A/N: Again, many thanks to the wonderful posters who continue to support me in this story. This chapter is a behemoth! I think it's the longest single chapter I've ever written. Lots to get across!
Now, I'm not American and American civics sometimes sends my brain into a tailspin, so I did my best. Hopefully there aren't any glaring errors or misrepresentations when it comes to the legislative process in this chapter.
As some have noticed and already have commented on, this isn't a seamless story. I've modeled the fic in such a way that we are seeing snapshots of Clois as Lois moves toward discovering Superman. It's my own version of pre-Superman, I guess. As such, I am setting up some villains and some relationships that will be seen in the Superman era.
Anyway, please enjoy and continue to leave feedback. I read them all and love them so very, very much!
.::Rule 4: Do whatever it takes to get the story::.
PLANET'S LOIS LANE ROCKS CITIZEN'S ASSEMBLY WITH SPEECH ON PROPOSED LEGISLATION
By Ron Troupe
The Kansas state government has been debating an initiative that will ban all meteor powers throughout the state. All persons will be required to carry government issued identification that could be requested by an authorized official at any time. Under the proposed legislation all citizens would be required to attend mandatory testing for non-human powers. Any person who is discovered to be meta-human, meteor-infected or otherwise must register in a national database. If they are caught using their powers, the government will authorize officials to arrest and detain, wherein the individual will have their power forcibly removed from them. This has created much debate in Congress as many see it as an infringement of civil liberties.
Under District Attorney Ray Sacks, a Citizen's Assembly was called to debate the issue. Upon conclusion they would be asked to vote on the legislation. If the Citizen's Assembly were to agree to the terms, it would be only be a matter of time before the state government were to pass it. As it is an election year, many in Congress are seeking to please the population and are expected to vote according to the results of the decision made by the Citizen's Assembly.
The Daily Planet's Lois Lane had been offered an opportunity to speak but was unexpectedly detained. Expected to forgo the meeting due to her incarceration at the Metropolis Police Department, Lane was released after D.A. Sacks was reminded that he was infringing on her constitutional rights by Gotham A.D.A Rachel Dawes.
Despite the hitch, Lane appeared at the Assembly and did not hold back in her speech. Her agenda was clear: the legislation would be unacceptable.
"To punish those who try to make this city stand up for what is right, what is good and what is just, is ridiculous. We need to return to the values that this city was built on," declared Lane to the packed room. "To blame people like the Blur—people who work tirelessly to save your husbands, wives, children, friends —is unfair."
Lane went on to recount the heroism that she's experienced in her interactions with the meteor-infected and most especially with the Blur. She adamantly expressed the need to encourage heroic behaviour and eliminate the criminal element within Metropolis. The legislation, she contends, will only succeed in encouraging illegal behaviour and will make the city unsafe for all.
As for the very public battle between Lane and Sacks over the potential passing of the bill, Lane referred to the oft-discredited District Attorney as a McCarthy era witch-hunter. This biting, but truthful, comparison was followed by Lane accusing Sacks of supporting the anti-Blur smear campaign that has run throughout recent issues of the Metropolis Inquisitor.
She finished her speech with an emotional plea, begging the Assembly to consider the Blur's perspective. "If you really knew him, really understood what the Blur stands for, you would see the hope that he has for us. For all of us," she said with confidence. "If he didn't have that hope in his heart he wouldn't seek out justice, wouldn't want for love to be shared among us, wouldn't see the opportunities for greatness in us all. The Blur is hope. The Blur is justice. The Blur is Metropolis."
Furthering her agenda, Lane questioned: "How can we sit back and let the government that represents us take what inspires us away? We need to stand up for what is right. Stand up against this ridiculous legislation. A legislation that wants to take away the very thing that has given us something to believe in. We can not, should not and must not allow Congress to pass this law. I ask you stand up with me and show the Blur- show our heroes- that we want to protect them just as they protect us."
The results of the Citizen's Assembly votes are expected to be released tomorrow. Pundits, however, confidently speculate that Lane's goal was achieved. It is expected that the proposed Disabled Powers Legislation will be dismissed by both the Citizen's Assembly and later by Congress.
