It was all woozy, so dark here. He couldn't see. His head was spinning. His whole world was spinning. The sun, a window. No, not a window. A glass cup. A television. Food. Being fed. Then inevitably, Chloe.

"Ahhh!" Bart awakened screaming. He breathed hard for a few seconds, then dug his hands in to his blonde, spiky hair. He breathed hard for a moment. "Calm down, dude." He whispered to himself, "Just calm down. O.k., o.k., everything is fine." He stood up. Bart was alarmed. This wasn't the room in the apartment. Where tha hell was he? And where was Chloe.

He was in a small room, sparsely furnished with a chair at a tiny study desk and this twin bed. His back and head were both aching. Uhhh, what happened. Then it all came. Chloe. She had just….left him. Let him go. He cussed at himself. Why the hell had he just let her leave like that. Oh Jesus. She could be anywhere right now. He had to find Chloe!

"Help! Somebody help me!" He banged against the walls.

Suddenly, the door swung open. The cabbie from earlier stepped in. "Stop yer yapping already, would ya? I'm trying to watch the game?"

"Where am I?" He asked.

"At my home." She said, and lit a cigar. Suddenly, they heard the loud wailing of a baby. "Look what you did, idiot, you woke the baby!" She stormed out and Bart followed her, puzzled. Though it did not resemble the apartment he had Chloe had been in, it was no less an apartment. The den was quite large with three leather, comfortable looking sofas and a big screen T.V. with a VCR, but no DVD player. There was no dining room, but a kitchen with a cheap table set and small cupboards with a brand new oven, fridge, and refrigerator.

The woman stormed over to a nearby crib and threw the cigar in a trash can. She pulled up the baby, a chubby, dark skinned baby with no hair. His father was obviously African-American. "Alright there, sweetie, go back to sleep." The woman murmured softly.

Bart swallowed. He touched the side of his head and felt some stitches there. "You sewed me up?" He asked.

"Yeah," she replied, "I been on the streets myself. Didn't know what kind of trouble you was in, why I didn't take you to a hospital."

Bart nodded. "How did I get here?"

"You were unconscious in my taxi. I drove around for a while, looking for the girl, around the hotel and all. But she wasn't around there."
"So you have no idea where she is?"

"What'd I say?"

"Oh, no." Bart dropped in to a sofa.

"What kinda trouble was you in. Them bastards was shooting at ya."
Bart shook his head. "Deep than we thought."

The woman looked at him suspiciously and set the now sleeping baby down. "You think she's dead?"
"I hope not." He said, running his fingers through his hair worriedly.

"What kind of people you dealing with?"
He looked at her. "Real, real dangerous people."
She nodded, amused. "Ah, that kind. Been there, done that."
He looked at her appreciatively. "Thanks for taking me in."

"No problem." She said, "I was in the same situation. I understand."
"Not like this." He murmured under his breath.

"So the girl, who was she, your wife?"

"Wife?" he asked puzzled. "I'm not even old enough to drive."
She shrugged and pointed at the baby. "See this chile' here?"
He nodded. "Yeah."
She smiled. "His mother'll be graduating to high school in a few weeks."

"Wow." He said.

"Kind of puts a new perspective on things, don't it?" she asked.

He nodded and looked down. He was wearing a change of clothes. "You changed me?" He asked, blushing.

She nodded, smiling.

He swallowed awkwardly. "Uhhh, thanks."
"No problem here, youngsta."

"I think I'll be going." Bart said, standing.

She waved the thought away. "No, first you got to eat. I know you hungry."
As if in accord to her words, his stomach growled. "I am a little." He admitted.

She rolled her eyes. "Please, heard the growlin' from here." She pointed to the table set in the kitchen. "Take a seat, youngsta."
"Thank you." He repeated, taking a seat.

"You're welcome." She said warmly. She opened a pot off the stove and took a bowl from the cupboards. Then, she quickly served him a meal of spaghetti and chicken, with cheddar cheese and garlic bread.

"Oh, that looks so good." Bart almost moaned.

"Eat up, honey." She said.

He set to work on the spaghetti, demolishing it with the delicious tomato sauce and then on the grilled spicy chicken with the melted cheese. Then he went back for a 2nd plate, and then a 3rd. When he was done, he quickly went to the bathroom and showered. Then he came out, refreshed.

"I'm ready to go." Bart said.

"Alright, honey." She replied, smiling.

"How can I ever thank you?" He asked.

"Take care of yourself. And find that girl, wherever she is. Any girl that'll be willing to sacrifice herself for you. Now that's a keeper. What's your name, son?"

"Bart." He replied.

"My name is Wilma. And you can just call me Wilma."
He nodded. "Thank you, Wilma. I'll never forget this."

