By Becci Sieglitz
Summary: A former gang member, also the daughter of a friend of Perry's, comes to the Daily Planet for help when the gang tries to track her down and kill her.
For my eighth grade graduation, I wrote my friend a Lois and Clark story as a present, which I sent in (Love Conquers All). And, which came as a surprise, she wrote me one in return!! So, here it is. If you would like to comment on it, please send mail to me (Lois95@aol.com or 73764.2611@compuserve.com). She would really appreciate it!!!.
***
"Here, Lois," Clark said, handing her a mug.
"Oh, thanks, this is exactly what I needed," she replied.
"Well, I have a feeling everyone will need something like this today. I mean, it's miserable outside," Clark said. "It's raining and it's slow. No, wait. It's not even slow, it's nonexistent."
Lois sighed. "I know what you mean. It's times like these that I wish Lex Luthor would break out of prison or Jewel Corp. would come back." (See my story, Love Conquers All)
"Ooh, Lois, don't say that. It just might happen," Clark, taking a sip of coffee, said.
"Hey, C.K.! Guess what? I have a date with Megan Mroan tonight. Can you believe it, Megan Mroan," A smiling Jimmy Olsen said.
"Who's Megan Mroan?" Lois asked.
Jimmy faced her. "Only the most beautiful girl in Metropolis."
"Next to Lois," Clark piped in.
"Thank you, Clark. I'm glad to see someone still has their head on straight," Lois joked.
"Oh, but Lois, you don't understand. Megan's got this long blonde hair and big green eyes and her body… whoa, what a body." Jimmy got a dreamy look on his face and sat down in a chair next to Lois' desk. Lois waved her hand in front of his face, but he didn't flinch or move. Lois sat back down in her chair. She looked over at Clark. He looked at Lois and shrugged, then gave her one of those boyish smiles. Lois loved that smile. In fact, she loved that face and it was a face that loved her back.
"Excuse me," a voice said, bringing them back to reality. A woman, in her early twenties, with dark hair and dark eyes and a slim figure, stood between Lois and Clark's desks. "I'm looking for.." she trailed off looking at Jimmy. "Is he all right?" she asked.
"Oh, yeah, he'll be fine in a minute," Lois spoke up. "Can I help you with something?"
"Oh, how silly of me! Um, yes, I'm looking for Perry White. Is he here?" the woman asked.
"Lois, I need to talk to you," Perry said stepping up to Lois' desk. He looked at the woman. "Kelly?"
The woman smiled. "Hi, Perry. Yeah, it's me," she laughed.
"Well come here and give an old man a hug already!" Perry said, smiling.
As the two hugged Lois and Clark exchanged bewildered looks.
"Kelly?" Clark mouthed. Lois shrugged and turned her attention back to Perry and Kelly. Perry pulled back slightly.
"Now, let me look at you," he said. "Man, you've grown up a lot, Kel."
"Well, you haven't aged a day," Kelly replied.
Perry then noticed Jimmy. "Which girl is it this time?" he asked.
"Megan Mroan," Clark told him. He gave Jimmy a little shove. Jimmy snapped out of his daze quickly.
"Oh, hey, Chief! Who's your friend?" he asked.
"Oh, yeah. Everyone, this is Kelly Turner. Her father's been like a little brother to me. Kelly, this is Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and Jimmy Olsen. Jimmy, what are you doing now?" Perry asked. Jimmy looked up from his watch.
"Huh, oh, I'm just counting the hours to my date," he blushed a little. "My Date with Megan." He started to go back into his daze. Clark smiled apologetically at Kelly and shoved Jimmy again.
"Well, it's nice to meet you, Kelly," Lois said, extending her hand.
"Thank you, Miss Lane. It's nice to meet you, too. I've been reading your articles from the beginning," Kelly replied, shaking Lois' hand.
Lois smiled. "Call me Lois."
Kelly shook Clark's hand next. "You're a terrific writer, Mr. Kent," she said.
"Thank you, and, please, call me Clark," he replied.
"Nice to meet you," Jimmy said. "And please, don't call me Mr. Olsen."
Kelly laughed. "OK, Jimmy."
