I'm back - for the time being. Sorry it's taken so long, but I was kicked in the leg by a horse on Thursday, and it's been a LONG weekend. Hope you enjoy this next installment! Disclaimers in the first chapter!
FYI - this story is now over 208 pages, single-spaced, 12 point type! Mesa happy!
- - - -
Clark and Lois sat in the conference room, leafing through all the notes and research papers that Jimmy and Linda had left on their desks. Normally, the two reporters would have been able to read everything, but Linda had left so many cryptic notes that they had no idea what to make of them.
“Who is Wally?” Lois asked, reading a sheet of paper. “A source?”
Clark chuckled. “Lois, I have no idea,” he said, flipping through some other sheets of paper. “Scrapper, Big Words, Gabby, Flip, Tommy . . . sounds like nicknames, but I have no idea -” He paused when he saw a paper with Jimmy’s handwriting on it. “Oh, wait, here we go. Those five names I just mentioned? They *are* nicknames for a group of boys in the 1930s called the Newsboy Legion. According to Jimmy’s notes, he and Linda figured out that they knew the original Guardian, but they disappeared in the mid 80s, and no one’s seen them since.”
Lois sighed as she put her little stack of papers down. “I give up. Linda may have written in English, but her short-hand is so cryptic she may as well have been writing in Kryptonian.” She glanced up and saw Clark smiling at her. “What?”
Clark's smile changed to a grin. “Oh, nothing. I just love the way you say ‘Kryptonian.’ It's so . . . .”
Lois grinned as she watched him warily. “So what?”
Clark leaned toward her, his eyes darkening and taking on a very . . . unprofessional gleam. He opened his mouth and she found herself wondering whether he was planning to speak or to kiss her.
“So have you turned up anything yet?” Perry’s gruff voice ended the moment as effectively as a stampede of dacshunds.
“Nothing you want to know about,” Clark muttered as he turned his face and pulled away from his wife. The two reporters looked up to see their boss standing just inside the conference room. “This is Jimmy and Linda’s story. There’s a lot of information in here that’s incomplete; we’re going to need their help.”
“Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you, but Jimmy is taking a few sick days off,” Perry replied. “My orders.”
“And Linda?” Lois asked cautiously.
“Making sure he stays off his feet,” Perry answered. “She called from Jimmy’s apartment.”
“He’s at his apartment?” Clark asked incredulously. “But he has a head injury.”
“Well, he decided to be macho and check himself out,” Perry replied. “And if that wasn’t bad enough, he tried to come into work; I sent him home.”
“Did Jimmy take a stupid pill after we left?” Lois asked. “This is not like him.”
“Well, Jimmy’s not known for having common sense when he’s involved with a girl,” Perry replied. “Actually, he doesn’t have a lot of common sense period.”
“Okay, so Jimmy’s out of commission for now,” Lois said.
“We should stop by and check on him later,” Clark suggested. “Just to make sure he’s okay.”
“We better,” Lois replied, a small smile on her face. “Especially after what happened at the hospital.”
“Do I even want to know?” Perry asked.
“No,” Clark answered quickly. “It’s nothing, really.” He shot his wife a look; she gave him a sly grin in return.
Perry rolled his eyes. “Look, you two do whatever you want on this investigation, but don’t get Jimmy involved.”
Clark said, “Oh, believe me, I intend to keep a tight leash on Jimmy’s, er, *involvement.*”
“Now, now, sweetheart,” Lois replied, “it takes two to tango.”
“Yeah, but it only takes one to break dance,” Clark countered.
“You know, Clark,” Lois said gently, “sometimes the best way to keep an eye on something is to watch from the side, not examine it under a microscope.”
“Alright, settle down,” Perry replied. He sighed. “How’s the Lex situation coming along?”
“At a standstill under Henderson gets the bodies exhumed,” Lois replied.
Perry furrowed his eyebrows and looked at Lois. “Say that again.”
