This is a piece I wrote to combine the two best shows on earth.... FoLCs 
who  haven't watched The Pretender should...It might give you a better 
idea of the basic story, and likewise with Pretender fans...Hope 
everyone likes it  and please let me know either way! Many thanks to 
my IRC pal Sunnset for  her huge help by editing it!

Lois and Clark Meet The Pretender 
By Nirvana Kliese 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

There are Pretenders among us. Geniuses with the ability to become 
anyone  they want to be. In 1963 a corporation known as "The Center" 
isolated a  young Pretender named Jarod and exploited his geniuses for 
their research.

Then one day, their Pretender ran away.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  

The dark-haired man sat quietly in front of Perry White, editor of the 
Daily Planet, as he looked through his countless resumes. On his face 
was  a confident smile; he had a mission. In his hands rested a small 
red notebook full of newspaper clippings. He opened it and looked at 
the clippings once again. "Well-Respected Police Officer, Insane." 
"Kidnapping by Officer." "How Safe is Our Police Force?" "Insane 
Officer Kidnaps Child."

A man called Keith Smith had been accused of a crime that wasn't his. 
He'd seen too much of something he should never have known 
existed. He was labeled insane and locked away. He was accused of 
kidnapping a child, he hadn't had a trial. The man knew that someone 
had to be taught a lesson.

His attention was brought back to the present by Mr. White clearing his 
throat. "Well, Mr. Wilson, we'd be honoured to have you."  

His eyes smiled. "Please, call me Jarod."

* * * * 

Lois looked up from her terminal at Clark, who was walking in 
casually  through the office door straightening his tie. He had just 
gotten back from yet another of his frequent rescue missions. They had 
been taking up a lot of his time lately, too. Their most recent case -- 
involving a suspected kidnapper who had been convicted even though 
he hadn't been given a fair trial -- was one of their toughest yet, and 
she'd had to do the most part of it alone. That wouldn't have been a big 
deal to her a while ago, and she could handle it alone, but she was used 
to Clark now and, in her own unspoken way, she'd come to rely on 
him a lot more than she wanted to admit.

"You're back late; those 'errands' seem to be really keeping you busy," 
she mumbled with the edge of sarcasm on her voice.

He looked pained. "You know I can't help it, honey." He whispered in 
her ear.

She sighed. It was true; it wasn't his fault and she knew that he hated 
being away from her as much as she hated being away from him. But 
she just keep feeling that sometimes the city took precedence over the 
stories they were working on, and, more importantly, her. She gently 
took hold of his tie and pulled him close. "I know, I'm sorry." She 
kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Now can we get to work here!" She 
gestured to the chair beside her.

"What have we got?" Clark asked, leaning towards the buzzing 
terminal.  

"A case of a guy being seriously framed as I see it." She pointed at the  
photo emerging on the screen before them. It was of a man with short 
black curly hair and dark eyes; he smiled a slightly lopsided smile and 
wore a blue police uniform. He seemed to be a kindly looking man. 

"This is Keith Smith," Lois stated, "he's 42 years old and the father of 
two kids. He's always been considered a gentle man by all his friends 
and family, so much so that his wife claims that if a spider's in the 
house, he traps it in a glass and takes it outside."  

Clark raised his eyebrows. "What's with the uniform?" he asked.

"He's a police officer, or used to be anyway." Lois shook her head.  
"That's what makes it even worse for him." 

"Sounds like a cover-up to me." Clark looked at the screen again. 
"Officer Thomas Diel was the man who fired him. Should we check 
him out?" Lois nodded.

They stood up and began to walk towards the door when Perry came 
out of his office with a young man with short dark hair, wearing a 
black suit and looking professional. He wore a soft smile. "Lois, Clark, 
get back here!" Perry called. "I want you to meet someone." 

Lois and Clark walked towards the man and he nodded to greet them. 
"This is Jarod Wilson," Perry smiled. "He's a new reporter here, and 
he's got a stunning record for his work." 

Jarod smiled and shook Clark's outstretched hand. "Pleased to meet 
you,  Clark," he said confidently. He turned to face Lois. "You must be 
Ms. Lane," he smiled.

Perry seemed happy that his reporters where getting on well. "He's 
going  to be working with you on this story." He broke the news softly, 
waiting to  hear Lois's reaction.

