The world exploded around Clark.
Lightning sizzled through his brain.
His ears rang worse than when he’d jumped on top of the bomb meant for the Daily Planet.
His entire body went ice cold in fear.
He could feel the blood rushing away from his face to leave him a sickly pale color.
His mouth went bone dry.
He couldn’t even blink.
Deny it! his mind screeched. Deny it! Deny it, you idiot!
Clark’s mouth opened in an effort to comply with the alarms ringing in his brain and deny the claim of his true identity. His jaw moved, but no sound made it out of his throat. One look from Grandma stifled even that poor effort.
“Don’t deny it,” she said softly. Amusement twinkled in her eyes and danced on her tongue. “I know it’s you. I never forget any of my boys. And don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.”
“I…” Clark stammered.
“You can admit it,” she encouraged gently. “It’s me, after all. Not some bloodthirsty, story-seeking ne’er-do-well.”
Lie to her! Lie to her just like you’ve been lying to Lois all this time!
He closed his eyes and drank in the stillness of the night. Crickets chirped in the darkness. A firefly nearly clipped his ear as it flew by in an erratic path. Mosquitos buzzed. One landed on his hand, tried to drill its needle-nose into his ring finger, then flew off after several failed attempts. The light wind rustled the leaves on the trees ever so gently. He could smell the rich earth and the sweet perfumes of the flowers that grew all around the gazebo. He could feel Grandma’s eyes boring into him, patiently waiting for him to respond.
His heart rate spiked. He could hear the whooshing of the blood in his ears now. He could almost feel the fear and his racing thoughts hammering in his brain. He felt his stomach clench and twist as nausea rose in his body, sending bile into his throat where it burned hotly. Beads of sweat broke out on his brow and his neck, only to roll down his spine like an icy ball of shame.
What are you waiting for? Tell her that she’s wrong!
Clark sighed and shoved his inner voice aside. “You’re right. You aren’t. And…you’re right about me,” he admitted, feeling sick to his stomach at his confession.
He knew he should continue his lie. He knew he should deny the claim that he was Clark Kent. Every cell of his body was screaming for him to swear that he wasn’t Clark. But…he couldn’t. After all this time, after all he’d done wrong against Grandma Tildy…he couldn’t lie to her face like that.
I owe her the truth, he told himself, to quiet the queasy sensation he had in his stomach and his thudding heart – all of it caused from the frightening knowledge that he’d just told someone about his true identity. Someone who wasn’t even Lois – the one person he wanted to know.
“I can’t lie to you,” he continued. “But…how? How did you know it was me?”
Grandma chuckled and patted his knee. “I’ve known since Superman first appeared in public, back when that newspaper was nearly destroyed by bombs.”
“The Daily Planet,” Clark absently supplied.
“Right. I saw it on the news. The cameraman got a good shot of your face and, for the life of me, all I saw was the teenager who’d once lived under my roof.” She smiled wistfully. “At first, I thought I was imagining things, but, the more I thought about it over the following days, the more it made sense. I’d always known there was something different about you. Not in a bad way, mind you. But something…remarkable. I used to watch the way you interacted with the other boys. You were always so careful, like you were afraid you could break them in half if you touched their shoulder the wrong way or something. I saw how you’d sometimes become withdrawn into yourself, as if struggling with some internal burden. I never knew how to approach you about it, and you always seemed to snap out of it just as soon as I resolved to speak to you. I’m guessing now it had something to do with your…uniqueness.”
Clark nodded. “My powers. I was still developing them when I came to live here. Each time a new one manifested…it scared me. So I’d shut myself off a bit, until I knew I wasn’t a threat to anyone, once the ability was under control.”
“You could have told me. I could have helped you through it,” Grandma Tildy said, a bit sadly.
Clark hung his head, mildly ashamed of himself. “I was afraid. My parents were the only ones who ever knew about how different I was. They were scared that, if anyone else found out, I’d be taken and locked up in a lab, to be poked and prodded and dissected like a frog. We decided, as a family, that no one could ever know that I’m not normal.”
