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Title: Smallville, Big Trouble
Author: Courderouge2006
Rating: T
Summary: AU Smallville. After one of his friends is killed, Sheriff Kent follows a lead to a reporter in Metropolis. Is this part of something too big for a country Sheriff and a stubborn big city reporter?

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Smallville, Big Trouble

A lone figure ran down the stretch of empty road, breathing hard. Looking over his shoulder, he stumbled face first into the dirt, immediately pushing himself back to his feet. "Oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god…"

Cresting the hill he saw a house off in the distance, the lights still on. "Yes, oh yes thank you!" He was running down the hill to reach the dirt lane when he heard it. An engine roaring. He wouldn't look back, he just kept murmuring as he pushed his legs to move faster, work harder. "Oh please… please…"

The SUV crested the hill, so fast it was airborne for a moment. The headlights illuminated the man as he tried to reach safety.

Feeling his will give out, he sobbed to himself and turned slowly to face his fate. "Fine… just do it."

//

The sheriff walked into Rowdy's, heavy footsteps echoing out through the usually noisy room. He looked around, seeing a very subdued crowd. One hand instinctively resting on his pistol, he touched the brim of his old cap, the bent brim frayed. "Hey everyone."

Greetings came from several places around the room, very quiet greetings. Walking to the bar, he looked up and noticed man causing the subdued atmosphere in Smallville's rowdiest (and only) bar. "Hey Travis. Bad night?"

The bartender looked at him with frantic eyes, gulping to find his voice. "Y-you could say that Sheriff."

"Well don't worry, we're gonna get you out of here, alright?" He nodded to the barkeep before following the barrel of the shotgun held to his temple all the way to the man holding him hostage. His hands were shaking, making it very clear this situation could go to hell very quickly. "Hey Jake. Think you can tell me why you're holding a gun to your brother's head?"

The twitchy man made a noise between a scoff and a whine. "Son of a bitch is sleeping with my wife, no brother of mine!"

The sheriff held a hand up. "Now, you and I both know Travis would never mess with Elizabeth. He got her this job Jake. He's just trying to help you both out."

"He keeps her here all the time, he's tryin' to make his move! He wants my wife!"

Travis jumped, feeling the barrel pressed into his head. "She asked me for more shifts, I'm just trying to help out!"

"You lyin' mother…" Jake pulled the hammers on both barrels back.

Moving fast the Sheriff grabbed for the gun, angling it up into the ceiling as the buckshot went off. In the confusion, he jumped on the bar, spinning around and landing between the brothers, ignoring the screams from the witnesses as the gun went off. Ripping the gun out of the man's hand he slammed his elbow back into the gunman's face. Jake screamed out, spitting blood onto the floor and rushed him now, only to be met with a hard kick to the gut, a knee to the face, and an even harder punch knocking him back through the air and through a table sending him to the ground with a loud crash.

Everyone in the bar clapped, cheering the sheriff for the damage done to the man about as much as the fact he kept everyone alive. He waved around before pulling the groggy Jake up by his shirt and pushing him into a chair, pulling his cuffs out. "Everyone stay seated. Riley you wanna tell Whitney and the other boys they can come in now? We're gonna need statements from everyone."

A couple of hours later, they had about wrapped it up. The EMT was finishing wrapping the sheriff's hand from the heat burn when he grabbed the shotgun barrel. Apparently, Jake had burst into the bar with the shotgun, demanding to know where his no good brother was and said that if anyone moved he was just going to open fire. Jake was stinking drunk, anyone nearby could tell that. "So where is Elizabeth now Travis?"

The man looked up from the shotglass he had just emptied, his hands still shaking. "She's at home. She asked off early because she felt bad she hadn't gotten to spend anytime with you, you dumb bastard!" He aimed the last of his tirade to his own drunken brother, currently sobbing facedown on a table.

Jake looked up. "I didn't mean it Trav, you know that. I just… my knee's been hurtin' and I had to get it to stop, so I was just havin' a little drink, and I miss Elizabeth, I never get to see her."

Travis lunged at him. "Then get your own damn job, stop blamin' your knee! You didn't make it to the Sharks, quit bitchin' and grow up Jake!"

The sheriff jumped between them, holding the brothers apart. "Whoa whoa alright. What we're gonna do here is take Jake in, and you're gonna be charged with assault, public drunkenness, public endangerment and most likely a few other things by the time we're done. Travis, it might be best if you go tell Elizabeth about this, alright?"

Travis nodded, followed by Jake lunging up at him again. "Don't go near her you bastard, she's my wife! You can't have her!"

The sheriff hauled Jake away by his cuffed hands, "accidentally" slamming him face first into one of the posts on the way to the door. "Whoops, sorry 'bout that Jake, maybe you should stop talking and just calm down, how about that?" He walked out of the bar, guiding the man to the back of a squad car and pushing him headfirst into the backseat, slamming the door. Brushing his hands off on his jeans he sighed. He noticed the Smallville Sheriff's Department patch on his shoulder was torn. "Dangit. Inconsiderate drunks. You try to keep them from saying something stupid and they go and mess up your uniform."

He was opening the door to his truck when someone ran up. "Sheriff we got another call. Hit and run out on the highway."

He opened the door and climbed up into the driver's seat. "Well, send Whitney out there, I'm gonna try to deal with Jake here."

He shut the door and sighed, rolling the window down when the young deputy didn't get the point. "Is there something else I can help you with?" He turned to face the kid, fixing his hat.

The rookie looked nervous. "Uh, well sir, Whitney's already out there, and… Whitney said to tell you… it's out by your mom's farm Sheriff Kent."

//

The truck pulled up to the yellow tape with a skid, blue light blazing. Clark Kent climbed out, pulling his cap off and running his hand back through his hair, putting the hat back on. "What do we have?"

His second in command, Whitney Fordman, held out his notepad. "Caucasian male, about 5'8'' I think, it's kind of hard to tell. His legs are pretty badly banged up."

Clark nodded, glancing over the notes. "Who called it in?"

"Passing truck driver saw it, called 911, state trooper was out here first, now they're pissin' and moanin' about being their case because he's on the highway." The two men walked up on the body, face down and just straddling the edge of the asphalt, his body almost perfectly spaced half on the road and half on the dirt. "It's close, I will admit."

Clark looked down, then up at the farm house. "Has she been out here?"

Whitney shook his head. "I ran up there to talk to her, she didn't see anything, said she might have heard a thump but it could have been on TV."

Rubbing his eyes, Clark sighed."Thanks for that. Rather it was you than one of these quota chasing…"

Whitney patted him on the back. "Not a problem. She helped me and Lana out babysitting, and she said she'll make her cherry pie for Kyle's birthday. Anything to keep Mrs. Kent happy."

Clark chuckled. "No using your son to blackmail baked goods out of my mom Whitney, I'll tell Lana."

"Whose idea do you think it was?"

Clark made his way to the scene, crouching down in front of the body. "Anyone got a glove?" A scene tech handed him a pair of rubber gloves. Pulling them on Clark patted over the pockets. "Any ID on him?"

The tech looked through a set of bags. "Name in the wallet was 'Eric Summers'."

Clark looked up quickly. "Eric?" He pushed the hair back off his face. "Is he ok to move yet?"

The tech nodded. "We just got everything we could here, we were about to flip him and continue. Pretty sure he was hit from the front."

Clark shifted to help turn him. "Alright, let's turn to my left, on three… one, two, lift." They slowly turned the body, one tech trying to keep the legs from flopping too much. Looking down, Clark grunted. "Dammit Eric, what did you get yourself into now?"He looked down at his old friend from back in school. Whitney came closer, whistling. "Wow… Summers? What happened?"

Clark shook his head. "No clue." He patted his shirt down, feeling a lump. Reaching in gently, Clark pulled his hand out, twisting it to look. "Is that a… this is one of those medical tags isn't it? For allergies and all."

The tech leaned over, nodding. "Yea. He had a major peanut allergy apparently."

Clark raised an eyebrow. "That can't be, I grew up with this guy, my mom made us PB and Js when him and Pete would come over to play basketball."

The tech shrugged. "There can be late onsets, just depends on the environment and all, genetics too."

Clark nodded, unsnapping it and dropping it into an evidence bag. He reached into Eric's shirt pocket and found something, pulling out a scrap of paper. He unfolded it slowly, blood staining a good bit of it. "I got a memo sheet from the Daily Planet in Metropolis and part of a name. Blood's covering too much." He pulled his cell phone out, snapping a picture of the paper.

He looked at the picture to make sure it took clearly, but noticed something in the corner when the flash had gone off. "Someone give me a flashlight?" He reached out to take the offered light, clicking it on and brushing the hair back from Eric's forehead near the road rash at his hairline. "John, is this what I think it is?"

The tech walked around, crouching down by him and angling his own light. "That's small caliber. Most likely a .22 caliber round."

"Any chance he caught a stray round from someone hunting around in the woods, car ran over his legs when they didn't see him in the road?" Whitney made notes on his pad.

Clark shook his head. "Doesn't seem likely. You know the .22 is favored by hitmen? Pistols are small, and the bullet burns up most of its energy going into the skull, it doesn't have enough left to get out most of the time. So the slug bounces around inside the head, shredding everything. One shot does a lot of damage. This just went from a hit and run to a plain Hit." Clark stood up, looking around the scene once more.

"Alright, let me know what you find, I'm gonna go visit mom, make sure she's not too worried." He stripped the gloves off, tossing them into the small trash bag set aside.

As he walked onto the dirt lane, one of the deputies stood up. "Hey Sheriff?"

Clark didn't even look back. "Yea?"

"You think if Mrs. Kent has any extras she might send some cookies to the station?"

Clark just waved back, ignoring the murmurs from his deputies, and the CSU tech who added "Think she's made cinnamon buns yet? The weather is getting colder now."

Clark knocked on the door before he walked in. "Mom? You up?" He walked through the living room and toward the kitchen, a familiar smell hitting him. "Did Whitney drop a hint earlier?" he asked, grinning wryly.

Martha set the pan of fresh cookies on the stove. "No he didn't, but it's been a while since you took your hard working deputies some home cooked goodies. That vending machine is full of candy bars and twinkies, that's no good for anyone to live off of during the day."

He sighed, sitting down at the counter. "And chocolate chip cookies are?"

"Whole grain cookies with low sugar chocolate, much better than a pop tart." She reached into the oven for a second tray.

Clark sighed. "That's it, I'm putting a block on the telephone at the station to this house and taking your number out of the phone book. My people run to you way too often."

Martha grinned, setting the cookies out to cool. "Any word on the man up by the road?"

Clark looked down at his hands. "Yes ma'am. It was uh… Eric Summers." He looked back up at his mom, seeing the shock on her face.

"Little Eric? How did that happen?"

Clark shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. No vehicle, no other evidence of how he got out there. He was hit by a car, his legs are pretty bad." He didn't want to share the rest with her, his mom was tough but that was a lot to digest if it was true. "Hey mom, when Eric would come around with me and Pete, you made us peanut butter and jelly all the time, right?"

Martha smiled and nodded. "Yes, I remember each of you liked different jelly. You liked strawberry, Pete liked grape and Eric liked orange marmalade. Why do you ask?"

Clark stood up. "No reason. Just some old memories." He walked around the counter, kissing his mom's forehead. "I need to get going, there's a lot of paperwork before this night is through." He turned to head back to the door.

"Clark, wait."

He stopped in mid step, grumbling to himself. He turned around to see her putting the cookies on a plate. "Take these in for the boys. And tell William there is no coconut in the macaroons, I remember he said he didn't like coconut." She wrapped the top of the plate and walked over, handing it to him.

Clark took the plate, looking confused. "William? You mean Billy? When did you talk to the rookie?"

Martha shrugged. "He was at the grocery store when I was picking up some things, he said he had heard a lot about the cookies."

Clark rolled his eyes, turning to the door again. "Love you mom." He walked briskly down the dirt lane, muttering to himself. Seeing the men finishing up the scene and Eric being loaded into the bus. "Are we done here?"

"Yea, the techies are taking him in, we'll call Ian to do the autopsy." Whitney made a beeline to the plate in Clark's hands before Clark pulled it away.

"Hey now, we have to be nice and share, don't we? Billy! Come over here kid."

The rookie jogged over, still nervous around the sheriff. "Y-yes sir?"

Clark pulled the saran wrap off. "Mom said to tell you the macaroons don't have any coconut in them. Cause you don't like coconut, right?" He grinned sarcastically at the rookie.

The newbie didn't catch on. "That's right. Oh that's so cool that she remembered." He reached for a cookie only to have it snatched back by Clark.

"All the others on the squad like coconut in their macaroons. And now they're gonna learn that there isn't any, because of the rookie. Ooooh it's gonna suck to be in your shoes, lemme tell you son." Clark walked off with the cookies, leaving the rookie back with several of the deputies moving to surround him.

//

Clark walked out of his office at the Sheriff's Department, pulling a fresh shirt on. Clipping his badge into place at his belt, he rolled the sleeves up. "Ian get here yet?" Someone shouted an affirmative and Clark headed to the morgue, grabbing one of the aprons off the rack outside the door.

Tying it into place quickly he stepped in. "Thanks for coming in Ian, good to see you."

The shorter man just grumbled. "Yea, like I had a choice. Eric was my friend too Clark, I want to find out what happened as badly as you do."

Clark nodded. "Well hell, just hit my mom up for a cake or a pie or something. Apparently that's what the rest of my squadroom has been doing."

"She's already making a pineapple upside down cake for Emily's and my anniversary. She still thinks I cook them each year for her."

Clark laughed. "That's only because you married an out of town girl. And you manage to keep her away from all the bake sale booths at the fairs around here. One day she'll figure it out, Ian." Clark walked over to the table, pulling a mask and putting it on. "Find anything yet?"

Ian gestured down. "Bruising and blood at the legs shows that he was alive when he was hit. COD is definitely the gunshot to the right temple. There's trace of gunshot residue on his skin and hair, this was close. Clark, I think someone hit him, and got out to finish the job face to face. Eric was… he was assassinated Clark." Ian looked up at his friend, emotion choking his voice.

Clark could only nod. He moved away quickly, tossing the mask and the apron off. "Thanks Ian. Anything else you find, let me know ASAP."

Clark slammed the door to the morgue open, pacing the hallway. Growling he slammed his fist into the wall, punching repeatedly, yelling with every hit until he felt the rage stop. Someone had killed his friend. This was… someone was going to pay. Turning, he headed back into the squad room. "Anything come in from the evidence?"

Whitney, held up a file from his desk, feet kicked up on the table. "That newspaper memo in his pocket, the blood took out most of the legibility, but they made out the letters S, L, and A. Maybe someones name at the paper? Slate? Slade?"

Clark grabbed the file. "My office, now."

Whitney followed him in and shut the door, standing in front of the desk. "What now boss?"

Clark sat down, rubbing his hands over his face, feeling the stubble scratch at his hands. "I told you not to call me that Whitney. You're older than I am."

He chuckled. "Yea, but you're the boss here Clark. You have the fancy Criminal sciences degree. I just got the job when I got out of the service and settled down with Lana and Kyle."

Clark grunted. "Just because most of the former sheriff's had bad luck doesn't make me the best man for the job."

Sitting down, Whitney crossed his arms. "Yea well, it's our people taking over the town now boss. It isn't Travis and Jake's dad and uncle in those cells now, it's Jake. We're getting old man, get used to it. And you are the best man for the job here."

Sighing, Clark unwrapped his hand, tossing the bandage in the trash and flexing his fingers, looking at the blister on his palm. He looked over at his second in command. "I'm going to the city. I'm gonna find out who talked to Eric and what he was involved in that got him executed on the side of the road."

Whitney nodded. "Alright Bossman, let's go."

Clark held a hand up. "You're not going. You're staying here to keep an eye out. You're the most experienced one here, besides me of course." He grinned.

Whitney raised an eyebrow. "Fine. I'll be interim sheriff for a day or two."

Clark walked over to the cabinet against the wall, pulling out a second smaller pistol, strapping it to his ankle and pulling his jeans down to cover it. Grabbing his TAC shotgun, Clark shut the cabinet and pulled his hat off the top of his lamp. "And if that rookie gets one coconut free macaroon, you're joining him on meter maid duty. Got me?" Clark stared his old friend down.

Whitney sighed. "Got ya."

Clark slapped him on the arm and was heading out of the office when Whitney ducked his head into the hall. "Hey Clark, what about me…?"

"You can wait and sneak some of your son's birthday cake smartass." He disappeared out the door, heading for his truck.

//

Several hours later after a long drive and a quick meal at a truck stop, Sheriff Kent pulled into the Daily Planet parking structure. Looking around he noticed his truck was fairly out of place among the hybrids, exotics and sporty cars littering the lot. "Well, here we go."

He walked into the front door, showing ID and heading through security. Bypassing the line, he walked up to the front desk, leaning over to get the receptionist's attention. "Excuse me ma'am, maybe you can help me?"

She didn't even look up, punching numbers on the phone. "Sorry sir, if you can please wait in line, I will be happy to help you."

Clark licked at his lip, feeling a little frustration come up after his long night, but he pushed it back down. Lifting the cap some and putting on his most charming smile, he tried again. "I do realize you're very busy this early in the morning ma'am, but this is a police matter and there is a lot of time sensitive information in the loop here."

The woman sighed in frustration and looked up… and smiled back. "Well… I'm sure I'd be glad to help anyway I can, Officer…?"

"Sheriff Kent, Smallville." He stood up, pulling his badge from his belt for her to inspect.

"What can we do for you here at the Daily Planet, Sheriff Kent?" She ignored the phone ringing in the background.

"Well, I found this at a crime scene down in my town…" he pulled the evidence bag with the memo in it out. "It's a memo sheet from here at the Planet, but the only writing we could get off of it was the letters S,L, and A and part of a phone number. Any chance you have a reporter here named Slate, Slade or something along those lines?"

The receptionist looked at the memo, turning green slightly when she realized what it was that stained the note. "I… I'll look through our registry, one moment sir." She turned to her computer, typing quickly. Several minutes later she turned back to him. "I think I found your reporter, please have a seat and I'll call up for them to come meet you."

Clark took on a look of hesitation. "That seems like a lot of unnecessary trouble. I'd be happy to go to them if you tell me where."

The receptionist looked around. "We're really not supposed to do that sir."

"Are you sure? I'd really appreciate it, and I'd consider it a friendly gesture of the good relationship between us now…" he leaned in to look at her nametag, "Gloria."

The woman blushed slightly. "26th floor, here's the name." She scribbled it on a scrap of paper. Clark took it, smiling brighter.

"Thank you very much, I'm not gonna forget this now." He tipped his hat as he walked away, noticing glances from several women as he headed for the elevators. "What is it with women and cops? I swear…"

After a fairly long ride consisting of having to stop on every floor, Clark stepped out into the noisy din of the Major Leads floor. "Who the hell would want to work here?" He made his way through the rushing journalists and ignored some of the more colorful language before he found the desk. Standing by it he noticed a couple of pictures, but mostly the fact that a tornado seemed to have hit the top of the desk, notes and papers and files strewn all over.

"Any particular reason you're invading my privacy there, Dudley Doright?"

Raising an eyebrow, Clark turned to see the woman from the pictures standing in front of him, a smart looking skirt and blouse wrapped around what had to be a very impatient package. "Sorry, Dudley's busy tracking down Snidely Whiplash again. Sheriff Clark Kent, Smallville." He held his hand out to her.

The brunette stared at his hand, her arms still crossed over her chest. "And what brings you into my personal space?"

Clark shook his head, realizing charm wasn't going to work here. "Well, basically I have a dead body on one of my highways, and he was found with your name on him. What can you tell me about your relationship with Eric Summers, Miss Lane?"

Chap 2

Lois brushed past the man standing by her desk, almost falling into her chair. "Eric's dead?" She stared at her desk, fingers busying themselves sorting through papers without really organizing anything.

Sheriff Kent saw the look on her face and took a deep breath. He could read people pretty well, and she was very shaken up over this news. He walked over to another desk and took a chair, pulling it close before he sat down in front of her. "I'm sorry to drop this on you so suddenly, but you might be our only lead at this point. The only thing we found on him was one of these…" he reached out to pick up the tear off memo sheets from her desk, "with what might be your name on it and a number. So, Miss Lane, did you talk to Eric Summers at any point?"

Lois licked at her lips nervously, not looking at the cop. "You should know that reporters never give information on any actual or potential sources."

Clark put the pad down and rolled his chair closer before spinning Lois around to face him. "I can understand all of that, but this man isn't just some body on the road, he was my friend."

She finally looked up at him. She saw his deep blue eyes shimmer, and she knew that he wasn't lying right then. "Look. I'm sorry, but I can't…"

"Eric Summers was a damn good guy. He always stood up for someone that was in trouble. He made stupid decisions now and then, but we all do. He was a teacher at the high school. He helped kids. So I have to wonder how the hell my friend ended up on that road. So if you have to be somewhere else to talk, fine. We'll go somewhere you won't be surrounded by other reporters. But I need to know what you know." He never blinked, never looked away. For the first time since he took this job he felt desperate. This wasn't as simple as some drunk ass in a bar or a still in the woods.

Lois set her jaw, breathing hard. She knew he was right but she had to keep that defiant edge to herself. "Fine. Parking deck C, ten minutes."

Clark smiled for the first time since he sat down. "Perfect. That's where I parked. See you then." Standing, he pushed his foot out, sending the chair back over by the desk he took it from and walking off tipping his hat to a woman after letting her pass by.

Lois just watched, her eyebrow raised. "What the hell is this guy, Andy Griffith 2k10?"

//

Clark sat in his truck on the phone. "Ian, you called?"

"Yea Clark, I found a few other things. Eric's shoes were worn out, but not normal wear and tear. There was a lot of dirt, grass and gravel embedded in them, and they were scuffed badly like he'd been running at a hard pace for a long time. His electrolytes were depleted, and his muscles were full of lactic acid. Whatever did this to him, it chased him for a long time. And a possible lead on the car, we pulled silver trace off of Eric's pants and a bone fragment from his leg. Based on the height, he was hit by a taller frame, we're looking at a truck or an SUV."

"Want us to start canvassing the county for Eric's car, bossman? Might be something in it to give us a clue." Whitney broke into the conversation.

Clark rubbed the bridge of his nose, tossing the cap aside. "See if Lowell County will lend us the chopper. He was on that highway, and we know which way he was heading."

The two men on the other side of the line mumbled then Ian spoke up. "How do you figure that Clark?"

"Well, we know which side he got hit from. Stands to reason whoever was following him hit him when they found him, doesn't it?"

He heard a sigh. "Boss, that's not exactly a definite."

"Well damn it Whitney, it's the best we have to go on right now!" He slammed the steering wheel, groaning. Gripping it tightly, he sighed. "I'm sorry. We all have an investment in this. Just… give it a try, ok Whit?"

"You got it boss, getting Lowell on the phone right now." Clark heard a door open and swing shut.

"Let me know about anything else, alright Ian?"

"Will do Clark. Hey, one minute, do you remember Eric getting his appendix taken out?"

Clark leaned his head back. "Not that I know, but couldn't it have happened during one of the summers or something? Maybe when he was at school."

"I guess, but I think I'd have remembered if he came through Smallville Med for it. Alright Clark, be careful. Something isn't right out there."

"You got it Ian. I'll check in later." Clark shut his phone, leaning back. This entire situation was getting worse by the hour. Someone had chased his friend down like an animal.

He was jerked out of his thoughts by a knock on the passenger window. Looking up he saw the reporter and unlocked the door.

After a stumble on the step side in her heels, Lois managed to pull herself into the truck. "Jeez, you couldn't find a monster truck to drive around?"

Clark raised an eyebrow. "It's a normal 4 wheel drive. It's not that tall."

"Yea well you know what, a black big rig with a goat head on the front stands out in this kind of place."

"It's not a big rig, it's just a pickup truck. And that's a Ram, not a goat. Now, didn't we have something to discuss?" he asked, pushing her out of her tirade.

Lois glared. "Fine, whatever. Yea, I knew Eric. He found something out in one of the fields around Podunk-ville and he thought it was something screwy. He came to the paper to try to talk to someone but he wasn't getting anywhere. I walked in right then and he begged me to listen so I did. I asked him for some more proof, he said he would call me after he had a chance to analyze whatever it was and he'd call me to set up a meeting. Whatever was going on out there had him twitchy."