She glared at Perry for a moment, then pasted on a strained smile. 
"Perry, what are you talking about?"

He smiled back as if he hadn't noticed her hidden distress. "Well, you 
and Clark seem to be a bit slow with this case and I thought you could 
use some help."

Clark looked at Lois. She sighed. "Fine."

Clark turned his attention to Jarod. "We were just heading off to see  
Officer Diel. Do you need us to fill you in on the case?"

Jarod shook his head. "No, I'm pretty up-to-date with it. Thank you." 

Clark smiled at him and nodded.

Lois sighed again. "OK, let's go!"

* * * *

They climbed into Lois's Jeep and began to drive. Jarod carried a large  
brown box, which he refused to tell either Lois and Clark what it 
contained. Jarod leaned forward and turned to Lois. "I really appreciate 
you letting me in on the story. It's very kind of you."

Lois stopped frowning. "Oh, that's OK. I guess we could do with a bit of  
help."

Jarod shifted his eyes between Lois and Clark.

"So what do you think? Is he insane?" he asked, prying for their 
motives.

"Not that we can tell." Clark answered. "Despite the negative media  
coverage, we think he just saw too much."

Jarod nodded. 

Lois stopped the car abruptly outside the donut shop. "I'm hungry, 
who  wants donuts?" She asked.

"I do." Clark raised a hand.

She looked at Jarod. He stared blankly. "What's a donut?"

* * * *

They carried the bag of donuts into Lois's car and kept driving. 

Jarod stared at them. He looked through the middle. "So," he 
questioned  "They cut a hole in them on purpose?" Lois and Clark 
exchanged amused glances.  

"Haven't you ever had a donut before?" Lois asked with a laugh.

He shook his head and gave a laugh, too. "No, they didn't have them 
where I grew up."

Clark shrugged. "How did you survive?"

* * * * 

"We're here," Lois announced as the car stopped outside a large brick  
building. It had five flower gardens outside but there were few plants 
in them, and the plants that were there looked lethargic. The grass was 
neatly cut and there was a wide concrete path leading towards the 
entrance, a glass door with the words "Metropolis PD" written in black.

Clark began to get a faraway look in his eyes, urgency crossing his face. 
Lois knew that look well. "Clark, why don't you go and check out the 
back of the building while Jarod and I go in this way?" She nodded 
towards him. 

He smiled gratefully. "Ahh, good idea." He ran off towards the rear of 
the building pulling at his tie.

Jarod nodded at an unasked question as if knowing the answer. "He's 
in  quite a hurry," Jarod commented. "I guess the building waits for no 
man." 

Lois looked nervous, but soon covered it up with a smile. "Yeah."

She pushed open the glass door and they found themselves in a small 
room which resembled a waiting area. It was full of seats and lead to 
many corridors. She walked over to the wooden bench and rang the 
bell that sat there. 

A moment later a large man dressed in uniform emerged from one of 
the corridors. He smiled warmly. "How can I help you?" 

Jarod stepped forward and shook the man's hand. "I'm Jarod Wilson 
and this is Lois Lane. We're from the Daily Planet. We were wondering 
if it would  be possible to speak to Officer Thomas Diel?"

The man's smile grew. "You're lookin' at him."

Jarod and Lois looked at each other, prompting the other to go first.  
Finally Lois spoke. "Mr. Diel, we're here regarding the Keith Smith 
case. I was wondering what you could tell us about it."

The man didn't bat an eyelid, his script seemed fully rehearsed. "Ahh, 
the Smith case," he sighed. "That's a pretty big story. I'm surprised that 
a big  paper like the Planet hadn't been here first."

"Oh, but you see we want the real story, Mr. Diel, not the pre-written 
one," Lois replied.

"Well let's see... Officer Smith worked here for quite a few years, he 
was a good guy and he was dedicated. Who would've thought it?" He 
shook his head,  showing disappointment in the spoken party. 

"About the kidnapping?" Jarod prompted.

"Well, the child was kidnapped from his backyard at five o'clock on the  
evening of Saturday, the 22nd of May. He was found safe at Smiths' 
house."

"Is it true that the boy was unconscious when found?" Jarod asked.

"Yeah," Diel said. 

