From: "L-Soft list server at Indiana University (1.8d)" To: "ARTF@MemoryAlpha.nil" File: "LOISCLA-GENERAL-L LOG9803A" ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 1 Mar 1998 18:02:36 -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: Episode 13 now showing at the S5 website Comments: To: loiscla@vm.ege.edu.tr MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit Season 5 is proud to bring you the fifth annual Better Evil Through Chemistry episode, "A Flickering Flame", written by Bella and Trish and Kathy Brown. (Okay, so there wasn't one in 4th season...work with me here.) Join us at the website to find out how a theory of neurochemical transmission, an explosion, and a rainstorm combine to create some very disgruntled Metropolis citizens. Warning: This episode has not been approved by the Biochemists' Anti-Defamation League and may contain one or more portrayals of ruthless, megalomaniacal scientists. As always, we are at: http://www.tempus.simplenet.com/season5/ and we love feedback. Also, don't forget to vote in the baby poll if you haven't already; ballots will be collected until Pam gives the cease-and-desist order. While we're all here, I'd also like to thank Beth, Sue, Erin, and Peace, all of whom offered me pictures for this week's ad. Blame them if you don't like it ;-> ==Alyssa in St. Paul== (agmondelli@stthomas.edu)(AlyssaM on the IRC) Webmistress, Tempus Expeditions - http://www.tempus.simplenet.com Home of the Fortress of Insanity and Lois & Clark Season 5 "What's less than square one? Minus zippo? Negative bupkes?" --Capt. Don Cragen, _Law & Order_ ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 1 Mar 1998 16:21:32 -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: S5: Episode 13 (part 1 of 5) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" A Flickering Flame Season 5, Episode 13 By Bella , Trish , and Kathy Brown . *** Lois Lane stood in her bedroom, examining her profile in the full length mirror. She smoothed her shirt over her expanding middle and shook her head in amusement. She could hardly believe the bulge in her mid-section was a baby. Of course, she was going to get a lot bigger before she got smaller, but she was still amazed by the growth she had already experienced. Fortunately for their decision to keep her pregnancy a secret at work until a few weeks ago, Lois hadn't really begun to show until this month. Even at four months along, when she and Clark had told Perry, Jimmy and the rest of the newsroom about the baby, Lois had been able to make do with her regular clothes. Unwilling to move into maternity clothes until she absolutely had to, Lois tried some suggestions from her mother for making her business wardrobe last longer. 'Who would have thought *my* mother would have had some good advice?' Lois thought with a grin. But indeed, Ellen had given her daughter some great ideas, including leaving the back button on Lois's skirt unfastened and using long jackets and sweaters to hide the gap, or layering long shirts over elastic waist stretch pants. Lois had also been able to use a few items in her closet that had previously been too big for her. The weight she'd lost during her and Clark's engagement, namely during the traumatic Lex Luthor/Wanda Detroit/Maxwell Deter disaster, had forced her to pack up many of her favorite outfits as she dropped to a smaller size. But by her third and fourth month, those larger sizes were coming in very handy. She could only hide her condition with strategic outfits for so long, however, and it turned out that she had made her announcement at work just in time. As if waiting for Lois to go public with the pregnancy, her belly had really begun to grow as she entered her fifth month. Even Jimmy had noticed her quick growth, pointing to her stomach one Monday with a proud grin, and pronouncing that she'd had "a major pop-out!" over the weekend. Lois had flushed profusely at his declaration, but she couldn't deny that Clark had noticed the same thing and couldn't seem to stop grinning about it. Not knowing what to expect in a pregnancy, Lois had always assumed the growth of her stomach would be pretty steady. No one had told her that she could suddenly "pop-out" over a few days. Fortunately, her doctor had chuckled comfortingly when Lois mentioned it during her last appointment, claiming that the same thing had happened to her in her first pregnancy. The woman had assured Lois that it was not only perfectly normal, but fairly common. 'Who would have thought?' Lois laughed. Lois smiled at her reflection in the mirror. She'd been a little worried about gaining weight and how her body would look, so no one was more surprised than Lois at how much she was enjoying being pregnant and watching her body change. Now that she was solidly in her second trimester, her energy level had picked up considerably, and she no longer felt queasy. What's more, she was feeling extremely desirable and sexy. She sometimes felt like she was a walking billboard when she was out with Clark -- "This gorgeous man is the father of my baby!" -- and noted the envious looks women shot Lois as she and her husband held hands and otherwise showed affection in public. While their sex life had slowed somewhat in the early months, it had certainly picked up again now that Lois was feeling better. Clark made no secret about how sexy and beautiful he found her. With a smile, Lois stripped off the shirt and pants she'd been wearing and reached for a new outfit in her closet. Tonight was going to be special. *** Superman landed on the sill of the large double windows in his living room and stepped inside. "Lois, are you home?" he called as he spun into his Clark clothes. When he stopped spinning, he noticed the fire in the fireplace and took in the smell of coq au vin, one of his favorite dishes. "I'm upstairs, Clark," he heard his wife call. "Will you check on dinner? I got it started but you know all about my lack of talent in that department." "Oh, I don't know, honey. It all depends on what you're trying to heat up," he called back upstairs with a grin. "If I'm not mistaken, your 'cooking talents' work perfectly on me." As Lois's giggle reached his ears, Clark smiled and walked into the kitchen. One look at the casserole dishes warming in the oven told him that Lois had outdone herself -- no one could order gourmet take-out like his wife. "This looks great, Lois," he called out. "Where did you get it?" "From Merrick's," she responded. "That little place on 63rd? We went there a few months ago." Clark nodded and shut the oven door. "Yeah, I remember. What's the occasion?" Lois walked in, sliding her arms around her husband and embracing him from behind. She planted a kiss between Clark's shoulder blades. "No occasion," she purred "I just wanted to do something nice for you. We've been working so hard this week that I missed you. I want tonight to be just for us." Clark slid out of her embrace and turned around. He let out a little sigh of appreciation and delight as he saw her. "Oh, honey, you look beautiful." Lois smiled and slowly turned around for him. She knew that he would like this dress. She had seen it in the store last week and just couldn't get it out of her mind. She had gone back for it yesterday while Clark was out on patrol, and couldn't wait to model it for him. Made of burgundy satin, it was cut low enough in front to flatter her growing bustline, while the hem ended just above the knee to show off her shapely legs. Lois had never believed that maternity clothes could be flattering, but she was quickly becoming a believer as she kept finding items she couldn't resist adding to her wardrobe. "So, you like?" she asked with a smile. Clark nodded. "It's wonderful." He stepped closer to her and pulled her into his arms. "Why don't you start serving dinner while I whip us up some dessert." Lois pulled back and grinned. "Gee, I kind of figured dessert would be us." Clark licked his lips. "Even better. The house special?" "Sure ... if you're willing to help with the preparation of it." "Ah ... are there any particular techniques I need to use in making it?" "Oh, definitely ... and you have to be very thorough." "Hm, that sounds complicated. Does it take a long time?" He started to kiss her ear, then passed his lips over her neck, feeling her pulse fluttering in response. "Oh, yes. If you do it right, it can take hours." Clark turned off the oven. "You know, in this special case, I think we better start on dessert and have the main course later." Lois shrieked in pleasure and surprise when she found herself in the bedroom after a short blur. She fixed her husband with an exaggerated look of innocence. "Clark, what are you doing out of the kitchen? I thought you wanted to make dessert?" "This is a very old recipe, Lois. I need lots of space." He laid her down on their bed and stretched out closely next to her. "So, do you have the right equipment?" She looked down along Clark's body, then back up to his face again, just as pointedly. "Lois ... I am definitely up to the task." *** Karen Martin strolled down the sidewalk after the stores closed for the evening, a hand to her back in an attempt to ease the ache that had been growing there. It had been a long day and nearly nine months of pregnancy were beginning to take their toll on her body. She used to be able to shop all day long, but now she found she needed to rest a lot more often. 'Less than three weeks and it'll be over, though,' she thought to herself. That idea brought a smile to her lips and she rubbed her stomach affectionately. Karen spotted a park across the street and walked towards it. The park was quiet this time of the evening and there was an empty park bench in sight. Just what she was looking for. *** A mysterious figure checked the streets to see if anyone was watching. Abductions were risky and he had to be sure to get the woman alone. He'd had his eye on her since he first saw her. A perfect candidate. Not too strong looking ... definitely pregnant. Just what the boss wanted. The weekend was winding down. Most people were either already home or in a hurry to get there, so it was also the perfect time to strike. The park looked deserted. The man approached the woman with a false casualness so as not to make her nervous. He liked as little fuss as possible. As he neared her, he removed his gun from where it was concealed in his jacket. The woman's eyes grew large with fear. He grabbed her arm and beckoned her to move. She did so, completely unable to take her eyes off of the gun. He guided her to the nondescript van that was parked nearby and pushed her through the back door, locking it securely. He then went around to the front, got in the driver's side, and drove off. The boss would be very happy with him; this was the fourth woman this week. In the back of the van, Karen Martin sobbed. *** Roll Opening Credits *** Act 1 *** "So, Penny, tell me how things are between you and Jimmy?" Lois asked over lunch. Lois, Penny and Alice White were having a friendly lunch at the Met Mall. Taking a break in the workday to go shopping was not something that Lois normally did, but ever since Alice had learned that Lois was pregnant, she'd been suggesting that they get together. As the mother of two boys, both of whom were still single, Alice claimed she had always dreamed of taking a daughter shopping for maternity clothes. Lois was touched when Alice told her Lois was the closest thing to a daughter the older woman had, and thus had agreed to Alice's request. It had taken a few weeks to clear their schedules, but the two women had finally set aside a day for lunch and shopping. Jimmy's girlfriend, Penny, had been in the newsroom as they were leaving, and they couldn't help but notice how disappointed she looked as Jimmy explained that he had too much work to do to go to lunch with her that day. So, feeling in good spirits and a generous mood, Lois and Alice invited her to join them. The trio had visited Lois's favorite maternity store (the one that catered to professional woman, without a frilly outfit in sight) and quickly picked out a shirt that Lois would be able to wear to work. After thanking Alice profusely -- and pointing out the dress that she had bought that weekend -- Lois suggested one of the many cafes in the Met Mall for some lunch, girl talk, and people watching. "Oh, we're doing really great, Lois," Penny responded enthusiastically. "Jimmy may not be THE Superman, but he's definitely one in his own special way." Lois smiled at the young woman. Although Penny had struck her as more than a little flaky when they'd first met, Lois had to admit that she and Jimmy were perfect for each other. And Penny herself seemed to grow up quite a bit once she gave up her Superman fantasy. Lois tried not to dwell on the irony and familiarity of that observation. "I'm really happy for the two of you. Jimmy is happier than I've ever seen him. You must be a good influence on him," Lois teased. Penny smiled. "Actually, Lois, Jimmy keeps saying how much he has learned from you and Clark. You have the most wonderful relationship. You seem so happy." She paused and her smile grew more dreamy. "Honestly, though, I think there could be a real future for Jimmy and me. Jimmy has made plans for us to spend the weekend in a cottage at the New Troy Lake in front of a roaring fire. I'm really looking forward to it!" Alice laughed and joined in the conversation. "This is so nice. When I was your age, my girlfriends and I would talk about how our men didn't understand us. How wonderful to have three happy women at one table." Lois turned to her, pleased. "So, things are going well for you and Perry?" Alice nodded with a happy smile. "That's wonderful," Lois responded sincerely. "It's so nice to hear of couples getting back together after a divorce. First my parents, now you and Perry. I'm really pulling for you." "Well, we're not rushing anything," Alice responded. "I've been letting him wine and dine me, which I've been enjoying *too much* to give it up just yet." The three women all laughed. "But yes, we are getting along better than we have in years. I can't believe how much I look forward to spending time with him, even if it's just going to a movie and grabbing dinner afterwards." The women continued chattering as they enjoyed their food. *** ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 1 Mar 1998 16:21:37 -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: S5: Episode 13 (part 2 of 5) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Walter Smith was notorious for the long hours he worked in the pursuit of science. He had scarcely left his laboratory to eat or sleep in the last few weeks, so absorbed was he in his experiment. He had been making sacrifices for years in the pursuit of his employer's goals, but finally, it seemed like all of his long hours were about to pay off. It was brilliant, really. And so simple, once he realized what he was looking for. Not simple to most of the cretins he worked with, of course ... but to a man of his obvious intelligence and ambition ... yes. Simple ... but very valuable to a great many people. While the medical community would welcome his formula and his name would no doubt be submitted for all sorts of scientific awards, this was not the type of recognition Walter Smith was looking for. No, there were many people in the world that would pay very handsomely for his formula. After years of dead-ends and failed experiments, he had finally perfected a formula that would trigger neuro-transmitters in the brain. What's more, the synthetic mix was relatively harmless and hard to trace in the body -- and there were no nasty side effects from the drug, unlike some of his earlier attempts. No, with this formula, the patients (or victims, depending on who was using the drug on whom) would be unaware of the changes in their brain chemistry, but their moods and actions would be altered considerably. In effect, whoever possessed this formula would be able to alter people's thoughts and actions. Of course, it wasn't perfected yet, but it was only a matter of time. Smith had already determined how to reach half of the population. He was sure it wouldn't take long to figure out how to manipulate the other half. Unfortunately, he still hadn't been able to direct the mood changes of the test subjects. The general reactions were as predicted -- subjects having an opposite reaction to a stimuli than they normally would -- but there was still work to be done on fine-tuning the response. But once these minor details were worked out, he and his boss could sell the formula and retire rich and prestigious men. Walter Smith would finally be rewarded for his loyalty and dedication! 'Just think of it!' Smith gloated to himself. 'Senators voting for projects they had earlier rejected, business owners who refuse to pay protection money could be easily persuaded to change their minds. The possibilities are endless!' In all his musing, Smith lost his train of thought for a moment. As he poured into his beaker what he thought was a diluted solution of hydrochloric acid, the contents of the now volatile cocktail started to bubble. As his laboratory at Trycos Enterprises exploded around him, Walter Smith quite literally never knew what hit him. *** At the Met Mall, a teenage girl stopped to turn up the volume of her radio to listen more closely to the news report that had just come on the air. Lois, Penny and Alice, seated at a nearby table, turned their attention to the radio. << As we've just been reporting, there has been an explosion on Metropolis's northwest side. Our reports indicate that the site of the explosion was Trycos Enterprises, the largest pharmaceutical company in the state. We have yet to hear about casualties, but the fire is raging in one corner of the building. Fire fighters have been trying to prevent the blaze from spreading, but seem to be having great difficulty containing it. Reinforcements have been called in from several other locations.>> "Wow," interjected Penny. "I think that's only a mile or two from here." << Ladies and gentlemen, this just in ... Superman is now at the scene. He has helped to carry out some people injured by the explosion. Let's go live to Mark Rogers, on the scene. Mark?>> <> The news anchor at the station began to ask a question of his reporter, but was quickly interrupted as the second man began to speak excitedly. <> As the two men began discussing the situation further, the girl who had been listening to the radio smiled and went on her way. Lois began to gather up her things. "Well, girls, I think that's my cue to get back to work." The other ladies agreed and they all stood up after paying the check. As they walked through the mall to the exit, they excitedly discussed the fire and the Man of Steel. "Well, that was typical Superman. I'm so glad that we have him," Alice stated happily. "Yes, we are really lucky." Lois agreed, smiling. "So, Lois," Penny pried with a grin. "Does Clark ever get jealous of you and Superman? You know, the flying and stuff." Lois just smiled. "No. Clark used to be a little jealous, I think, a long time ago, before we were dating. But not anymore. The three of us are all friends, and there's no reason to stop being friends just because Clark and I are married. Clark knows how much I love him." "It's great to hear how happy you are with each other, Lois. There was a time when Perry and I thought you two would never get together. Now here you are married and having a baby." Alice smiled proudly. The ladies reached the exit and groaned as they realized it was still pouring outside. "Typical. Pouring and not a taxi or umbrella in sight," Lois grumbled. They hurried out into the rain, walking quickly and trying to hold their coats over the heads to avoid getting completely soaked. *** Clark, Jimmy and Perry stood at Clark's desk, discussing Superman's latest appearance. Clark had covered the story for the Daily Planet and had just turned in his story to Perry. Perry turned an eye to the window, where the heavy rain continued to beat down against it. "Well," he drawled, "this city has a lot to be thankful for in Superman ... but I'm sure there are some people who won't appreciate this weather. Superman brought so many clouds with him that it will be raining in Metropolis all day!" Just then the elevator opened and out stepped three familiar faces, all drenched to the skin and looking very unhappy. "Uh oh," Clark said, cringing a bit when he realized he was partly responsible for this. The three men hurried to meet the women on the landing. "What in the name of Elvis happened to you?" Perry asked. "There were no cabs so we had to come back in the downpour," Alice answered, her teeth chattering a little. "Aw, darlin'," Perry drawled sympathetically, running his hands up and down her arms to warm her. Clark spoke softly to Lois. "Are you Ok?" He gave her an guilty smile. "Sorry 'bout the rain." She sighed, exasperated with the weather, but not angry with him. "Yes, I'm fine. Don't worry; I know it was for a good cause." They shared a secret smile as Clark helped Lois out of her coat. Jimmy reached his girlfriend just as she sneezed loudly. "Penny! You're completely drenched! Let me try to find you some towels, then we'll get you home. I bet a hot bath and some hot cocoa will make you feel better." He and Penny looked deeply into each other's eyes and smiled. Almost immediately, Jimmy noticed the five pairs of eyes resting on him and laughed self-consciously. "Penny, you're right. He *is* learning." Lois smiled and nudged Penny playfully. Everyone laughed. "Just wait a minute, Casanova," Perry interrupted quickly. "Aren't you forgetting you have a job to do?" Perry regarded Jimmy's downcast expression but continued nonetheless. "I suggest you get towels for these poor women, get a taxi for Alice and Penny, then get back to work. This is the Daily Planet, not a honeymoon vacation in the Poconos!" Penny looked at Jimmy, a flicker of a smile on her face. "Later," she said with a suggestive wink. Jimmy smiled broadly and rushed off to the locker room to find some towels. *** Later that afternoon, Lois and Clark were staring intently at Lois's computer screen when Jimmy ran up. "Hey, you guys! I got some information on that possible abduction story you are working on," Jimmy stated excitedly. "Well, spill it," Lois said, looking up with a smile. Jimmy caught his breath, then continued. "There are now three people missing, the last one taken sometime yesterday evening. All of them are women. All of them were in their late twenties or early thirties. All of them were downtown the last time they were seen. And get this ..." Jimmy paused dramatically. "All of them were pregnant." Lois leaned forward. "What?? That wasn't in the initial police briefing." Jimmy nodded. "I know; they just released it. Maybe they were worried about causing a panic or something, but now they're worried they have a serial kidnapper on their hands ... or worse." Lois sat back, a little pale. Clark looked very concerned. Jimmy swallowed nervously as he looked at Lois's stomach and realized how close to home this information must be hitting. "Um, the latest victim's husband called a little while ago. He's really worried. He's convinced his wife was taken and didn't just leave on her own. Anyway, here's the number. He said he's already talked to the police, but would feel better if he knew you two were investigating, also. I told him you would call." Clark took the slip of paper with the phone number. "Thanks, Jimmy. We'll do that." He looked determined. "Good work, Jimmy," Lois called after the young man as he walked away. Lois looked at her husband for a moment. "Well, partner," she said. "Looks like we have some work to do." *** Lois and Clark ate their dinner that evening in companionable silence, each lost in their own thoughts. After helping to clean up the kitchen, Lois rubbed a hand through her hair. "Well, I'm going to take a shower. I feel really gross after getting caught in that rain." Clark smiled. "I really am sorry, honey. I certainly didn't mean to drench the city." "Yeah, I know," Lois said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "So, what did you buy today? I saw some bags from the Mall, but you never told me what was in them. Did Alice buy you something?" "Oh, just a shirt." Clark cocked his head. "So, you going to model it for me?" He rubbed a hand across one of her shoulders. "Or maybe you'd prefer a full body massage to relax you before bed?" he said with a playful, yet suggestive grin. Lois barely cracked a smile. "It's no big deal," she shrugged. "Anyway, I'm going to take that shower." With that she turned and made her way upstairs. When Clark came into the bedroom a half an hour later, Lois was already in bed, reading a paperback novel that had been sitting untouched on the night stand for weeks. Clark changed into his sleep shorts. "What are you doing?" Lois asked, frowning a bit. "Getting ready for bed." "Already? It's still early." "Yeah, I thought I would grab a few magazines that I never seem to find the time to read and join you." "But what about Superman?" "The world can do without me for one night. I'll only go out if there is a disaster." "Oh ... Ok." Lois reopened her book, ignoring him as he climbed into bed next to her. After a few moments, however, she closed it and put it aside. "I'm going to sleep, Clark. Good night." She turned out her light, then rolled to her side, her back to her husband "Oh, Ok, honey." Clark put his magazine on the side table and switched off his own light. He snuggled into Lois's back, spooning himself around her. Lois lifted her head. "Clark, there's absolutely no need for you to go to sleep now. You can keep reading; your light won't bother me." "Oh ... I know. I just thought, you know, that we should take advantage of a quiet night to spend some time together. Besides, I like holding you while you sleep." He lay a hand over her stomach. "Both of you," he said affectionately. Lois sighed loudly and squirmed under his touch. "Please, Clark. I'm tired. Not tonight, okay?" "Ok, if you say so," Clark said, taken aback, but trying to hide his disappointment. He kissed her shoulder. "G'night, honey." "Goodnight, Clark." Clark rolled over and switched on his light. He listened to her rhythmic breathing for a moment, then pulled a magazine off his stack and started reading. *** Carter Reese stood in an office on the top floor of Trycos, color reddening in his face as he stared out the window into the night sky. He began to shake in a fit of rage. The police had been poking around all afternoon, asking probing questions as to what Walter Smith had been working on in the now demolished Lab 109. Fortunately, Reese had had the forethought to plant false reprimand letters in Smith's file, just in case something like this were to happen. He had put on his most tortured face and told the authorities how Smith had been caught doing unauthorized experiments in the company lab, and how he had been disciplined and told to cease immediately. Reese could only hope that the police had bought his plea of ignorance and they would let it go at that. Nonetheless, the police and several environmental and research groups were all closely monitoring Trycos. "Damn!" he hissed as he turned and slammed his fist into his desk. They were so close ... they couldn't stop now. It wasn't enough for Carter Reese to own and run the largest pharmaceutical company in Metropolis. He wanted more. Much more. No, he wouldn't allow the project to stall. Reese picked up the phone and dialed a number that would scramble the phone lines and ensure that his calls could not be traced. Verifying that the line was secure, Reese called a second number. It rang three times before being answered. "Is everything ready?" Reese asked. "Yes. We have three test cases." "Fine, let me know when you have the results." Reese hung up the phone and smiled. Smith's death would be remembered as a minor hiccup. Things were going to continue as planned. *** ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 1 Mar 1998 16:20:47 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Kathy Brown (by way of Leanne Shawler)" Subject: S5: Episode 13 (part 3 of 5) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Act 2 *** Clark was preparing breakfast when he heard Lois curse angrily upstairs, then burst into tears. In a flash, he was up the stairs and into the bedroom. "Lois? My God, what happened?" he rushed to where she was sitting on the edge of the bed. Lois looked up to him through tear-filled eyes, closing her bathrobe firmly around the waist. "Clark, it doesn't fit anymore!" "What? What doesn't fit anymore?" he asked quickly. "God, Lois, don't do that to me! You scared me to death!" He sat down next to her trying to calm her down. "My biggest sweater. You know, the brown one? It doesn't fit anymore . . . and that's huge! It looks horrible on me!" Clark rolled his eyes a little, relaxing as he realized what this was all about. "Well, it will fit again in the fall," he said reasonably. "If you really need a sweater this spring, you can wear one of mine." Clark put an arm around her shoulders and hugged her. "See, you should be happy; I'm giving you permission to steal my clothes," he said with a little grin, trying to lighten her dark mood. "Clark! This isn't funny. I look fat. And I don't have anything to wear!" "What are you talking about? You don't look fat, you look pregnant! Honey, all last month, you were telling me you wished you were showing more. Now you are and you look fantastic!" He indicated her closet. "And look at all the maternity clothes you've bought. You've got lots to wear." Lois shook loose from Clark's embrace. She stood up, facing him in a fury. Obviously, instead of making her feel better, he had only succeeded in upsetting her more. "I hate the way I look! I'm fat and people will stare and think--" "Think what??" he exclaimed in exasperation, then stopped himself. Patience -- that's what was needed now -- a lot of patience. This was the mood swing to end all mood swings, but it would pass. When Clark spoke again, his voice was calmer. "Sweetie, they will think you are pregnant and that you're beautiful." Lois wouldn't let herself be appeased by Clark's reassuring words though. "Oh, please, Clark; get real!" she responded, not letting herself be appeased. "I'm turning into a whale; a fat and ugly whale -- not even a cute whale! And if you can't see that, maybe you really do need glasses." She glared at him for a moment. "Now, get out of here; I need to get dressed." Clark's eyebrows shot up. "Since when do I have to leave when--" He threw his hands up and stood. "Fine, whatever. Get dressed." "Thank you," she snapped in return. Clark turned and headed for the door. Before leaving the room he took a deep breath and offered a truce, as calmly as he could manage. "Breakfast is almost done. Come down when you're ready." *** Lois and Clark walked down the sidewalk in uncomfortable silence towards the small cafe where they had agreed to meet Adam Martin, the last abduction victim's husband. As they entered the cafe, a tall man with blonde hair stood up and walked towards them. He had a handsome face, though at the moment, it was tarnished by his somber mood. They exchanged introductions quickly, ordered coffee from the waiter, then got down to business. "Why was your wife in the city?" Clark asked Adam, getting the interview on track. "She was doing some shopping, mostly baby stuff. Karen was a bit paranoid that we wouldn't be ready for the baby when it came, what with it being our first and all." He looked at Lois and then Clark. "I guess you know how that is." He smiled sadly. "We were looking forward to our new arrival so much. Now everything's a mess. Karen is due in three weeks; I'm going out of my mind with worry." "Mr. Martin, don't you think it's possible that your wife just decided to spend some time alone? Maybe you had a fight recently?" Adam shook his head emphatically. "No, absolutely not, Ms. Lane. Karen and I have a great marriage. Sure, we had our arguments, but we've been getting along great lately. We were very happy." Lois changed tactics. "Do you know where Karen was going, what stores she wanted to visit? Does she use a credit card?" she asked. "Maybe we could trace her purchases." "Karen was babbling about baby stores but I can't remember the names. I wasn't really paying much attention," he trailed off in a small voice. "How I wish now that I could go back and listen." He fought back his building emotions and continued. "She might have used a credit card, but she asked for some cash in the morning. I guess it depends how much she decided to spend." "So, what you're telling me is that you have no idea where Karen was during the day and have no indication of where she could have disappeared from," Lois remarked sarcastically. Clark shot Lois an angry look as the devastated Mr. Martin hung his head and shook it 'no'. Clark was amazed she was being so insensitive. When Lois simply looked away, ignoring Clark's silent message, Clark turned back towards Adam. "Mr. Martin," Clark said gently. "We're very sorry for everything that's happened, and we will do everything we can to help. If the police haven't already done so, can you contact your credit card company for a list of recent purchases? If the card has been used, we might get some idea of where Karen is, or at least figure out what part of town she was shopping in." The man looked up at Clark gratefully, and agreed. "I'll do whatever I can. I just want her back. I love her and our child very much." After several more minutes of gathering information, the three stood up to leave. As they started for the door, however, Lois spoke up again. "What did Karen look like? Do you have a picture we could take?" Adam Martin reached into his coat pocket. "Yes, I brought one with me. This was taken before she was pregnant, but as you can see, she's slim, brown hair, brown eyes." Adam looked at Lois thoughtfully. "Actually, she looks quite a bit like you, Ms. Lane." *** "No way, Lois, I absolutely forbid it." Perry's voice could be heard through the shut door, superhearing or no superhearing. "This is unfair," Lois said angrily. "If I weren't pregnant, you would be pushing me out the door, not trying to hold me back," she accused. "Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean you can coddle me! I'm not going to sit back and let good stories pass me by, Perry!" "Lois, I said no," Perry insisted. "It's too dangerous. I want you *reporting* news for the next few months, not in the midst of the action." Perry looked across his office at a defiant Lois Lane and could feel his blood pressure rising. Lois had her hands on her hips and a hard set to her jaw. Even the protrusion of her stomach didn't stop her from looking strong and absolutely determined to get her way. But he knew how dangerous Lois's suggestion was, and he remained adamant that she would not win this argument. Unfortunately, tearing a story away from Lois Lane could be like wrestling a bone away from a pitbull. It was time to call in the big guns. "Clark, get in here!!" Perry shouted. *** Clark pulled Lois into the conference room and locked the door. "What is the matter with you??" he demanded. "Oh, like you're one to talk," Lois retorted. "You said that you'd back me up if Perry tried to pull me off of stories, and now you're taking his side, you back-stabber!" "Lois, that was if Perry tried to put you on dog shows or city council meetings. This is different. This is completely insane! How can you even suggest using yourself as bait?" "This is a perfectly logical plan to catch a kidnapper." "Logical? Logical?? Lois, you haven't even thought about back up or what you would do if you did get taken. This is not the sort of plan you normally come up with. It's like you aren't thinking straight!" Lois narrowed her eyes and tried to shove past him to get to the door. "Get out of my way; this conversation is over!" she shouted. Clark grabbed her arm firmly. "You are not leaving here until we settle this. Lois, you promised you wouldn't put yourself in danger. And there is no way I'm letting you go out there and risk either your life or the life of this baby." "This is *my* body, Clark. Women have rights in this country." "And that is our child, Lois. And I'll be damned if I'll let you put it in danger." They stood glaring at each other, neither backing down. Clark couldn't remember the last time he'd been so angry with her, but amazingly, he knew Lois was angrier. What he couldn't figure out was why she was acting like this. It was as if she was deliberately provoking him. "Can I have my arm back, Mr. Brute Strength?" Lois finally asked sarcastically, jerking in his tight grip. "Or are you trying to bruise me?" Clark released her. "I'm sorry," he said, trying to regain his composure. "Did I hurt you?" Still angry, she just turned her back on him. Clark tried again, more gently this time. "Lois, what's going on with you? With us? It's like you've been a different person today." "I don't know what you're talking about," she sniffed. "It's like--" Clark fumbled for the right words. "Like you hate everything all of a sudden. Like you hate *me*. Why are you so angry? Did something happen? Did I do something to upset you?" Lois turned on him, a scowl on her face. When she spoke, her voice was full of venom. "What you've done is undermine my story. I won't forget that, Clark Kent!" Clark stared at her for a long moment. She hadn't spoken to him like this since they'd first met -- and even then she hadn't sounded so hateful. Clark held the door closed as Lois tried to storm past him again. "I don't know what's going on here," he said quietly. "But you are *not* going undercover for this story. And that's final." With that, he removed his hand from the door and allowed her to leave. Several moments later, when Clark exited the room himself, he could feel the eyes of the newsroom on him. Everyone's eyes except for Lois's, that is. She wouldn't even look at him. *** Jimmy walked up to the coffee machine and poured himself a cup. "Hey, CK. You look like I feel." "Hi, Jimmy." Clark looked across the newsroom to the conference room, where Lois had set up her laptop and her notes behind a locked door to work alone. "Man, am I having a bad day. Lois has freaked out on me." "Tell me about it. You know, Penny and I were supposed to go to New Troy Lake for the weekend. Then this morning, she calls me and tells me that she doesn't want to go. Clark, we planned this three weeks ago!" "So both Lois and Penny ... what's this? An epidemic?" The men walked glumly from the coffee area and sat down at Clark's desk. "You know what? This reminds me of the whole pheromone thing four years ago. Only in reverse. Maybe we should ask Alice if they smelled some perfume at the mall," Jimmy joked darkly. Clark looked up, thoughtful. "You know, come to think of it, Lois first started acting a little odd last night, after the mall. I didn't think too much of it at the time; I just figured she was tired and wanted to be alone. But now I wonder if maybe there's a connection." "Yeah, the same thing with Penny. I went to see her after work, like we planned, but she just told me to go home. Wouldn't even let me in the door. And after I was so nice to her when she got wet and everything," Jimmy stated dejectedly. Suddenly, the two men looked up and stared at each other. "Chief!!" they shouted in unison. "Judas Priest! What's wrong?" Perry stepped out of his office and approached them. "Perry, how's Alice?" Clark asked. Perry looked suspicious. "Why do you ask?" Jimmy jumped in. "Lois and Penny have both been acting really moody lately, and it seemed to start last night after they got back from the mall. We were thinking if something was wrong with Alice, too, then maybe there was some connection. "Well, now that you mention it, Alice did cancel our date last night. We were talking about going to a movie but suddenly she changed her mind. Said she had to stay home and ... wash her hair! Leaves me home listening to Elvis songs," Perry huffed. "YEAH! Then it's Alice, too. Great!" Clark and Perry frowned at Jimmy. "Um, I mean ... that's really sad ... terrible ..." Perry turned his attention back to Clark. "So, you think something happened to make them act this way? Sure it's not just a coincidence? I mean, I was married for a long time, son. People get in their moods and sometimes you just need to steer clear and let it blow over." "Perry, you saw Lois today. Something is not right here. I've never seen her like this. She's been in a terrible mood all day, and it just seems to be getting worse." Perry looked over towards the conference room. "Well, you're right there. Lois ... is not being Lois, is she?" "No, and I've got to figure out why." "So, what do we do now, CK?" "Well, Jimmy, first we need to find out if it's just the three of them, or if other people have been affected, too." Clark looked around the newsroom for another female colleague. He stood up quickly and walked across the room. "Sheila? May I ask you a rather personal question?" Clark broached the woman hesitantly. "Sure, Clark, what's up? You're looking pretty unhappy; you still upset about that little scene with Lois?" "Ah ... well, kind of. If I may ask ... is everything Ok between you and Henry? Have you guys been fighting more than usual or anything?" The woman gave him an odd look. "No ... why do you ask?" "No canceled plans, no particularly bad moods?" Sheila shook her head. "No, nothing like that. We've been getting along fine. Actually, we're going to visit Henry's parents this week. And boy, do I need the long weekend. I've been swamped here. I haven't taken a lunch hour in two weeks. Well, except for yesterday. I had to go to the Met Mall to buy an anniversary present for his parents. Luckily, I caught a cab back before that rain started. I would have been drenched otherwise." Seeing Clark's contemplative look, she continued. "I'm sorry, why did you want to know?" "Oh, it's just ... " Clark waved his hand. "Never mind. Thanks, you've been a big help." Sheila looked puzzled as Clark walked away, then shrugged and got back to work. *** "Ok, so it's Penny, Lois, and Alice ... but not Sheila," Jimmy stated after Clark had filled him in. "What do they have in common and what separates them from Sheila? That's the $64,000 question." The two men spread their notes out over Clark's desk. "Maybe it's the rain," Clark offered. "All four went to the Met Mall, but nothing happened to Sheila. She made it back before the rain." "Yeah, but it rains all the time. Why would getting caught in the rain make them act this way? What was special about this rain?" "Well ... Superman put out the fire at the research wing of Trycos using the rain. He brought in some heavy clouds, then it rained the rest of the day." Clark sat up a little straighter, his mind grabbing hold of something. "Do you think it has something to do with the fire?" Jimmy asked. "I don't know. But I'm suddenly very interested in what they were doing research on over there. Maybe the explosion released some kind of drug into the atmosphere and the rain brought it down to the ground. "An anti-love drug?" Jimmy looked doubtful. Clark just shrugged. "I don't know, Jimmy. But I do know I want to find out everything we can about Trycos Enterprises. Want to pay a visit over there with me?" "Sure! But I don't think we'll have much luck. Three other Planet reporters were over there this morning with no luck. Couldn't even get past the front door. Trycos is sticking to their statement and isn't granting interviews." Jimmy picked up a piece of paper and read aloud. "'Trycos Enterprise maintains that there was no danger to the citizens of Metropolis at any point in time, during or after the fire.'" "I don't buy that," Clark said, his mind racing. "Jimmy, do you think you could hack into Trycos's computer system? I want to know what caused that explosion and exactly what, if anything, might have been released into the atmosphere." Jimmy shrugged. "Sure, CK; I can try. I'll let you know the minute I find anything." *** The newsroom was emptying out when Jimmy returned to Clark's desk. "Hey, CK?" Clark looked up. "Any luck?" Jimmy looked glum as he slumped into Clark's guest chair. "No, I can't get in. Every time I try, they automatically send a defense program, so I end up in the directory listings of Fairbanks, Alaska. No matter what I try, the program is always a step ahead of me. Man, whoever built up computer security at Trycos must be a genius." Clark sighed and sat back to think. He looked through the window to Lois, still in the conference room. His jaw set with determination. "Well, then we'll have to do this the old-fashioned way. Break in." Jimmy raised an eyebrow. "Wow, Lois must be rubbing off on you. That's the sort of thing I'd expect her to say." The young man couldn't suppress a little grin. Clark smiled back, a little more darkly. "Well, if Lois isn't going to be herself, I guess I have to take over for her." He sighed and shook himself out of his brooding mood. "Jimmy, you think you can get information on Trycos's security system? I'm going to need as much information as you can get me. Floor plans, everything. I need to get my hands on an inside computer terminal. Let's hope that they don't pay nearly as much attention to outside security as they do to computer security." Jimmy looked at Clark for a moment, then spoke quietly. "You're going to need someone with computer experience to go with you." Their eyes met. "Are you offering?" Clark responded. "Just try and stop me." "Ok, then. I'll let you get to work, and I'll do a little reconnaissance work of my own. We'll meet back here at midnight and go from there. Dress appropriately and be ready for a little hacking." Jimmy stood to leave, but turned back to Clark after a glance towards their editor's office. "Um, Clark?" he asked quietly. "Are we going to let Perry know what's going on?" Clark shook his head. "No, the less he knows, the better. We don't want to implicate him in anything." Jimmy just smiled and nodded. "See you at midnight." *** At 6:30 pm, Lois exited the conference room and silently packed up her desk. Clark watched her carefully, searching for any signs that she was feeling better, but found none. He waited until she put on her coat before he addressed her. "You're going home?" he asked, trying to keep his voice neutral. "Yes, I am." She sounded tired more than angry, but there was still little sign of the Lois that loved him. "I'll meet you there later; I have some more work to do." She just shrugged and walked up the ramp. "Whatever." Clark sighed heavily as Lois entered the elevator and left the newsroom. He waited a few moments before grabbing some items from his desk drawers, shutting off his computer, and heading for the staircase. >From the roof of the Daily Planet Building, Clark launched himself into the air, a red and blue blur. After watching from the sky to ensure that Lois got home Ok (and didn't take any detours to investigate the kidnapping story), he turned and headed towards another part of the city. Under the cover of darkness, no one noticed Superman hovering high above Trycos Enterprises, a note pad and pencil in his hand, and a stopwatch around his neck. *** By the time Clark returned home that evening, Lois was at the dining room table, eating some ice cream and reading a magazine. Or at least, it looked like she had tried to eat some ice cream. Instead, there was a bowl of chocolate mush pushed to the center of the table, ignored and melted. Clark shook his head as he passed through the room towards the kitchen. He decided something must really be wrong if Lois was now harboring a distaste for chocolate ice cream. He made himself a sandwich and returned to the dining room, where he pulled up the chair across from his wife. As soon as he sat down, however, Lois closed her magazine and began to leave the room. "Lois, wait," Clark said. "We need to talk." "I have nothing to say to you, Clark," she responded. "Lois, do you realize how strangely you are acting? Have you noticed it? Or do things just seem the same to you?" Lois hesitated, then turned to face him, her arms crossed in front of her chest. Her body language told him she was closed off, but at least she was still in the room. For a moment, Clark thought he saw a flicker of the old Lois cross her face, but as soon as it was there, it was gone, leaving her to rub her temples wearily. "I don't know what you're talking about, Clark." Clark took a deep breath. He needed to reach her, somehow. "Lois, I think you may have been exposed to some sort of chemical -- some sort of drug. I'm guessing it was released into the atmosphere during the explosion at Trycos and got incorporated into the rain somehow. I think anyone who got caught in that rain got exposed to the drug." When she just stared at him, incredulous, Clark continued. "Don't you see, honey?" Clark stopped when he saw her visibly cringe at his endearment and paused for a moment, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach. When he spoke again, his voice was more carefully measured. "Your bad mood started last night. And Penny and Alice have been acting the same way. Whatever this drug is, it seems to affect you in some ... *weird* way that makes you turn on your husbands and boyfriends." Clark watched Lois carefully, to see if his words were sinking in. She was no longer looking at him, but was instead staring at the ground. It was hard to tell if she was ignoring him ... or thinking hard. He tried direct questions instead. "Lois, did Penny mention anything to you about her and Jimmy going away for the weekend?" "Yes ..." she answered slowly. "She said they were going and she was looking forward to it." Clark perked up. "Yet this morning, she told Jimmy she didn't want to go. She wouldn't even let him inside her apartment last night. And Alice canceled her date with Perry, too." Lois looked concerned, like she was searching her mind for something, but couldn't quite find it. "Lois, don't you see? You're not being yourself today. Things that you used to like ... to *love* ..." Clark's voice cracked a bit, but he forced it into line, "now upset you. Lois, what are you feeling? You have to tell me what's going on inside of you so we can stop this thing." Even Clark's best efforts to control himself couldn't keep the edge of desperation from his voice. Lois just shook her head, as if she was fighting something distasteful, getting upset once more. "I don't know, Clark; I just don't know. It's like ... I feel like things aren't right, but every time I try to talk to you, or even ... *look* at you ... my mind just--" She rubbed her temples again, sounding almost distraught. Clark stood up and approached her. It killed him to see her like this, knowing that she was in emotional pain, but not knowing how to help. "Honey, it's not your fault ... I know you love me, and I love you, too -- so very much," he said tenderly. Unable to stop himself, he pulled her into his arms. "I love you, Lois. And together we can beat this thing. I just know we can! You just need to hold on a little longer, honey, to fight this ... whatever it is." Lois had gone almost still in his arms, trembling at his touch. But as he continued to talk, she couldn't take it anymore. She bolted away, almost in a panic. "Stop! I can't!" she yelled. "I'm sorry, Clark ... but I can't be here anymore." With that, she burst into angry tears and ran up the stairs. Clark stood alone in their dining room, his arms still tingling from where he had held her. Her rejection hurt terribly, but it only strengthened his resolve to do whatever it took to help her. She was hurting, too; that much was clear now. And whatever was doing this to her, she needed his help to fight it. *** ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 1 Mar 1998 16:21:07 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Kathy Brown (by way of Leanne Shawler)" Subject: S5: Episode 13 (part 4 of 5) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Act 3 *** Clark and Jimmy stood in front of the fence that separated them from Trycos. They had come on foot. Because of the explosion, there were extra security guards patrolling around the perimeter of the grounds. Parking a vehicle was not only risky, it would undoubtedly draw unwanted attention. Walking seemed their best option. "We're really going to do this, aren't we?" Jimmy asked, a bundle of excitement and nerves. "If you want to go back, Jimmy, I'll understand." Clark did need the young man's computer expertise, but he would risk going it alone if it meant forcing his friend to do something he didn't want to do. "No, I'm in. This just seems ..." Jimmy trailed off, looking at the vast complex before them. "... bigger, somehow." Clark looked at the young man next to him. He could hear Jimmy's heart pounding as the adrenaline rushed into his system. Clark put a hand on Jimmy's shoulder. "I have to do this, Jimmy. I can't just sit by and let this ... *thing* ... take my wife from me. She's hurting, Jim. I can see it in her eyes. And I can't let that happen without doing everything in my power to help her." Jimmy squared his jaw. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's do it." *** The two climbed the fence and dropped to the other side. Clark looked at his watch. 