I moved to Granville very quickly. I would have moved back to the Talon but, of course, that was being reconstructed. I could have stayed on the farm as well in the actual Smallville town limits, but that was awkward. It was a small house and still only had Martha and Clark's rooms, and, even though Martha was in D.C. on the weekdays, Conner was taking her room and Clark his own. I wasn't really in to getting blankets and sleeping on the sofa downstairs or sharing one bathroom. I don't mean I'd not be inconvenienced for Clark. I'd climb Mt. Everest for him, I swear it, but I didn't think it was appropriate. Two weeks ago, before Granny took his memories, I was part of the family.

Now Clark was getting even footing and I didn't want to confuse him. He was vulnerable and not sure what he wanted, going on instinct and confusion. Having me there, with how much he seemed to like me, it would confuse feelings.

I didn't want to do that to him.

Moving wasn't hard. I didn't have many possessions because of my time in hiding for one thing. For another, Oliver was kind enough to send my things to me in record time. He had the resources for them by courier. I took money I'd squirreled away from working at Watchtower to buy the basics, but it was overall an austere apartment. Between going to the farm nightly to have dinner with the boys (Clark was still an excellent cook) and my long commute back and forth to The Metropolis Journal . Also, I'd helped Lois move into a nice loft downtown (she made more than I), a place I was certain Z would be visiting often.

Hell, it was a place I visited last weekend when I was unpacking boxes until midnight on Saturday. I felt okay not visiting the farm at least one day. Again, I wanted never to overwhelm my friend, and, that was a time for Clark to bond with Martha.

Like I said one or two of us at a time.

It was Saturday again, my day for Cousin Time. I needed that honestly. I needed to feel like I always had before weddings-that-weren't and job losses, before some of my own jealousies that did help separate us. I needed to feel connections with Oliver and I not talking and Clark not really here, with my meteor power back and making me feel like a freak all over.

I didn't want to heal and die now; I was past that point and not depressed. I didn't want to heal and take on that pain. Be different, no longer "just Chloe" with my family.

One day, I'd have to tell Lois because she knew everyone with abilities and probably liked and respected them more for it. It's just, with her, now more relaxed and now patched up, we could be who we were a bit, still be even those little girls with hopes and dreams whispered in the night at sleep overs. I liked that.

Although I didn't like apartments in chaos and unwrapping bubble wrap at all. Still, she'd helped me move before, and that's what cousins were for, being Tom Sawyered a bit. Besides, it was normal and mundane, something outside of heroes and Granny's relentless pursuit of us.

"So," I said, undoing her favorite decoration, Blue the bird. I wished sometimes I had something like that from my mom. I'd gotten the bracelet back from her but it was tainted with bad memories, of Lex and labs, of being controlled even if mom hadn't meant it. Exactly.

"So what?" Lois said, resorting her kitchen, skillet in hand.

"Well, we can do that girl chat thing. I felt we haven't done that. I mean, I even did that with Tess, trying to plan the debauchery of your bachelorette party, which, compared to spiked champagne wouldn't have been nearly as wild. I admit that."

Lois laughed. "It was something else. I don't recommend waking up on train tracks or with random boots on your feet."

"God or dressed like Madonna. I don't know what was with that or Ollie mint green tuxedo. It is sort of funny we have proof that he can be less than coiffed."

Lois frowned. "How are you about that?"

"It's hard," I admitted. "I'd never wanted to hurt him. I just-"

"Had to be honest before the hurt got worse, before it became a huge mess. I do get that."

"Yeah but I hurt him so much. He sent a note with my stuff. I think he had his secretary write it cause the calligraphy was beautiful but the sentiments were his. It was really nice, saying he'd be there if I needed to talk about things. He wants us to one day at least be friends because of what we do. Can't have Watchtower and Green Arrow mad. It hurts the team and he's right. But right now, space is what we both need, especially him. Still, nice change of pace from nasty Facebook mentions."

