Chapter 2.

Having informed the other waitresses that Lois had been knocked out, they readily agreed that they could handle things until Lana came by later that afternoon. The place would become quieter as the day wore on but today was going to be even more hectic as they were down by two.

Chloe walked back out into the alley to when Clark and Lois were. Lois was now sitting up and looking somewhat groggy.

"Clark, the girls are going to cover for Lois and-"

She didn't have a chance to say much more as Lois was next to pipe up. She looked at her cousin with a mixture of shock and awe as she slowly got to her feet.

"Oh my god! Chloe, is that really you?"

"Hey you're awake. Are you OK?" replied Chloe with evident relief.

Lois stepped over to Chloe. Her eyes were now watering and her voice had caught in her throat.

"Chloe, you're alive! But…how?"

She pulled Chloe into a tight hug and began to cry. She believed her cousin had been killed while in witness protection and had resolved to find out what had really happened after learning that the FBI were going to close the case and deliver a verdict of accidental death. A safe house being obliterated was not an accident. Yet now, her cousin was here, real, and alive and well by the looks of things. It was a miracle.

"Lois hey, I'm fine. Are you sure you're alright?"

"But…but…you were dead! How…what…how?" Lois spluttered through her tears, not hearing Chloe's own questions as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing.

Chloe and Clark both glanced at each other and then at Lois. Chloe knew her cousin wasn't the most outwardly emotional of people but for Clark, this was something entirely new. He had never seen Lois this way, not even when he knew she was upset over what her sister Lucy had done a few weeks ago. Not only that, but Lois was talking about events from months ago as if they were happening now.

"Uh Lois, you and Clark found me, remember?"

Lois looked around, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings plus the handsome stranger standing beside her. Her now-not-dead little cousin was suddenly the least weird thing ever.

"Where am I?"

"The Talon," replied Chloe as if it were obvious. "You came running out here chasing after somebody you said had robbed the place."

Lois looked at Chloe with more than a hint of confusion as she wiped her eyes. "Huh?"

It then dawned on Chloe that Lois might have hit her head and was suffering from amnesia.

"Whoa, Lois. I think you might have hit your head. You were serving customers when somebody stole money from the register. You went chasing after them, and I found you lying here unconscious."

Lois confusion wasn't helped any by this new information. None of it made any sense.

"Serving customers? As in, I work here? How can that be? I'm starting Met U in a couple of weeks."

Both Clark and Chloe looked at each other again. Lois was talking as if she'd never been here before. Chloe gently took Lois by the arm and headed back inside. Clark followed, trying to work out exactly what had happened.

As they stepped inside, the Talon was still very busy. Lois looked around and didn't recognise the place at all. It was garish yet at the same time miles better than the usual coffee chains. Where in Metropolis were they?

"So you're saying I sling coffees part-time?" enquired Lois, eyeing the coffee machines behind the counter and wondering how they worked. She'd never used one before.

Clark decided to speak and upon hearing his voice, Lois gave him her full attention. "Lois, my mom helps run the place and you work a few shifts here. What's the last thing you remember?"

Lois thought about it. "Uh, I think I was back at the base staying with my dad. I read a newspaper article saying the FBI were closing the case into Chloe's death in a few weeks, and I was going to come to Smallville to check it out. Chloe, you left a video for that friend of yours, Clark, asking him for help. I remember watching that video."

Clark's eyes widened at the mention of his name. She clearly didn't know who Clark was but not only that, she'd just explained exactly how she came to arrive in Smallville. Clark knew Lois had come to Smallville to investigate Chloe's death but she'd never mentioned what had prompted her. Almost as soon as he'd recovered from his own amnesia, the two of them had begun the to-and-fro verbal sparring and bickering that defined their unique friendship so the exact details of how Lois was prompted to come to Smallville had remained a mystery. When she'd found him in the cornfield that night, she didn't realise he was the person she was looking for.

"Uh Lois, you're in Smallville and this is Clark," answered Chloe.

"You're Clark Kent?" asked Lois, to which Clark nodded, smiling. Lois looked him up and down as her expression changed from befuddlement to something approaching hungry eyes. "Well I have to say, my cousin was right about you."

Clark was a bit disturbed by that as it reminded him of the time Lois was possessed by the spirit of a 17th century witch. She'd lustily given him the once over back then too, during Chloe's birthday party. Thinking back, Lois had looked at him in a similar way when she was possessed by the spirit of the school's queen bitch Dawn Stiles, coercing him into escorting her to his own high school prom. He had to wonder what she might have done if she'd drank that love potion-laced sports drink like Chloe once did because it seemed that Lois was all over him when not her usual self. Right now, she was clearly not her usual self but this time it appeared to be down to amnesia rather than being under some spell.

Chloe in her embarrassment avoided eye contact with Clark. This was a little titbit which was supposed to be a secret between the two cousins, just your typical girl talk, not to mention the fact Lois was suggesting she was in total agreement about Chloe's description of Clark. Lois found Clark hot too? She needed to get Lois home so they could talk in private and figure out what was going on. She also considered taking Lois to hospital if Lois started displaying symptoms which required looking at properly.

"Clark, I think I should take Lois home. Will you be alright to wait here until Lana gets back?" she suggested, hinting that he didn't really have a choice. He would probably only have to wait for another half an hour or so but Chloe felt it best to get Lois away from the hustle and bustle of the coffee shop.

"My parents are out in Metropolis for dad's heart exam. They're not due back for another couple of days." Digging out his keys, he handed them to Chloe.

With that, Chloe led Lois back outside and to her car. Lois glanced back and smiled at Clark. It was a sultry smile and that disturbed him too.