The news of Lois Lane's condition, spread fast around Smallville, as everyone tried to figure out whether the college student had been the victim of some kind obscene prank, or if there was some kind of disease spreading around town.
General Sam Lane was called in quickly, and scurried his daughter, and niece, out of Smallville and into isolation.
Lana was terrified that she would catch whatever Lois had, since she had been one of the first to come upon Lois. And now that Chloe was gone too, and exhibiting signs of some sort of illness, it seemed almost assured that Lana would begin to fall under the weather.
But Clark Kent knew better. Or at least he knew that unless he made love to Lana, she wasn't going to 'catch' what Lois had. And Chloe....he didn't know what to make of her symptoms, except that maybe it stemmed from a reaction to seeing Lois.
But Lois's condition, while troubling, was not the firstmost in Clark's mind. It was everyone's complete and utter lack of memory of the past few horrific days in Smallville, that bothered him. No one appeared to remember the people that had been murdered by vampires. It was assumed they died of disease.....the same one that people thought could be killing Lois Lane.
Also, no one remembered a student named Connor. It was that little bit of information that convinced Clark that Connor, and probably his father, Angelus, were responsible for this whole 'amnesia thing'. They were the only ones that benefited from it. Neither one of them could have really known, that whatever they did, would not work on him.
Clark sighed, leaning back in his waiting room chair. He had brought Lana to the hospital in hysterics. Then again, he couldn't blame her. Lois's father and his men had looked so official and imposing, that if one didn't know better, you would think Lois did have some sort of disease.
Lois crept back into his thoughts again. He remembered every moment of their time in the barn. Clark looked around, sure that someone could see he was blushing. Why had his hands left prints on Lois's skin? What did it mean?
And Lana had said something else. Something about an emblem on Lois's stomach. What was up with that?!
His mind then returned to Lois and how it had felt to be with her. How it had felt to touch her. How it had felt to have a woman make love to him. Clark wondered if there was any part of Lois that remembered what really happened, as well?
Yep, Connor and Angel, wherever they were, knew why no one could remember anything. But as for the reason why his hands left marks on Lois's body, Clark could not begin to imagine or know. He decided that maybe Dr. Virgil Swann could help him.
WOLFRAM & HART- Los Angeles
"What?!" Angel asked, disbelieving. Wesley Wyndam Price nodded.
"Yes, while you were gone, there were changes."
"What you've told me is not a 'change' it's a....a....."
"A happy thing?" Harmony Kendall asked, sweeping into Angel's office, wearing a new designer suit. The blonde vampire, had been promoted in Angel's absence. She no longer worked as Angel's executive assistant, but was now a liaison to the Senior Partners.
"How did this happen?" Angel asked, more to himself than to anyone else.
"Well, Lilah did kind of a piss poor job on the Smallville assignment. She's back down in hell where she belongs and voila! Here I am!"
Wesley turned from Harmony to look at Angel.
"Smallville is where you were. Where both Connor and you were, correct?"
"Were they ever!" Harmony chirped. "And that is why I am here before you at this very moment....well sort of. We have a client and you probably know what happened to her."
Wesley gave Angel a look of puzzlement. Angel squinted at Harmony.
"Spit it out, Harmony!"
"You might want to watch your testy tone!"
Angel ran a hand down his face. Why was this happening to him!
"I'm sorry, Harmony. Now would you please tell us what the hell you're talking about?"
"That didn't sound like a real sorry. But I will accept it." Harmony said primly. "Now, your client is a General Sam Lane and...."
"General Sam Lane?!" Angel almost yelled. Wesley eyed him.
"Someone you're familiar with?"
Angel turned to Wesley.
"Okay, I think there are some things you need to know, before we talk to this guy. First, when I was in Smallville, well, I kind of wreaked havoc."
Harmony smiled and clapped her hands approvingly. Wesley shook his head at her.
"Go on, Angel."
"Anyway, Connor was there and he was happy. At least, before I showed up. He had a girlfriend named Chloe Sullivan and....to make a long story short, Connor made a deal with this firm."
"What kind of deal?" Wesley asked, looking concerned.
"A deal that altered reality, very much like the one I made to give Connor a normal, happy life."
Wesley shook his head.
"I'm not following this. Why would he do that?"
"Because there were too many people dead, by the time I got that damned ring off of my finger. This wasn't a case of my leaving town and everything would be alright. New vamps had been made...I had killed people. And people knew that Connor was my son....and that he had a girlfriend. The General....he was trying to start up the Initiative again."
Wesley's eyes widened!
"That military group that was being run out of Smallville?"
"Yes. It's really too long a story to get into. The point is, that Connor was intent on protecting Chloe, and made this agreement without consulting her or me."
Wesley now nodded with understanding.
"So this spell erased the townspeople's memories of the vampires that had invaded their town. What about the vamps that you had created? And the dead?"
Harmony answered that.
"The vamps are gone but....there is a perception now that those people died from some illness."
"Illness?" Angel asked. "Just what are you trying to tell us, Harmony. Why is Sam Lane here?"
"Lex Luthor referred him to us and our research facilities. He's here because of his daughter, Lois."
