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!
- - - -
Jimmy stirred and opened his eyes. He was momentarily confused by his surroundings, but it all came back to him when he realized he was laying on the couch in Linda’s apartment; the throbbing in his head was a another reminder. He sat up slowly and gingerly rubbed the painful area; there was already a bump forming - a large bump. He glanced around. His icepack was on the coffee table, the ice completely melted. Sighing, he got up and went to the kitchen sink and emptied the water from the bag. The kitchen window blinds were closed, but there was light coming in through the cracks, so he knew it was morning, but he didn’t know what time it was. He headed for the fridge to get some more ice, but halfway there he stopped and decided the ice could wait. Instead, he walked over to Linda’s bedroom and looked in.
Linda was curled up on her side, facing him, the quilt bunched up around her waist, leaving the upper half of her body exposed, and he could clearly see the powder blue of her t-shirt. Her ponytail had come undone for the most part, leaving most of her hair tussled, some strands in her face. She was still snoring a bit, and Jimmy was a little tempted to go over and brush the strands from her face, but he just watched her sleep, the pain in his head almost forgotten.
The sound of the phone ringing suddenly jarred Jimmy, and he nearly jumped out of his skin. His heart was pounding in his chest, but he hurried over to the nightstand and grabbed the phone before it could ring again; he didn’t want it to wake Linda up.
“Yeah,” he said quietly and out of breath.
“Jimmy?” Perry asked, confused.
“Hey, Chief,” Jimmy replied, turning his back away from the bed.
“I just called your place,” Perry said slowly. He sighed. “I must be more tired than I thought; I was trying to call Linda.”
“You did, Chief.”
There was a pause. “You’re at Linda’s place?”
“Yeah.”
Perry sighed and lowered his voice. “Look, I don’t have a lot of time, but I don’t want you coming in today. Either of you.”
“Why not? Linda and I broke that Guardian story wide open. I mean -”
“Jimmy,” Perry interrupted, his voice more serious than anything Jimmy had ever heard, “do not come in today. I mean it.” There was a pause, and Jimmy could hear some shouting in the background. Then Perry started shouting, and then Jimmy heard a click and then silence.
“Chief?” Jimmy asked worriedly. Nothing. “Chief?”
“What’s going on?”
Jimmy turned around, the phone still to his ear, and saw Linda sitting up, looking bleary-eyed and rumpled. She yawned and stretched as Jimmy put the phone back on the receiver.
“I don’t know,” Jimmy replied. “Perry was calling us to tell us not to come into work today - almost like he was warning us.”
“Why would he do that?” Linda asked as she got to her feet and stretched.
Jimmy shrugged. “Then there was the shouting, and Perry shouting, and then the phone got disconnected.”
Linda was instantly awake. She stared at Jimmy for only a second, the worry evident on her face, before she shot out of the bedroom into the kitchen in a light blue blur. The young woman returned a second later, dressed as Supergirl.
“Stay put,” she said as she walked toward the balcony door. “I’m going to go check it out.”
“But I want to come,” Jimmy protested.
Supergirl turned around. “Jimmy, I like you a lot, but if you even think about going near the Planet before I’ve checked it out, I’ll break you legs.” Before Jimmy could say anything Supergirl opened the balcony door and shot out into the sky at superspeed, leaving only a gust of wind, and a surprised photographer, in her wake.
- - - -
“Get your hands off me, you baboon!” Perry shouted as he was pushed from his office into the newsroom by a soldier wearing a dark uniform with a DNA helix patch on the shoulder. He turned and saw a suited man staring at him.
“He was making a call with this, sir,” the soldier said, handing Perry’s cellphone to the suited man.
The suited man took the phone, glanced at it briefly before looking back at Perry. “Very good, Jacobs,” he said. “Mr. White, you weren’t, by any chance, calling Miss Lee or Mr. Olsen to warn them, were you?”
“Who the hell are you?” Perry growled.
“My name is none of your concern,” the man replied. He turned around and faced the quiet newsroom. The elevators had three soldiers standing by them, two soldiers were standing near the entrance to the stairwell. The rest of the soldiers, twenty in all, were standing around the newsroom, keeping an eye on the other staff members. Every single soldier was dressed in the same dark uniform with the same patch on their shoulders, and each one was also holding a high-caliber rifle in his hands, fingers near the triggers. The suited man turned back to Perry.
“But as you can see,” he continued, “I mean business. I want Miss Lee and Mr. Olsen. And my men and I are not leaving until I get them.” He smirked. “And I can wait as long as necessary.”
The elevators pinged. Everyone turned as the doors opened, and Lois and Clark stepped off. They were oblivious to everything, laughing and talking, but they quickly stopped as the three soldiers pointed their rifles at them.
“Bring them over here,” the suited man ordered. “The rest of you stay put.” One soldier pushed Lois and Clark down into the newsroom.
“What’s going on?” Clark asked as he and Lois were led over to the suited man and Perry.
“You must be Clark Kent,” the suited man answered. He nodded. “And Lois Lane. I recognize you from your personnel files.”
“Who are you?” Lois demanded. “What’s going on?”
“They’re looking for Jimmy and Linda,” Perry replied. “Bet you dollars to doughnuts this Neanderthal and his goons are in league with that Guardian character Jimmy and Linda have been investigating.”
“If you don’t shut up right now,” the suited man threatened, “I’ll -”
There was a loud whooshing sound from above, and Supergirl landed behind the suited man. Her jaw was tight, her eyes were narrowed, her arms were folded, and she stood as tall as her height allowed.
“Or you’ll what?” she asked. She recognized the soldiers’ uniforms from last night as she flew in, and her guard was up.
“Where are they?” the suited man turned around and faced the young heroine.
“They?” Supergirl asked.
“Don’t play games with me, Supergirl,” he growled. “Linda Lee and Jimmy Olsen. I want them. Now.”
“Well, since you asked so rudely,” Supergirl replied, “no.”
The suited man walked over to her, glaring down at her. “Do you have any idea who you’re talking to?”
