From:  "L-Soft list server at Indiana University (1.8d)" <LISTSERV@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
To:    "ARTF@MemoryAlpha.nil"
File:  "LOISCLA-GENERAL-L
LOG0004A"

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Date:         Sat, 1 Apr 2000 00:44:35 PST
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
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From:         "StarKitty :)" <starkitty__@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: New-7 Days of Superman Part 7
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Yay!   Part 7! :)  This just keeps getting better and better!

Tara

>From: James Tull <mr_d8a@YAHOO.COM>
>Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
>    <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
>To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU
>Subject: New-7 Days of Superman Part 7
>Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2000 07:44:38 -0800
>
>Title:Seven Days of Superman
>
>Author/pseudonym:Mr. D8A
>
>Fandom:Seven Days/Lois & Clark:The New Adventures of
>Superman
>
>Rating:PG-13
>
>Status: PART 7
>
>Archive: Yes
>
>E-mail address for feedback:mr_d8a@yahoo.com
>
>Series/Sequel: 7 Days/l&c:tTNAOS Crossover
>

note the new eddress
starkitty__@hotmail.com   Don't ask why I switched.

Lois leaned against her husband for the support he offered.  "Are you saying
that everything--Perry, Jimmy, the Planet, Metropolis--our whole lives--has
been a simulation?"---exerpt of Legacy, coming soon to a msg board--and
elist--near you.

______________________________________________________
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Date:         Sat, 1 Apr 2000 00:57:41 PST
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
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From:         "StarKitty :)" <starkitty__@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: OT: Question: Truth or Dare
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Well, we know it's got to be a *really* big rock with plenty of room
underneath!  Just think of how much hardcopy she had to have for her Kerth
reading!  lol!

Tara

>From: yconnell <yconnell@UKF.NET>
>Reply-To: "yconnell@ukf.net" <yconnell@ukf.net>
>To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU
>Subject: Re: OT: Question: Truth or Dare
>Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2000 23:08:43 +0100
>
> > Melisma (breathing easier now that Kerths are done and she has time to
>read
> > all the OTHER excellent fic laying around her rock, that she was
>ignoring
> > in favour of the Kerth nominees - not that these other ones didn't
>deserve
> > a nomination either :) - Melisma gets off her soapbox now... )
> >
>
>How do you stand on a soapbox *under* a rock, Mel? <g>
>
>Yvonne
>(yconnell@ukf.net)

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Date:         Sat, 1 Apr 2000 01:25:50 -0800
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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From:         Melisma <melisma@INTERGATE.BC.CA>
Subject:      Re: OT: Question: Truth or Dare
In-Reply-To:  <20000401085741.41722.qmail@hotmail.com>
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Believe me, Tara, it's all laying around my living room - I printed it all
off, three-hole-punched it, and put it in Duo-tangs, then took it to work
with me to read on the Skytrain and during breaks... And cause I was trying
to save paper, I reduced the print so tiny that I needed a magnifying glass
to read some of the fics - I got Caped Fear down to about 17 pages,
double-sided, for eg :)

Melisma (shuttiing up under her rock, really she is :)

At 12:57 AM 01/04/2000 PST, you wrote:
>Well, we know it's got to be a *really* big rock with plenty of room
>underneath!  Just think of how much hardcopy she had to have for her Kerth
>reading!  lol!
>
>Tara
>
>>From: yconnell <yconnell@UKF.NET>
>>Reply-To: "yconnell@ukf.net" <yconnell@ukf.net>
>>To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU
>>Subject: Re: OT: Question: Truth or Dare
>>Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2000 23:08:43 +0100
>>
>> > Melisma (breathing easier now that Kerths are done and she has time to
>>read
>> > all the OTHER excellent fic laying around her rock, that she was
>>ignoring
>> > in favour of the Kerth nominees - not that these other ones didn't
>>deserve
>> > a nomination either :) - Melisma gets off her soapbox now... )
>> >
>>
>>How do you stand on a soapbox *under* a rock, Mel? <g>
>>
>>Yvonne
>>(yconnell@ukf.net)
>
>______________________________________________________
>Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
>
>
=========================================================================
Date:         Sat, 1 Apr 2000 04:31:11 EST
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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From:         "Alexis W." <LoisLane9397@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: OT: Question: Truth or Dare
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In a message dated 4/1/00 4:29:20 AM EST, melisma@INTERGATE.BC.CA writes:

<< I got Caped Fear down to about 17 pages,
 double-sided, for eg :) >>

WOW!  17 pages... that's pretty amazing. LOL!

Alexis ;-.)

"If that woman wasn't one of the best damn investigative reporters I've ever
seen, I'd..." (Perry) {LnC, PILOT}
=========================================================================
Date:         Sat, 1 Apr 2000 02:29:28 -0800
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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From:         Melisma <melisma@INTERGATE.BC.CA>
Subject:      Re: OT: Question: Truth or Dare
In-Reply-To:  <01BF9B66.34934760.yconnell@ukf.net>
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UAt 11:08 PM 31/03/2000 +0100, you wrote:
>> Melisma (breathing easier now that Kerths are done and she has time to
read
>> all the OTHER excellent fic laying around her rock, that she was ignoring
>> in favour of the Kerth nominees - not that these other ones didn't
deserve
>> a nomination either :) - Melisma gets off her soapbox now... )
>>
>
>How do you stand on a soapbox *under* a rock, Mel? <g>
>
>Yvonne
>(yconnell@ukf.net)

Well!! I was wondering why my head hurt so much... lol :)
=========================================================================
Date:         Sat, 1 Apr 2000 09:59:12 -0500
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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From:         Gerry Anklewicz <Gerry_Anklewicz@NYNET.NYBE.ON.CA>
Subject:      Re: SIP: Connections - part 23
In-Reply-To:  <c1.1f11ff1.2616a47c@aol.com>
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I really like the way all of this complex story is coming together.  I
wonder if Earthwomen get super powers when they get close to a red sun?
Ah, the return of UltraWoman.  Could be interesting.  It's a pleasure to
read your writing so you can keep on going as long as you like with this
story.
By the way, I really got a big kick out of "Trask was about to reply when
their route was suddenly blocked by two muscular men in black who looked
like they might be enforcers for a hockey
team or some even less respectable institution,"  :)
Gerry
=========================================================================
Date:         Sat, 1 Apr 2000 15:24:57 -0500
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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From:         Anne Gallagher <aggie918@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Wednesday's Child - 1 (continuation of intro)

Hey, I finally got this right :)

***************
Metropolis
May, 24, 1994
***************

" Ah, well, Mr. Stern says the Planet should be finished by mid to late
August and ready for business at the end of August. Early September the
latest."  Perry started looking up at Jimmy and Clark.  The three had
gathered for an impromptu lunhc at Adi's Deli, across from the Daily Planet.

" Well that's great! I mean everybody get's their jobs back and a new,
improved Daily Planet.  I mean," Jimmy trailed off, "it's good.  Right?" He
looked from Clark's face to Perry's and back again. Oddly, neither seemed to
share his joy.

" Well, there will be some new faces with the old ones.  Cat, for instance,
found herself a radio job out in San Fransisco soon after the Daily
Planet... closed." Perry poured half & half into his coffe and looked at
Clark. " Have you heard from  Jack?"

"Yeah," Clark cleared his throat, "I spoke to him last night actually.  He
wasn't to sure about coming back to the Planet after being blamed for ...
the bombing.  Also, since Denny has been placed with relatives out in
Chicago there wasn't much left for him here.  He found a place out there and
is working for one of their newspapers."

The three men fell into a thoughtful silence before Jimmy spoke again.

" Has anyone talked to Lois?"

" You know, the last time I heard from her was a week ago when Mr. Stern was
here telling us all his ideas for the Planet.  Clark have you spoken to
her?"

Perry and Jimmy both looked at Clark waiting for a response.  Clark, in
return, lowered his head and began stirring his tea.  " No I haven't.  Not
really, anyway.  We spoke on the phone a couple of times but only for a few
minutes."

Clark had intended to visit Lois but there always seemed to be a call for
help to attend to, something more pressing at the moment.  He knew he was
stalling but things were so strained between them.  Those two phone
conversations were kept short because neither knew what to say.  Clark knew
he should be there to support her as her best friend but it was so difficult
to seperate his feelings and be objective.  What could he say? ' Gee, Lois
I'm sorry.  I  just planned on Lex being arrested and publicly humiliated.
I never thought he would kill himself.' He had, in a way, been responsible
for the death of her fiance. Her would - be
husband.  the man she loved. Loved.  God, she had loved him!  How, why did
she have to love Luthor.

" CK," Jimmy's voice brought him out of his reverie, " are you trying to
create a whirlpool in that cup?"

He looked down and realized he had been stirring his tea  for quite a few
minutes.  Clark tapped the spoon gently on the side of the cup and placed
iton the saucer. He had began to slip back into his thoughts when Perry
interrupted him, "Son, why don't you go see Lois?  I am sure she wants to
talk to you."

" You're right, you're right, Chief." He got up from the table and began
putting his jacket on, "I'll talk to both of you later."

" Good luck, Son."

" See ya, CK."

   ***********************************************
" Pregnant?!?" Ellen Lane shrieked from the kitchenette, " You're pregnant?
With Lex's baby? Lois, how does a thing like this happen?" She was rewarded
with diryt looks from both of her daughters. "Mom, try and calm down,
please." Lucy begged.  she watched her mother stare into space,  absorbing
the ramifications of what she had just been told.  At the same time Lois
wandered around the living room looking for somehting to occupy her
attention.

" You know whose fault this is don't you?  It's your father's." Ellen
proclaimed proudly.

" Daddy?" "What?"

" Exactly! I've read about this in those child psychology books.  When a
daughter doesn't recieve the proper, loving attention from the dominant male
figure in her life, preferably her father, her realtionships with other men
are doomed.  The daughter doesn't know the kind of respect and love she
deserves and chooses horrible men because she believes, subconciously, that
she can fix them and by doing so fix her relationship with her father."

Both Lane daughter's stared at their mother in a dumbfounded silence.

" I am going to call him right now and tell him that!"  Ellen made a beeline
for the phone.

" No! Mom, will you please just stop!  Lois need us to pretend like we are
mature adults! Ok?"

No it is not ok.  Lois is your father's daughter as well and he needs to
know how his selfishness has hurt her.  Even after all these years."

" Lois needs us here, paying attention to her now! "

Actually, what Lois needed to do was get out of there. As Lucy and her
mother argued over the phone she slipped out.  She was still feeling tired
so she went to the end of the hall and sat on the top landing of the stairs.

Lois rested her head in her hands.  What was she going to do about this
pregnancy?  She couldn't keep this child.  Lois was sure she was not meant
to have children and raising a child alone? Never. And what if the child
looked like Lex?  What if....

No, she wasn't going to think about that.

But, could she abort it? Lois had always been pro - choice, even when she
was a teenager.  Yet this was her child.  She had entered into the act
willingly and fully knowing of the consequences. She did feel a duty of
sorts towards this child.  Even if the situation was far from ideal but she
didn't know if she could do that.  Adoption? That was a possibility.

Lois brought her head up from her hands as another horrifying idea came to
mind.  What if people found out it was Lex's baby?  No one would want the
child then.  And if she kept it, if. Waht kind of life could they hope for
then knowing, along with the world, who the father was.

Lois was brought to attention by the sound of the elevator stopping at her
floor.  She craned her neck and was suprised to see who stepped out.

" Clark? "

He took a second to find her.  He smiled a self - concious smile.  " Hi,
Lois.  I, uh, came by to see you.  I realized we haven't spoken in a while."
He paused to look at her.

" Unless this is a bad time or you are doing something." Clark started to
step back when Lois reached out and grabbed his arm.

" No, no. Stay." Then she looked at her apartment door. " On the other hand,
why don't we go for a walk.  I really, we really, need to talk."

To be continued.....
=========================================================================
Date:         Sat, 1 Apr 2000 17:53:52 -0800
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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From:         Nicole <Qextor@ATTCANADA.NET>
Subject:      Combo post -- Fanfic
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Anne Gallagher wrote:
>
> Hey, I finally got this right :)
>
> ***************
> Wednesday's child

Good job!  I really like the start you have here.... Keep going!

Rose Cookson Wrote:

A lie of the Mind -- Part 7

This is turning into a very good story!  More! <g>

--NK
=========================================================================
Date:         Sat, 1 Apr 2000 18:48:38 PST
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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From:         "StarKitty :)" <starkitty__@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: OT: Question: Truth or Dare
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>to save paper, I reduced the print so tiny that I needed a magnifying glass

Yikes!  That's tiny! :)  I guess I'm a little strange in the fact that I
tend to keep it all on a disk and read it on my computer.  I guess a 17"
screen helps, though :)

Tara

>From: Melisma <melisma@INTERGATE.BC.CA>
>Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
>    <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
>To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU
>Subject: Re: OT: Question: Truth or Dare
>Date: Sat, 1 Apr 2000 01:25:50 -0800
>
>Believe me, Tara, it's all laying around my living room - I printed it all
>off, three-hole-punched it, and put it in Duo-tangs, then took it to work
>with me to read on the Skytrain and during breaks... And cause I was trying
>to read some of the fics - I got Caped Fear down to about 17 pages,
>double-sided, for eg :)
>
>Melisma (shuttiing up under her rock, really she is :)
>
>

______________________________________________________
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Date:         Sat, 1 Apr 2000 23:25:46 -0800
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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From:         Melisma <melisma@INTERGATE.BC.CA>
Subject:      Re: OT: Question: Truth or Dare
In-Reply-To:  <20000402024838.54863.qmail@hotmail.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
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/me glares jealously at Tara. There is no way I have time to sit there
staring at the monitor, in order to read. It takes me an hour each way by
public transit to get to work every day, so I used to spend beaucoup moulah
on reading material. Well, now I have my printer, I just print off the fic,
three hole punch it, stick it in a duo-tang, and stick it in my backpack or
briefcase - and who cares who is staring at me like I'm a three-headed
monster? I'm slowly getting myself dug out of a great morass of fic that
had piled up on me recently :)

Melisma (coming up for air, under her rock)

At 06:48 PM 01/04/2000 PST, you wrote:
>>to save paper, I reduced the print so tiny that I needed a magnifying
glass
>
>Yikes!  That's tiny! :)  I guess I'm a little strange in the fact that I
>tend to keep it all on a disk and read it on my computer.  I guess a 17"
>screen helps, though :)
>
>Tara
>
>>From: Melisma <melisma@INTERGATE.BC.CA>
>>Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
>>    <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
>>To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU
>>Subject: Re: OT: Question: Truth or Dare
>>Date: Sat, 1 Apr 2000 01:25:50 -0800
>>
>>Believe me, Tara, it's all laying around my living room - I printed it all
>>off, three-hole-punched it, and put it in Duo-tangs, then took it to work
>>with me to read on the Skytrain and during breaks... And cause I was
trying
>>to read some of the fics - I got Caped Fear down to about 17 pages,
>>double-sided, for eg :)
>>
>>Melisma (shuttiing up under her rock, really she is :)
>>
>>
>
>______________________________________________________
>Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
>
>
=========================================================================
Date:         Sun, 2 Apr 2000 17:24:03 +0100
Reply-To:     "yconnell@ukf.net" <yconnell@ukf.net>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         yconnell <yconnell@UKF.NET>
Subject:      Question for a fic
MIME-Version: 1.0
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Hi,

I have a question in relation to the fic I'm writing at the moment - Fear
of Discovery 3.  Any idea how could you claim/prove your own identity in
the US if you didn't actually own any documentation (passport, drivers
licence etc) to support your claim?  Would you have to rely on
circumstation evidence and/or perhaps other people identifying you as the
person you say you are?

Thanks,
Yvonne
(yconnell@ukf.net)
=========================================================================
Date:         Sun, 2 Apr 2000 13:31:45 EDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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From:         Charlotte Fisler <Cdfisler@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: NEW FANFIC: Hidden Treasures (10 of 10)
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Lara

Just a note to tell you I read this and liked it a lot.
Nice continuation of your earlier House of Luthor story,
plus a good A plot and lots of WAFFY parts.

Charlotte
=========================================================================
Date:         Sun, 2 Apr 2000 12:59:25 -0500
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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From:         Anne Gallagher <aggie918@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: Question for a fic

Well, I think without proper identification one would have to rely on dental
records. Or fingerprints, manay schoolchildren get fingerprinted in case
they are ever kidnapped (but I don't know when that started). A person may
also have fingerprints if they have been in any minor altercations. Except a
sppeding ticket. Clark would have these from the first season and I am sure
Lois would too. I f your really desperate you could rely on DNA test with
the closest living (duh!)relative.
That's about all I can think of, but I hope I helped.
Anne
=========================================================================
Date:         Sun, 2 Apr 2000 11:10:14 -0700
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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From:         "Irene D." <sirenegold@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: Question for a fic
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Also, don't a lot of hospitals take footprints of
newborns?  I've read that the main characteristics of
the footprints don't change even though the foot
grows.

Irene

--- Anne Gallagher <aggie918@YAHOO.COM> wrote:
> Well, I think without proper identification one
> would have to rely on dental records. Or
> fingerprints, manay schoolchildren get fingerprinted
> in case they are ever kidnapped (but I don't know
> when that started). A person may also have
> fingerprints if they have been in any minor
> altercations. Except a sppeding ticket. Clark would
> have these from the first season and I am sure Lois
> would too. I f your really desperate you could rely
> on DNA test with the closest living (duh!)relative.
> That's about all I can think of, but I hope I
> helped.
> Anne
>

=====
"All writing is essentially bricks of plagarism secured in place
by the mortar of original thinking."
--William Dukane

__________________________________________________
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=========================================================================
Date:         Sun, 2 Apr 2000 14:24:30 -0400
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
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From:         kubitc <kubitc@KENYON.EDU>
Subject:      Re: Question for a fic
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>> Well, I think without proper identification one
>> would have to rely on dental records. Or
>> fingerprints, manay schoolchildren get fingerprinted
>> in case they are ever kidnapped (but I don't know
>> when that started).

I'm 22 and I remember being taught at a very young age (pre-school?) about
"stranger danger" in school and being fingerprinted in case of kidnapping so
I
think that's been going on for a while.

>> I f your really desperate you could rely
>> on DNA test with the closest living (duh!)relative.

