Smallville: An End to a Beginning

Chapter 1: Decisions

Time passed quickly, before he knew it summer was over and Clark faced a tough decision.

"What do you mean you might not be going back to school?" Lois was outraged she and Clark had spent the past few weeks convincing his parents to let him move in with her when school started back. "What about all of our plans?"

Lois and Clark were sitting at a table in Smallville's Talon. Lois's voice was starting to attract attention.

Trying to calm her down Clark explained. "All I meant was that I could join the Metropolis Police Department with my associates."

Lois did not back down. "You need a bachelor degree to become a detective don't you? I mean being a beat cop is important, but why start at the bottom." Clark always seemed to reach for the stars and Lois was having a hard time understanding why this was any different.

"Lois I have giving this a lot of thought and if I start as a beat cop than it should be a lot easier to help people without blowing my secret."

She knew he was right but she still did not understand why he would allow himself to sit on the sidelines while people half as smart as he was achieved what he could do with his hands tied behind his back. She admired his humility but she had always loved his sense of ambition.

"I understand, I'm not sure I like it though." She was being honest she did not like all of this mystery. She knew that keeping Clarks powers, a secret was important but eventually the press would find out. She knew that first hand and she was afraid of what that might cost him.

Clark picked up his newspaper and began scanning the headlines. Looking through the state news section, he found something shocking. "Lois you remember my friend Pete Ross don't you?" Lois only nodded. "It says here that he was just elected to the state legislature."

Lois was happy for Clark's friend but the news only made her more upset that Clark was willing to let life pass him by saving people in the shadows unwilling to step out in the light and show the world how super he really was.

Clark put his newspaper down just as a server gave him their check. "Um Lois, I think we need to find a new place to eat." Clark dropped the check and pulled out his wallet.

"Why? The Talon is the best restaurant in town." Lois looked up from her book and saw Clark pull out twenty dollars.

"Yes but Dave's Dinner doesn't charge twenty dollars for two coffees and a salad." Clark placed the money on the table and looked at the girl behind the counter intently.

Lois followed his gaze to the counter standing there Lana Lang looked over at the two of them with an innocent smile. "The sooner we get out of this town the better."

Lois stood up, turning toward the counter where Lana stood she grabbed Clarks hand led him out of the talon.

Lois and Clark had returned to Clarks loft apartment. Lois was sitting on the couch skimming through the daily planets new international magazine. Clark was preparing to do his afternoon push-ups. Laying his hands on the ground, he lifted his entire body off the floor and positioned himself so that he was parallel to the floor. Beginning gradually and slowly building he started lifting his body up and down until he was moving at super speed.

"Clark why can't you do what these guys used too?" Clark stopped his exercise and took the magazine from Lois. Waling over to his window Clark read the article. It was an editorial by Perry White on the Mystery Men of the forties.

Clark turned to Lois and shook his head. "Lois these people where forced to stop helping people because they wouldn't give up their true identities.

Lois walked over and placed her arms around Clark's waist. "Listen Clark this isn't the forties any more but that's beside the point, people might not react badly if you let them see your face."

"If I did that how would I keep people from finding out my identity?" Clark looked at Lois scrunch her nose.

Clark had her there how could he keep people from putting one and one together. "I've got it, you could wear glasses and slick back your hair when you were Clark and then look natural when you were saving people."

"Hmm, it's an interesting idea. What you are proposing would be the complete opposite to the problem that the mystery men had. Instead of putting on a mask when I was helping people I would be taking off a mask." It was something to consider but he was not sure about how he felt with the super hero concept. All he had ever wanted to be was Clark Kent but his powers kept him from being able to just cut loose.

Lois rested her head on Clark's chest and starred out the large barn windows at the clear night sky. "This is perfect."

Clark agreed he could live his entire life for moments like this. Lana's display earlier that day had left him felling cold. He had never known her to act like that. Clark was surprised to find that he did not think of her much anymore. His life had new meaning and none of Lana's jealousy had any place in it.

Clark closed his eyes and lost himself in Lois's fragrance. After several moments, he stepped back and looked into her eyes. "Let's start packing."

Clarks statement caught Lois off guard, his parents were still getting used to the idea that he was going to Metropolis University. To spring this on his parents this fast was begging for disaster. "Are you sure that's a good idea I mean your parents are barely letting you go to MU as it is."

"Trust me Lois they will understand… eventually." Clark turned around and went to his closet to get his suitcase. "If we hurry we can drop this off in metropolis and be back before ma has breakfast ready."

Lois could see in his face that he was serious. She liked the fact that he was being more decisive. Walking over to his dresser, she started to pull out the whole selves and stacked them on his bed next to the suitcase. Clark started throwing stuff into his suitcase and packing it in. Lois stepped back and watched the action as Clark milled about in his room trying to make sure he had gotten everything. She loved him, he relied on her and she was always willing to offer her shoulder but more than that over the course of the summer, she had learned that she loved him on a level that she had never known before. None of the men she had dated before coming to Smallville had come close to make her feel as safe and secure as Clark did. He was all she thought about nothing else mattered. She had never been short of strength of will but Clark gave her another kind of strength. The strength she got from Clark helped her maintain hope. She could not help but look at Clark and feel like nothing could ever go wrong.

Lois had lost track of time. She stood by the window looking out at the stars as if she was searching for a way to thank Jor-El for sending such a wonderful blessing. When she turned back to the room Clark was standing in the middle of the room with his suitcase by his side. He was looking at her absorbing her presence. Walking over to him, she picked up his suitcase and pecked him on the cheek.

"Are you ready to go Clark?" she had reached the stairs when she turned around. "This should mark a monumental event in our lives."

"Lets just get to metropolis then we can worry about the rest of our lives." Clark walked over to where Lois stood and lifted her up in his arms. "Let's take the scenic route."

With Lois in his arms, Clark began to lift off the ground. Slowly pitching forward Clark turned around and zoomed out the window.

The two of them arrived at Lois's metropolis apartment in short time. Clark could have gotten there faster but he worried about how much G-force Lois could withstand. It did not take long to drop off Clark's things but Lois had wanted to check her messages before heading back.

As it was, Clark began to wonder about while Lois buzzed around her living room and office. Lois's apartment was large for a college student. Most of it paid for by her work at the daily planet. She had been doing freelance work for the planet since graduation. The space had a large living room with an open kitchen. Stepping through the front door lead to the living room and entry hall with the kitchen to the left, to the right of living room was a small hall with a guest bedroom to the right an office to the left and the master bedroom at the end. Clark had already fought over the guest bedroom much to Lois's dismay. For a week after she had constantly referred to him as a "Boy Scout". This did not bother Clark at all as long as she refrained from trying anything.

When Lois had returned from her office ready to head back to the Kent farm she found Clark leaning on the terrace that opened out from her living room.

"Hey stranger" Lois called to Clark from inside her apartment. Walking out side she lend against his strong form. "What are you thinking about Smallville?"

Clark stood up and wrapped his arm around her waist. "I was just admiring this city, its really beautiful at night." Clark leaned in and kissed Lois on the forehead. "I was also thinking about something Jor-El once said to me. He said 'they can be a great people Kal-El if they wish to be they only lack the light to show the way for this reason their capacity for good above all I have sent them you my only son'."