...:::...
Randall had caught her three times; the intern in the corner twice and Jason once. Six times she'd been caught staring into space, conveniently in the direction of Clark's desk. Ever since their date at the Wayne Foundation Party last week, Lois had been a complete mess. Thankfully, no one had yet made the connection between her current state of distraction and her oft missing partner.
Even the most menial tasks had become difficult as she could barely focus. Yesterday Randall had given her page after page of copy to edit and she'd accidentally thrown the finished pile into the shredder. That morning she'd poured twelve spoonfuls of coffee grains into the coffee maker and from her desk she watched in horror as several Planet employees cringed in disgust at the thick tar-like substance she'd created.
Her breakfast each morning sat untouched; her stomach churning at the very thought of eating a slice of whole grain toast and jam. Her nails were practically nubs on her fingers, chewed and torn from impatience. It was a miracle she even remembered her name when she answered the phone. How was she expected to write her speech for the Citizen's Assembly if she couldn't even focus for five minutes?
As she transferred a call to the advertising department, Lois knew this was her chance to sneak another incognito look Clark's way.
What is your problem? She thought to herself, directing her internal question toward Clark. His tongue poked from the corner of his mouth, focused on whatever story he was writing.
With each passing day she increasingly became frustrated. After their date and the subsequent make-out session that took place on her couch, she'd been convinced they were on the same page when it came to their feelings for each other. But for whatever reason he hadn't called her and had barely even spoken to her since that night. Sure, there were smiles and polite conversation. He would often come to her desk and ask her to read over an article or two, but there'd been no mention of their date or what had transpired at her apartment that night.
Initially she'd told herself that the modern 20-something male waited three days before calling for a second date. But when the fourth day approached and no phone call came, Lois started to re-evaluate every moment of their date. She wondered if she'd had bad breath, if she'd talked too much or maybe she talked too little…
Her cousin, Chloe had told her to calm down, confident that Clark was simply busy and would certainly ask her out when things had slowed down. Guys were complicated creatures who seemed to operate by their own set of rules, she reminded Lois. They were never to be understood.
But Clark had always seemed to operate by a different set of rules. A set of rules that had been established in the 1950s where boys called the girl they liked right after the date. It was chivalrous and courtly and—
"Earth to Lois?" Clark waved his hand in front of Lois' face.
She blinked to attention. "Yeah?"
"Are you okay?"
"Mmhm," she nodded, slipping a pencil behind her ear and absently running her fingers through her rolodex in an attempt to appear busy.
"Why do you still use that rolodex?" Clark questioned. "I showed you how to store your phone numbers in your Blackberry."
"And how many times have I lost, broken or had my phone stolen from me before? This old thing is durable and reliable." She pulled a card and turned it over in her hand. There was neither rhyme nor reason for her to have pulled it; it was simply a way to convince Clark that she hadn't just been staring in to space thinking about him.
Clark cleared his throat, gathering up enough nerve to continue. "I was going to wait until after work, but I guess now's as good a time as any. Chloe said we should talk… about last week… about what happened."
Lois' heart jumped into her throat, her eyes wide with embarrassment, her face coloured. "What? No!" She hastily declared. She was going to kill her cousin! "There is nothing to talk about. We were both a little tipsy, things got out of hand… I get it. No big deal."
"Tipsy? I wasn't tipsy."
"Whatever, Smallville. I know you drink like a little girl, so clearly you have the tolerance of one. It was no big deal," she repeated. "Nothing happened. Game on the field, right?"
"Right…" Clark replied, hesitantly. "I mean, what?"
Holding the card that she'd randomly pulled from the rolodex, Lois stood and gathered her coat into her arms. "Listen, I've gotta run. Source to meet, story to write… you know how it goes."
Clark stood and began to gather his jacket as well. "Let me come with you…"
"No!" She cried out. "It's fine. The source will only talk to me. No one else," she lied. Looking down at the card she inwardly groaned, Gino's Pizza. Silently, she hoped Clark didn't question where she was headed because even she didn't know.
