Chapter 27

Lois was lying on the bed, left arm extended in the air. She was admiring the ring on her finger with a big smile on her face. Lois Lane, arm brat getting all girly about an engagement ring. She chuckled, wishing she could this moment of happiness with her past self.

Clark was next to her, lying on his stomach, sleeping. Or so she thought. "I wish I could've bought you one."

Lois looked at her side to see Clark gazing at her, half of his face buried deep into the pillow. She smiled at him. "Are you kidding me? I loved that you made it for me," she said, placing her other hand around the ring finger.

"No," he shook his head. "You deserve one made by a professional jeweler. A beautiful and well-crafted ring made especially for you," he grabbed her left hand and brought it close to his lips, kissing the back of it.

Lois blushed. "I'm not sure I really deserve it. I mean, the way I left things between us last week…" She said, a guilty expression on her face.

"Lois, no… You need some time alone and I understood that. I really did, even if part of me wanted you here with me, like we are right now."

"I've missed you."

"No more than I did. I had to control myself or else I'd fly to Geneva and beg you to come back."

She chuckled. "You probably wouldn't be able to recognize me in the middle of a crowd," she told him, pointing to her hair with her eyes.

"Lois, you could have a bag over your bag and I'd still know it's you." He started to stroke her hair. "You look amazing."

"My hair isn't the only thing that has changed about me, you know?"

Clark looked puzzled. "How so?"

"Those recent savings we've been doing, Lex's plots to take over the world... I've been thinking about all of it. I don't want to wait something to happen to react. I want to be out there, using these powers and do good. Not just here and there. I want to do it every day."

Clark just grinned.

Lois looked puzzled. "What?"

"I've been thinking the same thing."

She was surprised. "Really?"

He nodded. "I think I'm finally ready to be what my father wanted me to be."

Lois smiled widely. "So, this is it? Are we really going to fight crime together?"

"More than just fight, actually."

"Huh?"

"I love this farm, working around it. I feel comforted, at ease here. But I also know there's more for me outside the farm, of Smallville."

"What are you saying, Clark?"

"I've talked to Chloe and if everything works out the way we hope, I'll be joining the Daily Planet's fall internship program. Looks like bed and heroics aren't the only thing we'll be sharing, Miss Lane."

She smiled widely and jumped on top of him, tasking his lips in hers. "Nothing will stop Mr. and Mrs. Kent."

He chuckled, nodding. "Uh-huh."

They kissed again, their hands sliding into each other's shirts as the heat increased.

At that moment, Shelby entered the room and jumped on the bed, barking and wagging. Clark and Lois pulled away and looked at him.

"What's wrong, Shelz?" Lois asked, amused.

The dog went to Clark's side, quickly being petted on the head. "He misses my mom. He's used to wake up when she'd wake up."

"Aww." She petted the dog, too. She then looked at Clark. "We should eat something before we go back to my apartment and pack my stuffs," she told him as she got up and started to leave.

Clark got up, too, and hugged her from behind. "It'll be great living together, I promise."

"I'll only believe it when you bring me breakfast in bed," she smirked.

"You got it," he kissed her on the cheek. They walked out of the bedroom cuddling and chuckling, followed by a happy Shelby.

-º-

"Of course you can count on me to do help you, Mrs. Whistle. I know, me too. Bye," Chloe said on the telephone, hanging up next. Her eyes showed sadness as she tried to fight back tears.

Lois and Clark entered the apartment. She was quick to note her cousin's expression. "Chloe, are you okay?"

Chloe nodded, uncertain. "I was just talking to Nell on the phone. She asked my help to prepare Lana's funeral."

"How is she?" Clark asked, concerned.

"Devastated." Chloe breathed hard. "She kept crying over the phone and I did my best to hold myself and not to cry, too. It was horrible."

Clark sat beside her on the couch and put his around her, running his hand up and down her arm.

"I still can't believe she's gone," Chloe said.

"I know," he agreed.

"When's the funeral?" Lois asked.

"Nell's thinking sometime around next week is probably the best date."

"If you need help for anything, we're here at your disposal," the brunette said.

Chloe nodded. She then cleared her throat. "You didn't return home last night. I assume you two made up?"

Clark and Lois looked at other, love in their eyes and a knowing smile playing on their lips. "More than that, actually," Lois started, lifting her hand near her face, the diamond on the ring shining.

Chloe opened her eyes widely. "Oh, my God!" She got up and hugged her cousin, with a wide smile on her lips. "I'm so happy for you both!"

"Well, you better be. I want my maid of honor to have the biggest smile at my wedding."

Chloe pulled away and look at her. "Really?"

"And Jimmy as my best man," Clark spoke.

"If you want to, of course. No pressure," Lois added, smirking.

"Of course I want! And I know Jimmy will love to. You know he's crazy about you guys."

Lois grinned. "Okay, then. First maid of honor task, help me pack."

The blonde was taken by surprise. "What?"

"I'm moving into the farm."

"Already?"

"It kinda comes with the whole marriage deal, Chloe," Clark said.

