Lois had only briefly napped on Clark’s chest before she awoke again, feeling content, yet her mind was still full of questions. Throughout the wee hours of the morning, she asked him all the silly questions that had plagued her about him. She asked him about what he knew about where he was from, and how much of a burden it had been for him to hide his secret. She went through their history together, seeking understanding about some of their weird experiences that Clark had always been able to brush off as not abnormal, like their trip to the Phantom Zone. Then, having exhausted the questions about the past, she started thinking about how they came to this moment, and she asked the question that mattered most to her heart... When did he know he loved her?
“Lois, when we first met, you were the most infuriating person I knew. You drove me crazy because I was attracted to you, yet we were like---“ he gestured with his hands, searching for words to explain.
“Fire and ice? Peanut butter and—halibut?” she said, offering her suggestions with a smile.
He rolled his eyes. “I never did like that comparison… but, yeah. At the same time though—“ he turned her slightly in his arms to face him, brushing aside a lock of hair to look into her eyes. “There was something about you that always made sense to me. You could cut me down with a look, and then build me back up with a smile. You—took my breath away.”
She looked at him a long moment, taking in that compliment. “You know, I could say the same thing about you, Clark. There were times when you drove me nuts—yet I always knew I could count on you. I always—I guess we always understood each other, somehow.”
She settled back on his chest, and Clark gently stroked her arm as they were each lost in their thoughts.
“Smallville?” she asked in the semi-darkness, her voice sounding small and fragile.
“Hmm?” he answered lazily, tired, yet content to talk as long as she wanted to talk.
“When did you know? I mean, that I---that you---“ she began, but couldn’t seem to get the words out.
“When you disappeared,” he sighed heavily, remembering those dark days. “You know the saying you don’t miss something till it’s gone? Well, it’s true,” he said, mildly rueful. “I foolishly didn’t realize what I felt for you until I thought I’d never see you again,” he squeezed her gently to him, kissing her hair. “When I thought I’d lost you—I—became lost myself. That’s how I knew.”
“Clark? If I hadn’t found the Fortress, if I hadn’t met Jor-El---“ she started, still a bit hesitant.
“I was going to tell you, Lois,” he reassured her. “I’ve wanted to for a long time, but it always seemed to go wrong.”
She seemed to breathe easier and settled back onto his chest.
“Lois?”
“Yeah?”
“Before you knew I was the Blur, did you—I mean—“
This time she interrupted him, reassured him. “I did, Smallville. I had feelings for you long before I knew you were the Blur, though I didn’t acknowledge them to myself until—“ she stopped, uncertain.
“Until when?” he prodded.
She covered her face with her hands, remembering the humiliation of the night of Chloe’s wedding. “I’d rather not say…”
“When, Lois? You can tell me.”
She peeked through her fingers then brought her hands down, rolling over with a groan until she ended up half laying on his chest, and half on the sofa, but facing him. “I really don’t want to bring her name up…”
“Lana,” he answered with a resigned sigh, as he at last understood.
“Yup,” she answered succinctly, glad she didn’t have to say it.
He looked at her tenderly, “Lois, my love for you is so much more than I ever had for Lana. There was always a game between Lana and I, half-truths.” He shook his head, trying to make her understand. “When I said I was lost when you disappeared, I never had that feeling when Lana went away. When she was in my life, I always ended up off course, uncertain. But with you---it’s completely different. I depend on you to understand parts of myself that I don’t always see… That was one thing that impressed me about you when I talked to you as the Blur… you could always see straight through me, even when you didn’t know who you were looking at. Lois, you always knew me… Whether as Clark or as the Blur, you could always see what was wrong, and bring out what was best in me. Lois with you I’m-- stronger than I am alone.”
“Smallville,” she said, her voice caught in her throat. “I’ll always be there for you. I lo—“
He pulled her up to him, stopping her, until they were face to face. “Let me say it first,” he whispered tenderly, kissing her cheek.
She nodded, giving him a little smile.
“I love you, Lois Lane.”
“I love you, Clark Kent,” she breathed, stretching up the last few inches to reach his mouth for a kiss. “I always will,” she whispered against his lips.
He pulled her closer to him, seeing the early morning rays of the sun start to stretch across the living room, replacing the soft glow of the dying fire.
“I’ll always be there for you, Lois. Always.”
~\S/~
After Oliver’s close call, Chloe spent the next day researching what she could about the VRA, and she was not happy with what she found. A bill was being passed in Congress to require all ‘vigilantes’—a pejorative term that made Chloe’s skin prickle in fear—to register with the US government. After hearing Ollie’s tales of being beaten and questioned, she had no doubt that the VRA would allow the US military to do whatever they wanted with the heroes, up to and including throwing them into a Gitmo wannabe, if the heroes didn’t do as Uncle Sam asked.
Something had to be done to stop the VRA from being passed. Chloe believed there was support for the heroes out there, but she just wasn’t sure how to get people involved in showing it.