“Long story,” Clark said quickly.
“Safer if I don’t know for now?” Perry asked.
“Yeah,” Clark answered.
“Okay,” Perry replied. “Uh, get to work . . . on whatever.” He left.
Lois cracked as soon as the doors were shut. “Poor Perry . . . we’re going to be the death of him one day.”
“Speak for yourself,” Clark replied, hiding a grin as he glanced at his wife. Lois wadded up a piece of paper and threw it at him, but Clark caught it. She pretended to pout as he grinned. “So, what do you want to work on?”
“How about we go get Lex’s coat and then pay Jimmy and Linda a visit?” Lois asked.
Clark smiled. “As long as Linda doesn’t mind us in her apartment, I think that sounds like a great idea.”
Lois smiled, and the two got up from the table, gathering up the papers. “Could we pick up some lunch along the way? I’m hungry.” Clark grinned, grabbed the small stacks, and followed his wife out of the conference room.
- - - -
“And how the hell are we supposed to cover this up?” Jim Harper yelled so loud the walls of the conference room rattled. Westfield was sitting at the head of the table, with the directors and Dubbilex sitting in the other chairs. Harper was at the opposite end, but he wasn’t sitting; he was standing, leaning his knuckles on the table.
“It’s not a big deal,” Westfield replied indignantly, his arms folded across his chest. “We’ll figure something out.”
“Not a big deal?!” Harper’s voice raised three octaves. “We’ll ‘figure this out?!’” Harper could feel his blood pressure rising, and he paused to take a deep breath, lowering his voice. “Paul, you took an entire newsroom hostage. And not just any newsroom - the Daily Planet. And you got Supergirl involved. I am head of security. How the hell do you plan to ‘figure this out?’”
“If you would stop breathing down my neck, I might be able to figure something out!” Westfield exploded, jumping to his feet. “You weren’t there, Harper, so don’t you dare come in here patronizing me!”
“I’m not patronizing you, Westfield,” Harper replied through his teeth. “I’m just telling you that if you’re so hellbent on keeping this project a secret, then you have a really unusual way of showing that. I do *not* need to deal with Superman and Supergirl in addition to all the other security issues I have.” He pointed a finger at the suited man across the table. “I’m warning you, Paul. You fix this now, or you’ll have far worse problems than having Washington find out about what’s going on here.” He stormed out of the conference, slamming the door shut behind him.
“He’s right,” Dr. Tompkins said as glowered at Westfield. “Fix it. Or we will.” Tompkins and the others got up, leaving Westfield alone.
Westfield sighed as he lowered his head. He counted to ten before he turned around and grabbed the arms of his chair. With one fluid motion, he threw the chair at the wall. It slammed into the metal grate covering the room’s only air vent. The director muttered under his breath as he left the room.
From behind the vent, five small figures held their breath as Westfield left. They were all dressed in all black, from the goggled ski masks that covered their faces to the two layers of wool socks covering their feet. When they heard the door slam, they let their breaths out as they pulled their masks up and glanced at each other.
“Man, dat was close,” Scrapper whispered loudly.
“No joke,” Gabby said. “I thought for sure we were going to get caught. I mean, could you imagine how mad the Guardian would have been if he’d caught us. Or even Westfield. Man, I’ve never see -” Tommy slapped a hand over his friend’s mouth.
“Hush,” Tommy frowned. “If we get caught, it’ll be our hides.”
“So, what do we do?” Flip asked.
“I suggest we take matters into our own hands,” Big Words said. “Before anyone is forced to inform Washington of Cadmus’ unauthorized operations.”
“You think the Guardian would rat on us?” Scrapper asked. “After all we’ve been through together?”
“I have a strong indication that the Guardian would relocate us and Dubbilex *before* placing his call,” Big Words gave Scrapper a tired expression. “The point is -”
“The point is that it’s time *we* take a crack at this,” Tommy interrupted. “It’s kinda our fault.”
