DISCLAIMER: I claim none of the characters. They are all DC's; a good majority of the characters are from the Superman comics, but there are a few of them from the Supergirl comic series. In short, they're not mine; I'm just borrowing them. I'll return them, I promise!
- - - -
The next morning, Jimmy was sitting at his desk, looking at some information he found and saved yesterday before leaving, whistling ‘Zip A Dee Doo Dah.’ He was in a really good mood, but he was a little fidgety as he sat in his chair. He kept glancing toward the elevators, looking for Linda; she was over thirty minutes late, and he was getting a bit worried. He knew she had gotten home safely last night; she had called him. It just wasn’t like her to not call or give some indication that she was going to be late; he hoped she was okay.
“Jimmy, how’s the info coming for Lois and Clark?” Perry asked as he came over to the young man’s desk.
“Uh, it’s, coming,” Jimmy replied, distractedly, not looking up, images all the horrible things that could happen to Linda.
Perry noticed his photographer’s expression. “Jimmy,” he said louder. Jimmy looked up. “Info. Lex Luthor. For Lois and Clark. Where is it?”
“I, uh, just started on it, Chief,” Jimmy replied. “I’m running some background searches while I do this research for Linda.” He heard the ping and glanced over at the elevators as one set of doors opened and Linda stepped off. He grinned as she looked over and met his eyes. She smiled and started over.
“Hi,” she replied when she was within arm’s length of Jimmy.
“Hi,” he said, putting an arm around her waist and kissing her cheek. “You’re late.”
“Sorry,” Linda replied, looking a bit apologetic. “I had to check up on something.” She noticed Perry. “Good morning, Mr. White.”
Perry had his head tilted to the side, looking absolutely dumbfounded. He didn’t expect to see Jimmy and Linda talking, much less with Jimmy’s arm around her waist, considering their battle from yesterday.
“Uh . . . you two are talking,” he said slowly.
“Yeah,” Jimmy replied.
“To each other,” Perry continued.
“We made up at Jimmy’s place last night,” Linda replied.
“Okay, that is more information than I need to know,” Perry said quickly, adverting his eyes. He cleared his throat. “Uh, uh, get to work you two.” He quickly headed back to his office. “And get that stuff for Lois and Clark, Olsen!” He shut his door behind him.
“Well, that’s one way to get rid of him,” Jimmy chuckled. He noticed Linda’s confused expression. “What?”
“I told Mr. White the truth,” Linda replied. “Did I say something wrong?”
Jimmy had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. “No, you didn’t say anything wrong,” he replied, smiling. Now that he knew the real reason why Linda was curious about things and behavior that most people wouldn’t be, it was almost cuter than when he didn’t know her big secret. It *was* because she’d been isolated from normal Earth behavior, just not because she had led an isolated life *on* Earth. Part of his mind began wondering what else about Earth life she didn’t know about, but he quickly reprimanded himself for thinking like that, especially when they had work to do.
“So, you were checking up on something?” Jimmy asked.
“Yeah,” Linda replied. “Harry, Joe, and Surly.”
“Don’t you mean Larry, Moe, and Curly?” Jimmy asked.
“Who?” Linda asked.
“The Three Stooges,” Jimmy replied. She tilted her head, confused. “Uh . . . never mind. So, who’s Harry, Joe, and Surly?”
“The trio who dropped by your place last night,” Linda replied softly. She glanced around, making sure no one was within hearing distance as she lowered her voice. “I flew by the police station to see who wanted you hurt. I mean, big guys, lots of them, dressed in nice suits. Not exactly your typical breaking and entering, right? Especially when they knock on your door first.” She smiled apologetically. “Kinda sad I know more about criminal methods than regular life, huh?”
Jimmy smiled sweetly, his eyes dancing with affection. He pulled her close and said, “Linda is much too interesting to be regular.”
Linda smiled. “You’re sweet.”
“Thank you,” Jimmy replied, grinning. “So, what did you find out?”
“Nothing good,” Linda replied, her smile fading. “The trio were transferred to another precinct early this morning, but while en route there was an accident, and they managed to escape. Police aren’t sure if it was staged or what. I told them to keep me posted.” She looked seriously at Jimmy; the young man noticed it immediately.
“What?” he asked.
