Chapter 2
Biting down on her lip as her eyes rapidly scanned the screens mounted in front of her Chloe Sullivan rubbed her eyes in frustration.
Sifting through information had been so much easier when she'd had a mega boosted brain capacity courtesy of Brainiac. Granted things had been so much faster to accomplish but Chloe knew she would never wish to be in that situation again. She'd gained brains but her soul had slowly been eaten away.
Since becoming a legitimate member of the Justice League, she'd been juggling so many different things in her life and the stress of it all was building up. She needed to keep pushing herself harder or work out a more effeicent way of doing things.
Chloe felt a small gush of wind hit the back of her neck and a smile graced her face. Next thing she knew a hand was reaching over her shoulder and offering her a cardboard cup. Her smile widened and her hand quickly reached up and snatched the cup out of the offending hand.
Taking a small sip, Chloe whipped her head around and gave a small sigh.
"Almond mocha with extra whip! How you know me."
"I can't have my sidekick go without her daily caffeine fix." Clark tried to keep a straight face before breaking out into a smile.
Chloe shook her head before getting serious, "I've cross-checked all that information you gave me but still nothing. It's like it just fell off the face of the planet."
"Before the Fortress darkened Jor-El warned me about Doomsday. Brainiac also told me it was the ultimate destroyer, bred to kill. We need to find it." Clark's brow furrowed as thought about the potential danger. He hated it when situations were out of his control.
Chloe watched as the weight of the world seemed to settle on Clark's shoulders. After everything he had already faced, a new challenge would present itself and Clark would yet again do everything in his power to overcome it. For all the strength he had, he just couldn't lift this weight away.
"So we have nothing?" Clark raised his arms in exasperation.
Swivelling around in her chair, Chloe jumped up and started rummaging through a nearby desk. Clark watched curiously and wondered how she knew where anything actually was.
"I wouldn't say nothing. A series of bodies have been appearing, no apparent connection to each other and no pattern in the way they were killed. "
Clark looked confused and opened his mouth to talk but Chloe raised her hand, "Wait. The only similarity between victims is that they have all committed some crime."
She indicated the file, "This man was a drunk driver who killed a family. This one held up a store at gunpoint and this one was a mugger."
"Wait, wasn't this the drunk driver that Jimmy saw Davis kill?" Clark questioned.
"Apparently." Chloe replied sceptically. Jimmy had been doped up on a high amount of pain killers so his account of what happened was not entriely reliable.
Clark glared at her and she shrugged, "What? I thought we had already rehashed this a million times, it couldn't have been Davis."
"I wouldn't discount Jimmy, something about Davis Bloome just doesn't add up."
He rarely instantly disliked anyone but when he had met Davis something seemed a little off. Add to that the fact that it seemed Davis' mission in life to separate Chloe and Jimmy.
Chloe used her teeth to pull her bottom lip into her mouth, scraping against the soft flesh. Her mind was working overtime processing all of the information but no matter what her brain told her she still didn't believe Davis had it in him.
"I'll keep digging and see if I can't find some more information." Chloe told Clark as she threw the files back onto the table and flopped back into her chair.
"So how is Jimmy? Are you talking with each other yet?" Clark asked quietly. He was hesitant in bringing up the topic but everybody needed someone to talk too.
Chloe shook her head, "Aside from a few emails, not a peep."
Deciding to deflect the conversation, she tried to change the subject.
"What about you and Lois?"
"Huh?" Clark was suprised by her question. He sighed knowing that if he could bring up her relationship troubles than it was only fair she could do the same.
Chloe had to bite back a grin; she knew that Lois went on a date the previous night and wanted to see how the Kryptonian felt about it. When Zatanna had turned her into Lois she had gained a new persepctive on the relationship between the 2 reporters. There was bantering and bickering but there was also a comradery and attraction.
"We mutually decided that whatever is...was going on between us was just a product of being forced together at work." Clark told Chloe in a matter of fact way.
Chloe's eyebrows raised and she shot a look that she hoped reeked of scepticism, "Really? So it doesn't bother you that she went out on a date last night?"
"Did you have to spill about the frame?" Clark deflected by refering to Chloe giving away the fact the he had framed 'Lois's Rules of Reporting.'