"Plus, since Mrs. K left, Smallville is feeling very lonely at that big farm," Lois teased, to Clark's annoyance.

Chloe nodded, giving a half smile. "Yeah, I get it. It just took me by surprise, that's all."

"Alright, you two get started and I'll grab some coffee for us," Clark spoke.

The cousins nodded and Clark left. Lois then turned to look at Chloe. "Are you okay?"

"C'mon, Lois, I'm gonna miss being you're roommate, but you definitely should live with your fiancé."

"I'm not talking about that."

Chloe looked at her, startled. She then averted her eyes and started to walk toward the bedroom. "I don't wanna talk about it."

Lois walked behind her. "You don't think I know all the stages? Shock, denial, despair. I've been there, remember?"

The blonde opened the closet and started to grab Lois's clothes, throwing them at the bed. "It was different. You joined the kryptonian clan while I'm just a regular Smallville's meteor freak."

"Tomato, tomahto." Lois grabbed her arm and made Chloe look at her. "You're changing, just like I did. You're scared, just like I was."

Chloe sighed, her walls finally coming down. "I don't know what to do, Lois. You heard this town's meteor freaks stories. You've seen some. You know what happened to my mother. I don't wanna end up like that."

"We won't let it happen to you."

"What about the next time I use my power? Do I wake up from that?" Chloe said, teary-eyed.

"Chlo." Lois hugged her. "I get your frustration, okay? I wish I could make it disappear, but I can't. That doesn't mean we won't try to find a cure. All I ask is for you not to try anything dangerous. Be a little patient, please."

"It's hard. I feel like a time-bomb machine right now."

"I know," Lois said, running her hand up and down Chloe's back.

After a few more seconds, they pulled away. Chloe released the breath she was holding, calming herself. "We should go back to your packing."

Lois nodded, giving her a warm smiling.

"When do you plan to go back to the Planet? Bailey has been asking you like crazy."

"Tomorrow."

"He's pretty pissed."

The brunette shrugged. "Don't worry, I wrote a couple of fluffy pieces that he'll love."

Chloe chuckled. "Always the handful."

"You know it," Lois told her, smiling widely.

-º-

"How about an eye mask?" Lois asked. She and Clark were at the loft trying to decide what their costumes will look like.

Clark made a face. "I'm not a big fan of masks."

Lois curved in front of him, who was sitting on the couch, putting her hands on his legs. "Here's the thing, pouty boy, unless you don't mind getting Clark Kent's face printed around all over the world, you'll have to."

Clark sighed and got up, walking towards the window. "That gotta be another way. Masks are uncomfortable, unreliable."

Lois crossed her arms. "It's useful."

Clark looked at her. "My father, Raya, they talked about me being a symbol of hope for Earth, being its savior, but I don't know if I can be it if my face is covered, hiding who I am."

"Okay, then, let's take a moment to think about that. You show up as hero, no mask on. Someone recognizes you, spread to the world Clark Kent's this new hero. First, the media comes. Goodbye privacy. Then, the government takes notice. Your mother, senator for Kansas, have to answer for whatever they might question. Goodbye peace. Then, there' the bad guys -"

"Stop!" Clark sighed. "I know all that already. I never suggested going out in the open like that. I just… I don't know. What do you have in mind for yourself?"

"Well, I am thinking in using an eye mask. I'll probably let my hair loose when I go patrolling, whereas I'll let it tied up when I'm at work. Maybe put on glasses."

Clark raised an eyebrow. "Glasses?"

"Yeah, you know, I think it's a good way to take focus off my eyes. Maybe even making me look older and –" She saw her fiancé deep in thought. "Clark?"

Her voice snapped him out of his thought. "Maybe that's exactly what I need."

She looked puzzled. "What?"

"The glasses on me, Clark Kent."

Lois looked confused. "Yeah, it can be of use, but you'd still need the mask."

"No, Lois. I'm talking about Clark Kent being the mask."

"I'm not following…"

"I'm talking about changing myself around those that knows and doesn't know me. Change the way I look with the glasses, perhaps the hair. Change the way I walk, the way I talk."

"Would people believe that? Could you pull that off? I've seen you pretending, Smallville, you're not very good at this."

"I think I can," he said, firmly. "Look, before you knew me, before I managed to be in the football team, I was viewed as this shy, clumsy kid. I'd never tripped in my life, the only times it happened was when I was around Lana. I'd only find out it was because her kryptonite necklace years later. She was the popular girl, which meant every eye was on me and my falls. I think I can go back to that."

Lois looked skeptical. "Most of the residents of this town know you. It's a lot to pull off. You're sure you wanna do this?"

Clark nodded, confident. "I want to people to be able to see that I'm being honest, sincere. To have someone to trust, to believe in. I feel like I'll only manage that if there's no mask or tricks from me."

"That sounds great and all, but it's not something all of us can do. Clark, I'm a four stars general's daughter, I grew up on a base. There's no way I can put my face out there with no mask on and get away with it."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to –"

"It's okay." Lois took a breath. "Looks like we have different approach to our dual lives."

