Author's note: This is the sequel to " Maybe I Need Glasses" and, though
best if they are read together, they can also stand alone.


A Fear of Communication
By Maria TB Mendoza <Gedri@hotmail.com>
Rated PG
Submitted April 1999



<Clark, you are in definite trouble now. You should have told her.  You
should have just come clean in the beginning but, oh no, you had to keep it
a secret. You had to be mysterious and not tell her who you really were.
Well, now you get to pay for it.>

Looking at his partner, Clark Kent (a.k.a. Superman, a.k.a. the Man of
Steel, a.k.a. the Last Survivor of Krypton) was truly frightened.

<She won't really hurt me, but she will definitely make me pay. And
something tells me the payment won’t be painless or pleasant.>

Laughing nervously, he worked his way past the group of reporters blocking
the door to the conference room.

"Here, Lois, I got us some coffee."

<Is this what you have stooped to, trying to bribe her?>

"Thanks, Clark."

<What is she so smug about?!>

"Lois, you wouldn't want to give me a hint about what you’re planning for
tonight would you?"

"No, I wouldn't. Now get to work. The Mayor should be out any minute and I
don't want to have to wait for you to find your notepad. Not that it would
take you that long even if you had to go back to the Planet for it."

<She really knows! That last part was so soft only someone with MY hearing
could have heard it, and she meant for me to hear it. She was still staring
right at me.  I am such a dead man! >

<I hadn't meant to keep it from her. I trust Lois with my life. She is one
of the few people to know about Kryptonite and it's not like she would tell
anyone. I guess I am just used to keeping it a secret. My parents know, I
know, and that's it. What if I told her, she got mad at me, and she
accidentally let it slip? What if someone gave her a truth drug or forced
her to talk? What if someone decided she was too close to me--either
"me"--and decided to use her to get leverage for some plot? They have
already tried that and she didn't even know anything.  Now she is going to
be in twice as much danger. Maybe it won't be too bad, though, she's
probably going to kill me for keeping it from her in the first place.>

<It will be nice not to have to hide it from her anymore. No more lame
excuses (Cheese of the Month, come on. What was I thinking!), no more
getting dirty looks when I have to run off in the middle of a conversation,
and, most importantly, no more lying to her. It will be nice to have someone
to talk to that I don't have to guard myself around. It's great to talk to
mom and dad and all, but they aren't really here; they don't see all the
things I have to face. Lois is always right there beside, even though I tell
her to stay outside or at least behind me, no matter which person I happen
to be. She knows what it’s like to be in danger, since she is usually the
one who finds it, and will understand when I need to talk about something.
We already talk about the stuff that happens to us as partners.  Now, maybe,
we can talk about Superman stuff, as well. No, I don't think it will be too
bad having her know after all.>

"And now, ladies and gentlemen of the press, if there are any questions…?"

<Come on, you've already dreamt through the speech. If you don't at least
appear to be paying attention Lois is going to really kill you.>

Glancing at the notes of the reporters around him, Clark quickly picked up
the highlights of the speech. Asking a few questions in order to convince
Lois that he had been paying attention, Clark quickly wrote down the Mayor’s
answers, knowing that Lois would have all the information needed from the
speech and that he could at least off this much to the story.

Gathering his stuff as the Mayor left the room, Clark looked over at Lois
and was surprised to see her staring at him.

"What?"

"Just trying to figure out how I never noticed the similarities before."

Noticing that they were the only ones left in the room, Clark sat back down
and turned to look at her.

"You never needed to compare us. We act differently, Superman is confident
while I'm more mild mannered. We definitely dress differently. We even talk
differently. There was no reason for you to think of us as the same person,
so you just never noticed the things we did have in common."

"Maybe."

"Now are you ready to tell me what to expect this evening?"

"Yea, right. Now let’s get back to the Planet. The sooner we get this typed
up and in Perry's hands, the sooner we get to dinner.”

<Oh, boy. Something to look forward to.  I wonder what the record is for
slowest typing in history?>

**********

"Come on, Kent. I know you can move faster than that."

"Sorry, Lois."

