Disclaimer: not mine


Clark looked at the sky and smiled; it was clear, so the flight would grant them with amazing sights.

"I'm ready Clark," said Chloe, a mixture of happiness and anxiousness on her face.

"I missed your smile," said Clark. In fact her smile always made him grin. At her nod, he took her in his arms and walked out of the balcony. "I'm glad you're back."

"Me too," said Chloe.

Both friends stared at each other in silence.

"Clark...," said suddenly Chloe. "Are we going to stay here like this much longer? As much as I enjoy your trademark goofy grin, I'd--"

"Look down, Chloe."

Chloe looked. All houses and trees were starting to fade away, getting smaller by the second. "Wow." Instinctively, she grasped Clark's arms tighter.

"Don't worry, I got you," said Clark.

Chloe looked at him awed. "How did you do that?"

"Takes practice. You should've seen Lois' face when I first did it with her."

"This is...wow, Clark, this is amazing!," she exclaimed excitedly.

"Are you comfortable?"

"As comfortable as I can get, I guess," said Chloe still looking downwards.

"Everything in place? Everything ok?"

"Everyth---what do you mean?"

Shyly, Clark motioned his head towards her artificial leg, making Chloe roll her eyes once she realized the nature of his concern.

"Clark, it won't fall,"

"Are you sure?"

"Sure I'm sure, but don't worry, if it does and hits somebody I'll sue Queen industries; now come on, you owe me this one."

"Ok, then."

Clark then started flying higher and headed northwest, taking the fastest speed he could with a human passenger.

Chloe enjoyed every second of it, and Clark silently thanked having been given that chance at last, after all those years. Now he only had to find the way to reunite both cousins again and stop the painful lies, once and for all.


Lois spent the morning working on the hospital piece. Metropolis General had opened a new Transplant Coordination Regional Department, taking the economical and administrative burden from other hospitals so they could improve their equipments. Metropolis had also specialized in the coordination of cases of kidney cross-transplants with living donors.

The pilot experiences had been so successful that the hospital received the funds to buy the equipment and hire the staff, signing a contract with Wayne industries by which his corporation would fund the department for the first two running years, decreasing the annual quantity until it worked by itself and was fully assimilated in public budgets. This Department would coordinate all the mid-western area, working as a pilot experience for future homologues in Seattle and Boston.

Lois had spent a whole week interviewing staff and patients as well as spending two days in a row, night shift included, to see how it really worked. She had also convinced Perry to let her publish an extra-expanded piece for the weekend supplement issue.

She was so focused that she didn't see nor hear her brother in law approaching.


Ron Troupe worked as a political analyst in National, that was why Perry had designated him to work with her and Clark on the campaign follow-up. And after her mishap with Lex, just with his brother in law. He was bothered by the fact that Lois was not to be on any byline involving Primaries and Presidentials; from what Lucy had told him about the time she met Lex Luthor all those years ago, he seemed a nice guy. But people changed, and if Lois was so defensive towards him, there had to be something there. One thing he had soon learnt was to trust Lois' guts. On the other hand, seeing her backing off, even if Perry had ordered her to, didn't seem Lois at all.

He also knew that her level of concentration could be so high when she was immersed in a story, that if he wanted to get her attention he would have to call her name at least twice.

Lois raised her head after the third call.

"Hey, Ron. I read your analysis on the Republican candidate. Good work."

"Yeah," he said, "I like a challenge from time to time. What are you working on?"

"Metropolis General's new Transplants Department."

"Oh, Lucy told me about it, she said you were very excited about the story."

"I met a lot of interesting people there, and going into hopeful news is nice for a change."

Another thing Ron knew about Lois Lane was that she always preferred a direct approach. And so, he did.

"So, are you going back to Luthor afterwards?," he casually asked.

"Beg your pardon?," said Lois slightly confused and surprised by the abrupt change of the conversation.

"I know Perry didn't make things easy for you with what happened, but burying a story under the rug is not your style."

"Ron, I'm not sweeping anything under any carpet. What did you mean by that?"

Ron sat on her desk. "You're telling me you didn't find a connection between Luthor and Gotham City?"

