Work Text:
Title: Once In A Blue Moon
Author: Lopaka Tanu
Disclaimer: I do not own Lois and Clark: Superman.
Characters: Jimmy, Perry, Clark, Kat, Jack, Martha, and John.
Words: 7620
Prompt: 17 Trading Places
Fandom: Lois and Clark: New Adventures of Superman
Pairing: slight Jimmy/Clark
Rating: Adult
Warnings: Language, Violence
Timeline: Roughly Season 1, slight Parallel Universe.
Summary: For twenty years, Perry White has lived with a secret. A secret that his new job as the Daily Planet's Chief Editor threats to expose.
Author's Note: If you can guess who Jimmy replaced, you win.
______________________________________
Metropolis, 1974
The first warning anyone had were the sudden appearances of more stars in the heaven. They grew in brilliance even as the observatory on Preston Point turned the full range of their equipment on them. A few minutes later air raid sirens went off through out the city. Emergency alerts took over every television and radio station, causing a state wide panic.
Twenty-three minutes, fifteen seconds after the first broadcast, the vanguard hit downtown Metropolis. Entire sky scrapers disappeared in a hellish rain. City blocks were decimated by repeated blasts, the air torn by sonic booms and searing heat. Metropolis City Bridge was torn asunder, seperating the Metropolis River Delta Borough from the rest of the city. A second, third, and forth blast leveled what remained of the Delta Downs.
The mayor's mansion in Down Town Estates was flatted along with half the city block. Suicide slums took the least damage, only a few tenement buildings hit before the innitial storm was over. Across the city, alarms and sirens took their place in the silence left by the meteorite storm. The cries of the injured echoed across every city street.
Alone, at the base of the Daily Planet Building, a single reporter stood trying to make sense of the destruction. Where had once been the heart of the printing district was now rubble and the Daily Planet. Having spent the evening alone on the tenth floor, he had fled to the basement the moment it started.
A familiar sound echoed in the night, signaling he was upset.
Crossing the rocks, dust and soot coating his clothing, Perry followed the sound. Just as it reached a crescendo and seemed it could get no louder, Perry found him. Laying in the center of the damnedest thing he ever saw, a baby boy screamed bloody murder for all to hear.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Metropolis 1994
Chaos erupted in the newsroom of the Daily Planet. Once the rumors of the new Chief Editor started to circulate, wild speculation was rampant. No one who currently worked on the paper remembered the cub reporter who had single handedly manned the presses twenty years ago while the city burned. There were stories, everyone knew at least thirty, of how he had opened the lower floors as a medical facility and shelter. How he, with sheer will alone, drew up a paper giving the city hope, that even while tragedy struck, life would continue.
Rumors circulated that he would shake up the paper, he was being brought in to fire half the staff and replace them with cheaper highers. Another said he was here to pump up sales by his presense alone. Still more suggest he had black mailed his way in to the highest position of power short of being on the board. Whatever the reason, he would be the youngest chief editor in Daily Planet history.
Because of all this gossiping, only one person noticed the elevator arrive. Watching the two men step off on to the upper level of the newsroom, Clark merely raised an eyebrow and smirked. Crossing his arms, he sat back against his desk. The older of the two was definitely Perry White, but the younger man was new to him. Judging from the camera hanging around his neck, he was going to be working with them.
Coming to stand at the banister directly across from the elevators, Perry felt like a president about to make his first address. That feeling was quickly tamped down by the fact only one of his new employees had noticed him. Scowling, he nodded to the young man beside him. The next instant he remembered just who he had given permission to and cowered away.
Pursing his lips, Jimmy sucked in a deep breath, then blew it out quickly in an ear piercing screech. The force from his whistle blew the papers off several desks and shattered more than a few pieces of glass. Cutting it off mid breath, he covered his mouth quickly, his long black sleeve hiding most of his face. He glanced to the older man in alarm, his glasses hiding nothing.
Having covered his ears, Perry's ears weren't ringing, but they did ache a little. "Thank you, Jimmy." His tone said they would be speaking on it later.
Grinning sheepishly, Jimmy bounced on the balls of his feet.
Lowering his glasses, Clark examined the outline of younger man. Having heard the almost whispered words, he grinned. "Jimmy."
Hearing his name, Jimmy looked up sharply, zeroing in on the source. Upon seeing the strange man watching him, he frowned for a second. The moment the stranger smiled, that changed and he was returning it whole heartedly.