“No, but I’m going to take a wild guess.” She did a quick mental scan of his mind. “Paul Westfield.” She glanced past Westfield to Lois and Clark. “Mr. Kent, Miss Lane, good to see you two back.”
“Hey!” Westfield shouted.
Supergirl rolled her eyes and looked back at Westfield with a tired expression. “What?”
“I don’t know who you think you are, but I’m not playing games.”
Supegirl smiled. “What a coincidence.” Her smile faded. “Neither am I.” She reached up and grabbed Westfield around his neck with one hand, lifting him six inches off the ground. She stared at him, her eyes narrowed, her expression almost deadly. She could hear the sounds of guns clicking all around her, and she knew the soldiers were pointing their guns at her.
“Tell them to drop their weapons,” she said, looking at Westfield.
“Why . . . should I?” Westfield wheezed, his face slowly turning red.
“Are you familiar with the phrase ‘faster than a speeding bullet?’” Supergirl asked. “If you’re not, I’ll put it into terms your little pea-sized brain will comprehend. By the time they pull their triggers, I will have already grabbed all of their guns and crushed them in my bare hands before they even knew what happened.”
“You can’t possibly stop every single bullet,” Westfield wheezed. “You’re not *that* fast.”
“You better pray I am,” Supergirl replied, “because if one person in this room is shot by one of your soldiers, I will be very angry.” Her voice dropped to a low whisper, and Westfield felt her next sentence more than hearing it. “And you don’t want to see me when I’m very angry.”
Westfield stared at her, his head feeling thick. He wasn’t sure if Supergirl would actually follow through with her threat, but he didn’t want to take that chance. “Put your weapons away,” he wheezed loudly. The soldiers hesitated, but then he sighed with relief when they put their guns away.
“Smart move,” Supergirl said. She stared right at Westfield. “Now, you’re going to listen to me, and you’re going to listen very well. Jimmy and Linda have told me everything they know - which is enough information to bury you and your project so far into the earth you’ll come out the other side. But I haven’t told anyone, and I will not tell anyone if you and your men follow these simple rules: A) You will not bother or harass Jimmy Olsen or Linda Lee in any form - including bugging their apartments, tapping their phones, or following them; B) You will not bother or harass anyone who works at the Planet - including bugging their apartments, tapping their phones, or following them; and C) You will take your minions, leave quietly, and go back to your hole in the ground. You follow all these rules, there will be no mention of this little incident or what you did to Linda and Jimmy last night in the paper. You break *any* of these rules, and your project will be plastered all over the front page of every newspaper in the country, not to mention the fact that I will find you, rip out your intestines, and strangle you with them.” She brought down Westfield until he was at her eye level. “Do I make myself clear?”
“As crystal,” Westfield wheezed. Supergirl let go of him, and he gasped for air, his face turning back to its normal color as he straightened his suit. “Gentlemen, let’s go.” He tried to hold himself high as he walked to the stairwell with the soldiers following him, but he was glowering the entire way, his cheeks crimson. He opened the door, and he left the newsroom with his soldiers. After everyone had gone, all eyes turned back to Supergirl as she walked over to Perry, Clark, and Lois.
“Is everyone okay?” she asked.
“Yeah, we’re all fine,” Perry answered. “You mind telling us what that was all about?”
“I’m sorry,” Supergirl replied apologetically, “but I promised Westfield I wouldn’t tell.” She smiled. “But I’m sure Jimmy and Linda will be more than willing to tell you everything they know. They didn’t make any sorts of promises. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to make sure Westfield doesn’t try anything.”
“What happened with Jimmy and Linda last night?” Clark asked, giving his cousin a slightly concerned look.
“Well, to make a long story short,” Supergirl answered, “they were investigating a lead about the Guardian, and they were kidnapped by the same soldiers who were just here, but they were able to safely get away.”
“Are they okay?” Lois asked.
“They’re perfectly fine,” Supergirl replied. “They both handled themselves well under the circumstances. I found them outside Metropolis after they escaped and took them back to Linda’s place; they’re still there. I’ll let them know it’s safe for them to come in after I check on Westfield.” She nodded before leaping into the air and flying out the second level windows.
“And here I was hoping to come back, and everything would be nice and quiet,” Lois replied. “Goes to show how wrong I was.”
“Can I see you two for a moment?” Perry asked. He walked into his office with the reporters behind him. “So, how was Australia?”
“Uneventful compared to what happened here, apparently,” Clark said.
“And what about Lex? Is he who he clams to be?”
“Everything points to him being Lex Luthor’s son,” Clark replied. “How were Jimmy and Linda kidnapped?”
“We were investigating a lead they researched that led us into Suicide Slum,” Perry replied.
“You were in Suicide Slum?” Clark asked incredulously.
“Clark, I’ve seen war and famine,” Perry answered. “Being in Suicide Slum at night was nothing in comparison. In fact it was downright uneventful until Linda decided to go investigate something on her own.”
“And you just let her go?”
“Well, Jimmy went after her. I stayed in Jimmy’s car, giving those two the benefit of the doubt. An hour later, Supergirl shows up, telling me to go home, and that Jimmy and Linda are fine. That’s all I know.” He sighed. “Believe me, if I knew they were going to get in trouble, I would have chained them both to the car.” He cleared his throat. “Now, you two still have to do an interview with Lex Luthor II. Try to get to it now, because I want you to work with Jimmy and Linda on their story now that you’re back.”
“You got it,” Lois replied. The reporters left the office and headed for Clark’s desk. “Boy, we’re gone for two days and all hell breaks loose.” She leaned against Clark’s desk as he sat down, then she noticed his concerned expression. “What’s wrong?”
“You’re not at all concerned about what Jimmy and Linda might have gotten themselves involved in?” Clark asked. “Those soldiers and that Westfield character are obviously part of it, and you saw what they were willing to do in order to get their hands on Jimmy and Linda, because they know something they’re not supposed to know.”
“Clark, of course I’m concerned,” Lois said in a low voice, “but you saw Linda here with your own eyes, and what she did.”
