The Universe's Mixer

The evening hadn't gone at all like Fred had expected. She should have just danced, smiled pretty for the camera, and waited. She should have played the part, but her mouth went away with her. Plus, for all she knew, she could have had a wonderful night. It could have been a silly fear. Jack had been right in suggesting they sleep on it. Things may be better in the morning, and she wouldn't have some strange sinking feeling in her stomach, like when she ate the six hot dogs then followed it with a chocolate milkshake chaser. That was never a good idea. The smart woman knew that it was nothing like the hot dogs and milkshake; it was nothing like anything she'd ever experienced before.

Rather than going straight home, which might have been a very good idea, Fred went in search of the only friend she could think of who knew her. Or sort of knew her. He could know her with just a few bars of "Oh, Susannah." He'd probably tell her she was being silly, or he'd see what could happen, just anything. She needed help, and he might be the best choice.

She arrived at Caritas, still dressed for a formal function. She needed a shoulder to cry on, or an ear to listen. She needed help finding her path. That was why she walked in and looked around for the coolest demon in the City. Since she didn't see him right off, she headed to the bar to ask the bartender if he'd seen him.

Lois was still getting used to the concept of the City. She was still adjusting to the fact that she was stranded in a place where everything moved around and there were genies and leprechauns and the Mayor was literally from Wonderland. Wonderland! Of all the ridiculous things...

Worst of all was the fact that she'd thought she'd left behind the 'new kid' feeling when she'd graduated high school. She was supposed to have grown out of wanting to fit in when she went somewhere new.

Not to mention that she'd actually started to make a home in Smallville. She'd been there longer than anywhere else in her life as an army brat, being toted from base to base like a piece of luggage.

And yet, even though she was definitely a big girl now, she still felt that 'new kid' pang at being in the City. So far the only person she really knew was Ollie, who she'd seen all of one time. Just long enough to get the rundown on this crazy place and find out that her ex was now hanging around with the blonde bombshell in fishnets that had trashed his apartment shortly before they'd broken up.

She missed Chloe, and Jimmy. And even Clark. Not that she'd ever admit that to him, but she did miss him. Just a little bit. She would even be happy to hear the chair in the desk across from hers at the City Voice start squeaking, if only to see his smug grin at doing something so obviously obnoxious.

She was trying to bury herself in her work, but tonight was a rare night when all of her leads had dried up, and when the assignment board had already been picked over. So here she was, alone in a strange City with nothing to do and nowhere to go.

Luckily, there was a bar on the corner just down the street from her apartment. Lois would happily spend a night in margaritaville, and hopefully amongst the camaraderie of her fellow barflies. It was better than staying in with a movie, a pint of Rocky Road, and far too much to mull over.