Clark gave her a tight-lipped smile. "Is that a bad thing?"

"I don't know. I must confess I kinda pictured us with matching costumes," she chuckled as she said it.

Clark chuckled, too, and moved closer to her. "Speaking of, any ideas for our costumes?"

She knitted her brows and bit her lower lip. "I tried to think in anything, but got nothing. Well, not exactly. I did think about getting a jacket like the guys."

"What about the Stiletto costume?"

"Retired. I need something more colorful, and less, uh, uncomfortable."

"I wouldn't mind wearing a jacket."

"Of course you wouldn't," she said, teasingly. "You hate costume. The most yours resemble regular clothes, the better it's for you."

Clark shrugged.

"Too bad for you, 'cause I'm in charge." She placed a hand on his chest. "I'll put this glorious body of yours to good use."

Clark swallowed hard.

Lois giggled. She went to the desk where there was a bunch of papers. "I just need to gather all I have in mind and try to come up with something."

"Lois."

She turned around to look at him. "What?"

"Do you have any experience with tailoring?"

"Oh. Uh… No."

"Then I think we need help on this one."

-º-

The next day, Lois was landing with her father in her arms on the Kent farm. He looked unsettled. "Are you okay, daddy?"

"It's not common of a young woman to carry his old man through the skies."

Lois averted her eyes. "I'm not normal anymore."

"When did you ever was?"

Lois looked back at her father, seeing the smirk on his lips. She chuckled, also blushing at her father joking. She was not used to that. "Let's get in, everyone's waiting."

They entered the house. In the living room, there was Clark, Chloe, Martha, and Lionel. Sam quickly greeted them before sitting down, while Lois stood beside Clark.

"Now that Miss Lane has arrived, could you please tell us what it's about, son?" Lionel spoke.

Clark and Lois looked at each other, taking reassurance in each other's eyes. "The reason we called you all here is that we have something to tell you," Lois started.

"Lois and I had feel, for quite some time now, that we could do more with our abilities," Clark added. He could sense his soon-to-be father-in-law's questioning eyes on him. "We decided it's time to step in and be a force of good for this planet."

Martha looked confused. "What does it mean exactly, honey?"

"We'll be out there, patrolling and protecting the world from robberies, natural disasters, alien invasions. To put it mildly, we're gonna be super-heroes," Lois said, a wide smile spreading on her face.

Everyone's face, except for Chloe who had been told the previous day, had a mix of surprise and hesitation.

Martha was the one to break the silence. She got up and moved closer to them. "Are you sure you two want to make this kind of compromise? Please, don't misunderstand me, what you're planning to do is very noble, it's just… You're going to put yourselves in danger every day. Your lives won't be same once you do it."

Clark held her hand. "Mom, we know the risks. That's why we didn't do anything before we told you all about it. We know what we're about to do causes implications in your job and the general's."

Lois looked at her, realizing he was still processing the information.

"Oh, sweet, I'm not worried about my job. I just want to know if you're one hundred percent sure. If that's what you two want to do, then you have my full support."

"It is mom," Clark said. Martha smiled, proud of the strong determination she saw in his eyes.

"Can someone explain to me what's happening here?" Lionel asked, approaching them. "Miss Lane has meteor-infected abilities? Am I understanding it correct?"

"Not meteor related, Lionel. Kryptonian," Clark told him.

Lionel blinked in surprise.

"Jor-el conceded it to her as a mean to save her life after the airplane crash incident during the Dark Thursday. It was supposed to be temporary, but there was a complication and it became permanent."

"Why didn't you tell me about it before? I'm Jor-el's emissary, I coul –"

"I asked them not to, Lionel," Lois intervened. "I didn't trust you. I still don't. The only reason you're here now is because your so called connection to Jor-El."

"Miss Lane, I assure you, I'm not your enemy. I'm here to help."

"That's something you must prove, isn't it? And now the opportunity has presented itself."

"Clark, can I talk to you?" Sam approached his daughter's boyfriend. "In private."

Lois turned her head, looking worried. "Daddy."

Clark put a hand over his arm. "It's okay," he told her, nodding in reassurance.

Lois nodded back.

The two men left the room and headed to the barn.

Clark had his arms crossed, looking tense, while Sam worked out his thoughts. "So you are the reason all these changes have been happening to my daughter?" Sam spoke, irritated.

"Sir…"

"I should have known. Ever since she came to this town –"

"She has been happier than she ever was," Clark said, firmly.

Sam was taken by surprise by the dark haired man outburst.

"Sir, just let me explain it, please," Clark pleaded.

Sam was uncertain, but nodded anyway. "Back in the living room, you mentioned something like 'kryptonian.' What is that?"

"It's…" Clark took a deep breath. "It's related to my home planet. Krypton."

The older man's eyes opened widely.

"Before it was destroyed, my birth parents sent me here."

"Destroyed?"

"The core of the planet… It exploded. I was the only survivor, or so I thought until a couple of years ago."

"There is more of your race here?"

"No, not here. It's a long story."

