Bonus! I'm feeling generous, so you get two for one today. Here's the final chapter. Please post a review to let me know what you thought of this story! Thanks for reading!

If you enjoyed this story, try "Blurring the Lines," my personal favorite Smallville fic that I've written.

Clark had almost died…

One moment he had been falling from the roof of the Planet building, watching as Zod and the Kandorians disappeared forever… and the next, he had been lying on the cold, wet ground, fighting to return to consciousness…

He had dreamed… and in his dream, he had been warned that Lex was still a threat.

But he was still here on Earth, where hopefully, he could do something about it.

He wouldn't abandon the earth to the horrible fate that he had seen in the future. He would find a way to stop it…

And Lois—

Where was she?

Clark suddenly felt a thrill of excitement go through him, eager to find her and to tell her the truth. He wouldn't abandon her either.

He never wanted to see that lonely look in her eyes again, the look that had haunted the Lois of the future. He never wanted to see tears because he had abandoned her, without explanation, without her knowing what he felt for her.

Clark looked up towards the now morning sky. The earth was safe for now. Zod was gone, and Clark would have time to figure out how to stop Lex.

For the moment, there was something else more important to take care of.

Clark had to find Lois.

~\S/~

Lois made her way back to the Planet, still reeling from her discoveries.

Clark was the Blur.

It made so much sense. She had been hiding from the truth for so long, refusing to believe what she already had known in her heart. There had sometimes been moments or strange coincidences that made her think for a fleeting moment that Clark could be the Blur - but either she shook herself out of what she thought must be a delusion, or Clark found ways to convince her otherwise.

But now she had seen irrefutable proof. No amount of laughing it off or seeming logic would shake her from what she knew.

She suppressed a sigh. What would he do if she confronted him? Would he make her feel once more like a fool for having believed that Clark Kent and her hero were the same man?

Lois felt a knot of self-doubt tighten in her belly, worried that Clark would find some way to brush it all off, like the time he had rescued her when Ray Sacks had tossed her off the edge of the Planet building. She had wanted so desperately to believe Clark was the Blur, yet he had done everything he could to deny that it could have been him.

Did he simply not trust her?

The thought more than rankled. Trust had always been a hard issue with Lois. It seemed that those she gave it to always betrayed her one way or another.

And yet, she had found herself trusting Clark…

…and the Blur.

When would he trust her back?

Lois headed to the archive room, a million questions buzzing through her brain. Had anyone else known the truth about Clark?

Who had he trusted more than her with his big secret?

Lois felt certain that Chloe knew. It sure would explain their close relationship, and how Chloe would often come to Clark's defense.

Had Lana known?

Was that what had separated them?

Lois felt a tingle of fear up her spine. Would Clark's secret come between them too?

She was determined not to let that happen. One way or another, she would confront him with the truth – and more importantly, find a way to tell him that it didn't matter to her. That it simply made her love him even more.

She needed his trust.

Digging through the Planet archives, Lois began pulling files of stories about the Blur, seeing things in a new light. It wasn't just the Blur who had saved a family from a fire, but it had been Clark.

It wasn't the Blur who had stopped her monorail from crashing into the asphalt.

It was Clark.

Her down home farmboy was really the hero of her dreams.

Lois heard a knock at the door and glanced up, startled out of her musings.

As if she had conjured him up from reading about him, suddenly Clark was there before her.

She quickly shut the file she was reading. Butterflies fluttered furiously in her stomach, as she was unsure how she should breach the topic of what she knew, and even less uncertain whether she should say something while they were both at work.

"Uh, just looking for something," he said awkwardly, heading to a filing cabinet.

"Oh? Well, don't let me get in your way… Smallville," she said, her voice trailing off on his pet name for him. He didn't seem so "Smallville" anymore, all things considered.

As Clark stepped up to the filing cabinets, Lois quickly threw the small pile of newspapers she had been digging through about the Blur into the closest drawer.

"What are you researching?" Clark asked with a curious smirk.

"Uh, nothing… just… well checking some old stories about…" she cleared her throat. "Stuff."

"Mmm," Clark murmured, turning back to the cabinet.

She felt flustered, wondering if he had seen what she had been reading, and what he would think of it. It wasn't just her stories of the Blur she had read – but her colleague's stories, and even Clark's. Though his, she noticed, were much fewer, and only included the Blur when there was no one else to credit. Usually, he praised the police for acting quickly, or the firemen for their dedication.

She suddenly felt too close to him, her mind a whirlpool of thoughts that kept swirling towards one purpose – understanding who Clark Kent really is.

