A Love Story in Four Parts

by Cyranothe2nd

This story takes place one year after the movie, Superman Returns and contains spoilers. I do not own Superman, but if I did, I would be rich.

Part Three- The Revelation

Clark buried his face in Lois' hair, breathing in the scent of vanilla and verbena and something else, something uniquely Lois. His arms tightened around her carefully. Clark was never more mindful of his strength, or of the need to be gentle, then when he was holding the woman that he loved in his arms.

A woman that, until tonight, had never shown any interest in Clark Kent.

Clark had never hoped that that would change, and had been surprised and delighted when Lois had asked him to dance. That he didn't know how to dance seemed to be eclipsed by the joy he felt when he was holding Lois close. When the music changed, he had been afraid that she would pull away, but instead she had stepped closer, pulling him tightly to her. After a few bars, her head was resting on his shoulder, and her body was melded seamlessly into his.

Clark thought that if he had not been resisted the impulse with all his strength, he would be floating right now. His heart was racing, his stomach was in knots, and he had never been happier.

Lois leaned her head back and looked up at him, a slightly dazed look in her eyes. Her lips parted as though she was going to ask a question.

But instead, she reached up, pulled his head down, and brushed her lips over his.

The move was so unexpected that, for a moment, Clark couldn't respond. And then instinct caught up, making his lips meet hers again. Her mouth was so warm, her body so smooth and pliant against his. Clark felt like he was drowning. He knew he shouldn't be doing this- not only was she dating someone else, but they were in full view of all of their co-workers- but he couldn't help himself. He clutched her even closer, kissing her with the focused intent of a drowning man.

And then, Lois pulled back, gazing with a shocked expression into his eyes.

"Oh, my God!" she said. "You're-" the last word slurred out as she slumped in his arms.

Clark caught her, easing her to the floor. The couples around them parted.

"Oh, is she alright?"

"What's going on?"

"Looks like she fainted."

"Must have been the heat."

Perry knelt down beside Clark, chaffing Lois' hands in his own, calling her name loudly. Clark stood, and, with the ease of long practice, melted into the crowd.

He made his way to the roof, Lois last words playing over and over in his head, her shocked expression confirmation of her revelation.

Lois knew that Clark was Superman.

It stood to reason. A kiss has taken the memory away- a kiss had given it back. She knew, and Clark was quite certain that, when Lois came to, she was not going to want to see his face.

Clark cursed himself for every kind of fool. He had not intended for her to find out this way. He had not intended for her to find out at all. She had Richard. He-Clark- was needed in her life because of Jason, but there his usefulness ended. He could only complicate her life by revealing his true identity to her, and Clark had decided long ago that, no matter what the cost to him, he had to let Lois go.

So, why is it that you visit her room when she's asleep? Clark bit down on his lip, irritated with himself.

Down below, he could hear Perry offering to take Lois home. Lois shakily accepted, and Perry drove his car around, bundling Lois into the passenger seat. Lois didn't even bristle at his coddling- a sure sign of her troubled emotional state- but accepted his help without comment, settling into the leather seat and letting Perry shut the door. Perry went around to the driver's side and the car slid away.

Behind them, Clark slipped out of his tux, revealing his Superman suit, and followed.

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"Hey Lo, we didn't expect you home for a few hours," Lucy's voice called from the direction of the kitchen. She appeared a moment later, Jason just behind her. She took in Lois' rumpled appearance, and the presence of Perry behind her. "Is everything okay?"

"Just a little fainting spell," Perry soothed.

"I must be coming down with something," Lois shrugged. "Hey, honey," she said to Jason, holding her arms out to be hugged. Arms full of little boy, she turned back to her sister. "Will you go back with Perry and get my car?"

"Sure thing," Lucy said, her heart-shaped face still concerned.

Perry nodded his agreement. "Get some rest, Lane. I expect you bright and early at work tomorrow."

Lois nodded, not bothering with a snappy comeback. Lucy frowned at her. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I think I'll just sit down. Don't worry! Jason will take care of me, right buddy?"

"Right," Jason said proudly. Lois made a shooing motion and Lucy left, herding Perry out with her.

Lois let out a huge sigh. "Why don't we go upstairs, and let mommy get out of these heels?"

