Four Lever Pullers

By Mary Potts, AKA Queen of the Capes <queenofthecapes@gmail.com>

Rated: G

Submitted: February 2005

Summary: Clark is having a hard day's night because when he went to Lois's door there was no reply. But he should have known better with a girl like Lois, who sends a P.S. along with Jimmy's message.

***

Clark Kent slowly trudged down the street, his head bent, his hands in his pockets. Love could be so cruel, it seemed. Yesterday, it was all just an easy game to play, and now all he wanted to do was hide. Lois had left Metropolis. Why, he didn't know. She wouldn't say. He'd just said something wrong, apparently.

He couldn't even try to call her, because she never gave him the number where she was staying. She'd only given him the situation: that she was on an investigation.

But why would she go on an investigation without her partner?

The answer was simple: her partner was a total Lunkhead who'd really screwed up big time! He'd *meant* to tell about Superman sooner, really! And he'd meant to break it to her a whole lot more gently and…

…And none of that mattered, because no matter when or how he told her, she probably *still* would have hit the roof!

But still, leaving Metropolis?

The rain was really pouring, now. Why did it have to rain today? Life was depressing enough!

He sighed and turned the corner, walking down a small road lined by shops. The first was a small barber shop. The barber— someone he knew personally—had a photograph of just about every customer he'd ever had displayed in his window. Normally, Clark would stop in and say hello, but today he just didn't feel like it.

At the corner on the other end of the street was a small apartment building. One of its residents, a bank employee, was getting out of his car. Clark absently noted that the man didn't have a raincoat on, even though it was raining cats and dogs. Some nearby children apparently found this amusing and were snickering behind the man's back.

Kids.

He'd like to have kids, someday.

He'd like to have kids with Lois.

Ah, Lois.

No matter how hard he tried, Clark couldn't get her out of his mind. Maybe he should go somewhere and try to clear his head— there was this one place in Central Park where he could just close his eyes and pretend that nothing was real and there was nothing to get hung up about. It was so peaceful, he could stay there forever!

He rounded another corner and nearly bumped into a young man going the opposite way. On closer inspection, though, he realized that this young man was familiar. "Oh, excuse me— Jimmy?!"

Jimmy turned around. "CK? Man, fancy meeting you like this! How are you doing?"

Clark sighed. "As well as can be expected, considering I'm a man who's lost his only love."

"You mean Lois?"

Clark nodded.

"Well, CK, I saw Lois yesterday. She was thinking about you. Anyway, we got to talking, and she told me to tell you something."

Clark's head snapped up in attention. "What?"

"She said she loves you."

Clark was stunned. Lois loved him? He grinned. That couldn't be bad! "She loves me?"

Jimmy nodded. "Yep. You know, you should be glad!"

"I am, I am." Clark was still dazed, and his sloppy grin threatened to consume his entire face. "She loves me?"

Jimmy smiled at his friend. "Yeah."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"Wow." Clark still couldn't believe it! Lois loved him, and that was all he needed. Well, that, and a little help from his friends. "Thanks Jimmy!"

"No problem, CK. Oh, and one more thing—she said that she's going to call you tonight at eight-o-clock and bring you up to date on the Kryptonite ring."

"Kryptonite ring?"

"Yeah, you know, the Kryptonite smuggling ring you guys are investigating? I thought you were working together on that."

Kryptonite! So, no wonder she didn't bring him along on the investigation! He would talk to her later about that, but for now, it was enough to know that she truly cared about him! Life was great, and every day in every way things were getting better and better!

Suddenly, his super hearing picked up a desperate cry. <<Help! I need *somebody*!>>

"Um, Jimmy, I have to go—uh, return a library book. Thanks for everything!"

"Sure thing!" Jimmy waved and continued on his way, not seeing Clark run into a dark alley.

Clark changed into his suit and took off into the clouds, which were just starting to part. The rain was over. Here comes the sun!

THE END