“How?” Flip asked.
“Well, this all started when we ran away and bumped into Supergirl,” Tommy replied.
“It was that crabby old lady’s fault,” Scrapper muttered.
“It doesn’t matter,” Tommy continued. “She and Guardian fought over us; they were both trying to protect us. Then those two reporters from the Planet were taken hostage because they were helping Supergirl; the guy got hurt, and the girl -”
“Was *hot,*” Flip grinned.
“If she lost the glasses she’d be a knockout,” Scrapper smiling. Gabby had to cover his mouth to keep his laugh bottled up. Tommy and Big Words shared a tired glance.
“So, what are you proposing?” Big Words asked Tommy, trying to ignore the others.
“I think if Supergirl knew about what was going on,” Tommy suggested, “she might not be so . . . .”
“Hostile?” Big Words asked.
“Exactly,” Tommy replied.
“And how would we contact Flygirl?” Flip asked. “She ain’t exactly listed in the Yellow Pages. What, you want to shine a light with a big S in the sky?”
“Dat has gotta be the dumbest way to get her attention,” Scrapper replied. “Only an idiot would have deir symbol in da sky where everyone can see it.”
“Flip, you are a genius!” Gabby shouted.
“SHHHHHHHHHHHH!” everyone glared at him.
“Sorry, I’m shutting up, I’m shutting up,” Gabby replied in a hushed voice. “I know when to shut up. I’m not saying another word, really. I -” Scrapper took a roll of duct tape, tore a strip off, and slapped it over Gabby’s mouth.
“Anyways,” Scrapper replied as Gabby struggled to get the piece of tape of his mouth, “da point is, we gotta find someway to contact Supergirl without tipping off anyone in Cadmus.”
“So, what, we yell ‘Help, Supergirl, help!’ until she shows up?” Flip asked sarcastically.
Tommy looked at Big Words, and they both grinned. Tommy crawled past Big Words to the grate. He pushed it carefully, and the grate opened upward, like a garage door. He looked around before he jumped down into the conference room. He tiptoed over to the table and grabbed that morning’s issue of the Daily Planet.
“Are you nuts?” Scrapper hissed. “We go to the Planet?”
“Not exactly,” Tommy replied. He opened up paper then turned it and held it up. The others could see what Tommy was showing them. The four glanced at each other and grinned.
- - - -
Clark and Lois stopped in front of Jimmy’s door, and Clark knocked. They waited a few moments, then they heard the door being unlocked. The door creaked opened, and the reporters saw Linda standing on the other side. She had changed out of her work clothes and into very baggy, dark green sweatshirt with the sleeves pushed up to her elbows, a pair of very loose, plaid pajama pants (complete with fly), and a pair of gray fuzzy socks; the couple knew everything she was wearing was from Jimmy’s wardrobe.
“Hi,” she said quietly. “What are you doing here?”
“Why are you wearing Jimmy’s clothes?” Clark countered.
“And why are we whispering?” Lois added.
“Oh, I was cleaning out Jimmy’s fridge,” Linda replied, “and it got a little messy; I spilt some fuzzy yellow chili on my clothes. I didn’t want to leave Jimmy, so I just borrowed some of his; mine are soaking in the bathroom right now.”
Lois had to fight back the urge to smile as she glanced over at her husband, but it was very hard. Clark wasn’t frowning, but he slowly opened his mouth; he couldn’t think of anything, so he closed it quickly. He started to open his mouth again, but he stopped himself just in time.
“As to your question, Lois,” Linda continued, “the reason we’re talking quietly is because of this.” She stepped aside and opened the door wider, letting Lois and Clark inside. The two stepped inside and saw Jimmy sleeping on the couch; his head was resting against the thick pillow, and the comforter was tucked around his shoulders; he was snoring a bit, but only Clark and Linda could hear it. Clark and Lois watched Jimmy sleep and Linda ventured back into the kitchen and came back carrying two large garbage bags.
