From: "L-Soft list server at Indiana University (1.8d)" To: "ARTF@MemoryAlpha.nil" File: "LOISCLA-GENERAL-L LOG9801A" ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 1 Jan 1998 14:40:20 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Genevieve Subject: Krypton Club fic; Sam's nickname for Lois Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" I've been talking to Craig Byrne about this. I tend to forward him anything about the Krypton Club that comes up on either the fanfic list or LOISCLA. He admits that the Krypton Club Webpage is down (possibly forever) it would be beneficial to repost them, and/or put them in the archives. He's given permission to repost his two stories, and I forwarded it to Lori, since she has copies of them. Maybe the rest of us who have copies of of Krypton Club fanfic should make an effort to contact the authors and try to get them to send it to the archives. I have a copy of two that Lori didn't mention: "DINNER FOR THREE" By Valerie Howlett (LittlRed1@aol.com) and "RENAISSANCE" By T. Ackerman (ackerman@dorsai.dorsai.org). Also I'd like to thank everyone who sent me Sam's nickname for Lois. I figured asking the list would be faster than rewatching HIWTHI (*not* one of my favorite episodes) but I didn't expect it would be this fast! Lots of people came answered "Princess" with one "Sweetie" and one "Kitten." The consensus is that "pumpkin" came from RFAS, but it was Allie that called her that not Sam. Actually, it's hard to imagine the Sam in RFAS calling her anything but "Lois"; it's only the third and fourth season Sam that would have been so sentimental. Happy New Year's everyone! ======================================================================= Genevieve (NightSky@erols.com) "I must say that television is very educational. The minute someone turns it on, I go to the library and find a good book"--Groucho Marx ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 1 Jan 1998 16:29:45 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: ACdrift Organization: AOL (http://www.aol.com) Subject: KATHY'S CHALLENGE Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit Happy New Years All! I've been enjoying my vacation and catching up on my fanfic reading. I am enjoying the Challenge that has been going on. I remember plots a lot better than titles. So I end up saying: "Oh, oh, I know that one"...... but never can think of the name. Anyway, I hope you don't mind me throwing in a challenge. It's from one of my favorite L&C stories: Clark "mortgages his underwear" for a small red Lotus. Good Luck... Anne (ACdrift@aol.com) ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 1 Jan 1998 17:02:22 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Patric6928 Organization: AOL (http://www.aol.com) Subject: Re: KATHY'S CHALLENGE Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit In a message dated 98-01-01 16:54:26 EST, you write: << Clark "mortgages his underwear" for a small red Lotus. >> Wait, I've got that one. Heaven's Prisoners by Demi. I love that story!!! Must have read it 12 times when I first got it. Patricia (finally a title I can come up with) ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 2 Jan 1998 11:01:12 +1300 Reply-To: xtr47618201@xtra.co.nz Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Chris Lawson Subject: Re: KATHY'S CHALLENGE MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit ACdrift wrote: > > Happy New Years All! > > I've been enjoying my vacation and catching up on my fanfic reading. I am > enjoying the Challenge that has been going on. I remember plots a lot better > than titles. So I end up saying: "Oh, oh, I know that one"...... but never > can think of the name. > > Anyway, I hope you don't mind me throwing in a challenge. It's from one of my > favorite L&C stories: > > Clark "mortgages his underwear" for a small red Lotus. > > Good Luck... > Anne (ACdrift@aol.com) Wasn't that in Heavens Prisoners? Chris ********************************************************* Chris Lawson * Veni, Vedi, Velcro clawson@xtra.co.nz * I came, I saw, I stuck around ********************************************************* ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 1 Jan 1998 19:21:26 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: ACdrift Organization: AOL (http://www.aol.com) Subject: Re: KATHY'S CHALLENGE Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit Well, you guys are too fast! I posted a challenge at 4:00 with: Clark "mortgages his underwear" for a small red Lotus. Within 10 minutes, Patricia (Patic6928@aol.com) and Chris (xtr47618201@xtra.co.nz) responded with the correct answer: "Heaven's Prisoners" by Demi I'll have to come up with some new challenges while I'm enjoying my fanfic review. Thanks for playing, Anne (ACdrift@aol.com) ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 3 Jan 1998 18:14:41 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Michelle Glenn Subject: Excel with x-El MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII I don't think this has been answered yet. If it has, sorry. Could Excel with X-El= Jimmy X? Michelle ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 4 Jan 1998 01:40:51 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: LoriMcE Organization: AOL (http://www.aol.com) Subject: KC Fanfic "The Day of Tempus" Comments: cc: CraigByrne@aol.com Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit In a message dated 96-07-21 00:51:20 EDT, CraigByrne writes: << ***************************************************************************** ******************* KRYPTON CLUB FANFICTION***ISSUE #21***JULY 21, 1996 **STORIES BY MEMBERS OF THE KRYPTON CLUB** "THE DAY OF TEMPUS" ***************************************************************************** ******************* Welcome! Welcome to today's installment of Krypton Club Fanfiction. We are sending fanfic twice a week this summer to help relieve the undying stress that LCWS (Lois & Clark Withdrawal Syndrome) has been bringing us. For those of you who didn't know already , fanfiction is stories about Lois & Clark that are written by fans of the show. With fanfiction your best L&C ideas can come to life. All you have to do is send it to us at KryptonFX@aol.com. (Please send it as e-mail rather than attached files though; my computer doesn't respond well to attached stuff for some reason). Anyhow, tonight's fanfiction is called "The Day of Tempus," and it is the continuation of "Tempus is of the Essence," which was sent out Thursday. Everything that has come before is recapped at the beginning of this story. Thanks to everyone who has e-mailed me telling me what they thought of part 1. Hopefully you'll like the conclusion! Craig Byrne President of the L&C Krypton Club ***************************************************************************** ********************* Previously, in the last Krypton Club Fanfiction... The Lois Lane and Clark Kent from the first season of "Lois & Clark" have been brought into the future by H.G. Wells to stop the maniacal Tempus from ruining their future selves' wedding. Wearing holographic-image-changing suits making them appear to be Clark's cousins "Wendy and Marvin Clark," Lois and Clark attend their future selves' wedding with hopes of stopping Tempus from destroying it and thus obliterating the "Utopia" that Tempus hailed from. Unfortunately, they did not succeed. Tempus not only was able to abduct the Lois of 1996 and take her away from the wedding, he also exposed the Clark of 1996 as being Superman! Meanwhile, Clark, Wendy, Marvin, and Perry enlisted the aid of a man named Luke in following the squad car that Tempus had stolen to take Lois away. When Luke and company finally caught up to Tempus and Lois, the squad car was nearing a cliff, and Tempus and Lois flew off to their apparent doom! And now here's where we pick up, on "The Day of Tempus!" ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- "The Day of Tempus" By Craig Byrne (CraigByrne@aol.com) The squad car began getting closer and closer to the cliff, without slowing down. Was Tempus that crazy that he would kill both himself and Lois Lane to prevent "Utopia" from happening? Up in the squad car, Lois looked over at Tempus. "Please... don't... I'm sure there is another way!" "There IS no other way, Lois... duh!" Tempus said. The squad car, with both Tempus and Lois in it, went flying off the cliff. While in mid-air, Lois was in a state of panic. "You... demented bastard! Couldn't you see that this is not a road?" Lois screamed. "Roads? Where we're going we don't need... roads. Duh!" Tempus gloated. Soon the bare air that they were falling through was replaced by... water?!? Tempus put on an oxygen mask so he'd be able to breathe, and he put one on Lois as well, who had since fainted. He then opened the door of the squad car, and with Lois in hand, he swam to the surface. He then pulled Lois onto the ground, and sat beside her on a the shore. Apparently in the 13th century, the area where the cliff stood in the future was once a lake. "Ahhh," Tempus said, "with her out of the picture and the time machine utterly and completely destroyed, there is no way Lois can return to the future. Meanwhile, I will head towards Wazaphomi Cave and find the spare time machine that I have strategically hidden so I can return home and dear Lois will be forever stuck in this 13th-century hellhole, with no food, and no civilization. And finally, Utopia will not be a reality! Today is my day... the day of Tempus!" Tempus raised his hands in glory. He walked away towards the cave as Lois remained in her slumber. ----------------------------------------- 700 years into the future, Perry, "Wendy," "Marvin," Clark, and Luke looked down the cliff, and saw no remnants of the squad car Tempus and Lois had flown off in. "I should have saved her," said both Clark and "Marvin" at the same time. "Marvin" then approached Clark and told him, "We need to talk." Clark followed "Wendy" and "Marvin" into the woods where Perry and Luke could not see them. "Clark, we have something to tell you." said "Marvin." He and "Wendy" touched their wristwatches and soon, their true identities were visible. Clark stood in shock. "What-- uh, how--?!?" "I can understand why you're confused. Don't worry. We don't mean any harm. You--are still us, and we--are still you. At least, we were you, or you were us, you know what I mean," the Clark of the past explained. "What are you doing here?" Clark-1996 asked his other incarnation. "H.G. Wells sent us," Lois-1994 said, entering the conversation. "He figured we were the key to stopping Tempus. Fat lot of good we did." "Believe me... Clark... if there's anything we can do to help, we'd be more than happy to," Clark-1994 said to his future self. "I'm sure we've both done a thorough search of the area around the cliff. I know for a fact that I did. But maybe while we're out there we can find some sort of... clue as to where we can find your Lois." The Lois of 1994 quickly turned back into Wendy as she and Clark-1996 returned to the scene with Perry and Luke. In the meantime, Clark-1994 put on his Superman suit and scouted the area down below for clues. When Perry asked Clark where "Marvin" disappeared to, Clark told him that Marvin took a little while longer in the woods because he had to use the bathroom. This was not a good time for Clark. The last time he and Lois had tried to get married, she ended up being cloned and having amnesia, and Clark almost lost her. This time, unless he and his two "friends"--people who claim to be past versions of Lois and himself--find out where exactly Tempus and Lois disappeared to, he may have lost her for good this time. Clark then called "Wendy" over to him to talk privately again. "You said that you travelled here through time with H.G. Wells, and you are wearing 'belts' that can transport you through the timestream, am I correct?" Clark asked her. "And let me guess... you want to travel back in time a few minutes, to stop Tempus and Lois from going off the cliff?" Wendy suggested. "Something like that... is it possible?" Clark asked. "I'm not sure, I think we should try anything else we possibly can first. We don't want to screw up the timestream any more than we already have. Earlier H.G. Wells was telling us that if we did TOO much to affect our futures the results could be devastating. So tell me, Clark--when did I, I mean she--finally let my guard down and let you in the door?" "Ahh, Lois, no fair cheating! You'll find out soon enough. I'm sure you already know a little more than you should have found out; I mean, my 'Lois' never found out the truth about my being Superman until about a year ago!" Clark told her. Wendy sighed. "Oh... that." She still hadn't confronted her Clark about how that made her feel, what with the car chase and the search for clues kind of distracting them. It was definitely something that took some getting used to. She wondered how she would be so blind as to think that the man who she once labelled a "hack from Smallville" and the man who she once considered to be a "God in tights" could be one and the same. "Tell me, Clark... how did she... err, I, take it?" "Probably the same way that you're taking it right now. Except she gave me a MUCH harder time about it." Clark grinned. He really missed his Lois. "You know what's even worse?" Wendy asked Clark. "I've had... feelings... for you, err him, for a few months. But now, if I ever tell him, he'll think I'm a hypocrite taking advantage of him because I know that he is Superman!" "Lois, you would NEVER take advantage of me... err, him... however you want to refer to my past self." "What about those times when I'd send him off to get a taxi, and I'd call articles in for myself, taking the scoops?" "Lois, that wasn't taking advantage. You were just... testing me." Lois looked at her future fiancee and realized what made him so special, and how her future self could have fallen in love with him. Suddenly, "Marvin" flew up between the two of them. "Clark...!" Lois, still in her "Wendy" disguise, ran up to him and gave him a big hug. "Did you find anything?" "Actually, I did. On my way back here I passed through the woods, where I put back on my 'Marvin' disguise. What I found there was QUITE interesting." 100 feet away, Perry and Luke wondered what was going on. Perry was still in a state of shock over the cliff-jumping, whereas Luke was quite used to cars jumping off cliffs in his county. Luke remembered how he and his cousin Bo accidentially drove their cousin Daisy's car off of that cliff 15 years before. Almost forgetting that Perry and Luke were 100 feet away, Clark, Wendy, and Marvin walked over to the tree that "Marvin" was talking about. The word "Lois" was burned into the side of a tree. That seemed to be the clue they were looking for. Clark used his heat ray vision to chop off that chunk of the tree. "I'm going to take this sample to Dr. Klein back in Metropolis. Maybe he can analyze it and tell us how old the burn marks are. If that is the case, hopefully we can travel back in time to wherever Tempus took her and bring her home... and Lois and I.... can finally get married." Clark spun into his Superman costume, making sure Perry and Luke weren't looking in his direction. He then took the chunk from the tree and flew to Metropolis with it. ----------------------------------------- Back in the 13th century, several hours had passed. Lois had awoken to see that Tempus was nowhere to be seen. Not quite knowing where she was, she figured she was still in her own time and that Clark would find her very soon. "Help! Superman!" she screamed. No answer. Lois's hope turned into fear. She waited longer for Clark to respond, still screaming for his help. She waited longer. And longer. Soon it had been several hours, and Lois was getting very hungry. Luckily Clark had taught her that several plants are edible and could be eaten to keep from starving. This helped her a lot. She then went to sleep on the cold, bare ground. As she awoke the next morning, she realized that she still hadn't seen anyone around, nor had she seen any of the lights of airplanes flying through the sky. Several more hours passed, when suddenly she realized and remembered what had happened. Tempus had brought her into the past, and had planned to leave her there! For several minutes Lois was in a state of panic, having no idea what she was going to do next. Then she realized that the best way she'd get any kind of message to Clark in the future was to leave something somewhere so it can could stay around and hopefully last the test of time. Unfortunately, Lois didn't have a pen or paper so that idea was out of the question. But... if she could create a small torch, she may be able to etch a message into the side of a tree for Clark to see in the future, and hopefully he could can test the age of the message and return to her time period to save her, and they could FINALLY be married. She remembered the time when she and Clark tried to make a fire together when she and Clark they were stuck on Spencer Spencer's island. She got two sticks and began rubbing. Faster and faster she went, until suddenly... she had light... and a writing utensil! Lois walked up to the largest tree she could find and etched her name into the side of it. She had to be very careful and slow so the entire tree wouldn't burst into flames. She hoped beyond all hope that Clark would receive her message. ----------------------------------------- Back in Metropolis in 1996, Superman conversed with Dr. Klein and several of his colleagues, who were able to determine that the burn marks on the tree were 700 years old, give or take a few years. "Thanks," said Superman quickly as he sped out of Star Labs and back to Smallville as quickly as he could. He landed in the woods beside Wendy and Marvin, and then proceeded to put back on his tuxedo so Perry wouldn't think anything. "Got a date. Since I, uh don't have one of those time-belts, any chance I could borrow one?" Clark said, looking at "Wendy." "Hey, don't look at me! I want in on this action!" Wendy assured him. *She hasn't changed one bit,* Clark thought to himself. "Marvin" decided to let his future self wear the time-belt. "Good luck," Marvin told them. Suddenly the Clark of 1996 and the Lois of 1994 disappeared into nothingness. ----------------------------------------- "Wendy" and Clark arrived back in the 13th century, and it turned out Dr. Klein's estimations were correct. The two of them had landed there only hours from the time when Lois had left the message. And there was Lois... sitting alone, weeping... in the middle of the cold November ground. "Lois!" screamed Clark, running up to her. "Clark!!! Oh, Clark!" Lois ran up to him with her arms wide open. This may have been the happiest and most thankful moment of her entire life. The two of them were finally reunited. Clark introduced Lois to "Wendy," who revealed her true form. Lois looked at "Wendy" with her mouth agape. "Another clone? Oh, Clark!" "No, Lois... don't worry," Clark said. He then explained to his Lois everything that had transpired for him in the last few moments. Once Lois got over the shock of meeting herself, "Wendy" decided to walk away and give the two of them privacy. \ Lois and Clark then embraced in a passionate kiss. "Come on, Lois... we have a wedding to go to," Clark told her. ----------------------------------------- They happily returned to 1996. Perry saw Wendy, Marvin, Clark, and Lois and like a proud father, he felt a great feeling of joy that Lois was back. "Great Shades of Elvis, she's okay!" Perry was beaming. "I don't know how you survived that crash, and I don't care, we have a wedding to go to!" Everyone but "Marvin" got back into Luke's car to get back to the wedding, because Luke's car could only hold four passengers. The sound of Dixie rang from Luke's horn as they arrived back at the park in Smallville. They all got out of the car, including Lois, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The wedding was about to go through as planned. Everything would be perfect--except for the fact that everyone now knew that Clark and Superman were one and the same. Or did they? Suddenly Superman flew down to greet the newlyweds. "Sorry I'm late," said Superman, "Let's get these two fine people married already!" Since everyone saw Clark and Superman together at the same time, they had no reason to think that Tempus was anything more than a blathering lunatic. Little did they know that "Superman" happened to be Clark's past self. ----------------------------------------- Ten minutes later, the words were finally said. "I now pronounce you man and wife." The Lois Lane and Clark Kent of 1996 were married at last. Everyone went up to them in congratulations. "Wendy" and Superman looked back to the the entrance of the park, where they saw H.G. Wells standing and waiting for them. Looking back at the things that they hoped to someday take part in, Wendy and Superman left the wedding and left with Wells. "Congratulations," said H.G. Wells to the two of them. Since they were far away from the wedding, Lois turned back into her true self, disposing of the holographic "Wendy" disguise. "Now, it is time for the two of you to return," Wells informed them, "But first... don't either of you worry about Tempus messing with either of you in the future. Apparently after dropping your future person into the past, he travelled into the 19th century, where he accidentally landed in the middle of one of the greatest battles of the Civil War, and was killed." Both Lois and Clark were ready to return to their own time period, and both were excited as well. Clark wouldn't have to worry about hiding his identity from Lois anymore, and Lois had finally realized what a great guy he actually is. On the same token, Lois found out that not everyone in the world is a psychotic, and she was glad to know that information as well. "But... I must inform you... as I return you to your own timelines, I will have to dispose of any memory of this adventure. The two of you will not remember a thing," Wells told them. Both Lois and Clark looked disappointed, much like a child after being told he couldn't go to the toy store. But, they couldn't do anything about it. Wells turned their three timebelts into one large belt so Lois and Clark would not still be wearing them when they returned to 1994. ----------------------------------------- The next thing the Clark from 1994 knew he was back in Hatcher Park beside the wishing well. He could have sworn that he had heard a cry for help there, but no one was to be seen. Realizing that there was no danger, Clark decided to fly back to Rahilly's and finish the pizza that he had begun eating with his two young friends. As Clark returned to Rahilly's, he saw Jack sitting there. Jimmy must have been in the bathroom. "Well, that didn't take you too long, a total of 2 minutes. Who needed saving this time?" Jack asked Clark. "You know, Jack... for some reason... I can't remember?" Clark said. "Uh-huh. Whatever, man." Jack said, sure that Clark was hiding something and the confusion was all an act. Suddenly Jimmy returned. "Hey C.K., everything work out with Lois and dinner tonight?" he asked Clark. "Uh... yeah. Everything's fine," Clark responded, "everything's uhh... fine." ----------------------------------------- Back at her apartment, Lois sat on her sofa, also having a sinking feeling that something important had just happened but she couldn't figure out exactly what. Soon Ellen walked out to Lois with a bowl of banana pudding ready for her. "Thanks, Mom," Lois said. "You know, I think I'm going to give Clark a call, and see how he's doing." She then picked up the phone and dialed. What she got was an answering machine. "Hi, you have reached the apartment of Clark Kent. Leave your message after the tone, and I'll try to get back to you faster than a speeding bullet!" "Hi. Clark... this is Lois. I was just... wondering... how you were doing. Maybe we can get together for lunch sometime. By the way, I miss you..." That night Clark returned home and listened to his messages. Lois's message was the first one he could hear. Was it true? Had Lois finally fallen out of her rut? Whatever it was, Clark knew that he wasn't going to "look a gift horse in the mouth." He returned her call, and the two of them planned to meet for lunch the next day. THE END ***************************************************************************** ******************* Coming Up... Join us on Thursday for new fanfic, and join us for a new newsletter tomorrow! Craig "The who's of Hazzard?" Byrne President of the L&C Krypton Club (with Vice-President Matt Combes, vacationing in Indiana!) ***************************************************************************** ******************* SEND YOUR FANFICTION TO KRYPTONFX@AOL.COM ! (Please send fanfic in e-mail rather than as attached files! Thanks!) ***************************************************************************** ******************* >> ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 4 Jan 1998 01:41:09 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: LoriMcE Organization: AOL (http://www.aol.com) Subject: KC Fanfic 'Tempus is of the Essence" 1/2 Comments: cc: CraigByrne@aol.com Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit In a message dated 96-07-18 01:30:14 EDT, CraigByrne writes: << ***************************************************************************** ******************* KRYPTON CLUB FANFICTION***ISSUE #20***JULY 18, 1996***E-MAIL 1 OF 2 **STORIES BY MEMBERS OF THE KRYPTON CLUB** "TEMPUS IS OF THE ESSENCE" ***************************************************************************** ******************* Welcome! Welcome to today's installment of Krypton Club Fanfiction. We are sending fanfic twice a week this summer to help relieve the undying stress that LCWS (Lois & Clark Withdrawal Syndrome) has been bringing us. For those of you who didn't know already , fanfiction is stories about Lois & Clark that are written by fans of the show. With fanfiction your best L&C ideas can come to life. All you have to do is send it to us at KryptonFX@aol.com. (Please send it as e-mail rather than attached files though; my computer doesn't respond well to attached stuff for some reason). Anyhow, tonight's fanfiction is called "Tempus is of the Essence," and it was written by... well... me. I'm quite proud of it , and I'd love to hear what you think, so be sure to e-mail me (and all you have to do is hit "reply!" How novel!) I hope this will be the first in a series of fanfictions that I will write that will take place during the few months in between Seasons 1 and 2 of "Lois & Clark." So here it is, hope you like it, and tell me what you think! See you later! Craig Byrne President of the L&C Krypton Club ***************************************************************************** ******************* "Tempus is of the Essence" By Craig Byrne (CraigByrne@aol.com) The first scene opens with a shot of a newspaper being placed on a table. It is the December 6, 1916 issue of the Daily Planet. Looking at it is an aging man with rounded glasses and a handlebar moustache. The man's name was H.G. Wells, and if you're assuming that this is the same person who wrote such fantasy as "The Time Machine," you are correct. Wells had recently returned from another adventure in the future thwarting the maniacal Tempus's plan to rule another dimension that was very much like our own, but in other ways very much different. He had returned to his home time and is prepared to destroy the machine that has aided Tempus and himself in travelling through time and space. Getting a saw, Wells was about to cut apart the machine that had brought him so many problems. Suddenly, he felt a gun touching the back of his head. "Herb, don't ruin the fun by breaking my toys! Give me the machine, do not touch it, and you might not end up with your brains splattered all over the wall... duh!" said a man with an evil grin, holding the gun to Wells' head. (Run Credits) In another time and another place, Lois Lane was sitting in her apartment, reflecting on the past few weeks of her life. The largest part of her life -- the place she was employed, the Daily Planet -- was blown apart, and it would take several more weeks for it to be rebuilt. Even worse, the person who blew it up turned out to be the man she almost married... billionaire Lex Luthor, who jumped to his apparent doom on their wedding day. To top all of that, Lois discovered that she had feelings for her co-worker, Clark Kent... who claimed to have been lying when he said he was in love with her. Suddenly, she hears all of the locks on her door unlocking... her mother, Ellen Lane, was back. "Lois, I'm really sorry things didn't work out for you, but he was probably a creep, like your father, anyway," she said. "Mother... I really don't want to hear it..." "Lois, you're going to have to listen to me... who brought you up? Who put up with all of those years of marital hell?... not marrying that Luthor guy was the best thing you ever did," said Ellen. Lois REALLY wasn't in the mood to hear her mother's stories about her father and his lack of responsibility that she's heard hundreds of times before. She felt that there was no good excuse from her mother, who continued to babble even though Lois was not paying attention. Suddenly, the phone rang. "Hello? Oh, hi Cat! Haven't heard from you since the Planet blew up... did you hear they're rebuilding? I can't wait... I have been SOOO bored... What do you mean I don't have a life besides work? Well, excu-use me Ms. 'I've- Slept-With-More-Politicians-Than-I-Can-Count!' You got a new job? At WGBS? Fine! Great! Finally, we're rid of our resident TRAMP... I'd better call Steve Lombard and warn him about you!" Lois hung up the phone. "Lois... don't you think you were coming on a little strong there, love?" asked Ellen as Lois turned around. "It's just... Cat says I have no life, outside of work... maybe she's right... the man I almost married turned out to be a criminal, I won't get to be at the office for a few more weeks... I don't know if I can take it..." said Lois, breaking into tears. "There, there, honey. Things will get better. Look, I remember when you were younger, nothing could cheer you up faster than some nice tapioca pudding... let me go into the kitchen and fix you some..." said Ellen. "Mother, when will you ever learn that it was never tapioca that I liked so much... it's BANANA pudding that I like!" Lois replied. "Banana, tapioca, same difference... let me try to whip some up for you..." said Ellen, going into the kitchen. Suddenly a man appeared in the middle of her apartment, coming from out of nowhere. The man was fairly short, big ears, glasses, and a handlebar moustache. "Miss Lane... I need you... the world needs you... take this belt with me and come..." the man said. Lois stayed in her seat and screamed. ----------------------------------------- Across town, Clark was at the courthouse with Jimmy and their friend, Jack, who was awaiting a judge's approval for his release from the juvenile detention center. They stood in front of the judge, who told them that Jack could be released but only under the condition that he, being a minor, lives with an adult... Clark agreed to take him in... "for a while," at least, until Jack's 18th birthday that winter. "All right! Let's get out of here and get some pizza!" Jack said, happy to be free from the nastiness that was "Juvie." Clark, Jack, and Jimmy ended up at Rahilly's, a local eatery known for the best pizza and banana creme pie one could imagine. "So I guess they weren't too mad about your running out on the place last week, considering you're here with us now," Jimmy said to his friend. "Yeah, well, I guess since I helped the cops nab the REAL suspect, that may have had something to do with it," Jack said, "and thanks again CK for letting me room with you for the next couple of months. I just better not find a bunch of tights or anything hanging in your closet!" He grinned at Clark, who gave him a dirty look to shut up. Jimmy laughed, not quite knowing what Jack was implying. Suddenly, Clark hears a cry for help. "Look, you two--I, uh--" "Have to call Lois about some dinner plans," Jack said, finishing Clark's excuse giving him the okay to leave. "Uh... yeah... that's it. Don't want to miss that!" Clark said, running out of the restaurant. After Clark went out the door, Jimmy asked Jack "Why am I always the last to find out these things?" Several minutes later, as Superman, Clark spots an old man with glasses and a handlebar moustache sitting next to the Metropolis Wishing Well in Hatcher Park. This old man must have been the one who called Clark for help, considering no one else was anywhere to be seen in the park. "You called for help?" Superman asked the man. "Yes, young lad... or should I say Clark?... I need your help...the fate of the world is at stake!" said the man. "Wait a minute... did you just call me Clark?" Superman asked. "Yes, why that's your name... found by Jonathan and Martha Kent in 1966.... came to Metropolis and adopted the identity of Superman sometime last year.... strange visitor from another planet with powers far beyond those of mortal men. The history books tell quite a lot about you," said the man. "I am H.G. Wells... I desperately require your help in stopping the man called Tempus in the far future! He aims to destroy your wedding... and if you do not get married, the world will be a far worse place than it is destined to be in the future. Take this time-belt, Clark... I invented it as an improvement on my original time-travelling machine, as my original machine was stolen at gunpoint by Tempus nearly eighty years ago, your time. For me it has only been two weeks... I travelled into the future to a future which I have never seen... a future without a Superman! Luckily I created this belt and escaped, and Tempus has no idea where I have disappeared to! I implore you, you must help! Lois is waiting for you, in the future...." "Lois?!? Why is Lois helping you? You have to admit, she is sometimes a magnet for trouble, but I'm not sure throwing her through the timestream would really be good for her, especially with everything she's gone through--!" "Clark, my boy... put on this belt.... and all of your answers will be told." With that, H.G. Wells and Superman disappeared. ----------------------------------------- And in yet ANOTHER time period, in the future, at the rebuilt Daily Planet building in October 1996 to be exact, Perry White tells his prize reporters, Clark Kent and Lois Lane, that there is someone very important waiting for them in the Planet's conference room. Perry escorts the couple towards the conference room, opens the door, where they see all of their friends standing around yelling "SURPRISE!" Jimmy Olsen was the first to walk up to Lois and Clark with a present. "I can't believe the two of you are getting MARRIED tomorrow! It seems like just yesterday the two of you were paired up by the Chief. You didn't like him too much back then, did you Lois?" Young Jimmy couldn't have been more right, although he didn't know that secretly Lois liked Clark all along, she just didn't want to let her guard down. A lot had changed for Lois and Clark in the two and a half years since Lois almost married Lex. Lois and Clark have admitted their feelings for one another, they have begun dating, Lois has figured out that Clark is Superman, and one year before they were engaged to be married. They had tried the "wedding thing" earlier in the year, but the intervention of Lex Luthor messed that up somewhat. And, like Olsen said, their wedding would be the next day. Unlike their previous attempt at a wedding, THIS wedding would be perfect. The wedding was to be in Clark's hometown of Smallville, Lois's parents would be able to stay at Clark's parents' home instead of having to make hotel reservations and Lois's sister Lucy was planned to fly into Smallville for their wedding from her home in California. Since Lois, Clark, and Superman were all close friends, it would be Superman's wedding gift to the couple to fly Perry, Jimmy, Star, Dr. Klein and several of their other friends to Smallville via the Superman Express. A few others who couldn't make it to the wedding showed up at the wedding party, as seen here... "Well, you two are just the happy couple," said a woman walking up to Lois. "Who---?!?" Lois exclaims, as she turns around. It was none other than Cat Grant! Except for one occasion where Lois and Clark ran into their old friend at Central City, they hadn't seen their "feline" friend in quite a while. Cat was once a gossip columnist at the Planet before she got a job at the WGBS television station. After Cat's departure, relations between them, particularly between Cat and Lois, weren't too well, but they reconciled after the Central City incident. Lois was still curious as to why Cat would travel to Metropolis just to congratulate them. Cat explained that WGBS has her reporting on the breakup of Metropolis mayor Sonny Berkowitz and his estranged wife, Cher Berkowitz. Then she added, "Perry told me about the party they had planned for you, so I figured I'd stop by the office and say hey. I'm glad you finally found the right man to sink your teeth into. Tell me one thing Lois, I'm dying to know... boxers or briefs?" Cat asked. Lois blushes. "I... uh... am not sure." "I always seem to picture him as a briefs person myself. Clark's a sweetie, but like briefs, he can sometimes be so tight and restricting. Sometimes I wonder if there's a Superman inside of him just ready to fly out," Cat said. "You'd be surprised..." Lois retorts, grinning. Suddenly Clark walks up to the two of them. "Cat! Pleasure to see you here. You here for business, or pleasure?" "Meow...." Cat says, "too bad Lois snatched you up, or I could make it pleasure." Suddenly, Clark hears a cry calling for Superman. It was time to make an excuse. "Well, it really is nice to see you, but, I've got to... uh..." "Go see 'Heaven's Prisoners!'" Lois says as she finishes his sentence. Cat gives Lois and Clark a puzzled look. "Clark's got to watch the movie, because in it there are supposedly clues for our, uh lead. It turns out that one of the actresses of the movie had some weird kind of psychosis and she thought she was dating Superman. She ended up marrying that Jon Tenney, you know, the guy from 'Lassie'. Hey, you know now, that I think about it, he looks a lot like... ah, forget about it." Lois said quickly. "A movie? Now?" Cat whispered to herself. Clark made a point of thanking everyone who brought wedding gifts and food for them for their party. Perry walked up to him before he was out. "Uh, Chief, I'm really in a hurry...." "Dangit, Kent! Here all these people are having a nice party for you and you've got work on the head! Look, son, even Elvis took a break every once in a while. Take for example the time when he and Priscilla..." Perry rambled. "Chief, I've got to go... I promise you, when I get back I'll have a great story for you!" "Are you sure you don't want me to get Kesel and Immonen to cover this one?" Perry said as Clark walked out the door. It was too late. Clark was already gone. Wearing his Superman outfit, Clark flew near the woman he had heard screaming. What he saw before his eyes was beyond belief. Either Clark was seeing things, or he just saw the woman being rescued from the muggers--by Superman. *Oh, no, not more clones!* Clark thought to himself. Clark decided to fly up to the woman to make sure she was okay. "Are you all right?" "Why, yes, I am... thanks to you," the woman responded. "Uhh, er, when, ah, I just rescued you, did I act or look any differently than I am right now?" Clark inquired. "Actually, the only thing I noticed was that you looked a little bit younger. But it could have been my aged eyes in a time of despair. Thank you very much for your help Superman, it is appreciated," said the woman. Superman flew off. *A younger-looking clone of myself?!?* Clark thought to himself, remembering the nightmare of clone experiences in his past. Clark had accidentally married a clone several months before, but even before that he faced clones of several notorious gangsters and even a clone of himself. Clark even thought of the 'Superboy' comics that the comics publishers were printing to cash in on his name, and how irresponsible his younger clone version was in that medium. He decided to brush it all off. It could have been some hologram put together by some pranksters, much like the hologram that Clark's parents had put together when Clark denied allegations that he and Superman were one and the same. He just kept thinking to himself, that nothing, repeat NOTHING, would ruin his wedding the next day in Smallville. Clark Kent was happy, and he knew his weekend would be SUPER. Tomorrow would be his day. ----------------------------------------- Elsewhere, in a garage in Smallville in 1996, Kansas, H.G. Wells and the Lois of 1994 convened, and Lois was giving "Herb" the third degree. Wells had just told Lois the reason why she and Clark were brought into the future in the first place. "Okay, wait. What you're trying to tell me is, Clark and I are going to get MARRIED, and if we don't get married the world is doomed? The next thing you're probably going to tell me is that Clark is Superman!" Lois ranted. Clark caught the last half of the conversation as he entered the garage. "Now Lois, me... Superman? Aren't my eyes too dull, mud, insipid brown?" Clark said, grinning at Wells, who knew the truth. Wells had explained to Clark the whole reason for his being in the future earlier that day. "Besides, I don't even like Clark anyway! Well, you know, not like THAT. He's just... just... Clark!" she said, looking him over up and down and hiding her true feelings. "Clark! Tell him! Tell him that you were lying when you said you were attracted to me!" "Well, umm... Lois, I uh..." Clark fumbled. "Fine! This is probably some big hoax put together by you and Jimmy and the other jokesters at the Planet! Wouldn't be surprised if Cat had a hand in this, too! I've had enough of this crap! I'm leaving!" Lois said, storming out of the door. "Lois, wait!" Clark said, running after her. As he reached her, she turned around and he put his hand on her shoulder. "Lois... everything I said about my feelings for you... was true. When confronted with the idea of actually having a chance of being with you, I guess I just got nervous and told you that it was all a fabrication. Or maybe it was because I knew... or at least I thought... that things would never work out for us, because I..." "Clark, you don't have to tell me." "You mean, ...... you ...... know?" "Clark, I have always known." "Really? Wow!" Clark smiled. *This is easier than I imagined,* he thought to himself. *Wonder why she never said anything before.* "Yes, Clark, I have always known that you had some insecurities about making it with some big city girl. Believe me, if I was interested -- and that's a very big IF -- I'm sure you could handle it." *D'oh!*, Clark thought to himself. He was sure that Lois was about to tell him that she knew that he was the Man of Steel. Lois then continued what she was saying. "I just don't think I'm.. ready.. to have another man in my life right now. It seems like every time I've been in love I've ended up getting the short end of the straw. They always end up stealing my articles, or being criminals, or being allergic to my perfume. It's like something's out to get me. Besides Clark, I'm not sure that I'd want to ruin the special friendship we have." *Special friendship,* Clark thought to himself. Those were the two worst words in the history of male-female relationships. Clark was glad that at least his future self would have a relationship with Lois, and he hoped that his and Lois's trip to the future wouldn't create a paradox that would prevent a future of Lois and Clark being together from happening. He called H.G. Wells into the next room to talk privately with him about it, and Wells assured them that the only thing that would change--that is, if they were successful--is the fact that they would stop Tempus from ruining the future. ----------------------------------------- The scene then changes to the basement of Smallville High School. We see Tempus, the man from the future, walking down the steps and towards the boiler room where he held H.G. Wells captive. He opens the door to find it empty! "Damn!" Tempus says to himself, hoping that Wells doesn't plan to interfere with his destruction of the Lane-Kent wedding the next day. Tempus had just gotten through with combining Wells' old time-travel contraption with a police squad car he had stolen from some hick cop. He hoped to use it to accomplish his secret plan--to pluck the Lois of 1996 and bring her into sometime in the past where she would no longer be a problem. From there, he decided that he might just try to kill her, so there would be no margin for error. The Clark Kent of 1996 may have decided that the next day would be *HIS* day, but if Tempus succeeded, it would be the day of Tempus. ----------------------------------------- The scene shifts to several hours later. Superman flew Perry, Jimmy, and all of Lois and Clark's friends to a motel near Smallville that was owned by a friend of the Kents', who let them all stay there at a reduced rate. Back in Metropolis, Clark and Lois's future versions were preparing for the greatest day of their lives. "You know, it seems like only yesterday," Lois reminisced, looking at Clark, smiling, with a twinkle in her eye and hopes for a great future. "What was?" Clark responded. "Oh, the day you entered the Planet... looking back, I don't know how you even put up with me." "Lois, give yourself SOME credit! I have said it time and time again, I have loved you since the moment I first saw you! You had that... energy to you that just drove me wild!" "Crazy is more like it." "Eh..." Clark says, stopping as Lois ga ve him a dirty look. "Just kidding, Lois, it's the 'crazy' side of you that really gets me going." "Oh, really?" Lois said, still fishing for compliments. "What can I say? You swept me off of my feet," Clark says as he remembers back to the first week that he met Lois. He and Lois attended a function that was run by Lex Luthor and held in his estate. He remembered, as Lois danced with Lex, how her immense beauty nearly made him forget to stay on the ground. He knew then that she was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. "Hello, Clark? Mork calling Orson here! Wake up!" Lois says, noticing that Clark seemed out of it. "What's going on?" "Oh, sorry, just... reminiscing. So, Lois, when did YOU first fall for me? That is, me as Clark, not as Superman. Be honest!" "Well..." "Lois, come on!" "Remember when we shared that honeymoon suite at the Lexor Hotel when we were on that 'stake out'? I think it was then that I realized what a super guy you are. No pun intended." "What?!" Clark looked at Lois with astonishment. "You mean, all that time, I thought my love for you was a one-way street?" Clark's astonishment turned to laughter. "And to think Tempus thought YOU were the galactically stupid one..." "Hey!" said Lois, hitting Clark on the arm before grabbing it and pulling him closer. "What about that load of baloney you gave me about telling me you loved me just so I wouldn't marry Luthor?" "Ah... well... ah..." "And you know, *I* believed that! Guess we both plead guilty under the galactic stupidity clause." Lois then looked up to the sky. "What's past is past. And now tomorrow--and in the future--I will be Mrs. Clark Kent. Clark, there were times when I thought NOTHING could go right for me. But you turned it all around." Standing on her tiptoes, Lois put her arms around Clark as tightly as she possibly could, and their lips slowly made contact. After finally taking a breath, Lois said "Gee, it must be late. We should probably be getting back home. Do you have any idea what time it is?" Lois's query was quickly answered. Clark saw a bank down the street, but the time on the clock out front was too far away for the naked eye to see. Thanks to telescopic vision, Clark was able to tell her. "10:56... and by the way Lois, it's 68 degrees on this cool Metropolis night. It would only take, oh, five minutes to fly back to Smallville... why don't we try to catch a late show before heading out there?" "Depends on what's playing...." Lois said, a little drowsy but never hesitating to spend time with her Man of Steel. "Hmmm... let me see..." Clark uses his telescopic vision to see the marquee at the movie theater several blocks away. "Multiplicity is playing." "Multiplicity? Isn't that the one with the clones? I don't think so." "Lois, where's that sense of adventure?" "I lost it when my clone got married to you. Besides, I think it's a little spooky how the guy in that movie looks just like that Bruce Wayne guy that we interviewed in Gotham last month." "They don't look a thing alike, Lois! Me, I thought Wayne looks a little more like that Dr. Ross guy from ER. Oh well, to each his--or her--own... why don't we see 'Twister' instead?" "No, that's got Helen Hunt in it, and she makes me think of that show 'Mad About You,' and 'Mad About You' makes me almost as nauseous as 'Murder She Wrote' does." "Hmmm... why don't we go flying?" Lois's eyes lit up. She thought it was the most romantic thing in the world to be with her favorite super man at 3,000 feet. Before she met Clark, Lois had been a little bit afraid of heights, but in Clark's arms, she knew she was safe and NO height could bother her. And with that, Clark took Lois into his arms and they flew into the sky, and kissed in front of a star-filled backdrop. And to think the next day the two of them would finally be able to consummate their love. Things could NOT get better for either of them. Tomorrow would be their day--the day of Lois and Clark--if all went well. ***************************************************************************** ******************* CONTINUED IN THE NEXT E-MAIL! ***************************************************************************** ******************* >> ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 4 Jan 1998 01:41:22 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: LoriMcE Organization: AOL (http://www.aol.com) Subject: KC Fanfic - Tempus is of the Essence 2/2 Comments: cc: CraigByrne@aol.com Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit In a message dated 96-07-18 01:37:15 EDT, CraigByrne writes: << ***************************************************************************** ******************* KRYPTON CLUB FANFICTION***ISSUE #20***JULY 18, 1996***E-MAIL 2 OF 2 **STORIES BY MEMBERS OF THE KRYPTON CLUB** "TEMPUS IS OF THE ESSENCE" ***************************************************************************** *********************CONTINUED FROM THE LAST E-MAIL.... ***************************************************************************** ********************* Flash forward to the next morning. The Lois Lane of 1994--who was brought into the future by H.G. Wells--was sound asleep. That is, until her time period's Clark walked up to her to wake her up. "Come on, Lois, wake up! We're only 10 hours away from the wedding!" "Huh?" said Lois, a little woozy. "Oh, Clark... I just had the strangest dream... we were brought into the future to save our wedding. Why I was going to marry you I have NO idea. Weird, huh?" "Lois... it's not a dream. It's really happening -- we are in Smallville in 1996 -- remember?" "WHAT???" said Lois, quickly sitting up straight, perfectly awake, and her eyes wide open. Then, in an attempt to keep her cool, Lois said "Oh... I knew that. I just wanted to see your reaction." *Good old Lois,* Clark thought to himself, *never admitting she's wrong, or swallowing her pride.* Clark wondered how it was that she finally recognized his future self as someone to love. Not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth, Clark just smiled and looked forward to the future. Suddenly, H.G. Wells entered the room, and revealed to Lois and Clark his plans for protecting their future selves from Tempus. He handed Lois and Clark two holographic image-changing suits that he picked up in the future from a 30th-century teenager by the name of Querl Dox. The wearers of the suits could look like anyone or anything that they chose to when wearing the suits. This way Lois and Clark could attend the wedding without being recognized as the two people who are supposed to be getting married. Wells petitioned them to avoid conversing with anyone but themselves at the wedding, or the effects they would make could create a greater paradox than the one already set forth by Tempus. Wells told them that had Tempus not interfered in the wedding, "Utopia" would not happen, and if Lois and Clark stop him from ruining the wedding, "Utopia" WILL indeed happen, and the future will be brighter. If Lois and Clark succeed their wedding day will be a day of hope--as will all of the days that would follow. ----------------------------------------- Several hours later, we see a clock hanging on a wall. The clock reads 3:30. In about an hour, Lois Lane and Clark Kent would finally be married. Lois's mother, Ellen, watched as her daughter finished putting on her wedding gown and looked in the mirror. "Hopefully THIS time when I do this, things will turn out right," Lois says, speaking to her mother behind her. "Don't worry, dear, things will be fine." Of all of the many boyfriends Lois had had over the years, it was Clark Kent who stood out as Ellen's favorite. When Ellen first learned that Lois and Clark were getting married, she was vehemently against such a union. She remembered how her marriage to her husband, Sam, had brought forth nothing but bad memories. Then... she met Clark. Clark was truly "a find" because he treated Lois the way every woman deserved to be treated. He definitely earned Ellen's seal of approval. ----------------------------------------- Outside, in an outdoor park in Smallville, everyone else sat on their lawn chairs, awaiting the wedding of the two prize-winning reporters. Lois and Clark tried the "wedding-in-a-church" route the first time they attempted marriage that February. This time, they decided on something a bit less formal... an outdoor wedding in Clark's home town of Smallville. The Lois and Clark of 1994 entered the park wearing their holographically- induced disguises as "Wendy and Marvin Clark." As "Wendy," Lois had very short dyed red hair, and "Marvin" had a buzzcut as if he was a member of the military. As they entered, they saw that Superman was able to fly all of Lois and Clark's friends and family to the wedding. Several of them they easily recognized; others weren't so recognizable. There was Perry, sitting near the front with a proud smile on his face. For some reason though, mysteriously, Alice was nowhere to be seen. Lois spotted her uncle Mike in the audience, as well as her father, who she was QUITE surprised to see, especially considering that she heard that her mother was inside helping her future self put on her wedding gown. Next to Lois's father sat Lois's sister Lucy, with the latest in her string of many boyfriends. Lois and Clark also noticed Jack Batson and his younger brother, Denny, were among the many who Superman brought to Smallville to attend their wedding. Behind them were Clark's high school sweetheart Lana Lang and Lois's high school beau, Joe Molloy, with his wife Debbie. Next to him were Lois's best friend in high school, Julie Keaton, and her husband Dick, and they were sitting next to Teri's best friend in college, Linda King. Suddenly, an African-American woman with a frizzy hairdo walked up to Wendy and Marvin, introducing herself. Even though Wells had warned them not to converse with others, it would have been bad manners to completely avoid her. "Hi, my name is Star. Lois's upstairs neighbor. And you two are--wait, don't tell me--high school buddies of Clark's!" the woman began. "Actually, we're--" Lois interjected. "No, wait... don't tell me... neighbors of Clark's when he was growing up!" Star continued. "Not exactly. Hi, I'm Marvin Clark, and this is my wife, Wendy. I'm Clark's cousin." Clark said to her. "Oh! Well, pleased to meet you anyway! Your auras just didn't seem to speak to me as being relatives of Clark's for some reason. I'm going to go sit down... talk to you later!" Star said, leaving. As Star walked way, "Wendy" turned to "Marvin." "Clark, you cannot honestly tell me that we're going to someday be friends with someone that... strange!" "Now Lois, be nice, I'm sure she's perfectly normal." "Clark, she's flakier than a bowl of Corn Flakes!" Suddenly, someone else walked up to them and introduced themselves. "Hi, my name's Jimmy Olsen. Star told me that you're Clark's cousins. Pleased to meet you." Jimmy stuck out his hand so they could shake it. Lois and Clark both gave each other dirty looks. *Jimmy?!?