Waiting until the staff had righted themselves and their work, Perry clapped his hands together twice to get their attention. "All right, folks, listen up. I want you to pay real close attention cause I'm not going to be repeating myself. I'm Perry White, the Editor and Chief of this here paper. My word is final on all things, and if you don't like it, well that's just too bad. A pamplet of policy changes will be circulating at the afternoon briefing, read it, memorize it, it might just save your jobs. Don't hesitate to ask any intelligent questions. Now, I'm sure you all have important things to get to, so I'll just let you go on about your business."
He let them start to look about before he raised his hand again. The fact they all looked at him again almost instantly spoke well of them. "Just one more thing. I need Lois Lane, Clark Kent, Kat Grant, Louise Ruez, and Mario Vengallo in my office in five minutes. Thank you." Turning to the stairs, he took them down with almost leisurely stroll. Perry took his time getting to his office, taking several moments to remenicse over how little it changed.
Having been off in lala land, Jimmy was glad he didn't have to move fast to keep up with Perry. Still, he had to move or the older man would get on to him again. Pretending to examine the newsroom, his eyes kept drawing back to the dark haired man next to the water cooler. There was just something so stunning about him that had Jimmy giddy every time he smiled. So distracted was he, that he banged in to Perry's office door when the older man opened it.
"Jimmy!" Finally noticing the other's distraction, he grabbed him by the wrist and jerked him in to the office. Slamming the door shut, he whirled on the photographer. "Just what in the Sam Hell are you doing?"
Adjusting his fake glasses, Jimmy colored about his cheeks. "Nothing, sir. Just a little distracted."
"A little?" Taking a calming breath, Perry placed a hand over his face. Bringing his other up to Jimmy's shoulder, Perry squeezed. "Remember the talk we had in the car over this morning? I know how much this means to you, but if you can't keep your whits about you..."
"Dad!" Horrified, Jimmy reached up and grabbed Perry's hand between his. He started to worry the fingers, then stopped when he realized what he was doing. "I'm sorry, I promise to try harder."
"Jimmy, there is no trying. This isn't Peduka or Galway, people aren't going to ignore you just because you wear mousey clothing and glasses." Sliding his free hand up behind Jimmy's head, he brought him to his chest. "Your mother and I discussed this at great lengths. She believes I should give you more time, but I don't think that's possible here. Keep your head down and your hands to yourself."
"All right, sir." Looking down, Jimmy examined Perry's buttons on his vest. For a moment he thought about flicking them just to annoy his father, but he stopped that thought right there. Grinning up at Perry, something else occured to him. "You're my boss now, that means I can call you..."
"Don't even think about it, runt." Ruffling his son's hair, Perry turned and pushed him to the door. Opening it, he found the five reporters on the other side and shoved Jimmy out with a little more force than necessary. The ruse had to be thorough to work. "Get me my coffee, you know how I like it. Make it quick!"
"Yes, sir!" Grinning, Jimmy made a show of stumbling before gaining his balance. Unfortunately, as he spun towards the coffee pot, he plowed right in to the chest of someone else. Eyes wide, he felt hands seize his arms and force him to stand back off the man. Looking up from a lowered browe, he grinned cheekily. "Hi."
"Hello." Almost breathless, Clark released Jimmy's arm to brush a lock of hair off his face. His fingers lingered over the skin they touched, caressing as they slid down to cup his cheek. They remained locked, stairing in to each other's eyes until a throat cleared behind Jimmy, causing the younger man to jump from his arms. Closing his eyes, Clark shuddered and bit his lip.
"If you're through fondling the interns, Kent, my office, now!" Snapping his fingers, Perry was almost livid. Storming past the other four people already waiting for him, he grabbed his chair and threw himself in it. "Close the damned door!"
Shutting the door behind him, Clark's heart was racing from the encounter with Jimmy. He knew the others were watching him, but didn't care. All he could focus on was the deep resonance within him that triggered a flood of warmth. The abrupt departure of the younger man had severed that warmth. Whatever it was between them, it needed completion for him to understand.
Seeing that he had the attention of his reporters, except Clark, Perry frowned. He longed for a cigar to calm his nerves, his fingers twitched for one, but Alice was being a mule about it. "There's going to be a few changes here. First off, I want to know which one of you knuckle heads thought it bright to offer a reward for information on Superman?"
No one spoke, but four looked to Lois.
Seeing they gave her up, Lois rolled her eyes and raised her hand. "It was me. I thought..."
