By Abigail Jolie (hazlett@sprynet. com)
Summary: Lois and Clark's marriage seems headed down a rocky path, but a woman with a knack for helping relationships gives Lois a new perspective.
Author's note: This is my first attempt at fanfic. I'd like to thank Amy and Richard for allowing me to use their names and Julia, Sandra and a different Richard for inspiring me. Thanks guys! Also thanks to everyone who makes Lois and Clark happen, for letting all of us fanfic writers use your creation :-) Any comments can be sent to me at hazlett@sprynet. com (Be kind please I'm only 14). Enjoy!
***
Amy was a big fan of Lois and Clark's work for the Planet, she knew what they looked like, how old they were, that they'd been married seven months and other basic information like that, but she also knew that Clark was Superman or vice versa. She had figured it out after she noticed the quality of the articles Lois (and Clark supposedly) wrote decline after Superman left for New Krypton. They seemed one-sided, almost depressed and it seemed as though Lois wrote more stories alone. So, Amy had put all the clues together and found Clark's *big* secret out, but she had told no one except her husband Richard.
When Clark (or Superman depending on who she was talking to)came back from New Krypton she was very happy. Being the hopeless romantic she was she couldn't stand seeing soul-mates kept apart. Plus she missed her favorite reporting team.
It was late afternoon. Amy was standing outside a cafe waiting to be seated when she saw two familiar faces exiting the Daily Planet building across the street. Lois Lane and Clark Kent crossed the street and headed strait for the cafe in which Amy was standing. She knew immediately something was wrong. They were not touching in any way as they normally did. In fact, it looked as though they were avoiding any contact what so ever.
As they approached, two parties got up and left their tables. The waiters quickly cleaned both and Amy sat down at one.
When they reached the cafe Lois and Clark took the other. Amy pretended she was engrossed in the book she was reading but instead she listened to their conversation. She knew Rich would say she should mind her own business but he wasn't there, was he. Besides, all she wanted to do was help.
"Lois, I'm sorry about last night. Please talk to me," Clark was saying.
"It's not just last night, Clark, it's every night," Lois said the anger apparent in her voice.
"I'll give *him* up if that's what you want. Just please stop ignoring me," Clark pleaded.
"No, Clark, that's not what I want… I guess… I just… I don't know what I want." Lois said, her voice softening considerably.
Amy *jumped* into Lois' mind. It was obvious she had become annoyed with Clark's *other* life but Amy sensed something more, the sense of excitement was gone. "Ah ha!" Amy thought to herself as she left Lois' mind, returning to her own. "She's started taking him being around for granted. Well, I'll just have to remind her that she's a very lucky woman, won't I?" A large grin played across her face.
***
Lois walked around the corner so lost in thoughts of self pity that she didn't see the woman walking straight for her. Wham! The two smacked together "Oww!" cried a female voice. Lois had managed not to fall but the woman she had run into was not so lucky. She lay on the ground a bit dazed. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" Lois said as she knelt down, "Are you okay?".
"I think," said the woman unconvincingly.
"Listen, "said Lois feeling awful that she may have hurt this poor woman. "My apartment's right here," she waved at the building next to them "Why don't you come in and I'll get you some water."
The woman looked a bit unsure.
"Please," said Lois.
"Okay," said the woman weakly.
Lois helped her into the apartment, got her some water and waited while she drank it and then said, "I'm really sorry. . uh. . Ms… umm…"
"DuLac, but please call me Amy and it's okay. Really, it was just as much my fault as yours," she smiled.
"Yes, well I'm glad you're okay, Amy. I was a bit scared for a second there. By the way, I'm Lois, Lois Lane," she held out her hand.
"Oh! It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Lane. I'm a huge fan." said Amy.
"Well, maybe not a pleasure," said Lois and they both started laughing.
They talked for a little about various stories and then Amy said, "Well, I really don't want to impose any more, so I'll just be going, but here's my number. If you ever need any information about Metropolis General I'm a nurse there and I should be able to find out something juicy for you." With that she opened her wallet to take out a card when a photo slipped out and landed on the floor.
Lois bent over to pick it up. It showed a very handsome man with blond hair and bright green eyes. "Is this your husband?" Lois asked. She had noted the ring on Amy's finger.
"Yeah, handsome, huh?" said Amy.
Lois looked up and saw tears forming in the other woman's eyes "What's wrong Amy?" she asked.