Sam sighed. "This is insane. How did my daughter get into this?"

"It happened months ago. She… She was dying and my father… An A.I. construct my biological father made, he saved her. He gave her powers like mine so she could heal. He had no intention to change her forever, believe me."

Sam stared coldly at Clark, giving a step closer to him. "You know one of the first rules I learn at the base, Clark? Never trust blindly in one not of your own."

Clark swallowed hard, looking uncomfortable.

"For years, the authorities of this country have been debating whether we should form a defense plan against a possible alien invasion. Some defended the idea, but they were called crazy for those who were against it. To this day, there's speculation whether there's a secret plan or not." He pointed a finger at Clark's chest. "What you are, what you did to my daughter, directly or indirectly, is something that can turn this country, the world, in a living hell."

"I'm not your enemy, Sam!" Clark raised his voice. "I've been living on this planet my whole life as a human. I only found out who I was when I was in high school, in the most painful way. I always felt like an outsider, and the confirmation of it only made it worse. But not once I stopped loving this planet. This is where I was raised by two wonderful people. Where I had a father who I looked up to and a mother who cared and never once looked at me like I wasn't her own. This is the place where I fell in love with the most amazing woman. All I want to do is to help where I can!"

Sam's face softened, realizing the honesty in Clark's eyes. "And you think they'll trust you?"

"I don't know," Clark answered, sighing. "To be honest with you, Lois and I, we have no idea what it's really gonna be like. I mean, we do have an idea how we're going to do it, but it's totally an uncharted territory for us."

The older man recognized the fire burning inside of Clark. It took him back to the early days of his career, the excitement, the fear, the sureness it was the right thing to do. In a way, he started to see himself in Clark. From Earth or not, the man in front of him had dreams and fears just like any other regular person.

Sam put a hand over his shoulder. "Clark, considering you just managed to convince one of the most stubborn men this country has serving it, I'm sure you'll do fine," he said, giving him a reassuring smile. "I still have to get used to your alien heritage, but I can see you're a good man."

Clark was taken by surprise but quickly smiled back, shyly.

"If I may give you an advice, though…"

"Of course."

"Going to war, having to deal with the rush of battle, and the struggle to save lives. It made coming home and doing the simple things difficult. But you know it's funny, it's the simple things like taking a walk, or dancing with your wife, tucking in the kids... That makes us human. And don't get me wrong, I-I've loved serving our country, I even got to be a hero a couple times... But if I had to do it over again, I'd spend more time with the family."

"Thank you, sir. I promise you I'll keep that in mind."

Sam nodded his head and prepared to leave. "Sir," Clark called him. Sam turned to look back at him. "There's something I'd like to ask you."

The older man raised an eyebrow.

"I'd like to ask your permission to marry your daughter."

Sam looked somewhat amused. "Don't you think I gave you enough concession for a day, young man?"

Clark flexed his jaw. "Actually, I already proposed to Lois and she said yes," he said, making Sam blinked in surprise. "She hid the ring so we could tell you at the right moment."

"And you think this is the right moment?"

Clark gulped. "I-I…"

Sam sighed and then chuckled. "It's fine, Clark. What I said before, I stand by it. You're a good man and you make my Lo happy. That's what matters."

Clark's lips curled into a big toothy smile.

"But you know the consequence, you hurt her –"

"Not even in the worst of my nightmares. She's my world."

The two of them returned to the farmhouse. Lois looked apprehensive as she saw them entering the living room.

"Where's Lionel?" Clark asked.

"Left, pissed off as a bull when it sees a red sheet," Lois told him. "How did it go?" She asked, looking between Clark's serene expression and her father's always centered one.

Clark looked at Sam and then back at Lois, a little smile placed on his face. "Everything's fine. Your father and I came to an understanding."

Lois grinned, relieved. She jump in front of his father and hugged him. "Thank you for being okay with Clark's origin, daddy. It means a lot to me."

"Your fiancé had very convincing arguments."

Lois pulled back, staring at her father, her body tensed. "You…"

"Clark told me."

She looked at Clark, who had a reassuring smile on his face. She released the breath she was holding. "Thank god. No need to hide it anymore," she reached into her pocket and grabbed her engagement ring, putting it back on her finger.

Clark and Sam chuckled. Chloe and Martha watched amused the scene in front of them. Clark approached his mother. "Mom, I don't if Lois told you anything, but there's –"

"She did, sweetie. Of course I'll help with your costumes."

"Are you sure? I know how busy you are with your new job, I don't wanna get in the way of it."

"Shh. It's not a problem, I'm doing it."

"Okay, I've been gathering some analyses and I believe the best material to use in your suits is spandex," Chloe said as she approached them, carrying her laptop with her.

Clark looked doubtful. "Won't it feel really uncomfortable?"

"Perhaps at first, since you aren't used to it. But it has durability, flexibility. I actually have some models here on my computer."

Clark still didn't feel confident in it. Lois punched his arm and went to Chloe's side. "Let me see it."

On the screen, there were three male models and three female models of spandex based costumes, blue, red, and yellow. "Oh, I like this one," Lois said, pointing to the screen.