Clark had to listen close to catch her last sentence, she was drifting away in thought. He watched her for a little bit. "So there wasn't anything personal between you two? Just one meeting?"

Lois turned back to glare at him. "Why is that any business of yours? See something you like Sheriff Coltrane?"

Clark took a deep breath, telling himself not to let her get under his skin. "Maybe, but the sounds associated with it are pretty annoying." He grinned, letting that little barb sink in. "And the reason I ask is because the evidence is looking like Eric was hunted and tracked down before he was hit by a car and then shot in the head. And if someone knows about the meeting between you both, it might lead them to you if they think he got evidence to you. That sound like it might be my business now?"

Lois didn't say a word. She stared, bug eyed and her mouth wide open but unable to speak.

Clark slowed his breathing down. "I'm sorry. But it looks bad. And I don't want anyone else disappearing over this before we get a handle on it. So, I'm gonna talk to Metropolis P.D. and see about…"

She held her hands up. "Whoa whoa whoa. Thanks for the concern, misplaced as it is, but I can take care of myself." She opened the door and fell out, managing to catch herself with the door. Straightening her clothing she slammed the door.

Clark jumped out the driver's side, hurrying to meet her at the back of the truck. "Look, I understand all this women's lib, politically correct stuff is most likely tattooed on the inside of your eyelids, but this is serious."

Lois crossed her arms, setting her jaw again. "Look Barney, I don't care what you think about me, but I'm not little Suzie Homemaker in the woods with nothing to look forward to but milking the cows and making my man's dinner, but…" She noticed him looking around, not paying attention. "Hey! Is there something more interesting to you than my rant right now?"

Clark reached out to her shoulder. "Miss Lane..."

"What?"

"Duck." He pulled her back with him behind the side of the truck, bullets ripping into the metal and concrete around them, shattering the glass of the cars next to them. He pulled her back to the driver's side door, opening it. "Get in!"

She was covering her ears, trying to step up but her shoes slipped.

Clark grunted, putting the hand he wasn't holding his pistol with on her butt and giving a good shove, helping her up into the truck before he opened fire on the sedan shooting at them. "Keep your head down!" He stood up before ducking quickly, bullets flying over his head. Clark dropped to the ground, seeing the car rushing toward them down the aisle to finish them off. Lining it up, he waited til the right spot… and then opened fire, taking the front tire and sending the sedan crashing into another parked car. Running over he slammed his elbow into the driver's side window shattering it and hit the driver with the butt of his gun, knocking him out. He stripped the guns he found down, taking the clips and slides with him.

He walked back to his truck, grabbing the radio and keying it up. "This is Sheriff Clark Kent, Smallville, Badge CNH320. Two suspects on parking deck C of the Daily Planet opened fire upon myself and a civilian. They are immobilized, weapons dismantled." He looked back to check the suspects, but he noticed something else.

There was a Silver SUV idling at the end of the row. It hadn't been there when he saw the car rolling into position. "Son of a bitch." He keyed the radio as he climbed in. "Second vehicle spotted, officer in pursuit." He dropped the radio. "Get out."

Lois looked at him, her eyes still wide in shock. "N-no."

Clark growled, slamming the truck into gear. "Fine, buckle up." He roared out of the spot in reverse, slamming into drive before he was even stopped and peeling out. The SUV was already on the move, heading to the ramp. Clark cranked the wheel, taking the truck into the hard curve sideways.

Lois gripped the door and the armrest, her fingers digging in for dear life. She was shocked by what had just happened. She was getting shot at and now she was in a high speed chase.

Clark refused to let off the gas, he wasn't letting this guy out of his sights. "Write down the plate, Lois!"

She glanced at him, and then back to the SUV. She wasn't letting go anytime soon, she kept repeating it to herself, committing it to memory.

Clark floored it when they hit the ground level, seeing the SUV a few lengths ahead. He was almost close enough when he heard a horn honking. Looking to the left he saw a car heading to the exit. Cranking the wheel he put the truck into a skid, stopping just inches from the car. "Move out of the way!"

The scared woman nodded just before a second car hit her from behind, pushing her into another vehicle near the exit. Clark growled out in frustration, seeing his only exit blocked off and the SUV now on the road getting away. He followed the vehicle as it rushed off and the noticed it. There was an empty area next to the parking structure in front of him, and only a metal between him and it. Reaching down he shifted the truck into 4 wheel drive. "Hang on Miss Lane."

Lois had enough time to look at him, confused, before they were moving again. "What the hell are you doing?"

Clark didn't answer, bracing himself when the truck shredded the guard rail and they dropped several feet down to the pavement. Clark didn't take the time to swap back before he was gunning it again, hitting the switch for his light and siren. Traffic stopped and moved aside as the truck rushed through the intersection, taking off after the SUV.

He was looking around for it, any sign of the SUV.

"There, to the right." Lois was pointing at an intersection.

Clark steered into the curve, gunning the engine. "Thanks." He realized he was probably scaring the hell out of her right now, but he wasn't letting this guy get away. "They found silver paint on Eric's legs. Height of impact tells them it was a truck or an SUV. This guy was watching the other car try to take us out."

He heard her take a deep breath. "Then let's get them."

Clark took a moment to look over, an amused grin crossing his face. "Yes ma'am." He grabbed his cell phone from the console, dialing a number by memory. "Ask for Whitney, tell him you're with me and you need a rundown on that license plate, ok?"

She nodded, taking the already ringing phone. He heard the conversation in the background, concentrating on finding that damn truck.

Up ahead the vehicle was going through another intersection into a short tunnel, an office complex above it with staircases leading up to an atrium. The SUV swerved, hitting the back of another car sending it into yet another car. Clark watched as the pileup started in the mouth of the tunnel, groaning. "Can't ever be easy, can it?" Jerking the wheel to the right, he aimed for the stairs, pressing on the horn. Thankfully he saw the people moving out to the sides. "Once again, hang on!"

The truck ran up the steps, jumping and bouncing but never losing control. Clark kept his eye out for the SUV through the glass looking down onto the roadway. He watched to make sure no one was in the way of the truck, finally seeing the end of the raised area. But everyone was huddled up by the stairs. "Ah hell… why not?" He pushed the engine harder, aiming right for the steel and glass rails at the edge and busting through them, feeling the truck fall through the air, the SUV just in front of him. His arm flung out instinctively to protect his passenger, feeling her hands grip at him tightly.

The truck landed on the back of the SUV just at the end, crunching it under them. They hit the ground and separated, Clark laying on the brakes and pulling the wheel to spin around, facing the banged up vehicle. He didn't see anyone in the driver's seat, but he wasn't taking chances. Pulling his pistol, he forced his door open. "Get down," he whispered harshly to Lois, and for once she listened.

Walking slowly to the crippled vehicle, he had his weapon trained on the door. "This is the police. Put your hands up where I can see them!"

One bloody hand slowly rose up into the window.

"Both of them!"

He heard a cough. "I can't. My arm's broken."

Clark gritted his teeth, not liking this. "I'm coming closer. Keep that hand up and don't move damn it!" He slowly stepped closer, keeping his gun aimed at the door and reaching out slowly.

Gunshots rang out, twisting the metal of the door. Clark dove to the side, hitting the asphalt, immediately training his gun back on the truck. The battered SUV suddenly cranked again, lumbering forward. Clark had to roll to get out of the way of the tires.

Standing quickly, he aimed his gun at the back of the vehicle. "Police, stop!"

The SUV kept pushing, lumbering back into the tunnel area.

Clark took a quick survey of the area, and fired, unloading the gun into truck, shredding the back tires but not stopping it. He started running, jumping over a car hood and chasing the limping vehicle, seeing it pull down into an access tunnel. "Damn it stop!"

The truck groaned to a halt just inside the access tunnel, and Clark finally saw his chance.

Right when he reached it the SUV exploded, rattling vehicles and throwing him back hard. The shockwave slammed the sheriff into a van on the roadway.

Clark's head throbbed. He reached back, feeling blood flow from his hair. Feeling something drip onto his right arm, he looked down to see his side bleeding. Pressing his hand to it, he growled, feeling the sharp pain. The last thing he remembered before blacking out was Lois running over and saying something… he couldn't understand it, but he knew it was loud.

//

Lois rushed into the room number she had gotten from a nurse after a half hour of arguing. She had to get checked out after there fun little carnival ride, but she wanted to know how the Sheriff was doing. In a matter of hours he managed to bust into her life, tell her someone she knew had been murdered, and then saved her from getting shot. He had also taken her on one of the most hellacious rides she'd ever been on, but she walked away without a scratch.

He wasn't so lucky.

She had done her best to keep him from bleeding out before the EMTs got there. She knew it looked bad, but maybe it wasn't. Maybe he was already up and walking around.

She rushed into the room and saw him on the bed, wrapped head to toe in gauze it seemed. She covered her mouth. He had looked rough, and she knew he had been close to the explosion, but she didn't know he got hit this badly. "Oh god. Kent? Can you hear me?" She moved closer, touching his hand through the bandages.

"Yea I can Lois," she heard right in her ear.

She jumped and twisted, ending up partway on the bed and staring at the lazy grin of the small town sheriff in front of her. "What the hell Kent? I thought this was you!"

He chuckled. "Nope. But maybe I should steal a few hundred yards of that gauze, seemed like he was getting more sympathy than I am." He turned to the other bed, reaching for a white tshirt that had been laid out for him.

Lois growled, climbing down and stalking over to him. "How could you… I was… I thought you were hurt!"

He raised an eyebrow. "I am. I have stitches in the back of my head, slight burns, and I took a bullet to my side. Straight through and through though, it's only a flesh wound." He snapped the tshirt in his hands out from its folded state, using his arms to stretch it out some.

Lois wanted to lay into him, but she was too busy staring at his naked top half. Despite the bandages on his side and a few smudges here and there… damn they grew them big in Smallville. Eric had been puny, where did this guy come from?

She snapped out of her stupor as he pulled the shirt over his head but that didn't help much. The fabric clung to him tightly.

"Clark Kent?"

They both turned to see an official looking man in a dark suit walk in.

"I'm Sheriff Kent, can I help you?"

"Yea you can. Detective Dan Turpin, MPD. Now would you mind telling me just what the hell you think you're doing tearing up half my city, redneck?" He stepped up to Clark, getting very up in his face.

Clark didn't back down. "I'm tracking a murderer. One of my citizens in Smallville was found dead on the highway early this morning, evidence led me to the Daily Planet. While I was there Miss Lane and I were attacked and I saw the vehicle we think was responsible for hitting my friend running from the scene."

Turpin put his finger in Clark's face. "That doesn't give you the right to destroy my town on some little backwoods chase hillbilly!"

"Turpin, stand down."

They looked back to see a woman walking in, followed by an older man. "Sheriff Kent, I'm Captain Sawyer. This is Commissioner Loeb. While we appreciate your reasons, you can understand how we take a dim view to vigilantism of this degree."

Clark stared back, eyebrow raised. "Vigilantism? I'm not running around in some cape and spandex, I'm trying to catch a killer. They already murdered one person, and if I wasn't there Miss Lane would also be dead. And your people had no idea what was going on. And before you start some inter-departmental BS, my office has already contacted the MPD and told them the situation, and the State Troopers know as well, so this is not vigilantism."

Lois had to hand it to the man, he didn't back down from anyone, not even the Commissioner. The phone in her hand went off and she jumped, forgetting she was still holding it. It was the sheriff's phone he gave her to call his people. She looked at the display. "It's Whitney."

Clark took the phone from her, holding his hand up to the Metropolis cops. "One minute. Whitney? Tell me you got something." He walked across the room to continue the conversation, leaving Lois in an awkward position right next to the people she usually tried, and all too often failed to stay out of the way of in her research.

"You found what? To who?" She heard his voice lower into a dangerous growl. "Great, thanks for the update. No I'm fine, I'll be back tonight. See you, Whit." Clark shut the phone, his back still to the group. She could see how tense he was, his back looked like a wall of muscle.

Turpin was the first to step in. "You shouldn't make promises to people you can't keep Kent, you're not going anywhere tonight."

Clark turned around slowly, staring at the detective with a dangerous glare. "Oh yea? Why's that?"

"You think you can pull this crap in the city and just run back to your happy little town? It doesn't work like that, we'll finish this downtown."

Clark chuckled. "That's funny, because I really don't see myself doing a damn thing you say right now, Turpin!"

"Just give me one good reason, redneck!"

Clark stepped up closer to the group, breaking his gaze from the short pissed off man and looking at the Captain and the Commissioner. "My apologies, and no offense intended to either of you…" he looked back at Turpin, "but maybe you could tell me why the Silver SUV I was after today, the same SUV under suspicion for hitting one of my people before he was shot in the head, and the same SUV being driven by someone who tried to kill me point blank, just maybe Turpin you can fucking explain to me why that SUV is officially registered to the Metropolis Police Department?"

Chap 3

Lois stomped down the hallway toward her door, alerting every one of her neighbors that she was in yet another of her trademark moods. Searching through her keyring, she muttered many impolite and not fit for public words.

Sheriff Kent followed her down the hallway, long strides interrupted by a hitch in his step from the earlier adventures of the day. After more "discussing" with the Metropolis Police Department, he was again reminded they had a certain way of operating in the city and told that they would be in contact with him.

Lois turned suddenly, making him stop short so he wouldn't run into her. "Well, thanks Mulder but I think I can handle it from here."

Clark sighed, looking at her door. "I'll sleep better if I make sure you are safe, Miss Lane. That's all. Just let me check your apartment, and I'll be out of your hair." He shrugged his shoulders, sending the message that she really didn't have much of an option here.

Lois grunted before turning and opening her door violently. Clark grabbed the doorknob before it hit the wall, his hand resting on his gun. "Just wait here, please?" He stepped through, hitting the lights and making a sweep of the bedrooms and bath quickly.

Lois was waiting impatiently with her arms crossed, tapping her foot. "Is it safe, or do you need to check my hamper too?"

Clark walked back into the living room. "Looks clear. Thanks. I just wanted to make sure everything was safe."

She scoffed, walking in and tossing her bag and keys on the table. "Well thanks, I guess. But I am fully capable of taking care of myself, you don't grow up on army bases worldwide without learning a thing or two."

He nodded. "I'm sure you are. But this was more to ease my conscience."

She looked through her mail quickly before dropping it on the table and turning to face him. "You know, we don't even know for sure if they were after me. Maybe the guy followed you back from Smallville and was tailing you, did you think of that?"

He nodded. "Yes I did. But maybe if he tailed me from Smallville, then he had an idea of why I might be coming here, and he might have figured out that you were involved too. Did you think of that?" He crossed his arms over his chest, grinning.

Lois rolled her eyes. "Well the least I can do is offer you a drink before you go," she offered as she walked into the kitchen.

Clark slowly followed. "Well, I'm still on duty, but I wouldn't say no to a coke or a bottle of water."

"I'd offer you some food but… well, let's just say outside of takeout and delivery, it's not exactly a pretty picture sustenance wise inside this fridge."

He chuckled at that, used to the fact his fridge was constantly restocked thanks to his mom, despite his repeatedly telling her she didn't have to do that. As she opened the door he glanced down, curious to see exactly how bad it could be in there according to her, when he noticed the silver line from the door further in pulling taut.

"LOIS!" He reached out to her, pulling her close before he pushed himself off the floor and jumped onto her counter next to the stainless steel refrigerator, bringing her with him.

Lois didn't have time to ask what he was doing before the explosion rocked her kitchen, shooting debris and expired leftovers all over the kitchen and bowing her fridge out next to them. She was pressed against the wall with him behind her, one arm tight around her and the other covering their heads.

After the echos from the blast finally stopped bouncing around he moved slightly. "Are you ok?"

She turned, seeing the concern on his face, and nodded. "Yea. How did you…?"

"There was a line rigged from inside to the door. It pulled when you opened it." He slid off the counter, his feet crunching on the charred remains of something that had been in there. He walked over to stomp out a burning pack of turkey before he looked back. "Are you sure you're alright? Ears and all?"

She slid down to the floor, almost slipping on some of the trash. "Yea, I can hear you. It's kind of ringing, but I can hear."

Already hearing sirens in the distance, Clark sighed. "I don't think the city is safe right now."

She looked at him after scraping the last of a banana off her heel. "So what do you suggest?"

Running his hand back through his hair, Clark grinned after a moment. "Ever take a field trip to the farm back in grade school?"

//

The battered pickup truck pulled in front of Martha Kent's farmhouse in the late hours of the night. After another run in with the MPD, Clark told them he was taking Lois into protective custody, which Turpin immediately argued. Lois shut him up by telling them if she was going to be hidden away, she'd decide with whom. And since Sheriff Kent was currently two up on them, she was going with him.

Climbing down, Clark reached into the backseat and grabbed her bag, slinging it over his arm as he walked around to help her down. "This should be off the map enough right now. And I'll have someone posted her to watch out for you and mom daily, so don't worry about that."

Lois was busy looking at the old red barn. "Sheesh, I feel like I fell into a warp and came out at the Waltons. How many other Kents are running around out here?"

Clark sighed. "Right now I'm the only one besides mom. My dad passed a good while back."

Lois bit her lip, realizing that her usual sass might be misconstrued around here. "I'm really sorry to hear that. I lost my mom when I was a kid."

He nodded to her. "It's rough. But it's not all bad. Mom's still around, she won't let the farm go just yet. I'll help now and then but she has workers come around."

They walked slowly toward the house, footsteps crunching on the gravel. "So what, you didn't want to go the farmboy route?"

Clark chuckled. "I went off to college, but after a little while some things happened back here that made me decide to change my major. I swapped to criminal studies, and a couple years later I took over as Sheriff here. That was seven years ago now."

Doing some math in her head, Lois grinned. "So now you're one of the old timers around here? The days of your youth gave way to responsibility and a pension?"

He turned to her, shock on his face. "Hey now, I'm only 29. That's not an old timer. They just decided I was most qualified for the job, and I brought in some friends of mine onto the squad. Yea, there's some younger guys coming in now and then, but that doesn't mean this old dog is ready to lay down yet."

She laughed. "I'm just messing with you. I'm not much older than you myself."

"Oh? So what, that makes you about…?"

"You've already tempted fate twice today, are you sure you want to go for a third time here?"

Clark held up a hand in surrender, still grinning, as he made his way up the porch and opened the door. "Mom?" He stepped back to let Lois go first, then followed. "Are you still up?"

Martha came down the stairs in her robe, her hair pulled back. "Hello sweety, It's good to see you…" She hugged him tightly, pulling back when she heard him grunt and felt him jump slightly. "What's wrong Clark? Are you ok?" She pulled back and noticed the red spot bleeding through his tshirt. "Honey, what happened?"

Clark coughed, looking back at Lois and then his mom. "It was nothing, just took a stumble and caught my side on a desk. The edge scratched me is all."

Martha raised an eyebrow and then pulled up at his tshirt. "Yea, and I fell off the turnip truck this morning." She slapped at his hand when he tried to push his shirt down and then gasped. "Clark Joseph Kent, what did you do to yourself?"

He was trying to think up a good excuse when one was brought up for him. "It wasn't really his fault, Mrs. Kent. He was protecting me and trying to stop the guy we think is in the middle of all of this mess."

Martha looked up, finally noticing the woman there. "Oh? I'm sorry, I didn't see you there. And you are?"

Lois looked at him with a shocked expression before she hit his shoulder. "You didn't even check with your mom to see if it would be ok for me to stay here?"

Clark sighed, stuck between these two women wasn't where he wanted to be right now. "Mom, I'll explain everything."

Thirty minutes, one redressed wound and some milk and cookies later, Martha was caught up to speed. "You jumped your truck off of a bridge?"

He glared at Lois for letting that little piece of info slip. "It wasn't a bridge, more like a patio area mom. No big deal. So, do you think it would be ok for Lois to stick around here for a bit?"

Marhta turned back to the young woman. "Oh yes, I'm sorry. I just got caught up in my son's daredevil antics." She said the last bit with obvious disdain in her voice. "Of course you can stay here Lois, anything you need." She patted her hand gently.

Lois was unsettled by the whole situation. She wasn't used to this type of… warmth as far as family was concerned. "Thank you Mrs. Kent, really. I don't want to be in the way."

"Not at all dear. It's not a problem at all."

Clark stood up slowly, grunting at the strain in his muscles. "I'm gonna go check in at the station and see if there's any news. There'll be an officer here at all times, either me or one of the deputies. I'll come back for the first shift tonight." He kissed his mom on the temple before he turned to the newest guest. "Anything you need?"

She shook her head. "No, I'm good. Thanks anyway."

He nodded. "Alright, I'm gonna run by my place for some clothes and then the station. I'll be back late. Don't open this door for anyone except me or another office."

"Clark Kent, I know what to do in my own house, thank you very much."

He sighed, walking out quickly and shutting the door. "This can't turn out anyway but bad."

//

He walked into the dark station, seeing Jake passed out in the holding cell and Whitney asleep at his desk, his feet propped up and his hat pulled low. Walking over quietly, he stood next to his snoring deputy before kicking his leg out, making a loud boom against the metal desk.

Whitney jumped in his chair, arms pin wheeling to try to stay upright before Clark grabbed his hand. Whitney blinked, squinting to focus his sight. "Hey bossman, how was the city?"

Clark sighed. "How do you think it was?" He pulled Whitney up before walking off toward his office.

Quickly resituating himself, Whitney jumped up and followed the sheriff. "Did you find out who Eric met up with?"

Falling into his chair with a grunt, Clark reached into his desk and pulled out a half empty bottle of whiskey. Whitney whistled. "Damn Clark, was it that bad?"

He didn't say a word before he pulled a shot straight from the bottle, spinning the cap back on. "I found her. She said Eric found something sketchy somewhere around here and was trying to get the word out. She only met up with him once, but now she's apparently on the list. Someone tried to take me and her out in the parking lot and then someone put a bomb in her apartment."

Whitney stared from his seat across the desk, unsure what to say to that.

"Did Ian find anything else from the bod… from Eric?" Clark stumbled.

Whitney pulled out the small notepad. "Just the silver paint, basic height of the hit, and the slug was too messed up to get any kind of a comparison off of."

Clark nodded. "I think we found the SUV."

Whitney sat up straight. "That's good, right?"

Clark sighed. "Yes and no. No because it blew up when I tried to get to the driver, so all the trace evidence that might have been there from when it hit Eric is definitely gone."

Sighing, Whitey rubbed at his eyes. "What's the yes then?"

Clark smirked, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small baggy. "I hit it with my truck before it blew up. These are paint scrapings it left on my axle and grill guard. So we have a comparison."

Whitney just smiled. "Good job bossman."

Standing with a grunt, Clark walked across to the window, leaning against the sill. "We might have a bigger problem though, Whit."

"What might that be?"

"After the chase through downtown and the explosion, Metropolis PD really isn't open to working with us most likely. They don't like hick cops bringing up accusations against them, like the fact the SUV was registered to them."

The deputy stood up quickly. "Whoa whoa wait. That chase on the news tonight, that was you?"

Clark turned, smirking. "That's the only thing you got out of that statement?"

"Boss, I saw a little of the footage on channel 9, you ripped the business district a new one!"

"It wasn't me, they caused most of those wrecks. The only car I hit was the SUV." He slipped his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

Whitney just laughed. "Wait 'til Kyle finds out Uncle Clark was the guy in that chase. He was staring at the TV with those little eyes wide as dinner plates, man."

Clark popped him in the back of the head. "Glad to hear you at least took some time to see your wife and kid today. You spend too much time up here Whit, you know being second in command means you can boss the others around right? Make the rookie take your shift."

Whitney shrugged. "Billy said he had a date tonight, had to head out to see her."

"That genius managed to find a girl to go out with him? He almost wet his pants when we had to do security for that beauty pageant at the Corn Festival." Clark grabbed his cap before heading toward the door. "I'll be back in the morning, think you'd mind spending a few hours at mom's place? I've got Miss Lane there, figured she'd be safe out here in the middle of nowhere."

Whitney nodded. "Surely. Riley's coming in to watch Jake, then I'm heading home to catch some shut eye."

Clark laughed. "You were doing that just fine when I got here." He disappeared around the corner heading for the exit.

Whitney plopped in his desk chair again, checking his watch to see how much longer until he was a free man.

