A.N: Did you guys hear???? Tom F-ing Welling is going to Comic Con!!! I'm so friggin' pissed cause I was supposed to go!!! If anyone's going pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee film the interview... for me!!! Pretty please!!! LOL!!!!!!!!

Chapter 9

"Lois… this is breaking and entering…"

"Get used to it, Smallville, you're an investigative reporter… there will come a time every once in a while where you're going to have to investigate", she turned to him and smiled, "And break the law once or twice…"

"A day", he asked sarcastically.

"Very funny", she glared at him, "Now be quiet. We don't want Doctor Moreau to hear us…"

"Lois-"

He stopped suddenly.

"What", she asked softly.

"Nothing", he lied.

He was picking up shuffling in the basement. His super hearing was coming back to him.

"We need to go; now", he said quickly grabbing her arm and dragging her to the door.

"No", she was trying to get out of his grip, "Let… go…"

A shrill ring caused them both to look at each other. Her bag was ringing. Lois cursed for not putting her phone on vibrate. Clark picked up on footsteps coming up the steps from the basement and the door being opened. He placed his hand over her mouth and dragged her into the shadows of the hallway. In one swoop he shut off her phone and slipped it in his pocket.

He pulled her deeper into the living area and pushed her behind and couch and between a window. They both crouched down close together. Lois peeked from around the couch to see a set of legs passing by. She crawled back against Clark's chest and bit his shirt hard to keep herself from breathing too hard.

He wrapped an arm around her and another under her legs, ready to stand up with her in his arms and to rush out of there. But the person who was looking for them left the room. He lifted her face up and placed a finger to his lips, the universal sign of being quiet. She nodded and he picked her up quietly. He stood up slowly and super sped out of the house, not slowing down to even get a glimpse of the stranger.

~*~

She was breathing in deeply when he finally came to a stop ten blocks down the road and placed her gently on the ground. She bent forward and placed her hands on her knees to steady herself. She breathed in and out to try and calm herself down.

He walked around her and stared down the road they came from. He hadn't said a word since they left and a part of her felt he was angry with her.

"I'm sorry", she muttered.

He turned around with a shocked look that turned compassionate instantly.

"For what", he asked softly.

"Almost getting us caught", she shrugged, "You were right…"

"Lois…", he shook his head, "You think I like being right?"

She nodded slowly and shrugged.

"No", he shook his head to emphasize his point, "I wish I could be wrong… I want so bad to be wrong…"

She smiled and lifted her hand to touch his chest.

"Thanks for saving me", she said softly looking into his eyes, "Again…"

"Anytime", he smiled and looked down at her hand on his chest.

He began to lean in to her when suddenly she jumped up and turned away from him.

"I wonder who was calling me", she said quickly.

He reached in his back pocket and pulled out her turned off cell phone. He handed it to her and watched her turn it on and search through the calls. Her eyes widened into shock and confusion.

"What", he asked, "Who was it?"

She looked up into his eyes and slowly replied, "It was John…"

~*~

"Lois", Clark said slowly, "That's impossible… John Corben is dead."

She showed him the phone.

"Then explain this", she said pointing to the missed call.

"Maybe it's from the hospital", he said shrugging, "Or his phone was stolen or lost…"

"If his phone was stolen or lost why wait until now to call me", she said shaking her head, "and why would the hospital call me…?"

He didn't know how to answer that.

"So what", he asked, "You think he's contacting you from beyond the grave?"

"I don't know", she said shaking her head, "But I intend on finding out."

~*~

"I need to make a phone call. Do you have a phone?"

"Yeah", Professor Vale nodded shuffling to get John's phone from his clothes, "But I must warn you… everyone you knew thinks you're dead… including the people who tried to kill you…"

"It doesn't matter", John stressed holding out his hand for the phone, "I need to know if Lois is okay…"

"John-"

"Now!"

"Alright", Professor Vale said softly, "Alright… just relax… here."

John took the phone with trembling hands and dialed the number he'd memorized the moment she'd given it to him.

They both looked up when they heard a loud shrilling ring. Professor Vale looked at him and he instantly shut the phone off to show he hadn't dialed yet. He shrugged in confusion. Professor Vale told him to be quiet and he walked up the steps into the house. John looked down at the phone and smiled. She was there and she was looking for him. Then his smile faltered. He only hoped she didn't get caught.

