THE WISH

She sat watching Clark smooth things over with Chloe and Jimmy. Regret, a familiar friend to Lois lane. Once again, she had blurted out what she really thought to not just Chloe and Jimmy…but the world. Even worse…once again Clark was coming to her rescue.

"Damn! I did not just do that!" she thought to herself. People passed her by from the bar stool she refused to leave unoccupied, a couple of them winked at her…they must have been in agreement.

This did nothing to sooth the guilt she was feeling at the moment. Even drunk, she knew what she had done.

The lady bartender watched her with interest. Clearly this was a woman with regrets. Maybe she could help.

"Rough Night?"

"Really? How could you tell…what gave it away? Was it my astounding way with words when I'm giving a toast…or the looks on my cousin's face and her fiancé? Or was it the way "Mr. Do nothing wrong" over there once again cleaned up one of my messes?"

The bartender had to laugh…this lady was a loose cannon…just egging for a fight.

"Honesty is a good quality…most people would envy your ability to say what you think."

"Smallville over there says what he thinks, and he's almost always right…I don't get it…how he manages to be so…so…"

"Smallville??"

"Oh…'Mr. Do No Wrong'….aka Clark Kent."

"That's an unusual nickname…"

"It's a long story…"

"I'd like to hear it."

"Let's just say I have a bad habit of giving people nicknames…"

The bartender place a strong black coffee in front of Lois and said almost in a whisper, "If you had one wish today…what would it be?"

"I could wish for that toast to have never happened…"

"But that's not what really bothers you, is it?"

"Am I that transparent?" and then shaking her head she looked over at Clark who at that precise moment was giving her a scolding look.

"I mean just once…I'd like to see him mess up, say the first thing that pops into his head…get falling down drunk…something! I would relish the chance to clean up after him just once."

"Is that what you really want?"

She looked back over at him and as Chloe and Jimmy exited the party he turned and looked at her, it was clear he was heading straight for her…quickly she turned her head and she could feel the room spinning. "Here it comes…the unavoidable lecture…"

"So…Is it safe to say that is what you really wish?"

Lois looked at the bartender and said quickly…"Oh yea…right now I'd like that more than anything."

"Here drink this…It will help you." she pushed the coffee at her and Lois grabbed it, hoping it would help ease the spinning

"You have your wish…for one day…you will be taking care of him…and he will get a glimpse of what it is like to not be so perfect."

"Lady…this coffee is good…but it's not that good!"

She just smiled at Lois.

Lois turned her head after the second gulp and suddenly felt strangely normal. Not two feet from her, Clark was walking with purpose one second, and then spinning as if he was drunk the next.

"What the Hell?" she looked over where the bartender was standing a moment before and discovered that she was gone.

Quickly she rushed over to Clark to give him a shoulder.