"So he couldn't prove as a witness to who the kidnapper was?" Diel 
nodded. "It was a very unfortunate case."

"We've been doing some research and according to Mr. Smith, the 
child's father was here an hour before the boy was kidnapped. 
Something about a bribe in the system, and that the boy was going to be 
kidnapped by one of his gunmen, held hostage until a ransom was paid 
by his ex-wife, the boy's mother. Then the boy would be released and 
he'd keep the money. He said that the man was here making sure, via 
cash, that the case would be a low priority. Is that true?" Lois asked.  
Diel looked uncomfortable. "You're quoting the ravings of a mad 
man," he stated. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have business to attend 
to." He turned and walked down the hall.

* * * * 

Clark met up with them outside and they returned to the Planet. "So 
let's see," Clark asked, "tell me the story one more time." 

Jarod raised an eyebrow at Clark. "I thought you and Ms. Lane where 
working on the story together, Mr. Kent?" He asked. 

Clark wriggled uncomfortably. "We are, but um, Lois is the brains 
when it comes to the research area!" He laughed nervously. Jarod 
smiled a small smile. 

"OK, well, here it is..." Lois changed the subject. "The boy's father, John 
Rays, who is a well-respected judge, had recently split with his wife, 
and didn't feel he got the fair half of the bargain. According to Smith, 
he was returning to the station early from a routine road check to find 
Officer Diel and a few of his fellow colleagues talking to Rays. 
Apparently he decided to listen before entering, and he said he heard 
Rays tell Diel the plan then pass him a large canvas bag containing 
cash. He said that the plan was to get his ex-wife, who the boy was 
living with, to pay the ransom," 

"Which was?" Jarod asked. 

"Four million dollars," Lois finished.

"Wow," Clark mumbled. "So where does Smith come into being 
framed for the kidnapping?"

"It seems that the officers saw him there and decided he was the perfect  
decoy, they'd label him insane and get it over with," Jarod answered for 
her.

"I think we should pay Officer Smith a visit."

* * * *

They pulled up in front of the prison, where there was an angry 
looking  security guard standing at the gate. "Who are you?" he 
demanded.

"We're reporters from the Daily Planet." Jarod stated. "We'd like to 
talk to Kevin Smith." 

The security guard shook his head. "Sorry, no access."

"What the--" Lois began but Jarod cut her off.  "Thank you," he said 
and gestured for her to drive off.

"You'd better have a reason for that," she snarled at him when she 
pulled over down the street.

"I wasn't always a reporter," he said simply.

"Is there a point to this?" Clark asked impatiently.

"I'm also a security guard." He smiled and pulled out the box from the  
back of the car, opening it to expose a blue security uniform. He smiled 
at Lois and Clark. "It's amazing how different a suit can make you look. 
Isn't that right, Clark?" He smiled his knowing smile at Clark. 

Clark shook his head nervously. "Whatever you say." He exchanged 
glances with Lois who mouthed at him one word: "C-o-i-n-c-i-d-e-n-c-
e."

* * * * 

The sturdy door swung open to expose a long row of cells, each 
equipped with equally sturdy bars. He wandered down the passageway 
while being yelled  and whistled at by the rowdy inmates. Towards the 
end of the cells he came to a cell with a man sitting on his bed writing a 
letter to someone. He had black curly hair and fitted the description of 
Smith. "Mr. Smith?" he queried. The man looked up and Jarod caught 
the heading of his letter: "To my dear family." 

"Yeah," he said bitterly. "That's me."

"Mr. Smith, it's time for your exercise." Jarod smiled at him.

The man frowned but didn't ask any questions to why he was to 
exercise  alone that day. Then they reached the oval and Smith turned 
to him. "I know you won't believe me but I'm innocent." Jarod's 
expression didn't change, he was silent. "I knew it," Smith sighed. 
"None of you security guards believe me." 

Jarod caught his eye. "Well, Mr. Smith, I'm not really a security guard, 
and your innocence is why I'm here." 

"Pardon?" he asked.

Jarod turned to face him. "We know what you heard." 

"Yeah, and you to think I'm nuts?" He sat down on the ground and 
put his  head in his hands. "They won't let me see my kids, Mr.... Um, 
what's your name?"

Jarod smiled. "Call me Jarod."  Smith nodded.

"What did you see?" Jarod asked.