This may or may not work, depending on the situation. A DNA test could
"prove"
(with ~99.9% accuracy possibly) who your parents are, but couldn't really
prove your identity (unless you have had your DNA analyzed in the past, such
as in a paternity test). This is because DNA tests are performed by looking
for small, rare, repeating units of DNA and comparing them to your parents'
DNA. If, for example, neither of your parents has the same unit, they aren't
both your parents (since you had to get the gene from *somewhere.*)

I was thinking that perhaps your state DMV (Dept of Motor Vehicles) might
keep
a record of license photos since many (most?) states now have digital
cameras
take the picture for your license. This wouldn't work, however, if you've
been
missing for long since states just recently started doing this. My roommate
also suggested that perhaps if you have a passport and have traveled
extensively, other countries might have a semi-current photograph. (She went
to India last year and had to give them ~5 photos.) Hope that helps.

Christy
kubitc@kenyon.edu

anonymous computer haiku:

The Tao that is seen
Is not the true Tao, until
You bring fresh toner.
=========================================================================
Date:         Sun, 2 Apr 2000 15:38:58 -0400
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Gerry Anklewicz <Gerry_Anklewicz@NYNET.NYBE.ON.CA>
Subject:      Re: Question for a fic
Comments: To: yconnell@ukf.net
In-Reply-To:  <01BF9CC8.628A8260.yconnell@ukf.net>
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I'm guessing that some kind of sworn and signed statement in front of a
notary public or some such official would work as identification.  Someone
would swear that they knew the person before and that the person is who
he/she says.   I know that Lois and Clark don't like lawyers very much,
but there are some honest and nice ones out in the world.
Gerry
=========================================================================
Date:         Sun, 2 Apr 2000 16:44:25 EDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         No Name Available <Larus2407@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Question for a fic
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In a message dated 04/02/2000 3:15:47 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
kubitc@KENYON.EDU writes:

<< I'm 22 and I remember being taught at a very young age (pre-school?)
about
 "stranger danger" in school and being fingerprinted in case of kidnapping
so
I
 think that's been going on for a while. >>

Hmm, I didn't think it had been going on that long. I doubt it had been
happening when Lois & Clark were little though--and even if it had, I
suspect
the Kents would avoid it (you need parental permission) just in case--since
they didn't know where Clark really came from. On the other hand, as someone
pointed out, Superman was fingerprinted --or they tried in 1st season.
Though
I always suspected that he broke the table "accidently on purpose" to avoid
having any fingerprints for Superman on record (it would complicate his
investigations as Clark). They did take photos though and those would be on
file.

On the other hand, what about a school ID? Even the INS will accept that as
a
photo ID for those too young to have a drivers license or a nondrivers ID
(which most states issue for those who can't drive).

I guess this depends on who you are talking about. Most of us seem to assume
it's Superman...

--Laurie
=========================================================================
Date:         Sun, 2 Apr 2000 16:58:30 EDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Budmayes2@AOL.COM
Subject:      Has the archive been updated today?
MIME-Version: 1.0
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All I keep getting is last weeks update.

Budmayes
=========================================================================
Date:         Sun, 2 Apr 2000 15:37:47 -0500
Reply-To:     msberard@earthlink.net
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Brazil Red <msberard@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject:      Re: Question for a fic
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Clark may have been fingerprinted as part of getting his job at the
Daily Planet. I'm not positive that newspaper's do that but I know banks
do. I work at one and it's part of getting the job.
As part of your story you could always *make* it a requirement for
reporters, since it's a dangerous line of work.

Brazil <going back under her cosy rock> Red

No Name Available wrote:
>
> In a message dated 04/02/2000 3:15:47 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
> kubitc@KENYON.EDU writes:
>
> << I'm 22 and I remember being taught at a very young age (pre-school?)
about
>  "stranger danger" in school and being fingerprinted in case of kidnapping
so
> I
>  think that's been going on for a while. >>
>
> Hmm, I didn't think it had been going on that long. I doubt it had been
> happening when Lois & Clark were little though--and even if it had, I
suspect
> the Kents would avoid it (you need parental permission) just in
case--since
> they didn't know where Clark really came from. On the other hand, as
someone
> pointed out, Superman was fingerprinted --or they tried in 1st season.
Though
> I always suspected that he broke the table "accidently on purpose" to
avoid
> having any fingerprints for Superman on record (it would complicate his
> investigations as Clark). They did take photos though and those would be
on
> file.
>
> On the other hand, what about a school ID? Even the INS will accept that
as a
> photo ID for those too young to have a drivers license or a nondrivers ID
> (which most states issue for those who can't drive).
>
> I guess this depends on who you are talking about. Most of us seem to
assume
> it's Superman...
>
> --Laurie
=========================================================================
Date:         Sun, 2 Apr 2000 19:28:42 -0700
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Nancy Smith <deimos1@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject:      Archive
MIME-Version: 1.0
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Does anyone know what's happening with the fanfic archive?  It still
hasn't been updated.

Nan
=========================================================================
Date:         Sun, 2 Apr 2000 22:21:41 -0500
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Kathy Brown <kathybrown91@HOME.COM>
Subject:      Re: Archive

On Sun, 2 Apr 2000 19:28:42 -0700, Nancy Smith <deimos1@EARTHLINK.NET>
wrote:

>Does anyone know what's happening with the fanfic archive?  It still
>hasn't been updated.
>

Lauren has been swamped at work for the last few weeks. I wouldn't be
surprised if it finally caught up with her enough that she had to delay her
on-line work for a little while.  It's also possible she's been having
access
problems, etc.  I know she'll get to it just as soon as she is able.

There are six stories due to be uploaded this weekend.  I'd say you'll just
have to keep checking. :)

Kathy
kathybrown91@home.com
=========================================================================
Date:         Mon, 3 Apr 2000 00:29:09 EDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         "Alexis W." <LoisLane9397@AOL.COM>
Subject:      "ADITLOM" (RPG) Twenty-fourth installment, Week #25 (Part 1 of
2)
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

This is the twenty-forth installment of my rpg on yahoo called, "A Day in
th=
e=20
Life of Metropolis."  For more information, please go to: <A=20
HREF=3D"http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/adayinthelifeofmetropolis">Yahoo!
Clubs=
=20
adayinthelifeofmetropolis</A>=20

Public and private feedback is more than welcomed! =3D)

=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
Cast List

Clark Kent : Alexis W. (that's me!)
Cat Grant: Renda
Dan Scardino: Renda
Mayson Drake: R
Anya Starr: Tabi
Bruce Wayne: Sam F.
Sam Falcon: Sam=20
Dick Grayson: Dave
Jimmy Olsen: Tina T.

* * * *
WEEK #25
(3/27 to 4/2)

Re: Cat and Diego see Jimmy!

Cat Grant sat beside Jimmy Olsen along with Diego on his other side.=20
They had to keep holding him up. Jimmy was still so out of it that he=20
couldn't sit up on his own very well. Cat looked at Diego and asked,
"What=20
do you think happened to Jimmy?" Diego looked at the young man and=20
replied, "I think he was accousted, judging by that large lump on his=20
head!" Cat nodded and checked Jimmy's eyes. His pupils were dilated and=20
didn't react well to the small pen flash light she shown in them.
Scardino looked at Ramone and said, "You'd think Jimmy was in grade=20
school the way they make over him!" Ramone, Diego and Cat looked at him=20
and said in unison! "Shut-up Scardino!" Dan blushed and sat way back=20
into the plush leather seat.

Cat asked the driver how much farther until they reached Wayne Manor.=20
"About 10 minutes Ma'am!" Cat patted Jimmy on the shoulder and told him,=20
"It won't be long and you'll be with Lucy again!" She looked at Diego=20
and said, "Diego what is going on with our lives? I mean what evil force=20
is driving this destination?" Diego smiled at her and reached over=20
Jimmy's lap and took her hand, "Princess, don't give up hope now. We=20
shall get these fiends who are trying to destroy us." Diego squeezed her=20
hand and smiled. Catherine looked at him and thought, *I don't deserve=20
him! He is such a gentleman, and I have the reputation of a loose=20
woman!* She jumped when she felt the pressure of Diego's large and=20
tanned hand squeeze hers again.   "Princess! Do not think that of=20
yourself! You and I both know that we play many roles, you to get=20
your society gossip and I to get the criminals!" Cat looked stunned.=20
"Are you a mind reader now!" Diego smiled and replied,=20
"Only where you are concerned Princess!" And he gently kissed=20
her hand.
>tbc<=20

* * * *

Re: Wayne Manor

"What happened to you?"
"We can talk about that later, after we go upstairs."
"Sam . . .."
"I'm all right. There was a point where I could have used your help, but=20
it all ended up being okay."

"What do you mean, you could have used my help? What happened?"
"Later," she said as she put her hand on his cheek. She leaned forward=20
and kissed him lightly, then left the room.
>tbc<
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
Re: Wayne Manor

Bruce turned around, his face filled with disappointment.
"Since we're alone, I can ask, what in the hell were you doing back at=20
the ball?"
>tbc<

* * * *
Re: Mayson finds a club hears familiar piano

Mayson stood watching the young man play the piano. The next song that=20
he played was =93Valentine=94. "Oh! I love this song!" Mayson said aloud
and=
=20
dreamlily! She was entranced by the masterful and playful way that he=20
let his fingers dance upon the keys. Mayson hummed the melody and=20
blushed when the pianist looked up and smiled directly at her. "Oh! He=20
smiled at me, Jim smiled at ME!" *Mayson get a hold of yourself!* She=20
said mentally. Mayson was so lost in the music that she completely forgot=20
that she needed to phone Cat and let her know that she was all right.
>tbc<=20

* * * *
Re: Wayne Manor

Clark looked at Bruce confused. "What do you mean? If you are=20
complaining about the fact the fact that I saved your girlfriend from=20
being crushed by debris, then I'm not sorry. I didn't care if I didn't=20
have the suit with me. I happen to value human life and I'll do anything=20
to save it!"
"No that's not what . . .what do you mean you saved her from being=20
crushed?" he finished as his face whitened slightly.=20
=20
"Uh...um...uh..." Clark hesitated slightly. "I...um....Oh that's right!=20
I think I was getting confused with Lois. Yeah, I had to save Lois from=20
getting crushed. Sorry about that."   Clark looked up at Bruce's
expression=20
in hopes that he smoothed things over with his accidental outburst.
>tbc<

* * * *
Re: Limo pulls up the long drive

Cat continued to watch Jimmy as she helped Diego hold him straight in=20
his seat. "Diego! I am concerned that Jimmy needs a doctor!" Diego=20
looked at the young photographer and replied, "Well, Mr. Wayne probably=20
has a physician who makes house calls!" Cat smiled at him and nodded.=20
"Seems like I remember Bruce saying something about that one time. When=20
Alfred was ill." Diego smiled. Ramone looked at them and asked, "Will=20
there be someone around to answer the door?" Cat smiled. "Yes Bruce has=20
Alfred, and there are several people at the Manor." Ramone smiled as=20
they drove up to the enterance. "Nice place!" Cat wrinkled up her nose=20
and replied, "If you like museums!" Diego laughed and reminded her.=20
"Remember your reaction to our museum in Barcelona?" Cat laughed! "Oh=20
yes all that Spanish armour and swords!"

The limo driver stopped in front of the door and he got out and opened=20
the door on Catherine's side. She got out and Diego and she helped a=20
still shaken Jimmy out of the limo. "It's okay, Jimmy!" Cat told him as=20
she and Diego walked him to the door. Ramone and Perry got out and=20
walked behind them just in case Jimmy started feeling woozie.
Catherine got Perry to take her side and hold Jimmy up and she ran up=20
the steps and rang the door bell. The door opened and the kindly Alfred=20
said, "May I help you?" Cat smiled at him and replied, "Yes! Alfred I am=20
Catherine Grant! Ulysses Grant's Daughter." "Ah yes Ms. Grant! How is=20
your Father?" "He is fine Alfred thanks. The reason that I am here so=20
late is I have Jimmy Olsen with me and he appears to have a concussion=20
and keeps asking for Lucy Lane. So, I promised to bring him here to=20
where Lucy is." Alfred smiled and said, "Bring him on in Gentlemen!" He=20
stepped back so that Cat and party could enter with the injured Jimmy.=20
As Cat walked past him Alfred noticed that she had a bat grapple in her=20
pocket. He took Cat's arm and drew her aside and ask her. "Where did you=20
get that?" Cat looked down to the bat shaped grapple and replied, "Well,=20
Alfred! Batman helped me tonight get away from a thug on the terrace and=20
I found this at the Observatory terrace after he left. But you know=20
Batman needs to get a new tailor." "Indeed, Ms. Grant and why do you say=20
that?" Cat looked at him and smiled, "Because Alfred, his batsuit was a=20
very ill fit. It was too big!" Cat laughed as she thought back to the=20
Dark Knight and that really big batsuit. "If He hadn't vanished so=20
quickly I would have ask him why his suit was so big." Cat told Alfred.=20
"Would you like for me to dispose of that for you?" he asked her. "No=20
thanks Alfred, I think I shall hold onto this. It has already been=20
handy tonight." Alfred looked at her and asked, "Pardon me,
 ma=92am?" "Yes, I scratched another thug in the eyes with it tonight.=20
It makes a handy defense tool!" Alfred smiled and nodded. "Very good=20
Ms. Grant. He showed Perry and Diego a large sofa to place Jimmy on.=20
Cat touched Alfred's arm and asked, "Is there a Doctor that could take a=20
look at Jimmy tonight here?" Alfred looked at her and Jimmy then replied,=20
"I'll take care of it Ms. Grant." "Can I be of further assistance?" Diego=20
smiled and asked, "Would hot tea be too much trouble Sir?" Alfred smiled=20
and said, "Will Earl Grey suffice?" Diego smiled and replied. "One=20
of my favorite teas."=20
>tbc<

* * * *
Re: Wayne Manor

"Don't scare me like that. I want to know what you were doing dancing=20
with her," he said as his color returned.=20
=20
"Dancing? Um...oh yeah Sam and I were dancing...so what's the big deal?=20
She told me that you were too busy. She really wanted to dance but you=20
weren't around. I'm Sam's friend and well Lois wasn't exactly being 'Ms=20
Friendly.' She's been spending too much of her time drooling over you!=20
Personally I don't see what she sees in you, but whatever. Anyway, since=20
you were too busy doing God knows what, I decided to be nice and I=20
offered to dance with her. Sam said yes so we did. If you really have=20
a problem, which I don't know why you would, you should talk to your=20
girlfriend! I mean she was the one who agreed to dancing with me.=20
All she could of said was 'no' but she didn't. She was more then happy to=20
dance with a friend. If I had known you would of been THIS jealous, I
think=20
I would of never asked! You know Dick warned me about you but I told him=20
there=20
was nothing to be worried about. Now that I think about it, Dick may=20
have a point...I mean sheesh! You really need to calm down and think=20
about what the heck you're doing here!"
>tbc<

* * * *
Re: Wayne Manor

Dick smiled at Anya. "You know, you're really cute when you do that", he=20
whispered as he smiled gently.=20
 >tbc<

* * * *
Re: Wayne Manor

"I saw the way you were holding her. Excuse me for caring. How would you=20
feel if I danced with Lois like that? Or if Lex danced with Lois like=20
that? I asked her to go out to the car and she stayed and danced with=20
you. She could have gotten trapped in the building . . .why in the hell=20
was he talking to you about her?"=20
 >tbc<

* * * *
Re: Limo pulls up the long drive

Jimmy didn't know where he was. He must have passed out again and he was=20
getting worried. "Where am I? Where's Lucy?", he kept moaning and almost=20
chanting these words.   He looked around and found that he was in this=20
strange=20
museum like mansion, where he is lying on the couch. He tried to get up
but=20
he=20
immediately fell back down. He wanted to go find Lucy but he didn=92t have
t=
he=20
strength to get up and look for her.

He screamed out to no one in particular, because he had no idea who was=20
around him, "Where am I? and Where is Lucy?" "Is she ok?"=20
All this questioning in his weakened state made him want to go to=20
sleep. So as he was drifting off to sleep someone shook him to wake up.=20
"No you can't go to sleep until we find out if you have a concussion or=20
not," someone said. Jimmy recgonized the voice but was so weak that he=20
couldn't make out the face.

Cat put down her cup of tea and rubbed Jimmy's forehead. "You cannot=20
sleep right now Jimmy you may have a concusion and I am afraid that=20
sleep is not good for you!" Jimmy looked up as if trying to see her.=20
"Jimmy it's me Cat! You'll be with Lucy soon!" Cat looked at Alfred and=20
asked, "Is that Doctor on the way?" Alfred nodded and said, "But just=20
in case, I'll check his service again!" Alfred walked over to the phone=20
and called the Doctor. Diego looked at Cat and said, "Princess! Some of=20
us must go on and look for Mayson!" Cat nodded and said, "You go on=20
along and find her and after we get Jimmy calmed down I'll call Dad's=20
limos and come and meet you all." Diego nodded and told Perry, Scardino=20
and Ramone that they were leaving to look for Mayson Drake.
>tbc<=20

* * * *
Re: Wayne Manor

"You know what...I don't really care if you danced with Lois like that!=20
It might actually shut her up, which might be a good thing in this case.=20
I'm getting so freaking sick of her going off on you that it's driving=20
me nuts! I mean I'm only here tonight because I care for her and I don't=20
want to see her get hurt! Personally I really don't want to get into a=20
debate about this. Like I said talk to Sam about it. Only she really=20
knows why she danced with me."
>tbc<

* * * *
Cat keeps Jimmy awake!

Cat managed to get Jimmy on his feet to keep him awake until the Doctor=20
arrived. She started singing to Jimmy. Anything that she could think of.=20
*Alfred must think I am nuts!* Cat thought to her self as she walked and=20
danced Jimmy near the fireplace. She kept talking to Jimmy and singing=20
songs. When Alfred entered the room again Cat was singing her version of=20
"Hit me Baby one more time!" Jimmy seemed to be saying some of the=20
words, but Cat couldn't be sure since his language was slurred at times.=20
"No! Jimmy my man! You cannot sleep!" Cat took a wet towel from Alfred=20
and thanked him. She wiped Jimmy's face with the cold cloth and he tried=20
to get away from it. Cat laughed and kept wiping his face.
Alfred walked away and muttered. "Hit me baby! one more time?" *The=20
things these young people sing these days!=20
 >tbc<

* * * *

Re: Wayne Manor

"I had planned to talk to her . . .you would too care if I danced with=20
Lois! She's drooling over me? I hadn't noticed. If she's going 'off on=20
me' like you say she is, it's a good thing I'm staying away . . .the=20
problem I have with that dance is the way you were holding her. Fine if=20
you don't have a problem with me dancing with her, how would you like it=20
if she danced with Claude?"=20
=20
"A little louder? I don't think Lois heard you! You know, Bruce, I'm=20
very happy for you and Sam...I really am. I mean what you two have is=20
very special and I hope it never falls apart. Dick thinks otherwise=20
though. He thinks Sam will end up hurting you. I told him I didn't think=20
that was possible. Sam is a nice woman and I doubt she could ever do=20
something like that. I mean we should all be that lucky! I envy what you=20
and Sam have. You're able to share your secret with her and still go=20
on...I'm jealous of the fact that Lois is attracted to Bruce and not
Batman.=
=20
I wish she was attracted to Clark and not Superman! The only way I can=20
ever get close to her is flash cape and even that is iffy. I hate to say=20
this but I almost regret ever coming to Gotham or the fact of her ever=20
meeting you! She seems more infatuated with you that even Superman's=20
taken a back seat! Now I have nothing...I have nothing with her..." his=20
voice trailed off.

