CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Metro Club – Main Room – Night:

Clark followed Johnny towards the bar, squaring his shoulders and trying to assume the posture of the person Johnny remembered. In a way it was one of the bonuses of living a dual life; he could slip into a role now if he had to, he'd had plenty of practise. Kind of like wearing a mask the way Oliver or Bruce did. Didn't change who he was on the inside - and the over-confident, determined personality that was Kal-El was as much a part of him as Superman or Clark Kent he supposed – he'd merged them together in his mind over the years. Accepting his Kryptonian heritage hadn't been easy, balancing it with his earth upbringing harder still… but with the aid of his birth father's education and a long journey to see the world he'd adopted as his own he'd eventually found his way.

Superman was a cloak of anonymity woven from many different threads.

Johnny leaned on the wooden surface and summoned a barman with a jerk of his chin before looking over his shoulder, "What you having?"

Didn't matter what he had so Clark ordered the first thing that came to mind, "Jack Daniels. Make it a double."

The Bartender complied and Clark threw it back.

Johnny smiled and nodded, "Keep em coming Joe."

The bartender didn't bat an eye, "Sure boss."

Clark downed another and another, Johnny matching him drink for drink and showing the effects fairly quickly between tales of the old days; slouching, slurring, staring, and gesturing long before Clark began to slip questions into the conversation.

He soon had a fairly clear picture of what was what, "So you got any job openings? I might be in the market for some temporary work."

A stunning chestnut haired woman appeared at Johnny's side, "I'm afraid we have no openings at present do we Johnny?"

Johnny sneered at her, "Hiring and firing now too are we little sister?"

Clark smiled a lazy smile, "I don't believe we've met… "

The woman lifted a finely arched brow and Johnny laughed loudly, "Oh you're barking up the wrong tree with this one Kal, trust me. Better stick with Jessica Rabbit."

Something in the woman's face changed, one fine boned hand reaching out towards Clark, "I'm Toni."

But before Clark could lift his hand the main doors burst open and people begin to scream, the crowd parting like the red sea. Four figures, dressed in dark warm-up suits with matching hoods and half-masks lined up facing them at the bar. Then, one by one, they pulled out small, automatic, uzi-like weapons…

"Johnny boy, you're a dead man!" One of them sneered while people scattered.

But they weren't interested in the crowd, or the sudden panic that was seeping across the crowd like the wind; they only wanted Johnny. And while Clark tried to make a split second decision on what to do, pushing upright from the bar and stepping in Johnny's direction – Johnny turned and darted to his left, making a run for it.

The intruders aimed and fired. But instead of the bullets Clark had thrown himself forwards to block, small pellets of flame expelled from the guns. Reacting faster than the naked eye could have witnessed, Clark leaped over and tackled Johnny to the ground, taking all the fire himself. The flame bullets singed his clothes, the smell of burning filling his nostrils as the crowd panicked and ran for exits…

It was chaos.

And in the midst of it all, Clark's first thought was Lois.

She had to fight her way through the crowd, like swimming against the tide. And having been spitting mad with him since he'd left her in the hallway Lois' imaginative thoughts of revenge went to hell in the face of the chaos. She didn't know where it had started or how, but she watched aghast as fires began all over the club. Several of Johnny's guys had started firing off rounds in the direction of a group of men who seemed to be starting as many small fires as they could while leaving at speed, people were scattering; some clamping hands over bleeding wounds…

And with her heart thundering in her ears Lois froze, the scream building from deep inside her, growing louder and louder until it made it out of her throat and into the air, "Clark!"

Clark pushed swiftly to his feet, turning to find her in the crowd. But at the same time he located her; safe and on her feet – he also saw Toni trapped at the bar by flames. There was no choice to be made. So he hurried through the flames, picked Toni up and carried her out of harm's way. By the time he set her down and turned towards Lois, she was already making her way to his side,

"Are you alright?" Her eyes widened, one hand reaching towards him, "Your clothes-"

He grasped her elbows and leaned his forehead close to hers, "Get everyone out – try not to let them panic. If they crowd towards the doors people could be crushed."

She nodded, her gaze still focused on his shirt, "Are you-"

"Lois!" Lowering his voice but keeping it firm, he squeezed his fingers, smiling reassuringly when her gaze rose, "I'm fine. Go. If anyone can yell loud enough to be heard it's a General's daughter. You can do this."

He turned round and stepped back to grab hold of Toni and push her towards Lois. Then, sure that they were both moving away, he checked Johnny was being dragged to safety by some of his men. Only when he was certain everyone was out of harms way did he step back, inhaling deeply before using his breath on the flames. The small fires went out one by one before they had time to do much damage and then he stepped forwards again, his gaze immediately seeking Lois.

She was rallying the crowd like a pro, taking no nonsense from stragglers – manhandling where necessary, shaking shoulders if it was needed. And then she turned and her gaze sought him out; her brows wavering in question. She was asking him if he was alright. And in the silent language that was theirs alone Clark smiled; telling her he was fine. She didn't know that of all the people in the large room he was the least likely to be hurt – even if the flames had taken hold. Neither did she seem to realize that what she was doing was twice as brave as anything even Superman could have done, because of her vulnerability.

