By Anonpip <anonpip@gmail.com>
Rated PG
Submitted November 2008
Summary: Clark tells Lois the truth before he freezes her in the episode "And the Answer Is...." A companion story to my story "Revelation -- Clark's Story."
Author's Note: All characters are the property of Warner Bros, December 3rd Productions, ABC, and anyone else who may have a legal claim on them. The story, however, is mine.
Thanks to LabRat for GEing this for me. Also thanks to Carol for beta'ing this for me, particularly while in the middle of NaNo!
***
"Freeze you?" he asked me in shock.
"Like cryogenics," I explained. He had to understand. He had to do this for me. "People who fall in frozen lakes, but get revived? You freeze me with your breath, fast. I've seen you do it a hundred times. Then it looks like I'm dead, you bring the body and..."
"Lois, do you have any idea how dangerous that is?" he cut me off. "There could be arterial ruptures, permanent brain damage... You could die," he said softly.
"Yes. I could die. But Clark's parents *will* die unless we help." I took a seat on the couch and looked up at him pleadingly. I couldn't bear for him to turn me down this time. "Please, Superman. You haven't seen him." I paused, feeling the tears fall down my cheeks. "You don't know what he's going through."
"Lois," he started, but I spoke over him. There was no time to argue about this. He just had to do it!
"He needs me..." I said and trailed off. How could I let him down? Clark needed me more than he ever had before. I had to do this. I just had to.
Superman sat down beside me and placed his head in his hands. No. He couldn't be saying no. "You can't turn me down," I said quietly. "You can't."
"Lois," he started, but then stopped.
"Superman, please," I pleaded with him. "We don't have a lot of time."
"There's something you have to know first," he said, but the words came out a whisper.
"There's no time," I insisted while a small part of me wondered. Just what was it that I didn't know? But it wasn't important. Not right now. "Clark's parents..."
"No!" he said, more strongly this time, surprising me. Superman had never yelled at me like that before. "I can't let you do this without knowing everything."
"Superman, I'm begging you. Not now."
"I'm sorry, Lois," he said. "I'm really sorry. I wish I could tell you this when we had more time to discuss it, but I can't let you make this decision without knowing." He stood up and spun around. Or sort of. When it started, it looked like he was spinning, but then being Superman he could spin really fast.
He stopped spinning and looked at me. Only he looked different now. No suit for one. Glasses for another. He looked... he looked like Clark.
"Clark?" I asked standing up and taking a step towards him. He nodded his head as I touched his face. Was it really him? "You're Clark? And Superman?" I asked, and he nodded again.
I took a step back and turned away from him, trying to get some distance so I could think. "You're Superman. I mean, it makes sense, but..." I turned back to face him again, taking in his features. How had I never seen it before? They looked remarkably alike.
Then I realized -- he had lied to me. For two years! I mean I suspected he had been keeping something from me, but still. I brought my arm back and only after I slapped him did I realize that that probably didn't hurt him at all. He was Superman after all.
"You lied to me," I said to him, and I could hear that my emotions, all of my anger, came through in those words.
"I know," he said softly as he sat back down on my couch. "I'm sorry, Lois. I'm so sorry. That's why I thought you should know... I know that I'm not who you thought I was. I couldn't let you risk your life for..."
I suddenly realized we were wasting time. There would be time to be angry later. "Your parents, Clark," I said. "I almost forgot. Look, there's no time to discuss this. Your parents are going to die if you don't do this. So freeze me!" I ordered.
"Lois..."
"This isn't for you. I am so not done with you," I said and I meant it. I still had lots to say to him. "But your parents... They don't deserve to die. Now do it!"
He nodded, although he still looked skeptical. He stood again, facing me.
"I love you," he said softly as he cradled my face in his hand. "I know that may seem hard to believe, but I do." Looking into his eyes, I could tell that he meant it. He did love me. And I realized suddenly that I might die here tonight. If I did, did I want the last words I had spoken to him to have been in anger? Could I let him doubt that I would have been able to forgive him? As angry as I was at him, I knew it had no place here right now. I loved him so much, and I needed him to know that in case...