Clark paused and took a big breath. His eyes were so red that it almost=20
looked like he was about to cry. "Forget everything I just said..." he=20
whispered as he dropped his face into his hands.
>tbc<

* * * *
Re: Wayne Manor

"Thanks," she said with a smile. Could he possibly know how cute he=20
looked at that moment? Probably not. "Where exactly are we going?" she=20
asked.
>tbc<

* * * *
=========================================================================
Date:         Mon, 3 Apr 2000 00:35:05 EDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         "Alexis W." <LoisLane9397@AOL.COM>
Subject:      "ADITLOM" (RPG)  Twenty-Fourth Installment, Week #25 (Part 2
of 2)
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Re: Cat keeps Jimmy awake!

Catherine continued to walk Jimmy around the large room. She couldn't=20
help thinking. *Jimmy is so sweet! How could anyone treat him so badly?*=20
Suddenly Jimmy's head got heavy again and it fell upon her chest. Cat=20
flinched and moved him to the sofa in front of the fire. "Jimmy, I need=20
you to stay awake. We have a shoot to finish!" Jimmy seemed to mumble=20
something and his head fell upon Cat again. "God! Now if this were Diego=20
and he didn't have a concusion I might be happy." "Jimmy, I need you to=20
please stay awake okay sweetie?"
>tbc<

* * * *
Re: Wayne Manor

"We're going to my room... so you can get some rest. You've got to be=20
exhausted." Slowly, Dick led Anya in through the massive kitchen, which=20
was steeped in darkness.  They made there way over to the stairwell, and=20
slowly crept up flight after flight of stairs. Dick could hear a pair of=20
raised=20
voices in the background, one of them definately Bruce's.
He took Anya's hand, and led her down the hallway to the farthest room.=20
Slowly, he followed her in, and quietly closed the door.
Dick smiled at her. "I think... we made it." He looked across at her=20
through the dim light. "What happened to your mom, Anya?"=20
=20
Anya sat down on one of the chairs. "Cancer. Both she and my dad refused=20
to take me to a hospital to see her. She didn't want me to see her so=20
sick, but me being the one to do what I want even at 9, I skipped=20
school, caught a taxi to the hospital. Then I saw her after the=20
treatments the doctor had given hair...but it wasn't the mom I knew I=20
was looking at a living skeleton. She died that day with me there as if=20
she had been just waiting for me to come because she knew I would. But=20
as I said before, it was a very long time ago. So after the funeral, my=20
dad and me went on to live in 9 different countries. I just came back to=20
the states 2 years ago to go to college. Well you know about my life=20
what about you? You just given me a few bits of the puzzel," she said=20
with a smile trying to clear her gloomy mood with the mention of her=20
mom.
>tbc<

* * * *
Re: Cat keeps Jimmy awake!

Jimmy was having trouble staying awake which told Cat that he probably=20
had a concussion. He kept mumbling incoherently.   "luchy id wantete to
sede=
=20
luchy. Ibedf fine jsutes letefd meatd shee luchy"  Cat just nodded and
kept=20
trying to keep Jimmy awake having no idea what he just said. Cat was=20
wondering what was keeping the doctor.  Jimmy was still mumbling....
"Cathcd tedkde mesdad to sefhe Luchy iwisll bed okeany iff i coudln=20
cssee Luchy."
>tbc<

* * * *
Re: Wayne Manor

Dick could see the sadness in Anya's eyes. "I'm sorry you had to go=20
through that. So, you've always been on the move? It must have be=20
difficult to make permenant friends."

Anya asked Dick about his own family. He visable shuttered, and moved=20
across the room to gaze out of a window with a view of the manor. "We=20
were trapeze artist in Haly's circus. We traveled all across the=20
country, even some places internationally. My parents always sorta felt=20
guilty for uprooting me all of the time... they told me they always=20
wanted something more... stable. But what they didn't realize was that=20
all I needed was them. And maybe I didn't realize that either, until all=20
of a sudden they were taken from me." He looked down. "Bruce and Alfred=20
took me in, gave me a new home, a new family. I'm not sure where I'd be=20
without them."

He walked over to Anya slowly. "I know that the... pain, the loneliness=20
you feel, never really goes away. If you ever need someone, remember I'm=20
here for you, okay?"=20
 >tbc<

* * * *
Re: Wayne Manor

"I don't know what to tell you. I haven't done anything to encourage it=20
and I won't, I know how you feel about her. She's not my type either,"=20
he finished with a half smile, trying to break the emotional awkwardness=20
of Clark's comments.
"I'm not sure where you've gotten the mistaken impression that=20
relationships are easy for me. I have more woman after me than I could=20
begin to count. Before Sam, I would have traded it all in for what you=20
have. Now I don't even notice them, Lois included, not that she's easy=20
to miss. With Sam I got lucky, she puts up with so much. I often wonder=20
how she's able to do it . . ."=20
=20
Clark rubbed his eyes before looking up at Bruce. "At least you have=20
more women throwing themselves at you as Bruce and not Batman. I could=20
probably beat you in that department when it comes to Superman. That's=20
what's so frustrating...I am uncomfortable being Superman...Sometimes=20
it's hard to communicate, especially with Lois. I am Clark Kent!=20
Superman is just a job. It is just like my job at the Planet, nothing=20
else. Yes, I love helping people and yes I'd still choose to be Superman=20
if I had to live my life all over again...But with greatness there comes=20
a price. You and I both know of that sacrifice. Probably more than we=20
want to. "I'm sorry if it looked like I was trying to hit on Sam. I was=20
not...I=20
think I might of gotten a bit caught up in the moment, that's all. The=20
whole time I was with her all I could think of was Lois. What if this=20
was Lois with me? What if she had agreed to dance with me like Sam had?=20
Would Lois ever love me, just like Sam loves you? I can't deny that Sam
is=20
an attractive woman and she has a body to die for...but rest assure, my
hear=
t=20
and body only belong to Lois. I'm in love with a woman who doesn't return=20
that=20
love I am looking for. I see other women and they mean nothing. I can
only=20
think=20
of Lois...it's almost like I'm delirious whenever she is around. I thought
Lana Lang, my high school sweetheart, was it. I thought she was the one so
I=
=20
was=20
heartbroken when she moved away. I was heartbroken until I met Lois. At=20
that point I knew Lana was not the one. It was Lois. Lois was the woman=20
I was supposed to spend the rest of my life with! Unfortunately, it is=20
obvious that I'll be forever willed to love a woman who does not love me=20
back..."
>tbc<

* * * *
Re: Wayne Manor

Anya smiled. "Same here for you," she said.=20
 >tbc<

* * * *

Re: Cat keeps Jimmy awake!

"Jimmy! Sweetie, you have to see the Doctor first and then we'll see=20
about you and Lucy having a visit. She is sleeping right now and needs=20
her rest!" Cat looked at Jimmy and wondered where the Doctor was and=20
called out to Alfred. "Could you bring me some stiff coffee. I need to=20
stay awake!" Alfred smiled and nodded. "Ms. Grant, the Doctor's service=20
told me that he should be here shortly!" Cat smiled and nodded. "Thanks=20
Alfred!"=20

Jimmy's head once again was sleepily on her chest. "Jimmy! You are=20
missing Pearl Jam!" He seemed to respond to that. "Well at least he is=20
awake!" Cat said aloud.

"Mamma! You always said there would be days like this! Boy were you=20
right!" Cat said aloud.
>tbc<=20

* * * *
Mayson and the Romantic Pianist!

Mayson listened to the romantic piano music and couldn't leave the=20
place. She completely forgot that Cat and Ramone didn't have a clue to=20
her where abouts. But there is something about the music and the man.=20
Mayson just couldn't come back to reality. Ramone, Diego, Perry and even=20
the jerk Dan Scardino drive along the streets of Gotham looking for the
perk=
y=20
blonde. Ramone looked at Diego and asked, "You don't think something bad
has=
=20
happened to her?" Diego looked at his brother and then Scardino. "Well if=20
anything has happened to Mayson we know who to blame." Dan smiled and
looked=
=20
pale and sunk way back into the Italian leather of the seat. The Limo
driver=
=20
laughed at=20
the look on the agent.

Ramone looked pale as he frantically searched the streets for Mayson.=20
Diego put his hand on his brother's shoulder. "Ramone, she is all right!=20
We have to stay positive." Ramone nodded and said. "I am going to try=20
her cell phone again." He dialed the number but still got the same=20
message. "Out of range or cellphone turned off!" Diego I can't take this=20
much longer! Scardino you really are a jerk!" Dan laughed and replied,=20
"Oh yes blame me because Mayson pulled her disappearing act again. She=20
is probably at a bar drinking Irish coffee and listening to the piano=20
player and making us go nuts!"
>tbc<=20

* * * *
Re: Wayne Manor

"Don't you get it, I don't want them throwing themselves at me. Most do=20
it for the wrong reasons too. There have been some women who have thrown=20
themselves at Batman. Two of them tried to kill him. Sometimes I'm more=20
comfortable being Batman. When I'm in public being Bruce Wayne is often=20
times uncomfortable, then I get the women throwing themselves at me. It=20
makes it even harder. I'm not sure who I am half the time, at least you=20
know that you're Clark Kent. If I could go back and stop what made=20
Batman necessary, I . . .might be happier, I don't know. I don't want=20
greatness, I never have. All I want is to stop what happened to me from=20
happening to anyone else. That does come with a price and I am well=20
aware of that."

Bruce rubbed his eyes. "Sorry about snapping at you, it's just when it=20
comes to her I seem to be a little bit sensitive. She's amazing and . .=20
.. "Yeah, her body is part of what makes her such a find. You never know=20
she might come around. Once she realizes her being with Superman isn't=20
going to happen, she may go a different direction. You never know, there=20
may be some feelings hidden someplace. That time you guys were exposed=20
to that love potion stuff, Lois supposedly had some feelings for you=20
since she . . .. Who asked who to dance? Why?"=20
=20
Clark looked at Bruce confused. "How the heck did you find out about=20
that? I thought it was something that was only localized in Metropolis?=20
Don't tell me Lois' little *love* thing for me made it into the=20
papers?!? Oh man she's going to kill me if that's the case!!!"

"I don't remember who told me. Who asked who to dance and why?"

=93Well I wish you could remember...I mean you know how Lois is and if
she=20
finds out...then I'm dead!!!"  Clark quickly looked around to make sure
Lois=
=20
wasn't waiting in the wings.

"Honestly, I don't remember who asked who and I could really care less=20
right now. I don't think it's the most important thing to be worried=20
about right now..."
>tbc<

* * * *

Re: Cat keeps Jimmy awake!

Jimmy seemed to understand her and and asked her,
"don in ncdeed tod stecy aawadke tilll the docnter comens?
 I;m sjust so dtired i need sleep."

Jimmy was awake but not very with it. He was thinking, "Why would=20
I miss Toe Jam" as he drift off to sleep=20
 >tbc<

* * * *
Re: Wayne Manor

"Well I do, since it will direct the conversation I'll have with Sam."=20
=20
"Honestly, I don't remember..." Clark said agitedly as he stood up and=20
walked towards the door. "I seemed to have forgetten about the dance=20
ever since that devasting earthquake hit. I was too worried about Lois=20
to remember something so trival like that!"

"Wait, before you go I think there's something you should know. The=20
accomodations are a little short and it looks like you and Lois may have=20
to share a room. By the way, it isn't trivial. If Sam had left when I=20
asked her to, she may not have been there when the earthquake hit, and=20
that to me is not trivial. I still don't know all that happened to her=20
while she was in there and that scares me."=20

Clark stopped in his tracks at the mention of Lois and him *spending*=20
the night together.  "Oh boy...I'm not sure if Lois will be too happy
about=20
that...I mean I'm fine with it," he chuckled. "But Lois...well that's
anothe=
r=20
story."

"I realize that. If I'd been around when the arrangements were being=20
made I would have made sure you two have separate bedrooms. As it is=20
now, Sam's giving up her room and staying in mine. I don't want to be=20
around when you tell Lois," Bruce said with a smile. =20
=20
Clark laughed. "I'm hoping I can just lure her in there and then close=20
the door behind us. If she tries to get out, I'll just tell her the=20
doorknob broke! I doubt that excuse will work though."
>tbc<

* * * *

Look for Week #26 coming to a PC near you!

Enjoy!

Alexis ;-.)
{"ADITLOM" arbitrator}

=20

=20

=20

=20

=20
=20

=20
=20
=20
=========================================================================
Date:         Mon, 3 Apr 2000 08:32:26 -0500
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Yvonne Connell <yconnell@UKF.NET>
Subject:      Re: Question for a fic

Many thanks to everyone who replied to my request for help, both here and
privately.  I've now got loads of ideas to work with, thanks to all of you.

Just to set you straight, it's not Clark's identity which requires proof,
but Wanda's ;)

Finally, I *am* working on a PG version of Fear of Discovery 3, and just as
soon as I've had it checked over for unsuitable material, I'll start
posting it.

Yvonne
(yconnell@ukf.net)
=========================================================================
Date:         Mon, 3 Apr 2000 14:36:11 +0100
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Wendy Richards <w.m.richards@HRM.KEELE.AC.UK>
Subject:      Re: SIP: Connections - part 22
In-Reply-To:  <da.26d0f24.2614a835@aol.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII

On Thu, 30 Mar 2000 07:53:09 EST "C.C. Malo"
<Ccmalo@AOL.COM> wrote:

>  I'm wondering if I should cut Clark's memory
> of Jonathan in this sequence.  Is it redundant?

Carol, I've been away for a few days and have only now seen
this post, and your question. I can't believe you're even
thinking of cutting the section regarding Jonathan; it's a
very powerful and beautiful moment and really helps to
explain Clark's motivations as an adult. It also roots him
firmly in an Earth moral perspective as opposed to a
Kryptonian one.

Looking forward to more, as always!

Wendy
=========================================================================
Date:         Mon, 3 Apr 2000 07:51:23 -0700
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         StarKitty <starkitty__@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: OT: Question: Truth or Dare
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

hey, don't feel jealous--I don't have a printer of my own and when I want to
borrow my parents' I can almost never find the paper :)  I *have* to read it
on my computer!

Tara
----- Original Message -----
From: "Melisma" <melisma@INTERGATE.BC.CA>
To: <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sent: Sunday, April 02, 2000 00:25
Subject: Re: OT: Question: Truth or Dare

> /me glares jealously at Tara. There is no way I have time to sit there
> staring at the monitor, in order to read. It takes me an hour each way by
> public transit to get to work every day, so I used to spend beaucoup
moulah
> on reading material. Well, now I have my printer, I just print off the
fic,
> three hole punch it, stick it in a duo-tang, and stick it in my backpack
or
> briefcase - and who cares who is staring at me like I'm a three-headed
> monster? I'm slowly getting myself dug out of a great morass of fic that
> had piled up on me recently :)
>
>
> Melisma (coming up for air, under her rock)
>
>
>
> At 06:48 PM 01/04/2000 PST, you wrote:
> >>to save paper, I reduced the print so tiny that I needed a magnifying
glass
> >
> >Yikes!  That's tiny! :)  I guess I'm a little strange in the fact that I
> >tend to keep it all on a disk and read it on my computer.  I guess a 17"
> >screen helps, though :)
> >
> >Tara
> >
> >>From: Melisma <melisma@INTERGATE.BC.CA>
> >>Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
> >>    <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
> >>To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU
> >>Subject: Re: OT: Question: Truth or Dare
> >>Date: Sat, 1 Apr 2000 01:25:50 -0800
> >>
> >>Believe me, Tara, it's all laying around my living room - I printed it
all
> >>off, three-hole-punched it, and put it in Duo-tangs, then took it to
work
> >>with me to read on the Skytrain and during breaks... And cause I was
trying
> >>to read some of the fics - I got Caped Fear down to about 17 pages,
> >>double-sided, for eg :)
> >>
> >>Melisma (shuttiing up under her rock, really she is :)
> >>
> >>
> >
> >______________________________________________________
> >Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
> >
> >
>
=========================================================================
Date:         Mon, 3 Apr 2000 12:12:11 -0500
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Hazel <zis-s@ACTCOM.CO.IL>
Subject:      Archive update
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

For those of you who haven't hit the "reload" button umpteen times today,
the archive has been updated, including Nan's excellent "Countdown" and the
lovely "That Lois Lane of Mine" by Rose, which many of us couldn't read
when it was posted here to the list due to formatting problems (myself
included!). So hurry on over for some very good reading!

And for those of you who as shamelessly egoistic as I am... ;) Lauren has
also added Kerth icons to the stories that were nominated and/or won Kerths
this year. Gotta tell you, that page looks *good*. :) :)

Hazel
=========================================================================
Date:         Mon, 3 Apr 2000 14:39:13 -0400
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Pam Jernigan <jernigan@BELLSOUTH.NET>
Organization: http://www.geocities.com/~chiefpam/
Subject:      Re: Archive update
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

> And for those of you who as shamelessly egoistic as I am... ;)

LOL, that would be me...

Thanks for the notice!  I'd seen that new stories were added, but I
figured Lauren had been too busy to add the Kerth icons ... my list of
stories looks nicer than ever! <g>  (We just have to figure a way to
denote "Best New Author" nominations)

Thanks for your hard work, Lauren, we all appreciate your dedication!
--
---
Pam Jernigan  / ChiefPam  /  jernigan@bellsouth.net
http://www.geocities.com/~chiefpam

"Why else do all the stories *end* when the Count's daughter gets
married?  Hasn't that ever struck you as a bit sinister?  I mean, have
you ever read a folk tale where the Princess's mother gets to do
anything but die young?  I've never been able to figure out if that's
supposed to be a warning, or an instruction."
--A Civil Campaign, by Lois McMaster Bujold.
=========================================================================
Date:         Mon, 3 Apr 2000 15:42:10 EDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         "Lorie Y. Crisp" <SuperLorie@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Archive update
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

New stories added? It still says the new stories are from 3/26. Am I missing
something?