“I’m worried,” Linda replied. “We have no idea what’s going on, or even who’s behind it. I think it would be best if we stay together as much as possible. That way, if anything happens -”
“Linda,” Jimmy said softly and seriously, “you don’t need to worry about me. I can take care of myself.”
“Uh huh,” Linda replied, crossing her arms, not believing him. “Look, whether you like it or not, I’m sticking to you like glue.”
“Really?” Jimmy grinned. “That could be fun.”
Linda rolled her eyes. She glanced at the computer. “Been working on our research, huh?”
“Well, that and stuff about Lex,” Jimmy replied. He noticed her troubled expression. “For Lois and CK. They’re in a rut, and they need me check on some stuff for them.”
“Oh.” She glanced over to her desk, seeing the roses. She sighed. “I feel bad about treating Lex the way I did.”
“Why?” Jimmy asked as he sat in his chair. “He’s a Luthor. He’ll get over it.”
“That’s something you can explain to me,” Linda said as she leaned against Jimmy’s desk. “What is it about Lex and his family that you find so . . . so . . .”
“Repulsive?” Jimmy suggested. “Nauseating?”
“Yeah,” Linda replied. “What did they do?”
Jimmy snorted. “Well, for starters, Lex Luthor II tried to steal my girlfriend from me. And as for his father . . . let’s just say he put all of us through hell, especially CK and Lois.” He had to pause and take a deep breath. Luthor was one of his touchy subjects, but he didn’t want to take it out on Linda; she obviously hadn’t been told about Luthor. He glanced up at the young woman. “Look, I’ll tell you whatever you want to know about Luthor, okay? But just not here, okay?”
“Okay,” Linda replied.
“How about over lunch?” Jimmy asked, smiling. “My treat?”
Linda grinned. “You have yourself a deal.”
“And can I do one other thing?” Jimmy asked.
“Sure.” Linda watched as Jimmy got up and walked to her desk. He grabbed the flowers and their container and dropped them into her wastebasket. He came back over and sat down, looking satisfied.
“There, now I feel better,” he said.
Linda couldn’t help but smile. She leaned over and kissed him before grabbing her chair and pulling it up beside him, sitting down. “So, did you find anything?”
“Quite a bit, actually,” Jimmy replied in a soft tone, typing. He brought up a few popup windows, showing various old newspaper articles. “The Guardian *did* exist in the 1940s, and he *did* work in Metropolis, but his base of operations was mainly in Suicide Slum.” He felt Linda playing with his ears; it kind of tickled. “What are you doing?”
“Playing with your ears,” she replied. “Continue.”
Jimmy chuckled, trying to keep from laughing. He didn’t mind it; it just really tickled, and he found it hard to concentrate as he scrolled down. “Uh . . . he was, uh, a big wartime hero that, uh . . . saved a lot of people.” There was a photo of the Guardian. “Here’s a picture of him. Not very good.”
Linda peered at the photo. It was a black and white photo, very grainy, but she could make out the figure in the foreground. There were similarities in the costumes between him and the Guardian she fought a couple nights ago. She sighed. “It looks like him, but it’s not the same guy.”
“Well, of course not,” Jimmy replied. “He’d be in his eighties by now. No way he’d be able to beat, uh, Supergirl up.”
Linda patted his cheek. “Good save.”
“I’m learning,” Jimmy shrugged, grinning.
Linda looked back at the photo. Something in the background caught her attention. She pulled her glasses down her nose slightly. Using her telescopic vision, she focused in on the spot in the background, and her eyes went wide. “No way,” she whispered.
“What do you see?” Jimmy asked, leaning forward.
Linda nodded, never taking her eyes off the screen. “Them.”
Jimmy peered at the screen. “I’m not seeing them, whatever they are.” He leaned over, whispering in her ear. “Some of us don’t have that good of vision, Linda. Shall I blow it up?”
“Are you mocking me?”
“Yes, I am, but in a nice way.”
“There's a nice way?”
Jimmy kissed her nose before typing a few codes. Using his mouse, he isolated the background and blew it up, fixing the appearance. “There.” The two glanced at the blown up section, which showed four young boys standing nearby. “It’s just a bunch of boys.”
“Not just any boys,” Linda replied. She lowered her voice. “Those were four of the five boys I was protecting from the Guardian two nights ago.”
“I’m sure they weren’t the *exact* same boys,” Jimmy replied.