“She looked like she was about ready to kill Westfield,” Clark replied. “Which means something serious happened. And I want to know what it is.”
“So do I,” Lois said. She patted his shoulder before reaching for his phone. “Look, see if you can find out anything on Westfield while I make an appointment for our interview with Lex; we’re still not done with him either.” She picked up the phone and dialed a number while Clark began working on his computer.
Clark focused on his search while Lois talked on the phone. His search didn’t take long at all; there was no mention of a Paul Westfield matching the description of the man who had invaded the newsroom earlier in any database Clark searched through. He glanced up as Lois hung up the phone.
“Well?” Lois asked.
“Nothing,” Clark replied. “No one by the name of Paul Westfield exists anywhere. Either he lied about his name or he did a good job of erasing anything connected to him. You?”
“Lex is free for an hour,” Lois said. “If we leave now.”
“What about Jimmy and Linda?” Clark asked.
“Well, I have a feeling it’s going to be a while before they come in,” Lois replied. “So, let’s do something productive instead of waiting for them.” Clark looked reluctant, but she managed to pull her husband to her feet, and they headed towards the elevators.
- - - -
“Jimmy?” Supergirl asked as she shut the balcony door. No one responded, so she made her way around the apartment, through the kitchen to the living room, then back into her bedroom. “Jimmy?”
“Yeah?”
Supergirl whirled around and saw Jimmy walking out of her bathroom, toweling his face. She sighed with relief. “I thought you were gone,” she said.
“I was washing my face,” Jimmy replied. He glanced down at the towel in his hand, then looked up sheepishly. “You don’t mind, do you?”
Supergirl smiled. “No, it’s okay. I’m going to take a really quick shower.” She saw Jimmy’s cheeks turn pink, and she tilted his head. “You okay, Jimmy?”
“Uh . . . yeah, I’m - I’m fine,” he replied. “Uh, you hungry?”
“A little. Why?”
“Well, uh, while you’re, uh, taking, uh, a shower,” he said slowly, “I can make you breakfast?”
Supergirl smiled. “Oh, that’s really sweet. I’d like that. Thank you.” The young woman headed into the bathroom, and Jimmy heard the door close. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he put the towel he was holding on Linda’s bed before heading into the kitchen. He heard the water turning on, and his thoughts began drifting to a place he wasn’t sure he should go, so he tried to distract himself by making breakfast. They had cooked together before, so he was familiar enough with her kitchen to find two large, iron skillets. He put them on the stove, turning them on, then went to her refrigerator and freezer and looked inside for the ingredients to make something he knew Linda hadn’t tried yet: his famous ‘Olsen Omelet.’ He was relieved that Linda had all the ingredients: eggs, mushrooms, carrots, a bell pepper, and cheddar, Monterey, and parmesan cheeses from the fridge, and frozen chicken from the freezer. He put all the food on the counter near the stove, and started the chicken cooking in one of the skillets.
“So, what are you making?”
Jimmy turned and saw Linda coming into the kitchen from her bedroom. She was dressed in a snug blue, short-sleeve striped Henley, a pair of tight, faded jeans, and camel-colored, low heeled Oxfords. Her hair was in a French braid, and she looked at him quizzically from behind her glasses. Jimmy had to stop and remember he was still talking with Linda; even after knowing her secret it was still a little confusing seeing both of her . . . well, personalities was the only word he could think of.
“That was a quick shower,” Jimmy said slowly.
Linda smiled and shrugged as she came over. “I do everything quickly.” She noticed Jimmy’s cheeks flushed crimson as he turned away and started turning the chicken. “What?”
“Uh, nothing,” Jimmy replied quickly. “Just a little . . . warm in here . . . all of a sudden.”
“Well, you have the stove on high,” Linda replied. “I swear that stove thinks it’s a furnace, so I usually turn the heat on until it’s just above simmering.”
Jimmy raised his eyebrows as he slowly glanced over at her. He knew she was talking about the stove, but for some reason it sounded like she was referring to . . . other things. He sighed as he turned back to the chicken. Olsen, get a grip, he said to himself.
“You know what I like to do when I’m alone?”
Jimmy froze, and it took him a second to even think about looking over at his girlfriend. He tried to look calm, but he knew he had a deer-in-the-headlights look. “Uh . . . what?” he asked.
“I just use my heat vision,” Linda replied.
“Oh, good,” Jimmy said, sighing with relief.
“Huh?” Linda asked, confused.
“Nothing,” Jimmy replied. “Uh, why don’t you take a seat, and you can tell me what happened while I make breakfast?”
“Sure,” Linda replied. She sat down at the table as Jimmy reached into her spice cabinet and removed her small bottle of chili powder. She tilted her head as she glanced at down at his . . . back assets, then she quickly adverted her eyes, horrified, her cheeks a bright red. She couldn’t believe she had done that; what was with her?
“So, what happened?” Jimmy asked as he cracked a few eggs into the other skillet.
Linda looked started, but she quickly straightened up and got back on her train of thought. “Oh, um, well, the Cadmus soldiers showed up at the Planet, and that Westfield guy was there too. He was looking for us.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, but I - well, Supergirl - advised him that messing with you and me, and also threatening our friends, would be hazardous to his health. He backed off, and I followed him until he left the city limits. Oh, and Perry wants us to come in; he and Lois and Clark are very interested in what we have to tell them.”
“CK and Lois are back?” Jimmy asked. He knew they’d have to come back eventually, and part of him was glad they were back, but the other part of him wasn’t sure if he was ready to face them just yet.
“Yeah.” Linda sighed. “Jimmy, do you think I’m too rough?”
Jimmy glanced behind him and looked at his girlfriend. “What?”
“Do you think I handle criminals and bad people too roughly?” she asked.
Jimmy was a little confused with her question, but then he remembered what happened yesterday. “You’re still upset about what happened with Sawyer and Turpin?”
Linda shrugged. “Well, yeah, that and also with what happened with Westfield.”
“What happened with Westfield?”
