Hurt

By JD

Disclaimer: I own nothing therefore I am nothing…. Just borrowing for some fun.

Rating: Anyone over 13 or so for now but could change.

Summary: While in Metropolis seeing Chloe, Clark and Lois stumble upon something unimaginable --- sorry, I suck at summaries lol

Spoilers/Timeline: Anything up to Cyborg I suppose.

Chapter 1

Darkness shrouded the narrow twists and turns of Metropolis side streets. Warmth from the well trodden pavement battled against the chilled winter air creating a dense mist in their wake. The subtle drip of water from a drain pipe was the only sound evidencing humanity in the dangerous black. No moon was tall enough to rise against the powerful buildings of the city, giving no light and creating no shadows for doubt or fear to exist in.

No one would see her.

It was a simple enough plan; hatched hours before in a bleak motel room where the only distinguishing marks within the four walls were of questionable origins.

Her steps were quiet but hampered in speed by the annoying cargo she was forced to lug. She was calm now. Reassured that her plan would be successful and by the light of morning everything in her life would be set right again.

Having come to her destination, she allowed her lips to twist into a sly smirk. It had all been so much easier than she had anticipated. No one had questioned; no one had noticed; no one would ever know. With an amused shake of her head she dropped her cargo unceremoniously in the first place available. Looking down at her hands, she huffed in frustration, her face contorting in disgusted; she wiped them clean on a piece of cardboard and was on her way.

Out of the darkness and back to where she knew she belonged.

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"Seriously Smallville, you have to start seeing someone about these masochistic tendencies." Lois whined, trying to keep pace with Clark's long strides.

"Careful Lois you're getting awful close to sounding like you care." He raised an eyebrow, enjoying the sounds of Metropolis traffic still pressing to get to their late-night locations.

"Well of course I care!" She protested. "Whatever bizarre thrill you get out of tormenting yourself is starting to affect me! It's freezing out here!" She implored with wide eyes and a sweep of her hand to indicate the visible breath dispelling from between her lips.

Clark appeared decidedly chastised when he realized that it was cold and Lois was not dressed for an impromptu trek across the city. What had been freezing temperatures all day had managed to become even colder in the absence of the sun.

"I'm sorry Lois. Let's head back to the car." He pointed in the direction they had come from.

"Finally." She rolled her eyes. "But it'll be faster if we keep heading this way." She indicated the way they were already facing. "And take a left on 8th."

"What? Do you keep a map of Metropolis in your purse or something?" Clark leaned around her to get a look at the bag she was carrying.

Lois stood taller at his comment. "I can navigate over one hundred major cities all over the world. Metropolis is easy in comparison to some of them that don't even bother to put up street signs." Clark was still eyeing her with disbelief to which she was quickly cracking under. "And it also helps that I used to live around here when the General wasn't stationed in some other corner of the globe.

Clark snickered at that, earning him a glare from his traveling companion.

"Come on Lois, would you relax?" He placed a hand on her arm which she shook off immediately. With a glance heaven-ward Clark sighed. "You've been more cranky and annoyed than usual. Even Chloe noticed. What's wrong?" He was impressed when she increased the speed of their walk despite the rather unstable looking heeled boots she was wearing.

"Nothing. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood to listen to you whining about Lana and Chloe giving you a pep talk. We were here tonight to go out with her and have a good time. Give her a break from the Planet and school and instead I have to spend the whole night listening to your sob story and watching Chloe glue your shattered ego back together!" She ranted.

Clark was stunned. Not so much that Lois had voiced her thoughts as that was a common occurrence but that she had thought any of it in the first place. He stopped walking, unable to keep his legs moving while his mind was a jumble of rage, hurt and embarrassment.

Lois had taken a few steps before realizing Clark was no longer by her side. She looked back, feeling her stomach churn at the stricken set of his features. Guilt coiled itself around her middle, slithering up to strangle her throat.

Her lips separated as she prepared to say something to her friend but no sound emerged. The guilt was still silencing her. After an eternity lasting all of a minute the cold managed to quell the guilt long enough for Lois to speak.

