Pairings: Clois / Lexana

Spoilers: Based on event in Season 5 Splinter, but goes a/u with some references to events of season 5.

Plot: Clark is under the influence of silver Kryptonite, causing him to have paranoid delusions. He feels he cannot trust anyone – his parents, Lana and Chloe. Meanwhile, Lois is away in Washington DC visiting her father and Lucy when she transported to the Fortress by Jor-el who asks for her help to save his son. In return, Jor-el gives her an unexpected gift…

Lois sat back after her massive dinner at one of her favourite Italian Restaurants in DC. It had taken over a week for her appetite to return after the recent events in Metropolis. Being kidnapped by a white slavery gang was very stressful to say the least, although not as stressful as having to lap dance an uptight farm boy. All the money in the world could not make that easy. She had never seen anyone squirm as much as he had on that chair although she did notice some reaction from him.

"Lo, do you want some more dessert?" Her father's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

"No, daddy. I have eaten so much that I am going to regret it." Lois smiled back.

She never thought her dad would be this attentive and nice, but when he had found out about her ordeal, he had booked her on the first plane out of Metropolis to spend some time with him at his base in DC. He was now an advisor on the Pentagon senior staff not that he ever said much about it. Lucy was there on holiday from Switzerland and it was the perfect opportunity to catch up. In fact she had made a point of switching her cell off, as she wanted a complete break from her life in Smallville.

"It is great to have us all together in the same room." Lucy added. "We should do this more often.. I am sorry I need to leave tomorrow."

"Looks like it will be you and I for a few days." Lois smiled to her father.

Lois sat catching up with her sister once her father had retired for the night.

"So Lucy, how is your love life?"

"It is fine. I am having fun, and am much too young to be tied down." She laughed.

"I hope you are not doing anything stupid." Lois was concerned.

"Well there are lots of things I would not want the General to know if that is what you mean. Anyway don't tell you have been a nun since you moved to Kansas. I am sure you have had your fair share of men."

"Luce, are you kidding? Smallville does not boast many gorgeous male model types."

"How about Clark?" Lucy asked. "He is a bit of a hottie underneath all of that plaid."

"Don't be gross.. I told you about the lapdance last week. It looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him up. I don't think he is normal. I mean he has one of the hottest girl in town, and the way Chloe talks they are not exactly setting a world record in the bedroom department." Lois went red just from talking about it.

"So there has not been anyone?"

"Well there was one man – A.C but Clark chased him off."

Lucy nodded knowingly. "You know what I think… I think the farm boy has a thing for you and he has not realised it yet."

"No way! He is way too obsessed with Lana. Anyway I am not attracted to him in any way, shape or form. Hell would have to freeze over before I would even go there." Lois grimaced.

Lois headed to bed about 1am as she was going to go to the airport with Lucy in the morning to see her off.
She was soon tossing and turning, having inappropriate dreams about Clark, thanks to Lucy and her crazy ideas.

She decided to go and grab a drink of water to see if she could shake off thoughts of him.

She put her dressing gown on and opened her bedroom door, and suddenly felt the ground moving underneath her. She closed her eyes, thinking she was having an attack of vertigo,

Soon she felt steadier, and she opened her eyes.. The sight in front of her made almost made her pass out, but she managed to compose herself.

"I am must be dreaming." She muttered, her voice echoing across the large white structure she found herself standing in.

"Lois Lane….welcome.." A loud voice boomed across the structure.

"I am going to click my heels three times and hope I end up back in DC." She quipped to herself convinced she was dreaming.

"I will return you but first I would ask you to listen to what I have to say." The voice continued.

"Ok… I will play along and then I might wake up. Who are you?" She asked.

"I am Jor-el of the House of El." He announced. "I am not a real person, but an artificial intelligence of the real Jor-el."

"I know you are not real. I am dreaming after all." She fired back.

"Lois Lane, I assure you that this is really happening."

Lois's heart started to pound with the realisation that maybe he was telling the truth. After all this was starting to feel real. "Where am I?"

