A/N: The last two "rules" are for the most part written and just need some serious editing. I am going to do my darndest to try and get this story done with by the time the premiere rolls around. This coming weekend I'm going to be moving so I won't have much time for fanfic- but I promise you I will return as soon as things have settled. So stay tuned...! I think you all will really enjoy what is to come in the next two (and final!) rules.

Thank you to those that take the time to read & review. It means a lot to know that people take the time to read and write a comment. So thank you!

.::Rule 5: Never take deadlines seriously::.

FLYING MAN TAKES OFF OUTSIDE OF CHURCH
Metropolis Inquisitor Exclusive

St. Paul's Community Church is currently seeing an influx of parishioners as many are convinced that a miracle took place outside of the small church yesterday. Several witnesses claim that they saw a man lift himself from the ground and take off into the sky.

"It was like he levitated right off the sidewalk," said Wichita resident Naomi Lambert who had just arrived at St. Paul's for a wedding. "One second he was right there, the next he was gone!"

Many believe that St. Paul's has seen a miracle occur right outside its front doors.

"It had to have been an angel," Michael Blockhart of South Metropolis declared. "What else could've possibly done that?"

Despite numerous witnesses having seen the man levitate from the ground and fly, none were able to provide police with an accurate description.

"We are confident that if there is indeed a flying man, he'll reveal himself in due time," said Metropolis Police Department's Detective John Jones. "Without a sufficient description we are unable to proceed with our investigation. We encourage anyone who may have witnessed this event to call 14 Division."

While the man who took to the skies outside of St. Paul's remains a mystery, locals speculate that the church may have witnessed its first miracle. "What else could it have been?" St. Paul's pastor James Nelson asked. "Surely it couldn't have been an alien!"

...:::...

"You're sure?" Lois asked into her phone. "Yes, of course I have a picture…" Her voice was beginning to rise in excitement. "Where should I meet you?" She pulled a pen and a slip of paper from her purse and quickly jotted down the information. "Give me a—" Lois paused and glanced toward her sister sitting next to her. Lucy's head was poised under a salon dryer, hair in rollers. The whirl of the dryer seemed to mask much of the noise around her as she flipped through an old copy of Starz Weekly, oblivious to Lois' phone conversation. "I'll be there soon. Don't go anywhere."

Lois had already shrugged the eager hairdresser away and completed her own style, amassing her long hair into a quick, yet styled, chignon. Lucy, on the other hand, insisted on approaching the day with deft calmness. She refused Lois' help with her hair, assuring her sister that the hairdresser was more than capable of completing the perfect look for her wedding day. And so the sisters sat side by side, one continuously looking at the time listed on her cell phone, the other thumbing through a magazine.

Glancing around the salon, Lois tried to think up an excuse that could get her out of her pre-wedding maid of honour duties. She tapped her fingers impatiently along the armrest of the chair. As the maid of honour, Lois had promised that nothing would prevent her from being there for her sister on her wedding day. Despite her impatience with the process, Lois knew she would be expected to shuttle Lucy to the Talon, pose for the photographer and make sure her little sister made it to the church in one piece.

What Lucy didn't realize was that Lois was on the brink of a front-page worthy story. A few weeks back, Lois had gotten word that someone was seeking out information about the Blur. Lois suspected that a new underground government organization had put out the request. In order to smoke out the source of the request, Lois had put out a call to her sources that travelled among the underbelly of Metropolis that she had information to share. In reality she was going to blow the door open on the organization and land herself a sizable front page headline.

Staring at her cell phone she watched the minutes tick by. She could probably convince Lucy that the posed photographs were cheesy… With some persuasion, Clark could bring her dress to the church and if the source was legitimate she could make it just in time to watch her sister walk down the aisle.

"Luce…"

Without looking up from her magazine Lucy replied, "Go."

"What?"

"Go. I know you have a story or something." Lucy looked up and smiled. "You'd better make sure that you're back before the Bridal Chorus starts or I'll send the General after you."

Lois leapt to her feet, leaned down and planted a kiss on her sister's cheek. "You're the best! I promise I'll be there in time to see you march down the aisle."

Lucy laughed, shaking her head. "I thought I was the one that was always up to no good."

