Lois woke up to a sea of white swimming beneath her, only vaguely aware that she was the one moving over it rather than it sifting past her. She felt a warm chest, and heard a steady beating heart beside her cheek and looked up to see Clark holding her in his arms, concentrating on the path ahead. She couldn't quite comprehend anything – the ground was moving impossibly quickly below her, what looked like polar icecaps sped past her in the blink of an eye, she had no idea where she was or where they were going, and Clark – Smallville, of all people – was making this happen.

Noticing her awake, Clark glanced down for a moment and smiled at her. "We're nearly there."

"Nearly wh –" Lois started, but the whole world stopped in front of her. They were still, but she still felt like everything was going a million miles an hour, her head spun in circles as Clark put her down. She was still spinning, she rested her hand on her head and felt weak. Clark lead her over to a mound of ice, but when she sat on it, the cold didn't even touch her.

"It might take a minute to catch up with you, I rarely travel so fast for so long with people." Clark said, as he helped her sit as gently as he could. He couldn't believe this was happening, to tell Lois and to take her to the Fortress was more than he ever thought he could give to her, but here he was, and there she was.

"Quite a set of wheels you've got Smallville, I'll be ok in a second." Lois smiled to herself. Calling him Smallville now seemed insulting, it didn't fit. "Oh I'm sorry, should I not call you that now? I mean, I probably shouldn't have before, but now –" Clark looked at her while she made her nervous ramble, and it wasn't long before she realised who she was talking to and gave an embarrassed half smile before closing her mouth. "This is gonna be wierd isn't it?"

Clark stared at her, "It's still me, Lois. I'm still Clark."

She stood up, trying to catch your breath. "But you're not just Clark, you're the Blur...and I've been acting like... The things I say to you and to him are not the same. You're two different people in my head." Clark stood up slowly, unsure of what to say, and Lois looked uncomfortable to have said so much. Clark had to admit that the temporary halt of insults and belittling was different, but they would adjust. Lois turned around, actually taking in her surroundings for the first time since being there. Icicles of diamonds surrounded her in every corner of her eyes, the air was cold and although she could see the vapour off her breath, she had yet to witness any from Clark. "What is this place?" She asked in awe.

Clark smiled, "I guess you could say this is my home away from Smallville. It's called the Fortress of Solitude."

Lois gave him a grin. "Nice name, come with a slogan?" Clark smiled, and breathed a sigh of relief. This was still Lois, still the woman he'd chosen to tell, still the woman he knew he had to tell. "But seriously Clark, how did you build this?"

"I didn't." Clark shrugged, "It just kind of... formed. A few times actually."

Lois spun around, staring in disbelief. "But how... I mean this is superhuman Clark, no one could have designed this."

Clark darted his eyes away and turned his back on her for a second, unsure of his next move. Lois looked at him, worried she had said something to upset him. You've shown her this much, Clark thought. "Lois, the powers, the Fortress... it's not all." He inhaled deeply, and turned back to face her. "I'm not from here. I'm from a planet named Krypton. I was sent here as a child by my biological parents and was raised by the Kents."

He braced himself for impact, for the million questions the Lois Lane he knew would immediately ask; alternatively, he prepared himself for a fainting, as slim the chances of that were. Instead, Lois, unable to turn her eyes from him walked over to him, looked up into his eyes and placed her hand on his face, smiling as she did it. "Feels like the same Smallville to me."

He exhaled, a little too forcefully as she blinked and stepped back half a step. "Oh sorry," He grinned. "You've always kept me on edge, I guess I just wasn't sure if you'd accept me."

"Clark – and as embarrassing as this is to admit because although I shall always claim that I totally knew you were the Blur when I had no idea – what I said on the elevator... I meant it. You can't chase me away. I'm in it for the long haul Smallville." She placed her arms round his neck as his slid around her waist.

"Really?" He smiled. "And what would you define 'long haul' as, Lois?"

"Well, basically, you fly me to the moon and I won't write the story." She grinned. "Now that's commitment."

He laughed. "I hate to disappoint you Lois, but I can't fly yet."