Clark joined her side and saw the model she was pointing to. "That's a lot of blue…"

"It's just a model, Clark," Chloe said, annoyed.

Martha and Sam joined them. "I think we can break it up with some other color," Martha spoke.

"Lois, you're not really thinking in flying around wearing it, are you?" Sam said, unsettled.

"What? It covers all my body," Lois argued.

"A decent woman shouldn't wear such a tight suit."

Lois glared at him. "Don't start, dad."

The older man looked at Clark searching for support but received a shrug instead.

Martha cleared her throat. "Are we settled on the blue costumes then?"

"Yes," Lois said.

"Guess so," Clark agreed.

"Let's not waste any more time, then." Martha and the others kept discussing about the details that the couple wanted to be included in their costumes.

Sam pulled Lois aside to talk to her. "What is it?" She asked.

"If you're so keen on doing this, I believe there's someone you need to talk to first," he said.

Lois sighed. "I know, daddy. I know."

-º-

"And that's how my life changed forever."

Lucy stared back at her sister, speechless. Lois had flown to Switzerland to tell her everything and she did. She was quite afraid of her sister's reaction, but as her father had reminded her, she couldn't postpone it anymore. They weren't as close as they should be, much to Lois disappointment, who loved her sister no matter the conflicts they had in the past. She just hoped Lucy felt the same way.

"Please, say something," Lois said.

"Is this some kind of joke?" Lucy spoke, incredulity and anger in her voice. "You didn't visit me once since I came back, we barely speak to each other, and now you travel all the way to Europe to tell me this insane story? What's the point you're trying to make?"

"It's true," Lois told her, firmly. "And I had every right not to talk to you before."

"I said I'm sorry, wasn't that enough?"

Lois shook her head in frustration. "A simple sorry doesn't cover the gravity of what you've done. You think you got away with it, don't you? But I know Lex Luthor a lot more than you, and I assure you, he's gonna collect it one day, especially from our father."

Lucy just stood there taking the hits. Tears started to appear on her eyes.

"But you know what hurt me the most? If you had stayed, if you had faced the consequences of what you did, I'd be there for you! I'd face our father for you! Instead, you left me feeling like I failed you and dad blaming me for failing you."

Lucy nodded, hurt. "I was always a burden for you."

"I didn't say that," Lois sighed. "Lucy, I didn't come here to fight. We shouldn't be fighting like that all the time."

"But we do. It's been our only way to talk to each other since we were kids," Lucy said.

"True." Lois moved closer. "We can start to change that, though. I want to change it."

"You really mean it?" Lucy asked, hopeful.

Lois stood in front of her, wiping the tears off her sister's cheeks with her thumb. "I've never been happier in my whole life and the only thing missing in it is to have you there. I want to remedy that."

Lucy smiled for the first time since her sister arrived and then hugged her. "Oh, Lois."

Lois hugged back, feeling like a huge piece of kryptonite had fell from her shoulders and disappeared into oblivion.

Lucy pulled away after several seconds, realizing the subject hanging in the air. She looked at Lois with a frowned expression. "Were you serious about that story?"

Lois gave her a slightly smile, grabbed her hand and led her to the window.

Lucy looked puzzled. "What?" She asked as she looked at the view outside.

"Close your eyes," Lois said.

"Why?"

"Just trust me."

Although still confused, Lucy closed her eyes. She then felt hands being placed on both her hips and then the wind blew stronger. Next thing she knew, everything went quiet.

Lucy opened her eyes slowly and saw her sister staring at her. Frowning, she then looked around and down, hit by the biggest surprise of her life. She looked at Lois with a stunned expression. "You… You…"

Lois nodded, happily.

"Oh, my God!" Lucy breathed hard. "I'm sorry I doubt you."

"It's okay."

Lucy kept looking around, amazed. "Lois, this is just unbelievable."

Lois chuckled. "I know. I guess that's the definition of my life now."

"What else can you do?" Lucy asked, excited.

"There's a lot for you to catch up on. Starting with serving as my bridesmaid at my wedding."

Lucy was taken by surprise. "What? You're getting married?"

Lois nodded.

Lucy smiled widely. "I'm so happy for you."

Lois smiled back. "Thanks. Sometimes it's hard to believe everything's working well for me."

"You deserve it."

Lois felt happiness fill her body and soul. For the first time since her mother died, she finally felt that three of them were a family again. And it felt good. "I love you, Lucy."

"I love you, too, Lo."

-º-

Clark entered the Fortress of Solitude. "Jor-El."

"Kal-El, you have returned," greeted the AI voice. "I expect you to have finally accepted your destiny and come to train e be prepared to fulfill it."

"I am," Clark replied.

"Well done, my –"

"But…" Clark interrupted Jor-El. "I'm not doing it in your way. I have a life outside this fortress, soon I'll be getting married and hopefully will start my own family. I can't be stuck here for I don't know how long while the world outside keeps moving."

"Kal-El, you must understand. The knowledge and understanding of your origins and powers requires your full attention."

