Chapter 4.

Clark was busy typing away at his computer as Lois dictated from her notes. They had discussed how to construct the story and which bits to leave out. Both were of the opinion that it needed just enough detail to hook the readers and keep them interested. This was where Lois' background as a tabloid journalist with the Inquisitor came in useful because she could see the fine line that differentiated the two newspapers. She knew how to keep the juicy stuff while still making it read like it belonged to the more reputable Daily Planet.

So engrossed were they in the story that neither had noticed the very peeved Randall Brady glaring at them through the window of the copy room. Tess had asked him to reassign Lois' work to reporters who were already swamped with work, and he'd been dealing with their complaints all day. His real ire lay with Lois bypassing the chain of command and going to the very top to pursue a story he knew nothing about. Tess had not been forthcoming when he enquired as to what was so important that Lois' workload had to be reassigned. He wasn't happy about Clark's workload being reassigned either, although that was relatively trivial filler fluff. Plus, he liked Clark a lot more than he did Lois. Hardly a surprise when the former was so mild-mannered and approachable while the latter was prone to casual insubordination and could bite your head off. It was fair to say Randall was not a happy bunny.

Clark was sat in his chair and Lois was perched in the spot she had found to be very comfortable ever since Clark began working at the Planet - the edge of his desk. It was close enough for their conversations to be intimate and for her to sneakily admire the form of the man beside her, yet not so close as to be invading one another's personal space. Plus, Clark never grumbled about her being there even when she only did it to annoy him. Unless her phone rang or her computer beeped to signal an incoming email, there she remained. Nobody bothered the two of them.

That last point was even more welcome now as they looked to complete the article in time to hand it over to Tess before she went home. Finally, just before 5:00, Lois felt they had the story exactly to her satisfaction. Had she been typing it herself, she might have needed another hour to go through all the corrections.

Lois went to the coffee station to grab another cup while Clark went ahead and printed the article as well as the letter he'd emailed to himself. A personal account in his own words could really endear him to the public and make them accept him more readily. He needed their acceptance as the alternative did not bear thinking about.

When he returned, Lois took the article from him. "Alright, well this is it. I hope Tess sees sense and runs with it. You ready, Smallville?"

"I hope so," Clark answered, sounding as apprehensive as he felt. The reality had hit home that he was about to have a profound effect on the world.

"Relax. She might run this place like her own personal labour camp but even she knows she can't run Linda's story. If Linda breaks the story herself, she would gain the credibility she doesn't deserve and as a freelancer, she could demand more money. That would hit Tess where it hurts - the bottom line. It makes more sense for Tess to run the story via us."

With that, Lois began to head towards the door. Clark stood there watching her for a brief second, hoping that she'd called this one right. He picked up a file from his desk, slipping the copy of his letter into it and then placed the file in his desk drawer while Lois wasn't looking. She wouldn't have queried why he had the file because he was always organising his desk, and he was often holding a file whenever he was going elsewhere in the building. Together, they headed for the elevator - next stop, Tess Mercer's office.

The rain had been relentless throughout the day but it had stopped just as the early evening rush hour started, so commuters faced a far less hectic end to their day. A projected weather system with a wide area of low pressure had been diverted by high winds at the last minute, largely bypassing the state. Nevertheless, if Tess decided to run with Lois' story, people would be waking up the following morning to the most incredible news they were ever likely to read. Was there another storm cloud on the horizon?

A glimmer of early evening light was threatening to peek in through the blinds of Tess' office as she sat against the edge of her desk. Tess had the draft of Lois' Red-Blue Blur article in her hands, and she had to blink twice to make sure she really was reading what she thought she was reading. If true, this was something far greater than a story about the Red-Blue Blur. For one thing, it explained why she had so many suspicions about Clark, and why Lex's interest in his former friend had bordered on obsession. For another, it would be the number one topic of discussion across the media, and the Daily Planet would have got the first exclusive. A conservative judgement would recommend doubling the print run to cope with the demand.

Lois and Clark were stood in Tess' office, never taking their eyes off her. Clark was wearing a shirt and tie combo he'd changed into before writing his letter, and he looked a touch nervous. Lois was wearing the outfit she had changed into back at the Talon because the clothes she'd been wearing earlier had become clingy and creased after she'd been standing in the rain for so long. Right now, she wanted to convey that she was all business, arms crossed and expectant. She knew she'd just placed the biggest story ever on Tess' desk, and she allowed herself to briefly consider the possibility that the story could put her in line for a Pulitzer.