"I've got to keep you on your toes." She laughed moving back to grab her coffee.
"The date?" Chloe got serious as she spelt it out for him slowly, making sure he knew she wouldn't take a deflection for an answer. His eyes slightly narrowed and a crushed look passed over his face before he quickly pushed it away.
"No, it doesn't bother me. Why would it?" Clark denied that seeing Lois with another man didn't irritate him.
Chloe snorted and shook her head in disbelief, this was becoming ridiculous. She understood that he might need some time but outright denying even the attraction between him and Lois was crazy.
Chloe hadn't even realised that Clark was still talking, "...seemed nice enough to me but maybe you could do a check on him just to make sure."
"Wait, back up. You met him?" Disbelief laced her tone and she waited eagerly for Clark's response.
He gave a short nod for confirmation but didn't seem to want to divulge too much detail. Chloe seemed to understand that he didn't want to talk about it because she continued talking, "Lois would kill me if she found out that I was running background checks on her new boyfriend. The pain would be even worse for you."
"I just want to make sure that she hasn't attracted another psychopath." Clark murmured sombrely refering to Sebastian Kane.
"Are you sure that's the only reason?" Chloe prodded slowly, trying to push Clark into a confession.
Clark nodded fervently, "What other reason could there be?"
Pursing her lips together Chloe shook her head, "None I guess."
Looking confused Clark just stared at her. Chloe threw her hands into the air, "I give up."
"Coffee Miss Lane?" The intern was carrying a tray filled with steaming mugs. It was always nice to have someone bring her coffee.
Lois smiled brightly and plucked a mug from the tray, inhaling the enticing scent. "Thanks."
Taking a tentative sip before placing the mug on the table, Lois turned back to her monitor.
A string of bodies had been showing up in Metropolis, all killed within the last month and all between the hours of 10pm and 6am. Though there was no connection, Lois didn't believe it was a coincidence. Sure there were a lot of murders in Metropolis but there was a feeling in her gut that told her there was more to this than meets the eye. If there was one thing that had been drilled into her as a child it was to always follow the Lane instincts. She was going to have to go down to the coroner's office and see what she could dig up there.
Lois' eyes flitted to the empty desk opposite her and wondered where the Boy Scout was. After their discussion at the Planet the night before Lois thought it would be easy to purge thoughts of Clark Kent from her mind but he was still there, lurking around the edges.
"Lois Lane?" A woman's voice asked from behind.
Lois quickly swiveled her chair around noticed a delivery lady, "Yes."
"These are for you," the woman replied placing a massive bunch of flowers in a vase onto Lois' desk. She quickly signed for the delivery and took a moment to admire her gift.
'Flowers.' Lois could not remember the last time she had received flowers.
The blossoms were vibrant and colourful and the fragrance being emitted was strong but not nauseating. A note was perched precariously on top of one of the buds. Lois plucked it from its resting place and opened it slowly.
I had a great time. How's Thursday at 7 sound?
A
Lois smiled. It was such an old fashioned way of making a date but in this technological world - it was actually refreshing. She'd had a wonderful time last night with Adam except during the awkward minutes when Clark had interrupted them. Adam had been the perfect gentleman, dropping her off at home and leaving without even attempting to con a goodnight kiss out of her which she had appreciated. Thursday at seven sounded really good for a second date so Lois shot off a quick text message thanking Adam and accepting his date offer.
Lois threw her phone into her hand bag and grabbed her keys, she needed to get a start on this story before somebody else realised what a goldmine it was. The coroner's office was her first stop, if there was a link between the victims she was going to find it!
One Week Later
"Kent. Lane. Tess Mercer wants to see you in her office immediately."
Lois immediately jumped to her feet and attempted to brush the creases out of her skirt and the donut crumbs from her shirt. Though she had been to Tess's office many times, the woman was still intimidating but someone she really needed to impress. Clark on the other hand didn't seem in as much a hurry as she was and was still lazing in his chair, tie loose and shirt unbuttoned slightly. He looked unbelievably sexy sitting there and Lois unconsciously licked her lips.
"Smallville, usually when the big boss calls...we run."
