A.N: I can't promise a steady update schedule. School has started again and I'm carrying a heavy workload. In fact I should be sleeping... but due to the AMAZING spoilers we're getting for Season 9 I am inspired. So I'm posting this sucker up. It's new. It's fresh. It's all Clois... well, sort of lol... it won't be rainbows and butterflies that's for sure. I am using spoilers as a basis so if you do not like to be spoiled please reader discretion is advised. Other than that, enjoy!

Chapter 1

Lois Lane stared at her reflection in the mirror, with her hands holding firmly to the sink in front of her. She bit her lip, trying hard to think and remember where she was for those three weeks. It was all a blank. It was as if someone had wiped her memory clean and left no happy thoughts in their place. All she had left was a giant, dark void.

And Jimmy was gone. He'd been killed in her absence, by Davis Bloome, of all people. Lois had always known that psychopath was trouble. She hated herself for not seeing the signs. She blamed herself, because she let Jimmy go off by himself, all so she could continue hacking into Tess Mercer's computer. And for what exactly, since she'd been gone three weeks and all the evidence she'd found was disposed of in that time.

Knock!

Knock!

"I'll be out in a minute", she called over her shoulder.

She wasn't ready to go out into the bullpen just yet. She didn't want to see all those faces of people who pretended that Jimmy Olsen never walked these halls and never brightened up a room with his infectious smile.

She especially didn't want to see that empty desk in front of hers. She didn't want to sit in front of his desk and wonder where he was, and why he wasn't answering her calls or returning her messages.

She sighed and turned on the faucet to splash some cold water on her face and then yanked some paper towels from the dispenser to dry herself. She stood tall in front of the mirror and nodded in affirmation.

Lois walked into the bullpen and felt like all eyes were on her. The same way she felt every morning.

She walked briskly toward her desk and sat down quickly. She turned on her computer and opened her desk, smiling softly when she saw it. Her rules of reporting framed. She smiled sadly. Clark had disappeared the same night she did too. Chloe said that he felt responsible for Jimmy's death and all the guilt had pushed him away from the people who loved him most.

"I wish I could have saved you Jimmy", she whispered softly closing the drawer abruptly, "maybe that would have saved Clark.."

"Lois…"

She looked up and smiled sadly at the blond billionaire.

"Oliver", she said standing picking up folders on her desk, "To what do I owe the pleasure of your surprise visit…"

"I came by to see how you were", he said nodding his head toward her desk and staring at the frame.

She walked into the copy room and placed the folders on top of a machine.

"I've had better days", she nodded, "You?"

"I've had better days", he repeated.

"Yeah well, join the club", she said turning to start her copying.

"Have you heard from Clark", he asked randomly.

"No", she shook her head, "He's still MIA… but I'm not surprised. Clark tends to disappear when bad things happen, I hear…"

"I'm not following", Oliver shook his head.

"Ask Chloe", Lois said focusing on her work, "She told me about it."

"Ah, Chloe", Oliver nodded, "I haven't spoken to her in a while…"

"I heard", Lois nodded, "She wouldn't tell me why though…"

Lois turned to him and folded her arms.

"Care to elaborate?"

"Not really", he smiled.

She nodded.

"It's okay", she shrugged, "I'm used to being out of the loop."

She flagged down her intern, "Jeff, can you do me a huge favor and finish these copies for me…?"

"Sure thing, Miss Lane", he smiled and took over working the machine.

Lois walked out of the copy room and back toward her desk, with Oliver following closely behind.

"Lois", he tried, "It's not that we're purposely keeping you out of the loop… it's just that-"

"It's dangerous", she nodded, "I get it… look I know all about your green leather fetish… and I know Chloe's involved somehow… and I know Clark has a secret… and I know Jimmy was murdered by Davis Bloome… I know a lot more than you all give me credit for… but I don't say anything because-"

Her eye caught a familiar face in the bullpen. She stared in that direction and the face was gone instantly. Oliver snapped his fingers in front of her.

"Wha?"

"Because what", he asked.

"Because", she asked, "huh?"

"You don't say anything because what", he asked smiling.

"Oh", she remembered, "Because when you're all ready to fill me in… you will."

He nodded.

"You already know my secret, Lois", he said, "Don't forget that."

"I know", she nodded, "And it wasn't because you told me… I had to find out. Now if you'll excuse me, Oliver, I need to go check on my copies…"

She walked away leaving him behind to stare after her.

~*~

Clark watched them from across the bullpen. Lois looked right at him for a moment and he panicked and super sped out of there. He stood down the street of the Daily Planet and turned to super speed back to the fortress.

Lois had left him messages. And she'd been calling. He was happy she was back, safe and sound, but he couldn't deny he was the reason she was gone in the first place. He stepped into the rigid fortress quietly and fell back on a bed he'd built there. He stared at the ceiling and placed his arms behind his head. The last face he saw before he closed his eyes for some much needed sleep was Lois Lane's.

~*~

Lois walked into the farm house and set down the dog food she'd bought in town. Shelby ran toward her almost knocking her down. She knelt down to pet the dog, regardless of the sneeze attack that he gave her.

"Hey Shelbs", she said scratching the area behind his ears, "I brought you food…"

She stood tall and walked toward the kitchen to get his dog bowl. She and Chloe shared the responsibility of the dog. There was no reason for him to starve to death if his owner was being a big dumb farm boy and not taking care of him.

She looked down at his overly filled bowl with food. She felt her back pocket for her phone and dialed Chloe.

"Hey cuz", she spoke into the receiver, "Have you fed Shelby today… you haven't come by this week?"

Lois looked around.