"Henry Olsen, sometimes a massive tool," Lois concluded.

"Yeah, I have a habit of rushing to the altar when I needed to think things through more. Annulled once and not quite-legal-Vegas wedding and I'm about to turn twenty-five. Sort of embarrassing."

Lois shrugged. "People don't know your story. It's only embarrassing if you let it be. I mean, you had your reasons and sometimes things work out and sometimes they don't. I've had my share of things, even before Clark, I thought were it like Ollie and Grant. It does happen."

"And Zatanna," I said, grinning a bit. "You two looked, well, pretty intense."

"It's new. She's fun and likes to have fun, you know? I'm not full League or anything but the people I love are. With that kind of fear and pressure, it's nice to have someone who can relax a bit. She just makes me feel pretty alive so far. I'm not gonna say wedding bells but it's nice right now."

"Even if you fight like crazy?"

"The great ones always start out that way," Lois replied, shrugging and putting away some glasses on shelves I'd never reach.

"Nah, that's the Lois style-butt heads and then let 'em know you're interested. You would have been a pigtail pulled if you'd been a boy."

"Maybe, but a nice punch to the shoulder or some snark can be an 'I love you.'"

"I'm sorry."

"Why?"

"Because I think we were more distant when you were dating Clark, and that was a lot me."

"Well, it was sort of weird we kind of swapped. I was a little sad that you had Ollie, and I can't explain that. But I was happy you seemed happy. I want that for you, cuz."

"And then I hope you and Z have a good relationship. Just...after so much death and pain and fear this year, you deserve something. I know you and Carter Hall sort of had a bond; he was so paternal with Clark and I think that rubbed off and on being Yoda-y with you."

"Maybe," Lois admitted. "It's overwhelming when someone dies for you. I want to be the best I can after that."

"I've been following your Intergang series and it's good. Seems worthwhile and something he'd have liked."

"More than one way to fight 'the man,'" she joked. "You did good work at The Register . I liked your weekly column too."

"Thanks, but The Journal is gonna be harder to work my way up at. Metropolis is a bigger city with more people aiming to get to the Planet. I'll still write the best damn rec center opening in the city."

"That's the spirit. I...you being on the run was really important though. Without Bruce and Diana, we'd have been screwed."

"And I built up Watchtower, I get that, even if it's on hiatus a bit to move to the satellite with mainly Victor working out of the Star City branch, but it wasn't me. I like writing, adore it. I want to be that watchdog."

"Like Clark?"

"We're all journalists," I admitted, placing Blue delicately on her kitchen window sill. "I wish he'd recognized you."

"We can be friends like you and Ollie but I've moved on and, not gonna lie, cuz, I see how he's looking at you. There might be a shot with you and the newer, actually less high strung version."

"Clark was never spazzy but he was always high maintenance, like Atlas, whole weight of the world thing. I think he's happier this way, catch up and frustrations aside. He gave ten years to this, died multiple times, lost his dad. He's given more than any of us."

"It's what I thought when he lost his powers. I've seen Ollie pretty hurt, even if some of it was that stupid fight ring. I didn't want Clark...Granny needs her ass seriously kicked."

"Agreed, and we will stop her, no matter what."

Lois shivered a little. "The last thing I want is Clark having to take De Saad or Godfrey's place. He's better than that."

"He's the best of us," I said, glancing at Blue, wishing my aunt's blessing had protected us.

Monday evening, I came home to find Conner in my apartment. Shaking my head, I cursed. "Who's watching him?"

"I can hear," he replied. "And also Bart's in town."

"Good, but I just...even when you're at Smallville High and he's at The Ledger , I worry."

"Considering the last five month, he's had, I do get that," he replied. "Chloe, we need to talk."

"What happened?"

"Nothing wrong, exactly, but his editor offered him something."

"What?"

