Chloe took a deep breath, as she brought an empty plate into the kitchen that night. Connor was quick on her heels.
"Oh, Chloe!" he called out in a sing song voice.
Chloe set the plate down and turned to face her husband.
"Honey, I know I didn't tell you about Lois and Clark. I was going to but I got so wrapped up with Cordy and the party...."
"I love Lois, you know that. Keep in mind, I did just say LOIS. Clark on the other hand, is a different matter altogether."
"Connor, I didn't think that I could refuse him. Look, there was a part of me that wanted to see him again."
Connor eyed her.
"Why?"
"Not for the reason that you think, okay? He's been on the road for two years now. He's obviously searching for something, and I know that whatever this is is important. Even more important than Lana. And you know how crazy he was about her."
Connor folded his arms.
"Chloe, we don't know that he's not RUNNING from something either."
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying if he's brought some kind of danger with him, maybe 'Motel 6' is the place for him, instead of our home."
"Come on, honey! What kind of danger could Clark bring? I mean what, like loansharks or something?"
But Connor remembered the glimpse he had gotten of Clark's strength, back in Smallville. No, he was not thinking of loan sharks. But of something, or someone, who was every bit Kent's match.
"Connor? What? I can't ask him to leave."
"Okay, let's skip, Clark. Explain to me again why Lois and Faith don't get along?"
Chloe shrugged.
"You know, I really don't remember now. You know the two of them are a lot alike in ways. Maybe that's it."
Connor walked to the kitchen doorway and looked out. Angel and Faith were talking by themselves. Clark was talking to Kyle on the couch. Lois wasn't even in the room. So far, things seemed to be going just fine.
"So, this Home Depot Power Deluxe Tool set sounds pretty neat, hey?" Clark asked the boy that he now knew as his and Lois's son. He could even see some of Lois in him.
Everyone else called him 'Kyle'.
"Yep! Only I had to give mine to Wyatt Haliwell. It was his birthday."
"Your mother made you give this Wyatt your toy?" Clark asked, a bit skeptical. Kyle then began to grin!
"Well....mine hasn't been brought yet. I have to wait until Christmas."
Clark cast a glance over at Faith and Angel, who were next to the fireplace, talking. He then whispered conspiratorally to his son.
"I think I may have one of those lying around."
"Really?"
"Yes. Next time you come over to see Cordy, I'll give it to you. But it has to be a secret that I'm giving it to you for now, okay?"
Kyle nodded quickly, just as Cordy came running over to join then. Clark did not notice that Angel glanced over at him. He had been listening to Faith go on about Kyle. He had also picked up that bit of conversation with Clark and Kyle. Faith was not going to like that at all.
"So, you see that I'm right, don't you?" Faith asked him. Angel concentrated on her.
"No, I don't. Faith, if you take Kyle and run, anything could happen."
"Like?"
"Like you don't know if there are limitations to what he can do. We don't know if his powers have developed....maybe we should find out who Kyle's real parents are."
"No."
"Faith, it's time. Now it was okay when Dan and you thought you were adopting a normal, little boy. But this is Wolfram & Hart we're dealing with. In the end, Dan should've known what he was getting into."
"Dan was just trying to make me happy." Faith said in a testy manner. Angel immediately felt like dirt. The pain of her husband's death was still very fresh.
"I know that. But this has to be dealt with. Chances are, that Kyle might not have been turned over willingly to an adoption agency."
Now, it was Clark that was picking up snatches of Faith and Angel's conversation. Angel had nodded to him, when he first arrived, making Clark think that something happened(probably a spell similar to the one used on Lois) that made him, Connor and Chloe forget what they had been through, two years before.
Clark began to listen intently, ignoring Cordy and Kyle's chatter. What was that about finding Kyle's real parents?
He was forced to stop, when Chloe dropped down next to him on the couch.
"Chloe, dinner was great."
"Yep, it was. You know, I'm worried about you."
"Well don't be. I'm fine. I'm not 'crazy', like everyone else thinks I am."
"Uh, I didn't realize you knew people were saying that?"
Clark smiled.
"Yeah, in a small town, even one that you've left, word gets around."
"Well, Lois certainly knows what you went through."
"How so?"
"You remember all of that weird crap people were saying about her? You know, about her having some kind of rash when she didn't? I mean what was up with that?"
"Uh, yeah, I never heard that much about it."
Chloe rubbed her chin.
"Hmmmm. That was just so weird....that and your breaking up with Lana, the love of your life."
"Chloe, she's engaged to Lex now."
"Yeah and I'm sure he'll make her miserable."
"Now that's not fair. Lex has his good points."
Chloe shrugged.
"I guess....I guess I always figured that the two of you would end up together. Listen, I'm going to put Cordy to bed, then I have a surprise for you. Something that might make you think things through a little."
"Think things through? As in break up Lana and Lex?"
Chloe gave him a mischievous smile and stood up.
"Come on, young lady! It's time for bed."