Clark didn't think he'd ever felt more proud of anyone. And as the smoke formed a mist in the room and the emergency services arrived to take control of the situation, she was all he could see…just her…Lois Lane. The gutsiest woman he knew.

She lifted her chin when he got to her, "Rival gang?"

Clark nodded, "Looks like."

Lois mirrored the nod, her mouth pursed into a thin line for a moment as she frowned up at him. And then she took a deep breath and nodded again, as if she'd just made up her mind about something. But before he realized what was coming her open palm made contact with his face; the reflex jerk of his neck more to do with surprise than pain,

"What the-"

"That's for the stunt you pulled in the hall. You have a lot of explaining to do Smallville. Starting with how you know the head of Intergang and why the hell he called you Kal!"

Clark was still reeling from the fact he'd been slapped. He didn't think he'd ever been slapped before. Nope, hang on – yes he had. And it had been her that time too.

He frowned down at her, "Next time try asking nicely."

Her jaw dropped.

But Clark was already moving away, "You might get answers faster that way."

Lois turned on her heel and watched him walking away, the burnt edges of his shirt making her throat tighten. How dare he! How dare he have all these secrets that made her wonder if she'd ever known him - how dare he treat her the way he had in the hall and leave her mad as hell and intrigued and - dammit - turned on at the same time! And how dare he then scare the life out of her the way he had when she'd thought he might have been –

When her lower lip trembled she bit down on it hard, glancing at random points around the emptying room while she forced her breathing to return to a calmer rhythm. She hated him. She hated him to the point where it actually hurt. But if he thought she was done with this then he had better think again. She was an investigative reporter for crying out loud! So if she couldn't get to the bottom of the apparent mystery that was Clark Kent then no-one could.

Oh she'd get answers alright. If it was the last thing she did.

Metro Club – Main Room – Morning:

The place was cleaning up in remarkably quick time, employees working their socks off; Lois among them. But when one by one she saw the Intergang members entering the back room for another meeting she picked up a tray and headed for the door.

Only to have Lou stop her, "Beat it."

He slammed the door in her face, leaving Lois frowning at freshly painted wood. Beat it her ass. If there was one thing a night of tossing and turning had left her with it was the fact that she was even more determined to get to the bottom of every single mystery that came her way than she ever had before. No matter what got in the way. So she looked around, making sure no one saw her before she slipped through a curtained doorway and into the backstage hallway where Clark had changed her view of him the night before.

She frowned hard at the memory, looked around again, and then stepped into a supply closet where she quietly removed the cleaning products from a shelf and smiled with satisfaction as she revealed three bullet holes. Stepping closer, she looked through one.

'Thank you Johnny.'

The holes he'd made when he arrogantly shot the place up the day before gave her a great view – complete with audio. All the usual suspects were at the table; Toni at the bottom end of the table, Johnny sitting in his place at the top end with his arm in a sling. Poor baby.

"The first thing we gotta do is find out who these guys are and arrange for a little payback."

Toni stared him down, "I don't think so."

"No-one asked you. I'm the one doing the talking."

"Not any more," She smiled calmly, "Your days of speaking for this organization are through. You should've seen this coming and you should've taken steps to protect us before it happened. As of now, you're out."

Johnny laughed, "Says who, you?"

Toni remained unfazed, "Let's leave it up to the boys."

The first chair scraped loudly against the floor as it was pushed back. Then, one by one they stood and walked over behind her, leaving Johnny very much alone. It was almost painful to watch.

And then Toni smiled again, "Take a vacation, brother. A long one. You're done."

Johnny reached beneath his jacket, but Toni nodded and two of the men swiftly moved to overtake him, "Get him out of here gentlemen. Help him pack."

When they were gone she waited for everyone to sit before addressing them, authority evident in her voice, "I know some of you want to go back to the way things were when my father was alive, but that's not going to happen. We've got an opportunity to move our organization to the next level. Out of the back room and into the board room. If any of you disagree, you can always join Johnny in retirement. Any questions?"

Not a word. So Lois assumed that would be a 'no' then.

"Good. Let's go to work."

Daily Planet Offices – Lunch time:

Clark was eating cold chicken and typing into his computer when Lois rushed in, clutching a trench coat tightly around her, but ridiculously high heeled white boots visible beneath the hem to tell him exactly what she was wearing. He frowned in response.

It better be a dress rehearsal she was headed to. Because if she thought she was going back there to –

"You haven't sent the article down to copy yet, have you?"

Clark swallowed the food in his mouth, "Just adding the police report to it now."

"Well stop the presses. Intergang just had a big meeting. Johnny's out and his sister Toni has taken over," Obviously driven by the story Lois forgot herself and ripped off her coat while firing up her computer, "If we hurry we can make it into the late edition."

People began to stare at her outfit while Clark sighed with frustration, "Lois-"

"I'm on a deadline here so whatever apology you have can wait. I don't care how long you've been rehearsing it. But just so you know – it better be a doozy."