"She wants him to mentor at The Torch . It's this outreach thing they're starting and he worked there even if he doesn't remember it and he's the youngest staff member, more in touch with teens she figures."

"Fuck, Zoe and Clayton know everything and they're as nosy as I was. They'll blab to him about him having been the Blur in no time."

"Well, he asked me about if I wanted him too, if it might embarrass me or cramp my style. If I don't want my brother to come in twice a week, he said he'd get that and say no."

"Then say you're embarrassed."

Conner sighed. "I think this could be good for him, frankly. He could get back in touch with his roots. Plus, it gives him something to do like his job, where people didn't know him from before and he can build the Clark he wants to be without a lot of pressure."

"But the Torchettes-"

"They'd do anything for their idol, Chloe. You should just talk to him about his accident and let them know that he's retired now and telling him about the Blur would be mean. Like we've all been saying, he's not forced into this fight anymore."

I sighed and thought of the vision I'd seen with the Fate helmet. He was supposed to be so much more, but now at least we could keep him safe and happy, keep him away from the knowledge he could never be the world's hero. I knew the loss of his ability had eaten through him, that frustration he was destined to be so much more and couldn't be.

Best to let him have this path, a simple and happy life.

"If it works, sure, Conner, but you don't know Zoe and Clayton like I do."

"Then I can monitor them. I have debate team and U.N. sure, but I'm building a good resume for Met U. I can do the cartoon beat at The Torch , uh, make sure the Torchettes don't blab."

I frowned. Conner hadn't exactly been signed up on the never tell Clark plan .

"I don't know."

"Chloe, please. He wants this, I can tell. He was offering to let me be on my own still at school, save my 'cool points,' but he sounded like he wanted to give that up as much as he wanted a root canal."

"I-"

"You want him to be happy. If this make him happy, isn't it good?"

"Fine, but I've got to talk to Zoe and Clayton first."

He blurred over to me and shook my hand, smiling broadly and it was Clark's smile. That hurt. "Deal, Chloe, you're not gonna regret it."

"So he doesn't remember anything?" Zoe asked and her eyes were wide.

I nodded and readjusted myself in my rolling chair in The Torch office. "Yeah, the, uh, lightning did a number on him. He can't remember a thing."

I didn't want to tell them about Granny Goodness. They were sweet kids but had more guts than brains and might get ideas about trying to help Clark by tracking down Evil's right hand. Like I said, I liked them and their spirit, but we'd had too much pain and mindrapes already.

Clayton was shaking his head. "So not only did the world lose the Blur, now Clark lost everything? This sucks! Did you tell him? Help him jog his memory?"

"We're not going to, his mom and Ollie and me. It'll just hurt him since he can't be the Blur anymore. But that's not why I'm here."

"Ooh, do you need some research help?" Zoe asked, her flippy hair bob as she nodded her head. "We're great at that."

"We could look for some amnesia cures and treatments," Clayton offered.

I smiled genuinely at that. My Torchettes were sweet kids, and very smart.

"You can't do that. His doctors say it's permanent and Ollie got him the best. He's supposed to be mentoring here as part of pleasing his boss at The Ledger ."

The looked at each other and grinned, saying in unison: "Cool!"

"Exactly and he's super excited, very thrilled with the idea, but you can't tell him anything about his past. Do you understand? It'll confuse and hurt him. You don't want Clark to be upset, do you?"

"But the truth's important," Clayton said. "He should know how important he was."

"Keyword 'was.' Knowing that and being unable to help now? I know him, and it'll make him so depressed. Please, you keep my secrets and let 'Anne Hatcher' be out in the world without talking about 'Chloe Sullivan' being underground. Can you protect Clark from the Blur?"

They frowned at each other but sighed.

"Anything for you, Chloe," Zoe replied. "We'll help him. We'd love to sidekick for the Blur even if it's just in layout duty."

Clayton nodded. "Anything, exactly."

"Good," I said. "Now, how about letting a new cartoonist on staff?"