1:27 am. "We have five minutes to get into the building before the guard patrols this way again." Jimmy nodded, and the two men sprinted across the lawn to a little side entrance. They reached it unnoticed by anyone. "Once I've bridged the contacts, you have one minute to get this door open. Will you be able to manage, CK?" "Yes. Start. We've got one minute and 48 seconds left." Jimmy concentrated on the little box beside the door, opened it and fumbled with a few wires. "Ready. One minute, five seconds left. Your turn." Just as Clark had watched fascinated when Jimmy tricked the alarm, Jimmy observed Clark expertly opening the lock and prying the doors open. They entered the building next to the elevators, across the stairwell door. Far ahead, they could see the reception desk and hear two guards talking. "Remember," Jimmy whispered. "We have 20 minutes before the system checks itself and finds I tricked it. We have to be out again by then. By the way, where'd you learn to pick a lock like that?" Clark grinned. "There are a lot of advantages to being married to Lois Lane." They sneaked to the stairwell and slipped into it. Just as Jimmy was about to open the door, Clark held up his hand. With an ear to the door, he indicated for Jimmy to remain silent. Sure enough, soon Jimmy could hear the sound of approaching footsteps. When they had passed, Clark whispered instructions. "There are two cameras. When the one to the left is furthest away from us ... move. We won't have long to get down the hall." On Clark's signal, they ducked out of the door and darted along the corridor. At the corner, Clark stopped them once again. Looking through the wall to check the camera's position, Clark timed their approach. When the camera swung towards them, they were already under it, out of view. They continued on in this fashion, Clark's study of the camera's movements from this evening allowing them to remain undetected. As they were just about to turn the final corner, however, Clark spotted a guard bending over a drinking fountain, right next to the computer room they were targeting. Clark's eyes darted back at the security camera in their corridor. It was on its way back. They were trapped. Jimmy froze, looking up and following the camera as if his life depended on it. Clark looked around the corner once more. That blasted guard was still thirsty, but luckily he had his back to them. For a split second, Clark debated jumping the guard and sending him into dreamland. Although he had no desire to leave any evidence they'd been there, time was running out. Girding himself for the unavoidable, Clark prepared to tackle the man only to find him suddenly straightening, turning away as he leisurely strolled around the corner. In a flash, Clark and Jimmy were around the corner and at the office door. A few seconds longer and hell would have broken loose. "Whoa! That was way too close!" Jimmy released a loud breath, as he steadied himself against the wall, his eyes closed. "You can say that again," Clark whispered back. "No, on the other hand ... maybe you'd better not. At least not until we're in." Clark punched in the code Superman had observed a guard using earlier that evening. The lock opened with a low sound. With a sigh of relief, Clark gripped Jimmy by the collar and pulled him into the office, closing the door silently behind them. "How much time left?" Jimmy checked his watch. "14 minutes." "With six minutes to get back, that gives you eight minutes to access the computer and download the files." "No pressure," Jimmy muttered as he switched on the computer. "Password ... password." Jimmy looked around. "Most people use passwords from their immediate surroundings ... hobbies, pets, spouses. Clark, help me." Clark shined his flashlight around the room. It rested on a large painting of a violin and then on a little miniature violin on a glass pedestal. "Hmm, V-I-O-L-I-N ..." Jimmy typed. "Access denied. What else?" "Bow ... Stradivarius ... Four Seasons ... Paganini ... Kenne ..." Clark thought aloud, helping Jimmy to spell the more unfamiliar words. "Stop. It's Paganini ... Okay, I'm in ... yes ... there ... I've found the right menu. Shoot! The files are password protected again." "Break it, Jimmy. Six minutes." Jimmy didn't even hear Clark's words, so attuned was he to his task. It took him a minute and a half to crack the next password. "I'm in. You were right, CK. That inner security system is laughable. What now?" "Copy everything you find about Lab 109 or Walter Smith. We don't have time to sort it out." Disk after disk were put into the drive, swiftly copying the information. "Jimmy ... hurry up! We're already one minute over the limit!" Clark urged. "I know... Ok, that was the last one. Thank God this is a high speed computer." Jimmy shut it down. After checking for the cameras and approaching footsteps, they slipped out of the office and sneaked back towards the stairwell, retracing their steps to bypass the cameras once more. They reached the stairwell and ran down, as fast as they could. "One minute left, Clark!" They looked out of the little window of the door. There was no guard in sight. Within seconds, they were back outside. Jimmy leaned back against the wall, catching his breath. "Wow! We really did it, Clark! We made it!" he whispered excitedly. But Clark was focused on something else ... the panting of an approaching dog. "Jimmy, get a move on. We've got company ... a dog." "A dog?!" They ran. They heard loud barking behind them, then the sound of human footsteps. "FREEZE!" the guard yelled. Clark and Jimmy reached the fence and started climbing. Floodlights illuminated the ground, and a spotlight was quickly approaching the fence. As they reached the top of the fence, Clark's superhearing picked up the sound of a gun being cocked. With a burst of superspeed, Clark pulled Jimmy to the ground on the other side, just as a warning shot whistled above their heads. In the distance, they heard cars careening towards them. Police sirens howled through the night. The pair picked themselves up and ran. Suddenly, a car screeched to a halt directly in front of them, cutting them from their escape route. Clark was about to pick up Jimmy and fly away, secret identity be damned, when the door sprang open. "Get in!" Clark looked inside. "PERRY?" "Get in, damn it!" Clark shoved Jimmy into the open door and dove in himself. Clark righted himself. "Chief?? What--" "Not now, Kent!" Perry floored the gas and the car raced down the deserted street. Police sirens wailed in the distance, back at the scene of the crime. As it became obvious the car hadn't been spotted, the trio relaxed. Jimmy and Clark stared in stunned silence as their editor cocked an eyebrow at them. "Well, boys ... I think you have some explaining to do." *** The sun had barely risen when Clark paged Dr. Klein with the urgent message to meet him at STAR Labs immediately. When the good doctor unlocked his lab, Clark was already there, waiting. Klein rolled his eyes. "Don't superheroes ever sleep?" "Dr. Klein, I need your help. Several women in Metropolis have begun acting strangely this week, Lois among them. The main symptom seems to be that they reject everything they used to love, especially their romantic partners. It's my theory that the fire at Trycos released some type of substance -- a drug, a chemical, whatever -- into the air and contaminated the raindrops that fell that afternoon. Lois and two other women were soaked in the rain. All three began showing symptoms that evening." Klein lifted his eyebrows. "Rejecting their romantic partners?" he repeated, amused. One look at the grim look on Clark's face, however, made him squelch his chuckle. "What do you want me to do?" Clark handed him several computer disks. "These are computer files downloaded from Trycos last night. They contain information on the work being done in the lab that was destroyed." Klein took the disks. "Do I want to know where you got these?" he asked with a sigh. "I doubt it," Clark stated. Even with his glasses and business suit on, the Superman frown on Clark's face convinced Dr. Klein not to argue any further. "Geez, things must be pretty bad for you to go to such lengths." "Dr. Klein, I don't just need the confirmation that I'm right. I need a cure for what's happened. I'm worried for Lois ... and I'm worried for the baby. So far, everything seems fine with the pregnancy, but exposure to some type of unknown substance ... well, you can see why I'm upset." "Yes, yes," Klein nodded, lost in thought. Then he looked up. "Do you think you could get me a blood sample from Lois or one of the other women? It would help me to see what we're dealing with." Clark frowned. "Lois isn't exactly open to my suggestions these days ... but I'll see what I can do." *** Lois sat at her desk in the newsroom, trying to collect her thoughts and her notes on the kidnapping story. She'd conducted phone interviews with other family members of the alleged victims, dug up every piece of paperwork the police were allowing out of the precinct -- as well as several that weren't -- and called every hospital in the city asking about recent Jane Doe's. She had enough information for a decent news story ... but she wasn't any closer to solving the mystery of these women's disappearances. Just then, her phone rang. "Lois Lane," she spoke into the receiver. "Uh, hello ... my name is Joy; I work in the admissions department of Metropolis General Hospital? We spoke yesterday on the phone?" Lois remembered. "Yes?" "Well, I have some information I thought might help you after all." "Go on, I'm listening," Lois replied. "Late last night, a woman was admitted; she's pretty delirious and isn't making a lot of sense about what happened to her. But she's pregnant and I remembered yesterday you were asking if we had admitted anyone under odd conditions." "Yes, I was. Thanks! I'll be down there as soon as I can." The young woman gave Lois the room information, then hung up. *** Lois entered the newsroom elevator when the doors opened, then tried to exit just as quickly. Clark blocked her path. "Lois, wait. I need your help." *** Metropolis General was a large hospital, but Lois was familiar enough with the layout that she easily found the room she was looking for. She was arriving a little later than she'd intended, but she told herself that spending a bit of time helping Clark was the only way to get him off of her back. Damn him. How dare he try to prevent her from investigating a story? She knew that he'd been watching her all day yesterday, and wouldn't allow her to leave the Daily Planet building without following. Doing him his favor gave her the perfect excuse to leave unescorted -- free to do what she needed to do. Lois pushed open the door to the private room to find a woman about her own age. The woman's eyes were red and her face was pale. She was hooked up to all sorts of monitors and IV's. Lois took in the devices attached to the woman's enlarged stomach, and watched as two sets of monitors recorded two strong heartbeats -- one for the woman, one for her unborn child. The woman turned her eyes to Lois mournfully, but didn't speak. Lois sat down in a chair next to the bed. "Hi," she said softly. "My name is Lois Lane and I'm from the Daily Planet. I want to help you. Could you tell me your story?" The woman closed her eyes, exhausted. "Two men ... warehouse ... testing," she mumbled. Lois frowned. The woman was obviously not in a position to give her a lot of details -- a fact the police must have also ascertained since they had no one outside the room guarding her. Lois wondered about that. 'Could they have doubted her credence or was she only now just beginning to make sense?' For a minute, Lois stared at the woman's face. She looked familiar .... "Karen? Are you Karen Martin?" Lois asked. "Uhh," the woman sighed, nodding slightly. Lois leaned forward. "Were there other woman with you? Two others? Both pregnant?" The woman just nodded, struggling to open her eyes. "Where were you held? Did you see?" "Hobbs ... Try ... try ..." Lois nodded. "Yes, please, try to tell me." The woman shook her head, agitated. "Try ... cos." Lois's eyes opened wide. "Trycos?" she repeated, looking for confirmation. "Trycos ..." the woman mumbled. Her eyes closed once more. Just then, a nurse entered the room. "Who are you? What are you doing here?" Lois stood up. "I was visiting my friend ... she's been missing for days. Has her husband been alerted?" The nurse fumbled for a response to Lois's quick words. "Uh, yes, they just called him. He's on his way. But you shouldn't be in here. This woman needs her rest." Lois had already edged out the door. "Ok, I'll come back later. Thank you." And with that, she was gone. *** Jimmy sat at his desk, his chin on his hand, his eyelids almost closed. He wasn't used to being up all night, especially while having an adventure such as he and Clark had had. Jimmy jerked awake as the phone jangled loudly beside him. "Daily Planet," he yelped into the receiver. He cleared his throat. "Can I help you?" "Jimmy, it's Lois." Jimmy sat straight up in his chair. "Lois? Where are you?" "I'm following a lead. Jimmy, I need you to find out if Trycos Enterprises has any warehouses or other storage facilities, especially near Hobbs Bay." "That's easy, Lois. Clark had me dig up a whole bunch of stuff on Trycos just yesterday. I have all my notes right here .... Yeah, here it is. They have one warehouse on the northwest side, near the main offices, then another one on E. Third. 1311 E. Third Street. That's in the Hobbs Bay area." "Thanks, Jimmy!" "Lois, wait! Where are you? What's going on?" But it was too late. She had already hung up on him. *** Clark poured himself another cup of coffee and tried not to pace as he waited for the phone to ring. When it finally did, he practically spilled his drink in an effort to answer it. "Clark Kent," he barked. "Clark, this is Dr. Klein. I've got some information for you." Clark swallowed. "Go ahead." "Well, Lois came in here and gave me a blood sample. Boy, I can see you really have your hands full. You should have heard what she called me when I --" "Dr. Klein! Please!" "Oh, right ... sorry. Well, I couldn't find anything unusual in Lois's blood but then I remembered what you said about the water. I called up a meteorologist friend of mine and was lucky enough to obtain a water sample from the rainfall during the Trycos fire. That's when I found it." "Found what? You know what's causing this?" Clark asked impatiently. "I found a chemical compound in the water which cross-matched with the files you gave me from Trycos. The computer file says that they were working on a formula to affect synaptic function. Basically, the chemicals are meant to override certain functions of the brain and instead stimulate other functions, thus making people react differently to a stimuli than they normally would. Unfortunately, they hadn't perfected it yet. According to these files, the formula only seemed to work on women. They were trying to modify it to work on men, but it seems they hadn't gotten that far yet. "So how long before we can find something to counteract its effects?" Clark asked. "Well," Klein mused. "I'm not sure exactly, but I'm working on some possibilities. In any case, according to the researcher's notes, the effects seem to wear off in five to ten days, even without an antidote." "Ten days! Dr. Klein, Lois was only exposed three days ago ... and as unpredictable as she's been, I don't think we can wait. She seems to be withdrawing more and more." "Ah, interesting you should mention that ... didn't you say that Lois seemed to have a more severe reaction to the drug than the other two women you know?" "Well, I guess so ... at least, it seems that way from what I've been told by the other men involved." "That makes sense, then. The reason this formula only works on women is because it interacts with estrogen. The more estrogen a person has, the more susceptible they are to this drug. And with Lois's pregnancy ..." "Her estrogen levels are way up," Clark finished, stunned. "Wow." "You got it." "Ok, Dr. Klein, I guess you have your work cut out for you. You'll let me know the *second* you find anything, right?" "Sure thing, Clark. I'll do my best. Bye." *** Lois opened the door to the warehouse and entered the building slowly. It looked abandoned, but something didn't seem right. Her instincts were screaming at her that she was in the right place. Looking around in the dark, she began to feel a sense of apprehension, but pushed it aside. She climbed the stairs and found herself looking at a sturdy door with a shiny, new lock. Lois searched in her bag for something to pick the lock with, and in her haste, she dropped a pen. It slipped off the stairwell and hit the ground with a resounding thump. Her heart went into her stomach. Footsteps echoed in the warehouse, making it hard to gauge where they were coming from. Lois crept down the stairs slowly, trying not to draw attention to herself, but at the same time unwilling to make herself a sitting duck if anyone came looking for what made that sound. She turned the corner and bumped straight into a large man carrying a length of black piping. He looked at her contemptuously and grabbed her arm. "Looks like we've got ourselves another test case," he sneered. *** ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 1 Mar 1998 16:21:56 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Kathy Brown (by way of Leanne Shawler)" Subject: S5: Episode 13 (part 5 of 5) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Act 4 *** Dr. Klein had barely hung up the phone that afternoon when Clark entered the laboratory, adjusting his tie as he approached. "How did you do this so quickly??" Clark asked excitedly. "That's easy," Klein smiled. "It's because ..." Klein ripped open his lab coat, buttons popping everywhere, and revealed a white shirt with two sigma's entwined together on it. "I'm Super Scientist!!" Klein grinned broadly. Clark's eyebrows shot up over the top of his glasses. "No, to be honest, I had a team of the best chemical analysts, plus specialists on hormones, neuro-chemicals and brain function at my disposal. STAR Labs' head administrator authorized all the funding we needed. Money was no object." "You're kidding! Why?" "Let's just say his pretty young wife got caught in the rainstorm caused by Superman and now they're experiencing some ... well, difficulties." Clark shook his head, chuckling a bit despite himself. "So, is this the antidote?" he asked, pointing to a large vial. "Yes. Now we just need to figure out how to distribute it to the people that got caught in the rain this week. Any ideas?" Clark thought for a minute. "How can we reach a lot of people quickly?" he mused. "We don't even know who was affected. Who knows how many people were caught out in the--" Suddenly, he looked up. "The rain. Dr. Klein, what would happen if people who were not exposed to the first drug ingested this antidote?" Klein shrugged. "Nothing. That's the amazing thing about both of these formulas. They actually are quite harmless. They seem to affect brain chemistry but nothing else in the body; they are barely evident in the blood stream. And it wears off without any side effects. Amazing, really. The man who came up with this was a genius. Too bad he blew himself up; used properly, this drug could be a real boon to the medical field." Klein shook himself out of his musing. "Oh, but to answer your question, there is no danger in exposing non-affected people to the antidote." "Great." Clark smiled and turned towards the door, placing the vial in his inside coat pocket. "Hope you brought an umbrella to work, Dr. Klein. We're gonna have another storm!" "Clark, wait; one more question?" Clark felt almost giddy as he turned back. He'd been so worried this week ... but now he had some hope. "Yes, Super Scientist?" he asked with mock seriousness. Klein looked helplessly at the buttons scattered around his lab floor. "How do you manage to change so quickly and not lose all your buttons?" Clark grinned and put a finger up to his lips. "That's a super secret." And with that, he was gone. Klein dropped to his knees with a sigh and began to look for his buttons, muttering under his breath about uncooperative super heroes with super secrets. *** Lois grimaced as the thug who had grabbed her tied her arms to the back of a chair. "You're not going to get away with this," she spat out. The two scientists in front of her just smiled, and waved the guard back to his guard duties. "Now, now, ma'am. Don't you think that's just a little cliched?" As they turned their backs on her and went back to their experiment, Lois looked around the room. In a dim corner, she could see two women on cots, lying on their sides, eyes closed. Lois gasped. "What did you do to them??" she demanded. One of the researchers looked up and rolled his eyes. "They're just sedated. Geez, you think we're monsters?" He muttered to himself. "Killing pregnant woman ... sheesh." Lois shook her head. She felt like she was in a bad dream. "Then what are you doing with them? Why did you kidnap them and bring them here? They have families who are worried about them!" The second man sighed. "Because we needed test cases, of course. And pregnant women have more estrogen, so they react more strongly to the drug. We can get data faster. And our boss wants fast results. Besides, we've been able to prove that the drug is harmless to unborn children. The FDA never lets you test on pregnant women!" Lois's mind raced as she tried to remember everything that Clark had told her about Trycos and the explosion. "Was this what Walter Smith was working on when he died?" she asked. The men stopped what they were doing. "How do you know about that?" "It won't be long before everyone knows about that. One of your previous victims is probably talking to the police right now." The men scoffed. "What previous victim? You're all right here." It was Lois's turn to roll her eyes. Why did she think these two men were from the "bargain basement" of mercenary scientists? "The one who escaped last night?" she responded, talking to them like they were five year olds. The men looked at each other, then raced to another closed door. "Where's Karen??" they demanded of each other. "I thought you said you put her in the back to sleep?" "No, I thought *you* said she was in the back!!" Lois watched as they raced for a phone. *** Clark excitedly burst into the newsroom of the Daily Planet. He called loudly out to Jimmy as he passed his desk, telling the young man to join him in Perry's office. Clark quickly explained everything that Dr. Klein had told him. Perry and Jimmy were relieved, and excitedly began discussing plans for how to inform the public what was going on. There was just enough time to put a story on the front page of the evening edition. And although Perry hated to lose a scoop, he agreed that, in this case, alerting the local television and radio stations would be in the city's best interest. Satisfied that the story was in good hands, Clark was back out the door, off to "find" Superman. *** Superman rocketed high above Metropolis, swirling and twisting in order to move the storm clouds over the city. Opening the vial, he used his superbreath to distribute the antidote and start the rain. *** Clark returned to the Daily Planet to find that Perry and Jimmy had spread the word most effectively. Every television news report was leading off with the story, and live footage showed people pulling other people out into the rain. Clark caught Jimmy's arm as the younger man was heading for the elevator. "Jimmy, where are you going?" "Home, CK! Penny just called. She saw the news and stood in the rain. She wants me back!" Clark laughed and slapped his friend on the back. "That's great, Jimmy. Have a great night. Say, which conference room is Lois hiding in today? I was planning to take her outside and let the rain do its magic." Jimmy's brow furrowed. "Gosh, Clark, I haven't seen her. I don't think she ever came back after she called this morning." Clark smile faded. "She what? Where is she?" "I don't know. She called me this morning asking about warehouses down on Hobbs Bay." Jimmy's eyes widened. "I forgot all about it until just now. I was half asleep this morning when she called. She wanted to know if Trycos had any warehouses in Hobbs Bay. I just assumed she was working with you on what we found out last night. I gave her an address and she hung up. I'm really sorry, Clark." "Jimmy, give me that address." As the two men hurried to Jimmy's desk, Clark remembered the kidnappings that Lois was writing about. If there was a connection between them and Trycos .... His stomach clenched at the thought that Lois might be their next victim. "Here you go, Clark. This one, right here." "Jimmy, call Inspector Henderson. Tell him what we've found out and give him this address. Tell him to meet me there. I'm going to find Superman." By the time Jimmy had picked up the phone, Clark was already out the door. *** Lois jumped as the door to the lab flew open. In walked a very agitated man, clad in an expensive business suit. Lois's eyes widened. Charles Reese, president and owner of Trycos Enterprises. She'd met him several times at various functions; he was one of the richest men in the city. And now it looked like he was also one of the most dangerous. The man looked wild-eyed around the room, taking in the sight. "You idiots!!" he yelled at his two underlings. "What were you thinking, letting that woman escape??" The two men just cowered under his angry gaze. "We're sorry, Mr. Reese. I guess we got so caught up in the research that we forgot to watch the subjects. We're not really used to testing on unwilling patients." "Why aren't those women tied up?" Reese barked, noticing the two still-sedated women sleeping on cots. The first scientist blinked. "We've been keeping them sedated. Why tie them up when they are sleeping?" "Because they could wake up and ESCAPE!" the older man roared. "Never mind; I'll deal with you two later," he continued menacingly. "We're pulling out. The police are going to be all over this place soon. We are too close to give up now. Gather everything up and get into the car. We can't leave any evidence behind." The men scurried to pack up their notes and test tubes. "What are we going to do with the women, boss?" one asked. "Just leave them here for the police?" Reese just looked at the young scientist like he had grown a second head. "No, you moron. When I say we don't leave any evidence ..." He pulled a gun from his belt. "I mean, we don't leave any evidence." For the first time, he rested his gaze on Lois, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, trying to free herself from her restraints. "Well, what do we have here ... Lois Lane! So you're the woman they found snooping around the warehouse. Well, then, you can be the first to die. So sorry, my dear." He leveled the gun at her from across the room. Lois flinched and closed her eyes, waiting for the end. She thought of calling for Superman, but the idea seemed extremely distasteful for some reason. Could it be the drug that Clark had told her about? Could it really be altering her reactions? She'd been in these sorts of dire straights before and knew that she was supposed to feel afraid. Yet, this time, she simply felt ... well ... almost calm. 'Maybe I should fight my natural inclinations and call out for the big boy scout anyway,' she mused. Lois didn't have to ponder long. With her eyes closed, she heard the cock of the hammer and the sound of the shot. She heard a resounding crash, a lot of yelling, and then ... nothing. 'Well, that wasn't so bad', she thought, almost annoyed. 'Geez, I didn't feel a thing. All those times I've worried about getting shot and that was *it*?!' Lois opened her eyes to find a very concerned Superman standing over her, a bullet in his hand. The four men in the room were on the floor, unconscious. Superman reached behind Lois's chair and tore the bonds off of her wrists. "Are you Ok?" he gasped. Lois pursed her lips. "Took you long enough," she snapped. He rolled his eyes and gave a humorless laugh, then turned to the police officers that had just swarmed into the room. "Officers, these four men are to be taken into custody. These women are unhurt; they appear to be sedated. Have the paramedics look them over, then take them to Metropolis General. I've already advised the doctors there on how to administer the antidote." Superman looked at Lois, who was now standing with her hands on her hips, looking at him defiantly. "Come on, Lois; time to go flying." As he scooped her up in his arms, Lois struggled. "Hey, put me down!" Without waiting to hear the rest of her diatribe, Clark flew them out of the warehouse and up into the clouds. "You jerk!" Lois screamed at him, fighting him. "I'm getting all wet. Let me go!!" Clark held on tight. Memories of Wanda Detroit and Lex Luthor flashed into his mind, making his heart ache, but his resolve strengthen. He wouldn't give up like he had back then. It had been the biggest mistake of his life to let her go with Lex Luthor that night, and he would never forgive himself if he repeated it. Floating upright in the clouds, he released Lois's legs and pulled her upper body into a hug. "No, honey, not this time ... I'm never letting you go again," he said emotionally. Lois's struggling grew less insistent as the rain poured down around them. Rivulets of rainwater ran down their faces and into their mouths. It seemed an eternity before Lois went limp in his arms, and Clark cradled her to him, wrapping his cape around her for warmth. "Lois, my Lois," he murmured against her hair, holding her to him. "Clark?" she mumbled. He pulled his head back to look into her eyes fearfully. Had it worked? Had the antidote taken effect? Lois wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "Oh, God, Clark ... what happened to me?" "It's Ok, honey ... it's Ok," he gasped. "Everything is going to be all right." Clark Kent kissed his wife for the first time in days, expressing all of the joy he felt at having her back safe and sound. She kissed him back just as passionately. *** Tag Scene *** Yawning, but happy, Jimmy strolled into the newsroom the next morning. "Olsen! Nice of you to join us this morning!" Perry's booming voice catapulted him out of the pleasantness of his daydreams and into the reality of a workday morning at the Daily Planet. "Sorry, Chief. I overslept." A smile spread over the young man's face causing Perry to arch an eyebrow. Nervously, Jimmy continued, hurrying to deliver an explanation. "You see, Penny came over yesterday evening ... and, well, the formula worked and we stayed up kind of up late ...talking ..." Jimmy blushed furiously. "It won't happen again, I swear." "It's all right, son," Perry drawled, amused. "Did you see last night's headline?" "No, I haven't had time ..." Perry gave Jimmy a copy of the paper. "'Singing In The Rain' ... hey, you used my suggestion for a headline." Then Jimmy did a double take. "By Perry White ...and James Olsen?? Chief?!" "You deserve it, Jimmy. You did a great job this week on this story. It was your information that helped bring down Trycos Enterprises and Carter Reese. Clark told me he couldn't have done it without you. I'm real proud of you, son." "Oh, man! Oh, man, I can't believe it! And on the front page! I have to tell Penny!" Perry grabbed Jimmy by the collar as the younger man turned back towards the elevator. "Later, Loverboy. Right now you've got work to do." Jimmy looked sheepish. "Gotcha, Chief." He looked around the newsroom. "Where are Lois and Clark? I know they made it back here last night to write this morning's story. I bet Clark is glad Superman took Lois flying through the rain clouds." "My guess is they are ... oversleeping," Perry said, eyes twinkling. "Oh ... OH!" Jimmy grinned back. *** Lois awoke slowly and stretched her tired muscles. She felt a gentle prodding from inside her expanding middle and lovingly put her hand on her stomach to caress it. To her surprise, there was already a hand there. With a smile, she placed her hand over her husband's and together, they laughed softly as the baby jerked slightly, then did it again. "I think it has the hiccups," Lois murmured with a smile. "Don't babies do that?" "I wouldn't know," Clark murmured back. They rolled to their sides, facing each other. "Good morning," he said, giving her a tender kiss. "Good morning to you, too," she whispered. Clark rolled over on to his back, with Lois snuggled up beside him, resting her head on his shoulder. "What a week," Clark said, shaking his head. Lois tightened her arms around him. "I'm so sorry, Clark, for all the things I said and did to you. It was the weirdest feeling. I can remember everything I was thinking and feeling, but at the same time, it's like it wasn't even me. It's like I was watching myself in a dream and I couldn't control what I was feeling." "It's not your fault, honey. I know that." After a moment, Clark broke into a little grin. "At least now I know the things you like the most. You rejected three things -- me, Perry ... and ice cream!" They laughed together, enjoying the joke. "Oh, by the way, I called the hospital this morning," Clark added. "Karen and Adam Martin are the proud parents of a beautiful baby girl. She was born last night. Karen went into labor after the effects of the drug wore off. Both mother and baby are doing just fine." Against Clark's side, they felt the gentle tap of their own baby's kick. Lois put her hand down to rub her belly. "I'm so happy for them. And for us ... I don't know what I would do if something happened to our baby. Though I didn't exactly feel that way this week. I pretty much ignored it! It would move and I wouldn't even care," she said glumly. Suddenly, Lois sat up, anxious. "Clark? Do you think this means I don't love the baby?" Clark gently pulled her back down. "No! Not at all," he reassured her. "The drug just didn't affect that part of your brain, that's all. Maybe the baby is stored in a different part or something. After all, you didn't reject being a reporter, and I know how much you love that." "Well, I do love the baby ... and I love you," Lois stated emphatically. "Honey, I never doubted that." Lois raised her head to look into his eyes. She caressed his cheek tenderly. "I know. You never gave up on me." "And I never will," he whispered as he lowered his mouth to hers. The kiss lingered. *** FADE TO BLACK ROLL CREDITS ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 1 Mar 1998 17:26:52 -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 Subject: Kerths -- announcement Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Oy! Well, I said when I started this that when "I can't handle any more cap'n!", I'd stop taking nominations. Well, I can't take any more! Nominations are closed as of this typing. Fortunately, I got enough nomination ballots to cover the ambiguities I was having trouble with. I need to chat with the Kerth bean-counters and then the ballot will be posted to this list and to LOISCLA ... so in the next couple of days ... stay tuned! Leanne Leanne Shawler aka Volterra on IRC (volterra@sd.znet.com) Keeper of Giles' Sheets 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, 1 Mar 1998 20:52:28 +0000 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Genine E Murray Subject: Re: S5: Episode 13 (part 2 of 5) Sorry, but this is all I got. If no one else experienced this problem, could you resend it just to me please? If not, then I think everyone would appreciate if you could send it to the whole list. Thanks. :) Genine ~ GemFoLC51@juno.com ~ SuperGeM on mIRC Watch "Lois & Clark : The New Adventures of Superman" on TNT "Generation after generation, we are all blinded by love, Ms. Lane. Especially that one great love that changes us forever." H.G. Wells - Tempus Fugitive On Sun, 1 Mar 1998 16:21:37 -0800 Leanne Shawler writes: ><<< No Message Collected >>> > _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 1 Mar 1998 23:24:33 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Margaret Brignell Subject: My latest fanfic Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" My most recent fanfic "Only You: If Only" is now available at my web site (see below:) As soon as I get my act together, and cut it into byte size pieces, I'll post it to the list:) TTYL Margaret ****************************** Margaret Brignell brignell@capitalnet.com Ottawa, Canada %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% My fanfic now available at: http://www.capitalnet.com/~brignell/ ****************************** ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 2 Mar 1998 18:25:47 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Margaret Brignell Subject: Only You: If Only -- Part 1 of 10 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" This is the first of a series of fanfics that came out of an idea by Laurie F. She liked my Pre-Metropolis Clark stories (The Rules, The Long Road, and The One) and thought this set would also make a good story. What can I say? I'm a sucker for a good compliment In order to fully understand this story, you might want to read The Rules, if you have not already done so:) I am assuming that, for the most part, the events in *that* story happened a few years prior to this one. It might also help to have seen the episode "Tempus, Anyone?" I acknowledge that I am just borrowing the characters created for the television show "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman." However, the story and additional characters came from the brain of myself and Laurie. It should be noted that in this story too, the British spelling prevails:) I would like to thank my proofers, Laurie F., Peace, Debby S., Lynda L. and Lauren W. for their input and support. Thanks too, for the discussion on the fanfic list about career options:) Also special thanks to Zoomway...TV historian extraordinaire:) Words surrounded by * are emphasized. ***************************************************************** Only You: If Only by Margaret Brignell December 1997 brignell@capitalnet.com ***************************************************************** Smallville, Kansas -- June 1976 ******************************* Clark was bubbling with excitement. Mom and Dad were coming home today and he was finally, *finally* going to get to go home and be himself again. It had only been ten days since he'd come to stay with Mr. and Mrs. Irig, but it seemed like a lifetime! Mom and Dad had gone to Seattle to attend Grandpa Clark's funeral. Mr. Irig said he could handle both farms for a week or so, and as a result they had opted for the less expensive option and had decided to drive to save money on flights. They had not taken Clark. They said a funeral was no place for him... but he'd overheard their discussion about his going and he knew it wasn't because he was ten years old but mostly because Mom's family were kind of snobbish and didn't want anything to do with the "bastard." Clark knew that he wasn't *really* a bastard, but he also knew that it was the story everyone had been told to explain his mysterious appearance at six months of age. So, whenever anyone referred to him as a "bastard" he didn't contradict them. Mom and Dad had emphasized how important it was for him *not* to give his secret away. It had been *really* hard to hide his Special skills from the Irigs while Mom and Dad were gone. But, today--by five o'clock at the *latest*, that would end--Mom and Dad would be home! Clark could hardly wait. So after lunch was finished and all the dishes washed, he decided to walk down to the end of the Irig farm driveway. That way he would be *that* much closer to Mom and Dad's arrival. And, if he was lucky, today he would be able to make his eyes do their Special Look as he looked north on the Lawrence Road that ran north to south past the Irig farmhouse. And if he could, then he would be able to see Mom and Dad the *second* they crossed the horizon over Siegel Knoll. He could not always get his eyes to do that Special Look thing. He had tried practising, but so far he had not been able to dependably control the level of detail his eyes could see. This was really annoying right now, but Clark had to admit it had worked in his favour when Mom had taken him to the optometrist last December to replace his glasses. The other times Mom had taken him to the doctor, she had told him to pretend not to see the smaller letters clearly, so he would appear to need glasses. Mom had deliberately taken him to old Doc Wainthrop because he did not use any modern equipment to test eyes. However, Dr. Wainthrop had retired to Florida two years ago when Clark was eight, and the new man had brought in the latest in equipment. So, this time, when Clark had gone in for his eye exam, he had been *really* nervous about being able to fool the equipment. Maybe because of that, or because it was not one of his Special Seeing days, his eyes had acted up and he really had *not* been able to read the chart. When the doctor had used the machine to measure Clark's eyes, he had determined that Clark was long-sighted in one eye, and short-sighted in the other. Clark knew this difference in his eyes was only temporary, but he also knew better than to tell the doctor that. As a result, Clark had been issued a prescription to counterbalance this "problem." Strangely enough, on days when his Special Seeing wasn't very good he had no problem using the glasses. Today the glasses were getting in the way of him seeing. Maybe this meant his Special Eyes would work today. Clark hunkered down beside the road at the end of the driveway, looking over his glasses at the horizon in front of him. He knew he was cheating on the rules Mom and Dad had laid down for him, but there wasn't anyone else around and he *really* wanted to see Mom and Dad as soon as he could. Besides, he had not actually taken his glasses off, so he could easily slide them back up his nose if anyone came along. He sat very quietly. He was trying to use his Special Hearing to listen for the Kent car. However, the Knoll was just a bit too far away for him to really hear anything over the sound of the wind. He waited--enjoying the countryside. The sky was blue and small fluffy clouds scuttered across it. Close by he could hear bees humming among the wildflowers in the ditch beside the road. He had been waiting about half an hour when he heard the roar of a truck coming from his left. A semi was coming down the local road from Topeka. Just then Clark noticed that a car had topped Siegel Knoll on the Lawrence Road and was heading towards him. Clark's heart lifted. He focused, and sure enough it was Mom and Dad. He scrambled to his feet and started to wave. Then, realizing that they wouldn't be able to see him, he stopped waving, pushed his glasses back up his nose and stood waiting for them to get closer. Clark heard the truck engine rev on the access road. The semi was coming to the intersection of the Topeka side road and the Lawrence road and Clark could see the driver slumped over the steering wheel. Clark wondered why the man was like that. Then, in a kaleidoscope of images, he *knew* why. The driver was unconscious! The truck was not going to stop! Mom and Dad had the right of way--they wouldn't be stopping! The truck and the car were going to *collide*! Clark started to run. He had to get there...he *had* to! His breath was coming in sobs. He ran faster and faster. He ran as fast as he could, but before he got to the intersection he saw the semi hit the car. There was the sound of metal meeting metal. The car flipped and rolled over and over, finally sliding into the ditch upside-down. Then, there was silence--except for the creak of metal collapsing and the faint echo of a bird cawing in the distance. The front of the truck was smashed in and the driver's head had cracked the windshield. The man wasn't moving. Clark could see Mom and Dad hanging from their seat belts in the overturned car. They weren't moving, either. He tried to keep running, but for some reason his legs would not obey him anymore. He stumbled and fell, his mouth silently screaming "Mommy!" Clark sat in the dust on the road feeling numb...it was as if everything were happening to someone else. He stared at the truck and the car, wishing someone would *do* something. He heard a car coming along the road behind him, but did not feel able to move out of the way. The car screeched to a halt and the driver jumped out, yelling. "Clark! What the..." Clark heard the gasp as Wayne Irig caught sight of the scene of devastation. "...Oh, no! Oh, my God, *no*!" Clark felt strong, gentle hands take him by the shoulders and turn him around so that he could not see the crash scene anymore. There was a blanket wrapped around him. He couldn't remember anyone putting it there. He heard people talking, asking "How did it happen?" but he could not seem to make a sound. He wondered where all the people had come from. Then strong hands picked him up and carried him to the Irig car. Mr. Irig drove back to the farm. As they entered the Irig's kitchen, Clark heard delicate Mrs. Irig ask, "Wayne, what's the matter? Why are you carrying Clark? Is he hurt?" "There's been an accident. No...no, not to Clark. It's the Kents. I'll put Clark in his room upstairs and explain in a minute, Mary." Mr. Irig sounded quiet, yet firm about having her wait until Clark was not in the room to hear his explanation. Clark found himself lying on the bed he had been using for the last ten days. The Irigs were talking downstairs. He could hear them. "What happened?" Mr. Irig sounded close to tears. "A semi didn't make the stop sign up at the Corners. Looks like the driver had a heart attack. The truck hit the Kents' car." "You mean....?" "Yeah...Jon and Martha...they were killed instantly." "Oh, Wayne! How...awful! What about Clark? Why were you carrying him?" "He saw the whole thing. I found him sitting in the middle of the road, near the Corners, in a state of shock." "The poor thing. To see something like that...and...for them to be.... I should go up to him. He shouldn't be alone." Clark heard the faint rustle of Mrs. Irig's dress and the scrape of wood as she got up out of her chair, then the creak of the third stair from the top as she came up. As a result, he had lots of time to close his eyes and pretend he was asleep before she entered the room, so he wouldn't have to talk about what he had seen. He could feel her standing looking down at him and then he felt the gentle touch as she stroked his hair away from his face. It was too much. He started to cry. Mrs. Irig sat down on the bed, gathered him up, held him and rocked him. She made quiet shushing sounds, just like Mom used to do. ***** ****************************** Margaret Brignell brignell@capitalnet.com Ottawa, Canada %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% My fanfic now available at: http://www.capitalnet.com/~brignell/ ****************************** ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 2 Mar 1998 18:25:54 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Margaret Brignell Subject: Only You: If Only -- Part 3 of 10 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Over the next two months, Clark slowly came to terms with the fact that Mom and Dad were gone. Yet, inside there was an ache that just didn't go away. It was like he was two people. The Clark that everyone saw, and the *real* Clark inside. The *real* Clark was hurting all the time. The other Clark, the public Clark, the one who calmly handled each day as it came along, was like a second skin...a kind of protective armour...between the *real* Clark's pain and the world outside. For the real Clark it seemed like his world was suddenly bleak. People didn't seem to be as sociable as when Mom and Dad had been alive. He heard grown-ups bemoaning the fact that the economy was getting worse. Everyone seemed involved with their own problems. No one seemed to see the real Clark. They accepted the public Clark as if he were real. Even Mr. and Mrs. Irig stopped seeing his pain. In one respect this was good, because they also didn't notice when he made mistakes and used his Special skills. He found it easier to try *not* to do anything Special rather than try to hide it after the fact. The only skills he felt safe using were his Special Look and Special Hearing, which were not immediately apparent, as long as he didn't talk about what he had seen and heard. It was an added strain, nevertheless. In mid-July, Lana left on vacation with her family, and Clark was lonelier than ever. He spent a lot of time in the next few weeks sitting in the attic, or under one of the apple trees in the orchard, reading book after book. His favourites were the "Chronicles of Narnia," especially "The Last Battle." Reading about Lucy, Peter and Edmund seeing *their* parents, gave him hope that *his* Mom and Dad would meet him again when he too went "farther up and farther in." He also tried to write some of what he was feeling into an old school notebook...but he was so afraid of someone finding and reading it that he burned it late one night in the wood stove. After that his writing was more descriptive...about the scenes and people around him. One day he overheard Mrs. Irig talking about taking Clark to the barber and he realized *now* he had to do something about learning to cut his own hair. He searched the attic for something to help him, and found a piece of old broken mirror and a dilapidated mophead. He quietly slipped out of the house with them and took them into upper part of the barn. He made sure the big sliding door was open, so he could see if anyone was coming but they wouldn't be able to see him from the ground. Once settled in, he used the old mophead to practise "cutting" hair. Mom had used garden shears the last time because the wire cutters and tin snips she'd used earlier just weren't doing the job anymore, and even the garden shears barely cut through the strands of his hair. He tried to manipulate the garden shears, but found they were awkward to use on the mop, and he figured they would be even worse to try to use on his own hair, so he gave up. He *had* to come up with a way to cut his hair, or he'd have to tell people about himself. While he was trying to figure out what to do next, the sunlight that shone in through the open door reflected off the scrap of mirror and into the hay, starting a fire. Clark jumped up and stomped out the fire. He moved the mirror into the shade so the sun wouldn't reflect off it and burn anything else. It was like when he was little, and his eyes would just start fires...for no apparent reason. That was it! His eyes. He could use his eyes, like the sunlight to burn the ends off his hair. He practised on the mop head until it worked *perfectly*. Mom had always had him hold out the strands of his hair so she had both of her hands free to manipulate the shears, so he knew how to style the front, he just used the mirror and his eyes to do the actual cutting. But, how to do the back? He needed to see the back, and he did *not* have eyes in the back of his head. It took him only a few minutes to realize that if he broke the mirror in half he could prop one half up behind him and use the other to see with. With a bit of manoeuvring with the placement of the mirror halves, he was able to set them up so that he could see behind his head and yet have both hands free to hold his hair in the right position for cutting. The job wasn't perfect, but he didn't have to make up any stupid explanations about why he couldn't go to a barber. He'd just let people assume that someone else had taken him...that's how Mom and Dad would have handled it. Clark was pleased to have resolved this sticky problem. He carefully wrapped the two mirror halves in an old piece of cloth and hid them between the slats in the loft of the barn for future use. In the middle of August, Lana and her family returned to Smallville from their vacation at a cottage in Muskoka. Lana had distant relatives in Toronto, and they had a cottage on an island in Lake Kashagawigamog. Clark thought it sounded like a wonderful place to go to. Lana came over to the Irigs' to tell him all about it. Once she had told him about the swimming and canoeing and other neat stuff her family had done, she finally stopped talking about her own summer fun and turned to Clark. "So what have you been doing all summer?" "Not much. Mr. Irig lets me help him in the barn. I went swimming a couple of times. That's about it." "You haven't gone back to your farm?" Clark swallowed. How could he explain that the very idea of going back to the farm without Mom and Dad was appalling to him? He shook his head and quietly said, "No." Lana looked at him closely. "It still hurts, doesn't it?" Clark nodded. He wasn't sure if he was relieved that she knew, or afraid that his private mental retreat had been breached. "Who's taking care of the Kent farm?" "There's a family Dad's lawyer, Mr. Lawson, hired to look after the farm." "What are they like? Will you be going to live with them?" Clark shook his head. "I don't know. Mr. Irig says Mom's Aunt Hilda in Chicago has offered to take me in. I'll be going at the end of the month...so I can start school on time." Lana looked really distraught at the thought of him leaving. "I'm going to miss you so much, Clark!" Clark felt tears forming in his eyes. He was going to miss her, terribly. He patted her shoulder and in a choked voice told her how much he would miss her, too. Mrs. Irig called Clark in to dinner just as Mr. Lang, on his way back from the university in Lawrence, stopped by to pick up Lana. The next afternoon, Mr. Irig got a call from Chicago. Aunt Hilda had taken ill and was now in a nursing home for people needing chronic care. Clark would not be able to go to Chicago. He was relieved that he wouldn't be leaving the people and places he knew and loved, and when he called her to let her know the news, Lana was ecstatic. They wouldn't be parted after all. It seemed no time at all before school started and Clark was busy with trying to keep up his grades. He and Lana talked every day and the ache Clark felt deep inside was starting to ease. Then, things took a turn for the worse. After school one Tuesday afternoon in October, Mr. Irig picked Clark up rather than letting him take the school bus. He explained to Clark that Mrs. Irig had gotten really sick and they wouldn't be able to take care of Clark anymore. Clark was going to be moving in with the Stingers, the family looking after the old Kent farm. Clark was devastated. He knew he didn't really belong with the Irigs, but he liked them and felt comfortable with them--and Mom and Dad had left him with them. While he was in their home he could still make believe that Mom and Dad would come back and retrieve him. But, now, he couldn't pretend anymore...Mom and Dad were not coming back. It felt like his last hope of reprieve had been snatched from him. He was going back to the farm--without Mom and Dad. That night he cried himself to sleep again. He would be at the Stingers by tomorrow afternoon. ***** Clark had always known Mom and Dad were the most wonderful parents anyone could have had--and the Irigs had been nice too. But, Mr. and Mrs. Stinger were another thing altogether. Mrs. Stinger might have been nice--if she wasn't always nursing bruises and trying to pretend she didn't have them. Mr. Stinger was *not* a nice man at all. Clark was horrified to find out that Mr. Stinger beat his wife and children for the smallest "crimes." Clark came in for a good share of cuffs and beatings as well. However, much to Mr. Stinger's chagrin, Clark couldn't be abused as easily as the other members of this trapped family. Not only was he physically tougher, but he also didn't have their emotional dependence on Bob Stinger. This was a big part of Clark's current problems. Clark found it was bad enough that he was back at the farm, where every little creak and house noise reminded him of Mom and Dad. What made living there even worse was the treatment he received from Mr. Stinger. It had been a small lapse into forgetfulness. If he had forgotten to fill all the feed troughs when Mom and Dad were still alive, Dad would have given Clark a stern lecture on concentration and then made him do the chore again. However, that was not Mr. Stinger's way of doing things. "You *cretin*! How many times do I have to tell you to fill *all* the food troughs?" Mr. Stinger followed this up with a cuff to Clark's ear. Clark ducked. This only made