It was a perfect morning on the roof of the Daily Planet, the sun was coming up and Clark had just been summoned by the love of his life, Lana.

"Clark, I know how much you care about me. You always have. That's why when I came back for Chloe's wedding, I... I didn't think we could be together. Clark... the last thing I wanted was to be some distraction in your life."

Clark followed her further onto the roof like a little puppy dog. " You're not a distraction. You never were."

Lana smiled. "I'm not anymore. Clark, nothing can hurt me anymore. You and I are equals now, and together, we can help make the world a better place. Unless that's not what you want."

"No, Lana, that's exactly what I want. But it's a dream, Lana. We both know dreams normally don't come true."

" There's never been anything normal about us."

Their kiss was disturbed by the ringing of Clark's cell making Clark break their kiss.

"Leave it." Lana said.

"I can't. It is Oliver. It may be about Jimmy. He is still in bad shape."

He answered. "Hi Oliver."

Clark could hear the tears in his voice, making him panic more.

"Oliver, what is it?" he asked desperate for information.

"She's gone Clark...Lois...is...dead."

Clark's hand dropped, his cell tumbled to the ground smashing it into pieces. He plunged to his knees, the pain searing his heart as he did.

"God, no..." he cried out as he sped off into the night, leaving a startled Lana in his wake.

Clark's crippling grief was taken over by a need to know what happened to Lois and why he could not have saved her. He was in Star City within minutes. He stopped at the bottom of Queen Towers where he knew Oliver would be.

The security man was expecting him and directed him towards the lift.

"Wait a minute." He heard a familiar voice calling from behind him. "Clark..."

He turned around to see Lana with a mad look on her face. "Do you mind telling me what this is all about. Why did you run out on me?"

"Lois is dead. I need to know what happened." He cut her off abruptly.

"Let me help you deal with this." She tried to put her arm on his shoulder to show her support but he walked forward so she did not make contact.

"Lana, can you leave me be. I need to talk to Oliver and find out what happened."

"I'm coming too." Lana stomped in the lift with him.

The lift took them to the Penthouse. Oliver was sitting at his desk with a half drunk bottle of whiskey in his hand.

"Clark..." he got up and hugged Clark. "Lana!" Oliver acknowledged her.

Oliver had been crying but Clark refused to. He needed to know. "What happened?"

"She was murdered. I found her body yesterday morning at an old warehouse downtown."

Clark did not react, he was too angry. He needed all the details. Revenge was the only thing on his mind. He would take out the bastard that had done this.

"Who did it?" he asked in an emotionless voice. "I want to know everything Oliver."

"Paul Campbell, the biggest gangland boss in Star City. Whilst visiting Jimmy in hospital, Lois met and became friends with Jennifer Taylor, Paul's girlfriend. Jennifer was a patient. She was receiving treatment for injuries from an apparent domestic assault. She was terrified to leave him. Lois did not tell her to leave him, she said she had to make that decision. When I went to visit Jimmy two nights ago I was told by a nurse that Lois had not been in that afternoon as usual and that she had left with Jennifer who seemed very upset."

Oliver paused to recompose himself. "I tracked them down via Lois's phone to the warehouse but when I got there, they were both lying in a pool of blood."

It was all too much for Clark, the fury was consuming him. Lana went to comfort him but he pushed her away. Oliver knew what he was going to do. "Clark, don't. Paul Campbell has been arrested on suspicion of murder. Let the Court deal with it."

"He will get off."

"I have investigators crawling all over the case. He will not get away with it. I won't let him."

"Oliver, it will take months to get a trial date and he will be out on bail before you know it."

"Killing him may make you feel better for a while but it will take over your whole life." Oliver replied from experience.

"So you expect me to sit back and do nothing."

"No Clark. You can help me look for evidence to nail him, but I need you in a better state of mind. Let's go back to Smallville and get her funeral out of the way. Lois would hate to see you acting like this."

"She hated me any way." Clark told Oliver, the guilt starting to creep into his head.

Lana looked at Clark with puzzlement. "Why did she hate you Clark?"

Clark looked at her. "Never mind."

"Look why don't you two go back home. I will be flying there this afternoon. General Lane wants Lois buried in Smallville because it was the closest thing to home. The funeral is going to be at 11am tomorrow morning so go home and rest." Oliver explained.

Next morning was a lovely Spring day. Clark had spent the night on the internet trying to find out more about Paul Campbell. He had become obsessed with knowing everything about him. Lana was annoyed that he would not open up to her. In fact he had barely said a word to her.
Clark came downstairs in his suit. The last time he had worn this was on the day of his dad's funeral. His mind kept wandering back to the image of Lois lying in a pool of blood. Lana was waiting at the bottom of the stairs for him.

"Are you ok?" she asked.

"Yeah I'm wonderful." He fired back. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Clark, why won't you open up to me. Why are you so angry?"

"Well pardon me for being annoyed that one of my best friend has been murdered."

"Isn't it amazing how you suddenly remember Lois as a close friend? You two couldn't stand each other." Lana offered without thinking.

Clark glared at her and walked out the door into the limo waiting for them.

"Hi Clark."

"Mom..." he hugged her tightly as if he was holding onto her for life.

Martha had tears in her eyes. "I am so sorry Clark...". For some reason she finished mid sentence, but Clark put it down to grief.

Lana got in the car. "Hi Martha."

"Hi Lana, are you ok?"

"Glad when we get this over with." She replied without much feeling.

Clark spent the rest of the journey looking out of the window. Martha noticed the tension between her son and Lana. This was in total contrast to the other day when Clark phoned to say he and Lana were close to being back together.

General Lane stood by the car that was carrying the coffin. He looked like a broken man.

Clark walked over to him. "Sir, I am so sorry about Lois."