“I can certainly understand that,” Grandma Tildy gently replied. “Still…I wish I could have helped. I hate seeing my boys in pain.”
“I know,” Clark whispered. “At the time though…it didn’t feel safe, letting anyone know I’m different. It still doesn’t. No offense.”
Grandma chuckled. “None taken. Still, for a long time after you left, I blamed myself. Told myself I should have said something to you earlier,” Grandma Tildy mused. “I wondered if it might have stopped you from running.”
Clark shook his head. “I’m not sure. Back then…it might have made me leave sooner. I was…still am…terrified of people knowing about me.” He sighed, his guilt nearing squeezing his lungs shut. “I’m so sorry that I ever ran. At the time…it felt like my only option. Something…happened, and I got too scared to stay. I was too afraid I’d hurt you or someone else.”
Grandma Tildy nodded in understanding. “It wasn’t until after I realized that you’re Superman that I finally understood why you left. Or, rather, could guess well enough well. It was because of your gifts, wasn’t it?”
Clark nodded in turn and looked away, unable to face the kindly old woman. “My powers were still developing. The morning I left, I set the tree by the lake on fire. Not intentionally, and it wasn’t a big fire. Just two smoldering holes where I’d been staring, deep in thought. But it was enough to send me into a blind panic. I knew I couldn’t stay. I couldn’t risk setting another fire, even if by accident. What if I took down the entire house next time? What if I got someone killed? You or Chen or one of the other boys?” He could feel his heart breaking anew at his confession. “I never would have forgiven myself. I knew it would hurt everyone if I left without saying anything but I didn’t see any other option. I wanted to get myself as far from other people as I could until I was sure I wasn’t a threat anymore. My powers had scared me before – sitting in a chair too heavily and breaking it into splinters, reaching for a ball under my dad’s truck and lifting the entire back end by accident – but none of them had made me feel that terrified of myself before. And none of my other abilities has scared me that badly since.”
“That would be terrifying for a fifteen-year-old,” Grandma agreed. “It would be for anyone.”
“I couldn’t live with myself, knowing I might put the people I cared about in harm’s way. Leaving…going off to live on my own, away from the rest of civilization, felt like the only way,” Clark whispered into the night.
Grandma Tildy put her hand on Clark’s back, making him turn his gaze back to her. “I appreciate the fact that you wanted to keep everyone safe,” she told him.
“I’m so sorry,” Clark said, choking back a sob.
He wasn’t a crier by any means, but being here, in this place, reliving the fear and pain of those memories, confessing it all to a woman who’d been like a grandmother to him, was too much for his broken heart to bear.
“I won’t ask for forgiveness,” he continued once his emotions were in check. “I know I don’t deserve it.”
“Yes, you do,” Grandma said firmly, lifting his chin so that she could look directly into his eyes. “And you don’t need to ask. I’ve already forgiven you. Clark, there’s nothing you could have ever done that I wouldn’t have been able to forgive. You did what you felt you needed to do, with the best of intentions. That’s noble, even if I wish things had gone differently.”
“No, it wasn’t noble,” Clark said, shaking his head sadly. “I caused you pain. You and Chen and everyone else. It was selfish. I didn’t even leave a note to say goodbye.” He sighed and paused for a few seconds. “How did he take it, after I left?”
“You mean Chen?”
Clark nodded. “Yeah.”
“Hard,” Grandma answered after a moment. “I won’t lie about that. He missed you. I think he half expected you to come back, in the beginning, especially once the summer was over and the weather started to turn meaner. He threw himself into his role as my helper. I think, in his own way, he wanted to distract himself. Maybe even ‘fill in’ for you. After all, it was you who helped us find a lot of ways to save and make money to help with running the house.”
Clark hung his head, ashamed. “See? I caused problems.”