Clark knew he was going to have to apologize. Thing was – the slap in the face had gotten to him. There he'd been standing thinking how proud he was of her, how amazing she was – and her response had been to swing for him. But he'd probably deserved it. Not only had he reacted unreasonably to her dancing display; he'd then come on like a Neanderthal for Johnny's benefit and left her with a hundred unanswered questions that could potentially open a huge can of worms. The thing was, with maturity and experience came insight - and he knew that the slap had been a knee jerk reaction to how she'd been feeling. He'd gotten her angry, confused her, and despite that she'd then been concerned for his welfare and amidst the chaos had stepped up to help others without concern for her own safety…

Oh he owed her an apology alright - and an explanation. The latter of which had caused him to step back and think long and hard while fighting fires through the night as Superman. There was always going to be a fine line with Lois. Too much information and she'd track down the real truth. Too little and he'd push a wedge between them when they'd come so far in rebuilding the trust that had been lost when he hadn't been there for her.

Thing was; she mattered to him. He didn't want there to be a wall between them. At least not any more of a one than he could avoid.

But before he could say anything more, Jimmy strolled by, sizing Lois up along the way; "Not what you'd call professional, but I like it."

Lois suddenly realized everyone was staring and why. And Clark smiled inwardly when there was a moment of indecision; brazen it out or cover up? She then grabbed her coat and put it back on, yanking the belt tight as Jimmy moved away.

Clark leaned over his desk, "I guess if Johnny's out, so's your plan…"

She scowled at her screen and it occurred to Clark she hadn't looked him in the eye since she'd arrived, "Don't be ridiculous, I'm perfectly placed."

"Lois-"

"You're the one who just lost his bestest buddy - Kal."

"Toni asked me to meet her at the club this afternoon."

Her chin jerked up, eyes narrowing as she examined his face, "For what?"

Clark made an attempt at lightening the mood by throwing a version of Lois' own words back at her, "I'm a man, she's a woman. You want me to draw you a diagram?"

Lois looked at him with a deadpan expression belied by the spark of emerald fire in her eyes. At which point Perry arrived, "Lois, how's the undercover work going?"

"Fine, chief, just fine."

"Good. Glad to hear it. Looking forward to my scoop."

"Oh I'm on it chief, don't worry," She shot Clark a dangerous glare, "I always get to the bottom of things."

"Hop to it then."

Lois glared at Clark after Perry left, "That better not have been a Jessica Rabbit joke he just made."

Clark held up his palms, "Not guilty."

She clenched her jaw and dropped her gaze to her keyboard, typing in silence for a couple of minutes before he got a chilly; "Yes because you're not in enough trouble already are you?"

"If I try to talk to you about this will you listen?"

The keys were hit with more force than necessary, "We feel like sharing now, do we?"

"I know you're angry with me right n-"

There was a burst of sarcastic laughter, "O-oh I don't think angry even begins to cover how I feel about you right now. I don't even know you."

Clark kept his voice purposely low, "Yes you do."

"No Clark, I don't. I thought I did," She glanced briefly at him from beneath long lashes, her voice still cold, "And maybe I did once. But whatever it was you discovered about who you really are on that trip of yours - it changed you - and you're a complete stranger to me now."

What did she mean by that? Clark frowned across the desks. She made it sound like she knew why he'd left. Or at least a part of it. But how could she possibly know? Because if she knew even a small part of it then it was only a matter of time before she would start chasing down the rest. Was that what she'd meant when she told Perry she always got to the bottom of things?

She glanced at him again as he pushed his glasses back into place. And then she took a deep breath and leaned back in her chair, folding her arms across the front of her trench coat as she studied him; jerking her chin just the once, "Go on then. I'm all ears."

There was another rabbit joke in there somewhere but Clark knew it wasn't the time or the place, "I knew Johnny a long time ago. When he worked the bar there."

Lois lifted a brow, "Favorite night spot of yours was it farm boy?"

"For a while," He nodded calmly, looking her straight in the eye so she would know he was telling her the truth, "I told you I went through a rebellious phase in my teens."

"During your car thief days?"

Clark grimaced, "Yes."

"And when exactly was that?"

"Before I met you."

The fingers of one hand drummed against her upper arm while she studied him with narrowed eyes again. And Clark knew instinctively she was trying to decide whether or not to believe him; the thought that he'd done that much damage to the trust they'd been rebuilding in such a short amount of time causing his chest to feel tight.

She damped her lips, "You lived in Metropolis?"

"For a while," He nodded and laid it on the line, "There was an accident on the farm and my Mom lost a baby. I blamed myself. So I left."

The difficult to share information made immediate understanding flash across her widened eyes; her tone lowering to a husky whisper, "She lost a baby?"

"Yes."

"I didn't know."

"There's no reason why you would have."

The look on Lois' face floored Clark. She looked as if she was feeling the loss as keenly as the rest of the Kent's had when it happened – as if it had happened yesterday rather than over a decade ago. And every cell of Clark's body ached to comfort her, to be able to walk around the desk and hold her and tell her not to feel that pain. That it was in the past and that nothing could change what had happened.