Chloe glanced up from the computer when she heard the door to Watchtower open. “Hey,” she said, not bothering to hide the contented grin on her face as Oliver came over to greet her. “I missed you this morning,” she said as he leaned in to kiss her hello, though she looked at him slightly askance in his toned down crime-fighter hoodie. “I hope you were careful.”
He grinned back. “No one knew Green Arrow was up and about this morning, don’t worry. But, you should know that there is a pro-hero rally scheduled today… “ He said, taking off his hoodie to sling it over a chair as he settled into a seat next to her. “Word is getting spread about the VRA, and it seems the public is on our side, for once.”
“Well, that’s all well and good, but what do we do if the VRA becomes law?”
Oliver ran his fingers through his hair and shook his head, looking a little tired when Chloe looked closely, still recovering from his own brush with the supporters of the VRA. “I don’t know. But, no matter what, I know that the Team will not stop fighting to save people. We’ll find a way to fight back.”
~\S/~
Martha woke up in a cold sweat, her heart racing. She saw her son, plummeting to his death, but she couldn’t save him, couldn’t reach him… She sat up in bed, wiping tears from her face as she reached for the light next to her bed, to try to banish the shadows the dream had conjured. She didn’t understand it, but the thought of Clark dying terrified her, more than the thought of him disappearing with the Kandorians… But wasn’t he already gone?
She didn’t know. She felt herself shaking as she got out of bed and reached for her wrapper. It was just after eight in the morning, and she had to be on the Hill by ten. But she also had to know what had happened to him… was her son already gone to some distant planet where she’d never see him again—or worse? Had Zod killed Clark?
Her hands trembling, she called the farmhouse, not knowing if anyone would answer. But if Clark were alive---
“Hello?” a sleepy voice answered.
“Lois?” Martha asked in some surprise, momentarily coming out of her fearful stupor.
“Mrs. Kent?” Lois returned, sounding a bit more awake.
Martha breathed in, trying to calm herself so she wouldn’t alarm Lois. “Have you—have you seen Clark?” she asked, forcing cheeriness into her tone.
“Yeah, he’s sleeping on the couch,” Lois said, and Martha could hear the affection in her tone. “—but if it’s important, Mrs. K—“
“No,” Martha interrupted, trying to stem the tears of relief. “Just… just tell him I love him.”
“Is everything okay, Mrs. K?”
Tears were streaming freely, and Martha struggled to gain control of her voice. “Everything is fine, Lois. Just—have him call me when he gets up.”
“I will… and, Mrs. K?”
“Yes, Lois?”
“Take care, okay?”
“I will, honey. You too.”
“I will. Bye.”
Martha hung up the phone, and let herself fall onto her bed. Clark was alive. She didn’t care how, but that fact alone was enough.
Now, as relief flooded her, she could face the day.
As long as Clark was still in the world, there was still hope.
~\S/~
Lois made some coffee and settled back on the sofa, careful not to disturb Clark who was still sleeping. As she sipped her coffee, she couldn’t seem to wipe the smile from her face. He loved her—and she loved him. Could the world be any more perfect?
She shook her head, as much at her incredulity of her own sentimentality as to try and focus on other things. They had to get to work soon, and it would help to know what’s been going on in the world over the last twelve hours.
Lois turned on the television, quickly pushing the mute button to allow Clark to sleep in peace. She turned to the morning news, hoping to see something she could chase down for the print press…
What she saw, though, was disturbing. An anti-hero protest was in its early throes preempting a pro-hero rally scheduled for later in the day. Lois was dismayed to see none other than Ray Sachs, the corrupt DA who had been on her radar for a while, sponsoring it. If he was supporting the VRA, then she had more reason than ever to go after him.
She read the scroll at the bottom of the screen: “Sachs supports VRA movement… ‘Blur is a menace that must be taken down… ‘ VRA passed Congress, has gone to a state referendum…”
“Oh hell no…” Lois said angrily, suddenly wanting to get to the Planet and see what could be done to stop this.
“What is it?” came a groggy voice from the sofa.
Lois leaned over and touched Clark's arm. “Sorry,” she smiled apologetically. “Didn’t mean to wake you.”
He grinned up at her, and she couldn’t help but lean down and give him a quick kiss. Then she pulled back, slightly embarrassed, as she wasn’t sure that’s what he was expecting.
“Sorry—I—“ she floundered.
He simply reached for her, his eyes tenderly searching hers. “Lois, it’s okay. It’s better than ok… I—I can’t think of anything better to wake up to than a kiss from you.”
To prove it, he pulled her down beside him and showed her what a proper morning kiss should be like. When she could surface for air, Lois was all smiles. “Well… I could certainly get used to that.”
He smiled back at her and then glanced at the television, his brow knotting up in concern. “That doesn’t look good…”
Lois unmuted the TV and sat back down next to Clark.
”Mr. Sachs is coming to City Hall at noon today to give a press conference on why Kansas must pass the VRA referendum. These protesters behind me are expressing their concern that if the referendum is not passed, our city streets may no longer be safe. Reporting live…"
Lois shook her head and glanced at Clark, immediately disheartened by the distressed look on his face.