"I don't care what you thought! You've cost this paper over a hundred thousand in follow-ups this quarter alone, and it just started four weeks ago! We do not reward crack pots for having saved a print left behind by Superman. He's not big foot!" As he yelled, Perry rose from his desk. He slammed a fist on the desk when it looked like she was about to snap back. "I don't care what justifications you used in the past, it ends now. Superman is not the only news worthy event in town, and I'm tired of seeing every little detail of his life splashed across our front page like so much tabloid filth!"
"Hear, hear!" Realizing his words made him the center of attention, Clark cleared his throat and pushed his glasses back up. "Sorry, sir, just, you make an excellent point."
"Oh don't get me started on you, young man. I've seen your work and I'm not really impressed. Your puff pieces are great, but you've lacked the tenacity to make these criminals fear us." Thumping a file on his desk, Perry pushed it open. "Along the way, you people have lost your way, and I'm here to give you a little push back in the right direction. Where's the fire that made this paper great? I want to see the society page sparkle like a fine cut diamond. I want to see that city hall scoop that brings down yet another back door deal to the mayor's second cousin." Perry looked to Lois. "I want to see you make a hardened criminal cry. That was a great piece. Let's get back to that."
Glowing under the praise, but still a little miffed at the criticism, Lois nodded. Crossing her arms, she still wasn't ready to give up completely. "What about Superman?"
"Fluffy kittens in trees is not news. If he's doing something remarkable, I want it in my paper, but if he's tying shoe laces, it ain't got a thing to do with us." Sitting back down, Perry stared at each of his top reporters in turn. "You're the best I got, but if you can't handle doing things my way, I will replace you. You can go."
With a nod, Lois led the migration out of Perry's office.
"Oh, and, Kent." Perry waited until Clark looked at him. Smiling, he leaned over his desk. "Keep your hands off Jimmy. I catch you with your fingers where they don't belong, and I'll cut them off along with a few other dangling pieces. Clear?"
Swallowing, Clark nodded. "As crystal, sir."
"Good. Now get on out of here." Sitting back in his chair, Perry felt his grin grow. "Vengallo."
The last reporter in Perry's office looked at the Editor with wide, startled eyes. "Yes?"
"Pack your shit. I don't need a corporate lap dog who sniffs their ass and tells me it don't stink. And close the door on your way out." Reaching for his phone, Perry mentally recalled the security desk call buttons. As the door closed with a gentle click, Perry let himself relax.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The stars seemed to waver in the haze over the city. What little he could see beyond the gleaming sky scrapers that ruled where once brown stones squated was beautiful. Atop his family home, Jimmy drew his knees to his chest. He knew he should be down helping his mom and sister-in-law unpack, but after the sun set and his father had finally let him leave the Planet, he had needed time to himself.
Metropolis was now the most modern and advanced city in the world. One would never know to think twenty years ago this summer it had been laid to waste. He had heard stories from other people, but none from his parents. His father refused to talk about it, while his mother would tear up and change the subject. If it weren't for his two older brothers, he wouldn't have known there used to be more Whites in the city.
Laying his head down on his arms, he turned back to watching the city. He had long ago stopped feeling guilty for it. His parents had made sure of it. Jimmy was a White and that was that.
Below, he could hear Celeste muttering in her native tongue. It sounded horrible to his sensitive hearing and he wished, not for the first time, that Martin had kept it in his pants in Galway. The woman was foul tempered, foul breathed, and foul mouthed. She took away all the fun out of being old enough to curse in front of his parents.
Closing his eyes, he tried to focus his hearing. He was getting better at it, but the sounds of being in such a large city made it more difficult. Jimmy wished his father hadn't taken the promotion and had continued to be the Planet's editor for the Ireland branch. But with the rise in cost of living and the less than lucrative job market for non native sons, his father had gathered the family, all fifteen of them, and brought them home.
The Planet had paid through the nose, but the board's promoting his return had made up for that. Perry White's return to Metropolis was front page news, and it had even knocked Superman off the cover of Metropolis Weekly. Only one other person had been that successful, but he was dead now and his name spat upon.
Another bellow from Celeste made his blood boil. Her and Martin's brood of five girls and two boys were driving him up the wall. If she got pregnant again, Jimmy swore he would take her to the vet to get fixed. At least Tim and Nat were smart. They had waited until he had graduated college before dropping the B-bomb. Not that a liberal arts degree did him a lot of good.
Snorting, started to stand up. If he didn't get back down there in the next few minutes, the green dragon would be butchering his name in that repugnant accent of hers. French, it sounded so snooty just by association. Her pronounciation of his name always sounded like she was calling for pigs.
"Jem-oui!"
