Lois surveyed the loft she thought she knew so well in a whole new light. No wonder he always came up here to brood! She used to tease him about it all the time but now she understood. He didn't just come up here to have pity parties about his Lana troubles, he came up here for peace. Maybe he felt the burden of his secret a little less in this wooden sanctuary that smelled of hay and sunshine. She didn't want to admit it, but over the years she had started to view the loft as a bit of a sanctuary too.

Ever since that kiss the blur/Clark had planted on her several days ago her mind has been constantly churning out new questions. She'd barely been able to sleep. Her mind was only filled with images of Clark. She thought of question after question she desperately wanted to ask him but knew she had to stash them away indefinitely. It was her own fault really. After she had pulled that blue dagger out of his abdomen she had made the split second decision not to let him know that she knew his secret. As hard as it was for her to bite her tongue. She knew she had made the right choice. She knew in her gut that Clark would tell her in his own time.

When Perry had called yesterday with the job opportunity of a lifetime she knew it was fate. Now she could process all of this new information in a far away country without staring at Clark everyday bursting with a million questions she couldn't ask him. The timing was perfect. Despite their relationship being so up in the air, she knew he deserved to hear the news from her lips, in person. I mean what if he freaked out? Oh God, what if he begged her not to go? There's no way she would be able to resist those puppy dog eyes.

Slow and heavy footsteps caused a moratorium on her spiraling thoughts. She turned to see Clark looking as handsome as ever in a casual gray top with a black jean jacket paired with his classic jeans and work boots.

"Hey." He smiled almost sheepishly at her. She felt the same little quiver in her stomach every time he smiled at her like that.

"Hey." She said softly in return. "Thanks for meeting me."

"Well it is my barn, you know." He said with a slight smirk.

"Nah. I think it's just public property at this point. You should start renting it out. The sign should say: 'Need a place to brood? Throw a pit party? The Kent barn is the perfect place for you!'

Clark laughed lightly and shook his head. She was happy he could take a joke right now cause she was really just trying to soften the ginormous bomb she was about to drop.

"I mean you could really make a whole commodity out of it, Smallville. 'Get the whole American experience! Stay on the heartland's farm-"

"Lois."

She was gesturing a big sign now. "A stay you'll never forget-"

Clark took two steps closer to her and placed his hand gently on her upper arm.

"Lois, you're stalling and we both know it."

She felt her cheeks redden slightly at his honesty. Only Clark could see right through her like that. She bit her bottom lip, letting the nerves finally sink in.

"Why did you ask me to come out here?" He asked. She suddenly realized from the questioning look in his eyes that he was nervous too.

"I uhh...Well just...just don't freak out okay?"

He regarded her warily now. "Its never a good thing when Lois Lane tells you not to freak out. Just...say it Lois." Now he looked at her expectantly.

Shit. Okay, Lane. Just rip the band-aid off, she thought.

"Perry White offered me a job covering different areas of the war in Iraq for six months." She let it out in one breath and immediately began searching Clark's face for an opinion. His eyes were either a completely open book or completely unreadable. And right now they were the latter. He turned slightly away from her and paced. She was desperate to know what he was thinking.

"Smallville?" She squeaked out.

Before actually saying anything, he surprised her by enveloping her in one of his famous bear hugs.

"I think…" He started before choosing the right words. "I think that's really great, Lois."

She released his embrace in a daze. "You do?"

"Yeah...I mean it's a huge opportunity for you. Of course you should take it."

Now Lois was just confused. This is not at all the reaction she thought he would have. "That's it? No 'it's too dangerous Lois. You're too ambitious for your own good, Lane?'"

"Of course I'm going to worry about you Lo but...you can't just pass something like this up. I mean, what reason do you have to stay?"

"You." She said it without hesitation. "I would stay for you, Clark." Didn't he understand how important he was to her?

He looked down at his feet. "I wouldn't let you do that, Lois." Was that a trace of regret in his words? A wave of sadness fell over her. He wasn't fighting her on this. Was he...was he letting her go? Was keeping the charade of his double identity around her becoming too much? Had his feelings changed? She eyes his guarded expression carefully.

"When do you leave?" He asked, trying to keep the conversation light.

"The day after tomorrow." There! Something familiar flickered in his eyes. Something between relief and worry passed over his face as quick as lighting. He quickly put his guard back up but she knew he still cared. He wasn't letting her go. No, he was sending her away. Once again in typical Clark Kent/Blue fashion, he was protecting her. But from what? That Zod guy was gone wasn't he? What burdens was he facing right now?

"So...is this goodbye?" He said in a quiet voice.

"Of course not, Smallville" She punched his arm in her familiar, friendly way, hoping it might ease the tension he was feeling. "Who else is gonna drive me to the airport?"

He grinned. "I really am going to miss you, Lois."

"I know." She winked. "God, who's gonna badger you everyday for six months?"

"I'm gonna have to get a voice recording of you hurling your best insults at me to stay sane." He shot back. She laughed. God, she loved the way he made her laugh.

"I'm really gonna miss you too, Smallville."

And she meant it with every fibre of her being.