Story 2 – Revenge

Yes, I decided to continue this story, in a way. Thanks to all your reviews! I think that was the most I ever got for a one-shot!

Summary: Shelby doesn't like it when Lois won't let Clark in the house after he forgets his key.

Clark stood facing his front door, studying his watch. It was difficult to make out the time due to the darkness surrounding him, but in the glow of the porch light he could just recognize the numbers the hands were pointing to. 1:00 am. That's only an hour past curfew. And it's not like I have to worry – Mom and Dad will never know.

He smiled smugly to himself as he dug into his pocket in search of his keys. True, it wasn't like he wasn't doing anything especially bad, considering that he knew his parents were at a farmer's convention for the entire weekend. If he was under the influence of Red Kryptonite, he would probably be in New York City by now, using a fake ID to club hop. Being late was good enough for him; it helped him release any feelings of rebellion he may have been having lately, without the risk of getting in trouble. He tried to ignore the fact that the only reason he was late was because he fell asleep at Chloe's house after watching a movie.

Still, he was grateful that the only other person who would know was Lois. Although she may be many things, a snitch wasn't one of them.

Realizing his keys were not in the pocket they usually were, he checked the three others. Alright, don't panic. Just knock. Lois is probably awake. With forced calm, he gently knocked on the door, and waited a few minutes. Maybe she didn't hear me. Knocking louder, he called, "Lois! I forgot my key! Open up!"

Another five minutes passed, with the door remaining firmly shut. Getting both annoyed and worried, he shouted again, "Lois? You in there?" He was only greeted by Shelby's piercing barks.

Now fearful that something may have happened to his temporary housemate, he stepped back a few feet. With his x-ray vision, he scanned the rooms. Shelby was right on the other side of the door, but he had to walk back further before he could see Lois. When he did, he gave an irritated laugh. Figures. That girl could sleep through a tornado.

Not knowing what else to do, he circled to the rear of the house and looked at his bedroom window on the second floor. Sure, he could break down the front door or smash in one of the lower windows, but how could he explain that to Lois? And his parents wouldn't be too happy to find their home in pieces. They would probably be more upset about having to pay for repairs than the fact that he had gotten home only an hour late. So he picked up a reasonably sized rock and threw it at the window, controlling his strength so that it made a medium-pitched thump when it hit the glass. He waited again. Groaning, he grabbed a larger rock and almost hurled it.

This time the resulting noise was so loud that it produced fruitful outcome. He grinned when he heard Lois' mumble of "What the hell?" as she came to the window. Lifting it up, she rubbed her eyes and yelled, "Smallville? What's with the unwelcome wake-up call?"

Getting straight to the point, Clark answered, "I must have forgotten my keys. Can you open the door?"

Lois let out a definite groan. "Fine. But only 'cause I don't want the stupid dog barking all night."

Thanking his lucky stars that Shelby's barking annoyed the hell out of Lois, he went back to the front door. On the way there, he and Lois happened to pass by the same closed downstairs window. Suddenly noticing how dark it was, she checked her watch. "My, my, Smallville. 1:00am! Aren't we being the bad boy." Smirking, Lois sauntered over to the window and leaned on the sill.

Clark also halted and copied her movements on the other side. Starting to fear that Lois might not be as trustworthy that he thought she was, he begged, "Please don't tell my parents about this, Lois! I'm only an hour late!"

"Oh, I'm well aware of what your curfew is." Lois tried to keep in from laughing at Clark's predicament. "The question is…what could be so important that caused Clark Kent to shatter his 'perfect son' image?"

Clark rolled his eyes, understanding that she was doing this just to make him squirm. "Not that it's any of your business, but I was at Chloe's house."

Lois feigned a shocked gasp. "Out 'till past midnight at a girl's house? Hm, I wonder what Mr. and Mrs. Kent would say to that…"

"Come on, Lois, you know Chloe's my best friend, and only my best friend. We were watching a movie, and I fell asleep. That's it." Clark let his eyes wander, his gaze resting on Shelby. The canine seemed to be watching the conversation as if it were an entertaining TV show. He was reclining on the living room couch, his head tilted to the side in that way that made Clark think he was being judged by his own dog.

Lois paused, then decided that it would be more fun not to believe him. "Sure, sure, that's what they all say." Smiling cheekily, she stretched her arms and gave a way-too-big-to-be-real yawn. "You know, Smallville, I'm loosing beauty rest because of you. – "

"Something that is obviously a necessity in your case," Clark grumbled.

Ignoring him, she continued, " – and rudely waking me up by pelting the nearest window wasn't very considerate. So I think I'm going to return the favor by making you stay out there. And, well, we can't have you get away with missing your curfew."

Clark stared at her, his mouth slightly open in disbelief. "You're not serious! Lois, it's cold out here!"

"Please, Smallville, you won't freeze to death. It's like sixty degrees." With that, she turned around and headed for the stairs.

She did not expect what happened next. As she was about to put her foot on the first step, Shelby rushed from the sofa to the space under her slipper. Lois lost her balance and fell to the floor. Clark watched in a mixture of concern and amusement while Shelby jumped on Lois's front, pinning her to the carpet. Lois was scared, to say the least. "Smallville, get Clarkie off me!"

Clark mockingly scratched his head, "I would, but how can I if I'm still locked outside?" He actually laughed when Shelby began to bark in her face. In between barks, the dog shot a few meaningful looks in the direction of the window. Getting the message loud and clear, Clark explained, "Lois, I think he'll only stop attacking you if you let me in."

"What are you, some kind of pet psychic?" Still, she couldn't deny that Clarkie's next bark was one of confirmation. "Alright, alright, Clarkie, GET OFF!"

Possibly sensing that Lois was going to comply with his demand, Shelby leapt off his captive. Sneezing a few times as she rose off the floor, Lois moaned, "Great, my allergies are acting up because of all the stupid fur in my face." She was surprised when the dog gave a bark that undoubtedly held some indignation. "Okay, keep your tail on, I'm going."