I'm terribly impatient when I read stories so I wanted to get the next part up. I didn't want leave you in suspense for too long. Another thank you to beta extraordinaire Lisa (MrsMosley) for being so quick and good and answering my plea for help. And a thank you to Sheila, MetroRhodes, mariadferdez, Terry, Laurach (Catherine) for all the feedback. I will try to have another part up soon, but I don't think I'll be able to post it for a couple of days.

Thanks!

Rhea

SECRET AGENT
By Rhea (rheajediknight@yahoo.com)
Rated PG
9/2006


Part Three

“I know that you have to do other things sometimes, that you have another job,” Lois elaborated.

Clark’s heart began slamming in his chest and he closed his eyes for a long second. This was the moment he had dreaded and yet a part of him felt as if a weight had been lifted from his soul.

“I know that you aren’t just a reporter, Clark.” Lois said softly. Her eyes pleaded with him to talk to her.

There was little doubt now. She knew! How had she discovered the truth? He slumped back in the couch. “I’m sorry Lois. I wanted to tell you. . . “



“But you couldn’t because it’s not just your secret to keep.”

“Exactly!” He sat up. She understood. She was taking this rather well, much better than he would have imagined.

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. Your secret is safe with me. Does Perry know about this?”

“I . . . I don’t think so.” Clark’s spine straightened and he found he couldn’t look away from Lois’ eyes. “How did you find out?”

“Clark, I’m a reporter. How long did you think I would buy the cheese of the month excuse? Or I just have to pay a parking meter, when you don’t even drive to work.”

Clark flushed red and then said, “I never wanted to lie to you. You have to understand.”

She put her hand over his lips, silencing him. She whispered. “Don’t. You don’t have to say anything more.”

This was going so well, better then he could have ever hoped. But there was something about this conversation that just didn’t seem quite right. “You’re okay with this then?” He asked her.

“Well, I’m not saying that you don’t owe me big time, buster, for all those flimsy excuses. We’re going to have to work on that in the future. You’re not going to be able to keep people from guessing if you can’t get a better cover story. Didn’t they ever teach you anything about that when you first started?”

“Teach me? My parents always tried to instill in me the value of honesty. I don’t think I could expect anything else from them.”

Lois cocked her head to the side pondering his answer. Just then Clark heard an airplane having engine trouble about ten miles away. He turned away from her and Lois recognized that distant look to his eyes.

“They’re calling you now aren’t they?”

“Yes.” He smiled in relief.

“How do they contact you?”

He looked at her curiously, “I can hear them. I’m sorry, Lois. We can talk about this later. I am almost out of time. I’m really glad that I don’t have to lie to you anymore.”

As Lois looked around to see if she could detect how he was being contacted, a blast of wind struck her in the face and when she looked up, Clark was gone. Maybe he wasn’t so different from James Bond after all.

**************************************************************

After the airplane rescue, a series of other disasters filled his time. It wasn’t until it was the early hours of the morning that the world seemed to settle and he didn’t see any immediate need for his special abilities.

Clark flew as Superman by Lois’ apartment and saw that her lights were out. He didn’t really expect that she would have stayed up this late to await his return, but he couldn’t help but feel a pang of disappointment. He could hear her steady pulse and he used his x-ray vision to verify that she was fast asleep. The sheets were tangled around her legs, and for a moment he was transfixed. Her dark hair splayed out in contrast to the white of her pillow case. Her face was soft in sleep. Clark wanted to swoop down there and gather her in his arms. He could probably do it gently enough so as not to wake her, but they were partners and friends, to do something like that would be . . . inappropriate.

They needed to talk, but their conversation would have to be continued at another time.

He flew to the Daily Planet to write up a couple of stories he had gathered. Clark preferred to work when the place was empty so he could work at an accelerated speed without raising any suspicions. The place was deserted. The cleaning crew had come and gone, and he relaxed knowing that he had a few hours of peace and solitude.

Clark turned on his computer and pulled out his chair, causing something pink to flutter to the floor. He retrieved the folded paper and sat down at his desk as he waited for the computer to finish booting up. Where had this come from? He opened it and read the contents.

**I'm not always comfortable with expressing my feelings aloud, so I decided to write them on this card. I don't know if I have been able to keep my feelings hidden from you, but I find that I must express them somewhere. I love you. I think I have always loved you. I know it may come as something of a shock, and it may not be what you would want from someone like me, but I can't help the way I feel. Just know that I'm always yours.**

Clark wondered how this could have gotten on his chair. Surely Lois would have noticed this had it already been there. She would have had to sit on it and he could see no creases that would have indicated that sort of history.

He tried to remember everything that had happened when he had entered the newsroom earlier this afternoon. He remembered how Lois had been sitting at his desk, how she had looked at him with a faintly guilty expression and how her heart had galloped as he had neared. She had raced out of there as if she had not wanted to face him just then and then he remembered her sighed words as she was well beyond normal hearing "Oh Clark."

Lois must have left this for him. Had she thought he had already seen this when he had come to her place later in the evening? Were her feelings for him the reason for her odd behavior? Lois loved him! She hadn't signed either of their names, but perhaps she had been afraid to leave something so personal at work, in a place that made a business of butting into other people’s business.