"Oh yea, Whitney?"

He looked up to see Clark leaning back around the corner. "Yea bossman?"

Clark just smirked. "Don't call me Shirley."

//

Clark slowly stepped into the farmhouse, trying to step over the floorboards that creaked. He sat his duffel down on the counter and leaned down to untie his boots. He stood back up when he heard a grunt, just before something slammed hard into his back. "OW!"

He jumped forward, only to be hit again in the arm. "What the…?" Another crack hit him in the forehead. "Who is that?"

The lights suddenly turned on, revealing Lois holding an umbrella like a bat and breathing hard. Her mouth dropped open when she saw who it was she had attacked.

"Lois, what the hell?"

"Clark Joseph Kent! Language!"

He looked over to see his mom at the foot of the stairs, her hand on the light switch. "Sorry mom."

Lois put the umbrella down quickly. "Sorry Mrs. Kent. I just heard something and I couldn't tell who it was."

Clark rubbed his bicep where he got hit. "Pretty good swing you got there. Next time, aim it somewhere else."

"Yea well maybe you shouldn't be sneaking into other people's houses unannounced, ever think of that?"

Clark stared at her in surprise. "It's my mom's house! I grew up here! And I told you I'd be coming back tonight!"

"Well excuse me for being on edge when someone already tried to kill me twice today!" Lois slammed her hand on the counter, adding emphasis to her last words, the sound of her heavy breathing filing the room.

Clark sighed, seeing the obviously stressed woman trying to hold it together. "I understand. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have tried 'sneaking in', I just didn't want to wake you both up, it's been a long day."

Martha came down and put a comforting hand on Lois' arm. "Let's all just try to get a good night's sleep now, ok?"

Lois nodded and followed Martha to the steps. Clark grabbed his bag and followed when Martha's words stopped him. "Sweety, you won't mind taking the sofa tonight would you? We couldn't ask a guest to sleep on the couch, I put her up in your old room. And you can keep a better eye on anyone coming around." She smiled sweetly, a signal Clark knew meant there was no debating this subject.

He just nodded. "That's a good point. I'll take the couch." He tossed his duffel down and pulled his holster and badge from his belt when he heard Lois' voice.

"Clark?"

He turned back towards the stairs. She was looking down, biting at her lip gently. "Yea Miss Lane?"

She took a deep breath and finally looked up at him. "I just wanted to say… thanks. If you weren't there today, things would have gotten really bad."

He nodded. "Not a problem. That's my job." He winked to her.

After the women went upstairs, he kicked his boots off and flopped onto the sofa, his feet and hands hanging off the opposite ends. He sighed slowly. "Gonna be a long night."

//

Clark was woken by the sound of a door closing. Blinking, he saw the sunlight streaming through the windows. A quick glance at his watch showed him it was 7:45 AM. "Whitney's not supposed to be here 'til 9." He sat up quickly, tucking his pistol into the back of his jeans before he walked to the door, peeking out between the curtains.

A cable company work van sat in the driveway. "Huh…"

Clark stepped outside, walking around the side of the house and seeing a tech in a uniform complete with a tool kit kneeling down by the house. "Can I help you?"

The tech looked up, holding a clipboard. "Oh hey. This is the Kent place right?"

Clark just nodded.

The tech held out the board. "Got an upgrade package here, full movie channels free for three months, just a courtesy and a thank you to faithful customers."

Clark nodded slowly, looking down. "Ah k. Sounds good then. I'll let you get to it." He started walking off when he turned back around quickly. "Hey, you know, something's loose with the box and it keeps losing the signal or something, I'd hate to keep calling you guys out here to the middle of nowhere. Can you just show me how to fix that?"

The tech's face shifted, then he smiled again. "I guess so, but unlicensed people aren't supposed to mess with the equipment."

Clark stepped up to him. "Then I think you might need to step back yourself, agreed?"

The tech's eyes opened wide, then he was moving, his arm swinging around from behind him with a pistol in hand.

Clark moved faster, blocking the attacker's arm with his own, hearing the pistol go off. Then gripping the back of his neck, he slammed the tech's face into the side of the house hard.

Lois and Martha ran outside by the time Clark was walking back, dragging the groggy attacker by the back of his coat. Blood poured down the man's face from his nose and eye. Martha went to move toward him, but Lois stopped her. "Maybe just let him handle this one right now."

Clark dragged the fake cable guy into the barn, slamming him against a wooden support post. "Who do you work for?"

The tech groaned, still woozy from the hard hit. Clark pulled him away then slammed his body against the post again, jarring him out of his stupor slightly. "WHO DO YOU WORK FOR?"

The tech just grinned. "Go fuck yourself, hayseed."

Clark's nostrils flared, his anger rising quickly. "Wrong answer." He dragged him to the work bench, pushing the man's face down toward the bench vise.

"Wha… what are you doing?"

Clark didn't answer, his hand spinning the lever before pushing the man closer. He cranked it hard before hearing the scream, trapping the already broken nose between the metal plates of the work vise. "Who do you work for?"

The fake tech screamed out in pain, feeling his broken nose wrenched tightly. "I DON'T KNOW!"

Clark tightened the vise down. "Bullshit, who is it?"

"I don't know! I contract out, I go places people need, I got this call to come out here to the Sheriff's house and tap the phones!"

Clark's hand shook on the handle of the vise, wanting to push even harder and punish this… But he didn't. Spinning it backwards he released the perp. Dragging him back out of the bark by his collar he saw a cruiser pull up, Whitney already jumping out of the driver's seat. "Martha called, what's goin' on Clark?"

He threw the bleeding man over the hood of the car, pointing to one of the others that came with Whitney. "Arrest that prick, and please infringe on his personal rights while you do it." He pushed past Whitney and walked back to the house, stepping inside to see his mom and Lois in the kitchen. "Are you both ok?"

They nodded. "What's going on, who was that guy?" Lois spoke up first.

Clark brushed a hand through his hair, sighing. "He said he was a cable guy, and you were getting the movie package as a perk for dependable customers."

Whitney raised an eyebrow. "Well, he had the full get up. The van even has tools and all inside. What made you think something was off?"

Clark walked to the fridge, pulling out a carton of orange juice. He spun the cap off, taking a swig straight from the carton, ignoring the comment from his mom. "When's the last time you ever heard of a cable company showing up at a quarter to eight in the morning?"

Whitney chuckled, Lois looked at him skeptically, and Martha just threw her hands in the air before walking back upstairs, followed soon by Lois.

Whitney stepped closer to the boss. "So you knew something was off just because he got here that early?"

Clark scoffed. "Hell no. He was plugging something into the phone line out there, not the cable box. If I told Lowell IAD that I knocked him out just based on that other stupid hunch they'd have me on suspended desk duty for a month."

//

Clark walked into the interrogation room at headquarters, a fresh uniform shirt and his old cap making it feel like a new day. "Hey there, how's that nose doing?"

The fake tech didn't say anything, just glaring at him with two black eyes.

"Looks like that's probably a little tender." Clark sat down across from him. "So, Terry, why don't you tell me what you were doing at that house this morning?"

"Told you, I was hooking up the perk package."

"Well see now, that's where I'm seeing a problem Terry. Number one, you were connecting something to the telephone line. Number two, you don't work for the cable company, you never have. We've already checked with them, and the only connection there is you're driving a van stolen a few months ago from their garage. And number three, you already told me you work for some less than honest people to help get them information." Clark sat the file down, looking up at the bruised bad guy.

Terry snorted, and then groaned from the pain that sent through his face. "I just said what you wanted me to say. You had my face in a vice, that's police brutality."

Clark just smirked. "Terry, that wasn't police brutality. That was just a guy getting really pissed off because someone was on private property and pulled a gun on him. And I'm not sure what vice you're talking about, that nose looks like it got broken when I slammed you into the side of the house to disarm you. You were a little groggy after that, who knows what you were thinking about."

Terry just glared back at him.

Clark stood, carrying the chair around and sitting next to the handcuffed man. "Now, I want more details on why you were there, and how you were contacted to go out to that house."

Terry turned to face the Sheriff. "Screw you."

Clark exhaled with a loud sigh. "Terry, I know that you must have kept up with the news lately, a guy in your line of work would be up to date on the ins and outs of the world." He pulled the chair around to face him, Clark's face taking on a dangerous edge. "Someone shot at me and a person in my protective custody, and they ended up uglier than you and sitting in prison now. Someone shot me, and their car soon ended up a burning hunk of metal. But you Terry… oh ho ho… You came onto my family's land, at my mom's house. At the home of the dear sweet wonderful woman who used to bandage me up, and baked homemade pies for me, and tucked me in when I went to bed and made hot cocoa with the big marshmallows, not those little ones. And Terry, you were carrying a gun. What do you suppose that makes me think about your intentions at my mom's place?" The jovial, smirking country sheriff was gone, replaced by a pissed off, very angry son who happened to have a badge.

Terry wasn't sneering anymore. He stared back at the angry man, but his eyes twitched, jumping around before finally breaking the gaze and staring at the table.

"Now Terry, I'm gonna ask this one more time. And I don't want any crap answers from you, got me?"

Terry nodded quickly.

Clark grinned. "Good then. I'm glad we could come to an understanding here." He stood before pulling a pad of paper and a pen over in front of the trembling man. "Just write down some info here, how you were contacted, paid, all of that, and we'll go from there, alright?" Clark slapped the man on the back before he walked out of the room, nodding to Whitney and Riley as he headed to his office.

The two officers stood in front of the two way mirror they had been watching the interrogation through. Riley cleared his throat, catching Whitney's attention. "Uh Whitney… that was just part of his normal technique, right?"

Whitney turned to face the other man. "Nope. I've actually been in a couple tussles with Clark when he was mad, but that was different. Scared the piss out of me." He turned and walked into the interrogation room to finish up talking to the prisoner, leaving Riley to his thoughts outside.

Riley fought off a shiver he felt run through him. "Forget askin' about that raise now."

Chap 4

Lois walked downstairs in pajamas rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She grunted with each step, the fluffy bunny slippers leading the way. At the bottom of the stairs her eyes snapped open and she turned quickly towards the kitchen counter. That scent… that wonderful heavenly aroma… "Coffee." Smiling slightly she headed straight for the coffee pot, grabbing a mug from the cupboard and pouring herself a cup. Wrapping her hands around the mug, she smiled even wider and shut her eyes as she inhaled the deep rich aroma. After her first sip she moaned. "Oh god that is amazing."

"Mrs. Kent does make a good cup of joe, gotta give her that."

Lois looked up quickly and saw the deputy Clark was always talking to… Whitley? Winfred? Whitney, that was it! "What are you doing here? Isn't Clark taking a couple of days to stay around the farm?"

Whitney nodded. "Yup, but he also gets pretty antsy staying cooped up inside. I'm keeping an eye on the comings and goings of the house while he messes around in the barn, feeds the stock and all."

She raised an eyebrow when she noticed the sales paper that he was reading. "I thought that boy's toys got more expensive and extravagant when they got older?"

Whitney just chuckled, folding the toy store sales ad. "Yea well, kids' toys nowadays, it doesn't seem like that anymore. I'm looking for something for my son."

Her attitude softened some at the mention of his child. "How old is he?"

Whitney reached into his shirt pocket, pulling out a photo. "He's turning five." He held it out to her, showing a family picture of himself, his wife Lana, and a smiling little blonde boy.

Lois took it and smiled. "Cute family. Let me guess, captain of the football team and the cheerleader, went off to college on a full ride, didn't hit the juice so you would have to hang around the minors for a few years, decided you didn't want to put the family unit through that and came back home to grow up in a little slice of Americana?"

He laughed. "Not quite. Captain and cheerleader yes, college no. I went off and joined the Marines, got the money to help Lana through school, did a couple tours in Indonesia, took shrapnel to the hip and was Honorably Discharged, came home and married the girl, best friend used his pull to give me a job on the police force. Not that I'm not qualified though, I mean come on… the Marines." He gestured to himself on his last statement, smiling. "No better training out there."

"Hey now, you're talking to an Army brat here mister, complete with the Lieutenant General father and growing up on bases around the world." She crossed her arms and smirked.

Whitney held his hands up. "No offense, all the respect to your father. What kind of Jarhead would I be though if I didn't talk up my branch?"

She just sighed. "So where is your fearless leader?"

He picked the paper back up, flipping it open. "Out in the barn last I saw, loading the pickup with feed to take out to the pens."

Walking upstairs to change, Lois came back down in a Whitesnake t-shirt, black running shorts and tennis shoes. Grabbing a fresh cup of coffee she walked outside and down to the barn, looking for the man in question.

She found him tossing big bags of feed into his beat up truck. The sun was already up and bearing down obviously because Clark was only in his jeans and boots, a t-shirt was tossed over the open driver's side window. She stopped for a moment… several moments and watched him. The way his muscles moved as he picked up the heavy bags with seemingly no effort, the light sheen of sweat covering his torso, the way his butt looked in his jeans when he crouched to pick up another bag. "Whoa Lane, stop right there. Stay professional, stay professional. God you could bounce a quarter off that…"

"Everything ok Miss Lane?"

She snapped out of it and looked up, seeing him staring back at her. He pulled his work gloves off, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"Y-yea, everything's great. I just… was coming to see if you wanted some coffee, but you look plenty hot already."

He raised an eyebrow after hearing that.

"I mean, you look like it's hot out here, with the sweaty shirtlessness and all." She kicked herself internally for not making it any better.

Clark held his laughter back and walked up to her. "Coffee sounds great. I got an early start today." He took the cup and nodded his head to her before taking a sip. Walking back to the workbench he set the mug down and picked up a pocketknife, tucking it in his back pocket. "So what's got you up and around this early?"

She shrugged. "I feel like a bum if I'm not doing something. And I can't really work right now, sooooo…" She smiled at him brightly, "I thought I could help you."

His eyes raised then. "You want to help me? With farm chores?"

She put her hands on her hips. "Ok, maybe I didn't grow up on Green Acres here, but I am perfectly capable of a little manual labor, thank you very much."

Clark held his hands up in surrender. "Ok ok, no arguing. Grab yourself some gloves there and we'll head to the pens." He walked over and picked his up again, slipping them in his back pocket.

Lois grabbed the gloves hanging on a nail and walked over to the battered truck, pulling herself up into the now familiar seat. She had to bite back a whimper as she watched him pull his t-shirt back on. "So uh… what are we feeding?"

Clark chuckled as he hopped into the driver's seat. "Cattle and chickens. It's easy, just cut the bag and pour it in the feeder."

Two hours later they came back to the farmhouse. Clark hopped out of the truck, still laughing. He leaned back against the grill of the truck holding his ribs. "Oh god… that was amazing!"

Lois climbed down from the passenger side, her formerly clean clothes now covered in mud (she hoped), feathers, and feed pellets. "Not… Funny," she stated through gritted teeth.

"It was from my point of view!" Clark doubled back over, laughing hard enough to almost bring him to his knees.

"Oh that is it farmboy!" Lois jumped up and onto Clark's back, her arms around his neck. She held on tightly, not letting go even when it felt like he was pitching forward.

Clark caught himself on the fencing around the house, still chuckling. He jumped suddenly when Lois licked her finger and stuck it in his ear. "Whoa whoa! No fair, no wet willies!"

"You didn't make any rules, so hah!"

Clark was trying to toss the filthy reporter off of his shoulders when they heard a throat clearing loudly. Looking up he saw Whitney standing on the porch with his arms crossed and the stare Clark knew he used on Kyle when the boy did something bad. "Look at the two of you. Grownups acting like this. Kyle would even tell you to act your age."

Lois kept up her hard edged attitude. "Watch it deputy, or I'm coming for you next!" She resumed trying to noogie Clark.

Whitney whistled sharply to get their attention back. "Number one, I don't think my wife would appreciate it, but thanks for thinking of me. Number two, do I need to go get Mrs. Kent down here?"

Lois hopped off of him quickly, smoothing out her muddy clothing and grunting. "I'm going to take a shower. Again. Thanks a lot… SMALLVILLE!" She rushed past Whitney into the house, slamming the door behind her.

Clark watched her go, confusion on his face. "Is she blaming the town? Or was that aimed at me?"

Whitney scoffed. "Hell Clark, like I got the time to try to figure that woman out. She's all yours buddy."

Clark was about to respond when he heard a pop and a hiss. Turning around he saw steam coming from his truck and water pooling beneath it suddenly, a lot of water. He groaned, holding his face in both hands. "Not now, this is the last thing I need."

He walked over to pop the hood while Whitney came down and opened it up, stepping back quickly. "Whoa, bad news bossman. That's a cracked radiator, can tell that already."

Growling, Clark kicked the bumper of the truck hard… then watched it fall to the ground with a loud clunk. He took a deep breath, crossing his arms before looking over to Whitney. "I guess jumping off a bridge onto another vehicle isn't covered by that 'lifetime warranty' huh?"

Whitney laughed. "I thought you told everyone that it wasn't a bridge? Just a patio?"

Clark slammed the hood down. "It was over a road and high enough for a semi to go under, it was a damn bridge Whitney, call it what it was." He looked around the farm, trying to figure out what to do for transportation. There was his mom's car, but he didn't want to take away her transportation. He also wasn't fond of the fifteen year old Camry. He felt like he was in a sardine can when he had to use it back in high school. He suddenly smirked. "Give me a minute, I need to check with mom on something. You got time to help with a project?"

Whitney just shrugged. "Lana's got Kyle visiting Nell, it's either here or the station. And Billy's starting to wear on my nerves. He's so hyper about the big case we have going now." He shivered.

Clark chuckled. "Alright then. Get your truck and a tow strap ready," he tossed over his shoulder, jogging up to the house.

Whitney sighed as he walked to his truck. "So sure of himself, but that Kent charm doesn't always work on Kent women. He'll learn one day."

//

Lois walked downstairs after her long shower, finally feeling clean. She had seen Clark and Whitney were up to something from the bedroom window upstairs. Whitney towed something from a shed behind the house into the barn with his truck. "Don't even try to figure out what these people are up to Lois, it's like a bizarro world out here."

She came downstairs in time to see Mrs. Kent finishing up a plate of sandwiches. "Lois, would you mind taking these out to the boys? They haven't been in for a while now and it's past lunchtime." She held out the plate and a pitcher of lemonade.

Lois smiled at the sweet woman. "Not at all Mrs. Kent." She took the offered goods and made her way out towards the barn, hearing a radio going in the background. "Trace Adkins, whodathunk it?"

She had almost made it to the barn when she heard an engine rev loudly. Stopping in mid stride, she slowly stepped closer to the barn before something came barreling out of it, pulling a 360 in the driveway before pulling to a slanted stop in front of her. Clark pulled himself out of the driver's seat window, smiling. "Well Lois, what do you think?"

She hadn't even heard him. She was too busy staring at the machine he had obviously been working on.

Whitney slid out of the passenger's side window, slapping his hand on the roof of the car. "Well damn, I think she's actually speechless."

Clark laughed. "Make a note, this might not ever happen again." Clark slid the rest of the way out of the car and walked around to her, his arms crossed over his chest. "I take it you approve?"

She handed him the plate and pitcher, never looking away from the car. She ran her hand along the side, touching the deep blue paint. "1969? Am I right?"

Clark looked up at Whitney, impressed. "She's got a good eye."

Lois walked all around the car, entranced. "Where did you get this?"

"It was my dad's. We'd work on it here and there, but it sort of fell to the wayside when he passed. I'd take it out now and then, but mom wasn't big on driving it. She said it had too much power."

Lois scoffed. "A 1969 Dodge Charger with too much power? There's no such thing. This is gorgeous."

Whitney came over and snatched a sandwich from the plate. "Well, since the truck's radiator bit the big one, this is what Clark is gonna be driving for a while."

Lois looked up at the sheriff. "Can we go for a ride? Please?"

Clark's jaw dropped and he turned to Whitney. "I save her life, I get sass. She hits me in my mom's house, I get attitude. She finds out I have a classic car, I get manners. What is up with this woman?"

Whitney just chuckled as he took the lemonade and the rest of the sandwiches. "Like I said bossman, that's all yours to figure out. You two kids play nice now."

//

Clark drove down the dirt road, listening to the radio and glancing over at Lois. She was leaned against the passenger door with her legs stretched out up on the seat and her arms draped over the door and headrest. "That's not the safest way to ride you know."

Lois just chuckled. "Come on, this is the perfect way to cruise in a classic Charger out in the middle of nowhere. Besides, I've seen you drive in the most messed up situations ever, I think you can take care of me out here too."

Clark smiled. "Careful, that almost sounded like a compliment." He leaned back and stretched his arm over the top of the seat too, his fingers brushing hers. With a mumbled apology, he pulled back a bit.

Lois pulled her knees up against her chest and watched him as he drove. Gone was the uptight Sheriff who was always on the lookout for danger and bad guys. This just looked like a country boy who was having fun. He drove with an easy grace, moving over the back roads smoothly from the years of experience racing down them she guessed. "You look… happy."

He glanced back to her, still smirking. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Lois shrugged. "I don't know. There's a conspiracy out there in your town that got one of your friends in trouble, apparently we can't really trust the city cops since this looks like it's an inside job, and you're stuck on babysitting duty with someone who annoys you. Take your pick."

Clark opened his mouth but didn't say anything. He slowly pulled off the road and drove up onto a hill overlooking a pond surrounded by trees. Shutting the car off, he turned to her. "Well first off, yea I am pissed off about what happened to Eric but I'm gonna figure that out. And the issue with the Metropolis PD has me worried, but if it gets too bad I'll get Turpin a stool so we can finally have a real face to face argument." He smiled when she snorted at that. "And lastly, you don't really annoy me. You're just… different." He looked at her, studying her for a moment.

Lois looked skeptical. "Different? That's the best you got?"

He chuckled. "Look, it's hard to find different out here. Smallville is a pretty plain town. The occasional pot bust and drunken idiot with a firearm, but that's almost normal nowadays. But you… there's no easy way to describe you Lois. You're loud, outspoken, you have a fiery temper, and you don't apologize for it. That's refreshing to see."

She tried to keep her smile from growing too wide. "Careful there Sheriff, someone might think you were trying to woo lil' ole me." She batted her eyelashes in an exaggerated way.

Clark laughed loudly. "Oh, so wooing you only takes a classic muscle car and some sweet talking?"

"The car was definitely a step in the right direction." She winked at him to throw in an extra little tease.

Clark rubbed his chin. "I see. So…" he slid closer across the seat, determined to play her own little game just as well as she did. "Since I'm off to such a good start, what would be the next step?"

Lois looked surprised at his forwardness. Was Smallville stepping up here? "Oh Sheriff Kent, I don't think you could handle me if you caught me."

"Technically I've already caught you a few times Miss Lane."

Jutting her chin out, she shifted in the seat so she was on her knees, sitting closer to him. "Well, if you're so sure of yourself, what do you think the next step would be?"

Clark was ready to send the snark right back at her, but he couldn't. He looked at her… deep, beautiful eyes… pouty full lips… slightly messy but very cute hair… "God you're beautiful."

Lois was taken aback. She didn't know where that came from, but she liked it. "What… why did you say that?"

"Because it's true." His hand slid up to cup her face, his thumb tracing along her cheek.

She shivered. His hand was big, his skin rough and calloused from years of hard work, but she didn't care. She bit her lip and finally opened her eyes, looking back up at him. "Clark…"

He leaned in toward her, his eyes slipping shut.

She closed hers again, heavy breath rushing through her.

"Sheriff Kent? You out there Clark, it's Whitney, come on."

They both stopped short, opening their eyes again. Clark licked his lips before looking over at the radio clipped to the sun visor. "I… I should check on what he needs."

Lois nodded quickly, scooting back against the door. "Of course, go ahead."

Clark pulled the radio down with a growl and keyed it up. "Clark here, go ahead Whitney."

"Hey bossman, just got news from the Metropolis PD."

Clark grunted. "Lemme guess, an angry guy, sounded like he belonged on the lollipop guild?"

"Huh? Not sure what that's supposed to mean, but no. Said her name was Sawyer, Captain Sawyer."

Clark looked over at Lois, seeing the shock on her face too. "Clark, if the Captain herself is calling you, I think she's trying to reach out."

He nodded. "What'd she have to say Whitney?"

"She said she had news on the case. They found Eric's car at the Daily Planet parking structure."

