A/N: I wrote this chapter!

Chapter 4

Gal Pals

Lois pulled out the little brass key Amy had given her for the hundredth time. She placed it between her fingers and examined it thoroughly. Again. She wasn't sure why she was expecting something to change. It was just an antique brass key.

Nothing special.

Lois leaned back against the headrest. If she had information about the mob where would she stash it?

Of course Lois knew that answer. But then again Lois had contacts and friends that Amy didn't.

The reporter turned the key between her fingers. It wasn't that she wasn't worried about Dinah. Because she was, it was just she had nothing to do until the mysterious disembodied voice finally showed up.

Lois scrutinized the numbers on the key. They were similar to those you would find in an old safety deposit box key.

But weren't most safety deposit boxes now all computerized? She didn't think people used keys anymore, right?

Lois cursed under breath and checked the time. Again.

Half hour.

The reporter let out a growl of frustration. The day had started off so good. She'd had a breakfast that didn't consist of questionable eggs from a carton and rubbery looking bacon for the first time in seventy-two hours. She was getting her story on the merger done.

Fast-forward 12 hours later where she was parked on the side of an unfamiliar street waiting for some chick who actually referred to herself as, 'Oracle.'

Beautiful. Just beautiful.

And the worst part was after everything she'd been through tonight. She still had more questions than answers. Dinah. Amy. Disembodied voice with a giant ego. And of course they all had ties to one man.

Steven Mandragora.

The tapping on the winder interrupted her thoughts.

Lois looked up.

What she saw surprised her. It was a woman with startlingly fiery hair and a pair of unamused, but intelligent looking green eyes.

Lois cracked the window of the jag slightly "Oracle?" She questioned cautiously.

"Call me Barbara. And you must be Lois Lane."

The brunette nodded.

"Come with me, please. Don't worry the car will be safe here. And even if it's not Oliver can always buy another one."

Lois stepped out of the car. "So what's with the na-" Lois stopped mid sentence when she saw her companion was in a wheel chair.

Barbara saw Lois's reaction, "yeah, I get that a lot."

"Sorry. For staring."

"Human nature. But we don't have time to exchange life philosophies. So c'mon."

Lois followed the red head around the corner.

They arrived at a run down looking shack of house five minutes later. Lois wondered how it was still standing. It looked like the foundation was severely cracked and that the tiniest gust of wind would knock it down to the ground.

But Barbara wheeled up the walk and lifted the old fashioned looking porch light, revealing a keypad. After punching in a series of numbers she opened the door.

"Not everything is what it appears to be, Lois." She said without turning around.

"Apparently." Lois remarked following her inside.

Lois couldn't hold back her gasp as she crossed the threshold. Babs hadn't been kidding about appearances. This seemingly run down house harbored some very expensive toys. Lois couldn't help but smile to herself.

The General would sell his soul for some of this equipment.

"I'm guessing even if I ask you aren't going to tell me where you got the funds to set up this sweet operation, are you?" Lois inquired.

Barbara shook her head. "Afraid not."

"Didn't think so."

After a beat Lois added. "Look I want to find Dinah just as much as you. But I have a few questions first."

"I figured as much."

"So, just let me get this straight. You're Oracle and Dinah is the Black Canary and you two fight crime together?"

"Sort of. Dinah works for me. I used to be a cape before," she gestured to her chair.

"Oh," was all Lois replied. "And what about this friend you're trying to help?"

"Huntress." Barbara supplied.

"Of course. Does she have an actual name?" Lois snarked.

"Helena. Helena Bertinelli. And she's only after one thing, vengeance. She's a good person. Her morals are just a little skewed." The red haired woman replied.

Lois didn't look very convinced.

Barbara tried another tactic.

"Have you ever killed a person, Lois?" Oracle asked suddenly.

Lois was a little taken aback by the question. But she shook her head. "No."

"Have you ever come close?"

"Once." Lois answered.

"Why didn't you go through with it?"

Lois shrugged. "I guess I'm just not a murderer. And believe me the son of a b!tch deserved it."

"Why?"

"He went after my baby sister."

"Well, Huntress believes Steve Mandragora murdered her family. In cold blood."

"I know. Dinah told me."

"She's not a murderer, Lois. She just leans more toward the 'eye for an eye' sentiment."

"I understand." Lois paused for a moment. "So you got anything on those guys who took Dinah?"

Barbara shook her head. "Not yet."

"I thought the Oracle knew all?" Lois couldn't help herself.

To her surprise the woman laughed. "Touché, Miss Lane. Don't worry I'll have a lot more answers in the morning."

"Look, it's already three o' clock. We aren't going to get any more done tonight. Why don't you head to bed? No offense, but you look like Hell warmed over." Babs continued.

Lois smiled. "That good, huh?"

"There's a spare bedroom upstairs first door on the left. And the bathroom is straight down the hall."

"Thanks."

Lois practically dragged herself up the stairs. She didn't realize how tired and achy she felt until the scolding hot water from her shower massaged her stiff muscles.

She was exhausted. Questions about Amy and Dinah and Mandragora and that damn brass key swam through her head. Whys? Wheres? Hows? Invaded her every thought. She went over her conversation with Amy in the supply closet. She studied the key from memory. She tried to remember each thug she had encountered tonight.

Her head was starting to hurt. If she didn't force herself to focus on something else she was never going to get to sleep tonight.

The first thing she thought of was the Daily Planet. Her desk. Her chair. Her computer.

She let her mind drift back to the Talon. Her bed. Chloe. The smell of fresh strong coffee every morning. How she ached to sleep in her own bed! To sit at her own desk.

She tried to recall the smells and sounds, of Metropolis- its pure electric atmosphere, so similar and yet so different from Star City.

And that's when it hit her.

She was homesick.

