A/N: This story has spoilers for Season 9 and some of Season 10. Mostly my ideas of what I saw after seeing the Comic Con Season 10 preview and what happens during and right after Salvation ended. It starts immediately after Zod throws Lois across the street.

Disclaimer: I do not own Smallville or Superman or any of the characters. This story is purely for entertainment purposes only.

Chapter 1

She opened her eyes and waited for the pain. Her elbow was a little sore but the rest of her seemed perfectly whole. Undamaged. She stood up slowly, wondering if her body was deceiving her. No…she was fine. She glanced around and saw broken glass and flowers littering the street. Tulips scattered every which way. What had happened? She glanced around nervously; worried that Zod would be lurking around waiting to finish the job. And that's when she saw something that made her heart begin to beat erratically. The white S shield, like a beacon in the night. And then her gaze traveled above the shield into the shadows. She couldn't see his face, never knew what color his hair was, or the color of his eyes. The man who lurked in the shadows always watching out for her, always protecting her when she needed him the most.

Slowly, she made her way to him, stepping around the shards of broken glass. "Can you forgive me for thinking he was you?" He said nothing so she pleaded with him softly; "Please say something" turned around so his identity would remain a secret as she got closer to him and offered the book of Rao to him over her shoulder. He still didn't break the silence. "Anything?"

She felt him move behind her and grasp the book of Rao and felt a surge of disappointment when she thought he would take it and simply zip off. Instead he clasped her hand below the disk as well. She closed her eyes, savoring the feel of him. That was it. That's what Zod was missing. Not only was Zod's hand smaller than the Blur's but it didn't fit hers as well as the Blur's had. Most importantly what was missing was the warmth of the Blur's touch and the way his hand caressed hers and said so much with out words, without sound. Before she knew what was happening he tugged her towards him while spinning her around to face him. Keeping a tight hold on her hand and the book, his other hand gripped her firmly around her waist. Lois kept her eyes closed to keep his face a secret. No matter what she was willing to give up to know who he really was, she couldn't risk it. No matter how selfish she wanted to be. Briefly she thought of Clark and felt guilty for letting the Blur hold her as closely as he was.

All thoughts of guilt fled as he leaned in and kissed her and with so much passion, she could scarce catch her breath. He kissed her with a sense of urgency, as though scared she would push him away at any moment or simply stop the kiss. She was enveloped in his scent, his warmth and his sheer presence. Lois's thoughts swirled around her in a confused cloud. She knew this man, knew what he felt like, smelled like, and definitely what he tasted like, outside of the dark alleys, without the black clothing. She loved this man.

Just as quickly as he was there, he was gone. He had saved her once again, even after everything that had happened that night. Lois tried to catch her breath and made her way unsteadily back to the phone booth. She smiled suddenly, relieved and so proud, and finally understanding these last few weeks, last few years really.

"Clark" she sighed.

He was her Blur. The two men she loved and cared about most in this world, were one and the same. She was startled out of her thoughts when she almost missed the step on the curb. She wasn't paying attention to what she was doing. She better get out of here in one piece and then she could think things over. Where to go though? She looked around her and thought it was probably safest to go to the Daily Planet and wait out the rain, at least until she decided if she wanted to go back to the Kent Farm or the Talon. Not only that, but she wanted to pull some information from the Planet's archives. She had a feeling all the clues were there to follow, but she had never sensed the mystery behind her plaid wearing farm boy. She had assumed what she saw was what she got.

She walked around carefully knowing that Clark was long gone and wouldn't be around if she got into anymore mischief. She glanced around at the deserted streets. It was still dark out with the light shower that was coming down. It would probably start downpouring any minute now. Putting her hands back in her pockets she moved along at a quicker pace.

She thought back over the last few hours. This time she understood more. The cryptic language in the journal Clark had in his trunk. Someone had taken this foreign language and no doubt painstakingly translated the meanings. She recognized the S that the Blur, that Clark, had chosen to use a symbol of hope for the people of Metropolis. She would wait for Clark to explain this bit. She was still unsure what it all meant. She had thought that he was a meteor freak, but apparently that may not be the case. She thought back to when Zod had approached her earlier that day. Saying he was the Blur. He had super sped in front of her when she started to walk away. She had thought only the Blur could do that, but she had been wrong about a lot of things lately.

Unhappily she came to a realization. She didn't know how long she had been talking to Zod as the Blur but it must have been for quite some time. At least as long as she had a direct number to call him and every single time she had been with Clark and had step away to take her phones calls with some privacy.

Clark had tried to warn her weeks ago. She had chalked it up to jealously but as she thought about it, he had been desperate for her to understand, to be cautious and careful. "Lois…do you even know who you're talking to?" She had fought with him, insisting that the Blur needed her, would protect her and the least she could do was protect his identity. She so much as told the Blur the same thing when he had saved her after she had crashed the former D.A.'s release party. "I would give anything to see your face, hear your voice. But you can't protect us if we know who you are."

When she hadn't listened to Clark, because she's been pigheaded and stubborn, he told her the only way he knew she would listen. He called her as the Blur and made sure to call her at the same phone booth that they had their first conversation at, some place that was important to both of them. Someplace that Zod wouldn't have known about. He had said goodbye to her and told her their relationship was putting her in danger. "I won't be calling you anymore. If anyone calls pretending to be me, don't believe them." She had been heartbroken.

She had told him that she couldn't know who he was and at the very next turn she got mad at Clark for not spilling all his secrets to her.

Their conversation just hours ago echoed in her thoughts. "Clark, I need you to start being honest with me. Please."

He had denied everything, telling her there was nothing to tell. She felt terrible for putting him through this. How torn he must have been. To hear her tell him one thing as the Blur and a completely different thing as Clark Kent. He had stood there asking her if he would be enough for her when the Blur called her the final time. She couldn't give him an answer. It wasn't that she didn't love him. She did, more than anything. But she had been scared to tell him just how much and she was scared that she would never live up to the idea of the type of woman he should be with. Clark was all things good and gentle and deserved more in life than just an army brat trying to find her way in the world. The work she was doing with the Blur felt like it was the kind of work that she could be proud of. To know that she was helping people in the world and helping a hero who was battling it all by himself and needed her.

"That's when I knew. That you were the one I always needed. And I needed you to know that." Clark's words to her in the loft earlier echoed in her head.

It had made her so distrustful of him, hearing Clark say those words and then the very next few minutes tell her he was keeping nothing from her. It was all so clear now. She didn't blame him for not telling her. After all, she was the one to tell him a little mystery would do him good. To know that the most powerful man in the world thought he needed her. Lois Lane. She didn't quite know how to deal with that.

Something was bothering her though. Why did Clark kiss her as the Blur, knowing full well he didn't tell her his secret hours before? Why was Zod using her all this time? Because of the disk that Clark had taken back from her? Was that something he needed to fight Zod? Lois began to get a terrible feeling in her gut. Now that she thought about it the kiss felt more and more like goodbye. Zod had the same powers that Clark did, which meant he could probably hurt him as well. She remembered the story she was researching about the aliens. How there were supposedly lots of them. What if they were are with Zod and were going to go after Clark?

Maneuvering around the streets she pulled out her cell phone. Maybe Chloe would know where Clark was. Those two shared a connection that went past friendship. Lois had feeling that Chloe knew and had known Clark's secret for some time.

The phone rang and then went to voicemail. No luck there.

Then suddenly, a bright light shot straight up from the Planet's rooftop, splitting the dark clouds with the powerful beam. Something was really wrong…she could feel it.