He'd smiled.

Jesus Christ, he just sat there and smiled. His relaxed posture hadn't changed. His eyes twinkled with amusement. His beautiful red silk designer shirt was straightened which added more to his confidence. Lois sat on the other side of his desk, waiting for his reaction.

"You're funny, Lois," he said, "Did anyone ever tell you that?"
"What?" She was awestruck.

"I said, you're funny."
"You think I'm lying?"

"No. I think it's simply an ill mannered joke, amusing, none the less."
"You son of a….." Lois started, then thought better of it. "You think I'd be coming to you if this wasn't serious?"

"I never said it wasn't serious."
"Don't play these mind games with me, Luthor. Don't! Just tell me…straight up….you think I'm lying."
Lex just smiled.

"I don't believe this!" She hollered. With that, she stood up and stormed out of the office, muttering under her breath. She ran down the stairs and out of the mansion. The 3 guards were just leaving. There was a note on her windshield with some very obscene words. Normally, she would have chased them and kicked their asses but she was too upset today. Instead, she simply tore up the note. She got in her car and drove to Chloe's house.

UNCLE GABE WAS DRUNK. After Lois had passed the shock of a bullet ridden house, she had finally forced herself to enter. Gabe was strewn across the couch, bottles of beers around him, sipping a Martini and eating a frozen dinner.

"Jesus, what are you doing!" Lois yelled as she ran towards him.

His eyes were glassy and his eyes were red. "What does it look like I'm doing?" He asked.

"Oh, come on Uncle Gabe." Lois grabbed the empty beer bottles and took them to the trash can. There, she dumped them in gingerly. She walked back to the den. Now, he was lying across the carpet.

"You know, I never realized how much I missed booze…." He slurred.

"Why are you doing this to yourself?"

"When there's nothing to do, Lois. All you need is booze. C'mon, Lois. You would know that!"

Lois was stung by the remark but she ignored it, remembering how she too had hurt people while under the influence. Lots, and lots, and lots, and…anyway. He was drunk. No need in taking his words to the heart.

She grabbed him by the arms and tried to bring him to a standing position but he was too heavy for her. She tried repeatedly, but he was deadweight. She sighed, "Where's Chloe?" She asked sourly.

"I don't know." He said.

"Where's Chloe!" She yelled.

"I don't goddamned know!" He screamed.

Lois nodded. At least a reaction. He wasn't as drunk as she feared. "What happened here?" She asked, looking around at the numerous bullet holes."
"Chloe happened." He said, laughing at his own bad joke.

"What are you talking about?"
"Some men," He said, "They came after Chloe."
"What!" Lois said, a little alarmed. Her eyes widened and her heart beat increased, "who?"

Gabe ignored her. "Those bastards. Whoever they are, they came after my baby girl."
Lois swallowed, unsure of what to do. "So…..where's Chloe?"
"I don't know." He answered sullenly.

"Do you think she's…….." Lois had to force herself to say the rest, "dead?"

"No," Gabe said, "I talked to her on the phone."
"You what? On what phone?"
"She called her, Lois."
Lois instantly grabbed her cell phone out of her pocket. She quickly dialed Chloe's phone number. After the 7th ring, Chloe picked up.

"Hello?"
Lois breathed out a sigh of relief. "Chloe!"

"Lois?"
"Yes, it's me! Where the hell are you?"
"Ummm, not in Kansas."
"Not in Kansas?"
"Yeah, not in Kansas."
"I don't want to know where you're not," Lois said frustrated, "I want to know where you are."
"I can't tell you just yet, Lois."
"And why tha hell not?"
"What is it with you and the word hell?"
"Why tha hell are we talking about the word hell?"
"Listen, Lois. I love you and all, but please don't call."
Lois almost choked. "What are you talking about? Don't call?"

"Yes, don't call!"

"Please, Chloe. I'm listening. Just tell me. Why were those men trying to kill you?"
"It's a long story."
"Well, as you can see, I don't have much else to do."
"I can't."
"Talk to me, Chloe!"
"I think they've bugged the house."
"What!"

