DISCLAIMER: I claim none of the characters. They are all DC's; a good majority of the characters are from the Superman comics, but there are a few of them from the Supergirl comic series. In short, they're not mine; I'm just borrowing them. I'll return them, I promise!
- - - -
Supergirl froze. It was spoken softly; not hard, not pleading but an unsteady request in a whisper that she could hear as clearly as if had been shouted at her. She slowly turned around and saw Jimmy staring back at her. It wasn’t the same casual look that he gave her every time she was Supergirl; there was a deeper look there, something that was shared not between friends but between people who were more than friends. And it that instant, it clicked. It was almost the look he gave Linda; almost, but not quite.
The young woman couldn’t move or speak or do anything. Part of her wasn’t even sure if she had heard him correctly, that she was at her apartment, asleep, and it was all a dream. If she said something and he hadn’t, she’d be giving away her secret. But if she had heard him correctly, she’d . . . she had no idea what to do. She was literally frozen in place.
Jimmy just watched her, worried that she was going to bail out of the window and fly off; she was certainly more than able to, but she didn’t. After a long and awkward silence, she looked up at him, staring straight into his eyes.
“I don’t know what to say, Jimmy,” she replied quietly.
“Really?” he asked. It wasn’t sarcastic; it was a genuine question. “I would have thought you’d be asking ‘how did I figure it out?’”
Supergirl shrugged. “Okay. How did you figure it out?”
Jimmy could see she wasn’t being sarcastic either, and he would have smiled if the situation hadn’t been so serious. Instead, he took a deep breath and set the broom and dustpan aside. He walked over to the couch and sat down, leaning forward, his arms resting on his thighs. “Well, I guess it was a few weeks ago,” he replied. “Right after you started working at the Planet.” He looked up and saw her confused expression. “You changed your hair and eye color. But, um, it didn’t really start sinking in until after we started dating, and the times you left suddenly and came back awhile later with some kind of excuse.”
Supergirl came over and sat on the couch, on the other side. She couldn’t look at him just yet, so she stared at the window as everything started falling into place. “That’s why you’ve been avoiding me lately, huh?” She didn’t wait for his response; she knew it was true. She thought for a moment, then she glanced over at him, her eyebrows furrowing a bit. “Why?”
Jimmy looked over at her, incredulously. “Why?” he repeated. “Because you lied to me. Because you’ve been lying to me from the first day we met.”
“It was to protect you,” Supergirl replied defensively.
"Don't patronize me, Linda," Jimmy said, dipping his head slightly to look at her with flashing brown eyes; his voice was low and had an edge. "It may not seem like it to you, but I'm really not all that stupid."
“I don’t think you’re stupid, Jimmy,” Supergirl replied, frowning. “I just don’t think you have any right to be mad at me for keeping this a secret. I had my reasons.”
“Yeah, to keep me safe,” Jimmy said, repeating her words. He glanced over. “I know you had your reasons, Linda. And I kinda understand; really. But when you get right down to it, it was a selfish decision.”
“Selfish?” It was Supergirl’s turn to look incredulous as she got to her feet, looking down at him. “I wasn’t selfish, Jimmy. If you must know, I was scared, okay?” The words were out of her mouth before she even realized she’d said them. When it dawned on her what she said, she closed her eyes. She hated appearing weak or vulnerable, and she had just revealed something that she had been keeping hidden from everyone - even Clark - for as long as she had a secret identity. She was supposed to be strong; she was a superhero, she was -
“Hey.” She opened her eyes and saw Jimmy standing in front of her, looking down into her eyes. “Talk to me.” She looked hesitant, and Jimmy took her hands. “Hey, look, we’re trying to be honest with each other, right? We both want to work through this, right?”
“Yeah,” she replied softly.
“Then talk to me,” he said, squeezing her hands before sitting back down on the couch and pulling her down beside him. “What could *you* possibly be scared of?”
“You say it like nothing could scare me,” Supergirl replied.
“I didn’t think anything ever did.”
“Why, because I happen to be able to bench press a Buick?” she asked. “Or because bullets can’t hurt me? Or perhaps it’s because I can fly.”
“Linda, I didn’t -”
“You know, just because I’m invulnerable, it doesn’t mean I don’t feel,” Supergirl interrupted. “Do you know how much it hurt me when you started blowing me off for no reason?”
“No reason?” Jimmy asked. “You didn’t tell me you were Supergirl; you lied to me.”
“Because I thought you’d like her more than you like me!” Supergirl exploded. She stopped when she realized what she’d just said. The cat was out of the bag, something she wasn’t sure was a good idea; she hadn’t told anyone her fear, because she thought they’d think she was being petty or ridiculous. She slowly glanced over at Jimmy and was surprised he wasn’t laughing at her.
