Disclaimer: I own the plot, Angie, Lori, and Lex…wait, no, not that last one… but I wish I did!

Notes: This is my first Smallville fanfic, so please review. I'll give you a cookie if you leave a review :)

Awake in the middle of the night, Lex ran his fingers across Lori's hair. He hardly ever slept anymore. Too many things to poke at his conscious with stressful worry. Light from the full moon shimmered across the floor. All was still, a welcome change from the long hectic days. Maybe that's why he couldn't sleep, he mused. Because in all this stillness it was easy to forget that a war still waged outside, a war the humans were loosing day by day. It was easy to forget, and god how he wished he really could.

Following the curve of his wife's body Lex wished for the simple days when they could go to the beach, or away to the mountains without having to look behind them every second, without the constant dread of what could happen. Because Kal-EL could be anywhere. Faster than a speeding bullet, some would say. And twice as deadly. They stayed indoors most of the time, hidden away in the old mansion, only venturing out for essentials. They had it better than others did though.

Building a family in the midst of such chaos was strenuous, but it was worth it. The schools had been closed for a few years, but Lori had been a schoolteacher before the war had broken out. She had seen to it that Angie was well educated and well read. If the world ever got back on its feet Angie would most likely be at the head of her class. And so they all muddled through this existence together, keeping each other sane and making the best of it.

Rubbing his eyes in tired circles Lex tried to fall back asleep, that is until he heard a very vocal scream from Angie's room. Next to him, Lori stirred, waking from her slumber. Grabbing a black silk robe Lex tied it around him and looked back at his wife, "Go back to sleep, Lor. I'll handle it… She's probably just having another nightmare."

"Alright, but if you're not back in ten minutes I'll call in the national guard," She said, only half joking.

Lex nodded and headed to see what the trouble was. In the other bedroom, on top of the pile of covers Angie had kicked away from herself in her sleep, the little girl was twisting and turning in her sleep. And screaming bloody murder. It was amazing that she could sleep through all that. But she had done it before. The nightmares had plagued her seemingly ever since she was born. "Angie, honey, wake up." Lex shook her lightly, "It's only a dream."

In an instant, Angie was awake and crying into her father's shoulder. "Oh, daddy, I was so scared."

"Shh… it was just a dream." Lex soothed her cries.

"But… but... I saw him. The evil man from the news."

"Is that what you dreamt about?"

"A-huh." She nodded gingerly. "He was melting me with his heat vision… and… and he was laughing. And he's a meanie, daddy, a real meanie."

Lex wanted to tell her that Clark wasn't always like that, but it would have just confused her. Let her think that he was evil, because for now that's what he was. Rather she be safe and stay away from such things than sorry. So he only replied, "You know that he can't get in here, the alarms would go off, the locks, the forcefield, they're all here to keep you safe," Lex tucked her back under the covers, "So you don't have to ever worry about 'the evil man from the news' ever again. Okay?"

"Daddy?"

"What?"

"I love you," She whispered with a smile. In a heartbeat, she was sleeping calmly once again.

"Me too." Lex whispered back and flicked the light off.

It was sunrise on the edge of Metropolis when Pete Ross had finally decided to head home. A little too much partying, and a lot too much drinking had taken its toll as he stumbled through the abandoned city streets. What did it matter, he wondered as he tripped over his own two feet a third time, they'd all be dead pretty soon anyway. It was better to get all the fun in now, because once judgement day came around who knew what would happen.

It had been a year since he was sober, last time being Lana's funeral, no sense looking like the bumbling drunken idiot he had become in front of his old friends from his old town from his old life. Pete laughed and sat down on the pavement. Hell, that was one heck of a walk from the bar but damn it was the last one standing in this nearly vacant city. At least the waitress was hot, he chuckled. Too bad she didn't want to go back to his apartment. That would have been one night to remember… and then forget the next day.

A movement from above him caught Pete's eye, a flash up in the sky, a blur amongst all the other blurs that made up this city. For an instant he wished he wasn't as drunk as he was, just so he could see straight, but sobriety was a bitch, a painful string of memories.

Quickly the blur descended toward the ground, hovering only a few inches above the earth, "Hi there, Pete-y, long time no see, huh?"

"Aw fuck!"

…TO BE CONTINUED…