SuperLorie :-)
=========================================================================
Date:         Mon, 3 Apr 2000 16:04:42 EDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         "Ann E. McBride" <Aerm1@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Archive update
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

In a message dated 4/3/00 3:42:58 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
SuperLorie@AOL.COM writes:

<< New stories added? It still says the new stories are from 3/26. Am I
missing
 something? >>

I know it says 3/26, but the stories are dated 4/2 and they are new ones.

Ann
=========================================================================
Date:         Mon, 3 Apr 2000 16:25:57 -0400
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         "Felix E. Sung" <fsung@JUSTICE.LOYOLA.EDU>
Subject:      NEW: L&C&J&J (4/?)

(Lois & Clark & John & Joan, Part 4)

A few hours later, Lois threw away the remnants of her sandwich, a pastrami
on rye.  What a day it has been, and it was only 12:30!  Not long after
seeing the report on the Messenger explosion on television, the newsroom was
in a whirlwind of activity.  Perry had issued orders left and right like a
general to his troops.  Lois had asked Jimmy to get more research on Dr.
Samuel Platt, the other scientists, the space program, anything.

Now her stack of files and papers was twice as high, and she had barely
scratched through the surface.  She had considered taking everything to the
conference room and work there (the newsroom was rather noisy), but Perry
and
Clark were using it right now.  She pulled her chair back from her desk and
stretched, keeping her eyes on Clark... and Perry.  Clark and Perry.  In the
conference room.

She took another look at the pile of research and let out a long breath.  If
there was a conspiracy to sabotage the space program, and if she got the
story, this could mean a fourth Kerth, assuming that she gets her third one
in the Kerth ceremony this October.  She had already knew that she was
nominated for the story on the DA three months ago -- her story was written
just before the end of the eligibility period.  But the Messenger story, if
her gut instincts were telling her correctly, would be the biggest story
yet.
Unfortunately, this story might be so big, that Lois might not be able to
handle this alone.

No, Lois Lane wasn't backing down from a challenge.  It was just that she
knew her limits.  John was always trying to get her to slow down and not to
overwork, which was funny, because he had a tendency to do the same.
Clearly
Lois wasn't happy with the lack of time that she and John had spent together
lately.  She simply missed him.  If Lois tried to tackle the Messenger story
alone she might not leave Planet building at all until it's done.

A movement in the conference room caught her eye.  She saw Clark and Perry
stand up and shake hands... no that's not true.  Perry was patting Clark's
hand again.  That was weird.  She didn't give what she had just witnessed a
second thought, however, as Perry was leaving the conference room and was
making his way to his office.  Lois bolted up from her chair and walked
briskly to Perry's office before giving anyone else a chance to see him
first.

* * * * * * * *

Clark was on cloud nine.  Because he was momentarily out of it he didn't
notice Lois making a beeline towards Mr. White's office.  Clark was now
working for the Daily Planet, and Perry was now his boss.  His new boss.

Because the news of the Messenger incident had just broken, Clark was going
to start today.  It was amazing that less than forty-eight hours ago he was
wondering if he could feel lower than he did, when Mr. White had said at
first that he didn't have anything for him.  He stayed where he was, in the
conference room, observing the hurricane that was called the Daily Planet
newsroom.  Everyone seemed to be either typing, talking on the phone, or
moving about.  His eyes focused on an empty desk with a chair, in fact the
only empty desk that he could see.  His new desk.

As Clark looked in the immediate vicinity of his desk, he noticed that Lois'
desk wasn't far from his.  There it was; her nameplate was sitting on top of
it.  At the moment, she wasn't sitting at her desk -- she probably was out
gathering info on the Messenger, or maybe meeting one of her sources.  Of
course he had no idea what Lois Lane was like.  After all, today was only
their second meeting.  But there was something about her that. intrigued
him.
And no, it wasn't just because Lois was a very attractive woman.  Like Joan
is, Clark reminded himself.  Well, it would be nice to work with Lois Lane,
and perhaps someday, they could be... friends.  Lois Lane.  His new
colleague.  His new... friend?

Clark shook his head, reprimanding himself for daydreaming.  Perry had given
him a chance, and there was no way Clark would mess it up.  Now that he just
got the job, it was time to start working.  At the Daily Planet.  In
Metropolis.  His new home.

* * * * * * * *

Lois was pacing in Perry's office, the wheels in her head turning quickly as
she planned for the Messenger story.  "I'll need a task force.  I can't
cover
this story alone."

Perry looked up from the papers from his desk.  "You can have Jimmy," he
suggested.

Jimmy?  Lois almost laughed out loud.  No offense to him, but he was only a
photographer and a researcher.  What she needed was another reporter, at the
very least.  "Chief," she protested, "we're talking about the space
program!"

Perry thought for a moment.  Judas Priest, that girl could be very difficult
to deal with at times.  But she's a heck of a reporter, so... "Okay, take
Kent."

No, Lois didn't hear that correctly, did she?  He wouldn't suggest...
"Kent?"
she repeated, in an unusually small voice.

"Kent!" Perry replied.

Working with Clark Kent?  No, that's impossible.  A bad idea.  Not Clark
Kent, that... man.  There has to be someone else available.  Besides, Kent
was just hired today!  What does he know about investigative reporting?  Now
let's see, who else could help?  "What about Myerson?" she asked.

"He's busy."

Busy doing what?  Fine.  All right then, who else?  "Burns?" Lois tried
again.

"Budapest."

Lois sighed.  Everyone else was busy with other things.  But there was no
way
that she could work with Clark Kent.  "Forget Kent," she said firmly.

Perry was tired of this.  Lois was right; she couldn't possibly tackle this
story by herself.  It was time to play the bad boss... "Uh-uh, he's a good
man," he said, no longer in 'discuss' mode but in 'order' mode.

What?  Was Perry now ordering Lois to take Kent?  Uh-uh, no way.  She wasn't
going to be intimidated by Perry's change of voice.  "Kent is a hack from
Smallville, I couldn't make that name up!" she said in desperation.

Okay, so Perry wasn't really ordering Lois.  But there was no one else
available.  He decided to leave it up to her.  "Kent, or nobody," he stated.

For a moment Lois contemplated saying, "nobody."  But then she remembered
John, remembering how she agreed with him when he had said that they've been
seeing too little of each other lately.  Oh... all right.  How bad could it
be?  She was a professional.  She could keep her feelings to herself.  So
she'll take Kent; but of course, Lois Lane always had the last word.  "Fine.
Don't ever say that I'm not a team player," she said, and with a huff, she
stormed out of Perry's office.  Perry's face was grim as he watched her
leave.

* * * * * * * *

'I can do this,' Lois thought to herself.  Kent is just another reporter.
'Just treat him as you would treat any other colleague.'  The problem was
that she had little interaction with her colleagues, so she had no frame of
reference to use.

Fortunately, Lois had been getting better in getting along with her co-
workers.  When she had started at the Daily Planet four years ago, she had
virtually talked to no one, with the exception of her Editor-in-Chief and
her
department head.  After a while, though, while she moved quickly to become
an
award-winning reporter, she had become lonely.  So she had begun to talk to
a
third person, resulting in one of the most embarrassing moments in her life.
That person was Claude.  After the events of Claude's seduction and betrayal
(yes, he did seduce her, much to her chagrin), Lois became even more
withdrawn.  Perry had tried a few times to partner her with another
reporter,
but in all cases, it didn't work out.  Lois couldn't imagine what would have
happened if John didn't come into her life.

Lois shook her head.  What was she doing?  Daydreaming about her almost
boyfriend?  She prided herself in being able to focus and be businesslike at
work.  Well, that won't do!  Time to earn her pay.  She will have another
front-page story, no matter what it takes.  She will get that fourth Kerth.
And she will find a way to completely ignore Clark Kent.

Yeah, right.

* * * * * * * *

Lois found Clark, standing near his desk, looking at some papers.  Okay,
ShowTime.  She walked briskly towards him.  "Let's hit it," she said,
swatting his arm and walking past him without looking his way.

Clark was stunned.  Did Mr. White assign him and Lois to work together?
Great!  This would be a great opportunity to get to know her... and to watch
first hand an investigative reporter at work, of course.  He dropped the
papers on his desk and followed Lois.  "Mind if I ask where we're going?" he
asked.

'Why do I feel nervous?' Lois asked herself.  When she had reached her own
desk, she grabbed her coat and bag.  "To interview Samuel Platt," she
answered quickly, "He's convinced the Messenger was sabotaged.  I'll brief
you on the way."

"And let's get something straight," Lois continued, as she made her way up
the ramp.  "I did not work my buns off to become an investigative reporter
for the Daily Planet just to baby-sit some hack from Nowheresville!"  Oh my
God, did she just say that?  What was wrong with her?  Of course she knew:
she was babbling.  And now that she had started babbling, there was no way
for her to stop.  Sometimes John would tease her about that, and he had said
that there was only one way to stop her babbling... Don't you dare go there,
Lane!

Lois stopped at the top of the ramp and finally looked at him, but continued
in her babble mode: "And one other thing, you are not working with me, you
are working *for* me. I call the shots, I ask the questions."  'All right,
enough already!' she thought, as she walked towards the elevators.  "You are
low man, I am top banana, and that's the way I like it. Comprende?"  She
almost groaned as she and Clark waited for the elevator.

Clark was intrigued (there's that word again) at what he had just witnessed.
He had never seen a person talk continuously as long has Lois just did.  And
she did so practically without taking a breath!  God help the boyfriend or
husband who has to deal with her babble-mode...

Geez, already he was wondering about her dating status!  It looked like Lois
wasn't married -- Clark did not see a wedding band -- but a woman as
attractive as she was, surely she was seeing someone now.  Of course, that
was very stereotypical, Clark realized, but it was probably a good idea to
make that assumption now.

Clark almost forgot that Lois had asked him a question.  He wasn't going to
let her intimidate him.  So he replied, "You like to be on top, got it."
But
immediately he regretted saying that.  'That's a great way to impress
someone, Kent,' he mused.  He willed himself to look straight ahead at the
elevators and not see her reaction.

He would hear Lois' reaction, of course.  She obviously did not like Clark's
answer, but at the same time, she was grateful.  Clark had just provided her
a reason why she should dislike him: he was a smart aleck.  Assuming an
angry
expression, Lois said with deliberation, "Don't push me, Kent, you are way
out of your league."  The elevator dinged, and the doors opened.  She
stalked
inside and Clark followed her.  Once they took their positions Clark allowed
himself to smile.  What he had just said was funny, he mused, as the
elevator
doors closed.

* * * * * * * *
=========================================================================
Date:         Mon, 3 Apr 2000 15:30:25 -0500
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Wendy Richards <wendy@KINGSMEADOWCR.FREESERVE.CO.UK>
Subject:      Re: Archive update

On Mon, 3 Apr 2000 14:39:13 -0400, Pam Jernigan <jernigan@BELLSOUTH.NET>
wrote:

> (We just have to figure a way to denote "Best New Author" nominations)

Yeah... sheepishly admitting that I wondered about that last year...<g>

How about an icon next to the author's name? Given the quality of nominees
in that category this year, and also the very stiff competition in the 1999
awards, it would be nice to recognise this category somehow.

The new icons look terrific, btw. And I was intrigued to notice that Yvonne
Connell now has a nomination icon next to all but one eligible story (Trust
Me, I'm a Reporter is eligible *next* year) - is she the most intensively
nominated author not to win a Kerth (yet <g>)?

Wendy
=========================================================================
Date:         Mon, 3 Apr 2000 22:13:45 +0100
Reply-To:     "yconnell@ukf.net" <yconnell@ukf.net>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         yconnell <yconnell@UKF.NET>
Subject:      Re: Archive update
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

> The new icons look terrific, btw. And I was intrigued to notice that
Yvonne
> Connell now has a nomination icon next to all but one eligible story
(Trust
> Me, I'm a Reporter is eligible *next* year) - is she the most intensively
> nominated author not to win a Kerth (yet <g>)?
>

Thanks for the thought, Wendy, but I'm sure I must be in good company on
that one!

Yvonne
(yconnell@ukf.net)
=========================================================================
Date:         Mon, 3 Apr 2000 16:39:34 -0500
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Anne Gallagher <aggie918@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      just ignore, another test

test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test
test test test test test test test test test test test test test. odjkgkj
irjgckhnvb irfjkmnv mfkjmkv   efkjkdjgf kjfjg kfj kgj gk fjkfm
reklrkgkmg,bmgop kkjgkvmb, rorbvknkdg vnmgn riohbnvmgjirjrmnvmbrjoiru
irjgvijfcmv itug jbn m,vcn tu5yruaisdl;fmn grjkhtinb fjkfldjt5jk  rjhjfhg
kgkfldjhgklfd kjgfjjgur rekityire u jvgkfejtgie jfirijtioru i love fishes
cause they're so delicious got gold fishesgklkmh ;jt krtj hklmvfkl jgfjv
mfnfedjm cn kdjdkbjcm f we all live in a yellow submarine a yellow submarine
fkjhdjlk hdsfjhfjkdshm,fdnmfekjojnb ,ltjhokgjgk lkvcgjhklgjhmg klfdjklgjgc
fjcjg nfj gfjlk kjghkfd
=========================================================================
Date:         Mon, 3 Apr 2000 17:48:15 EDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         "Alexis W." <LoisLane9397@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: just ignore, another test
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

LoL I'm a huge Beatle fan so I enjoyed your "Yellow Submarine," rendition.
;)

Alexis ;-.)
{who watched superman 3 for the first time yesterday and heard a Beatle song
in that movie too!}
=========================================================================
Date:         Mon, 3 Apr 2000 15:06:32 PDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Dave Phillips <wilburkat@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Removal of stories from the archive
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed

Hi.

I noticed on the new update of the archive, eleven stories were removed by
an author's request. Does anybody know what stories were taken out?

(Before update: 1265 stories; After update, including 6 added stories: 1260;
  ie 1265 + 6 = 1271 - 11 = 1260)

Dave Phillips

wilburkat@hotmail.com
wilburkat@webtv.net
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
=========================================================================
Date:         Mon, 3 Apr 2000 17:23:20 -0700
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Nancy Smith <deimos1@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject:      NEW STORY:  Vanishing Act  Part 1
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit

Disclaimer:  The familiar characters and settings of this story are the
property of DC Comics, Warner Bros., December 3rd Productions, et. al.,
and no infringement of copyright is intended.  The story is strictly my
idea, and is copyrighted to me.

Nan Smith

This story occurs shortly after "Priorities" in the time line of my Lois
and Clark universe.  I hope you enjoy it.  Feedback is welcome

Vanishing Act
by Nan Smith (deimos1@earthlink.net)

Introduction

A young woman hurried through the dimness of the parking lot.

It was past sunset, and even the traces of pink had faded from the sky.
If not for the city lights the stars would be shining brightly, but as
it was only a ghostly luminescence lit the sky.  She glanced at the
glowing dial of her wristwatch; the time was six-thirty.  She was going
to have to hurry to arrive on time for her dinner reservation.

The parking lot lights were too dim, and huge shadows loomed ahead of
her on the path to the spot where she had parked her car.  A little
chill of nervousness passed over her scalp as she started resolutely
toward the vehicle, but she tried to ignore it.  There was really no
danger, she knew.  She'd been here after dark many times.  Keys in hand,
she reached the car and inserted the correct key into the door lock.

**************

"Dr. Klein, my due date was six days ago!"  Lois Lane's voice had taken
on a certain "edge" which tended to put others around her on the alert.
"Just how much longer is this going to go on?"

The scientist sighed and cast an eloquent look at her husband standing
silently behind her, hands in his pockets.  He thought he had never seen
the Man of Steel looking so...noncommittal.  Clark Kent's expression was
extraordinarily blank, and he appeared to be focussing on a very
ordinary photograph of two of Klein's nephews on the opposite wall.  Dr.
Klein glanced out the window of his office and hoped the presence of two
lab techs in the outer room would preclude any explosions.

"Lois," he began, "the main problem is that none of us know the actual
length of a Kryptonian pregnancy.  We assume it's similar to a human's
because the rate of development appears to be about the same,
and...um...certain size limitations rather require that it not go on
much longer.  All I can tell you is that every test I've been able to
run says that things are fine, your baby is growing normally and there's
no sign of placental deterioration.  In light of that, I'm really
reluctant to interfere.  All the physical indications say that it will
be soon.  That's all I can tell you."

Lois gave a long-suffering sigh.  "And so...?"

"So we wait," Dr. Klein said.  "It won't be much longer, Lois."

"For you," Lois said.

"Believe me," Dr. Klein said, sincerely, "this has probably been the
longest week of my life."

*************

"Lois, he's right," Clark said as they left S.T.A.R. Labs.  "It can't be
much longer.  Maybe if you took the rest of the time off you wouldn't be
so tired."

"If I did that I'd go completely crazy," Lois said.  "Besides, chasing
CJ in my current condition would probably tire me out more.  I'll think
about it after you bring your mom here, day after tomorrow."

"Assuming nothing happens before then--"

"Naturally," Lois said.  She gave him a sour look.  "Believe me, if it
does, I won't be upset."

He grinned at her.  "Ralph will be.  He's still mad that Perry won't
partner him with me.  Perry told him not a chance--he thinks it would
cramp my style."

"It would."

Clark nodded in agreement.  "Ralph's writing and mine just aren't
complementary which I pointed out to Perry, and he agreed.  Sex scandals
aren't my line.  I know Ralph is looking for the key to the big scoop
but he's not going to get it my way."

"That's for sure, and I don't mean because you're you-know-who."  Lois
sighed.  "I guess I'm selfish.  I just don't want to share you with
anybody."

Clark chuckled.  "Don't worry, honey.  Ralph's not my type."

She made a face at him.  "So, who *are* you being partnered with?"

"No one, so far as I know.  Perry said he thought I'd do better alone
until you get back, rather than wasting my time breaking in a new
partner."

"Perry's so smart it scares me sometimes."

"Yeah, me too."  Clark looked uncharacteristically solemn.  "I sometimes
wonder..."  He broke off.

"What?"

"Nothing."  He opened the door of the Jeep for her.  "Well, back to the
salt mines, I guess."

