SHE WAS GONE. Clark breathed deeply. They had come dangerously close to kissing tonight. She had a boyfriend, Clark reasoned to himself. They couldn't do anything. It would be wrong. Clark watched as the Lana's car zoomed out of the Kent Residence. Clark breathed in deeply.

Suddenly, the phone rang. Clark slowly made his way in to the house.

"Hello?" He said calmly.

"Umm, Clark, it's…Chloe."

"Oh, Chloe. There's static. Where are you?"

"Ummm, we're….around."

"We're? Is Bart with you?"

"Yes."

"So…..where exactly are you?"

"Oh…ummm…we're in Florida, Clark."

Clark's heart beat rapidly increased.

He cleared his throat, "Ummm, Florida?"

"Yes." Chloe said.

Oh my god, Clark said, slapping his forehead. He faked laughter. "Good one, Chloe. Really, really funny."

"Yes, Clark, we are in Florida."

Clark swallowed. "How, exactly, did you get to Florida?"

"We both know, Clark."

"What are you talking about?" Clark gulped again.

"Clark, please, stop while you're ahead."

"O.k." He gave up. He breathed in. Just like Bart to flaunt his powers. But he had to assume that Chloe did not know about his secret. Please! "So…..Bart ran?"

"Yes." Chloe said.

"How're you taking this?" He asked.

"Oh, it's getting pretty cool, actually. It's nice when people just….you in you."

Clark didn't take the hint. "So….you guys just decided to go to Florida."

"Miami, to be exact."

Clark rolled his eyes. "O.k., Miami. You just…decided to go?"

"No. We were attacked….at my house."

"Attacked?" Clark stood up, now worried.

"Yes, attacked."

"By whom?" Clark said, already knowing the answer.

"You know. Phillip Rafferty."

Clark nodded his head. "What does Bart say?"

"Bart knew some of the soldiers?"

"Does your dad know?"

"Yeah. I just called."

"How is he taking it?"

"How would you be taking it if you knew your daughter had just been attacked?"

"Good point."

"Yes. It is."

Clark heard a TV on the other side. He focused, in sounded like a skateboarding show. "So…what's Bart doing?"

"Oh, he's watching TV."

"Can I talk to him?"

"Sure."

The phone was silent for a moment. Then, Bart picked it up.

"Clark?" He asked.

"Yeah, it's Clark."

Bart breathed deeply for a moment.

"Rafferty came after us in Chloe's house."

"You used you abilities to escape?"

"What was I supposed to do?"

"I'm not blaming you Bart."

"It sounds like you are."

"Well I'm not."

There was silence for a moment.

"Sorry," Bart said, "It's kind of hard to keep a good mood when you've just been shot by."

"Yeah." Clark was silent. Then he cleared his throat. "Listen, Bart, there's something I need to ask you."

"O.k. What is it?"

"I really hate to sound selfish o.k.?"

"Just tell me what it is."

"O.k. Did you tell Chloe about my secret?"

Bart considered for a minute. Then he whispered, "No, I didn't." He hadn't told Chloe about Clark's secret. Apparently, she had already known."

"Alright," Clark said, "Thanks."

"No problem." Bart said, rubbing his finger tips together lightly.

"Where are you staying?"

"Somewhere in Florida."

"But where, exactly?"

"Listen, we can't tell you just yet."

"What?" Clark boomed, standing up.

"I said….we can't tell you just yet."

"And why tha hell not?"

"Clark, listen, keep your temper. There are certain complications."

"Complications! Just say you don't trust me."

"Alright, Clark, just listen. We have to-''

"You have to nothing, now just tell me-''

"Shut up, Clark!" Bart yelled.

They were both silent for a moment.

Then Bart quietly said, "It's not that we don't trust you, Clark."

Clark sat back down and breathed in. "Then what's wrong?" He asked.

"Clark, we don't know. Phillip knows where you live."

"So…..you think I'll just like…give you up or something?"

"No….we think he might be bugging your phones."

"And why exactly would you think something like that?"

"Clark, you never know with Phillip."

"I think I'd know if somebody bugged my house, Bart."

"How exactly would you?"

Clark was faltered for a moment. "Mom and Dad were at the hospital."

"Exactly, and you went to school, didn't you?"

Clark swallowed. "I'll be right back, Bart."

"Wait…where are you going?"

"I'm going to check around the house."

"How?"

"I have my methods."

"Be careful. There might be booby traps."

"Yeah. Thanks."

"Bye, Clark."

"Bye." And with that, Clark hung up. He ran at a normal rate in to the house. He looked around the interior. Clark focused on his hearing, hoping to possibly discover the frequency of the bug.There wasn't much going on. He could hear Krypto panting outside. Clark heard some ants around, the rhythm of the air conditioner; there were some cars on the road, the mooing of Cows. There was a low buzz. A very low buzz. Clark moved slowly towards it. He ended up at a wall.