Gritting his teeth, he flipped her off through the roof. She knew he hated her calling him that, but did it to spite him. He hobbled over to his bedroom window, pushing it aside so he could poke his head in. "It's Jim-me, you bloated, caterwauling horse!"
"James Marshall White!" His mother's voice echoed through the house silencing everyone inside.
Closing his window with a slam, Jimmy climbed back to the top of the roof. It used to be his favorite place when he was five years old and thought it the highest place on Earth. Now, it was just another place to squat while avoiding the inevitible. His father would be home in an hour and then he would be in for another lecture on why Celeste had to be respected as part of the family, no matter what. It was all bullshit, his father hated her just as much, but loved his grand kids.
He should have been in college. He should have been chasing skirts and shirts, arguing bullshit philosophy with stuffy coeds. He should have been a normal boy in a nice, normal world. Instead, he was stuck at home watching as his brothers got to live their lives without their father looking over their shoulders constantly. It wasn't like he was ever going to intentionally expose himself.
Mistakes happened.
That's why they had left Paducah. It's why they had left the country entirely.
Jimmy could understand why his brothers some times resented him.
But that was over now. They lived in Metropolis, home of the great and wonderful Superman. If anyone would understand, it had to be the Man of Steel. Jimmy wished his dad would understand that.
The rumble of an increasingly familiar engine caught his hearing. From the distance, his father was still ten minutes away. Fifteen if he stopped for a pint on his way. More than likely, since the doctor visit last holiday, it would just be ten. His mom was a real stickler when it came to his father's health. Not that he blamed her, no one wanted his father dead. Except Celeste, may be.
Bitch.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As he had predicted, Perry had set him down and proceeded to take the day's frustrations out on him. He was lucky his father only harshly whispered. His hearing was acting up and there were too many prying ears as it was. Using a finger to plug his ear, Jimmy twisted it around then jerked it out, trying to pop it.
Smacking his hand, Perry sloshed the one glass of wine Alice allowed him to have. He was nursing the soda dilluted concoction, intending to enjoy every last sip of it. "Jimmy, you know how difficult everything has been. The stress in all this is only going to get worse from here on out until the foreseeable future. Martin's not qualified for a job, and Celeste..." Perry chuckled.
"I know, sir, I'm sorry." No he wasn't, tormenting that toad sucking... He trailed off in his own thoughts. There was no need to work himself up over her, she wasn't worth it.
They were silent for a long while after that.
Perry was the first to break it, gazing in to the false fire place he had against the far wall. It was the one thing he had left in the old house when they had moved that he regretted leaving. He had forgotten how badly he missed having a fire, even a fake one, until the house in Galway. The peat fires weren't the same, but it felt familiar. After taking another sip, he leaned against the stones. "He came to see me tonight."
Jimmy sat up. He knew exactly who his father was talking about.
"Seems word on my policy changes have gotten round." Snorting, Perry basked in the heat of the gas flames. "He thanked me personally."
"What's he like?" His words were barely a whisper, but their effect had his father's back stiffening. "Dad."
"Jimmy, I want you to stay away from him." Perry's fingers clenched the tumbler tight. He sensed rather than heard his son stand up. "This is for your protection, and ours. He's too high profile, son, it would be dangerous for all in our family if they found out about you, if he found out."
"I would be discreet, dad!" Shaking his head, Jimmy started to advance towards his father, but haulted. He was highly emotional right now, even a little nudge might harm his father. "You know I place yours and mom's and our entire family's wellfare above my own. I would do nothing to jeopardize our family."
"It's not you, Jimmy. It's him." He just couldn't bring himself to look at his son. Perry knew what this meant to him, and that was the part that hurt the most. "You know how you feel, imagine what it's like for someone like him? How desperate do you think he would be to find someone like him? You think he would let something like anonymity for the sake of protection get in his way if he knew you existed?"
Fists clenched, Jimmy bit his lip and turned away. It wasn't fair, he hadn't done anything wrong. His father always said only the guilty would be punished. "I want..."
"I know, son, I know." Reaching out, he laid a steady hand on the back of Jimmy's neck. Pulling the younger man to him, Perry squeezed him tight. He knew what not being able to touch his family without fear of hurting them was doing to his son, but the alternative was worse. Slowly, as he felt Jimmy gain control over himself, arms circled his waist and his embrace was returned. "I love you, Jimmy."
"I love you too, dad." The words were bit out, but he meant them all the same.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fighting the urge not to stare, Clark kept glancing between his computer screen and the new intern. There was no real explanation for his fascination. He had tried forgetting the younger man during his flight over the city last night, but had only succeeded in driving himself half to distraction. The little slip ups caused by this nearly cost him two bank robbers and a jewel thief.
