Synopsis: Cat get's in trouble, while Jimmy receives some bad news...
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Chapter Two
“So how did Kent and Lois hook up?” Cat asked Jimmy upon seeing Clark leave the newsroom.
“Oh that is a long, long, looooing story,” Jimmy teased, “It'd take a long time to tell and I don't even know the half of it.”
“C'mon fess up! I need the gossip!”
“Cat...any dirt on those two has long since been dished by the Metropolis Star, the National Whisper and Top Copy. They're 'old news' now.”
“Maybe I shouldn't have gone away,” Cat huffed, picking at a fingernail.
“Does Perry even know you're back?”
“Mmm...nope,” Cat said nonchalantly.
“Cat...why are you back here?”
“I got bored, okay?”
Jimmy for his part just looked straight at her.
“Alright...I ran out of money...I'm broke and I need a job.”
Jimmy grinned, “Back working with the plebes again?”
“Very funny...Anyway I wanna know how Lois ended up becoming a married mother, and I wanna know what you've been up to, and what your secret is?”
“Secret?” Jimmy was confused.
“Come on! You look as young and fresh-faced as I remember!”
“I dunno!” Jimmy chuckled, “Guess I'm just lucky!”
“So are you single?”
“...No.” Jimmy lied.
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“Your sister is not going to be happy Miss Lane,” Superman said to Lucy while she waited on the tow truck arriving to pick up Lois' car.
“I'll pay the damage! Oh god...what is it with me and cars?”
Clark had been on his way back to the planet when he'd heard Lucy Lane cursing and swearing. Clark winced when he realised she'd totaled Lois' car for the third time.
Luckily Lucy herself was okay, but the car was a right-off, half-wrapped around a lamppost.
“Would you like me to fly you to your sister's house to explain what happened?”
“Hmm...well the sooner I face her, the sooner she'll calm down...maybe.”
“I wouldn't hold my breath,” Superman mused.
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Having left the Planet following her tour, Kara King took the opportunity to peer through some trees at the Man of Steel talking to a woman that looked a bit like Lois Lane. For years she'd imagined seeing Superman in person, and now here he was. She tried to control her racing heartbeat knowing only too well that Superman's super-hearing would pick up on it.
Kara listened as the woman began to talk. “Actually, I think I'll walk it to my sister's, but thank you anyway.”
Not wanting to be noticed snooping about, Kara tried to make her way out of the bushes and back onto the street.
“Can I help you miss?”
Dammit...rumbled
“No I'm fine...I uh...just got turned around...I'm new in town.”
Superman gave her an odd look, and she flinched slightly under his scrutiny.
“You wouldn't happen to work at the Daily Planet would you?”
“Uhm yes I do actually.”
“I'm good friends with the Kents...Clark mentioned that Perry had just hired a new junior reporter.”
“Yeah,” Kara smiled shyly.
I can't stop it! Somebody help!
Kara's attention was distracted by a shout for help. Luckily Superman also heard it, so he didn't notice her reaction.
“I'm sorry Miss King, but duty calls.”
With that, Superman flew off.
“Hmm...I didn't tell him my name, did I?”
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Perry couldn't believe it.
“Cat...You can't just walk in here and expect to get your old job back after all these years...We don't even have a gossip column anymore.”
“Not yet, but I'd be delighted to start writing Cat's Corner again.”
“We don't need a gossip corner anymore...Anyone that's interested in what the rich and famous are doing can buy a glossy magazine, or go onto our website and look at the celebrity section, which is over-staffed as it is!”
“Perry-”
“I'm sorry Cat...I don't think there's place for you here anymore.”
Jimmy burst into Perry's office, “Cat...the police want to talk to you about a stolen hire car.”
Perry continued to stare sternly at her.
“It's not stolen! I just borrowed it for a while...I...I had to get here.”
Perry turned to Jimmy, “Son, tell the police that Ms Grant will talk to them in a couple of minutes.”
Jimmy nodded and left the office.
Perry scrutinized Cat more closely. At first glance she'd looked the same as she always had. He looked at her more closely now and could see how tired she was.
“I didn't have the cab fare...I thought I'd drive here, see you and drive back and pay them when I got paid!”
“You're broke, aren't you?”
Cat laughed nervously, “Uhm...well...I...Completely, sir.”
“Your husband gave you over ten million dollars when you divorced him...Where did all that money go?”
“A Carribean island...And can you believe? They repossessed it! I didn't know an island could be repossessed!”
Perry bit his bottom lip, “Listen Cat...I can't give you back your old job...It just isn't there any more,”
“Perry...I have to have this job-”
“And you'll have a job...as a mainstream reporter.”
Perry could see the wave of relief wash over Cat, before she got excited and clapped her hands together.
“But you go in as a junior...you might already be able to dish the dirt on peoples' love lives, but you'll need to cut your teeth on a few...'real' news stories.”
Cat stopped bouncing on the spot, not overjoyed at the news, but not deflated by Perry's decision either.
“I won't let you down Perry.”
And she meant it.
As Cat turned to leave Perry's office, the phone rang.
“Perry White, Daily Planet....Jimmy Olsen?”
Perry held the receiver in his hands and called for his trusty sidekick, “Jimmy!”
“He's down with the hire car,” Cat reminded him.
Perry quickly dug into his pocket and took out some cash.
“Go and get Jimmy. Give this to the police to give to the hire company...any problems, tell them to come and talk to me.”
“Who wants to talk to Jimmy?”
Perry looked at Cat, his face stern and serious, “The hospital...It's his father.”
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“Officer...I'm sure there has to be a mistake...Ms Grant wouldn't steal a car,” Jimmy tried to reason with the policeman who was intent on towing the hire car.
“Cat! I sure could use your help here!” he called upon seeing Cat emerge from the front of the Daily Planet building.
“Ms Grant?”
“Yes?”
“Did you steal this vehicle?”
Cat gave the officer her most sultry look, “Now why would I do a think like that? I may have forgotten to pay the rental fee, but I certainly wouldn't steal!”
Smiling at the policeman, she handed him the money Perry had given her. “This is for the hire company...If they have any more problems, they can talk to my boss, Perry White.”
The officer's eyes widened at this remark, “Oh uhm of course Ms Grant...I'll drop off this payment at Wayne Rentals right away.”
“Thank you,” Cat grinned.
Once the officer was out of earshot, Jimmy turned to Cat, “You owe Perry big time.”
“I know, but he told me to come down here to tell you the hospital's on the phone...It's your father.”
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A few minutes later, Jimmy was back in Perry's office.
“Uh huh...uh huh...Yes he's here now,” Perry gave Jimmy a worried look and handed the receiver to him.
“Hello?”
“James Olsen? This is Doctor Haddow at Metropolis General Hospital. I'm calling with regards to your father, Jack Ethan Olsen?”
“Yeah?”
“I'm afraid he was shot at by a sniper a few days ago. He paid to be transferred out of a military hospital so he could talk to you, but the prognosis isn't good. We'd suggest that you come to the hospital as soon as you can.”
“I...I'm on my way-”
“He's in Ward Four...We'll let him know you're on your way.”
Jimmy put down the phone and looked at Perry. “It...It's my dad...somebody tried to kill him...They...I don't think they think he's gonna make it...I uh.”
“I'll drive you there myself, son,” Perry replied.