"Is this true?" asked Tess, still reading the draft.

Lois spoke first. "Absolutely every word is the cast iron truth."

Tess looked up from the page and directly into Clark's eyes. He couldn't be sure but maybe Tess was trying to determine if there was anything non-human about his appearance. It made him more uncomfortable under her gaze and he began to fidget on the spot. What he did know was that her inquisitive mind would try and connect the dots linking him to Lex. She had already asked him once about whether he was in the Arctic at the time of Lex's disappearance - on the basis of finding a boot print on the ice that matched one on the muddy ground outside the Kent farmhouse - and she had a fascination with Kryptonian crystals that had caused him a few problems in the last few months.

"I must admit, Clark," said Tess, still staring at him, "that I always thought there was something different about you. I could never tell what it was, but now I know. When you pulled me out of that bus…"

She trailed off, not sure how to finish that thought. Lois furrowed her brow at the mention of the bus. Clark had never mentioned anything about rescuing Tess from the bus explosion, and clearly Tess had gone to great lengths to hide knowledge of it from everybody. Lois wondered what Tess would be doing riding the bus to work when she had a driver courtesy of LuthorCorp. Right now though, it was less about Tess' history with Clark and more about making sure her story got published.

Tess realised that the whole thing had come about very suddenly. Just as Lois had done, she surmised that there had to be a reason why Clark would out himself not only as the city's anonymous hero, but as an alien from another planet. That was a detail he could so easily have continued to keep a secret. The idea of Clark being blackmailed seemed as obvious a reason as any, and perhaps the knowledge of his otherworldly origins were a big part of that blackmail. Considering he usually kept himself to himself, this interview represented a complete 180. But why?

"Why have you suddenly decided to come out of the closet? After all, it's not like you to be so open about yourself."

Lois was going to interject but Clark held his arm out, stopping Lois as she took a step forward. She backed down, knowing it was his moment to explain.

"Linda Lake somehow found out that I uh…wasn't from around here, and she wanted the inside scoop on all the Red-Blue Blur's activities or else she was going to go public with her version of events."

"And that would be...?"

"That I am the first wave of a hostile alien invasion." He could scarcely believe he was uttering the insinuation but he knew he needed to make it clear that Linda's version of events was far from the truth. "Let me be clear that I am absolutely not. My father sent me to Earth not just to save me, but to help protect mankind, not to destroy it. I've always tried to do the right thing, and I will continue to do so."

"I see," said Tess, putting the draft down on her desk and getting up to walk around it and sit down in her chair. She looked like a chess player considering their next move. Before she'd formulated a thought, Lois cut in.

"Tess, you need to run this story. You know it would do wonders for the paper's circulation but we need to make sure the story that gets put out there is the one in Clark's own words. Not some twisted fantasy angle from Cruella de Spill. Clark's story doesn't belong in the kitty litter pages."

Lois had blurted that last point out off-the-cuff. Somehow, at that moment she had remembered what the now-deceased Senator Burke had said to her about the Inquisitor when she'd cornered him over dodgy deals that had made him a lot of money. He had questioned her credibility as a journalist and made derogatory comments about the publication she was working for. Lois felt his insult was best directed at Linda Lake's scandal-hungry visage.

Tess smiled inwardly at Lois' scathing put-downs about Linda Lake. As much as she disliked Lois for her belligerence and effortless ability to be a real pain in the ass, Tess couldn't stand Linda and her whirlwind of crap. Then again, Linda's gossip column was immensely popular. There were dozens of gossip pages out there, in print and online, and also television and radio shows dedicated to celebrity harassment. Unlike most of those, Linda's stories were always on the money, earning her a reputation for being extremely well connected. Like it or not, Linda helped sell papers and that was worth its weight in gold in an industry that was struggling. Print media was dying a slow death.

"As unusual as it might be for us to see eye-to-eye," Tess began addressing Lois, "on this occasion, I fully agree."

She then swivelled her eyes to bore into Clark. "You realise that if I run this, there's going to be a media scrum. Every media outlet is going to descend on the Daily Planet and maybe even your house. Everyone is going to want a piece of you."

"I realise that," Clark affirmed. "This is something I have thought about long before Linda Lake came along with her wild ideas. I know it doesn't just affect me, but also those I'm closest to."