//

After running back to his mom's house to change into his work attire, and arguing with Lois about why she needed to stay here, Clark was finally on the road to Metropolis. As he got closer he was swept up in thinking about what almost happened there with Lois. He rubbed his hand over his face and sighed. "What the hell is going on with me? She's… she's not the type of girl I go for. Of course that hasn't exactly worked in the past three decades, has it Clark? NO!"

He muttered to himself until he pulled into the parking structure, checking in with the man at the gate and finding out where to go. He found the car up on the third level with several members of the MPD around it. He walked over and found Captain Sawyer. "Thanks for the heads up ma'am."

She nodded. "We haven't been able to find anything out of the ordinary in the vehicle, just basic stuff like registration, insurance and a bag with some high school science books."

Clark sighed. "Yea, he taught geology at the high school. Was there anything that looked like a sample? Our lead said he found something out of the ordinary and was trying to get it looked into."

Captain Sawyer shook her head. "We haven't found anything, sorry. I did look into the SUV, and you were right. The VIN number came back matching one registered to our department. But the paperwork came through the day after the fire showing that it had been stolen a week earlier from the station garage."

Clark looked at her skeptically. "Stolen from the police garage? And the paperwork happened to come through the next day?"

She sighed. "It was dated the week before. I agree that it looks suspicious, but honestly in a city this size, I can't rule out that inter-departmental paperwork could have taken a back burner and not been pushed through on a normal timeline."

Pulling his cap off, Clark brushed his hand through his hair. "I'm guessing Turpin loved it when he found that out."

"Detective Turpin is a good cop. He's just… very emotional. You called his men, his friends into question."

"Well I'm sorry, but I get tired of people calling my ability to do my job into question because I'm Sheriff in a small town. That doesn't mean I can't get the work done. And I'll prove that to anyone who tries to say otherwise. Warn your 'good cop' about that, would you?" Clark walked over to the car and pulled the door open, leaning in. He went through the glove compartment and console, not finding anything, just like Sawyer said. Giving up after a while he shut the car and walked back over to her. "I have to pick up some of Miss Lane's files while I'm here, but would you keep me posted on anything you find?"

Captain Sawyer nodded. "I am sorry about your friend Sheriff Kent. I'll do anything I can to help you here."

He nodded as he walked off, heading for Lois' floor. Grabbing a box from the supply room where he was directed, he went to the drawer she mentioned and started pulling the files she listed for him, along with several discs. Finally getting all of them, he stood up and was heading back for the elevator when something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention.

Listening to his gut, Clark followed the mystery over to the copy room and looked through the window. He saw someone inside but the blinds were obscuring the view. Setting the box down he opened the door to find… "ERIC?"

The man in question jumped and turned around, his eyes wide. "Whoa, you scared me there big guy. Who are you looking for?"

Clark walked into the room, staring at the shorter man in front of him. He had on a baggy button up shirt with a camera strapped around his neck. "You're… you're Eric Summers."

The man shook his head, giving Clark a confused looking smile. "Sorry, but you've got me mistaken for someone else there man. Henry James Olsen. But most people call me Jimmy."

Chap 5

Lois heard someone pull up outside the house, and apparently they were in a hurry. Putting her laptop down she walked over to the porch and peered through the curtains. There was that beautiful car again. Something about it made her shiver. If she was completely honest, it might also have something to do with the driver who was out of the car and rushing toward the house quickly. She barely had time to move before the door swung open and he was staring into her eyes.

"Tell me what you know about Jimmy Olsen."

Stepping back, she was confused at first. "I uh… Jimmy? That sounds a little familiar."

"He's a photographer at the Planet. About this tall…" he held a hand up to his chest, "reddish hair, always has his camera around."

Lois nodded. "Yea, he started about a month ago. What's so important about him?"

Clark sat down on one of the stools at the counter. "It's just… a hunch. I think there's something strange going on, and he looks like he's involved somehow."

Lois grinned and walked over to the fridge to grab a drink. "I don't really see how that kid could be involved in anything sinister. Every time I've talked to him he glances at my chest and starts to stutter before stumbling his way out of the room quickly. He's timid."

Clark raised an eyebrow and popped the last bite of a cookie into his mouth, mumbling to himself softly. "You're underestimating the power you got there in front of you, Lois."

She turned back from the fridge. "Did you say something?"

He glanced up at her, looking innocent. "Huh? Me? Nope, just thinking."

She nodded. "Well, it's late. I think I'm gonna go turn in now. Did you get the files I asked for?"

Clark nodded. "Yea, they're in the car. I'll get them out, they'll be down here for you in the morning."

"Good. Maybe I can get some work done, not feel like such a lump around here."

He smirked, his back to her as she headed for the stairs. "You can always help me spread the feed again in the morning." He spun around to give her a reassuring grin, only to be met with a deadly glare.

"And you can always feel free to kiss my ass if you think I'm going near those demon chickens again, Kent." She turned back around to see Martha at the top of the stairs, a stern look on her face. "Oh… hey Mrs. Kent. I'm sorry, I didn't see you there. And I didn't mean that thing about the chickens, they're really nice, I'm sure I'd feel horrible about eating them one day, we got to be such good friends this morning." She grinned nervously.

Martha finally smiled and stepped down to the same step as Lois and patted her shoulder. "It's ok Lois, I hated them when I first came to the farm too."

Lois exhaled finally, relieved she hadn't upset Mrs. Kent. "Alrighty then, I'm going to bed. I hope I don't wake up to demon livestock or Smallville knocking out a fake cable guy again. Night."

Martha and Clark watched her walk upstairs. After hearing the door close, Martha turned back to Clark. "Did she just refer to you as Smallville?"

Clark shrugged. "Whitney and I can't figure it out either. Who knows?"

She sighed and came down into the kitchen, filling the tea kettle and putting it on the stove. "So, Lois seemed different when you left this afternoon."

He looked up from the newspaper he hadn't gotten a chance to read all day. "What do you mean?"

"I don't really know what it was, but she was… quiet."

Clark chuckled. "Yea, that's definitely a cause for concern."

She raised an eyebrow at her son. "That wasn't all though. After a while, she started asking me about the farm, your father's and my life together, but mostly she kept slipping in questions about you."

He stopped in mid movement, the paper hanging halfway folded in his hands. He looked up to his mom finally. "What… what kind of questions?"

Martha turned to the stove to hide her smile. "Oh, just things like what you were like as a boy, what kind of trouble you got into, movies and music and such. She mostly enjoyed the stories about when you'd get into trouble, like that time your father and I came home early and you were trying to clean up after that party your freshman year of high school? Or when you were caught with Alicia Baker in your bedroom."

The paper ripped in his hands when he jumped in his seat. "Mom! That… that kind of stuff is none of her business!"

Martha took the whistling tea kettle off the stove and poured herself a cup. "Sweety, she was just curious. And it's nothing that everyone else around here doesn't already know about. How is Alicia by the way, have you spoken to her since she left for Metropolis?"

He shook his head. "The last I heard she finished up her internship at Summerholt and was in line for a job at one of the hospitals out there."

She nodded. "Good for her. Who knows where she'll end up though, that girl was always all over the place, popping up everywhere."

Clark folded the paper and tossed it into the trash can, rubbing his hands over his face. "I don't know what's going on here mom. I've got a dead friend, apparently something not right around my town, some crooked police maybe, and… her." He sat back and looked up at the ceiling. "I just don't see the connection here. I need to know what it was Eric found. Obviously it was a sample of some kind, he knew what should or shouldn't be out here in the hills around the town. Since he was 5 his dad had him out there helping collect samples."

Martha walked around and patted her son on the shoulder. "Sweety, I know things look bad right now, but everyone around here knows that you have never let them down. Why do you think they chose you? Ethan was getting too lax and things were getting worse all around the town. Sure you might have gotten into some trouble here and there when you were a boy, but they believed in you. You've always been there for anyone who needed it. Don't give up on yourself now."

Clark sighed and looked over at her, patting her hand on his shoulder. "Thanks mom. That helps a lot."

She smiled. "Good. Now you need your rest. You have to show up at court for Jake's arraignment, don't forget."

"I haven't mom. Thanks." He watched her take her tea upstairs and sighed, flopping on the sofa before kicking his boots off. Laying down, he grunted as he felt his body twist unnaturally to try and get comfortable on the too small sofa. Clark sighed loudly to himself. "I miss my house."

//

Lois was asleep, snuggled warmly in the flannel sheets of Clark's old bed in his old room. She smiled, mumbling something in her dream when she sat up suddenly, awakened by a noise in the room. "Who's there?" she whispered harshly, pulling her phone from the table to use as a flashlight.

She was greeted with the sight of a nearly naked Sheriff standing by the door. Clark was only in a pair of boxers. "What… what are you doing up here?"

He walked closer to the bed, leaning in over her with his hands on either side of her body. "I'm finishing what we started in the car today."

Her eyes opened wide, shocked at his forwardness. "I… you mean… what about your mom, she's down the hall?"

He shook his head. "Don't care. I need you Lois. So bad." He pressed his lips against hers, a hard bruising kiss pushing her back down to the bed and making her whimper. Her hands slid over his back, clinging to his hot skin. He moved his lips to her neck, her whimpers freed finally from her parted lips.

"Oh god Clark. Please…"

Her pajamas were soon on the floor and she felt his eyes staring, devouring her body. He licked his lips and grunted before he dove back down.

She moaned, biting at her own fist to try and keep quiet. He was almost there, so close… almost in…

Lois sat up suddenly, staring around the room. Bright moonlight showed the bedroom was empty except for her. She finally took a breath, not realizing she had been holding it in. "It was just a dream. Just a dream." She pressed her hand to her beating heart, trying to calm herself. "Just a… damn dream!" She flopped back onto the bed, pulling the pillow over her face and screaming obscenities and curses into the fluffy item.

Downstairs, Clark sat up from the sofa gasping for air. His chest heaved, refilling his lungs. "It was just a dream… no big deal Clark. No big deal." He laid back down, rolling onto his front and quickly realizing that was an… uncomfortable option. Laying on his back he rubbed at his eyes and sighed, finally calming himself fully. "Everyone has those dreams, it doesn't matter that it was about… her. She's just the closest woman around you right now. No biggie."

He shut his eyes, almost drifting back into a peaceful sleep when he heard shifting above him… in the room he knew she slept in. In her pajamas. Or maybe something else? Maybe she just put them on when she was coming down, but she actually slept in the…

Clark grabbed his pillow and blanket and was out the door, heading for the couch in the loft of the barn. Maybe he'd get some peace out there tonight.

//

Clark sat in the passenger seat of the Charger, sighing. He had been ready to head out to the courthouse, but Lois had ambushed him. He found her sitting in the driver's seat, smiling like a kid at Christmas. She said she wanted to see how small town justice worked, but he knew she was just trying to get a shot at driving the car. After the restless sleep he'd had the night before, he didn't feel like arguing with her.

Lois was dressed very nicely, he at least had to admit that. Red blouse and black slacks, with her hair in a ponytail. She looked amazing, he had to admit to himself. He had been so busy thinking he didn't notice her asking him something. "Huh? Did you say something?"

She smirked at him. "Someone didn't get their beauty sleep huh? I asked what it was this guy did that you have to be there for."

He took a breath and settled himself, leaning back in the seat. "The night before I met you, he took a bar full of people hostage. Had a shotgun pressed to his brother's head, his brother is the bartender and owner out there. Jake, the gunman, thought his brother was trying to move in on his wife by keeping her at the bar working so many shifts. Truth was she asked for extra shifts because Jake doesn't work. He used to play football, but he wrecked his knee and he's hidden behind that for years. He's an alcoholic, but Elizabeth stands by him, she loves him that much I guess. Jake used to be a real stand up guy, but the knee and the booze haven't done him any favors. I've had to bust him a few times, a DUI and some drunk in public charges, but this is by far the worst he's done."

Lois nodded. "Yea. Liquor can… it brings out the worst in us."

He heard something in her tone there. "Us?"

Lois sighed. "Let's just say that growing up on army bases wasn't always the best influence. I could out drink Russians when I was 17. So college was just… whew. I got into a few problems because frat boy jocks didn't like being drunk under the table by a girl." She just shrugged it off.

Clark nodded. "Well, at least you realized it was a problem."

Lois just laughed. "Yea, but now and then I still get into trouble. There's the issue at my cousin's engagement shower that we shall never speak of again."

Clark chuckled. "Take a left up here." He pointed to the street into downtown they needed to take.

Lois followed his directions until they pulled up to the courthouse. He opened the door and slid out, turning to ask her for the keys when he saw someone who stopped him short. "Van."

Lois stood from the driver's side and heard what he said. She followed his line of sight before she chuckled. "Sorry Sheriff, but that's a limo, not a van. Are you sure you didn't hit your head in that car chase?"

He shook his head. "Van McNulty."

She looked again and saw what must be the man in question. A limo was pulled along the sidewalk and a young man with short hair was standing by the back door, wearing a black suit with an earpiece and sunglasses. She turned back to Clark but he was gone. Turning she saw him heading quickly down the sidewalk towards the limo. "Kent? What's going on?" She rushed after him.

Clark walked up to the man in question before crossing his arms. "Van. What are you doing back here?"

Van didn't even turn to face Clark. "I'm working right now, sheriff. Is that alright with you?"

"You're in my town, so no, not really. I warned you Van."

A sneer crossed his face as he turned to face the taller man, pulling his sunglasses off. "Yea, you did. But I'm back anyway, aren't I? What are you going to do about that Clark?"

Clark didn't flinch. He looked down, eyes boring into the tell tale bulge under Van's left arm. "You know you're not allowed to carry a concealed weapon Van, I've got you on that much alone right now."

Van's smirk twitched. "Well luckily the ruling of a small time, hick sheriff doesn't matter much in the real world."

Clark's nostrils flared. He leaned in closer. "I want you out of here, now. If you're not out of Smallville soon, I'm throwing your ass right back into the cell. You remember, the one you were in last time you were around here? The cell you said couldn't keep you in, but it did a pretty damn good job didn't it Van?"

Van's hand slipped into his jacket.

"Don't even think about it." Clark gestured down to his hip with his eyes, and Van noticed Clark's hand was already on the grip of his pistol with the holster clasp undone.

Van pulled his hand out again slowly. "Keep thinking that you matter Clark. That's got to be the only thing that helps you get through the day stuck in this shithole."

Clark heard a voice come over Van's earpiece, and Van moved away, walking around the limo and opening the rear door.

Following, Clark saw a group of men in suits walking from the courthouse, all of them hovering around one person. They filed into the limousine, finally giving Clark a view at the central figure. He growled under his breath. "Edge."

Van shut the door and headed towards the black car behind the limo. "See you around Sheriff." He smirked as he put his sunglasses back on and shut the door. Soon the vehicles were gone, heading out towards the highway he hoped.

Lois came up behind Clark, deciding it was best to stay back from the apparently volatile situation at the beginning. "What was that about? And why was Morgan Edge coming out of your courthouse?"

Clark stared down the road, taking one more deep breath. "I don't know. But I don't like it." He turned around to her again, gesturing to the courthouse. "Let's get going, I have to be there a few minutes early to talk to the DA."

Lois watched Clark walk off towards the building. She could see the tension in his body, and she knew this was a bad situation brewing. She also knew this wasn't the time to start asking for details. Sighing, she followed him into the courthouse.

//

The whole way home she hadn't been able to get Clark to talk to her. He was staring out the window, and hadn't moved at all. Once they reached the farm, he took the keys and said he needed to do some thinking, alone. She watched as he drove off in a hurry.

Whitney ran down from the porch. "Where's bossman off to?"

Lois shrugged. "No idea. All I know is he ran into some guy he knew at the courthouse who is apparently working for a Metropolis crime boss now, and he's been extremely moody ever since. He wouldn't say a word after we left the arraignment."

Whitney fanned at the dust still flying from Clark's quick exit. "Who did he run into?"

"Some guy named Van. I don't know what the deal was, I didn't get to ask him." She turned back toward the house in time to see Whitney glaring down the driveway, his entire body stiff as a board. He looked just like Clark had before. "What's going on? You know what's happening don't you?"

Whitney relaxed slightly. "I uh… I'm not sure it's my place to talk about it."

She sighed. "Look, I'm not looking for a story here, I'm not asking for intimate life details. I just want to know what is going on with this guy that had Kent looking like he was ready to shoot him down in the street right there if he even burped without saying 'excuse me'!"

Grunting, Whitney turned to the house. "Alright then. Come on."

//

Clark pulled off the road, parking out in the middle of some trees. He sat back, staring out into the woods, his eyes drifting aimlessly. He looked around, listening to the wind blow through the trees, inhaling the deep scent of the forest.

He sniffled, fighting back the burning in his eyes. He wouldn't give that bastard the satisfaction of causing him more pain… but he knew it was too late. He felt it no matter what.

Clark slammed his hands against the steering wheel, grunting. "BASTARD!"

//

Whitney sat on the counter next to the stove, wringing his hands together. Lois could tell this was something majorly important, so for once she didn't rush. "Whitney, what happened with this Van guy?"

He took a deep breath and looked up at her. "Clark was off at school. He was originally majoring in business, he wanted to study how to help the farm keep going. I was still gone, off in the service. Sheriff Ethan was in charge then. There's a group around here, an Indian tribe with roots that goes back centuries, the Kawatche. By dumb luck, Clark and Pete managed to find a cave that had a lot of information about their people in it one day…"

Lois held her hand up. "I've heard this Pete guy mentioned a lot, but I haven't met him."

"He went into government studies, he's working with the state senate right now. We have a pool running on how quick it is before he's governor of Kansas. Clark says he'll go for the presidency first though," Whitney chuckled.

Lois nodded.

"Anyway, the cave was found, and there was a lot of underground tunnels that led to other caves. The tribe wanted the right to study them. Only problem was that one branch went off into some private land. The McNulty's land."

Lois sighed. "Van McNulty."

Whitney nodded. "There was a girl in the tribe, Kyla. She did a lot of studying on the lore, and she was trying to present a case to the state that the tribe should at least be allowed to spend some time down there, but Van's father fought it tooth and nail. He was an old military man, he was against the idea of his own government making him turn over his land and his rights."

Lois took a sip of water before she looked up at him again. "But that doesn't really sound like it's a reason to hate someone as much as Clark does."

Whitney's eyes closed slowly. "Kyla was… headstrong. Made us all wonder why her and Clark got along as well as they did. He still won't talk about it, but rumor is there was some romance going on between the two of them. Anyway, she decided she was going to get a chance to look around the property and she headed to a culvert on the McNulty's land that would lead down into that particular branch. There was a barricade down in the caves themselves to block that path off. So, she went out there one night, and she was about to head down when… uh…"

"Whitney, what happened?"

He coughed, clearing his throat. "Van says he was out looking for something that had been after some of their horses for a while. A couple had been picked off in the months before, so that's not a lie. He said… he was out in a tree stand, and he saw something move, slinking around on the ground. He claims he thought she was a wolf."

Lois gasped, her face taking on a horrified expression. "No… he didn't…"

Whitney nodded. "The sheriff's official statement was that it was an accident, she was sneaking around and he thought she was an animal that was a credible threat to his family's property. Clark didn't buy it. He came back from school for a while, and he did a lot of research into it all. He found a paper trail. Van used a fake card and got a hold of some night vision device two days before Kyla died. And there was a lot of research on his computer that looked into personal property rights, what happens if you find an intruder or someone coming on your property when they're warned not to be there."

"Clark found this on his computer?"

Whitney chuckled. "Well, that came about by some slightly less than legal tactics. At least that's what Sheriff Ethan said when he tossed all of Clark's research into the trash. He even hired Van on as a deputy, said 'The boy's a damn good shot apparently!' And that's when Clark went back to Central Kansas U. and changed his major to Criminal Science. Couple years later he was back here in town, got elected Sheriff, and made firing Van's ass his first official act. They said he just walked in and told everyone but Van to leave the station. A few hours later one of the guys went in to get some paperwork and saw Van bleeding and locked up in one of the cells, cussing at Clark who was bleeding too. Pretty soon Van left town. I haven't heard his name mentioned once until today."

Lois stared at the counter, her hands playing with the glass. "That's… I can't even imagine. I can't believe Clark didn't smash his face in when he saw him today."

Whitney laughed. "I know. But uh… I'm not sure how Clark would take it if he knew I had told you this story."

She nodded. "I won't tell him how I found out."

Whitney nodded. "Thanks for that."

//

Clark pulled back onto the farm later that evening, walking straight out to the barn. He tried to keep his hands busy, messing with random equipment before he slipped, busting his knuckles open on the tiller when he tried loosening a stripped bolt. Yelling out, he threw the wrench at the wall hard.

"What did that wrench ever do to you?"

He looked up to see Lois in the doorway of the barn. Shaking his hand, he grunted. "Not in the mood right now, Lois."

She walked over closer to him. "I know what happened."

He stopped, his shoulders slouched. "Who told you?"

She shook her head. "That doesn't matter."

He laughed… but it wasn't happy at all. It was empty and hollow. "Whitney. Never could just leave it alone."

She walked over to him and took his hand, looking at the bleeding knuckles. "He was just answering my questions."

Clark pulled his hand away. "Stop digging into my life. There's nothing that special to go looking for." He stomped up the stairs to the loft, leaving her behind.

She stared at his back as he walked off. "You know what, fine! If that's how you want it Kent, then that's fine! But maybe some of us don't agree that there's nothing special there!" She stomped out of the barn, heading for the house and leaving him to his misery.

Clark paced the loft. The entire day had been hell. He kicked out at the desk, knocking it hard into the wall. Seeing a shelf give out, he groaned.

Crouching down to pick up the books, his hand stopped on one, his old high school yearbook. Looking at the dusty cover, Clark sighed. "I'm gonna find out what happened to you Eric. But I'm not gonna find out staying up here." He put the book on the desk and headed down the stairs, pulling the keys from his pocket. "Back to the city then."

//

Clark groaned, tossing the last file in Lois' desk back into the drawer. He looked through all the files she hadn't asked him to bring back, so maybe there were some other ideas in the files he took home. It would make sense she'd have the more recent information close to her, but he wasn't willing to go into the lion's den so soon after that argument in the barn. Standing, he stretched his shoulders and back before turning around, noticing the blond woman who had been staying close by since he came into the lobby. "Excuse me, Miss Grant?"

She was by his side quickly. "Please Sheriff, call me Cat." She smiled brightly, her hands going around his bicep.

"Uh ok then, Cat. Is there a break room around here? Somewhere I can get some water?"

She nodded, pulling him along with her. "Right in here, please, help yourself to anything you need."

He walked into the room and headed to the sink, grabbing a plastic cup from the counter. Pouring himself a cup he looked back at her. "I need to make a call back to the station, no offense but it's confidential information."

She smiled again. "Oh I understand. You know where to find me if you need anything." She walked out of the break room, leaving him alone finally.

Clark sighed in relief. She'd been breathing down his neck since he got here. Sitting down on the couch he took a gulp of the water, making a face. "Ah man… city water. I miss the farm."

He was brought back to the present moment when someone burst into the room. Olsen. "Oh hey there big guy. What brings you back here?" he asked with another grin.

Clark gave a polite nod. "Just looking into a lead on something that happened back home. What are you doing here, isn't it late?"

Jimmy went to the fridge and pulled out a brown paper sack, bringing it back to a table and sitting down in front of Clark. "I'm just finishing up the photo layout for the classifieds in tomorrow's edition. Need any help? I haven't been here long, but I know a lot about the filing systems and the records."

Clark shook his head and glanced back up at Jimmy, ready to say something… but he stopped, staring.

Jimmy took a drink of his soda to wash down his sandwich, then looked back at the sheriff. "Something wrong?"

Clark shook his head. "Not at all. I just thought about something I needed to look into, where did you say the records were?"

Jimmy smiled and hopped up. "Right this way. Glad to help."

//

Hours later, Jimmy walked into his apartment with a grunt. He set his camera down on the table and went to the fridge, pulling out a beer. He pulled the top off and took a long swallow, wiping the suds off with the back of his hand.

"Bad night?"

Jimmy spun around, eyes wide in fear. Who was in his apartment this late? "W-who's there?"

The lamp on the end table turned on and he saw… Sheriff Kent? The sheriff sat on his couch, relaxed and smiling.