"I know how important this training is. I can recognize that now. But I also lived my whole life without the guiding of this whole knowledge, with the help of my Earth parents. I want to embrace my heritage, but if we're not in agreement, I won't take the training."

There was a momentary silence before Jor-El spoke again. "What is your proposal, Kal-El?"

Clark released the breath he was holding. No matter how confident he sounded, there's always a part of him afraid of Jor-El's unpredictable reaction. "One week every month I'll be here full time. I'll be start working at the Daily Planet this fall, so we're probably gonna have to adjust this to periods of the days of the month."

"Your demand will prejudice your training."

"It's all of my time I can give to you."

Silence took over the place again. Clark grew anxious. "We will be starting by the end of the month. Be on time," said Jor-El, his voice cold as ever.

Clark nodded, happy and relieved. "I will."

"Kal-El, you mentioned you are to be married."

"Yes, I am."

"First lesson. As the head of the house of El, all life unions must be approved by me. I expect your mate to be brought here."

Clark smiled. "Okay. But you should know, you already know her. It's Lois Lane, the woman you saved months ago. I guess I had you to thank for that."

He doubted Jor-El felt anything, but if there was moment to an AI to feel surprised, that was definitely it.

-º-

"Nell looked devastated," Chloe said. She, alongside Clark and Lois were walking out of Lana's burial.

Clark just nodded.

"We can only hope she found peace away from Lex," Lois said.

Clark snorted at the mention of his enemy's name. "At least he's in jail."

"Do you guys believe he's gonna stay there?" Chloe asked, a worried expression appearing on her face.

"It's a Luthor. Expect anything," Lois replied.

"Let's hope it won't come to that," Clark said.

-º-

Clark stared at himself in the mirror. Could he get used to it?

"Nice ass," Lois spoke behind him.

Clark turned around to look at her. "You think so?" He asked, his hands placed over the symbol shield on his chest.

"Not this one, sweetie," she said, a cocky smile on her lips.

He blinked, taken by surprise. Lois just kept smiling. He then saw what she was wearing. "Wow. You… You look amazing."

They both put on the costumes Martha had made for them. The costumes were mostly matching, the general color being blue, but while Lois's was broken by a red belt – the middle in yellow -, Clark's had a yellow belt and red trunks attached to it. The shield on his chest, the same on hers, takes a diamond shape and has the House of El's crest in it, which on terms of Earth looks like a "S." Their looks finish with red boots that goes almost all the way to their knees.

Lois, who was wearing an eye mask, smiled brightly. "I know. I have the best mother-in-low."

"Yeah," Clark nodded, still uncomfortable.

Lois sighed. "Oh, c'mon, you look great, too. I hate to admit that, but all the women will devour you with the eyes. The men will wish they were you." She cupped her arm and bit her lower lip. "Just look at those muscles popping out…"

Clark gave her a look. "You're not helping."

"Alright, I made the last adjustments on your capes. That should attach it to your suits and not fall while you're flying," Martha said as she entered the room.

"Capes, yay!" Lois shouted.

Clark chuckled at that.

"Here, sweetie, try it on." Martha handed to him the cape.

Clark looked uncertain, but put attached it to his suit anyway. He turned to look at himself in the mirror, staring at his image for several seconds. There was something about the whole look getting to him. Unconsciously, the side of his lip curled into a slightly smile.

Lois noted it. "Is that a smile I am seeing?" She said, her head appearing over his shoulder.

Clark blinked. "What? No…" His voice, however, contradicted himself.

Lois wrapped her arms around him. "You think you can deceive me, Smallville? I can see the sparkle in your eyes." They both looked at the reflection in the mirror. "If feels right, doesn't it?"

"Yeah."

Martha smiled, proud. "Looks like you two are ready to come out the shadows." The couple turned around to look at her. "Have you decided on your names?"

Clark and Lois exchanged looks. "We have some ideas that revolve around the symbol on our chests," Lois said.

Martha nodded. Her expression then changed to a worried one. "What about Lex? He knows about Lois and he'll most likely find out about you, too, Clark. Now that he's free, he's really dangerous."

Clark sighed. "I think it's time to have the definitive talk with him."

Lois cleared her throat. "Actually, I think I should talk to him."

Martha and Clark looked at her with a frown on their faces. "What?" Clark said.

"I have to clear things after last time. I also think I can be more objective with Lex than you. No offense, Smallville."

"Lois, last time you almost killed him."

"I know, I know. I lost control. Now, I'm more focused, I'm just going there and lay all the cards on the table. Just trust me on this, please."

Clark just looked at her with uncertainty.

-º-

Lex was sitting in his living room drinking whisky and thinking about the latest events. He'd been over and over it, but there was something not fitting.

"Lex."

His thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of Lois. He looked unconcerned by her presence, even thought the last time they saw each other she was about to kill him. "Did you come here to finish the job?" He provoked.

"Can't say I hadn't thought about it, especially after what you did to Lana, but no."

Lex stood up. "I didn't kill Lana."