""Now, Kelly, what are you doing here?" Perry asked. Kelly's smile quickly faded.
"I need your help," she said to him.
"Kelly," he said sternly.
"Look, Perry, I know what you're gonna say. But listen. I'm not a little sixteen year old who needs to hide from some foster parents who want me dead. This is serious. They have a contract on me, so you understand that? A contract. That means dead or alive. Preferably dead." Kelly looked into his eyes. "I just need a place to stay for a few weeks."
"Oh, Kelly! Isn't there anywhere else you can go?" Perry asked.
"No. Nowhere. They know all my friends, all my family. Everyone except you," she finished. "Please, Perry, I need your help."
"Perry looked at her. "You know it can't be my place," he said.
"I know Alice hates me," she sighed.
"She can stay with me," Lois offered, without thinking.
"Really? Do you mean it? Oh, thank you so much!" Kelly cried.
Lois smiled. "You're welcome. And, please, call me Lois!"
***
"This is it," Lois said, turning the light on to her apartment. Kelly followed her in.
"Wow," she breathed. "I love it."
"Thank you, so do I," Lois said. She hung up their wet coats. Kelly pulled off her UCLA sweatshirt to uncover a T-shirt underneath. And a bandage on her left arm.
"What happened to your arm?" Lois asked.
"I was caught in a fire," Kelly replied loudly so she could hear her in the bedroom, where Lois had gone,
"In your house?" Lois' voice called.
"No, in a warehouse, actually. Someone handcuffed me to a pipe and set the place a blaze."
"That's horrible," Lois said, re-entering the room in jeans and a T-shirt.
"I agree. Did they catch the guy?" a voice form behind them asked.
Kelly whirled around. "Wow! Superman! What an honor!"
"The honor is all mine," Clark said, shaking Kelly's hand. "So, did they?"
"Catch them?" Kelly asked. "Nah. That's why I came here. So they couldn't find me."
"Who's 'they'?" Lois asked.
"Some guys from my old gang," Kelly answered nonchalantly.
"Gang?!" Lois and Clark asked in unison.
"Yeah. When you live on the streets since you're thirteen, you need a gang. Let's just say that they weren't too happy when I left.
"So let me get this straight," Lois said. "You need protection from a gang, which you dropped out of, which they are trying to kill you for?"
"Not the whole gang," Kelly said.
"Well, that's a relief," Lois sighed.
"Just the one's out of jail."
"Oh, boy." Lois sank into a chair.
"How many are out of jail?" Clark asked.
Kelly began moving in a way that suggested she was counting. She was at it for awhile.
"Oh, lord," Lois groaned.
"Six," Kelly said.
"All that for 'six'?" Lois asked.
"I was counting the ones in jail. There are twenty or thirty in jail. Six out."
"So can't you just finger the six?" Clark asked. (I have no idea if this is what she meant.)
Kelly shook her head. "The six are in and out of jail all the time. They were more like private members, no one can really prove that they are true members of the gang."
"Why didn't you tell us any of this?" Lois asked.
"Nobody asked," Kelly said, innocently.
"What do the police have to say about this?" Lois asked suddenly.
Kelly made a face. "Those idiots don't care. All they said was to call the next time they threatened me." Kelly held up her arm. "This was a threat. I'd hate to see a warning."
"You're kidding," Clark said.
"No, I'm afraid I'm not."
"Well, you're welcome here as long as you'd like, Kelly," Lois offered.
"Thanks Miss L.. Lois," Kelly said, catching herself.
"Bye, Kelly, bye, Lois. I'll be seeing you," he sent one last loving gaze at Lois, which both women didn't see, and flew out the window.
"Bye Superman," Lois said.
"Bye, Superman," Kelly chimed in. Lois sighed.
"So, what's this thing between you and Clark?" Kelly asked.
"Me and Clark? Nothing. We're just…" She looked at Kelly, who was giving her a who-are-you-trying-to-fool look.
"Oh, all right. I love him. Happy? I love him, I love him, I love him. I love CLARK KENT!" Lois yelled. She was silent for a minute, then said, "Gawd that felt good!" The woman broke into peels of laughter. So began their friendship.
