~~ Getting to Know Us
By Caryn Dunsmore ~~
Disclaimer: "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" and it's characters are owned by December 3rd Productions, DC Comics & Warner Brothers Television, etc. No infringements are meant.
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Author's note: Okay so here's an advanced copy of for all those who begged, pleaded and threatened me to finish. :p For those who have no idea what I'm talking about, this is the third story of a series. And since the last one that was posted, no one could believe I just left it the way I had. (The other two stories I've written, "Getting to Know Me" and "Getting to Know You" are posted at lcfanfic.com)
A great big thanks to Pam for not only BR'ing this for me but for her wonderful suggestions! (I'm starting to think you get everyone to do what you want them to!! <g>)
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~~ Getting to Know Us ~~
"You have a what?!"
Jimmy Olsen paused behind Clark Kent's desk as he was passing by, intrigued by the note of shock in his friend's voice. Reporters were supposed to turn up startling information, but something in Clark's demeanor said this was different. As he caught sight of Clark's monitor, he realized it was definitely something out of the ordinary.
30. IF YOU COULD HAVE A TATTOO, WHAT AND WHERE WOULD IT BE? Already have one. Where is for him to find out. Believe me, I will let him do an in-depth search because that's what it will take to find it.
Taking a quick glance at Clark, Jimmy noticed Clark wasn't even aware of his prying eyes, so he read as much as he could see.
31. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN LOVE? If someone were to have asked me that a year ago I would have said yes, but that would have been a lie. What I felt before doesn't compare to how I feel now. So yes, I am in love.
32. DESCRIBE YOUR DREAM WEDDING: Marrying Clark.
Jimmy knew he could rule out notes about a story since Clark's name was plastered on what little he could see of the document. But the closer he looked at Clark's expression of awe the more he knew it was very personal. Someone had sent CK a love letter of sorts or it was their way of saying they were interested in him. He wondered whom it was from since it seemed that every woman at the Daily Planet wanted Clark; it could be anyone.
Well, anyone but one. He looked over at his other friend, Lois Lane, and wished of all the women, she would be the one interested in his friend. He knew Clark was hopelessly in love with Lois but she couldn't get past his Smallville, Kansas roots to see the great guy CK was and not the Hack-from-Nowheresville she was adamant he was.
His thoughts were interrupted as he noticed that Lois had also looked up at Clark's outburst. He would have thought for sure she was going to rip into CK about distracting her from work but instead she simply smiled at him. He watched Clark's expression change into a crooked smile of embarrassment the moment he noticed Lois's amused one.
Suddenly Jimmy thought maybe he was wrong. Maybe, just maybe Lois was starting to see more in Clark. But understanding Lois was like understanding the meaning of life. It was impossible.
Making it back to his own desk, Jimmy suddenly remembered the reason of his musings, the message on Clark's computer. He knew he shouldn't hack into his friend's computer but hell, since he could, why not. He just wanted a name to go with the words he saw a minute ago.
He immediately set out punching commands into his computer and a minute later he was looking at Clark's computer log. He found the last document CK downloaded, which was also still being assessed. He punched in another command and within a few seconds, he was rewarded with the sender's identity.
A smile plastered across his face. Now he knew he was wrong. There was no maybe about it. It seemed Lois Lane indeed saw more in Clark Kent.
And geez, she had a tattoo. Who would have thought?
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Lois Lane couldn't concentrate at all on her work and couldn't remember a time when that had ever happened. This was definitely a first for her but she didn't care. All she could think about was Clark Kent and that was fine with her.
She smiled to herself. It had only been-she looked at her watch-five hours since her revelation in the form of a questionnaire her sister had sent her. Five hours since she had come to realize her true feelings for him. And nothing else infiltrated her brain.
She could think only long enough to type a sentence of four words, which were the same four words: [I love Clark Kent.] She knew she should be worried that someone might see, but she didn't have the focus to care.
She knew her editor, Perry White was going to be upset that she hadn't finished her notes yet about the story he had sent them on earlier, but she just couldn't get herself to care about any story. All she cared about was Clark. She loved him. How could she have suppressed something so powerful?
It amazed her now that she hadn't seen it before. No, that was wrong-she had seen it but she had been determined not to let herself acknowledge or feel it. She was scared. But finally she had come to realize that the consequences of letting her fears win and never taking a chance was far worse than taking a chance and getting her heart broken.
Not to mention the benefits a relationship with him presented.
Lois felt her cheeks burn slightly at the thoughts running through her mind. She looked away from the endless four-worded sentences on her monitor and over to where Clark was sitting. She watched him type at his own computer; he was probably finishing up on his part of their notes for Perry.
