Wow. Amazing.
I love the comparisons between Jimmy and Clark. It calls to mind the interview with someone (Dean maybe) who said that they switched Jimmys because people thought Michael Landes (S1 Jimmy) looked too much like Clark Kent (Dean).
Probably unintentional slight tongue-n-cheek in-joke.
Anyway, that's what it reminded me of.
So, back to your story. Lois has been looking for Clark... via looking for the easier (ha!) to find Jimmy Olsen... for 2 weeks. When the man in the sunglasses comes into the diner, I immediately thought it might be Clark... with amnesia. WRONG! It's Jimmy... New and Improved Jimmy... er... James 2.0 (not to be confused with Jimmy - S2). Very funny that Jimmy has changed so much that Lois doesn't even recognize him. Clark's definitely given him a lesson or two in disguising himself by changing his attitude. Perhaps he learned a bit of that from Lois. Didn't Perry say something in Part 1 about Jimmy knowing all of Lois's disguises?
Jimmy implies that Clark is back from space.
Superman survived. He isn't lost somewhere. I was worried about that. He's resting, though? For 2 weeks? Maybe he does have amnesia or remembered being Clark but not how to use his powers. Is that how he has finally moved on? Only thing that makes me think that he has his memories is this line:
“Because,” he murmurs, almost inaudibly, “if I tell him that Lois Lane wants to see him…there’s no way he won’t say yes.”
So, Clark remembers Lois Lane.
I get that Jimmy doesn't want Lois to see Clark. She ruined Clark's life. She ruined the Kents' lives. She made Jimmy grow up really quick. Jimmy knows that Lois is Clark's weakness, even now. She was his undoing once, and she could easily be again. Too easily, he fears. Maybe Clark just wants to ask Lois 'why?' Maybe Clark doesn't know that Lois is his weakness, but clearly Jimmy knows.
“I’m not going to hurt him, Jimmy.”
“Oh, Lois,” Jimmy breathes, “how can you do anything but?”
So true.
I like that you've shown that Lois is suffering from her own actions of outing Clark. Good. She deserves to suffer.
Don't kill me because there's no Clark yet!
I wouldn't be surprised if we don't see him in Part 3, either. I'm sure Lois will have to go through another layer of guilt security guards (i.e. the Kents) before being allowed to see the man himself. You wouldn't make it that easy for Lois, would you?
So, what exactly happened in Smallville? What made Lois go to no-man's land and expose Clark?