"We'll talk later Smallville." She pushed past him and headed toward the stairs. "I've got a story to chase."
As Lois disappeared up the stairs, Clark continued to stare after her unsure of what had just happened.
"Kent?" Called out Jason as he passed by, coffee cup held tentatively in his hand.
"Yeah?"
"Whatever is going on with you and Lane: Figure out. If I have to drink another one of these cups of pavement," he held up his cup and turned over its contents into a nearby trash bin. "I'm going to lose it. So whatever it is, fix it."
...:::...
The smell was unbelievable. A dank mixture of sewer, grime and garbage infiltrated Lois' senses. She hated chasing a story in Suicide Slum, but she was bound and determined not to return to the Planet without something to show for her absence.
"Lois Lane? Is that you?" A whispered voice called out from behind a dumpster.
"Eddie?"
Eddie slowly crept in to the light, his eyes darting along the stretch of alleyway. "I was hoping I'd run in to you today. You got any food on ya?"
Digging through her purse Lois produced a small packet. "Tic tac?"
He rolled his eyes. "Geez Lois, usually you have something good in that duffle bag you call a purse. Guy can't catch a break today."
"Sorry. Haven't been feeling very hungry lately. Anything to report?" Eddie was one of her informants in Suicide Slum; he liked his payment made in large quantities of jelly donuts and Pepsi.
"No donuts, no dice. You know the rules," he crossed his arms, indignant.
"Whatever Eddie. You're the one who crept out of the shadows to me. Call me when you got something good and then we'll talk food." Lois stepped back and turned on her heel attempting to call his bluff; it was a game she'd gotten good at playing in the seedy underbelly of Metropolis.
"Okay, okay! You win!" He reached out to stop her. "The feds have been all over this place at night. They've been looking for someone."
"Who?"
"Who do you think?"
"The Blur?"
"You got it." He raised his eyebrows and shot a look down the alley.
"But why?"
"That new legislation. They're looking to make an example of him. Set him up is my guess."
"But how?"
"Not sure. My boys tell me that they're looking to pin him as a vigilante," he shrugged his shoulders. "Something's going to go down tonight. I don't like the feeling around here today."
Lois cocked her head, lips pursed. "The feeling?"
He nodded furiously. "Don't you feel it? It's all kinds of tense around here."
Lois knew he was right, the alley was strangely quiet, even the sewer rats seemed to sense the difference.
"Do you know what they're planning to do?"
Eddie shook his head. "The boys mentioned an icicle."
Lois furrowed her brows. "That's impossible. It's May."
"Listen, don't ask me. I'm just telling you what I heard." He held up his hands in defence and began to slink back in to the shadows. "I've gotta go. You're on your own Lois. Good luck."
She sighed and pulled her phone from her pocket. "Thanks Eddie. Next time donuts are on me."
As Eddie disappeared into the darkness, Lois began to scroll through her received calls. While the Blur had called her on occasion, his number was always protected. It frustrated her to no end that she couldn't easily reach him to warn him.
"Why do you have to be so damn secretive," she said aloud, tucking the phone in to the back pocket of her pants. She needed to stop whatever it was that was going to go down that night and there was only one way to do that.
...:::...
Clark had been paying attention to the police scanners all night. Criminal activity in Metropolis had recently picked up and it was throwing off his ability to live his life incognito at the Daily Planet. Thankfully, Chloe had been able to divert Lois' suspicions for the time being while he worked on getting things in the Blur side of his life under control. Unfortunately, it was starting to look like the Clark Kent side of his life was spiraling out from under him at the same time. Lois hadn't returned his calls since he'd last seen her and it was becoming increasingly apparent that he'd screwed up.
The District Attorney was on a rampage lately. Editorials in the Inquisitor detailed virtually everyday the "irresponsible actions" of the Blur. Public perception was quickly beginning to turn and people were starting to agree with the lies that were being published. Criminals, meta-humans and the meteor-infected were springing up from every corner of the city and Clark found himself speeding across Metropolis in an effort to corral the uprising of discontent.