"Lois?" Angel asked, remembering the swift kick in the groin she gave Luthor. "What's wrong with her?"
Suddenly, Harmony's tone changed and she became very businesslike.
"To be honest Angel, it looks as if both Connor and Lilah messed up. After the spell's completion, Lois Lane awoke to find her body covered in some sort of mysterious rash. Her cousin Chloe is coming down with something, that could result in her body being covered with this same rash as well. The people of Smallville believe that the people that are dead, died of what Lois has right now."
"WHAT?!" Angel almost screeched. He began to shake his head.
"Something else is going on here! There is no way that a spell, altering reality a bit, suddenly gives people diseases!"
Wesley frowned.
"I would have to agree. Where is this young woman?"
"In one of our infirmaries. I haven't seen the rash yet, but Fred is examining her now....and her cousin. You might want to check in on them, just to reassure them that Wolfram & Hart is doing everything they can for them." Harmony said. She then turned and walked out of the office. Angel turned and slammed a fist down on his desk!
"None of this is your fault, Angel." Wesley said calmly. Angel turned to look at him.
"Really? I should've never allowed Connor to go through with this. If he finds this out....if he finds out that Chloe became sick from this spell, it will kill him! It will just kill him!"
"Then we won't let him find out, alright? There has to be a perfectly logical explanation for this."
"Like what?"
"Like, something else, totally independent of Connor and you, happened to this Ms. Lane. Tell me about this place....this Smallville. Was there anything else at all, strange, that happened while you were there. Anything at all?"
Angel shrugged, struggling to think.
"No.....not really. Though now that I think about it, I wouldn't be surprised if Luthor had something to do with this."
"Lex Luthor? Of Luthorcorp?"
"Yes and Wolfram & Hart prized client. He had made a deal with General Lane out there for Connor and me. The General got two vampire specimens for his Initiative project and Lex...."
"Yes, what did Luthor get out of this?"
"Some sort of formula....and the General wanted him to marry Lois."
"Oh."
"Yes and in reality, she found out and managed to....well she gave it to him good. Whatever happened to her, happened after I saw her with Lex."
"Angel, what does this firm get out of helping Connor? What does your son have to give them in return."
"I don't know and it scares the hell out of me." Angel admitted, folding his arms.
"Well, we're not going to find out anything until we see the girl. Come on." Wesley responded, leaving the office. Angel slowly followed. Lois was in this building, as was Chloe. He prayed, for Connor's sake, that she was alright.
Fred walked into the infirmary, where Lois and Chloe were. She stopped short.
Spike was inside, examining one of the rash's.
"Spike! Oh my God, Ms. Lane, I'm sorry! I am so sorry! Get out of here!" she squeaked.
Lois, who had let the blond vampire take a peek, giggled. She glanced over at Chloe, who was grinning as well.
"Please....it's alright, really. He was just...."
Spike decided to speak for himself.
"It's alright, luv. Fred here got the wrong idea. I don't suppose you know anything yet, do you?"
"Spike, this is really none of your business. You should not be here."
"Well, I've figured it out, you know."
Lois, looked over at a frowning Chloe. Fred folded her arms.
"You have, have you?"
"Yes, bloody hell I have! Take a look at that rash! It looks like someone's handprints!"
"That's what I thought too." Chloe admitted.
Lois shook her head.
"Why would someone's handprints be burned on me like this and....."
"Lois," Fred said gently, "we're waiting for your father to come down now. I know a little more from examining both of you, than I did before. Spike, leave!"
Spike turned and smiled at Lois.
"You match the hands to those prints and you'll be just fine, luv."
Lois grinned at him and then looked over at Chloe, mouthing the words 'I love him'. Chloe grinned, then leaned back in her bed. Fred waited until Spike left to speak to the girls.
Angel and Wesley met Spike in the hallway. Angel rolled his eyes.
"What are you doing around here?" Angel asked.
"First of all, I have to say that Harmony's promotion is total and complete poppycock! She shagged someone I'm sure!"
"Yes, well, Wesley and I have things to attend to so...."
"You mean the girl with the handprints on her? She's got someone's mouth prints on her...."
"We can guess where, Spike." Wesley said. "But thanks for the advance warning."
"All I'm saying is that it's not rocket science, you know? And the girl's probably scared to admit to her father that she shagged some demon or something."
"Thank you Spike, for your analysis. Now we really must be going." Wesley said, this time a bit impatiently. Spike shrugged and walked off.
But something occurred to Angel. Wesley peered at him.
"What? What is it, Angel?"
"I know this is going to sound completely crazy.....but there was something else in that town that was a bit odd."
"What? At this point anything could help."
Angel licked his lips.
"There was another young guy there....I could tell Connor didn't like him too much. Anyway....at one point, I attacked him, when I was Angelus, and I broke a fang on his neck."
"You BROKE a fang?"
"Yeah! It was almost as if I dared to bite into a steel wall or something. I mean my tooth grew back quickly.....it's just that this guy....he didn't smell human. He was something else. I could sense it. But there was really no time to dwell on it."
"What does this man and Lois have to do with one another?"
