Chapter 14

Lex checked his watch as the couple approached him carefully…almost too carefully. Now she's doing it too? What gives? "You know what's going on?"

She shrugged at the visitor. "We've been doing research for Chloe. You know how she is."

Lex nodded imagining how demanding the Torch's editor could be. "I've been trying to get a hold of you. I wanted to talk about last night."

She looked to Clark and then back to the billionaire. "You and Dr. Hamilton were having a bad argument. I wasn't about to stick around and listen in. You know what kind of a temper he has."

"Very well," Lex concurred although he still wanted to know what she overheard.

"Lex, we really need to get back to the Torch," Clark insisted.

Lex smirked in surprise at him. "Well you can go. Lana and I can talk…I wasn't aware that you were her keeper."

"It involves both of us, Lex," she informed him. "And no, Clark isn't my keeper. We do have things to do."

"Lana, I know you're dodging me. I can promise that Hamilton won't be anywhere near when we do talk," Lex insisted.

She really didn't want to go off and talk with him. She knew how disarming and smooth her partner could be. "Lex, I'm sorry but not now." She started back toward the blazer.

"Lex, this is my parents' farm." Clark motioned toward the Ferrari quite clearly with his hand. "I hate to do this but either respect Lana or go."

"Respect her?" Lex laughed incredulously. "Clark, I've made her dream come true. I help to support the Talon! You think I do that for anyone?"

Lana sighed. "Lex, I appreciate all of that. I'm still not doing well. Okay? And…."

Just before the argument could progress any further, a brown car turned into the driveway and sped toward the trio. It stopped about ten feet in front of them.

Pete jumped out and slammed the door. "Guys! I…." He eyed Lex suspiciously. "What's going on, Clark?"

"Nothing, Pete. Lex, Lana and I were just talking," Clark informed the newcomer. "Why the wide eyed look?"

"You guys seen Chloe? She and I were supposed to meet an hour ago at the Talon. Her Dad's truck is still at school but she isn't. She wasn't at the Torch. She's not at home," Pete recounted while holding up her cell phone. "I found this by the truck."

"Chloe would never leave her cell," Clark informed the others. "Other than the computer, it was her lifeline."

"That's what I was thinking. I called Mom. She's going to have Sheriff Ethan look for her. Meantime I wanted to check with you guys," Pete agreed. "We do have that issue to do, right? Follow me." He headed back toward his own car.

"Right," Clark agreed. "If we want to make the printer, we'll have to get moving. Sorry, Lex." With that, he rushed toward the blazer.

"Go on, guys. We'll catch up later," Lex allowed.

"We can go over those numbers as soon as we're done with this," Lana promised before she and Clark got into her vehicle and followed Pete out.

"Lana pulling a Clark? Whoever would've thought that? What are you doing to her, Clark?" Lex wondered agitatedly while getting in the Ferrari and pulling away himself. He needed to check with Hamilton on the latter's work. Then maybe he'd get some help on that manhunt going himself….

[Ross House—Ten minutes later]

Instead of leading them back to school, Pete headed back toward his own home. He stopped and looked around his Dad's farm to make sure they were alone.

"What's with all of the security?" Lana wondered as she and Clark joined him by the barn.

"You'll get it when you see why. Chloe's going to kill me when she hears about this but I wanted you both to know," Pete told them. He opened the barn's front door and stepped inside. "Come and see!"

"What's he doing? Chloe's missing and he wants us to look in there?" Clark wondered aghast.

"Pete wouldn't be wasting our time. You know he's her friend too," she assured him. "Come on. Let's see what he has." She leaned close. "It's got to be the spaceship."

Clark nodded while seeing what she was getting at. "Wonder if Jor-El could get it started?" he whispered back.

"If he could've, why didn't he say anything before?" she wondered.

"GUYS!" Pete called. "Are you coming or what?"

"Yeah, Pete! Sorry!" she apologized. She turned back to Clark. "Let's talk about this with your folks later."

"Right," Clark agreed as they headed into the barn. Ten seconds later, they saw Pete leaning against something covered by a brown tarp. "What have you got there?"

"Chloe's holy grail." Pete pulled the tarp away revealing the Ship. He clapped his hands in triumph. "Granted Chloe and I are still waiting for the Daily Planet. Right now though, I'd settle for a call making sure she's okay."

"We'd all like that, Pete," Clark concurred. "Let's hope Sheriff Ethan finds her." He narrowed his eyes. I'll have to search Smallville. It would help if I could narrow down possible places! He surveyed the Ship to make sure everything was in place.

Likewise she recognized it from the previous night's vision. This is really it! Clark came here in this! Wow! She bit back the feelings of sadness related to her parents' deaths during the meteor shower. Mom and Dad would tell you to look to the better. I've spent so long brooding over it. I have Clark and we love each other! This ship and his parents' sacrifice made it possible. She looked to him warmly.

"Uh oh…Do I detect some sparks flying?" Pete assumed.

"Pete," Clark protested. His cheeks blushed.

"It's okay, Clark. We are official, right?" she assured him while planting a kiss on his cheek.

"Now THAT'S what I'm talking about! FINALLY!" Pete pumped his fists. Although he knew Chloe would be disappointed, he was psyched that Clark had finally gotten his woman. "Once we know she's safe, we'll celebrate!"

"Emphasis on finding that out," she reminded them both. "Can you start this thing, Pete?"

"Nope. Doesn't exactly have a key or anything I can hotwire. Not that I didn't try," Pete assessed with a frown. "It'd be cool to make it do something though."

Clark saw something glitter in the dirt about two feet from the Ship. "Like what? Make aliens?"

"Man, Clark! The aliens are here, Dude! They left their ship and we found it!" Pete pointed out. "They could be around this farm right now."

You have no idea, Pete. Lana had to keep a straight face. Still she saw Clark edging toward the door and his eyes motioning toward their host. "Say, Pete. What's that over there?"

"Over where?" Pete wondered as he followed her pointing to the other door.

As he did so, Clark super sped to the glinting spot and discovered the octagonal disk. He swept it up, pocketed it and returned to where he'd been before. "Isn't that the weather vane your Dad was working on?"

"Oh yeah. My mistake," she noted while trying to appear innocent.

"Dad's going to have that up tomorrow when he gets back from Dodge," Pete declared. "Maybe the aliens'll see it." He chuckled. "What a sight that would be."

"I can imagine," Clark presumed thinking what would happen if Jor-El appeared. "You know with your parents away for tonight and us not here, this isn't secure…."

"I ain't moving it, Clark. We'll lock the barn doors. It'll be cool," Pete denied before ushering them both out. "I have it under control. Come on. Let's head for the Torch." He went back to his car and drove off toward school.

After starting off after Pete, Lana turned to Clark. "What was that you were going after?"

Clark produced the octagonal disk. "The key to the Ship. This makes it work." He revealed it to her.

"You took that?" She gasped before realizing why. "At least if anyone else finds it, they can't make it work now."

"That was the general idea," Clark admitted. "Great job getting Pete to turn away like that. Too bad we couldn't have talked him into moving the Ship back to my farm."

"Step one for the team, Clark. And it was great to be included for a change." She smiled warmly at him. "See? I can handle myself. Now let's grab a coffee and head back to your place. I have an idea."

Despite the hairiness of the situation, he felt himself relaxing just a bit. She was definitely proving herself to be a worthy partner in this endeavor.

Worthy in so many ways indeed…..