“I threatened, in front of everyone, including Clark and Lois and Perry, to find Westfield, rip out his intestines, and strangle him with them.”
“Just make sure I have my camera with me when you do that, okay?” Jimmy smiled. “You know how the Chief can be about missing good photo opportunities.”
Linda gave him a wry glance. “Jimmy, I’m serious.”
Jimmy turned around and looked at her. “Linda,” he said gently, “you’re a very passionate person in everything you do, but you’re also very controlled when you’re dealing with bad guys; I’ve seen you wanting to really hurt some people sometimes, but you never have.”
“But I let people see my anger,” Linda replied. “Clark says we should never let anyone see our anger.”
“Well, personally, I don’t think Clark has any idea what he’s talking about,” Jimmy said as he turned back to his cooking. “I know he’s your cousin and all, but keeping things bottled up is not exactly healthy.”
Linda snorted. “Tell me about it. I’ve been doing that for my entire life before I came to Earth, and it nearly drove me crazy.”
“See?” Jimmy replied. He got two plates from one of the cabinets and two forks from one of the drawers, and put the finished omelets on the plates. He came over to the table, setting one plate and fork in front of Linda. “Breakfast is served.”
“What is it?” Linda asked, peering at her plate.
“It’s an Olsen Omelet,” Jimmy replied, smiling as he took his seat next to her.
“Omelet?” Linda asked slowly.
“Yeah. Eggs, chicken, mushrooms, carrots, bell pepper, chili powder, and Monterey, parmesan, and cheddar cheeses.” He got up, retrieved a bottle of ketchup from her fridge, and sat back down. He poured ketchup all over his plate. “And lots of ketchup.” He saw Linda raising an eyebrow at him. “It’s good trust me.” He scooted the bottle of ketchup over towards her.
Linda gave him a reluctant look, but she grabbed the ketchup bottle, dumped an insanely ridiculous amount over her omelet, and took a bite of the concoction. She let the food slowly roll around in her mouth.
“Well?” Jimmy asked, mentally crossing his fingers. It was the first time he had really cooked anything for her on his own, and he wanted her to like it.
Linda swallowed, then she slowly smiled. “Not bad.”
“Really?” Jimmy smiled.
“Yeah, it’s good.” She was tempted to eat at her normal speed; it was so good, but she wanted to savor her time with Jimmy, so she made herself eat at a slower pace. Jimmy sat and watched her with a grin on his face for a few moments before he started eating again.
- - - -
“Mr. Luthor will see you now,” the receptionist said to Lois and Clark as they sat on one of the black, leather couches in the receptionist area outside Lex Luthor’s office. The reporters got up and walked to the double doors. Clark opened one of the doors and let Lois walk in ahead of him.
The two stopped just inside the office, taking in the large room. Lex was at his desk, dressed in a gray business suit, his back turned to the reporters as he talked on the phone. They stood and waited as he talked, seemingly oblivious to his two visitors. He turned around when he was finished with his call and hung up, then he smiled at the two reporters as he got to his feet.
“Mr. Kent,” he said. “Miss Lane. I’m glad you were able to make it on such short notice.”
“Thank you for having us on such short notice,” Clark replied. The immediately noticed his left eye was a deep purple. “What happened to you eye?”
“Minor fencing accident,” Lex replied with a tight smile. “I underestimated my opponent. It will not happen again.” Clark and Lois glanced at each other briefly. They didn’t believe him, but they kept their mouths shut. Lex motioned to the chairs in front of his desk. “Please, sit.” The reporters took their places in the chair, and Lois took out her notepad and a pencil. “How was Australia?”
Lois asked, “How did you know -”
Lex smiled. “Miss Lane, did you think you could visit my homeland, and I wouldn’t know anything about it?”
Clark narrowed his eyes briefly. He didn’t like the tone in Lex’s voice.
“I trust you had a wonderful and informative visit?” Lex asked.
“Very informative,” Clark replied.
“And very wonderful,” Lois added, seeing the slight change of her husband’s expression.
“Did you find what you were looking for?” Lex asked.
“Not quite,” Clark answered, “but we’re not through.”
Lex nodded in agreement. “I wouldn’t expect anything less of you two. My father spoke very highly of your many accomplishments at the Daily Planet.” He looked troubled. “Of course, this was before I learned the truth.” He assumed an almost humbled stature and expression. “It still pains me after all these years to know what kind of monster he really was, and that I was related to him.” He glanced up, looking apologetic. “I’m sorry. We were supposed to be doing an interview.”
“Oh,” Lois replied, remembering the reason she and Clark were there. “Uh, well, I guess the first thing we should talk about is your childhood. What was it like?”
Lex put on his best smile as he leaned back in his chair. Time to fool the masses, he thought.
- - - -
“So, what are we going to tell them?” Linda asked as they rode the elevator up to the newsroom.
“Tell what to who?” Jimmy asked.
“Clark and Lois,” Linda replied. “About you knowing about Clark and me.”
“Oh.” Jimmy looked a little uncomfortable as he shuffled his feet. He cleared his throat. “Uh, do you think we could hold off on that for right now?”
“Why?” Linda tilted her head, confused.
“Well, I’m not used to being the keeper of a secret, or anything that really mattered,” Jimmy replied. “If it’s all the same to you, I’d kinda like to keep you to myself for awhile.”
Linda crossed her arms, giving him a wry glance. “Jimmy, you think I’m going to believe that?”
Jimmy pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her waist. “Yeah,” Jimmy whispered before leaning over and kissing her.
“Okay,” Linda replied, smiling. “I believe you.” She pressed her lips against Jimmy’s, and the couple became completely immersed in each other, totally oblivious to anything else. A few moments later, they heard someone clearing their throat - loudly. They turned and saw Perry standing outside the elevator in the newsroom, looking at them.
“It’s about time you two showed up,” he said. “Can I see you in my office?”
Jimmy and Linda pulled away, sharing a small smile as they exited the elevator and followed Perry to his office. Everyone was working and going about their business, but the couple could see someone stop and stare at them every once in a while. They walked into the office, and Perry shut the door behind him.