*************

When the elevator deposited them on their floor the first thing that
greeted Lois's ears was a resentful mutter from Ralph.  "Aren't you
*ever* gonna have that kid, Lane?"

She gave him a look that would have melted lead.  "Believe me, Ralph,
you can't possibly be in more of a hurry than I am."

"Kent!"  Perry emerged from his office.  "Get on over to City Hall.
There's a demonstration goin' on over the Council's new zoning
proposals.  Better take a photographer."

"Right, Chief.  Jimmy, let's go!"  He gave Lois a quick peck on the
cheek and reversed course toward the elevator.

Jimmy passed Lois on his way up the ramp.  "There's three messages from
your mom on your desk."

"Great."

The messages from her mother lay prominently on the desk's surface, but
before she had the opportunity to read them her phone rang.  She picked
up the receiver.  "Lois Lane."

"Lois, thank heavens!" Ellen Lane's voice said.  "I've been trying to
reach you for ages!"

"I was at my doctor's," Lois said.  "Is something wrong?"

"Lucy's disappeared," her mother said.

"What do you mean ‘disappeared'?"

"I mean she's disappeared!"  Ellen's voice rose slightly.  "She didn't
meet me for dinner last night, and no one knows what's happened to her!"

Lois took a deep breath.  "All right, Mother, why don't you start from
the beginning?" she suggested.  "Why do you think she's disappeared?"

There was a short pause on the other end of the line.  "Lucy and I were
supposed to have dinner together last night at Marcel's--we had a seven
o'clock dinner reservation," her mother told her.  "She never showed
up."

"Well, maybe..."

"I called her dorm," Ellen continued.  "One of her roommates told me she
left at six-fifteen to meet me for dinner.  I eventually gave up, but
this morning I called her--I talked to another girl.  Lucy never came
back."

"What?"

"She didn't come back," Ellen repeated.  "But her car is still there.
They checked for me.  I called the police, but they won't do anything
until a person has been missing for 48 hours."

"Have you called the dorm back since this morning?" Lois asked
patiently.  "Maybe she's shown up by now."

"I called twice more, the last time just fifteen minutes ago.  She
hasn't come back, Lois.  Something's happened to her.  I can feel it."

"Okay."  Lois sighed.  Her scatterbrained sister was going to drive
Ellen into an early grave yet, as her mother was so fond of telling
her.  "Let me make some calls and see what I can find out."

*************

"She never came back, Ms. Lane," Carol Jennings was telling her over the
phone an hour later.  The girl was the eldest of Lucy's roommates, the
first to return from class and receive Lois's message.  "She had a big
exam today, too.  She said she'd be back by ten because she had to cram
for it."

"And you say her car is still there?"

"It's in the student lot.  I checked for your mom this morning, and it
was still there when I got back a few minutes ago.  She doesn't usually
do this.  She's supposed to graduate this spring, you know, and she's
really been working."

Presented with a completely at odds picture of her flighty sister, Lois
was silent for several seconds.  "So, what do you think happened?" she
asked finally.

Carol hesitated.  "I don't know," she said.  "But I'm just a little
worried."

**************

"So, I called the police, but they told me the policy was to wait 48
hours," Lois said, in disgust.  "They wouldn't do a thing."

"Well..." Clark tilted his desk chair back.  "I guess to them she's just
one more statistic.  They get lots of missing person reports and most
often the person shows up again on their own."

"But," Lois pointed out, "if they don't show up, the trail has gotten
cold."

He nodded.  "I know.  In a city this size there aren't any ideal
solutions."

"Yeah.  Well, I got hold of Bobby and promised him dinner at Sven's
Smorgasbord if he could find out anything.  He said he'd try."

"That's a good idea."  Clark looked at his wife's worried face.  Lois
was more upset about this than she wanted him to know.  He dropped his
feet to the floor and stood up.  "I'm going to fly over and take a look
around her car.  She still drives that old Dodge, doesn't she?"

"Last I heard."  She looked relieved.  "Thanks, Clark."

He dropped a kiss on the top of her head.  "No problem.  Back in a
jiff."  He headed for the ramp.

Behind him he heard the now familiar rush of Ralph's footsteps.  The man
still hadn't given up, apparently.    Clark increased his pace and went
through the door to the stairs while Ralph was still hurrying up the
ramp.  A second later he was launching himself from the roof of the
Daily Planet.

***************

Superman spotted the familiar car from the air and a moment later was
touching down lightly in the student parking lot.

Lucy's car had been sitting there for some time, judging by the light
coating of dust visible to his enhanced vision.  He scanned it from
front to back, then leaned forward to examine the driver's door more
closely.

The tip of a key was broken off in the lock.

He frowned thoughtfully, then turned to look around the entire area.
Nothing.  No, wait, what was that?  He strode to the front of Lucy's
car.  There, tangled in the lower branches of the hedge was a crumpled,
white handkerchief.

Clark scanned it closely.  The cloth was linen, edged with what looked
like actual hand stitching, and it hadn't been here long.  He leaned
closer and sniffed.  It was faintly scented with some kind of expensive
cologne.  Slowly he inhaled, memorizing the smell until he was sure he
would recognize it if he encountered it again, then he turned and
glanced carefully around the area once more to be certain there were no
observers.  Quickly he transformed into Clark Kent, carefully and
delicately disentangled the handkerchief from the branches, tucked it
into the pocket of his coat, and left the parking lot.

****************

(to be continued in Part 2)
=========================================================================
Date:         Mon, 3 Apr 2000 19:38:12 -0500
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Kathy Brown <kathybrown91@HOME.COM>
Subject:      Re: Removal of stories from the archive

On Mon, 3 Apr 2000 15:06:32 PDT, Dave Phillips <wilburkat@HOTMAIL.COM>
wrote:

>I noticed on the new update of the archive, eleven stories were removed by
>an author's request. Does anybody know what stories were taken out?

Two authors (Alicia U. and Chris H.) requested that some of their stories be
taken down.  In both cases, the authors were hoping to rewrite the stories
in
order to improve them, and didn't want the old versions to confuse readers.

In addition, two stories were actually added back in -- while Leanne's S5
episode "Reconstruction" was pulled completely, her other two S5 episodes
("From The Ashes" and "A Matter of Trust") are back up.  Leanne wrote a
summary of "Reconstruction" for Pam's S5 site; we are considering whether to
link to that from the Archive, or whether to just leave it as "contact the
author for this story".

Also, as someone has already pointed out, the Kerth icons are now up on the
Archive, and the S6 episodes have now been added to the
author/title/filename
search pages (they were only on the S6 Theme page before).

I continue to be in awe of Lauren and all that she does for the Archive
website. :D

Kathy

_________________________________

Kathy Brown
Editor-In-Chief
Lois & Clark Fanfic Archive:  <www.lcfanfic.com>
kathybrown91@home.com OR kathyb@lcfanfic.com
KathyB on IRC
_________________________________
=========================================================================
Date:         Mon, 3 Apr 2000 19:40:33 -0500
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Kathy Brown <kathybrown91@HOME.COM>
Subject:      Re: just ignore, another test

What email program do you use to make your posts, Anne?  For most people,
the
website interface word wraps automatically, but on yours, all of your text
shows up as one huge line ... makes reading difficult, though certainly not
impossible.

Kathy
kathybrown91@home.com
=========================================================================
Date:         Mon, 3 Apr 2000 18:41:53 -0700
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Anne Gallagher <aggie918@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: just ignore, another test
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Kathy,
That's amazing, that's just what I was testing.  The
third time I posted for my story (Wednesday's Child
part 1) I did so from my yahoo email account. I was
very upset when I  noticed that the post was really
wide and oddly spaced. For my test I tried usin AOL
with even worse results. I will try to do another post
from wordpad (I don't have ms works :( ) but if that
doesn't help I have to start posting from school.
Anne
>

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.
http://im.yahoo.com
=========================================================================
Date:         Mon, 3 Apr 2000 21:12:17 -0700
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Amy Lauters <alauters@CSD.UWM.EDU>
Subject:      Re: NEW STORY:  Vanishing Act  Part 1
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

OK, Nan, where's the next part? I'm on the edge of my seat, here!

Amy
=========================================================================
Date:         Mon, 3 Apr 2000 22:03:25 -0500
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Kathy Brown <kathybrown91@HOME.COM>
Subject:      Re: just ignore, another test

On Mon, 3 Apr 2000 18:41:53 -0700, Anne Gallagher <aggie918@YAHOO.COM>
wrote:

>Kathy,
>That's amazing, that's just what I was testing.
> I will try to do another post
>from wordpad (I don't have ms works :( ) but if that
>doesn't help I have to start posting from school.

This one worked fine, Anne.  Whatever you did this time, stick with it. <g>

Kathy
=========================================================================
Date:         Mon, 3 Apr 2000 20:03:59 -0700
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Nancy Smith <deimos1@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject:      Re: NEW STORY:  Vanishing Act  Part 1
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

I plan on posting one part per day until it's finished.  The next part
will appear tomorrow.

Nan

Amy Lauters wrote:

> OK, Nan, where's the next part? I'm on the edge of my seat, here!
>
> Amy
=========================================================================
Date:         Tue, 4 Apr 2000 02:19:25 EDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Alicia Utowski <Alicia3456@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Removal of stories from the archive
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

Yes, they were my stories (at least about 8 of them were, i think)... I am
currently rewritng them, and I am embarrassed of the old versions and I no
longer wanted people to be able to read the old versions.  I am working on
revising them (and changing them drastically) and the first revision should
be hitting the archive soon (maybe?)  It's called Trials of the Heart.

Alicia

In a message dated Mon, 3 Apr 2000  6:06:53 PM Eastern Daylight Time, Dave
Phillips <wilburkat@HOTMAIL.COM> writes:

<< Hi.

I noticed on the new update of the archive, eleven stories were removed by
an author's request. Does anybody know what stories were taken out?

(Before update: 1265 stories; After update, including 6 added stories: 1260;
  ie 1265 + 6 = 1271 - 11 = 1260)

Dave Phillips

wilburkat@hotmail.com
wilburkat@webtv.net
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
 >>
=========================================================================
Date:         Tue, 4 Apr 2000 02:27:17 EDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Alicia Utowski <Alicia3456@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Removal of stories from the archive
MIME-Version: 1.0
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oops, I just noticed that one of my stories that I wanted to have taken down
is still up... I must have forgotten to mention that I wanted Clark's Choice
down too.  :(

Alicia
=========================================================================
Date:         Tue, 4 Apr 2000 02:15:33 -0500
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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From:         Anne Gallagher <aggie918@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Wednesday's Child Part 2

******************
Metropolis
May, 24, 1994
******************

Clark glanced at Lois out of the corner of his eye. She was upset. She had
been crying earlier and now was keeping an unusually quick pace.  He was
worried about her. she seemed to be doing better when he saw her a week ago
at the Planet but now she seemed as agitated as she'd been after the
wedding.

" Clark," Lois spun around, catching him off guard and causing him to nearly
bunp into her.

" Sorry." Lois said in a sheepish tone of voice. " It's ok."

" Listen, Clark I am starving. Do you mind if we stop for lunch? Adi's Deli
is the closest but it is way to busy around this time and I don't wanna
wait. I have been meaning to try Molinaro's I heard they have great subs,
but I am not in the mood for a sandwich. Actually, I have a craving for
Chinese.  Which is strange since I seem to eat it all the time.  You'd think
I would be sick of it by now.  Panda Express is two blocks from here. Is
that ok with you? "

Clark smiled and nodded " That sounds good to me."

In a strange way Lois' mini - babble was reassuring to Clark. Perhaps, what
was bothering her wasn't so bad after all.
   **********************************************************
Lois relaxed as she felt the warm breeze on her face. The weather was
perfect.  she and Clark had decided to eat in Cenntennial Park to take
advantage of the weather.  That and it was standing room only at Panda
Express.

 She had no idea how she was going to tell Clark about the pregnancy.  She
couldn't believe how nervous she was. Why should she be nervous? He was her
best friend, it shouldn't be nearly as difficult to tell him about this as
it was to tell her mother. What a mess that had been.  They had a platonic
relationship, he had no romantic feelings towards her whatsoever, he'd made
that clear enough.  Wait was she upset by that? Did she want Clark to feel
that way towards her? This is not the subject to be thinking about, she
admonished herself.

How to tell him. Her first instict was to blurt it out but that probably
wasn't the best way to handle the situation. On the other hand, rambling on
and beating around the bush weren't any better. Why was she nervous! She
didn't do anything wrong. Well, aside from ignoring her friends and almost
marrying a psychopath.  But she hadn't known that at the time! Again, not
the subject to stressing over.

Lois let out a heavy and very audible sigh.

" I'll take that as a no then."

" Huh? "

" I asked you if you wanted the last fortune cookie." He held the small box
out to her, shaking it gently for emphasis.

" Why not." Lois broke open the cookie and read the small slip of paper. '
Wonderful suprises await you. ' Hmmph. That depends entirely on your
definition of wonderful.  Lois crumpled up the paper and shoved it in her
pocket.

" Lois. " " Clark "

They both grinned at each other. " I think I should go first since you did
last time."

" Alright."

" Clark, I don't know how to say this, so I am just going to come right out
and say it."

Clark nodded encouraging her to go on.

Here goes nothing. " I'm pregnant."

And then something incredible happened. For a moment the world stood still.
No birds chirped, no car horns honked, no cop blew their whistle. Just
silence.

" Luthor. " It was a statement, not a question.

" Yes." Clark had a look on his face that was reminiscint of the one he had
when she told him of Lex's proposal.He turned away from her and looked out
into the street.

They sat in the awkward silence before Clark faced her again with a
distracted look in his eyes. He stood up and put his jacket on again.

" Lois, I just remembered something I have to do. I have to go, I'm sorry,
I'll talk to you later.

Lois quickly got to her feet and knocked over a few boxes in the process.  "
You have to go now, right now? Right this instant? "

He backed away from her. " I'm sorry Lois, please understand."

" Oh I understand. " Lois watched him leave the park and hurry across the
street.

" I understand perfectly."

To be continued........

P.S Sorry so short
=========================================================================
Date:         Tue, 4 Apr 2000 03:20:08 EDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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From:         Rose Cookson <Rcpeaches2@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Wednesday's Child Part 2
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ARGH!!!!!!!!  You can't leave it like that!  You just *can't*!!!!!  It's
against the rules!  (Ok, it isn't.  But I have to argue this point somehow!)

Please please please please please *please* post more soon!  I'm intrigued
by
this story idea, and I'm really looking forward to seeing where you are
going
to take it!

Rose
=========================================================================
Date:         Tue, 4 Apr 2000 12:58:49 +0100
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Wendy Richards <w.m.richards@HRM.KEELE.AC.UK>
Subject:      Kerth icons
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Wow! I've just been over to the Archive again and
discovered that the team (Lauren, presumably, with input
from Kathy?) have come up with a means of denoting Best New
Author nominations. And it looks great! So all you nominees
this year and last, go and take a look.

In the meantime... cyber-flowers for Lauren and Kathy!

Wendy
---------------------
Wendy Richards
w.m.richards@hrm.keele.ac.uk
=========================================================================
Date:         Tue, 4 Apr 2000 14:04:22 +0200
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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From:         Nicole Wolke <NKWolke@EIFEL-NET.NET>
Subject:      Re: Archive update
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> The new icons look terrific, btw. And I was intrigued to notice that
Yvonne
> Connell now has a nomination icon next to all but one eligible story
(Trust
> Me, I'm a Reporter is eligible *next* year) - is she the most intensively
> nominated author not to win a Kerth (yet <g>)?

Wendy,
I *very* much hope that the "yet" is going to change next year, because
I have to
admit, that even though I loved all stories who won a Kerth this year, I
was really sad
that Yvonne's "Fear of Discovery" didn't get the Kerth it so much
deserved!
Part Two of the Series is one of the best Fanfictions I've read so far
and I
was really rooting for it!

Nicole
--
AKA CKgroupie on IRC
NKWolke@eifel-net.net

Are you always searching for news about Dean Cain?
And don't you have the time to go and find them?
Here's your solution: Go to "The Dean Cain News Page"
http://members.tripod.de/CKgroupie/
=========================================================================
Date:         Tue, 4 Apr 2000 13:07:06 +0100
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Wendy Richards <w.m.richards@HRM.KEELE.AC.UK>
Subject:      Re: Archive update
In-Reply-To:  <38E9DA46.5FAF324B@eifel-net.net>
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On Tue, 4 Apr 2000 14:04:22 +0200 Nicole Wolke
<NKWolke@EIFEL-NET.NET> wrote:

> I was really sad that Yvonne's "Fear of Discovery" didn't
> get the Kerth it so much deserved!  Part Two of the
> Series is one of the best Fanfictions I've read so far
> and I was really rooting for it!

Me too! And for anyone who doesn't already know, Yvonne is
posting Part 3 of Fear of Discovery (the nfic version; the
PG-13 will follow soon) on the nfic folder in Zoom's
message boards. And it's great!!

Wendy

----------------------
Wendy Richards
w.m.richards@hrm.keele.ac.uk
=========================================================================
Date:         Tue, 4 Apr 2000 08:18:23 -0500
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Yvonne Connell <yconnell@UKF.NET>
Subject:      Re: Archive update

Nicole and Wendy, I'm blushing furiously over here in soggy Sidcup.  Does
this mean I have to send you *another* cheque, Wendy? <g>

Yvonne
(yconnell@ukf.net)
=========================================================================
Date:         Tue, 4 Apr 2000 14:32:50 +0100
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
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              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Wendy Richards <w.m.richards@HRM.KEELE.AC.UK>
Subject:      Re: Archive update
In-Reply-To:  <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L%2000040408182440@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
MIME-Version: 1.0
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On Tue, 4 Apr 2000 08:18:23 -0500 Yvonne Connell
<yconnell@UKF.NET> wrote:

> Nicole and Wendy, I'm blushing furiously over here in soggy
> Sidcup.  Does this mean I have to send you *another*
> cheque, Wendy? <g>

Nope, just the rest of FoD3!

Wendy, in (almost) snowy Keele!

----------------------
Wendy Richards
w.m.richards@hrm.keele.ac.uk
=========================================================================
Date:         Tue, 4 Apr 2000 12:57:42 EDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
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From:         Lanna Torra <Scully224@AOL.COM>
Subject:      hey!
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hey everyone!
I'm new to the list and just wanted to say hi to everyone!
~Lanna
=========================================================================
Date:         Tue, 4 Apr 2000 10:27:44 -0700
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
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From:         Judith Williams <judithwilliams@PRODIGY.NET>
Subject:      Re: hey!
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Hey Lanna!  Welcome to the list.  You'll find a lot of helpful and
encouraging people if you want to write and enough L&C fanfic for your
wildest dreams, if you want to read.  Jude
----- Original Message -----
From: Lanna Torra <Scully224@AOL.COM>
To: <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sent: Tuesday, April 04, 2000 9:57 AM
Subject: hey!