Lois flung her purse over her shoulder and raced from the salon. Throwing her hand into the air she called a taxi and climbed in.

LLane to CKent 12:14am | Can you bring my dress to the church?

CKent to LLane 12:15am | Why? What are you up to? Where are you going?

LLane to CKent 12:15am | You worry too much. Can you bring it?

CKent to LLane 12:17am | Yes, of course. You're not going to get into trouble, are you?

LLane to CKent 12:18am | I'll fill you in later. Don't forget my dress!

...:::...

"Where is she?" Lucy pulled at her veil and tapped her foot nervously, pacing the classroom in the basement of the church. Clark looked at her sheepishly and shrugged his shoulders, unable to give her the answer she was looking for.

"Did she say where she was going?" Clark asked.

Becoming increasingly frazzled, she shot back: "I told you, it sounded like a story; I didn't ask her where she was going. Why can't she ever be on time?" Lucy puffed out her cheeks and blew out a breath. "I can't walk down the aisle without her there Clark. You have to find her."

Clark nodded his head, understanding. While the guests were still arriving at the church, he wondered how much time he would need in order to find Lois. It seemed like an impossible mission. He didn't even know where to begin. She could be any where in Metropolis, if not even further and all he had to go on was that it was some story she'd been working on.

Pulling out his cell phone, he tried for what seemed like the hundredth time to reach her and still she refused to answer. Lois, frustratingly, never picked up her cell or answered a text when she was hot on the trail of a story.

Lucy leaned against a desk and reconsidered the brief conversation she'd had with her sister earlier in the salon. "She seemed really excited. I mean… it was hard to hear because of the dryers you know? Something about a picture… I dunno. It's stupid and it'll get you nowhere I'm sure."

"Picture?" Clark narrowed his eyes and thought about what story Lois could possibly be working on. Chloe had mentioned that there'd been a request sent out for a photo of the Blur… but Lois couldn't possibly have a photo, Clark was fairly certain about that. He'd even scaled back his phone conversations in hopes that she'd avoid trying to identify the caller. Squaring his shoulders, Clark stood tall. "I'll find her Lucy. I promise."

Lucy nodded, momentarily reassured by his determination. "Hurry Clark."

...:::...

Lois exhaled a heavy sigh and glanced at her watch, time was quickly getting away from her. She hoped she could convinced whomever she was meeting with to trust her long enough that she could find out any valuable information. As it was, she was halfway across town at the old abandoned storage warehouse; she'd need to leave at least 15 or 20 minutes in order to get to the church in time for Lucy's nuptials.

"Lois Lane?" A male voice asked from the darkened shadows.

"Who's there?"

"Did you bring the photos?"

Lois nodded, lying. She had no photos to speak of and hoped that she could convince the shadowy figure of her bluff. "First you need to tell me who you are."

The figure shook his head. "No. You said you had proof of who the Blur is… let's see it then."

Hoping to stall, Lois said, "I know the Blur personally and if I'm going to show you these photos I want to make damn sure I know what you're going to do with them."

A second figure, this time a woman, joined the first. Her identity was likewise concealed by the shadows of the warehouse. "You don't know the Blur. I can see it in your face," she said matter-of-factly.

"If you can see my face, why can't I see yours? What says you should have the advantage?" Lois challenged.

The woman laughed. "Miss Lane, how foolish of you. As if I'd trust my identity to a cub reporter that's looking to make a name for herself at the Daily Planet. You blindly believe that everyone's as fool hearted as you are."

Lois narrowed her eyes and began to mentally scan the area for an escape route. She could sense that this meeting was not going the way she'd planned it to.

"I'm only going to ask you this once, and you'd better consider your answer carefully, Miss Lane. Do you know the identity of the Blur?"

"Why do you want to know who he is?" She countered in return.

"Silly girl. You've blindly fallen into the illusion that the Blur has created, haven't you? He is a danger to this country and needs to be exposed for what he really is."

"A danger? How?"

"He believes himself to be a god among men. Looking down upon us from the rooftops, judging who's worthy and who isn't."

"So because he saves people and wants to do good for the world, that somehow makes him a danger to this country?" Lois was beginning to wonder if this mysterious woman had a connection to the District Attorney, their arguments were eerily similar.