“Why would you think I’d like her over you?” Jimmy asked.
“Because everyone else does,” Supergirl replied. “The gawking and the staring and the remarks . . .” she looked up at Jimmy “and all the photographers. And then there’s Linda.”
“What’s wrong with Linda?” Jimmy asked.
“She’s not her,” Supergirl replied, nodding at one of the framed photographs of her on the wall. She looked down at her costume. “She’s not this.”
“No, she’s not,” Jimmy replied. He lifted her chin. “She’s this. Linda is the person I see every morning who gets off the elevator and grabs her favorite doughnut and cup of coffee before heading to her desk, always with a smile on her face. She’s the one who’s always humming softly to herself as she’s working or looking for something. She’s the one whose eyes always dance with curiosity when she discovers something new, and she’s the one who always tilts her head when I’m talking, as if my voice is the only thing that matters.” He paused, taking a deep breath. “And she’s the one who takes me to the edge and keeps me from falling over.” He smoothed some muddy hair strands from her face. “Supergirl may save my life, but it’s Linda who makes it worth living.”
Supergirl looked into Jimmy’s eyes, and she found herself lost in the intense warmth and sincerity. “Really?” she asked softly.
Jimmy nodded. “You are more important to me than her; I could never like her better than you, Linda.” He sighed. “That’s why it hurt so much that you didn’t tell me. I know that I shouldn’t have brushed you off the way I did, but I did it because it - us - mattered so much to me.”
Supergirl could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. Clark and Lois had told her about how Lois had reacted to finding out about Clark being Superman, but up until that moment Supergirl had no idea of what it had really been like for Lois. Despite Clark’s good intentions about keeping her safe and wanting her to love him, not Superman, he *had* lied to her; she had a right to be hurt and angry . . . just like Jimmy. It suddenly all made sense: why Jimmy was mad at her, why he had been avoiding her recently. Supergirl felt the pride and arrogance in her fade away until all that was left was a feeling of shame and guilt.
“I am so sorry,” she replied softly as the tears rolled down her cheeks.
Jimmy pulled her to him, not caring how dirty or muddy she was, and he just held her, letting her cry on his shoulder. “I’m sorry too,” he whispered. It was the first time he had seen her cry - ever. He just held her as tightly and gently as he could as she wrapped her arms around him, taking care not to accidentally crush him as she cried into he shirt. After what seemed like forever Jimmy looked down as her sobs subsided and lifted her chin with his finger.
“You okay?” he asked. She shrugged. “Linda.”
“What do you want me to say?” Linda asked. “I’m not okay; I feel like the worst person on Earth.”
“You made a mistake; we both did. We can’t dwell on them.”
“There’s something else I need to tell you about - that I need to apologize for.”
“What is it?”
Supergirl looked a bit hesitant. “Lex,” she said after a few moments. She brushed some hair away from her face. “I, um, I had dinner with him tonight.” She glanced up at Jimmy, and she could see he was not too happy about it, but he wasn’t looking like he was disgusted with her. “I’m sorry, Jimmy. I thought I was going out with him because he was a nice guy, but it was really just to see what you would do. That’s also why I was taking care of those flowers he sent me. It didn’t mean a thing, honest; I couldn’t even stay long enough to eat the appetizers. I felt so bad about what I was doing I thought I was going to throw up.” She looked like she was on the verge of crying again.
Jimmy took her face in his hands and made her look at him. “It’s not all your fault, Linda. I guess I kinda gave you a reason by pushing you away, and I am so sorry for doing that. I was angry and hurt and shocked, but that was no excuse.” He shrugged. “And believe me, I know how you feel about the throwing up thing.”
Supergirl looked worried at his last remark. “What do you mean you -” She didn’t get to finish her question as Jimmy leaned over and kissed her gently. The young woman nearly melted in his embrace; it had felt like forever since he’d last kissed her. She wrapped her arms around Jimmy’s neck as he pulled her closer, deepening the kiss.
Jimmy could feel his heart beating faster as they kissed. The entire world seemed to disappear, leaving just the two of them. Not Jimmy and Supergirl, but Jimmy and Linda; that was all that mattered.
A loud horn honking outside jolted them back to reality, and they pulled apart, breathless. For a few silent moments they just stared at each other, but nothing coherent seemed to come to mind.
“I, uh, think we just made up,” Jimmy replied slowly.
“Yeah, I think so too,” Supergirl replied. “So, where does that leave us?”
“I don't know where that leaves us,” Jimmy answered seriously. “I'd like to go back and address a certain issue again. Just to be absolutely sure we understand each other.” He leaned forward, wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her again. It was more affectionate than passionate, lasting only a few seconds, but when they pulled away that time, they were both smiling. “There, now I know where that leaves us.”
