AN: Sorry, it's late! Just so you know, my SR!Lois interlude will be posted on the 16th December and chapter 5 of AYAIC a week after that.

Chapter 4

Oliver watched as Clark paced, almost burning a whole in his carpet. "So how long has Lois been gone?"

"Since this morning or before." Clark sat down, and Oliver sighed with relief.

"I hate to say it Clark but now isn't the time to be launching out a search party. It's probably that she's out of range of your cell, that's all."

"But you'll look?" Clark asked.

"But I'll look into it anyway," Oliver agreed. Clark shook his hand before he left.

Clark was standing on the sidewalk when he realized that there was someone watching him. He turned, trying to see who it was but there was nothing there. The feeling in Clark's stomach only intensified. If he was honest with himself he knew how he knew Lois was in trouble: he couldn't hear her heartbeat. Over the years he had been able to identify the subtle rhythms of each and everyone in his family. Most he had done it so he could keep and eye on his father's heart condition but it was something he relied on for comfort. Just hearing a heartbeat and knowing that they were all still there did more for Clark than anything.

"Mr Kent," A voice called. But again, Clark turned but there was no one there.

"I'm going to find out who you are and Lois," Clark said, his voice low and dangerous. "Be sure of it."

SSS

Bouncing ideas off Lois and Clark, Lois felt much like herself again, finally being able to put her brain to use on problems she could solve. She typed away as Lois pulled out various documents she had acquired, no one was to ask how and Clark tried to piece that in with some intel he had received from a source.

"Wow, it's gone 11, I better go." Alt!Lois looked guilty at Jason, sleeping under Clark's large jacket. She brushed back his dark hair and was about to wake him up but Clark stopped her.

"Don't Lois, I'll carry him." Clark did as he said, taking the small boy in his arms, his arms straining in his shirt not from effort but sheer size. Guess the farm made him grow up big here too. With ease he started towards the elevator.

Lois nodded, and Alt!Lois returned the favor; she had no doubt there would be a 'talk' involved at some point but at least they were on speaking terms.

Eventually Clark returned but Lois had packed away all the various things that had been left out, "Go, sleep," she said.

"I'll help clean up," Clark offered but Lois shooed him away.

"Clark, I'm fine. I'm a big girl," Lois said, hands on hips.

"You know, Jo, you remind me a lot of Lois when I first met her," Clark said and Lois stiffened.

"I do?"

"Yeah, I guess you're learning a lot from her."

"I guess," Lois said with a side of relief.

"Night, Jo."

"Night Clark."

SSS

Flopping down on her bed, well after midnight, Lois sighed sleepily. There was a rap at the window., Lois frowned; she was sure there was no way to get on to the balcony from here. Grabbing the baseball she had seen in the back of the closet, Lois approached the balcony with caution.

Opening the doors, Lois struck out with the bat, her hands vibrated at pain course through her and the bat shattered. Superman stood there with his arms folded, "Well, Miss, you are the most intriguing of burglars."

Lois looked at him incredulously, "Superman!"

"I do believe this apartment belongs to Ms Lane."

"How do you know that?" Lois said pointedly.

Superman didn't even have the decency to blush, "You shouldn't be here."

"Look, it's a really long story I don't want to talk about." Lois rubbed her forehead and Superman took a step forward and Lois felt his presence around her. "You might think that you're intimidating me but I've seen war zones so a man in spandex is a little less than frightening."

"Who are you?" Superman asked but Lois just turned away. Grabbing her arm, Lois looked at him, his grip tight enough to hold but not hurt. "Who are you really?"

"I'm Lois Lane. Who are you Superman?" Lois demanded before she was struck by what she had actually said.

"Impossible, I know Lois Lane." Superman went back to folding his arms.

"Yeah, I saw her too but I'm not from 2018 either. It's like I'm stuck in some sort of future alternate reality." Lois suddenly felt very tired by it all.

"How do you know?" Superman asked, his face set in a hard frown.

"Well for instance there is you and Clark is different," Lois said without thinking.

"Clark is different?" Superman seemed interested by this.

"My Clark doesn't wear glasses for a start or buttons up under 16 piece suits," Lois reeled off, "and he isn't as socially and physically challenged."

"But what you're saying is this isn't your world."

"This isn't my world but this is the first place I woke up. Or rather in the bedroom." Lois pointed in its general direction.

"When did this happen?"