Instead he cleared his throat and pushed his glasses into place even thought they hadn't slipped, "It was a rough time but we got through it. You know my folks. They were strong enough to get through pretty much anything together."

He watched her throat convulse, "I know."

When her voice crackled on the words he couldn't stop himself from pushing back his chair and moving around the desks. Hunkering down at her side as she unfolded her arms and turned her chair his way, he reached out and took her hand, tangling his fingers with hers and searching her eyes as they shimmered at him,

"Don't do that. It was a long time ago."

Lois dropped her chin and looked down at their joined hands, "I know what that baby would have meant to them Clark. God, they must have hurt so bad," She frowned hard, "You must have hurt so bad. But how could it have been your-"

He squeezed her fingers harder, "Stop it. I didn't tell you this to make you more upset than you already were."

Her chin lifted a fraction, the frown still in place, "This is different. You know how much I love-"

"Yes," Clark smiled affectionately at her, "I do know. And for some unknown reason they felt the same way about you right from the start. Even when you were a royal pain in the ass…"

The softly spoken words raised a tremulous smile, "Takes one to know one they say."

He chuckled, "Maybe."

The smile grew, the brown in her eyes clouding the green as she moved her fingers against his, "Okay. It makes a little more sense now. I guess I might have gone off the rails too if it'd been me."

"Nah," He looked down, moving his fingers in time with hers and marveling at the differences in their hands; hers so small and fragile against his larger one, "You'd have rallied round, taken everything on your shoulders and blocked it all out so you didn't feel anything while you were busy. It's what you do."

Her fingers stilled and when he looked up her head was bowed, "You really do know me much better than I know you."

When she slid her fingers free Clark let his hand drop to his knee, his fingers closing to hold the warmth of her touch while he felt the loss of it clean to the soles of his feet, "We both have gaps Lois. But we know what matters. Johnny remembers me as an angry young man. I needed to be that way in front of him and there was no time to warn you I was going to do it without breaking your cover. I didn't know he'd moved up in the world since I knew him."

It took what felt like forever, but eventually she took a deep breath and her chin lifted; fresh determination in her eyes, "Okay," She nodded firmly, "Let's get back to it then."

But Clark didn't move, "Do you trust me Lois?"

It was more important than he could begin to tell her.

And the fact she avoided his gaze while she considered her answer made his chest ache again. Because the very fact she hadn't answered straight away told him the answer he didn't want to hear. But just as quickly as she made his heart heavy she lit a flicker of hope within him with her low words;

"I want to," She took a shaky breath and smiled almost shyly at him, "You might just need to give me a little time with it. I think maybe I've forgotten how to somewhere along the way."

Clark smiled up at her, "I'm not going anywhere."

"Hmmm," She cocked a brow, "So you say."

"There she goes challenging me again," He tutted as he pushed to his feet, leaning closer to inform her in a low, intimate tone, "I'm gonna be around so much you're gonna wish I'd go away…"

Lois angled her head and smiled up at him, crinkling her nose as she informed him; "Been there. Done that."

When she turned away Clark stood tall and walked round to his side of the desk. It was an uneasy truce, he could feel that. And there were times it felt like their relationship took one step forwards and three steps back. But he wanted it to work. He wanted it more and more with each passing day. And maybe it was going a little further than the boundaries of friendship but he didn't want to think about that, at least not yet.

Metro Club – Main Room – Mid Afternoon:

The place looked a lot better but people were still straightening up when Clark stood in the background while Toni stormed in and threw a copy of The Daily Planet down on the bar next to Lou. She was furious,

"Since when is Intergang business front page news Lou?"

Clark turned his head slightly and tuned in his enhanced hearing as Lou answered on a lower tone, "Since the Toasters declared war on us I'd say."

She wasn't appeased, "I don't mean that, I mean information that could only have come from our meeting, that I'm the new head of Intergang. Could Johnny have leaked the story?"

"Uh-uh, we put him on a plane, like you said."

"Then it's someone else. Find him. Fast. We can't afford this kind of exposure."

The Bartender nodded in Clark's direction, "It's the guy from last night. You said you wanted to see him?"

Toni looked over and saw Clark, "Send him over."

She nodded to dismiss Lou and watched with barely disguised approval as Clark walked over to her, "So you're the mythical Kal my father used to talk about."

Clark's brows rose, "Your father?"

"Taylor was my mother's maiden name," She looked him down and back up, a slow smile working its way across her mouth, "I've changed my mind."

"About what?"

Toni's smile didn't make it into her dark eyes, "The job. I think I can find a spot for a man like you Kal."

"What kind of job?" Because there was a limit to just what he would do as 'Kal' these days.

"We'll start you out with a little bartending and you can work your way up from there," She licked her lips and Clark felt distinctly like prey, "How does that sound?"

He leaned an elbow on the bar and played along, looking her over the way she had him, "Sounds good to me."

Toni stepped closer, tilting her hip towards him and looking up at him from beneath hooded eyes as she dropped her voice, "You saved my life last night."

"It was worth saving."

She practically purred at him, "Are you always that good in a crisis?"

Clark smiled a slow smile, "Try me."