“How is he?” Lois asked.
“He finally got to sleep,” Linda replied. She held up the bags. “I need to take these out.”
“All that was from Jimmy’s fridge?” Clark asked.
“His fridge, pantry, bedroom, and bathroom trashcan,” Linda replied. She headed for the door, with the reporters following her into the hallway. “So, what are you guys doing here?”
“Well, since you’re taking care of Jimmy,” Lois answered as the trio walked down the hall, “we wanted to make sure it was okay if we got Lex’s coat from your place.”
“That’s fine,” Linda replied. They stopped in front of the garbage chute, and Linda deposited the bags in it. “Anything else?”
“Well, your notes on the Guardian were a little cryptic,” Lois added gently. “Not that they were horrible or anything, but they were a bit hard to follow.”
“Really?” Linda smiled, folding her arms. “You had a hard time reading my notes?”
“Now, don’t go getting all smug,” Clark warned teasingly.
“What do you need to know?” Linda asked, still smiling as they made their way back down the hall.
“Do you mind if we come by later on?” Lois asked. “You and Jimmy covered so much that we think it’d be easier having you explain everything than us trying to go through and interpreting it ourselves.”
“Sure,” Linda said. “But first, I want Clark to say that you need my help.” She grinned impishly at her cousin.
“I hope you can hold your breath a long time,” Clark smiled sweetly.
“Seventeen minutes and twenty six seconds,” Linda replied just as sweetly. Her smile faded. “Seriously, you guys are more than welcomed to come over, but as long as Jimmy stays out of it. Perry ordered him to rest, and he’s going to rest if I have to sit on him all night.”
“You are so not sitting on him,” Clark replied seriously. “*Anywhere* on him.” He glanced at Lois. “Uh, well, we better get going. Unlike you, we have actual jobs to do.” He grinned at Linda’s shocked expression, then he pulled her into a hug. “You know I’m teasing you, Linda.” He kissed her cheek. “You do a great job, and Perry would be at a loss without you.” He pulled back and smiled. “So would we.”
“Thanks,” Linda smiled.
“And maybe you and I can have some time to ourselves?” Clark added. “We can talk about a few things on my mind.”
Linda nodded. “Okay.” She kissed Clark on the cheek and hugged Lois. “See you guys later.” Linda went back to Jimmy’s apartment while Clark and Lois waited; they stayed until the apartment door was secured before turning to leave.
“So, what’s up with the big brother mode?” Lois asked as they walked down the corridor.
“Don’t you think Linda and Jimmy are kinda rushing things?” Clark asked.
“This coming from the man who proposed to me after only a few dates,” Lois replied.
“Lois.” Clark gave his wife a look.
“I’m serious, Clark,” Lois replied. “We barely dated before we got engaged; Linda and Jimmy have been dating longer than we ever did, and I don’t see him proposing any time soon.”
“Well, look who’s talking,” Clark said. “*You* proposed to me after a few days in tights.”
“You accepted,” Lois countered. She put an arm around her husband’s waist. “Clark, seriously, I don’t think they’re rushing things; it’s not like they’re sleeping together.”
Clark grimaced. “Thanks so much for the mental picture.”
Lois smiled. “Anytime.” She sighed. “Well, since I don’t think there’s any way I can talk you out of talking with Linda, just don’t push it, okay? You know how long it took her to even be okay with the concept of liking someone, much less dating him; you don’t want to ruin that experience for her, do you?” Clark shrugged. Lois smiled and gave her husband a one armed hug as they headed for the stairs.
- - - -
Jonathan has just finished his chores in the barn and was heading back towards the farmhouse when he saw the red truck coming up the drive. He smiled and walked over as Martha parked the truck in its spot near the house and got out, pulling shopping bags out with her. Jonathan stopped short when he saw that every available space inside the cabin, aside from the driver’s seat, was taken up by shopping bags. Even the bed of the truck was loaded with more bags - Jonathan counted twenty in all.