"About two days ago." Lois nodded, she felt suddenly strange sharing her story with Superman but if anyone could understand it would be the alien from anther planet. Superman seemed to be lost in thought, his blue eyes intense and focused on nothing and everything.

"What's it like? Being Kryptonian?" Lois blurted out.

Superman looked up, he was clearly surprised by the question, "It's…"

Lois didn't push, she waited but Superman seemed to wrestle with himself, wondering whether he should or not, "It's lonely."

"I'm sorry."

"Thank you but it happened a long time ago." Superman sighed, "Well, I have a friend at STAR labs that might be able to help you, Dr Emil Hamilton."

"He specializes in this sort of thing?"

"No, but he might know where to start," Superman said. Lois felt a little rush of hope run through her.

"But what if I can't get back? What if I have to stay here now? Does that mean I have to stop being Lois Lane?" Lois asked, her voice small and she wondered if Superman could even hear it but then she remembered he would always be able to.

"No, you don't stop being Lois Lane, not ever," Superman said, his fierceness surprised Lois.

"Goodnight, Miss Lane." Superman nodded his head, Lois smiled, she could see why the world favored him as well as they did. When you're ready Good Samaritan, when you're ready. Lois thought.

"Goodnight Superman," Lois said with a small wave. Heading towards the bedroom, Lois promptly fell into a dreamless sleep.

SSS

Clark was sitting in the loft when John came to visit him. John Jones or J'onn as he was really named, was one of his only links to his heritage, the Martian Manhunter was an old friend of his birth father's and was asked to look after him and guide him. But in saving Clark's life, he had knowingly destroyed his own abilities. Clark was eternally grateful and guilt ridden because of it. But John had found work at the local police department, still helping and aiding both innocent people and Clark in the same day.

"Anything?" Clark asked, his eyes lit up with hope.

"I did the missing person's on your partner myself but as it stands she hasn't been gone long enough. What is this really about Kal-El?" John asked, his hand on Clark's shoulder.

"I don't like it when my friends suddenly disappear," Clark said darkly.

"True but I sense a great reason to your unease," John said thoughtfully. Nothing could get past him.

"There was someone who called my name after I felt like I was being watched but both times I didn't see anything." Clark frowned.

"And you think this has something to do with Lois?"

"How can it not? I mean she disappears this person turns up. It's not exactly a science."

"Well, I'll look into some surveillance footage but be careful Kal-El, we don't know what we're dealing with if something more sinister holds your friend."

Clark nodded and bid John goodbye. Picking up his cell he called Ollie and then Chloe to see if there were any updates.

SSS

Lois met Clark for coffee the next morning; only he had more sugar in his coffee than her. Laughing, Lois ordered something to eat and offered Clark some, but he declined. Lois picked up the Daily Planet and a grin spread on to her face. There her article was on page 3; a sense of pride washed over Lois as it always did when she saw a piece of her work in the Planet's iconic pages.

Lois also held tight to the note in her pocket indicating her appointment with Dr Hamilton as arranged by Superman. The ridiculousness of the situation soon passed as Lois grabbed on to the opportunity that could be her only way home.

"Jo? Are you alright?" Clark asked, his eyes concerned.

Lois nodded, "Great. Just wondering if this doctor can really help me get home."

"Dr Hamilton is a good man, Jo, he can help," Clark replied before standing up, leaving some bills on the side. Lois looked at Clark, he seemed troubled. "I don't know. Aare you okay, Clark?"

"Hmm? I'm fine."

Lois wasn't convinced but she didn't say anything, she just let Clark lead her back out and towards the Daily Planet.

SSS

Clark was restless, his mind churning as he stared at the ceiling, unable to sleep. Lois had been gone two days now with no signs of return. If this was how she felt when he disappeared then he didn't know how she coped but he doubted Lois lacked the coping skills he was obviously devoid of, the General would have seen to it.

Again, Clark had the feeling he was no longer alone he sat up in his bed and even with his heightened vision he couldn't see anything as his eyes scanned the room.

"Hello?" Clark called, his voice almost booming in the silence of his room. No answer.

There was a crash in the corner, and Clark's eyes flickered over the cabinet which was now splintered into large pieces. With a flash of speed, Clark was upright, body coiled to strike the invader but his mind was blocked, like something had come crashing down on his mind leaving him unable to control his own movements, and then there was darkness.

SSS

Clark opened his eyes, unsure what he expected to see. Blinking a few times he realized he was in one of the phone booths at the Daily Planet. Rubbing his eyes and pushing his hair back he reached out to open the door and realized he wasn't in his bed clothes, but a shirt and pants, his usual attire for work at the Daily Planet.