“Jimmy, they looked *exactly* like those boys do,” Linda said. “Same looks, same clothes.” She pointed to the young boy with the newsboys cap on his head. “Right down to the same cap. Does it give their names in this article?”
Jimmy typed a few keys and scrolled quickly. “Uh, no,” he said after a few moments. “It just mentions something called the Newsboy Legion.” He glanced over and saw Linda’s eyebrows furrow. “Wasn’t that what you started researching yesterday?”
“Yeah, along with those names,” Linda answered. “Jimmy, I know this is going to sound weird, but I think those boys in the photo *are* the Newsboy Legion: Tommy, Gabby, Big Words, and Scrapper.”
“How do you know their names?” Jimmy asked.
“Well, when I was in the park, four of the boys called the fifth one Scrapper,” Linda answered. “As for the other three, Wally gave me their names.”
“Who’s Wally?” Jimmy asked warily.
“A friend. I met him at the Perk o‘Latte yesterday.” She glanced over and saw his wary expression. She reached up and put a hand on his shoulder. “He’s just a friend, Jimmy. Really.” She smiled. “He could never compare to you. Neither could Dick or Cutter, for that matter.”
Jimmy raised an eyebrow. “Uh . . . thanks. I think.” He cleared his throat. “So, you met three guys yesterday at the Perk o'Latte?”
“Four, actually, if you count Buzz,” Linda replied. Not noticing the frightened-deer look on his face, she straightened and gently moved past him to retrieve a pad of sticky notes.
“B-buzz?!?” Jimmy’s voice half-squeaked before he could clamp down on his reaction; he knew he shouldn't be so insecure, but, well, he was dating a woman who happened to have dual identities - something that he figured was going to be challenging enough to deal with. He cleared his throat. “Uh, that his real name?”
Linda shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“So, you spent time with four guys yesterday? By yourself?”
“No, not really,” Linda answered. “Mattie and Andy were there too. And it was only three guys; Buzz just gave me free coffee.” She glanced over and saw Jimmy’s expression. “What’s wrong?”
Jimmy raised his eyebrows. He couldn’t believe she just asked him that, but he quickly reminded himself that she probably wasn’t familiar with the dating customs of Earth. He cleared his throat. “How did you meet them exactly?” he asked.
Linda looked confused. “Why? It was nothing spectacular.”
Jimmy smiled. “I just want to hear about your new friends, that’s all.” He hoped he sounded convincing. Last thing he wanted was her finding out he was wondering if he was able to measure up to them, whoever they were; she’d probably laugh at him.
Linda took a deep breath and leaned back. “Well, after I left yesterday morning - the first time - I just started walking and thinking, and I happened upon the Perk o’Latte. It smelled nice, and I was looking for chocolate, so I went in. I bought a coffee, but I realized I left my purse back here, so I turned to leave, but the guy behind the counter gave it to me.”
“Buzz, right?” Jimmy asked.
Linda nodded. “Then a girl walked up and started teasing Buzz for giving away free coffee to all the girls. She introduced herself as Mattie Harcourt, and she invited me to join her study group. That’s how I met the others: Cutter, Andy, Dick, and Wally. They’re really nice people, Jimmy. We talked for over an hour. Well, I talked; they listened.”
“What did you talk about?” Jimmy asked.
“You,” Linda replied.
“What?” Jimmy nearly shouted. “Oh, great. They haven’t met me, and they already hate me, right?”
Linda grinned as she leaned over. “You’re jumping to conclusions, Jimmy. How could they judge you before meeting you?” She kissed him. “Besides, how could anyone not like my Jimmy?”
“Well, the three guys who tried beating me up last night didn’t like me so much,” Jimmy replied wryly. “It’s a concept we have here you might not be aware of: people judge you before meeting you. It’s a force of habit.”
“Doesn’t make it right,” Linda said.
“Most times, yeah,” Jimmy replied. “But sometimes, it’s okay.”
“How so?”
“Well, when I first saw you, I thought you were pretty hot,” Jimmy smiled. “And I didn’t know a thing about you.”
“Which me?” Linda smiled.
“Um . . . both of you?” Jimmy looked a bit sheepish, blushing.
Linda leaned back, folding her arms. “And now that you know me - both of me - what do you think?”
“You’re still hot,” Jimmy replied.
Linda chuckled. She leaned over and kissed him again. “Thanks.”