“Clark Kent, you stop beating yourself up right this instant!” Grandma scolded, but not unkindly. “You have to forgive yourself.” She reached over and patted his knee.
“I wish I could,” Clark replied. “So many times, I thought about coming back to apologize, once I realized I had my powers under complete control and that I was no longer a danger for others to be around.”
“Why didn’t you?” The question was full of curiosity and devoid of accusations. She cocked her head slightly to the right as she waited his response, a habit Clark knew she had when she was giving someone her full attention.
“I…” Clark began, searching carefully for the right words. He rolled his eyes upwards to the heavens, as if the words were written out for him in the stars. “Honestly? I felt like I had no right to come back. I’d been gone too long. I couldn’t even offer a good explanation for why I’d left, not without exposing my super side. And once Bruce took me in…I felt like coming back would be…kind of like rubbing my dumb luck in everyone’s faces.” He brought his gaze back to Grandma.
“Bruce Wayne,” Grandma nodded. “We’d heard he’d taken you in. The police informed me that you were safe in his care after he notified them that he was opening up his home to you.” Sadness was welled in her eyes, and something else too. It almost looked like…
She felt like she could never measure up to all Bruce could offer, he realized with a fresh jolt of guilt.
“You knew?” he forced himself to say instead.
For some reason, the idea that Grandma might have been told his whereabouts had never crossed Clark’s mind. But, he had to admit to himself, it made complete sense that she would have been told, if only to put her mind at ease. He wondered if maybe Bruce had reminded the police to tell Grandma that Clark was safe.
Again, the older woman nodded. “I was relieved to hear that you were well and safe. And I’d thought about writing to you at Wayne Manor. But I thought that maybe it might only upset you, because I didn’t understand yet why you’d run away. Had I known it was because of your powers, and not anything about the house, I would have sent you a letter.” Her voice trembled slightly as she smoothed out an imaginary wrinkle in the lap of her skirt, and Clark knew that she was ill at ease with her decision to quietly leave him to his new life in Gotham.
“Oh, Grandma,” Clark said, his heart hurting. He reached over and hugged the woman, feeling her hug him back fiercely in return. After a moment, he pulled away again. “I never really got the chance to say this but, thank you. For everything. I really did appreciate everything about living here. I still do. I would have been lost, if not for you. You gave me a roof over my head. Food to eat. Clothing. Friends. You gave me my career too. I don’t think I ever would have considered journalism, if not for you.” He smiled softly. “I did what you told me to do, by the way.”
“What was that?”
“I wrote. Every day. Sometimes it was only a line or two. Some days, it was a page or more. But I wrote. I bought new notebooks and pens when I could, with what little money I could find or earn. And you were right. It was good for me. It helped alleviate some of the loneliness and it gave me a chance to hone my writing skills. It helped me to work out my feelings about my powers too. Thank you, for putting me on that path.”
Grandma Tildy smiled brightly. “I always knew you had the skill to become a great writer. When I first saw your byline in The Gotham Gazette and then The Daily Planet, I couldn’t have been prouder.”
“Thanks, Grandma,” Clark replied humbly. “Being a reporter…it’s a dream come true. Especially working for the Planet.”
Grandma laughed. “And I’m sure that has nothing to do with working with Lois Lane.”
How did she know about Lois? he immediately wondered.
Clark felt even his ears heat in a blush and he rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously. “Is there anything you don’t know about?” he joked with a reserved smile.
She’d give Bobby Bigmouth a run for his money, he mused. He had to bite back the laugh that threatened to escape his throat. Chen always did say she’s got eyes in the back of her head and ears everywhere.
Grandma Tildy laughed again. “The gossip rags have featured the two of you more than once,” she explained with a casual shrug. “Is it true?”
“We’re…” He paused for a split second, debating on how best to define their relationship. It was true that they’d been dating for almost a year, but with him being so close to coming clean to her about Superman – and not knowing how she would react to it – he knew it could all come crashing down in the next couple of days.
