Not Always Good
So I gave this to my beta with the words 'I wrote this yesterday but I think it's weird, not sure if I'll post it'. But then I put it on Tumblr and three people liked it so it must be okay :P It doesn't have too much of a plot but the whole convo just popped into my head a few days ago and I was like: That is so my Lois, I have to write it. So, hope you like it.
Title: Not Always Good
Author: Repmet(syrrah)
Word Count: 1,213
Fandom: DCU
Summary: Lois Lane’s daughter is proud to be like her Mom but her mother isn’t so sure this is always a good thing. Oneshot.
Author’s Note: Haven’t written anything in ages, sorry if I’m out of practice :P No knowledge of any of my other fics needed. Technically set several years post Superman Returns but nothing specific to that universe is mentioned. Though readers of my Revelations series will recognise Sophie.
--
"I want to have a talk with you."
"That can't be good," Lois Lane’s daughter said, with a worried look on her face.
"No, it's not bad," Lois assured the girl, "I just want to tell you something about myself."
That made Sophie frown. "Really?" she asked, clearly no idea where this was headed.
"Yes, really," Lois told her, tucking her in and sitting on the edge of her bed. “Tonight at dinner you said something and it just struck me how much like me you can be sometimes.”
Sophie smiled at her words, she was always proud to be compared to her mother. Lois did often mean those words as praise but tonight it was a little different.
"And I really was like you, when I was younger,” Lois continued, “I thought I never needed anyone else for anything. I just knew I could do it all by myself if everyone would get out of my way.”
"I know all this," her daughter said in a slightly annoyed tone, but still happy from her previous comments. "It's hardly ‘special talk’ stuff."
"Just wait," Lois assured her, "I'm getting there." She smiled at her again, her beautiful, stubborn, impatient daughter. "My point is though, there's a difference between being independent and strong and being lonely and bitchy. It took me a while to learn that," Lois continued, "I don't want you to have to do it the hard way either."
"Uhhh, Mom, did you just call me a bitch?"
Lois wanted to laugh at the look on Sophie's face but thought better of it. "No, I wasn't," she assured her firmly. "I was talking about myself.”
“But you just said I was like you.”
“Only in some ways,” Lois replied, smiling, “you’re far more your own person than anyone else, you know that.”
“Yeah…” Sophie said slowly, “so what’s the point of this?”
“The point is, tonight you said something that started me worrying you were following my footsteps down a path I wish I’d never taken.”
Lois watched her daughter frown deeper, tilting her head slightly as she tried to figure out what her mother was getting at.
“When you said you told that girl at your school you didn’t want to study with her,” Lois reminded her.
“Oh, yeah.” Sophie nodded, sounding confused as to what that had to do with it. “She said we should study math together, and that she could help me if I needed it. But I don’t. What does that have to do with you?”
“I used to do that too,” Lois sighed.
“So?” Sophie shrugged, “I’m good at math.”
"I know you are, but that’s not really the point here. The fact is, sweetie,” Lois told her, “pushing people away might make you feel independent but when school’s over and the weekend comes and you're home alone it's a different story."
"Uh, I thought telling me life was empty without a husband was Grandma's job," Sophie commented.
This time Lois did laugh. Her mother still believed a woman's sole purpose in life was to pair up with a man and despite both her daughters having very successful careers in their own right; their greatest achievement in her eyes was still getting married.
"It may be your father that taught me a lot of this," she admitted, "but at your age I was mainly referring to friends."
“I have friends,” Sophie pointed, out, her tone getting defensive.
“I know you do,” Lois assured her, “but only Kelly still goes to Vanderworth’s and believe me, you need good friends in high school to help you get through it.”
“Yeah,” Sophie replied, “I know that, the school year’s just started, Mom.”
“And you’re already pushing people away-”
“One person, Mom, and I didn’t really push her away I just said, ‘thanks but no thanks’,” Sophie interjected, sounding annoyed.
“Okay, okay,” Lois said holding up her hands.
“I’m not exactly like you were, Mom,” the teenager continued, “I love you but I’m not your clone or anything.”
“I know,” Lois sighed, wondering if she had over-thought the implications of her daughter’s actions. “I want you to listen to what I’m telling you anyway.”
“But I know, Mom,” Sophie sighed in exasperation, “look, Dad has told me how you were when he meet you-“
“-and I’ll be punishing him for that later,” Lois muttered, causing Sophie to stop mid-rant and break into laughter.