“Mr. White, before you say anything,” Linda said, “Supergirl told us what happened here earlier.”
“And she also said that you two could fill in a lot of gaps,” Perry replied as he sat behind his desk. “Now, you’re not leaving here until I know what it is that you know, and what happened last night after you went inside that old garage.”
“Well, to be honest, there was nothing in the garage,” Linda replied. “The Guardian and the soldiers who were here earlier kidnapped us, took us somewhere, interrogated me, and then we managed to escape with some inside help, but when we finally got out bearings, we were a mile from Metropolis, and there was no sign of any building that resembled anything that could be a compound or something similar.” Jimmy shot her a look, but she didn’t say anything.
Perry stared at the young woman, his eyebrows raised slightly. He wasn't sure she was being forthright; he wanted to believe her, but his gut was saying she was hiding something. He leaned forward, giving her a serious expression. “Are you sure that’s everything, honey?” he asked gently. “I mean, I know that you and Jimmy must have gone through hell and all, but I don’t want you to think you can’t tell me what really happened, because you can.”
Linda hated herself for having to lie to Perry; he was like a father to her - a real father, not like her father, Zor-El, had been. She only hoped that someday, if she was ever able to tell Perry the truth - the entire truth - that he would understand why she did what she did. She nodded. “I know, sir,” she replied. “It’s not much to go on, but that’s pretty much all I can give you.” She gave him her best ‘I’m sorry, but that’s all I know’ look.
Perry sighed. “Okay,” he said slowly. “Uh, well, uh, why don’t you and Olsen get to work until Lois and Clark get back; they came in earlier, and they’re interviewing Lex Luthor II right now, but I want you to work with them again.” He looked down at some papers on his desk, silently telling Jimmy and Linda that they were dismissed. The young couple left the office, Jimmy closing the door behind them.
“Why didn’t you tell him what happened?” Jimmy asked as he followed Linda over to the lounge. Linda was silent as she grabbed a chocolate cream doughnut and got herself a cup of coffee. “Linda, what’s going on?”
Linda glanced around, making sure that no one was in earshot as she lowered her voice. “Jimmy, honestly, what could we have told him?”
“How about the truth?” Jimmy asked.
“Oh, yeah, I can see that: ‘Hey, Perry, we managed to get inside the Red Horse Garage, only because I managed to break the doorknob off, followed a heat trail, and then used my X-ray vision to look through my blindfold to find out where the main compound was located, which is actually in Mount Curtiss. Oh, and by the way, I’m Supergirl.’” She marched off towards her desk.
Jimmy was momentarily startled by her harsh response, but he quickly regained his senses and hurried to catch up with her. Linda had already made it to her desk by the time Jimmy caught up with her. He pulled his chair up and sat beside her. “Linda, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Linda replied as she brought her doughnut up to her mouth.
Jimmy intercepted the doughnut before she could bite into it. “Uh huh,” he said. “Yeah, I’m convinced.”
Linda sighed, then glanced at him like she was confused. “Do you want me to tell Perry who I really am, Jimmy? Is that what you were asking?”
“Where did you get that from?” Jimmy asked.
“You asked me why I didn’t tell Perry the truth,” Linda answered. “Jimmy, you know we can’t tell Perry the real truth without telling him everything.”
“Linda, I know that,” Jimmy replied. “And I don’t want you tell Perry the truth; that’s up to you. I just . . . I don’t know why we at least couldn’t tell him about those boys.”
“Because they helped us,” Linda said. “They put themselves at so much risk that I would feel like we were betraying them if we told anyone - even Perry - the truth about who they really were.” She glanced down. “I’m sorry. I guess I kind of screwed up, huh?”
Jimmy put the doughnut down on the desk and took Linda’s hands. “Linda, look at me,” he said. Linda looked up. “You didn’t screw up, okay? I know those kids helped up, and I don’t want to put them in any danger, though to be honest, I don’t know what kind of lives they’d have living in that place.” He cupped her face in his hands. “I’m not mad at you, and I don’t want you to feel bad about lying to Perry, okay?”
“Okay,” Linda whispered.
Jimmy smiled and kissed her nose. “And because you are not going to be hard on yourself,” he said as he reached for her doughnut, “you get a doughnut.”
Linda smiled and took the doughnut. “Thanks.” She tore her doughnut into two pieces and handed one half to Jimmy. “So, what are we going to do until Lois and Clark show up? And how’s your head?”
“Can I ask you something?” Jimmy looked at her seriously.
“Sure.” Linda tilted her head. “What’s up?”
“Well, uh, you think we can not tell them about me getting hit on the head?” Jimmy asked.
“Why?” Linda asked.
“Well, I’m feeling better, and I don’t want them to worry,” Jimmy replied. “I mean, you know they worry more than they should.”
Linda couldn’t argue with him on that; she hated when Lois and Clark, or Martha and Jonathan, worry about her unnecessarily - which, to her, was any time they worried about her. Still, she couldn’t help but wonder if Jimmy was being honest with her or if he was hiding something. She was tempted to scan his mind, but she didn’t want to betray his trust. She sighed, reluctantly. “Okay,” she replied. “I won’t tell.” She leaned back. “So, what do you want to do until Lois and Clark show up?”
“How about nothing, since we’re already here?”
Jimmy and Linda looked over and saw the two reporters making their way over to Linda’s desk. Linda grinned, got out of her seat, and practically jumped her cousin with a big hug; the hug was quickly returned. Jimmy, in spite of having mixed emotions about the reporters, smiled at seeing the happy reunion.
“I thought you two were with Lex,” Linda replied as she leaned over and hugged Lois.
“We were,” Lois said. “It went . . . well.” She smiled at Jimmy. “Hi, Jimmy.”
“Hey, Lois,” Jimmy replied. He nodded at Clark. “CK.”
“Jimmy,” Clark said, smiling. He glanced down at his cousin, one of his arms around her shoulders. “I heard you two had an interesting time while we were gone.”
