I want to thank all of you who are following this story, have listed it as a favorite and/or have sent me a review. I'm doing this for myself (to improve my writing and to get back my mojo) but I'm grateful for the others who appreciate this story.
BLOODLINE BACK
Talon, one week later
Lois breathed deep. Oh, the smell of coffee. It was more invigorating, more addictive than her morning run and that was saying something.
Sweats on, hair still in a ponytail, Lois stepped up to the counter to place her order. She made note of the regular Saturday crowd and nodded to a couple of familiar customers. Stopping by after a run was part of her routine at least before the jeweler escaped. It felt good to get back to it now that the psycho was locked up. She needed to work off some energy, particularly after this week.
Since the night Clark revealed his secret, Lois felt like a little girl on a teeter totter. Her bothersome inner child, at random times of the day, felt the need to remind her of the obvious.
Clark told you his secret… Clark told you his secret…
And then, no matter what she was doing, her face would break out in an annoying smile. Randall had become so irritated with her arbitrary grins that he'd lectured her for an additional two minutes one day for "making fun of the boss."
Waiting to place her order, Lois thought back on the giddy feeling she'd had the "morning after."
Grabbing her high-heeled shoes in her hand, she raced out of the bedroom, putting on one and then the other before making her way downstairs. She was running late for work and really needed her coffee.
Clark was sipping his cup at the counter, newspaper in hand, so Lois snatched up her own, yanked Clark's arm, and pulled him with her as she reached for her jacket.
"Come on, Clark, let's go. We're going to be late."
The man let her drag him about halfway there. Then he planted his feet.
"Ugh," Lois exclaimed, letting go of his arm so she could grab her jacket and put it on. "If I'm late one more time, Randall's going to have my-"
"I think you've probably scored a few bonus points with yesterday's story," Clark interrupted calmly, still holding the newspaper in his hands.
"Oh, yeah," Lois replied hesitantly. Last night, they hadn't had time to talk about anything but Clark's heritage. "Well, you didn't think I was going to go through all that and not write about it, did you?"
"No," he responded, looking down at the front page. "But you gave all the credit for the rescue to the Blur."
"Of course," Lois told him. "It wasn't like I was going to expose you to the world," she told him, taking a sip of coffee. Her mind was already on the two stories on her desk and she was anxious to get going. "Besides, it was the truth. The Blur did save-"
Her eyes slammed into Clark's as she realized her mistake too late. Even with all that Clark had disclosed last night, they hadn't gotten around to talking about his alter ego. Most of the conversation was centered on Clark's past.
Stepping up to the counter, Lois placed her order and waited, sighing as she remembered the feeling of her stomach dropping to her knees. She'd bottomed out on the teeter totter and the thrill of knowing had been wiped out by the reality of living with secrets. Not everything could be revealed in an evening. It was a reminder that there were still secrets between them, and now most of them belonged to her….
In response to the panic on her face Clark closed his eyes in resignation. "How long have you known?"
"Known what?" She asked, nonchalantly taking another sip. She needed more caffeine and it gave her time to consider the right response.
"Lois," Clark warned taking a step toward her. "How long have you known?"
She sighed, "That you're the Blur?"
His eyes went wide at hearing her say it out loud.
Looking down at her coffee cup, she told him, "Since last month when Jimmy confronted you."
"Why didn't you say anything?"
"Why didn't you?" Lois challenged, taking her own step forward. If Clark thought he could intimidate her now, he could think again.
"Because I… because, well," Clark stammered and then, losing his bluster, he seemed to deflate as his anger dissipated and hurt took its place. "You let me go on last night telling you things about myself, private things, and it seems that you knew all the time."
"But I didn't," Lois told him, looking at his wounded expression. "I mean, I knew that you had powers and that you save people every day without asking anything," Lois stepped even closer and placed her hand over his heart, absentmindedly making note as its beat increase under her fingertips. "But I didn't know most of what you told me last night and, even if I did, I couldn't have stopped you. You must know I wasn't trying to… that I wouldn't… last night was-"
She closed her eyes momentarily to stop herself from babbling or breaking down. Things could not unravel now. With his heart continuing its thunderous beat beneath her hand, Lois waited until the silence seemed deafening. Nervously opening her eyes, she tilted her head in response to Clark's confused expression.
"But you didn't hint, didn't ask-"
"Of course not," she returned, growing confused herself. "Your secrets aren't mine to tell. I figured you'd let me know when you were ready," she said simply. "Thank you."
"For what?"