"I may do just that. But for now we'll start with bartending…"

The suggestion hung in the air, Clark somehow managing to keep the smile on his face, "You're the boss."

"Good." She nodded firmly, "I need that kind of loyalty around here. It seems to be in short supply. Keep your eyes and ears open and we'll see about moving you up."

Lou came back, "Don't mean to bother you but we got a small problem. Delilah just quit. Says she's too scared to come back here…"

Toni sighed heavily, her gaze still fixed on Clark, "See what I mean? No loyalty." She glanced sideways at Lou, "Does she have a contract?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Good. Sue the sequins off her and get another singer."

"Done." Lou left.

Clark smiled at Toni again when she lifted her chin and tossed her hair over one shoulder, "When do I start?"

"As soon as you get yourself some new clothes handsome," She casually peeled off five hundred dollar bills and smiled as she handed them to him, "Welcome to the good life."

Lois walked up to the bar and set her foot on the runner as she leaned over to yell at the bartender above the music, "Soda, please."

Clark turned around and smiled broadly at her, "Coming right up."

Lois' eyes widened in surprise, her gaze darting back and forth before she moved to one side and lifted the bar rail to step in beside him. She'd left him for a few hours and now he was behind the bar? How had he done that with Johnny gone?

"What are you doing here?"

"My job." He looked immensely pleased with himself, "You're looking at the Metro Club's newest bartender. Like the suit? It's Italian."

Actually, now that she'd been invited to take a look, it was something. The cut shouted designer label and when she reached out and ran the lapel between her thumb and forefinger the material shouted money. But it wasn't like she hadn't seen him in a suit before, so why she suddenly appreciated the sight enough to reach out and touch…

She dropped her hand with a frown, "What did you do, fly to Rome? I've been looking for you all afternoon and half the evening."

Clark smiled a smile that did something weird to her pulse rate. But before she could question what it was Toni came up to the bar, her voice sharp, "Kal! I hardly recognized you in that suit. I approve."

Lois mumbled under her breath, "Subtle…"

Clark's mouth twitched, "Just getting to know the help."

Toni looked Lois over, "Not too well, I hope."

Lois turned her face away and mimicked her, so Clark nudged her hip with his, "Beat it, kid. I gotta go to work."

He had the bare faced gall to pat her on the rear the way Johnny had on her first day there. So Lois gave him the evil eye as she left, smiling despite her best effort not to once she had her back to him. Then she rolled her eyes. It was ridiculous the gamut of emotions he'd put her through in the space of twenty-four hours. One minute she was smiling, next she was spitting nails, next she was cold as ice, and then she was feeling the heartbreak of others from over a decade before…

She'd never had any man put her through a roller coaster the way he did. And she still wasn't entirely sure she liked it either.

Clark poured Toni a drink at super speed when he had his back to her, turning to place it in front of her and smiling when her eyes widened.

She took a sip, "I've had one better but I've never had one faster."

"Sweet vermouth on the rocks with a twist, right?"

Toni smiled at him as she took another sip, "How did you know?"

"I asked."

"Looking out for my best interests?"

He leaned his elbows on the bar and grinned at her, "That's what I'm here for."

"I think I like that," She nodded at a point over his shoulder, "Lou said you were having problems with the ice maker."

"No. No problems," Well not with ice there wasn't. The ice maker was broken alright, but all it had taken was an ice tray of water and a little super chilled breath et voila! Instant ice. To prove the point, Clark turned and popped ice from the tray, dropping it into a large container on the bar as he grabbed a nearby newspaper and slid it towards Toni,

"Did you read about the Toaster's latest stunt? Burned a police station to the ground about a couple of blocks from here…"

Toni looked down at the paper and shook her head, "Bad for business. They're out of control. They've got to be stopped."

Clark waited for her gaze to rise, his tone steady, "What are you doing about it?"

Toni's eyes narrowed just enough for Clark to fear he may have pushed his hand too soon, so he shrugged, feigning nonchalance, "Not that it's any of my business. I just don't like anything dangerous getting too close to you."

She softened, "That's quite a line you've got."

"I mean every word." And he tacked on a smile for good measure.

Turned out he could flirt better than he'd realized, Toni smiling appreciatively at him before she spotted someone at the door and shot him a look of regret, "We'll talk some more about this later. Right now, just stay here and look handsome. I've got some business to discuss."

Clark watched as Toni went to the door and greeted someone who looked remarkably like the FBI agent Lois knew. Scardino, yes that was it. Dan Scardino. It was definitely him. Clark quickly turned away so that Scardino didn't notice him; watching in the bar mirror as Toni lead him to a private booth and they sat down. Activating his hearing Clark tried to listen to their conversation, but just as he began to tune out the other noise a loud drum roll made him flinch violently; an announcer voice informing the half full room;

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the Metro Club cocktail hour proudly presents Miss Lola Dane…"

A spotlight hit the curtain lining the back of the main stage, revealing the bare back of a remarkably well-curved woman in a painted-on evening dress. Then the opening piano notes of "The Nearness Of You." sounded and Clark, along with everyone else, looked closely at the singer as she turned and sang into an old fashioned nineteen forties mike.

