, move it." She pushed him out of the door. "...and There are another 6 bags upstairs."

Lois was just opening the trunk. "I think I may have to make a second..." but her sentence was disrupted by the blaring of sirens and horn. They turned around to see dozens of police cars and government vehicles surrounding the farm.

"What did you do Lois?" he looked at her suspiciously,

Just then Sheriff Adams got out of her car in the distance and put the loud speaker to her mouth.

"Mr Kent, Ms Lane. Please do not make any attempt to leave the Farm. We have reason to believe that you may have been in contact with a virus, which if unleashed will have deadly consequences for certain individuals in society."

Just then Clark's phone rang. It was Sheriff Adams. He put it was speakerphone.

"Mr Kent, you and Ms Lane were at the apartment of Mr Lyon earlier today. One examination we found what we believe to be a stolen test virus. We have the police who attended the scene in quarantine. Scientists have reassured us that it is no threat to young and healthy people like yourselves but it could wipe out those with chronic and underlying health conditions."

"So what does this mean for us?" Lois asked.

"The virus has a seven day incubation period at which point you will know longer be contagious. We could send people in to take your blood to see if you are infected but I amnot willing to risk any chance of contamination."

"So we have to stay on the farm for seven days." Clark asked in horror.

"Yes, please do not attempt to leave. If you do I will have no option but to have you taken out." She sounded serious.

"Don't worry we will stay put." Lois gulped.

"Thanks for your cooperation in this matter. We can keep in contact via phone but if you wish to make outside calls you must ask permission. We don't want this information leaking out any sooner than it already will. The last thing we need is a media circus.

The Sheriff hung up.

"Oh great, looks like I can unpack." She said as they started to unload the cases from the car.

Clark threw himself in the chair. He would rather spend 25 years in the toughest penitentiary then be stuck with Lois for seven days. He just hoped the police realised they had made a mistake and allowed them to leave.

Lois's world was shattered. She had been looking forward to living by herself for a while so she could take marathon showers without a constant knock on the door asking her when she was going to be finished.

Lois spent ages unpacking her stuff, which was not good for Clark's ears because she had Whitesnake blaring at full blast.

"Turn it down." Clark shouted up but it was the volume increased to drown out his shouts.

This was going to be the hardest thing ever, Clark realised. Normally he would have his parent to act as a buffer between the bickering. Now it was going to be full on arguments and fights. He came up with an idea.

"Lois, could you come down here for a minute. We need to make up some house rules before we kill each other." She sat down at the dinner table.

"Do you want a coffee?" he asked her.

"Why are you being nice?" Lois asked suspiciously. "You're not getting another lapdance."

Clark was embarrassed. "Look, the less said about that the better."

"I was just having fun with you Smallville. Can't you take a joke?"

"Look we both agree this is a disaster. We don't even get on and now we are being forced together for a week with no hope of early parole. Now can we call a truce?"

Lois weighed up his face to see if he was serious or if this was just some kind of trick. She could see he was being honest. "Ok, Smallville. I will try but I don't know how long it will last."

"Thanks Lois. I appreciate it."

"There is a condition attached though." She looked at him. "I know you are spending a week away from the Pink Princess but if I catch one whiff of any moping, the agreement is off. I cannot take you moping. It is pure and utter torture and believe me I have had to suffer my fair-share of it every time you and her have broken up, which I believe has been most weeks."

"Are me and Lana really that bad?" Clark asked.

"Worse than bad. You two have a more dysfunctional relationship than Tom and Jerry."

She clamped up. "I am sorry, but I should not have said anything."

"I asked for an opinion, Lois. I will try not to mope. Is that what all relationships are like? I don't know anything different." He asked.

"No, not really. Maybe you two are just meant to have a volatile and passionate relationship and from what I hear there has been plenty of the latter lately." She smirked.

"Don't believe everything you hear." He replied without thinking.

That was a cryptic reply but Lois decided to change the subject. She was not interested in delving any further into his love life than was necessary.

"Too much information, Smallville. Now can we agree on chores within the house, so it does not descend into chaos?"

"Lois , this is not exactly Lord of the Flies and since when have you been so regimental?" Clark smirked.

"Since a state of emergency has been declared. Remember I am a General's daughter." She replied seriously.

"I don't need to be reminded of it." Clark said. "I still remember the effect your father had on me. He had me standing to attention without me realising it."

"I know he is a bit stuffy to say the least, so who is cooking."

"Well, I would appreciate leaving here alive." He joked. "So I will cook, if you don't mind."

"So I will do cleaning. Which bedroom are we having?"

Clark saw his chance. "Are we sharing?"

Lois went red. "Of course not. It's just that you will not have to sleep on the sofa. Why don't you have your old room back and I will take your parents. Their bed is more comfy anyway."

"What are we going to do for the next seven days." Clark wondered aloud.

"I don't know. I am sure we can come up with something. We could always play Guitar Hero and work through the collection of DVD." Lois sounded excited.

"I wonder if we can go outside." Clark commented.

"Let's find out." Lois said as she picked up the cell and dialled the number.

"Hello, Sheriff Adams..." a voice said on the other end.

"Hi Sheriff. This is Lois. How far does the exclusion zone run around the farm?"

"You can go out to the barn and the inner paddocks if you need to."

