Chapter 19

The USO dance had ended and the two couples were standing on the top steps outside of the ballroom. Lois was holding onto Clark's hand and leaning her head on his shoulder. Jack fished out a valet ticket out of his pants' pocket. "Oliver needs his limo back?" Lois asked him, noticing the ticket in his hand.

"Nope, the limo is on loan for the weekend. Jack and I are headed back to the Watchtower. Watching him tell off Lana like that made me interested in some one on one time with my dashing Captain," Chloe explained. Lois knew exactly what Chloe was thinking. She had witnessed something of a miracle herself when Clark had told of Lana. That incident had triggered some non-chaste thoughts in her as well.

Clark eventually caught on about the limo as it pulled up in front. "So what you're saying is that I have to put up with her all the way back to Smallville by myself?" he asked. Clark winked at Lois.

"You two wouldn't do that to us would you?" Lois asked Jack and Chloe with a grin. She scrunched up her shoulders, "I might get farm cooties or contract a virus that makes me type really slow or something." Chloe noticed that they were still holding hands. After a small pause Lois said, "I don' think they're buying it, Smallville."

"Me either," Clark agreed, "Oh well. I guess that means I can get away with this then." He wrapped his arms around Lois and gave her a long kiss. They broke off their kiss to the applause of people walking by and a photo flash. The man with the camera ran over and began talking.

"Sorry folks, normally I ask permission before I take photos of people kissing. I'm not some sleazy photographer from the Inquisitor; in fact I work for the Daily Planet. I just couldn't help myself. You two looked like something out of a D-Day parade," the photographer said.

"Hey, Craig," Lois and Clark said in unison.

The photographer did a double take. "Lois Lane? I….wow…wow…you look great. Sorry I didn't recognize you. I guess the dress sort of took my eyes off of your face," he said with an embarrassed shrug. "And look at you Clark. I would never think of Clark Kent in anything other than a business suit or his flannels, especially not a uniform." The photographer thought for a moment. "Normally I would ask for a release to be signed, but you guys work for the Planet so I don't have to; but since it's you guys I'll ask. Do you mind I ask Tess to print this in the Social column?"

Lois could just imagine Lana's reaction. "You have our permission," she said.

"Thanks. I'll see you guys on Monday," the photographer said as he packed his camera up and walked away.

"Now off with you two," Jack said as he ushered Lois and Clark towards the limo. When they were walking towards it on their own, he turned around and walked back to Chloe. Jack yelled down to Clark while giving him something resembling a salute, "Hey Cark, don't do anything I wouldn't."

Lois looked at Clark as he helped her into the limo. She looked like she was trying to figure out a puzzle in her head. "What exactly would Jack not do?" she asked him.

Clark sat down next to her and shook his head, "I think there are some things we are best left not knowing."

"I get your point, Smallville. Kind of like whether or not Lex is a boxer or briefs guy,' Lois joked. She cuddled up next to him. The privacy screen was up and they were unable to see the driver. Lois pressed the intercom button and said, "Take us to Smallville, please. The Talon coffee house on Main Street." She looked at Clark with a shy grin and said in a low voice, "Since your mom is at the farm, I guess we should head to my place."

Excitement and panic warred in Clark's head at the prospect of going back to Lois' place when a familiar voice came over the intercom, "Will do, Miss Lane. I am supposed to tell you Mr. Kent that you are to sit back and let us take care of everything this weekend, compliments of Mr. Queen and Captain Harkness." Clark used his x-ray vision to look through the privacy screen and saw the unmistakable melding of human and mechanical skeleton of his friend Victor. Victor must have guessed what Clark would do, because he had one hand on the wheel and the other was giving him a thumbs up sign. "One other thing, Captain Harkness left something in the bar he said was for emergency purposes only. He said you would understand, Mr. Kent," Victor said.

Lois looked at Clark quizzically and opened up the mini-bar in the limo. It didn't take long to figure out what was out of place. Lois picked up a softly glowing bottle of violet colored liquid. The markings on the label as well as the note attached to it were in what Lois assumed to be an alien language. The only thing she could make out was the signature on the bottom of the note, "With Love, Captain Jack Harkness" it read. She handed the bottle to Clark, asking "Do you have any clue as to what this is, because I'm sure as hell am not drinking anything that glows on its own."