Lois barked out a laugh at the absurdity of her realization.

She'd never been homesick before. But then again she'd never had a home to miss.

Her child hood was a blur of different military bases, like a constant vacation. Sure she had missed some of the places she had been. But she never yearned like she did now.

For the first time in her life Lois had roots. Metropolis. Smallville.

She had a home to go back to. And it was a nice thought.

After she had thoroughly used up all of her gracious hostess' hot water. Lois found some suitable PJ's laid out on the bed for her. She assumed that was Barbara's doing. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow. Dreaming of a giant spinning golden globe and in spite of herself, a pair a beautiful green-blue eyes.

Barbara was right. The next morning she had a lot more answers for Lois.

The groggy reporter took a long swig from her coffee mug. She'd only gotten about five hours of sleep, but it was better than nothing.

She leaned over Oracle's shoulder as the red head brought up three buildings on her computer screen.

"I've narrowed it down to these three." She said. "Dinah must be in one of them. And also maybe your friend Amy as well." She added.

Lois wondered if Babs had said the last part just to give her more motivation to check it out or if she was serious.

"OK." Lois started. "An abandoned warehouse by the docks, a run down shoe factory on the corner of Columbus and Main, and an old apartment building on ninth. I got it. But first I need to stop by Bunnies again." Lois stated.

"Why?"

"There's something there that could be extremely useful to us." Before Oracle could open her mouth Lois added. "And if I knew what it was I'd tell you."

"OK."

Lois finished off her coffee in one gulp, grabbed her big purse, and headed for the door.

'Hey Lois! Just one more thing before you go. I know you're a reporter, but if you reveal anything about what Dinah or I or the Huntress do I will make your life a living Hell." She eyed the computer lovingly. "And you know I can do it too."

Lois smiled grimly at her, "I'll take that as a threat."

"Please, do."

The brunette tried not to roll her eyes. "I'll be back in an hour!" She called.

Lois figured Bunnies during the daytime wasn't as much of a fort Knox. Shady operations tended to like the veil of night to do their dirty work.

Lois let out a cry of happiness when she saw Oliver's jag parked right where she left it the night before, in perfect condition. She would live to see another day!

This time, Lois didn't bother parking a few blocks away. She parked the jaguar right in front of the sleazy building. And when she bounded through door of the club, she wasn't wearing a disguise.

She had been right in her assumption about the relaxed security during the day. They were getting over confident. Sloppy.

Lois quickly surveyed the room. She needed to find someone fairly new and fairly naïve. And that's when her hazel eyes spotted a girl with crimped honey colored hair, who couldn't have been older than nineteen, fumbling with a tray of drinks.

Bingo.

As the girl headed back toward the bar Lois cut her off, "Excuse me, Miss?" Lois gently touched her arm.

"Yes?" The girl turned to flash her a smile. "What can I help you with ma'am?" Lois ignored the annoying way she smacked the gum in her mouth.

"Hi, do you happen to know Amy?" She didn't want to give away the last name if she didn't have to.

"Oh, yeah. She never showed up for work this morning. I had to cover her shift." The waitress didn't do anything to hide the irritation in her voice.

"Oh, yeah. I'm sorry about that. I'm Amy's," Lois thought for a moment, "cousin. She has no voice. Laryngitis."

"Oh." The girl seemed a little less upset. "Well what can I do for you?"

"Well, you see Amy left her purse in her work locker the other day. She's completely freaking out. No cell phone or PDA." Lois hoped the girl could relate.

"Oh, my God! I once lost my phone at a restaurant. It was the most horrible feeling!"

Jackpot.

"The lockers are right through that door with the 'employees only' sign." She pointed to the back next the restrooms.

"Thanks." Lois said.

She couldn't help but turn up her nose at the table of guys who were downing whiskey shots as she passed.

It was 10:30 in the morning for God's sake!

Regaining her focus she pushed through the marked door and smiled triumphantly.

It looked like lady luck was smiling on her today.

The lockers all had nametags on them.

She easily found Amy's and to her surprise there was no lock on it.

Lois's stomach suddenly dropped.

Someone had been her before her. Damn!

Lois quickly opened the door. It didn't look ransacked. A light blue coat hung on one of the hooks. She had a picture of what Lois guessed was her sister on the door hanging just above a small mirror.

Lois shook her head. What had she been expecting a sign with an arrow that read "Incriminating evidence here!"

The brunette bent down to check the pockets of the jacket. When the pen in her ear (a habit she'd picked up at the planet.) fell and hit the bottom of the locker.

CLANK!

Wait.

Lois picked up her writing utensil and rapped on the metal again with her knuckles.

It was hallow.

A false bottom.

Smiling to herself, Lois carefully eased the faulty top off. And there staring back at her was a small metal box with a tiny lock. Perfect for a tiny brass key.

Shoving her newfound treasure quickly into her bag. And making sure she left the locker exactly the way that she found it. Lois walked casually back into the club. She flashed a quick appreciative smile to the girl who had helped her and bolted out the door.

On her way to the jag she called Barbara.

"I got it."

"Good. What is it?"

"Don't know yet. I'll be back in ten."

"Alright."

"Hey!" Lois said before she hung up, "Can you do me a favor?"

"Shoot."

"Can you find out where Amy lives? And the whereabouts of her sister, Abby, last name-"

"Saunders. I know."

"Thanks."

Lois hung up as she got into Ollie's car and slammed the door.

Just as she was putting the key in the ignition, something cold and metal pressed against the back of her neck,

"I'm going to need whatever you found." A low female voice stated.

Lois froze.

But her eyes flashed to the review mirror.

"Helena Bertinelli. I presume."

The dark haired woman smiled.

"Just drive."

"Well, you are the one with the gun and the loose morals. Who am I to argue?"

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A/N: Please review! Thanks!