“And what about me?” Jimmy asked teasingly. “Don’t think I didn’t see the way you were looking at me either.” Linda blushed, her smile fading, and turned back toward the computer screen. Jimmy noticed, and his smile faded. He swallowed, thinking that she hadn’t given him a look, that he had misread her apparent interest in him. “Uh, did I say something wrong?”
<You wouldn’t understand.>
Jimmy almost jumped out of his seat, startled. He had heard Linda’s voice clearly, but she hadn’t spoken at all. “What do you mean I wouldn’t understand?”
Linda’s looked up, shocked. “You heard that?” she whispered.
“Yeah, I heard that,” Jimmy replied. “Wh-wh-what was that?”
Linda glanced around, then got to her feet. She grabbed Jimmy’s arm and pulled him toward the conference room. She gently pushed him inside and closed the doors behind her. For a few moments, they just stared at each other, not sure what to say.
“You really heard that?” Linda asked after a few moments of silence.
“Yeah,” Jimmy replied, slightly out of breath. He had to pull out a chair and sit down. He glanced up. “Linda, what was that?”
Linda took a deep breath and walked over to the table, sitting beside him. “Well, you know everything else; I guess this goes along with it.” She paused, trying to find the right way to tell him, then she decided to just tell him. “Jimmy, I’m telepathic.”
It took Jimmy a few minutes for it to sink in, then he sighed and closed his eyes, rubbing his face. “Great,” he muttered.
Linda looked at him. She didn’t have to read his mind to see how troubled he was. She took his free hand. “I don’t read peoples’ minds,” she said. “It doesn’t work that way.”
Jimmy looked at her. “Then how did you know I was thinking about that?”
“Because I see the worry on your face,” Linda replied. “I have never read your thoughts.”
“Really?” Jimmy asked.
“Jimmy, if I had, I would have figured out a long time ago that you knew I was Supergirl,” Linda smiled.
Jimmy smiled briefly. “So, what’s bothering *you*? And what wouldn’t I understand?” Linda’s smile faded. Jimmy took her hands. “Linda, this was a mutual relationship, right? I mean, when I asked you out, you didn’t say yes just because you thought you had to, did you?”
“No, of course not,” Linda replied. “I wanted to, but . . .” She sighed, looking at him. “Do you know what it’s like to be a Kryptonian noble? Or even just a Kryptonian?”
“Well, I know that CK was married at birth, because *he* was a noble,” Jimmy replied. He stopped, realizing what he said. “You were married too, weren’t you?”
“Yeah,” Linda replied. “The same as Clark - at birth.” She took a ragged breath. “But, um, I never knew -” She paused, rethinking her choice of words. “I was married, but it was because I was a noble, not because it was my choice. We were a political couple; there was no love or romance or any kind of feelings. I was taught from an early age that it was selfish to have those feelings, and I believed everyone who told me. When I came here I saw everything that I had never experienced. And when I saw you, I was so captivated with you, and . . .” Tears welled up in her eyes. “And the first thing I thought of was how selfish I was being by . . . by being attracted to someone.” She looked down, ashamed.
Jimmy leaned over and tilted her chin up with his finger. “It’s okay. It’s not selfish, Linda. It’s perfectly natural.”
“Not to me,” Linda mumbled. She looked at Jimmy. “You know, it took Lois and Martha almost a month to convince me that it was all right to feel those feelings for someone - about you?”
Jimmy smiled and shrugged. “So? I just think it makes our relationship all that more special.” He leaned over and kissed her, squeezing her hand. “Come on, let’s get back to work.” The couple left the newsroom and headed back to Jimmy’s desk. They sat down and looked at the computer screen.
“Okay,” Jimmy said. “Now, all we seem to know is that there’s this Guardian character, who happens to be a relic from the 1940s. This new guy - let’s just call him a copycat for now - is back in Metropolis, and he seems to be after a bunch of kids.”
“Who look like the original members of the Newsboy Legion,” Linda added. “A group of kids that associated with the Guardian in the 1940s.”
“But there were five boys in the park, right?” Jimmy asked. “That doesn’t explain who the fifth boy was.”
“Yeah,” Linda replied slowly. She looked confused, shaking her head. “This is confusing.” She drummed her fingers absentmindedly on the desk.
“Hey, hey,” Jimmy replied softly. He reached over and gently pulled Linda’s hand away from the desk. “Take it easy.”