Linda rolled her eyes. “Interesting doesn’t even begin to describe what happened,” she said. “How was Australia?”
“How about a trade?” Lois asked. “You tell us what happened with your story, and we’ll fill you in on everything, including the interview.”
“Sure,” Linda answered. She glanced at Jimmy. “You game?”
“Actually, I need to go check on some photos in developing,” Jimmy replied as he got to his feet.
“What photos?” Clark asked.
Jimmy shrugged. “Just some shots from a crime scene I’m working on separately. But, uh, you guys go ahead and get caught up on everything, okay? I’ll be back in awhile.” He walked over to Linda and gave her a small kiss on the cheek before heading for the elevators. Lois and Clark looked at each other, eyebrows slightly raised, by Jimmy’s expression.
“So, you two want to talk in the conference room?” Linda asked. “We can more open in there without any prying ears.”
“Our thoughts exactly,” Clark replied. The trio headed for the conference room, Clark closing the door behind them, and they took their seats at the conference table. “So, it looks like you and Jimmy are getting along again.”
“Yeah,” Linda said. She wanted to tell them it was because Jimmy knew the truth, but she didn’t want to betray Jimmy’s confidence. “We . . . had a long talk and worked through some problems.”
“What did you talk about?”
“About honesty; being honest with each other.”
Lois and Clark glanced at each other, then looked back at Linda.
“What kind of honesty are we talking here?” Clark asked.
Linda looked at her cousin wryly. “You mean, did I tell him that I’m Supergirl?”
Clark didn’t say anything, but he tilted his head and shrugged.
“Well, I didn’t tell him that I’m Supergirl,” Linda replied. It was the truth; Jimmy told *her* he knew. “But what would be wrong if he did know?”
Clark opened his mouth and started to say something, but Lois nudged in front of him. “Linda, you know I am the last person to say that a loyal friend - especially a friend like Jimmy - should be kept in the dark, but -”
“But what if Jimmy’s not ready to handle the responsibility?” Clark interrupted. “By knowing your secret, it places a huge burden on him - not to mention how much -”
“Danger he’d be in,” Linda finished, rolling her eyes. She frowned. “You should record yourself, Clark, and save your breath.” She sighed, wanting to tell Clark that Jimmy already knew, and that he figured it out on his own, but she kept her mouth shut. “Look, I don't really want to get into a fight; I've had enough fighting over the past few days to last me awhile, thanks.”
“So, who’s Paul Westfield?” Lois asked. “He didn’t show up in any of our databases.”
“He works for Cadmus,” Linda replied. “So do those soldiers who were with him; they were the same soldiers that kidnapped Jimmy and me.”
“Kidnapped?” Clark asked. “What happened?”
“Well, remember those kids from Centennial Park?” Linda asked. “Well, Jimmy and I were able to deduce that four of them looked like some kids from the 1940s, who associated with a previous Guardian. We talked with Professor Hamilton, because Jimmy thought they might be clones.”
“Clones again?” Lois asked, rolling her eyes. “Please tell me that Hamilton had nothing to do with it.”
“He didn’t,” Linda answered. “We got to a dead end, but then we were able to triangulate locations on a map of all the Guardian sightings from the 1940s, because we thought he was the key to this mystery, and that led us to the Red Horse Garage in Suicide Slum. So, last night we went there to investigate with Mr. White - ”
“You went to Suicide Slum at night?” Clark interrupted.
“Yes,” Linda replied. “And Jimmy and I went inside the garage while Mr. White waited outside. The Guardian and some of those soldiers were waiting for us, and they blindfolded us and kidnapped us, and took us out of the city. But I was able to find out where we were going with my X-ray vision, and you will never believe what I saw.”
“What?” Lois asked.
“Their base of operations is inside Mount Curtiss.”
“Inside Mount Curtiss?” Lois asked.
“Yeah. The reason why Clark and I weren’t able to ever find it was because everything in there is lined with lead. And that explains why the area is restricted, even the airspace. Besides, who would think to look for a secret base inside a mountain?”
“So, what happened next?” Clark asked.
“They brought us in, interrogated me, and then left us in a cell together. Then those kids showed up - all five of them - and helped us escape. And this is weird: they really *are* clones. And I’m betting that the Guardian is too, and something named Dubbilex. Anyway, Jimmy and I got out, and we went back to my place to rest.”
“Jimmy was at your place?” Clark asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Yep,” Linda answered. “So, what’s going on with Lex? How was the interview?”
“Well, Jimmy sent us some information that helped us verify Lex’s claims about who he said he was,” Lois replied.
“But it doesn’t mean we believe it,” Clark added. “Just like that lie he told us during the interview.”
“What lie?” Linda asked.
“His left eye was all bruised up,” Clark explained. “He said he had a ‘minor fencing accident.’” He chuckled. “What do you want to bet someone just got sick of what he was saying and slugged him?”
“Someone did,” Linda said. “It was Jimmy.”
Clark and Lois’ eyebrows shot up so quickly that Linda thought they were to jump right off their foreheads.
“Jimmy punched Lex Luthor II in the eye?” Clark asked.
“Yes,” Linda answered.
“Go Jimmy,” Clark grinned. Lois elbowed him in the side. “What?”
“What happened?” Lois asked Linda.
Linda sighed as she leaned back in her chair. "Well, I don't know, exactly. Lex came here to talk with me yesterday morning, because I think he had a proposition for me."
Clark's eyes narrowed as he crossed his arms. "And just what kind of proposition are we talking about?"
Linda shrugged. "I don't know. Lex said a few things, and then Jimmy punched him."
"What did Lex say?" Lois asked.
"Not much," Linda answered. She paused as she tried to gather her thoughts and put them into something that Clark and Lois could help her understand, because she still didn't know why Jimmy had hit Lex in the first place. "Lex said something about innocence being charming, and then I guess he was talking about me, because . . . I think he said something about maturing after spending some quality time with him."
