Clark watched Lois as she slept in his arms, her head resting on his chest and her arm draped around him. He gently moved his fingertips back and forth between Lois' shoulder blades, stroking her bare skin. He hadn't slept the whole night. All he kept thinking about was what Lex may know about him and why he had waited so long to return.
His biggest fear was that Lex would do something to hurt him and Lois like he had done with him and Lana. When he lost Lana he thought it was the end of his world, but then Lois happened. He realized how much Lois meant to him when she disappeared and went to the future. When he thought he had lost her he gave up everything, he lost himself, he needed her. When she came back everything changed, he realized he couldn't be without her anymore. He loved her more than he had ever loved anyone else. She was everything to him. He couldn't stand the idea that Lex could tear him and Lois apart.
Lois suddenly took a deep breath as she began to stir. She opened her eyes to see Clark's bare chest. A smile came to her lips as she remembered what they had been doing the night before.
"Good morning, Smallville," Lois smiled as she lifted her head and looked at her fiancé.
"Good morning."
"How long have you been awake?"
"A while."
"You didn't sleep did you?"
Clark gave a bit of a shrug.
"What's wrong? It's Lex isn't it?" Lois asked looking at Clark. "Clark, talk to me."
"He's going to try to separate us, Lois."
"Why do you think – That's what happened with you and Lana isn't it? You didn't break up with her and she didn't leave on her own, you were forced apart. Lex separated the two of you somehow. Wow, I'm a fool," Lois said sitting up and wrapping the sheet around herself.
"What?" Clark asked sitting up behind Lois.
"I have to go."
"Lois?" Clark touched Lois shoulder.
"No, Smallville don't," Lois pulled away as she got up off the bed. "How could I have been so stupid? All this time I thought Lana left because she couldn't handle the stress of knowing your secret, but it was Lex. He did something so she would have to leave."
"No, Lois."
"I have to go," Lois said pulling on some clothes and leaving the room.
"Lois!" Clark called as he jumped up out of bed and got dressed. He ran after Lois as fast as he could, catching her as she reached her car. "Lois, wait!" Clark said grabbing her arm and spinning her around to face him as he firmly took her shoulders in his hands and looked at her.
"Leave me alone, Smallville."
"You know how much I love you."
"If you love me, you'll let me go."
"No, Lois, we need to talk about this. You don't understand."
"Clark, let me go. I need some time. Please."
Clark stared into Lois' eyes. "Lois, don't go."
"Clark, I just... I need to think. I need to clear my head."
"Promise me you will come back then."
"Clark I can't promise you–"
"If you love me you will come back," Clark said staring into Lois' eyes. "I will let you go right now because I love you and if you love me, you will come back and let me explain.
Lois stared into Clark's baby blues before finally giving in. "I will come back, I promise."
Clark let Lois shoulders go as she got into her car and drove off. He stood watching the car until he could no longer see it. He didn't know if Lois would come back or not. He needed her, but couldn't blame her if she didn't return. He hadn't told her everything because he didn't want to hurt her, but he had and now he had to sit back and face the possibility that he had probably pushed her away.
Lex sipped his coffee as he sat wearing a hat and sunglasses at the Metro Cafe when he spotted Lois at the counter ordering a coffee.
"Beautiful day isn't it Miss Lane," Lex commented as he walked up behind Lois.
Lois turned to Lex and looked at him a minute. "You've got to be kidding me," Lois laughed at his disguise, if you could even call it that. "It is a beautiful day but I don't have time to chat. Excuse me," she said stepping around Lex and heading to a table.
She had driven to Metropolis to give herself some time and space. The drive which normally took three hours had only taken her two, she had been driving a lot faster than she realized, but at least she was thinking more level now.
Clark was forced to give up being with Lana. They hadn't broken up for the reason Lois had thought. So what did that say about her? What was she to Clark? She kept questioning everything but six words Clark had said the night before played over and over in her head. I'm stronger when I'm with you. She believed he meant that and it worked both ways. She was stronger when she was with him too, but what if she had just been a second choice because Clark couldn't be with Lana... No. She couldn't think that way. It would tear her and Clark apart. She had to believe she meant as much to him as he meant to her. If nothing else his actions toward her over the past year had proven how much he cared about her. She had to go back to Smallville and talk to him. It was the only way she could get the answers she needed before she made some drastic decision.