“You love her.” Grandma’s face split into a wide grin. “I can tell from the sparkle in your eyes.”
“I do,” he confessed, a happy grin transforming his face from the picture of heartbreak it had been only moments before.
“Does she know?” she asked, gesturing to the S on Clark’s chest.
Clark shook his head. “Not yet.”
“You need to tell her,” Grandma warned sternly, her mouth twisting into a shallow frown, “if you’re to get serious with her.” She wagged a finger at him as she spoke, but Clark knew she wasn’t unhappy with him, only giving him advice that she hoped he’d take to heart.
“Oh, I’m very serious about our relationship. I want to spend the rest of my life with her. And…I’m working on telling her.”
“Working on it?” Grandma Tildy asked, arching an eyebrow. The tone of her voice left the expectation in the air that he would explain what he meant. He’d heard it many times before when he’d lived under her roof – not only directed at himself, but to the other boys living there as well.
“I’m ready to tell her. Just…finding a time to sit down for as long as I’m going to need to explain it all to her isn’t easy,” Clark began to explain, a bit sheepishly. “Between the Planet and Superman…” He let his voice trail off.
“Excuses,” she said with gentle dismissiveness.
Clark took a deep breath as he allowed himself to admit that she was right. He nodded slowly. “Well…yeah.” The words tumbled out in a rush as he exhaled again. “I’ve let my…my insecurities find…or create…excuse after excuse. But not anymore. I’m…I’m finally ready. I think.”
“Well, I’m glad you found someone,” Grandma said, putting a slightly gnarled hand on his shoulder. “And I hope she can understand just how special you are. But you need to make telling her a priority. Better she should hear it from you than figure it out on her own. She seems like an intelligent woman, from all I’ve read. Mark my words, Clark,” she warned.
“Thanks. I know. She deserves to hear it from me. You’re right, she’s probably the smartest person I know. But, more than that, I don’t want to break her heart. Superman is already causing problems. I know it hurts her, whenever I disappear to make a rescue.”
“All the more reason to tell her as soon as possible,” she insisted. A moment passed, then, “Clark? About the Superman thing?”
“Yes?” he asked warily, not sure where Grandma was headed.
“I’ve never been prouder of any of my boys than I am of you, for choosing to become Superman.”
Clark hadn’t been expecting that and it took him a second to respond.
“Really?” he asked, incredulous.
“Of course,” Grandma Tildy replied, as though it were the most obvious thing in all the world.
“Not even Chen? I mean, he stuck to his word. He’d helping you run the house and everything,” Clark half protested.
“Clark, listen to me,” Grandma said gently. “Yes, it’s true. Chen has done what he’s always said he would do. But it’s what he’s always wanted to do. None of it was a sacrifice for him. He’s done what he always planned to do – he married Mina and they have a wonderful family together – a boy and a girl and another little girl on the way. You, on the other hand…”
“I’m doing what I’ve always wanted too,” Clark interrupted quietly. “I’ve always wanted to be able to use these powers of mine to help people. It seems only right and…it feels good.”
“That may be so, but you don’t honestly expect me to believe that you haven’t made sacrifices in the process. You’re living two different lives, Clark. Your real life and this,” she said, sweeping a hand up and down in front of his costume. “The fantasy. There are only so many hours in a day. You can’t possibly do both without sacrificing things – a night out with friends, a date with Lois, even just a quiet night at home, alone.” She gazed at him with eyes that seemed to pierce him through, all the way down to his very soul.
“Well…sure, I guess there have been times when I had to respond to a rescue instead of doing something I really wanted to. My relationship with Lois has been…strained…at times, due to my disappearances, like I mentioned. That’s part of the reason why I’m looking forward to finally telling her my secret…even though telling her is the one of most terrifying things I’ve ever had to do. Being homeless was a piece of cake compared to this.” He cracked a wry smile.