* both of them thought at the same time. "Ahh, well, 'Jimmy,' it's really nice to meet you. Clark's told us all about you. You're the guy who always says things are 'Smooth', right?" says Lois in the "Wendy" disguise. "'Smooth'? No, you must have me confused with another Jimmy Olsen," he said to them. Soon the wedding music had begun. "Uh-oh, the wedding's about to start, and I've got to get to the back and be ready with the ring!" Jimmy ran towards the back of the park where the aisle began, with the ring in his pocket. Lois and Clark, knowing they'd better stop standing around, went to sit in the closest available seat. The only seats left were next to a man wearing a Hawaiian shirt who really stood out in a crowd full of people wearing dresses and tuxedos. Clark turned to introduce himself. "Hi, I'm Marvin Clark, and you're---" "Dan Scardino. My friends call me 'Daniel'," the man responded. "Did you come here all the way from Metropolis?" Lois inquired. "Yeah, came here on the Superman Express. It's kind of odd being here though. I can't help but imagine what would have happened if Lois had stayed with me. Damn, did she have a fine pair of-- uh-oh, I'd better be quiet, here they come..." Dan began. "Wendy" looked at Dan with her mouth agape and in shock. What she could someday see in this jerk was unknown to her. Lois and Clark turned around, and they saw the flower girls beginning the wedding procession down the aisle. The two flower girls, Linda and Monique, were cousins of Lois's. They were now around 4 years old, which was kind of neat for the 1994 Lois to see because the last time she had seen them they were toddlers. Following Linda and Monique was Jimmy Olsen, holding the ring that Clark would soon place on the finger of his "little tornado." To avoid letting anyone feel left out, Lois and Clark decided against having "best men" or "matron of honor" at this wedding. Instead, they decided to walk the aisle alone. And walk alone they did. The Clark of 1996 was the first to be seen walking down the aisle. Clark's face had a confidence that nothing could go wrong. This day would be the best day of his 30 years on the planet Earth. As the Clark of 1994 watched him walk down the aisle, he was glad to see that someday he would be so happy. Next came Lois, in her beautiful gown borrowed from Clark's mother. She, too, had a confidence in her face that in less than a half an hour, she and Clark would be wed in holy matrimony. As Lois walked past them, Wendy turned to Marvin and said, "WHAT did I do to my hair?" Dan overheard what Wendy had said and he looked at her in puzzlement. Lois and Clark finally reached the end of the aisle. The man whom Clark knew as "Reverend Clyde" as he was growing up began speaking. "We are gathered here this day to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony..." the reverend began. The reverend then went on to tell about how he knew Clark since he was a small child. The reverend then continued, "...and now, Clark Kent and Lois Lane are to combine their love and become one." The Lois who was about to get married glanced over at the man who would soon be her husband. She remembered the many experiences she has had with him, the good ones (like the time the two of them cuddled together on her porch as the snowfall began) to the bad (such as the time when Clark announced that he had to leave for 'New Krypton'). Most of all she remembered Clark's words--when he told her that "Being with you is stronger than me alone." Similar thoughts ran through Clark's head. He remembered the time they made up from a fight when they were at Larry Smiley's camp. He remembered what a strange feeling it was when Lois found out that she would someday be his first. And, he too, remembered the sad moments, like the time when Lois had amnesia and he had feared that he lost her forever. Back in the audience, the Lois and Clark of 1994 looked around, and still found no sign of Tempus. *Maybe Wells was wrong*, they both thought, or rather--hoped. The reverend was nearly finished with his monologue. "So, if anyone here objects to the marriage of this man and this woman, speak now or forever hold your peace." Suddenly everyone heard a police siren approaching. Everyone looked back to see a man wearing a police uniform. He got out of his squad car, began walking down the aisle and screamed "I do!" The Lois and Clark of 1996 immediately recognized the "policeman" as Tempus, for "Wendy and Marvin" it took a little bit longer. Tempus then started addressing the many attendees of the wedding. "This wedding can NOT happen, for grounds as simple as this--aliens and humans shall not mate." Everyone looked at Tempus as if he was a lunatic. "Oh, duh, I forgot to explain. You see, you may all know this man as Clark Kent--" Tempus said, pointing to Clark, "but actually, he is none other than the man you all also know as SUPERMAN! How stupid can you all be, all you have to do is take his glasses off!" "Great Shades of Elvis," Perry said to himself. The others all stood there and watched in awe. "Marvin" tried to decide what they were going to do to stop Tempus, while "Wendy" looked at him in shock. In the past day and a half she had learned that she would someday fall in love with Clark Kent and they would eventually get married. But no one had told her the REAL reason why she had to save her wedding--because Clark Kent and Superman WERE one and the same! Clark, not wanting to make a fool of himself by knocking Tempus out at super- speed, just stood there looking at Tempus with an angry look on his face. In a matter of seconds Clark's life had gone from wonderful to terrible. All Clark could do was deny it. "Oh, please, Kent. Do you really think that once they all know, they'll BELIEVE you? God!" Tempus groaned. "So, furthermore, to prevent this wedding from occurring and preventing the beginning a race of inbred FREAKS, I will do the only noble thing and take Lois with me. Now, Clark, if you try any of the super-powered stuff right now, and I KNOW you want to, I will gladly shoot and kill Lois Lane. Ta-ta for now." Tempus took Lois in his arm, ran down the aisle, and threw her into the passenger seat of the squadcar, and sped away. Everyone in the audience at the wedding panicked. "Calm down everyone, I really don't think Clark and Superman are the same person, and I'm sure we can prove it as soon as we get Lois to safety," Marvin said to everyone, trying to calm them all down. Clark's lips spelled out the word "How?" and Marvin whispered "Wait and see" just loud enough so that Clark's super-hearing could pick it up. Marvin then told Clark to come with him and Wendy, and the three of them could work together to get Lois back from Tempus, which would be easy because as soon as they were out of sight from the others, they could use their super-powers and save Lois faster than a speeding bullet. For some unknown reason Clark felt inclined to trust them, and he decided to come along. A snag entered the plans, though. Perry INSISTED on going with Clark, Wendy, and Marvin as they went to save Lois from Tempus. That would mean that they'd have to get Lois back the old-fashioned way--without powers. The four of them ran out to Smallville's Main Street where they ran into two young men--one with dark hair wearing a blue shirt, the other with blond hair wearing a white shirt. "Excuse me, this is a major emergency. Can we borrow your car?" asked Marvin to the two. "Well, actually, where do you need to go?" asked the blond. "We need to catch that squad car. I--I mean, someone very important to us has been kidnapped, and has been taken away in that car." said "Wendy." "Why didn't ya say so?" said the dark-haired one. "My name's Luke. I can take the four of you here in my car and we can try to catch the squad car. Chasin' other people is almost a way of life for us in these parts. My cousin Bo here will stay at our friend Cooter's garage and we'll CB him if we have any trouble. I'll also give my other cousin Daisy a yell on the CB and have her try to scout out where that guy you're chasin' has gone to." Wendy, Marvin, Perry, and Clark all hopped into Luke's car, which was easier said than done because for some reason the doors were welded shut. Within seconds the car was off in hot pursuit of Tempus's stolen squad car. Luke was able to find out from Daisy that the squad car was last seen driving past Shuster's Field. Luke turned and sped through Siegel Farm, which was a shortcut to get to Shuster's Field faster. Marvin, Wendy, Perry, and Clark then saw that there was a ravine up ahead near the end of Siegel's property... and no bridge. "How are we going to get over THAT?" Clark asked Luke, who was still driving without slowing down at all. "Don't worry," said Luke, who subsequently jumped the car over the ravine, "you all okay back there?" Perry held his chest. "Aww... haven't had this much stress since the day Alice told me she was pregnant with our fifth child!" Wendy, Marvin, Clark, and Luke all laughed. Pretty soon the squad car was in sight. "There's a cliff about a mile away from here, not even this car could jump it. That's where we should be able to catch up to that guy and get your lady back, because NO ONE is stupid enough to try to go off of it," Luke said to his passengers. Luke's car quickly came closer and closer to the squad car. He had Marvin stick his head out the window and yell to Tempus to pull over. Tempus didn't hesitate. The squad car began getting closer and closer to the cliff, without slowing down. Was Tempus that crazy that he would kill both himself and Lois Lane to prevent "Utopia" from happening? Up in the squad car, Lois looked over at Tempus. "Please... don't... I'm sure there is another way!" "There IS no other way, Lois... duh!" Tempus said. The squad car, with both Tempus and Lois in it, went flying off the cliff. TO BE CONTINUED! ***************************************************************************** ******************* Next Issue.... Will Lois and Tempus survive the fiery crash? Will Clark ask "Wendy and Marvin" who they REALLY are? How will Clark get around the revelation that he is Superman? Will the Lois of the past get really mad at Clark after finding out the truth? Join us on Sunday for "The Day of Tempus"... same Krypton- time, same Krypton-station! By the way, before I leave, special thanks goes out to Christine/CFind1955 for editing this fanfic for me and helping me fix (most of ) the mistakes, and thanks also goes out to Lyman, Val, Emily, Chris, Russ, and Linda (hopefully I'm not forgetting anyone...) for taking a look at this fanfic to make sure it was all right before I went to send it out Thanks! Craig "Remember to write me and tell me what you think!" Byrne President of the L&C Krypton Club Matt "Away on Vacation" Combes Vice-President of the L&C Krypton Club ***************************************************************************** ******************* SEND YOUR FANFICTION TO KRYPTONFX@AOL.COM ! (Please send fanfic in e-mail rather than as attached files!) ***************************************************************************** ******************* >> ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 4 Jan 1998 02:19:04 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: LoriMcE Organization: AOL (http://www.aol.com) Subject: Other KC fics Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit Just got back into town - I've sent requests to the other authors about posting, if I get a positive response, I'll post. I'm having a problem sending to - Halloween Madness By Carla UFFanGator@aol.com The member directory shows her still on AOL, but my mail isn't going through - so if anybody knows her - please forward my request. Lori ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 4 Jan 1998 03:52:12 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: AStory2873 Organization: AOL (http://www.aol.com) Subject: Re: Other KC fics Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit In a message dated 98-01-04 02:27:46 EST, you write: << I'm having a problem sending to - Halloween Madness By Carla UFFanGator@aol.com The member directory shows her still on AOL, but my mail isn't going through - so if anybody knows her - please forward my request. Lori >> Lori - I know Carla and I will contact her and ask her to get in touch with you.....she is not accepting internet email on any of her accounts right now after having some problems with some unsolicited email.......I will let her know that you are trying to contact her about her story...... April ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 4 Jan 1998 12:00:00 -0600 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Beverly Latham Subject: 1/4/98 WEEKLY UPDATE - KATHY'S CHALLENGE Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Wow, you'll never guess how difficult it was to put 98 in that subject line! Oh, and whilst combing through e-mails trying to catch up after Christmas, I found an inquiry I'd missed about Lois & Clark moving to the Artic Circle. Oh, and I've added a new note this time. Please remember that an inquiry or a challenge won't be counted as solved unless the *original* submitter confirms it, just to be fair and accurate. So, if you submit something, please check to see if anyone has responded. Also, all you very knowledgable FoLC, let me know if a story is found somewhere other than the archive so that I can make note of that also. Beverly :-) KATHY'S CHALLENGE SUMMARY [as of this posting & working backwards] #. trivia clue = fanfic title [author] submitted by : correct responses *all responses listed as recieved, right or wrong NOTE: Items labeled with I# are inquiries about fanfics someone is trying to find, not where they already know the titles NOTE: An inquiry or a challenge won't be counted as solved unless the *original* submitter confirms the answer, just to be fair and accurate. NOTE: Unless otherwise noted as *nfic* [distributed by Debby's nfanfiction list] OR *private* [distributed privately by author], all fanfics discussed are available at the LOIS & CLARK FANFICTION ARCHIVE at: *****STILL TO BE SOLVED OR CONFIRMED***** Just ignore the next two lines, they're simply to save my sanity. Next new challenge will be #25 Next new inquiry will be #I 7 INQUIRIES: I 6. Lois and Clark had to move to the Arctic Circle because for some reason they could no longer lead a normal life in Metropolis = ? Alyssa : I 4. Clark gives Lois a Superman bra = ? Beppo : *Joan - COMFORTABLE AS AN OLD SHOE *Loir - COMFORTABLE AS AN OLD SHOE [Lara E. Taylor (Chyronguru@aol.com)] I 3. Lois & Clark go film a commercial for the DP = ? Beppo : *Joan - TOP BANANA [?] *Pat - TOP BANANA [?] I 1. Superman teddy for Lois made by Martha = ? Pat : I S. All storied which refer to teddies = ? Peace Everett : CHALLENGES: 23. Lois sing songs from the "The Sound of Music" in the shower = ? LoriMcE : *Bec - TRIAL AND ERROR [Kim Gammello] 21. Clark buys daisies and a rose, all for Lois = ? Peace : 20. Lois tells Lucy that Clark is Superman = ? Peace : 17. "Excel with X-El" = ? Peace : Michelle : JIMMY X [?] *****EVERYTHING PAST THIS POINT HAS BEEN CONFIRMED SOLVED***** INQUIRIES: I 5. an undercover Clark purchasing a kidnapped Lois in an auction = BLACKMAIL [?] Tracy : Bec *Bec - BLACKMAIL [?] I 2. Lois & Clark shooting a music video = MAY THE BEST SUPERMAN WIN [Kendra Prince] Nethra : Joan, Bec, Patricia *Joan - MAY THE BEST SUPERMAN WIN [Kendra Prince] *Bec - MAY THE BEST SUPERMAN WIN [Kendra Prince] *Patricia - MAY THE BEST SUPERMAN WIN [?] CHALLENGES: 24. Clark "mortgages his underwear" for a small red Lotus = HEAVEN'S PRISONERS [Demi] Anne : Patricia, Chris Patricia - HEAVEN'S PRISONERS [Demi] Chris - HEAVEN'S PRISONERS [?] 22. "I'm going to start calling him Brenda if you don't start working." = QUICK CHANGE [Carla Humbert] Pam : Linda *Linda - QUICK CHANGE [Carla Humbert] 19. Since this fine review [of TOMORROW NEVER DIES] was written by the critic for the Kansas City Star, which fanfic featured Clark as editor of this paper = MEET ME IN KANSAS CITY [?] Pat : Mandi, Joan *Mandi - MEET ME IN KANSAS CITY [?] *Joan - MEET ME IN KANSAS CITY [?] 18. "Hey, *nice*," he said; this bland statement bore no resemblance to his internal reaction, which began with *Wow!* and moved on into near-incoherence. = BEEFCAKE [Phil Atcliffe] Peace : Bec *Bec - BEEFCAKE [Phil Atcliffe] 16. Sam figures out Clark is Superman ... and orders him away from his daughter! = THE DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS [Kathy Bell] Kathy : Bec *Bec - THE DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS [Kathy Bell] 15. Clark works the kissing booth = MISSING YOU [Kaytee Shultz] Kathy : Bec *Bec - MISSING YOU [Kaytee Shultz] 14. Chocolate Milk, a three year old who doesn't speak English, and a woman who can't have children... A FREAK ACCIDENT [?] Adrienne : Joan *Joan - A FREAK ACCIDENT [?] 13. Claude comes back ... and Lois goes out with him! = MENAGE A TROIS [Vixen] Kathy : PJ, Bec *PJ - MENAGE A TROIS [Vixen] *Bec - MENAGE A TROIS [Vixen] *Crystal - MENAGE A TROIS [Vixin] 12. Clark goes undercover as a male stripper (and no, it's not an nfic ) = GYPSY CLARKIE [Marta Olson] Kathy : Joan, Bec *Joan - GYPSY CLARKIE [Marta Olson] *Bec - GYPSY CLARKIE [Marta Olson] 11. Lois and Clark play truth or dare = TO TELL THE TRUTH [Gail Lefkowitz] *lost & gone* Kathy : PJ *PJ - TRUTH OR DARE? [?] [but she described the plot!] 10. "Oh, what a night! ... Late December back in '63 ..." = BAND [Bhavani Rao] Kathy : Bec *Bec - BAND [Bhavani Rao] 9. Random drug testing at the Planet = OOPS [Jenny Riecken] Peace : Kathy *Mandi - LITTLE BIRD [Debby Stark] *Kathy - LITTLE BIRD [Debby Stark] *Kathy - OOPS [?] 8. "Superman is probably straighter than God, actually," Jimmy informed them. "He sure hasn't hesitated to kiss you plenty of times, Lois--Superman, I mean, not God--" = DAWNING, D11 [Debby Stark] Kathy : Alyssa M, Peace *Alyssa - DAWNING #? [Debby Stark] *Peace - DAWNING #? [Debby Stark] 7. Lois: "Don't fall ON me, Farmboy." = STRANGE BEDFELLOWS [Lori Gorschboth] Becky : Mandi, Kathy *Mandi - STRANGE BEDFELLOWS [Lori Gorschboth] *Kathy - STRANGE BEDFELLOWS [Lori Gorschboth] 6. Lois' four food groups: "phone, fax, e-mail and delivered" = CULINARY DELIGHTS [?] Becky : Pam *Pam Jernigan - CULINARY DELIGHTS [?] 5. "The Hero" = HEIR: RETURN [Piper] Peace : Becky *Becky - THE HEIR [?] 4. Rapunzel = CYBERLINK [Zoomway] Peace : KathyB, PJ *Kathy - CYBERLINK [Zoomway] *PJ - CYBERLINK [Zoom] 3. rollerblades *and* Lois has a very strange nightmare = ALIEN NATION? [LadeeV] Beverly : Joan *Crystal - GELLATO WITH A TWIST [?] *Mandi - OUT OF CONTROL [Gina Blank] *Kathy - OUT OF CONTROL [Gina Blank] *Joan - ALIEN NATION? [?] 2. horsechestnut shower gel = SAN FRANCISCO SWEETIES [Dom] *nfic* Beverly : Mandi *Laurie - THE NUTMEG ROOM [MizMollee] *nfic* *Mandi - WHISKEY GALORE [Dom] *nfic* *Mandi - SAN FRANCISCO SWEETIES [Dom] *nfic* *Ann - one of the NUTMEGs [MizMollee] *nfic* 1. Linda King & . . . Brad Pitt *and* RSVPs for wedding invitations = YOU DIDN'T NOTICE [Kyla Gurganus] Beverly : Michelle, Kathy *Michelle - YOU DIDN'T NOTICE [?] *Kathy - YOU DIDN't NOTICE [Kyla Gurganus] S. Superman teddy = LOIS' REVENGE [B.B. Medos] Beverly : Peace, KathyB *Peace - LOIS' REVENGE [?] *Kathy - LOIS'REVENGE/CLARK'S RESPONSE [?] ******************************* Beverly Latham blatham@hop-uky.campus.mci.net ******************************* ******************************* Beverly Latham blatham@hop-uky.campus.mci.net ******************************* ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 4 Jan 1998 12:35:10 PST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Peace Everett Subject: Re: 1/4/98 WEEKLY UPDATE - KATHY'S CHALLENGE In-Reply-To: <3.0.1.32.19980104120000.006acfe8@hop-uky.campus.mci.net> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"; X-MAPIextension=".TXT" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Beverly pointed out: > Please remember that > an inquiry or a challenge won't be counted as solved unless the *origin= al* > submitter confirms it, just to be fair and accurate. > > KATHY'S CHALLENGE SUMMARY > 17. "Excel with X-El" =3D ? > Peace : > Michelle : JIMMY X [?] Um.... no. Sorry, Michelle. ;) /me chortles with glee over the challenge... then takes pity and offers = another clue, from the same story: "'Who ever said I was nice?' Clark teased." > 21. Clark buys daisies and a rose, all for Lois =3D ? > Peace : Oh, my! Another challenge unanswered! Hmm.... how about if I tell you = this story also contains cheese and a Lincoln Town Car? Now there's a = good Inquiry Challenge - list all the cars that have been mentioned in = various stories. :) > 20. Lois tells Lucy that Clark is Superman =3D ? > Peace : But now this one ought to be easy! I mean, in how many stories does Lois= tell anyone else that Clark is Superman? I think I'm going to hold off = on extra clues on this one -- surely someone other than the author (who = of course shall remain nameless for now ;) knows which story I'm talking = about! Peace who thinks this game has gotten awfully quiet lately ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 4 Jan 1998 14:25:49 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: demona Subject: "Heaven's Prisoners" Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Hiya Everyone :) I posted some time ago that I would not send my fanfic (the PG version of Heaven's Prisoners) to the list because it's around 11 parts long..and might be a bit of an encumberance for some folk's mailboxes However, I have collected a handful of requests from people who, for one reason or another, cannot readily access the story off of the WWW, and have asked me really sweetly to please post it here. So... I'm going to. And I hope no one minds the 11 emails or so to follow ! :) Take Care All, Demi _________________________________________________ Demi (a.k.a) Demona or http://fantasia.simplenet.com/lcfantasy/demona.htm --- L&C Site http://fantasia.simplenet.com/lcfantasy --- "See, the thing is, I've loved him my whole life..." _________________________________________________ ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 4 Jan 1998 14:29:39 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: demona Subject: FANFIC 1/11 - Heaven's Prisoners (PG) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" HEAVEN'S PRISONERS (PG-13) By: (Demi/Demona) demona@shaw.wave.ca AUTHORS (editted ;) FORWARD To Everyone: Welcome to the Lois & Clark elseworld of "Heaven's Prisoners". This is the PG-rated version of an experiment which I felt the urgent need to explore ever since I saw "Contact" last year. Needless to say I couldn't make myself go to the necessary lengths for some time, but now that I have I do feel that I need to qualify. This is also by no means a "complete" or "total" story. The more I write the more I realise that there probably is no such thing. Life goes on forever, even the lives of two made up characters in a novel or on TV. We poor souls in the real world only get to see glimpses of some of the more interesting parts if we're lucky. As I delved into the "What If" premise my story based itself upon, I discovered that the primary "catalyst" would not, in my opinion, work! Fancy that. However I then decided to throw caution to the wind and follow the story anyhow, see where it lead me. What I ended up with (I believe) is my take on they way L&C might react were they in this 'made up' situation. Had any or all of my plot devices occured. I hope I haven't done them any wrong :) There are both Whams and Waffs in this story and I stand by all of them. If you cannot stand to think about L&C apart for any reason and might suffer direly if you read something like that then please read no further! Rest assured that I don't leave my toys broken, but I do take them apart along the way. That said, what you are about to read takes place in the future, but not so far into the future that things are completely off beat. Clark and Lois ARE married. (Well, it would be about 2 1/2 years into their marriage if things hadn't gone, wrong.) Now we KNOW how made for one another the two of them are so if you'll allow me some credit, there is no cliche 'falling out' scene...per se. Hear me oh great minds The first bit of story you will read is something of an unfinished prologue (until "Two Years Later"). It explains very briefly what 'happened' to change things. It too is another catalyst and not a reason in all fairness. Clark feels that he should have been able to stop 'it'. He blames himself completely and I think you can guess what a Clark like that might be like. In a nutshell, everything changes for him, and inherently, for Lois. This story is not registered with WGA so if you're a professional writer/producer -- go away ;P All copyright apologies apply..WB/DC's characters, my story blah blah! Oh and if you were wondering about the extremely inventive title, I decided to call it Heaven's Prisoners because its a direct copyright violation -- well, and every FoLC will read at least the first part of a story called "Heaven's Prisoners" Heartfelt thanks go out to all my guinea pigs, Zoomway, DaveL, LesS, Jeagan, Beth, Pam, Nancy and Judi (for whom I named one of my characters :) Special thanks also to KathyB for her wonderful ideas and suggestions many of which I blatently sucked up and used ..and to Rhen who inspired me to go with my heart instead of my sense of humor. She, as always, was so right about that, somehow I managed to write 60 pages 10pt without an A-Plot This version of the story has been edited for content and re-rated PG-13. Those scenes omitted contain somewhat more explicit sensual material. If you are interested in the 'unedited' version of this story, and you are over 18, please email Joyceef@mcs.com and ask for "Demi's HP". Thanks a lot. Take Care! Demi demona@shaw.wave.ca demi22@aol.com Without further adieu... NEXT POST... ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 4 Jan 1998 14:32:23 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: demona Subject: FANFIC 2/11 - Heaven's Prisoners (PG) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ------------------ PROLOGUE ------------------ Clark watched in agony as the small explosive fell from the sky only yards away from where he was laying. He curled around himself in a futile attempt to rise, to do ANYTHING. Next to him, a tiny green rock glowed sullenly making it all -- impossible. Crying out in frustration with the last of the strength he possessed, Clark saw the device find its final resting place, clinking against the roof of his parent's farmhouse several yards away. There was a moment of nothingness when Clark couldn't even remember the sound of his own labored breathing. Or maybe he had held his breath. An instant later the Kent home exploded in a blinding flash of light. Shards of glass and wood fragments flew across the yard at terminal velocity; several of them finding new homes in Clark's now vulnerable flesh. Later he would regret that there had not been enough of them to kill him. The house was utterly gone. A charred heap of burned out wood was all that remained of the once beautiful home he'd grown up in. And the remains of his beloved mother and father somewhere inside. They'd had no warning. He hadn't been able to get to them in time and now they were gone , forever. All of it was. Clark knew in that instant that nothing would ever be the same again. Laying his head back against the killer rock next to him, Clark closed his eyes and prayed for death. It was the last thing he remembered doing before everything went black. ------------------------------- TWO YEARS LATER ------------------------------- "Clark, honey would you get my black coat out of the closet for me? We have to hurry or we'll be late." "Sure." Clark deftly unhooked the long dark coat from its hanger and slipped it over one arm before moving across to the window and looking out. The sound of the ocean roaring 17 stories below the building was almost inaudible, even to him, but he could see the waves crashing against the shoreline and he could almost feel their intense need. Something violent and rage filled. A part of himself that he had suppressed for a long time. He sighed when he felt two hands against his shoulders from behind. "What is it Clark?" Her voice was soft as ever and he chastised himself for not being able to take much of its offered comfort. "Clark?" "What?" Clark shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other, causing her to smile. "Nothing. Really. Its just, I guess, I'm tired that's all." He tried to match her smile but made it only half way. "You've been living in Europe for a little over a year and you're only getting tired now? I'm impressed." She ran her hands down his back and put her arms around him, hugging him from behind. "We really do have to go, or we'll be late. You know I can make an excuse for you if..." "No. No more excuses. Let's show these people what we're made of." Clark really did smile this time and hugged her back. "All right." She turned and walked towards the door of the apartment. Clark watched her move away from him and admired the soft look of her curves. She was incredibly beautiful. "Marie, don't forget your coat." He reached his arm out and Marie skipped back to pull it playfully from him. "Whoops! Thanks sweetheart. Come on, we'd better hurry!" Clark closed the door to her apartment behind them and as he was placing the key in the third lock, his mind wandered, as it always seemed to, back to another time and another place. Another apartment with so many locks. Shaking his head and sighing, he followed Marie into the elevator which would take them downstairs to a waiting car. --------------- "Clark! Marie! You both made it. We were beginning to wonder if you hadn't decided to skip our little soiree for some more ... interesting entertainment." Jean-Marc winked at Marie and nudged Clark's arm knowingly while she blushed. Clark just shook his head -- and his finger -- at his playfully offensive co-worker. "You're lucky she doesn't work with us Clark. I doubt we'd ever see you then..." Jean-Marc continued on the same vein and Marie pretended to look affronted. "Jean-Marc you are absolutely incorrigible and I'll have none of it tonight. This is Clark's big evening. If everything goes well he'll " "Never have to work with YOU again," Clark laughed as he poked the edge of Jean's lapel with the tip of his finger. Jean-Marc mimed a knife in his chest and practically doubled over laughing. "You know Marie, Clark is the only American I ever met who speaks French better than the French do." "You mean better than YOU do." Clark grinned. It had been a while since he and Jean-Marc had gotten together for some friendly sarcasm. He'd missed that. Just like he knew he would miss Jean's sense of humor if he did get the assignment he'd been waiting for. The banquet hall was teeming with friends and colleagues, executives and news moguls from all over Europe. It wasn't an international event, but it was almost as huge. An annual gathering of everyone who was anyone in the European media, for no other apparent reason than to spend an evening schmoozing with 'connections'. Clark's editor at La Lettre was here as well, and he'd already dropped the bombshell that he had 'news' for Clark'. Something he wouldn't tell him until tonight. It was Marie who spotted the short, burly man first. Wearing an expensive custom tailored tux and sporting a large cigar which no one ever bothered (or dared) to ask him to put out. "Clark, there he is. Lets go say hello? Maybe he'll tell you his secret." Marie's excitement was infectious, so Clark took her arm and the two of them made their way across the room. "M. Benoit. It's good to see you this evening sir." Clark held out his hand which was firmly grasped by the older man. He had never been able to give up the sense of formality he felt around his new editor. He remembered with fondness the relationship he had once had with his former editor in Metropolis, Perry White, but here, everything had been so much different. Even if he hadn't withdrawn substantially from his former self, he might never have achieved the same rapport with Clemont Benoit. The man was friendly in a high school principal kind of way, but never more than that. "Clark. Clark Kent. Just the man I've been looking for." He smiled at Marie. "And you my dear Marie are looking as radiant as ever!" Taking her hand in his, he kissed the top of it and laughed from deep in his belly. "Clark, I hope she loves you!" Clark raised an eyebrow and stared at Benoit for a few moments, not quite comprehending. "My boy, La Lettre has been purchased." Clark's eyes widened. "Purchased? You mean ... " "Mmm. Bought out. A great merger! But this isn't bad news. It's good news! Especially for you! You see, an American broadcast news company, Planet News Network, has taken an interest in several European newspapers and magzines. We are now simply part of a much larger conglomerate, I'm afraid. But the good news is that this means GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP. And we need an operational head back in the US right away." Clark was amazed. "You want ME to be a " Benoit laughed loudly. "No, no, Clark, they've already got a woman assigned to that position. And you're probably the best damn reporter I've ever witnessed in action. There's no way I would ever stick you behind a desk pushing paper, so to speak, for the rest of your life! What we want, is for YOU to head up their investigative division. They've got a lot of pretty anchors but they need a few more brains!" Benoit glanced at Marie. "No offense, my dear. You are probably the best *anchor* I have ever witnessed as well!" Marie smiled. "None taken." She turned her attention to Clark. "I heard about this merger last week. I didn't think anything of it; TFN news has been purchased several times in the past and it has never affected our positions." "Sir, not that this isn't a terrific opportunity, but why me? When I came here I was very specific about my intentions. I don't want to work in the US again." "Unavoidable, Mr. Kent. If you want to work at all, you'd better start working with PNN. They will own much of the world's mass communications in very few years. You know as well as I do that they've been the largest global communications firm in the world since they took over the former LNN. So unless you'd rather work for a small municipal paper with no potential for growth, I'd advise you to take this opportunity now,before it's too late." Clark swallowed. He couldn't go back to the US. He had made that decision over a year ago. There were too many memories there. Too many still open wounds that he was not prepared to face again so soon. Oh he knew about PNN. Stern had founded the corporation soon after his revival of the "Daily Planet" newspaper. And now that there was no more "Daily Planet" and newspapers themselves seemed almost a thing of the past, PNN was *the* monolith in techno-journalism on a global scale. Clark didn't know if that excited, or scared the hell out of him, but either way, he didn't intend to find out. And what about Marie? He had known her for months but they'd been together for 3. How would she react to all of this? "Sir, I just can't." "Clark. They asked for you personally. You'll go, or you won't work." Benoit smiled as best he could and took his leave. Marie watched him go and saw a faint shadow cross over Clark's face. "Clark. You have to go." She whispered, taking his arm in hers. "I'm sure it won't be that bad. What could possibly be so bad that..." "Marie I can't." Clark cut her off and turned away. There was so much that she didn't know or understand. Things he had deliberately kept secret from her all this time. He hadn't used any of his powers in 2 years and were it not for the occasional dream where he woke up floating, he might have forgotten he had them. She couldn't know of that and she couldn't know about the rest of his past. That was over; a chapter in his life which he never wanted to look at again. And yet a part of him ached for something he didn't even know how to analyze. It was a deep and soulful yearning more powerful than what he might have even defined as "Love" and it was beginning to consume whatever the accident had left of him. Some nights, he would wake up and actually feel cold. He had never felt cold until the accident, but something had changed inside of him that night. Something had died along with his parents, and now though physically still invulnerable, he would pitch in bed for hours in his sleep, finally sitting upright, breathing raggedly and calling out her name as if it would save his soul. A name he hadn't heard in over a year. That was what he couldn't face right now. He knew he was acting like a coward but there was more to it than that. The desperate need he felt, the impossible anger he directed towards himself. All of it was tied in to Her. And as he turned to grab his coat from the check nearby, with Marie only inches behind him, he heard a soft voice in his head. A voice he recognized but hadn't heard in a very long time. And without a thought, his mind responded, whispering urgently from within. "Lois." He sucked in a breath and took Marie's arm. Leading her out into the night towards their waiting car. CONT NEXT POST... ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 4 Jan 1998 14:32:45 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: demona Subject: FANFIC 3/11 - Heaven's Prisoners (PG) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ------------------------- 3 WEEKS LATER ------------------------- Clark fidgeted with his tie as he sank into the soft cushioning of the 747's first class seating section. He hated planes. Passionately. Well more to the point, he hated flying in 10,000 tons of steel casing when he knew he could be soaring through the clouds under his own power. But doing that would mean that he would once again have to use his powers and that, he vowed, he would never do again. It was bad enough that he woke some nights, suspended in the air. Often dreaming Lois was there with him. That was especially disconcerting when thoughts of Marie would intrude into his consciousness. He wondered vaguely what she would think of Metropolis when she arrived in two weeks. Getting herself transferred as an anchor had been easy enough, she was born in the USA; but she was originally from the west coast. Europe was probably less of a culture shock than Metropolis would be for her. Clark smiled inwardly. Well, at least he'd have those two weeks to get something 'homey' arranged. She'd need an apartment. And as much as he cared about her, he still wasn't prepared for any type of live-in relationship just yet. And it was because of this, that he was eternally grateful she had never broached the subject with him. "Can I get you anything to drink, sir?" The sound of a stewardess' voice ripped him from his reverie and he looked up. "No, no thank you, I'm fine." The older woman smiled and headed off towards the rear of the jet. Clark fastened his seatbelt and looked out the tiny window next to his seat. Well, at least they'd be in the air soon. The thought of returning to Metropolis worried him more than a little. For one thing, it was the last place he'd seen Lois. She'd been on assignment in Japan for the Daily Planet shortly after their separation but now that there was no more Daily Planet, she could be anywhere. There was no reason for him even to assume that she'd still be living in Metropolis. He was at least relieved that they hadn't ended things on an angry note. Mostly, they were both hurting so badly that it had numbed them completely to any form of hostility. And Lois was beyond anger. For almost a year, she'd coaxed and cajoled him. Trying desperately to find SOME way to get through the horrible walls he'd built after the accident. Neither one of them had talked much in that year. At least not to each other. And he had to admit, that wasn't because Lois hadn't tried. No, Clark conceded, if it weren't for her stubborn and seemingly inexhaustible fortitude in searching to resurrect what was left of him, things might have ended even sooner. But eventually, even she was forced to give up and admit defeat. He wasn't going to let anyone in. Not then, and maybe not ever again. When he told her that he would be moving to Europe, she'd cried. He hadn't seen her, but he could hear her tears even over the telephone. Her despair only added incentive for him to get away. Be the coward he always knew he was, and just let the world be a better place without his interference. Failure was even more painful than any death ever could have been. He'd wanted to take refuge and solace in the arms she held out to him night after night. But how could he let her offer him forgiveness when he couldn't forgive himself? And the two people who might have been able to forgive him would never speak again. Starting over was what he wanted. If he couldn't die, then he could let the rest of it go. All of it. Yet here he was, on a plane, bound irrevocably for Metropolis and all the memories that came with. Dimly, he noticed that the jet was already well into the air. It was only a matter of time now ... ---------------------------------- "What have we got?" Lois tipped her head forward and cracked her neck back into position, causing the older woman holding a file next to her to cringe. Lois smiled. "God, you have no idea how good that felt." "I believe you! I don't think I want to know!" Judi laughed. "Well, it looks like this is almost wrapped up. I can put it to bed." She gathered the file together and closed it, but before moving away she stopped and turned back. "Lois?" Lois pivoted around to face her. "Yeah?" Judi shook her head and smiled. "It's been really great working with you. We'll all miss you when you move on to that new promotion tomorrow." Lois sighed. "I'll miss this place too. But I'm sure I'll be back on occasion. I'll need information from all over and this is probably PNNs biggest stockpile." Grinning, she continued on to her office and Judi disappeared down a nearby corridor. Gathering the last of her belongings from her now empty desk, Lois pulled the final drawer open and stared inside of it. She never used this drawer. In fact, she'd almost forgotten that she had it, third from the bottom on the left side. Now, as she moved to empty it, she gently removed a framed photograph she had placed there so long ago. She and Clark. Shortly after they were first married. God, they looked so happy. She remembered how silly she felt inside when he held her like that, standing behind her with his hands at her waist, pulling her close to him. How loved she felt. When he put his strong arms around and just -- held onto her. She closed her eyes. She could almost feel his arms around her now. No, she *could* feel arms around her now! Opening her eyes quickly she dropped the photo back into the drawer just in time to be twirled around and into another man's arms. "Lois," David crooned in her ear. "Are you almost done?" Lois moved backward slightly, out of his grasp, the uneasy feeling of her previous thoughts making her completely unable to enjoy his hug. Making her more than a little uncomfortable just being in it. She hoped he hadn't noticed. To her relief, he didn't mention it if he had. "Yeah. Yes. I'll be done in a few minutes." "Good, I'll take you home." "No!" Lois responded quickly. She hoped not too quickly. "No, David, really. It's my last evening here; I just want to take it slow and maybe reminisce a bit. Is that dumb or what?" She giggled nervously. "No, it's not dumb. And you go ahead. Take all the time you need. I'll see you tomorrow." He leaned forward and kissed her cheek adding. "At work." Lois smiled. "Yes sir." "Well technically Lois, my being a producer for PNN puts me at about par with you on the food chain down there. Heading up the investigative team." David laughed. "Your 'co-administrator' better be good. He has no idea who he'll be up against!" Lois sighed. "Not *against* David, *with*. We'll be in this together. I gave up trying to outdo my partners a long time ago." She half smiled, remembering what 'a long time ago' meant. "Anyway, if I hate him, maybe I can just avoid all contact or something." She winked. "If you hate him Lois, I'd hate to even *think* about what you'd do." David flashed a brilliant grin and turned to leave. "Tomorrow," he pointed one finger back at her. "Maybe Perry will even let us in on who this mysterious 'He' is before he shows up. He'd never tell me, but maybe he'd tell you. He's always had a soft spot for his Lois." "What?" Lois mocked. "*Executive Producer Perry White* has a soft spot?" She grinned. "Well, maybe. Anyway, you better get out of here. You've got work to do and I need some me-time, so scram." "Yes, Ma'am." With a tip of an invisible hat, David brushed past the rows of desks and into an elevator. Lois turned her attention back to her desk and found herself staring once more at the happy couple inside of left drawer number three. What a mess. She sighed. Placing the photo upright on the desk, she rummaged through some old files before glancing up at the time. It was getting late. This floor of the building, at least, was already empty except for her. Moving out of her office and one desk down towards Judi's, she flipped a switch on the older woman's radio and felt better when she heard the calming sound of an evening DJ's voice break the silence. She walked back over to her office and picked up one of the large bags she'd be carrying out to her car. Suddenly, she put it down. The radio hummed softly and she almost choked when the familiar words to the first stanza of "Fly Me To The Moon" flowed past her. Perhaps through her. For a moment, she just stood there listening. And then something silly inside of her woke up and she picked up the photo. Lois closed her eyes and rested the smooth face of the glass pane against her chest, allowing the music to caress her mind. She swayed back and forth, feeling *connected* to something, however intangible, for the first time in what seemed like forever. It was such a profound feeling that she didn't even notice the tear which trickled slowly down her cheek. She clutched the photo to her and she could almost feel him .." ---------------------- High above the buildings of PNN, a 747 jet began to make its ascent into Metropolis from Paris. ----------------------- THE NEXT DAY ----------------------- "This is a joke, right? Someone knows about,the, about ," Clark stared incredulously at a shorter, balding man who continued to bustle back and forth across the tiny office, gathering up miscellaneous odds and ends. "I'm sure that I have no idea what you are talking about, Mr. Kent--and my name is Dan by the way, you don't have to call me Mr. Rollins. I'm just an admistrator, well below your own position, I assure you." "Perry White? But that's just ..." Unable to verbalize his racing thoughts coherently, Clark ended up simply staring incredulously at Dan. "Just exactly who is in that office waiting to see you sir. I really can't see why you're so upset; he's not so terrible ," Dan leaned in conspiratorially " once you get to know him." "I *do* know him! And I'm not upset, I'm just very -- surprised. that's all. To be honest, I thought he had retired." "Well." Dan laughed. "If you know Mr. White, then you must also know that he probably won't *ever* retire." "Yeah, yes you're right. He's waiting you said? Should I just go on in then?" Clark asked still trying to sort it all out in his mind. Of course, Perry wouldn't retire. The man would probably die of boredom if he gave up working. He supposed that that was one of the reasons he had always admired Perry so much. He was as dedicated as anyone could get. "That's what he said, Mr. Kent. For you to just come on in when you arrived. By the way, you aren't *single*, are you?" Dan inquired with a sly smile. "Actually, no, I'm not." Clark grinned. "But .. thanks." He turned towards Perry's door. "Damn." Dan pouted. "The really *good* ones are always taken." Clark turned the knob on the large oak door and felt it slide easily inward. The first thing that caught his eye was the immense floor to ceiling windows of Perry's corner suite. You could probably see most, if not all of Metropolis from this office. It was a spectacular view and one which Clark almost got lost in until his eyes fell on the desk across from him where Perry sat leaning over a stack of papers, in obvious concentration. Clark closed the door behind him and stood there for a moment while Perry worked, oblivious to his presence. He had to admit, the Chief looked really *good*. He looked even better than Clark remembered him looking over a year ago when things had begun changing at the "Daily Planet" -- as well as in Clark's own life -- just before he had left for Europe. This Perry was definitely a happier Perry. But why that was, Clark couldn't even begin to speculate. He cleared his throat. "Chief?" Clark walked slowly towards the older man's desk. "What is it--CLARK! When in the King's name did you get here? And why didn't Dan buzz me? Aww, forget about that. Come here son, let me get a good look at you. How's Europe been treating you?" Clark laughed. It really was great to hear a familiar friend's voice again. He hadn't realized how much he'd missed everyone back here. His friends in France had been wonderful but Perry had always been like a kind of an uncle to him. Perry rose from his seat and extended one hand which Clark took and shook, only to be hauled in for a familial-type bear hug. "Great, Chief. It's all been--great." "Well, good for you son. You've been missed back here. I guess you know that the "Daily Planet" sort of flew out by the wayside round about the time you left. And all .. *this* started!" Perry gestured around his office. "Mr. Stern's idea of 'advancement'. Hmm. Well, "Planet News Networks" have certainly taken the world by storm." Perry leaned forward and spoke more softly "But sometimes son, I miss the old days of lino-type and the smell of fresh newsprint. Well, but even the King knew about progress. You have to move on to keep up. And that's why you're here Clark. I guess you've probably figured out by now that I was the one who asked for you." "Well, I did have that thought, Chief." "Ahaha! That's the Clark I remember! Always one step ahead of the game. You and Lois were always," Perry suddenly looked up, aware of his unintentional faux-pas. Clark swallowed and looked generally uncomfortable. "Well, you were always a great reporter, and I always said that-- " "How is she?" Clark interrupted, unaware of any words Perry had spoken beyond her name. "I-I mean is she still in Metropolis? When I left she was--in Japan." Clark pulled self consciously on his tie and regarded Perry with what the older man considered to be a tortured gaze. "Well son, she's..." "Never been better." Clark felt his heart lodge itself firmly into his throat. Lois. She was here. She was--- "Perry. What is this all about?" He could hear Lois' voice, soft and controlled, behind him and he heard her shut the office door. Clark was almost insanely afraid to turn around. He stared at Perry, wanting an answer to the same question and desperately trying to compose himself. He did turn, finally, because it was the polite thing to do ... and because he could smell her perfume even from where he was standing. It mingled with the smell of just *her* that he knew so well -- and he was suddenly helpless against the cascade of emotions he was feeling. He faced her. And in that moment, it was much to late. "Lois," He half whispered. The name rolling easily off of his tongue as though it hadn't been so long since he had spoken it. She looked at him, but did not speak. At least not aloud. But Clark could see it in her eyes, a firewall of emotions never given in to, of things left unsaid. The same things, he was sure, she could see in his own eyes. "Lois, I'm glad you're here." Perry broke the silence and part of the tension from behind them. "The thing is, I needed to talk to both of you. That's the reason I pulled you from PNNs south side offices. Its also the reason I requested Clark here from our the European merger." Perry cleared his throat, hyper-aware of the discomfort in the office. The truth of the matter was that he wanted to explain things and get OUT of there. Let the two of them talk. The King knew they needed to talk. Especially if they were going to be partners again. He hoped he hadn't made a huge mistake in doing this. Oh, he'd known from the get-go what the risks would be, but there were some things more important than mergers or money or even the almighty scoop. It was Lois and Clark who had taught him that. It was their new love that had helped him make the decision to take a risk of his own. And he had Alice back in his arms today because of that risk. To have watched the two reporters back then, so happy and so much in love, one would never have been able to reconcile where they were right now. Only two and a half years later, so much in pain. Lois and Clark held eye contact and Perry sighed inwardly when he noticed just how much they seemed to be communicating without even verbalizing their thoughts. Suddenly, his long and flamboyant explanation flew right out the proverbial window, along with his caution. Ceremony be damned. These two needed time, NOW. "Ahhh, okay. Well, now that you're both here, you'll need to talk about how the new "Investigative Division" of PNN is gonna run. Congratulations. You're partners, again, and I don't wanna hear another word about it because quite frankly, I don't have the time. If you have any objections you can either quit, or take them up together. I gotta get out to a meeting so the two of you can use my office for, well, ah, whatever. But if I hear that either *one* of you threw a tantrum and left, you're fired. And don't think I wouldn't do it either. I care about you both as though you were my own children but this is it folks. I've got a News Network to keep up on its feet. Good Luck." Perry gave them each the sternest nod he could muster and charged boldly past a gaping Lois, through his office door, shutting it firmly behind them. "Dan, NOT EVEN GOD gets into that office until those two come out in a civil manner. If either one of them leaves in a huff, I want to hear about it." Dan nodded, mildly surprised by Perry's seriousness. But the older man turned gruffly away and headed down the hall, shaking his head.. CONT NEXT POST... ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 4 Jan 1998 14:33:08 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: demona Subject: FANFIC 4/11 - Heaven's Prisoners (PG) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Silence loomed over Lois and Clark like an enormous fire blanket, and neither one of them was very willing to shove it away. Lois watched him, halfway across the office, standing with his hands shoved into the pockets of his suit like a little boy who knew he was in trouble. And *Damn* him to hell for playing the victim! He'd had more than enough time to feel sorry for himself, but it was quite clear to her now that he was still doing it. What was worse was that she knew him so well. Knew why he was beating himself up and it still killed her inside to watch him in so much pain. If she went over to him now, and took him into her arms and held onto him---maybe he would know that she had always been there for him and that she always would be. Maybe, just maybe he would let her in this time; let her take some of the enormous pain he steadfastly refused to share. She took one step at first. Moving slowly towards him. As if drawn to him, she continued until she stood only inches away. Standing so close, she could feel the heat of his body, could smell his aftershave, and it was all ... the same.. She looked up and found his eyes staring into hers. Slowly, she raised her right hand upwards towards his face. He didn't move; he just stared, waiting, barely breathing.. She felt his skin for a fraction of a second beneath her palm but then pulled back, hauling her hand away and bringing it back to slap him hard across the face. "Damn you." She brushed by him and stood, looking out the open window of Perry's office into the dusky sky. "Lois," Clark turned to her, even as she turned her back to him. His hand pulled up to touch the skin she had struck; not out of any sense of pain, but because it was the first time she had touched him in so very long. He let out a short breath when she didn't answer him. "Lois..." "You never said goodbye." Lois crossed her arms over her chest and ran her hands over her shoulders. "I couldn't..." "You never wrote, or called." "I wanted to but I-" "Coward." "I know." Neither one spoke for long moments. Finally Lois hissed sarcastically. "Perry thinks that he can just wave some magic wand and it will all be better. That he can throw us together like the first time and it'll be easy--" "The first time? The first time was NOT easy, Lois. Nothing about us was ever easy. " Clark cut in ruefully. **Except being in love. That was so--natural.** Lois sighed. **Falling in love with you was the only thing that was ever easy.