Just then a beep sounded on Lois's computer, announcing to its distracted owner of a new e-mail message.
<Yep, he's done. That would be his copy to me.>
The beep had done its duty and grabbed Lois's attention but before she had the chance to turn to it, Clark's eyes found hers and the world fell away.
Lois's breath was knocked out of her at the intensity his gaze meet hers. If she hadn't known better she would have sworn he knew what she was feeling, but she knew he didn't; she hadn't had the courage yet to tell him.
Suddenly he smiled at her with a smile she had never seen before; it was beautiful but yet vulnerable at the same time. It was daring her to look into his soul, saying things have changed. She knew it was her own feelings projecting that idea into his features. She even imagined for a moment his love for her was shining through that smile.
The beep from her computer sounded again finally grabbing her complete attention.
************
Clark, on the other hand, was far from being calm. He was a nervous wreck. It was as simple as that or was it more complicated than that? He didn't know anymore. All he did seem to know was that everything had changed between them and she was going to find out just how much in a matter of seconds.
If only she knew what she was in for. He was sure she thought he had been over there typing his notes for the story to Perry, but in reality he had been replying to her accidental e-mail to him. Seeing Lois's reply to that questionnaire had been the best thing that had ever happened to him.
Clark Kent had just found out that Lois Lane loved him. She loved him. That was something he couldn't get over knowing and now he was replying to her confession with one of his own. But his confession was more than his love for her; it was his entire life.
He watched her turn her attention to her computer. He knew his e-mail had just been delivered when his super-hearing kicked in and heard the beep alerting her of the incoming message.
He knew it was now. Now both of their lives had reached the point of no return. Clark closed his eyes and waited. Any second now she would be opening an e-mail that would alter everything.
************
Lois logged into her e-mail and immediately scanned for the new message and of its originator. As she suspected, it was from Clark. Just the thought of him again sent a smile to her lips. She shook her head trying to straighten her thoughts back towards work. Maybe reading Clark's notes would help her to produce her own. She poised her mouse over it to open but suddenly paused.
"Lois!" Perry shouted upon exiting his office and walking towards the bullpen.
But it wasn't Perry that had made Lois pause. It was the subject line of Clark's e-mail that had.
[To: Lois <loislane@dailyplanet.com> From: Clark Kent
Subject: Answers for Answers]
It was specifically the words 'Answers for Answers' that gave Lois her feeling of apprehension. She wasn't sure why but it had. It wasn't exactly a title one would use if it simply contained notes regarding an impending story. Especially one from Clark; he was very organized, to the point sometimes of being anal, when it came to his notes.
"Lois!" Perry called to her again, his determined strides bringing him closer to her.
But Lois wasn't listening. She was still focused on the message in front of her. In the back of her mind, she knew this was something other than work related. She couldn't describe why she suddenly felt nervous. Thoughts ran through her mind. One in particular pushed itself to the forefront. It was the thought that Clark had gotten a copy of the completed questionnaire.
<Stop being so suspicious. He couldn't have gotten hold of it! And you think Clark obsesses.> Lois reminded herself. She had been careful to send it only to her home computer. She had been careful, hadn't she?
She knew it was impossible but still it was there, picking at the back of her mind. And it was that thought combined with the subject line that made her pause.
"Lois, where are your notes on this story?" Perry demanded, seemingly very close by. "I asked for them a half hour ago and I've already gotten Clark's..."
Lois registered enough to know that Perry was standing in front of her and that Clark had sent their editor his part of the notes. Grasping that last part, she was forced to admit the message in her possession had nothing to do with the story. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and fought for control over her rampant thoughts of dread.
"Do you want to keep this cushy job of yours?" Perry asked pointedly, apparently realizing after three attempts Lois still wasn't paying a single bit of attention to him. So he tried a different tactic. "Or does a permanent dog column seem more your style?"
When Lois re-opened her eyes, she realized then she had clicked on the message because it was open. As she stared at it, all the air in her lungs disappeared. She couldn't breathe.
1. IF YOU COULD BE ANY TYPE OF ANIMAL WHAT WOULD YOU BE? A Horse
The first line staring at her confirmed her worst nightmare. It was *the* questionnaire. The one he wasn't supposed to ever see.
"Oh my God," Lois stammered out, using whatever air she had left in her body to form the words. Panic was rising fast.
"Finally! A response from the almighty Lois Lane! Thank you for joining us today."
"Oh my God!" She repeated with a little more intensity. She was going to hyperventilate; she could feel herself going.
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To be continued...