Lois smiled, laughing with her. “Maybe I’m overreacting here a bit,” she admitted, “you’re right, you may be like me but in other ways you’re so very different but still, trying to be too independent-“
“Can make you very lonely?” Sophie interrupted, “I get it, Mom.”
"Well, you should get this too,” Lois told her firmly, “Because it took me far too long. There is nothing weak at all in needing help every so often. In fact, it takes time for most people to realise but a lot of strength lies in knowing when to ask for it. And there's certainly absolutely nothing dependant or weak at all about having a good friend."
“Mom,” Sophie sighed, “I know.”
“Well I didn’t at your age,” Lois admitted.
“You didn’t have a Mom who was as awesome as mine though,” Sophie told her, smiling. "I really don't need help in Math though," she continued bluntly, moving on from her emotional statement as quickly as possible. So much like her mother.
"I know you don't,” Lois assured her, taking her daughter’s cue, “and you shouldn't tell her you do if you don't. I hope I’ve taught you that you shouldn’t be afraid of people not liking you for being who you are, but pushing people away purely for the sake of pushing them away is a mistake I made and I don’t want to watch you do it too.”
“I’m not,” Sophie insisted, “I just don’t want her around telling me she thinks I need help.”
“Maybe she doesn’t,” Lois suggested. Sophie frowned again. “You weren’t having trouble in math were you?”
“No, of course not,” Sophie told her. “I don’t even know why she talked to me.”
“Did you ever think it was just because she wanted to talk to you?”
Sophie’s expression told her mother everything. After a moment she sighed. “No, I didn’t… I guess I can apologise on Monday.”
Lois chuckled again. “I was right,” she told her daughter, “you are different from me.”
Sophie grinned at her. “C’mon, Mom, how lame are people that are just clones of their parents? As much as I love you and Dad I’m not going to be either one of you, just going to be myself.”
“See that you do,” Lois ordered her with a smile and a hug. Maybe she had been a bit quick to assume her daughter would take as long as she had to learn what she needed to.
“Good night,” she told her, getting up and turning out the lights. Clark had put the other kids to bed and Lois was looking forward to lying down next to him. Now her mind was less occupied it was reminding her how tired it was.
"Mom?"
Lois turned back, the dark form of her daughter still sitting up in the bed. "Yes?"
"Thanks."
Lois smiled again. “Love you too.”
--
Reviews are love!
Title: Not Always Good
Author: Repmet(syrrah)
Word Count: 1,213
Fandom: DCU
Summary: Lois Lane’s daughter is proud to be like her Mom but her mother isn’t so sure this is always a good thing. Oneshot.
Author’s Note: Haven’t written anything in ages, sorry if I’m out of practice :P No knowledge of any of my other fics needed. Technically set several years post Superman Returns but nothing specific to that universe is mentioned. Though readers of my Revelations series will recognise Sophie.
--
"I want to have a talk with you."
"That can't be good," Lois Lane’s daughter said, with a worried look on her face.
"No, it's not bad," Lois assured the girl, "I just want to tell you something about myself."
That made Sophie frown. "Really?" she asked, clearly no idea where this was headed.
"Yes, really," Lois told her, tucking her in and sitting on the edge of her bed. “Tonight at dinner you said something and it just struck me how much like me you can be sometimes.”
Sophie smiled at her words, she was always proud to be compared to her mother. Lois did often mean those words as praise but tonight it was a little different.
"And I really was like you, when I was younger,” Lois continued, “I thought I never needed anyone else for anything. I just knew I could do it all by myself if everyone would get out of my way.”
"I know all this," her daughter said in a slightly annoyed tone, but still happy from her previous comments. "It's hardly ‘special talk’ stuff."
"Just wait," Lois assured her, "I'm getting there." She smiled at her again, her beautiful, stubborn, impatient daughter. "My point is though, there's a difference between being independent and strong and being lonely and bitchy. It took me a while to learn that," Lois continued, "I don't want you to have to do it the hard way either."
"Uhhh, Mom, did you just call me a bitch?"
Lois wanted to laugh at the look on Sophie's face but thought better of it. "No, I wasn't," she assured her firmly. "I was talking about myself.”
“But you just said I was like you.”
“Only in some ways,” Lois replied, smiling, “you’re far more your own person than anyone else, you know that.”
“Yeah…” Sophie said slowly, “so what’s the point of this?”