Only a short while before, she had been standing over him in the rain, fearful for his life. She kept scrutinizing him, wondering if he was fully recovered. She wanted to ask him what had happened to Zod. She wanted to blurt out that she knew the truth about him.

There were so many things that she wanted to say. How did he keep it all under wraps so well?

He seemed so calm and – normal.

And yet, he was anything but.

Beyond the stories about the Blur, beyond how she had found him in the street, what really had her shaken up was that kiss in the alley. With every glance Clark's way, it played itself over and over in her mind. She watched his jaw tick, and his brow knot together as he read, and she felt her cheeks flush red, imagining such intensity would also be on his features if he was kissing her…

She remembered too, the kiss he had laid on her in the middle of the newsroom a few weeks ago.

Both of those kisses had been spontaneous and passionate – and yet, one had revealed the man, and the other, the hero.

She longed to know what it would be like to kiss him now that way, knowing that he was both…

She needed to talk to him, to try and tell him that she knew the truth, and that she loved him. But she couldn't do it here. She needed safer, more familiar territory – somewhere where she could still remember the awkward boy she used to tease. Somewhere where she wouldn't feel so intimidated.

"Hey, um, what are you doing later?" she asked suddenly, hating that she sounded nervous.

"Not much, why?" he said, still glancing through a file.

"Well… uh, if we get through with work early today I thought… I guess I'd like to talk to you later… privately. Maybe, barn later?"

"We're alone now," he reasoned, glancing up at her with a slightly crooked smile.

She nodded, very much aware that they were alone. But still not alone enough to talk to him about being the Blur.

"I think it's better if we wait till later… I—well, is that okay?"

His lips curved up in an almost laugh and he set the file back in the cabinet. "Of course, Lois. There's something I wanted to talk to you about too."

She couldn't begin to let herself speculate on what he wanted to tell her. The way he had guarded his secret so fiercely, she couldn't see that he wanted to tell her that.

"I'll see you later then, I suppose," she said airily, brushing past him to head back to her desk, her heart pounding a mile a minute.

She couldn't even make a graceful exit, knocking her shin into a low shelf.

"You okay?" he asked, his hand suddenly on the small of her back, as she leaned down to adjust her shoe.

"Yeah, fine…" she said, feeling the heat of his hand like a brand.

She stood up, looking in his eyes for the first time since he had come into the archive room.

Something tight caught in her throat at his expression. She could see so many things in his eyes that she couldn't name, yet she could feel.

His compassion, and she thought, his love.

"See you tonight… Smallville," she whispered, and glanced away.

~\S/~

As Clark went through the rest of the day, he couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. All the stories of day, no matter what the crime, were lightweight compared to what he had faced in the future. The world seemed full of possibilities again, full of hope.

Though she didn't realize it, his greatest hope was the possibility of having a future with Lois.

She avoided him for much of the day, finding many excuses not to stay at her desk, and avoiding eye contact with him.

If knowledge that he was the Blur was making her this nervous, he felt doubly guilty about how he had abandoned her in the future. She had lived with that knowledge alone since he had left with Zod and the Kandorians – yet without him to talk to, without him to explain.

How long had she suppressed that knowledge before she had told Chloe and the others?

How long until she had known that he had been gone for good?

"Lois," he whispered to himself, her name caressed and lightly chided under his breath, his guilt getting the better of him. But this time it would be different. He had seen how dedicated she had been to him, how much she loved him.

She deserved to hear the truth from him – and he would tell her tonight.

~\S/~

That evening, Lois drove out to Smallville, wondering if she was making a mistake in confronting Clark about the truth. What if it drove him away - either in wanting to protect her or because he didn't trust her. Her insecurity made her self-doubtful, and she was tempted a few times along the way to turn around and head back to Metropolis.

At last though, she made her way to the Kent farm, a place she had used to call home. She felt herself smile, wondering how much of the great things that the Blur did everyday was due to the wonderful parents Clark had. She always knew that Clark was a great guy... but the Blur was just so much more.

Lois clamored up the steps of the house and rapped on the screen door. The porch light was on, though the kitchen was dark."Clark?" she called, though she couldn't see anyone in the kitchen.

When no one answered, she stepped in the house, greeted by Shelby.

"Hey girl. Where's Clark?" she said, leaning down to give the dog a pat. "Or does he keep secrets from you too?"

Suddenly, Whitesnake started playing in the living room. It was a live recorded ballad, and one of Lois' favorites - "The deeper the love." [ watch?v=b8UMs5ZKozc]

When I look back

On everything I've done

I know you must have cried

A river of tears,

But, you were there

When I was feeling low

To walk me through my darkest fears

The song made her smile, and she wondered what had prompted Clark to play it.