~*~

Professor Vale tipped toed up the steps into the house quietly and looked around. He grabbed a poker from the fire place and held it firmly in his hands. He walked around quietly not seeing anyone and lowered the poker in his hand. He heard the wind swoosh behind him and turned around to see the door open. He walked over to the front door confused and closed it.

~*~

"Who was it", John asked.

"Probably thieves", Professor Vale muttered throwing the poker in a corner, "Did you dial your friend?"

"I forgot the number and it wasn't stored", John lied quickly and shrugged smiling, "It's probably for the best… especially if she thinks I'm dead…"

"I agree", Professor Vale nodded.

John nodded and smiled.

"So", he said and asked slowly, "What's keeping me alive?"

~*~

"Hey", Chloe smiled seeing her cousin and best friend walking in together, "You're back."

They both looked tense and angry.

"You guys alright", she asked.

Lois glared and Clark rolled his eyes.

"That's a no", Chloe tried, "What happened?"

"We almost got caught", Lois shrugged, "So Clark super sped us out of there."

"Oh", Chloe said softly, "Did you get anything?"

"Something weird", Lois said holding out her cell phone, "I got a call…"

"That almost got us caught", Clark said.

Lois glared at him and turned back to Chloe.

"It's from John's phone", she said quickly, "Can you trace the call?"

"Lois", Chloe said sadly, "It probably got stolen… he was lying on the side of the road for a while before paramedics found him…"

"Then why would the thief contact someone on their call list", she asked, "To return it? Two days later? Really…?"

"Maybe the hospital has it and they want you to pick up his things", Chloe shrugged.

"That's plausible except why would they use his phone and why call me", she asked, "You know this is strange Chloe…"

"I admit it's weird", Chloe said, "But it's not krypto weird…"

"Is there any other kind of weird in all my years here?"

"Lois", Chloe tried, "I just think you're reaching, sweetie, John's gone… and I know he was important to you but you got to let him go…"

Clark's eyes wandered to Chloe quickly in shock and confusion, then back to Lois again.

Lois felt him looking at her intently and watched him through her peripheral vision. She became deflated.

"Fine", she said grabbing the phone back, "You guys don't believe me… I'll find out myself."

She walked away without looking at Clark or Chloe and left them alone.

"You alright", Chloe asked Clark who was staring at Lois' retreating figure.

"Her and John", he asked.

Chloe nodded.

"They'd just met", Chloe said slowly, "They went on like one maybe two dates…"

He nodded.

"Yeah", he said, "I'm glad she was moving on…"

"Clark…"

"And now I'm back", he said sitting down defeated in a chair, "Turning her life upside down again."

"Stop right there", Chloe said standing and walking around her desk to him, "Lois was devastated when you died. Some of us were really scared for her. And John was a nice guy who she met; who wasn't harboring some deep dark secret so she took a small plunge… it doesn't change what she felt for you or what she still feels…"

Clark looked up at her and smiled sadly.

"It's just", he said, "It'd be so much easier on her if she ended up with a normal guy… instead of me…"

Chloe looked at him sadly.

"What makes you think she wants a normal guy?"

~*~

She forgot her bag and didn't really want to go back in to get it either. But it had her keys and wallet, so without it she couldn't drive or even hail a cab. She walked by the door that led to the room where Chloe and Clark were still talking. The door was slightly ajar and though she knew she shouldn't eavesdrop a part of her couldn't help it.

"Yeah… I'm glad she was moving on…"

"Clark…"

"And now I'm back… Turning her life upside down again..."

"Stop right there… Lois was devastated when you died. Some of us were really scared for her. And John was a nice guy who she met; who wasn't harboring some deep dark secret so she took a small plunge… it doesn't change what she felt for you or what she still feels…"

"It's just… It'd be so much easier on her if she ended up with a normal guy… instead of me…"

Lois bit her lip angrily and turned quickly to walk away. She didn't care to hear the rest of their conversation. He'd already made the decision to pull away, and that was fine with her. If his walls were going to be the Great Wall of China, then hers would be the Wall of Jericho.

No one built better, stronger walls than Lois Lane.

She stepped outside realizing again that she didn't have her purse.

She felt a drop land on her head and looked up as soon as it began to pour over her. She looked toward the right and the left and shrugged. She pulled her jacket tighter around her and turned toward the Daily Planet to find Jimmy. He'd definitely be able to trace the call.