“Seriously,” Supergirl smiled, “what are we going to do about this whole you know I’m Supergirl thing? I mean, I never discussed it with Clark or Lois -” She stopped and glanced over at Jimmy.
“It’s okay,” Jimmy replied off her look. “I know about Clark too. Kinda figured it out shortly after figuring out that you were Supergirl.”
“Oh,” Supergirl said. “Okay. So, I guess when they get back, we should tell them you know, right?”
Jimmy ran his right hand through his hair, looking down and away; he wasn't sure what he felt or wanted when it came to the whole Clark-and-Lois thing, but he was pretty sure that whatever it was, it wasn't what everyone would think he should feel. “Um, do you think maybe we can talk about that later?”
“Did I say something wrong?” Supergirl looked worried.
“No,” Jimmy replied, looking up and brushing some stubborn strands of hair away from her cheek with the backs of his fingers. “You didn’t say anything wrong, Linda.” He glanced at his wall clock. It was after midnight. “It’s just getting late. All things considered, I think we both could use some rest.”
Supergirl gave him an ‘I-don’t-really-believe-you’ look, but she had to admit she was a bit drained from the day and all its events. She nodded, accepting his dodging her question - for the time being. “Okay,” she replied. She glanced down at herself and smiled wryly. “After I take a shower.” She winced slightly, thinking of how long it was going to take her to get the dirt out of the costume. “And after I wash my costume.” She glanced around at the still messy apartment. “And after I help you clean up.”
Jimmy said, “Actually, that’s not really -” He didn’t get to finish as Superigirl raced around the apartment at superspeed, sweeping up the glass and debris, righting knocked over furniture, and placing and securing a tarp over the broken window. In five seconds, she was standing in front of the tarped window, arms folded, smiling. She glanced over at Jimmy, looking proud.
“Uh, never mind,” Jimmy finished. He stood up and walked over to her, smiling. “We do need to talk about that, though.”
“What?” Supergirl asked.
“About you doing everything,” Jimmy answered. “I know you can do all these things, but you don’t have to, okay? Not around me, not all the time.” He paused, trying to form his next words carefully. “And it’s not like I don’t appreciate you saving me and all . . .”
Supergirl glanced up at him, wryly. “But you don’t like being saved by a girl, right?”
Jimmy couldn’t help but look a little sheepish as he stuffed his hands in his pockets, shrugging. “Well, it’s a little of that,” he replied, “but not totally.”
Supergirl opened her mouth, but she was interrupted by a brilliant flash of lightning. Both of them looked reflexively toward the open window as a rumble thunder shook the apartment. She looked back at Jimmy.
“I think I better go,” she said.
Jimmy grabbed her hand as she started to turn toward the open window, causing her to stop. “I don’t want you flying in lightning, Linda,” he replied.
Supergirl rolled her eyes. “Okay, Clark,” she said wryly.
Jimmy stiffened for a moment, but it quickly passed; he wasn’t amused by her comment. “I’m serious. You don’t take electrocution as well as Clark does.”
“It was only that one time,” Supergirl replied. “And it was Traci Jones, not lightning.” Only a few people besides Lois, the Kents, and Dr. Klein knew; as two of the heroes’ closest friends, Perry and Jimmy had been informed by both Superman and Supergirl about the young heroine’s change in abilities shortly after Linda began working at the Planet, being trusted to keep it a secret from the public.
“And that one time caused you to lose your extra powers,” Jimmy added. “And it was still electricity. I don’t need to worry about you flying above the city, getting zapped, and you can’t fly anymore.”
Supergirl looked slightly annoyed as she crossed her arms. “So, what, I should walk home?” She glanced down at her outfit. “I can’t very well walk into my apartment like this. People will see me.”
“But Linda can,” Jimmy pointed out. “She can take a taxi and be driven home, like any other normal person.” He reached for his phone and quickly dialed a number. He requested a cab ride, then hung up. “Okay, a cab’s on its way.”
“But Linda doesn’t have any money for cab fare,” Supergirl retorted. She closed her eyes and groaned.
“What?” Jimmy asked.
“I’m talking about myself in the third person,” Supergirl replied. She shook her head.
Jimmy chuckled as another bolt of lightning streaked across the sky. He and Supergirl glanced over as the light glinted off something in the corner of the apartment, knocked over from the fight, something she had missed when cleaning the apartment. Supergirl tilted her head as she walked over and picked it up. She glanced over at Jimmy.
“What’s this?” she asked.
Jimmy tilted his head and saw what she was holding - his sword and sheath. He blushed and looked sheepish as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. “It’s nothing special, really. Just a sword from my high school days.”