She walked into the living room, and saw Clark standing there, wearing a dark blue buttoned-down shirt and charcoal pants, his eyes earnestly searching hers. He had lit a few candles around the room, clearly trying to set a mood. He held out his hand to her, a shy smile on his face, asking her to dance.

"What's this all about?" she whispered, surprised by this set up.

He took her into his arms, and they slowly started to dance. "I haven't always been fair to you, Lois," he whispered into her hair, sending a small thrill to her heart.

She thought he had been fair to her, just not truthful.

So when the sun goes down

An' those nights grow colder,

I will be there

Looking over your shoulder

She let him pull her in closer, sudden tears coming to her eyes, listening to the lyrics and wondering if this time Clark was on the same page as her. Was he tired of running from his secrets too?

She settled into his embrace, open to whatever he wanted to tell her. She had come here to confess her heart to him. Now she wondered if he had planned to do the same.

We'll do it together, Smallville, she thought to herself, feeling lulled both by Clark's embrace and the song being played.

An' the deeper the love

The stronger the emotion,

An' the stronger the love

The deeper the devotion

"What do you mean, 'fair'"? she asked quietly, her head on his shoulder.

"I've asked a lot of you... and yet, I haven't been able to give you what you deserve."

She lifted her head to look at him. "And what's that?"

"The truth," he said, his eyes a soft grey.

There were times

I almost let you go

When I thought I needed to break free,

But you were there

To whisper in my ear

Why don't you share my dreams with me?

"I know you were just trying to protect me," she whispered, the words catching in her throat.

"Protect you - Lois, what do you mean?" he said, though his words were gentle.

So when the sun goes down

An those nights are growing colder

I will be there

Looking over your shoulder.

She glanced up at him, tears in her eyes. She was afraid he'd run from the truth, but he had just said that he was ready to share it with her. "I mean that I know you, Clark," she said, resting her hand on his chest.

His hand covered hers as they continued to dance to the music.

"Do you, Lois? I know we've had a lot of mixed signals and false starts - but, it's because I was always hiding. Running from a future that I feared. But now, I know that there's only one way I want to face that future - and that's with you."

An' the deeper the love

The stronger the emotion,

An' the stronger the love

The deeper the devotion

"I came here tonight to make a confession," she admitted. "But it seems you had one as well."

"My confession... is that I love you, Lois. And you deserve more than I've been able to give you. You deserve the truth."

He suddenly leaned down, and kissed her, pulling her close to him as the music swelled. She closed her eyes, recalling his kiss in the alleyway. He was the same man, though something seemed different about him tonight... for the first time, Clark Kent seemed like an open book.

I don't mind, what you're doing to me,

I don't mind, 'cause you're all I can see

I don't mind, baby, you mean the world to me

After a long moment, he pulled away, just to look in her eyes. His hand came up and cupped her cheek. "Can you see the truth before you?" he asked, his own eyes earnest.

She nodded, words struggling with tears in her throat.

When the sun goes down

An' those nights are growing colder,

I will be there

Looking over your shoulder, baby, baby, baby.

"It was you - all along," she said at last. "I realized it in the alleyway last night when you-kissed me."

Her eyes searched his, waiting for his confirmation, wanting to take this next step with him.

She was ready to accept the truth, was he ready to trust her?

So When the sun goes down

An' those nights are growing colder,

I will be there

Looking over your shoulder.

"I had only ever wanted to protect you, Lois. That is the only reason I didn't tell you that I-"

"-that you are the Blur," she finished for him.

After a slight pause, he nodded in answer. "I thought I had to hide my secret from you. I thought it was for the best. But Lois, I've-seen the future. I had abandoned you - and yet you had waited for me."

She didn't understand what he was rambling on about seeing the future. But it didn't matter – only knowing the truth and knowing that they'd be there for each other mattered.

"I'd wait for you forever, Smallville," she said as tears slipped down her cheeks.

'Cause the deeper the love

The stronger the emotion,

An' the stronger the love

The deeper the devotion...

His thumbs wiped the tears from her cheeks. "I never meant to make you cry, Lois. I only ever wanted for you to be safe."

"Don't you know that when you're in love, you're never safe? Love is always a risk, Clark. But I think it's one worth taking."

"It is, Lois... I've been afraid so often in my life... and yet with you - I feel stronger."

I never gonna let you go,

In my heart, I know.

I love you, I love you.

Oh baby, I really love you...

She laid her head back on his shoulder as the music faded. "With you - I simply feel home."

They swayed to the music, adrift in each other's arms.

"Home," he whispered into her hair. "At last, I feel home, too."

~The End~