Clark wouldn't say he was quite obsessed with Jimmy, but he had found himself scenting him as he passed with a pot of coffee during their morning briefing. A quick cough and beg for coffee had covered his ass that time, but next time he might not be so lucky. It was fast getting out of control. To make matters worse, Clark wasn't sure he could stop himself if it did.
After the third time of seeing Jimmy bend over to pick up something, he snapped his pen in half. A chuckle followed by well traveled fingers sliding over his collar shocked Clark in to focusing on something not Jimmy.
Sitting on the arm of his chair, Kat draped herself over Clark. Her hand slid down the back of his dress shirt to rest on the waist of his pants. "Poor little Clark, that must be quite the hard...habit you're trying to kick."
Clark was so grateful for her distracting him, that he didn't bother trying to remove her. "What can I do for you, Kat?"
"Oh, there are so many delightful things I can think of, but nothing that you would do in the office." Using the backs of her fingers, she tilted his head so he was staring her directly in the eyes. For a moment, she considered using this to her advantage, but that quickly passed. "Just a fair warning, that little piece you've been watching, that's forbidden fruit."
"I know." Sighing, Clark closed his eyes. Despite her body being practically wrapped around him, Jimmy had come back in to his field of vision.
"Oh, but I don't think you do." Tapping out a rhythm on his cheek with her nails, she paused to consider him. She didn't come back with anything new. He still wasn't responding to her physically. With a sigh, she pinched his cheek. "That's shot gun ammunition, big daddy's baby boy." At Clark's swallow, she gave a sound of approval. "Yes, the big, bad White has brought his little lamb to work."
Clearing his throat, Clark forcefully set Kat up until she could stand on her own. "While I appreciate the information, there was no need. I have no intentions, bad or other wise, involving Jimmy."
"Uh huh." Patting his cheek, she turned to walk away. "You keep telling yourself that."
Clark watched her leave until he caught wind of something more tantilizing. Breathing deeply, he found himself lost in the strong grip of distraction once more. It was no use, he had lost the battle. Giving up with a sigh, Clark abandoned the story he was working on. He would bide his time until Jimmy was alone, and then he would confront him. Things couldn't go on the way they were.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jimmy was acutely aware of the fact he was being stalked. Mr. Kent wasn't even trying to hide the fact he was watching him and it was making him nervous. When he knocked the pencil jar off the top of Ms. Lane's desk, despite it being a total accident, he thought she was going to come unhinged. Instead, Clark had called her name, distracting her from hurting herself. That had clenched it.
If he didn't need the money, Jimmy would have quit right then and there. His father had warned him people in Metropolis would notice him, but this was rediculous. Mr. Kent had sniffed him in the middle of the staff briefing that morning for pete's sake! He knew the man had lied, unable to keep his eyes from lustily examining Jimmy like he was for sale.
Never in all his life was he so glad for the dark sweaters that made up most of his wardrobe. In another month the weather would be warming up and he wouldn't be able to get away with wearing them. Then he would really be in deep shit. No matter how good the sun felt on his skin, he wasn't going to do anything that would attract people's attention. Bare skin drew eyes, especially young, firm bare skin.
Despite that, he got the strange feeling Mr. Kent could see right through his clothes. It made him so nervous, he was constantly dropping or knocking over things. By the time dinner rolled around, people thought he was nothing but a bumbling idiot. It was hard to believe he had another six hours before he could go home for supper.
Rising up from the floor with a stack of folders he brushed off Ms. Grant's desk, Jimmy quickly aligned them, but not too quickly. It took a great will to keep his abilities in check, despite wanting to use them all the time. Things would certainly go faster if he could. Then again, a lot of things would go faster, like the quiet anonymity he enjoyed.
Setting them down on Ms. Grant's desk, Jimmy wondered how Superman did it. How could he stand to be such a public spectacle all the time? Was that why he kept to the skies when he wasn't saving people? Jimmy longed to find out, but that was suicide. Besides, he wasn't exactly certain he could fly. Being able to jump tall houses wasn't exactly the same thing. Even then, he had to have a running start.
For the third time in ten minutes, Jimmy looked up at the clock. He mentally counted down the last thirty seconds until noon. As the clock struck twelve, he gave a mental cheer. Grabbing the files for the Patelli Loan Scam from Lois' desk, he hurried up the stairs to the upper level. If he got them back in their cabinets quickly, he would have more time to window shop. There was a store down on Tenth and Montrose that had actual publicity shots Superman had posed for and Jack from Copy and Editing had promised to take him.