Linda glanced down and saw gouge marks where her fingers had drummed. She looked sheepishly at Jimmy. “Sorry,” she replied. She sighed. “So, what’s our next move?”
“Well, it’s too bad no one ever figured out who the Guardian really was,” Jimmy answered. “We could talk to him, if he was even still alive.”
“What about the Newsboys themselves?” Linda asked. “They seem to be the key, too.”
“Hold that thought,” Jimmy said. He started typing on his keyboard. Within a few minutes, he had brought up four different windows. “Bingo.”
“What is it?” Linda asked, leaning over.
“The four original Newsboys,” Jimmy replied, almost proudly. “John ‘Gabby’ Gabrielle, Anthony ‘Big Words’ Rodrigues, Patrick ‘Scrapper’ MacGuire, and Tommy ‘Tommy’ Tompkins.”
A slow smile spreading across Linda’s face as she glanced over at Jimmy. “Good work.”
“Hey, you’re not so bad yourself,” Jimmy smiled.
“So, what’s up with the ‘boys’ now?”
“Well, Gabrielle was in business,” Jimmy replied, “Rodrigues graduated from Metropolis University with a Ph.D. in Quantum Mechanics, MacGuire became an engineer, and Tompkins became -” he stopped in mid sentence, his eyes wide. “Whoa.”
“What?” Linda asked.
“Tompkins got a Ph.D. in genetic research,” Jimmy replied.
“So?” Linda asked. “What’s so interesting about that?”
Jimmy glanced over. “Um, I’m not sure if CK told you about this, but a couple years ago this scientist who happened to know a lot about genetics ended up cloning some criminals from the 1940s.”
“Cloning?” Linda almost laughed. “You’re kidding. I didn’t think the technology on this planet was that advanced.”
“Well, no one did until Al Capone showed up and threatened Perry,” Jimmy replied, rolling his eyes. “Or when Bonnie and Clyde carjacked Perry and me. I saved us.” He shrugged. “And then there was CK getting shot . . .” He paused, seeing her slightly alarmed expression. “At the time we all thought he was dead, but I guess he was only faking his death. He later told us that Superman had found his body and used Hamilton’s research to regenerate a new body.” He shrugged. “I guess that was a lie too.” He glanced up at Linda. “You know, I know that we’re years behind in the technological race, and I’m sure you dealt with cloning all the time, but that’s no need to assume we don’t have the capabilities.”
“Cloning is a sore subject with Kryptonian history,” Linda replied quietly. “Ages and ages ago, it was the source behind great civil wars that almost destroyed life on Krypton. I personally never agreed with cloning. And I didn’t mean to insult Earthlings; it’s just that I feel genetic research is a touchy subject; it’s way too dangerous if it ever fell into the wrong hands.” She shrugged. “I just don’t think Earth is really ready - nor will *ever* be ready - for cloning. I don’t think anyone will be.” She shot him a confused look. “And you think this scientist created clones of the Guardian and the Newsboy Legion?”
Jimmy shrugged. “It wouldn’t hurt to check it out. It’s not like we can go right to the sources and ask them, anyway.”
“Why not?”
“Because they’ve disappeared,” Jimmy replied. “Been missing since the mid 80s. And the only family they all have listed is Jim Harper, their adoptive father, and he’s dead. Died in the late 80s.”
Linda leaned back. She wasn’t sure what to think of Jimmy’s theory, but it was better than what she had - nothing. She sighed. “Well, let’s go check it out.”
“You’re not going to laugh or say it’s a dumb idea?” Jimmy asked, surprised.
“Why would I?” Linda asked. “It’s an . . . unconventional idea, but it’s not a bad place to start. Now, you remember this scientist’s name?”
“Hamilton,” Jimmy replied. “Professor Emil Hamilton.” He typed on his keyboard, bringing up another window. “And there’s his address. Let’s go.” He started to get up, but Linda stopped him.
“Um, what’s he like?” Linda asked. “Have you ever dealt with him before?”
“No,” Jimmy answered. “But Lois and CK have, and he even helped Superman once. They said he’s a little eccentric, but he’s a nice guy.”
“As long as he’s nice,” Linda smiled. She Linda got to her feet as Jimmy started printing some items. “I’ll tell Mr. White we’re leaving.”