Mr. Stinger angrier. "You stand still, boy, when I'm telling you something." Mr. Stinger grasped Clark by one ear and pulled his other arm back to hit the other ear. "Maybe, *this* will help you to listen." Clark saw the hand coming towards him. He struggled to prevent the man from hitting his target. Despite Clark's best efforts Mr. Stinger's hand connected with Clark's ear. The man screamed, released Clark, stumbled and fell to the ground. Clark could see with his Special Look that Mr. Stinger's hand was broken. Clark backed out of the barn and ran to the house. He told Mrs. Stinger that Mr. Stinger was hurt and needed a doctor. She ran out of the house to the barn, leaving Clark to call for help. Over the next couple of days a lot of changes happened in Clark's life. The police came and interviewed the Stingers and himself about how Mr. Stinger came to break his hand. Mr. Stinger was taken away on charges of assault. Despite Stinger's claim that he'd broken his hand on Clark's head, which did nothing for his case, the police assumed that Mr. Stinger had broken his hand hitting a post because Clark had ducked, since there weren't any marks on Clark. However, with Stinger's confession that he had intended to hit Clark, as well as the bruises on Mrs. Stinger and her children, the police had enough evidence to make the charges stick. Then a woman dressed in a business suit and carrying a briefcase came to the house. Her name was Miss Chalmers. She took Clark to the Smallville County Social Welfare office. He felt a relief at getting away from the farm...which had nothing to do with his treatment by Mr. Stinger. Miss Chalmers explained that since Clark's Mom and Dad did not have any close relatives who could take care of him, and because Mr. Stinger had been cruel to him, the county was taking the responsibility of making sure he had a proper home. It might take a few days to find him a permanent home; in the meantime, he would be staying in a temporary foster home. She sat him down in a lunchroom at the rear of the Welfare office, deposited some coins into some of the vending machines that were lined up against the back wall and gave Clark a sandwich and a carton of milk. She told him she'd be back in a few minutes to take him to the family who would be looking after him for a few days. He nodded his understanding and started opening the plastic container holding the sandwich. Miss Chalmers smiled and walked into another office. Clark could hear another social worker talking with Miss Chalmers. "I had another conversation with Joseph Clark. He insists that Clark is the illegitimate offspring of a Julia Kent who committed suicide when Clark was about six months old. I've checked. Yes, there was a Julia Kent and she did commit suicide at about that time, but she had *no* children." Miss Chalmers groaned. "Oh, great, that's all I need, a mystery--as well as a kid no-one wants." "He's right about another thing--there is no record of Clark being adopted by the Kents. However, their will *does* refer to him as their adopted son. Perhaps the paperwork got lost in that fire at the Records office in 1967. It wouldn't be the first time. It seems like every time we need a document it disappeared in that fire." The woman sounded very provoked. "What's the legal opinion?" "Since the will refers to him as their adopted son, and we can't prove otherwise, he *is* their adopted son. However, Joseph Clark still doesn't want anything to do with him...he maintains we should find his natural parents and get *them* to take responsibility." "Nice, in theory, but if Julia Kent isn't the mother, where do we start?" Clark heard chairs being pushed back and decided to concentrate on eating his sandwich. Miss Chalmers came into the room and sat down beside Clark. She cleared her throat to get his attention. "Clark. Did your Mom and Dad ever tell you about how you came to them?" Clark looked up from his sandwich. How much should he tell? He knew he shouldn't give away his Special nature, but if he skipped over mentioning the space ship, maybe it wouldn't have to come out. "They told me they went to cousin Julia's funeral and on the way back they found me in Shuster's Field." Miss Chalmers raised her eyebrows in disbelief. "They found you in a field?!" "Uh, huh. I was wrapped in a blue blanket...they didn't know how I got there." He took another bite of his sandwich, to help stop himself from giving anymore details. "Did they tell you why they said you were cousin Julia's baby?" Clark nodded. "They said if I was a relative's baby, it would be easier for them to adopt me. If they told about me just being in a blanket in a field, people would have come and taken me away. They said they loved me too much to let that happen." Clark felt tears pressing against his lashes. Mom and Dad had loved him so much! He couldn't explain to Miss Chalmers just how much they had loved and accepted him, but they had...and they weren't here any more. He tried manfully to hold back his tears, but they slowly slid down his cheeks. Miss Chalmers put her arm around him, and said, "It's okay to cry, Clark." She handed him a Kleenex and Clark wiped his eyes and blew his nose. "I'm okay now. It was just thinking about Mom and Dad...it makes me want to cry." "That's perfectly natural, Clark. You had very special parents. Now we have to try to find you someone to stay with. I'll be back in a minute, okay?" She smiled at him. Then with a quiet sigh, got up and walked into the other office. "Well, we can forget about finding his natural parents. The Kents found him in a field." "Oh, for heaven's sake! It sounds like something out of a Grimm Fairy Tale. Now, what do we do?" "Get him over to the Kratz household on temporary care, and then work on a more permanent solution. At his age, there aren't likely to be too many people wanting to adopt him." Clark squeezed his eyes shut and covered his ears. The Kratzes must be his temporary home...but after that...who knew! He did *not* want to see or hear anything more. He wished he was "normal," or at least that he didn't keep hearing bad things like this. ***** ****************************** Margaret Brignell brignell@capitalnet.com Ottawa, Canada %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% My fanfic now available at: http://www.capitalnet.com/~brignell/ ****************************** ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 2 Mar 1998 18:26:00 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Margaret Brignell Subject: Only You: If Only -- Part 5 of 10 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" A few weeks later, Clark and Lana were sitting in the loft of the abandoned barn on Mr. Irig's back forty that bordered on the outskirts of Smallville. The barn was only half a mile from Lana's house and it made no difference to Clark where they met, as long as no-one saw him. "Jim went to the show last Saturday. He saw the trailer for that new movie 'Star Wars.' He says it looks neat." Lana smiled, "Yeah. I saw that trailer too. It seems like all the people in space look like us...well, mostly...there's this big hairy thing that kind of looks like a huge gorilla. But mostly they look like us. I wonder if your real mother and father lived out there?" "I dunno. The people from space on Star Trek, they don't look like us...most of the time. Maybe my space ship wasn't from outer space...maybe it was from here." Clark sort of remembered Mom and Dad considering that he was part of a Russian or American "experiment," but he didn't want to admit that. He wasn't really sure which would be worse...being from outer space or being the product of an experiment gone bad...he would just rather not think about it. Lana, on the other hand, seemed to like the idea that he was from outer space. "Don't be silly, no one here can do what you do." Lana was scornful. "I guess so." Clark didn't want to disagree with her. She might not want to be with him anymore. She hadn't spoken to her best friend Shirley for three whole weeks the one time Shirley had disagreed with Lana. He couldn't bear the idea that Lana might not want to talk to him. Clark heard someone approaching. "Lana, I have to hide...someone is coming." He scurried to the rear of the loft and hid behind some bales of hay. "Lana! Lana!" Pete Ross, a boy about their age who lived next door to Lana, came into the barn. "I thought I saw you sneaking in here. What are you doing?" "Nothing. Can't a girl find a private place to read without being followed?" "Oh, yeah. I guess so. It's getting dark. Your Mom sent me to find you and bring you home." Lana's mother often used Pete to run errands for her. "Okay. I'll be down in a minute." Lana crawled to the back of the loft and whispered, "Sorry, I have to go." Clark whispered "Okay," and watched her climb down the ladder to meet Pete. As Lana descended the ladder it started to shift sideways. Pete caught the side of the ladder to stop it from falling down and helped Lana get off the bottom rung. Pete made sure that Lana was okay, then saying, "we can't let this thing fall and hurt someone," he took hold of the ladder and flipped it so it lay on the barn floor. Clark, watching this through the hayloft floor, groaned inwardly. How was he going to get down, now? Lana obviously had the same thought, because she looked up and back with an anxious expression on her face. Clark waited until they were gone and then crept to the edge of the loft. Maybe if he hung by his hands from the edge of the loft and dropped to the barn floor he'd be okay. He hadn't hurt himself falling in quite a long time. He took a few deep breaths and lying on his stomach, with his feet dangling over the edge of the loft, he slowly manoeuvred himself so that he was hanging over the chasm below by just his fingertips. He closed his eyes and let go. He felt the initial drop and then...nothing. He opened his eyes. He was *floating* down--definitely going down, but at a *very* slow pace. He didn't even hit hard! How had he *done* that? Clark was afraid--almost as afraid as the time he'd found out he could Special Hear. He didn't want to have to do *that* again, so he lifted the ladder back into place. It was as if the ladder did not weigh anything at all! Did this mean there were *more* changes in store? Clark chewed on his lower lip. He *really* hoped not. The Special skills he had right now were hard enough to hide! ***** Smallville, Kansas -- June 1979 ******************************* Clark crouched in the hay of the barn loft, his fist in his mouth, struggling to prevent himself from crying. He could hear his current foster parents arguing, even at this distance, and he wished with all his heart that he could *not* hear what they were saying. "I'm telling you, Bertha, he's not right in the head. We got our own two to think about. You call that Miss Chalmers and tell her she has to find someone else to take care of him. I don't want anymore to do with the likes of him." "But, Frank, he's got nowhere else to go. He's all alone in the world. Just be patient." "Patient! I been patient. Now you do what's right and phone that woman at the Social Welfare. I don't want him here another day." Clark heard the door slam, and Mrs. Winneker make a small sound like a sob. He knew it was all his fault, but he wished he could be more careful...or something. Miss Chalmers would give him *that* look again and he would be shunted to yet another stranger's house to be "taken care of." He'd already been to five foster homes, not counting the Irigs and the Stingers, and two different school districts in the last three years. Clark sucked in his breath, to stop a sob from escaping. He had not been able to explain, because that would mean *telling*, and he knew the importance of keeping his Special skills a secret. It wasn't fair! He had been trying to *help* and instead he was being blamed for what happened! This time the sob escaped around his fist. Why, oh why, couldn't things be different? And they *would* have been different, if only he had been able to run faster and save Mom and Dad from being hit by that truck. Clark wiped the tears from his cheeks with the back of his hand. He took a deep intake of breath and gave himself a mental shake. There was no point in wishing things were different. That only made his day-to-day life seem that much worse. He had to accept things as they were. It was better that way--his therapist had said so, and she was right. In his mind he *knew* that--but a part of him still wanted his life to be the kind that dreams were made of. He wanted Mom and Dad, alive and as loving and accepting as they'd always been. He wanted to go to the same school year after year. He wanted to have lots of friends. He wanted to *help*, and to know people *wanted* his help. He wanted...he wanted to be *himself*. He choked back the last of the sobs. He was 13 years old and had to stop being such a cry baby. He had to go back to the house and accept whatever they told him as the reason for why he was leaving, and he had to act as if he really believed it. It was the proper thing to do. He stood up and walked to the edge of the loft. There was no ladder down, he'd pushed it away after he climbed up so that no one would suspect he was hiding up here, but since he did not need a ladder to get down, and hadn't for a couple of years now, this hardly impinged on his conscious mind. He floated down to the barn floor and after straightening his clothes he walked outside. He splashed water from the pump over his face to wash away the last remnants of his tears and walked into the farm house. By now he felt calm, almost numb, and capable of accepting the excuses that Mrs. Winneker would give. Lately, it seemed like everyone around him was getting more and more distrustful and anxious. Everyone seemed to be on the lookout for odd behaviour and shunned anything that was "different." This outlook was making it harder and harder for him to hide his abilities. He lived in constant fear of making a mistake that *couldn't* be disregarded. Consequently, over the last three years he had learned to hide his feelings from even the people who should have been closest to him, except for Lana. He was afraid that he had made that unforgivable mistake this time. It was a relief to hear Mrs. Winneker tell him, "I had a call from the Social Welfare office. I'm sorry, Clark, they tell me you'll be moving on to another family tomorrow." "Another family?" Clark figured this was an appropriate question. "Yes, Miss Chalmers said you would find them more compatible than ours. The children there are more your age." Mrs. Winneker was looking over his head. Clark could tell she hated lying to him. "I'm sorry to see you go, Clark." Clark did not know what to say. He adjusted his glasses and stared glumly at the floor. ***** At school, the next Monday afternoon, he met Lana behind the gym. "Clark, why did they move you *again*? You didn't...." Lana made the tight hand gesture that she often used to indicate using his Special powers. It reminded Clark of someone fending off the evil eye. "...did you?" "No, not really. I mean, it didn't seem like much at the time. I was trying to help Mr. Winneker with the haying and the load of hay toppled over, almost pinning him underneath." Clark held his head down, ashamed at his failure. "I moved as fast as I could to stop the hay from falling. But...somehow, Mr. Winneker thought I *caused* the hay to topple. He was *furious*. He said..." Clark gulped. "He said that his 'charity case' had 'tried to murder' him." "Well, that wasn't very nice of him, but I'm afraid when you..." she made the hand gesture again, "...when people can see you. They could take you away! Promise you'll be more *careful*!" Clark sighed. She was right, of course. He had to be more careful. Lana let her hand rest on his arm. "I know it's hard, Clark. But I'm only saying this because I worry." "I know, Lana. I like it that you worry." When she worried, Clark knew that Lana cared about him. He wanted her to care for him and he vowed to himself to try harder in the future. ***** ****************************** Margaret Brignell brignell@capitalnet.com Ottawa, Canada %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% My fanfic now available at: http://www.capitalnet.com/~brignell/ ****************************** ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 2 Mar 1998 18:25:50 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Margaret Brignell Subject: Only You: If Only -- Part 2 of 10 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Almost a week later, Clark was at the Smallville Cemetery watching the two coffins as they were lowered into the dual grave dug into the ground. It was a bright sunny day, just like the day that he had been sitting watching for them to come back from Seattle. He could Special See the calm look on the faces of Mom and Dad as they were being lowered into the ground, but they did *not* look like Mom and Dad. They had always been so happy and full of life...to see these wax-like faces mimicking the people he loved was.... He suppressed a sob and was glad when the tears blocked him from seeing them anymore. Mrs. Irig put her arm around his shoulders and hugged him close. "There, there, honey. They're at peace now." Dejection settled in as he felt her guide him away from the graveside. He wiped the tears from his face with the back of his hand and made a conscious effort not to wipe his hand on the black suit the Irigs had bought especially for the funeral. Mrs. Irig had wanted him to look neat and suitably dressed for the occasion. Clark wished he could have worn his regular clothes, the ones Mom and Dad had chosen. That would have felt better--more like being with Mom and Dad. Having to wear these clothes made him feel different--like he didn't belong. But it could have been worse. Mrs. Irig had mentioned that he might want to join Mr. Irig on his trip to the barbershop this morning. Fortunately, Mom had "cut" his hair, with Clark's help, just before she had gone to Seattle, so he didn't have to come up with any strange excuses about why he couldn't visit a barber. It would be really hard to explain to a barber why garden shears would be needed to do the job. Clark realized he would have to learn to "cut" his hair on his own, and only pretend to go to barbershops. He took a deep sobbing breath. He'd worry about that later. People were slowly moving away from the graveside. There had been a lot of people at the service for Jonathan and Martha Kent. A good many of them came back to the Irig farm for the wake. Clark was not real sure why people needed to get together and eat cake because his Mom and Dad had been killed, but he didn't question it out loud. In fact he had not said much of anything to anybody since the accident. He'd overheard Mrs. Irig discussing her concern because he wasn't talking out his feelings. She seemed almost pleased that he was able to cry. He didn't know how he felt. There was just this enormous pain through every part of him. It seemed safest to just not say anything at all. Clark took the glass of milk and the cake on a napkin that he'd been given into the Irigs' front parlour and sat as far away from the chattering adults as he could. He wanted to be alone. It was not to be. Everyone kept coming up to him and telling him how sorry they were, and how much Jon and Martha would be missed. He tried to be polite...and must have succeeded...because he overheard two of the neighbours saying what a nice, polite boy he was and it just went to show you that the right upbringing went a long way to overcoming a person's origins. Then he heard the Irigs and Mom's cousin Joseph talking in the parlour. The big, broad man and his peevish wife had come to represent the Seattle side of the family. "We took Clark in to be neighbourly while Martha and Jon were away. We can't keep him much longer. My wife isn't feeling well, she needs rest." Mr. Irig sounded apologetic. This startled Clark. He hadn't realized Mrs. Irig was sick... although now that he thought about it, she did have to lie down and rest a lot. His thoughts were interrupted by Uncle Joseph's harsh voice. "Well, he's not related to us. We told Martha that she was a fool to take in that bastard child." "But, he was Jon and Martha's adopted child...he is more your responsibility than ours. You're kin, we're just neighbours." "Well, we've looked through all of their papers and can find no record of his adoption. As far as I'm concerned, he's no kin of mine." Clark could hear the sniff that Joseph Clark made as a punctuation mark on his statement. "If I were you, I'd find his natural father and make him take the responsibility he should have taken in the first place." "How do you expect us to do that? He disappeared almost ten years ago." Mr. Irig was starting to sound angry. Clark flinched. There was no "natural father" to find. What if they found out about his other, Special parents? Then what would happen to him? The echo of Dad saying, "...and dissect you like a frog," went through his mind. He closed his eyes tightly, to shut out the distractions, and continued listening. "That's not *my* problem. Martha and her husband left Clark in your care, he's now *your* problem." Clark heard a door close. Clark felt desolate. No one wanted him, no one at all...and Mom and Dad were gone...and.... He couldn't bear it! He opened his eyes and started to get up to run out of the room and away from all this, but stopped when he heard Mrs. Irig exclaim, "Well, of all the unfeeling...miserable.... How did a wonderful person like Martha come from such a rotten family?" "It's probably just the Seattle side of her family. Jon doesn't have any living kin that I know of. I think Martha has other relatives in Chicago. I'll get in touch with them. In the meantime, we'll look after Clark...don't you say a word to him." "Oh, I wouldn't dream of it. He shouldn't know about this--and he won't from me. But, I wouldn't put it past that b...uncle of his to do it." Mrs. Irig sounded really upset. Clark swallowed and glared at the cake in his hand. He did not want any cake--just the thought made him want to choke. "If you don't want that, I'll eat it." Clark looked up to see Lana Lang, her red hair neatly tied in a black bow and she was wearing a black dress. He silently handed her the cake--then the glass of milk. He didn't feel much like eating anything. "Mom says you haven't talked since the accident. Is that true?" "Not really. I just don't have much to say." Clark felt a warmth of affection at the thought that Lana cared about him. They had been friends ever since he had defended her from a bully that first day in kindergarten--being with her he felt less forlorn. Lana finished the milk and cake, put the napkin and glass on the buffet table and then clasping her hand around Clark's, pulled him towards the kitchen door. "Come on. Let's go outside, away from all this noise." Clark let her lead him outside and followed her to the porch swing. Lana sat on the swing and tugged at his hand to indicate he should sit beside her. He was glad that she was trying to make him feel better but his feeling of desolation had returned. He sat down and stared at his shoes. Even though he and Lana had been friends ever since they were small, he didn't know what to say. Everything he wanted to talk about hurt so much. "Now, isn't that better?" Clark glumly nodded. Besides overhearing conversations he wished he hadn't, the noise in the room had begun to really bother him. He could hear *all* of the conversations, *and* the refrigerator turning off and on, *and* the timer in the kitchen, *and* the rooster in the barn across two fields. It was all so confusing and overwhelming. Mom had always been able to give him hints on how to focus on what was essential. Who could he turn to for help now? "Clark?" Lana sounded curious. "Is it *really* awful?" Clark nodded. He could feel the tears pushing at the back of his eyes. He remembered that when he was little, Mom would pick him up and hold him and tell him stories when he felt bad...and she'd give him buttermilk to make him feel better. "I...I'd like some buttermilk." Clark started to get up off the swing, but Lana jumped up and said she'd get it for him. He could hear her in the kitchen, telling Mrs. Irig, "Clark wants some buttermilk," and Mrs. Irig responding, "Oh, thank God! I thought that poor boy would never get his appetite back." He could hear the sound of pouring and almost immediately afterward saw Lana carefully carrying a big glass of buttermilk towards him. "Here, Clark. It's fresh. Mrs. Irig told me so." Clark nodded. He sipped at the buttermilk and the familiar flavour did make him feel better. "Thank you. I feel a lot better." He placed the empty glass carefully on the porch railing. "I'm glad." Lana sat on the porch swing again. "Clark, remember when we were little and you told those big kids to stop calling me 'Carrot top'?" Clark nodded and looked down at his hands. Mom had told him what a brave little boy he'd been at the time...and for some reason remembering this made the tears spring to his eyes. "I want to thank you. That was really nice of you." Lana touched his arm, and as he looked up he saw her shy smile. His tears receded again. "You're welcome. Any time." He smiled tremulously back at her. Lana's smile broadened and Clark felt it was almost as if his parents were still just away visiting. It wasn't true. But being with Lana almost made it seem like it was. Clark smiled more widely in return. "Oh, isn't that cute?" Clark could hear Mrs. Lang talking to one of her friends. "Lana and Clark are so adorable together, don't you think?" "So, does that mean you'll be willing to take him in?" "I have thought about it...but, no, what would people say?" "That you were being charitable?" "No, it wouldn't do. I have Lana to think about. I don't want Lana and Clark in a brother/sister relationship. Their future...that's what I'm concerned about." Clark was puzzled. What future? Mrs. Lang's friend asked, "What about the reason why the Kents adopted him? Aren't you worried about that?" "Not really. I know his parentage is not exactly above-board, but I don't think that is so important in this day and age--do you?" Mrs. Lang's friend made a noncommittal sound. Mrs. Lang left and the woman she had been speaking with, a voice he wasn't familiar with, commented to someone else. "I guess we know what plans *she* has for Lana and Clark." The other woman laughed...it didn't sound like a very nice laugh to Clark. He shivered. "Clark?" Lana looked at him in alarm. "Are you okay? You looked kind of...I don't know...like you were somewhere else." "I'm okay." He couldn't tell her he was tired of listening to people gossip. Dad had always warned him to be so careful not to give himself away...with *everyone*. Maybe if he tried *really* hard he could just forget how to Special Hear. Lana put her hand on his arm. He looked up and into her eyes. She said, "Really? You look kinda... sick. Maybe I should get Mrs. Irig." Lana started to get up but Clark put his hand on her arm to stop her. "No, it's okay. I just...I just keep thinking...that's all." Lana sat back down. "What about?" Clark took a deep breath. Should he tell? Mom and Dad had said something awful would happen if he told. But how much worse could things be? "About Mom...and Dad...and me." "Oh." Lana seemed at a loss about what else to say. Clark sat with her, not saying anything. He was glad when she didn't ask anymore questions. He wasn't ready to answer...not yet. A few minutes later Mrs. Lang came out of the house to get Lana and they left to go home. Clark went back inside and stood with Mrs. Irig to say good-bye to the rest of the guests. He felt so tired. It was hard to prevent himself from crying again. He was glad when the last family left and he was alone with the Irigs. He at least felt comfortable with them. Mrs. Irig made dinner. Clark picked at the food, but managed to eat some of it, and received some praise for being a good boy. Mr. and Mrs. Irig were trying to be kind. He knew they were. But what he *really* wanted was Mom and Dad...and he couldn't have them. Just thinking about that brought tears to his eyes again. "Honey, you've had a long day. Why don't you go on up to bed?" Mrs. Irig smiled at him and pushed him gently in the direction of the staircase. "Thank you. I...I...just thank you." It came out in a rush and he turned and went upstairs. He could hear Mrs. Irig saying how brave he was being, but he didn't feel brave...not brave at all. After he had washed and changed into his pajamas, he crawled under the covers, and tried to not hear anything outside his bedroom. It was so heart-rending to listen in on what people were saying when they thought he couldn't hear. Yet, when he could hear only the sounds inside the room he felt completely desolate. Mommy and Daddy were gone...forever...and he hadn't been *fast* enough. He turned his face into the pillow and sobbed. If only he'd been faster. If only.... ***** ****************************** Margaret Brignell brignell@capitalnet.com Ottawa, Canada %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% My fanfic now available at: http://www.capitalnet.com/~brignell/ ****************************** ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 2 Mar 1998 18:25:57 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Margaret Brignell Subject: Only You: If Only -- Part 4 of 10 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" The Kratz family kept him for a month. He had a hard time coping with their boisterous household. However, they were nice people and he would have liked to have stayed longer. Mr. Kratz was the editor at the Smallville Press and let Clark help him with the Linotype when Mr. Kratz went in to the office on Sundays. Clark liked the smell of the newsprint, and felt important helping Mr. Kratz with his work. The Kratz children were an outgoing, noisy brood. None were particularly interested in quiet pastimes like reading and had no interest in their father's work. Instead, they revelled in team sports and insisted that Clark join in. He protested that he was not very good at team sports, but the Kratz children were adamant that he participate. Any ten year-old should be able to play baseball as far as they were concerned. This was the first time since Mom and Dad had died that he found he *really* needed to be careful with his special powers. At first he made sure that his plays were well within the range of someone who was, in their opinion, "a bookworm." However, in the excitement of hitting a ball while playing with the Kratz children, he forgot to be careful and had a hard time explaining away his sudden expertise. Fortunately, they bought his explanation that it was just "luck." After that he made sure he did *not* exceed expectations. He met Lana at school every day, and occasionally was able to meet and talk with her on weekends. She lived on the far side of town, and Mr. and Mrs. Kratz did not want him going that far away on his own. He could have run over there and back without too much difficulty...except he would have a hard time explaining *that* away as "luck," not to mention trying to explain why he had disobeyed the Kratz's. The new family that had taken over the old Kent farm were willing to take him in. However, Miss Chalmers had the report from his psychotherapist which recommended that he not be returned to live at the farm. There was some concern about the emotional trauma he had encountered with the Stingers, as well as the association with his deceased parents. Miss Chalmers complied with this recommendation. For this Clark was grateful...he didn't think he could bear living at the farm again. The Kratzes were only interested in short-term care of foster children. As a result, it came as no real surprise when Miss Chalmers came to tell him he was moving again, right after the holidays. He could stay with the Kratz's over Christmas, and then move in with his new family. He hoped the new family would be close enough to Smallville's main street for him to continue helping Mr. Kratz with the newspaper. He really liked the feeling of being in the newsroom. ***** Unfortunately, his new family did not live anywhere near the main street. They lived in a different school district altogether. Not only did Clark have to leave the Kratz household, and forgo helping at the newspaper, he wasn't going to be able to meet and talk to Lana either. Clark felt so completely alone. Lana and he met at the Christmas Social held in the church basement, and he told her about the change in his life. "Oh, Clark. We won't be able to talk anymore." Tears sprang to Lana's eyes. "We can talk on the phone." Clark tried to calm her distress. "But, it won't be the *same*. We won't be able swap books, or tell stories, or *anything*!" Clark couldn't stand to see her so distraught. They *could* meet and talk, but only if he could make up some reason why he could get back and forth to her place. He couldn't think of anything to use as an excuse, so he hesitantly said, "Well, I could come over to your place and we could talk and stuff." "Clark! The Levines live ten miles from my house. Even if you had a bike, that would be a two hour round-trip! There isn't *any* way, unless I can talk Daddy into driving me over, and back." Clark knew that this was not likely to happen. Lana's father was a busy stockbroker. He didn't have the time to be Lana's ongoing chauffeur as well. Clark swallowed and looked around. There were a number of people within hearing distance. He looked up through the ceiling of the Sunday school room and saw that the church above was empty. "There is a way. If you can keep a secret." "Well, of *course* I can keep a secret!" "Good." Clark took Lana by the hand and led her towards the church staircase. They entered the cloakroom of the church and Clark closed the door. He did *not* want to risk being overheard. On one side of the room there was a bench, intended for people to use to put on their boots, and he indicated that Lana should sit there but he couldn't calm down enough to sit beside her. He double-checked the adjoining area. There was no-one around, so he took a deep breath and spoke. "You have to promise that you will *never* tell anyone this. Not your Mom or Dad, or *anyone*...okay?" Lana looked puzzled, but nodded. He waited. When she said nothing more, he insisted, "Say it!" "I promise I won't tell *anyone* when I find out what it is I'm not supposed to tell. Cross my heart and hope to die." Clark took a deep breath. "You know how I'm adopted?" Lana nodded, again. "Mr. and Mrs. Kent adopted you because your mother died when you were little." "That's not exactly the truth. I don't know who my other mother and father were. Mom and Dad found me in Shuster's field, wrapped in a blue blanket." "Oh. So this is what I have to keep secret?" Lana sounded disappointed. "No. Miss Chalmers knows about *that*. The part that's secret is they...Mom and Dad...they found me wrapped in a blue blanket, in a *spaceship* that had crashed in Shuster's field." Clark gulped then waiting for Lana's reaction. "A spaceship? What *kind* of spaceship?" "I dunno. I never saw it...Dad buried it when I was real little." "Oh!" Lana sounded disappointed again. "And, I can do Special things...things no one else can do...because I came in a spaceship!" "Clark Kent! If you think I'm going to believe a fib like *that* you are..." "No, wait! I can show you." "Show me what?" "This!" Lana watched him as he picked up a piece of scrap paper off the floor, took off his glasses and used his Special look to make it burst into flames. Lana's eyes grew wide and she put her hand over her mouth. This was the first time he'd openly used any of his special skills since Mom and Dad had left for Seattle. It made him nervous, but it was *such* a relief. "How...how did you *do* that?" Lana was still staring at the charred paper. "I did it with my eyes. Sometimes I can control it, sometimes not. That's why I have to wear the glasses. Mom and Dad think...thought, I got these Special skills from my other mother and father--the ones that sent the spaceship to Shuster's field." "Skills? What kind of skills?" "I can hear things that are really far away, which mostly isn't very useful. I just hear stuff I'd rather not know about." "No kidding!" Lana stared at him, open-mouthed. She swallowed and said, "What else can you do?" "I have really tough skin, that's why Mr. Stinger broke his hand hitting me...and I can run really, really fast...and I don't get tired doing it. That's what I meant when I said we could still meet and talk, and stuff. We could arrange to meet someplace close to your house, and I could be there and back without anyone suspecting. I'd just have to be real careful that no one saw me doing it." "That's amazing!" Lana was looking at him admiringly. "Who else knows about this?" Clark shook his head. "No one. Not anymore. Mom and Dad said I shouldn't tell anyone...and they're not here anymore, so now you are the only one to know." "Only me?" "Only you." Lana looked pleased. "That's good, Clark. I mean if anyone else found out, they'd come and take you away...and we could *never* talk again!" "You don't mind? I mean about me being...different?" "No, of course not. You don't *look* any different. You look nice and normal. Tim, my Dad's secretary's kid...now *he* looks weird. *Anyone* would believe *he* came from outer space." Lana leaned forward. "But, don't tell anyone else about you coming in a spaceship. My Aunt Zelda...in Toronto...she reads all those tabloid newspapers...the ones that are *full* of stories about creatures from another planet...and stuff. If you tell...maybe *they* would tell those tabloids and then the newspapers would take pictures of you and say horrible things about you...it would be *awful*." Clark swallowed. "Dad used to say they'd 'dissect me like a frog'..." "Or, worse yet," Lana continued in a whisper, "the government might come and take you and put you in some kind of lab and use you for *experiments*." Her voice sounded sepulchral. Then she continued in a normal tone of voice, "They always do things like that in the movies." "Dad always said that, too! About me and experiments...not about the movies. So, you won't tell...will you?" Lana stood up. "No, Clark, I'll never tell." She picked up his glasses from the bench where he'd laid them down and put them back on his face. "This is *our* secret!" She smiled and Clark felt a great relief. He was not alone anymore. ***** ****************************** Margaret Brignell brignell@capitalnet.com Ottawa, Canada %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% My fanfic now available at: http://www.capitalnet.com/~brignell/ ****************************** ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 2 Mar 1998 18:26:03 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Margaret Brignell Subject: Only You: If Only -- Part 6 of 10 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" A couple of weeks later, Clark met Lana for the afternoon at the Irig Pond. Clark did not have to do any Special running to meet her nowadays. His new foster home, with the Jamiesons, was only a short distance from the Lang house. Lana and he were sitting on a log beside the Irig Pond, watching the ducks and just enjoying the sunshine. She smiled at him and said, "So, Clark, what are you going to be doing now that school's out?" "Mr. Kratz asked me to help at the Press. I'll be working there a few hours a week." Clark pitched a pebble into the exact centre of the pond in an effort to be precise with his ability to throw to great distances. He tried to take every opportunity to learn to control his abilities. "Is that okay with the Jamiesons? Don't they need you to help on the farm?" "They said it's okay. They know I'm not all that interested in farming, and they want their own two sons to learn about the farm. They still expect me to help out, though." Clark threw another stone into the pond. "Besides, since I'll be earning a bit of money at the Press, that means they won't have to worry about giving me an allowance." Lana latched on to the first part of his explanation. "If you're not interested in farming...what *do* you want to do when you grow up?" "I was thinking I'd like to get into journalism...I really like working at the Press and maybe one day I could become a writer...or even an editor. That would be *really* neat." "I guess. You *are* a good writer." Lana paused, thinking. "I like writing too, but I think I would really like something more interactive...you know, like talking to people." Clark paused for a moment while he took aim with throwing a stone again. "I guess." He wasn't exactly sure that would be the best option for Lana, she had a tendency to be impatient with people who didn't agree with her. He decided to change the direction of the conversation. "Are you going away again this summer?" "Yes, next month. We'll be gone for a month. Daddy is taking us to the Grand Canyon and the Petrified Forest. He wants us to see the 'amazing things that nature can create'." Lana giggled and elbowed Clark. "If he only knew!" Clark gave her a crooked smile. "You really think I'm created by nature?" "Well, what else? It's not like there are mad scientists out there creating people like you...is it?" "Why not? They do it in the movies all the time." "Yeah, but the people they create in the movies are always *ugly*--you're not...so you must be created by nature." Clark thought this was kind of a dumb reason for thinking he was a product of nature, but didn't argue--what was the point? He couldn't prove otherwise. To change the topic, Clark said, "I saw an ad for the Star Trek movie that's coming out later this summer...would you like to go see it?" Lana shook her head. "Nah. I could never get all that interested in the TV show. I think the movie will be even worse. My Dad says it's just cowboys and Indians in space." "Your Dad's probably right...but I still like it. I'd like to think that the human race is capable of doing all those wonderful things." "What 'wonderful things'?" Lana looked puzzled. "You know, travelling in space...'the final frontier.' Exploring strange new places. Seeking new life and civilizations. Going where no one has gone before." "You want to do that? Explore strange new places...new civilizations?" "Yeah! I think that would be neat." Clark felt the charm of the unknown calling to him. Lana sniffed. "But, that would mean you would have to leave Smallville." "I guess. But, I think it would be wonderful to go 'where no one has gone before'." "Clark! It's just make-believe!" Lana stood up in a huff and turned to look down at him. "Of course, you might have a problem distinguishing between reality and make-believe because of what you can do." Clark stood up. "Lana, don't get mad! I didn't mean to make you mad...honest!" Lana had her lips pressed together and her arms crossed. "You make it sound like you *want* to go away...to leave Smallville! To leave me for someplace where no one has gone before. How *could* you?" "I didn't mean *that*. I just mean that it would be neat to see new places...and stuff. Maybe we could do it together?" Lana's arms relaxed and she slowly smiled at him. "Okay, but I don't want you to leave without me. I'd miss you." "Me, too." Then Clark heard voices across the other side of the meadow behind them. "Someone's coming." Lana and Clark sat down on the log again. Clark pitched another stone into the pond. Two sing-song voices chanted, "Lana and Clark sitting on a log," "k - i - s - s - i - n - g," "first comes love," "then comes marriage," "then comes *Clark* pushing a *baby* carriage." There was uproarious laughter at this witticism. Lana stood up, put her hands on her hips, and said with deep disdain, "Bobby and Jimmy Jamieson, you should be *ashamed* of yourselves!" "Oh, so Clark's letting *you* do his fighting for him, is he?" Bobby sneered at her. Clark stood up slowly. "Come on guys, leave us alone, will you." He wasn't sure why the Jamieson twins were so set on annoying him, but they had been on his case ever since he had moved in. When he had talked to Miss Chalmers about it, she asked him to be patient. It was only natural that his foster siblings might resent the attention he was getting from their parents. Jimmy Jamieson stepped up to Clark and said, "Why, what you gonna do? Hit us with your big right arm--four-eyes?" and snickered. Clark clenched his teeth. He was aware that the Jamieson twins were just trying to get under his skin, but it was hard to stay cool under the circumstances. Nevertheless, he *had* to stay calm...he might hurt them. "Come on, Clarkie. Let's see what kind of *man* you are." Jimmy was in front of Clark with his fists up, prepared to fight. "Look, I don't want to fight...I..." "Hey, Bobby, the bookworm don't wanna fight. What do you think of that?" "Not much, Jimmy. Let's...get him!" Bobby jumped onto Clark's back, just as Jimmy punched him in the stomach. Clark pulled away from the punch. He didn't want anyone else to break a hand on him, it would be too hard to explain. Bobby was trying to get a strangle-hold on Clark's neck, Clark pretended to gasp for air and then lurched suddenly so that Bobby lost his grip. Lana rushed forward in an attempt to help--but only succeeded in bumping into Bobby. There was a resounding splash as Bobby fell off Clark's back and into the pond. "Why, you little *pip-squeak*!" Jimmy screamed and charged at Clark. Clark dodged and Jimmy went head first into the pond. Bobby climbed out of the pond and charged towards Clark and then stopped. Jimmy was lying still, face down in the water. "Jimmy! What has he *done* to you?" Clark waded into the pond, pulled Jimmy out of the water and carried him to shore. He cleared Jimmy's breathing passages and gave him artificial respiration to start his breathing again. Jimmy coughed and started breathing on his own. Bobby helped his brother to his feet. "Just you *wait* until I tell Dad what you did! Just you wait!" The twins squelched off across the fields towards the Jamieson farm. "Oh, Clark! We have to get to their father and tell him what *really* happened." "Who's going to believe me? Especially after what Mr. Winneker said." "Well, *I* was here--and all you did was defend yourself--*and* you saved Jimmy from drowning, so let's go!" Mr. and Mrs. Jamieson were *not* pleased. Their twins gave them one version of the story and Clark and Lana another. However, they were reasonable people and knew that the truth must lie somewhere in between. Mr. Jamieson told the four of them that he figured there was blame on all sides, which Lana would have argued if Clark hadn't elbowed her softly to indicate keeping quiet. Mr. Jamieson said that he'd overlook the problem this time, but if he found them fighting again, he'd get the strap out. The twins glowered. Clark's stomach sank. A strapping wouldn't hurt *him*, but the threat of such a punishment was bound to result in some kind of sneaky retaliation from Bobby and Jimmy. ***** Clark was right. The twins made it their mission to spy on Clark and try to catch him doing something wrong they could report to their parents and get him into trouble. Clark had been having enough problems with his emerging powers, but now that he had the twins watching his every move it was even more difficult. He couldn't even sneak off to see Lana and talk it over with her. The only time he was "safe" was while he was helping Mr. Kratz at the Smallville Press. Just before her family set off on their trip around the Southwest, Lana dropped into the Press offices while Clark was there to say goodbye. "How's it going, Clark?" Lana looked concerned. Clark found it comforting to know that Lana cared. "Okay, I guess. They watch my every move...but so far I've been able to keep out of trouble. It helps that I can hear what they're planning to do." Clark grinned at the one "advantage" he had over the twins. "That's good. Just be careful. Okay?" Clark nodded. She was going to be gone a whole *month*, how was he going to survive? Lana kissed him on the cheek and said goodbye. Clark watched her leave the newspaper office and felt as if the only person who cared for him in the whole world had left his life--even if it *was* only for a month. ***** ****************************** Margaret Brignell brignell@capitalnet.com Ottawa, Canada %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% My fanfic now available at: http://www.capitalnet.com/~brignell/ ****************************** ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 2 Mar 1998 18:26:07 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Margaret Brignell Subject: Only You: If Only -- Part 7 of 10 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" "How does he *do* that?" Clark overheard Jimmy ask Bobby. "How does he *always* know what we're going to do?" Clark swallowed as he was walking along the main street. How to explain that he could hear all of their plans? He had managed to avoid the falling bucket of water that the twins had placed over the kitchen door. The twins had been *sure* that he couldn't escape their trap this time. He would have to come up with some kind of rational explanation, otherwise who knew what the twins would do next. They had already tried to spread the rumour, among the other kids at school, that he was an "accident magnet," that accidents happened wherever he went. Clark sighed and turned into the Press office door. There was a loud squawk as he entered. "Damnation. Why doesn't this thing work? I've followed *all* the instructions." Mr. Kratz sounded exasperated. "Can I help, Mr. Kratz?" "Only if you know something about intercoms or electricity. I've installed this intercom system, but all I can get out of it is meaningless noise." Clark looked at the instructions. Everything seemed to have been installed correctly. He checked the connections at all the terminal points and found the problem--one of the factory connections was loose. He soldered the connection with his eyes, pretended to fiddle with the external wires, and asked Mr. Kratz to try again. This time it worked fine. "Clark, I don't know what I'd do without you." Clark grinned--not just at the praise, but because the intercom had given him an idea. He asked Mr. Kratz if he could have some of the extra wiring and connectors. They weren't any use to the Press, but Clark figured he could rig up a fake "spy system" in the twins' bedroom. Doing the work quickly and quietly would be a good test of the mastery of his skills. Lately, he found he could move *really* quickly...almost instantaneously between points in the same room. If he could get into the twins' bedroom, install the equipment and get out quickly enough they'd never know he'd been there today, and might assume the equipment had been there since he moved in with them. He practised in his own room, until he had the "installation" down to seconds. He waited for the twins to go down to do their chores in the barn and then did it again in their bedroom. As an added touch, he strung a wire to his own room and attached it to a set of earphones that had not worked in a long time. If he did this right they would *never* know that the "spy system" didn't really work. Over the next few weeks, he continued to dodge the "traps" set by the twins. One afternoon he overheard them talking about telling the other kids about their idea that Clark could read minds. Bobby had seen a rerun of 'The Girl With Something Extra' in which a woman had an extra ability--ESP. Bobby was, apparently, going to tell the other kids that Clark had the same abilities. Jimmy was scornful, "Oh, sure. Whose goin' to believe that? Uh?" Bobby paused for a few seconds before responding. "Everybody! Because... well, because Sally, the woman on that show, has dark hair--just like Clark--and, and...well, how else does he know what we're doing?" There was no response from Jimmy, but Clark peered through the wall and saw him shrug. "So, you're with me? We go to all the kids and tell them. Right?" "I...guess..." It was a dumb idea, but you never knew what the other kids might believe. He didn't need a lot of kids scrutinizing his every move so Clark decided it was time to "reveal" how he did it. He put the headphones on his bedside table and tugged at the wire, so that the speaker in the twins' bedroom moved slightly and gave out a squawk. They stopped talking instantly. "What was that?" He could hear movement and looking through the wall saw Jimmy climbing on a chair to look at the top of the bureau, behind the stacks of comic books that were there. "It's a microphone!" Jimmy yanked at the mike and pulled it away from the wiring. "He's been *spying* on us...