The Jeep

By Tara Smith <jilectan@email.com>

Rated G

Submitted December 1999

Summary: Lois finds herself in sudden need of a new Jeep, but how will she decide on a color?

***

The elevator dinged, announcing its arrival in the newsroom. The doors opened, allowing its two passengers to disembark. The people waiting to board stepped back to allow the two famous reporters to pass.

Clark Kent nodded his thanks at the two as he hurried to keep up with Lois Lane, his partner and wife.

"We don't need to get a new car!" Lois was saying. "We've managed just fine so far with my jeep! It's perfect for stakeouts, trailing bad guys and … and … all sorts of other things!"

"Honey, its silver! It's way too obvious to the, uh, 'bad guys'. They spot you in minutes!" Clark interjected.

They'd been discussing this since that morning at breakfast, when Clark had innocently mentioned that her silver jeep might not be the best vehicle for trailing criminals like the one they'd trailed the night before. The man they'd been following had spotted them and ditched them all in the space of five minutes.

"That was one time! It's never happened before and won't happen again! I was just sloppy!"

They had arrived at Lois' desk now, and she sat down and swiveled the chair to face her husband.

"Honey, I think it'd be easier to do our jobs without so flashy a car. That's all, I swear."

"I love my jeep! It's beautiful!"

Jimmy rushed up to them. "Hey, guys, did you hear about the jail break?"

"Jailbreak?" they asked in unison.

"Yeah! The Newtridge sisters broke out about five minutes ago! It's all over the news! Didn't you hear?"

The two exchanged a meaningful look. "No, we didn't."

"We'd better get on this right away!" Lois said exitedly. "Jimmy, we're going to need a list of all the people they contacted during their stay in prison, who their cellmates were, their lawyer, everything! Tell the Chief that we're heading down to the police station. In the silver Jeep!" The last remark was directed pointedly at Clark.

They arrived at the police station still discussing the color of her Jeep. Lois parked it and they got out and headed up the steps of the building, hurrying to avoid getting too wet, as it was pouring. As Clark allowed the door to close behind him, both of them turned at a commotion on the street.

Tires squealed and someone shouted "Look out!" as a large truck slid through the intersection and slid directly into Lois' Jeep.

Lois threw the doors open and ran out onto the sidewalk, staring in horror at what remained of her Jeep. "My car!" she shouted in horror.

The vehicle had been completely smashed by the delivery truck. A whoosh beside Lois told her that her husband was zipping into action again. He flew down and landed beside the truck, ripping the door off. He spoke to the man behind the wheel as a crowd of spectators gathered, despite the pouring rain. A siren announced the arrival of an ambulance Lois remembered seeing going the opposite direction just a few minutes before, and people rushed out of the police station.

Superman carefully lifted the injured man out and placed him in the ambulance before taking off himself, only to reappear moments later dressed in his suit and trench coat from a nearby alley. He opened up an umbrella he'd acquired somewhere along the way and held it over himself and Lois.

Sergeant Zimak stepped up beside them. "That your Jeep, Lois?"

Lois sighed heavily. "It was."

The sergeant laughed shortly. "Why don't we move back under the overhang while I take your statement, ok?"

They followed the man back up the steps to the police building and gave their statements, then watched as the tow-trucks hauled off both the delivery truck and Lois' demolished truck.

"I'm sorry, Lois."

"Whatever for?" Lois looked at her husband with a startled expression.

"This wasn't your fault! It was probably the Newtridge sisters, trying to get revenge on us for putting them in prison."

"Honey, it was probably just a freak accident."

"Right. The Newtridge sisters break out of jail and don't try to get revenge on us. Sure. Somehow I don't think so." She glanced around at the pouring rainstorm. "Let's get inside and get on with our jobs."

"Right." Clark agreed.

Lois turned and they went back through the doors into the police station. A familiar figure presented itself. "Inspector Henderson! Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Hi, Ms. Lane, Mr. Kent. What can I do for you?"

"We're here about the Newtridge sisters and their prison break."

Henderson grinned, a completely unexpected action. "Didn't you hear? We nabbed them just a few minutes ago. They were at the airport, trying to book a flight to Tahiti."

"Tahiti?" Lois repeated, stunned.

"Yeah. They were only spotted and recognized because they started arguing about the flight class they should take. They should be back in prison by now. If you'll excuse me, I have some paperwork to finish."

"Right." Lois nodded as the man walked off. She turned to glare at her partner, who was trying, not entirely successfully, to smother a grin. "You cut that out!"

"Well, at least they didn't have anything to do with the Jeep."

She glared at him, then sighed. "Lets get back to the Planet."

***

Back at the Daily Planet, the newsroom was dead quiet despite the rainstorm. Clark took off immediately to deal with some collisions, undoubtedly caused by the rain. Lois got a taxi and headed down to the local Cherokee dealer, determined to get a new Jeep.

After a long discussion with the dealer, they headed out on the lot to select a vehicle. After looking over the entire selection, and having a long argument with the dealer, she selected a Jeep. After taking care of the paperwork, she drove her new Jeep off the lot and back to the Planet. Clark was just exiting the building as she drove up. She waved him over and he got in, looking surprised.

"Lois, are you feeling all right?"

"Of course, Clark. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, your Jeep … it's not silver."

"No, it's not."

"It's lime green."

"Yep. I decided that you were right. The silver Jeep was just too obvious and conspicuous for tailing criminals and picked this one instead."

Clark gave her a long penetrating look. "They didn't have any silver Jeeps down at the dealers, did they?"

"Actually, they did. I was going to get a black Jeep, but they didn't have one. So I got this one, instead."

Clark laughed softly. "Honey, you never cease to surprise me!"

She grinned at him as she pulled away from the curb. "I know."

THE END