How did I get here? Clark wondered as he stepped out of the phone booth. Walking down the corridor, he felt his stomach roll again, reacting to some unknown force. It took Clark a few seconds but he realized he wasn't in the basement. Looking around he noticed he was on the 6th floor. Walking further down, he heard the commotion of people talking to each other, over each other. Opening the doors at the end of the hallway, Clark was surprised to see what looked like the bullpen at the Daily Planet, only it wasn't.

Clark stood there a moment, astonished before a young boy stood in front of him, looking up at him, "Hi."

"Hey," Clark replied, the boy nodded and was stopped by a dark haired woman.

"Jason! I was looking for you!" Bending down, the woman hugged the little boy, Jason, tight. The woman stood up, looking at Clark, she picked her son up, "Oh, hi."

Clark offered a tight smile, "Hi."

"I'm sorry, Jason just likes to introduce himself to everyone,." she said with a soft smile.

"It's okay. We hadn't even gotten to that part." Clark ruffled Jason's hair.

"I'm Jason, Jason White." Jason nodded and looked at his mother. She sighed but it was good- natured, "I'm Lois. Lois Lane."

Clark coughed to cover his surprise. Jason looked at him, his eyes seeming to understand more than a 6 year old should. "I'm…"

"Kal!" A voice called, Clark's head whipped to the source of the noise. Lois, his Lois, was standing up, her head poking over a cubicle. Hair pulled back, a pencil behind her ear, Lois looked like she belonged here in the assorted, organized chaos.

"You and Jo know each other?" Lois asked, her interest piqued.

Jo? "Oh yeah, we uh…went to school together," Clark nodded as Alt!Lois stepped aside to make way for Lois, who threw her arms around Clark. Clark was slightly stunned but he pulled Lois into a warm hug, for the longest 48 hours he thought he would never see her again. As if it was automatic, Clark buried his face in her neck, taking in her scent, but as soon as he had done it, both of them stiffened at the intimate contact.

"Lois, this is Kal, an old friend!" Lois announced brightly. She looked at Jason, smiling, "Hey J-man."

Jason grinned, "I made something."

"Did you?" Lois looked at him with interest, Alt!Lois let her son down from her arms to guide Lois to her desk. Lois stopped a moment, "Don't you want to show Kal, Jason?"

Jason nodded enthusiastically, "Sure."

Alt!Lois gestured to an office and turned to Lois, "Gotta talk to the Chief and then I'm going to find Clark."

"What about Jason?" Lois said, Jason's hand in hers.

"Richard is in his office," Alt!Lois replied not without sadness. A moment later, she took a breath, opening the office door and entered.

Lois and Clark followed Jason to Alt!Lois' desk, name place taking pride of place on top of her computer. Jason was pulling out a picture when a dark haired man interrupted them, "Hey munchkin."

"Daddy!" Jason exclaimed, throwing his arms around his father.

"Hey Richard, uh, this is Kal." Lois gestured quickly to Clark. Clark nodded and offered his hand, Richard shook it firmly.

"Do you mind?" Richard gestured to Jason.

"No, Lois said for you to take him, she had to speak to Perry," Lois replied. Clark could barely grasp what was being said in front of him. It had been two days since he saw Lois but it seemed like she had known these people for years.

"Great." Richard lead Jason off in a different direction, Clark turned on Lois, "What the hell is…?"

"Not here," Lois said, her eyes scanning the bullpen. Pulling Clark by his wrist, Lois led him to the elevator.

"We need to stop meeting like this," Clark drawled.

Lois rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Smallville."

"Lois, what happened to you? You been missing for two days…"

"Two days?"

"It's been two weeks here," Lois said quietly.

"Here? Where is here?"

"Metropolis, 2018 slash alternate universe." Lois' eyes searched Clark's for a reaction but he was stunned into silence. The elevator doors dinged open, A tall man with floppy dark hair and glasses stood straightening his tie on the other side.

"Jo?" Clark looked at the man, his blue eyes seemed to bore into him, more familiar that he could have imagined.

"Clark, hey. I was just showing my friend around the Planet. You know…" Lois laughed but it was uncomfortable.

"Okay, but don't forget we've got to work on that story." Alt!Clark's eyes took the length of Clark and Clark almost felt like the other man was x-raying him.