*that's* how he always knows what we're doing!" Clark quickly left his bedroom and shut the door just loudly enough so the twins would be able to hear. He could hear them rushing out of their room and into his. "Here's the headphones." "Well, that little *sneak*. We'll get even with *him*." Clark swallowed. Maybe this hadn't been such a great idea after all. He finished his chores, came in and washed up and sat at the table. He wondered what form the "revenge" would take. The twins looked so smug, he figured they had already done whatever it was they planned to do. Since they hadn't talked about any plans he wasn't as prepared as he'd been before. However, as he walked upstairs he used his vision to explore his bedroom and found the booby-trap over the door. It was only a sack of flour. It wouldn't hurt him, but it would create one heck of a mess! In order to convince the twins that they had "won" he'd have to walk into the trap. Good thing he wasn't wearing his best clothes. He could hear Mrs. Jamieson coming up the stairs after him. As he entered his room, the sack of flour poured over him. He choked on the flour dust and backed out into the corridor. "Clark? What on earth?" Mrs. Jamieson exclaimed . Between coughing, Clark said, "Someone...booby-trapped...my door." "Jimmy! Bobby! You two hooligans get right up here! I want an explanation and I want it *now*!" Clark was amazed. None of his previous foster parents had sided with him against their own children. Mrs. Jamieson not only chewed out the twins for their "shenanigans" but also made *them* clean up the mess. He couldn't believe it. Also, the twins were warned that if any other "accidents" happened to Clark, they would be held responsible. The tricks and traps stopped. The twins weren't happy, but they stopped trying to annoy him. After this incident, they avoided him whenever possible. He had never expected them to be his friends, that was reality, but it was heaven not to have them watching his every move. That weekend Clark was doubly grateful that he wasn't being spied on anymore. Otherwise, the twins would have witnessed when he accidentally broke the main door to the barn off its hinges. He had barely touched it and it fell down. He managed to mend the hinges and rehang the door before anyone discovered what he had done--but Clark was getting afraid. He had thought his skills had become what they were going to be. This incident made him realize that they were *continuing* to change as he grew. His Special skills had been appearing gradually ever since he was little. He could still feel the terror he had felt the first time his Special Hearing had kicked in. He'd always been strong even when he was in kindergarten--and Mom and Dad had given him the glasses as a reminder to only do what other children could do. But lately--lately things had begun to change more quickly. Now he could move so fast that he figured he'd be invisible to the normal eye. He could now control the things his eyes did, most of the time, and his hearing now mostly seemed to kick in on its own whenever trouble was brewing within the vicinity of his ability to Special Hear. He wasn't sure why that was, but that's what it seemed to do. And now, *now*, he was becoming strong--really, *really* strong. He was having a hard time judging when too much pressure was being applied, like with the barn door. Mrs. Jamieson had asked him to clean out the cold storage room. There was a chest freezer in there, as well as boxes of root vegetables. He had been able to lift the chest freezer with one hand while he vacuumed under it. It had been almost scary. Fortunately, he hadn't dropped the freezer and no-one had seen him do it. Mrs. Jamieson was just pleased that he'd done such a thorough job. One day when he was in the barn on his own, he'd decided to lift a tractor just to test just how much he could lift. Lifting it had been no problem at all! It was almost as if the item became weightless as soon as he decided to lift it. He'd been able to float down from any height for the last couple of years. Now he was beginning to wonder if this was the beginning of some other new talent. He remembered Mom and Dad commenting that sometimes his apparent weight would fluctuate so that he had "light" days and "heavy" days, even when he was very little. Sometimes, he woke up in the night and found himself floating about a foot off the mattress. He was *really* glad that Social Services required that he have a room of his own...it would be *impossible* to explain *that* one away. Clark wondered, if he tried hard enough, if he could make himself so light he would float *up* when he wanted to. He tried testing this theory by jumping over higher and higher objects. He could jump over the ten foot high wall out behind the gymnasium at the school. There were no windows on that side of the school, so he was safe as long as no one was there to see. However, he could not jump over the old barn at the Irig farm. At least not yet. He didn't dare try any of the other structures around that were in more public locations. He had hoped as he grew older that his Special skills would level off and he would be able to hide them more easily. This wasn't happening...and he was getting more and more scared. He wished Mom and Dad were here to help him. All he knew was that he could *not* reveal any of this to anyone else. Lately, even Lana was getting a little afraid of how he was changing--and getting more and more intense about him *appearing* to be "normal." ***** ****************************** Margaret Brignell brignell@capitalnet.com Ottawa, Canada %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% My fanfic now available at: http://www.capitalnet.com/~brignell/ ****************************** ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 2 Mar 1998 18:26:10 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Margaret Brignell Subject: Only You: If Only -- Part 8 of 10 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Late in August, Lana was back from her trip. Clark was thrilled, he had missed her so much. He had talked her into seeing the Star Trek movie with their mutual friends from school, but even he had to admit it was pretty awful...and they were talking about doing a sequel. They must be crazy--who would go see Star Trek II, after they had seen what the studio had done to the first one? The group from school gathered at the soda fountain in the drug store after the movie. After they'd run through their opinions of the movie itself, they got onto other topics. "Wouldn't it be neat if you could say 'Beam me up, Scotty' and it really happened?" Rachel said between mouthfuls of chocolate sundae. There was a chorus of "Yeah!" "You think people will really go into space?" Jim asked. "I mean regular people, not just astronauts or cosmonauts." "Oh, sure!" Peter responded. "They launched Voyager this month. They even included a record, with instructions on how to play the earth sounds and pictures, just in case it finds people already out there." "Yeah, I heard that." Rachel responded, now finished with her sundae. "You think that it will?" There was general shrugging around the table. "Who knows? But it would be kind of neat if people from outer space came here...I mean people like Mr. Spock--not those Klingons--they seem kind of nasty," Shirley wrinkled her nose at the thought of the Klingons. Clark noticed that Lana was starting to look a little nervous about the direction the conversation was taking. He was kind of nervous too, but he decided to ask, "So what do you think people from outer space would look like?" "Little green men." "Tall stringy guys, like those aliens in Close Encounters." "Pods that look just like earth people so they can't be detected--like in Invasion of the Body Snatchers. I saw the remake last year. It was great!" "Giant insects." "Yecch!" Rachel exclaimed. "Let's talk about something else." When they were finished their sodas, Lana asked Clark to walk her home, and after some teasing from the others, they left. "What do *you* think?" Clark asked, "Are they right, or could people from outer space look like me?" "Don't be silly. They're talking about movies. You're no pod...that's for sure." She stopped and thought for a minute. "Maybe your Dad was right, maybe the Russians were experimenting with human babies and something went wrong." "I guess. I just wish I knew when it was all going to stop." "Something new happened while I was gone?" "I'm getting a lot faster...and a lot stronger. If I'd been this fast and strong three years ago, Mom and Dad would still be here." Clark stared forlornly at the road ahead. "Clark, you couldn't help that. You did the best you could. Don't blame yourself. Daddy always says that no matter what, one person can't make that much of a difference to the whole world." "Thanks, Lana. I need to hear that." "Did you hear about Mrs. Irig?" "No. What about her?" "She went into the hospital, last night." "I knew she was sick, but I didn't realize she was *that* sick." "Mommy says she's been sick a long time. I guess that's why they couldn't keep you after...well, back then." Clark nodded. They parted at the Lang gate and Clark went back to the Jamieson's. He could never think of it as "home." As he entered the kitchen, Mrs. Jamieson was just hanging up the phone. "Oh, Clark. I'm so glad you're home. Sit down, I have something to tell you." Clark obediently sat at the kitchen table. Mrs. Jamieson sat in a chair beside him. "I just got a call from Maisie Bell. Mary Irig passed away a few minutes ago." "Mrs. Irig is dead?" Clark felt a coldness settle into the pit of his stomach. Mrs. Jamieson stroked his head. "Yes, honey. I was wondering if you wanted to go to see Mr. Irig tomorrow? ...to pay your respects." Clark felt tears pricking at his eyes, and simply nodded. He didn't think he'd be able to talk for a few minutes. Just then the twins burst in, laughing and carrying on, as usual. "Boys, will you be quiet! Go upstairs and tidy up your room...Now!" The twins left, muttering to themselves. "Are you okay, Clark? Do you want to be alone?" Clark nodded again. Mrs. Jamieson went out to the barn to tell her husband the news. The only sound in the kitchen was the ticking of the clock. Clark deliberately shut out any sounds outside of the room. He couldn't bear to hear anything just now. A small sob escaped into the silence. Why did all the people he liked have to go away? ***** After Mrs. Irig's funeral, Clark was having trouble getting back in focus. All the really nice people, like his Mom and Dad and Mrs. Irig weren't around anymore. And the people who *were* around seemed less and less sociable. Certainly, Mr. Irig was starting to get irritable at the smallest thing. And, it wasn't just in Smallville. He read about all kinds of awful things happening in the paper. Americans being held hostage in Tehran, President Reagan being shot and wounded, an attempted assassination of the Pope, and the economy was getting worse and worse. No wonder people were less optimistic and more impatient. Even Lana wasn't as reassuring as she had been right after Mom and Dad died. She seemed to be more apprehensive about what people might think--and afraid of what would happen if anyone ever found out about Clark's skills. She seemed less trusting, and sometimes misconstrued innocent remarks as threats to leave her. All the while his Special capabilities kept growing and changing. He was trying to lead as normal a life as he could under the circumstances. Just before Columbus Day, Rachel Harris asked him to go to a movie with her, and he accepted. Rachel was a good friend and fun to be with. She made him feel like he was a regular guy. He briefly considered letting her in on his secret, but decided against it. Lana had known him since kindergarten, and *she* was having trouble coping with the knowledge. What would it do to Rachel whom he had only known for a few years? He *couldn't* put anyone else in that position. After the movie, they had gone to the Adnyl Rexall drug store for a soda, and Lana had been there with a number of their other friends. He and Rachel had joined the group. Lana had *not* been pleased to see him with Rachel. He and Lana had always been friends--he wasn't really sure why she was upset. Lana did not leave him in doubt as to why it was a problem. The next afternoon, she cornered him on the way to the Press offices and let him know that Lana considered them to be boyfriend and girlfriend. And the idea that he would take someone else to the movies--well, she just wouldn't stand for it! Clark was startled, to say the least. He hadn't had any idea that Lana thought of him *that* way. He wasn't sure if he could return that kind of feeling for her. They had been friends for what seemed like forever, but *girlfriend*--he wasn't so sure about that. However, he didn't feel that way about Rachel either, so he did the thing that Lana obviously wanted, and asked her to go to the show that Friday night. Lana seemed pleased at his perceptiveness. After that he was divided between these two girls. Both of them were pulling him to feel something he didn't. The guys at school ribbed him about having two girls fighting over him. Clark was starting to feel overwhelmed by the whole situation. The contest between Rachel and Lana reached its peak on Valentine's Day. Both girls asked him to the Valentine's dance. He had to choose between them. It took Clark *days* to come to a decision. Finally, he did it. He turned both of them down. He didn't want to hurt either of them by accepting the other's invitation. Unfortunately, this didn't solve his problem. Rachel came to see him at the Press, and gave him the Valentine card she had intended to give him at the dance. She seemed resigned to his decision--but still hopeful. Lana, on the other hand, intensified her pursuit. She invited him to a dinner party at her parents' house the next Saturday night. Clark wore his good slacks, black turtleneck and a black blazer that he had bought to attend Mrs. Irig's funeral. The blazer was a bit on the small side now, but if he didn't button it up, it looked okay. At the last minute he remembered to put on an overcoat. He didn't need one, but it would look odd not to be wearing one in the middle of February. Mr. Lang was his usual bombastic self. Mrs. Lang seemed anxious to ensure that he and Lana were enjoying the food and the evening. Lana was dressed in a simple green dress that complemented her eyes and hair colour, as well as outlining her budding figure. Clark realized that Lana was developing into a woman. When had that happened? When the dinner was finished, Mr. and Mrs. Lang took them to a concert put on by the Lawrence Campus Gala Choral Society. After the concert, Mr. and Mrs. Lang were talking with some of the other concert-goers. As Clark was helping Lana into her overcoat, Mrs. Lang asked, "Clark, would you please see Lana home? We'll be right along." "Yes, Mrs. Lang." Lana looked pleased and hooked her hand through his left elbow as they left the hall to walk to her house. "Did you like the concert?" Lana looked up at him. Clark nodded. "Yes, it was...interesting." Lana smiled, and let her hand slide down his arm and into his left hand. She intertwined her fingers into his. Clark felt a little scared by this move. Their relationship seemed to be moving in a direction that was out of his control. "Lana...I..." "Yes, Clark?" Lana stopped and turned to face him, her eyes gazing into his. Clark swallowed. Why had he never noticed her eyes before? "I...I...like you and everything...b-b-but..." Clark was so nervous he was starting to stutter. Lana moved closer. "But?" Her breath was making soft swirls in the cold evening air. "I'm n-n-not real sure about this." He lifted their entwined hands. "Oh!" Lana looked embarrassed. She quickly let go of his hand and shoved her hands into her coat pockets. Clark could see the hint of tears on her eyelashes as she turned away from him. He caught her by the arm. "I'm sorry, Lana. I didn't mean to hurt you." Lana pulled away and kept walking ahead of him until they reached the gate set in the picket fence surrounding the Lang house. Once there she pushed her shoulders back, turned, looked up into his face and said, "Would it be okay if I kissed you goodnight?" She usually gave him a peck on the cheek as a means of saying goodbye, so he nodded. She must be feeling totally rejected by his previous hesitation, if she had to ask permission this time. To show that he wasn't averse to her goodbye peck, Clark leaned forward to give her easier access to his cheek. However, to his surprise, she didn't kiss him on the cheek. The delicate pressure of her lips on his was amazingly pleasant. Unfortunately, when he tried to move into a better position to appreciate this new sensation, his glasses got in the way, and the magical moment was gone. "I'm sorry. I...I..." Clark was feeling dazed by the experience. "You have lipstick on your cheek." Lana wiped the edge of his mouth with her finger. "There, it's gone." She smiled up at him. "Thank you." Clark was trying desperately to figure out what he was supposed to do next. Lana turned, opened the garden gate and softly said, "Goodnight" over her shoulder. Clark watched her walk up the path and into her house. ***** ****************************** Margaret Brignell brignell@capitalnet.com Ottawa, Canada %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% My fanfic now available at: http://www.capitalnet.com/~brignell/ ****************************** ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 2 Mar 1998 18:26:16 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Margaret Brignell Subject: Only You: If Only -- Part 10 of 10 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Mr. Kratz had just finished putting the final touches on this week's edition of The Smallville Press when the fax machine geared up and spat out an urgent message. Clark picked up the fax and as he was walking it across to Mr. Kratz's office he glanced down and gasped. "Mr. Kratz! Turn on the TV! Now!" Clark rushed towards the set that usually sat underneath a layer of proofs and old editions of the paper. "What's up, Clark?" Mr. Kratz stared in surprise as Clark tossed the papers off the set and turned on the TV. "The fax! It can't be true...it *can't* be!" Clark shoved the fax into Mr. Kratz's hand. Mr. Kratz glanced down at the message and gasped. "Oh, my God...No! Not, *again*!" The TV finally sprang to life. "...and the Secret Service have cordoned off the area..." The picture showed a chaotic scene just outside a hotel ballroom--of people rushing about, yellow tape being strung around the perimeter of the scene, and a news anchor being jostled by police and onlookers. The scene flipped to the anchorman in the studio, with the previous scene inset above and behind him. "For those of you who have just tuned in: The President has been shot! I repeat, the President has been shot!" "It is believed he may not have survived this second attempt on his life in less than a year. The Vice-President has been declared dead at the scene. Several security personnel are also either dead or injured." "This mass attempt on the President and his entourage is believed to be the work of some, as yet undetermined, enemy to the United States. We are making every effort to find out the latest information." The anchor turned to face the screen "Peter! Has there been any more news since we last talked?" Peter turned from listening to one of the President's aides and putting the microphone to his lips said, "They are not confirming or denying the rumours that the President is dead. They *are* telling me that the President is being rushed to Mercy Hospital. The Speaker of the House of Representatives will be holding a press conference at the White House Press Room in..." Peter looked at his watch, "20 minutes. I'm moving over to there now." The camera panned back as the anchor turned to face the camera. "We will continue to provide live coverage until after Speaker of the House Presley holds his press conference. Stay tuned." The screen faded to black and then into a commercial for bleach. Mr. Kratz sat down slowly. "I don't believe this! Twice in my lifetime a President has been assassinated. It doesn't seem possible!" Clark didn't know what to say. "They don't know for sure that he's dead, yet." "I know. But it doesn't look good that the Speaker is giving a Press Conference. He's the next one up for President if both the President and Vice-President die on the same day." Clark made a non-committal noise. "But, that's not the immediate problem. I have to revamp the news for this week. Mrs. Tenni's prize-winning begonias just don't seem like the right headline after this." Half an hour later it was confirmed. The President was dead. The new President of the United States was the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Elvis Aron Presley. In an emergency session of Congress, President Presley's choice for Vice-President--Charlton Heston--had been confirmed. The next few days leading up to the funerals were a marathon of television coverage and a rehash of what could have been done to save President Reagan and Vice-President Bush from the massacre at The Mayflower Hotel. No individual or group came forward to claim responsibility for the tragedy. The men were buried with honours, without anyone knowing *why* it had happened. ***** After the funerals, life for Clark seemed to be a strange juxtaposition of the normal and the surreal. Lana continued to try to get him to apply for the football team, but since he could not figure out a way to get around the medical, he did not cave in to her wants this time. For some reason, this made Lana less peeved at him. She still wanted him to play football, but stopped being so critical in other areas. He eventually figured that this was because she felt less sure about his feelings for her. He tried to reassure her that it was only the difficulty with the logistics of complying with her request that he play football, that was the problem...not that she had wanted it. She was finally close to accepting his decision when, in early September, she found out she had been rejected as an applicant for the cheerleading squad. She was devastated, as if this were *the* one goal in life she had wanted to achieve. After that, she changed. She became more and more intense and obsessed with Clark hiding his Special nature. She not only didn't want him to reveal himself to others, because he might get caught, she now seemed to not want him to do those things at all! It was as if she now had another goal in life...to prove she was a *real* woman and that he was "normal." Meanwhile, the news was going from bad to worse. The economy was going down even further. President Presley was describing the Soviet Union as "an evil empire." There were floods in Ohio and Kentucky, earthquakes in California, and a drought in Maine. Fortunately, this kind of devastating weather had not, yet, touched Kansas. Closer to home, late that fall, Lana got her driver's licence and was able to borrow her father's car as long as she was careful, and made sure the gas tank was filled up when she returned it. This new freedom gave them more opportunities to be together--without sneaking around. Mid-December Clark gave her his class ring, to solidify their relationship. Her mother thought that sixteen was too soon for such a commitment, but Lana was more than willing for the pledge. ***** After Christmas, the school held aptitude tests and college entrance practice exams. Once they both had their results, Lana and Clark discussed their futures. Both agreed that they wanted careers in journalism. Clark stuck with his original desire to be a writer/editor. Lana made her usual quick decision--in favour of television. Her mother was in favour of this too, since it would allow Lana to dress elegantly and look beautiful. Looks were very important to Lana's mother. This support almost made Lana reverse her decision. She and her mother did *not* get along. Lana found her mother too controlling. ***** Smallville, Kansas -- June 1984 ******************************* Clark and Lana had been in a steady relationship for almost two years, now. Recently, Lana had been pressing Clark for even more of a commitment. They had finally agreed that once they both finished college and had good jobs, they would become engaged and get married. Clark wanted a home and a family and someplace to put down roots. Lana was willing to give him all of that. His gratitude knew no bounds. Although, there *was* this nagging voice inside him that kept *insisting* that this couldn't last. He endeavoured to ignore the voice. Lana was anxious for their relationship to be binding and "normal," which made Clark a little nervous. He was always afraid of hurting her while his hormones took over from his conscious mind. There had been one hot night, late in August last year when they'd been in the back seat of her father's Chevy, and they'd been interrupted by Officer Fitzgerald. Clark had been afraid to think of what might have happened if the officer hadn't come along. When he told Lana about his fears, she laughed. "Clark...you couldn't hurt *anyone*, so I know you're not going to hurt *me*." At first, he was able to put a limit on her obsession to prove she, and he, were "normal." However, by September, she had talked her mother into permitting her to get birth control pills and continued to torment him in such a way that he couldn't say no. By Christmas he had surrendered to her. The ecstasy and the agony of that moment was something he would never forget. Unfortunately, it was also something Lana would never forget either. She now seemed to think she *owned* him. ***** All this was skittering across Clark's mind as he sat on a ledge overlooking the Grand Canyon. He gazed at the panorama in front of him in awe and wonder. The view below was spectacular! He stared at the amazing scenery, finding it helped put this phenomenal day's events into perspective. This morning had been the most wonderful, and most frightening, of Clark's young life. For years now, he had wondered if he could make himself float *up* and not just down. This morning, he had not only *floated* up, he had *flown*! He couldn't believe it himself. What other eighteen-year old could *fly*? And here he was at the Grand Canyon! He could hardly believe he had *flown* here--under his own power! He was elated and afraid all at the same time. Should he tell Lana? She would be *really* upset, and even more fearful that he would be exposed. He sighed, of course he *had* to tell Lana. She had a right to know. She, of all people, would understand. He recalled that when he found out he had won the scholarship to the School of Journalism at the University of Kansas, she had not been as pleased as he had hoped. He did not have the money to go out of state to university. Her father was paying for her education and insisted that his "little princess" only go to the best. She was going to the much more prestigious school of journalism in Metropolis. He had eventually come to the conclusion that Lana's lack of enthusiasm over his scholarship was because they would be separated, except for holidays, until after graduation. With today's milestone he had the means to visit her whenever they wanted, she should be ecstatic. Why was he even hesitating? He sighed and got to his feet. Standing at the very edge of the cliff he stepped off into the chasm below. He had been doing this stepping and floating down movement since he was eleven, but *today*, he could do more than that! He pushed that mental button that said "fly" and soared...and soared...and soared...and then giving himself another mental *push* zoomed higher yet. The rush was incredible! If it wasn't for the fact that he might get caught, he'd be laughing out loud for the sheer joy of it! Speaking of getting caught, he sighted a plane and swiftly ducked behind a cloud to hide from a jet on a flight path into Las Vegas. That had been close! But he didn't *care*. This was the *best* feeling no matter what Lana might say. He came to a halt in mid-air. *That* was why he was unwilling to tell Lana. She would tell him all the rational--and legitimate--reasons why he should *not* do this. And, she would be *right*. But, he *wanted* to fly. It felt *wonderful*! Well, he didn't *have* to tell Lana. Clark took a quick intake of breath. He was dismayed. How could he be so disloyal? Lana was his friend, his only *real* friend--she was going to be his wife someday. She had a *right* to know about this. Clark's joyous mood shriveled. He *had* to tell Lana all about this--of course he did. He turned and headed back to Smallville. ***** ....to be continued Last revised: March 1, 1998 ****************************** Margaret Brignell brignell@capitalnet.com Ottawa, Canada %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% My fanfic now available at: http://www.capitalnet.com/~brignell/ ****************************** ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 2 Mar 1998 18:26:13 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Margaret Brignell Subject: Only You: If Only -- Part 9 of 10 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Smallville, Kansas -- June 1982 ******************************* "But, Clark! It will be *fun* and we can do things together." Lana was using her coaxing voice. She wanted him to play football for Smallville High next fall. She thought it would be a great way for them to be together on weekends and at practices since she was applying to be a cheerleader. Clark wasn't so sure. His strength seemed more under control, now--and he could judge speed pretty well, but.... "Lana, they demand a *physical*. I can't take a physical. They'll find out!" "Oh! But, you've had a physical every year of school, and no one's found out, yet." "That's because...I never really take the physical." "What!" Lana exclaimed. "How do you manage that?" "Well, when Mom and Dad were alive they'd sign a waiver. Since I never got sick, the school never questioned it." "And since then?" "I've always been away the day the medical team comes to the school, then afterwards I go to the nurse and she does a quick check-up. Since I make sure my vital signs are always on target, I've never had to go through a full physical. But the football coach expects every player to have a full physical. I can't fake that." "Can you find out what you need to provide in the way of samples?" "Yes." "Then it's simple. I'll provide them, and you just have to put them in the containers they give you." Clark sighed. "Lana--in case you haven't noticed--you're a *girl*. The blood analysis will *show* that. They'll be checking for testosterone levels...for drugs. It won't work." "Well, get one of your buddies to provide them, then." "And, just how am I supposed to explain why I need some of their urine and blood? Lana...let's just forget it, okay?" Lana got that look on her face--the one that had become really familiar over the last few months--the one that meant it wasn't over...not until Lana Lang said it was over. Well, she couldn't *make* him apply for the football team. He just had to remain strong. He decided to change the subject. "What time should I pick you up for the year-end Memory Masquerade on Friday?" "7:30...and be sure to be on time. Daddy likes my dates to be punctual." "Yes, Lana, I know." He'd already had *that* lecture from her father. "I'll be there at 7:30, Friday. What colour corsage should I buy?" "Clark, let it be a surprise...but not pink...or orange. That would clash with my dress." Clark and Lana had agreed that they would not wear costumes to the Masquerade. Lana didn't want to wear a "silly costume" to their last high school prom. She thought it would look "ridiculous." He knew, after overhearing a conversation she had with Shirley, that she was going to be wearing a blue prom dress. He decided to go with a white corsage as being a safe choice. He was going to wear his new charcoal grey suit. His current foster family were an older couple and conservative in their ways. They insisted that he be "properly" dressed at all times and made sure that he had the appropriate clothes. He bought a corsage of white carnations for Lana, and a boutonniere for himself out of the money he earned helping Mr. Kratz. This won him both Lana and her parents' approval. By the time they got to the Memory Masquerade, the dance was in full swing. Their usual friends had gathered in their customary corner, equidistant between the buffet table and the restrooms, and were chattering to each other between dances. Rachel asked him to dance, and when Lana nodded, he accepted. It was a dance with an upbeat tempo and everyone on the floor was moving quickly and occasionally bumping into other couples. The dance was half over when Rachel tripped over someone's foot and would have hit the dance floor *hard* if Clark hadn't moved to stop her fall. Even so, he wasn't fast enough to prevent her from falling on her foot. "Are you okay?" "I...I...think so." Rachel sounded a little out of breath. Clark looked at her face. She appeared to be in pain. "Here, let me help you up." Clark put his arm around her and raised her up on her feet. She continued to lean on him for support, even after he had let go. "Are you sure you're okay?" "I...I..." He felt her sway against him and he put his arm around her again for support. Clark visually checked her for injury. Her ankle was beginning to swell. He picked her up and carried her off the dance floor. "Clark, what's going on, here?" Lana came up beside him as they left the dance floor. "Rachel fell and hurt her ankle." "Oh, *really*!" Lana was definitely annoyed. "Yes. Now if you'll let me pass I can put her down in that chair." Lana stepped back and made a snorting sound as she did so. He knew he was definitely going to hear about this later. Lana could never seem to forget that he and Rachel had dated for a brief period. "Is there something I can do?" It was Dr. Milhoon. "Oh, yes. Rachel fell, and I think she's hurt her ankle." Clark stepped back to allow the doctor to examine Rachel. Lana had disappeared. Clark knew he'd better go in search of her, and make amends. He found her coming out of the Ladies room and asked her to dance. It was a slow dance--her favourite kind. She was very remote for the first part of the dance, but as the dance progressed, her icy exterior melted and she seemed to have forgotten why she was angry. She moved her arms up so that her hands were clasped behind his head and their bodies were moving in sync with the slow rhythm of the music. He wondered if she had any idea what this did to his blood temperature. As the music faded, indicating the end of the dance, she kissed him on the lips, sweetly, gently. His face was flushed and he was breathing a little harder than he had been when the dance started. He took in a deep breath and followed Lana off the dance floor. "Hi, Rachel. How are you feeling?" Lana sounded gracious. "Fine. Dr. Milhoon says I've just sprained my ankle. It would have been much worse if Clark hadn't caught me." She smiled up at Clark. Lana looked like thunder, again. Clark decided a change of subject was needed. "I'm getting myself a snack. Does anyone want anything?" He memorized their wishes and headed for the buffet. He really wished Lana wasn't quite so...so possessive. He and Rachel were just friends. Anyone would help a hurt friend. He piled a plate with the favourite foods listed off by the group and managed to balance it and three drinks as he made his way back to the group. Lana took one of the drinks and said "Thank you." Rachel and Jim had disappeared. Peter took one of the remaining drinks, Clark kept the other. Pete volunteered: "Jim took Rachel home. She wasn't feeling all that up to a party anymore." "Is she going to be okay?" Clark took a sip of his drink, trying to ignore the peeved look on Lana's face. She always looked like this when he helped people, as if it reflected badly on her. He didn't understand why that would be, exactly, but that was how it seemed. "Yeah. The doctor told her to soak her ankle in ice, and see him tomorrow, if she still had swelling." "That's good." The conversation hit a lull for the next few minutes as everyone racked their brains for another topic of conversation. Eventually Lana tugged him back on to the dance floor and worked out her aggression in a frenetic dance. Clark was hoping she'd have worked through the whole problem by the time he took her home. He wasn't really ready to deal with her anger, again. He was relieved when she made absolutely no mention of Rachel and her injury during their walk to her house. Lana's moods were unpredictable at the best of times, and right now she seemed to be perpetually peeved with Clark. He wasn't sure why. He tried to please her. Really he did. When they got to the Lang gate, she stopped and said they should part here. She didn't want to disturb Mummy and Daddy. She lifted her lips for him to kiss her good-night and when his lips touched hers he found her melting against his body. Their kiss deepened and only ended when Lana had to come up for air. The blood was pounding in Clark's ears and he was breathing rather erratically. He'd heard the guys in the locker room talking about this kind of feeling. His doubts about being from Earth faded at times like this. He *must* be human, if kissing a girl did *this* to him too. Clark bent forward to see if a repetition would give him the proof he needed--that he was human. Lana put her hands on his chest and gently pushed him back. Breathlessly, she said, "Clark, I should go inside...I...We...shouldn't go any further...not yet." Clark swallowed, disappointed, but willing to wait...feeling like this was worth a wait. ***** ****************************** Margaret Brignell brignell@capitalnet.com Ottawa, Canada %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% My fanfic now available at: http://www.capitalnet.com/~brignell/ ****************************** ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Mar 1998 12:12:24 -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: Trivia/Clarification MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Many (n)fics have Clark listening to Lois' heartbeat for whatever reason. Was this mentioned on the show or did some FoLC create it? =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= | Gary A. Rudick mailto:gar8434@rit.edu | | "You decide what you feel heaven is worth" - Deborah Gibson, TWYH | =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Mar 1998 11:08:49 -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: Re: Trivia/Clarification MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit Gary wrote: > Many (n)fics have Clark listening to Lois' heartbeat for whatever > reason. Was this mentioned on the show or did some FoLC create it? It must be FoLC created since in... blanking on the episode, but it might have been That Old Gang of Mine... well, in a first or second season episode, there's a scene where Superman tells Jimmy to page Lois's beeper and keep doing it so that he can follow the sound to find her. So presumably, he can't hear her over long distances, as is often shown in fanfic. As far as Clark listening to Lois's heartbeat when she's right there, while trying to fall asleep or whatever... I think in both cases this can be attributed to a little vignette by Jennifer Baker that's in the archive. At least, that's the earliest use of it I remember. Isn't it fascinating the things that become canon in fanfic? Lois calls Clark "farmboy" or tells him he looks good in black once on the show and it's immortalized forever... ==Alyssa in St. Paul== (agmondelli@stthomas.edu)(AlyssaM on the IRC) Webmistress, Tempus Expeditions - http://www.tempus.simplenet.com Home of the Fortress of Insanity and Lois & Clark Season 5 "What's less than square one? Minus zippo? Negative bupkes?" --Capt. Don Cragen, _Law & Order_ ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Mar 1998 12:17:10 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: JCWimmer Subject: Re: Trivia/Clarification Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit In a message dated 98-03-03 12:06:05 EST, you write: << Many (n)fics have Clark listening to Lois' heartbeat for whatever reason. Was this mentioned on the show or did some FoLC create it? >> You know, I never thought of that, but I don't think it was ever mentioned in the series. It has been adopted, though, by so many writers of oth fanfic and nfic, that I have no idea where it started. I can't begin to count the number of authors, myself included, that find this idea so fascinating. I first saw it in Heartbeat, by Jennifer Baker. I also saw it in stories by Erin Klinger. If you find out were it begun, let me know. I feel like I plagerized...and I don't even know who to thank . One last thing: to whoever thought it up, it was a great concept. Using Clarks hearing to link him to Lois's life force in the most elemental way is as WAFFy as it gets. GOOD THINKING! Crystal ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Mar 1998 11:44:44 -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: Re: Trivia/Clarification In-Reply-To: <3.0.1.16.19980303121224.4d270a66@vmspop.isc.rit.edu> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 12:12 PM 3/3/98 -0500, Gary wrote: > Many (n)fics have Clark listening to Lois' heartbeat for whatever > reason. Was this mentioned on the show or did some FoLC create it? Oh, good question. I'm personally guilty of using this one but I don't remember it ever specifically happening on the series. I will admit that it is an extremely romantic whimsy with no apparent justification from the series, but I also think it's a concept that is consistent with the characters, particularly this Clark/Superman, whether one leans towards the purely mythical aspects of the story, which I do, or towards more reality-driven explanations, which many do. There are several things throughout the series that support the conclusion that he could be tuned in to her enough to be consciously, or even unconsciously, aware of her heartbeat, possibly at all times. If they are soul mates and have been throughout time, then more than likely they would recognize each other on a level they don't understand, with his super-senses in this lifetime playing a large part of his growing awareness once he meets her, almost involuntarily -- that's a purely mythical explanation. There's also a more reality-driven one -- the globe was said to be attuned to him, making it appear that, at the very least, Kryptonians have the ability to have and maintain strong psychic/emotional links with things which have importance in their lives, so even if Lois & Clark weren't destined to be together as mythical soul mates, it's highly possible that his alien physiology could very well focus in her once he falls in love with her. But, having said all that, the only episode I can think of that strongly suggested something very close to him being that aware of her heartbeat without coming right out and saying so was TEMPUS, ANYONE? when she comes back at the end and Clark is in such a panic over those strange ten seconds . . . what exactly was so intensely missing from his perspective in such a brief period of time? Chose a mythical explanation and it could be her very presence that's he doesn't feel for some unexplained reason. Go the practical route and he could quite literally not be able to hear her heartbeat and freak out, maybe without specifically knowing why. Beverly :-) ******************************* Beverly Latham blatham@hop-uky.campus.mci.net ******************************* ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Mar 1998 13:38:47 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Michael Bast Subject: Re: Trivia/Clarification Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Not to disparage whomever thought it first in fan-fiction, but the "zoning in" on Lois's heartbeat had been used for years in the comics. Mind you, it was the Silver Age Superman, with much stronger powers, but same concept. Mike. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Mar 1998 12:46:08 -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: Re: Trivia/Clarification In-Reply-To: <852565BC.00665E65.00@notes.cbis.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 01:38 PM 3/3/98 -0500, Michael Bast wrote: >Not to disparage whomever thought it first in fan-fiction, but the "zoning >in" on Lois's heartbeat had been used for years in the comics. Mind you, it >was the Silver Age Superman, with much stronger powers, but same concept. This doesn't surprise me a bit because it does make such sense for the character. In fact, I'd think it not coming up at some time or other would be the surprise. Beverly :-) ******************************* Beverly Latham blatham@hop-uky.campus.mci.net ******************************* ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Mar 1998 14:47:20 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Zoomway Subject: Re: Trivia/Clarification Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit In a message dated 98-03-03 13:38:33 EST, michael.bast@CBIS.COM writes: << Not to disparage whomever thought it first in fan-fiction, but the "zoning in" on Lois's heartbeat had been used for years in the comics. Mind you, it was the Silver Age Superman, with much stronger powers, but same concept. >> Even after the silver age Superman, after Lois and Clark fell in love, Clark said he knew Lois's every sound, her scent, how she moved. The one thing the series had that the comics never really had was that 'bond' between Lois and Clark. Neither of them knew what it was exactly "this thing between us *whatever* it is, it's stronger than me" It seems to have been the bond that pulled Clark back from death in HIWTHI. Asabi knew that it was so strong, it would even survive death (this may have led to the idea of them being soulmates) I think that's why Clark reacted so strongly when Lois was suddenly pulled from his dimension in Tempus Anyone. He could *feel* her ripped away from him. Zoomway@aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Mar 1998 15:17:19 -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: Trivia/Clarification In-Reply-To: MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 02:47 PM 3/3/98 -0500, you wrote: > >Even after the silver age Superman, after Lois and Clark fell in love, Clark >said he knew Lois's every sound, her scent, how she moved. > Who did he say this to? =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= | Gary A. Rudick mailto:gar8434@rit.edu | | "You decide what you feel heaven is worth" - Deborah Gibson, TWYH | =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Mar 1998 15:59:33 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Zoomway Subject: Re: Trivia/Clarification Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit In a message dated 98-03-03 15:18:07 EST, you write: << > >Even after the silver age Superman, after Lois and Clark fell in love, Clark >said he knew Lois's every sound, her scent, how she moved. > Who did he say this to? >> Well, he said it to himself actually One of those thought bubble things. Here's the 'thought' dialog from The Adventures of Superman issue # 510 from 1994 (Bizarro has taken Lois and Clark is looking for her) "I know how she looks and moves...her every sound...the smell of her hair. All I have to do is open my super-senses and sift through the input." Unfortunately Clark was suffeing a similar fate we saw in Leathal Weapon. He has too much power. It overwhelms him and so he can't locate her. Zoomway@aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Mar 1998 16:41:49 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Michael Bast Subject: Re: Trivia/Clarification Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Just a few thoughts on the topic of the day - Superman's biggest problem has been (for a long time) that he was too powerful. No real dramatic tension is possible with a character that big, unless you find a really good writer, or (as is the case now) you focus on character and not power. The powers make for more story possibilities, if you are careful, but can also block a newer/less accomplished writer from doing anything good (I know this because I took a screenwriting class, and was going to try an episode of L&C, but didn't think I could do it well enough). Lois and Clark are no different from us, we can all have the kind of love they have, but Superman changes the picture. I couldn't, no matter how much I loved someone, find her across town with hearing, he can. Why does this matter? It helps us see quicker what matters to Clark. His powers serve to show us in a better, quicker manner that they are in love, in the broadest possible sense. Kind of a long rant for someone new to the list, but this was one of my favorite series, and is my favorite character, and what the show did and what the comics do should have no bearing on the other. Completely different characterizations. Sorry for taking so much time. Mike ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Mar 1998 17:01:29 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Pam Jernigan Subject: Re: Trivia/Clarification Comments: To: Blind.Copy.Receiver@compuserve.com MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 >> As far as Clark listening to Lois's heartbeat when she's right there, while trying to fall asleep or whatever... I think in both cases this can be attributed to a little vignette by Jennifer Baker that's in the archive. << Ah yes, that little thing called, appropriately enough, "Heartbeat"... = I hope someone thought to nominate that story for Best Waffyfic; that category was a late add-on and I totally overlooked it. Anyway, yes, I think you're right. PJ = (and only this afternoon, I was commenting on how slow the list had been lately ) !^NavFont02F01C6000FMGJHGB8MGBAHHC88608 E-mail from: Pam Jernigan, 03-Mar-1998 jernigan@compuserve.com / ChiefPam on the IRC ~~~~~ Unreformed, unrepentent, sometimes unproductive but never uninteresting fanfic writer = Visit Sarah & Pam's Shrine o'Fanfic at: http://www.geocities.com/hollywood/2501 ~~~~~ Lois and Clark Season 5 Fanfic: now at: http://www.tempus.simplenet.com/season5/ as mentioned in SciFi Entertainment magazine ~~~~~ "Bloom, close, kick 'em in the head." (Fraser teaches Ray how to swim, Due South) ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Mar 1998 20:27:40 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Zoomway Subject: New L&C NFIC Website is up Comments: cc: LOISCLA@vm.ege.edu.tr Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit Howdy. Thanks to Beth and some technohelp from Demi the non-geek geek ;) There is now nfic at my website. For the uninitiated, Nfic is very steamy fanfic that rates about NC17. Okay, this is what you do to access. Go to my main page at http://acreativetouch.simplenet.com/zoomway/zoom2.htm On that page hit the link that says "Message Boards" on that page is a link for Nfic. On the Nfic page scroll down and read the disclaimer. You must be 18 years old or older to access this page. After you *read* the disclaimer and instructions, there is a place for you to signup for a password list. The password will be changed daily, so you have to sign up for the password list. Once you have the password and userID, click to enter the nfic site and it will ask you to type in the userID and password. Once you've done that, you have access to the nfic stories. To some it might seem like extreme measures, especially since some very x- rated fanfic of various TV shows is available on public forums like usenet newsgroups, but I at least want to keep people from accessing by accident if Nfic isn't their cup of fiction. Also it's true that nfic sometimes isn't even as daring as some of the more graphic romance novels available on the shelves in drug stores that anyone of any age can buy, but again, this is just a personal choice for me. There's a few nfic stories and vignettes at the site that aren't up anywhere else, so they're well worth a trip for you nfic fans. Also, if you want to post your nfic there, please do even if it's been on a list or archived elsewhere. All are welcome *except* 'crude/crass' language type that are more suited to porno than erotica. That might be a semantical distinction for some, but not for me. I see a big difference between pornography and erotica. One last word, read the instructions and disclaimer carefully. Some haven't been completely filling out the information form, and so are automatically not added to the list. After you fill out the password signup form you will be sent a confirmation letter. This is to make sure that you sent the request and not someone else using your e-mail address to try and get on the list. Once you confirm that you did fill it out you will get a letter verifying that you have been added to the password list. This isn't foolproof, there's just too darn many fools out there But, it's the best we can do at the moment, as well as some hidden safeguards against people who end up using a password and UserID who aren't on the list. At any rate, that's how it stands now. Have fun, and don't get drool on the keyboard ;) Zoomway@aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Mar 1998 20:41:07 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Eraygun Subject: New Fanfic: AFTER*GLOW* Part 1 of 4 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit AFTER *GLOW* An IRC Round Robin Fanfic by ChrisM (mulders@mindspring.com); ChiefPam (Jernigan@compuserve.com); DorDor (dorisschmill@gmx.net); Eraygun (Eraygun@aol.com); Mackteach(Mackteach@aol.com); Zoomway (zoomway@aol.com); Clark and Trask plunged into the small pond behind the Kent farmhouse. Clark was fighting for his life, and the lives of his parents. Fighting a madman who wanted Superman dead. In Trask's warped mind, Superman was a threat to humanity, but Trask didn't care how many humans he had to destroy in the process. The green stone had taken his powers. Trask had said it came from Krypton. How could a piece of his homeworld destroy him? A million thoughts flashed through Clark's mind as he fought Trask with his last ounce of strength. Was Lois all right? Could she save his parents if he couldn't? Finally, after what seemed a battle of hours, Trask began to weaken. Clark poised his fist in front of the madman's face. "Kill me, Superman," Trask said, his breath ragged. "I would have killed you." For some reason that phrase was all that was needed to disarm Clark. He felt sheer disgust that he would do anything with a motive resembling Trask's. "That's *not* how I work," Clark said, and released him. He turned his back on Trask and began wading back towards the farmhouse. Wit Trask defeated, his men already gone, Clark was confident the nightmare was finished. He reached for his glasses, floating on the surface. Dimly, in the distance, Clark had heard an approaching vehicle. There was the sound of a pistol's slide being drawn back; Lois shouting "Clark!" He turned. A shot rang out. Clark saw Trask, his pistol drawn but the life-light in his stunned eyes draining away. He sank into the pond. Clark's glance then shifted to Rachel Harris, her gun still pointed at the dying man. She looked nearly as stunned as Trask. Clark sighed with relief and gratitude, but wondered how much having to kill a man would cost his friend Rachel. Clark finally made his way out of the pond, and Lois rushed to him. He had never seen such an expression of terror on her face. The moment she touched him, the expression dissolved to relief. They embraced each other. They couldn't speak. They didn't have to. Clark held on to Lois, trying to catch his breath. Hefting space stations into space had been a piece of cake compared to what he'd just gone through. When the good guys fought the bad guys on TV, they made it look so easy. It hadn't been easy at all, though. He shuddered to think what might have happened to his parents and Lois, if Trask had won. He clung to Lois and felt her tighten her hold on him. He'd never forget the look on her face as she'd hurried over to him after Rachel had killed Trask. Had there been more than friendship in her expression? He hoped so. He pulled back from her a bit so he could see her face again. It was still there! That look that held worry, caring, concern and something else. Could it be ... love? Maybe? Just a little? Overwhelmed by the possibility, he couldn't look in her eyes any more. He dropped his head forward and touched his forehead to hers, not knowing how he should respond, or what he should say. It was almost as if he'd seen something private, something he wasn't supposed to know about ... maybe something Lois didn't know about yet, either. His mind in a whirl and his body trembling from the aftereffects of the fight and the chill of being in wet clothes, he once again felt Lois pulling him close to her. God, but this felt so good ... so right. What he wouldn't give to be able to hold her like this every day. He put a hand up to caress the back of her head, while pressing her closer with his other arm. If only he could tell her what he was feeling. Should he tell her? What would she think? "Lois," he whispered, "I--" Whatever he might have said was cut off by the sudden convergence of Rachel, two of her deputies and Jimmy. "CK! Wow! I thought you were a goner!" "Clark, are you all right?" Clark felt Lois pull back from him, as if she had just remembered that they had an audience. He glanced at her face just before she turned to ask one of the deputies a question. Was that regret he'd seen there? "Clark, Lois said your parents were in danger. Where are they?" His parents! He'd forgotten about his parents! "They're in the shed, Rachel. I was trying to untie them when Trask ... attacked me." "CK, I tried calling Superman with the signal watch, but it didn't work." Clark had started to walked towards the shed, but he turned back and put a hand on Jimmy's shoulder. "That's okay, Jimmy. Thanks for trying to help." "No problem. I got some pictures, too. Sure hope the Chief likes 'em." "Good job, Jimmy," Clark said, tiredly. "I'm sure he will." Jimmy trailed along beside Clark all the way to the shed, chattering away about how he'd seen the soldiers taking Clark out of the tent, and how he'd rushed into Smallville to get help for his friends. In spite of the bruises that Clark could feel forming in every place where Trask has punched or kicked him, Clark couldn't help but smile at Jimmy's enthusiasm. The kid was high on excitement, that's for sure. Once inside the shed, Clark bent to help a deputy who was trying to loosen the heavy ropes around his parents and Wayne Irig. If he'd still had his powers, he could have snapped these in a second. But now his fingers were sore from the fight, and a bit numb from the cold water in the pond and he could barely make any headway. Jimmy produced a pocketknife with all kinds of weird gizmos on it--another STAR Labs techie thing, no doubt--and it wasn't long before everyone was free. After being hugged by his mom and dad, and assuring them that he would be all right, Clark stepped back out into the sunshine and looked around for Lois. For a moment, he didn't see her and felt an almost panicky feeling rise up within him. Was she all right? He had held her in his arms safe just a moment ago, hadn't he? Then his eyes caught sight of her and his pulse quickened. He picked up his step, almost running towards her. She was talking to Rachel when he reached her, seemingly engrossed in the conversation. But looking at her, Clark couldn't help feeling she was being just a little too absorbed in it, especially after the moment they had just shared. And, even with notepad in hand, she was babbling. Clark had come to recognize the signs. She was trying to regain her composure--no wonder after what had happened. Had it been too fast? Had he given in to his feelings too much? But it had felt so natural and so right. He wanted to reassure her, let her know that he was aware of what was happening between them, yet also that she needed time. He didn't want to push her, wanted to make sure she was ready and sure of the way she felt. Yet he ached to hold her close like he had before. He cleared his throat. "Lois ...?" If she had heard him, she gave no sign of it. But he had to admit that without superhearing his voice had barely been audible. "Lois?" A little louder this time. "... and you were saying, Rachel?" Lois voice went up a notch in volume and intensity, too. Rachel, unaware of the tension between the two people standing next to her, was clearly enjoying being the center of attention. For the moment at least, she didn't seem to consider Lois competition. "Well, when your young friend first talked to me -- " she said, nodding her head towards Jimmy who was talking with some guards a little way off. Not able to withstand her silence any longer, Clark reached out a hand and gently laid it on Lois's shoulder. "Lois, can we ...?" He felt her tense at his touch, and, hurting, withdrew his hand immediately. Rachel finally became aware of his presence and looked at him. "Clark, your parents are all right, aren't they?" she asked. "Yes, they are," he said, a little absentmindedly, though. Lois was the one he wanted, needed, to talk to. "That madman almost killed them, killed you ... nearly killed all of you," Rachel said, her voice changing just a bit as she spoke. "If I hadn't ..." "You surely arrived in the nick of time," Lois said. "This will make a great ..." "Oh my god, I killed him ..." Rachel's voice trailed off. Continued in part 2 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Mar 1998 20:41:30 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Eraygun Subject: NEW FANFIC: A WORLD WITHOUT SUPERMAN part 1 of 5 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit A World Without Superman An IRC Round Robin Fanfic by ChrisM (mulders@mindspring.com); ChiefPam (Jernigan@compuserve.com); Ckgroupie (NKWolke@t-online.de); CrystalW (JCWimmer@aol.com); DorDor (dorisschmill@gmx.net); Eraygun (Eraygun@aol.com); Kirshnera (Kirshnera@aol.com); Zoomway (zoomway@aol.com); Lois stood at the window. Clark had just left but sometimes just the irony that she kissed her husband good-bye and he left for 'work' flying caught up to her. Her mother always told her she wasn't like the 'other little girls' but she'd never thought it would be illustrated so dramatically once she grew up. Just as she drifted to cosmic thoughts, the familiar costume reappeared at the window. "Miss me?" Lois watched as he entered. "Miss you? You only left a minute ago." "No smoocherino for hubby, dearest?" Lois raised her eyebrows. "Smoocherino?" There was suddenly a red and blue puff of smoke, and Mxyptlk stood before Lois, his lips puckered. "Mixmaster!" Lois shouted in disgust. "Myxzptlk! *Mister* Mxyzptlk!" Lois folded her arms. "If you don't leave in 5 seconds, I'm calling my husband." Mxyzptlk shrugged, and in an instant a gag appeared over Lois's mouth. "Lois Lanes should be seen, and not heard." Lois pulled off the gag. "Superman!" Mxy produced a large stopwatch. "Slowing down in his old age." Lois became concerned as the seconds ticked by, but no Clark. The stopwatch vanished. "Oops, I forgot, SupieDupie won't be coming." Lois swallowed, she knew the imp had impressive powers. "What have you done with him?" "See, it's that loving concern that brought me here. After you were able to break free of the time loop, I knew you were different...this thing you have with Supie, I don't understand it." "We call that 'thing' love." Mxy held up a hand. "Puhleeze! This thing goes beyond that. So, being the logical guy I am, the thing that makes Supie different is his power, sooo, I took it away." Lois sighed. "Clark has been without his powers before. It didn't change anything." Mxy crossed his legs and floated eye level with Lois. "You didn't let me finish. See, here's the deal. I made him *mortal.