From: "L-Soft list server at Indiana University (1.8d)" To: "ARTF@MemoryAlpha.nil" File: "LOISCLA-GENERAL-L LOG0001A" ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 1 Jan 2000 01:14:06 -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 Organization: http://www.geocities.com/~chiefpam/ Subject: Re: OT: I'm OK, Y2K? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > It's now the 01.01.2000 here in Germany (since six > hours) and nope, no problems so far. :) Good to know, thanks ... it's cool getting first hand reports, too! It's now 1am here on the US East Coast, and we (personally) didn't notice so much as a blip... hopefully all will continue this well or better :) Happy Y2K everyone! -- ------------------------------------------------------- Pam Jernigan | jernigan@bellsouth.net ChiefPam on IRC | ChPam on AOL IM ------------------------------------------------------- "Not only was Ivan an idiot, but he generated a telepathic damping field to turn the people nearby into idiots, too." --An exasperated Miles contemplates his cousin in _The Warrior's Apprentice_, by Lois McMaster Bujold ------------------------------------------------------- http://www.geocities.com/~chiefpam ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 1 Jan 2000 17:12:38 +0900 Reply-To: lizo@ozemail.com.au Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Liz O Subject: Re: OT: I'm OK, Y2K? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Greetings from 2000 in Australia. Its now 5pm on January 1 here and there has not been a peep of a Y2k problem. I was on standby for work all night and there was not a call. Thank goodness! For those still in 1999 have a great New Year and all the best for the new millenium. Liz Olsson Adelaide, South Australia Pam Jernigan wrote: > > > It's now the 01.01.2000 here in Germany (since six > > hours) and nope, no problems so far. :) > > Good to know, thanks ... it's cool getting first hand reports, too! > > It's now 1am here on the US East Coast, and we (personally) didn't > notice so much as a blip... hopefully all will continue this well or > better :) > > Happy Y2K everyone! > -- ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 1 Jan 2000 21:06:56 +1300 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Gay Devlin Organization: Auckland Institute of Technology Subject: Re: OT: I'm OK, Y2K? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi All, No problems reported in New Zealand. All 12 essential services (electricity, phones, airports, banks, gas etc) are working fine and it's almost 9pm on New Year's Day in this part of the world. But we're told not to get too complacent yet as the nation doesn't go back to work till January 5th. But it would seem major worries were unnecessary and people are wondering why they bothered stockpiling water, cash, petrol and so on. While TPTB assure us they were not making a big fuss about nothing, questions are being asked. Gay Pam Jernigan wrote: > Since some of the world is already started the year 2000, I thought I'd > ask if any of the Aussies/Kiwis/Asians on this list have encountered any > Y2K problems yet? > > I'm 98% certain that there will be small localized problems at worst, > but I know others are more fearful, so if anyone out there has any > reassuring words for us in the US ... :) > > Of course, I know it's like 2am on that side of the world, so I doubt > anyone's awake and reading e-mail, but you never know :) > > Oh, and is there going to be a New Year's IRC party? I just logged on > and found no one (although I did log on through a NZ server, which > didn't seem to have crashed, hooray! :) Anyway, I'll check back > throughout the day.... > -- > ------------------------------------------------------- > Pam Jernigan | jernigan@bellsouth.net > ChiefPam on IRC | ChPam on AOL IM > ------------------------------------------------------- > "Not only was Ivan an idiot, but he generated a > telepathic damping field to turn the people nearby > into idiots, too." > --An exasperated Miles contemplates his cousin in > _The Warrior's Apprentice_, by Lois McMaster Bujold > ------------------------------------------------------- > http://www.geocities.com/~chiefpam ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 1 Jan 2000 10:34:24 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Charlotte Fisler Subject: Re: NEW: Heartache (12/12) PG13 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit A great story. A keeper as far as I'm concerned. Thanks to the German fanfic team and keep writing. Charlotte ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 1 Jan 2000 10:34:41 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Charlotte Fisler Subject: Re: NEW: The Mirror Crack'd MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit An new alt story is always appreciated and this one's a good one. Here's hoping you continue with your altClark's life. I can't help but think the show would have done more with the character if it made it to a fifth season, but of course it didn't. So we have to make do with fan fiction. ---Come on Charlotte face it many of these are better than the show, (including your's Hazel) especially for one who loves the way fiction can explore an idea in much more detail than TV can in an hour. Anyway, keeo writing and I'll keep reading. Charlotte ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 1 Jan 2000 10:36:01 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Charlotte Fisler Subject: Re: NEW STORY; Blind Man's Bluff Part 12 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Nan, good use of an existing premise and a fine story of LnC married. Although the story is not a rewrite of the eyes have it, it's good. Just one point: the writers wrote one story and you wrote another and BOTH are good. The Lois and Clark writers sometimes make us scream, but other times they make us cry or sigh or feel happy or sad. i.e. they entertain us, often in the same episode or story line. They left us a show we all watch and rewatch and so many possibilities of how to play on the premise. Here's to Lois and Clark forever, and a huge thank you to all the wonderfully creative people who produced the original show and the equally creative people who continue to keep it alive in all the wonderful new stories. So to Nan for this story, to the German group for Heartache Tonight and to Tara for the Black Circle. and to the original writers, actors, producers, directors, etc. of LNCTNAOS Thanks I loved them all. Charlotte - who had a wonderful time reading three - count 'em three - great LnC stories on New Years Eve. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 1 Jan 2000 10:37:19 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Charlotte Fisler Subject: Re: Going NoMail MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 12/22/99 10:51:11 AM !!!First Boot!!!, Phillip.Atcliffe@UWE.AC.UK writes: << A final message to all you FoLCs before I sign off for the year (but not the century )... >> You probably wont get this until The next century and I don't mean 2001. LOL. Happy Holidays, >from Charlotte - "You're not supposed to be delighted." ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 1 Jan 2000 07:58:30 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Nancy Smith Subject: Re: NEW STORY; Blind Man's Bluff Part 12 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Thank you, Charlotte. I'm glad you liked the story. I didn't say it was better--just different. I don't presume to write better stories than the writers of Lois and Clark. There were times when I wasn't happy with what they did, or thought that it could have been expanded a little, but they are professional writers and I am not. Blind Man's Bluff simply took the premise and made another complete and different story out of it.(And if he ever has another problem with his eyes, now he'll at least be able to get around .) Nan Charlotte Fisler wrote: > Nan, good use of an existing premise and a fine story of LnC married. > > Although the story is not a rewrite of the eyes have it, it's good. > > Just one point: the writers wrote one story and you wrote another > and BOTH are good. > > The Lois and Clark writers sometimes make us > scream, but other times they make us cry or sigh or feel happy or sad. > i.e. they entertain us, often in the same episode or story line. > > They left us a show we all watch and rewatch and so many possibilities > of how to play on the premise. Here's to Lois and Clark forever, > > and a huge thank you to all > the wonderfully creative people who produced the original show > > and the equally > creative people who continue to keep it alive > > in all the wonderful new stories. > > So to Nan for this story, > to the German group for Heartache Tonight > and to Tara for the Black Circle. > > and to the original writers, actors, producers, directors, etc. > of LNCTNAOS > > Thanks I loved them all. > > Charlotte - who had a wonderful time reading three - count 'em > three - great LnC stories on New Years Eve. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 1 Jan 2000 18:00:14 -0000 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Elizabeth Reid Subject: Re: OT: I'm OK, Y2K? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit -----Original Message----- From: Pam Jernigan To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU Date: 31 December 1999 17:07 Subject: OT: I'm OK, Y2K? >Since some of the world is already started the year 2000, I thought I'd >ask if any of the Aussies/Kiwis/Asians on this list have encountered any >Y2K problems yet? > >I'm 98% certain that there will be small localized problems at worst, >but I know others are more fearful, so if anyone out there has any >reassuring words for us in the US ... :) > >Of course, I know it's like 2am on that side of the world, so I doubt >anyone's awake and reading e-mail, but you never know :) > >Oh, and is there going to be a New Year's IRC party? I just logged on >and found no one (although I did log on through a NZ server, which >didn't seem to have crashed, hooray! :) Anyway, I'll check back >throughout the day.... >-- >------------------------------------------------------- >Pam Jernigan | jernigan@bellsouth.net >ChiefPam on IRC | ChPam on AOL IM >------------------------------------------------------- >"Not only was Ivan an idiot, but he generated a >telepathic damping field to turn the people nearby >into idiots, too." >--An exasperated Miles contemplates his cousin in >_The Warrior's Apprentice_, by Lois McMaster Bujold >------------------------------------------------------- >http://www.geocities.com/~chiefpam > I switched on my computer at 10am (Irish time) 1 January, 2000 and so far everything seems to working pretty well, (touch wood). Looking forward to another year of great Lois and Clark fan fiction Happy New Year, Liz, ereid@iol.ie > ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 1 Jan 2000 20:24:26 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Nicole Wolke Subject: Re: Heartache Tonight MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi Folcs, wow, I was back for two days and come back to *this*! Thank you all for the kind words about our story "Heartache Tonight". We were pretty nervous about it, since we are well aware that we let our heros make some very uncharacteristical choices in the story, but we were so cuious how they would deal with a situation like that. We had very much fun writing the story and we're so happy that you guys seem to enjoy it, too. Oh, and special thanks to everyone who complimented us on our English. You didn't see the story though, *before* we sent it to our editor. She deserves a major part of that praise! Thanks again and happy new year! Nicole for the German L&C Fanfiction Team (who's so happy her PC is still working!) -- AKA CKgroupie on IRC NKWolke@eifel-net.net Are you always searching for news about Dean Cain? And don't you have enough time to find them? Go to: "The Dean Cain News Page" http://members.tripod.de/CKgroupie/ ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 1 Jan 2000 17:41:03 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Debby Subject: Re: Happy New Year In-Reply-To: <001201bf5317$fa0136c0$7c92cbc1@default> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 10:48 PM 12/30/1999 +0000, you wrote: > > Hello all! > > I have decided to come out of Lurkdom to wish you all a very happy and > prosperous New Year, and a New Millenium. My thanks goes to all the writers > who have given us so much pleasure over the last year, and I've been thinking > of dipping my toe (very carefully, mind you) in the ocean of fan fic > writing. If anyone can give me some advice, I would be very grateful. > > Anyway, that's all for now, > > Have a great new year. > > Liz > ereid@iol.ie You don't get paid for it, so write what *you* want, when you want to :) If you need proofreaders or pre-publication feedback, there are plenty of FOLCs who will volunteer to help you. Debby Debby@swcp.com ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 1 Jan 2000 21:16:43 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Rose Cookson Subject: Question about Lois and Clark videos MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hello everyone! I've got a bit of a problem I'm hoping one of you will be able to help me with. I ordered the Lois and Clark videos from Blackstar, but they don't work in my VCR! I vaguely remember hearing that someone else had bought them and was happy with them. Does anyone know why I'm having this problem? HELP!!! Thanks, Rose (who is very frustrated, and out quite a bit of cash) ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 1 Jan 2000 19:28:31 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: sharper Subject: Re: Question about Lois and Clark videos MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > Hello everyone! I've got a bit of a problem I'm hoping one of you will be > able to help me with. I ordered the Lois and Clark videos from Blackstar, > but they don't work in my VCR! Rose, is your VCR an American-made one (i.e. NTSC)? If so, that's your problem. The Blackstar videos are in the PAL format that is used in UK, Australia, Europe, etc., and the two formats are completely INcompatible. Sheila ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 1 Jan 2000 22:08:58 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Ann E. McBride" Subject: Re: Question about Lois and Clark videos MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 1/1/2000 9:17:12 PM Eastern Standard Time, Rcpeaches2@AOL.COM writes: << Hello everyone! I've got a bit of a problem I'm hoping one of you will be able to help me with. I ordered the Lois and Clark videos from Blackstar, but they don't work in my VCR! I vaguely remember hearing that someone else had bought them and was happy with them. Does anyone know why I'm having this problem? HELP!!! Thanks, Rose (who is very frustrated, and out quite a bit of cash) >> And Sheila replied:Rose, is your VCR an American-made one (i.e. NTSC)? If so, that's your problem. The Blackstar videos are in the PAL format that is used in UK, Australia, Europe, etc., and the two formats are completely INcompatible. If Sheila is correct-- American VCR and Euopean tapes, there are companies in American cities that can convert them. I have absolutely no idea how much these places charge, but it can be done. There is a place called "VIdeo Kitchen" in my town that does it. I would look in the yellow pages under "Video Tape Duplication and Transfer Services" (that's what it is here in Louisville) or something similar and call around. If it's too expensive, I guess you might be able to send the tapes back. One place has a toll-free number: DVC Inc. 1-800-828-0373. I'm not sure if they are local here since there is no address. Good luck. Ann ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jan 2000 01:59:48 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Rose Cookson Subject: Re: Question about Lois and Clark videos MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 1/1/00 7:09:50 PM Pacific Standard Time, Aerm1@AOL.COM writes: << And Sheila replied:Rose, is your VCR an American-made one (i.e. NTSC)? If so, that's your problem. The Blackstar videos are in the PAL format that is used in UK, Australia, Europe, etc., and the two formats are completely INcompatible. >> I guess my VCR is American made... So what you're saying is that if I had a European made VCR, these tapes would work? Hmmm... I have been in need of a new VCR actually. But I'm completely retarded about these types of things... which VCRs are European made? Or are all VCRs sold in the states not PAL compatible? God I feel so dumb... But thank you all so much for your help. I really really appreciate it!!! Rose ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jan 2000 02:01:27 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Hazel Subject: Re: NEW: The Mirror Crack'd In-Reply-To: <0.834657ff.259f7891@aol.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Anita, Kate, Charlotte -- thanks so much for your kind words re "The Mirror Crack'd." Feedback is so delicious! It's always appreciated. Hazel ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jan 2000 10:46:57 +0100 Reply-To: oberdhan@usa.net Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Dorothee Oberdhan Subject: Re: Question about Lois and Clark videos MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit There are VCRs that can play both NTSC and PAL video tapes. I have one and it works fine. Dorothee Rose Cookson wrote: > In a message dated 1/1/00 7:09:50 PM Pacific Standard Time, Aerm1@AOL.COM > writes: > > << > And Sheila replied:Rose, is your VCR an American-made one (i.e. NTSC)? If > so, that's your > problem. The Blackstar videos are in the PAL format that is used in UK, > Australia, Europe, etc., and the two formats are completely INcompatible. >> > > I guess my VCR is American made... So what you're saying is that if I had a > European made VCR, these tapes would work? Hmmm... I have been in need of a > new VCR actually. But I'm completely retarded about these types of things... > which VCRs are European made? Or are all VCRs sold in the states not PAL > compatible? God I feel so dumb... But thank you all so much for your help. > I really really appreciate it!!! > > Rose ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jan 2000 07:59:45 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Ann E. McBride" Subject: Re: Question about Lois and Clark videos MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 1/2/2000 2:00:14 AM Eastern Standard Time, Rcpeaches2@AOL.COM writes: << So what you're saying is that if I had a European made VCR, these tapes would work? Hmmm... I have been in need of a new VCR actually. But I'm completely retarded about these types of things... which VCRs are European made? Or are all VCRs sold in the states not PAL compatible? God I feel so dumb... But thank you all so much for your help. I really really appreciate it!!! >> Well, sort of, but then you have the problem that a European VCR would be incompatible with an American television set. And it's not so much where the VCR is made ( they're all pretty much made in a few countries in Asia, regardless of the brand) as for which market the VCR is destined. So, you're still back to the problem of tapes which won't work in the US ( unless you have a European TV and VCR, and then the electrical part would be wrong [220 vs 110] ). Thus, the tapes need to be converted by a video tape company that does "international conversions." Don't feel dumb. I doubt many people would know this. I do, because I have friends and relatives in Europe. Ann ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jan 2000 08:00:06 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Nancy Smith Subject: Question about a fanfic MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I wrote a new story that I posted yesterday on the Message Boards. It's generated a lot of comments, both positive and negative from the readers, because I used the premise from Soul Mates and another from Brutal Youth on which to base it. I'm a little hesitant to send it to the email list because of this. Does anyone want to see it? It isn't in my nature to upset people, but it is a story I felt I needed to write. Anyone who knows my writing knows I never go for the unhappy ending, so I can reassure you all on that, but the concept of reincarnation, as shown in the series, is the basis for the story. Let me know, all right? Nan ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jan 2000 10:05:37 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: sharper Subject: Re: Question about a fanfic MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > I'm a little hesitant to send it to > the email list because of this. Does anyone want to see it? It isn't > in my nature to upset people, but it is a story I felt I needed to > write. > Let me know, all right? Nan, don't be so darned deferential! It's an excellent vignette--but even if it wasn't, it's yours; it's an L&C fic; it belongs here *and* on the archive. If you're concerned, just put a warning at the start, but not everyone who would like to read it frequents the fanfic boards. Besides, most of us are grownups and can decide what we want to read or not. So post! I know; I'm the one who always preaches "consider your audience." But FoLCdom is big enough for a lot of different visions, so go for it. And I will, too, :) even though I'll probably get death threats when I start posting the series I have in mind. All I can do is post a warning at the start and let the readers take the responsibility for themselves. And that's all you can do, too. Sheila (P.S. Guys, it's an interesting premise and a very good execution of it.) ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jan 2000 09:31:20 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Nancy Smith Subject: NEW Story: Home MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Okay, here it is. This story deals with reincarnation. If the concept bothers you, don't read it. Nan Home by Nan Smith (deimos1@earthlink.net) The university campus was, as usual, too dimly lighted in this area, Lori thought. She glanced around at the shadows of evergreen hedges and looming ornamental plants, and firmly suppressed a small tremor that seemed to run down her backbone. NTSU kept promising to fix the lighting problems, just as they kept promising to update the outmoded security system, and there was never enough money in the budget, or so it seemed. But, she noted, the gym had a new coat of paint, after the winter break, and the landscaping around the Administration Building was being redone...again. She glanced nervously to her right and left as she hurried along. Lori was beginning to sincerely regret the fact that she had stayed late at the library, but between the fact that her roommate seemed to be addicted to that new singing group that had burst upon the scene over the last three months--Lori wasn't even sure of their name--and the fact that their neighbors seemed to be perpetually bringing in guys and--well, Lori would rather not imagine what she thought she heard going on through the thin walls of the dorm rooms. In any case, studying was pretty close to impossible, so she had formed the habit of going to the Library and staying until it closed. Only, now she was wishing she had started back before sunset. There was no longer any trace of its bright colors in the sky, and it looked as if another light had burned out since last night. The distance to the dorm rooms was farther than she cared to walk in the dark that now stretched ahead of her on her path. In the last four weeks since the start of the new semester, there had been two assaults on female students here on the campus. The two girls had escaped alive, but although one had gotten away with only a couple of bruises, the other had been raped and beaten. The thought was an unwelcome one in her mind. NTSU had tried diligently to downplay the two incidents but Lori heard about them, anyway, because one of the girls was a resident of her own dorm. She had begun taking self defense classes, but she was forced to acknowledge that eight such sessions wasn't likely to turn her into a black belt. What was *that*? It sounded like someone moving in the thick shrubbery to her right. Lori increased her pace, telling herself that her always active imagination was working overtime. Maybe somebody's dog had strayed onto the grounds; that happened a lot. A twig cracked, as if under an incautious foot. Lori's pace increased to a trot, and then to a run as the sounds told her that someone was moving parallel to her course on the other side of the hedge. When a dark figure emerged from the vegetation onto the path ahead of her it wasn't even a surprise. She dodged and tried to change direction but he moved with her and she felt powerful arms clamp around her arms and torso. She struck backwards with an elbow and heard his grunt of pain, then she saw the pale moonlight glint from metal and felt the coldness of a knife blade at her throat. "Don't do that again, bitch." His voice was surprisingly soft. "I don't like it." Lori froze. A hand caught the zipper of her jacket and yanked it down. She squirmed involuntarily, and the blade pressed tighter against her skin. "Don't." Again the whisper. "Behave, and I might just let you go...later." The hand seized the front of her blouse and yanked. She gasped as the buttons gave and the frigid air contacted her skin. This was it, she knew. If she didn't get away, she would be lucky to escape with only a rape and a beating. A gust of air swirled about her and suddenly he was there; a tall, caped figure in the darkness, who had disarmed her assailant so swiftly that she hadn't been aware of it until it was over. With one hand, he casually held the rapist's wrists behind his back as he turned to her, and his voice was soft and concerned. "Are you all right?" "Yes," she stammered, clutching the torn remnants of her blouse with one shaking hand. It was one of the super-heroes, she realized, the new one who had appeared only two years ago. The one in the old Superman uniform, who looked so much like the pictures of his grandfather, or perhaps his great grandfather, the original Superman who had vanished fifty years ago. She could see the brilliant colors of the Suit glow even in the inadequate lighting of the campus. "Thank you, Superman." "Here." One handed, he reached up to detach his cape. "He tore your clothes." Glancing down at herself she realized with a shock that he was right. Her jacket was torn, though she didn't remember it happening, and her blouse was a total loss. Gratefully, she accepted the cape and wrapped it around herself. "I'm going to take you to the Security Office," Superman said, still in that gentle voice. "Are you afraid of flying?" She shook her head. He slipped an arm around her and an instant later they were lifting into the air so smoothly that she didn't feel it when her feet left the ground. All she could think of was the incredible sensation of freedom and of absolute safety with that powerful arm holding her so securely. Her assailant wasn't so lucky. Superman was holding him by the back of his pants, dangling awkwardly from the super-hero's hand. To Lori's disappointment, the flight was over within a few seconds as they touched down lightly at the Security Building. ***************** "If there are no more questions," Superman told the officer who had taken their statements, "I'm going to escort Ms. Lyons back to her dormitory." "If we need any more information, we can contact her." The man glanced at Lori and smiled, deprecatingly. "I'm sorry about your frightening experience, Ms. Lyons. We're short-staffed tonight." "It seems to me you're always short-staffed," Lori said, tartly. "If the Administration worried as much about student safety as they do about their image this might not have happened. It's too bad they're going to try to cover this up again instead of doing something about it." The officer said nothing, although she had the impression he didn't disagree with her remark. She glanced up and was surprised to see Superman looking at her with an expression of admiration, but he didn't comment, either. Instead, he only smiled and said, "May I take you back to your dorm, Ms. Lyons?" She hesitated. Her instinct was to turn down his help. Her independence was important to her. On the other hand, not one of the guys she'd ever dated had been this devastatingly handsome, nor had she ever felt that they genuinely cared about her welfare like this man did. To one of the others, that walk home might have simply been an opportunity to make time with an attractive girl, and Lori would have been blind not to know that she was attractive. Besides, maybe they would *fly*. She made up her mind. "Thank you, Superman. I'd like that." The flight to her dorm was a more leisurely one, and this time, instead of carrying her with an arm around her waist, he carried her in his arms. Lori watched the campus pass below her with fascinated eyes. Her roommate had commented one time that though the male super-heroes were one and all absolutely gorgeous, she thought flying with one would be terrifying. All that empty space between them and the ground, nothing around you...Lori didn't see that at all. It was an incredible sensation of complete freedom, and she knew without the shadow of a doubt that the man holding her would never let her fall. Far too soon the flight was over, and he was setting her carefully on her feet before the drab, slightly shabby building where she currently lived. "Thank you, Superman," she said, suddenly a little shy. "You probably saved my life tonight." He smiled, and Lori felt her insides melt. It wasn't fair! No man should be blessed with this much charm and good looks, and then add in that smile... "If you don't mind," he said, "I'd like to walk you to your room." This time she had not the slightest thought of refusing. When she opened the door to her room, her roommate looked up and her jaw dropped. Lori smiled up at her rescuer. "Won't you come in? If you'll give me a minute, you can have your cape back." "Thank you," he said, pleasantly, and followed her inside. A short time later, with a baggy sweatshirt pulled on in place of the scarlet cape, Lori bade him goodbye with yet another expression of gratitude, and watched the super-hero stride back down the hall toward the steps. There was an air of stunned silence from the other students who happened to witness his exit, which lasted until the brilliant uniform had vanished down the flight of stairs. Lori closed the door. "Lori, what on earth *happened*?" Linda asked, the minute the door was closed. "That was *Superman*!" "Yeah, I noticed." Lori turned toward her bed and flopped down on it, with an odd feeling of depression. "How did you happen to meet *him*?" "He saved me from being mugged, and caught the guy into the bargain." Lori looked up at her roommate, her expression changing from one of depression to determination. "And I don't care if the Administration doesn't like it, I'm going to write this up for the school paper, tomorrow! They've ignored student safety around here long enough. If it hadn't been for Superman, I'd be dead right now. Others might not be so lucky." ****************** Superman sat on the roof of the dormitory next to the one where Lori Lyons was now preparing for bed, trying to slow his pounding heart and failing miserably in the attempt. For twenty years he had waited, knowing that she was here somewhere, and now, without warning, he had found her. She was a twenty year old Journalism major at NTSU. It figured, he thought, shaking his head. He should have known. Only, how was he to proceed, now? Fifty years before he had retired from the super-hero business, knowing the world was in good hands with his children and grandchildren, so that he could spend more time with Lois. They had both known that he would outlive her. In the 79 years of their marriage, he had not aged perceptibly, at all. Lois had aged more slowly than a normal human, probably because, Dr. Klein told them, of the effects of his aura on her, but her appearance had slowly changed as time went by, and he had chosen to spend the time with her. They had seen their grandchildren born, and then their great-grandchildren. And then the time he dreaded had come at last. He had lost his beloved wife twenty years ago at the age of 108. He'd expected to*feel*her disappear, as she had before when she had gone into the parallel world, and knew that when that happened he literally could not live without her. But she hadn't. Her presence was still there, somewhere. He'd believed for days that he must be going insane from the loss of Lois, that his mind was playing tricks on him. But the feeling hadn't changed, and slowly he remembered the thing H.G. Wells had told them on their wedding day. Their souls were intertwined, always together. Wherever his was, there was hers, two lovers destined to meet and fall in love over and over again throughout time. As long as he was alive, she was there, too. Somewhere. For twenty years he had been waiting and searching for her, and now here she was. Slowly, he began to smile. He had time to win his Lois again and someday--much later--he would tell her the whole story. It was about time that Clark Kent, descendent of the reporter who had once worked for the Daily Planet, and a free lance journalist who traveled the globe, took a job here in Metropolis. And in a few days he would make a point of meeting a certain dark-eyed, dark haired journalism major named Lori... Superman rose silently into the night, headed for the home he had once shared with Lois. CJ and his wife lived there now, but he knew he would be welcome. He always was. And tomorrow, he would take his resume to the Daily Planet. Anyone who had looked up at that moment wouldn't have believed the sight that greeted their eyes, for they would have seen Superman doing loop-the-loops across the sky. Life was suddenly full of promise once more. Clark Kent was coming home. The End ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jan 2000 12:34:13 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "C.C. Malo" Subject: Re: Question about a fanfic MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I, too, think you should post the story here, Nan. It's very well written and many readers on the message boards have found it intriguing. Sheila wrote: <> This is probably a good idea -- just a quick statement of the 2 premises you've based your story on would be enough. Carol ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jan 2000 10:33:45 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Kara Johnson Subject: Re: New Fic MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Great story, Nan :) Although the premise was a bit different from most fanfic I've read, it was still a very well executed story. Keep up the great work! -Kara (coming out of lurkdom, if only for a few minutes) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://messenger.yahoo.com ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jan 2000 18:52:36 -0000 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Elizabeth Reid Subject: Re: Question about Lois and Clark videos MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit -----Original Message----- From: Rose Cookson To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU Date: 02 January 2000 02:17 Subject: Question about Lois and Clark videos >Hello everyone! I've got a bit of a problem I'm hoping one of you will be >able to help me with. I ordered the Lois and Clark videos from Blackstar, >but they don't work in my VCR! I vaguely remember hearing that someone else >had bought them and was happy with them. Does anyone know why I'm having >this problem? HELP!!! > >Thanks, > >Rose (who is very frustrated, and out quite a bit of cash) I bought two tapes from Blackstar and haven't had any problems with them. They are made for VHS PAL, which I think is mostly used in the UK and Ireland. Why don't you contact Blackstar and ask them for advice? Liz ereid@iol.ie > ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jan 2000 13:58:05 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Joy Sowell Subject: Nan's Fic Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Nan, I posted a comment on the MB, but since it was like comment 31, I'll tell you again. Please, keep writing. Yes, post it here and the archive. ______________________________________________ FREE Personalized Email at Mail.com Sign up at http://www.mail.com?sr=mc.mk.mcm.tag001 ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jan 2000 11:29:50 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Melisma Subject: Re: New Fic In-Reply-To: <20000102183345.27358.qmail@web904.mail.yahoo.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Kara!!! Sis!!! :) Nice to see you delurk - can we persuade you to stay out of your cave for a while and play?!? Melisma (doing a happy FoLC dance under her rock at her FoLC sis's appearance) At 10:33 AM 02/01/2000 -0800, you wrote: >Great story, Nan :) Although the premise was a >bit different from most fanfic I've read, it was >still a very well executed story. Keep up the >great work! > >-Kara >(coming out of lurkdom, if only for a few minutes) >__________________________________________________ >Do You Yahoo!? >Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. >http://messenger.yahoo.com > > ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jan 2000 14:38:10 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Kate Crane Subject: Re: NEW Story: Home MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Nan, I thought this vignette was absolutely delightful. Religious beliefs aside, (don't believe in reincarnation), I still enjoy fantasy, and this is a wonderful new twist on our beloved couple. Are we going to see a continuation of this premise? Kate ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jan 2000 11:46:31 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Nancy Smith Subject: Re: NEW Story: Home MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Kate Crane wrote: > Nan, > I thought this vignette was absolutely delightful. Religious beliefs aside, > (don't believe in reincarnation), I still enjoy fantasy, and this is a > wonderful new twist on our beloved couple. Are we going to see a > continuation of this premise? > Kate Maybe. I'm watching the responses I get, and I'll decide after I see which way the wind is blowing. I'm sort of leaning toward it, for now. Now all I need is a plot. Nan ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jan 2000 18:37:39 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Kaethel Subject: Re: Question about Lois and Clark videos MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Rose, the problem can be either your VCR or your TV set... or both. If one of them of both of them can't get the pal format, then it won't work. However, I'm surprised the tapes don't work at all... I mean, generally, when you play a ntsc video in a secam/pal VCR, it's in black and white but it still plays... unless it doesn't work at all when it's a pal video in a ntsc VCR... But seriously, when will TPTB understand that *one* system would be better than several? (and to think we'll have the same problem with DVDs!!!) Hope you'll get around this problem, though :) Oh, and Happy 2000 to everyone!! :) Hélène (a secam user who keeps struggling between secam, pal and ntsc ) ------------------------------------------------------ Kaethel on irc / Kaethel79 on AIM kaethel@club-internet.fr "Lois, it's past babbling hour... can you get to the point, please?" ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jan 2000 21:02:42 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "=?iso-8859-1?q?R.=20Ziegler?=" Subject: Re: NEW Story: Home MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Nancy, I already made my comments on the mb, so just a few words: I like this story very much and would love to see a continuation!! :) Ren __________________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Gesendet von Yahoo! Mail - http://mail.yahoo.de Yahoo! Auktionen - gleich ausprobieren - http://auktionen.yahoo.de ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jan 2000 15:18:13 -0500 Reply-To: pchenenko@worldnet.att.com Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: PChenenko Subject: Re: NEW Story: Home MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit >(P.S. Guys, it's an interesting premise and a very good execution of it.) Certainly could not have said it better myself. I loved this little vignette! Thanks much Nan for posting it here. And I would love to see a continuation. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jan 2000 15:08:22 -0600 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Dockingbay@msn.com" Subject: Re: NEW: Heartache (12/12) PG13 > I just finished reading this story. This is wonderful! What amazes me is >> that the first language of the writers is not English, and yet if I didn't >> know it, I wouldn't have had any idea. This story, as seems to be the norm, was fantastic. I agree that it is amazing that English is their second language. I can't even speak, let alone write, this good. Thank you, Catherine ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jan 2000 15:11:58 -0600 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Dockingbay@msn.com" Subject: Re: NEW STORY; Blind Man's Bluff Part 11-A Nan, I wanted to let you know, publicly this time, how wonderful I find your writing and this story did not disappoint. This is definitely a 'must read'. Thank you for your time and you very talented efforts. Catherine ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jan 2000 13:55:27 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Judith Williams Subject: Nan's fic "Home" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Nan: An intriguing idea and beautifully written as usual. I don't have a problem with reincarnation, but hey--a 129 year old guy dating a 20 year old? Shades of Michael Douglas and Jack Nicholson! Jude ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jan 2000 14:02:43 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Nancy Smith Subject: Re: Nan's fic "Home" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hey, Judith, Think Duncan MacLeod and Tessa. The guy was 400 years old! Nan Judith Williams wrote: > Nan: An intriguing idea and beautifully written as usual. I don't have a > problem with reincarnation, but hey--a 129 year old guy dating a 20 year > old? Shades of Michael Douglas and Jack Nicholson! Jude ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jan 2000 14:03:51 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Cynthia Haste Subject: Re: Nan's fic "Home" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Judith Williams wrote: > Nan: An intriguing idea and beautifully written as usual. I don't have a > problem with reincarnation, but hey--a 129 year old guy dating a 20 year > old? Shades of Michael Douglas and Jack Nicholson! Jude I'm sorry, this is OT, but I'm feeling incredibly out of it here. Just when did Michael Douglas start dating Jack Nicholson? Cindy -- Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are good is like expecting the bull not to charge because you are a vegetarian. - Unknown Author Diet tip: Eat a chocolate bar before each meal. It'll take the edge off your appetite and you'll eat less. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jan 2000 17:06:50 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: No Name Available Subject: Re: NEW Story: Home MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 01/02/2000 2:47:04 PM Eastern Standard Time, deimos1@EARTHLINK.NET writes: << Now all I need is a plot. >> LOL, I'm sure you'll come up with one. If not, I'm sure you'll have the whole list after you. --L (looking forward to reading all the recent fic from this list) ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jan 2000 14:18:16 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Nancy Smith Subject: Re: Question about a fanfic MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit sharper wrote: > I'll probably get death threats when I start > posting the series I have in mind. All I can do is post a warning at the > start and let the readers take the responsibility for themselves. And > that's all you can do, too. > I'll be looking forward to it. Nan ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jan 2000 19:49:24 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Ann E. McBride" Subject: Re: Nan's fic "Home" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 1/2/2000 5:03:23 PM Eastern Standard Time, deimos1@EARTHLINK.NET writes: << Think Duncan MacLeod and Tessa. The guy was 400 years old! >> I was just thinking of them. Chronologically, Duncan was that old, but since he never aged, he would have looked silly checking out the women at nursing homes. Ann ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jan 2000 20:50:30 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Karen Ward Subject: Fanfic Teaser: When the Night Falls Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Hey, all! :) Hope you're all enjoying your new year so far! :) After being cajoled and ridiculed, I've finally been convinced to post a preview to my currect fic-in-progress, "When The Night Falls". I've been rather stuck on some plot issues and in need of motivation, so here it goes. Let me know what you think! :) * * * * * Clark settled behind a patch of low palm branches in order to silently observe the delicate, courageous woman he could only remember seeing once before. She'd seated herself on a boulder in the center of the clearing and was poring over a notebook of some kind. The clearing was large enough to allow a shaft of sunlight to penetrate the forest floor, glinting off her mahogany hair. She unconsciously tucked her hair behind her ear with one hand, and pressed the end of her pen to her lower lip with the other. Clark couldn't be sure he wasn't spying on a an angel. Though Clark knew he should be heading back to the village, he couldn't drag his eyes from the vision before him. It took the sudden rustle of branches off to his left to distract him. He eyed the spot where the leaves had been disturbed, and when he was sure that it must have been caused by some sort of small rodent, he allowed himself to turn his attention back to the woman in the clearing. Clark nearly panicked when all he saw was her notebook and pen abandoned on the rock. He couldn't suppress the thought that the rustling bushes had something to do with the woman's sudden disappearance. Even before he'd saved her from the hungry tiger, he'd had the distinct feeling that this woman had a penchant for danger. He leaned further into the clearing, nearly abandoning his cover in order to locate the woman. When she didn't reappear right away, Clark was flooded with the very uneasy feeling that something catastrophic was about to happen. "I *knew* someone was watching me!" Clark whirled around at the sound of the feminine voice and came face to face with *her*! "What kind of pervert --" Clark was sure the woman was about to launch into a tirade of some sort, but when his eyes met hers, she cut off her speech abruptly. And he was lost. When the strength of a tiger hadn't been able to restrain him, this woman's searching eyes had him firmly rooted in the ground he stood upon. He hadn't gotten a glimpse of her eyes when he'd encountered her before, but now, as he gazed into their brown depths, something deep in his soul told him not to turn away from this woman. What had him most mesmerized, however, was that he saw something in this woman's eyes he couldn't ever remember seeing before: recognition. Although she appeared skeptical, this woman also appeared to recognize him! "Who . . . who are you?" she asked. Clark desperately wanted to speak to this woman, but fear kept his mouth firmly shut. Over the past few months, it had become ingrained in him to avoid contact with anyone outside the Milowan tribe, and he didn't want to break their trust. He understood the reason for their precaution, and the last thing he ever wanted to do was sacrifice the sanctity of their culture merely to please his own whims. But this woman spoke his language! And he could swear that he'd seen her before, not to mention she seemed to find him familiar. Perhaps she could help him recover his memory. Perhaps she even knew his name! "Ah-hem! Can't you speak?" The woman interrupted Clark's thoughts, reminding him of her previous question and bringing his hopes plummeting back to Earth. She'd asked who he was -- she wouldn't have had to do that if she knew his name. Still, she was more like him than any of the other tribe members he'd seen. Her skin was light, like his, and she spoke the language that had been second nature to him when he'd first awakened on this island. "Oh dear . . . maybe you don't speak English. Maybe that's why you don't understand me. You are the one who saved me from the tiger, aren't you? Remember? Big claws," the woman raised her hands above her head, trying to look vicious, "sharp teeth." She bared her teeth and gave a growl in imitation of the animal that had attacked her. Clark managed to smother the laughter that bubbled up, but he couldn't suppress the grin. This woman's animated tiger impression was so lively compared to the somber behaviour of the Milowans, he couldn't help himself. "I remember," he said, his eyes sparkling with amusement. The woman seemed slightly taken aback by the sound of his voice, and even more by the gleaming brightness of his smile, but she quickly recovered herself and continued. "I see. So you *do* speak English. Were you planning to just stand there and stare at me all night, then? Or do you think you might feel obliged to join me in conversation, and perhaps tell me your name." The grin fell off his face when she mentioned her curiosity over his name. What was he supposed to tell her? He couldn't very well tell her that the tribe had been calling him "white man" since he'd joined their group. He supposed he could give her the Milowan equivalent, but that would require some explanation, and he was *not* about to tell her about the tribe -- that would go way beyond breaking their trust. Finally, the woman saved him from having to answer when she did it for him. "Am I to take it you don't have a name, then? Fine. I'm Lois." She offered her hand for a handshake. Remembering that Hicho hadn't understood the gesture when Clark had offered him the same one, Clark took Lois's hand eagerly. "It's nice to meet you, Lois." "I'm guessing from your attire . . ." Lois surveyed his body from head to toe, causing Clark's temperature to rise when her gaze lingered in certain places. ". . . that you're not a tourist." Clark's cheeks colored with embarrassment when he realized that the loin cloth he was wearing revealed a great deal more than it covered. He wasn't sure how he knew it, but he was positive that whatever life he had led before losing his memory involved a lot more clothes. Lois ignored his silence and raised her eyebrows. "And that hideous warpaint you have smothered on your face does nothing to detract >from my opinion. However, from your colouring, I would guess that you're not a native to the island." Lois eyed him expectantly. "Hideous?" Clark gingerly touched the paint in question, offended. He rather liked the markings the tribe had given him. They almost made him feel as if he belonged there. Lois groaned, exasperated. "Is there any particular reason why you don't want to give me your name, or are you worried I might be some sort of stalker and use the information against you?" Clark didn't miss the meaningful way she looked at him, as if expecting an explanation for why he'd been hiding in the bushes, watching her. Instead, he gave her the most honest answer he could. "No, I'm not afraid, but there is a reason I can't give you my name." "Ah-ha! So you admit you can't give me your name. Care to tell me why?" "You probably won't believe it, but I can't tell you my name because . . . well, I don't know it." Clark paused, thinking of something that had never occurred to him before. "That's assuming I have one." Clark noticed that his words again shocked the determined look from her face. "What do you mean?" Lois asked with a peculiar note of suspicion in her voice. "I mean, I don't know my name. Or who I am, or where I'm from . . . or *anything* about myself, for that matter. One day I just . . . woke up on the beach . . ." Clark shrugged his shoulder as if that should explain the rest, and turned his attention to his feet. He couldn't bear to look this woman in the eye when he knew what he told her wasn't the *complete* truth. He *had* woken up on the beach . . . briefly, but there was a lot more to it than that. He forgot all his reservations when he finally turned his attention back to Lois and saw that her face had completely drained of color. "What is it? What's wrong?" His concern seemed to cause her even more distress because her eyes widened further and she gasped, "Oh my God!" * * * * * Well, there you have it. There's quite a bit more where that came from, but I'm not yet ready to reveal it, though I may be adding more previews to my webpage in the near future. BTW, if the above except confused you, you can find a story synopsis here: . Anyhow, hope you enjoy! :) Take care, Karen :) ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jan 2000 18:00:03 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Nancy Smith Subject: Re: Fanfic Teaser: When the Night Falls MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Karen Ward wrote: > Hey, all! :) > > Hope you're all enjoying your new year so far! :) > > After being cajoled and ridiculed, I've finally been convinced to post a > preview to my currect fic-in-progress, "When The Night Falls". I've been > rather stuck on some plot issues and in need of motivation, so here it > goes. Let me know what you think! :) > > I know what I think, Karen. I want to see the rest of this in a hurry! > You've set it up wonderfully, and I'm now going to be very impatient for you > to finish it! Nan ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jan 2000 18:10:43 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Charlotte Martin Subject: Re: NEW Story: Home MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Are > we going to see a > > continuation of this premise? > > Kate > > Maybe. I'm watching the responses I get, and I'll > decide after I see which > way the wind is blowing. Nan, I read fanfic for pleasure and entertainment(as well as to 'see' and 'hear' Dean and Teri). Your story fulfilled those quite well so I'm looking forward to the wind blowing you towards a continuation. :) Charlotte charm3d __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://messenger.yahoo.com ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jan 2000 19:11:29 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Irene D." Subject: Re: Fanfic Teaser: When the Night Falls MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Yay! Karen's working on her fic again! Karen, you know that I think this is a brilliant start to a fantastic fic. I'm so glad that you've started working on it again and that you've been expanding on what you've already done. Good going, girl. Looking forward to reading more. Irene --- Karen Ward wrote: > Hey, all! :) > > Hope you're all enjoying your new year so far! :) > > After being cajoled and ridiculed, I've finally been > convinced to post a > preview to my currect fic-in-progress, "When The > Night Falls". I've been > rather stuck on some plot issues and in need of > motivation, so here it > goes. Let me know what you think! :) > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://messenger.yahoo.com ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jan 2000 22:16:40 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Tara Smith Subject: Re: Fanfic Teaser: When the Night Falls Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit This is cool! So when can we expect more (subtle hint :)? Tara (whose idea of subtle is sometimes to use a mallet :) ------Original Message------ From: Karen Ward To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU Sent: January 3, 2000 1:50:30 AM GMT Subject: Fanfic Teaser: When the Night Falls Hey, all! :) Hope you're all enjoying your new year so far! :) After being cajoled and ridiculed, I've finally been convinced to post a preview to my currect fic-in-progress, "When The Night Falls". I've been rather stuck on some plot issues and in need of motivation, so here it goes. Let me know what you think! :) * * * * * Clark settled behind a patch of low palm branches in order to silently observe the delicate, courageous woman he could only remember seeing once before. She'd seated herself on a boulder in the center of the clearing and was poring over a notebook of some kind. The clearing was large enough to allow a shaft of sunlight to penetrate the forest floor, glinting off her mahogany hair. She unconsciously tucked her hair behind her ear with one hand, and pressed the end of her pen to her lower lip with the other. Clark couldn't be sure he wasn't spying on a an angel. Though Clark knew he should be heading back to the village, he couldn't drag his eyes from the vision before him. It took the sudden rustle of branches off to his left to distract him. He eyed the spot where the leaves had been disturbed, and when he was sure that it must have been caused by some sort of small rodent, he allowed himself to turn his attention back to the woman in the clearing. Clark nearly panicked when all he saw was her notebook and pen abandoned on the rock. He couldn't suppress the thought that the rustling bushes had something to do with the woman's sudden disappearance. Even before he'd saved her from the hungry tiger, he'd had the distinct feeling that this woman had a penchant for danger. He leaned further into the clearing, nearly abandoning his cover in order to locate the woman. When she didn't reappear right away, Clark was flooded with the very uneasy feeling that something catastrophic was about to happen. "I *knew* someone was watching me!" Clark whirled around at the sound of the feminine voice and came face to face with *her*! "What kind of pervert --" Clark was sure the woman was about to launch into a tirade of some sort, but when his eyes met hers, she cut off her speech abruptly. And he was lost. When the strength of a tiger hadn't been able to restrain him, this woman's searching eyes had him firmly rooted in the ground he stood upon. He hadn't gotten a glimpse of her eyes when he'd encountered her before, but now, as he gazed into their brown depths, something deep in his soul told him not to turn away from this woman. What had him most mesmerized, however, was that he saw something in this woman's eyes he couldn't ever remember seeing before: recognition. Although she appeared skeptical, this woman also appeared to recognize him! "Who . . . who are you?" she asked. Clark desperately wanted to speak to this woman, but fear kept his mouth firmly shut. Over the past few months, it had become ingrained in him to avoid contact with anyone outside the Milowan tribe, and he didn't want to break their trust. He understood the reason for their precaution, and the last thing he ever wanted to do was sacrifice the sanctity of their culture merely to please his own whims. But this woman spoke his language! And he could swear that he'd seen her before, not to mention she seemed to find him familiar. Perhaps she could help him recover his memory. Perhaps she even knew his name! "Ah-hem! Can't you speak?" The woman interrupted Clark's thoughts, reminding him of her previous question and bringing his hopes plummeting back to Earth. She'd asked who he was -- she wouldn't have had to do that if she knew his name. Still, she was more like him than any of the other tribe members he'd seen. Her skin was light, like his, and she spoke the language that had been second nature to him when he'd first awakened on this island. "Oh dear . . . maybe you don't speak English. Maybe that's why you don't understand me. You are the one who saved me from the tiger, aren't you? Remember? Big claws," the woman raised her hands above her head, trying to look vicious, "sharp teeth." She bared her teeth and gave a growl in imitation of the animal that had attacked her. Clark managed to smother the laughter that bubbled up, but he couldn't suppress the grin. This woman's animated tiger impression was so lively compared to the somber behaviour of the Milowans, he couldn't help himself. "I remember," he said, his eyes sparkling with amusement. The woman seemed slightly taken aback by the sound of his voice, and even more by the gleaming brightness of his smile, but she quickly recovered herself and continued. "I see. So you *do* speak English. Were you planning to just stand there and stare at me all night, then? Or do you think you might feel obliged to join me in conversation, and perhaps tell me your name." The grin fell off his face when she mentioned her curiosity over his name. What was he supposed to tell her? He couldn't very well tell her that the tribe had been calling him "white man" since he'd joined their group. He supposed he could give her the Milowan equivalent, but that would require some explanation, and he was *not* about to tell her about the tribe -- that would go way beyond breaking their trust. Finally, the woman saved him from having to answer when she did it for him. "Am I to take it you don't have a name, then? Fine. I'm Lois." She offered her hand for a handshake. Remembering that Hicho hadn't understood the gesture when Clark had offered him the same one, Clark took Lois's hand eagerly. "It's nice to meet you, Lois." "I'm guessing from your attire . . ." Lois surveyed his body from head to toe, causing Clark's temperature to rise when her gaze lingered in certain places. ". . . that you're not a tourist." Clark's cheeks colored with embarrassment when he realized that the loin cloth he was wearing revealed a great deal more than it covered. He wasn't sure how he knew it, but he was positive that whatever life he had led before losing his memory involved a lot more clothes. Lois ignored his silence and raised her eyebrows. "And that hideous warpaint you have smothered on your face does nothing to detract >from my opinion. However, from your colouring, I would guess that you're not a native to the island." Lois eyed him expectantly. "Hideous?" Clark gingerly touched the paint in question, offended. He rather liked the markings the tribe had given him. They almost made him feel as if he belonged there. Lois groaned, exasperated. "Is there any particular reason why you don't want to give me your name, or are you worried I might be some sort of stalker and use the information against you?" Clark didn't miss the meaningful way she looked at him, as if expecting an explanation for why he'd been hiding in the bushes, watching her. Instead, he gave her the most honest answer he could. "No, I'm not afraid, but there is a reason I can't give you my name." "Ah-ha! So you admit you can't give me your name. Care to tell me why?" "You probably won't believe it, but I can't tell you my name because . . . well, I don't know it." Clark paused, thinking of something that had never occurred to him before. "That's assuming I have one." Clark noticed that his words again shocked the determined look from her face. "What do you mean?" Lois asked with a peculiar note of suspicion in her voice. "I mean, I don't know my name. Or who I am, or where I'm from . . .. or *anything* about myself, for that matter. One day I just . . . woke up on the beach . . ." Clark shrugged his shoulder as if that should explain the rest, and turned his attention to his feet. He couldn't bear to look this woman in the eye when he knew what he told her wasn't the *complete* truth. He *had* woken up on the beach . . . briefly, but there was a lot more to it than that. He forgot all his reservations when he finally turned his attention back to Lois and saw that her face had completely drained of color. "What is it? What's wrong?" His concern seemed to cause her even more distress because her eyes widened further and she gasped, "Oh my God!" * * * * * Well, there you have it. There's quite a bit more where that came from, but I'm not yet ready to reveal it, though I may be adding more previews to my webpage in the near future. BTW, if the above except confused you, you can find a story synopsis here: . Anyhow, hope you enjoy! :) Take care, Karen :) ----------------------------------------------- FREE! The World's Best Email Address @email.com Reserve your name now at http://www.email.com ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jan 2000 22:23:48 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Alicia Utowski Subject: Re: Fanfic Teaser: When the Night Falls MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit This sounds like it is going to be really good !!! so, when are we going to see more? soon, right :) Alicia :) ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jan 2000 19:49:19 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Kara Johnson Subject: Re: Fanfic Teaser: When the Night Falls MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii I agree with everyone.. this is a great fic premise and I certainly hope to see more! -Kara __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://messenger.yahoo.com ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jan 2000 22:05:02 -0600 Reply-To: truitt22@flash.net Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: timothy truitt Organization: tnt technical services Subject: Re: Fanfic Teaser: When the Night Falls MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit PLEASE FINISH THIS SOON merry Karen Ward wrote: > Hey, all! :) > > Hope you're all enjoying your new year so far! :) > > After being cajoled and ridiculed, I've finally been convinced to post a > preview to my currect fic-in-progress, "When The Night Falls". I've been > rather stuck on some plot issues and in need of motivation, so here it > goes. Let me know what you think! :) > > * * * * * > > Clark settled behind a patch of low palm branches in order to > silently observe the delicate, courageous woman he could only remember > seeing once before. She'd seated herself on a boulder in the center of the > clearing and was poring over a notebook of some kind. The clearing was > large enough to allow a shaft of sunlight to penetrate the forest floor, > glinting off her mahogany hair. She unconsciously tucked her hair behind > her ear with one hand, and pressed the end of her pen to her lower lip with > the other. Clark couldn't be sure he wasn't spying on a an angel. > Though Clark knew he should be heading back to the village, he > couldn't drag his eyes from the vision before him. It took the sudden > rustle of branches off to his left to distract him. He eyed the spot where > the leaves had been disturbed, and when he was sure that it must have been > caused by some sort of small rodent, he allowed himself to turn his > attention back to the woman in the clearing. > Clark nearly panicked when all he saw was her notebook and pen > abandoned on the rock. He couldn't suppress the thought that the rustling > bushes had something to do with the woman's sudden disappearance. Even > before he'd saved her from the hungry tiger, he'd had the distinct feeling > that this woman had a penchant for danger. > He leaned further into the clearing, nearly abandoning his cover in > order to locate the woman. When she didn't reappear right away, Clark was > flooded with the very uneasy feeling that something catastrophic was about > to happen. > "I *knew* someone was watching me!" > Clark whirled around at the sound of the feminine voice and came > face to face with *her*! > "What kind of pervert --" > Clark was sure the woman was about to launch into a tirade of some > sort, but when his eyes met hers, she cut off her speech abruptly. > And he was lost. When the strength of a tiger hadn't been able to > restrain him, this woman's searching eyes had him firmly rooted in the > ground he stood upon. He hadn't gotten a glimpse of her eyes when he'd > encountered her before, but now, as he gazed into their brown depths, > something deep in his soul told him not to turn away from this woman. What > had him most mesmerized, however, was that he saw something in this woman's > eyes he couldn't ever remember seeing before: recognition. Although she > appeared skeptical, this woman also appeared to recognize him! > "Who . . . who are you?" she asked. > Clark desperately wanted to speak to this woman, but fear kept his > mouth firmly shut. Over the past few months, it had become ingrained in > him to avoid contact with anyone outside the Milowan tribe, and he didn't > want to break their trust. He understood the reason for their precaution, > and the last thing he ever wanted to do was sacrifice the sanctity of their > culture merely to please his own whims. > But this woman spoke his language! And he could swear that he'd > seen her before, not to mention she seemed to find him familiar. Perhaps > she could help him recover his memory. Perhaps she even knew his name! > "Ah-hem! Can't you speak?" > The woman interrupted Clark's thoughts, reminding him of her > previous question and bringing his hopes plummeting back to Earth. She'd > asked who he was -- she wouldn't have had to do that if she knew his name. > Still, she was more like him than any of the other tribe members he'd seen. > Her skin was light, like his, and she spoke the language that had been > second nature to him when he'd first awakened on this island. > "Oh dear . . . maybe you don't speak English. Maybe that's why you > don't understand me. You are the one who saved me from the tiger, aren't > you? Remember? Big claws," the woman raised her hands above her head, > trying to look vicious, "sharp teeth." She bared her teeth and gave a > growl in imitation of the animal that had attacked her. > Clark managed to smother the laughter that bubbled up, but he > couldn't suppress the grin. This woman's animated tiger impression was so > lively compared to the somber behaviour of the Milowans, he couldn't help > himself. "I remember," he said, his eyes sparkling with amusement. > The woman seemed slightly taken aback by the sound of his voice, > and even more by the gleaming brightness of his smile, but she quickly > recovered herself and continued. "I see. So you *do* speak English. Were > you planning to just stand there and stare at me all night, then? Or do > you think you might feel obliged to join me in conversation, and perhaps > tell me your name." > The grin fell off his face when she mentioned her curiosity over > his name. What was he supposed to tell her? He couldn't very well tell > her that the tribe had been calling him "white man" since he'd joined their > group. He supposed he could give her the Milowan equivalent, but that > would require some explanation, and he was *not* about to tell her about > the tribe -- that would go way beyond breaking their trust. > Finally, the woman saved him from having to answer when she did it > for him. "Am I to take it you don't have a name, then? Fine. I'm Lois." > She offered her hand for a handshake. > Remembering that Hicho hadn't understood the gesture when Clark had > offered him the same one, Clark took Lois's hand eagerly. "It's nice to > meet you, Lois." > "I'm guessing from your attire . . ." Lois surveyed his body from > head to toe, causing Clark's temperature to rise when her gaze lingered in > certain places. ". . . that you're not a tourist." > Clark's cheeks colored with embarrassment when he realized that the > loin cloth he was wearing revealed a great deal more than it covered. He > wasn't sure how he knew it, but he was positive that whatever life he had > led before losing his memory involved a lot more clothes. > Lois ignored his silence and raised her eyebrows. "And that > hideous warpaint you have smothered on your face does nothing to detract > from my opinion. However, from your colouring, I would guess that you're > not a native to the island." Lois eyed him expectantly. > "Hideous?" Clark gingerly touched the paint in question, offended. > He rather liked the markings the tribe had given him. They almost made him > feel as if he belonged there. > Lois groaned, exasperated. "Is there any particular reason why you > don't want to give me your name, or are you worried I might be some sort of > stalker and use the information against you?" > Clark didn't miss the meaningful way she looked at him, as if > expecting an explanation for why he'd been hiding in the bushes, watching > her. Instead, he gave her the most honest answer he could. "No, I'm not > afraid, but there is a reason I can't give you my name." > "Ah-ha! So you admit you can't give me your name. Care to tell me > why?" > "You probably won't believe it, but I can't tell you my name > because . . . well, I don't know it." Clark paused, thinking of something > that had never occurred to him before. "That's assuming I have one." > Clark noticed that his words again shocked the determined look from > her face. > "What do you mean?" Lois asked with a peculiar note of suspicion in > her voice. > "I mean, I don't know my name. Or who I am, or where I'm from . . > . or *anything* about myself, for that matter. One day I just . . . woke > up on the beach . . ." Clark shrugged his shoulder as if that should > explain the rest, and turned his attention to his feet. He couldn't bear > to look this woman in the eye when he knew what he told her wasn't the > *complete* truth. He *had* woken up on the beach . . . briefly, but there > was a lot more to it than that. > He forgot all his reservations when he finally turned his attention > back to Lois and saw that her face had completely drained of color. "What > is it? What's wrong?" > His concern seemed to cause her even more distress because her eyes > widened further and she gasped, "Oh my God!" > > * * * * * > > Well, there you have it. There's quite a bit more where that came from, > but I'm not yet ready to reveal it, though I may be adding more previews to > my webpage in the near future. BTW, if the above except confused you, you > can find a story synopsis here: > . > > Anyhow, hope you enjoy! :) > > Take care, > Karen :) ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 00:19:33 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Karen Ward Subject: Re: Fanfic Teaser: When the Night Falls In-Reply-To: <20000103031129.5018.qmail@web905.mail.yahoo.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Wow! You guys are fast! I leave the computer for a few hours and Wham! My mailbox is full! ;) Thanks so much for all your encouraging feedback so far -- it's going to go a *very* long way is seeing this fic finished! :) While I'm at it, I'd better blame -- er, thank Wendy and Laurie for using dire threats to force me into posting this. ;) The results have been much better than I ever expected! :) Thanks again, everyone! :) You're the best! :) TTFN, Karen :) ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 00:34:34 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Felix E. Sung" Subject: The Rehearsal (1/1) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Note: Here is another WAFFy vignette. After a story about C.J. in "The Wedding," I thought a story about Laura was in order. This vignette is set in the same universe as "The Wedding." Comments welcome. Disclaimer: The story is mine, but the characters are not. I'm merely borrowing the characters from WB, DC Comics, etc., etc. I've also borrowed some text from Deutsche Grammophon. No borrowing, copying, or distributing without my permission, etc., etc. The Rehearsal By Filex [Metropolis University, November 8, 2017] Laura Lane Kent was not looking forward to tonight's rehearsal. It wasn't because she wasn't in the mood to play the piano tonight (she was). And it wasn't because she didn't like the pieces that she was working on (she thought the music was beautiful). It was because she would be rehearsing with Jerry Siegel, and she wasn't looking forward to spending time with him alone. Laura and Jerry were History majors at Metro U, and both were accomplished pianists. They met last year, when Laura was a freshman and Jerry a sophomore, in the Piano Ensemble class. They had become good friends. They probably would have been more than friends, but Laura at the time was not interested in relationships at all, and Jerry had been seeing someone for some time. Now it was a year later, and both were still in the Piano Ensemble class, because both had enjoyed it, and as Music minors, they were required to take at least four semesters of ensemble. For the Fall 2017 Semester, Dr. Wilson, their instructor, assigned Laura and Jerry to play together for the first time. They were to play five of Brahms' 'Neue Liebeslieder Walzer' ('Love-Song Waltzes'), originally for 4 singers and piano 4-hands, but in an arrangement for piano 4-hands only. In four-handed piano music, the two performers are seated at one piano. For some, it is the most intimate form of chamber music out there. At first, Laura and Jerry were enthusiastic about playing together. They thought that since they got along so well personally, that they would get along just fine during the rehearsals. Nothing could be further from the truth. So far the rehearsals were terrible. Laura found out at the first rehearsal that they would share the piano bench, which meant that they had to sit close together. This was not something Laura expected, since she had never seen two pianists perform on one piano; she had only listened to recordings in the past. She knew how important it was for people to sound together when playing any form of chamber music, but she did not realize how hard it was to do so with another person right next to you. Even though Laura and Jerry were good friends, Laura felt uncomfortable being in close quarters with Jerry. She remembered the words to one of the songs, and she almost laughed out loud at the irony: Nein, Geliebter, setze dich No, beloved, do not sit Mir so nahe nicht! so close to me! Starre nicht so brünstiglich Do not gaze so fervently Mir ins Angesicht. into my face. Wie es auch im Busen brennt, Even though they burn in your bosom, Dämpfe deinen Trieb, subdue your longings, Daß es nicht die Welt erkennt, so that the world shall not see Wie wir uns so lieb! how dear we are to each other! (Brahms, 'Neue Liebeslieder Walzer', Op. 65 No. 13) There were also arguments during the rehearsals, which probably stemmed from Laura's discomfort, and perhaps Jerry's as well. They criticized each other when they played wrong notes. They criticized each other when they didn't start or stop together (Laura did so more often because of her super-hearing). They also argued endlessly on matters of interpretation (especially tempo), use of the pedals, and even turning pages. Laura found out the hard way that she was the more literal to the music, and Jerry more flexible, and that had resulted in clashes. Jerry had also reprimanded her for not paying attention during rehearsals. But what could Laura do? Her lapses in concentration was due to her super-hearing kicking in, and whenever that happened, she would always pray that either her father or her twin brother would be able to handle it without her. So far, she hadn't cut a rehearsal short to go to a rescue, but she dreaded the day when she would have to do so. Four weeks into the semester, Laura had contemplated talking to Dr. Wilson about being assigned to another group. But immediately, she rejected the idea. She knew that there was no way for her to 'join' another group in the middle of a semester. She would have to put up with him until just before Thanksgiving, when the entire class was giving a concert. Her parents were going to be there, which was a surprise, given the amount of time that Lois Lane and Clark Kent spent these days at the Daily Planet. C.J., her brother, and Mary, his girlfriend, were also going to be there. Laura didn't want to disappoint them. Well O.K., she could never disappoint them, but she would feel foolish if she made a lot of mistakes during the performance. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear footsteps approaching. It was Jerry, looking forlorn. "Hi," he said, attempting a smile. "Hi," Laura replied, looking away. She willed herself not to blush. Forcing herself to face him, she noticed how unhappy he looked. "You okay?" she inquired. "I'll live," he said flatly. Laura couldn't understand what was the matter. She had never seen Jerry look this upset, not since he broke up with his girlfriend two months ago. "You sure? I mean, if you're not okay, we can meet some other time to rehearse..." "No, no. We *need* to practice tonight. It's been two weeks since our last rehearsal, and remember how Dr. Wilson had our hides last week for not practicing enough?" Laura grimaced as she remembered the last class meeting. She sighed, and said in resignation, "You're right. Let's get this over with." With that, she unlocked the door to the Piano Room and went inside. It was 7 P.M. * * * * * * * * The 'Piano Room' was a rather large room for a practice room. It was, in actuality, a classroom that consisted of four baby grand pianos and two uprights. There was also a slew of chairs scattered around in the back. The Piano Ensemble class met here, and all of the piano juries (exams) were held here as well. It was ironic that although the room was large, Laura was almost feeling claustrophobic. And she had no idea why. 'Liar,' she thought to herself. She knew exactly why: she was falling for Jerry. Laura did not know how this happened, but she knew that she couldn't believe it. Laura Lane Kent, in love? Impossible! When she started high school five years ago, she vowed herself never to get involved in a relationship. It wasn't because she was hurt before, or that she was afraid to get hurt or anything like that. Laura was simply so dedicated into her studies and into her piano lessons that she felt that being in a relationship would be a distraction. Growing up, she had found herself interested in anything related to history, and she had been always getting top marks in Social Studies. After graduating >from high school last year, she had decided to major in History at Metro U. Lois and Clark had tried to encourage their daughter to have boyfriends, because they felt that it was a normal thing for teenage girl to have. But they soon realized that this was their *daughter* that they were talking about, a young woman who inherited both of their stubbornness. Her not being in a relationship wasn't due solely to her self-proclaimed promises, however. While Laura was an attractive young woman, she was also tall (5'11"). This intimidated most of the guys, which meant that fewer guys tried to ask her out. This also meant that Laura didn't have to turn the guys down so often, and that suited her just fine. Then Jerry came along last year, and for the first time in her life, Laura had thought of throwing those promises to herself out the window. Jerry was *very* tall (6'5"), very smart, and very nice. They got along real well in their classes together. She was relieved to find out later that he had a girlfriend. Laura was determined to wait until after she graduated from college to worry about relationships. But when Jerry and Melanie, his girfriend, broke up in early September, she found herself with the awkward task of consoling him. Fortunately, Jerry had only wanted a friend to talk to and nothing else. Nothing for Laura would be worse than a rebound relationship. "Hello? Anybody home?" Jerry was waving his hand in front of Laura's face. Laura blinked, and forced herself not to blush again. The last thing she wanted was for Jerry to know how she felt. "Sorry," Laura said. "I was thinking." "I could tell," Jerry said, unsmiling. "I've seen that you've been distracted a lot lately. Anything wrong?" "Nothing," Laura replied. "It's nothing. Let's start with Number 13, shall we?" Without waiting for Jerry to reply, she got out her music and sat down at the piano. * * * * * * * * "Darn it!" Laura exclaimed. She and Jerry were going over the ending of 'Nein, Geliebter, Setze Dich' (Number 13), and something was still not right. Laura remarked, "This sounds awful. We're awful. Can we try it again?" Jerry didn't answer. Laura glanced over at him and noticed that he was looking off into space. She banged a chord loudly on the piano. "Earth to Jerry. You there?" Jerry awoke from his reverie. "Yeah, um, what did you say?" Laura shook her head. It looks like she's not the only one who was distracted. "I said that the ending sounds bad. Can we try it again?" "Sure..." The pair began the piece again. Laura quickly glanced at her partner and friend. 'He really looks down,' she thought. She took a good look at Jerry, and then she realized how close they were sitting together, playing a love song. Her heart was beating so wildly that she thought that he could hear it. She then mentally chastised herself for losing focus. 'This rehearsal is going well,' she thought sarcastically. In order to return to focus, she tried to move herself away from him. Unfortunately, she hit some wrong notes in the process. The music stopped again. Laura avoided Jerry's eyes, focusing them on the music in front of her, waiting for a reprimand from him. Instead, Jerry chuckled, which surprised her. She turned to face him, eyebrows raised. "What?" she asked. "Oh, it's just that I can tell that we are really out of it this evening. We're not together. You're sitting at a wrong angle, and I didn't notice it until now." Jerry shook his head. "I don't know what's the big deal with sitting at an angle, anyway," Laura muttered. Actually, she knew, but she had moved to give herself space between her and Jerry. "You remember what Dr. Wilson said. It's easier on your right hand and my left when we're angled, especially if we have to cross hands," Jerry said. Since Laura had the Secondo (2nd) part in all of the songs, she was sitting on the left side of the keyboard, with Jerry, having the Primo (1st) part, on her right. Mumbling to herself, she repositioned her body so that she was facing more towards the center of the piano, rather than straight ahead. "Did you notice," Jerry continued, "the words to this song? About not sitting so close? It's very ironic, because if you noticed, Brahms wrote this piece in such a way so that our four hands are so close together that we *have* to sit close to play it properly." Laura let out a gulp. She had exactly the same thought minutes before. She started thinking irrationally. Will he notice her discomfort and then figure out her feelings about him? God, she hoped not. All she wanted to do right now was to get up and run, run as far away as she could from him. But running away doesn't solve anything, as her parents had pointed out. 'But what if I tell him how I feel, and he doesn't feel the same way?' she asked herself. 'Our friendship will never be the same, if it still exists. I don't want to jeopardize that. And this may affect our performance in the concert. I definitely don't want to mess that up either.' Laura took a deep breath to calm herself down. She then realized that Jerry had asked a question and was expecting an answer. Focusing again on the music, she responded, a little shakily, "Yeah, I noticed. I guess we should follow Herr Brahms' intentions, shouldn't we?" Laura and Jerry started the song again from the top. While they were playing, Laura noticed something different. Instead of sounding like two different pianists, they were beginning to sound like one. She had always known that they sounded like two different people, but she chalked that up to inexperience. And since Dr. Wilson hadn't comment about it, she figured that their teacher didn't want them to worry about it yet. Even though she didn't want to, Laura tore her eyes from the music and looked at their hands. She noticed that even the hands' movements were more synchronous than before. 'What was going on?' she wondered. Then came a passage where Jerry's left hand was to cross over her right hand. Their hands touched, and a jolt of electricity surged through her. This surprised her so much that she stopped playing. Laura looked at Jerry, expecting to see annoyance in his eyes. Instead, she found that he looked as surprised as she was. He looked down at their hands, his left still touching her right. Then he looked up, and their eyes locked. Time stood still for what seemed like eternity. Neither would be able to tell later who moved first, but at some point, Laura tilted her head upwards, and Jerry leaned forward, and their lips met in a gentle and sweet kiss. Immediately, Jerry started to pull back, with fear in his eyes. But Laura would have none of it. With her left hand, she pulled his head towards hers and their mouths met for a second time. Realizing that Laura wasn't repulsed by, or afraid of, his actions, Jerry began exploring her with his mouth in earnest. Laura could only let out a whimper as they played tag with their tongues, as they ran their hands on the other's hair. She clinged on to him, not wanting to let go, wanting to prolong the experience, an experience that was so incredible, so wonderful. 'So this is what it's like to be kissed,' she thought. She moaned into his mouth as they continued kissing. Finally, Jerry pulled back, breathing heavily. Laura mentally kicked herself; she had forgotten that she was half-human. "Wow," she breathed. "Yeah," Jerry agreed, slightly dazed. He then proceeded to wipe the tears from Laura's face, tears that she did not know she was shedding. "You okay?" he asked. "Uh-huh," Laura said, shuddering. Jerry gave her a hug. Tears reappeared in her eyes as she rested her head on his shoulder. "You don't know how long I've dreamed of this," she cried. "I think I was in love with you ever since we met, Gerald Mark Siegel, but I couldn't let myself admit it." "Really?" Jerry asked, surprised. He pulled back and looked into her eyes. Those soft, lovely brown eyes. 'I could drown in those eyes,' he mused. Carressing her face, he said, "I had feelings too, when we first met. But I had Melanie, and you said that you weren't going have any relationships..." "...until I graduated. Yeah, I know." Laura sighed in contentment. "That was my brain talking, not my heart. There was no way I was going to try to steal you away from Melanie, and when the two of you broke up..." "...you didn't want a rebound relationship," Jerry finished. "I understand." He leaned forward and they kissed again. Laura pulled back this time, and asked, "So what happens now?" "Well, as much as I like kissing you, we still have a concert to prepare for," Jerry replied. He released her, and with a smile, turned some pages in the music. "I guess we do, don't we?" Laura asked, holding back a giggle. They continued to rehearse until midnight. [Twelve Days Later] Laura and Jerry surprised themselves. They had known that the Brahms wasn't the most exciting piece in the program, and they had known that, as music minors, they probably wouldn't sound as good as the other groups. But their performance of the Brahms garnered the largest applause. They took their bows with a shocked look on their faces. Then Laura and Jerry turned towards each other, smiling. Years later, each would say that what happened next was the other's idea. Perhaps both had the idea, not yet realizing the connection they were having. They embraced, and then they kissed. The audience responded with whistles, shouts of encouragement, and catcalls. Lois and Clark's jaws dropped to the floor at the sight of their daughter in the arms of the man she loved. C.J. and Mary could only cheer. Dr. Wilson, who was standing backstage, responded with a knowing grin. It turned out that his pairing of the two History majors was the best idea he had. After being discouraged by their progress most of the semester, he was pleased to see how well they played together after they resolved their personal issues. He watched as Laura and Jerry disengaged, both blushing furiously at the audience's enthusiastic response. Quickly they bowed to the audience once more and left the stage. THE END Final Remarks: This vignette was based on a real event. The composer Edvard Grieg and his future wife fell in love while they were playing four-handed piano arrangement of Robert Schumann's 'Spring' Symphony. It is also plausible that this occurred to other couples throughout the years. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 00:36:26 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Felix E. Sung" Subject: Re: The Rehearsal (1/1) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I thought I'd take a break from revising "The (Mis)conception" and post this. This is my second completed effort. As you read this, consider these questions: 1. Is it realistic enough? 2. Is it WAFFy enough? 3. Is it too technical? Thanks, Filex ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 00:49:26 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Joy Sowell Subject: Re: The Rehearsal (1/1) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Felix, I posted to the MB, but I'll answer you here too. 1.) No, it's not too technical. 2.) Yes, it's waffy enough. 3.) Yes., it's believeable. ______________________________________________ FREE Personalized Email at Mail.com Sign up at http://www.mail.com?sr=mc.mk.mcm.tag001 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 07:30:04 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Guy or Lesley Hilliard Subject: Re: Fanfic Teaser: When the Night Falls MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit >Hey, all! :) > >Hope you're all enjoying your new year so far! :) > >After being cajoled and ridiculed, I've finally been convinced to post a >preview to my currect fic-in-progress, "When The Night Falls". I've been >rather stuck on some plot issues and in need of motivation, so here it >goes. Let me know what you think! :) > I just have to agree with everyone else Karen. Please hurry up and finish this. Lesley (who is now going over to your page to find the synopsis) ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 07:40:27 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Guy or Lesley Hilliard Subject: Re: The Rehearsal (1/1) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit -----Original Message----- From: Felix E. Sung To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU Date: January 3, 2000 12:37 AM Subject: Re: The Rehearsal (1/1) >I thought I'd take a break from revising "The (Mis)conception" and >post this. This is my second completed effort. As you read this, >consider these questions: > >1. Is it realistic enough? I don't know anything about playing piano but it sounded very realistic to me. >2. Is it WAFFy enough? very WAFFY. Loved the ending. >3. Is it too technical? I really enjoyed this and didn't find it technical at all. Great little vignette. > >Thanks, >Filex ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 05:06:56 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Irene D." Subject: New Fanfic - Solar Eclipse - Introduction MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Title: Solar Eclipse Author: Irene Dutchak Parts: 10 Rating: PG Feedback: Both public and private is welcome. Summary: A sequel/prequel to 'Firestorm' and 'Starfire and Sunstorm'. This story focuses primarily on Jon Kent, son of Lois and Clark who is the target of a mysterious criminal only known as LL. I just finished posting this to Zoom's msg boards on Dec. 31. However, anyone who read this there will notice substantial changes as they reach the end of the story. I'd like to thank the msg board regulars for their helpful suggestions. Irene __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://messenger.yahoo.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 05:07:18 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Irene D." Subject: New Fanfic - Solar Eclipse - Part 1 of 10 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Title: Solar Eclipse Author: Irene Dutchak Parts: Part 1 of 10 Rating: PG Feedback: Both public and private is welcome. Thank you, Cindy, for your help with some of the witty banter when Jon and Larissa meet. Thank you, Nan, for brainstorming some plot points with me. Also, many thanks to the wonderful FoLC who frequent Zoom’s message boards. You know who you are! This story would not have been written without your encouragement. Please send feedback to sirenegold@yahoo.com. All standard disclaimers apply. Solar Eclipse Irene Dutchak The three men sat up a little straighter when Larissa Lewis entered the conference room. It would have been impossible for any one of them to ignore her. Even Henry Caruthers, the very happily married father of four, found himself sucking in his gut. Although she seemed completely oblivious to it, Larissa was stunningly beautiful. Tall and leggy, she had a willowy grace, and to be blunt, a knockout figure. Dark-haired with a creamy complexion, she looked like nothing more than Snow White - the x-rated version. Her high cheekbones and her unusual eyes added to her exotic appearance. It was impossible even for these highly trained professionals to classify her eye colour. A ring of golden-brown surrounded her pupil, in turn surrounded by another ring of grey. To add to the confusion, the grey tended to pick up whatever colour she was wearing and reflect it back. Today she was wearing a conservatively cut navy pantsuit with a forest green blouse. Her eyes looked like cat-eyes. Her reputation was enough to make them sit up a little straighter, too. She didn't date, she didn't flirt, and, although she wasn't a prude and had laughed at her fair share of off-colour jokes, she didn't seem to see any one of her colleagues as men. She represented a challenge to them. She had been dubbed "Sleeping Beauty" - not by the men in this room who all respected her greatly - but by some of the other agents who had tried to date her - and hadn't succeeded at it. There was something about her that intrigued and attracted interest, even from the happily married crowd. It was something private, deep within her, a core of pain that she kept under tight control. Every red-blooded man in the Bureau wanted to be the one to offer her the comfort that she seemed to need. There was a flip side to her reputation. At 28 years of age, she happened to be one of the most brilliant agents currently working in the field. It was rumoured that she was being groomed for bigger and better things. She was certainly driven enough. It seemed inevitable that she would succeed. Larissa sat down beside George Henderson and absentmindedly smiled in his general direction. Her smile was so dazzling that he promptly spilled his coffee on his shirt. Allan and Henry hid their smiles, but knowing glances were passed back and forth. Poor George always turned into a klutz whenever he was around Larissa. Allan Holton, the boss, cleared his throat getting their attention. "We've got something new to work on. There's a lot of background material, so let's get started." He passed out photos of paintings to his agents. "These are samples of Mr. Jon Kent's work. According to the Fraud and Forgery Division, the Russian mafia have been making knock-offs to sell on the black market. Recently, the Metropolis Museum of Art discovered that one of its own paintings had been replaced with a knock-off. Obviously people are screaming." "Okay, boss. I'll bite. What does this have to do with us? This is Fraud and Forgery's baby," Larissa asked. "True, but it's gotten complicated. Jon Kent has started embedding computer chips in all his work so they can be identified as original. Very smart. Artists have talked about doing this for years, but he's one of the first. The Russian guys, well, these guys are stupid, but also very, very dangerous. Anyway, they've been trying to extort him into stopping this practice. He said 'no', and called the cops. They arrested some of the muscle, and now, word is, the head honchos are screaming for his skin. They want to make an 'example' of him. They keep sending guys after him, and so far Kent has been lucky. He's been saved at least 5 times, by Superman, Starfire, Sunstorm, Shadow, Nightwind - the whole gang of Super-heroes! The guy must have horseshoes up his shorts!" "Who's the agent assigned to him?" Henry asked. "No one." "What?" Larissa couldn't believe it. "Yeah, no one. He refused our protection. Can you believe it?" Allan Holton snorted. "He's lucky, but he's not bright. These guys are scary stuff, and we haven't had any luck getting him to believe that." "So why are you telling us this? We can't force him to accept protection," George asked. "Well, in this case, the man upstairs has decided that we can. We want these guys put away. You know how they operate. They're going to bring more and more of their resources to bear on this guy, and eventually, they're going to take out half a city block trying to get to him. It's our intention to stop this before it can happen. So, here are your assignments. Henry, you're going to work with Fraud and Forgery - tracing stolen property, digging into financial records, everything you can think of. George, I want you to do your old computer magic and try to hack into these guys' files - their emails, their schedules, the whole nine yards. They hide their personal info at least ten layers deep, but I know you. You love a challenge and if anyone can flush them out with a computer, it'll be you." George grinned. "But boss, you know hacking is illegal." "Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'll arrest you later. Larissa, you’re in charge of guarding Kent. You can have Kevin as your assistant. You'll have to do it at a distance though. He hangs out at a lot of galleries, and you and Kevin will blend in pretty well with that crowd. I've got a profile of the guy here; it's not long on facts, but it's a start. You'll have to fill in the blanks as you go." He handed over a file folder to Larissa. "Any questions?" “It’d be a lot easier to guard the guy with more than the two of us,” Larissa pointed out to her boss. “No can do. Sorry. Manpower problems again.” Larissa shrugged in response. "Okay, let's get started." One by one, the agents left the conference room. *** Larissa sat at her desk, lost in thought. She had just finished going through the very sketchy profile of Jon Kent. He was an interesting guy. Unmarried, although he had definitely been the target of marital aspirations by many women. No hint of a scandal, although the tabloids certainly had tried hard enough to link his name to any number of models and starlets. The stories always seemed to fizzle out though. Rich beyond belief, he donated huge amounts of money to charity - primarily to the Superman Foundation - and lived relatively frugally. His only indulgences seemed to be his large tie collection and the Swiss chocolate that he imported by the pound. He had sent his twin brother and his youngest sister to good universities, and had bought his other sister a farm. A farm? Man, this was a wholesome, all-American family. And he had established healthy trust accounts for his brother's one child and his oldest sister's two children. She noted that his youngest sister was still unmarried. His brother, Sam Kent, was a reporter for the Daily Planet, as was his father, Clark Kent. His mother was the editor. Larissa would have suspected nepotism if she hadn't found an impressive list of awards that the three of them had accumulated attached to the report. Wow! She wasn't a big fan of the media - no one in law enforcement was - but these three were something special. His sister-in-law, Astrid Klein-Kent, ran her own advertising agency - a very successful one at that. Larissa glanced down at a note. She had borrowed the money from Kent about two years before, and had almost paid it back. His oldest sister, Martha Kent-Palmer, ran a very successful farm, and his youngest sister, Vicky Kent, what did she do? It had to be in here somewhere... Okay, here it was. His youngest sister was a writer. She used the pen name Vicky El. Vicky El? *The* Vicky El! Once again, Larissa was impressed by the resources the bureau could bring to bear. No one had ever seen a photo of Vicky El, and she was said to be one of the most reclusive authors around. The tabloids hadn't even been able to locate her. Larissa had read both her books and eagerly awaited her third. She had set records for the length of time both books had been on the New York Times Bestseller Lists. Holy Hannah! This was one impressive family! What would it be like to have a large family like that, Larissa wondered wistfully. What would it be like to have that support? Once, she would have been able to answer that question but not anymore. For a moment, she was awash with envy and a touch of bitterness. He had money, talent, and a family – a loving family. She'd bet that he didn't appreciate any of them. Jon Kent was said to be the most acclaimed artist of the new millennium. Yet somehow his work had seemed to escape the crass commercialism that lesser artists had been subjected to. Larissa looked at the photos of some of his paintings again. They touched her, stirring her emotions to their depths. His paintings had a raw, sensual power without being crude. They were beautiful and breathtaking. Speaking of breath-taking... Larissa took another look at one of the 8x10's she had found in his file. It was just an average surveillance type photo, but the subject was definitely not an average guy. He looked very fit and buff, dressed in a T-shirt and jeans. He had very dark hair; it looked almost black in the photo. His eyes were hidden by his sunglasses, but she had read in his description that they were brown. His olive complexion and his sculpted features combined to give him a faintly devilish look that she didn't trust. He was dangerously good-looking. Larissa wanted no part of him. Perhaps being so good-looking, he would turn out to be arrogant and conceited, and have an unattractive personality. Larissa was hopeful. One thing though, he had refused protection which only served to prove that he wasn't too bright. That was good. Larissa didn't want to like him. But, to give the devil his due, he was pretty awesome to look at. She rushed to tuck his photo back into his file, and called Kevin into a meeting. Time to get things coordinated. Luckily, it looked like this would be a pretty routine surveillance job. *** Two days later, Larissa was forced to admit that there was nothing routine about their surveillance of Jon Kent. She had never seen anyone before who was quite this good at losing a tail. And he did it on foot! How did he do it? They had lost him after he left his parents' brownstone. They had lost him after he left his brother's place. They had lost him when he left a movie theatre. The guy just turned corners and disappeared. Maybe it would have been different if Larissa had ordered more intensive surveillance, but she hadn't. She had hoped that the two of them could cover it themselves. It wasn't like he was a suspect or anything. Larissa hated to admit it, but they were going to have to change their approach. She reached for her radio. She had an agent to talk to. *** "He refused?" Larissa asked her second-in-command, Kevin Connolly, incredulously. "Yep. Point blank." "And you explained that eventually these guys would catch him." "Yes." "And that they would kill him." "Yes." "And he still refused our protection." "Yes." "Did he give a reason?" "No." "Oh." Larissa shook her head in disbelief. The arrogant, arrogant idiot. If this was a fancy way to commit suicide, more power to him, and yet... His paintings were so beautiful and so sensitive, and he had such incredible talent. No matter if he was arrogant and conceited, and incredibly stupid, he was very talented and she didn't want his talent to die. Maybe she should change her approach. "Kevin?" "Yes?" "We’re going to have to tighten the surveillance. I want us to be close enough to say ‘Gesundheit’ if he sneezes.” "Yes, ma'am." *** Larissa spent a very frustrating day trying to get closer to Mr. Kent. They had lost him shortly after he left his loft apartment, only to pick him up again as he neared his agent's office. Then they lost track of him again when he left there, only to get back to following him as he arrived for his early evening visit with his brother and his brother's family. As Larissa waited across the street from Kevin near Sam Kent's home, she wondered if he somehow knew he was being followed. It almost seemed that way. The door opened. He was coming out. Okay, he was down the front steps, heading down the street. As he rounded a corner, heading into a dark alley, Larissa radioed Kevin to tighten up his surveillance, too. *** Jon Kent could hear the muffled sounds of the radio. He knew he was being followed, and he didn't like it. He was getting pretty tired of these Russian Mafioso turning up everywhere he went. Weren't they getting tired of losing people yet? Was he going to have to catch every single member of the gang, one by one? Tiring of this game, he turned a corner and saw the perfect place to lose these clowns; the alley was full of shadows. As soon as he entered the alley, he headed straight up to give himself time to ponder his situation. Should he find Dad, Sam or Vicky, show himself to these clowns, and then have one of his family members catch them in the act of attempted murder, or should he deal with this one himself? He didn't want 'Sunstorm' to do more than his fair share of rescues. These thoughts ran through his mind quickly as he perched on the edge of the building, and watched to see what transpired. A woman turned the corner, surveyed the alley, and pulled her radio earpiece out, throwing it to the ground in frustration. Her strangled exclamation was clearly audible to Jon. "Give me a break. Doesn't he know we're the good guys?" Good guys? Jon jumped from the edge of the building, landed behind a dumpster and assumed a nonchalant pose. "Actually, no, I didn't" The woman spun around and gaped in astonishment. "How did you...?" "I'm very good at not being seen." Jon moved out of the shadows to confront her face to face. "You said something about being one of the good guys? May I see some ID?" She nodded, fumbled in her purse and stepped forward. As she did, the streetlights switched on. Flashing her badge, she introduced herself, "Agent Lewis. I'm in charge of the team that's been following you." As the feeble light hit her face illuminating her features for the first time, Jon felt his breath catch in his throat. "Who...” Jon paused, swallowed and tried again. "Why are you following me?" "For your protection." "I don't..." Jon shook his head, a little disoriented. What colour were her eyes? He'd never, ever seen eyes like hers. "I don't need protection," he finally managed to stammer out. "Of course you need protection. The Russians keep sending out more and more people after you, and eventually you're going to get hurt." "I've been fine so far." "Don't be an idiot!" Jon blinked in reaction to her vehement statement. She pointed her finger at him sternly and continued, "Yes, you have been fine. But these guys are not going to stop trying. Either they're going to kill you, or they're going to kill someone close to you. You have family. You need to think about that." "I ... I..." Jon shook his head. What the heck was wrong? He couldn't seem to focus. "I ... You're right." "And furthermore, innocent bystanders are at risk, and ... I am?" Jon couldn't even begin to formulate an argument. "Yes, I guess you are." "Oh. Good." Agent Lewis backtracked a bit from her hostile position. "I want to ask ... Would you agree to have an agent assigned to you as your bodyguard?" "Yes." She smiled briefly. "Wonderful. I'll assign my assistant Kevin Connolly to you. You already met him yesterday." "No." "No?" Jon folded his arms in front of his chest and smiled warmly at her. "No. I assume you want your agent to accompany me everywhere and I assume we won't announce that I'm being protected." At Agent Lewis's nod of acknowledgement, he continued, "With all due respect to Mr. Connolly, I uh, well, I just don't see how I can ... I have a number of social engagements in the next couple of days, and, well, he just doesn't look like someone I'd date!" Jon grinned cheekily at Larissa. "No, I want you." She gaped at him. "I beg your pardon?" "To guard me." "No can do. I'm in charge. I don't guard people." "Then, no deal. You or nobody." As Jon watched, Lewis clenched her fists and started to turn an alarming shade of purple. Some of her anger seemed to diminish a bit when Jon continued, "After all, you're the boss which means you're probably the most experienced. I only want to be guarded by the best." He flashed her another smile. "No way," she snarled. "Trust me, it's not going to happen." "Oh, yes, it is," Jon said confidently. "Like I said, you or no one." She shook her head once again. "Uh uh. No way in the world will that happen." *** Continued in Part 2 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://messenger.yahoo.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 05:07:43 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Irene D." Subject: New Fanfic - Solar Eclipse - Part 2 of 10 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Title: Solar Eclipse Author: Irene Dutchak Parts: Part 2 of 10 Rating: PG Feedback: Both public and private is welcome. Continued from Part 1 "You've got to be kidding," Larissa exclaimed. "Allan, I didn't work hard just to end up looking after some spoiled, pampered, would-be playboy!" She slumped back in her chair, folded her arms across her chest and glared at her boss. "I've already told you, Larissa. It's out of my hands. I'm being told from on high that it would not exactly be good for our image if we allowed a world-class artist like Mr. Kent to be rubbed out." "So talk to him. Get him to agree to accept Kevin..." "I did talk to him," Allan Holton interrupted, "and he made a very good point. Kevin is not exactly what people are expecting to see hanging off his arm and he does have a number of social events to attend in the next few days." "So pull Richardson and assign her," Larissa suggested in desperation. "No, Richardson's at a crucial point in her investigation. I won't do it. No, Larissa. Let's face facts. I have no reason to assign anyone other than you to him. You're already assigned to his protection; this will just be a little more up-close and personal than we counted on." "But Allan..." He held up his hand, silencing her. "My decision's final." "Fine, I got it. Your decision's final. You're only pulling your best agent off the street and sticking her with babysitting some wet behind the ears civilian who can't distinguish a criminal from an art critic. You're the boss, Allan. You know best," Larissa turned to the door, opened it, and stepped through. She paused, turned back and snarled, "but you're still wrong," and closed the door behind her. She emerged from Allan's office to see Kent leaning against the wall opposite the door. He stepped forward to meet her and smirked at her arrogantly. "Got everything worked out with your boss?" His smirk faded as she hissed, "Look, buddy, I gave up baby-sitting years ago when I got my promotion, but let me tell you what I told the last kids I had to sit for. Do what I tell you and we'll get along fine. Get in my way or on my nerves and I'll stuff you in the nearest closet. You'll learn a lot more watching me do my job if I don't have to trip over you while I do it. Got it?" "Got it. You want to get me alone in a closet, and you don't watch where you walk." "Don't get smart with me. Just stay out of my way and let me work. Three steps behind me should be just fine. Got it?" "Got it. You want me to hang back and keep my eyes on your backside." Larissa felt the blood rush to her face and her fists clench all on their own. Kent actually took an inadvertent step back in response to her fury. He spread his arms wide and addressed her in more placating tones. "Look, I'm sorry if you feel guarding me is beneath your dignity. And I'm sorry that we got off on the wrong foot. Could we please start over and at least try to get along? We don't know how long it's going to take to catch these guys." He did have a point, much as Larissa didn't want to admit it. She made a heroic effort and got her irritation under control. "Okay, if you're willing to try," she said, begrudgingly, "I will too." Kent flashed her one of his high-powered, devastating, killer smiles that further served to defuse her anger. "Great." He extended his right hand. "Hi, nice to meet you. I'm Jon Kent." Larissa couldn't help but laugh. "Hi, Jon Kent. I'm Larissa Lewis." She took his large hand in her smaller one and shook it firmly. *** As they walked the few blocks to his loft apartment, Jon used the cover of darkness as an excuse to sneak peeks at his glamorous new bodyguard. What was it about her? True, she was gorgeous but he had had an almost infinite number of pretty, beautiful and downright stunning women throwing themselves at him to no avail. He honestly didn't believe that he found her intriguing only because of her looks. True, as an artist, he had a real eye for beauty but at the same time, as an artist, he found all faces interesting and intriguing whether they were beautiful, average, or downright plain. No, thinking about it some more, Jon knew that he would not find Agent Larissa Lewis at all intriguing despite her beauty if she didn't back up her looks with the force of her personality. Speaking of her rather forceful personality, perhaps it was time to try and mend his fences with her ... again. "I'm sorry that you're angry with me," he tentatively essayed. "It just didn't seem necessary to get a ride home when your office is so close to my apartment." Larissa threw him a dismissive glance before replying, "I already told you. It has nothing to do with how close we are, it has to do with security." She sniffed contemptuously before continuing, "You know what your problem is, Kent?" "No, Lewis, why don't you enlighten me?" he suggested, sarcastically. "Fine!" Larissa turned to him and wagged her index finger in his face. "You're an arrogant, stuck-up, over-educated, full of yourself, jack-ass who has no consideration for others!" Jon snorted. "Why don't you tell me how you really feel? Come on, Lewis. Don't hold back!" "I have no time for people who think they know better than professionals," Larissa retorted. "You've had numerous attempts on your life, but you refuse to take the whole thing seriously. You're nothing but a, but a civilian," she finished, patronisingly. Jon heard a muffled laugh coming from high above him. He looked up over the edge of his glasses before turning back to Larissa. "You know, if you had been even willing to discuss the whole thing, I would have told you that I do have other resources available to help me from time to time." He raised his voice slightly, "Don't I?" She looked puzzled until she watched Superman and Nightwind land lightly in front of her eyes. Her hostile demeanour vanished in a flash to be replaced by a stunned look of disbelief. Jon tried to see his father and his sister as Larissa would. From reading her ID, he knew she was normally stationed in Washington. Chances were that she hadn't seen any of the Super-heroes up close and personal before. To be confronted by two of them at once was probably quite overwhelming. Jon had to admit that Dad was a pretty imposing presence in his famous red, blue and yellow suit. He really didn't look much different from the time he had first showed up to now. Other than a touch of grey at his temples, he could have passed for Nightwind's brother, not her father. Speaking of Nightwind, Vicky looked pretty good herself in her black and midnight blue costume. She wore a feminine version of the notorious black suit that had once been inflicted on Lord Kal-El of New Krypton. Dad had hated that suit, but even he had to admit that Vicky had really jazzed it up when she had added the black hood and mask. Her boots, belt, cape and 'S' insignia were midnight blue. "Good evening, Mr. Kent," Jon's father said, with a questioning look at Agent Lewis. Jon smiled warmly at his father and baby sister. "Good evening, Superman, Nightwind. I'd like you to meet Agent Lewis of the FBI. She's my new bodyguard." His eyes crinkled briefly in amusement. He noticed Larissa looking back and forth from one to the other and back again. Her eyes narrowed when she noted the very pointed looks that the two Super-heroes gave him. He concentrated on looking very innocent, trying hard not to let on that there was anything more going on than a friendly conversation. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Agent Lewis." Superman extended his hand to her. She shook it tentatively. Vicky smiled at her warmly, and also extended her hand. Larissa seemed to be a little more comfortable with her, shaking her hand firmly. Larissa stammered out a couple of coherent words. "It's not just a pleasure but an honour to meet the two of you. I, uh, if there's ever anything I can do to help you with..." Her voice trailed off as she blushed. Jon couldn't keep himself from smiling, pleased to see her discomfiture, only to feel his smile drain away when she glared at him - hard. His super dad caught the fringes of this byplay and his eyes crinkled in amusement. From the look on her face, Larissa seemed to also pick up on that. Jon vowed to be extra careful around this woman, no matter how intriguing he found her. "Well, I guess we'll be leaving you now. We just stopped to check that Mr. Kent was okay. It was a pleasure to meet you, Agent Lewis," Superman repeated. "Yes, me too. I mean, it was a pleasure to meet the two of you," the federal agent said hesitantly. Vicky spoke for the first time. "Good night," she murmured, in a low, musical voice. Vicky had made great strides forward in the six months since she had put on her suit for the first time, but she still had a long way to go before she was as comfortable as her father or her siblings were when she was in her Nightwind persona. Jon couldn't resist winking at his sister who promptly choked back a laugh, trying to present the proper formal façade to the FBI agent. "Good night," Larissa repeated as she and Jon watched the two of them launch themselves up into the night sky. Nightwind disappeared rapidly, but Superman hovered over them briefly for one final moment, smiled warmly at the two of them, and then, whoosh, was gone. "Wow!" Open-mouthed, Larissa smiled up at the sky and then turned her gaze back towards Jon. He caught the tail end of her brilliant smile before she glared at him once again. Even that brief glimpse of unrestrained feeling from her was enough to shake his concentration. "Wow!" he repeated softly to himself. *** Larissa was plenty annoyed with Jon Kent. There had been something going on during the whole Super-hero encounter, something that she was not privy to. When it came to new experiences, she didn't like being on the outside looking in. Plus, no matter what he had said to her on the street, he could have tried harder to let her know about Superman and Nightwind looking out for him. Instead, she felt like he had set her up to look foolish. Oh, there had probably been no malice involved on his part, but it was still a pretty irritating thing for him to do. Had she really noticed something going on between Kent and Nightwind? There had been something there that Larissa wasn't sure how to interpret. Not that there was anything wrong if there was something going on. It just would be nice to know. Larissa glanced at Kent quickly out of the corner of her eye. He didn't notice as he was gazing up at the floor display in the elevator and fiddling with his glasses as they waited for the elevator to arrive at the penthouse. Playing with his glasses seemed to be a nervous habit. She had noticed him doing it a fair bit. Kent was attractive enough. There was nothing really ... wrong with him. She guessed that there was no reason for Nightwind to not be interested in him. But somehow, the whole idea of a romance between them disturbed Larissa and she wasn't quite sure why. The elevator doors opened, depositing them in the hallway in front of his penthouse apartment. She stepped out first, waving at him to hold back, intending on checking the hallway for intruders. Much to her annoyance, he got out of the elevator and moved directly to the door, fiddling with his key. "I told you to wait while I checked things out," she hissed through tightly clenched teeth. "Oh, uh, Superman or Nightwind probably checked my apartment for me," he said airily as he inserted the key into the lock. Larissa's temper flared. She reached out, grabbed him by the shoulders, spun him around and slammed him back into the wall beside the door. "Kent, you asked for me to guard you so you're going to pay attention to me. >From this moment on, until these guys have been caught, or until your arrogant attitude has got both of us killed, you're going to let me go first. You're going to let me take the time to check things out, and, last but most important of all, you're going to listen to me and respect my opinion. Got that?" Jon gaped at her before closing his open mouth with a snap. "Okay, I got it. You're right. I'm sorry. There's just something about you that, well, that makes me want to get a reaction from you. I'm sorry," he repeated. "I've been making it hard for you to do your job." Larissa held her hand out and waited until he had deposited the apartment key in her open palm, only partly mollified by his apology. She eased the door open and stepped into his apartment. "Wait here." Kent better watch out if he ignored her warning this time, she thought as she pulled her gun. The apartment was dark. Larissa could only make out the dim silhouettes of his furniture. She listened carefully but didn't hear anything out of the ordinary. For a second, she closed her eyes to better concentrate but didn't sense anyone else's presence in the apartment. She reached out to the wall beside his front door and fumbled around until she located a light switch. Closing her eyes to protect them from the sudden flare of light, she flipped the switch. Larissa opened her eyes and gasped in wonder. Jon lightly tapped against the door. "Are you all right in there?" "Yeah," she said, her voice cracking a bit. She swallowed and tried again. "Yeah, I'm fine," she said more firmly through the door. "Just ... wait, okay?" "Okay." He sounded puzzled, but at least he was doing what he was supposed to do. She suppressed a second gasp as she looked around. She had never seen anything like Jon Kent's apartment before. It was almost too much to take in all at once - high ceilings, a full-length bank of windows, bright, rich colours, sensual plush fabrics. She wanted to look at everything, touch everything, taste everything and smell everything. His walls were loaded with paintings and photographs. He had obviously set things up for his own pleasure, ignoring all the conventional rules about arrangement. There were no formal displays of artwork here. No, his walls were a hodgepodge of abstracts mingled with black and white photographs mingled with portraits. He had small rugs on the wall and quilts too. There was no rhyme or reason as to how he had mixed things together, but it all seemed to work even so. Larissa was itching to examine every piece, one at a time. The furniture was all overstuffed and plush and comfortable looking. The colours of the fabric were rich and sensual. Nothing matched, but it all pulled together even so. An emerald green couch, three easy chairs, one burgundy, one royal blue and the last, gold. All rounded edges, this was furniture meant to be used. Actually, it was furniture meant to be rolled around on and sprawled on and slept on and just plain lounged on. The crowning glory had to be the woodwork on the one wall. Gleaming cherry wood surrounded the gas fireplace in a formal mantel. The mantel was only the centrepiece of the wall however. Using the same rich wood, display shelves and cabinets fanned out on either side on the mantel completely covering the one wall from floor to ceiling. The illuminated display shelves were loaded with objets d'art, shining crystal and books. Without a clear barrier between them, the living room spilled into the dining room. A very large gleaming cherry wood table with a white linen runner was the main focal point of that area. There was a large formal hutch loaded with colourful china in the corner. She heard Jon tap lightly against the door once more, jolting her out of her reverie. "Come on, Lewis. Let me in." "In a minute." Forcing herself to be detached, she quickly toured the kitchen. She noted the neat appearance, the gleaming pots and pans hung from the ceiling, the well-used but very clean butcher's block. >From the utilitarian look of the appliances and the workspace, she realised that this was the kitchen of someone who really liked to cook for pleasure, not just from necessity. A quick look in the bathroom and she was done surveying the main floor. Larissa moved back to the front door and finally let Jon in. "Stay here, Kent, while I check upstairs." As she lightly ran up the stairs to the loft, she was pleased to see Jon standing obediently in the middle of his living room. A quick glance into the luxurious master suite with its sybaritic bathroom and the equally luxurious guest suite with its equally decadent bathroom and she was done. By the time Larissa joined Jon on the main floor once again, she was feeling somewhat less like she had been hit between the eyes. She still couldn't get over this apartment. She could tell that everything in it had been hand-selected and had some personal significance for Kent. The care he had taken, the attention to detail, it just boggled her mind. This place, it was more than a place to live; it was a home. Larissa had never thought of her own place like that. She had never realised before that it could be possible for one person to have a home instead of just a place to eat and sleep. She felt a pang of sadness at the thought. More than anything, she was glad that Jon wouldn't be seeing her own bleak and unwelcoming apartment. "You have a ... This is ... I've never seen ... Your apartment is really nice," she finished lamely, unable to look at him, too busy surveying the colourful, fully loaded walls once again. "Thanks." *** __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://messenger.yahoo.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 05:08:04 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Irene D." Subject: New Fanfic - Solar Eclipse - Part 3 of 10 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Title: Solar Eclipse Author: Irene Dutchak Parts: Part 3 of 10 Rating: PG Feedback: Both public and private is welcome. Continued from Part 2 Jon watched Larissa glide gracefully down the stairs and felt his heart thump in his chest. She was so achingly beautiful and yet seemed so oblivious to that fact. He was delighted by the combination of stunning good looks and barely contained power that she exuded. She was like an exotic jungle cat, he mused, a panther, all sleek lines, gleaming dark hair and mysterious and exotic eyes. As she looked around the living room, he saw what almost looked like pain flash over her face. There was vulnerability there, a yearning expression that was completely at odds with the cockiness and the confidence she had shown him earlier. "You have a ... This is ... I've never seen ... Your apartment is really nice." "Thanks." His reply did nothing to break the awkward silence that had fallen between them. "Make yourself at home," he suggested finally. "You saw where the guest bedroom is. When your assistant brings you your stuff, you'll know where to put it." "Yes, thanks. I'll just ... While I'm waiting, do you mind if I look around?" She gestured helplessly at the walls. "You have so much to see ... Your place is amazing." Jon smiled, enjoying her appreciation of his home. He loved his home. "Sure, go ahead. I'll make supper." "Oh, I should help you," Larissa suggested as she made a visible effort to drag her eyes back to him. "No, it's okay. It won't take me long. Do you like stir-fry?" "Uh huh," she answered, absentmindedly. "Hot and spicy or mild?" "Huh? Oh, hot and spicy, please." Jon was pleased at her choice. Before heading into the kitchen, he paused for a moment, watching as his guest drifted towards the nearest wall and started to intently study one of his own paintings. Periodically, as he chopped the meat and vegetables for the stir-fry, Jon paused and peeked at his guest with his x-ray vision. She reminded him of a young child, eager to experience everything all at once, not willing to wait for anything. She moved from one painting to another, from one objet d’art to its neighbour, her expression avidly greedy, wanting to experience the next item. What a contradiction in terms Larissa Lewis was. One moment, hostile and abrasive, the next, open and vulnerable. He couldn’t help but wonder at that flash of longing he had seen in her eyes as she had looked around his apartment. Jon ruefully admitted to himself that he wouldn’t mind seeing that same longing look when she looked at him. What was it about her, though, that made him so careless? Back in the elevator and in the hallway, he had scanned his apartment for intruders and matter-of-factly proceeded on his way in the assumption that she would know what he was doing! It had been shocking when she had challenged that assumption. It felt right to use his powers around her and very wrong to hide those same powers from her. Very, very bizarre. And she was somebody that he obviously had to be very careful around. She was a highly trained observer. Did he want her to stumble across his secret? “Oh!” As Jon started the stir-fry, he couldn’t help but hear her soft delighted exhalation. In fact, with every one of his senses so completely attuned to her, it was a wonder he couldn’t hear the blood rushing through her veins. He peeked at her to find that she had discovered his galley copy of Vicky’s newest novel. Ah, another Victoria El fan. Good. Well, she was more than welcome to borrow his copy if she wanted to. A faint whiff of over-cooked meat brought his attention back to the wok in a hurry. The meat was on the verge of burning due to his lack of focus but luckily hadn’t reached the irretrievably damaged stage yet. Jon hurriedly rescued the stir-fry, laid the fragrant, steaming mixture on a bed of Basmati rice, and quickly and deftly set the small kitchen table. Finally, he poked his head around the corner of the living room. “Dinner’s served,” he announced. *** Dinner had been great, Jon thought to himself. The stir-fry had been pretty good - at least, judging by her appetite, Lewis had seemed to think so - and the conversation had been lively. She had obviously decided to meet him half way in the civility department. A lot of the residual tension between them had drained away quite naturally. As they sipped their coffee in front of the gas fireplace, Jon noticed that Larissa’s attention was focused on the large abstract hanging above it. He was proud of that abstract. A graceful, sinuous, shapeless, rounded, somehow feminine form was cradled protectively within a teardrop-shaped swirl of red, blue and yellow against a black background. It was the closest he could come to doing a formal portrait of his mother and Superman together. It gave him a warm feeling when he looked at it. He had laboured for a long time to achieve the intimate effect. This painting had not been for sale and had not been exhibited at all. Relatively few people had seen it and those did were always very mystified by it. For that reason, he was absolutely stunned when Larissa gestured to it and asked, “So, did you ever meet her?” “Who?” “Superman’s wife.” “What?” “That is what your painting is all about, isn’t it? That’s Superman and his wife, right?” Larissa asked, completely matter of fact about the whole thing. “Uh, no,” he managed to choke out. “I mean, yes. It is, uh, Superman and his wife, but no, I’ve never met her.” Not a complete lie, he reflected. His mother’s marriage ceremony had been with Clark Kent, not Superman. “How did you know that’s what my painting’s all about?” Larissa cocked her head to one side and looked intently at the painting once more before turning back to him. “I don’t really know. I just looked at it and well, I knew.” “Oh,” Jon said blankly. "You seem to know Superman and his family pretty well. I read in our file that they've all helped you out." "Yeah, he's a good friend of my mom and dad's and I know all his kids. We, uh, played together from time to time when we were growing up." "You did?" she asked in amazement. "That wasn't in any files." "Uh, yeah. He and mom and dad didn't want to publicize it, but we all know Superman and his family really well." Jon didn't know why he was being so candid with Larissa but he just knew that he didn't want to lie any more than he had to. “I can’t believe that he would let you play with his kids but not introduce you to his wife. That doesn’t make any sense to me,” Larissa pointed out logically, making Jon regret his previous candour. Jon just shrugged helplessly and tried to look anywhere but at her. ”Or, could it be that you did meet her and don’t really want to talk about her?” Larissa asked curiously. “Uh, yeah, okay, maybe,” Jon answered awkwardly. Larissa smiled. “I’m starting to figure you out, Jon Kent.” he thought as he hesitantly smiled back. Changing the subject, Jon turned to her and said, “I just want to tell you how much I’m enjoying having you here. Dinner was a lot of fun.” The open and warm expression on Larissa’s face vanished in a flash to be replaced by a cool, calm, and professional façade “Us having fun isn’t important. Me doing my job is.” Jon looked at her blankly, not sure what to say in response when fortuitously, there was a knock on the door. Jon watched Larissa move to the door and follow all security precautions before letting her assistant, Kevin, in with her suitcase. *** Larissa sat perched on the end of the bed, brushing her hair. The guest room was large but still quite cozy. The oversized bed was piled high with fluffy pillows and soft blankets, the lighting was soft and intimate and the walls were covered with more subdued artwork than could be found on the main floor. But as Larissa gazed at herself in the mirror above the dresser, she completely ignored the room’s rosy reflection behind her image in the looking glass. What was it about Jon Kent, she wondered, that made her let her guard down? For a split second, she had been pleased when he had told her that he enjoyed her company. What was wrong with her that she would let that happen? She just couldn’t let her guard down again. She couldn’t let herself break the rules with this guy. No matter how attractive or intriguing Jon Kent was, she couldn’t do that to him. She couldn’t do that to herself. It was too painful. It hurt too much. She knew that from bitter experience. No, she had to gather her fragile resolve, harden her heart and keep her barriers up. She stared blankly at her reflection in the mirror, all pretence of brushing her hair forgotten. No, it won’t be so hard, she told herself, completely oblivious of the solitary tear rolling down her cheek. *** For the eleventh time that evening, Jon completely rearranged the master bedroom ending up with the same configuration of furniture that he had started out with. He looked around the room that now looked no different from when he started, quickly moved to the wall, shuffled a couple of paintings around, and then nodded his satisfaction. Yes, it was much better now. This most recent spate of activity was the topper for a couple of action-filled hours. He had already sorted and mounted the backlog of photographs that had been heaped on one corner of his desk, he had rearranged his tie collection by colour, and he had cleaned all his shoes, twice. he wondered as he flopped belly first onto his bed. He had just been anxious to keep his mind off of Larissa. None of those things were all that pressing. Hmm, ‘pressing’. That was an interesting word. Mom, Dad and Sam were all members of the ‘press’ - named after the printing press, of course. You could press a shirt after washing it, you could press flowers in a book - Astrid and Marty had done that with their wedding bouquets - you could imprint paper with a press - he had done some fantastic lithographs that way - and you could press a woman in your arms and pull her close. You could press her body up against yours and then press your lips firmly against the nape of her neck and the line of her brow and the shell of her ear and ... Maybe he should try having a cold shower. Yeah, a cold shower was a really good idea. But first, he was going to clean out the front hall cupboard. It had become really cluttered in the last little while. *** Larissa woke up in the middle of the night. She glanced at the bedside clock. Three a.m. She padded to the bathroom to answer the insistent call of her bladder and then headed back to bed to quietly wait to go back to sleep. After half an hour, she was still wide-awake. Finally, sighing softly to herself, she got up to head downstairs to the kitchen to get a glass. Perhaps a drink of water for her dry throat would be all that she needed. Larissa threw on a robe, quietly opened the bedroom door, and slipped out. Padding silently on bare feet, she ran lightly down the stairs. When she reached the bottom, she stiffened as she heard strange, muffled sounds in the dark kitchen. Looking around quickly, Larissa spotted an umbrella in the stand near the front door. Noiselessly, she glided over to it and grasped it firmly by the handle. Then, slowly and cautiously, she approached the open door of the kitchen. Larissa peeked around the corner of the kitchen. “What the heck are you doing?” she exclaimed, loudly. Jon jumped and promptly dropped the heap of pots and pans that he had been cradling in his arms. “What? Hey, you scared me.” “Well, you scared me too. I heard a strange noise and ... What are you doing?” she repeated. “Uh, I decided to clean my cupboards out.” “It’s almost four in the morning,” Larissa pointed out helpfully, not able to completely ignore the humour of the situation. “Oh, is it?” Jon asked with a surprised look plastered on his face. “Do you always clean your cupboards out in the middle of the night in the dark?” Larissa asked, maintaining her poker face with an effort. “Uh, no, sometimes, maybe,” he answered lamely. “What are you doing up, anyway?” “I was thirsty. I wanted a drink of water,” she said sweetly as she moved past him to the sink. She filled a glass with water, took a delicate sip and then surveyed the floor with the pots and pans all over it in a mess. “I’ll just get out of your way now. See you in the morning,” she said as the corners of her mouth twitched. Larissa rushed past Jon who was standing bemused, ankle deep in cookware. She fled hastily up the stairs until she reached the sanctuary of the guest bedroom. She closed the door, clambered into bed, turned out the light and in the dark, gave into the pure silliness of this encounter. Downstairs in the kitchen, Jon stood, cheeks aflame, frowning darkly as he heard the peals of laughter emerging from Larissa’s room. *** Larissa surveyed herself in the mirror. Freshly showered, she was dressed in a bland, conservatively cut black pantsuit with a white blouse. She fastened the plain gold studs in her ears, put on her utilitarian wristwatch and slipped on her black loafers. After adjusting the fit of her shoulder holster for the fourth time, she sighed. There were no more reasons for her to dawdle. Larissa reluctantly reached for the doorknob, took a deep breath, slowly blew it out, and left the room. After spending her first night in Kent’s home, she felt even more awkward and vulnerable than she had the night before. She didn’t know why. It wasn’t the first time that she had acted as someone’s bodyguard and in many instances, she had been in much closer quarters than this. Perhaps it was the fact that Jon was the first person she was guarding that wasn’t a criminal turned States Witness. As she neared the bottom of the stairs, she could hear the murmuring sound of Jon’s voice. As she quietly approached the kitchen, she realised that he was on the phone. She knew that she shouldn’t do it, but an overwhelming desire filled her to know what he was saying and to whom. She tiptoed closer and was soon able to hear the odd word. “... sure it won’t be ... trouble for you? ... feel bad that ... going to ... extra patrols. Maybe Marty could help ... know that you did all by yourself before but... Okay, Dad. I love you, too ... love to Mom ... See you later. Bye” Barely forewarned, Larissa started making a little bit more noise and boldly moved into the kitchen as Jon hung up the phone. Despite her best intentions, she still felt herself respond inside when he turned to her with a warm smile. If he were uncomfortable after their middle of the night encounter, he didn’t show it. “Good morning. What would you like for breakfast?” “Just toast and juice,” she murmured as she sat down, already feeling very ashamed of her actions. What had she been thinking? She knew better. But, even though she had only heard snippets of his conversation, those snippets had been very intriguing. What did he mean by patrols? What did Jon’s father need help with, and how could his sister who lived in Kansas help him? What had his father done all by himself? Larissa watched Jon as he bustled about the kitchen, getting her a cup of coffee as well as her toast and her juice. There was something about that half overheard conversation that she found even more disturbing, however. Did Kent’s parents always tell him that they loved him? And did he always say the same thing to them? What would that be like? To be loved like that? She had been loved like that once. But she couldn’t remember what it was like. What was it like? “So,” she heard herself say briskly, “tell me about this benefit that we’re going to tonight.” *** Jon wanted to head to his studio mid-morning. He had no intention of just hanging around his apartment every day until the danger was past. He was already feeling a little stir-crazy not being able to do his regular patrol and it hadn’t even been a full day yet. Larissa didn’t seem to object to his plan. He was quick to agree when she suggested that her assistant should drive them, even though his studio was only a few blocks away. He wanted to stay on her good side. Jon wasn’t sure if he would be able to paint with Larissa in the studio with him, but he was game to try. He dearly wanted to finish his portrait of Vic in her super-hero uniform. Hers was the last in his series of Super-hero portraits and he was eager to donate the group of them to the Metropolis Museum before the Museum fundraising in three months. The oils would need time to cure before he could frame them and then the framing itself would take time and, well, three months was cutting it a bit thin. The person he was really eager to paint right now was Larissa. Tempting though it was, he didn’t bother asking her if she would model for him. He knew that the answer would be no. Larissa seemed too much the consummate professional to play hooky while she was working. But he would love to immortalize her shapely figure and beautiful face. He wasn’t sure if he would be able to do justice to her, but he was willing to try. It would be incredible if he could legitimately study her features instead of having to sneak quick peeks at her - to study the way the light hit her dark hair, filling it with rich highlights, to study the way it framed her face, how the colour of her eyes changed almost as frequently as her moods. He could study her high, exotic cheekbones, the sweep of her jaw, the delicate arch of her eyebrows. Then there was the graceful line of her neck, the elfin tilt to her ears, her fanning eyelashes. Oh, and he couldn’t forget her mouth with its full, pouting lips ... Larissa’s assistant, Kevin, knocked on the door, jolting Jon out of his reverie. Jon sighed. So much for the three cold showers he had already taken that morning. *** Continued in Part 4 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://messenger.yahoo.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 05:08:19 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Irene D." Subject: New Fanfic - Solar Eclipse - Part 4 of 10 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Title: Solar Eclipse Author: Irene Dutchak Parts: Part 4 of 10 Rating: PG Feedback: Both public and private is welcome. Continued from Part 3 “Any new info?” Larissa asked her assistant as he chauffeured them to Jon’s studio. “Yeah,” Kevin answered. “George is having a lot of trouble with their emails. He says the encryption is incredible, but he has been able to find out a little bit. The head honcho running this whole attack on Kent here,” he thumbed at his passenger riding in the back seat, “is only referred to as LL. The other thing he found out is a lot more useful.” He raised his voice slightly to address Jon in the back seat. “It seems, Mr. Kent, that you were not a random target. From things this guy has said, it’s pretty obvious that this whole plan, all the art thefts, everything, it was all an attack on you personally.” “On me?” Jon asked, incredulously. “Do you know why?” “Yeah, and you’re not going to like the answer,” Kevin responded grimly. “It seems that LL, whoever that is, has an axe to grind with your mother, Lois Lane. He doesn’t seem to care about your father, though. We’re also picking up on some kind of grudge against Superman, too. From LL’s point of view, you’re the perfect target - more accessible than any of Superman’s kids, and you’re the son of Lois Lane and Clark Kent who just happen to be good friends with Superman. Two birds with one stone, so to speak.” Jon absorbed this new information without a word. He thought about it for a moment before speaking up, “Kevin, turn left at the next corner. We have a change of plans.” Larissa turned around in her seat to look at Jon. “What are we doing instead, Kent?” Jon grinned. “Well, Lewis, I think it’s time for you to meet my parents. I just know they’re going to love you.” *** “... I’m sure your agent hasn’t made a mistake but Clark and I can’t help you, Agent Lewis.” Larissa leaned forward to address the petite woman on the other side of the desk once more. “Are you sure, Ms. Lane? It’s quite possible that this LL, whoever he is, is from many years in your past.” “That’s just the thing. We know a lot of people with those initials. The most dangerous one is dead, thankfully,” she said, dismissively. “But you and I both have those initials for heaven’s sake,” Jon’s mother pointed out. Larissa ran her hands through her hair in frustration. It was obvious that Jon’s mother and father were trying, but they just weren’t very helpful. Clark Kent hadn’t participated too much in the conversation, seemingly quite content to let his wife do the talking. He and Jon were doing great imitations of wall supports at the moment. Larissa glanced at them and idly noted how they really looked a lot alike. She guessed that that was the reason Clark Kent looked so familiar to her. “What about you, Mr. Kent? Anything coming to mind?” “Well, there was one man ...” he said, an odd, tight look in his eyes. “But as Lois said. He’s dead. He’s very, very dead. Other than that,” he smiled in the same devastating way that his son did, “I have a hard time believing that an old high school girlfriend of mine could do this, and, other than my sister-in-law who is also an LL, she’s the only um, live person who popped into my mind.” Lois Lane laughed. “Much as Lana has always irritated the heck out of me, I have to go along with you on that one, Clark. Trying to kill someone isn’t her style. Bossing them around, now, that’s her trademark but not sending out hit teams.” Lois Lane turned back to Larissa. “We’ll go through our files but I’ve been a journalist for a long time now, and Superman’s been around almost as long. He and I and Clark here,” she smiled warmly at her husband, “have made a lot of enemies over the years. It’s going to take a while. Is there anything else that you can tell us that would help us to figure this out?” Larissa pursed her lips in thought for a moment. “Well, we know that this guy reads and writes Russian fluently. Some of the encrypted emails had to be translated for us. We don’t know if he - and me saying that it’s a ‘he’ is an assumption on my part; it might not be correct. Anyway, we don’t know if he’s an actual Russian or just someone from a Balkan state. A lot of members of the Russian mob are actually from Czechoslovakia, Poland, Latvia, places like that.” Lois Lane stood up, bringing the impromptu meeting to a close. “We’ll let you know if we find something but, well, it’ll be like looking for a needle in a haystack.” Larissa rose to her feet, murmured her thanks and extended her hand. Jon’s mother gripped it firmly, gave it one quick shake and then released it. “So,” the older woman continued in more conversational tones, “I guess we’ll see you again at the benefit tonight.” “Oh, Jon didn’t tell me that you would be there.” Larissa looked over at Kent who just shrugged. His mother laughed. “Practically the whole family will be there. We’re all big supporters of the work that the Superman foundation does. We wouldn’t miss it for anything. I think even our daughter, Marty and her husband, who live in Kansas are going to, uh, hitch a ride to get here.” Larissa suddenly figured that one out. It made sense that if Jon was a good friend of Superman’s children, his siblings would be too. It just seemed a little ... odd how matter of fact Lois Lane had been, talking indirectly about her daughter and son-in-law being flown to Metropolis for the evening. Clark Kent and Jon pushed themselves away from the wall. Jon addressed both his parents, “Thanks for seeing us on short notice, Mom and Dad. I know how busy you both are.” His father smiled. “Like we’d ever turn you away, Jon.” He reached out and pulled Jon into a loose embrace and clapped him on the back. “See you tonight, son.” Jon turned to his mother who pulled his head down to her level so they could exchange pecks on the cheek. “See you tonight. Oh, where are you two heading now?” Jon straightened up. “I really need to go into the studio today.” Lois Lane turned to Larissa. She placed a hand on the agent’s arm. “Just a word of warning. Make a stop on the way for a deli sandwich or something. When Jon starts painting, it just about takes an earthquake to budge him. He forgets about meals, everything.” Larissa smiled. “I’ll consider myself fore-warned.” “Oh, one final thing.” Larissa turned back to the petite Daily Planet editor. “Yes?” “Only the copy boy calls us Mr. Kent and Ms. Lane. Right, Clark?” “Right.” Mr. Kent, Clark, smiled at her and nodded his agreement. “Okay, thank you ... Lois and Clark. I’ll see you tonight.” *** After surveying the whole studio, Larissa curled up on a beat-up couch in the corner of the room and pulled some paperwork out of her briefcase. This was an ideal opportunity for her to bring her files up to date. Jon bustled about, getting his paints ready and setting up his easel. He seemed to have meticulous habits in the studio. Everything was a little dingy and well used but was very clean. Larissa couldn’t help being curious as to what he was in such a hurry to work on. She put her paperwork down and leaned forward in anticipation as he moved a partially completed canvas onto his easel. She couldn’t see what it was until he took a step back to contemplate it. Nightwind. Larissa’s spirits sank as she saw how beautiful this portrait was going to be. He had really captured the delicate good looks that Nightwind possessed as well as her strength of character. It was an unabashedly sentimental portrayal of someone whom he obviously cared for very much. Larissa couldn’t keep herself from sighing as she picked up her files once again. Jon looked over his shoulder at her with a puzzled expression on his face. “Paperwork,” she said, deflecting the unspoken question on his face. He grimaced in sympathy before turning eagerly back to his painting. As the hours passed, Larissa realised the truth of what Jon’s mother had said about him. He was so completely focused on what he was doing that he didn’t notice her when she moved around, or when she ate her lunch. When she asked him if he wanted some of her sandwich, he mumbled an absentminded ‘no’. As the portrait neared completion, Larissa could see that there was a tenderness that came through loud and clear in his interpretation of Nightwind. He obviously felt a great deal of warmth for his subject, she mused wistfully. Just what were his feelings for the very feminine super-hero? Was it affection for a friend or something more? She knew that she shouldn’t have feelings of jealousy for him, but she couldn’t help herself. Jon was a very interesting and attractive man, she admitted reluctantly. He was a really nice guy without being bland. He had a, a spicy side to him that struck sparks in her, and off her, she wryly admitted to herself. It was getting harder and harder to try and maintain the proper attitude towards him. She had to be on guard constantly, and the effort required maintaining that vigilance was wearing her out. Jon unconsciously added to Larissa's agitation. As the sun rose in the sky and shone on the large expanse of glass in the studio, the ambient temperature of the room got warmer and warmer. Larissa was sitting out of the direct rays of the sun, but Jon was not. He was working diligently and intently in the centre of the room. He must have been too hot because he stripped off his t-shirt, so immersed in his art that he had obviously completely forgotten Larissa's presence in the room. Larissa could only stare wide-eyed at the expanse of muscled flesh that he bared to her gaze. Every movement he made accentuated the sheer beauty of his body. She swallowed, dry-mouthed and forced her eyes away only to find them creeping back to him time and time again, tracing every taut line, and lingering on every defined muscle. The next few hours were exquisite torture for Larissa. She tried valiantly to immerse herself in her paperwork once again but was primarily unsuccessful. Finally, she gave up all pretence of working and just watched him, unabashed. *** As the light waned, Jon slowly came out of his creative reverie with a deep sense of satisfaction as to what he had accomplished that day. Vicky's portrait was progressing well. As he returned to himself, he became aware of Larissa once more, a potent presence in the intimate atmosphere of the studio. He turned to her, catching her off-guard as she watched him. Her cheeks reddened under his gaze as their eyes met. They gazed at each other for a long, intense moment, frozen in place. "I guess I should clean up, and we'll go," Jon said, valiantly trying to break the sudden tension between them. "I guess so," Larissa murmured in reply, her eyes still locked on his, as she made no move to get up >from the low couch. Without consciously thinking about it, he found himself in front of her, crouched on his heels. His shaking hand reached out to her, almost of its own volition. He brushed his thumb tenderly along the full, warm curve of her lips before cupping her cheek in his large hand. Larissa closed her eyes with a gasp at his touch. A moment later, she opened them again and slowly reached up to pull his hand away from her face. “No,” was all that she said. Jon looked at her disbelievingly. "No?" "No. I'm sorry. I can't." "You can't?" Jon repeated blankly. "Why not? Is it, is it me?" "No. It's not you," Larissa said, her lips shaking. "It's me. I just, I just can't. I can't allow myself to be involved with anyone." He opened his mouth to ask her more, but she held up her hand, forestalling his questions. "I can't,” she repeated. “And I can't tell you why. It's personal. I'm sorry. I, it’s not you." Jon was about to snap at her when he paused and took a good look at the pain on her face. “I’m sorry, too,” was all he could bring himself to say, faced with her expression of utter sadness. Larissa slithered past him, abandoning her briefcase. “It’s already 5:30,” she said shakily, her back turned to him. “I better call Kevin. We’re going to have to hurry if we want to get to the benefit by 8:00.” “Okay,” Jon replied softly as he thrust her papers back into her briefcase. He stood up, took a deep breath and handed her case back to her. As she took it, he gently touched her hand. “You don’t have to worry, Lewis. I won’t bother you again.” Her eyes downcast, she nodded then slowly pulled her hand away from his. *** Larissa was very grateful to her assistant, Kevin, for his stolid presence. He escorted Jon and Larissa to Jon’s apartment before leaving. Kent invited him in to wait as he was only going to have to come back later, but Kevin demurred, saying that he was going to check in at the office. Feeling emotionally battered, Larissa disappeared up the stairs and headed for the sanctuary of the guest bedroom. She entered the luxurious bathroom and turned on the bathtub faucets with a savage twist of her wrist. Only then, under the cover of the noise of the rushing water, did she feel free to indulge her aching emotions. She sank in a boneless heap onto the floor beside the tub and wept. Oh, how she had wanted to reciprocate when he had touched her. Her hand moved on its own to her cheek, cradling the spot where he had laid his hand. She could still feel the imprint of his touch. Kent had said that he wouldn’t bother her again and she sensed that he had meant it. It didn’t remove the tension, though. She had felt his eyes resting on her during the short drive back to his apartment. It had been impossible for her to look at him deliberately, but she had done so inadvertently as they entered the apartment and she ached inside, knowing that she had put the depressed expression on his face. She had ached to touch him, too. She swallowed, dry-mouthed as she realised exactly how much she wanted to touch him. Her fingers tingled as she thought about what it would be like to run them over that firm, sculpted chest and smooth, contoured back. What would it feel like to have his muscles ripple under her fingers? Forcing her tears to subside through sheer force of will, she sighed and turned off the water. She better stop thinking about him. It was going to take her a while to get ready so she needed to get moving. *** Jon sat glumly on his bed, head in his hands. He was trying as hard as he could, but he just couldn’t block out the soft sounds of Larissa crying. This made no sense to him. Why was she crying? It hadn’t been a violent, cruel rejection on her part. He didn’t believe that she was so soft hearted that it would grieve her that much to say no to him. So, why was she crying? Had she not wanted to say no? But then, why had she? What was this personal issue that she had referred to that was causing her such pain? Jon shook his head, unable to come to any kind of a consensus. He wasn’t looking forward to the benefit tonight. But, on the bright side, his family would be there. Any man with two sisters and a mother had built-in dating advice. *** Jon waited patiently at the bottom of the stairs exchanging idle chitchat with Kevin who was wearing a chauffeur’s uniform. The agency had supplied them with a secured limo for the evening. Jon’s nerves were coiled tighter than a spring, anticipating her appearance. he chanted to himself. She hadn’t made a sound but, something told Jon to look to the top of the stairs. He was just in time to watch Larissa glide gracefully down. Jon forgot to breath for a moment, and when he regained motor control, had to consciously check to make sure his feet were still touching the floor. She had twisted her long hair into a sleek chignon, accentuating her exquisite neck and framing her exotic features. The softest of pinks, her gown was sleeveless and strapless, her bare arms and shoulders making her look like Aphrodite emerging from the sea. Elegant and simple, the dress looked like it had been made for her. Jon bit his tongue, holding himself back from complimenting her. If he opened his mouth, he knew that the first thing he would do, would be to ask, no, to demand, to paint her like this. And he knew that after this afternoon, that was the worst thing he could do. Kevin was much less restrained. “Whoa, boss. You look fantastic!” Larissa fixed him with an icy stare. “Kevin, I know I asked for your help today as I couldn’t go shopping. I know I asked you to do something you don’t do on a regular basis. I trusted you. I even trusted you with my measurements. What in the name of heaven made you think that this dress would be suitable for me to wear tonight?” She surveyed her lanky assistant from head to toe. “If you were wearing this outfit, and I just might make you do that someday, where do you think you would conceal your weapon?” “Uh, sorry, boss. I never thought of that. You asked me to pick out something nice, and I asked the saleslady for help, and ... I guess I didn’t think about guns. Uh, does this mean you’re unarmed tonight?” “No, Kevin, I’m not. Lucky for you I always pack my first aid kit. I’ve never needed it before, but, well, Kevin, I guess today was the day to inaugurate it. I’ve managed to tape my gun in a very unusual location using a great deal of surgical tape that pulls every time I move. Of course, when I stand still the tape doesn’t pull, but the gun does pinch. I’ll be thinking of you, Kevin, every time I move tonight, and every time I stand still tonight. I’m not what you would call pleased, Kevin. I’m going to give you a word of advice. Keep this in mind. Kevin, next time, your boss, whether it’s me or some other REALLY cranky woman, asks you for this kind of help, don’t be tempted to make them dress like your own personal Barbie doll. Okay?” Jon congratulated himself on the magnificent amount of self-restraint he was showing by not x-raying Larissa to locate her gun. He fetched her wrap and held it for her. Then the three of them left, Kevin still apologizing profusely. *** Continued in Part 5 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://messenger.yahoo.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 05:08:48 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Irene D." Subject: New Fanfic - Solar Eclipse - Part 5 of 10 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Title: Solar Eclipse Author: Irene Dutchak Parts: Part 5 of 10 Rating: PG Feedback: Both public and private is welcome. Warning - In this section, Jon makes an assumption about Larissa's family life, thinking she was abused in some way. Be reassured; this is NOT the case. Continued from Part 4 Poor Kevin. It was possible that she had been just a little too hard on him over his taste in ladies wear. She’d have to remember to apologise to him later. She was actually grateful to him in a way. Her irritation over the dress had given her the courage to face Kent again. It had taken every ounce of her willpower to walk down the stairs at his apartment, knowing Kent’s eyes were on her. She felt horribly awkward sitting with Kent in the back seat of the limo. She eyed him surreptiously. He was pointedly looking out the window as if the view was the most fascinating thing he had ever seen. He really did look magnificent in the black tuxedo he was wearing, she thought idly. She had noticed that the moment she saw him. The cut of the tux emphasized the broadness of his shoulders and chest. The black cummerbund did nothing to hide his narrow waist. Larissa pulled her eyes away and focused on the back of Kevin’s head. What was she going to do? She was supposed to be guarding Kent and right now, she couldn’t even talk to him. She supposed she should say something but finding the words would be difficult. She didn’t know what to say. Her discomfort and embarrassment warred with her professionalism until finally her professionalism won. She couldn’t effectively guard him if they didn’t clear the air. Also, she wanted to clear the air with him, she admitted to herself. It didn’t feel right for them to be at odds. No, she had to talk to him and she had to be as honest as possible. She respected him too much to be anything less. “Kevin, would you mind raising the privacy shield? I have some things to discuss with Mr. Kent.” Jon looked at her in surprise as Kevin silently complied with her request. “What things?” he asked, curiously. “One thing is personal; the other professional. First, I want to say that I’m sorry about this afternoon. I, well, I wanted to say that,” her eyes turned down to the floor as faint pink stained her cheeks, “I don’t find you unattractive.” “Gee, thanks,” Jon responded, sarcastically. “No, I mean, I do find you attractive ... in many ways. You’re very interesting and intelligent and, well, even though I snap at you, I like you. A lot.” She fell silent for a second. “Thank you. I like you a lot, too,” Jon said, quietly. “But there’s something that ...” she said, struggling with her words. “It’s not you, but there’s something that ...” Jon took pity on her and finished her sentence for her. “There’s something in your personal life that you either can’t or don’t want to tell me about and you don’t feel able to have a personal relationship with anyone at the moment. Is that it?” “Yes.” Larissa smiled at him gratefully. “I can’t tell you why, but if I ever did want to talk about it with anyone, I would want to talk about it with you. Okay?” “Thank you. That has to be the nicest compliment I’ve ever received from someone. I guess what you’re saying is, you would like us to be friends?” “Yes.” “I can do that, Larissa. I want to be your friend and I want you to be mine. But I can’t hide from you that I want more. I’ll settle for less but ...” ”Oh, Jon. If I could give you more, I would, but I can’t.” “Then I’ll just be happy being your friend.” Larissa smiled wistfully at him. “Thank you for understanding.” “It’s okay. Now then,” Jon said briskly, changing the subject, “you said the other thing you wanted to talk about was professional?” “Yeah, but it’s kind of connected to the personal stuff, too.” She looked at Jon with a wry smile. “I’m going to have to pretend to be your new girlfriend. Is it going to bother you if I, you know, hang off you a bit - hold your hand or dance a little close - that kind of thing.” “Nah,” Jon said with a grin. “I figure I’ll relax and enjoy it! If I’m lucky, while we’re on the dance floor, I’ll be able to figure out where you hid your gun.” “You better behave yourself, Kent. If you find it, I’ll have to use it on you.” *** By the time they had been at the benefit for half an hour, Jon didn’t know if he was in heaven or hell. Larissa had been true to her word. They held hands. If others were around, they flirted with each other. She gazed at him lovingly. But none of it was real. Being with her this way had to be simultaneously the most wonderful experience of his life as well as the most frustrating. His body thrilled at every casual touch from her while his mind kept reminding him that none of this actually meant anything. This curious dichotomy between his mind and his body was slowly driving him crazy. If they ever made it to the dance floor, he figured that was it. He would be officially insane at that point. The other thing that was driving him crazy was trying to figure out exactly how he would be able to get away >from Larissa for a moment so he could make a token appearance as Sunstorm. He had had to answer a perfectly natural call of nature shortly after they had got there, and Lewis had actually arranged for Kevin to come in from the limo to accompany him. Sunstorm didn’t have to show up to make an appearance, but Jon had been looking forward to it. The benefit had raised a lot of money. Dad was going to show up to ‘officially’ receive the profits in honour of the Superman Foundation, and like always, he and his siblings had planned on showing up, one at a time, to congratulate him. Jon sighed. He guessed it was time to introduce Larissa to Marty and Ben. With luck, he could have a quiet word with Marty so his sister could make an excuse for him when the time came. *** Sitting at the large, reserved dinner table waiting for the table to be cleared, Larissa was feeling very overwhelmed. She had been introduced to various Kents, and Klein-Kents and Kent-Palmers and had been thoroughly welcomed by all of them. Thankfully, it wasn’t taking her long to make sense of who was who in the family. It was interesting meeting the people she had read about in Jon’s file. Marty looked exactly like Larissa had expected. She was not fat by any means but was very sturdy. Actually quite shapely, she looked over-sized in comparison to her petite mother, sister and equally petite sister-in-law. Larissa sympathised with Marty. She too, felt a bit overly tall when she stood beside these women. She was grateful that they were all sitting down now. She had been starting to feel a bit like ‘the jolly green giant’. Vicky looked exactly like the sensitive person who had written ‘Rainbows’ and ‘Storm Clouds’. The biggest and only surprise was how young she looked. Larissa knew that she was only 22, but the child looked more like 15 or 16. She hadn’t done too much of the talking before they had sat down for dinner, but she was now talking up a storm to Jon and her sister-in-law, Astrid. Larissa had felt too shy to say more than a few words to Vicky about how much she had enjoyed her books. Vicky had been quite gracious but had managed to make it clear that she preferred her alter ego of Victoria El to remain a secret. Vicky looked an awful lot like her mother, which probably explained why she looked so familiar to Larissa. Larissa hadn’t had a chance to say more than a brief ‘hello’ to Jon’s twin, Sam, and Sam’s wife, Astrid. They had breezed in a bit late, arriving just in time for dinner to be announced. She had been quite surprised to see how different Jon looked from his twin. Sam was attractive in the ‘boy next door’ sense but lacked Jon’s stunning and exotic good looks. Sam was sitting on his mother’s left side and was having an animated conversation with his sister, Marty. Astrid was a devastatingly gorgeous auburn-haired beauty. If she were taller, she could have been a model. It was hard to believe that the very brainy and somewhat intimidating Dr. Klein was her father. Larissa found herself sitting between two of the non-Kents at the family table. Dr. Klein on her left was happily chattering away with Ms. Lane. After having had a short conversation with him before dinner, Larissa was relieved that for the moment, he wasn’t addressing her. He had been excited about an article he had read in a scientific journal, and Larissa had not had a clue as to what he had said about it. No, Dr. Ben Palmer was much more interesting. Besides being one of the nicest men Larissa had met in a long time, he had to be the most spectacularly plain man she had ever seen. He wasn’t ugly; his face had far too much character for that, but it was if his features didn’t fit his face. His ears were big, and his nose was slightly crooked. His mouth was overly large and his chin a bit too pointed. However, he had the most penetrating blue eyes that she had ever seen. And even if his mouth was a bit big, his smile was warm. His smile grew warmer, in fact it became positively sizzling whenever he and his wife exchanged glances across the table. They did that a lot. They clearly adored each other. Ben was very funny, keeping Larissa and Clark Kent in stitches with stories of his veterinary practice. The federal agent enjoyed herself more than she thought possible until Clark Kent asked his son-in-law one very simple question. “Ben, do you have any new pictures on you?” Ben smiled broadly. “Of course I do, Clark. Do I look brave enough to come to Metropolis to see the family without being well-armed?” He reached into his inside jacket pocket and pulled out a thick package of pictures. Clark Kent leaned around Ben to address Larissa directly. “Wait until you see these pictures. I guarantee that my little grandsons are the cutest little guys you’ll ever see.” Ben laughed. “Like you’re completely objective, Clark. We’ll let Larissa make up her own mind,” he said as he turned to her with the package. “Whoa, are you all right? You’ve gone white as a ghost!” “What? No, I’m fine,” Larissa forced out of her suddenly dry mouth. “I would love to see your pictures,” she finished, reluctantly. “Great!” Ben exclaimed, instantly reassured. He handed her a neat stack of photos and started his narration. Larissa took them from him, and started flipping through them at random, not really paying any attention to him, only hearing snippets of his proud monologue. “... and here’s one of Jordan holding his baby brother on his lap ... Justin having his first bath ... Jordan on a pony for the first time ...” Two children, one almost four, one about a year and a half. Big blue eyes, sandy-brown hair. Larissa was grateful beyond words to see no dark, glossy hair, no flashing green eyes. She took a deep breath and then another and finally managed to distance herself from those memories. She came back to herself with a start. “... if you would just let go, Larissa, I’ll pass these over to the proud grand-pop over here ....” Ben’s tone was puzzled as he tried to tug the stack of photos out of her hands. “Oh? Oh! Sorry. Ben, they’re just lovely.” Larissa hastily released her tight grip on the photos. With one last quizzical look at her, Ben turned to Clark Kent and handed him the photos. Larissa looked down at her plate, breathing heavily, and prayed to whatever Deity could hear her that this meal would be over soon - really, really soon. *** As Jon put his tux neatly on the hanger and puttered around, tidying up his bedroom, he couldn’t help wondering what was going on inside Larissa’s head. She had been more than holding her own with his family at dinner, but had gotten very quiet after. He was starting to get used to her moods, and he could tell that she was upset about something. She hadn’t shown much of a reaction when Superman had shown up. Thankfully, she hadn’t even noticed Dad slipping out, or his brother or sisters as they, one at a time, discreetly ‘headed to the washroom’ or ‘needed to go call the babysitter.’ It was only now that he could relax about it, that he realised exactly how worried he had been that she would have been able to figure out the whole ‘secret identity thing’ as soon as she saw most of the family in tights. Perhaps the fact that they didn’t all show up at once was a help. Jon snorted. Well, it had certainly been enough to fool a lot of others, so he guessed he shouldn’t be surprised that it had fooled her. Sunstorm hadn’t made an appearance, being ‘busy in the remote North preventing a herd of whales from being trapped in the ice.’ Jon snickered. Trust Marty to come up with the best excuse. She was much better at it than Sam. Sam would have told the group that he was at an orgy or something, just to get the tabloids riled up. Jon had learned from long experience not to rely on Sam for this kind of thing. Being a ‘real’ journalist, Sam had no respect for tabloid reporters and was quite happy feeding them any amount of bilge. He loved sending them on the most incredible wild goose chases. Getting back to Larissa, Jon knew that he should feel relieved that she hadn’t figured out his family’s secret, but instead he felt a little disappointed. In his heart of hearts, he wanted Larissa to know. He didn’t want to have any secrets from her. He knew what was happening to him. He had heard about it from his Dad and Mom, from Sam and Astrid, and from Marty and Ben. But, it was so different experiencing it for himself. He was falling in love, no, he had fallen in love with Larissa - head over heels, completely and totally. But, somehow, he had always expected it would be different from this. Sam and Astrid had ... clicked, just like that. He still remembered the day Dr. Klein had brought Astrid to their house for the first time. He still remembered how upset he had been when Sam had made such a fuss about her. And Marty and Ben had ended up together really quickly. Mom and Dad had both said that they had had a few problems getting together, but Jon had never really given credence to that since he saw every day how loving they were with each other. No, all the other romances in his family had looked so easy in his eyes, and his had already hit a major roadblock. She had said that she liked him, though, he thought wistfully. But, what did ‘like’ mean, anyway? She had said that he was interesting and intelligent and ‘not unattractive,’ he mused, wringing every drop of comfort he could from the conversation. He threw himself down on his bed. What could be the ‘personal thing’ she had referred to? He had managed to have a quick word with his sister-in-law, Astrid, and she had suggested that it might have something to do with her career. Mom had thought it might have to do with her early life, that perhaps she was a child of divorce. Jon thought these explanations were all too facile. He didn’t know what to think. *** <...laughing, twirling in a circle until they were dizzy ... come on, Larry, toss the ball with me ... look, look at the picture I drew for you ... scooping the laughing child up in her arms ... arms extended, hair flying in the breeze ... Daddy, Larry’s helping me to fly ... Mommy, take our picture, please? ... learned to tie my shoes - want to watch? ... love you, Larry ...> Larissa moaned, and rolled over, eyes twitching but not waking. <... dark, shining hair ... flashing green eyes ... chubby arms outstretched for a hug ... tumbling from a swing ... skinned knee ... It’s okay, Ronnie, Larry’ll kiss it better ... Love you, Ronnie ... Love you, Larry ...> She moaned again, her legs thrashing, tangled in the sheets. <... sour sick smell ... retching in toilet ... stroking sweat-soaked hair ... no, don’t want mommy. Want Larry ... it’s okay, Ronnie. Larry’s here ... You have the flu, you’ll be okay ... metal screeching ... be okay ...can’t reach the cookies. They’re too high. Help me, Larry ... you’ll be okay ... help me, Larry ... metal screeching ... you’ll be okay ... okay ... help me, Larry ... Larry ...> “Ronnie! No, please. Ronnie! No, don’t!” Larissa cried aloud. <... Daddy screaming ... My girls! My girls! ... Daddy! ... Don’t do this, daddy! ... Ronnie! ... metal screeching ... help me, Larry ... help me, Larry ... Daddy, don’t! ... No! ... help me, Larry ...> “No! Daddy, don’t! Don’t do this to me!” Larissa bolted up in bed, panting hard, her heart pounding and her stomach roiling. It took a second before she registered the tapping at the door. “Lewis, are you okay? ... Larissa? ... If you don’t answer me, I’m coming in ....”Jon sounded very worried. “I’m okay,” Larissa tried to say, but only a croaking sound emerged from her throat. She swallowed, cleared her throat and tried again. “I’m fine, Jon. I, I’m okay.” Her voice was shaking. “You don’t sound okay.” Larissa sighed, reached for her robe and shakily climbed out of bed. She opened the door a crack. Jon peered through, worried, wringing his hands together. “I had a nightmare,” she muttered, looking down at her bare feet. “I could tell. Come on, Larissa. Let me in.” Larissa reluctantly opened the door and stepped back >from it, silently giving him permission to enter the room. She closed her eyes and just stood, shaking and hugging herself as she felt him approach. “Larissa?” His hand pushed her hair back from her face. “My God, you’re dripping with sweat.” It was as if his words were a catalyst. She was abruptly conscious of the clammy feel of her nightgown plastered to her body. The shakes hit with a vengeance then, a powerful aftermath of the potent nightmare. Larissa felt the gorge rise in her throat, her nausea increasing. She concentrated on breathing evenly and managed to regain some measure of control. She couldn’t stop shaking however. She felt her teeth start to chatter and then, much to her horror, she felt the tears start, spurting out from under her closed eyelids. A sob rose in her throat, she tried to push it down, but then the dam burst. She felt two strong arms scoop her up, cradling her like a baby. The sobs kept welling up, one after the other, deep wracking sobs that tore at her chest, hurting her throat as they emerged. A masculine voice crooned comfortingly to her as he wrapped her in softness. “I’m taking you downstairs to the fire. You’re frozen. You need to warm up.” A wave of delicious heat washed over her, suffusing her with warmth. Her eyes still shut tight, she felt, rather than saw that he was carrying her from the room. She couldn’t stop sobbing, burying her head against his shoulder, his hand rubbing her back rhythmically. She came back to herself slowly, reluctantly, not wanting to face him, not yet. Her sobs subsided, and she became aware of her surroundings. Jon had her bundled in a blanket and held her in a tight embrace on his lap. They were sitting in the oversized armchair in front of the gas fireplace. She could feel the waves of ruddy, glowing heat radiating from it. “Oh, Jon,” she started to say. “Shhh,” he whispered huskily. “It’s all right. Just relax. We’ll talk in the morning. Just lie here and let me hold you, okay?” Larissa nodded shyly and hid her face against his shoulder once more. As he continued to gently rub her back, she felt a deep lassitude in every part of her. She couldn’t have moved if she wanted to. Before she knew it, she had slipped into a deep, dreamless sleep. *** Jon woke to discover Larissa still sleeping in his embrace. He was gratified to see that she hadn’t moved a muscle. Very quietly and very carefully, he floated up out of the chair with her still in his arms until he could put his feet on the floor. Then, he very tenderly carried her back up the stairs to the guest bedroom. Before putting her down on the bed, he swept it a couple of times with his heat vision, warming it for her. He didn’t bother unwrapping the blanket that was bundled around her but instead tucked a spare blanket over her. He stood beside the bed for a long moment, watching her. His heart ached in his chest for her. He had heard her cries and he didn’t know what to make of them. He dreaded to think what it was her father could have done to her, or this Ronnie that could have traumatised her so badly. He had a feeling that he knew what had happened but oh, how he wanted to be wrong. Jon brushed her tangled hair back from her face and kissed her tenderly on her forehead. Larissa smiled in her sleep. Finally, reluctantly, his step slow and measured and with many backwards glances, Jon forced himself out of the room to head back to his own bedroom. He had no intention of sleeping, however. He wanted to be alert in case she needed him again. *** Continued in Part 6 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://messenger.yahoo.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 05:09:07 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Irene D." Subject: New Fanfic - Solar Eclipse - Part 6 of 10 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Title: Solar Eclipse Author: Irene Dutchak Parts: Part 6 of 10 Rating: PG Feedback: Both public and private is welcome. Continued from Part 5 Jon anxiously paced up and down outside the conference room waiting for Larissa to emerge. He didn’t need super hearing to hear Larissa ranting and raving on the other side of the door. “ ... I can’t believe you don’t have more information than this! Come on, guys. We need to know who this LL is and we need to know it now. This is pathetic! Here we are, one of the finest agencies in the world, and we know squat." "But, boss ..." Jon recognised Kevin's voice as he tried to interrupt Larissa. "But, nothing, Kevin! I want information and I want it yesterday! Do you understand me?" She received a murmur of agreement from him. "Good. I don't want this job to take up more time than it deserves!" Jon winced. That was pretty definite, wasn't it? Larissa had just made it more than clear how she felt about her job protecting him. After her nightmare last night, and its aftermath, he had thought that maybe, just maybe, she might open up to him but now, well, it didn't look like that would happen. He had been all prepared to be comforting and supportive, expecting to see a woman with all her barriers down, ready to talk about her problems. Instead, she had emerged from her bedroom, a veritable whirlwind of activity. In short order, she had arranged for Kevin to pick them up and called a meeting with Kevin, George and Henry to discuss the case. Jon had been ordered to tag along, Larissa not willing to leave him home alone, but other than that, she had pretty much ignored him. On the other hand, if she had suffered the abuse that he thought she had and at the hands of her own father, no less, well, then it just might make sense that she would want to run as far away from Jon as fast as she could, especially if she was starting to equate the attention he was paying to her with the unwelcome attention she might have received from her parent. He sighed. He didn't know what to think. If only she would talk to him. If only she were willing to get help dealing with the trauma and the abuse. Hmmm, if she weren't willing to talk to him, maybe she might talk to his mother at Sam's place later. They were all invited to pop over after Lee’s bedtime for dessert and coffee. He had originally thought of cancelling the social engagement, but perhaps that wasn't the best idea. They could go, Jon could have a quick word with his mom, and she could talk around the subject with Larissa. The more he thought about it, the more he thought it might be worth a try. It couldn't hurt, could it? He’d have to remember to tell his mom to control her temper. He’d have to tell her how important this was to him. *** Larissa thought in desperation. "I'm sorry, Lois. You were saying?" Larissa and Lois were alone in Sam and Astrid’s living room. Sam had dashed out suddenly, having forgotten an appointment with a source. Only a moment before, Clark had run out to the store for frozen yoghurt and Vicky had gone along for the ride to keep him company. Jon had hurried into the kitchen to help Astrid make coffee. Larissa could hear the two of them bustling about in there, although she could only hear Astrid’s voice; Jon’s was inaudible. Lois leaned forward and patted Larissa on the arm. “I was just saying that you must be very driven to achieve as much as you have with your career. Jon told me earlier how much the men on your team seem to respect you. He said that your boss had a lot of good things to say about you, too.” “Thank you, Lois. Yes, my work is very important to me,” Larissa replied, stiffly. Lois seemed very nice and everything, but after last night, she wanted to be as far away from Jon Kent and his family as she could. He was dangerous; he disturbed her equilibrium – the equilibrium that had taken her years of hard work to achieve. She really didn’t think she could handle any more upheaval in the near future. Her self-control was fraying and tattering around the edges, getting shakier by the minute as she sat passively in this family home soaking up this happy family atmosphere. “Did you ever think that having a career can be somewhat ... limiting if you don’t have balance in your social life?” the older woman asked, diffidently. “I’m not sure what you mean, Lois,” Larissa replied, a little worried as to where this conversation was going. “Well,” Jon’s mother began as she leaned towards Larissa, as if about to impart the biggest secret in the world to her, “if a woman, any woman, gets so focused on her career that she neglects her social life, if she shuts herself off from, oh, I don’t know, romance and a family, then she has shut herself off >from half of what life has to offer. She’s restricting herself from being all that she can be.” “Why do I get the feeling that when you say ‘any woman’ you actually mean me?” Larissa asked, trying to gather her strength together to deal with her irritation. “No, actually, I was talking about me,” the older woman replied. “When I was single, my life was empty of everything except my work.” “My life isn’t empty. And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with focusing on a career.” “Look, I understand where you’re coming from,” Jon’s mother said. “I had a horrible childhood. My career meant everything to me, too. I didn’t want romance. I didn’t want a family. I was just like you. But Clark taught me that there’s more to life than ...” “You mean, even a bitter, angry old maid like me can be redeemed by a good man!” Larissa said, wearily, her anger not energizing her as per usual. “And I bet you know exactly which good man can do the hard work of changing me until I’m a woman in your image!” “I’m not trying to imply ...” “You know nothing about me and nothing about my childhood and nothing about my feelings about my career. Nothing! Frankly, I’m beginning to think you and your family are all freaks, being so loving and caring and understanding with each other. Normal people aren’t like that. You people should have been on ... on ‘The Brady Bunch’” she finished, having had to fish in her memory for the name of the saccharine show that had been perpetually on TV since just about forever. Jon’s mother turned a very interesting shade of purple before Larissa’s eyes. She opened her mouth to say something, but Larissa didn’t stop talking, the words pouring out of her in an endless stream. “No, you are all freaks – too good to be true. Now it’s time to be nice and understanding, to show a little compassion for the poor misguided federal agent guarding your son. Well, forget about it, Lois. I don’t need you to tell me you’re just like me or that you know what’s going on in my head. You know nothing about me,” Larissa repeated. “I’m going to tell you this in the nicest way possible, please butt out. I don’t want to talk about this with you.” Larissa stood up and glared down at Jon’s mother, still sitting on the couch. Lois jumped to her feet and advanced on Larissa, shaking her finger in the younger woman’s face. Larissa found herself backing up as she saw the expression on Lois’s face. “First of all – don’t you ever call me or anyone in my family a freak again. I don’t like it. If it weren’t for the fact my son cares for you ... ” She snapped her mouth shut, chopping off her words then took a deep breath and let it out slowly, almost audibly counting to ten. She did it a second, and then a third time before continuing, “ Secondly - I’m sorry. You’re right. I don’t know anything about you. I shouldn’t have said anything to you about any of this. But I do know my son likes you – a lot – and that’s enough for me. I know that he’s more worried about you than I’ve ever seen him. And I’m worried about him. Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything, but he’s my child. I had to try. If you’re going to hurt him, I want to know about it. I’m his mother.” Lois took a deep breath, was silent for a moment and then continued, her voice softening as she spoke, “Also, Larissa, I have to say this to you, I hear a lot of pain in your voice as well as anger. You’re right. I don’t know what’s going on in your life but there is a problem. For the sake of my son, I’m going to ask – Is there anything I can do to help?” Too tired to sustain her anger and struck by the sincerity in Lois Lane’s voice, Larissa looked the older woman in the eyes for a long moment. “No,” she finally said, softly. “Thank you, but no. It’s not something I can share.” She looked down at the floor for a moment before bringing her gaze back to Lois Lane’s face. “I care for your son, too, Lois. I don’t want to hurt him. But I can’t give him what he wants >from me. Not right now, anyway.” ”Good!” Larissa blinked in surprise. “Keep him dangling. Make him work hard for every smile. That’s what I did to his father. It’s good for men to get frustrated. Personally, I think it builds character,” Lois said, logically. Larissa blinked again and then grinned, appreciating Lois’s attempt to break the tension between them. “You know, I think you’re right. Keep ‘em guessing – that’s my new motto!” The two women sat down and started to giggle. Their conflict was resolved just in time, too. Followed by his daughter, Clark came through the front door, triumphantly brandishing a container of frozen yoghurt. Only a moment later Sam arrived home and in short order, Jon and Astrid emerged from the kitchen with the coffee. “You know, Mom,” Sam said as he added three heaping spoonfuls of sugar to his coffee, “I heard on the radio while I was on the way home that Superman and his kids put out an out-of-control fire in the Metropolis Industrial Park. It started in a derelict building and then spread from there.” “Was anyone hurt?” Lois asked, regarding Sam intently. “No, luckily not.” Lois leaned back with a sigh of relief. “Sam, would you mind writing it up before we go. It shouldn’t take you too long and then you could send it to the night desk. It’d be nice to have in the morning edition.” “Nah, no problem. It’ll take me less than five minutes to write up. It’s not a complicated story.” As Larissa listened to the idle conversation, she couldn’t help noticing Clark Kent and Jon following Sam’s lead, putting three heaping spoonfuls of sugar in their coffee. Vicky put in four. How in the world did they all keep in such good shape? “So, what was the name of the derelict building?” Lois asked idly as she neatly stirred a packet of artificial sweetener into her own mug. “It was Lex Labs, Lois,” Clark said, with an odd intonation to his voice. “Lex Labs? ... Oh, my God, Clark! LL!” Lois exclaimed, jumping to her feet. “No way, Lois! We talked about this before. He’s dead,” her husband said, moving quickly to her side and grabbing her hands in his. “LL?” Larissa asked, intently. “Lex Luthor,” Lois informed her. “He was obsessed with me and he hated Clark ... And Superman, he hated Superman. This is the type of sick thing that he would plan – striking at my son to get to me and Superman.” Her eyes widened and flicked to Larissa guiltily. “I mean, of course Superman would be really upset because he’s a friend of mine ... of ours, I mean.” There was something strange about Lois’s reaction but Larissa knew better than to try to bore in on it. It was always much more valuable in this kind of casual setting to appear to take things at face value. People were more apt to let things slip that way. It wasn’t that she thought Lois was lying to her, but it seemed obvious that the woman knew more than she was letting on. More about what, Larissa didn’t know, but she knew that if she were patient, she would find out. “But Lex Luthor is dead,” Larissa pointed out reasonably. “How could he be involved?” “Yes, he is dead,” Clark said firmly, giving his wife’s hands a squeeze. “He’s been dead for a long time.” “The man’s been dead more than once, Clark. How do we know he’s still dead?” Lois asked, confusing the heck out of Larissa. “Oh, come on, Lois ...” Clark started to say when Larissa interrupted. “I have an idea. Why don’t you two start at the beginning and we’ll go from there. Okay?” The two of them looked at each other and then looked at their children who were watching avidly. He quirked an eyebrow at her, she shrugged and they both turned to Larissa. “Sure, why not?” Lois said as she sat back down. Clark sat down beside her. He turned slightly towards her and pulled her back into him as if to lend her support. She twisted her head and looked up at him in concern. “Are you going to be all right with this, Clark?” “Yeah,” he said. “I’ve been all right with this ever since I saw him squashed like a bug.” Larissa blinked, shocked by the acid hate she heard in his tones. *** “Wow! That’s a very ... interesting story, Clark,” Larissa said, a little stunned at the long list of things that had been done to these two. They looked so happy together and so, so normal; she was having a very hard time reconciling that normality with this very bizarre litany of personal attacks on them made by Lex Luthor. “Mom! You never told us about any of this stuff. I mean, I’ve heard stuff over the years – we all have,” he looked around at his brother and sister who nodded in agreement, “but we still had no idea. Why didn’t you tell us?” Sam asked accusingly from his position on the opposite couch. He was clutching Astrid’s hands as if for comfort. Vicky and Jon sat together on the small love seat. She leaned into her brother as if for reassurance also. “Oh, yeah. Like your father and I wanted to relive the worst moments of our lives for your personal entertainment!” Lois rolled her eyes then looked at her husband. “Are you okay, honey?” “Yeah, I’m fine,” he growled, sounding anything but, and looking down at their joined hands. Larissa had noticed that Lois and Clark’s hands had linked as soon as they had started their grim recitation, and they hadn’t let go of each other yet. Lois pulled a hand free and stroked the side of his face. “Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked, tenderly. Clark looked up at that. “I am now, Lois. All you have to do is touch me, and I’m okay.” His voice was low and husky. It was obvious that for one second the two of them had forgotten the others in the room. The connection between them seemed so tangible that Larissa wouldn’t have been surprised if she had been able to see it. Larissa thought desperately to herself. She forced herself to return to the business at hand. “Lois, Clark, I’ll look into this possibility, but I have to tell you in my professional opinion, this is a long shot. Seeing someone squashed like a bug usually means they’re dead - completely, utterly and irredeemably dead.” Clark sprang to his feet. “On that happy note, I think it’s time for us to head home. It’s getting late.” Everyone started to make the obligatory ‘Had a great time’ type of sounds and to gather purses together when a small voice interrupted them. “Mommy, Daddy, I woke up.” Larissa looked up as a small child came slowly down the stairs, rubbing her eyes sleepily. “Lee, you should be asleep. What are you doing up?” Astrid hurried to her daughter and scooped her up in her arms. “I heard everyone talking. I thought you were having a party without me.” Lee looked up beseechingly at her mother. Larissa tuned out the other adults as they started to fuss over the little girl. Instead, her eyes greedily traced the delicate features of her face. She drank in the sight of the rich, gleaming auburn hair, surprising herself by how much she thirsted to run her hands through it. The little girl noticed Larissa suddenly. Now in her Uncle Jon’s arms, she looked at Larissa with her piercing green eyes – green eyes! - and said in a high, lilting voice, “I don’t know you. What’s your name?” “Larissa,” the federal agent heard herself say as if in a dream. “My name’s Larissa.” “Lar ... Larsa,” the child stuttered, still half asleep. Jon smiled down at his niece and gave her a little hug. “Maybe you could call her Larry. That’s easier, isn’t it?” “Hi, Larry. I’m Lee,” the little girl chirped happily. Larissa felt the room closing in around her. She was dizzy, the world spinning faster and faster as it narrowed in on her. “Don’t, please don’t,” she heard someone moan in a voice she didn’t recognise. “Don’t call me Larry.” Oh, it was her own voice. Wasn’t that odd? She hadn’t recognised it at all. She heard a cacophony of people’s voices surrounding her, adding to her panic. The room whirled faster and faster ... she could feel hands tugging at her, pushing her down into a chair ... she had to get out now ... she felt herself hitting out and kicking ... and then he was there. “Shhh, it’s okay. I’m here,” he crooned as he scooped her up. Jon. It was okay now. Everything was okay now. He would look after her. *** Continued in Part 7 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://messenger.yahoo.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 05:09:19 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Irene D." Subject: New Fanfic - Solar Eclipse - Part 7 of 10 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Title: Solar Eclipse Author: Irene Dutchak Parts: Part 7 of 10 Rating: PG Feedback: Both public and private is welcome. Continued from Part 6 Jon carried Larissa into the small den down the hall. He looked down at her, worried. Her whole body was limp, her arms dangling down, dead weight in his arms. Her face was so pale, the faint violet smudges under her eyes emphasised by her pallor. He gently laid her down on the leather-covered couch and then went to the liquor cabinet and splashed a little whiskey in a glass. He tugged her into a seated position; he had to help hold up her head as her neck muscles weren’t up to the task, letting it flop back and forth. “Larissa, here,” he placed the glass at her lips, “take a sip, just a little sip,” he coaxed. She batted feebly at the glass but wasn’t able to push it away. ”Just a little sip, Larissa. Come on, you can do it,” he cajoled. He tipped the glass a little. She gagged and coughed at the trickle of alcohol. When she managed to catch her breath again, she looked a little better, a tiny splotch of colour in each cheek. “Better now?” he asked as he crouched in front of her. She nodded, looking down at her hands lying limply in her lap. “Do you want to talk about it?” he asked, softly. She nodded again, a solitary tear trickling down her face. Without looking, Jon reached back and hooked a footstool with his hand, dragging it over to sit on. He grasped her hands firmly and waited. “My sister called me that,” Larissa whispered hoarsely. “She was the only one who ever called me Larry.” She fell silent for a long moment, another tear following the first. Jon just waited, afraid to move a muscle or make a sound, afraid that she would stop. “Veronica, Ronnie, was born when I was thirteen. My parents thought they couldn’t have any more kids after me. She was a surprise. We were all so happy. She was beautiful. Green eyes, dark hair, chubby cheeks with dimples. A happy baby. A beautiful baby. She had these fat little feet. I used to kiss her toes and she would laugh and laugh.” The tears started to fall in earnest now. “From the moment she was born, it was like Ronnie was my baby. Mom and Dad didn’t mind. They were happy that Ronnie and I were so close. We were all happy, so happy. Even when Mom or Dad held her, she would reach her arms out for me. As soon as she could talk, she’d say my name a thousand times a day. I loved it. I loved having her follow me around. I loved doing everything for her – playing with her, listening to her. I loved looking after her when she was sick. I loved her. Oh, God, how I loved her.” Larissa looked at Jon for a moment, the anguish showing on her face. “It just about killed me going away to university. I phoned home every weekend, I emailed every night. Mom or Dad helped her write back to me. She’d tell me about kindergarten and about her friends. She’d tell me that she missed me. Every night. Until the night that she didn’t.” She squeezed Jon’s hands hard, her knuckles white. “What happened?” he asked, his voice low and concerned. “A tractor-trailer lost control, ploughed right into the side of them. It wasn’t Dad’s fault. There was nothing he could do to avoid it. Mom was killed instantly, Dad was knocked out but a passer-by managed to get him out before the fire. And Ronnie, my little Ronnie, my baby, no one could get her out. The fire was too intense.” Larissa looked at Jon for a moment, her eyes bleak and dead. “I read the police report. She was screaming, she was screaming my name over and over, begging me to help her. I wasn’t there but I can still hear her screaming in my head - ‘Help me, Larry’. I hear it over and over and over until I think I’m going to go crazy.” She pulled her hands out of Jon’s grasp and covered her ears. Jon moved beside her on the couch as she began to rock back and forth and keen aloud. He laid his arm lightly across her shoulders and turned his body to hers, tugging gently at her until she was firmly in his embrace. “She was my baby, Jon. She was my baby, and I loved her, and now, she’s dead.” “Shhh, I know. I know you loved her,” he murmured as he rocked her back and forth. He held her for a long time, patting her back and crooning to her as she sobbed. It took a long time but she slowly became calmer. When her sobs had died away, he tipped her head up to look at her. “Better?” he asked. “A little.” “I’m so sorry, Larissa. I’m so sorry.” Larissa nodded but didn’t say anything in response. “What about your father? Was he okay?” Larissa’s eyes narrowed in anger, the change in expression so great that Jon felt himself recoil a bit >from her. “I don’t want to talk about my father, Jon.” “Why not?” “My father can go to hell!” she exploded, her eyes flashing and fists clenching. “I hate him! I hate him!” “But you said that you were happy when you were a child. Did your dad, did your father do something to you?” Jon asked tentatively, feeling very confused by this new outburst. “My father, did he do anything to me? Hah, that’s a good one. My father decided in his infinite wisdom that I didn’t need him. He couldn’t live without his girls, he said. Well, what was I, Daddy? Chopped liver? I was your girl, too. I needed you. But no, you had to go and buy a gun and ... and ...” “He killed himself?” Jon asked, incredulously. Larissa nodded. “He took a gun and put it in his mouth and pulled the trigger and never thought about the fact that I would be the one to find him. Never thought about what he would look like with his head all ...” She waved her hands in the air descriptively. “He left me to deal with the mess. He left me to deal with the blood and the ... You can’t get blood out of a carpet. Did you know that? You have to replace it.” Jon blinked in shock at her words. “He left me to deal with Mom’s funeral and Ronnie’s funeral and his own funeral. How could he do that to me? How could he do that to me, Jon?” Her face crumpled as the tears started up anew. He pulled her back into his arms as she started to sob once more. “Didn’t he love me? I was his girl, too. Why didn’t he love me? I loved him. Daddy, I loved you! Why did you do this? Why?” “Oh, Larissa,” Jon said, softly as he held her tight. He didn’t know what to say. “I’m so sorry.” A wave of anger rose in him. “I can’t believe he did that to you. How could someone hurt you like that? I don’t understand either, Larissa.” He hugged her fiercely and protectively. She clung to him desperately as if he were her only lifeline in a storm-tossed sea. He held her tightly, never wanting to let her go, until her sobs once again died away, until she sighed and pushed herself free of his embrace. “Thank you, Jon.” “I didn’t do anything.” “You listened and ... and you were there for me. Thank you,” she repeated in a whisper. “Have you ever talked to anyone about this?” he asked. “No. “You have to talk this out with someone, you know that, don’t you?” She nodded, eyes downcast. “It’ll be hard. I don’t know if I can do it.” He tipped her face up to his. “I’m going to be there for you, Larissa Lewis - every step of the way. You understand me?” She nodded, shyly. “I love you, Larissa Lewis,” he said, fiercely. “You’re not alone anymore.” She started to protest but he just kept right on talking. “I know you’re not ready for a relationship yet, but I’ll wait for you. I’ll wait until you’ve dealt with this. I’m not giving you a choice. I’m going to be there when you want to cry or scream or yell or hit something. You got that?” Larissa made a weak attempt to grin. Her lips were shaking, her eyes watering but it was a valiant effort for all that. “I’ve never had anyone volunteer to be a punching bag before. I’ll try to restrain myself – wouldn’t want to hurt you.” Jon laughed, glad to see her fighting spirit coming to the forefront once again. “You’re okay, now?” he asked as he pulled her into another quick hug. “A little shaky but I’ll live.” Jon smiled, apologetically. “Uh, do you feel up to going back to the living room? If I know my family, they’re all still there, feeling very awkward but not willing to leave until they know that you’re all right.” “Oh, no!” Larissa’s hands flew to her flaming cheeks. “They must think I’m nuts.” “Hey, as far as my crazy family is concerned, I want you to remember one thing.” At her questioning look, he continued with a grin, “I’m the only one whose opinion matters. And I think you’re pretty terrific ... and very brave,” he finished, his voice suddenly very husky. “Oh, Jon,” she exclaimed tearfully as she threw herself into his arms. “Thank you for being such a good friend.” Jon held her tenderly in his arms, a smile fixed mask-like on his face, with his heart breaking in his chest. *** Jon stood protectively at Larissa’s side as she talked to his mom. Mom was waiting for Dad to bring the car around in front. “You’re sure you’re feeling okay,” his mom asked anxiously. “I’m feeling much better, really. I’m, I’m just sorry I created such a fuss.” Larissa looked down and toed the carpet. “We’re not worried about that. We’re worried about you.” His mother laid her hand gently on Larissa’s arm. Jon smiled at her in appreciation for this very understanding gesture. “Thank you, Lois. I appreciate that,” Larissa said, graciously. “And Jon, you’re taking Larissa straight home, aren’t you?” Jon chuckled to himself. She sounded like he was still a teenager. “Yes, Mom. You’re fussing again, Mom.” She looked taken aback. “Was I sounding like your Grandma Lane again?” Jon laughed. “Not quite that bad, Mom, but close. Don’t worry. I’ll warn you if you step over the line again.” He bent down and kissed her on the cheek. As he straightened up, he heard her murmur under her breath, “You better tell me soon what that was all about, Jon. This is driving me crazy having to be this nice when I have no clue what’s going on.” He grinned at her, knowing exactly how frustrated she must be. She turned to the closet to get her coat out, still muttering almost silently. “And your father, brother and sister were no help at all. They wouldn’t listen and they wouldn’t let me listen either. I’m not your Grandma Kent, you know. I don’t do ‘patient’. I’m built differently. I’m a journalist. I need to know everything. It’s in my nature.” In her current emotionally distraught state, Larissa had no idea of all the undercurrents that were simultaneously occurring, as everyone got ready to go. She pulled her radio out of her purse. “I’m just going to call Kevin and have him pull the car up,” she told Jon over her shoulder. Jon turned away and moved over to Sam and Astrid. “Is Lee okay?” he asked, quietly. “Yeah, she’s fine. She went right back to bed for me,” Astrid murmured with a worried glance at Larissa. “Is Larissa okay? Can you tell us what that was about?” “She will be, and no, not right now – not till she tells me I can.” Jon had no idea how grim the look on his face actually was. “... Kevin, are you there? Come in. Kevin ...” The concern in Larissa’s voice caught everyone’s attention. Jon spun around and hurried back to her side. His mom had been about to open the front door, but she froze at attention. Larissa keyed in the radio once more; only the hiss of static answered her. “There’s something wrong. Everyone, stay here,” Larissa ordered as she dashed for the door, opened it and ran out, her gun at the ready. *** “No, wait for me!” Larissa heard Jon shout. She ignored him, heading for the car. As she approached the street, she felt a stiff breeze blast past her, coming out of nowhere. It shook her up, jolted her out of concentrating solely on Kevin. She paused in her headlong flight, grasping at her professionalism, forcing herself to slow down. Keeping to the dark shadows, Larissa approached the dark vehicle more circumspectly. Both doors were open and there were two figures bending over, both of them busy with something in the front seat. As she cautiously approached, one of them straightened up and turned to face where she was hiding in the bushes. To her shock and surprise, she recognised another of Metropolis’s family of superheroes, although she hadn’t met this one personally. Sunstorm! And that was Superman, still busy in the front seat - busy with what? “Kevin? Is he ...?” she asked, as she pushed her way free of the shrubs. Superman emerged from the car, Kevin’s body cradled in his arms. Larissa rushed to her assistant’s side. He was still breathing, his face contorted in pain. His hands clasped his stomach, blood oozing out from between his fingers. “Kevin!” “He’s been stabbed,” Superman informed her, gravely. “I’m taking him to the hospital.” “Sorry, boss,” Kevin whispered, weakly. “I didn’t even see a thing. I’m sorry.” Larissa kissed him quickly on the cheek and stepped back. “Don’t worry, Kevin. Just get better.” She watched in shock as Superman rapidly disappeared into the sky with her assistant. “Why didn’t he call for help?” she whispered, as if to herself. “He was gagged.” “What?” Larissa spun around, having forgotten Sunstorm’s presence for a moment. The super hero brandished a plain white piece of cloth. “He was gagged,” he repeated. “They hit him on the head when he wasn’t looking, gagged him, stabbed him and then took off. They’re long gone.” Larissa shook her head, staring at the cloth in his hand. All of a sudden, she whirled around and stared at Sam and Astrid’s house. She could see her host and hostess, and Lois, and Vicky - Clark hadn’t returned with the car yet - but Jon, where was Jon? “Oh, no!” She started to run for the house as fast as she could. “What is it?” Sunstorm asked as he grabbed her by the arm. She shook free and grabbed him by the hand, setting off towards the house once again, tugging him after her. “Don’t you see?” she said, frantically as she led him through the open door, “It was a distraction. They stabbed Kevin, and then, when the coast was clear, when we were all fussing over him, they grabbed Jon. He’s not here. He’s gone.” Larissa let go of Sunstorm, turned and caught sight of the horrified expression on Jon’s mother’s face. It was too much on top of all the other emotional upset that this evening had brought her. “I’m sorry, Lois,” Larissa exclaimed as she dissolved in tears. “I failed him. He’s gone.” “He’s not gone,” the super hero said, calmly – too calmly as far as Larissa was concerned. “What? You’re going to tell me he’s gone out to return a library book? He’s not here. Do you see him anywhere?” Larissa demanded angrily, through her tears. “No, I failed him, and he’s gone.” She buried her face in her hands, her tears flowing freely. “Oh, Jon! I’m sorry.” “Larissa, he’s not gone,” the super-hero said again, much more softly this time. “I’m not gone.” “What?” She raised her head to look him in the face for the first time. She heard a collective gasp from the Kents standing behind the super-hero, but she ignored it. She didn’t allow the bright colours of his uniform to distract her, to pull her eyes away from his face. Instead, her gaze travelled over his features, studying the high, sculpted cheekbones and tracing the line of his jaw. She looked him in the eyes, in those familiar eyes that were now unhindered by eyeglasses. “I’m not gone,” he softly repeated. “Jon?” she asked, her voice quavering as she started to shake all over. “Yes.” He took one of her shaking hands in his and pressed it to his lips. Larissa couldn’t move for a moment. She felt the warm pressure against the back of her hand as he kissed it. It was enough to wake her from this frozen, still place inside of her. Larissa felt herself flush hotly from head to toe. Her rage was mixed with embarrassment. How could he have tricked her like this? She pulled her hand from his, took a step back and snarled, “Now I know why you didn’t need protection! Why’d you change your mind? You couldn’t get a date any other way?” Sunstorm – Jon! – stood in front of her, speechless, his mouth gaping open, but not a word emerging. He was silent for a long moment before managing to stutter, “No, it’s not like that ... You don’t understand.” “I don’t understand what, Jon? I don’t understand Kevin being put in danger and getting hurt to protect someone who doesn’t need protection? I don’t understand that all my best efforts to guard you were totally useless and I might as well not have wasted the effort? What, Jon? Tell me what I don’t understand!” “When we met for the first time, you said to me that it wasn’t just me in danger. You said my family was in danger, too. I had to think about them. You were right. They are in danger.” “Yeah, right,” Larissa scoffed. “Someone’s going to take out Superman or, or Nightwind to get to you.” Larissa couldn’t keep herself from glancing at the shocked faces of Jon’s family, still standing behind him in a frozen tableau. Nightwind? Vicky was Nightwind! Sam must be Starfire and Marty - Marty was Shadow. It was all starting to seem a little more real to her. Then she blanched as she realised something else. Jon’s father, Lois’s husband, Clark Kent, he was the legendary Superman – the most celebrated of all the super-heroes, the one who had been in the news since before she was born! He was the most highly venerated man on the whole planet. She could barely process the information that Jon and his siblings were who they were. Trying to come to terms with Clark Kent being Superman – that was going to take some doing. “But, Larissa,” Jon said, a pleading tone in his voice, “not everyone in my family is invulnerable. My mom, Astrid, Ben, the boys, Lee – they could all be hurt or ... worse.” His voice cracked on the last word. Larissa was taken aback, shocked by the naked emotion in his voice. That more than anything he could possibly say convinced her that he was sincere and meant his words. “I ... You’re right,” she said, her anger draining away, leaving a deep fatigue behind. “Your family is vulnerable. I just, I just feel so foolish, being tricked by a pair of glasses,” she blurted out. Lois laughed. It was the first sound any of his family had made since their collective gasp at Jon’s revelation of his true identity to her. “You’re not the first and you won’t be the last to be fooled that way,” Lois pointed out to Larissa. “Actually you’ve set a new record for how fast you’ve uh, been let in on our secret. I thought Marty told Ben too soon but you – how long have you two known each other anyway?” Larissa thought for a moment. “Uh, I think we’re coming up on 72 hours.” Lois shook her head. “72 hours,” she repeated to herself. “Jon, you have to know – your father won’t exactly be too pleased.” ”I know, Mom, but I couldn’t let Larissa think that I’d been kidnapped, could I?” Sam, Astrid and Vicky glanced at each other and then disappeared into the kitchen quickly and quietly, making it more than obvious that they didn’t want to get in the middle of their mother and their brother. Larissa watched, shocked at the incongruity, as Sunstorm, resplendent in gold, red and black, hung his head in consternation while his mother scolded him. Her eyes switched back to Lois when she started to speak again. “Of course you couldn’t, Jon, but you did have other options. You could have made an excuse. It’s not like we don’t have a million of them stored up for future use,” the older woman said, acerbically. “But Mom,” Sunstorm said, sounding exactly like a sulky teenager, “I wanted Larissa to know. I didn’t want to lie to her.” “And I’m not going to tell anyone, Lois,” Larissa said with a shy glance at Jon’s mother. “I’m very confused about a lot of things right now, but one thing I know is that Jon’s my friend. I don’t want to hurt him. And I don’t want to hurt you or the rest of your family.” “Thank you, Larissa.” Lois’s expression softened as she looked at the very shaken up young woman. “Jon trusts you so ... What else can I say except I trust you, too?” “Thank you, Lois. I won’t let you down.” “Uh, Mom, could you please explain all this to Dad when he gets back? Larissa and I have a lot to talk about.” Sunstorm glanced shyly at the younger woman and then back at his mother, an imploring expression on his face. “I just bet you do!” Lois exclaimed. Hands on her hips, she surveyed her errant son, watching as he shifted from one foot to the other and back again. He looked incredibly guilty ... and utterly adorable, Larissa thought to herself. Apparently his mother agreed because she finally heaved a tremendous sigh and then said what Sunstorm was waiting to hear. “Go. Talk. And then, when you’re both ready, come and find your father and me, and we can all talk.” Larissa’s expression must have held a hint of the apprehension that she felt about talking to Jon’s parents about this because Lois grinned at her and said, “Don’t worry. We don’t bite – or at least, Clark doesn’t! Seriously, go and talk. When you two are okay with each other, come back. Larissa, there’s a few things Clark and I didn’t tell you about Lex Luthor, but that can wait.” Sunstorm grinned at his mother, bent down and scooped up Larissa, and in less time than it took her to blink, was flying her out the door and into the night sky. “Hope you like heights!” Lois shouted after them. *** Continued in Part 8 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://messenger.yahoo.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 05:09:59 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Irene D." Subject: New Fanfic - Solar Eclipse - Part 8 of 10 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Title: Solar Eclipse Author: Irene Dutchak Parts: Part 8 of 10 Rating: PG Feedback: Both public and private is welcome. Continued from Part 7 Jon tried to hide the goofy grin that he could feel plastered all over his face but he wasn’t too successful at it. He was so happy, soaring through the air, Larissa snugly held in his embrace. He glanced at her again to discover that the rapt expression on her face hadn’t changed from a couple of minutes ago. She was totally absorbed in watching the sights passing by, so far below. For a long moment, he toyed with the idea of taking her on a grand tour – an aerial view of the Grand Canyon, surveying Niagara Falls by moonlight, visiting with the packs of killer whales off the coast, but he wistfully decided that he would be wiser to stay close to home. They needed to talk. Regretfully, he surveyed Metropolis, looking for a quiet place to talk. There. He swooped down and landed in a showy swirl of gold, red and black and set Larissa gently on her feet again. “Wow!” she said as she looked around the deserted park. “Where are we?” “Metropolis Centennial Park,” Jon answered as he did another visual check of the neighbourhood. Good, no one was around. He stepped away from Larissa, spun quickly in place and came to a stop in front of her, dressed as Jon Kent once more. He had the satisfaction of watching her jaw drop. “Wow!” she repeated. “Someday you’re going to have to tell me how you do that!” “It’s a deal.” He grinned at her, feeling suddenly very, very shy. He was put a little bit at ease by her next question. “Does this feel as weird to you as it does to me?” she asked. “What?” “Me knowing that you’re Sunstorm?” “A little bit,” he answered. Pointing to a park bench, he suggested, “Let’s go get comfortable. I’m sure you have a lot of questions for me.” Larissa shook her head before following him over to the bench and sitting down. “A lot of questions?” she replied, wryly. “You’re not kidding. I don’t even know where to start.” “Okay, then, let me start. You’re not mad, are you?” he asked, nervously. “Mad about what?” “Mad that I didn’t tell you before?” Larissa giggled. “Jon, we’ve known each other for a couple of days. When you say ‘before’, exactly how long ago do you mean? I don’t think you could have told me any earlier unless you make a habit of introducing yourself as Jon Kent AKA Sunstorm.” “Valid point.” He grinned at her. “So you’re not angry anymore?” “No, you had a valid point about your family being in danger and, well, now that I’ve calmed down I can see that I helped to force protection on you; you didn’t ask for it yourself so ... not much point in being angry about that anymore. I still feel a little foolish that the glasses fooled me but, well, I hadn’t actually met Sunstorm until tonight so I think I can forgive myself for that.” Jon laughed in relief. “Don’t ever ask Mom how long it took before she found out about Dad. If you did, you’d have a birds-eye view of someone going completely ballistic. We’ve teased her a lot over the years and she’s kind of lost her sense of humour about the whole thing.” “Uh, how long was it? Before she found out, I mean.” “Two years. They were best friends and kind of dating for part of that time too so ... let’s just say, Mom is still a little sensitive about the whole thing even though it was a very long time ago.” Larissa giggled for a moment before turning serious once more. “Actually I do have a question for you.” ”Go ahead.” “How do you feel about telling me? Are you angry with yourself? Are you worried that I’ll tell someone?” she asked, seriously. “No, I wanted you to know from the moment I met you. I can’t even begin to explain how much I trusted you >from the start. I love you, and I fell in love with you the second you told me off in that alley and called me an ‘idiot’.” “Jon, I don’t know what to say. You know that I’ve got problems that I have to deal with before I can respond properly to you. I feel like I’m ... damaged goods, like I’m not good enough for you. I failed my sister and I failed my father. I couldn’t save either one of them. I know logically that I wasn’t even physically there for either death, but I still feel responsible.” Jon took Larissa’s hand in his and squeezed it gently. “You underestimate yourself. You are very strong. You’ve had a horrible tragedy in your life, but you still graduated college, and you’ve made a name for yourself in the agency. You’re not inferior in any way, shape or form. You survived something that many people would not have. Don’t put yourself down for it.” She rested her head against his shoulder. “I’ll try not to, Jon. Thanks.” Feeling very daring, Jon turned to her and gently tipped her face up to his. He looked her in the eyes for a long moment before tenderly kissing her. At first, she didn’t respond to the kiss at all, but then to his surprise and delight, she hooked her arm around his neck and slid a little closer to him as her lips opened under his gentle pressure. He felt his heart starting to race and his breath catch in his throat. He nearly lost all of his rather tenuous self-control when he heard her moan quietly into his open mouth. He forced himself to pull away slightly, breaking the intense kiss, but still holding her close, her head resting once again on his shoulder. “Wow,” he heard himself say softly. “Wow,” he heard her echo. “If that’s how you kiss when you don’t feel able to respond, I’m not sure if I’ll survive when you do feel like you can!” Larissa giggled. “It was pretty spectacular, wasn’t it?” “Yes, it was.” Jon resisted the temptation to kiss her again. Instead he got to his feet and extended a hand to her. “It’s getting late. Shall we head back to my place and talk more in the morning?” “I think we better.” Jon effortlessly pulled Larissa to her feet. He hooked an arm around her waist. “It’s a nice night. Would you rather walk or fly?” He secretly hoped that she would choose the first option. Flying would get them home quickly and he didn’t want this night to end. “It is a nice night. Let’s walk,” she answered to his delight. “But first ...” “What?” Larissa turned to him, her eyes mysterious in the moonlight. “Kiss me again,” she requested, solemnly. He hurried to comply, all his attention completely focused on her, blocking out all external distractions. *** Jon and Larissa entered the dark apartment. The message light was blinking on his answering machine. Jon hit ‘Replay’ and the frantic sounds of his mother’s voice filled the room. “Jon!” Lois exclaimed, very agitated. “Your uncle Bernie was dumped on our doorstep while we were at Sam and Astrid’s – he’s going to be okay, but he was heavily drugged. We think it was truth serum. They got the combination to the vault from him, and they’ve got the Kryptonite. He even told them what we use it for! You and Larissa better get over here now!” The answering machine clicked off. Jon looked at Larissa, worry written all over his face. “I can’t believe I forgot all about the bad guys.” Larissa opened her mouth to respond when she was interrupted. ”Oh, it wouldn’t do to forget about us, Mr. Kent.” Larissa spun around to see two men emerge from the shadows. The one who had spoken was of average height but he had a very big gun pointed in their direction. The other man was huge. Larissa turned to look at Jon only to stare in disbelief as he collapsed slowly to the floor with a groan. “I gather you’ve never seen Kryptonite before, Ms. Lewis. Rather pretty, isn’t it?” the gunman asked sarcastically as he displayed a large chunk of rock resting in the palm of his other hand. Larissa swallowed hard, mesmerized by the sickly green glow. “And now, Ms. Lewis, my boss has requested the pleasure of your company. You and Mr. Kent are invited to join him. Any questions?” Larissa shook her head, her worry about Jon the only thing keeping her panic in check. The other man hoisted Jon to his shoulder with an audible grunt. “Shall we go?” the gunman asked, gesturing at the door with his gun. Her heart pounding and her gorge rising in her throat, Larissa blindly followed the large man out the door, watching Jon as he lay unconscious across the big man’s shoulder, his arms dangling limply. *** “Come in! Please! Come and join me!” Larissa glared at the incongruously jolly elderly man as he heartily greeted them in thickly accented English. The large man carrying Jon dumped him unceremoniously onto the cement floor in front of a pair of chairs. Then he moved to flank the senior citizen who sat at a desk facing the chairs. The guard’s gaze never wavered from Larissa as he pulled a gun out of his jacket pocket and pointed it at her. The second man stayed near the entrance at the other end of the small room. He still held the Kryptonite loosely in his hand. “Sit down, Ms. Lewis. Make yourself comfortable while we wait for Mr. Kent to join us once again. I think Sergey is far enough away for him to partially recover >from the Kryptonite. He should regain consciousness soon. In the meantime, would you like a grape? They’re delicious – only $1.28 a pound.” He proffered the fruit invitingly in front of her. “What do you want from us?” Larissa asked, ignoring his question. “No, no, no, Ms. Lewis. I’m going to wait for Mr. Kent before I answer that one. How about a banana? Only .99 cents a pound. They’re very good for you.” “No, thank you,” Larissa replied icily. Jon groaned. Larissa went to move out of her chair, only to hear the large guard tell her to stop. She could see his trigger finger start to move, and she froze in place. “No, no, Anatoly. It’s all right,” his boss admonished him. “Go ahead, Ms. Lewis. See to Mr. Kent.” Larissa knelt beside Jon, ignoring the others, focusing on him alone. “Jon, can you hear me?” His eyes fluttered open. “What happened? I feel like someone drove a steamroller over me.” “That would be the Kryptonite, Mr. Kent,” the old man pointed out, helpfully. “If you would sit in the chair beside Ms. Lewis, all will be explained.” With Larissa’s help, Jon managed to crawl to a chair. Larissa sat as close to him as she could get. “Are you comfortable?” the elderly man asked. Jon glared at him angrily, as he sat awkwardly hunched over in the chair, clutching himself, in a great deal of pain from the close proximity of the Kryptonite. Larissa laid her one arm lightly over his shoulders, also glaring at the old man. “Good!” the boss replied, ignoring the angry looks. “Before I explain everything, would you like an orange? You know, before I left the Ukraine, I had only ever eaten one orange in my life. Can you believe it? Now I can’t get enough.” “Would you mind cutting to the chase?” Jon asked, his voice raspy and strained sounding. “Of course. I am Leon – Lucky Leon – you’ve probably heard of me.” Jon and Larissa looked at each other, shrugged, and then turned back to Leon and shook their heads. “No,” he sounded disappointed. “The inventor of the Desk Friend?” He picked up a nondescript desk organizer and flourished it. At their blank looks, he continued, “The Bath Friend? The Golf Friend?” Again, he held up a rather bizarre looking contraption then pointed to a large unusual looking unit pushed up against the wall as he named the second item. >From his hunched over position, Jon spoke up hesitantly, “I’m sorry, Mr. Leon ...” “Just Leon.” “I’m sorry, Leon, but I’ve never heard of you or of those ‘Friend’ things.” Leon turned to the guard beside him. “You see what I mean, Anatoly. You make one little mistake, you go to jail, and then, it’s like no one has ever heard of you in your life. It’s not right, is it?” The guard nodded in agreement, his lips curling into a thin smile of agreement. He had the coldest eyes that Larissa had ever seen. She felt herself shiver a bit in response to the renewed surge of fear travelling through her system. Leon turned back to Jon and Larissa, his jovial expression changing in an instant to one far more serious. “I was an inventor, but now, it is as if my inventions had never existed. I left even less of a mark in my other profession.” “And that was?” Larissa prompted, curiously. Leon inspected his fingernails then buffed them against the material of his jacket. “Oh, I was a part time assassin and arms dealer,” he informed them casually as he leaned back comfortably in his chair. “Oh,” Jon said, blankly. “So, what does this have to do with me?” “Ah, now we get to the more interesting part of my story. Now you will see the full genius of my plan to leave um, a lasting memorial after I am gone.” Both the guards snickered for a moment, distracting Larissa’s attention momentarily from the strange old man in front of her. She had a feeling that she wasn’t going to like the rest of the story. “You see, Mr. Kent, I was captured by Superman and Lois Lane, your parents. Just because I hijacked a nuclear missile, no other reason,” he finished, in mock indignation. Jon opened his mouth to speak but Leon held up his gnarled, wrinkled hand, stopping him. “No, Mr. Kent. Do not bother to protest. Your reaction to the Kryptonite proves that Superman is your father.” Jon glanced quickly at Larissa, worry written plainly over his features. He turned back to Leon. “If you knew, why did you send your people after me? You must have known that they’d be captured.” Leon waved one hand airily in the air. “Ah, that was just part of the genius of my plan. I had some internal housekeeping that needed to be done; I needed to deal with some troublemakers in my organization who were causing me many problems. I assure you, Mr. Kent, none of those thugs were missed in the slightest.” “How did you find out – about my dad, I mean?” Leon smiled, his jolly countenance slipping easily back into place. “I love this country, America. In the Ukraine, when I was a boy, you did something wrong ... Boom, boom! You were dead. Here, it is different. You do something wrong, you get a lawyer, you go to jail. They feed you, they look after you and they give you all your civil rights. You wish to write a letter – you can. You wish to read a newspaper – you can. I wrote to many other people who your parents put in jail. I wrote to one man many letters and he wrote many to me. His name was Jason Mazik. Do you recognise the name?” Jon shook his head slowly. “Should I?” Leon laughed. “It looks like your parents did not talk to you enough as you were growing up, Mr. Kent. I would guess that you have never heard of Diana Stride either.” Again, Jon shook his head. “I wrote many letters to her, too. They had much information to share with me. Both of these people knew that Clark Kent was really Superman but they were not able to prove it. It was very interesting, having this information. I had a lot of time to plan what I was going to do when I got out of jail. I thought about killing your father and mother, Mr. Kent,” Leon continued, still speaking in the same casual fashion, “but I had a much better idea. I decided to punish them rather than to kill them. What better punishment but to kill one of their children and remove the hope of ever having descendants to follow after them.” “I have a brother. I have sisters. My parents are grandparents. There are others to follow after me and after them,” Jon said, defiantly. But Larissa could feel him start to tremble underneath her arm. Leon laughed once again. “You forget, Mr. Kent, I have the Kryptonite and now,” he paused, obviously savouring the words,” and now, there will be no one else to follow after Lois Lane and Superman.” “I don’t understand,” Larissa said, softly. “It’s quite simple, my dear, and quite an elegant punishment. When we questioned Dr. Klein, we only wanted the location of the Kryptonite – the last known piece of Kryptonite in the world - and we wanted access to it. What a gift - this other information we got from him. The Kryptonite is needed for a medical treatment that makes it possible for Kryptonians to conceive a child with Humans. Blood needs to be taken >from the Kryptonian to create a serum to treat the Human with – otherwise no conception can take place. Well, as you must know, Ms. Lewis, you can’t take blood from a Kryptonian without Kryptonite. Therefore, no Kryptonite – no future Kryptonians.” Continued in Part 9 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://messenger.yahoo.