"You know what I saw, everyone does," he replied.

"How did the child get to be in your yard?" Jarod asked. "Didn't you say  
someone else was to kidnap him?"  Smith looked up. "They tried to 
shoot at me when they heard. I got away, so I guess they thought this 
was the next best thing." He gestured to the walls surrounding the 
penitentiary.

Jarod nodded. "We're trying to get you out. Is there anything you could 
tell them to give us a hand?"

Jarod caught Smith's eye, and for that moment he became him. He felt 
his pain and frustration, the feeling to know that you're right, but to be 
the  only one. The urge to see his beloved wife and beautiful children. 
The pain of being betrayed by those that he respected and honoured the 
most, by the system that he trusted. And most of all the determination 
to prove his innocence, no matter what it took.

"The boy was laying on my lawn, under a bush, unconscious," he said. 
"What's there to tell?"

Jarod nodded. "Can we talk to the boy?"   Smith frowned. "He was 
knocked out before he saw anything, says the last thing he remembers 
is being in his room playing his Gameboy."

A light bulb went off above Jarod's head. "The office had a security 
camera right?" 

"Yeah, so?" he asked.

"So was the tape ever recovered?" 

"Supposedly, but it wasn't the real tape... I swear. It had nothing on it 
but the usual." He sighed.

Jarod smiled. "I know two investigative reporters who could probably 
find the real one.... Leave it to me."  Smith nodded. "Thanks."

Jarod exited the yard and walked towards the gates.

* * * * 

"What did you find?" Lois asked desperately as he came back to the car.

"It's what I didn't find that's our clue."

"What?!" Lois asked, losing her patience.

"No one ever uncovered the REAL security tape that day. The clue is in 
that."

Clark shook his head. "Do you think we can find it... I mean, I'm not so 
sure."

"I'm sure Superman can help," Jarod said calmly.

"Um, yeah, uh, good idea. I'll see if he's around." Clark exited the car 
and took off into the bushes.

Jarod smiled at Lois, who smiled back. Who was he?

* * * *   

"Got it!" Clark said triumphantly as he bounded off the elevator. 

"Where?" Jarod asked.

"Underneath Mr. Diel's bed." He replied and slid the tape into the tape 
player. The whole scene came up on film. Exactly as Keith had 
described it.

"Yes!" Lois whispered as the video cut out. "Let's show this to the 
police." 

"Not so fast," Jarod said.

"Huh?"

"Well, the police got him into this. We have to go overseas or 
somewhere away from here. Do you think Superman would mind?" 
He asked Clark.

"I'm sure he'd be happy to help." Clark headed for the elevator.

* * * *  

Jarod popped another Pez in his mouth as he sorted through the papers 
on  his desk. Thomas Diel, father of one, and this framing. He smiled at 
the colourful Pez dispenser and sighed. What could he do? There was 
nothing that  could be done to teach this guy a lesson. Anything he did 
would be merely proving him guilty. No, not good enough. He needed 
a bit more sting. 

Suppose he was framed for another crime, suppose the crime had 
never been committed. Suppose it was on the computer and no one 
believed him when he pleaded his innocence, stating that no one 
committed that crime, that it didn't exist. Suppose he was labeled 
insane and locked away.

Jarod picked up the phone and began to dial. A young man's voice 
answered. "Jimmy." Jarod smiled to himself. "It's Jarod. Could you do 
me a favour?"

* * * * 

Jarod walked into the planet the next day to see Clark and Lois putting  
on their coats ready to leave. "Did I miss something?" Jarod asked the 
two reporters innocently. 

Clark smiled at him. "Yeah, we tried to call you all morning. Where 
were you?"

Jarod shrugged. "I guess I slept late, what did I miss?"  

Lois looked up. "It seems that Mr. Diel was guilty of two crimes: the 
cover up and framing of Mr. Smith and the murder of a Samantha 
Wilson a number  of years ago. It was actually on the computer system, 
including the locations of the evidence. The police received an 
anonymous tip early this morning--the non-corrupt police that is." She 
smiled. "Of course, Diel is pleading innocent to the murder case. He 
can't deny the framing, but he even claims that no one called 
Samantha Wilson even exists. Pretty funny, huh?"

Jarod smiled. "So it seems the tables have turned on Officer Diel?" 