Supergirl looked over. “Was high school really that violent?”
Jimmy chuckled as he walked over and took the sheath from Supergirl. He removed the sword and held it up. It had a long, finished, tempered, stainless steel blade, an antique cast metal handle with intricate carved details, gold colored highlights, and a black ivory fluted grip. He held it gently in his hand, getting used to the weight of the object again as lightning flashed, glinting off the smooth, polished metal.
“I used to play D&D years ago,” he explained.
“What’s D&D?” Supergirl asked.
“Dungeons and Dragons,” Jimmy answered. “It’s a role-playing game where you create a single imaginary character, and you have imaginary adventures to go on. Sometimes, people dress up and act like their characters.” He shrugged. “I got together with a bunch of kids after school couple times a week.”
Supergirl picked up the cloak on the floor and held it up, looking at it. “And what was your character?”
Jimmy put the sword back in the sheath, looking embarrassed. “I, uh, was a neophyte thief named Ridley Freeborn.” He blushed then looked out the window as another bolt of lighting flashed outside, followed by a low rumble of thunder. He glanced back at Supergirl. “You better get going. It’s getting late.”
Supergirl couldn’t argue with him. She put the cloak on the couch and then glanced outside. She longed to jump out the window and fly above the city, especially during the night. Looking at the Metropolis below her - with all the lights and sounds - never failed to take her breath away. She glanced back at Jimmy. It wasn’t like Jimmy could really stop her, but they had just made up, and she didn’t want to upset him so soon afterwards. Besides, there were other ways she could change his mind.
“You sure you don’t want me to fly to my place?” she asked, giving him her best grin, tilting her head to the side, blinking her eyelashes. “I’ll be home quicker.”
Jimmy crossed his arms. He knew what she was trying to do, and he wanted to laugh, but he wanted her to get back to her apartment unscathed more. “I’m sure,” he replied. He walked over to the kitchen counter where he’d put his wallet earlier and pulled out some money. He came back and handed it to Supergirl. “Here’s enough money for the ride back to your place.”
Annoyed as she was that Jimmy was being so protective, Supergirl smiled as she took the money. She stepped back and quickly spun in a circle. When she stopped a few moments later, she had changed back into her dress and shoes. Her dirty hair was pulled back into a French roll, her glasses were situated over her eyes, and she held her clutch in her left hand, the money in her right hand.
“Wow,” Jimmy replied, looking at her in awe, smiling.
Linda smiled. “You should see me change *into* Supergirl; it’s a little more impressive.”
Jimmy chuckled. “Speaking of which, I do have one question.”
“What do you want to know?” Linda asked.
“Well, I figured that you keep the Supergirl costume under your regular clothes,” Jimmy answered. “But where do you keep your regular clothes when you’re Supergirl?”
Linda got a twinkle in her eyes. “I’m not telling,” she replied.
“Oh, really?” Jimmy walked over, looking down at her. He took her hands and pulled her close to him.
“Really,” Linda replied as Jimmy leaned over. They were about to kiss when a horn honked outside. They walked over to the open window and looked down. A taxi cab was parked beside the curb of the apartment building. The young couple glanced at each other.
“Well, that’s my ride,” Linda said.
“Yeah,” Jimmy replied. He leaned over and kissed her. “Call me when you get home, okay?”
“Okay,” Linda answered.
“And be careful,” Jimmy added.
Linda put her hands on her hips. “Jimmy, this is me we’re talking about.”
Jimmy stood with most of his weight on his right foot, his left foot a few inches farther forward, his arms across his chest, casually resting his hands on his elbows. “I know,” he said seriously. He leaned towards her a bit and lowered his head just slightly, raising his eyebrows, never breaking eye contact with Linda. “And I want you to be careful, okay?”
Linda tried to look annoyed, but she only managed to roll her eyes. They walked over to the door, and Jimmy opened it. Before leaving Linda tilted her head up and kissed Jimmy again. “See you tomorrow morning,” she replied.
“Ditto,” he said.
“And you be careful, too, okay?” Linda added.
“I can take care of myself,” Jimmy replied.
“Hey, if I have to be careful, then you have to be careful,” Linda said. “Okay?”
Jimmy smiled, but he didn’t answer. “Good night, Linda,” he replied.
Linda gave him a look, but she walked out, heading down the hall. Jimmy closed the door and locked it, then he walked back over to the window and looked outside. A few moments passed, and then Linda came out of the building and walked to the cab. She glanced up, saw Jimmy at the window, and smiled before getting in. The cab pulled away from the curb and drove off. The young photographer watched it until it disappeared then closed the window and went to get ready for bed.
(End of Chapter 11)