“Martha, what on earth is this?” he asked.
“Just a little Christmas shopping,” Martha replied. She handed some bags to her husband. “Here, take these.” She grabbed some more before heading toward the house.
“A little?” Jonathan snorted as he followed his wife in the house. “Did you buy out every store in in Smallville?”
“Actually, I did leave Schiller’s Bakery alone,” Martha replied. Jonathan glanced at his wife and saw she had a twinkle in her eyes and a grin on her face, and he chuckled. The two deposited the shopping bags on the couch in the living room.
“So, what did you get?” Jonathan asked as he eyed the bags with curiosity.
“Depends on who you’re talking about,” Martha replied. She pointed to three bags on the far side of the couch. “Those are for Lois and Clark - I bought them a few nick knacks they need for their house, and a some special things for each of them.” She pointed to the bag beside Lois and Clark’s. “That one is for Jimmy; Clark and Lois gave me a few ideas of what he might like.” She pointed to the bag next to Jimmy’s. “That one’s for Perry; just something for his office.”
“And the others?” Jonathan asked.
“For Linda,” Martha replied as she headed back out the door. She returned a few minutes later, her arms loaded with the rest of the bags. She set them on the table, then came back into the living room.
“Fifteen bags for Linda?” Jonathan asked. His curiosity got the better of him, and he rummaged around in one of the bags. He pulled out a folded up, large, lavender, hand knit sweater.
“Actually,” Martha replied, “only seven are for Linda. Six are for the house, and these two” she held up the two bags in her hands “are for you.” She walked through the living room and up the stairs, talking as she went. “So, did you finish all the chores or do you need some help?”
“Yeah, they’re all done,” Jonathan replied. He took a deep breath. “Linda stopped by while you were gone.”
“How’s she doing?” Martha asked. “Getting all excited for her first Christmas?”
“I think she’s got other matters on her mind,” Jonathan answered. “She made up with Jimmy.”
“That’s great!” Martha exclaimed. “So, they’re back together?”
“Yep,” Jonathan said. “And Jimmy also managed to deck Lex Luthor.” Martha chuckled as she started down the stairs. “And Jimmy knows Linda’s Supergirl.”
Martha stopped halfway down the stairs and turned to look at her husband. “Say that again?” she asked.
“Jimmy knows Linda is Supergirl,” Jonathan replied calmly. He took a deep breath and retold Martha everything that Linda had told him, from the case they were working on to how Jimmy figured out and everything in between.
Martha listened as she walked over to her husband. When he was finished, he waited for her to say something. “Do Clark and Lois know?” she asked.
“No,” Jonathan answered. “Linda said Jimmy wanted to keep it a secret for the time being; even we weren’t supposed to know, but you know how talkative Linda can get when she gets anxious.”
Martha smiled. “And how do you feel about keeping a secret from our son?”
Jonathan shrugged. “It’s not as if we’re lying to him; we’re just withholding certain information from him and Lois - for the time being.”
Martha chuckled. “Remind me when we get to Metropolis to have a little chat with Jimmy,” she said as she grabbed more of the bags from the couch and headed for the stairs. “He’s a member of the inner circle now, and he needs to have the proper introduction.”
“Just like you did with Lois?” Jonathan smiled, a twinkle in his eyes.
Martha grinned as she headed up the stairs. “Exactly.”
- - - -
Jimmy stirred and slowly opened his eyes. The throbbing in his head was still there, but it wasn’t as prominent as it was before he fell asleep. He glanced around, his head still fuzzy from just waking up, but he was awake to know it was dark outside, his apartment dimly lit. He slowly sat up.
“Hi.”
Jimmy looked up toward the soft voice and saw Linda approaching. He noticed his girlfriend wearing some of his clothes, and he raised his eyebrows. “Do I want to know why you’re wearing some of my clothes?” he asked.
