Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Lois & Clark Fanfic A true friend 1/1

Here's a ficlet, just shy of 1000 words - the idea came to me earlier today, after watching Brutal Youth.

This hasn't been betaed, I hope this has come out okay.

Happy anniversary ficlet friday.


Jimmy’s pen hovered over a piece of paper. He needed to share the discovery he’d made today, but at the same time, he couldn’t risk telling another person. It was too big. Superman had saved his life today… again. But that wasn’t the most shocking part. The real revelation was who stood behind the suit and cape.

Clark. His friend. His mentor.

So, instead of telling anyone, he decided to write it down, pouring his thoughts into a letter he’d never send.

***

Dear Lois and Clark,

I’ll probably never share this with you, but I need to get my thoughts out. Today I discovered plenty of things, but most of all, how incredibly lucky I am to have both of you in my life.

First, Clark. For so long, you were the guy with the glasses, always there to have my back at The Planet. You didn’t just cover for me when I screwed up; you helped me grow. You convinced Perry to take me seriously as a photographer, even when I barely believed in myself. You were the quiet hero in the newsroom. Turns out, you were the hero in tights, too.

Looking back, the signs were there. Your sudden disappearances, the way Superman always seemed to know exactly what we were working on. But none of that prepared me for the truth I learned today. You, Clark, gave up a part of yourself to save me. Not just your time or your energy. You gave up something precious and irreplaceable: your lifeforce.

And that’s what leaves me speechless.

And Lois… what can I say? You’ve always been the heart and soul of *The Daily Planet*. Fierce, fearless and sometimes a little scary (in the best way). You never treated me like the “kid” everyone else saw. You believed in me.

Lois, you always say what you’re thinking, but I wonder if you’ve had time to process this. You just got married. The two of you should be planning your future together, not worrying about whether this machine, this sacrifice, will shorten Clark’s life. And yet, in the moment, you didn’t hesitate. You protected both of us, me and your husband, when we were in Veda Doodsen’s machine. You never flinched. You always put yourself between us and danger, no matter what it costs you.

It’s not just Clark who’s a hero. Lois, you’re the strongest person I know.

The two of you are newlyweds, yet you’ve already had to face challenges that most people couldn’t even imagine. And you still find a way to show up every day, for each other, for the people who rely on you, and somehow even for me.

The two of you… it seems you've been through it all, doesn't it? From tracking down Intergang to stopping mad scientists, I was there when you two uncovered government conspiracies, exposed corruption, and even stopped alien invasions. Those investigations, fueled by stale coffee and the thrill of the chase, were some of the best times of my life. And through it all, you always made time for me.

And then there’s Superman. He’s saved me more times than I can count, but now I know it’s always been you, Clark. You didn’t just save me with your powers. You saved me by being my friend. By believing in me. By showing me that even the most extraordinary people can still be human.

***

Jimmy paused, staring at the page. His hand trembled as he thought about what he’d just written. The truth was heavy, but it was also freeing. He took a deep breath and continued.

***

Both of you give so freely, even when it comes at great risk. I don’t think I’ll ever fully understand how you do it, how you carry the weight of the world and still find time to lift up the people around you. I’m honored to be your friend.

I don’t want you to worry. Your secret is safe with me. I know you’ve both been through so much, and the last thing I want is to add to that burden. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from watching you, it’s that real strength isn’t just about power. It’s about showing up, day after day, for the people who need you.

One day, maybe I’ll tell you that I know. Maybe we’ll laugh about all the times I almost figured it out but didn’t. But for now, I’ll keep this to myself. You deserve that peace.

Thank you for everything, for every rescue, for every piece of advice, for every moment of quiet support. You’ve shown me what it means to be truly heroic, and I’ll never forget it. I’ll always be grateful for both of you. And I’ll always be here, ready to help in any way I can. Even if it’s just making sure you get the first copies of the next front-page story.

Your friend,
Jimmy

***

Jimmy folded the letter carefully and placed it behind a framed photo of him, Lois, and Clark. It was one of his favorite shots, taken during a rare moment of downtime in the newsroom. The three of them, laughing, caught in a candid moment of joy. He smiled, knowing it was the perfect place to hide the letter.

He’d heard they were looking to buy a house, a place to finally call their own. When the time was right, he’d give them this picture as a housewarming gift. And if he ever decided to share his secret, he could simply tell them to look behind the photo.

As he turned off the light and lay back on his bed, he felt a strange sense of peace. Maybe he would never tell. Maybe they didn’t need to know. But he’d said what he needed to say, and that was enough. For now.