"Look, I'm sorry Clark that was uncalled for. You're right; I have been more….edgy" she picked her words with care. "than usual. And I have no idea why. That was no reason to lash out at you; you were just the nearest target." She gave him a blasé shrug of apology.

"No. Don't apologize." Clark shook his head. "You were right about tonight. It's not fair to Chloe to keep putting her in a position between Lana and me. They're friends. And neither one of you should have to mend my ego." He refused to look at her, instead focusing on the pattern of the concrete sidewalk.

"Well it's okay if we have to mend your ego sometimes." She dipped her head to be able to catch his eye. "That's what friends are for." The small smile she gave him seemed to release some of the tension he was carrying in his shoulders.

"From now on no more Lana talk." Clark announced with a smile.

Lois nodded as they began their walk back to the car again. "At least for tonight." She added with a teasing sideways glance, earning her a chuckle from Clark. Breathing a silent sigh of relief that she had not managed to do irreparable damage to one of the few friendships she still maintained, Lois followed.

"Seriously though Clark, how are you going to do that. Lana has been then center of your world for the past…forever." Her hands came up to emphasis her point before quickly being tucked back into the pockets of her jacket for warmth.

"Maybe that's been the problem." He shrugged. "I thought she was the girl that I would spend the rest of my life with but the truth is; she's just about the only girl I've ever dated beyond a week or two. I've been so single minded where Lana's concerned that maybe I've miss opportunities along the way."

Lois gave Clark a long searching look. "Wow." She finally said; a lazy smile working its way to her lips. "I'm impressed Smallville. Look at you being all mature." Her smile was infectious and Clark soon found himself grinning along side her.

Then with a sensitivity and instinct beyond any Lois had ever felt she grabbed his hand, surprised to find it so warm against the chilled surface of her own. "Your Dad would be really proud of you right now Clark." Later she would wonder where the words had come from and what possessed her to utter them to him on a dark street in the middle of Metropolis but at that moment she knew it was the right thing to say.

She felt Clark squeeze her hand back; his suspiciously bright eyes and half smile a better thank you than she could ever recall receiving. "Here." Clark took both her hands between his own, rubbing warmth into her icy fingers. "You're hands are freezing."

"That's what I've been trying to tell you." She rolled her eyes hoping to dispel the building tension between them. But the apologetic glint to Clark's gaze made it difficult. "It's okay." She assured him. "We're almost to the car; only a couple more blocks."

The two of them walked in companionable silence for a few minutes longer when Lois slowed suddenly.

"What's wrong?" Clark parroted his own words from earlier.

"Did you hear that?" Her brow furrowed at the sound from the moment before.

Clark turned his ear to the street surrounding them: hearing nothing. Another look at Lois' confused face urged him to lend a slightly better ear to the task, attempting to pick up sounds from a block in each direction.

"I don't hear anything unusual." He told her honestly. They had left the more residential area a few blocks behind putting them in the quieter and more deserted industrial end of the city.

"I heard something a second ago but it's gone now." She frowned. "It must have been a rat or something."

Lois' ears perked up when she heard the noise again. It was far more distinctive than a rodent and being that it was Friday the factories were empty until Monday morning. "I heard it again. It's coming from across the street." She pointed to the darker alley used for left over packing material and garbage between two factory buildings. She was already moving across the empty street when Clark caught her.

"Lois that's a very dark alley don't you think it's a little too dangerous?" Clark asked.

Clenching her jaw Lois turned angry eyes at him. "And what, because I'm a defenseless woman I shouldn't-"

Clark cut her off. "I meant that it's a little too dangerous for whoever is in that alley if they end up meeting you." He teased.

"You can bet your ass on that Smallville." She set her shoulders and stalked into the long passageway of brick, with Clark a step behind her. "Hello?" The call echoed off the imposing walls. "Anyone down here?" There was a muted noise a few yards ahead of them. "Did you hear it that time?" Lips pressed in a tight smirk.

"Yes." Clark nodded focusing his x-ray vision on the area it emanated from. He blinked in surprise cutting off the vision but continuing to move forward with Lois. "Lois I think it's a-"

"Oh my God." She breathed.

TBC (Please Read and Review if you get the chance I will update soon)