Linda smiled and chuckled softly as she came over and sat on the edge of the couch. “I was cleaning out your fridge, and I didn’t want to get my clothes dirty.”
“So, you gave up on my bedroom, huh?”
“No, I cleaned your bedroom first, then the kitchen,” Linda replied. “You need to get a laundry basket.”
“You saw my laundry?” Jimmy asked, his face paling as he thought about his unmentionables.
“No, just set it aside for you to do when you’re better,” Linda replied. She leaned over and kissed him. “How do you feel?”
Jimmy smiled. “I feel good when I get kissed, then I feel horrible when it’s over.” He caught a wonderful aroma in the air. “Hey, is that Chinese I smell?”
Linda shook her head, smiling. “You know, how you go from being romantic to hungry is beyond me,” she said. “And yes, it’s Chinese. All the way from Beijing.”
Jimmy sighed. “Linda, I thought we went over that. You don’t have to -”
“Jimmy, I wanted to,” Linda interrupted gently. “After I finished cleaning out your fridge, you only had a jar with two pickles and a jar of mustard.” She grinned as she got to her feet. “You need some sustenance, and I needed to get some fresh air.”
“You need sustenance too,” Jimmy smiled as he slowly got to his feet, the blanket wrapped around his shoulders, eyeing her back as she walked to the kitchen. His eyes drifted below her waist, and he averted his eyes, blushing. He slowly walked over as Linda took two plates from one of his cupboards and some silverware from one of the drawers. She set them on the counter next to seven circular bamboo containers, then she went about opening the containers. “So, what did you get?”
“Eggrolls, sweet and sour pork, beef and broccoli, chicken fried rice, sweet and pungent shrimp, lo mein, noodles, and chicken with mushrooms and zucchini,” Linda replied . She looked up. “So, what can I interest you in?”
“How about a make out session with the cute blonde behind the counters?” Jimmy suggested with a smile.
“Maybe later,” Linda answered, trying not to smile as she spooned portions onto the plates. “First, you eat.” She took the plates and forks into the living room. “Come on.” The two walked over to the couch and sat down. Linda handed Jimmy one of the plates and forks, and the two started eating.
“Mmm, this is good,” Jimmy mumbled around a mouthful of food. He swallowed. “So, how much do I owe you?”
“Nothing,” Linda replied. “You’ve paid for a good share of our dates, so consider this a return favor.”
“You call this a date?” Jimmy asked, confused. “But there’s no candlelight dinner or soft music . . . and we’re both in sweats.”
“We’re together, eating, and enjoying each other’s company,” Linda replied. “Isn’t that what a date really is?”
Jimmy looked surprised. “Wow . . I always thought you liked the fancy stuff.”
Linda smiled mirthlessly. “Fancy was in my life from as far back as I could remember, Jimmy. I’m sick of fancy.” She sighed. “I just want . . . .”
“What?” Jimmy asked. Linda shrugged. “Linda, what do you want?”
“Normality,” Linda answered.
Jimmy chuckled. “Then you came to the wrong planet.”
Linda smiled. “You know, I’m starting to realize that. Me with superpowers, a secret identity . . . a life with you and Clark and Lois and Martha and Jonathan and Mr. White, working at the Planet . . . .” She chuckled. “It’s crazy, but compared to my life on Argo City, this is normal.”
Jimmy smiled. “So, you ever going to tell me what life was like on an asteroid?”
“Maybe later,” Linda replied quickly. She suddenly became interested in her plate.
Jimmy mentally kicked himself for bringing up something he knew was a touchy subject for his girlfriend. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.
Linda sighed. “It’s not your fault, Jimmy.” she replied.
“Yeah, it is,” Jimmy replied, putting his fork down. “I should have known better; I know you don’t like anything Kryptonian.”