Clark gulped. He got a chair and a screw driver. He stood on top of the chair and unscrewed the air conditioning vent. He looked inside and saw nothing. Clark focused. Clark's Microscopic vision was activated now. Everything was magnified. He saw bacteria…ants and such. Now his vision zoomed more in to the interior. There it was! He saw it now. It was a tiny device, invisible to the human eye. Clark gulped again.

"Oh, boy." He whispered to himself. He grabbed the device and took it out. It was so tiny, a little ball, so little and small. He wondered how they had managed to get something this tiny in to there. It must have taken a lot of focus and technology. He heard a beep inside the device. Could it be? Was it a? In an instant, Clark had zipped out of the house and out of the farm. Time seemed to freeze. Clark's Super speed was going at one of the highest degrees it had ever done. The little thing exploded. The exposed explosion had only reached one tenth of the little device through the little device and it was strange seeing flames frozen in place as though they were a mere painting rather than the real thing. The explosion was frozen in place, the flames reaching out pointlessly in to the air. Clark's Super Speed allowed him to get out of the farm and past the street. Cars were frozen in time, birds were still in the air, Clark ran through the motionless world and far in to forest land. The flames had grown a centimeter. In one last, desperate motion, he punched a large hole in the ground and dropped the bomb in to it. Then he hastily covered it in soil. He knew he wouldn't be hurt, but there might be people around. He zipped away just as the explosion fully took place. Even a quarter of a mile away, the explosion reached Clark. He smashed in to a tree and tipped it over, breaking it in half.

He sighed and looked around at the damage. Trees had been blown away, some were cut in half. Debris rained all over the forest. Clark stood up. His clothes were yet again in tatters. He groaned. With how often he had ruined his clothes, Jonathon had ruled that now he had to buy his own clothes.

"Lucky me!" He snapped to no one in particular. And with that, he made his way back to his house.

BART was sleeping. She had been waiting until just the right time. When she heard him snoring, she made her way out of the apartment. She locked the door behind her and slipped the key in to her pocket.

Chloe put her hands in to the pockets f her PHAT sweater and walked down the balcony of the beautiful hotel. There were guests still out there, still at 1:00 a.m. She saw them, just drinking and drinking and drinking. She made her way down to the parking lot. They had rented a car earlier this afternoon. She was almost broke. She was even tempted to take up Bart's offer of letting him slip a little out of a few pockets.

She got in to the battered old Nissan and for a moment missed her car that was back in Smallville. Who thought she could miss that old town so much. She pulled out of the driveway of the hotel and headed out…anywhere.

BART watched the Nissan pull out of the Hotel. She was alone. He hadn't been able to sleep either. He watched her turn the corner then he exited the hotel room, locking the door behind him, and praying she had a spare set. Then, Bart zipped after her.

She pulled over at the beach. She looked out at it, so beautiful. There were some couples still lying on blankets, making out. Chloe got as far away from them as possible. She wasn't exactly feeling very social right now.

She stopped beside the seashore, putting her head between her knees. Bart. She had felt it since the first day she met him, though turning him away. He made her feel better than Clark ever had, she realized. Oh, my god.

A tear rolled out of the corners of her eyes and down her cheeks. It rolled down her cheeks and her eyelids dripped with down. She sobbed. She had been hurt by Clark so much. She hated herself whenever she thought about him. She had always known she deserved better, even punished herself and hated Lana. But now, she had learned to cope with it. No matter how much she wanted it, Clark Kent would never be hers. Wishful thinking was all it was. She was going to graduate soon. She didn't need to keep thinking about him. He might still decide to stay and go to Kansas Central. She would be going to Metropolis. She really didn't have time for him.

"Bart." She whispered to herself. "Bart Allen. Chloe Allen. Bart and Chloe Allen." She smiled, deciding it sounded better than Chloe Kent. A whole lot better. She had gotten over Clark. Now, she feared, she was in love with Bart Allen. A big part had also been Clark's deception. They had been friends for so long, and still he wouldn't have told her his secret if she hadn't found out. All the deception. Bart had just saved her life, not even caring about the use of his powers. How many times could Clark had helped if he had just been honest. How selfish, she thought, not for the 1st time.

A shadow appeared behind her.

She did not even have to turn around. "Bart.

He came around and knelt in front of her. He reached out and touched her face. She flinched slightly and then was still. Taking the cue, he brushed away her tears with his thumb. He got closer. "Listen, Chloe." He said, taking his hand back. "I'm sorry about earlier.

"Don't be sorry." She said.

He didn't hear her. "I shouldn't have come on to you like that, make you feel uncomfortable." She shook her head, smiling slightly. She heard the sincerity in his voice, knowing he had wanted to kiss her, but still taking her feelings in to consideration.

"You didn't make me uncomfortable."

"What?" He asked, puzzled.

"I came unto you, Bart."

He nodded. They were silent for a moment.

"This is so confusing," She said.

He didn't have to ask to know what she was talking about. "The feeling is mutual," He said.