“You see? Being Superman…your powers aside…it takes courage. I’m proud of you, for having that courage. And yes, I am also very, very proud of all the good you’ve managed to do in this world. It takes a special kind of person, with a special kind of heart, to be so giving of themselves.”
Clark found himself humbled into speechlessness. He bowed his head, fighting off a blush. Grandma Tildy once more put her hand on his back.
“I always sensed you were meant for greatness,” she said in a confidential tone. “I just had no idea how great you’d become.”
“Thank you,” Clark said, finally finding his voice. “Coming from you, that means the world to me.”
“I wouldn’t say it if it wasn’t the God’s honest truth,” the woman replied.
Clark nodded. “I know.”
When he left, about an hour later, Clark’s heart felt lighter. He still burned with shame and guilt for having run away so long ago, but Grandma’s pride in him and forgiveness of his actions had put to rest some of the questions and heartache he’d carried in his soul. For the first time, he could think of the halfway house without too much pain. He had a smile on his face as he flew back to Metropolis – at a much more leisurely pace than when he’d flown out to Kansas, in search of the escaped killer.
Was that really just a few hours ago? he wondered in awe. It feels like a week ago that I helped find Coleman.
He shook his head in disbelief. He felt like days should have passed in the intervening time, not mere hours. He certainly felt tired enough for it to have been more than a few measly hours. He covered his mouth with his hand as a yawn overtook him, and he found himself looking forward to a good night’s sleep.
It was really great, seeing Grandma again, he thought as the rolling countryside slipped away beneath him as he let the stars guide him home to Metropolis. I’ll have to visit again soon, like I promised her.
Perhaps he could even take Lois with him. The thought surprised him as soon as it entered his brain. Of course, she would need to know the full truth about himself before he flew her out to Kansas. If she took his secret well. But if she did, Clark knew that Lois would like Grandma Tildy. And Grandma would like Lois, he was sure of it. Suddenly, he was very aware of how important that was to him. Grandma had been his caretaker. Lois was the love of his life. It was vital to him that they approve of one another, just as it had been necessary that Bruce and Lois approved of each other. Bruce and Grandma were the only family he had left – a surrogate brother and grandmother the universe had given him in exchange for ripping his parents away from him.
They’ll like each other, he assured himself. Grandma and Lois are both such incredible women. There’s nothing about either one of them that the other could possibly find fault with. Lois loves me, despite my awful past…though how she’ll react to my secret identity still has yet to be seen. And Grandma… He shook his head in amusement. She’s something else. She forgave me as easily as if all I’d done was knock over a vase or something. She really is a one of a kind woman.
Not long after, he arrived home. After a quick two-minute shower, Clark fell, exhausted, into his bed and slept deeply. For the most part, his sleep was dreamless, but, when he did dream, they were all pleasant ones.
***
Clark hung up the phone with a smile, then leaned back in his chair for a moment. He took in all the familiar sights and sounds of the bullpen, still riding the rush of warm peacefulness that had entered his heart the night before. For the first time in months, he felt like everything was going right and he allowed himself to luxuriate in that feeling. He was only too aware how fleeting those moments could be – how fleeting his might very well be, once he came clean about himself to Lois. But for now, he couldn’t afford to think about that. He didn’t want to. He simply wanted to focus on all the good things that had happened lately.
“Hey, you’re in a good mood today,” Lois observed from across the aisle, where she sat at her desk studying him. “More than usual,” she amended with a wry grin. She stood and crossed the scant few feet that separated their desks.
Clark chuckled and raised his coffee in a mock toast. “What’s not to be happy about?” he responded. “After the evidence we got yesterday, we’re going to nail Luthor for his role in the Planet bombing. And, we helped those two boys out. I’d say there’s plenty to be in a good mood about.”
Lois leaned a hip against his desk and studied his face for a moment, looking less than convinced. Clark squirmed a little internally under her gaze. She wasn’t merely just looking at him. It felt like she was looking through him, with an X-ray vision of her own, searching through his thoughts. He wasn’t fooling her in the least, he knew. He could sense a little unhappiness in her as she looked at him, and he wondered if this was it, the final lie that would push Lois over the edge and make her resent him.