Speaking of which, the other teen had just come through the stairwell door. Jimmy waved at him, flexing his fingers to show he needed five minutes as he headed in to records. Records was two doors down from the stairs, but only one from the elevator banks on the newsroom's upper level. Jimmy left the door opened behind him, intending to have a quick exit.
He was bent over finding the open slot for the files when he heard the door shut. Unconcerned, he located the empty file holder and slipped the folder in. Slamming the drawer closed, he started to spin so he could deposite the other one across the small room. Unfortunately, it looked as if his plans were going to be delayed as Mr. Kent was blocking his way.
Jimmy nearly dropped his file at the sight of the older man. "Mr. Kent." He gave a half hearted smile, trying to keep his nerves from panicking. "You're in my way. I mean, I need access to the cabinet behind you."
Staring, at Jimmy intently, Clark tried to determine what exactly about the younger man was just so damned alluring. He couldn't find any obvious thing. Jimmy looked like any other college kid, overly large sweater, glasses, baggy pants. Just to make sure, Clark checked out his shoes, nothing special there either.
Checking his wrist watch, Jimmy frowned. Mr. Kent was seriously cutting in to his lunch break. Not caring if he had to use more than a little force to get his way, he moved for the cabinet. Thankfully, Mr. Kent stepped aside, giving him room. But that meant he was back in smelling range.
Sniffing the air, Clark frowned. Whatever it was, the kid was definitely giving it off. "Are you wearing cologne?"
"No, it makes me sneeze." Not bothering to check if he got it right, Jimmy crammed the folder in the first empty slot in the cabinet. Slamming the drawer closed, he turned to exit the room, but found his way blocked. "Excuse me, Mr. Kent, I've got to go."
Still frowning, Clark lowered his glasses to do a quick scan of Jimmy with his x-ray vision. When Jimmy shivered, he froze on the spot. No one had ever reacted to being scanned. He quickly reached up to place a hand on Jimmy's shoulder. That was his last mistake.
Grabbing Clark's hand, Jimmy stepped forward and gave a vicious twist that spun Clark around. Using his strength, Jimmy shoved Clark in to the cabinets, face first and jerked his arm up behind him. "Don't ever touch me again!"
"All right! All right! I swear!" Feeling mortified, Clark dropped his head to the top of the file cabinet. Despite being released, he kept his face on the cold metal. "What the hell is wrong with me?"
"You're a major perve, that's what." Standing in the doorway, Jack smirked at Clark. Despite getting him a job at the planet, he wasn't above watching Clark being smacked down when he deserved it. "Come on, Jim, let's go before Bozo tries any more of his tricks."
"Gladly." Pulling up the hood on his sweater, Jimmy hunkered down further inside it.
Clark waited until Jimmy was out of the room before he stood up. He started to adjust his suit jacket when a sore muscle in his arm made him wince. Startled, he raised the cuff of his jacket and shirt to examine the arm Jimmy had squeezed. There, in darkening flesh tones, was a hand shaped bruise. Before it could fully form, though, it faded into nothing. His heart racing, Clark quickly made for the elevator and to the roof.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The arrival of Superman at his office window a second time made Perry feel old. He considered ignoring the self appointed do gooder, but decided it wouldn't be worth the hassel. Waving him in, he would be damned before he got up and opened he window. "What can I do for you, Superman?"
Climbing in through the window, Superman quickly shut it behind him. Troubled, he started to speak several times. Each time he would look to the man sitting in the desk chair and the words would freeze in his throat. Finally, he gave up and started to pace. "I don't know where to begin."
"The beginning is always a good place." Turning his attention back to the ledgers in front of him, Perry started to scan the numbers and compare them with the computer. There were some discrepencies and he was going to get to the bottom of it even if it took all day.
"Well, I'm not certain where this one begins." Running a hand through his hair, Superman stopped walking. "I suppose... That is, there's this..." Groaning, he shook his head. "How much do you know about my arrival on your planet?"
"Only what you told Lois in that interview." Glasses making his eyes hurt, Perry took them off and started to rub his eyes. "What's this got to do with me?"
"Nothing, or may be everything." Superman knew people didn't like him for many reasons, but this was the first time he was certain he was causing it intentionally. The look Perry gave him basically said so. "I arrived on Earth in Nineteen Sixty-Eight as an infant. I was raised by two loving, good hearted people. That's what many people know, but there is something else I never told anyone. The day I arrived, I wasn't alone." Superman crossed the small space between him and Perry's desk. "I came down in a meteorite storm. Those bits and pieces were all that was left of my home world."