"Oh, nothing," she tried to wipe the tears away but new ones formed. "It's just that… well, he, uh… he died about a month ago. We were only married seven months before," her tears came harder.
"What? I mean, how?" Lois asked the similarity to her and Clark's marriage disturbed her. "If you don't mind me asking," she added.
"No, I. . I don't mind. Like they say, 'it helps to talk about it.'" she smiled weakly.
Lois stood up to make tea.
"He was a paramedic, that's how we met. I didn't even like him at first. I was paired up with him for the Health Mobile and would have rather stayed at the hospital but we ended up falling in love. Well, I did. He told me he loved me from the moment he saw me."
Lois bit her lip.
"Anyway," continued Amy, she was no longer crying. "It took me three years to say 'yes' to him and we got married and about six months later I started to get really sick of him running off at night to go save someone."
Now Lois felt like crying. She got up and got the tea.
"Thanks," said Amy and went on. "Around the beginning of the seventh month we had this big argument. I stopped talking to him," the tears started flowing from both women as she went on, "We made up but I was still mad that night. He didn't come home and I called the hospital and found out he. . he had been in a burning building trying to save a little girl when a burning beam had trapped him. He. . he was killed instantly. "she cried softly, so did Lois.
"Oh, Amy, I'm so sorry," was all she could say.
"What really hurts is all that time I wasn't talking to him I should have been. Now I'll never see him again, never hold him again, never talk to him again. Oh, god, I wish I had just one more day with him," she held the photo tightly.
They just sat there for a few minutes. Then Amy, who had stopped crying, said ,"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ruin your day."
"Oh, no, your story really opened my eyes. You've given me the second chance you didn't get. Thank you!" She leaned over and hugged Amy who left a few minutes later without leaving her phone number.
***
As she walked home, Amy thought about her special gift, the ability to put her mind into other people to feel what they would feel in different situations. Her husband called it *jumping*. In this case she hadn't had to act much (except for the beginning with the whole *Crashing into Lois* thing). She had *jumped* into Lois' mind to find out how her relationship with Clark had evolved but after that she had just thought about losing Richard and it had been easy. The parts about their jobs were not made up nor was the fire but Rich hadn't been killed.
***
It was 10:30 p.m. Clark still wasn't home. Lois sat on the couch crying and praying when she hear that familiar 'Whoosh'. "Clark!" she almost screamed as she ran to him throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. "Oh, thank God and Elvis and everyone your home!" She was crying and hugging him very hard.
"Lois, what's wrong ?"asked Clark somewhat confused.
Lois told him the whole story just as Amy had told her.
"That's awful," said Clark when she was done. They were sitting on the couch together. Clark had not changed out of *the suit*. "I don't remember any fires killing any paramedics recently though," he said.
"I know," said Lois, "weird, huh?" "Clark? Could we go to bed now? I just want to hold you and you hold me for a while. Okay?" she looked at him with pleading eyes.
"Yeah," was all Clark said. He stood up, spun into his boxers and carried Lois into the bedroom. *** Earlier That Night…
Amy could smell the garlic bread before she entered the house. "I'm Home!" she yelled.
"Hi, babes," said Richard as he came out from the kitchen. "I made Italian, hope that's okay," he smiled.
"Oh, darn," said Amy in mock disappointment, "and I wanted leftovers."
They both laughed and Rich came over to her, placing his hands on her hips. He pulled her close and kissed her. "So, "he asked, his lips still close to hers. "How many relationships did you *jump* in on today?"
She kissed him and smiled, "Well… "
***
"Hey, Lois, come look at this." called Clark from his desk.
"What?" she asked as she came up behind him and dropped a kiss on top of his head.
He pointed at the old copy of the Daily Planet he held. A head-line in the People Of Metropolis section read: PARAMEDIC, RICH DULAC SAVES CHILD FROM FIRE AND NARROWLY ESCAPES DEATH.
Lois' jaw dropped.
***
"Mike, where's Amy?" Rich asked a doctor.
"Over there."pointed Dr. Walc.
"Amy," called Rich as he approached his wife.
"What?" asked Amy.
Rich held the note he had found in his ambulance out to her. She read it.
Dear Amy,
Thanks again for that reminder.
Oh, and I'm glad your story wasn't completely true.
Nobody should have to go through that. :-)
Yours,
Lois Lane
Amy smiled at her husband, "Well, she's not called a reporter for nothing, now is she?"
THE END
(reminder.txt)