“You weren’t even this thrilled about it last night,” she observed, looking him up and down with a critical eye. She crossed her arms over her chest defiantly. “What’s going on, Clark? What happened? Last night you were excited about our evidence against Lex Luthor. But now? Now you look like an unsupervised kid in a candy store with a fistful of cash.” Her eyes narrowed and his felt his throat tighten and go completely dry. “I know there’s something you’re not telling me. As usual. And to be honest, I’m getting a little tired of it.”
“Lois…I…” he stammered.
“This has something to do with that mysterious talk you keep alluding to,” she correctly accused. “The talk that, quite frankly, I’m wondering if we’ll ever have.”
“Lois, I know I,” he sputtered before she cut him off.
“Yeah, I know. ‘Soon,’ right? ‘We’ll talk. I can explain.’ Right?”
“Well, I…”
“That’s what I thought. Yet here we are, again. You’re acting stranger than usual and I’m still stuck in the dark about what’s really going on in your head.” Tight lines of worry stretched over her face and wrinkled the corners of her eyes. Clark knew that they were caused, in part, from Lois still being tired from the night before. But it was more than that. His secretiveness was hurting her heart and mind beyond words.
“I…” Clark stammered, his mind racing as she leveled her gaze at him, daring him to respond.
It was true. His good mood wasn’t completely due to the videotape that would help convict Luthor of the plot to destroy the paper. It was his conversation with Grandma Tildy that had lightened his heart and put him in such high spirits. But how could he tell her that without incorporating Superman?
“Clark? Talk to me. You’ve been doing this a lot lately. Being secretive. Dodging my questions. Running out on our conversations or investigations with little to no explanations. And I know, I know. I’m just your girlfriend and I have no right to pry into your private life but, this is driving me crazy. Especially since you promised you’d tell me why.” She was half demanding, half pleading with him, he realized.
“I know,” he said softly, with a sigh. “And I promise, it’ll all make sense to you soon.”
“Clark, I swear to God, if I hear that word one more time,” she threatened, leaving the rest unsaid.
“I know, I know,” he quickly amended. “Sorry.” He sighed softly. “I know I haven’t been the best about keeping my promise to talk to you. You’re right. I need to finally make time to sit down with you and explain myself. But not now, not in the newsroom.”
“I’ve heard that one before,” she crossly reminded him.
“I know that too,” he said apologetically. “But, once we do talk, you’ll understand why I can’t do it here. Trust me. But…you’re right. It’s not just the prospect of sending Luthor to prison that’s got me in a good mood.” He paused and took a breath, ready to make the plunge, small as it was. “Something happened last night, after I went home.”
“What?” she prodded, curiosity shining in her eyes. Her fingertips drummed on her upper arms as she waited for his answer.
“I…had a conversation. A really, really long overdue one. And, well…it was exactly what I needed.”
“With who?”
Clark took another deep breath. “Grandma Tildy.”
Lois gaped in surprise and she let her arms drop to her sides. “The woman who ran the halfway house you once lived in? That Grandma Tildy?”
Clark nodded, feeling more confident as he edited his story to leave out Superman completely. “Yeah. It was about time I cleared the air with her over what happened…with me running away. She’s an incredible woman, Lois. One day, I hope I can bring you out there to meet her. She forgave me, even though she didn’t have to. And it was good for me, to finally say I’m sorry for what I did.”
Lois was smiling at him now. She leaned in and gave him a hug, then a kiss on his cheek. “That’s really great, Clark! I’m really happy for you.” She paused and looked at him, sizing up his story. “So, why, exactly, was that such a big secret?”
“Well,” Clark replied, toeing the floor in embarrassment. “It just felt…a little private, that’s all. But, I’m glad I told you.”