** "We made it difficult, Clark." She shook her head. "We were always our own worst enemies." "And now?" Clark wasn't even sure what he was asking. It was just what he was feeling. "Now?" Lois almost laughed. "Now. There is no 'we' anymore, Clark. Lest we--forget. We may not be divorced, but we are legally separated." She reached out and traced the outline of a building through the window, absently. "NO, I mean--" Clark stumbled over what it was he was trying to say. What he really wanted to do was reach out and take her into his arms. But something inside of him refused to allow him that. "I'm seeing someone else." Lois' whisper wrenched Clark back into reality. "I have been for about two months." She held her breath, waiting for his reaction. Knowing she probably should not have told him this way. But she was angry and hurt. And he was the reason. He needed to know what that felt like. She heard him breath out and then in again slowly before he responded. "Me too." He sighed. This time she turned from the window and regarded him straight-faced. After a while, she nodded silently, and then turned her head ever so slightly. Her hair was longer now. It fell just below her shoulders, a deep chestnut brown just like he remembered it. And it framed her face like an angel. Through all this, Clark could see the moisture which had been gathering in her eyes throughout their conversation. Not yet on the verge of tears, but visibly headed in that direction. If some great claw had reached in and torn his beating heart from his chest, he couldn't imagine feeling any more agony than he felt now. So he made a resolution. If he never did anything more courageous in his entire life, he would take his pride into his hands and act on impulse this one time. He had nothing more to lose. Impetuously, he moved forward and gathered his wife into his arms; he pulled her body snug with his and wrapped his strong arms around her. He expected her to pull free, to wrench herself from his grasp and possibly even slap him again for being so bold, but she did none of those things. Instead, he heard her moan softly in the back of her throat; it was the closest to crying she had come so far and he felt her arms slide around his own waist as she clung to him. They held together like that for several moments. She cried softly, pressing her forehead against his chest and pulling him even closer. He could feel her hot tears through the fabric of his shirt and he couldn't get enough of her. He ran his fingers through her hair and down onto her back, he rested his head atop of hers and breathed in the smell of her shampoo. It was wonderful...it was miraculous ... it was Suddenly, Lois began to pull away. Clark caught her look of uncertainty and before she could go any farther, he leaned forward on one last whim and captured her mouth with his. It was a hungry, soul-shattering kiss and Lois let herself fall forward until she was pressed tightly against him. She opened her mouth and accepted his questing tongue as she too sought to join with him. Her arms slid up around his neck and his wrapped around her waist as the kiss continued, inexhaustibly. Finally, gasping for breath, Lois parted lips with his and Clark pressed his forehead against hers. She moved against him one last time and took his lips gently in a much softer version of the first encounter. Tasting him and allowing herself to marvel in the feel of his strong arms pulled around her. Slowly, this kiss too disengaged, as gently as it had begun and Lois let her arms fall slowly back down to her sides. She moved backwards to stand near him, but no longer against him. "That was goodbye, Clark." Lois swallowed and tried to hold her tears in check. "That was the goodbye we never had." Clark had known, somehow, that what had just happened was not the beginning of something. That it was an ending long postponed. They both had known. He nodded, backing still further from her to allow her space. She let out a breath and there was silence for a time. "Can we work together?" Clark asked the question first. "I don't know. I guess so." Lois managed in a small voice and Clark nodded but didn't speak. After a while, Lois spoke, answering the question she knew was on his mind. "His name is David." She smiled. "He's a producer for PNN, and he's really a wonderful man. I think you two could be friends." "If you care for him, then he must be a wonderful man." Clark moved with her to one window and they stood side by side, both looking out at the now darkened sky. "Marie." "What?" Lois turned towards her new, old partner. "Her name is Marie Rickard and she's-" "An anchor for TFN, I've seen her work. She's very good." Lois held her breath and tried not to think about the two of them together. Clark with this other woman. She had been his first and insanely she wondered--did he use any of the things they had discovered together, making love, on her? Did he make the same sounds when they were together? Was she-- "Yes, she's very good." Clark continued. "And I think you'd get along with her too. She'll be here in a few days." "She's coming here?" Lois wasn't really surprised. There was a time when she would have followed Clark across the universe, nevermind the tiny sphere of earth. She would have even followed him to Europe, if he'd let her. "Yes." Neither spoke for several seconds. "Did Perry have time to tell you about the Governor's Ball later tonight--around 9?" Lois continued to stare out at the starry sky as she broke the silence. "No, are we supposed to be there?" "Yup." She glanced at Clark and added playfully, "Good guess." Clark smiled. "Yeah, well I learned from the best." He felt her hand brush against his where she stood next to him and resisted the urge to take it. This was going to be far more complicated than he had ever envisioned. And while a part of him was joyful to be near Lois once again, to be able to work with her, another part was terrified. Marie would be in Metropolis soon. And that would only make things more difficult, for all of them. On top of that, Clark wasn't sure just how he'd be able to ignore the familiar street sounds which had called him to help so many times before in his past. One thing was certain. Superman was dead, and no matter what happened here, there was no way Clark could allow him to be resurrected. The city had been without him for over two years already. Initially headlines had speculated that he had left; gone back to the planet he'd help save so long ago to be with his own people. If society had felt hurt or betrayed, they certainly hadn't made a very big deal over it. Yet another reason that Superman's disappearance was hardly cause for mourn. No one cared. The entire media hype lasted for about two weeks before, it seemed, the world had forgotten he ever existed. Superman was gone. The question that now remained was simple. What had happened to Clark Kent? He looked over at Lois beside him. She hadn't said a word in several minutes. Neither one of them had. Clark supposed that they both knew some 'thinking' was in order and had simply given in to that. But Lois was aware of him watching her. He could tell by the way that she stood; she knew his eyes were on her. What was the cliche? The people you feel most comfortable around are the ones you can stand next to forever and never feel guilty remaining silent. Clark sighed inwardly. He'd have to get back to his hotel room and change before the party tonight. Though he dreaded the idea of seeing Lois in another man's company, he could hardly deny her that freedom when they had both moved on and started over. This was, after all, what was best for them. Wasn't it? He watched her admire the stars through the window and wondered what kept her here, in this room with him still. What kept him here for that matter? They had already effectively finished their conversation and yet neither one of them seemed willing to leave. "We should go." Lois vocalized Clark's own thoughts almost simultaneously. "Okay. I guess I'll see you tonight." "Yeah, I'll be there. Maybe we can talk--about things--" "Work.--" Clark cut in softly. "The division, if there's a lull." "Okay." Clark watched Lois turn from the window and head towards Perry's office door. He watched her leave through it and then followed soon after. For his part, Dan slowly shook his head as he watched Clark pad softly down the office corridor several paces behind Lois. "Taken *and* straight. It just isn't fair." He sighed dramatically and got back to the paperwork on his desk. CONT NEXT POST... ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 4 Jan 1998 14:33:32 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: demona Subject: FANFIC 6/11 - Heaven's Prisoners (PG) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Marie slipped her phone back into her purse and frowned. It was so strange that someone from work would call her this late at night, and at a party they all knew about, just to remind her of tomorrow's lead-ins. What was even stranger was that she didn't remember giving her new cell number out to anyone at the studio. Yet somehow ... well, whatever it was, it wasn't interfering with any of her other plans right now, so what did it really matter? Marie smiled as Clark accepted her hug, then she pulled away to speak. "So, stranger, did you get to enjoy that last song, at least? I know you like it; I've heard you listening to it nights in your flat. But when I've gotten there, you've always turned it off." She frowned slightly and then shook her head. "You know what I don't get about men? Why they are always too shy to let the world know they're real romantics at heart. That song is so ..." "Yeah." Clark sighed but then quickly found his reserve once again. "Anyway, you're back now; was it important?" "Oddly enough, no. It was just the studio. I have no idea how they got my number or why they called so late." "Oh, well, all right, I- um, I guess we don't have to stay here late tonight. We could--go. If you want." Clark glanced over his shoulder once again in a last ditch attempt to catch a glimpse of where Lois might have disappeared to, but she was nowhere to be seen. He sighed, softly, sadly, and looked back at Marie. "Yes, actually," Marie moved in closer and whispered against him. "I was thinking that we might leave a little early and--" **RING** Clark swallowed and couldn't believe how relieved he had been to hear that noise once again. He shouldn't have been relieved at all. But he had been. His encounter with Lois had been so incredibly sensual and yet so heartbreakingly sad all the same. Clark took in a deep breath, remembering her hands against his arms, his neck, the way her breath felt against his skin. She tasted so sweet. Clark shifted in his position, finding that he was now larger in places he wished he wasn't and desperately praying that Marie would not notice. They had never talked much about being together intimately, but the thought of spending even one moment in that way with any woman other than Lois made Clark almost ill with guilt. That, and he didn't think that he could ever want or need anyone the way he wanted and needed Lois Lane. **RING** Marie sighed, exasperated. "This will--just be a few minutes sweetheart, I promise." She tipped her head up and kissed his cheek quickly before moving off once again towards the relative quiet of the lobby. Clark watched as Marie scurried out towards the coat check area and then disappeared. Thoughts of Lois continued to arouse him and he was more than a little confused and anxious. Mostly, he wanted to get out of there. Away from his feelings and far from the intense reminder of Lois' body against his. Superman suddenly needed some air. Slowly, Clark scanned the room and then, finding what he had been looking for, headed in the direction of a small doorway. PNN's main building was enormous, and they had designed it with small office-like boardrooms accessible even from the banquet hall. One never knew just when an urgent meeting would have to take place, even at a social gathering. Clark smiled. Lois probably loved the new building. Making his way through the table and chairs, and the bodies seated in them, Clark found himself sliding quickly and quietly through the doorway, shutting it softly behind him and sighing inwardly as the rush and hubbub of the party beyond fell silent. He was greeted by a dark, empty room. A dozen or so leather executive chairs stood guard around a Chippendale oak table, and floor to ceiling windows looked out, a short three stories over the city street. Light filtered in from the street lamps below, and from the stars, but Clark decided against the ceiling flourescents. All he wanted to do was unwind, and this certainly seemed as ideal a place as any. And so he stood, looking out at the city, listening to the sound of his own breathing and not surprisingly, thinking of Lois. Reaching out, he pulled a chair forward from behind him and sank into it, grateful for the executive comfort it offered his traitorous body. But now, something was different. In the darkness he could hear the sound of soft breathing--or was it-- Turning in his chair, he moved the chair next to him aside, slowly, and then stopped suddenly, letting out a breath. "Lois." Lois sat, or rather perhaps she lay, curled up in the large chair, her dress folded underneath her, her legs pulled inside. She had been asleep. That much was obvious, but now she was awake, and it was very clear to Clark that she had been crying. "Lois." Clark whispered again as he reached out a hand and brushed her hair back behind her ear, gently. "What's wrong?" He had to ask. Assuming he knew the answer would be arrogant, and besides, asking gave him *something* coherent to say to her now, when all he really wanted to do was gather her into his arms and hold her. Lois breathed in slowly, aware now that she had been crying in her sleep, and even in wakefulness, feeling a sense of overwhelming sadness wash over her. "Clark." Lois acknowledged both his presence and his awareness of her current -- situation. She sighed softly before continuing. "I don't know." Bowing her head, Lois tried somewhat unsuccessfully to quell her newly impending tears. "I mean ..." Lois stood up slowly and made her way towards the window before turning back to face him. "... I just came in here before, to get out of all the noise after---" She glanced at him and he looked as though he completely understood her. In that moment, she wanted him to hold onto her more than she had ever wanted anything in her entire life. Or at least, it felt that way. But she continued instead. "I guess I was watching the lights in the city and I just curled up in a chair the way we used to, by the fire, only there was no fire here, but for some reason I still felt--" Her voice trailed off into silence and neither spoke for a moment until Lois looked up once again. Her eyes shone with new and ready teardrops. She shook her head, unable to speak. Clark thought that his heart would twist out of his chest at her admission. **Lois, I do love you; I need you. I want to make this right again! But I don't know how! I don't even know if I have the right to try.** Clark's mind screamed in frustration and anguish and his body moved forward in the chair of its own volition. When she did not move, but continued to hang her head, Clark stood. He came forward and pulled her gently into his arms, rocking with her back and forth until she began to cry in earnest. He used every ounce of willpower in his body to keep his own emotions in check as he tightened his arms around her and moved them both back into the chair. Lois clung to him as though it would save her soul. Clark could not remember having seen her this way before, not even when he'd held her in her apartment soon after they'd met, when she feared for her life after witnessing a crime. Right now, she seemed a lot like a little girl, and yet, this was no little girl he held in his arms. She had fought off men twice his size in the past and had come out 'on top'. Lois ducked her head underneath Clark's chin as she held onto him, and Clark shifted sideways to accommodate her, pressing his face into her hair. Feeling the softness of her and needing her there as much as she needed him. Through the windows, the light from the city filtered in and shimmered off of her hair, making the tiny trails of silent teardrops sparkle against her skin. Clark let his hands move down her arms from her shoulders in a comforting way, letting her cry and trying desperately not to go there himself. He knew now. Where things had been painfully unclear before, they were so apparent in this very moment. And he had never been more wrong, or felt more like a coward. He felt Lois inhale deeply and press the side of her face tightly against his chest. If she could allow herself to let him hold her now, after everything, and take solace in his arms, then why couldn't he have let her offer the same when he'd needed it? There were no easy answers, but after two years, one thing was abundantly clear -- it was a matter of trust. She trusted him to comfort her. And him? He had ... not given her that same trust. Oh, God, what had he done? "Oh, I do trust you, Lois," Clark murmured softly. "God help me for not telling you two years ago. I've always trusted you." He sighed, though he wasn't even aware that she had heard him.. Lois turned in his arms until she could see into his eyes, and she searched them for a moment. There was so much pain there, longing, regret, despair, and incredible strength even so. That was Clark. He kept all the pain and the horror of his life inside. Maintaining some impossible struggle to keep everyone he loved safe from harm ... even emotional harm. Lois knew all about bottling things up. She understood how crazy and intense things could become, and how out of control they could get. Even a Superman couldn't last forever that way. And then there was her Clark. She loved him so completely and utterly that sometimes she wondered if the rest of the world could even understand the bond they shared. It had always been the most intense, most wonderful feeling she had ever experienced. And it had nearly killed her when he wouldn't let her in, wouldn't let her help him or touch him emotionally, when he needed that so much. And now? Well, there wasn't anything she could bring herself to say right now. Breaking eye contact, Lois slowly lowered her head back onto Clark's chest and sighed deeply. She heard Clark do the same and felt his arms continue to caress hers. Where were they? They were on their first night of Clark's return to Metropolis, and already they had found themselves in each other's arms three times. That was almost more intimate contact than Clark had allowed himself to have with her for the final year before their separation. If their situation had been somewhat different, Lois might have laughed at the irony in that. But for right now, holding onto Clark seemed like the only sure and sold thing Lois could do. Something was different. Clark was different. And Lois wasn't sure what had changed in him, or how, but despite any rational thought to the contrary, she was unable, and her traitorous body was completely unwilling, to push him away when he held her like this. It was him, she decided. Clark had been so hopelessly lost before; Lois could never have stood to see him in so much agony. Helping others had always kept a measure of Clark's sanity and purpose intact. Helping her, helping *them*, had kept them both whole and strong--together. Things had only begun to fall apart the day that Clark had stopped letting them keep each other strong. Clark could sense that she was thinking. Her soft crying had stopped some time ago and ever since she'd turned and looked at him in a way that made him feel like she had found a way to see into his very soul, he'd known that she was making some sort of a decision. But he had never been very good at second guessing Lois Lane. No one could. That was, perhaps, one of the reasons he'd fallen in love with her. She was his equal, in every way that mattered. Clark inhaled deeply, taking with his breath the smell of Lois' shampoo and that innate knowledge he always felt silly about, the one which made him hyper-aware of how soft her hair was. It made him feel almost giddy. But overwhelming even that sensation was the one which held him apart from her. The one which held them both at emotional arms' length despite their physical closeness at the moment. He wished he could do more than let his fingers brush against her arm, comforting her. He wished that he could-- *Click* Clark wasn't sure what happened first. Had the door opened? Or had Lois suddenly disappeared from his arms and reappeared by the window an instant later? The two events seemed almost simultaneous to him, despite any Super Senses which he could have been (but hadn't been) using. The door *did* open, and Lois was certainly now standing silhouetted against a floor length window overlooking the city lights below. "Perry." Clark rose from his seat to greet the man who now stood in the doorway, staring in an almost paternal way at both himself and at Lois. A decidedly Perry-like stare certainly. Clark tried to smile and even made it halfway. "I just ca-- *we* just came in here to --" "Breathe" "Talk" They had both spoken at the same time and Clark shook his head. It was happening all over again, wasn't it? Was that the way history worked? Doomed to repeat the same simple steps over and over and over again, until all you really wanted was some ... "We needed some space, I guess." Lois spoke softly and Clark glanced up at her, not quite surprised that she had finished his thought, but somewhat struck by the realization that he wanted to feel this way again almost as desperately as he wanted to run right out of the room and take the next flight out of Metropolis. She smiled at him then. She smiled, and all of it somehow simply ... went away. His fear, his thoughts of leaving, his ability to speak. "Son?" It was then that Clark knew he had been staring. Looking straight at her, maybe inside of her. Oh, not in the traditional "X-ray" way, but in his own personal, emotional way. In 'their' way of somehow being able to know and understand each other's innermost feelings and desires. She was so ... hurt by him. He looked up, away from her liquid eyes and faced Perry. "I'm--sorry, Chief, Lois." He afforded her a glance before continuing. "I know I wasn't listening, it's just--there's been a lot on my mind tonight. I just got back here and it's taking time for me to settle in, I guess. Anyway, I think I just need a little rest. I hope you don't mind. I'm going to see if I can find Marie and take her home. I need to go home. I need---Look, um, goodnight." Clark nodded to the Chief and made his way quickly past the smaller, yet no less significant man in the doorway. He didn't even stop to look at Lois this time. He needed to go home? Home? Where exactly was that here? He sighed and hurried through the substantially less crowded dance floor. Better go find Marie and get them both out of here before he lost any more of his answers to ... Her. ----------------------* Lois sighed and Perry shook his head before walking slowly into the room. He watched her standing near the window, not really focusing on any one thing in the room, and for the first time in a long time, he felt angry. Angry at Clark for being this way, angry at himself for not being able to help the two kids he thought of just as fondly as he did his own children. "Ohh, honey. Ah, I guess I can talk to you alone, though I had wanted to speak with you both." Perry tossed a look over his shoulder at the empty doorway. "Are you all right with this, Lois? I know that sometimes I can get some really hair-brained ideas into my old head and if you feel like--" "No." She cut him off, smiling slightly. "No, Perry, it's fine. We're fine. I mean, there is no *we*, so everything is just--fine. Really." Perry looked at her as though she had just told him that she was about to skydive out the window without a parachute. But whatever he was thinking, he didn't say it. Instead, he simply nodded, more to himself than anyone else, and let out a breath. "Do you need a ride home, honey? Alice and I can take you; it's getting late." "Sure, yes. I'd appreciate that Perry. I've had ... well, I guess I don't remember how many glasses of wine I've had tonight. That's probably a good idea." Lois smiled again and let Perry put an arm around her and lead her from the conference room. Tomorrow was another day after all. Another day at work. Another day--with Clark. Oh, heaven have mercy. ---------------------------* Clark stopped in the foyer of PNN's enormous building. Marie was nowhere to be found and he was becoming more than a little worried. She'd said she had only a phone call to complete, so where was she? He sighed, resisting the urge to look for her with his powers. No, if he was to be simply a man again, he would need to forget that he even had those abilities. Clark grimaced when a tiny corner of his mind intruded rudely to the fore with the comment that if it were Lois who was missing in this way, he would probably already have broken all his personal vows of inaction to find her. But that was different. That was different because, because, well, because Lois had a penchant for getting herself into trouble in a way that no other person he'd ever met had. She could certainly always--- Now was not the time to be thinking of Lois! Clark chastised himself and concentrated on finding Marie. She had to be here somewhere. She was too new to the city to be on anyone's hit list. And he knew her better than to believe she would have ventured out into the night street when she knew almost nothing about the city. "Marie?" Clark called into the partially filled foyer. Couples were entering and exiting the building at a fairly regular pace, but he couldn't see her anywhere. "Marie?" Suddenly, he felt two female arms on his back and he spun around. "Marie! You had me worried! I'm sorry; I--um ... shall we go? It's getting late and I'd like to get to bed at a reasonable hour tonight seeing as--" Marie cut off his babble mid-sentence. "All right." Marie reached up and patted Clark's arm softly. "I think we should-- " " -- talk." Clark finished for her. "How did you know?" She chimed, smiling playfully. "I was thinking the same thing, well, about the talking anyway." Clark smiled sadly and linked his arm with Marie's guiding her towards the heavy double doors at the building's entrance. "But not here. The hotel room?" Marie gave a low chuckle. "How could I refuse an offer like that, Mr. Kent?" Clark sighed and ducked his head down with the appropriate amount of modesty. As he looked up, he caught sight of the other end of the room and stopped his head mid-motion. Across the floor, Perry and Alice were putting on their respective coats. Lois was with them and he heard her laugh as Perry helped her on with her uncooperative car coat. Clark sighed. Lois turned just then, and for a brief moment their eyes locked. Her expression seemed impassive. If she minded that he was holding another woman, it didn't show on her face, but she looked almost--- "Clark? Are you all right?" Marie's voice brought him out of his trance and he turned his head around to face her, realizing that he must have looked odd from her angle. "I'm--fine." He cast a quick glance at Lois who caught his eyes again and then looked away just as quickly. He frowned. "Just a bit of a headache, I guess. Strange. Maybe it's still the jetlag. I haven't traveled extensively in a long time; I'm probably not used to it anymore." He smiled ruefully and felt Marie's soft tug on his arm. In seconds, they had made their way across the room and outside into the cool night air. -----------------------* Lois slipped the key into the lock of her elegant one bedroom apartment and wiggled it until it clicked and the door slid quietly open. It was a nice apartment, a lease she had taken over four months after Clark had left Metropolis. The brownstone they'd bought after their honeymoon had been wonderful, certainly within her new and much improved salary range, but there was too much of ... Clark for her to remain there comfortably. It was the memories that had hurt her most afterwards. And she wondered how and why he could have done what he did in taking off, never even calling to say goodbye. There had been nothing then, except a single white rose on her pillow when she'd come home from work that evening. The hurt, the anger, the maddening, soul-shattering ache she'd felt when Perry gave her Clark's message the next day and she realized he never intended to come back; all of it reeled anew inside of her tonight, and she fought her feelings the way she had learned to long ago. Dropping her purse onto a nearby chair, Lois pulled her earrings off and headed towards the bedroom with a deep sigh. CONT NEXT POST... ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 4 Jan 1998 14:33:23 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: demona Subject: FANFIC 5/11 - Heaven's Prisoners (PG) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ----------------------------------- LATER THAT NIGHT ----------------------------------- She was absolutely stunning. Incredible, amazing, incomprehensibly beautiful. Taken. Clark watched from a distance as Lois entered the Paradise Room of PNN's private banquet hall in a long, elegant off-the-shoulder evening gown, and glided across the dance floor to greet Perry and Alice. Perry and Alice? That must mean that ,well, *that* at least was wonderful news. He wondered what else he had missed while hiding away across all those miles of ocean. What else indeed. Clark set his champagne glass down and moved towards the rear wall of the banquet room so that he could see her more clearly. It was a silly frivolous thing to do, but Clark had finished his own initially compulsory meet-greets and had been thankfully left to his own devices,he hadn't really all that much to do now *except* to watch her. And it had been so long since he had really been able to see her; so long that he now found himself drinking up the opportunity like too much fine wine. Intoxicating didn't even begin to describe what she was doing to him. **I had her. I had her in my life and I threw it all away.** The realization struck him like a proverbial Mack truck and rattled what was left of the loose corners of his mind. This wasn't exactly breaking news. He had known fairly well what he was doing for two years. Pushing her away time and time again, believing he was only ever going to be the fastest road toward heartache for her. The woman married to the Superman. Only the Superman wasn't so super. He had let his own parents die. How could he expect to be able to keep anyone he cared about safe if he couldn't even take care of his Mom and Dad? Lois loved him. Once. She loved him enough to try to save him. But even she knew that there was no saving someone who didn't want to be saved. And that had been Clark. What he reconciled as a means of keeping everything from falling apart in his world had only been a poor, vain excuse to run away from it all. If he had realized only one thing in Europe, it was this. Yet starting over, in some ways, had indeed been exactly what he needed. It gave him back some of his objectivity, and it had allowed him to put to rest the one person whom he felt, was the root of all his troubles. Superman. ---- "Lois, honey, we appreciate your taking the time to come and talk to us, and you know that we love you, but I think there's a man standing right over there that could probably use a little conversation more than ourselves," Alice smiled at the young woman in front of her and squeezed Perry's hand. "Ah, Alice is right honey..." "David's here?" Lois turned towards the entryway of the banquet hall and scanned the crowd of new arrivals for his familiar face. "He said he had to work tonight, I don't see him.." "No, dear, Its not David. Its Clark. Over there." Alice pointed vaguely in the direction of the rear wall where Clark was indeed standing. Holding what appeared to be a pad of paper in his hand and sketching something slowly, in a very focused manner, without looking up. Lois stood and watched him for a time, from across the room. Perry and Alice exchanged knowing glances and moved off towards their table hand in hand, leaving Lois, oblivious to their departure, to her own thoughts. A moment later, Clark looked up. There were no super-powers involved. It had simply been that sixth sense that somehow always tells of someone watching. Their eyes met from across the room. Lois watched Clark take in the view of her entire form and she smiled, self-consciously, but still liking the attention. She also knew that they couldn't stand there all night gawking at one another from afar. So she made the first move and crossed the dance floor, winding her way through a mass of tangled couples, until she stood face to face with her husband. "Hi." She could still smell his aftershave, and an insane part of her wanted him to take her in his arms so she could kiss his neck, feel his warm skin against hers. "Hi. I-um, I made it. Though it did take me a while to figure out which wardrobe the hotel put my tux into." Clark held his breath and made a mental note to slow his heartbeat. "A while?" Lois inquired. "Well couldn't you just ~-> ... you know, take a few seconds and ..." "I don't do any of that anymore. I never started again." "Oh." Lois sighed. "Well, that would explain a lot then, I guess." She reached up impetuously and wiggled his tie before she realized what habit had made of her. She giggled. "Oh, I'm--well, your tie was crooked. It's straight now." She tipped her head down the way she always did when she was a little embarrassed and Clark reached out to tuck a lock of wayward behind her ear. "Its all right. I never was very good at that. When I was little, I remember Mom used to--" Clark stopped suddenly and Lois looked up for an instant before she realized why. But before there was time for an awkward silence, Clark continued as though there had never been an interruption. "..always scold me that I'd better marry a woman who had a sense of symmetry or I'd be in trouble." He almost laughed. "She was right." Lois saw the dark shadow leave Clark's face as quickly as it had come, and she felt hope for him for the first time in a long while. Two years ago, he would have never continued speaking. "She was right about a lot of things, Clark." "Well she--" Clark started, but Lois placed two fingers over his lips and shook her head. "A lot of things." She crossed over and leaned against the back wall, next to him. "So, do I get to meet David tonight?" Clark inquired, as causally as he was able. "Actually, no. He--had to work. Something about problems with the dailies in something he's been working on for a while now and they're going to try and fix it, tonight, of all nights." Lois sighed. "I'm sorry." Clark lied. Lois gave him an odd look. "Yeah, well, I'm very good at picking men with jobs that call them away at the last second." She smiled ruefully and Clark couldn't help but do the same. He turned and faced her. This woman who accepted him in a way no other ever had. Probably ever would. The one person he had ever been able to trust completely with *everything*. His soul mate. He had denied her that trust in the end. "Lois..." Clark reached out and took her hand. She appeared a little startled, but not overly so. And if it bothered her at all, she didn't pull away. He took a breath. "Lois, sometimes, do you ever wish that you could--well that the things you'd said--or--done could--" Clark sighed. "I'm not communicating very clearly here am I?" He let go her hand self-consciously. Lois smiled. "Poets often use many words to say a simple thing." "Fly me to the moon." Clark whispered. "You remembered." She held her breath as she looked into Clark's eyes and tried to see what it was he was feeling. This was more than a milestone for her. It was so much more of a response from him than she had ever been able to get before he'd left. She didn't know why, but some of his barriers weren't up this evening. And she felt both relief that he had let himself heal, if only a little, and betrayal that he had not let her be there with him when he did. "How could I forget?" The moment went on for what seemed like an eternity. Neither one willing to break the sweet silence that meant they could just stare into each other's soul for a time. Finally, Lois spoke. "What are you drawing?" She tipped her head towards the palm-sized pad of paper Clark held at his side. "What? Oh, this. Its just something I do now. " Clark grinned lopsidedly. "You know, you'd be surprised how difficult it is to do when you have to work so slowly. It's hard to keep your hand from shaking but I think I'm getting better at it. Marie says I was probably an artist in a former life." He laughed at his own dark humor and Lois raised one eyebrow. "Okay, so what are you drawing?" She repeated, more than a little curious. "It's nothing. Honestly, you really wouldn't care." "Try me." She fixed him with an 'I dare you to defy me' look and Clark shook his head, unable, as ever, to refuse her. "All right. But it's really not very good, it's--" He tipped the pad slowly outward and Lois took it into her own hands. Clark shut up and waited while she studied it for what seemed like forever. "Ohh, Clark it's--" "Really dumb, I know. Well I only ever did sketches of bad guys before, quickly for the police. This is, well, new to me." "No! No, it's not dumb. Its incredible. It's---me." She glanced up at Clark who had shoved his hands into his pockets once again. "But I look really-- good. Wow." She took another look at the pad and shook her head. "You look beautiful." Clark watched her look up at him, and this time neither one of them smiled. "Do you want to dance Lois?" She looked like she was about to cry. Uh oh. Had he gone too far? "Dance. I think I'd love to dance." Clark heard her breathing; it was only a little irregular. But if she was feeling anything even close to what he was feeling right now, he didn't wonder why. Lois set the small pad of paper down on the table next to them and Clark reached out, taking her hand gently in his as he lead her out onto the dance floor. Once there, he realized that this would be more of a challenge than he had thought. Dancing with Lois had never been something he'd thought much about. Not even in the beginning, before they were a couple. It was always a sort of second nature to him; he'd simply known how to hold her even then. Of course, things had become much more intimate between them once they had admitted their feeling for one another. Their embrace, even the way their bodies pressed together on the dance floor had become far more--satisfying after that. But now? Now they weren't exactly anywhere. Not together, not even trying to *get* together. Well, something was certainly happening between them tonight, but it appeared to be more of a final moonlit stroll down a dead end peer. What would happen when they got to the end of the dock and David was waiting there for her? Or Marie for him? One thing was absolutely certain, no one would ever be able to make him feel the way that Lois did. Never before and never after. Clark had always known that, just as he knew that there would never be another 'love' for him in this lifetime. The fact remained, however that Lois was continually in danger whenever he was near, just as his parents were, and just as anyone else he cared about would always be. But holding her close to him this way, in this moment, Clark wasn't sure if he *could* let her go when the song was over. He knew that he didn't want to, but also that he should. It was so impossibly complicated and yet so magically simple all at the same time. Maybe there were no answers? Maybe there were only questions that had to be answered together, or not at all. Clark rested one hand gently at Lois' back and took her offered hand with his other. Lois smiled and raised her own arm up to light against his strong shoulder. The music carried the slow movement of their bodies in tandem and neither spoke at first. Clark found himself going insane. Wanting so desperately to pull her closer, to feel her warm body pressed tightly against his. He raised his eyes and met her own, briefly. Lois caught her breath and looked discretely downward for a moment, before returning her gaze to his. She'd seen that look in his eyes before! She'd waited and prayed to see it again, so many times in their last year together, but he'd hidden it from her while she quietly mourned for him. **Oh, my Clark. Why did you shut me out?** Her mind implored him, though her voice remained silent. Were things different now? *Could* things ever be different? She swallowed and fought at the firewall of emotion which begged her to take him into her arms right here, in front of everyone. More out of habit than any conscious thought, she reached up the hand which had been on his shoulder and smoothed his hair, smiling when she had it the way she liked it. She let her gaze trail over the chisled features of his gorgeous face and along the corded muscles of his throat. He loved it when she kissed him there. She remembered the soft groans he used to make when she touched him, when she brushed her lips gently over his neck. She trailed one finger over the firm flesh while she languished in her delicious thoughts and looked up only when she heard Clark's sharp intake of breath. They both froze. Lois slowly, reluctantly shifted her hand back onto his shoulder and Clark swallowed. She was so gentle with him, always. His mind spun from the effect that just the very tips of her fingers against the warm skin of his neck had caused inside of him. The words to a nameless slow song continued to flow through the air and their bodies reclaimed a previous rhythm. He felt her hand on his shoulder, and unconsciously began to move his hand gently over the small of her back. Before Lois was aware of what had happened, she found herself pressed against the front of Clark's warm body in a way that was *not* how they had started out. Caught up in the magic of the moment, Lois let her arm slide down from Clark's shoulder, over his lapel and inside the folds of his jacket, against his side. God, he smelled so good. She remembered what it had been like before, when he would take her in his arms and hold her close. How she would fold herself into his embrace, pressed against his chest, his hips, his-- Just losing herself to the feel of him, of *them* and the way he made her heart so exquisitely warm. It was incredible then. It was pretty incredible right now. She wondered if he was also aware of what had happened to them through out the course of the song. The way his own arms held her close. But she was too afraid to look up. She knew that if she pulled away for even that instant, the moment would end. He would let go of her, and she of him, and there would be that coldness that she had almost overcome in the last few months. A coldness that hurt more than she ever dreamed possible. No, she was not prepared for this moment to end. She heard Clark sigh and felt him move closer, pulling their joined hands in towards their bodies, he brushed the side of his head against hers. Lois shivered. "Clark?" Both Lois and Clark froze in their positions as a woman's voice invoked the interruption for them. Lois sighed deeply and disengaged from her husband, who opened his eyes and stared deeply into hers. She felt a rush of conflicting emotions. Most of them begging her to kiss him-- "May I cut in?" Clark turned towards the familiar voice and backed two steps away from Lois, clearing his throat. "Marie!" How had she? He smiled, trying his best to look as pleased as possible, which, under the circumstances, wasn't very. "You're here. I'm--a little shocked, I-I mean, I thought you'd be out later next week..." Lois stood on the periphery of the couple who were now taking small steps towards each other. Her heart rate increased and she held her head up higher than she had been before, though she remained silent. "I was." Marie reached out and Clark hugged her awkwardly, trying not to look at Lois. Trying not to think of Lois. Which was impossible since she was standing right there; since she had just been dancing in his arms. "I caught an earlier flight. I wanted to surprise you." She disengaged and grinned up at him. "Surprise!" "Yeah, yes, I mean ... that's great." Clark swallowed and then remembered his manners. "Oh, oh, Marie, this-- " He moved aside and indicated where Lois was standing. "--this is Lois Lane, my--" "Ex. Yes, I've seen your photos. You know, ever since I've known Clark, he's had those photos up on almost every open surface in his flat. There are so many, you must have lived in front of a camera for over a year." Marie laughed and extended a hand in greeting. "Marie Rickard." Lois cleared her throat, took Marie's hand and shook it firmly. "Well, I guess we did---take a lot of pictures, in the beginning." There was a pregnant pause as Lois glanced over at Clark and found his expression to be one of quiet apology. It was so sad; she almost felt like reaching out and telling him that it was okay, They had both moved on. So then why did she feel so- "Is it hot in here, or is it just me?" Lois fanned herself slightly as her eyes searched for an escape. *Anything* to get her away from 'Marie Surprise Rickard'. It wasn't that she didn't like the woman. Well, okay, it was. But up until now, she had always had a healthy respect for her as a journalist and as an anchor person. Why should the fact that she was Clark's new ... whatever ... make any difference to her? Whatever the reason, it just seemed that it *did* make a difference, and since rationalizing things wasn't nearly as satisfying as allowing herself the luxury of disliking the woman immediately, Lois decided not to fight it. At least for now. "I am a little warm myself, actually." Marie chimed in sweetly. "And I just got here. But Clark looks fine." Clark shrugged and tried somewhat unsuccessfully not to look as uncomfortable as he was feeling. "In fact," Marie continued, "Clark's the only man I've ever met who doesn't seem to get hot in a close crowded room." She smiled and patted his shoulder. **I've seen him get hot before.** Lois thought impetuously, and then mentally slapped herself for the indulgence. She tossed a look at Clark and understood almost immediately when he swallowed and returned her another. He hadn't told Marie. She didn't know about him, or his powers. In fact, Lois wasn't sure if she knew much about the man in the tux at all beyond the obviously wonderful way it fit him. To her surprise, and somewhat to her chagrin, she found herself taking more than a little smug satisfaction in that fact. In knowing that he still hadn't trusted someone else with his secret. She was now the only person alive who knew about who he really was -- or maybe more to the point -- who he *had* been, once. Yes, that had to be it. He wasn't telling anyone because he'd closed the book on that chapter in his life. Or tried to anyway. Judging by the pathetic expression on his face right about now, she wasn't at all sure that he had fully realized *any* of his resolutions over in Europe. Did this mean he hadn't slept with Marie either? She was a beautiful woman, and she hung over Clark even better than Mayson Drake ever had. How could he have resisted her? But there was so much she didn't seem to know about him, things that an intimate relationship *should* have revealed. Lois stifled a sigh of relief, or maybe it was an irrational form of joy. If Clark truly hadn't been with this woman, despite all of her obvious charms, then that might mean- "You know what?" Lois smiled at Marie. "I think I'm going to get something to drink. Maybe that will--cool me off a bit." She turned, heading out towards a man in black carrying a try of glasses and Clark watched her go, regretfully. Almost wishing. . . . "What?" Clark felt the tug of Marie's hand on his arm and he turned to her. "What is it, Clark? You're a million miles away. With Lois I think." She watched him with a pleasant enough expression and Clark wasn't sure exactly how to respond. "I'm sorry. I wasn't. Uh, with Lois I mean. She and I were just dancing--for old times sake. It appears that we're going to be partners again." This time he waited for Marie's response before continuing. To his surprise, she grinned at him! "I know. They told me in Paris. To be honest, not that I'm the jealous type or anything," Clark looked worried. "because I'm not." Marie continued. "but I guess that's one of the reasons I took an earlier flight." She toyed playfully with one of his lapels. "Well, that and I really wanted to see you." Clark sighed. She did look very nice, well, very *very* nice in her dress. But he had been right. Seeing her *and* Lois in the same room at the same time was difficult to reconcile. It was something he thought he'd never have to do, so many miles away in Paris. Hiding from -- himself? Whatever. It was happening now, and he still had yet to figure out how to handle it. Or even if he was *supposed* to 'handle it'. "Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a very special request right now..." Clark, and everyone else in the room, snapped to attention as one of the members of a band which had been unobtrusively playing soft music up until this point, suddenly spoke up. "The dedication is: To Lovers. Past and Future." The tall band member went on as the rest of the crowd continued to whisper at their tables or among themselves while they waited on the dance floor. "You forgot Present!" Someone threw back, and the group murmured their amusement. "No, it was explicitly left out." The man with the mike raised his eyebrows and the entire room laughed. "All right then, "Fly me to the Moon."" Clark's heart nearly stopped and he whirled around to face Lois, who stood across the room from him, staring back. She definitely looked like she had had the same reaction but Clark was unable to respond to her gaze because he felt himself pulled around, his arms taking another woman into their grasp. "I guess, since we aren't lovers yet that could apply to us," Marie whispered. Clark cleared his throat, readjusting his position and trying not to listen to the familiar words of a song which would only ever remind him of one woman ... #Poets often use many words to say a simple thing ... In the far corner of the room, Perry exchanged a glace with Alice and shook his head. Lois stood off to the side wall of the banquet hall and looked--lost. Holding a glass of Chardonnay in one hand and a dream in the other, she reminded him a little, of a high school girl at a gymnasium dance. #With music and words I've been playing, #For you I have written a song... Perry glanced up from his table and moved one hand slowly forward, pointing at a man in a tuxedo near the entrance to the Paradise Room. The man nodded and disappeared around the corner. #To be sure that you'll know what I'm saying, #I'll translate as I go along: Clark felt Marie's arms around his neck and he closed his eyes. He was such a traitor. But all he could think about was Lois, in this same position, as she had been only minutes ago. It wasn't fair. It was impossibly unfair and he forced himself to visualize all of the really good times he had had with Marie in Europe. The things that had made him care so much about her. It was working... **RING** Clark opened his eyes and was grateful that they hadn't turned in their position; his back was still towards Lois. But what had that noise been? **RING** He patted his pockets and realized that he wasn't carrying his cell phone on him this evening. It had to be... "Damn. I'm sorry Clark. I have to take this---I've only told three people my cell number over here and it might be important." She apologized and moved quickly away from him towards the room's entrance. Clark watched her for a brief moment, but his mind was elsewhere. It was impossible to concentrate so intently on a thing and not emerge somewhat confused when reality began to set itself stubbornly back into place. The music was still playing ... #Fly me to the moon ... He began to turn around, slowly. #And let me play among the stars ... She was still there. Still absolutely, incredibly breathtaking. She held half a glass of Chardonnay in one hand and she glanced down, self consciously at the floor when she realized he had seen her watching him. Lois' sensitivity to these types of situations was one of the things that had made Clark fall so head-over-heels in love with her. The way she threw out 'hard bitten news woman' with one hand and desperately sought emotional justification with the other. That, and Clark remembered with a slight smile, just about everything else about her. #Let me see what spring is like, #On Jupiter and Mars, He moved towards her slowly, not really thinking about it. Not really caring why. Just ... following something he didn't feel the slightest urge to fight right now. #In other words, #Hold my hand ... He was either crazy or the music had made him so, yet still he placed one foot firmly in front of the other, until he stood face to face with her. She was right next to the band stand, just off of the edge of the dance floor, near a small table. Clark froze; his gaze locked with hers. And for a moment, neither of them spoke or moved.. #In other words, #Darling, kiss me ... Slowly, she set her glass down on the table next to her and took two steps towards him. It was she who finally moved forward, into his arms. She who felt his hands around her back, moving softly, pulling her closer. She who lay her head against his chest and felt him sigh beneath her. There were no words. There didn't have to be. There wasn't anything that either of them would have allowed themselves to say anyway. #Fill my heart with song, #And let me sing forevermore ... After all, what could you say to the one person who made your heart skip a beat every time she looked in your direction? The one person who held you helpless in his arms every time your body melted against his? What could you say when you *knew* that there was no going back... #You are all I long for. #All I worship and adore, Clark closed his eyes and concentrated on the feeling of her body pressed against him. He breathed in the smell of her perfume and let his fingers trace a slow pattern across the bare skin at her back. Lois shivered and melted further into his embrace. #In other words, #Please be true; If there were any justice in the universe, this song would never end. Lois felt her mind reach out to *any* deity that might listen. She didn't know if Clark had any idea of what his soft caress at her back was doing to her. The way she had to consciously keep herself from shivering as his fingertips brushed against her skin. The way she longed to press her entire body deeply into his and take his mouth in the most primal, desperate, urgent kiss imaginable ... #In other words, Clark looked down at Lois, whose eyes were closed as they clung to one another, experiencing their song, one last time, together. He was feeling a thousand different things, the most urgent of which was an aching, pulsing, agonizing heartache, begging him to satisfy himself with her the way he'd dreamed of for so long since their separation. She opened her eyes, large and luminous, dark with pent up desire. Clark thought they were more beautiful than he had ever seen them before. Her lips were soft and moist and parted ever so slightly, and he KNEW. #I love you... Her arms reached up around his neck and he shifted his body against hers as the music, by some miracle, continued. Clark felt her breath against his skin and then, at last, the brush of her lips against his own. God, it was so sweet, so incredibly sensual, and he felt her instinctively press forward to deepen the encounter. She was so soft, so "Clark?" What? Oh God, that was Marie! What if she had ... no, he had picked her voice out from across the room, she hadn't seen them yet but her call had been loud enough to hear, even without superpowers. Suddenly, as if on some diabolical cue, the entire moment had been shattered. Lois' body stiffened and straightened in his arms and the two disengaged, breathing deeply and staring into one another's eyes, not entirely sure how to proceed. But there wasn't time to decide because Marie would certainly see him in a few seconds. Clark's shoulder's fell a little and he began to turn away from Lois, towards Marie's direction for the inevitable encounter. But suddenly, inexplicably, Clark found himself once again face to face with a slightly defiant looking Lois Lane, who had slipped around and in front of him. He saw her eyes glistening with moisture, though her head was held high and then, somehow, they were kissing again. Hungrily, their hands urgently exploring one another's bodies, in the most incredibly sensual way and in the midst of so many other dancing couples. It was absolutely primal, exhilarating exquisite... An then it was over. Almost as suddenly as she had embraced him, Lois stood back. Letting out a long breath and licking her, already moist lips, she gazed into his dark eyes for what seemed like and eternity. Until he reluctantly turned in the direction of Marie's voice once again. He cast one last glance over his shoulder as Marie came forward into his arms, but Lois was gone. And it had all been so impossibly uncontrollable, he wondered if she had ever even been there to begin with. --------------------------------------------- Across the lobby, a man in a dark suit slipped his cell phone into a jacket pocket and smiled. Mr. White would be pleased. CONT NEXT POST... ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 4 Jan 1998 14:33:41 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: demona Subject: FANFIC 7/11 - Heaven's Prisoners (PG) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Clark sat on the edge of his bed and started to remove his tie. Marie moved quickly from one end of the hotel room to the other, dropping two ice cubes into a glass and pouring herself some water from a nearby pitcher. She made her way around the side of the bed and sat next to Clark, holding her glass in her lap with both hands. "So ..." Marie smiled and watched as Clark fidgeted with his tie. Finally, he gave up, placing his hands in his own lap. "You know, it's always worse when you plan on having a conversation, isn't it?" He chuckled and Marie followed his lead. "I guess that depends on what you plan on talking about," she said matter of factly. Clark nodded in agreement. "Right. Well, that's actually -" "It's Lois, isn't it?" Marie cut in, nodding as she spoke. Her hands trembled in her lap and a small drop of water spilled over the edge of her glass. Clark dropped his head to his chest and then lifted it again. "Marie-" "I could see, Clark. I mean, at first I pretended that it wasn't there, and then that it didn't matter, but it was so obvious. I saw the way you were looking at her. I saw the way she was looking at *you.