Placing her money on the table and taking her order, Lois considered Clark's response. It was if, for all his trust in humanity, he still expected the worst reactions to his revelations. Most the time she was convinced that she knew him better than anyone but, at other times, he was a complete mystery, especially when the smallest things seeming to make him the happiest.
She took a deep breath, trying to find the words to help him understand, to make him see that she knew all about keeping things hidden. "For last night- what you told me- that was a gift, Clark, your gift."
Clark's eyes widened at Lois' words and then he broke into a smile, appreciation and warmth in his gaze.
At the Kent smile, Lois felt her legs grow weak and, reflexively, her grip tightened on his shirt. Her mind wandered to the engagement party where they had stood in the same position.
As if he'd read her thoughts, Clark's warm fingers reached out to cup her face.
"Lois," he said softly, seeming to marvel at her words, and Lois stopped breathing as she waited and wondered…
It was Shelby who broke the spell, scratching and whining at the door until Clark let him inside for the morning meal.
While he fed the dog, she took extra sips of coffee, struggling to catch her breath. When she realized that she was staring at Clark, she shook her head at her own behavior and looked at her watch.
"Chop, chop, Smallville," she told him, working to get a grip on her emotions and bring things back to some semblance of normal. "For someone with super speed, you're as slow as molasses. Let's get a move on," she continued talking while walking out the door.
"Yes, ma'am," Clark responded in a mock military tone, his smile wide as ever.
Even now, the memory of their almost-kiss had her heart racing. Her body had been more than willing even as her mind was screaming for her to move away. Still, Clark's unexpected honesty hadn't cleared all of the barriers between them, like- Lana.
Lois sipped her coffee as she considered the only person who consistently put a damper on her giddiness. Every time Lana stopped by the Daily Planet or the farm, Lois experienced a sense of displacement. She felt like an outsider and she hated it.
It didn't help that Clark reverted to past behavior, breaking into intermittent fits of moping and brooding. Disappointed with his response and with her own feelings of insecurity Lois started avoiding Lana as much as possible. Some part of her knew that it was the coward's approach and yet …
In every incarnation of Clark Kent, you are his second choice.
After the emotional turmoil of the week, she'd been relieved this morning to find a note from Clark telling her he'd be gone for most of the day. Unfortunately, her run had given her mind time for thinking and now the last thing she wanted to do was be alone.
Standing at the bottom of the stairs with a coffee in her hand, Lois took a deep breath and headed up the stairs to her former apartment. Chloe was getting some company today.
At the door, Lois paused, disappointed by the sound of voices but not wanting to walk in on the love birds. After a second, she realized that the male voice was too deep to be Jimmy's but, before she could barge in, she was practically bowled over by Davis Bloome.
"Hey, watch the coffee," she said, stumbling back and turning to the side, trying to protect her cup.
"Oh, sorry, Lois," he mumbled, continuing down the stairs.
Lois watched Davis leave, a funny feeling in her gut. What was she supposed to do about a murderer who hadn't killed yet? The first time around he'd killed Jimmy and to this day, she didn't know why. Did that mean things could change this time around? Maybe it already had. She straightened, remembering that she was here to try to make things better, and charged into the apartment.
"Lois, what are you doing here?" Her cousin frowned, jumping a little and slopping her coffee on the counter as a result.
"What am I doing here? Why was I almost run over by Davis Bloome? Is he making house calls now?" Lois fired off in rapid order, the feeling in her gut still unsettling.
"Whoa, okay," Chloe said, releasing the paper towel she'd used to mop up in favor of holding up her hands in surrender. "I've been helping him with a project. He stopped by to see how it was going."
"So now he knows where you live?" Lois asked incredulously.
"I do live above a public coffee shop, Lois," the blond answered defensively, picking up her large coffee cup. "What's with the third degree?"
"I just don't trust that guy, Chloe, especially since he tried to hide records-"
"But he wasn't responsible for the murders. If you recall, one of my group confessed." Her cousin was growing perturbed.
"I know; it's just…" Lois sighed, walking over to set her own coffee down on the counter. "My gut's telling me something's not right when tall, dark and medical is around."
And I don't know what else to do to keep him from killing Jimmy…
"Your gut …?" Lois held her breath at the disbelieving look from Chloe. "Lois, what's going on?"
"What do you mean?"
"Something's going on with you, I can tell. I'm your cousin, remember-"
"Nothing's going on, Chloe, I don't know what you mean."
"You've been having these gut feelings lately that have a lot to do with me. You've told me to stay away from Davis and yet you also want me to put off my wedding," she continued, raising her arms in frustration. "I'm used to Clark's over-protective nature but lately you've surpassed even him."