"I am surprised, Miss Lane," Lex commented as he walked up to her table and snapped her out of her thoughts.
"Why's that?" Lois asked confused.
"I would think, being the reporter that you are, that you'd be a little more interested in trying to get an interview with me."
"Who says I want an interview with you?"
"Oh, don't play that game, Lois. You and I both know that I was reported as being dead and yet here I am. It would be the story of a lifetime for you. Don't you want to hear the story of my survival?"
"Not really, but I do have three questions."
"Off the record?"
"Of course."
"Alright."
"What happened to you?"
"I was lost in an accident involving your fiancée," Lex said as Lois feigned a confused look in an attempt to find out what Lex knew. "Did he not tell you that? Well it appears there are many things he hasn't been completely honest with you about."
"What does that mean?"
"Clark is a very dishonest man, which is surprising because he was raised by the Kents," Lex said taking a pause. "We were in the Arctic, although I can't remember what we were doing there... Clark and I are sworn enemies so we shouldn't have been there together... All I know is that there was an accident, probably caused by your fiancé in an attempt to 'save the world from me and my evil ways'. If it wasn't a blank I could tell you what I knew for sure, but... I dug my way out and I was picked up by a small plane that spotted me. Clark was gone. There was no sign of him."
"And?"
"The rest doesn't matter."
"Why are you back?"
"I came back now because I was able to. My illegitimate sister has had control of my company for too long. My father saw that, that's why he took LuthorCorp back and I will take it from him."
"Okay, so explain to me what you were doing in the Arctic."
"I don't know. Everything leading up to the Arctic is a blur. I just remember waking up there, that's it."
"So you don't remember murdering your father?"
"If I had murdered him he wouldn't be in control of LuthorCorp right now would he," Lex smiled.
"Right," Lois nodded. "Well, thanks, Lex, for sharing this with me, but I'm going to be working on an expose piece about you that will bring you down."
"I look forward to the challenge, Miss Lane."
"I have to go," Lois said getting up from the table.
"Say hi to Clark for me, and while you're at it why don't you ask him about the item he let Lana steal from me, might be a little bit of interesting information to add to your expose piece," Lex smiled then turned away from Lois and headed down the street.
Suddenly the fight she and Clark had earlier seemed irrelevant. She wanted to know what had happened with Lana still, finding information out was in her blood as a reporter but she needed to let Clark know that his secret was safe for the moment. Lex seemed to know nothing about him other than the fact that they were mortal enemies. He may have been lying, but at least for the moment Clark was safe.
Clark placed another piece of wood on the chopping block and slammed his fist down through it trying to take out his frustration.
"Smallville?" Lois called as she walked into the barn to see Clark chop a piece of wood with his fist. "Whoa, Smallville take it easy. What did that wood ever do to you?"
"Lois?" Clark spun around. A smile came to his lips when he saw his fiancé walking through the barn toward him. Clark walked to her and wrapped his arms around her in an embrace. "You came back."
"Of course I did," Lois replied.
Clark smiled the smile he only gave Lois. "I'm glad you're here."
"Yeah. Well, we still need to talk about what happened with you and Lana," Lois said walking around Clark and placing her hands on her hips as Clark turned watching her. "You know the funny thing is, all this time I thought Lana left because she couldn't deal with everything and you needed someone who could. I thought you needed me," Lois turned back to Clark holding back the tears that threatened to escape. "I thought –"
"Lois, I don't need someone who can handle my secret, I need you," Clark said placing his hands on Lois' shoulders. "What happened with Lana and I was going to happen one way or another."
"So I was a consolation prize?"
"No. By the time Lana had come back I had already started to have feelings for you. I just didn't realize it until I thought I'd lost you. When you disappeared for three weeks I left my life, I gave up on everyone and everything and the minute I saw you again everything felt right. I wanted to come back to my life. I wanted to come back to you, to be near you."