Clark leaned forward as he stood up; the chair he was sitting in was shoved back by his legs as he leaned forward, putting his hands - and a good portion of his weight - on the conference table. The chair slammed into the wall, causing the wall to dent and the upholstered part of the chair to break off, falling to the floor with a loud thud. The other end of the conference table tilted up from the weight Clark was placing on the other end, like one end of a seesaw going up by a child sitting on the other end. Linda's eyes widened as the table cleared two feet off the ground, and she placed her hand on the edge of the table; her strength countered Clark's, and the table quickly had all four of its legs back on the floor. The floor vibrated with the impact, but Clark was so furious at Lex's comment toward his baby cousin that he was the only person in the room who didn't flinch.
Linda shrank slightly; she had never seen her cousin so mad, and she knew it was probably because of her.
“Did I do something wrong?” she asked quietly.
Clark was furious, more furious than he had been at a long time, but his expression softened a bit. He was mad at Lex, not at his cousin; she did nothing wrong.
“Linda,” he said in a calm, controlled voice, “I’m not mad at you. I’m mad at -”
“What is Sam Hill is going on?” Perry asked as he opened the conference door and walked inside, shutting the door behind him. He saw the broken chair near Clark’s feet and looked at the reporter. “Clark, why is one of my chairs broken?”
“Did you know that Jimmy punched Lex?” Clark asked.
“Yeah, but I don’t know why,” Perry answered.
“Well, we do,” Clark said. “Linda just told us.”
“So, what happened?” Perry asked.
Clark sighed and said, “Lex . . . he . . . .” He trailed off as he tried unsuccessfully to tell Perry what Linda had told him.
Lois could see her husband was frustrated and appalled with what Lex had offered; she was as well, but she knew that Perry needed an explanation, and she was probably the best person at the moment to give him the gist of it.
“Uh, Perry,“ Lois said gently, “do the words ‘indecent proposal’ mean anything to you?”
Perry’s eyebrows shot upward so fast they nearly flew off. “What?!” He looked at Linda. “He . . . he tried to . . . honey, did he really try to . . . to . . . did he really try to pick you up? And in front of Jimmy?”
“Yes, sir, ” Linda said softly, shrinking into her chair. She knew that Lex had come looking for her to ask her out again, and that’s probably what Perry was really asking her; she felt horrible about going out with Lex, and being questioned about it by Clark and Perry and Lois only made her feel worse about what she did.
Lois could see that this was troubling for Linda, and she would have put an end to it, but she could also see that there was still something bothering the young woman, and that it would be best if it was out in the open.
“Linda, did Lex say anything else?” Lois asked gently.
Linda looked hesitant, and both Clark and Perry finally noticed Linda’s entire demeanor had changed. The young woman felt really uncomfortable having the adults staring at her expectantly, waiting for her to tell them something that she wasn’t sure they’d like hearing. She glanced at Lois.
“Can we talk about that later, Lois?” she asked quietly. “Just . . . just the two of us? Please?”
Lois blinked, surprised and caught off guard. She glanced over at Perry and Clark, who both looked just as surprised as she did. Perry leaned over to Clark.
“Are those code words for ‘girl talk?’” Perry whispered.
“Probably,” Clark whispered back. He wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
“I’m outta here,” Perry said quickly. He grabbed Clark’s arm. “And if you know what’s best for you, son, you’ll leave too.” Perry opened the door and left with Clark in tow, closing the door behind them. The editor sighed with relief. “That was close.” The editor looked over and could see that it was taking every ounce of control Clark had to maintain his composure as the reporter took deep breaths. “Clark, you alright, son?”
“He’s a piece of work,” Clark replied in a low voice. “He hasn’t even been here a week, and he’s already . . . already . . .”
“Acting like a Luthor?” Perry suggested.
Clark nodded. “It’s like a strange sense of déjà vu. I know it sounds weird, but it feels like I’ve been through this before . . .”
“Well, considering what happened with Lois and Lex Luthor senior,” Perry replied, “you’re not too far off. And I know right now you probably want to go to Luthor’s and rip his head off.”
“Among other things,” Clark muttered.
“And as much as I would back you up,” Perry continued, “you can’t do that.”
“So, I’m just supposed to sit back and act as if nothing happened? As if he never came in here and said what he said to Linda?”
“No, of course not,” Perry replied. “I’m just saying don’t let what he said cloud your judgment, otherwise Lex will have won.” He gave a wry smile. “And if you have to think about him, just think of what Jimmy did to him. Makes me smile.”
Clark’s anger softened. He did find Lex’s black eye very satisfying, only more so when he learned that Jimmy had been responsible for it. He and Perry glanced over as Jimmy slowly approached his desk.
Perry walked over as Jimmy got to his desk and patted the young man on the shoulder. “I owe you an apology, son,“ he said to the young photographer. “I’m not mad at you; I’m proud of you.”
Jimmy’s mind felt cloudy as he glanced up. He opened his mouth to ask Perry to repeat what he had just said, but the editor was already on his way back to his office. Jimmy stood still for a moment, then slowly sat down as Clark approached.
“Jimmy, can I talk to you for a moment?” the reporter said softly.
Jimmy sighed and rubbed his forehead. He really didn’t want to talk with anyone at the moment, his head was killing him, but he didn’t have the strength to say no. He shrugged as he started messing with a stack of papers on his desk. Clark was so focused on what he was going to say to his young friend that he didn’t notice Jimmy’s unusual demeanor. He grabbed a nearby chair and sat down, facing the young man.
“Jimmy,” Clark said, “Linda told me what happened between you and Lex.”
“Look, I’m sorry I lost my temper, CK,” Jimmy replied softly but harshly, “but I’m not sorry for what I did; I would do it again in a heartbeat.”
“I’m not here to tell you what you did was wrong,” Clark said. “I’m here to say thank you.”
Jimmy looked confused. “For what? For punching Lex?”
“No, for watching out for Linda . . . for standing up for her.” Punching Lex was a nice bonus, but Clark didn’t want to encourage his young friend. As it was, Clark was already worried about what would happen to Jimmy if Lex Luthor II was in fact the son of the Luthor that had had put them all through hell in the past, and if, like his father, Lex held a grudge.