That night the police scanners were particularly active, pointing him in the direction of Suicide Slum where a hell-bent meta-human was causing damage to the nearby buildings whilst calling for the Blur. What he hadn't expected to find when he'd arrived was Lois crouched behind a dumpster watching the white haired villain take revenge on innocent bags of garbage. Snow and fog clouded what should've been a warm spring night.
"Come out; come out where ever you are!" He cried out, stabbing anything in sight with icicles that appeared from his hands.
From a nearby rooftop Clark's eyes darted between Lois and the iced villain. While Lois continued to remain unseen, Clark was certain that it was only a matter of time before she was spotted.
In a flash, Clark leapt to the ground and sped Lois out of Suicide Slum, depositing her among a collection of gathered police cars and darkened vans.
Returning to his nemesis, he found himself blocking each blast of ice with his heat vision. Occasionally one would slip by and shatter against his chest.
"Stop!" A voice rang out from the darkness. Clark froze in position, his back to the source of the command. The white haired terror laughed maniacally and moved toward Clark, his stride confident and undeterred as he passed him.
Clark turned, shadowed by the darkness of the alley, confused. Red lasers pointed at his chest, semi-automatic weapons flashed in the flicker of a dying street lamp. Several armed men were dressed as though they were SWAT members, though their bullet proof vests lacked the appropriate accreditation.
"I brought him to you, now you need to keep your promise," the young man said to the gathered group. "See ya Blur," he added with a taunting smile as he turned the corner, ushered into an awaiting van.
"Step out into the light or we'll shoot." Undaunted Clark stared at the guards, confused by their willingness to fire upon him. He cocked his head, unmoved. "Step out into the light or we'll shoot," one repeated again. The sound of a gun popped into the night.
Suddenly Clark felt faint, his stomach churning, queasy. He looked down at his chest and saw a needle stuck through him, a vile of green liquid emptying into his body. His eyes begged to close; his body grew weak as each second passed. A second needle struck him in the arm, immediately paralyzing his limbs. Unable to speed away, unable to defend himself, he sunk to his knees and allowed blackness to swallow him whole.
...:::...
Lois grabbed on to a nearby wall, catching her breath as she'd been moved suddenly from one spot to the other. "The Blur…" she muttered to herself, realizing that he must've saved her; nothing else could explain the brief rush of wind and the obvious shift in location.
"Lois? Lois Lane?"
Lois looked up. "Detective Mills? Well, I'm glad to see you," she said relieved, dusting her pants off as she rose to her feet. "Care to comment on the iced wonder over there?"
"Lois Lane, you are under arrest." Mills pulled at her arm and moved her hands behind her back. "You are under arrest for obstruction of justice and for aiding and abetting a wanted fugitive."
"What? What are you talking about?" She cried out, confused. "What fugitive? What's going on?" Mills turned her and began to recite her Miranda rights. He patted down her pockets and opened the back door to the police cruiser, pushing her head down so that she could better climb into the backseat. .
"I want my phone call!" Lois called out in a last ditch effort as the car door shut, silencing her.
...:::...
Every inch of Clark's body ached. It felt as though he'd run a marathon, experiencing all the pains he imagined a human might experience. He groaned and stretched out his muscles, a sudden realization of the recent events caused him to leap to his feet.
"Whoa, there Clark! You need to take it easy for a bit." Chloe poked her head out from behind the computer pad propped in her arms. "You had a rough night."
Clark's eyes adjusted to the light that shone through the oversized stain glass window inside Watchtower. "What—what happened? I thought—."
"Thought you'd died? Got caught by some hell bent anti-Blur government agents?" Clark gave a sheepish shrug. "Well you almost did. Green Arrow came to your rescue."
"Oliver?"
Chloe nodded and continued to tap her fingers against her computer's screen. "Oh, and your cell phone's been ringing off the hook. Brady's been trying to reach you." She pulled his cell phone from her back pocket and handed it to him. "I think it's important. He called like over 20 times."
Grateful for her and Oliver's intervention in last night's melee, he gave his friend a smile and took the phone from her. Holding the phone to his ear he began to listen to the numerous messages left on his voicemail.