"So what happened with Lana?"
"She thought the only way we could be together was if we were equals. She stole a suit Lex had made to give him the strength to kill me. It was bonded to her skin and it absorbed Kryptonite. Winslow Schott planted a bomb on the roof of The Daily Planet and to save everyone Lana absorbed the Kryptonite but after she absorbed it I couldn't be near her."
"The Kryptonite would have killed you."
"She couldn't handle being around me knowing we couldn't be together so she left."
"She left. Did you want to be with her?"
"I didn't want to be alone."
"Did you still want to be with Lana?"
Clark looked at Lois for a minute. "No. I thought I did. All the feelings I had came back– all the hurt– I needed to know why she had left. I thought we could be together because she knew my secret, but all the old problems we had still existed. When the suit absorbed the Kryptonite I asked her to stay. I wanted her to at least be in my life as a friend, but she couldn't do that so I promised I'd find a cure. I wanted to but once she was gone that was it. I knew she wasn't the person I needed. We were too different."
"I'm not sure you're answering my question."
"Lois, I didn't see what was right in front of me until it was too late. You mean more to me than Lana ever will. You have always been the one to stand by me," Clark stated. "I've been to alternate worlds, the future, and every time you've been the one to stand by me. You disappeared, I thought I'd lost you until the night I caught that train. When I looked in that window and saw you it was like this weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I knew I had to go back to work and you were waiting for me and I knew how much I needed you. No matter what happens I'll always need you. I've never needed Lana. I became the person I am without her, but the minute I lost you I lost myself."
"Smallville."
"I love you, Lois. You give me direction. I need you more than you'll ever know."
"And I'll be here for you," Lois replied as Clark smiled at her.
"I can't do this without you." Clark said as he wrapped his arms around Lois and rested his forehead against hers.
Both stood in silence, enjoying each other's embrace for a few moments before Lois finally broke the silence. "Lex doesn't know about you."
"What?" Clark's eyes shot open.
"I saw Lex in Metropolis. I tried to find out what he knows."
"Lois. He's dangerous. Stay away from him."
"Relax, Clark. I can hold my own. Besides, I doubt he would try to hurt me in public."
"Did he follow you?"
"No. Clark, I can take care of myself."
"Lois–"
"Clark. Relax. I'm fine and he's out of the way for right now but we do need to let the rest of the team know that Lex is back."
"You're right. We'll go to Watchtower, call Oliver, Tess and Chloe and tell them to come meet us there," Clark said as he and Lois walked toward the house.
"Alright."
"And one more thing," Clark said as Lois looked at him with a confused look. "Don't ever question how much you mean to me," Clark stated as he took Lois' face in his hands and gave her a kiss that was both sweet and expressed his longing for her.
"Noted," Lois smiled as Clark locked the door of the house and picked Lois up. "Shame we can't use that while we're here." Clark followed Lois line of sight and saw the porch swing. He looked back at Lois who smiled at him. "Being in your arms like this kind of turns me on," Lois shrugged.
"Maybe when we come back," Clark smiled a mischievous grin as he glanced at the swing. "Ready?"
"Ready for what?" Lois asked with a grin, raising her eyebrows as she looked at Clark in a way only she could, a way that drove Clark crazy and made him feel shy at the same time.
Clark smiled down at Lois before speeding off.
"How many times do I have to tell you that the 'Whoosh thing' is going to give me a heart attack? You need to give me some kind of warning before you do it, Smallville," Lois said as Clark stopped inside Watchtower still holding her in his arms.
"Sorry, I won't do it again."
"Oh I didn't say don't do it. I love being in your arms," Lois said causing Clark to smile at her.
"Hi," Chloe said as she and Oliver got up from the couch and went to greet Clark and Lois who were still standing in the doorway.
"Hey," Lois said as Clark set her down.
"What are you guys doing here?" Oliver asked.
"We have a problem," Clark answered.
"A problem?"
"Lex."
"Lex?" Chloe asked. "As in Lex Luthor?"