It was very much blink and you'll miss it, but Clark had subconsciously stolen a glance at Lois standing beside him. It remained to be seen how this story would affect his partnership with her. It also remained to be seen how it would affect their relationship going forward. It had slowly been gaining some traction before being shunted off the rails at Chloe's wedding. They had so much to discuss yet he had no idea how to approach such a sensitive subject, and he still believed that Lois would not welcome such a discussion. He would just have to see what happens once he went public.

"OK then," said Tess. "I'll agree to run it."

"Great!" smiled Lois, patting Clark on the arm in her excitement.

"There is one other thing I'd like to add," said Clark, catching Tess' attention once more.

Lois turned to him confused. She thought he'd told her everything already. Was there another earth-shattering revelation? Clark super-sped out of the office and was back in a flash, holding the file from his desk drawer. He took out a piece of paper - the personal letter he had written. He knew there would be hundreds of questions for him and those around him, and he felt this letter would answer quite a number of them without constantly putting him in the public eye. The only way the two women in the office knew he'd left and returned once more was because of the little gust of wind that sent some of the paperwork on Tess' desk fluttering. Lois rolled her eyes and couldn't hide the grin on her face once she saw how Tess had realised what Clark had just done. Proof enough that the mild-mannered reporter with a penchant for red jackets and blue jeans was indeed the city's Red-Blue Blur. Tess was standing open-mouthed.

Clark handed Tess the piece of paper. "It's a letter to the people of Metropolis, in my own words to remove any doubt. I want you to print it alongside the article, Tess."

Tess began to pore over the prose, her eyes swaying from left to right as she herself remained rigidly still. Whatever Clark had written was clearly important. After a minute or so, Lois held out her hand and asked to read the letter. Tess handed it to her.

Dear citizens of Metropolis,

By now you will have learned of my identity as the Red-Blue Blur. I am writing this because I believe it's important that now you know who I am, you should also know how I feel about so many things that have happened in the past, and about what I hope for in the future. Maybe I want to absolve myself of some of the guilt I've been carrying around for all these years. Maybe it is just catharsis stemming from being able to stand out in the open and finally declare that "This is what I am." Either way, I believe you deserve an explanation.

First of all, I want to apologise and say I'm sorry to all those people I know and have known in the past, that never knew who or what I really was because my parents and I kept my secret so well guarded. It was never a matter of trust - more that knowing about me could put people in danger. There were and still are too many people who would use what they've learned for their own ends, no matter the cost. I never wanted that for anybody but because I couldn't be truly open with people, it left a few with the impression that I was a 'closed book' or that I didn't care enough. The exact opposite is true - I care very much, and that's because I have been brought up to see the good in people. I have valued and still value my friendships past and present, so I hope those people who are only now learning about me will see that I had good reasons for not sharing this part of myself with them. Others believed I was hiding something and went to great lengths to find out what it was, putting lives in danger. There have been many times when I just wanted everyone to know, and there have been many times when I've wished I could just be a normal human being living a normal life.

I have been brought up with human values, allowing me to embrace and express human emotions. Some of the strongest are sorrow and regret. Sorrow for the many lives lost in the wake of my arrival in Smallville in 1989, and sorrow that subsequent events such as the second meteor shower and Dark Thursday - being directly related to though not involving me - led to more chaos and destruction and more lives ruined. My regret is that I was unable to do anything to stop the devastating impact of these events.

Taking on the role of the Red-Blue Blur wasn't a conscious decision, it just sort of fell into my lap. Even the name was coined by the media. I was at a crossroads in my life personally and professionally, but wanting to be there to help people had never changed. With so many people in Metropolis, I guess some day it was bound to get noticed. As an observer and with my everyday persona, I have seen people be awed, have their curiosity aroused and then be inspired to stand for truth and justice even though they could never put a face to this anonymous blur.

People do not need an anonymous hero to provide a positive force for good. I have learned over the years that humans have something within themselves and collectively that makes it possible for them to exact this positive change. That something is HOPE. As long as we all strive to make a positive change and don't allow fear to dictate our thoughts and deeds, it is possible for it to come about and make all our lives better.

I appreciate that people have embraced my Red-Blue Blur persona as a force for good in the city, and I don't take that responsibility lightly. However, I do not wish to be seen as some sort of God-like figure to be worshipped, nor am I after celebrity status. I just wish to be an ordinary guy blessed with a gift to do extraordinary things. I want my actions to inspire others to do what's right, all the while adhering to the law of the land. A good friend recently told me that the people of Metropolis go about their lives praying for a miracle to ease their fears and give them hope that things will change for the better. I do not claim to be a miracle but if I am providing hope in some way, I am happy to embrace that. Above all, I long to be accepted as I am, not be changed into what others might wish me to be.