Putting his glasses back on, Perry harumphed and went back to checking the numbers.
Shocked, Superman leaned over and put his hand on the ledger to block Perry's view. "That's it? You're not going to say anything else?"
"Look, kid, I'm certain this is all very traumatic for you. It's not easy being the last of your family, or species as the case may be, I know that for a fact. Being so far from the place that gave you life must be difficult, but you said you got parents, people who raised and love you. Be grateful, it's a whole lot more than some people have." He patted Superman's knuckles, signaling he wanted his ledger free. "Now, if you're looking for a sympathetic ear, come back this evening, I've got scotch. You're old enough to fight crime, you're old enough to drink. But for now, I've got important business of my own to attend."
Put off, Superman backed up a step. He frowned at Perry, unable to understand why he wouldn't talk to him. If he was going to get any information, he had to be blunt, then. "What did you find twenty years ago? Scientists at Star Labs have confirmed the meteorites that destroyed most of Metropolis were from my home world." As Perry rose from his seat, Superman backed up another step. "Please, sir, I have to know. Was there another, was there someone like me?"
Face level, Perry stared Superman square in the eyes. "I will only say this once. You are unique, the only one in existence, alone." He raised a hand and pointed to his window. "Don't come back."
Firming his resolve, Superman clenched his jaw. Nodding, he marched to the window. Just inside the frame, he looked back to Perry. "Jimmy will find out who he is one day. Then he will come to me, because I have all the answers. He'll want to be with someone who's like him, in time it will be the only thing that drives him on. This I know, for it is all that I feel some times."
"My son is my son. What drives him will always remain alien to the likes of you." Pointing to his own chest, Perry almost snarled. "This, I know."
The winds kicked the blinds back as Superman disappeared out the window.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When he returned from lunch, Jimmy still had the fifteen in his pocket he had intended to use for the photo. For some reason, he just didn't feel like getting the Superman picture anymore. Jack had laughed when he told him, but didn't elaborate why he found it amusing.
Stepping off the elevator, Jimmy was surprised by the lack of noise, but high level of activity. He looked to Jack in question, but got a shrug in response. Returning the gesture, he took the stairs down in to the bullpen and headed for his father's office. It was almost time for him to get busy again anyways.
The moment he opened the door, he knew something was up. His father was watching the city instead of being hard at work. Holding up the bag of takeout, Jimmy smiled. "I got your favorite, sir. It took me twenty city blocks to find an authentic Irish resturant. Luckily they had the beef stew, cabbage, and stuffed pork chops on the menu."
Turning to face Jimmy, Perry took in the perky appearance of his son. Nothing bad had happened, he was okay, he could trust his son alone in the city for one hour. But there was still the threat, there would always be that.
Seeing his father's expression, Jimmy lowered the bag. "Chief?"
"It's okay, Jimmy." Opening his arms, he wrapped them around his son. Pushing aside his thoughts, he took the bag. "Tell me, did they have real beer or just that imported horse piss?"
"Real and the horse piss. Of course, I had to have Jack buy it." He poked at a smaller bag in the one Perry held. "It might still be cold, but there's no head."
"Good boy, Jimmy." Setting the bag on the desk, he tussled Jimmy's hair. "Now, I need the Lansfield travel vouchers. The man was a slob and I think he's been charging the paper for his mistress' plane tickets."
"Yes, sir!" Smiling as his bouncy feeling was restored, Jimmy walked out of Perry's office.
Sitting on the edge of Clark's desk, Jack flicked his paper clips out of their tray. "Well, SM, seems you made quite the scene." He smirked as Clark glared at him from his desk chair. "Sorry I missed it, I bet it was really something, two titans battling it out. My question, what was it about?"
"That's none of your business, Jack. It's between me and Mr. White." Pushing up his glasses, Clark cast a quick look to Jimmy before going back to work. The maddening feeling he had been suffering from earlier was still there, but it no longer seemed to matter. He understood what it meant and that seemed to be the solution.
"That's okay. I'll find out your secret eventually." Picking up Clark's pen, he twirled it between his fingers. "I always do, SM."
"Don't you have work to do?" Taking back his pen, Clark felt like sticking his tongue out at the younger man. Something about him just irritated him at times, when he wasn't feeling protective, that is. He supposed this was what it felt like to have siblings.
"Nah, I still got ten minutes left of my lunch hour thanks to someone interupting my plans." He gave Clark a pointed look before standing up. "But, I suppose I could go bother someone else. I hear Michelle in accounting likes back rubs."