Lois nodded, "Right, I'll be back."

"Clark," Clark repeated, blue eyes watching him curiously.

Alt!Clark offered him his hand, "Clark Kent."

Lois grabbed Clark's hand before he could take it, "We need to go - now." Quickly, Lois yanked Clark into the waiting elevator, but she pulled on him so hard he fell into her, both of them pressed up against the elevator wall. Lois looked up at him, Clark hesitated for a moment before stepping away. He thought he could almost hear her sigh of disappointment.

"Where are we going?" Clark said conversationally.

"To my apartment."

"You have an apartment?" Clark asked incredulously.

Lois glared at him, "I woke up in the apartment two weeks ago and fortunately it belonged to Lois Lane."

"Who isn't you but…"

"A mother of one, Pulitzer winning reporter, yeah."

"And I'm…" Clark frowned.

Lois smiled, "My partner. Both versions of me."

"Looks like I'm stuck with you then," Clark teased.

Lois' smile turned into a more upturn of her lips, "You have no idea."

Clark's eyebrows rose when he saw the slow burn in Lois' eyes; he would have to ask her what she meant. Giving her a quick once over, just to make sure she was fine, he noted that she had a new scar on her knee but other than that she was the same as she left.

"Clark, you're staring at me," Lois said, amused as the door opened.

Clark blushed bright red, the red staining his cheeks, "I was making sure you're okay."

"You could just ask me." Lois quirked an eyebrow. The two of them strode out of the elevator, and Lois guided Clark towards the preferred place of picking up a cab.

"Lois, how did you get the scar on your knee?" Clark said quickly.

Lois looked at him, slightly shocked, "I thought you were going to ask me how I burnt my hand on the oven. Well, I walked into the coffee table about a week ago. I was in a hurry."

"Late for work?"

"Something like that." Lois put both her forefinger and her thumb in her mouth and blew, hailing the first cab that passed.

"Nice."

"Clark taught me." Clark opened the cab door but let Lois slide into the back of it first. Quickly, she gave her address to the driver and she turned to Clark, "It's good to see you, Clark."

"You too Lois." Once again, their fingers brushed against each other, sparks jolted up Clark's forearm before he let his hand fall back into his lap.

Closing the partition between driver and passengers, Lois asked, "How did you get here?"

"I don't know, one minute I was in my room then I was in the phone booth of the Daily Planet," Clark replied.

"Right, well I was asleep at the farm when I woke up I was in the apartment. The common denominator the farm," Lois deduced, "But it doesn't make sense."

"No, it doesn't," Clark agreed.

"Maybe Dr Hamilton will have more information. We should go and see him," Lois said quickly as the cab came to a halt. Opening the partition, Lois handed over the money and Clark got out of the car, helping Lois.

"Who's Dr Hamilton?" Clark asked as Lois took to guiding him again, the building was a nice one, expensive most probably.

"He's a specialist at STAR labs whose been helping me try to get back," Lois said as she pulled out a set of keys.

Clark eyed Lois sceptically, "This doctor knows how to send a person through…"

"No, but he was helping me research possible ways of getting back. But it's all just theory," Lois replied as she let herself and Clark into the building, gesturing to the elevator, the pair walked over to it and pressed the button, waiting for the metallic ding signalling the elevators arrival.

"We've got to stop meeting like this," Lois quipped mimicking Clark's earlier statement.

Clark smiled. He had missed this, two days was a relatively short time he knew but without Lois it seemed even more arduous. She was the kind of person who lived in the moment, her mouth usually open before she had even decided what she was going to say. Clark found it refreshing and new, compared to the way he lived his life, constantly walking around on egg shells in case anyone could find out his secret. It seemed Lois just didn't care he had a secret.

"Jeez, don't strain something there, Smallville," Lois frowned, looking up at Clark. She must have noticed him spacing out.

"Okay Lois," Clark said, making his tone as patronising as possible.

"Whatever." Entering the elevator, Lois pressed the button and leaned her head back against the cool metal of the elevator. Clark watched as Lois closed her eyes, gently breathing in and out.

"Hey, you okay?" Clark asked. Lois opened her eyes gently.

"Sure, being stuck in a strange futuristic alt world makes me jump for joy," Lois said quickly, her sarcasm jumping to her defence. She sighed, "Sorry Clark, didn't mean to bite your head off. You're stuck in the same boat as me now."

"I can't imagine what it must have been like Lois," Clark said softly.