Difficult though it might be (and maybe it's a bit of wishful thinking on my part), I would prefer it if people respected my right to privacy as well as that of the people around me. My decision to go public affects them just as it does me, and I don't want them to have to deal with the added scrutiny in their lives. They must be allowed to live their lives without everything revolving around me.

I may be from another planet but I have always been one of you. I share the same hopes and harbour the same worries as the rest of you. That's because Clark Kent is who I am, and the Red-Blue Blur is what I am. The distinction is important.

Thank you for reading this, and best wishes to you all. Together, we can be a real force for good.

Clark Kent (The Red-Blue Blur).

Lois finished reading and blinked away the tears that had begun to form, startled by the frankly astonishing openness in his words. As formal as the presentation was, she could feel that Clark was pouring his heart out too. It was telling that Clark wanted above all to be considered normal. He had said much the same to her in the interview but for him to repeat it really made it clear to her how much he valued being treated as an equal, and not some higher power. Something else stood out for Lois, and it made her think that her initial feelings earlier in the supply room were just another case of Lois jumping the gun. Clark had verbalised the suspicions she'd had about him back at the house.

With all the other men in her life whom she'd allowed herself to get close to, they all felt they had an important purpose in life, and embracing that purpose meant they chose to focus more on what they were going to do than the people they were with. Her father more or less neglected his fatherly duties in raising Lois and Lucy, putting his role as an army General first. Likewise, childhood friend Wes Keenan was so completely focussed on joining the military as a teenager that he had little interest in chasing girls like the rest of his peers. As an environmental activist with a particular interest in the well-being of marine life, Arthur Curry was the type who would just take off to wherever he felt he needed to be, unable to commit to anything long-term with anybody. Oliver Queen was a jet-setting playboy billionaire in charge of a multinational corporation by day, and the hooded vigilante Green Arrow by night. He had openly admitted that he could offer little more than weekends to any relationship with her. These men all had noble causes, but ones they couldn't really share with her.

Clark 'cause', such as it was, was no less noble. In fact, his calling was greater perhaps than all the others combined. However, unlike the others, he was a hero who wanted to feel normal and to remain close to the people he cared most about. The others were normal people who wanted to be the hero. It was different. He was different.

"I think we can run both the story and the letter. Looks like you'll be making the front page after all, Lois," said Tess.

Lois heaved a sigh of relief as Clark's shoulders relaxed. The first bit was done as they'd successfully managed to convince Tess. She knew it was a newsworthy story. The next part would be dealing with the unknown - what happens when the secret is out.

Tess picked up her phone and placed a call to Human Resources requesting copies of Clark's photos. From his online profile page, there was one with him wearing a blue t-shirt beneath his red jacket. What better way to depict Clark Kent as the Red-Blue Blur? Then she buzzed her assistant into the office. Moments later, the assistant entered.

"Put a memo out to all staff not to discuss their fellow employees with any members of the press. They won't know until tomorrow why that is necessary, but I don't want my staff to be wasting their time feeding the rumour mill. We have a paper to run."

"Right away, Miss Mercer. Should I say anything about what happens if anyone fails to comply?"

Tess' face hardened into what Lois thought was her 'business smile'. "Yes, if reporters want to keep their job, they will keep their mouth shut. That'll be all."

The assistant nodded and left the office. Clark and Lois both stared at the closed door, then at one another before turning back round to Tess. She knew they were seeking an explanation so she put forth her reasoning.

"Tomorrow morning, I'm pretty sure the national media will be descending on the building. They'll be looking for quotes from anybody and everybody who knows you, Clark. They will certainly try to get a few words from you Lois. I think it's best to maintain radio silence in the immediate aftermath."

Both Clark and Lois recognised this as Tess attempting to control the impact of the story on the very newspaper that was printing the exclusive. It was a prudent move.

"Lois, I'll need you to come in as normal tomorrow. Don't worry about being a few minutes late." Lois raised an eyebrow. "I can be an understanding boss."

"Does that-?" Clark started to ask before Tess interjected to answer it for him.

"Clark, you'll take the day off, fully paid of course. If you're here, it will be difficult to keep the press at bay, and I think all the other staff will want their picture taken with you. Like I said before, I have a paper to run and we can't afford to have reporters not doing their jobs."