"Yeah, I heard it was another guy. A furious Luthorcorp's employee who claimed he got cancer from the chemicals down the tunnel-construction, isn't it? How convenient," she mocked.

"I didn't hire that man. I didn't –"

"I didn't come here to talk about this," a disgusted Lois said. "Or otherwise I'd say screw my morals and just end this pathetic life of yours."

Lex gulped, watching the hate in her eyes.

Lois couldn't stand be in the same room as Lex. "I'll make this quick. You know I have powers and you're probably ninety nine percent sure Clark has, too. First reveal of the day, he does."

The bald man's eyes opened widely. He didn't expect the revelation happening like that.

"Second reveal, we're not going to hide our powers anymore. We're going to be out there in matching costumes protecting people against the disasters and bad guys, like you. The only problem is you, who knows our faces, our families and friends. You could make our lives a living hell and ruin everything we have planned."

Lex was still absorbing the revelation, but looked focused enough on what she was saying. "I could add something to that, but I assume you already have a counter argument in mind."

She nodded. "You're right, rich boy." She grabbed some papers from her back pocket and handed it to him. Lex looked at it, confused. "Those are some files I stole from your lab at the Reeves Dam. Quite a number of lab rats you had there, huh?"

Lex stared back at her in shock. "This doesn't prove anything."

"I beg to differ. All those men were declared dead after some kind of explosion that unsurprisingly didn't leave any trace of their bodies. All it takes is to someone dig deeper and deeper and find out you've been doing."

"What do you intend to do with it?"

"Believe me, if I had certainty it would put in jail forever, I'd take it to the FBI in one instant. But if yours and Lionel's freedom proved anything, is that Luthors don't stay behind bars for so long. So here's my proposal, when we're flying out there, pretend you don't even know us, we're completely strangers to you, that way those papers don't fall in the right hands."

Lex raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you blackmailing me?"

"Call it whatever you want. I want to help people, but I know there are ones like you who will stand in the way of doing it and I'd rather do something about it than nothing."

"I wonder what Clark is going to think about it? He's pretty stiff on stuff like that."

"He'll understand," she said, firmly. "I'm not doing it for me, or even for him. We can protect ourselves from anything. I'm doing it for Martha, for my father and sister, for Chloe, for everyone who'll be at risk if the world finds out who we are. It's something you'd never understand."

His face was unreadable. "If you say so." He drank the last bit of his whisky. "You offer sounds fair," he said, extending his hand.

Lois looked at it with contempt. She then turned around and started to walk away. She stopped mid-way and looked at him. "It's not a truce. If I find out about any other wrongdoing, you're going to jail and we'll deal with the retaliation of your part. And give the soldiers used for the 33.1 a decent burial, or expect of a retaliation of my part on your billion dollars investments," she said as she glared at him.

She kept walking away, while Lex had a sad expression on his face. "Lois," he called.

She stopped and looked at him again.

"I didn't kill, Lana. I swear. I loved her."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night." With that, she left.

Lex was alone again in the valuable and warmed but dark and completely silent mansion, just staring blankly at the spot where Lois was and with her words echoing in his head.

-º-

In Shanghai, Lex entered an apartment. He walked in slowly, looking around. He stopped when he saw a woman across the corridor brushing her hair. He moved closer.

"I'm impressed," Lex said, unconcerned about the gun.

Lana stood up and took a couple of steps closer to him. "I did learn from the master. As soon as I heard you'd freed yourself, I laid out the breadcrumbs and waited for the wolf to come knocking. Tell me, Lex. How were you planning on getting your revenge?"

"Lana, if I wanted revenge, we wouldn't be having this conversation." He moved closer. "I've come here to beg for your forgiveness."

"With a gun pointed at your head, you'll say anything, won't you?"

"The things I did to you were beyond inexcusable. I don't blame you for wanting to ruin my life. I probably would have done the same thing... Only not as elegantly. I always knew you were smart, Lana. I didn't know you were brilliant... Using my own science against me."

"It wasn't science, Lex. It was your own psychosis. You cloned me."

"Not exactly. Model 503 was never alive. That's why you were able to wheel it out of my lab and place it in your driver's seat. By the time the car exploded, you were safe and sound while model 503, with your DNA, was being blown to bits. It was perfect. As far as the world's concerned, Lana Luthor is dead and buried."

"And a dead woman can't be convicted of murder. You'll never hurt another person again, Lex."

"I don't want to." He steps even closer to her.

"Don't come any closer."

Lex ran his chest into the muzzle of her gun. "I want to give you a better target. After all the pain I've put you through, I deserve to die. Please, Lana. Pull the trigger."

Lana was shaking.

He placed his hand over hers. "I promise you the world will be a better place. Do it. Kill me."

Lex's eyes looked sincere, his voice sound full of hate for himself, for what he became. Was that how he really felt?

Lana was tempted to pull the trigger, but at the time her entire body was shaking with uncertainty. She then gave up, trying to hold back the tears. She couldn't do it. Even with all the hate had for him at that moment, she couldn't do it.