“I’m glad too. I remember you telling me about how guilty you felt about leaving. I’m glad you got the chance to talk to her and get things off your chest.”
“Me too. It’s like…like a weight has been lifted from me,” Clark admitted. “I feel…different now. I won’t say the guilt is gone but…at least she knows now how sorry I am that I left. She did so much for me, when I was under her care. I’ve always hated how ungrateful I must have seemed, sneaking off in the night like I did.” He took a sip of his coffee and frowned in displeasure. “Anyway, how was your night?”
Lois shrugged. “What night? I showered and went straight to bed once I got home. I was pretty tired. But, it was a good tired, you know? The kind that comes from having worked really hard to accomplish a goal.”
Clark nodded, grinning in amusement. He loved watching Lois’ face brighten whenever she got fired up about something. Her passion made his heart skip a beat. “I know the feeling.” He drank again. “Actually, that reminds me. I need to talk to Perry.”
“About the investigation?”
He shook his head. “About that kid, Jack. I was thinking, he’s old enough to hold down a job. Maybe Perry can get him something here at the Planet. Jack’s been dealt a rough hand…he needs someone to give him a real chance to turn his life around. Whether or not Jack will accept is a different matter, but I can at least try to help him get that chance.”
Lois smiled tenderly and cupped Clark’s cheek with one hand. “You’re a very sweet guy, Clark. Go on. Go save the world, one kid at a time,” she teased him, playing with his tie ever so slightly.
“Thanks. Hopefully, the Chief won’t need too much convincing.” He took her hand and kissed it, to distract her from his tie.
“You want me to come with you, as backup?” she offered.
Clark brightened even further. “Sure. You should be there, when he finds out that Jack provided us with the evidence we need to put a close to the Planet bombing.” He took another sip and winced. “Ugh, who made the coffee this morning?”
“Tim. Which is why I went down to the newsstand to get mine,” she replied, gesturing to the empty Styrofoam cup on her desk.
“Good call. I can’t drink this,” Clark said, setting down his mug with a mental note to discard the burnt tasting brew after their meeting with Perry. “Ready?” he asked.
Lois nodded just once. “Let’s go,” she smiled, and took his hand, giving it a quick squeeze. “Hey, no matter what Perry says, I’m proud of you for sticking up for Jack.”
Clark smiled back. “Thanks. I appreciate that.” He paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts. “Okay. Let’s go get Jack a job.”
Together, they walked toward Perry’s office, each stride nearly in sync as they went. When they arrived, Perry’s door was slightly ajar. They could hear him talking on his phone as he paced slightly.
“Of course not, Alice! No, I’m not sure that’s a good idea. Jerry needs to figure this one out on his own. Well, of course I love him, but this is the third time in ten years…” Perry stopped and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Lois and Clark respectfully stepped back away from the door, but they could still hear him. “All right, yeah. I’ll wire the money over this afternoon. Okay, honey. Love you too.” Perry hung up the phone and sighed again.
Clark waited a few seconds, then knocked. “Perry?”
“Oh, Clark! Come on in, son,” Perry beckoned.
“If this a bad time, we can come back,” Clark replied, opening the door a little wider.
Perry waved off his concern. “No, no. It’s fine. Come on in, you two.”
“Is everything okay, Chief?” Lois ventured to ask.
Perry sighed. “Jerry’s in trouble with the law. Again. Passing bad checks. Again.” He rubbed at his eyes, looking tired beyond measure. “When will that kid finally shape up?”
“Sorry, Perry. I know you and Alice have dealt with a lot from him in the last few years,” Lois offered.
Again, Perry waved absently, as though to dismiss the topic. “Never mind. What brings the two of you to my office? Please, tell me it’s good news.” He laughed ruefully.
“Actually,” Clark said, “it is good news. We found out who was responsible for the hit on the Planet.”
“And why,” Lois added.
That perked Perry up. His eyebrows shot up into his hairline. “Oh?”
Clark nodded. “Lex Luthor.”