"It's not like that, I just-"
"Is it still Jimmy?" Chloe interrupted, clearly troubled by the thought. "I know you've had your issues with him.…" Words trailing off, Lois watched as her gaze softened and she came around to put her hand on Lois' arm. "I'm sorry, Lois. Is it the jeweler? Clark mentioned that you had this, uhm, break-"
"Whoa, Chloe," Lois said, removing her cousin's hand as she turned to walk to the couch. The last thing she needed was sympathy, especially after the week she'd experienced. "I'm fine. It's just, you know, being kidnapped is nothing compared to… well, my baby cousin getting married, that's all. It's a lot to take in, I guess."
For a minute, Chloe looked at Lois like she could see right through her. Then she smiled impishly over her coffee cup. "You know what we need?"
"What?" Lois said, squirming a little at that particular glint in Chloe's eyes.
"Some quality cousin time," the blond told her, walking over to the television. "With all of the wedding stuff, I hardly see you anymore."
Relieved, Lois leaned back against the couch and smiled. "Sure, that sounds great."
After rifling through the movies, Chloe turned to Lois. "Which one's better, Russell Crowe or Christian Bale?"
Lois responded without thinking. "I prefer brooding over angry."
"Really…" Chloe drawled, raising her eyebrows, "since when?"
Lois tried to laugh off the question but inside her inner child was screaming. Clark told me his secret… Clark told me his secret…
That same inner child was urging Lois to tell her cousin everything, just like she used to when they were little. The adult warrior in her who'd battled the Darkness was countering and telling her to keep her secrets. What if she revealed too much and messed up the future yet again? Her internal debate raging, Lois kept her face hidden in her coffee, trying to decide what to do.
Chloe took her silence as a confirmation.
"Wow," she breathed out, lowering herself into a nearby chair, eyes wide and face pale. Her eyes were intently studying her cousin. "I can't believe I didn't see this coming. How did I miss it? I mean, you work with the guy and you live with him now. You're practically attached at the hip-"
"Whoa, Chloe, I don't live with Clark…" Lois stuttered at Chloe's considering look. "Uh, I don't know what you're talking-"
"Jimmy always said you guys have chemistry," she mused. "Does Clark know?"
"You know what? Let's just watch something," Lois deflected, starting to panic as Chloe went from considering to convinced, while Lois' internal debate still raged. Trying to act nonchalant, she jumped off the couch and walked over to the study the selection.
In the meantime, Chloe continued on, ignoring her. "If Clark knows, that would explain why he hasn't fallen over himself at the return of La-"
"Okay, how about My Big Fat Greek Wedding?" Lois responded, definitely not wanting to talk about the girl whose return had plagued her all week.
Chloe ignored Lois' question and leaned forward in her chair. "Not until you admit it," she said, her intense gaze turning into a knowing grin. "You like Clark."
At the look on Chloe's face, Lois felt her denial catch in her throat. She swallowed hard.
Kent farm, next day
Trying to adjust the moving boxes in her arms, Lois stopped outside the kitchen door. The last of her things were being moved from the Talon to the farm. During their girl's day, Chloe had mentioned the lack of space and so Lois had taken the hint, finally packing up some of her little-used possessions.
While she was filling up four full boxes, she cursed herself for leaving so many things behind.
Why had she done it?
That was easy- she'd never expected Clark to let her stay at the farm for very long. Every day, some part of her still expected him to throw her out. Their ability to share a house together, without killing each other, repeatedly took her by surprise.
Of course, if she took Chloe's advice, they'd be sharing more than a house. After Chloe practically beat a confession out of Lois, the bride-to-be felt compelled to hand out advice.
"Look, when it comes to matters of the heart, Clark is obtuse. I think that's why he's stuck with Lana so far," her cousin told her, grinning when Lois wrinkled her nose at the sound of Lana's name. "He has to know, in no uncertain terms, that you are interested in more than friendship."
"Come on, Chloe, I always hated those girls who fought over guys-"
"Lois, take it from someone who played the supportive friend. It doesn't work with Clark. He'll take you at your word. He's literal like that," she muttered throwing in a set of fur-lined handcuffs with raised brows and a smile.
When Clark opened the kitchen door from the other side, Lois nervously shoved her moving boxes into his arms while her cousin's words echoed in her brain and visions of furry handcuffs danced in her head.
"Handle with care, Smallville, I've had those albums since I was ten," she told him, needing to say something, anything, to get rid of those kinds of thoughts. Snatching back the top box, she brushed past Clark on the way to the kitchen counter.