"What the hell are you doing here? How'd you get into my apartment?"

Clark stood up, showing that he held something in his hand. He tossed a file onto the kitchen table in front of Jimmy. "It's not really your place is it?"

Jimmy's eyes went wide. "Of course it is. My name's on the lease. This is my stuff."

Clark chuckled. "You were doing good. But you made one mistake." He opened the file and turned it to one page in particular, pointing to a specific box.

Jimmy stared at the file, then back up at Clark. "What's that supposed to be?"

Clark took a couple of steps around the table. "That is the employment file of Henry James Olsen. And that is the medical information page. It turns out that Jimmy Olsen has a severe allergy to peanuts."

Jimmy's eyes opened wider if possible. He gulped, looking down at the page. "That… that must be a mistake. I'm not…"

"That sandwich you were eating looked good. What was that, peanut butter and… orange marmalade?" Clark took another step closer.

Jimmy backed up from the table. "It… it was… you don't understand." His back hit the refrigerator.

Clark took another step closer… and slammed his hand against the door right next to the whimpering man's head. "You're right, I don't. But you're about to start explaining, aren't you… Eric?"

Chap 6

Whitney sat on the couch in Martha Kent's living room. He had been volunteering to take most of the shifts out here on the farm aside from Clark. He knew Mrs. Kent the best out of the other deputies. She and Mr. Kent had treated him so well after his father died, and Mrs. Kent was a God-send after Kyle was born, helping Lana and him out with any problems and giving advice.

He was looking through the random channels on TV when he heard something outside. Turning the volume down he stood quickly, pulling his gun from the holster on the back of his jeans.

Lois was at the dining room table and after she saw him get up pulling his weapon, she slid out of her chair and crouched down out of instinct. "Whitney… what is it?"

He held a finger up to his lips and moved closer to the door, crouching under the window and looking through the curtain to the outside. With a sigh he stood back up. "It's just Clark." Holstering the weapon, he opened the door and stepped back, letting his friend in. "So Clark, find anything out up in the city?"

Lois stood up quickly. "The city? You went back to Metropolis and didn't tell me?"

Clark sighed and glanced behind him. "I found… hey, get in here!" He reached back out of the house and pulled someone in quickly, making them stumble and grab the counter to stay upright.

Lois sighed. "So you found a copy boy, what's the big deal?"

Whitney chuckled. "Copy boy? We don't have that much paperwork going on at the station boss…" Eric stopped in mid sentence when he saw who it was. "Eric?"

The man in question waved timidly at Whitney. "Hey there Whit. How's the family?"

Lois walked over to the trio. "Wait wait wait… this is Eric Summers? So he's been hiding as a newbie at the Daily Planet for weeks now?"

Clark shook his head. "No, he's about to explain it all to us, aren't you Eric?"

He nodded quickly. "Yea. Guess there's no other option right now."

Clark pointed to the living room and they followed Eric in there. He went to sit on the sofa until he was stopped by a shout from Clark. "Hey! I've spent a week thinking one of my friends was dead and it turns out he's been lying about the whole thing. No comfy seat for you, stand over there, and start talking." Clark and Lois sat down on the couch while Whitney kicked his feet up on the coffee table from the chair.

Sighing, Eric stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Ok… I guess… it started when I was down in the bottom of Carlton Gorge, you know where that girl Dawn had a wreck our senior year?"

Clark nodded, and Whitney looked over at him. "Who?"

"Dawn Stiles, Paris Hilton's evil, slightly cuter twin."

Neither of them noticed Lois glare at Clark immediately after the "slightly cuter" comment.

Whitney "Aahed" and gestured to Eric to continue.

"Well, I was down there, and the stream was up because of all the rain we've been getting. I took some soil samples and when I got them back to my office, they were giving some really strange readings. I mean levels were off the charts, even on my best testing kits. So I went back and the higher I went up the stream, the worse the levels got. I got out of the gorge and I know I was on some private property, I saw signs posted, but this was important, you know?"

Clark nodded. "Yea, I know. Keep going, no getting off topic about protecting the soil and rocks."

Eric looked at the floor. "Ok, yea. Anyway, I found a place that looked freshly dug up, and the dirt was… it was bubbling almost. Air was escaping from something. And when I tested that dirt, it burnt a test strip. Dissolved it. Clark, those things are made to test the acidity and base level of almost anything industrial, we test household items in the class to show kids the differences."

Clark sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "So you think someone has buried something dangerous on private property here in Smallville?"

Eric nodded. "Yes. But when I went to city hall, the records for everything west of Carlton Gorge are sealed. They said something about there being a potential sale of the land and it was currently sealed. But that shouldn't seal a publicly released document."

Whitney held up his hand, pointing to Eric. "He's right bossman, everything is supposed to be public knowledge at all times."

Clark threw a glare at Whitney before he turned back to Eric. "Where was this place?"

Eric fumbled through his pockets. "I uh… I noted the coordinates on my cell phone." He pulled up the note and handed it to Clark.

Clark stood up and walked over to Lois' laptop, pulling up a map program. "Let's see where this is." He typed in the coordinates while the others grouped around him. Lois leaned in close over his right shoulder and Clark had to remind himself they were looking into the reasoning behind a murder to keep his thoughts from wandering further.

"There it is." Whitney was over his other shoulder, pointing. "That highway right there, and the river up above it… that looks like the south part of Old Ben's farm, doesn't it?"

Clark nodded, and Lois turned to look at him. "But who is old…?" Her voice broke when he turned to look at her, their faces so close. She licked her lips and took a breath. "Who is old Ben?"

Clark had to take a deep breath himself. "Ummm, Ben Hubbard. He was a friend of my grandfather's, he ran a farm out here too. But he passed about a year ago. I know his son just leased out the land, he didn't decide to run it himself or anything. There's a family working the land, but I know the south end was always too wet and rocky to grow anything in. It drowned the plants and crowded the roots. Dad and me tried to see about getting rid of most of the rocks with him once, but it was a lost cause. That soil isn't good for anything except burying apparently."

He stood up and pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. "They said it was in the middle of selling?" he asked Eric, getting a nod in reply. "We should have access to those records. Is Riley on duty tonight?"

Whitney nodded. "Yea, he's in charge out there right now."

Clark dialed the station and walked around the living room. "Riley, it's Clark. Yea, need you to look into something for me on the city database… What?... Ah man, I'm sorry Riley, but that's just dumb luck there, I can't help it you ended up on the late shift with just Billy… What?... Riley I swear if you send him out here I'll… no I won't fire you, you're one of my best guys. That doesn't mean I won't beat the hell out of you, Whitney's here too, he'll help me." He glanced over, getting the thumbs up from Whitney. "He just agreed, so don't even thinking about it. I need you to look at the database and see who it is that's looking to buy some of Old Ben's property for me. Yea, through the land ownership files." Clark sat on one of the stools and waited for a couple of minutes. "What? What do you mean it says denied? That's crap, we should have access to all of that." He grunted, cussing under his breath. "Alright, I'll check in with you in the morning Riley. Thanks." Clark hung up the phone and tossed it at the couch, groaning again. "Someone's locking files that should not be locked. City hall isn't open right now, but I'm going in the morning. Are you good with staying here Whit?"

He nodded. "I uh, I sent Lana and Kyle to Nell and Dean's in Metropolis yesterday. Things are just getting too hairy around here right now, and the fact he's back from the dead…" he jerked his thumb in Eric's direction, "just proves my point. I'm here as long as you need me bossman."

Clark grinned. "I know that. Thanks." He patted Whitney on the back. "We'll see about getting them back here before Kyle's birthday."

Lois whistled from her spot at the dining room table. "Hey, as fuzzy as this 'Little House' moment feels Laura and Mary, you do realize that if anyone finds out you're digging into this, they're going to come looking again. He just took some samples and came to talk to me and someone died in his place, but you're talking about busting through red tape to get a look at those files."

"Don't worry Lois, we've kept you safe this far." Clark smirked as he said it, but the look on his face turned hard suddenly and he looked at Eric. "But she has a good point. There's a dead body with your face on it, I found you using someone else's name. I want to know what happened to Jimmy Olsen, now!"

Eric gulped loudly. "Can I sit down for this one?"

All three of them answered with a very loud "No!"

"I didn't meet Jimmy until a few weeks ago. I was in Metropolis to go visit one of my old professors and see about a field trip to the geology labs at Met U, they're so much better than ours at the school, they have the new microscopes that magnify up to…"

"Rambling!"

"Right, sorry Clark. Anyway, I was in Metropolis, and I was walking down the sidewalk when I saw him. And I was shocked, he looked just like me! And you know I always wished I had a brother or something, anyone to talk to in my house."

Clark nodded. "That's why you hung out with me and Pete so much."

Eric nodded. "So I walked up to him and started talking. He was adopted by his folks because they couldn't have kids, but then one day, surprise! They were having a kid, and they started treating him like dirt. They even gave the new kid the same name, James. They wanted to start calling him Henry and call their real kid James. So he said as soon as he was able, he left home and moved out here. He was a photographer and he wanted to work for the greatest paper in the country."

Clark sat back onto one of the stools. "That explains where he came from. Was he really related to you?"

Eric nodded. "We had a blood test done. We were twin brothers. I never knew my parents were going to have twins, I didn't know I was supposed to have a brother! So, I started talking to him more, and I was supposed to meet him in the parking deck one night a week ago to hang out, and we'd accidentally swapped wallets. We both have the old Spider-Man wallet with the webbing design." He realized he was rambling again. "But when I saw him he was getting pulled into a car. I didn't know what was up, I thought I might be wrong so I went down to his studio in the basement but no note or anything. I ended up crashing there on a couch that night, and the next morning there's news about 'Eric Summers' being found dead in Smallville, and I saw you come to talk to her."

"What kind of car?" Lois asked.

Eric shook his head. "I don't know the make and all. It wasn't really a car though. It was big, and silver."

Clark looked up suddenly, glancing at both Lois and Whitney. He stood up and walked over, gripping Eric by the front of his shirt. "Well why didn't you say anything then? You knew I thought you were dead, why did you let us go on thinking that?"

Eric looked terrified. "Clark, you said someone had murdered 'me'. I knew it had to be Jimmy, you said you saw the body. Someone wanted me dead, and they thought I was dead. No one took me seriously when I tried to get them to listen at first, so I knew I needed more proof, that's what I've been looking for all week."

"But you knew what really happened, that kid we found…"

"That wasn't a kid, that was my brother!" Eric shocked them all by grabbing at Clark's shirt. "I finally had a brother, someone who understood what it was like to grow up alone in a crappy house, and now he's dead because of me! You don't have to use the guilt trip on me Clark, I've done it myself every night, but if I don't get proof, then Jimmy died for nothing!" Eric broke down, his legs giving out from under him.

Clark grabbed his friend, not letting him fall to the floor. "It's… it's gonna be ok Eric. We're gonna find out what happened and who did this, alright?" He hugged his friend, sighing loudly. "We'll find out who killed Jimmy. I swear that to you."

Martha had heard the screaming and rushed down the stairs, seeing the group standing in her kitchen. "What in the world is going on down here Clark, who was that scream…" She looked at the person her son was hugging and gasped. "Eric? Little Eric? I thought you said…?" She looked at her son for answers.

He shook his head and mouthed "Later" to his mom. She nodded and came over to the crying young man. Eric shifted over, hugging the woman who was kinder to him than his own mother tightly and finally letting go of the grief he had been holding onto for so long.

Clark looked at the other two and gestured to the door. The followed him out onto the porch, Whitney shutting the door behind them. "What's up boss?"

Clark shook his head, pacing up and down the porch. "He doesn't need an audience right now. And mom's better at this than me or you, you know that."

Whitney just nodded quickly. Lois had sat down on the porch swing, her arms wrapped around herself tightly. "So what now? What's the next step Kent?"

Clark shook his head and walked down to the corner of the porch. He was silent for a long time, prompting Whitney to start walking over to him when he suddenly moved, punching the corner post hard as he could. Lois gasped when she felt the porch shake.

Clark hit it again… and again… and again. Every time he growled, louder and louder, until his arms were a blur flying at the wooden post. He finally stopped, his body rocking with heavy breaths. She saw both of his hands were red, most likely bleeding but she didn't move. Whitney did though. "Feel better now dumbass?"

Clark glared at him, and then looked down at his hands. He pulled his uniform shirt off and wiped at his hands, wincing. "No, I don't."

"So what was that about bossman?"

Clark looked around at them and then glanced at the door back into the house. "Someone is pulling a lot of bad crap in my town. I've got crooked big city cops, I've got crime bosses showing up here, I've got Van McNulty spouting his shit again, and I've got a friend who was so scared after someone murdered his brother that he couldn't come to me. He doesn't think I can help. So no Whitney, I don't feel better at all. I'm pretty fucking pissed off right now!"

Lois was nervous. She had seen him mad several times in the last week, but this was far worse. She could swear she saw his eyes glowing red in the darkness.

Whitney finally spoke up. "So what are we gonna do about it?"

Clark wadded up the shirt and tossed it down. "I think it's time we stopped just taking what they leave for us. It's time we stopped being late to the party. I'm gonna go into town, and I'm gonna find out who's behind this. And then I'm gonna bring it crashing down right on top of their damn heads. You in?" He held his hand out to his deputy.

Whitney stared at the offered hand and then smiled. "I've been waitin' for something like this since Indonesia, hell yea I'm in!" He grabbed Clark's hand and shook it. "But uh, if I get hurt you know Lana's gonna kick your ass right?"

Clark finally cracked a smile, chuckling. "Wouldn't have it any other way." Both men looked down when they felt another slap on their hands and saw Lois' on top of them.

She looked back and forth between their surprised faces. "What, you think you're going to leave me behind? No way. And I want first crack at the official story too."

Whitney laughed and looked at his friend. "I might not understand her, but I'm startin' to like her bossman."

Clark kept his eyes locked with Lois', and kept smiling. "Me too."

//

Clark walked into City Hall early the next morning, nodding to the receptionist and making his way back to the land records room. He walked in and smiled at the older woman behind the desk. "Good morning Mrs. Wopat."

She glanced up. "Well good morning Sheriff, what can I do for you today?"

Clark leaned over the counter and smiled. "Well, I was looking for a bit of information and it looks like there's some sort of computer glitch at the station because I couldn't access it there."

"Well I'm sure we can take care of that Sheriff. What is it you needed to know?" She slid her chair over to the computer and hit a few buttons on the keyboard.

"I need to know who's involved in the sale of Ben Hubbard's land."

The woman went completely still for a moment but recovered quickly, smiling at him. "Well, I… Let me look that up for you Sheriff." She typed several things into the computer before she gave him another forced smile. "Well it seems I'm not able to bring that information up myself. I'm sorry, I'll contact the front and I'm sure we'll be able to get you the information within a couple of days."

Clark kept grinning. "Now see, I was kind of expecting something like that. But here's what I need from you ma'am, I need you to tell me what is on your screen there, because I can see in your glasses you don't have the same denied screen I got when I tried it."

Mrs. Wopat looked down at the desk, a distressed expression on her face. "Sheriff, I can't do that. We've been… 'asked'… to keep this information private."

Clark smiled at her again. "Ma'am, I know you and your husband have always been really close to my family. Your husband and my dad were really close friends. And that's mostly why I haven't come out to the woods, destroyed Mr. Wopat's still, and arrested him for moonshining. I know he only makes a little bit for his friends and all, but it's still illegal. So, seeing as how I am doing you a favor ma'am, I would really appreciate if you did one for me in return."

She stared up at the young man, shocked he would even bring this up. "You… you wouldn't…"

"Mrs. Wopat, something very bad is happening in my town. And if I'm going to stop it, I need to know what is on that screen. You don't have to say a word, but isn't it about time for you to go take a coffee break?" He motioned to the door with his eyes.

She looked at the door and nodded. "I… think you're right Clark." She stood quickly and walked out from behind the desk, walking past him without another glance.

"Thanks a lot Mrs. Wopat, tell Tom hello if you don't mind," Clark waved as she walked out of the room and he walked over to lock the door quickly. Running around, he looked at the screen. It was full of corporate lingo and legalities. Hitting print, he snapped his fingers waiting for the paper to finally come out. Grabbing it, he folded it quickly and stuffed it into his back pocket. Shutting the program down, he hurried from behind the desk and unlocked the door before walking back out of City Hall, giving the receptionist another wave.

Climbing into the Charger, he started it up quickly and gunned the engine, heading back for the farm. It was time to get answers.

//

Lois and Whitney had been working on the laptop all morning, trying to find out anything else they could about the land but hadn't gotten anywhere. Eric was still asleep on the couch and Martha was busy making breakfast. In spite of all the drama that was going on, she enjoyed having so many people around the house again. She felt good being able to cook and provide for several of her "boys" again, and her new "girl" too. She was smiling when Clark burst through the door with a piece of paper in his hand. "Clark, are you alright?"

He nodded, rushing towards Whitney and Lois before stopping again. "Oh yea, Mrs. Wopat says hello." He walked over to the dining room table and unfolded the paper. "I got the information. But there's no name, just a company."

Lois looked over the information, then snapped her fingers. "I've heard of this company. It's a front company."

Whitney looked at both of them. "Front company?"

She nodded. "Corporations use them when they don't want a lot of attention being brought to their business, and they even manage to use it to cheat on taxes most of the time." She rubbed at her temples. "Think Lane, think. You've heard this name before."

Whitney picked up the paper, looking over it. "Hauer Industries?"

Lois snapped her fingers. "That's it! I've seen that name on a list one of the others was working on for an expose on corporate piracy!"

"Do you remember who it was linked to?" Clark sat down across from her.

She smirked at him. "Hauer Industries can be traced through four other false companies, all of which lead back to back to Galaxy Communications, founded by the infamous Metropolis crime lord…"

"Morgan Edge." Clark sat back in the chair, stunned. "Why didn't I see that? All of this starts up and he's suddenly appearing in Smallville. Stupid, stupid…"

Whitney sat down at the head of the table. "Whoa now, no one figured this out. Eric was even trying to track them down and he had no clue that Edge was involved. So now we know who is involved here, we know where to start."

Clark nodded and stood up. "Well, if we're going to get started we need to…" Shattering glass burst through the room, making everyone duck… except for Clark. Lois looked out from under the table in time to see him standing in shock against the wall, looking down at a smoking hole in his chest.

"CLARK!"

She tried to crawl over before the rest of the windows burst in as well. Whitney grabbed her and pulled her toward the kitchen. "Lois come on!"

They found Mrs. Kent on the floor of the kitchen leaning against the cupboards under the sink. "Where are Clark and Eric?" she shouted to them over the sound of gunfire.

Lois couldn't say anything. She felt her throat closing up and her chest tightening. Whitney looked around the counter and saw Eric on the floor, hiding under a couch cushion. "Eric, get over here!"

He shook his head, not moving.

"Dammit Eric, move! We gotta get out of here!"

He finally nodded, holding the cushion over his head and started to crawl toward Whitney. He was almost to the counter when the kitchen door slammed open, spraying glass over the cushion and him. Scared, he looked out from the cushion and saw a man standing in the doorway in all black, a shotgun in his hands. "That isn't gonna cut it man." He grinned as he cocked the shotgun, aiming it down at Eric.

Eric covered up as much as he could again, realizing fate had caught up to him now… and he heard the shot. Opening one eye, he realized he didn't feel any more… blown apart. Looking over he saw the man on the floor of the house, blood coming from a hole between his eyes. Looking around, he saw the reason in the dining room.

Clark stood with his arm out, holding his smoking pistol. "Let's go!" he shouted out above the rest of the noise.

Eric scrambled over to him, then Whitney pulled the others up and they moved quickly. Lois stared at Clark in shock. "You're… I saw you…" She ran her fingers over his chest, ripping his ruined shirt open and saw the Kevlar vest he wore under it.

Clark just shrugged. "It was a hunch."

Clark moved toward the back of the house and opened the door, looking around. "Get them to the storm cellar Whitney. Stay there. Keep them safe, understand me?"

His second in command looked hesitant, but nodded. "Alright."

Clark stepped out onto the porch, looking around with his weapon raised. He gestured to Whitney, and they started running. He watched them pile into the shelter before he noticed another gunman out by the shed, his weapon raised and pointed at Whitney. Clark moved quickly, firing several rounds at the half empty propane tanks down by the man's feet and smiling slightly when he saw them explode, launching the bastard away. He saw Whitney gesture an OK to him before pulling the storm cellar shut behind them.

Clark only had a moment of peace before he was rocked from behind. Hitting his knees, he rolled down the steps to the grass quickly and turned, seeing another man dressed in black with a shotgun run over to look at him. He noticed Clark still moving and quickly chambered a new shell, but he wasn't fast enough. Clark aimed and shot twice, dropping him quickly. Pushing himself up to his feet, Clark groaned, realizing he took a round of shot at close range to the back. Thank God he grabbed that vest this morning before he went to the town.

Walking down the side of the house, Clark saw another attacker crouched by the front porch. Moving quietly, he slapped a hand over his mouth and pressed the barrel of his pistol to the man's temple. "Drop it, now!" The gunman grunted, but did as he was told. "How many of you are there?"

The gunman grumbled again, then whimpered when Clark pressed the barrel tighter against his head. "Six!"

Clark nodded and pulled him back from the porch and away from his weapon. "Where are the others?"

"Two went out back, two in the house and one in the barn. I was here to catch any runners."

Clark's vision blurred with rage, hearing him talk so easily about what he'd have done to his friends and family. "Let's go." Clark started moving away toward the barn when he heard more shots and felt the man in his grasp jerk before going limp. He looked at the barn and saw another gunman with his weapon trained at Clark. He'd just shot his own man. Clark dove behind a tree, trying to stay clear of the bullets he heard going off and slamming into the ground and the tree. Crawling, he moved over around the other trees and looked for the gunman. He was heading toward the spot Clark had just been quickly, his weapon still aimed.

Popping his clip, Clark saw he was down to two rounds. He reached to his belt for his extra cartridges, only to find them gone. They must have slipped out amidst all the being shot and whatnot. Looking around, he saw the axe stuck in the stump he split wood on for his mom in the winter. Holstering his pistol, he moved quietly, pulling the axe loose. As long as he had the element of surprise, he'd use it.

He moved around the trees and closer to the gunman. When the attacker turned around to head back toward the house, Clark used the blunt side of the axe head to knock the gun out of his hands and hit the man in the chest. "Just stop now, and you won't get hurt."

The gunman smiled and reached behind him, pulling a ka-bar knife out of his gear. Clark watched the weapon, keeping his eye on it and missed the wild punch thrown to his right. Rocked by the hit, Clark jumped back away from the slash, feeling the knife slice into his arm. Trying to block the next move, he felt the attacker slash at his leg near the hip. Grunting, Clark chuckled ominously. "You're pissin' me off, you know that?"

The gunman just laughed, spinning the knife in his hand until he was holding it upside down, raising it up to move in for a hard stab.

Clark was faster. Running at the attacker, he swung the axe in a hard baseball swing, burying it deep in the gunman's belly with a roar.

He stood back, watching the man fall to the ground with a shocked look on his face. "Warned you." Clark wiped at the blood on his face from the slash to his arm when he suddenly thought. One in the kitchen, two out back, two here at the side of the house…

One more was in the house.

Pulling his pistol again, he ran up the porch steps, only to duck back when he saw the last man aiming from the dining room. He moved back just outside the door right before gunfire heated up the air where he'd been standing.

"Nothing personal, you understand. This is just business!"

Clark fumed, spinning into the doorway and aiming where the gunman had been, firing both rounds… and hitting the wall. He'd moved over to get cover at the entry way. Clark cussed as he started to move, only to feel a bullet rip into his left arm.

The gunman laughed. "I'll be right back, I need to take care of something out back first."

Clark leaned around the doorway again, having to duck when more gunshots rang out. He was stuck with no bullets against an armed killer. Clark looked around the corner again and saw his back as he ran out the doorway, trying to figure out what to do… and he saw the body in front of him.

The last gunman stood by the storm cellar door, pulling on it. It was barred from the inside. "Got to do this the hard way I guess." He reached to his vest and pulled a grenade from it, taking a few steps back toward the still smoking shed and pulled the pin with his teeth. He pulled his arm back to toss it.

"Hey!"

Turning to the shout he saw Clark standing at the foot of the porch steps. Clark smirked and added, "Nothing personal."

