Acceptance

By River Hobbit

The truth is always greater than the words we use to describe it. Star Wars, New Jedi Order, Traitor

Summary: So what exactly did Clark Kent say in the letter he left for Bruce Wayne? Companion story for Unsung Hero. It's probably best to read that first. L&C/Batman Crossover

It was nearing five pm when Bruce Wayne stepped out of the Daily Planet building. He was intensely looking at the envelope in his hand. There was no denying that he was afraid to open it. The enclosed note, he knew, held the final words that Clark Kent had left for him. Tears threatened to cloud his vision as the day's events flooded his mind. He had lost two good friends, and another was in critical condition at the Gotham City Hospital.

He was curious as to what the envelope held, though. It was thicker than any of the others Clark had asked him to personally deliver. Whatever Clark had left for him, he decided must have been important. He turned the envelope over and began to slide a finger under the seal, and then thought he could wait a little longer before he read Clark's final words. With that in mind, he tucked the envelope into his suit jacket and called a taxi. It wasn't his normal means of transportation, though at the moment, he didn't seem to care.

Sighing, he leaned his head back against the car headrest. His mind wasn't on his current predicament, but on the letter he had read no more than twenty minutes before. It was one Clark had left for his wife. A lot of what was said respectfully was meant to be kept for the two of them, but there were parts of it that intrigued Bruce to no end. He had no idea what Clark had meant by the fact he wanted to die as himself instead of an untouchable god. In his opinion, Superman was above human life. He was invulnerable, untouchable. Bruce had a regal dislike for the hero. He had only met the man twice, and each time, he found the hero to be the same: he had been distant and had held himself apart from the world around him. His lips twitched upward a little. He could be described in the same boat as Superman, even though he felt his cause was more justified.

It wasn't his fault. His opinion of Superman had little to do with the man himself. He based his conclusions on what he had heard, not on knowing the man on a personal basis. Nobody, Clark Kent and himself included, actually knew the hero when he was 'off-duty', if he was ever 'off-duty'. He frowned. Who was he to judge?

Removing the envelope once again from his jacket pocket, he fingered it, thinking back over all the years he had known Clark Kent. He would miss the reporter, and the companionship they had shared. They rarely agreed on anything, and they had been so different, but whenever they were together, Bruce felt that they were so strikingly similar that they could be nothing less than really good friends. He had lost count of how many times Clark had risked his life to save his. In a heartbeat, he would have done the same for Clark.

A cough interrupted his thoughts and he was brought back to the present. He was at the airport, and the taxi driver wanted his fare. Giving it to him, Bruce exited the cab and made his way to his private jet. It was then that he realised the envelope was still in his hand.

Once in the privacy of his own plane, he tore it open and removed the contents. To his surprise, Clark had given him a worn journal. Inside the front cover was a note. He unfolded it and focused his eyes on the top of the page.

He couldn't stop tears from clouding his vision as he read.

Bruce,

If you are reading this, then I have faced the greatest adventure of all. I am sorry that I have not had the chance to introduce you to my family, though I have enjoyed getting to know yours. There is so much to tell you, and not much space for me to explain it all.

You must be confused with all that has happened, and with what you have seen and heard (and possibly read) that it would take many sheets of paper and more time that is given to me to properly explain it all. That is why I have enclosed this note within this particular journal of mine. It explains many things, and you will find it interesting to say the least. If you have any unanswered questions by the time you have finished reading the journal, my wife or mother will most probably be willing to answer any questions you have.

Regardless of any opinions you have formed about me or the man by the name, 'Superman', please have an open mind. Within this journal is the secret that all reporters are after when it comes to 'Superman'. Also, I have enclosed all the research I have done on 'Batman' and his accomplices, 'Robin' and 'Batgirl', on a disk, which you can find at the back of the journal.

At that stage, Bruce flipped to the end of the journal and found the referred disk. Removing it, he opened up his laptop and inserted the disk. He was amazed at the extent of Clark's research. In that instant, he understood why the reporter was considered one of the best in his field. He sat there, eyes widening further as he found detailed descriptions of vehicles used by him and his team, outfits and various photos. He then pulled up a completed article he knew Clark would never print without his consent. It explained exactly who the dark knight was, including the identities of his partners. Bruce was amazed that Clark knew his secret, even though he had never shared it with him. More amazing was that Clark, though he had been researching Batman, had never once printed a word of what he had found out. His eyes were drawn back to the note he had half finished.

I have not printed any of this because I know that if the world knew who was behind the mask, you would not be able to perform your nightly rounds. I also know what it is like to keep something like this from friends, workmates and the world. I haven't shared any of my findings with my wife. I feel that if you wanted her to know, you would have first told me, and then allowed me to let her to know.

I fear that I have not much time left, so allow me to bid you farewell. I only wish that you find understanding among the pages of this journal, and that you forgive me for my silence. I, too, have had to hide a secret from the world, and that I mean no harm from keeping it from you.

If what you find in the journal comes as no surprise, then we have more in common than what I first believed.