“The point is, tonight you said something that started me worrying you were following my footsteps down a path I wish I’d never taken.”
Lois watched her daughter frown deeper, tilting her head slightly as she tried to figure out what her mother was getting at.
“When you said you told that girl at your school you didn’t want to study with her,” Lois reminded her.
“Oh, yeah.” Sophie nodded, sounding confused as to what that had to do with it. “She said we should study math together, and that she could help me if I needed it. But I don’t. What does that have to do with you?”
“I used to do that too,” Lois sighed.
“So?” Sophie shrugged, “I’m good at math.”
"I know you are, but that’s not really the point here. The fact is, sweetie,” Lois told her, “pushing people away might make you feel independent but when school’s over and the weekend comes and you're home alone it's a different story."
"Uh, I thought telling me life was empty without a husband was Grandma's job," Sophie commented.
This time Lois did laugh. Her mother still believed a woman's sole purpose in life was to pair up with a man and despite both her daughters having very successful careers in their own right; their greatest achievement in her eyes was still getting married.
"It may be your father that taught me a lot of this," she admitted, "but at your age I was mainly referring to friends."
“I have friends,” Sophie pointed, out, her tone getting defensive.
“I know you do,” Lois assured her, “but only Kelly still goes to Vanderworth’s and believe me, you need good friends in high school to help you get through it.”
“Yeah,” Sophie replied, “I know that, the school year’s just started, Mom.”
“And you’re already pushing people away-”
“One person, Mom, and I didn’t really push her away I just said, ‘thanks but no thanks’,” Sophie interjected, sounding annoyed.
“Okay, okay,” Lois said holding up her hands.
“I’m not exactly like you were, Mom,” the teenager continued, “I love you but I’m not your clone or anything.”
“I know,” Lois sighed, wondering if she had over-thought the implications of her daughter’s actions. “I want you to listen to what I’m telling you anyway.”
“But I know, Mom,” Sophie sighed in exasperation, “look, Dad has told me how you were when he meet you-“
“-and I’ll be punishing him for that later,” Lois muttered, causing Sophie to stop mid-rant and break into laughter.
Lois smiled, laughing with her. “Maybe I’m overreacting here a bit,” she admitted, “you’re right, you may be like me but in other ways you’re so very different but still, trying to be too independent-“
“Can make you very lonely?” Sophie interrupted, “I get it, Mom.”
"Well, you should get this too,” Lois told her firmly, “Because it took me far too long. There is nothing weak at all in needing help every so often. In fact, it takes time for most people to realise but a lot of strength lies in knowing when to ask for it. And there's certainly absolutely nothing dependant or weak at all about having a good friend."
“Mom,” Sophie sighed, “I know.”
“Well I didn’t at your age,” Lois admitted.
“You didn’t have a Mom who was as awesome as mine though,” Sophie told her, smiling. "I really don't need help in Math though," she continued bluntly, moving on from her emotional statement as quickly as possible. So much like her mother.
"I know you don't,” Lois assured her, taking her daughter’s cue, “and you shouldn't tell her you do if you don't. I hope I’ve taught you that you shouldn’t be afraid of people not liking you for being who you are, but pushing people away purely for the sake of pushing them away is a mistake I made and I don’t want to watch you do it too.”
“I’m not,” Sophie insisted, “I just don’t want her around telling me she thinks I need help.”
“Maybe she doesn’t,” Lois suggested. Sophie frowned again. “You weren’t having trouble in math were you?”
“No, of course not,” Sophie told her. “I don’t even know why she talked to me.”
“Did you ever think it was just because she wanted to talk to you?”
Sophie’s expression told her mother everything. After a moment she sighed. “No, I didn’t… I guess I can apologise on Monday.”
Lois chuckled again. “I was right,” she told her daughter, “you are different from me.”
Sophie grinned at her. “C’mon, Mom, how lame are people that are just clones of their parents? As much as I love you and Dad I’m not going to be either one of you, just going to be myself.”
“See that you do,” Lois ordered her with a smile and a hug. Maybe she had been a bit quick to assume her daughter would take as long as she had to learn what she needed to.
“Good night,” she told her, getting up and turning out the lights. Clark had put the other kids to bed and Lois was looking forward to lying down next to him. Now her mind was less occupied it was reminding her how tired it was.
"Mom?"
Lois turned back, the dark form of her daughter still sitting up in the bed. "Yes?"
"Thanks."
Lois smiled again. “Love you too.”
--
Reviews are love!