LoisNClark4Ever: Oh gosh, I do hope I will never ever have to forget any story of mine *crosses fingers* To answer the things you said in your review: (1) The REAL reunion, that will come soon enough, don't worry :) (2) I do believe you read minds, as you will see in this chapter, and (3) great minds DO think alike ;)

Eleid: You don't know how happy I am as well that I came up with a chapter, and here's another one! Thanks for reading! :)

Guest: Thank you! I hope you like this update as well :)

clarkfan325: Oooooh.. the picnic.. you don't know how much I'm looking forward to that as well *giggles* Thanks for reading! :)

This is a short chapter, placed to move things along, and I think the "action packed" scenes are coming after this one, and I am so excited to write those! Hope you like this :)

Chapter 11

It was a long and tiring journey, but Linda paid no heed. She was here on a mission, and she will see it through the end even if it would take everything that she possessed.

As she stepped down of the hackney, she regaled at the irony of it all: here she was, plotting her revenge for the Duke and his lady love, and she was doing it with the money he had left her when Maxima had died. Oh, the justice.

Once she had heard that the Duke had found Lois Lane, she had changed directions. Perhaps, she was meant to stay in Granville after all.

And so she did not waste time. Finding that the room Lois stayed in was their previous room, Linda cast a spell from her own hut and tried to drown her.

Until Clark came to the rescue and broke the enchantment. She remembered the sweat that trickled down her neck after Clark had broken it. Never had she used her powers while wielding it at a great distance. It drained her, and it took her a few days to recuperate, before wandering around waiting for stories, only to hear that they had left Granville the night Lois Lane was attacked and that they did not tell too many people of where they were going.

Linda has to know where they went. She then brewed her truth potion, enough for the entire household, and finally she had her answer from the loyal housekeeper.

Smallville. A tiny piece of land compared to the others he owned, but apparently it held a special place in the Duke's heart. One, his parents met here. Two, this was the place where he grew up.

And now here she was at the market, gathering everything but food. She had just received confirmation that the Duke was here and she was ready to look for a place to stay to make a plan, when lo and behold, the Duke came into view.

Quickly pulling up the hood to cover her face, she watched him make stops at the stalls, making conversation and even sharing a few laughs with the farmers and the sellers. If only they knew how despicable their lord was. If only they knew how he drove her sister mad that she was turned into ashes. Yes, everything was his fault.

She realized that she needed to take advantage of the situation. After that failed attempt at Lois Lane's life, Linda had surmised that she and Clark had a strong bond, and that the first and foremost thing to do was to severe that.

Muttering an incantation, she started walking towards him, in front of a stall which sells corn, now close enough to hear him say "These are wonderful. Have someone send a basket to our home, my mother would love these."

How revolting his false words are, Linda thought. She continued on her path, and with one surreptitious move, touched him. Clark did not seem to notice her, but she did notice that he paused a moment, a bit confused, and then saw who was in front of him, and continued the business.

Linda could not wait at what would happen once Clark sees that woman.

It has been a while since he stepped inside the house, but still the warmth and glow that it radiated has not waned.

Bruce Wayne knew that it was all because of Martha Kent. If there was one thing that he was jealous of Clark, it was his parents. Having lost both his father and mother to an unfortunate incident, Bruce was reared by their butler Alfred. And while he was thankful that somehow he had not lost a father figure, he missed a woman's touch in his sprawling home during his growing years.

"Bruce!" Martha exclaimed as she entered the drawing room.

Bruce smiled, giving the dowager duchess kisses on her cheeks. "You are looking fine, today, your Grace."

"Oh posh." Martha said, motioning him to sit again. "You know I am impervious to your charms, might as well employ it to ladies of your age."

"No one is more deserving than you, your Grace." Bruce replied.

"Still the charmer, I see." Martha said. "Am I right to assume that you intend to see Clark and not me?"

"Your Grace, you are always on the top of my list of people to see every time I happen to visit." Then Bruce laid a hand over his heart and comically added. "It hurts me that you failed to notice that I always look for you before I look for Clark."

Martha laughed graciously. "Well, Clark has left for the market an hour ago."

Bruce then grew serious. "I know, your Grace."

Martha raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Then that means you do not intend to speak with him."

"Yes," Bruce answered, and then qualified. "and no."