Perry laughed heartily. It was obvious that he thought it was a joke.
“Lex…Luthor?” he asked between peals of laughter. “Kent, when I hired you, I had no idea you had such a sense of humor. That was a good one. Thanks for cheering me up some.” He wiped a tear out of his eye and took a moment to control his laughter, while Lois and Clark exchanged a glance. “Now then. Who was it, really?”
“Uh, Chief? Clark isn’t joking,” Lois said gently. “We have proof – a tape showing his right-hand man giving the bomber money.”
Perry instantly sobered. “Are you serious?”
“As a heart attack,” Lois replied with a nod.
Clark nodded as well. “It fits with the story Mr. Stern told us too.”
“What story?” Perry asked, his curiosity plainly written across his features.
Together, Lois and Clark rehashed the entire story – from meeting with Mr. Stern, to Bobby Bigmouth’s tip, to tracking down Jack. When they got to the part about finding Jack and Denny in what had passed for their home, Clark took over, describing to Perry in detail just how desperate the boys’ plight was and how Jack had seemed willing to make a change.
“I see,” Perry said, rubbing his chin, once the story was complete. “And this tape…?”
“Already with the police,” Lois assured him. “It wouldn’t surprise me if Lex is in custody before the day is out.”
Perry shook his head, still in shock. “I don’t believe it. I mean, I believe you two but…I don’t believe it. Lex? He’s always been so generous to the people of Metropolis.”
Clark shrugged. “Some people are just really good at hiding who they really are.”
Once more, Perry shook his head. “Well, good work, you two. I want you to follow this thing all the way through, you hear me?”
Clark nodded. “Of course, Chief.”
Perry scowled. “Lex Luthor! All this time, he’s pretended to be a friend to the paper.” He took a deep breath to calm down and looked at Clark. “Anything else?”
“Well…” Clark hedged. “There was something I wanted to ask you about, but it can wait, if you’d like.”
“No, I’m fine. Go ahead and ask,” Perry encouraged.
“That boy? Jack? The one who gave us the tape? I was thinking…he could use a job. Make a little money. Get some experience. You know…the chance to completely turn his life around,” Clark said, carefully choosing his words. “And I was thinking…maybe he could get that…here.”
Perry appeared to mull it over, which Clark had to assume was a good thing. After all, the Chief hadn’t immediately rejected the suggestion. Perry scratched his chin, then the top of his head.
“I don’t know…it’s a gamble,” he said after an excruciatingly long minute. “You mentioned his, shall we say, spotty record with the law…”
“I know it looks bad,” Clark admitted. “Jack knows it too. But I got the chance to really sit and talk with him yesterday. He wants a fresh start, Chief. He’s had a rough life. All he needs is someone to take a chance on him.”
“This means a lot to you, huh?” Perry asked.
“Yeah, it does,” Clark confirmed softly with a nod. “Because I was just like him, once. Maybe I didn’t steal to survive but…” He shrugged. “I got lucky. Someone took a gamble on me.”
Perry hesitantly nodded. “Okay then. I think the mailroom might need to fill a few positions. I’ll check around. If he proves himself, maybe we can move him up here, to the newsroom.”
“He’s a smart kid. He’d probably be a good researcher,” Clark said, thinking aloud. “And he’s good with electronics. The camera he used to tape Luthor’s man and Joey Bermuda with was broken when he found it in a dumpster – or so he says. He got it up and running after a little tweaking, and wound up catching the exchange when he was testing it out to try and sell at a pawn shop.”
“We’ll see,” was the most Perry would promise. “For now, I’ll double check on the mailroom.”
“Thanks, Chief,” Clark said graciously. “That’s all I ask.”
Perry nodded gruffly. “Good. Now, while we wait to see if an arrest is made today, I need you both to get out there and find me something to print in the blank spaces of my paper.”
Lois’ grin rivaled the intensity of the sun. “Don’t we always?”
To Be Continued…