"I love you, too," I told him softly. "I'm beyond furious at you, but I do love you, Clark. If something happens to me..." I broke off as a tear fell down my cheek. I took a deep breath. I had to make him understand. In case this was the last time I ever got a chance to talk to him, I had to make sure he knew. "If something happens to me," I continued, "I want you to know that. Just because I'm angry that you kept this huge secret from me, doesn't change the way I feel about you."
He leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine, his kiss soft and full of love. Taking a step back after our kiss, he looked at me again. "Are you sure, Lois? You don't have to do this. We can find another way."
I shook my head. "We don't have time, Clark. I'm sure. Please just do it."
He nodded at me sadly. "Close your eyes," he said softly.
I closed my eyes, but then quickly, just in case this was the last time, I whispered, "I love you, Clark."
"I know," he choked out, and I fought the urge to open my eyes. To see him one more time.
***
Was Superman crying? Where was I? I placed a hand on his face, trying to get him to look up. "Superman?" I asked, and my voice sounded raspy, like I hadn't used it in a while.
"You're all right!" he said, standing up and pulling me towards him, holding me close. It was weird. Why was Superman being so affectionate towards me?
"I guess," I said confused. Was I okay? He was the one who was crying. It seemed like I should be asking that question. "Is everything okay?"
"You need to get her to a hospital, son," I heard someone say. I looked up. Jonathan and Martha. What were they doing here?
Superman gathered me into his arms. "I'll come back for you," he said to Clark's parents.
"We're not waiting around," Martha told him with a smile. "We'll meet you back at the apartment."
Was it... That wasn't a dream? "Superman," I said as we lifted into the air. "I had a dream that... that you were Clark," I said, even as I could feel myself getting sleepy. "Isn't that silly?"
"It's not," he told me, shaking his head. "I am Clark."
I thought I should be more surprised at that, or angry, or something. But I was too tired. "Okay," I said and then the world around me turned black.
***
I woke up a couple of hours later to find Clark sitting in a chair beside me. I looked around. I appeared to be in a hospital bed. Had it all been real? Clark's parents? Me being frozen? Clark being... Superman?
Clark looked up at me and I smiled at him. "You're here."
"Where else would I be?" he asked me.
"I don't know," I said, not sure. "Was it all real? Did you really...? Was I really frozen?" I asked.
He nodded.
"Are you really...?" I trailed off, not knowing who may be near.
He nodded. "I am. I'm sorry. I know I'm not who you thought I was."
I took in his face. He looked so sad, so ashamed. Did he really think I was that angry? I thought I told him how important he was to me before he froze me? "Who do you think I thought you were?" I asked him with a smile. "Did you think I thought Clark Kent was perfect?"
He shook his head, smiling at me softly. "No. I don't doubt I've made it pretty clear that I'm not perfect. But you thought I was someone who would never lie to you, didn't you?"
I shrugged. "Sort of. But I also thought you were keeping something from me. I mean, really, Clark, cheese-of-the-month club? I just..."
"Why didn't you ask?" he asked me when I trailed off.
"I... I guess I decided that if you were keeping something from me, you must have a good reason," I said quietly, realizing how right I had turned out to be. Was this really so bad? I mean, yes, he had lied to me. But this wasn't a lie like... I don't know. I couldn't think of any lie that would be more okay for him to keep from me.
Did I wish he had told me sooner? Of course. But he couldn't go around telling people all the time. Not even best friends or girlfriends, I supposed. I wanted to be angry, but if today taught me anything, it was that holding on to petty issues didn't make sense. Everything could disappear in an instant. Did I really want to waste time being angry at Clark? When I could be with him instead?
I mean, not that I didn't intend for him to grovel a bit or something, but that was completely different than letting this fester into some sort of big fight.
"So, you're not angry?" he asked in surprise.
"Oh, no, I'm angry." I smiled at him. "And I see a lot of groveling in your future. But I also think there are more important things than making you realize how wrong you were to keep this from me."
"Like what?" he asked.
"Like being with the man I love," I said softly.
"I love you so much, Lois," he whispered. "I..."
"I love you, too," I said, deciding that this was taking too long. I deserved a proper thank you for today and I didn't want to wait for it any longer. I leaned forward to silence him with a kiss.
THE END