"It wasn't totally horrifying, Clark or Alt!Clark helped me out a lot," Lois said with a smile.

"I, or I mean he, helped you?" Clark asked, intrigued.

"Yeah, I kind of got drunk and started spouting about how he wasn't the same," Lois looked up at Clark again, "Not like you."

Clark looked back at Lois, her eyes flickering to the floor before she held his gaze again, "Not like me?"

Lois laughed, "You know, Clark Kent, farmboy, king of plaid."

"Oh, so if he isn't that, who is he?" Clark laughed.

"He's a great guy, a little clumsy but no more than you when someone mentions naked women," Lois teased as Clark's cheeks stained with his blush. "Lois!"

"See, you're just too easy." Lois leaned off the wall so that she could stand in front of the opening doors, her hand pulled Clark out by his wrist. Walking down to a door numbered, 306, Lois pulled out another set of keys, "Here we are." as she pulled what Clark realised should have been the right key. Turning it in the lock, Lois let out a triumphant 'ha' as she opened the door. "Are you hungry?" Lois asked.

"I don't know, are you going to force PB and J on me?" Clark asked as he looked around the apartment. Softly and sparsely furnished, it reminded him a lot of Lois, but it didn't really match the amount of boxes of useless things that she had. "Nice." Clark said more to himself than anyone else.

"Yeah, I must be a bit loaded if I can afford this and somewhere else." Seeing Clark's confused look, Lois explained, "It belongs to the other Lois right, but she's never been here. She lives in a house down by the river."

"Right." Clark nodded.

"So, Chinese?"

"Sure, don't forget those chicken balls," Clark said as he inspected one of the photos in the frames on the fireplace.

"Do you want the sauce with those?" Lois asked, Clark told her yes.

Turning his attention back to the photograph, it was one of Lois and Clark, this world's version, it was at some kind of function as they were both dressed in black tie. Lois was leaning into Clark, obviously telling him some kind of joke as there was a smile on his face. They looked like they were good friends. It was nice to know.

"Hey," Lois said as she came back into the room. At some point she had slipped off her shoes and was walking around with bare feet. It seemed to make Lois even more vulnerable in Clark's eyes. "It should be here in 20 minutes. I'm a good customer."

That Lois would be, she had enough culinary misadventures to last a lifetime and as he remembered, PB and J was the extent of her culinary skill. "Sounds great."

Lois walked past Clark to a magazine rack in the corner and pulled out a manila file, handing it to him, she said, "It's everything Dr Hamilton could find. See if you can make sense of it."

Lois paid for the food as it arrived, preparing plates and un-boxing the food as Clark read through the doctor's notes. Putting the food down on the table, Lois gestured for Clark to come over. Clark put down the file and made his way to the table.

"So?" Lois said, hopefully.

"You're right, a lot of it is just circumstance and theory. I doubt anyone really knows anything," Clark concluded.

"Right, because time travel in alternate dimensions is so common," Lois drawled.

"You keep saying that," Clark noted.

"Yeah, I say it everyday, wondering how it could be true. But then I dream about being abducted by aliens so I could just be imagining the whole thing," Lois sighed.

"If you were imagining things, why would you imagine me?" Clark said with a smile.

"Because you're my knight in shining armour." Lois grinned but then the look between them intensified until they both looked away, trying not to read anymore into what was going on.

"Want any more of the chow mien?" Clark said quickly.

"Sure, I'll trade you for some of the spicy chicken," Lois said knowing that the last time Clark had eaten it he had needed two glasses of milk until his mouth had stopped burning.

"I'll give it to you for free." Clark laughed.

Lois smiled, "Score!"

"It's what I live for." Clark smiled. Lois rolled her eyes and picked up the dirty plates, clearly neither one of them wanted to eat any more.

"We should probably go down to the Ace of Clubs. That way you can talk to Clark and Jimmy, and see if they'll tell you anything more than they told me."

"Jimmy?"

"Doesn't know, but guys are guys. From the sounds of things, he and Chloe haven't even met here let alone gotten married." Lois placed the plates in the sink, "Just let me go change."

Clark looked down at his own attire, but Lois waved her hand, "You look great." Clark quirked an eyebrow and Lois just turned and almost ran into the bedroom.