Clark looked to Lois who had moved to his side of the desk so that she was standing directly beside him, "Sorry, my mind was elsewhere."
"Up!" Lois directed in a stern voice. Clark just smirked; the dynamic between them seemed to be returning to normal - she was being her bossy self.
Lois watched as Clark rose to his feet and without even a second thought she took a step closer, reaching out for his tie.
Clark watched as Lois moved closer and was puzzled until he felt her hands on his tie and ultimately his chest. She hadn't been this close to him since the fateful dance at Chloe's aborted wedding. Clark swallowed and tried not to look down at her, trying instead to focus his attention across the room. He knew how to do his own tie but was enjoying the proximity to Lois a little too much .
Lois raised her head slightly and their gazes locked. An awareness instantly bloomed inside of her chest, moving up to heat up her cheeks. Lois swayed closer until the space between them was practically non-existent. The heat radiating from Clarks body was intoxicating and her mouth felt dry and her breathing became laboured. Lois flicked her tongue out to licks its way around the corners of her lips. Clark couldn't look away, his pupils dilating and his heart racing. The thought of those lips pressed against his own, teased his will power. The attraction had always been there but the awareness had remain unsaid for so long that it was spinning out of control.
Lois's hands were still on his chest, her touch burning through his clothes. The electricity was sparking between them and he wasn't sure how much longer he could resist the pull. Lois wretched her eyes away and awkwardly finished fixing his tie. She let one hand remain resting on his chest, just above his heart. She knew she had no excuse to keep it there but felt she needed the tactile sensation. Biting her lip she couldn't resist looking back up at Clarks face. Her own eyes seemed to catch with his again, drawn like a bug to light - she couldn't pull her eyes away. The connection she was trying so hard to severe was coming back with a vengeance.
'You're just not trying hard enough!' Lois admonished herself.
Clark's thigh began vibrating, an annoying buzzing reaching his ears.
His phone!
He snapped his gaze away and took a small step back before reaching into his pocket. He quickly clicked the side button and silenced the ringing.
Clark took a moment, realizing his breathing was still heavy. Feeling rebellious he looked back at Lois to see her chest heaving, a dazed look covering her face.
Clark was a little confused by all of the emotions running through him as he stared into Lois's eyes. Was this attraction really just a result of work? He didn't think so. Lois cleared her throat awkwardly and broke eye contact with him, stepping far away.
Turning on her heel, she began striding away. "Are you coming Smallville?"
Tess Mercers' office was located on the top floor, along with the other executive suites. It was only a floor you got to go if you were invited.
Lois decided ignioring the 'moment' in the bullpen was the best course of action. It was a slip, something easily fixed - push it away and forget. Clark seemed to be trying a different tactic, his eyes remained focused on the floor and he was standing as far away from her as possible. As the elevator climbed the awkward tension grew thicker. They were never going to talk about it...they were just going to let it fester away, like always.
'It was nothing!' Lois repeated in her head the entire ride. Should she need this much convincing?
Ushered into Tess's office without delay, Clark noticed the woman in question standing by the window. Tess Mercer was an intimidating woman, she was extremely intelligent and exuded her power with ease. Clark was yet to completely figure out her role in his story.
"Mr Kent. Miss Lane take a seat. I have a story I want you to follow up on."
"I'm already working on a story." Lois interjected brazenly. Tess was the figurehead for the paper and frequently tried to manipulate the stories being published. Lois liked to get behind scenes and crack the stories people like Tess Mercer did not want cracked.
"It seems you have forgotten that you work for me!" Tess bit out impatiently. Lois winced slightly and gave a short conceding nod.
Lois risked a quick look over at Clark but his expression was unreadable, like usual.
"What's the story Tess?" Clark questioned, wanting to move this meeting along.
"There have been a string of arson attacks on Luthorcorp holdings. Police have yet to find any strong suspects believing the attacks are random."
Lois could see Tess's interest in this story was personal, "You don't think so?"
Tess shook her head, "No. Nothing against Luthorcorp is ever random."
"I want you two to use your unconventional skills to uncover what you can about these arson attacks. Someone is targeting these holdings and I want their heads on a platter!" Tess declared as she sat down behind her desk.
