ATAI Continuation

By a Shy Person ;^) (anonymous)

Summary: A continuation of the episode "And the Answer Is…" after Clark proposes to Lois.

I wrote this as a continuation of the season finale — WHICH I HAVE NOT EVEN SEEN! So how's that for effort? Gee, I'm really patting myself on the back. Anyway it takes off after Clark asks Lois to marry him..

***

"Clark …" Lois looked at him tenderly, yet confused. She was indeed in love with him. She had never felt the way she was feeling now for anyone, but yet, she felt confused. It was all clear to her now. The way he had touched her the previous night, just before … Well, she was angry with him at first, but now she found herself totally overwhelmed by her feelings for him. Why had he kept the secret from her, even after what had happened between them?

"Clark .. I love you, too," Lois said stroking his hair, "but it's all happening too fast. I might have said yes, if …" She sighed, "if you had been completely honest with me."

Clark was looking at her hopefully, but as she said those last words, he immediately realised what she meant. He had been planning to tell her for a long time, but the right time just never came around. It was like some outside force was preventing him from telling her. Or was it him? He could have told her when Lois had begged him as Superman to freeze her, he could have told her just now … Maybe he was never able to say it out loud to her, but he had only realised recently that he was leaving clues for her to find out.

"Lois, I have always wanted to tell you, but …" She put her fingers to his lips and interrupted, "I've been giving this a lot of thought. I have been trying to understand why you didn't tell me. The thing is, I trusted you, and I was under the impression that you trusted me. I thought we had an open, honest relationship." she said with tears in her eyes.

Lois stood up from where she had been sitting. "I thought at last I had found someone who was honest with me, someone whom I could trust … but you turned out to be just like the rest. Is it me? Am I truly stupid?" Lois had raised her voice.

Clark was still kneeling; he wasn't looking at her anymore. He had his hands over his mouth, and his eyes on the ground. He didn't know what to say. What had he been thinking? He should have known better .. he knew Lois was a person who couldn't tolerate dishonesty. But that had been it … He had been so afraid of telling her, so afraid of Lois finding out that for 2 years he had been lying to her. It was something he was afraid of confronting.

"Lois, you're not stupid," he said as he reached for her hand, "… and I have wanted to tell you for a long time, but the closer we got, the harder it became for me to tell you that I was .. Superman .." he was now pulling her closer to him. Lois wanted to put her arms around him but her disappointment and anger at him prevented her from giving in so easily.

Clark continued, "I guess I was the one who was afraid of taking that last step in our relationship … I don't blame you for what you are feeling now. I know I have disappointed you … if I can change anything I would, believe me," he paused for a while, trying to sense her reaction to what he had just said, "I never wanted to hurt you in any way." Clark placed his hands against her cheek, and pulled her head against his forehead.

Lois had pursed her lips together, her face blank. It was impossible for Clark to tell what she was thinking. He decided it was best to keep quiet about the subject for now, in case he did more harm than good.

"We better get out of the rain," he said as a way of breaking the conversation. "I'll take you home …"

"No. I think I would like to go home alone," Lois said suddenly. She looked into Clark's eyes for the first time. Behind her tears, she felt a confusion of love and anger. She really wasn't sure what to do next. "I need so time to myself …" Even before Lois finished her sentence, she was already running off in the rain.

Clark stood alone in the rain, watching her as she ran off through the park and in the direction of her apartment. Just as she disappeared around the corner, Clark changed into Superman, flew into the sky, making sure that she was home safely.

THE END

(ataicont.txt)