> hey everyone!
> I'm new to the list and just wanted to say hi to everyone!
> ~Lanna
=========================================================================
Date:         Tue, 4 Apr 2000 10:36:19 -0700
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
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From:         "Irene D." <sirenegold@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: hey!
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Hi Lanna,

Welcome!  We're pretty friendly here.

Irene

--- Lanna Torra <Scully224@AOL.COM> wrote:
> hey everyone!
> I'm new to the list and just wanted to say hi to
> everyone!
> ~Lanna
>

=====
"All writing is essentially bricks of plagarism secured in place
by the mortar of original thinking."
--William Dukane

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.
http://im.yahoo.com
=========================================================================
Date:         Tue, 4 Apr 2000 15:19:02 -0500
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Kathy Brown <kathybrown91@HOME.COM>
Subject:      Re: Removal of stories from the archive

On Tue, 4 Apr 2000 02:27:17 EDT, Alicia Utowski <Alicia3456@AOL.COM> wrote:

>oops, I just noticed that one of my stories that I wanted to have taken
down is still up... I must have forgotten to mention that I wanted Clark's
Choice down too.

That's fine, Alicia ... we can take down the eight story.  Next time,
though,
be sure to write me at the Archive.  I can't guarantee I'll catch every post
to the fanfic listserv.

Kathy

_________________________________
Kathy Brown
Editor-In-Chief
Lois & Clark Fanfic Archive:  <www.lcfanfic.com>
kathybrown91@home.com OR kathyb@lcfanfic.com
KathyB on IRC
_________________________________
=========================================================================
Date:         Tue, 4 Apr 2000 14:50:08 -0700
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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From:         James Tull <mr_d8a@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: hey!
MIME-Version: 1.0
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Howdy,
Read till your heart's content, or at least till you
have your FoLC fix <G>.

Besure to give Feedback, aka FDK, to all the authors
you read.  It's how you pay for reading our stories.
We LIVE for FDK.

Be gentle with your criticism and be bodacious with
your praise.

We don't ask for much... Do we?

James

--- Lanna Torra <Scully224@AOL.COM> wrote:
> hey everyone!
> I'm new to the list and just wanted to say hi to
> everyone!
> ~Lanna
>

=====
Mr. D8a -
Colossians 3:2 - Set your minds on things above not on earthly things.

Go to WWW.FREEWWWEB.COM for the best Free Internet access!

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.
http://im.yahoo.com
=========================================================================
Date:         Tue, 4 Apr 2000 16:59:15 -0500
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         James Tull <mr_d8a@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Canon Request

Does Clark actually call Lois 'his lil' tornado' in the series or is this
just fanfic lore?

After reading Penfriends (Great story there Wendy<BG>) Elisabeth and I were
wondering.

James
=========================================================================
Date:         Tue, 4 Apr 2000 16:04:41 -0600
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
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From:         Alicia Ablola <kismet@NMT.EDU>
Subject:      Re: Canon Request
MIME-Version: 1.0
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              boundary="----=_NextPart_000_000A_01BF9E4F.7C7F8480"

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

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        charset="Windows-1252"
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I can't remember the name of the episode but there was a scene where =
Lois and Clark were in the conference room and he was calling her all of =
these pet names and "my little tornado" was one of them.

Kismet
aka
Alicia

"Our love is like a rose, beautiful when it's in bloom but it can't last =
forever..."
~Darien~
Sailor Moon

------=_NextPart_000_000A_01BF9E4F.7C7F8480
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        charset="Windows-1252"
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<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Dwindows-1252" =
http-equiv=3DContent-Type>
<META content=3D"MSHTML 5.00.2614.3500" name=3DGENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#800000><STRONG>I can't remember the name of the =
episode but=20
there was a scene where Lois and Clark were in the conference room and =
he was=20
calling her all of these pet names and "my little tornado" was one of=20
them.</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#800000><STRONG>Kismet</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#800000><STRONG>aka</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#800000><STRONG>Alicia</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT color=3D#800000>"Our love is like a rose, beautiful =
when it's=20
in bloom but it can't last forever..."<BR>~Darien~<BR>Sailor=20
Moon</FONT></STRONG></DIV></BODY></HTML>

------=_NextPart_000_000A_01BF9E4F.7C7F8480--
=========================================================================
Date:         Tue, 4 Apr 2000 15:16:02 -0700
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         WilburKat <wilburkat@WEBTV.NET>
Subject:      Re: Canon Request
In-Reply-To:  James Tull <mr_d8a@YAHOO.COM>'s message of Tue, 4 Apr 2000
              16:59:15 -0500
Content-Type: Text/Plain; Charset=US-ASCII
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MIME-Version: 1.0 (WebTV)

Hi.

James asked:

Does Clark actually call Lois 'his lil' tornado' in the series or is
this just fanfic lore?

Yes, in the episode "I Now Pronounce You...", after Clark calls Lois
'honey' for the first time and she asks if he had any other names for
her.

Clark says something like " darling... sweetheart... My little tornado"
and then Lois laughs and says "This is disgusting" and kisses him.
(Don't know if this word for word)

Dave Phillips
A.K.A.  WilburKat
(wilburkat@webtv.net)
(wilburkat@hotmail.com)
=========================================================================
Date:         Tue, 4 Apr 2000 19:54:14 -0400
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         kubitc <kubitc@KENYON.EDU>
Subject:      (was RE: hey!)
Mime-Version: 1.0
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James wrote:
>Be gentle with your criticism and be bodacious with
>your praise.

This is not directed towards James in particular, but his comment brought to
the front of my mind something I've been thinking about for a while. I
started
considering this after the Kerth awards, when some stories I was sure would
win didn't. Some of the stories were personal favorites, and some I just
thought embodied the spirit of Lois and Clark. So, I ask: what makes you as
a
reader like a story: is it the characterization? the dialog? the plot?
something else? Conversely, is there anything that makes you dislike a story
(besides it being deathfic)?

The reason James's comment sparked this message is that I've been on this
list
since its inception and have mostly seen positive feedback, which there's
nothing with; it's nice when people like what you write. But there have to
be
times when you don't enjoy a fic. What do you do then? Do you write the
author? What do you say? (And please, don't name specific stories.) Just
wondering...

Christy
kubitc@kenyon.edu

"I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free."
-Michaelangelo
=========================================================================
Date:         Tue, 4 Apr 2000 05:35:33 -0600
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Debby <Debby@SWCP.COM>
Subject:      Re: Removal of stories from the archive
In-Reply-To:  <72.29b28fe.261ae36d@aol.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

At 02:19 AM 04/04/2000 -0400, you wrote:
>Yes, they were my stories (at least about 8 of them were, i think)...
>I am currently rewritng them, and I am embarrassed of the old versions
>and I no longer wanted people to be able to read the old versions.
>I am working on revising them (and changing them drastically)...
>
>Alicia

I know what you mean about rewriting. To catch up on Dawning, I've started
rereading... and finding typos (!!!) argh... and seeing things that could be
a
wee bit clearer and more in line with what I realized I could do later. No
dramatic changes, just better "flow." So eventually a newer, fresher
(better?)
version of each segment will be on my site. Currently Dawn-01.rtf (I think I
named it) is on my site. It's a "rich text format" document, i.e., enhanced
text. More to come...

Debby
Debby@swcp.com
=========================================================================
Date:         Tue, 4 Apr 2000 22:43:35 EDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         "Ann E. McBride" <Aerm1@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Removal of stories from the archive
MIME-Version: 1.0
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In a message dated 4/4/00 8:22:56 PM Eastern Daylight Time, Debby@SWCP.COM
writes:

<< rich text format" document, i.e., enhanced
 text. >>

What exactly does this mean?  Whenever I try to download or print things in
this format, I wind up with lines ending in the middle of words, lines with
one word on them, and all sorts of weird things.

Ann
=========================================================================
Date:         Tue, 4 Apr 2000 20:38:30 PDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         "StarKitty :)" <starkitty__@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: hey!
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed

Welcome to the list, Lanna! :)

Tara

>From: Lanna Torra <Scully224@AOL.COM>
>Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
>    <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
>To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU
>Subject: hey!
>Date: Tue, 4 Apr 2000 12:57:42 EDT
>
>hey everyone!
>I'm new to the list and just wanted to say hi to everyone!
>~Lanna

note the new eddress
starkitty__@hotmail.com   Don't ask why I switched.

Lois leaned against her husband for the support he offered.  "Are you saying
that everything--Perry, Jimmy, the Planet, Metropolis--our whole lives--has
been a simulation?"---exerpt of Legacy, coming soon to a msg board--and
elist--near you.

______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
=========================================================================
Date:         Tue, 4 Apr 2000 23:43:35 EDT
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From:         "Ann E. McBride" <Aerm1@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: (was RE: hey!)
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In a message dated 4/4/00 7:55:19 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
kubitc@KENYON.EDU
writes:

<<  So, I ask: what makes you as a
 reader like a story: is it the characterization? the dialog? the plot?
 something else? Conversely, is there anything that makes you dislike a
story
 (besides it being deathfic)?

Generally speaking, all of the above contribute to my liking a story.  If
the
characterization is way off, it's harder to like a fic.  Of course, if the
story is clearly an alternate universe, then as long as the
characterizations
are consistent and true to the universe set up by the author, that's fine.
(For instance, Mobile Richard's series, "Life in a Different World" has very
different characters, but they are so well written that one is drawn to
them.)   Obviously, good dialog can enhance a story, but some of the best
have fairly small amounts of dialog, but lots of introspective thought.  As
for plot, the best stories do have strong plots.  While I enjoy WAFFY
vignettes, ths stories that I reread tend to be the ones with strong plots.

Ad for what makes me not like a story, besides deathfic which I really don't
like and rarely read, poor writing mechanics are a real turn-off.  Poor
grammar, spelling and  word choice are like fingernails on a blackboard to
me.  (Every time I see the word "definately" or "excellant" I cringe.)  I
realize that on ordinary posts people make typos, or don't use spell check,
but in a story there is no reason not to use spell check, of for that
matter,
run it by an editor or two to clean up the grammar and punctuation, and
check
the use of homophones and other words that are close (effect and affect for
example).

<< The reason James's comment sparked this message is that I've been on this
list
 since its inception and have mostly seen positive feedback, which there's
 nothing with; it's nice when people like what you write. But there have to
be
 times when you don't enjoy a fic. What do you do then? Do you write the
 author? What do you say?  >>

As for giving feedback when I don't enjoy a fic, I usually do nothing.  I
would never publicly give negative feedback.  I think that so many things
are
personal taste that it is a bad idea to say anything very negative in a
public forum.  No one here is, to my knowledge, a professional writer of
fiction; and while I may have once had to write my share of literary
criticism, I'm certainly not a professional critic writing about
professionals.

While the more established writers can probably take some constructive
criticism, especially with regard to plot holes or characterizations on a
work in progress, I am always aware that many writers are fairly young, and
even more are fairly new to baring their souls in print or electronically.
I
would really hate to stifle anyone.  It takes a certain amount of courage to
send one's child out into the cold world.  I am enormously impressed by the
writing of some of the young authors on this list and on the message boards.
It's lots of fun to see the progress and development of the young writers
like Alicia and Jessi.  It seems to me that it is more productive to offer
to
help edit than to criticize after the fact.  ( It's extremely gratifying to
edit for the same person more than once, and see that they have quit making
comma splices<G>.)

All of that said, if I don't give you feedback, it doesn't necessarily mean
I
didn't like your story, all you writers out there.  It might mean that I am
too busy reading more of your work. (or dealing with RL, which insists on
raising its ugly head from time to time.)

Last, and probably least, another thing which might make me not like a fic
is
if it is a cross-over from something I either don't know or don't like (i.e.
Star Trek).  That doesn't mean it isn't well-written or a good story; it's
just not my cup of tea.  (Then again, neither is Dickens.)

Ann
=========================================================================
Date:         Tue, 4 Apr 2000 22:10:29 -0700
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From:         Judith Williams <judithwilliams@PRODIGY.NET>
Subject:      Re: (was RE: hey!)
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Christy wrote:
<what makes you as a
reader like a story: is it the characterization? the dialog? the plot?
something else? Conversely, is there anything that makes you dislike a
story>

Anne has given an excellent answer for this question.  I would add to her
list of cringe makers my own--the misspelling of  'all right' and the misuse
of the verbs 'lie' and 'lay'.  Any spell checker will correct the misspelled
'alright'.  No to use the spell checker or get editing help is. in my mind,
indicative of a kind of 'verbal diarrhea' attitude that says 'Anything I
spew out is so wonderful I don't need to concern myself with accuracy.'

I mainly look for something that is well written.  This means not only
accurate mechanics, but well-crafted sentences, paragraphs and story lines.
Writers who repeatedly use the same words in close proximity, or don't vary
their sentence structure become boring very quickly no matter how clever the
plot.  I particularly like stories that have something to say beyond 'Lois
and Clark love each other.'  I try to avoid stories that seem static and
just repeat themselves or remain stuck in one place.

I like WAFFY but not page after page of 'she thought, he thought'.  I
believe stories are more readable if they are told through dialogue and
events.  I don't particularly like Sci-Fi and don't often read  it, but
would choose SF over WAFFY if the former were well written and the latter
not.

If I were to find something that I thought was  really bad, I wouldn't
finish reading it.  Neither would I  feel I should tell someone else that I
disliked what they wrote.  I think it's the job of those who do a lot of
writing and editing to give that advice.  However, if I were asked my
opinion, I would be honest and straightforward and that's the way I would
hope people would be with me.  I do believe in giving encouragement and
feedback and I try to do that, usually privately.

I select what I read by the descriptions that accompany the story and when I
find an author I like, I try to read all of  his/her work. I usually select
stories that are character driven. What I like is subjective and governed by
my standards which are in some ways like and some ways different from those
of other people.  But that's the way of the world.  Diversity makes this
list, the archive and America great.  Jude

>
>
>
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 01:55:09 EDT
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From:         Singin Drew <SinginDrew@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Why I like a fic
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This is a very interesting question. Thanks for bringing it up!

I can honestly say that the fics I love are the ones that answer unanswered
questions by the show. The ones that delve deeper into show situations.
Whenever a writer goes into the psychological aspects of the characters and
explains their motivations, I immediately love the fic. It used to be that
every time I watched Clark take back his "I love you" I would cringe, I
would
throw things at the TV, scream at him for being an idiot, etc... But then a
few authors have gone ahead and explained his reasoning for taking it back
and what was going on in his mind. It gives me a thought process and helps
me
better understand the character, and that's what makes me love it.

If I can go back and discuss certain plot elements and turn them different
ways, I love the fic. There have been many times my friend and I would read
the same story and discuss certain behaviors and get into two hour
conversations about them. Not because they are good, bad, correct, or
incorrect, just because it changes the way I now view the character.

Some reasons why I don't like fics...there's a harder question. I think when
a story idea has been done too many times I tend to not like it. Like I get
so sick of revelations in fics. I mean, I know that he has to tell her or
she
has to figure it out...but does it have to happen in just about every fic???
And they all end so happy ever after. Not that that's always a bad thing.
It's good to "put your toys away" as Wendy has put it. <g> But that is just
one point that bothers me.

Also if it's a tie in to another show, I tend to skip reading it. Or if it's
too long. If there are too many parts to it I would just rather wait until
it
shows up on the archive. It takes too long too go into each of them and
download them all. (I know it only takes a few seconds, but spare time is a
precious commodity!)

Occasionally, if I do get curious, I'll start reading a fic and if the first
page doesn't grab me, I stop reading. The first few paragraph's even. If
it's
not attention grabbing or even somewhat interesting, I don't read it. Maybe
later when it's on the archive I'll think about checking it out then, but
like I said before about time... I don't have much!

Spelling and grammatical errors bother me to know end, especially when they
are on the archive. But hey, you can't catch them all right? My question is
can we e-mail the archive to get these annoying nuisances out of the fics?

If I don't like a story I think it is very bad manners to tell an author
that. For every person who dislikes the story there are at least 10 others
who love it. Everyone's tastes vary so I don't think it is any of my
business
to pop the writer's bubble. If I like their story and I have time after I'm
done reading, I like to let the writer know. If I absolutely love the story,
I make sure to tell the writer! That writer put so much time and effort into
creating a good fic which really entertained me and I appreciate that so I
write them. But that's just MHO.

So, I hope I gave a little bit of intersting insight to my reasons for fic
reading. Hope it answers your question!

Kristin
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 01:59:08 EDT
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From:         Singin Drew <SinginDrew@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Why I like a fic
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OK, here I was complaining about spelling and grammatical errors and I have
one in the very same sentence! How humiliating! Just for the record:
Spelling
and grammatical errors bother me to no end! Yes I know the difference
between
no and know! Just had to clear that up!

Kristin
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 02:26:14 -0500
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From:         Hazel <zis-s@ACTCOM.CO.IL>
Subject:      Re: (was RE: hey!)
In-Reply-To:  <3a.35f7853.261c1067@aol.com>
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Ann wrote:

>No one here is, to my knowledge, a professional writer of
>fiction; and while I may have once had to write my share of literary
>criticism, I'm certainly not a professional critic writing about
>professionals.

Sorry, Ann, but that's a lead-in I can't resist. :)

Does being a professional writer of fiction give me carte blanche to behave
as a professional critic? I *don't* think so; even being a professional
critic (which I'm not) wouldn't give me such a right. Having my own work
published doesn't make any better a critic than someone who hasn't -- if
anything, it should make me more understanding of the sensitivity towards a
writer's brainchild.

>While the more established writers can probably take some constructive
>criticism, especially with regard to plot holes or characterizations on a
>work in progress, I am always aware that many writers are fairly young, and
>even more are fairly new to baring their souls in print or electronically.
I
>would really hate to stifle anyone.  It takes a certain amount of courage
to
>send one's child out into the cold world.

I would venture to say that no matter how established a writer might be --
or, perhaps, *seem* to us -- that writer most prolly has the same
sensitivity and the same anxiety as an author publishing his or her first
fic. "Is this one as good as the others?" haunts everyone, no matter how
seasoned they might be.

