AN: I have come back to this story in order to make it stronger. I am in the process of re-editing and beefing up not only the plot line but also my descriptions/dialogue. I am hoping that it makes this story more exciting and easier to read. The plot line will remain the same with a few changes in order to get the flow rght! I got some Clois mojo back and really want to finish this story right. So keep your eyes open for on-going updates :) Also it it probably better to start from the beginning!

Chapter 3


Stretching her arms above her head, Lois leant back in her chair and yawned. It was late afternoon and there were only a few people still meandering around the bull pen. She had been on the phone for most of the day but the research into the arson attacks had hit a brick wall.

"Anything?" she questioned the man sitting across from her. Lois had feared that her interactions with Clark today would be uncomfortable at best. Instead they concentrated only on work - with no bantering, witty remarks or personal conversations. Lois was trying really hard to get their relationship back to their friendship, the one without all the sexual awareness.

Clark looked up from the piles of paperwork in front of him and shrugged, "A couple more dead ends. You?"

Lois gave a quick shake of her head, "According to the reports the accelerant was the same in each fire but no trace evidence has been found that has led to any suspects!"

She'd had a hunch that they would be able to follow the accelerant back to it's distributor and find out who had purchased it. It had turned up nothing. The accelerator had been a combination of various chemicals and many of the traders do not keep records of cash transactions. Lois had instantly blasted the workers, claiming they needed to keep records in case something like this happened.

"The only thing that might give us an edge is determining if there is a common link between all the arson sites and tracing it back that way."

Clark nodded, "Good thinking."

He was surprised at how well they were working together after that 'moment' yesterday. Clark had mentally prepared himself to be on the receiving end of Lois's wrath but was extremely surprised when there was no awkwardness just great team work.

Glancing down at his watch, he looked back up at Lois.

"It's too late now to follow-up on these leads but tomorrow morning bright and early." They had both agreed early in the day that they would not be going beyond duty for Tess's investigation. Instead they were going to leave work at a respectable hour and enjoy the evenings...apart.

Apart

Lois had not said it and neither had he but would they get back their friendship if they only spent time together at work?

Clark began gathering up his papers and methodically organising them. Deciding to take the plunge, he drew in a deep breath and looked at the brunette sitting across from him.

"Lois..." clearing his throat, he gulped, "You want to grab something to eat?"

Lois looked up from her mess of a desk and met his eyes, "Crap."

She winced at her crassness whilst Clark's eyes narrowed and he nervously chuckled, "I didn't think having dinner with me was going to be that bad."

Lois put her hand up to stop him from commenting any further, "No...Um..."

She wasn't sure she wanted to bring up that she was in fact going on a date with Adam.

Why not? They were friends? Friends shared this type of information...Right?

Her head was rationally telling her all the reasons why it was okay to tell Clark about her date. Her heart on the other hand was sinking, she did not want to create any further tension between them.

"I have a date..."Lois told Clark flippantly. She'd wanted to come off sounding casual, like the date was not too important.

"Adam?" Clark sighed, his eyes watching Lois intently for her answer.

She gave a small nod, "I'm meant to meet him in an hour and I look awful."

Clark's eyes had drifted from Lois's head, slowly drinking in every inch of her body. The intensity of his gaze had goosebumps prickling along her skin.

"If he thinks you look bad then he needs to get his eyes checked." His throaty whisper caused her breathing to hitch and her pulse to sky-rocket.

Stop it! Move away!

The voice in her head screamed that there was no future with Clark. Lois squeezed her eyes shut for a moment and forced herself to take deep, even breaths.

She cracked a half-smile at Clark, "Why thanks Smallville, is that a compliment?"

"No. I mean...uh,"

"Relax." Lois laughed. It was funny how he could be so forward with her without even realising it. When she called him out on it he became the shy, bumbling farm boy that she had the love/hate relationship with.

Lois gave a quick glance at the clock on her computer, lucky she had brought her dress with her to work. She'd known that she would probably not have enough time to go home. It wasn't the most ideal situation but she could make it work!

"So this thing with Adam is serious?" Clark questioned as he felt his stomach ball into knots. He wasn't sure why he was asking a question he didn't really want to know the answer too. He didn't know why Lois dating someone bothered him so much! He couldn't allow himself to get close to her but he also didn't want another man too.