After super-speeding their way back to Smallville, Clark stopped in the alley behind the Talon. There were puddles of water everywhere despite the rain having long since eased. He followed Lois into the building and they made their way upstairs into the apartment. There was no dizziness on her part because she had quickly got used to travelling at such an unnatural speed.

She popped her keys on the table beside the door and headed into the kitchen to put on a pot of water for coffee. Turning around, she saw Clark looking pensive.

"Big day huh?" he tried to play off his apprehension.

"I'll say. Hell of a story to come back to after Star City," she replied, trying to sound as casual as he'd been.

Clark stared at her. A million and one thoughts were going through his mind, and most of those were about what happened at the wedding. It was a complicated conversation given how he and Lana had tried once more to rekindle their relationship, and maybe now was not the best time to raise the topic. There was such a thing as information overload. He could tell Lois was tired now. Aware that she was staring back at him, he detected the sense of pride in her eyes.

"Clark?" "Lois?" they both spoke in unison. Both smiled and Lois gestured with her hand for him to speak first.

"Lois, I just wanted to say thank you for listening to what I had to say. I wasn't sure how you'd take it. I was hoping you'd be OK with it but you've been more than OK with it. You've been amazing and I couldn't have asked for a better friend than you, and I'm so glad I told you now. I know I can trust you, and I know I can count on your support whatever happens now."

"Of course you can!" Lois replied with a teasing air of nonchalance that made Clark instinctively roll his eyes.

Lois' confident air was betrayed by the onset of tiredness as a yawn escaped her lips - the early start and jet lag having finally caught up with her. She was inwardly relieved as that thing nagging away at the back of her mind - what happened at the wedding - was not something she was comfortable with discussing right now, if ever. Clark took the hint.

"Well, I guess I'll head back."

"What are you going to do tomorrow?"

"I don't know. I'll probably wake up as usual to do my chores, and I'm hoping I get a chance to speak to Chloe. She's been tied up at Isis today, and tomorrow Jimmy is being transferred to Met Gen."

Lois chuckled at the mention of chores. Clark was nothing if not grounded. "It's so new to me that I forgot about some of the things you normally do. That reminds me, I'll have to come up with a new name for you. Clark doesn't sound like a superhero's name, the Red-Blue Blur is a mouthful, and somehow Smallville doesn't cut it anymore. Any suggestions, Mr Kent?"

"If there's a name out there, I am sure you'll find it, Miss Lane!"

Lois smiled brightly, which automatically made Clark respond in kind. Both had really missed the easy banter.

"Well, I've an early start tomorrow by the looks of things, so it's coffee, some Chunky Monkey and an early night for me to shake off this jet lag."

Clark nodded and headed to the door, opening it. Just before he stepped out, Lois called out to him.

"Clark?"

He turned around in time to see Lois walk over to him and wrap her arms around him in a big hug. Her head rested against his chest and he could smell the faint notes of cinnamon from her shampoo. After a few seconds, she released him and looked up at him.

"Thank you."

"For what, Lois?"

She smiled. "For everything. For all those times you've helped me when I never knew it. For always putting other people's needs before your own. For trusting me enough to tell me your secret. For allowing me to share it with the world. But most of all, for just being Smallville."

He smiled back in acknowledgment. It wasn't every day that Lois spoke without hiding behind her carefully-crafted façade. He could not have hoped for Lois to take his revelation any better than she had. Behind all the banter and the bravado, he'd discovered that Lois had a side to her that he found incredibly appealing. Behind the rough edges, there was a softness where her real personality lay, and he believed it fit her extremely well. She was utterly unique and he was genuinely glad he'd divulged his secret to her. If ever there was a possibility of something more between them, she deserved to know the truth about him.

"You're welcome Lois."

"Just know that whatever happens from now on, I will always be firmly in your corner Smallville."

"You're sticking with Smallville I see."

"Give me some time to figure it out."

"Don't," Clark said with a note of insistence.

"Huh?"

"Don't change it. It used to bug me a lot when you called me that but I've gotten used to it. You don't realise but it's the little things like that which make me feel normal, like I belong here."

"OK."

"OK. Well, I'll see ya then, Lois." Clark stepped out of the door, heading back downstairs. He stopped at the bottom to get one last look at Lois who was leaning against her doorway, framed by the light coming from the apartment, before he headed on out.

"Yeah, see ya," whispered Lois to the spot at the bottom of the stairs.

They now had tomorrow to look forward to.