“I’m going to send some stuff to Lois and CK,” Jimmy said. He began typing on his computer again as Linda walked over to Perry’s office and knocked on the open door.
“Yes?” Perry looked up. “What is it, Linda?”
“Jimmy and I are going to go check out a few leads,” Linda replied. “We’ll be back as soon as we can.”
“Linda, you’re not a reporter,” Perry said. “You’re a researcher.”
“And I’m researching, sir,” Linda replied. “Just like my job details. We’ll be back ASAP, sir.” She left quickly before Perry could say anything. Jimmy had finished sending his information to Lois and Clark, and he was leaning against his desk, his computer shut down, when Linda came back. She grabbed Jimmy’s arm, grinning. “Let’s go.” The two headed for the elevators, arm in arm. Jimmy pressed the button, and they waited. After a few moments they heard the ping, and the doors opened. Both of them stopped short when they saw the person getting off.
“Lex,” Linda replied, not bothering to hide her surprised expression. He was dressed in a dark business suit, a trench coat draped over one of his arms. Linda could feel him tensing, and her hearing picked up Jimmy’s heart rate increasing. She glanced over, seeing his jaw set, his eyes narrow. She sighed, wanting to avoid any form of confrontation in public; she had her fill yesterday. She looked back at Lex. “Lex, about last night, I’m sorry I left so abruptly. And I’m sorry about using you.”
“Using me?” Lex tried to look genuinely surprised. “What do you mean?”
“I was -”
“Linda, you don’t have to explain anything to him,” Jimmy interrupted, his voice unnaturally low and distinct. He kept his eyes on Lex. “It’s not really his business. You apologized; that should be enough.”
Lex smiled forcibly. “You know, Mr. Olsen,” he replied, “where I come from, we don’t interrupt our ladies when they’re speaking.”
“Oh yeah?” Jimmy replied. “Well, where I come from, we don’t hit on other people’s girlfriends.”
Lex smiled and looked at Lind. “You don’t have to apologize for what happened last night, Linda.” He took Linda’s hand. “You can make it up to me by joining me for brunch.”
Linda gently pulled her hand away. “Thank you for the offer, Lex, but Jimmy and I are working.”
“Linda,” Lex replied, taking her hand again, still smiling sweetly. “I don’t take no for an answer, remember?”
Jimmy grabbed Lex’s hand and yanked it off Linda’s. He got in between Linda and Lex and glared at the other man. “Well, you better get used to it,” he said, his voice low and even. “You don’t get your way in Metropolis just because you’re a Luthor. It didn’t work for your father, and it won’t work for you. Linda isn’t interested, so I suggest you leave her alone.”
“Linda never said she wasn’t interested,” Lex replied. He smirked. “In fact, for a while last night, she was very interested, if you get my drift.” Jimmy stepped up and got eye to eye with Lex. Linda gently pulled him back and tried to use herself as a buffer, but she thought it best to stay behind Jimmy instead; she still kept her grip loose on his arm.
Lex glanced at Linda briefly. “They’re so charming when they’re still innocent.” He locked eyes with Jimmy. “But I’m sure *you* know all about that, Mr. Olsen.” For Linda’s audience Lex masked his sneer behind a wink and a gamely half-smile, but his eyes said he knew that Jimmy recognized the layered sarcasm. Lex’s eyes said he was certain that Jimmy could never make a ‘conquest,’ and Jimmy refused to allow the intruder to see that the insult hit close to home. Jimmy wasn’t prepared for Lex's parting shot, and though Linda didn’t know exactly what the tycoon meant, the photographer did. “But don’t worry, I’m sure she’ll mature fast - especially after some quality time in my presence.”
Linda could feel Jimmy tense under he hand, but she sighed inwardly with relief when she felt him relax. She saw him turn as if to walk away, but then suddenly he turned around, fist balled up, and slugged Lex with all the strength he could muster. Lex was unprepared for the blow, and he tumbled back, falling to the ground, his coat knocked from his arm. The entire newsroom stopped and stared at the trio as Linda looked at Jimmy in shock. He had caught her unprepared; she hadn’t even had time to register what Jimmy was doing until his fist connected with Lex’s face. She was still clutching Jimmy’s arm as she glanced over at Lex, who was slowly sitting up, his hand over his left eye.