* No powers, never had 'em. It's that Pinocchio syndrome thing. Now he's a *real* boy." "Clark does have a memory, Mxyptlk ...Mr. Mxyzptlk." Mxy shrugged. "Maybe he did, but not where I'm sending him. He'll be back at the good old Daily Planet. Oh..about four years ago, around the time you met and made his super heart leap out of his over-developed chest." Lois silently counted to ten. "You sent him back in time?" "No, I'm sending *you* back in time. Everything will be as it was," he said, and then intoned, "but *you* are there. The thing is, he won't have his powers, no one will ever have heard of Superman, and he can't *be* Superman, because he doesn't have, and never had powers." Lois's face became ashen. "Mxyzptlk, you *can't* do that! The Messenger, all those people..!" "I know, they'll explode like LexiePoo intended *unless* you can convince Clark he *has* powers and will one day wear his underwear on the outside." "That's impossible! He won't have his powers, how can I can convince--" "That's your problem. If you succeed, I go back to the 5th dimension, and you come back here. Everything resets. Deal?" "Deal!? Do I have a choice?" "Not really. I mean if you flop on this, you go 'boom' on the Messenger, so technically you wouldn't be here either. Then again there was that nasty asteroid--" "All right! Deal!" "Good," Mxy smiled. "I'm not completely heartless. Clark will still have that bond thing for you, even my power couldn't dismantle that, but it'll be just about the only leverage you have with him." "Okay, so how do I get--" Lois said and then "..there?" was spoken by her aloud in the 'old' Daily Planet building. "Olsen! Where are my donuts! Blast it, where is that kid?" Perry's shout made Lois jump. She was feeling a bit dizzy still ... probably because of being zapped back in time four years' worth. She noticed that her desk chair was unoccupied, went over and sank into it, still trying to fully grasp what was happening. One moment she'd been having a pleasant evening at home with a much-loved husband, and now ... "Hey, Lois!" Jimmy popped up next to her, seemingly from nowhere. She really wished people would stop doing that. "Yes, Jimmy?" she responded, trying to look casual. "Oh, well, I'm just surprised to see you, that's all. I thought you were doing a follow up to your car theft ring story. Aren't those crooks being arraigned today?" "Huh, yeah, I guess so." She could see that Jimmy was looking at her strangely, so she pointed to the bag he was carrying. "Shouldn't you be getting those donuts in to Perry?" Jimmy started, seemed to remember that he was holding something and turned towards Perry's office just as another bellow erupted from there. In spite of everything, Lois had to smile ... it was nice to know that some things were the same. Now that she was alone, she tried to think back to what she had been doing four years earlier. When had Clark arrived for his interview? It was after she'd broken the car theft ring story, but before Dr. Platt had showed up ... or was it after Dr. Platt? It was important that she remember ... she wanted to get his attention as soon as possible. The lives of everyone on that transport depended on her. She looked through the papers on her desk and found her calendar. Somehow she thought it might be important to do as many of the same things as she'd done four years ago ... at least until Clark arrived, that is. She was afraid of jinxing something ... changing something that might somehow prevent or delay his arrival. Who knew what that Mixup guy might have done in this time? Okay ... she was supposed to go to the courthouse this morning, so she would do that. After that, she needed to be in the Daily Planet so Platt could find her. Good, she had a plan. ***** Clark got off the bus and stretched as he put down his heavy suitcase. The bus ride across half the country had taken almost two days and been exhausting. A plane would have been a lot faster and more convenient, but also more expensive. He wanted to save money wherever he could. His parents had supported him way too long already. He walked a few steps down the sidewalk, trying to get his bearings. He had been told he wouldn't really be able to miss The Planet, but he had a feeling he could get himself lost in this big city effectively fast. Then he caught sight of the big globe outside the building. He was *there*. Now he had to just convince the editor in chief of his credentials. He knew he was good. And his boss and mentor friend from the Smallville Press had written him an excellent recommendation. Suddenly behind him there was a loud crash, the sound of metal grinding upon metal and people screaming. Clark stood paralyzed. It was happening right behind him. He stood watching helplessly as the bus, having collided and maimed a car, continued skidding towards a group of pedestrians as they were crossing the street. Its brakes must be failing. He watched in a daze as the bus in slow motion hit several of the pedestrians, finally coming to a halt as it careened into a large truck that was turning the corner around the intersection. There were more screams from the people inside the bus. Clark was in shock. Bodies and blood seemed to be everywhere. And the screams continued to echo in his ears even after the police and the first ambulances arrived and the scene was cleared. He backed up slowly a few steps on the sidewalk until he felt the cool surface of a building behind him and leaned against it heavily. He never knew how long he stood there watching horrified still. Eventually the relentless beeping of the alarm on his wrist watch brought him back to the present. His interview! He had no idea how he was going to make it through an interview now. Somehow, his life's ambition of working for one of the country's most famous newspapers had lost all significance. If only he had been able to help. His former girl friend back home had often accused him of suffering from "helper's syndrome," feeling responsible for things outside his sphere of influence, yet longing to help. That was one reason he had decided to become a reporter. He wanted to help. Mechanically, he began to walk towards the Planet's building. He was going to be late. But it didn't really matter. He walked into the lobby and finding the elevators, took it up to the newsroom floor. A secretary ushered him into the Editor's office. Perry White turned around from the window and faced him. "Did you just see what happened down there?" One look at the younger man's pale face gave him his answer. Waving to indicate a chair, he added in a quieter voice, "Have a seat ..." Outside in the newsroom, Lois had heard the elevator doors open and seen the familiar figure of her husband emerge. She smiled as she saw him, his longer hair curling over his ears. He looked so *young*. Hard to imagine that this was only four years ago. Then squinting she noticed that there was something subtly different about him, about the way he carried himself, his whole demeanor. She could still recall their first meeting in Perry's office. Somehow, this was different. Had the time line been changed? Or was this something that had to do with Clark himself only? She remembered that she hadn't been there from the start. Thus she decided to give Perry another five minutes with the new arrival before interrupting ... and hoping to get Clark's attention. Those five minutes seemed to be the longest in her entire life. She was still trying to place a finger on the subtle difference she had felt in Clark. Myx had said that their bond would still be there. She hoped that was true. Then picking up her notepad, she moved towards Perry's office. Taking a deep breath, she fit into the role of her younger self, trying to pretend not to be interested in the prime target of her interest in Perry's office at all. Clark was sitting on his chair, seeming almost oblivious to what Perry was saying as she burst into the office. Perry interrupted his speech to the younger man, looked at her, then at Clark. "Lois Lane, Clark Kent." For a long moment it felt like those fateful words had no effect on him, but then Clark looked up at her. There eyes met, and ... *something*... seemed to pass between them. Continued in part 2 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Mar 1998 20:41:02 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Eraygun Subject: NEW FANFIC ALERT: AFTER *GLOW* & A WORLD WITHOUT SUPERMAN Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit Hi Folcs, The IRC round robin writers have been busy again and the results are two fanfics I will be posting to the list tonight :). These stories were written *live* on the IRC and have only been edited to remove typos etc. Final versions of both stories will be posted in the Lois and Clark Fanfiction Archives. After*Glow* is an inbetweenie set in the first season and it fills in that gap in the GGGoH from the climatic fight scene until the return to the Daily Planet. A World Without Superman looks at what happens when our favorite fifth dimensional imp decides to test that *bond thing* between Lois and Clark. Hope you enjoy them. Cheers, Eileen a/k/a Eraygun@aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Mar 1998 20:41:48 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Eraygun Subject: NEW FANFIC: A WORLD WITHOUT SUPERMAN part 4 of 5 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit A World Without Superman: continued from part 3 ___________________________ Lois gave Clark a crooked smile. "You don't know the half of it," she mumbled. "What did you say?" "Never mind. We've got that interview with Dr. Baines at the Space Center so we'd better hit it." "Right, you're the boss," Clark said with a grin. Lois smiled and shook her head. Four years ago she would have killed to have Clark say that. Now it just reminded her how slightly askew things were. "No I'm not the boss, we're partners. I may be senior partner, but we're partners in this." Clark grinned and nodded. "So, lets go, partner." ***** The interview with Dr. Baines went just as before, except Lois found herself bristling even more at that sociopath's obvious attraction to Clark. Her other problem was the feeling that time was compressing again. It seemed liked the events that had taken days before were being squeezed into hours. Was that possible? Could that blasted imp be controlling the pace of events as well? He could do anything. He could do that. Lois snapped back in to the present..well, the past, when she felt Clark touch her shoulder. "Here's Dr. Banks card." "Hm? You mean Dr. Baines," she said turning and finding herself face to face with Clark. Very close to his face. "B..Baines. Her name is Baines." "I guess that's what makes you a good reporter, Lois," he said softly. "You're very observant." "Well," Lois cleared her throat. "I couldn't help noticing Baines seemed...young..for a person holding a position of such authority." "Was she? I guess that's what I thought of you when I first saw you. Young for a woman in your position, and attractive." Clark blushed. "I..I--" "It's okay, Clark, I don't mind being called attractive ... as much as I used to," she added hastily. "So what now?" "Now," Lois said, tugging his arm. "We visit Platt, and then you rent a tuxedo." "Pretty formal for a scientist," he smiled. "Oh, I forgot. I'm short a new pair of shoes, eyeliner and a man for Lex Luthor's White Orchid Ball. Would you mind being the "guest" half of my invitation?" "I can't think of anything I'd like better," he smiled. "But I've always viewed Mr. Luthor as something of a symptom of what's wrong with our society." Lois stopped walking. "Really?" Clark shrugged. "Sorry, I've never met the man. I know he has altruistic ventures, employs half the city, but something about his conspicuous consumption, a constant need to impress..I don't know. I guess my opinion might change when I meet him." "Don't count on it," Lois muttered. The two of them departed EPRAD, and had a rather enlightening chat with Samuel Platt, a man who dressed from head to waist as a homeless bum, and from waist to knees like a homeless Scot. Lois was impressed, just as she had been the first time, when Clark could speak on a parity with Platt about crystallized ion particles. This time Lois didn't have to pretend not to notice. She also knew this time that Samuel Platt, despite his fleatrap digs, bizarre wardrobe and disjointed speech, was no crackpot. What gnawed at the back of her mind though, is that this man would die. She and Clark could prevent it this time, but with the reset Mxyzptlk had planned, destiny would still, unfortunately, fulfill itself for this man. It might have been this thought that caused Lois to tell Platt that she and Clark would watch out for his wife and daughter. Platt looked at her curiously, and Clark looked at her adoringly. They left Platt's sad, ugly 'home', and Lois remained quiet for the ride back to the Apollo. Clark exited. "I'll pick up that tuxedo, Lois." "Hm? Oh, yes, I'll go home and get dressed. I guess it'll be faster if we just meet at the ball." "No, problem," he said, and turned to go, but turned back. "Don't worry, if Platt has proof, we can stop the sabotage." ***** The White Orchid Ball was in full swing when Lois arrived. She looked around, but Clark wasn't there yet. A terrible thunderstorm threatened loudly outside the magnificent penthouse. She shook her head in disgust. She always called Clark naive, but she had been no better when she'd attended this soiree four years ago. She had thought Lex Luthor was a wonderful man. A man of power who used his wealth and position for all the right causes. His heart was in the right place. She smiled to herself. His heart was locked in one of his lesser used vaults. The lightning flashed. Lex appeared at the top of the grand staircase. Lois wondered how much it cost Lex to bribe Mother Nature for that well-timed flash of lightning. She watched him oil down the stairs, kissing and shaking hands, saying just the right things, in his well-rehearsed cultured voice. She'd pay a week's salary for a tripwire right about now. She heard Jimmy's excited voice prattling on behind her. "I've read all five of his unauthorized biographies, 'Wrong Side of the Tracks', 'Rags to Riches--There he is!" Lex, lord of the manor, finally made his way to the ballroom floor. "Lex Luthor!" Lois called out, and the lightning flashed again. Lex looked up and caught sight of her. His expression went from zero to gimme in one second. "Lois Lane, Daily Planet. You never returned my calls." He looked at her as if she was as edible as one of the expensive canapés. "That's a mistake I won't repeat, I assure you." Jimmy, never having seen Lois so 'turned out', widened his eyes in wonder. "She's something, isn't she, CK?" Clark tugged down his tuxedo jacket. "She sure is something." Lex smoothly turned his handshake with Lois into a dance maneuver. He explained that he'd never had good experiences with the press. Lois smiled and reminded him that he'd never been interviewed by her before. Clark watched all of this unfolding, and though he scarcely knew Lois, he knew he was jealous. He tried to ignore the feeling, but it would not go away. He squared his shoulders, and approached the couple. He was about to cut in, when Lex whispered something about dinner in Lois's ear, and was way too familiar with his lip placement. Lois pulled back, and slapped Lex across the face. "I said 'interview' not 'interlude'!" The music stopped. The dancing stopped, and the rain began to fall in buckets. Lex's eyes flashed for just a moment. That was the Lex Luthor she knew. The Lex with dark, cold shark eyes. He then smiled, composing himself, and announced loudly. "Ladies and gentlemen, Lois Lane. Reporter of the Daily Planet and the next heavyweight champion of the world." The well-clad gathering laughed nervously. "And the only reporter to get an interview with me in five years." Everyone applauded. Lex turned back to Lois. "I assure you the dinner will be strictly business, Ms. Lane." Lois pulled a card from her neckline and handed it to Lex. "We'll have Chinese takeout in the conference room at the Daily Planet. Ralph's Pagoda provides a fine dining experience." Lex, the world watching, merely took the card, nodded, and mingled with his guests. Clark, his eyebrows still raised since the slap, approached Lois cautiously. "I'd like to dance with you, Lois." Lois smiled at him and walked into his arms. "Don't worry, I only slap one man a night. Tae Kwan Do teaches that two slaps is an overstatement." He laughed softly against her ear. "If you feel the need though, my face is still numb from the aftershave I borrowed from Jimmy Lois smiled and shook her head gently, content just to sway in Clark's arms for a moment. Holding herself away from him these last days had been so hard... she still had to refrain from getting as close as she'd like, but this was a vast improvement. He danced beautifully, she thought dreamily, even without superpowers... and that was a good conversation starter. Much as she'd like to just enjoy this closeness forever, it wasn't productive. She pulled back slightly, and caught a fleeting expression of disappointment on his face. Maybe dancing was more productive than she'd thought, she smiled to herself. Still, a conversation was needed, so he wouldn't feel awkward. "You dance very well, Clark. I would have thought you'd be more comfortable with square dancing." She smiled warmly to cushion the words. He returned the smile, his eyes twinkling at the tease. "I learned ballroom dancing from a Nigerian princess, actually..." "Really? How fascinating - tell me more about your travels..." As they danced, they talked. Clark was amazed at how comfortable he felt with this woman he'd just met and barely knew. He liked people well enough, but always seemed to remain distant; he didn't often connect with people, and never as strongly as he had with this particular woman. And what a woman she was. Most women he knew would have been at least a little hesitant about dealing with the 3rd richest man in the world. Lois, though... she had confidence to spare. She was invulnerable. He'd never known anyone like her, and he never wanted this dance to end. Unfortunately, Lex Luthor had been watching from the sidelines and he was the one who was paying for the band. The music abruptly ended, and Lex moved into the middle of the room, calling for everyone's attention. As she watched him giving the crowd his spiel about how he happy he would be to "rescue" the space program for the "potential good of all mankind," it took all she could do not to laugh out loud. Instead, she moved closer to Clark, took his arm and whispered into his ear, "Don't you find it interesting that he's got these space station plans so far along ... and just in time to take over where EPRAD may have to leave off?" Clark turned from watching Lex with barely concealed skepticism and gave his full attention to his new partner. "Yes, now that you mention it, I do find it *very* interesting." "I think we've got a lead, partner. If we can somehow find a connection between Luthor and--" Whatever else Lois might have said was interrupted by the applause of the people around them. Reluctantly, Lois and Clark joined in, but they were already forming plans to make sure that whatever Lex was planning wouldn't work out. ***** The next morning they were both at the Daily Planet bright and early, checking with Lois's many sources and discreetly inquiring into any connection between LexCorp and certain prominent EPRAD staff members. Lois didn't want to make things look too easy, but she was getting desperate to move things along. The day of the colonists' transport launch was growing ever nearer, and the thought of Amy, Mrs. Platt ... No! It wasn't going to happen! Not if she could prevent it. Continued in part 5 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Mar 1998 20:41:36 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Eraygun Subject: NEW FANFIC: A WORLD WITHOUT SUPERMAN part 2 of 5 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit A World Without Superman: continued from part 1 __________________________________ Lois smiled. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Kent." Lois noticed that Perry sent her a surprised glance. She mentally scolded herself for being such a mad dog in the past. Was it really so surprising if she acted friendly towards another human being? It was not as if she had thrown herself at Clark's chest (even if she longed to do just that)! She had only said hello! "Lois?" Perry asked, a little annoyed "Can't you see I'm in the middle of something here?" "Sorry, Perry," Lois answered. "It's just that I think there's something about the story from this Dr. Platt that is really interesting..." "What happened to that mood piece about the old theater I assigned you to?" Perry asked without paying attention to her former explanation. Lois sighed. "I wasn't in the mood", she repeated from memory. Did she really say that? She tried to focus on Clark again. How was she going to get his attention? But when she looked in his eyes, she suddenly knew she didn't need to worry about that. She already had it. He had told her repeatedly that he had loved her from the beginning and although she liked the thought of it, she never really had thought it possible. But now she knew. There was this special look in his eyes. A look she recognized now, after four years, but hadn't been able to read when she first saw it. Well, maybe she would have been able to if she had taken the time to care. Suddenly Jimmy knocked on the office window, trying to get her attention. The phone-call! Yes, she remembered that she had to leave the interview almost as abruptly as she had interrupted it! What was she going to do now? "I...have to..." she started and sent Clark a helpless gaze. "I...guess I want to..." "Lois, we'll talk about the Platt story later. Will you please get your phone- call now and let me continue here?" Perry cut in. Lois nodded. She would talk to Clark after the interview. It was never a good idea to make Perry angry and especially not if she was going to use his tendency to have a soft spot for her in his heart to make him hire Clark. Clark left the office only a few minutes after her. She could see that the interview hadn't been any better than it had been in her memory. He looked very depressed. It was time to start her mission. "Mr. Kent?" she called him when he walked to the elevator. "Could I talk to you for a second?" Clark looked up to see the beautiful brown-haired reporter approach him. He had not been surprised when Mr. White had explained after her departure that she was probably the best reporter at the Planet. She was a ball of energy, barely suppressed, and he could feel it coming off her in waves. She had a tentative smile on her face, and for some reason he felt as if he should recognize her. It was silly, but he supposed that he had met enough people in his travels that nearly everyone held some familiarity. "I wanted to speak with you for just a moment," she told him. "If you have just a minute, that is." Clark sighed softly. This had not been his day, but it was suddenly looking better. "I have a few minutes, Miss Lane." Lois was momentarily confused. It was so strange to hear such formality from Clark. He had always had impeccable manners, but quickly he had replaced them with a banter designed to combat her own arrogance. He gave as good as he got, and she missed him having that confidence with her. "Just Lois, please. Do you mind if I call you 'Clark'?" "Not at all, Miss...um...Lois. Lois's smile became more genuine. "Good. Well, from the look on your face I guess Perry wasn't just handing out jobs today, was he?" Clark continued to smile softly, but his voice held a note of discouragement. "I suppose my references aren't exactly big names, but I had hoped for a chance." "That's what I thought. I have a proposition for you, Clark." Clark raised his eyebrows briefly as he listened to Lois continue. According to Mr. White, Lois was normally not quick to like people, and he wondered why he was getting the special treatment. "What's the proposition?" he asked. Lois took a deep breath. She was trying to remain in character, but she just couldn't ignore all of her feelings for Clark. She led him to her desk, and gestured for him to sit down. Once he had done so, she launched into her prepared speech. Vaguely, she wondered if Clark had felt this nervous when he proposed. It seemed that the results of her questioning would be even more important than his had been, and the results just as permanent. "Well, I know Perry. He really admires initiative. I was thinking that you might be able to help me out with some legwork on a couple of stories, maybe help out with some of my minor editing. I can't offer to pay you, but it could be an opportunity for Perry to see you in action." Lois finished and finally sat behind her desk, as much to keep herself from reaching for the confused man sitting next to it as for any other reason. "Why?" Clark voiced a simple question. It was one that Lois had difficulty answering. "Because I could use the help, and you could use the chance. I have a feeling about you, Clark. I think it might work out for both of us." Clark sat for a moment considering the offer. Frankly, he had the strangest desire to take this woman up on her offer. Unfortunately, there was some part of the woman before him that just didn't seem to fit. He knew from Mr. White very little beyond her abilities and the fact that she was well admired. With a deep breath, he walked out on a limb. "This morning when I was coming to the Planet I saw quite an accident. It bothered me that I wasn't in any position to do anything to help. Do you think we could work on that story]as well?" Lois had been startled when she had heard the accident mentioned on her way into work. It wasn't a part of her memory. Realizing that Clark had been a witness explained quite a lot. "I could use a witness for a human interest point of view," she told him. "Perry has Ralph writing that one, so it has as much emotion as a serial killer. Do you want to write it up for Perry? The worst he could do is turn you down again." Clark smiled and reached out his hand to shake hers. When their hands met, he felt a tingle that went all the way through him, and he wondered what he had gotten himself into. "It's a deal, Lois." he told her. "It's a deal." Lois smiled in response and had to restrain herself from reaching up and brushing back that errant lock of hair that always fell on Clark's forehead. This was *so* hard, she thought. I want so much to be close to you, to have you take me in your arms and just hold me. But she steeled herself and said, "Well before you get started, let me take a look at some of your other stories, then I can figure out what you should work on after you finish the accident write up." Clark nodded in agreement and handed her his collection of stories. Lois smiled as she looked them over. What had Jimmy called Clark's writing in that story about the old theater? *Smooth* , yes that was it, and it certainly was, even at this stage. It was warm and it had heart and she knew that whatever Mr. Myx-whatever had done to this time and place this was still her Clark. She just had to make him remember. "So what do you think?" Clark asked. "Not bad, I think you're at your best when you do human interest stuff. I think you should go with me when I cover that story about razing the old theater. We might turn up something good there." "You mean I could actually cover a story with you?!" Lois smiled. "Sure, of course you can. We're partners ... almost, I guess." She saw a smile appear on his face, one which she was very familiar with. And she melted. But just for a second. Then she forced herself to be all business again. "Okay, um, when do we start?" asked Clark. He was trying not to sound too eager, but to work with one of the world's top reporters was thrilling. "Well, we could go down there now, I suppose. Come on." Clark followed her as she walked briskly out of the newsroom. This day was definitely turning around. ***** They got down to the old theater and fought their way through the crowd of people protesting its destruction. "We don't need a parking lot! Leave the theater on the spot!" was their chant. It wasn't exactly Chaucer, but it served their purpose. Clark began to look uncomfortable. Lois knew that he didn't like what was happening here, but was too shy to tell her of his opinion. "You want to stop it, don't you?" she asked him. He looked very startled, and Lois chuckled to herself. "Is it that obvious?" he asked. Only to me, Clark, she thought. But she *said*, "No, it's just that it was what I was thinking." "What can we do?" was his reply. She didn't answer, she just moved forward, towards the machinery. "Hey!" she shouted at the guy who was about to turn the key in the ignition. "Lois Lane, Daily Planet! May I have a few words with you?" "Go away! We don't need any more protesters! I'm sick of protesters! That's all people ever do.. protest! While the old guy was ranting, Clark crept up unnoticed. He swiped the keys out of the ignition and tossed them to Lois. "Hey!" the man exclaimed indignantly. "What do you think you're doing?!" "Trying to get a story!" Lois exclaimed as the crowd cheered them on. The guy advanced toward her threateningly. "Give those keys back!" "These keys?" she asked, dangling them out in front of the guy. Tempting fate, she knew, but what the hey. All of a sudden, she tripped and *accidentally* dropped the keys in the gutter. She smiled apologetically and dashed off, Clark chasing after her and the guy shaking his fist. "Crazy reporters!!" As Lois and Clark walked into the safe-for-now theater, Clark shook his head. "That was very dangerous, Lois!" "I know, but danger's what I do." Clark sighed. This was the most incredible woman he had ever met in his life Continued in part 3 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Mar 1998 20:41:24 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Eraygun Subject: NEW FANFIC: AFTER*GLOW* part 4 of 4 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit AFTER*GLOW* continued from part 3 "Well," Rachel began her tale as she got them underway, "Clark and I hadn't really been dating for long..." A frown crossed her face, briefly. "He always was too busy chasing that bossy blonde piece." "Who was that?" Lois asked, telling herself she only wanted the information to keep the story straight. Of course, she wasn't upset by hearing about Clark's love life, why should she be? Rachel looked guilty. "Oh, it's not important, and it wasn't that bad. But I always had a soft spot for Clark," she continued, glossing over the depth of her feelings. "And when they quarreled that spring, well, I didn't mind, that's all." "What did they fight about?" Lois asked, before she could stop herself. "I don't know," Rachel confessed. "Clark would never talk about it, said it was private. And I guess you can't fault him for that." No, you couldn't, Lois concurred silently, thinking back to the first time Clark had told her she could trust him. She hadn't believed him then... but now, well, she could see that she had reason to consider changing her mind. "But anyway," Rachel continued, more cheerfully, "He picked me up in his Dad's pickup, and oh my, he looked nice in his suit ..." "I'll just bet," Lois smiled. "I had a pink dress - mind you, I never wore dresses much, but for the prom, you know..." and for Clark, she added mentally, "Well, my Pa bought me the prettiest dress in the store." "I'm sure you looked great," Lois commented. Rachel was coming alive, telling this story, and it was good to see her back to normal. Lois saw people in shock fairly often, given her profession, but there was usually a moment when they managed to put the bulk of the emotions behind them. Rachel might still have some nightmares, but the memory probably wouldn't interfere with her daily life. "It was a great night," Rachel continued, lost in happy remembrance. "We danced, and after the dance was over, we walked around for a little bit, under the stars... they never looked prettier." "Did he... kiss you goodnight?" Lois wasn't sure why she asked, but she held her breath waiting for the answer. "Yeah," Rachel half-laughed. "Just a little kiss, though," she clarified, gruffly. "And then over the summer, we were both busy, and we went to different colleges, so it never amounted to nothing." "Ah ..." Lois didn't quite know what to say. "But it sounds like it was a great prom, anyway, that's good." "Oh, it was," Rachel assented cheerfully. Then she grinned, just as the squad car pulled up in front of the Kent house. "And that blond hussy didn't have a date to the prom at all." Lois had to laugh at the smug satisfaction on the sheriffs face. "Serves her right, for not appreciating what she had." "Well, here we are... thanks very much for the ride, Rachel." Smiling her thanks, Lois climbed out of the car. "Maybe I'll see you again before we leave?" "Maybe so - you take care, Lois." They waved goodbye as Rachel pulled away, then Lois turned to head into the house. Clark wondered if his powers were returning, he wasn't sure if he heard Lois near him or felt her near him. Either way, he moved to the front porch and saw her exit the car. Rachel, his past, driving away. Lois, his future, approaching him. He blushed. How presumptuous to call Lois his future. She smiled at him as she approached. She was so beautiful. Clark sat on the steps and patted his hand on the step next to him. Lois's smile widened. "You farm boys sure know how to show a girl a good time," she laughed. Clark half-smiled. He'd love to show her 'a good time' if she'd just let him, "Only the best for you, Lois." Lois put her hand on his knee, "You look a lot better than the last time I saw you. You okay?" "Yeah," he said softly. Her touch always undid him. "I feel a lot better. How about you?" "Okay," she nodded. "I think Rachel is over the big shock ...at least enough to tell some stories about her senior prom ... Romeo." "Ouch," Clark frowned. "It was sweet," Lois laughed. "Some dancing, you looking handsome in your suit, and even a kiss." Clark adjusted his glasses. "It was a little kiss." Lois leaned to the side until her shoulder nudged his. "How little?" "Just... um ... a brief ... you know ... kiss." Lois shook her head, "You romantic devil." "I'd just broken up with someone..I..wasn't feeling romantic." Lois patted his back. "Sorry." "It's okay, it was over ten years ago." "But she meant a lot to you." Clark smiled again. "That's the funny thing. She didn't really. I mean I liked her," he added quickly. "But she kept pushing for more between us, and I just got more--" "Uncomfortable?" He nodded, "Very. I just didn't feel what she wanted me to feel, and then one day it all blew." Lois was sorry she'd broached the subject. "Well," she said, in a lighter tone. "You made quite an impression on Rachel." "She was great. She knew I wasn't really ready to get involved again or anything, and didn't take advantage of that. We just had...fun," he said, and then locked his eyes with Lois. "Like when we were dancing at the festival." Lois's face was burning. "Yeah, I had fun too, Clark," she said, still holding the eye contact, and then Jonathan stepped out onto the porch. Lois could not have leapt up faster from her spot on the step next to Clark if she'd had superpowers. She didn't know why she felt guilty. She and Clark had done nothing. Maybe it was what she'd been thinking as she gazed into his deep brown eyes. Jonathan chuckled. "Easy, Lois. I was just bringing plates out for you and Clark. This is where he ate supper as a little boy." "Dad," Clark grimaced. "Really?" Lois smiled. "All the time," Jonathan said, handing a plate to Lois. "Even back then there was something in Clark wanting to just get out or bust." "Dad--" "Here, son." He handed Clark a plate. "That's how he wound up in Metropolis, though to hear him talk after meeting you, Lois--" "Jonathan!" Martha called. "Would you *please* help me with the pie?" "Coming, dear," Jonathan called out. Then he turned back to the young couple, leaned over and winked at Lois. "When she gets *that* tone in her voice--" "*Jonathan!!*" Lois and Clark watched as Jonathan made all deliberate speed in getting back into the house. They each then concentrated on the food on their plates, taking great care not to look at one another. Clark was trying to think of *something* to say ... a way to apologize for his well-meaning parent without making it sound like he thought he needed to apologize for him, when he thought he heard a tiny giggle coming from Lois's direction. He risked a glance at her and sure enough she was pretending to eat, but was actually doing more giggling than eating. Now that he could see she wasn't upset, he was able to see the funny side of it as well. "Lois, I--" "No, Clark," she somehow managed to say. "There's no way you could top that, so don't even try. Let's just eat, okay?" "Okay." Clark grinned and then had a thought. "He'll be back later on with the pie, you know." Lois couldn't contain her laughter anymore. The thought of what else Jonathan might accidentally reveal sent her into fresh giggles, which had Clark laughing, too. The sounds of their laughter reached inside the house, where Martha, Jonathan, and Jimmy were sitting around the kitchen table. "Wonder what's so funny," Jimmy said, and he started to rise up from his chair. Men! Martha thought in gentle exasperation. Why can't they ever see when it might be better for them to leave two people alone for a while. "Jimmy!" she exclaimed, "why don't you have another helping of meat? How about some more potatoes?" Jimmy looked undecided, but the food was so much better than what he was used to getting back in Metropolis that he couldn't resist. "Sure, Mrs. Kent. This is really good." "And there's pie for dessert, too," Jonathan added. He looked over at his wife. "I'll just go see if Lois and Clark are ready for some." "No, Jonathan--" but she was talking to air. She loved her husband, really she did, but sometimes he was just too darn helpful. "Hey, you two," she heard him say, "how about some p--?" Then there was a strange noise ... a mixture of surprise and discomfiture, which she couldn't quite interpret, then she heard his footsteps returning to the kitchen. He sat back down at his place and retrieved his napkin, all without saying anything. Jimmy went on eating, oblivious to anything else. Martha waited a bit, then couldn't resist asking, "Well, did they want some pie?" Only then did he look at her, and she could see a distinct twinkle in his eyes, "I don't think they're interested in pie, Martha. In fact they weren't even on the porch anymore." Martha smiled contentedly, and then offered Jimmy another helping of peas. ***** "It's really beautiful out here, Clark. It's too bad we have to go back to Metropolis tomorrow, but ..." "I know. We've got a story to write." "Well, a story to finish, anyway. I called in the bare bones of it from Rachel's office." "That's good." They were quiet for a bit as they made their way a little further down the road, moving away from the house. Lois had to admit that this trip had allowed her to see some different sides to Clark, and she'd kind of liked what she'd seen. It wouldn't change anything, of course. They were partners, that's all. Partners ... friends. That's all. Yep, that's all. Clark heard Lois sigh as they walked together. "Tired, Lois?" "Huh? Oh, yes, Clark. A little, anyway. I guess." "Me, too. It's been quite a day." "Yes. At least," she added, "Superman doesn't have to worry about Trask anymore." And, she thought to herself determinedly, if she had anything to say about it, he wouldn't have to worry about those other people that Ms. Sherman had referred to either. Superman again, Clark thought gloomily. He'd kind of hoped that maybe she might like him a little more after spending so much time together ... after that hug this afternoon. Maybe that would be asking too much, though. "Yeah," he agreed. "At least Superman is safe." Lois heard Clark sigh and felt a little guilty. He'd almost been killed today because of Superman and here she was reminding him of it. She moved closer to him and took his arm. "And we had some fun at the festival, too. Thanks for winning that teddy bear for me." "Yes, we did have fun." She could hear a smile in his voice now. "And I enjoyed the dancing, too." "Me too, Lois." They walked a little further, arm in arm, and then Lois returned to what was always uppermost in her mind ... the story. "So, Clark, how do you suppose we can find out more about this Bureau 39, anyway?" Clark suppressed a sudden laugh. That was his Lois. Persistent, courageous, tenacious and fascinating. He wasn't first in her heart yet, but he believed that after today he now occupied a small part of her thoughts, and for the moment, that was enough. So he walked with her, enjoying the feel of her arm through his, and listened to her plans for their next story. THE END ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Mar 1998 20:41:55 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Eraygun Subject: NEW FANFIC: A WORLD WITHOUT SUPERMAN part 5 of 5 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit A World Without Superman: continued from part 4 __________________________ There was also the matter of getting Clark to realize that the two of them should be together ... to trust her enough that he would believe what she had to tell him. Mixitpixit had said that she'd have to get him to believe her about the powers and about Superman. How could she do that unless he believed in "them" ... the two of them. Well, somehow she didn't think that working away in the Daily Planet under Perry's watchful eye, Jimmy's curious one and Cat's jealous one was exactly the venue to inspire romance. Then she remembered something ... something from four years ago. "God, but I'm starving!" Clark raised his head and smiled at her. "Really? Somehow you looked as if you could go on forever." "Sorry, Clark. I guess I lost track of time. How about if I treat you to lunch?" "Sounds great," he replied eagerly, making Lois smile. It sounded as if he was almost as anxious to be with her as she was to be with him. If she could just break through those regrettable Smallville manners of his ... "How about Chinese?" "I love Chinese food ... how did you know?" You'd be amazed at some of the stuff I know about you, she thought, as she linked her arm in his. "Oh, lucky guess." It made her heart melt to see his face light up as she moved closer to him. Had his face always been this expressive? Had he looked at her this way before ... before, when she'd been too busy or too stubborn to notice? Poor Clark. She suddenly remembered one time when she *had* noticed. And she remembered what she'd said. "Don't fall for me, farm boy. I don't have time for it." The memory of those words made her blush in shame and remorse, and she stepped closer to his side as they walked to the stairs, afraid to let him see her face. Clark felt Lois moving ever closer to him and couldn't believe his good fortune. He might be living in a fleabag hotel, where roaches scampered across the floors at night ... he might be struggling to make the check his parents had sent him last until his first Daily Planet payday ... he might be miles from home, a stranger in this huge, impersonal city, but when Lois moved close to him like that he felt like the luckiest guy in the world The food had been good. Lois wiped her mouth and sighed contentedly. Not quite what she was used to, of course. Having a 2 minute delivery service directly from from Beijing helped. Clark was toying with the fortune cookie that was sitting on his saucer still. She smiled at him. "Aren't you going to have it?" His thoughts seemed to return from miles away when their eyes met. "No, I guess it would be too early--" "Huh?" She looked at him, startled. "I mean," he said blushing. "I ... I left too early. I was always frustrated when I couldn't read what they said. I left too early to pick up more of the language." She looked at him somewhat surprised. "You mean you've actually been to China? And picked up some of the language there?" Was that a clue? Even without superpowers, he had apparently managed to travel extensively. "Well, I've been to Hong Kong and across the border briefly, and I went to Taiwan on a work-study program for one semester. And I guess I have always been good at picking up languages." He became aware that she was looking at him intently. He still couldn't believe that she was taking an interest in him, seemed to be as drawn to him as he was to her. Clark met her eyes for a moment and held that gaze, but then allowed them to travel over her features, the shiny hair framing her face. His eyes came to rest on her full lips briefly. They looked so inviting. He again wondered when he would be able to kiss them, amazed at his train of thought at the same time. They hardly knew each other, and yet his thoughts went along that road easily and naturally. She would probably be shocked if she could read his thoughts, but she was smiling at him, relaxing in her chair even though the look on her face was still intently focused on something. Then her smile widened and she motioned the waiter to come over for the bill. "We were in early to work today. We still have some time. How would you like to go for a walk in the park," she was saying. "This place is not ..." Her voice trailed off, but he seemed to sense something in her thought that seemed to match his own, an urgency even. Was she reading his thoughts? He dismissed the thought almost immediately, but not without marveling at the extraordinary rapport they shared. Then he smiled at her. "Sure. I'd like that." Their walk took them to a pergola, overgrown now with the lush green wisteria. The air was just a bit heady as they sat on the bench underneath it. Lois sat looking at the blossoms. She had planned to take a walk in the park, to get into a more private setting, but she didn't need to plan this any longer. Somehow, their steps had led them here. Unobtrusively, their hands had found each other. They sat there for a while in companionable silence. Then they turned towards each other and looked into each others eyes, losing themselves in the depths there. They leaned forward, being drawn towards each other like magnets. And then their lips met, lightly and hesitantly at first, barely brushing against each other. The second kiss wasn't as uncertain anymore, but lingered. And then they were in each other's arms, kissing in earnest. "You make me feel like I'm flying," he whispered into her ear. "You'd be amazed, Clark," she whispered back, "how often you've taken me flying." Still in his arms, she withdrew just enough so that she could look into his eyes. "Do you feel this, too?" she asked. "There is something you need to ..." Then, it happened again, that queasy feeling like the walls were closing in on her. Just when it seemed she was making some headway time was being *squeezed* again. They were no longer in the park, but at Dr. Platt's hovel watching the coroner remove his body. "Damn it," Lois thought. "This isn't fair!" >From out of the shadows Mxy appeared. "Of course it isn't. I never play fair, didn't you know that? It's going to take more than a simple kiss to awaken your prince, Lois. I want to see this bond thing in action!" Lois looked around at Clark and the others who appeared frozen. "What did you do to them?" "Oh nothing, they're fine. I took you out of regular time so we could chat," Mxy smirked. "You'd better get a move on." he said as he produced a large pocket watch. "Time's a-wasting." Then with a flash he vanished and the surroundings around Lois began to swirl and change. This time when the room stopped spinning she was tied up with Jimmy and she could hear that Baines woman starting her rant. Dear god, the only reason she got out of this one alive was Clark and his powers! What was she going to do this time? Clark held his breath. His heart pounded as he lay quietly inside the shell of the Messenger wreckage. He had scrambled to the hiding place as soon as he had heard voices outside the hangar door. Just as he had made out the voices to be those of Jimmy and Lois, Baines and her trained goon had captured them. Now Clark sat helplessly as Lois and Jimmy suffered at Baines' hands. Baines strode past Lois, "Sorry you won't be around to enjoy the rest of the evening, but accidents *do* happen." "Accidents?" "Yes. You see, while dissecting the orbital maneuvering systems, the monomethyl hydroxene leaked and mixed with the nitrogen tetroxide ... unfortunately the blast killed two nosy reporters." Lois watched as the blonde piece of...work turned on the taps from the HazMat drums. "Just answer one question. Why?" "It's very simple, Lois. Profit--" If Baines had some future comment to make, it was cut short by a sharp blow at the base of the neck. Lois looked up. "Clark!" He held the unconscious Baines. "I've never hit a woman," he said, and actually looked ill. "Clark, the barrels!" "I turned them off right after she turned them on," he smiled and began untying her. "She has that villainous habit of gloating and run-on exposition. If she didn't, we'd all be dead." As Lois smiled up at Clark, the room swirled again. Time was pulling her forward. Mxy wasn't a patient being. The room solidified. It was the celebration party. The big story broke. The flaw in the Messenger was repaired, and Jimmy was bragging to the female staff. "We did it, partner," Lois literally squealed with delight as she hugged Clark. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the feel of her body pressed against his. If he hadn't been there... the mere thought made him feel impulsive. "Go out with me, Lois. Let's have dinner. Celebrate.." He removed her party hat. "Talk." Lois seemed to feel Mxyzptlk nearby. What would he do, how far would he accelerate time again? "Yes," she answered as impulsively as Clark had asked. She knew time was running out for the Messenger crew, and Mxy wasn't playing fair. "I know this beautiful Italian restaurant at the top of Metropolis Trade Tower." ***** Lois seemed more interested in gazing across the table at Clark than eating her dinner. Even the breathtaking view afforded by "Lucia's" 'in the clouds' dining location paled by comparison. Clark smiled back at her. "It must be the pasta. It seems to have a strange effect on me." "Oh," she said airily, knowing all too well what pasta did to him. "Can we..walk?" Lois put her napkin on the table and took his hand. "The sunset is beautiful from the terrace." They held hands and walked the perimeter of the terrace. Lois noticed some scaffolding and caution signs written in every conceivable language. A railing was under repair. For a moment, the sign vanished, a stopwatch appeared, and turned back into the caution sign. It was now or never. She turned and faced Clark. "Do you trust me?" Clark blinked. It seemed an odd question. "Of course, Lois. Completely." "Then you have to listen to me, and you *have* to believe me," she said, her voice suddenly urgent. "Did you do something wrong? Are you in trouble?" "We're *both* in trouble and everything that happens in the future won't happen if you don't have...faith." "The future?" Clark smiled. "How much wine did you have?" "I'm *serious*, Clark." "Okay, Lois," he soothed. "Take it easy. You're just not making a whole lot of sense." Lois stepped up to the caution sign and pushed it away. She stood with only the balls of her feet on the surface. "If you don't think *that* makes sense, wait till you hear this part." "Lois!" Clark shouted and took a step toward her. She held up her hand. "Don't come any closer, Clark, or I'll jump." The blood drained from Clark's face. "Lois, whatever it is..whatever is hurting you--" "The loss of our future is hurting me, Clark. If this doesn't work, then maybe it's for the best anyway." Mxy appeared behind Clark. Floating. With a large drum of popcorn in his arms. Clark's mind raced. He thought about lunging forward and grabbing her. Keep her talking. "Our future? Lois, if you want a future with me, I can't think of anything I'd like more. Let's go back inside and talk about--" "No! Listen to me," she said, and took a deep breath. "You're adopted...and I mean *really* adopted." "Yes," he replied, rather startled that she would have that information. "How do you know?" "I met some of your relatives. Greasy hair, logical, emotionless, black suits, and they play 'heads or tails' with Buicks." Now the woman of Clark's dreams sounded as if she were totally insane. "Lois, I..love you. I *mean* that. Let me help you." "I know it sounds crazy, Clark. I do. How can I convince you that you're from another planet, and that being here gives you powers that no one else has? That you can see through objects, bounce bullets off your chest...and fly." As insane as her ravings were, something was sounding familiar. How? How could anything she was saying sound familiar? "Lois, I can't even shave without drawing blood, let alone bounce bullets off my chest." "All of those powers are yours, Clark. You're Superman...you're--," her footing gave way, " --Superman!" Clark ran to the edge, but stopped. Something inside was urging him to jump. He felt as insane as Lois. He heard her scream that name again and the urge overwhelmed him. He leaped from the building. Though falling later than Lois, he found he overtook her quickly. He grabbed her. She looked down as the sidewalk approached rapidly. "Think up!" Clark closed his eyes. "Up. Up." They hovered at the ledge. "And away," Lois sighed with relief. "You can put me down now...Superman." Lois looked up into Superman's eyes ... Clark's eyes ... her husband's eyes. The rest of the world was spinning again, and she could hear, as if from a distance, the sound of one half-pint imp having a full-sized tantrum. She paid him scant attention, however. All she cared about was being back in the arms of- --Lois opened her eyes, blinked several times and looked around her ... Had she been dreaming? She sat up and checked her watch. It had been about an hour since Clark had left for his "work." She must have sat on the couch to wait for him, and then fallen asleep. She rubbed her eyes and took a deep breath as the last remnants of the "dream" faded from her conscious mind. She and Clark really needed a vacation, she thought with a smile. No sooner had a vision of a romantic weekend away with her husband flashed into her mind than she heard him at the window. Before she could turn around, he had spun out of the suit and was coming around to sit beside her on the couch. "Did you wait up for me?" She snuggled next to him, enjoying the way he automatically moved to accommodate her, helping her to find that favorite spot inside the shelter of his arms. "Yes, I did. We have some unfinished business, remember?" He grinned. "You might have to refresh my memory," he teased her. "No problem," she responded with a gleam in her eye. "I love bringing you up to speed. " The End ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Mar 1998 20:41:42 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Eraygun Subject: NEW FANFIC: A WORLD WITHOUT SUPERMAN part 3 of 5 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit A World Without Superman: continued from part 2 _____________________________ Clark was about to speak, when an eloquent voice interrupted. A voice unaware of their presence. "Oh, for the days of my childhood. Back when my soul was pure. I slept right here in this nursery, looking out at the orchard from this very room--" "The Cherry Orchard," Clark whispered to Lois. She smiled. It was like Clark to know. "...and every morning I awoke with such joy in my heart. My orchard is just the same as it was then. Nothing is different. All of it, all of it dressed in white! My lovely orchard!" Clark applauded the old woman. She broke from her private 'sold out' fantasy, "Who..who's there?" Lois grabbed Clark's hands. "Just a fan." "I'm not leaving," the woman said firmly. "Not till I finish." Clark nodded, "All right. I think we have time." He shot a glance to Lois and she understood. Clark would keep the old woman talking while she kept the demolition crew in shambles. She dashed out of the theater wishing she had subverted Clark to the kill-or-be-killed school of journalism long ago if she'd known it would be so much fun. After Clark had safely escorted Beatrice from the theater, he had invited her to Winslow's for coffee and pie. It had been a favorite hangout for theater folk about 50 years ago. Lois watched as Clark easily extracted intimate and very touching details of the woman's past, just by being a good listener, and not a 'hustler'. "Well," Clark said softly after he and Lois had dropped Beatrice off in the old part of town. A place the city had grown up and away from. Old trolley tracks could still be seen imbedded in the pavement. "Well," Clark said. "I'll go back to the Apollo and type up my notes." "The Apollo? That's not much better than the YMCA." "Worse, actually," he laughed. "The 'Y' at least had showers that worked, but it's a lot further from the Daily Planet and I can't exactly afford a taxi." Lois smiled. "And you'd have to start making bus transfers at three in the morning to get to the Planet that way." Clark looked at her thoughtfully, "Was it this tough for you too..I mean when you started?" "Come on," she said and patted his shoulder. "I'll tell you about it." "Come on? Where?" Lois grabbed his wrist and raised his arm. "Now whistle." "Huh?" "Whistle, you do know how to whistle don't you?" Clark's heart raced. "I just put my lips together and...blow." Lois smiled. "Well?" "My mouth just went dry." Lois put two fingers in her mouth and whistled. A cab circled back and stopped at the curb. "We could have just used the cab we got here in, Lois," Clark said as he ducked through the door. "The ability to hail a cab is a city survival skill, Clark." "Ah," he smiled, noting that though the bench seat was quite roomy, Lois chose to sit right next to him. The cab stopped on Carter and Lois ushered Clark into the foyer of her apartment building. He took note of the several locks. "I don't think my parents even lock the house at night," he observed. Lois pushed the door open with a loud sigh. "Well, you're not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy." Clark closed the door, "How'd you know I was from Kansas?" Lois bit her lip. "Um..the same way I knew your name was Dorothy." Clark laughed. "Touché." "I'll make some coffee, you can type up your notes on my laptop." Clark looked at her as she moved toward her small kitchen area. "I guess I got a wrong impression about you from Mr. White." "Oh," Lois said, busying herself with coffee filters, mugs and a coffee maker she was certain had a grudge against her. "Probably said I was aggressive, would do anything for a story, and that he had to wipe my heel prints off his head every day of the week. Clark laughed. He placed his hands in his pockets and strolled around in the living room. "Not in so many words. He did say you were the best damn reporter he has...uh, that's a direct quote." "Thanks," she said as she re-entered the room. "The laptop is there, the coffee is brewing, and I have to get back to the Planet or I'll be the best damn unemployed reporter formerly of the Planet." "Okay," he said, and then snagged her sleeve as she headed for the door. "Thanks...for everything." "That's okay," she said airily. Though this experience had its nightmare elements, it was also bittersweet. She could have been this close to Clark a long time ago, if only... "If there's anything I can do to repay you, Lois--" "We'll talk tonight, Clark..if you're free for dinner." "Sure," he said enthusiastically. "I don't think the roaches at the Apollo will miss me." "Great, it's a date," she said, and hurried from her apartment. By the time she got back to the Planet, time seemed to be collapsing on her. She had to get Clark hired, rush a romance, go to the White Orchid Ball, judiciously avoid Lex, and convince Clark that he had super powers and wore his underwear on the outside all before the Messenger's next flight. "No problem," she sighed. "I'll skip lunch." ***** When she was gone, Clark glanced around the room, not quite knowing where to start. They had just known each other for some hours, yet he felt as if he had known her ... for quite a bit longer. He thought about her words in Perry's office, claiming that she hadn't been in the mood for a mood piece, yet her encouragement on pursuing the theater piece had been invaluable. She had only been gone for a few minutes, but he already missed her. But it didn't help to sit idle. They both had things to do. He booted up the laptop, watching the OS load and then automatically switch to the wordprocessor. He stared at the blank screen for a few moments, then began to type. Soon the writer in him was taking over, and the words were coming out on their own, filling screen upon screen, telling the story. If only he could type faster ... It had been a long night. Clark had ended up borrowing Lois's computer to get his second story finished after they had had dinner together. He had taken her out, and discovered that when he came home and checked his resources that he would have trouble paying for his room at the end of week. He had called his parents when he was halfway through his second story. They ended up promising him to send another check, an idea he didn't like at all, --and talking about the new friend he had found in Lois. He could have sworn he heard his parents chuckle when he emphasized that Lois was just becoming a good friend. When he finally had his account of the accident written up just the way he wanted it, he was exhausted both physically and emotionally. Yet sleep was a long time coming. He wished he was able to go home to see his parents even if just for a little while or to stop by Lois's apartment just to *see* her again for a few moments. Her presence had been inspiring, reassuring ... had somehow felt just right. Eventually, he had fallen asleep after a long walk he took down the streets of the rundown neighborhood. He was delighted to finally see her again in the morning, though she caught him with his pants down quite literally. ***** Now they were both sitting in Perry's office as the Planet's Editor in Chief looked over the theater piece, skeptical at first, then with growing interest as he began to read it out loud. "...in a place that would soon be only a bittersweet memory." Perry let the page fall to his desk and looked up slowly, impressed. "Smooth!" Jimmy commented from the door, where he'd slipped in, unnoticed. "If you like that sort of thing," Lois commented with a tiny smile. She didn't know how she'd ever convinced herself that Clark was no good as a reporter. Clark glanced at her, uncertain how to take her tone, and she smiled reassuringly. She turned to Perry, to see if this had done the trick. "Kent, if there's one thing I value more than experience, it's initiative. You've got the job." Clark smiled broadly. "Thank you, Mr. White, although really it was--" "Oh sure, Perry," Lois broke in hurriedly. It was sweet of Clark to want to give her credit, but couldn't he see that it could cost him his new job? Actually, he probably knew that, but he would do the right thing anyway, regardless of personal cost. Good thing he had her to save him. "The other day you didn't have money for my raise, and now you can afford to hire someone?" Perry glared at her. "You don't need a raise, Lois, you're making more than you should already. Now Kent," the editor turned his attention back to his new vict--, employee, and Clark's moment to come clean was lost. "You can start today, Jimmy will show you around." "I'll do that, Chief," Lois spoke up. "And then I want him." Perry raised his eyebrows, and Clark blushed. "For that story on Dr. Platt," she explained, more amused than flustered. "I need a task force. He can help me out - I've got an appointment to talk to Dr. Baines." Perry stared at her suspiciously for a moment, then nodded. Lois wasn't usually a team player, but her instinct had proved itself many times over, and he was willing to trust her on this one. "All right, Kent, that's it - you're working for her." Clark stood up and smiled. "It'll be my pleasure." As they left Perry's office, Clark glanced over and caught Lois smiling at him. "Thanks for the help, Lois." "You're going to pay me back for that," Lois told him with a sly grin. At Clark's rather confused look, she suddenly remembered that this was not her husband. While Clark had always had a great sense of humor, she would have to be careful not to get too close to him for the time being. "You can help me out on this interview," she said finally. "I wasn't kidding, I do need a taskforce." Clark relaxed visibly, and she wondered for a moment just what kind of payment he might have expected to have to give. He was sweet, but not sheltered. She could only imagine what he might have been thinking. Just as they reached the desk that was to become Clark's, Cat Grant came through the newsroom and made a beeline for the newest employee of the Daily Planet. Years ago, Lois had been amused, if slightly disgusted, with Cat's overtures towards Clark. She had watched him fend off the aggressive woman with a skill that seemed surprising in such a polite man. He had always handled her well, but Lois was in no mood to deal with her now. Lois intercepted Cat while Clark walked over to check out the coffee pot and box of donuts. As Cat attempted to go around Lois, making a typically degrading comment about her newest source of interest, Lois cut her off. Cat stood there momentarily with her mouth hanging open. Lois had always had definite opinions, but rarely about men. Cat looked the new employee over once more, gorgeous head to intriguing toes, and then returned her gaze to Lois. After a moment more of consideration, Cat decided that discretion might just be the better part of valor, and she made a hasty retreat. "Who was that?" Clark asked, as he returned to Lois's side. "The gossip columnist. She was considering making you a notch on her garter belt, and I just told her to beat it." Lois looked into Clark's brown eyes, and waited for an explosion. Clark watched the auburn-haired woman give him one last, longing, glance as she entered the elevator. She was beautiful, and obviously she knew it. For some reason, it didn't do a thing for him. He looked back into the beautiful brown eyes of his new partner, and gently raised his hand to touch her cheek in a motion that felt so natural that he couldn't stop it. "Thanks, partner," he told her. "Something tells me you just did me a very big favor." Continued in part 4 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Mar 1998 20:41:13 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Eraygun Subject: NEW FANFIC: AFTER*GLOW* part 2 of 4 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit AFTER*GLOW* continued from part 1 Clark, his own concerns momentarily forgotten, quickly went to her side and took her in his arms, hugging her close. "You did what was necessary, Rachel. You saved our lives." "I know." She sniffed, drawing strength from his touch and reassurance. Then after a long moment, and pulling away from him, she became aware of his wet clothes. "Geez, Clark, you'll catch your death like this. You're dripping wet." "Yes, you are," Lois chimed in, seeming to have found her voice at last. "Clark, I'll cover things here for us. Why don't you go home with your parents and change. Take care of them ... and have them take care of you. This is so awful. You see them so rarely ..." She was babbling again. Clark smiled. But at least she was taking notice of him again. And this was probably what she had to do. For now anyways. He drew a deep breath, trying to relax. "Thanks, I appreciate that. If you need any help, don't hesitate to call, though." He was becoming aware that he *was* getting cold, something he wasn't accustomed to. The wet clothes on his body felt uncomfortable. He would be glad to be out of them. His powers had been gone for almost a whole day after his brief exposure to the green rock the first time. There was no way of knowing how long the effect would last this time. It would be good to rest. On impulse, he reached out and hugged Lois close briefly. She didn't stiffen as much this time, rather relaxing in his embrace briefly before withdrawing. "I will." She smiled. "You go and take of yourself and your folks. I'll see you for dinner. Speaking of your folks ..." Clark looked over her shoulder and saw his parents approaching. They seemed to have recovered from their ordeal with remarkable speed. Being Superman's parents had certain fringe benefits, like them having become accustomed to all sorts of "surprises." Yet he agonized over having endangered their lives. Nothing to be done about that, though, for the time being. His mother came rushing towards them. "Clark! Lois! Let's get you out of the ..." "You both look like you could use some of Martha's chicken soup," Jonathan's deeper voice chimed in from behind. "Sounds good," Lois and Clark responded as one. "I was just about to come, Mom," he said, hugging her close. Then, before his mother could protest, quickly added. "Lois is going into town to cover the story for us. She said she would be back for dinner." "Oh, she is?" For a moment, Martha looked as if she was about to argue, but then changed her mind. "Oh, all right. Don't be late, though." Just then, Clark sneezed, once and then another time. "You better have some of that soup now," Lois said, giving his arm a quick squeeze before turning towards Rachel. "Could you give me a ride into town, please?" As Lois was turning to leave, his parents came up to either side of him, and taking him in the middle, gently but firmly steered him towards the house. Once inside, he quickly changed into an old black track suit his mother had laid out for him. Then he sat at the kitchen table with them, just grateful for their safety and the hot tea he was sipping. They didn't talk much, but words were not necessary to communicate what they felt. When he sneezed several times more, Martha got concerned, however, and went in search of her spare thermometer in spite of his protests. When he sent the second thermometer into pieces into as many days, he found himself being herded towards his bedroom. He gave in gracefully, though not until he had his mother's promise that she would wake him once Lois came back. It was good to lie back against the pillows, he had to admit. He was tired, more tired than he remembered feeling in a long time. And then he remembered Lois. She was safe. He had held her in his arms. It was so right. And she would be there again eventually, had to be. They would make it work somehow. He could feel her again now. She would be back soon. Sooner if he slept now. And she'd be with him in his dreams. He smiled and she smiled back at him as his eyes began to ... were already closed. ***** Lois and Rachel sat silently in the squad car as they rode back to Smallville, the monotonous drive interrupted only by the crackle of static on the car's police radio. Rachel sighed. She didn't realize she still had those *feelings* for Clark until she saw him at the festival the other day. It was bad enough that she had carried a torch for him through most of high school, while he dated that broom-riding cauldron stirrer Lana Lang. Once they broke up she always felt that sooner or later, she'd have a chance with Clark. But seeing him today with Lois, the way they hugged, the look on their faces, she knew it was just another pipe dream. But Clark wasn't just a romantic fantasy of hers, he was also a good friend and if this one was *the one*, Rachel wanted to know more about her. "So Lois." she said, finally breaking the silence. "Tell me about you and Clark." Lois pulled her glance from the window. Rachel could tell Lois had been mentally miles away. "Me and Clark? I..he..that is *we* work together. We're partners." "Uh huh," Rachel nodded as she took the main turnoff for Smallville. "I know that much, but... well..you're the one who asked Clark to dance." Lois swallowed. "What makes you think I asked him to dance?" "Martha told me, Lois. There's no secrets--" "In a small town. Telephone, telegraph, tell Martha." Rachel laughed. "Pretty much. At first I got the feeling that things were just 'strictly business' with you and Clark, but asking him to dance--" Lois sighed loudly. "Okay, I asked him to dance. It was no big deal." "No? You sure seem to make him happy." Lois was feeling agitated, and didn't even know why. It was like being caught in public with her slip showing. "I doubt I make Clark 'happy'. It was..a dance. So we danced. End of story." "If you say so, Lois." Lois narrowed her eyes, "If you're afraid I'm poaching on your territory, you're mistaken." "Take it easy," Rachel said. "Any 'territory' I had with Clark was ten years ago. I'm just trying to know you better." Lois had her back up, her claws out and her swishing tail could snuff a candle at twenty paces. Why was she feeling like this? Like what? Threatened? She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Rachel, I guess this...well..it got to me." Rachel understood. "Me too. I saw that crazy man about to kill Clark and...I guess instinct took over," Rachel said, and noticed Lois couldn't keep her hands still. "Clark really seems to care about you, Lois." Oh, God, Lois thought, how far away *was* Smallville. "Clark is just that way. I think he'd pile a car into a tree if he could swerve and spare the life of a..gerbil. He's just considerate and sweet." Lois blushed. Sweet, I called him sweet. "He is sweet," Rachel agreed. She could tell Lois was becoming increasingly uncomfortable and was going to drop the subject until she spotted someone rounding the corner of Main Street. "Oh Lord, it's Lana." Lois looked around in surprise, wondering at the exasperated tone in Rachel's voice. "Who?" she asked. Rachel realized that her dislike of Lana Lang had caused her to say something she shouldn't have. She may not like Lois much. She may not want to see Lois and Clark end up together. But, if she told Lois about Lana's past relationship with Clark, somehow she thought it might be Clark who would be hurt by it. She didn't want that. "Lana? Oh, she's ... she's just someone who ... she and I don't get along, that's all." The reporter in Lois couldn't resist bait like that. "Why?" "Why?" Rachel's mind went blank. Lois turned in the seat to get another look at the attractive young woman. "Yes, why? She looks nice enough." "Well, looks can be deceiving," Rachel murmured. She pulled the car into the parking lot for the sheriff's department. "Here we are! Now, what was it you wanted to find out?" Lois let the subject of the other woman drop. She wasn't all that interested in anyone's small town rivalries anyway. "I wanted to contact my paper, see if we can run background checks on some of the names I overheard back at Irig's place. I'd like to see that the people who did this get prosecuted." That sounded good to Rachel, too. At least having Lois occupied with her investigation would keep her from asking anymore embarrassing questions. ***** Back at the Kent farm, the deputies had done their jobs and left. Jonathan had driven Wayne into town so the doctor could take a look at his injured hand and Martha was fixing herself a cup of tea. She'd checked on Clark and was relieved to find him sleeping peacefully. What a day this had been! When Clark had wanted to find a way to help people none of them could have foreseen that there would be people like Trask out there ... waiting, wanting to harm her son. He hadn't really known Clark ... Superman ... hadn't really cared to find out the truth about Superman. He'd only wanted to kill him. Such things were beyond her gentle understanding She could hardly wait for Jonathan to get back. She wanted someone to hold ... someone to hold her. The house was too quiet, and her thoughts were too scary. She picked up her tea and went to sit in Clark's room. Continued in part 3 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Mar 1998 20:41:18 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Eraygun Subject: NEW FANFIC: AFTER*GLOW* part 3 of 4 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit AFTER*GLOW* continued from part 2 She sat looking at her son. She hadn't drawn the curtains nor turned the light on. The shadows were getting longer as the sun slowly traveled along its path to meet the horizon. Its last rays shone through the window and touched Clark's face and hair, seeming to caress him. His features were peaceful and relaxed in his sleep, a quiet counterpoint to the chaos that life seemed to keep throwing their way. Just then he stirred slightly, a slow smile spreading across his face. Then his lips were forming a word. Was he waking? He didn't respond when she quietly whispered his name. She knew that his superhearing might not be back after his second encounter with the weird rock, but he had always responded to her when he was about to wake up long before his superhearing developed. No doubt, Clark was still fast asleep. She bent closer as his lips moved again. This time, she was able to make out the word, "Lois ..." Again the smile, this time followed by a frown. "Where ...?" Although she was quite sure that he wasn't aware of her presence. Martha reached out and gently took Clark's hand in hers as she had so many times when her boy had been troubled in his sleep. "Don't worry. She's safe." She squeezed his hand lightly. "Just go back to sleep." His features relaxed again and he produced another, though unrecognizable grunt, before rolling over onto his side and entering a deeper level of sleep again. Martha smiled in spite of the fears that still troubled her. She and Jonathan had been right all along. From the very beginning it had been clear that Lois was very important to Clark. Even without her psychology classes, she had been able to tell that Clark was falling for her and fast. And having seen him and Lois together, she sensed that that interest was not entirely one-sided. If only the kids would come to realize and acknowledge what they were feeling. They'd had a very close brush with death today. She knew how important it was for Clark to lead a normal life and to find that special someone to share it with. Like she and Jonathan did. It was with immense relief that she heard the pickup pull into the yard outside. She got up from her chair as quickly and quietly as she could without disturbing Clark's sleep. Once she had closed the door to his room, she rushed out of the house to meet her husband. He opened his arms for her wide and hugged her close. They just held each other for a long time. Then Jonathan told her that Irig would be out of commission for a couple weeks with his broken hand and fingers but that there shouldn't be any permanent damage. "I'm glad," Martha let out a sigh of relief. "I was worried about that." "I volunteered Clark to help him plow the fields this fall." Jonathan grinned. "How is he?" "He was still sleeping when I came out to meet you. And dreaming." She smiled, then sobered. "This was so close today ..." Jonathan drew her into another hug. "I know," he said, laying his arm around her and leading her towards the house. "Lets talk." ***** It was getting dark fast outside. Jimmy had spent the better part of the afternoon taking pictures and exploring the surroundings. The story had the feel of a front pager to him and he hoped that by having high quality shots, his name might make the front page, too. Rumors had it that somewhere out here Superman had originally landed. Though he didn't give much for rumors, he thought it wouldn't hurt to explore a little while he was there. His exploration had taken him further than he had planned. And, although he didn't like to admit it, he had gotten himself lost very effectively. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was moving in circles. He listened into the darkness, the noises of which seemed to be becoming louder the longer he listened. There was an eerie sound... something ... or someone must be following him. He quickened his step, only to have the sounds behind him pick up in speed, too. He could feel his heart beating in his throat as he imagined some of Trask's men still on the loose. Eventually he thought he could make out a light somewhere in the distance. He sped up, first walking fast, then running towards it. Now there was no doubt anymore that he was being followed. More and more of the M&M's he had been munching on were falling out of the open bag he was still carrying. His flight eventually took him into a yard and suddenly he felt himself cornered against the wall of a barn. He dropped the bag with the rest of the candy and backed away as far as he could. Then, turning against the barn wall, he leaned his head against it and closed his eyes, resigning himself to his fate. The expected attack was a long time coming. Just the smacking noises kept coming closer and closer. Then with a loud bang, something fell over. There were voices from the house then and suddenly he recognized one of them. "Dad, it's all right! Just Wilbur on the loose again. I'll take care of him." Clark, by now well rested and mostly recovered by human standards, had been waiting with his parents for Lois to come back from town. He was making his way over to the barn and the toppled over trash can when he saw a second shadow cowering in the darkness. After a moment's surprise, his eyes became accustomed to the dim lighting and he recognized it. "Jimmy! What are you doing here, for Pete's sake? Why didn't you come in?" "CK, he's there. I can hear him. He may be armed." "Armed?" For a moment, Clark was baffled, then burst out laughing. "Armed? With a bit of dried muck maybe. But otherwise he's fairly harmless. Jimmy, meet Wilbur, our neighbor's prize hog and frequent runaway." Jimmy breathed a sigh of relief. "Yeah sure, I knew that, CK, really. I was just ... joking, that's all." "Right Jimmy," Clark replied with a sly grin. "Why don't you come inside. Mom's just about finished fixing supper." And with that Clark led Jimmy into the farm house. ***** "Are you sure this is all you can tell me?" Lois demanded as she looked over her interview notes. Ms. Sherman, the young African American woman who had been Trask's front person shook her head affirmatively. "Look, Ms. Lane, I don't know anything about Bureau 29 ..." "39," Lois interrupted. "Whatever," the woman replied in a voice tinged with exasperation and exhaustion. "I answered a blind ad in the Washington Post. I'm a single mother and I'd just lost my job. They promised me a steady paycheck." "But can't you tell me where they're headquartered, or if ..." "I'm sorry. I don't know anything, really." Lois picked up her materials and began to walk away. "But I will say one thing Ms Lane." "What is it?" "If you're a friend of Superman tell him he'd better watch his back. Trask was a loony all right, but I think he was just the tip of the iceberg." Lois grew thoughtful at that last statement. "OK, thanks." She turned and walked toward Rachel. She sighed and put her notepad in her case. "Well, that's that." "No luck, huh?" "Zilch. I've heard of government cover-ups, but this takes the cake." She glanced at her watch. "Yikes! I'm running late. I've gotta go." "Want me to run you up to the Kents?" Lois looked gratefully at Rachel. "Oh, could you?" She grinned. "Besides, you can tell me a 'Clark story' on the way out there." Rachel grinned. "Deal." As she walked to the driver's side, she looked at Lois. "Lois?" "Yeah?" "Did Clark ever mention me?" Lois saw the slight hopefulness in her eyes. She felt a twinge of ... something. Jealousy? She dismissed the thought before it took deep root in her mind. She smiled warmly. "Just about the senior prom." She kept her fingers crossed behind her, glad to see that this little white lie made some of the shock over killing Trask leave Rachel's eyes. "But of course, he told me *his* version. I wanna hear *your* side of it." A conspiratorial smile passed between them as they got into the squad car. Continued in part 4 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Mar 1998 18:00:46 -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: IMPORTANT: Kerth nominations -- for the authors Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Now, don't get excited -- here's the nominations for the various categories. However, reading through it I noticed a couple of duplications ... if those authors could get in touch with me by 5th March (who me? tight deadlines? never!) if they wish to remove their story from a particular category, please let me know. (Sorry Peace and fellow bean counters (Debra, Mariann and "Mrs T") -- in my brain-deadedness last night -- I forgot about this crucial stage -- so there may be changes yet to the ballot!) No more additions from you other folks out there. If there are removals I have plenty (in most cases) of other already submitted nominations just ready to leap in. Incidentally, once this ballot is finalised and released (everywhere) then you'll have two weeks of intensive reading/decision-making! Oh, and Deb/Margaret -- where can I find "Swapmeet" in all it's parts? Leanne Kerths (Fanfic) Awards Voting Ballot Best Comedy Lois's Revenge/Clark's Response - BB Medos Love as a Blonde - Sandra McDermin Oops - Jenny Riecken Quick Change - Carla Humbert Strange Bedfellows - Lori Gorschboth Best Tearjerker A Shot in the Dark - Sheila Harper Dear Superman's Wife, Michele Savage Heaven's Prisoners - Demi The Heir: Return - Piper Unknown Emotions - Jeff Brogden Best Dramatic Story A Shot in the Dark - Sheila Harper Love Beyond All Reason - Chris Mulder Oh What a Wicked Web We Weave - Jiji B Second Chances - Pam Jernigan When My World Divides and Shatters - Peace Best Fanboy Story A Flash in the Pan - Ben Pestorius Carry Tiger to Mountain - Debby Stark Faster Than a Speeding Bullet - Sheila Harper Man of Kleenex - Louette McInnes To Be or Not To Be Mrs Kent - Nancy Lemieux Best Alt Story Always Something there to remind me - Zoomway Alt. Shook Up - Georgia Walden Clark and Lois: The Alternate Adventures - Audrey Rempel Meet Me in Kansas City - Chris Mulder Millions of Miles Away - Pam Jernigan Best Revelation/Lois Amantium Irae Amoris Integratio - Ruth Ellison Dawning I - Debby Stark Dimensions of Loving - Chris Mulder It's about time - Zoomway You Made Me Love you - Zoomway Best Revelation/Others A Chief Dilemma - Rachel Smith A Friend in Need - J.L. Masse A Smallville Revelation - Pam Jernigan Alone at Last - Jana Lippe Secret Interruptus - Donna Hafner Best Wedding Story A Virtue Rewarded - Barbara At Last - LadeeV Going to the Chapel - Pam Jernigan & Sarah Wood I Now Pronounce You Husband And Wife - Ketsia Lerebours Teh Wedding Story - Sara Kraft Best Pregnancy/Delivery Story A Homemade Gift - Abigail Jolie Hee hee hee whoo whoo whoo - Deena J. Cross Nine Months of Life or Death - Lily699891@aolcom Unknown Emotions - Jeff Brogden When you needed me most - Erin Klinger Best Next Gen Story Aliens and Strangers - Susan Stone Chances Are by Sara Kraft Laney and the Giant Killers - Susan Stone Good night Metropolis - peabody My Three Sons - LadeeV Best Alternate Beginnings If You Can't Beat'Em - Zoomway In the Beginning - BB Medos Meet me in Kansas City - Chris Mulder Best Rewrite Argh rewrite (4 stories) - Debby Stark Contact Ending - Sarah Wood Forget me not, Redux - Pam Jernigan If Only (Metallo Revised Ending) - Rhen Brink True and Amazing Adventures of Wanda Detroit -Nekanuq Best Early Years Story Carry Tiger to Mountain - Debby Stark The One - Margaret Brignell The Rules - Margaret Brignell The Long Road by Margaret Brignell Turning Point by Louette McInnes Best Series Dawning series - Debby Stark Love Beyond All Measure and Dimensions of Loving - Chris Mulder President Kent series - Pam Jernigan The Heir (all parts) - PIPER et al. Best Series Continuation Back to The Future/ Time After Time - Barbara and Peace I Need You -Pam Jernigan Millions of Miles Away - Pam Jernigan S5 Unaired Fifth Season Best Fifth Season Episode Eine Klein Nachtmusik - Nancy Lemieux Faster Than A Speeding Bullet - Sheila Harper In Vitro Veritas - Kathy Brown et al Mxysplit/All Myxed Up - Sheila Harper The Ex-Files by Julie Mack Best Music/Poem Adaptation Because You Loved Me - Michelle Puthoff Can't Fight This Feeling - Erin Klingler You Made Me Love You - Zoomway The Paradox of Failure - Gary A. Rudick May the Best (Super) Man Win by Kendra Best Poem Goodnight Lois-Goodnight Clark' - Rhunt I Imagine You There - Lara E. Taylor It's a Folc Thing - Gina Blank One Suit, Two Suit, Red Suit, Blue Suit - Caroline Baker 'Twas the Day After...' poems - Sue Tremblay Best In-Betweenie 12:01 - Zoomway After the Battle - Genevieve Clemens CLARKIE: A Lois & Clark Thanksgiving Story - Leigh Raglan Menage a Trois - Vixen Lois' Choice - J.G. Dutcher Best Lex Story 4 X Lex - Almost - Louette McKinnes All In a Day's Work - Andrea Dunham Best Man - Zoomway Dimensions of Loving - Chris Mulder Mindbender - Kendra Prince Best Tempus Story Chicken or the Egg - Jenny Stosser My 3 Sons - Ladee V Somewhere in Tempus - Annemarie Pace Tempus Fugitive Revisited - Kaz from Oz Two, Each His Own - Mercury Best Round Robin Extra-ordinary People Mirror Image Te Adoro Lois - Prodigy's Round Robin Three Capes To The Wind - #L&CFanfic The Next Step Best crossover Beginnings - Barbara Leaping For The Answer - Leanne Shawler Lois and Clark meet the X-Files - Zoomway SwapMeet - Debby Stark/Margaret Brignell Two of a Kind - Jon B. Knutson Best nfic A Shot in the Dark - Sheila Harper Consummate Revelation - Gorn Dayz series - Menolly Heaven's Prisoners - Demi Sanctuary - BB Medos Best Deathfic A Dying Flame - Christy Kubit Angel of the Morning, Jennifer Bullock Because You Loved Me - Michelle Putkoff Remembrances - Dan Shawler Summer's Twilight - Jackie MacPherson Best Elseworld Counter Clark-Wise - Zoomway If You Can't Beat'Em - Zoomway Join 'Em - Kari Urberg Meet Me in Kansas City - Chris Mulder When a Great Man loves a Super Woman - Ben Pistorius Best WAFFy story A Christmas to Remember - Barbara Geraud Camping with Clark - Kathy Brown Clark Stays Over - Melissa Dore Compromises & Reunions - Lillonely Clark Stays Over - Melissa Dore Cyberlink - Zoomway Best Fic Overall A Shot In the Dark - Shelia Harper Dawning - Debby Stark Dimensions of Loving/Love Beyond All Measure - Chris Mulder Heaven's Prisoners - Demi Meet Me in Kansas City - Chris Mulder Leanne Shawler aka Volterra on IRC (volterra@sd.znet.com) Keeper of Giles' Sheets 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, 4 Mar 1998 18:56:12 -0600 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: The Gardner Family Subject: Website MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hey guys, It's Brad. I was wondering if a few of you could please, please, please = check out my site. I beg this of you, I need some feedback. Yell at me, = tell me what's wrong or right, and tell me what you think!! Please, = please, please someone do this for me! (Only Peace has so far, thanks = Peace: ) Oh and not to depress you but on a sadder note: My parish priest died :( Gotta go Brad ------------------------------------------ Brad Gardner Gardners@htc.net=20 Visit Brad's Place-everything from Buffy to Friends to Lois and Clark http://www.angelfire.com/ga/gardners/brdswrld.html=20 ------------------------------------------ ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 4 Mar 1998 19:50:27 -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: Re: Trivia/Clarification Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 12:12 PM 3/3/98 -0500, Gary wrote: > Many (n)fics have Clark listening to Lois' heartbeat for whatever > reason. Was this mentioned on the show or did some FoLC create it? I suspect she was born with a heart beat. Debby Debby@swcp.com behind on her reading... but "Little" the cat is home from surgery :) now... +10 days of trying to keep him from tearing off the bandages... Well, that's what "elizabethan" collars are for.. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 4 Mar 1998 19:50:29 -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: Re: Trivia/Clarification Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 03:17 PM 3/3/98 -0500, Gary wrote: >At 02:47 PM 3/3/98 -0500, you wrote: >> >>Even after the silver age Superman, after Lois and Clark fell in love, Clark >>said he knew Lois's every sound, her scent, how she moved. >> > >Who did he say this to? Well, it probably wasn't Dr. Bamba... Though he (L&C's Clark) might have said it to Lex. Debby ;) Debby@swcp.com ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 4 Mar 1998 22:42:49 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Attalanta Subject: questions about Martha & Jonathan Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit One of the many fanfics I'm currently working on gives Martha and Jonathan starring roles, and I have a few questions about them that I was hoping I could get help with. First, how old do you think Martha and Jonathan are supposed to be? Sixties? Also, what would you guess as an age difference for them, and who'd be older? (My story deals with them at younger ages and I'm trying to figure out approximately what years they'd be these ages.) Thanks for your help. -Christy Attalanta@aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Mar 1998 00:14:45 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Mar Brian Subject: Re: questions about Martha & Jonathan Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit I'm not sure if this is right but I think that Jonathan is 65 or so and Martha is a year or two younger. Marianne ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Mar 1998 17:36:45 +1100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Jenny Stosser Subject: Re: Trivia/Clarification In-Reply-To: <2.2.16.19980304195323.30274fc0@swcp.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 07:50 PM 04/03/98 -0700, Debby Stark wrote: >but "Little" the cat is home >from surgery :) >now... +10 days of trying >to keep him from tearing >off the bandages... >Well, that's what >"elizabethan" collars are for.. I have GOT to tell you all this, though it is dangerously off-topic. The other day I was driving with David and we saw a car go by, with a dog with one of those white plastic collars on, hanging out the window. David goes, "Look! It's a wedding dog!" -- Jenny Stosser -*- jenerate@ozramp.net.au -*- (Jenerator or MoiAussie on IRC) This message is umop ap!sdn -*- David is 5 and Megan is 2! Photos on the Stosser Family HomePage: http://geocities.com/Heartland/Estates/4583 Please sign our guestbook! ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Mar 1998 10:12:38 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Y M Subject: Re[2]: questions about Martha & Jonathan MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Funny, I would personnaly have seen Martha a year or two *older* than Jonathan. That's my personal point of view, as I never noticed anything said about that in the show. Oh, BTW : I was watching Friends first 4 episodes again yesterday, and I have to agree now that yes, Courtney Cox would make a good Lois. Not as good as Teri, and I still think Sandra Bullock would be great, but Courtney might be my second choice. Oh, and if anybody cares, season 2 started last nite on french TV. TTYS Yann-El. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Mar 1998 07:41:48 -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: NEW FANFIC: A WORLD WITHOUT SUPERMAN part 1 of 5 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ChrisM, ChiefPam, Ckgroupie, CrystalW, DorDor, Eraygun, Kirshnera, and Zoomway: I just wanted to tell you guys that "A World Without Superman" was absolutely the best round robin fanfic I've ever read. The premise was well handled; the story was intense and suspenseful; the selection of scenes to use and L&C's reactions to each other were dead on target; and the conclusion was logical and satisfying. Really, really good job, guys! I know what round robin is going to have my vote for next year's Kerths. Sheila Harper ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Mar 1998 10:01:33 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Lalapoop2 Subject: Re: NEW FANFIC: A WORLD WITHOUT SUPERMAN part 1 of 5 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit In a message dated 98-03-05 08:36:56 EST, Sheila Harper writes: << I just wanted to tell you guys that "A World Without Superman" was absolutely the best round robin fanfic I've ever read. The premise was well handled; the story was intense and suspenseful; the selection of scenes to use and L&C's reactions to each other were dead on target; and the conclusion was logical and satisfying. Really, really good job, guys! I know what round robin is going to have my vote for next year's Kerths. Sheila Harper >> I couldn't have said it better myself - I totally agree - this was a great storyline and you guys handled it wonderfully! Michelle Lala2 on IRC Back to lurk mode.... ;) ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 1 Apr 1998 12:30:49 -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: Re: NEW FANFIC: A WORLD WITHOUT SUPERMAN In-Reply-To: <199803051441.HAA21073@sage.cncc.cc.co.us> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 07:41 AM 3/5/1998 -0700, you wrote: >ChrisM, ChiefPam, Ckgroupie, CrystalW, DorDor, Eraygun, Kirshnera, and Zoomway: >I just wanted to tell you guys that "A World Without Superman" was >absolutely the best round robin fanfic I've ever read. When I read a comment like that from Mlle Harper, I absolutely have to read the story ;) And I'm so glad I did because I completely agree with Sheila, I was swept away from beginning to end. Standing O you guys. That was a beautifully constructed, seamlessley written round robin. Demi ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Mar 1998 13:13:27 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Nancy Merckle Subject: Re: questions about Martha & Jonathan Comments: To: Attalanta In-Reply-To: <5d5c385d.34fe1f3b@aol.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Wed, 4 Mar 1998, Attalanta wrote: > First, how old do you think Martha and Jonathan are supposed to be? My guess would be mid fifties. Here's my reasoning: 1) We know they were married by 1966 due to the arrival from Krypton in May of 1966 and that they had been married long enough to determine they could not have children on their own. Unfortunately I don't know how long it would have really taken to determine this in the early 60's, so I'll guess 3-6 years. 2) Based on the above assumption and doing the math, they were probably married between 1960 and 1963. 3) We can assume that Jonathan was at least 18 when married, and Martha at least 16. (This is usually about the minium age for marriage.) 4) However, I don't think Martha would have married before graduating from High school, so lets add two years ... they were both at least 18 by 1963. 5) Using the assumed age of 18 in 1963 (from #4), the latest year they would have been born is 1945. This would give them an age of 53 on their birthday in 1998. 6) Using the assumed age of 18 and the earliest marriage date in my scenario of 1960 they would have been born around 1942, giving them an age of 56 on their birthday in 1998. 7) If your scenario has them going to college, and marrying after, add 4 years which would make them born in 1938 (using the 1960 marriage date making them turn 60 in 1998). Add any difference in age for the older spouse. Conclusion: If I were guessing, I'd give a birth date of 1940 for Jonathan (58) and 1942 for Martha (56) with the marriage in 1961. This senario would preclude a 4 year college for both (but allow for "some college" ... maybe a two year specialized agricultural school) and give them about five years to realize they can't have children before the arrival from Krypton. > Also, what would you guess as an age difference for them, and who'd be older? I would normally assume that they are no more than five years different in age and would suspect that Jonathan is older based on what I've seen in my family. Only one of my sisters married a younger man, but he is only two months younger. But it is your story, you can make Martha be older. Nancy, the youngest And the genealogist of the family. -------------------------------------------------------------- nancym@clark.net .......... http://www.clark.net/pub/nancym/ -------------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Mar 1998 13:37:48 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: JCWimmer Subject: Re: questions about Martha & Jonathan Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit In a message dated 98-03-05 13:23:25 EST, you write: << 1) We know they were married by 1966 due to the arrival from Krypton in May of 1966 and that they had been married long enough to determine they could not have children on their own. Unfortunately I don't know how long it would have really taken to determine this in the early 60's, so I'll guess 3-6 years. 2) Based on the above assumption and doing the math, they were probably married between 1960 and 1963. >> it's easier to figure their marriage date than this... in And the Answer is, weren't they there in Metropolis to celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary? That would put their wedding around 5/25/60 judging from the original airdate of the episode. Just a thought . Back then, most couples married early, say age 18. Remember, though, that Jonathan proposed 4 times before Martha accepted, and he was apparently old enough to have his own field to plow in the snow . This might make them a little older than the average couple, perhaps 20. So, with birthdates around 1940, they would be approximately in their late 50s by now. Of course, I could be wrong . Crystal ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Mar 1998 18:17:40 -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: Re: questions about Martha & Jonathan Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" I like to put them in their 50s. I figure they got married in their mid 20s, in the 60s (thus I have them liking the Beatles and well aware of the Vietnam war), then trying for a year or two to have kids, then add CK's age and there you have an approximation of the couple's ages. I see them as contemporaries of Perry and Alice White, Sam and Ellen Lane and Mike Lane :) (which might suggest a story or two...) Debby Debby@swcp.