"Great, your Def Leppard Anthology, can't wait to hear it," Clark responded sarcastically, looking inside the box as he sat it on the counter opposite Lois. "Why are you bringing this stuff here when you obviously haven't missed it?"
"Quit your whining," Lois told him. "I forgot a few things, okay? The love birds don't need my mess cluttering their nest and we've got plenty of room." At Clark's amused glance and raised eyebrows, Lois panicked and started babbling. "I mean you've got plenty of room… I mean there's plenty of room here… at the farm; it's big, with lots of space..."
Rifling through the items in her box like she was looking for something, Lois ignored Clark and his climbing eyebrows. She wondered if the horror she felt at her words was showing on her face.
Where did that "we" come from?"
"It's all right Lois," Clark said, reaching across the counter to place his hand on her arm. "I want you to think of the farm as your home."
Before she could adjust to his heat, Clark removed his hand but his words brought an entirely different kind of warmth to her heart. She'd heard the sentiment often enough from Ms. Kent but to hear it from Clark- her eyes rose to capture his, looking for any signs that he was joking with her. His answering smile of sincerity sent a thrill through her to her toes.
Home.
Lois couldn't resist returning his smile and, as she did, Clark's seemed to brighten. They stood there grinning at each other until the sound of the screen door interrupted.
"Clark?" Lana's voice preceded her into the kitchen.
Lois looked away, watching instead as the petite woman, garbed in black, walked through the door. She was carrying a plainly-wrapped package in her hand, and Lois was again taken aback by her shorter hair and new style. The smaller woman seemed even more fragile and diminutive than before.
It didn't help with Lois' own insecurities; she felt like a clumsy giant.
She noticed that Clark's smile dimmed slightly. "Lana, uhm, what are you doing here?"
For a minute, the dark-haired woman looked taken aback by the question but her reaction was quickly replaced with confidence. "I thought we could go over what we discovered yesterday," she said quietly, obviously expecting Clark to agree.
When he was silent, she sighed, looking around the house with a proprietary air. "This place never changes," she smiled intimately.
Lois felt like she'd been punched in the gut at the reminder that the other woman had lived in this house. At least when Lana showed up at the Planet it was Lois' exclusive domain but with those few words, Lois felt like an interloper.
Home- right.
While the other two quietly reminisced, she looked away and caught a glimpse of the box in Lana's hand. Wondering if she'd dropped something on the way in, she interrupted their little tableau. "What do you have there?"
"Oh," Lana said, not breaking eye contact with Clark. "This was on the front porch. It was leaning up against the outside of the house. It looks like a delivery," she continued, glancing at Lois only when Clark broke their gaze to examine the plain brown paper.
"No return address. That's weird," he said, glancing at both women in confusion.
Lois shrugged her shoulders and then watched as Clark ripped off the paper, revealing a leather case inside. When he opened it, the blue crystal inside looked very familiar.
"Wait, Clark, that's the crystal I saw at the mansion," she told him before he could touch it. "I'm sure of it."
The sight of Clark with the crystal triggered something in Lois' memory. Running around the counter, she tried to grab his arm but then the crystal started glowing. Mesmerized, they all stood there watching the light until the windows started to rattle.
"Let's hope no more bimbos appear," Lois commented, trying to break the spell. Clark gave her a stunned look.
"Clark, drop it," Lana cried out, looking around at the shaking house.
"Get back!" Clark moved away from both women. "Both of you- run."
"I'm not leaving you!" Lois cried, reaching out to grab Clark's arm just as his hand covered the crystal. As soon as they touched blue light exploded around her, her body felt stretched beyond belief, and then there was nothing but blackness.
Phantom Zone, same day
She came to slowly, her body parched and aching. The first thing she noticed was Clark standing over her blocking the suns- both of them. A dry, harsh wind was blowing, her lips were already cracked and dry, and she felt alternatively hot and cold. Strangely enough, the wind seemed to vary in temperature.
They certainly weren't in Kansa anymore. Still, something stirred in her memory. This place was familiar. Then she remembered telling Clark that they'd been abducted by aliens. No wonder she'd blocked those memories.
Mortified by her recollections, Lois closed her eyes fighting inappropriate laughter.
Abducted by aliens-
"Lois, are you okay?" Clark asked, and she opened her eyes, sense of humor dying at the expression on his face. This was serious.
"Where are we?" She permitted Clark pull her up to a standing position. "What happened?"
He looked around nervously like he was trying to keep something from her-
"Clark, you said we need to keep moving." At the sound of Lana's voice, she jerked her head around and realized the she was holding on to her partner for balance. Lois immediately let go at the look in Lana's eyes.