At the same time, though, I will admit to a bit of disappointment re this
list. While *constructive* criticism is an art that required delicacy and
tact (as opposed to negative feedback, which often does nothing but wound),
it can also be incredibly useful -- not only for the author, but for those
on the list. I don't mean grammatical errors, typos, formatting problems,
or corrections of that nature; I'm talking about unrealistic
characterization, lame plot devices, and the grounding of ideas in *some*
kind of reality, even if the main character can fly. ;) (No, I'm not
thinking of any fic in particular.) I realize that the general ban on such
constructive criticism was formed to protect those who wouldn't be able to
handle it, and I understand it; but I also regret it.

A few weeks ago, I skimmed through the first year's worth of posts to this
list. I was quite surprised to see people (not only Sandy!) writing reviews
of stories on the list, giving honest opinions of what worked and what
didn't. I'm not sure what caused that to stop, but I think it's a pity that
it did. There have been some very thoughtful discussions on fics since I
first joined the list (Wendy's "Perfect Match," Rachel's "Sounds of War,"
Karen's "Nightmare," and Susan's latest story), but they are very few and
far between.

I'm not recommending that we return to that venue; after all, we've got
Zoom's message boards, which are a truly marvelous source of FDK,
especially the thoughtful, constructive kind. As long as there's
*somewhere* to go for that kind of constructive criticism, I'm satisfied.

>It seems to me that it is more productive to offer to
>help edit than to criticize after the fact.

A *very* good point, Ann. To me, that's where the line should be drawn:
constructive criticism if it's a work-in-progress; public compliments but
private criticism if it's a completed project. I've always understood,
though, that most stories that are posted to this list aren't the "final"
version, and that posting it here before sending it to the archive was for
precisely that purpose: to get feedback and find out if something doesn't
work.

The format for posting includes a header for feedback, in which the author
specifies whether (and what kind of) feedback is welcome. My advice is
simply to acknowledge the author's wishes.

Hazel

(who cannot get past three paragraphs of a story that is a grammatical
minefield)
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 10:53:23 +0200
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From:         Nicole Wolke <NKWolke@EIFEL-NET.NET>
Subject:      negative criticism (was RE: hey!)
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> I realize that the general ban on such
> constructive criticism was formed to protect those who wouldn't be able to
> handle it, and I understand it; but I also regret it.

I don't feel that there's a general ban on constructive criticism here. I
usually
don't do it though, because IMO it just backhands almost every time, so I
decided
that it is not worth the effort. Just take a look at all negative comments
that
came about a story on this list. You're right, they often lead to
interesting
discussions, but in the first place, even if they were brought out in the
mildest
and politest form imaginable: the author instantly reacted with hurt.
Sometimes
authors even react hurt if they don't get any feedback at all, good *or*
bad.
Sadly, I think most of us (and I'm no exception) are hypocrits when it comes
to
criticism. We all *demand* honest feedback, but face it, if the feedback is
negative we all tend to take it personal.

It's a touchy subject, I know that and I know that *I*, for my part can't
handle
negative criticism as good as wished I could. For me writing is something
very
personal, I fall in love with my story, I loose the distance to it and I
start to
think that it is the most interesting story I've ever read. If I don't feel
like
that about my story I don't finish it. Furthermore writing a story takes
much time
(in my case even more, because I have to write it twice, once in German,
once in
English) so it's not just something you don't put much effort in. It's a
labor of
love, but it's still much time and work.
When I give my story to the reader, I want them to understand what I felt
writing
the story. I want them to get an idea of what I'm intending to say and if
they
don't I feel as if I shared something special and got it throwed back in my
face.

On the other hand, if I want to improve my writing, I have to live with
honest
critcism. Still I think it is easier to handle if the criticism comes from
somebody who's opinion I value. I learned accepting comments my editors make
for
example and they don't really bother me anymore. I may argue sometimes and
grumble
and mutter, but I can accept them without being hurt. In the best case I
even
realize why I want something written just the way I did, by arguing with my
editors about a sentence or an expression. That's when I start loving
criticism.
It can open your eyes about your writing and you suddenly learn more about
your
story and why you had to write it.

Nicole
--
AKA CKgroupie on IRC
NKWolke@eifel-net.net

Are you always searching for news about Dean Cain?
And don't you have the time to go and find them?
Here's your solution: Go to "The Dean Cain News Page"
http://members.tripod.de/CKgroupie/
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 06:58:16 EDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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From:         "C.C. Malo" <Ccmalo@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: SIP: Connections - part 23
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Just back from a very long weekend. :)

Kate, Gerry, Wendy, -- thanks for the feedback.

Gerry wrote:  <<By the way, I really got a big kick out of "Trask was about
to reply when their route was suddenly blocked by two muscular men in black
who looked like they might be enforcers for a hockey team or some even less
respectable institution,">>  <G> Originally, I'd used a different simile but
when I was checking part 23 before posting, the influence of RL snuck in
(sadly IMO)

Carol
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 07:33:48 EDT
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From:         Tank Wilson <TankW1@AOL.COM>
Subject:      fanfic criticism
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I thought I'd crawl out from under the rock I borrow from Mel to comment on
this particular subject.  As someone who writes strictly for the feedback I
have to say that I personally find no feedback more disappointing than
negative criticism.  If someone just wants to rail at me for writing
something they didn't like I can ignore most of that.  If someone has
supported opinions where they think I've erred or missed the boat, I can
appreciate that.  Feedback, even negative, shows that the reader was moved
in
some way by what you wrote and is much preferred to indifference.
I agree with Hazel, that criticism, while it can be extremely helpful in
improving someone's writing, must be done with a bit of care.  If a story is
a hopeless mess I will most likely not comment, but if it has some problems,
I will comment on what I think went wrong.  BUT I will also make sure to
tell
the writer what I think went right.  I feel that is important.  If, for
example, I think someone missed on Lois' characterization, I will say so.
But if they got Clark dead on I will make sure I say that too.
Zoom's boards and this list, in my mind, are vehicles for writers to put out
their works in progress for the purpose of feedback and criticism.   It
should be understood that these places are vehicles to offer up those works
to be beta read by several people, so several opinions can be garnered, and
thus a better final story can be arrived at.  If you don't want running
critiques, don't post here (or Zoom's), just send it to the archives.  I
don't advocate harsh, put down type criticism but as I said, I'd rather have
some negative feedback to none at all.
And Remeber;  all feedback is just someone's opinion and should be treated
as
such.

Tank  (who refuses to get caught up in these paranthesis quotes on this
list)
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 08:25:04 -0400
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From:         "Reynolds, Raymond H." <REYNORA@MAIL.NORTHGRUM.COM>
Subject:      Re: Christy's Comment
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Christy wrote:

The reason James's comment sparked this message is that I've been on this
list
since its inception and have mostly seen positive feedback, which there's
nothing with; it's nice when people like what you write. But there have to
be
times when you don't enjoy a fic. What do you do then? Do you write the
author? What do you say? (And please, don't name specific stories.) Just
wondering...

Christy
kubitc@kenyon.edu

Well, Christy, most of my comments are written directly to the writer so I
have at times provided feedback that is not complimentary but which I hope
has been positive by providing constructive criticism. I don't mean to say
that I am a professional or an English major or anything like that, but
certain things do stand out and I try to point them out to the author with
suggestions on what might be done to improve the story. Most of the time the
things I pick out are continuity type things or personality things, I rarely
write to an author of a story that has been posted to the archive about
grammar and punctuation.

There have been a very few stories that I have found that were totally bad,
really hard to read because the plot made no sense or the characters acted
totally contrary to what I have expected and some that were just poor
examples of writing. One time I was even unable to finish the story, that
was a real rarity for me. In those cases, I'm sorry to say, that I usually
do nothing. I just can't seem to motivate myself to respond to a writer when
there is absolutely nothing good about the story. I try say some
complimentary things about a story when I write if I am going to give
constructive criticism and in this type of story I can't find anything good
to say so I say nothing.

I hope this provides some answers to your question. I've always enjoyed your
work and I find questions on the list about feedback always generate such
great discussion that I felt I had to respond.

Ray Reynolds
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 08:54:50 EDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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From:         Charlotte Fisler <Cdfisler@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Clark's character WAS Baron Sunday
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In a message dated 3/29/00 3:34:36 AM !!!First Boot!!!, nightsky@EROLS.COM
writes:

<<
 Hmmm, I don't think I'd like a Clark Kent that was quite so perfect.
 This is the same superhero who gave the bad guys a nuclear weapon in
 Lucky Leon, right?
  >>
Me neither, but in Baron Sunday, he's not just imperfect,
he's mixed up in a shady operation in which he willingly/eagerly
participated
-
because he's so anxious for a story.  At the very least I would have
expected
him to consult with his folks about this, before swallowing the line the
other two gave him.

<<And a one-hudred-percent Superhero, one who can do anything, always knows
what's right, always *does* what's right, and never misjudges anyone or
anything -- would be rather boring.>>

Absolutely.  DC proved that in the 70s I think.  That's why they had to
retrofit the thing in the 80s.   And BTW Genevieve that kind of
vulnerability
is just
what's been happening lately in the comics. I hope they keep it up,
even if they won't give LnC the credit it deserves.

<<in NOS, we don't get a lot of the backstory, and I wish we had.  We do
get to see Clark say "Gee, that's terrible that I ruined his life like
that," but we don't see him atoneing at all.  Well, he doesn't really
have too, because Sunday is a completely terrible bad guy, no redeeming
features at all.  But somehow I can't  help feeling that if he should
have tried to undo the damage he did.>>

Exactly and that's why I can't accept the whole episode.  Clark is supposed
to
have done this terrible thing and he and Lois just shrug it off with the
explanation
that he was young and innocent - come on - in no court of law would such an
explanation be acceptable. And where the heck were his Superpowers that
the two could put something over on Clark Kent so easily without him
having a clue that he'd been duped - at the time and for years afterward.

I agree completely with the need for more backstory to make this episode not
only
work but be believable.  The way it was written, I couldn't help but
wonder if Baron Sunday was really so innocent as he is made out to have been
at the time, but that possibility isn't touched on at all.  We're supposed
to
accept that
the actions of the three, Clark and the two NIA agents/gun runners were
able to frame an innocent man and get a reporter - even an unseasoned one
- to believe their lie .... Oh, never mind.

It was this veering away from the character traits of both Clark and Lois
- and Perry and Jimmy and Sam Lane, etc. - that had been set up in the early
episodes that I found most unsettling about some later episodes.  Not
growth,
that was handled well, but when one of them does something completely out of
character - ex. Stop the presses - that I gnash my teeth.

Baron Sunday just doesn't hang together believably based on Clark as a human
being and that's what I can't forgive the writers for - not Clark making an
error.

Charlotte
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 06:28:09 -0700
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From:         Nancy Smith <deimos1@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject:      NEW STORY:  Vanishing Act  Part 2
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Vanishing Act  Part 2
By Nan Smith

"So, I visited Lost and Found," Clark was explaining some time later.
"I asked if anyone had turned in a key ring that had a broken car key on
it."

"Had they?" Lois asked, tensely.

He withdrew it from his pocket.  "Do you recognize it?"

Lois examined it, the shrugged.  "It's a key ring.  But this key is for
the music box I gave her when I went off to college."

"So it's Lucy's?"

She nodded.

He rested a hand on her shoulder.  "All right, I think Superman should
pay a visit to Bill Henderson.  Maybe it'll speed things up a bit.  This
is more evidence than just her disappearance."

"Do you think the handkerchief means anything?" she asked.

"Well, it was stuck in the hedge right near the car.  I probably should
have left it there, but if it's evidence it could have disappeared when
I left."

"Yeah."  Lois grimaced.

"Are you all right?"

She made a face.  "Just more Braxton-Hicks contractions.  The darn
things are making my muscles sore, they're so hard now."

"You're sure that's all it is?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure."  She rubbed her lower back with one fist.  "Of course,
now would be the worst possible time to go into labor, when my sister's
probably been kidnapped."

"Just be sure to let me know if you do!  I'll be back in a little
while."

"Where are you going now, Kent?" Ralph's voice said in his ear.

Clark glanced at the other man in mild annoyance.  "Police station,
Ralph.  It's personal business."

"Mind if I tag along?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," Clark said, coolly.  "Excuse me."  He
turned away and headed for the ramp.  Ralph followed.

"Come on, Kent, give a guy a break!  You're always running off and
coming in with great scoops.  What's your secret?"

"Being in the right place at the right time," Clark said.  "And a lot of
hard, investigative work."  He ascended the ramp and paused before the
elevator.  Ralph pressed the button.  The doors opened a moment later
and the two men boarded.  As the doors started to shut, Clark stepped
quickly backward.  "Oops, forgot something."

"Hey!" Ralph protested, belatedly, but the doors were already closing.
Clark turned and opened the door to the stairs.  A second later there
was a distant, but characteristic, sonic boom.

**************

Perry White, across the office, had witnessed the whole event.  He
smiled for a second, then shook his head.  Ralph had clearly not given
up his hope of discovering Clark Kent's knack for nailing the big
scoops.  If the boy couldn't find some way to discourage his persistent
colleague's determined pursuit Perry was afraid he might have to step
in, but he hoped he wouldn't have to. Clark and Lois were usually pretty
inventive about things like this, but they clearly had other matters on
their minds right now.

And, of course, Ralph's nuisance factor could very well interfere with
the Daily Planet's profit margins if he became too troublesome.

The elevator doors opened; Ralph emerged, looking chagrined.  "Where'd
he go?"

No one answered.

Perry grinned suddenly to himself as he made a decision.  Whatever story
they were following now, Lois and Clark had enough to deal with without
Ralph dogging every step they took.

"Ralph!" he barked.

Ralph's head swiveled toward him, guilt written in every line of his
expression.  "Yeah, Chief?"

"Where's that stuff you were gonna give me about those two city
councilmen and the red light district?"

"Oh..."  Ralph hurried down the ramp.  "Uh, I don't have anything
concrete on that yet, Chief."

"Well, then, what are you doin' messing around in here?  Get busy and
find me some evidence one way or the other, or you're fired!"

"Right away, Chief!"  Ralph scurried to his desk, grabbed his recorder,
and was on his way out of the newsroom in less than a minute.

***************

When Clark Kent arrived home just after four o'clock, he found his
household very quiet.  The reason soon became obvious; his wife was
sound asleep on the living room sofa, and upstairs he could hear the
faint noises that told him his eleven-month-old son was just waking up
from his afternoon nap.

He flew quietly up the stairs to take the little boy from his crib.  CJ
blinked sleepily at him with his big, brown, almond-shaped eyes and held
out his arms.  Clark picked him up.

"Hey there, pal.  You look like you could use a change."  He swung the
baby neatly into one arm.  "Come on.  We're gonna be real quiet so we
don't wake Mommy up, okay?"

When Lois wandered into the kitchen about five, drawn by the delectable
smells wafting into the living room, it was to find her husband, clad in
jeans and a black T-shirt, cooking dinner while their son played happily
with several kitchen utensils in the middle of the floor.

"Hi, honey," he greeted her.  "Dinner will be ready in a few minutes.
Have a good nap?"

"Mm."  She tilted her face up for a kiss.  "Smells great.  What's on the
menu?"

"Pasta with clam sauce," Clark said.

"Sounds wonderful.  I'm famished," she said.  "So, what happened at
police headquarters?"

"Why don't you sit down over there while I set the table, and I'll tell
you."

"I'm only too happy to," Lois said.  She sat down and put her feet up on
another kitchen chair.  "Having the dimensions of a small whale does
have its advantages.  So," she continued, returning to the subject,
"about Lucy?"

"I talked to Henderson, told him what you found out and how Clark found
the key and the handkerchief, and he agreed it didn't look good.  He's
listed her as officially missing."

"And what are they going to do about it?"

"They're going to investigate.  They've already gone over her car pretty
thoroughly, as of this afternoon.  It turns out that they were already
investigating, though."

"What do you mean?"

"It seems that Lucy isn't the first young woman who's vanished this
way."

Lois swallowed.  "How many?"

He removed plates from the cupboard and glanced soberly at her.  "Six
others in the last two months."

"Six!"

Clark nodded.  "Six.  Seven, now."

"Have any of them...turned up?"

He didn't mistake her meaning.  "No.  No bodies.  They just left their
dorms in the evening and never came back."

"Didn't anybody report it?"

He nodded.  "Yeah.  But none of them have family in the area, so nobody
noticed at first except their roommates, and they apparently assumed the
missing women were playing hookey.  No one reported the first one
missing for over a week."

"That's awful!  But Lucy has family in the area--" Lois stopped.

"But she never talks about us, huh?"  Clark raised an eyebrow.  "Maybe
she doesn't want anyone to know about her notorious sister and
brother-in-law."  He finished setting the table and picked up CJ to put
him in his high chair.  "Here you go.  How about chicken sticks for an
entree tonight, sir?  With a side of delicious peas and cooked carrots,
and tapioca pudding for dessert?"

CJ squirmed around as Clark strapped him into his chair, and reached for
the chicken sticks as soon as Clark set them on his tray.

"Good appetite there," Clark said.  "Mom always said I was a bottomless
pit at his age."

"You still are," Lois said.  "I guess Lucy doesn't talk about her
family.  I mean, her roommates knew we lived around here, but she didn't
tell them much.  Carol Jennings, this morning, was surprised when she
found out I was Lucy's sister."

"Sort of like you when we first met."

"Yeah, I guess."

"So," Clark said, "most people didn't know she had relatives nearby.  I
guess that fits the pattern, then."

"Did they have any other leads?"

Clark shook his head.  "Only that they've all disappeared from the
campus.  And that the police are investigating."

*************

Two hours later, they were seated together on the living room sofa.  CJ
was showing definite signs of fatigue, even though his afternoon nap had
been later than usual, and the television was muttering away in the
background although neither of them was giving it much attention.  Lois,
leaning comfortably against her husband's side, scraped the last dregs
of chocolate ice cream from the bowl in her lap.

"Done?" Clark asked.

"Well, the bowl's empty," Lois said.  "Is there any more?"

Clark shook his head.  "I'm afraid that was the last of it.  You've been
going through it like crazy for the last couple of days.  I can go down
to Lupe's and pick up some more.  It'll only take a minute--"  He sat up
suddenly.  "Oh, oh."

"What?" Lois asked.

"Big fire in Suicide Slum.  Three buildings.  Could be that arsonist
again."  He stood up.  "I guess the ice cream will have to wait."

Lois sighed.  "Be careful."

"Of course."  He spun into Superman, gave her a kiss and was gone.

Lois glanced wistfully at the empty bowl, then picked up the remote
control and turned up the sound.  The sports scores weren't particularly
interesting so she flicked over the channels to one of the other local
stations.