"I said I think they've bugged the house."
"Who, what bugged the house?"
"Some guy, who's after Bart, I think he's bugged the house. I don't know."
"Who is this guy? Who is he?"

"I can't tell you."
"You can't, you can't, you can't, Jesus Christ Chloe, what can you do?"
"Nothing really right now."

"Does he have you? Are you imprisoned?"

"No, I'm not."
"O.k. You can't tell me where you are. Are you o.k. Are you feeling alright?"
"Yeah."
Lois looked around at the bullet ridden house. "Are you alone?"
Chloe was quiet for a moment. "Yes," she said, even though knowing Lois wouldn't believe her.

She wasn't disappointed, but Lois decided not to comment on this. "Who's after you Chloe?"
"Someone who you want to stay away from."

"Who?"
"Lois, please, I don't want you to get hurt, o.k.? Goodbye." The line went dead. Lois was silent. She absent mindedly slipped her cell phone in to her pocket. Someone was after Chloe. Gabe was unconscious. It would be wasted time to try to get him away from where he was. There was only one person she could go to.

"CLARK? IS THAT YOU?" Martha asked. She was in Jonathon's room lying down on the couch. There was a shadow in the doorway. The room was dark. "Is that you, Clark?" Martha asked again.

Clark's tall, muscled figure entered the room. "Yeah, it's me."
Martha yawned. She looked down. Jonathon was still asleep. She checked her watch. "What are you doing here?" She asked, "It's a school day."
He nodded. "Yeah, but I still have a couple of minutes before school starts."
"You're running?" She whispered. He heard her.

"Yeah." He stuck his hands in his pockets and came towards Jonathon, who was snoring peacefully. "How's Dad doing?" He asked Martha.

She shrugged. "Still a little banged up. Apparently, the leg was injured. It was almost broken."
Clark's face was clouded with horror. "I….I thought…"
"Oh, no, honey," She said, "You didn't do anything wrong. If it hadn't been for you, his leg would be broken right through."
He nodded at her comforting words.

"How're you doing all alone by yourself?" Martha asked.

Clark shrugged. "Not great. I miss you and dad. Especially your home cooking."
Even though Clark meant it as a joke, Martha knew he missed them. He came to the hospital everyday, just to check up on them. Yesterday, he had told them about the Bart and Chloe thing. Luckily, Jonathon had been unconscious most of the time, or else he would have brought down a storm.

"I know you do, sweety." Martha said, trying to smile.

Clark nodded. He hadn't told them about the bomb though. He didn't want to worry them anymore than he already had. Besides, even if the bomb had exploded, he wouldn't have been hurt.

He looked down at his watch. "Oh, I've got to get to school." Clark said. He bent down to kiss Martha on the cheek. "Say hi to Dad when he wakes up." He said sadly, then headed out of the room.

"Bye, Clark." Martha whispered, knowing Clark would hear her, and he did.

LOIS had been calling him all morning. She fretted, frustrated, and gripped her steering wheel. Now who could she go to. Nobody, that's whom! As she drove along the highway, she began to notice the Honda. It was a convertible, sleek and violet, with neon lights and beautiful rims. At first, she'd only thought of it as a coincidence.

Until she headed on to a deserted street. Then, she started to panic. The Honda accelerated, coming up beside her….and then passed her. She sighed. Paranoia. It was getting to her. She was scared now. For Chloe and for herself, but especially for Chloe. She passed the Medical Center and braked hard. There he was, simply coming down the stairs. She saw him look around, for a moment puzzled. He looked like he was about to start running when she shouted, "Clark!" and horned her car.

Clark almost fell from the shock. He saw Lois in her car. He walked over, terrified. He had almost used his speed! He thanked whoever it was watching him up there that she had alerted him-though by accident- before it was too late.

"Hey, Smallville." Lois said as he came to her side window.

"Lois?" He said.

"No," She said sarcastically, "An exact replica."
"You don't look better than the last one." He quipped.

