Kent Home

"So, Lois, what are you're plans once you get to Metropolis?" Jonathan asks in a relatively curious manner.

"Journalism," Lois answered. "I'm thinking of making it my core profession"

Jonathan smiled, even chuckling.

"Is that funny?"

"No, no," Jonathan says to her. "Clark here writes for the school newspaper. He and his friend Chloe has been doing it for years"

I give my father a wry look. "Dad," I complained.

"Really?" Lois looks amused.

"It's no big deal, it's a school thing." I'm surprised to learn that she's into journalism; it's not exactly what I initially imagined her ambitions lay.

"Have you had any articles printed?" Martha asks in turn.

Lois got a bit shy and I couldn't help but think that she looks cute when she did.

"A few," she answered meekly.

"You're being modest," I say. "Being in the Peace Corp and all."

I mentally smacked myself for the slip when Lois threw me a heavy glance. I'm in the dog house now.

"You were in the Peace Corp?" Mom was ecstatic.

"Only for a few months," Lois explained, schooling her features. She now knew what I have done. She cleared her throat and I cringed when she paused to continue. "I volunteered on an unofficial capacity as part of a school project. They were kind enough to accommodate."

"That must've been exciting," mom says.

She looks at me once more, her eyes focused.

"It sure was"

The Loft

"I cannot believe you had the nerve to investigate me!" she spat out angrily, following me up the stairs to my loft.

After dinner, I did the dishes and walked straight out of there with Lois close behind. She was courteous to keep her anger on low so we could talk alone.

"Look, it's not what you think"

She crossed her arms across her chest and stood defiantly.

I rethink my words. "Okay, maybe it was"

"You're a real piece of work, you know that," she ridiculed me without pause. "You looked into my life. I don't appreciate backstabbing; particularly when it comes to people I barely know"

"Look, that's not what happened," I try to reason with her. She only seemed to get angrier.

"You judged me before you got to know me. It shows how little you really think of people"

That's not how it happened. "I'm sorry, okay," I say in earnest. "I didn't know who you were. It's just, I can't just discount the people associated to Lex"

"Oh," she says in mock tone. "So this is what it's all about. Lex. You think because he has shades of grey, it automatically means that anyone and everyone associated with him is like that too"

"Lois, please…"

"I thought you were different, Clark – I really did"

"I am different," I find myself admitting, though she didn't really know what the implications truly meant. "I didn't mean to hurt you"

In a soft voice, she say, "To hurt me, you'd have to know me and you don't know me at all." She spun around to leave but turned back to say one last thing. "You know, you mistrust Lex because he looked in too deep into your life. What does that say about you?"

And then she was gone and I reluctantly watch her leave.

She didn't even look back.

Lex's Mansion

Lex arrived home after an exhausting meeting with the board. He saw Lois outside by the gardens reading underneath a patio tent. He joins her.

"How was dinner last night?" he asks.

"Okay"

He raised his eyebrows. "Did something happen?"

Her eyes remained glued to the book.

"Nothing"

"Would you like to talk about it?"

She glared at him before putting the book down. She lifted her knees to her chest, thinking.

"What really happened between you and Clark, Lex?"

He sighed, that was the last thing he wanted to talk about.

"There's not much to tell that you don't already know," he says honestly.

"Yeah, I remember. You took a swan dive off a bridge and he rescued you." She paused. "Then what?"

Lex shook his head, smiling. "It's complicated"

"You've got my undivided attention"

He breathed in deeply, abiding her request. "Smallville isn't your normal heartland state. Do you know about the strange occurrences that happen here?" Lex wanted to know what she already knew so he could fill the blank spaces properly.

She nods. "Yeah, rumors claim that the meteor shower that hit the town in 89 caused an unprecedented mutation amongst certain citizen's. Why?"

"There not just mutations, Lois, it changed people. Physically, sometimes mentally"

"What are you getting at? You think that Clark Kent is one of those people?"