Clark knew who it was before she turned; it wasn't even a shock this time. In fact if he thought about it he really should have been more worried about how used he was getting to her constant surprises.

And her voice was sultry as sin, "It's not the pale moon that excites me, that thrills and delights me….oh no… it's the nearness of you…"

Clark wondered if there would ever be a day when he wasn't given another glimpse of another Lois Lane. Tearing his gaze forcibly from the stage he noticed Toni and Dan in whispered conversation, another glance at the stage telling him the second Lois saw who was there. Her gaze shot swiftly to Clark, his silent nod telling her he'd noticed already and had her back. He might not know what game Scardino was playing but what he did know was the man could blow her cover if he chose to. And that might put her in danger.

He looked back at Scardino, who couldn't seem to take his eyes off Lois. Okay. Enough was enough. They couldn't take the chance.

Lois finished her song. The piano sounded the last low note. Then the spotlight went out and the curtain came down on her, the announcer already moving on to the next performer while she turned and walked into the hallway where Clark intercepted her.

"Lois –"

He blinked when she placed her fingers firmly on her lips, looked around, and then dragged Clark into a supply closet where they continued the conversation in whispers.

"Did you see him?"

Lois frowned, "Of course I saw him."

Clark stepped closer, placing his hands on her narrow shoulders, "Get out of here now. Don't even stop to get your things."

Her brows lifted, "Clark, Dan is a friend of mine. He would never do anything to hurt me and he's way too smart to let anything slip."

"I don't trust him. What's he doing here anyway?"

"And now I'm Mystic Lois again..." She shook her head, "I'll ask him next time I see him, okay? Which lemme tell you – is gonna be sooner rather than later…"

A thought that didn't please Clark the least little bit. Letting go of her shoulders when he discovered his thumbs were absentmindedly rubbing against her collarbone, he glanced sideways and saw the bullet holes in the wall. Frowning, he stepped over and looked through one, stepping back to nod at Lois,

"So this is how you spied on the meetings."

She grinned, "If you're a good boy maybe I'll teach you some more of my tricks, but right now I've got to get ready for my next number…"

The door opened sharply, revealing Toni, "Interesting place for a bartender. Run out of olives?"

Clark knew Lois was going to kill him for what he was about to do, but he really didn't have a choice. And if it got her out of harms way…

He turned to look at Toni, holding Lois by her arm, "Here she is. Your leak. Lois Lane, reporter for the Daily Planet."

Lois turned to Clark with fury emanating from every pore; a scary moment ensuing before Toni responded with; "Guess I'll have to find another singer. Two in one day – that has to be a record," She smiled at Clark, "Good work."

Clark nodded brusquely, "What do you want me to do with her?"

"Put her out with the trash."

Lois' eyes widened, "Don't you dare-"

He bent at the knee and tossed her over his shoulder, Lois struggling against him and calling him names while he marched her out of the supply closet, along the hallway and kicked open the back stage door.

Lois whispered manically to his back, "You'll pay for this, Smallville, I swear you'll-"

Clark hissed back under his breath, "It's Kal, remember?"

He spotted a row of dumpsters, looking back at the stage door where Lou was watching to make sure he completed the job. Lois had apparently seen the same thing, her voice low so they wouldn't be overheard, "Why are you doing this?"

"So she'll quit looking for a leak. At least my cover's still safe."

Lois growled at him, "Well, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year."

"Believe me this is for your own good. And you know it is. It's not safe for you anymore." He took a deep breath, "I can't have anything happen to you Lois."

The confession seemed to quiet her for a moment. Until she caught sight of where they were going, "No... you wouldn't…"

He dropped her over the edge while she yelled at him, "No! Son-of-a-"

Clark raised his voice, "And stay out!"

He wiped his hands and walked back to Lou, Lois still swearing in Technicolor behind him. As he reached the door he stilled; a head of rotten lettuce hitting the wall next to him making him smile.

Lou took the smile to be aimed at him, "I guess we won't be hearing from her no more."

Clark sighed as he followed the man inside, waiting until he was ahead before mumbling beneath his breath, "Speak for yourself. I'm gonna be hearing about this for years."

Clark's Apartment – Night:

Clark was making tea when the door banged open and Lois walked in; still wearing her garbage-stained evening dress.

She lit on him; "You rotten, back stabbing piece of slime. You know, some people might be fooled by that innocent, boyish exterior but not me, not anymore. I am gonna kick your-"

"Tea, Lois? It's a calming herbal blend. I learned it from a medicine man in Fiji. The secret is the fresh mint…"

She gaped at him. Cocked her head. Her lips moved but nothing came out. And then her hands rose to her hips and she blew an angry puff of air at a loose strand of hair before informing him; "You've blown this story you know."

"No I haven't," He smiled at her, "And just in case I forget to tell you later; I really liked your song. Woman of many talents, aren't you?"

"What?!" She shook her head as if to shake her thoughts free, "Look, I don't know what you thought you were doing back there..."

"Yeah you do," He couldn't resist, especially when she looked so deliciously ruffled and flushed, "Sometimes, on a team, the person carrying the ball gets hemmed in and she has to hand off to another member of the team who's in a better position to score."