Lois followed her energetic five-year old up the stairs, trying not to think of the inevitable. It was all too much- the diner, the confession, and the night they had shared. Clark...all this time right beside her and he'd never told her.

She remembered a conversation on their first day back. She had asked him in a round about way why Superman had never said goodbye to her. "Maybe he wanted to, but it was too hard for him." Cold anger filled Lois.

Had it been too hard for Clark to tell her the truth? Had it been too hard for him to not pretend to be something he wasn't, to not lie to her face every day that she had known him? Had it been too hard to let her know that the love of her life, the father of her son, was sitting ten feet away, available for a chat at any time?

'As if you would have paid any attention to Clark if you haddn't found out that he was Superman,' a voice in her head said.

"Shut up," she told it, kicking her shoes in the direction of the closet. Jason, who was bouncing up and down on her bed, turned to stare at her with widened eyes. "Oh, not you, honey."

Jason went back to bouncing as Lois yanked at her earring, taking it off with a little more vehemence then was strictly necessary. Did he think that she couldn't take the truth? Did he think that she was some shrinking violet who couldn't stand up to a difficult situation?

'Maybe he just didn't want to complicate your life,' the voice helpfully supplied. 'Plus, it was you that couldn't handle it in the first place, remember?'

She didn't have the luxury of amnesia now.

"I didn't sleep a wink last night," she had whispered. They had been standing in her office the day after Superman had single-handedly defeated Zod and his cronies. "Do you know what it's like to hear birds singing at dawn, after you've just spent the whole night crying? Don't you know that this is killing me?" Just the memory of it brought tears to her eyes. Clark's face had looked so pained, so guilty.

"I'm selfish when it comes you you," she had continued, heedless of his pain. "I'm jealous of the whole world."

What a child she'd been. A careless, selfish child.

But to play with her memory? To take away all knowledge of who had fathered her son? To leave her to pick up the peices when she'd found out what Jason was? If she had been a selfish child, what had Clark been?

Lois sighed heavily. She could hear Lucy coming in downstairs and she wrangled Jason off the bed and downstairs to dinner. She followed along, eating dinner in distracted silence, giving one-word answers to Lucy and only catching Jason as he was about to bite down on one of her egg rolls. She took it away and replaced it with some snap peas, her mind going in circles.

By the time Lois went up to her room for bed she was no closer to a resolution. She just knew one thing- If he knew what was good for him, Superman would not show up at the Lane house tonight.

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High above the house, Superman circled slowly. Lois had tossed and turned for most of the night but, scanning the house, he could see that she was now asleep. He lighted on the balcony outside her window and turned the knob. She had not locked it, which suprised him.

Clark expected her to be furious. He remembered the time they had spoken on the Daily Planet's roof, only a day after he had returned home, and the pain she had tried so hard to hide. She had almost kissed him then, too, but pulled away at the last second. Richard is a good man. And you've been gone a long time.

She had meant those words to hurt, and they had. But they were also a reminder of what he could never have; a family and a life with Lois. She was Richard's now, and he should not have forgotten that, not even for the space of one dance.

He entered the room quietly. The moonlight fell on the bed, perfectly illuminating the woman the he loved more than life itself. The woman that he would have to leave, again.

Clark moved to the dark side of the bed and watched Lois sleeping for a few moments, his heart nearly breaking at the beauty of her. She would be angry, he knew. She would be hurt, and that thought nearly broke his heart. But she would get over it. She would learn to live and to be happy with Richard again. And he- he would watch his son grow up from the clouds, and do everything is his power to keep them safe.

It was better this way.

Clark closed his eyes, willing away the tears threatening to form in his eyes. He had done so many hard things in his life, but nothing could be harder then letting Lois go.

"I'm sorry, Lois," he whispered softly. He wanted to move closer, to touch her one last time, but knew he would break down if he did. There were some things even Superman was not strong enough to bear. "I love you. I always will."

He turned away, slid back into the darkness. But at the balcony he turned back, knowing how important it was to her. "Goodbye," he said, and then leaped into the sky.

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A/N: Wow, the response to this fic is really overwhelming and I'm really pleased at all your great reviews. Thanks to everyone who reads! The fourth chapter will be posted mid-week.

I have no beta, so all mistakes are my own.