"Okay", she said slowly, "No he's alright. He's a strong dog. Yeah I'll see you soon. I love you too, cuz."

She ended the call and placed the phone on the counter next to her bag. She usually stayed the weekend at the Kent Farm and this weekend's plan was no different. She walked toward the bottom of the steps and called out, "hello?"

She turned around and looked out the window toward the barn. The light was turned on. She hadn't noticed when she first arrived, but she was in a hurry to get inside and feed the dog.

She put on her coat, and walked outside slowly, with Shelby following her toward the barn. She pulled back the heavy doors and stepped inside cautiously. She stood at the foot of the stairs and walked up slowly, cursing the old wood for making so much noise, and blowing her element of surprise.

She stood at the top of the stair case and leaned her head to the side and confusion and shock.

"Clark?"

He turned around and faced her.

"Hey Lois…"

~*~

"Hey Lois", she asked, "That all you can say?"

"How are you", he tried.

"Clark", she started walking closer to him, "You've been gone a long time… where were you…?"

"Around", he shrugged.

"Why are you being so evasive", she asked.

"Why are you being so nosey", he countered, "Can't you tell I don't want to tell you?"

She was taken aback.

"I'm sorry I asked", she said softly and turned to leave walking down the stairs quickly.

"Lois", he said sadly, "Wait…"

She stopped half way down the stairs and he stood at top looking down on her.

"I can't tell you where I was", he said and she closed her eyes holding back her tears, "I'm sorry…"

She nodded and turned around wiping a lone tear from her cheek.

"I guess some things never change", she said, "No matter how much time goes by…"

She walked the rest of the steps down the stairs and out of the barn. Clark heard her walk into the farm house and back out again quickly. He heard her get into her car and turn it on. He heard her drive down the road and turn right onto the highway toward Metropolis and lowered his gaze.

His eyes caught Shelby's and he could almost feel the dog looking at him with disappointment.

"I can't let her in again, boy", he said and the dog walked toward him allowing his master to pet him, "No matter how much I want to…"

Shelby whined under his hand and Clark lay back on his red couch with the dog sleeping in front of him.

"Welcome home, Kent", he muttered to himself before falling asleep.

~*~

Lois slammed the door behind her and cursed her way to the kitchen. Chloe looked up from a book at her cousin and strained her neck to look over the couch and toward the kitchen. She watched Lois walk out with a pint of Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream. She widened her eyes realizing that was the "I'm angry at the world, don't mess with me or I'll get angry at you too" ice cream. Lois huffed and fell back on the couch with a spoonful of ice cream in her mouth.

"What happened", Chloe asked softly.

"He'sback", she said with spoon still in her mouth.

"What", Chloe asked.

Lois took the spoon out of her mouth and looked down at the bowl.

"He's back", she repeated.

"Who", Chloe asked as her eyes widened. She had a feeling who, but needed to make sure.

"Clark I'll abandon my friends when they need me most Kent", she said angrily, "I mean the guy disappears for six weeks and all he can say is hey Lois… I mean…"

She looked over at her cousin with sad eyes.

"Did he even miss me", she asked putting the spoon back in the tub and putting it on the small table in front of the couch.

"Lois", Chloe said slowly, "That's something you'd have to ask him…"

"Who am I kidding…", she said shaking her head, "I doubt he even thought of me…"

"Well, I doubt that-"

Lois stood up.

"I'm going to shower", she said quickly, "I'll be back."

"Okay", Chloe nodded, "I need to get back to the office… so I'll pick up dinner on my way home."

"Sounds good to me", Lois smiled walking into the bathroom.

Chloe waited for her to close the door and stood up quickly walking out of the apartment.

~*~

Clark's eyes snapped open when he felt someone watching him. He looked to the left and found Chloe sitting on his desk chair watching him.

"Chloe", he said, "What are you doing here?"

"Imagine my surprise when my cousin comes home with news that my best friend is back", she said, "Where were you?"

"I think you know", he said coolly.

"The fortress", she asked and watched him nod, "Why?"

"I thought I'd take up skiing", he answered sarcastically.

"Seriously, Clark", she shook her head, "You ran away. Lois was missing for three weeks, Oliver is back on the bottle, the team is off doing solo projects, and Jimmy had just died. We all needed you… and you just gave up on us."

"I never stopped looking for Lois."

"Well, you didn't find her."

He mumbled something incoherent and closed his eyes in frustration.

"What have you been doing", she asked, "Just hiding at the fortress?"

"What, you haven't read about the Blur", he asked.

"I meant when you weren't blurring around the city", she rolled her eyes, "in your Matrix costume."

"I've been training", he answered.

"Wow", she nodded and smiled for the first time since she'd arrived, "I'm proud of you Clark."

"I'm not doing it for you, Chloe", he said in an annoyed tone, "I'm doing it so what happened six weeks ago never happens again…"

"Clark, when are you going to stop blaming yourself for Davis Bloome", she asked, "It wasn't your fault."

"Not entirely, no", he stared at her, "But we all had a part to play…"

"Touché", she nodded standing and turning to leave.

"Chloe", Clark called out, "How is she?"

"She's better", Chloe said, "She doesn't remember what happened or where she was for those three weeks so she's been going to therapy to try and find out but I think she's getting close to-"

"Make her stop", he said.

"Excuse me", Chloe asked.

He looked at her.

"Make her stop going", he repeated, "Convince her to forget about those three weeks… she's better off."

"I don't understand", she started then stopped when she saw his face, "You know, don't you?"

He lowered his gaze not able to look her in the eye.

"You know where she was", Chloe said, "But how did she forget…"

Clark looked at her and she realized she had a large gap that was never filled after Brainiac.

"Oh my God…"