There was a brief suggestion of laughter in her eyes, her mouth twitched – and then she recovered and lifted her chin, "This whole protective thing? Sweet and all as it may be despite your methods? You can quit it. I don't need you to-"

There was a knock at the door and when Clark looked through it he was surprised to see Toni, carrying a grocery bag.

Lois looked over her shoulder, "Who's that at this time of night?"

"I'd guess... my dinner date."

"Your-" Her head turned so quickly he could almost hear the bones in her neck crack, "Who has dinner at this time of –"

Clark saw the minute the penny dropped, her eyes flashing green at him, "Oh, I get it. You don't need to draw me a diagram."

"Lois-"

"So I get to cuddle up to three-day-old fish heads while you play footsie with the mafia princess. Terrific. That's just great." She practically spat the word at him; "Partner."

There was another knock.

But Clark was grinning at Lois, "You've no need to be jealous…"

She spluttered at him, "Jealous? Are you out of your mind?"

Chuckling, he stepped towards her, "She can't see you here. You've got to hide."

"Hide? I'm not hiding!" She resisted when he took her elbow, "And seducing someone to get a story is unethical just so you know…I'm not helping you to-"

"I'm not asking you to. I'm asking you to work with me to get the story," He pushed her behind the wall that masked the circular staircase, "So work with me like a good girl."

"I hate you."

Lifting a hand he tucked the stray lock of hair behind her ear, his voice soft, "No you don't. I'll find some way to distract her and then you can sneak out. You can kick my ass tomorrow."

Even though she was obviously still mad at him, Lois acquiesced. So Clark moved over to the door and opened it, lifting a dark brow at Toni.

"Once again it seems I'm in your debt handsome," She lifted the grocery bag, "So I thought I'd pay you back with a late night home cooked meal. How does lasagna sound?"

Clark smiled at her as he stood back from the door, "Delicious."

He glanced over Toni's head on the way to the kitchen, stifling a chuckle at Lois rolling her eyes and mouthing; 'Delicious' with a grimace of disgust. She caught his gaze and stuck her tongue out at him.

Clark's smile grew. Only Lois.

"Nice place."

He guided Toni further away, "Belongs to a friend of mine. He lets me use it whenever I'm in Metropolis." He nodded at the groceries, "You know, you don't really have to do this…"

"I know." She smiled over her shoulder, "I want to."

Clark stepped in front of her so that her back was to Lois, "Do you always get what you want?"

"Usually," Toni shrugged, setting the groceries on the counter before she stepped closer and tilted her chin upwards, her voice deliberately suggestive, "How about you?"

With a deep breath for added determination Clark stepped forwards, "Let's see."

He leaned in and kissed her, turning her further away from the door and keeping his eyes open so he could motion with his hand for Lois to go. She stared at them for a beat; her mouth a thin line – and then she crept out, closing the door soundlessly behind her.

Clark ended the kiss, Toni looking pleasantly surprised when he looked down at her.

"You don't waste any time, do you?"

"Not if I can help it." He kept playing his part, "You said something about lasagna?"

Lois Lane's Apartment – Night:

Lois slammed the door behind her, tossing her keys on the hall table while she dragged her feet down the hall. Tired, angry and disgusted, she immediately started to peel off her garbage-stained clothes, dropping them on the floor behind her as she headed for the bathroom while grumbling loudly,

"Jealous? Ha! He wishes!"

She called him every name she could think of while showering and scrubbing her skin until it was bright pink. A few moments later she came back out in a schlumpy bathrobe, her hair up in an ugly scrunchy - and headed straight for the freezer…

"Like I care."

She took out a gallon of Rocky Road and hauled open a drawer for a large spoon before tugging the lid off and shoveling a huge scoop into her mouth. He could kiss as many female Al Capone's as he wanted to, she didn't give a damn.

She flumped down on the sofa and shoveled more ice cream into her mouth, resting the bowl of the spoon on the roof of her mouth as she frowned down at the carton. He was the worst partner on the face of the earth. Blowing her cover, tossing her in a dumpster, offering her tea from wherever in hell it was…

She hated him.

Three spoonfuls later and the truth of Rocky Road began to sink in to her resistant mind. He was right. She didn't hate him. Oh she wanted to. But she didn't. It wasn't that she wanted him, because she didn't. Hell no! Any more than she would want him to want her…And how in the name of all that made any sense in the world could she be so angry with him one minute and yet be so touched the next minute by the simple act of having her hair tucked behind her ear? She was losing her mind!

She shoveled more ice cream into her mouth and grumbled with her mouth full, "I am not jealous!"

There was a knock at the door and without thinking she jumped up and ran to it, unreasonably disappointed when she looked through the peep hole. Hauling it open she spoke with the spoon still in her mouth, "What do you want?"

Dan grinned at her, "Uh-oh. Emotional crisis?"

She removed the spoon from her mouth and glared at him, "No!"

"Thanks. I'd love to come in." He stepped past her, "Thought I'd treat you to the nearness of me…"

Lois kicked the door shut with her heel and frowned when he made himself comfortable on her part of the sofa, "Funny guy."