"Good, I would hate to be stuck in here." Lois exclaimed.

"You don't have much choice." Sheriff Adams replied back and she hung up.

Lois looked at Clark like a scalded child. "She has had a real sense of humour bypass hasn't she? I don't think she likes me much."

"I think she is just sick of spending time at the Farm. She seems to spend a lot of time here." Clark joked.

"Well, at least we can go out."

"In that case I think I might head the barn and give you some peace." Clark smiled.

"Ok, Smallville. Don't miss me too much." Lois grinned.

"I don't think that is ever likely to happen." Clark replied as he went out of the door to the barn to do some study. He had a term paper coming up in a few weeks and this was the perfect opportunity to do some much needed revision.

5.15pm
After an hour or so, boredom was setting in for Lois. She knew it was subconscious because she felt trapped. There was plenty for her to do but she did not know what to do. She decided to go and bother Clark. Now that was one of her favourite pastimes.

She sneaked up the stairs but Smallville he had amazing hearing. He always seemed to pick up her footsteps no matter how quietly she walked.

"Lois, what can I do for you." A voice shouted down.

"I'm bored. Can I help you with your study or something?" Lois asked.

"No, I think I have done enough. Shall I go and make dinner? You can choose, well as long as we have the stuff to make it." He suggested.

"Let's have one of your mom's meat pies out of the freezer. She always has plenty in." Lois replied.

"Ok, that is an easy one. Shall we go in and wash up."

"So how is your study going?" she asked, sounding genuinely interested.

"It's ok, I just wish I had more time to study. Lana seems to have plenty of free time at Met U. Maybe I should have gone there. She is always pissed because I cannot spare much time for her." Clark smiled.

"I don't think that is true. She just loves you and wants to spend her free time with you. Is that so bad?" Lois defended Lana.

Lois was still on the fence about Clark's girlfriend. She did like her but did not always agreed with the way she treat Clark. It all seemed a bit one sided. One click of Lana's fingers and Clark would go running, beg and... She stopped her thoughts there as she did not like where they were heading.

"Well I am so pleased you have something to keep you occupied but what about me?" she asked.

"Lois, you are 19 years old I am sure you can find something to do. Why don't you start watching one of your miniseries DVD's again." He suggested.

"I've seen them all."

"Watch them again. I am sure Richard Chamberlain as a priest can be appealing a second time around." Clark said.

"You may be right but after 32 times even he starts to lose his appeal." Lois sounded disheartened.

"I am sure we can think of something for you to do."

"I wish I could jump on a horse and just ride out of here. I feel like a caged animal."

"One problem with that Lois. You can't ride a horse to save your life."

An idea came to her. "That's it. Teach me how to ride. It is the perfect chance. We can use the paddock out of the back of the barn. No one will see me making a fool of myself there."

"Me teach you. I do not think that is such a good idea. We don't exactly get on and I just know it will end in tears." Clark announced.

"Come on Smallville, humour me."

He was reluctant but could see the hope in her expression. He felt he could not let her down. "Ok, but if we argue we stop it."

"Deal, I promise I will be on my best behaviour. I know I will never be an expert rider like Lana but I would love to be able to ride a horse even a little bit."

"Lana has been riding since she was four, she is obviously going to be good. My riding leaves a lot to be desired but I can still keep up with her." He boasted.

"We can start tomorrow. It is a bit late now. Let's go and have dinner." Lois was excited.

"Ok."

Lois set the table whilst Clark cooked some vegetables to go with the pie.

"You are not such a bad cook, Smallville." Lois told him.

"Lois why are you being so nice to me? You are definitely after something."

"Maybe I am after you..." Lois looked at him seductively.

Clark gulped. "Yeah right."

"You would never fall for that one, would you?" she asked.

"No, because I know that it would never happen. We are two polar opposites. We may be friends one day but anything else is laughable." Clark smiled.

"You're right there, Smallville." She laughed back.

They sat down to eat. "This is delicious. Your mom is one amazing woman."

"I know that. I was lucky to be adopted by the Kents."

"Yeah you could have ended up with a dysfunctional father like me. I only wish her my mom had still been alive. I think my dad would have ended a different person if she had still been here." Lois started to cry.

"Lois..." he put his hand on hers for support.

"I'll be ok. I just miss her everyday and imagine what it would have been like for her still to be here. I often think about how hard it must have been for her to know she was dying and she would leave behind two young children. It must have been torture."

Clark let his guard down. "I often wonder what my parents would have felt before they died. I think it is only natural to put yourselves in their position."

"You knew your parents?" she asked, shocked by the revelation.

"No, they died when I was a baby." Clark explained.

"That's tragic. They never got to see what a great person you turned into." Lois said gently. "What happened to them."

"They died in an explosion, but if you don't mind, can we talk about something else."

"Of course." She squeezed his hand before she let go of it. She was pleased that he had felt he could open up to her.

"Do you want to watch a movie after this?" Clark asked.

Lois smiled at him. "If you don't mind I may just head to bed. It was been an action packed day one way or another. I need my beauty sleep before I start my training tomorrow."

"I will do the dishes. You head up to bed. I will be joining you soon." Clark needed to backtrack. "No, I mean going into my own room. Sleep well."

She went to bed, her head wondering how they were going to survive 6 more days of this.