"But earlier...?" Lois blinked in confusion.

"Man's best high jump I'm afraid. We pretty much ran here." Clark revealed.

"Very cool Smallville. Speaking of, aren't you freezing?" Lois suppressed a shiver; if he wasn't going to admit the cold then neither was she.

"Oh." Clark removed his blue jacket and put it around her, giving her skin a warm glow if only for a few seconds and leaving Clark in nothing but a t-shirt. "It doesn't really affect me."

"Right, me neither." She grinned as that suppressed shudder exploded from her.

"We can leave if –" Clark pulled away.

"No." She immediately cut in, smiling. "It took me years for you to get me here Smallville, don't think you can take it all away now." She took him by the hand and led him to a mound where they could both sit, just for a little while; when a thought struck her. "Does anyone else know? About you? And the Blur?"

"Well I think most of the city is aware of the Blur's existence, Lois." He quipped. Suddenly she noticed how different Clark was when he wasn't trying to hide from her. In real life, he was a lot smarter than she gave him credit for, witty, confident... she realised it must have been lonely having to hide so many sides of himself. "But Chloe knows, she found out in high school. And Lana, but that was more recent. And Lex found out at the end." He added the last one remorsefully; for all their differences, Lois knew Clark was the type of man to regret any loss, no matter who it was. She wished she could be as forgiving as him.

"Oh." Lois nodded, unable to determine if she was insulted that so many knew before her and she had been the ignorant one; she hated being the ignorant one. "Wow, that's quite a few people."

"Lois," He tucked his finger under her chin, bringing it up to look him in the eye. "You're the only one I've ever told voluntarily; the others found out or deducted and I was cornered. I wanted to tell you, that's the difference."

Lois smiled, she felt safe with him; she knew Clark wouldn't hurt her and what he just told her made her love him even more than the superhero he was underneath. "Clark, I... thank you."

He smiled, almost comically. "For what?"

"For being honest with me, I know what that must have taken. I know what it's like to build a fence..." Lois smiled away her thoughts onto brighter topics. "Besides, had you given me a few seconds to process I would have figured out the Blur was you. I mean, it's so obvious."

Clark smiled. "Fools everyone else, but I should have known it would have never got past Lois Lane." She smiled at him. "Lois, can I ask you a question?"

She took in a breath, "Of course you can."

"Are you still going to Iraq?" He paused for a second and she smiled at him, realising he must already know the answer. "Because if you get yourself into that much trouble in Metropolis I don't think I could get anything done if I had to get to Iraq at least four times a day."

She grinned and playfully punched him in the arm, and he let out a laugh. "Hey, I take care of myself just fine thank you Smallville."

"Oh really? The car crash, the fire, the elevator – and that's just this last week." Clark gave a lopsided grin; he knew she could take care of herself most days, she was the most capable and resourceful woman he'd ever met and that thrilled him.

"Oh right, I forgot you knew about those..." She looked him in the eye. "It's weird, it's like I'm talking to you, Clark, the man I've known for years, but then I'm also talking to the Blur... at the same time."

Clark looked down uncertainly. "Weird in a good way?"

"Well nothing's gonna be quite the same." She replied honestly, and saw his face fall. "But Clark? That's not always a bad thing. In fact, I think this could be good for us."

"Yeah?" He laughed.

"Sure. Lois and Clark: the new adventures." She grinned.

"Lois first?" He joked, "Aren't you the sidekick?"

She cracked a smile. "In your dreams, Smallville. If you thought working with me was bad, being with me is a whole other ball game."

"I can't wait." He smiled and leaned in closer, pulling her head gently towards his and pressing his lips against hers. Lois smiled as he kissed her, basking in this new Clark, this confident, strong superhero man she now had in her life and thanked whatever God there was that brought him to her.

Hey!

Are we happy? Any suggestions - thanks to those who reviewed the last few chapters. I've put some links with the movies and the dean cain series throughout the last few chapters, I hope you caught/ liked them - I know the one here is obvious, but someone had to do it =)

Thanks,

Feral X