The woman laughed and shook her head. "There is so much more that you can't even fathom to imagine, Miss Lane. If you choose to side with the Blur, you are choosing to sacrifice your country—your world—to an alien invasion and I can guarantee that you will not like what is in store for you."

Questions raced through Lois' head, but she couldn't find the words to articulate them. If what the curious stranger in the darkness was saying was true, this meant that the Blur was… an alien?

The woman flipped her wrist at the man who'd accompanied her. "She has nothing. Take care of her." Slinking back into the darkness, the woman disappeared leaving Lois face to face with the barrel of a gun, the man now fully exposed into the light.

"Wait! Don't do this, please!" She begged, her voice hitching in her throat as she backed further away from her assailant. Her mind raced. Thoughts of Clark, her sister, Chloe… all flashed through her mind as her heart raced, damning herself for not telling anyone about where she'd run off to. "People know where I am," she tried, helplessly. "You'll be exposed—"

A metal click sounded, guaranteeing certain demise. With an easy turn of his index finger, he pulled back on the trigger.

...:::...

The blare of horns, the skidding of tires, a crossing guard's whistle… the whirl of the city flowed like a deluge into Clark's mind. While he'd tried practicing the skill of honing in on one misplaced voice in the city of millions, he had so little success at it. In Smallville it came so easily; yet in Metropolis amid the myriad voices laughing, crying, shouting, talking- the one voice he hoped to hear was lost.

Sound blurred around him. Every moment- the scratch of a fingernail on skin, the flurry of fabric brushing along an arm, the bat of an eyelash- carried sound. To the average person, the minute sounds were rarely picked up. With Clark's heightened abilities, he heard it all.

Closing his eyes he begged for focus; called on every ounce of strength within his body to draw Lois' sounds to him. He'd spent so many days watching and listening to her, her sound patterns were familiar to him. Everyone had them; even the simplest sounds like the clacking of shoes on the pavement were unique to each person. That singular resonance of hers should've beat against his eardrums like raindrops hitting a window pane.

Instead he heard a baby cry, a door slam, a car alarm wail…nothing that would lead him to Lois. He clenched his fist in frustration and silently pleaded in vain for the city to be still for just a moment.

Clark tried again. He closed his eyes, willed himself into focus and pushed through the reverberations. It was like swimming through mud, every sound dueling for his attention.

"Hey buddy, watch where you're going!"

"I think we should be just friends…"

"Mommy can I have a chocolate bar. Please?"

"That'll be $14.56."

"I'll be home soon, I promise. I love you."

While the last ephemeral voice hadn't belonged to Lois, it triggered a memory within him. Clark and Lois had only been together romantically for a short time and every day he was learning new things about her. Just recently, he'd noticed for the first time that she always put her toothbrush in her rinsing cup, never leaving it flat on the counter to dry.

Thump… Thump…Thump…

In other ways, it felt like they'd been together for years. During breakfast they would methodically split the newspaper- Clark taking the city news section and Lois sports. At night, when he'd stay over at her new apartment in Metropolis or she at the farmhouse, he would hold her tightly against him, afraid to let her go; her body curled against his.

Thump…Thump…Thump…

"It took us so long to finally just… come together, you know?" She'd said one night, nestling her head into the crook where his shoulder met his arm. "I think the way that I see it is that every day is different, special, unique… just amazing in its own right…"

Thump…Thump…Thump…Thump…Thump…

The beats came faster; the steady patter of confidence quickly turned into one of urgency. He could hear her, had found her amidst the millions. His feet rising from the ground, he was oblivious to any bystanders and sped into the sky. His newly honed power of flight brought him to the abandoned storage warehouse in less than the blink of an eye.

The sound of a lightning blast reverberated off of the empty metal bins of the warehouse. In terror, Lois ducked away from the bullet, covering her head and turning her back to her shooter. Strong arms enveloped her from behind, causing her to gasp in shock at the sudden touch. The bullet pinged against her protector's back and fell to the floor. Clark turned his head and fired from his eyes, heating the gun so that its shooter dropped it to the floor. He released Lois, grabbed the assailant and deposited him at the nearest police station, leaving behind the Blur's calling card—the symbol of the House of El.

In returning to the warehouse- as Clark- he found Lois staggering out, squinting into the sunlight.

