Having translated the 1800 hours to mean 6:00 PM, Clark was there though if he had any sense, he wouldn't be. At least, that's what Brian had said when he told him about the plot he had become embroiled in, and he couldn't disagree.

He arrived before she did, and he watched her come up to the building. Her father was nowhere in sight. He breathed a small sigh of relief. Maybe a guilty conscience had gotten the best of her and she had called it off. Or even better, maybe she had dumped Robbie, and there was no need for the subterfuge.

"Change of plans?" he asked when she got close enough.

"We're not eating here."

"We're not? I thought that was the reason for meeting here."

"No, my house is just really close. We're eating fancy tonight. Pizza from the best place in town, or so the locals tell me."

Why did this feel like a last meal before his execution?

"Don't look so nervous. This is going to be a piece of cake. Just let me do most of the talking."

"Don't you anyway?" he asked.

She chuckled. "Got to love that small-town humor, Kent. Seriously keep it strictly yes and no, and we'll be fine."

He followed her in the fading light to a house that looked like all the other houses on the base. He wondered how many people walked into another person's house by mistake.

She took him right in. General Lane didn't greet them at the door, giving him a reprieve to study the living room. It was stark, not a lot of knick-knacks or decorations. He couldn't blame them. From what he heard with military life as soon as you got unpacked and settled, it was time to move again.

He looked at Lois. He wondered if that was why she wasn't overly friendly. She must not get a lot of time to make friends and work on her social graces. Despite his sometimes rough patches with his friends, he was suddenly more thankful for them.

General Lane stepped into the room. "Pizza's getting cold. Let's eat."

Clark offered his hand to him as he passed. "Thank you for inviting me, sir."

"Lois invited you," he said. The whole family was blunt it appeared. "Hope you like pepperoni."

"Yes, sir,"

Lois gave him a grin of encouragement for remembering the plan. Then she provide a very big distraction. "I've been thinking about getting a tattoo of a heart right on my-"

"No," he father said, mercifully cutting her off because Clark had a hunch it wouldn't have been a part of her body to talk about in mixed company.

"How many of the soldiers here have a tattoo? I don't hear you lecturing them on the evils of inking," she countered.

"Those soldiers are not my daughter."

She rolled her eyes. He was glad to see that move wasn't reserved solely for him.

He didn't know if she really wanted a tattoo or she just enjoyed getting under her father's skin, but he had a feeling it was the latter. If you looked up teenage rebellion in the encyclopedia, her picture was probably there.

"Besides, we're here to learn about your new boyfriend. Kent, isn't it?"

"Yes, sir," he answered, not happy the attention was back on him.

"You have ambitions to join the military?

"Yes, sir. I might."

General Lane lowered his pizza. "Then tell me why would my daughter want to date you?"

Clark choked a bit on the cheese. The man went for the jugular kind of like someone else he'd recently met.

"Because he's nice." Lois said, stepping in and saving the day.

"He's nice? You expect me to buy that?" That hard gaze was now leveled at his daughter.

"What? I can't date nice guys?"

"Oh, you can," her father answered, "but you don't."

"Believe it because I am." She slid her chair closer to Clark's and rubbed his hair like he was an overgrown puppy. It took great restraint on his part not to look annoyed by it. She could have just reached for his hand or something normal.

Samuel Lane grudgingly continued his dinner though he continued to cast on them suspicious glances. He didn't know how she was going to get away with it come prom night. He'd be watching he like a hawk.

He wasn't off the hook yet. "What do your parents do?"

"Farm."

"Successful at it?"

"They do pretty well for a family farm. We have diverse crops."

"That's the only way to do it."

"What are you doing, marking him as a prospective son-on-law? We're not getting married. We're just going to the prom together," Lois said.

"Just trying to find out more about him. He's not the usual type you bring home. In fact, I don't think you've ever asked a boyfriend to eat with us. Why wouldn't I be curious?"

"And now you know why because you are prying. This isn't an interrogation room."

He wondered if it was ever peaceful in the Lane household.

"Where are you from?" he asked.

Lois threw her hands up in the air in apparent defeat, but she said, "You don't have to answer that, Clark."

"Smallville," he said. It would be too impolite not to, and he didn't see the harm in the questions. "It's a town near-"

"I'm familiar with it," General Lane interrupted. "We have family who live there. My late wife's family. Perhaps you know them, Gabe and Chloe Sullivan?"

"I do actually," he said, surprised by the revelation. "Chloe is one of my best friends."

"Oh, you're that Clark Kent," Lois said with a snicker he didn't like at all. "My cousin has mentioned you quite a few times."

What had Chloe told her about him? Chloe hadn't ever mentioned her. Scratch that. She had used her name as a pen name. He had thought the name Lois Lane had seemed familiar, but he hadn't been able to place why until now.

Samuel Lane must have considered his friendship with his niece as acceptable enough, at least where a prom date was concerned. Or more likely, he was no longer considered a threat given that he was going to be more than halfway across the state again after Friday. Or even more likely, he knew where to find him if he should need to seek retribution. Whatever the case, the rest of the meal was more peaceable and friendly.

Lois walked with him back to the dining facility afterward though he could have found his way easily enough.

"What did Chloe say about me?" he asked.

"Don't be so paranoid. Besides, I would never betray a confidence."

Admirable but frustrating in this case.

"Well, your job is done," she continued. "I think we managed to pull off being a couple, which is nothing short of a miracle."

"Not that much of a miracle," he grumbled. "I think your dad is right. Robbie is bad news. I don't mind actually going with you."

"To baby-sit me, you mean The party scene wouldn't be your thing. Look, it's nice of you to be so concerned, but you can put it and me out of your mind. Say hi to Chloe for me."

Except he couldn't put her out of his mind, especially now that he knew she was Chloe's cousin. He felt obligated to protect her.