A/N: This is a very different kind of story than I've written, it's much more sci-fi (which isn't necessarily my strong suit!) so I hope it works! Also, the only spoilers are really through Arctic, as I started writing it prior to season 8 airing :) Enjoy!

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October 2009

"Smallville, think you can pick up the pace here? I'd like to get back to Metropolis before the next millennium," she grumbled.

Rolling his eyes in response (he really had been hanging out with her too long), he glanced over at a very disgruntled Lois Lane.

"We're hardly going slow, Lois."

"Well I don't understand why we're in this stupid truck to begin with. What's the point of having a best friend with superspeed if he can't get you were you wanna go in a fraction of the time?"

"Look at it this way, I just wanted to spend as much time with you as possible," he said, his voice laced with sarcasm. "Especially with the charming mood your in. Besides, getting the truck to Metropolis to get it fixed for Ben is the least I can do, seeing as he's pretty much running the farm these days."

She shifted in her seat, turning toward him.

"Ya know, I'd think you'd be in a bad mood too. We totally got scooped."

Sighing, he looked over at her quickly before turning his eyes back to the dark country road. Truth was, he was a little more than ticked that they had gotten the Sanders story ripped out from under them. The scandal of the Mayor's chief aide, supposedly one of the more upstanding men in Metropolis, in bed with the Garbini syndicate was big stuff. And it would have gotten them a definite front page above the fold byline.

But he also knew, in the year since they'd become partners, that they had done more than their fair share of scooping the competition. They were probably due some payback.

Not that Lois would see it that way.

Truth be told though, it was one of the things he admired most about her. How strongly she felt things, yes, but moreso that for the most part, she wasn't afraid to show it. Not that there weren't exceptions, there was no question Lois Lane had walls that rivaled the Great Wall of China, but over the years, he had considered himself lucky enough to be one of the select few people she allowed a glimpse behind those walls.

His eyes shifted to her once again, the moonlight streaming in from the passenger side window showcasing her tense jaw, her stormy eyes. Though, he thought with a bit of satisfaction, a little less stormy than they had been.

His plan had worked. Somewhat.

After Lois had gotten the heads up that the Herald was running a story on Sanders in their late edition, he had jumped in to do damage control. As luck would have it, his mother had been in from Washington, and there was precious little that a home cooked meal by Martha Kent couldn't fix. Even the seemingly impenetrable Lois always seemed to fall prey to Martha's meatloaf and homemade apple pie.

"I'm not exactly happy about it," he finally responded. "But there isn't a whole lot we can do about it at this point, Lo."

"Unbelievable."

"What?"

"It's just, you amaze me sometimes. There are times when I think you're even more stubborn than I am…"

"If that's even possible…," he muttered.

"I heard that," she snapped. "And then…there are other times when you can just let things go. I don't get it."

He smirked, and not even the darkness could hide it from Lois. "And you hate that."

"Damn right I hate it!"

"I live to surprise you, Lois."

She softened slightly at that, and even focused on the road, Clark could tell that some of the angry tension has disappeared in the last few moments.

"Yeah…well, if we're talking surprises, I'd really like you to surprise me one day by taking me flying."

Shaking his head slightly, he looked over at her, not knowing whether to be relieved that being scooped had taken a backseat or frustrated that this topic was coming up. Again.

"I told you, I'm not that good at it yet."

"Which is exactly why you need me," she protested.

"Oh this should be good. How exactly, Ms. Lane, do you think you can help me fly?"

"Let's be honest, Smallville, obviously, you just need some of my encouragement. I mean, let's review. When you were in a state of constant brooding, who was it that always helped you snap out of it?"

"You," he said, his tone wary.

"And when you were contemplating staying on the farm your whole life, who gave you the kick in the butt you needed to get yourself together and get a job, even going so far as to bring you the application?"

"You," he muttered, not liking where this is going.

"And who, pray tell, when you kept going out with that insipid Tracy from "Lifestyles", even when you and I both know you had little to no interest in her and just couldn't bring yourself to hurt her feelings, who told you to man up and be straight with her?"

"You," he responded, grumbling now.

"So clearly, when you need a shove in the right direction, I'm the one who is always there with a very willing push. Therefore, it stands to reason that if you're having trouble with the whole airborne thing, that a good Lois Lane kick in the ass should be all the help you need."

"Lois, I think flying is a little bit different than relationship advice."

"And that, my friend, is why you're still earthbound."

"What?"

"You're not even willing to try," she responded, a note of petulance in her voice bringing a grin to Clark's face.

"Oh don't sit there and act like this is all for my benefit. You wanna fly Lois Lane."

She opened her mouth, a retort ready to be fired, when out of the corner of her eye, she saw what appeared to be a sphere of light off in the distance.

Though, it didn't appear it would be distant for long.

"Clark?"

"Lois…if I promise to take you…"

"Clark," she snapped, cutting him off and nudging him sharply with her elbow. He turned his head quickly, his eyes widening immediately as he saw exactly what she was looking at.

"What the hell is that?" she whispered.

"I don't know," he responded, a note of anxiety in his voice. Steering the truck over to the side of the deserted road, he quickly got out of the car, watching as the light grew bigger by the second.

"Stay in the car."

Lois rolled her eyes, then immediately jumped out of the passenger side.

"Lois!"

"It's not even heading this way anymore," she said defiantly, hoping to mask some of the nervousness she was feeling. Sure, they were still in Smallville, but that didn't mean some of the weirdness in this town didn't play on her nerves.

Just as those words left her lips, Clark had noticed the same thing. The light had seemed to veer to the right, still growing larger to the point that the normally star dotted sky had been blanketed in white.

He headed around to the passenger side of the truck, noticing the light beginning to descend more toward the ground. He knew that there was nothing around for miles but cornfields, so he wasn't concerned about anyone being harmed.

Until he felt the earth start to tremble beneath them. Losing her balance, Lois stumbled into Clark's arms, and he instinctively pulled her tightly to him.

"What the hell's happening?"

Lois twisted herself around and looked up at his face, his eyes now staring directly where the light was headed, his body firm as he held her against the tremors of the earth underneath their feet. She noticed his eyes had taken on a look of realization.

"Clark?"

Suddenly the earth stopped shaking, though Clark still held Lois tightly to him. They both watched as the light hit the earth…but not with any sort of sound, any sort of blast.

It hit… gently. Almost as if it simply enveloped the place it landed, enrobing it in a soft, warm light.

Once again finding his eyes, she saw a bit of fear mixed in with the realization she had seen moments before.

"What is it?" she asked quietly.

Tearing his eyes away from the now faint glow in the distance, he looked down at her.

"The caves. It hit the caves."