*" Clark glanced at his hands in his lap. Marie went on, the tremor evident in her voice despite her best 'news anchor' training. Clark had to admire her courage. "You're still in love with your wife, aren't you?" A heavy silence fell over the room and Clark swallowed. This wasn't exactly what he had intended to happen, but then, nothing ever seemed to work out the way he intended where women were concerned. "Marie. I care about you--so much. You're more special to me than you can ever know," he began. "But?" Marie tried to smile, but was losing her ground rapidly. "But-- I wasn't fair to you." He found her eyes and held them for a moment. "I see." She looked away and Clark could see the tears in her eyes. "I mean I- " she trailed off and turned away from him completely. Clark reached around and turned her slowly back towards him. Hurting her was the last thing in the world that he'd ever wanted to do and yet -- "Marie ... if Lois wasn't --" "But she is, Clark. She is." Marie wiped her eyes with the tips of her fingers and took his hand in hers. "I know." His voice was almost a whisper. "I just-- I don't want to hurt you anymore. It isn't fair to you." " -- and it isn't fair to you, either. I've known you for a while now, Clark. Long enough to know that you are the most sensitive and caring man I have ever met. I know that I was falling in love with you ..." She blushed slightly, but continued on, boldly. "... but I'm not blind, and I've known from the beginning that there was always someone else. When I saw your loft, all those pictures everywhere ... I knew." "You knew?" Clark laughed slightly despite himself. "Well, that makes one of us." Clark's rueful tone saddened Marie even as it made her smile at its sweet charm. It was always that boyish naivet=82 which contrasted so sharply with a keen and wise intellect beyond his years that had attracted her to him from the very beginning. "Well, that," Marie began, "and the fact that you never seemed ready to make love." She colored slightly at the admission. "Marie ... that was *not* because I didn't find you attractive. I did. I mean I *do*. But it's just that-- " Clark fumbled for the right words and knew he was failing miserably. How do you tell a woman you care about that you've never wanted her intimately because you don't think you *could* ever want any other woman except one. Lois held captive his soul just as surely as she did the desires of his body, and she never even had to try. "She does love you, Clark." Marie cut in softly, lessening the tension, letting him know without so many words that she understood. "Any woman can see that in another woman's eyes. And Lois Lane has got it just as badly as you do." She forced a smile and Clark regarded her with an expression of desperation and frustration. He wanted to know how she knew, he wanted to ask her, but he knew that asking would probably only hurt her further. Unforgivable. "Marie ..." "We had quite a trip though, didn't we?" She laughed through her tears and Clark stopped talking and squeezed her hand instead. "No regrets?" "Not one." He smiled at her and brought her towards him for a long, deep hug. She clung to him tightly for a time, and then let go, surveying his rumpled shirt and half hanging tie. "Lois Lane is a lucky woman." Clark frowned slightly. "I don't know if Lois and I can ever go back to the way things were, Marie. I hurt her so badly. I know that now. It's all just so complicated." Clark sighed sadly, shaking his head. "But I do know that I can't keep doing this to us, to me and you. I never wanted to hurt you." There was an uncomfortable pause before Clark continued. "It would probably be better for everyone if I stopped trying to do this whole 'love' thing all together." His lip twisted up into a half-smile, and he absently rubbed the back of his neck. Marie suddenly looked serious and took both of his hands in hers. "Clark, promise me one thing?" He nodded, uncertain. "Stop running." Clark looked up in surprise at her words. "There's only so far you can go before you realize you're on your way back to where you came from. Life's like that. And I don't want to see you hurt." She squeezed his hands briefly. He shook his head. "Marie, I don't know if I deserve- " "You deserve to be truthful with yourself, Clark. Be honest here." She tapped his chest affectionately. "You can't live with yourself -- even alone -- if you're not. Trust me, I've been there." She pulled his tie the rest of the way off and tossed it onto the bed as she stood. "I better go. I've got airplane reservations to make." She smiled and Clark stood. "You just got here --" He offered her her coat and she took it. "I know, but I guess I came to say goodbye ... or to let you say it. I guess I was hoping that I'd get here and everything would be magical between us, but I think inside I knew that I'd already lost you. That's why I had to come early, while I could still stop my transfer. I was jealous of a woman I'd never even met and my instincts are usually good." She gave him a little smile, then broadened it into a grin. "But tell Lois not to worry; I swear I'm not the violent type." Clark returned her smile. "I know you're not." He kissed her cheek. "You're wonderful." Taking hold of the door handle, she slid it open and then turned back into the room. "Good luck," she announced, shoving one hand into her pocket. "Being back here in the US reminds me of why I hate it!" Clark smiled back and nodded. "Take care of yourself, Marie." "I will." She inclined her head, touched her fingers to her lips, then held them out towards him. "Bon soir, mon cher." And then she was gone. The door clicked shut and Clark was left standing there, staring at the blank reminder of her presence and wondering if his life could possibly become any more complicated than it had already. ------------------* "Absolutely!" Lois' excited tone turned several heads in the work area outside of her own large office enclosure, and she put her hands to her smiling lips. "Okay," she whispered several decibels lower, "will the D.A. be able to get him to testify?" Judi shook her head until it became almost a circular motion, shrugging her shoulders. "I'll take that as a definite maybe." Lois grinned and then put both hands on her hips, adding, "you know, I never told you how great it is that they let me have you back as an assistant Jud. You've been indispensable to me. I didn't know what I was going to do when Jimmy took off in search of his career." She rolled her eyes dramatically and both women laughed. "But, I guess I can't blame him; I used to know that same excitement about being a reporter." Lois' expression suddenly took on a far-off look and Judi raised her eyebrows. "Excuse me? Am I talking to *the* Lois 'reporter extra-ordinaire, get out of my way or I'll step right on over you, nobody gets there first' Lane?" The older woman tapped her on the shoulder and Lois dissolved into a fit of helpless laughter, sinking down to the floor against an expensive mahogany desk, just one of the few perks her new position had allotted her. She pulled her knees up to her chest like a little girl and laughed while Judi stood watch over her, frowning in odd contrast to the giggling woman beneath her. "Lois," Judi's voice was soft as she spoke to the younger woman. "I worry about you sometimes, honey. You're so strong and independent. You against the world-" "That's right!" Lois continued to laugh softly. "Me against- " she suddenly broke off her sentence and sighed. "That's what I mean. Are you sure you're okay? I've worked with you long enough to know that when you get --" Judi was unable to finish her sentence however since Lois began to laugh once more, dissolving into helpless giggles. "I'm *fine*, Judi, I swear, I'm- " As suddenly as her laughing had begun, Lois eyes filled with tears and she was crying, placing one hand to her lips as though she herself were shocked at the intense turn around of emotions. She sucked in a breath and gave up trying to fight any of it. Judi moved quickly and quietly to the large office doorway and shut it. She turned around, seeing tears making shiny trails down Lois' cheeks. Lois looked up at the older woman, her eyes large and shimmery. Her voice broke as she spoke softly. "I don't know ... I don't know what to ..." Lois trailed off as Judi came around the desk and plucked several tissues off of a box on top of it. She moved beside Lois and sat herself down next to the reporter, head of the Investigative Division at Planet News Network. She took a little girl into her arms and rocked with her back and forth, listening to the soft sounds of her crying and feeling for the first time in such a long time, that she truly had a daughter. She never believed she would ever know that joy. "Shh, it's all right, Sweetie. You're all right. You're going to be just fine." She whispered soothingly, and Lois sucked in yet another strangled sob. Several moments later, Lois brought the end of an offered tissue up to her eyes and dabbed at them carefully. She took a deep breath and hugged Judi before pulling away. "Thank you." She smiled at the older woman who nodded, giving her a concerned, caring look. "You wanna talk about it?" Lois glanced at Judi once and then smiled a shy-smile. She lowering her head and let out a short breath. Judi recognized the sign immediately. It was a "no". This time. She pulled herself up against the desk until she was standing once again and then watched Lois do the same thing. "All right, I won't pry." Judi smiled and Lois returned the favor. "You never do. You're a wonderful person." The young executive turned and stared out of a large floor to ceiling office window, a signature PNN window. Every major office had these. She cleared her throat. "It really is a beautiful view, you know?" She turned around once more but Judi was gone. Lois could see her filing papers just outside her office door, at her own desk. She shook her head and sat down in the large executive chair, squeezing its arms with a perplexed frown. Lois looked around. The office really was large. Two of her Kerth awards sat in an elaborate display case along with several other precious items of her possession which she had opted to keep at work instead of home. Artwork she didn't own, but might have liked to, hung from each of the office's four walls and gave the room a sort of somber wisdom she doubted was contagious. A soft knock on her door startled her and she looked up, uttering the word "Yes" out of habit at the same time. "Lois, are you busy?" ****CLARK**** Lois couldn't believe how relieved and happy she was to see him, standing there. He had been the object of the most confusing, conflicted feelings she had had in over 2 years, she was angrier at him than she thought she had ever been in her entire *life*, and yet, the sight of him standing there, in her doorway, with his perfect suit and his slightly off-key tie caused a rush of warmth and a feeling of inexplicable contentment flow over her traitorous body even so. "No, no, I am not busy." She glanced once again around the strange room surrounding her. "Actually, I have no idea *what* I am right now, but busy -- busy isn't it." Clark smiled his patented 'nervous' smile. Lois felt a pang of remorse for him. She quelled it immediately and began to gather paper absently from around her desk. "So, how do you like your new office?" She chimed in conversationally and Clark stepped inside, putting his hands in his pockets and looking around. "Actually, I like yours better." Lois almost choked. "What?" She looked up quickly and Clark tensed at her response, gesturing quickly towards a window. "Western exposure." He replied as casually as he could -- which wasn't very. "I got the northeast corner. I'll bet you can see the sun setting from here." "Oh, yes. I hadn't thought about it, actually." Lois turned and glanced outside of her west window. "But otherwise?" Okay so she was making conversation. It wasn't that bad. It wasn't as though she had flown from her chair on the moment of his entry, launched herself into his arms and kissed him hungrily, the way that she'd wanted to. Breathe Lane. "--- beautiful." Lois caught the tail end of Clark's remark and shook her head indicating that she'd failed to catch the beginning of it. "I said otherwise it's really beautiful." He was looking straight at her. "Actually, I did come here for a reason," Clark added quietly. Lois found her eyes inescapably drawn to his. "Yes?" she almost whispered. Clark opened his mouth to speak again but never got the chance. "Hey, gorgeous--" Another man's voice preceded another man's body as his head tipped around the corner of her office and brought with it the entire man, carrying flowers. He stopped mid-stride, however, when he caught Lois' gaze shift up towards him in surprise and noticed her company. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know you had ..." He floundered a moment before regaining his composure. He stuck out his hand and grinned suddenly. "Where are my manners? David Morris." Clark took the offered hand and shook it firmly and courteously. "Clark Kent." David didn't flinch. In fact, he smiled as warmly as any business man meeting another for the first time might. Clark tossed a questioning look towards Lois, which she noticed, but failed to respond to. Either that, or she simply decided not to. Lois folded her hands on her desk and tried to pretend her insides weren't doing the shimmy shake with an armada of butterflies. "Clark," her voice cut in, "David is a producer for PNN. David, Clark Kent is my new partner for the investigative division." She smiled congenially at both men and David nodded, grinning. "Well, actually, 'new' isn't--" Clark began. "Are you here for our lunch date?" Lois cut in, shooting Clark a dark stare and then quickly turning her attention back to David, who didn't seem to have noticed the exchange. "Yeah, Yes, I am. Sorry to have barged in like that. I had no idea you were in a meeting and Judi wasn't at her desk, so I just-- well, I can come back later, if you'd like." David glanced at both Clark, who tried valiantly to keep the fixed smile he'd created glued to his face, and Lois, who suddenly stood up. "No, actually, I think we were through here. Right, Clark?" She smiled a 'friendly' smile at Clark who nodded slowly, a sinking feeling swelling in the pit of his stomach. "Yeah. We can get back to ... this, later." He returned the fake smile and Lois looked away, linking her arm in David's as he escorted her through the door, leaving Clark by himself in the large office. CONT NEXT POST... ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 4 Jan 1998 14:33:49 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: demona Subject: FANFIC 8/11 - Heaven's Prisoners (PG) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" *_______* David sat across from Lois at the small table they'd reserved for lunch. Max's wasn't an incredibly expensive place to eat, but it was quiet, intimate and usually one of Lois' favorites. Today, however, she stared at her pastrami sandwich and poked at her french fries with her fork. "Lois, is something bothering you?" David's voice intruded on her thoughts and Lois looked up. "David, there's something I haven't told you about Clark." She fixed him with a serious gaze, but David smiled. "Lois, I know I should let you speak first here, but I just have some really exciting news and I wanted you to be the first to know." Lois stopped mid-sentence and nodded. "What is it?" "I got the job in California. They want me to take over! It'll be my production, Lois, executive producer. Do you have any idea how great that will look on my resume? And the pay ... Lois, they told me the could use several more producers down there. I mentioned that you might be interested and they were very excited!" "You what?" Lois' dumbfounded look took David by surprise and he reached across the table, taking both of her hands in his. "Lois, I didn't sign your name on any dotted lines, but think of the potential. We could-- we could move there together. I have a great little place lined up already, and Lois ..." David suddenly reached into his pocket and extracted a small, velvet box. "Will you marry me?" Lois stared in shock across the table. "David," she whispered, glancing at the beautiful engagement ring. She afforded her own bare finger a glance and sighed, remembering a time when Clark's ring had been there and she had been the happiest woman in the world. That was a long time ago. "David, that's what I wanted to talk to you about." She placed her hand on top of the ring box and looked up. "You know that my husband and I are legally separated." David nodded, smiling. "Yes, I know that you haven't signed the divorce papers yet, but that doesn't matter to me, Lois. We can still be together while you are pushing that through. I know how determined you can be when you want something. We can get that cleared up quickly. I promise I'll make you happy. I love you." Lois swallowed. Engagement? David was right; she and Clark hadn't signed the divorce papers. Actually, Clark probably didn't even know that there even were divorce papers. She'd had them drawn up almost six months ago, and then put them away the very same night, unable to sign even her own portions. She'd cried a lot that night. David continued. "Lois, when I first moved to Metropolis a year ago, I never dreamed that I'd be meeting the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I was a small time producer with huge dreams ... and there you were. It was the most incredible thing. So much has happened since then, in *both* our lives. The past doesn't matter to me-- " "I- I never told you what his name was." Lois cut him off quickly. David looked perplexed. "His name? It never came up. I don't need to know Lois." He took her hands in his and squeezed them gently. She frowned. "Yes, yes, it does matter. Especially now." "Lois, I love you. That's all that matters. Say that you'll marry me." David's voice was the epitome of sincere and it made Lois' heart reach out to him. He'd tried to be there for her, but ultimately, there was only one man she could ever truly be with and be happy. "Clark Kent." She froze after she'd said the words and watched his face. He stared back for a moment. "The man ... the man I met in your office today? Your new partner, he's-" "My husband," Lois finished for him. "Ex-husband," David corrected. "Well, the papers-- not quite." Lois whispered quietly. "So that's why--" David trailed off and Lois looked up at him. "Why what?" She asked. "You were looking at him when I came into your office; you were looking at him the way I've always wished you'd look at me." He gazed across the table at her and she lowered her eyes but said nothing. Finally David broke the silence. "Lois, I *love* you. Will you come with me to Los Angeles? No conditions, no looking back, please?" Lois looked up at him and met his pleading gaze levelly. "I- I care for you David. I think that maybe, in time, I might have even- " "So, you won't." He spoke softly, cutting her off. "Because he's back." "I can't." She admitted. "And it's more complicated than that, David." "I see." He closed the velvet box in his hand slowly. There was silence between them for a time. "I have to go on this trip." He sighed. "I know. David, I'm sorry." She tipped her head and patted his hand on the table. "I wish things could have been different ..." "Do you love him? Are you still in love with him? Lois, just tell me that, please." He swallowed and Lois looked up, beyond him for a moment before meeting his gaze once more. "Oh, David. It's so hard for me to explain this. And I don't want to hurt you." She smiled ruefully and David whispered. "So, just say it. I'll be okay." "It's- it's like he's a part of me. He's part of my soul, and no matter how I feel about him ... or you, or anyone else, it's always going to be that way. I don't even understand it myself. Sometimes, I-" "I understand." David stopped her with his voice and the touch of his hand on hers. "I think I know what that might feel like." Lois nodded and swallowed back the tears she knew were already shimmering in her eyes. "I hate him for hurting you," David said finally. "I'm sorry that I had to say that, but I do. And at the same time, after meeting him, it's hard for me to hate him at all." David shook his head in confusion, and Lois laughed through her tears. "Oooooh, David, you have *no* idea!" She smiled and then took his hand in hers. There was silence for a time. "When are you leaving?" "Well," David began, letting out a long breath. "Circumstances being what they are, probably tonight." She nodded. "I'll miss you." Lois swallowed and David let out a the low first note of a laugh that wasn't quite. "You know what they say about that one great love that changes us, Lois." David stood from his seat and moved around to her side of the table, kissing her tenderly before hooking his jacket in his fingers and slinging it over his shoulder. Lois looked up at him in surprise. "No, what do they say?" She questioned, but David shook his head. "It also finds us where ever we are," he finished. "Goodbye, David." She smiled at him and every trace of teardrops seemed to vanish from her face. "I know you'll be successful at whatever you do." "Tell Kent I said he better take good care of you!" David called out to her as he turned to walk proudly out of the restaurant. He hailed a cab and Lois watched him get inside as the door to Max's finally swung shut. "I don't think so, David," she whispered. "Not this time." Lois drank the last of her water and then dropped a bill onto the table, gathering her purse into her arms and hurrying through outside through the same door. ---------------------* Clark leaned against the wall of his office and shut his eyes. **Lois** His mind called out to something he knew he couldn't reach right now. She wasn't here, and even if she was ... he'd broken her heart. He could never reconcile that, and he doubted she would ever be able to either. And then there was David. What was working with Lois going to be like with David in the picture? Would he be able to keep his feelings hidden from her all over again? To keep from touching her when he ached to? It was going to be more difficult than he had ever imagined and Clark found himself insanely wondering if he'd done the right thing in letting Marie go. He shook his head violently to clear it. NO. Even if Lois was involved with someone else, even if she never came back to him, he knew that his being with Marie could never work. He was, and always would be, completely in love with Lois, and no other woman could ever take her place in his heart. Not in any lifetime. If it made Lois happy, then he could go back to being simply friends. He'd learned in Paris, all those miles away from her in quiet agony, that no matter what the price, Lois' well being and happiness were far more important than his own. It would hurt a lot at first, but he would do it for her. The absolute certainty of that fact struck him so completely that he felt his body hold back a sob of despair. He needed her so desperately and now he'd lost her forever. ---------------------* Lois walked quickly down the hallway towards her office, purse in hand. She stopped several paces from Clark's open office doorway. She watched him leaning up against the wall. She watched him run his hands through his hair and shut his eyes. She watched him as he sank slowly down to the ground until he sat, oblivious to anyone and anything except for his own tortured thoughts. Turning, she hurried towards her own office door, and ducked inside, shutting it quickly behind her. She spent the rest of the day attempting to finish up the stacks of new and impending paperwork which both she and Clark had been handed. It was a near impossible task. Thoughts of David flooded her mind alongside images of Clark sinking to the floor against the wall of his office. She doubted anyone else had seen him. The building was enormous and there was only a skeleton staff on their level. Just the executives and their assistants. Of course, Clark had yet to find himself an assistant. That was so like Clark, to leave something like that until last. But it did afford him a large degree of privacy in his office. Lois shut her eyes against the heart-wrenching image of Clark in his office once again. This was impossible. *Concentrating* was impossible. David had asked her to marry him! And she refused. She refused? Of course, she refused. She was still in love with Clark. She would always love him. Big, dumb, stubborn ox that he was. He was also the nicest, kindest, most wonderful man in the world. He was just ... Clark. Lois broke the end of her pencil off against her desk and cursed under her breath. All this paperwork. If it weren't for her overactive imagination, Lois knew that she had probably never been more bored in her entire life. Luckily, she thought, this would be a pretty rare thing. Perry had promised that he would delegate extra assistants to handle the bulk of the paper-load so Lois could concentrate on being something more akin to a reporter again. Management made money, Lois had to admit, but more than a few times she caught herself longing for the old days, when all she had to worry about was the next story or the validity of a source. She picked up a new pencil and chewed on the end of it for a moment in thought. The quiet chime of an elegant clock on her wall sounded off seven times and Lois looked up. Where had the time gone? She sighed and dropped her pencil, noticing the red-orange hue of the paper on her desk for the first time. The sunset. She spun her chair around and was accosted full force with the most beautiful sunset she'd seen in years. From her vantage point, high up in PNNs main building, she watched the shimmering fireball descend into the water-filled horizon, reflecting off of the polished surfaces of the building all around her. It was stunning. There was a soft knock at her door. "Come in," Lois called back, absently. Clark took two steps inside the office and closed the door softly behind him. "Hi Clark." Her voice was soft from her chair, but she hadn't turned to face him, or even verified that it was really him. Clark swallowed his perplexed expression and moved to stand behind Lois' large chair. "It really is beautiful, isn't it?" He placed his hands on the back of the chair and Lois nodded, still not looking back. "Yes - it - is." Lois punctuated softly, tipping her head up so that she could see him, finally. Clark resisted the urge to bend down and take her lips in a soft kiss, the way he used to, the way he still wanted to. She smiled suddenly, obviously reading something in his expression. "No, Kent, that would definitely *not* be a good idea." "I'm sorry?" Clark feigned innocence and Lois smiled enigmatically. "I've seen that look in your eyes before. I know it very, very, *very* well." She shook her head and Clark had the decency to look embarrassed. "I'm sorry," he murmured. "Did you finish your paperwork?" "Yeah." Lois looked almost triumphant. "Just did. You?" She glanced up at him. "I mean now that you can't just ~-> ..." She waved her hands in front of her and smiled. "Yes, I did." Clark couldn't resist smiling back. "I think we're the last people alive here tonight, except for post -production downstairs." Lois nodded thoughtfully, then turned her attention back to the sunset. Clark followed her gaze. "You drive here today?" he asked out of nowhere. "Cab." Lois tapped her pencil between her fingers. "They're renovating my parking space." Clark grinned. "Well, I drove so if you'd like a ride-" Lois spun around in her chair so suddenly that she found herself face to face with Clark's lower abdomen. Her nose brushed against him and she backed up self-consciously. "YOU have a car?" Clark laughed. "Yeah, I have a car. This is newsworthy?" Lois chuckled and stood up until she was face to face with him. Clark noted that there were only inches separating their faces but Lois was bold and defiant as always. "I think so! Clark, when did you get a car?" she began, taping his shoulder accusingly, "You used to tell me you would *never* ... wait a minute, I have a better question. What kind of car is it?" Lois looked positively playful and Clark couldn't help but grin in response. "I don't see what that has to do with whether or not you'd like a ride home, Ms Lane." "Ohh, it has *everything* to do with it, Kent." She reached into a drawer and grabbed her purse. "What kind is it?" Clark watched her, an amused grin spreading across his face. "Well, if I'm driving you home, I guess you'll find out." Lois laughed out loud. "You're a sneaky one, Clark. Okay. My coat is on the rack behind the door." Clark moved to the other side of the office and picked up the small car coat which hung there. He held it open for her and she slipped inside. "Thanks." She turned, smiling, and Clark could have lost himself in her eyes. He reached up slowly and Lois held her breath. **He's going to touch me** She waited ... the moments seemed like forever until Clark's hand brushed against the hair near her ear. She shivered involuntarily. Clark shifted his hand and slipped a forgotten pencil out from behind one ear. Lois swallowed, unable to believe that something so small could be so ... "You always forget." He curled her hair around her ear the way she liked it, smoothing the temporary mess he'd made and smiled in satisfaction when he'd completed the task. "There. Perfect." Lois swallowed and Clark held an arm out towards her. "Shall we?" She nodded, a silly expression crossing her face as she linked her arm with his. As they made their way through the doorway to her office, Lois said something that Clark would never have believed she would. Leaning into him very slightly, she bumped him with her hip. "I missed my best friend." It was very softly spoken, but the force of feeling that hit Clark at her admittance almost knocked him off of his feet. He had no words. It took every ounce of his willpower to keep him from falling to his knees and begging her for forgiveness right there and then. His mind reeled until ... "So, where is this car of yours?" Lois interrupted his thoughts playfully. Clark swallowed, realizing how close he'd come to giving everything over to her. He knew in that moment that there was no turning back -- ever again. -------------------------* CONT NEXT POST... ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 4 Jan 1998 14:33:56 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: demona Subject: FANFIC 9/11 - Heaven's Prisoners (PG) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Lois surveyed the parking lot trying to second guess the type of vehicle she might find. "Clark, come on, which one is it?" "Why is it so important?" Clark chuckled. "Well- I mean, a car says a lot about a person I think." Lois tipped her head in concentration. "Well," Clark began. "You know a lot about me ... guess." He smiled and Lois slapped his arm playfully. "All right." She furrowed her brow, suddenly looking up. "It better not be a mini-van" Clark laughed. "Why not? What's wrong with Mini-vans?" Lois shrugged. "Well nothing, really, it's just ... I don't see you as the mini-van type. Besides, they're boring." Clark had to stop himself from laughing. God, it had been so long since he'd laughed this way with anyone! "It's not a mini-van, Lois." "Good." She smiled. "In fact ..." They rounded the corner of the parking lot and Lois gasped. "You're kidding, right?" "Nope. That's it." He watched Lois as she disengaged from his arm and moved to examine the small red Lotus. She placed her hands on its edge and ran her fingers along the roof in a way that made Clark wish she had done the same thing to him. "What -- did they pay you in gold bars over there in France?" She looked up at him and Clark stoically shook his head. "No, I mortgaged my underwear for that thing," Clark admitted. Lois giggled, moving back towards him. "So," she tapped his chest, "there *is* an earthling male in there somewhere, huh?" Clark looked down at her and caught her hand in his. She looked up at him and for a moment they just stared into each other's eyes. "Whoa." Lois spoke first, pulling gently away from him. "What?" Clark whispered. "I'm thinking things that are *not* good for my resolve." She smiled slightly. Clark let out a breath and nodded. He moved around to the passenger side of the door and held it open for Lois, who smiled in thanks and sat down inside. "Well, one good thing about taking this job ..." she started. Clark raised an eyebrow as he waited and Lois shot him a smug grin. "You can get your underwear back." Clark shut the door and spun around to make his way over to his side, hiding his silly grin from Lois. Was it time he needed? He had been such a fool ... a selfish, mindless fool to shut her out those years ago. But would he have been able to let her in if it were happening right now? Did knowing how wrong he'd been really change things, or would it still be just as hard? Clark sighed. Whatever happened, he was here again, whether he liked it or not. And Clark was beginning to discover very quickly, that he liked it a lot. Sitting beside Lois, Clark maneuvered the car out onto the road. "Where to?" He asked casually, though he was burning with curiosity. "Raynard and McGavin." Lois watched his reaction, but Clark merely whistled. "Nice area." He admitted and Lois nodded silently. They traveled that way for a while, in silence. Lois watched the scenery float slowly by and Clark turned every so often to glance in her direction without speaking. She knew he was looking at her; she didn't have to see him. "So, how's Marie?" Lois broke the silence. "She's fine ... I assume." Clark swallowed. "You assume?" Lois turned in her seat to regard him for a moment. "She left." "I'm not following you." Lois' voice was almost perfectly calm, but Clark could hear the subtle edge to it. "She went back to Paris." Clark cleared his throat. "When is she coming back?" Lois asked and then immediately regretted the indiscretion. "She's not." Clark stopped at a red light and turned towards Lois. "Lois-" Clark began. "You're going to miss the turn off. Here," Lois interjected quickly as the light changed to green. Clark turned obligingly onto McGavin. Lois pretended to stare out of the window but she clutched the trembling fingers of one hand discreetly around a door handle next to her. Clark said nothing. That had been very close. Lois glanced at Clark out of the corner of her eye. He was probably going to say something he'd regret just then. Something they both might. Lois had to admit that curiosity burned inside of her almost as brightly as the passion she felt for him. But emotional mountains were never her strong suit. She took a deep breath and continued to not watch the scenery go by outside of the car window. The lights from the city were beginning to come on and the sun had all but left the horizon when they pulled into the apartment complex's parking facilities. Lois handed Clark her key card ID to slip into the slot. Clark navigated through the darkened parking area and pulled into a spot of Lois' choosing. Looking over three car lengths, he spotted the familiar silver jeep parked nearby. He shut off the engine. Neither he nor Lois moved. "Clark." "Lois." They both spoke at the same time, turning towards one another. "I really enjoyed meeting David today; he seems like a great guy." Clark hurried on first, needing to let Lois know that he wasn't trying to take anything from her that she wasn't willing to give. Lois let out a breath and looked down at her lap. "Yeah, he is." She smiled a crooked smile. "David went to California tonight, Clark." "California?" Clark's question was almost lost in the semi-darkness of the car's interior. "Yeah. He- asked me to marry him." Clark swallowed. "I see." It was all he could manage. His heart felt as though it were twisting in half. **Oh, God, this must have been what she felt when I left her, when I never came back.** He shifted in his seat. "Lois, no matter what you chose to do in your life, I want you to know that I'm so sorry for all the pain I've caused you. It was so selfish for me to leave you and I just didn't even see that then." Clark turned so that he fully faced her, resolute to finish his confession. "I thought ... you know, in my usual bonebrained way ... that I was doing what was best for you, or anyone else I cared about. I made that decision all by myself and I've never come to regret anything more in my entire existence. It was my own foolish pride and fear that forced me to hurt the person I loved most in the world." Lois swallowed hard but held his gaze, unable or unwilling to look away. His eyes shone with unshed tears, and he held them back valiantly. Lois wanted so much to reach out and touch him, to brush the tears away. But she couldn't. Instead she folded her hands in her lap and nodded. Clark continued. "If-- if I could undo that hurt, if I could take the pain away and make it gone, I would give my life for that. I think it's wonderful that you've gone on with your life and found someone else. I want you to be happy. I'm so sorry, Lois; I'm so very sorry, and I know you'll never be able to forgive me, but I wanted you to know -- no matter where you go, or what you do ... I just needed you to know that ..." He trailed off quietly, looking down at his lap as the first of his resolve broke and the tears came. Lois finished listening to Clark's admission and watched him hang his head. She knew that he was crying. Tears she had begged him to shed two years ago in memory of his parents, in admission of his need for her. She'd pleaded with him to let her in and he wouldn't. He couldn't let her comfort him and he'd never cried once. She felt her immediate empathetic response to his deep hurt and knew that she too was crying. "I was such an idiot," he finished in a whisper. "Yes, you were!" Lois whispered back, reaching out to brush away the tears which fell slowly down his cheeks. "You're an idiot who went through hell all by himself because of it." "Lois, I'm so sorry," Clark repeated fervently, and Lois swallowed while she shook her head. "I had to watch you, Clark. I had to watch you slowly disappear until finally one day you were truly gone. I had to watch you!" She repeated the phrase once again. Her words were fierce, but her hands traced a slow path over his face until she cupped his larger features in her small hands. "Oh, God," Clark tipped his head down in Lois' hands and Lois reached up to remove his glasses. She set them down on the dash board and Clark fell forward like a little boy. Lois, taken aback for only a moment, realized almost immediately what had happened. She wrapped her arms around him as best she could, feeling the force of his emotion shake his larger frame and listening to him grieve for the first time in two years. He clung to her as she rocked with him, and he sucked in each breath on a sob. "I let them die ... I let them die ..." he whispered over and over again, clinging to her and shaking. "My mama is dead because I couldn't save them in time. I couldn't get to them. Lois!" He nearly wailed. "Lois, what have I done?" "Oh, Clark." Lois ran her fingers softly through his hair. "You couldn't have saved them. Not even Superman can be everywhere. It wasn't your fault..." Here he was. Crying in her arms the way he should have two years ago. The way he couldn't then. But he was here now, and so was she. She vowed that if she never took another breath, she *would* help him through this. What had been, paled in significance to what was in this moment. He needed her and she would be there for him no matter what. She knew that her words must have sounded hollow to him, but they were all that she could say. There was nothing anyone could say or do that would magically make two years of suffering and anguish vanish from either of their lives. Most especially Clark's, for he had had to live not only alone, but with the knowledge that he had been responsible for the deaths of two of the people he loved most in the world. No, not responsible, never responsible. Yet he believed that he was, and that was enough for Clark. The strength of his convictions had always had to be enough to keep him sane. Now they were slowly driving him over the edge. "Lois, I'm so sorry." Clark rushed on. "I'm so sorry for hurting you and I know I can never undo that pain. I can never go back. I wish that I could go back ... I wish that I hadn't been such an idiot." He ached inside, years of pain bottled up and only now exploding. Yet, she never once let go, never once held him away from her. Instead she pulled him closer, brushing her face against his and kissing a wayward teardrop. He was completely vulnerable right now and she wasn't even moving in to take the victory he knew she deserved. "I love you so much, Lois," he whispered finally, at first surprised that he had let such a great deal of his control slip. But Lois didn't turn away. She sighed. "I forgive you - idiot." She moved her hands over his warm, tear-moistened skin and felt her own tears continue to fall. She could also feel his warm breath against her skin. "I forgive you." She whispered again and then opened her eyes to look into his. What she saw there was a struggle that made her heart break. She'd seen that look before. He wanted to kiss her as desperately as she wanted to fall into his arms and feel that power again. But he was holding back because ... David. Her commitment. He knew that she was seeing someone else and he wouldn't get between that. **Clark!** Lois shook her head and moved even closer to him. "When I said David went to California, I meant that he's not coming back. I told him I couldn't marry him, Clark. I told him I-" Lois' words were cut off as Clark's mouth fastened on hers in a kiss borne of urgency and desperation. She answered the pull of his tongue with a loud moan of her own, driven by two years of longing. His hands slid behind her head and pulled her gently forward into the deepening kiss. She reached around him and ran her hands through his hair the way she'd wanted to since the first time she'd seen him in Metropolis again. But caution kicked in far too quickly and Lois Lane felt her brain pull her body away from its encounter. "Clark," she gasped as the kiss parted, tears still trickling down her cheeks, though whether his or hers she was no longer sure. "I know this is pretty intense, and I'm feeling it, too, trust me." Lois breathed out and ran one hand through her hair. Clark swallowed and sucked in a deep breath. "There are a lot of things I'd like to do right now." She continued and met Clark's dark, passion filled eyes with two of her own. "But we can't -- just do this. I don't know if we can just pick up and ..." She trailed off softly and Clark swallowed. Lois looked down at her lap for a time and then brought her gaze up to his once again. She smiled shyly. "Would you like to come inside for a drink? This place has a wonderful lounge downstairs; it's almost as good as the Metropolis Regency. We can talk. Do you need to talk?" She asked him with complete sincerity and she held her breath waiting for his response. Would he? Now that the breaking moment was over, would he let her in? Clark picked up one of her hands and let her fingers roll over his. Caressing them softly, he let his gaze travel upward and met her eyes. "I want to talk, Lois. I *need* you-" Lois smiled and sucked in and out as tears of a different kind began to well up in her eyes once again . "I'm always here for you, Clark. Always." She reached out to stroke his cheek with the back of her hand and Clark placed his thumb and his index finger into his eyes, fighting back the tears he knew were coming. They were tears of relief as well as regret. ------------------------* Lois sat at a small table across from Clark. The lounge was completely empty save for their two occupied chairs. Even the small bar had closed up early at her request and Lois had taken the liberty that all residents in the complex had on occasion. She locked the door. By now, traces of her tears and Clark's were almost nonexistent. She heard Clark sigh. It had taken him two hours to relate the story of his parents' death to her. Not the version the police had filed, but the version he remembered. Where he had lain there, helpless, as his world exploded around him. That he blamed himself exclusively for the event was beyond any doubt, and Lois felt his grief so keenly she thought that her heart might break for him. "-- I didn't want to tell you, Lois. I felt like anyone who knew what really happened would also know that it was my fault. And know that no one close to me was safe. So I left. I rationalized that I was doing the right thing, but I know I was really running away. I've spend the last two years of my life running away, and I'm ashamed of that." Clark looked down and Lois shook her head. "It wasn't your fault, Clark." Lois soft voice brought his head up. "That's moot, Lois." "No, it's not." Lois stared at Clark until he met her gaze. "Clark, you have to believe that it wasn't you who caused their deaths. Jonathan and Martha would never have wanted you to believe that. It isn't true." She reached out and took his hands in hers, absently caressing him with her thumb. "Mom would probably drag me off by the ear and scold me." Clark smiled a small smile and Lois nodded. "That's right." "Thing is," Clark continued, his smile turning almost immediately into a frown, "I'd give anything to have her do that again right now." He looked lost and afraid. And Lois had never been more in love with him. "It hurts a lot to lose someone you love, Clark. And nothing can take that pain away from you." Clark looked at Lois and knew that she was speaking from her own experience. His chest felt like someone had begun carving a hole out of him. "But allowing yourself to grieve helps. Will you let me in this time, Clark? Let me help you." Lois held her breath waiting for his response. When he did not answer her, her heart sank into the pit of her chest. Clark stood instead and made his way around to her side of the table. He pulled her gently to her feet. Lois looked away from him, but he brought his hand up and cupped her face, turning her towards him. "Would you dance with me, Lois?" Clark asked tentatively, unsure what her response would be. Lois felt herself go weak in his arms. She nodded slowly, wordlessly, and Clark pulled her closer, leading them several steps away from their table as the music from the stereo near their table began to softly play its next song. #Here is my hand for you to hold, #Here's the part of me they have not sold. "Clark?" Lois voice was tentative and unsure. "You never answered my question." Clark gazed down at her and lost himself in her warm, brown eyes. Yes. He'd known the answer to that question for so long now. But the question that had always remained for him was would *she* want to be a part of his life? After everything? He finally knew the answer to that question as well. "Lois, if you'll have me, I want to share everything with you. Completely. Will you have me?" He held his breath and waited as her eyes widened in hearing his response. #I've wandered far; I've had my fill. #I need you now; do you love me still? Lois pressed her body closer to his and felt his arms tighten around her. His hand traced light circles in the small of her back. She shivered and brought her arms around his neck, resting her head against his chest. "Yes, Clark. Yes," she whispered. #Only you have seen the hidden part of me. #Call me foolhearted, if you will. #I loved you when; do you love me still? Clark brought one hand up from her back and placed it gently against her head, brushing against her hair and tucking it back behind her ear. He sighed. "That's twice in one day, Kent," Lois murmured against him. She smiled as she felt the warm vibration of his soft laughter wash over her. He continued to stroke her hair and Lois felt herself slipping into the ecstasy of complete contentment. It had been so very long ... #So many smiles and lies surround me, #empty expectations, faceless fears. #Sometimes this life is a bitter pill. #I love you now; do you love me still? "I've never heard this song before." Lois breathed deeply against him and Clark held her closer, if that were possible. He closed his eyes. "Do you Love Me Still," he whispered. Lois pulled her head away from his chest. She watched him for a few moments until his eyes opened once again. "I'll always love you, Clark." #You have been mine since time untold. #All of this, immortal, don't you know. #Others will come and they will go. #But I loved you young, I'll love you old. #Only you have seen the other side of me. #Call me naive; I think you will. #I loved you then; do you love me still? Clark inclined his head and Lois met him halfway. The kiss was long and sweet and filled with the promise of more. Lois tangled her hands in his hair, and Clark sighed against her lips. He pressed forward and she lay her forehead against his. #Here are the eyes that only see you. #Here is the mouth that only calls your name. #Here is the song they can not kill. #I love you now; do you love me still? The song ended as softly as it had begun and Lois and Clark remained trapped in one another's embrace. Her hands slowly caressed the back of Clark's head, and he held her so close to him that neither was sure they were really two people anymore. "I've missed you so much, Lois. I *love* you so much. I don't think I- " "Then don't think." Lois pulled his lips down to hers once again and felt his mouth devour hers with desperate urgency. She moaned softly and fell forwards against him. Their bodies pressed together, their hips still swaying to a song that had ended several moments ago. Soft moonlight spilled in increments through the large paned windows surrounding the lounge and shimmered off of Lois' hair. Dark shadows surrounding the numerous empty chairs around them swallowed up one shaft of light and fed it towards the surface of the countertop. Clark spun their bodies around until his back was to the bar and Lois was pressed against him in front. He brought one hand upwards to caress the side of her face with his fingertips and she did the same, brushing her hand over his jawline. Neither spoke. They stood that way for several minutes, touching each other and staring into one another's eyes. ---------------------------* CONT NEXT POST... ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 4 Jan 1998 14:34:04 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: demona Subject: FANFIC 10/11 - Heaven's Prisoners (PG) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ---------------------------* The door to Lois' darkened apartment slid open and two bodies tumbled through its entrance. Clark used his foot to shut the door behind them, keeping his arms firmly wrapped around Lois, the way they had been as the couple made their way upstairs. Lois moaned impatiently and pulled on Clark's lower lip with her mouth, playfully, bringing him forward into another sultry, exploratory kiss. Clark felt his knees weaken as he responded to Lois' touch. God, how he'd missed her. Missed feeling this way. Clark gently traced a path with his hands along the outside of Lois' ribcage, through her blouse. Lois whimpered and fell backwards into his arms, giving him better access to her body. "Please ... I've longed for you to touch me, Clark ... It's been so long ..." Clark took only a fraction of a second to study her form, arched within his grasp, the curve of her neck and the way her shoulder length hair fell loosely behind her. Her eyes were closed and she sighed as she felt his hands move higher. He gently brushed his fingertips against the warm skin near the base of her neck and her head fell backwards and off to one side. As his fingers reached the edge of the collar on her blouse, Clark deftly hooked his hand around to her front and unbuttoned the blouse in several easy movements. Lois pulled back suddenly in surprise. "Where did you learn that?" She was still pressed intimately against his body, but she had tensed. Clark used both hands to caress her arms at each side while he pressed light kisses against her hair, her face, next to her eyes, the tip of her nose. Lois shivered and leaned into his touch involuntarily. "Clark ... don't," Lois pleaded, more for the sake of her own sanity than his. "Lois, only you," Clark murmured against her hair, pulling on her lower lip with his hot mouth. Lois made a small noise of pleasure in the back of her throat, but still demurred. "Only me? What does that mean, Clark? It's probably none of my business, I know, but I-- " Clark sighed. He curved his head around hers and took the shell of her ear into his mouth gently, brushing his lips over the sensitive skin. "I've only ever been with one woman, Lois, and she's right here in my arms." Clark's whisper against her moist skin caused Lois to shiver violently in his arms. She made a strangled sound of mindless pleasure at his assault on one of her most erogenous places. But she willed herself to concentrate. And being Lois Lane, she won. She pulled away for a moment and studied his eyes. The look in his eyes was tender as he banished the remainder of her insecurity. "I swear to you, Lois, I never could-" Finding the answer she'd needed, Lois suddenly pressed forward against him, covering his face and his neck with wet, urgent kisses. "I love you, Clark. I love you. I love you. I love-" She brushed her lips against his neck, barely touching his skin and felt him shudder in response. "I never did either, Clark. I couldn't-" She pressed another kiss to his collarbone and felt his arms wrap around her. "Are you trying to seduce me, Ms. Lane?" Clark's low voice rumbled against Lois' chest and she shivered. "I hope so ..." Lois' voice was hardly more than a sigh in the darkness. "... cause I've already been hopelessly seduced." Her warm breath against his skin sent Clark almost to the edge of sanity. "Make love to me Clark." She whispered, drawing herself further into his embrace and pulling at each of the buttons in the front of his shirt.. She ran her fingers lovingly over him and heard Clark's soft moan of approval. "Slowly" Lois murmured against him. "I don't want this to end." She clung to his shoulders and Clark felt the sorrow of knowing that he had caused her to mistrust his staying power. "I love you Lois." He whispered against her hair. She slipped backwards into his strong arms and allowed her body to go limp in his grasp. Clark moved over top of her to find her lips. He caught them in his own and she convulsed towards him, pressing her mouth into his. Her hands moved feverishly inside of his open shirt and over his back. "Don't let me go Clark..don't stop.." She gasped, as he began walking further into the extravagant apartment. Noticing the lights of the city beyond, Clark made his way across the room to the window which covered almost an entire wall of the dark apartment. He pressed Lois' body up against the glass... (Snip about 5 pages ) Clark lay forward on top of her, his hands resting next to her head. They were still locked together when he pulled slowly from her and Lois shivered. She clung to his body and Clark rolled onto his side, bringing her forward so that they were pressed together, face to face. He caressed her arms and kissed her face. "I love you, Lois," he murmured against her warm skin. She took a deep breath and pressed her lips to his collar bone. "I love you, Clark," she breathed, running her hands over his sides and down his back. "I love you." She whispered again, more quietly this time. There was silence for several moments before Lois broke it. "God, I don't know if I could live through that again," she teased, breathlessly. Instead of laughing the way she was sure he would, Clark moved up her body and kissed her tenderly, drawing his lips over hers and pulling gently. Lois answered his pull with one of her own, sighing into his mouth. He began kissing her over and over again, the way that he knew she loved. She gave in completely and moaned as he sought gentle entrance into her mouth, then pulled out again just as sweetly. Lois hadn't felt so loved, so absolutely content, in what seemed like forever. And Clark was taking his time, kissing her slowly, repeatedly, pulling his hands through her hair. He pressed a light kiss against her face and her eyes opened as she felt the warm wetness of his tears on her skin. "Clark, what's wrong?" Lois asked tenderly. Clark opened his tear-filled eyes and gazed into hers. "I love you so much, Lois. I'm so sorry." Lois raised herself up on an elbow. "I already forgave you, farmboy!" She kissed him sensuously and then added, "though after *that*, I'd forgive you for anything else you might have thought of as well." Clark buried his face in her hair and sighed. She ran her fingers through his own fine dark locks, but she knew something was still not right. "What is it?" Lois whispered. Clark raised his head. "I guess-- I can't forgive myself," he admitted softly. Lois wound her bare leg around one of his and let her fingers follow his hair down onto his back, then traced the length of his spine. "Oh, my Clark," she whispered softly, brushing another soft kiss against his lips. "We've still got a lot to work out. I know that. But I also know that I *love* you, and that you love me, and whatever else we have to say to one another, nothing is as important as that." She kissed his shoulder and Clark reached up to cup her face in his hand, running his thumb over the edge of her chin. She tipped her head to one side, in that endearing way she had, and Clark smiled through his tears. "I swear to you, I'll never leave you again." The absolute conviction in his voice almost made Lois gasp, but she knew also in that instant that he was being completely honest with her. She felt herself nearing joyful tears once again and fought the urge to cry. He needed her to be strong right now. "You better not," she teased, falling forward against him and capturing his lips with hers for a long, slow kiss. "There's still the matter of Superman," Lois added, after they came up for air. Clark sighed and shook his head, getting emotional again. "No, Superman is gone," he said adamantly. After a pause, he smiled sadly, his voice softer. "I - I don't know if he can ever come back, Lois. I don't know if I can ever ... I need time, Lois ... there's still so much inside of me. So much that I'm still afraid of. So much that I need to work through. That I need to prove to you ... and to myself." "I know you do, Clark. And as long as we're together, we can work through anything. Even Truth, Justice, and the American way." She grinned playfully at him and Clark pressed her back into the soft carpet beneath them. "Truth ..." Clark kissed her neck, and slid his open mouth along her collar bone. "... and Justice ..." He slipped his arms around her and cupped the back of her head in both hands, leaning forward to kiss her fully on the lips. "... can wait until tomorrow," he finished. Lois moaned softly as he began yet another exploration of her body. "Are you sure?" she whispered, half teasingly. But Clark would have none of it. He gazed down into her face, then moved lower to rain light kisses against the drowsy lid of her eye. "My love," he whispered against her skin as he made his way across her face to the other eye. He kissed it, too. "My soul mate." He heard her sigh and then placed his lips a breath away from hers. "My life. I need you desperately," Clark breathed over her lips. She made a small sound in the back of her throat, even as a shiny teardrop flashed in the moonlight against her cheek. "Then take what you need, my Superman. I'd give you anything," she whispered back. Clark pressed his mouth to hers, pulling her forward into his arms. He drew from her strength; they drew from each other. CONT NEXT POST.... ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 4 Jan 1998 14:34:11 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: demona Subject: FANFIC 11/11 - Heaven's Prisoners (PG) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" -------------------------------------------* Epilogue: THE NEXT EVENING -------------------------------------------* Clark stepped quickly along the office corridor with a photo in hand. Getting back into 'reporter-mode' had been a godsend after yesterday's stacks of paperwork, and he smiled to himself as he checked his watch. 7:30 pm. The only downside to the event was that he hadn't truly been able to see Lois today. Not the way he'd wanted to at least, not being able to hold her and to touch her the way he ached to even more keenly since they'd made love last night. He shut his eyes and smiled. Focus had been another real problem today. Lois had probably already left for home. They'd both been working on gathering the necessary team to take over Planet News Network's investigative line staff, a group which was to be unlike any other major news corporation's -- tighter knit and more organized for one thing. Lois had some fantastic ideas for the unit and he was getting more and more excited at the prospect of running it with her. She really was brilliant, Clark mused, then tapped himself on the head with his photo for zoning out again. Their morning meeting had been the only time they'd seen each other during the day today, and Clark had been able to focus on little else, especially during moments like this when not much 'else' was really going on anyway. Last night had been ... incredible. Exhaustive, but incredible. They'd stayed up well into the early hours of the morning, talking mostly ... well ... and kissing ... touching, holding each other. In the beginning, they'd been like starved animals, but later ... later, when the fire of immediate passion had cooled to a warm glowing ember between them, there had been a beautiful sense of belonging as Lois wrapped her arms around him and dropped her head to his chest, sighing. Clark had been unable to get enough of her. The way she felt, the lingering smell of perfume on warm skin. The way *he* felt knowing that she was there with him, and he with her. She was like the first taste of a wildly visceral narcotic after months of withdrawal. But this was one addiction Clark never planned on giving up again. The anger, the fool in him twisted his gut in remembrance of what had yet been left unsaid, and he swallowed the growing lump in his throat. They still had a lot to talk about. And Clark was determined that, though it might take the rest of his life, he would make it up to her somehow. He shook his head. But thoughts of Lois no longer saddened him the way they had only a few days ago. Now, no matter what seemed 'in the way', thinking of her only served to put a silly smile on his face and a warm feeling in his chest. Clark turned the corner of the hallway on the way to his office and stopped in surprise, nearly bumping into a member of the evening cleaning crew as he made his rounds through this almost deserted floor of the building. The door to Lois' office stood open, and a faint orange glow filtered through the window behind her desk. But what had stopped Clark in his tracks was the woman behind the desk. Her head was down, her pencil tapping against the edge of her paper as she read the document it contained. Lois' hair spilled forward over her face as she bent her head still lower in concentration. She looked so much like the way she had when Clark had first met her, a feeling of deja vu swept over him as he watched her from afar. He found himself walking past his own office without thinking, instead padding softly down the corridor until he stood silently in her doorway. She didn't see him at first. He listened to her sigh as she read something that was obviously incorrect to her sensibilities and watched her circle it with her pencil, making a note. It was the strangest thing, and yet ... not so strange at all ... but standing there, seeing her as if for the first time, Clark couldn't believe the depth of his emotion for her. It was as if, after all this time, after all of the holding back and withdrawing he had done, last night had flung the floodgates wide open and here was a man consumed by the force of his feelings. It hurt and it felt really incredible at the same time. Lois suddenly looked up at him, as if she had sensed the pounding of his heart or the exploding firewall of emotion he'd experienced. Her eyes shone when she saw him, and a shy smile crept to her lips. "Hey, I didn't see you." She spoke softly and Clark knew that he was looking at her through a mixture of longing and love. This time, he didn't even try to hide it from her. She looked down at her paper, the smile growing on her face and she laughed. "You always know," he mused, sighing. Lois nodded and looked up at him again, her eyes sparkling. "Well, I know *you* if that's what you mean." She stood up slowly, moving around her desk. "I know the way you look ..." She tipped her head to one side coyly. "I know what your looks *mean*." She emphasized the last word as she came to stand face to face with him. Lois lifted her hand up to press it against Clark chest, but he caught it before it reached its destination and he held it, caressing her fingertips with the pad of his thumb before bringing her hand to his lips and kissing it softly. He held it against himself but she spoke first. "I didn't know you'd still be here." She whispered, allowing him to play absently with her fingers, twining them with his own. "Neither did I," he whispered back, then noticed that Lois tipped her head in confusion. "I mean- I didn't know you'd still be here either." He smiled at her and she nodded. "Well, how could I miss a sunset this beautiful?" She smiled softly, though she hadn't turned to look out of the orange tinted window behind her. "I don't know," Clark responded, taking their joined hands and pulling them over her hips, down the side of her body. She leaned forward. Clark continued. "They say that if you miss the sunset often enough, you forget what it's like to feel its beauty in time." Lois met his gaze. "Do you think that's true?" Her voice was soft, her eyes serious. Clark let out a breath. "No, I think its absolutely untrue. Impossible." She fell the rest of the way forward into his arms. Their lips met and Clark drew her closer, pressing one hand against her back while keeping hold of her fingers with the other. He shifted his head and whispered against her ear. "Dance with me, Lois." She shivered and pulled in closer to his body. "Yes," she whispered, then giggled as Clark spun her away from the door dramatically before stopping their bodies in the middle of her office. He nuzzled his face against the side of hers. "Lois," Clark breathed against her hair. She leaned in closer still to him as their bodies swayed together to some distant song which only they could hear. "I want to spend the rest of my life dancing with you like this." Lois tensed a little in his grasp and Clark pulled his arm from her back to stroke her hair gently. "Lois?" Lois swallowed and gazed at the sunset behind them as she let Clark's arms envelope her with warmth. She knew what he was asking, and she knew that she had to tell him as well. "You left me Clark." Her voice was soft, and she felt Clark instinctively tightening his arms around her. "I wanted to forget. I forgave you, with all my heart, and I wanted to forget, but I can't." She pressed her head against him and Clark stopped the motion of their bodies just long enough to change the rhythm so that he now rocked with her almost imperceptibly. "I know," he whispered. "And there is no excuse, nothing I can say that could ever atone for what I've done." He paused and felt Lois' body twitch in his grasp. She wept softly, her tears wetting the front of his shirt, but Clark held her fiercely. "You are my life, Lois," he uttered fervently. "You were my life from the moment I saw you. And ... after my parents died, I didn't feel like I deserved to live. I didn't know how to reconcile my guilt. I did some unforgivable things. I let myself forget that, in this life, though we may have two bodies, we share our souls." Lois wound her arms around him and sighed sadly. Clark continued. "I don't know ... I thank God every time I remember your breath against my face when you told me you'd not given up on us. I still can't even imagine- " "I *love* you!" Lois strong voice filled the office and she pulled from his embrace so they could look at each other. "You're a part of me, Clark, and I did what I did for selfish reasons as well. I can't imagine living a life without you in it. And I know ... " Clark stood before her, watching this strong, determined, spirited woman lay her convictions out before him and he kept the physical distance she had created for them out of a deep respect borne from years of knowing an equal. "I know ..." she continued, now bridging the distance between them on her own and taking his face into her hands, "... that no matter what's happened, and no matter how large the mistake ... inside here," she tapped his chest with her hand softly and then brought it back up to cradle his features, "is a *good* man. The best man I've ever known. The only man I've ever truly loved." "You hurt me, Clark," she announced, and Clark nodded wordlessly, transfixed by her. Knowing only that she had spoken the absolute truth and that he had no right to take that from her. "But I also know that if I let you go, I'd be making an even bigger mistake. And it would hurt a whole lot more." She ran her fingers over his jawline and Clark shut his eyes. "I love you so much, Lois Lane," Clark whispered, opening his eyes and staring deeply into hers. "Kent," she whispered back at him, smiling. "Lois Lane Kent." Clark reached forward and brought her slowly into his embrace. She happily complied, folding herself into his arms until he completely enveloped her. "I am the luckiest man in the universe." He spoke up towards the ceiling and Lois let out a low laugh. "Yeah, I think so." She felt his arms tighten around her at the words and she smiled against his lips when he began to kiss her tenderly. As the kiss slowly parted, Lois breathed against Clark's skin. "Clark, your kisses have been so incredible ever since you came back from Europe ..." "Lois." Clark looked seriously into her eyes. "I promise you-- I mean I hope you don't mean that you think-- " "I think," Lois began, fastening her lips to his once again and dragging him forward until their bodies tumbled to the floor of her office. She shut the door with the side of her foot and Clark brought one arm up to tangle his fingers in her hair as the kiss continued. "That we're doing way too much thinking," Lois finished breathlessly. The fiery red sun spilled liquid gold over the surface of Lois' desk as Clark slipped his hands around her and kissed her hungrily. --------------------------------------------* Perry White frowned at the stack of paper on his desk and glanced at the clock. It was late, but not late enough yet. He looked up suddenly when he heard laughter echo in the hallway. *Lois.* Now what in the Sam Hill was that girl doing at the office at this ungodly hour? And who was she talking to? Perry strained to hear the other voice but failed, assuming that the person was either speaking very quietly on purpose, or Lois was just out there talking (and laughing) to herself. Certainly a possibility ... this *was* Lois, after all, but, still ... He rose from his seat and made his way towards the door of his office ... -------------------------------------------* Lois walked two paces in front of Clark and he grabbed her hands from behind, pulling her hard against him. She gasped in feigned surprise and turned in his arms to face him. "We're never gonna get outta here," she murmured against his face before pulling on his lip with her mouth. "Who cares," he whispered and wrapped his arms around her. She grinned at him and he bent down to kiss her again. "You're insatiable!" she added breathlessly as the kiss disengaged. "I'm in love," Clark corrected and proceeded to brush his lips over her neck. She groaned and leaned forward into his touch. "Mmmm, me, too." Lois rolled around in his embrace and pressed her back against his front, holding his hands in hers. She leaned into him and Clark moved his face over her hair. He parted it from behind and kissed the back of her neck. Lois rolled her eyes. "Remind me to scold you more often," she whispered and Clark smiled. "Remind me to let go of your body later; I don't think I'll remember." He nipped at the shell of her ear and she gasped. "What if I don't want you to let go?" "Then I won't," Clark affirmed, pulling her back more snugly against him and giving her other ear the same treatment. In the background, someone cleared their throat and both Lois and Clark froze. Lois' mouth hung open for a moment and then she bit her lower lip as a small smile spread over her face. "Busted," she whispered playfully so that only Clark could hear her. She felt the answering nudge of his hips as they thrust once against her behind in reply. Knowing that whomever it was had already seen at least this much of their intimate rapport, Clark kept his hold on Lois' hands, leaving their fingers twined together. He turned their bodies around to face the intruder. Well, it was a free hall, wasn't it? Perry stood with his hands on his hips, a practiced (and decidedly bad) imitation of a serious frown on his face. He took one look at their faces and lost the entire act, bursting into laughter. "I see you two have, ahh ... talked." He spoke through a grin and Lois felt the right side of her mouth curl up just a little bit higher in response. She tipped her head back until the top of it was pressed against Clark's chest and she could almost see his face clearly above hers. "Talked? Did we talk?" Lois asked him innocently. Clark leaned forward, unable to resist her this time, kissing her parted lips very gently. She smiled against him, almost giggling, and returned her head to a more comfortable position. "Perry, how come you're here so late?" Lois asked. Perry huffed. "I could ask the same of you Lois," he began, then hurried to continue at the sight of her arched eyebrow. "... But *unlike* yourselves, I was working." Perry smiled. "Well, and Alice said she has some kind of a surprise planned and I'm not allowed to come home before 9:30." He shrugged and Lois grinned. "You see, Clark? Two more soul mates who found one another." She sighed and snuggled deeper into his receptive embrace. Clark returned the favor and exchanged a knowing look with Perry who shook his head, smiling himself. "You know, you two kids are ... well, I'm happier than a preacher in a month of Sundays that you two finally knocked some sense into each other. I'll say this; I've never known two people more in love. I mean if Alice hadn't suggested that we call up Marie on--" Perry went on, oblivious to both his mistake and the fact that Lois and Clark were each staring wide-eyed at him now. He stopped suddenly as realization set in. "Oh, ah, damn this old mouth of mine. The older I get, the worse *it* gets at keeping things quiet." He shot Lois an apologetic look, but she just smiled. Clark interjected. "Chief, you were the one who called on Marie's cell phone so many times the other night?" Perry nodded slightly. "Clark, I'm sorry if--" he began "No, Perry, it's okay." Clark gave Lois a squeeze and rubbed his fingers absently over hers. "You gave Lois and I one of the most incredible dances we've ever had. I should *thank* you. In fact, I *do* thank you." He grinned and Perry watched Lois settle down against Clark in that subtle, almost imperceptible way she had that meant he'd said something she adored him for. Damn, but it was good to see the two of them together again, Perry thought. The King knew they'd have a lot to get through now, but it was so obvious from the way they held one another that everything would find a way to work itself out in time. Their feelings betrayed them as strongly as a beacon on a dark night. "I was just on my way out, you two." Perry winked at Lois who blushed. "I don't wanna be late." He chuckled to himself and, with a nod, whistled his way down the hall and towards the elevator doors. Lois turned in Clark's arms as the elevator chimed its arrival and Perry stepped inside. She wrapped her hands around his neck and he brushed his nose against the tip of hers. "So, where to now?" Lois whispered and Clark shook his head slightly. "Anywhere, as long as its with you." He smiled and Lois tipped forward on her toes to kiss him playfully. "I want to walk. It's a beautiful night." She fixed him with a stare of askance and Clark reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear. "Then, let's walk." He hooked his arm around her waist and she twined her fingers back through his. ---------------------------------* It was a cool night. Not unpleasantly so, but enough so that Lois could justify the closeness with which she held herself to Clark. Not that she needed any justification, but there was still something about escaping from the chill in the air by allowing herself the comfortable warmth of his arms around her. (And his jacket -- it really *was* getting chilly!) She shivered. "Lois, if you're cold, I can take us some place warm," Clark mentioned, slightly concerned, but Lois demurred. "Warmer than this?" Lois pulled on Clark's arms and ran her fingers over his skin. "I don't think so." She sighed and Clark chuckled. "Well as long as you're sure." "I'm being clingy aren't I?" Lois shifted her position to regard him fully. "Lois, no ... at least, it wouldn't matter to me if you were. I'm feeling the same way right now. I don't want to let go either." Clark pulled her closer as if to illustrate his thoughts. "Then we don't have to, do we? I mean ... if we're both feeling this way, we should give in to it?" Lois asked hopefully. Clark cupped her face in his hand. "There's nothing I want more," he whispered, leaning forward to initiate a soft kiss. "Isn't that the Regency?" Lois queried as their mouths separated. Clark looked up in a daze and nodded. Lois tossed him a shy look, yet Clark caught the sly sparkle there as well. With an eager smile, he gathered her close and they hurried towards the large, glittering building only a block away. -------------------------------* "Oh, Clark, it's beautiful," Lois gasped as they entered the large suite he'd been living in since his return to the city. Well, he'd been there one night at least. Clark grinned at her and she looked around. "It's even larger than the honeymoon suite at the--" Her voice trailed off as she felt Clark's arms slide around her waist. "Well, that's why it's a hotel suite. Living like this every day would just be-- too much." He spun her around in his grasp and ran his fingertips over her arms. "Not enough." She whispered and leaned forward, initiating a deep and searching kiss. Clark moaned and felt her body slacken against his as the encounter became more intense. The couple disengaged, if only for a short gasp of air, before their lips pressed together once more and the ritual began, over and over again. Lois drew her hands up to his neck and placed her palms on either side of the back of Clark's head, feeling his soft hair trickle through them. "God, I'm so drunk on the way you feel, Clark," she whispered, pulling his mouth to hers repeatedly. "I know," he breathed out on a sigh. "I feel the same way about you." His body shuddered at the light caress of her fingertips near the base of his neck and he rocked forward, dipping the tip of his tongue inside of her ear. "Mmmm," Lois moaned softly. "Don't stop." "I won't," he promised, finding the sensitive shell and pulling his warm mouth along it playfully. Lois gasped and Clark chuckled. "You really like that, don't you?" he murmured against her skin. Lois pulled back as though she would answer his question directly, but then fell forward once again, brushing her moist lips over his neck and throat. "Lois ..." Clark breathed, and she smiled. "Yes, Clark?" "I think I'm going insane," he whispered into her hair, as she continued her explorations, pulling on the lobe of his ear with her teeth and then kissing him softly behind it. He groaned. "Take me with you," she whispered back, and he pulled her forward into his arms. (Snip several pages ) Clark held Lois close to him as he reclaimed reality, listening to the sound of their breathing returning slowly to normal, and loving her more than he ever dreamed it was possible to love. He cradled her in his embrace. "I love you so much, Clark." He heard her whisper against him and he sighed happily. "I love ... " She trailed off, seemingly at a loss for words. Clark slowly caressed her arms and Lois pulled closer to him. She wrapped her leg around one of his and reached up to brush his hair away from his face. "Lois, you are *everything* to me. And I intend to spend the rest of our lives together proving that to you over and over again." He bent forward and kissed her lips, tugging gently as they separated. "Clark ..." Lois stared into his eyes for several moments and he used his fingertips to brush at a lock of hair which clung stickily to her forehead. "Just shut up and kiss me." A smile crept over her face and Clark looked at down her with an expression of absolute adoration. "Absolutely." He murmured, fastening his lips on hers and pulling her to him as his questing hand found an even more precious prize. "Clark!" Lois gasped, and then added breathlessly, "Ohh ... don't stop ...." He didn't. ...THE END... (For Now ;) Fly Me To The Moon (In Other Words), by Bart Howard Do You Love Me Still, by Shaka Khan ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 4 Jan 1998 15:27:00 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Sheila Harper Subject: Re: 1/4/98 WEEKLY UPDATE - KATHY'S CHALLENGE Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Oh, Peace, I should have paid more attention to this one--I knew it without the extra clues. It's your Merry-Go-Round, in which Superman and Clark are both on a double date with Lois and that school friend of hers who gets drunk. >> 21. Clark buys daisies and a rose, all for Lois = ? >> Peace : > ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 4 Jan 1998 15:01:14 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Leanne Shawler (by way of Leanne Shawler)" Subject: S5: Episode 10 (final) Part 1 of 7 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Disclaimer: Lois, Clark, and all other characters of their universe belong to DC Comics, Warner Brothers, and December 3rd productions. And let's not forget to thank Siegel and Shuster, without whom we wouldn't be around to obsess about Lois and Clark now, would we? No legal infringement intended. No monetary gain is made through this story. Any new characters or situations are copyright Nancy Lemieux (c) 1997. Do not archive, and do not redistribute this story without the author's written permission. S5: Episode 10 Eine Klein Nachtmusik Written by: Nancy Lemieux Story by: Nancy Lemieux and Adrienne Vukovic Edited by: Adrienne Vukovic Creepy. That's the word that always came to Julian's mind when he walked into that abandoned warehouse. It felt like all of a sudden he was in a bad gangster movie. The brick building wasn't that extraordinary. A faded old sign spoke of Smithwick Mattresses with an ad on their firmness and durability. The doors and windows were old and sticking. Paint was peeling off the frames, and most of the glass panes were dusty and cracked, or broken - a legacy of several generations of youths who had enjoyed target practice. Boards had been put up in a weak attempt to keep out undesirables, but now they were broken and hanging. The roof was partly caved in and debris was scattered both inside and outside the worn walls of red brick. Water dripped inside, creating pools that were disturbed only by an occasional breeze and the scurrying of small rodents. Julian heard the door creak shut behind him as he stepped inside the warehouse. He shivered, feeling the darkness and stale air press in on his small stature. Why couldn't the guy ever meet him at a nicer place, like a park? At least you weren't worried about the roof falling in when you were out in an open space. And besides, parks weren't as creepy. Julian shivered and made his way even further into the building, minding the weak areas on the floor that he had tested before. Weaving his way through the piles of debris, he reached the meeting area, expecting to find him there. 'Him'. It would be nice to have a name to go with his contact, but he hadn't supplied one, so Julian only referred to the man as 'him' or 'you' or 'hey you'. The contact had made that very clear from the start. Never try and find out his name. If Julian tried, he wouldn't live long enough to tell anyone. A rustling sound broke into Julian's thoughts, and he raised his head in time to see a shadowy form move into the narrow beam of street light streaming in from a nearby broken pane. Julian hurried over to the man's side, mentally revising his report one last time. "Well, what do you have to report?" "I've recruited three new helpers, and they've run out of pamphlets. We now have six people working the halls, distributing pamphlets and inserting information in lockers. We're doing everything you want us to. But there's a problem." Julian hesitated, unsure as to how to continue. "A problem? What kind of problem?" "I think the vice principal is getting suspicious. He keeps meeting us as a group and asking why we miss so many classes. We're scared and we haven't passed anything out for two days now. What should we do?" The man leaned down towards Julian's face, looked him right in the eyes, reading the fear there, then smiled. Backing away, he seemed to think for a second before answering. "There's nothing to worry about. He won't find out about us. Just wait a day, then begin distributing these." The stranger reached into a pocket of his coat and retrieved a large pile of pamphlets which he handed to the young man. "Now, Julian, are there any more questions?" "No, sir." "Alright, then, I'll meet you in warehouse three at eleven p.m. four days from now." With that the man turned on his heels and swiftly walked back into the shadows. His footsteps faded away until Julian was left alone once more. He shivered, as if sensing the darkness start to press in around him, and turned to leave. Suddenly remembering his routine, he stopped and pulled a plastic bag from a pant pocket and rapidly stuffed the pamphlets into the bag, never noticing one he'd missed. As he walked away, large angry letters could be seen on the front sheet: "SUPERMAN MUST BE ELIMINATED" Clark didn't need to use his superhearing to know that Lois wasn't feeling well. She'd barely made it out of the bathroom the first time before she'd had to turn around and run back in, reaching the toilet just in time. He sighed and quickly headed for her direction, ignoring her previous rebuff that she was fine and didn't need his help. The door was slightly ajar, and he could see her, kneeling on the cold bare tiles as she leaned forward, seemingly unable to stop the heaving. Quickly, he opened the linen cabinet and pulled out a face cloth, wetting it with cool water and wringing out the extra moisture. He kneeled next to her and pressed his hand gently against her lower back, knowing she didn't like being around people -- even him -- when she was sick. Keeping his touch comforting and light, he then let his other hand brush the hair that was sticking to her sweaty brow before he applied the cold cloth to her forehead. She took a shuddering breath, and valiantly fought the need to heave some more. Clark's touch seemed to help, for in another moment she was strong enough to pull back and sit on her heels, letting out a shaky sigh. Clark didn't lose a moment and pulled her to him, wrapping her in a warm embrace as she slowly sank towards him. He turned her head slightly, pushing back the fringe which had stubbornly fallen back into her eyes before bringing the wet cloth he was still holding to her mouth, wiping away the signs of her sickness. He felt her hold on him tighten, knowing it was her way of thanking him for taking care of her. Smiling, he placed a kiss on the top of her head and waited. When she was ready she pushed away from him slightly, looking into his eyes with a mixture or tenderness and confusion. "I... I... Thank you," she started, unsure how to continue. "There's no need to thank me, Lois. You know that. I'm always here for you." "I know. It's just that... well, I'm not normally sick like this. I can't remember the last time my stomach felt so upset." Her eyes seemed to brighten slightly as a memory came to the forefront of her mind. "No, Clark, I do remember the last time I was this sick. It was when we were on that stakeout on the waterfront, and we'd eaten that Chinese food from Ralph's Pagoda!" Clark remembered the evening she was referring to. In fact, that memory was seared into his mind. He'd seen her silhouette as she'd undressed before the glass, and he'd barely been able to suppress his need for her, wanting to pop just like that champagne cork. Shaking himself mentally for the slip, Clark then focused on later that night, when his superhearing had heard Lois stumble to the bathroom as she'd emptied her stomach. He'd wanted to go help her then, too, but knew she would have pushed him away. He couldn't repress a slight smile as he realized how much the situation had changed. "What? Now you're smiling at my being sick?" "No, Lois... I was - Oh, never mind. Do you need my help to get up?" She shook her head and opted to grab the edge of the counter, pulling herself up onto shaky legs. Clark was relieved to see the streak of independence coming back. It meant she was really feeling better. "I'm going to walk to the bed." She began, trying to put strength in her voice, but then faltered as she felt her knees weaken slightly. "Stay near me, okay?" He heard the plea in her voice, knowing she'd need him. Clark resisted the urge to scoop her up and float them both to the bed, sure that Lois wouldn't appreciate his mothering. Instead, he put both his hands lightly around her waist, guiding her without providing real support. She slowly made her way to bed and gently lay down, sighing from the effort. "Lois, are you okay?" "I'm fine, Clark. Really. I think it's just something I ate. That or the flu, but I doubt it, 'cause I haven't felt any of the other symptoms. You don't think it was because we ate too much chocolate fondue last night do you? I mean, I've never been sick from eating chocolate, and I doubt it would start now. She stopped to take a breath, in too weak a state to babble on incesantly as she normally would. But the respite wasn't long as she launched into yet another tirade. "Or it could be food poisoning. I mean, who knows if the veal piccata was really good at Luigi's. Maybe we should investigate him. That's the last time we go to his restaurant... Promise me, Clark, that we won't go back there. Last night was fun, but it's not worth this." Clark smiled, lightly rubbing Lois' stomach as he'd done in the past. Lois lightly patted Clark's hand which was still rubbing her stomach. She seemed to be taking another breath before continuing. "I mean, it's strange. We've been to that restaurant dozens of times before and we've never had a problem. Maybe it's not that. Maybe it *is* the chocolate. I was feeling pretty stuffed when we went to bed last night, and let's just say that the extra 'exercise' we got after that didn't help settle my stomach, though I was feeling fine when I fell asleep. Maybe it's not food poisoning but just indigestion." Lois stopped suddenly, pondering the possibility. "Oh god, Clark! What if I had an indigestion from chocolate! That's the most horrible thing that could happen to me. But... wait... you weren't sick! Why weren't you sick? You ate the same thing I did... Oh, what am I saying? You swallow *bombs* in your spare time. Your stomach is probably lined with a triple layer of tempered steel. Of *course* you wouldn't be sick. That means I-" She stopped talking when two of Clark's fingers pressed insistently on her mouth. "Lois, you're babbling." 'Which is a good sign,' he added mentally. She shot him a look as the smile in his eyes registered, but then she relaxed as her last words sank in. She *had* been babbling. Well, at least it had worked for her. Her stomach was feeling much better. Lois kissed his finger, then pushed his hand away, moving up to a sitting position. "I do *not* babble, Clark. I merely think out loud." She harumphed lightly and made to stand up. She felt Clark's hand on her shoulder, keeping her in a sitting position. "Are you sure you're ready to stand up?" "Yes, I'm sure." She pushed his hand away and slowly stood up, keeping on the lookout for any signs of sickness that might come back. Despite a little light-headedness and dizziness, she felt much better, and made her way to the bathroom where she intended on continuing her morning ritual. Feeling her husband near her, she bent down to get her toothbrush and toothpaste, addressing him without turning around. "See? I told you I was okay. Now go on and get ready or we'll both be late for work." When he didn't move, she turned around to face him, giving a questioning glance. "I was just wondering if you want me to make you some breakfast." She blanched slightly at that, her stomach not quite settled enough to manage food. She then gave him a weak smile and formulated her reply. "Nah, I don't think I'm in the mood for breakfast. Why don't you just make me some coffee. I'm feeling better, so I'll just eat more for lunch. Okay?" He nodded, and turned, walking towards the kitchen. Lois sighed, suddenly glad to be alone. She didn't like being sick, and she couldn't stand it when someone hovered over her when she was. Turning back to the mirror, she began brushing her teeth, hoping it would be enough to get the taste out of her mouth. The crowd was talking amongst itself, waiting for the meeting to come to order. The noise was chaotic, but not too loud, keeping to a respectable level. A stranger glancing at the crowd would have seen an eclectic melange of backgrounds: everything from the well-attired businessman to the scabby-kneed teenage tomboy sitting at the far left corner of the room. These were people who would never normally mingle, yet they all talked to each other, with somewhat of a glint in their eye, their posture and tone indicating some conspiratorial knowledge. The speed and enthusiasm in their speech displayed passion, much as one might see in a fanatic group -- not unlike the way some cults had been described. Yet this was no cult. There was no great spiritual leader enticing them to shed their previous lives and look to the enlightenment of a commune. There was no real sign of brainwashing. No exterior one, anyway. These people were here because they shared one idea, one belief. The movement towards the front of the room brought a hush to the crowd as they saw the leaders begin their ascent onto the front stage. Solemnly, those in charge moved to their respective places at the front. The crowd waited for the first in charge to sit, then the other leaders, and stayed silent, attentive. All eyes were on the people on stage, and on the banner directly above them which displayed the society's name in bright red: the Society for the Hindrance of Aliens Residing on the Planet, or SHARP for short. The Leader got up and moved towards a lectern of sorts, stopping to look over the faces below him. One would have been hard pressed to identify him on the street. He was the 'average' person one tended to have in their minds -- average looks, average height, medium brown hair, and eyes whose colour was hard to name since it seemed to change depending on his humour and the light in the room. He greeted the crowd, then waited as all members responded as one. "Greetings, oh Great Leader!" Once silence reigned again, the meeting began. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 4 Jan 1998 15:01:24 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Leanne Shawler (by way of Leanne Shawler)" Subject: S5: Episode 10 (final) Part 2 of 7 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" "My fellow society members, it warms my heart to see you once again. Our numbers have grown some more, and I am proud of it. Our society, as I will remind the new members, is adamant about one thing -- that Superman is an alien, a menace to mankind, and has to be taken care of which started with just a few members. "Our numbers have now grown to the point where we may have to change our meeting place. This pleases me to no end. Our goal is one, and we are willing to do what it takes to achieve it. We continue to hunt down anything which may control or kill him, and so our hunt for the elusive green Kryptonite continues. "This alien they call Superman, who walks and flies among us, cannot remain hidden forever. As more and more of you join us in our quest, we can accomplish a better surveillance. One day, my friends. One day, we will catch this man - this Superman - and know him. We will reveal him to all as the danger to society he is, and we will finally eliminate him." He paused as the crowd erupted into cheers and clapping, then continued as the noise died down again. "Our scientists feel the need to study him, but I feel the need to fear and hate him. We know nothing. He could have others with him that he is hiding. He could be a decoy, trying to pull us off the scent that others like him will come and take over the world. Their super strength will ensure their mastery over the human race. We will be enslaved and forced to do their bidding. We almost saw it happen once. I am not willing to see it happen again. All measure must be taken in order to assure the utter and complete destruction of Superman. Then, and *only* then will you be able to rest easy, knowing your families are no longer in danger." The Great Leader pulled back from the lectern for a second, scanning the crowd as they began to whisper amongst themselves. He smiled, recognising the familiar nods as they disputed his arguments and came to the same conclusion. They were one. This understanding would bring them together and accomplish what they had set out to do. Clearing his throat, he stepped back up, a sign that the crowd should quiet down. They readily did so, all eyes turning towards him in breathless anticipation. Without hesitation, the leader began the official part of the meeting, waiting patiently while the secretary read the minutes of the previous gathering, then listed the items on the table for the evening. Satisfied, the leader nodded, then turned towards the man at the leftmost portion of the stage. "Mister Director of Information Distribution, what to you have to report?" An older man, the Director rose quickly and moved forward, aware that all eyes had now turned to him. He seemed somewhat nervous, his face set in stern lines as he walked up to the podium. He stopped to run his fingers through his thinning grey hair and lowered the microphone to adjust to his five foot six height. His appearance also belied his role, appearing more like a friendly neighbour than a man who wanted nothing more than to see a certain Kryptonian dead. However, as he took a breath to speak, he relaxed visibly and smiled to the onlooking crowd, suddenly taking on that neighbourly appearance. "Honourable Great Leader, fellow Directors, distinguished members, I have very little new to report. The reason for this is that everything is moving smoothly. The last set of leaflets were quickly used up. The young men and women put to this task have done their job efficiently, and we have twenty-seven new members here tonight as a result. I would like to take a moment to welcome you, new members. I am certain you will find peace and understanding in our ranks, for you are among others who feel the way you do." The Director stopped, giving his words a moment to sink in, and seemingly searching for what to say next. Again, the crowd began to nod and whisper to each other, affirming their unity in purpose. It was only when he began speaking again that the noise died down. "I would also like to say that the production of the new pamphlets has gone well. I finished redistributing them to our volunteers, who have assured us that they will be dispensed swiftly and discreetly. Of that I am sure they are capable, as they have demonstrated this before. I have also enlisted a few new distributors, who are now in training, for as our numbers swell, we have a greater opportunity to spread the word. It would be such a waste to not take this opportunity. "I think that the new format of the pamphlet will please you. You can take a copy on your way out. We've added the most recent, alarming information which one of my colleagues will be telling you about. The time is coming when we will have to take action against Superman, and it is therefore imperative to have the greatest number of supporters. I know you want to help, and I trust you will do so by helping with the dissemination of information. We must all work together to succeed, and we will win. Believe it, fellow members. Soon everyone will be SHARP." With that, the Director stepped back to his seat among loud applause, and nodded to the Leader before sitting down. The meeting proceeded, with the Directors of Public Opinion, Resources, Finance, and the Strategic Committee each taking their turn reporting. Finally, the leader spread his hands, commanding silence as he prepared to speak. "My fellow members, it is with a sad heart that I bring us to the final report of the evening. Our Director of Science and Technology has brought with her some most distressing news. I trust that you will pay full attention to what she says and will not disrupt her report, so that we may all be perfectly clear on the situation." The leader moved back again, ignoring the stares from the crowd as they tried to understand his cryptic remarks. Instead, he simply motioned to the woman on the right of the stage to move forward. She stood up readily, turning to the sea of expectant faces. Standing straight, seemingly commanding attention from her 5'8" frame, she pinned everyone's gaze with her crystal blue eyes. Her business suit complimented the serious expression on her face as she continued to scan the room. Clearing her throat, she began to speak. "My Great Leader, fellow Directors, distinguished members, it is with a sad heart that I must bring to you the latest news. Apparently we had underestimated Superman. His agenda has shifted again, and the latest news is that he is looking to procreate." She paused while a murmur erupted from the crowd. Faces turned left and right as the members could not comment on this fast enough to everyone around them. The noise level began to grow as they excitedly responded to each other, having seemingly forgotten about the stage, until the roar was as loud as a highway during rush hour. A sharp, swift hit of the Great Leader's hand on the lectern made them jump and brought them back to attention, eyes not quite looking towards him as guilt flooded in. The Director smiled her thanks to the Leader, swallowed, and took a breath. She then continued with her report. "Yes, it is true. Superman has approached one of his allies, Dr. Klein from STAR labs, and has asked to have some fertility tests done. The first test came out negative, but upon Superman's insistence, the tests have been repeated. It is our job, fellow members, to ensure that the test never comes out positive. If Superman were to be compatible with earth women and find this out, he might begin a colony -- a harem of sorts -- and enslave us into raising his young. It is unacceptable. The women of the world will not bow down to his will! As long as the society exists, as long as *I* live, Superman will not ever be given the chance to procreate!" The Director stopped for a second, catching her breath after her last, impassioned, words. The crowd did not respond right away, worried about further reprimands. Nodding to the Leader, the Director stepped back while the crowd finally went wild, clapping its agreement. After a few moments, the Great Leader brought his hands up again, bringing the members back in control. He thanked them for their time, and assured them that they would be contacted as to when the next meeting would take place. With this, he bade them a good afternoon and dismissed them. Everyone filed off down one of the corridors which lead to several busy downtown buildings. They each took their turn exiting in the appropriate area and moved along their way, never noticed by the passers-by. Lois was curled up on one end of the couch, enjoying one of her rare evenings off by reading a book. She felt herself relax as Clark reached out a hand to grasp her foot, beginning to massage it. Almost purring, Lois let the book drop from her hands as she closed her eyes and sank further into the sofa. Clark just had this amazing knack at giving massages, and this night was no exception. She felt him knead the bottom of her foot, then reach over and stretch her toes one by one, making each one do a gentle circle before releasing it and moving to the next. He was just moving towards her ankle when she felt him stop and tense. 'Oh no,' she thought. 'Not now.' "Uh... Lois?" "Just go, Clark, before I start regretting the fact I'm letting you go." He let go of her foot gently and rose from the couch. She didn't bother opening her eyes, just felt the wind as he twirled into his suit -- one of these days she'd have to ask him how he did that without getting dizzy -- and heard the 'whoosh' as he took off through one of the back windows. Groaning in frustration, Lois opened her eyes and hunted for her book. She found it on the floor, lying haphazardly with a few pages folded at the spot where it had fallen. Reaching down, she pulled it up and flipped to the right page, trying to concentrate on the text while ignoring her other foot, which was protesting the fact that it hadn't gotten equal treatment. She sighed, mentally telling her foot to live with it. When Clark left, she never knew how long it would take him to return. That was why she was surprised when only five minutes later he reappeared in the living room, seconds before she felt the rush of incoming air. "Clark, you know you have to stop doing that. One of these days I'll have some information laid out in neat piles of paper, and you'll just blow it all over the room with your entrance." Clark's gave her a sheepish look, and she stretched her leg out, offering her other foot for massage. He took the bait and quickly moved towards her, acting guilty but giving her a smile that said he knew better. Okay... so she knew she wasn't the best at guilt trips. At least her other foot was happy, right? Putting her book away and enjoying the soothing effect of her husband's hands, Lois relaxed back into the couch. In between yawns, she managed to ask him what the emergency had been all about. "I heard an alarm at STAR labs. I rushed right over. It wasn't anything serious. Some experiment had overheated and was threatening to burst into flames, so I simply breathed on it to cool down. The scientists in charge were on their way over when I left." Clark continued to knead the fleshy parts of her foot, allowing the silence between them to lull Lois to sleep. When she yawned for the third time in a row he let go of her foot and leaned in towards her. "Looks like it's time to go to bed, Lois." She looked up into his eyes, a protest already on her lips. "But Clark, it's only eight thirty! We so rarely get an evening off, I don't want to waste it by going to sleep so early!" "Who said anything about sleep?" "Oh..." Her face lit up and she caught him winking at her. "So now are you ready for bed, Lady Lois?" "Lead on, Sir Clark!" He lifted her in his arms and within a few seconds he'd flown them up to the bedroom. "Oh Clark... I know you're fast, but I want you to take your time with this. After all, it's no good if you're faster than a speeding bullet..." Clark was jolted awake as he felt the covers being pulled back and Lois jumping out of bed at full speed. She ran across the room, barely making it to the bathroom in time. He got to her just as she began to empty her stomach. "Lois, honey? Are you okay?" It took her a moment to answer, since she was fighting to stop the heaving and take a much-needed breath. When she did, her voice was weak. "I... I don't know. I was awake and feeling fine, then you turned around in bed and suddenly I wasn't okay anymore. I had to get in here, and fast." She fought a second wave of nausea and rested her forehead against the cool tiles of the bathroom wall. After a few more breaths, she pushed herself up and made her way to the counter where she filled a glass of water, rinsing out her mouth and taking the time to try and understand what was happening. Finally, she turned around to face her husband, keeping a hand out to prevent him from trying to put his arms around her. She wasn't feeling that well yet. Clark noticed the paleness of her face and the unsteadiness of her breath. He fought the urge to wrap Lois in his arms, understanding her need to regain control. Instead, he bit the inside of his lower lip, waiting for her to regain her composure. "Clark..." She began, her voice barely above a whisper, "Why am I sick again? I had a light supper last night, and I wasn't sick yesterday afternoon, so it's not food poisoning. I don't feel like I'm coming down with the flu, so I haven't got a clue what's going on. I think maybe I should see a doctor." Clark started to nod in agreement, getting up to phone an appointment to her family physician. He was halfway to the phone by the nightstand when he stopped as a thought crossed his mind. He turned, moving back to the bathroom door. "Lois... what if..." He never had a chance to finish his thought as her eyes rose to meet his. She interrupted him, reading his mind. "You don't think...?" "Maybe you're...." "No, it couldn't be, Clark." "But doesn't it make sense? That maybe you could be..." "Pregnant!" They both uttered simultaneously. Time seemed to stop as Clark looked at his wife, his mind needing time to process what it had just suggested. His wife's wide eyes were enough to tell him that he wasn't the only one with the problem. "Uh, Clark... did we just say what I think we just said?" Clark didn't answer right away but took his wife by the hand and pulled her into the bedroom, where he sat both of them on the edge of the bed. Once there, he looked into her eyes and answered her, keeping his voice soft and low with the love he felt for her. "Yeah, Lois." "Wow... so?" "What?" Clark asked, confused. "So do you think I am?" "Pregnant?" "Yeah." "I don't know." "Did you miss your period?" "I didn't, Clark, but it was really light. I figured it was because we'd been travelling to Scotland, so I didn't pay any special attention to it... Do you think....?" There was another pause as both considered the possibility. "What do we do now? Should we ask Klein to perform some tests?" Lois asked. "No. I don't think so, Lois. Let's not go that far yet. It could be a false alarm. You could have the flu or something..." Clark quickly curbed that remark when he saw his wife's glare. Okay, so maybe he was reaching a little, but he just wanted to cover all the possibilities. "There's only one thing to do. We'll have to go out to a drug store and buy a pregnancy test," Lois said nervously. "How about two? Just in case..." Clark added upon seeing his wife's questioning gaze. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 4 Jan 1998 15:01:38 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Leanne Shawler (by way of Leanne Shawler)" Subject: S5: Episode 10 (f) Part 3 of 7 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" "All right, Clark. We'll each get one. When we'll get to work we'll just go out as if to investigate something, and then we can simply pick up a couple of kits." "Yeah, but wouldn't that be a little obvious? We're not exactly perfect strangers in this city, Lois. I think we should go to separate parts of town, buy the kits, and then regroup so we can test at home right afterwards. I don't want any rumours spreading just yet." "Sounds good." Lois relaxed visibly as the issue was resolved - at least temporarily. She kissed her husband on the cheek and sauntered over to the closet to pick her clothes for work. Yes, she was feeling much better, although the flutter in her stomach made her realize how nervous she suddenly was. Clark took advantage of the lull in the bathroom to take a quick shower and shave. He walked into the bedroom after barely a few minutes. Lois was just buttoning up her jacket. "I see you took your own sweet time in the shower," Lois teased. "Oh, Clark, I almost forgot!" He walked up to his wife and wrapped her in his arms, pressing his lips lightly on her own for a second. "Hmmm?" "Don't buy one of those tests you have to use first thing in the morning, okay? I can't wait that long." Clark smiled. Lois impatient to find the results? Big surprise. "Oh, and Clark?" "Yeah, honey?" "Wipe that grin off your face." Lois groaned as she tried to find something to finish this article that just wouldn't write itself. She couldn't believe that Perry had forced herself and Clark to stay in the newsroom until they'd finished writing their story, treating them as if they were a couple of green reporters. They hadn't had a chance to go out all day. Lois was itching to buy the pregnancy kit, and her frustration was simply making it harder to finish the article. "Almost done, Lois?" Clark handed her a cup of hot chocolate. She looked at him gratefully, then realized that he wasn't at his desk anymore, meaning he was done. "No fair! I don't have super speed to help me finish!" Clark quickly read what she's written, then leaned in to whisper in his wife's ears. "Tell you what, Lois. Why don't you drop something and I'll 'help' you finish." Lois found a pencil and pushed it off the edge of her desk. "Oops! Clumsy me..." Lois bent over to pick up her pencil, giving Clark access to the keyboard. She heard the rapid click-clicking of the keys as he typed away, and by the time she'd retrieved the misplaced writing tool he'd finished. "Look, Lois. All done." Clark smiled smugly as he hit the send key. "Well, I guess that means we can go out and investigate our next story." She reached for her coat and took her husband's arm. They were barely halfway to the elevator when she felt him stiffen. 'Oh no, not again.' "Uh, Lois..." "Yeah, go. But just make sure you pick 'you know what' up on your way back. I'll meet you at home, okay?" "Alright, honey." Clark leaned in, kissing her on the cheek before he moved off to the side of the newsroom, disappearing in the storage room. Lois sighed and shook her head lightly as she walked to the elevator. Superman really had horrible timing. Lois glanced around her, making sure that no one was looking at her before she walked into the drug store. Inside, she quickly zeroed in on the right alley and walked towards a row of boxes. Her eyes perused a series of beauty products, medicines, and miscellaneous items as she tried to casually walk up to the right area. Once there, she began looking at the different brands of tests, suddenly wondering exactly which one to buy. Scanning the aisle and finding nobody around, she turned back to the tests and picked one up, quickly reading the description. Morning. Nope. Putting it back, she moved to the next one. Fifteen minutes. Nope. With an exasperated sigh, Lois picked up the third box and began reading. Ten minutes. Splatter guard. Foolproof. Perfect. With a quick gleefully expelled breath, she clutched the pregnancy test to her chest and briskly walked towards the cashier. The woman gave her a knowing look before picking up the box and passing it over the UPC reader. "It's for some research I'm doing." The woman looked up at Lois, gave her a knowing nod, and turned back to the cash register. Lois counted to ten slowly, trying to think calming thoughts before paying the bill, taking the bag with the test, and placing it in her bottomless purse. As fast as humanly possible she walked out of there and headed down the street towards a cab parked at the corner. Suddenly, she remembered that Clark had gone off to save the world, or something. 'Now, don't be sarcastic, Lois,' she berated herself, 'You know he's doing something important, and you shouldn't let your mood go sour because of one cashier's reaction.' Clark would most probably forget to buy the test. 