"You were amazing. I didn't know you could sing."

"I was undercover. It was an act." She took a seat facing him, digging into the carton and swirling the spoon.

"I prefer to think it was the real you. Passionate. Sultry. Seductive." He stood up, "Got an extra spoon?"

"Who said I was sharing?"

"You can share your emotional crisis with me and I might tell you why I was at the Club tonight…" He let the offer dangle in the air like a carrot while her eyes narrowed, "Deal?"

"How about we skip the emotional crisis and go straight to the interesting stuff?"

"Didn't blow your cover did I?"

"No, someone else did that for me," She sighed heavily, "But thanks for that."

Dan smiled at her, walking into the kitchen to help himself to a spoon, "That's what friends are for. And tonight, Miss Lane, you look like you could use one…"

Lois waited until he came back, resigning herself to having company when he sat down beside her and tilted the carton his way, "So what were you doing at the club?"

"Meeting with the new leader of Intergang naturally," He gave her back the carton and swallowed a mouthful of ice cream, "She called me – thinks I'm a new developer in town. According to her, we have similar interests in the Riverview district."

Lois snorted her disbelief, "I find that hard to believe."

"So do I. She talks a good line: slum clearance, uplifting the neighborhood, micromanagement, growth and prosperity…"

"And you believe her?" Was there no end to the number of men who were easily seduced by sleek dark hair and Bambi eyes? Actually, now that she thought about it Toni Taylor was exactly Clark Kent's type, wasn't she?

Lois dug for more ice cream.

"Not for a minute." Dan shook his head, "In fact, I think the whole thing was designed to get me to slow down any plans for reviving the area. She even suggested a partnership of sorts."

"Yeah I'll just bet she did," Lois frowned when Dan took the carton from her, "And you're here telling me this in the middle of the night because…?"

"Well if ever I knew someone who could save the department some time…" He winked at her, "I know if I were a smart reporter looking for answers, I wouldn't bother to look any further for the source of all the problems in Riverview than Toni Taylor. Not that Taylor was her father's name you understand…"

Lois' interest was piqued, "Go on."

"Don't wanna discuss the emotional crisis first?"

"Not so much. But thanks for the offer," She nudged her shoulder off his, "Spill."

"Taylor was her mother's maiden name. Dad's name was Edge."

Her eyes widened, "As in Morgan?"

"The very one. And close personal friend of-"

"The Luthor family," Lois shook her head in resignation, "There's no escaping that man, I swear."

She reached for her carton and tugged forcibly when Dan didn't let go. Lifting her brows she searched his eyes, "What?"

He was giving her the blank name, rank and serial number look she'd always disliked when they'd been dating. It meant he had his 'company' hat on, "Bureau 39 still hassling you?"

Lois tugged on the carton again, "The friend we had there met a sticky end."

"There's some evidence your DB was attached to them."

She tugged harder, the need for calories becoming more urgent, "My DB as you call it, had connections to Luthor."

Dan nodded, his voice low, "I know."

Well if she hadn't been depressed before, "So ergo…"

"Luthor was involved with Bureau 39."

Of course he was. She already knew that from the Alicia doppelganger. The end of the word is night club would have seemed like some kind of unholy brethren to him, wouldn't they? Lex had been crying beware the invasion for years – and preparing for it too. It made sense that he would have sought out support in the government and with the military. And if he couldn't find it through legal channels…

All roads in her life inevitably led to Lexsville, "I really need you to give me back the ice cream now Dan."

He let go of the tub, his expression full of the kind of understanding Lois didn't want to see, "I'm sorry Lo. But I thought you'd want to know."

"I would," She took a deep breath and loaded her spoon, "Thanks for the tip. I guess I owe you one."

One long finger lifted her chin up, "Be careful. Same for your partner, you hear?"

Lois thought of Clark with Toni, not knowing what she now knew. And she was on her feet before she realized she was getting up, "Thanks Dan."

She walked him to the door, where he ducked down to look her in the eye before stepping into the hall, "You need me you holler."

"I will."

He would be second on her list…

It occurred to Lois as she closed the door and practically threw the carton into the freezer before jogging to get dressed, that she hadn't thought about her cape wearing friend in almost forty eight hours. He'd been in the news enough for her to know he was busy and what he'd been at – but she hadn't spent as much time asking silent questions about him as she usually did. She missed him. And it wasn't that she'd forgotten about him. She'd just been… distracted…

By the annoying lump she was about to wander out in the middle of the night to check up on…

She needed her head examined!

With the first dark clothing she could lay her hands on thrown on and her hair in a pony tail, she grabbed her keys and headed for the door. And it was as she lifted her wallet that she thought she heard the voice. Low, like a whisper on the wind – which was plain dumb when the air in her apartment was so still – but it sent a chill down her spine and froze her feet to the floor. After a moment spent straining to hear it she shook her head, frowning at her own ridiculousness. But the words lingered in her mind all the way to Clark's and had her stopping several times to look over her shoulder.

It was an echo from her nightmare.

'Can you hear them?'