She reached out and chucked his chin. "Go on, boy."
He nodded and went out of the apartment building. He looked around desperately when he reached the street, trying to see if he recognized the directions. He thought he noticed it. He had to get a cab though, he couldn't run. The less time he wasted, the better.

Bart suddenly realized. He had his money in his other clothes. He was about to head upstairs when he felt the bulge in his pockets. He pulled out his money clip. All $50.00 in the clip. Good old Wilma.

Bart stepped out on the street, waving and hailed a cab. He hastily asked directions to the hotel he had been staying in. The taxi took him down a couple of streets until he started to remember some of them. A couple of blocks away, he got out and said the cabbie could go. He walked the rest of the way. The hotel seemed so cold now. It had been so marvelous the 1st day they had been there, so magical, but now, it was….nothing.

He could still see the skid marks from the taxi and he knew there was nothing he could do. He looked around. All he had seen was that Chloe had gone through the alley. Bart looked around to make sure no one watching, then he rapidly checked throughout the area.

Bart super sped and searched through the 3 mile area in less than 7 seconds. Chloe was nowhere around here. He didn't figure she could have gotten away. He stopped back where he had began and walked around at a normal pace, trying to clear his mind. He stopped at a dumpster, leaning against it, his eyes burning with anger. It had all been his fault. If only, if only. They could have been out of there. Now Chloe was gone. And there was nothing he could do about it. He sensed a smell and looked in the dumpster. Inside, was the body of a literally crushed man wearing a broken biker's helmet. Bart almost retched right there. He stumbled back, hands over his eyes, shoulders shaking, tears coming to his eyes. "No, Chloe, not you. Please, not you. Why couldn't it have been me?" He sat against the wall, oblivious to everything around him. Finally, half an hour later, he regained the strenght to stand up. He ran to the nearest payphone and dialed Chloe's number. The 1st three attempts yielded nothing and the phone rang pointlessly. Finally, on the 3rd ring, somebody picked up.

"Hello, Bart." Phillip said.

"You bastard!" Bart hollered, oblivious to everyone staring, "What did you do with her? You sick goddamned bastard!"
"Why do you think I have her?" Phillip asked.

"You son of a…, don't play these goddamn games with me!"

The phone was silent for a moment. Then suddenly, Chloe's voice sounded, "Bart, Bart, Bart!"
He almost wept in relief. "Oh, Chloe."
"Yes, Bart, it's me! They have me, Bart. I'm chained up."

"I'm coming for you, Chloe. I swear it, please! I swear to god, I'm coming after you."
"Oh, Bart, please!" Chloe sobbed.

The plea tore through his heart. "Where are you?"

She was about to answer when the phone was torn out of her hand. "I don't believe that information will be necessary." Phillip said.

"Where do you have her!" Bart shouted.

"Somewhere where you'll never find us."
"I swear to you," Bart said, gritting his teeth, "I'll make you pay for this. I swear!"

"Give it your best shot." The tone went dead.

"Dammit!" Bart shouted and slammed the phone in to the booth, breaking the glass. Blood trickled down his fingers but he was oblivious to it. He stormed away. There was only one person he could call now. He just wished it wasn't too late.

Sleep was not an option. It kept on running through his head. Lex. Lex had something to do with Phillip Rafferty. Clark tossed and turned on the sofa, wondering why he had ever trusted a Luthor. After a while of restless turning, Clark stood up and made his way to the kitchen, where Krypto was sleeping.

He tiptoed, trying not to wake the dog, and poured himself a glass of orange juice. He slipped it lightly, letting it calm him. Lois was snoring loudly upstairs and Clark grunted. The sooner she was gone, the better. He missed his bed.

Suddenly, Clark's cell phone rang. He made his way in to the living room and got it off the coffee table. "Hello?" he said dully, too tired to check Caller ID.

"Clark?"

Clark's eyes snapped open. "Is it you, Bart?"

"Yeah." Bart's voice was croaky and scratchy.

"Is everything o.k.?" Clark asked, concerned.

Bart cleared his throat. "No, Clark." He controlled himself, trying desperately not to panic. "Everything is far from o.k."
Clark dropped in to a sofa. "What's wrong."

"Clark, they've got Chloe."
Clark sprang up. "What!" he hollered.

"Hey, farm boy!" Lois shouted from upstairs, in his room, "I'm trying to get some sleep put a sock in it!" He heard her say a few curse words under her breath.

"Sorry!" He shouted back. He hastily went out and made his way to the loft. "Who's got Chloe?" He asked, when he made sure he was far away.

"Rafferty." Bart's voice broke. "That bastard, he…he…he….he took Chloe."
"Oh my god." Clark brushed back his hair with his fingers.

"Yes, and I don't know where she is."
Clark sat down and breathed deeply. "O.k., what happened?"