"Kent. Where the hell are you? It's Randall. Call me back. Immediately."
"Do farm kids not understand the word 'immediately'? I need you to run a story. Like yesterday. Call me."
"What is your problem Kent? Looking to wind up unemployed? Listen, maybe this will get you to call me back: Lane's been arrested."
"Lois was arrested?" Clark exclaimed, stunned at Randall's revelation. Surely Chloe would've told him if that were the case.
"What?" She replied, equally shocked. "That's the first I've heard of it. Hang on." Putting her computer pad down, she moved toward a larger screen and began to tap her fingers along a keyboard, pulling up the Metropolis Police Department's website. Sure enough Lois' mug shot appeared with her information alongside it. "It says she was arrested for impeding a criminal investigation and for helping a fugitive!"
"Helping a fugitive? But who?"
...:::...
As he walked down the corridor of the police department's holding cell, his designer shoes made a clacking sound against the concrete floor. To his ears the sound signified confidence, an air apparent in each sharp tap demonstrating his power. Every morning when he pulled on the black loafers he relished in the smell of the expensive Italian leather and knew that it made a statement. Always one to boast his personal accomplishments, Ray Sacks felt that in order to be the best, you had to look the best.
"Lois Lane. Jail bird," he said mockingly, running his index finger along a horizontal bar of Lois' cell. "You paint such a picture behind these bars. I think an orange jumper will suit you well."
"Ray Sacks. Scum of the earth," she retorted with equal disdain. "I see you've still retained your love for the tacky. Nice shoes by the way."
Sacks clicked his tongue against his teeth. "Tsk, tsk Miss Lane. Have you forgotten that I'm the one that can decide to continue with your charges or perhaps—if the mood strikes me, that is—dismiss them?"
She shrugged her shoulders. "The irony isn't lost on me."
"How was that one phone call by the way? I heard you wasted it away calling that paper of yours. Still plugging away in the basement writing stories about kittens in trees?"
Lois narrowed her eyes and glared at Sacks. He was right; she had wasted her phone call. Rather than calling her lawyer, she'd chosen to call in a story to Randall. It might've caused her a few extra hours behind bars but it would be worth it in the end if she managed to expose the slimy District Attorney for what he really was.
Unable to elicit a response from Lois, Sacks continued. "Are you ready to make a deal, Miss Lane? Or did you want to wait until visiting hours tomorrow?"
"A deal with you? That's like making a deal with the devil." Lois crossed her arms against her chest and wondered what Sacks was looking for.
"I would think that's right up your ally," he countered.
"What do you want from me?"
"The Blur," he said simply.
Lois shook her head. "I don't know how to contact him. He always contacts me."
"Deny it all you want Lane, but you're his mouthpiece. You and only you alone can make or break his reputation here in Metropolis." Lois bit at her bottom lip, uncertain of the turn Sacks' demand was going to make. "I want you to break his reputation. I want you to expose him for the vigilante that he is."
Vehemently, Lois shook her head. "No," she refused. "I won't do it. You'll have to keep me locked in here then. I'm not going to print your lies."
"You already print lies Miss Lane." Noticing Lois' confusion, he continued. "Every time you write a story about how the Blur saved this person or that person you fail to note that there are hundreds of other crimes that are taking place around the world at the same time. Why does the Blur choose to save you from a burning building when there's an earthquake in China killing millions? What makes your life worth more than that of others? Did you ever consider the hundreds of cops that are losing their jobs because the Blur has been keeping criminals off of the streets? Why should taxpayers pay for a police force if the Blur does the job of a hundred men and women… for free? Did you ever think of that?"
Silent, Lois simply shook her head. While she hated to admit it, Sacks had a point. How did the Blur make those life changing decisions to save one person but not another? "Why do you want the city to hate him so badly?" She asked.
"Because I don't believe that one man, especially one that has a super powered advantage over the rest of us, deserves to hold all the power in this city. I don't think he should be able to make decisions for us. The people didn't ask for his help and I guarantee that there are millions that would be just as happy if he disappeared; and millions more who'd rather he be punished for the life and death decisions he makes. He thinks he's a god among men and he's not.'