"I hear she's got a big, mean boyfriend who gives them to her." Snorting, Clark waved Jack away. He was about to get back to his own job when he caught sight of Jimmy heading in to Perry's office with a stack of files. What drew his attention, though, was the pair of narrowed blue eyes watching him through the window. Smiling at the Perry, Clark went back to work.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I dunno, mom. I think I might have screwed up, but then I don't," Clark shrugged, "know. You know?"
"No, I don't believe I do." On her side, Martha looked to John and shrugged.
"I think I might have found someone, mom, someone like me." Dropping back, Clark landed hard against the bricks. Dust and cement particles shot up around him.
"Clark, honey, that's wonderful! What are they like?" Clutching John's hand, Martha smiled brightly. "Have you known them long? Are you planning anything?"
"Whoa, slow down. I'm not entirely sure yet, and at this rate, I may never know." Clark ran his fingers through his hair to remove the dust. Frowning when it only seemed to spread it further, he gave up. "He's someone I work with, but he doesn't really like me. I may have... I did come across too strong. It's just, I felt this connection with him from the moment I saw him. There's so much I want to ask him, and I can't really say anything, because his father has threatened to cut off certain parts if I so much as looked at him."
"How old is this guy, Clark?" John had a feeling where this was going.
"Nineteen, twenty, I'm not exactly sure." Exhaling slowly, Clark could sense his parent's question over the line. "His father's really protective of him, and he's kinda my boss."
"Oh, one of those relationships." John chuckled as Martha swatted him. "Be careful, son, if he's like you, his father has good reason to protect him."
"I know, and I can sympathize, I really do, but I want so much." Feeling sheepish, Clark had an epiphany. "I think that's what he's afraid of. Superman's a public persona and he's got his family. Still, may be if I explained it to Mr. White, and promised to keep it a secret..."
"Perry White?"
"Yeah. Jimmy, that's the guy, is his son." Clark heard his parents talking to each other, but couldn't make it out. "What's wrong? Mom? Dad?"
"Clark, I don't think you're going to get that chance. If this boy, Jimmy, is Perry White's son, then you may have to wait for him to seek you out. That may be a very long time." Walking over to the stand beneath the microwave, she pulled out a black scrap book. Flipping through the pages, she found the one she was looking for. "Twenty years ago, Perry White was all over the news. How he helped save a great many people with his quick actions after the meteorite shower. Because of this, every aspect of his life was plastered on every newspaper and television across the country. You don't remember, but there were other members of his family back then."
"What do you mean were?" Gripping the phone, Clark hoped he wasn't right.
Turning the page, she used her index finger to guide her through another article. "Exactly as you think. The Whites were a staple of Metropolis, they had a long history dating back to its founding. Mr. White had a large extended family in the Delta Downs."
"There are no Delta Downs." He felt rather stupid saying it once he realized what she meant. "The Metropolis River Delta Memorial."
"It was established two years after he packed up his family and left the city." Flipping through, she found a black and white photo of Perry holding a little boy. "Clark, I found something. You said Jimmy was about twenty years old?"
"Yeah."
"There's a picture of him and Perry. Oh, he was a cute little boy." Smiling, she ran a finger over his picture. "He looks so happy in this one, but his father. Such a shame, he looks like a decent person."
"What do you think I should do? I'm at my whits end here." Clark raised a hand and let it fall back against the bricks beneath him.
Smiling at Martha, he mouthed he would handle it. "Take it slow. Show his father that you mean him no harm. The most important thing is for you to honor his wishes and stay away from the boy while in costume. If people see you watching this Jimmy as Superman, they're going to get curious."
"I think I understand." Sighing, Clark watched as a meteor streaked across the sky. Laying on top of his roof, he felt almost as if he was out there among the stars. "I never thought I would regret donning the cape and boots."
"We all have our regrets, Clark, but this shouldn't be one of them. You do a lot of good things for a lot of people. Be proud of that and who you are." Checking the time, John stretched and yawned. "I'd love to sit here and chat a while longer, Clark, but I'm beat. Call again tomorrow, or better yet, come for the weekend. We'll talk more then."
"Okay." Clark felt a little better now. "I love you guys."
"We love you too, Clark." Martha kissed the receiver. "Good night."
"Good night." Turning off the phone, Clark set it beside him. Sitting up, he trailed his line of sight across the sky til it landed on the buildings of Metropolis. Once there, he searched west in the direction he knew the White family lived.
"Good night, Jimmy."
THE END..............................