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Mar 1998 17:18:53 -0800 Reply-To: atavakoly0@sm.saddleback.cc.ca.us Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Ali Tavakoly Organization: Saddleback College Subject: [Fwd: Fw: List Humor] Comments: To: "escaflowne-ml@unixg.ubc.ca" Comments: cc: "gundam@aeug.org" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="------------2B9470E803AFE438983D0055" This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --------------2B9470E803AFE438983D0055 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit --------------2B9470E803AFE438983D0055 Content-Type: message/rfc822 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline Return-Path: Received: from libun1.ferris.edu ([161.57.201.4]) by ms02.ix.sccd.cc.ca.us (Netscape Mail Server v2.02) with ESMTP id AAA8542 for ; Thu, 5 Mar 1998 17:16:33 -0800 Received: from LIB01.FERRIS.EDU (lib01.ferris.edu [161.57.201.2]) by libun1.ferris.edu (8.8.5/8.8.5) with ESMTP id VAA17370; Thu, 5 Mar 1998 21:03:20 -0500 Received: from LIB01/SpoolDir by LIB01.FERRIS.EDU (Mercury 1.21); 5 Mar 98 19:54:04 EST Received: from SpoolDir by LIB01 (Mercury 1.21); 5 Mar 98 19:53:38 EST From: "The Punisher" To: "BSG Listserv" Subject: Fw: List Humor Date: Sun, 2 Feb 1997 16:47:52 -0800 Errors-to: Reply-to: BSG-THEME@LIB01.FERRIS.EDU Sender: Maiser@LIB01.FERRIS.EDU X-listname: X-Mailer: Microsoft Internet Mail 4.70.1155 (via Mercury MTS v1.21) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Message-ID: <356C8A7B2B@LIB01.FERRIS.EDU> ---------- > From: Kevin Kwan > To: FST Mailing List > Subject: List Humor > Date: Thursday, March 05, 1998 12:59 PM > > Q: How many list subscribers does it take to change a light bulb? > A: 1,331: > > 1 to change the light bulb and to post to the list that > the light bulb has been changed. > > 14 to share similar experiences of changing light bulbs and > how the light bulb could have been changed differently. > > 7 to caution about the dangers of changing light bulbs. > > 27 to point out spelling/grammar errors in posts about changing > light bulbs. > > 53 to flame the spell checkers > > 156 to write to the list administrator complaining about > the light bulb discussion and its inappropriateness to this > mail list. > > 41 to correct spelling in the spelling/grammar flames. > > 109 to post that this list is not about light bulbs and to please > take this email exchange to alt.lite.bulb > > 203 to demand that cross posting to alt.grammar, alt.spelling > and alt.punctuation about changing light bulbs be stopped. > > 111 to defend the posting to this list saying that we all > use light bulbs and therefore the posts **are** relevant > to this mail list. > > 306 to debate which method of changing light bulbs is > superior, where to buy the best light bulbs, what brand of > light bulbs work best for this technique, and what brands > are faulty. > > 27 to post URLs where one can see examples of different > light bulbs > > 14 to post that the URLs were posted incorrectly, and to > post corrected URLs. > > 3 to post about links they found from the URLs that are > relevant to this list which makes light bulbs relevant to > this list. > > 33 to summarize all posts to date, then quote them including > all headers and footers, and then add "Me Too." > > 12 to post to the list that they are unsubscribing because > they cannot handle the light bulb controversy. > > 19 to quote the "Me Too's" to say, "Me Three." > > 4 to suggest that posters request the light bulb FAQ. > > 1 to propose new alt.change.lite.bulb newsgroup. > > 47 to say this is just what alt.physic.cold_fusion was > meant for, leave it here. > > 143 votes for alt.lite.bulb. > > > > I, who should have know better, posted a followup of a few bits I thought > were missing from the list > > > You forgot a few: > > 27 to post in HTML because they are using the IE or Netscape > that had it turned on by default and are too clueless to > look > > 48 to complain about the HTML posts > > 27 to post 'sorry I didn't realize it was on' -- in HTML > > 96 to complain about more HTML and post detailed instructions > on how to change the setting > > 58 to mumble something about using a web browser to read mail > > 12 MIME posts with useless colors and bolds saying thanks > for the help with the HTML mail > > 1 to post a GIF/JPG of the lightbulb hanging too close to > their digital camera. > > 1 complaint from the guy using /usr/ucb/Mail who wants to > know what the *@&(%$!@ has been going on > > 58 to complain about the binary post > > 74 to say they liked the binary and didn't mind it > > 1 post about how you can MAKE MONEY FAST!!!!! by selling > lightbulbs and this report available for only $5. > > 1328 to reply to the list with the full spam attached and > then put 'remove' at the end > > 3 to flame the other morons for replying to the spammer > and CCing the list > > 1 from the list admin notifying that the list is looking > for a bigger server to handle the load > > There have now been several followups: > > "How did I get on this list?" > > "How do I get off this list?" > > "REMOVE" > > "REMOVE > UNSUB > SIGNOFF > REMOVE > TAKE ME OFF THIS LIST" > > "unsubribe" [sic] > > "Morons, you have to send it to the majordomo address" > > "How am I supposed to know that?" > > If it wasn't so pitiful, it would be funny. > > > Submitted by: Timothy J. Luoma @ peak.org > > > > \\|// > (o o) ORACLE SERVICE HUMOR MAILING LIST > ------------oOOo-(_)-oOOo----------------------------------------------- > > HOW DO I SUBSCRIBE? > It's free! Just send a message to > oracle-humor-subscribe@lyris.oraclehumor.com > > WHERE DO I SEND JOKES? WHERE'S THE WEBSITE? > jokes@oraclehumor.com http://www.oraclehumor.com > > LEGAL STUFF: Wallaby Solutions runs this piece as submitted and > does not claim to own any copyright privileges to it. The work was > submitted to us as an item for the mailing list, and it was posted > solely on the basis of its quality. If this is an administrative > posting, then follow any copyright guidelines noted on the posting. > > ------------------------------------ > Flight Simulator Toolkit Mailing List > majordomo@bigpanda.com > ------------------------------------ > Join the FST Web Ring! > http://www.mcnett.org/fst/webring/ --------------2B9470E803AFE438983D0055-- ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Mar 1998 22:49:58 +0500 Reply-To: mulders@mindspring.com Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Bob or Chris Mulder Subject: Thanks for the kind words :-) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Hi, FoLCs, Thanks for all the kind things that have been written about "A World Without Superman," one of our group's round robin stories. :-) We've been having a lot of fun writing these and I was glad to hear that you all are enjoying reading them, too. But, behind every good writer, you'll find a great editor, and we've got one in our very own Georgia Walden, so I wanted to take a moment to thank her, too. Thanks, Georgia ... we couldn't do it without ya. :-) --Chris mailto:mulders@mindspring.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Mar 1998 22:05:40 -0600 Reply-To: peabody@mcs.com Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Pat Organization: Amarna House Subject: Re: questions about Martha & Jonathan MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Crystal wrote: > > > it's easier to figure their marriage date than this... > in And the Answer is, weren't they there in Metropolis to celebrate their 35th > wedding anniversary? That would put their wedding around 5/25/60 judging from > the original airdate of the episode. Just a thought . > > Back then, most couples married early, say age 18. Remember, though, that > Jonathan proposed 4 times before Martha accepted, and he was apparently old > enough to have his own field to plow in the snow . This might make them a > little older than the average couple, perhaps 20. So, with birthdates around > 1940, they would be approximately in their late 50s by now. I'd thought them a little older than that, but I may be confusing this with the pre-crisis, silver-age comics. Weren't Jon and Martha unable to adopt children because they were considered "too old"? I'd always assumed this made the baby they found in Schuster's field even more precious to them. Pat -- peabody@mcs.com pattijean@aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Mar 1998 23:22:09 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Pam Jernigan Subject: Re: NEW FANFIC: A WORLD WITHOUT SUPERMAN Comments: To: Blind.Copy.Receiver@compuserve.com MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Thank you to all you kind people! :-) We did have a heck of a lot of fun= in writing this story. (And you'll probably also enjoy The Lone Rider, whenever that gets polished up for distribution ) Credit should also be given to Georgia Walden, our invaluable editor - she fixes our typos and helps us smooth out our phrasing & fix inconsistencies that might crop up. For those of you who don't know... #L&CFanfic is an IRC channel - a small group of writers gets together once a week to write in round-robin format. Some of them bomb (the stories, not the writers), but a surprisi= ng number of good stories are done that way. Personally, I was extremely nervous about getting involved (the pressure of writing "live") but it's been very fun for the most part. Okay, I still get an attack of nerves a= t the beginning of my turn, but it's not so bad. PJ rambling on... !^NavFont02F02C10007MGHHIC3AA85 E-mail from: Pam Jernigan, 05-Mar-1998 jernigan@compuserve.com / ChiefPam on the IRC ~~~~~ Unreformed, unrepentent, sometimes unproductive but never uninteresting fanfic writer = Visit Sarah & Pam's Shrine o'Fanfic at: http://www.geocities.com/hollywood/2501 ~~~~~ Lois and Clark Season 5 Fanfic: now at: http://www.tempus.simplenet.com/season5/ as mentioned in SciFi Entertainment magazine ~~~~~ "Bloom, close, kick 'em in the head." (Fraser teaches Ray how to swim, Due South) ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Mar 1998 21:34:31 -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: Round Robin authorship question Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Who wrote "Mirror Image" (nominated for Best Round Robin in the Kerths). Anyone know? if so, please email me! Leanne Leanne Shawler aka Volterra on IRC (volterra@sd.znet.com) Keeper of Giles' Sheets 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: Fri, 6 Mar 1998 03:35:25 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Kat5107 Subject: Question for San Diego area fanfic-ers (if any) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit Hi there, fic-ers ... I'm a newbie to the fanfic list ... Some of you may know me from #loiscla (as Mocha-), the LOISCLA listserv (as Lois Lane Kat) or AOL (as Kat5107) ... anyway, some of you may also know that I'm a journalism student at San Diego State University. I'm taking a class in "Information Gathering and Reporting." What does this have to do with the fanfic list? you ask. Well, our semester- long project has to do with "writing a feature story on a subject you're interested in." OK, so my topic was fanfic. I love fanfic, writing and reading it. However, for my project, I need to interview a few people, preferably in person. If there are any fanfic-writing and -reading FoLC in the San Diego area who are willing to be interviewed for a school project, please e-mail me at kat5107@aol.com. If you're in the Southern California area, you can e-mail me too, if you wish to be interviewed possibly by phone. (I have to get one of those special microphones for my tape recorder that attach to the phone first though ) I would also be interested in finding some URLs of fanfic archives for other shows (X-Files, Star Trek and others that have big fanfic followings). I'm a dud at newsgroups, so if you have any info on those, also please attach some kind of directions so I know what I'm doing I use Netscape 3.x for Mac to browse the Web, if that helps. Thanks in advance. Kat aka picson@rohan.sdsu.edu, kat5107@aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Mar 1998 06:47:11 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Eraygun Subject: Re: NEW FANFIC ALERT: THE FALCON Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit Hi Folcs, First of all thanks for all the kind comments concerning 'A World Without Superman'. It's nice to know that something we enjoyed writing is also enjoyed by the readers. . The IRC round robin writers have another story for your reading pleasure , "The Falcon". This one is slightly different in that it is an *enhanced* round robin. This means that while major part of the story was completed online we felt that because of the nature of the story it deserved a fuller treatment and so there have been some off line embellishments. The Falcon is also a "SoulMates Chronicle", and is a story that follows the adventures of the souls of Lois and Clark in another incarnation, this time in Milan, Italy during the Renaissance. The concept of the SoulMates Chronicles came from Annie (Lansbury) and Zoomway (with a little inspiration from by Brad Kern of course ;)) and we hope that this story will be the first of many . Finally, many thanks to Georgia Walden, our editor who not only did her usual steller job of finding typos and grammatical problems, but also coordinated the embellishments. We couldn't have done this without her :). Hope you enjoy it. Comments are welcome :) Cheers, Eileen a/k/a Eraygun@aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Mar 1998 06:47:36 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Eraygun Subject: Re: NEW FANFIC : THE FALCON Part 2 of 4 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit The Falcon continued from part 1 ___________________________________ ChrisnDor> Wells slowly crossed the piazza and knocked at the inn's front door. After a moment's pause, the door opened a crack. Squinting against the light streaming from inside the inn, Wells made out a lovely young woman. Her dark hair matched the color of her eyes and was pulled back in a knot. As his eyes got used to the brighter light, he noticed that there was something vaguely familiar about her features. "Welcome to 'Lucia's.' How can I help you?" She gave her late night visitor a scrutinizing look. "The Falcon sent me. He said to talk to the owner of this place. Would that be you by any chance?" "Oh, so The Falcon sent you, did he now? I should have known ..." She carefully studied her guest once more. "And in answer to your question, yes, I am Lucia." She smiled wryly. "All the servants are in bed at this hour." "I'm sorry for the late call, my lady. I am new in town, just arrived tonight. And your friend said ..." "Oh, please forgive me. Come in. I shouldn't have left you out in the cold so long. You must be hungry and tired. There is soup on the fire still if you care for some." "Thank you, my dear. I would indeed." Stepping into the warmth of the inn, Wells bowed to her. Lucia led her guest into the kitchen and invited him to sit at the table. She found that she actually trusted the short elderly man in spite of his strange appearance and his vague answers to her questions. He told her that he was a traveler and scholar of sorts. When asked about the nature of his studies, he was evasive, telling her it was an important study, but not to be disclosed to the public at this time. Ladling the third serving into Wells' bowl, Lucia smiled while her back was turned to him. She had gotten used to some strange and unusual ideas that seemed as out of place as the little stranger's appearance. "Then you are a writer?" she asked, turning back to Wells and putting the soup and a small loaf of bread in front of him on the table. "Why, yes, my dear. You could say that." Wells smiled in return. "Well, I think I know someone who will like to make your acquaintance." As if on cue, the back door screeched open, and a tall young man in black attire slipped into the kitchen. Lucia quickly stepped in front of Wells, partially covering the new arrival from view. "We have company tonight, Antonio. Someone your friend The Falcon sent by." "Oh ..." Antonio quickly turned and, pulling a pair of spectacles from his pocket, put them on. Blinking, he peered through the lenses. They still irritated his eyes, but he was grateful that his friend the great inventor had suggested wearing them. Both hoped they would help were The Falcon ever caught without his mask in place. He was looking at their guest now. "I'm glad my wife made you comfortable. A friend of The Falcon's is a friend of ours. Please feel at home." Wells rose to his feet and bowed to his host. "The honor is mine." Lucia had taken another bowl from the shelf, filled it with soup and set it in on the table. She studied the two men for a moment longer. Wells didn't seem to have become suspicious. Relaxing, she smiled at her husband. "I was just telling our friend here that you may want to get to know him better. He is a writer, you know." "Really?" Antonio replied as he flashed a familiar grin. "I also write or at least I try to. Perhaps we can exchange our thoughts on writing." As he observed the young couple in the flickering firelight of the kitchen, Wells smiled inwardly with satisfaction. Once again his soul tracking device had drawn him to the intertwined spirits of Lois and Clark. "Why, yes, I'd like that," Wells replied. "But I'd really like to know more about my new-found friend The Falcon. And why those guards were chasing him through the streets tonight." Lucia and Antonio exchanged worried glances. "These are dangerous times," Lucia replied. "It would be safer if you didn't ask such questions." Wells tore off a piece of bread and smiled. "You'll find, my dear, most times are dangerous when one goes against those in power." Antonio stepped forward, "You say you know nothing of The Falcon, and yet you seem to know he's at odds with those in authority." Wells shrugged and swirled the bread in the broth. "You might say I'm a well- traveled alchemist." Lucia folded her arms. "Alchemy is a heretical art." "I suppose anything not readily understood in these times would be," Wells chuckled. "So, who is The Falcon fighting against? Certainly not the Milanese authorities." Antonio straightened. "No, he's fighting the petty rule of Ludovico, my half- brother. Apparently The Falcon feels that wealth does not give a man the right to do what he will, to buy off the church and government officials." Wells nodded. "Odd that he wears a mask. That would invite speculation that he's hiding another identity." Lucia pulled the bowl away. "You ask too many questions, alchemist." Antonio put his arm around her slender shoulders. "I think there is someone you should meet. Have you heard of Maestro Leonardo?" Wells wiped his chin. "Leonardo da Vinci? Of course I've heard of him, my boy. I would enjoy nothing better!" "Then it's done," Antonio smiled. "I'll take you there. He has a workshop, and a young apprentice named Giovanni. Besides," Antonio glanced at his wife. "I fear there's suddenly no room at the inn." Wells and Antonio wound their way through the narrow streets in the dark. Despite the lack of light, Antonio's directional sense was unerring. He stopped at a large wooden double door and knocked. A young man dressed in night clothes answered, a taper in his hands. "Antonio?" "My apologies for the lateness of the hour, Giovanni, but this visiting alchemist needs some temporary lodging." "A heretic? Why are they always drawn to Maestro Leonardo's lodging?" The boy shrugged. "Come in, please." Antonio smiled and turned to walk back to the inn, but stopped abruptly when a shadow stepped out of an alcove. "You are out late, brother." "Ludovico, you startled me." "You were always a timid one, brother. The humanist ideal, a man of art and rebirth - I'm surprised you don't reside in Florence. Milan must be quite... stunting." Antonio shrugged. "Were I in Florence, I'd find my separation from you difficult to bear." "Not to mention your spirited wife and her family being fixtures here in Milan," Ludovico said, and as always when mentioning Lucia, got something of a lecherous glint in his eye. He removed his riding gloves. "I've been riding the countryside in search of The Falcon, but he always seems to remain one step ahead." "Terrible news, Ludovico. Does he still plague you?" "Only a temporary setback, I assure you, dear brother. I have a plan for disposing of his irritating, albeit ineffectual, interference." "Excellent news, Ludovico. Accompany me to the inn. I would love to hear your plan." >From the other side of the large wooden doors to da Vinci's residence, the young apprentice, Giovanni, listened intently to the conversation between the two half brothers. Wells had tried once to ask him what was wrong, but had been swiftly hushed for his pains. Giovanni looked relieved when the two men moved off towards Lucia's inn and motioned for Wells to follow him further into the interior of the large house. Wells wanted desperately to ask questions, but held his peace. After the two men had walked down two halls and crossed through two large rooms, he was rewarded for his patience. "That Ludovico," Giovanni volunteered, jerking his thumb back towards the way they had come, "is a very bad man, alchemist. You'd be wise to stay away from that one." "Thank you ...Giovanni. I--" "Shush," Giovanni pleaded. "Keep your voice down, in the saints' names! Do you want me to lose my place?" Wells looked stricken. "No," he whispered, urgently. "Certainly not. So sorry." They continued on their way in silence, Wells taking care to walk on tiptoe. By now they had traveled through the front part of the house. The young apprentice next took his visitor through the interior courtyard with its busy fountain, and on through to the kitchens at the back. "We can speak more normally here, alchemist," he said. My master sleeps in the other part of the house. There is a place back here where you may stay for the night. In the morning, when the servants leave for the market, however, you can slip out and no one will be the wiser." "Thank you, Giovanni. But ..." "Yes?" "Well, it's just that Antonio promised that I'd get to meet Maestro Leonardo ..." His voice trailed off disappointedly. The first smile that Wells had seen from his young guide now spread across Giovanni's face. "Very well, Signor Alchemist, if you make no more noise and allow me to return to my bed, I will see if I can get you an audience with my master in the morning." Content now, Wells went into the room that the boy had pointed out to him. The moonlight coming in the window showed him a cot-like bed with a straw mattress and a worn blanket. There was also a small table on which stood a tallow candle in a holder. Resigned to his accommodations, Wells took a box of matches from his pocket and lit the candle, then sitting on the bed, gave himself over to deep thought. ***** Antonio allowed his brother to set their pace as they walked back towards the inn. Rather, Ludovico strode towards the inn with Antonio following three paces behind. Antonio actually preferred this state of affairs as it allowed him to keep his older brother under observation. It never seemed to occur to Ludovico that by always insisting on being first in everything, he couldn't then see who was coming up behind him. Antonio had to smile to himself. I wonder, he mused, what my not so dear brother would think if he knew he was keeping company with The Falcon himself? Suddenly, Ludovico stopped and whirled around. "Do try and keep up, little brother. How can you ever expect to get ahead in this world if you do not keep up?" He then spun back around and continued on his way even faster than before, his heeled boots clacking on the cobbles of Milan's well-maintained streets. Ludovico liked the best of everything ... the best boots, clothes, jewels and women. He could not understand his brother's love for ... books. Nor had he ever been able to understand why their father had encouraged this ... this conceit. Surely, being a noble citizen of Milan should have been enough for anyone like his brother. For Antonio to play at being a scholar instead of entering into a respectable trade as befitted his position in life was an affront to the family. Ludovico could never forgive him for that ... or for having been able to capture the beautiful Lucia for a bride. If not for this accursed business with The Falcon, Ludovico might have managed to take care of his little brother before now. However, some day ... when The Falcon had been disposed of as befitted a criminal of his ilk, Ludovico would once again have the time to turn his attention to the matter of his brother. The two brothers arrived at the inn and Ludovico pushed against the door, not pleased to find it barred against him. He raised his arm and would have pounded his fist on the door but just then Antonio came up. "There is no need for violence, brother. I have the key." "There is *always* need for strength of will, however, brother. Something you will never know about." He barely waited for the door to be unlocked before he was pushing it open and stalking towards the tavern part of the old building. Antonio spared a brief moment for another smile at his brother's lack of insight. Then he relocked the door and followed him into the tavern. He was very curious to hear about Ludovico's plans for the capture of The Falcon. "So, you say you have a plan to rid yourself of The Falcon." "I most assuredly do, brother. It is a small mind that cannot outwit such a villain," Ludovico stated with confidence. Antonio looked up from his brother's lecture to see his wife at the door. He smiled softly at her, encouraging her to enter the room fully. Lucia returned his smile until she saw the guest whose voice had roused her in the first place. Her steps slowed for a moment, and then she raised her chin and walked determinedly into the room. "I see that you have brought a ... guest," Lucia commented. "I am afraid the rooms are filled, and we will be unable to accommodate him." "Lucia," Ludovico said as he stepped toward her, "surely you would find room for family. I am, after all, your brother as well." The leer on his face was clear, and it took all of Lucia's determination not to step away from his approach. Holding her ground, Lucia answered quietly. Too quietly. "There is no room." Antonio was mildly surprised by his wife's rudeness. It was no secret that she disliked his brother, yet it was unlike her to be this unfriendly without deliberate provocation. He raised his eyebrows in question, and was met with her cold glare. "May I see you for a moment, husband?" "Certainly." He took two steps toward his wife before remembering that he had a guest to provide for. It was not that he enjoyed entertaining this domineering man, but he needed to find out what was planned for The Falcon so that he could divert the attack. "Please make yourself at home for a moment, Ludovico. I will return with a cold meal for you, and perhaps some ale." "Of course you will, brother. You always were the most efficient host." Ludovico turned the comment into an insult with the tone of his voice, but Antonio chose to ignore it. He nodded, and left the room with his wife. "What were you thinking! How could you bring that...man...into this inn." Lucia had barely closed the door to the empty room when she verbally attacked her husband. "That swine is not fit to be in the refuse heap behind the house, much less a guest in our home." With a sigh, Antonio began the task of calming his wife. "He will be here but for a brief time. He has information that I need." Antonio paused for a moment to observe his wife's response. "He will not be staying the night." "I should think not." "Lucia," he said, laying his palm beside her cheek. "He is my brother. I would be unforgivably rude to deny him access to my home." Lucia leaned into her husband's touch, then sighed. "You always have been too polite." Continued in part 3 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Mar 1998 06:47:29 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Eraygun Subject: Re: NEW FANFIC : THE FALCON Part 1 of 4 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit SoulMates Chronicles: The Falcon by Lansbury (Lansbury1@aol.com), Zoomway (zoomway@aol.com), ChrisM^ (mulders@mindspring.com) , ChrisnDor (dorisschmill@gmx.net), Eraygun (Eraygun@aol.com), and CrystalW (JCWimmer@aol.com) ___________________________________________________________ H.G.Wells sat at his desk in the library of his own home, in his own time of 1899. He was full of excitement and in a state of awe at what had just transpired. His body told him he should go and rest from the journey in time but his mind would not take heed. He looked down at the small device lying on top of the black journal. Smiling, he picked up the device and inspected it thoroughly for any possible damage. His thoughts flashed back to the place in time where he came across it. A time quite unlike anything he'd ever dreamed. He recalled with great clarity the fellow inventor who first taught him how to use it by locking onto the energies emitted by souls. Laying the device to the side he opened the journal of blank pages to the first page. Wells looked out the window and murmured to himself. "Now, where do I begin? Oh, yes," he said to the sparrow sitting on the window ledge looking into the room. He picked up his pencil and began writing, a hint of a smile remaining as he wrote. "I, H.G. Wells, will chronicle the human lives of two dear souls I first met in the year 1996. I discovered with the use of my Time Machine and a new device which I will from this point refer to as the Soul Tracker that I had the ability to trace the souls of Lois Lane and Clark Kent through the stream of time. This my first entry begins in the country of Italy in the first decade of the sixteenth century... ...It is the twilight of the Renaissance. Leonardo will soon pass from this time, and younger titans like Michelangelo will take up the mantle, though no one would replace the genius of da Vinci. I am excited beyond words to be a chronicler at this point in history..." There was a rushing sense of forward momentum as Wells found himself in Milan circa 1507 outside an open square. He thought it was likely the Piazza del Duomo, the very hub of Milan. The dark building looming to the east had to be the Duomo, the largest Gothic cathedral in the world. Wells wished it were daylight so he could get a good look at its striking features. He knew to the south would be the church of San Satiro. Now there was something he'd like to see. Just think, Milan's foremost architect of the Renaissance, Bramante, had taken the old ninth century oratory and transformed it into a long-naved basilica. It would be brand new! Wells sighed. The one thing he did not want to miss was the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, in whose refectory could be found Leonardo's 'The Last Supper'. "Imagine," he whispered in the darkness, "to see that magnificent mural before the ravages of time and men began destroying it." He removed his bowler hat and scratched his head. "As I recall it is south of Castello Sforzesco." Wells grinned ruefully. "I at least won't have to traipse through Napoleon's gaudy self-tribute 'Foro Bonaparte' to get there. It doesn't exist yet." Wells' romantic reverie was broken by the sound of wooden wheels clattering slowly into the piazza. He looked up and noticed a drayman wheeling a cart of vegetables into the square. Likely other merchants would begin appearing soon, using the few hours before dawn to find the best spots to exhibit their wares. The pungent smell of onions pierced the cool, damp air. Wells' stomach rumbled. What an excellent selling point to have aromatic onions to whet the appetite of prospective buyers. Suddenly the drayman began speaking to him. Wells tried not to fight the Soul Tracker's translation, but his mind, having an English default setting, was getting only bits and pieces of what was spoken. After a few moments, however, Wells was comprehending the merchant's comments. It seemed he found amusement in Wells' Victorian wardrobe. The inappropriate clothing could get him into trouble, or at the very least attract unwanted attention. Wells slipped away from the drayman under the cover of darkness and hid inside what seemed to be a silk mill. It smelled of fresh plaster and there was scaffolding silhouetted in the darkness. A wall was under repair. Looking around Wells found a long leather apron. He removed his hat and slipped the neck loop over his head and tied the straps at the back. He was grateful that the apron covered his clothing from neck to knee. There was a puffy 'muffin' cap hanging from a peg on the wall. With great regret Wells swapped his bowler for the muffin cap, and re-entered the street. He had scarcely taken two steps when he heard a commotion near the rectory. The vegetable merchant cringed behind his dray. Torches were streaming though the night, and shouts of 'Falcon' could be heard. Wells stood on tiptoe and saw a young masked man easily outrunning a troop of guards. Dozens of boots made a clattering noise, like a handful of pebbles rolling over the cobblestones, as the soldiers huffed and puffed their way through the semi-darkened passageways. Their heavy armor and the weapons they carried made for slow going. Their quarry, however, ran light-footed and unencumbered and was fast outdistancing them. H.G. Wells, famous author and occasional time-traveler, slipped further back into the shadows as he watched this drama unfold before him. By the light of the half-moon, he could see the masked man coming his way, his dark form obscuring the light reflecting off the wet cobbles, and thus giving this observer from the future a way of keeping him in sight. Just when he thought that the fleeing man might collide with him, he seemed to disappear. Wells gasped in surprise and peered into the darkness, searching the nearby shadows, but was quickly recalled to a sense of his own danger by the increasingly louder shouts of the approaching soldiers. "Here! He went this way!" "No, this way!" "Over here I tell you!" "Fool! That is the Bishop's house! He'd have to be daft to go there ... the Bishop's a clever man with a sword, he is. Everyone knows that." A sudden noise--slight but tantalizing--from the alley across the way drew their attention. "There! What did I tell you? He's gone that way. Come on!" And the whole party moved as one man, clattering and banging their way towards the sound and away from Wells' hiding place near the rectory. He breathed a long-held sigh of relief. The soldiers' swords had looked unpleasantly sharp and well-cared-for. Wells straightened up from where he'd been crouching and was nearly startled out of his skin by the soft voice behind him. "I know why I'm hiding from the soldiers, but what have you done, my friend?" Wells whirled around and found himself looking into the grinning face of the masked man. "I ... I ... Well, you see ..." Wells stammered. "Ahh, like that is it?" the other man asked, amusement in his voice. "Well, you'd better come with me then, little man. They're not very bright, but they are tenacious. They'll be back, so we'd better not be here." He glanced around, as if to be sure they were still unobserved and cautioned, "Wait here." Wells then watched in bemused wonder as his companion lithely scaled the south wall of the Bishop's two-story house, using handholds in the stone facade that were visible only to him. In no time at all he was on the roof and out of sight. Wells stood in the near darkness of the side street, craning his neck to look up at the roof, and all the while keeping an ear tuned for possible returning soldiers. Thus he was startled anew when his masked benefactor appeared at his side from an entirely different direction. This "Falcon," Wells realized, was quite a character. "Now we can go," The Falcon said, amusement once again apparent in his voice. "I'm sorry to keep you waiting, but I had to retrieve this." He held up a leather satchel, confiding to Wells, "Those soldiers were under the misapprehension that I had stolen this, but in fact I've been retrieving it from the real thief. It will be returned to its true owner tomorrow, but for tonight we need to find you a safe place to sleep." Something about this young man made Wells feel that he could trust him, despite the disguise and the questionable satchel, so he followed as best he could as his guide led him through a seemingly endless succession of streets, alleys and passages. Eventually, they came to the edge of another, smaller piazza. By now Wells was completely disoriented "Where are we?" he whispered as he looked around him "The Piazza Santa Maria delle Grazie," The Falcon replied, "and here is where I must leave you, my friend." Wells' eyes lit up with enthusiasm. Just the place he had most hoped to see while in Milan. So involved was he in his thoughts of great works of art that he nearly missed what the other man was saying to him. "There's a modest inn on that side of the piazza. Tell the charming lady who runs it that The Falcon sent you and she'll take excellent care of you." Wells looked in the direction that had been pointed out to him, and could just make out the inn in the moonlight. "Thank y--" he started to say, but when he turned back, the younger man had disappeared. "Who was that masked man?" he asked himself wonderingly, then shrugged his shoulders and went to beg a night's lodging from the kind proprietress of the inn. Continued in Part 2 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Mar 1998 06:47:51 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Eraygun Subject: Re: NEW FANFIC: THE FALCON Part 4 of 4 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit The Falcon continued from part 4 __________________________________________ ****** At the first blush of dawn, a masked figure on horseback galloped into the courtyard of a small villa outside of Milan. He dismounted quickly and ran to the door. Alarmed when no one answered his knock, he scaled a trellis under the second story balcony, and entered a window. Climbing into the room he breathed a sigh of relief to see his parents sleeping in the bed. Quietly he crept around to his father and tapped him briefly on the shoulder. "Father? Father, I need to speak to you." "Antonio?" The answering voice was groggy. "Why are you here?" Giuliano sat up in bed, concerned at the expression on his son's face. Despite their attempt at quiet, Maria stirred beside her husband. As she opened sleepy eyes, she noted that her son was present. With a smile that failed to acknowledge any abnormality in the situation, she greeted her son. "Antonio! How is it that you are here? Is Lucia with you?" "No, Mother. I need to talk to Father for a moment. It's important." "I will rouse the servants then, and tell them to start the morning meal. Come to the kitchen when you have finished." Maria pulled on a warm garment over her nightgown and kissed her son on the cheek before leaving the room. Antonio had absently kissed his mother good morning, and now turned his full attention to his father. Antonio immediately went to the point. "I'm worried about Ludovico." "Of course you are, son. He is a worry to us all." "That isn't what I am referring to," Antonio corrected. "Ludovico believes that you are supplying information to The Falcon, and I fear for your safety." "Ludovico would do nothing to harm me. He is my son, he has no reason to fear me." "Father, he would do anything to capture The Falcon. He believes that you know who he is, and he would use that information to harm you. I feel you must leave, for your safety and that of Mother." With a sigh, Giuliano stood to dress for the day. "Antonio, I have it on good authority that The Falcon will not allow harm to come to us." He gave his son a condescending look. "He is close to the truth. He knows that it would take a family member to discover so many of his actions, and he does not believe that I have the strength to do so. He believes that it is you." "Son, I will take this under advisement. I will be cautious, but I will not leave. Your mother and I have a home here, and a farm to care for. We cannot leave all this." Antonio echoed his father's sigh. "I believe I knew that," he said with a small smile, "but I had to make this attempt." "Of course you did, son." Giuliano and Antonio turned toward the door quickly as they heard a large crash. Though Antonio had age on his side, he managed to descend the stairway only seconds before his father. As they reached the bottom of the stairwell, they were stopped by a group of armed men. Antonio was the first to see his mother held securely in the arms of Ludovico. "Release her immediately, brother!" "I fear that I cannot do that." He turned slightly, addressing Giuliano. "Father, I know that you have been supplying information to The Falcon. I believe that you can be as helpful to me as you have been to him. Until you give me his whereabouts, I will restrain your wife." "Ludovico, you cannot do this. She is your mother," Giuliano called. "No! She is Antonio's mother. She is merely the woman who is married to my father, a traitor. If you have no family loyalty, than I shall not show loyalty to you. You have your instructions, I will await your reply." With that, Ludovico turned and carried a kicking and screaming Maria to his horse. "Don't' worry, father," Ludovico called back, *Mother* won't be alone. I've arranged for her to have some company." Reaching into his pocket he tossed a small gold band tied in a scrap of lace at Antonio's feet. "I'm sure you recognize this, *brother*. "What have you done with Lucia!?" Antonio exclaimed, but Ludovico just laughed and mounted his horse, dragging the struggling Maria up before him. It was moments after the last hoofbeats could be heard that the armed men left behind allowed Antonio and Giuliano to leave the cottage. By this time, Ludovico's horse was no longer in sight, and the cries of Maria could not be heard. Giuliano turned grim-faced to his younger son as they watched Ludovico's men depart in a cloud of dust. "I can't believe that an offspring of mine could commit such an act of perfidy!" he growled. "Not only did he kidnap his own brother's wife, but Maria cared for him as if he were her own. And this is how he repays her and me! I should have listened to you, Antonio - no, I should have listened to your sainted grandmother when she said on the day of his christening that Ludovico had an evil streak and I should have strangled that viper in his crib!" "Father, this is no time for recriminations. We need to find him and soon. We have no idea what he may do to Mother." Antonio's jaw tightened. "Or to Lucia. Do you have any idea where he may have taken her?" Giuliano shook his head. "Nothing definite, my son. There have been rumors that your brother has been constructing some kind of windowless fortress up in the mountains...." Antonio scanned the nearby mountain range and used his keen eyesight to pinpoint the area his father was talking about. "I can make it there before midday if I use your quickest horse," he told his father. "Son, my horses may get you there too late to save your mother and Lucia. There must be another way." Antonio looked at his father and placed both hands on Giuliano's shoulders. "Father I may know of a way of getting there before they do. But I need to seek the help of Maestro Leonardo." Giuliano looked at his son with a frown. "How could that crazy inventor help us rescue your mother and Lucia?" "I don't have time to answer, but trust me, Father. I will bring them home safely." Antonio was already on the horse his father had gotten. "Fear not, I will bring them back," he called as he sped from his parents' farm. Giovanni, in a burst of enthusiasm, was explaining to Wells how the cylindrical drum printing press could revolutionize printing. "Imagine that all of the news, events, and gossip could be printed up the same day! Milan would know what all in the Milanese community were up to!" "Simply fascinating, my boy," Wells said, easily recognizing Jimmy Olsen in the long hair and oversized cap. Leonardo flexed an eyebrow. "One more way to make the world smaller, eh, Giovanni?" "No, Maestro, I prefer to think of it as making the world 'closer'." Before Leonardo could reply, a very breathless Antonio burst into the gallery. "Maestro Leonardo, please, I need your help. Some say you're a sorcerer..a wizard. Is that true?" "Hmph," the old man grumbled. "The Middle Ages gone a century, and still the world of science is viewed as wizardry." Antonio grabbed da Vinci's voluminous sleeves. "I don't *care* what magic brings back my wife and mother, but I need your help!" "Oh my," Wells said. "They're dead?" "No, no, alchemist. They've been kidnapped by my brother Ludovico." "Ludovico is well fortified in the mountains, young man," Leonardo said. "And while I've done sketches of war machines for the likes of Sforza and Borgia, neither heeded my advice, so there are no working models." "I don't want to carry out a full scale invasion, Maestro! Ludovico would have my wife and mother's heads on pikes." "Then what--" "This!" Antonio said, pointing to the flying apparatus. "Make The Falcon fly!" Giovanni's eyes grew twice their size. "You're The Falcon!" "The alchemist has assured me my flying machine cannot fly." Wells nodded. "Very true I'm afraid, but it can *glide*." "All I care is that it get me to Anghiari Pass before the men on horseback get there." Giovanni thought a moment. "We're three hours ride from the pass, and once they move beyond, they'll be in the mountains." Wells clapped his hands together. "Then we must stop them there, or they will be too high for any vantage point here." "I..I don't understand, alchemist," Antonio said. Wells pointed out the window. "Meet us at the top of the hill, Falcon. We'll make you fly." Antonio hurried from the gallery, and waited impatiently as a small dray carried the flying machine to the hill. Wells and Giovanni removed the flying apparatus while Leonardo watched with rising excitement. "I've added bracing to the wings so they won't 'flap', but rather hold a slightly curved form," Wells explained. "How do I make it work? I'll be a prisoner of the wind." "Not entirely, my boy. The rods the Maestro had which manipulated the flapping motion will now allow you to dip left or right and keep a fairly accurate direction," Wells said, his outstretched arms imitating the banking movements. "I will *be* a falcon," Antonio smiled as he strapped himself in. "So how do I start?" Leonardo smiled. "A leap of faith." Antonio peered over the edge and swallowed. He backed up a few paces. Giovanni kept wringing his hands. "Please, Antonio, think better of this. You'll be killed!" Antonio's demeanor was suddenly calm. "If I were to lose Lucia, I would rather die." With that, he ran for the ledge. Wells and Leonardo watched. Giovanni covered his eyes and repeated a prayer over and over as Antonio fell rapidly out of sight. "Dear God," Wells gasped, but then The Falcon rose into the sky, a valley thermal boosting his wings. "He flies!" Leonardo cried out, tears on the old man's face. Giovanni looked at the clouds above his head. "Thank you," he whispered. Antonio looked down at the countryside, but took no notice of its beauty, or the wonder of flight. Though there was something in his soul that told him he was meant to have wings, at this moment he could think of nothing but his goal. He scanned the road ahead, easily passing wagons and even a flock of sheep disturbed by the huge shadow overhead. He finally spotted Ludovico and his men. Antonio instinctively pitched himself forward, thus forcing a descent, and circled the troops riding to the back of Ludovico. The horses were thrown into an uncontrollable frenzy, rearing, bucking and dislodging their riders. Others simply turned off the path, running in a wild panic. Ludovico was suddenly all alone, and far enough ahead to have taken no notice of his lost troops. Bringing his feet up, Antonio planted his boots in Ludovico's back, tumbling him from his horse. Lucia and Maria, both on the same horse being escorted by a soldier, saw Ludovico go sailing past them. The soldier ran to his fallen master, but upon seeing a giant bird of prey bearing down on him, ran for cover shouting the name of every saint he could remember. Maria and Lucia dismounted their frightened horse and watched the giant bird land, rather awkwardly, on the road near them. The bird turned around. "Antonio!" Lucia shouted, and ran to her husband, Maria close behind. Antonio disengaged the cumbersome harness and embraced his wife and mother. Ludovico moaned by the roadside and looked up at his younger brother. "What sorcery is this?" "I believe the Maestro called this sorcery 'science'. Had Icarus this 'science' his story might have ended better." "I promise I will not rot in some cage, Antonio," Ludovico hissed. His words turned out to be prophetic, as an arrow seemingly from nowhere pierced his neck. A man, in soldier garb, stepped from the rocky terrain, and removed his helmet. "It looks as though you didn't need my help, Antonio, and here I went to the trouble of insinuating myself among Ludovico's men." "Piero? But..but you're a priest." The portly man nodded, his expression somber. "Yes, and I dispatched a sinner. When a man robs from a church and makes no distinction between a gold coin and a gold cross, then his contract is already with the devil." Antonio knelt next to the fallen Ludovico and placed a hand on his chest. "The Falcon will find and return the things Ludovico has stolen, Father Piero," he said, but did not look up. "I'm sorry, brother." Ludovico's eyes opened slowly. A gray cast had settled over them. His life force was slipping away. He clinched his teeth. "If Hell has a gate, I'll find it. I'll find *you*. This will never be over between us, Antonio. Never." Lucia shook her head as Antonio moved to her side and put a comforting arm around her shoulder. "The last words of his life, a threat. No apology, no asking for forgiveness, no redemption." Piero tossed his bow and helmet into the rocks. "I'll pray for his forgiveness," he whispered. "And mine." As Father Piero headed toward the path, Antonio placed his mother back onto the horse, but when he tried to lift Lucia, she declined, preferring instead to walk arm and arm with her husband back to the city. Wells smiled, and began descending the hill. Giovanni watched him curiously, as the man discarded his leather apron and soft hat, and was about to call after him when he noticed a beautiful young woman with red hair climbing the hill, her skirt slightly hiked so as not to touch the muddy ground. "I heard that a great bird sprang from this hillside," she said. Giovanni just stared. "Are you mute?" "No..no, I...yes..a great bird sprang from this hill, and I helped it fly," he bragged, and took her arm to help her up the rest of the way. "I'm Giovanni, apprentice to the great Maestro Leonardo da Vinci." Out of the corner of his eye, Giovanni saw their strange visitor take something from his pocket. As he stared down at the thing in his hand, his image became more indistinct, and then vanished. Giovanni closed his eyes, and prayed again. When he opened them, the woman gave him a dazzling smile. "I am Isabella. It's strange, but I feel we've met before." Giovanni suddenly did not care about the vanishing alchemist. Leading the lovely Isabella down to the road, they set out after the others to return to Milan. ***** "...and so my sojourn in the sixteenth century ended on a note of triumph and high adventure, not an uncommon experience, I have discovered, when in the company of those two heroic souls whose love binds them through all eternity." Wells made a final notation in his book, and turned off the small lamp. Removing his glasses, he rubbed his eyes. The window that had offered a perch for a friendly sparrow earlier in the day now glowed with the reflected glare of the setting sun. Wells stood and stretched, and with a reminiscent smile checked his pocket watch. "Enough for today," he murmured, and locking the journal in his desk, he left the study. THE END ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Mar 1998 06:47:43 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Eraygun Subject: Re: NEW FANFIC: THE FALCON Part 3 of 4 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit The Falcon continued from part 2 ___________________________________ Eraygun> "And you have always been a bit too....