Clark and Lois gave a nod in unison.
"We need to figure out what he wants and why he's back," Clark stated.
"Okay," Chloe walked to a computer. "When did he get back?"
"Last night– I think," Clark answered.
"You think?"
"He made a move last night."
"That doesn't exactly say how long he's been back," Oliver input.
"Okay, we don't have a timeline so we need to figure out how long he's been back," Chloe paused a moment in thought. "Clark, you don't think he remembers..."
"No."
"How can you be so sure?"
"I saw him a few hours ago and tried to get as much information as I could. He says he can't remember anything but waking up in the Arctic," Lois spoke.
"You saw him a few hours ago? Where?"
"At the Metro Cafe, he was wearing a disguise," Lois answered as Chloe walked to a computer. "Why?"
Chloe typed something and pulled up security camera footage from the Metro Cafe. "Let me know if you see him," Chloe instructed. Everyone watched the computer screen for Lex.
"There," Lois said as Chloe paused the video.
"What do you know, he finally bought a toupee," Oliver commented.
"He was at the restaurant we went to last night as well," Clark stated. "He left a message with the waiter to be delivered to us at 8:00 P.M."
"Alright." Chloe pulled up the security feed from the restaurant and began looking for footage of Lex there. "There he is," Chloe stated. "No toupee."
"If we know he's back why are we looking for surveillance footage of him?" Oliver asked.
"If we can trace a timeline of the things he's done, I may be able to figure out how long he's been back," Chloe answered as she continued to look at her computer.
"He mentioned taking LuthorCorp back from his father," Lois spoke.
"Okay, well I'll check the LuthorCorp cameras as well. What else did he tell you, Lois? We need any information we can get."
"Not much, just that he woke up in the Arctic, a plane found him and he's come back to take his company back from his sister and Lionel."
"He has a vendetta with his family," Clark stated.
"Alexander and Tess," Lois said looking to Clark.
"Call her."
Lois walked away from the group and called Tess on her cell phone. "Tess, its Lois. You need to come to Watchtower now. I don't have time to explain, just come now."
Tess arrived at Watchtower within an hour of Lois' call. The group all turned to the door as she walked into the room.
"What's going on?" she asked.
"Lex is back."
"Lex? When? How?"
"We're trying to figure that out."
"What does he want?" Tess asked.
"We're trying to figure that out."
"Does brother dearest remember anything about Clark?"
"It doesn't seem like he does," Lois stated.
"Because we're putting his faith in what he says," Oliver commented in sarcasm.
"Look, I know how to read people, Ollie. I can tell if someone is keeping something from me, I am an ace reporter."
"Well you did a great job of figuring out Clark's secret and mine."
"Hey, I found out before he was even ready to tell me and I figured yours out but you and Clark tricked me into believing I was wrong."
"And what if Lex is tricking you?"
"Okay, we don't have time for this," Chloe interrupted. "I've got something."
"What did you find?" Clark asked as everyone moved toward the computer to see what Chloe had come up with.
"Lex has been back a lot longer than any of us had thought. I did a facial recognition scan on all the cameras in the city for the last year and it looks like he's been back for a little over a month," Chloe said bringing up all the pictures of Lex over town for the past month.
"What's he waiting for?" Clark asked.
"A month," Tess repeated. "How is that even possible?"
"Let me guess," Oliver began as he looked to Lois, "he told you he's only been back a month."
"Actually he never told me how long he's been back," Lois replied with a glare.
"Well I thought him being your new BFF and all."
"Shut up, Oliver."
"Both of you stop!" Chloe yelled. "We need to figure out what to do. He's probably going to try to regain control of LuthorCorp so that he'll have power and money. If that happens then there's no way to tell what his next move will be. If Lex knows Clark's secret all hell could break loose."
A until a news report suddenly broke the silence that had filled the room.
"Former LuthorCorp CEO Lex Luthor has just filed a lawsuit to reclaim shares of LuthorCorp from his father, Lionel Luthor and Tess Mercer."
"Too late, Chloe," Clark stated.