"You are in the Arctic. The exact coordinates are.."

She stopped him. "Mr El, how did I end up in the Arctic. Minutes ago I was asleep in my father's apartment in Washington DC."

"I transported you here." Jor-el replied as though it was the most natural thing in the world.

"So how did you do that?"

"That is not of any importance at the moment. I would not have brought you here unless it was important. My son is in danger."

"Your son. Is he an AI too?" she asked.

"No, he is a real Kryptonian. The only one on Earth." Jor-el explained.

"What is a Kryptonian?" she inquired, sitting down on a nearby ice structure.

"Krypton was a planet light years from here. We were very technological advanced but not advanced enough to prevent the population from destroy itself. My son is the sole survivor. I sent him to Earth to save his life and to give him a chance."

Lois nodded, trying not to show her disbelief at what she was hearing "So why is he in danger now?"

"He has been infected with a substance which has completely altered his mental state. He is at risk of doing something which could affect his life on Earth. He has already become dangerous and he needs to be removed before he can do any damage."

Lois was puzzled. "So why not bring him here?"

"Kal-el was poisoned by an advanced alien android named the Brain Interactive Construct or Brainiac as he is known. Brainiac will stop at nothing to convince Kal-el to destroy this fortress. My son needs to be protected from Brainiac and to be kept as far as possible away from here."

"So what is the end game in all this? Can Kal-el be cured?" she tried not to upset Jor-el but then realised he was just a computer.

"There is no known cure. The substance will eventually work its way out of his system in about 5-7 earth days. He can destroy Brainiac but not whilst he is suffering from such mental instability."

"So, Jor-el, why bring me here? What has a General's daughter who lives on a farm at the moment possibly have to make her your son's saviour?" Lois could not understand why she was the chosen one.

"Because Lois Lane, you are his soul mate, the one who makes him whole and the one who helps him to become Earth's saviour." Jor-el announced.

"So, hold on… you are saying that he is my future partner." She was horrified at being hooked up with someone she did not even know. "No pressure then…"

"Yes, that is what I am saying."

"I hope he is hot." Lois said under her breath as a way of trying to calm herself down.

"Kal-el is neither hot nor cold. His average body temperature runs at one degree over the human average."

Lois laughed to herself. There was no doubt she was talking to a computer. "So how can I keep him from Brainiac?"

"Kal-el is suffering from extreme psychosis and paranoid delusions. He is convinced that everyone he ever trusted is against him!"

"So why will he trust me?" Lois asked.

"Because he has a bond with you that can never be broken. He would never hurt you!" Jor-el said confidentally.

"Don't worry, Mr El – one wrong move and I can take your son down." She announced cockily.

"That is very unlikely, Lois Lane. Kal-el has powers." Jor-el explained all about his son's gifts. Lois listened intently.

"So he is not your regular guy!" she joked, realising he would not get it.

"Time is of the essence, Lois Lane and there is so much more to tell you. I will send you back to your room now in case your absence is discovered, but would you be willing to come back tomorrow night?" Even though he was a computer, there was almost a pleading sound in his voice.

For some reason, Lois knew what she had to do. "Yes, I will."

"Please do not tell anyone of your time here. It could endanger my son and other people around him. I will bring you here the same time tomorrow night. Thank you for listening to me. I can see why Kal-el picked you." Jor-el announced.

Lois closed her eyes, and waited. She felt movement, and then felt the familiar carpet under her feet again. She opened her eyes, and noticed she was standing by the bedroom door. She looked at her watch and noticed she had been away for almost an hour.

She lay down on the bed, the thoughts all swirling around her head. She felt nervous, but there was a hint of excitement at the same time. She just hoped this Kal-el was not some green skinned reptilian man because although she would never judge someone solely by his looks, this scenario would be pushing it a little too far.

Eventually she feel asleep, her dreams full of ice palaces, computers, lizard men and for some reason the episode of Dynasty where Fallon was allegedly abducted by aliens…