"Forgive me, but I fail to see the meaning behind your answers."

Bruce pondered on his answer, weighing on his words so as not to surprise the older woman. However, probably for the first time in his life, he was at a loss.

Then the answer soon came, in the form of a woman breathing heavily after bursting through the drawing room. "My lady, you should see Shelby's pups. They are one rambunctious lot!" she said, oblivious to the fact that the dowager duchess was not alone.

Bruce then looked back at Martha, and simply said. "Your Grace, the answer is now present in this room."

Lois sat down dutifully, casting wary glances at the dowager duchess and the visitor, whom she thought looked familiar, but never really knew.

Martha started the introductions. "Lord Wayne, this is Lois Lane of Fort Ryan. Lois, this is Bruce Wayne, Duke of Gotham."

Lois' eyes widened. "Your Grace!" she said, embarrassed at her inability to recognize peerage. "I have heard of you from my cousin Lady Chloe Queen, but I admit I have never met you in all my seasons in Metropolis."

"No harm done, Miss Lane." Bruce said with a wave of a hand. "I too, have heard of you from your cousin Lady Chloe Queen."

Lois raised an eyebrow, and comprehension clearly evident in her face. "So she sent you. I admit I am surprised that it was you and not Oliver who had come here."

"As it is, Chloe was a bit under the weather, and her husband wishes not to leave her side. Hence, my presence." Bruce explained.

Immediately Lois was concerned. "What has happened? Is Chloe well?"

"Do not worry yourself, Miss Lane." Bruce answered. "I believe Chloe is being well attended to. You know how Oliver is. Chloe getting an insect bite would warrant him having to call all the qualified surgeons in Metropolis."

At Bruce's teasing Lois felt a bit at ease. Lois knew how Oliver truly loved her cousin, and his overprotective tendencies are one of the things she was thankful of.

"The question is, Miss Lane." He asked, not removing his gaze from Lois. "Are you well?"

Lois smiled, a bit enigmatic for Bruce's tastes though. "What would give you the notion that I am unwell? Look at me, I am healthy as a horse."

Bruce did look, amused at her comparison of herself to a horse, because she was anything but. Though he had to admit that she does look healthy and in a good disposition. Maybe Chloe was wrong, Lois and Clark were not in any peril. "So you are not in any danger of any sort?"

The hesitance in Lois raised alarms in Bruce's mind; that no immediate answer from her meant that they were in some sort of a predicament.

Bruce looked at the dowager duchess, and she only offered a small smile. She would not involve herself into this. This was between the cousins, and Martha opted to be a spectator in this, not a participant.

"What should I tell your cousin, then? You know her, she would expect a full report and nothing less." Bruce asked.

But it was not a woman's voice which reverberated throughout the room.

"Tell her that Lois Lane is to stay in Smallville and nowhere else." Clark said in a cold voice, his angry gaze addressed at Lois.

All the occupants in the room stood up, aware of how angry Clark looked and sounded. Martha decided it was upon her to break the tension.

"My dear," Martha said. "Bruce here has been waiting for your return, and Lois was gracious enough to join me while I entertain him."

Clark did not lose the edge in his voice. "I bet Lois here could not wait to entertain Bruce."

Lois gasped, ready to spit fire at his connotation, but Clark closed the distance between them and he clasped his hand around her arm and started forcefully pulling her to leave the room.

Protests filled the air, Bruce springing to action trying to block Clark's path and Martha holding on to Lois' hand.

Clark refused to acknowledge Bruce, but did turn to his mother. "Let go of her hand, Mother. I have to deal with Lois alone."

But Martha refused to budge. "I do not know what has gotten in to you, Clark, but I know that Lois did not do anything wrong for you to behave this way."

"You do not know her as I do." Clark replied at her mother, before promptly looking at Bruce. "It is a husband's duty to set his wayward wife to rights, am I correct?"

Bruce shock was apparent, that he let Clark tug a resistant and cursing Lois from the drawing room. He was pulled out from his disbelief after Martha put a hand on his shoulder. No words were exchanged, he knew that nothing would come from Martha, but Bruce vowed to unravel that mysterious statement uttered by Clark.

So sorry to leave you hanging at this point of the story, but you know I have to. You know the drill, love you lots! :)