"Why us?" Clark questioned her.
"You work well together." Tess told him with a small smirk.
Clark couldn't disagree and gave a quick nod of his head. Tess nudged forward two manila folders and Lois taking the hint snatched one up and began flipping through it.
"Great. Let me know what you find." Tess nodded and indicated to the door.
It was going to be one long week.
Lois had decided that their initial investigation would be better if they started independently. Clark was in no mood to argue and told her that he would report his findings to her to following morning. The time apart would be good, maybe they would be able to forget the earlier 'incident' and get their friendship back on track. Deciding to avoid any awkward conversation at the office, Lois had returned to her apartment only to be greeted shortly after by a guest.
"So..." the voice trailed off.
Lois glanced up from where she was sitting, files spread around her on the floor. She directed a questioning glare at her cousin, "So...what?"
"Adam?" Chloe asked with a slight tilt of her head.
Lois's brows furrowed and all pretence of working was shot out the window, "Excuse me?"
Chloe smiled a little shakily knowing from Lois's tone that she was approaching out of bounds territory.
"What's with the smoke and mirrors routine?"Chloe asked, knowing that she probably wouldn't get any straight answers from Lois what was going on with Clark. Lois was usually an open book for her but she remain tight lipped on anything to do with her quirky relationship with Clark.
"Well, one minute it seemed you were quite taken by a certain farm boy but then like that," Chloe raised her arm and clicked her fingers to emphasise her point, "you seemed to have moved on. I just wanted you to know that you can talk to me. I might be Clark's best friend but I'm your cousin first."
Lois smiled, a tinge of sadness etched in her face. "Clark and I just seemed to get complicated really fast."
She paused contemplating how much information she should divulge to her cousin. Should she open up about Clark? Lois really did need someone to talk too about her mess of a personal life and Chloe had always been good for advice in the past.
"I thought for a moment at your wedding that maybe...just maybe I had a chance."
"Then Lana came back." Chloe finally spoke.
Lois nodded, "I've seen so much of that soap opera that I already knew what the result was going to be and I wasn't wrong."
Chloe nodded knowing exactly what Lois was doing, protecting herself. Lois felt like Clark had burnt her and she probably wasn't far off the mark. In the months leading up to the wedding the sexual chemistry between the two reporters had become extremely palpable that it was almost painful to watch. Chloe smiled as she thought about Jimmy and how he kept trying to push them together but they were both stubborn and somewhat in denial.
"So you did what you always do?" Chloe asked.
Glancing at the floor and then back to Chloe, Lois narrowed her eyes.
"I gave him a chance and he blew it!" Lois could feel the ache in her chest resurfacing.
"I've moved on."
Chloe shook her head a little, "But you haven't..."
Lois snorted, "Adam is not a rebound!"
She thought back to that morning at the Daily Planet, "but sometimes all it will take is one look from Smallville and the feelings I have tried to bury come rushing back."
Chloe nodded, knowing exactly what Lois meant. "So are you going to give away any second chances?"
"Clark always seems to hold a part of himself back Chlo and I can't have another relationship with someone who can't be completely open and honest with me." Lois sighed, refering to her failed relationship with Oliver.
Chloe knew that Clark had no intention of telling Lois his secret in order to keep her safe. He had a somewhat misguided belief that anyone who knew his secret was destined to a life of misery and danger. He had been proven right in the past but that was meaningless, wasn't it? Were those closest to him like Lois or even Jimmy destined never to know? Chloe knew that Clark's secret was a factor as to why his relationship with Lana had always been so shaky. He was afraid to let himself love again.
On this topic Chloe knew that she had to side with Lois, Clark had caused a lot of hurt to her cousin. Chloe could guess that a lot of that hurt stemmed from the re-emergence of Lana Lang and the way that Clark had seemingly 'forgotten' that Lois even existed.
Deciding to prod just a little further Chloe asked, "So what is status quo?"
"I've chalked everything up to us being thrown together at work and spending so much time together. We've agreed to keep everything on the field."
"And Adam?"
"It's our third date tomorrow night."
Chloe smirked; she couldn't wait until Clark found out.
TBC