"You're making him out to be a monster!" Lois' face began to burn in anger. "The only monster in this story is you!"
Sacks cocked his head and gave Lois a warned look. "Don't say that I didn't give you a choice Miss Lane. When the line was drawn in the sand, remember this moment. Remember which side you stood on."
Lois squared her shoulders and moved towards the iron bars that separated her from Sacks. "I'll remember, don't you worry. I know which side I stand on."
With a slight shrug to his shoulders, the ever confident Ray Sacks turned on his heel and tossed a dismissive wave in Lois' direction. "I'm sure we'll meet again Miss Lane. Probably not under such good terms."
...:::...
"Lois they dropped the charges. Will you at least say something?" Clark begged following close at Lois' heels as she jogged down the steps of the police department toward an awaiting cab.
"Here hold this," she said tossing her police-issued Ziploc bag of personal property to him. She pulled her hair out of her face and tugged it into a ponytail.
"Lois…"
"Smallville, I just spent the night in jail on trumped up charges. You've ignored me for four… No, make that five days now. What makes you think that I want to talk to you right now?"
Clark furrowed his brow. "Five days? I haven't ignored you—" Realization dawned on him. "Wait, is this about what happened after the party?"
Lois pulled the door to the cab open. "Look Clark. It's fine. I had time to think about it. And maybe we were just drunk and-"
"I wasn't drunk."
"It was stupid, anyway."
Clark touched her arm at the elbow, turning her toward him. "It wasn't stupid Lois and you know it wasn't. Things just got… busy for me." He grimaced at the lameness of his own excuse.
She nodded. "Everything's always busy with you Clark. I sat in prison and—." She didn't complete the sentence and let her voice trail off.
"We need to talk about this, Lois."
After a moment of thought she sighed heavily and replied, "I know."
"Where're you going? The Planet?"
"Eventually. There's someone I need to find first." She stepped into the cab and pulled the door closed. After a beat she rolled down her window. "Clark?"
"Yeah?"
"This thing between us…it's just business, right?" The cab roared to life and jerked as the driver pulled it into gear.
Clark shook his head and over the sound of the rumbling engine, he replied, "No. It's not. It really isn't."
If Lois had planned on responding, she'd lost her chance as the car pulled away from the police station. Clark looked down at Lois' plastic bag which he still clutched in his hand. Maybe there would still be a way to find out her response.
...:::...
"I know you're out there," Lois called out into the darkness. The glow of the nearby phone booth partially lit the street around her. "If you're not busy I need to talk to you. Please?"
She turned and focused her eyes onto the rooftops of the buildings that surrounded her, looking for a shadow, hoping that he would hear her calling and answer her.
Just as she was about to admit defeat and return to her apartment, the phone from within the booth began to ring. She threw herself into the booth, the rush of anticipation propelling her forward. "Hello?"
"Miss Lane?" The familiar voice of the Blur greeted her on the other end. She smiled in relief.
"Thank you for calling." Realizing that she'd essentially took him from his job of protecting the city, she added: "If you have somewhere you need to be…"
He laughed a deep and throaty laugh. "Actually it's been rather quiet on the streets tonight, surprisingly. What is it you wanted to talk to me about?"
"The D.A. had me locked up today. In jail, I mean. Not like prison or anything. Just the holding cell at the Metropolis P.D." Lois cringed. Why did she always seem to babble incessantly when the Blur was on the other end of the phone?
"I heard. If I'd known that leaving you with those officers last night would've resulted in that, I never would've left you there. Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." She turned and looked out of the phone booth and toward the rooftops. Lois could see a darkened figure standing upon one of them. She blushed. "Um… The reason I wanted to speak to you was to let you know that Sacks is trying to get the city to rise up against you."
"I know," he replied simply.
"It's more than the Disabled Powers Legislation though," she added. "I think he wants retribution."
"For what?"
"I'm not sure, exactly. He went on about the choices you make, about the people you save… but something seemed off. Not sincere, perhaps?"