Clark looked at the bottle in amazement. The label and note were all written in Kryptonian. If he understood the date on the bottle correctly, it was from prior to the fall of his home planet. He rolled it over in his hand and couldn't help but laugh. He knew Lois would ask, but God help him, he had to laugh. The huge symbol on the front was the Kryptonian symbol for the Phantom Zone. Below that were symbols that could be translated as roughly "from Jack-Jor bottling".

Lois took the bottle away from him. "I think maybe you've had a too much already. We can look at the pretty bottle later. Right now I'm more interested in you, Smallville," Lois purred. She put the bottle back in the bar and pressed Clark back into the seat. Lois ran her hand through Clark's black hair and leaned forward to kiss him. Clark eagerly returned the kiss. They continued like this for most of the way to Smallville. Things went well until Lois unbuttoned his uniform jacket and ran her hands down the front of his shirt.

Lois started to tug his shirt out of his pants when Clark reached down and stopped her hands and said, "Wait."

Lois took a deep breath and then looked over her shoulder at the privacy screen. She gave him a naughty grin, "It's called a privacy screen for a reason, Smallville. We can unplug the intercom too in case you're worried that he might be listening in."

"Huh?" Clark said. "Oh no, it's not that. Well, ok, maybe part of it's that. I don't want our first time to be I the back of one of my friend's cars; no matter how nice it is. No, you see there is something I need to talk to you about before we go any further."

Clark had been rehearsing this speech over and over again in preparation for this very moment. As usual Lois Lane threw him a curve ball. "Did Lana give you herpes?" Lois asked with concern. Clark had tried to anticipate all the questions Lois might ask him; this was not one of them.

"What? No…no…nothing like that," Clark stammered.

Lois couldn't resist playing with her man before letting him off the hook. "Considering how we were kissing just a minute ago, I'm pretty sure you're not gay. Has Jack talked you into swinging both ways?" she asked. Clark couldn't even respond to that one other than opening and closing his mouth a couple of times. She punched him in the arm, laughing. "I know, you're the Blur," Lois giggled. She watched as the color drained from Clark's face. She realized what Clark was finally trying to tell her and she gently put her hand on Clark's cheek. "I know you're the Blur," she said softly.

"For how long?" Clark whispered.

Lois gave him a sympathetic smile. She brushed the hair on his forehead to the side. "I've suspected for awhile. I mean come on, Smallville, Lois Lane here – top reporter in the state. Too many coincidences, too many freaks out to kick your ass…too many times that you have saved my life when it wasn't possible for a normal person to do it," she said.

A tear glinted in Clark's eye. "I've wanted to tell you for so long, Lois, but I was afraid. I was afraid you wouldn't accept me or want me anymore. You see there is more to it than just being the blur," Clark said. Lois looked at him patiently as he took a deep breath. Lois put a finger on lips to silence him.

"You're an alien. You look like us, but you're not from this planet. Am I right?" Lois asked. Clark was awestruck. He forced himself to breathe and calm down. He should have guessed that the woman he loved would have put the pieces together. Lois watched Clark's expressions and knew she had hit the nail on the head. "I had already figured out the Blur part and then Jack showed up. Don't get me wrong, Smallville, I love him. He is a wonderful friend and I can't imagine not having him in our lives, but he is an immortal and the ex-leader of a group that specializes in dealing with aliens. I didn't think him showing up in Smallville, Kansas was just for fun," Lois explained. "So are you and Jack both aliens?" she asked.

"That depends on your definition of alien, I guess," Clark said numbly. "We were both born on planets other than earth, but technically, Jack is human." Clark was operating on auto-pilot.

Lois saw the shock in Clark's face and knew she needed to comfort her man. He may not be human, but he was her man. "As you know, Smallville, I've seen you in all of your naked glory and from what I remember, you have all the parts that a human male does, if in somewhat larger proportions," Lois said. She managed to get Clark to chuckle. "Clark Kent, I don't give a rat's ass what planet you're from. You are mine, Smallville and I'm never letting go of you," Lois said. Clark wrapped his arms around her and held her in a tight embrace. He buried his face in her neck and she felt warm tears along with his silent sobs of relief. Lois gently lifted his chin and passionately kissed him.

They felt the limo slow down and come to a stop. Lois gave Clark her best bedroom eyes and asked him, "Do I need to ask you up?" Lois felt a breeze and suddenly she was inside her apartment. Clark was holding her in his arms. He let her down. "I sort of planned ahead and set up some candles. Let me go find some matches real quick," Lois said. Clark grinned and then slowly turned around, lighting several candles with his heat-vision. "It is going to be so useful having you as a boyfriend," Lois teased.