*spirited* at times," Antonio replied teasingly. "But I think that is why we belong together, my love. We complement and complete each other." Lucia smiled and nodded in agreement. "All right then, he may stay. But *only* because it is necessary to protect you." "Thank you, my love." "You'll find some cheese and stale bread in the kitchen." "Lu-ci-a," Antonio admonished. "The little alchemist finished all the soup, and besides, that is better than he deserves. He is lucky that I am not related to the Borgias!" Lucia hissed in response. Antonio smiled. "All right then, my wife, you go back to bed, I'll attend to our *guest*." ***** Wells tossed restlessly on his small cot, unable to rest despite the feeling of exhaustion that had seemed to overwhelm him a few hours before. Rising from the bed he opened the door to his room and wandered out into the hallway. He noticed light streaming from under a large doorway at the end of the corridor. He made his way to the door, quietly opened it and peered inside, instantly recognizing the man intently staring at a manuscript on a work table. Wells stood in the doorway staring in awe at the great Maestro. He ventured a step into the room and paused. In a loud stage whisper he cleared his throat, trying to get the attention of da Vinci. Without looking up, Leonardo said, "Bring me my sketching materials, Giovanni. I have the desire to capture the image that is robbing me of my night's sleep." Wells looked around for what had been requested. Picking them up, he timidly walked towards Leonardo with the items held far ahead of him. "Here, sir. Is this what you are wanting?" Leonardo turned and with a thunderous voice bellowed, "Great shades of Caesar! Who are you and what, pray tell, are you doing in my dwelling at this late hour?" Wells was immediately taken aback at the tone of Leonadro's question but replied, "I, sir, am a guest in your home and having a fitful sleep desired to make my way to your kitchen for a drink of water. I spied the light coming from your doorway, my own curiosity got the best of me and I came to investigate. Your young Giovanni invited me to stay and meet you in the morning. But, " he rambled on, "let me introduce myself. I am H.G. Wells. I have heard of your many talents and have longed to make your acquaintance." Leonardo took the outstretched hand of Wells. "You are welcome to lay your head on one of my many beds." Putting the sketching materials down on the table he pulled Wells towards the doorway. "The kitchens are this way." Together they made their way through the darkened halls and down the rear staircase to the kitchen. "Cook keeps a pitcher of water over there by her mixing bowls. Please help yourself. I for one would rather partake in a goblet of wine." Wells' head turned when he heard the word wine. "Wine, did you mention wine? I think my thirst tonight may lean towards the nectar of the gods." Leonardo's laughter echoed around the huge kitchen. He came towards Wells and placed a large chalice of wine into his small hands. Wells looked down and began to drink. "Oh, my this is good. Very good indeed." The two men walked to the large table and sat and drank their wine in a companionable silence. "May I ask a question, sir?" Without letting him answer, he continued. "You were looking at some drawings when I entered your chambers. I couldn't help but notice they were of a printing apparatus." Leonardo looked at Wells suspiciously. "How is it that you recognized the new design? Were you sent here to spy on my works or the works of young Giovanni?" "Oh, no, I assure you I met young Giovanni only this evening, and he seemed quite concerned that I might wake you." Leonardo took a sip of wine. "It seems my pupil's worry was well-founded. If you are not a spy, then who are you?" "An alchemist, and a chronicler of sorts." "Well, I was accused of being a practitioner of the black arts in my youth in Florence. The Night Watch wanted to burn me alive, but fortunately a nephew of Lorenzo the Mighty was accused as well, and the Night Watch suspended the hearing pending more investigation." "And?" Leonardo laughed into the goblet. "The Night Watch put a Medici on trial? My dear heretic, the day that happens, Michelangelo will cease to have an ego." Wells grinned. "Then perhaps you can answer something else. In trying to chronicle your life and works, Maestro, it has been remarked that you seem to start more things than you finish." To Wells' surprise, the comment did not anger Leonardo, who seemed in a much more mellow mood, perhaps inspired by the wine. "When you never finish something, no one can ever be critical, because you can always claim you meant to redress the error." "Commendable," Wells chuckled. "But you did finish the magnificent Last Supper." Leonardo set down his glass. "The monks want to cut a door in the base of it so that food can reach the refectory more rapidly. I am a glorified house painter." "I think you underestimate your lasting contributions, Maestro, but another matter equally fascinates me. You are so...solitary." "When you are alone, the whole world belongs to you." Wells, who had searched his whole life for a soulmate, found this reasoning incomprehensible. "So if you share your life with someone, the world is lesser by half?" "Yes. Alexander's conquests will never last, but my private one always will." Leonardo, now grown philosophic, tapped the strange little man's arm. "Would you like to see some of my mechanical models, artisan?" "Indeed!" ***** "Your charming wife not joining us, Antonio?" "No, Ludovico, she was very tired, and has gone to bed. She sends her regrets." Ludovico stared into the ale, his eyes darkening. "I'm sure she did." "So, Ludovico, you spoke of a plan to trap The Falcon." "Yes, a great plan. It's such a pity our father, while being an unwitting implementor, won't be around to see its fruition." Antonio felt his blood turn to ice. "Perhaps the grog is too strong, Ludovico. What could our father have to do with The Falcon?" "It is my opinion that the only way The Falcon can stay one step ahead of me, is to have a confidante close to my blood." "Ludovico, please," Antonio implored. "Our father is blameless in this I am sure! Why not turn your suspicions to me?" Ludovico's laughter pulled all the warmth from the tavern fire. "You? You, Antonio? I'd sooner think a washerwoman more capable of treachery." "I could be The Falcon, brother, and be pretending the part of a fop to throw you off the scent." Ludovico pounded the table as he laughed. "Antonio, it must be your wit that stokes the fire of your lovely wife. If one can't bring forth ardor, then humor will suffice. Keep a woman merry, and she will forgive all else." Both brothers stood with only the table to separate them and their anger. Antonio was the first to speak. "Ludovico, it is late and I for one must rise before the sun to do my day's work. It is time you take your leave." This was truly unlike the mild-mannered Antonio but he'd had his fill of his half brother and his biting comments. Ludovico walked to the door and placed his hand on the door handle made one more parting jab. "The day anyone mistakes *you* ,dear little brother, of being The Falcon will be the day I will take my dagger and place it in my own heart." Ludovico turned and walked out into the night. He did not look back but if he had he would have seen the corners of his brother's mouth turn up into a smile. Antonio walked around the room and extinguished the flame of each candle. Darkness fell around him as he made his way to his bed and the arms of his Lucia. Antonio opened the bedroom door slowly and carefully. He could faintly see the outline of Lucia lying under the covers. He tip-toed around the bed and began to disrobe. He had just finished removing the last of his clothing and was reaching for his night garment when he heard Lucia say, "Don't...not tonight. Come to me as you are now." Lucia watched as her beloved husband moved towards her. The sight of his magnificent nude body made her heart pound in her chest and a wave of warmth travel over her body. Antonio smiled down at her supple form illuminated only by the waning moonlight. He grabbed a bottle from the dressing table and knelt next to the bed. "Wine?" he asked, and teased her flushed complexion with the cool bottle. "No," she smiled coquettishly, and stretched her arms above her head feigning drowsiness. Antonio's grin widened. "I can see you're much too sleepy for wine," he said casually as he uncorked the bottle. "If you drink the wine and get sleepy, then what's left of the night will not be very memorable," she gently scolded. "No?" he asked, then suddenly threw back the covers exposing her flesh to the fading light. He marveled at the warm iridescence the moonlight cast upon her body. He drew his hand gently across the smooth skin of her abdomen. "Like silk," he whispered, and before Lucia could protest, Antonio dribbled a few drops of wine onto her stomach. Lucia gasped sharply as the wine streamed down to her navel. She laced her fingers into the latticework of the bedstead as Antonio's warm mouth pressed against her skin in sensual contrast to the cool wine. After sipping away the drops of wine, he moved his body over hers and eclipsed the moonlight with fire. ***** Their passion been fully spent, a passion that might have caused Ludovico to reconsider his hastiness in dismissing his brother as being The Falcon, Lucia's soft words broke the silence in the dark bed chamber. "Am I a sinner, Antonio?" "A sinner?" Antonio laughed softly against his wife's hair. "My mother says that I am," she replied airily as she traced her fingertips in ever larger circles on Antonio's chest. "She says that pleasures of the flesh are a sin, even in a marriage bed. She told me that husbands are duty; some are honor, but none are for pleasure." "Then if you call yourself a sinner, that must mean your husband pleasures you," he said and hugged her closer. "Does he, Lucia?" Lucia kissed her way up Antonio's chest until her mouth was next to his. "You know you do. You pleasure me so much that whether I'm checking the cook's broth, carrying bundles to washerwomen, or spying for The Falcon, I can't think of anything else," she said, and began to stroke his long, dark hair. "It would stun all of Milan if they knew you were the eyes of The Falcon," he said thoughtfully. "That this inn everyone believes you are running under the auspices of an 'ailing uncle' is a haven to the oppressed." He lifted her chin. "I worry about you, Lucia." She kissed him tenderly. "You shouldn't. As much as I don't agree with my mother, it is her world we live in, and in her world, no one pays attention to a woman. Soldiers, merchants and even criminals will speak freely as if I am not there," she said ruefully. "But have a *man* come near them, and they will halt their conversation until he passes." He laced his fingers through the hair at the back of her head. "The folly of your mother's world keeps The Falcon in the sky. What I don't understand is why we live in her world, but are never part of it." "I used to be a part of it, Antonio." Her words were somber. "The world was the world. Things happened, and I never once questioned them. A master beat his servant, but that was life. Then you rode into Milan and stopped a master from beating his servant. You said it was unjust, yet you were the one who spent a week imprisoned. "Ah," he smiled. "But it was in that week that I met and fell in love with you. Not to mention you suggested if I could not stop doing the things I do, then I should at least wear a disguise while doing them." "If my uncle hadn't struck a profitable deal with the prison so that only his inn could provide them food, it would not have happened," she said. "Providence works in strange ways." "The best part," Antonio said, his voice husky as desire began once again to overtake him, "is that you ran away and married me even though Ludovico wanted you, and could offer you all the splendid things that wives of noblemen possess." "If I had married Ludovico," Lucia said, her voice reflecting her husband's passion. "Then I would have the marriage bed my mother described. I would be a saint in Hell." "And now?" Antonio asked, moving his hands sensually down Lucia's slender body. "Now I am a sinner in Heaven." ***** Wells followed Leonardo down a corridor and marveled as the man grabbed what seemed a wall ornament, and tugged. The wall, dropped by counterweights, became an accessway into a large gallery. "Oh my," Wells whispered. "Astounding." There it was. The model of a flying machine. It was full size, suspended near the rafters. Wells craned his head back. "May I?" Leonardo nodded, and pulled a cord. The model looked like a great bird descending. It had a fine metal skeleton spanning soft leather wings. Wells grabbed the two protruding handles and flexed them. The wings flapped slowly, but it took all of his strength to make them move. "Magnificent, Maestro. It's a pity it can't possibly work." Leonardo rubbed his beard. "Bold words for a heretic. And just why is this design impossible?" "Oh dear, I spoke out of turn. My apologies. The apparatus is genius, but--" Wells cut himself off and stared a moment at the Maestro. Something so familiar about him. Even with the age and the beard he looked familiar..he looked like...what was his name? He was in Utopian history. Klein! Doctor Bernard Klein. The man who made it possible for Lois and Clark to produce children. A revered man indeed. "But what?" Leonardo prompted. "Oh yes, quite. The flying machine. Put simply, a man can no more fly by imitating a bird, than he can swim by imitating a fish. Otherwise it is a splendid working model of a bird's movement. Jolly good, in fact. You saw the future and helped create it." Leonardo had ceased listening to Wells, completely missing his 'future tense' form of address. He studied the model. "Then man is not to conquer the sky." "Yes, well, of course that will happen. Simple equation, lift plus thrust minus drag. It just can't happen yet. The 'thrust' is missing." "Thrust?" the Renaissance genius asked of the 19th century dreamer. "Thrust, yes...power..a force that can keep the apparatus airborne when air thermals aren't available." Leonardo shook his head. "Perhaps you are in league with the devil, or just one of those poor unfortunates that roam the square at night baying at the moon." Wells' eyes twinkled. "No doubt, Maestro." continued in part 4 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Mar 1998 07:38:50 +0000 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Comments: Authenticated sender is From: Doris Schmill Subject: Re: NEW FANFIC: A WORLD WITHOUT SUPERMAN MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT March 6, 1998 Dear fanfic readers and writers, With great pleasure, I read the favorable comments "World Without Superman" received. It was fun writing that story, and I felt there something special to it that night. I am glad that a little of that came through in the finished product. But then, there is always something special about writers of different backgrounds, different nationalities, with different styles and different levels of experience coming together and writing a story together in real time. To me, there is some kind of "magic" to people coming together, combining their talents and creating something whole that ideally is smooth and flows as if written by one writer. I appreciated my fellow writers' comments that a lot of credit for our stories being what they are is due to our channel's resident editor Georgia Walden. Another great thing about online writing and being "published" online is the availability of comments and feedback. The fanfic list is a great forum for that. It has been very encouraging to read positive comments, but I think any kind of constructive criticism would be welcome. As one of L&CFanfic's writers, I would like to encourage your feedback on any of our stories that are always posted to this list first before a final version is submitted to the fanfic Archive. For me at least, our online round robins are not only fun, but also a great training for me as an aspiring writer. I am a lot from my fellow writers there, and I think we can all learn from the feedback we get from you. Thus keep it coming please, also if they are ways we can improve. :-) Likewise, if any of you have a story idea in mind that you for some reason do not want to or cannot tackle yourself, we are always on the lookout for new premises for L&CFanfic. If you'd like to find out what a bunch of us mad round robin writers can do with your premise, email it to eraygun@aol.com or just bring it should you want to sit in on one of our sessions and watch a story being written "live." Nobody has to write to be allowed on our channel. We always welcome people to the seats in the "peanut gallery" to just read along. We meet on Saturdays starting around 3 pm EST and try to put the story to bed the same night usually -- or early the next morning. ;-) To join us, you need to log onto an UNDERNET IRC server and message one of the channel's regulars, usually hanging out on #loiscla, to be invited to #L&CFanfic. Again, thanks for your comments and your interest. Keep on reading! Doris Schmill ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Mar 1998 07:42:35 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: GWalden Subject: Re: NEW FANFIC: A WORLD WITHOUT SUPERMAN Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit To Chris and Pam and Eileen, You guys know I prefer to stay in the background with these things, but thanks for the compliments. :) This is a good spot for me to explain something about the IRC fanfics that have been distributed in the last months. All the praise that's been rightly heaped on " A World Without Superman" should be completely reserved for the writers involved. That story didn't need an editor; I was nothing but a proof-reader. That happens sometimes, for a variety of reasons - an inspired premise, writers all on the same wave length, and it didn't hurt that all true FoLC know the Pilot inside out. ;) Sometimes though, usually because of a complex premise, the a story will need more than just proof-reading. When you get something that's good as it is, but that you know could be *really* good with a little more work, it seems a shame not to go for it. So there's now a new category of round-robin, which, for lack of a better name, we're calling "enhanced round-robins." (See Eileen's note on "The Falcon.") Don't misunderstand, most of the story will have been written live on the IRC channel, but after discussion with all the participants, there will be added scenes, or reworked sections, to improve it. We hope. That's the editorial "we" of course. ;) - everyone knows I don't write, I just re-write others. ;) To achieve the final result, the participants have to be willing to put in extra time, to take criticism from someone they don't really know and have no reason to defer to, and submerge their egos and give up lines or ideas for the good of the whole. That they do that is an amazing thing to me, and I want everyone who reads the IRC stories to appreciate what the writers have done. It's a privilege for me to hang out with them and watch them in action - super-heroes, every one. :) Georgia ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Mar 1998 07:37:45 -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: Round Robin authorship question Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 09:34 PM 3/5/98 -0800, you wrote: >Who wrote "Mirror Image" (nominated for Best Round Robin in the Kerths). >Anyone know? if so, please email me! Hi, Leanne, Mirror Image is a round robin nfic written (in order) by sharper, zoomway, ChiefPam, chrispat, CiotolaAM, Jenerator, KathyB, peabody, Dor, and PeaceEv. So that'd be Sheila Harper, Zoomway, Pam Jernigan, Chris Patterson, Annette Ciotola, Jennifer Stosser, Kathy Brown, Pat Heidkamp (I'm not sure if that's Pat's last name, although she used to send mail from a Mike Heidkamp address), Doris Schmill, and Peace Everette. Sheila Harper ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Mar 1998 08:50:23 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: LStroh1856 Subject: Re: NEW FANFIC: THE FALCON Part 4 of 4 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit Wow.....I couldn't wait to read The Falcon after I got it this morning and I wasn't disappointed..... What a wonderful story! Hard to believe that was a round robin! Keep writing y'all! Laurie ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Mar 1998 10:36:55 -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: Fanfic archives for other fandoms Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Kat asks: >I would also be interested in finding some URLs of fanfic archives for other >shows (X-Files, Star Trek and others that have big fanfic followings). I'm a >dud at newsgroups, so if you have any info on those, also please attach some >kind of directions so I know what I'm doing I use Netscape 3.x for Macto >browse the Web, if that helps. Kat, there is a wonderful Guide to Fanfic Sites (tv, movies and books) at . It's got just about everything. I have links on my homepage () to some of the major archives for the fanfic I tend to read, which includes Beauty and the Beast, Due South, Forever Knight, Highlander, Lois and Clark, Star Trek and X-Files. Hope that helps. ======================================================================= 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: Fri, 6 Mar 1998 19:53:02 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: JCWimmer Subject: Re: Fanfic archives for other fandoms Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit In a message dated 98-03-06 10:37:44 EST, you write: << >I would also be interested in finding some URLs of fanfic archives for other >shows (X-Files, Star Trek and others that have big fanfic followings). I'm a >dud at newsgroups, so if you have any info on those, also please attach some >kind of directions so I know what I'm doing I use Netscape 3.x for Macto >browse the Web, if that helps. >> Oh, Boy...do I have something for you. While web surfing one day I ran across the folowing location: http://members.aol.com/ksnicholas/fanfic/index.html I don't know if it is restricted to aol users or not, but if you can get there it is fantastic! They have fanfic for every concievable television show, movie, and anything else of intrest you could think of. I had no idea that so much to read was out there. I felt like I had been dropped into Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory while no one was around to see me gorge. It is amazing! Good Reading! Crystal ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Mar 1998 20:39:30 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Budmayes Subject: Some old Fanfics Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit I was indexing my collection of L&C fanfics and cross-referencing where I'd gotten them and I realized that there were a number of stories that had never been posted to the web or archived. I thought that I would post this list in hopes of prompting these shy authors to send their fics in to the main archive for more people to read. Some of them were from the AOL L&C reading room and that is long since closed to casual browser. I don't know if all of these authors are even still around. AOL Bulletin Boards lnctalk.txt LOIS AND CLARK TALK Buvana 8months.txt 8 MONTHS TO GO Lily619891 abscence.txt ABSCENCE MAKES THE HEART GROW FONDER Dibart Amanda abtfbgn.txt A BEAUTIFUL BEGINNING Dean Cain 31 accident.txt THE ACCIDENT Meinuk ahrddsng.txt A HARD DAYS NIGHT Marka751 anightby.txt A NIGHT BY THE NILE Meinuk another.txt ANOTHER JOYOUS MOMENT Walker Lynn awol4.txt AWOL Meinuk bachpar.txt BACHELOR PARTY Byrne Craig bday.txt THE HAPPY BIRTHDAY STORY HappyMegan bdayrev.txt BIRTHDAY REVELATION Becker Jenny becausei.txt BECAUSE I DON'T LIKE SUNDAYS Leven Dalia ceaseto.txt CEASE TO AMAZE Julia N choices.txt CHOICES Fung Karen contag.txt CONTAGENTS Clark Michelle couch_de.txt DEJA VIEW Walthall Angela desert.txt DESERT STORMS Meinuk dinner1.txt DINNER OR DESERT? Alyssa facingt.txt FACING THE ENEMY Meinuk familyma.txt FAMILY MATTERS Meinuk fic.txt DADDY DEAREST Chic Debby Stark Twinkle hallow.txt HALLOWEEN MADNESS Carla hawaaii.txt HAWAAII OR BUST Jeagan hejust.txt HE JUST KEPT ON SMILING Zhao Jane heroes.txt HEROES Anonymous hewholau.txt HE WHO LAUGHS LAST Dimunio Russ idiotsa.txt IDIOTS ANONYMOUS McDumin. Sandra inmyhrt.txt THE FIRST HOME Meinuk judy&joe.txt JUDY & JOE REGULAR Christine F l&c-unt.txt UNTITLED Natalie OC (LU4CK) l&cvalen.txt A LOIS & CLARK VALENTINE STORY Vixen llpeters.txt LOIS LANE PETERS Fung Karen max&dan.txt THE NEW ADV. OF MAX&DAN Ackerman T mortalsm.txt A MORTAL SUPERMAN Bell Prayr navigat.txt NAVIGATING DENIAL Zoomway nightfli.txt NIGHT FLIGHT TO VEGAS Meinuk perfect.txt THE PERFECT COUPLE Taryn perryrev.txt PERRY SPILLS THE BEANS Shawler D renais.txt RENAISSANCE Ackerman T. rrres.txt RESURRECTION KRC7761 sharing.txt SHARING THE NEWS Wood Sarah superwo.txt CLARK&LOIS THE NEW ADV OF SUPERWOMAN vanDuem ,Dirk thehoney.txt THE HONEYMOON Howlett Valeria tinker.txt TINKERBELLS WICKED GAME Taryn tothestars.txt TO THE STARS Gustainis Elaine turning.txt TURNING TIDE Lyoncoate J weather.txt WEATHER: CONTROLLER OF FATES Garnto, Carla wehave.txt WE HAVE A LOT TO TALK ABOUT Nordburgh where.txt WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE Fung Karen x-files.txt LOIS&CLARK MEET SCULLY&MULDER Zoomway Quantum Leap XOVERS leaping.txt LEAPING FOR THE ANSWER Richard ,Leanne ql-arch top-secr.txt TOP SECRET ql-arch AOL Reading room afterhe.txt AFTER HE'S GONE Towers Anne alwaysan.txt ALWAYS AND FOREVER Yearwood Mark oldshoe.txt COMFORTABLE AS AN OLD SHOE Taylor Lara xmarks.txt X MARKS THE SPOT Brady CA allwill.txt ALL WILL BE RIGHT IN THE END. . . Mariah522 aloveso.txt A LOVE SO STRONG Harris Katie anaffair.txt AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER Tuetken atempusf.txt A TEMPUS FOR TWO Yearwood Mark baby.txt BABY SCENARIO Cohen Leslie canlearn.txt BIG GIRLS CAN LEARN Adrienne (Tennis G146) clouds.txt CLOUDS OF CHANGE Kelly countryf.txt COUNTRY FRIED CHICKEN Torsiello Chris dayoftem.txt THE DAY OF TEMPUS Byrne Craig dontforg.txt DONT FORGET ME Rivas Jocy farewell.txt FAREWELL LORD KAL-EL HELLO CK Myers Deborah firstho.txt YOUR IN MY HEART Meinuk happier.txt HAPPIER THAN 2 PIGS IN SLOP AGJoker iceman.txt THE ICE MAN COMETH Yearwood. Mark lexfor.txt LEX FOR THE MOMENT Yearwood Mark lfls.txt LIKE FATHER LIKE SON Tuetken Patrick loislane.txt LOIS LANE KENT Ramroch longroad.txt THE LONG ROAD KMcstr looking.txt LOOKING FOR LOIS Crowcroft Melinda lunaccy.txt UNTITLED Lunaccy mel.txt MEL & CLARK AMBPB misery.txt MISERY LOVES CHOC FUDGE NUT BROWNIES DonnLap mission.txt MISSION OF LOVE KMcstr mummy1.txt MUMMY DEAREST Meinuk mywayor.txt MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY Fysteydub noother.txt NO OTHER WAY Dunnfour returnof.txt RETURN OF THE BARON Yearwood , Mark shallow.txt SHALLOW WATERS Meinuk someench.txt SOME ENCHANTED EVENING Pickson Kathyrn sometime.txt SOMETIMES THE BULLET IS FASTER Dout T. tempisis.txt TEMPUS IS OF THE ESSENCE Byrne Craig thismagic.txt THIS MAGIC MOMENT Harris Katie tltrn.txt THE LOVE THAT RISKS NOTHING Riter DJ toloveor.txt TO LOVE OR NOT TO LOVE MacMillan Katie truth.txt THE TRUTH ABOUT VINNIE LAWRENCE DonnLap voodoo.txt NO ONE CAN VOODOO LIKE YOU DO Ferraro,Suzanne walking.txt WALKING IN SUNSHINE Riter DJ whatgoes.txt WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND Amy(AMSprfn) whatif.txt WHAT IF Meinuk whenyour.txt WHEN YOUR FATHERS A SCIENTIST Caldwell,Kathy worldsap.txt WORLDS APART Amy&Barb worldwo.txt WORLD WITHOUT A SUPERMAN Tuetken ,Patrick ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Mar 1998 22:03:13 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Sandra McDermin Subject: "Sandy-Bob" Vila's THIS OLD FANFIC Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Well, I guess there are *some* benefits to "working" late on a Friday night.... >>I was indexing my collection of L&C fanfics and cross-referencing where I'd gotten them and I realized that there were a number of stories that had never been posted to the web or archived. I thought that I would post this list in hopes of prompting these shy authors<< Shy? I am. I really am. >>to send their fics in to the main archive for more people to read. Some of them were from the AOL L&C reading room and that is long since closed to casual browser. I don't know if all of these authors are even still around.<< Speaking for Sandra Mc *DUM* in ... she's not around.... But, I'll be double-checkin' that birth certificate, just to make sure. It might explain a lot. ; ) >>AOL Bulletin Boards<< AOL Bulletin Boards? Uh ... nope. Try Debby Stark's website, I think. (Or, was that the lumberjack post -- You know, "He's a Superman, And He's Okay"?) >>idiotsa.txt IDIOTS ANONYMOUS McDumin. Sandra<< All right. In the general spirit of the above title, this is Sandra Mc *DUM* in. And, I have a confession to make. The "story" you cite above isn't fanfic. It was a post I wrote to the Lois & Clark listserv two years ago. However, being a big believer in results without work, I'll be happy to *call* it fanfic. (I just couldn't wait for the day when I could repost something and call it new. Finally! My ship has come in! Unfortunately, Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio are at the bow.) Well, without further ado, here is that post ... uh ... , I mean story (yeah, story) slightly changed to protect its true, less-than-grandiose origins: ************************************************************ IDIOTS ANONYMOUS -- METROPOLIS CHAPTER Sandy McDermin (February 1996) It is now time for us to join a meeting of: IDIOTS ANONYMOUS ... already in progress. (Comments in "quotes" are the tragic replies of the chorus. Words in express the actions of idiots.) Hello, my name is Clark aka Superman and I am....an...an...idiot! "Hello Clark/Superman!" At first, I was just a normal reporter/superhero trying to get the attention of a hot babe...ya know, hanging outside her 1st/3rd/5th story apt. window, picking locks, typing really, really fast....but then, even though I'm the man of steel, faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, etc., etc. and all that, I began doing *really* idiotic things....I let a notorious, villainous, sociopath abscond with, and do dastardly things to, my almost wife/fiancee...without so much as a blast of my heat vision or even a ouchy hang nail! "We hear ya, brother idiot!" Wait...wait...this all began two years ago when I, Clark/Superman, did almost nothing to stop the very same notorious, villainous, sociopath from wining, dining, dating, blowing up the office of , and finally, absconding with the woman of my heart! It was clear I was becoming a slave to idiocy (or silly end-of-the-season story arcs.) "Huh??!!" But...but.. that's not all...I'm not...I'm not just a domestic idiot...oh no! Not too long ago, I almost let an international, villainous, sociopathic exchange-type guy abscond with the very same love of my life. Oh no...I couldn't see beyond my imbalance! I'm an idiot! Villainous sociopath=absconding; absconding=villainous sociopath: an endless cycle feeding my idiocy...a co-dependent to my hell! "Clark, Clark...advanced stages of idiocy start out in the privacy of ones own domestic borders, but then they spillover into other states, involving foreign nationals..." And...and... I should have come clean ages ago....Oh God...I should have faced my growing, paralyzing idiocy when I let a powerless, non-villainous, non-sociopathic federal worker, with a bad hair cut, waltz in and take my best girl to lunch.... "The very same woman!!!!!" Yes..... There's no excuse...I know. He didn't have a smidgeon of kryptonite of any color, a dense molecule blasting gun, my secret life as told by a time-traveling lunatic, my parents address, not even a funny sidekick.... Of course, those loud, Don Ho shirts *were* kind of painful. Oh God...why didn't I face it then?? I am an idiot! I said it! I said it! I said it in the last episode.....I'm on my way to a life of non-idiocy... I think! I'm an Idiot! I'm Freeeee! "Welcome Clark/Superman." [Adjournment] ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Mar 1998 23:29:58 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: LoriMcE Subject: Re: Some old Fanfics Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit In a message dated 98-03-06 20:40:14 EST, you write: << Some of them were from the AOL L&C reading room and that is long since closed to casual browser. I don't know if all of these authors are even still around. AOL Bulletin Boards >> Since I had saved the AOL Reading Room for my favorite places folder - I still have the address, and it is accessible ( I think even outside AOL) it's aol://4344:113.lcrrss.454048.519087304 There was also a "scenarios" board for in between and shorter stuff it's address is aol://4344:113.lcrrscen.454049.519087391 Just in case someone wanted to check these stories out - apparently when AOL "took down" the areas, they just removed the short-cut acess from the L&C area. Lori ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Mar 1998 23:37:45 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: DEB0603 Subject: Re: Some old Fanfics Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit I am one of those L&C Reading Room writers who is very shy about sending a story to the list. I've read sooooooo many Great stories- mine seem quite stupid in comparison. So I just lurk and delurk as needed and read the other writer's work until my heart is content. Maybe I will gather enough courage to write again and send it to the list. I'll ask for some feedback from some of the other Super writers before I do. Anyway, thanks for asking that I send my story in. Deborah M. (A not so great writer- but a Super FoLC Fanfic reader) =) ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Mar 1998 23:41:36 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: LoriMcE Subject: List reader humor Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit A friend forwarded me this one - I thought it was worth a few grins :) From: Kevin Kwan > To: FST Mailing List > Subject: List Humor > Date: Thursday, March 05, 1998 12:59 PM > > Q: How many list subscribers does it take to change a light bulb? > A: 1,331: > > 1 to change the light bulb and to post to the list that > the light bulb has been changed. > > 14 to share similar experiences of changing light bulbs and > how the light bulb could have been changed differently. > > 7 to caution about the dangers of changing light bulbs. > > 27 to point out spelling/grammar errors in posts about changing > light bulbs. > > 53 to flame the spell checkers > > 156 to write to the list administrator complaining about > the light bulb discussion and its inappropriateness to this > mail list. > > 41 to correct spelling in the spelling/grammar flames. > > 109 to post that this list is not about light bulbs and to please > take this email exchange to alt.lite.bulb > > 203 to demand that cross posting to alt.grammar, alt.spelling > and alt.punctuation about changing light bulbs be stopped. > > 111 to defend the posting to this list saying that we all > use light bulbs and therefore the posts **are** relevant > to this mail list. > > 306 to debate which method of changing light bulbs is > superior, where to buy the best light bulbs, what brand of > light bulbs work best for this technique, and what brands > are faulty. > > 27 to post URLs where one can see examples of different > light bulbs > > 14 to post that the URLs were posted incorrectly, and to > post corrected URLs. > > 3 to post about links they found from the URLs that are > relevant to this list which makes light bulbs relevant to > this list. > > 33 to summarize all posts to date, then quote them including > all headers and footers, and then add "Me Too." > > 12 to post to the list that they are unsubscribing because > they cannot handle the light bulb controversy. > > 19 to quote the "Me Too's" to say, "Me Three." > > 4 to suggest that posters request the light bulb FAQ. > > 1 to propose new alt.change.lite.bulb newsgroup. > > 47 to say this is just what alt.physic.cold_fusion was > meant for, leave it here. > > 143 votes for alt.lite.bulb. > > > > I, who should have know better, posted a followup of a few bits I thought > were missing from the list > > > You forgot a few: > > 27 to post in HTML because they are using the IE or Netscape > that had it turned on by default and are too clueless to > look > > 48 to complain about the HTML posts > > 27 to post 'sorry I didn't realize it was on' -- in HTML > > 96 to complain about more HTML and post detailed instructions > on how to change the setting > > 58 to mumble something about using a web browser to read mail > > 12 MIME posts with useless colors and bolds saying thanks > for the help with the HTML mail > > 1 to post a GIF/JPG of the lightbulb hanging too close to > their digital camera. > > 1 complaint from the guy using /usr/ucb/Mail who wants to > know what the *@&(%$!@ has been going on > > 58 to complain about the binary post > > 74 to say they liked the binary and didn't mind it > > 1 post about how you can MAKE MONEY FAST!!!!! by selling > lightbulbs and this report available for only $5. > > 1328 to reply to the list with the full spam attached and > then put 'remove' at the end > > 3 to flame the other morons for replying to the spammer > and CCing the list > > 1 from the list admin notifying that the list is looking > for a bigger server to handle the load > > There have now been several followups: > > "How did I get on this list?" > > "How do I get off this list?" > > "REMOVE" > > "REMOVE > UNSUB > SIGNOFF > REMOVE > TAKE ME OFF THIS LIST" > > "unsubribe" [sic] > > "Morons, you have to send it to the majordomo address" > > "How am I supposed to know that?" > > If it wasn't so pitiful, it would be funny. > > > Submitted by: Timothy J. Luoma @ peak.org > > > ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Mar 1998 23:46:04 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: JCWimmer Subject: Re: Some old Fanfics Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit In a message dated 98-03-06 23:38:21 EST, you write: << I am one of those L&C Reading Room writers who is very shy about sending a story to the list. I've read sooooooo many Great stories- mine seem quite stupid in comparison. So I just lurk and delurk as needed and read the other writer's work until my heart is content. Maybe I will gather enough courage to write again and send it to the list. I'll ask for some feedback from some of the other Super writers before I do. Anyway, thanks for asking that I send my story in. >> I truly understand your reluctance to send in work. With the amazing writers we have out there, it is easy to be intimidated. On the other hand, if we all felt this way, no one would post, and we could run out of reading material. :( Most everyone's style would appeal to some readers, and while we may not all be fantastic writers (I certainly am not), I figure if someone doesn't like what I write, they won't read it. And if they do like it, I have given something back. The moral of the story is...we all love Lois and Clark (otherwise, we wouldn't subscribe to the list) and most of us enjoy reading about them as well. Go ahead, take a chance, and you may be surprised who loves your stories. It can be a real ego boost when someone compliments you on a story, and a great learning experience when someone gives you clues on how to improve your writing. Just my thoughts on the matter...no pressure . Thanks! Crystal ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Mar 1998 21:19:55 -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: Looking for Tempus Fugitive pics Comments: To: Lois & Clark Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" With Barb's site down ... can anyone help out with some screen grabs from Tempus Fugitive (or, indeed, of any of the Tempus episodes). Thanks, Leanne Leanne Shawler aka Volterra on IRC (volterra@sd.znet.com) Keeper of Giles' Sheets 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: Fri, 6 Mar 1998 22:49:52 -0700 Reply-To: Erin Klingler Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: Re: Some old Fanfics MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Deborah wrote: >I am one of those L&C Reading Room writers who is very shy about sending a >story to the list. I've read sooooooo many Great stories- mine seem quite >stupid in comparison. So I just lurk and delurk as needed and read the other >writer's work until my heart is content. Maybe I will gather enough courage >to write again and send it to the list. I'll ask for some feedback from some >of the other Super writers before I do. Anyway, thanks for asking that I send >my story in. >Deborah M. >(A not so great writer- but a Super FoLC Fanfic reader) =) Wow! More fanfic out there that I haven't read?!?! Cool! If you, Deborah, or any of you other fanfic authors out there who are in hiding , and are feeling shy about taking the leap and sending your fanfic to the list, I'd be perfectly willing to read your fics and give you some feedback! :) Not that I'm an expert at writing fanfics by any means, but I'd like to think I could convince you it was worth going public with your stories! I hope to hear from some of you soon! Erin :) ___________________ (aka ELK on IRC) erink@ida.net "The truth is, no one knows how long they've got. Anyway, it's not the years that count, it's the moments...right now...as they happen." CK to LL in BY ******* "You bet your sweet little chumpy I am." _________________ ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 7 Mar 1998 01:25:58 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: Looking for Tempus Fugitive pics In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"; X-MAPIextension=".TXT" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable You wrote: > With Barb's site down ... can anyone help out with some screen grabs = from > Tempus Fugitive (or, indeed, of any of the Tempus episodes). Okay, looks like I may be able to help you again You can get these from my site or from Barb's ftp sites. First off, I just recently saw a note from Joyce Fitch on LOISCLA, which reads: ---------- > Barb Poirier's wonderful screen captures are still available at: > > ftp://members.aol.com/bjpoirier6 > > ftp://members.aol.com/bjpoirier7 > > ftp://members.aol.com/bjpoirier8 > > ftp://members.aol.com/bjpoirier9 > > I'll need to look up the ones at my addresses and will post those later= . > > Joyce Also, I was working under the same impression as you, that Barb's captures site was just gone, and so I've been putting her captures up at my site, with appropriate credit to her for all her hard work in making them. Knowing now that they're up, I'm trying to contact Barb through Joyce to get permission to keep them up at my site. However, in the meantime, since I know you'll need these right away, I'm going ahead and putting up everything I can find from the Tempus episodes. It's not going to be a whole lot, but I do have several captures from T,A, some of the montages that Barb made for MJD and LNCS, and one publicity still from TF which was at the ABC/ AOL site. Go to my site and click on photos for a list of what's available. Until I get permission from Barb I'm not publicizing this, but I'm not taking it down either. Peace A FoLC Named Peace is settling into a new home! Come visit me at my new place, and read my fanfic http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/Set/7137 and (NEW!) my Lois & Clark nfanfic (NC-17) Ta-Da!! well, okay, there's no new stories, there -- yet ;) but I'm working on it... http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Cafe/9123 ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 7 Mar 1998 09:37:45 -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: The Kerths Fanfic Awards! Comments: To: Lois & Clark Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Yes! At last -- here's the ballot. You can also access the ballot at: http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/Set/7137/kerth_ballot.html Please vote *only* once! The Deadline is two weeks away -- 20th March, 1998 (on the U.S. side of the dateline). Any ballots received after that time will not be counted. All the stories (with the exceptions of the nfics) are at the fanfic archive: http://www.ixpres.com/chrispat/lcfanfic/. Some of the nfics nominated have pg-rated versions at the archive too. There is one exception: "Swapmeet" by Debby and Margaret. You can access this story at ftp://ftp.swcp.com/pub/users/dstark in the "Stories" directory. ******* Send your nominations to me at volterra@sd.znet.com So, without further ado: Kerths (Fanfic) Awards Voting Ballot Best Comedy Lois's Revenge/Clark's Response - BB Medos Oops - Jenny Riecken Quick Change - Carla Humbert Strange Bedfellows - Lori Gorschboth The Give-Away - Molly P. Flynn Best Tearjerker A Shot in the Dark - Sheila Harper Dear Superman's Wife, Michele Savage Heaven's Prisoners - Demi The Heir: Return - Piper Unknown Emotions - Jeff Brogden Best Dramatic Story A Shot in the Dark - Sheila Harper Love Beyond All Measure - Chris Mulder Oh What a Wicked Web We Weave - Jiji B Second Chances - Pam Jernigan When My World Divides and Shatters - Peace Best Fanboy Story A Flash in the Pan - Ben Pestorius Carry Tiger to Mountain, Debby Stark Faster Than a Speeding Bullet - Sheila Harper Man of Kleenex - Louette McInnes To Be or Not To Be Mrs Kent - Nancy Lemieux Best Alt Story Always Something there to remind me - Zoomway Alt. Shook Up - Georgia Walden Clark and Lois: The Alternate Adventures - Audrey Rempel Clarks and Loises - Linda Love Million Miles Away - Pam Jernigan Best Revelation/Lois Amantium Irae Amoris Integratio - Ruth Ellison Dawning I - Debby Stark Dimensions of Loving - Chris Mulder It's about time - Zoomway You Made Me Love you - Zoomway Best Revelation/Others A Chief Dilemma - Rachel Smith A Friend in Need - J.L. Masse A Smallville Revelation - Pam Jernigan Alone at Last - Jana Lippe Secret Interruptus - Donna Hafner Best Wedding Story A Virtue Rewarded - Barbara At Last - LadeeV Going to the Chapel - Pam Jernigan & Sarah Wood I Now Pronounce You Husband And Wife - Ketsia Lerebours Teh Wedding Story - Sara Kraft Best Pregnancy/Delivery Story A Homemade Gift - Abigail Jolie Hee hee hee whoo whoo whoo - Deena J. Cross Nine Months of Life or Death - Lily699891@aolcom Unknown Emotions - Jeff Brogden When you needed me most - Erin Klinger Best Next Gen Story Aliens and Strangers - Susan Stone Chances Are by Sara Kraft Laney and the Giant Killers - Susan Stone Good night Metropolis by peabody My Three Sons - LadeeV Best Alternate Beginnings If You Can't Beat'Em - Zoomway In the Beginning -BB Medos Meet me in Kansas City - Chris Mulder Best Rewrite Argh rewrite (4 stories) - Debby Stark Contact Ending - Sarah Wood Forget me not, Redux - Pam Jernigan If Only (Metallo Revised Ending) - Rhen Brink True and Amazing Adventures of Wanda Detroit -Nekanuq Best Early Years Story Carry Tiger to Mountain - Debby Stark The One / The Rules / The Long Road - Margaret Brignell Turning Point by Louette McInnes Visions - Debby Stark Best Series Dawning series - Debby Stark Love Beyond All Measure and Dimensions of Loving - Chris Mulder President Kent series - Pam Jernigan The Heir (all parts) - Piper, Peace and #Nfic Best Series Continuation Back to The Future/ Time After Time - Barbara and Peace I Need You - Pam Jernigan S5 Unaired Fifth Season Best Fifth Season Episode Eine Klein Nachtmusik - Nancy Lemieux Faster Than A Speeding Bullet - Sheila Harper In Vitro Veritas - Betsy, Kathy Brown, Pam Jernigan, Stacey Mxysplit/All Myxed Up - Sheila Harper The Ex-Files by Julie Mack Best Music/Poem Adaptation Because You Loved Me - Michelle Puthoff Can't Fight This Feeling - Erin Klingler You Made Me Love You - Zoomway The Paradox of Failure - Gary A. Rudick May the Best (Super) Man Win by Kendra Best Poem Goodnight Lois-Goodnight Clark' - Rhunt I Imagine You There - Lara E. Taylor It's a Folc Thing - Gina Blank One Suit, Two Suit, Red Suit, Blue Suit - Caroline Baker 'Twas the Day After...' poems - Sue Tremblay Best In-Betweenie 12:01 - Zoomway After the Battle - Genevieve Clemens CLARKIE: A Lois & Clark Thanksgiving Story - Leigh Raglan Menage a Trois - Vixen Lois' Choice - J.G. Dutcher Best Lex Story 4 X Lex - Almost by Louette McInnes All In a Day's Work - Andrea Dunham Best Man - Zoomway Dimensions of Loving - Chris Mulder Mindbender - Kendra Prince Best Tempus Story Chicken or the Egg - Jenny Stosser My 3 Sons - Ladee V Somewhere in Tempus - Annemarie Pace Tempus Fugitive Revisited - Kaz from Oz Two, Each His Own - Mercury Best Round Robin Extra-ordinary People Mirror Image Te Adoro Lois - Prodigy's Round Robin Best crossover Beginnings - Barbara Leaping For The Answer - Leanne Shawler Lois and Clark meet the X-Files - Zoomway SwapMeet - Debby Stark/Margaret Brignell Two of a Kind - Jon B. Knutson Best nfic A Shot in the Dark - Sheila Harper Consummate Revelation - Gorn Dayz series - Menolly Heaven's Prisoners - Demi Sanctuary - BB Medos Best Deathfic A Dying Flame - Christy Kubit Angel of the Morning, Jennifer Bullock Because You Loved Me - Michelle Putkoff Remembrances - Dan Shawler Summer's Twilight - Jackie MacPherson Best Elseworld All the President's Men - Pam Jernigan Counter Clark-Wise - Zoomway If You Can't Beat'Em - Zoomway Join'Em - Kari Urberg When a Great Man loves a Super Woman - Ben Pistorius Best WAFFy story A Christmas to Remember - Barbara Geraud Camping with Clark, Kathy Brown Clark Stays Over - Melissa Dore Compromises & Reunions - Lillonely Cyberlink - Zoomway Best Fic Overall A Shot In the Dark - Shelia Harper Dawning - Debby Stark Dimensions of Loving/Love Beyond All Measure - Chris Mulder Heaven's Prisoners - Demi Meet Me in Kansas City - Chris Mulder Leanne Shawler aka Volterra on IRC (volterra@sd.znet.com) Keeper of Giles' Sheets 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: Sat, 7 Mar 1998 09:41:54 -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: A Note About the Kerths Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Just wanted to comment that this didn't turn out to be as simple as I thought it would. Silly me somehow thought that people would actually *read* the instructions.... Instead I had to go through over 100 nominations to check to see if they were in the archive, I tried to check them all, but if I missed any, it's not my fault! Those instructions were meant to lighten the load, so I wouldn't have to do *everything* ... no wonder nobody volunteers around here! For the record, I *won't* be running the Kerths next year. So I hope someone else takes up the baton, particularly for all the 1998 stories that were also nominated and didn't get in as the stories were only supposed to be up until 1997! Leanne Leanne Shawler aka Volterra on IRC (volterra@sd.znet.com) Keeper of Giles' Sheets 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: Sat, 7 Mar 1998 12:52:28 -0700 Reply-To: Erin Klingler Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: Re: A Note About the Kerths MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Leanne wrote: >Those instructions were meant to lighten the load, so I wouldn't have to do >*everything* ... no wonder nobody volunteers around here! > >For the record, I *won't* be running the Kerths next year. So I hope >someone else takes up the baton, particularly for all the 1998 stories that >were also nominated and didn't get in as the stories were only supposed to >be up until 1997! Well, I'll step in here and volunteer! I'd be happy to take over the reins for Leanne and do the Fanfic Kerths for next year. (Barring some natural disaster ) Just let me know when and where, and I'll be there! Erin :) ___________________ (aka ELK on IRC) erink@ida.net "The truth is, no one knows how long they've got. Anyway, it's not the years that count, it's the moments...right now...as they happen." CK to LL in BY ******* "You bet your sweet little chumpy I am." _________________ ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 7 Mar 1998 15:47:30 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Larus2407 Subject: Re: A Note About the Kerths Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit In a message dated 98-03-07 12:42:06 EST, you write: << For the record, I *won't* be running the Kerths next year. So I hope someone else takes up the baton, particularly for all the 1998 stories that were also nominated and didn't get in as the stories were only supposed to be up until 1997! >> Gee, all the work is finally getting to Leanne! Let's give her a big cheer for all that she's done with the Kerths AND S5! HURRAH!!! --Laurie ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 7 Mar 1998 22:42:33 -0000 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Annabel Morris Subject: Finding any Lois & Clark Scripts of episodes MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable To all Lois & Clark fans I'm wondering if anyone can help me. I'm looking for the proper scripts = of all the episodes of the television series Lois & Clark: The New = Adventures. If you can help me, please send me an email, telling me = where they can be found, especially any locations on the internet. As = I'm a huge fan of the series and would like to read the stories as they = where acted on screen. from Annabel Morris ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 7 Mar 1998 17:36:39 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Sara Kraft Subject: Kerth Award Rules...? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Are authors allowed to vote for themselves? Do we have to vote for every category? If we vote in a category, do we have to have read every nominee? Sara (pleasently surprised that she has two stories nominated! Thanks guys!) ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 7 Mar 1998 17:46:37 -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: Kerth Award Rules...? In-Reply-To: <199803080036.RAA18363@polaris.azstarnet.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" >Are authors allowed to vote for themselves? Do we have to vote for every >category? If we vote in a category, do we have to have read every nominee? > >Sara (pleasently surprised that she has two stories nominated! Thanks guys!) 1) If authors want to. 2) no 3) Umm, you would think you'd have to so you know you're making the right choice ... right? Leanne Leanne Shawler aka Volterra on IRC (volterra@sd.znet.com) Keeper of Giles' Sheets 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: Sat, 7 Mar 1998 18:06:18 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Joan Organization: MailCity (http://www.mailcity.com) Subject: Help! I need part 4 of "World's Finest" Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi! Folcs. I desperately need part 4 of the TUFS ep "World's Finest" coz my sever deleted it somehow and I never got it, leaving me stuck at the end of part 3. Unfortunately, my varsity year starts tomorrow and I don't know when I will be able to be on-line again. I wish to finish the ep b4 tomorrow and therefore, please help me. I will be so grateful. Thanks in advance. --- Joan aka dmj ***************************************************************** * My Lois & Clark page: http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~dmyeung/ * ***************************************************************** Get your FREE, private e-mail account at http://www.mailcity.com ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 7 Mar 1998 18:07:15 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Joan Organization: MailCity (http://www.mailcity.com) Subject: Help! I need part 4 of "World's Finest" Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi! Folcs. I desperately need part 4 of the TUFS ep "World's Finest" coz my sever deleted it somehow and I never got it, leaving me stuck at the end of part 3. Unfortunately, my varsity year starts tomorrow and I don't know when I will be able to be on-line again. I wish to finish the ep b4 tomorrow and therefore, please help me. I will be so grateful. Thanks in advance. --- Joan aka dmj ilovedean@mailcity.com ***************************************************************** * My Lois & Clark page: http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~dmyeung/ * ***************************************************************** Get your FREE, private e-mail account at http://www.mailcity.com ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 7 Mar 1998 21:09:55 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Bobbett Jascor Subject: Friday's postings & World Without Superman Hi everybody. I'm out of lurk mode because I did a stupid thing. Somehow I accidentally deleted (while trying to save) copies of the fanfic "World Without Superman" AND the other 1 or 2 page fanfic that was sent to us yesterday. If anyone could resend them to me, I would really appreciate it. Perhaps the author(s) could do so? Please, don't everyone send me a copy. Whoever can, please send me an email offering, and I'll reply. Thank you very much! Bobbett _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 7 Mar 1998 23:14:39 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Kat5107 Subject: Re: Help! I need part 4 of "World's Finest" Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit As far as I know, Part 4 has not been distributed yet. This is from the head honcho, Craig Byrne. =) There have been some problems in getting it completed, and that's the extent of my knowledge (or anyone else's) on the subject. E-mail Craig (CraigByrne@aol.com) if you have any questions regarding TUFS, and KryptnTUFS@aol.com for a subscription. We also have a Web site at http://members.aol.com/thenando/tufs.htm Hope this helps. Kat5107@aol.com