"Lana," she whispered, shocked at the presence of the other woman. She hadn't been her the first time around. "Are you all right?"
Lana shrugged her shoulders, her small frame swaying against the wind when she moved closer and raised her voice to be heard over the wind. "Clark says we need to keep moving."
"Okay," Lois nodded and noticed Clark looking at her with concern.
"What?" She asked him. "If we need to go, then lead the way." With a wave of her arm, she invited the man to move in front of her.
While Lana gave her a curious look, Lois watched Clark. He was looking between both women as if he couldn't decide what to do or who to protect. Lois would have laughed if she hadn't been fighting her own feelings of inadequacy. She didn't remember this place well enough to be prepared-
Clark turned and strode across the sandy terrain. Lois followed feeling relieved to take action. Still, her body hurt. Eventually, she forced herself to keep moving through the sand, working to keep her mind blank. Soon, though, something about the harshness of the landscape brought up memories of trudging through a devastated city, fighting against the forces of the Darkness.
She wanted to talk to distract herself but the landscape wasn't exactly conducive to conversation. The wind blew nonstop and kept the strange white sand in and around her nose and mouth. Her throat felt as if it was coated and her stomach was in knots. The two suns beat down and seemed to add to dryness of her already dehydrated body. Eventually, they passed a river that was as red as blood. The red liquid was not tempting.
Lagging behind, she watched the other two in an effort to shut out the rough conditions. Amazingly, Lana was matching Clark's stride and sticking to his side. There was something about the way she was carrying herself that made Lois think she'd been undergoing physical training. But why? Was that the reason she left?
Suddenly, she stumbled, stunned by the possibility that Lana knew about Clark's powers and was trying to make herself stronger for him. The other woman apparently wanted him back and had a plan to win him.
As she walked along, the competitive general's daughter couldn't resist assessing whether Lana's was the better strategy.
In every incarnation of Clark Kent, you are his second choice…
Unbidden, visions of the two of them workings side-by-side overwhelmed her until she stumbled again, this time falling to her knees. In an instant, Clark was there helping her up.
"Thanks," she muttered, embarrassed by her lack of stamina. She stroke ahead this time, ignoring Lana's searching look.
In a few minutes the two of them passed her, although Clark had slowed his pace. Part of Lois wanted to yell at him but she was simply drained.
After a few minutes, the smaller woman spoke. "What… tell Lois?" With the wind, only some of her question drifted back.
Clark glanced behind him and his expression grew concerned; his pace slowed even more. "Lois knows.…"
For the first time, Lana's steps faltered and she moved away from Clark as if she'd been struck. Eventually, she drifted back. "How long?"
"Since… jeweler.…" He was trying to keep his voice down but Lana pursed her lips inf response, obviously upset by the man's response.
From behind, even without the words Lois realized that they were talking about Clark's secret. Evidently Lana knew about Clark's origins. While that didn't shock Lois, she was surprised and hurt that Clark hadn't told the woman that Lois also knew.
The emotional pain seemed to accentuate her physical discomfort. Putting her hand to her head in an attempt to stop the sudden pounding, she felt her stomach constrict and took a deep breath. Coughing at the sand that entered her mouth and throat, she put her head down and concentrated on her feet.
Purposefully, she shut out the little drama in front of her.
She didn't realize Clark had stopped until she practically ran into him. He reached out to steady her when she started swaying.
"You're doing great," he said, obviously trying to be supportive.
"My legs feel like two-ton barbells," she admitted.
His response was a wan smile and Lois noticed for the first time that he looked ragged. Was this place getting to him, too?
"How about you; you okay?"
"Fine," he muttered, barely audible over the wind.
Lois raised her brows in his direction, seeing Lana close in. The smaller woman's irritation was visible. "You don't have any powers here, do you?"
Before responding Clark looked at Lois as if to gauge her reaction or avoid Lana's. He shook his head. "No."
"Where are we?" Lois asked.
Clark hesitated. It was Lana who answered, "This is the Phantom Zone, isn't it?"
At her demanding tone, he winced and Lois couldn't help but give her a surprised look. If this was part of her strategy to win Clark back-
"Yes, this is the prison my father built," he told her, starting to look and sound uneasy.
"So this is the place where you were trapped a few years ago?"
At Clark's nod, Lois spoke. "How did you get out?"
"Through a portal left for me by my father; I'm trying to find it," he told them, his anxiety growing palpable. When he stalked away, Lois let him go, some part of her understanding that he needed quiet in order to get his bearings.