The gunman pulled his pistol from his hip, aiming it at Clark.

Clark was faster, pulling the shotgun out from behind his right leg and firing it one handed.

The gunman dropped his gun, and his grenade, hitting his knees as he looked at the smoking mess that was his chest.

Clark's face twisted into a snarl. "It's just business."

The gunman fell forward, right on top of the grenade, a split second before it went off.

Clark looked at the gore and damage around the backyard, then shut his eyes tightly. He blocked out the pain and the memories of what he'd just done and walked to the storm cellar. "Whitney, it's me. Come on out."

He heard metal sliding a moment later and the door slowly pushed open. Seeing it was Clark, Whitney tossed the doors over and climbed out quickly. "Are you alright? Jesus Clark, what did they do to you?"

He waved him off. "I'm fine. Are you all ok?" He looked as everyone came up the stairs, seeing Lois walk up helping Martha along. His mom was holding her arm. "What happened?"

She huffed. "It was just a piece of glass, when the windows started breaking. It's nothing, I'm fine."

Clark growled. He was even more pissed off now. "They're all gone now. I need to make a call." He turned back to the house and started walking, undoing the vest with one hand and tossing it to the ground. "Everyone get what you need, we're going to the station."

//

Clark sat in his office. He was shirtless as one of the local EMT's was looking at his wounds. The knife wounds were taken care of already last was the bullet wound. "You're lucky Clark, it missed the axillary artery."

Clark grunted. "Am I good to go?"

"Will it do me any good to tell you to take it easy with this arm?"

Clark just looked over at him.

The EMT chuckled. "You never learn. You'll be fine, just please… take it easy."

Clark reached for a red button up shirt, pulling it on slowly. He sat at his desk just when the doors banged open again and Lois and Whitney came in. "Are you alright? What did they say?"

Clark felt touched for a moment. She sounded concerned. "I'm fine. I'm just supposed to take it easy for a while."

Whitney snorted at that, hiding his laugh behind his hand.

Clark went back to looking at his computer, then picked up his office phone… he stared at it for a moment and then put it back down. Pulling out his cell, he dialed a number quickly. "Captain Sawyer please."

Lois stared at him wide eyed, shocked he was contacting her.

"Captain Sawyer, Sheriff Kent here. Yes ma'am, I'm fine. Just some trespassers. Captain, I have a big favor to ask you." Clark sighed, looking up at the ceiling before he started talking again. "I think there's a problem somewhere in my town, maybe my own people. I need some of your people to take care of a couple of high profile witnesses. Maggie, I need people that you would trust with your own life, and your family's lives."

Lois and Whitney heard her speaking but couldn't make it out. "Yes ma'am, thank you very much. I'm at the station here in Smallville. Three hours? Thank you." He hung his cell phone up and sat back, letting out a big breath.

Whitney was sitting on the edge of the desk. He finally looked over at Clark. "You really think there's a leak here?"

Clark shrugged. "I don't know, but it's looking more and more likely. Not many people knew I had someone important to me out at my mom's house, only the ones in this station." He looked over at Lois. "I know it's been a long road so far, but I have to ask… do you still trust me to keep you safe?"

She stared at him for several long moments… and then nodded. "More than ever."

Clark relaxed a little, mouthing "thank you" to her.

Whitney coughed, getting his attention. "Uh bossman… you… you don't think it's me do you?"

Clark raised an eyebrow at him and then burst out laughing. He groaned, clutching his chest where the vest had taken the brunt of the impact. "Whitney, if anything happened to Nanny Kent and you were responsible, I wouldn't have to lay a finger on you 'cause Lana and Kyle would beat me to it."

Whitney just smiled. "Ok, good."

Clark sat up straighter in his chair. "Ok, what do we know about Edge?"

Whitney grabbed a file folder he'd put together. "Morgan Edge, real name Edgar Lee Morganton. Nothing concrete, but he's suspected of being tied to illegal shipping, trafficking, murder, arson, drugs, theft, embezzlement and good ol' fashioned prostitution."

"He's got his finger in everything, trying to work his way up to the big times with Lionel Luthor," Lois tossed in.

Clark sighed. "Ok, so maybe he's got someone planted in Metropolis who's using inter-departmental cooperation to keep an eye on our details here?"

Whitney shut the file. "It's a possibility."

Clark stood slowly with a grunt, walking toward the door to his office. He stared out at his officers, trying to figure out what was going on in his own house. He saw an empty desk and stopped, staring at it. Suddenly he was on the move, heading back to his desk and reaching into a drawer, going through several folders.

Whitney and Lois just stared at him. "What are you doing Kent?"

Clark ignored her, pulling the folder out he was looking for. He flipped it open and snarled, slamming his fist into the desk. Standing quickly, he slipped his holster back onto his belt, grabbing two extra cartridges from his weapons cabinet. Clipping his badge to the front of his belt, he grabbed the folder and headed for the door. "Whitney, you're in charge. I don't care if it's a little girl turning in her lost puppy, you don't let anyone in those doors except for Sawyer and her men, got me?"

Whitney nodded. Clark walked out of his office, heading down the hall to the back entrance of the station.

"Clark!"

He turned back in time to see Lois running after him. "I've gotta go Lois."

She grabbed his shirt and pulled him in, kissing him deeply. He was shocked, pulled off balance by her forwardness and reaching out to grab the wall so he didn't fall into her. Clark quickly returned the kiss, his arm sliding behind her and pulling her body against his.

A while later they finally broke apart, gasping for much needed oxygen. He stared into her eyes. "What was… that… for?"

She still had a hold of his shirt, looking down from his face. "I just… if anything happens, I had to let you know that."

Clark was confused. He brushed his thumb over her swollen bottom lip. "Let me know what?"

She gulped. "That I wanted that… I wanted you."

Clark smiled slowly, leaning in for another kiss, a softer kiss. He stepped back, reaching for the door. "I'll be back." He swung the door open and ran out to the Charger.

After the door shut, Lois heard the engine roar and tires squeal. She chuckled to herself. "Ok Arnold. I'm holding you to that."

//

The door to the apartment exploded inward, giving way to the pissed off lawman behind it. "Anybody home?" He walked into the living room and saw the rookie scooting back into the arm of the sofa. "Hey Billy. I think it's time we had your performance review."

Billy gulped. "S-sure Sheriff, anything you need."

Clark held the file in his left hand, flipping it open. "William Edgar Morganton. Named after your dad huh? I got my middle name from my mom's side of the family."

Billy reached over the side of the sofa. Clark pulled his pistol quickly, not even looking as he aimed it straight at Billy. "Stand."

Billy shivered and stood up.

"Kitchen."

Looking at the floor, Billy walked toward the kitchen with his head hung down in shame.

Clark followed him, kicking one of the chairs at him. "Sit."

Billy sat down quickly, staring at the much taller and scarier man.

Clark pulled out another chair, sitting in front of the rookie. He sat the file down. "You're the mole in my station."

Billy wouldn't look up at him.

Clark kicked the chair hard, almost tipping Billy back. "Answer me."

He just nodded, whimpering slightly.

"You've told your father and his people everything as it comes up haven't you?"

Billy just nodded again.

Clark took a deep breath. "And you told him that I had a witness at my mom's place. Which is why he sent a hit squad to kill me, Whitney, the witness, and my mom this morning."

Billy looked up, his eyes scared. "I swear, I didn't know he was going to do that, I thought he would just keep an eye on you!"

Clark kicked the chair again, this time knocking Billy to the floor. "Bullshit. You know who your dad is, and you knew what he'd do with that information." Clark stood, towering over the whimpering young man. "I've got every right to go over and get that gun you were going for and put one straight through your head. Everyone would just think a scared punk like you grew a conscience and hated himself for what he helped daddy get away with."

Billy whimpered louder, covering his head with his arms.

Clark stared at him for a long time, finally stepping back. "Get up."

Peeking out from between his fingers, Billy mumbled "H-huh?"

"I said get up. Now."

Slowly standing, Billy looked at the sheriff. "What are you gonna do with me?"

"Well, if you're charged with everything as it stands now, you're looking at life in prison. And they haven't used the chair on anyone in Kansas since the sixties, but I might be able to push this one through."

Billy looked like he was going to faint.

"But if you're a good boy and turn state's evidence against your dad, you might get a nice reduced sentence instead. Now start walking." Clark pointed toward the remains of the front door. Billy started walking.

Clark reached over to grab the file when he heard a scream. He saw Billy grab for a knife out of the sink and rush at him. Grabbing the arm with the knife Clark bent Billy's arm to the side, then headbutted Billy hard enough to hear his nose break, and then put his boot through Billy's right kneecap, dropping him to the floor in a screaming pile.

Clark tossed the knife off the counter back into the sink. "It ain't gonna be that easy for you. Let's go." He reached down and grabbed the back of Billy's shirt, dragging him along through the doorway and out into the hall.

Chap 7

The door to the interrogation room swung open as Clark made his way out, slamming it shut behind him. Whitney and Captain Sawyer looked over to him from their places in front of the viewing window. Sawyer had a slight smirk on her face. "Impressive Sheriff Kent, I can't tell from here because of the table but I think you might have actually made him wet himself."

Clark sighed, his hands fumbling with the rolled up cuffs of his sleeves. "Nah, he's been twitching like that since I snapped his kneecap and dragged him in here."

She raised an eyebrow, looking at him sternly. Whitney stepped in at that moment. "In all fairness to the bossman here, Billy's a timid little one, it couldn't have taken that much force to just pop it in half." He snapped the pencil he was holding to further emphasize his point.

Captain Sawyer turned back to the window. "So, did you find out any more information?"

Clark nodded and sat on the table across the hallway. "One of Edge's factories was working on a cheaper form of heroin, using chemicals to cut it down further and try to spice up the high. Only problem is, if it's done wrong, it becomes an extremely volatile substance."

"How volatile?" Sawyer asked, turning from the window.

"Apparently if you had a burrito for lunch you weren't supposed to be around the stuff just in case."

Whitney snickered and Sawyer just rolled her eyes. "Boys."

Clark held back his own smirk. "Anyway, they needed some place nondescript to get rid of it, and unused farmland in the middle of nowhere seemed like as good a place as any. But Edge wanted to make it easier to cover his tracks, so he wanted to buy the land. He's been tying it up in litigation and trying to sneak it out from under Hubbard's son."

Whitney shook his head. "So what can we do about this?"

Clark looked up at the window. "I'm gonna find out where that lab is, and then we're gonna compare it to whatever is buried on Ol' Ben's land. And somewhere in the middle there, I'm gonna knock the hell out of Van McNulty just to sweeten the pot." He hopped down off the table and headed to the door. "He's actually being pretty tightlipped about some of the details, you wanna help out with this one Whitney?"

The deputy just grinned. "Sure. I figure I owe him for getting me shot at this morning."

They both moved to the door when Captain Sawyer spoke up. "Gentleman, you know that I am not in any way allowed to let you intimidate or threaten a witness."

Clark looked at Whitney and sighed. "Captain Sawyer, my mom has some fresh baked cinnamon buns in the break room, and you've had a pretty long day. Isn't it about break time?"

She raised an eyebrow before grinning and walked away without a word. Whitney turned back to Clark. "Good job, now let's go to work."

Billy looked up to see the two men walk into the room, both glaring at him. He sunk down deeper in the chair. "What… what are you both doing in here?"

Clark crossed his arms over his arms. "We need some more information from you. And you're not being as forthcoming as you should be. So Deputy Whitney and I would like to invite you to play a game Billy."

He looked skeptical. "What kind of game?"

Whitney smiled. "It's called 'Guess Which of My Former Fellow Officers Who I Betrayed and Almost Got Killed is Beating the Shit Out of Me'. But we're on a tight schedule, so we're going to sudden death rules Billy." Whitney reached his hand out to the light switch, and Billy whimpered when the room was suddenly pitch black. "This round is played in the dark."

No one walking by outside could see what was actually happening in the room, but the screams and slams were a very good indicator that it wasn't good for the traitor.

//

Lois and Captain Sawyer were talking in Clark's office when the two men walked back in, streaks of blood across their shirts. "What the hell did you do to him?"

Clark looked back at Lois before stripping the shirt off, showing the large bruise on his back from the close range shotgun blast the vest barely stopped that morning. "When you re-break a nose, it bleeds a lot more. He's still alive. He's just really clumsy, he fell down."

"A lot." Whitney threw out there, pulling the stained t-shirt off and grabbing the clean one he'd gotten out of his desk.

Sawyer sighed. "Did we at least find out anything else we can use?"

Clark went to sit down at his desk… only to find Lois in his chair. "Ummm. Excuse me?"

She just grinned. "You're excused. The captain asked you a question though."

Rolling his eyes, Clark easily picked Lois up and took a few steps before tossing her through the air and watching her land on the sofa with a bounce. Sitting down in his chair, he kicked his boots up onto the desk with a groan and clasped his hands behind his head, sighing happily to be back in a familiar spot after his long day. "We know where several of the factories are. And we know where Edge stays around here at the moment while he's trying to buy the land."

"And did you happen to ask if he knew who the mole on my force is?"

Clark nodded. "He does in fact know... both of them."

Sawyer stared at him.

Clark stared back.

Frustrated, she threw her hands up. "Well who is it Sheriff Kent?"

Clark shrugged. "I don't know," he said, glancing over at Whitney with a grin. "We kinda figured you'd want to ask him that yourself."

Sawyer looked shocked at that, but her expression slowly melted into a slight grin. "You know, I might just do that." She pulled off her coat and laid it over a chair before heading to the door.

"You might wanna take Lois. If anyone could scare the hell out of him it's her, and she owes him for all this."

Captain Sawyer glanced at the woman on the sofa. "But she's a civilian. That's a serious breach of conduct and we're already skating the line here Sheriff."

Clark reached into a drawer and tossed something at Lois. She grabbed it out of the air and looked to see a badge with the official Smallville seal on it. Confused, she looked at Clark.

"You are hereby duly sworn in as a Deputy of the town of Smallville, Kansas. Second?" He glanced at Whitney who raised his hand. "All in favor?" Clark, Whitney and Sawyer all motioned. "It's official. Have fun Deputy Lane."

Lois grinned even bigger than she did when she got to drive the Charger. "It's like Christmas! Without drunk uncles and crappy sweaters!" Clipping the badge onto her jeans, Lois and Captain Sawyer left the room.

After a few moments of silence, Whitney looked over at Clark. "Maybe that was a bad idea. What do you think they'll do to him?"

Clark shivered. "I don't even want to think about that."

Lois and Sawyer came back a little while later, both grinning and breathing hard.

Clark looked up from the file he was going over. "Is he still alive?"

"Of course he is, what do you think we are, amateurs?" Lois was still smiling as she hopped onto the sofa again.

Clark held his hand out to her.

Lois looked at him, putting on her best innocent face. "Something I can help you with?"

He snapped his fingers. "Give it back. That was just temporary, and I figured you deserved a little payback on him too."

Lois pouted. "But do you know what I could do with this? The places I could get into? The stories I could break?"

Clark nodded. "Exactly. Now give me the badge."

With a huff she took the badge off and tossed it to him. "Fine! Don't let me have any fun!"

Clark put the badge away in the desk and looked up at the captain. "So what did you find out from him?"

Captain Sawyer sat down across from the desk. "I know who the moles are. And… I guess if I look at it from an outside point of view it makes sense. It fits." She shook her head. "I'll handle that, if you don't mind?" Clark just nodded. "What do you want to do about the factories?"

Clark looked over at Lois. "Can you get the information from the other reporter, the records that prove the paper trail all the way up to Edge's company?"

She nodded. "He owes me a favor, I'll have it by this afternoon."

Clark clasped his hands as he leaned on his desk. "Well, I say we get a sample of the waste on Hubbard's land, his son still owns it technically, so he'll give us the ok. We get into one of those factories, find the same waste, and that gives us cause to go after Edge. Metropolis PD is better equipped to go after the factories, so you and your people take them, and when we get the word from you, my people take the house Edge is hiding out in around here. How does that sound to you Captain?"

She nodded. "That sounds good. When were you thinking?"

"We get the sample tonight after dark, and with the paperwork we're prepared to go into the factory. I say we hit at dawn. Even if he has security measures in place they're more likely to be lax in the early hours."

Lois grinned. "I like this plan."

Clark glanced over to her. "Good. Because this is as far as you're going with it."

Her jaw dropped and she just stared. "What? You promised me the story!"

"The story yes! Not going headfirst into a possible deathtrap. You'll be on the outside, you can have whatever you need to get your story, but you are not setting foot on those grounds until it's all clear, understand me Miss Lane?"

She didn't respond, choosing to glare at him, nostrils flaring.

Whitney stood up. "Well, I think I need to go check on my wife and kid. Captain Sawyer, if you want I can show you our equipment, see if you think we need anything else in particular for the raid."

Sawyer recognized the out from this tense situation the deputy was offering her, and took it. "That sounds like a good idea Deputy, let's go." They were out of the room quickly, pulling the door shut.

Lois stomped over behind the desk, leaning right into Clark's face. "What the hell are you trying to pull here Kent?"

"I'm not trying to pull anything. I'm laying down the law. You're staying out of the line of fire until its all clear, understand me?"

Her anger seethed out of her in waves. "As much as the women around this little town might get off on this whole 'Knight in Shining Armor' routine you have going, I don't need a great protector, I can handle myself!"

Clark stood up to his full height, glaring down at her. "Yea, and I guess if I hadn't been there you wouldn't have ended up on the floor of that parking garage, just like Jimmy huh?"

He didn't even see her hand coming so focused on her, but he definitely felt the hard slap as it rocked him, twisting his head to the side. Turning back to her his eyes burned brightly, showing that she had pushed him even farther across the line than ever before. "What the hell was that for?"

"I don't need to be protected, and I don't need you getting all caveman on me. I've done fine by myself, and I'm not just going to bow down and be a good little girl because you think you have to hold my hand Kent! I don't need you!" She poked his chest to emphasize every word.

"Well that sure as hell hasn't stopped you from wanting me has it? Or did you forget your little show in the back hallway there?" Her expression flickered at that reminder. "Or wait, maybe that was just part of your game, getting in good with the local yokel so you could get on the front lines of a story? Hell, if I had dirt on Lionel instead of Morgan maybe I could have gotten a blow…"

He caught her hand when it came at his face this time. "You only get away with that once Lois."

Her body shook with rage. "I am not one of those Cat Grant sluts that would do that for a story. And if you really think that of me after all of this, then you can go fu…"

Lois found herself thrown onto Clark's desk, his arm sweeping everything aside. She felt his strong body moving atop her, pressing her down against the hard wood… "Well, the other hard wood at least" ran through her mind before his lips were on hers again, kissing her hard, hungrily. Her hands moved over his back, pulling up on the shirt and feeling his hot skin. He grunted when her hands moved over the bruise but he didn't stop, pressing his body tighter against hers. Lois almost bit through her lip trying not to moan out when he did.

Clark didn't know what he was doing, he just let his body go on autopilot. He was tired of being careful and staying back, keeping his distance and just concentrating on the job. He gave in to his instincts and his instincts said he wanted this woman, he needed her… more than air… even more than his mom's pies. The feeling scared the hell out of him, but he wasn't running this time. He growled against her neck as he ground against her body, the aches and injuries of the last week screaming at him, but he wouldn't listen. Right now she was his, and he was taking her.

Lois felt big rough hands move down her body, pushing at her jeans. She lifted, helping him, while her own hands pushed at his. Clinging to that ass she had caught herself staring at so many times she pulled him closer, a breathless moan escaping when she felt him again with one less layer between them. "Oh god… Clark."

He broke from biting at her neck, fiery blue eyes meeting hers. "Call me Smallville."

She looked confused. "What?"

He shrugged. "I don't know why, but I liked it. Do it."

She slid her hands back up to his neck, burying her fingers in his hair. Pulling him down to her she whispered in his ear. "Take me… Smallville."

Clark grunted and she felt him throb against her, making her moan. Clark reached between them and ripped her panties away, tossing them aside. Lois whimpered, knowing no matter what she said the caveman machismo turned her on, when he did it at least.

Clark kissed her deeply again, guiding himself to her. Lois' legs locked behind his and her hands moving back down to pull him in. "Take me… please!" she whispered.

Clark pulled back, staring into her eyes. He never looked away, never looked away from her eyes when he thrust, taking her.

Lois' back arched under him, her teeth biting down on his lip when she felt him inside. So perfect… so hot.

Clark was moving immediately, wanting to savor her being overtaken by primal need. He grunted with every move, driving himself deeper.

She whimpered, clinging tighter to him, feeling all of him against her, in her and around her. "Oh shit… yes… please…"

Clark sped up, growling as he watched her… her face twisting, contorting… for him. "Lois… oh dammit Lois…"

She buried her fingers in his hair. "Yes… do it… don't stop."

He couldn't have if he wanted to… and he definitely didn't want to. Gritting his teeth Clark thrust harder… deeper… if even possible.

Lois felt it coming so close. "Oh yes… Smallville… yes!" She buried her face against his shoulder, biting his skin, feeling it rip and cascade through her body.

Clark fell over the edge, driving into her once more and burying himself, just letting go. His entire body so tense he thought he heard the wood of his desk crack under his hands, a far away sound.

The only noises in the office were their gasps for air. Clark started to move a bit later but she clung tighter to him. "No. Don't… just don't move yet."

Clark turned his head to look at her and nodded. Pushing himself up just a bit, he stayed there with her.

//

Captain Sawyer and Whitney sat at his desk, staring at the closed door. "It's really quiet now, do you think they killed each other?" she asked.

Whitney shook his head. "Nah, that was a pretty nasty sounding fight, but if they went for the kill we'd have seen red splatter on the blinds as pissed off as they sounded."

Sawyer just nodded.

Whitney turned back to her. "So you said you knew Clark before all of this?"

She nodded again. "I didn't realize it when I saw him in Metropolis, he's changed a lot in ten years. But he and some of his friends managed to get fake passes into the Windgate Club on the night we did a raid a long time ago."

Whitney coughed, sputtering on the soda he was drinking. After finding his voice, he looked at her, astonished. "The… the strip club?"

She just grinned and nodded.

Whitney sat up and pulled his notepad out of his pocket. "Ok, I need all the details. I'm looking for a raise when my kid hits kindergarten, this is my ticket."

A while later Clark opened the door to his office and stepped back to let Lois out. She grinned at him and bumped into the door when she tried to walk out of it. "Oww. So ummm.. I'll talk to you later about the details for the operation tomorrow?"

Clark nodded and chuckled. "Definitely. But I need to go over some of the details with Whitney now. But umm… dinner later?"

She just nodded and walked off toward the break room.

Clark gestured to Whitney and he hopped up, heading into the office and shutting the door. "What's up boss…" He stopped suddenly, looking around the room. "Something happen in here?"

Clark sat at his desk, trying to reorganize everything. "Nope, we just went over the facts we know so far."

Whitney nodded and sat on the chair across from Clark. "So anyway, Captain Sawyer and I were talking and…" He looked up and noticed Clark's collar was twisted and then he saw… Whitney's eyes went wide. "Is that a hickey?"

Clark looked up suddenly, his hand going to fix his collar. "What? No, it's a bruise… from the attack at my mom's house."

Whitney grinned. "No no no… that's a hickey. That wasn't there this morning!"

"Whitney, shut up."

"Clark got a hickey, Clark got a hickey…"

"What the hell, are you in sixth grade or something?"

Whitney snorted. "Just admit it bossman."

Clark sighed. "Can we just discuss the operation for tomorrow?"

Whitney held his hands up in surrender. "Ok ok. What kind of firepower you think we need for Edge's safehouse?"

Clark pointed at the weapon's cabinet. "I grabbed what I think we each need to have on us at least, maybe a couple of specialized weapons posted around the grounds."

Whitney stood up and walked over to the cabinet, writing down what he saw laid out… until he got to the second pistol. "Uhhh bossman?"

"Yea?"

Whitney held up the glock… the glock that had a torn scrap of flimsy fabric hanging off of it. "Does this qualify as a specialized weapon post?" he asked, one eyebrow raised.

Clark looked over at him and froze. "That uh… that can be explained."

Whitney looked shocked, holding his hand over his mouth. "Clark Jerome Kent! What would Mama Kent say?"

"Shut up Whitney!"