“What am I going to do?” he asked despondently. “There are so many hero haters out there---“
“Clark, stop,” she said, taking her hand in his. “This is just trumped up BS that we can fight. If Sachs is supporting it, then you know it can’t be good. Let’s get down to the Planet and see what we can find out. There has to be a way to stop it from being passed.”
Clark sighed, pulling Lois to him. “I’m glad you know my secret, Lois. It feels good to have you on my side.”
She smiled sweetly at him, “Clark, I’ve always been on your side. Even before I knew you were the Blur.” She stood up and turned to face him, her hands on her hips, all business. “But we have some serious butt to kick today, so as much as I’d love to laze on this sofa with you all day, we need to whoosh off to work.”
~\S/~
At the Planet, Lois was even more disheartened by the Planet’s morning edition. Tess evidently let go to press a few op-eds that decried the heroes, and threw their support towards passing the VRA.
“Where does she get off—“ Lois grumbled, making her way to Tess’ office, the paper in hand.
Lois slapped the edition on Tess’ desk, forcing her attention from her computer screen. “Well, hello to you, too, Lois,” she said dryly, then plastered on a fake smile. “How can I help you?”
“Why did you approve these hero-hating articles?” Lois asked, knowing that Tess knew Clark was the Blur just made her even more outraged that she would do this.
For the first time since Lois has known her, Tess looked taken aback. “I didn’t approve these…” she said, picking up the paper.
“Then who did?” Lois demanded.
“I don’t know… I’ll have to get to the bottom of this… “ Tess reached for her phone. “Write up a counter-piece. If you can get it to me by noon, I’ll have it in the afternoon edition.”
Lois looked back at Tess in surprise. “Really?” she asked, the angry wind taken out of her sails.
“I know we need the heroes, Lois. The VRA can’t pass.”
~\S/~
Lois went back to her desk and immediately got to work. Clark was nowhere to be seen, but she bet he was working on a way to diffuse the hero-hatred the media was stirring up.
She read through her piece again, thinking it hit all the right tones, and definitely highlighted how much the Blur has helped the city, but she thought she could do more.
Lois glanced up from her computer, surprised and relieved to see her cousin heading towards her desk.
“Chloe!” she cried, jumping out of her chair to hug her cousin. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
Chloe laughed nervously, “It’s, um, good to see you too, Lois.”
Lois stepped back and smiled at her cousin, wishing they could talk privately. She had so much to tell her…
“Look, I stopped by to um, well—I need to look at some files – just a pet project,” Chloe shrugged.
Lois eyed her cousin, knowing she was hiding something. Probably the thing she’s been hiding for years. The secret she didn’t need to hide any longer.
Chloe glanced around, seeming to find Lois’ scrutiny a bit uncomfortable. “Is there something up, Lo?” she asked.
Lois thought a moment, knowing the daunting task ahead of her and Clark with stopping the VRA. It would help if Chloe knew she knew the truth – maybe they could problem solve together.
“Follow me,” Lois said, leading the way to the storage room.
Chloe trailed behind her. They stepped inside, and Lois closed the blinds and locked the door.
“You and I need to talk,” Lois said with a heavy sigh.
“Lo, what is it?” Chloe asked, a little concerned by Lois' seeming need for secrecy.
“Chloe, how long have we been friends? Our whole lives? From the first time we went on summer vacation together? From the day you confessed you broke my walkman?” Lois walked over to Chloe, her eyes meeting her best friend’s. “From that day in high school when you told me you met a really cute guy – a guy who has changed both our lives, in many ways…”
“Clark?” Chloe asked slowly.
Lois nodded. “Chloe. I know about Clark. I know his secret –“
“Lois what are you---“
Lois shook her head, her eyes serious. “There’s no need to pretend, Chlo. Clark told me everything… I know he rescued you and Ollie the other night—in fact, I pretty much sent him to do just that.”
“How did—“
“It doesn’t matter. What matters, is I need my cousin. Clark has a huge task ahead of him to face down this VRA… and it doesn’t help that Ray Sachs is playing the hero –he’ll have people voting against their own interests if we don’t do something to stop him… Somehow, we need to get the Blur’s message out to the masses…”
Lois walked over to a pile of dusty boxes, thinking.
“You sure are taking this all in stride… how long have you known, Lois?”
“Hmm?” Lois glanced up from a dusty box she had picked up, then smiled at Chloe. “A reporter never divulges her secrets.”
“Lois,” Chloe chided.
After a beat, Lois capitulated--- a little. “I have known for a while… but Clark told me the truth himself,” she emphasized. “And honestly, it only makes me love him more… Ah, here’s something,” she said, bringing a box over to Chloe.
“Wow, Perry White… “ Lois said reverently, taking out some of his old photos and articles, brushing away the dust. “He’s a real journalist – goes out there and gets the story, brings truth to the people.”
“You are too, Lois.”
Lois smiled. “You know, with my PR skills and your, uh, computer skills---just had an idea.”
Chloe perked up, interested. “Yeah?”
“Do you think you could hack into a few media news outlets?”
Chloe nodded, a smile forming on her lips. “Maybe. How many you thinking?”
Lois grinned, “All of them.”