A visibly anxious and irritated Lana followed. "How will you find it? Everything around here looks the same."
"I'm sure he's is trying to spot some familiar landmarks," Lois told her, feeling defensive on behalf of her friend.
The other woman's face reddened at the rebuke. "Well, maybe if he told us what he was looking for, we could help."
Both turned simultaneously to get Clark's response but he ignored them and picked up the pace.
"So much for looking for landmarks," Lois muttered under her breath.
At the top of a small ridge, he stopped to look around. "We need to pick up-" His voice was interrupted by a strange cry.
Lois flinched at the sound. It was eerily familiar.
"What was that?" Lana tensed.
Lips tightening, Clark responded by turning on his heel and walking at a slight angle away from their previous direction. At his silence, Lois felt her concern turn to fear; she tried to remember something from the last time she'd been here.
"Clark, what made that sound?" Lana asked as she fell into step beside Clark.
This time the man's body tensed and Lois recognized the signs of Clark overwhelmed. She started counting mentally, one, two, three...
As if on cue Clark slowed down, and with a wave of him arm, urged Lana to walk in front of him. Now the woman couldn't communicate without turning around.
Ah, the Kent chivalry…
Lois would have chuckled in any other situation. She'd seen him do the same thing with Chloe and try to do it with her when he wanted to avoid an interrogation. Of course, the ploy never worked with Lois. In fact, she'd been known to talk to him while walking backwards just because she knew it drove him crazy-
Another scream stilled her thoughts, this one coming from the opposite direction. Lana shuddered and stopped walking, waiting for Clark.
"Enough,…" her words were lost in the wind. "What….?" She demanded, gripping the man's arm.
"Zoners, the local-"
The rest of Clark's response was lost in the buzzing of Lois' ears as her hearing completely shut down, followed by her vision. Her body froze in place while all of her senses followed. She felt herself whimper right before her throat closed.
Another Zoner wailed and Lois was lost, listening to the tortured cries of people. The blowing sand turned into the smoke high above the Star City. Night's face appeared in her line of sight and Lois immediately backed away, watching in her mind as his eyes turned red. She gasped and lashed out, fighting with all of her might.
She and A.C. were prisoners, their mission a bust. All that time waiting in the water- Lois hated it- and they were captured by the Darkness. She glanced over at A.C., watching for his signal. The team always had an escape plan. A slight shake of his head told her to wait.
They continued to struggle as the men dragged them along the dock.
It wasn't until they reached the end of the pier that Night flew in and landed under the one remaining lamp. The light caught his features, and Lois gasped at his deterioration. He literally looked like the life had been sucked out of him, skinny and sallow, with eyes that reflected his emptiness.
She shivered as if the cold from him had penetrated her wetsuit.
Stone cold eyes looked at her.
"Lois."
A cry was ripped from her at the sound.
"Lois."
A different, gentle voice was pleading with her to keep moving, and it penetrated her memories. Familiar and welcome, it seemed to break through the dark and calm her racing pulse.
"Lois."
Still holding her breath, she readied her body for the attack that didn't come. Instead, something soft and warm stroked her face, her hair, and her back. The touch was soothing, calming, her body relaxed.
"It's okay," a gentle voice kept repeating. "Please, Lois, it's okay, I promise."
So soft, everything was soft and soothing. Soon, the beating of her heart slowed to match the rhythm of the soft words and caresses but, before she could open her eyes, another voice intruded.
"Clark, is she all right? What's wrong with her?" Lois stiffened at the less-than-gentle inquiry.
"I've got this, Lana," the tender voice responded firmly. "I've dealt with- it's a reaction to stress, I think. Give me a minute."
Then the soft voice was back. "Lois, open your eyes. It's okay. Look at me, please," the voice begged. "Come on, open your eyes."
How could she resist that voice?
It took more effort that she would have thought to simply comply and, when she did, everything was still dark because her face was tucked up against a chest, a chest in a blue shirt.
Pulling back slightly, she trembled before Clark tightened his grip. She was in his arms and it he was still whispering her name. His face was gentle; his concern for her obvious but there was something else. Lois searched his eyes and noticed the fear in them. He was trying hard not to let her see it, but they were in trouble.
Her meltdown hadn't helped the situation.
She knew she needed to get her wits about her, but she felt so cold. Leaning into Clark, she turned her head just in time to see Lana's considering look.
"I'm okay," she croaked out, reluctantly pulling away after a few seconds and stepping back. Her leg muscles seized and she latched on to Clark's arms for balance.
"You sure?" He asked quietly, his hands steadying her.