Clark watched as Lois's eyebrows raised and her eyes narrowed as if she were trying to figure him out which she no doubt was.

"For your FYI it's our third date." Lois didn't know why but she was suddenly irritated by Clark's nosiness. If he'd been seriously interested in her he would never have stood her up or left her hanging at Chloe's wedding.

"Oh, so all the flowers..." Clark trailed off. He'd noticed the gifts on her desk but he had never seen an accompanying note.

"Adam." Lois confirmed. "Look Smallville, I'd love to stay and chit-chat but I've got to go and get beautiful for my date."

"Do you need a lift?" Clark asked after a moment.

Lois shook her head, "Nope. I'll see you tomorrow morning bright and early."


"I've had a really nice time tonight." Adam told her softly as he took a sip of wine.

"Dinner was beautiful. Thankyou."

Adam had picked up Lois from the Planet and taken her to 'Manhattan'. Lois had been stunned by Adam's choice, an upscale burger restaurant in Park Slope with an excellent view of the city. He knew what she liked and he catered to her tastes. The food and the wine had been exquisite, something that she would only be able to afford with a month's salary.

Adam had been the perfect date; he was funny, asked her about her work and most importantly he listened. It had been a perfectly fine romantic evening but shouldn't she want more than fine? Adam was extremely good-looking, had a great job and was always the perfect company...what was wrong with her? She was attracted to him but he didn't seem to get her heart pumping instantly or send shivers down her spine with just the slightest look like a certain farm-boy. Was she over thinking things?

Lois made sure she had several extra glasses of wine with dinner just to loosen her up. Her mind was always just too busy and she needed to relax more, let the night take its course.


Clark pulled the truck into its normal resting place and jumped out. It was so much more convenient and less time-consuming to use his super sped but picking up his groceries in town had necessitated the truck.

A familiar bark echoed and Clark watched as a sandy coloured dog raced towards him, "Hey boy."

Crouching down so that he was level with Shelby, Clark affectionately rubbed his head.

"Let's get you some food."

Placing his work notes on the bench he glared at them for a moment. Working on a story with Lois was something else, she liked to do things her way which usually conflicted with his own steady approach. If they'd had different stories they could limit their interactions and give themselves time to get their groove back. It was the close proximity that was dredging up thoughts about Lois that Clark wanted buried.

It had to be.

He kept telling himself that they could go back to their 'brother/sister bickering and bantering' relationship. It was funny because he was pretty sure that the thoughts he had about Lois were beyond this. He sure hoped something popped tomorrow or his patience was going to be severely tested.

As he was scooping food into Shelby's bowl, the familiar buzz of his phone vibrated in his pocket.

"Hello,"

"Clark, are you home?"

"Yes, why?"

"I've found something out about the bodies that we need to talk about, Oliver and I are coming over." Chloe announced before abruptly ending the call.

The bodies.

Clark had been so busy working on the story with Lois that he had forgotten that he'd asked Chloe to do some digging on Doomsday. That wasn't like him, to just forget something important like that. An image of a certain stubborn brunette filled his head and he realised just why he had forgotten.


The crisp night air had Lois wrapping her arms around her body as Adam walked her up the stairs to her apartment block.

Rummaging around in her bag for her keys, Lois smiled triumphantly and dangled them in front of Adam. She was hoping that he would take the hint and move in closer.

"So..." Adam whispered taking several small steps closer to her body. One of his arms reached out and dragged her against his body. Lois was feeling the effects of the wine and the buzz was making her eager to test her chemistry with Adam.

Lois knew that after three amazing dates that she was going to allow him to kiss her. She swayed forward slightly and waited for Adam to make a move. His lips touched hers softly whilst his hand cupped the back of her head. She pushed her tongue into his mouth and wrapped her arms around his neck. He deepened the kiss and pushed his body closer, his free hand moving lower.

The kiss was good, not mind blowing but still really really good! To be honest she didn't know if she was ready to become intimate with him.

Only making out at this stage, she told herself sternly. With a small groan Lois tore her mouth away and pulled back her arms.

"I've got a lot of research to wade through tomorrow morning, so..." Lois watched the dazed Adam get his bearings. If anything she knew he was impressed by the kiss.

Adam nodded a little disappointed, "Okay. I'll call you."