***
"What'cha got, Jimmy?" Lois asked.
"Your newest assignment," he said, reading the file. Lois jumped from her desk.
"Jimmy, give me that file," she ordered. He held it out of her reach.
"Say please?" Jimmy teased.
"Jimmy!! Give me that file." She made a grab for it, and Jimmy waved it over his head. Clark came over to the two fighting co-workers. He grabbed the file from Jimmy.
"What's this?" he asked.
"Gimme that," Lois said, grabbing it.
"Geez, Lois, lay off the caffeine," Clark remarked.
"Yeah, switch to decaf," Jimmy smiled.
"Hey, look at this. The gang we've been investigating lately has only two female members. One's in jail, the other, who knows," Lois summarized.
"What's her name? Of the one in jail?"
"Blondie Rose," Lois replied.
***
"See ya!" Jimmy called after them as they headed to the penitentiary.
"What was the other woman's name?" Clark asked as he drove, something Lois didn't often asked him to do. She scanned the paper that she held.
"Someone called Brunie. Must be a nickname."
"Yeah, but for what?" Clark asked glancing at her.
Lois shrugged. "How should I know?"
Clark pulled into the penitentiary about forty-five minutes later. They were led to a long row of windows with a metal fence separating the two sides.
"Looks like a gangster movie," Lois whispered. Clark smiled.
A few minutes later a guard brought in 'Blondie Rose', a woman about five foot seven, with blonde hair interspersed with streaks of red.
"Miss Rose, I'm Lois Lane and this is my partner, Clark Kent. We're from the Daily Planet in Metropolis and we're covering a story about gang members in jail. Would you mind answering a few questions. To their surprise, Blondie Rose gave them a pleasant smile.
"Sure. It's been long since I've had any visitors," she said in a sincerely honest voice.
"Um," Clark said, clearing his throat. "Could you tell us how we got started in the gang?"
"Of course. I was a runaway. I couldn't take it at my house anymore so I left at fourteen. I spent a couple of months in a runaway shelter, then I left. Then I lived on the streets, and the gang became my family," Blondie Rose told them.
"'Blondie Rose'. That's a nickname, right?" Lois asked.
"Yes, for my hair color. My real name is Cassandra."
"Does everyone in the gang have a nickname?" Clark asked.
"Yes. We rarely, if ever, use our real name. Only the nicknames."
"Blondie Rose, we understand there is only one other female gang member," Clark commented.
Blondie Rose nodded. "Brunie. Nice kid. I wonder how she is." She looked thoughtful.
"You haven't seen her recently?" Lois asked.
"No. Haven't seen her since I came to this joint. She quit about four years ago and some of the guys weren't to happy. We tracked her down but were caught with some illegal drugs. Not to mention harassment, battery, all done by the guys, of course," Blondie Rose confided.
"You tracked her down?" Clark asked.
"It wasn't easy. When she left the gang she found a foster family and never talked about us. She changed her name, her attitude, her whole identity."
"So what was her name?" Lois asked.
"Gee, I forget. Kathy, Katie, something like that," she replied.
"Well, thank your for you time," Clark said.
"I've got plenty of it," Blondie Rose said. "Hey, if you find Brunie, tell her 'I tried'. She'll understand.
"We'll try," Lois promised. Blondie Rose was led back to her cell and they walked back to the Jeep.
"I can't believe she was so helpful!" Lois said.
"What? You don't believe her, do you?" Clark asked, surprised. This wasn't like Lois.
"I don't know, I just might," she replied softly, thoughtfully.
"How 'bout dinner, Lois?"
"Huh, dinner?" Lois asked, confused.
"Yeah, we can stop at a diner somewhere," he said. Stepping into a streetlight, he looked right at her. She melted.
"I'd love to," she gushed.
"Great!" he smiled. "Wonderful."
Kelly wandered aimlessly around Lois' apartment. She was bored. The phone rang.
"Hello?" she asked into the receiver.
"Hi, Lois?" a voice asked.
"No, she's not here," Kelly replied, careful not to say, 'this is Kelly'.
"Oh, hi, Kelly. This is Jimmy."
She was relieved. "Oh, hey, Jim. Lois isn't back yet," she said.