"Oh, that. I'm sorry, Ron, nothing so far. But I'm still looking," she said, both lying and hating the facts that she was being untrue to family and that he had just pushed a particularly stinging button.

"Well, it seemed like a good place to start, Lois. Things are looking pretty sweet for Luthor right now, I wouldn't like to know we could've done something and we didn't."

"Me neither, Ron, be sure of that."


A puzzled Chloe looked at this new version of Clark Kent. She had found it hard to believe that a simple pair of glasses would make a difference. But it wasn't just that. The voice, the demeanor, the pose. It was unbelievable.

"So you carry your civilian clothes with you?," she asked masking her amazement.

"I made a quick trip before picking you up, I wanted to make sure Vancouver would have nice weather," he said. "So I left my clothes hidden."

"But I didn't see...I mean...how...?," she said confused. Then rolled her eyes in resignation and started walking with him through Bute st. towards Beach Avenue. "Oh, forget I asked, let's just enjoy this."

"Yeah, let's do that," he said smiling.

"So, how's your mom doing?," asked Chloe.

"She's great. Back in Smallville, enjoying the relative peace of the farm."

"It was about time she retired, Clark, political life must be draining," she said. "But I heard someone else took the path of public affairs."

Clark silently nodded smiling in response.

"How's he doing?"

"I don't see Pete that much, but we talk from time to time. He's great, very focused on his career."

"I guess he finally found a way of helping and shining on his own."

"And he will do good. Pete is a great person."

"Yes he is."

To Clark he also was the first friend whom with he had shared his secret. The first to pay the price that came attached to it. And the first who made him understand the importance of his abilities and of having a support base, not only in his parents, but also in friends, whose decisions, as he had learnt the hard way, he would have to respect.

A little awkward silence formed between the two. Chloe struggled to take the words out, but asking about certain people was a little harder, even as much as she wanted to know. Clark did the work for her to try and ease the situation. He was actually hoping to bring that conversation between the two.

"Lois is ok too," he finally said.

Chloe looked at Clark, and for a moment she felt as if no time had passed. There he was, with his kind smile, eyebrows arched forming that triangle top shape that rendered that innocent and sweet expression.

"I'm sorry for placing you in the middle of my decision with no chance of choice, Clark. I know how hard it must be for you to lie to Lois."

"I struggle, Chloe; sometimes it is really difficult, more knowing that if we found a way, this could be over."

"Clark," she warned. She yearned to go back to Metropolis, but now wasn't the time, she couldn't afford talking about this right now.

Clark talked assuring, showing her there he had no intentions of making a conflict about the issue. "I didn't mean it like that, Chloe. The situation sometimes seems stupidly painful, but I can only assume it is for both of us. What I meant to say is that I do really hate lying to Lois, but all I have to do is think about your self sacrifice and your reasons behind it, and I realize that I am the last person who should say anything against it."

"All I did was making a quick decision and faking my death. I was out of it for the worst part. My reasons behind it, as noble as I paint them to be, are not whatever lets me sleep at night, and I'm fully aware that I'm not the only one suffering the consequences," she said looking at him. "You're the one who has to look into her eyes everyday, Clark, I haven't forgotten that;" Chloe paused a few seconds. "And yes, I miss her like crazy," she finally confessed.

"It would be great for you to be together again, Chloe. Lois is going through some changes, she's not been quite herself lately," he said pensively.

"Clark, what kind of changes? Is she all right?," asked Chloe concerned.

"She is ok, Chloe, it's...I don't know, I guess all this situation with Lex coming out, me asking her to back off from Barbara's murder and...other things, I think she's losing some balance that she really needs right now. Me lying to her doesn't help."

"Clark, if there's something serious going on with Lois you'd tell me, right?"

"Yes. There's nothing to worry about, I promise, and whatever happens, now I can really tell you." Clark saw Chloe staring at his hands. "What?"

"Are you two married?" Clark rolled his eyes, and Chloe laughed. "Ha! That's my cousin, breaking molds."

"Yeah, that's Lois."

"Look, Clark, to be honest I don't even know how to come back, but now I don't think it's the time. If Lex finds out about me..."

"I know."

"Have you heard about Lana?," asked Chloe suddenly.