She punched his arm, forgetting her worries for a moment. "What are you doing here?" She asked.

Clark cleared his throat. "I ummm, came her to see my parents."
Lois looked down at her watch, "At 7:50? It's a school day, Smallville. School starts in a couple of minutes. You just decide to drive over here?"

"My dad's up there." Clark reminded her.

"Yeah, and he's fine." She retorted.

"I just had to see him before I came to school."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. You need a ride?"
"Ummm, no, not really."
"Well, what're you gonna do, run?"

Clark smiled at the irony of the question. "Well, I guess I do need a ride."
"Hope in." She said.

He entered the car and she pulled out of the parking lot. She turned to him, studying him for a moment. Then she asked, "Have you seen Chloe lately?"
Clark gulped, "Errr, no. Not lately."
"Do you know where she is?"
"No," He lied, "Why?" He wasn't that much of a good liar, but this time, Lois seemed to believe him.

"Oh, no reason." She said. He watched her. "O.k.," She admitted, "There is a reason. I need your help, Clark."

THEY were there again, Lana noted, they were always at that particular table, always within seeing distance of her. There were 2 of them, one white, one black. The white one was the shorter, with short cut dirty blonde hair and wearing thick spectacles. He was stocky though muscled, and looked a little athletic.

The black one was about a foot taller, Heavily muscled with a light honey-like complexion. He wore sunglasses everyday, and he's hair was carefully groomed in to a stylish afro. His left ear was pierced with a square stud, a very physically imposing man.

Lana chewed slowly on her tuna sandwich. Normally, Martha ate lunch with her but today, Ms. Kent was sleeping and she just didn't have the heart to wake her up after all she'd been through. The men had been there for days, but Lana hadn't wanted to alarm Martha.

They were leaning in, not looking at her. They were obviously professionals. The only times they ever even glanced in her direction was a casual one, a passing one, a simple one. But to Lana, it meant so much more. She kept her head down and washed her sandwich down with some Grape juice. It took her everything she had not to just run.

Perhaps it was paranoia. She didn't know. In the last few days, she had experienced an extensive amount of trauma. Even though the injuries hadn't been extensive, she had still been physically hurt by some debris from the Talon. The Talon was being rebuilded. When she got out of the hospital, she had nowhere to live. Atleast Jason was conscious now. He could limp, though was far away from being able to walk.

She finished her meal and went to dump the contents in the trash. Then she walked out of the cafeteria. She walked briskly, so they would have a hard time catching up to her if they were following her. She turned repeatedly, they were nowhere to be seen. Nowhere at all. Suddenly, looking up at the mirror high in the corner, she saw them. They were walking slowly, at a normal pace and if she hadn't been on alert, she wouldn't have even noticed them.

Her pace quickened. Their's stayed the same, though they kept up with her. She slipped in to a bathroom and stayed in their for a few minutes, listening. They wouldn't come in, would they? She prayed that they wouldn't.

"SHE'S COMING OUT OF THE BATHROOM." Eddie whispered up to his taller companion, Brock.

"Yes, moron, I see that." Brock snapped.

Eddie knew not to come up with a smart answer for Brock. He would lose his neck. They followed the chick at a distance, making sure that she couldn't see them. She seemed carefree, like she knew no one was following her, but Eddie wondered sometimes. This chick….there was something about her.

They followed her up to her boyfriend's floor. He had already been moved out of critical condition. She entered the room and closed the door behind her. Brock whispered in to his earpiece, "Back up, back up, she could be in there." A couple of minutes later, some men arrived.

"O.k.," Eddie said, "We do this quick and easy. Make this look like a random shooting. Maybe pop a shell in to the Jason kid's arm." They all bore their guns. "But listen," Eddie said quietly, "You know the rules, if the boy is permanently hurt, Ms. Teague is going to have your ass."

And with those words, all hell broke loose.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: THANKS

AuroraKnight

smallvillechic110

junior1985 Especially you, Junior

Taril

for the reviews. Tell me what you think of this chapter.