"Did anyone ever have the birds and the bees talk with you? I mean, I know I was out of the country, but I hope someone still thought about it…"

"I'm warning you Whitney!"

Whitney put the gun down and walked over to the desk, spinning Clark's chair to face him. "Just tell me… did you remember protection? And I don't mean the Kevlar this time."

"THAT'S IT!"

Everyone outside stopped, hearing things being tossed around inside the Sheriff's office and Whitney screaming out now and then. "Ok ok, I was kidding! Put that down! AHHHH WEDGIE! WHAT IS WITH YOU AND PEOPLE'S UNDERWEAR TODAY!"

Chap 8

Clark and Lois sat at the diner. It had been a quiet dinner after he had stutteringly asked about precautions that neither of them had considered beforehand, only to sigh in relief when she told him she was covered in that area. Both of them were still thinking mostly about what happened that afternoon on his desk. Clark knew it was sudden, and he had never done anything like that before. But part of it just seemed so… right? Amazing? Perfect?

He looked up to her to ask her what she was thinking about it, but he suddenly lost all his ability to speak. Lois had a little bit of sauce on her lower lip and her tongue darted out to lick it up. Clark growled softly, deep in his throat.

Lois heard something and looked up to him. "Did you hear…?" She stopped speaking, seeing the look on his face. He looked like he wanted to eat her up right there in the booth. Lois' hand gripped the edge of the table tighter and she swallowed, trying to get control of herself. "Ummm Clark, I think… should we head back to the station? M-maybe Whitney needs to talk to you about tomorrow?"

He just shook his head. "We've talked."

His deep voice rumbled over her and made her shiver. "What… what about Captain Sawyer?"

"We've talked."

She took a drink of water, crunching on some ice. "How about… maybe a ride out in the country?"

Clark dropped cash on the table, he didn't even stop to see how much over it was. He grabbed Lois by the hand and pulled her out of the diner, heading straight for the Charger.

//

Clark pulled up to a hill overlooking the Elbow River. The moon was out, giving a soft glow to the countryside. Clark stepped out and sat on the warm car hood, propping his boots on the bumper. He watched Lois walk out to look at the river, hearing the gentle lull of the water rushing over the rocks near the edge of the riverbed. She looked gorgeous in the light of the moon, wearing a blue blouse and her jeans. For now, he was content to watch her.

"So what happened today Sheriff?" She looked back over her shoulder at him.

Clark sighed, rubbing at his neck with a soft chuckle. "I uh… I'm really not sure."

Lois walked back over toward him. "Well, all I know is we were in the middle of one hell of an argument, you said something mean to me, and yes maybe I said something back, and the next thing I know I'm on your desk and you're ravaging me like you haven't even seen a woman in years." She raised an eyebrow. "So what brought that on?"

Clark coughed, trying to calm himself down from the memories of the afternoon in his office. "Well… it uh… the best I can figure is that it was a really strange day. The attack at my mom's place, and what I had to do, and then the interrogations and you slapping me. I think I was on edge all day. My heart was racing all day. And you… you're not like any woman I have met Lois. There's something different about you. And I saw the fire in your eyes, and that made my decision for me."

"What decision was that?"

He looked down at the grass for a moment before finally looking back up to her. "That I needed you more than my next breath."

Lois fought the moan she felt building up in her chest and kept the appearance that she was in total control of herself. "Well… that's… very interesting."

Clark didn't miss the lilt in her voice. "Are you ok Miss Lane?"

Hearing that name again had another affect on her. "Damn him, why is he able to do that to me?" She nodded quickly, not trusting her voice.

Clark took his chance and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her up into his lap as he sat on the hood. His hands slid up her sides, cupping her breasts through her blouse and growling again, making her shiver. But Lois had other plans. She pulled his hands away and pushed him onto his back on the hood. Clark looked back at her and tried to move his hands, but she gripped his hands tighter. "Nuh uh uh… it's my turn."

Clark's body throbbed at that statement, and Lois felt every bit of it. She grabbed his shirt and ripped it open, buttons clanging off the car and rolling into the dark. Her hands gently traced up his front, careful as she touched the edges of his wounds. Clark looked down at her and his breath caught when she leaned down, kissing the bruise where the vest took the bullet this morning. "Oh god Lois, what are you doing?"

She smiled against his skin. "Payback." Her hands and lips played over his torso, teasing him with licks and nibbles, barely touching his skin and tickling across it, leaving the battle tested Sheriff a shivering mess under her. She slid to the side and kissed his neck before her hand slid down his front, over his jeans. Clark jerked under her touch but she didn't stop.

Clark was in heaven… and hell. This gorgeous woman was touching him, feeling him… but she was teasing the hell out of him, and all he wanted was her. With a low growl he moved his hand down her back, squeezing her butt through her jeans, only to have his hand smacked. "Like I said, my turn." She kept touching him through his jeans, changing her speed and grip. Soon he couldn't even speak, his breath rushing out in ragged gasps.

His back arched, aching muscles straining when he felt it build and tried to hold back but it was no use. "LOIS!" he roared again, hands clutching at the sides of the car for dear life so tightly he was worried he might bend the steel.

It felt like eternity before he could breathe again, eyes slowly fluttering open to look up at the stars in the sky. He slowly pushed himself up on his elbows and looked over… to see her missing most of her clothes, laid back on the hood like one of those pin up calendars he used to see at Hoke's Garage now and then. But they had nothing on Lois. His eyes took her in, devouring her, before he slid off the hood and reached for her hand.

She shook her head. "No. Right here."

His eyes widened slightly. "Here? On the car?"

She just smiled, biting her bottom lip.

Clark stripped his clothes off quickly, staring at her from where he stood on the ground in front of the car. He took a deep breath and grinned at her. "No. Bend over."

She looked at him in surprise. "Oh yea? Is Sheriff Kent feeling naughty?" She slid down the hood slowly, wigging her tail at him as she followed his order.

Clark couldn't resist. Rearing back, he brought his hand down on her backside, loving the noise she made and seeing her jump. She looked back over her shoulder, a glare returning to her face. "I hope you enjoyed that, because it's the las…" She didn't have time to finish her threat before she was moaning again, taken from behind.

And he took her there, on the hood of a classic muscle car in the middle of the country under a starry sky. And this time they didn't have to worry about being too loud.

And Clark got in a few more spanks before the night was over.

//

Clark walked back into the station with Lois, both grinning. She kissed him quickly before heading for the bunk room to catch some sleep. Clark smiled and walked into his office, shutting the door. He couldn't stop grinning… until he heard the voice of the occupant of his couch. "Hey there bossman."

Clark hung his head, not sure he was ready for this so late. "What Whitney?" He looked over to see his deputy smiling brightly.

"Nothing. I was just… saying hey there. How was supper?"

Clark walked to his desk and sat down, turning his computer on. "It was good."

Whitney nodded, sitting up against the pillow. "Did you get the meatloaf? I know it's meatloaf night on Thursdays out there."

Clark nodded. "Yup, good meatloaf."

Whitney nodded and sighed. "That's good. Well, night bossman." He fluffed his pillow and stretched out on the couch, pulling the blanket up to his neck.

Clark sighed, happy that was the end of it all. He was pulling up the incident reports from the past 24 hours when he heard something very soft. He turned his head, trying to listen closer, and he picked up little pieces of it, finally able to make out what was being said. "… sittin' in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G…"

Clark cleared the desk in one jump and pounced on Whitney on the sofa.

"OW! Ok, I'll stop, it was a joke, calm down! OW CLARK! What are you…? I'm not wearin' boxers, don't try that again! What are you doin', why are you gettin' under the… DUTCH OVEN! CLARK YOU BASTARD!"

Twenty minutes and a shower for Whitney in the locker room later, they sat back in Clark's office. "So uh… what do we know about the place Edge is hiding in?"

Clark looked at his notes. "It's the old plantation ranch out on the edge of town, the big two story house with the guest house in the back, trees all around. Should give us plenty of coverage."

Whitney nodded. "Do we know how many guys are out there and all?"

"Billy said it was 10, and one is always around Edge, I'm guessing that's Van."

Whitney nodded, but looked up. "How do we know we can trust him?"

Clark looked back at him. "What do you mean? He's been giving us good information all day."

"Yea but… we're talking about his dad now Clark. Billy might not be all that hard nosed, but it's still his father we're going after. You don't think he might fudge a few details here and there to give him a better chance at getting away?"

Clark rubbed his hand over his face, thinking for a bit. Finally he stood up and reached into his desk drawer, pulling out an envelope. "I'll be right back."

Whitney watched him cross to the door. "Where you goin' boss?"

"Holding cells. Stay away from them, I might… I don't want anyone else hearing what I'm going to say." He looked back at his friend long enough to get the nod, and then walked out, shutting the door firmly behind him.

Clark walked into the hall with the cells and reached up, unplugging the security camera at the entrance-way. "Wake up Billy." He walked over to a cell and unlocked it before he stepped inside, slamming it shut.

Billy sat up with a screech, looking at the taller man in the dim light. "Wh-what do you want now?"

Clark sat down on the cot opposite Billy's. "I need to talk to you, man to man."

He looked skeptical, but he nodded slowly. "Alright Sheriff."

Clark leaned forward, posting his elbows on his legs and rubbing his hands together. "Tomorrow you know we're going after your father. And I know you regret what you did so far, giving him information on us, and I know that's why you've been willing to give us so much information."

Billy nodded quickly.

Clark sighed. "But I also know that he's still your dad. And no matter what, everyone still feels that closeness to their father. I had some of the biggest arguments with my dad back when I was growing up, and at one point I just wanted to run off, leave this place behind and all of them. But… I still would have gone to hell and back for my father. And part of me thinks deep down, you would too. That's why you did all of this stuff so far for him."

Billy wouldn't look Clark in the eye, he just stared at the cot he sat on.

Clark let that sink in before he spoke up again. "Billy, you're not a bad guy. You're not a killer."

Billy looked up. "I… I tried to stab you."

Clark just chuckled. "We both know there was no chance in hell you would have made it. You didn't plan to get me. You wanted me to draw… and shoot. That was the best way out wasn't it? You could stop being the mole, and your dad would see that you went out in a blaze of glory trying to take me out."

Billy didn't say a word, he just sat and breathed heavily.

Clark sighed. "So now Billy, I have something to ask of you, but I need you to be honest. I need to know how many men are at that house, and where they are posted."

Billy barely looked up to meet Clark's gaze. "I told you, ten guys and his personal guard."

Clark shook his head. "I think you're lying to me. But if that's what you want to stand by, fine. I'll take my men, and I'll go in there tomorrow prepared for that." Clark stood up and walked toward the cell door. "But keep this in mind." He turned slowly, seeing Billy staring up at him. "I've already survived a lot of what your daddy threw at me. But not everyone can say that." He reached into his back pocket and pulled out the envelope, pulling the contents out and tossing them onto Billy's cot.

Billy looked down to see some photos. "What is this?"

Clark gestured to the stack. "Those are the people who haven't made it out of this."

Hand shaking, Billy flipped the pictures over and started to flip through them, his face green even in the low light of the cell. "Who… who are these…?"

"That's what's left of the men your dad sent to my folk's farm. Six of them. They threatened my friends, and my family. And they didn't walk back off that farm."

Billy threw the photos back down.

"Billy, if I go into that place tomorrow, and I lose men I trusted because you're still lying to me, or if anyone else gets hurt because you're hiding something from me, I can make you one promise. If I have to crawl out of that house on one leg and three fingers, I'll make it out of there. And do you know where I'll go next?"

Billy gulped, shrinking back against the wall. "You'll come for me."

Clark shook his head. "Wrong."

"Then where…?"

Clark walked over and crouched down, staring Billy in the eye. "The lesson your father has been trying to spread is that you don't go for the kill, you go for the pain. He hasn't just gone for us, he's gone for family members, friends and co-workers. So I think I'll learn from that. I will track down anyone you have been close to, and I will impart that lesson to them myself. And the whole time I'm doing it I'll be reminding them that the reason for it is you Billy. And I'll let your ass rot in prison, and I'll personally mail in the news reports, and the missing person reports, and the obituaries to your cell. I'll make sure you keep up to date on it."

Billy mustered up his courage and laughed. "You… you wouldn't do that Clark. You're not that kind of guy."

Clark's eyes narrowed. "If your dad takes away everyone that matters to me, if he kills my old life, then Clark Kent dies with it. All that will be left is the shell of him. The shell filled with rage, and hate, and bile. The shell that won't stop until you feel every damn bit of pain and misery that he has. And then, when he feels like you've had enough, that shell might come for you. Or he might just let you sit there in prison, pissing yourself every time you hear a footstep after lights out. Now you need to make a decision Billy. Tell me the truth. Or don't. Your choice." Clark stood slowly, tossing a piece of paper and a pen at Billy and moved to sit on the cot opposite him again.

Soon after, the sound of a pen scratching on paper filled the empty cell block.

Clark walked back into his office and tossed the paper at Whitney. "There's our information. Change the plan."

Whitney picked it up and stared, his eyes going wider. "How'd you get him to give up all of this? Weapons caches, crawlspaces, fall back points?"

Clark waved his hand, unable to look at Whitney. "Don't ask. Ever."

Seeing the look on his friend's face, Whitney nodded. "I'll make some calls." He stood up and walked out of the office to go to his desk.

Clark stared at the photo of his family on his desk, his mom and dad smiling happily. He picked it up, brushing his fingertips over their faces. "I know it's not going to be easy, but I swear I'll do my best to make you proud dad. Please… please don't judge me for what I've done."

"He doesn't."

Clark's head snapped up and he saw his mom in the doorway, holding a cup of coffee. "Hey mom." He put the picture back in its place.

Martha walked over and put the coffee in front of him. "He's proud of you, you know that right?"

Clark chuckled. "I like to think so mom."

She shook her head. "You know your father, so tell me honestly. Do you know deep down in your heart that he is proud of you?"

Clark looked up to meet her eyes… and nodded. "I know."

She leaned in to kiss his forehead. "Good." She walked back over to a chair and sat down. "I know this is going to be hard for you Clark, there are so many problems facing you tomorrow. But you know what makes you a good man, and I don't worry for a moment that you will lose sight of that."

He reached into his desk and pulled out a smaller picture, one of Kyla. "Mom… I'm going to have my chance tomorrow to get my hands on him. What if… What if I tell myself it was necessary but I'm just looking for an excuse? What if I really want vengeance that bad?"

Martha sighed, looking around the room. "You've had to face a lot of problems in the past few days. But you've stepped up every time. I might not like what had to be done on the farm yesterday morning, but I won't lie and say I'm not glad I was able to walk away from it." She leaned forward to his desk, clasping her hands around his. "And I won't ever think less of you for doing what you had to Clark. You're my son, and I love you."

Clark smiled finally, kissing his mom's hands. "Thanks mom. I needed that."

She stood up, smiling back at him. "Be careful tomorrow. Something tells me if you got yourself into trouble, I'm not the only one who would miss you." She winked at him before she left, closing his door again.

Clark sat back, looking at the photo of her again. "I miss you. I never stopped. And I'm not replacing you, but I am going to live my life, just like I'd want you to. And I promise Kyla… I'll get him."

//

Clark and his men were stationed down the road from the safe house. His deputies plus some on loan from the MPD gave him twenty total, all armed and outfitted in SWAT gear. Clark walked around, feeling the vest and arm protection tight against him. It also didn't help he was feeling even worse today after the violence yesterday morning, and the tight gear just made him antsy. He checked his shotgun for the tenth time, making sure he was loaded for bear. Setting it on the hood of the SUV he checked both his main pistol and his back up glock.

Whitney was watching Clark twitch. "Calm down bossman. Being tense just makes it worse. Just go into a quiet place, and let your instincts guide you. You're pretty good at that."

Clark just nodded. He looked back at one of the other vehicles parked across the road and saw her in the front seat. Lois was still pissed off about being left behind here, but he hadn't been willing to budge on that. He walked over to the car and knocked on the window. "You alright?"

She nodded. "Yea, but shouldn't I be asking you that? I'm not the one going into a firefight."

He shook his head and grinned, she was actually pouting about that. "You know why. I'll make it up to you later though, don't worry." He winked at her before turning back to the SUV.

"Hey Smallville!" she called out, leaning out of the window.

He turned back to her. "Yes Miss Lane?"

She pulled him closer by the front of his vest, kissing him deeply.

Clark finally broke away, eyes wide that she would do that in front of all the others. "What was that for?"

She shrugged. "Luck. You better come back in one piece."

He smirked and jogged back across the road to the SUV. He just got there when one of the drivers leaned out. "Sheriff Kent, Captain Sawyer's contacting."

Clark took the radio and stepped aside, then immediately came back, tossing the radio to the driver before he jumped up on the step side of the SUV. "They got the factory, the stuff is there. Keep your head on straight, watch your partner's back. ROLL OUT!"

Whitney rolled up onto the roof of the lead SUV, prepping his rifle.

They rolled down the highway before turning off onto the dirt lane heading into the woods. Clark linked his com to Whitney's. "Fork in the road, first guard post, one in the tree, one on the ground, ready?"

"Born ready bossman!"

The guard in the bush blind heard an engine on the road. He knew there wasn't supposed to be a vehicle from that direction this early. Peeking his head out, he had just enough time to see the black SUV before he heard rustling from above and his partner fell to the ground with a limp thud. He jumped out just in time to see the glint from something catching the early morning light before everything went black for him.

The lead SUV rolled past the first post, and Clark could only stare at what his friend was capable of. "Damn Whitney, you never told me what you did over there in Indonesia."

"That's 'cause I'd have to kill you bossman. Think twice before that next wedgie now, won't you?" He winked at his friend.

Clark checked his sheet. "Up ahead, left of the road, same set up!" Whitney nodded.

The next guards fell just the same as the first, no time to warn the house of what was rolling their way.

With a quarter mile left to the house, Clark keyed up everyone on his com. "Alright, follow your routes, be prepared, and watch your asses. Keep it clean in there, GO!"

The other three SUVs broke off on separate trails through the woods, heading for the house. Whitney climbed down to the side rail and he and Clark prepped to jump off. "Shock and awe boys, take out that door and we'll be right in!" He slapped the roof of the SUV and raised his shotgun, prepared to bust out of the woods.

The guards around the front of the house heard an engine and looked around at each other. None of them were prepared for the trucks busting out of the woods from all angles and moving in. Clark took out a straggler trying to hide behind one truck and shooting at the other SUVs before he and Whitney jumped off, rolling onto the grass and jumping up immediately. They took off running after the black vehicle when it slammed through the glass doors into the house, taking everyone by surprise. They rushed in just in time to see the others hopping out of the SUV.

"Police, freeze! Drop your weapons!" Clark shouted just in time to hear gunfire break out, causing him to duck back behind the SUV. He looked over at Whitney. "You got a shot?"

Whitney peered around the side only to be pushed back by another rush of bullets. "Got an idea." He dropped to the ground, sighting up his rifle before snapping off a shot into the foot of one gunman before he silenced him with another after he hit the floor.

Clark took the opportunity to pull himself up, standing on the bumper and pulling his pistol, catching another gunman who hid behind a pillar. He looked up and saw gray hair disappearing at the top of the stairs, followed by… "Van." Holstering his pistol, he looked down. "Cover me!" Chambering another shell, he climbed on top of the SUV and made his way forward, shooting when he saw someone pop out from behind a pillar, but he only hit the post. Jumping to the hood he rushed over and grabbed the gunman, slamming him against the post. "Stay down!"

The goon had other ideas. He kept pushing back, going for a gun holstered near his shoulder. Clark kept pushing him against the post, trying to keep him from getting to it when he saw another man pop up and take aim at him. Thinking fast Clark pointed the shotgun at the new guy and pressed the butt of the gun against the fumbling man's temple, pulling the trigger. The other gunman went down hard and the man in front of him slumped to the ground, unconscious from the impact against his head.

Clark looked out and saw Whitney helping one of the others up. "Everyone ok?"

"He got winged, but he's good boss!"

"Alright. I'm going up. Cover the other stairwells!" Clark hopped over the banister and was running up the stairs, keeping his weapon trained in front of him. Stopping at the corner he reloaded the spent shells quickly. Rushing around the corner he checked each room, not seeing any sign of Van and Edge. Running around the next corner he was stopped suddenly with another shot to the vest, knocking him to the floor. Scrambling he made it to the other side of the hall, ducking behind the corner. "Stupid Kent, stupid!" He checked the vest, seeing it was holding up well but he lost the flashlight on his gear. Not that he really needed it right now. Looking around, he saw Van perched behind an ornate cabinet in the hallway.

"It's over Van! The property is covered, we're taking everyone in. Give up!"

The plaster of the wall next to his head disintegrated, pushing him further from the corner. "It's not over until one of us isn't breathing Clark! Isn't that why you're really here?"

Clark grunted, pulling the glock and cocking it. Reaching his hand around the wall he fired off several quick shots before he scrambled to his feet and ran to duck in the next doorway. Peering out he saw Van reach out and fire another volley of bullets at the spot he was just in. Van hadn't seen him make a break for the room. He was only fifteen feet away. Looking around the room, Clark saw a doorway to his right and walked over, opening it slowly. He heard the gunshots as he got closer to the wall and listened carefully.

Figuring he had the sweet spot, he pulled a chair away from the wall and readied his shotgun. Breathing deeply, Clark aimed up high on the wall and fired, chambering a fresh shell and firing a couple feet lower, and then firing once more lower. Pushing off the sofa behind him he ran hard and jumped, slamming his body into the wall and bursting through the plaster and damaged wood.

Van had heard the shots but didn't realize where they were coming from until he saw the cloud of plaster coming for him. Clark slammed against him, using the shotgun to press him up against the wall by the throat. "GIVE UP VAN!"

The smaller man struggled, trying to pull his gun up from between their bodies and aim it at Clark's head.

Clark reared back and head butted Van hard, dropping him to the floor and kicking his gun away. "Just can't make it easy can you?"

Van spat blood at Clark's feet. "Go ahead, do it."

Clark shook his head. "I'm not gonna kill you here Van. You're finally gonna face justice." He reached down to pull Van up by his hair… and suddenly Clark stumbled back, screaming. Reaching into the back of his leg he felt a knife sticking out. "Son of a…" He aimed at Van but he was already moving.

Van landed a hard side kick right to Clark's leg, near the knife. Clark dropped to the ground, keeping his leg bent up. He raised his gun again when Van kicked it from his grasp, sending it flying back down the hallway. Clark landed a straight punch to Van's knee, sending him down and then Clark started scrambling away. Van grabbed his pistol and had it aimed at the spot Clark was hiding behind. "Pretty good for a hick. But not good enough Clark."

Pulling his back up pistol, Clark cocked it and listened for a clue if Van was moving when he heard grunting… it sounded like a struggle. Looking around he saw Whitney fighting for the gun with Van. Clark jumped out from behind the wall and started running at them.

Van slammed his knee up between Whitney's legs and pushed him off, sending him to the floor. He aimed the pistol, but saw Clark running at him down the hall, limping. Smirking, Van lifted his gun, aiming right for Clark whose attention was on his friend on the floor until he heard the hammer cock back.

Clark finally looked back to Van and started bringing his arm up to aim.

Van fired straight at Clark's head… and growled when he saw Whitney throw himself into the way, taking the bullet in the right side of his chest. "Damn it!" He glanced back to see his boss waiting at the end of the hall, but took the time to spare a glance at Clark holding his fallen friend. "We'll pick this up later!" And with that he was off running again.

Clark stared at the hole across from Whitney's heart. "Where the hell is your vest?"

Whitney coughed. "Got… got shot up. Was hangin' off."

Pressing his hand over the wound Clark grunted. "Damn fool." He heard footsteps behind him and aimed quickly before seeing Riley run up to him, bleeding from a head wound but still moving fine. "Riley! Call for help, and keep your hand here!" He grabbed the man's hand and pressed it to Whitney's chest. "If you move before the medics get here…"

"I won't Clark. Go!"

Clark took one look down to his best friend and got a thumbs up. "Give 'em hell."

"Yea, them and then you!" Standing, he pulled the knife out of his leg with a grunt and tossed it aside, then took off running down the hallway after Van.

Van pulled Edge into one of the empty rooms and pulled out his cell phone. Sending a quick message he found out where one of the remaining fall back cars was still out of sight. "We've got to get to the stables sir."