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 05:10:10 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Irene D." Subject: New Fanfic - Solar Eclipse - Part 9 of 10 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Title: Solar Eclipse Author: Irene Dutchak Parts: Part 9 of 10 Rating: PG Feedback: Both public and private is welcome. Continued from Part 8 Larissa felt her mouth drop open in horror. “But that’s genocide,” she heard herself say. “No, that’s a wonderful lasting memorial – a memorial to me. I will not be known as the man who killed Superman. I will be known as the man who killed Superman’s dreams and his will and his hopes for successors. Enough. Enjoy your last few hours together. When the door is closed, there is enough oxygen in here for five hours. This room is soundproof, lead-lined and very well hidden. I will be kind to you, though.” He paused and smiled, very self-satisfied. “I will leave you all the fruit. Make sure you try the cherries. They’re very sweet.” With a smug grin, he left the room, the two guards behind backing slowly out of the room, guns trained on both Larissa and Jon. The heavy door started to close. “Oh, dear, we nearly forgot to leave our parting gift,” Leon said, mockingly. Sergey carelessly tossed the Kryptonite into Jon’s lap. Jon moaned in pain as the door slammed shut with a muffled thud. Larissa knocked the Kryptonite from Jon’s lap with a curse. She fell onto the floor, her fingers scrabbling under the desk, trying to recover it. Once she had pushed it into the corner of the small room, she turned to find Jon lying in a fetal position on the floor. She dragged him into the corner farthest >from the Kryptonite, over near the solid door. “Jon, are you okay? Jon?” She shook him, scared at his pallor. His eyes fluttered open, and he groaned as he tried to push himself up to a sitting position. Larissa was quick to help him, propping him up against the wall, sitting beside him and pulling him against her. She was shocked at how cold he was. Frantically, she started rubbing his arms and legs, desperately trying to warm him. “I’m okay,” Jon said, weakly, his voice’s quavering proving his words to be a lie. He started shivering harder, his teeth chattering. Larissa didn’t say anything. She couldn’t; she was too afraid of crying if she did. But she did pull him even closer, opening her arms wide to enclose him in her embrace and curling her body around his. He burrowed as close to her as he could get, his arms slipping naturally around her waist, his grip fierce and tight. Larissa found herself rocking him, humming tunelessly under her breath, as she held him protectively. They stayed in their tight embrace for a long time. Finally, reluctantly, she forced herself to sit up straight and to pull him up to face her. “Better?” she asked, stroking his hair back off his face. “A little.” He didn’t look any better, but Larissa took his response at face value, granting him this one small deception. “Can you sit up okay? I want to look around – see what I can find that might help us.” “Go ahead,” he said, wryly. “You’ll forgive me if I sit back and let you do all the work.” “Yeah, that’s what men always do,” Larissa retorted softly, her heart breaking, “they just sit, twiddling their thumbs while the women lift that barge and tote that bale. I just can’t bring myself to argue with tradition.” She pushed herself up off the floor and headed over to the desk. Jon greeted Larissa’s weak attempt at humour with a wan smile before falling silent once more. “Hey, this Desk Friend isn’t half bad. It’s got a radio,” she switched it on to static and off again quickly, “oh, too bad. No reception down here. Anyway, it has a radio, a stapler, scissors, note pad, pens, rulers, everything you can think of. Hey!” Larissa hefted the stapler in one hand. “If I smash the Kryptonite, will that change anything?” “Not really,” Jon admitted, reluctantly. “Instead of one big chunk, there’d just be lots of little chunks. Besides, even if we could, we can’t destroy the Kryptonite. If we did, there would be no more kids born in my family.” “So, Leon wasn’t lying,” Larissa said, her eyes still searching the desk for anything that might help them. “I hoped that he was, but from your reaction, I guessed that he wasn’t.” “No, he wasn’t lying,” Jon said, softly, losing even more colour from his face. Larissa hadn’t thought that he could get any paler but he kept proving her wrong in that regard. Larissa didn’t see anything else on the desk besides the Desk Friend and the Bath Friend. Other than the scissors – and that was a long shot – she didn’t see anything that might help them. She sighed, grasped the scissors and headed back to stand beside Jon. It didn’t look good when she examined the door. It was smooth with no keyhole, more like a bank vault door than anything else but at the same time not enough like a vault door to do them any good. Leon must have had it custom made, Larissa thought idly to herself. She had never seen a door like this before. If it had been a vault door, they would have had no problem. She had been trained to open those. She turned to examine the wall. It felt like plaster. When she found a crack, she dug one blade of the scissors in and pried loose a tiny piece. It was plaster. Good. Nice and brittle. Slowly and methodically, Larissa started chipping away at the wall, opening a small hole. She glanced over at Jon. He was paying no attention but was slumped against the wall, breathing torturously. “So, tell me what it’s like having Superman as your dad,” she requested, hoping to keep him distracted >from his pain. “Huh?” He looked up at her, his eyes dazed and feverish. “Oh, okay. Well, I didn’t know that my dad was Superman for a long time. It was my Uncle Jimmy who let the cat out of the bag ...” *** Larissa peered into the four-inch deep hole in the plaster and cursed yet again. Leon hadn’t lied about the lead lined room either. She had been able to dent the lead by hammering it with the stapler but then she had discovered what Leon hadn’t told her. Steel. Underneath the lead. What the heck was she going to do now? She glanced down at Jon once again. He had long ago fallen silent, and was now lying limply on the floor, his breath slowly rasping in and out. She could even hear his chest gurgling, his lungs obviously filling with fluid. Time was running out in more ways than one. She figured that there was only three hours of oxygen left but she doubted Jon would still be alive when they finally ran out of air. She looked around the room desperately, her eyes travelling over the desk and its contents until her gaze stopped at the Golf Friend. She didn’t imagine that there was anything there that might help but she had no other ideas. She was there in two quick strides, examining it minutely. Nothing. Just some golf clubs and balls, some microcircuits and a whole bunch of plastic - just a pile of junk! Wait! Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the golf clubs once again and then at the Kryptonite. It was possible, maybe, she conceded to herself – if they were very, very lucky. It was a big ‘if’, she knew but there was literally nothing else she could do. She pulled a golf club out of its holder, ran back to Jon and sat down beside him, the club in her lap. She examined the rubber handgrip carefully and then reached for the scissors. It only took about two minutes for her to strip all the rubber off the end of the club. She smiled to herself. She had been right. The golf club was hollow and the inside was made of a different metal than the stainless steel exterior. She didn’t know what the inner metal was, but ... Hefting the stapler, she headed for the Kryptonite. She put it on the desk and was about to bash it as hard as she could when she was struck by a stray thought. She didn’t want pieces of it shooting all over the room when it shattered. She looked around but didn’t see anything that might help with that. For a moment she looked longingly at Jon’s shirt. That would do, but she couldn’t bring herself to strip him of one ounce of protection against the cold and damp in this little room. Sighing, she stripped her blouse off and wrapped the Kryptonite in it before pounding the heck out of it with the stapler. With bated breath, she unwrapped it to discover a multitude of tiny, sparkling rocks, all still glowing with that same, sickly green colour. She smiled tightly to herself and scooped handfuls of the crushed rock carefully into the hollow end of the golf club. All the pieces fit with room to spare. She was about to put her blouse back on when she noticed tiny little green sparkles still stuck to it. She cursed yet again and looked around for someplace to dispose of it. Finally, in desperation, she put it in the farthest corner from Jon and piled the other golf clubs on top. She didn’t know what to do about the club with the Kryptonite in it. She had no more metal to jam in the hollow end. Finally, she stuffed all the bits of rubber into it, taped the whole mess securely, and pushed the opened end up against the wall – again, as far away from Jon as possible. She slowly moved back to Jon and sat down beside his prone body. She wondered what else she could do as she rubbed his cold arms briskly with her hands. There was nothing else left that she could do, she decided. Getting colder all the time, she watched Jon for a long time, looking for any sign that his condition was improving. Nothing. Sighing, she lay down next to Jon and slid as close to him as possible, sliding his one arm underneath her and placing her head on his shoulder. She tugged his other arm over her and wrapped herself around him as best she could. She closed her eyes, too tired to cry and settled herself to wait. *** “Mmm, this is a nice way to wake up!” “Wha ...?” Larissa reluctantly opened her eyes and blearily looked at Jon. His smiling face slowly came into focus. “You’re better!” she exclaimed, sitting up abruptly. “Well, if I wasn’t feeling better before, I would now with the view you’re giving me,” he said happily as he eyed her appreciatively. Larissa looked down at herself then blushed. She had forgotten that her bra – thankfully, a plain cotton one – was her only garment from the waist up. “I got Kryptonite dust all over my blouse ...” she started to stammer. “What did you do to the Kryptonite? I feel better, not great but a lot better.” Jon pushed himself up to a sitting position against the wall. Larissa hastily explained, pointing to the heap of golf clubs in the far corner. Jon grinned at her, pulled her close and kissed her heartily. “You are brilliant! Brains and beauty in one package. I knew there was more than one reason I fell for you!” Larissa blushed again at the obvious appreciation in his voice. “Uh, I hate to break this up. Normally I’d encourage you to continue because I like hearing good things about myself, but are your powers back? We’re running out of time.” Jon closed his eyes in concentration. “A little bit. I don’t know if it will be enough, though.” He clambered up to his feet and stood still, his hands clutching at the wall, the colour draining from his face once more. Larissa hastily jumped up and lent him her shoulder for support. “Oh, I’m dizzy,” he moaned. “Here, sit back down,” she urged, worried. He hastily complied and propped himself against the wall once more. Larissa watched as the colour slowly came back into his face. “Maybe you could lie on your back and push against the door with your feet.” Jon shrugged. “It’s worth a try. Right now, I sure can’t take a running leap at it. I’d only end up flat on my back anyway.” He looked around the room. “You have to back up. The door should open out, but the plaster around it might fall back into the room. I don’t want you to get hurt. Plus, if this works, we can’t forget the Kryptonite.” Larissa nodded and hurried to comply. She watched, her heart in her mouth as Jon positioned his feet against the heavy door and took a couple of deep breaths. Wanting to help him but knowing she couldn’t, she offered, “Do you want a three-count?” He craned his head back to see her, smiled and nodded. “Okay, then. One, two, three ...” On the count of three, Jon pushed hard, his face turning purple from the strain. From where she stood, she could see the veins and tendons standing out on his neck. CRACK! Jon screamed hoarsely as the door slowly toppled backwards leaving a gaping hole. “What?” Larissa ran to him and crouched beside him as he writhed in agony on the floor. His face was contorted in pain. Tears mingled with sweat and ran down past his ears to disappear into his hairline. “I broke my leg,” he grunted when he could catch his breath. “Oh, God, yes, you did!” she exclaimed as she caught sight of the unnatural angle of his right leg. “Go!” he exclaimed, his voice rasping in his throat. “Go for help. I’ll be fine here.” “No, they might come back. I’m not leaving you.” “No, you have to go. Take the Kryptonite. Please,” he begged, almost sobbing. “Shut up, Jon and let me get to work.” Larissa bent down and kissed him fiercely before getting up and gathering the supplies she needed. *** Lois paced up and down in Jon’s living room in the early dawn light. Four of the world’s five super-heroes swooped in together and lined up in front of her. “Well? Any sign of them?” she demanded. Her husband stepped forward out of the line and pulled his wife close to his chest. “No,” he said, grimly. “And there’s no sign of the Kryptonite either, I suppose.” Her voice was bleak. “No,” her husband repeated, softly. “Oh, God, Clark, kids! What are we going to do?” Lois looked up at her husband in despair only to see that very familiar, head cocked to one side look. She quickly glanced at her children to see the very same posture. “What? What is it?” she asked impatiently. “It’s her. At least, I think it is,” Clark said, a quizzical expression on his face. Vicky suddenly snickered as her father turned bright red. “What? What is it?” Lois asked again, frantic and desperate with worry. Sam grinned. “You should hear what she just called Dad! She sounds like one very ticked off lady.” Clark quickly scooped his wife up into his arms. Without another word, he led the way out the open window, his children following behind exchanging amused glances. “She’s got a rather impressive vocabulary,” Marty pointed out to her siblings. “What? What did she say?” Continued in Part 10 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://messenger.yahoo.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 05:10:21 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Irene D." Subject: New Fanfic - Solar Eclipse - Part 10 of 10 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Title: Solar Eclipse Author: Irene Dutchak Parts: Part 10 of 10 Rating: PG Feedback: Both public and private is welcome. Continued from Part 9 “There!” Lois cried, pointing into the distance. “There they are!” Superman and his wife, Starfire, Nightwind and Shadow all came swooping in for a landing. They were dumbfounded, staring at the two figures in front of them. Larissa stood glaring angrily at them, Jon’s unconscious body slung across her two shoulders, filthy dirty, half naked – her blouse missing and the skirt she had been wearing earlier at Sam and Astrid’s house mysteriously shortened by a large margin. “It took you long enough,” she spat out. “I must have called you at least a minute ago.” Lois looked up at her husband to see his jaw slowly drop open. Shakily, she knelt down to lay Jon onto the grass. Superman started to move forward to help her with her burden. “Stop!” she commanded. “Lois, get over here. There’s Kryptonite. You and I have to deal with that first. Marty, why don’t you go get Dr. Klein? Take him to Jon’s. Sam, go get something for us to put the Kryptonite in. Clark, once we’re out of the way with the Kryptonite – you take Jon home. Be careful of his leg. It’s broken. I set it as best as I could but I don’t think it’s quite right.” “What do you want me to do?” Vicky asked, hesitantly. “I’m going to need a ride in a few minutes. Until then, why don’t you hang around and look pretty?” Larissa snapped. She looked pointedly at Marty and Sam. “Well, what are you waiting for?” They looked blankly at each other and then took off without a word. Lois ran to her son. He was unconscious, covered in a fine white dust. She could see cleaner lines where tears had run down his face, cutting through the dirt. Even in repose, his face was contorted in pain. He had a golf club splinted to his leg with strips of material that Lois recognised as matching Larissa’s skirt. “Where’s the Kryptonite?” she asked. “Here.” Lois watched as Larissa untied the golf club from Jon’s leg. Beckoning to Lois, they moved away, back >from Jon and back from Clark and Vicky. “It’s in here. I smashed it up and stuffed it in here. The club’s lined with a lead alloy – graphite, I think. It’s not pure lead but it did the trick. But the end’s open. I couldn’t do anything about that.” Lois took the club from Larissa and looked at her in wonder. “You saved my son. He would have died ...” “He nearly did die. We both did.” Larissa looked at Lois, anguish written all over her face. “I had to save him. I couldn’t let anyone else die, Lois. I couldn’t let anyone else I care about die.” And for the first time since she and Jon had been kidnapped, Larissa dissolved in tears, Jon’s mother’s arms wrapped tightly around her. “I couldn’t let Jon die,” she sobbed, over and over again. Lois held her, patting her back and crooning under her breath. She caught Clark’s eye and waved him towards their son. He nodded and scooped Jon, still unconscious, up into his arms. *** When they finally got back to Jon’s apartment, Sam was there, waiting with Dr. Klein who had fortunately recovered completely from his ordeal of the night before. He did a quick examination of Jon to determine that, although she had done her best, Larissa hadn’t set Jon’s leg properly. Unfortunately, Dr. Klein had needed to re-expose Jon briefly to the Kryptonite while he and Lois set the leg correctly. For obvious reasons, Clark and the others had not helped, preferring to keep a safe distance away. Throughout the whole procedure, Larissa had kept a tight, protective hold on Jon, refusing to leave him until it was over. Even then, Lois had to almost physically drag her away, promising that she could check on Jon after a much needed bath. Lois hadn’t needed to make good on her promise; Larissa had fallen asleep in the bathtub. Marty had rescued her from drowning, dried her off with her heat vision and then carried her to bed. When Larissa woke up, she had no idea how she had ended up there. Setting his broken leg had stripped the last bit of his energy from Jon. The healing was well progressed but he wouldn’t be fully recovered for a while yet. He was still pretty grubby. His father had cleaned him up as best he could but hadn’t wanted to disturb him too much. “You’re looking better.” Jon looked up to see Larissa paused shyly in the door of his bedroom. She had slept for a few hours, as had he although they both still looked pretty rough. “Thanks.” He waved her in. She perched awkwardly on the side of his bed. “I could say you’re looking better, too, but I kind of prefer what you were wearing the last time I saw you.” He grinned at her wickedly, intentionally trying to keep the mood light and upbeat. Larissa blushed under his knowing gaze. “Gee, thanks. Well, even if you did like my attire from before, I must say I prefer what I’m wearing now.” Her hands smoothed her nightgown and robe. Jon’s smile faded. “Larissa, you saved my life. We’d be dead right now if it weren’t for you.” “I only did half the job,” Larissa pointed out. “You got us out.” “But I wouldn’t have been able to if you hadn’t dealt with the Kryptonite. That was absolutely brilliant.” “Thanks, you said that before. You can tell me again later if you want to but for now, I thought you’d like to hear what’s been going on while you and I were slacking off.” Larissa grinned at him before continuing, her expression more serious now. “Your uncle Bernie said that you should be feeling almost completely recovered by tonight although your broken leg won’t be completely healed until tomorrow morning. You should be careful not to jostle your leg – he just splinted it. He said there wasn’t much point to a cast. As far as your powers are concerned, well, you were pretty badly exposed to the Kryptonite. Maybe tomorrow, maybe the next day.” She smiled and shook her head. “I still can’t believe you heal that fast but ... Anyway,” she continued, “ he was quite happy that we got the Kryptonite back. He’s actually quite pleased that it’s in so many pieces. He said something about locking it up in more than one place so that there’s always a back-up piece available. Your dad’s put it all in a couple of different safe places – well wrapped in lead, of course. He told your brother and your sisters where it is, but he wouldn’t tell your uncle or your mom. He said he wanted to be careful in case someone else got the bright idea of drugging either one of them again. Your mom’s a little ticked off about that but keeps saying she understands but I don’t think she does, not really. I assume he’ll tell you about it later.” “Good. That’s a relief. I was so worried.” Jon grinned. “Mom’s going to be hard for him to live with for a few days, though.” He chuckled as he pondered exactly how frustrated his mother would be over the whole situation. She needed to know everything, normally. This would drive her nuts! He ran his hands through his hair before asking his next question. “Did Mom and Dad catch Leon yet?” “No, he and Anatoly and Sergey are long gone. I’ve got the Bureau looking for them too, but ... so far, no sign of them.” “So, there’s at least three bad guys running around who know about my family.” “There were at least three bad guys who knew about you before. Now, you at least know about the problem,” Larissa pointed out, logically. “Yeah, but still ...” he shrugged, frustrated. Larissa leaned over and kissed him lightly on the lips. “What’s that for?” he asked, pleased. “Oh, I just wanted to get your attention,” she replied, mock-innocently. “You’ve got it.” He leaned back into his pillow, a big grin plastered on his face. He was glad to see her in a light-hearted mood. He had been worried about her, too. “Jon?” Larissa said. “Getting back to what happened in the vault ... You know, I discovered something last night – something I never really knew about myself,” she said, tentatively. “I discovered that I’m actually a very strong person.” She looked up nervously, meeting his eyes for a second before looking down again. “I didn’t know that, before,” she said, seriously. “I surprised myself.” Jon shook his head in disbelief. “You didn’t know? You’re the strongest woman I’ve ever met – with the possible exception of my mother. I still can’t believe how you ...” he paused, momentarily at a loss for words, “how you just handled everything. You were magnificent. A rough night the night before, a busy day, making an, an emotional breakthrough like you did, finding out your new friend moonlights in tights, getting kidnapped, thinking you’re going to die, and then, saving both our lives. Then, and I still can’t believe you did this, you carried me out of there like I was a sack of potatoes. If having the Kryptonite near me hadn’t hurt so much, I think I would have liked to stay awake to see it! As it is,” he spread his hands wide, “I think I’m glad I missed it.” Jon paused, grinned slyly at her, claimed her hand with his and continued, “And then, according to Sam, Marty and Vicky, you proceeded to curse out Superman like they’ve never heard before. Plus, you ordered my family around like a drill sergeant. They told me ALL about it!” Larissa groaned and buried her flaming cheeks in her hands. “I still can’t believe I said what I did, Jon. I think it was the adrenalin rush. To think I was feeling so nervous, knowing your dad’s also Superman. I guess this kind of broke the ice a bit.” She giggled but then looked up at him, her dark eyes flashing in indignation. “I was just so, so angry. You were in so much pain and then I had to hurt you more when I tried to set your leg. And then splinting your leg with the golf club that had the Kryptonite in it ... What was I thinking? But I didn’t want to leave it behind in case they came back.” She shook her head. “I guess I wasn’t thinking very clearly at that point,” she admitted ruefully. “Actually, Uncle Bernie said that if you hadn’t kept the Kryptonite near me, the bones in my leg would have started to knit together the wrong way and he would have had to reset it, so it worked out really well in the long run. I don’t think I would have enjoyed having him re-break my bones.” “Really? I must have missed that this morning when he was talking to you. I was kind of uh, out of it.” “I know. You could barely stand up, but you still made sure that I was okay,” Jon said, softly. “I don’t know how to thank you.” He pulled her into a warm embrace but then released her quickly. He didn’t want her to feel as if he were pressuring her. “You don’t have to thank me, Jon. You’re my friend and ...” She looked at him shyly before looking down at her hands lying idly in her lap. “And?” he asked with bated breath. “Jon, I had a lot of time to think when we were trapped,” she said, changing the subject, much to his frustration. She continued, her words halting and tentative. “What happened to my family was awful. I wanted to die, too. I missed my mom, my dad and ... Ronnie,” she whispered the last word and had to clear her throat before continuing,” But, Jon, they would have been the first to tell me that it wasn’t my fault. They would have hated to see how much I punished myself for surviving something that they didn’t. It took being kidnapped and threatened with death for me to realise that I don’t want to die. Not only do I not want to die, I don’t want to ... to just exist, either. I want more out of life than that.” “And?” Jon asked, leaning forward and taking her hands in his. She smiled, squeezed his hands gently and continued, “And, well, if your offer’s still open, I want to take you up on it.” “My offer?” “Your offer to be there for me.” “You know I meant it. I mean to be a good friend to you, Larissa.” He smiled, trying to hide his disappointment. For a moment there, he thought she had meant something else. “That’s not what I mean, Jon. I decided I want more >from you. I want you, Jon and I’m hoping you still want me, too.” “You mean it?” Jon asked, in dawning hope. She nodded. “I love you, Jon,” she told him, solemnly. “I fell in love with you quicker than, well, quicker than we escaped from that place last night,” she said, a flash of humour asserting itself. “I kept pushing you away because I was scared.” “Scared of what?” ”Scared of what I feel when we do this.” Larissa kissed him then, her lips warm, inviting and soft. Jon pulled her close and felt her hands entwine in his hair. He could hardly believe that she was in his arms and that she was there because she wanted this, too. He felt as if he were dreaming as she plastered his face with frantic kisses. “Oh, Jon, I thought I was going to lose you,” he heard her say in his ear as she stretched herself out full length beside him. He gave as many kisses back to her as she gave him, clutching at her desperately as if to convince himself that she were real, that this was real. He gave in to his passion, caressing her, kissing her, holding her close, but eventually common sense prevailed. It might be a good idea to rein this in a bit, at least until his parents were no longer in his living room. He reluctantly gave her one last kiss before pulling slightly away from her. But he kept her body tucked lightly against his own, not wanting to break all physical contact. “Are you still scared?” he whispered. “No,” she answered throatily. “I could never be scared of you. Not anymore.” “You were scared of me? Why?” “You make me feel ... alive, Jon. And, feeling alive meant I could feel the pain from ... before,” she finished, her voice cracking. “It hurt.” He kissed her forehead tenderly. “Does it still hurt?” “A little, but there’s a lot more joy than pain, now. I miss my family but talking to you about it, and letting myself think about it – that’s really helped a lot. I know I still have a lot to deal with but even so, I feel like a weight’s been pulled off of me. I feel like I could fly,” she finished triumphantly. “Give me a day or two and I’ll give you a hand with that last thing,” he offered, with a lopsided grin. She smacked him lightly on the chest, grinned back and snuggled in close. He closed his arms around her, laid his head back on his pillow and heaved a happy sigh. *** “Let’s not wake them,” Clark said quietly to his wife. “They need their sleep.” He softly closed the door. “For two comatose people, they did look pretty happy,” Lois observed with a slightly wicked grin as they proceeded down the stairs. “I did a quick x-ray of Jon’s leg; it seems to be healing okay,” Clark said, ignoring his wife’s mischievous expression. “Then we can go home? Finally?” Lois asked, impatiently. “Yeah. I just want to write them a note – let them know about the bad guys.” “That had to be the most fortuitous traffic accident I’ve ever heard about in all my days as a journalist. Are you sure you didn’t ...?” she asked, making a nondescript hand gesture. “Lois! After all these years, I’d think you’d know me better than that!” She smiled apologetically before he continued, “No, this one was perfectly innocent and I’m glad. I feel a little better knowing that it was instant, too. None of us even had a chance to save them – which is good. It would have been to tempting to ...” His expression was grim. “No, their bad luck was our good fortune in this case.” He located a pad of paper and a pen, scribbled a quick note and anchored it to the fridge with a magnet. “Serves them right,” Lois said, virtuously. “They should have known better than to go up against my family.” Clark grinned as he led her towards the open window. “Yes, dear. And it looks like we’re going to have a new addition to the family soon. How do you feel about her?” “Well, she’s a bit too intense, and too focused on her career, and I’m not thrilled that she has issues about families, and she certainly seems to have a mouth on her, but I can’t complain about someone who saved our son’s life.” “A bit too intense, huh? Too focused on her career, you say? Hmmm, she reminds me of a certain unnamed reporter I once fell in love with. As soon as I heard her making our son miserable as they walked home together, I knew she was the one for him!” Clark did a quick spin-change and scooped his petite wife up into his arms. “Oh, you did, did you? You’ll have to tell me more as soon as we get home.” Lois giggled as she planted a flurry of kisses on Clark’s neck. “How fast do you think you can get us there?” A loud whoosh was her only answer. Jon and Larissa slept on, undisturbed by the noise. *** Epilogue – Two Weeks Later Lee watched, wide-eyed, as her new Aunt Lissa (Not Larry! Never call her Larry!) and Uncle Jon kissed in front of the judge. She had never been to a wedding before, but this was different from what she had expected. Aunt Lissa didn’t have a veil or a long dress or anything although she was carrying flowers. And they hadn’t wanted to have a flower girl either, Lee pouted to herself. They had said that there wasn’t time to organize a big wedding. But they didn’t have to get married this fast, did they? They could have waited, couldn’t they? Lee didn’t buy it for a minute. She figured it was just like she had heard her new aunt say to her grandma on the night that Lee had first met her. She thought Lee was a freak, just like Mom and Dad and Grandma and Grandpa Kent. She didn’t want a freak in her wedding. But what about Uncle Jon? Wasn’t he a freak too? And what about her Aunt Marty or her Aunt Vicky? There was a lot she couldn’t figure out about this. She’d have to do more thinking about the whole thing. She knew one thing, though. She didn’t like her new aunt very much. It was bad enough that her new aunt didn’t like her, but she was also making her Uncle Jon move to Washington – just because that’s where her job was. Lee was pretty mad. She didn’t want Uncle Jon to not visit her as much any more. Unfortunately, being the self-sufficient little girl that she was, Lee never even thought of discussing any of this with anyone. She kept it all to herself. The End __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://messenger.yahoo.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 09:42:57 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Rowan Fuller Subject: What happened to chapter 4 part 2 of Sunstorm series etc. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi I read Firestorm and the next couple of stories. However real life got in the way and I sort of lost track of the series progression. Anyway I was going down the archives retrieving them all and when I got to chapter 4 I couldn't find the part 2 although it said there should have been a part 2? So please could someone tell me if there is one? Many thanks in advance and if possible could someone give me the full list of the whole series. IMHO Irene should definately win Kerth(s) this year. Rowan :) -- -- -- LaneKent@aol.com http://members.aol.com/lanekent ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 08:18:45 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Irene D." Subject: Re: What happened to chapter 4 part 2 of Sunstorm series etc. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Hi Rowan, Thanks for the feedback. Okay, after 'Firestorm', I wrote 'Starfire and Sunstorm'. There are 10 chapters in total to that story. It'll be downloaded to the archive in the next couple of weeks. But it can also be found at: http://www.simplyorganized.simplenet.com/annesplace.htm in the regular fic section. Okay, you asked for a list of stories set in this continuity. First, of course is 'Firestorm'. It was followed by 'Broccoli Dancing' but I wasn't happy with that story after I submitted it so I revamped it and it became Chapter 9 of the second story - 'Starfire and Sunstorm'. 'Solar Eclipse' is the third story in the series. I do have plans for more, especially since I've been getting wonderful feedback for each of them. At times, I'm still amazed that people actually want to read these next-gen stories! Thanks again, Irene --- Rowan Fuller wrote: > Hi > > I read Firestorm and the next couple of stories. > However real life got in > the way and I sort of lost track of the series > progression. Anyway I was > going down the archives retrieving them all and when > I got to chapter 4 I > couldn't find the part 2 although it said there > should have been a part 2? > So please could someone tell me if there is one? > Many thanks in advance and > if possible could someone give me the full list of > the whole series. > > IMHO Irene should definately win Kerth(s) this year. > > Rowan :) > -- -- -- > > LaneKent@aol.com > http://members.aol.com/lanekent > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://messenger.yahoo.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 12:10:36 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Karen Ward Subject: Re: New Fanfic - Solar Eclipse In-Reply-To: <20000103131021.4701.qmail@web905.mail.yahoo.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Irene, you've outdone yourself! :) I didn't think it could get any better after "Firestorm", but everything of yours I've read since has proven that thought wrong! This story has got to be the best way I've ever rung in the new year! ;) It was packed with the perfect combination of humour, wit, emotion, action, and angst! :) A sure sign of good writing is when it can draw both tears and laughter as this story did -- repeatedly! :) As for the ending . . . well, I thought the first one was incredible, but I *LOVE* the new ending! :) It's more emotional, more action packed, and, well . . . it's just more! I love it (er . . . I think I may have said that already, but I can't stress it enough)! :) Keep the masterpeices coming, Irene! :) Take care, Karen :) ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 18:58:42 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "=?iso-8859-1?q?R.=20Ziegler?=" Subject: Re: Fanfic Teaser: When the Night Falls MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Karen, this is great...please more soon!! :) Ren __________________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Gesendet von Yahoo! Mail - http://mail.yahoo.de Yahoo! Auktionen - gleich ausprobieren - http://auktionen.yahoo.de ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 13:00:01 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Rose Cookson Subject: Re: Fanfic Teaser: When the Night Falls MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I NEED MORE! I NEED MORE! OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE POST THE REST!!!!!!! Rose ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 13:19:02 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Rowan Fuller Subject: Re: What happened to chapter 4 part 2 of Sunstorm series etc. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Thank you I have spent the last afternoon of the UK public holiday reading chatpers 2-10 (I read the others at the time) and am about to start on your latest story. I am pleased to hear that you are going to write more as I was starting to feel sad as they drew to a close. Rowan :) -- -- -- LaneKent@aol.com http://members.aol.com/lanekent ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 11:19:19 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Cynthia Haste Subject: Re: New Fanfic - Solar Eclipse MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Irene, The new ending was great. Even better than the first that you submitted to the boards, which I also thought pretty good. I guess having a little more time to work on it gave you a chance to tidy up a few loose ends. If I ever get a hold of that person who made you post the ending to the board before you were ready, I'll have them flogged for you. You should have just told the people on the board to read the whole thing over, since you made changes start to finish, and all of them were wonderful. S P O I L E R S P A C E I noticed you softened Larissa in many ways throughout the story, from the beginning when she part of the two man team guarding Jon instead of the lead, to the way she blasts Kevin over the dress. That was nice of you. She isn't warm and fuzzy, but she's a little more approachable than in your first draft. The first interview with Lois and Clark was much better, since they didn't ignore the most dangerous LL of all, even though they kept saying that he was dead. I still think coming up with Leon when everyone was thinking Lex was a great idea. I laughed so hard when Larissa was cussing out Clark, and the fact that she was doing it wasn't enough for Lois, Lois also wanted to know what she was saying. All those little things you took the time to expand the whole story with, but in particular the major changes you made to the last section enriched an already excellent story. I'm hoping that since you ended with a little insight into the shaping of Lee's character, that you're getting ready to write about her again. With the next gen of your next gen characters getting older, it shouldn't be long before you write us right into Utopia. Cindy -- Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are good is like expecting the bull not to charge because you are a vegetarian. - Unknown Author Diet tip: Eat a chocolate bar before each meal. It'll take the edge off your appetite and you'll eat less. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 15:30:43 -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 Organization: http://www.geocities.com/~chiefpam/ Subject: Re: Fanfic Teaser: When the Night Falls MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Karen, I'm sorry, now that you've posted this, you will be hounded mercilessly until you finish it. Your free time is now gone, your webpage will have to be neglected -- in fact, you'll be lucky if we give you enough time off to eat We want MORE, NOW! I guessed the premise before I read the synopsis ... wow, what an idea... I can't wait to see what all you've done with it. Can we interest you in the fanfic installment plan? Under this arrangment, you post sections every day or so, and write frantically so that you can stay ahead of us. See, that way you get lots of great feedback every time you post, and we don't have to wait quite so long to see where you're going ... Please?? PJ -- ------------------------------------------------------- Pam Jernigan | jernigan@bellsouth.net ChiefPam on IRC | ChPam on AOL IM ------------------------------------------------------- "Not only was Ivan an idiot, but he generated a telepathic damping field to turn the people nearby into idiots, too." --An exasperated Miles contemplates his cousin in _The Warrior's Apprentice_, by Lois McMaster Bujold ------------------------------------------------------- http://www.geocities.com/~chiefpam ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 12:45:38 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Irene D." Subject: Re: New Fanfic - Solar Eclipse MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Hi Cindy, Thank you so much for the kind feedback. I'm glad that you liked the edited version of this story. Gee, I wonder who that person was who preyed on my fears that the net might go down and then she would never find out what happened next. I can't remember. For some reason, my memory's a little foggy about the whole thing. (/me scratches head, puzzled) Thanks again, Irene (And you want another story? All ready? You've got to be kidding.) --- Cynthia Haste wrote: > Irene, > > The new ending was great. Even better than the > first that you submitted to the > boards, which I also thought pretty good. I guess > having a little more time to > work on it gave you a chance to tidy up a few loose > ends. If I ever get a hold > of that person who made you post the ending to the > board before you were ready, > I'll have them flogged for you. > > You should have just told the people on the board to > read the whole thing over, > since you made changes start to finish, and all of > them were wonderful. > S > P > O > I > L > E > R > > S > P > A > C > E > > I noticed you softened Larissa in many ways > throughout the story, from the > beginning when she part of the two man team guarding > Jon instead of the lead, > to the way she blasts Kevin over the dress. That > was nice of you. She isn't > warm and fuzzy, but she's a little more approachable > than in your first draft. > > The first interview with Lois and Clark was much > better, since they didn't > ignore the most dangerous LL of all, even though > they kept saying that he was > dead. I still think coming up with Leon when > everyone was thinking Lex was a > great idea. > > I laughed so hard when Larissa was cussing out > Clark, and the fact that she was > doing it wasn't enough for Lois, Lois also wanted to > know what she was saying. > > All those little things you took the time to expand > the whole story with, but > in particular the major changes you made to the last > section enriched an > already excellent story. I'm hoping that since you > ended with a little insight > into the shaping of Lee's character, that you're > getting ready to write about > her again. With the next gen of your next gen > characters getting older, it > shouldn't be long before you write us right into > Utopia. > > Cindy > > -- > Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you > are good is like expecting > the bull not to charge because you are a vegetarian. > - Unknown Author > > Diet tip: Eat a chocolate bar before each meal. > It'll take the edge off your > appetite and you'll eat less. > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://messenger.yahoo.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 12:50:14 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Irene D." Subject: Re: New Fanfic - Solar Eclipse MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Thank you, Karen for all your very kind words of praise. If you really enjoyed this as much as you say you did, then please, give yourself a pat on the back too. I wouldn't have written anything if you hadn't told me my idea for 'Firestorm' sounded interesting. Thanks again, Irene (who is anxiously awaiting more of 'When the Night Falls' so she can return the praise to you!) --- Karen Ward wrote: > Irene, you've outdone yourself! :) > > I didn't think it could get any better after > "Firestorm", but everything of > yours I've read since has proven that thought wrong! > > This story has got to be the best way I've ever rung > in the new year! ;) > It was packed with the perfect combination of > humour, wit, emotion, action, > and angst! :) A sure sign of good writing is when > it can draw both tears > and laughter as this story did -- repeatedly! :) > > As for the ending . . . well, I thought the first > one was incredible, but I > *LOVE* the new ending! :) It's more emotional, more > action packed, and, > well . . . it's just more! I love it (er . . . I > think I may have said > that already, but I can't stress it enough)! :) > > Keep the masterpeices coming, Irene! :) > > Take care, > Karen :) > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://messenger.yahoo.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 12:57:13 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Nancy Smith Subject: Re: New Fanfic - Solar Eclipse MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Of course she's not kidding, Irene. No good FoLC would kid about a serious subject like that! Nan Irene D. wrote: > Hi Cindy, > > Thank you so much for the kind feedback. I'm glad that > you liked the edited version of this story. Gee, I > wonder who that person was who preyed on my fears that > the net might go down and then she would never find > out what happened next. I can't remember. For some > reason, my memory's a little foggy about the whole > thing. (/me scratches head, puzzled) > > Thanks again, > Irene > (And you want another story? All ready? You've got to > be kidding.) > > --- Cynthia Haste wrote: > > Irene, > > > > The new ending was great. Even better than the > > first that you submitted to the > > boards, which I also thought pretty good. I guess > > having a little more time to > > work on it gave you a chance to tidy up a few loose > > ends. If I ever get a hold > > of that person who made you post the ending to the > > board before you were ready, > > I'll have them flogged for you. > > > > You should have just told the people on the board to > > read the whole thing over, > > since you made changes start to finish, and all of > > them were wonderful. > > S > > P > > O > > I > > L > > E > > R > > > > S > > P > > A > > C > > E > > > > I noticed you softened Larissa in many ways > > throughout the story, from the > > beginning when she part of the two man team guarding > > Jon instead of the lead, > > to the way she blasts Kevin over the dress. That > > was nice of you. She isn't > > warm and fuzzy, but she's a little more approachable > > than in your first draft. > > > > The first interview with Lois and Clark was much > > better, since they didn't > > ignore the most dangerous LL of all, even though > > they kept saying that he was > > dead. I still think coming up with Leon when > > everyone was thinking Lex was a > > great idea. > > > > I laughed so hard when Larissa was cussing out > > Clark, and the fact that she was > > doing it wasn't enough for Lois, Lois also wanted to > > know what she was saying. > > > > All those little things you took the time to expand > > the whole story with, but > > in particular the major changes you made to the last > > section enriched an > > already excellent story. I'm hoping that since you > > ended with a little insight > > into the shaping of Lee's character, that you're > > getting ready to write about > > her again. With the next gen of your next gen > > characters getting older, it > > shouldn't be long before you write us right into > > Utopia. > > > > Cindy > > > > -- > > Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you > > are good is like expecting > > the bull not to charge because you are a vegetarian. > > - Unknown Author > > > > Diet tip: Eat a chocolate bar before each meal. > > It'll take the edge off your > > appetite and you'll eat less. > > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. > http://messenger.yahoo.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 15:57:50 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Joy Sowell Subject: recent fanfics: comments Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Irene, I loved the revisions in Solar Eclipse. Is it to early to start cheerleading for Solar Flare? Poor Lee, two weeks later and she still thinks Aunt Lissa thinks the family are freaks. Karen, I expect to see more from you in the near future. I'm looking forward to seeing the story unfold. Nan, you know I liked your story. The only thing is, I want more. Tara, I think I told you how happy I was to see the good agent back to normal, well whatever normal is for her. :) Now, when is your next fic due? Felix, that was a very waffy story. Any others?? Alicia and Jessi, why don't you post your stories here too? Wendy,I don't remember if I read FTGG here yet. Hint, hint LabRat, how about one of those works-in-progress?? Ra Ra JOY :) (Who hopes she didn't forget anyone.) ______________________________________________ FREE Personalized Email at Mail.com Sign up at http://www.mail.com?sr=mc.mk.mcm.tag001 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 17:22:13 CST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Jessi Mounts Subject: NEW: Atom Bomb Lane Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed I'm just a bit nervous about posting this here, since it is my first *complete* fanfic, and the first fanfic I've ever posted on this list. Thanks to Chris Mulder, who inspired this with a line in Dimension of Loving; thanks to Ann, for editing; and thanks everyone over at the message boards for being so encouraging about this. Okay, everyone, let me know what you think! Jessi jessi914@hotmail.com Atom Bomb Lane Over the years, the denizens of the Daily Planet had learned that their own local legend, Lois Lane, had three levels of intensity. There was the tornado mode where she became a whirlwind of activity and enthusiasm, tackling anything and everything that displeased her and rearranging it to meet her approval. There was the ever famous Mad Dog Lane who tackled anything that displeased her and ripped it to shreds. And last, the most rare and most dreaded, was the transformation from great star reporter into deadly atom bomb who took everything in her line of sight, be it machinery or living being, and unceremoniously reduced it to ashes. Since the entrance of Clark Kent into Lois’ life, the frequency of the atom bomb days had dwindled into virtual nonexistence, although Lois would have to be strapped to an atom bomb herself to admit to that. It would be safe to say Clark wasn’t even aware such atom bomb days existed until one dreary winter morning when the pleasant sensation he got every time Lois stepped into the newsroom sputtered. He was greeted not by Lois’ beautiful face, but by the sound of a trash can and its contents clattering across the floor. It had been in her path. Now it was not. The sound of the abused trash can was followed by a shrill, “Clark!” Jimmy, who had been engaged in a one-sided conversation with Clark about Jimmy’s latest love interest, cringed visibly. “Uh, I’ll just go find, um, thing...Ralph...wanted about that, uh, thing. Yeah, well, see ya.” Traitor, Clark thought at the figure disappearing with his tail between his legs. Taking a deep breath, Clark turned his attention to the figure now very rapidly approaching. “Good morning, Lois,” he greeted, tentatively holding out a cup of coffee. Lois swatted the coffee out of the way, ignoring the dark brown splotches now seeping into the papers on Clark’s desk. “Don’t you good morning me! Why didn’t you move that?” Clark stared, justifiably confused. “The coffee?” “No! That- that thing!” she roared, motioning in the general direction of the dented trash can. “You knew I was coming. I always do, same time, same place, every day. And *someone* put that thing in my way. So why didn’t you move it?” “I-” “And why aren’t you working? Do you have any idea how many deadlines we have to meet today? Oh, I know. Good old Lois, always there to pick up your slack.” As Lois paused for a breath, Clark pounced at his chance of escape. “Lois, I’ve gotta go ask Perry about a deadline. Be right back.” And with that, he followed Jimmy’s example of retreat and made a beeline for Perry’s office. Once inside, he slammed the door shut and planted himself in front of it, as if Lois were going to try to break it down any minute. “Chief,” he gasped, unable to think of anything else to do, “Lois thinks there’s a conspiracy to murder her with a trash can. Perry briefly looked up, unfazed. “Well, son, I’d say she’s upset.” “Upset?” Clark peered through the open blinds at this fire and nail spitting woman he’d left to simmer at his desk. “She tried to scald me to death with coffee!” Perry set his reading down and looked Clark squarely in the eyes. “You know, not even the King was psychic.” Clark blinked a couple of times, trying to decipher this newest piece of advice. “Are you saying I should find out what’s wrong?” “Unless you’ve got some other ideas...” Having none, Clark turned to leave his protection, only to be greeted by an enthusiastic, “Hey CK!” Clark watched as Jimmy deserted him for the second time that morning, sticking around only long enough to call over his shoulder, “Ralph says to find a fallout shelter!” Fallout shelters. And psychic Elvises. What next? His dad was right, Clark reflected with a weary sigh. Metropolis is nuts. But then again, so was Smallville. Metropolis, for example, didn’t have a jubilant festival every time a new crop was ready for harvest. What made Metropolis, rather than Smallville, or Nigeria, or anywhere else, a near necessity to survive was the woman- -who was now inches from his face, looking anything but romantic. “Clark, don’t go run to Perry for protection! He won’t save you. We’re getting this work done. Now!” Clark have her an exasperated sigh. “Can we talk?” Lois rigidly folded her arms, not looking particularly open to conversation. “Fine. Talk.” “In there,” Clark said pointedly, tipping his head toward the vacant conference room. Lois considered this briefly and finally gave him a look which implied she was making one the world’s greatest sacrifices. “Fine,” she muttered, and stormed off to the conference room, leaving Clark to catch up if he could, close the door, and finally turn to ask the question he hoped would solve the mysterious problem. “What’s wrong, Lois?” “What wrong? What’s wrong?” The exclamation, to Clark’s ears, was alarmingly broken and tearful. “Well, let’s see. The laundromat stole two of my best outfits; the toaster oven caught on fire; I got pulled over on the way here; and I’ve got an awful headache and no sleep at all last night, and Clark, there’s *so* much to do. By the end of her list, the strength in Lois’ voice had evaporated into a tearful whisper. “Hey, don’t worry, it’s all right,” Clark murmured. His earlier irritation replaced by aching sympathy, he reached out to brush a stray hair off her cheek. “You can stay in here and take a nap if you want, and I’ll-” He stopped abruptly, startled by the feel of the skin under his fingertips. “Lois, you’re burning up!” Lois shook her head violently, tossing Clark’s hand aside. “I’m just fine!” The conviction of her statement was undermined by her ghostly pallor and the tremor in her voice. Completely forgetting that Lois would kill him for this under normal circumstances, he sat in a nearby chair, gently lowering Lois into the one beside it. Lois went readily, all but collapsing into his arms. “You’re not fine,” he said softly into her hair. “You shouldn’t be here. You’re miserable. Let me take you home.” Clark felt a small sob rack the body cradled against his chest. “But Clark, I’ve got so much to do, and- and I promised Perry, and everyone will laugh. But I’m so tired, and I promised and...” She trailed off into a series of disjointed, unintelligible phrases, leaving Clark with little to do but stroke her back and murmur assurances. When she lapsed into silence, Clark cautiously leaned to whisper into her ear. “Can I take you home?” Getting no response, he gathered Lois more firmly in his arms to take matters into his own hands. Lois stirred then and peered at him blearily through feverish eyes. “You leaving me, Clark?” “Not if the earth opened beneath my feet,” he promised softly. Reassured, Lois sank back into sleep and let herself be carried out of the newsroom. Those watching had learned to expect the unexpected with Lois Lane, but most agreed seeing the dreaded atom bomb be carried home in the arms of her “junior partner” was the topper. If it occurred to anyone to laugh, no one had the heart or the courage to try it. Once Clark had safely gotten Lois out of the newsroom, he wasn’t exactly sure what to do with her from there. He had a feeling she’d be furious when she realized he’d taken her keys and driven her Jeep, but standing in the busy street trying to hail a cab wasn’t a pleasant option; and flying with Lois just wasn’t an option at all, no matter what condition she was in. In the end, he risked Lois’ wrath by taking her keys not once, but twice, to drive her home and lay her in her own bed in her own apartment. There he’d had the nerve to stay for a good fifteen minutes, simply watching her from the edge of the bed. He knew he shouldn’t, knew that fully awake, Lois would have thrown him out, literally, if she had to. But after watching the strongest woman he knew almost break down in his arms, Clark couldn’t resist the temptation to assure himself that she was really and truly all right. Finally, he reluctantly admitted to himself that staying any longer would be intruding since she certainly wasn’t going to die of the flu, and started to stand up. He was stopped by the soft brush of a hand against his and the sound of Lois’ voice. “Stay here, Clark.” He had to go. Perry would kill him if he didn’t. For that matter, Lois would kill him later if he didn’t. “Please, Clark. Don’t leave me.” Clark felt his heart, along with his noble resolve to do the right thing, breaking at the threat of tears in her plea. He laid beside the fragile person who was already drifting back into sleep and gently gathered her in his arms. Perry, along with the rest of the world, was just going to have to get along without him. “Lois,” he murmured, “I would *never* leave you. Never.” ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 00:49:51 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "=?iso-8859-1?q?R.=20Ziegler?=" Subject: Re: New Fanfic - Solar Eclipse MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Wow, Irene,...I really don't know what to say...except for: WONDERFUL!! WONDERFUL!! WONDERFUL!! WONDERFUL!! WONDERFUL!! WONDERFUL!! WONDERFUL!! WONDERFUL!! WONDERFUL!! WONDERFUL!! and GREAT!! GREAT!! GREAT!! GREAT!! GREAT!! GREAT!! GREAT!! GREAT!! GREAT!! GREAT!! and FANTASTIC!! FANTASTIC!! FANTASTIC!! FANTASTIC!! FANTASTIC!! FANTASTIC!! FANTASTIC!! FANTASTIC!! FANTASTIC!! FANTASTIC!! Oh, I love your edited version so much!!! I didn't know it would be possible to improve your first version (which I love too) that much, but you did it, Irene!!! And now this story is even much better. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You! :)) S P O I L E R S P A C E ! I love the last scene with Jon and Larissa in the bedroom very much!! You really improved this one. Wonderful dialogue! And the scene with Lee (at the end) was great. We can already see, what one of the reasons of Lee's future problems will be (you know, the "freak"-thing). But it's kind of sad, since Larissa didn't say they are "freaks", because some of them are kryptonian descendants. She didn't even now this, when she said it to Lois. (And btw, I'm sure Larissa doesn't think of them as freaks any more at the end of the story). The true reason, why she called them "freaks", was that (in Larissa's opinion) all Kent-family-members are too loving, caring and understanding to be "normal". (God, if that would be the meaning of "freak", I would be glad to be surrounded by many, many "freaks"!!! *g*) But Lee doesn't know that, and will think of herself as a "freak", *because of* her kryptonian heritage. I guess that, and the fact that she doesn't want to talk about it, is and will be the cause for the most of her problems. BTW, Lee is just a few years old, when she heard Larissa call her familiy-members "freaks". Does she already know the meaning of this word? Oh, and I also loved the scene where Larissa cursed out Superman and this one: [QUOTE:] “It took you long enough,” she spat out. “I must have called you at least a minute ago.” Lois looked up at her husband to see his jaw slowly drop open. Shakily, she knelt down to lay Jon onto the grass. Superman started to move forward to help her with her burden. “Stop!” she commanded. “Lois, get over here. There’s Kryptonite. You and I have to deal with that first. Marty, why don’t you go get Dr. Klein? Take him to Jon’s. Sam, go get something for us to put the Kryptonite in. Clark, once we’re out of the way with the Kryptonite – you take Jon home. Be careful of his leg. It’s broken. I set it as best as I could but I don’t think it’s quite right.” “What do you want me to do?” Vicky asked, hesitantly. “I’m going to need a ride in a few minutes. Until then, why don’t you hang around and look pretty?” Larissa snapped. She looked pointedly at Marty and Sam. “Well, what are you waiting for?” They looked blankly at each other and then took off without a word." [UNQUOTE] LOL...that was really fun to read!! :) Thank You again for this wonderful story, Irene!! I enjoyed it very much!! :) Keep up the good work! I'm looking forward to read more about Lois, Clark, Marty, Ben, Larissa, Jon, Astrid, Sam, Lee, Vicky,... Take Care, Ren __________________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Gesendet von Yahoo! Mail - http://mail.yahoo.de Yahoo! Auktionen - gleich ausprobieren - http://auktionen.yahoo.de ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 17:32:48 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: NEW FANFIC: The Darkest Hour (Before the Dawn) part 1 INTRO MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi guys! I was hoping to get this whole story finished by the holidays, but RL intervenened, and I'm still working on the last few sections. But I'd LOVE to get some feedback on what I have so far, since I still plan to do some tweaking to this before submitting it to the fanfic archive. So anyway, here's the official stuff: Title: The Darkest Hour (Before the Dawn) Author: Erin Klingler Parts: 20+ (Sorry guys...this is working on 400k ) Rating: PG-13 Feedback: Always welcome!!! Good or bad, public or private...the more the merrier. But if you find typos (which I'm sure you will at the stage this is at ;), please let me know privately. Not that I can't handle the public humiliation or anything , I just doubt the list members want to be bored by such matters. ;) As for the timeline of this story: I've taken some liberty with the show's chronological timeline, setting this story toward the end of second season after Lois & Clark have started dating, most likely somewhere between 'Whine Whine Whine' and 'And the Answer Is.' So please bear with me if this story, its character appearances-Dr. Klein in particular -and the holiday season and year (1999) don't quite fall into step with the chronological time-line of the episodes. :) I'll be working to post a part every other day or so until the whole thing is out there for you readers, so bear with me while I do. I got stuck with a section toward the end that I'm still working through, so I'll hurry to work through that and then post the rest. ;) In the mean time, though, I need to say a *HUGE* thank you to my brilliant and creative A-plot helpers/story editors, Wendy Richards and CCMalo. They're still helping me with this as I go, and I positively *could not* get this finished without them. Thanks guys! You're the best!! ;) Also, thanks to the regulars on the message boards for giving me such great feedback on this! You've all been extremely encouraging, and if it weren't for your comments, I might not have regained my motivation to finish this. ;) I'll remember to keep the posts to under 20k for you AOLers. Let me know what you think. ;) Erin :) __________________ erink@ida.net Visit my LNC/Kerth Website: www.ida.net/users/davek ***** "It's not the years that count, it's the moments...right now, as they happen." __________________ ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 17:34:17 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: NEW FANFIC: The Darkest Hour (Before the Dawn) part 1 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit The Darkest Hour (Before the Dawn) by Erin Klingler erink@ida.net part 1 ***************** "Well, if that's how you feel about it, maybe I should just quit!" Lois yelled at Perry, eliciting a surprised look from him as well as causing more than a few heads in the newsroom to turn their direction. Lois' eyes filled with tears of frustration. But before the tears could fall, she turned and yanked her overcoat from the back of her chair, nearly causing it to topple from the force, and stormed to the elevator, causing a shocked newsroom staff to part like the Red Sea before her. They were used to seeing Lois' famous tantrums, but hearing her threaten to quit was something they hadn't heard before. A sea of stunned faces turned to watch her dramatic exit, but no one was more shocked than the dark-haired young man who stood stock-still beside her desk, too stunned to move. When the elevator doors closed behind her, the newsroom slowly returned to its normal hustle and bustle, but Clark remained still. Lois quit? That was a new one. He turned shocked eyes to his Editor in Chief, who was standing beside him, looking just as shell-shocked. Perry was the first to speak. "I sincerely hope she didn't mean that." Clark jarred himself out of his reverie and shook his head. "No, I'm sure she didn't. I think she just needs to blow off some steam." "I hope you're right," Perry answered, though not sounding convinced. Clark shifted his feet anxiously and gestured to the elevator. "Is it okay if...?" Perry nodded before Clark even finished. "Yeah, go catch up with her. Maybe you can talk some sense into her. Heaven knows I've never been able to." With a resigned sigh and a slight shake of his head, he turned and headed for his office. Clark hurried into the elevator and quickly hit the lobby button, but it seemed to be taking forever to reach the lobby. *The stairs would've been faster,* he thought, *I could've used some super-speed. At this rate, I'll never catch up to her.* He silently willed the elevator to hurry and, after what seemed like an eternity, the doors finally opened and he rushed out into the lobby and pushed through the revolving doors. When he reached the snowy sidewalk, he stopped and tried to see which direction Lois had gone. The sidewalks were crowded, but he finally spotted Lois halfway down the block. He could tell >from her gait that she was still angry. Setting his mouth in a firm line, he started to jog after her, doing his best to maneuver through the pre-Christmas crowds. When he was within a few feet of her, he called out, "Lois, wait up!" She heard him and rolled her eyes, not bothering to slow her stride. *Great. Just what I need. The ever-present Boy Scout coming to pry for information. Well, I'm not going to give it to him.* When Clark fell into step with her, she muttered tonelessly, "Clark, leave me alone. I just want to be by myself right now." "Uh-uh." Clark put a hand on her shoulder, causing her to stop and turn toward him. "You just threatened to quit up there. I'm not going to leave you alone until you tell me why." Lois crossed her arms defiantly and glared at him, her breath forming in the cold air before her as she tried to catch her breath. "What do you mean, 'tell you why'?" she asked. "You were there! You heard what Perry said!" "Yes, Perry shut down our story," Clark answered. "What's the big deal? It's not like he's never done it before." "How can you pretend that it's no big deal?" Lois demanded, looking at him as if he were a traitor to the cause. "You've been working just as hard on this story as I have! Corrupt, government-funded vigilante groups and secret agencies are possibly the biggest thing we've ever had fall into our laps! With those tips we've gotten recently, we could follow through with all this and blow the veil of secrecy right off these guys! This isn't just news, it's huge. Pulitzer Prize material, even!" Clark let out his breath and looked toward the heavens for strength. When he looked back at her, his calm, determined eyes met with angry, betrayed ones. "Lois, you're right that I've worked just as hard on this story as you have. So that should give me the right to tell you that I think Perry's right. The well has run dry. Yeah, there's a big story there, but face it. We're at a dead end. None of those tips have gotten us very far, and Perry has other stories for us to work on." "But isn't it our job to expose these corrupted groups?" Lois continued, not about to give up. "What about Superman? Remember Bureau 39? Jason Trask was all bent on killing Superman with Kryptonite! As Superman's friends, isn't it our job to help him by exposing these people?" Clark looked at her strangely. "Is this what this is all about? Saving Superman?" "No! No, this isn't just about Superman!" Lois said, throwing her gloved hands up in exasperation. "Can't you see the big picture? Anyone can fall victim to these kinds of groups, and that's what makes them dangerous! All their ridiculous agendas and paranoid delusions...they need to be stopped. And that's where we come in! Or came in..." Her voice trailed off, and she blinked back the tears that once again threatened to fall. Clark let out a deep breath and silently scolded himself for pushing her to an even more emotional state. "Come on, Lois," he said, slipping a sympathetic arm around her shoulders. "I think we need to talk." He led the way through the crowds to the quaint little café down the street where they'd spent many lunch hours as of late. When they reached the building, Clark held the wreath-adorned front door of the café open for Lois as she went inside and headed for a quiet booth in the back corner. As soon as they sat down, a waitress appeared at their table as Lois was taking off her coat and gloves, and Clark quickly ordered them hot chocolate and pastries. When the waitress left to fill their order, Clark turned his attention to Lois. He reached across the small table and took her hand. "Lois," he began, his voice quiet and reasoning. "I understand where you're coming from. Really, I do. The great thing about being a journalist is that we can make the world a better place by exposing the injustices in it. But we can't change everything. Some things are just out of our reach, and Perry sees that with this story. So, my question is this. Is this story really worth risking your career over? Would you really quit your job at the Planet over a difference of opinion with Perry?" As Lois listened to Clark's reasoning, she realized he was right. She'd acted stubbornly and impulsively. Again. When he finished, she shook her head. "No, I guess I wouldn't," she said quietly. A tear escaped, and she reached up to quickly wipe it away, embarrassed to let Clark see her cry. Clark's heart went out to her. Nothing tore him up as much as when Lois cried. "Come on, Lois," he prompted. "Tell me what's really bothering you. There's got to be more to this than just having your story killed." Lois laughed a little through her tears. "How do you do it, Clark?" she asked, eliciting a confused look from Clark. "You always seem to understand my moods better than anybody ever has. Sometimes I think you know me better than I even know myself." Clark laughed with her, but didn't say anything as he waited for her to continue. Finally she did. "You're right, Clark. There *is* more to this, and I feel bad about taking things out on Perry. He didn't deserve to be yelled at like that. He was just doing his job, deciding which stories were best for us to pursue. It was just that his killing of our story just happened to be the thing that set me off. Not that I don't feel strongly about this story, because I do," she continued to ramble as Clark patiently waited for her to get to the point. "But with everything going on, it's just all getting to be too much for me." "What is, Lois?" Lois' eyes widened. "You mean it all hasn't affected you? Not even a little?" Clark chuckled. "I'm afraid you've lost me, Lois. What are you talking about?" "Work!" she exclaimed emphatically. "The never-ending pressure! We've been going non-stop for weeks, working twelve-hour days with no end in sight. Crime is picking up around the city like it always does around the holidays, which means Superman is busier, which makes *us* busier since Perry wants us to cover those stories." "But Lois, this is *you*!" Clark exclaimed, surprised at her explanation. "Mad Dog Lane, never let anybody get to your story first. You *thrive* on pressure!" Lois threw her hands up in the air dramatically. "That's exactly it, Clark! Everyone expects me to be some kind of non-feeling, super-human, machine of a reporter who never gets tired or burned out. But do you know what? I do! I try my best not to let it show, but sometimes it all gets too much for me and I snap." She paused as their waitress arrived and set their steaming mugs of hot chocolate and warmed apple-turnovers before them, then left them alone. Lois picked up her spoon and stirred her steaming drink as she continued. "And if our work load wasn't enough to make me crazy, my parents are pushing for this big family get-together on Christmas day," she explained. "Lucy was supposed to be coming, but now she might not be able to, and mom and dad have been at each other's throats for weeks since they started planning this holiday thing. Then to top it all off, I haven't had a good night's sleep in forever, and it's been even longer than that since *we've* been able to spend time together." She looked up from her hot chocolate and smiled weakly at Clark. "I mean, how good can all that be on the beginnings of a relationship?" Clark smiled understandingly and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "I know. You don't know how many times I've wished we could just slip away and go somewhere where we could spend some time to ourselves," he replied truthfully, though he did feel a slight twinge of guilt about evading her earlier question about the long hours. Of course they hadn't affected him. But how could he tell *her* that? It was just another of the increasingly frustrating things about keeping his other identity a secret from her. Lois lifted her mug to her lips and took a cautious drink, then sat back wearily in her seat. "I guess I'm tired, Clark. I'm just tired." "So take a vacation," Clark suggested matter-of-factly as he took a bite of his pastry. "I already arranged to have Christmas Eve and Christmas day off." Clark laughed. "Lois, like you just said, that's not a vacation. You need to take a *real* vacation, and go someplace where nobody knows where you are. You could sleep in until noon, do things at your own pace. Stuff like that." Lois grinned. "I have to admit, that does sound nice." "So why don't you?" Clark urged. "Clark, it's not that easy." "It *is* that easy!" Clark insisted. "You just walk into Perry's office and say, 'Perry, I'm using some vacation days. I'll see you in a week.'" Lois couldn't help laughing. "Yeah, just before I hear Perry bellow a big fat 'No!'" She shook her head. "It's not going to happen, Clark. Perry has us booked up for weeks." Clark took her hand once again and caught her eye. His voice was gentler when he spoke. "Lois, you just threatened to quit. I think Perry would rather give you some days off than lose you altogether." Lois looked back into Clark's intent gaze for a long minute, then she smiled wryly. "You're right. Maybe some good will come from that outburst yet." Clark gave her hand a squeeze and laughed. "See? Now you're thinking." Lois laughed a little, too. Then she glanced at her watch and was surprised to see how long they'd been gone. "I guess we'd better be getting back." After they finished their hot chocolate and pastries, Clark pulled a few dollars out of his wallet, set them on the table, then headed out with Lois. As they walked slowly back to the Planet, Lois gave a heavy sigh. "You know, Clark, sometimes I wonder why I do this," she confided. "The long hours, getting hung up on when trying to get a quote, the deadlines...It all seems pretty thankless at times." Clark laughed and slipped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close as they walked. "Well, for starters, *we* do this because we like the challenge of digging in and discovering the truth. And then there's the feeling we get every time we nail a big story or send some criminal to jail. That makes it all worth it, doesn't it?" Lois smiled in spite of herself and slid her arm around his waist. "Yeah, I guess you're right. It does make up for the rest." They walked together in silence for a distance, then Lois looked up at him and gave him a little nudge with her elbow. "Thanks, Clark." Clark turned to her in surprise. "For what?" "For cheering me up. And for caring enough to come after me when I stormed out the newsroom." "Anytime," Clark smiled warmly. Then he laughed. "I have to say, though, you really shocked the newsroom when you threatened to quit and then stormed out. I don't think I've ever seen that place go so quiet!" They laughed together as they went through the revolving doors of the Planet, unaware of the pairs of eyes focused on their every move from a building's windows high above the street. "They just went into the building, sir," the burly, dark haired man reported, speaking slowly and clearly into his headset as he took the binoculars away from his eyes. "What do you want us to do?" His boss' hoarse voice drifted through his earpiece. "Stay there. Our eyes inside can take over. But every time they leave the building, I want a full report of where they go and what they do. Every move. Understood?" The burly man nodded, even though his boss couldn't see him. "Understood." ***** stay tuned for part 2.... Erin :) __________________ erink@ida.net Visit my LNC/Kerth Website: www.ida.net/users/davek ***** "It's not the years that count, it's the moments...right now, as they happen." __________________ ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 19:38:32 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Ann E. McBride" Subject: Re: Fanfic Teaser: When the Night Falls MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit More, more, more! Please!!!!!!!!!! This sounds terrific! Ann ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 21:06:06 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Alexis W." Subject: Location, location, location... MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit This is obviously a location question I have due to my fanfic. I was wondering if anyone could tell me how far Centential Park, especially that famous fountain, is from Mazik's Jewelers? Is the fountain far enough for the police to run survalience (sp) but close enough to get to someone who was in trouble? In reality (meaning the actual set itself) if that makes the two landmarks closer, then that's fine too. I just need to have two landmarks (one being the jewerly store) to make sense being together when it comes to someone being on a stake-out. I have another question but this has to do with a writing assignment. I am taking a creative fiction writing class at my college. Our first assignment is to write a 2 page story about our life. The interesting part is that the teacher didn't tell us HOW to do it. Well.. I have decided to take on a different persona and write Lois' life story.. (pre getting married to Clark) and make it my own life story. The teacher said we could do anything we wanted... and since it is fiction then why the heck not! Anyway I needed to know where Lois grew up? I am thinking she lived in Metropolis all her life, but i don't actually want to refer to that. If i do that then i think i would be giving her away. I actually want to write it so it sounds like my own life but it really isn't. I also need to mention a school. Was a school ever mentioned? Or can I pick a school like Northwestern or something to refer to. Thanks in advance! Alexis ;-.) {the assignment is due Wednesday so I need answers fast! ;)} ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 21:29:28 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Gerry Anklewicz Subject: Re: Location, location, location... In-Reply-To: <0.775fc51f.25a2af8e@aol.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Re your writing assignment. Keep it as close to your own life as possible, that makes it more believable. Once you create a fictional character, or you work with a fictional character, you move away fromt he purpose of the assignment itself. Ask yourself why the teacher is asking you to write your own story. Part of it will be point of view. How do you see your life and how do you get it down on paper. It's easier to write fiction than the truth. I often ask my students to write about an incident that occured to them when they were six years old. My purpose if for them to get a sense of narrator and POV. What does the adult have to do to be a six year old child? My advice: Be yourself for this assignment. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 21:39:09 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Karen Ward Subject: Re: Fanfic Teaser: When the Night Falls In-Reply-To: <387106F3.2A39F056@bellsouth.net> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" >Karen, Hey Pam, et al! :) >I'm sorry, now that you've posted this, you will be hounded mercilessly >until you finish it. Your free time is now gone, your webpage will have >to be neglected -- in fact, you'll be lucky if we give you enough time >off to eat We want MORE, NOW! LOL! :) Oh dear . . . looks like I'm going to have to get down to work. Can't say it bothers me, though. ;) >I guessed the premise before I read >the synopsis ... wow, what an idea... I can't wait to see what all >you've done with it. Thanks! :) I'm looking forward to discovering how it turns out too. ;) Just hope it sounds as good on paper as it does in my head. ;) >Can we interest you in the fanfic installment plan? Under this >arrangment, you post sections every day or so, and write frantically so >that you can stay ahead of us. See, that way you get lots of great >feedback every time you post, and we don't have to wait quite so long to >see where you're going ... Please?? Hmm . . . now this *is* a tempting offer, and if my holidays were a little longer, I would be sorely tempted to take it up. As it stands, I'll have some considering to do. I'll have to see how much writing I manage to do in the next couple of days and then make a decision. My muse tends be fussy, and take frequent vacations, so I have to be sure of it's level of commitment before I make any promises. ;) I can guarantee one thing, though -- my muse definitely likes all this encouragement it's been getting! ;) Thanks again, Pam, and everyone else, for all your wonderful feedback and encouragement! :) It's definitely had a good impact on my motivation! :) Take care, and thanks again, again! :) TTFN, Karen :) ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 18:46:26 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Irene D." Subject: Re: New Fanfic - Solar Eclipse MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Wow, Ren, what can I say but THANK YOU!!! I'm very happy that you appreciate the newly edited version of this story. I must admit - I'm a lot happier with it now. Thanks again for all the compliments and for the great enthusiasm with which you delivered them! (g) Irene --- "R. Ziegler" wrote: > Wow, Irene,...I really don't know what to > say...except > for: > > WONDERFUL!! WONDERFUL!! WONDERFUL!! WONDERFUL!! > WONDERFUL!! WONDERFUL!! WONDERFUL!! WONDERFUL!! > WONDERFUL!! WONDERFUL!! > > and > > GREAT!! GREAT!! GREAT!! GREAT!! GREAT!! GREAT!! > GREAT!! GREAT!! GREAT!! GREAT!! > > and > > FANTASTIC!! FANTASTIC!! FANTASTIC!! FANTASTIC!! > FANTASTIC!! FANTASTIC!! FANTASTIC!! FANTASTIC!! > FANTASTIC!! FANTASTIC!! > > Oh, I love your edited version so much!!! I didn't > know it would be possible to improve your first > version (which I love too) that much, but you did > it, > Irene!!! And now this story is even much better. > Thank > You, Thank You, Thank You! :)) > > > S > P > O > I > L > E > R > > S > P > A > C > E > > ! > > > I love the last scene with Jon and Larissa in the > bedroom very much!! You really improved this one. > Wonderful dialogue! > > > And the scene with Lee (at the end) was great. We > can > already see, what one of the reasons of Lee's future > problems will be (you know, the "freak"-thing). > > But it's kind of sad, since Larissa didn't say they > are "freaks", because some of them are kryptonian > descendants. She didn't even now this, when she said > it to Lois. (And btw, I'm sure Larissa doesn't think > of them as freaks any more at the end of the story). > > The true reason, why she called them "freaks", was > that (in Larissa's opinion) all Kent-family-members > are too loving, caring and understanding to be > "normal". > (God, if that would be the meaning of "freak", I > would > be glad to be surrounded by many, many "freaks"!!! > *g*) > > But Lee doesn't know that, and will think of herself > as a "freak", *because of* her kryptonian heritage. > I > guess that, and the fact that she doesn't want to > talk > about it, is and will be the cause for the most of > her > problems. > > BTW, Lee is just a few years old, when she heard > Larissa call her familiy-members "freaks". Does she > already know the meaning of this word? > > > Oh, and I also loved the scene where Larissa cursed > out Superman and this one: > > [QUOTE:] “It took you long enough,” she spat out. “I > must have called you at least a minute ago.” Lois > looked up at her husband to see his jaw slowly drop > open. > > Shakily, she knelt down to lay Jon onto the grass. > Superman started to move forward to help her with > her > burden. “Stop!” she commanded. “Lois, get over here. > There’s Kryptonite. You and I have to deal with that > first. Marty, why don’t you go get Dr. Klein? Take > him > to Jon’s. Sam, go get something for us to put the > Kryptonite in. Clark, once we’re out of the way with > the Kryptonite – you take Jon home. Be careful of > his > leg. It’s broken. I set it as best as I could but I > don’t think it’s quite right.” > > “What do you want me to do?” Vicky asked, > hesitantly. > > “I’m going to need a ride in a few minutes. Until > then, why don’t you hang around and look pretty?” > Larissa snapped. She looked pointedly at Marty and > Sam. “Well, what are you waiting for?” > > They looked blankly at each other and then took off > without a word." [UNQUOTE] > > LOL...that was really fun to read!! :) > > > Thank You again for this wonderful story, Irene!! I > enjoyed it very much!! :) > > Keep up the good work! I'm looking forward to read > more about Lois, Clark, Marty, Ben, Larissa, Jon, > Astrid, Sam, Lee, Vicky,... > > > Take Care, > Ren > __________________________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Gesendet von Yahoo! Mail - http://mail.yahoo.de > Yahoo! Auktionen - gleich ausprobieren - > http://auktionen.yahoo.de > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://messenger.yahoo.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 18:48:49 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Irene D." Subject: Re: NEW: Atom Bomb Lane MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Jessi, I'm so please to see you post this story to the list. I enjoyed it as much upon rereading it as I did when you first posted it to Zoom's message boards. Well done! Irene __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://messenger.yahoo.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 19:13:56 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Kara Johnson Subject: Re: Location, location, location... MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii I'm only writing in response to your second question, Alexis, since the first has me stumped! In the ep It's a Small World ( high school reunion/ shrinking people, not sure of the exact title) Lois's high school reunion was at Metropolis High, since the front of the yearbook was displayed several times I remember it quite clearly. As for where Lois lived in her younger years, I really am not sure her very young childhood days are described much. She did however move to live with her Dad to attend Metropolis University (?) and was also living with her dad when attending high school. It was never made quite clear where her mother lived at the time that I am aware of, so I hope i helped even a little :) -Kara KarahJ or Kasspur on irc __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://messenger.yahoo.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 22:25:59 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Alexis W." Subject: Re: Location, location, location... MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 1/3/00 9:30:00 PM EST, Gerry_Anklewicz@NYNET.NYBE.ON.CA writes: << My advice: Be yourself for this assignment. >> Yeah... i was thinking the same thing except for the fact that she sorta winked when she gave it to us! My life is so boring that i kinda want to snaz it up! And said one of the things she is looking forward to, is seeing what we can up with. I figured it can't hurt since it is a fiction class anyway. Thanks for the email... =) Alexis ;-.) ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 22:28:20 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Alexis W." Subject: Re: Location, location, location... MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Yes.. you helped a lot! I have to give myself a big DUH on the high school thing. I can't even believe I forgot that! I mean I have that ep on tape and i have seen it many times. It's forgot it probably because i get distracted by watching Clark in the shower... Thanks, Alexis ;-.) ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 22:43:11 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Tara Smith Subject: Re: NEW FANFIC: The Darkest Hour (Before the Dawn) part 1 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Cool beginning! I can't wait to see more! Which will be soon, right?=20 Please? Tara ------Original Message------ From: Erin Klingler To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU Sent: January 4, 2000 12:34:17 AM GMT Subject: NEW FANFIC: The Darkest Hour (Before the Dawn) part 1 The Darkest Hour (Before the Dawn) by Erin Klingler erink@ida.net part 1 ***************** "Well, if that's how you feel about it, maybe I should just quit!" Lois yelled at Perry, eliciting a surprised look from him as well as causing mor= e than a few heads in the newsroom to turn their direction. Lois' eyes filled with tears of frustration. But before the tears could fall, she turned and yanked her overcoat from the back of her chair, nearly causing it to topple from the force, and stormed to the elevator, causing a shocked newsroom staff to part like the Red Sea before her. They were used to seeing Lois' famous tantrums, but hearing her threaten to quit was something they hadn't heard before. A sea of stunned faces turned to watch her dramatic exit, but no one was more shocked than the dark-haire= d young man who stood stock-still beside her desk, too stunned to move. When the elevator doors closed behind her, the newsroom slowly returned to its normal hustle and bustle, but Clark remained still. Lois quit? That was a new one. He turned shocked eyes to his Editor in Chief, who was standing beside him, looking just as shell-shocked. Perry was the first to speak. "I sincerely hope she didn't mean that." Clark jarred himself out of his reverie and shook his head. "No, I'm sure she didn't. I think she just needs to blow off some steam." "I hope you're right," Perry answered, though not sounding convinced. Clark shifted his feet anxiously and gestured to the elevator. "Is it okay if...?" Perry nodded before Clark even finished. "Yeah, go catch up with her. Maybe you can talk some sense into her. Heaven knows I've never been able to." With a resigned sigh and a slight shake of his head, he turned and headed for his office. Clark hurried into the elevator and quickly hit the lobby button, but it seemed to be taking forever to reach the lobby. *The stairs would've been faster,* he thought, *I could've used some super-speed. At this rate, I'll never catch up to her.* He silently willed the elevator to hurry and, after what seemed like an eternity, the doors finally opened and he rushed out into the lobby and pushed through the revolving doors. When he reached the snowy sidewalk, he stopped and tried to see which direction Lois had gone. The sidewalks were crowded, but he finally spotted Lois halfway down the block. He could tell >from her gait that she was still angry. Setting his mouth in a firm line, he started to jog after her, doing his best to maneuver through the pre-Christmas crowds. When he was within a fe= w feet of her, he called out, "Lois, wait up!" She heard him and rolled her eyes, not bothering to slow her stride. *Great. Just what I need. The ever-present Boy Scout coming to pry for information. Well, I'm not going to give it to him.* When Clark fell into step with her, she muttered tonelessly, "Clark, leave me alone. I just want to be by myself right now." "Uh-uh." Clark put a hand on her shoulder, causing her to stop and turn toward him. "You just threatened to quit up there. I'm not going to leave you alone until you tell me why." Lois crossed her arms defiantly and glared at him, her breath forming in th= e cold air before her as she tried to catch her breath. "What do you mean, 'tell you why'?" she asked. "You were there! You heard what Perry said!" "Yes, Perry shut down our story," Clark answered. "What's the big deal? It's not like he's never done it before." "How can you pretend that it's no big deal?" Lois demanded, looking at him as if he were a traitor to the cause. "You've been working just as hard on this story as I have! Corrupt, government-funded vigilante groups and secret agencies are possibly the biggest thing we've ever had fall into our laps! With those tips we've gotten recently, we could follow through with all this and blow the veil of secrecy right off these guys! This isn't jus= t news, it's huge. Pulitzer Prize material, even!" Clark let out his breath and looked toward the heavens for strength. When he looked back at her, his calm, determined eyes met with angry, betrayed ones. "Lois, you're right that I've worked just as hard on this story as you have. So that should give me the right to tell you that I think Perry'= s right. The well has run dry. Yeah, there's a big story there, but face it= . We're at a dead end. None of those tips have gotten us very far, and Perry has other stories for us to work on." "But isn't it our job to expose these corrupted groups?" Lois continued, no= t about to give up. "What about Superman? Remember Bureau 39? Jason Trask was all bent on killing Superman with Kryptonite! As Superman's friends, isn't it our job to help him by exposing these people?" Clark looked at her strangely. "Is this what this is all about? Saving Superman?" "No! No, this isn't just about Superman!" Lois said, throwing her gloved hands up in exasperation. "Can't you see the big picture? Anyone can fall victim to these kinds of groups, and that's what makes them dangerous! All their ridiculous agendas and paranoid delusions...they need to be stopped. And that's where we come in! Or came in..." Her voice trailed off, and sh= e blinked back the tears that once again threatened to fall. Clark let out a deep breath and silently scolded himself for pushing her to an even more emotional state. "Come on, Lois," he said, slipping a sympathetic arm around her shoulders. "I think we need to talk." He led the way through the crowds to the quaint little caf=E9 down the stre= et where they'd spent many lunch hours as of late. When they reached the building, Clark held the wreath-adorned front door of the caf=E9 open for L= ois as she went inside and headed for a quiet booth in the back corner. As soo= n as they sat down, a waitress appeared at their table as Lois was taking off her coat and gloves, and Clark quickly ordered them hot chocolate and pastries. When the waitress left to fill their order, Clark turned his attention to Lois. He reached across the small table and took her hand. "Lois," he began, his voice quiet and reasoning. "I understand where you'r= e coming from. Really, I do. The great thing about being a journalist is that we can make the world a better place by exposing the injustices in it. But we can't change everything. Some things are just out of our reach, and Perry sees that with this story. So, my question is this. Is this story really worth risking your career over? Would you really quit your job at th= e Planet over a difference of opinion with Perry?" As Lois listened to Clark's reasoning, she realized he was right. She'd acted stubbornly and impulsively. Again. When he finished, she shook her head. "No, I guess I wouldn't," she said quietly. A tear escaped, and she reached up to quickly wipe it away, embarrassed to let Clark see her cry. Clark's heart went out to her. Nothing tore him up as much as when Lois cried. "Come on, Lois," he prompted. "Tell me what's really bothering you= . There's got to be more to this than just having your story killed." Lois laughed a little through her tears. "How do you do it, Clark?" she asked, eliciting a confused look from Clark. "You always seem to understan= d my moods better than anybody ever has. Sometimes I think you know me bette= r than I even know myself." Clark laughed with her, but didn't say anything as he waited for her to continue. Finally she did. "You're right, Clark. There *is* more to this= , and I feel bad about taking things out on Perry. He didn't deserve to be yelled at like that. He was just doing his job, deciding which stories wer= e best for us to pursue. It was just that his killing of our story just happened to be the thing that set me off. Not that I don't feel strongly about this story, because I do," she continued to ramble as Clark patiently waited for her to get to the point. "But with everything going on, it's just all getting to be too much for me." "What is, Lois?" Lois' eyes widened. "You mean it all hasn't affected you? Not even a little?" Clark chuckled. "I'm afraid you've lost me, Lois. What are you talking about?" "Work!" she exclaimed emphatically. "The never-ending pressure! We've bee= n going non-stop for weeks, working twelve-hour days with no end in sight. Crime is picking up around the city like it always does around the holidays= , which means Superman is busier, which makes *us* busier since Perry wants u= s to cover those stories." "But Lois, this is *you*!" Clark exclaimed, surprised at her explanation. "Mad Dog Lane, never let anybody get to your story first. You *thrive* on pressure!" Lois threw her hands up in the air dramatically. "That's exactly it, Clark= ! Everyone expects me to be some kind of non-feeling, super-human, machine of a reporter who never gets tired or burned out. But do you know what? I do= ! I try my best not to let it show, but sometimes it all gets too much for me and I snap." She paused as their waitress arrived and set their steaming mugs of hot chocolate and warmed apple-turnovers before them, then left them alone. Lois picked up her spoon and stirred her steaming drink as she continued. "And if our work load wasn't enough to make me crazy, my parents are pushin= g for this big family get-together on Christmas day," she explained. "Lucy was supposed to be coming, but now she might not be able to, and mom and da= d have been at each other's throats for weeks since they started planning thi= s holiday thing. Then to top it all off, I haven't had a good night's sleep in forever, and it's been even longer than that since *we've* been able to spend time together." She looked up from her hot chocolate and smiled weakly at Clark. "I mean, how good can all that be on the beginnings of a relationship?" Clark smiled understandingly and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "I know. You don't know how many times I've wished we could just slip away and go somewhere where we could spend some time to ourselves," he replied truthfully, though he did feel a slight twinge of guilt about evading her earlier question about the long hours. Of course they hadn't affected him. But how could he tell *her* that? It was just another of the increasingly frustrating things about keeping his other identity a secret from her. Lois lifted her mug to her lips and took a cautious drink, then sat back wearily in her seat. "I guess I'm tired, Clark. I'm just tired." "So take a vacation," Clark suggested matter-of-factly as he took a bite of his pastry. "I already arranged to have Christmas Eve and Christmas day off." Clark laughed. "Lois, like you just said, that's not a vacation. You need to take a *real* vacation, and go someplace where nobody knows where you are. You could sleep in until noon, do things at your own pace. Stuff lik= e that." Lois grinned. "I have to admit, that does sound nice." "So why don't you?" Clark urged. "Clark, it's not that easy." "It *is* that easy!" Clark insisted. "You just walk into Perry's office and say, 'Perry, I'm using some vacation days. I'll see you in a week.'" Lois couldn't help laughing. "Yeah, just before I hear Perry bellow a big fat 'No!'" She shook her head. "It's not going to happen, Clark. Perry has us booked up for weeks." Clark took her hand once again and caught her eye. His voice was gentler when he spoke. "Lois, you just threatened to quit. I think Perry would rather give you some days off than lose you altogether." Lois looked back into Clark's intent gaze for a long minute, then she smile= d wryly. "You're right. Maybe some good will come from that outburst yet." Clark gave her hand a squeeze and laughed. "See? Now you're thinking." Lois laughed a little, too. Then she glanced at her watch and was surprise= d to see how long they'd been gone. "I guess we'd better be getting back." After they finished their hot chocolate and pastries, Clark pulled a few dollars out of his wallet, set them on the table, then headed out with Lois= . As they walked slowly back to the Planet, Lois gave a heavy sigh. "You know, Clark, sometimes I wonder why I do this," she confided. "The long hours, getting hung up on when trying to get a quote, the deadlines...It al= l seems pretty thankless at times." Clark laughed and slipped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close as they walked. "Well, for starters, *we* do this because we like the challenge of digging in and discovering the truth. And then there's the feeling we get every time we nail a big story or send some criminal to jail= . That makes it all worth it, doesn't it?" Lois smiled in spite of herself and slid her arm around his waist. "Yeah, = I guess you're right. It does make up for the rest." They walked together in silence for a distance, then Lois looked up at him and gave him a little nudge with her elbow. "Thanks, Clark." Clark turned to her in surprise. "For what?" "For cheering me up. And for caring enough to come after me when I stormed out the newsroom." "Anytime," Clark smiled warmly. Then he laughed. "I have to say, though, you really shocked the newsroom when you threatened to quit and then storme= d out. I don't think I've ever seen that place go so quiet!" They laughed together as they went through the revolving doors of the Planet, unaware of the pairs of eyes focused on their every move from a building's windows high above the street. "They just went into the building, sir," the burly, dark haired man reported, speaking slowly and clearly into his headset as he took the binoculars away from his eyes. "What do you want us to do?" His boss' hoarse voice drifted through his earpiece. "Stay there. Our eye= s inside can take over. But every time they leave the building, I want a ful= l report of where they go and what they do. Every move. Understood?" The burly man nodded, even though his boss couldn't see him. "Understood..= " ***** stay tuned for part 2.... Erin :) __________________ erink@ida.net Visit my LNC/Kerth Website: www.ida.net/users/davek ***** "It's not the years that count, it's the moments...right now, as they happen." __________________ ----------------------------------------------- FREE! The World's Best Email Address @email.com Reserve your name now at http://www.email.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 22:46:32 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Tara Smith Subject: Re: Location, location, location... Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Ooh! Clark taking a shower! I'm going to have to go re-watch that episode now! Tara ------Original Message------ From: "Alexis W." To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU Sent: January 4, 2000 3:28:20 AM GMT Subject: Re: Location, location, location... Yes.. you helped a lot! I have to give myself a big DUH on the high school thing. I can't even believe I forgot that! I mean I have that ep on tape and i have seen it many times. It's forgot it probably because i get distracted by watching Clark in the shower... Thanks, Alexis ;-.) ----------------------------------------------- FREE! The World's Best Email Address @email.com Reserve your name now at http://www.email.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 22:57:19 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Tara Smith Subject: Re: NEW: Atom Bomb Lane Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable I said something similar on the msg board but I have to say it again: This is so sweet and waffy! I wish I could write waff like this! Tara ------Original Message------ From: Jessi Mounts To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU Sent: January 3, 2000 11:22:13 PM GMT Subject: NEW: Atom Bomb Lane I'm just a bit nervous about posting this here, since it is my first *complete* fanfic, and the first fanfic I've ever posted on this list. Thanks to Chris Mulder, who inspired this with a line in Dimension of Loving; thanks to Ann, for editing; and thanks everyone over at the message boards for being so encouraging about this. Okay, everyone, let me know what you think! Jessi jessi914@hotmail.com Atom Bomb Lane Over the years, the denizens of the Daily Planet had learned that their own local legend, Lois Lane, had three levels of intensity. There was the tornado mode where she became a whirlwind of activity and enthusiasm, tackling anything and everything that displeased her and rearranging it to meet her approval. There was the ever famous Mad Dog Lane who tackled anything that displeased her and ripped it to shreds. And last, the most rare and most dreaded, was the transformation from great star reporter into deadly atom bomb who took everything in her line of sight, be it machinery or living being, and unceremoniously reduced it to ashes. Since the entrance of Clark Kent into Lois=92 life, the frequency of the at= om bomb days had dwindled into virtual nonexistence, although Lois would have to be strapped to an atom bomb herself to admit to that. It would be safe to say Clark wasn=92t even aware such atom bomb days exist= ed until one dreary winter morning when the pleasant sensation he got every time Lois stepped into the newsroom sputtered. He was greeted not by Lois= =92 beautiful face, but by the sound of a trash can and its contents clattering across the floor. It had been in her path. Now it was not. The sound of the abused trash can was followed by a shrill, =93Clark!=94 Jimmy, who had been engaged in a one-sided conversation with Clark about Jimmy=92s latest love interest, cringed visibly. =93Uh, I=92ll just go fin= d, um, thing...Ralph...wanted about that, uh, thing. Yeah, well, see ya.=94 Traitor, Clark thought at the figure disappearing with his tail between his legs. Taking a deep breath, Clark turned his attention to the figure now very rapidly approaching. =93Good morning, Lois,=94 he greeted, tentatively holding out a cup of coff= ee. Lois swatted the coffee out of the way, ignoring the dark brown splotches now seeping into the papers on Clark=92s desk. =93Don=92t you good morning me! Why didn=92t you move that?=94 Clark stared, justifiably confused. =93The coffee?=94 =93No! That- that thing!=94 she roared, motioning in the general directio= n of the dented trash can. =93You knew I was coming. I always do, same time, s= ame place, every day. And *someone* put that thing in my way. So why didn=92t you move it?=94 =93I-=94 =93And why aren=92t you working? Do you have any idea how many deadlines w= e have to meet today? Oh, I know. Good old Lois, always there to pick up your slack.=94 As Lois paused for a breath, Clark pounced at his chance of escape. =93Lois, I=92ve gotta go ask Perry about a deadline. Be right back.=94 And with that, he followed Jimmy=92s example of retreat and made a beeline = for Perry=92s office. Once inside, he slammed the door shut and planted himself in front of it, a= s if Lois were going to try to break it down any minute. =93Chief,=94 he gasped, unable to think of anything else to do, =93Lois thi= nks there=92s a conspiracy to murder her with a trash can. Perry briefly looked up, unfazed. =93Well, son, I=92d say she=92s upset..= =94 =93Upset?=94 Clark peered through the open blinds at this fire and nail spitting woman he=92d left to simmer at his desk. =93She tried to scald me= to death with coffee!=94 Perry set his reading down and looked Clark squarely in the eyes. =93You know, not even the King was psychic.=94 Clark blinked a couple of times, trying to decipher this newest piece of advice. =93Are you saying I should find out what=92s wrong?=94 =93Unless you=92ve got some other ideas...=94 Having none, Clark turned to leave his protection, only to be greeted by an enthusiastic, =93Hey CK!=94 Clark watched as Jimmy deserted him for the second time that morning, sticking around only long enough to call over his shoulder, =93Ralph says t= o find a fallout shelter!=94 Fallout shelters. And psychic Elvises. What next? His dad was right, Clark reflected with a weary sigh. Metropolis is nuts. But then again, so was Smallville. Metropolis, for example, didn=92t have = a jubilant festival every time a new crop was ready for harvest. What made Metropolis, rather than Smallville, or Nigeria, or anywhere else, a near necessity to survive was the woman- -who was now inches from his face, looking anything but romantic. =93Clark, don=92t go run to Perry for protection! He won=92t save you. We= =92re getting this work done. Now!=94 Clark have her an exasperated sigh. =93Can we talk?=94 Lois rigidly folded her arms, not looking particularly open to conversation= . =93Fine. Talk.=94 =93In there,=94 Clark said pointedly, tipping his head toward the vacant conference room. Lois considered this briefly and finally gave him a look which implied she was making one the world=92s greatest sacrifices. =93Fine,=94 she muttered, and stormed off to the conference room, leaving C= lark to catch up if he could, close the door, and finally turn to ask the question he hoped would solve the mysterious problem. =93What=92s wrong, Lois?=94 =93What wrong? What=92s wrong?=94 The exclamation, to Clark=92s ears, was alarmingly broken and tearful. =93Well, let=92s see. The laundromat stole= two of my best outfits; the toaster oven caught on fire; I got pulled over on the way here; and I=92ve got an awful headache and no sleep at all last nig= ht, and Clark, there=92s *so* much to do. By the end of her list, the strength in Lois=92 voice had evaporated into a tearful whisper. =93Hey, don=92t worry, it=92s all right,=94 Clark murmured. His earlier ir= ritation replaced by aching sympathy, he reached out to brush a stray hair off her cheek. =93You can stay in here and take a nap if you want, and I=92ll-=94 = He stopped abruptly, startled by the feel of the skin under his fingertips. =93Lois, you=92re burning up!=94 Lois shook her head violently, tossing Clark=92s hand aside. =93I=92m just= fine!=94 The conviction of her statement was undermined by her ghostly pallor and the tremor in her voice. Completely forgetting that Lois would kill him for this under normal circumstances, he sat in a nearby chair, gently lowering Lois into the one beside it. Lois went readily, all but collapsing into his arms. =93You=92re not fine,=94 he said softly into her hair. =93You shouldn=92t = be here. You=92re miserable. Let me take you home.=94 Clark felt a small sob rack the body cradled against his chest. =93But Cla= rk, I=92ve got so much to do, and- and I promised Perry, and everyone will laug= h. But I=92m so tired, and I promised and...=94 She trailed off into a series = of disjointed, unintelligible phrases, leaving Clark with little to do but stroke her back and murmur assurances. When she lapsed into silence, Clark cautiously leaned to whisper into her ear. =93Can I take you home?=94 Getting no response, he gathered Lois more firmly in his arms to take matters into his own hands. Lois stirred then and peered at him blearily through feverish eyes. =93You leaving me, Clark?=94 =93Not if the earth opened beneath my feet,=94 he promised softly. Reassured, Lois sank back into sleep and let herself be carried out of the newsroom. Those watching had learned to expect the unexpected with Lois Lane, but mos= t agreed seeing the dreaded atom bomb be carried home in the arms of her =93junior partner=94 was the topper. If it occurred to anyone to laugh, no= one had the heart or the courage to try it. Once Clark had safely gotten Lois out of the newsroom, he wasn=92t exactly sure what to do with her from there. He had a feeling she=92d be furious w= hen she realized he=92d taken her keys and driven her Jeep, but standing in the busy street trying to hail a cab wasn=92t a pleasant option; and flying wit= h Lois just wasn=92t an option at all, no matter what condition she was in. I= n the end, he risked Lois=92 wrath by taking her keys not once, but twice, to drive her home and lay her in her own bed in her own apartment. There he=92d had the nerve to stay for a good fifteen minutes, simply watch= ing her from the edge of the bed. He knew he shouldn=92t, knew that fully awak= e, Lois would have thrown him out, literally, if she had to. But after watching the strongest woman he knew almost break down in his arms, Clark couldn=92t resist the temptation to assure himself that she was really and truly all right. Finally, he reluctantly admitted to himself that staying any longer would be intruding since she certainly wasn=92t going to die of = the flu, and started to stand up. He was stopped by the soft brush of a hand against hi= s and the sound of Lois=92 voice. =93Stay here, Clark.=94 He had to go. Perry would kill him if he didn=92t. For that matter, Lois would kill him later if he didn=92t. =93Please, Clark. Don=92t leave me.=94 Clark felt his heart, along with his noble resolve to do the right thing, breaking at the threat of tears in her plea. He laid beside the fragile person who was already drifting back into sleep and gently gathered her in his arms. Perry, along with the rest of the world, was just going to have to get along without him. =93Lois,=94 he murmured, =93I would *never* leave you. Never.=94 ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ----------------------------------------------- FREE! The World's Best Email Address @email.com Reserve your name now at http://www.email.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 23:05:39 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Tara Smith Subject: Re: recent fanfics: comments Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Wow! Me mentioned again among such august company! My current effort is going to take a little more work--the way I have it laid out right now, its essentially two stories, and I've only worked out about 1/3 of the plot for one of them and almost nothing on the 2nd. sorry. This might take a little more time than Black Circle did. Oh, and I don't think its too early to start cheerleading for Solar Flare! Hey, Irene! If we beg, will you post it sooner? I'm willing to beg! :) ------Original Message------ From: Joy Sowell To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU Sent: January 3, 2000 8:57:50 PM GMT Subject: recent fanfics: comments Irene, I loved the revisions in Solar Eclipse. Is it to early to start cheerleading for Solar Flare? Poor Lee, two weeks later and she still thinks Aunt Lissa thinks the family are freaks. Karen, I expect to see more from you in the near future. I'm looking forward to seeing the story unfold. Nan, you know I liked your story. The only thing is, I want more. Tara, I think I told you how happy I was to see the good agent back to normal, well whatever normal is for her. :) Now, when is your next fic due? Felix, that was a very waffy story. Any others?? Alicia and Jessi, why don't you post your stories here too? Wendy,I don't remember if I read FTGG here yet. Hint, hint LabRat, how about one of those works-in-progress?? Ra Ra JOY :) (Who hopes she didn't forget anyone.) ______________________________________________ FREE Personalized Email at Mail.com Sign up at http://www.mail.com?sr=mc.mk.mcm.tag001 ----------------------------------------------- FREE! The World's Best Email Address @email.com Reserve your name now at http://www.email.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 21:05:04 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Kara Johnson Subject: Re: NEW: Atom Bomb Lane MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii I have to agree, this is very waffy and well written and I can't wait for more! -Kara ===== | KarahJ or Kasspur on irc | | Karah82 on AOL Instant Messenger | ___________________________________________________________ I've learned that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://messenger.yahoo.com ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 01:03:43 -0600 Reply-To: truitt22@flash.net Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: timothy truitt Organization: tnt technical services Subject: Re: NEW: Atom Bomb Lane MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I agree -more please merry Kara Johnson wrote: > I have to agree, this is very waffy and well > written and I can't wait for more! > > -Kara > > ===== > | KarahJ or Kasspur on irc | > | Karah82 on AOL Instant Messenger | > ___________________________________________________________ > I've learned that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become. > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. > http://messenger.yahoo.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 23:21:29 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Debbie Coleman Subject: Re: New Fanfic - Solar Eclipse In-Reply-To: <20000104024626.26911.qmail@web903.mail.yahoo.com> Mime-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit Hi, Irene, Well, what can I say that others haven't said before? ... Bravo!! This re-write is absolutely fantastic! I already sent you my private comments, when you posted this story to the MB's, but this embellishment on what you originally posted is wonderful! Thank-you for expanding on Jon and Larissa's interaction with each other and for adding the dialogue with L&C regarding Clark/Superman's reaction to Jon/Larissa's conversation being so much like his and Lois' initial dealing with each other. That was what I was looking forward to. You have done a great job of inter-weaving of the characters it just leaves me wanting for more. The ending scene with Lee being p.o'd about being a freak and not being able to see her Uncle Jon is truly inspired to make you write even more about this family. I like how you've take this next-gen family into the next millennium. *Please* keep writing! Deb, just clamoring for more and pretty disgusted that she doesn't have a RL... %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% If the thunder don't get you, then the lightning will J.Garcia, The Wheel Deb Coleman debbie@ikos.com debolah@pacbell.net ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 03:02:08 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Alexis W." Subject: another question MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I had another quick question.. can someone tell me what kind of doctor, Sam Lane was? I know that he worked on sports injuires for a while and there was also that whole cyborg thing too. And wasn't Ellen a nurse or was she his assistant? This is all for that school assignment I am working on. Thanks in advance! Alexis ;-.) ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 03:19:38 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Hazel Subject: Re: New Fanfic - Solar Eclipse - Introduction In-Reply-To: <20000103130656.25098.qmail@web901.mail.yahoo.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Irene, I just read the revised version and... Delicious, all of it! I especially loved your revised epilogue. Children can most definitely leap to the wrong conclusion and keep their thoughts locked deeply inside, where all it does is fester away... Very powerful. The whole thing was fabulous, and I loved how you tweaked it from your original posting on the message boards. And never mind a certain someone who pushed you into finishing -- you had more time for revisions this way! It's been a while since reading S&S and I don't remember exactly when Jimmy disappeared, but why doesn't anyone ever *mention* it? You would think the disappearance of one of the closest family friends would show up on Jon's profile. Or is he still there? I'll wait as patiently as possible for Solar Flare, since we *know* you'll do as fabulous a job on that one as you did on this. You hold the record, I think, in captivating us with the next generation! Hazel (who very meekly points out that it's either 99 cents a pound of .99 a pound, but not .99 cents a pound) ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 07:17:14 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Ann E. McBride" Subject: Re: another question MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sam Lane was "brilliant surgeon," and Ellen was a nurse. According to Clark in "Requiem for a Heavyweight" Sam "practically invented reconstructive surgery for athletes." Hope this helps. Ann ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 08:17:13 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: No Name Available Subject: Re: What happened to chapter 4 part 2 of Sunstorm series etc. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 01/03/2000 9:43:21 AM Eastern Standard Time, LaneKent@AOL.COM writes: << IMHO Irene should definately win Kerth(s) this year. >> Yup, she's on my list --Laurie (Irene's #1 fan) ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 08:31:30 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: No Name Available Subject: Re: Fanfic Teaser: When the Night Falls MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 01/03/2000 3:32:26 PM Eastern Standard Time, jernigan@BELLSOUTH.NET writes: << I'm sorry, now that you've posted this, you will be hounded mercilessly until you finish it. Your free time is now gone, your webpage will have to be neglected -- in fact, you'll be lucky if we give you enough time off to eat We want MORE, NOW! >> Well, Pam, she can't say that Wendy and I didn't warn her this would happen... --Laurie ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 05:33:22 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Irene D." Subject: Re: New Fanfic - Solar Eclipse - Introduction MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Hazel, Thank you. I'm glad that you enjoyed the revisions. And I'm glad that you felt the epilogue worked. I want to tie the stories together, just as happenings intermingle in regular family life. Okay, Jimmy disappeared just after Lee was born. Lee is now almost 7 in this story so the initial flurry of 'I wonder where he is' and 'what the heck happened to him' has long since died down. As far as the file on Jon that Larissa had, it was very sketchy. Plus, Jimmy was not a blood relative so he wouldn't be mentioned. I really do hope that you are patient vis-a-vis Solar Flare. This was suggested to me as a title for another story but at this moment in time, all I have is the title! No plot, no niggling little 'wouldn't that be different' ideas, nada, zilch, nothing. Thanks for your price corrections. I will correct it immediately. I wondered about that. Thanks again, Irene --- Hazel wrote: > Irene, > > I just read the revised version and... > > > > Delicious, all of it! I especially loved your > revised epilogue. Children > can most definitely leap to the wrong conclusion and > keep their thoughts > locked deeply inside, where all it does is fester > away... Very powerful. > > The whole thing was fabulous, and I loved how you > tweaked it from your > original posting on the message boards. And never > mind a certain someone > who pushed you into finishing -- you had more time > for revisions this way! > > It's been a while since reading S&S and I don't > remember exactly when Jimmy > disappeared, but why doesn't anyone ever *mention* > it? You would think the > disappearance of one of the closest family friends > would show up on Jon's > profile. Or is he still there? > > I'll wait as patiently as possible for Solar Flare, > since we *know* you'll > do as fabulous a job on that one as you did on this. > You hold the record, I > think, in captivating us with the next generation! > > Hazel > > (who very meekly points out that it's either 99 > cents a pound of .99 a > pound, but not .99 cents a pound) > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://messenger.yahoo.com ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 05:34:32 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Irene D." Subject: Re: What happened to chapter 4 part 2 of Sunstorm series etc. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Laurie and Rowan, you guys are embarrassing me. Irene (who is turning the prettiest, most delicate shade of pink at the moment!) --- No Name Available wrote: > In a message dated 01/03/2000 9:43:21 AM Eastern > Standard Time, > LaneKent@AOL.COM writes: > > << IMHO Irene should definately win Kerth(s) this > year. >> > > Yup, she's on my list > > --Laurie (Irene's #1 fan) > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://messenger.yahoo.com ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 05:49:25 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Nancy Smith Subject: Re: another question MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In HIWTHI, Ellen Lane says that Sam was a "brilliant surgeon". Nan Alexis W. wrote: > I had another quick question.. can someone tell me what kind of doctor, Sam > Lane was? I know that he worked on sports injuires for a while and there was > also that whole cyborg thing too. And wasn't Ellen a nurse or was she his > assistant? This is all for that school assignment I am working on. > > Thanks in advance! > > Alexis ;-.) ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 09:29:35 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Joy Sowell Subject: Kerths: Question about nominations, voting, etc. Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Quick question, okay a couple of quick questions. :) Who is in charge of the Kerth Awards this year? I'm going off line for 3 months starting next week, so can I make nominations now? Can I vote via snail mail? ______________________________________________ FREE Personalized Email at Mail.com Sign up at http://www.mail.com?sr=mc.mk.mcm.tag001 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 15:27:25 +0000 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Wendy Richards Subject: Re: Fanfic Teaser: When the Night Falls In-Reply-To: <0.d55e0bf1.25a35032@aol.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII > Well, Pam, she can't say that Wendy and I didn't warn her > this would happen... ... yep, and we *still* hounded her into doing it - I even forbade her to read another fic until she'd posted this segment! But heck, if it makes Karen sit at her PC and *write* this story, I'm glad I made the sacrifice of nagging her, aren't you, Laurie? Wendy ---------------------- Wendy Richards w.m.richards@hrm.keele.ac.uk ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 09:11:35 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: Re: Kerths: Question about nominations, voting, etc. In-Reply-To: <385618960.946996175176.JavaMail.root@web36.pub01> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Joy wrote: > Who is in charge of the Kerth Awards this year? That would be me, the martyr to the cause. :) > I'm going off line for 3 months starting next week, so can I make > nominations now? I would prefer to have everyone wait, but if there are ppl out there with extenuating circumstances, by all means email me and let me know. I'm sure we can work something out. And as for voting...we probably won't have stories ironed out for FoLCs to vote on until the beginning or March, but if you're still off line, Joy, we can definitely arrange something. It's going to be a VERY tough battle in every category this year! There are SOOO many great stories this time around, so I hope everyone is as excited about this year's Kerths as I am! If anyone has any further questions AND/OR SUGGESTIONS!! (hint hint ) on the Kerths, please feel free to email me. Erin :) __________________ erink@ida.net Visit my LNC/Kerth Website: www.ida.net/users/davek ***** "It's not the years that count, it's the moments...right now, as they happen." __________________ ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 09:28:07 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: NEW: The Darkest Hour (Before the Dawn) part 2 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit The Darkest Hour (Before the Dawn) by Erin Klingler erink@ida.net part 2 ************************** Quick note: I know, I said I'd post this every other day or so, but this part was all ready to go, so I figured I'd just send it now. ;) All feedback welcomed eagerly. ************************** The newsroom was even more chaotic than usual when Lois and Clark stepped off the elevator a few minutes later. Lois looked around at the people hurrying past, their voices raised to a frenzied level as they hurried into the elevators and answered the insistently ringing phones. “What’s going on?” Lois asked as she watched everyone rushing around. “Did we miss something?” As if in answer to her question, Perry thundered out of his office as soon as he spotted them. “Lois, Clark! There’s a hostage situation at the bank on 5th and Fairview. I want you two down there, pronto!” Clark was immediately on alert. “What? When did this happen?” he shouted back at Perry above the din of the bustling newsroom. “Just a few minutes ago!” Perry called. “Simmons picked it up on the police scanner.” Perry started to turn around to head back to his office, but suddenly he paused and glanced pointedly at Lois. “Or should I be sending somebody else?” Lois caught his meaning and shook her head. “No, that’s okay. We’re on it, Chief.” Perry’s answering smile made it clear that he was glad Lois was still part of the team. “Great! But I want you in my office when you get back, understand? Now get!” “We’re already gone,” Lois answered, then whirled around to face Clark. “Come on, Clark, let’s grab a cab.” But when Lois reached for his arm, Clark balked. “Um, Lois, why don’t you go on without me and I’ll catch up with you in a minute?” he suggested as he shifted his feet anxiously and reached for the knot of his tie. “I just remembered that I left something at the café.” Lois looked at him strangely. “Left something at the café? Clark, what are you talking about? You didn’t leave anything, I’m sure of it.” But Clark rushed on as if she hadn’t even spoken and backed quickly toward the Planet’s back stairwell. “Don’t worry, Lois, I’ll just be a minute behind you.” “But, Clark!“ she exclaimed, a hand on her hip and an indignant, confused expression on her face. But Clark ignored her as he spun around and rushed for the stairs. As she watched the stairwell door close behind Clark, Lois rolled her eyes and turned to the elevator. *What was that all about?* she wondered. His disappearing acts never ceased to irritate her, especially since they always seemed to come at the most inopportune times. Like hostage situations. And natural disasters. Even times when she wanted to open up and talk. As the elevator doors opened, she stepped inside and punched the lobby button. *What’s more important?* she muttered to herself. *A hostage situation with lives being threatened, or the package of Dentyne that fell out of his coat pocket at the café?* When the elevator doors opened onto the bustling lobby, she hurried out to the street and hailed a cab. As they drove, she continued to fume as she thought about Clark running out on her. She hated it when he did that! It would be one thing if he had somewhere important to go, like a relative had just taken ill, or his apartment was on fire. But having a sudden craving for yogurt? Or suddenly remembering to return a video? Those were all important enough reasons to ditch her? But even as she rode silently in the cab, she knew her anger would soon fade and she’d forgive him, just like she always did. All it would take would be a flash of that heart-stopping smile, or a soul-searching kiss when they had a moment alone, or how he’d take her in his arms, making her feel both safe and loved at the same time, and she knew that there wasn’t anything she wouldn’t forgive him for. The cab suddenly pulled to a stop, and Lois realized with a start that they’ d arrived. Tossing some money at the driver, Lois grabbed her attaché and hurried out of the cab to the chaotic crowd that was gathered behind the police barriers. Quickly, she forced Clark out of her mind. After all, she did have a job to do. ***** As soon as Clark threw open the back door of the Planet’s stairwell and rushed out into the deserted alley, he spun into the suit and rocketed into the air. He shook his head angrily as he flew in the direction of the hostage crisis. *What in the world is the matter with you?* he scolded himself. *You should ’ve picked up on this situation long before Perry had to tell you about it! What were you thinking?!* But even as he asked himself, he already knew the answer. He’d been so intent on listening to Lois that he hadn’t even heard about the hostage situation. And that was inexcusable. Not that Lois wasn’t worth listening to, because she was. She meant more to him than she might ever know. She was what he’d always known in his heart that he’d wanted. And now that he finally was on his way to fulfilling his lifelong dream, he couldn’t be happier. But he still knew that if anything happened to those people in the bank because of his sloppiness, he knew he’d never forgive himself. That was the downfall to having the powers he possessed. Rarely was he able to focus exclusively on one thing at a time. When he was Clark, his superhearing was always subconsciously tuned into any potential cries for help, and when he was Superman, he was often wondering about the people or situation he’d just had to flee from to answer the calls for help. Juggling the two was fulfilling at times, but other times it was just downright frustrating, to say the least. And it was only getting more complicated now that he had a budding romance to throw into the mix. It was getting harder to pretend not to have the feelings he did for Lois whenever he saw her as Superman. As he neared the corner of 5th and Fairview, he forced himself to push his thoughts of Lois out of his mind and concentrate on the task at hand instead. He was going to have to be ready for anything if he was going to help those people. Luckily, the situation wasn’t as difficult as it could have been. It was only a matter of minutes before he was escorting the flustered bank robber out of the building by the scruff of his jacket, and instantly a roar went up from the waiting crowd of reporters and on-lookers as the police took the man into custody. The sound of clicking camera shutters and news cameramen calling out, “Superman! Over here!” suddenly filled the air, and Clark couldn’t help feeling overwhelmed by the attention. He quickly held up a hand to quiet the crowd. “I can answer your questions in a few minutes, but first we have some hostages to attend to.” Then without waiting for a response, he joined the officers who were going into the bank to see if everyone was okay. As he did, he suddenly caught sight of a familiar brown-haired reporter pressing through the crowd to the front of the barricade with her hand raised. A moment later, he could see Lois’ smiling face. “Superman!” she cried out through the shouts of the other reporters. Anxiously, Clark stiffened further into his traditional Superman pose and gave her a slight, awkward wave. “Hi, Lois,” he replied before hurrying into the building. Once safely inside, he closed his eyes momentarily. Great. If the situation wasn’t tough enough as it is, Lois was out there waiting to interview him. How was he supposed to handle that? Surely any interview more than minutes would reveal more about him than he was willing to reveal. How could he pretend to be somebody else under the scrutiny of her brown eyes? Surely she’d see right through him. Ever since they’d started officially dating a few weeks ago, he’d made sure to make himself scarce whenever he was around her as Superman. It was just too hard to hide his feelings for her now that they were officially a couple. Was he just supposed to pretend he didn’t love her? That they hadn’t spent an intense evening kissing or making out the night before? How was he supposed to hide that? He was afraid that it was only a matter of time before his emotions betrayed him…to her or to somebody else. The whole situation was just dangerous, and to be avoided at all cost. But the answer was, he couldn’t. So instead, he avoided her as best he could whenever he was in the Superman suit. It was just too difficult to deal with. So, hoping that Lois would be gone by the time he came out, Clark took his time inside with the police as they made sure the people that had been held hostage were okay, and that the police were able to get thorough statements >from everyone. But when he exited the building half an hour later, he saw that, much to his disappointment, Lois was still there waiting for him. She was talking to one of the officers, but he could tell from her stance and her nearly motionless pen that she wasn’t paying very close attention. Suddenly she looked up and caught his eye. Knowing he couldn’t avoid her any longer, he sighed and went over to her. Responding to her friendly smile with a tight-lipped one of his own, he crossed his arms across his chest and answered her questions as quickly as he could, doing his best to remain aloof yet professional. In response to her question about the condition of the hostages, he glanced back at the building where the police were getting the hostages on their way. When he turned back to her, he noticed that Lois was looking at him strangely, her pen poised motionlessly above her note pad. “Superman, are you okay?” she asked in concern. Clark froze. With his heart hammering so loudly that he was sure she could hear it, he heard himself stammer in a very un-Superman-like fashion, “Y-yeah, I’m fine. Why?” She studied him for a long moment, her eyebrows knitting together. “You seem, I don’t know, distracted or something. Is everything okay?” He nodded, though more nervously than he’d intended. “Yes, I’m fine, Lois. But you’re right. I do have something I need to do. If you don’t have any more questions for me…” he finished pointedly. Lois’ face fell, and immediately Clark felt horrible. He hadn’t meant to sound so rude. After all, she and Superman were supposed to be friends. But he also knew that if he didn’t get out of there now, things could go >from bad to worse. “I’m sorry, Lois, but I really do have to go.” Then, without so much as a ‘goodbye,’ he turned and rocketed into the sky. “Great,” Lois grumbled, rolling her eyes and shoving her notepad angrily into her attaché. “And the day goes from bad to worse.” Turning on her heels, she stalked away from the cordoned off area and hailed a cab to take her back to the Planet. When one pulled up next to her, she opened the door and climbed in, completely unaware of the black Lexus parked across the street with the darkly tinted windows, shielding onlookers’ views from the spying eyes inside. “Do we follow her?” the burly, blond-haired driver asked, glancing over his shoulder at the dark-haired man in the back seat. The man deliberated for a moment, then nodded. “Those are the boss’s orders.” Then, under his breath he muttered, “Though I have no idea what this is supposed to accomplish. I swear, whoever stole that man’s body from the coroner’s office and paid to have him brought back to life must’ve been as psychotic as *he* is. If we didn’t both want to have Superman eliminated, I’d be out of here in a heartbeat. I have my own agenda to deal with.” The driver turned and looked at him in surprise. “Sir?” Garrison waved his hand at the younger man, dismissing his last words. “Forget it. Let’s just go. But be sure she doesn’t spot us.” “Yes sir.” With an air of caution, the black Lexus pulled inconspicuously out into the street. ***** Erin :) __________________ erink@ida.net Visit my LNC/Kerth Website: www.ida.net/users/davek ***** "It's not the years that count, it's the moments...right now, as they happen." __________________ ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 08:33:58 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Irene D." Subject: Re: NEW: The Darkest Hour (Before the Dawn) part 2 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Oooooh! The plot thickens. Erin, you have a brilliant start to this story. More, I want more! Irene --- Erin Klingler wrote: > The Darkest Hour (Before the Dawn) > by Erin Klingler > erink@ida.net > part 2 > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://messenger.yahoo.com ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 08:36:19 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Irene D." Subject: Re: New Fanfic - Solar Eclipse MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Deb, thank you. I'm glad that you enjoyed the edited version of the story more. I think I'd be a little ... upset if someone said they liked the first version better!! I have to ask - what is the significance of the 'thunder' quote that you use as a signature. It is very intriguing. Thanks again, Irene --- Debbie Coleman wrote: > Hi, Irene, > > Well, what can I say that others haven't said > before? ... Bravo!! > > This re-write is absolutely fantastic! I already > sent you my private > comments, when you posted this story to the MB's, > but this embellishment on > what you originally posted is wonderful! > > Thank-you for expanding on Jon and Larissa's > interaction with each other and > for adding the dialogue with L&C regarding > Clark/Superman's reaction to > Jon/Larissa's conversation being so much like his > and Lois' initial dealing > with each other. That was what I was looking > forward to. > > You have done a great job of inter-weaving of the > characters it just leaves > me wanting for more. > > The ending scene with Lee being p.o'd about being a > freak and not being able > to see her Uncle Jon is truly inspired to make you > write even more about > this family. > > I like how you've take this next-gen family into the > next millennium. > > *Please* keep writing! > > Deb, just clamoring for more and pretty disgusted > that she doesn't have a > RL... > > > %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% > If the thunder don't get you, then the lightning > will > J.Garcia, The > Wheel > > Deb Coleman debbie@ikos.com > debolah@pacbell.net > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://messenger.yahoo.com ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 17:25:43 -0000 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: LabRat Subject: Questions for Fanfic MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hey guys! Hope you all had a great time over the holidays! Got a couple of questions that I hope you can help with. First off - anyone out there know anything about helicopters? Like, what is the standard make and model used by civilian flight schools in the US? The type you'd learn to fly in. And are the instruments pretty much standard? If you learned to fly in type A, would you probably be able to fly type B thereafter? And this one is a bit of a longshot, but here goes: Last year I saw a documentary about a new state of the art Japanese indoor holiday complex. It's main feature was an artificial beach and sea. There was a huge bank of computers in the wall and they could produce any variation of tides or time of day they wished as suited, from huge breakers for surfers to moonlit waves for the more romantically inclined. What I can't recall and really need to know is where the complex was and what it was called. So if this is ringing any bells with anyone...... I know that the city was a coastal town because much was made of the fact that only yards away from the complext was a real beach which was completely empty. Anyway, not holding out much hope on this one, but thanks! LabRat :) Doc. Klein's LabRat labrat@starlabs.fsnet.co.uk "A celebrity is a person who works hard all his life to become well known, then wears dark glasses to avoid being recognised." -- Fred Allen "Fame is being asked to sign your autograph on the back of a cigarette packet." -- Billy Connolly. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 12:38:37 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Joy Sowell Subject: Re: Questions for Fanfic Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit First I need to do my Tuesday cheerleading thing.... Okay, now that I've done that, YAY!! If LabRat has a technical question, that means she's closer to posting. Someone please answer this so I can read another fic before RL gets in the way. JOY :) ______________________________________________ FREE Personalized Email at Mail.com Sign up at http://www.mail.com?sr=mc.mk.mcm.tag001 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 09:52:49 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Nancy Smith Subject: Re: NEW: The Darkest Hour (Before the Dawn) part 2 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit I don't remember if I gave you feedback on this or not when you posted it to the message boards, Erin. Sometimes RL drags me away before I can do all the things that I intend to do. Anyway, please finish this! You've got me sweating over what Trask has in mind for our intrepid couple. Nan Erin Klingler wrote: > The Darkest Hour (Before the Dawn) > by Erin Klingler > erink@ida.net > part 2 > > ************************** > Quick note: I know, I said I'd post this every other day or so, but this > part was all ready to go, so I figured I'd just send it now. ;) All > feedback welcomed eagerly. > > ************************** > > The newsroom was even more chaotic than usual when Lois and Clark stepped > off the elevator a few minutes later. Lois looked around at the people > hurrying past, their voices raised to a frenzied level as they hurried into > the elevators and answered the insistently ringing phones. > > “What’s going on?” Lois asked as she watched everyone rushing around. “Did > we miss something?” > > As if in answer to her question, Perry thundered out of his office as soon > as he spotted them. “Lois, Clark! There’s a hostage situation at the bank > on 5th and Fairview. I want you two down there, pronto!” > > Clark was immediately on alert. “What? When did this happen?” he shouted > back at Perry above the din of the bustling newsroom. > > “Just a few minutes ago!” Perry called. “Simmons picked it up on the police > scanner.” Perry started to turn around to head back to his office, but > suddenly he paused and glanced pointedly at Lois. “Or should I be sending > somebody else?” > > Lois caught his meaning and shook her head. “No, that’s okay. We’re on it, > Chief.” > > Perry’s answering smile made it clear that he was glad Lois was still part > of the team. “Great! But I want you in my office when you get back, > understand? Now get!” > > “We’re already gone,” Lois answered, then whirled around to face Clark. > “Come on, Clark, let’s grab a cab.” > > But when Lois reached for his arm, Clark balked. “Um, Lois, why don’t you > go on without me and I’ll catch up with you in a minute?” he suggested as he > shifted his feet anxiously and reached for the knot of his tie. “I just > remembered that I left something at the café.” > > Lois looked at him strangely. “Left something at the café? Clark, what are > you talking about? You didn’t leave anything, I’m sure of it.” > > But Clark rushed on as if she hadn’t even spoken and backed quickly toward > the Planet’s back stairwell. “Don’t worry, Lois, I’ll just be a minute > behind you.” > > “But, Clark!“ she exclaimed, a hand on her hip and an indignant, confused > expression on her face. But Clark ignored her as he spun around and rushed > for the stairs. > > As she watched the stairwell door close behind Clark, Lois rolled her eyes > and turned to the elevator. *What was that all about?* she wondered. His > disappearing acts never ceased to irritate her, especially since they always > seemed to come at the most inopportune times. Like hostage situations. And > natural disasters. Even times when she wanted to open up and talk. > > As the elevator doors opened, she stepped inside and punched the lobby > button. *What’s more important?* she muttered to herself. *A hostage > situation with lives being threatened, or the package of Dentyne that fell > out of his coat pocket at the café?* > > When the elevator doors opened onto the bustling lobby, she hurried out to > the street and hailed a cab. As they drove, she continued to fume as she > thought about Clark running out on her. She hated it when he did that! It > would be one thing if he had somewhere important to go, like a relative had > just taken ill, or his apartment was on fire. But having a sudden craving > for yogurt? Or suddenly remembering to return a video? Those were all > important enough reasons to ditch her? > > But even as she rode silently in the cab, she knew her anger would soon fade > and she’d forgive him, just like she always did. All it would take would be > a flash of that heart-stopping smile, or a soul-searching kiss when they had > a moment alone, or how he’d take her in his arms, making her feel both safe > and loved at the same time, and she knew that there wasn’t anything she > wouldn’t forgive him for. > > The cab suddenly pulled to a stop, and Lois realized with a start that they’ > d arrived. Tossing some money at the driver, Lois grabbed her attaché and > hurried out of the cab to the chaotic crowd that was gathered behind the > police barriers. Quickly, she forced Clark out of her mind. After all, she > did have a job to do. > > ***** > > As soon as Clark threw open the back door of the Planet’s stairwell and > rushed out into the deserted alley, he spun into the suit and rocketed into > the air. He shook his head angrily as he flew in the direction of the > hostage crisis. > > *What in the world is the matter with you?* he scolded himself. *You should > ’ve picked up on this situation long before Perry had to tell you about it! > What were you thinking?!* > > But even as he asked himself, he already knew the answer. He’d been so > intent on listening to Lois that he hadn’t even heard about the hostage > situation. And that was inexcusable. > > Not that Lois wasn’t worth listening to, because she was. She meant more to > him than she might ever know. She was what he’d always known in his heart > that he’d wanted. And now that he finally was on his way to fulfilling his > lifelong dream, he couldn’t be happier. But he still knew that if anything > happened to those people in the bank because of his sloppiness, he knew he’d > never forgive himself. > > That was the downfall to having the powers he possessed. Rarely was he able > to focus exclusively on one thing at a time. When he was Clark, his > superhearing was always subconsciously tuned into any potential cries for > help, and when he was Superman, he was often wondering about the people or > situation he’d just had to flee from to answer the calls for help. Juggling > the two was fulfilling at times, but other times it was just downright > frustrating, to say the least. > > And it was only getting more complicated now that he had a budding romance > to throw into the mix. It was getting harder to pretend not to have the > feelings he did for Lois whenever he saw her as Superman. > > As he neared the corner of 5th and Fairview, he forced himself to push his > thoughts of Lois out of his mind and concentrate on the task at hand > instead. He was going to have to be ready for anything if he was going to > help those people. > > Luckily, the situation wasn’t as difficult as it could have been. It was > only a matter of minutes before he was escorting the flustered bank robber > out of the building by the scruff of his jacket, and instantly a roar went > up from the waiting crowd of reporters and on-lookers as the police took the > man into custody. The sound of clicking camera shutters and news cameramen > calling out, “Superman! Over here!” suddenly filled the air, and Clark > couldn’t help feeling overwhelmed by the attention. > > He quickly held up a hand to quiet the crowd. “I can answer your questions > in a few minutes, but first we have some hostages to attend to.” Then > without waiting for a response, he joined the officers who were going into > the bank to see if everyone was okay. > > As he did, he suddenly caught sight of a familiar brown-haired reporter > pressing through the crowd to the front of the barricade with her hand > raised. A moment later, he could see Lois’ smiling face. > > “Superman!” she cried out through the shouts of the other reporters. > > Anxiously, Clark stiffened further into his traditional Superman pose and > gave her a slight, awkward wave. “Hi, Lois,” he replied before hurrying > into the building. Once safely inside, he closed his eyes momentarily. > > Great. If the situation wasn’t tough enough as it is, Lois was out there > waiting to interview him. How was he supposed to handle that? Surely any > interview more than minutes would reveal more about him than he was willing > to reveal. How could he pretend to be somebody else under the scrutiny of > her brown eyes? Surely she’d see right through him. Ever since they’d > started officially dating a few weeks ago, he’d made sure to make himself > scarce whenever he was around her as Superman. It was just too hard to hide > his feelings for her now that they were officially a couple. Was he just > supposed to pretend he didn’t love her? That they hadn’t spent an intense > evening kissing or making out the night before? How was he supposed to hide > that? He was afraid that it was only a matter of time before his emotions > betrayed him…to her or to somebody else. The whole situation was just > dangerous, and to be avoided at all cost. > > But the answer was, he couldn’t. So instead, he avoided her as best he > could whenever he was in the Superman suit. It was just too difficult to > deal with. > > So, hoping that Lois would be gone by the time he came out, Clark took his > time inside with the police as they made sure the people that had been held > hostage were okay, and that the police were able to get thorough statements > from everyone. > > But when he exited the building half an hour later, he saw that, much to his > disappointment, Lois was still there waiting for him. She was talking to > one of the officers, but he could tell from her stance and her nearly > motionless pen that she wasn’t paying very close attention. Suddenly she > looked up and caught his eye. > > Knowing he couldn’t avoid her any longer, he sighed and went over to her. > Responding to her friendly smile with a tight-lipped one of his own, he > crossed his arms across his chest and answered her questions as quickly as > he could, doing his best to remain aloof yet professional. > > In response to her question about the condition of the hostages, he glanced > back at the building where the police were getting the hostages on their > way. When he turned back to her, he noticed that Lois was looking at him > strangely, her pen poised motionlessly above her note pad. > > “Superman, are you okay?” she asked in concern. > > Clark froze. With his heart hammering so loudly that he was sure she could > hear it, he heard himself stammer in a very un-Superman-like fashion, > “Y-yeah, I’m fine. Why?” > > She studied him for a long moment, her eyebrows knitting together. “You > seem, I don’t know, distracted or something. Is everything okay?” > > He nodded, though more nervously than he’d intended. “Yes, I’m fine, Lois. > But you’re right. I do have something I need to do. If you don’t have any > more questions for me…” he finished pointedly. > > Lois’ face fell, and immediately Clark felt horrible. He hadn’t meant to > sound so rude. After all, she and Superman were supposed to be friends. > But he also knew that if he didn’t get out of there now, things could go > from bad to worse. > > “I’m sorry, Lois, but I really do have to go.” Then, without so much as a > ‘goodbye,’ he turned and rocketed into the sky. > > “Great,” Lois grumbled, rolling her eyes and shoving her notepad angrily > into her attaché. “And the day goes from bad to worse.” Turning on her > heels, she stalked away from the cordoned off area and hailed a cab to take > her back to the Planet. > > When one pulled up next to her, she opened the door and climbed in, > completely unaware of the black Lexus parked across the street with the > darkly tinted windows, shielding onlookers’ views from the spying eyes > inside. > > “Do we follow her?” the burly, blond-haired driver asked, glancing over his > shoulder at the dark-haired man in the back seat. > > The man deliberated for a moment, then nodded. “Those are the boss’s > orders.” Then, under his breath he muttered, “Though I have no idea what > this is supposed to accomplish. I swear, whoever stole that man’s body from > the coroner’s office and paid to have him brought back to life must’ve been > as psychotic as *he* is. If we didn’t both want to have Superman > eliminated, I’d be out of here in a heartbeat. I have my own agenda to deal > with.” > > The driver turned and looked at him in surprise. “Sir?” > > Garrison waved his hand at the younger man, dismissing his last words. > “Forget it. Let’s just go. But be sure she doesn’t spot us.” > > “Yes sir.” > > With an air of caution, the black Lexus pulled inconspicuously out into the > street. > > ***** > > Erin :) > __________________ > erink@ida.net > Visit my LNC/Kerth Website: www.ida.net/users/davek > ***** > "It's not the years that count, it's the moments...right now, as they > happen." > __________________ ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 13:41:50 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Rose Cookson Subject: Question for fanfic. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi everyone. I've got a question for a fanfic I'm working on. I'm pretty sure that your thigh bone is called a femur. Am I right? Or is that the bone in your lower leg? Rose ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 13:50:14 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Alicia Utowski Subject: Re: Question for fanfic. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit yes the femur is the thigh bone... the tibia and fibula are in hte lower leg Alicia ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 13:55:51 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Rose Cookson Subject: Re: Question for fanfic. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit thanks Alicia ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 14:33:36 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Lara Blasingame Subject: Script needed for fanfic Hi Everyone, I am writing a new fic, and I am looking for the script for 'Madame Ex.' I need to reference the dialogue that was spoken in Luthor's penthouse as Sheldon Bender is reading the will. Thanks so much, Lara larab@pwpl.com LBlasingame@cs.com ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 15:00:00 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Kate Crane Subject: Re: NEW: The Darkest Hour (Before the Dawn) part 2 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Erin, I'm thoroughly caught up in your story and looking forward to all 20 parts!! Kate I must thank all you message board authors for taking the time to post to the list as well. Sometimes those boards scare me ;) ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 14:57:44 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Comments: RFC822 error: Incorrect or incomplete address field found and ignored. From: Carolyn Schnall Subject: Review of S5/7 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/enriched; charset="us-ascii" TimesHi FoLCs: The Prodigal Son or, The Two Jacks by Cindy (contrib. by Kathy Brown) No program format and I had to get the text version to get all the text. S P O I L E R S P A C E Ok, I really love the season arc forming here, where L&C talk about trying to make a baby but have to attend to other things along the way. I also really like that both Jacks are back (made me laugh) and that all of the characters were in character. The off camera implied love scenes and that bringing together of JO with his dad were well done as well. As a matter of fact, I thought that CK was the mature version we see in S4 and that was a good thing for this story where he figures out what is going on. I also thought that the sense of invasion in their house by the NIA was well portrayed and the feeling of brotherly responsibility for young Jack, as he always did. CK's worry about being an absentee dad was nicely resurrected and the good use of Sman during the action packed climax was exciting. I really enjoyed this story and would like to read it again when I finish the rest of the season(s). Well done!!!!! Thanks, Carolyn cschnall@.med.cornell.edu ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 15:16:43 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Rowan Fuller Subject: Re: NEW Story: Home MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 02/01/2000 17:32:06 GMT Standard Time, deimos1@EARTHLINK.NET writes: << Okay, here it is. This story deals with reincarnation. If the concept bothers you, don't read it. Nan >> I just read it and enjoyed it. Is it a one off or is it the start of a series? Rowan :) -- -- -- LaneKent@aol.com http://members.aol.com/lanekent ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 12:24:16 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Nancy Smith Subject: Re: NEW Story: Home MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I really don't know for sure, Rowan. I'm planning to do a sequel, at least, after I work out a few points. Maybe, just now and then, I'll do a story about Clark and Lori, whenever the mood hits me. Nan Rowan Fuller wrote: > In a message dated 02/01/2000 17:32:06 GMT Standard Time, > deimos1@EARTHLINK.NET writes: > > << Okay, here it is. This story deals with reincarnation. If the concept > bothers you, don't read it. > > Nan >> > > I just read it and enjoyed it. Is it a one off or is it the start of a > series? > > Rowan :) > -- -- -- > LaneKent@aol.com > http://members.aol.com/lanekent ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 17:29:19 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Lara Blasingame Subject: Re: Fanfic Teaser: When the Night Falls Hi Karen, I am so happy that you are continuing to write the story. Yeah!!! I just read the teaser... WOW! What an interesting take on the Nightfall Asteroid story. The teaser was... WOW. Wait I already said that... Now, I'm all excited! Please hurry and finish... or there will be a lot of people pestering you ;) Lara ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 22:43:52 -0000 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: LabRat Subject: Re: Questions for Fanfic MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Joy wrote: > First I need to do my Tuesday cheerleading thing.... ~~~I thank you....~~~ > Okay, now that I've done that, YAY!! If LabRat has a technical question, > that means she's closer to posting. ~~~Um, no. It means I might get to a keyboard at some point in the near future, somewhen, somehow, maybe....I think.~~~ > Someone please answer this so I can read another fic before RL gets in the > way. > Well, you can forget I asked about the Japanese waterpark because I have to thank Julie for finding me a website on just the very place I was talking about. Her search engine is obviously way better than mine, because mine came up with zip when I tried it. Thanks, Julie! So......now all I need to know is about those helicopters..... (hint) LabRat :) ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 18:26:49 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "C.C. Malo" Subject: Re: Review of S5/7 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Carolyn, I've really enjoyed reading your reviews of S5 --I hope you keep them coming. Carol ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 18:30:12 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Ann E. McBride" Subject: Re: NEW: The Darkest Hour (Before the Dawn) part 2 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Erin, this is terrific! Keep posting! Ann ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 15:42:47 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Kara Johnson Subject: Re: Question for fanfic. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Yes, Rose, your thigh bone is your femur- I know because a friend of mine was in a horrible car crash over the holiday season, breaking BOTH femurs, as well as shattering one knee and ankle and breaking the other knee and ankle. Sad circumstances I know. Just glad to help *somebody* -Kara ===== | KarahJ or Kasspur on irc | | Karah82 on AOL Instant Messenger | ___________________________________________________________ I've learned that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://messenger.yahoo.com ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 18:46:19 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Ann E. McBride" Subject: Re: Questions for Fanfic MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 1/4/2000 12:29:53 PM Eastern Standard Time, labrat@STARLABS.FSNET.CO.UK writes: << First off - anyone out there know anything about helicopters? Like, what is the standard make and model used by civilian flight schools in the US? The type you'd learn to fly in. And are the instruments pretty much standard? If you learned to fly in type A, would you probably be able to fly type B thereafter? >> According to my son, the wannabe pilot, one learns how to fly on a Bell 47 or a Robinson R-22 helicopter. These are the little round ones. He says that the instrument panels should be pretty uniform on this type of helicopter, but that jet helicopters would be different. Hope this helps. Ann ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 16:54:28 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: Re: The Darkest Hour MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Just wanted to tell you guys, especially Jessi, Tara, Irene, Nan, Kate and Ann (did I forget anyone who replied? I hope not!) that I appreciate your wonderful words of encouragement on the two parts of "Dakest Hour" that I've posted so far! Knowing that somebody is actually interested in reading what I've written is definitely a relief. I'll post part 3 tomorrow! Erin :) __________________ erink@ida.net Visit my LNC/Kerth Website: www.ida.net/users/davek ***** "It's not the years that count, it's the moments...right now, as they happen." __________________ ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 19:09:33 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: No Name Available Subject: OT--Chris Reeve MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit There was a nice article in our local (Long Island, NY) paper today about Dana & Chris Reeve and a book coming out soon... newsday.com / Leisure< /A> http://www.newsday.com/features/fthi0104.htm (in case the link either doesn't work for you or it changes daily) --Laurie ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 19:32:51 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Genine Murray Subject: Re: The Darkest Hour MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit YAY!!!!!! I'm so happy that we won't have to wait *too* long for part 3! I'm really enjoying this fic Erin, please don't keep us in suspense too long for *any* of the parts! And of course we're interested, everything you write is wonderful! Great work, can't wait for more! :-) Genine SuperGem4@aol.com In a message dated 1/4/00 6:56:54 PM Eastern Standard Time, erink@IDA.NET writes: << Just wanted to tell you guys, especially Jessi, Tara, Irene, Nan, Kate and Ann (did I forget anyone who replied? I hope not!) that I appreciate your wonderful words of encouragement on the two parts of "Dakest Hour" that I've posted so far! Knowing that somebody is actually interested in reading what I've written is definitely a relief. I'll post part 3 tomorrow! Erin :) ________ >> ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 19:45:10 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Ann E. McBride" Subject: Re: The Darkest Hour MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 1/4/2000 6:56:54 PM Eastern Standard Time, erink@IDA.NET writes: << I'll post part 3 tomorrow! >> Hurray! Ann ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 18:17:05 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Kara Johnson Subject: Re: The Darkest Hour MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii /Me is eagerly awaiting part three.. (before I go I want to say BRAVO! to one and two :) ) -Kara ===== | KarahJ or Kasspur on irc | | Karah82 on AOL Instant Messenger | ___________________________________________________________ I've learned that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://messenger.yahoo.com ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 20:00:37 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Cynthia Haste Subject: Fanfic questions MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit 1. Has there ever been a definitive answer to what Claude's last name is? 2. Does anyone remember how old Lex told Lois he was when his parents died, what they died of, and whether he specifically said he was an only child? 3. What is the title of the person in charge of a fire department? Is there a single person in charge of all fire departments, and if so what is his title? 4. Is Sodium Pentathol still the truth serum of choice, or is there a bigger better drug that's used today? 5. How many people on average are there on a City Council in large cities? 6. I think the newsroom is on the fourth floor of the DP, does anyone know how many floors there are in the entire building? Thanks for any and all help, Cindy -- Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are good is like expecting the bull not to charge because you are a vegetarian. - Unknown Author Diet tip: Eat a chocolate bar before each meal. It'll take the edge off your appetite and you'll eat less. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 23:20:37 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Alexis W." Subject: Re: Fanfic questions MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 1/4/00 11:13:51 PM EST, chaste@CYBERHOTLINE.COM writes: << 2. Does anyone remember how old Lex told Lois he was when his parents died, what they died of, and whether he specifically said he was an only child? >> I think he said 14. >>6. I think the newsroom is on the fourth floor of the DP, does anyone know how many floors there are in the entire building?<< Actually it's the 3rd floor. I am writing a fanfic and a while back I asked about the floor plan too. I hope this helps! Alexis ;-.) ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 20:45:18 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Judith Williams Subject: Re: Fanfic questions MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit 3. The Fire Chief is head of the fire department. Each fire department is associated with a municipality and they are independent of each other, so no one head of all fire departments. Chief is appointed by Mayor and City Council and serves at their pleasure. 5. City Councils will vary in size depending on the size of the city. Members are elected from designated geographic areas. There might be 5, 7 9,11--any more than that and conducting business gets unwieldy. Note that the number is odd to preclude tie votes. Jude ----- Original Message ----- From: Cynthia Haste To: Sent: Tuesday, January 04, 2000 8:00 PM Subject: Fanfic questions > 1. Has there ever been a definitive answer to what Claude's last name > is? > > 2. Does anyone remember how old Lex told Lois he was when his parents > died, what they died of, and whether he specifically said he was an only > child? > > 3. What is the title of the person in charge of a fire department? Is > there a single person in charge of all fire departments, and if so what > is his title? > > 4. Is Sodium Pentathol still the truth serum of choice, or is there a > bigger better drug that's used today? > > 5. How many people on average are there on a City Council in large > cities? > > 6. I think the newsroom is on the fourth floor of the DP, does anyone > know how many floors there are in the entire building? > > Thanks for any and all help, > > Cindy > -- > Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are good is like > expecting the bull not to charge because you are a vegetarian. > - Unknown Author > > Diet tip: Eat a chocolate bar before each meal. It'll take the edge off > your appetite and you'll eat less. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 00:03:27 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Dalia Beth Leven Subject: Re: Fanfic question In-Reply-To: <3872C1E5.5BDF1BE2@cyberhotline.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII hello to all.. Could someone answer me a really simple question... Who is Claude and where did he come from? Thank you much Dalia ***Sex is herediary. If your parents never had it, chances are you won't either.*** ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 21:15:13 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Judith Williams Subject: Re: Fanfic question MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi Dalia: Claude was a former reporter at the Planet with whom Lois had an affair. She told Clark about him in the pilot episode. He was French, and after using Lois and stealing her story, he left the Planet to go on to bigger and better things. A recent fanfic by, I think Irene, brought him back for Lois to make her peace with. Jude ----- Original Message ----- From: Dalia Beth Leven To: Sent: Tuesday, January 04, 2000 9:03 PM Subject: Re: Fanfic question > hello to all.. > Could someone answer me a really simple question... > Who is Claude and where did he come from? > Thank you much > Dalia > > ***Sex is herediary. If your parents never had it, chances are you won't > either.*** ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 00:37:29 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Alicia Utowski Subject: New: Better Family Hour Introduction MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I wrote this story about three years ago, originally, and I recently went back and reread it. Actually it was pretty bad in my opinion. so I went back and rewrote it :)... I am also going to go back and revise all of the other stories I have written in this universe... this story ends on kind of a cliff hanger of sorts, and it continues in my next story Silent Fears, which I will start rewriting tomorrow :) Comments, Criticism and Editing are welcome publicly or privately :) Alicia ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 00:39:53 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Alicia Utowski Subject: New: Better Family Hour (1/10) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Better Family Hour by Alicia Utowski Alicia3456@aol.com part 1/10 ################################################### "Lois, honey, you've been in there for a while now. Are you okay in there?" A very worried Clark Kent paced around his bedroom. His wife, Lois Lane, had been in the bathroom for the past half-hour, and he didn't even need his Superhearing to know that she was still losing her breakfast to the toilet's cold porcelain. Every time he heard her sigh, he wanted to rush right into the bathroom to comfort her, but every time he got as far as the door, he turned around again. Maybe she didn't want him in there. What if she yelled at him for coming in? She sure had been sick a lot lately. This must have been the third time this week she'd been in there before work. Yesterday, Clark had made the near fatal mistake of entering the bathroom when Lois was like this. She just glared at him like all of her suffering was his fault. Of course it wasn't. How could it be his fault? He didn't get sick, so how could he have given it to her? Of course she had apologized when she realized how unfair she had been. However, Clark didn't want to take that risk again. He flopped back onto the bed and waited for her to come out, agonizing at every sound of sickness emanating from the bathroom. "Oh, oh, how can I have this much in my stomach when I haven't even eaten?" Lois finally got up off her knees and walked over to the sink. She splashed water over her face, trying to wipe away all the sweat, tears, and vomit. "Come on girl, get a grip." Lois looked up into the mirror and contemplated her reflection. She almost didn't recognize the face that stared back at her. Her eyes looked almost like those of a raccoon with dark circles surrounding them, and she could almost swear that her face had a sort of green tint to it. The image started getting blurry when she started feeling the headache again. The headache along with the body aches were the worst parts of this sickness. Sometimes her muscles would hurt so badly that she didn't even want to move. She felt more sluggish now than she had ever felt in her life. To make things worse, her nose was starting to feel just a little stuffy. "Why can't I shake this flu bug? I've been sick for the past two weeks, and it's not getting any better. If anything it's getting worse!" As Lois spoke to her reflection, she heard Clark open the door. She almost snapped at him for interrupting her, but she realized that Clark was only concerned about her. He only knew that she had been feeling poorly for the past three days, and she didn't want him to know how sick she had been for nearly two weeks now. Clark, worrywart that he was, would only worry himself sick about her and he would have insisted that they both stay home from work so she could rest. Lois did not want any of that. They had been following a story about a huge prostitution ring being run out of city hall, and it finally broke yesterday. Lois wouldn't have missed that for the world. Today, though, Lois thought that staying home would be a good idea. Clark had an appointment to see Doctor Klein this afternoon, so he wouldn't be home most of the day. She needed to find out what was wrong with her, and she didn't want Clark to know about it before she was sure what, exactly, was wrong. Clark came up behind her and touched her shoulder. Lois leaned back, seeming to tell him that it was okay to touch her, and that she needed his support right now. Clark's heart leapt into his throat when he saw the look of pain and exhaustion in Lois' eyes. This flu that she had was really taking it out of her. Maybe it was the stress of the past few months. They had been through so much since the New Year, and it never seemed to stop. Most recently, a man named Leslie Luckaby bought the Planet, and they didn't even know it was up for sale. To make things worse, Luckaby worked for Lex Luthor's son, and both wanted to make Lois their own. In the end, Luthor Jr. and Luckaby had perished in an explosion, but word on the street was that Luckaby had somehow escaped. Clark doubted the validity of those rumors, though, because he had seen Luckaby shot at point blank range and subsequently fall into murky sewer water, never to be seen again. All Clark knew was that if Luckaby was still around, he and Lois were in great danger. Luckaby knew Clark's secret, the most powerful secret in the world, that Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter >from the Daily Planet, was also Superman, the tights-wearing Superhearo. Clark also knew that this information was not something that Lois needed to know about right now. She had to concentrate on relaxation, so that she could feel better soon. Clark shuddered at the thoughts of Leslie Luckaby, and wrapped his arms around Lois' shoulders. She slowly leaned back and turned in his arms. Their eyes met, and Clark could see the question in her eyes before she even spoke. "Clark, what's wrong with me? I can't seem to shake this damned flu bug." Clark kissed the top of her head, hoping to reassure her. He didn't know much about being ill, but he definitely felt Lois' pain. "Don't worry, honey. Just give it a couple of days. You've been working too hard lately, and things have been pretty stressful around here. I bet your immune system is having a hard time coping with all of that stress. I think I read somewhere that your immune response is sometimes compromised when you are faced with extremely stressful conditions." Clark reached up to push her hair away from her face and wiped a tear >from her cheek. She gently pushed forward, wanting him to support her weight. Her legs seemed like they would give out at any minute. Clark sensed this and gently picked her up and carried her to their bed. With one hand, he pulled back the covers and fluffed up a pillow while holding her with the other. He gently laid her down on the bed and covered her up. "Lois, you are not going to work today. You need to stay here and rest." Clark fully expected Lois to launch an all-out assault on him for that suggestion, but she shocked him with her lack of response. He raised his eyebrows as she sunk into the warmth of the bed, eyes already half-shut. She didn't even offer a little plea. Obviously something was wrong here; Lois never stayed home from work without the threat of physical violence. As she was falling asleep, he heard her murmur, "Okay, Clark, don't let me sleep too long." Clark left Lois in peace and went downstairs to the kitchen to call Perry. Later that morning, Clark watched LNN in the living room, still not wanting to disturb Lois in any way. She needed sleep more than anything else he could offer her right now. He turned the TV down to a volume level where only he could hear it, and he laid silently on the couch, only half-listening to the international news stories. He was really obsessing about his appointment with Dr. Klein later that afternoon. Lately, Lois and Clark had been talking about the feasibility of a Kryptonian male and a woman from Earth ever mating successfully. They weren't sure that they even wanted to have children, but they wanted to know if they could. Lois was the one that was really unsure of the prospect of motherhood. She'd never been too comfortable around children, and the pitter-patter of little feet was a sound that she swore she could never enjoy. Clark, for his part, loved children. He had lots of little cousins, and always enjoyed baby-sitting them. He knew, however, that parenthood and baby-sitting were too different to compare. With baby-sitting, he was only in charge of the child for a mere couple of hours without having to take any responsibility for its well being. As a parent, he would have to be responsible for an entire human life, and he wasn't sure he was ready for that huge responsibility. Yesterday, Dr. Klein had called and told him that the results were in, and they looked somewhat promising. This raised his spirits for even if they never decided to conceive, the fact that they could would be one more sign that he was almost normal. He let his mind drift off into a daydream as to just what his and Lois' children would be like. Who would they look like? What would they be like? Would they have powers? As Clark daydreamed, Lois gingerly walked down the steps. She felt a little bit better. The little nap must have done her well. When she walked into the living room, she saw Clark fast asleep on the couch. She smiled widely as she stared at his angelic expression. He was so cute when he slept, almost like a child. In this state, he looked so vulnerable, no one would ever believe he was the strongest man in the world. While Clark was asleep, Lois decided that she had suffered long enough >from whatever this illness was. If she was sick, she had to get some medical help. Even though she hadn't been to the doctor for over a year, she decided that now would definitely be a good time to renew that acquaintance. She perched on the edge of the couch Clark was sleeping on and called the doctor's office. Luckily, someone had canceled a 1:30 appointment, the same time as Clark's appointment with Dr. Klein. As she hung up the phone, Clark woke up. He blinked and shook his head several times. "Honey, aren't you supposed to be sleeping? Was I sleeping?" "I was sleeping, but I woke up. You, Mr. Sleepyhead, were zonked out on the couch when I came down here a couple of minutes ago." Lois giggled and ran her hand through his thick, dark hair, mussing it up even worse than it already was, making his boyish charm so much more apparent. Clark shook his head again, and said, "I didn't even realize I was asleep. Are you feeling any better?" "Actually, yes, a little bit better. But I still feel horrible. I can't take it much longer, so I made a doctor's appointment for 1:30." Clark was shocked. Lois was going to see a doctor? It must be very serious then. Lois never went to the doctor. "Honey, are you sure you're all right? You'd tell me, wouldn't you?" He gently draped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to him. She buried her face into his chest and said, "I don't know Clark. I've been sick like this for at least two weeks, and I've never felt like this before. I know it's not the flu." Lois' unshed tears, held for two weeks, now started to flow in torrents, and Clark was at a loss as to what to do. All he could do right now was hold her and try to comfort her. He had suspected that she had been hiding her illness from him, but all her wanted right now was for her to feel better. "Clark, maybe I'm dying." Clark sat up straight and made her look into his eyes, "Lois, you are not dying. Please don't say that. Whatever is wrong with you, it's not anything that could kill you, and I'm positive about that." Lois collapsed back onto his warm chest and sobbed again. Soon, both Lois and Clark had to leave for their respective appointments. Before Clark flew off, he kneeled in front of Lois and gently held her hand. Lois squeezed back and said, "Good luck, sweetheart, I know how much this means to you," she paused and added, "To us." He nodded and closed his eyes, "I hope both of our appointments turn out well. I know yours will, but I'm not so sure about mine. " Lois reached down and hugged him, "Don't worry, I'm sure everything will turn out okay. I mean, the world owes us a break." Clark chuckled slightly in the midst of their emotional moment. Lois glared at him skeptically, all be it in jest, and Clark said, "Honey, that's just so true. We've been through so much, I just feel like something has to give." They held onto each other, thankful that they at least had each other in the face of all the adversity they had overcome, adversity that would have, quite possibly, broken up nearly any other couple. As Lois sat in the doctor's waiting room, she felt her stomach churning again. Just as the receptionist called her name, she felt the overwhelming urge to throw up again. Lois stood up on shaky legs with her hand over her mouth, trying to prevent anything from coming out. The receptionist saw this rushed over to help Lois. "Oh, Miss, let me help you. You look like you need to find a bathroom quickly." Lois slightly nodded in reply, not wanting to say anything because if she opened her mouth it would not be a pretty sight. The receptionist, a grandmotherly woman in her late sixties, put her arm around Lois' back and helped her walk to the bathroom back by the doctor's office. When they got there, Lois gratefully smiled at the lady and ran into the bathroom. As soon as Lois was out of sight, the receptionist turned to walk back to her desk where she met a nurse. The elderly woman said, "That girl is gonna be in for a shock when she finds out she's pregnant. Of course, she sure has the flu bug pretty bad too." The nurse, another older woman, but a bit younger than the receptionist, smiled knowingly. Diane the receptionist had a reputation for being very observant. She could tell what was wrong with someone as soon as they walked in the door, and that came from her nearly fifty years working in a doctor's office of some sort. In the bathroom, Lois heard the woman's comment and nearly fell over. Did she hear what she thought she just heard? There was no way, no way in the world that she could be pregnant. As she leant against the toilet again, she dismissed the whole pregnancy idea entirely. "I can't be pregnant. Clark and I are always so careful. Plus when you're pregnant, you don't have all these flu-like symptoms, do you?" As she splashed water on her face and rinsed her mouth out, Lois felt the urge to sneeze. Now she knew she wasn't pregnant. "Sneezing is definitely not a symptom of pregnancy. Good. Now that that's settled, I can concentrate on fighting this flu, or whatever it is." Lois tentatively ventured out of the bathroom and peeked around the hallway. Sure enough, the receptionist was smiling at her knowingly and there was another woman waiting for her to come out. This woman was also looking at her in the same way, and, quite frankly, it made Lois very uncomfortable. Those women must have been smoking the same kinds of drugs for lunch. How did they even get the idea that she could be pregnant? She, for one, knew that there was just no way on Earth that it was possible. Lois glared at the receptionist, who was still watching her like a hawk. How dare these women mess with Lois Lane when she is not feeling well. Just as Lois was about to explode, a short, blonde woman in a white lab coat approached her. "Well Lois Lane, long time no see. When was the last time I saw you?" She checked the chart in her hand, "December 12, 1995. Two years ago! So, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" Sarcasm? How dare this lady be sarcastic right now? Oh this doctor really had some kind of nerve. Lois was in pain, and this woman just insulted her. If only her throat didn't hurt so much, she'd really let this so-called doctor have it! ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 00:41:35 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Alicia Utowski Subject: New: Better Family Hour (2/10) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Better Family Hour by Alicia Utowski Alicia3456@aol.com part 2/10 ######################################## Lois looked towards the ground sheepishly. She hadn't been to the doctor'= s=20 office in that long because she'd just never made the time in her busy=20 schedule to have a yearly physical done. In her opinion, her career was muc= h=20 more important than her health, especially when she was obviously just fine.= =20 "Well, Dr. Stevens, for your information=85" before Lois could finish her=20 sentence, a horrible coughing fit overtook her. As she bent at the waist to= =20 help her lungs clear, she noticed the receptionist getting up and whispering= =20 something to the doctor and the doctor nodding. Why are those nosy women talking to the doctor about my treatment? What is=20 this, Dr. Telephone's office? What ever happened to doctor-patient=20 confidentiality? Lois was absolutely livid when she finally stopped=20 coughing, but she didn't want to pick a fight when she felt this sick, but=20 when she felt better, these nosy women better watch out! The doctor ushered Lois into an exam room and gave her a paper gown to put o= n. "Okay, I'll leave so you can put this on. Take everything off but your=20 undergarments and I'll be back in a minute." The doctor's expression=20 softened, "I'm sorry about Diane. She always does that. Sometimes I think=20 she'd make a better doctor than I do because she's right so often." With that, the doctor left the room, giving Lois her needed privacy and also= =20 a minute to think. The room was very small, not larger than a walk-in=20 closet, and smelled like antiseptic. That smell was so potent that even Loi= s=20 with her stuffy nose could smell it clearly. The walls were decorated with=20 many diagrams of human anatomy, scattered among pictures of cute little=20 puppies and kittens. =20 Lois quickly changed into the paper gown and hopped up onto the exam table.=20= =20 It was so uncomfortable, she could barely stand it. Every time she moved,=20 she felt the paper underneath her move with her, making the most annoying=20 crinkling sounds. She clasped her aching head in her hands and rubbed her=20 runny nose. Lois thought to herself, 'So Diane is usually right, hmm. She=20 sure isn't right today! How could I be pregnant? I have the flu, and that's= =20 it. After all, Clark and I use protection almost every time. Oh no, almost= =20 every time! There was that one time, but what are the odds? I know it's=20 possible, but the odds have to be at least one hundred to one against it.' =20 She shook her head. 'No, no, no. It just can't be!" The doctor gently knocked on the door, "Ms. Lane, can I come in?" "Yes," Lois said softly. =20 The doctor sat down on a rolling stool and rolled close to Lois. She grabbe= d=20 a pen and Lois' chart. Lois stared at her in shock. How could this doctor=20 just sit there so calmly when Lois' mind was racing so quickly? She hadn't=20 considered the possibility of pregnancy before, and it was still only a smal= l=20 possibility that it was true, but now her brain was working overtime=20 pondering if that woman could be right. What would she do if she was=20 pregnant? She wasn't ready to be a mother. =20 "Is that Diane woman really always right? Isn't she ever wrong? Becaus= e=20 I know I'm not pregnant. Where would she get that kind of idea from anyway?= " The doctor looked at Lois patronizingly. She ignored Lois' insistent=20 questioning and started writing on the chart. "What are you doing? What are you writing?" "So, Lois, you say you've been having flu-like symptoms for the past two= =20 weeks. What kind of symptoms are we talking about here?" Lois' eyes widened. The doctor just cut her off. No one cuts Lois Lane= =20 off, well, except Clark, but he's allowed to. Lois pulled a tissue out of her purse and blew her nose. She coughed to= =20 clear her throat of the phlegm that had built up there. She didn't feel wel= l=20 enough to get into an argument with the doctor, as much as she might have=20 wanted to. "Well, there's been a stomach flu going around the office. I think just=20 about everyone's been home with it, but I just haven't gotten any better. =20 Everyone else is better in a couple of days, but mine has just been=20 lingering." The doctor nodded and made a few notes on her chart. =20 "Any nausea?" Lois' eyes widened. What kind of doctor did she go to? She had just=20 seen Lois coming out of the bathroom, and the receptionist had obviously tol= d=20 her that Lois was throwing up. "Yes, I've been feeling quite nauseous the whole time I've been sick. =20 It's almost constant. I can't keep anything down, and the smell of food=20 makes me feel worse." The doctor nodded and made some more notes on her chart. =20 "Congestion?" Lois sniffled, "Yeah, sinuses, lungs, nose, you name it, it's congested.= " "What color is the mucus you've been expelling? Is it yellow, white,=20 clear?" Lois never really looked at her mucus before, she didn't think it was a=20 strange color. If it was a bright yellow, she would have noticed. =20 "Why on Earth do you need to know that?" "Because I need to rule out an infection. If you expel any yellow mucus= ,=20 that means you have an infection, and I'll need to put you on antibiotics." "Oh." Lois looked at the tissue she had placed next to her on the table. =20 "It looks like it's clear. Is that bad?" "No, that's a good sign. It rules out a bacterial infection, but not a=20 viral infection. Let me take your blood pressure." The doctor strapped the cuff on Lois' arm and pumped it up. Lois felt=20 the pressure and the pulsing in her arm and hoped it would be over soon. =20 Soon, but not soon enough for Lois, the doctor removed the blood pressure=20 cuff. "120/64, normal." She wrote it down on her chart. "Now let me listen t= o=20 your heart and lungs." She helped Lois stand up, "Now take deep breaths." When she had finished, the doctor made some more notes and said,=20 "Congested, but normal breathing patterns. Not pneumonia. Now lie down on=20 your back so I can feel your spleen and other lymph nodes to see if they are= =20 swollen. If they are, it means you might have mononucleosis." Lois nodded. Mono was the one disease she thought was probable, but how= ?=20 She thought kissing or exchanging saliva with an infected person spread the= =20 disease. Surely Clark wasn't affected, and she wasn't in the habit of=20 sharing drinks or kissing strange men. But she was always in public places=20 where people sometimes sneezed without covering their mouths, and that could= =20 have been enough to transmit the disease. The doctor pulled Lois' paper gown back and pushed her cold hands into Lois'= =20 tender stomach. The sensation was weird for Lois, but not painful, and the=20 doctor felt nothing swollen in her spleen or in any of the lymph nodes in he= r=20 groin, armpits, nor neck. When she finished, she closed the chart and said, "Okay, I'm going to=20 leave so you can get dressed again, and then we'll talk about what our next=20 course of action is going to be." Lois nodded and the doctor left the room. Lois was sure that she=20 probably had to tell that Diane woman what she thought about Lois so that th= e=20 whole office would know in a matter of minutes. As she stepped into her=20 jeans, she wondered how a doctor like this could stay in business. She=20 gossips about her patients with the receptionist, a woman who probably didn'= t=20 even have a college education. Even if she did have a college education,=20 Lois still didn't want her doctor telling her, or anyone, about her=20 condition. Five minutes later, the doctor knocked on the door again and Loi= s=20 opened the door. The doctor again sat on the swivel stool and opened the=20 chart, making a few marks again. =20 "Well, Lois, from these symptoms here it looks like you have the flu, but I'= d=20 like to run some tests just to be sure. I want to absolutely rule out=20 mononucleosis, and for that you need blood work done. I'll write you a=20 prescription for the tests and all you have to do is go downstairs to room=20 124, and they'll take the blood right away. I was just wondering, though,=20 how is your job? You have to be under a lot of stress as a reporter trying=20 to generate excellent stories on short deadlines." Lois sighed, "Not usually, but recently, it's been really stressful. We've=20 had a lot of big stories break around the same time, and it seems like it=20 just isn't slowing down." "Well, I think you have to slow down. Make time for yourself. There's=20 always another story out there, but you only have one body. Your body needs= =20 rest and proper nutrition. You can't go at full-speed forever without a=20 break." =20 Lois nodded. For once the doctor, Clark, and she all agreed. She did need=20 some time off to recover from all of the recent events in her life." The doctor continued, "I also want to talk to you about what Diane said=20 before." Lois stared a cold stare at Dr. Stevens. The good doctor almost froze i= n=20 fear when her eyes locked with the sharp daggers that Lois called eyes. Dr.= =20 Stevens, however, was not quite so easily intimidated. She wouldn't let Loi= s=20 get the best of her. She began, "You know Diane has been working in doctors' offices for at=20 least 50 years now. She is the best I've ever met at diagnosing problems by= =20 just looking at someone." Lois' eyes widened as big as saucers. "Could she be wrong this time? =20 No, she IS wrong this time. I'm not pregnant. I can't be." The doctor ran her hand through her short blonde hair, the lines of=20 exasperation clearly forming in her forehead. "Yes Lois, she has been wrong, but she is right so much more often than=20 she's wrong, especially about pregnant women. She seems to have a sense=20 about those things. Diane says that there's a special glow a pregnant woman= =20 has, and you have it more than any woman she's seen walk through this=20 office's doors." Lois shook her head. "No, that woman must be crazy. I can't be=20 pregnant." "Are you sure of that? I mean absolutely positive." =20 Lois closed her mouth definitively. She closed her eyes, remembering th= e=20 one time when she and Clark had forgotten to use protection. That morning=20 had been one of the best mornings of he life, but now it could be turning=20 into one of the worst in her life. As she remembered that morning, she=20 slowly shook her head. "No, I'm not absolutely positive. It could be a remote possibility." "Have you been having unprotected sexual relations?" Lois shook her head again, "No, not regularly. It was just that one=20 time. It was such a blur that both of us forgot. But, but=85" The doctor interrupted, "Lois, that one time could mean a lot. Plenty o= f=20 women have become pregnant even while using protection." Lois shook her head. She wasn't a lot of women, she was Lois Lane, and=20 that made her both different and better than all the other women. "How long has it been since your last menstrual period?" "I think it was about two months ago. But I am not worried because I=20 have never been very regular, especially when I am under a lot of stress. I= =20 am used to skipping months when I am working on big stories or if I am=20 exercising a lot." The doctor jotted some notes on a sheet of paper, and then some more=20 notes on the chart. "What in the world are you writing in there?" =20 "This is just your prescription for the blood tests I want you to get as= =20 soon as you leave here." "No, not there. I mean in the chart. Don't I ever get to look at the=20 chart?" The doctor was shocked. She'd never run across any sick person who=20 demanded to see their chart before. Lois knew that this was all just one bi= g=20 conspiracy. There had to be a reason that no doctor allowed his or her=20 patients access to their charts in the office, but at a hospital anyone from= =20 the candy-striper to the patient's mother-in-law to the janitor had access t= o=20 the charts. This would make a great story, if only she felt up to moving he= r=20 hands across the keyboard. The doctor changed the subject. "Lois, I'm not saying Diane is right,=20 but I am writing you a prescription for a pregnancy test." Lois opened her mouth in protest. "I'm not saying that you are pregnant, but we have to do the test becaus= e=20 you and your husband have had unprotected sex and you've missed a period." Lois opened her mouth to protest again, but the doctor continued, "This=20 is just so you don't sue me for malpractice. I have to prescribe any and al= l=20 tests that I deem necessary in your treatment, and I want to be as thorough=20 as possible." Lois fumed in anger. She didn't need the pregnancy test because she=20 obviously wasn't pregnant, and that was that. "Ms. Lane, I am also having them run tests for mononucleosis, pneumonia,= =20 leukemia, bladder infection, anemia, influenza, and strep throat. It's just= =20 precautionary." Lois just nodded, still in a state of denial. It wouldn't come up=20 positive anyway, so why did she care, unless it did come up positive by some= =20 strange fluke. But what if it did come up positive? What would they do? =20 She and Clark were not ready for a baby; they hadn't even been married for a= =20 year yet. =20 The doctor ripped the prescription off the pad, and handed it to Lois. =20 "I want you to get the blood taken as soon as possible. If you go to th= e=20 lab I told you about this afternoon, I should have the results in two days.=20= =20 But until then, I want you to take it easy. Stay home from work and rest. =20 You body needs time to heal itself, and you need to recuperate from the=20 stress of your job." =20 Lois nodded and said, "I'll get those tests right now because I don't=20 really have anything better to do, and I wasn't planning on going in to work= =20 until I felt like I could sit at my desk for an hour with out wanting to run= =20 to the bathroom." "Goodbye, Lois, and good luck." The two women shook hands, and Lois left the office. As Lois walked past Diane, Diane said, "Well congratulations ma'am." Lois held her tongue, although she wanted to give Diane a piece of her=20 mind both for trying to diagnose her without permission and for the ma'am=20 comment. She walked out of the office, head held high, without a look back=20 at the elderly receptionist. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 00:43:11 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Alicia Utowski Subject: New: Better Family Hour (3/10) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Better Family Hour by Alicia Utowski=20 Alicia3456@aol.com part 3/10 ############################################ Meanwhile, Clark sat in Dr. Klein's office waiting for the doctor to come ou= t=20 of his lab with the results. Klein had been gone over fifteen minutes and=20 Clark was getting restless. What could be taking him so long? =20 Clark got out of his chair and started to pace around the small room. =20 Out of curiosity, he picked up one of the books on the desk. =20 "The Quantum Mechanics of Bifurcation Points in Nonlinear Systems. Wow,= =20 that sounds like some fun reading to me!" Clark said sarcastically. He flipped through the first few pages and put the book back on the desk= .=20 Clark knew it was a bad book when he, the man who could order dinner in 347= =20 languages, didn't even know what the first word meant. Clark gave up readin= g=20 and started pacing. After a few minutes, Dr. Klein walked into the room and= =20 nearly ran right into the pacing Superman. "Oh, Superman, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. It's just that I had= =20 to find the thing I needed to show you. Why don't you sit down?" Dr. Klein indicated that Clark should take the seat right next to the=20 desk. Both men sat down, and Clark waited for the doctor to begin. Dr.=20 Klein seemed unusually nervous today. Maybe the news was not as good as he=20 had made it sound before. Maybe Superman could never have children. Dr.=20 Klein sure was sweating, and his pulse was way over 150. Clark was worried.= =20 This had to mean that something was wrong, and that Dr. Klein was afraid to=20 tell him about it. "Dr. Klein, what's wrong? Is it bad news? I can take bad news, you=20 know." Dr. Klein looked into Superman's eager eyes. He hated to do this to the= =20 young man because he had gotten his hopes up too high. Superman looked so=20 anxious and so hopeful, Dr. Klein hoped he didn't have to dash his every=20 hope. He paused to collect his thoughts and to take a deep breath before he= =20 began. "Superman, first I want to say that if you have any relations with your,= =20 um, honey, there should be nothing to worry about. She should be perfectly=20 fine. Your, um, reproductive system, is just like any normal man's. There=20 should be no way of hurting her." Clark raised his eyebrows. The man was obviously nervous, and he was=20 trying to avoid the question at hand. Clark shook his head and rubbed his=20 eyes, this was going to take a while with Dr. Klein in this kind of mood, an= d=20 chances were pretty good that Clark would not be happy with what Dr. Klein=20 had to tell them. "Dr. Klein, I know that already. Can we just get on with it?" Dr. Klein's eyebrows nearly jumped to the top of his forehead. =20 "You know that already? May I ask, who's the lucky woman?" Clark realized his near mistake right when he closed his mouth. This=20 would take some quick thinking on his part to get this straightened out with= =20 out lying to his friend. Clark took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. He=20 didn't want to deal with this right now; he just wanted to find out the test= =20 results. =20 In an unSuperman-like tone, he snapped, "Why wouldn't I know that=20 already? What do you think I am? Don't you think I have needs and desires=20 like any other man?" Dr. Klein sat up in his chair in disbelief. He'd never seen Superman=20 like this before. He must have really struck a painful nerve with Superman=20 to have him snap like that. Superman shook his head, "No, wait Dr. Klein. I'm sorry. I didn't mean= =20 that the way it sounded. I just have some things that I'd rather keep=20 private, and my love life, or lack of one, is just one of those things." Dr. Klein nodded and said, "I'm sorry to offend you Superman. I didn't=20 mean to insinuate that you never=85 you know, but sometimes I forget that yo= u=20 are a man underneath that costume. I, as well as most of the rest of the=20 world, sometimes just see you as someone that is just put here to save the=20 world from disaster, and I forget that you are a person with needs, feelings= ,=20 and desires." "Now can we please get back to those tests?" Dr. Klein nodded, "Certainly, Superman, let's take a look at this sample= =20 under my microscope." The two men took turns gazing at the sample on the slide, and as Superma= n=20 looked Dr. Klein said, "The sample of the right is your sperm, while the=20 sample on the right is the sperm of a normal man of about thirty." Superman nodded; the two samples looked almost the same to him, except=20 that his seemed to be moving a lot faster.=20 =20 "I think whatever causes your powers also affects your sperm. You have=20= a=20 higher sperm count, and your sperm seems hyperactive compared to a human's=20 sperm." Superman raised his head, "So what does that mean, exactly?" Dr. Klein shook rubbed the sweat from his brow. He was really sweating=20 profusely now, and he couldn't calm himself down. "Dr. Klein?" Superman put his hand on his friend's shoulder. Dr. Klein broke away an= d=20 started to pace. "Superman, I hope if you've been having relations you've been careful,=20 you do know what I mean when I say careful, right." Superman nodded. =20 "Yes Doctor, both about the being careful and the knowing what careful=20 means. But why? Does my hyperactive sperm have anything to do with it? If= =20 I have relations with L-, I mean a woman, and she became pregnant, would it=20 hurt her?" Clark breathed a sigh of relief. He had almost slipped in his fear for=20 Lois' safety. He did think Dr. Klein should know his secret eventually, but= =20 now was not the right time. Dr. Klein heard Superman's slip of the tongue and thought, 'Uh-huh, I=20 knew he had a girlfriend.' "No, Superman, it wouldn't hurt her. In fact, all the evidence I have=20 points to evidence that you will be able to father healthy children with any= =20 woman you meet here." Clark breathed a sigh of relief. He wanted children, but he would never= =20 put Lois' life in danger to have them. Now, at least, he knew that they=20 would be able to have children if they ever so desired.=20 "Your sperm are actually so much like that of a human, that I want to do= =20 some more tests on you to see just how human-like your body is. I'd really=20 like to do some genetic tests on you to see. Oh, but I've digressed. What=20= I=20 wanted to tell you is that your sperm is very powerful, and can live outside= =20 your body for days. That is to say that if you had unprotected sexual=20 relations, your chances of impregnating a woman are much greater than those=20 of a human male." Superman sat back down in his chair. He was remembering the morning, no= t=20 long ago, when he and Lois had forgotten their protection. It was the only=20 time he could recall them ever forgetting, but with Dr. Klein's news it made= =20 him scared. What if she was pregnant already? She'd been sick lately. But= =20 the stomach flu had been going around the office. He sure hoped she wasn't=20 pregnant yet. They weren't ready yet. They'd only been married for nine=20 months.=20 Dr. Klein waved his hand in front of Superman's dazed face. When=20 Superman didn't respond, Dr. Klein put his hand on Superman's shoulder and=20 gently squeezed. This drew Clark out of his reverie. He blinked twice and=20 found himself looking directly into his friend's eyes. =20 "Are you okay Superman? Do you want to talk about it?" "No, it's okay Dr. Klein. I think I hear a cry for help somewhere. Um=20 Spain, I think." Before Dr. Klein could respond, Superman had already flown out the windo= w. Lois had finished getting her blood taken about half an hour later. She= =20 was still feeling very sick, but she did have the energy to drive herself=20 home. When she walked in the door, she wondered if Clark was home yet. She= =20 needed to vent about the nosy receptionist and the inept doctor, but first,=20 she needed to lie down. Her head was spinning again, and she felt like her=20 legs were little toothpicks that were trying to support her body. She=20 flopped onto the couch and closed her eyes, expecting Clark to come and help= =20 her any second now. =20 When five minutes had passed with no sign of Clark, Lois reached for the= =20 remote control to see if LNN was reporting any Superman sightings. His=20 appointment wouldn't have lasted this long at all. As soon as she flipped on the TV, she saw what was keeping Clark. There= =20 was a huge train derailment just outside of Madrid, Spain, and Clark was=20 helping to dig survivors out of the wreckage. 'So he won't be home for a=20 while,' Lois thought. 'I bet I can make it upstairs by myself. It's going=20 to be a long time until he gets back.' Lois made her way slowly up the stairs, and she made a quick stop in the= =20 bathroom to grab a box of tissues. Soon, she was lying on her bed dozing to= =20 LNN, and coughing up a lung. As she fell asleep, she thought about the=20 possibility of her being pregnant. =20 She couldn't prove that she wasn't. That was the fact that irritated he= r=20 the most. The doctor had a point, she hadn't had her period in two months,=20 although that was a normal occurrence with her, but she and Clark did have=20 unprotected sex, even though it was only that one time. When she finally fell asleep, Lois dreamt about what her life would be=20 like both pregnant and with a baby. In her nightmare, Clark treated her lik= e=20 she was a breakable china doll, and he wouldn't even let her go to work. He= =20 was scared that she'd run off and do something stupid. Then, she had so muc= h=20 trouble with her child. He or she, Lois wasn't sure which, hated her and=20 resented her for all of its life. She didn't like the child either, because= =20 it caused a rift in her relationship with Clark. Clark spent too much time=20 with the child and not any time with her. And the child had powers, so Lois= =20 was left alone while father and child played with their Superpowers. Lois awoke and bolted up in bed. She had been sweating, but now she was= =20 very cold and she pulled the blankets tightly around her. Thank God that wa= s=20 just a dream. If only she could be sure that wouldn't happen sometime in th= e=20 future. She needed to talk to Clark about her fears and about her dream to=20 straighten herself out about some of the horrible visions that had been=20 floating through her mind. Soon, Clark flew in through the window and spun into a pair of blue jean= s=20 and a tee shirt. He smiled when he saw her in bed and gently walked to her=20 side of the bed. "Hey, honey, when did you get back? How'd it go? Are you feeling any=20 better?" Clark gently brushed some of the damp hairs off Lois' forehead. She=20 didn't look too good, and Clark hoped the doctor had given her something to=20 help her feel better. When he kissed her cheek, he tasted the salt from her= =20 tears, and he wondered what could have gone wrong at the doctor's office. "Lois, are you okay? You've been crying." Lois sneezed three times, and Clark said, "Bless you, honey. Oh, you=20 sure sound horrible. Is there anything I can get you?" "Oh Clark, I feel even worse than I did when I left. That doctor is the= =20 most inept person I've ever met. She is so unprofessional. Did you know sh= e=20 let a receptionist diagnose me? Hasn't she ever heard of doctor-patient=20 confidentiality? I mean, honestly, a receptionist." Lois was babbling again. At least that was a good sign that she was=20 feeling a little more like her old self again. "She even had the nerve to tell me that I might be pregnant." Clark raised his eyebrows. Oh no, maybe he was right in Dr. Klein's=20 office. Maybe that one time they forgot protection they did conceive a baby= . "And then, that stupid lady wouldn't even let me see my chart. The nerv= e=20 of some people." She stopped and looked at Clark expecting a response. Clark ran a hand=20 through his hair and decided he needed to sit down. He climbed into bed nex= t=20 to Lois and wrapped his arm around her pulling her close to him. =20 "I'm sorry you had such a horrible time at the doctor's, honey. Did the= y=20 tell you what else they think is wrong with you? I mean I know sneezing and= =20 a runny nose are not signs of pregnancy." Lois snuggled into his chest, trying to find a comfortable position. "I don't know. I think the doctor said that I probably have either the=20 flu, strep throat, or mono." "Mono? Isn't that the kissing disease? Who else have you been kissing=20 that I don't know about." Clark smiled gently to show that he was kidding. "That's not funny Clark. I might really have it." Clark forced a somber expression onto his face and he said, "I'm sorry.=20= =20 I guess I'm just upset about how long that train wreck took to clean up." "How long were you there?" "Almost three hours," Clark sighed. He pictured the horrible scenes again and clutched Lois for support. He= =20 could see the mangled train cars and the bloody victims clearly as he tried=20 to forget what had happened. He closed his eyes tightly, trying to clear hi= s=20 mind of the horrible disaster he had just witnessed. "At least everyone got out before the fire started." Lois tired to comfort him, to wipe away all of the bad images he had see= n=20 today. She ran a soothing hand down his arm and just let him talk about it.= =20 Clark shook his head.=20 "I wish I could have gotten there before the train fell off the tracks=20 completely. I could have helped so many more people escape without any=20 injuries." "Clark, don't say that. I heard on the news that you got everyone out=20 with no casualties. I mean, sure, some people may be injured, but the=20 important thing is that they're all alive." Lois cupped Clark's face in both of her hands. She kissed the top of hi= s=20 head and asked, "Anyway, what happened at Dr. Klein's today?" trying to=20 change the subject so that Clark would stop brooding. Clark turned his head so he wouldn't have to look at Lois when he told=20 her what Dr. Klein had found. "Clark, look at me. It wasn't bad news, was it?" Lois was worried. Clark wouldn't be acting this way if he didn't have=20 bad news for her. She wondered just how bad the bad news was. "Well, it depends on what you define as bad news." "Clark Kent, stop stalling and just tell me what Dr. Klein said!" Lois=20 demanded. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 00:44:02 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Alicia Utowski Subject: New: Better Family Hour (4/10) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Lois turned Clark's head so he was staring directly into her eyes. "Okay, Lois, the good news is that Dr. Klein said that you and I should=20 be able to have normal, healthy children together without any unusual=20 complications. My reproductive system is the same as any other man's except= =20 for one thing." Lois' eyes brightened and she smiled widely. "That's wonderful, honey. We can have children together some day!" She kissed him deeply on the lips. When they came up for air, Clark=20 still did not look quite as happy as Lois felt. "Clark, what's wrong. Aren't you happy about this? Wait, what's that=20 one thing you were talking about? It's bad, isn't it?" Clark nodded. "Yeah, it's bad. Well, not really bad, but still bad." "Clark, get to the point." "Okay, my sperm is hyperactive." "Hyperactive meaning what, exactly?" Clark looked into Lois eyes and hoped she wouldn't be too mad when she=20 heard what he had to say. "Well, he said that my sperm can stay alive in your body for a very long= =20 time. He said that we have to be very careful every time we make love=20 because we have a chance to get pregnant every time." Lois raised her eyebrows and backed away. "What!" Lois exclaimed. =20 She couldn't believe it. This gave more merit to what that Diane woman=20 at her doctor's office said. She really could be pregnant if Clark's sperm=20 could live in her body for a long time. Even if she wasn't ovulating, the=20 sperm could be there in her body until she was. Clark hugged her tightly and said, "I'm sorry, honey. We just have to b= e=20 really careful." "But we weren't careful all the time. And that means I could be pregnan= t=20 right now!"=20 Clark swallowed the lump in his throat. He didn't want Lois to be=20 pregnant yet, almost as much as she didn't want to be pregnant. As much as=20 he did want to have children some day, now just didn't seem like the right=20 time, and he knew Lois felt the same way. But if it was true, and Lois was=20 pregnant right now, they would adjust their lives to adapt to a baby. They=20 would love the baby, and he knew they would be good parents. "I know, honey. And I know we don't think we are ready for a baby right= =20 now, but we can change. It won't be that hard." "That's easy for you to say. You won't turn into a blimp, and you won't= =20 have to take maternity leave away from your job, and you won't have strange=20 people that want to touch your belly or try to predict the baby's sex." Tears ran down Lois' cheeks as she continued, "You'll be busy as=20 Superman, and I'll have to deal with our baby by myself. Oh Clark, I don't=20 know what we're going to do." Clark reached up and wiped the tears from Lois' cheeks. =20 "Oh honey, you won't be a blimp. You could never be a blimp, you'd stil= l=20 be the most beautiful woman in the world. And you don't have to take a long= =20 maternity leave if you don't want to, and I'll look into the Planet's=20 paternity leave policy. I don't ever want to leave you alone. We could tal= k=20 to Mr. Stern to suggest that they build a daycare center. And I will try to= =20 cut back on the emergencies Superman goes to. No more cats in trees or=20 things that the authorities can handle." "Would you really do that? Could you really do that?" =20 Lois closed her eyes tightly. Here they were planning like she was=20 already pregnant. At least Clark was making concessions like the wonderful=20 man that he was. He was such a wonderful man, and she probably didn't=20 deserve him. Clark cupped her face in his left hand and placed his right hand on the=20 back of her head. "Lois, of course I would do that. I would sacrifice my entire career as= =20 Superman for my family. I need you to make my life complete. You are the=20 most wonderful person in the world, and I would do anything for you and for=20 my family. If you aren't happy, I can never be happy." They embraced quietly until Lois said, "I don't think I can take the=20 suspense any longer. I can't wait two days to know if I'm pregnant." "I could go to the drug store and buy one of those home tests." Lois nodded and Clark looked expectantly into her eyes. "That's a good idea. I'd go with you, but I still don't feel well enoug= h=20 to get out of bed. I'm so dizzy, and I feel like I'll throw up any minute." Lois stared coughing and she buried her head into Clark's chest. Clark=20 kissed the top of her head and rubbed her back until the coughing fit passed= . "I wish I could do something to make you feel better." When she had stopped coughing, Lois looked up and smiled, and Clark=20 continued, "I'll run to the store and be back in five minutes. You know, I=20 think I could probably get used to having a baby around here." =20 As Clark flew away, Lois muttered, "Speak for yourself." And she floppe= d=20 back on the pillows. Clark flew to the nearest drug store, not caring who would see him and=20 recognize him, and spun back into his casual clothes in a nearby alley. He=20 walked in the door and scanned the store for the pregnancy tests. He found=20 them back near the pharmacy, and quickly walked over for a closer look. He=20 was amazed at the shear amount of types of tests. He scanned each type and=20 decided on three of the ones that claimed 15 minute waits. Unfortunately,=20 when he got to the counter, there was a very long line. =20 Clark ran his free hand through his hair, then he pinched his nose where= =20 his glasses sat. He didn't need this kind of aggravation right now. There=20 was way too much going through his mind. The line seemed to be a mile long,= =20 and Clark, not usually an impatient shopper, wanted to scream. Of course he= =20 had to come to the drug store that was having double coupon and senior=20 citizen day. He glared at the people in line in front of him, many of whom=20 had carts full of items, and he especially glared at the elderly lady at the= =20 counter. This lady had two full carts, and she was arguing with the young=20 girl at the counter about which type of Depends bladder control products wer= e=20 on sale. She maintained that the extra large extra leak guard protections=20 were on sale 2 for $5.00, but the sales girl kept telling her that it was th= e=20 regular leak guards that were on sale. The obstinate customer had demanded=20 to see the manager, and she was not going to let any of the other customers=20 go ahead. Clark sighed and tilted his head back in exasperation. What did he do t= o=20 deserve this today? He leaned against the counter and closed his eyes. =20 Suddenly, he heard a familiar annoying feminine voice calling his name.=20= =20 He always dreaded hearing this voice, especially now that he was holding an=20 assortment of pregnancy tests. "Clark. Earth to Clark, aren't you going to say anything to your=20 mother-in-law?" Clark muttered, "Kill me now, please. How am I going to explain these t= o=20 her?" He shoved the pregnancy tests onto the shelf behind his back and grabbed= =20 a pack of gum. "Ellen, hi!" Clark smiled widely and said with a falsely happy tone,=20 "What brings you to this side of town?" As Ellen walked towards Clark, he again wondered whatever possessed him=20 to go to this drug store when he could have gone to any drug store in the=20 world. What were the chances that today would be seniors day, and double=20 coupon day, and the day that Ellen Lane decided it would be a good day to go= =20 to a drug store on the other side of town? The answer was obvious; God hate= d=20 him. Ellen smiled back at him and asked, "Clark, did I just see you shove=20 something behind your back? You wouldn't be trying to hide anything from me= ,=20 would you?" Clark gulped. He thought he had hidden those tests so quickly that no=20 one would ever have been able to see him do it. =20 =20 "What? Ellen, what are you talking about." Ellen tried to peek behind Clark, and when she saw her targets, she=20 grabbed at them. Clark couldn't stop her without being too obvious, so Elle= n=20 emerged victorious. She realized what she was holding, and screamed. "Oh my God! My baby's going to have a baby. Clark, why were you trying= =20 to hide this from me? The two of you always do this to me. All I want to d= o=20 is help my beloved daughter=85 "Ellen." "=85 And you two can't even tell me that my baby might be having a baby!= I=20 mean I can understand=85" "Ellen!" =20 Ellen stopped mid-sentence and looked up. Clark raised his eyebrows,=20 obviously Lois had inherited the babble gene from her mother. He gently=20 guided her away from the small crowd that had gathered around them. They=20 walked outside the drugstore where it was a little less crowded so they coul= d=20 talk in peace without as many strangers trying to eavesdrop on their private= =20 conversation. =20 "I'm sorry we didn't tell you. We don't even know for sure yet. Lois=20 has been sick for a week or two and we thought it was just the flu. How man= y=20 women think they're pregnant when they are coughing up lungs? Just today, i= t=20 dawned on us that she could be pregnant because she went to the doctor and=20 the doctor suggested that she could be pregnant." Ellen opened her mouth to speak, but Clark continued, "Yes, I know we=20 should have thought of that before, but I guess we were in denial. But we'r= e=20 actually kind of hoping that it will be negative." Ellen's eyes opened wide. She looked to be entering Ellen Lane tantrum=20 mode. "So I see, this is an accident baby. Leave it to Lois to have a baby=20 when she isn't ready for one! I swear, that girl was always a problem child= ." Clark was angry. How could she say things like that about Lois? Lois=20 was probably the most responsible person he had even met in his life. And h= e=20 had a hard time seeing her as a problem child in the sense Ellen was implyin= g. "Ellen, it's not that we aren't ready for a baby. It's just that we'd=20 rather wait a year or two so we could be alone together. But if it happens=20 now, we'll still be happy about it. Now Lois is waiting for me at home. =20 She'll probably kill me for spending this much time here. I'm surprised she= =20 hasn't come looking for me already. I'm going to go buy those tests now." Ellen sputtered, "Wait a minute, Clark. I'm coming with you. A girl=20 needs her mother at a time like this." Clark shook his head. The last thing Lois needed right now was her=20 mother. In fact, Lois would probably kill him if he brought Ellen home with= =20 him. "No, Ellen, I don't think that's a good idea. She doesn't feel well=20 right now, and the last thing she needs is someone else fussing over her. I= =20 mean, she's almost ready to kill me as it is." "But, Clark, she needs her mother." "How about this? We'll call you as soon as we know the results. That=20 way you won't be the last to know. Please." Clark gave her his patented sad puppy eyes, guaranteed to make any woman= =20 melt, and he hoped it worked. He could tell that Ellen was considering his=20 offer. She must have been seeing the merits because her eyes were=20 brightening. "Okay, Clark, as long as you promise to call me as soon as you know." "It's a deal." They sealed their agreement with a handshake, and they both entered the=20 drug store and went their separate ways. Luckily, the line had died down and Clark was only behind one person in=20 line. When the lady in front of him was finished, Clark dropped the=20 pregnancy tests on the counter and pulled some money out of his wallet.=20 When he finally finished ringing up the order, the cashier said, "Fiftee= n=20 dollars and thirty-five cents." Clark tossed the money on the counter and nearly flew out of the store.=20= =20 In three seconds flat, he was back at the brownstone. When he flew in the=20 window, he noticed that Lois had barely moved from the position he had left=20 her in. She was still propped up against the pillows with almost her entire= =20 body snuggled up in the blankets. Her eyes were closed tightly, and it=20 looked like she had been sound asleep the entire time he had been gone. =20 He sat on the edge of the bed and gently shook her shoulder. Her eyes=20 fluttered open and she coughed twice then said, "So you're finally home. =20 What took you so long?" Clark rolled his eyes, "Honey, you wouldn't believe the bad luck I've=20 been having today. First I chose the drug store that was having senior=20 citizens' day and double coupon day, and that made the checkout lines a mile= =20 long. Then one woman got into an argument with the cashier, and then you'll= =20 never even guess who I ran into." =20 Lois sat up in bed and reached out for him to hug her, and asked, "Who?=20= =20 Was it Ralph? A-choo. Or Jimmy?" He hugged her as she wanted. "Bless you. And no, it wasn't Ralph or Jimmy." "Thank goodness." "It was worse. It was your mother, Lois." Lois fell back onto the pillows. This was worse than she could have=20 expected. =20 "Did she notice what you were buying?" Clark ran his hand through his hair. =20 "Did she notice what I was buying. Ha. That's an understatement. She=20 nearly grabbed the boxes away from me." Lois covered her face in her hands. =20 "Great, just what I need right now, my mother. What did she say about=20 it?" Clark put his arm around Lois' shoulders reassuringly and ran his hand=20 through her silky hair. =20 "I think she said, 'My baby's having a baby,' more than once. Then she=20 wanted to know why she didn't know yet." Lois leaned her head back and looked to the ceiling. =20 "Please don't tell me she's here. If I know my mother, I know she asked= =20 you to let her come over here." Clark laughed slightly. She really did know her mother that well. "You're right, she did want to come over here, but I used some of that=20 old Kent charm that has all of you Lane women falling over me, and she=20 decided to go home and wait for us to call her." Lois threw her arms around Clark's and gave him a big kiss on the lips.=20= =20 He had done something that she only rarely could do, dissuade Ellen Lane whe= n=20 her mind was set on something. "Don't give yourself too much credit there, Farmboy," Lois giggled, happ= y=20 that her mother wasn't there, temporarily forgetting their problem. Clark, too, smiled and laughed out loud. =20 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 00:45:34 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Alicia Utowski Subject: New: Better Family Hour (5/10) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Better Family Hour=20 by Alicia Utowski=20 alicia3456@aol.com part 5/10 ################################################## "Hey, she isn't here, is she? I think I deserve a little credit." Lois pulled him close and planted kisses along his neckline, then around= =20 his chin until she found her way up to his mouth. There, her tongue invaded= =20 his mouth and they kissed for what seemed like an eternity and neither ever=20 wanted to stop. When Lois needed to breathe, she reluctantly broke away and= =20 said, breathlessly, "So, is that enough credit for you?" All Clark could do was nod, with his mouth still agape, because the kiss= =20 had rendered him speechless. Lois turned out of Clark's arms and stepped ou= t=20 of bed. She grabbed his hand and pulled him out too. "Your reward is my not being mad at you for not getting here sooner. Bu= t=20 I decided that not having my mother here was worth your 45 minute delay." =20 She said with a big smile on her face. Clark could tell that she wasn't quite as happy as she was trying to=20 seem. He could see that she was very nervous about the pregnancy tests she=20 would soon take because she had goose bumps all over her body, she was=20 shaking, and her pulse rate was way over 120. Clark, too, was nervous about= =20 the tests. He wasn't sure how he'd feel if the tests came out positive. He= =20 was sure he wanted children, but did he want them now? It was obvious that=20 neither had planned to have children so early in their marriage, but he=20 wasn't sure if he would really be displeased if they found out that Lois was= =20 pregnant. Sure, there would be some hard times, and he and Lois would have=20 to change their lifestyles, but maybe they were changes he wanted to make. =20 "Okay, honey, I'm going to take the tests. I'll be out in a couple of=20 minutes." Clark nodded as the bathroom door shut. As he waited for Lois to emerge, he= =20 thought about what it would mean if they really were going to have a baby. The thought that he and Lois might have their own children someday warmed=20 Clark's heart. He had always wanted children, someone with whom he could=20 share his own flesh and blood. But, as he thought about it, he knew that=20 right now was not the best time to have children. He and Lois were just=20 getting accustomed to living together, and they were enjoying their freedom.= =20 They could come and go as they pleased without having anyone to answer to. =20 Investigations could last until all hours of the night, and if they had a=20 baby, there was no way they could ever be the same kind of investigative=20 reporters that they were right now. And what about Superman? He couldn't=20 just leave Lois alone with a baby every time he heard a cry for help. That=20 wouldn't be fair to her or to their child. But, then again, he couldn't jus= t=20 give up Superman. What if Lois left him alone with the baby and he heard a=20 cry for help? What would he do? Would he take the baby with him? He=20 couldn't leave the baby alone or ignore someone's desperate cry for help. =20 As Lois walked out of the bathroom, he decided that he'd probably be=20 happy with whatever result they got. He wasn't really ready to be a father,= =20 but, then again, who really was? Parenthood was just a big adventure that=20 they'd just have to take one step at a time. =20 Lois, on the other hand, was not quite as sure. When she was in the=20 bathroom, she was also thinking about parenthood. She had never wanted to b= e=20 a mother before, but now the idea was looking appealing, someday. Someday=20 meaning not right now. She and Clark were not ready for a baby. They had=20 demanding careers. Clark even had two full time jobs. At this point in her= =20 life, her job was very important to her. She wasn't sure what she would do=20 if she couldn't do her job at full strength. A baby right now would=20 certainly hamper her lifestyle. It may have been selfish, but Lois felt tha= t=20 her own life was much more important right now, and she didn't want to share= =20 it with a baby. But now as she gazed lovingly at her husband who was sitting on the bed=20 with his head in his hands, she wondered if having a baby with Clark would=20 necessarily be such a bad thing. If the baby was anything like Clark, it=20 would be a wonderful blessing in both of their lives. She knew that she=20 eventually wanted to have children, but the key word was eventually. Right=20 now was just not the right time for her to be pregnant. If the test came=20 back positive, maybe she wouldn't be totally crushed. When Clark noticed that she had come out of the bathroom, he stood up an= d=20 walked over to the door. He gathered her into a reassuring hug and she=20 buried her face in his shoulder. =20 "So, now we just have to wait for fifteen minutes." Lois looked up. Who were they kidding? It was going to kill them to=20 wait fifteen minutes. "Yep. Fifteen whole minutes." "Fifteen whole minutes," Clark repeated. At the same time Lois and Clark both blurted out, "I don't know if I can= =20 wait that long!"=20 They both laughed nervously. And Clark squeezed a little tighter. =20 Suddenly he realized what they should do to keep at least Lois' mind off the= =20 impending results of the tests. "Hey, honey, do you want to play cards or something. We haven't played=20 speed in a while. I promise, no cheating." Lois smiled brightly and said, "Yeah, that sounds fun! As long as you=20 don't cheat." "Scouts honor," said Clark as he raised his right hand and saluted. Clark got the deck of cards out of the drawer and dealt. The game was so=20 frantic, that all thoughts of their pregnancy tests were pushed to the back=20 of their minds. Lois was in such heated competition, she didn't even realiz= e=20 that her nose had started running again. After they were done with a game,=20 Clark grabbed a tissue for Lois to use. They had already played ten heated=20 games when Clark noticed that it had been fourteen minutes. He covered Lois= '=20 hand to stop her from dealing. "fourteen minutes, honey." "Yeah, it's almost time." They hugged, and Clark said, "What ever happens, I love you." "I love you too, Clark," Lois said tearfully. "So, which one of us wants to= =20 go in there and check? "We could both go," Clark suggested. Lois nodded and they started walking towards the bathroom hand in hand. The= y=20 had just reached the door when the phone rang. They both looked at the ringing phone debating whether to answer it or not.=20= =20 =20 "Should I get it?" asked Clark. Lois nodded and Clark gave her a sympathetic look as he lunged for the phone= .=20 =20 Clark knew that Lois wanted him to answer the phone so that they would put=20 off the moment of truth for a while longer. Lois stood in the doorway and Clark picked up the phone on the third ring. "Hello?" Jimmy Olsen's voice carried across the phone line, "Hey, CK, missed you at=20 work today! The chief wanted me to call you so I can update you on the stor= y=20 you guys are working on. Oh, by the way how's Lois doing? Is she feeling=20 better?" Clark rolled his eyes. Leave it to Jimmy to interrupt them, no matter what.= =20 "I think she's a little bit better, Jim, we both might be at work tomorrow,=20 depending on how she feels. So, what's up?" "You know all those people whose money's been stolen? Yeah, well, I bet=20 you'd really interested to know that they all used to work for Lex Corp." Clark raised his eyebrows. They worked for Lex Corp, but so did 90% of=20 Metropolis. Still it was interesting information, especially because of the= =20 rumors about Leslie Luckaby being alive.=20 "Really, but so did most of the rest of Metropolis." "Yeah, I know that, CK, but this is big. Everyone that had money stolen got= =20 some of Lex Luthor's money when he died." "Oh no." "Oh yes, Clark. I'm a little worried. I know we've both heard the rumors=20 about Luckaby. Do you think they could be true?" "I don't know. I sure hope not." =20 Clark gazed at Lois, still standing in the bathroom doorway. She was=20 listening to his conversation with a worried expression. Clark ran a hand=20 through his hair and rubbed the bridge of his nose. They certainly didn't=20 need this extra aggravation now, and certainly not from anyone related to th= e=20 Luthor clan. "Jimmy, let me know if anything else happens. If not, I'll see you at work=20 tomorrow." They hang up and Clark walked over to Lois. =20 "Are you ready, honey?" "Wait, Clark, first tell me what Jimmy wanted." She was obviously stalling again. Clark wanted to know the results, and he=20 could just use his x-ray vision and peek at the tests, but he wanted to shar= e=20 this with Lois. He couldn't just cheat like that. As badly as he needed to= =20 know if he was going to be a father, he couldn't do that to Lois. They=20 needed to find out together, even if it meant humoring Lois for a little=20 longer. "Well, he said that those executives whose money has been disappearing used=20 to work for Luthor." Lois' face paled when Clark mentioned Luthor. How she despised that man. H= e=20 and his children were pure evil. "And they benefited when he died?" "Exactly." "Oh no. Don't tell me that. So that means either he's back or he has=20 another child." Clark wrapped his arms around Lois. She didn't need this today. They both=20 had enough on their minds with out having to worry about the Luthor family. "Or it could be one of the children we've already met." Lois squeezed his shoulders tightly and shook him. "Clark, is there something you know that you're not telling me?" Clark avoided making eye contact when he said, "No, honey, what makes you sa= y=20 that?" "Come on, you are a horrible liar. And, plus, Superman doesn't lie. You=20 didn't even look at me when you said that." Clark smiled. He was a horrible liar. There was no way he could ever lie t= o=20 her. She always caught him. "Okay, honey, I didn't tell you everything." Lois coughed a few times, then buried her head into his shoulder. =20 "There's a shock," Lois said sarcastically. "Lois, word on the street is that Leslie Luckaby is back." Lois jumped back. "What? Did you say Luckaby? Didn't Luthor, Jr. shoot him more than once? =20 Didn't he fall into the sewer and die in the explosion? You can't tell me=20 that he's alive!" Clark wrapped his comforting arms around her shaking body. =20 "Oh, Lois, how did Luthor come back to life? I don't know, and I can't=20 explain it. Plus, I don't even know if the rumors are true. They're=20 probably just that, rumors." "I hope so. I really hope so. We don't need that right now, especially if=20 that test comes up positive." Clark squeezed her tightly. =20 "Honey, speaking of the test, I don't think I'd be crushed if it does come u= p=20 positive. I think I might be ready for the test of parenthood. It's going=20 to be hard work and a lot of sacrifices, but we can do it." Lois nodded. She, too, was thinking along the same lines. Even thought=20 she'd be much happier if the test were negative, she realized that she might= =20 be able to accept a positive result. If she was pregnant, she would do=20 everything in her power to provide the best life for her baby. She and Clar= k=20 would both make sacrifices so they could give the baby all the love it=20 needed. =20 She whispered into Clark's shoulder, "Yeah, I might not be crushed either." Then they looked into each other's eyes. Both had looks of determination as= =20 well as a little fear in their eyes as they sent a silent signal that they=20 were ready to check the tests. With Clark's arm tightly wrapped around her, Lois entered the bathroom. She= =20 closed her eyes and waited for her heart to settle down before she looked. =20 Clark, too, didn't immediately look at the tests. He squeezed Lois'=20 shoulders and said, "Okay, on the count of three we look." Lois nodded and patted his leg reassuring him that she was okay. "One. Two." The suspense mounted. In one second they'd know what their future held. "Three!" They both simultaneously gazed at the three tests lying on the counter. =20 Every test had the same result, positive, definitively positive. Lois sank to the ground crying. It was just such a shock to her. She hadn'= t=20 expected the tests to come up positive, no matter how much she had tried to=20 ready herself. She was pregnant. That meant the end of her late night=20 stakeouts with Clark, the end of the long hours at work, the end of her=20 shapely figure, and, most importantly, the end of her independence. Clark sat down behind her and gathered her onto his lap. He rocked her as=20 she cried. It felt like someone had knocked the wind out of him. Breathing= =20 became a troubled task for him as he realized the impact of these three=20 little plus signs. A baby was something he wanted, right? He thought so,=20 but he still did have some doubts. "Honey, I'm sorry." "Clark, you have nothing to be sorry for. It's not really bad news, I mean,= =20 we wanted to have a family some day, just this is a little sooner than I=20 would have wanted." "Yeah, me too. One part of me is saying that having a baby together is a=20 miracle, which it is. It is such a wonderful miracle. I'm an alien, you=20 know. How can I even expect to have a baby with a woman from a different=20 planet? But now I know I can, so it is the ultimate miracle. The other par= t=20 of me is screaming that I'm not ready for it. We have to give up so much=85= " "And our selfish parts are saying we can't do it, right," Lois interrupted. "Yeah, that's about it." They sat in silence, both knowing that eventually they would come to terms=20 with the fact they were going to have a baby. Both were sure that they woul= d=20 soon come to enjoy the thought of becoming parents for the first time, but=20 they had to get over the shock first. For hours, they sat on the bathroom floor holding each other until the=20 phone's ringing again interrupted them. "I'll get it, Clark. It's probably my mother." She grabbed the phone and said, "Hello?" "Lois, why haven't you called me yet? Clark told me you were going to call=20 as soon as you found out. It's been two hours. Have you found out yet?" Lois rolled her eyes at Clark, who had been eavesdropping. Leave it to her=20 mother to ruin a peaceful moment with her husband, even if they were=20 wallowing.