Clark parked a good distance away from the store before jumping out to investigate. Lois got out too for a better view though she stayed near the car. There was another police car. Kate and her partner had a gun trained at the door.

The masked man had realized the police had shown up and was standing outside the door with his gun pointed on a woman he had in front of him, who'd had the misfortune of poor timing. She could empathize because she'd been in that position of human shield many times, but the lady was in safe hands.

Already, Clark was boldly walking up to them with his hands raised in the air to show he held no gun like a modern Andy Taylor. Of course when bullets could bounce off your chest, you could afford to be that bold, but Lois didn't think he'd act that much different even without Kryptonian powers.

"Eli," he said obviously having x-rayed under his mask and recognized him as a local, "you don't want to do this. You don't want to shoot another person and have their death on your conscience for the sake of your next fix. You can get help."

It wasn't enough to make him lower the gun, but it was enough to make him hesitate, and Clark took advantage with his speed. At the edge of human limits, faster than you'd likely ever see but not fast enough to make you wonder about the superhuman.

He was using his powers but in a really subtle way that couldn't possibly make anyone suspicious if they didn't already know. And she hadn't seen any sign that he was using his powers in any other way though she'd combed the news for signs that he was to pass the time.

sss

Gun kicked out of the way and arms twisted behind his back, Eli was cursing him loudly while he read him his rights. The sad thing was once his withdrawal symptoms disappeared, he probably would be sorry for the whole thing.

A medical unit had arrived and was checking over the lady, who seemed to have escaped physical harm if not emotional.

Clark muttered under his breath when he saw Lois standing outside the car. He should have expected that. Pregnancy or not, she was as feisty and hardheaded as always.

"We'll take the punk in, since you obviously have a passenger," Kate said.

"Thanks. I appreciate it." He handed him over to Paul, who cuffed him and walked him to the car.

"I don't know how you do what you do without getting yourself killed, but I'm grateful. How's your wife?" she asked, not so delicately as she pretended casualness by flipping her French braid over her shoulder as if she were shooting the breeze.

"Good. She's going to have the baby any day now."

"I'm happy for you. I'm not just trying to suck up to you because you're my boss, but you're going to make a really great dad. You were born for the role. I'd hate to see you ruin it."

He shouldn't have asked, but he did. "And what do you mean by that?"

"You have a thing for her. That woman over there."

"I do not have a thing for her. She is a very good friend. That's all."

"That's even worse. Attraction can come and go, but when you genuinely like and care for the person as well, that could be explosive. It's not much longer before you're fancying yourself in love."

Now he was getting irritated. "Are you saying I can't have women friends? I had a best friend in high school that was a girl. And what about you? We hang out and bowl."

"But we don't have romantic feelings toward each other. Listen, I'm not trying to tell you what to do. Far be it from me to give you advice. I've never had a serious relationship in my life, but I do know what it's like to come from a broken home, and it sucks. Any fledgling feelings aren't worth wrecking a marriage and a kid's life over. That's all I'm saying."

"Well, I wasn't planning on having an affair but thank you anyway." He gestured for Lois, while still some feet away, to get in the car as he came over, hoping she hadn't heard any of that.

As he got in his side, he took a good look at her, allowing his gaze to linger. He had always thought of her a beautiful girl but without the blonde highlights, the dark brown of her natural hair turned her drop-dead gorgeous and contrasted with her green eyes in a way that was striking. But it was more than the physical attraction, he loved bantering with her. Her wit, her intelligence, her passion, her ability to see through and understand him were unmatched. And he always felt there was more to her than what was on the surface. He'd had an instant connection to her all those years ago that he couldn't quite explain, and he felt that even stronger since her return.

He was flirting with danger to be her friend. He'd known that at the bowling alley, and yet, he couldn't seem to stay away from her.

"So, uh, you seem kind of down. Mom noticed it too. How are things going with Chloe?"

"Not well." She got that excited look on her face that he always knew spelled trouble when they were teens, but her request was really quite tame. "Do you think you could put in a good word for me?"

Well, at least now he knew why she acted as if she'd lost her best friend. He had been vain to think it had anything to do with him. He couldn't help feeling disappointed. "I could try. I've got some work to do at the farm tomorrow, but I'll go by and see her when I'm done."

"Thanks. You were great back there by the way. Have you ever thought of doing bigger things, Smallville?"

"You mean go to the big city like you?"

"That's a start, but you could do so much more with your life, and know it."

He couldn't help the nervousness that welled up. She acted as if she knew his secret. It has been a long time since he'd worried about that, because his life had been so ordinary lately, but before he could give it too much thought, she'd switched back to their earlier topic of conversation. "So just out of curiosity, what do you think could change the way everything is supposed to be if not magic or someone meteor-infected?"

"I don't know. Nothing on Earth that I've ever encountered, and I've encountered a lot."

"So something other worldly?"

He pulled into her hotel parking lot almost thankful that the ride with her had drawn to an end because he didn't like when someone started considering the possibility of life on other planets around him. "I suppose you could say that."