<Guess the slow typing isn't working. Maybe if I… no, she'd probably catch
on and want proof of an accident. I can just see myself now, "Sir, would you
mind writing me a note that this really was an emergency…what?… Oh, I need
it to convince my girlfriend that I wasn't just skipping out on her." Yea,
that would go over really well.>

**********

"Done."

"What?"

"Well, Clark, while you have been intently starring at you computer screen
without typing a single word, I have finished. You can't put it off any
longer. Perry has the story and we are now free to go. You want a lift home,
in the car that is?"

"Sure."

**********

Silently looking out the passenger window, Clark wondered if he should ask
again.

"You do it one more time and I am seriously going to get annoyed."

"What? I haven't said anything since we left the building."

"You're getting ready to ask about my plans again. Don't."

<How did she?>

"Clark, I may have blind about who else you are but that does not mean I
can't read you as Clark. Now, since we are here, you can get out."

"When and where should I meet you for dinner?"

"You are going to come by my apartment around six with some good Italian
food. And I do mean Italian food, as in from ITALY."

"Anything else?"

<So far so good. At least she didn't want me to take her to Italy.>

"No. Just be at my place at six with dinner and make sure it's still hot."

"I'll be there. And what will we do after we eat?"

"Then, Clark, you are going to tell me your life story, including how you
really got to earth, when you got your powers, and why you decided to become
Superman."

"Sounds good to me, Lois."

"Good. Now get out, I've got to hurry home. Something tells me Superman
might be stopping by later and I wouldn't want to have to explain why I
missed him because I was with my partner."

<I'm still her partner!>

"Don't worry. I'm sure he'd understand."

"You think so?"

"Yea, he and I are pretty close. I'm sure he wouldn't mind your talking with
me."

"Good. Now, unlike you, I can only move at normal speed and, since I want to
change before dinner, you are going to have to get out."

"Bye, Lois."

"Bye, Clark."

"Oh, Clark?"

"Yea."

"Should I leave my window unlocked?"

"No, I think I can manage to arrive through the door."

"OK, bye."

"Bye."

Whistling happily, Clark entered his apartment. Tossing his coat on the
couch and his papers on the table, he began spinning faster than the human
eye could follow. In an instant, he was off the balcony and half way to
Italy.

Gathering a few of Lois' favorite dishes, as well as some fresh bread, Clark
took his time heading back to her apartment.

**********

<Ok. I have everything she said to get. I am five minutes late so she should
have had plenty of time to change clothes and do anything else she wanted to
do before I showed up. I have flowers; you can never go wrong with flowers.
And, since I'm still not sure she isn't mad at me, I have fresh chocolate
eclairs straight from France. With offerings like this, she won't hurt me.
After all, once she tastes these eclairs she is going to be completely
hooked and, since I am the only one who can get them for her, she won't want
to damage her only chocolate supplier.>

Laughing happily at the thought of Lois strung out on chocolate pastries,
Clark knocked on Lois' door.

"Come in, Clark, I'll just be another second."

Entering the apartment slowly, he set dinner on the table and, after hiding
the eclairs in the fridge…

<It can't hurt to have a few tricks up my sleeve.>

…arranged the flowers in a empty vase and set them on the living room table.

"Nice touch. Trying to earn Brownie points?"

"Can't hurt."

"True. Now let’s eat."

"Clark, that has got to be the best lasagna I have ever eaten."

"Glad you enjoyed it."

"I certainly did. And, since dinner is finished, feel free to start talking.
I recommend you start with where you were born and how the Kent's came to
raise you and finish with the address of where you got dinner."

"Why don't you go into the living room, I've got one more surprise for you
before I start."

"Clark, the last surprise I had from you involved your flying around in
tights.  This isn't that type of surprise is it?"

"No. This is a perfectly normal surprise."

"OK."

***********

"Mmmm. This is heavenly. You have got to get these more often."

"Whatever you say."

<I knew the eclairs were a good idea.>

"But don't let my eating stop your talking."

"You want to hear everything?"

"Everything. From your first kiss to what soap you use on your cape."

"This is my punishment, isn't it?"

"Always knew you were quick, Kent. Now enough stalling. Talk!"

"What about that flight you requested?"

"Later. NOW TALK!"

Smiling happily, Clark began to talk, and talk, and talk.

<She wants my life story, I'll give it to her, but something tells me that
it will only be getting better from now on…>


The End