Clark flew low and fast through the nighttime streets carrying Lois, sniffing the scent. The trail led outside town, to an isolated farmstead. Clark stopped in a grove of trees and let Lois down. "That was so cool" she breathed. Clark smiled at her.

Clark looked over the dark farm. He scanned with his x-ray vision. He saw armed men in the house, and a few patrolling the grounds. There were a few in the barn, too. Clark told this to Lois and she gave him a quizzical look. "Uh, I can see through stuff. Except for lead, that is."

"Just when I think there's no more surprises" Lois joked. "So, what's next?"

"I don't know. I'm not the one with advanced combat training" said Clark.

Lois smiled. "It's nice to know that I'm not redundant."

"You'll never be redundant to me, Lois" said Clark, voice husky with promise.

Lois looked at Clark with her heart in her eyes. "Down boy. Time enough for that when Lucy and the General are safe. Okay, first we need to get an idea of the layout of the place. We figure out where the hostages are and isolate the area. We grab them fast and get them out safely. Then, we mop up. Simple, huh?"

"You make it sound simple. Shouldn't I just go in quick?" asked Clark.

"No, they may have security devices like IR monitors and motion detectors. I know you're fast, but let's not take chances" said Lois.

"Okay, you stay here, I'll be right back." Clark shot into the sky.

Lois looked up. Clark had told her he was falling for her. She smiled wryly. She had already fallen for him. How do you keep up with an advanced alien life form, a super-man? She remembered when she kissed him, he had been completely in her thrall. She filed that bit of interesting information away for further study. Hopefully a sweaty late night study session.

Lois laughed inside her head. She had, well, impure thoughts about Clark

Clark flashed back into view. "Okay, I've got the layout." He bent and put together a rough sketch of the farm on the dirt at super-speed. "This is the house, the barn" Clark said, pointing to the diagram. "These are where the patrols are. I didn't see your dad or Lucy, but there is a basement in the barn. It's lined with older steel that has a high lead content, so I couldn't see inside."

Lois thought for a minute. "They are probably in there, but we need to go carefully. Did you see any security devices?"

"No," Clark said. "This isn't the first place that I've broken into, you know."

"Right. Let's do it" said Lois with determination.

Sam didn't know what to do. He couldn't betray his country. But he couldn't watch his little girl be hurt. He had cried himself out. Now, he just had an empty regret. Regret that he wasn't a better father, regret that he would never be able to tell his little Lo how much he loved her and how proud he was of her. He couldn't believe that she was gone. Sam looked at Lucy. She was holding up well. He was proud of her, too. "Lucy, I'm so sorry. Sorry that I wasn't there for you. Sorry I couldn't be what you needed."

"Daddy, it's okay" Lucy said. She was too exhausted to cry as well. "I was never the perfect daughter." She smiled half-heartedly.

Sam heard someone coming down the stairs. He steeled himself to make the toughest decision of his life.

Clark stopped at the bottom of the stair. He listened at the heavy steel door. Looking back at Lois he whispered, "Two heartbeats, but the door's locked."

"So, how do we get in there?" asked Lois.

Clark grinned, "Stand back." He stared intently at the lock, releasing a heat beam at it. The lock melted.

Lois looked impressed. "Neat, now get inside."

Lois and Clark went into the cell, seeing General Lane and Lucy bound. "Daddy!" Lois whispered. She ran to him as he gaped at her.

"Lois! Oh, God! They told me you were dead!" Sam gasped. She hugged him, "Clark saved me, again." She turned to Lucy. "I thought I told you to stay put" she joked.

Lucy smiled, "Since when have I ever listened to you?" Lois moved to hug her, but Lucy said "No! This thing is a bomb! If I move, it goes off."

Lois stopped, then looked at Clark. He understood her unspoken request and moved over to Lucy. He scanned the device with his x-ray vision. "No problem, but it's going to make a lot of noise."

Sam and Lucy gave them a questioning look. Clark looked uncomfortably at each of them, then gave a pleading look to Lois. "What?" asked Lois. "Take care of it and let's get out of here."

Clark winced. He was still hesitant at letting everybody know about his origins and abilities. But his mother's admonition echoed through his head. Keeping the Lanes safe had to take priority over keeping his secret. "General, Lucy. I'm going to do some things that will seem pretty impossible. Just trust me. I'm going to free your hands and feet before I take care of the bomb."

Clark breathed deep and turned to Lucy. She looked him in the eye and said, "I trust you, big brother."

"Just hold still" he said, taking her leg irons in hand. He snapped them like they were a dry twig. He made quick work of her bonds, then broke Sam's chains. They were stunned. "Plug your ears, this will be loud." Clark looked at the bomb, then went into SuperClark mode. He pulled it off Lucy and made it to the corner as it got hot. He held it tight against his impregnable body as it exploded. Lucy and Sam rushed over to him, staring at the smoking hole in his shirt, and the unmarked skin underneath. Clark looked at Lois. "Make the call and get to the truck we saw on the way here. I'll take care of everyone else."

Clark vanished in a rush of wind.

Lucy stared at Lois, who had a smug expression. She pulled out the secure phone and called Martha with their location. The Special Forces team on standby would get all the credit for taking down a terror cell and capturing a known traitor.

After she hung up, Clark returned. "Why aren't you at the truck yet?" he asked.

Lois smiled. "Just waiting for you, Smallville." Clark frowned and led them up. Sam was dumbfounded. All his captors were unconscious, sprawled on the floor of the barn. He looked at Clark with awe. "Have you ever considered military service, son?" he asked.

Clark laughed as he opened the car doors. Lois looked for the keys. "No, keys" she told Clark.

Clark shrugged, "Get in, I'll take care of it."

Lucy looked at Lois. "What's he going to do, push us to Vienna?"

Lois smiled secretively. "Not exactly." She looked at Clark. "Hey, do we need anything in Vienna?"

Clark thought, "No, I guess not. I can go back to get our stuff later. You want to go straight back then?"

"Can you handle that?" Lois asked.

Clark grinned. He then picked up the truck with one hand and tossed it from his right hand to this left a few times, then spun it on his fingertip like a basketball. "I think that I can manage, Lois" said Clark smugly. He set the truck back down and let everyone climb in. "Everyone buckle up, please."

Lucy and Sam gasped as Clark easily lifted the truck over his head. Lucy actually screamed as he began to fly. Lois rolled the window up as the wind became cold. Clark was really picking up speed, but Lois was strangely calm. She realized that she truly trusted Clark, more than anyone else. She looked at her family. Her dad was in bad shape, and Lucy was looking like she was in shock. "Dad, Luce. I think that it's time for a few explanations…"