"He's a criminal, Lois."
She nodded. "I figured as much." Lois had long suspected that he'd been embezzling money to fund Intergang's drug supplies. There was a time that she'd even come close to pinning the murder of the police chief on him only to have her sources disappear and her evidence disputed.
"He probably figures that if I put the criminals behind bars, he'll lose his influence over the city."
"He says that I'm your mouthpiece. That the way to get to you is through me." She heard him suck in his breath; the sound momentarily taking her by surprise. "He's not right, is he?" Lois asked, suddenly recalling the ominous words Sacks had left her with the night before. "Do you think he's going to try and kill me to get to you?"
"I don't know," he replied honestly. "But I wouldn't put it past him. I wish you'd lay low. You put yourself in danger too much…"
She chuckled lightly at the advice. "You sound like Clark."
"Perhaps, but you were the one in Suicide Slum who nearly got iced."
"From what I heard we both nearly did." He laughed, unable to argue with the logic. "I'm supposed to speak at the Citizen's Assembly tomorrow."
"What are you going to say?"
"I'm not exactly sure. Sacks wants me to tell them that you're a threat to Metropolis. That you put lives in danger every time you save someone."
"What do you think?" He challenged.
"I think there's some truth to it."
"But…?"
"But I can't deny the changes that I've seen. Both in Metropolis and…" she let her voice fade, unsure and perhaps even partially unwilling to continue.
"And in you?" The Blur offered. "Lois you're one of the bravest people I've ever met."
Her voice hitched. "You've never met me."
Ignoring her remark and silently cursing himself for the slip, he continued, "You're willing to take a chance and fight for justice when you see that there is none. You know what is right."
"But it's just so hard. How do you do it? I mean, how do you fight against all this political nonsense, with people out to destroy you and what you stand for… alone all the time?"
"It's not easy, but there are people out there that support me. People like you, Lois."
She smiled into the phone at his words. "I'm not sure if I can do this by myself. The people at the Citizen's Assembly are Sacks' supporters. He probably hand picked them to pass the legislation."
"What about your partner?"
"Clark?" She asked, startled that the Blur would bring up his name. "He's not interested in helping me. Too busy to care apparently."
"He cares."
Lois cocked her head and stared quizzically into the darkness; the assuredness of his reply surprised her. "How do you know?"
Bemused he replied, "I get around this city. I see a lot. I help a lot of different people. He's got a lot on his mind, but something tells me that he cares for you, Lois."
"I don't know." Lois brought her hand to her forehead and pressed her fingers to her nose bridge. Now she was getting love advice from the Blur? Surely he had better things to do with his time?
"You should talk to him. Take a chance. It's not like you don't take chances in the other aspects of your life."
"I suppose," she replied with a slight smile. Realizing the hour, she offered a heavy sigh. "Listen, I'd better let you go. Big day tomorrow and all."
"I should probably get back on patrol anyway." He let out a soft sigh. "Lois?"
"Yeah?"
"Good luck. Just speak from your heart. You'll do what's right."
"Are you talking about Clark or the Citizen's Assembly?" The corners of her mouth pulled upwards.
"Both," he said with a light laugh.
A grin extended across Lois' face. "Thanks," she said, leaning against the glass of the phone booth. "For everything. And I'll try to stay out of trouble… for now anyway."
"Good night Lois."
"Good night."
...:::...
As Lois unlocked the door to the Talon, letting herself in, she wondered what the new day would bring. While the words that the Blur had spoken rung true, she hoped that she could live up to his vouch of encouragement. With her speech written, exhaustion threatened to consume her whole body.
"Clark!" She exclaimed, surprised to find him sitting at the top of the stairs by her apartment door. "What are you doing here?"
"Sarah said it was okay that I wait for you here. I hope you don't mind?"
Shaking her head, she climbed the stairs and sat next to him. "You left this behind," he said, handing her her Ziploc bag from earlier.
"Thanks." She fingered the plastic seal, unsure of how to proceed. She had so many questions and so much to say, yet nothing was coming to mind. The Blur had certainly made her reconsider her earlier impatience with Clark.