Clark nodded. "Well, it isn't like he didn't deserve it."

Jarod laughed. "Can I ask you two a favour?" Lois looked back at him 
as they all made their way to the door. "If a woman and a man come 
here, later, looking from me, can you give them this?" He removed 
from his pocket a red note book and a donut wrapped in plastic. 

Clark frowned. "You going somewhere, Jarod?"

Jarod shook his head. "Right now, I'm going to the police station!" 

* * * * 

When they walked in through the door of the police station, Diel was  
being interrogated. "I didn't commit a murder, darn it!" He yelled at 
the officers surrounding him. "That case doesn't even exist!!!" 

The officers shook their heads. "We have the evidence, and we wont 
believe the ravings of a criminal."  

Diel wouldn't give up "But I'm telling the truth!!!" He screamed. 

Diel was taken out to the police car protesting, but Jarod caught him 
along the way. "It must feel terrible not to have anyone believe you. 
Just ask Keith Smith, I'm sure he knows how you feel." He smiled slyly 
and walked to join Lois and Clark. 

* * * *  
Later that afternoon at the Daily Planet.....

Lois and Clark sat at Lois's desk, both discussing the story. "I still think 
it's great how the tables got turned on this guy," Lois smiled, looking 
up at Clark. 

Clark was somewhere else, deep in thought. He was staring at Jarod's 
desk. He was sure that that guy knew more than he said. About 
everything, including him. And now he was gone. Clark's fingers 
touched the red notebook in his pocket. Who was Jarod? For some 
reason Clark felt like he could be anyone, even if he couldn't be 
himself. And where did he grow up? Never to have seen a donut?

 Clark was brought out of his thought by Lois holding up an envelope 
in front of his face. "Huh?" he said, as he realized how lost in thought 
he actually was. "Sorry, honey, what did you say?"

"I said this just came for you." Lois smiled "What is it?"

Clark took the envelope and pried it open "It's a message, but each 
word is in a different language. I wonder..."

"What does it say?" Lois asked, studying it intently.

"It says....oh, my gosh...." Clark froze.

"What?!" 

"It, it says "I know you're Superman, your secret's safe. Jarod."

Lois and Clarks eyes met. 

"Who *IS* he?" Lois began to pace. She came to a halt in front of a cold 
-looking lady and a middle-aged man and looked up at them. The lady 
was wearing a short skirt, her red hair was parted and she puffed at a 
cigarette. Her eyes bore a cold stare.

"Hey lady, no smoking!" someone called from the other side of the 
newsroom. 

She turned to face them and drew another puff of smoke from the 
cigarette. "Live with it," she snarled, turning back to Lois. The man 
seemed hard also, but he appeared to be kindly. All of a sudden it 
twigged, these were the  people Jarod where talking about. 

Clark, fingers wrapped around the notebook in his pocket, realized it 
also.

"Excuse me," the lady said. "Have you seen this man?" She forced a 
smile as she held up a picture of Jarod. 

Lois and Clark exchanged glances. "Who wants to know?" Lois asked, 
her curiosity growing. 

The man replied for her. "Friends," he said. 

Clark looked at them for a moment. "I doubt that," he muttered. 

"Have you seen him?" the lady queried again. 

"Yes," Lois replied, "but we have no idea where he went. He left you 
this." She motioned for Clark to pass them the book. 

He removed the red notebook from his pocket and picked up the 
wrapped donut from Lois's desk. "Here." Clark said.  

She flipped through the book and Clark noticed the note pasted to it for 
the first time "To Miss Parker: catch me if you can. Jarod." She sighed 
and passed them to the man. 

He seemed to be amused at the note. "Do you happen to...." 

"No. We don't." Lois cut in. The lady and man turned to leave. "Oh 
one last thing," Lois smiled falsely. "Leave him alone."  

The man smiled at Lois and nodded but left with the lady. "Who was 
that?" Lois asked. 

"I don't know." Clark shook his head. "But I don't trust them." 

Lois's eyes drifted to the curled-up note from Jarod. "And him?" she 
asked.

"Him, I trust. Whoever he was." Clark and Lois smiled at each other 
and  looked at the by-line: "Lois Lane, Clark Kent and Jarod Wilson."

The end :) :) 

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