Turning and making his way back down the stairs Lois watched him for a moment before making a quick decision.

"Adam. Wait." Lois called out before moving quickly down the stairs. In a few seconds she was standing in front of him, reaching out her hand she pulled his head towards hers.

Her lips met his and she kissed him tenderly before pulling away. Turning around and walking back towards the door Lois threw a sultry look over her shoulder.

"Goodnight."


"Earth to Clark," A hand waved frantically in front of his face.

"Huh?" Clark looked up at Oliver Queen. He had not heard a thing his friend had said to him.

"Where were you?"

"I have other things on my mind." Clark replied as he sat up and tried to remember even a fraction of what they had been discussing.

"Other things? Or other people?" Chloe questioned with a smirk. Clark hated that she was taking an obvious dig at his situation with Lois

Oliver shot Chloe a puzzled look whilst Clark shot her a scowl. She simply shrugged.

"Lois is out on another date."

"Ahhhh." Oliver remarked with a knowing grin. He'd seen Lois on the Kent Porch right after her interrupted moment with Clark at the wedding. Oliver knew first hand the complicated attraction between the two reporters.

Clark's eyes narrowed and his brow furrowed, "It's not what you think!"

His denial had Chloe gasping, "It's okay now because she's not that serious with Adam but what about 6 months or a year down the track when she's in love with him?" Chloe questioned her best friend seriously.

A look of pain flashed across Clark's face before he masked it behind a half smile, "Maybe that's for the best."

"What!" both Oliver and Chloe exclaimed simultaneously.

"I've always put the people I love in danger. Who I am and what I do means that I can't have the same kind of intimate relationships as other people." Clark told his friends.

Chloe shook her head not wanting to argue with Clark, the sadness in his tone broke her heart. Oliver seemed to catch the tense undercurrents and decided to step in by changing the subject.

"Clark, If you think this 'Doomsday' creature is the one killing all of these people why hasn't it attacked on a larger scale? It's what it was bred for, right?" Oliver asked trying to get Clark's head back on task.

"The attack on the Ace of Clubs and this string of murders has led back to the creature. I don't know why it's not attacking the city; maybe it's not strong enough?" Clark said as he reclined back in his chair.

"From the reports it's not a small creature! How does something like that hide?" Oliver piped in, his question making the others pause for thought.

"Maybe we're looking at this the wrong way," Chloe spoke as she came to sit beside Clark.

"This creature is supposed to be the ultimate killer, right? Well what if it can camouflage to suit the environment it's in?" Chloe started to get excited at her breakthrough.

Oliver raised an eyebrow, "I'm not following."

"What Chloe is saying is that, if this creature is from Krypton like me then to survive it would need to blend in until the time was right." Clark tried to explain.

"Are you saying it is human?"

"Maybe not human...just a living creature. Maybe it only transforms into its true form when attacking?" Chloe proposed.

"Then it could be anyone...or anything!"


Clark watched Lois as they ate breakfast together. Swigging down a large mouthful of coffee she scooped up a spoonful of eggs before gulping them down also. He found it refreshing that even with the pressure women were under to look good that Lois remained healthy with a great appetite.

Glancing up from her food Lois noticed Clark watching her, "What?" she mumbled with her mouth full of food.

"Nothing," Clark smiled.

He was glad that he had sent her a text early this morning inviting her for breakfast. If they had any chance of recapturing their friendship they needed to start doing normal things again. He was surprised she had accepted.

"So what is our plan of action?" Lois asked after taking another swig of coffee to clear her mouth of food.

"I've got a contact in the Metropolis P.D that might be able to shed some light on these arson attacks." Clark told her. He actually wanted to see John Jones both about the arson attacks and more importantly 'Doomsday.'

Lois nodded; she knew that Clark's contact in the police force usually only spoke to him so that was the only reason why she did not insist on going with him. Lois's eyes rested on Clark and she noticed that he looked a little tense, like he wanted to say something but was hesitating.

"Spit it out!" Lois demanded and watched as he audibly swallowed.

"So...um, how did last night go?" Clark asked quietly.

Lois bit her lip; she knew what he was asking. In the past when she had dated guys it was generally her rule that on the third date if the guy made a move then it was acceptable. Clark wanted to know just how intimate she had gotten with Adam, not that it was any of his business.