"Smallville!" She called out to him in relief. "Am I ever happy to see you!" She threw her arms around his shoulders and held onto him, tight.

"Are you okay?" Clark asked, concern echoing through his words. "Are you hurt?" He pulled back from her embrace and scanned her body for injury. He breathed a sigh of relief; from a physical standpoint she had been unharmed.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I think the Blur saved me." She shook her head. "Wait, what time is it?"

"It's just past two."

"Damn it." She stepped out into the street, put one hand into the air and used the other to whistle from her fingers. Within seconds a cab had parked along side her. She pulled the door open and moved to step into it. "You coming Smallville?"

"Wait, Lois," he covered her hand that sat upon the window of the door. "What happened back there? Where were you?"

"Clark, my sister is about to get married and I'm no where near the church. Everything is fine. It was all a… let's say it was a misunderstanding on my behalf. I promise, I'll explain everything later." Noticing his reticence, she reassured him with a smile. "I'm fine; really I just want to get to the church."

Lois sat into the cab, pulling her feet in after her. "Clark? You coming?" She asked, looking up at him as he hesitated on the sidewalk.

With a sudden, unabashed courage he declared, "I'm in love with you."

"What?" She responded, unsure if she'd in fact heard what she thought she'd heard.

Leaning down into the cab, he repeated, "I'm in love with you, Lois Lane."

"Clark…"

"No. Let me finish," he said defiantly, ignorant of the cab driver who listened in on his declaration. "I love you and I would do anything to protect you. But you can't go on like this."

"Go on like what?" She asked, bemused.

"Running into dangerous situations like this… if anything happened to you, I'd never be able to forgive myself."

"Oh Clark…" She said with a helpless sigh. "You always have the weight of the world on your shoulders. I'm fine. The Blur saved me, case closed. You don't even know what happened in there, and you're assuming the worst. I know that you worry about me, but you shouldn't… with the Blur out there, even with my penchant for getting in to trouble, everything always works out." With a soft smile she motioned within the cab. "Now please get in the car so that I can watch my baby sister walk down the aisle at her wedding."

Unconvinced, Clark relented and climbed into the taxi, pulling the door closed behind him. Lois gave the address and the car pulled into gear and moved into traffic with its passengers sitting in silence.

Despite what Lois had said to Clark, she felt guilty just the same. She knew Clark worried about her and as she'd told the Blur before, she didn't mean to put herself into harms way all of the time… it just always seemed to find her, regardless. Looking over at her tireless boyfriend whose suit had nary a scratch on it, she knew his words had been truthful. If anything had happened to her, he would never forgive himself. And if anything happened to him…

"Smallville?" She said quietly and hesitantly. He looked toward her and she reached out and took his hand in her own. Taking a deep breath she forged ahead. "I love you too and if anything were to happen to you… " Clark nodded and tightened his hand around hers. "What I'm trying to say is that I can't promise I'm going to stay out of trouble and that the crazies in this town won't find me somehow…"

Clark couldn't help but chuckle. Even if Lois tried, trouble would somehow just find her. And of course she thrived on the thrill that came with chasing down a story. "You're right. Asking you not to get in trouble is like asking the sun not to set. Or asking a bull to be careful in a china shop. I just can't help but worry about you… you know?"

Lois nodded. "I know."

"Maybe we can try and work together more on those "dangerous" stories you love to go on the hunt for?" Clark suggested with a smirk.

"Oh Smallville! Very clever! Trying to hone in on my front pages-" She laughed at his suggestion. Upon realizing that the taxi had pulled up in front of the church, she handed several bills to the driver and began to climb out of the cab. "If you came face to face with danger you'd probably pass out from the excitement of it all," she added teasingly.

The corners of Clark's mouth quirked upward and he nodded. "You're probably right, Lois."

As she dashed toward the oversized wooden doors, she skidded to a halt and turned back toward Clark who'd just climbed out of the taxi. Cheeks flushed, she asked, "Did we…earlier… exchange the "L" word for the first time?"

Clark looked at her and nervously pushed his glasses up his nose. "Yes, I think we did."

She briefly bit at the corner of her lip, before allowing her mouth to move into a complete grin. "I think I like the sound of that…"

Returning her smile, Clark replied, "I do too."