Edge nodded and grabbed at Van's arm. "Get me out of here and you'll be a rich man McNulty. Maybe even partner."

Van grinned. "Sounds like good incentive."

Van moved back to the door to open it up when it suddenly came at him, kicked in hard. Van reacted just in time to see a huge fist come crashing against his face, knocking him back over the desk and slamming his head against the hardwood floor.

Morgan Edge looked up to see the wounded and very angry Sheriff. "Look son… we can make a deal. I'm a very rich man."

"You're trying to pollute my town. You killed someone important. And you tried to kill my family." Clark steadily advanced on Edge, backing him against a window.

Edge held his hands up. "But you're fine son. You've come out of all of this great. You're a hero. Let me go and you still get the credit for taking down the drug houses. You can hide my name from it, they're front companies!"

Clark leveled his eyes at the man. "Why should I do that after all you tried to take from me?"

Edge just gave a scared, nervous laugh. "Son, none of that was personal, it was all just business."

Clark grabbed him roughly by the front of his shirt and pulled the crime boss close, snarling. "Business is closed." With one arm he shoved Edge back through the window and watched him stumble, rolling down the small overhang… and heard him splash in the pool below, followed soon by shouts of the other officers coming to get him.

Smirking, he walked over and kicked Van again before tossing his gun out the broken window. "Get up. It's over."

He heard someone running toward the door and raised his pistol. His eyes went wide as he saw Lois rush into the doorway. "What are you doing here?"

She looked at him, seeing the blood and destruction to his gear. "I… I hid in the back of one of the trucks when you started rolling. I heard on the radio that you were injured. I couldn't… I couldn't just stay back."

Breathing heavily, he walked back around the desk to her. "It's ok. I'm fine. I'm fine, see?" He cupped her cheek, brushing her tear away with his thumb.

Lois smiled, her hands clinging to his vest.

Clark kissed her forehead, but the tender moment was broken as he screamed suddenly again.

Lois stumbled back and could see a letter opener stabbed into Clark's right bicep and Van crouched on the desk. "She's cute Clark, definitely a step up from the cave bitch." He twisted the letter opener, then grabbed the desk lamp and smashed it into Clark's head, dropping him to the floor. "I might have some fun with this one before I get rid of her." He grabbed the pistol and walked over to Lois. She stepped away and pulled her fist back, stopping when she saw the gun pointed back at Clark. "Come with me or he's dead!"

She looked down at Clark, seeing his eye drift as he fought against unconsciousness. Setting her jaw, she looked back at Van. "Fine. But don't touch him."

Van grinned. "Let's go. We've got a plane to catch." He grabbed her arm and headed out of the office.

Clark fought the blackness growing in his vision, trying to concentrate. Van had Lois. He was going to hurt her… touch her…

Clark grunted and pushed himself up slowly with his left arm but he fell back to the floor. Slamming his left fist into the floor, he pushed up again, grunting. Making it to his knees he pulled himself to his feet against the desk.

Van had his gun. Reaching with his left arm he pulled his last back up, the M1911 clipped to the back of his vest. Holding it in his left hand felt so… alien. It didn't feel right. Setting the gun down he gripped the letter opener and yanked it out, holding his scream in as best he could. He grabbed the gun with his right hand and tried to lift, but his arm wouldn't let him. He couldn't lift his right arm at all, only from his elbow down.

"Shit." Tucking the gun back into the holster at his hip he took off down the hallway in the direction he saw them turn. Van said something about a plane. Was there flat land out here used for a runway? He never saw anything like that when he was studying the overhead images. He ran past an open door and noticed a stairwell up, into an attic he guessed. Clark stopped. Why was this door open? Van wouldn't go hide in the attic. Unless…

"Plane my ass." Clark rushed up the stairs as fast as he could.

Van was pulling Lois toward the helicopter at the end of the roof. A two seat light frame, he had it as a backup in case this happened, but he wasn't going to be getting out of here with his boss. He knew where enough of the caches were though, he could still make out very well on this one. He almost reached the helicopter when Lois pulled back on his arm and slammed a punch to his face. Van stumbled and spit blood again. "Stupid bitch!" Pulling the gun back he slammed it across her face, knocking her to the roof. He stood over her grinning. "Guess we'll have to cut that fun short." He cocked the pistol.

"Leave her alone!"

Van looked up to see Clark stumbling out of the trap door and onto the roof. His right arm was covered in blood now and he had a gun holstered at his hip. He laughed. "What is this Clark? We gonna have a shoot out at the OK Corral?"

Clark took a few more steps before Van aimed the gun at him. "This is between us Van. Leave her out of it."

Van just laughed. "We'll see about that. So tell me Clark, what rules do you want? Walk ten paces and draw?" He stepped back over to the flat area of the roof Clark stood on. "I don't think either of us trust each other enough for that, do you?"

Clark didn't move, he just kept his eyes on Van.

"How about we draw from the holster? I don't have one, so we'd have to be on the honor system." Van laughed, taunting the man further. "Or maybe we could even…"

The sound of a gunshot split the air, shutting Van up quickly. He looked down at his gut, seeing blood pour out, staining the white shirt he wore with his suit. Looking back across to Clark, he saw that he had barely moved… just enough to pull the gun and shoot from the hip. Literally. "How… how did…?" Van hit his knees on the rooftop, the gun clattering from his grip. He coughed, spitting even more, darker blood onto the shingles.

Clark walked over slowly, staring down at the wounded man. "That's where we're different Van. You're all talk. I actually shut up and fucking do it." Clark kicked him hard in the gut, knowing it was right where the bullet went into him. As Van collapsed onto his stomach, Clark walked over to Lois, crouching down by her.

"Lois, are you alright?" He brushed her hair back and saw where she'd been hit. "Come on Lois, I know you've been through worse than this. Come on baby."

Her eyelids fluttered as she slowly looked up at him. Clark laughed, happy to see she was at least responding. "Alright Lois, you're gonna be fine."

She reached up to touch his cheek. "Smallville…"

"Yea Lois?"

"Don't… don't call me baby. I'm not some high school valley girl, got me?"

Clark laughed louder, sliding his arm around her and pulling her close to hug her tightly. Lois laid her head on his shoulder, hugging him back as tightly as she could. She leaned her head up to look at him when something else moved. "Clark!"

He looked to see Van on his knees with the gun raised and pointed at them. He pulled her around quickly and put his body between Lois and the gun.

Van got off two rounds before he stumbled, the force knocking him off balance. He was pushing himself back up when Clark spun back around with the pistol in his left hand and fired. The first shot hit Van in the shoulder, the next in the chest and the rest of the clip unloaded all over his torso. Van's eyes went blank before his body fell again.

Clark stayed there on his knees, one arm trying to hold Lois close and the other still trained at Van. His body shook. There was no reason to be aimed at the man, and the gun was empty, but Clark didn't move for a long time. He didn't lower it until Lois put her hand on his. "It's over Clark. It's done."

He turned to see her looking at him… and nodded. Holstering the gun he pushed himself to his feet slowly, grunting with every step. The slowly made their way off the roof and down into the house again. "You know Smallville, if this was your idea for a second date, it kinda sucked. I want dinner and a movie."

Clark chuckled, kissing her temple. "We'll see about it Lois. I promise."

//

The EMTs had Clark patched up enough to oversee the rest of the operation as more of the gunman were brought out in either cuffs or bags. He sat on the hood of one of the police cruisers, his right arm in a sling and bandaged up, and talked to Captain Sawyer. She had made it back to help oversee the arrest of Morgan Edge, they were just waiting for him to be cleared after his fall into the pool off the roof.

The medic finished bandaging Clark's arm. "This will hold, but you need to be at the hospital ASAP."

Clark nodded and held his left hand out. "Thanks a lot. I didn't catch your name."

The medic shook his hand. "Davis Bloome. Just started in Metropolis and was brought along here. Guess I'll see you around Sheriff Kent?"

Captain Sawyer snorted. "More than likely." They watched the medic walk off to another waiting patient and she turned to face Clark. "Speaking of that, I wanted to talk to you about something."

Clark turned to look at her, but he already had an idea of what she was going to say.

"You did good here today Kent. Minor injuries, no men lost. The worst injury was your friend Fordman, and he's going to be fine once he's out of surgery. You impressed a lot of people today."

He nodded. "Well thank you Captain."

She crossed her arms. "So, that's why I wanted to offer you a spot in my ranks."

He looked back at her. "Yea? A spot at the Metropolis PD?"

She nodded. "We have an opening for one of the bureau chiefs. It would be a quick jump, but I think you've proved you're more than capable."

Clark sighed, turning back to look at the officers rushing around the grounds. His men mixed with city personnel. "I'm gonna have to say thank you for the offer Captain."

She smiled. "Good, we can start talking about the details Monday."

Clark held his hand up. "I meant thank you for the offer, but I have to decline."

Captain Sawyer looked over to him, her face taking on a confused expression. "Decline? Why?"

"Metropolis already has a lot of good cops. And honestly, I'm looking forward to getting back to normal here where my biggest worry is a drunk taking a bar hostage every once in a while. Well, actually only once so far." He twisted to face her better. "Smallville is my home. And the reason I even got into Law was to protect my home better. No offense, but you can't offer me that sense of purpose in the city."

Captain Sawyer smiled softly. "I guess I have to respect that. And I wish you luck Sheriff. But, things might not be as simple as you remember for very long." She winked at him and walked off to talk to one of her officers.

"What's that supposed to mean? Maggie? Come on, give a guy a hint!" He grunted when he tried to stand, feeling his body ache even worse. He noticed Lois walking out of the crowd with her notepad and a tape recorder… and Eric following her with a camera. "What are you doing here?"

Eric held the camera up. "I'm finishing this one, for my brother."

Clark smiled. "He'd be proud of you. And Captain Sawyer is going to talk to the DA, there shouldn't be any problems after you slipped into Jimmy's role for a week. Extenuating circumstances and such."

Eric smiled softly. "Thanks Clark. I appreciate it."

He stood up finally, hiding the grunt of pain. "But Eric, from now on… come talk to me ok? No matter what, I'll believe in you." He held his good hand out, offering it to his friend.

Eric nodded quickly and moved in, wrapping his arms around Clark. "Thanks Clark, that means a lot."

Clark didn't let out the cry of pain, not wanting his friend to take it the wrong way. He just forced a smile and nodded, waving to him as he left to get more pictures. Falling back to sit on the car with a grunt he exhaled, taking several deep breaths to will the pain away.

"That was a good thing you did for him." Lois sat at his side, sliding her hand over his. "I know he was worried about what they'd do to him for hiding Jimmy's death."

Clark shook his head. "If he'd felt like he could trust in me to begin with, this wouldn't have happened."

Lois sighed. "It's not always that easy Clark. Sometimes we know what is and what isn't but circumstances, fear, all sorts of things can mess with our heads. It doesn't mean Eric didn't believe in you, it just shows how scared he was. You might be good, and I'm even starting to think you might be truly bulletproof, but you're no superhero."

Clark raised an eyebrow. "I don't think that's what you were saying last night."

Lois slapped him in the ribs. He doubled over, groaning. She just smirked and watched him. "Yea, I know that hurt. And I don't feel bad for it."

Clark sat up slowly and looked pitiful, but it wasn't working. His ploy was interrupted by Captain Sawyer walking back over to him. "Sheriff Kent, they just cleared Morgan Edge. Seeing as how we are technically in your jurisdiction, would you like the honors?" She held out a pair of handcuffs to him.

Clark smiled and reached over to Lois, squeezing the hand she had in her lap. "I'd love to." Sliding off of the hood, he limped over to poolside alone to see Morgan Edge sitting on a bench, soaked from head to toe. "Bad day huh?"

Edge looked up at the sheriff. "You know, my offer still stands. I'm sure a man like yourself could use the extra assurance that a good payday could give to you and your family?"

Clark stopped in his tracks, looking down at the man. "How much are we talking?"

Edge smiled. "I'll cut you in on McNulty's share. $1.2 million and a percentage of sales."

Clark rubbed his chin for a moment… and then smirked. "Well thank you sir." He held his right hand out from his sling.

Morgan stood quickly, shaking Clark's hand vigorously. "So what's the next step?" He heard the clink of metal and looked down to see handcuffs locked around his right wrist.

Clark smirked and pulled the tape recorder out of the pocket of his ruined black t-shirt. "Thank you for making this so much easier to nail you to the wall. Edgar Lee Morganton, you are under arrest for drug trafficking, narcotics manufacturing, resisting arrest, attempted murder, sales fraud and attempted bribery of an officer of the Law. You have the right to remain silent…" Clark twisted Edge's arm behind him and slapped the other cuff on… tight. "Anything you say can and may be used against you in a court of Law."

"You're making a mistake here son."

Clark walked him over toward the other officers. "You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided to you. Say cheese."

Edge looked up just in time to see Eric's camera aimed at his face, snapping a picture of the fallen crime lord for the evening edition of the Daily Planet.

Clark finished Mirandizing him as he led him to a cruiser and opened the door. "Watch your head."

"I'm giving you one last chance, things could get very ugly for you…" Edge was cut off when his head smacked into the frame of the car.

"I warned you to watch your head. See you real soon Edgar." He slammed the door and walked back toward his people, leaving the irate former crime lord to his tantrum in the back of a Smallville Sheriff's Department cruiser.

Epilogue

One Month Later-

Clark walked into the Talon, noticing that the coffee shop was fairly empty for this time of day. He looked around, not seeing anyone behind the counter or in the seats. "Hello? Lana? Whitney?"

"SURPRISE!"

Clark jumped back as people popped out of every conceivable hiding place. Friends, coworkers, and kids were coming out of the woodworks and a banner fell into place at the top of the stairs.

Clark pressed a hand to his chest and chuckled. "Ohhh man, don't do that. I'm getting too old for this."

Whitney came walking out from behind the counter, holding a laughing little boy in his arms. "It was Kyle's idea. He wanted to share birthdays since him and Uncle Clark have the same one." Whitney leaned in closer, whispering. "I think he's gonna try to sneak a couple of your presents off to his pile though, so keep an eye out."

Clark laughed and caught the boy who jumped out of his father's arms and into Clark's. "Well thanks buddy. That's really cool. What did you want for your birthday this year?"

Kyle smiled even bigger. "I want a BB gun!"

Clark gave an approving look until he looked back at the counter and saw Lana giving him a not very subtle "NO!" face. "Well you know buddy, you have to be really careful with those. Maybe when you're a little bit older. But I'm sure eventually you might get one." The young boy sighed and nodded before wiggling out of Clark's arms and running over to see some of his friends. Clark crossed his arms and coughed to clear his throat before leaning in to Whitney. "I think my gift needs to stay in the car for today then."

Whitney nodded. "We'll take him out to the farm sometime and try it out."

"Do you think he'll be able to keep himself from spilling around Lana?" Clark asked.

Whitney scoffed. "No way in hell, but I'm not going to let that stop me. You were shooting a BB gun when you were five."

Clark hit him in the shoulder. "Yea, because my eight year old friend let me shoot his. And I got my tail torn up when I shot one of my mom's flower pots."

Whitney shrugged. "Not my fault you're just not as good a shot as me bossman. Besides, we have to keep him on the country boy schedule."

Clark raised an eyebrow. "I don't think you've explained that one to me yet."

Whitney held up his hand, counting off the points on his fingers. "Five to six, BB gun. Seven to eight, go cart. Nine to ten, first shotgun. And between eleven and thirteen he'll drive his first truck around a pasture somewhere."

Clark looked at his friend, shocked. "You really think you're gonna get to pull all that off with your wife?"

Whitney just shrugged. "Our dads managed to pull it off on our moms, didn't they?"

Clark shook his head as he walked around the room, talking to friends here and there and giving some of the kids piggy back rides. He walked up to the bar to get a drink. "Hey Lana. Good to see you guys back around town now."

She nodded. "Yea. It was kind of boring in Metropolis, and Kyle missed all of his friends. Of course it's not the best news to find out that it's safe to come home, but you might need to drop by the ICU to see your husband first since he got shot following his best friend into a firefight." She leveled a stare at Clark.

He swallowed, looking around the room. "Well… see, that was…"

She finally broke into a smile. "Clark, even if you hadn't brought him there, you know Whitney would have done it. It's the same reason he eventually came home with that injury. He won't let his friends get into trouble unless he gets to go, too. And believe me, he's been playing up the 'poor poor wounded me' card since he got home."

Clark laughed. "Guilting you into giving up the remote control?"

Lana turned a slight shade of red. "S-something like that."

Clark laughed at hearing that, realizing his deputy was up to some naughty hi-jinx of his own. "Well, next time, tell him to make sure he's wearing his vest. He'll know what it means." Clark winked and leaned over to kiss her cheek. "I'll see you later Lana."

"See you Clark. Happy Birthday!"

He made it back into the crowd when another voice caught his attention. "You're making things really hard for us in Topeka, you know that?"

He turned around to see a familiar face. "PETE!" He picked up his old friend in a bear hug. "What are you doing here?"

Pete laughed. "Oh come on, one of my friends is the most famous cop in Kansas right now and I'm not going to take the time to come see him on his birthday?"

"What did you mean about making things hard in Topeka?"

Pete walked over to a table and sat down. "After you took down Edge, the rest of his infrastructure started crumbling. We've got front companies, bribery, he even had people in the state senate in his pocket Clark. This is big. The state judicial team is heading all the charges and inquests."

"And let me guess, you volunteered to hop over and help out with all of that?" He smirked at his friend.

Pete shrugged his shoulders. "What can I say? I like the idea of helping clean up my state."

Clark groaned. "You're gonna go for the governor's office soon aren't you?"

Pete looked confused. "I… I considered it, why do you ask?"

Clark groaned. "Dammit, now I'm gonna owe Whitney $50."

Pete looked even more confused. "Clark, what are you talking about?"

He looked up at his friend but something else caught his attention. "I'll get back to you Pete, I need to go talk to someone over here. " He clapped his friend on the shoulder and stood up, walking across the room.

Lois sat at the foot of the stairs, smiling as he walked over to her. "Having a good birthday, Sheriff Kent?"

He sat next to her with a slight groan as he lowered himself down. "Even better now Miss Lane." He leaned in and kissed her softly, leading to a round of whistles and catcalls around the room. Clark held up a hand. "Hey, I'm armed, don't forget that!"

Lois just laughed. "So you take down one crime lord and now you think you can just get away with anything, huh? Abuse of power doesn't seem to fit you Clark."

He smirked. "I wouldn't actually do it, but after all the rumors swirling around from that raid and my hospital stay, no one really wants to push me to find out."

Lois put her head on his shoulder, her arm wrapping around his. "So you're the big badass around Smallville now? The small town Terminator?"

Clark reached behind her slowly and gave her a good solid pop on her butt. "First off, this is also a kid's party, so watch your language Miss Lane." He lowered his voice to a deep rumble intentionally. "And second, maybe I am taking advantage of that image a little bit, but its working."

She shivered, finally looking back up through heavy lidded eyes. "You're evil Smallville."

Clark just laughed.

She looked back over his shoulder. "What's that at the top of these stairs?"

Clark looked up. "Oh, that's the apartment. Back when this was an old movie house, the original owner just lived up there. It's mostly just storage now."

Her arm tightened around his and she bit her lower lip. "Do you… think that maybe there's still a bed up there?"

Clark looked back over to her, his eyes wide. "A bed? What happened, are you losing your adventurous side?"

Lois glared at him and growled before standing up quickly and pulling him behind her, heading up the stairs fast.

Clark just grinned. "Hell yea, it's gonna be a good day."

Forty five minutes later, Clark made his way back down the stairs, his uniform shirt askew and untucked in the back and the top button was buttoned in the wrong hole. Whitney walked over to him, trying to look stern. "I can't believe you just snuck upstairs for some nookie at my kid's birthday party."

Clark looked back at him. "It's my birthday too. What, I can't get a special present of my own?"

Lana walked over quickly, reaching out to fix Clark's shirt buttons. "Will you two cut it out? Clark your mother is down here now, she asked where you had run off to. And Whitney, if you keep it up you can take your shower by yourself tonight. I know you can move well enough to reach all those hard to reach places again, understand mister?"

Clark's eyes went wide and he grinned. "You're milking it for shower sex?" he asked in a loud whisper. "You only got shot once, I was stabbed twice and shot at three times!"

Before Whitney could answer Lana looked around. "Where is Lois by the way?"

Clark turned slightly red again. "She's uh… still upstairs. Recovering."

The married couple stared at him, both clearly surprised.

Clark just shrugged. "What? It's been a while. I was still pretty banged up and she's been all over the state covering the Edge story."

Lana raised an appraising eyebrow before she grinned. "Maybe I should have gone out with you back in our sophomore year. Who knows where it might have gone." She gave one more smirk to her husband before she walked off back behind the counter.

"Baby. Lana, come on, don't even joke… Lana… Lana I'll take you upstairs right now, come on… that's not funny baby." Whitney rushed off after her, leaving Clark leaning against one of the pillars and laughing.

A while later as everyone watched Clark and Kyle opening their gifts Lois finally managed to make her way back downstairs, taking a seat next to Clark. He glanced over at her. "Are you alright?"

She nodded. "I just… grabbed a shower. After I woke up."

Clark grinned, which just got him another slap to his shoulder.

Clark was playing up the pain from the slap when they heard someone walking up and speaking. "I'm looking for Sheriff Kent?"

Clark kissed her cheek quickly before he stood up from the table and walked out towards the middle of the room. "I'm Sheriff Kent."

The man looking for him had his back turned as he looked around. He spun when Clark spoke up and Clark sized him up quickly. A black suit, deep purple shirt and he was bald. "I'm Sheriff Kent, how can I help you?"

The man smiled and took a few steps closer. "Hello Sheriff. I'm Lex Luthor, I just moved into town here."

Clark's internal sensors went into overdrive when he heard the man's name. He reached out and shook the offered hand. "Well Mr. Luthor, what brings you to Smallville?"

"Luthorcorp was looking to renovate the old creamed corn factory and try to bring some business back to this area."

Clark was intrigued by that bit of news. "Renovate it into what?"

"We're looking into organic fertilizers, trying to boost the efficiency without adding unnatural chemicals. Luthorcorp figures that a farming community would best appreciate our efforts." Lex gestured around the room and smiled.

Clark nodded. "Well, I'm sure that could be a good relationship for the community to have. Welcome to Smallville Mr. Luthor. Please, feel free to meet your new neighbors, maybe have something to eat. It's a party, have fun." Clark clapped him on the back and went back to sit at the table, seeing Lois' eyes boring a hole into Lex. He gripped her hand and squeezed lightly. "You alright?"

She nodded. "Yea but… that's Lex Luthor what the hell is he doing in Smallville?"

Clark shrugged. "You heard him, he wants to reopen the factory and convert it to fertilizer manufacturing."

She looked back at him. "Are you serious? You buy that? He's a Luthor, his dad is…"

Clark held his hand up to stop her. "Is his record as sketchy as his dad's?"

Lois sighed. "No, but that doesn't mean there isn't anything there, it just means he learned to cover his tracks better."

Clark nodded. "Well then, I'm going to keep my eye on the situation, and if he sets a foot out of line then I'll be there to make sure he puts it back in bounds." He grinned and kissed her hand. "Alright?"

She nodded. "Alright."

Whitney walked over at that moment, nodding toward the door. "Hey bossman, our new neighbor just left, but I think he's already taking a few liberties."

Clark looked out the glass doors. "What do you mean?"

"That Porsche is double parked, taking up half the street."

Clark sighed and looked back at Lois. She was staring at him expectantly. "Well, that seems like a few feet out of line, doesn't it? Get to work Smallville!"

Clark chuckled and stood up. "I'll be right back, let me have a talk with him." Clark walked to the doors and walked out just in time to see the Porsche take off in a squall of smoking tires and screeching rubber. Watching it take off down the street, Clark laughed to himself. Running, he slid over the hood of the Charger he had parked in front of the coffee shop and got in quickly, putting the blue light on his dash and firing the engine up. He looked back at the Talon and saw Whitney and Lois watching him from the door.

Winking, Clark threw it in gear and took off himself, classic American muscle roaring to life and heading after the foreign model car.

Roaring down the road out of downtown, Clark smirked to himself. "Gonna be a really good day."

 The End.