“I don’t hate everything Kryptonian,” Linda replied. “Clark’s my cousin, and I don’t hate him.” Jimmy didn’t look convinced. Linda sighed and glanced into the kitchen. She smiled slowly and got to her feet, hurrying into the kitchen. She returned a few moments later with a handful of fortune cookies. She sat cross-legged on the couch, facing Jimmy and handed him a cookie, putting the rest of them in her lap. “Here, have a cookie.”
Jimmy looked reluctant, but he took the offered cookie and broke it in half. He pulled the tiny piece of paper out and peered at it. He glanced up at Linda. “Un, it’s in Chinese,” he said apologetically.
“I can’t read Chinese either,” Linda replied sheepishly.
“”Well, we can still eat the cookies.” Jimmy popped a broken piece of cookie in his mouth and munched on it loudly.
Linda watched him for a few seconds, then grinned and grabbed one of the cookies in her lap, cracking it open. She pulled the fortune out and held it up. “‘Obey the requests of a girl who can fly or your spirits will fall quickly.”
“It does not say that,” Jimmy replied.
“I know,” Linda said, “but it should.”
“Oh, so you want to play like that, huh?” Jimmy smiled as he sat up straighter. He looked at the fortune in his hand. “‘Beware of telling secrets to a girl who talks as fast as she flies.’”
Linda tilted her head and narrowed her eyes playfully. She grabbed another cookie and broke it open. “‘An action figure is just a longer name for a doll,’” she pretended to read.
Jimmy grabbed another cookie and broke it. “’Normality is temporary; Jimmy Olsen is forever,’” he ‘read.’ Linda tried to contain her laughter, but it was useless. She burst into a fit of giggles, and Jimmy raised his hands in victory. “The winner and still champion of the universe!”
“And what does the winner want?” Linda asked as she put the rest of the cookies on the coffee table.
Jimmy grinned and leaned over, gently pressing his lips against hers. The kiss deepened as he cupped Linda’s face in his hands, and the young couple were starting to get lost in each other when a loud sound resonated through the apartment. The couple quickly pulled away, and it took them a moment to realize the sound was actually someone knocking on the apartment door. The couple sighed, and Linda got to her feet and made her way over. She glanced through the peephole and saw Lois and Clark standing on the other side. She unlocked the door and opened it.
“Hi,” she replied with a forceful smile, trying to hide her annoyance at being interrupted.
“Well, it looks like Jimmy’s up and about,” Clark said, looking over Linda’s head and seeing Jimmy sitting on the couch. Jimmy waved a bit, smiling sheepishly, and Clark glanced at Linda. “So, is the nurse taking care of the patient?”
Linda rolled her eyes and stepped out into the hall, closing the door behind her. “Did you X-ray the apartment before knocking?” she asked.
“It’s late, and we thought you’d both be asleep,” Clark replied. “Didn’t want to disturb you if you were.”
“Clark, it’s only eight-thirty,” Linda said. “Now, why are you two spying on us? I thought you two said you were was okay with Jimmy and me being together.”
“Linda, we weren’t spying on you,” Lois replied gently. “We came to bring you an update on Henderson. He called about thirty minutes ago, and he wants to see you - in person.” She sighed. “And we *are* okay with you and Jimmy being together.” She glanced at Clark. “We just feel that maybe you two should . . . take things . . . a little more . . . slowly.”
“What do you mean, slowly?” Linda asked. “I’m not using my superspeed for anything.”
Clark sighed. “Linda, we’ll talk later, okay? Right now, you have an inspector who wants to see you.”
“Tonight?” Linda asked.
“He said ‘as soon as possible,’” Lois answered.
Linda pursed her lips as she mulled over what to do. After a few moments, she nodded once. “I’ll talk to him tomorrow morning,” she said. “That’ll give me time to gather my thoughts.”
“And tonight?” Clark asked.
“I’m doing what Perry ordered me to do,” Linda replied. “Taking care of Jimmy.” She smiled sweetly as she opened the door to the apartment and walked back in. She turned around. “Is there anything else?”
“Uh, I think that’s it,” Lois replied slowly.