"I wish I had told her I loved her." There were tears in his eyes.

"Me too." Clark whispered under his breath so no one could hear.

The service was a lovely one. Lois would have loved it. One person missing from the funeral was Chloe. Oliver had announced she had developed a blood clot from her recent Brainiac exorcism and would be unable to fly. Clark had not even had the chance to speak to her.

Clark looked over during the service and was shocked to see the presence of TV cameras. He could never work out how unethical it was of the Press to intrude on people's private grief. This personal service would be beamed into living rooms around the country.

The General was particularly perturbed by their presence because he could not track Lucy down to tell her and he knew she may see it on the news. He hoped it would not make it to Europe.

After the gathering dispersed, Clark asked to be alone for a while.

"I'll stay with you." Lana announced.

"I want to be alone." He replied.

"Why are you being like this Clark? If I did not know any better I would have said you were in love with her." Lana said, as she felt Martha grab her arm.

"Lana, will you keep me company." She asked.

Clark was left at the side of the grave. "Lois, I am so sorry." Tears poured down his face. "I should never have pushed you away."

Then suddenly something caught his eye. In the distance Oliver and Sam Lane were having an indepth discussion which ended up with them shaking hands and even odder – with a smile...

Three days previously.

Lois did not know what to do. Now Chloe was by Jimmy's side at the hospital she felt a little redundant. She had asked Chloe what had happened to her but her cousin would not go into specifics, only to say that she was kidnapped by a meteor freak.

On the second morning, Chloe and Lois were having coffee together at the hospital when Lois broached the subject she sworn she would stay away from.

"So Chloe, any gossip from Smallville. I have only been away a week but I bet I have missed loads." Lois asked trying to act innocent.

"Not really, just the usual. It is going to be the biggest squash festival that the town has ever seen this year." Chloe replied, winding Lois up.

"Sounds exciting. Kinda makes me wish I was back there."

"Lois, just come out with it." Chloe announced.

"Ok then, how is he?"

"He is fine."

"Has he mentioned me?" Lois asked hopefully.

Chloe tried to deflect the question. "I am sure you have been mentioned once or twice in passing."

Lois gave her cousin a look. "Guess not then!"

"He has been really busy with me missing and everything."

"By 'everything' I assume you mean a certain brunette going by the name of Lana. You can talk about her." Lois stated.

Chloe gulped. "Yeah I guess he has been."

The look on Lois's face said it all. She was gutted, but was determined not to give away the extent of her upset. "So are they back together."

Chloe was uneasy. "I don't know, you would have to ask him."

"So they are then. I should have known this would happen."

"What would happen? Ah...I should know. Do you think your almost kiss with Clark went unnoticed by Jimmy and me? I did act surprised to see Lana but to be honest once I saw your look of disappointment at her arrival, I just wanted to tell Lana to head straight back out the door."

Lois made a face. "I have come to the conclusion I don't like Lana much. She leaves Clark and announces it on a DVD. Now she comes back and Clark is like her lap dog, following her around."

Lois shrugged her shoulders and continued. "I suppose I am being unfair. Clark is his own worst enemy and is as much to blame. Why does he always go back for more?"

Chloe held her hand. "I think Clark is a deep person who has trouble working out what he really wants. You love him, dont' you." She asked candidly.

There was a tear in her eye. "Yeah I do. Oliver guessed too. I must be pretty obvious. However I know I am resided to join the list of Clark's unrequited loves. Will you bunch up?" she joked.

Chloe smiled. "Yes, no problem. It will be nice to have company. Don't give up on him just yet. I have spent the past four years watching small sparks fly between you two. One of these days you will start a fire. Mark my words."

"You are very poetic this morning Chloe." Lois remarked.

"Lois, I am interrupting." A timid young woman approached their table. She looked as though she had been in a fight.

"Could you come to my room. I need to talk to you."

Lois smiled. "Of course Jen. Give me five."

The woman left. Chloe was curious. "What is the story there?"

"She is called Jennifer. She was beaten to a pulp by her boyfriend last week. We kept meeting at the coffee machine in between her and Jimmy's ward and we got talking."

"God, how can anyone do that to someone. I hope he is behind bars."

"She won't leave him." Lois added. "He is the biggest crimelord in the city and she terrified for her life if she says anything. Look I have to go."

"Can we meet this afternoon? I will have made a decision by then about whether to go back to Smallville or not." Lois explained.

"About three for a coffee?"

"Ok cuz. That would be perfect."

Lois knocked on the door of Jen's room. She was sitting in bed in a world of her own.

"How are you today?"

"I feel stronger today, thanks to you. I need to act. I am being discharged this afternoon and I am going to the police." Jen announced with determination.

"I am coming with you. You don't have to go through this alone."

Jen grabbed her hand. "No Lois. I will not place you in danger."

"You don't have a choice because if you don't let me come I will follow you." Lois smiled.

"Lois, you are an amazing woman. I wish I were like you. If I let you come, you need to promise me one thing." Jen offered.

"What's that?"

"Lois don't give up on Clark. He is blinded by obsession at the moment. He needs time to see the light." She said.

Lois laughed. "you don't even know him."

"I feel like I do." Jen replied.

At lunchtime Jen discharged herself. Lois hailed a cab to take them to the police station. She didn't bother telling Chloe where she was going because she would be back by three once the police took over the case.

The cab seemed to be taking a long time and Jen started to panic when it took a turn into an disused industrial estate.

"Is there a problem?" Lois asked.

"Yes there is. You shouldn't have agreed to go to the police."

The cab pulled up and they were blindfolded. They heard a man laughing and joking with the driver. Wherever they were taken was damp and musty. Lois could hear drips of water falling on the ground.

What happened next was quick. Lois heard one shot and a thud and then another shot rang out, followed by everything going black.