He was filled with elation. Clark was glad that he was alone since he was floating a couple feet of the floor. He closed his eyes and muttered a quiet prayer of thanks. Lois Lane loved him, Clark Kent! It was too good to be true.

Then he remembered. She knew his secret. Had she written this after she had discovered that he was Superman? His feet settled down on the floor with a loud thump. He could picture the scenario. Lois somehow worked out that her partner, Clark Kent, and Superman, the hero she had mooned over like a teenager, were one and the same. It didn’t take her very long to decide to declare her love for him, but it really was just taking her infatuation to another level. Lois didn’t love Clark Kent; she wanted the man in the cape, the person who was only a small portion of who he really was.

Clark knew that his perception of Superman being some other person than himself was a little odd. But it broke his heart that she never seemed interested in him unless he was leaping tall buildings or stopping speeding trains. What if they established a relationship and then something happened that caused him to lose his abilities for good? Would Lois ever be satisfied with who he was and not just what he could do? Now that Lois Lane knew that Clark was Superman, and professed her love for him just after this discovery, he felt he would never really know if their love was real. He did love her, it was true, but right now all he wanted to do was fly to the other side of the world and start all over again.

He didn’t want to take the card home. Clark was too confused right now. He wanted to talk to her, not read her feelings for him on an anonymous card. Of course he would never throw it away. The sentiments expressed here were so close to the ones he had always hoped to hear. Clark opened his file drawer and put it in the file folder labeled “Lois Lane.” He noticed the files were out of order and absently re-alphabetized them. He wasn’t certain how to talk to Lois about this discovery. Maybe it would be best to pretend that he hadn’t seen the card? He was never one to really avoid a problem, but he suddenly felt so tired. Maybe in the morning he would know what to do.

He turned his attention to the stories he had come here to write. He managed to crank them out, but they lacked emotion. With a heavy heart, he left the Daily Planet and walked the distance back to his apartment at normal speed. He settled into bed just as dawn was breaking.

********************************************************************

Perry White was surprised to find the stories from Kent pending his approval. They were technically correct, but seemed to lack a certain depth. After a short debate, he sent them on and wondered if his little plan had failed. He was certain that Lois had found that card he had made. She had certainly scurried out of here like a mouse escaping a Cat’s claws.

It was still early. Lois had not arrived, and with the late night stamp on these articles, he didn’t expect Kent to arrive anytime soon. He casually made his way to Kent’s desk and pulled out his master key. Sure enough, when he opened the file folder marked “Lois Lane” the pink card was still lying unread inside. Damn! And he had been certain that the discovery of a folder with her name on it would be too irresistible for her to . . . .well . . . resist. Those two have been buzzing around each other for far too long, and he was getting too old to watch them play this game. Those two belonged together.

Jimmy Olson called from across the newsroom, “Morning Chief”

Perry quickly closed the file folder and made his way toward Jimmy. He took a doughnut out of the box and studied it as if it contained all the answers that he sought. Lately, he had been feeling out of sorts with Alice, and he knew that his feelings of unease were what had prompted this matchmaking attempt. Besides, those two belonged together. If they didn’t resolve their unrequited feelings soon, he was certain that one or both of them would quit the Daily Planet and move on. He had a newspaper to run. He took a large bite and smiled.

“I thought you were watching your cholesterol, Chief.” Jimmy’s eyebrows rose.

“Some things are just too important to let sit lying around, Jimmy.” He muttered.

Jimmy looked at the glazed one he had been thinking about since he had bought the box and said with a smile, “You’ve got that right!” He took the doughnut and walked away intent on his morning tasks.

Perry didn’t hear the young man. He knew that he needed to do something to fix this mess. Maybe he just needed to encourage Lois to look one more time for that “file” he needed. This match making stuff sure looked easier in the movies!
********************************************
Lois had waited up until she knew that there was no way that Clark would return that night. She had immersed herself in the routine of getting ready for bed as her mind raced through the possibilities. What was Clark doing right now? Was he single handedly facing some terrorist group? Was he trying to steal some information for some government project? Was he in danger even now?

She decided that the next time he wanted to do one of those disappearing act, she was going to insist on going along with him. Didn’t he realize that he needed her? Lois was the one who was always pushing the limits of the law. Wasn’t she the one who was good at getting information even when someone refused to talk? She was the one who owned a lock picking kit for crying out loud! Not that she ever remembered to take it with her, but that was beside the point. Lois didn’t even know if Clark knew karate. She nearly had her brown belt in Tae Kwan Do. Why hadn’t the government approached her? She would make a far better spy than Clark Kent! After all, he wasn’t Superman!

It’s a good thing that she was in love with Clark or she would be furious with him. That thought brought her up short. In love with him? Clark Kent? It was as if the final puzzle piece was put into place and she could finally make out the picture. Of course she was in love with him. He was attractive, noble, intelligent, sweet, and a terrible liar, which was one of the things she loved about him the most. He was so honest that it must literally cause him pain to tell untruths to the people he cares about. She had seen the card in his desk. She knew that he returned her feelings. Maybe it was time to let him know how she really felt.