Bruce, there is one final thing you must understand before you begin reading the journal. I, like you, are an orphan. Not many know this, and you may disagree with me. I was adopted when I was only a few months old by Jonathon and Martha Kent, which you must already know. Though they are my parents, and I consider them all I've needed for parents, no one can truly understand me and my situation. There are times when I have truly felt alone, and this is why I consider myself an orphan. I have always been different, an outsider. Like you, I have struggled to manage on my own, though we are never truly alone. I hope you can understand this. I only ask that you keep an open mind.

Regards,

Clark.

Bruce folded the note and placed it within the journal. Clark's note had explained very little, but it did put him at ease. For years, he had felt Clark had been hiding something from him, but then, he had been hiding things as well. His friendship with the reporter was based on trust, even when they both knew they were keeping things from the other. Despite the secrets, which they knew they kept for the other's safety, their friendship had spanned almost three decades, one of the longest either of them had.

He set the journal on the table, deciding he would pick it up later. He first had to work through losing both Dick and Clark that day.

It would be years before Bruce would pick up Clark's journal again. Within twenty-four hours of Dick Gracent's funeral, the billionaire had left Gotham and the United States behind. He never heard anything about Clark Kent's last article, or of the memorial service for Superman held four days after his departure from the States. He simply wasn't interested. Before his departure, though, he had commanded Alfred to keep the journal in a safe place and let no one touch it, including his daughter, Helena.

Lois Lane-Kent wiped the tears from her eyes as she stood up. She looked down at the gravestone, and knew that it would take so much longer than the six years it had been since he had died for her to move on.

"You should see CJ, Clark. You would be so proud of him. I know you would. He reminds me of you a lot, with the things he says. He just graduated from Kansas University. And Lara is so beautiful. I wish you could see them. She's in her second year, doing a journalism major. You would say she's so much like me, and I would probably agree with you." She took a shuddering breath. "I know you would want me to move on, but I miss you so much." Kneeling down, she read the gravestone. It said 'Clark Kent, Beloved son, husband, father and friend. RIP. 20th May 1966 – 9th July 2011'. Whispering, she said, "I am trying, Clark. I really am."

She heard a twig snap behind her and she turned around, startled. There stood a man she didn't recognise, and she demanded to know who he was.

All he asked in return was "Is it true?" In his hand, he held the article that the Daily Planet had published on the 11th of July, 2011. Without knowing the man's name, Lois nodded. To the reporter's surprise, the man knelt down beside her and broke into tears. "I wish I had known. I wish I had listened."

"To whom?"

"Clark. He was my best friend. Before he died, he had been trying to tell me something, and I brushed him off." The man wiped his tears away. "He knew more about me than I cared to admit, and because of that, I pushed him away. I didn't know as much about him as I liked. Now I wish that I had spent more time trying to get to know him like he did for me."

"Clark was –"

"Special, I know," he finished. "I wish I had known. I want to tell him how grateful I am for all he did. I didn't know how much he was sacrificing each time he put the cape on. I wish I was as strong as he was."

Lois felt pity for the broken man kneeling beside her. "Clark said that each one of us has a hero within us. That we have nothing to fear."

He nodded in agreement. "That is why I'm here. I want to be remembered as a hero." Pulling the backpack off his shoulders, he opened it up. Pulling out a manila folder, he handed it to her. "I don't know who else to give this to. You're the only one that Clark trusted everything with, so I will also trust you with this."

"What is this?"

"An article that Clark gave me the day he died. He felt that if this article was ever to be published, it would be my decision. I want you to take it to the Daily Planet and have it published in tomorrow's edition." He stood up and wiped his eyes again. "Lois, you may not remember me, but Clark and I were close. I was the one who brought news of his death."

Lois' eyes flashed in recognition as she looked up at the billionaire. "What happened to you?"

"I lost more than two friends that day. I also lost hope to continue. Now, I'm beginning to bring my life together again." Bruce Wayne turned to leave. Looking back over his shoulder, he said, "Thank you, Lois, for sharing Clark with the world. I know how difficult that can be. And thank you for allowing me to share him too. He taught me more than words can describe."

Lois never saw Bruce again. Though, from that day onward she was able to move on from her husband's death. She wasn't quite sure what caused her to move forward. Maybe it was combination of things, but she was sure that she wouldn't have been able to look to the future without her encounter with Bruce Wayne.

Whatever it was, Lois Lane-Kent would never forget that one last article and the man who surrendered more than his life to stand up for the truth.

We can cry with hope… we can say goodbye with hope… 'Cause we know our goodbye is not the end, oh no… And we can grieve with hope… 'Cause we believe with hope… we'll see your face again…

Lois smiled as she turned from her husband's grave. "Goodbye, Clark. Thank you. For everything."

Fin

Authors Note: Even though this is a continuation of Unsung Hero, this is a story in its own right. I hope you've enjoyed it. This is for Tweets, who wanted to know what was enclosed in the letter Clark had left for Bruce Wayne. The lyrics at the end of the story come from a song by Steven Curtis Chapman called "With Hope".