Clark was seated at the kitchen counter; his eyelids were heavy and began to fall as he listened to Lois drone on about her latest success.

"So I ask him how much he is willing to donate to the woman's shelters. He then has the nerve to offer this pathetic sum of money!"

Martha was seated next to him and gave him a sharp poke as his head threatened to slip off his hand and smack ontothe counter.

"And I said to him do you mean to tell me that you are comfortable with sending homeless, abused and frightened women out into the dark streets at night simply because you are too cheap to reach deep enough into those beautifully tailored Armani pockets?"

Clark yawned loudly; she ignored the interruption and continued with her story.

"And that totally got him. He whipped out that check book and wrote one of the biggest checks of the night!"

Martha nodded approvingly.

"Probably to just to get rid of you." He quipped.

"Listen Smallville. Because of me hundreds of..."

The chirp of Clark's cell phone cut her off. He glanced around the room to find it, spotting it lying on the kitchen table among a mess of his mother's papers. He stood up to retrieve it, but Lois grabbed it first. She stuck out her tongue in triumph. "Smallville's cell phone. This is Lois speaking." She gave him a wry smile. "Hey Chloe! What's up? There's this story I have to tell you!" Clark reached out to take the phone from her but Lois dodged him swiftly. "Uh huh. Oh. I'll tell you later then. Uh huh. Here is he is...It's for you." She said handing it over to him.

"What a surprise. A call on my cell being for me? Shocking." He rolled his eyes and heard Martha chuckle. "Hey Chloe. I was thinking about our dinner tonight, what do you think about Italian?" He said as he lifted the phone to his hear. There was no answer. "Ok I take it then you would prefer Chinese?' There was still no answer. He heard voices and phones ringing in the background. There was a rustle as he heard Chloe's voice; distant and muffled.

"Ok, that would have to be sent down to editorial. Uh huh. Ok, thanks." There was another rustle and he heard Chloe speak clearly into the phone. "Clark? Are you there?"

"Yeah, I'm here. Are you at The Planet?"

"Yes. It's a last minute thing, someone's sick and I have to fill in. I tried calling you a million times, but no one seems to be answering their phone today."

"Sorry. I must of left it outside when I was doing my chores." Sometimes he didn't know why he had a cell phone; he could never remember to carry it with him. "So, I guess dinner's off then?"

"Well maybe postponed would be a better word. But that's not why I'm calling. I need your help." She sounded anxious.

"What's wrong? Are you ok"

"I'm fine. It's Lana….and Lex. "

Clark felt his heart drop. Even though he was over Lana, it still stung to hear them mentioned in the same breath. It made their betrayal fresh in his mind again.

"Clark? You still there?'

"Yes. Go on."

"Fine's ship is back..."

"What?"

"Or rather was back. Lana saw it this morning over the mansion. This was after he went into some sort of comatose state, and before it sucked him right up."

Clark blinked in surprise. Fine's ship had taken Lex?

"She hasn't seen him since. Clark she was hysterical. She went back to the mansion to see if he's been returned. Do you think this has anything to do with you know who?"

"Zod?" He whispered into the phone, turning his back on Lois and Martha, who werechatting unaware.

"Yes. Fine wanted you to release Zod before, and you refused. Do you think he's changed strategies? Using Lex to get to you?"

"I don't know Chloe. I have no idea what Fine would want with Lex. But I am going to find out."

"Okay, just be safe, alright?"

"I promise." He hung up the phone and headed towards the door.

"Clark, where are you going?" His mother called after him. Lois looked up at him with interest.

"Lex's."