'Better safe than sorry,' she thought. Continuing past the cab, she walked on, knowing that there was another drugstore just a few blocks further. There was a whistling sound as a streak of red and blue made its way into an alley. A few second later, Clark walked out, straightening his tie. He looked around to get his bearings and headed east, knowing exactly where he was going. Two blocks later, Clark spotted a sign with the writing "Pharmacie" and headed straight for it, pushing the door to go in. After a few moments he walked back out, bag in hand, moving back towards the alley. With a last look around, Clark made his way into the narrow path and twirled into his costume, taking off before anyone had a chance to walk by and risk a glance his way. In the air, he began to relax. It had taken longer than necessary to repair that crack in the hydroelectric dam, and he'd almost forgotten to get the pregnancy test. Luckily, he'd remembered as he'd headed back south towards Metropolis, and stopped off to buy it. Speed-reading had allowed him to pick the best test, and he smiled to himself as he thought of his wife. She was probably at home right now, pacing as she waited for his arrival. The sound of an alarm caught his attention and he sighed. Lois would have to wait a little longer. Apparently, Superman was in great demand today. Lois smiled as she approached the second drugstore. Three more minutes and she would be home-free. Taking another glance around her to make sure she wasn't being watched, she walked inside. Repeating the same ritual as last time, she headed down the appropriate alley and ended up in front of the pregnancy kits. She glanced over the boxes she'd examined in the previous drugstore and picked up one whose instructions she hadn't read before. Not satisfied, she put it back and picked up another box. When that didn't work, she kept looking through the boxes until she found one that suited her. Once again, she headed towards the checkout line. The clerk gave her a knowing smile, much like the one at the last drugstore had done. Lois fumed. Why did they automatically assume that she was buying it for herself? "It's for an investigation I'm doing." "Yeah. Of course." With a huff, Lois handed over the money and grabbed the box, not waiting for the change or even a bag. She pushed her way outside, looking back to see the clerk smile smugly. As Lois turned back to see where she was going, she bumped into someone and dropped what she was carrying. "Oh, I'm sorry miss. Here let me help you." Lois looked up when she heard the familiar voice. "Jimmy?" "Hi Lois!" "What... uh... What are you doing here?" "The Chief had me pick up his dry-cleaning down the block from here. And then I'm was off to find those Baklavas he wants from this strange bakery halfway across town when I bumped into you." Jimmy suddenly bent down to pick up Lois purse and package. He was handing it to her when he actually stopped to read the label on the box. He looked up at Lois, one eyebrow lifting as a confused look spread across his face. "Lois???" "It's... research, Jimmy. Bobby Bigmouth told me there's a crime ring that's selling products that are below acceptable quality levels. Apparently it involves anything that has to do with home tests. Clark and I have split up, and we're investigating. I'm taking a random sampling from each drugstore in this area of town, to have them looked at by an expert at STAR labs, so we can show they're defective. That way, we'll be able to break that criminal ring." Lois looked at Jimmy, hoping he was buying it. He stared at her incredulously for a moment, then simply nodded his head as a genuinesmile appeared on his face. Yes, he'd bought it. "Tell you what, Lois, since you're going through the stores in the area, I'll give you a ride. It'll save you money on cab fare. " "Oh, no, Jimmy. Really. It's alright." Lois started, trying very hard to not look like she was desperately trying to get away. "I'm almost done anyway." She continued. "Besides, I need the exercise. I'll find a few more drugstores in the area, and then I'll just head along to the garage to pick up my Jeep. That way I won't have to pay for cabs anymore." She gave Jimmy her biggest smile, praying the line she fed him would work. "Nonsense, Lois. I'd love to help you. You know I love to do some investigating, whatever it might be. Besides, if you want a good sampling, you're going to have to buy more than that. Come on, it'll be fun. And..." Jimmy stopped, looked around, then resumed speaking with a lowered voice. "It'll give me a chance to stay away from the Planet a little longer. I gotta tell you, I don't know what's gotten into the Chief lately, but I just don't want to go back yet. I caught him staring at one of his Elvis photos for fifteen minutes the other day, as if it was hypnotizing him." Lois tried her best to laugh at what he said, although she could feel a knot tightening in her stomach, and finally nodded. "Okay then, Jimmy. Let's go." She followed him as he walked towards one of the car, not really paying attention to what he was saying. Clark flew into the bedroom window, quickly changing into some casual wear. That fire in the industrial park had taken much longer than he'd expected, and he was late. He could only guess what state Lois would be in from waiting for him this long. He hung the suit in the bathroom, hoping to let some of the smoke smell air out, then picked up the bag he had been carrying and headed downstairs to the living room. Seeing no sign of Lois, he pushed the door leading to the kitchen, seeing his wife's back as the room came into view. "Lois, honey, I'm sorry I'm late. I got caught up on the way..." He stopped, staring at the kitchen table. Lois hadn't heard him and was concentrating on the series of boxes on the table. Her chin was resting in the palm of hand as her elbow leaned on the table, and her expression seemed dazed. "Uh... Lois?" She finally turned towards him. "Oh! Hi, Clark. Where've you been." "There was trouble with a hydroelectric dam up north of the border that was threatening to break, and then when I was flying back there was a fire.... " He stopped, frowning as he swept another glance across the table. "I thought we'd said we'd each buy one kit?" Lois sighed and recounted the fact she'd bumped into Jimmy and had been forced to do some fast talking. "I had no choice. If I didn't buy others, he might have gotten suspicious." "It's okay, Lois. We can do this. Which one did you *want* to buy?" "This one..." Lois pointed to one box. "Good, then let's get started." "Alright. Let's have your test kit, Clark." He handed her the box and gave her time to look at it. "Uh... Clark. Why are there two sets of instructions?" She stopped, examining the box more closely. "And why is one of them written in French???" She turned to look at him, noticing his sheepish expression and bowed shoulders. He refrained from making eye contact until after he'd spoken. "I had to go north to repair the dam, Lois. I was running late and almost forgot to buy the kit. I had to make a quick side trip on the way home." "Where exactly did you buy this?" He continued to avoid her gaze and didn't volunteer the answer, so she eventually decided to just dig her hand into the bag and pull out the receipt. "Montreal???" Clark was sitting on the edge of the bed, getting dizzy as he watched his wife paced back and forth. "This is driving me crazy, Clark. How long does a test take? This timer has to be off. I mean, I'm sure it's been more than ten minutes and we should already have the answer by now. It's not making any sense. Maybe there's something wrong with the timer. What time is it? Never mind, I'm just nervous, I guess. So what time is it? Wait... I just asked you that. I don't know why I asked you twice in a row, I mean -" "Lois," Clark interrupted. "You're babbling." "I know, I'm babbling, aren't I? I can't help myself. I'm just so nervous. I mean, what if I *am* pregnant. Or what if the test isn't able to tell me if I'm really pregnant, I mean it's not like any of these are made for Kryptonian pregnancies... Oh my god, what if it's not a normal pregnancy! Clark, what if-" She stopped again, feeling her husband's index finger pressing on her lips. "Shhhh. It's almost over, honey. The time's practically up and then we'll know for sure. Now, I just want you to take a deep breath and calm down, okay?" She nodded and he tentatively pulled his finger away. She was just opening her mouth to speak when the timer went off with a loud 'ding'. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 4 Jan 1998 15:01:52 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Leanne Shawler (by way of Leanne Shawler)" Subject: S5: Episode 10 (f) Part 4 of 7 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Both looked at each other, and ran to the bathroom, with Clark beating Lois by a mile. They stopped in front of the counter, frozen with fear. Lois reached out and grabbed her husband's hand, squeezing lightly. He turned to her, smiled, and kissed her lightly on the lips. They parted, took a deep breath, and turned to look at the test results. Within the space of a few seconds they read the test results, then both turned to look at each other. Lois stared at Clark, her mouth open to speak. "Lois... STAR labs! The kryptonite vault alarm has gone off!" Before she had a chance to blink, Clark had zipped out of the bedroom and was well on his way to STAR labs. She didn't move, simply staring at the spot her husband had just vacated. Superman landed at the main entrance to the labs and ran inside, heading straight for the kryptonite vault. Reaching it, he found no breach. Scanning the area, he saw no signs of an intruder. Satisfied, he quickly zipped down a corridor and found a guard, picked him up, and ran back to the vault. Dropping the dazed man right in front of the vault's door, Clark quickly mumbled a "Stay here until the police arrive" and left before the dust had had the chance to settle. Within 30 seconds, Clark flew back inside, changed, and whooshed to the exact spot he'd been just vacated -- the spot that Lois was still staring at. Clark went to speak, stopped himself, took a breath, and paused. Finally, he seemed to regain the ability to speak. "Wow." The sound snapped Lois out of her daze. "Kryptonite? What did you say about kryptonite?" Clark put both hands on his wife's shoulders in an attempt to reassure her. "It's nothing, Lois. It was a false alarm. I left a guard in front of the vault, and the police can investigate when they get there. As far as I know, it was a short circuit in the system that made the alarm go off." Lois nodded, letting the news sink in. "Wow." She added, then looked into her husband's eyes and smiled. Clark held his wife securely in his arms. He was sitting at the kitchen table, looking at the various pregnancy kits and results. Lois was sitting in his lap, her arms around his torso and her face nestled against his chest. Clark tightened his hold around his wife, and leaned down to kiss the top of her head. "Wow." They both said simultaneously. Lois giggled. They sounded like a broken record. It seemed to be practically the only word they'd been able to say in the last hour. "I can't believe it Clark." "Yeah, I know what you mean, Lois." "We think about it..." "Dream about it..." "And then we find out you have a cycle that we have to figure out." "Yeah. Well, guess what, Lois. I guess we didn't have to figure it out." "Blind luck." "I prefer to think that we were industrious enough to have it pay off." Lois smiled at her husband's remark. Oh yes, they'd certainly taken every opportunity to try. "I still can't believe it." "Yeah.. Think about it, Lois. In less than nine months from now we're going to be..." "Parents." They managed to say at the same time. "Amazing..." Lois added, a dreamy look in her eyes, and she worked her way even deeper into her husband's embrace. Clark observed his wife as she talked on the phone. Her make-up had covered up the morning's pallor. However, this morning she hadn't been as sick as the two previous days, and he hoped this meant that the morning sickness was not going to stick around too long. Lois got off the phone, and turned to her husband's inquiring eyes. "It's a go, Clark. I managed to call that Ob/Gyn friend of mine, and she'll see me tonight to confirm the pregnancy." Clark smiled, happy that the appointment had been so easy to get. He wanted absolute confirmation of the news. Proof undeniable. And... He frowned slightly as another thought hit him. He wanted to make sure that the mother and baby were going to be healthy. Lois saw her husband's expression change from elation to worry, and she opened her mouth to speak. Unfortunately, Jimmy - with his impeccable sense of timing - chose that moment to barge in on them. "Hey guys, how's it going?" Jimmy asked, looking at the couple before him. Something had changed, but he couldn't figure out what. "Fine, Jimmy. So, what have you got?" Clark smiled at the younger man. "Why does everybody assume that I only come by when I have something to talk about, or research to hand in?" "We don't, Jimmy, but I think the folder in your hands is a dead giveaway." Lois smiled as well, gracing Jimmy with her excellent humour. "Okay. Guilty as charged. I guess you guys aren't the Planet's best investigative team for nothing." Jimmy grinned, pleased with his joke, and handed the report to Clark. "Here they are, the police reports on the latest break-ins at STAR labs." "Thanks, Jimmy." Clark said, looking at the young man expectantly. Jimmy was simply staring at the couple, obviously in the mood to chat. However, when he realized that they weren't receptive, he cleared his throat, mumbled an excuse and took off towards the coffee machine. "Well, what does it say?" Lois asked. "Give me a minute." Clark looked around to make sure no one was watching, then picked up the folder and quickly leafed through it, speed reading the reports. Lois waited, impatient to hear more, and was getting up to move towards her husband when she saw frown cross his face. "Clark? What is it?" "This is strange, Lois. I've been to STAR labs twice because of the recent incidents." "Yeah... so?" "So... it turns out that STAR labs has filed quite a few reports over the last few months." "What kinds of reports?" "Experiments ruined, machinery damaged, labs broken into... Looks like sabotage." "Sabotage? Do they give a reason why?" "No. They haven't found one yet." "Where is this sabotage taking place? In which departments?" Lois asked. Clark scanned the pages again. "It's hard to say. It seems to be spread out. There isn't a specific area that's being touched." Lois stopped as an idea struck her. "Uh... Clark? Has there been any sabotage in Dr. Klein's lab?" He frowned and flipped to another page. "Yeah. He's reported two machines that were tampered with, and some vials were purposefully smashed. Why?" "Do you think that maybe... there was more sabotage?" Clark stopped, confused. He stared at his wife, trying to understand what she was talking about, and then it hit him. "Lois, you don't mean that someone might have sabotaged our experiments?" "That might explain why we always got negative results on the fertility tests, despite what we were told by you-know-who." The couple stared at each other, then simultaneously reached for their phones. Clark seemed to rethink something, then reached out to stop Lois from dialing. "What is it?" Clark didn't say anything right away, only took his wife by the arm and led her to the conference room. "I think we have to think this through. We might just be doing something rash." "Clark, we have to go to Dr. Klein and ask him to redo the tests." Clark looked at his wife and shook his head softly. "We can't. What reasons are we going to give him? He's going to ask why we want the tests redone." "Isn't it obvious? I'm pregnant." She said rather loudly, then stopped and looked outside the window to see if anyone had heard. Fortunately, the floor was its usual chaotic self, and no one seemed to pay attention to the couple in the conference room. Satisfied, she focused once again on her husband. "I realize that, Lois, but you're married to Clark, not Superman. Clark isn't the one being tested for fertility problems..." He stopped in mid-sentence, apparently pondering something else, and then his face changed, setting itself into firm lines He'd obviously come to a decision. "We're going to have to tell him." "What?" Lois asked, confused, then stopped as she realized what her husband was saying Her expression changed to one of discomfort. "Why?" "Because, Lois, we don't have a choice. If we ask Dr. Klein to redo the tests, we'll have to give him a good reason why. This," Clark paused, gently placing his hand on his wife's stomach," is a very good reason. Besides..." His voice tapered off. "What? What is it, Clark?" Lois heard him take a shaky breath before he resumed. "Besides... I've been doing some thinking just now. I'm different, Lois. We don't know my biology and we don't know what might happen. To the baby... To you... You're going to be seeing your doctor friend tonight, but what if that's not enough? We don't know what we're dealing with. We're going to need some expert medical supervision, and who better than Dr. Klein? He's the only current expert on Superman's physiology." Clark stopped, brushing a lock of hair off his wife's forehead. "It makes sense, Lois. We have to do it." He looked into her eyes, waiting for her decision. She took a moment to think about it, then nodded and pulled him into an embrace, tears in her eyes. Dr. Klein was hunched over his desk, examining a printout with columns of numbers and the odd graph. His concentration was unperturbed by the fact that Lois and Clark had entered his office and were walking up to him. In fact, it wasn't until Lois cleared her throat that he jumped and turned towards them. "Oh! Hello you two. I didn't hear you come in." "We can see that." Clark answered good-naturedly. "So, to what honour do I owe this visit? Is this a business or a social call?" "I'm afraid it's business, Dr. Klein." Lois said. "Alright." Klein's face became serious. "What can I do for you?" "Well, Dr. Klein," Clark started hesitantly, "We're heard about the recent troubles at STAR labs..." "Ah yes," Klein interjected. "It's been puzzling us. There seem to be random events of sabotage of my and various of my colleagues' work. We don't know why it's happening, what they're targeting, or who's going to be affected next. It's quite unsettling, really." Klein stopped for a second, contemplating the situation, then turned back to the couple. "So, I take it you two are writing a story on this?" "No, not quite." Clark answered. "We're here because we'd like you to re-examine the recent tests you did on Superman." Clark froze as Klein gasped, obviously surprised. "You know?" "Yes, Dr. Klein, we know." ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 4 Jan 1998 15:02:00 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Leanne Shawler (by way of Leanne Shawler)" Subject: S5: Episode 10 (f) Part 5 of 7 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" "I... I... I guess that makes sense. After all, you are Superman's closest friends, or so I assume. Here..." He paused for a second, calling up a file on his computer. "Let me just print out the results and we can take a look at them. It shouldn't take more than a few minutes." A few mouse clicks later the hum of the laser printer could be heard in the next room. "So... Why exactly do you want me to re-examine the results?" "Because," Clark started, "we have reason to believe that the results are wrong." "You're saying Superman's not infertile? How would you know?" "We've heard from a very good source that Superman is indeed fertile." Clark stopped, looking at Lois, who nodded her understanding. They were both remembering Pops and the events that had conspired a few months ago when they had traveled to the future to meet their descendents.. "And we also learned," Clark continued, "that Superman's fertility seems to happen through a cycle of some sort. That's why he wanted to have several tests done... to try and figure out the length of the cycle. In a sense, to be able to know when he is and isn't fertile." Klein stared at them, his mouth wide open. "That's absolutely amazing!" He stopped for a moment, letting the information sink in, then continued. "But all the tests have come out negative..." "Yes, we know," Clark interrupted, "But we've gathered proof from a few sources..." Clark stopped to look at his wife, then turned back to Dr. Klein. "And one of them is absolutely irrefutable." Klein looked eagerly at Clark. "Really? What proof?" Lois interrupted. "I'm pregnant." Klein didn't register the implications right away, but rather simply zeroed in on Lois' last statement. "You're pregnant? Lois, that's wonderful!" Klein grabbed Lois in a bear hug, practically choking her in the process. He then moved back, looking at her as his brain started to work. "But I don't see what this has to do with Superman." He stopped. "Don't tell me that the rumours of you and Superman were true after all...You're not his girlfriend, are you?" "No. I'm his wife." "But... but... you and Clark... oh... *oooooohhhhhh*!" He said, as his eyes flew wide open and his mouth narrowed to form that second, drawn-out 'oh', followed by his jaw dropping to the floor as the idea started to sink in. Klein reached back for his chair and sat down hard. Lois and Clark waited somewhat calmly while the doctor slowly regained his breath, re-hinged his jaw, and got over the surprise. The couple looked at each other anxiously, worried that they'd made the wrong decision by letting this man in on the secret. 'Is he up to this?' They seemed to ask themselves. But it was now too late and all they could do was wait for Klein to regain the ability to speak. The sound in the lab changed as the printer rolled out the last sheet of data. Still silent, Klein got up and walked to the other room to pick up the sheets of paper. The return to a semi-normal routine seemed to have done him some good, for when he returned to his office he was his old self again. There was once again a spark of life in his eyes, and you could practically hear the wheels turn in his head. "Absolutely amazing, Clark. Uh... Superman... How... What should I call you?" "Clark is fine, Dr. Klein." Clark answered, breathing a sigh of relief now that the tense moment had passed. He tensed again as another thought crossed his mind. "Uh, Dr. Klein... you're not going to tell anyone, are you?" "No! Of course not!" The man replied emphatically. "I understand the need for secrecy, and I'll guard this secret as I have others in the past." He waited to see Lois and Clark's nod of approval before returning to a question that he'd thought up just a few moments ago. "So how did you manage to pull this off for so long? How do you hide your 'superness' every day?" Klein paused. "How many people know?" "As few as possible," Lois interjected, impatient to get back to the matter at hand. "And we'll fill you in on it later. We think we'll be needing some of your biomedical expertise. But first, there's something more pressing that needs to be taken care of." "Oh! Yes, of course, the tests. Let's see..." The doctor began to sift through the information, jotting down notes here and there along the column as he found something relevant. Suddenly, he stopped. "This is strange..." "What?" Lois and Clark asked simultaneously. Klein took a few seconds to look at the information again before answering. "When I wired up this lab, I set up some safety devices. In case a system went down, there were some independent back-ups. When tests are performed, the data is then sent to the main storage area," Klein pointed to the room where the printer was, "to my assistant's computer, and to mine." "Now here," Klein continued, pointing to the printout, "is the data I downloaded off my computer. This is where things get strange..." Klein paused again as Lois and Clark moved in to take a closer look at the numbers the doctor was pointing to. "A number this high means that the result was positive." Klein looked at Clark. "You are, in fact, fertile. Or at least you were at that time." "Big surprise." Lois snickered, rubbing her stomach. "And it looks like he was at least another time." "But how come you didn't reach this conclusion beforehand?" Clark inquired. "I don't know." Dr. Klein moved around the couple, and exited the room to fire up the main computer as well as his assistant's. "But we just might find out in a minute." A few moments later the data had been printed out from the other sources. All three were sifting through the information. "Got it!" Lois exclaimed, holding up a sheet of paper. Both men turned towards her, and she handed the paper to Klein, who examined it for a second. "Yes, this is the test I had performed. The date matches the one on the printout from my office computer, but the numbers are different." "What about the third computer?" There was more shuffling of paper as Klein tried to find the appropriate page. "Aha! Here we go." Klein paused, reading the results. "And the results are different here as well, showing Clark to be infertile." "Could this be a glitch in the program?" Clark inquired. "Not likely. If the downloading of information was wrong, it would appear the same way on all three computers." "Then it means the information was changed manually?" Lois asked. "Yes. That would be the only way." "But if someone were to purposefully change the information, why wouldn't they change it on yours too?" "They may not be aware of the fact that I have this back-up file on my disk, Lois. You see, I always access the information through the main storage area. The files on my office computer are never touched. They're simply there as a safety precaution. Besides, the files are invisible, so one wouldn't know they were there by simply looking through the directories on my computer -- assuming they made it through the password protection." "Alright." Lois conceded. "So we're left with someone who willfully changed the data on Superman's fertility. Now we just have to figure out who." "The most logical choice would be Dr. Klein's assistant." Clark proposed. Klein frowned. "Clarice? No, she wouldn't do that? I've known her for years, ever since she was a junior scientist trying to find a research position. I trust her. I can't think of a single reason why she would do something like this. No... it has to be some outside source." "But wouldn't someone have to be very well acquainted with your computer system to get in and change the information?" Clark asked. "Yes." "And wouldn't they have to know or be able to figure out the passwords for both the main computer and Clarice's office computer?" Clark continued. "Yes." Klein answered, appearing more and more disconcerted. "Then wouldn't it be logical, Dr. Klein, that the most likely suspect is indeed your assistant?" Clark finished. "I suppose that makes sense." Klein conceded. "But you're still just guessing. We'd have to have proof. How can we do that?" "Leave that to us." Lois suddenly spoke up. "I have an idea..." A knock came on Dr. Klein's door. "Come in." A tall woman, dressed in casual clothes, walked into the office hesitantly. "I got your message. You wanted to see me?" "Yes, yes. Come in, Clarice. I'm sorry to disturb you on your day off... but this is important." The woman moved in hesitantly, her blue eyes gazing into her employer's face. "You sounded worried on the phone. What is it?" "I'm sorry if I gave that impression. It's not that I'm worried. I'm just curious about something... about some results which don't seem quite right." The woman frowned and moved forward as Dr. Klein leafed through a pile of papers and picked up two of them. She was biting down on her bottom lip and holding her hands tightly. Klein ignored the signs of nervousness as he calmly pointed to some marks he'd made on both sheets. "What results are these?" "They're the tests on Superman's sperm, Clarice. You remember, you did several of them over the past few months?" "Yes. Yes, of course I remember. These had to be handled with great care. You wanted a full work-up on them, to determine their fertility. And..." She paused, seemingly searching for the information in her head. "If I remember correctly, we found he'd been missing a key enzyme, which made it impossible for him to fertilize a human woman's eggs since the sperm wouldn't make it through the protective barrier." "That's right." Klein confirmed. "But there's a problem." "What?" Clarice leaned towards him some more, trying to get a better look at the figures on the two pages which were sitting on Klein's desk. He picked them up and handed them to her, allowing her some time to look before once again pointing to the circled figures. "You see, Clarice, I've spent part of the day cleaning house. With all the sabotage going on lately, I thought it best to get rid of any extraneous information and get a hard copy of most results. At the same time, I thought it'd be best to look over the results of some of the critical experiments we're doing, to make sure that someone hadn't somehow hacked into our main system and modified any of our results. That's when I discovered this." Klein tapped on the piece of paper, taking advantage of the momentary silence to observe his assistant's reaction. Her breathing was increased slightly, and a thin sheen of sweat was beginning to appear across her brow. He decided to move in for the kill. "You can't imagine my surprise, Clarice, when I re-read the results on Superman's tests and found out that in one of the experiments he was fertile. I don't remember seeing these numbers before. Do you?" The woman moved back a step, taking on a defensive stance and a haughty air. "Surely you're not accusing me of this, are you?" Klein smiled and gave her his best reassuring gaze, turning on the charm to an almost buttery-sweet level. 'Pull out the insulin,' he thought. 'I'm going to need it if I keep this up for another five minutes.' "Oh no! Of course not. I'm simply worried. You did those tests in the evening, and it wasn't until the next day that we tallied the results and looked at them. I think someone may have hacked into the system and changed the results before we read them." "Changed the results? But why?" "I don't know, Clarice, but I can guess. It could be someone with a grudge against me... Possibly someone with a grudge against Superman. Or someone who managed to find out about the tests results..." He paused as an idea struck him. "Someone who wanted to make sure that Superman's fertility never got out." Klein held back the fact that he'd noticed the slight reaction on the woman's face. It wasn't much, but the slight widening of her eyes as he mentioned his latest idea was more than a give-away. Now he just had to be careful how he continued. "That's unbelievable. I don't understand how someone could possibly hack in here. They'd have to be absolute wizards. STAR labs' computer system is notorious for its impregnability." Clarice said emphatically. Klein had to work very hard not to smile at the last word, since it reminded him of what he'd just heard from Lois earlier that day. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 4 Jan 1998 15:02:08 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Leanne Shawler (by way of Leanne Shawler)" Subject: S5: Episode 10 (f) Part 6 of 7 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" "You're right. That's why we'll have to start an investigation. I imagine that the authorities, as well as the directors of this facility, will want to know exactly how someone managed to access our systems and modify the information. I'm just glad," he paused, lifting the piece of paper with the positive result and holding it in front of her, "that we had another back-up system that wasn't affected so the original results are still filed." Again, Clarice reacted. It wasn't much. Klein had to give her an A+ for effort, but the beginning of a sharp intake of breath, another little series of beads of sweat, and a slight widening of the eyes was all he needed to see. The trap had been set, and the bait was nicely nibbled. Now all he had to do was let it close in on the culprit. "Well," Klein continued, "I guess everything's alright in the end. We're just fortunate to have had that extra back-up system." He paused, supposedly realizing the time. "Oh, I'm sorry Clarice. Look how late it is. You should be home right now, relaxing. I so hated having to call you in on your day off. Why don't you go back home now. I'll see you tomorrow morning, alright?" "Yes. Of course. Good night." Clarice answered, nodding her head slowly and turning to leave. She was obviously preoccupied. The assistant walked out of Klein's office, and the clicking of her heels could be heard, growing fainter and fainter as she moved towards the elevator. The door to the closet in Klein's office slowly swung open and Clark walked out. Silently, he closed the door, winked at Dr. Klein, and gave him the thumbs up. Klein responded in kind and waved as Clark turned and walked out the door. Well, walked wasn't quite the right word. He seemed to be floating just above the ground. Close enough so it looked like he was walking, but high enough that his feet never actually touched the ground, ensuring complete silence as he tailed the assistant. 'Amazing,' Klein thought, and he turned back to his desk, returning to his paperwork. It was now in Superman's hands. Clark continued to float-walk half a block behind Clarice. She was looking around her constantly, but he managed to stay in the shadows. Seemingly satisfied that she hadn't been followed, her walk changed to a more resolute one and she crossed a street, heading for an alley. Clark waited until she had crossed the street and analyzed his options. If he stayed behind her, he'd be walking into an alley with light at his back while she'd be in the dark. That meant she might see him if she turned back to look. He couldn't risk it. Instead, he quickly darted a look in every direction to make sure no one was nearby, and simply floated up into the night sky -- high enough so that no one would be able to see him against the dark clouds of the night sky. It was a good thing he'd thought of wearing a pair of black jeans and a black sweater. And the appreciative looks Lois had given him right before he'd left home had shown him that the colour wasn't only suited for sneaking around. He couldn't wait to get back home and get some of what his wife had promised him with her eyes. Shaking his head to help clear it of those distracting thoughts, Clark noticed that Clarice had now exited the alley and was walking along a street in one of the city's prominent commercial areas. She quickened her pace, apparently not reassured at having to walk in this area late at night, and then stopped in front of a rundown hobby store. She pulled out a key, looked around to make sure no one was nearby, and unlocked the door. As she moved inside, Clark switched to his X-Ray vision to track her movements. She walked in, stopping to put her purse under the counter and press a button which opened a trap door in the floor. She seemed to sigh in relief as she moved towards the opening in the floor, walking down some steps. Clark quickly looked to see what was beyond the stairs and noticed a tunnel made of concrete that moved down the block. Satisfied that there wasn't any lead to obstruct his view, other than the occasional pipe, he decided to follow the assistant's progress from the air rather than risk being spotted by following her in the tunnel. He hovered along, keeping up with the woman's pace, and followed the meanderings of the tunnel as it moved through the city's underground. A few other tunnels - coming from businesses, private homes, and even a school - met up with the tunnel she was presently in. Clark looked on in wonder, trying to fathom all this. Finally, Clarice reached a door at the end of the tunnel. It was a large iron door that creaked as she pulled it open, leading to the basement of a warehouse... A warehouse which didn't have any stairs leading to the basement, meaning that no one knew of this chamber's existence. As Clark scanned the room he saw other iron doors, which he looked behind to see more tunnels moving off in all directions. This was a very elaborate system. How had he ever missed it before? How old were these tunnels? It was hard to judge, but the concrete did not look degraded in any way, so it might have been that the system of underground passages was new. It had been a few years since he'd made any large-scale X-ray sweeps of the Metropolis underground. That must have been why he hadn't noticed the tunnels before. But he was aware of them now, and he'd do something about it. The entrance to that basement had to be blocked, before some other group found it and used it as their hideout. In the meantime, Clark returned his focus on Clarice, who'd enter the basement and was heading towards a corner with a few offices. She stopped, looking through an open door that lead to some kind of an auditorium, then continued along her way to the first office where a man was sitting at a desk. Clark saw her knock on the door and go in. He decided now would be a good time to tune in his superhearing, and concentrated on what the two said. "Director?" The man began, obviously surprised to see her. "What are you doing here at this hour?" "I had to see you, Great Leader. I'm afraid I have some very important news." "What is it?" The man got up, walked to the woman, and guided her to a chair. "Sit down, dear. You're looking quite flushed. Now, tell me what's the matter." "It's the labs, sir." Clarice continued, apparently unappeased by the man's voice. "I've just been summoned to Klein's office tonight. He showed me some results." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "The results of Superman's fertility." The Leader took in a sharp breath, obviously surprised at this turn of events. "The results you'd changed?" "Yes." "But how did he find out?" The man asked. "I don't know, sir. All I know is that he somehow had another set of data. I thought I'd changed all the information, but he had another back-up somewhere with the original results." "Can you find this place and change the results?" The Leader inquired. "I suppose I could, but I don't see much point in it now, sir. He already knows the positive result exists. It would only make him more suspicious if the back-up system was changed." She stopped, suddenly realizing the full impact of the situation. "Oh, Great Leader, what am I going to do? He didn't say anything tonight, but I fear that he suspects me. What if he calls the police? What if he tells them that I'm behind the series of sabotages at STAR labs? Do you think he might know about this Society?" "Calm down, Clarice." The man offered in his most soothing voice. "Alright, perhaps they can trace back the change of information to you. Did you use your computer to change the database results?" He paused as the woman nodded in answer. "Well, I think we can still arrange something. I wouldn't worry. As for the other sabotages, you haven't been caught now, after much police investigation, so I'm not worried. And the Society? No. Klein couldn't possibly know about it. If he had, someone would have certainly tried to stop us already." Clark had heard enough, and he decided this was his cue to make that dramatic entry he always loved. Spinning in the air, he changed into his Superman suit and headed down towards the ground, choosing to break through the tunnel Clarice had walked in and force open the iron door to reach the basement. At the loud noise of impact, the two society members jumped but barely had time to react further as Superman pushed his way into the office. Their eyes flew wide open and their jaws dropped as the object of their hate suddenly appeared in front of them. "I hate to disappoint you," Superman said in his strongest voice, "But someone is stopping you now." Before the two had a chance to run, Superman picked them up by the collar and lifted them off the ground, chuckling silently as the two ineffectually moved their legs as they tried to get away. "I've heard everything I need. Your society will be taken care of. Not to worry. I'm sure you'll see them again... In jail." With that, Superman made sure his grip on the two culprits was tight and made his way out of the basement, flying straight to a Metropolis police department. The headline of the paper of Lois' desk read "Two SHARP Leaders Arrested." Jimmy, standing near Lois, listened enraptured as she recounted the details of the arrest. "So Superman tailed Clarice from the lab, found the secret hide-out for the society, broke in, flew the two culprits to one of the Metro PD precincts, had them arrested, and then dropped by our house to tell us the whole story." "That's amazing," Jimmy added, awe in his voice. "The police are investigating the Society, searching through the offices for a list of the other members and a more thorough idea of the activities perpetrated by the group. Superman has destroyed the tunnels leading to the basement, and he's helping with the clean-up at STAR labs, as well as checking for more signs of sabotage. "So far, they've been able to charge them both with sabotage and hacking into STAR Labs' database to modify the results, and collusion. They're searching the offices for evidence of other illegal activities. They've also caught a couple of society members who were entering the basement and are questioning them to try and get a clear idea of what the society was doing." "There's one thing that puzzles me, Lois." "What's that, Jimmy?" "Well, I understand that the Society would want to falsify the results of Superman's tests, but why commit other acts of sabotage? Why do something that would get so much attention when they wanted to stay undercover?" "I was wondering about that myself, Jimmy," Lois answered, "but it turns out that there was another reason for the sabotage. Last night, Clarice confessed to purposefully destroying her colleagues' work. When asked why, she answered that it was all they deserved." Jimmy looked on, confused. "It turns out," Lois continued, "that Clarice had been a young, promising scientist when she graduated from college. She applied to STAR labs for a senior researcher position, but was refused. She never accepted it, and later on got hired as Klein's research assistant. As soon as she was in she started plotting her revenge, and that's exactly what she did. This was her way of getting back at STAR labs for not hiring her." "Oh, I see." Jimmy nodded. "But what I really want to talk about is Superman's fertility tests." Perry interrupted, joining in on the conversation. He'd been close enough to eavesdrop on what had been said, and chose this moment to move up to the desk. Lois visibly cringed, hating that this aspect of the story had come out. "You know, Perry, I really wish we wouldn't have to print that." "I don't see why not, Lois. It's big news. And the city deserves to hear big news." "Yeah, I understand that, Perry," Lois paused, her mind racing as she tried to come up with an acceptable reason. "But I think that this might hurt more people, especially Superman, if it was found out." "Why?" Perry asked, genuinely perplexed. "Because..." Lois hesitated, then latched onto an idea and continued. "I think it would be dangerous. There was already a society against Superman. It's not the first, I agree, but it probably won't be the last. When they heard about Superman's tests for fertility, they began plotting more seriously to destroy him. We've got most of the leaders arrested by now and the police are still searching for the others as well as the members, but if news leaked out about Superman..." She paused, hoping to add a dramatic effect. "Well, who's to say that other societies won't start up. This time they might not be secret." Lois sighed, her face turning into a frown as she realized something. "There are many people who love Superman for who he is, and for what he does, but I'm afraid there are still many people out there that think of Superman simply as an alien who should be tolerated. If word got out that he's actually able to fertilize a woman's ovum... Well, I'm afraid there might be mass hysteria. There's already been one case of a woman claiming to have Superman's baby..." Lois paused, frowning as she remembered that poor child, then unconsciously placed her hand on her own stomach as she realized that she was the only one who could *truly* claim to be having Superman's child. "I... I'm just saying, Perry, that I don't think it would be a good idea to publicize this too much. It might do more harm than good." Her boss considered this for a minute, and seemed to make up his mind. "Alright, Lois. You have a point. But before I let this go there's one more question I want to ask you." She cringed, worried about what it might be. "Okay..." "I just want to know," Perry continued, "why Superman would have those fertility tests done in the first place." Lois' mind went into overdrive as she tried to come up with a suitable explanation for this. "You know, Perry, I asked him that myself. And... uh... he had several reasons for doing this. But mostly, I think it's for curiosity." "Curiosity?" "Yeah, you know. He's so much like most men - in looks, size, and so on. I think he just wanted to know if he was like them in that way, too. Besides, he wanted to make sure he had definitive proof in case another woman showed up claiming to have his baby. Unfortunately, the results didn't solve that problem." Lois paused, thinking some more. "But I think that it's also because he might just want to eventually find someone. You know, love a woman as much as Clark loves me. And if he ever settles down with someone, I think he'd like to know ahead of time whether or not he can have children." This time Lois stopped as she felt tears begin to form in her eyes. "Hmmmm..." Perry scratched his head in thought. "I wonder what that would be like, a world with baby Supermen flying around." Lois couldn't suppress a chuckle. "You never know. It might happen." 'Sooner than you think.' Leanne Shawler aka Volterra on IRC volterra@sd.znet.com http://www.znet.com/~volterra/leanne.html ********************************************************** Lois and Clark Season 5 Fanfic: http://www.tempus.simplenet.com/season5/ ********************************************************** Midnight Dreaming: The Original Anthony Warlow Home Page: http://www.zweb.com/volterra/anthony.html ********************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 4 Jan 1998 15:02:18 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Leanne Shawler (by way of Leanne Shawler by way of Leanne Shawler)" Subject: S5: Episode 10 (f) Part 7 of 7 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Perry seemed satisfied with this, congratulated her again on a story well done, and moved away. He stopped after a few paces and turned back. "Oh, Lois. I almost forgot..." She simply looked at him, with no idea of what he was about to say. "Jimmy's told me about that drugstore package scam that you were investigating. When can I expect that story on my desk?" Lois froze, wondering what he was talking about. Suddenly she realized he was referring to the pregnancy tests. Panicked, she searched for an answer and finally found an old favourite. "We're still working on it, Perry." He gave her a funny look, apparently wondering about her reaction, but simply nodded, mumbled "Okay" and turned back to head towards his office with Jimmy in tow. Lois let out a sigh of relief, slumping back into her chair. "Well, that was interesting." Clark whispered into her ear, causing Lois to jump. "I just walk in and there you are, silent and with a look of panic on your face, taking some time to answer to Perry. So tell me," Clark winked, "what was that pregnant pause about?" Lois gave him a dirty look and refused to answer, slapping her husband as he let out a chuckle. "Clark, you scared me... and don't tease like that." She gave him a stern look to go with that reprimand, then her face softened. "So, how's the clean-up coming along at STAR labs?" "It's going quite well, and don't change the subject, Lois." "I wasn't." She gave him her best Cheshire Cat grin. "I was just updating Jimmy on the story, and defusing a serious situation..." Clark gave her a confused look. "Perry was asking about Superman's fertility. I managed to convince him that it was better if the public didn't find out about that little detail." Lois paused, wrapping her arms around her husband and pulling him in for a quick kiss. "I want that all to myself." "What? You don't want to make Superman happy?" "I thought I already did." She smiled up. Clark's eyes were alight with joy. "You do, Lois. In more ways than one..." He waited until she looked at him questioningly. "I stopped by that doctor friend of yours on the way back. The results had just come in - fast lab work. It came out positive and everything looks normal. We're gonna be parents." Lois' smile grew wider and she pressed herself more tightly against Clark, sharing her joy. Meanwhile, Perry and Jimmy were looking on at the couple as they finished their conversation. "What do you think those they're up to, Chief?" "Hard to say, son. With Lois and Clark, you can never be sure. But whatever it is, it's probably big. And I bet that there's more to this drugstore kit story than meets the eye." "What? You think they're hiding something?" Jimmy paused, thinking. "You know, I didn't quite buy her explanation. But why else would they get so many different kits? You don't think..." "You never know, Jimmy." He grinned. "Chief, you can't seriously mean it -- that they needed a pregnancy test. I can see Clark as a father, but Lois? A mother? I don't think so! There's something else you're not telling me..." Perry simply smiled at the young man and turned away, whistling. He paused, turned his head back to face Jimmy and said: "Gotta work on those reporter's instincts, Jimmy." He then continued on his way back to his office, stopping himself from whistling and opting instead for a short, quiet yodel. The police department had been rather quiet all morning, and as a result only two figures were huddled in a shadowy corner of the holding cell, whispering in a conspiratorial manner. If someone had looked close, they would have seen a man and a woman, talking with their heads near each other to keep the conversation private. "What do we do now?" Clarice asked, obviously worried. "Nothing. We wait for the lawyers to get here. They are faithful society members. They'll get us out." "And what if they can't get us out? I confessed to a great many crimes tonight. I'm going to go to prison. And there's a good chance you will too." The Great Leader chuckled. "It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make, Clarice." "Well, I'm not." "It has already been decided, Clarice." "What? What's been decided." "It's a simple plan. In the event that I'm captured, I and whomever is captured with me takes the blame for everything. We allow the police to believe that no other director is out there, and then whomever is left chooses a second-in-command. It's a foolproof back-up plan. No matter what happens to us, the society *will* prosper. As long as Superman is out there. As long as aliens try and control our lives, we will fight back." The Leader laughed heartily, secure in his knowledge that his plans would be followed to the end. "The plans have been laid out carefully, Clarice. Don't worry. The new Society will not be discovered. They will learn from our mistakes. And we will rest easy, knowing that our actions were for the greater cause." The chief lapsed into silence, resting his head against the wall as he contemplated his last words. A grin was spread across his face. Clarice, on the other hand, looked worried, and her hand fluttered to her face as she began biting her nails -- the reality of her situation finally sinking in. Luthor was sitting at his desk, looking at his copy of the Daily Planet while drumming his fingers on the desk. Stopping this, he pulled open one of the side drawers and took out a miniature tape recorder. "See what I can do to help put this SHARP society back on its feet. I'd hate to see such energy go to waste, especially when we share so many common goals. After all, I *will* be the one to bring Superman down, but in the meantime they're a lovely thorn in his side. They deserve my help." He put the tape recorder back in the drawer, locked it, then turned off all but one small lamp in the corner of his office, dimmed it until it barely shone. He moved to one of the large windows to contemplate the sky. Beth walked into her husband's dark office. She waited until her eyes had adjusted to the low level of light, then found the familiar silhouette as he stood near the window, gazing up at the stars. "Lex? Why aren't you in bed?" The tall, lithe man turned around and smiled at his wife. "I'm sorry, dear. I just couldn't sleep." "What's on your mind?" "Just business... nothing serious. I've been thinking about this organization that might need some help." "Organization? Like a charity?" "Yes. A charity of sorts. They and I are after a common good, and they've been having some trouble lately, so I thought I'd give them a hand." Beth smiled and wrapped her arms around her husband. "It's nice to hear you play such an active part in building a better society. I'm proud of you, Lex." He placed his hand on her chin and lifted her head slightly so he could softly kiss her forehead. "You really like it when I help out my fellow human, don't you?" "Yes I do," Beth smiled in response, her eyes taking on a devilish gleam. "As a matter of fact, why don't I show you just how much I like it." Lex felt his wife's grip tighten around him, and turned them around, guiding them towards the hallway. "Yes... show me." Clark sighed contentedly and tightened his arms around his wife. He felt her weight press against him as he pushed back and forth... back and forth. The creaking of the wood floor and his wife's breathing were the only sounds he heard as he continued to rock to and fro, content to be sitting in the rocking chair in the bedroom with his wife cozily settled into his lap and pressed up against his chest. He stared off into space, willing his mind to push away all the week's troubles and concentrate instead on the slight rise and fall of his wife's ribcage as she slowly breathed in and out, close to sleep. He felt her press into him as she took a deep breath, then move away as she released it. Right afterwards, she pushed herself up and faced her husband -- a smile on her face. "Watcha thinking, farmboy?" Clark laughed, surprised at the endearment her wife had chosen. It had been a while since he'd heard that expression, and it hadn't exactly been a compliment at the time. "I was just thinking of what it's going to be like to become a father." Lois smiled lazily and leaned in to kiss her husband. Clark lost track of his movements and the chair slowly stopped rocking as he concentrated on his wife's mouth, tightening his embrace before beginning to let his hands wander over her body. He traced his fingers along her rib cage, then moved towards the front, heading for the navel -- one of his favourite spots. As he started rubbing his hand on her stomach - hoping to get a nice reaction from her - he stopped, realizing what was underneath his hand. Clark pulled back, gazing at his wife with all the love and wonder he possessed. She understood and smiled, placing her hand over his and applying a little pressure, almost as if this way they could actually feel the baby, even though it was too early. "Do you realize how much our lives are going to change?" Clark asked, wonder in his voice as well. Lois nodded, a smile appearing on her face as she thought of something. "Yeah." "I'm not kidding, Lois. Our lives are going to be very different with this new person in our lives." "I know." Lois nodded, looking directly into her husband's eyes to prove her sincerity. Then her look changed to mischief as yet another idea crossed her mind. "I hope *he* has your nose." Clark blushed. "I hope *she* has your persistence," he countered, then continued, "but not your flair for trouble." He didn't even try to escape the playful thwap that his wife gave him. "Just as well we bought the bigger house," Lois continued, teasing. "With all the grandparents giving mounds of presents, this baby could turn into one really spoiled child." Clark froze as his wife's words hit him. "Grandparents! Lois, we haven't told our parents yet!" Lois shook her head, a stubborn look on her face. "Uh-uh. I'm not going to tell my parents yet. With the way my mom took over the wedding preparations, there's no way I'm going to let her loose with a baby on the way. In fact, I'm going to stay away from that conversation for as long as possible. Clark groaned his agreement, but stopped to consider something. "What about my parents?" Lois' expression changed as she thought of the Kents. She could only imagine how Martha and Jonathan's faces would light up when they heard the news. "Well, I don't mind telling them. Should we give them a call tonight? Maybe make it a conference call, 'cause I'm sure they'll both want to ask us questions." Clark pondered this option, then shook his head. "Nah... I think we should enjoy the news a bit longer. I'll tell you what... We're going to visit them next weekend, right? Let's wait until then to tell them. Besides," Clark smiled, "I want to see their faces when I tell them the news." Lois winked conspiratorially and leaned into her husband, eager to capture his mouth once again. The End Leanne Shawler aka Volterra on IRC volterra@sd.znet.com http://www.znet.com/~volterra/leanne.html ********************************************************** Lois and Clark Season 5 Fanfic: http://www.tempus.simplenet.com/season5/ ********************************************************** Midnight Dreaming: The Original Anthony Warlow Home Page: http://www.zweb.com/volterra/anthony.html ********************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 4 Jan 1998 18:08:58 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: LoriMcE Organization: AOL (http://www.aol.com) Subject: Krypton Club fic "He Who Laughs Last" Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit Subj: Krypton Club Fanfiction #18 (AOL): "He Who Laughs Last" Date: 96-07-11 09:41:09 EDT From: CraigByrne BCC: LoriMcE ****************************************************************************** ****************** KRYPTON CLUB FANFICTION***ISSUE #18***JULY 11, 1996 **STORIES BY MEMBERS OF THE