"No!" Cordy squealed. Angel stopped talking to Faith and walked over to her.
"Cordy? Cordy? How about if I read you a bedtime story?"
"Okay!" she yelled, jumping into his arms. Connor, who had just re-entered the room, smiled at the sight. Faith walked over to Kyle.
"How about walking me all the way home."
"We just live next door." Kyle grinned.
"I know but I need protection from all of the crickets out there." Faith cajoled him. Kyle threw his arms around her neck. Clark flinched at the sight. He realized he had no real plan for getting Kyle back. For getting his son away from this Faith woman.
Faith looked at Clark.
"Goodnight, Clark. I know we didn't get much of a chance to talk, but since you'll be staying here, maybe we'll talk again soon."
"I'd like that." Clark said, then bent down to talk to Kyle.
"Goodnight, Kyle. I'll see you soon, okay?"
Kyle grinned and reached out to shake Clark's hand. When their fingers touched, Connor saw something odd happen. Something that he suspected Faith, Clark and Kyle, missed.
On the floor around Clark and Kyle, was some sort of emblem. Connor only caught a flash of it, before it disappeared.
It disappeared when Kyle let go of Clark. What the hell?!
Faith and Kyle left. Clark stood staring at the closed door for a moment, then turned back to look at Connor. Connor was about to say something to him, something not very nice, when Lois came down the stairs.
"Lois, you just missed Kyle." Clark said.
"Who?"
"Our......Faith's little boy."
"You mean, bitch?"
"Lois!" Connor yelled from across the room. Lois held her hands up in a defensive posture.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Lois said, not sounding sorry. She flopped down onto the couch and reached for a potato chip. Connor eyed Clark again, before heading upstairs. He needed to talk to Angel about what he had just seen. Clark Kent, of all people, was connected to Kyle. But how? That emblem appeared when their fingers touched....why?
That left Clark and Lois alone.
Clark walked over and sat down next to Lois on the couch.
"So."
"So." Lois said, reaching for another potato chip.
"So, you don't like Kyle's mother?"
"No, I don't."
"Why?"
"Does it matter?"
"Humor me, Lois."
"No, Clark, why don't you humor me."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning, why are you here? I know why I'm here, to start a new job. Why are you crashing here?"
"I'm searching for something."
"What? The meaning of life?"
"Oh, ha, ha, Lois! I forgot how annoying you can be!"
"You thought I was annoying?" she asked in mock shock. "Oh my! I am so hurt!"
Clark said nothing to that. He then slid into another topic.
"So....how long have you been taking that stuff for depression?"
Lois stared at him, then put down the chip she was getting ready to eat. She stood up.
"Where are you going?" Clark asked, standing up as well.
"You know, you were kind of far away from that bottle I had. There is no way that you could've known what was on it, unless you rummaged through my things!"
"Lois, no! I saw it! It wasn't THAT far away."
"Whatever! I'm not staying here if you're here." Lois said coldly, trying to move past him. But Clark held her arms.
"Lois, I'm not asking you this, to be nosy or to make fun of you. Is it not possible that I could care that you were depressed? It seems as if you still are."
Lois did not tell him to let go of her.
"Do you know how it feels to be depressed about nothing? I shouldn't feel the way I do, but I do."
Clark stared down at her. It was the baby. It was Kyle. There was something inside of her that remembered that things were not as they should be. In an odd way, that gave Clark hope that everything would work out.
He then wondered what was 'everything'? So it came out that he was Kyle's father? How did he get Lois to remember that she was his mother?
Chloe came back down the stairs and took in the scene, frowning.
"Hey guys, what's going on?"
Clark let go of Lois.
"Nothing." he said softly. Lois nodded.
"Yeah, nothing." she echoed. "I'm going to bed. I've got to get an early start tomorrow."
Lois moved past Clark and walked up to Chloe. She started to hug her, when she saw she was carrying something.
"What is that?" she asked. Chloe smiled at her cousin, then walked up to Clark.
"This, Clark, is a reminder of Lana, the woman I know you still love. She left this at my house, back when she lived with me."
Clark tilted his head and smiled.
"What is that?"
Lois didn't move herself. She wanted to see what this little 'blast from the past' was herself.
Chloe handed Clark a box. He opened it, then collapsed to the floor, looking sick! Lois hurried over to him, as did Chloe.
"Clark? Clark, what is it?" Chloe asked. Lois looked at the trinket. It was some chain with a green rock on the end of it.
The front door opened and Kyle came running in.
"Mommy asked me to come back here and get her jacket. She forgot...."
Kyle saw his new friend on the floor and hurried over. Clark began breathing raggedly.
"Lois.....Lois....get him away from it....get our.....get Kyle away from it."
Lois stared down at Clark. What was he saying?! What did he want Kyle to stay away from?
Kyle saw the necklace and made a grab for it, picking it up and taking it away from Clark. He instantly felt better and sat up, gaping at his son in shock.
The Kryptonite didn't appear to affect him at all.