“Okay, then,” Linda replied. “Night, you two. Sleep sweet and all that jazz.” She closed the door. Lois and Clark stared in shock.
“Did she just close the door in our faces?” Clark asked.
“Yeah,” Lois replied. She glanced at her husband. “You okay?”
Clark sighed. “Part of me wants to rip the door off its hinges and have a nice, long talk with both of them.”
“And the other part?” Lois asked.
“Is trying hard not to listen to the first part and trust them to take things slow,” Clark answered.
Lois smiled and grabbed Clark’s arm. “Come on,” she said. “For being so grown up about this, you get a reward.”
“Would that be you, by any chance?” Clark asked, grinning.
“Of course,” Lois grinned.
“If you insist,” Clark replied. He picked up Lois in his arms and blurred down the hallway.
- - - -
A few blocks away, five small figures scurried from a dark alley and across the deserted street to an empty phone booth. They all tried to scram into the booth. Physics told them that it was impossible for all of them to fit into it, but their stubbornness overrode any hint at listening to common sense. Finally, Tommy squeezed through into the booth, leaving his comrades on the outside.
“Hey, why do you get ta make de call?” Scrapper frowned.
“Because it was my idea, and it’s my money,” Tommy replied as he reached into his pants pocket and pulled out some coins. He picked up the receiver and inserted the coins; he dialed a number.
- - - -
The next morning, Linda stirred and stretched without opening her eyes. She yawned, turned over, and slowly opened her eyes. It took a second for her eyes to focus, but she soon realized she was laying next to a sleeping Jimmy - on his bed. Her eyes widened in shock, and she suddenly found herself falling. A moment later, she hit the floor with a loud thump.
Jimmy woke with a start and bolted into a sitting position. “I didn’t do it!” he shouted. He glanced around, then he leaned over as Linda sat up, looking a bit confused. “Linda?” Linda looked up. “What happened?”
“I . . . fell,” Linda replied slowly. She carefully got to her feet.
“Off the bed?” Jimmy asked. “But you feel asleep in the living room.”
“Actually, after you were asleep, I snuck in here,” Linda replied sheepishly. “I wanted to keep an eye on you, so I . . . kinda floated next to your bed.” She looked over at the window and saw it was still dark outside. She glanced down at the nightstand clock; it read five forty-five. “Um, look, it’s still early. Why don’t you go back to sleep?”
“And you?” Jimmy asked. Linda shrugged. Jimmy scooted under to covers until he was against the wall. He pulled back the covers and patted the space next to him. “Come on, you need your sleep too.”
“Jimmy, I’m fine,” Linda replied.
“Well, I’m not,” Jimmy said. “I won’t be able to get back to sleep unless you stay.” He smiled. “Please?”
Linda sighed, trying to look serious, but she gave up and smiled. She slowly sat on the bed next to Jimmy. “You sure?” she asked.
“Way sure,” Jimmy replied.
Linda sighed and lay next to Jimmy. He lay down beside her and pulled the covers over them. He kissed her lips and smiled reassuringly before putting his head on the pillow next to hers. Linda turned on her side towards Jimmy as he slid an arm under her head, letting her rest against his bicep. He smiled as he watched her study him.
“What?” Jimmy asked, smiling.
“You have dimples,” Linda replied. Jimmy blushed. “What?”
“Nothing,” Jimmy said. Linda smiled, getting a twinkle in her eyes. “What?”
“Oh, I was just wondering if you have a matching set somewhere else,” Linda replied.
Jimmy chuckled and brushed a strand of hair out of Linda’s face. “Get some rest,” he whispered. He kissed her once more and lay his head back on the pillow.
Linda smiled as she snuggled close to Jimmy and closed her eyes. The last thing she remembered before falling asleep was the soft, reassuring touch of Jimmy’s arm as he slipped it over her side, down across her lower back, and slightly pulled her to him, letting her know she was safe.
(End of Chapter 21)