"Good," she finally answered. "We kissed."

Lois watched Clark's eyes darken with an emotion she just couldn't name. Jealousy?

'No,' her mind screamed out. Why the green monster would suddenly consume Clark made Lois a little confused but also a little angry. She had given Clark plenty of time to make a move but he was either stupid or afraid.

"Oh," Clark finally blurted out.

"All you can say is 'oh'," Lois asked him sadly.

"What do you want me to say Lois?" Clark questioned.

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all." Shaking her head, Lois reached into her purse and pulled out enough money to cover her half of the bill.

"Wait!" Clark reached out and captured Lois's hand. Tingles of pleasure radiated up her arm at his touch and she quickly pulled out of his reach.

"I don't think we should spend time together outside of work..." Lois whispered.

Clark gaped, "Oh..."

She hated that she had to be so blunt but it was hard for her to move on when he was always in her orbit - inside and outside of work.

Clearing her throat, "I've got some leads to chase, how bout we meet back at the Planet around lunch?"

"It's only for now." She told him.

Lois could see that Clark was hurt by her declaration.

"I though we were friends?"

She gave a small nod, "We are...but can you ignore it?"

Lois was alluding to the sexual tension eating away at her. It was hard to be in his presence knowing that they could never be more because Clark was unreliable and secretive. She couldn't be with someone who kept big parts of themselves hidden.

Heat had crept up Clark's neck, saturating his cheeks with colour. "We can't..."

He just wanted things to go back to how they were before the wedding, when all the bantering and touches were innocent.

They had agreed to keep it on the field but so far that just wasn't working out.


Lois sat at her desk tapping her pen in a steady rhythm. She had achieved nothing. After her confrontation with Clark she had spent the rest of the day on the phone to arson specialists about accelerants and psychologists about profiling. She wasn't any closer. Lois had to admit that the psychologists had been handy, giving her several profiles that may allow her to chase down potential suspects.

She hoped that Clark was having more luck than her otherwise Tess Mercer might just fire them both for being incompetent. Lois snapped up her cell phone off the desk when its familiar chirping indicated she was receiving a call.

Expecting it to be Clark she was surprised to see the display showing that the caller's number was being withheld.

"Hello?" Lois questioned curiously.

"I have some information about the arson's that you are investigating." A deep male voice told her.

"You have my full attention," Lois informed the caller.

"The people you are after are in a storage warehouse downtown," the man told her eagerly. The Daily Planet had a well-known informant hotline for people who had hot tips.

After getting the details out of the man she tried to get a name but was met by silence on the other end and realised the call had been disconnected. Ripping the address off the notepad, Lois glanced at the clock. It was 2.30pm; Smallville wouldn't be back at the Planet for a couple of hours.

Flipping open her phone again Lois dialled Clark's number, it went straight to message bank meaning it was either switched off or he was talking on it. She left a message giving him the address of where she was going and the rest of the details relayed to her by the anonymous caller. He was lucky that she was even giving him the courtesy of calling, had this been solely her own investigation she would not have bothered.


Lois pulled her car up to the front entrance and felt it was her lucky day when she saw that the boom gate was already open and there were no security guards around. Parking her car, she found it slightly suspicious that the warehouse seemed abandoned. There were no signs indicating that it was a Luthorcorp facility which did not fit the arsonist's MO.

Her eyes scanned the building and noticed a door ajar only 50 metres from where she was. Her gut told her that she would get her answers inside but it also told her trouble was brewing. Lois grabbed the door handle and pulled the heavy door back just far enough for her to slip through. Careful not to make too much noise, she kept her ears peeled any sign of other intruders.

Hearing faint voices had her moving west through aisles of neatly stacked boxes. As she got closer to the voices, Lois could also make out what looked like flames shooting directly towards the roof.

"This is the last one; I won't be a part of this anymore." A female voice spoke.

"We follow orders, you know that. We owe her." Another voice entered the conversation.

Lois had reached the end of the aisle and crouched so that she could peer around the corner easily.

There were 3 people standing in the middle of the room, one to her astonishment had what looked like fireballs in his hands which he was manipulating the size and shape of constantly.

Lois faced her ear towards the people to hear what they were saying clearly. She didn't get a chance to hear anything as she suddenly felt a blow across the back of the head.

Her world went immediately dark.

TBC