=20 "Well, hello to you too, Mother," Lois said sarcastically. "As a matter of=20 fact, we were just going to call you." "Sure you were, Lois=85" "Okay, Mom, we have some good news. Clark and I are going to have a baby." Ellen was in shock. From what Clark had told her at the drug store, she=20 almost hadn't believed that it could be true. She sputtered, "Lois, oh my god! My baby. My little Lois is having a baby!= " Lois could just see her mom. She was probably dancing around the house=20 already planning a baby shower. Ellen probably already had that Beverly=20 woman's phone number out. =20 "Oh, Lois, this is so incredible! I have to start planing your shower. It'= s=20 never to early to plan." Lois rolled her eyes. She knew her mother too well. But this was the=20 perfect opportunity to get off the phone. "Okay, Mother, you just do that. I'm sure you have to call Beverly now.= " She hung up as soon as she said 'now.' Then she turned back to Clark. =20 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 00:46:50 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Alicia Utowski Subject: New: Better Family Hour (6/10) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Better Family Hour by Alicia Utowski alicia3456@aol.com part 6/10 ########################################### "You know, that felt good, saying that we are having a baby. I think I migh= t=20 be able to get used to that." "I'm sure I can get used to hearing that, too." =20 Clark smiled and kissed her deeply. They fell back onto the bed and=20 their hands roamed along each other's bodies. Clark's hands stopped at her=20 stomach. =20 When Clark stopped, Lois looked up at him. =20 "What are you doing?" "I'm trying to feel the baby," Clark matter of factly. Lois giggled. =20 "Even with your Supersenses, I don't think you'll be able to feel the=20 baby for at least a few weeks. I am not sure when you are supposed to feel=20 the first movements, but I am pretty sure it isn't until the second trimeste= r=20 or so. If this happened when I think it did, I am only about nine weeks=20 along. That's early, even for Superman." Clark bent down and kissed her stomach repeatedly. In between his=20 kisses, he said, "Lois, I love you so much. I love our baby too." When he finished, he looked into her eyes, "Our baby is the best gift=20 anyone has ever given to me. I know it is going to be hard for us to get=20 used to, but I know I'll be able to cut back as Superman to take care of our= =20 baby." "Oh, Clark, I feel the same way. It's going to take time to get used to= ,=20 but I know that our baby is a blessing. It may be unexpected, but it won't=20 be unloved." Lois was caught in a coughing fit again. Clark got out of bed to get he= r=20 a cup of water. When he came back, she had fallen back against the pillows=20 and looked to be almost asleep. She needed her sleep, so Clark didn't want=20 to disturb her, but she asked him to stay. "Clark please just hold me." How could Clark say no when she looked at him like that? He climbed int= o=20 bed next to her and wrapped her securely in his arms. Lois quickly fell asleep peacefully wrapped in the warmth and security o= f=20 Clark's arms. Clark, however, wasn't quite as peaceful. His mind drifted=20 back to Lois and their baby. What would this pregnancy do to her? Would it= =20 be like a normal pregnancy? Clark couldn't take the chance of hurting her,=20 no matter what the cost. They needed to let Dr. Klein in on their secret, i= f=20 to do nothing else than give Clark piece of mind. His hand found its new=20 resting place, protectively draped across Lois' stomach, and he absently=20 rubbed it. He couldn't believe it, just this morning, neither even wondered if Lois= =20 could be pregnant, but now, not even twelve hours later, they knew that Lois= =20 was pregnant and that their lives were about to undergo many changes too=20 numerous to count. But not all of the changes would be bad changes. Clark=20 didn't know what the future held for them, but at least he knew it would be=20 interesting. Two hours later, Lois drifted out of her deep sleep and into a state of=20 half-awake, half-asleep. Was what happened before a dream? She couldn't be= =20 pregnant, could she? Then, as she drifted back into full consciousness, she= =20 felt Clark's hand on her stomach and knew that she hadn't been dreaming. Sh= e=20 was, indeed, pregnant. Would having Clark's child really be that bad? After all, she was good=20 at so many other things, why would parenthood be any different. Except this= =20 time, an innocent life would be at stake. She just hoped they knew what the= y=20 were getting themselves into. Clark felt her stir and said, "Lois, honey, are you awake? Do you nee= d=20 anything?" Lois turned in his arms and looked into his concerned eyes. He was=20 always looking out for everyone else, especially her. Sometimes that made=20 her feel so loved and wanted, but other times it made her angry. Whenever=20 she was sick, she loved it that Clark stayed home with her and waited on her= =20 hand and foot. He often even ignored cries for help when she was sick unles= s=20 it was a major emergency. Would he do that the whole time she was pregnant?= =20 Would he be able to cut back like he said he would? What would they do if=20 she left him home alone with the baby and he heard a desperate cry for help?= =20 He couldn't leave the baby, but he wouldn't be able to let innocent people=20 die. Maybe they could work some way to have the baby hidden under his cape.= =20 It would be protected by his aura, so it might be safe for him to take the=20 baby with him in dire cases. But would she want her baby off God knows wher= e=20 with Clark while he was being Superman? What if someone had Kryptonite? =20 She would lose her husband and her baby. What if the cape flew up and=20 someone spotted the baby? They had a lot to talk about before she could be=20 comfortable about this baby. She was even worried that Clark was an alien.=20= =20 Would this pregnancy be different? Would the baby be normal? What if the=20 Kryptonian gestation period was longer than nine months? Could she be=20 pregnant for two years? =20 Clark squeezed her tightly, and Lois said, "Could you just grab me a=20 tissue? I really need to blow my nose." Clark easily reached behind him and grabbed the box of tissues that were= =20 on the bedstand. Lois blew her nose and then Clark wrapped his arms around=20 her again. Lois saw that Clark needed to talk to her just as much as she=20 needed to talk to him, but he didn't know how to approach her without hurtin= g=20 her. "Clark, you're worried about what's going to happen to me with this=20 pregnancy, aren't you?" Clark looked up in surprise. "How did you guess? Was I that obvious?" Lois reached up and touched his face. He captured her hand by his mouth= =20 and kissed it. "No, it's just that I'm scared too. No one knows what's going to happen= =20 because no one really knows about your physiology or genetics." Clark turned her slightly so that he could cover her stomach with his=20 hand. "That's not true. We could go to Dr. Klein. We've known him for a long= =20 time, and he's helped us so many times. Plus, he knows more about my=20 physiology than anyone else in the world. I trust him with my life, Lois,=20 and I would trust him with our child's life too." Lois nodded silently. She had been thinking along the same lines. They= =20 needed Dr. Klein's help now more than they ever had before, even if it meant= =20 telling another person their secret. Dr. Klein was the one person in the=20 world that could both help them and be trusted to keep their secret. "Honey, I think we should try to see him tonight," Clark said. "Yeah, a-choo=85" "God bless you." "Thanks. We should get this over with as soon as possible. I think we=20 have to know about any differences before I see a regular doctor again, so w= e=20 need to know as soon as possible." "Okay, let me call him to see if he's still in." Dr. Klein had agreed to see Lois and Clark at eight o'clock, so at seven= =20 fifty-nine, Clark, tightly gripping Lois' hand knocked on the door of Klein'= s=20 office. The eccentric scientist opened the door and greeted the couple. =20 What was left of his hair was sticking up in all directions as if he had bee= n=20 pulling at it in frustration. =20 "Clark, Lois, come in, come in. You sounded pretty worried on the phone= .=20 What's wrong?" Lois squeezed Clark's hand and said, "Are you sure there's no one else=20 here, Dr. Klein?" Dr. Klein nodded, not entirely puzzled by her question. Lois and Clark=20 often came to him to discuss sensitive information for stories where they=20 wanted to take precautions so that no one else heard what they were going to= =20 say. =20 "Yes, I'm sure. Everyone else has been gone for hours now. I'm sure I'= m=20 the only one left. You were lucky you caught me this late. I'm usually hom= e=20 by now, but I was so close to getting this new laser in my fluorescence=20 microscope working, I just had to stay here until it worked." Lois gently nudged Clark, wanting him to listen to see if he could hear=20 anything. When Dr. Klein turned around to walk into his office, Clark nodde= d=20 to Lois indicating that it was all clear. =20 As they followed Dr. Klein into the office, Lois asked, "So, did you get= =20 it to work?" =20 "Actually, yes I just did, and I was on my way home when you called me.=20= =20 It only took me three days to do to get the polarity exactly correct!" Lois nodded absently, and Dr. Klein could tell that she really didn't=20 care about his new laser. Even he could tell that she was just making idle=20 conversation until they were ready to talk about whatever they had come to=20 talk about. He was proud of himself for figuring that out. It usually took= =20 him a lot longer. Maybe he should have gone into clinical work after all. =20 But then he looked at his new laser and changed his mind. He smiled as he=20 realized that If he did clinical work, he wouldn't get neat toys like these=20 lasers to play with.=20 While he was thinking, Dr. Klein sat calmly at his desk patiently waiting fo= r=20 one of his guests to begin. Lois and Clark both looked nervous. Lois was=20 staring at her fingernails and Clark's foot was tapping insistently. Dr.=20 Klein wondered just what could be making them so nervous, but he had already= =20 realized that with Lois and Clark he always had to be ready for the=20 unexpected. Clark squeezed Lois hand and she glanced at Dr. Klein. He was obviously= =20 waiting for one of them to start. She cleared her throat nervously. "Well, um, Dr. Klein, we know that you are an expert when it comes to=20 Superman's physiology=85" Dr. Klein coughed, embarrassed, "Now Lois, I wouldn't call myself an=20 expert. No one is really an expert when it comes to Superman." Clark smiled at that comment and continued, "Yeah, but you are the Docto= r=20 that has studied Superman the most=85" Lois continued, "And we know about the fertility tests." Dr. Klein jumped back from them. "How on Earth did you know about that? That was supposed to be top=20 secret. Who told you? Superman and I were the only two people that knew=20 about those." He looked absolutely horrified. Could someone in the lab had found out=20 about the tests and told the press? He had to get a hold of Superman and=20 fast! Lois had a sly grin on her face when she said, "Well, we know about the=20 tests because I told him to get the tests." =20 She wrapped her arms around Clark's shoulders as Dr. Klein sputtered,=20 "Wait a second. Are you saying that you're Superman's girlfriend?" He=20 looked at Clark incredulously. "And you're okay with this?" Clark grinned widely and nodded. Dr. Klein looked like he was about to=20 have a stroke. The doctor's face turned bright red; he couldn't believe wha= t=20 he had just heard. Maybe he didn't know all three of them as well as he=20 thought he did. Why would a man that is so obviously in love with his wife=20 let her try to have some other man's child? Clark obviously loved Lois with= =20 all his heart. Dr. Klein could see that whenever Clark looked at Lois. The= n=20 again, he also saw that look whenever Superman looked at Lois. When he=20 thought about it, he realized that he had never seen Clark and Superman=20 together at the same time. And he had remarked more than once that Superman= =20 and Lois acted as if they were married. He looked directly at Clark and said, "You're him, aren't you? You're=20 Superman!" At Clark's and Lois' simultaneous nods, he continued, "Why didn't I thin= k=20 of this before? Was I blind? How long have I known the two of you and I=20 never made the connection? What kind of scientist am I?" Lois got up and put a hand on Dr. Klein's forearm to stop his ranting. =20 He looked up and she sat back down next to Clark. "Dr. Klein, I'm sorry we didn't tell you before, but you have to=20 understand, he didn't even tell me. It took me, the person he spent the mos= t=20 time with, and also someone who considers herself an investigative reporter,= =20 nearly two years to figure out his secret." Dr. Klein's mouth opened in shock. Clark hadn't even told Lois about=20 himself. She had found out herself. That made him feel privileged to be=20 told. But why would they choose to tell him now? Surely they must have a=20 reason to tell him their secret. =20 "But why did you choose to tell me? And more importantly, why did you=20 choose to tell me now?" And looking at Clark he said, "And what should I=20 call you? Superman? Clark?" Clark smiled and squeezed Lois' hand. =20 "Doctor, please, my name is Clark Kent. Superman is just a character=20 I've created so that I can use my powers to help. In fact, my mother made=20 the suit and Lois gave me the name." Dr. Klein smiled, so this was the girlfriend that Superman, no Clark, wa= s=20 talking about earlier that day. He had heard Clark's slip of the tongue whe= n=20 he had almost said Lois earlier and had been working on who it could be all=20 day. Lois Lane would have been the last person he would have guessed=20 because, even though she and Superman had been rumored to have had an affair= ,=20 he knew both her and Clark personally and he knew just how in love they were= .=20 Now it made perfect sense. =20 Lois continued as Clark beamed with happiness, "We told you now because=20 your tests were right. Clark and I can have children. We just found out=20 today that I'm pregnant." The more Lois said the words 'I'm pregnant,' the better it felt to say=20 them. She realized that they had eventually wanted children, and now they=20 would just have to deal with it a lot sooner than they would have wanted, bu= t=20 it wasn't the end of the world. Dr. Klein jumped out behind his desk and was shaking hands with both the= =20 expectant mother and father. When the excitement of telling Dr. Klein their news had died down, Clark= =20 said, "Dr. Klein, we told you our secret now because we are worried about=20 what carrying my child will do to Lois' body." Clark looked up at Lois whose eyes were brimming with tears that she was= =20 trying to hold back. He squeezed her hand and she smiled in response. =20 He continued, "We don't know anything about my Kryptonian genes, so we=20 don't know how compatible they are with Lois'. What if my genes can't mesh=20 right? Would our baby be born deformed? Would he or she be able to=20 reproduce?" Tears flowed down Lois' face freely now. Obviously Clark had really=20 thought about this a lot. Now Clark brought some of her hidden fears into=20 the forefront. Lois said softly, "And what will carrying Clark's child do to me?" Both men turned to look at her. Clark kissed her on the cheek and pulle= d=20 her closer. Dr. Klein watched the couple's interactions and hoped he wouldn't have=20 bad news for them. They deserved for everything to come out right for them=20 because they had been through so much just trying to be together. =20 Lois continued, "What about the gestation period? What if Kryptonian=20 women are pregnant for years?" She hiccuped, "And what if having Clark's=20 baby kills me?" Lois' last statement made Clark get out of his chair and kneel on the=20 ground in front of her. He took her hands in his and kissed them. Then, no= t=20 noticing Dr. Klein in the room, he bent down and placed a kiss on her=20 stomach. =20 He whispered, although not entirely convinced himself, "Lois, nothing is= =20 going to happen to you. Our baby is going to be healthy and normal, and you=20 are going to be absolutely fine. I promise." A single tear rolled down his cheek when he looked up into Lois' tearful= =20 eyes. She bent down and kissed him deeply and whispered, "Thank you." Dr. Klein cleared his throat reminding the couple that they were not=20 alone. Their faces reddened and Dr. Klein said, "I could leave=85" Lois and Clark both said simultaneously, "No, it's okay. We're sorry." They grinned sheepishly at each other and Clark said, "Dr. Klein, is=20 there any way you could run some genetic tests on me? And would that help=20 determine what will happen to Lois and our baby?" Dr. Klein took a deep breath. He didn't know if it would work, but he=20 sure would try. "Okay, I already have the sample you gave me, and I could run some more=20 tests on that, and I could take some cells from the inside of your cheek. =20 Then I could map your DNA and try to match it with the known pieces of the=20 human genome. It might take me a while, but I can do it." "A while meaning how long, Dr. Klein?" Clark wondered aloud. "I don't know. It all depends. I've never done anything like this=20 before, Clark. I guess if I was a trained genetic counselor I could probabl= y=20 have the results in a day or two, but I'm not really sure. I might be able=20 to have them for you in a day, but, then again, I might not have them for a=20 few weeks. It also depends on how well your genes match with the human=20 genome. I can't promise anything." Both Lois and Clark nodded as Dr. Klein continued, "But I will start=20 working on it right away. You never know, maybe everything will go well for= =20 me and I'll be able to get the results tomorrow." Lois got out of her chair and hugged Dr. Klein.=20 "Thank you so much, I don't even know what to say other than thank you. =20 You've always been there when we've needed you, and I don't know what to do=20 to repay you." Dr. Klein blushed and said, "Oh, you don't owe me anything. The two of you=20 are the closest thing I have to friends. I'm happy to help you." ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 00:48:12 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Alicia Utowski Subject: New: Better Family Hour (8/10) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Better Family Hour by Alicia Utowski =20 Alicia3456@aol.com part 8/10 ############################################### Later that night, Lois woke up with a start. She was sick again, and she=20 didn't know why. They hadn't had dinner, and she had only had water the=20 whole evening. Even though she was pregnant, she was still worried about=20 what else was wrong with her. Her head still felt like it weighed a ton, an= d=20 her sinuses and nose were so stuffed up she could barely breathe. She was=20 about to make a mad dash to the bathroom when she noticed that Clark was=20 gone. Where was he? He must have heard a cry for Superman that he couldn't= =20 ignore. For some reason, she was starting to feel jealous of Superman. It=20 was weird, she'd never seriously envied the people her husband saved before,= =20 but today was different. She was jealous of whoever was in trouble because=20 they got to be with Clark and she didn't. That wasn't logical, and she knew= =20 it, but for some reason, she wanted Clark to be with her right now while she= =20 was sick. =20 She ran into the bathroom and dry heaved for twenty minutes. When she was=20 completely exhausted, she made her way back into bed and cried herself to=20 sleep. When Clark returned from the major fire just outside of town, he saw= =20 that Lois had cried herself to sleep. He mentally punched himself because h= e=20 knew that somehow he was responsible for whatever she was crying about. =20 Could it be the baby? He knew they both weren't ready for it, but he had=20 thought they finally decided that they were happy about it. Could it be the= =20 fact that they didn't know what the pregnancy would be like? That was more=20 likely. It killed him inside that he was so different. All he ever wanted=20 was to live a normal life with a job, wife, and kids, and now that it looked= =20 like everything he ever wanted was coming to him, he realized that his=20 differences could take the most important two of the three things away from=20 him. Damn Krypton. Damn Superman. All he wanted was for his wife and=20 unborn baby to be safe throughout Lois' pregnancy and for the rest of their=20 lives, but if they weren't, it would all be his fault. It didn't dawn on=20 Clark that the reason Lois was crying had nothing to do with their baby. Sh= e=20 cried because she missed him and because she wanted Clark with her rather=20 than off trying to save the world. Even if it was irrational, and probably=20 induced by her illness, she was horribly jealous of Superman. The next morning, Lois woke up still sick, only now it was more her nose and= =20 sinuses than her stomach. She smelled Clark's breakfast cooking and was=20 about to get out of bed when Clark walked into the room carrying a tray of=20 food. He had a goofy grin on his face, and she had to giggle. "How are my favorite people in the world today?" He put the tray down and bent down to kiss her. Then he rubbed her stomach=20 to say 'hi' to the baby. Lois had all but forgotten her anger from the nigh= t=20 before when she saw the look on his face. She thought 'He loves me, I know=20 he does. If he had a choice, he would have been home with me, but he didn't= .=20 Whatever he was doing last night, it must have been a big emergency. Oh,=20 look at how sweet he is, he brought me breakfast. And he's so happy about=20 the baby.' Lois smiled back at him and said, "We're doing a lot better today, Clark, bu= t=20 I'm still sick. I can't wait to see what I have so I can get some medicine=20 to help." Clark winced sympathetically as she coughed and blew her nose. He didn't=20 really know what it felt like to be sick, but every time Lois was sick, he=20 felt like someone was tugging at his stomach and tying it in knots. Lois continued, "But at least I have an appetite today. What did you make=20 me?" Clark brought the tray up to her lap and helped her sit up. "Well, I wasn't sure how much sold food you could handle, so I made you some= =20 toast and a bowl of oatmeal." Lois nodded. He knew her so well. She probably wouldn't be able to keep=20 anything else down and he knew that she wouldn't admit it herself. She dug=20 into her breakfast and finished it quickly. When she had finished she said, "My head hurts so much, honey. And now my=20 throat is starting to hurt. I think I'd better take today off too, as much=20 as I don't want to. I might be contagious." Clark nodded, "Yeah, that's probably a good idea. I'll stay home too." Lois shook her head slightly and then winced in pain. Her head sure hurt. =20 "No, you go in. I'll get the laptop and try to get some info on Luckaby and= =20 Lex Corp. You see if you can talk to Bobby Bigmouth or Eric the Red or=20 anyone else on the street to see if they've heard anything about Luckaby. =20 One day off is too much for Lane and Kent." She smiled. "Are you sure, honey?" Clark perched on the edge of the bed and cupped her face in his hand. "I don't want you to be alone when you're this sick. One more day won't kil= l=20 us." Lois pushed him off the bed and said, "I'll be fine. I'm probably just goin= g=20 to sleep most of the day anyway. We need to find out about Luckaby; he's=20 dangerous, he knows who you are. Plus, all I need to do is yell for you and= =20 you'll be here if I need you."=20 Lois pulled on his tie to bring his face down to her level and kissed him=20 hard on the lips. "That's why I love you," she giggled and then she pushed him away. "Now get= =20 out of here." When Clark was half-way out the door he stopped. =20 "Lois, are you sure you'll be okay?" Lois shot him a murderous look and he backed out the door. "Okay, honey, I'm going, I'm going. Just make sure you call for me if=20 anything happens. I love you." "I love you too."=20 When Clark had left, Lois sank back into the pillows and fell back to sleep. Clark walked into the city room of the Daily Planet and stopped for a cup of= =20 coffee. There, Perry White, the Planet's editor-in-chief met him. Perry, a= =20 big man with an air of authority and a deep voice with a heavy southern=20 accent, had a special place in his heart for his top reporting team. Lois=20 was like the daughter he never had, and Clark was just like one of his own=20 sons. He had noticed that Lois hadn't been feeling well for the past week o= r=20 so, and now she had finally taken some days off. =20 "Clark, my boy, how's Lois doing? I'm glad you finally convinced her to tak= e=20 some time off, she really needs it." "Yeah, chief, she's really sick. She went to the doctor's yesterday, but=20 they said they might not get her test results back until tomorrow. The doc=20 thinks it might be mono or strep or the flu." "You give my best to her, son. Let her know that we miss her around here." Clark nodded, "I will chief." Then Perry clapped him on the back and walked away. That afternoon, around one o'clock, the phone rang, waking Lois. She was=20 feeling a little better, the sleep must have done her good. She stretched=20 and then reached for the phone, expecting it to be Clark calling to see if=20 she was doing okay. "Hello?" The woman on the other end said, "Hi, Lois Lane?" "Yes." "This is Dr. Stevens'. Your test results came back a little early." Lois' eyebrows shot up, how often did test results come back early? The=20 doctor must have felt sorry for the way she treated her the other day. And=20 she sure had every reason to be sorry, in Lois' opinion. "Really, so what's wrong with me?" "I think it's good news, Lois. You have strep throat and if you tell me you= r=20 pharmacy, I'll call in a prescription of antibiotics for you. You're not=20 allergic to any antibiotics, are you?"=20 "No. What about the other test?" Lois asked even though she already knew th= e=20 answer. "That's the good news, Lois. It came back positive. You are going to have=20= a=20 baby." =20 Lois could hear that receptionist saying, "I told you so," in the background= =20 and Lois had an urge to come through the phone and slap that woman in the=20 face. "Oh, really?" Lois said in mock surprise. "Now, Lois, do you have an OB-GYN that you normally go to or do you need me=20 to refer you to one." "No you don't have to do that, but thank you, Dr. Stevens. I'll make an=20 appointment with my doctor soon." Lois didn't want to think about the kinds of OB-GYNs her doctor would=20 recommend. They would probably be psychotic just like she was. =20 "Okay, make sure you make an appointment soon. Now we need to get that stre= p=20 throat cleared up, so I need the drug store that you want me to phone your=20 prescription into." "We go to the Metro Drug on the corner of Hyperion and Fifty-fifth Street. =20 Do you need me to get the phone number for you?" "No, that's okay, we have it on file. The prescription should be ready in=20 about an hour." "Thank you for getting back to me so soon. We took some home a couple of=20 home pregnancy tests yesterday, so we knew that I'm pregnant already, but we= =20 were worried that I might have some type of terrible illness. It's such a=20 relief knowing that I'm not going to die." "Your welcome, Lois. Congratulations. You sure sound happier about it toda= y=20 than you were yesterday." "Yeah, well, my husband did a good job convincing me that having a baby=20 around won't be so bad." "Speaking of your husband, watch him carefully because strep is very=20 contagious. Chances are, he probably has it already. And if you are not=20 seeing any improvements in your condition in a few days, make another=20 appointment with me. Strep is a potentially deadly infection if it is not=20 treated properly, which is why I am recommending the antibiotics for you eve= n=20 though you are very early in your pregnancy." "Don't worry, I'll make him an appointment with his doctor to see if he=20 caught it, and I will make another appointment with you if my symptoms=20 persist." "Okay, good luck, Lois." "Thank you, Dr. Stevens. Goodbye." "Goodbye." They hung up and Lois immediately dialed Clark's desk at work. It rang thre= e=20 times before he picked up. "Clark Kent." "Hi, honey, my doctor just called. The tests came back early." Clark's voice sounded concerned, "Well, what did she say." Lois smiled, "Congratulations, Daddy, we're definitely having a baby." "That's wonderful news, honey. Are you sure you're okay with it?" "Yeah, I think I'm okay with it. Oh, and she said I also have strep throat=20 and I need some antibiotics. Could you pick them up after work?" "Sure, are they at Metro Drug?" "Yeah. So how's work? Do you miss me." "Yeah, Perry said to tell you that everyone around here misses you, even=20 though you've only been out for two days. How's everything at home?" "Okay, I just woke up when the phone rang, so I haven't done any research=20 into Luckaby, what about you?" "I got word out on the street that we needed info about Luckaby, but no one'= s=20 responded yet. Otherwise it's a slow news day so I'll probably be home earl= y=20 tonight. Are you feeling any better?" "Yeah, I am, actually. My head still feels like it weighs a ton and my=20 throat is killing me, but I am a little hungry. Maybe I can eat tonight=20 without it all coming back out." "That's good, honey. Do you=85" =20 Clark's voice trailed off. =20 "Clark, does someone need you know who?" "Um, yeah, Lois, I've gotta go. It's an overturned school bus. I love you.= " "Be careful, Clark. I love you too." She hung up and sighed. Hopefully he would get to the bus on time and save=20 all of the children. It was four-thirty by the time Clark got home with Lois' prescription in tow= .=20 Maybe she had chosen the right day to be home sick, if there was any right=20 day to be sick. It must have been a very slow news day if Clark was home=20 already. Lois heard him open the front door and got out of bed to meet him= .=20 They met at the stairs, and Clark wrapped her in his arms. "Hey, honey, I missed you today," he murmured into her hair. "I missed you too. I can't believe I slept all day. I didn't get any work=20 done." Clark ran his fingers through Lois' silky hair and said, "Lois, no one=20 expected you to work today. You're sick and you need your rest. Even Mad=20 Dog Lane needs to rest sometimes. You're not going to get better if you=20 don't get the rest you need." Lois sighed, "I know, Clark, but somehow I feel counterproductive." Clark laughed heartily. "Lois, you are the most productive person I have ever met. I'm Superman and= =20 sometimes I have a hard time keeping up with you." As they walked down the stairs, Lois said, "I'm being serious here, honey. =20 There might be a mad man on the loose who knows about you, and I spent all=20 day in bed sleeping. What's wrong with me?" Clark hugged her tightly and they sat down on the couch. =20 "Right now, what we need to do is forget about Luckaby for tonight and do=20 something to get our minds off of him." "Yeah, we could go to Smallville and tell your parents about the baby." Clark's eyes brightened he squeezed her hand and asked, "Are you sure, honey= .=20 Are you comfortable enough to let someone else know?" Lois gazed into the deep brown eyes of the man she loved more than anyone=20 else in the world and smiled back at him. The look in his eyes was one of=20 joy, love, and hopefulness and she knew that she wanted to share their joy=20 with his parents, the two people who had taken her in as their own daughter.= =20 She needed to talk to Martha about her feelings about the baby and about the= =20 jealousy she had felt the previous night towards Superman. Lois smiled slightly as she said, "Yeah, I'm sure. Your parents are going= =20 to be so happy about this. I'm sure they'll be thrilled about having a=20 grandchild." "They'll be so surprised because none of us ever thought I'd be able to=20 have children. It'll blow them right out of the water when we tell them. I= =20 can see the looks on their faces now." "So, how should we tell them?" =20 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 00:49:25 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Alicia Utowski Subject: New: Better Family Hour (9/10) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Better Family Hour by Alicia Utowski alicia3456@aol.com part 9/10 ###################################### Clark smiled and ran a hand through his hair trying to think of a creative=20 way to tell his parents about the baby. "I don't know. Do we really need to do something creative? Couldn't we= =20 just go there and tell them?" Lois smiled, "Yeah, I guess we could. If you really want to." Clark nodded, "I'm sick of playing guessing games. The one we played on= =20 Dr. Klein was a little mean. I could just see what he was thinking about us= =20 in his eyes. With anyone else it might have been funny, but=85" "=85 since all Dr. Klein has ever done is help us it wasn't really fair?= "=20 Lois finished his sentence because she had been thinking the same thing. "Yeah, exactly. I could just picture what he was thinking about us." "Stop right there! I don't want to know," Lois exclaimed. "Whatever=20 sick thoughts were going through Bernard Klein's mind about us, I don't even= =20 need to think about them. They'd probably make me scream at night. I do=20 think that we should apologize to him, though." "Yeah, that's a good idea." Clark moved closer to her on the couch. Clark 's hands caressed her back lovingly, working their way underneath=20 her oversized sweatshirt to her bare skin. His loving motions sent chills=20 through her body and she moved closer. As his hands moved towards the front= =20 of her body, a soft moan escaped her lips. Her own hands pulled his shirt=20 out of his pants and had begun unbuttoning his shirt. As she shivered with=20 pleasure, she worked his shirt off and had begun on the top of his Superman=20 suit. =20 With Lois' disappointed moan, Clark momentarily released her so to make=20 things easier for her and spun out of the Suit and into only his pants and=20 his unbuttoned dress shirt. Lois smiled in admiration as she looked at the=20 chest she knew so well. Even though she knew every part of that chest by=20 heart, it never failed to make her breath catch every time her eyes ran=20 across it. Her hands itched to touch his bare skin and for him to touch her= .=20 They let their lips find each other and as their tongues danced, their hand= s=20 explored the bodies they knew so well, and they lost themselves in each=20 other. They momentarily forgot everything that was wrong with the world as=20 all either was focused on completely was the other. Later, basking in the after-glow of their love making, Lois laid on top=20 of Clark, drawing circles on his bare chest. Clark sighed in contentment. =20 Right now he had everything he needed, and he never wanted to move again. =20 Lois closed her eyes. For a little while, she had forgotten about her sore=20 throat, stuffy nose, and headache, but now everything was back at full-force= .=20 She laid her head on Clark's shoulder hoping contact with him would soothe=20 her pain, but when it didn't she reluctantly sat up. =20 "Honey, where are you going?" Clark tried to pull her back down onto him, but she resisted. "I'll be right back. I just need to take my antibiotic. My head is=20 pounding again and now my throat is killing me, but I am not sure if I shoul= d=20 take aspirin for my headache because of the baby." Clark released her and helped her up. When she walked into the kitchen,= =20 he followed her asking, "Do you still want to see my parents? It's almost=20 dinner time there, so maybe we can catch them before they eat." "Yeah, why don't you call them to make sure they're home?" Clark called his parents and asked if they would be home so he and Lois=20 could visit. Martha invited them for dinner wondered why they had chosen=20 today to visit. Martha called to Jonathan when she had hung up the phone, "Jonathan, Loi= s=20 and Clark are coming over for dinner in a few minutes. Clark sounded funny,= =20 I think something's going on with them." Fifteen minutes later, Lois and Clark landed in front of the Kent's=20 farmhouse and Martha ran out to greet them, followed shortly by Jonathan. Clark shouted, almost before they were out the door, "Grandma, Grandpa,=20 we're here!" Martha and Jonathan looked at each other with the same expressions of=20 shock on their faces. Had Clark just called them Grandpa and Grandma? Did=20 this mean what they thought it did? Martha and Jonathan ran towards them both talking at once, both asking,=20 "Clark, what did you just call us? Are you and Lois going to have a baby?" Lois and Clark bridged the distance between them and Clark had a silly=20 grin pasted on his face.=20 "Yes, Mom, Dad, Lois and I are going to have a baby!" Martha reached out to hug Lois as Jonathan shook Clark's hand vigorously= .=20 Lois moved away from Martha and said, "Martha, it's not that I don't want t= o=20 hug you, I do, but I have strep and I don't want you to catch it." Martha reached forward again and grabbed her daughter-in-law into a warm= =20 hug. "Oh, honey, I wouldn't care if you had ebola. You don't find out you're= =20 going to be a grandmother every day of the week." Then Martha hugged her son tightly and Jonathan hugged Lois, also not=20 caring about catching her strep. =20 "I'm so happy for you, Clark. I know you've always wanted this, and I'm= =20 so glad it's finally happening for you," Martha whispered into his ear. Clark answered, "Me too, Mom. Sometimes it seems too good to be true." Martha backed away and exclaimed, "Well, it's about time for dinner. =20 It's a good thing I made a special apple pie for tonight because we need to=20 celebrate!" They walked into the little farmhouse and shared a quiet dinner, talking= =20 about how surprised the younger couple was to find out that Lois was=20 pregnant. Then, while they ate their apple pie, Clark told his parents abou= t=20 the results of the compatibility tests that Dr. Klein had performed. =20 As Martha collected the dirty dishes, Lois followed her into the kitchen= .=20 After the women had disappeared into the kitchen, Jonathan asked, "Clark,=20 would you mind helping me mend the back fence today? I was meaning to call=20 you to see if you wanted to help me with it this weekend, but since you're=20 here, would you mind?" Clark nodded, "Sure, I think Lois wants to talk to Mom anyway. I'm sure= =20 there's something she isn't telling me, and she needs to talk to someone. =20 Maybe if I'm not here, she'll open up to Mom." Jonathan nodded. He was thinking the same thing. There was something i= n=20 Lois' eyes that told him she needed to get something off her chest. Jonatha= n=20 knew that Lois liked to talk to Martha, so he thought he should get Clark ou= t=20 of the house. The fence needed to be fixed, but it wasn't a high priority,=20 but it would do to get Clark away from the house for a while. When the women got to the kitchen, Lois collapsed into one of the chairs= =20 and sighed. Martha put the dishes in the sink and rushed over to Lois. =20 "Lois, what's wrong? I can tell something's on your mind? Do you want=20 me to make us some tea, and then we can talk about it?" Lois rubbed her eyes. Was she really that obvious? Maybe it was from=20 Martha that Clark learned to be so observant. "Tea sounds wonderful right now, Martha. But how could you tell I neede= d=20 to talk to someone?" Martha put her hand on Lois' shoulder as she passed to make the tea. "Honey, you didn't look comfortable all during dinner. It might have=20 been because you're sick, but I saw something else. Clark was so excited=20 telling us about the baby, but you hardly spoke. And then during dessert,=20 you hardly touched your pie, and you just cuddled up to Clark while he did=20 all the talking. And you've had this clouded look in your eyes, like you=20 wanted to say something, but you didn't want to interrupt. I figured it was= =20 something you didn't want to tell Clark about, but you needed an impartial=20 ear to sound off too. So here I am." Yes, Clark must have gotten his skills of reading people's minds from=20 Martha. She had to be the most observant person Lois had ever met. She=20 studied her hands as Martha poured the tea, and then Martha sat down. Lois=20 sipped the hot tea. It felt so good going down her sore throat. Martha=20 looked at her intently. What could be bothering Lois? Finally, Lois looked= =20 into Martha's eyes. "I feel like such a horrible person right now. I'm not sure if I'm happ= y=20 about being pregnant. It just feels wrong! I mean, I feel so bad telling=20 you about this because you had so much trouble having children." Martha covered Lois' hand with her own, trying to support her=20 daughter-in-law. Lois needed all the support Martha could provide right now= =20 and, regardless of how Martha felt, she waned to be there for Lois. "It's okay, honey, just let it out." Tears streamed down Lois cheeks as she said, "Clark and I have only been= =20 married for nine months. We weren't planning this yet at all. I mean, it=20 was a complete surprise. I walked into the doctor's office thinking I was=20 sick and I came out pregnant." =20 Lois wiped her cheeks and took a sip of her tea, then she continued, "I=20 think I'm still in shock. There was only one time Clark and I forgot=20 protection, but then Clark found out that we have to be extra careful becaus= e=20 of his hyperactive sperm. And now I don't know what to do. When we first=20 found out, Clark was as nervous as I am, but he's seemed to adjust so well.=20= =20 He's even talking about cutting back as Superman." Martha raised an eyebrow and let Lois continue vocalizing her fears. =20 "But I just don't know. You and Jonathan were such wonderful parents, and=20 I'm sure he'll be a wonderful father because he has had the two of you as an= =20 example. Look at my role models. Needless to say, they certainly weren't=20 the best parents a kid could ask for." "Thank you, Lois. But I'm not sure parental role models always play such a=20 big part in shaping the way you will be as a parent. Often, if someone's=20 parents were like yours, they try harder to make sure their children's lives= =20 are easier than their own was." Lois squeezed Martha's hand and took another sip of her tea. It was startin= g=20 to get cold, and she took a long final sip before she continued. =20 "Yeah, Martha, you might be right, but how do I know I will be one of those=20 people?"=20 "Lois, I know you well enough to know that you are one of the most caring=20 people I've ever met. I think you'll try your best to protect your children= =20 >from whatever happened to you as a child." "I hope so, but I'm not so sure about that. I've always been so=20 uncomfortable around kids, but I know Clark has always wanted kids. He love= s=20 to be around them. You've seen how many children's charities he helps out a= s=20 Superman. But me, I've always been uncomfortable around kids. In fact, mos= t=20 of the time I think they're as afraid of me as I am of them. Whenever I pic= k=20 up a baby, it cries. What if our baby hates me? What if I hate our baby? =20 I'm so scared that it will change my life so much I won't be able to=20 recognize it as my own any more. I know we won't be able to work the long=20 hours any more or stake out stories late into the night. What if we get a=20 call from a source at two in the morning and we get scooped because our baby= =20 was sick? Maybe I wouldn't feel so bad if I had planned this, but it just=20 seems like my life is being invaded and disrupted by some little person I=20 haven't even met, and I didn't ask for it. I have to change my life and it'= s=20 not my choice. I think that's what I'm really worried about. I didn't plan= =20 this, but I have to accept it. Oh, Martha, I must sound like a real ingrate= =20 right now. I'm so sorry." Martha looked at the ceiling for guidance. Lois' words did upset her a bit=20 because Martha would have given anything to have a baby, and she was having=20 trouble listening to Lois and her doubts. She was blessed with a baby,=20 something that Martha could not have on her own, and she didn't want it. =20 Then Martha realized that Lois really did want her baby, she was only=20 experiencing what many women feel when they find out they are pregnant=20 unexpectedly. They wonder how their baby will change their lives, and if=20 their lives will ever be the same. In Lois' case, she had some valid points= .=20 Her job as a reporter was very important to her. In fact, for almost five=20 years it had been her entire life. Now her life was about to be turned=20 upside down. How could anyone expect her to cope right away? Martha hoped,= =20 no knew deep down, that soon Lois would be happy about having a baby, but=20 right now she had to let Lois get all of the fears about her pregnancy off o= f=20 her chest. "Honey, it's okay. Just let it out." "And then, I keep wondering what it will be like to get fat. I'm worried=20 about what people will think about me. What will people think when I show u= p=20 to interview them pregnant? Will they still respect me as a professional? =20 More importantly, will Clark still find me attractive? I know he says he=20 will, and that I would be attractive to him no matter what I look like, but=20 how do I know he's not lying? What if some young, thin woman comes along an= d=20 throws herself at him and Clark decides he likes her better?" Lois knew she was being irrational, but she had to get that fear into the=20 open. If she hadn't, it would plague her in her dreams and constantly invad= e=20 her subconscious thoughts. =20 "Lois, I see the way my son looks at you. Believe me, Clark is in love with= =20 you and only you. In fact, I don't think he even sees any other women. Whe= n=20 you walk into a room, his face lights up in a way I can't even describe. =20 Honey, Clark only has eyes for you, and you know that." =20 Then she whispered conspiratorially, "You know, I've heard that some men fin= d=20 pregnancy a turn on." "Martha!" Lois exclaimed, having a hard time believing that she and her=20 mother-in-law were talking about her sex life. But hearing that did ease=20 Lois' mind a bit. Lois looked into her empty cup trying to think of the right way to tell=20 Martha about her next concern. She didn't want Martha to get the wrong idea= ,=20 that she didn't like being married to Superman or that she wanted Clark to=20 stop being Superman, but she did feel very jealous of the time Clark spent a= s=20 Superman. Last night, when he was out being Superman, Lois wondered what he= =20 would do when they had their baby and he heard a cry for help. She didn't=20 want to be selfish because the world did need a Superman, but she also wante= d=20 her children to know their father rather than just know him as a man that=20 floated into and out of their lives. For more selfish reasons, she didn't=20 want to be faced with raising her children alone. The kid would be half his= ,=20 so he should take half of the responsibility. Clark would want to take=20 responsibility for his child, but would he be able to put his baby over the=20 rest of the world? =20 Lois shifted in her seat uncomfortably, and Martha knew that there was a=20 bigger issue bothering Lois that she hadn't touched yet. =20 Martha prodded, "I know there's something else bothering you, Lois. So why=20 don't you just talk to me about it? Unless it's something you'd feel more=20 comfortable talking to Clark about=85" "No, Martha, I do need to talk to Clark about this, but I need to bounce it=20 off someone first to find out if I am really crazy." Martha patted Lois' hand reassuringly. "Okay, here goes. I've been having some irrational feelings about Superman=20 lately. Oh, Martha, it sounds so stupid even saying this out loud, but I've= =20 been so jealous when Clark has gone out as Superman ever since I've found ou= t=20 about this pregnancy. I keep thinking that someday he is going to neglect=20 his responsibilities to our family in favor of the rest of the world. I wan= t=20 him to help me through every step of my pregnancy and throughout our child's= =20 life. I don't know why I'm feeling like this. He's told me more than once=20 that he wants to cut back as Superman once the baby is born, and I really do= =20 know that he is going to be the best dad a child could ever have, but why do= =20 I keep feeling like this? Is it because of what happened with my family? =20 Could I be reliving what happened with my father and just putting myself and= =20 Clark into my mother and father's places? Am I just being totally selfish?" Martha interrupted Lois' babbling, "Honey, this sounds like something you=20 really need to talk to Clark about. In fact, you need to talk about=20 everything you've just told me. A relationship is nothing if you don't talk= =20 to each other. And maybe you are putting yourself and Clark into your=20 parents' roles, but that is normal. It's what you grew up with, and in your= =20 sub-conscious, you might be thinking that is what is going to happen to you=20 and Clark. But I am sure it's not going to happen. If I know my son, I kno= w=20 he is going to be a diligent father and he will keep his word about Superman= .=20 You know more than anyone that Superman always keeps his word. Lois, you=20 just have to talk to him and he has to talk to you. Make him talk to you,=20 honey." ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 00:51:01 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Alicia Utowski Subject: New: Better Family Hour (10/10) final MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Better Family Hour by Alicia Utowski alicia3456@aol.com part 10/10 ############################################ When Clark and Jonathan had fixed the broken fence, they both leaned back=20 against tall posts basking in the late June sun. It was only about=20 six-thirty, so the air was still warm and the sun was still rather high in=20 the sky. Jonathan wiped the sweat from his brow and smiled at his son. "So, son, how does it feel to know you are going to be a father?" Clark closed his eyes, "Well, Dad, at first I was really scared. I wondered= =20 what we would do and how it would change our lives, but now I realized that=20 whatever changes our baby brings, I'm ready to face them. Dad, I love you=20 and mom, you know that, but now I'm finally going to have someone that share= s=20 my own flesh and blood. I can't explain how wonderful that feels." Jonathan nodded, "I know what you mean, Clark. And I'm so happy for you. I= =20 was just wondering, is something wrong with Lois? She doesn't seem quite as= =20 excited as you do about this whole baby thing." "I don't know. This whole pregnancy caught us so off guard. She went to th= e=20 doctor thinking she was sick, which she is, and later that day she found out= =20 that she is pregnant. The worst thing for her is that we hadn't planned thi= s=20 at all. I know we did talk about having kids someday, but we wanted to wait= =20 a few years. I know she is worried about what is going to happen with her=20 career, and I think something is bothering her about Superman." Jonathan put his hand on Clark's arm. He said, "Son, if I know Lois, she=20 doesn't much like surprises, and this is probably the biggest surprise of he= r=20 life. I'm sure that deep down she's really happy about your baby, but she=20 just needs time to come to realize it." Clark sighed, "Yeah, I know what you mean, but I do know what Lois is worrie= d=20 about. I think she thinks I am going to leave her to be Superman when she=20 and our baby need her just like her father did, but she can't be more wrong.= =20 Dad, I'm thinking about giving up Superman to spend all my time with Lois an= d=20 our baby." Jonathan looked taken aback. His mouth hung open as he thought of something= =20 to say. He chose his words carefully so not to upset his son, "Clark, are you sure?=20= =20 I know you, son. You do have good intentions, but I know you won't be able=20 to ignore cries for help. But you do need to rethink your priorities a bit.= =20 Maybe you should cut back on the minor emergencies you go to, and you=20 probably should cut back on the charity events. I'm sure Lois doesn't expec= t=20 you to give up being Superman. It's such a huge part of who you are, but I=20 think she does want you to be there for her and your baby whenever you can." Clark buried his head in his hands and shook it violently. "Dad, if I can't be there for my family, then I am no Superman. And my bein= g=20 Superman might hurt both Lois and my baby." =20 Jonathan was not surprised at Clark's fears. He had himself wondered if=20 Clark would ever be able to reproduce, being an alien, and most probably a=20 different species. Now that they knew that Lois and Clark could have=20 children, Jonathan hoped nothing would be wrong with his grandchildren, but=20 in the back of his mind, he had been wondering just what a mixture of human=20 and kryptonian genes would produce. =20 Jonathan patted his son's back and said, "Son, I know you're worried about=20 what's going to happen to Lois and to your baby, I am too." "Dad, you don't understand. What if our genes are way too incompatible and=20 can't mesh correctly and the baby miscarries. What if the baby is born with= =20 deformities? What if carrying my child hurts Lois? I don't know what I=20 would do if I lost her, Dad. Then I was thinking about mules. Maybe Lois=20 and I are like horses and donkeys, close enough to the same species to mate=20 successfully, but our offspring will be sterile. How could I do that to my=20 kids?" "Clark, stop thinking the worst. You don't know if anything bad is going to= =20 happen yet." "I know, we went to Dr. Klein and told him everything because we think he ca= n=20 help us. He's running some genetic tests on me right now, and they will=20 hopefully tell us just how different we are." Jonathan nodded. He was about to suggest that Clark enlist Dr. Klein's help= .=20 Normally, Jonathan was the overprotective father that warned Clark about=20 telling anyone his secret for fear that they would exploit him and that he=20 would get dragged off to some government agency and dissected like a frog. =20 However, Klein had proven himself to be a friend to Clark over the years, an= d=20 his scientific knowledge was second to none. He would be a very valuable=20 ally for Lois and Clark to have should anything bad happen. "Son, you might not be as different as you think. The very miracle of you=20 and Lois conceiving at all should tell you that. If you were so different,=20 you would have never conceived in the first place. What you need to do unti= l=20 you get Dr. Klein's results back is to enjoy the fact that you're going to b= e=20 a father. You and Lois need to put all of your fears into the background=20 temporarily and just enjoy your news." Clark's hearing kicked in just then. He heard tears coming from the house.=20= =20 As he listened more intently, he heard the end of Lois' conversation with=20 Martha. She was telling Martha how she felt jealous of his Superman duties,= =20 and Clark's hearing tuned in at the worst possible moment. He sunk to the=20 ground. "Dad, what am I going to do. She hates the fact that I am Superman now for=20 more than that one reason. The fact that I'm different is hard enough to=20 cope with, but now Lois resents the fact that I have to leave her alone=20 sometimes to be Superman. I told her that I was going to cut back, but I=20 don't think she believes me." He pulled off his glasses and pinched the=20 bridge of his nose, "Why do I hurt her so badly? She knew what she was=20 getting into when we got married, and she never seemed to mind before=85" Jonathan slowly sank to the ground next to Clark. He patted his son's=20 shoulder trying to calm the younger man down and he said, "This sounds like=20 something the two of you need to talk about. Have you talked about it yet?=20= =20 Is this the first time you've heard this?" Clark leaned back and rested his head against the fence. "Well, we haven't talked, exactly. She's never told me that she's jealous o= f=20 Superman before." "Son, I speak as the voice of experience. What you and Lois need to do is=20 talk to each other. Listen to each other's fears. Most importantly, get=20 them out into the open. The hardest battle is that with yourself just to=20 acknowledge your fears. And I'm sure Lois is fighting those same demons." On the flight home, Lois and Clark both agreed that they needed to have a=20 serious talk about their feelings about the baby. As soon as they got into=20 the house, they were going to get ready for bed and cuddle together in their= =20 bed so they could talk about what was bothering them. However, their plans=20 changed when they saw the blinking answering machine light. Lois sighed, "Doesn't it ever stop?" Then she let the message play, "You have one new message." "Lois, Clark," Dr. Klein's voice rang out. "This is Dr. Klein. It's about=20 7:45 right now, and if you get this message before about 9:00 call me at STA= R=20 Labs. I finished your tests rather quickly for reasons I'd rather not=20 discuss over an answering machine. But I can tell you it's good news." Lois jumped and hugged Clark. Finally, good news. They really needed some=20 good news right now. Hopefully they would find out that having Clark's chil= d=20 would pose no threat to her health and that their baby would be perfectly=20 normal. =20 Clark breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Dr. Klein say that the results= =20 were good. At least his fears of hurting Lois would be gone soon, he hoped. Clark glanced at the clock and saw that it was 8:45. They had to call Dr.=20 Klein soon if they wanted to find out the results tonight. First, he=20 wondered if Lois was feeling any better. She hadn't been coughing the entir= e=20 time they were in Smallville and she had been able to hold down her dinner=20 and her dessert, something she hadn't been able to do for a while. The best= =20 thing was that her fever seemed to be going down. When he held her, he no=20 longer felt the burning fever. The antibiotics really seemed to be working. "Lois, honey, you seem like you're feeling a lot better." Lois smiled, "Yeah, actually I am. That doctor must have prescribed some=20 miracle antibiotics or something." She backed away, suddenly remembering=20 something, "I have to take another dose now, so you call Dr. Klein and tell=20 him that we're coming and I'll get my medicine." Luckily, they caught Dr. Klein just as he was walking out the door. He was=20 excited about his findings, but the only thing he would tell Clark over the=20 phone was that it was good news and that Lois and Clark should get there as=20 soon as possible. =20 They hurried to STAR Labs, and Dr. Klein greeted them at the front entrance=20 and ushered them into his office. The older man was practically bursting at= =20 the seams to tell them his good news. As soon as they reached his office,=20 Dr. Klein's patience finally broke. "Lois, Clark. I've finished Clark's genetic tests already. It was a lot=20 easier than I thought it would be to do once I logged into the human genome=20 database and most of Clark's alleles were found in the database, and the=20 unknown ones matched up very closely with other human genes." "What are you saying Dr. Klein? So, is our baby going to be okay?" Clark=20 asked, eager to know what Dr. Klein's cryptic statements meant. =20 "Oh, didn't I say that? What I meant to say was that, Clark, you and Lois=20 will have a perfectly healthy baby. And nothing is going to happen to Lois=20 during her pregnancy that will be out of the ordinary for any woman carrying= =20 a completely human baby." Lois and Clark breathed a collective sigh of relief. It felt like a giganti= c=20 weight had been lifted off both of their chests and now they were both able=20 to breathe freely again. Dr. Klein continued, "What I was trying to say before is that, Clark, you=20 have many of the same genes as a human does. In fact, I was very surprised=20 at how well your genetic and chromosomal structure matched up with the human= =20 structure. You have a diploid number of chromosomes, which I suspected in=20 the first place, and you also have 23 pairs of chromosomes just like we do.=20= =20 The only differences I could find were on chromosomes 19 and 23, where two=20 genes were a little different from the human genes. These are what I call=20 the K-factor genes. I'm sure that these are the genes that cause your=20 Superpowers. They were probably mutations of two human genes that I found=20 that were very similar to these genes, and they probably mutated as an=20 adaptation to your red sun." Lois and Clark nodded. They were enthralled with Dr. Klein's explanation=20 into Clark's genetics. Now that they knew their baby would be okay, they=20 could relax and listen to Dr. Klein's explanations. Dr. Klein continued, "However, these mutations are not different enough to=20 cause any major, unusual problems when you reproduce. In fact, I would not=20 even call you a different species, Clark. From these tests, I can definitel= y=20 say that Kryptonians are Homo sapiens. This is because you can reproduce=20 together and also because your children will also be able to reproduce. You= r=20 K-factor mutations only provided protection for Krypton's red sun, and here=20 on Earth, with the yellow sun, they give you your powers." Clark grabbed Lois into a tight hug and spun her around in pure happiness. =20 He really was normal, or as least as normal as someone who could fly and see= =20 through walls ever could be. His wife and baby would both be fine, and he=20 was genetically compatible with a human. It made him want to jump for joy. After Clark set Lois back on her feet, Dr. Klein continued, "So, Lois, you=20 should make an appointment with an obstetrician as soon as possible. I'd be= =20 happy to help you if anything out of the ordinary happens, but I am sure tha= t=20 you won't need my help." Lois nodded, "Thank you, Dr. Klein. You don't know how much this means to=20 us." Clark added, "I don't know if I can ever thank you enough for everything=20 you've done for us." "Lois, Clark, it was the least I could do. I feel privileged just to know=20 Clark is Superman and to be the scientist he turns to for help. And please,= =20 call me Bernie. I think we are way past the formalities." Clark agreed, "Yes, Bernie, and thank you so much for everything." Lois gave Bernie a hug and a kiss on the cheek and he turned a shade of red=20 that almost matched a tomato. =20 "Like I said," he gulped, "It was the least I could do." When Lois and Clark got home, they finally settled down to talk, nestled=20 together on their couch, Clark in a pair of sleep shorts and Lois in an=20 oversized tee shirt and a pair of shorts. =20 Clark gathered Lois into his arms and said, "Lois, I know something is=20 bothering you about me. I accidentally overheard you tell my mom that you=20 don't think I'll be there for you and our baby because of Superman. Whateve= r=20 made you think that?" Lois shifted nervously. She hadn't wanted Clark to find out that way. Damn= =20 his Superhearing. "I'm so sorry you had to hear that, honey. I didn't mean it to sound like=20 that at all." =20 She turned in his arm to look into his eyes. There she saw fear and=20 uncertainty about her feelings. Her eyes were moist with unshed tears=20 because she hadn't wanted him to find out about her fears be eavesdropping.=20= =20 Clark kissed her cheek and said, "Lois, I don't want you to be afraid that=20 I'm going to leave you like your father did. I'm not your father, honey." A single tear fell down Lois' cheek and Clark brushed it away. "Oh, Clark, I know that, really I do. But I can't get the image of you=20 flying away as Superman every time either our baby or I need you." "Lois, I would never do that. You have always been, and will always be the=20 most important thing in the world to me. I told you before that I am going=20 to cut back on my Superman duties. Lois, I've been thinking about this=20 almost constantly since last night. If I am alone with our baby, I'll just=20 ignore any cries for help I hear." "Clark, I don't think you'd be able to do that. And I don't want you to end= =20 up resenting me and our family because we stopped you from saving lives." Clark's voice became husky with emotion, "Lois, I could never resent you. =20 Cutting back on Superman is something that I am deciding to do on my own. I= =20 want our children to know me, and not just to be able to pick me out of a=20 police line up. I want to do thing with them like my dad did with me, take=20 them to ball games, take them fishing, play catch out in the front yard, go=20 to their school plays, concerts, and sporting events. Lois, I want to be th= e=20 kind of father that they will respect, just like my dad was." "And just the opposite of what my dad was." Lois closed her eyes as she remembered all of the major events in her life=20 that her father had missed. He didn't even get to her college graduation. =20 The next day, she got a card in the mail with $100 inside and a note written= =20 by her father's secretary explaining why he wasn't there. Deep down, she=20 knew that she and Clark would always find time for their children, but,=20 because of her own father, the nagging question about Superman still plagued= =20 her mind. Clark knew that he would even give up being Superman for his=20 family. If his family needed him, he would always be there, no matter what.= =20 Clark stroked Lois' cheek gently with the back of his hand, wiping away her=20 tears, then she said, "I know, you aren't Sam Lane. Believe me, you are the= =20 exact opposite, but I think he scarred me for life so that every time I thin= k=20 of our children, I see myself alone with them, and that scares me." "Lois, you're right, I am not your father. But maybe the reason you feel=20 like this is because you've also never been comfortable with children and yo= u=20 think you'll be uncomfortable around our baby." Lois nodded. Clark continued, "Honey, I'm not quite as comfortable about having a baby as= =20 you think I am either. This was such a shock to me too, but I have to say=20 that the thought of you and me having a baby together, someone who is part m= e=20 and part you, it makes me so happy. It may not be easy, and it is definitel= y=20 going to take some getting used to, but I think we can handle it together. =20 And no matter what your sub-conscious may be telling you, we'll do it=20 together." Lois smiled. Clark always knew exactly what to say to make her feel better,= =20 but she still wasn't completely convinced. "Okay, I admit it, I'm scared about the baby, but I am also so happy about=20 it. I never thought I'd like the thought of being pregnant, but I am=20 starting to get used to it. I'm actually looking forward to meeting this=20 little person that's growing inside of me, and I wonder what he or she will=20 be like. But then when I start thinking about it, what if the baby is just=20 like me? From the stories my mom tells, I was not the best baby in the=20 world. Then I wonder if our baby will even like me." Clark put his hand over her mouth to stop her babbling. =20 He interrupted, "Our baby is going to love you as much as I love you. And I= =20 know that you are going to be the most incredible mother. You may not have=20 much experience with children, but you make up for that with the amount of=20 love you have to give." Clark moved his hand so that he would have full access to her lips. He bent= =20 down and captured her lips in a soul-shattering kiss. =20 Clark's hands traveled up Lois' shirt and were about to pull it off when the= =20 phone rang. They looked into each other's eyes and said, "Jimmy." Clark reached to answer the phone, "What?" Jimmy was taken aback at Clark's rude greeting. CK was always so nice on th= e=20 phone. =20 "Um, CK, hi. I was just calling to see how Lois is. Is she feeling better?= " "Yeah, Jimmy, she's a lot better. I'm kind of busy now, so I'll just talk t= o=20 you at work tomorrow. Okay, bye." Then Clark hung up the phone leaving a startled Jimmy talking into a dial=20 tone. "Clark, that was so mean," said Lois with a hint of laughter in her voice. Clark looked remorseful for a second, but then his countenance lightened. "Maybe that will teach him not to interrupt us any more. I hope he got the=20 picture of just what we were going to be doing." Lois giggled, "And just what were we going to be doing, Farmboy?" Clark's eyes darkened with passion as Lois rubbed her bare leg seductively=20 with an innocent look on her face. "Well, I don't know=85" "Give it up, Clark. Come to mamma." Clark didn't need any more invitation. He pulled Lois into his arms and the= y=20 began to pull each other's clothes off.=20 Then Clark froze in his place. Lois moaned in protest because Clark had=20 stopped touching her, but then she realized that someone needed Superman. =20 This had happened to them before while they were in the throws of foreplay,=20 but most of the time he just ignored it if it wasn't something big. From th= e=20 look in his eyes, it was big, all right. Lois sighed and resigned herself t= o=20 a night alone with Ted Koppel and Jay Leno. =20 "What is it?" Clark broke out of his trance and said, "Ten car pile up right outside of=20 town on the 481. They think one of the cars is going to explode and they=20 aren't sure if everyone can get out in time." Lois grimaced, "Well, what are you waiting for? Go!" "Are you sure? You're okay with this?" "Clark, get moving!" "Okay, okay, I'm going. Jeez. I'll be home soon. Wait up for me?" "Always." Clark left her with a big kiss, promising they would pick up right where the= y=20 left off when he got back. Lois curled up on the couch and turned on the TV waiting for him to return. Unfortunately, the pile up turned out to be much worse than Clark had=20 expected. By the time he was finished and everyone was safe, it was nearly=20 one in the morning when he was heading home. =20 He got home and saw that Lois had valiantly tried to wait up for him. She=20 was curled up on the couch, wrapped up in a blanket and nothing else. He=20 smiled as he remembered just what they would have spent the night doing had=20 they not been so rudely interrupted. But now, Lois needed to sleep more the= n=20 he needed to satisfy his manly urges. He picked her up gently and carried=20 her to bed. Before he even had time to sit down, he heard a man yelling for= =20 Superman from on top of the LNN building. He quickly scribbled a note to=20 Lois apologizing for not being back sooner and then he rushed out again. Lois felt the wind when he took off, and that woke her up. For a moment, sh= e=20 was disoriented because she hadn't even realized that she had fallen asleep.= =20 The last thing she remembered was watching the opening monologue of the=20 Tonight Show. Now she was in her bed and under the covers. Clark must have= =20 come home and brought her up to bed. But why wasn't he here now? She=20 shifted in bed and Clark's note fell into her lap. =20 Lois, I'm sorry I was gone so long. It was so hard getting everyone out of the=20 cars safely. I brought you up to bed because you had fallen asleep on the=20 couch. Someone's going to jump off the LNN building, so I'll be back soon.=20= =20 Love you. Clark. Lois sighed. He felt sorry that he had to leave her; that's what=20 mattered the most. And he was looking forward to their night together. Her= =20 sleep-clouded mind realized that he would be there for her and their child.=20= =20 He loved them that much, and she probably should not doubt him. He was the=20 most honest, caring man she had ever met. She fell back to sleep with a=20 contented smile on her face. The next morning, Lois awoke before the alarm went off. She sat up in=20 bed and realized that she felt a lot better. In fact, she felt well enough=20 to go to work today. This was the first morning in a while that she hadn't=20 felt the need to throw up; that boded well for the rest of the day. Those=20 antibiotics must really be working. Then Lois' eyes drifted over to Clark, who was sleeping peacefully next=20 to her. She wondered when he had finally made it home. He looked so angeli= c=20 when he slept. Lois traced the lines of his lips with the tip of her finger= =20 as she caressed his bare shoulders with her other hand. Normally he would=20 have awakened at her mere touch, but today he did not even stir. Lois,=20 wanting to get him back for all the times he had awakened her in this manner= ,=20 climbed on top of him. Then she captured his lips with hers and kissed him=20 passionately. It surprised her that Clark didn't immediately awaken with he= r=20 kiss. He must have really gotten in late last night then.=20 Finally, when Lois came up for air, Clark woke up. As he pulled her bac= k=20 down to him, he whispered, "Why did you stop?" They started to kiss again, but just as something more was about to=20 happen, the alarm went off, reminding both of them that they had to get to=20 work. Lois hopped out of bed and grabbed her bathrobe on the way to the=20 bathroom. =20 She shouted over her shoulder, "I'm going in to work today, honey. I=20 feel a lot better." "Are you sure, honey?" "Yeah, two days away from the office are definitely two days too many." Clark slowly got out of bed and followed Lois to the shower. When he=20 opened the bathroom door, he nearly laughed out loud. =20 Lois was looking in the bathroom mirror with a wad of towels stuffed in=20 her bathrobe. She was wondering if this would be what she looked like in a=20 few months time. As turned to look at her profile, she caught a glimpse of=20 Clark standing in the doorway trying unsuccessfully to hold back his=20 laughter. =20 Lois glared at him with a stare of death that made him instantly stop=20 laughing. "Don't laugh at me, Farmboy, you're the one that got me into this." Then she smiled at his look of shock and she walked over to him. She=20 wrapped her arms around his neck and asked in a quiet voice, "Will you still= =20 find me attractive when I am this fat?" Clark grinned widely, "Lois, I will always find you attractive. You're=20 the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. The first time I laid eyes on=20 you, I was mesmerized by how beautiful you are." "So, even if, say, you had the choice between the entire Dallas Cowboy's= =20 cheerleading squad and me, you say you'd pick me even while I'm pregnant?"=20 "Lois, of course I'd pick you." Lois broke out of his embrace and opened her robe. The whole wad of=20 towels fell into a pile on the floor and then Lois stepped into the shower. "You'd better. So, big guy, are you coming in here with me, or what?" Clark didn't need to be asked twice. Within a nanosecond, Clark had=20 joined Lois in the shower. Lois' fears about her pregnancy temporarily put=20 to rest. A little later, Lois and Clark had both gotten ready for work and had=20 eaten breakfast when Lois realized what time it was. "Clark, we only have five minutes to get to work!" Clark scooped her up and flew to the Planet. "Thank God for 'Superman Express!'" Lois whispered into his ear after=20 they landed in a nearby alley so that Clark could change. =20 Clark laughed, and then he grabbed Lois' hand and walked the final block= =20 to the Planet. Before they walked in the revolving door, Lois put her hand on Clark's=20 chest to stop him. "Clark, I know you wanted to tell everyone about the baby today, but I=20 still don't feel completely comfortable telling people about it yet." Clark nodded, for his part, he was practically bursting to tell the news= ,=20 but he respected Lois' need to keep this a secret for a while. Suddenly an=20 idea popped into his mind. "So, how about we tell them in a few months when you show up in maternit= y=20 clothes one day." Lois giggled and stood up on her tiptoes and planted a quick kiss on his= =20 lips. =20 "Thanks, honey, I knew you'd understand." They walked through the revolving doors and into the lobby. People in=20 the lobby remarked about how completely oblivious to the rest of the world=20 they seemed. Lois and Clark were so lost in each other that Lois walked=20 right into a wastebasket. The doorman and the security guard, who had=20 watched Land and Kent's relationship blossom over the years, shared a secret= =20 smile. Three years ago, they had placed a bet on how long it would take the= =20 two reporters to get married, and John, the doorman had won hands down. Now= =20 both were happy that the reporters that were so obviously in love were=20 finally together and happy. When they stepped off the elevator and into the newsroom, Perry greeted=20 Lois. "Lois, what in the Sam Hill are you doing here? Are you feeling better?= " "Yeah, Chief, I'm feeling much better. I think the doctor gave me some=20 kind of miracle antibiotics because when I woke up this morning I felt=20 better." "That's good, and I'm glad you're back. But I don't want you overdoing=20 it until you're sure you're back to 100%." "Okay, Perry," Lois smiled at her editor. =20 Perry walked into his office and Lois and Clark settled down at their=20 desks. They checked their email and voice messages, and then Lois headed=20 over to Clark's desk to talk about their investigation into Luckaby's=20 reappearance.=20 Shortly after Lois arrived at Clark's desk, Clark called out to Jimmy. "Hey, Jimmy, could you come over here a second?" Jimmy approached Clark with a little trepidation, especially after the=20 reception he had gotten on the phone last night. =20 "Um, hi, CK, Lois," Jimmy said cautiously. "About last night. I'm sorry I cut you off last night, but I was a=20 little preoccupied if you know what I mean." Clark nudged Jimmy and looked over at Lois. Realization dawned and the=20 look on Jimmy's face changed to one of enlightenment. "Ah, CK, you're the man!" Jimmy said without regard for Lois standing so= =20 close. =20 As Jimmy apologized to Lois for his indiscretions, Clark's breathing=20 started to become labored. Lois rushed over to him and asked, "Clark, are=20 you all right?" She was panicked. Something was wrong with Clark, how often does=20 Superman have trouble breathing? Just as Jimmy turned around, rushing to get him a cup of water, Clark=20 collapsed onto his desk. "Oh my God, Clark!" Lois exclaimed in complete hysteria. Perry, who had seen the whole event unfold from his office rushed out to= =20 take charge. He approached Lois, who was standing completely still, shaking= ,=20 and helped her into a nearby chair. "Somebody call an ambulance!" he screamed. =20 Perry checked to see if Clark was breathing while Jimmy went over to try= =20 to help Lois. Lois whispered Clark's name over and over again and Perry checked Clark'= s=20 breathing. Perry sighed in relief when he found Clark breathing, albeit=20 faintly. "He's breathing, but I think he's unconscious." Lois, who had been rocking back and forth in her chair leapt up and=20 touched his face. She cried hysterically with tears running down her face, "Clark, please=20 don't leave me. I can't have this baby without you!" Then she buried her head in his shoulder. =20 Perry and Jimmy looked at eachother with eyebrows raised. They said, in= =20 shock, at the same time, "Baby?" Continuted in Silent Fears... It should be done soon :) LAU 1/4/2000 :) ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 00:58:35 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Genine Murray Subject: Re: New: Better Family Hour (10/10) final MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I seem to be missing Part 7. Did it get sent out and I missed it? If so, could someone send it to me please? Thanks! :) Genine SuperGem4@aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 23:02:56 -0700 Reply-To: Rhonda Robinson Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Rhonda Robinson Subject: Re: New: Better Family Hour MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I'm not sure the list as a whole got Part 7. Alicia, could you double-check and send it again? Rhonda -----Original Message----- From: Genine Murray To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU Date: Tuesday, January 04, 2000 10:58 PM Subject: Re: New: Better Family Hour (10/10) final >I seem to be missing Part 7. Did it get sent out and I missed it? If so, >could someone send it to me please? Thanks! :) > >Genine >SuperGem4@aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 01:44:45 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Tara Smith Subject: Re: New Fanfic - Solar Eclipse - Part 10 of 10 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit You know, when I first read this on the message boards, I didn't think it could get any better. I was wrong :) This is such a great story! Now would be a good time to start begging for another story about one of the others, right? I've got a lot of practice at begging. Please? Tara ------Original Message------ From: "Irene D." To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU Sent: January 3, 2000 1:10:21 PM GMT Subject: New Fanfic - Solar Eclipse - Part 10 of 10 Title: Solar Eclipse Author: Irene Dutchak Parts: Part 10 of 10 Rating: PG Feedback: Both public and private is welcome. ----------------------------------------------- FREE! The World's Best Email Address @email.com Reserve your name now at http://www.email.com ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 06:54:01 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "C.C. Malo" Subject: Re: Fanfic questions MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi Cindy--about Claude: The pilot didn't tell us much which is great because you get to make it up. :) Claude wasn't given a last name so you can name him whatever you want. Although most fanfics assume he's French, I'm not sure that his ethnic background was actually mentionned in the pilot. Maybe Claude is the one who gave Lois the taste for French brie that Clark brought her in that 3rd season ep? (title?) Because he stole her story, we can assume they worked together. He's been delightfully demonized in most fanfics but Irene's very moving story, Redemption, created him as more complex and tragic character. re the number of city councillors --In Canada, the number is determined by the provincial government. Is the number determined by the state government for American cities? The city of Toronto which has a population of over 3 million has just been cut back to a council of about 28, I believe. Carol ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 07:20:26 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Ann E. McBride" Subject: Re: Fanfic questions MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 1/4/2000 11:48:26 PM Eastern Standard Time, judithwilliams@PRODIGY.NET writes: << 5. City Councils will vary in size depending on the size of the city. Members are elected from designated geographic areas. There might be 5, 7 9,11--any more than that and conducting business gets unwieldy. Note that the number is odd to preclude tie votes. Jude >> This depends on the city, or perhaps the state. In my city, there are 12 "aldermen" and while they represent geographic areas, I believe that only in the primary are they elected by the people in that area. In the general election, everyone in the city votes for all of them. Our county has a council as well. Its memebers are elected by the people in their districts. Lois says Claude was French in the pilot. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 09:27:37 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Karen Ward Subject: Re: Fanfic Teaser: When the Night Falls In-Reply-To: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" >> Well, Pam, she can't say that Wendy and I didn't warn her >> this would happen... > > >... yep, and we *still* hounded her into doing it - I even >forbade her to read another fic until she'd posted this >segment! Yes, FoLCs, she did! And here all this time I've been fooled by Wendy's outward friendliness, but she threatened me with fanfic deprivation -- I was helpless to resist! >But heck, if it makes Karen sit at her PC and >*write* this story, I'm glad I made the sacrifice of >nagging her, aren't you, Laurie? Ah-hem. I am reading this, you know. ;) Seriously, thanks again, you guys, for making me do this. And thanks again to all the wonderful FoLC who have responded so far -- you're encouragement is greatly appreciated and will definitely be a major factor in seeing this fic finished! :) Take care, Karen :) ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 09:49:50 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Rowan Fuller Subject: Re: New: Better Family Hour (10/10) final MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 05/01/2000 05:59:03 GMT Standard Time, SuperGem4@AOL.COM writes: << I seem to be missing Part 7. Did it get sent out and I missed it? If so, could someone send it to me please? Thanks! :) >> I didn't seem to get part 7 either Rowan :) -- -- -- LaneKent@aol.com http://members.aol.com/lanekent ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 10:04:32 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Marnie Rowe Subject: Re: New: Better Family Hour (10/10) final MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit part seven is missing from my mail as well... Marnie ---------- > From: Rowan Fuller > To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU > Subject: Re: New: Better Family Hour (10/10) final > Date: Wednesday, January 05, 2000 9:49 AM > > In a message dated 05/01/2000 05:59:03 GMT Standard Time, SuperGem4@AOL.COM > writes: > > << I seem to be missing Part 7. Did it get sent out and I missed it? If so, > could someone send it to me please? Thanks! :) >> > > I didn't seem to get part 7 either > > Rowan :) > -- -- -- > LaneKent@aol.com > http://members.aol.com/lanekent ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 07:23:17 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Irene D." Subject: Re: New Fanfic - Solar Eclipse - Part 10 of 10 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Thank you so much, Tara for your feedback both here and on the boards as I posted this in sections. I appreciate you taking the time to respond. Please don't start begging for another story yet. I need to take a break for a little while before I write anything more. (Not for too long or I become incredibly difficult to live with - What DID I do before I started writing fanfic?) Thanks again, Irene --- Tara Smith wrote: > You know, when I first read this on the message > boards, I didn't think it > could get any better. I was wrong :) This is such > a great story! Now > would be a good time to start begging for another > story about one of the > others, right? I've got a lot of practice at > begging. Please? > > Tara > > ------Original Message------ > From: "Irene D." > To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU > Sent: January 3, 2000 1:10:21 PM GMT > Subject: New Fanfic - Solar Eclipse - Part 10 of 10 > > > Title: Solar Eclipse > Author: Irene Dutchak > Parts: Part 10 of 10 > Rating: PG > Feedback: Both public and private is welcome. > > ----------------------------------------------- > FREE! The World's Best Email Address @email.com > Reserve your name now at http://www.email.com > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://messenger.yahoo.com ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 15:36:12 -0000 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: LabRat Subject: Helicopters and Japanese Pleasure Domes MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Thanks to everyone who answered my questions on these subjects, both here and by email. Knew I could count on you guys. I think I have enough now for Lois to make her daring attempt at escape from Lex's windowless fortress. Pity she's about to fail miserably - but it sure won't be because she knows nothing about helicopters. ;) LabRat :) Doc. Klein's LabRat labrat@starlabs.fsnet.co.uk "A celebrity is a person who works hard all his life to become well known, then wears dark glasses to avoid being recognised." -- Fred Allen "Fame is being asked to sign your autograph on the back of a cigarette packet." -- Billy Connolly. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 11:03:43 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Joy Sowell Subject: Re: Helicopters and Japanese Pleasure Domes Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Geez, Labby. You can't tease us like that. ------Original Message------ From: LabRat To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU Sent: January 5, 2000 3:36:12 PM GMT Subject: Helicopters and Japanese Pleasure Domes I think I have enough now for Lois to make her daring attempt at escape from Lex's windowless fortress. Pity she's about to fail miserably - but it sure won't be because she knows nothing about helicopters. ;) ______________________________________________ FREE Personalized Email at Mail.com Sign up at http://www.mail.com?sr=mc.mk.mcm.tag001 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 09:51:27 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: NEW: The Darkest Hour part 3 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Thanks for all the wonderful comments on this story, guys! For those of you interested, here's part 3. ******************************* The Darkest Hour (Before the Dawn) by Erin Klingler erink@ida.net part 3 ******************************* As Clark walked up the front steps of Lois’ apartment building that night, he couldn’t help feeling horrible for the way he’d treated Lois when he was dressed as Superman earlier that day. But he didn’t know what else he could ’ve done. If he’d hung around and talked to her, he doubted that he could have kept her from picking up on his mannerisms and the way he felt about her. With a sigh, he realized he couldn’t keep his other identity a secret for much longer, nor did he want to. He knew he could trust her with his secret, and he was sure it would only succeed in strengthening their relationship. But if he was going to tell her, it was going to have to be soon, or she’d end up figuring it out herself. And he definitely didn’t like the idea of her finding out for herself. He knew she’d most likely be mad either way, but at least if he told her on his own terms, she couldn’t accuse him of not coming clean. His taking the initiative to come clean would have to mean something. But if she were to find out on her own…well, he didn’t like to think about the consequences. Walking up the last few stairs and turning down the hallway toward Lois’ apartment, Clark wondered what kind of a mood Lois was going to be in tonight. He hadn’t seen much of her that afternoon since she’d been busy interviewing various people from the bank scene and gathering information, but it didn’t take a psychic to see that she wasn’t in the best of moods. Unlike the previous day, however, she did a good job of keeping her cool and not blowing up at anybody. Not that that was necessarily a good thing, Clark realized. An afternoon of Lois’ pent-up anger was sure to surface sooner or later, and Clark suspected he might be in for an evening of trying to her calm her bouts of emotional release. He didn’t mind; after all, that’s what being in a loving relationship was all about—being there for the other person, through good times and bad. But he knew he’d have to be careful not to say the wrong thing and make it worse. Dealing with an angry Lois Lane was a lot like trying to deactivate a time bomb. It took skill, nerves of steel, and a steady hand. Stopping in front of Lois’ door, he knocked three times and waited. Moments later, he heard the sound of loud footsteps, then the apartment door was yanked open by an obviously angry Lois Lane. One look at her flushed cheeks and flashing eyes, and he knew he was in for an interesting evening. “Come in only if you have a death wish,” she said angrily before turning >from the open door and heading into the kitchen where she had tea brewing. Clark sighed. Yep. Interesting evening. Stepping in, he closed the door and cautiously followed her into the kitchen where he could see she was making tea. He watched her slam some items around for a few moments before asking carefully, “Can I help?” “Only if you can convince Perry to stop treating me like a five-year-old,” she snapped as she jerked open the cupboard and pulled out a ceramic mug. Clark leaned up against the counter and slid his hands into his pants pockets. “So what happened? Or should I ask?” His question was all it took to send Lois into a full-scale, infamous Lois Lane tantrum. “Oh, you can ask,” she stormed, turning to him briefly before whirling back around to the whistling tea kettle, her dark hair tossing about wildly. “Anyone in the newsroom could’ve told you how Perry was treating me. He spent all afternoon walking on eggshells around me, and then as soon as I sent him that article we finished up, he assigned me some story about a charity event at the Lexor hotel. A charity event! Can you believe that?! Isn’t that an article for the society columnist? I’m an investigative reporter, not some gossip columnist! It felt like an insult, coming from Perry. It was like he was afraid to push any of my buttons or something.” “Well, you did threaten to quit, Lois,” Clark pointed out rationally. “Maybe he realizes he’s been pushing you too hard and wanted to give you something easier to work on.” “Easier? If he wanted to make my job easier, he’d lighten our load, or tell me to cut out early for a change. Not assign me some puff piece that would only undermine my credibility.” Lois grabbed a soapy sponge from the sink and scrubbed at a dirty spot on the mug furiously. “And as if I didn’t have a bad enough day as it was, I tried to interview Superman after that hostage situation today, and he actually gave me the cold shoulder! Can you believe that? So much for us being friends!” No longer interested in the tea, Lois slammed the coffee mug down onto the counter with a crash. Clark cringed. The fact that Lois was angry enough to start breaking things was *not* a good sign. And it didn’t make him feel any better knowing that his actions as Superman were partly to blame for her bad day. He knew he had to smooth things over. Taking her by the shoulders, he forced her to meet his steady gaze. “Lois, I think the first thing you need to do is calm down,” he told her calmly. Then he gave her a quick smile. “Besides, you’re too dangerous when you’re angry.” She grinned a little at that, and Clark let his hands slide down her shoulders and he grasped one of her hands in his. “Come on. Let’s go sit on the couch.” Leading her into the front room, he sat down on the couch and pulled her down next to him. “Now turn and put your feet up,” he directed, sounding very much like a parent talking to a young child. When she did so reluctantly, he smiled and reached for one of the throw pillows, laying it on his lap. “Now lie back.” She did as she was told, but she rolled her eyes at him just the same. “Clark, this is stupid,” she muttered. “Just lying down on the couch isn’t going to relax me.” He grinned gently. “Just trust me on this one, Lois. Now close your eyes.” Lois let out a rebellious sigh, but closed her eyes. A few moments later, she peered up at Clark through one partially opened lid. “And now I’m supposed to feel better?” Clark laughed. “See, Lois? That’s your problem. You’ve never learned to relax! You’re always on the go, rushing around from one thing to the next. It’s going to be the death of you! So I’m going to do my good deed and teach you how to just kick back and relax, even if I have to hold you down myself.” “Mmmm, is that a promise?” Lois asked flirtatiously. Clark laughed again. “See what I mean?” he scolded through his laughter. “You can’t relax, sit still, or stop talking for even ten seconds!” “Okay, okay,” Lois grumbled good-naturedly, closing her eyes again. She lay still for a long minute, trying to relax like Clark wanted her to. But she felt funny just lying there doing nothing. She was just about to sit up and quit trying when Clark put his hand on her head, making her jump. Clark chuckled softly as he started to run his fingers through her silky hair. “Relax, Lois. You’re all wound up. Just lie back for a few minutes.” Lois sighed dreamily. “Mmmm, I love that,” she murmured as he continued to run his fingers through her hair. She could hear Clark smile as he responded. “I know.” As Clark continued to stroke her hair, Lois couldn’t help falling into a relaxed, blissful state. She was able to forget Perry, Superman’s rude behavior, even about her joke of an article. In fact, she was very nearly asleep when Clark moved his hand from her hair, and his voice drifted through her sleepy haze. “What?” she murmured sleepily. “I was just asking if you were still awake. I guess that answers my question.” Lois smiled. “You’re the one who insisted I relax. Now you’re giving me a hard time because I am?” “Not at all,” Clark told her with a smile. “I’m just glad to see that you can relax after all. How do you feel?” “Better.” She opened her eyes and looked gratefully up into Clark’s face. “You always know just what I need.” Clark lifted his hand to trace a finger across her cheek and then tuck a strand of hair tenderly behind her ear. “Not always,” he admitted. “But this time it was obvious.” They were both quiet for a minute as Clark continued to stroke her face lightly. “You know, Lois,” Clark said quietly a minute later, “times like these make me realize just how few and far between our time alone together has been.” Lois sighed deeply. “I know,” she replied, tipping her head back so she could stare back into his soulful brown eyes. Feeling closer to him than she had in days, she reached up to finger his shirt lightly. “Like I said this morning, it’s hard to start off a relationship with so little free time.” “Maybe we should just make a conscious effort to *make* time,” Clark emphasized. Lois smiled softly. “I’d love to. In fact, Perry offered to give me some time off, just like you said.” Clark clapped her gently on the shoulder. “See? I told you he would! He’d rather give you a few days off than lose you entirely. So what did he say?” “Well, he corralled me into his office this afternoon when I got back from that bank situation, and practically *demanded* that we have a little talk.” Lois looked up at Clark and grinned. “We talked about what happened this morning, and I told him I hadn’t really been serious about quitting, that I’ d just lost my temper because of all the pressure I’d been under lately. He was really great about it, and that’s when he suggested I take a few days off.” “And what did you tell him?” “I told him I was going to take him up on that, but that I’d have get back to him about when. It’s kind of hard to plan a vacation when you have no idea what you want to do or where you want to go.” “It’s not that hard, Lois,” Clark chuckled. “Just pick somewhere and go there. Even hang around here, if that’s what you want. Do anything but work.” Lois rubbed his arm lightly. “Actually, I was kind of hoping we could do something together.” “I’d love that,” Clark said sincerely. “What did you have in mind?” Lois sighed. “Honestly, I don’t have a clue. Any suggestions?” Clark thought for a minute. “You could spend Christmas in Smallville with me and my folks. I know they’d love to have you as much as I would. And we could take long walks, spend quiet evenings sipping hot apple cider and eating homemade apple pies.… It’d be great.” “That *does* sound great,” Lois said dreamily. “But you’re forgetting that my parents want to spend Christmas day with me and Lucy.” Clark’s hopeful expression fell. “Oh, that’s right. I forgot about that.” Lois sat up and leaned her head against Clark’s shoulder. Automatically, he slipped his arm around her shoulders, and she reached for his hand, entwining her fingers with his. “It’s just been so long since we’ve had time for each other,” she said wistfully. Tipping his head to rest it on Lois’, Clark brushed his cheek against her hair, enjoying its softness and sweet floral scent. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. Lois was right. It *had* been a long time since they’d had time to be alone together. “Well, Christmas is out, but how about New Year’s?” he asked suddenly. “We could spend the day together, maybe drive up to the mountains or something.” Lois smiled dreamily. “Mmmm, a whole day alone together, surrounded by nothing but trees and mountains. It sounds wonderful, actually.” “Then why don’t we do it?” he asked excitedly. “I don’t know if I can. I think it’s my turn for holiday rotation. If I’m scheduled to work and ask Perry for that day off, he might have a hard time finding somebody else to fill in since so many people have holiday plans.” Clark shook his head and chuckled softly. “Good grief, this is like negotiating a nuclear treaty.” Lois laughed, too. “Well, maybe not that bad. But you’re not far off.” They continued to rattle off suggestions for several minutes, but each of them were met with either personal or work conflicts. Finally Lois sighed in discouragement and let her head slump against Clark’s shoulder. “Clark, have you ever thought that maybe this whole thing between us just isn’t meant to be?” Clark stiffened. “Lois, you’re not serious, are you?” She sat up beside him and shrugged. “Well, think about it, Clark. How many times in the past few weeks have we had time to spend alone together? I think this is the first time this month. Maybe someone’s trying to tell us something.” Clark shook his head adamantly. “Lois, I think all we’re finding out is that the holidays are a crazy time for a relationship. Nothing more.” He reached out to tip her chin up, forcing her to look at him. When she did, his eyes searched hers intently. “Lois, I want nothing more than to have this relationship work. And if that means making some time in a hectic schedule, than that’s what we have to do. I’m not about to give up on us. It’s too important to me.” Lois felt tears spring to her eyes. “You really mean that?” Clark nodded seriously. “Yes, I do. What do I need to do to prove it to you?” Lois’ solemn expression quickly change and she smiled at him mischievously. “Well, I guess you could prove it to me with a really *great* kiss.” “I think I can handle that,” Clark replied, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. He lowered his head to hers, but paused when his lips were only a breath away from hers. “Before I do this, I want to make sure I have the rules straight. Do I only get one kiss to prove myself, or can I settle this over a series of long, drawn out kisses?” Lois giggled. “Mmmm, why don’t we see how great your first kiss is, and then go from there?” Lois suggested. Clark grinned. “Sounds good to me.” ***** Later that night after Clark had gone home, Lois slipped on her favorite silky nightgown and went through her apartment, turning off lights and making sure doors and windows were locked. As she thought about the evening, she couldn’t help but smile. When she’d gotten home from work, she’d been ready to explode. But then Clark had shown up and managed to magically soothe her frazzled nerves. There was definitely something about Clark’s manner that had a calming influence on her, and his seemingly never-ending supply of patience never ceased to amaze her. She wouldn’t have thought in a million years that, when she’d first met him that day in Perry’s office that he’d be so perfect for her, their personalities so evenly meshed. And never, ever, did she think that she’d find herself wanting to settle into a serious relationship with a man. But Clark wasn’t just any man. He was an extraordinary man. And it was still tough sometimes for her to imagine why he put up with her stubbornness, fiery temper and almost minutely mood swings. But she was glad he did. If anyone could change her mind about trusting men in a relationship, she had a feeling it was going to be Clark. Over the past couple of years as her partner, and more recently as even more than that, he kept proving to her time and time again that he was someone she could trust, someone who she could count on when she needed a friend. Except for those times when he continued to disappear out of the blue. Lois shook her head in frustration. Today had been no exception. Darting off to the café because he’d supposedly forgotten something just when something as newsworthy as a hostage situation needed their attention? Talk about strange priorities. But she knew she couldn’t hold it against him. Just like the times before when she’d been angry at him for his rushing off, he’d always apologized when he returned. She doubted she’d ever like that about him, and she always got the feeling he wasn’t being completely honest with her about his reason for leaving. But when she’d finally confronted him about it in his apartment that night after the lawsuit, he told her he wasn’t hiding, that he was ready to take the next step, if she was. The kiss that had followed had told her more than words could how much he cared about her, even loved her. Loved her? The very thought made her stop and think. Yes, she was sure he loved her. Just as she loved him. In the short time they’d been officially dating, she’d never actually gotten up the nerve to voice her feelings, but she knew with a certainty that that was how she felt. Even so, it was a scary thing to say out loud. What if she did, and then found out he didn’t feel the same way about her? No, she decided. That wouldn’t be the case. The fact that he loved her was evident in his every action, softly spoken word and tender touch. She suspected he’d wanted to tell her for quite some time, but maybe it was because he knew that her fear of relationships made her a little skittish. She was sure it was just a matter of time before they felt comfortable enough to verbalize how they felt about each other. But in the meantime, she was content in knowing she loved this gentle man, and that he loved her. Verbalizing or not. Lois flipped off the front room light and walked back into her bedroom, where she climbed under her covers and turned off the bedside lamp. Snuggling into her pillow, her thoughts once again drifted to Clark’s strange disappearance that day. Clearly she still had a lot to learn about Clark. It seemed like every day she was learning something new about him, or the way he acted in certain situations. *But what’s strange about that?* Lois asked herself. *Isn’t that what being in a new relationship is all about? Learning new things about each other? As well as I think I know him, the fact remains that we’ve only been dating for a short time. Surely there will be things I’ll continue to learn about him as we go.* Lois rolled over and pulled the blankets more snugly around her. Well, whatever she still had to learn about Clark she knew she would learn in time. For now, she was tired of thinking. It had been a long day, and this was something she could think about later. So with one last sigh, she closed her eyes and fell asleep. ************************** part 4 tomorrow..... ;) Erin __________________ erink@ida.net Visit my LNC/Kerth Website: www.ida.net/users/davek ***** "It's not the years that count, it's the moments...right now, as they happen." __________________ ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 13:56:40 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Carolyn Schnall Subject: Re: Review of S5/7 In-Reply-To: <0.d74230bd.25a3dbb9@aol.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" >Carolyn, I've really enjoyed reading your reviews of S5 --I hope you keep >them coming. > >Carol Why, thank you!!!!! I will try to and I am reading S5/8 now, so perhaps in a few days... I really appreciate the feed back, Carol:) Thanks, Carolyn cschnall@.med.cornell.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 20:30:21 -0000 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: LabRat Subject: Re: Helicopters and Japanese Pleasure Domes MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Joy wrote: > Geez, Labby. You can't tease us like that. > Sez who? LabRat :) ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 16:05:12 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Marnie Rowe Subject: Erin and the Darkest hour... MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit While I was reading this I had this niggle that kept getting stronger that it was very like something that I had read before, and so I went and did a search on Zoom's Mb and guess what there it was part one to three and she had left us hanging at the three and did not post anything again... that was sheer torture and I want a petion gone round to protest such high handed treatment of my fellow addicts as well as myself.. you start something you finish it! Okay now that I have blathered quite enough, have a good day? Marnie ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 16:50:35 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Alicia Utowski Subject: Re: New: Better Family Hour (10/10) final MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi everyone :) I just misnumbered the posts... part 8 continues from part 6... sorry for the confusion... Alicia :) ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 15:13:55 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: Re: Erin and the Darkest hour... In-Reply-To: <200001052105.e05L5qT21866@admin.cgocable.net> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Marnie wrote: > While I was reading this I had this niggle that kept getting stronger that > it was very like something that I had read before, and so I went and did a > search on Zoom's Mb and guess what there it was part one to three and she > had left us hanging at the three and did not post anything again... that > was sheer torture and I want a petion gone round to protest such high > handed treatment of my fellow addicts as well as myself.. you start > something you finish it! Okay now that I have blathered quite enough, > have a good day? LOL!!! I'm thrilled that you're enjoying it this much! I know, I left you message board faithfuls hanging after part three, but RL kind of intervened and I didn't get around to posting the other parts there. But rest assured, I'm only a breath away from finishing this monstrosity, and I have parts 1-17 ready to go (except for some final editing notes on those sections that I wanted to fix before posting). I just thought I'd see if there was enough interest in the story before boring you all with so many parts. So I promise...I'll keep posting it! ;) This story is all but finished...the fat lady is finally singing after *several* long months of working on this. Part 4...and the villains' dastardly deeds are up tomorrow! ;) Erin :) __________________ erink@ida.net Visit my LNC/Kerth Website: www.ida.net/users/davek ***** "It's not the years that count, it's the moments...right now, as they happen." __________________ ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 16:51:13 -0600 Reply-To: truitt22@flash.net Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: timothy truitt Organization: tnt technical services Subject: Re: Erin and the Darkest hour... MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Erin - you can post it all at once - no one would mind - also are you going to post it here and finish it on the boards? merry Erin Klingler wrote: > Marnie wrote: > > > While I was reading this I had this niggle that kept getting stronger that > > it was very like something that I had read before, and so I went and did a > > search on Zoom's Mb and guess what there it was part one to three and she > > had left us hanging at the three and did not post anything again... that > > was sheer torture and I want a petion gone round to protest such high > > handed treatment of my fellow addicts as well as myself.. you start > > something you finish it! Okay now that I have blathered quite enough, > > have a good day? > > LOL!!! I'm thrilled that you're enjoying it this much! I know, I left you > message board faithfuls hanging after part three, but RL kind of intervened > and I didn't get around to posting the other parts there. But rest > assured, I'm only a breath away from finishing this monstrosity, and I have > parts 1-17 ready to go (except for some final editing notes on those > sections that I wanted to fix before posting). I just thought I'd see if > there was enough interest in the story before boring you all with so many > parts. > > So I promise...I'll keep posting it! ;) This story is all but > finished...the fat lady is finally singing after *several* long months of > working on this. > > Part 4...and the villains' dastardly deeds are up tomorrow! ;) > > Erin :) > __________________ > erink@ida.net > Visit my LNC/Kerth Website: www.ida.net/users/davek > ***** > "It's not the years that count, it's the moments...right now, as they > happen." > __________________ ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 18:44:37 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Ann E. McBride" Subject: Re: Fanfic Teaser: When the Night Falls MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 1/5/2000 9:28:55 AM Eastern Standard Time, ward8120@MACH1.WLU.CA writes: << Yes, FoLCs, she did! And here all this time I've been fooled by Wendy's outward friendliness, but she threatened me with fanfic deprivation -- I was helpless to resist! >> And Karen, what exactly is the problem here? I fail to see a lack of friendliness on Wendy's part. Sounds perfectly friendly to me. You, know, there are a *lot* of people for Wendy to be friendly to. And it is definitely friendly of her toward the rest of us to get you to post and then finish this story. Ann ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 19:19:06 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Karen Ward Subject: Re: Fanfic Teaser: When the Night Falls In-Reply-To: <87.87861a6d.25a53165@aol.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Ann wrote: >And Karen, what exactly is the problem here? I fail to see a lack of >friendliness on Wendy's part. Sounds perfectly friendly to me. You, >know, there are a *lot* of people for Wendy to be friendly to. And it is >definitely friendly of her toward the rest of us to get you to post and then >finish this story. Er . . . uh . . . oh. ;) Karen :) ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 01:49:40 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "=?iso-8859-1?q?R.=20Ziegler?=" Subject: Re: New: Better Family Hour MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit --- Rhonda Robinson wrote: > I'm not sure the list as a whole got Part 7. > Alicia, could you double-check > and send it again? Yes, please send part 7 again, Alicia. I didn't get it either. Ren __________________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Gesendet von Yahoo! Mail - http://mail.yahoo.de Yahoo! Auktionen - gleich ausprobieren - http://auktionen.yahoo.de ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 19:55:59 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Alicia Utowski Subject: Re: Better Family Hour Part 7 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 01/05/2000 7:49:59 PM US Eastern Standard Time, r_ziegler_3@YAHOO.DE writes: << > I'm not sure the list as a whole got Part 7. > Alicia, could you double-check > and send it again? Yes, please send part 7 again, Alicia. I didn't get it either. >> I misnumbered the parts... there are actually only nine parts... there is no part 7 at all... part 8 continues from where part 6 leaves off (that's what i get for sending this when i should have been sleeping) Alicia :) ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 22:14:36 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Tara Smith Subject: Re: Helicopters and Japanese Pleasure Domes Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit You're mean, LabRat! Dropping these tantalizing little hints and suggestions like this! When do we get to see the story? Tara ------Original Message------ From: LabRat To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU Sent: January 5, 2000 3:36:12 PM GMT Subject: Helicopters and Japanese Pleasure Domes Thanks to everyone who answered my questions on these subjects, both here and by email. Knew I could count on you guys. I think I have enough now for Lois to make her daring attempt at escape from Lex's windowless fortress. Pity she's about to fail miserably - but it sure won't be because she knows nothing about helicopters. ;) LabRat :) Doc. Klein's LabRat labrat@starlabs.fsnet.co.uk "A celebrity is a person who works hard all his life to become well known, then wears dark glasses to avoid being recognised." -- Fred Allen "Fame is being asked to sign your autograph on the back of a cigarette packet." -- Billy Connolly. ----------------------------------------------- FREE! The World's Best Email Address @email.com Reserve your name now at http://www.email.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 00:38:37 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Genine Murray Subject: Re: Better Family Hour Part 7 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit No problem Alicia, I'm just glad we didn't miss anything! Great story, very well written. :) I for one definitely would've rather seen this than the *real* "Family Hour." But I must say that the cliffhanger is pure torture! ;) Please don't keep us waiting too long for the sequel!! Genine SuperGem4@aol.com In a message dated 1/5/00 7:56:14 PM Eastern Standard Time, Alicia3456@AOL.COM writes: > > I misnumbered the parts... there are actually only nine parts... there is no > part 7 at all... part 8 continues from where part 6 leaves off (that's what > i get for sending this when i should have been sleeping) > > Alicia :) ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 03:25:45 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Alexis W." Subject: i need help... MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I haven't gotten an answer to my previous question. Does anybody know the location of the Centenial Park fountain from Mazik's Jewelers? If someone knows, please let me know! It will really help me out. Thanks, Alexis ;-.) ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 10:10:46 +0000 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Wendy Richards Subject: Re: Fanfic Teaser: When the Night Falls In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII > Ann wrote: > > >And Karen, what exactly is the problem here? I fail to > see a lack of >friendliness on Wendy's part. Sounds > perfectly friendly to me. You, >know, there are a *lot* of > people for Wendy to be friendly to. And it is >definitely > friendly of her toward the rest of us to get you to post > and then >finish this story. > > Er . . . uh . . . oh. ;) > > Karen :) Yeah, and remember, Karen, I fulfilled my side of the bargain too (/me remembers a certain rather large file which got transferred from Crewe to Canada ). Now, as your *friend,* I am going to promise to nag you incessantly until you *finish* 'When the Night Falls'! Wendy ---------------------- Wendy Richards w.m.richards@hrm.keele.ac.uk ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 10:14:21 +0000 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Wendy Richards Subject: Re: Helicopters and Japanese Pleasure Domes In-Reply-To: <005001bf5793$610834c0$431b883e@d9t5t7> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII On Wed, 5 Jan 2000 15:36:12 -0000 LabRat wrote: > I think I have enough now for Lois to make her daring > attempt at escape from Lex's windowless fortress. Pity > she's about to fail miserably - but it sure won't be > because she knows nothing about helicopters. ;) Oooohhh!! This is Masques, isn't it? Yaaayyy!! Get on and write it, Rat!! Wendy ---------------------- Wendy Richards w.m.richards@hrm.keele.ac.uk ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 07:09:58 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Ann E. McBride" Subject: Re: Helicopters and Japanese Pleasure Domes MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 1/5/2000 10:14:53 PM Eastern Standard Time, jilectan@EMAIL.COM writes: << You're mean, LabRat! Dropping these tantalizing little hints and suggestions like this! When do we get to see the story? >> If it's anything like the last couple, not for a good six months. It will, however, be worth the wait. Ann ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 05:14:12 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Debby Subject: Re: i need help... In-Reply-To: <44.44aefcc5.25a5ab89@aol.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 03:25 AM 01/06/2000 -0500, you wrote: >I haven't gotten an answer to my previous question. Does anybody know the >location of the Centenial Park fountain from Mazik's Jewelers? If someone >knows, please let me know! It will really help me out. > >Thanks, >Alexis ;-.) Physically, in the real world, the shop was probably in a studio. "Centenial Park" was... west? of the building part of which played "The Daily Planet". In other words, feel free to make up what you need. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 07:13:07 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "C.C. Malo" Subject: Re: i need help... MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit <> Alexis, I don't think the episode gave us any indication of where the fountain is with respect to Mazik's. I always figured the park was close to the Planet (walking distance.) But Mazik's must be farther because, when Lois trails Clark there, she is driving a car. Carol ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 14:10:08 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Nicole Wolke Subject: Re: The Darkest Hour MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Oh, oh, a new story from Erin! That's wonderful! I love everything you've written so far and I besides that I happen to just *love* these stories that are posted in little segments every day. It's almost as good as waiting for a new episode of L&C used to be! Great story so far, Erin. Lois and Clark in its best! take care Nicole -- AKA CKgroupie on IRC NKWolke@eifel-net.net Are you always searching for news about Dean Cain? And don't you have enough time to find them? Go to: "The Dean Cain News Page" http://members.tripod.de/CKgroupie/ ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 14:13:39 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Nicole Wolke Subject: Re: home MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Nan, I liked you vignette "home" very much. For me it was a placable thought to know that Clark, although aging so much more slowly than his beloved wife, won't be alone for the rest of his life and that Lois will still be with him through time! Very nice and waffy story! Nicole -- AKA CKgroupie on IRC NKWolke@eifel-net.net Are you always searching for news about Dean Cain? And don't you have enough time to find them? Go to: "The Dean Cain News Page" http://members.tripod.de/CKgroupie/ ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 06:02:24 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Nancy Smith Subject: Re: home MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Thank you, Nicole. I'm very pleased that you liked the story. That was exactly what I was trying to say with it. Nan Nicole Wolke wrote: > Nan, > I liked you vignette "home" very much. For me it was a placable thought > to know that Clark, although aging so much more slowly than his beloved > wife, won't be alone for the rest of his life and that Lois will still > be with him through time! > > Very nice and waffy story! > > Nicole > -- > AKA CKgroupie on IRC > NKWolke@eifel-net.net > > Are you always searching for news about Dean Cain? > And don't you have enough time to find them? > Go to: "The Dean Cain News Page" http://members.tripod.de/CKgroupie/ ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 08:44:27 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: Re: The Darkest Hour In-Reply-To: <38749430.B978D22F@eifel-net.net> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Nicole wrote: > Oh, oh, a new story from Erin! That's wonderful! I love everything > you've written so far and I besides that I happen to just *love* these > stories that are posted in little segments every day. It's almost as > good as waiting for a new episode of L&C used to be! It makes my day to hear you're enjoying it, Nicole! Thanks for the kind and very flattering comments. ;) For those of you following along, here's part 4 in my next email. Hope you like it! Erin :) __________________ erink@ida.net Visit my LNC/Kerth Website: www.ida.net/users/davek ***** "It's not the years that count, it's the moments...right now, as they happen." __________________ ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 08:47:28 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: NEW: The Darkest Hour part 4 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit The Darkest Hour (Before the Dawn) by Erin Klingler erink@ida.net part 4 ************************************************ When Lois stepped off the elevator at the Planet the next morning, she noticed that Clark was already at his desk. He seemed to sense her eyes on him, because almost immediately he looked up and saw her. Instantly, a warm smile crossed his face. When she reached her desk, he was waiting for her. "Feeling better this morning?" he asked, reaching out to rub her arms lightly. She smiled as she set her attaché on her desk. "Much. Thanks to the time we were able to spend together last night." Clark chuckled as he took her into his arms. "I have to admit, I didn't think we could cram that much kissing into such a short amount of time." Lois laughed, too, and replied with a mischievous grin, "Well, when all you have is a short amount of time, you do what you've gotta do." Clark leaned in to give her a sweet, tender kiss, drawing the attention from nearby colleagues. Noticing they were causing quite a scene, Lois giggled as Clark pulled away, his face reddening slightly. But he smiled sheepishly and whispered, "Hopefully we can continue this later when there are no prying eyes." Lois grinned back. "That's a nice theory. I'd like to see how we're going to manage to get some more free time later." Just then, Lois heard her name called and she smiled into Clark's laughing eyes. "See what I mean?" Turning to see who was calling her, Lois spotted the newest Planet researcher approaching. "Hey, Manny," she replied. "What's up?" The athletic-looking young man in his mid-twenties stopped beside them. "Didn't mean to interrupt anything important," he began with a wry grin, "but here's the research you wanted on last week's jewel robbery, Lois, as well as a disk that contains some background information on the thief." She took the handful of stuff from him and gave them a cursory glance. "Thanks, Manny." Manny started to leave, but suddenly stopped and turned back to Clark. "Oh, hey, Clark. Are we still on for our game of basketball at lunch today?" Clark grinned. "You bet. But be prepared for a sound whipping." Manny laughed and pointed his pencil challengingly at Clark as he turned to leave. "We'll just see about that." After Manny disappeared into the crowded newsroom, Lois turned to Clark. "Lunchtime basketball? I didn't know you guys were so chummy." Clark nodded. "I helped show him around a little when he first started here a couple of months ago, and when we found out that we both liked to play basketball, we kind of set up a weekly lunchtime game at the park. It's a great way to blow off some steam after a busy morning." "But it's December!" Lois reminded him. "How are you supposed to play basketball?" Clark laughed. "The snow's pretty much subsided for now, and the courts will be clear. Why is that so crazy?" "I didn't say you were crazy, but now that you mention it..." Her voice trailed off and she smiled a little. Clark grinned. "You should try it sometime, Lois. A little mid-day exercise might do you some good. It all comes down to that relaxing thing we talked about last night." "Forget it," she said stubbornly. "Sweating in the middle of the day out on some basketball court isn't my idea of a good time." "Okay, okay," Clark conceded. When Lois started to take off her coat, he quickly stopped her. "You might as well leave your coat on, Lois. Perry wants us to go down to the courthouse this morning to cover the hearing of that bank robber from yesterday." "Oh yeah, the hostage situation where Superman gave me the brush off," Lois said, her face clouding over a bit as she rebuttoned her coat and reached for her attache. Clark sighed. "Lois, I'm sure he didn't mean to give you the brush off. Maybe he really did have something on his mind, like he said." "What are you, a Superman expert all of a sudden?" Lois shot back, her anger once again resurfacing. "I know what I saw, and I know how he treated me. It really hurt, Clark, and to be honest, I'm still angry about it. Something's going on with him, Clark, and I, for one, would like to know what it is." She hastily slung her attaché over her shoulder and headed for the elevator. Clark sighed. "Well, it may not be long before you know, Lois," he said quietly to himself. "And if you're angry now, I can't wait to see you then." Shaking his head, he hurried to catch up with her. ***** The exercise and cool, brisk winter air was a refreshing change for Clark a few hours later as he and Manny met in the park for their game of one on one. Not only was he frustrated that had and Lois was having a tough time with work, but he couldn't help feeling horrible at the fact that Lois was angry at how he'd acted as Superman during their recent encounter. So Clark took out all his pent-up frustrations on Manny as he dribbled down the half-court length toward the basket, giving Manny a quick fake, then rolling to his left and rushing to the basket to execute a perfect lay-up. "Yes!" Clark exclaimed, raising his hands high above his head victoriously. "That's game!" Manny laughed and shook his head. "Okay, I give. I know when I'm beat. But what's gotten into you today? You haven't played this possessed since we started playing." Clark spun the ball on his finger and grinned cockily. "Maybe I was just tired of letting you win," he quipped. "Yeah, sure," Manny laughed again as he went over to the bench next to the court, picked up the sweatshirt he'd draped over the back of it and pulled it over his head. "I think it's more like you were sick of being creamed." Clark smiled as he walked over to Manny and started to put his own sweatshirt on. "Either way, this has been fun. It's a great way to work off some job stress, especially with as busy as it has been around the Planet lately." Manny bent over to tie a shoe. "Yeah, I noticed Perry has been working you and Lois pretty hard lately. How's she holding up?" Clark's smile faded and he turned to sit down on the bench. "Not very well, I'm afraid," Clark admitted. "She's pretty stressed out, and I can't say that I blame her. And yesterday's dramatic exit from the newsroom certainly announced it to everyone." Manny grimaced. "Yeah, I saw that. Lois can do dramatic better than anyone I know." Clark laughed. "Don't I know it." "So what's the story with you guys?" Manny asked as he finished tying his shoe and then turned to sit down beside Clark. "I take it from that kiss I saw in the newsroom this morning that you two are still happy together." "Definitely," Clark smiled happily. "Things are going really great for us. But to be honest, we're both pretty frustrated at how little time we've been able to spend together lately. With the holidays and all the work Perry's been loading on us, it's been nearly impossible to do anything together. But after Lois threatened to quit yesterday, Perry offered to give her some time off, and I'd like to take some vacation time of my own so we can do something together. We've even talked about it, but we have no idea what we want to do." "Hey, I have the perfect thing!" Manny exclaimed immediately. He turned and reached into his duffle bag, fished around for a second, then pulled his keys out. When he'd located one key in particular, he worked it off his key chain and handed it to Clark with a flourish. "Here you go. The perfect solution." Clark's brow furrowed in confusion. "What is it?" "It's the key to my cabin," Manny announced. "It's this great little place in the mountains just north of Metropolis. It's part of a little mountain resort that has some surprisingly good restaurants, and even a decent theater group that performs a couple of times a week. The cabin's pretty secluded, but not far enough out of town to make it inconvenient. It'd be the perfect getaway for you and Lois! Trust me, she'd love it." Clark stared at his friend in surprise. "Really? You wouldn't mind if we used it?" "Not a bit," Manny assured him. "As a matter of fact, you'd be doing me a favor. I haven't used it for months, so the place could use a good airing out." "Great!" Clark exclaimed happily as he took the key. "I'm sure Lois will love it. But I'll definitely owe you one." Manny smiled and shook his head. "Just go a little easier on me next time we play some one on one, will ya? I'm going to be sore tomorrow, thanks to you." Clark laughed. "It's a deal." He stood up and threw on his sweatshirt and grabbed his duffle bag containing his change of clothes. "I'm going to head back to the Planet locker room and shower up. You coming?" "Nah, go on ahead," Manny said, waving him on. "I've got a couple of quick errands to run before I get back to the grind." "Okay, then I'll see you later. And thanks again for this!" Clark held up the key and smiled gratefully. "Anytime." With one last wave, Clark jogged across the park lawn to the street, where Manny watched him carefully look both ways before running across. When Manny was certain Clark was out of earshot, he looked around to make sure he was alone, then reached into his bag, pulled out his cell phone and quickly punched in a number. A few moments later, he spoke quietly into the phone. "Yeah, it's me. The cabin's a go. He doesn't suspect a thing." When he hung up the phone and slipped it back into his bag, he turned once again to watch as Clark's still-jogging figure continued to disappear down the street. Manny's face creased into a satisfied smirk. "Some things are just too easy." ***** "Yes!" Trask exclaimed as he slapped the mouthpiece of his cell phone shut and spun around to face his colleague. "Manny did it! Kent fell for it hook, line and sinker. Before you know it, we'll have Lane and Kent walking right into our clutches." Garrison looked up skeptically from where he sat in the recliner in the corner of the sparsely decorated log-cabin room, thumbing through a computer technology magazine. "Don't get so optimistic, Trask. There are still a hundred things that could go wrong with this plan. Like your little unexpected snitch, for example." Trask dismissed Garrison's pessimism with a wave of his hand. "An unforeseen complication, but I took care of it," he assured him airily. "How could we have known that Les would suddenly develop a conscience about being involved in a plot to eliminate Superman, and rush to the Daily Planet to tell Lois Lane about it?" "Well, it was lucky for us that we were able to have him killed before he leaked too much information to her," Garrison muttered. "Otherwise, your little snitch could've ruined everything." "But he didn't," Trask replied. "According to Manny, Lois labored away at her so-called "vigilante groups" story for weeks before the well finally ran dry, and that joke of an editor, Perry White, had no choice but to pull her off the story. And it just happened to work to our advantage that dear, over-worked Lois recently started to suffer an emotional breakdown, leaving us with the perfect opportunity to have Manny convince Clark to take her to the cabin for their little romantic getaway." He chortled. "Little do they know that when they arrive, we'll be waiting for them." Garrison shook his head negatively. "Unless something else goes wrong." Trask's expression darkened. "Why so pessimistic, Garrison? We're finally about to trap Superman and make him tell us about his friends coming to take over the planet." Garrison snorted sarcastically. "I can't believe that you're still holding firm to this insane 'alien invasion' theory! Come on, Trask! Stop being such a paranoid delusional... " "Paranoid? Is that what you think I am?" Trask asked coldly. "You're just like everyone else in this country: too blind to see what's right in front of your face! What else would a super being like Superman be doing here? An accidental arrival who suddenly decides to fight for "truth, justice and the American way"? Come on! If you believe that, you're as brainwashed as the rest of them! A year ago I followed Superman's trail to Smallville, put my job on the line--not to mention my noble intention of saving the American way of life!-and found out about Kryptonite, the one thing that'll kill Superman. And how am I repaid? The American people turn on me, leave me in a swamp to die! And for what? Because I'm trying to stop an alien invasion >from swarming to Earth? From taking over the world and changing all those people's ways of life? I'm punished, practically banished from the government community!" "Not bitter or anything, are you?" Garrison chuckled. "You bet I'm bitter!" Trask growled. "Superman almost killed me back in the swamp in Smallville. Who knows what his people would do if they come in force?" "Superman wasn't even *in* Smallville, Trask!" Garrison shouted, finally tired of hearing Trask's rantings. Trask smirked. "Oh, really? Is that what you think?" "What I think?! It's what I know!" Garrison shot back, not the least bit worried about being overhead by Trask's thugs standing outside the room. "The details were all in the files! Your men never once caught sight of the red cape or blue suit. He didn't almost kill you, Trask! It was *you* who almost got yourself killed! Did you think that pulling a gun on that reporter, Clark Kent, in a small swamp in Smallville was going to lure Superman?" Garrison turned and stalked to the window looking out onto the forest, then turned back and continued angrily. "You were shot because you almost killed some innocent reporter! If it weren't for some psychotic person with undoubtedly too much time and money on their hands to arrange to have your body stolen from the morgue and then have you brought back to life, you'd be six feet under right now! Consider yourself lucky, Trask. Whether or not this person believes in your 'alien invasion' theory, they agree with you on one thing, as I do. Superman needs to be eliminated. So let's just focus on that and be done with it. Then you can go your way, and I can go mine." "Oh, that's right. You want to go back to your cozy little cubicle at FBI headquarters where you can spend your days hacking into whatever computer systems the government tells you to," Trask said irritatingly. "If you're such a disbeliever in the mission of Bureau 39, why did you get assigned to this position? I certainly didn't ask for you." Garrison's lips curled into a disdainful frown. "Just lucky, I guess." Trask simply shrugged. "Well, all that really matters is, your job is to help me kill Superman. Whether or not you agree with me on *why* we need to do that, it doesn't matter. All that matters is, I'm back, and I'm going to lure him here and find out by any means necessary when this invasion is going to take place. And then everyone who doubted me before will finally know that I was right. Then I'm going to dispose of him the way I should've done when I had a chance. He won't get away from me again." Deciding it wasn't worth arguing about, Garrison shook his head and crossed the room toward the door. "Whatever you say, Trask. Now if you don't mind, I have some people to contact." "Oh yeah?" Trask asked offhandedly. "The 'secret boss' you have?" "Yes. Unlike you, I have sane people to answer to." Trask let the insult roll off his back. "Answer to for what, exactly?" Garrison paused with his hand on the doorknob. He turned back to Trask, his face steely and expression masked. "As you like to say, 'That's on a need to know basis, and...you don't.'" He smirked. "The reasons for why I'm here are none of your business. But like you said, in the long run, we're both after the same thing: to see that Superman is eliminated. That's all that matters." And with that, Garrison opened the door and left the room. Trask's eyes flashed as he watched Garrison disappear into the hall. As soon as he was out of sight, he grumbled, "If he hadn't been directly assigned to this project and wasn't so highly connected, I'd get rid of him in a second." Ever since that fateful day in Smallville when he'd been shot by that deputy, everything had changed. Politics had changed. The administration of Bureau 39 had changed. But one thing hadn't changed. Superman, and the threat of alien invasion along with him, needed to be taken care of. Whoever anonymous benefactor had decided to pay to use some mysterious, life-saving regeneration method to bring him back to life, he was grateful. Since the person didn't want their identity known, Trask had long since given up trying to find out the source. He was just glad he was alive, to have another chance to validate himself as a man who could save the world from an oncoming force of destruction. A race of super beings sure to invade and rule the world. It was too bad Garrison didn't see the threat. Trask shook his head as he walked over to the cabin window looking out on the darkening forest. In the past year or so that he'd been nursed back to health and had had Garrison assigned to be his second in command by somebody higher up (even *he* had never known everybody up the political Bureau 39 chain), Garrison had been something of an enigma to him. He'd never been able to find out who'd assigned him, and hadn't been able to track down much of Garrison's past to give him a clue as to why he was being assigned to the project. It definitely wasn't because Garrison shared his views on Superman being the front man of an alien invasion, that was for sure. He'd made it clear how he felt about that theory. But he did indeed seem to want, as badly as *he* did, to eliminate Superman, and that was at least something. But it didn't quell his suspicions about Garrison, and the agenda he was sure the man secretly held. Had he been sent to spy on him and his men as they worked toward disposing of the Superhero? If so, who was suspicious enough-or not confident enough in his abilities to follow through with the task-to plant Garrison in the mix? Who was it he mysteriously reported to? Was that person the one who'd brought Trask back to life, therefore staking his claim in the project? But whatever answers there were, Trask had been unable to find them. So he'd continued to go about his business, putting up with Garrison's flippant remarks and rebellious ways. He was insubordinate, did things on his own schedule, often disappeared into that hole of a back room where he used his extensive set-up of computer equipment for hours a day, and mouthed off to him in front of his men. But as much as he'd like to be the one to do away with Garrison, he didn't dare. Obviously Garrison reported to someone of importance, and the connections he brought to the project were invaluable, even if he was kept in the dark about how he came up with most of the information he acquired. The bottom line was, though, that it didn't matter. As long as he got what he wanted-Superman-Garrison could follow his own agenda, whatever it may be. It was enough that Garrison was as eager to dispose of Superman as he was. Turning away from the window, Trask decided to temporarily put his colleague's suspicious actions aside. Right now, he had other, more important things to worry about. Taking a couple of steps toward the door, Trask called out for his men in the hall. "Guys, get in here! We've got a kidnapping to plan." *************************** part 5 tomorrow... ;) Erin __________________ erink@ida.net Visit my LNC/Kerth Website: www.ida.net/users/davek ***** "It's not the years that count, it's the moments...right now, as they happen." __________________ ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 11:16:49 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Marnie Rowe Subject: Re: The Darkest Hour part 4 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit this was were we were left hanging before... I have only one thing to say.... don't do it to us again..plllleeasse! Marnie ---------- > From: Erin Klingler > To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU > Subject: NEW: The Darkest Hour part 4 > Date: Thursday, January 06, 2000 10:47 AM > > The Darkest Hour (Before the Dawn) > by Erin Klingler > erink@ida.net > part 4 > > ************************************************ > > When Lois stepped off the elevator at the Planet the next morning, she > noticed that Clark was already at his desk. He seemed to sense her eyes on > him, because almost immediately he looked up and saw her. Instantly, a warm > smile crossed his face. > > When she reached her desk, he was waiting for her. "Feeling better this > morning?" he asked, reaching out to rub her arms lightly. > > She smiled as she set her attaché on her desk. "Much. Thanks to the time > we were able to spend together last night." > > Clark chuckled as he took her into his arms. "I have to admit, I didn't > think we could cram that much kissing into such a short amount of time." > > Lois laughed, too, and replied with a mischievous grin, "Well, when all you > have is a short amount of time, you do what you've gotta do." > > Clark leaned in to give her a sweet, tender kiss, drawing the attention from > nearby colleagues. Noticing they were causing quite a scene, Lois giggled > as Clark pulled away, his face reddening slightly. But he smiled sheepishly > and whispered, "Hopefully we can continue this later when there are no > prying eyes." > > Lois grinned back. "That's a nice theory. I'd like to see how we're going > to manage to get some more free time later." > > Just then, Lois heard her name called and she smiled into Clark's laughing > eyes. "See what I mean?" > > Turning to see who was calling her, Lois spotted the newest Planet > researcher approaching. "Hey, Manny," she replied. "What's up?" > > The athletic-looking young man in his mid-twenties stopped beside them. > "Didn't mean to interrupt anything important," he began with a wry grin, > "but here's the research you wanted on last week's jewel robbery, Lois, as > well as a disk that contains some background information on the thief." > > She took the handful of stuff from him and gave them a cursory glance. > "Thanks, Manny." > > Manny started to leave, but suddenly stopped and turned back to Clark. "Oh, > hey, Clark. Are we still on for our game of basketball at lunch today?" > > Clark grinned. "You bet. But be prepared for a sound whipping." > > Manny laughed and pointed his pencil challengingly at Clark as he turned to > leave. "We'll just see about that." > > After Manny disappeared into the crowded newsroom, Lois turned to Clark. > "Lunchtime basketball? I didn't know you guys were so chummy." > > Clark nodded. "I helped show him around a little when he first started here > a couple of months ago, and when we found out that we both liked to play > basketball, we kind of set up a weekly lunchtime game at the park. It's a > great way to blow off some steam after a busy morning." > > "But it's December!" Lois reminded him. "How are you supposed to play > basketball?" > > Clark laughed. "The snow's pretty much subsided for now, and the courts > will be clear. Why is that so crazy?" > > "I didn't say you were crazy, but now that you mention it..." Her voice > trailed off and she smiled a little. > > Clark grinned. "You should try it sometime, Lois. A little mid-day > exercise might do you some good. It all comes down to that relaxing thing > we talked about last night." > > "Forget it," she said stubbornly. "Sweating in the middle of the day out on > some basketball court isn't my idea of a good time." > > "Okay, okay," Clark conceded. When Lois started to take off her coat, he > quickly stopped her. "You might as well leave your coat on, Lois. Perry > wants us to go down to the courthouse this morning to cover the hearing of > that bank robber from yesterday." > > "Oh yeah, the hostage situation where Superman gave me the brush off," Lois > said, her face clouding over a bit as she rebuttoned her coat and reached > for her attache. > > Clark sighed. "Lois, I'm sure he didn't mean to give you the brush off. > Maybe he really did have something on his mind, like he said." > > "What are you, a Superman expert all of a sudden?" Lois shot back, her anger > once again resurfacing. "I know what I saw, and I know how he treated me. > It really hurt, Clark, and to be honest, I'm still angry about it. > Something's going on with him, Clark, and I, for one, would like to know > what it is." She hastily slung her attaché over her shoulder and headed for > the elevator. > > Clark sighed. "Well, it may not be long before you know, Lois," he said > quietly to himself. "And if you're angry now, I can't wait to see you > then." Shaking his head, he hurried to catch up with her. > > ***** > > The exercise and cool, brisk winter air was a refreshing change for Clark a > few hours later as he and Manny met in the park for their game of one on > one. Not only was he frustrated that had and Lois was having a tough time > with work, but he couldn't help feeling horrible at the fact that Lois was > angry at how he'd acted as Superman during their recent encounter. > > So Clark took out all his pent-up frustrations on Manny as he dribbled down > the half-court length toward the basket, giving Manny a quick fake, then > rolling to his left and rushing to the basket to execute a perfect lay-up. > > "Yes!" Clark exclaimed, raising his hands high above his head victoriously. > "That's game!" > > Manny laughed and shook his head. "Okay, I give. I know when I'm beat. > But what's gotten into you today? You haven't played this possessed since > we started playing." > > Clark spun the ball on his finger and grinned cockily. "Maybe I was just > tired of letting you win," he quipped. > > "Yeah, sure," Manny laughed again as he went over to the bench next to the > court, picked up the sweatshirt he'd draped over the back of it and pulled > it over his head. "I think it's more like you were sick of being creamed." > > Clark smiled as he walked over to Manny and started to put his own > sweatshirt on. "Either way, this has been fun. It's a great way to work > off some job stress, especially with as busy as it has been around the > Planet lately." > > Manny bent over to tie a shoe. "Yeah, I noticed Perry has been working you > and Lois pretty hard lately. How's she holding up?" > > Clark's smile faded and he turned to sit down on the bench. "Not very well, > I'm afraid," Clark admitted. "She's pretty stressed out, and I can't say > that I blame her. And yesterday's dramatic exit from the newsroom certainly > announced it to everyone." > > Manny grimaced. "Yeah, I saw that. Lois can do dramatic better than anyone > I know." > > Clark laughed. "Don't I know it." > > "So what's the story with you guys?" Manny asked as he finished tying his > shoe and then turned to sit down beside Clark. "I take it from that kiss I > saw in the newsroom this morning that you two are still happy together." > > "Definitely," Clark smiled happily. "Things are going really great for us. > But to be honest, we're both pretty frustrated at how little time we've been > able to spend together lately. With the holidays and all the work Perry's > been loading on us, it's been nearly impossible to do anything together. > But after Lois threatened to quit yesterday, Perry offered to give her some > time off, and I'd like to take some vacation time of my own so we can do > something together. We've even talked about it, but we have no idea what we > want to do." > > "Hey, I have the perfect thing!" Manny exclaimed immediately. He turned and > reached into his duffle bag, fished around for a second, then pulled his > keys out. When he'd located one key in particular, he worked it off his key > chain and handed it to Clark with a flourish. "Here you go. The perfect > solution." > > Clark's brow furrowed in confusion. "What is it?" > > "It's the key to my cabin," Manny announced. "It's this great little place > in the mountains just north of Metropolis. It's part of a little mountain > resort that has some surprisingly good restaurants, and even a decent > theater group that performs a couple of times a week. The cabin's pretty > secluded, but not far enough out of town to make it inconvenient. It'd be > the perfect getaway for you and Lois! Trust me, she'd love it." > > Clark stared at his friend in surprise. "Really? You wouldn't mind if we > used it?" > > "Not a bit," Manny assured him. "As a matter of fact, you'd be doing me a > favor. I haven't used it for months, so the place could use a good airing > out." > > "Great!" Clark exclaimed happily as he took the key. "I'm sure Lois will > love it. But I'll definitely owe you one." > > Manny smiled and shook his head. "Just go a little easier on me next time > we play some one on one, will ya? I'm going to be sore tomorrow, thanks to > you." > > Clark laughed. "It's a deal." He stood up and threw on his sweatshirt and > grabbed his duffle bag containing his change of clothes. "I'm going to head > back to the Planet locker room and shower up. You coming?" > > "Nah, go on ahead," Manny said, waving him on. "I've got a couple of quick > errands to run before I get back to the grind." > > "Okay, then I'll see you later. And thanks again for this!" Clark held up > the key and smiled gratefully. > > "Anytime." > > With one last wave, Clark jogged across the park lawn to the street, where > Manny watched him carefully look both ways before running across. When > Manny was certain Clark was out of earshot, he looked around to make sure he > was alone, then reached into his bag, pulled out his cell phone and quickly > punched in a number. > > A few moments later, he spoke quietly into the phone. "Yeah, it's me. The > cabin's a go. He doesn't suspect a thing." > > When he hung up the phone and slipped it back into his bag, he turned once > again to watch as Clark's still-jogging figure continued to disappear down > the street. > > Manny's face creased into a satisfied smirk. "Some things are just too > easy." > > ***** > > "Yes!" Trask exclaimed as he slapped the mouthpiece of his cell phone shut > and spun around to face his colleague. "Manny did it! Kent fell for it > hook, line and sinker. Before you know it, we'll have Lane and Kent walking > right into our clutches." > > Garrison looked up skeptically from where he sat in the recliner in the > corner of the sparsely decorated log-cabin room, thumbing through a computer > technology magazine. "Don't get so optimistic, Trask. There are still a > hundred things that could go wrong with this plan. Like your little > unexpected snitch, for example." > > Trask dismissed Garrison's pessimism with a wave of his hand. "An > unforeseen complication, but I took care of it," he assured him airily. > "How could we have known that Les would suddenly develop a conscience about > being involved in a plot to eliminate Superman, and rush to the Daily Planet > to tell Lois Lane about it?" > > "Well, it was lucky for us that we were able to have him killed before he > leaked too much information to her," Garrison muttered. "Otherwise, your > little snitch could've ruined everything." > > "But he didn't," Trask replied. "According to Manny, Lois labored away at > her so-called "vigilante groups" story for weeks before the well finally ran > dry, and that joke of an editor, Perry White, had no choice but to pull her > off the story. And it just happened to work to our advantage that dear, > over-worked Lois recently started to suffer an emotional breakdown, leaving > us with the perfect opportunity to have Manny convince Clark to take her to > the cabin for their little romantic getaway." He chortled. "Little do they > know that when they arrive, we'll be waiting for them." > > Garrison shook his head negatively. "Unless something else goes wrong." > > Trask's expression darkened. "Why so pessimistic, Garrison? We're finally > about to trap Superman and make him tell us about his friends coming to take > over the planet." > > Garrison snorted sarcastically. "I can't believe that you're still holding > firm to this insane 'alien invasion' theory! Come on, Trask! Stop being > such a paranoid delusional... " > > "Paranoid? Is that what you think I am?" Trask asked coldly. "You're just > like everyone else in this country: too blind to see what's right in front > of your face! What else would a super being like Superman be doing here? > An accidental arrival who suddenly decides to fight for "truth, justice and > the American way"? Come on! If you believe that, you're as brainwashed as > the rest of them! A year ago I followed Superman's trail to Smallville, put > my job on the line--not to mention my noble intention of saving the American > way of life!-and found out about Kryptonite, the one thing that'll kill > Superman. And how am I repaid? The American people turn on me, leave me in > a swamp to die! And for what? Because I'm trying to stop an alien invasion > from swarming to Earth? From taking over the world and changing all those > people's ways of life? I'm punished, practically banished from the > government community!" > > "Not bitter or anything, are you?" Garrison chuckled. > > "You bet I'm bitter!" Trask growled. "Superman almost killed me back in the > swamp in Smallville. Who knows what his people would do if they come in > force?" > > "Superman wasn't even *in* Smallville, Trask!" Garrison shouted, finally > tired of hearing Trask's rantings. > > Trask smirked. "Oh, really? Is that what you think?" > > "What I think?! It's what I know!" Garrison shot back, not the least bit > worried about being overhead by Trask's thugs standing outside the room. > "The details were all in the files! Your men never once caught sight of the > red cape or blue suit. He didn't almost kill you, Trask! It was *you* who > almost got yourself killed! Did you think that pulling a gun on that > reporter, Clark Kent, in a small swamp in Smallville was going to lure > Superman?" > > Garrison turned and stalked to the window looking out onto the forest, then > turned back and continued angrily. "You were shot because you almost killed > some innocent reporter! If it weren't for some psychotic person with > undoubtedly too much time and money on their hands to arrange to have your > body stolen from the morgue and then have you brought back to life, you'd be > six feet under right now! Consider yourself lucky, Trask. Whether or not > this person believes in your 'alien invasion' theory, they agree with you on > one thing, as I do. Superman needs to be eliminated. So let's just focus > on that and be done with it. Then you can go your way, and I can go mine." > > "Oh, that's right. You want to go back to your cozy little cubicle at FBI > headquarters where you can spend your days hacking into whatever computer > systems the government tells you to," Trask said irritatingly. "If you're > such a disbeliever in the mission of Bureau 39, why did you get assigned to > this position? I certainly didn't ask for you." > > Garrison's lips curled into a disdainful frown. "Just lucky, I guess." > > Trask simply shrugged. "Well, all that really matters is, your job is to > help me kill Superman. Whether or not you agree with me on *why* we need to > do that, it doesn't matter. All that matters is, I'm back, and I'm going to > lure him here and find out by any means necessary when this invasion is > going to take place. And then everyone who doubted me before will finally > know that I was right. Then I'm going to dispose of him the way I should've > done when I had a chance. He won't get away from me again." > > Deciding it wasn't worth arguing about, Garrison shook his head and crossed > the room toward the door. "Whatever you say, Trask. Now if you don't mind, > I have some people to contact." > > "Oh yeah?" Trask asked offhandedly. "The 'secret boss' you have?" > > "Yes. Unlike you, I have sane people to answer to." > > Trask let the insult roll off his back. "Answer to for what, exactly?" > > Garrison paused with his hand on the doorknob. He turned back to Trask, his > face steely and expression masked. "As you like to say, 'That's on a need > to know basis, and...you don't.'" He smirked. "The reasons for why I'm > here are none of your business. But like you said, in the long run, we're > both after the same thing: to see that Superman is eliminated. That's all > that matters." And with that, Garrison opened the door and left the room. > > Trask's eyes flashed as he watched Garrison disappear into the hall. As > soon as he was out of sight, he grumbled, "If he hadn't been directly > assigned to this project and wasn't so highly connected, I'd get rid of him > in a second." > > Ever since that fateful day in Smallville when he'd been shot by that > deputy, everything had changed. Politics had changed. The administration > of Bureau 39 had changed. > > But one thing hadn't changed. Superman, and the threat of alien invasion > along with him, needed to be taken care of. Whoever anonymous benefactor > had decided to pay to use some mysterious, life-saving regeneration method > to bring him back to life, he was grateful. Since the person didn't want > their identity known, Trask had long since given up trying to find out the > source. He was just glad he was alive, to have another chance to validate > himself as a man who could save the world from an oncoming force of > destruction. A race of super beings sure to invade and rule the world. It > was too bad Garrison didn't see the threat. > > Trask shook his head as he walked over to the cabin window looking out on > the darkening forest. In the past year or so that he'd been nursed back to > health and had had Garrison assigned to be his second in command by somebody > higher up (even *he* had never known everybody up the political Bureau 39 > chain), Garrison had been something of an enigma to him. > > He'd never been able to find out who'd assigned him, and hadn't been able to > track down much of Garrison's past to give him a clue as to why he was being > assigned to the project. It definitely wasn't because Garrison shared his > views on Superman being the front man of an alien invasion, that was for > sure. He'd made it clear how he felt about that theory. But he did indeed > seem to want, as badly as *he* did, to eliminate Superman, and that was at > least something. > > But it didn't quell his suspicions about Garrison, and the agenda he was > sure the man secretly held. Had he been sent to spy on him and his men as > they worked toward disposing of the Superhero? If so, who was suspicious > enough-or not confident enough in his abilities to follow through with the > task-to plant Garrison in the mix? Who was it he mysteriously reported to? > Was that person the one who'd brought Trask back to life, therefore staking > his claim in the project? > > But whatever answers there were, Trask had been unable to find them. So > he'd continued to go about his business, putting up with Garrison's flippant > remarks and rebellious ways. He was insubordinate, did things on his own > schedule, often disappeared into that hole of a back room where he used his > extensive set-up of computer equipment for hours a day, and mouthed off to > him in front of his men. > > But as much as he'd like to be the one to do away with Garrison, he didn't > dare. Obviously Garrison reported to someone of importance, and the > connections he brought to the project were invaluable, even if he was kept > in the dark about how he came up with most of the information he acquired. > > The bottom line was, though, that it didn't matter. As long as he got what > he wanted-Superman-Garrison could follow his own agenda, whatever it may be. > It was enough that Garrison was as eager to dispose of Superman as he was. > > Turning away from the window, Trask decided to temporarily put his > colleague's suspicious actions aside. Right now, he had other, more > important things to worry about. > > Taking a couple of steps toward the door, Trask called out for his men in > the hall. "Guys, get in here! We've got a kidnapping to plan." > > *************************** > > part 5 tomorrow... ;) > > > Erin > __________________ > erink@ida.net > Visit my LNC/Kerth Website: www.ida.net/users/davek > ***** > "It's not the years that count, it's the moments...right now, as they > happen." > __________________ ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 16:26:13 -0000 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: LabRat Subject: Re: Helicopters and Japanese Pleasure Domes MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Tara wrote: > You're mean, LabRat! Dropping these tantalizing little hints and > suggestions like this! When do we get to see the story? > Um.... Actually, probably whenever The Puppy Formerly Known As Oscar (but now known as Max) lets me type without complaining he's being ignored. (which is also the reason if you mailed me pre-Christmas you ain't had a reply yet. Pat, Dawn, Becky, this means you. Trust me, I'm getting to you!) He complains rather on the loud side. I did manage to dl my mail and spend 5 minutes reading it with him on my lap, this morning though. That's progress. He found the dial up process fascinating. Although, there was that promise I made to Joy about having posted something new by the time she comes back online in 3 months time.... (and which I'm desperately trying to sidle out of. Although, belatedly I've decided that teasing and reneging on a deal with someone who in the very near future will have the entire nuclear might of the US Navy poised at her fingertips is probably not a smart move after all. Hi, Joy! (LabRat salutes). Good luck on your away mission. We'll miss ya!) Ann responded: If it's anything like the last couple, not for a good six months. It will, however, be worth the wait. Hey! My reputation is under attack here. It'll be at *least* eight months! Till I get the first draft under control. And a year and a half in rewrites, probably. And.....thanks! ;) Wendy wrote: Oooohhh!! This is Masques, isn't it? Yaaayyy!! Get on and write it, Rat!! Aye, aye, sir! Writing it now! LabRat :) ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 09:33:20 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: NEW: The Darkest Hour part 6 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Okay, just to prove to Marnie and those of you other die hard message-boarders that I really *do* have more of this story done past this point where I left the message board readers hanging, here's part 6. ;) ******************* The Darkest Hour (Before the Dawn) by Erin Klingler erink@ida.net part 6 ******************* "Clark, how great to see you!" Martha greeted him warmly as he walked through the front door a short time later. "You're just in time! I have a roast coming out of the oven in just a few minutes. You are staying for dinner, aren't you?" Clark smiled as he walked over to his mom and gave her a warm hug. "Hi, mom. Sure, dinner sounds great." He stepped out of his mom's embrace and glanced around. "Where's Dad?" "Out in the barn feeding the livestock. Why don't you go on out and hurry him up?" she suggested. "Dinner will be ready in a few minutes, and I don't want it to get cold." "Sure, Mom, no problem." Clark took a couple of steps toward the back door, but then paused momentarily before reaching out and grabbing one of the hot rolls cooling on a tray next to the sink and darting off with it, despite his mother's protests and shooing hands. As he hurried through the back door, though, he could hear his mother muttering-with a smile in her voice-something about how things never changed. Clark smiled. Home was a wonderful place. When he reached the barn, he found his father raking straw into the horses' stalls. "Hi, Dad." Jonathan looked up in surprise at the unexpected sound of his son's voice. His face broke out into a broad smile and he straightened. "Clark! It's good to see you, son. How're things in the big city?" Clark walked over to his dad and took the pitchfork from him. "Busy," he admitted as he took over where his father had left off. "With all the fresh snow, I've been racing around as Superman all day." "I'm not surprised," his father commiserated as he moved away to measure grain for the horses. "And how's Lois?" Clark hesitated, and his dad immediately picked up on it. "Uh-oh. Something's wrong between you and Lois." Clark shook his head quickly. "No, nothing's wrong, really," he hedged. "But?" Knowing he had a listening ear, Clark poured out the story of what had happened between him and Lois earlier that day, and how badly he felt about asking her to go away with him for the weekend because he felt like he was pressuring her for more in their relationship. When Clark finished, Jonathan looked intently at his son. "Well, were you?" he asked pointedly. Clark stilled his pitchfork and leaned on it as he spoke. "No, honestly I wasn't. Not that I wouldn't mind being...intimate...with Lois," he admitted, giving his dad a sheepish smile. "But I know our relationship isn't to that point yet. We've only been dating for a short time, and I don't want to rush things." Clark was silent for a moment, and his eyes lowered to the straw below him. When he continued, his voice was hushed, almost reverent. "You know, Dad, I've waited a long time for Lois, even before I knew she was the one I was waiting for. But now that I've found her, I don't want to blow it by rushing her. You know what I mean?" He raised his eyes to his father's, and was comforted by the look of understanding in his dad's gaze. Knowing his father understood, he rushed on. "When I asked Lois to go away with me for the weekend, I definitely didn't mean to imply anything like she thought I was implying. I just wanted to be with her, to have some time alone with her, without any phone calls, or cries for help to interrupt us. I realize even more now than I did a year ago that she is the one I want to spend the rest of my life with, and if that means taking things at her pace, I'm willing to do that. I just don't want her panicking and feeling like I'm pressuring her into something she's not ready for." Jonathon nodded as he dumped the buckets of grain into the horses' feed troughs. "Have you told her any of this?" "Not yet," Clark replied as he resumed pitching straw into the stalls. "This happened just after lunch, and I got busy making all those rescues. But afterward, I wanted to go talk to her, but I had no idea what to say." His dad smiled at him. "So you came here instead." Clark grinned sheepishly as he tossed the last of the straw in and shut the stall door. "Yeah, I guess I did." Jonathan chuckled. "I can't say that I'm not glad to see you, but you really should be in Metropolis talking to Lois, not here talking to me. Not that I don't want you to feel like you can't come talk to me about these things whenever you need to," he rushed on. "But Lois is a smart woman, Clark. She'll understand if you just take the time to explain what you're feeling." Clark nodded, though hesitantly. "Yeah, I know she is. But she's one with an awful lot of qualms about relationships. Things like this tend to scare her off more than other women, I think." "All the more reason to talk to her," his dad insisted. "Trust me on this. You'll both feel better getting these things off your chests." Clark tossed the last of the straw into the stall and shut the stall door. "You're right, as usual," Clark told his dad with a grin. "Maybe that's why I headed over. You always give me good advice." Jonathan smiled back and clapped Clark on the shoulder as they walked out of the barn together. "Anytime, son. That's what I'm here for." ***** After finishing a wonderful dinner with his parents and taking a much needed break from the hustle and bustle of Metropolis, Clark hugged his parents, promised his dad he'd let him know how things went with Lois, and then flew back to the city. With only a quick break to change out of the suit, he didn't take any time in getting to Lois', as much as he was tempted to. When he knocked on her apartment door and then heard the sound of her approaching footsteps, he couldn't help the nervous, anxious feeling that threatened to overcome him. How was she feeling, now that some time had passed since their talk after lunch? Had she thought things through? Was she still uneasy about the idea of them getting away together? All these questions and more flooded through his mind as he listened to the sound of her door locks opening. In the next moment, her door opened and his eyes immediately went to hers, looking for any sign of tension that could give him any indication as to how she was feeling. With a sinking feeling, he saw that the smile that greeted him didn't reach all the way into her eyes. *At least she hasn't slammed the door in my face. That's got to be a good sign,* Clark thought optimistically. She opened her door further and gestured for him to come in. "I was wondering if something had happened to you when you didn't come back to the Planet this afternoon." "I, uh, left to run a few errands and got sidetracked," he hedged. Quickly he changed the subject. "Lois, can we talk?" "Sure," she answered casually, gesturing to the couch. But Clark couldn't help noticing that she looked as nervous as he felt. Following him over to the couch, she sat down tentatively next to him. "What do you want to talk about, Clark?" Clark turned to face her and took a deep breath. "Lois, I feel bad about the way we left things earlier this afternoon, and I wanted to apologize. I didn't mean to make you feel like I was pressuring you--" "No, Clark, it's okay-" "No, Lois, it's not," he quickly cut her off before she could finish. He reached out to take her hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze. "This isn't something we've really talked about, and I want to assure you that I don't ever expect you to take a step in our relationship that you're not ready for. The last thing I'd want to do is make you uncomfortable, or pressure you into doing something you're not ready to do." Lois was quiet for a minute as she listened, then dropped her eyes to look at their joined hands. "I know that, Clark," she replied quietly. "But?" Clark asked, sensing there was one coming. Lois sighed. "But I guess it's just the idea of what could happen between us if we're alone together for a weekend that's bothering me." She averted her eyes again, nervous about voicing the concerns that had been running through her head since Clark had first mentioned their getting away. Noticing her hesitancy, Clark lifted a hand to brush a strand of her dark hair out of her eyes, tucking it gently behind her ear and then tilting her chin up so she was forced to meet his intense gaze. "Come on, Lois. You can tell me anything. What's bothering you about it?" After a minute, Lois began haltingly, "Well, it's just that, other than some intense kissing, we really haven't gotten...intimate...with each other, and I'm afraid of what might happen if we did." Clark's brow furrowed in confusion. "I'm not sure what you mean, Lois...." Lois grew impatient. "Clark, don't you see? Every intimate relationship I've ever had has ended up disastrously. What if the same thing happens to us? Not that I'm saying ours would end up that way if we, you know, slept together. I'm just saying, I can't seem to stop thinking about it." "Lois, intimacy isn't something you need to worry about in our relationship," he insisted softly, his heart aching all over again at the torment he'd clearly evoked in her. "When I asked you to go away with me for a weekend, I never meant to imply that we should jump into bed with each other. I just thought it would be a great way to get us some time alone together, that's all. I *promise* you that's all I was thinking. Besides, I don't even know if *I'm* ready to take that step in our relationship yet." Lois smiled slowly and reached up to touch his cheek tenderly. "I know, Clark. It's just that your invitation got me thinking, you know? And when I did, I suffered a temporary panic attack." "But you're over that now? And we're okay?" Clark asked, his eyes gazing intently into hers. She nodded. "We're okay." Clark breathed a huge sigh of relief. "You have no idea how glad I am to hear you say that," he admitted. "I was so worried about how to talk to you about this that I fl-" Lois looked at him strangely as he stopped mid-word. "That you what?" "Um," Clark stuttered, realizing how close he'd just come to telling her he flew to Smallville to talk to his dad. He mentally shook himself and tried again. "That I worried about it all afternoon while I was running errands," he finished lamely. Lois seemed to accept that, though, and he gave an inward sigh of relief. *You'd better watch yourself, Clark!* he scolded. *One more false step like that and your relationship with Lois could be over for an entirely different reason.* "Well, thanks for caring enough to worry about it, Clark," Lois told him, giving his hand a squeeze. "It makes me feel better knowing that you care that much about how comfortable I feel in our relationship." "I do care, Lois," he assured her. "And I want you to know that when and if the point comes in our relationship when we're considering intimacy, it'll be up to you to decide whether or not you're ready. If you're not, we'll wait. No pressure. Okay?" She smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Clark, for being so understanding, and not giving up on me altogether when I have my little anxiety attacks." Clark shook his head and lifted his hand to stroke he cheek tenderly. "I'm not giving up on us, Lois. You can count on that." Lois smiled. "I'm glad to hear that." Leaning down, Clark touched his lips gently to hers, his kiss light and tender at first. But as they continued to kiss, their kiss deepened, becoming something more passionate and intense. When they pulled away, they were both breathless. "This is nice," Lois sighed as she snuggled into Clark's side. She reached up for the arm Clark had draped around her shoulder and laced her fingers with his. Then, to Clark's utter surprise, she said, "You know, maybe I *could* handle a whole weekend of being alone together like this." Clark stared at her. "What are you saying, Lois? That you *want* to spend a weekend at the cabin?" "Well, it does sound like the perfect place to go," Lois admitted. "And everyone knows I could use a vacation." Clark nodded, trying not to appear too eager. But inside he was ecstatic. Time alone with Lois, no interruptions...it was too good to be true! "But on the other hand, we've only been dating for a couple of months. Maybe we're not ready for something like this yet..." "Lois," Clark interrupted patiently. "Like I said before, spending a weekend together doesn't need to be a milestone in our relationship. We would just be two people who are spending some time together, getting to know each other better. Just think. No phones, no alarm clocks...we can go out to dinner, then come home and sit and snuggle in front of the fireplace and talk until all hours of the night." Lois sighed happily. "It sounds wonderful." "And if it makes you feel any better, we can sleep in separate bedrooms," Clark continued. When Lois laughed, he straightened up and looked at her seriously. "No, Lois, I'm serious. I want to make sure you know there's no pressure. I don't want you to do anything you're not comfortable doing." Lois met his intense gaze. "Okay, but what if there's only one bedroom?" "Then you can have the bedroom and I'll take the couch or something," he insisted. Lois laughed again, and Clark tightened his arm around her. "Come on, Lois, you'll see. This can work. And I promise, it'll be just what you need. What *we* need." Lois tightened her fingers around Clark's. "I think you may be right." Their gazes locked, and Clark leaned down to kiss her softly. When they pulled apart, Clark's lips curved into a slow smile. "This is going to be great." ********************** Erin :) __________________ erink@ida.net Visit my LNC/Kerth Website: www.ida.net/users/davek ***** "It's not the years that count, it's the moments...right now, as they happen." __________________ ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 09:35:51 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: NEW: The Darkest Hour part 5 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Oops! And part 5. Sorry. I forgot I had to split this next part into two smaller ones to make sure AOLers got them okay. **************** The Darkest Hour (Before the Dawn) by Erin Klingler erink@ida.net part 5 *************** After grudgingly going through the information Manny had given her about the jewelry theft for the past hour, Lois finally leaned back in her chair and sighed. She hated these no-brainer stories. They weren't any challenge. Robbery occurs, police show up in response to silent alarm, jewel thief caught in the act. Where was the challenge in a story like that? Bored and unable to stop procrastinating, Lois swiveled back and forth in her chair, finding herself wishing for some sort of catastrophe, some natural disaster that would give her an excuse to do something else. *Anything* else. But for once, Metropolis was quiet. Spinning back to face her desk, the black disk sitting on top of the other research information Manny had given her suddenly caught her eye. Hadn't he said he'd downloaded some background information on the robber? Maybe there was something there she could use to get a more interesting angle. Reaching for the disk, she slipped it into her computer and clicked on the file that appeared. Immediately a series of strange characters flashed onto her screen, and soon her monitor was filled with a jumble of unreadable numbers and letters that flashed past her so quickly she could hardly make them out. She stiffened in her chair and stared in bewilderment at the strange jumble of characters that continued on down her screen. "What is *this*?" she asked in confusion. Leaning back in her chair, she yelled, "Hey, Jimmy!" Jimmy hurried over to her. "Yeah, Lois?" When she gestured at her computer screen, he looked at the mess of characters on her screen and laughed. "Okay, Lois, what did you do to your computer this time?" "I didn't do anything!" Lois protested indignantly. "I just put my disk in, opened the file, and this is what came up." Jimmy's brow furrowed as he put a hand on her desk and leaned closer to her monitor. "Is there something wrong with your disk? It looks like whatever was on it really got fried." Lois shrugged. "I don't know. It's the disk Manny gave me with a bunch of research on that jewelry theft story I'm working on. He said it contained some background information about the robber." Jimmy reached out and hit the down key, shaking his head in confusion as he watched the characters scroll past. "I don't know what to tell you, Lois. It must've been a bad disk or something." "Great," Lois muttered in a 'what else can go wrong' tone. "There goes any possible interesting angle I might have come up with. Let's just hope there wasn't something irreplaceable on this." She reached out and started to eject the disk, but Jimmy quickly stopped her. "Wait, Lois. Before you pull it out, why don't we save the file on your hard drive? When I find a spare minute, I could go through it and see if I can salvage anything." "Okay," Lois sighed. "I guess it's worth a shot. I'm not really getting anywhere on this story anyway." Just then someone called out for Jimmy, and Lois waved him away. "Go ahead. I'll save this file and have you look at it later." Jimmy gave her a sympathetic smile. "Don't let me forget." After Jimmy had hurried away, Lois saved the file to her hard drive, then ejected the disk and looked at it for a moment, not sure what to do with it. If the disk was bad, she knew she should just throw it away. But maybe Jimmy could do more to restore the file if he actually had the disk. She didn't know how that worked. After a minute of indecision, she finally opened her top desk drawer, tossed in the disk, and shut it once again. "Hey, what are you doing?" Startled, Lois jumped. She quickly looked up to see Clark standing beside her. "Sorry," he said with a quick smile. "I didn't mean to scare you. But you'll never guess what happened at lunch." "You won your little basketball game," Lois guessed disinterestedly. "Well, yeah, but that's not it." He sat down on the corner of her desk and beamed at her, obviously bursting with news. "Guess again." Lois sighed and leaned back in her chair. "Clark, I'm really not in the mood for guessing games," she said wearily. "I can't find an angle on this jewel thief story, and the disk Manny gave me with the research information doesn't work. So whatever you're trying to tell me, just tell me." "Well, Manny and I were talking after our game about vacation spots you might like, and he was telling me about this great little cabin he has up in the hills north of Metropolis. There's this quaint little resort town just down the hill from it that has a several restaurants, a great local theater group...the perfect place for a vacation." Lois stared at him and crossed her arms accusingly, though the corners of her mouth twitched into a slow smile. "And how exactly did he know I was thinking about taking a vacation?" Clark shifted his weight on the edge of her desk awkwardly. "Well, um, I might have mentioned something about how stressed out you've been lately..." "And how does everyone know I've been stressed?" Clark couldn't help laughing. "You're kidding, right? With the way you've been storming around lately? Everybody in the building has made it a personal pact to stay clear of you. Besides, after you yelled at Perry yesterday and threatened to quit, word got around." "Yeah, I guess it wouldn't exactly be a secret," Lois replied with a sheepish smile. "So anyway," Clark continued. "I was also telling him how hard it had been for us to find time for us to be alone lately, and..." he paused for dramatic effect, then pulled a key with a flourish from his pocket, "Tah-dah! It's all ours if we want it." Lois looked from the key, to Clark in confusion. "What are you talking about?" "The cabin!" he replied impatiently. "Manny says we'd be doing him a favor by getting up there and airing it out, using it a little since he hasn't been up there in a while. So I was thinking we could go up there for New Year's weekend, since we were already thinking of spending New Year's day together anyway. What do you say?" Lois fought the tightness in her throat and the sudden urge to panic. "Spend the weekend at a cabin? Alone? Together? For a whole weekend?" "Sure," Clark nodded, his smile fading, and instead being replaced by a puzzled frown. "What's wrong with that?" Lois stared at Clark in disbelief. *'What's wrong with that?' Is he kidding? How can he possibly ask that? Doesn't he realize what a huge step this would be in our relationship? This isn't just some small, unimportant detail like deciding to get Chinese takeout instead of Thai food! He's talking about being *intimate* with each other!* She couldn't help feeling like Clark was being more than a little insensitive to suggest something like this, without at least discussing it with her first. Not that she hadn't considered being intimate with him. She had. How could one *not* find him attractive, and not just physically? There was definitely something there to arouse a woman. But this soon into their relationship? Even the thought of taking this step was enough to send her into a panic attack. After all, if her past relationships were any indication-Claude was the first to come to mind-the minute her relationships turned intimate, they usually fell apart. Not that she could compare Claude to Clark, by any means. But other than a little making out at their apartments, she and Clark had never gotten very intimate with each other. Who knew how their relationship would change if they became intimate? A nagging voice in the back of her mind suddenly started in, and she was helpless to stop it. 'I can't believe, after all this time you've known Clark, you really didn't know him at all. He's just like all the other men...can't wait to jump into bed.' But then the rational side of her brain took over. *Come on, Lois, you *know* Clark! He's not like that!* But immediately, the nagging voice argued back, 'Oh yeah? How well do you *really* know him? Where does he always run off to when you two are together? Why won't he ever give you a clear answer about where he's been? There are clearly a lot of things you don't know about him. How do you know he's not going to run off the minute you sleep with him? You may think that Clark's not like that, but believe me, *all* men are like that!' Lois gave herself a mental shake and forced herself to quiet the nagging voice in her head. But the damage had already been done. She felt both pressured and panicked. Lois turned back to Clark, who was still sitting patiently, waiting for her response. Blushing slightly and definitely feeling uncomfortable, she glanced around to make sure no one was listening, then leaned forward and whispered, "Um, Clark, this is all kind of sudden, don't you think?" Clark's brows furrowed in confusion. "Sudden? What do you mean?" "I don't know," Lois hedged, averting her gaze and suddenly appearing to be very interested in the pencil in her hand. "Some time together sounds great, but I don't know if this was exactly what I had in mind. Maybe we should think about this a little..." "Think about it?" Clark asked, surprised. "Lois, what's there to think about? You need a vacation, and I figured you'd jump at the chance to get away..." "Oh, it's not that, Clark..." "Then what, Lois? I guess I don't understand the problem." Lois swallowed hard and tried to calm the anxious shake in her voice. "Well, um, don't get me wrong, Clark. There's nothing I'd like more than to spend some time alone with you. But this...it's just, this is a really big step, you know? The idea of you and me, spending a whole weekend, you know, alone...together. It's just a really big step, and I don't think I'm ready...." Clark's confused expression instantly changed, and his eyebrows lifted in understanding. "Oh!" he said quickly, suddenly realizing what Lois was trying to say. She thought he'd arranged for them to have not only a romantic getaway, but an intimate one, as well! Suddenly feeling horrible about unintentionally putting her in such an awkward position at this stage of their relationship, he started to stumble over his words. "Oh, Lois, I'm so sorry!" he stammered. "I didn't mean, well.... When I asked you to spend the weekend with me, I didn't mean that I wanted you to...you know, *spend the weekend* with me. I just thought it would be a great chance to get away. I mean, we can sleep in different rooms, maintain some privacy...." "I know, Clark, I know," Lois replied quickly, though to Clark, she didn't sound convinced at all. She looked back down at her pencil and picked at the dull point. "I just think that maybe we should think a little bit about this before deciding, you know?" "Sure, Lois, I understand," Clark hurried to assure her. "Take as much time as you'd like. In fact, why don't we-" Perry's bellowing voice suddenly sounded in the newsroom, cutting off Clark before he could finish. "Lois! Clark! Where's that piece on the Christmas charities scandal I asked for?" Lois and Clark looked over at their stocky editor, and Clark yelled back, "Almost done, Chief!" Then he turned back to Lois. "I guess we'll have to talk about this some more later." Lois nodded and smiled, but Clark couldn't help noticing her smile seemed forced. "Sure," she said quietly. "We'll get the story finished and talk later." As she turned back to her computer, Clark shook his head and walked back to his desk. *What are you doing?* he asked himself angrily. *You should've thought about how this might sound to someone with Lois' past history with men. Now she obviously thinks you're pressuring her into moving your relationship forward into an intimacy she's not ready for, and if you're not careful she's going to bolt! Something like this could definitely set things back several steps. Way to go, Clark!* Sitting down heavily in his desk chair, he leaned back and glanced over at Lois. He watched as she picked up her phone and quickly punched in a number, then tapped her pencil habitually on her desk as she spoke to the person on the other end of the line. She may have looked like her normal, tenacious self to any casual observer, but Clark knew differently. Her preoccupied smile and lack of animated hand gestures as she talked on the phone were dead giveaways to someone who knew her as well as he did. She was clearly spooked, and trying her hardest to hide it. Sighing heavily, Clark slumped forward and put his head in his hands. *Terrific, Clark, look what you've done,* the voice in his head berated. *I only wanted to spend some time with her!* he argued back uselessly. *I've been working toward this relationship for a long time. The last thing I'd want to do is scare her off.* Shaking his head, he sat up and reached for the Christmas charity story notes. He had to talk to her, to smooth things over. But when he did approach the subject again, he knew it would have to be done carefully. After all, he knew that if he blew this, he'd blow everything. Suddenly his superhearing picked up on an all-too-familiar sound: a cry for help. Looking around him and seeing that no one was paying attention to him, he quickly stood up and headed for the back staircase, his exit going unnoticed even by Lois. ***** When Clark slipped discreetly out the Daily Planet's back door, he saw that the snow had started to fall once again and was already beginning to cover the sidewalks and streets with a thick blanket of white. He sighed. A snowstorm usually meant he was bound to be busy as Superman, which meant he might not have time to have that talk with Lois as early as he wanted. Spinning into the suit, he rocketed into the sky toward the cry for help. For the rest of the day, Superman was in high demand as the snow continued to fall and accumulate on the roads. He helped out at a couple of accidents while preventing several others. He also chased down a bank robber as he tried to make a quick getaway, and then helped resolve a couple of parking lot disputes over parking spaces at malls. By the time things had calmed down early that evening, Clark realized that it wouldn't make any sense to hurry back to the Planet. The paper would have already been put to bed, and surely Lois would've left for the day. As he flew above Metropolis, he felt for the hundredth time like kicking himself for being so naive in his conversation earlier that day with Lois. If he'd thought for even a second, or put himself in Lois' shoes, he would've realized how delicate a topic his invitation might have been for her. Instead, in his excitement to spend some time alone with her, he'd foolishly rushed in, never even thinking about how his invitation might be misconstrued by her. He wanted to talk to Lois, but what was he supposed to say? 'Lois, I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. So I have no problem waiting to take this next step in our relationship. I'm willing to wait for you as long as you need.' The mere thought almost made Clark want to laugh out loud. Sure, it would be the truth. But with as anxious as Lois tended to be when it came to relationships--and intimacy, given her past history with men--it might have just the opposite effect and put even more pressure in a situation where there already was a lot of pressure for her. It might even send their relationship a step backward instead of forward. And that was definitely not what he wanted. With a heavy sigh, Clark realized he wasn't ready to talk to her yet. Not until he knew what to say. And somehow the answer remained elusive. As he flew through the darkening sky, Clark decided that he didn't really feel like going home to his apartment. It had been a very busy afternoon, not to mention his mind continually pouring over his conversation with Lois. He desperately needed to unwind, and maybe even talk things out with somebody. With a smile, he quickly changed directions and headed for the perfect place. Smallville. ***** Erin :) __________________ erink@ida.net Visit my LNC/Kerth Website: www.ida.net/users/davek ***** "It's not the years that count, it's the moments...right now, as they happen." __________________ ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 09:40:32 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: Re: Helicopters and Japanese Pleasure Domes In-Reply-To: <001b01bf5862$df42cec0$f451883e@d9t5t7> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit LabRat wrote: > Actually, probably whenever The Puppy Formerly Known As Oscar > (but now known > as Max) lets me type without complaining he's being ignored. > (which is also > the reason if you mailed me pre-Christmas you ain't had a reply yet. > Pat, Dawn, Becky, this means you. Trust me, I'm getting to you!) He > complains rather on the loud side. I did manage to dl my mail and spend 5 > minutes reading it with him on my lap, this morning though. > That's progress. > He found the dial up process fascinating. LOL! I'm sure he did! A word of caution, though--though I'm sure you already know this . My German Shepherd thought my lap was a great place to snuggle, and so did I--until she got to be about 6 months old, and suddenly the idea of having a 50 pound dog in my lap wasn't quite so fun! Enjoy that puppy! They grow all too fast. ;) Erin :) __________________ erink@ida.net Visit my LNC/Kerth Website: www.ida.net/users/davek ***** "It's not the years that count, it's the moments...right now, as they happen." __________________ ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 12:14:19 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Marnie Rowe Subject: Re: The Darkest Hour MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Thank you Thank you Thank you, I believe you honest :) Marnie ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 12:01:20 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Sharon Gilbert Organization: University of Maine Subject: Re: NEW: Heartache MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit i enjoyed the story. kinda neat to get a different take on their first meeting. me Sharon L Gilbert, Ph.D. Center for Community Inclusion University of Maine at Orono 5717 Corbett Hall Orono, ME 04468 207/581-1219 Life is either far too short or way to long to carry around extra baggage. Let it go, man, let it go. ~SLG ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 13:27:46 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Marnie Rowe Subject: Re: The Darkest Hour part 6 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Erin, More .... please? Soon? Please.. Marnie ---------- > From: Erin Klingler > To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU > Subject: NEW: The Darkest Hour part 6 > Date: Thursday, January 06, 2000 11:33 AM > > Okay, just to prove to Marnie and those of you other die hard > message-boarders that I really *do* have more of this story done past this > point where I left the message board readers hanging, here's part 6. ;) > > ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 19:17:24 +0000 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Wendy Richards Subject: New Vignette: Invisible or Fly? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII I've been told I've been writing too much angst lately, so let's see if I still remember how to do the other stuff... no doubt you guys will tell me if I don't! Wendy --------------------- Invisible or Fly? Rated PG "When I was a kid, Lucy and I used to play this game. We'd ask each other, what would you rather do, fly or be invisible?" Clark stilled as his heart almost stopped; what was Lois up to? Was she trying to tell him subtly that she knew who he was? He stole a quick glance at her as she stood next to him on his balcony, but she was cupping the tea he'd made her in both hands, her gaze unfocused as she was clearly remembering her childhood games. Maybe this was a complete coincidence? Playing for time, he asked, "And you chose?" "Mmm, invisible. I wished I could walk through all those closed doors. I guess I still do," she replied reflectively. That made sense, Clark thought. Ever insatiably curious, his new colleague. Lois only had to hear the words 'secret' or 'confidential' for her to want to know all about it. What would she say, he wondered, if she knew that he could at least *see* through all those closed doors she mentioned? He was enjoying this conversation, this brief interlude in their busy work day, and the fact that Lois was talking to him as if he was a friend, someone she liked, instead of an annoying newbie who'd been forced on her by their editor. In an attempt to prolong the discussion, he asked, "And what do you think you'd find there behind all those closed doors?" Her lips curved into a soft smile, her thoughts clearly elsewhere - perhaps focused on some childhood memories of a magical place closed off to her. "Mmm, I don't know. Something different, wonderful. Something I don't have, can't have. So, what about you?" The change of topic and emphasis took him by surprise, and he frowned slightly. "What?" "Invisible or fly?" she prompted. He grimaced inwardly; if only she knew! Certainly not invisibility; he'd had enough of feeling himself invisible over the past couple of weeks. As he'd told his parents only the other day, he felt as if he was losing himself to the man in the blue, red and yellow suit. Clark Kent was simply fading away, and Superman was taking over. Even Lois - who, admittedly, had practically swooned over Superman the first time she'd seen him - owned a pair of Superman pyjamas, and she'd been prepared to give up her savings to buy a 'date' with the man. Yet when Superman's alter ego, Clark Kent, had come to sit beside her after the auction, she'd barely known he was there. No, Clark had had enough of feeling invisible. Now, flying on the other hand... oh, there was simply nothing like it. To soar above the clouds, to float on his back and bask in the sun, to experience the sense of freedom which propelling himself through the air gave him - if he lost his powers tomorrow, the one he would miss most would be the ability to fly. He smiled; he had absolutely no hesitation. "Fly," he told her. Her eyes widened. "Really?" "Yeah," he murmured. Moving closer to him, her expression softened and she said teasingly, "You know, I never thought I would say this, Clark, but you and I have something in common." "What's that?" he asked, thinking that as far as he was concerned he could think of any number of things, but that for Lois to admit the fact was astonishing. She moved closer still. "Superman. You want to fly like him, and I want to fly with him." To his utter amazement, she laid her head on his shoulder. Superman again. That was his first thought, and briefly he tensed; could he ever persuade her to forget the comic-book character in the silly cape and focus on *him,* the real guy who was standing next to her? But then his increased heart-rate reminded him of what was really happening here. Whatever Lois might say about Superman, she was in *his* apartment, on *his* balcony drinking tea with him, and she had voluntarily put her head on *his* shoulder. Experimentally, he shifted a little closer to her; she didn't move. So he brought up his arm and laid it lightly, casually around her shoulders. Again, she didn't move; she didn't say anything either, but he took her silence as tacit consent. "Have you flown with Superman, Clark?" she asked a few moments later. He hesitated briefly, wondering how best to answer, then decided to be as honest as he could. "I've flown with him, yes." "It's such a fantastic feeling, isn't it?" Her voice was dreamy. "Being held in his arms... well, okay, I guess that wouldn't do anything for you, would it? But the feel of the air rushing past, seeing everything below look so tiny, but knowing he won't let you fall, he'll keep you safe... oh, it was the most fantastic experience of my life! And... I'd love to do it again." "You would?" Clark asked her softly, his heart in his mouth. "Oh yes. Oh, Clark, you don't know just how much!" He reminded himself to breathe, then spoke carefully. "So, Lois, if I could fly, you'd fly with me? It doesn't have to be Superman, I mean, does it?" "Clark?" This time she raised her head from his shoulder and opened her eyes, gazing at him with a puzzled expression. "Come on - you can't fly!" Raising her eyebrow in an exaggerated gesture, she made it clear that she was humouring him. "Okay, well, I guess that if some miracle happened and you somehow got Superman's ability to fly, I suppose I would fly with you. As long as I could trust you not to drop me, I mean." She moved away, and Clark let his arm drop to his side. "Clark, what's this all about?" she asked him, her tone a little impatient. "Are you jealous of Superman or something? Because... because all the things he can do make you feel... oh, I don't know...." "Inadequate?" Clark suggested. "Is that what you meant?" She flushed. "I don't know. Maybe." Wondering why he was torturing himself like this, Clark narrowed his eyes and gazed at her. "Should I feel inadequate, Lois?" "No, of course not, Clark!" she told him impatiently. "Look, Superman is... well, he's just not like anyone else. No-one can match up to the things he does, so you shouldn't even think about trying to compete. And anyway, you're pretty okay as you are," she added slowly, almost reluctantly. "I am?" he asked her softly. She swallowed and nodded. "I know I've been mean to you sometimes, Clark, but I really do think you're a nice guy. I... I like you," she added awkwardly. "I like you too, Lois," he replied, his gaze fixed on her face; she flushed, embarrassed, and took a sip of tea. "We should go in - we have a story to get back to," she said abruptly. But Clark stepped closer to her again, blocking her route to the door. "Wait a second, Lois," he urged quietly. "What?" "Well... you said you'd fly with me. You meant it, didn't you?" She glared at him. "Clark! You can't fly, so what's the point of this? Come on, let's go." "In a minute," he insisted, wrapping his arm about her shoulder again. "Lois, I want to show you something." "What?" she asked again, impatiently. "And, Clark, why do you keep touching me? I don't need your arm.... What are you doing?" He was leading her towards the edge of the balcony. "It's okay, Lois, trust me," he told her with a reassuring smile. She eyed him warily. Gripping her hand then, he stepped lightly up onto the balcony rail. "Come on, stand beside me," he told her. "Clark, what are you *doing*?" she demanded. "Get down from there - you'll fall, and then.... Come *on,*" she insisted, tugging on his hand. He didn't move. "Clark, you're crazy!" she yelled at him. He smiled at her. "Maybe I am. Do you want to find out?" As she glared at him, he grinned. "Come on, Lois, where's your sense of adventure?" "Where's your sanity?" she threw back at him. "But, Lois, what if I'm right? What if I *can* fly?" he asked her. "Don't you want to find out?" "Clark, you really are insane!" she growled. "I'm going - let go of my hand!" Tugging hard, she tried to pull her hand from his grasp, but he wouldn't release her. "Lois, come and stand here beside me," he invited softly. "Trust me, you won't fall. I promise." She raised her gaze to his face; their eyes met and held. "Trust me," he murmured again. "I...." She began to say something, but trailed off. Almost as if in a dream, she took one step, then two, and a moment later she was standing unsteadily on the rail beside Clark. He gripped her around the waist, holding her firmly. "Lois, I can't grant you your first wish," he told her softly. "W-what?" She blinked at him. "I can't make you invisible," he explained. "But if you want to fly...." Holding her gaze with his, he stepped off the rail, propelling her with him by the presence of his arm around her waist. She screamed as she felt the ground give way beneath her, then screamed again as she realised they were being propelled upwards. "Clark... you really are flying!" she gasped a few moments later. Laughing, he gazed down at her. "Yes, I am. And you said you'd fly with me...." "I... I guess I am," she said shakily. "Clark... I don't understand. How... how can you...?" "Just a minute," he replied, guiding them to the roof of his apartment. He descended lightly so that Lois could find her footing without losing her balance, then stood watching her, waiting for realisation to dawn. He saw her swallow, then look down at the roof beneath them, then over the edge to the balcony of his apartment below them. "Clark... I'm not dreaming, am I?" "No." "And... we're really standing on your roof?" "Yes." "And... you really just flew me up here?" "Yes." "And... I've really made a fool of myself over the last few weeks, haven't I?" she concluded, her expression shame-faced as she dropped her gaze to the ground. "How?" he asked her carefully, surprised at this reaction. He'd expected her to be mad. "Because I'm supposed to be the best damned reporter in Metropolis and I couldn't even recognise a farmboy in a ski suit!" she flung at him. He gave her a rueful smile. "How many farmboys have you seen in ski suits lately, Lois?" She grinned in return. "Not many, I guess." She took a step closer to him. "You know, you really do look different in that suit, Clark." "So my mom tells me," he answered, smiling. "So... why tell me? And why now?" Her expression seemed to suggest that she felt privileged, rather than deceived; Clark thought with delight that it seemed his spur-of-the-moment impulse had been a good idea after all. "I guess I wanted you to know," he replied, considering. "And... well, I love to fly, and when you asked me that question, and you told me you loved to fly with Superman... well, I just couldn't resist." "How you must have laughed when I virtually accused you of feeling inadequate next to him!" she murmured, embarrassed. But he took a step closer to her. "Lois, you wouldn't believe me if I told you what I was really thinking," he assured her. "Look, would you like to go flying?" "Really? We can?" He almost laughed aloud at her excited expression. "Sure. Just let me change." He was about to spin, but she quickly walked towards him. "Clark - not yet," she said, forestalling him. Her hand reached up to pull his glasses off his face, then she looped her other hand around his neck. "I just want to know... I mean, that other time, in the plane, we had other things on our mind, like the fact that we were going to be killed, but I couldn't believe how good...." She stopped speaking, tugging his head down, then an instant later her lips were pressed to his and she was kissing him passionately. Once he'd recovered from the shock, Clark wrapped his arms around her, holding her warm body close to his as he returned her kiss with all the enthusiasm he had put into that first kiss, and more. He heard her moan deep in her throat, and he daringly slipped his tongue forward to touch her lips with it. "Lois... oh, Lois, I've wanted to do this for so long...." "Clark... why did I ever pretend I wasn't attracted to you?" she murmured as they pulled apart. He stroked her hair almost reverently as he gazed at her. "Um... you still want to fly?" She nodded; in a split second he was in the Suit and she was in his arms. Holding her more closely against his chest than he'd dared to before, he took off and flew them both high above Metropolis, Lois clinging to him with her head on his shoulder. This was how he had longed to fly ever since he'd met this woman; he'd dreamed of carrying her in his arms and taking her to all his favourite places, or even just drifting above the clouds with her resting on his chest. That would be just... wonderful.... ***************** Slowly Clark opened his eyes; he was still floating above the clouds over Metropolis. His hand reached down to his chest, and met the fabric of his Suit. He was alone. How he wished he'd had the courage to show Lois that he really could fly when she'd challenged him like that. Instead, when she'd said they should go, he had meekly followed her back through the door into his kitchen. What would she have done if he really had jumped up onto the balcony rail? What if he had pulled her up there beside him, and then jumped off and flown with her? He didn't know. But something told him that it probably hadn't been the right thing to do. Not yet, at any rate. She would probably have been really embarrassed to discover that she'd been making a fool of herself over someone who was in reality the partner she sometimes treated with amused contempt. She would certainly have been angry with herself - and him - for having been deceived. No, he had done the right thing by going back into the apartment with her, he decided. And the brief interlude hadn't altogether been a waste of time, he realised, remembering. She had told him she liked him! She thought he was 'pretty okay' as he was! Well, if Lois liked him, then there was hope for him yet. He would wait, bide his time, and maybe one of these days she would smile at him the say she did at Superman, and maybe he would be able to take her flying with him. Until then, he would have to settle for being - well, not invisible, but perhaps less noticeable than he'd like to be. And Lois would just have to wait for that flight with Superman; no pleasure flights until he was ready to tell her the truth, he resolved suddenly. Then... then she might just come to prefer flying to invisibility! - The End - ---------------------- Wendy Richards w.m.richards@hrm.keele.ac.uk ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 14:34:57 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Comments: RFC822 error: Incorrect or incomplete address field found and ignored. From: Carolyn Schnall Subject: List of CK's tricks? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Hi FoLCs: I was just wondering if there is a list of tricks CK pulled in the newsroom, (especially during the first two seasons or even all seasons), like super speed writing or typing, etc. I had a fanfic idea but it would require knowing when he pulled what and I thought I would set it in Season 2. I just know you all can help me, so thanks in advance, and it is so nice to be back!!! Thanks, Carolyn cschnall@.med.cornell.edu ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 19:31:41 -0000 Reply-To: Yvonne Connell Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Yvonne Connell Subject: Re: New Vignette: Invisible or Fly? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit S P O I L E R S P A C E Wendy, you meanie! Just when I thought Clark had suddenly thrown caution to the wind like we kept wanting him too, you go and bring me back down to earth with a thump! Loved it though . Yvonne (yconnell@ukf.net) ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 15:14:15 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Yael Kfir Subject: Re: NEW: Atom Bomb Lane Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Jessi, This was a wonderful story! Really funny in the beginnig, and *raelly* waff= y near the end. Keep on the god work! Yael. >> He was greeted not by Lois=92 beautiful face, but by the sound of a trash c= an and its contents clattering across the floor. It had been in her path. No= w it was not. << ROTFL! ----------------------- - Oh, god... - Zod. (Superman II) ----------------------- ______________________________________________ FREE Personalized Email at Mail.com Sign up at http://www.mail.com?sr=3Dmc.mk.mcm.tag001 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 12:39:58 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Nancy Smith Subject: Question for a fanfic MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit What is a good building in downtown Metropolis for a mad bomber to blow up? One not too far from the Daily Planet? Nan ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 16:08:07 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Joy Sowell Subject: New Vignette: Invisible or Fly? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Delightful, Wendy. So, do we get another one tomorrow? Joy :) ______________________________________________ FREE Personalized Email at Mail.com Sign up at http://www.mail.com?sr=mc.mk.mcm.tag001 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 16:13:11 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Joy Sowell Subject: Re: Question for a fanfic Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit A bank? Hey everyone look, it's raining money! A restaurant frequented by Planet staffers on their lunch breaks? ______________________________________________ FREE Personalized Email at Mail.com Sign up at http://www.mail.com?sr=mc.mk.mcm.tag001 ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 15:49:50 -0600 Reply-To: truitt22@flash.net Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: timothy truitt Organization: tnt technical services Subject: Re: i need help... MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I don't know Alexis - wish I could help also - I miss ADITLOM WHERE ARE YOU merry Alexis W. wrote: > I haven't gotten an answer to my previous question. Does anybody know the > location of the Centenial Park fountain from Mazik's Jewelers? If someone > knows, please let me know! It will really help me out. > > Thanks, > Alexis ;-.) ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 15:54:56 -0600 Reply-To: truitt22@flash.net Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: timothy truitt Organization: tnt technical services Subject: Re: NEW: The Darkest Hour part 4 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Erin - are you going to continue this story on the boards - also - are parts 1-3 exactly like what you posted on the boards - I have not read the story here because I read the boards and was waiting for you to catch up please respond merry truitt22@flash.net Erin Klingler wrote: > The Darkest Hour (Before the Dawn) > by Erin Klingler > erink@ida.net > part 4 > > ************************************************ > > When Lois stepped off the elevator at the Planet the next morning, she > noticed that Clark was already at his desk. He seemed to sense her eyes on > him, because almost immediately he looked up and saw her. Instantly, a warm > smile crossed his face. > > When she reached her desk, he was waiting for her. "Feeling better this > morning?" he asked, reaching out to rub her arms lightly. > > She smiled as she set her attaché on her desk. "Much. Thanks to the time > we were able to spend together last night." > > Clark chuckled as he took her into his arms. "I have to admit, I didn't > think we could cram that much kissing into such a short amount of time." > > Lois laughed, too, and replied with a mischievous grin, "Well, when all you > have is a short amount of time, you do what you've gotta do." > > Clark leaned in to give her a sweet, tender kiss, drawing the attention from > nearby colleagues. Noticing they were causing quite a scene, Lois giggled > as Clark pulled away, his face reddening slightly. But he smiled sheepishly > and whispered, "Hopefully we can continue this later when there are no > prying eyes." > > Lois grinned back. "That's a nice theory. I'd like to see how we're going > to manage to get some more free time later." > > Just then, Lois heard her name called and she smiled into Clark's laughing > eyes. "See what I mean?" > > Turning to see who was calling her, Lois spotted the newest Planet > researcher approaching. "Hey, Manny," she replied. "What's up?" > > The athletic-looking young man in his mid-twenties stopped beside them. > "Didn't mean to interrupt anything important," he began with a wry grin, > "but here's the research you wanted on last week's jewel robbery, Lois, as > well as a disk that contains some background information on the thief." > > She took the handful of stuff from him and gave them a cursory glance. > "Thanks, Manny." > > Manny started to leave, but suddenly stopped and turned back to Clark. "Oh, > hey, Clark. Are we still on for our game of basketball at lunch today?" > > Clark grinned. "You bet. But be prepared for a sound whipping." > > Manny laughed and pointed his pencil challengingly at Clark as he turned to > leave. "We'll just see about that." > > After Manny disappeared into the crowded newsroom, Lois turned to Clark. > "Lunchtime basketball? I didn't know you guys were so chummy." > > Clark nodded. "I helped show him around a little when he first started here > a couple of months ago, and when we found out that we both liked to play > basketball, we kind of set up a weekly lunchtime game at the park. It's a > great way to blow off some steam after a busy morning." > > "But it's December!" Lois reminded him. "How are you supposed to play > basketball?" > > Clark laughed. "The snow's pretty much subsided for now, and the courts > will be clear. Why is that so crazy?" > > "I didn't say you were crazy, but now that you mention it..." Her voice > trailed off and she smiled a little. > > Clark grinned. "You should try it sometime, Lois. A little mid-day > exercise might do you some good. It all comes down to that relaxing thing > we talked about last night." > > "Forget it," she said stubbornly. "Sweating in the middle of the day out on > some basketball court isn't my idea of a good time." > > "Okay, okay," Clark conceded. When Lois started to take off her coat, he > quickly stopped her. "You might as well leave your coat on, Lois. Perry > wants us to go down to the courthouse this morning to cover the hearing of > that bank robber from yesterday." > > "Oh yeah, the hostage situation where Superman gave me the brush off," Lois > said, her face clouding over a bit as she rebuttoned her coat and reached > for her attache. > > Clark sighed. "Lois, I'm sure he didn't mean to give you the brush off. > Maybe he really did have something on his mind, like he said." > > "What are you, a Superman expert all of a sudden?" Lois shot back, her anger > once again resurfacing. "I know what I saw, and I know how he treated me. > It really hurt, Clark, and to be honest, I'm still angry about it. > Something's going on with him, Clark, and I, for one, would like to know > what it is." She hastily slung her attaché over her shoulder and headed for > the elevator. > > Clark sighed. "Well, it may not be long before you know, Lois," he said > quietly to himself. "And if you're angry now, I can't wait to see you > then." Shaking his head, he hurried to catch up with her. > > ***** > > The exercise and cool, brisk winter air was a refreshing change for Clark a > few hours later as he and Manny met in the park for their game of one on > one. Not only was he frustrated that had and Lois was having a tough time > with work, but he couldn't help feeling horrible at the fact that Lois was > angry at how he'd acted as Superman during their recent encounter. > > So Clark took out all his pent-up frustrations on Manny as he dribbled down > the half-court length toward the basket, giving Manny a quick fake, then > rolling to his left and rushing to the basket to execute a perfect lay-up. > > "Yes!" Clark exclaimed, raising his hands high above his head victoriously. > "That's game!" > > Manny laughed and shook his head. "Okay, I give. I know when I'm beat. > But what's gotten into you today? You haven't played this possessed since > we started playing." > > Clark spun the ball on his finger and grinned cockily. "Maybe I was just > tired of letting you win," he quipped. > > "Yeah, sure," Manny laughed again as he went over to the bench next to the > court, picked up the sweatshirt he'd draped over the back of it and pulled > it over his head. "I think it's more like you were sick of being creamed." > > Clark smiled as he walked over to Manny and started to put his own > sweatshirt on. "Either way, this has been fun. It's a great way to work > off some job stress, especially with as busy as it has been around the > Planet lately." > > Manny bent over to tie a shoe. "Yeah, I noticed Perry has been working you > and Lois pretty hard lately. How's she holding up?" > > Clark's smile faded and he turned to sit down on the bench. "Not very well, > I'm afraid," Clark admitted. "She's pretty stressed out, and I can't say > that I blame her. And yesterday's dramatic exit from the newsroom certainly > announced it to everyone." > > Manny grimaced. "Yeah, I saw that. Lois can do dramatic better than anyone > I know." > > Clark laughed. "Don't I know it." > > "So what's the story with you guys?" Manny asked as he finished tying his > shoe and then turned to sit down beside Clark. "I take it from that kiss I > saw in the newsroom this morning that you two are still happy together." > > "Definitely," Clark smiled happily. "Things are going really great for us. > But to be honest, we're both pretty frustrated at how little time we've been > able to spend together lately. With the holidays and all the work Perry's > been loading on us, it's been nearly impossible to do anything together. > But after Lois threatened to quit yesterday, Perry offered to give her some > time off, and I'd like to take some vacation time of my own so we can do > something together. We've even talked about it, but we have no idea what we > want to do." > > "Hey, I have the perfect thing!" Manny exclaimed immediately. He turned and > reached into his duffle bag, fished around for a second, then pulled his > keys out. When he'd located one key in particular, he worked it off his key > chain and handed it to Clark with a flourish. "Here you go. The perfect > solution." > > Clark's brow furrowed in confusion. "What is it?" > > "It's the key to my cabin," Manny announced. "It's this great little place > in the mountains just north of Metropolis. It's part of a little mountain > resort that has some surprisingly good restaurants, and even a decent > theater group that performs a couple of times a week. The cabin's pretty > secluded, but not far enough out of town to make it inconvenient. It'd be > the perfect getaway for you and Lois! Trust me, she'd love it." > > Clark stared at his friend in surprise. "Really? You wouldn't mind if we > used it?" > > "Not a bit," Manny assured him. "As a matter of fact, you'd be doing me a > favor. I haven't used it for months, so the place could use a good airing > out." > > "Great!" Clark exclaimed happily as he took the key. "I'm sure Lois will > love it. But I'll definitely owe you one." > > Manny smiled and shook his head. "Just go a little easier on me next time > we play some one on one, will ya? I'm going to be sore tomorrow, thanks to > you." > > Clark laughed. "It's a deal." He stood up and threw on his sweatshirt and > grabbed his duffle bag containing his change of clothes. "I'm going to head > back to the Planet locker room and shower up. You coming?" > > "Nah, go on ahead," Manny said, waving him on. "I've got a couple of quick > errands to run before I get back to the grind." > > "Okay, then I'll see you later. And thanks again for this!" Clark held up > the key and smiled gratefully. > > "Anytime." > > With one last wave, Clark jogged across the park lawn to the street, where > Manny watched him carefully look both ways before running across. When > Manny was certain Clark was out of earshot, he looked around to make sure he > was alone, then reached into his bag, pulled out his cell phone and quickly > punched in a number. > > A few moments later, he spoke quietly into the phone. "Yeah, it's me. The > cabin's a go. He doesn't suspect a thing." > > When he hung up the phone and slipped it back into his bag, he turned once > again to watch as Clark's still-jogging figure continued to disappear down > the street. > > Manny's face creased into a satisfied smirk. "Some things are just too > easy." > > ***** > > "Yes!" Trask exclaimed as he slapped the mouthpiece of his cell phone shut > and spun around to face his colleague. "Manny did it! Kent fell for it > hook, line and sinker. Before you know it, we'll have Lane and Kent walking > right into our clutches." > > Garrison looked up skeptically from where he sat in the recliner in the > corner of the sparsely decorated log-cabin room, thumbing through a computer > technology magazine. "Don't get so optimistic, Trask. There are still a > hundred things that could go wrong with this plan. Like your little > unexpected snitch, for example." > > Trask dismissed Garrison's pessimism with a wave of his hand. "An > unforeseen complication, but I took care of it," he assured him airily. > "How could we have known that Les would suddenly develop a conscience about > being involved in a plot to eliminate Superman, and rush to the Daily Planet > to tell Lois Lane about it?" > > "Well, it was lucky for us that we were able to have him killed before he > leaked too much information to her," Garrison muttered. "Otherwise, your > little snitch could've ruined everything." > > "But he didn't," Trask replied. "According to Manny, Lois labored away at > her so-called "vigilante groups" story for weeks before the well finally ran > dry, and that joke of an editor, Perry White, had no choice but to pull her > off the story. And it just happened to work to our advantage that dear, > over-worked Lois recently started to suffer an emotional breakdown, leaving > us with the perfect opportunity to have Manny convince Clark to take her to > the cabin for their little romantic getaway." He chortled. "Little do they > know that when they arrive, we'll be waiting for them." > > Garrison shook his head negatively. "Unless something else goes wrong." > > Trask's expression darkened. "Why so pessimistic, Garrison? We're finally > about to trap Superman and make him tell us about his friends coming to take > over the planet." > > Garrison snorted sarcastically. "I can't believe that you're still holding > firm to this insane 'alien invasion' theory! Come on, Trask! Stop being > such a paranoid delusional... " > > "Paranoid? Is that what you think I am?" Trask asked coldly. "You're just > like everyone else in this country: too blind to see what's right in front > of your face! What else would a super being like Superman be doing here? > An accidental arrival who suddenly decides to fight for "truth, justice and > the American way"? Come on! If you believe that, you're as brainwashed as > the rest of them! A year ago I followed Superman's trail to Smallville, put > my job on the line--not to mention my noble intention of saving the American > way of life!-and found out about Kryptonite, the one thing that'll kill > Superman. And how am I repaid? The American people turn on me, leave me in > a swamp to die! And for what? Because I'm trying to stop an alien invasion > from swarming to Earth? From taking over the world and changing all those > people's ways of life? I'm punished, practically banished from the > government community!" > > "Not bitter or anything, are you?" Garrison chuckled. > > "You bet I'm bitter!" Trask growled. "Superman almost killed me back in the > swamp in Smallville. Who knows what his people would do if they come in > force?" > > "Superman wasn't even *in* Smallville, Trask!" Garrison shouted, finally > tired of hearing Trask's rantings. > > Trask smirked. "Oh, really? Is that what you think?" > > "What I think?! It's what I know!" Garrison shot back, not the least bit > worried about being overhead by Trask's thugs standing outside the room. > "The details were all in the files! Your men never once caught sight of the > red cape or blue suit. He didn't almost kill you, Trask! It was *you* who > almost got yourself killed! Did you think that pulling a gun on that > reporter, Clark Kent, in a small swamp in Smallville was going to lure > Superman?" > > Garrison turned and stalked to the window looking out onto the forest, then > turned back and continued angrily. "You were shot because you almost killed > some innocent reporter! If it weren't for some psychotic person with > undoubtedly too much time and money on their hands to arrange to have your > body stolen from the morgue and then have you brought back to life, you'd be > six feet under right now! Consider yourself lucky, Trask. Whether or not > this person believes in your 'alien invasion' theory, they agree with you on > one thing, as I do. Superman needs to be eliminated. So let's just focus > on that and be done with it. Then you can go your way, and I can go mine." > > "Oh, that's right. You want to go back to your cozy little cubicle at FBI > headquarters where you can spend your days hacking into whatever computer > systems the government tells you to," Trask said irritatingly. "If you're > such a disbeliever in the mission of Bureau 39, why did you get assigned to > this position? I certainly didn't ask for you." > > Garrison's lips curled into a disdainful frown. "Just lucky, I guess." > > Trask simply shrugged. "Well, all that really matters is, your job is to > help me kill Superman. Whether or not you agree with me on *why* we need to > do that, it doesn't matter. All that matters is, I'm back, and I'm going to > lure him here and find out by any means necessary when this invasion is > going to take place. And then everyone who doubted me before will finally > know that I was right. Then I'm going to dispose of him the way I should've > done when I had a chance. He won't get away from me again." > > Deciding it wasn't worth arguing about, Garrison shook his head and crossed > the room toward the door. "Whatever you say, Trask. Now if you don't mind, > I have some people to contact." > > "Oh yeah?" Trask asked offhandedly. "The 'secret boss' you have?" > > "Yes. Unlike you, I have sane people to answer to." > > Trask let the insult roll off his back. "Answer to for what, exactly?" > > Garrison paused with his hand on the doorknob. He turned back to Trask, his > face steely and expression masked. "As you like to say, 'That's on a need > to know basis, and...you don't.'" He smirked. "The reasons for why I'm > here are none of your business. But like you said, in the long run, we're > both after the same thing: to see that Superman is eliminated. That's all > that matters." And with that, Garrison opened the door and left the room. > > Trask's eyes flashed as he watched Garrison disappear into the hall. As > soon as he was out of sight, he grumbled, "If he hadn't been directly > assigned to this project and wasn't so highly connected, I'd get rid of him > in a second." > > Ever since that fateful day in Smallville when he'd been shot by that > deputy, everything had changed. Politics had changed. The administration > of Bureau 39 had changed. > > But one thing hadn't changed. Superman, and the threat of alien invasion > along with him, needed to be taken care of. Whoever anonymous benefactor > had decided to pay to use some mysterious, life-saving regeneration method > to bring him back to life, he was grateful. Since the person didn't want > their identity known, Trask had long since given up trying to find out the > source. He was just glad he was alive, to have another chance to validate > himself as a man who could save the world from an oncoming force of > destruction. A race of super beings sure to invade and rule the world. It > was too bad Garrison didn't see the threat. > > Trask shook his head as he walked over to the cabin window looking out on > the darkening forest. In the past year or so that he'd been nursed back to > health and had had Garrison assigned to be his second in command by somebody > higher up (even *he* had never known everybody up the political Bureau 39 > chain), Garrison had been something of an enigma to him. > > He'd never been able to find out who'd assigned him, and hadn't been able to > track down much of Garrison's past to give him a clue as to why he was being > assigned to the project. It definitely wasn't because Garrison shared his > views on Superman being the front man of an alien invasion, that was for > sure. He'd made it clear how he felt about that theory. But he did indeed > seem to want, as badly as *he* did, to eliminate Superman, and that was at > least something. > > But it didn't quell his suspicions about Garrison, and the agenda he was > sure the man secretly held. Had he been sent to spy on him and his men as > they worked toward disposing of the Superhero? If so, who was suspicious > enough-or not confident enough in his abilities to follow through with the > task-to plant Garrison in the mix? Who was it he mysteriously reported to? > Was that person the one who'd brought Trask back to life, therefore staking > his claim in the project? > > But whatever answers there were, Trask had been unable to find them. So > he'd continued to go about his business, putting up with Garrison's flippant > remarks and rebellious ways. He was insubordinate, did things on his own > schedule, often disappeared into that hole of a back room where he used his > extensive set-up of computer equipment for hours a day, and mouthed off to > him in front of his men. > > But as much as he'd like to be the one to do away with Garrison, he didn't > dare. Obviously Garrison reported to someone of importance, and the > connections he brought to the project were invaluable, even if he was kept > in the dark about how he came up with most of the information he acquired. > > The bottom line was, though, that it didn't matter. As long as he got what > he wanted-Superman-Garrison could follow his own agenda, whatever it may be. > It was enough that Garrison was as eager to dispose of Superman as he was. > > Turning away from the window, Trask decided to temporarily put his > colleague's suspicious actions aside. Right now, he had other, more > important things to worry about. > > Taking a couple of steps toward the door, Trask called out for his men in > the hall. "Guys, get in here! We've got a kidnapping to plan." > > *************************** > > part 5 tomorrow... ;) > > Erin > __________________ > erink@ida.net > Visit my LNC/Kerth Website: www.ida.net/users/davek > ***** > "It's not the years that count, it's the moments...right now, as they > happen." > __________________ ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 16:52:50 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Ann E. McBride" Subject: Re: Question for a fanfic MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit How about the gold repository that was robbed by the invisible men? or the Metropolis Trade Tower that was supposed to be bombed in Supermann? Ann ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 22:58:16 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Petra Steudle Subject: Re: NEW: Heartache MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sharon wrote: > i enjoyed the story. kinda neat to get a different take on their first > meeting. Thanks for your nice comment :) It's really good to get all that feedback >from you guys after all the work the three of us put in writing and translating the story. I have to admit that I feel a kind of empty now that "Heartache Tonight" is done (well, not quite. We still have to edit the German version for the German L&C Fanfic Archive) and having to look for other things to do at night than working on HT ;) cheers Petra (for the German L&C Fanfic Team) P.S.: Nicole, Tina, thanks for the "Heartache Tonight" mug "Once burned twice shy I've learned I've cried And I never gonna hurt that way again" mailto: ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 14:03:56 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Nancy Smith Subject: Re: i need help... MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit The only thing I can tell you is that Centennial Park was within walking distance of the Daily Planet, and Mazik's Jewelers may not have been. Lois drove there in her Jeep when she followed Clark in ATAI. Nan timothy truitt wrote: > I don't know Alexis - wish I could help also - I miss ADITLOM > WHERE ARE YOU > merry > > Alexis W. wrote: > > > I haven't gotten an answer to my previous question. Does anybody know the > > location of the Centenial Park fountain from Mazik's Jewelers? If someone > > knows, please let me know! It will really help me out. > > > > Thanks, > > Alexis ;-.) ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 14:06:42 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Nancy Smith Subject: Re: Question for a fanfic MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Between your and Joy's suggestions I think I have enough for the mad bomber. Thanks. Nan Ann E. McBride wrote: > How about the gold repository that was robbed by the invisible men? or the > Metropolis Trade Tower that was supposed to be bombed in Supermann? > > Ann ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 17:11:57 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Deborah A. Myers" Subject: Re: New Vignette: Invisible or Fly? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Wendy, That was really great. I'm at home sick from work this week and really needed a pick me up. I truly enjoyed this little story. Deborah M. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 17:40:01 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Tylke, Judith" Subject: New; Lines of Communication MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Hello All, I'm finally back up and running again, I built myself a new computer from old Macs I was gifted with from a store getting rid of old stock and so now have a comp at home and don't have to either find the time or get access to my comp at work, Rah! I wrote this story during Hurricane Floyd, it's length is predicated on the life of my then still opperant laptop's batteries since the electricity was out, and it owes it's life to Nan Smith who gave me a wonderful suggestion on how to clear writers block. I wrote the dialogue as part of the 'block reliever', just the words and no descriptions - nonsense really but when I was browsing my files I came across that segment and found it lent itself to an easy wrap of narrative. Since I was in the midst of severe network problems, compounded by three hurricane closures, fubar'd communication was high in my thoughts and on my list of peeves, hence then name. May your New Year, whichever calander you use, be filled with twice the joys and half the sorrows of the last year. Enjoy! JT > Lines of Communication > By Judith Tylke > > > > The answering machine was cycling, rewinding to the messages that had > collected over the evening, it seemed to be taking an awfully long time > Lois reflected tiredly as she dropped onto the couch. She'd been so angry > when she left the restaurant that she'd stalked right past her jeep and > had gone nearly twenty blocks before she stopped long enough to remember > that she'd driven there. > > It had made her angry all over again, her mental rant became verbal and > she spent the return journey muttering to herself. Most people were > sensible enough to give the beautiful thundercloud a wide berth. One brave > soul - who was foolish enough to think that if he could make to pretty > lady smile instead of frown he might get a date - was wholly unprepared > for the blazing brown eyes that squewered him, the five minute tirade he'd > been treated to or the three women who stopped to join in the verbal > assault on men in general to add, "You tell him girl friend!", "All men > are slime balls," and "Loraina had the right idea,", the last sending him > running, issuing fervent prayers to the Almighty that he be protected from > insane, potentially knife wielding women. > > > Pulling herself up off the couch Lois headed to the kitchen for a cup of > hot chocolate when she heard her sisters voice reminding her of their > lunch date the following day. > > "Right Luce, haven't forgotten," She answered her sister as the machine > beeped signaling the next message. > > Her mechanic, the jeep was over due for servicing...Beep 'OK, I'll call > in the morning.' > > Series of beeps... That probably signified telephone solicitors who were > to craven to leave their name or company she thought with a snort as she > wandered into the bed room, she'd nearly made it to the closet when she > heard Clark's voice coming from her machine. > > "Calling to say he's sorry for ducking out on me again!" She stormed back > into the living room fully intent on erasing the voice of Clark Kent from > the tape even if she was unsuccessful in erasing him from her mind or > heart. > > She'd nearly reached the desk when she heard Martha's voice coming from > the machine, "Oh great! The phone company still doesn't have that > conference call thing working yet - no wonder the tape was full!" It was a > toss up which had her more incensed; the fact that for the third time this > week she had a recording of one of Clark's phone calls or how dispirited > he sounded when his mother asked him what was wrong. > > "It's just been one of those days Mom." > > "Had a fight with Lois?" > > "Ha! He'd have to stay around long enough to have a fight!" > > "Not exactly, we were having dinner when I had to leave and by the time I > got back she'd paid the bill and left. I tried going by her place to > apologize but she wasn't home. I doubt she'll even be talking to me in the > morning." > > "Not speaking to you now!" > > "Honey, if you would just tell her the truth she wouldn't be angry, she'd > understand why you have to leave so often" > > 'What truth?' Her finger, poised over the off button, was quickly > retracted. > > "I've tried Mom, but every time I try I think about how mad she'll be... > I'm not sure what's worse knowing how mad she is now or thinking about how > mad she'll be when I tell her. I keep thinking if I could just find the > right words then she won't hate me when I tell her. " > > "Tell me what?!" Lois shouted at the machine, which ignored her entirely > and continued cycling. > > "Clark she won't hate you! She doesn't hate you now, she's just mad > because she doesn't understand. Talk to her, tell her you love her and > then tell her the truth." > > "Yeah, I guess." > > "Tell me WHAT!!" She turned up the volume as if that would make all things > clear. > > "Honey, you're not still hung up on that whole 'she's got to love me and > not the guy in the suit' thing are you?" > > "What guy and what suit? Suit?" > > "No." > > "Not very convincing Kent." > > "Clark, this is your mother you're talking to." > > "See, can't fool her either." > > "I know she cares about me Mom, and lately I know that she's been seeing > me, I'm mean really seeing me, Clark, not just the guy she works with or > hangs out with, it's just sometimes..." > > "Sometimes what? What?" > > "You still wonder sometimes if she wants Superman more than Clark?" > > 'What? Did I miss something? What's Superman got to do with this?' > > "I want her to want me, not the suit or the powers - just me." > > "Suit again, what suit?" She was beginning to hate this suit thing. > > "Clark you can't ask her to love one part of you and hate another." > > "Of course you can't that's just stupid,... what parts of him?" > > "I know Mom it's just.." > > "Then I don't see what the problem is. You love her, I know she loves you, > so talk to her, she can't tell you she loves you if you don't give her a > chance." > > "Somehow Mom I get the feeling that isn't what she wants to say to me > right now. I..." Beep > > She sat trying to digest what she'd heard, failing to notice that the > tape was rewinding automatically. She listened to it again, getting lost > in thought as the first messages played and being brought back sharply by > Clark's voice as he began speaking again. > > In the end she was able to recite each word with Clark and Martha as the > tape played, did recite it over and over again. Each illuminating, > infuriating, confounding word, in varying volume, tone and emotions as > denial, anger, pain, and reluctant understanding moved through her. Each > time she began to doubt what she'd heard she'd stab her finger at the play > key and listen again. It would be forever emblazoned in her memory. > > At three o'clock in the morning when the tape machine coughed, spumed a > thin spiral of black acrid smoke and died, Lois grabbed her keys and > walked out the door. > > Fifteen minutes later she stood outside Clark's building on Clinton street > looking at the building critically. Walking a circuit around to the alley > she surveyed the terrain looking up at the balcony which she knew was > Clark's then walking around to stand once more in front of the building. > > She stood for a moment pondering options then made her way to her > considered best vantage point and made herself comfortable against the > wall of the adjoining building. She waited for nearly an hour reaching an > almost meditative state as she purposely kept her mind as blank as > possible, she'd run in so many circles for so long it hurt physically to > think. A combination of the adrenaline from surprise, hurt, and abject > rage - at herself or at Clark she wasn't quite sure at times - kept her > going long after her body would have gladly stopped. > > A sudden swooshing noise followed quickly by a sonic boom brought her > upright. She knew that sound - had heard it around her since Clark had > first come to Metropolis and until now never realized the significance of > the proximity of the sound. She'd seen nothing, and had all the proof she > needed. Without a further glance at Clark's apartment she turned for home. > > > She was four blocks away from home, walking slowly, absently staring at > the sidewalk in front of her when her path was suddenly blocked by a pair > of red boots. > > "Lois? Kind of late to be taking a walk isn't it?" > > 'Yup, that was Clark's voice alright,' deeper in tone then his normal > speaking voice but Clark's. She started with the red boots and worked her > way up the suit looking critically at what she saw evaluating his body and > comparing it mentally to what she'd seen of Clark's - 'Yup, same body.' > > Clark was beginning to feel at once very uncomfortable and more then > slightly worried as Lois seemed to both not see and examine him > microscopically at the same time. When she finally reached his face to > stare searchingly at him still without speaking he asked "Lois are you all > right?" > > "Just peachy," was the horse reply as she stepped around him and resumed > her walk. > > "What happened to your voice?" He fell into step with her. > > "Lost it." > > "How did you lose it?" Her terse responses were beginning to spook him, > was she sick? Why was she out walking at almost five in the morning? > > "Ranting and raving mostly." Her voice was little more than a croak. > > After that first perusal she hadn't looked at him at all and so missed the > wince he tried to cover as it occurred to him just who she had been in all > probability ranting about. > > "Is there anything I can do?" As Superman he couldn't very well not offer > to help, he rationalized to himself, even as part of his mind said, 'You > know exactly what you can do to help - coward.' > > Lois began to shake her head then turned and faced him squarely, "Get the > phone lines fixed Clark," she croaked clearly before walking on. > > Clark stood stock still where she'd left him repeating each word in his > mind while 'Clark' echoed through him. The phone call with his parents, > the phone trouble they'd both been having since the phone company > installed their new conference call service on the lines, Oh God... > > "Lois please," she'd made it to the end of the block and was turning the > corner when he caught up to her, "let me explain, please." > > "Don't owe me an explanation," she shook her head definitively. > > "Lois, of course I do." > > "Nope. I'm just the idiot who loves you, oh sorry, forgot - I'm not > supposed to love you in those clothes." > > Her voice cracked from hoarseness but other then that it had a weary > matter of factness that broke Clark's heart, "Lois please," he stopped her > with a hand on her arm and turned her toward him, to find himself gazing > into shuttered eyes, "I love you. I never meant to hurt you, you have to > know that. I wanted to protect you." > > She gave a odd half nod shake of her head, "You always have, right from > the first," she gave an ironic snort, "Probably more times then I realize > huh?" Reading his face she nodded, "Yup." she pulled free, "You are very > good at keeping secrets Clark, lousy at quick lying - but really good at > the secret thing." > > "I've had to practice it all my life Lois. If Bureau 39 had found me as a > kid do you think they would have let my parents live?" > > "I know, it makes sense. It all makes sense Clark. You know what doesn't > make sense to me tonight, and it's odd really everything else is so > crystal clear, what doesn't make sense is the person I thought I knew > better then just about anyone is really a stranger to me. The one person I > would have sworn would never willingly hurt me just hurt me so badly it > hurt to breath there for a while and he did it because he really was > trying to protect me. Everything about you is coming in twos tonight, it's > so bizarre." > > She'd begun climbing the stairs to her building and Clark followed without > asking, her exhaustion was evident and as long as she didn't throw him out > he had every intention of seeing her safely to sleep. He also wasn't so > sure that talking to her would be easier when she'd gotten some rest, her > calm might be errie now but he knew it wouldn't last. > > They didn't speak again until they got into her apartment, when Lois sat > on the couch without turning on the lights and kicked off her shoes > observing, "You owe me an answering machine by the way," as she curled > into the corner. > > "What happened to yours?" he walked over to the desk and sniffed, "It > burned up?" > > "Played the tape to often." She let her head drop to the back of the sofa > and regarded him gravely for a moment, "I don't really want to look at > 'the suit' at the moment." > > He spun into a tee shirt and jeans and stood before her holding his > glasses in his hand. > > "What happened to it?" she asked blinking - she was tired beyond surprise > and maybe it was just the quality of the gray predawn light which filled > the room but for a moment she thought he just disappeared. > > "I sent it home, usually I just wear it under my clothes." He sat on the > couch and dropped his glasses on the table. > > "Sent it home? Is that what you do with the boots? You can't wear those > under your clothes." She looked at him assessing, "The cape either." > > "Yeah. I'm not sure how to explain it. At first it drove me crazy trying > to change in the bathroom, then one day I was in a big hurry and I just > spun," he shrugged and shook his head, "from then on when I've needed my > stuff it's always there for me. When I need my regular clothes back I just > spin back and they're there." > > Suddenly Lois began to giggle, "You'd be awfully embarrassed if they > weren't." > > He smiled at her, something inside him loosening with her giggle, "Yeah, I > would be. It's kind of hard on watches though and I've already had to > replace my cell phone twice." Leaning back and turning toward her he > curled his leg on the couch and reached out to gently brush her hair away > from her face. Meeting her eyes he said softly, "I really do love you > Lois, I'm so sorry I hurt you." > > She looked at him soberly for a moment before saying, "You ever lie to me > again it's over Clark. The partnership, us, everything, understand?" > > He nodded equally solemnly before giving her a small wry smile, "You may > not like the unvarnished Clark, my life gets kind of weird sometimes." > > The smile started in her eyes as she wondered absently if there had ever > been a time since she met him that in one guise or another she hadn't > loved him, when it finally reached her lips it was a sleepy grin. She > shook her head and moved to lay it on his shoulder as she said with yawn, > "Good thing for you I love you in spite of your multiple personalities." > > He laughed, "Good thing we both love you.", and hugged her close, > dropping a kiss on her forehead. > > "Just as long as one of you doesn't stop." > > "Not a chance," he said lifting her face to give her a long slow kiss. > > She sighed deeply and relaxed completely against him returning his kiss > with sleepy hunger. She smiled and whispered when it ended, "Remind > yourself to do that again when I'm awake OK?" before tucking herself under > his chin and drifting off to sleep barely hearing his whispered, > "Promise." > > > The end. > > > > > > > > ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 18:36:02 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Lori Llorence Subject: Re: New; Lines of Communication MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Great Story Judith! I loved every minute!! More Please!! :-) Lori ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 18:46:34 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Kate Crane Subject: Re: New; Lines of Communication MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Judith, Absolutely wonderful!! I was enthralled right from the start, laughing out loud! Loved the three-way "conversation" and Lorena honorable mention ;). So glad you put together a computer to send this to us. Many thanks for a delightful story. Kate ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 19:31:33 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Gerry Anklewicz Subject: Re: Question for a fanfic In-Reply-To: <3874FD9E.7F174C52@earthlink.net> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU writes: >What is a good building in downtown Metropolis for a mad bomber to blow >up? One not too far from the Daily Planet? > >Nan Consider the Luxor Hotel or what is the name of the building Lex lived in? Lex Towers? Gerry ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 19:52:34 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "C.C. Malo" Subject: Re: New; Lines of Communication MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit This is a sweet and wonderful story, J. T. Lois and Clark sounding just like Lois and Clark and a great line about the suit. So good to see you back --I've been wondering where you got to. Now, I seem to recall a longer story that you had in the works. :) Carol ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 17:05:41 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: TA Merrill Subject: Re: New; Lines of Communication MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Wow! You need to get writer's block more often! (just kidding) I can't wait to see more from you! TerriAnn __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 02:27:23 -0000 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: LabRat Subject: Re: New; Lines of Communication MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Judith, you've been away too long, girl! But what a wonderful way to rejoin us. I loved it! More! LabRat :) ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 22:03:57 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Alexis W." Subject: Re: please help MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Okay... since nobody seems to know the location of the fountain from Mazik's Jewelers (i assume it's pretty far because someone reminded me that Lois had to drive there to spy on Clark) do you know of anything around the jewerly store that would be a good place for someone to hide out? Or should i just make something up? Thanks, Alexis ;-.) ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 22:16:51 -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 Organization: http://www.geocities.com/~chiefpam/ Subject: Re: New; Lines of Communication MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit That's so sweet, Judith... I saw my mail today and thought, "Ooh! New fic from Judith! :) " And I wasn't disappointed; this was very nice, and very Lois-like... One niggly thing ... during the recorded phone conversation, it was a bit tricky to figure out who was talking, between Martha, Clark & Lois ... maybe different types of punctuation would help clear it up -- one set for the phone conversation, and another for Lois's commentary. It's just a thought. The dialog really wasn't that hard to identify, because you did a good job characterizing all three of them. Sorry that Floyd hit you that hard, but not sorry that we got good fic out of it! :) PJ in NC -- ------------------------------------------------------- Pam Jernigan | jernigan@bellsouth.net ChiefPam on IRC | ChPam on AOL IM ------------------------------------------------------- "Not only was Ivan an idiot, but he generated a telepathic damping field to turn the people nearby into idiots, too." --An exasperated Miles contemplates his cousin in _The Warrior's Apprentice_, by Lois McMaster Bujold ------------------------------------------------------- http://www.geocities.com/~chiefpam ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 21:30:13 CST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Jessi Mounts Subject: Re: NEW: Atom Bomb Lane Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Thanks so much to Irene, Tara, Kara, Merry, and Yael for the feedback on Atom Bomb Lane. If my next fanfic comes out any sooner than it would have, it's thanks to you and the people at the message board being so encouraging the first time around. Now, whether that's a thank you or a threat, I don't know. ;-) Anyway, thank you. I appreciate very much. Jessi jessi914@hotmail.com ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 22:24:02 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: sharper Subject: Re: Question for a fanfic MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > What is a good building in downtown Metropolis for a mad bomber to blow > up? One not too far from the Daily Planet? Nan, the New Troy Mercantile Bank is across the street from the Daily Planet. It's part of a row of buildings on that block, though. Sheila ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 00:22:55 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Anita Dicker Subject: Question about writing MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hello, I've been mostly lurking around here and there. I'm working on a story which I had planned to have done by now. Real life had interrupted for a while. I had sent a couple of fragments earlier, to see how it was done. I need to know if stories grow on their own, even after you had it plotted out. It's already twice what I had expected it to be, and may double before it's finished. I'm becoming discouraged, because of all the great stories that have been posted here recently. If you like to answer no need to clutter the list, e-mail me privatly. Anita Dicker abooks@bellsouth.net ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 22:02:01 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Judith Williams Subject: Re: Question about writing MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Anita I know what you mean. I started writing my first fanfic in October and it seems to have taken on a life of its own, separate from what I originally intended. And it is getting longer and more complex. What amazes me is that when I start writing a section, the characters seem to be inventing their own dialogue; I'm just the messenger. It's very strange. I write poetry, so I'm accustomed to inspiration coming from nowhere, but this is something entirely new and different. I'm sure many of the experienced writers will have better advice for you. My solution has been to write the bits and pieces that come to me and put them together later in a logical and sensible fashion with the goal of ending up with the best story I can write. I've already made many changes, but my overall direction and goal have not changed. In fact, right after Christmas the end of my story started bugging me so I wrote it, and I'm pretty pleased with it, even though I'm not anywhere near the end in terms of writing the rest. Creating is just weird and you have to let it happen the way it wants to; just keep plugging away. I hope this helps. I know you'll get good advice from a lot 0f people, 'cause they're really terrific about that on this list. Jude ----- Original Message ----- From: Anita Dicker To: Sent: Thursday, January 06, 2000 9:22 PM Subject: Question about writing > Hello, > > I've been mostly lurking around here and there. I'm working on a story > which I had planned to have done by now. Real life had interrupted for a > while. I had sent a couple of fragments earlier, to see how it was > done. I need to know if stories grow on their own, even after you had > it plotted out. It's already twice what I had expected it to be, and may > double before it's finished. I'm becoming discouraged, because of all > the great stories that have been posted here recently. If you like to > answer no need to clutter the list, e-mail me privatly. > > Anita Dicker > abooks@bellsouth.net ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 02:49:53 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Rose Cookson Subject: Re: New; Lines of Communication MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Wow. Amazing story. I love it. The answering machine thing was truly original. I sure hope you write more fic soon! Rose ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 02:51:14 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Alexis W." Subject: Re: Question about writing MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Anita.. don't feel so bad. I started a fanfic/nfic last July 99 and well it's still not done! It is nearing 400 pages written out! I am taking a creative writing course at school right now and my prof technically would call something like that a novel! This is my first attempt at fanfic and to already have a "novel" that isn't even finished yet.. is a bit mind boggling. But it is also fun too! =) I hope this helps! Alexis ;-.) {who may have some extra time to write fanfic since she thinks she just caught that nasty flu bug! ;(} ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 09:31:51 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Nicole Wolke Subject: Re: New Vignette: Invisible or Fly? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit S P O I L E R S P A C E LOL, Wendy, I have to admit, I kept thinking: Come on that is *too* waffy to be real! And then it was . Very sweet vignette! The exactly right thing to warm my heart on this cold winter morning! Nicole -- AKA CKgroupie on IRC NKWolke@eifel-net.net Are you always searching for news about Dean Cain? And don't you have enough time to find them? Go to: "The Dean Cain News Page" http://members.tripod.de/CKgroupie/ ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 09:37:02 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Nicole Wolke Subject: Re: The Mirror cracked MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit S P O I L E R S P A C E Hazel, I know I'm late, but I'm just catching up on all those great stories that have been posted to the list during the last weeks and I want to congratulate you on your story "The Mirror cracked". I loved it! What a fascinating rewrite of the episode "Tempus Anyone". I especially liked the way you included quotes of the episode (I sniffed throught the whole goodbye scene with Alt-Clark for example although I knew the dialogue already, but your description of Clark's despair was very touching!) and how well the story would have fit into the continuity of the series. Nicole -- AKA CKgroupie on IRC NKWolke@eifel-net.net Are you always searching for news about Dean Cain? And don't you have enough time to find them? Go to: "The Dean Cain News Page" http://members.tripod.de/CKgroupie/ ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 09:46:12 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Nicole Wolke Subject: Re: The Darkest Hour (part 6) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit S P O I L E R S P A C E Ah, isn't it a shame that we know already that this wonderful weekend of Lois and Clark will be messed up by the bad guys? I would *love* to see the two lovebirds work on their relationship, spiced with some of that sexual tension we saw in "The Pheonix"! I'm sure Clark would be a good boy though and I'm also sure, Lois would be tempted to overcome her "skittishness" . Can't wait for the continuation, Erin! And thank you very much for posting three parts yesterday! Will you do that again, please? :-) Nicole -- AKA CKgroupie on IRC NKWolke@eifel-net.net Are you always searching for news about Dean Cain? And don't you have enough time to find them? Go to: "The Dean Cain News Page" http://members.tripod.de/CKgroupie/ ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 10:10:59 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Nicole Wolke Subject: Re: New; Lines of Communication MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit S P O I L E R S P A C E Wow, I can't stop writing feedback today. Another wonderful vignette! Congratiulations Judith, I loved this story! My favorite sentence was: > > "Tell me WHAT!!" She turned up the volume as if that would make all things > > clear. This is just so Lois! I was laughing out loud when I read it Nicole -- AKA CKgroupie on IRC NKWolke@eifel-net.net Are you always searching for news about Dean Cain? And don't you have enough time to find them? Go to: "The Dean Cain News Page" http://members.tripod.de/CKgroupie/ ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 04:54:00 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Debby Subject: Re: please help In-Reply-To: <2f.2f1374bc.25a6b19d@aol.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 10:03 PM 01/06/2000 -0500, you wrote: >Okay... since nobody seems to know the location of the fountain from Mazik's >Jewelers (i assume it's pretty far because someone reminded me that Lois had >to drive there to spy on Clark) do you know of anything around the jewerly >store that would be a good place for someone to hide out? Dumpster? Phone Booth? Corner Coffee Shop? >Or should i just >make something up? > >Thanks, >Alexis ;-.) > ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 13:41:40 -0000 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: LabRat Subject: Re: Question about writing MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Anita wrote: I need to know if stories grow on their own, even after you had > it plotted out. It's already twice what I had expected it to be, and may > double before it's finished. I'm becoming discouraged, because of all > the great stories that have been posted here recently. Hah! Tell me about it, Anita! I don't so much write fic as let my characters out of the trap and then dash after them before they get out of sight and just try to keep up. I don't plot in advance, except to note down bits and pieces as they occur, so sometimes I have more idea of where I want a story to go than at others. Even then, they rarely turn out as I intended when I started out. Caped Fear was a simple little tale of graveyard vampires and Lois getting into trouble when Clark was out of town when it started and it turned into an epic. But don't let it discourage you. That's what's so wonderful about writing. The surprises around the corner. Think of it this way: writing is a creative process and by definition writers have to have sparking imaginations. It's inevitable that once you start the process your imagination is going to be inspired to keep going, to take you in leaps and bounds into possibilities you never imagined when you set out on page one. Don't fight it - glory in it! If you want a shorter story....well, there I can't offer much advice. Fighting against the Muse, I've learned, is pretty much futile. She goes where she wills. You could try excising some of your narrative and dumping it into a temp file for later use on another story. I often save narrative that is just complicating matters far too much or just doesn't suit the situation (no matter how much I try to force it to because I like the phrasing ;) and save it for later. It's amazing how, with a little tweaking here and there, it can fit perfectly in another fic for which it was never intended. But mainly, what I want to say is just......enjoy. Go with the flow. Relax. Write what occurs and tweak it later in redrafts. And just have fun! Doesn't sound as though you're doing anything different from any other writer using this list. LabRat :) ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 06:12:36 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Nancy Smith Subject: Re: please help MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I would suggest you make something up. We won't mind. Nan Alexis W. wrote: > Okay... since nobody seems to know the location of the fountain from Mazik's > Jewelers (i assume it's pretty far because someone reminded me that Lois had > to drive there to spy on Clark) do you know of anything around the jewerly > store that would be a good place for someone to hide out? Or should i just > make something up? > > Thanks, > Alexis ;-.) ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 10:04:16 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Charlotte Fisler Subject: Solar Eclipse MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sorry I'm a bit late responding on this one. I left home before I even read. Read it on the plane here (Denver for a visit with my sun and daughter) I've read each installment of this series since it came out and all were good, but this one - to me personally was the best yet. I love your Jon Kent and I love the way you handled the 'revelation' in this one. Keep the series up. Charlotte ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 07:19:11 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Nancy Smith Subject: Re: New; Lines of Communication MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit You mean that little suggestion I gave you is responsible for this, Judith? Wow! I had no idea! This is a really original idea, and I like it. Nan Tylke, Judith wrote: > Hello All, > > I'm finally back up and running again, I built myself a new > computer from old Macs I was gifted with from a store getting rid of old > stock and so now have a comp at home and don't have to either find the time > or get access to my comp at work, Rah! > I wrote this story during Hurricane Floyd, it's length is > predicated on the life of my then still opperant laptop's batteries since > the electricity was out, and it owes it's life to Nan Smith who gave me a > wonderful suggestion on how to clear writers block. I wrote the dialogue as > part of the 'block reliever', just the words and no descriptions - nonsense > really but when I was browsing my files I came across that segment and found > it lent itself to an easy wrap of narrative. Since I was in the midst of > severe network problems, compounded by three hurricane closures, fubar'd > communication was high in my thoughts and on my list of peeves, hence then > name. > > May your New Year, whichever calander you use, be filled > with twice the joys and half the sorrows of the last year. > > Enjoy! JT > > > Lines of Communication > > By Judith Tylke > > > > > > > > The answering machine was cycling, rewinding to the messages that had > > collected over the evening, it seemed to be taking an awfully long time > > Lois reflected tiredly as she dropped onto the couch. She'd been so angry > > when she left the restaurant that she'd stalked right past her jeep and > > had gone nearly twenty blocks before she stopped long enough to remember > > that she'd driven there. > > > > It had made her angry all over again, her mental rant became verbal and > > she spent the return journey muttering to herself. Most people were > > sensible enough to give the beautiful thundercloud a wide berth. One brave > > soul - who was foolish enough to think that if he could make to pretty > > lady smile instead of frown he might get a date - was wholly unprepared > > for the blazing brown eyes that squewered him, the five minute tirade he'd > > been treated to or the three women who stopped to join in the verbal > > assault on men in general to add, "You tell him girl friend!", "All men > > are slime balls," and "Loraina had the right idea,", the last sending him > > running, issuing fervent prayers to the Almighty that he be protected from > > insane, potentially knife wielding women. > > > > > > Pulling herself up off the couch Lois headed to the kitchen for a cup of > > hot chocolate when she heard her sisters voice reminding her of their > > lunch date the following day. > > > > "Right Luce, haven't forgotten," She answered her sister as the machine > > beeped signaling the next message. > > > > Her mechanic, the jeep was over due for servicing...Beep 'OK, I'll call > > in the morning.' > > > > Series of beeps... That probably signified telephone solicitors who were > > to craven to leave their name or company she thought with a snort as she > > wandered into the bed room, she'd nearly made it to the closet when she > > heard Clark's voice coming from her machine. > > > > "Calling to say he's sorry for ducking out on me again!" She stormed back > > into the living room fully intent on erasing the voice of Clark Kent from > > the tape even if she was unsuccessful in erasing him from her mind or > > heart. > > > > She'd nearly reached the desk when she heard Martha's voice coming from > > the machine, "Oh great! The phone company still doesn't have that > > conference call thing working yet - no wonder the tape was full!" It was a > > toss up which had her more incensed; the fact that for the third time this > > week she had a recording of one of Clark's phone calls or how dispirited > > he sounded when his mother asked him what was wrong. > > > > "It's just been one of those days Mom." > > > > "Had a fight with Lois?" > > > > "Ha! He'd have to stay around long enough to have a fight!" > > > > "Not exactly, we were having dinner when I had to leave and by the time I > > got back she'd paid the bill and left. I tried going by her place to > > apologize but she wasn't home. I doubt she'll even be talking to me in the > > morning." > > > > "Not speaking to you now!" > > > > "Honey, if you would just tell her the truth she wouldn't be angry, she'd > > understand why you have to leave so often" > > > > 'What truth?' Her finger, poised over the off button, was quickly > > retracted. > > > > "I've tried Mom, but every time I try I think about how mad she'll be... > > I'm not sure what's worse knowing how mad she is now or thinking about how > > mad she'll be when I tell her. I keep thinking if I could just find the > > right words then she won't hate me when I tell her. " > > > > "Tell me what?!" Lois shouted at the machine, which ignored her entirely > > and continued cycling. > > > > "Clark she won't hate you! She doesn't hate you now, she's just mad > > because she doesn't understand. Talk to her, tell her you love her and > > then tell her the truth." > > > > "Yeah, I guess." > > > > "Tell me WHAT!!" She turned up the volume as if that would make all things > > clear. > > > > "Honey, you're not still hung up on that whole 'she's got to love me and > > not the guy in the suit' thing are you?" > > > > "What guy and what suit? Suit?" > > > > "No." > > > > "Not very convincing Kent." > > > > "Clark, this is your mother you're talking to." > > > > "See, can't fool her either." > > > > "I know she cares about me Mom, and lately I know that she's been seeing > > me, I'm mean really seeing me, Clark, not just the guy she works with or > > hangs out with, it's just sometimes..." > > > > "Sometimes what? What?" > > > > "You still wonder sometimes if she wants Superman more than Clark?" > > > > 'What? Did I miss something? What's Superman got to do with this?' > > > > "I want her to want me, not the suit or the powers - just me." > > > > "Suit again, what suit?" She was beginning to hate this suit thing. > > > > "Clark you can't ask her to love one part of you and hate another." > > > > "Of course you can't that's just stupid,... what parts of him?" > > > > "I know Mom it's just.." > > > > "Then I don't see what the problem is. You love her, I know she loves you, > > so talk to her, she can't tell you she loves you if you don't give her a > > chance." > > > > "Somehow Mom I get the feeling that isn't what she wants to say to me > > right now. I..." Beep > > > > She sat trying to digest what she'd heard, failing to notice that the > > tape was rewinding automatically. She listened to it again, getting lost > > in thought as the first messages played and being brought back sharply by > > Clark's voice as he began speaking again. > > > > In the end she was able to recite each word with Clark and Martha as the > > tape played, did recite it over and over again. Each illuminating, > > infuriating, confounding word, in varying volume, tone and emotions as > > denial, anger, pain, and reluctant understanding moved through her. Each > > time she began to doubt what she'd heard she'd stab her finger at the play > > key and listen again. It would be forever emblazoned in her memory. > > > > At three o'clock in the morning when the tape machine coughed, spumed a > > thin spiral of black acrid smoke and died, Lois grabbed her keys and > > walked out the door. > > > > Fifteen minutes later she stood outside Clark's building on Clinton street > > looking at the building critically. Walking a circuit around to the alley > > she surveyed the terrain looking up at the balcony which she knew was > > Clark's then walking around to stand once more in front of the building. > > > > She stood for a moment pondering options then made her way to her > > considered best vantage point and made herself comfortable against the > > wall of the adjoining building. She waited for nearly an hour reaching an > > almost meditative state as she purposely kept her mind as blank as > > possible, she'd run in so many circles for so long it hurt physically to > > think. A combination of the adrenaline from surprise, hurt, and abject > > rage - at herself or at Clark she wasn't quite sure at times - kept her > > going long after her body would have gladly stopped. > > > > A sudden swooshing noise followed quickly by a sonic boom brought her > > upright. She knew that sound - had heard it around her since Clark had > > first come to Metropolis and until now never realized the significance of > > the proximity of the sound. She'd seen nothing, and had all the proof she > > needed. Without a further glance at Clark's apartment she turned for home. > > > > > > She was four blocks away from home, walking slowly, absently staring at > > the sidewalk in front of her when her path was suddenly blocked by a pair > > of red boots. > > > > "Lois? Kind of late to be taking a walk isn't it?" > > > > 'Yup, that was Clark's voice alright,' deeper in tone then his normal > > speaking voice but Clark's. She started with the red boots and worked her > > way up the suit looking critically at what she saw evaluating his body and > > comparing it mentally to what she'd seen of Clark's - 'Yup, same body.' > > > > Clark was beginning to feel at once very uncomfortable and more then > > slightly worried as Lois seemed to both not see and examine him > > microscopically at the same time. When she finally reached his face to > > stare searchingly at him still without speaking he asked "Lois are you all > > right?" > > > > "Just peachy," was the horse reply as she stepped around him and resumed > > her walk. > > > > "What happened to your voice?" He fell into step with her. > > > > "Lost it." > > > > "How did you lose it?" Her terse responses were beginning to spook him, > > was she sick? Why was she out walking at almost five in the morning? > > > > "Ranting and raving mostly." Her voice was little more than a croak. > > > > After that first perusal she hadn't looked at him at all and so missed the > > wince he tried to cover as it occurred to him just who she had been in all > > probability ranting about. > > > > "Is there anything I can do?" As Superman he couldn't very well not offer > > to help, he rationalized to himself, even as part of his mind said, 'You > > know exactly what you can do to help - coward.' > > > > Lois began to shake her head then turned and faced him squarely, "Get the > > phone lines fixed Clark," she croaked clearly before walking on. > > > > Clark stood stock still where she'd left him repeating each word in his > > mind while 'Clark' echoed through him. The phone call with his parents, > > the phone trouble they'd both been having since the phone company > > installed their new conference call service on the lines, Oh God... > > > > "Lois please," she'd made it to the end of the block and was turning the > > corner when he caught up to her, "let me explain, please." > > > > "Don't owe me an explanation," she shook her head definitively. > > > > "Lois, of course I do." > > > > "Nope. I'm just the idiot who loves you, oh sorry, forgot - I'm not > > supposed to love you in those clothes." > > > > Her voice cracked from hoarseness but other then that it had a weary > > matter of factness that broke Clark's heart, "Lois please," he stopped her > > with a hand on her arm and turned her toward him, to find himself gazing > > into shuttered eyes, "I love you. I never meant to hurt you, you have to > > know that. I wanted to protect you." > > > > She gave a odd half nod shake of her head, "You always have, right from > > the first," she gave an ironic snort, "Probably more times then I realize > > huh?" Reading his face she nodded, "Yup." she pulled free, "You are very > > good at keeping secrets Clark, lousy at quick lying - but really good at > > the secret thing." > > > > "I've had to practice it all my life Lois. If Bureau 39 had found me as a > > kid do you think they would have let my parents live?" > > > > "I know, it makes sense. It all makes sense Clark. You know what doesn't > > make sense to me tonight, and it's odd really everything else is so > > crystal clear, what doesn't make sense is the person I thought I knew > > better then just about anyone is really a stranger to me. The one person I > > would have sworn would never willingly hurt me just hurt me so badly it > > hurt to breath there for a while and he did it because he really was > > trying to protect me. Everything about you is coming in twos tonight, it's > > so bizarre." > > > > She'd begun climbing the stairs to her building and Clark followed without > > asking, her exhaustion was evident and as long as she didn't throw him out > > he had every intention of seeing her safely to sleep. He also wasn't so > > sure that talking to her would be easier when she'd gotten some rest, her > > calm might be errie now but he knew it wouldn't last. > > > > They didn't speak again until they got into her apartment, when Lois sat > > on the couch without turning on the lights and kicked off her shoes > > observing, "You owe me an answering machine by the way," as she curled > > into the corner. > > > > "What happened to yours?" he walked over to the desk and sniffed, "It > > burned up?" > > > > "Played the tape to often." She let her head drop to the back of the sofa > > and regarded him gravely for a moment, "I don't really want to look at > > 'the suit' at the moment." > > > > He spun into a tee shirt and jeans and stood before her holding his > > glasses in his hand. > > > > "What happened to it?" she asked blinking - she was tired beyond surprise > > and maybe it was just the quality of the gray predawn light which filled > > the room but for a moment she thought he just disappeared. > > > > "I sent it home, usually I just wear it under my clothes." He sat on the > > couch and dropped his glasses on the table. > > > > "Sent it home? Is that what you do with the boots? You can't wear those > > under your clothes." She looked at him assessing, "The cape either." > > > > "Yeah. I'm not sure how to explain it. At first it drove me crazy trying > > to change in the bathroom, then one day I was in a big hurry and I just > > spun," he shrugged and shook his head, "from then on when I've needed my > > stuff it's always there for me. When I need my regular clothes back I just > > spin back and they're there." > > > > Suddenly Lois began to giggle, "You'd be awfully embarrassed if they > > weren't." > > > > He smiled at her, something inside him loosening with her giggle, "Yeah, I > > would be. It's kind of hard on watches though and I've already had to > > replace my cell phone twice." Leaning back and turning toward her he > > curled his leg on the couch and reached out to gently brush her hair away > > from her face. Meeting her eyes he said softly, "I really do love you > > Lois, I'm so sorry I hurt you." > > > > She looked at him soberly for a moment before saying, "You ever lie to me > > again it's over Clark. The partnership, us, everything, understand?" > > > > He nodded equally solemnly before giving her a small wry smile, "You may > > not like the unvarnished Clark, my life gets kind of weird sometimes." > > > > The smile started in her eyes as she wondered absently if there had ever > > been a time since she met him that in one guise or another she hadn't > > loved him, when it finally reached her lips it was a sleepy grin. She > > shook her head and moved to lay it on his shoulder as she said with yawn, > > "Good thing for you I love you in spite of your multiple personalities." > > > > He laughed, "Good thing we both love you.", and hugged her close, > > dropping a kiss on her forehead. > > > > "Just as long as one of you doesn't stop." > > > > "Not a chance," he said lifting her face to give her a long slow kiss. > > > > She sighed deeply and relaxed completely against him returning his kiss > > with sleepy hunger. She smiled and whispered when it ended, "Remind > > yourself to do that again when I'm awake OK?" before tucking herself under > > his chin and drifting off to sleep barely hearing his whispered, > > "Promise." > > > > > > The end. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 11:14:30 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: John Debbage <106532.433@COMPUSERVE.COM> Subject: Re: New; Lines of Communication MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Hi Judith, I agree with all the other comments of approval on the list. This was a lovely idea and you told it so well. Hope you keep writing. Jenni Debbage ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 11:16:28 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Charlotte Fisler Subject: question about writing MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit They most certainly do. The problem is two fold. 1) I getting started again when you've reached an impasse and 2) stopping the darn thing. I think they'd go on forever if you let them. Charlotte ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 09:20:21 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: Re: The Darkest Hour (part 6) In-Reply-To: <3875A7D4.9E251843@eifel-net.net> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Nicole wrote: > S > P > O > I > L > E > R > > S > P > A > C > E > > Ah, isn't it a shame that we know already that this wonderful weekend of > Lois and Clark will be messed up by the bad guys? I would *love* to see > the two lovebirds work on their relationship, spiced with some of that > sexual tension we saw in "The Pheonix"! Ahhh, but I made sure to put that sexual tension in there, too! Hold onto your seat! ;) > Can't wait for the continuation, Erin! And thank you very much for > posting three parts yesterday! Will you do that again, please? :-) Well, since I'm just a big old softie, I decided to accomodate you guys who are interested in reading this. Besides, we're finally at the exciting part, so I couldn't resist not posting *several* parts! And with it being the weekend, it might give you a chance to read all of them. ;) Hope you like it! Erin :) __________________ erink@ida.net Visit my LNC/Kerth Website: www.ida.net/users/davek ***** "It's not the years that count, it's the moments...right now, as they happen." __________________ ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 11:30:54 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Charlotte Fisler Subject: Question about writing MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit A post script. And don't think the process stops just because you think it's done. Not if you dare send it to this listserv. You'll get feedback and that will start additions and etc. to the story. I'm currently writing an elaboration of the cruise investigation for her already too long Revealing Cruise because everyone said why can't we have more about the investigation and pointed out that just a surveillance operation isn't enough to justify Interpol using our two reporters on the cruise. As Lois points out in the revision: "I didn't come on the cruise to babysit a bunch of equipment. You and I are gonna make sure no kids will die because these guys stole the drugs." Paraphrased but you get the idea. Feedback is wonderful even if I respond a bit flippantly at times. It makes you think and results in a better story and the more differing opinions you get the better. Charlotte ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 09:35:34 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: NEW: The Darkest Hour part 7 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit The Darkest Hour (Before the Dawn) by Erin Klingler erink@ida.net part 7 ************************************** "Hey, Manny!" Clark called across the lobby of the Daily Planet the next morning. Manny turned around to see Clark hurrying to catch up to him and he slowed his steps and smiled. "Clark! Has anyone told you that you look entirely too cheerful in the morning?" Clark laughed. "All too frequently. Hey, listen. Lois is excited about using the cabin. Thanks again for offering it to us." "Oh, no sweat," Manny replied as they stepped into the waiting elevator. "I'm just glad I could help. When are you heading up there?" Clark moved over to make room for a couple of other people who were trying to get in the elevator, then turned back to his friend. "We'd originally talked about going up over New Year's since it's a weekend, but then we thought it might work better to just extend our Christmas vacation for a couple of days and go up early in the week for a day or two. Is that a problem, though? Using it during the week?" "Not at all," Manny said quickly. "In fact, the resort down the hill is having a bunch of activities that week: ice sculpture contests, snow mazes, stuff like that. And I know that the theater group has a performance scheduled for that Monday night. Why don't you use my season theater pass and take Lois? The performers are supposed to be quite good." "That sounds great!" Clark exclaimed. "Are you sure you don't mind, though?" Manny smiled and shook his head as the elevator stopped and they stepped into the newsroom. "I paid for the season pass. Someone might as well use it." "Perfect." Clark clapped his friend on the shoulder as they started to part ways. "Remind me to make this up to you." "Just go a little easier on me the next time we play ball!" Manny called after him. As he watched Clark walk energetically down the newsroom ramp, Manny's casual smile faded and his expression turned serious. He walked over to the research section where he desk was located, picked up the phone and dialed. When he heard the voice on the other end, he sat down in his desk and lowered his voice. "Give me Garrison." A minute later, Garrison's gruff voice came across the line. "Yeah." "Garrison, it's me. It's all set. Kent's going to be using the cabin for a couple of days after Christmas. I even convinced him to take those theater tickets for Monday night like you wanted. Everything's a go." "Good," came Garrison's gruff reply. "Now get on up here. We've got some planning to do." "But I just got here!" Manny exclaimed in surprise. "What am I supposed to tell everyone?" "Who cares?" Garrison growled. "You found out when Kent and Lane were coming, that's what's important. So use any excuse you want, but get your butt out of there. I need you here. And make sure to bring the disk with you." Manny nodded, eager to get back on his boss' good side. "Sure thing, Garrison. I'll be there in a couple of hours." ***** "So what have we got?" Perry asked from his seat at the head of the conference table. He looked at his reporting staff sitting around the table. "There's the union strike," one of the reporters tossed out. "Or how about the increase in crime around Metropolis during the holidays?" suggested another. But Perry stood up and shook his head. "No, no, no," he said gruffly as he waved off their suggestions and started to pace around the room. "I don't think you guys get it! The Daily Planet is the number one newspaper in the world, and we're going on-line starting January first! We've got to have some big stories, something to start off this New Year with a bang! I don't want the on-line stories to read 'Big Wait at Check-Out Lines.'" He stopped pacing and turned back to the group. "Now everyone think! What can we use to start the year 2000 off with a bang? Lois? Clark?" "Don't look at me," Lois told him. "Since you killed my 'Vigilante Groups' story, all I've got is 'Jewel Thief Caught' and 'Christmas Charity Fund Raiser a Success.'" Clark gave her a look and nudged her under the table, but Lois nudged him back in protest. Sure, she understood why Perry had taken her off the story. But she didn't have to like it. Perry nodded and turned to her partner. "Clark? What about you? What have you got?" Clark turned away from Lois and looked at Perry. "Not much, Chief. I've been working on that senatorial scandal, but so far there's nothing new on that to lead off the year with." Perry walked back to the head of the table and slapped his hands down on it firmly. "Come on, people! The Daily Planet going on-line is a monumental occasion, one that I don't want to underplay. And our first on-line issue is just a week and a half away! Our competition has already launched its on-line website, and if we don't start out with a bang, we'll just look like a cheap imitation! So in order to prove that we're the best, we need scandal! We need catastrophe! This is Metropolis, for crying out loud! Our stories are out there waiting for us. Go find 'em!" His words sent everyone scrambling for the conference room door, and Perry went with them, leaving Lois and Clark alone in the room. Lois closed her notebook and sighed. "He sure didn't beat around the bush, did he?" "Nope, but I know how hard he's been pushing to get the paper on-line," Clark told her as he stood up. "It's been his pet project ever since the Star went on-line and started modernizing their paper. Ever since, Perry's been pushing to get the paper ready to go on-line with a special daily edition." "Perry pushing to modernize the paper," Lois said with a shake of her head. "Now I've seen everything." "Yeah, me too," Clark chuckled. "But we won't have to worry much about it. In just a few short days, we'll be on vacation in the seclusion of the mountains, and we won't be hounded by Perry to come up with something out of this world." "Maybe," Lois said as she followed Clark out of the room. "We still have to convince him to let us have those vacation days, and from the way he yelled at everyone just now about finding him some stories of major importance, I doubt he's going to be easily convinced." Clark smiled smugly at her as they reached their desks. "I already convinced him." Lois stopped dead in her tracks. "You did? You're kidding! How'd you manage that?" "I just went into his office this morning and asked him," Clark told her, clearly pleased with himself. "He didn't have any problem with giving you the extra time off, especially since that little spectacle of yours from a couple of days ago was still fresh in his mind. But it took a little fancy-talking on my part to convince him to let me have the time off, too." "But he did?" Clark nodded. "Yep. And Manny said we could have the cabin whenever we want it, so how about we head up there on Sunday, the day after Christmas?" "That'd be great, but unfortunately I'm going to be spending all Christmas day with my parents and Lucy, which doesn't exactly leave me a lot of time to pack. Besides, aren't you going to be in Smallville with your folks on Christmas? You're not flying back on Christmas day, are you?" Clark opened his mouth to say that he could fly back whenever she wanted him to, but he quickly stopped himself. Of course she meant 'flying back' as in 'on an airplane.' She didn't have any reason to think any differently. "Oh, yeah, you're right," Clark fibbed. "Maybe we should leave first thing on Monday morning, instead. That way we can be there in plenty of time to see the sights. Manny said the resort down the hill has all sorts of activities going on, like ice sculptures and snow mazes." "Really? That sounds like fun!" Lois exclaimed. She sidled up to Clark and slid her arms around his waist, tilting her face up to his with a smile. "I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to this now that we've talked about, well, you know." Clark tightened his arms around her and smiled back at her. "I know. And I'm glad you're looking forward to it, because I am, too." Leaning down, he kissed her lightly. "Hey, hey, hey! What' this?" Perry interrupted, causing them to jump apart. He walked over to them with a stack of papers in his hand. "You two will have plenty of time for all that mushy stuff later, like during that vacation time I very generously approved. But for now, don't you think you two had better get to work? I want to see your stories on my desk in an hour, plus I want you to give me everything you have on those other stories you've started. I need to see what we may have coming up that I can lead off with on January first." "Okay, Chief," Clark answered obediently. Satisfied, Perry turned and went back to his office. When he was out of earshot, Lois turned to Clark. "He's got to be kidding! Everything we have? That'll take a good couple of hours to put together, not to mention the time it'll take to get our stories ready for him in an hour! We'll be lucky if we get a lunch break at all." "You're right," Clark agreed seriously. Then he smiled. "But just keep reminding yourself that in a few days, we'll be outta here." Lois laughed at his enthusiastic slang and nodded her head in agreement. "It's a deal. Now let's get to work." ***** The mid-day sunlight streamed through the tall forest trees, casting a myriad of shadows on the unpaved, dirt road as Manny slowed to a stop in front of the post and barbed wire gate stretched across the road. As he waited for the armed guard to reach him, Manny pulled his I.D. from his jacket pocket and rolled down his window. When the guard stopped next to the driver's side window, Manny handed the large, burly man his I.D. and said, "Garrison's expecting me." The man glanced at the picture on the I.D., looked at Manny, then back at the picture. "Look, I'm kind of in a hurry," Manny responded impatiently. "Can we kind of move this along?" Unruffled, the guard studied the information on the card for another long moment before handing the card back to Manny. "Go down the road and park on the left. I'll get the gate." And with that, the man adjusted the rifle on his shoulder and walked around to the front of the car to unlatch the gate, swinging it open for Manny to drive through. "Park on the left?" Manny grumbled to himself as he finished rolling up his window. "What am I, an outsider? It's not as if I haven't been here a hundred times already." In disgust, he stomped on the accelerator, causing his spinning tires to kick up the dust from the road and engulf the guard in a brown, dusty cloud. Manny glanced in his rearview mirror and smiled in satisfaction as he saw the man began to cough and sputter. "Serves him right." Manny slowed back down as the dirt road he was on began to twist in and out of the thick forest of trees as it led him up the slope of a mountain. When he reached the crest of the hill, the road swerved abruptly to the left and then started to descend toward the large, log building set at the bottom of the ravine next to a gently flowing creek. Set down in the ravine a couple of miles from the nearest paved road, the cabin and its occupants were all but invisible from prying eyes. Trask had picked this location upon his reinstatement from Bureau 39, insistent that his skills as a survivalist would keep him obscure and protected from any outside intrusions as he went about fulfilling his mission of eliminating Superman. Steering the car into the level dirt parking area on the left of the building alongside the two four-wheel drive vehicles and an unmarked white van with tinted windows, Manny put his car in park and turned off the engine. Immediately two large, formidable men dressed in camouflaged military uniforms appeared in the lodge doorway, but then saw Manny and relaxed. They waved him in and led him through the lodge's front room, then through a large, functional kitchen, and finally down a long hallway that eventually led to Garrison's office at the back of the structure. When they knocked and Garrison's deep voice responded, they opened the door and gestured for Manny to go in. When he did, they quickly closed the door behind him, leaving him alone with Garrison. Manny clenched his fists in irritation. "Why do Trask's thugs always think I need an escort in this place?" Garrison glanced up from his computer monitor and waved his hand at the doorway dismissively. "They're all just a bunch of brainless, brawny thugs who've never thought for themselves a day in their lives. Trask ordered that everyone except his immediate troops, and me, of course, be escorted around the place. Don't let them get to you." He finished typing in a few more keystrokes, then leaned back in his chair and looked intently at Manny. "So? Where's the disk?" "Oh, yeah." Manny reached into his inside jacket pocket and pulled out the square piece of black plastic he carried with him. "It's all set. The virus is installed, and everything is pretty much set to go." Garrison took the disk Manny held out to him, then gave him a look. "Pretty much?" "Yeah, well, I still want to run a couple of tests on it to make sure everything goes according to plan," Manny told him, shifting his feet anxiously, "but so far there haven't been any indications that the plan is anything but perfect. There's nothing to worry about." "Nothing to worry about? That's a pretty cocky statement coming from someone who's about to be involved in the biggest virus scandal in the history of mankind." Manny grinned. "So I'm cocky. What's wrong with that?" "Everything's wrong with that," Garrison scolded, temporarily forgetting the disk in his hand and glaring up at Manny. "If you look at all the criminals around the world who are behind bars, ninety-five percent of them are cocky, and didn't think they'd ever be caught. That arrogance is what *gets* you caught. And if you ever get caught, it'll be your funeral. Understand?" The grin quickly faded from Manny's face. "Yeah, boss. I understand." "Good." Garrison turned back to the computer and slid the disk into a slot on one of the three computers lining the wall. "The Planet's computer code is on this, too, right? I don't want to waste any of my time hacking into the newspaper's computer system." Manny nodded. "Yeah, it's all there." "Then let's see how everything looks." The whirring sound of the computer as it started to read the disk filled the air, and a second later, the disk's files flashed onto the screen. Seeing the data before him, Garrison slowly leaned forward in his chair, his eyes widening in disbelief. "What is this?!" Manny's heart leapt into his throat and he took a step closer to the monitor to see what his boss was looking at. "What's the matter?" "This!" Garrison shouted, gesturing to the computer screen. "This disk contains information about some jewel thief and his conviction record! Where's the virus antidote?!" Manny's face turned ashen and he gulped. "Uh-oh." "Uh-oh?" Garrison echoed. "What do you mean, 'uh-oh?'" "Um, I must have accidentally switched the disks by mistake," Manny said in a small voice as he straightened up. "Switched the disks?!" Garrison roared, his eyes blazing. "With whose? Who has the virus antidote?" "Lois Lane must have it. This disk was supposed to be included in the research I gave her for her story. I must have given her our disk, instead." "So Lois Lane has the disk? You idiot! Do you have any idea what you've done?! That disk contains the patch for the Planet's virus! If she's looked at it, she could be on to our whole plan! We'd be done for!" "Now, Garrison, calm down," Manny said, trying to soothe his raging boss. "The disk patch is completely encoded. Even if she did open it, there'd be nothing for her to see. All I have to do is go back to the Planet and switch the disks back. She always keeps her disks in her top desk drawer, so it's no problem to find it." "Unless she's already taken it to the police!" Garrison shouted. He turned back to his computer and quickly shut it down, then stood up and grabbed his overcoat from the hook on the door. "Where are you going?" "To get the disk!" "But I already said I'd go back and get it for you," Manny told him as he hurried over to the door. But Garrison quickly pushed him aside. "Forget it! You've already jeopardized the plan. Do you think I'm just going to stay here while I give you the chance to run back and mess things up again? Forget it! I'm going myself. That's the only way I'm going to know the job is done right. Just stay here and make sure no one fools with my computer while I'm gone." "But, it'll take you four hours there and back! You just want me to sit here for four hours?" Garrison yanked open the door, but then paused and turned back to glare at him. "Just be glad I don't pull out my gun and shoot you right now. In a plan of this magnitude, there's no room for mistakes. Or for the people who make them," he finished pointedly. Then with one last, seething look, Garrison walked out and slammed the door behind him. As Garrison's footsteps retreated, Manny breathed a quick sigh of relief. Garrison had been right. There was no room for mistakes. And he'd just been let off the hook. Walking over to the chair Garrison had recently occupied, he sat down, leaned his head against the tall-backed chair and closed his eyes. He knew he might as well make himself comfortable. He had a few hours to kill. ******************************** Erin :) __________________ erink@ida.net Visit my LNC/Kerth Website: www.ida.net/users/davek ***** "It's not the years that count, it's the moments...right now, as they happen." __________________ ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 09:38:12 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: NEW: The Darkest Hour part 8 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit The Darkest Hour (Before the Dawn) by Erin Klingler erink@ida.net part 8 *************************************** “How’s your story coming, Lois?” Clark asked as he walked over to her desk and perched on the corner of it. “Just sending it to Perry now.” A couple of more clicks of her mouse, and the story was on its way to Perry’s office. With a weary sigh, she leaned back in her chair and looked up at Clark. “How’s yours?” “All done.” “You mean we finally have a minute to breathe?” she asked, smiling tiredly. “I’m so hungry I could eat an entire four course meal.” Clark grinned. “Then how about some lunch? If we hurry, we can still catch the lunch special at Margene’s.” “That sounds perfect.” Lois rolled her chair back away from her desk and reached for her purse. When she stood up, Clark was holding her coat up for her. She smiled at him. “Always the perfect gentleman.” He flashed her his heart-stopping smile and helped her on with her coat. “Of course I am. So are you ready?” She nodded as she slipped her arm through his. “Yep. But let’s hurry and get out of here before Perry decides to slap another last-minute story on us.” Clark laughed as they walked arm and arm out of the newsroom. “You know, I wouldn’t put it past him.” When they stepped out into the brisk December air, Lois tightened her overcoat around her more securely and looked up at the blanket of clouds overhead. “Looks like snow,” she commented. “At least it would warm things up around here.” She pulled her gloves from her pockets and started to put them on. As she did, she couldn’t help noticing Clark’s unbuttoned coat and lack of gloves. “Aren’t you cold?” “Oh, um, not really,” Clark stammered, suddenly looking uncomfortable. “I guess I spent so much time working out on the farm in Smallville in cold weather that it doesn’t affect me much anymore.” “Mmm,” Lois murmured distractedly as she reached for her scarf and wrapped it around her neck. “Acclimation and all that, huh?” “Yeah, I guess,” Clark replied. Then he quickly reached out and grabbed her arm, steering her around a couple of Christmas shoppers who had stopped to peer into a boutique window. Lois smiled up at him. “Thanks. I guess I should watch out for where I’m going in this crowd.” It wasn’t long before they’d reached Margene’s, and as they walked through the jingling, wreath-adorned front door of the café, Lois had to smile. It seemed like ages ago rather than days when Clark had brought her here to talk after she’d threatened to quit and stormed out of the newsroom. As the door swung shut behind them, Clark put his hand on the small of her back and steered her toward a vacant booth near the windows. As they sat down, Lois shrugged out of her coat and peered out of the steamy window beside her. The warmth of the café, compared to the cold they’d just been in, was comforting. She took off her gloves and smiled across the table at Clark. “A few minutes to relax. I can hardly believe it.” “Well, believe it,” Clark grinned back. “And just think…this is only the beginning. We can relax for three whole days once we get up to the cabin. Manny says they have some great restaurants in the nearby town. We could be doing this a couple of times a day.” “Mmmm,” Lois replied happily. “Just the thought of a real, honest-to-goodness vacation—and one with you, even—“ she grinned, “keeps me going through busy days like these.” She reached out for one of the menus on their table and flipped it open. “What are you going to order?” When they’d placed their orders with the waitress and their food arrived, Lois didn’t waste any time digging right in. It wasn’t long before her food was gone. Clark couldn’t help laughing. “I can’t believe you just ate all that. I guess you won’t have any room for dessert now.” “Oh, dessert!” Lois exclaimed. “I could really go for some chocolate mousse.” Clark cracked up. “Lois, you never cease to amaze me.” Lois grinned sheepishly as she gave the waitress her dessert order and then sat back to wait for it. “What can I say? All that work this morning and putting off lunch so long made me famished.” Clark opened his mouth to reply, but the sound of Lois’ cell phone ringing interrupted him. Lois sighed. “I guess a whole lunch without interruptions would be too much to ask for.” She reached into her purse and pulled out the phone. “Hello? Oh, hi Jimmy. What’s up?” Clark scooped the last of his lasagna onto his fork and put it into his mouth. He glanced up at Lois as she listened to Jimmy, but a few seconds later, her face took on a strange, confused expression. “He was looking for me?” she asked in surprise. “Did he say what he wanted?” Instantly on alert, Clark’s brow furrowed and he put down his fork. “What’s wrong?” he mouthed. She shook her head at him quickly, then listened for another minute. “And he just left when he saw you watching him? Where did he go?” More than anything, Clark wanted to tune in his superhearing and listen in on her conversation, but he felt funny about doing that since he’d be invading her privacy. So, impatiently, he waited for her to finish. The second she did, Clark started in on her. “Lois, what happened? What did Jimmy say?” Lois’ brows furrowed as she slid the phone back into her purse. “Well, that was strange,” she began. “Jimmy said the newsroom pretty much died after we left since everybody else was taking a late lunch, so he sat down at his desk to eat lunch, too. But then he spotted some big guy with dark hair coming down the ramp, and he asked somebody where my desk was. When they told him, the guy went over to my desk and started rummaging through my drawers. He took something out and slipped it into his coat pocket, but then he saw Jimmy watching him and took off down the back stairs.” Clark stiffened in his seat. “Did the guards catch him?” Lois shook her head. “Jimmy alerted the security guards downstairs, but nobody could find him. My guess is he ran down the back stairs and out of a fire exit or something.” “What did he take?” Clark asked, concerned. “Did you leave anything valuable in your desk? Keys to your car or apartment? A wallet maybe?” Lois shook her head adamantly. “I never put anything like that in my drawers. Only notebooks and pencils and stuff. Nothing of value.” “Well, it would have to be something small enough to fit in his coat pocket. Does that give you any clues?” Lois frowned. “Not really.” The familiar feeling that Clark got whenever somebody close to him might be in danger returned, and he knew it would be impossible to shrug it off. “Lois, maybe you should find somewhere else to stay tonight. Whoever this was, they wanted something of yours enough to walk into the Planet in broad daylight, with co-workers around, and steal it. Are you sure you’d be safe in your apartment by yourself tonight? Maybe you should stay with me at my apartment.” Lois laughed. “Clark, I’ve lived by myself for a long time. I’ll be fine. Don’t worry.” “Lois, I can’t help it. I *do* worry about you. You get yourself into more jams than anyone I’ve ever known.” She reached out for his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “And I’ve come through each of them relatively unscathed. I can handle it.” Clark felt torn. He wanted to protect her, to make sure she was safe. But on the other hand, he knew he couldn’t force his protection on her. If his past attempts were any indication, he knew she wouldn’t stand for it. Finally, he sighed in exasperation. “If you won’t stay somewhere else, at least promise me you’ll be extra careful the next few days. Whoever was at the Planet wanted something of yours, and who knows if he’ll show up again, or what he might do if he does.” “Clark, I promise,” Lois assured him. She reached for the plate of chocolate mousse that the waitress had set in front of her while she was on the phone and took a bite. “Now why don’t we forget about this for a few minutes and finish dessert. Then we can figure it all out when we get back to the Planet.” Clark sighed. If only he could push the incident out of his mind so easily. ***** When they got back to the Planet, Clark didn’t waste any time in grilling Jimmy for any other details he might have forgotten. He even talked to Perry, who had already been alerted to the situation by Jimmy, and gotten permission to spend some time talking to the security guards in the building if they’d noted anything out of the ordinary. But nobody had. Even Lois wasn’t much help since she couldn’t seem to find out what had been taken. Finally, with nothing left to go on, Clark gave up. He tried to persuade Lois again as the day came to a close to stay somewhere else for the night, but she firmly refused. Because of it, Clark spent a restless night as he kept his superhearing tuned in for any signs of trouble, and he flew over her apartment a few times. But much to his relief, nothing happened. The next day also passed uneventfully, with he and Lois spending the day catching up on the last minutes stories that Perry assigned them, and by quitting time, Clark’s feelings of anxiety for Lois had also passed. The following day, Christmas Eve, went by quickly, with Perry treating everyone to a catered lunch and a casual, festive atmosphere. Before Clark knew it, he and Lois were done for the day. As they walked out of the Planet building together, Clark held Lois’ attaché while she put her gloves on. “So is everything set for Christmas tomorrow?” he asked as they walked down the street to where she’d parked her Jeep. Lois nodded as she finished with her gloves and took her attaché back from Clark. “Yes, as set as it’s going to be, I guess,” she answered with a sigh. “Lucy is able to come after all, and her flight’s getting in tonight. But she’s not coming alone. She’s bringing her latest boyfriend with her, so that should be interesting.” Clark laughed. “I can imagine.” “How about you?” Lois asked, sliding her arm through Clark’s and snuggling up next to him. “When does your flight leave for Smallville?” Clark hesitated. He hated having to tell little white lies to Lois. To the point they were in their relationship, it just made him feel guilty. He had to tell her about Superman. And soon. “Um, tonight,” he finally answered. “My parents and I are going to spend Christmas together, and then tomorrow night we’ll probably go downtown to the Christmas tree and lights festival they have every year at the town square. There are always carolers and hot chocolate, and everybody gets to catch up on who’s doing what.” Lois smiled wistfully. “Sounds like fun.” Clark heard the tone in her voice and turned to her. “Lois, you’re still welcome to come, you know. I wouldn’t want to intrude on your family time, but if you’re really dreading spending the day with your family—“ “No, Clark, it’s okay,” Lois interrupted. “I told my folks I’d be there, and at least they’re making an attempt to have everyone get together. That’ s at least something.” They reached the car, and Lois stopped to look up at Clark and give him a quick smile. “But thanks for offering.” Clark smiled back, but Lois noticed his smile didn’t reach into his eyes. He sighed and reached out to pull her into a warm hug. “I just hate the thought of you being unhappy on Christmas, Lois.” Feeling tears gather in her eyes at the sincerity of his words, she slid her arms around his waist and hugged him back tightly. It was an incredible feeling to know that he cared so much about her, and about whether or not she was happy. He truly was an amazing person. “I won’t be unhappy, exactly,” she reassured him. “I’d just rather be spending Christmas with you, that’s all.” He hugged her a little tighter, and Lois knew that if she didn’t stop being so darned sympathetic, he was going to make her cry right there in front of everybody. She gave his back a quick pat and pulled out of his embrace, careful to keep her emotions in check. “Don’t worry about me, Clark, I’ll be fine. Besides, we’re heading up to the lodge the Monday after Christmas, right?” Clark nodded. “If it’s all right with you, I thought we’d leave around nine. That should get us up there around eleven, and we can unpack and look around a little before lunch.” “I can hardly wait,” Lois told him with a smile. “At least I have that to look forward to.” At the return of Clark’s sympathetic look, Lois groaned and rolled her eyes. “Clark, quit worrying about me! I’m going to be just fine.” She unlocked the doors of her Jeep and then went around to the driver’s side and climbed in. Feeling she’d gotten her emotions back under control, she turned to Clark and grinned. “I seem to be telling you a lot lately not to worry about me.” Clark laughed. “How true. But if I’m always having to say that, don’t you think that that means something?” She started the car and then flashed him a teasing smile. “Um, maybe that you worry too much?” Clark laughed again as he shook his head. “I give up,” he muttered as they drove away. As they did, neither of them noticed the big, dark-haired man listening in on their conversation from the back seat of the black Lexus in front of them. He watched the silver Jeep pull out into traffic, then reached out and rolled up his window. Turning the Manny sitting beside him, Garrison said, “Sounds like they’ll be at the cabin early. We’d better go make sure everything’s set for their arrival.” Manny nodded, clearly relieved to be back on his boss’ good side now that the disk was back in their possession. “I’ll go there tonight and get started.” Garrison gave him a quick nod. “You do that.” Then he straightened and waved his hand at the burly, blond-haired driver in the front seat. “Let’s go. Trask will want to hear all of this.” ***** Lois grabbed the dinner dishes from her mom and gave her a tired smile. “Why don’t you go and sit down, Mom? I can do the dishes.” Ms. Lane smiled at her daughter. “Thanks, sweetie. Actually, I wouldn’t mind stepping outside for a minute to get some fresh air.” Lois watched as her mom turned and crossed through the family room, complete with lighted and blinking Christmas tree, and headed out onto the back patio of the condo, shutting the door behind her. “I can’t say that I blame you, Mom,” she muttered as she carried the dinner dishes and set them in the kitchen sink. “This day hasn’t exactly been relaxing.” *Relaxing. Yeah, right,* Lois thought as she turned on the hot water and filled the sink with soapy water. *I know things are bad when I’m using the excuse of doing the dishes to get a moment to myself. At least I’m assured of a few minutes of peace this way. I mean, who in their right mind is going to come in and offer to help?* The day had started off pretty well, actually, Lois considered as she started to rinse the dishes and put them in the dishwasher. Lucy and her new boyfriend, who seemed to be very charming, were happy and joking around, which seemed to set the tone of the morning as they all sat around the tree, talking and laughing and opening gifts. In fact, Lois couldn’t remember enjoying a holiday with her family more. But then the inevitable happened. Her dad said something that her mom misconstrued, and they started to argue. That set them into a full-blown argument, and Lucy and her boyfriend conveniently disappeared for a quick walk around the block, which had turned into an hour before they had reappeared. Lois had done her best to stick around while they were gone and remain positive as she tried to get her parents to smooth things over, hopefully salvaging what was left of their Christmas gathering. Things had calmed down a little since then, when her father offered an apology and her mother grudgingly accepted. At least they were speaking again. But the energy Lois had spent trying to stay upbeat was definitely wearing on her, and she welcomed the few minutes alone, even if it meant doing a sink full of dishes. She was just adding the soap to the dishwasher when the phone rang. Wiping her hands on a dishtowel, she hurried to answer it. “Lane residence,” she said, more politely than she felt. “Lois? Is that you?” Lois’ face immediately broke out into a big smile. “Clark! You have *no* idea how glad I am to hear your voice!” His deep laughter came across the line. “Uh-oh. That bad, huh?” “You have no idea,” she said dramatically as she pushed the ‘start’ button on the dishwasher and then turned away from the kitchen. “Just a second, Clark, let me get into one of the bedrooms where I can have some privacy.” She crossed through the family room where Lucy and her boyfriend were now sitting and talking amiably with her father, and she hurried past them and up the stairs, quickly ducking into the nearest bedroom and shutting the door behind her. “Okay, whew!” she breathed as she sat down on the bed. “I ’ve escaped. And I’m telling you, ‘escaped’ is definitely the right word to use.” “Dare I ask how things have been going?” Clark inquired, a smile in his voice. “I’m sure you could guess. Let’s just say that I’ll be glad to get out of here in an hour or two, and go back to my apartment for some peace and quiet.” She went on to tell him about everything that had happened, then grilled him for details about how things were going for him in Smallville. “Well, we’re just about to head downtown,” he told her. “But I wanted to check in with you first, and let you know I’ve been thinking about you and wishing you were here.” Lois smiled happily as she laid back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. “I wish I were, too.” Then, in the background, she heard Clark’s mom telling him they were ready to leave. “Clark, I’ll let you go,” Lois told him quickly. “I’m going to make one more appearance downstairs, then I ’m going to head back to my apartment. You have fun tonight.” She could hear Clark’s sigh through the phone. “Lois, are you sure you’ll be okay? I hate the thought of you sitting alone at your apartment tonight.” Lois laughed. “Believe me, sitting alone tonight after a day like I’ve had sounds wonderful.” “Okay,” Clark said doubtfully. “But at least we’ll see each other tomorrow afternoon, and the next day we’ll leave for the mountains early. That way we can spend the day wandering around enjoying the resort’s festivities.” Lois smiled dreamily. “I can hardly wait.” ******************************** Erin :) __________________ erink@ida.net Visit my LNC/Kerth Website: www.ida.net/users/davek ***** "It's not the years that count, it's the moments...right now, as they happen." __________________ ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 09:40:20 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: NEW: The Darkest Hour part 9 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit The Darkest Hour (Before the Dawn) by Erin Klingler erink@ida.net part 10 ********************************** "I'm surprised there isn't more snow," she commented as she looked out of the window and saw that only patches here and there remained. "Yeah, me too," Clark agreed, taking his eyes off the road momentarily to look around at the landscape. "But with the relatively warm week we've had, it must've melted up here, too." "I hope the lack of snow hasn't slowed the festival." Clark nodded. "But even if it has, that's not going to stop us from having a great time these next few days." He turned to her and smiled, then reached out to give her hand a quick squeeze. Lois smiled back. "Not a chance." Putting his hand back on the steering wheel, Clark refocusing his attention on the windy road in front of them. "So how far are we?" Lois consulted the unfolded map on her lap. "Well, according to this, we should be coming up on River Falls, that small resort town where the snow festival is, in a few minutes. Then we're supposed to take a left at the gas station." "And that'll take us to the cabin?" Lois nodded. "That's what Manny's directions say." They continued to follow the road up the mountain, and just as Lois had said, a sign announcing River Falls. "What a great place!" Lois exclaimed as she strained to see the small town down the hill and to the right. "I can't see much of it through all these trees, but it looks like it's made up of log cabin buildings and stores. I can hardly wait to go exploring!" Clark smiled at Lois' enthusiasm. "Me, neither. Why don't we hurry with our unpacking when we get to the cabin, and they head right back out? We can find somewhere to have lunch, then walk around and check things out." Lois agreed, and they eagerly watched for the cabin after they turned left off the main road. About two miles up the wooded and deserted dirt road, they caught a glimpse of a brown structure up ahead, mostly hidden by trees and foliage. "Clark, slow down, I think that's it!" Lois said as she reached out to pat his arm. As the Jeep slowed, Lois leaned forward in her seat and squinted to see the black numbers above the log cabin's front door. She quickly glanced down at the paper in her hand to verify the address, then exclaimed, "Yes, this is it!" Clark turned the Jeep down the long, narrow drive leading to the cabin and moments later, pulled to a stop. They climbed out stiffly and walked around the front of the car to stand beside each other. It was quiet for a moment as they studied the cabin's view-encompassing windows, high-pitched roof and tall stone chimney. "Pretty place, but boy, Manny wasn't kidding when he said it was secluded," Lois said. "There's not another place around for miles." "That doesn't bother you, does it?" Clark asked with concern as he turned to look at Lois. "No, it doesn't bother me," Lois told him with a shake of her head. "It's just that it's going to take a little getting used to after being in Metropolis. Besides, isn't the idea to 'get away from it all?'" Clark laughed as he reached for her hand. "It definitely is. Now come on. Let's check out the inside." As they walked hand in hand up the cabin's front, needle-covered path, the two men in the distance, hidden by the brush dotting the mountainside, lowered their binoculars. "Should we head back and let Trask know they've arrived?" the first man asked quietly. The other nodded. "Trask's been planning this for a long time. He'll be anxious to hear." As soon as Lois and Clark went inside the cabin and closed the door, the two men stood up and disappeared into the woods. ***** "What do you mean, you want me to slip Kryptonite in Kent's pocket?" Garrison demanded when he met with Trask a short time later in the lodge. "Have you finally flipped out for good, Trask? What good would it do to target Kent? Superman's not going to come anywhere near him when he finds out he's got Kryptonite in his pocket!" Trask clicked his tongue beratingly as he shrugged into his camouflage jacket and tightened the weapons belt around his waist. "Oh ye of little faith," he mocked as he walked toward Garrison, shaking his head. Just then, one of Trask's men appeared in the cabin's front doorway. "Anything else you need taken to the truck?" Trask shook his head. "We've got everything. Just tell the men that I want everybody in position at the cabin tonight. If anyone's not there, they won't live to see tomorrow. Got it?" The man nodded obediently, then backed out and shut the door, leaving Trask and Garrison alone again. When they were, Trask turned back to Garrison. "Don't you get it?" he asked pointedly. "Kent *is* Superman! Why do you think I went to all this trouble to get your little man Manny at the Planet to arrange this little 'romantic getaway' for Lane and Kent? Out of the goodness of my heart? No! I arranged to have him lured here, so I can take him hostage and force him to give me the exact information I'll need to make it known to the world that I was right all along, that alien invaders are soon going to be landing here, bent on taking over the world." Garrison stared wordlessly at Trask, his expression reflecting his confusion. *Kent was Superman? Could Trask be right about this?* he asked himself as he tried to digest the information just thrown at him. *Could Clark Kent, Planet reporter and seemingly normal guy, really be the Superhero in disguise?* It seemed so highly unlikely, so completely unbelievable. But if Trask was so certain, surely he had some little piece of information that could back up his claims. And he wasn't about to believe the paranoid madman without it. "So where's your proof, Trask?" Garrison demanded, his eyes narrowing. "I'm not going to believe something like this from you without proof." "What kind of proof do you need, Garrison? A signed affidavit?" Trask shook his head as he strolled over to his briefcase lying open on the table. "If you must know, Kent told me himself when he and I had our little run-in in Smallville about a year ago. We were fighting in that swamp, and I had just pulled my gun on him and was just about to kill him when that small-town sheriff got to me first." Garrison started to laugh. "Trask, you're crazy! This makes no sense whatsoever. If he'd supposedly told you that he was Superman, then why in the world would you think a bullet would kill him? Or that you could win a hand-to-hand combat fight with him?" But Trask just smiled patiently and turned to his briefcase. Slowly, he picked up a long syringe and a small medicine jar containing a strange, greenish liquid. "Because," he began smugly, "it was during our little confrontation that I found out I was right all along about the effects of that meteorite found in that farmer's field. That particular piece of green rock, which I believe came from his home planet, was harmless to humans, but it had an entirely different effect on Superman, just as I thought it would." Garrison stared at Trask, his expression still skeptical. "And what effect was that?" "It would kill him," Trask stated simply. "Or, in a limited exposure situation, like if you were to inject it into him in an extremely diluted, liquefied form," he continued, holding up the syringe and glass jar, "it would render him virtually powerless." Trask fell silent as his words sunk in, and he could tell from Garrison's expression that he was mulling over his explanation. Finally, Garrison nodded seriously and walked toward him, taking the jar of greenish liquid >from Trask's hand and holding it up to the overhead light. He sloshed the liquid around for a minute, squinting at it thoughtfully. "And just how do you plan to inject him with it if his skin's invulnerable?" Garrison asked, handing the jar back to Trask. "Simple. That's where this little piece of Kryptonite comes in." Trask unsnapped a leather pocket in his weapons belt and pulled out the silver dollar-sized chunk of glowing green rock. "You plant this on Kent, and the effects will immediately start to weaken him. My bet is he'll run back to the cabin, not knowing he's carrying the source of his discomfort with him. Then, after we've given it enough time to work its magic, we'll go bursting in there and take him. He'll be powerless to resist." Garrison nodded slowly as the plan began to sink in. "And Ms. Lane?" Trask waved his hand dismissively. "She won't be a problem. With Kent powerless, my men will easily be able to handle her." "Why not just do away with her?" "Because we need leverage!" Trask snapped. "You don't honestly think Kent's going to divulge his army's information that easily, do you? We can use Lois Lane as our bartering tactic, and make it simple for him. Either he tells us what we want to know, or his girlfriend dies." Garrison licked his lips thoughtfully. "And then you're going to kill him after you're done interrogating him, right?" Trask nodded. "That's the plan. He'll be powerless, thanks to this fancy little diluted version of Kryptonite that I arranged to have concocted. So it'll just be a matter of planting a bullet in him like I was going to do back then in Smallville." Garrison walked across the room to the windows and stared out of them unseeingly as he considered Trask's plan. *Trask might actually have something here,* he deliberated. Clearly the man had thought this out, down to the very last detail. And this was the main reason he'd been put in Trask's group in the first place: to make sure Superman was eliminated. It seemed all he had to do was follow Trask's plan, and the dirty work would be done for him. Then he could get on with his virus plans, without the worries of the superhero intervening. Now the he knew what exactly Trask was planning, it would be his job to make sure everything went according to plan. "Okay, I'm in," Garrison said finally, turning back to Trask. "Where and when do you want me to do this?" ********************************* Erin :) __________________ erink@ida.net Visit my LNC/Kerth Website: www.ida.net/users/davek ***** "It's not the years that count, it's the moments...right now, as they happen." __________________ ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 09:41:57 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: NEW: The Darkest Hour part 10 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit The Darkest Hour (Before the Dawn) by Erin Klingler erink@ida.net part 10 ************************************** "I can't believe this place!" Lois exclaimed as she and Clark walked into the cabin and looked around in awe. The great room that greeted them had high, angled ceilings and a giant stone fireplace, with surrounding sofa, loveseat and comfortable-looking recliner that took up most of the wall to their left. Along the back wall was a bold, knotty pine staircase that led to a large loft overlooking the room, and a moderately-sized but comfortable kitchen sat off to the right, separated from the great room by a row of cabinets and an eating bar with stools pushed underneath it. "Yeah, I had no idea the place would be this great," Clark admitted, clearly impressed by their surroundings. "Manny made it sound like just some nice, old cabin that needed some attention. But this..." he made a sweeping gesture at the room, "it's incredible." "Let's go see what's upstairs," Lois suggested, taking his hand and pulling him with her. Clark laughed. "You're not excited or anything, are you?" Lois grinned over her shoulder at him as they started up the stairs. "What, are you kidding? I haven't had a vacation in ages, and from the looks of this place, it's going to be an amazing three days." Clark grinned back and shook his head, surprised by Lois' enthusiasm after her initial opposite reaction to his suggestion to get away. "I'm sure it will be, Lois." When they got upstairs, they 'oohed' over the pool table in the rec room, then continued down the hall where they found a large master suite with incredible floor to ceiling windows along one wall, overlooking the woods behind the cabin and the rising mountains in the distance. "Oh, Clark, what an amazing view!" Lois exclaimed. "You've got to see this." "I can see it from here," Clark replied from the other side of the room. "But that's nothing. Check this out." Lois turned to see Clark standing in the doorway of the adjoining bathroom, and she hurried over. When he moved aside, her jaw dropped. The bathroom was easily the size of her bedroom at her apartment, with marble floors and countertops, a double sink, and a jetted tub in addition to a separate shower. "Wow!" she said, crossing the bathroom to sit on the edge of the jetted tub and stroking the smooth porcelain surface. She closed her eyes and sighed dreamily. "I could soak in this thing for *hours.*" Clark's throat suddenly constricted and his heart rate increased. The image of Lois lying naked in the tub suddenly sprung to mind, and he was helpless to stop the onrush of hormones that flooded through him. He gave himself a mental shake and reminded himself that he'd promised this getaway wasn't supposed to be that way. He'd promised. "Maybe I'll do that tonight after we get back from the theater," Lois continued, totally oblivious to Clark's struggle to regain his control. "We're still going to the performance tonight, aren't we?" She glanced up at Clark for confirmation, and it was then that she noticed the aroused look in his eyes. A blush quickly spread across her cheeks, and she opened her mouth to apologize, but then she immediately shut it again. What did she have to apologize for? All she'd said was that she wanted to soak in the tub. What was wrong with that? But clearly it had sparked something inside of Clark, and, though she felt bad for making Clark uncomfortable, she also couldn't help but feel a rush of satisfaction at his reaction. True, he'd told her a few days ago at her apartment that he didn't know if he was ready to take their relationship to the next level. But his reaction told her that he had indeed thought about being intimate with her, and was aroused by her. If he wasn't, his reaction wouldn't have been so noticeable. Seeing that he'd made her uncomfortable by his reaction, Clark suddenly cleared his throat and turned his attention to her question. "Yeah, I'd still like the go to the performance tonight. That is, if that's okay with you." "Yes...yes, I'd love to," Lois quickly responded, trying to reduce the tension hovering in the room. "But first we should probably get the things >from the car and unpack a little." "Good idea," he stated matter-of-factly, trying to restore the casual feeling between them. "And I'll tell you what. Since this appears to be the only bedroom, why don't you take it, and I'll sleep on the couch." Lois stood up quickly and followed him out of the room. "But that hardly seems fair," she argued. "I know you're nice and everything, Clark, but I don't think I could sleep in that great big bed knowing that you've been relegated to the couch for the next three nights." "Well, then maybe we could work out a system," Clark suggested as they walked down the stairs and over to the front door. Lois grinned, remembering a similar situation not so long ago. "Like alternating nights? Or sharing?" Clark remembered his words from that night in the Lexor hotel and laughed along with her. "Exactly." But then Clark's smile faded, and he quickly hurried to clarify. "Not that I mean I think we should share. I just meant that we could work something out. I mean-" "Clark, relax," Lois said, putting a hand on his chest. She looked over at the couch for a second, then looked back up at him. "Listen, can we talk for a minute? I think we need to clear the air about this." He nodded wordlessly and followed her over to the couch where they sat down next to each other. Turning to face Clark, Lois pulled one of her legs up underneath her and then reached for Clark's hands, taking them in her own. She stared down at their joined hands for a minute and licked her lips nervously. What she had to say was not going to be easy, but obviously it needed to be said. "Clark, we've only been here ten minutes and already we've had two awkward moments," she began with more boldness than she felt. "I think that maybe we should get a few things out in the open about us being alone here together." Clark bowed his head in agreement. "I know, Lois, and I'm sorry if I've made you feel uncomfortable--" "Wait, Clark, stop right there," Lois told him. "See? This is exactly what I'm talking about. I don't want to spend the next three days listening to you apologize for something that you're worried I might misconstrue." "I know," he said again. "It's just that you mean so much to me, and it's so important for me to see that our relationship works. That's why I'm prepared to let you set the pace, and not pressure you. I know how skittish you are about intimacy-" Lois cut him off again. "Clark, I'm not skittish about intimacy," she said sincerely. "In fact, I wouldn't *mind* being intimate with you." She smiled mischievously and scooted closer, putting her hand on his thigh and giving his muscles a gentle squeeze, sending Clark's hormones spiraling at her bold touch. "I just want it to be a decision we make together." Clark smiled softly as he put his hand on top of hers and squeezed it gently. "That sounds fair." Lois smiled back. "Good. So you can stop tiptoeing around me, and just say what you feel. If I'm uncomfortable with something, I'll tell you, and we can talk things out. Okay?" Clark nodded. "Okay." "Good," Lois said, giving Clark's thigh a final pat before pulling it away. "Now that that's settled, we can get on with things. Like getting our suitcases and then going out for some lunch. I don't know about you, but I'm starving." After they'd retrieved their bags from the car and brought them inside, Lois set her suitcase down by the couch. "I can't believe how heavy that thing is," she said with a sheepish smile. "You'd think I'd packed for a week instead of three days." Clark laughed. "Here. Let me take that upstairs for you." As Clark went upstairs and disappeared into the bedroom, Lois decided to check out the kitchen. She walked in and flipped on the light, then walked over to the wall of cabinets and opened one. She was surprised to see it wasn't empty. "Hey, Clark! Come and look at this!" she called out, hoping he could hear her upstairs. A minute later he appeared, and she smiled at him over her shoulder. "The cupboards are even stocked. How about that?" Clark opened the other cupboards, all of them revealing canned food, spices, and non-perishable items. "This is great! It looks like we have everything except milk, bread and eggs, and we can pick those up when we go into town." He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her from behind, pressing his cheek against her hair. "Oh, and we'll need to get an onion, a green pepper, some tomatoes and cheddar cheese..." Lois giggled. "It sounds like you're making quite a shopping list. What do you have in mind?" Clark smiled slowly. "Well, if you really must know, I plan on whipping you up one *amazing* omelet tomorrow morning." "Wow, really?" Lois asked with a pleased smile as she turned in his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck. "That sounds great! I can't wait." As they stood in each other's arms, Lois couldn't help noticing the happy sparkle in Clark's eyes. Unable to stop herself, she continued to take in the features of the man so near her: the warm brown eyes, the adorable grin twitching at the corners of his mouth, the firm, chiseled jaw, his strong cheekbones and smooth, olive-colored skin. Her stomach did a series of flips as she realized what she really had standing in front of her. Here was this incredibly handsome man who was also sweet, kind, and considerate, who dealt patiently with her unpredictable temper and volatile mood swings, and still loved her in spite of them. It made her realize how lucky she was that he was standing in front of her, so willing to love her unconditionally, to be there for her whenever she needed him. "You know what else sounds great?" she asked, giving him a soft smile. "What's that?" "This." Before Clark knew what was happening, Lois stood on her tiptoes and kissed him with such passion that it took him by surprise. He tightened his arms around her waist and returned her kiss, the feelings between them deepening as their kiss became more intense. When they finally pulled apart, Lois' cheeks were flushed and they were both breathless. "Wow," Clark murmured breathlessly. "What was that for?" Lois smiled up at Clark tenderly. "That's for being so good to me." Clark tightened his grip around her even more, pulling her more tightly to him. "Well, if that's what I get for offering to make you an omelet, what do I get if I make you something even better?" A mischievous grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. Lois giggled. "That's for me to know and you to find out." She dropped her arms from Clark's neck and took his hand, lacing her fingers through his. "Come on. Let's go get some lunch." ********************************* Erin :) __________________ erink@ida.net Visit my LNC/Kerth Website: www.ida.net/users/davek ***** "It's not the years that count, it's the moments...right now, as they happen." __________________ ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 09:43:04 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: NEW: The Darkest Hour part 11 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit The Darkest Hour (Before the Dawn) by Erin Klingler erink@ida.net part 11 ********************************** ***** The town was exactly what Lois had pictured: smaller wood and log buildings that housed stores, shops and restaurants, all built around a central park where the snow festival was taking place. There were dozens of cabins and houses built a short distance from the town square, and a ski hill rose up in the not-so-far distance. The sidewalks and streets were filled with visitors and residents, all talking and laughing as they enjoyed the festivities going on in the park across the street and also taking advantage of the after-Christmas specials going on in the shops around them. As Lois and Clark wandered along the bustling sidewalks, looking in the shops’ festively decorated windows and enjoying the atmosphere, they came across the civic auditorium at the far end of the square where a brightly colored poster hung in the front windows, announcing the local theater group ’s performance for that evening. A small restaurant sat next door to it, so they decided to have lunch there before wandering through the park and seeing the snow festivities. The rest of the afternoon went by in a happy blur as Lois and Clark immersed themselves in the small-town activities, and by the time dusk started to fall, they decided to get some Chinese take-out and head back to the cabin. “What an amazing day!” Lois exclaimed as they walked in the front door of the cabin and shrugged out of their coats. “I can’t remember the last time I had so much fun.” Clark grinned. “Me, too. They sure know how to put on a festival.” Lois hung her coat up on the rack beside the door and turned to smile teasingly at Clark as he walked over to the eating bar and set down the bag of groceries. “Did they outdo Smallville’s Christmas festival?” “Close, but not quite.” Clark put the milk and produce into the fridge, then turned to Lois. “So where should we eat? Here in the kitchen?” “Uh-uh,” Lois told him with a quick shake of her head. “In front of a roaring fire. We can turn off the lights and eat by firelight. Doesn’t that sound great?” “Feeling romantic, are you?” Clark teased, a wicked smile crossing his face. “Mmmm, maybe,” Lois replied evasively as she sauntered up to him and rested her hands on his chest flirtatiously. But then her smile widened and she said, “Or maybe it’s just that a roaring fire sounds great after being out in the cold all afternoon.” Clark laughed. “So much for romance.” “Well, there might still be a little of that, too,” Lois assured him, tilting her face up to his and reaching up to touch her lips softly to his. “Now be a gentlemen and go out and grab a couple of logs from that woodpile I saw outside. I’ll get the food out.” Clark smiled as he leaned down to give her one more quick kiss. “Yes, ma’ am.” While Clark was outside, Lois grabbed a quilt from the couch and laid it out on the floor in front of the fireplace, then set the food containers out on it, along with a couple of cans of soda they’d picked up at the store. Clark reappeared a moment later, and Lois couldn’t help but notice how adorable he looked in his flannel shirt and jeans, carrying a couple of logs under his arm. Unable to help herself, she smiled. “What?” Clark asked defensively as he walked toward her and the fireplace with the wood. “Nothing,” Lois quickly said, trying unsuccessfully trying to hide her smile. “It’s just that I’ve never seen you look so rugged before, so ‘woodsy.’ It’s pretty sexy, actually.” Clark’s eyebrows went up in surprise and he grinned broadly. “Oh, really?” “Yes, really,” Lois nodded, still smiling. “Now hurry up and get that fire going. It’s still a little chilly in here.” Dinner went all too quickly as they talked and laughed as they ate, enjoying the quiet of the cabin and the easy companionship they shared. Afterward, Clark leaned back against the couch with his legs stretched out toward the crackling fire, and Lois stretched out beside him, with her head pillowed on his lap. She stared up at him in companionable silence, enjoying watching the flickering firelight dance across his handsome features as he ran his hand lightly through her hair. “Mmmm, can we just stay like this forever?” Lois murmured happily. “With a roaring fire to lay in front of, in a secluded cabin with no phones or TV…” “And no one to bother us,” Clark finished, his voice soft and husky. “It’s pretty great, isn’t it?” Lois sighed contentedly and closed her eyes. “Perfect is more like it.” A minute later, Clark’s soft laughter reached her ears. Quickly she opened her eyes to look up at him. “What?” He shook his head slowly and smiled. “I just can’t ever remember seeing you this relaxed, this happy. Seeing you happy makes *me* happy.” Lois smiled up at him, then casually reached out for his arm and pulled it towards her so she could see his watch. Turning it to reflect the firelight, she noticed that it was almost six. She groaned. “The performance starts in about an hour, so I guess if we’re going to make it, we’d better start to get ready.” Clark groaned, too. “It’s too bad the performance isn’t tomorrow night. I was really enjoying myself just sitting here with you.” “Me, too,” Lois admitted with a smile as she sat up next to him. “But we have two more nights here. That gives us lots of time to continue what we’ re doing. Plus maybe do a little more.” Then, to demonstrate what she meant, she leaned toward him and kissed him invitingly. Clark responded to her kiss, lifting his hand up to rest it lightly on her cheek, then running it lightly down her neck and across her collarbone. Lois’ quick intake of breath startled Clark, and immediately he stopped, worried that he’d crossed the line into an area where Lois wasn’t comfortable. He started to pull back, but Lois hurried to reassure him. “No, Clark, it’s okay,” she whispered, quickly capturing his hand and pressing it in place. “I didn’t mean I wanted you to stop. I liked it.” Clark left his hand where it was, but he tipped his head forward so their foreheads touched, and he sighed. “I’m sorry, Lois,” he whispered huskily. “This is just all so new. I have to admit, I’m pretty inexperienced at all this, and I don’t want to do something that I’m moving too fast--“ Lois quickly raised her hand and put a finger to his lips, silencing his words. “Clark, it’s okay. I haven’t had a ton of experience, either, and we can both say we haven’t had a lot of experience with each other. So let’ s just do what feels comfortable. Then we can go from there.” “Okay,” Clark agreed hesitantly, knowing that he wasn’t about to tell her that he hadn’t actually had *any* experience at all. That was something they could talk about later when the time came. “But--“ “No more ‘buts,’” Lois told him firmly. Then she smiled softly. “Now just shut up and kiss me.” Clark smiled back and leaned forward to kiss her obediently, deciding to simply put his fears aside and do what came naturally. As their kiss deepened, Lois wrapped her arms around his neck and tried to scoot closer, to find a more comfortable position. Sensing she was uncomfortable, Clark reached out for her, encircling her tiny waist with his strong arms, and pulled her onto his lap in one fluid motion. He was a little surprised by his own bold move, but when Lois leaned up against him and kissed him even more deeply, he knew he’d done the right thing. Lois parted her lips slightly, inviting Clark to further their kiss, and soon their tongues were entwined as they began to explore every inch of each other’s mouths. Lois groaned softly, sending Clark’s already sensitive and careful balance into a precarious state. Falling back on her advice to do what felt natural, he moved his hands from the small of her back, and carefully and tentatively slid his hands underneath the back of her loose sweater, pressing them against the bare skin of her lower back, then around to her sides, gently touching and kneading her skin as he went. Lois moaned again, then slid her own hands out from behind his neck to trail them slowly down his chest, pausing briefly at the buttons at his chest before unbuttoning first one button, then another. Clark was so immersed in the intimate foreplay, so overwhelmed with the new rush of sensations and deep emotions that were washing over him, that something didn’t dawn on him until Lois had her hand on the fabric of his shirt and was beginning to slide her hand underneath. Then it hit him. The suit! He was wearing the suit underneath his clothes as he always did! If he let her slip her hand underneath his shirt, she’d be expecting to feel the bare skin of his chest, and when she didn’t, he would suddenly have a whole new world of problems to deal with! In one desperate motion, he pulled his hands out from underneath her sweater and reached around to still her hand on his chest, praying that he’d made it in time. His sudden movement startled Lois, and she pulled back in surprise, looking into his eyes that he was sure were as clouded over by arousal as Lois’ were. “What?” she asked breathlessly. “Is something wrong? Did I go too far?” Clark tried desperately to catch his breath, too, yet not alert her to the sudden problem with their foreplay. “No!” he said, a little too forcefully. To cover up his anxiety, he rushed on. “No, Lois, you didn’t go too far. It’s just…well….” His mind searched frantically for something to say, some reason he could give her for stopping so suddenly that wouldn’t hurt her feelings, something that wouldn’t give his *real* reason for stopping away. Then it hit him. He was planning on telling her about his inexperience sooner or later, so why not use it to his advantage now? Maybe it wasn’t the best time to broach the subject, but given the alternative—the truth—it seemed like the only option he had. Looking into her worried and anxious eyes, he took a deep breath before beginning. “Lois, remember how I told you a few minutes ago that I was a little inexperienced?” She nodded silently, so he continued, his voice quiet and halting. “Well, the truth of the matter is, that’s a little exaggerated. In fact, if you get right down to it, I guess you could say, well, I haven’t had…*any* experience at all.” Lois stared back at him blankly for a long minute before she suddenly realized what he was saying, and her eyes widened. “By not having ‘any’ experience, do you mean…?” Clark held his breath. Was her reaction a good thing or a bad thing? He couldn’t tell. So he finally nodded slowly, his eyes continuing to search hers. “Yes, I mean…I haven’t really…gone…this far with anyone before, and I ’m afraid that if we keep going, I might not…” ‘Say it, Clark!’ the little voice in his head screamed. ‘You wouldn’t be lying! It would be the truth! And besides, it would justify your panicked reaction.’ He agreed with the voice and did his best to continue, though he felt his face turn a bright shade of red. This wasn’t a conversation he’d ever had with anyone before, and he felt naked, exposed. “Well,” he tried again, fumbling for the words, “the truth is, I don’t know if I could stop, once we got past a certain point.” Lois stared back at him unblinkingly, and when she continued to remain silent, he wished a crack would open up in the floor and swallow him whole. “Lois?” he said, suddenly wanting to die of embarrassment. “Are you okay? I didn’t mean to throw this at you so suddenly, but we’d talked about making a decision about our intimacy mutually, and I thought this was something you needed to know. But if my being a v—well, an inexperienced sexual partner, upsets you, then I apologize for not discussing this with you sooner— Before he could finish, Lois sat up a little straighter on his lap and shook her head. “No, Clark, *I’m* the one who should apologize,” she told him firmly. “I didn’t mean to look so freaked out. This is just a…surprise, I guess. I knew you were a real gentleman, but I had no idea you’d never…slept…with anyone.” She paused, hoping she hadn’t said the wrong thing. But then she smiled softly and slid her arms around Clark’s neck, fingering the ends of his hair at the back of his head. “Clark, to tell you the truth, I’m flattered by the idea that you waited for me, or…well, maybe not waited for *me* necessarily…” “No, Lois, you were right the first time,” Clark interrupted, putting his hands gently on her shoulders and forcing her to meet his eyes. “I *did* wait for you. I’ve had girlfriends before, and I’ve had the opportunities to…well, you know. But it just never seemed right. Then I met you, and I knew right then the reason *why* I’ve been waiting all this time. *You* are the only person for me, Lois, and I sincerely hope I don’t scare you off by saying that. But I’ve been in love with you for a long time, and now that we’re finally a couple, that just makes the stakes in our relationship so much higher, why I *need* to make our relationship work out. I love you, Lois. You are who I’ve been waiting for all this time, and I don’t want to mess that up.” Tears filled Lois’ eyes as Clark finished, and immediately he worried that he’d said too much, really scared her this time. But Lois saw the anxiety in his eyes and she shook her head quickly as she reached up to wipe away an escaped tear. “Clark, that’s the most beautiful thing you could’ve ever said to me,” she said as she smiled happily through her tears. “To know that you feel that strongly about me…about us…that you love me. You can’t believe how great that makes me feel. And even though I’ve never said it out loud before, I want you to know that I love you, too.” Clark let his breath out in a rush, and a happy, blissful smile lit up his face. He reached up and cupped her face in his hands, and he slowly rubbed his thumbs along her cheeks. “Lois, you have no idea how long I’ve waited, how many nights I’ve prayed, that I’d one day hear you say that,” Clark told her, his voice choked with emotion. “You are so special to me, and it means everything to me to hear that you feel the same way.” Clark reached up to brush at a single tear that trailed down her cheek, then leaned forward and kissed her sweetly. When they pulled apart, Clark smiled at her tenderly. “On that note, we should probably get changed for the theater.” Lois smiled back and nodded. She slid off Clark’s lap, and he got to his feet and helped her up. When she was standing beside him, she let her hand linger in his for a moment longer than necessary, not wanting to let the magic of the moment fade. But she knew they would have to hurry to make the performance, and it wasn’t like they wouldn’t be together. The magical evening didn’t have to stop there. They were going to be out enjoying themselves, totally uninterrupted, for the rest of the evening, and then…well, who knew what might happen when they returned to the cabin? The night was all theirs to do with it whatever they decided felt right. Finally, Lois gave Clark’s hand a squeeze and released it. “I guess we should get dressed. I’ll, um, just go upstairs and change. Do you want me to holler down when I’m done so you can use the bathroom?” Clark nodded. “That’d be great. I’ll change down here in the meantime.” ************************* Erin :) __________________ erink@ida.net Visit my LNC/Kerth Website: www.ida.net/users/davek ***** "It's not the years that count, it's the moments...right now, as they happen." __________________ ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 09:45:08 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: NEW: The Darkest Hour part 12 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit The Darkest Hour (Before the Dawn) by Erin Klingler erink@ida.net part 12 ************************************** Lois went upstairs and took her dress out of the closet that she’d hung there when they’d first arrived, hoping it didn’t need to be ironed. Thankfully, it didn’t. Carrying it into the bathroom, she shut the door behind her and started to undress. When she slid the dress over her head and pulled it over her bare skin, she couldn’t help shiver beneath the smooth rayon fabric. Since they’d found out the theater’s dress code required nothing more than a dressy-casual attire, she’d chosen her favorite navy blue rayon dress with short sleeves, a scooping neckline, and a pretty, full skirt that reached almost to her knees. As she zipped herself up and turned to look in the mirror, she was pleased with what she saw. The style complimented her tiny waist, and the revealing neckline showed off just a hint of cleavage. It was both sexy and dressy, without being overly so. Just perfect for such an occasion. She reached into her makeup bag and quickly went about applying the makeup that had somehow mysteriously vanished during her and Clark’s afternoon outdoors. Then she gave herself one final glance before leaving the bathroom. On her way out of the bedroom, she slipped on her navy blue heels and grabbed the simple pearl earrings she’d decided to wear, then headed downstairs. “Clark, the bathroom’s all yours,” she called out as she walked down the stairs while working at putting the earrings in her earlobes. A low whistle greeted her, and she looked down to see that Clark was staring at her in admiration from the bottom of the stairs. “Lois, you look incredible!” A broad smile lit up her face. “I do?” she asked as she reached the bottom of the stairs and looked up at him shyly. Then she glanced down at her dress. “I don’t look overly dressy, do I? You said dressy-casual, so I don ’t want to be overdressed…” Clark reached out and pulled her into his arms. “No, Lois, you look amazing. What you’re wearing is just perfect.” Lois finished putting the second earring in her ear and then pulled away >from Clark so she could better see what he had chosen to wear. He had on a charcoal-colored sports jacket, along with tan Dockers, and a bold-print tie. She smiled. “You look pretty great yourself, Clark.” “Thank you,” he accepted humbly. “Let me just hurry upstairs to finish getting ready, and I’ll be down in a minute. Then we can get out of here.” Lois wandered over to the couch and lowered herself onto it, content to relax in front of the still-flickering fire until Clark was ready. It had been so long since she’d just been able to take her time, to enjoy herself without interruptions. With the warm fire heating her stockinged legs, she sighed happily. She had to admit, Clark had picked the perfect vacation. She was going to owe him big-time for this one. As she waited, she couldn’t help reflecting on their conversation of a few minutes ago. Clark’s telling her of his inexperience had been a shock. But it had also been incredibly flattering. But even more than that, it made her realize that it meant something even more to her, something that no other assurance of words could offer. Clark’s sexual experience—or lack of it, in this case—only succeeded in proving to her that he was definitely a forever kind of guy, not someone who was going to run out on her after things became intimate between them. If he had been a ‘love ‘em and leave ‘em’ kind of a guy, he wouldn’t have waited all these years for the right person to share such an intimate and personal thing with. She realized once and for all that she could trust him to stick with her through anything that might come their way, and that little piece of assurance meant more to her than anything else he could have offered her. Just then she heard the sound of Clark’s footsteps on the stairs, and she quickly stood up and turned to smile at him. He returned her smile readily as he closed the distance between them, tightening the knot in his tie. They crossed to the front door, where Clark helped her on with her coat, then put on his own. As he opened the front door, he offered her his elbow and smiled down at her. “Ready to go?” “You bet,” Lois responded, looping her arm through his. The drive into town went quickly, and before long, they’d pulled into a curb-side parking space a couple of blocks from the theater and joined the crowds going into the auditorium. As they waited in line to show the usher their tickets, Clark tried to be inconspicuous as he watched Lois beside him as she watched the activity going on around them, his heart filled with an entirely new love for this woman who had so long ago captured his heart. She looked so incredibly beautiful, with the lobby lights glinting off her dark hair and her creamy skin evident beneath the open throat of her jacket, that it almost took his breath away. And what made everything even more amazing was the fact that Lois had finally voiced her feelings, and her love, for him. He’d been waiting for so long to hear those words, and hearing them now made his life absolutely perfect. It also was a relief to finally get the details of his inexperience off his chest, especially after all their talk of late about intimacy in their relationship, even if the reason for his sudden rationale of why to tell her was not quite as selfless as he’d planned. But what did it matter? She’d accepted it without question, and the conversation that had followed had simply made the night one to remember. Without a doubt, he knew that tonight was definitely a turning point in their relationship. But not everything was right in the world. There was still the issue of telling her about Superman… *But things suddenly feel so different between us,* Clark rationalized. *She took the conversation of my inexperience in stride, and it made us closer. Surely my telling her about being, well, who I am, would only succeed in strengthening our relationship that much more.* ‘Yeah, right,’ the nagging voice in his head chimed in. ‘Telling Lois about your virginity is one thing. Telling her that you’ve been outright lying to her for the past two years is not going to be as easily accepted, and you know it.’ Clark sighed. The voice was right. The two things were entirely different matters, and her reaction would undoubtedly be completely different. But regardless of her reaction to the news, he had to tell her. As far as they’ d come in their relationship, with the two of them divulging the things they had divulged to each other, he knew he couldn’t expect her not to get mad about being deceived about this for so long. Yes, she would probably be mad. But now that he knew he loved her, he was sure they could work through any complications that might arise in their relationship. After all, wasn’t that what his dad always told him? That love could conquer all? Well, he was sure he’d soon be finding out…when and how he finally decided on a way to break it to her. The usher finally showed them to their seats, and Clark helped Lois get settled before sitting down next to her. As the lights dimmed and a hush fell over the crowd, Clark wrapped his arm around Lois’ shoulders and pulled her toward him. Lois melted against him contentedly and let her head fall onto his shoulder. In the darkness of the theater, Lois sighed happily. *********************************** Erin :) __________________ erink@ida.net Visit my LNC/Kerth Website: www.ida.net/users/davek ***** "It's not the years that count, it's the moments...right now, as they happen." __________________ ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 09:46:54 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: NEW: The Darkest Hour part 13 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit The Darkest Hour (Before the Dawn) by Erin Klingler erink@ida.net part 13 *************************************** “What a great performance!” Lois raved as she and Clark walked out of the theater and into the cold night air almost two hours later. “For such a small group of performers, they sure had a lot of talent! Maybe Perry could send one of the entertainment reporters up here to do a piece on them. They were fabulous.” “Yes, they were,” Clark agreed, his steps slowing as he waited Lois to finish buttoning up her coat. When she finished buttoning and then looked up at him happily, he smiled at her and offered her his arm. “Ready to go?” She nodded as she returned his smile with one of her own, then slid her arm through his. “What do you think about seeing if one of the restaurants are still open? We could grab some hot chocolate or something.” “Great idea,” Clark suggested as they started down the near-empty sidewalk. “I think there was one not far from where we parked the car. Why don’t we head that direction?” “Perfect.” Lois tightened her arm on Clark’s as they walked along the darkened streets, with most of the tourists and town’s residents already at home for the evening. She let her breath out slowly and watched as it formed into a little cloud in front of her face. “It’s cold out tonight,” Clark observed casually. “Maybe that’s why there’s not as much snow as we thought there’d be. It’s too cold to snow.” They turned the corner of the block and headed down the nearly deserted street where they’d parked the car. “Are you sure you won’t freeze before we get to the restaurant?” Lois laughed softly. “I’m not made of glass, you know, Clark. I’ve lived in Metropolis all my life, and there are lots of days in the winter that are easily as cold as this. Besides, look at you! You’re only wearing that sports jacket. You should be the one freezing.” Clark simply shrugged. “I guess winters in Smallville have—“ “I know, I know. Winters in Smallville have acclimated you,” Lois finished for him with a smile. They were just walking past the front door of a closed hardware store when they suddenly heard the jingling sound of the store’s door opening. They barely had time to look over to see the man, dressed in a long, dark trench coat and a dark wool cap and carrying an armload of items, before he came rushing out and barreled into them. Caught unprepared, Lois was nearly knocked to the ground as she and Clark were separated. “Hey, watch it!” she exclaimed, getting grabbing at Clark’s arm to try to remain upright. “Didn’t anybody ever teach you to watch where you’re going?!” “Hey, are you okay?” Clark asked, reaching out to grab the falling man. They were a tangle of arms and legs for a moment, and Lois took a step back, trying to avoid the confusion as they separated. “Sorry,” the man mumbled, then turned and rushed away without a backward glance. Lois whirled around and watched the man disappear quickly down the street. “You could at least make sure we’re okay!” Lois yelled after him indignantly. When she saw him duck into a dark alley behind one of the buildings, she slowly shook her head and turned back to Clark. “Can you believe the nerve of that guy?” But when she turned and looked at Clark, her heart immediately leapt into her throat. He was doubled over in pain, with his teeth gritted together and his face twisted in agony. “Clark!” she exclaimed, suddenly fearing that the man had somehow hurt Clark during the commotion. She quickly bent over to try to look into his distraught face, sliding one arm across his back and putting her other hand on his shoulder. “Clark, what’s wrong? Did that man hurt you? What happened?” Through the fogginess in his mind, Clark quickly sorted out his symptoms in his head. It didn’t take him more than a moment or two to figure out what was wrong. Kryptonite. Only Kryptonite could make him feel like this. But where? And how? Clark grimaced in pain, the hammering in his temples and the roaring in his head nearly blocking out the sound of Lois’ concerned voice. *I have to get out of here,* he realized quickly. *I don’t know where the Kryptonite is, but there’s no doubt it’s nearby.* Gathering all his strength and willpower, he clenched his teeth together and tried to straighten up, but the searing pain coursing through him quickly changed his mind, and he immediately doubled back over. “Clark!” Lois cried, barely able to keep the panic she felt at seeing Clark on the verge of collapse from taking over her. “Clark, you have to tell me what’s wrong!” Knowing from Lois’ tone that she was bordering on hysteria, Clark opened his mouth to try to reassure her, but just then another wave of pain flooded through him, and he went down on his knees, groaning against the searing pain. Lois tightened her arms around him as she struggled to keep him upright, but she knew she was no match for Clark’s husky, muscular frame. She squatted down next to him, her face creased with worry. “Lois, I have to get out of here,” Clark managed to force out between gasps, becoming more desperate as he felt his strength continue to ebb away. “Please, help me….” Lois quickly looked around the deserted street, hoping she could find somebody who could help them, but the late hour and cold weather had driven everybody indoors. Feeling more panicked, Lois turned back to Clark and tugged at his slumped form, trying to urge him to his feet. “Come on, Clark. Can you stand up? We’ve got to get you to the hospital. I remember seeing signs for one further down the mountain….” But Clark quickly shook his head, even though it made the world spin crazily around him. “No, Lois, I can’t go…to the hospital,” he choked out as he struggled to his feet. “Just get me back to the cabin. We can figure out what to do from there.” “But Clark!” Lois argued, her eyes filled with worry. “You need help! I’m not a doctor, I don’t know what to do—“ “No, Lois, no hospital!” he shouted back adamantly, unable to stop the harsh tone from entering his voice. “They won’t be able to do anything for me there!” He looked up at Lois, clearly able to see the confused and panicked expression on her face, even through the haze filming his vision. He immediately felt bad for snapping at her, but he was in too much pain to offer any consolation. But his voice was softer when he tried again, “Let’s just get back to the cabin, okay?” Lois glanced once more at the darkened, deserted street around them, then turned back to Clark, clearly uncertain and unhappy with his decision. “Fine, if that’s what you want to do,” she muttered, sliding her arm around Clark’s waist and leading him toward the car, shouldering his weight as best she could as he slumped against her and struggled to remain upright. Against her better judgment, Lois helped him into the passenger seat of the Jeep and quickly climbed behind the wheel and sped away toward the cabin. She did her best to keep her eyes on the darkened road before her as she darted through the town and out onto the highway, but she kept glancing over at Clark, noticing with ever-increasing concern that, instead of getting better as they neared the cabin, he seemed to grow increasingly worse. His normally olive-colored complexion was ashen white, and his face was creased with pain. He continued to cry out in pain as they drove, with his weight slumping against the passenger door. When they finally pulled up in front of the cabin, Lois had never been so glad to see anything in her life. She threw the Jeep into park and turned off the engine before rushing around to his side and opening his door. He slumped out against her, nearly collapsing onto the cold, frozen ground. Through tear-filled, panicked eyes, Lois struggled to keep up standing, then half-dragged, half-walked him to the front door of the cabin and hurried inside. She helped him to the floor in front of the fireplace, where he immediately collapsed in an anguished cry of pain. Lois quickly dropped to her knees beside him, the tears that she’d been struggling to fend off for the past few minutes finally coursing down her cheeks in a continuous stream. “Clark, you have to tell me what to do!” she cried, her panic finally turning to helpless sobs as she grabbed desperately at his suit lapels. “I don’t know what’s wrong, or what I need to do! Please….” Clark shook his head, and reached out blindly for her hand, hoping to give it a comforting squeeze. But the pain was too much for him, and he let out another anguished cry. He didn’t understand what was happening. *If there really was Kryptonite back there, I shouldn’t still be feeling like this! We’re far enough away from town that I should be returning to normal.* But he knew from the pain jolting through him that he was far from being out of danger. In fact, he felt even worse than he had in town a few minutes before. With her heart wrenching in her chest, Lois reached out and brushed the hair back off his forehead, noticing with a start how hot his skin felt beneath her hand, and the dampness of the perspiration that covered his forehead. Not knowing what else to do for him, Lois let go of his hand and ran for the kitchen, grabbing a dishtowel and soaking it with cold water from the faucet before hurrying back to him. She grabbed for his jacket sleeve and tried to tug it off of his arm. “Clark, let’s at least get your coat off and have you lie down with this cold cloth on your head while I try to figure out what to do,” she sniffed, trying to regain some of the control she’d lost moments before. “But you’re going to have to help me….” In spite of the pounding in his head and the ache attacking every muscle in his body, Clark did his best to raise himself off the floor a fraction of an inch as she tugged on his jacket, finally succeeding in pulling it off of him. Without a second thought, Lois tossed his jacket onto the hardwood floor behind her, and was surprised to hear a strange thud as she did. She turned back to Clark as he laid back on the floor and put the cold towel to his head. “Clark, what’s in your suit pocket?” "What?” he asked weakly, his voice barely a strangled whisper. “I didn’t put anything in my pocket. Why?" Suddenly wondering if the ‘thud’ had something to do with Clark’s worsening condition, Lois leaned over and grabbed the hem of the jacket, pulling it toward her. She quickly shoved her hand in the first pocket, and was met with emptiness. Then she turned the coat over and slipped her hand into the other, and she immediately felt the surface of something hard. Grasping the object, she pulled it out and, when she saw what it was, she gasped in shock. The iridescent green glow of the rock in her hand was something she knew she ’d never forget. She’d only seen it once before, when Arianna Carlin had molded a bullet out of it and shot it into Superman’s body. When she’d awoken from her drugged sleep, she’d found Superman crumpled on the floor of Lex’s penthouse, grabbing at his shoulder and grimacing in pain. She’d never forget how she’d had to fish it out of his shoulder, with Superman grabbing onto her hand for all he was worth as she worked it free from his skin and pulled the glowing bullet from his body. Moments after she’d removed it, he’d been able to scramble to his feet in his weakened condition and hurry after Lex’s evil ex-wife. And even though it had been almost a year, she’d never forgotten the shock of seeing Superman writhing in pain on the floor, grimacing in pain. Much like…Clark was now. Something clicked in Lois’ head, and her mouth opened in shocked silence. It couldn’t be! Kryptonite was supposed to be harmless to humans. If this was the reason Clark was suddenly so sick, that could only mean…. Her face going white, Lois turned to look once again at Clark’s grimacing form. It was like watching the events in Lex Luthor’s penthouse all over again. Except, this time it was Clark writhing on the ground. Her mind started to whirl frantically, searching for a solution to the questions suddenly forming in her mind. Could it be? Clark? And Superman? Were they…could they be…? As her foggy, panicked mind struggled to reason, Clark lifted his head off the floor just enough to see what she was doing. The instant he saw the glowing, green rock in her hand, it all made sense. No wonder he hadn’t been getting any better! It was in his pocket the whole time, continuing to work its deadly powers. The man they’d run into must’ve planted it on him during the confusion! Not stopping to worry about the fact that some yet unknown enemy must’ve made the connection that he was Superman, he clenched his teeth as another searing pain tore at him. "Lois, you’ve got to get that out of here!" he told her desperately, fearing that he didn’t have much time to act before it would be too late. “Take it outside, get rid of it!” Jumping to her feet, Lois clenched the rock in her hand and scrambled to her feet. She ran over to the door, yanked it open, then hurtled the Kryptonite chunk as far as she could into the inky blackness of the woods. Then she turned back to Clark, already noticing a change in his appearance. He was still deathly pale and his face dotted with perspiration, but he no longer appeared to be in agonizing pain. Hurrying over to him, Lois knelt down shakily next to him and cautiously touched his shoulder. “Clark, are you okay?” He swallowed noisily and shut his eyes for a long moment, trying to stem the diminishing ache still numbing his body. “I…I don’t know,” Clark answered weakly, lifting his hand with great effort to press it over hers. “I think I will be. I just need some time….” It was quiet for what seemed like an eternity as Lois sat motionless at Clark’s side, her mind still churning and searching for answers. There was no denying what she’d just witnessed. Clark’s agonizing pain…the glowing rock she’d found in his pocket…his strangled voice telling her to get rid of it…and when she had, his pain slowly diminishing. All the signs were there. It didn’t take a genius to piece together the facts. Being a part of what had just happened, Lois knew she couldn’t reason this all away. The events spoke for themselves. Clark was Superman. In a state of shock, Lois slowly pulled her hand out from underneath Clark’s and leaned heavily back against the couch. So Clark was Superman. In all this time, the thought had never even once crossed her mind. She’d always thought of the two men as totally separate people, and why shouldn’t she have? Who would’ve thought that her patient, quiet partner could be the strongest man in the world, the superhero everyone looked up to, and turned to for help amidst the world’s greatest disasters. Certainly not her, and she knew him probably better than anyone in Metropolis! And maybe even everywhere else, for that matter! The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. Here they were, in a serious, committed relationship, even talking about intimacy, for crying out loud! And he obviously didn’t even think something of this magnitude was worth telling her about! Years of mistrust and betrayal on the part of the men in her life suddenly came flooding back, and the pain she felt at each of the times stabbed at her with such emotional pain that she silently cursed herself for ever trusting a man. She thought, with all her heart, that she could trust Clark, after all they’d talked about and been through together as partners in work, and as partners in what she thought was a serious relationship. But clearly she was the partner being left out of an important part of this man’s life, and the lack of trust he’d showed by not thinking enough of her to tell her about it made her hurt clear to her soul. He’d said he loved her. But actions spoke so much louder than words. Tears pricked at the back of her eyes, and she knew she’d been a fool to ever give her heart to a man. Even if it was someone like Clark, whom she’d thought she could trust. But instead, he’d betrayed her, lied to her, and showed her that he didn’t think her worthy of his most intimate secret. Feeling as if someone had just ripped out her heart and sent it through a meat grinder, Lois clutched at her aching stomach and struggled to her feet, unable to sit beside Clark for a moment longer. With hot tears of anger and hurt sliding down her cheeks, she hurried across the room to the front door of the cabin, yanking her coat from its hook. Seeing her stand up and rush across the room, Clark closed his eyes and groaned inwardly. *Terrific,* he cursed silently. *Now she knows. This is exactly why you should’ve told her yourself sooner, so that something like this wouldn’t happen! After all this time, after how far you’ve both come in this relationship over the past few weeks, everything is suddenly in jeopardy.* He saw her yank her coat from the coat hook, and he knew if he didn’t do something, he was going to lose her. Maybe even for good. He gingerly raised himself up on one elbow. “Lois,” he called, trying to summon enough energy to be heard. “Lois, where are you going?” She yanked her coat over her shoulders and shoved her arms into the sleeves. Now that she knew Clark was going to be okay, she couldn’t stand to be in the same room with him a minute longer. “I’m going *out!*” she snapped, her anger finally boiling to the surface. “Lois,” he began again, trying to push himself on weakened arms into a sitting position. “Please, don’t go. We should talk--” “Talk?!” Lois echoed furiously as she finished putting on her coat and whirled around to face him. “Like you talked to me about this when we first met? Or how you explained everything when we started dating? Or how about when we were getting intimate in front of the fire earlier this evening? I can’t believe you, Clark! As if I didn’t have enough stress in my life, you dump *this* in my lap! After everything we’ve meant to each other, you never even thought that something as important as being Superman would be worth bringing into the conversation?” “It’s not exactly something that just pops up in a conversation, Lois,” Clark reasoned in his weakened voice. “Oh, that’s the perfect reason not to tell me!” Lois continued to fume. “Something like that *would* be much too difficult to discuss, so why not just not bother telling me at all?” She flipped her hair back over her shoulder and glared furiously at him. “You’re really a piece of work, Clark, you know that? I finally let you work your way into my heart, finally deciding you were the one and only man I’ve ever been able to trust, and this is how you repay me? By betraying my trust? By lying to me for the past two years? Did you think this was going to win me over, Clark? If so, let me tell you, you were wrong!” Knowing she’d reached her boiling point, Lois whirled around and reached for the doorknob. Clark reached out for the couch and climbed weakly to his feet, swaying precariously as he did. “Lois, please, if you’d just let me explain—“ “No, Clark!” Lois yelled, whirling back around to face him. “Forget it! I ’m too mad to talk about this right now. As a matter of fact, maybe you’d better consider yourself lucky if I ever talk to you *again*! Now if you don’t mind, I’m going out to get some air. Alone!” “No, Lois, you can’t!” Clark pleaded desperately. “It may not be safe! Whoever that man was who put that chunk of Kryptonite into my pocket knew I was Superman! Who knows what he’s still planning to do? If you go out there….” But Lois wasn’t listening. She reached out for the doorknob and yanked the door open furiously. “Nice try, Clark,” she snapped, giving him one last glance over her shoulder, “but you should be thankful I’m going. With as angry as I am right now, who knows what *I* might do to you if I stuck around!” And with that, Lois stomped through the open door and slammed it shut behind her. In the silence that followed, Clark closed his eyes and cursed himself under his breath. *How could you have been so stupid?* he berated himself as he let his shaking legs lower him to the couch. *You should’ve told her ages ago, and not have kept putting it off, waiting for ‘the right moment.’ And look what’s happened because of it!* Clark put his still-throbbing head into his hands and tried to regain his equilibrium, knowing that, as much as he wanted to, there was no one he was going to chase her down in his condition. Maybe he’d be able to if he just rested for a minute…. ******************************** Erin :) __________________ erink@ida.net Visit my LNC/Kerth Website: www.ida.net/users/davek ***** "It's not the years that count, it's the moments...right now, as they happen." __________________ ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 09:48:11 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: NEW: The Darkest Hour part 14 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit The Darkest Hour (Before the Dawn) by Erin Klingler erink@ida.net part 14 ************************************** Meanwhile, Lois stormed down the front steps of the cabin, not even bothering to button her coat to shield herself from the bitter cold of the winter night. It felt good to have another pain to focus on, to overshadow the seemingly all-encompassing pain that was crushing her heart. With tears rolling down her cheeks, she stumbled blindly down the path leading away from the cabin and into the woods, guided only by the moonlight reflecting off the patchy mounds of snow around her. She didn’t know where she was going, but she knew she just needed to be by herself for a while. *What am I supposed to do about our little planned vacation?* Lois asked herself. *Am I supposed to pack up and leave?* She slowed her steps as the tears continued to flow. Never before had she felt so betrayed, so hurt. Not even by Claude--she should’ve seen Claude for what he was, anyway--and not by her dad; she’d learned from a young age that he couldn’t be trusted to be there for them. But Clark? She’d always felt solid, secure around Clark. He’d taken great care to gain her trust and her friendship since he’d come to work at the Planet, and she’d finally warmed up to him as their partnership became full-time. And their friendship—and soon, their relationship as a couple--had grown between them from there. So why hadn’t he told her? Why hadn’t he felt he could trust her? The memories of all the times he’d come to her apartment as Superman, pretending to be a whole different person, suddenly flooded her mind. Obviously he’d had plenty of opportunities to tell her who he really was, but he never had. The fact that he could’ve told her and never did, leaving her out in the cold about such a huge part of his life, made her feel miserable and alone. She’d opened her heart to him, and he’d refused to do that same. That was what made her feel the worst of all. Her steps slowed as hot tears continued to blur her vision, and she wandered over to one of the large trees along the path. Leaning up against it, she forced herself to take a couple of deep breaths to steady herself as she fished a tissue out of her coat pocket. *What am I going to do?* she thought hopelessly as she looked up into the darkened sky. *I don’t want to break up with Clark. I told him the truth earlier. I really do love him. But what if this is just the first sign of things to come? Will he always be keeping secrets from me? Will he not think it’s necessary to tell me things? How am I supposed to trust him to be honest with me about everything in our relationship after something like this?* She lifted her arm and roughly wiped the tears from her cheeks. Obviously there were no easy answers. This was something she was going to have to come to terms with, and decide if she could forgive him. To be honest, she wasn’t sure she could. At least not right now. As she struggled to come to terms with her feelings, something else dawned on her. The Kryptonite. Somebody had purposely planted the Kryptonite on Clark, and that could only mean one thing. Somebody out there—besides her, that is—had made the connection that Clark was Superman, and was taking action. But surely whoever it was wasn’t just planning to slip the Kryptonite into his pocket and hope it did Clark off. Wouldn’t whoever it was be planning on following things up? *If so, Clark could be in a world of trouble,* she realized. *But on the other hand, it would serve him right.* But as soon as the thought ran through her head, she immediately felt a rush of guilt, which in turn made her feel guilty for feeling guilty. *I shouldn ’t be feeling guilty!* she told herself. *He’s the one who’s been lying to me for all this time!* But despite her rationalization, she *did* feel bad. Clark was her best friend, and no matter how rottenly he’d treated her, she didn’t want to see him hurt. A slight breeze kicked up, and Lois shivered and pulled her jacket more tightly around her. It wasn’t until then that she realized how cold she was really getting. Her cheeks felt stiff from her tears, and her legs were starting to numb since she was still wearing the knee-length dress from the theater. With a sigh, she pushed off from the tree and decided she’d better head back, even though she didn’t feel like she’d resolved anything at all. *At least I’ve blown off some steam,* she thought. *Maybe after a good night’s sleep I’ll be thinking more clearly, and know what I need to do about everything.* She shook her head as she turned back down the path and started to head back to the cabin. As wonderful as the day had begun, it sure hadn’t ended that way. Lois had only gone a few steps down the path when she suddenly heard a twig snap somewhere off to her left. She immediately froze in her steps, her heart hammering uncontrollably. Holding her breath, she spun around, searching the darkness for the source of the noise. *An animal?* she wondered. *Surely not this close to an inhabited cabin. Maybe it was just my imagination,* she rationalized. For another long moment she remained still, straining her ears for any other noises, but the woods were silent. Too silent. Something wasn’t right. Even without her reporter instincts, she could’ve picked up on that. And she wasn’t about to stick around to find out what. With a sudden rush of adrenaline, Lois turned down the path and started toward the cabin at a half-walk, half-run. Angry with Clark or not, the cabin suddenly seemed like the place to be. Her fast pace quickly brought her to within sight of the cabin, and the lights of the cabin shining through the tall trees ahead were warm and welcoming. She’d never been so glad to see anything in her life. But as she got closer to the cabin, she realized they weren’t alone. Several vehicles were parked a short distance away, and several darkly-clad figures silently approaching the cabin’s front door. *Clark!* Lois gasped inwardly when she realized the danger at hand. In his weakened condition, there was no way he would be able to protect himself! She stopped short and quickly ducked behind a tree, hoping that she hadn’t been detected. *If only there is some way I could warn him,* she silently wished. But she didn’t know how. She was just deciding whether or not she could make it the two or so miles back into town to get help when a sudden noise behind her caused her to jump. Then, before she knew what was happening, she was suddenly grabbed >from behind, and a large, strong hand clamped over her mouth, preventing her screams from sounding in the silent night air. ******************************** Erin :) __________________ erink@ida.net Visit my LNC/Kerth Website: www.ida.net/users/davek ***** "It's not the years that count, it's the moments...right now, as they happen." __________________ ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 12:23:52 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Comments: RFC822 error: Incorrect or incomplete address field found and ignored. From: Carolyn Schnall Subject: Clark's Portfolio: #2 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/enriched; charset="us-ascii" TimesHere's my second Clark article. Anyone is welcome to contribute to the portfolio:) Thanks, Carolyn cschnall@.med.cornell.edu TimesSuperman Rescues School Children Citywide by Clark Kent Dateline, Metropolis, June 28, 1996-The frightened girl sprinted down the tree-lined avenue pursued by a crowd of fellow students from the Thomas Jefferson Junior High School nearby. None of the children in the crowd were able to catch up to the girl, who's speed came from adrenaline produced by sheer terror. She had been beaten twice and was now seeking a safe refuge. As the girl mounted the steps of a local law office, suddenly appearing in front of the oncoming crowd was the superhero known as Superman. He was able to calm the crowd, apprehend the ring-leaders of the mob as identified by the pursued student and then carried her to a local hospital for attention to her many bruises and scratches. Superman's appearance eliminated the egg-throwing that had been part of the last day of school events. Some students then carried their friends with them on an expedition to steal, beat and otherwise wreak havoc on anyone in their path. Jefferson Junior High, located at the outskirts of Suicide Slum, has been the scene of many unfortunate occurances, including a recent bias incident involving a seventh grader and his sister. The girl Superman took to the hospital could not be identified since she is a minor. In another incident, Superman was seen pulling open doors at Benjamin Franklin High School in the Hobbs Bay area, in order to prevent a stampede. Superman held school Principle Gordon Crew responsible for creating a dangerous situation when Crew ordered all the exit doors of the high school locked, with the exception of the front entrance. Approximately 3,000 students at the Ben Franklin High, in high spirits at being released for the summer, stormed the one and only available exit and created a dangerous funnel effect. As the eager youngsters surged forward, some pupils were pushed up against the glass panels on either side of the wooden doors inside the vestibule of the main entrance. Superman was responding to screams >from students in danger of being forced through the glass. Superman was able to divert about half the student body toward the doors he had opened and avoided a possible disaster. After the crowd had squeezed through, the litter on the front steps included a pair of glasses, a shoe, two belts, some books, several buttons, a baseball cap, various pens, pencils, and notebooks, and a backpack. Recently, Franklin High was the scene of the rape and beating of a sixteen year-old sophomore, who was found in a third floor boys bathroom. The investigation to identify her attackers has remained inconclusive. The junior did not return to school this semester. Principal Crew, when questioned about his decision to lock the doors, declined to comment but one of the school secretaries, who wishes to remain annonymous, theorized that Mr. Crew believed he could control the crowd more easily and prevent enterprising students from walking off with school equipment and supplies. At John Adams Community College, Superman thwarted an attempt to relieve the two-year school of its computer equipment. The freshman who had been in charge, William Borden, nineteen, had been tied up in a closet, while three young men, impersonating enrolled students, hefted six monitors, four hard drives and various keyboards through a window in a temporary classroom, located in the annex of the expanding campus. Supermana re-installed the equipment, estimated to be worth $40,000, and added lockdown cords for extra security. Justin Freeman, Dean of Students, was all praise for the Man of Steel, revealing that the computers were irreplaceable due to tight budgets at JACC. The apprehended thieves have not yet been identified. Superman, when asked about this attempt, shook his head, saying that the last day of school should be a happy one, not a dangerous or expensive one for students and schools alike. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 12:32:35 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Joy Sowell Subject: fanfic comments Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Judith, I loved both of your new fics. I commented on the MB one earlier, but I LOLed at the Lorena comment in the fic you posted here. I hope you continue writing. ______________________________________________ FREE Personalized Email at Mail.com Sign up at http://www.mail.com?sr=mc.mk.mcm.tag001 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 09:51:25 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Irene D." Subject: Re: NEW: The Darkest Hour part 14 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Erin, you can't leave us hanging like that!! Please tell me you're going to post another section soon. Irene P.S. This is wonderful! --- Erin Klingler wrote: > The Darkest Hour (Before the Dawn) > by Erin Klingler > erink@ida.net > part 14 > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 20:23:31 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Nicole Wolke Subject: Re: The Darkest Hour part 14 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit S P O I L E R S P A C E Oh my god, Erin!! You can't do this!!! I'm a total wrack! My poor Clark, what is going to happen to him?! Oh and the scene at the fireplace was so *nice*. I want more of that waffy stuff! Why do there always have to be those &%'*%&$§" bad guys?! I think Lois and Clark deserve some uninterrupted quality time and I hope they will be making up for the lost vacation at some point in the story :-) More, Erin!!! Nicole (who knows she's greedy, but can't help it) -- AKA CKgroupie on IRC NKWolke@eifel-net.net Are you always searching for news about Dean Cain? And don't you have enough time to find them? Go to: "The Dean Cain News Page" http://members.tripod.de/CKgroupie/ ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 15:00:26 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Lori Llorence Subject: Re: NEW: The Darkest Hour part 14 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Oh Erin You can't leave us hanging like this!! You don't really expect us to wait a whole DAY to find out what happens next??? I know, I know, I'm so impatient, but I'm loving every minute!!!! Lori ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 15:03:19 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Laurie Dunn Subject: Re: NEW: The Darkest Hour part 14 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Erin- This is fabulous. Please don't wait too long. We're waiting as patiently as we can.... LaurieD ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 23:05:30 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Petra Steudle Subject: Re: NEW: The DH part 14 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Erin, this is just brilliant! I finally got around to start reading your story and was yelling at my computer when he didn't want to give me more than part 14 ;) You have me at the edge of my seat! I can't wait for more. This is going to be a looong night and a looong Saturday morning for me. /me starts counting the hours til tomorrow morning ("Don't forget the time difference!") Any chance that my Lois is going to help Clark out of this despite what happened to her? Cheers Petra (who's going to look for some replacement fanfic to survive until tomorrow) aka KiwiPit on IRC ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 17:44:09 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Juli Hale Subject: Intro to New Fanfic: To Face the Day Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Hi guys, I have been posting the following fic to the message boards, and I thought I would let you guys see it before it gets sent to the archive. Public editing, comments, and anything else you can think of are all fine. :-) I'm posting Parts 1-8 now, and will post Parts 9-16 by Sunday night (since I'm still working on the last section.) Let me know what you think. Thanks, Juli ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 17:49:54 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Juli Hale Subject: NEW FIC: To Face the Day (1/1) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Title: To Face the Day Part: 1/1 Author: Juli Hale Rating: PG-13 Feedback: Public comments & editing welcome. Summary: Lois and Clark face a man from her past, and uncover long-kept secrets in the process. To Face the Day Prologue Life was good. As the lovely brunette leaned back in her chair and breathed in the smell of printer's ink, she glanced over at her adoring husband, who was working intently on some background information for a story they were getting ready to sink their teeth into. The realization that he could finish all that work in a matter of seconds if he so chose brought a smile to her face, and proved again how deeply Clark Kent enjoyed his life as a journalist. His activity as Superman sometimes overshadowed the dedication he had to his work, but Lois knew that the Daily Planet was as much a part of him as it was of her. Yes, and the Planet was a major part of her life. Before Clark, it had been her whole life. In the past few years, she had found a balance between the thrill of the newsroom and the peaceful solid personal life that she shared with Clark. Lois Lane was not just a journalist anymore-she was a whole person. And even thought she didn't yet know it, it would take every bit of the strength she had gained to face the days ahead. *** Perry's voice resounding through the newsroom gained everyone's attention. He was waving slips of paper in the air as he began his announcement. "As you all know, Harvey Samuels just retired from his position on the Board of Directors. Now, he was always a staunch supporter of us down here in the bull pen, and we'll miss him, but it was his time to enjoy a little of that life he put aside to be newsman. Anyway, the Board is meeting this week to appoint a new member, and to vote on officers for the upcoming fiscal year." Perry paused to look seriously at Lois and Clark, while still addressing the whole assembly, "I don't have to tell you people how a change in the suits upstairs effects this whole paper." Lois and Clark looked at each other, remembering full well how personnel changes had effected them in the past-Lex Luthor, Franklin Stern, Leslie Luckaby... Perry continued, "Now this is not a change in ownership, but past experience tells us that we do need to be prepared for anything that might happen. I have tickets here for a formal la-dee-da in the Banquet Hall of Lexor Towers-Thursday night, 7:00. It would be in your best interests, if you get my drift, to attend and to show your support for the new board member. It never hurts to play the game. And look sharp!" With that, he gave the tickets to Jimmy to hand out and marched back into his office, slamming the door behind him. Jimmy handed the tickets to Clark for him and Lois, "Man, CK, Perry seems a little out-of-whack over this whole deal, don't ya think?" Lois interrupted, "Well, Jimmy, every change we've had, with the exception of Franklin Stern, has been nothing less than a nightmare." Clark nodded thoughtfully as she continued, "I'll guess we'll just all have to wait until Friday to see what happens. Am I the only one who thinks it's odd that they're going to all the trouble of giving this mystery person a formal reception? Whoever it is, he or she must think they're hot stuff." *** On Thursday evening, the night of what Perry called "the big shindig," Lois walked down the stairs of their brownstone slowly, enjoying the look of admiration on her husband's face. She was wearing an ankle-length black dress with a four upper mid-thigh slits, accentuating her long, slender legs. Her hair was swept away from her face in a very simple style, with a few stray tendrils shaping her face. The hairstyle and the spaghetti-strapped dress drew attention to her graceful neck and milky white shoulders. She needed no jewelry. "Honey, you look absolutely perfect." "You don't look so bad yourself, flyboy." She flashed him that smile that never failed to make his super-powered heart skip a beat. The look in her husband's eyes told Lois that they had better leave now if they intended to make the reception at all, much less if they were to be on time. While their colleagues were quite accustomed to Lois and Clark's tendency to lose themselves in each other, both doubted that a late arrival would be the best first impression to make on the new board member. Not to mention that seeing Perry's disapproving glare was not high on their list of things to do immediately before their impending deaths. *** Lois and Clark arrived just in time to walk into the banquet hall with Perry, Alice, Jimmy, and Penny. Not failing to notice the satisfied, if not surprised, once over Perry gave them, Lois remarked indignantly, "What, you doubted we'd make it here?" Jimmy laughed, "We knew you'd be here, but we had bets on how 'fashionably' late you'd be." Seeing Lois' stone glare, he quickly qualified, "Uh, well...see, we know that you always are working on stories, and sometimes you get these leads that, well, uh..." Clark chuckled, "Okay, Jimmy, just stop while you're ahead." He motioned towards a table and pulled a seat out for Lois. The group recognized many familiar faces around them, and Perry seemed to be quite satisfied with the turnout. Perry felt he and Alice should go mingle with the 'suits,' but everyone knew that he was anxious to meet the newcomer and be assured that the mission statement of his paper was not going to be changed. The Daily Planet was not going to become some two-bit rag just to raise subscriptions. For the next half-hour or so, the two younger couples engaged in idle chit-chat, enjoying the time they were spending away from the office. Both Lois and Clark were happy to see the maturing effect that his relationship with Penny was having on Jimmy. They agreed that they would have to spend more time together outside of work, now that they could do so safely away >from mosh pits and abandoned subways. Finally, their attention was called to the platform in the center of the banquet hall. They noted both Franklin Stern and Perry standing near the podium. Stern had reacquired the Planet shortly after the demise of Lex Luthor, Jr. In fact, in light of his criminal activity, all of Luthor's holdings had been first offered to their previous owners. It was Stern who was about to begin a speech. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to have your attention, please. I am honored to present to you this evening the newest member of the Planet's Board of Directors, a man who earlier today was also voted in as CEO of Operations. Because of his outstanding credentials in the field of Journalism and his vision of excellancy for the Planet's future, we are proud to have Peter Alistair join our team. Without further ado... Peter Alistair." Perry began the round of applause that quickly spread around the room, reaching everyone but Lois, who had paled when she heard the name, gasping, "No. It couldn't be." Clark paused his applause and glanced quickly at his wife, confused by her reaction, "Honey, what's wrong? Are you okay?" He continued to watch her in concern as Alistair entered the banquet hall and began his address. "Fellow Journalists. It is an honor to become a part of a world-class paper such as the Daily Planet. It has long been a dream of mine..." Clark repeated, whispering, "Honey, what's the matter?" At a loss for words, and not willing to try to explain, "Uh, I have a headache. Do you think we could get out of here?" Voicing the reason for their exit quietly to Jimmy, they silently slipped out of the banquet hall and made their way towards Hyperion Avenue. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 17:52:11 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Juli Hale Subject: NEW FIC: To Face the Day (2/16) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Title: To Face the Day Part: 2/16 Author: Juli Hale Rating: PG-13 Feedback: Public comments & editing welcome. Summary: Lois and Clark face a man from her past, and uncover long-kept secrets in the process. *** Back at home, Lois and Clark held each other on the couch, both happy just to be at home and with each other. Lois' headache had left as mysteriously as it had appeared. They had even enjoyed a few glasses of wine before a call for Superman interrupted their evening. Clark needlessly apologized for his impending departure, as they both had long ago accepted that his alter ego was a necessary element of their lives. Lois didn't begrudge his duties as Superman; she had known full well when she married him what she was getting into. She often made sure that Clark knew how much she loved his desire to protect the innocent and to stand up for truth and justice, traits that she too harbored. That's not to say that sometimes she didn't wish she had her husband all to herself, but she was willing to share Superman with the world, knowing Clark would always come home to her alone. This evening, Lois sat back on their sofa, in front of the fire Clark had built for them. Putting unpleasant thoughts out of her mind, and hoping that she had simply been mistaken about the identity of the new board member, she patiently awaited her husband's return. She secretly hoped his return would be soon, as she had plans about how they could spend the rest of the evening. As she waited, she became sleepy, and soon she had drifted into a quiet slumber. Unfortunately, her peaceful sleep soon became disturbed and a nightmare raged within her head. Clark arrived to find his wife tossing fitfully on their couch, a thin sheen of sweat from the labor of her dream evident across the delicate skin of her forehead. During the year and a half they had been married, it was not the first time he had had to awaken her from an unpleasant dream; his Lois had an active imagination. Still, something about the expression on her face was different than ever before. It was positively unsettling. He sat down beside her and gently called her name, trying to ease her out of her subconscious and back into reality where he could comfort her. "Don't touch me! Get away!" Her eyes shot open in terror only to see Clark's somewhat hurt and confused reaction to her outburst. He backed away just enough to let her collect herself. "Lois, it's just me. Are you okay?" He had never quite seen this way and wasn't sure how to proceed. "Clark, I..." Lois tried to answer his question, but she too was confused. "I don't know. I fell asleep, but I don't remember what I was dreaming about. I just think it was really bad." She saw the questions in his eyes and continued, "I'm sorry I snapped at you, sweetie. I just don't know what came over me or why I acted that way. Forgive me?" "Always." He smiled warmly and embraced the woman he loved, glad to be able to make her feel safe in his arms. *** As they went to bed that night, Clark felt impelled to ask her about her nightmare again. "I can't help but wonder what made you so upset. You're sure you don't remember anything?" Nonchalantly she replied, "Not anything in particular. But I do remember what I was thinking about before I fell asleep." "Oh, really? And what would that be Mrs. Kent?" Grinning, Lois replied, "I think it would be more effective if I just showed you, Mr. Kent." *** A distant "HELP, SUPERMAN!" woke Clark during the night. He glanced over at his sleeping wife, satisfied that she was peacefully unaware of the commotion. Quickly changing into Superman, he quietly stepped out on their terrace and flew to offer his assistance where it was needed. After saving a family from a house fire and helping two would-be robbers see the error of their ways, he was ready to head back to his bed. As he approached the terrace of his brownstone, he noticed with surprise that the bedroom light was on. He thought it odd that Lois would be up at this time of night, since she usually was undisturbed by his frequent departures. His approach was quickened as he heard the shattering of glass within his home. What he saw next was enough to make even the man of steel melt. His wife was huddled in a corner of their bedroom, a bewildered, frightened expression on her face. She looked childlike and afraid, not at all like the woman he knew. The palm of her hand was sliced open and bleeding profusely, apparently from its impact with the lamp that had previously sat on Lois' nightstand, but which was now in hundreds of pieces on the bedroom floor. The long white satin nightgown she wore was streaked with red from the blood pouring from her injured hand. She seemed not even to notice. Her eyes were wild as she looked right through him, no recognition of him showed on her face. "L-Lois? W-what happened?" Clark x-rayed their home, looking for some clue as to what had caused his wife to be in this state, but he found nothing. No one had been there, no one but her. He started towards her but stopped short as she recoiled in fear. "Lois, it's me, Clark." His heart pounded against his chest, his own hurt rising as he watched his beloved wife in such obvious torture. Mind racing, he wondered what he could possibly do, knowing only that he must act quickly if for no other reason than to stop the bleeding of her hand. "Lois, you've got to trust me, okay? I'm not going to hurt you; I'm not going to let anything or anyone hurt you, you've got to believe that." "He's g-going to g-get me. You can't help. It's too late." Tears spilled forth out of her eyes, and Clark fought the urge to run to her, scoop her up, and fly her away where nothing could touch either one of them. But he knew he couldn't risk further upsetting her. He had to restrain his own feelings and concentrate on calming Lois down and making her feel safe. "Lois, it's not ever too late. You of all people should know that by now. There's nothing we can't overcome together. You've got be strong." Clark felt like he was trying to tame a wild animal. "Not strong. S-scared." Hysteria was beginning to set in again. "Stay back. Don't touch me!" "Lois, I'll be strong for you, you can depend on me." Clark continued to croon soft words of comfort to her, hoping to gain her trust long enough to tend to her wound. If this continued much longer, he would have to do so by force. He was oblivious to the cause of his wife's distress, but an explanation would simply have to wait under the situation was under control. "Lois, concentrate on the sound of my voice. It's Clark, your husband, remember?" She looked at him dubiously as he continued, "See your hand, baby? It's hurt, but I can help you if you'll just let me, okay?" Suddenly, and for no overtly obvious reason, the fog lifted from Lois' eyes and she stood with her arms outstretched to run for her husband, who gladly met her halfway. "Oh, Clark," she sobbed, "I don't know what's happening. He's in my head, I remember..." Clark kept a tight hold on her as he floated them downstairs and into the kitchen, where he hastily found a first aid kit. He sat Lois on the counter top and gently took her hand in his. She had lost a lot of blood, but he felt confident that she would be fine. In fact, he silently wished that the deep cut on her palm could be the worst of what lay ahead, but inside himself, he knew it wasn't. "Honey, this is going to sting a little, okay?" As he poured the first aid solution onto the wound, he noticed that she didn't even flinch, as though the pain in her hand was nothing compared to what she was going through internally. When Clark looked into up into her face, he saw her looking back at him for the first time with true recognition. He saw his Lois. She timidly stared back at him and quietly whispered, "Thank you." This simple action filled him with a kind of relief. Although he still feared what was to come, he knew they could face anything as long as his Lois trusted him. *** Moments passed and finally Clark had to break the silence. He had to know what was going on, as much for his sake as for hers. "Lois, what happened back there? Tell me how to help you." "Clark, so much is going on in my head...." She sobbed, "There's something I haven't told you." She was very emotional, so Clark decided not to push her. "Please understand, I just can't say it yet." It was easy to see that Lois was exhausted from the night's events. Even though he desperately wanted to know what was going on in Lois' mind, he knew from experience that it was no use to probe, because anything from Lois had to come in her own good time. "It's okay, honey. Right now, let's just get you back in bed. You need to rest and maybe things will seem better in the morning." They lay in bed for sometime, but Lois would not close her eyes. Clark encouraged her to try and get some sleep, but he soon figured out the problem. While exhausted, she was still far too afraid to sleep. She was afraid of what awaited her in her dreams. Finally, he persuaded her to close her eyes, promising to watch her and make sure that she slept peacefully. He told her that at the first sign of a nightmare, he would wake her up. That seemed to assure her because she almost immediately drifted off. *** Clark watched her sleep for hours. He had promised her he would keep her safe and he had every intention of doing so. Around 9:00 a.m., he made the decision to call Perry and tell him they wouldn't be in. This time, he felt like Lois wouldn't object to missing work. Perry was very understanding, knowing that his two top reporters didn't take missing work lightly. Another hour had passed by the time Lois opened her heavy eyelids. She sat up slowly, looking around her as if for a moment she didn't know where she was. "Morning, honey." Clark greeted her tentatively. "Feeling better this morning?" "My hand hurts." She couldn't meet his gaze. "You cut it pretty deep. I checked it a little while ago, and the bleeding's almost completely stopped, but I'm afraid you still might need stitches. We could go to the hospital after you get dressed." "No, it'll be okay, but I do think I'll take a shower now." She looked down at her blood-caked garment, noting she even had dried blood in her hair from where she had run her fingers through it during her hysteria. She sighed, "I feel positively grundgy." Clark was concerned that she hadn't even mentioned work. Lois just wasn't herself. "Uh, I called Perry and let him know we wouldn't be in today." "Fine." She didn't turn around. "I'll be in the shower." *** While Lois was taking her shower, Clark sped around the room, cleaning up any evidence of the trauma from the previous night. He even made the bed and threw together a light breakfast, which he set up on the terrace outside of their room. Willing to do anything to brighten Lois' spirits and get to the bottom of this, he figured the closer things were to normal, the better. As soon as he had the bedroom arranged to his satisfaction, he sat to wait on Lois to finish her shower. He was tempted to join her, but decided to allow her a little space to clear her thoughts. For the first time since he arrived home last night, he started to think about what his wife's mysterious behavior was all about. Before he had been too worried to really concentrate on what she could have kept from him. She did say, "There's something I've not told you." 'Something she's not told me. We don't have secrets, at least not anymore. What could be so bad that she couldn't tell me? Maybe I misunderstood.' The longer he waited, and it was taking her a long time in the shower, the more carried away his imagination was getting. 'Okay, Kent, this isn't doing you any good-you'll just have to wait for and explanation.' When Lois joined him outside, she looked much improved. Wearing no makeup, she seemed very fresh and young. Her hair was pulled back at the nape of her neck, and she wore an old sweatshirt of Clark's with knit leggings. The thick white bandage around her hand was the only hint that anything was wrong. Clark reached across the patio table and took her good hand in his. "Lois, I think we need to talk about what happened last night. Mom always says the light of a new day helps put things in perspective. She's usually right, you know." "Nothing will ever be the same." Somewhat resigned, she started her explanation, knowing she would have to address it eventually. "I want to tell you everything, really I do, it's just so hard to find the words." He patiently waited for her to continue, "You were so great last night. I couldn't have made it through without you. This whole mess must really have you confused, I know that I am. Just hang in there with me, okay?" Seriously, he replied, "You can count on me, honey. I'll always be here for you. Whatever you need." Still, he had to voice his own concerns, "I do have to say you've got me worried. My imagination's trying to get the best of me. But please, Lois, know that I trust you and that together we can face anything." His acclamation of faith in her gave her the strength she needed to begin the process of opening up. She knew she could tell Clark anything, she knew he would know how to help her heal. "I don't really know where to start, so just hear me out okay? I've never meant to keep anything from you, and I'm not going to start now. This is something that happened a long time ago, almost in a different life. It's just-this is so hard, you know?" Clark was trying diligently to understand. "Just start from the beginning. We'll take it from there-together." ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 17:53:54 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Juli Hale Subject: NEW FIC: To Face the Day (3/16) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Title: To Face the Day Part: 3/16 Author: Juli Hale Rating: PG-13 Feedback: Public comments & editing welcome. Summary: Lois and Clark face a man from her past, and uncover long-kept secrets in the process. *** "It all started such a long time ago. Remember how I told you that I moved out of the house my senior year of high school-because of a disagreement with Dad?" As Clark nodded his head, she continued, "Well, I had already been accepted to the University of Metropolis with a full academic scholarship and a 20-hour per week work study program. Anyway, I had saved enough money to make it on my own until college started and my stipend started coming in. It was tight, but I was determined not to have to go running back to Dad. Mom was just beginning to recover from her alcoholism at the time, and the one thing that Dad and I agreed on was not to involve her in any problems that we were having-she already had enough to deal with. Dad had sent Lucy to a private school for girls in California, mainly because she was too wild for him to handle without interfering with his 'work'. "At any rate, nothing was keeping me at home, so I moved in with my girlfriend until the end of high school. She was going to attend school out-of-state, and she left as soon as the school year was ended. So, I only had to make it through the summer on the money I had to be okay...or so I thought." Clark was once again reminded of how lucky he was to have the familial support that he had his whole life. He promised himself that Lois and any children they would ever have would never face difficulties that would separate them in that way. "It must have been so hard for you-to be that young and alone." "Yes. It was hard." Lois stared past him, watching some ancient memory play itself out in a vision only she could see. "Especially since all my other friends seemed so happy and so oblivious to the real life that I was facing. But even then, I was very independent, so in a way, I enjoyed being able to take care of myself. And with every day that passed I became more and more satisfied with myself not having to admit defeat to my father. I just knew that he expected me to come crawling back, but I didn't. Looking back, I was too proud for my own good, and he was too proud to find me and ask me back. So that's just how it was. "Anyway, I was living in a one-room apartment just outside of campus, and even as humble as the place was, it had taken every last dime of my existence to keep the rent and utilities paid." She paused, with a look of self-pride deep in her eyes, "I did make it, though-all on my own. And finally, school started." "The first semester was okay. It was mostly core classes, but the only exposure to journalism I had was working on the school paper. Still, I was having the time of my life. I was getting to go to school because of my own accomplishments and even making enough money to get by on from the stipend, which I was earning working on the paper. The people there were really interested in doing well, not at all like in high school where everyone was there only because they had to be. I really felt like I fit in. "It was the second semester when things started falling apart. I had an entry-level newswriting course, taught by a graduate student. We immediately hit it off, and by the second week of class, the other students started teasing me about being the teacher's pet." Clark shifted uneasily in his chair, not knowing where this was going. "I was young, of course, and up until this time I had been so wrapped up in my family and doing well in school that I hadn't had much time for dating and things like that. I guess you could say that he sort of swept me off my feet. He was charming, sophisticated, and he had done his undergraduate work at one of the premier journalism schools in the country. We had a lot in common and he seemed really interested in me. "I should have known better than to get mixed up with a guy who was, in effect, my professor, but when he asked me out, I didn't refuse." Lois noticed for the first time Clark's increasing uneasiness. She half-smiled at him, "Honey, if this is too hard for you to hear..." "No, I'm aware you had relationships before we got together, it's just..." Clark tried to explain. "Yes, I did have relationships before us-remember, I refer to all of them as federal disasters? This one is no different in that respect, but there were extenuating circumstances as well. You haven't heard the half of it." Clark looked at his wife seriously, "I do know that whatever caused you to react like that last night is more serious than a bad date with a teacher. And I want to know whatever I have to know to help you get to the bottom of this and move on." "Well, things got serious between us fairly quickly." Clark's eyes widened as this statement left her mouth. She noticed and responded, "Not that way serious, Clark. At least... well not at that time anyway. It was serious in the way that I sincerely thought that I was, well, in love. He was so kind and caring, and I told you how much we had in common. "Other things in my life were not going as well. The school's budget had been cut dramatically, and although I didn't lose my scholarship, my working hours on the paper were cut in half." She sighed, "I had used up all my extra money, and with the decrease in my stipend, I could not afford to pay my rent. "That's when everything fell apart. I still couldn't face my father, and I didn't have anywhere to go. That's when 'my friend' asked me to stay with him at his place." Clark interrupted her, "But you told me that weekend that we had to stay in the honeymoon suite at the Lexor Hotel on a stakeout that you had never lived with anyone full-time." "And I wasn't lying. He had a fairly nice apartment a few blocks from campus, and I had my own room. It was more like being roommates. At first, he was rarely ever home because he had a lot of his own coursework to do and he spent a lot of time in the library. He let me stay there and in return, I took care of the place when he wasn't home. So, in essence, we didn't live together full-time." Clark looked at her dubiously, wondering how many hours spent together in the same home constituted the definition of living together full-time. Ignoring the look on her husband's face, Lois continued, determined now to get to finish her story. "By mid-term, things had started changing between us. He would call the apartment on study breaks and if I didn't answer right away, he would accuse me of having another man in 'his' apartment. He constantly thought that I was being unfaithful to him, which was utterly ridiculous because between him and school and the paper, I didn't physically have time for anything else. "When I got my mid-term paper back from his class, it was marked 'F.' I was furious! I had worked so hard on that exam, and I knew that that grade was a sham." Clark could hear the thinly-controlled rage in her voice. "When I confronted him about it, he had the nerve to tell me that I had really made an 'A', and that he had even recorded it as such in his grade book. The only reason he had marked my copy with a 'F' was to remind me how much control he had over my life. Can you believe that? Over MY life? He went on to say that if it hadn't been for him, I would be living out on the street and I that I 'owed him.' Clark, I hadn't even done anything to provoke him. One day everything had been fine, and the next, well, it was like he just turned into a monster." She sobbed into Clark's shoulder, exhausted from delving this far into her account of what had happened. Gently, Clark pulled her away from him and brushed away the hair that had fallen onto her face. He softly kissed the tears that were trailing their way down her face. "It got worse before it got better, didn't it, sweetheart?" As Superman, he had seen many cases of harassment and obsession, and far too many of those involved college girls who had no one to turn to for protection. "You could say that." She turned away from him, and Clark feared that an element of shame had crept its way into her voice. "Do you think we could go get lunch before we continue this story? I'm getting a little hungry." Clark knew she just needed a little distance from what was to come, but he had to know one more thing, "But why.... The one thing I don't understand is why this is all coming out now. Why is this the first time you've told me about this and why did you get so upset last night when you haven't even thought about it in all these years?" "Don't you see, Clark?" she sobbed. "It's him.... The man I'm telling you about-he's Peter Alistair." ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 17:56:15 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Juli Hale Subject: NEW FIC: To Face the Day (4/16) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Title: To Face the Day Part: 4/16 =09 Author: Juli Hale=20 Rating: PG-13 Feedback: Public comments & editing welcome. Summary: Lois and Clark face a man from her past, and uncover long-kept secrets in the process. *** Lois decided that she would like some comfort food, preferably authentic Chinese. Clark changed into his Superman suit and took off to collect their lunch. As he flew, he allowed this newest information to sink in more fully. He knew he still did not know the whole story, but he had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach, judging from the caliber of Lois' reaction last night, that Peter Alistair had deeply hurt his wife. How in the world would he and Lois work for a man who had treated his wife so badly? And if things had been as bad as he suspected, how would Superman deal with the man responsible?=20 Over the years, Superman had had to deal with many criminals, including Lex Luthor and Tempus, who had been a threat to Lois and others. But his last encounter with Tempus was most prevalent in his mind. When Tempus had subliminally ordered Lois to drive the Jeep off a cliff, he had almost done something he would have regretted. Danger to his beloved wife was enough to 'make his ethics disappear.' Granted, Tempus probably deserved it, but Superman had never taken it upon himself to make those decisions. He had to follow the laws, and be a model for others. It just got so confusing for him sometimes. He wasn't just any person feeling the need to protect a loved one. No, he was the strongest man in the world, with the ability to crush anyone in his way if he so chose. But that was not how he had been brought up, and not how he lived his life. Even so, was it fair that he had to hold back his instincts when it was his family that was threatened?=20 When he reached the small restaurant in China where he always picked up food, he had to visibly shake himself out his reverie. He was so deep in his thoughts that he didn't notice the newly placed signs on the side of the building that read "Come in. Even Superman eats here." After paying for the food, he took off for home, wanting to be with Lois and to be her strength, but nevertheless weary about what else he would learn about the man who was quickly becoming one of his biggest foes.=20 *** He entered the brownstone to the sound of Lois crying softly upstairs. No matter how much he tried to prepare himself for it, that sound never failed to take his breath. For no reason that he could explain, it cut him down to his very soul.=20 Clark changed back into is casual wear, leaving his glasses off in the comfort of their home, and then quickly gathered drinks and eating utensils >from the kitchen. Steeling himself as he climbed the stairs, he slipped into the bedroom, noting that since Lois had realized his presence that she was making a valiant effort to mask her emotions. =20 "Honey, I know you're hurting. Please don't try to hide it from me." He sat their lunch down on the nightstand, then cupped her cheek in his hand and wiped a stray tear away with his thumb. "I told you once that being with you is stronger that me alone. I think that goes both ways, don't you?" She smiled slightly up at him, a look of love evident in her watery eyes, "Oh, Clark, you're just the best. I love you so much. Thank you." "Thank me for what?" "For just being you. For trying to understand this whole mess. I know how deeply you feel everything that I feel, so I also know how hard this is on you, too." She stopped for a second, and then looked at him, deliberately, "And=85 for being the only person who I've ever been able to talk about this with. For being the only one I've ever trusted enough to not leave me as soon you find out how weak I was=85how weak I am."=20 Clark sat beside her on the bed, both hands on her shoulders. "Honey, you are the strongest person I've ever known. I'll never think you're weak, and you know I'll never leave." "Just let me finish, and then we'll see if you still feel the same, okay?" Clark started to protest, but Lois continued her story before he could. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 17:57:54 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Juli Hale Subject: NEW FIC: To Face the Day (5/16) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Title: To Face the Day Part: 5/16 Author: Juli Hale=20 Rating: PG-13 Feedback: Public comments & editing welcome. Summary: Lois and Clark face a man from her past, and uncover long-kept secrets in the process. *** With a deep breath and every once of her resolve, Lois continued with the most harrowing part of her story. "Things went downhill quickly after the mid-term incident. Pete continued to become more and more controlling. There was an insane look in his eyes, oddly enough, a strange mixture of both love and hate. He watched me even more closely, often breaking his own appointments making sure I was 'where I was supposed to be.'=20 "Of course, I couldn't stand to be treated like that. We would have these huge arguments and I would threaten to move out, not even caring that I had nowhere to go. Anything would have been better than being treated like his prisoner. But he would always win the arguments with his standard 'I'll-ruin-your-academic-career' comeback. My worst fear was that I would lose my dream of being a reporter. He basically held my future in his hands. Not to mention, he had this way of turning everything that happened into my fault. And ultimately, almost every incident would end with my apologizing to him. Clark had been listening sympathetically, but at her last statement, he stared at her in disbelief, "You would apologize to him?" Having trouble remembering instances of Lois ever apologizing to him, flashes of his and Lois' past disagreements ran through his head. "I know. It's hard to believe, right?" She waited till he nodded his agreement. "But Pete was so manipulative that, in retrospect, it was like he was controlling my mind or something. Some days would be wonderful-he would be kind and considerate-but I lived knowing he could turn on a dime.= =20 "The tension was almost unbearable. I constantly tried to please him-by doing well in class, by complimenting him on his teaching,=85" She looked away, "and in other ways=85" "Lois?" Clark softly urged her on. "I guess it's obvious now that he was my 'first.'" Clark nodded patiently, battling his own possessive instincts. She went on, "A girl's first time should be special, something she should always look back on with fondness. It wasn't like that for me." "Lois, when we got married, we loved each other for the first time. It was a new beginning for both of us. I told you then that everything that had happened in the past was just that-the past." Clark again cupped her cheek in his palm, rewarded with an appreciative smile, but he wanted her to be able to get the rest of her ordeal off her chest. "He forced you, didn't= he?" "If you mean 'Did he rape me?,' then no, he didn't. I gave myself to him willingly enough, but it wasn't the way I had always dreamed that making love would be. He wasn't gentle or kind-he only cared about himself. If there had been any doubt up to that point, it was then that I realized that he did not love me and that I did not love him." She shuddered at the memory, "It was then that I knew I had to get out of the relationship. In many ways I felt degraded, I mean, I immediately knew I had wasted my first time on him, but in other ways I was glad that it happened. It woke me up to the fact that I was losing myself."=20 =09 "What do you mean, honey? I don't understand." She sighed, "Well, the longer I lived with him, the more different I was becoming. I was not the Lois Lane who had gained her independence by leaving the safety of home and building a life for herself. I was just a girl who needed permission to use the phone from the heartless moron she was living with. By the time I finally did get away from him, I hardly knew myself." Clark asked, "So, how did you get away from him? Did you turn to your father or did you report him to the University?"=20 "Neither. I was just too ashamed. From the moment I realized how stupid I had been, I promised myself I would never let anyone know. Most of the friends I had made had already been put off by my awkward behavior anyway, so I decided to deal with it myself. Not being able to risk leaving him until after the end of the semester, I waited and planned my escape." Clark looked mortified, "But, honey, how could you stand staying with him, feeling the way you did?" "I didn't think about it. When things got bad, I just concentrated on my plan to get out. The hardest part was trying to fool him. But fortunately for me, his obsessive behavior had a pattern. I had figured out the times when he was most likely to call or to check up on me, and I built my schedule around that. I got a job editing vacation brochures at New Troy Travel Agency, and my boss let me do a large part of the work at home, making it easier for me to keep Pete in the dark about what I was doing. Obviously, I wasn't raking in the dough, but I figured I would have enough to get a room at a boarding house before the end of the summer. Too, I was counting on getting my full 20 hours back at the paper the following fall semester. The little things gave me hope." "Were you still sleeping with him?" Clark asked hesitantly. Eyes downcast, she answered, "I couldn't afford to let him become suspicious. I'm not proud of it, but yes, we were still sleeping together. You see, a week and half after getting my job, one of the runners from the agency brought some work to the apartment. I didn't think anything about it at the time, but when Pete arrived home early that morning, he was livid. Our neighbor had seen the man enter the apartment and told Pete. I'm not sure if that was accidental or if Pete had the neighbor spy on me, but at any rate, he wanted to make sure it never happened again. I couldn't tell him about my job, but it didn't matter because he wouldn't listen to my explanation anyway. "That night, he got violent." Lois' voice started to break and Clark took her hands in his as she continued, "It was the only time he had ever actually hit me, but it was scary. For a few minutes, I was afraid he might kill me. After that, no matter what, I knew I had to avoid arousing his suspicions. I did what I had to do to survive, not knowing anymore what he was capable of." Clark was barely containing his rage at the thought of Peter Alistair hitting the woman he loved. Knowing that Lois needed him more was the only thing keeping him from personally hunting down Alistair that very second. The couple were holding each other for comfort, but the tension was evident in his voice when he said, "Lois, I am so sorry you went through that alone. If there was anyway I could take that pain away=85" "I know, Clark. I know, and I love you for it. But it happened, and it was my fault." "You are not responsible for being taken advantage of." Adamantly he continued, "You were young and in a situation that any girl could have found herself in. I've seen it before, and unfortunately, slime like Alistair prey on young girls all the time. I only wish I had known before. This has to be something that has been hurting you for a long time." "I never meant to be dishonest with you, Clark. But you have to understand how hard it is for me to admit getting myself into that sort of situation. I may have been young, but I should have known better." Lois was relieved that Clark understood her reasons for not telling him about Alistair sooner. "And you're right, it did bring up all that pain and shame when I saw him again last night, but it was pain that had been long buried and forgotten. My life is so perfect, so complete with you, that I hardly have time to dwell on the past." Clark silently held Lois long after day turned into night, processing all that he had learned about that period of his wife's life. One thing continued to bother him, and he voiced his concern, "We are high-profile reporters at the Planet, Lois. Alistair had to know your position there before he took the board seat. Why is he coming back into your life now?" "I'm afraid I may know the answer to that, Clark." She turned in his arms to look him full in the face, the strain from the day's events evident in her eyes, "It has to do with the circumstances surrounding my leaving him. I think I know exactly why Peter Alistair has come back into my life." =20 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 18:00:04 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Juli Hale Subject: NEW FIC: To Face the Day (6/16) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Title: To Face the Day Part: 6/16 Author: Juli Hale=20 Rating: PG-13 Feedback: Public comments & editing welcome. Summary: Lois and Clark face a man from her past, and uncover long-kept secrets in the process.=20 It was getting late, but neither Clark nor Lois could find sleep until all had been revealed. Clark needed to know what to expect from the vile Mr. Alistair, and Lois needed to release all the details she had kept hidden for so long. "The night he hurt me was three weeks before final exams. It was a Monday night, and I missed that whole week of classes because of what he had done." Clark cringed, "How bad was it, honey?" Thinking back, she answered, "I can't really be sure, because he wouldn't take me to the emergency room. My arms were black and blue, and I think I had bruised ribs. It hurt to breathe for about a week-that's why I missed school. Fortunately, his apartment took the brunt of his attack. He ruined a lot of my things that night, too. "Of course, the next morning, he was extremely apologetic. He swore to me that he would never hurt me again and the only reason he punished me was to show how much he 'loved' me. "Don't think for a minute that I bought it, though. A lot of women fall for those 'I did it for your own good' lines, but even in light of my previous stupidity, I knew better. I was even more determined to get away from him. In fact, it was all I could do not to run immediately. But I knew what was at stake, so I stayed, being even more cautious of my every step." "You must have been very brave, sweetheart." Clark smiled lopsidedly at her, his eyes moist with unshed tears. Lois sighed, "Not brave-just determined. He took so much from me=85. Anyway, those three weeks seemed so long. I continued working, picking up the brochures instead of having them delivered. I was so proud the day I sent my rent advance to the boarding house. Everything was coming along according to plan. I was going to wait one week after final grades had been reported, knowing that he couldn't sabotage them after that. =20 "The week of finals was the worst. He took me out to dinner that week, one of the rare occasions that we went anywhere since I had moved into his apartment. He was acting very strange, and I was more than a little on edge. It was a very nice restaurant on the outskirts of the city, and Pete paid the waiter to seat us at a romantic isolated table. "Right after we ate, he proposed! He said that I was the only woman that he had ever loved, and that he couldn't live his life without me. He called me his treasure-some way to treat a treasure, huh? The diamond he gave me was over 2 carats and was his mother's, but the fool probably stole it off the poor woman's hand. I didn't know what to say or how to get out of the whole mess, but before I could even respond he had slipped the ring on my finger and had started discussing wedding dates! I sat there for the rest of the evening listening to him rave on about the details of our wedding plans, wondering the whole time what had ever possessed me to get involved with the man. "You were engaged to the man?" a stunned Clark asked. "Absolutely not. I never told him I would marry him, he just assumed that I would. It was really the best thing that could have happened, because the last week I was with him, he was too consumed with planning the big event to pay too much attention to me. And the money I got from pawning the ring put me enough ahead financially to have a little security." Clark laughed out loud for the first time, "You pawned his mother's ring?" She also saw the humor, laughing, "Yeah, and I almost would have felt bad about it if he hadn't been such a dirty louse." She sobered and continued, "My grades came in the mail the same day I packed everything and left. I didn't say goodbye and I didn't leave a trail. I was almost free." "Almost?" "Almost. I spent the summer in a state of paranoia, always afraid he would find me. I had been very careful, giving the University a post office box address instead of a physical one, not telling anyone where I lived, not having a phone-I even shopped outside of Metropolis. But the summer passed without event, and I didn't see him until I started back to school in the fall. The memory brought new fear into her eyes, the same fear that Clark had seen while she was in her hysterical state of half-sleep. "For 3 weeks, nothing happened. Then we passed in the corridor of the Journalism department. He didn't say anything. He just glared at me with coldest eyes I had ever seen. I hurried on to class, but I couldn't get that image out of my head. "The boarding house was about 25 blocks from campus, and I had to ride the subway to get back and forth. Because I was so paranoid, I was overly cautious. I altered the times and routes I took to get home by either getting on at different stations or getting off a few blocks before or after my stop and walking. I thought I so smart, but it wasn't enough." "He found you?" Lois nodded, "He must have followed me somehow. Only a few days after I had run into Peter at school, I was walking back to the boarding house. It was cheap housing, not exactly in the best part of town, but better than Hobb's Bay, I suppose. Anyway, it was beginning to get dark, so I was in a hurry to get to my room. Maybe that's why I didn't see him, I can't be sure. He grabbed me from behind and pushed me into an alley. At first I thought I was being mugged, but as soon as I heard his voice in my ear I knew who it was. "My heart fell into my stomach. I had no idea what he was going to do. He demanded that I show him where I was living, so that we could work things out. He said he had missed me so much and he was dying without me. He promised that he only wanted to talk. When I refused, he threatened to tell the Dean that I had instigated an improper relationship with him in order to get admitted to the Journalism college. After admission, I had dumped him and tried to act like nothing had happened. All my friends had been alienated so I could not prove him wrong, and even the accusation would probably have been enough to get me kicked out of school anyway. Peter Alistair was well-respected teaching associate, and I was just a sophomore with no one to back up my side of the story. Basically, it was my word against his. So we went to my room. "He had pushed me too far. Finally, I had nothing to lose. I would have done anything to be rid of him. You wouldn't believe the things that ran through my mind on the walk to the boarding house. I've never considered myself capable of murder, but that night I think I could have killed him if he'd given me half a reason. As we walked through the door, inspiration struck." Lois stood up and paced back and forth in the bedroom, animatedly telling this final part of the story, "The first thing I saw was the mini-recorder I had had to buy for an interviewing project. While Pete was inspecting the place, pointing out how much better his apartment had been, and spouting off about how hurt he had been to find me gone, I pressed the record button. "It was surprisingly easy to get all the incriminating evidence I needed to get Peter Alistair out of my life. Our argument was a long and heated one, but for once I was unafraid of the repercussions. I just wanted the whole situation immortalized on tape. I wanted to have leverage, no, I wanted control-control of my life and of the man who had come so close to ruining it." Clark stood to join Lois on the balcony outside their room where her pacing had found her, "And I assume he wasn't pleased when he discovered what you had done." Lois smiled proudly, despite the unpleasantness, "As soon as I was sure I had enough on tape, I ran downstairs to the main lobby, leaving him too confused to do anything but follow. My landlady and her husband were there, and I told him I would the police if he didn't leave peacefully. You should have seen him. He was crazy, but not stupid. I rewound the tape, and played parts of it in front of him. He agreed to leave Metropolis University, to transfer to a school in a different city. It was finally over." Clark held her closely to him, rubbing her back soothingly as they both stared up at the stars, "But why is he back now? You still haven't told me what you think he wants." "Clark, the University delivered a letter to me several weeks after he was gone. It was addressed to me, in care of the Department of Journalism, from Pete. In it, he accused me of ruining his career, and of destroying our relationship because of my unwillingness to love him. The letter said something cryptic like, 'In time, all will be repaid.' It's been 13 years, but I think Peter Alistair has come to Metropolis to settle old scores."=20 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 18:02:27 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Juli Hale Subject: NEW FIC: To Face the Day (7/16) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Title: To Face the Day Part: 7/16 Author: Juli Hale=20 Rating: PG-13 Feedback: Public comments & editing welcome. Summary: Lois and Clark face a man from her past, and uncover long-kept secrets in the process.=20 *** On Monday, a very weary Lois and Clark walked into the newsroom. They had spent the rest of the weekend following Lois' revelations comforting each other, loving each other, and deciding how to handle Peter Alistair. It had been three days that had taken their toil on the two reporters. Lois was on pins and needles, and makeup couldn't hide the dark circles that ringed her eyes. Clark was in full over-protect mode, not leaving her side even to pour them their customary cup of coffee. They had made the decision to return to work as normal together, not wanting to allow Alistair the upper hand. They still had to determine his intentions, and the means he would arrive at them. Clark pulled his chair up to Lois' desk, where she was sitting. The story files they had been working on laid untouched on Clark's desk. They were unsure about how to approach any investigation, especially without raising suspicions. But their tedious behavior was anything but normal, and they had only been there for less than half and hour when Perry noticed the tension. "Uh, Clark, Lois, could I see you in for moment?" Perry drawled. "Now?" They gave each other knowing glances, than slowly made their way into their editor's office, closing the door behind them. "I don't suppose you two would like tell this old news hound what the sam hill is going on, would you?" He took a closer look at Lois' pallor, noticing her sad eyes and her bandaged hand, and his exasperated voice changed to one of fatherly concern, "Lois, honey, what's the matter?" Both Lois and Clark had agreed to keep the matter to themselves, as Lois still was deeply ashamed of getting involved in an abusive relationship. Clark's assurance and support had done little to change her mind about the poor way in which felt she had handled the whole situation. That's why Perry's question caught them so off guard. Neither wanted to lie to Perry, but they didn't know how to answer him. There was an awkward silence that finally was broken by the older gentlemen. "Okay, then, I'll take it this is something personal." The couple started to protest, but Perry continued, "Eh, just a minute, before you start trying to pull wool over these eyes. Now, I've been around enough to know when not to stick my nose in business that doesn't concern me." He smiled, "You know how I feel about you two, and, well, if you need me you know you just have to say the word. But don't go letting whatever this is interfere with work, ya hear? There's enough shinola going on around here as it is, what with all these personnel changes." Clark tried to understand what Perry was referring to. "Uh, Chief, did something happen on Friday when we weren't here?" Perry rolled his eyes and sighed, "Great shades=85. Well, it's like this. The new pretty boy upstairs seems to have everyone who-dooed into thinking he's the best thing since sliced bread. No one had ever even heard of the fellow until last week=85" Lois and Clark exchanged somber glances, "=85and = now he's got fancy pants interior decorators redesigning his executive offices. You would think a newspaper man would be more concerned with learning the ropes and getting to know how this ship operates than redesigning the decks. If he thinks he's going to turn my newspaper into some glamour-rag, then he's got another thing coming=85" "I take it you don't like Mr. Alistair, Perry?" Lois had been quiet up until her question. Perry stopped his rant to look at her through narrow eyes, not knowing what to make of her odd behavior, "I don't know enough about him to like him-he's been too busy tooty-fruiten' around to make a real impression on anyone but the suits." Scrupulously he inquired, "Why do you ask, Lois?" She tried to look nonchalant, "Just curious, that's all." Truthfully, she wanted to how other perceived the man that had scarred her young life. She was curious to know how blind she had been all those years ago. Before Perry had a chance to figure everything out on his own, Clark put his hand behind Lois' elbow and started to lead her out of the office, "Chief, if that's all you needed=85 We do have to get back to work=85" "Yeah, son, that's a good idea." He saw that Lois had gone out before Clark, so he motioned for the younger man to pause for just a second. "And Clark, watch out for that girl, alright? She's tough, but that just makes it harder for her to accept things that can't be changed=85trust me." Clark, always amazed by Perry's striking perception, just replied, "I won't let anything happen to Lois, Chief. We watch out for each other." Perry continued to watch them as they resumed their seats at Lois' desks, his heart warmed by the obvious care and compassion they had for each other. He silently wished them well before turning his attention back to his work. *** Back at their desks, they decided the best place to start was by finding out anything and everything they could about Peter Alistair-where he came from, and where he had been the past 13 years. Lois quipped, "Know thy= enemy." Clark nodded looked around the room, oh, there he was, "JIMMY!" Jimmy braced himself for the unexpected and hurried over to Clark and Lois. "Hey, CK, you guys okay? I missed you on Friday." He didn't seem to notice anything was wrong. Clark smiled politely and explained, "Yeah, something came up, but right now we need you to find everything you can on Peter Alistair. I mean, we want to know what he had for dinner last night, understand?" Jimmy looked quizzical, "But what about the other research you've had me= on=85" Lois interjected, "Put everything else on the backburner. For now, this is top priority, got it?" =09 "You got it, Lois." He paused, a funny look on his face. "Lois, CK, you know, running background checks on your new boss isn't always the best way to get on his good side come promotion time=85" Clark rolled his eyes, "Let us worry about that, Jimmy. Just keep this whole thing under wraps, okay?" Jimmy mock saluted, but replied seriously, "I'm on it-you can count on me." Lois looked dubious, but Clark answered, "We know we can. Let us know as soon as find something." *** "Well, we've started step one in getting this creep out my life." Lois stated, "What's next?" Clark ran in fingers through his hair, absentmindedly, "Do you still have his confession tape? Maybe that could give us some leverage." "No. I got rid of everything that tied me to Peter Alistair years ago. And even if I did have it, it wouldn't do any good. The only true crime he committed was the one time he=85" she glanced around nervously, making sure no one could overhear, "=85beat me, and the statute of limitations has long run out for that."=20 Clark gritted his teeth, choking down the fury that threatened to overtake him each time he thought about the terror this man had inflicted on his wife. Lois took a deep breath suddenly, voicing something she had only just thought of, "Clark, what if his record's clean--what if there's no way to make him go away and we just have to live with him being here? I don't think I could stand it? What if I have to give up the Daily Planet-how would I ever be able to do that?" Clark took her hands, mindful of the one that bore the evidence of their trauma, and told her plainly, "Everything is going to work out. No one is going to run us away from what we love. Peter Alistair can only get to us if we let him=85 and if he knows what's good for him, he'll do well to keep his distance." As he finished, the ever familiar far away look came to his face. "Uh-oh, now what?" "Lois, subway collision downtown=85 I can't leave you here alone=85" Clark appeared torn, almost panicked as Lois told him to go. "Clark, you have your duty as=85" She made the hand-signal. "We knew this was inevitable. I'm at the Planet-this is where we work, and you can't be with me 24-7. Nothing would ever get done." "But he's here, now." She took a deep, cleansing breath. "I know=85but Perry and Jimmy are right here-and, and you don't have a choice. Now, go!" Lois pushed him to get up, and knowing she was right, he left hurriedly.=20 *** For a minute or two, Lois wasn't sure what she should do. It was odd how everything in her perfect life seemed to be upside down. She felt like she was seeing the world inside-out, and she didn't know where she fit in.=20 =09 'Get a grip, girl,' she told herself. 'Just start where you left off Thursday, and don't think about anything else.' Working on the third part of a four-part series on inner-city drug use among minors, she didn't notice the new presence in the newsroom. "Long time, no see, Lois." Her breath caught in her throat. Not looking up she thought, 'God, Clark, where are you; this can't be happening=85. Okay, Lois, don't give him the satisfaction, you've got be strong, for once=85'=20 Barely collected, she looked Peter Alistair straight in the eye and said, "Not long enough, if you ask me." =20 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 18:04:35 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Juli Hale Subject: NEW FIC: To Face the Day (8/16) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Title: To Face the Day Part: 8/16 Author: Juli Hale=20 Rating: PG-13 Feedback: Public comments & editing welcome. Summary: Lois and Clark face a man from her past, and uncover long-kept secrets in the process.=20 Alistair grinned coldly at her, "That's not exactly the warm welcome I had expected from such a 'close' old friend." "I'd hardly call us friends."=20 "Oh, Lois, we were more than just friends." He seemed to enjoy her discomfiture. "I was your teacher, your confidant, =85and lest you forget-your lover." She cut him short, determined not to let him get the best of her, "Just what are doing here, Peter? What business do you have at the Daily Planet?" Confidently smiling, onlookers would see nothing amiss with his attitude toward Lois Lane, that is, ones who could not hear the thinly-veiled menace in his voice. "I don't know what in the world you're talking about Love, I'm only here making a life for myself-the same as you and your husband-you are married to your partner now, right? What's his name, Cl-Claude Kent?" "CLARK Kent. A name you should remember." "Right. Whatever. You do have a habit getting sexually involved with people you work closely with, don't you? I should have known I wouldn't be the last man to fall victim to your seductions."=20 Furious, but not wanting to draw attention, Lois whispered harshly, "How dare you? You know as well as I do what happened all those years ago! For you to waltz in here and twist things around-why don't you just do us both a favor and get the hell out of Metropolis?" Alistair laughed at her suggestion, "Sweetheart, you forced me out of town once before, remember? Nothing could make me leave you-I mean, here-again. Not ever." Unmoved by her expression of hate, he came closer, leaning over her shoulder to look at her computer screen. "Now, let's see, what do we have here? Drug-use by street kids? That's been done, don't you think?" His close proximity had dangerously affected her resolve, and she tried to keep her voice steady as she responded, "What I write is none of your business, and I'll appreciate you getting away from me right now." "As you wish, Love. But you'll understand that I want to be very involved in my reporters' work." Before he stood and backed away, he whispered softly in her ear, "And I'm a very 'hands-on' kind of boss." *** Perry watched the interchange between Lois and Alistair. "What in blazes is going on around here?" He was in the process of finding out, when he noticed that Clark had returned, hastily approaching the two. *** Clark had heard only the last remark made by Alistair, who was already walking away from Lois as Clark entered the newsroom. First checking on Lois, who was trembling in reaction to her latest encounter, he then turned to the now retreating figure. "Peter Alistair." He stopped when he heard his name, then slowly turned, a polite smile on his face, "Ah, Clark Kent, I presume?" He held out his hand, which Clark deliberately ignored. "I don't believe we've been properly introduced." "Let's skip the niceties and get a few things straight." His fury was barely masked, and even Lois couldn't believe the ferocity with which he spoke. "I know who you are and what you've done. If you think for one minute that I'll stand by and let you intimidate my wife, you are harshly misinformed. I may not know yet what you are up to here at the Planet, but believe me when I say that I will find out. In the meantime, know that I'm watching every move you make." Alistair's confident smile never left his face, although the expression in his eyes belied the fact that Clark's speech did make an impact. "You forget yourself, Mr. Kent. You're speaking to your superior." "I know exactly who and what I'm speaking to, Mr. Alistair. Don't you forget what I said." Alistair nodded haughtily and turned to walk toward the elevator and back to his upstairs office. Clark sat down by Lois, "I'm so sorry I wasn't here, honey. Are you okay?" "I'm fine now, Clark." Lois smiled at him feebly, "You really told him." Shrugging, "I just hope he has the good sense to listen." He brushed her hair behind her ear and kissed her briefly before he continued. "But right now, we need to concentrate on work. If I'm not mistaken, Perry's got his eye on us. If we want to keep this thing under wraps, we need to carry on as normally as possible, right, partner?" She nodded and grinned, "Right, partner." *** The man in the elevator was not pleased. 'Kent can't hide behind macho words forever. We'll see how brazen he his when he helplessly watches his wife fall into the traps that paranoia sets. I know her as well as any man can know a woman. I know where to strike.' He was still smiling when he got off on his floor. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 18:48:15 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Guy or Lesley Hilliard Subject: Re: NEW: The Darkest Hour part 14 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Ditto Erin. I have been enjoying this a lot and am really glad you posted all these together. Please don't leave us hanging too long. Lesley >Erin, you can't leave us hanging like that!! Please >tell me you're going to post another section soon. > >Irene >P.S. This is wonderful! > >--- Erin Klingler wrote: >> The Darkest Hour (Before the Dawn) >> by Erin Klingler >> erink@ida.net >> part 14 >> > >__________________________________________________ >Do You Yahoo!? >Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. >http://im.yahoo.com ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 01:08:10 -0000 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: LabRat Subject: Back again! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Well, my VCR is on the fritz. So I'm really hoping that some kind soul will make the ultimate sacrifice and watch the clone and Clark scenes at the end of INPY/beginning of um....the next one in line..... , (please? Pretty please?) just to clear up the following: Are you able to make out the brand name/country of origin of the champagne Clark is drinking in those scenes? And, if not......are there any well known US companies that make champagne? And are they considered fairly chic and hip if there are or would no one be seen dead with a bottle of their cheesy plonk on their nightstand? Actually, I suppose things work better if there are small producers of US champagne around, rather than large well known companies, just thinking about it. Whatever. Either/or would do. Thanks! ;) Is it my imagination or have we started the new year with a bumper crop of excellent fic on this list? Erin - you're on a roll! More! LabRat :) (who actually likes the clone arc a lot.....) Doc. Klein's LabRat labrat@starlabs.fsnet.co.uk "A celebrity is a person who works hard all his life to become well known, then wears dark glasses to avoid being recognised." -- Fred Allen "Fame is being asked to sign your autograph on the back of a cigarette packet." -- Billy Connolly. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 20:34:01 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Joy Sowell Subject: Re: Back again! Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi, Labby. I wish I could help you, but my tapes are in storage. :( As for my personal fav, and everyone is different, I'd be happy if a guy had a bottle of Dom Perignon on his nightstand, er table. Yeah, table. JOY :) ______________________________________________ FREE Personalized Email at Mail.com Sign up at http://www.mail.com?sr=mc.mk.mcm.tag001 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 19:06:10 MST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Sarah Sandberg Subject: Re: [Back again!] Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hi Labbie, Just checked it out for ya. You can't tell. If there is a label, Clark is hiding it. And as for ame= rican "champagne", wouldn't it be soo Clark, to know of some place in Champagne= , one of those little family vine yards around Epernay, and get it directly fro= m them?? Sarah LabRat wrote: Well, my VCR is on the fritz. So I'm really hoping that some kind soul wi= ll make the ultimate sacrifice and watch the clone and Clark scenes at the e= nd of INPY/beginning of um....the next one in line..... , (please? Pretty= please?) just to clear up the following: Are you able to make out the brand name/country of origin of the champagn= e Clark is drinking in those scenes? And, if not......are there any well kn= own US companies that make champagne? And are they considered fairly chic and= hip if there are or would no one be seen dead with a bottle of their chee= sy plonk on their nightstand? Actually, I suppose things work better if there are small producers of US= champagne around, rather than large well known companies, just thinking about it. Whatever. Either/or would do. Thanks! ;) Is it my imagination or have we started the new year with a bumper crop o= f excellent fic on this list? Erin - you're on a roll! More! LabRat :) (who actually likes the clone arc a lot.....) Doc. Klein's LabRat labrat@starlabs.fsnet.co.uk "A celebrity is a person who works hard all his life to become well known= , then wears dark glasses to avoid being recognised." -- Fred Allen "Fame is being asked to sign your autograph on the back of a cigarette packet." -- Billy Connolly. =2E..et ignotas animum dimittit in artes ____________________________________________________________________ Get free email and a permanent address at http://www.netaddress.com/?N=3D= 1 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 22:31:28 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Ann E. McBride" Subject: Re: Back again! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable In a message dated 1/7/2000 8:15:11 PM Eastern Standard Time,=20 labrat@STARLABS.FSNET.CO.UK writes: << And, if not......are there any well known US companies that make champagne? And are they considered fairly chic and hip if there are or would no one be seen dead with a bottle of their cheesy plonk on their nightstand? >> The major American champagne brand that is advertised is Korbel. I have=20 never had it, (being much more fond of Asti Spumanti than champagne), but I=20 think it is probably the most popular one these days. I don't think it is=20 considered cheesy. Andr=E9 champagne, however, is *very* cheesy and almost=20 undrinkable. It does have the advantage of costing about $5.00 a liter or=20 so. Hope this helps. Ann ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 19:59:31 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Debbie Coleman Subject: Re: Back again! (Champagnes) In-Reply-To: <4b.4b613ccd.25a80990@aol.com> Mime-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit > The major American champagne brand that is advertised is Korbel. I have > never had it, (being much more fond of Asti Spumanti than champagne), but I > think it is probably the most popular one these days. I don't think it is > considered cheesy. Andr? champagne, however, is *very* cheesy and almost > undrinkable. It does have the advantage of costing about $5.00 a liter or > so. Speaking as a person whose friends would be considered wine snobs, while it's true that Korbel gets lots of advertising time, Chandon, Piper Sonoma, and Gloria Ferrer, are pretty good California champagnes. I don't remember specifically and don't have INPY handy, but I do know that the champagne in SoulMates was Dom Perignon. Can't miss that label anywhere. (And, if anyone ever comes across an '82,'85 or '90 Dom, buy it! Some of the best nectar ever produced!) Deb (whose group of friends have had an annual Champagne tasting the first week of March since '92) -- %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% If the thunder don't get you, then the lightning will J.Garcia, The Wheel Deb Coleman debbie@ikos.com debolah@pacbell.net ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 20:12:34 -0800 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Judith Williams Subject: Re: Back again! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hey Labbie, Moet et Chandon has a winery in the Napa Valley of California and they make a very fine champagne with the Chandon name. But of course Clark could have his pick of any winery in the world. He would only have to worry about what kind of dent it would make in his budget. Jude ----- Original Message ----- From: LabRat To: Sent: Friday, January 07, 2000 5:08 PM Subject: Back again! > Well, my VCR is on the fritz. So I'm really hoping that some kind soul will > make the ultimate sacrifice and watch the clone and Clark scenes at the end > of INPY/beginning of um....the next one in line..... , (please? Pretty > please?) just to clear up the following: > > Are you able to make out the brand name/country of origin of the champagne > Clark is drinking in those scenes? And, if not......are there any well known > US companies that make champagne? And are they considered fairly chic and > hip if there are or would no one be seen dead with a bottle of their cheesy > plonk on their nightstand? > > Actually, I suppose things work better if there are small producers of US > champagne around, rather than large well known companies, just thinking > about it. Whatever. Either/or would do. > > Thanks! ;) > > Is it my imagination or have we started the new year with a bumper crop of > excellent fic on this list? Erin - you're on a roll! More! > > > LabRat :) (who actually likes the clone arc a lot.....) > Doc. Klein's LabRat > labrat@starlabs.fsnet.co.uk > > > "A celebrity is a person who works hard all his life to become well known, > then wears dark glasses to avoid being recognised." -- Fred Allen > > "Fame is being asked to sign your autograph on the back of a cigarette > packet." -- Billy Connolly.