AN: First update in a while, I'm still on my trip but the hotel has wireless internet. Thanks to all those who reviewed. I have a pretty good idea where I'm taking this story so for those who want some more action you won't have to wait too long. Keep the reviews coming!

The next day came way too early in Clark's opinion. To start with Lois took no break from annoying Clark by insisting that she get to sleep on the couch in the loft, condemning Clark to a pile of hay on the barn floor. Clark didn't sleep very well due to the combination of his uncomfortable temporary bed, still feeling the after-effects of the kryptonite blasts that he had been subjected to only a few hours earlier and, suprise suprise, Lana issues. Jor-el had told Clark that the meteor shower was caused by blood tainting one of the stones, and the stone that Lana had given him was covered in blood. Clark didn't have time to ask her about it when she gave it to him but now, in the darkness of the barn, he had all the time in the world to think about it. He didn't want to admit it but it looked as though Lana had done something horrible and he knew that he needed the truth from her. To add to his suspicions he also began to realize that he was having conflicted feelings about her. Earlier in the day she had told him that she loved him and he said he loved her back. Now he was beginning to wonder if the love he had always held for Lana had changed into the kind of love he held for Chloe. Clark had to admit to himself that his whole senior year had been much more enjoyable for him without all the drama that Lana brought into the picture. Yet the whole time he was having these thoughts another part of him was screaming "Lana Lang! The love of your life!" And so Clark tossed and turned and got about an hour of sleep, realizing full well his dad would have him up at dawn to start cleaning up debris.

"Clark! Time to get up son, we have a home to rebuild. I don't want to spend more than two nights in this barn." Clark groaned. It had to be barely six A.M.

"Yes sir." Clark staggered out of his pile of hay, extremely sore from his action filled day before. Clark and Jonathan spent most of the morning tearing down what was left of the house and sorting and piling the debris neatly so that it could be easily disposed of. Much of this work was done by a super-speeding Clark, while Jonathan kept watch on the barn in case Lois woke up. Clark's least favorite duty was loading the body of Jason into the pickup and driving him to the temporary hospital, while his father filled out a police report. Finally, around ten o'clock a very sleepy eyed Lois staggered out of the barn.

"Wow Smallville you must have been working all night!" she exclaimed as she saw the progress the two men had made. Clark was so busy he had forgotten that he was supposed to be taking his time while his dad went to a neighbors to use their phone to work everything out with the insurance company and rent a dumpster for the debris.

"Uh yeah... I couldn't sleep so I decided to get a head start." Clark lied somewhat unconvincingly. Lois just looked at him with a blank stare.

"Ok then well how about I help you?"

"I thought you'd never ask." Clark said as he threw a pair of work gloves at her. "You see that wheelbarrow over there?" he pointed. "Dad wants somebody to go through all the fields and pick up all the meteor rock fragments and then leave them in one pile in the south-east corner of the east field, by the road." Lois groaned inwardly at the job, which seemed incredibly monotonous to her.

"Yes sir my prince of plaid." she teased as she walked off.

"Hey Lois."

"Yeah Clark." She turned around.

"Thanks for doing this. I know it sucks but we ALL appreciate your help. I'm sure you'll always have a home with the Kents. Now get to work, mom went to check on the Talon and she said she'd bring back donuts if there were any." Clark said this with some degree of difficulty in his voice.

"Aww listen to you getting all mushy on me Clarkie, I think you're just swell too." She teased and then took off into the fields. Clark watched her go. Even though she was the incredibly annoying Lois Lane, Clark had to smile at her.