Clark looked at her. She had that uncertain expression, of not really knowing if she had just picked up a taboo. Immediately he used his warm smile to ensure her that everything was right between them.

"We're still in contact. She moved to the East Coast."

"You haven't seen her since..."

"You don't know?," asked Clark. I thought maybe she and you...I mean, you were best friends.

"Clark, I died for everyone, it had to be all or none, I couldn't risk it. The closest I did to get some information was through the press and Ollie for medical reasons, and I was always afraid to ask. It was too tempting."

"But you were in contact with Barbara," he said.

"Yes. What does she have to do with Lana?"

"She developed the..." At Chloe's clueless expression, Clark explained her what had happened with Lana during those years she had missed. "Lana is free from the kryptonite, Chloe. The nanites are a part of her, but they're not active anymore."

"That's great, Clark. That's..."

"Barbara neutralized the radiation levels of the kryptonite inside her body, and that somehow affected the nanites. She lost the powers, but they couldn't figure out the connection between the abilities and the radiation."

"Radiation..."

"Yes, the kryptonite."

"Clark, take me home," said suddenly Chloe, with her mind already racing towards her computer.

"What?"

"Take me home, I just had an idea."


Bruce had forced him to leave the costume in the manor, bike included; it took him the rest of the night to get to his tiny apartment.

The long walk would force some time alone to think. And he did. He went over his guilt, he suffered his pain, and felt again all the unanswered questions he had suppressed building up this violent version of Nightwing. He knew he had gone over the top, so as much as he hated to admit it, Bruce had done the correct thing. Which on the other hand, was no surprise.

Truth was also that beating that scum had taken the pain away for a while; it had had a dulling effect, so welcome, that he had indulged in it while it lasted.

And now he was alone, with a whole day ahead of him that he didn't really want to face.

It was already morning, and sleeping wasn't an option: every time he closed his eyes the nightmares came back. Right now he didn't even want to keep thinking. And if he would not go back to the streets, there was only one answer, waiting for him at the small dusty oaken table in the middle of the living room. His eyes fixed on the oblong frame supporting Barbara's photo, looking back at him.

"À la vie, Babs."

Dick took the bottle by the picture and thrust its contents down his throat.


Author's notes (à la director's cut/DVD commentaries):

Chloe's first flight with Clark felt like a must. Within Smallville-verse, I think she's pretty much the one to deserve it (with Lois' permission).

'...to reunite both cousins again and stop the painful lies, once and for all.' Given the background created, guilt-trip is something Clark (and Chloe, and someone else) must deal with, and chronologically, Knall is the obvious moment in the arc. Plus, if you're entering new territories with incoming decisions with some of the main characters, there must be some individual and shared struggle. I mean, who in their right minds think about having babies if all they suddenly seem to be doing is concealing truths?

After reading and beta-ing, the framework for Lois' story on the hospital seemed a little off, I probably should've researched more to try and figure out how transplant managing from hospitals would've evolved in the future, but the cross-transplant on living donors is true, I invented nothing. Plus you'll see this piece has its importance, yet in an indirect way, for one of Lois' plotlines in Knall, so the research went further on that direction, more directly related with Knall than with her article. However, feel free to leave critical feedback, as always.

"I guess he finally found a way of helping and shining on his own." Pete was a very sweet character in SV. Reliable friend, made his own sacrifices under a mature understanding of Clark's importance through knowing his own weaknesses (above all, he didn't want to give Clark's secret away to anybody). So I didn't enjoy his return in season 7, picturing him with a sort of inferiority complex. However, on the good side, it poses as a good defining moment in his life, realizing he can search his own path of doing good and making a change in people's lives. Following Comic canon, he turned into a politician. However, and intentionally, this is the only reference to comic!Pete Ross as a source for the character.

Music: both songs aim for the mood of the scene, first one using the rhythm in crescendo, second one the old-vynil sound plus lyrics, I think being one of the most fitting songs chosen for this fic. LINK FOR SOUNDTRACK POSTED ON PROFILE

Chloe gets her first flight in Kal-el Airlines: Holy fuck 'Lovely Allen' (instrumental)

Dick arrives home, bitter home: The Ink spots with Ella Fitzgerald 'I'm making believe'