He sat down in front of her, his elbows resting on his knees as he talked to her. "How else can you explain that damage to my car? How most of the time he always leaves a scene of devastation unscathed? How practically every person in town we're in one way saved by him? There's a connection"

"Has it ever occurred to you that maybe he just wants to help people, mutated or not?"

"So you're on his side"

"I'm in no one's side but the right one. Lex, I know it's important to you to understand, but this obsession you have against Clark has got to stop"

"I can't believe I'm hearing this from you." He stood up and looked away from her, upset and betrayed but Lois saw it differently.

"Did you know that he did a background check on me?" she revealed.

Lex spun around, surprised. "What?" Her face remained void of emotions.

"Lois, I'm sorry"

"It's not what I asked"

"I had no idea"

"I feel violated," she admits, swallowing her pride.

"He'll answer for that"

"Don't," she assured authoritavely. "I can handle myself, but his actions reminded me of someone else I know"

"What I was doing was different," he argued.

"No, your reasons for doing it were different but the action remained the same. Action speaks louder than words; you of all people should know that," she argues calmly in return with an objectivity of someone that isn't personally involved.

"What are they teaching you at school?"

She shrugged. "Mostly," she says. "Just how to be annoying"'

"I didn't realize that was possible"

"It's a gift," she says with a smirk.

The Torch

Chloe was busily doing last minute edits before the next print. She heard someone come in but kept her attention on the light board.

"Thank God, you're here Clark; I was beginning to wonder if you'll ever show"

"I'm not Clark"

Chloe jolted upright then turned around to look at her company.

"You're not Clark," she replies nervously.

"No, I certainly am not"

"You're Lois?"

"That I am"

Even though Chloe read her file, she's a lot taller than she suspected. Her voice erred on the maturity. Suddenly, she felt very little.

"Are you looking for Clark?"

She shook her head. "For you, actually"

Chloe gulped.

Lois takes one step forward. "May I?"

Chloe immediately gestures inside. "Of course. Come in. It's not much…"

Lois gave her a reassuring smile. "It looks great." One wall caught her attention.

Chloe notices. "That's my 'Wall of Weird'"

"Hmm…" she observes. Chloe almost felt like she was being scrutinized. "It's appropriate, I guess." She lifted one article to find another with Clark's picture on it. "Do you find him weird?"

Chloe shot up in defense. "No, he's a miracle"

"That's quite a statement"

"What can I do for you, Miss Lane?"

"Lois, is just fine"

"Okay, what can…"

"I heard you the first time," she interrupted.

"Well, you're not answering," she whined childishly.

"And you're becoming increasingly agitated," Lois says simply. "Relax, you're a reporter. Stop losing your cool or you're going to get yourself in a lot more trouble out in the field than you have to"

"I…" Chloe didn't know what to say. She started to feel drowsy, holding out her hand to find the nearest object to lean on.

Lois takes the initiative and grabs her arm, leading her behind her desk. Chloe sat down and gave Lois a thankful look.

"All right, now that you're relaxed, I'd like my files back"

"Excuse me?" Chloe's eyes grow nervous.

"You and Clark investigated my past. I don't appreciate it but I get why you did it, and now I want it back." She held her hand out, her plan facing upward.

Chloe shrunk under her view. She unlocked her drawer and pulled out the file.

Lois Lane's file.

"Thank you," Lois says, opening the folder. "Ugh. That's such a bad picture." She flipped a few documents over. "I can't believe Mr. Hamilton gave me an A minus, my research paper was one of a kind," she commented before closing it. "Is this all?"

Chloe nods, not quite sure how to proceed.

"Well then, I'll let you get back to work." Lois threw her a smile before turning around to leave. She passes a student who just walked in the door, his attention in a text book.

"Hey Clark." She passes him again without turning.

Clark's POV

I was caught completely off-guard, dropping my books on the floor like a freshman. When I turned around to face her, she already made it halfway to the exit.

"Lois?"

I went back into the Torch and I looked at Chloe.

"What happened?"

Chloe shrugs. "I have no idea"

To be continued…