"Okay, I'll try back later. I just had something to tell her."
'Okay, I'll tell her you called."
"Okay, uh, bye," Jimmy said.
"Oh, wait, Jimmy?" Kelly said, before he hung up.
"Yeah?" he asked.
"How was your date last night with.. what was her name?"
Jimmy sighed. "Megan? Don't ask. She was an airhead."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Kelly said, smiling.
"How old are you?" Jimmy asked suddenly.
"Twenty one, next birthday," Kelly said.
"Hey, me too. You want to go to a movie tomorrow night?"
"Jimmy, for one thing it wouldn't be safe. And for another, I'm not looking for a relationship right now."
"Hey, no problem. Just friends. And I'll take you to this really crummy movie theater, no one would see you!" Jimmy persisted.
"Well.." she hesitated. "Hell, why not?"
"Great. I'll pick you up at seven thirty. Bye." They both hung up.
"Yes!" she screamed, and danced around the couch. "Yes, yes, yes, yes, YES!" she flopped down and waited for Lois.
***
Jimmy hung up the phone, and shouted "Whoopee!!", dancing around his apartment. "Am I good? I'm good." He told himself.
***
Lois and Clark found themselves in a dark, romantic restaurant. The meal was fabulous, the company even better.
"So much for a diner, huh?" she had told him jokingly. She left the restraint laughing.
"Oh, Clark, wasn't that the best night?" she took his arm and smiled up at him. Clark returned her gaze.
"It was, but the night you spent with me, when Jason was after you (see my story, Love Conquers All), was better."
Lois laughed again. "I love you, Clark. You know that, don't you?"
'Of course I do," he replied, stopping and facing her. He lowered his head, saying, "And I love you." He kissed her. Like every moment with Lois, he didn't want it to end. But as always, it did. Lois pulled back, smiling.
"Clark, we're standing in a parking lot."
"And your point?" he replied, kissing he again.
***
"Wasn't that a great movie?" Jimmy asked.
"It was fantastic," Kelly agreed. "You really surprised me, Jimmy."
"Why?" he asked.
"Usually, some guy makes me sit through some horrible, gruesome and revolting movie. But not you. You picked a romantic comedy and it was wonderful," she reassured him.
"Well, what can I say? I'm not your normal guy," he said. They smiled at each other.
"Brunie! Hey, Brunie! How are you?" A voice called from behind them. Kelly spun around.
"Eric?! What are you doing here? Don't call me that, you idiot!"
"Hey, sorry, Kel. I didn't mean anything by it. Who's he?" Eric asked, giving Jimmy a dirty look.
"A friend. And we're leaving. Do NOT follow us," Kelly ordered him. "Come on," she mumbled to Jimmy.
"Who was that?" Jimmy asked, following her.
"A jerk I used to know," she answered shortly.
"Hey, are you okay?" he asked, taking her arm.
"Can you just take me home?"
"Sure," he said. They started to walk again but someone pulled Kelly into a nearby alley. Jimmy was pulled in shortly after.
"Hey! Let go of me, you creep!" she screamed, wiggling out of their hands.
"You're quick, Brunie. Glad you haven't lost your touch," a voice from the shadows said.
"Slasher, get out from the damn shadows," Kelly snapped.
Slasher stepped into a circle of light. He had slicked back black hair and a satisfied smirk on his face.
"I'm glad you remember your old friends," he snapped.
Kelly laughed.
"Old friends? Give me a break! You never cared about me!" she cried.
"If we didn't care, why would we look for you for so long?" Slasher was tormenting her and she knew it.
"Because I knew too much. I could shut down your stupid gang, but you beat me to it! You shut yourselves down."
Jimmy looked back and forth in bewilderment.
"You still know too much! You should be in jail with the rest of them!" he shouted.
"I do not!"
"Yes, you do. You killed McCalister, remember?" Slasher asked sinisterly.
Kelly's eyes grew rounder and wider, in horror and anger.
"I did not! You pulled the trigger, not me! It wasn't me!" she screamed.
