Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story so please don't sue me. I'm only borrowing them and, I hope, bring some entertainment to some people. Nor do I own the dialogue that appears at the start I needed it to set the scene.

Timeline: this story takes place at the end of RUSH 14th episode of second season. Episode aired Sunday 15th June 2003 on UK terrestrial TV. Originally aired in US 04/02/03 (the one where Chloe and Pete get infested with parasites that cause a need for an adrenaline rush, Clark asks Lana for a date and breaks it to help Pete but they slipped him a piece of red meteor rock and Lana caught Clark and Chloe kissing while they were both under the influence. Lana knows that there was a reason for Chloe's behaviour but has not forgiven Clark as she knows he wasn't infested.)

Reason for writing: I didn't like the ending and I want Lana and Clark to get together. Call me a hopeless romantic.

The Truth At Last

By Rigs

As he entered the Talon he didn't have a clue what he wanted to say. He was so close to her, to being with the one girl he had loved since first sight. He looked at the offerings in his hands; a single red rose and a pizza.

Alright Clark THAT'll get her attention.

Lana turned. God, he thought, why is she more beautiful every time I see her.

"What is this?" The edge to her voice said that he had hurt her, damn that rock.

"A poor attempt at an apology" Yeah way to convince her "I plead temporary insanity"

The hurt dug into his very soul. "Don't give me that Clark! It's obvious that you and Chloe still have feelings for each other."

"But."

"Clark, you can't lie to me about something I saw with my own eyes." "She was close to tears.

"Lana, it's not like that."

"Then what is it? I know why she was kissing you but why were you kissing her back?"

Do it, he thought to himself, do it now, explain why you keep having to leave, your secret, tell her, TELL HER.

The moment passed in silence.

"I have to lock up." Lana looked away. He reached out and placed the rose on counter. And walked slowly out. He didn't see her pick up the rose and gaze at it for a second. He did hear the sound of it landing in the bin. That sound nearly broke his heart.

******

Pete was waiting for him outside. He had been listening. "Sorry man."

Clark could only think about it, mentally battering himself, YOU CHOKED! The moment you have been waiting for, and YOU CHOKED!

In his frustration Clark punched the Talon's mailbox. It cracked the sidewalk as it landed but he righted it before anyone noticed.

"I can't do this Pete."

"What?" Pete looked at his best friend and realised what he meant. "Oh no. You can't tell her Clark."

"Why not? You said it yourself. Take the risk."

"Clark! I was infested by an alien slug with an addiction to adrenaline! Look. Hold up." Pete stood in front of him. "Ever since you let me into your secret and your family I've gained a few things. One is scavenging rights to your fridge. Another is the responsibility of talking you out of stupid stunts. This is one of them."

"Look . I've got to tell them."

"Them?"

"Yeah."

"Oh no, not Chloe too. You'd be on the wall of the weird in seconds. Don't get me wrong, I love her but she's the Torch personified." The torch, the college newspaper and the best record of all things meteor rock related in the town, no scratch that, the only record. Chloe was the editor and nearly the only member of the team who ever used their office.

"They deserve to know." He pleaded with his friend. And Pete was cracking. Clark knew that his friend had felt cheated at the thought of Clark lying to him all this time but had turned out OK. in the end.

"They would be in danger."

"They already are, they need to know the reason."

Pete stood in silence for a minute. "OK but only on two conditions, you have to tell your parents they know" Clark was about to argue. "BOTH conditions or the deals off Clark . I mean it. You tell them or I do. "

"Ok . ok what's the other one?"

Pete broke out into a wide smile. "I wanna be there to see the look on Chloe's face when you tell her."

******

Lana turned to see him framed in the doorway.

"Clark . I told you I have to close."

"No more secrets." Now there was a phrase that she never thought she would hear from Clark Kent.

"What?"

"No more secrets."

"What do you mean?" This was very unusual, even for Clark who, credit where it's due is unusual for a hobby.

"I'm going to tell you everything Lana. The big secret? The one I've been hiding from you for so long? I'm going to tell you why I keep running off, why I act so weird and why I was here kissing Chloe. But first I need you to promise me two things. One; you will not spill this to anyone, not even your diary. Two; you'll try not to freak."

"And believe me when he's finished the second one will be the hardest." Lana spotted Pete behind Clark. He was shutting the door to the Talon and locking it.

"OK I agree but why the secrecy?"

"First I wanna apologise for lying to you for so long. You'll understand why later but for now I'm sorry."

"Clark, you've said that already, unless you have something solid to say, get out." The anger was still there, in her voice but now it was laced with curiosity.

"Lana, I'm not really from around here."

"I know you were adopted."

"But I'm really not from around here. How do I say this?" He looked to Pete who shrugged.

"Tell her straight, your whole story. It did the trick for me."

Clark took a deep breath which took longer than she thought it should." Lana, I'm from another planet."

******

"So, you came to earth in a spaceship during the meteor shower. Mr and Mrs Kent took you in and you have awesome powers because you are so different."

"That's about it." Clark was a little taken aback by the fact that Lana hadn't freaked yet. Maybe she didn't believe him.

"Prove it." She smiled as if allowing him to make a fool of himself. She was. This stunt had to be a joke, and a bad one at that, but they just wouldn't stop. Let 'em go with it.

"OK Clark, I'll get a metal bar from out the back while you put the stools up on the tables." Pete left smiling.

"What's he talking about. It takes half an hour to stack these seats at night." Clark just took her hand and led her to stand behind the bar.

"Watch" He smiled and pointed to the main floor of the Talon. He was standing there. She looked to her side but it was no trick he was now standing at the other end of the room. He counted to three and then he wasn't there anymore. He was a blur and the chairs were stacked on tables in seconds. He was next to her again just in time to catch her as she fell in dead faint.

******

The room swam back into view and she could see Clark. His eyes were dull, scared. She shook off the disorientation.

"Clark, I'm not sure she needs to see this." Pete looked worried.

"NO! I want to see this." She smiled nervously at Clark. "If you can do what you say can I'll have my own personal Hero." As Clark looked at her she somehow knew that he was telling the truth. At long last she knew the biggest secret of them all. What was Clark Kent hiding.

^^^^^^

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