KRYPTON CLUB** "HE WHO LAUGHS LAST" ****************************************************************************** ****************** Welcome! Welcome to another installment of Krypton Club Fanfiction! We are hoping to send fanfiction twice a week this summer to help make the reruns go by faster. Everyone is welcome to send in fanfiction; all you have to do is send it to KryptonFX@aol.com! We've already gotten a lot of great stuff that we hope to use later in the summer, but we could always use more! If at all possible, PLEASE try to send the fanfiction as e-mail rather than as attached files... they're a lot easier to sort that way, and some attached files do not translate well with my computer . Tonight's fanfiction is called "He Who Laughs Last" by Russ Dimino ( CKent15@aol.com). In it Lois and Clark meet some guy who has some kind of bat fetish. Hope you like it! Craig Byrne President of the L&C Krypton Club ****************************************************************************** ****************** "He Who Laughs Last" By Russ Dimino (CKent15@aol.com) Clark Kent walked into his apartment one evening, happy as a clam. He and Lois had just been on the most romantic date they'd ever had. As a celebration of his safe return from New Krypton, they'd flown to Paris (via Superman Express, of course) for dinner at an elegant French resturaunt. While they were there, they'd even set a new date for the wedding. They were to be married in just two short months. Two months, Clark thought. Not long at all, yet it was forever at the same time. Clark sat down on the couch and flipped on the TV. LNN was covering a mysterious break-in that had taken place a few hours ago. Clark shook his head angrily. While he was off with Lois, someone had broken into STAR Labs. If he had been in Metropolis, he could have stopped it. "When police arrived on the scene, the would-be robber, who has been identified as explosives expert Nick 'The Bomber' Warner, was found bruised, unconcious, and tied up. Authorities are still unclear on who apprehended Mr. Warner, but are reasonably sure it was not Superman." The scene then cut to footage taken earlier, as the police escorted The Bomber to the police car. "Mr Warner," a reporter called, thrusting a microphone in Nick's face. "Who did this to you?" "It was huge! It came outta nowhere!" "It?" "The bat! It was a giant bat!" "A bat?" Clark repeated to himself. Warner was obviously hit over the head a little harder than he'd thought. Still, someone, or something, had knocked The Bomber out and tied him up. Just then Clark's super-hearing picked up an alarm in the distance. In an instant, he was in his Superman suit and out the window. A bank robbery. He could see it with his telescopic vision. With a rush of super-speed he was on the scene. He burst into the bank. Everyone inside sighed with relief. "Superman!" One of the robbers grabbed a young lady and thrust his gun up to her head. "Take one more step and I blow her pretty little brains out, 'Man of Steel!' " The crowd gasped. Superman wasn't worried. He was just about to dart behind the crook at super-speed and take his gun, when all of a sudden a small, bat- shaped projectlie whirred past his head and knocked the gun clean out of the man's hand. "What the--?!" Superman spun around, just in time to see a man swing in from behind him on a wire and kick the criminal in the face, knocking him clean out. With an array of well-placed kicks, punches, and flips he had the other three thugs on the ground as well. Superman was speechless. The man approached him. He was almost six feet tall, and he wore a black costume with a long, black cape. His face was covered by a mask that had two bat-like ears at the top on either side. And on his chest was a yellow oval, with a black bat in the center. The man extended his hand to Superman. "You're Superman," the man observed. "You're good," Superman noted, gesturing the the defeated gunmen. "Thank you," the man replied. "I need your help." Superman turned to the crowd of people, then back to the black-clad man. "Not here. Follow me." The two men walked out the bank door, and out onto the street. "Can you fly?" Superman asked. "I don't need to." The man reached into a yellow, multi-pocketed belt he wore around his waist and pulled out what looked like a gun. He fired it, launching a grappling hook attatched to a long rope. Pressing a button on the side, the rope retracted, pulling him into the air. He swung along, then landed on a nearby rooftop. The man then pressed another button, quickly reeling in the rope and firing again. Superman flew just ahead of the dark man, who swung along behind. He's fast, Clark noted. He's really not slowing me down much! Superman touched down on the roof of the Daily Planet building. The costumed man shot off his grapple gun again, hoisting himself up to the roof as well. "We can talk here," Superman assured him. "Good. I'm Batman," the man said. "I've come from Gotham City on the trail of a psychopathic criminal who has escaped from Arkham Asylum. I believe he's fled here, to Metropolis." "Metropolis? Why?" "A shipment of a deadly gas was being shipped to your STAR Labs for analysis. It belonged to him. His name is Jack Napier, but he calls himself the Joker. He created the gas, Smylex, he calls it, to kill his victims. It causes you to break into riotuous laughter, and then die. It leaves you dead, with a hideous grin on your face. When he was captured an sent to Arkham, all the canisters of the gas were taken from his hideout and sent here, to be analized and disposed of. He's come to get it back." "That man who broke into STAR Labs today...." Superman inqired. "I thought it was him. When I busted him and found it was Warner, I got worried. They'll increase security, which might delay Napier from making his move." "Where do I come in?" Superman asked. "I figured it might come in handy to have the local super-hero on my side. Someone with X-Ray vision? Super-hearing?" Superman nodded. "Aha." "I can't be everywhere at once, Superman. Neither can you. But together, we might come close." And with that, the Batman shot his grapple gun off and swung away into the night. ------------------------------- Clark walked into the Planet Newsroom the next morning, and sauntered up to Lois's desk, where she sat already typing away. She looked up as he approached. "Bonjour, mon petit chou!" he cooed in his best Frech accent. Lois giggled. "I love it when you do that!" "J'adore tu toujours!" "What's that mean?" Lois asked. Clark leaned close and whispered softly in her ear. "I love you always." She reached up, pulled him close, and they shared a passionate kiss. When the kiss broke off, Clark smiled. "What a way to start the day!" Lois smiled back. Just then Perry White came out of his office. "All right you two, let's put you to work," he called as he came over to Lois's desk. "You can kiss and speak foreign lanuages to each other on your own time. Now, I want you to cover the break-in at STAR Labs." "Oh, Chief, come on. It's just another break-in. How many of those are there a day?" "Yes, and most of them stopped by Superman. How many of those are there a day stopped by a 'giant bat?' " Lois gave Perry and eye-roll. "Or you could do a story on that billionaire that's in town. What's his name, Bruce Wayne?" "Ooh, Bruce Wayne. Tall, dark, and rich," Lois swooned. "Lois..." Clark couldn't help feeling a little jealous. "Oh, Clark, I'm just teasing." Just then, Clark picked up something with his super-hearing. Not sirens, not an alarm, not an explosion, but...laughing? Hundreds of people laughing hysterically at STAR Labs. "Uhm, we'd better get on that story right away, Chief," Clark said, and ran out of the news room. Lois hurried after him. "Clark, what is it? What did you hear?" "Lois, you can't come. It's too dangerous." "Clark, if you don't take me, I'm going to go alone and probably get into even more trouble so you might as well take me with you." Clark nodded. He pulled off his glasses and slipped off his clothes, revealing his Superman coustume underneath. Scooping Lois up in his arms, he took off for STAR Labs. When they arrived, they found a horrible green gas pouring out of the building. Clark turned to Lois. "Wait outside. I'm probably immune to this gas, but it's safe to say that you won't be." Without waiting for her to protest, he dashed inside. Everyone inside was in hysterics. "My God..." Clark was shocked by the sickening display. "A gas is capable of this...turning the city's most trusted and respected scientists into laughing fools?" The Batman's words echoed in his ears: "It leaves you dead, with a hideous grin on your face." Superman sucked the gas into his powerful lungs, then flew into outer space and released the gas out where it would do no harm. Then he jetted back to STAR Labs. Seeing that the scientists were recovering, he did a scan of the building with his X-Ray vision. Nothing. He turned around. Behind him was the Batman. "The Joker got away with several canisters of the gas," he said, grimly. "I got here too late to stop him. He'll undoubtably flee back to Gotham now that he has it." "I'll go with you," Superman said. "No," he said, shaking his head. "Are you sure? I could be a big help to you." "You already were. These men would have died if not for you. There's no way I could have saved them. I can handle the Joker, trust me." "But--" "No buts. She needs you much more than I do," Batman insisted. "She?" "Miss Lane," Batman replied casually. "Lovely woman. Have a good wedding, Mr. Kent." Superman was dumbfounded. "Wha-- I-- I-- I don't know what you--" Batman smiled. "Superman, I'm known as the world's greatest detective. Not much slips past me." And with that, he turned and walked out of the building. THE END ****************************************************************************** ****************** Coming Up.... Join us on SUNDAY for a new installment of fanfiction! Craig "Nightwing" Byrne President of the L&C Krypton Club Matt "Robin" Combes Vice-President of the L&C Krypton Club ****************************************************************************** ****************** SEND YOUR FANFICTION TO KRYPTONFX@AOL.COM ! (Please send fanfic in e-mail rather than as attached files!) ****************************************************************************** ****************** ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 4 Jan 1998 18:09:20 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: LoriMcE Organization: AOL (http://www.aol.com) Subject: Krypton Club Fanfiction #23 (AOL): "Superman's Mother-In-Law" Comments: cc: PepperD916@aol.com Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit Re: "Superman's Mother in Law" fanfic Date: 98-01-04 13:14:47 EST From: PepperD916 To: LoriMcE Hi Lori! Sure, posting my fanfic to the list is fine with me. No problem! Take care, Tanya Diede ;) Subj: Krypton Club Fanfiction #23 (AOL): "Superman's Mother-In-Law" Date: 96-07-28 17:59:48 EDT From: CraigByrne BCC: LoriMcE ****************************************************************************** ****************** KRYPTON CLUB FANFICTION***ISSUE #23***JULY 28, 1996 **STORIES BY MEMBERS OF THE KRYPTON CLUB** "SUPERMAN'S MOTHER-IN-LAW" ****************************************************************************** ****************** Welcome! Welcome to today's installment of Krypton Club Fanfiction. We are sending fanfic twice a week this summer to help relieve the undying stress that LCWS (Lois & Clark Withdrawal Syndrome) has been bringing us. For those of you who didn't know already , fanfiction is stories about Lois & Clark that are written by fans of the show. With fanfiction your best L&C ideas can come to life. All you have to do is send it to us at KryptonFX@aol.com. (Please send it as e-mail rather than attached files though; my computer doesn't respond well to attached stuff for some reason). Anyhow, tonight's fanfiction is called "Superman's Mother-In-Law" by Tanya Diede (PepperD916@aol.com). It deals with Lois' mother, Ellen, being let in on Clark’s secret. Also in this story Lois and Clark already have their first child. Tanya welcomes all comments at PepperD916@aol.com! Craig Byrne President of the L&C Krypton Club ****************************************************************************** ******************** "Superman's Mother-In-Law" By Tanya Diede (PepperD916@aol.com) "Mommy, mommy, look!” Seven year old Chris Kent bounded into the room holding a piece of white paper smeared with still damp finger paint. “What sweetie?” Lois turned to see the smile on her son’s face as he presented his masterpiece. “That’s beautiful! What is it?” “Oh mommy, don’t you know anything? It’s us. See there is daddy, and you, and me.” Lois grinned, “I see now... but how’s that?” she pointed knowingly at the red and blue blob in the top corner of the page. “That’s Superman,” he exclaimed, his eyes sparkling. “Of course,” Lois sighed. It seemed to be a seven year old thing. At first her son’s Superman infatuation had been, she had to admit, kind of cute, but now it was getting a little annoying, especially since Chris didn’t know that his idolized hero was really his father. “Oh come on Lois, it is so cute... and besides, all his friends are into Superman too.” Clark had explained to her. “Anyways, I happen to remember a certain reporter who was once always throwing herself at my feet in hopes of gaining my attention.” Lois smiled at the memory and smiled even more at the memory of the shove she had given Clark for bringing up her past actions towards a Man of Steel. Yes, she had been something, chasing after her wild fantasy, making a fool of herself in the process. “Yes, but that was before I knew that Superman was really a ‘hack from nowheresville’ who went by the name of Clark Kent,” Lois thought to herself. “Mommy... do you like it?” The sound of Chris’ voice brought Lois out of her thoughts about the past and back to the present. “Yes... yes, it is truly a work of art.” Chris smiled while he helped her place it on the refrigerator, otherwise known as the Kent mini-museum. “Hi honey,” Clark called from the front door. “Hello Chris.” “Hi daddy," Chris shouted from his room where he had no vanished to. “Hi,” Lois answered, planting a large kiss on Clark’s cheek. “How was Superman’s neighborhood watch meeting?” “Oh, the same as usual. Mrs. Engel still wants me to do that photo shoot for the upcoming Woman’s Club calendar, but I think that it is just another attempt for her to get her hands on me.” Clark sighed. “You look pretty tired, you going to be ready to go out tonight?” “Of course... as soon as your mother gets here.” Clark produced an eager smile. Ever since Lois had discovered that she was pregnant, she and her mother had started spending more time together, and Ellen was forever offering to babysit, so on this particular night Lois was going to give her the satisfaction. “She should be here any minute.” And as if on cue the doorbell rang. “Hi mom. How are you?” Lois opened the door and her mother pushed her way inside. “Hi Lois. I could be better... you know, it is freezing out there.” Ellen paused for a moment and glanced at Lois’ evening attire. “Lois, I sure hope you aren’t planning on wearing that sleeveless dress tonight, you’ll catch your death, go put on a coat.” “I won’t need it in Hawaii,” Lois whispered under her breath to Clark. “What was that Lois?” Ellen gave her son-and-law a subtle glare. “I said, yes mother,” Lois quickly grabbed a light weight sweater, and her husband and hurried out the door before she could fall victim to another one of her mother's lectures. “Look... I’m Superman,” Chris yelled as he ran around the room, his arms outstretched like wings. “Yes... yes you are,” Ellen made a weak attempt to calm the child down. “Please Chris come over here and color a picture for me, please.” “Okay,” Chris hung up his cape, so to speak, took out his favorite Superman coloring book, and settled on the floor to color. Meanwhile, Ellen began to look around the room, nosy as always. She snooped in the cupboards, peeked in the refrigerator, opened a few drawers, and scanned the bookshelves. Suddenly her search stopped when her eyes fell upon the shelf set aside for the photo albums. The first one she immediately recognized as containing Lois’ baby pictures, and the second on as containing Clark’s. A still fairly new one housed the wedding pictures and and a red one held the pictures of her grandson. All these albums she had seen a hundred times, front to back, but tonight there was a new album among the rest. Carefully she lifted it off of the shelf, and fingered the smooth, shiny blue cover, and it’s bright red ribbon border. Curiously she wondered why she hadn’t seen it before and why Lois had failed to show it to her on one of their ‘stroll down memory lane (no pun intended)’ visits. After a quick battle of conscience, Ellen caved and opened the book, and flipped through the pages. The first pictures were of Perry, Jimmy, and some of Lois and Clark’s other friends. Then she turned the page and was instantly staring at a pair of blue tights and a familiar red cape. Page after page came with nothing but Superman. Superman pictures, Superman articles, everything and anything having to do with the Man of Steel. “Wow,” Ellen muttered out of surprise. “My daughter was really hung up on this guy.” Her fingers traveled across the page and onto the next one which changed from pictures of Superman to those of Clark. Clark, Clark, and more Clark filled the pages. There was Lane and Kent, the professional picture of the cities most acclaimed reporting team, followed by the pictures of them as friends, followed by the pictures when they had become more then friends. Ellen smiled at her daughters apparant happiness with this one man. However, the smile lasted only as long as it took her to reach the last page of the book. Suddenly staring up at her was a huge collage with pictures of both Clark and Superman, all forming a circle around a small dryed red carnation. At the bottom of the page, her eyes were caught by a note. A note which jumped out at her, and grabbed her undivided attention. “To my dear Lois,” She began outloud. “You are the light of my life. Without you I am a fool in blue tights, but with you I am that and so much more. Thank you for everything! With all my love, forever! -Your Superman.” Ellen choaked out the last words as if they cause sudden death. “Superman,” She struggled to maintain her balance. “My daughter’s having an affair with Superman! Oh my...” The book crashed to the floor causing the fragile flower to crumble under its weight. Nervously, Ellen picked up the book and shoved it back in its place on the shelf, and then tried to grind the remains of the flower into the carpet. “Grandma, grandma! I finished a picture for you.” Chris called from where he sat on the floor. “What, Chris?” Ellen looked at her grandson and gasped, blinking her eyes in disbelief. There was her grandson, the splitting image of Superman. “Oh, my goodness, Ellen, you are going crazy.” But it was too late, Ellen could feel the room begin to spin and the objects around her blur, and with a quiet sigh, she collapsed gracefully, fainting to the floor. “Mom,” Lois called, “Can you hear me? Are you alright? Chris what happened?” Lois hovered over her mother. “I don’t know what mommy. She was awful quiet for awhile and then she started talking to herself and then I found her like this.” Chris tried to explain, tears threatening to spill out of his dark brown eyes. “It’s alright honey. Why don’t you have your father put you to bed and I’ll take care of your grandma, okay?” “Okay,” Chris sniffled. Clark gently lifted his mother-in-law onto the couch and then escorted his son to bed. “Lois... is that you?” Ellen’s eyes blinked open and she could see her daughter’s face through a haze of confusion and bewilderment. “Mom, relax. You just fainted, that’s all. Here... here’s a glass of water.” Slowly, Ellen sat up, and took the glass in her hand, but she couldn’t drink it. She could only stare wide eyed at Lois and shake her head in a scolding manner. “Lois, is everything between you and Clark okay?” Lois frowned. *Where on earth was this coming from?* she thought to herself. “Yes, Mother. Everything is fine. Clark and I had a wonderful evening tonight. We went to dinner and he took me dancing, and then we went for a nice long walk.” Lois sighed, remembering the cool sand on her feet and the warm Hawaiian breeze blowing through her hair. “Mom?” Lois was becoming uncomfortable with her mother’s unrelenting stare. “Is everything okay with you? What happened tonight? Did Chris do something, because if he did, I can talk to him....” “No...” Ellen interrupted. “Chris was ‘super’.” Unsteadily, Ellen rose from the couch. “Now Lois, I think that I’d better get myself home. But remember if there is anything that you would like to tell me, anything at all, no matter what time of day... just give me a call.” She picked up her coat, and hurried out the door, slamming it behind her. “Mmm, that was the strangest thing,” Lois looked at Clark who had joined her on the couch. “What was strange?” Clark inquired. “My mother.” “Well, that’s a given,” Clark chuckled, but stopped at the sudden poke in the ribs he received from his wife. “Okay Lois, what happened?” “I, I don’t know exactly. She was acting strange, asking me questions about ‘us’ and our relationship... where did that come from?... and then she told me that she would be there for me if I needed to tell her something... and it was all so unlike her.” Lois paused momentarily from her babbling. “Well,” Clark started in before she could begin again. “Maybe she was just concerned. You know, looking out for your well-being.” “Yeah, that’s what scares me. She never acts like this. Something must have really spooked her, and....” “And I think I know what,” Clark caught a glimpse of red poking out of the off white carpet. Immediatly he moved to the bookcase and pulled out the slightly bent photo album. Carefully, he turned the pages until he was looking at the last one. “Look, the carnation’s missing. It must have fallen out somehow and gotten smashed.” “You mean my mother was snooping?” “It appears so, and she came across ‘the’ album.” “Oh Clark, . .you don’t think that she knows, do you?” “I don’t know. Do you think that she could put it all together?” Lois looked at the note written at the bottom of the page. “Well, now that I think about it.... when I asked her about the Chris’ behavior tonight, she told me that Chris had been just ‘super’, but it could only be a coincidence, I don’t know. Clark do you know what this means though?” Clark was silent for a moment, thinking. “Maybe it is time for her to be let in on the secret. I mean, she does have the right to know that her favorite grandson is half Kryptonian.” Lois sighed. “I was hoping that we would never have to deal with this, but I suppose you’re right. I’ll call her in the morning and invite her over for dinner... and then we can give her the shock of her life.” Clark couldn’t help but laugh at the image of how Ellen was going to react. ------------------------------------------- It was a cool night, a chilly wind blowing through the large city of Metropolis, but in the Kent apartment, the warm scent of Clark’s famous spagetti filled the cheery air. Lois’ mother had been unusually eager to accept their dinner invitation and had awkwardly shown up nearly an hour early. Now Clark stood by the stove making last minute preparations while Lois sat trying to keep her mother under control. Soon the meal was ready and the three gathered around the table. Earlier, Superman had come by to take Chris for an evening of fun with Grandma and Grandpa Kent in Smallville, so that Lois and Clark could weather the approaching storm alone. It was quiet as they ate, and the tension in the room was so thick that one could almost literally choke. “You know Clark, this is really good,” Lois made a slight attempt to break the uncomfortable silence. “Thank you, Loi--” A cry for help couldn’t have come at a more perfect time. “Lois, I think that I should go pick up dessert now,” He gave her a ‘I need to go’ look and she nodded back in understanding and then he left. Cautiously Lois got up to clear the table, waiting for her mother to pounce, but to her surprise Ellen simply got up and moved to the couch, where she waited until Lois joined her. “Lois,” her mother’s voice was unsteady and unnatural, even for her. “You know that you can tell me anything.” “Yes mom. Actually, that is why you are here tonight.” Lois swallowed the lump that was rising in her throat. “I need to talk to you about Clark.” “Oh honey, I already know. It must be so awful for you.” “You do?” Lois frowned but at the same time let out a huge sigh of relief. “But why is it so awful?” “Lois, it isn’t really that terrible. It is perfectly natural. In most marriages, sometimes you need to, how shall I say it, ‘look at what you’re missing.’ I want you to know that you should not be ashamed of it, but be careful... you don’t want to hurt Clark. If he finds out that you are fooling around with Superman, it could really lower his self-esteem.” “Whoa, hold on a minute,” Lois stood up off of the couch. “You think that I -- You think that Superman and I are -- Oh mother,” Lois laughed. “No, no, no, that is not it at all. Clark and I are happily married. We couldn’t be happier. That is not the problem.” “Then what is it?” Ellen was rapidly becoming cmpletely confused. “What is the problem?” “Mom...” “Here Lois, let me help,” Clark entered the room and set a bag of fresh crossants down on the coffee table. “Ellen, . Lois and I have decided that it is time that you knew.” “Knew what? Come on you two, I don’t have time for your games. Spill it!” “You were looking through my photo album weren’t you?” Lois asked casually. “Well yes,” Ellen blushed slightly. “I suppose I glanced through it.” “...and you found the pictures of Superman and the flower and the note.” “Yes, I’m guilty, but I don’t know what this has to do with....” “The pictures were there not because I am having an affair with Superman and not because I have gotten bored with Clark. Mother what I am trying to tell you is that I... I am married to Superman.” “Ha! You’re out of your mind Lois. You cannot be married to both Superman and Clark at the same time. The have laws against that sort of thing not to mention it is completly ridiculous. Lois, this has got to be a joke, not your funniest but definitely one that will take a good five years off my life. Now how about some dessert.” “Clark, please show her. Mom, I am married to Clark and Superman, but that is because they are the same person.” A familiar breeze filled the room and Ellen turned, mouth gaping, to where Clark stepped out of his spin, now wearing the symbolic uniform of a certain superhero. “Lois... Clark... Superman... Lois, I knew that you were infatuated with Superman, but I never dreamed that you would actually marry the guy.” “Mother, please don’t be upset. We didn’t tell you for your own good. If this information gets into the wrong hands, it would put you at risk as well as Chris.” “Oh my gosh, Lois. Chris, that means that he is, that he is half alie--” “...Kryptonian,” Clark stepped in. “Yes, thank you Superm, er uh.. Clark. Do they... do they have all your powers?” “No, not that we can tell so far,” Lois explained, relieved and surprised at her mother’s calm reaction. “But then Clark’s appeared gradually as he got older so we’ll just have to wait and see.” “Well, Lois, you really do know how to pick them. I mean I always knew that Clark was a great guy, but this, this is too much.” “You're not upset?” Lois asked cautiously as if the question would set off a bomb. “No, not upset... just surprised, that’s all.” “Mom? You know that you can tell me if you are, I mean I kept this from you all this time, and I....” “Lois, I am not upset. I am happy for you.” Ellen stood and hugged her daughter. “Oh come here Clark.” Ellen reached over and pulled Clark over to make it a group hug. Once Ellen tired of that she pulled away and turned to the croissants on the table. “Dare I even ask where these are from? No don’t answer Clark. Let me take a wild guess. You got them in France.” “You bet,” Clark grinned and passed the bag around. Suddenly, Ellen burst out laughing. “What is so funny?” Lois frowned. “Do you realize that I am the mother-in-law of the strongest man in this world.” Ellen gasped. “Kind of overwhelming isn’t it.” Lois smiled at her mother and then at Clark. “Yes it is, but it’s nice, actually it’s more than nice... it’s, well, SUPER!” A simultaneaous groan from both Lois and Clark, caused Ellen to laugh even harder, and before long, no longer able to hold back, Lois and Clark joined in causing the laughter to echo through the small apartment and spill out into the cold night air. THE END ****************************************************************************** ******************** Special Notice! Val (LittlRed1@aol.com, author of last week's Krypton Club Fanfiction "Dinner for Three") thanks everyone who has written her requesting copies of the R-rated version of that story and it's predecessor, "The Honeymoon." She just wanted us to inform you that she has recently started working on a new movie so it may be a few more days before you receive anything from her. She doesn't want you to think she's ignoring you! ****************************************************************************** ******************** Coming Up... Join us on Thursday for new fanfic, and look for a new newsletter tomorrow! Craig "Donny Osmond" Byrne President of the L&C Krypton Club (with Vice-President Matt "Rosie O'Donnell" Combes, vacationing in Indiana!) ****************************************************************************** ****************** SEND YOUR FANFICTION TO KRYPTONFX@AOL.COM ! (Please send fanfic in e-mail rather than as attached files! Thanks!) ****************************************************************************** ****************** ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 4 Jan 1998 18:13:46 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: LoriMcE Organization: AOL (http://www.aol.com) Subject: Krypton Club Fanfiction #26 (AOL): "Because I Don't Like Sundays" Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit Subj: Krypton Club Fanfiction #26 (AOL): "Because I Don't Like Sundays" Date: 96-08-09 15:23:57 EDT From: CraigByrne BCC: LoriMcE ****************************************************************************** ****************** KRYPTON CLUB FANFICTION***ISSUE #26***AUGUST 9, 1996 **STORIES BY MEMBERS OF THE KRYPTON CLUB** "BECAUSE I DON'T LIKE SUNDAYS" ****************************************************************************** ****************** Welcome! Welcome to today's Krypton Club Fanfiction! Sorry it wasn't out last night, I was at work until 1:30 in the morning. Anyhow, the Krypton Club is sending fanfic twice a week this summer to help relieve the undying stress that LCWS (Lois & Clark Withdrawal Syndrome) has been bringing us. For those of you who didn't know already , fanfiction is stories about Lois & Clark that are written by fans of the show. With fanfiction your best L&C ideas can come to life. All you have to do is send it to us at KryptonFX@aol.com. (Please send it as e-mail rather than attached files though; my computer doesn't respond well to attached stuff for some reason). Anyhow, today's fanfiction is called "Because I Don't Like Sundays," and it features the return of Mayson Drake and Baron Sunday! How is this possible? Read this fanfic and find out! Hope you like it! Craig Byrne President of the L&C Krypton Club ****************************************************************************** ****************** "Because I Don't Like Sundays" By Dalia Leven Lois kissed Clark on the side of his face, trying to get his attention. She had been trying to get his attention away from that STUPID crossword puzzle for the past twenty minutes. But Clark was sitting in one corner of the couch, biting the end of a pencil and staring ahead at the newspaper. Lois moved over to the other end of the couch and pouted. Clark looked over at her, and she started to smile, but instead of saying something incredably romantic, he said, "Lois, do you know a five-letter-word for 'to annoy'?" "Yes," she said, pouting again, "CLARK!!!" She settled back into her corner and crossed her arms. "No," Clark said, smiling to himself, "I think that it is 'tease'," he said, doing exactly that. He set down his crossword puzzle and jumped over to Lois and started to kiss her ear. "Go ahead," he said playfully, as Lois stared straight ahead and bit her lip." Just try to look mad!" He kissed her again and this time she kissed him back. After a few minutes of *fun*, the fun rang. As Clark tried to get the phone Lois said "leave it," and pulled him back towards her. The answering machine came on. "Please leave your name and number after the beep and I'll get back to you as soon as I can." BEEP!! "Clark. This is Mayson. Mayson Drake." She paused as Clark ran to get the phone. "Mayson?!!?" he said in to the reciever. "Mayson is that you? We--I, thought you were dead." He listened to the voice on the other end of the line, "OK." He hung up the phone. He turned around slowly and said "Lois, put your shoes on. We've got to go." Without explaining further, he grabbed her by the wrist and ran, with her following behind. At the end of their run, they ended up in the park, on a bench, next to, believe it or not, Mayson Drake, who was looking as healthy as she ever had. After exchanging formalities, Lois asked the question that was on her and her fiancee's minds. "Mayson, how is it that you are... well, alive?" Mayson let out a little laugh. "Always the reporter, huh, Lois? But to tell you the truth, I don't know. But Clark, there is no story here, Lois did not have to come too." She smiled politely and Clark tried to. Lois imitated Mayson's laugh and smile, and said, "Well, I was over at his apartment when you called." Mayson looked at Clark quizically. "You see, Mayson," Lois continued, "we are engaged now." Lois showed Mayson the ring. Again Mayson smiled. "Oh don't be silly, Lois. I have my own boyfriend now," she said, "He should be here any moment. He just stopped off in a little shop he saw to buy a doll. He is a big doll collector." At this moment a man walked up to Mayson and sat down next to her. He was holding a little rag doll. He looked familiar. And so did the way he was holding that doll....... ----------------------------------------------- As they walked back to Clark's apartment, Lois said, "John seems familiar to me. What about you?" "Yes...a little. I just can't believe it. Mayson, alive..." his voice drifted away. "And he's a doll collector..." Lois too, drifted into lala land. ----------------------------------------------- Mayson and her boyfriend had been around for a couple weeks, and they had gotten together several times with Lois and Clark. And each time Lois tried to figure out where she knew John from. Clark too thought that he knew him, but he was just too shocked over Mayson to think straight. But Lois was still as sharp as ever, and after all she had never liked Mayson Drake. After one of their get togethers, the partners were in the Daily Planet working, when Lois suddenly said to Clark, "Sunday!!" Clark looked at her like she was insane and said, "No Lois, today is Wednesday." "No," she said, her voice getting louder and louder. "Baron Sunday!! Jimmy, whatever happened to Baron Sunday?!!" Jimmy turned around and said "Nothing. You and Superman lost him, remember?" "Clark!" She turned to him and began to shake him. "John is Baron Sunday!!" Clark gave her his, 'Lois, you are grasping at straws' look. "No I am sure of it!! His face!! And those dolls!! That one he showed us, I thought it looked like you. Come to think of it, Mayson did too!!" Clark's eyes actually lit up at the memory. They walked out of the Daily Planet really quickly. Passing Perry near the elevator, they did not even stop to explain. In the elevator, Lois said "And I bet you Mayson is just like Ziggy. She's been awakened by the dead because of someone that you knew. I bet CLARK!! CLARK!!" That was not what Lois bet but Clark was siting on the floor of the elevator in pain. He undid hid tie and opened his shirt. Lois bent down to him, and gasped. "Clark, the scorpion. We were right. He is Baron Sunday." It was barely a whisper. "What do you see?" "You," he whispered and writhed in pain. "When I went to New Krypton. Your face." "I'm here Clark," she said. "And you are here. We are both here together. I love you Clark. It all worked out OK. Don't worry Clark." Slowly his breathing slowed. He stood up and kissed her. "I love you. You know that, don't you?" "Of course. I love you too." Clark walked out of the elevator and said," Come on. We have got to get Mayson. If she wants to, she could reveal a very important secret," he said meaningfully at Lois. "She knows?!" she asked in disbelief. "You told her before you told me!!" Clark sighed. "Lois, when I went to save her, my shirt was torn, and she saw. I did not tell her." He said turning Lois towards him by her shoulders. They found Mayson and John in Mayson's apartment, and they were playing with his dolls. "Lois! Clark!" he said, suprised to see them standing there. "Come on, BARON, " Lois said, "enough playing games!!" "Oh, Lois, you don't think that I would do anything, would you?" he asked getting up. "Actually, Yes." Lois answered. With that "John" lit a flame in his hand and dropped it on the floor. But insted of falling on the floor, it landed on a doll that looked like Mayson and it burned the doll to a crisp. Clark backed out of room slowly while this was going on. He returned in his suit and cape, and tied up "John." He told Lois not to let him out of her sight. He walked over to Mayson. But again, she was dead. Her doll had burned her to death. ----------------------------------------------- The next day in the Daily Planet, Perry held up the newspaper. The headline read "BARON SUNDAY, CAUGHT AGAIN!!" "Perry said, "Good job you two. You did it again!!! One day, you will have to let me in on your secret." He slapped Clark on the back and returned to his office shaking his head slowly. THE END ****************************************************************************** ******************** Coming Up... Join us on Sunday for a new fanfic! Craig "I Don't Like Baron Sunday Either, But This Was Still A Good Fanfic" Byrne President of the L&C Krypton Club Matt "The Nicknameless" Combes Vice-President of the L&C Krypton Club ****************************************************************************** ****************** SEND YOUR FANFICTION TO KRYPTONFX@AOL.COM ! (Please send fanfic in e-mail rather than as attached files! Thanks!) ****************************************************************************** ****************** ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 4 Jan 1998 18:08:21 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: LoriMcE Organization: AOL (http://www.aol.com) Subject: Krypton Club Halloween Fanfiction #1 (AOL): "Halloween Madness" Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit Subj: Krypton Club Halloween Fanfiction #1 (AOL): "Halloween Madness" Date: 96-10-31 12:31:06 EST From: CraigByrne BCC: LoriMcE ****************************************************************************** ******************** KRYPTON CLUB HALLOWEEN FANFICTION #1***OCTOBER 31, 1996 **STORIES BY MEMBERS OF THE KRYPTON CLUB** "HALLOWEEN MADNESS" ****************************************************************************** ******************** Welcome! Happy Halloween, FOLCs! As a special treat we are sending out a Halloween Fanfiction to whet your blood-sucking appetites. For those of you who didn't know already , fanfiction is stories about Lois & Clark that are written by fans of the show. With fanfiction your best L&C ideas can come to life. We welcome fanfiction submissions from all Krypton Club members. All you have to do is send it to us at KryptonFX@aol.com. (Please send it as e-mail rather than attached files though; my computer doesn't respond well to attached stuff for some reason). Today's fanfiction is called "Halloween Madness," and is a spooktacular story coming to us from Carla ( UFFanGator@aol.com). This story takes place before Lois and Clark were married. Hope you like it! Look forward to a Krypton Club/SuperFoLCs Halloween Special in your e- mailboxes this evening, and a new regular newsletter within a few days. One final note... we will NOT be sending out a fanfiction on Sunday even though there is no new episode. This special fanfiction will take its place. Craig "Vlad" Byrne President of the L&C Krypton Club ****************************************************************************** ******************** "Halloween Madness" By Carla (UFFanGator@aol.com) After an exhausting morning, Lois had just put down the book she was reading, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, to take a well deserved nap when the phone rang. "Hello?" "Lois, did I wake you?" "Clark. No, I was just about to take a nap. You wouldn't believe the morning I've had. My shower backed up and then my air conditioning unit stopped working. This is what I get for having a day off." "Sounds like you had a hard morning. Does this mean that you aren't going to the Halloween Party this evening with me?" "Don't think you can get out if it that easily mister. You are taking me and that is that!" Lois started to smile when she thought of the costumes they would be wearing. "I would never try to get out of taking you anywhere. I'm not looking forward to wearing my costume is all. You get some rest and I'll pick you up at 6:30. I love you!" "I love you too Clark. I'll see you at 6:30." Lois hung up and sunk down into a blissful sleep. Lois had just woke from her nap when she heard a knock on the door. "I'll be right there." She glanced at the clock which read 6:25 and wondered why the alarm hadn't gone off. Another knock on the door and she hurried to unlock it. "Are you ready for dinner my dear?" Clark stood there in an old fashioned tuxedo with his hair slicked back and a black cape behind him. He looked like a vampire straight out of the 1800's. "Why aren't you wearing your costume? I thought we were going as Bonnie and Clyde. You changed your mind without telling me didn't you?" "Lois my love, I don't know what you are talking about but you had better hurry. The carriage is downstairs waiting on us and young master James is in a spot as is. I'll wait here while you get dressed." As Lois headed to her room to get dressed she thought something is wrong. Why is Clark dressed the way he is and why is he talking so strangely? When opening up her closet she noticed that it wasn't her closthes that were in there but antique dresses and petticoats. Masks that were in brilliant colors and shoes that buttoned up to midcalf. What is going on? Where are my clothes and what are these old things doing here? "Lois, what is taking so long? We must be going or Lord White will wonder what has happened to us." "I'll be out in a minute." Lois took out the closest dress she could find and had a little trouble with all of the buttons in the back. She took what she thought was a masquerade mask and put on the shoes. After looking at herself in the full length mirror that she'd never seen before she went out into her living room. "Clark, I can't seem to get these buttons in the hook. Would you please help me out here?" Clark looked up from the book he was reading and felt his mouth open. Lois looked like an angel. So soft and gentle was she standing there in emerald green it made his body tremble. To him, she was the most beautiful creature on this earth. He stood up and walked over to her and as she turned her back towards him he could smell the scent of gardenias on her skin. How he couldn't wait for their up and coming marriage. He loved her so dearly. As Clark finished and turned her around Lois looked up and saw the hunger in his eyes. I wasn't food he was thinking about, that she was sure of. His mood then changed to one of pleasure when she smiled at him. "Let us be on our way and we can take care of what ails me on our return home." Clark gave her bottom a little slap and closed the door behind them. On their way down the stairs Lois paused and almost fell down if Clark hadn't been holding her arm. There in front of her were two white horses and a black carriage with the emblem K on it. Sitting on the carriage was Jimmy, dressed in red velvet from head to toe. He jumped down to open the door when he saw them approach. "Good evening milady. May I say how good it is to see you again." Jimmy took her hand and helped her inside. I don't know what kind of joke this is but I will go along with it for now. It's quite fun! **************************** As the carriage approached its destination, Clark leaned over and said "Lois, have I told you how utterly beautiful you are?" He could barely contain his passion for her. If it weren't for this dratted All Hallows Eve party he would be spending this night with her alone! "No, but you can tell me when the mood strikes you." Clark had done nothing but stare at her since he entered the carriage. It did un-nerve her a bit but since this seemed to be a wonderful fantasy it couldn't hurt just to go along with everything that was happening. The horses started to slow as they entered the grounds of Dr. Klein. He was known about the whole of Metropolis as one of the great teachers of medicine. It was said that he had one been known to bring long dead bodies back to life. He kept mostly to himself but was not alone. He had rescued a man that had been outcast from a place called Tahiti. This man was known as Deter, a hunchback of a man with no brain to speak of. Dr. Klein had taken him in and treated him with kindness like he would a pet. Deter would ride into town for supplies, say nothing, and ride back to the castle. In the dead of night when everything was quite, horrible sounds could be heard coming from the castle. Not human sounds, un-natural sounds from the depths of Hades. Lois peeked out of the window in awe. It was the biggest castle she had ever seen. Massive pillars in the front and towers as far as the eye could see reaching for the heavens. There was something almost magical about the place yet sinister too. Lois shuddered a bit and Clark pulled her close. "You should have brought a rap with you. It is a bit cooler then I had first thought." Clark opened the door before Jimmy had a chance to hop down from his perch. "James, see to it that the horses are watered and fed and make sure that you stay with them at all times." "Yes your grace." Clark helped Lois out and they started for the gardens. Clark pulled her under a shade tree and looked into her eyes. "Lois, please forgive me but I can't seem to keep my hands off of you." He took her tenderly in his arms and kissed her softly and deeply. Lois thought she would soon. "Sir, if it weren't for this party you can guess where we would be right at the moment. Try to get a hold on your raging hormones and let's get this over with." Clark chuckled at her reply, "I shall try with superhuman strength!" and then winked at her. This was going to be a long night! **************************** As Clark and Lois made their way up the castle steps, Lord White was there to greet them. "I say, it took you both long enough to get here. Was there trouble?" Clark shook his Perry's hand and said "Not the kind you're thinking of." and Lois about laughed out loud. "Lois you look absolutely stunning!" "Perry, you say the kindest things." Lord White took her hand and led them inside. The ballroom was alight with brilliant colors and the musicians were playing a whimsical tune. The room was bigger then she had imagined and was delightfully full of ghosts and ghouls. Clark said something to Perry and guided Lois onto the floor. She and Clark hadn't danced since she couldn't remember when. It felt like home to her, being in his arms. **************************** High up in the towers, Dr. Klein was waiting for the best moment to snatch Lady Lane from that sappy Viscount Kent. He had his eyes on her the first time he saw her. She would make the perfect wife for his creature, Lex. "Deter, have the organs been brought from the graveyard yet?" "Deter, where are you?" "No master. The men are still digging." "Well, find out what the problem is and get those organs to me immediately." "Yes master." Dr. Klein didn't know why the brain in Deter's head wasn't working correctly. He had killed the most brilliant scientist of their time and had successfully placed it into him. Kline heard a sound come from behind him and turned ready to berate Deter coming to make some excuse. "Oh, it's you. Soon Lex you will have your bride. Have faith in me." Lex took a step towards him and a moan came from his lips "Bride." "Yes, a bride. She is here as we speak. I must go down and greet our guests or they will think ill of me. When Deter is back with the transplant organs I will get her and start the operation." **************************** Lois was having the time of her life. Clark had let her dance with other men, much to his dislike, but she only had eyes for him and he knew it. Just the thought of other pups putting their hands on his soon-to-be Viscountess wasn't doing much for his patience. He saw her laughing and enjoying herself which made him smile. What he wouldn't give to leave here right now and take her home to ravish her. Perry had walked over to him and was telling him that he hadn't seen the good Dr. Klein yet this evening. "He is the host of this party and hasn't been down yet?" Clark had met Klein only once and had been a little leery of him. He was nice enough but something dark lurked beneath is good exterior. "From what I've heard he is in the middle of a hush-hush experiment and hasn't been seen in days. I'm most anxious to find out what his new mad experiment is." Perry watched Lois laughing and dancing. He had never seen her happier. "Clark, you better hold on to that lovely lady you have there and never let go. She is very special to me and I would never see any harm come to her." Clark once again turned toward the ballroom floor and told Perry that he would rather die then let something happen to her. **************************** Lois had just come from dancing and was headed towards the refreshments when she heard a familiar voice from behind. "Are you ready for another dance my dear or are you all danced out?" "Lord White. I couldn't ask for a better time to spend with my favorite person. Lead the way." As Perry and Lois started heading for the dance area the front doors where thrown open and the candles were blown out. There was a terrible storm ragging outside that seemed to have come from nowhere. Everyone appeared frightened and jitterish when all of a sudden there came a horrific scream. "Lois!" Clark scrambled from where he was standing and knocked down quite a few people without realizing it. Even though it was dark he didn't want anyone knowing of the powers he possessed. When he reached the spot where Lois and Perry had been when the candles extinguished she was nowhere to be found. **************************** The last thing that Lois had remembered was the lights going out and Clark calling her name. Now she seemed to be tied to something cold and hard. She heard someone or something moaning to her left and heard shuffling of feet. Instantly she was flooded with bright light and when her eyes adjusted she then saw a great machine. Nothing she had ever seen before. It towered 20 feet in front of a wall with lights blinking rapidly. She heard electricity zapping in the air but didn't know where it was. "Welcome to my laboratory milady. I know this is not a proper introduction but this will be the last time you see me as yourself. You must be quite shaken which I am truly sorry for but it was for the best." Lois squinted her eyes so she could put a face with the voice. Dr. Kline stood in the shadows with the thing she heard earlier. Chains were rattling and more moaning, louder and louder they got until she could barely make out what the words were..bride. Bride? Lois had a bad feeling about this. Everything about tonight was a bad feeling except for her moments with Clark. "Bride. My Bride!" The thing that kept saying this seemed to get closer until it had come out of the shadows. No, it couldn't be! It looked like him and in a way it almost seemed like it was him until he moved forward. Lex is alive! Lois felt as though she would be sick. She started to thrash about, trying to loosen her bindings. Deter came around her and held her in place. "Yes. This lovely woman will be your bride. She is the best one for you. Deter, make sure that she can not escape." "Yes, master." Lois could not believe what was happening. The doctor was actually going to make her into some kind of being that would come out looking like Lex, she had to get out of there! Then she remembered, Clark had to be looking for her so all she had to do was scream his name and hoped that he would hear her. I'm taking a big chance on this so please Clark, have your superpowers. Lois opened her mouth and screamed "Cla__" before a hand clamped down hard over it. The metal table she was on started to rise in the air. Deter was right there still with his hand over her mouth. I'm going to die! Someone please help me. Lois started thrashing harder knocking over Deter and herself in the process. She came down hard on the floor and it knocked the wind out of her. Dr. Klein came rushing forward. "You imbecile! Come over and help me get her on the other table. We must hurry before she regains consciousness." **************************** Clark had heard what he thought to be Lois calling out his name but he couldn't tell where it was coming from. It sounded like it was miles away the way he felt right at the moment. Once he couldn't find Lois he started up the stairs so that he could be alone and think without having onlookers. There must be a hidden passage somewhere in these towers. He started 'gazing', as Lois called it, and hadn't found one yet. Moving on to another part of the castle, he noticed an eerie silence. He gazed again and saw a hidden floor beneath him that seemd to go on forever. He spun around as fast as the eye could see and plunged himself down into the passageway. It was lit by torches and had a breeze that would chill a normal person to the bone. He headed down the passage and silently called out ot his beloved. I will not stop searching until you are found safe and in my arms again, this I vow! **************************** Once again, Lois had regained her senses back and this time she seemed to be outside. The wind was blowing so hard she could barely hear herself breathe. Thunder rolled in the distance and lightning streamed across the sky. Clark, wherever you are, I love you. Please get here in time if you can. Her whole body ached as if she had fallen from the sky. She could feel that her bindings had become many and that there was one stuffed in her mouth. >From down below she could hear a shrill "Bride, bride" in a sing-song manner. She couldn't , beyond her wildest imagination, accept what was going to become of her. **************************** Clark had finally reached a point where he could hear chanting and manical laughter. Running as fast as his powers would allow he smashed into a wall and took in the scene before him. A creature of unnatural strength plowed into him and knocked him to the ground. Clark tried throwing it away from him but to no avail it stayed right with him. Dr. Klein turned to see Lex fighting with Kent and could not believe his eyes. Kent had powers he had never seen any human posses. Lex took Clark up and threw him into one of the machines that Dr. Kline had used to send up Lois. It started to slowly desend and then jerked to a stop. Clark got up and with all his might rushed the creature into a wall that came tumbling down around them. He got out from under it when he heard something buzzing around him. Electricity was shooting everwhere. Lois had to be up on the platform above him. He started to move that way when something hit him hard on the back of his head. **************************** Lois knew that her time had come. Electricity seemed to creackle around her and she could feel her hair standing on end. Could this really be the end? Was she really going to die? As she was thinking this she heard a buzzing noise to her right and she closed her eyes....... **************************** Bzzzzzzzzzzz. Lois shot up out of bed and looked around expecting to be in the laboratory. It was total darkness and all she kept hearing was the buzzing noise. Her eyes adjusted to the dark and she blinked to see her surroundings when she noticed red lights coming from a few inches away. 6:30pm. I'm home! Lois turned on her bedside lamp and sighed. It was just a dream. She got out of bed and wondered where Clark was. Late as usual. She took a shower, put on her costume and was just finishing her makeup when a knock on the door startled her. "Come in." The door creaked open and she heard footsteps coming towards her room. "I'll be right out Clark." No response. "Clark, is that you?" Still no response. She got up and headed toward her living room when she heard "I vant to drink your blood!" someone loomed over her and she screamed as loud as her lungs could hold out. Clark pulled her into his arms and held her tight."Lois honey, it's me. Clark. Are you all right? I didn't think I would scare you that badly." Lois pulled back from him and hit him as hard as she could on his chest without breaking her wrists. "You are going to pay for that mister! You wouldn't believe the nightmare that I had." Lois hugged him close again and began to tell him of the most horrid dream she had ever experienced. "Well, didn't you say that you had finished reading before you took a nap?" "Yes I did. It was Frankenstein by Mary Shelley." "Sounds to me that you read to much before