Slasher made a grab for her. Kelly twisted out of his grasp and kicked him, hard. He fell back into the garbage cans. Then she back-kicked the guy who had grabbed her and he hit the wall, sliding to the ground. Jimmy stepped on his captor's foot and punched him in the nose.
"All right, Jimmy!" Kelly exclaimed.
"Let's go!" came Jimmy's reply, and he grabbed her hand.
"I'm right behind you!" Kelly answered.
No more than ten minutes later they reached Jimmy's apartment.
"I don't think anyone followed us. When we're inside you can call Lois and tell her you're all right and she can come and get you," he said, unlocking the door. He stopped her as she walked by him. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"Oh, Jimmy," she cried. She put her hands around his neck and cried on his shoulder. Jimmy put his arms around her and stroked her hair.
"It's okay," he reassured her. "It's okay now."
He closed the door.
***
Lois paced frantically in front of the couch.
"Lois, calm down, I'm sure she's okay," Clark said.
"Lois," Perry spoke up, "Kelly's strong and smart. She probably went to a motel or something."
"She didn't come home all night," Lois cried. "Somebody wants her dead and you guys sit there and tell me to calm down?!"
"Lois, if anything did happen to her, wouldn't Superman've spotted her by now?" Perry asked.
"You're right, Perry. It's just…" Lois stopped because of a knock on her door. She ran to open it.
"Jimmy!" she exclaimed. "Kelly! Where have you been?"
"At Jimmy's." Kelly answered quietly.
"Jimmy's?!" Perry, Clark and Lois cried in unison.
"We went to a movie last night," Jimmy exclaimed. "And on the way home we were attacked." Kelly sat down on the couch.
Lois gasped. "Are you two all right?"
"We're still alive, aren't we?"
"Kelly, you're in over your pretty little head now. You're putting Jimmy in danger and who else? Lois? Who else will get hurt, Kelly?" Perry asked.
"What do you want me to do, Perry,?" Give up? Say 'okay, just kill me'? No, Perry, I refuse to do that!!" Kelly yelled angrily.
"Why did you even get involved, Kel?" Perry asked hotly.
"I had NO CHOICE! Perry, you are not my father!" Kelly stood from the couch and ran into the bedroom.
"Kelly, I am not through, yet!" Perry yelled. He followed her into the bedroom. Lois, Clark and Jimmy huddled in the doorway. They had never seen Perry like this.
Kelly, in the bedroom, was sitting down and punching the last few digits of a phone number.
"Hi, Mac. Listen, things have changed and I am coming home."
Perry, knowing how her foster family had treated her, grabbed the phone.
"Oh, no you're not!' he told her. He spoke into the phone. "Mac? This is Perry… Yeah, Kelly's here with me… she's just overreacting… she's not leaving… okay… okay… yeah, later. Good-bye." He hung up the phone.
"Perry!" Kelly cried.
"Kelly, you're like a daughter to me, just like Lois and just like Clark and Jimmy are my sons! If you're in trouble, I want to help!"
The three other members of the occupancy of the room, walked in.
"So do I," Jimmy chimed in.
"Me, too," said Clark.
"And me," said Lois, "and Superman!"
"Thanks," Kelly said gratefully, tears welling in her eyes. She smiled softly. "I also noticed that Alice let you come, Perry."
"I snuck out when she was sleeping," he joked.
***
So, tell me about your date," Lois said later that evening.
"Up to the point in the alley, it was fantastic," Kelly said with a smile.
"Oh, really?" Lois said, very interested. A gust of wind blew the window open and Superman flew in.
"Hi!" they both said.
"Hi, uh.. Clark told me what happened. I just wanted to make sure you were okay," Clark said.
"We're fine," Kelly answered, "thanks."
"I just wanted to let you know, I am willing to help in any way that I can."
"Thanks, that means a lot."
"Superman," Lois spoke up, "why weren't you there last night?"
"I was, Lois," he answered. "She handled it just fine. "Oh, Kelly, your back-kick could be better." He winked and left.
"He reminds me of someone," Kelly said thoughtfully.
"Forget it. I've tried everything, and always come up empty. Tell me more about your date." Lois said.
Kelly smiled. "Well, let's see…"
THE END
(for now, she told me she has a sequel in the works!!)
(howto.txt)