"They…they attacked us at the hotel room."
"They attacked you at the hotel."
"I wasn't there. It was only Chloe, but then I arrived and got her."
"So how did they catch you?"

"We stumbled. We tripped. Oh, god, Clark, it's all my fault."

"No it's not, Bart." Clark said reassuringly, "We'll figure this out."

"Clark, I'm here. Come, please."

"Here? Where?"

"In Smallville." He replied.

"You're in Smallville?" Clark asked incredulously.

"Yeah," Bart answered. "I'm in-''

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Clark interrupted. "1st of all, how'd they get Chloe and not you?"
"Chloe put me in a taxi."

"Why didn't she get in?" Clark asked.

"Because they were coming. Clark….Clark she risked her life for me. I…I'd probably be dead if it wasn't for her. Oh, god, Clark, it's all my fault."

"Get a hold of yourself!" Clark said.

Bart breathed in deeply. "Alright, alright, I'm o.k."
Clark nodded. "Good. So where are you exactly in Smallville?"
"Is the line secure?" Bart asked.

"Yeah, I checked the bugs. Where?"

"Crater's Lake." He replied.

"O.k.," Clark said, "I'll be right down there." He hung up and quickly looked in the loft for any clothes. He dressed in a blue T-Shirt and black jeans and prepared to run. He went out to the field, in a stance.

"Hey, Smallville!" Lois called from upstairs. "What the hell are you doing?"
"I…I was going out." He replied shakily. "Just…umm..going for a run."
"At 1:00 in the morning?" She asked incredulously, "And I know you're not exactly in line with technology and all, but haven't you heard of a car?"

He swallowed. Dammit! Now he had to take a car. "Yeah," he lied, "I was just checking the road."

"Whatever!" She snapped and slammed the window shutters shut.

Clark made his way inside, up to his parent's room and got the truck keys. Then he made his way over to the garage. He quickly checked to see if the truck was running. He considered looking inside to see if Lois was watching, but he didn't want to invade her privacy. Besides, this was a sure chance as ever. She had already unwittingly seen him perform his abilites before. He couldn't take the chance now.

He got in the driver's seat and started the ignition, driving away with no knowledge of his future wife crouching in the bed of the truck.

It took him an hour longer than it would have had he used his alternative mode of transportation to reach Crater Lake. It was dark out here and though it was a full moon, the fact helped little. Clark turned off the truck and got out, being careful not to step on the mud. He looked around.

"Bart!" he called.

"Over here!" said a voice.

Clark headed towards it, unwittingly being followed. He walked deeper in to the woods until he heard someone whisper his name. Clark turned to see Bart, standing by the edge of the lake. "Hey, Clark." He said dryly.

"Hey, Bart." Clark replied, noting his friend did not look very good at all. His eyes were bloodshot and his skin looked unhealthy, he had obviously been worrying all day. Bart silently tossed a stone in to the lake and watched it skip across the water.

"I can't believe they took her."

"I know," Clark said, "I wish I had been there."

"Don't blame yourself," Bart said, "It's my fault. If it wasn't for me, Chloe wouldn't have disappeared like that." As soon as he said that, Lois sprang out of the shadows, instantly tackling him to the ground.

"You let them take my cousin!" She shouted, clawing at his face. "You little shi-''

Clark grabbed her and dragged her off him. "Lois!"
"Let go of me!" She screamed and swung at him. Clark caught her fist. Bart stood up slowly, brushing dirt off his clothes.

"What's wrong with you?" He demanded.

"Why, I thought that was obvious." She said. "You let them take my baby cousin!" She sprang at him but Clark caught her and dragged her away, kicking and screaming.

"Did you follow me!" Clark asked angrily.

"Don't even go there!" She hollered. "My baby cousin is in trouble and you can only worry about yourself?"
"I didn't just let them take her." Bart shouted angrily.

Lois seemed to calm down. "O.k., I'm sorry. Who took her."
"Phillip Rafferty."

"That bastard! When I get my hands on him…."
"So what are we going to do?" Clark asked.

"I thought that would be simple." Lois said, standing up, "We're going to save her."

"But how?" Clark asked.

"I don't know."
"What about the police?" Clark looked at both of them.

Bart shook his head. "Rafferty has too many connections there."
"So we go after him." Lois said, "with everything we've got."
"What do you mean?" Clark asked.

"I have some connections," Lois said, "Some connections with the underworld. Crime, stuff like that. I'll try to find her."
"I think I might find a way," Bart said, "I have low friends in high places."

"We go after this guy with everything we got." Lois said, slapping her fist in to her palm. "I don't care. We do anything with whatever means possible. Deal?"

Bart nodded. "I'm with that."

"We find Chloe," Clark said.

"I'll find her if it's the last thing I do." Bart said.

"Where do we start?" Clark asked.

"I thought that would be simple." Lois said.

"What?"

"We go in to the underground."