“What in Sam Hill is going on over here?!” Perry shouted as he hurried over. He looked at Jimmy. “Olsen?” Jimmy glanced over at Perry, but he didn’t answer. “Linda?” The young woman glanced at Jimmy, but she kept her mouth shut. Perry looked over at Lex as the younger gentleman got to his feet. “Lex?”
“Mr. Olsen and I were having a discussion,” Lex answered as he brushed himself off and straighten his suit, then he picked up his trench coat. His left eye was already starting to bruise, and it was quite painful, but he ignored it and smiled. “Nothing to worry about, Mr. White.”
“I worry about anything that goes on in my newsroom, Mr. Luthor,” Perry replied, growling low. “Now, are you here for a particular reason, or is it to just harass my staff?”
Lex smiled as warmly as he could. “I was here to talk with Miss Lee,” he replied. “However, as you can see, Mr. Olsen has made it very clear where he stands on that issue.”
Perry walked up to Lex, towering a few inches above the younger man. “Mr. Luthor, you haven’t been in Metropolis long, so let me give you a piece of advice that would be in your best interest to follow: do not socialize with anyone on my staff.”
Lex smiled forcibly through his teeth. He didn't say anything as he brushed past Perry, Jimmy, and Linda, and headed into a waiting elevator. He stared straight ahead as the doors closed.
Linda started to open her mouth, but Perry quickly looked at her, raising a hand to stop her. “Don’t say a word.” He looked at the young couple. “My office. Now.” The two didn’t even say anything as they quietly make their way down to Perry's office - their boss at their heels - and went inside. Perry stopped outside, turned around, facing a newsroom full of curious eyes. “This is a newsroom, not an aquarium. Back to work, or you’re all fired.” He walks in, slamming the door shut behind him.
Linda and Jimmy were standing inside the office, and Perry walked over and stood in front of them. “What happened?” he asked, looking right at Jimmy. Jimmy didn’t say anything. Linda opened her mouth, but Perry held up a hand, and she promptly shut it. He sighed, silently counting to ten. “Jimmy,” he said, his voice a bit calmer. “Why on earth did you slug Lex Luthor II?” Jimmy didn’t say a word; he stood tall, his jaw set, looking past Perry’s shoulder. Perry sighed. “Did he provoke you, son?” Still no answer. Perry sighed. “Okay, fine. You don’t want to talk, that’s your choice. You have a job to do, and I suggest you do it. Just remember, I’ve got my eye on both of you.”
He watched as the couple left his office wordlessly, closing the door behind him. Perry watched them through his office windows as they made their way to the elevators. He leaned against his desk, taking a deep breath. “And on anyone who messes with you,” he added under his breath.
- - - -
“You okay?” Linda asked as she and Jimmy rode the elevator down to the parking level.
“I’m fine,” Jimmy mumbled, staring straight ahead, his arms crossed.
“Liar,” Linda replied. She reached over and gently grabbed Jimmy’s wrist. She glanced at his hand and saw his knuckles were already bruising. He tried jerking away, but she wasn’t budging as she stared intently at his hand, looking below the skin and muscles to the joints and bones that only she could see.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
Linda glanced up, looking relieved. “Well, you didn’t break any bones; you just bruised your knuckles.” Before Jimmy could respond the young woman gently blew a stream of cold air onto his hand. Within a few seconds, the bruised areas had been chilled slightly. “There. Now they shouldn’t swell.”
Jimmy jerked his hand away, slightly annoyed, but he remembered that she had never really provided that kind of first aid to anyone before. He looked over at her and met her eyes; he saw something in them in that instant that told him he was special to her. He visibly relaxed, his expression softening, as he leaned over, putting an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close.
“Thanks,” he replied softly.
“You’re welcome,” she said. The elevator stopped and the doors opened. The two headed out into the parking garage and over to Jimmy’s car. They got in, and Jimmy started the engine and cranked the radio as he pulled the car out of his parking space. As they exited the garage Jimmy started absently singing along with the song on the radio. After a few moments, he glanced over and saw Linda watching him. Embarrassed at being caught singing, especially by his girlfriend, he stopped, blushing.
Linda smiled. “You don’t have to stop singing, because of me, Jimmy. You have a nice voice.”
“No, I don’t,” Jimmy replied. “I stink at singing.”
“I don’t think so,” Linda said.
Jimmy snorted and gave her an ‘I don’t believe you’ look, but he smiled and started singing again as he drove through traffic.
(End of Chapter 13)