FDK can go here

Aww, love it! So sweet! I love that he puts the letter in the frame for them to discover at some point (or for him to reveal he knows when the time is right).

That was a nice ficlet. Its always interesting to see what writers can dow ith Jimmy, who, lets face it, is probably the least "interesting" character in the LC main cast. But then, fics like this highlight his relevance again. Its always good to see there's more to him, he has more depth than the hsow lets us see.
It also fits in nicely with the whole anniversary thing, flashing back to the important stuff and such.
And yeah, its inda sad that we never got a real reaction from Jimmy about the whole life-sacrificing thing. Cause like that's a big deal, yet it was never brought up after the episode. So that's good too.
Enjoyed this.

Happy Anniversary Ficlet Friday!

Yay! It is so cool to see a story by you on the boards!

I am a fan of Michaels Landes. First season Jimmy was more mature and willing to see his career grow. Second Jimmy's character and his career seemed to be permanently stuck at gopher for everyone in the newsroom.


Reading this I could see Michael Landes, smiling and happy that his friends' secret was safe with him. You are correct, I wish we could have seen Jimmy telling them how thankful he was for saving his life.

Hope to see more great writing from you in the days ahead.

I love it! It’s beautifully written and the story is sweet. I like that Jimmy figured out that Clark was Superman and told him how he felt in a letter. I also like that he put the letter behind a picture in a frame and that he’s giving it to Lois and Clark as a wedding present. Lois or Clark might accidentally discover it but I think they would be cool with him knowing. Thank you for a lovely fic!

What a lovely little story for ficlet Friday. I can see this happening in the show. If only it had. Thank you so much for sharing.

Thank you so much for writing this!

It reminded me that just writing something down, putting something into words, can help one immensely and yes, be freeing.

Jimmy’s housewarming gift is just perfect

Hey, sorry for not replying earlier, RL has me in a tough grip. Thanks to everyone for reading, liking and replying.

90stvfangirl

Yeah, i thought it was fitting, he's giving the secret back to them, symbolically, so when - or if ever - the timing is right he can reveal it.

BlindPassenger

True, Clark/Superman made a pretty big sacrifice there, considering that he gave his lifeforce to two people to safe Jimmy. He didn't even know if this would continue to drain him, like it did with the other humans. TV shows often don't have the time to explore the psychological effects of the events to their characters in depth. I like to read and write about that in fanfiction.

Morgana

Aww, thanks


Interesting, I didn't think about that, it just struck my mind as I had just watched that episode and thought it didn't to either of them justice by just ignoring the huge sacrifice Clark had made. Even if Jimmy only knew that Superman saved him (and considering that Superman had already saved him countless times) the difference is that Superman usually isn't hurt during his rescues.

Songbird

They might discover the letter - that makes me wonder how they would react to that... that depends on when they will make that discovery, I think.

bakasi

Thanks a lot, I also wish something like this had happened in the show, it is a shame that the episode didn't adress that issue more.

Merkit

That was what I had in mind. Jimmy had no one to talk to about that huge secret and even writing it down is dangerous, if the wrong person ever saw that. So by writing the letter he could share the secret and by gifting it back to them, he gave it back to them without having them worry about the consequences of someone else knowing.

This is so sweet

I love that you've elevated this to 'mentor.'

This is such a sweet description.

I feel like Jimmy always gets shoved into the comic relief corner. I love that you're giving him the mind to connect this.

This is the nicest thing anyone could say about her?

I love seeing her through his eyes.

Awww. Love the fun of this phrasing! And it ends so sweetly!

Awwww. That really hits.

I love that he talks about showing up for his loved ones and then makes this choice to keep their peace every day.

This is so cute - that it will just be sitting there if they ever need it.

This was such a sweet little ficlet!

Hi Kathryn!
How many mistakes can there be in a 1000 words?
PERRY:

No way, Jimmy discovered that Ralph is the secret identity?

Instead, lock it away in his apartment, where no burglar would ever look.

That’s ambiguous enough.

Things like frogs and time travel and universe travel. And not to mention, psychiatrists and ex-wives!

/points at eponymous gopher/ and whose fault is it that the coffee was stale?
LOIS: /points at above list of challenges/ Let’s add said coffee, shall we? And the supposed coffee-maker’s interruptions to me getting to know Clark for real.

Awww… /waits for Jimmy to burst through closed door of storage closet/



Or they’ll find it after the next manic breaks into Lois’s home and half their living room furniture needs replacing.

Awww…sweet story! There’s been more than one Jimmy-knows setups, but this some feels like it fits into the Home series

Michael