SSS

Lois was explaining that things were vaguely in the same place only when you took a closer look at them did you realized they were nothing like you thought they were. But Clark's mind was wandering. He thought about his alternate self; were they alike or poles apart? Noticeably, Lois' counterpart was different; she was warm and motherly, which was nothing like Lois herself. But there was a fire in her eyes that reminded him instantly of Lois. Was it the same for him? Did Lois look at his alternate self and know it was him? Even more curiously Clark wondered if he had powers. It was highly doubtful he didn't and it was interesting for Clark to know how he had put to use the abilities Clark had only just begun to use and recognize as more than 'his secret'.

From the corner of his eye, Clark could see Lois walking down the street beside him, dressed in jeans and a jacket. She reminded him of the Lois of old, tomboy army brat with a attitude, and it reminded him of how much she had changed, how much less abrasive and welcoming she had become.

"Quit eyeballing me like I'm about to rob you, okay Clark."

Some things never change, Clark mused as they arrived at the club., He doubted very much that his alternate self enjoyed spending much time here. Even at the door, the press of bodies was insistent and put Clark on edge. Even beyond his moral standing, the press of flesh was something Clark on some level feared, in case he hurt someone without realizing it. As Lois pushed her way to the front of the line, much to the chagrin of those around her, she pulled Clark close behind her, her smaller hand holding his wrist in an iron grip. For a split second Clark wondered what it would feel like if he were human. Would it hurt?

Suddenly Lois stopped, her back hitting the wall of Clark's chest, "Hey Pete."

"Hey Jo, go on inside," The bouncer replied with ease.

Clark looked at Lois expectantly. "It's all about knowing the right people," she informed him.

"Right."

The music playing hit Clark almost like a punch, it's loudness reverberating in his sensitive ears. There was no melody, just a pulsing beat that half the club's patrons were gyrating to, and Clark wrinkled his nose in distaste. I'm really not a club kind of guy, he thought.

Lois waved towards the bar, Clark saw a shorter, young guy waving back, and from here Clark could see he was wearing a bow tie. Lois leaned up to say in Clark's ear that it was Jimmy but Clark was distracted by her scent, perfume permeating from her neck as his eyes flickered over the expanse of skin. Nodding, somewhat numbly, Clark continued to follow Lois until she reached a stop just in front of the bartender.

"Two beers, bottled please," Lois had to shout over the throbbing music. The bartender nodded his ascent and grabbed two bottled and uncapped them, Lois exchanged cash for the bottles and turned, giving one to Clark. Lois smiled at him, expectantly. Clark rolled his eyes and took a draw from the bottle. Lois tilted her head, satisfied.

"Jimmy Olsen," Jimmy said, offering his hand to Clark.

Clark took it and shook it warmly. He almost replied Clark Kent but instead he remembered that Lois had named him Kal. He would have to ask her about that but she had given him no last name, "Kal Elverson."

Lois' eyes narrowed as he introduced himself, Clark ignored her and turned his attention to Jimmy, "So how long have you worked at the Planet?"

"Oh about 6 or 7 years, seems strange to say it now, feels like I got the job just yesterday." Jimmy laughed, Clark nodded. "I mean, Jo's been with us like two weeks but it feels like she's been here almost forever."

Clark noted Jimmy's perceptible flush; he was crushing on Lois. Lois, on the other hand, was oblivious as she scanned the bar as if she was looking for someone. Lois jumped up, as if suddenly animated. "Oh, I love this song, dance with me," Lois said quickly, grabbing Clark and yanking him in the direction of the dance floor.

"Lois!" Clark hissed as he stumbled behind her, his back almost wedged up against a redhead who didn't seem too unhappy about the prospect. Lois yanked his face back to look at her, her hands warm on his cheeks.

"That's your attempt at guy talk? No wonder you don't have any guy friends." Lois rolled her eyes.

"I have guy friends Lois," Clark replied, somewhat offended. Lois ignored him as she started to move with the music. Clark hadn't expected that they would actually do any dancing.

"Clark, it's only dancing, shuffle or something," Lois said as if she was speaking to a child. Clark let out an oomph as he was knocked into Lois, the press of bodies becoming even more unbearable. Steadying himself with a hand on her waist, Lois froze, no longer moving to the beat.

"Clark." Lois' voice was so low that if he wasn't blessed with superhuman hearing, he would have never heard her. It was a quiet sound, more like a question that his name, looking down at Lois, he felt a knot beginning in his stomach and he wasn't sure how to get rid of it. But with all things, tuning his hearing into Lois, he had tuned it into everything else and beneath the pulsing music there was a steady tick-tock, tick-tock.

A bomb. There's a bomb underneath the club.