He’d spent more time than he cared to remember talking to Jimmy’s landlord yesterday, trying to determine if Jimmy’s belongings were still in his old apartment, and if the apartment had been let out again. They’d made arrangements to meet at 10am today so Jimmy could pack up his belongings and once they’d arrived, the landlord had tried to get money out of him, just for accessing the place. Perry hadn’t shouted at him, instead mentioning his job as a well respected editor who could write an op-ed in any newspaper in town about the shady landlords that preyed on the downtrodden. The landlord had capitulated, let them into the apartment, and returned with the copy of the lease.
The apartment was very small, a simple bachelor pad, something Jimmy could afford, close to downtown, and wasn’t full of stuff. There had been a couch, coffee table, and a bed, for furniture, plus Jimmy’s belongings such as clothes, books, dishes. The landlord, returning with the signed copy of the lease, thrust it into Perry’s hands as Jimmy began demanding to know where his TV, and something called a Sega, had disappeared to. Turned out the landlord had sold both to help recoup the lost rent, which was why he had returned with the lease. It was stated in the document Jimmy had signed, items of value would be sold to compensate for any missing rent.
Perry left Jack and Jimmy there, with the instructions to pack everything they could into the boxes he’d brought, and he’d be back in an hour. The landlord, somewhat placated that the apartment would be emptier, and cleaner, within a short time, left them alone, assured by Perry that nothing untoward would happen during his absence.
He needed something bigger than his rental car to move Jimmy’s bed and couch, and someone to drive it. Stopping to fuel up the car, he used the payphone and found a rental company with a small van he could get cheap for a few hours. He was close to Clark’s apartment, and hopefully the boy would be feeling up to getting out of the house for a bit. It would do him some good to see friends, better than hiding at home with his nightmares. Perry called Clark to let him know he was on his way, and after getting a busy signal twice, decided to head over anyways.
In the hallway leading to Clark’s apartment, he could hear Lois and Clark’s raised voices, and he hurried to the door.
“It’s none of your business,” Perry heard Clark shout.
“Fine,” Lois responded, matching his volume. “Don’t you know how fortunate you are to have people in your life who are worried about your well being?”
Perry knocked as Clark responded to Lois. “Yeah, maybe you shouldn’t have married Luthor, maybe you’d still have friends and family to support you.”
“Now, that’s enough,” Perry said aloud as he tried the door, relieved it wasn’t locked, and let himself in.
“What in the Sam Hill is going on here?” He asked, loudly, observing Lois’s paler than normal complexion, her eyes glistening, and Clark’s look of shock.
“I’m leaving,” Lois announced, walking briskly towards him, while Clark sank his head into his hands.
“Now, one moment here, Lois,” Perry drawled, lowering his voice to a normal conversational level. “I just need to talk to you for one moment before you do. Clark, I’m going to need your help with something but you’ll need to get changed. Put on some old jeans, and something you don’t mind getting a bit dusty. I’ll be right here.”
Perry watched as Clark obeyed the simple command, heading towards his bedroom. He figured he had only a few minutes before Clark emerged and wanted Lois gone by then.
“Now, Lois…”
“What do you need his help with? Why can’t I help?” She demanded.
Perry cut her off before she started on a roll. “I don’t think you’d like what I’ve got for Clark. He’s going to be busy for a few hours.” At Lois’s fierce glare, he elaborated. “I need help moving Jimmy’s stuff out of his apartment.”
“Perry,” she hissed at him. “Clark’s not in any condition to be moving stuff. I don’t think he’s left this apartment in days, he’s still injured…” Lois stopped as she choked off a sob.
“Oh, honey,” Perry mumbled as he pulled Lois into a hug. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure he’s ok, get him outside, seeing some familiar faces.” He held her for the few seconds she took to compose herself, before she stepped back from his embrace.
“Do you need me to do anything?” She asked, tearfully.
He paused, thinking. “Well, we’ll need a place to put Jimmy’s stuff. It’s not much, mind you, but more than I can fit in the place I’m staying. Can you try to find something, a storage unit, that isn’t going to cost too much?”
He watched as Lois frowned, then brightened. “I know just the place. Call me in an hour, I’ll have it set up.”
Perry watched as Lois rushed out of the apartment, and a few seconds later, Clark appeared, changed, and looking wary. “Son, I need your help. Are you up for driving a rental van?”
****
He let out the breath he felt as though he’d been holding since the airplane’s wheels had left the ground in Metropolis. Glancing around at his fellow passengers he wondered how everyone else seemed so unconcerned, so nonchalant about the flight. He’d been on plenty of flights, and while they weren’t his preferred method of travel, he hadn’t minded too much. Before Friday, at the very least, if something had gone wrong, he would have been able to survive. Now he was at the mercy of others to ensure he got to his destination alive.
As the plane taxied smoothly to the terminal, the Captain’s welcome and weather report playing overhead, Clark leaned back in his seat, tired.
After changing as Perry requested, and taking a few minutes to prepare an apology for Lois, he’d emerged from his room to find Perry waiting patiently, alone. Lois had gone home, was the only comment Perry made, before explaining what he needed. Before leaving the apartment, Clark remembered to call his parents back while Perry waited in the car for him.
His mother had been in no mood to negotiate and he’d been given two options: either he flew to them, or they flew to him. He capitulated, agreeing to fly out on the last flight that evening, thankfully a direct flight, where his father would be picking him up.
He’d then spent several hours helping Jimmy and Jack load up the rental van Perry had acquired. It had been good to see them both, and they’d been delighted to see him, Jimmy more so than Jack. Jimmy accepted that Clark wouldn’t talk about what had happened, and was more wrapped up in his own drama of needing to pack up the belongings his landlord hadn’t sold, bemoaning the task of finding a new place to live without any income, to notice Clark’s lack of energy and enthusiasm.
Jack was a different character, Clark mused. Jack had remained fairly quiet, other than a few pointed questions about his wellbeing. He was inquisitive, and very intelligent, but it was quietly hidden under a tough façade, and more than once Clark suspected Jack knew more about Superman than he let on. There had been that incident in the stairwell when they had been held hostage, the bullet that he had caught, and while Jack had never mentioned it again, Clark had noticed the curious stares and offhand comments made when no one else was around. Such as the request to Clark to break him out of the detention center. Despite Jack’s quietness, Clark knew his young friend had been worried about him and was glad to see him.
They’d driven Jimmy’s belongings to a storage building in the industrial center, and unloaded Jimmy’s meagre belongings into a space that was much larger than necessary. Jimmy had fretted about the cost, but Perry had informed him it was all taken care of.
The plane stopped moving with a slight lurch, and the moment the seatbelt sign was no longer illuminated, everyone around him leapt to their feet and began gathering their belongings. Clark, startled out of his musings, stared at his hands which were starting to itch again. He’d packed the aloe, as an afterthought, into his checked luggage and wondered which would hurt more; memories of seared skin on Kryptonite bars, or Lois’s soothing caress.
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