“I know you two have had your problems recently,” Clark continued, “but it’s nice knowing she’s in good hands if I’m not around.”
“No problem,” Jimmy mumbled.
Clark tilted his head slightly, furrowing his eyebrows. He had noticed Jimmy hadn’t been too alert since he and Lois had returned from their interview with Lex, but he had chalked it up to lack of sleep from the night before. Now, he wasn’t so sure; Jimmy had paled considerably since Clark had started talking to him.
“Jimmy, you okay?” Clark asked.
“Uh . . .,” Jimmy trailed off, his eyes drooping a bit. He started swaying, and Clark gently grabbed his arm before he lost his balance.
Worried, Clark gently helped Jimmy to his feet and led him over to Perry’s office. Perry was at his desk, working, but he glanced up when he saw Clark leading a barely-conscious Jimmy over to his couch.
“What happened?” Perry asked as he got to his feet.
“I don’t know,” Clark said as he helped Jimmy lay on the couch. “We were talking, and he got really pale and started swaying.”
“I’m fine,” Jimmy mumbled as he tried to sit up, but Clark stopped him as Perry came over.
“Take it easy, Jimmy,” Clark said. He felt Jimmy’s forehead. “Well, he doesn’t have a fever.”
“I’m not sick,” Jimmy said.
“Well, you’re not exactly fit as a fiddle, either,” Perry replied.
“What happened?” Lois asked as she and Linda walked into the office. “We saw Clark helping Jimmy in here.” They looked worried as they stared at the young man on the couch.
“We don’t know,” Perry replied. “Clark said Jimmy got really pale and started swaying at his desk.”
Linda looked alarmed as she walked over and knelt beside Jimmy. “Jimmy, you said you were feeling better.”
“You know what happened?” Clark asked.
“Linda, don’t,” Jimmy mumbled.
“He’s got a concussion,” Linda explained, ignoring her boyfriend. “He got hit in the back of head with the butt of one of the Cadmus soldier’s gun last night.”
“Uh, you want to run that by us again?” Perry asked.
“We were inside the Red Horse Garage,” Linda explained. “And before we were taken, one of the soldiers hit Jimmy; knocked him out.”
“For how long?” Lois asked.
“About an hour,” Linda replied.
“What?!” Clark nearly shouted as he faced his cousin. “Did you get him any medical attention after you escaped?”
Linda looked a little hesitant. Clark was mad at her - again - and she knew he was going to be even more mad at her. “Supergirl checked his head with her X-ray vision,” she replied quietly. “She said there was no damage.”
“Linda, you should have gotten him to a hospital,” Perry replied seriously.
“But there were soldiers looking for us,” Linda said as she got to her feet, nearly in tears. “I didn’t think a hospital would be safe for him. I thought . . . I thought he’d be safer with me.” She looked ashamed as a tear rolled down her cheek. She quickly hurried out of the office.
“Don’t be mad at Linda,” Jimmy said quietly. “I told her not to tell anyone.”
“I’ll go talk to her,” Lois said. She left the office.
“Jimmy, be lucky you have a head injury right now,” Perry said sternly, towering over the young man on the couch. “Because it means I can’t yell at you for acting dumber than a woodpecker pecking on a steel pole.”
“Chief, I -”
“Not a word, Olsen,” Perry interrupted. He turned to Clark. “Clark, take Jimmy to the hospital and make sure there isn’t any permanent damage done to that thick skull of his.”
“Yes, sir,” Clark said. He carefully helped Jimmy to his feet. “Come on, Jimmy.” He supported Jimmy with one arm around his waist as he led the young man out of the office.
Perry watched the two headed for the elevators and get on one before leaving his office and heading off to see what had become of Lois and Linda. He looked around the newsroom and finally saw the two women on the second level mezzanine near the windows above his office; Lois was talking to Linda, who was looking out the large windows, her back to the newsroom; he couldn’t see her face, but Perry knew the young woman was upset. He sighed as he made his way up and over to them. As he approached, he saw that Linda was crying softly as she stared out the windows.
“Linda, honey,” Perry said gently, “ are you -”
“I’m sorry,” Linda replied quietly. “I really messed up, huh?”
“Linda, you made a mistake,” Lois said. “It happens.”
“Yeah, and because of *my* mistake, Jimmy has to go to the hospital. It’s my fault he got hurt; I shouldn’t have gone into the garage last night.”
“Probably not,” Perry replied, “but you didn’t force Jimmy to follow you.”
“But you were right,” Linda said. “I should have taken him to the hospital. I should have not listened to Jimmy when he told me he was fine. I didn’t think, and now Jimmy could be really hurt.” She sighed. “Look, no matter what you say to me, it doesn’t change the fact that I messed up.” She didn’t say a word as she brushed past Lois and Perry and head down the mezzanine. The two watched the young woman grab her things from her desk before heading for the elevators and getting on one of them.
“That girl is way too hard on herself sometimes,” Perry said as he and Lois watched the doors close.
“I know,” Lois replied. As much as she wanted to, she knew that whenever Linda got in one of her moods, it was pointless to even go after her; Linda wouldn’t listen - well, that and the fact that she could fly didn’t help matters. “Well, there’s not much either of us can do about it. I’ll call Clark in a few minutes, and let him know what’s going on.”
“And until then?” Perry asked as he and Lois left the mezzanine.
“Guess I’ll work on trying to dig up more stuff on Lex,” Lois replied.
“Good girl,” Perry said, patting her shoulder before heading to his office. Lois made her way back to her desk. She sat down and started working, but she couldn’t seem to concentrate. She reached for the phone to call her husband, but she stopped before picking up the receiver. She wanted to call Clark right away, but she knew that Linda needed some time without outside interference before she wanted anyone butting in. Lois returned to her work, but she kept an eye on her computer clock to make sure that only a few minutes passed before she called Clark; no more, no less.
(End of Chapter 18)