Again, he was trying not to let her see how urgent their situation was but Lois could hear it in his tone of voice.
"Yeah," Lois whispered, trying to get her voice back. "I know we need to keep moving." Her lips cracked as she tried to smile up at him.
His return smile was weak but, before he could answer, Lana interrupted. "Clark, should we keep going?"
Reluctantly, he nodded and turned determinedly, tucking his hand under Lois' elbow, supporting her as he lead them to some rocks ahead. At the slightly disapproving look on Lana's face, Lois tried to pull her elbow away. Clark ignored her efforts, keeping his eyes focused on the surroundings.
When they reached the rocks, Lois huffed and tried to jerk her arm away. Suddenly, her arm was released and she went flying backwards. Her back hit one of the rocks and she grunted in pain, just noticing as a cloaked attacker jumped from the top of the rocks onto Clark. He rolled on the ground in an effort to dodge the assault and by then, Lana was delivering a hard kick to the cloaked figure's legs.
The attacker dodged and spun around, brandishing a rough knife. Lois tried to get up then, feeling as her hand close around a loose rock. Picking it up, she launched from her position and watched with satisfaction when it knocked the knife from the attacker's hand.
Lana blocked the next charge, ducking under the figure's arm and delivering a kidney punch in the process. By then, Clark was able to grab and hold one of attacker's wrists.
In the odd light, Lois thought she saw the glint of a metal bracelet. Clark must have noticed as well because he stopped all movement. "Kara?"
The cloaked figure grew still.
"Kara, it's me."
"Kal-El," the attacker whispered and, at the sound, Lois stopped trying to stand. Instead, she felt her head drop to her knees as the name hit her like a ton of bricks. Unexpectedly, she was transported back in time to her last conversation with the blond woman.
In the light of the dawn, Kara was returning from patrols, refugees in tow. Most of them were children, abandoned, scared, and wondering what had happened to their world.
As Lois watched, Kara escorted them to the kitchen and got them started with a meal. Many of them were eating for the first time in days and they all looked at Kara with the same expression. Dressed in white- she refused to wear black- she looked like an angel.
Right now, with her dark expression, Lois thought she looked more like an angel of vengeance.
"Trouble?" She asked.
"Kal-El," Kara spat out, stubbornly refusing to refer to him as Night. "I almost had him this time-"
"Kara," Lois interrupted, grabbing the woman's arm in concern. "You can't challenge him head-on. You know that the Darkness works through him somehow. None of us are strong enough to take down the leader by ourselves. We can't afford to lose you."
Kara rolled her eyes. "The day I can't take Kal-El is the day-"
"He's not your cousin anymore."
"I'll never believe that, Lois," the blond admonished, knowing that Lois was one of the only ones with hope for him. "He will always be Kal-El to me."
At the large hand on her shoulder, Lois started. "Are you all right?"
Nodding, she wiped at her eyes, allowing Clark to help her to her feet. Swaying a little, she looked away from the man- she didn't want to think of him as Night right now- to see Lana rubbing Kara's arm and talking to her in a low voice. "…end up here?"
"What am I…?" Kara asked before the wind covered her voice. "What are you doing here?"
Lois couldn't wait any longer at the sight of blond hair blowing in the wind; she hurried forward to hug the woman forgetting that this was not her Kara.
"Lois?" Clearly bowled over by the show of affection, Kara briefly returned the hug before pulling away.
"You shouldn't be here, either of you," the woman told them before looking to Clark.
Lois answered, part of her tired that the other women in Clark's life seemed to place the blame on him. "Not really making a social call."
The smile she was expecting didn't come as Kara simply shook her head, giving her cousin a disapproving stare before turning to stalk away. Lois sent a confused look at Clark but his face mirrored her own. He shrugged and raced ahead to catch up with his cousin.
Struggling against the wind, Lois was forced to walk behind them. She could only catch pieces of the conversation.
"Are you okay?"
Such a stupid question made Lois snort, taking in a nose-full of sand. Anyone with eyes could see that Kara wasn't okay. The woman was thin and pale and looked like she'd been through hell.
"I thought you were Zoners," she told her cousin. "Zoners kill." The lack of emotion in her voice reminded Lois of the soldiers who'd reached their limits by while battling the Darkness. Gritting her teeth against as sudden burst of wind, Lois fought to stay upright, overwhelmed by a sense of helplessness. If Kara was beaten down, Lois wasn't sure how the rest of them would fare.
Her ears perked up when she heard Clark say "portal."
It was Lana who, after repeating the word, asked, "Do you know where it is?"