"I'm really, really sorry Lois," he said at last. "About everything. I mean where do I even begin?"
Lois lightly chuckled. "Let's start with the party." With a slight bob to her head she turned to look at him. "What's your deal, Smallville?"
Clark hung his head. "I have no excuse. Really. I did mean everything I said that night. And everything since then."
"And what about everything you did…?" She asked with a sly smirk, motioning toward her apartment.
Smiling at her comment, Clark admitted with a chuckle, "meant that too." He let his words hang in the air. Taking a deep breath, he faced her and continued, "I really would like to see you again. I mean like really go on dates. See where it all takes us."
"Yeah?" She asked, almost disbelieving. "And the whole ignoring me for days…?" She couldn't resist the opportunity to jokingly needle him.
"Lois!" With a humoured shake of his head, he said, "I'm never going to live it down am I?"
Biting back a smirk, Lois quipped, "probably not."
"I really did just loose track of time."
"I believe you. I think I may have over reacted just a little," she admitted motioning with her thumb and pointer finger. "I've got to tell Chloe to stop loaning me her Men are From Space books… they're going to make me paranoid!"
"Men are From Space?" Clark asked, recognizing the irony in the title.
"Shut up!" She laughed, pushing her shoulder into his. "They're these stupid books that translate what guys are thinking."
"Oh? What am I thinking right now?"
Lois paused and narrowed her eyes. Taking her hand she positioned her fingers onto Clark's forehead in an attempt to simulate the siphoning of his thoughts via her fingers. "You're thinking…. you're thinking…" Her eyes flew open, her mouth dropped agape. "Smallville! Such dirty thoughts!"
Clark laughed and batted her hand from his forehead. "Lois!"
"I had to Clark, it was too easy. You just walked in the door and… whammo! Caught ya." Lois roared with laughter at his temporarily horrified face. She had to admit it, she really enjoyed moments like this with Clark. Yes, he was often the bumbling reporter that spilled coffee on her keyboard, but more often than not Lois caught glimpses of someone different and that intrigued her above all else.
"You know Smallville, I wonder if I'll ever figure you out completely."
Clark cocked his head. "Where did that come from?"
Blushing, Lois shook her head. "Probably exhaustion."
He nodded, "Long day?"
With a chuckle, she agreed. It was the understatement of the century.
"I probably should get going anyway," Clark said rising to his feet. Joining him, Lois pulled out the keys to her apartment. "Tomorrow's the big day, isn't it?"
"Yeah."
"Any idea on what you're going to say?"
Lois shrugged. "I'll always do what's best for the people of Metropolis and if that means going against the current, then I'll do it."
With a smile Clark repeated the words he'd told her earlier as the Blur. "Well, good luck. Just speak from your heart."
Lois turned her head slightly at the intonation and familiar words, but ignored the pull in her gut. "Thanks Clark." She pushed up onto the balls of her feet and pressed her lips to his cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow."
Clark watched as she moved toward her door and into her apartment. Just as she was about to close the door behind her, she poked her head back into the hallway. "Hey, Smallville?"
"Yeah?"
"You want to catch a movie or something tomorrow night?"
"You mean like an actual date?" Clark teased.
Lois rolled her eyes. "Obviously."
"Absolutely."
She smiled at his response. "Great. I'll see you before the Assembly meeting tomorrow, then?" Clark nodded.
"Here!" She tossed a key to him. "Lock up the front door on your way out." He laughed. She gave him a wink, wished him a good night and returned into her apartment.
Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he breathed a sigh of relief as he exited the Talon. While the city's opinion on the Blur would constantly ebb and flow, Clark understood that the one source of constant support that he would have was with Lois Lane. She would question, counter and challenge him at every turn both as Clark and as the Blur; yet he knew that he could always count on her to understand what was right and to do what was just. She would tear down walls to find the truth. While it could be scary at times to see her throw herself headlong into danger, he knew that it only fueled her passion for justice. It was a passion that would always get Lois Lane the headline.