They listened to the rhythm of the ocean for a moment.

Then he turned to her. "You're in love with Clark."

She shook her head, smiling. "Up till a few weeks ago, yes. I've learned to accept that he's in love with Lana and there's nothing I can do about it."

"Clark must be crazy to not want to fight for you." He said.

She smiled. "You're just saying that."

"No," He said, "I'm not. You are the most beautiful, most charismatic girl I've ever met." He breathed, then blushed. He looked down at his hands for a moment. She smirked, noting his embarrassment. She had felt the same about Clark. It felt good to have someone who actually appreciated her. It was funny, too. Bart who, when the 1st time she had met him, had been the bravest, most confident kid she had ever met was blushing because of her…the one and only…Chloe Sullivan. Yes. It did feel good.

"You know…" She teased, "You're kind of cute when you're embarrassed.

"I'm glad you think so," He muttered.

She burst out laughing.

"You know," She said, "I liked you since that 1st day I met you at the Talon."

"Yeah?" He asked, amazed. "Why did you turn me away?"

"I was confused."

"Me too." He said.

She rolled her eyes. "The Bart Allen I knew was confident about everything."

"Except when it came to you. It's hard to breathe when you're around, Chloe. I start to sweat, I twitch." She smiled when she saw indeed he was twitching. She reached in and grabbed his elbows. It stopped in her hands. They looked at each other for a moment, savoring the physical contact. Chloe leaned in closer, wrapping her arms around his neck. She leaned over him, nibbling on his lips.

"I think I'm in love with you, Bart Allen." She whispered.

"I love you, Chloe Sullivan." He breathed out. With that, he pushed his body forward so he lay on top of her. She smiled and squeezed her arms around his neck. He leaned in, nibbling on her neck. She arched her body, feeling his male hardness digging in. She breathed out, licking the edge of his neck. He licked her bottom lip, and delved his tongue in to her mouth. They locked tongues for a second. Bart rubbed her straining, taut breasts and she gasped. He kissed her neck, thenput his hands on her legs. He moved them up, pushing her skirt up, just ever so slightly, until he touched her thighs. She moaned.

"Hey kids!" They turned. There was an obese, short man chewing on tobacco. "Hate to ruin your moment, but it's time to go." He said. They stood up, embarrassed and straightened their clothes. He chuckled and walked away. Chloe and Bart looked at each other, embarrassed.

IT HAD TAKEN A LOT OF EFFORT TO COME HERE. Lois swallowed her pride and got out of her sleek red convertible. She looked up at the Luthor Manor. She swallowed once more and stormed to the entrance. There was a guard sitting there. She had almost stormed past him when he grabbed her by the arm.

"You got an appointment, young lady?" He asked.

"Let go of me," Lois warned, "Or I'll break your arm."

"You'll what?"

"I'll break your goddamned arm." She said between her teeth.

"You've got attitude." He said smiling. "Good, I like my broads with attitude."

With that, Lois grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back. Then she leaned back and using all her force, brought him down over her shoulders. He hit the ground. The other 2 soldiers came out, guns bared.

"What tha hell are you doing!" One yelled. He came after Lois. Lois ducked and brought her fist up in to his gut. Then she smashed him in the face. He stumbled back. Lois roundhouse kicked him in the mouth. He fell back, lip bleeding. The other one aimed and put his finger on the trigger. He was about to pull it when someone tapped his shoulder.

"Is this how you treat all my guests?" Lex asked coolly.

"Ummm, no, sir." The frightened guard said.

"Get your men out of here," Lex said pointing to the fallen guards, "You're fired." The guard knew not to argue.

"Thanks." Lois managed out.

"What? Is Lois Lane thanking me?" Lex asked, amused.

Lois bared her fist suggestively. "Want to try that again, Luthor?"

Lex was simply amused. "Let's go inside." He said. They entered and went up the stairs. They went inside his office. They sat down and studied each other for a moment. Then Lex leaned forward, grinning. "So, what exactly can I do for you?"

"Take that stupid grin of your face, Luthor," Lois said, "It took me a lot to come here."

"I know." Lex smirked. "So….what do you want?"

"That guy who was with you at the restaurant…what's his name?"

"Hmmm," Lex said suggestively, "I sense attraction."

Lois snorted and leaned forward. "You probably know this, Luthor, but I'm going to tell you straight up. I don't like you very much."

"That took me a while to figure out." Lex said sarcastically.

"Of course." She said dryly.

"So….what exactly is this less than social visit about?"

"Listen…that guy. What was his name? No games."

"Phillip. Phillip Rafferty."

"Phillip Rafferty?"

"Yes, why?"

"Because. I saw him run at super speed outside the café."

PHILLIP stood outside the office, listening. So….she had heard him. Something had to be done about this. His soldiers were making plans to go after the Lana girl's boyfriend so he couldn't use them. He'd just have to send his robots. With that last thought, he super sped off.