you fell asleep and projected yourself into the story." "So now you're into psycho therapy?" "Come on Lois, lets get you out of here and go have a good time." Lois looked at him and noticed that he wasn't wearing his Clyde costume. "Is there something you wanted to tell me about why you aren't wearing the costume we had agreed on?" Clark took her hand and led her out the door. "Oh, didn't I tell you? There was this little girl trick-or-treating who had lost her brother in one of the haunted houses on her block. Everyone had looked everywhere and couldn't find him. I heard on the news what was happening and decided to go out and find him myself. Well, to make a long story short, I found him in a tree with a kitten asleep on one of the branches. I was wearing the costume at the time because I didn't see any reason to change. When I was bringing him down I kind of ripped the seat of the pants and..." "Don't tell me. Everyone found out that you really are Superman?" "No, all of my regular pants are at the cleaners that are pin-stripped so I thought what a great Dracula I would make." "Well, you do have the teeth for it!" Lois scrambled out of the door with a hungry vampire in her tail. THE END ****************************************************************************** ******************** SEND YOUR FANFICTION TO KRYPTONFX@AOL.COM ! (Please send it as e-mail rather than as attached files! Thanks!) ****************************************************************************** ******************** ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 4 Jan 1998 18:08:41 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: LoriMcE Organization: AOL (http://www.aol.com) Subject: Fwd: Krypton Club fic "He Who Laughs Last" Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-type: multipart/mixed; boundary="part0_883955321_boundary" This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --part0_883955321_boundary Content-ID: <0_883955321@inet_out.mail.aol.com.1> Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII The story will follow in the next email - but Russ had an offer I thought I should share: In a message dated 98-01-04 13:30:56 EST, CKent15 writes: << Subj: Re: Krypton Club fic "He Who Laughs Last" Date: 98-01-04 13:30:56 EST From: CKent15 To: LoriMcE Dear Lori, I'm flattered that my story is still remembered after all this time! I'd be honored if it was re-posted for more people to enjoy, and you definately have my permission to do so. I wrote a sequel to "He Who Laughs Last" called "Who is the Batman?" in which Lois and Clark go to Gotham City and meet up with the Joker and Batman again. It was never sent out as a Krypton Club fanfic, but I still have it. I also wrote a five-part story where Superman meets the Incredible Hulk (based on the old Bill Bixby T.V. version), and a dark story about what Superman would be like if Lois died. If you're interested in any of these, let me know, I would love to share them with people who want to read them! Sincerely, Russ Dimino CKent15@aol.com >> --part0_883955321_boundary Content-ID: <0_883955321@inet_out.mail.aol.com.2> Content-type: message/rfc822 Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit Content-disposition: inline From: CKent15 Return-path: To: LoriMcE@aol.com Subject: Re: Krypton Club fic "He Who Laughs Last" Date: Sun, 4 Jan 1998 13:30:56 EST Organization: AOL (http://www.aol.com) Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit Dear Lori, I'm flattered that my story is still remembered after all this time! I'd be honored if it was re-posted for more people to enjoy, and you definately have my permission to do so. I wrote a sequel to "He Who Laughs Last" called "Who is the Batman?" in which Lois and Clark go to Gotham City and meet up with the Joker and Batman again. It was never sent out as a Krypton Club fanfic, but I still have it. I also wrote a five-part story where Superman meets the Incredible Hulk (based on the old Bill Bixby T.V. version), and a dark story about what Superman would be like if Lois died. If you're interested in any of these, let me know, I would love to share them with people who want to read them! Sincerely, Russ Dimino CKent15@aol.com --part0_883955321_boundary-- ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 4 Jan 1998 19:41:40 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: LoriMcE Organization: AOL (http://www.aol.com) Subject: Krypton Club Fanfiction #13: "Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder" Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit Subj: Re: Krypton Club fanfic Date: 98-01-04 18:52:26 EST From: Superchic4 To: LoriMcE Of course you can post or send out my fanfic. Amanda ****************************************************************************** KRYPTON CLUB FANFICTION***ISSUE #13***JUNE 9, 1996 **STORIES BY MEMBERS OF THE KRYPTON CLUB** "ABSENCE MAKES THE HEART GROW FONDER" ****************************************************************************** WELCOME! Welcome to another installment of Krypton Club Sunday Night Fanfiction! We are hoping to send fanfiction every Sunday night to help make the summer of reruns go by faster. Everyone is welcome to send in fanfiction; all you have to do is send it to KryptonFX@aol.com! We've already gotten a lot of great stuff that we hope to use later in the summer, but we could always use more! If at all possible try to send the fanfiction as e-mail rather than as attached files... they're a lot easier to sort that way, and some attached files do not translate well with my computer Tonight's fanfiction is called "Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder," and it picks up right after this season's finale, "Big Girls Don't Fly," left off. For those of you overseas or those of you who may have MISSED "BGDF" for some strange reason, the episode ended with Clark flying off to outer space with his prearranged "wife" to defend against an evil overlord on "New Krypton." This story is as great of a cure for LCWS (Lois & Clark Withdrawal Syndrome) as they get. Hope you like it! Craig Byrne President of the L&C Krypton Club ****************************************************************************** "ABSENCE MAKES THE HEART GROW FONDER" By Amanda DiBart (Superchic4@aol.com) "Lois...Lois...Lois, I love you." Lois Lane stood at her window thinking about what her fiancee had just communicated with her. She knew that would be the last time she would hear from him for a long time, maybe forever. She thought about what those words meant and how hard it had been for her to say them to Clark for the first time. She remembered how once she let herself love him she felt as if she could never let him go. Yet she had. She knew that if she had told Clark he shouldn't go, he wouldn't have gone, but she didn't. Lois knew that it was the right thing for him to go and it would be wrong for her to hold him back. Their love would keep them together. It was all she had to believe in right now, it was the only thing that would keep her going in the many long days ahead. She would devote herself completely to her work the Daily Planet. Her new byline would look so strange with just her name and not Clark's. There had been a time when all Lois wanted was to keep it that way. That had been before she allowed Clark to become a part of her life. Lois went over the plan that she and Clark had come up with to explain his absence. She would go into work the next morning with a letter from Clark. It would say that one of his relatives was very ill and he was needed at home, he didn't know when or if he would be returning to the Daily Planet. Lois would clear Clark's desk and tell everyone that their wedding had been postponed indefinitely. Then she would do everything she could to keep from crying. She silently resolved that she would be strong, and keep her promise to Clark to take care of the Kents. Martha and Jonathan were being so brave and wonderful. She knew how horrible they must feel inside but they would not let her see, as not to upset her. The next day after work she was going over to Clark's apartment to help the Kents pack up his belongings. Tomorrow promised to be a long and hard day, but she would get through it if she carried the strength of Clark's love within her. Lois sighed. It was late. She walked over to her closet and opened it. She blinked back tears as she gently caressed the fabric of the silk nightgown she had planned to wear on her honeymoon with Clark. Why was life so cruel to her? It had taken her so long to accept Clark's love, but when she had her wedding had been spoiled by Lex breaking out of jail. What with clones, turning into the heroine of her secret novel, amnesia, being manipulated by her doctor and Clark shrinking, they had never managed to plan another wedding. Lois choked back a sob as she removed her hand from the nightgown. She decided to sleep in the most comfortable outfit she could find, flannel pajama pants and an old sweater of Clark's that he had loaned to her and forgotten about. Even though it had been a while since Clark had worn the sweater it still carried his scent and Lois thought of him as she curled up in bed and tried to sleep. Lois tried to fall asleep as she thought about the events of the past few days. Zara, the woman to whom Clark had been wed as a child, and her bodyguard Ching had come to Clark. They told him that he must return to New Krypton with them to help prevent a civil war. Clark had agreed to go back with them to his home planet and they had to say good bye. It was everything Lois could do to keep from crying as she thought back to last night when they said good bye, forever. They had really said good bye that night when they were alone, not in the conference room at the Daily Planet. Lois knew that Clark was really her husband because when it came right down to it marriage wasn't about a piece of paper or a ceremony. It was about a love that couldn't change, the love the two of them shared. Clark, she knew, didn't think of Zara as his wife, those feelings were reserved for her and her only, and that was why Lois was not, and would never be jealous of Zara. She also knew that Zara did not have feelings for Kal-El. But true love shouldn't be made to say good-bye forever it wasn't right! Lois grasped onto the only thing she could to convince herself that Clark would come back. If Clark had believed that last night was their last night together forever, he would have treated it as their honeymoon night, and he hadn't. This was why Lois believed that Clark intended to one day return to her. With that thought Lois fell asleep. ---------------------------- "Lois, honey, you're late! And where's Clark? He's not here yet!" Perry asked, half an hour after the time when Lois should have been there. "Perry, I'm sorry, I didn't sleep well ... Clark's not coming in he asked me to give you this." Lois handed the Chief Clark's letter. Perry quickly read the letter and looked up at Lois. The look on Lois' face showed no emotion, except he noticed the dark circles under her red eyes that gave away what she was going through. He could tell that she was upset, at first he had thought it was because of Superman leaving, but he now realized it had something to do with Clark. "Great Shades of Elvis! Lois, did you and Clark get in a fight? Was it because he needed to go back to Smallville?" "Sort of, our wedding has been put off indefinitely," Lois replied. "Lois, I didn't know you and Kent were having problems! I thought the two of you were happier than pigs in slop. I can't believe it, the two of you...." "Perry, please I'd rather not talk about it. Excuse me, I have to go clear Clark's desk." Lois interrupted and walk towards her partner's desk. Jimmy walked over to Perry when Lois had left. He knew something was up, Lois looked like something the cat had dragged in and CK was nowhere to be seen, and why was Lois clearing Clark's desk? Things were not right between his best friends, and he meant to get to the bottom of it. "Hey Chief, what's with Lois and where's CK, he's not sick is he?" "Olsen, didn't anyone ever tell you to mind your own beeswax?" Perry sighed. "Clark resigned, something about a close relative being sick, and his being needed 24/7 at home. Lois says the wedding has been canceled until further notice. Y'know I just don't get it, they're the perfect couple, and I'd think after their last wedding they'd be in a hurry to get married." "Oh my gosh," Jimmy started to walk in Lois' direction. "Jimmy," Perry began in a warning voice. "Leave Lois alone, the poor girl has been through so much, what with her and Clark's problems and Superman leaving, she doesn't need you bothering her." "Yes Chief," Jimmy conceded. Lois stood at Clark's desk staring at the picture of the two of them that stood on his desk. She blinked back tears. I will not let Perry nor Jimmy see me upset she thought. She knew that Jimmy had promised Superman to "be a friend" to her and she didn't want Jimmy to have to feel as if he needed to pry. He might find something out she didn't want him to, for example, Clark's alter ego. She and Clark had planned this carefully in case he was able to come back, so they wouldn't have any complications. Lois picked up the rest of Clark's things and put them in a cardboard file box and put the box under her desk to bring home that night. She sat down at her desk and looked through her notes on her latest story. She turned on her monitor and tried to turn her attention to her work. "C'mon Lois, you can do this," she said to herself. Just block out all thoughts that do not have to do with the missing state funds. But everything seemed to remind her of Clark. Everything from the message he had written about a call from a senator to the note she had written in her appointment book about the date they had planned for that night. All this had happened before Zara of course. Lois sighed as she picked up the phone to call the senator. ---------------------------- "Lois, honey, how was your day? You look tired." Martha welcomed Lois in to Clark's apartment. Around her and Jonathan were boxes and evidence of a day full of packing. "I feel awful, my day was awful. Everything seemed to remind me of Clark. Just when I would forget for a minute, I would look up and see his empty desk. It doesn't help to think it won't be empty much longer, I don't think I can work with anyone else!" Lois replied. "Oh Lois, sweetie, I don't think it will help you much going through Clark's things. It would probably be better if you went home and rested." Martha suggested, Jonathan nodded his agreement. "Rest!?!?!? I can't rest! Every time I close my eyes I think what my life is going to be like without Clark, without love. What if he's killed in the civil war? We have no way of knowing if he's ever coming back, and I can't live without him!" Lois' voice broke. She looked up and saw the stricken looks on the Kents' faces. "Oh, no! I shouldn't have said anything, I promised Clark I'd take care of you and now look what I've done. Oh!" "Lois, you will learn to survive and take each day as it comes, one at a time." Jonathan comforted her. "As for taking care of us, nonsense, this time is horrible for all of us, we will take care of each other." Martha interjected. The three people who had loved Clark the most turned to pack up his possessions as they supported each other in the tough times ahead. **A month passed, Clark's position had been filled at The Planet by a woman named Jeanmarie. Jeanmarie was good, everyone agreed, but not as good as Clark had been. Jimmy and Perry, still missed Clark but they had resigned themselves to the fact that he wasn't coming back. Lois and the Kents on the other hand waited with faith and hope for Clark's return to Earth.** "Martha this dinner is super, please pass the potatoes," Lois complemented Martha on the dinner she had fixed for the three of them. Martha and Jonathan were on one of their frequent visits to Metropolis to see Lois, whom they had been treating as their own daughter. "Sure here you go. So, Lois how was your day at work?" Jonathan passed Lois the potatoes. "Still a big crime wave?" Martha asked. "Yeah, it seems with Superman out of the picture, old criminals are making a come back, and new criminals are coming out of the woodwork. Life at the Daily Planet is anything but slow!" Lois answered. "Well just be careful, you know, Clark isn't around to save you anymore." Martha cautioned. Lois sighed, "Clark always told me to be careful, I never listened. Oh, I miss him so much! I thought some of the pain would go away in time, but it hasn't. This morning just after my alarm went off, I spent a few luxurious seconds in that stage in between sleep and full consciousness forgetting the events of the past month. Martha, Jonathan, help me out here, what am I supposed to do? I mean I try to devote my full attention to the Planet, just like before Clark came. But I can't! My mind keeps wandering to Clark, where is he, what is he doing, is he all right, does he miss me? Why was I allowed to have love and happiness with Clark, only to have it taken from me? I'd never had happiness before Clark and I hadn't known to miss it, but all of a sudden it's gone and I feel as if my life were over!" "Oh Lois, you have to realize, what you and Clark had was something truly special, something that many people never even have the chance to experience. You did, and then you lost it, of course it will take you a while to start feeling better, and certainly more than a month." Martha comforted. Although she and Jonathan had never had to go through an ordeal like this, she could empathize with Lois. She, sometimes, felt the same way when she realized that the son, who had come to her and Jonathan as the most special gift, she may never see again. She knew though that both she and Lois had the strength to get through this. "How can I start feeling better? Clark's gone forever, I know that, he's never coming back! And it's all my fault we're not married! I let too much get in the way of us getting together! If I had said yes the first time he proposed we could've had our wedding earlier and Lex wouldn't have been around to ruin it! I'd really be his wife now! We would be living in the suburbs in this house we like with a white picket fence and we'd be happy! Why was I so blind? Why couldn't I see that I loved him early enough? I just want to be married to Clark! I don't want to forget this pain, I deserve it! And if I forget the pain I may forget how much Clark means to me! I don't want to forget how much I just want to be married to him" Lois looked around the table wildly at the Kents. She knew she had come very close to marrying a villain and also to marrying Clark. Her next wedding she knew who she wanted the bridegroom to be, and she wanted the Kents to give her reassurance that one day she would come down the aisle and see Clark. "Lois, all Martha meant was that the pain you feel right now will dull with time, you will never forget the specialness that you and Clark had. Something like that can't be forgotten." Jonathan did his best to comfort her. "Jonathan is right, what the two of you had was special. You can never forget that. And you don't deserve this pain, nobody deserves this. You and Clark should be married and happy, instead of separated like this." Martha agreed. "But..." Lois began. All of a sudden there was a loud knock on the door. Lois and the Kents jumped. "That's probably Jimmy," Lois said. "He said that if he finished the research he was doing for me on a series of UFO sightings he would bring it over tonight." Lois got up and walked across to the door. She looked through the peekhole to confirm that it was Jimmy. Lois gasped and quickly opened the door. The Kents saw that it was not Jimmy at all, it was Zara. Martha and Jonathan quickly stood up, they knew that Kal-El's wife was bringing them news of their son. Whether it was good or bad, they could not tell. The few seconds before she spoke felt like an eternity, the three of them stood there, their hearts pounding in their ears. Lois shut the door behind Zara. "I bring news to you of Kal-El." Zara stated, her face was without emotion, it could not be told what her news would be. Martha stood in front of Jonathan, clasping and unclasping her hands. She looked up at him and he put his hands gently on her shoulders. "Good or bad?" breathed Lois, not even daring to hope for good news. She knew that on a planet with a red sun, like New Krypton, Clark was powerless, just like anybody else, able to die like anybody else. "Kal-El will be able to return to Earth shortly." Zara told them. "Oh thank God," sighed Lois. Martha looked up at Jonathan with tears of happiness in her eyes. He looked down at her. It was easy to see the love they had for each other, the same love that they had taught their son was so important, the love he shared with Lois. "What about the civil war?" Martha asked. Now that she knew her son was safe and coming back she could think clearly. "Once Kal-El came to New Krypton the civil war was averted and Lord Norr assassinated." Zara said. "But how will Clark be able to return, isn't he needed to fulfill his duties as your husband?" Lois inquired. As much as she didn't like the idea, it was still a factor. Zara blushed, "Kal-El made Ching a lord for his bravery, and he is next in line for my hand if, I mean when, Kal-El annuls our marriage. Since Kal-El is returning to Earth, Ching will take over the House of El." "I am very happy for you," Lois said softly, she knew that Zara and Ching had feelings for each other. They had not been allowed to be married because Zara had been married to Kal-El and Ching was not of noble blood. "Thank you. There is still the matter of Kal-El's return to discuss," Zara noted. "Will there be a problem when he returns to Earth?" Jonathan asked. "There shouldn't be, if everything goes according to the plan. Now, Kal-El will be launched to Earth in a space ship that will self-destruct as soon as it enters the earth's atmosphere. Of course since he will be under a yellow sun Kal-El will have super-powers and will be able to fly home. The estimated time of his arrival is 6:30 PM Earth time tomorrow," Zara explained. "Why couldn't he come tonight, with you?" Martha wondered. "Since his arrival on New Krypton, Kal-El was preoccupied with the pending civil war. He was unable to complete the traditional Kryptonian mourning period for his parents, Lara and Jor-El. He is doing that now." Zara answered. "I also needed to explain to you the details of his return. It was important that you know that his space ship will self-destruct upon entering Earth's atmosphere. This is done because he will not be using it to return to New Krypton and you wouldn't want the possibility of it getting into the wrong hands." Lois stepped forward, "Zara, I want to thank you for your help in arranging for Clark to return to Earth. I know it wasn't easy for you to come to Earth the first time to bring Kal-El back with you, you were willing to sacrifice a lot for your planet. Earlier I couldn't understand how or why you would do this, I think now I do and I admire you for it." "Lois, you too sacrificed a lot. Without your help New Krypton would be fighting a civil war." Zara countered. The two women who had been willing to give up love to do what was right stood there with a shared respect for each other. "I almost forgot, Kal-El asked me to give you these," Zara reached into her cloak and pulled out three letters. "One letter is for Lois, one is for his parents and the last is for Mr. White, regarding a possible return to the Daily Planet, working as Lois' partner again." She handed Lois and the Kents their letters and held onto Perry's letter, uncertain about what to do with it. Lois held out her hand, "I'll give the other letter to Perry." Zara handed her the letter, "Thank you. Kal-El told me to tell you that he would come here, to Lois' apartment once he arrives on Earth. If there are no more questions I should leave." "Good-bye Zara, thank you for bringing us such wonderful news." Martha walked forward and hugged her Kryptonian daughter-in-law. Zara returned the hug and left. Lois turned toward the Kents, her eyes were bright with happiness. "Thank you for the wonderful dinner Martha, but I'm much to excited to eat another bite. I can hardly believe that Clark is coming home! If nobody minds, I think I would like to go read my letter." "Go ahead Lois, I don't think any of us could eat any more tonight. Jonathan and I will read our letter now too. " Martha and Jonathan sat down to read their letter as Lois walked to her room. A little while later Lois walked out of her room to where Martha and Jonathan were sitting. Tears of happiness were in her eyes. "I just realized that nobody remembered to extend your reservations at the hotel and cancel your airplane tickets back to Smallville." "Jonathan just did, but thanks for remembering Lois. We should probably go now, it's late and we've probably been keeping you up," Martha apoligized. She and Jonathan got up and collected their things. "Martha don't be silly, you haven't been keeping me up. In fact I don't know what would have happened to me if you and Jonathan hadn't been there for me through this whole thing. I want to thank you." Lois hugged them and they wished each other a good-night and the Kents left for the hotel. ---------------------------- Lois walked into the Planet the next morning with a huge smile on her face. For the first time in the past month it looked she looked well rested, with no dark circles under her eye and no red eyes. She walked over to the coffee machine and helped herself to a cup. Perry walked by. "Lois, good mornin'. Do you have that article on the tax cut?" "Sure, I it put on your desk last night before I left." "Great! If you don't mind my sayin' you look happier than you have in a long time. What happened, did you and Clark make up?" Perry asked. "W-ell, yes. Oh, I almost forgot, Clark asked me to give you this." Lois handed the Chief Clark's letter. He quickly read it. "If Kent wants to come back to work here he is more than welcome! I'd be a nut here in squirrel heaven if I didn't jump at the opportunity to have my star reporting team back!" Perry said excitedly. He then lowered his voice, "Y'know sometimes I don't think there's much chemistry between you and Jeanmarie. She's a great reporter, but you and Kent work so much better together." "Thanks, I agree Perry. I've gotta run, I have to finish that story on the UFO sightings." Lois turned and walked to her desk. Jimmy walked by, "Hey Chief, what's up? Somethin' wrong?" "Why do you ask?" "Well I've never seen a sillier grin on your face. What's up?" "Oh, well it looks like Kent's comin' back to The Daily Planet," Perry answered. "CK's returning, no way! Is his cousin feeling better?" "I don't know and I don't care, I'm happier than a preacher in a month of Sundays!" ---------------------------- Lois and the Kents paced back and forth through her apartment. They were nervous with the anticipation of seeing Clark again. They knew there had been a very big possibility that Clark would never return. Knowing that he was coming home tonight filled them with excitement. "I should check on the food." Martha announced. She was making all of Clark's favorite foods in honor of his homecoming. She bent to check on the brownies. "I should start the chicken now. Lois would you like to help? It would keep you busy." "Were you planning on making Cajun style chicken?" Lois asked wryly. "No, why?" "Then I think it would be best if I stayed out of the kitchen. I'm not much of a cook, my specialty is Chinese take-out," Lois explained. "Well, why don't you at least come keep me company?" Martha offered. "Sure," Lois accepted. Lois and Martha started toward the kitchen. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. "Who could that be? Clark's not due for another half hour at least," Jonathan wondered. "It's probably a delivery. Could you get it?" Lois asked. Jonathan walked to the door and, forgetting to look through the peekhole, opened the locks. Lois and Martha looked towards the door hoping on a slim possibility that is was Clark. Jonathan pulled the door open slowly, or so it seemed to those waiting in suspense, to reveal that the person at the door was.....Clark! "Clark!" Martha gasped as she rushed forward to hug him. She and Jonathan both hugged and kissed him with tears of joy streaming down their faces. They let go to take a look at him, he was wearing his regular clothes, not the black Kryptonian suit, nor his Superman suit. "It's great to see you son, we've missed you so much. It's hard to believe you're really here," Jonathan smiled and shook his head in amazment. "We are so proud of you, it took a lot of courage to leave Earth and risk your life to fight for a planet that you didn't feel was yours." "I couldn't agree with your father more," Martha leaned forward and hugged her son hard. "I love you. I made all your favorite foods for dinner. You'd better eat all of it, because I don't think any of us could eat a bite! I never thought I'd be able to hug you again. You came to us the first time as a miracle, and then you had to leave us to do what was right, that alone, would have been enough, but you returned to us again as a second miracle and for that I must be forever grateful." "Mom, Dad, I am thankful for having you as parents, you always made me feel proud of my Kryptonian past, even though I knew so little about it, you also raised me to fight for what I believe in and to do what was right. Without this unconditional love and support, I may have never decided to use the powers I have for good, and I may never have chosen to go with Zara to New Krypton. Even though I missed you every second I was away I feel very lucky to have been able to learn about my Kryptonian heritage and to put all that you taught me to use while fighting Lord Norr. I love you so much," Clark's voice was filled with love for the parents he was so lucky to have. They all hugged again. When they finally let go Clark's expression changed, his eyes grew full of tenderness, love and passion. Martha and Jonathan left the room to leave Lois and Clark alone. While Martha and Jonathan were talking to Clark, Lois had moved into a shadowy corner. She now stood in partial darkness, the moonlight bathing her and accenting her body. She stood gazing at Clark as he spoke to his parents. Her eyes followed his every movement as she realized to the full extent the love and passion she had for Clark. Clark turned and their eyes met. For a moment they stood, neither of them doing or saying anything. Clark paused reveling in her beauty and his love for her, love so strong he never guessed he could possess it. Lois stood, thinking how she could have ever let him go, the man she was able to open up to and love. Clark walked slowly towards her. "Clark," Lois said softly, her voice shaking with the emotions she had kept bottled up inside her for the past month. She reached out for him and he entered into her arms. Clark took Lois' face in his hands, "Lois, I love you. I love you so much, I never want to let you go again. I love you." He slowly brought his mouth to hers and kissed her with a tenderness and passion they had never experienced before. THE END ****************************************************************************** NEXT ISSUE.... Join us next Sunday for another fanfiction, and look for a new newsletter sometime later tonight or tomorrow! Don't forget to watch the "Virtually Destroyed" rerun tonight, and remember to send us some fanfic! Craig Byrne President of the L&C Krypton Club Matt Combes Vice-President of the L&C Krypton Club ****************************************************************************** SEND YOUR FANFICTION TO KRYPTONFX@AOL.COM! ****************************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 4 Jan 1998 19:51:09 -0600 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Alyssa Mondelli Organization: Brought to you by the legal firm of Deceive, Inveigle, & Obfuscate Subject: S5: Episode 10 is now up at the new website Comments: To: loiscla@vm.ege.edu.tr MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit Just a quick note before our pal Tim Minear's _X-Files_ episode starts ("Kitsunegari", sequel to "Pusher", written with Vince Gilligan - you *need* to see this - but I digress): Episode 10, Nancy Lemieux and Adrienne Vukovic's "Eine Klein Nachtmusik" is up at the new S5 website. And yes, I *will* be posting a forwarding message at the old one soon, probably later tonight. In the meantime, point your browser to http://www.tempus.simplenet.com/season5/ and enjoy! Feedback will be rewarded with Mallomars and Tastykakes. ==Alyssa in St. Paul== (agmondelli@stthomas.edu)(AlyssaM on the IRC) Webmistress, Tempus Expeditions - http://www.tempus.simplenet.com Fortress of Insanity http://www.tempus.simplenet.com/fortress/ Lois & Clark Season 5 http://www.tempus.simplenet.com/season5/ ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 4 Jan 1998 20:32:36 PST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Peace Everett Subject: Re: 1/4/98 WEEKLY UPDATE - KATHY'S CHALLENGE In-Reply-To: <199801042227.PAA02471@sage.cncc.cc.co.us> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"; X-MAPIextension=".TXT" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Sheila wrote: > Oh, Peace, I should have paid more attention to this one--I knew it wit= hout > the extra clues. It's your Merry-Go-Round, in which Superman and Clark= are > both on a double date with Lois and that school friend of hers who gets= drunk. > > >> 21. Clark buys daisies and a rose, all for Lois =3D ? > >> Peace : And she's right Peace ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 5 Jan 1998 00:38:52 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Gary Subject: Re: S5: Episode 10 (final) Part 1 of 7 In-Reply-To: MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Two questions: (1) What is meant by (final) in the subject, is this the last ep? At 03:01 PM 1/4/98 -0800, you wrote: >Disclaimer: >Lois, Clark, and all other characters of their universe belong to DC >Comics, Warner Brothers, and December 3rd productions. And let's not forget >to thank Siegel and Shuster, without whom we wouldn't be around to obsess >about Lois and Clark now, would we? No legal infringement intended. No >monetary gain is made through this story. Any new characters or situations >are copyright Nancy Lemieux (c) 1997. Do not archive, and do not (2)Do not archive? Is a mailbox/hardrive considered an archive? (It is for a software license agreement.) Or do you only mean a Web site archive? >redistribute this story without the author's written permission. > > >S5: Episode 10 > >Eine Klein Nachtmusik > >Written by: Nancy Lemieux >Story by: Nancy Lemieux and Adrienne Vukovic >Edited by: Adrienne Vukovic > =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= | Gary A. Rudick mailto:gar8434@rit.edu | | "You decide what you feel heaven is worth" - Deborah Gibson, TWYH | =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 5 Jan 1998 01:00:00 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: LoriMcE Organization: AOL (http://www.aol.com) Subject: Re: S5: Episode 10 (final) Part 1 of 7 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit In a message dated 98-01-05 00:35:27 EST, you write: << Two questions: (1) What is meant by (final) in the subject, is this the last ep? >> No, this is definately NOT the final episode of Season5 - There will be 22 episodes. The author of the episode sends the story to others on the S5 staff at various stages of development - for comments, and to catch mistakes the editors miss -- Leanne always marks the final version of the ep like this to send to the staff for posting - so that an earlier version doesn't get sent out by mistake. I guess she just left it in the header this time when she sent it to the list. As far as archiving - as far as I know, it just means on web sites - storing it on your own computer to reread for yourself later is fine. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 5 Jan 1998 07:16:46 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Leanne Shawler Subject: Re: S5: Episode 10 (final) Part 1 of 7 In-Reply-To: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" >In a message dated 98-01-05 00:35:27 EST, you write: > ><< > Two questions: (1) What is meant by (final) in the subject, is this the > last ep? > >> > > >No, this is definately NOT the final episode of Season5 - There will be 22 >episodes. The author of the episode sends the story to others on the S5 >staff at various stages of development - for comments, and to catch mistakes >the editors miss -- Leanne always marks the final version of the ep like this >to send to the staff for posting - so that an earlier version doesn't get >sent out by mistake. I guess she just left it in the header this time when >she sent it to the list. > Oops! Lori is right! I forgot to cut the "final" (and variations thereof) when I posted to the list -- hey, it's been a month, ya forget these things, you know *grin*. Anyway, there *will* be more eps. You can start begging for more when episode 22 (our last S5 ep) comes around :) Leanne Leanne Shawler aka Volterra on IRC volterra@sd.znet.com http://www.znet.com/~volterra/leanne.html ********************************************************** Lois and Clark Season 5 Fanfic: http://www.tempus.simplenet.com/season5/ ********************************************************** Midnight Dreaming: The Original Anthony Warlow Home Page: http://www.zweb.com/volterra/anthony.html ********************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 5 Jan 1998 11:45:12 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Michelle Glenn Subject: Saving MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII I have heard a lot of people saying they have saved stories onto their harddrive or disk. My question is: How do you do this? I am very new at all this and have no clue how to save from the internet. I can, of course save my e-mail, but only in a folder. I have to access my e-mail in order to access the saved messages. Is this what all of you are talking about? Please, someone be kind and clear up this newbie's confusion. Thanks, Michelle ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 7 Jan 1998 09:14:59 +0000 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Phillip Atcliffe Subject: Collaborator Wanted I had this idea for a story... but I think I need a little help to write it. Specifically, I need someone who is capable of writing Lois as she was in the first season -- only *more so*! With that in mind, if there's anyone who feels like trying their hand at a collaborative effort, please e-mail me _privately_ and we'll discuss who does what, and why... Oh, and after looking over a recent log, thanks to Peace for quoting from one of my stories in her challenge. Phil, glad to be back on this list again -- I just wish I knew why I keep getting taken off without my knowledge, because I sure didn't ask to be! -------------------------------------------------------------- "We gotta get out into Space, | A sentiment echoed by: If it's the last thing we ever do!" | Phil Atcliffe -- Return to the Forbidden Planet | (p-atclif@uwe.ac.uk) ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 7 Jan 1998 05:19:21 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Debby Stark Subject: The List of Overused SF Plot Devices Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable There seem to be so many of these clever lists lately that I can't remember which ones I've passed along and which are new... If this is a repeat, I apologize... but it's still funny and, perhaps, instructive :) - Debby, Debby@swcp.com >From John Sat, 03 Jan 1998 20:26:12 -0800 From: John & Linda VanSickle Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.movies,rec.arts.sf.tv,rec.arts.sf.written Subject: The List of Overused SF Plot Devices Those of us who have read or seen a lot of science fiction have seen certain story elements pop up over and over and over. Some of these elements were actually pretty good ideas, and when handled well make for a pretty entertaining story, but have become hackneyed from overuse by the unimaginative. Others came into being through the deliberate effort to avoid another clich=E9. Still other ideas were lame from day one, and should have been dismissed from the author's thinking. The Great But Not Yet Late Harlan Ellison has stated that the struggle within the human heart is the only story worth writing; if this is lacking from a tale, it will not be worth reading no matter how big a special effects budget it has. The sophisticated reader (one who reads more than just SF) will note that these clich=E9s are not found solely in SF, but in other genres as= well. DISCLAIMER: The use of masculine/feminine pronouns and assignment of gender roles is not intended to preclude a reversal of gender roles. It is, however, intended to offend those who think that the Y chromosome is the root of all evil. Nyah. Overused story events/plot devices: 1. Discussions, ending with a joke, about how bureaucracies are the same everywhere in the galaxy 2. Most intelligent course of action precluded by orders from high-ranking ignoramus, on the basis of a transparently flawed rationale 3. Technological malfunction as a plot device 4. The timer count-down on the Bad Guy Device being stopped by the hero with bare seconds left 5. Alien contact perceived or regarded as a spiritual/quasi-religious experience 5a. Heroes hindered, lives endangered, wars started, etc. by actions=20 of one-dimensional religious fanatics. 6. Aliens who are vastly more intelligent and advanced than we are, but we beat them anyway by "ingenuity," plain guts, or exploiting an Achilles Heel 7. Teenage genius who discovers an entire new field of science, and builds practical devices that use it, in his bedroom 8. Psychological trauma of female character cured by sex with hero 9. Persons of different species interbreeding without difficulty 10. Lectures by the author to the reader, disguised as lectures by one character to another, or as the Cosmic Message from the Ultra- enlightened Aliens to the Great Unwashed Human Masses 11. A conspiracy involving lots of people that remains secret for an extended period of time 12. The author attempts to wittily euphemize the phrase go screw yourself by referring to it as "a physiologically impossible act" 13. The availability of firearms notwithstanding, swordfighting returns as a significant method of combat 14. The Big Surprise at the end of the tale: a. Barbaric society turns out to be post-apocalyptic Western civilization b. The man and woman who flee from a doomed civilization and start rebuilding on the third planet of a medium-sized yellow star are named Adam and Eve c. Alien children, slaves, or pets revealed to actually be the parents, masters, or owners d. Head of Terran government revealed to be disguised Bad Guy or under direct control of Bad Guys e. Major figure in conflict turns out to have been another major figure in disguise f. Kindly Benevolent Aliens turn out to have Nefarious Ulterior Motives g. The reputedly inhospitable Outdoors is discovered by the Hero not only to be inhabitable, but markedly better 15. Telepaths use their power to achieve a heightened sexual experience 16. Telepaths are regarded as witches or lunatics, and are dealt with accordingly 17. Inherited supernatural power (telepathy, lycanthropy, etc.) becomes pronounced at the onset of puberty 18. Humans leave for the stars, forget all about Earth, and rediscover it later 19. No matter how slowly the monster shambles along, or how quickly the victim runs, the monster is always right behind the victim when he/she trips or encounters an obstacle. 20. When fleeing danger, females trip over their own shadows while men can sprint without caution 21. An alien artifact imbues human(s) with incredible abilities 22. The fighter pilot who yells "yee-ha" when he zaps an alien vessel 23. The time traveller who shakes the future society out of their apathy by them to music from his period 24. Time travellers go back in time to prevent some Bad Thing from happening the process actually cause the Bad Thing to happen Know of any others? E-mail them to me! --=20 "However, I was not making fun of you personally; I was heaping scorn on an inexcusably silly idea--a practice I shall always follow." http://www.erols.com/vansickl *** ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 7 Jan 1998 09:47:00 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Gary Subject: Teri's nfic challenge MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Zoomway posted on LOISCLA about the first FoLCFest/LAFF... > Teri startled >fans when she admitted to having read a Lois and Clark 'nfic' (for the >unitiated, that's 'adult' fanfic ;) She smiled and said "You people are >filthy." Apparently she downloaded and printed up the story and gave it to >Dean to read because when Teri mentioned the story he smiled and said "Yeah, >who wrote that?" We couldn't tell them because Teri couldn't remember the >title and only refered to it as the 'couch story'. But it had to be written before the start of 3rd season, right? =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= | Gary A. Rudick mailto:gar8434@rit.edu | | "You decide what you feel heaven is worth" - Deborah Gibson, TWYH | =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 7 Jan 1998 09:27:18 PST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Peace Everett Subject: Re: Collaborator Wanted In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"; X-MAPIextension=".TXT" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Phil wrote: > Oh, and after looking over a recent log, thanks to Peace for quoting = from one of > my stories in her challenge. Glad to do it, Phil -- it was a good story! Peace A FoLC Named Peace is settling into a new home! Come visit me at my new place - There's actually stuff there now http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/Set/7137 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 7 Jan 1998 09:30:22 PST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Peace Everett Subject: Re: Teri's nfic challenge In-Reply-To: <3.0.1.16.19980107094700.4ce7bb4a@vmspop.isc.rit.edu> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"; X-MAPIextension=".TXT" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable ---------- > Zoomway posted on LOISCLA about the first FoLCFest/LAFF... > >Dean to read because when Teri mentioned the story he smiled and said = "Yeah, > >who wrote that?" We couldn't tell them because Teri couldn't remember = the > >title and only refered to it as the 'couch story'. > > But it had to be written before the start of 3rd season, right? > I've heard that that story was actually RanaRoyale's Deja View, in which Lois reenacts the scene from PML, with Clark consenting... But I don't know for sure when that was written. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 7 Jan 1998 10:36:30 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Gary Subject: Re: Teri's nfic challenge In-Reply-To: <3.0.1.16.19980107094700.4ce7bb4a@vmspop.isc.rit.edu> MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Let me be the first to answer... I think it was probably "Going, Going, Gone!" by Gorn but only the first part involves a couch. At 09:47 AM 1/7/98 -0500, you wrote: >Zoomway posted on LOISCLA about the first FoLCFest/LAFF... > >> Teri startled >>fans when she admitted to having read a Lois and Clark 'nfic' (for the >>unitiated, that's 'adult' fanfic ;) She smiled and said "You people are >>filthy." Apparently she downloaded and printed up the story and gave it to >>Dean to read because when Teri mentioned the story he smiled and said "Yeah, >>who wrote that?" We couldn't tell them because Teri couldn't remember the >>title and only refered to it as the 'couch story'. > >But it had to be written before the start of 3rd season, right? > > >=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= >| Gary A. Rudick mailto:gar8434@rit.edu | >| "You decide what you feel heaven is worth" - Deborah Gibson, TWYH | >=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= > =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= | Gary A. Rudick mailto:gar8434@rit.edu | | "You decide what you feel heaven is worth" - Deborah Gibson, TWYH | =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 7 Jan 1998 10:33:58 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: AMCiotola Organization: AOL (http://www.aol.com) Subject: Re: Teri's nfic challenge Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit In a message dated 98-01-07 09:44:48 EST, you write: << > Teri startled >fans when she admitted to having read a Lois and Clark 'nfic' (for the >unitiated, that's 'adult' fanfic ;) She smiled and said "You people are >filthy." Apparently she downloaded and printed up the story and gave it to >Dean to read because when Teri mentioned the story he smiled and said "Yeah, >who wrote that?" We couldn't tell them because Teri couldn't remember the >title and only refered to it as the 'couch story'. >> Being fairly newer to teh lists, I can think of two off the top of my head that involved a couch 1 - Going, Going, Gone - by Gorn 2 - Temporary Insanity - by Demi I don't know how far back these go or how many more involve a couch.....But it's a start.... Anne :) ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 7 Jan 1998 19:50:38 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: JCWimmer Organization: AOL (http://www.aol.com) Subject: Re: Teri's nfic challenge Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit In a message dated 98-01-07 10:35:51 EST, you write: << We couldn't tell them because Teri couldn't remember the >title and only refered to it as the 'couch story'. >> I suppose "Mxysplit" wasn't available then. But that's the best "couch" scene I've read! ;) ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 7 Jan 1998 20:15:55 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Dave Lane Subject: Re: Teri's nfic challenge In-Reply-To: <3.0.1.16.19980107103630.4ef7d8c8@vmspop.isc.rit.edu> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 10:36 07/01/98 -0500, you wrote: >Let me be the first to answer... > >I think it was probably "Going, Going, Gone!" by Gorn > >but only the first part involves a couch. I choose Gorn's fic cuz that was the only one widely available on the net. Gorn had a www site where all 3 of her stories were archived. Deja View was also available at that time, but it was a little more difficult to obtain than GGG. I wonder what Teri would think of some of the stories now... ;-) -- Dave "Lane!" - Discovering life after L&C...who knew? GuruDave on IRC mailto:laned@cadvision.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 8 Jan 1998 12:20:39 +1100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: A Vukovic Subject: Re: Teri's nfic challenge In-Reply-To: <3.0.5.16.19980107181745.0e2f91dc@huey.cadvision.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 08:15 PM 1/7/98 -0500, you wrote: >At 10:36 07/01/98 -0500, you wrote: >>Let me be the first to answer... >> >>I think it was probably "Going, Going, Gone!" by Gorn >> >>but only the first part involves a couch. > > >I choose Gorn's fic cuz that was the only one widely available on the net. >Gorn had a www site where all 3 of her stories were archived. Deja View >was also available at that time, but it was a little more difficult to >obtain than GGG. I am not sure that GGG was written at that time. Also, I think that Gorn's stuff didn't get published on the www till much after they were originally released. I could be wrong though. Adrienne _________________________________________________________________________ Adrienne VUKOVIC aev@cia.com.au _________________________________________________________________________ "How can you be so blind, Lois? I mean, you look right at the guy, and still you don't have a clue who he really is." Clark Kent to Lois Lane: BatP, "Lois and Clark:TNAOS" _________________________________________________________________________ ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 7 Jan 1998 20:35:27 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: demona Subject: Re: Teri's nfic challenge In-Reply-To: <3.0.1.32.19980108122039.006ada20@cia.com.au> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" I have to agree with (um..I forgot who just posted this and can't be bothered to minimize this window to check ;) and say that I am almost posative it was Deja View by Rana"SuperHung"Royale ;) Neither GGG nor my own TI had been written at the time and I remember that speculation back then had Rana's work as the top contender as well. Demi _________________________________________________ Demi (a.k.a) Demona or http://fantasia.simplenet.com/lcfantasy/demona.htm --- L&C Site http://fantasia.simplenet.com/lcfantasy --- "See, the thing is, I've loved him my whole life..." _________________________________________________ ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 7 Jan 1998 18:06:12 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Leanne Shawler Subject: mail to fanfic Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" I was supposed to post this yesterday, but my email from work decided to delay sending things out by 24 hrs ...here it is now: The first episode of the Lost Episodes of FFFFS is now on line at: http://www.5ss.com/ffffs/ Leanne Leanne Shawler aka Volterra on IRC volterra@sd.znet.com http://www.znet.com/~volterra/leanne.html ********************************************************** Lois and Clark Season 5 Fanfic: http://www.tempus.simplenet.com/season5/ ********************************************************** Midnight Dreaming: The Original Anthony Warlow Home Page: http://www.zweb.com/volterra/anthony.html ********************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 7 Jan 1998 21:31:51 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Donna Lehman <102262.2435@COMPUSERVE.COM> Subject: Krypton Club Fanfiction #23 (AOL): "Superman's Mother-In-Law" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Anyone! I was very anxious to find time to read "Superman's Mother-In-Law" and found I didn't get it all when I went to read it tonight. I don't know wh= at happened. Is there any way of getting it again or sending it E-mail to me= ? I looked for it on a Fanfic list and couldn't find it. thanks = Donna ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 7 Jan 1998 21:47:49 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Zoomway Organization: AOL (http://www.aol.com) Subject: Re: Teri's nfic challenge Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit In a message dated 98-01-07 10:31:56 EST, peace9@WORLDNET.ATT.NET writes: << I've heard that that story was actually RanaRoyale's Deja View, in which Lois reenacts the scene from PML, with Clark consenting... >> 'Deja View' by Angela (RanaRoyale) is the one we suspected Teri was talking about. It wasn't Gorn's 'Going Going Gone', because Gorn was at the folcfest and apparently that particular nfic didn't exist at the time. Not to mention Deja View doesn't stray much farther than a foot from the sofa the whole vignette Zoomway@aol.com (oh, and I agree about the couch scene in Mxysplit..OW!!! that was a great one ;) ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 7 Jan 1998 21:43:23 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Sharon L. Gilbert" Subject: Re: Teri's nfic challenge Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Is Deja View still available for reading? At 08:35 PM 1/7/98 -0500, you wrote: >I have to agree with (um..I forgot who just posted this and can't be >bothered to minimize this window to check ;) and say that I am almost >posative it was Deja View by Rana"SuperHung"Royale ;) Neither GGG nor my >own TI had been written at the time and I remember that speculation back >then had Rana's work as the top contender as well. > >Demi >_________________________________________________ > > Demi (a.k.a) Demona > or >http://fantasia.simplenet.com/lcfantasy/demona.htm > --- > L&C Site > http://fantasia.simplenet.com/lcfantasy > --- > "See, the thing is, I've > loved him my whole life..." >_________________________________________________ > > ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*~* Sharon L. Gilbert, Ph.D. Sorry. I was lost in thought. Sorta new territory for me. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~*~*~ ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 7 Jan 1998 23:14:57 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: LoriMcE Organization: AOL (http://www.aol.com) Subject: Re: Teri's nfic challenge Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit When I wrote awhile back asking her for her fanfics she emailed them to me. RanaRoyale@aol.com >>>Date: 96-12-19 18:47:45 EST From: RanaRoyale To: LoriMcE Lori -- Thank you very much for requesting my stories. I must admit to being very pleased that a fully year or two after I've written the stories they are still be discussed among fans. It's *very* encouraging! I will be happy to share the stories with you. Please bear in mind that I wrote them a while back. In fact, "Hark!" was written just before "Season Greedings" aired, and "Farmer's Lane" was written before "Ordinary People" aired. (When you read the stories, you'll see why I mentioned this.) I hope you will enjoy the stories very much. I will send them to you from my Internet account, as I already have the stories set up in e-mail, ready to send out when I get requests. Thanks again! Angela Walthall (RanaRoyale)<<<<<< Re Déjà View >>>>Teri Hatcher, Dean Cain and Rober Singer have all read this story, though I didn't know that until I went to the LA FoLC fest. Someone in our group told Singer that we wanted more romance between the two characters, and he said, "I know. I've read the couch story." Then Teri said, "Oh, yeah, the couch story!" Dean looked out over the crowd, searching and said, "Yeah...who wrote that couch story?" and gave this wicked grin. But I didn't dare speak up! Angela <<<<<