Kara's response was muffled but she could hear Clark's next question. "Why haven't you used it to get back?"
"I didn't… mistake you did when Zoners escaped."
"So… all this time to protect Earth?" Clark asked.
When they reached the top of a ridge, they stopped and Lois battled to reach them through the wind. It was even worse here and Lois noticed that Lana was struggling as well.
Taking advantage of the slight respite- at least her legs could rest- she considered what she heard. The Zoner things could escape, evidently, which didn't sound like a good thing. Evidently, Clark had released some when he'd been here before. Something else she'd missed-
"Looks like Lana can fight; she'll need to." The meaning behind Kara's words wasn't lost on Lois and she glanced at the smaller woman who resting with her hands on her knees. The smaller woman looked up and her expression was grim.
Clark ignored them and grabbed Kara's arm instead. "No, she won't, we're sending her back. We're sending them both back."
"How many innocent lives are they worth to you?" Clark jerked his arm away, tensing with frustration and anger.
"Whoa," Lois shouted, feeling the need to come to the man's defense. "I don't know what you two are arguing about but I can tell you right now that we're all going back together or not at all. It's not like we can leave you here, Kara."
Clark and Kara studied at each other, two sets of blue eyes filled with stubborn intent.
"We need an escape plan," Lois interrupted before a fight could break out. "There's got to be a way to get home without the Zoners following us."
Lana, who had moved over to stand with the group, agreed. "What kind of terrain is around this portal?"
Evidently, their escape route was located in a cave-like structure, which Lois thought had lots of possibilities. By the time they reached the ridge surrounding the area they'd outlined a rough plan. With a nod to each other, Lois and Kara took off to the left, while Clark and Lana headed right in an effort to confuse any Zoners who might be watching.
Once they were on either side of the "cave" Lois used every ounce of strength that was left to follow Kara to the entrance. By the time they got there, Clark and Lana were in position rolling stones in front of the opening to block it. Lois started helping while Kara stood guard. When the opening was narrowed to allow only one person through, they shouted for Kara to enter. Racing, she jumped in and headed straight for the portal device.
An eerie cry sounded on the wind.
Zoners.
Without words, they both pushed harder on the largest boulder, heaving until it was blocking the entrance.
"Clark, watch it," Lana shouted, as a wraith seemed to fly past Clark's head just before the boulder fell into place. Turning away not that the boulder was in place, Clark ran after the creature in an effort to keep it from reaching Kara, but it moved in the air around him like a ghost.
Lana and Lois followed, each trying to figure out a way to stop the thing. Eventually, the Zoner headed for Kara, who was ignoring them all in an effort to get the device working.
When she sliced into her hand with her knife, Lois stopped and stared in horror.
What was this "portal" anyway?
Clark and Lana continued, getting ahead of the Zoner and taking up protective positions around the dais where Kara was working. Concerned not that Kara was spreading blood on the device, Lois moved to the center. "Open it now," she told the woman frantically.
The whir of the device activating sent the wraith into a frenzy and it grabbed Clark by the throat. They both plowed into Lois and, without thought, she kicked out at the creature.
"Lois, don't!" Clark choked out, but the Zoner escaped his grip and grabbed Lois by the arm. The touch of cold claw-like hands made Lois shrink back until she felt herself flying through the cave. She landed hard on the rocky floor and lay there stunned, trying to catch her breath. Suddenly, Clark was there to help but Lois waved him off, unable to speak. She pointed frantically toward Kara and limped slowly to where Lana was defending the portal.
By then, Lois could see that the Zoner was going to get by the smaller woman. Circling like a vulture, it seemed to be waiting for the right moment.
Behind Lana, Kara placed her hand on the top of the pillar and a circle of light shimmered in the air.
With a scream, the creature launched itself. Claw-like hands reached to toss Lana aside, but the smaller woman twisted her body at the last minute and was propelled forward into the circle. She disappeared into the light.
Kara moved to block the wraith at the same time that Clark charged it from the other side. Ignoring Clark, the creature propelled itself against Kara toward the portal opening. The light seemed to reach for the other woman before she disappeared.
With a strangled cry the Zoner moved toward the light but Clark tackled it to the ground. By struggling and kicking furiously it managed to break Clark's grip and fling itself toward the light, leaving Clark on his hands and knees on the ground.
Lois sped up her halting pace- she was still hurting from the Zoner's toss- and reached Clark's side. "Lois, it won't stay open. Let's go," he shouted, before taking her hand and pulling himself upright.
Hand in hand they raced forward together, jumping toward the circle just as the light flickered and died.