"Well they know each other. I mean I could tell they were friends......but.....I don't know. I guess I'm not getting where Lois's rash, that Spike says are handprints, and this guy, or whatever he is, are connected. It's stupid. I mean this guy had another girlfriend.....I don't know."
Fred walked up to Wesley and kissed him. She then looked at Angel.
"The General is in the infirmary. It's not good news."
"What do you mean?" Angel asked.
Fred swallowed.
"Since the General wants us to help Lois and Chloe, he has given his permission to keep you updated on what's going on. Both of those girls are pregnant."
"Pregnant?!" Wesley gasped. "Well....how is this our problem? Wait a minute....Angel do you think that Chloe's baby is...."
Angel closed his eyes. Oh God! The baby Chloe was carrying almost had to be Connor's.
"Well it gets worse," Fred continued, not quite sure what was going on with Angel and Wesley. "Chloe swears up and down she hasn't slept with anyone, and I believe her. Lois doesn't remember either, but it is very apparent, just from her exam, that she has slept with someone very recently. I'm starting to think that maybe Lois has been the victim of some demon/predator/rapist."
"Because of the rash/symbols on her?" Angel asked.
"Yes....I want to do some more tests on her. I have a feeling that her baby will not be human. And who knows, maybe Chloe's isn't either."
Angel thought of Spike's idea.
"Is it possible to match the handprints up?"
Fred stared at Angel as if he had lost his mind!
"Yeah...I guess, but come on, Angel, how would you do that?"
Angel looked at Wesley.
"See that the General and the girls have everything they need. I have to take care of something."
"Angel?" Wesley asked, moving him out of earshot of Fred. "Are you going to inform Connor about his impending fatherhood?"
"I don't know yet. I need to do some fishing of my own first."
"Fishing?"
"I'm going back to Smallville." Angel answered.
Clark entered Dr. Swann's laboratory and found yellow crime scene tape up. He had dropped Lana off at the Kent farm, then superspeeded here. Dr. Swann had his back to him, but seemed to know he was there.
"Clark Kent." he said, turning around in his wheelchair.
"What happened here?"
"Wolfram & Hart is what happened, though the police think it was some crazed junkie/janitor that used to work here. My assistant, Ms. Cosby, was murdered."
"What?!"
"You were not aware of this?"
Clark shook his head.
"No. I'm sorry, I really am. But I am here for another reason."
"Actually, her death, and yourself, are related."
"Excuse me?"
"Wolfram & Hart wanted information about you."
Clark stared at the doctor. Wolfram & Hart? Wolfram & Hart? The name sounded vaguely familiar. Clark shook his head.
"Who are they"
"A demonic law firm. Though they do represent some humans....unscrupulous ones, that is. Their representatives wanted all the information we had on you. They killed my assistant to get it."
Clark suddenly remembered the woman....the woman that was always with Lex. The same woman that had put the red Kryptonite ring on his hand.
"Was the person that killed her a brunette woman? Tall?"
"Ms. Lilah Morgan. Yes, so you are familiar with her?"
"Dr. Swann, I need to know what's going on! No one in Smallville remembers anything that's happened over the past few days! And I.....I slept with someone, who now has...."
Dr. Swann paled!
"You slept with a mortal woman?"
"Yes.....aren't they all?"
"Clark.....I don't know much about your family background, but from the little I do know.....your father, Jor-El, meant for you to rule this earth."
"Yes," Clark said wryly, "In my unfortunate dealings with him, I gathered that."
"Yes, well Kryptonians did not reproduce like humans. There was no physical contact. Clark, what I'm trying to say is, you weren't really meant to have sexual relations with mortal women."
Oh great! Clark thought bitterly. That just meant he could never touch Lana or anyone else!
"Clark, I'm going to have to assume that the 'amnesia' this town has, has something to do with the sexual act you perpetrated upon this woman."
"Perpetrated upon? She was all over me, Dr. Swann! Look, none of this is the point! This woman/girl, is now sick! She.....when we were together, everytime I touched her body, my handprints were left upon her. Why did that happen? What is happening to her?"
Dr. Swann's mouth dropped open!
"Good God!"
"That's what I said!"
"Clark, I will try and find out what I can. I swear it. But for now, I think it's best if you go along with the rest of Smallville. Don't try and jog anyone's memory."
Clark nodded.
"Thank you, Dr. Swann."
Lex shook his head as he stood in the caves. What the hell?! Where were all of the markings? What had happened?
First this devil crap with Lois Lane and now all of the carvings were missing.....as if they were never etched into the walls. Something was going on around here. Maybe he should pay a visit to Wolfram & Hart himself. He had a feeling this kind of thing was just their specialty.
The spaceship that had flown off to wherever, years ago, reappeared in the Kent barn, scaring the hell out of Jonathan Kent when he saw it. He hurried out of the barn, to get Martha, just as it landed in a soft bale of hay. What the Kent's, Clark, nor Angel knew, was that it's appearance, back in the Kent barn, was no coincidence or fluke. There was a new Kryptonian life about to be born. And he or she, would be all that Kal-El had failed to of this planet.