Hair Today: Gone Tomorrow

By Vixen

Summary: An intro for the episode "Contact" that shows Lois getting her hair cut, then stressing out over what Clark's reaction will be as she races to meet him at the airport.

DISCLAIMER: "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" is the property of Warner Bros. & ABC. "Superman" is the property of DC Comics. Any reference to persons living or dead, real or fictional, is purely coincidental. (And if you believe that, I have some property on New Krypton I'd like to sell you...)

NOTE: Like so many other "missed opportunities" I wondered why the writers of "Lois & Clark" would let Lois' haircut go unnoticed by nearly everyone, especially Clark Kent! In order to rectify that little problem, I came up with the following "in-between scene"...

Thanks to Sandy and betsy for their input...

(Please send comments to: kathex@aol.com)

***

Lois Lane was a bundle of nerves. **If this doesn't happen soon, I'm going to be late meeting Clark at the airport, and I'll lose my story...and...** Checking her watch for the fifth time, fanning the pages of the periodical she'd picked up three...no, four times in the last ten minutes, she suddenly dropped the "Metropolitan Woman" magazine on the table beside her with a resounding "thunk," picked up her purse, and rose to leave. The sound of a slightly effeminate male voice stopped her.

"Ms. Lane, we're ready for you now..."

An hour later, Lois Lane, sitting with her back to the hairdresser's mirror, made the mistake of glancing down at the floor. All around her were locks of hair--it seemed as if the floor was literally covered with brown! Tears started to well up in the corners of her eyes. **Don't you do it!** she admonished herself. **It'll grow back--it's only hair.**

"Oh, my dear, it looks ab-so-lute-ly luhv-ly!" Her hairdresser gushed. "Come here, Louise--Rolf--Sylvia! Doesn't she look simply *mah-va-lous?*"

Grabbing the mirror from his hands, Lois immediately checked out the back of her new hairdo in the booth's mirror. **God, it's so...so...*short!* **

Slowly spinning the chair to get the full impact of 45 minutes of careful, expert styling, her hairdresser oozed with self-satisfaction. "Divine--just di-vine! I do believe I've outdone myself this time!"

A feeling of dread was starting to worm its way into the deepest recesses of Lois' stomach. She despised such gratuitous "sucking up." It usually meant trouble! **I can't believe I let him cut this much off...Clark will hate it--I just know it...and I'll never hear the end of it from Jimmy or Perry!** She wanted to scoop up her shorn locks from the floor and glue them back on her head.

"Uh, look, in case my boyfriend doesn't like it, can I get a refund?" Lois was nearly in a panic.

"Ha, ha, ha--you certainly are witty, Ms. Lane. Don't worry, he'll luhhhve it! Everyone will--won't they?" John turned to his employees and gave them a look that would kill if they dared disagree. They smiled in return, nodded their heads most agreeably, and echoed his syrupy banter. "Oh, yes--it's lovely...darling...marvelous...so stylish...everyone will be jealous..." And so on. Lois thought she would throw up.

After paying her bill, and leaving a generous tip for the shampooer (who was the only one to give her a sincere look of approval, and an encouraging smile), Lois shot out of the beauty salon as if the devil himself was chasing her. Nervously glancing skyward, she murmured to herself, "Lord, I *hope* Clark isn't anywhere near this part of the city!" She made it to her car without incident, but prayed she'd reach the airport before he arrived. **I hope there's several robberies to stop, and maybe a few traffic jams to clean up, and a mugging or two...**

The smell of burning rubber followed the squeal of tires as she peeled away from the curb. Luckily, the Metro Police must have been otherwise occupied--not a siren did she hear, not a police light did she see in her rearview mirror, as she made her way to Metropolis International Airport in record time.

***

Whew, that was close** She was greatly relieved to find that Clark hadn't arrived at the baggage area in the Metro Air (formerly LEX Air) wing of the airport.

Ducking into the nearest ladies room, she quickly checked her hair in the mirror. **Hmm...a little windblown, but not bad...I'll get used to it...but will Clark?** A glance at her watch sent her into a near panic...racing out of the restroom she nearly collided with a flight attendant.

"Hey, watch it!"

"Sorry...gonna miss my plane!" She fled toward Metro Air's boarding gates, then did a U-turn and headed back toward the conveyer belt that transported passengers' luggage and shipping crates to the loading area.

"Umphfff..." Soft flesh met hard-as-steel muscle as Lois failed to negotiate a turn--she nearly ended up on the floor. "Unhhh...that hurt." Wincing and rubbing her shoulder she looked up to see Clark Kent, mouth open, a look of shock on his face.

"Close your mouth, Kent, you're letting the flies in."

"Uh...wow! You really went and did it--you got your hair cut!" he blurted out. "I almost didn't recognize you!"

"Do you like it? No, you hate it--I can tell. I *knew* this was a mistake..." Her bottom lip began to quiver.

Cupping her chin in his hand, he tried to calm her down. "Lo-iss...stop! It's going to take some getting used to--but, I like it--really! It's cute--and it does make you look different."

"You're just trying to make me feel better," she pouted.

"Lois, would I lie to you?" She glared at him. "Now don't look at me like that. You *know* I wouldn't do that." He played with a tendril of hair that framed her face. "Hmm...you were right about one thing."

"What's that?" she asked suspiciously.

"Your hair won't get in the way now while we're flying...'specially when we're necking."

"Clark!" Her eyes grew wide and a faint blush colored her cheeks. She glanced around to see if anyone had overheard his remark.

"Well, that's why you got it cut, right?" His eyes flashed with merriment at her discomfort. To divert her, he leaned in for a quick kiss.

Darn the man--Lois was beginning to wonder who had whom wrapped around their little finger. Clark was learning rather quickly how to drive her to distraction. **Hmmphf... two can play this game...** she decided.

But, before she could gather her wits enough to fire off a retort, out of the corner of her eye she thought she spotted the two baggage handlers they'd been tailing all week.

"Clark...uh, I hate to cut short this conversation, but aren't those the guys we've been following? See, over there--they just went out that exit. Come on, or we're going to miss our chance to catch them in the act!"

With a great deal of effort, Lois managed to wiggle out of his arms.

"Lois, no! That's an unauthorized area. You're not allowed to go there--you could get hurt..."

Ignoring him completely, Lois made a beeline for the exit, leaving a bewildered Clark Kent behind.

"That woman will be the death of me," he moaned to himself.

"Lo-issssss," he called. But before he could use his powers to stop her, he felt a slight tug on his jacket. Looking down, he saw a little girl, no more than four years old, with the most heartbreaking look on her face.

Crouching down to her level, staring into a pair of brown eyes that promised to break little boys' hearts, he asked, "What's the matter, honey?"

Whispering in a voice so low that only Superman could hear, she said, "My mommy is lost..." Her lower lip began to quiver, and a tear slowly made its way down her cheek.

Unable to resist a female in distress, especially such an adorable one who reminded him of another brown-eyed girl, Clark resigned himself to the situation. Using his telescopic vision, he quickly scanned the concourse, hoping to spot an airport official, or a frantic parent...

A few minutes later, after safely returning the little girl to her mother, Clark headed straight for the baggage area. With a burst of super-speed, Clark reached the exit just in time to see his fearless partner running across the airfield, plunging headlong into yet another dangerous situation. Once again, this would be a job for...Superman!

[Segue into "Contact"...]

THE END

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