Lex gently took the gun from her. He was truly feeling for her. "If you want to come back to Smallville, you'll be safe. I'll take care of everything. You can live your life however you want. I would never, ever hurt you again. I'm sorry, Lana," he told her, sincerely.

He then turns and walked away, setting the gun on a dresser in the room on the way. Lana watched him go, still trying to fight back the tears.

-º-

"New mysterious savings were reported last night in Metropolis. Since last week, reports all around the world had claimed those saving acts happening all around the world. Other sources even pointed to a couple of blurs as responsible for those," spoke a host of a newscast.

"Can you believe it?" A man walking down a street of Metropolis asked his friend at his side.

"In guardian angels? No way!"

In a car passing by, there was a mother and a son hearing the news on the radio. "It's cool, isn't it, mom?"

"I suppose, yes. Who knows what's true or false with this internet thing growing so fast."

"I bet it's Warrior Angel."

The mother chuckled. "Warrior Angel doesn't exist, sweetie."

A few miles away from there, at the downtown part of Metropolis, another subject was the center of the talk. There was a robbery happening in the biggest bank of that region. It was stimulated about fifty people takes as hostages by seven armed men.

"How's the communication line?" Detective Maggie Sawyer asked.

"They're refusing to negotiate or even talk," a cop said.

"They probably don't know what they're doing. My biggest fear is when they start to feel cornered, too much target in there," she said. "Try to talk to them again."

The cop nodded. Maggie went back to the front line, growing concerned.

A witness looked up, frowning. "What it that?"

Two other people looked up, too. "It's just birds, I think," one of them said.

"No, it's too big to be a bird. It looks like plans," the other said.

"Uh, plans don't make those movements," the first said. "Oh, my God! It's coming this way."

By the time the couple of shadow figures started to get close, everyone on the ground started to look up. They flew through them and entered the bank, leaving. Loud noises and even gun shots were heard inside.

"What the hell is happening in there?" Maggie asked to the crew. Everybody looked as confused as her. "Get your guns ready. We're going in," she yelled.

However, by the time she and her crew reached the door, a bunch of people ran out of the bank, scared and disconcerted. Maggie grabbed a woman's arm, stopping her. "What's happening in there?"

"They… They saved us."

Maggie released the woman's arm, who kept running from there. At that moment, two figures flew through the door holding the unconscious criminals. They dropped them on ground next to the police cars.

"Take good care of them," a costumed Lois said.

"Who are you?" Maggie asked, trying to get as close as possible to them.

"Friends," Clark replied, smiling at her.

They both then flew away as the stunned people watched it.

-º-

"Superman and Superwoman save the day!" Read the front page of the Daily Planet. Clark and Lois were in the middle of the sky looking at it.

"Too bad Chloe wasn't the one who wrote it," Lois said.

"It was a reveal in the middle of the day. The editor would hardly give it to someone as young as her."

"Well, at least she got to suggest the name I chose for us."

Clark knitted his brows. "I still think it's a little self-indulgent."

Lois shrugged. "It's just the truth."

He smiled and wrapped his arm around her. "Okay, then… Superwoman."

She wrapped her arm around his neck. "All yours, Superman."

They giggled and kissed. The moment was quickly interrupted when Clark pulled away.

Lois frowned. "What?"

"Gun shots."

Lois focused on her super hearing. She then looked in the same direction Clark was looking. Then, they flew to the place where the noise came from.

They arrived at the woods near the Reeves Dam. Reaching the place the sound was coming from, everything now went silent. Confusion hit them as they saw a trail of dark costumed soldiers and guns. Their eyes then flew open when they spotted a spaceship.

"What the…" Lois mouthed.

Clark's eyes went up as he saw a blond woman hovering over the ship. "Who are you? What you've done to those men?"

"They were trying to steal my stuff," the woman replied. "I suggest you and your girlfriend to get out of here and never come back."

"What if we don't?"

The woman didn't lose time and flew into Clark.

"Clark!" Lois yelled.

Clark was sent flying though the woods, the woman following him. He quickly got up, ready to fight her. She, however, stayed still, just staring at him.

"Why you're wearing this symbol?"

Clark looked confused. "What?"

"Why you're wearing this symbol?" She yelled this time.

Lois joined his side. "You're okay?"

"Why? Who are you?"

The woman got angrier. "Why are you wearing the House of El's family crest?"

Lois looked between them, puzzled.

Clark was at the woman's in less than a second and grabbed her arm, glaring at her. "Who are you?"

The woman tried to free herself, in vain. "My name is Kara Zor-El."

Clark let go of her, giving a step back. "El? You're kryptonian!?"

Things were starting to get clear. "Who are you?" The woman asked.

Clark was uncertain if he should reveal it to that woman, but there was something familiar about her. "My name is Kal-El."

Lois raised an eyebrow at him revealing his birth name like that.

The woman's eyes opened widely. "Kal-El? Son of Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van?"

Clark nodded, puzzled. "How do you know them?"

The woman smiled widely. "I'm your cousin."

Clark and Lois just stared back in shock at her.

The End

EPILOGUE TO FOLLOW