They had discussed the disappearance of the women from NTSU's campus
until there seemed to be no angle they hadn't covered, but they were no
wiser than before they started.  The only thing they had been able to
decide was that they would concentrate on the case the next day to the
exclusion of other stories, barring the occasional Superman rescue.
Surely they would be able to turn up some sort of information.  And
Bobby Bigmouth was definitely getting another call first thing in the
morning, if he didn't get back to them any sooner.

The news channel was in the middle of a commercial break.  After a
dissertation over the natural color that could be achieved by the simple
application of the advertized product to the hair, and the inability of
the male of the species to discern the difference, the news came back
on, showing the current breaking story of the huge fire in Suicide Slum;
fire fighters in protective gear swarmed around in the background, where
behind them the fire raged, wholly engulfing three buildings and
threatening a fourth.  The newscaster exclaimed in what seemed to Lois
to be less than genuine horror at the sight.  Behind her an unidentified
spectator hurled an audible curse at the police officer attempting to
move the inevitable crowd of spectators back to a safer distance.

A familiar red and blue figure flashed across the sky as she watched and
the cameras focussed on Superman as he came to rest by the fire chief.
They seemed to confer for a moment, then Superman launched himself
upward and vanished into one of the upper windows of the middle
building.  The camera again focussed on the newscaster and then shifted
to Police Chief Harrelson, who was discussing the possibility of arson
and the job the arson team would be doing after the immediate emergency
was taken care of.

Lois looked back at her bowl.  She really wanted more chocolate ice
cream.  It seemed as if she couldn't get enough of it the last few days.

The news shifted to a report from Fostonia where the government
spokesman was vigorously denying allegations of government coverups
regarding rumors of a thriving white slave trade operating in the
country.  Lois gave an unladylike snort.  That sounded like something
Ralph could really sink his teeth into.

She glanced unhappily at the bowl again.  She really wished Clark had
had the time to pick up another gallon of ultra choco-chocolate monster
chip ice cream before he'd taken off.

The news subject changed again,  to a trade dispute between Upper and
Lower Tanzanika, and she wondered idly how their friend the King was
doing.  The last letter from Bobbo had been upbeat and cheerful, but
reflected his frustrations in dealing with some of the stone age customs
with which his countrymen seemed completely enamored, and which made the
reforms he was attempting to enact so difficult to actually get into
place.

Lois abruptly shut off the television and hoisted herself to her feet.
It was only a ten minute drive to Lupe's Market.  There was no reason
she couldn't go get the ice cream herself.

"Come on, sweetheart," she said to CJ.  "Let's go for a ride."

"Da!" CJ announced.  He loved car rides, although why Lois had no idea
as he always fell asleep within the first couple of minutes.

She took his hand, helped him to climb onto the sofa so she could pick
him up without bending, and a few moments later they were in the Jeep
and headed for the market.

*****************

The parking lot behind the little corner market which Lois and Clark
preferred was well lighted, and several other cars were parked there as
well.  One of the many things that made this market one of her favorites
was the presence of a police station half a block away, and the
resultant high visibility of Metropolis's finest in the area.  The
employees of the store knew both Lois and her husband and Lupe, the
grandmotherly lady who actually owned Lupe's Market admitted frankly
that she had a crush on Clark.  Since CJ's arrival, the crush had
extended to him, whom Lupe described as "un nino muy guapo", which Clark
translated as meaning "a very handsome little boy".  Considering her
knowledge of how CJ would look as a grown man, Lois could only agree.

When she approached the checkout counter, Juanito, Lupe's six foot
grandson, raised his dark eyebrows at the sight of the five half-gallons
of different kinds of chocolate ice cream and the large jar of fudge
sauce.  He grinned.  "You must have run out again," he commented.  "Mom
used to say just before one of us was ready she'd go on a chocolate
binge, too.  I think I'll put my bet in the pool tonight."

"I hope you're right," Lois said, fervently, as he began to ring up the
purchases.  "We're already a week overdue."

"I figure tomorrow or the next day."  Juanito flashed a white-toothed
grin.  "Tell Clark he has to let us know."

"I will," Lois said.

Juanito stacked the ice cream in the Styrofoam chest Lois had brought
along, then gave a sharp whistle.  "Hey, Enrique!"

His younger brother emerged from the storeroom.  "You want me?"

"Yeah.  Carry this stuff to the car for Ms. Lane, okay?"

The teenager nodded and grinned a neat twin of his brother's smile.
"Sure thing."  He sauntered over to the cash register and picked up the
chest.  "Hi there, kid," he said to CJ.

CJ babbled something unintelligible and waved both arms.  Lois followed
Enrique from the store after bidding his brother goodbye.  The Sanchez
family had run this market since well before Lois had started coming
here seven years ago, and the way they treated her was another reason
she continued to come here, in spite of the fact that their selection
wasn't as wide as that of the supermarket farther downtown.

Enrique stowed the chest in the back of the Kent Jeep while Lois was
fastening CJ into the safety seat, bade her a cheerful good evening and
headed back for the store with a modest tip in his pocket.  Lois got
behind the wheel of the Jeep, started the engine and turned on her
headlights.

She had just pulled out onto the side street when she heard the woman's
scream.

It came from the alley that opened directly ahead and to her left.  Lois
rolled up her window, pulled up to the alley and turned the Jeep so that
the headlights illuminated the narrow passage.

Three struggling figures were caught in the light; two male and one
female.  There was no time for more than a general impression, for as
the Jeep's headlights flashed over the three, one of the men raised an
arm, gripping a knife in his fist, and brought it down.

The woman's second scream was cut off in the middle as she fell, and the
two men swiveled around to see who had intruded.  For an instant the
tableau froze.

With a yell, the knife wielder started toward Lois and she had a clear
look at his face.  The handle of the knife struck the driver's window.
The glass quivered, but didn't break.

Lois slammed the Jeep into reverse and floored the accelerator.  The
bumper caught the mugger's hip, knocking him sideways and she shoved the
heel of her hand down on the horn.

The other man grasped his fallen companion by one arm, dragging him to
his feet and, from what she could see of his face, shouting at him.
Both men ran in the opposite direction, the one whom she had struck
limping markedly.

With a gust of wind, Superman landed beside the Jeep.  "What's the
matter?"

Lois pointed.  "She was stabbed!"

Instantly, Clark was beside the fallen woman.  He scooped her up.  "Wait
here!"  Then he was gone, in a flash of red and blue.

******************
(to be continued in Part 3)
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 09:57:42 EDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         "C.C. Malo" <Ccmalo@AOL.COM>
Subject:      SIP Connections - part 24
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Hi -- Here's the next part.  I do appreciate feedback, both positive and
constructive negative comments because I'll be revising this story before
sending it to the archive.  Don't want to make the same mistakes twice.  :)

Carol
-----

Connections, part 24

Now, as she lay on the narrow bed in the cramped cubicle into which she'd
been shoved by one of Nor's henchmen, Lois decided it was time to do a
little
investigating.   Fumbling around in the darkness, she accidentally jabbed a
button which turned on a dim light beside her bed.  Getting up, she explored
the room, an activity that took only seconds given its size and sparseness.

She supposed she should be grateful she hadn't had to spend the night in the
same room as Trask although she did admit to some concern about where he
was.
 She had no doubt but that Nor was a killer.   He had no idea if Trask had
any value as a hostage or not.  Or her for that matter.  Lois made a wry
grin
at no one as she thought to herself that she had become one of those tabloid
stories she'd never believed -- she'd been kidnapped by aliens.  And Trask
had had a point all along.

She tried the door but was disappointed to find it locked.  These guys had
no
class.  What if she needed to use the bathroom in the middle of the night?
Frustrated yet accepting that there was no way out, she returned to her bed,
once again chasing elusive sleep.

When dawn finally came -- at least Lois figured it was dawn because the
light
automatically flashed in her room -- she tried once more to leave.  This
time
the door opened as soon as she touched it,  admitting her into a steel grey
corridor dimly lit by long tubes installed at floor level along each wall.
Lois tried the door at each end but found it locked -- so she only had
access
to the few rooms along the corridor.  She stood in front of each one,
touching its smooth metallic surface, hoping for admission; but, other than
the bathroom, none of them opened until she got to the white door at the end
of the hall.

Placing her hand on the door, she was pleased when it automatically opened,
leading into a small white room with a narrow rectangular table set with six
chairs.  Behind the table was a counter with a sink, and what turned out to
be a fridge -- at least it stored clear containers of a fluorescent blue
liquid and packaged trays containing what Lois thought might be breakfast.
She wondered if it was safe to try one; she hadn't had supper yesterday and
she was hungry.

As she was making up her mind about this, the room suddenly  burst with new
energy as two children, a boy and girl, about three years of age, erupted
through the door and then skidded to a stop as they spotted the stranger in
their space.  It was hard to say who was more startled -- Lois, whose
experience with children was so limited as to make them in their own way,
alien beings, or the children, who were deterred only for a second from
their
original purpose of getting to the fridge where Lois was standing.

Lois smiled, cheered immeasurably by their presence, and asked them if there
was anything they would like.

The children stared at her with wide eyes.  The boy gazed at her solemnly,
his green eyes curious as he spoke.  Lois had no idea what he said, as the
boy had probably no idea what she said.  And she was pretty sure her
knowledge of Spanish and the smattering of the few languages she had picked
up on her travels would not make much difference.  Just how had Zara picked
up English so quickly?

A young woman, tall and robust, strode into the room, halted in surprise,
then looked very suspiciously at Lois.   Lois tried saying hi hoping there
would be something in the tone of her voice which would break the ice.
There
wasn't.  The woman did not smile but uttered a string of words which left
Lois baffled.  Shrugging her shoulders as she explained she knew no
Kryptonian, she hoped her own string of words would at least clarify the
nature of the problem.

The woman, whom Lois assumed was the children's mother, rushed protectively
to the two children and pulled them  against her legs.  Lois tried smiling
again, feeling very lost.

It was the children who helped.  Speaking urgently, they tugged on their
mother's tunic.  She immediately opened the fridge, pulled out the container
of blue liquid,  and poured it into the glasses on the table.  The children
climbed onto the chairs, waiting as their mother placed a packaged tray in
front of each of them, as well as two others which she placed on the table,
motioning to Lois as she did.

Lois sat down and peered cautiously at the tray in front of her.  Its lid
released easily, revealing implements and food.  Lois pointed at the items
and shrugged her shoulders.  With exaggerated facial expressions and body
language, Lois let them know she had no idea what she was eating and the
children very seriously helped her to figure out what to do, watching her,
fascinated, while their mother attended more carefully.

When Lois started to pour the blue juice over the hard biscuit on her plate,
the little girl giggled delightedly.  She scrambled down from her chair,
trotted around the corner of the table to where Lois was sitting, and scaled
the chair beside her, kneeling on its seat.  Reaching over to Lois's tray,
she put a thick red sauce on a short spurtle and spread it with careful
sloppiness on another of the hard biscuits.  Then she beamed at Lois.

Lois's eyes sparkled as she thanked the girl and took a bite of the biscuit,
rolling her eyes to show her appreciation.  The child laughed again and
reached to touch Lois, at least to touch the gold locket she wore, saying
something which Lois figured was, "What's this?"

Lois removed the locket and opened it to show the picture inside  -- herself
on one side and her sister Lucy on the other.  The girl put her finger on
Lois's picture and then touched Lois and spoke again.  Lois did the same
thing, repeating her name as she touched the picture and her chest.

"Lois," the child said, carefully pronouncing it several times.

Lois placed her hand on the child's chest in the same way she had on her own
and then shrugged her shoulders.

The little girl figured it out and replied, "Linra."

Lois repeated the girl's name and then got up to place her hand on the boy's
chest, and he responded, "Kazra."

It was their mother's turn and she said, nodding shyly, "Roza."

They all beamed at each other, mother, children, and Lois Lane.  As she
looked at the two children, Lois wondered if they might be twins.  Both had
dark, almost black, hair and those beautiful green eyes which reminded Lois
so much of someone else, she wasn't sure who.

But their pleasure at this breakthrough in communication was short-lived.
The door opened, Nor strode in, and Roza automatically stood up while the
children seemed to freeze in their places.

" The tracer we injected in you last night alerted me to your early rising,
Lois Lane.  I see you've found your way around but your companion has not
yet
joined you."  Ignoring Roza, he frowned at the children.  "So you've met my
wards."

Lois nodded her head, not speaking.

"Roza," Nor commanded, saying something rapidly which Lois didn't
understand,
although given the quick way in which Roza gathered the children and then
scurried from the room, she had a pretty good idea.

When they were gone, he turned to Lois.  "Come with me.  It's time for us to
make a social call."

"What about Trask?"

"We'll leave him here -- just in case."  Nor smiled unpleasantly, as he
grabbed Lois's arm and forced her to walk down the corridor with him.  "Your
clothes are unsuitable for such a visit."  He opened the door to her sleep
cubicle.  "Appropriate attire is on the bed.  Change," he ordered.

Lois took one look at the garment on the bed.  "I'm not wearing that!"

"Put it on or I'll take your clothes off and put it on you."  His hand
clenched around her upper arm roughly.  "It would be my pleasure."

Lois looked at him, not doubting he would do it.  "Wait outside -- and close
the door."

He did.

******

Clark ate breakfast with Zara and the three members of the Council of
Elders;
 Zara acting as a translator between Clark and the three men.  She had
launched into an explanation of a process which would stimulate the language
lobes in Clark's brain so that he could learn Kryptonian in a matter of
hours
over three nights of sleep.  As she was describing this process to Clark,
Ching entered the small chamber.

"Nor has requested permission to land in the docking bay."

"So he's here, too.  Doing what, I wonder?"  Zara rose quickly to go to
Ching.

Trey spoke up.  "Lieutenant Ching, tell Lord Nor that permission is
granted."
 He turned to his companions as Ching relayed this order.  "Shall we adjourn
to the docking bay, Lord Kal?"

With Kal El at her side, Zara led the way,  her face anxious, hoping Nor had
her children with him.  If only she could see them, know they were all
right.
 She desperately wanted to talk with Ching but, following custom, he walked
in his proper place behind the three Elders.

She had not informed them of Nor's kidnapping of her children but she had no
doubt that they knew.  How had hey reacted?  Did they see it for what it
was,
or did had they accepted Nor's explanation that he was acting as the
children's protector?  Old men could be such gossips, she thought viciously.
Besides, her children were illegitimate, not to be treated as seriously as
legitimate offspring.  While the Council might understand how it was that
she
came to have a liaison with Ching, the Elders  would think it unacceptable
to
discuss it.  Such arrangements were not uncommon among an upper class whose
marriages were arranged.

How deadening it must be to live day to day with a man who did not touch
your
heart.  Still Zara knew, had been taught from childhood, that feelings were
a
selfish thing, especially for people born of noble blood.  She looked at Kal
El as he walked beside her.  She knew that she must encourage him to agree
to
marriage between them -- it would make the throne so much more secure for
him
and be in the best interests of Krypton.  But, oh, how much she hated the
idea.  He was not Ching.

When the delegation arrived at the docking bay, Nor and his entourage were
still aboard their transporter.  Nor would not be the one to wait awkwardly
to be greeted, Zara thought, as they proceeded in a measured way to the
platform, letting him know that they too would not rush to greet him.

Finally, the door of Nor's transporter opened, and four of his men stepped
onto the platform, then stood to either side of the door, an honour guard
for
their overlord.  Nor stepped out, alone, and gazed around as though pleased
by what he saw, his eyes fixing for a moment on Kal EL, their eyes locking,
before Nor shifted to look at Zara.

"Ah, my lady.  I see you have a new ... companion."

Always helpful, Trey spoke up.  "Lord Nor, this Kal EL, son of Jor El."

Invoking a diplomatic smile, Nor inclined his head, acknowledging the
introduction.  "Ah, I've forgotten something.  A pet I've brought which I
acquired as a souvenir of the planet Earth."  He turned back to the door of
his transporter vehicle and led out Lois Lane, clad in a short diaphanous
pink garment which revealed too much of her, leaving her the most physically
vulnerable person there.  She walked very straight, her eyes focusing on a
spot somewhere above everyone's head, silently protesting her humiliation.
Around her neck was a thick black choker to which was attached a metal
chain,
a leash which Nor held in his hand.

"Lois!"  Clark yelled as he rushed across the platform toward her.   He
glared at Nor.  "Let her go!"

"Such manners, Kal El.  But then you are a stranger to our Kryptonian ways."

Clark ignored him, keeping his eyes fixed on Lois.  "Lois, are you all
right?"  He touched her shoulder, noticing the bruise on her arm, and
angrily
attempted to break the chain which held her prisoner.  He failed; his arms
felt weak as he touched the metal.

"I've taken precautions, Kal EL.  That super strength of yours is such a
nuisance.  But I warn you -- she is my concubine.  Touch my property and you
challenge me."

Reflexively, Clark's arm pulled back in a blow whose delivery was thwarted
by
Ching.  "My lord," he whispered.  "To take a man's concubine without his
permission is to attack him.  What you have done has already caused much
disapproval with the Elders."

"That's garbage, Ching."

"It's our custom, Kal El.  Now is not the time to lose allies."  He paused.
"Sometimes we are prisoners of duty."

Clark gave Ching a level look, not speaking.  Slowly, he turned to address
Nor.  "Then you have attacked me, Nor.  As you must know, this woman was
already my concubine."

Nor cocked his head to one side.  "Is she, Kal El?  Then I bring you a token
of my friendship."  He smiled as he carelessly handed Clark the chain.  "It
is fortunate that I have not yet had an opportunity to ... assess her."

Fighting to reign in his anger, Clark stepped close to Lois and unfastened
the choker, his fingers fumbling with the clasp at the side of her neck.
"Lois," he whispered as he gently removed the offending item.  She would not
look at him and he knew, without her speaking, that she was furious.  Her
dark eyes glittered as she took the chain from him, then turned to drop it
at
Nor's feet without speaking.

Nor ignored her action.  Instead he spoke to Zara.  "My lady, we still have
things to discuss.  I will await word from you.  Take your time."  Then his
eyes swiveled to Clark as he continued.  "Waiting will provide me and my men
with the opportunity to further ... explore Metropolis.  Earth has proven
more diverting than we had supposed."   Without waiting for her answer, he
bade a formal farewell to the Elders, then strode toward his transporter,
followed by his four attendants.  The doors snapped shut behind them; then
the small sleek vessel thrust forward, sliding toward the exit porthole.

"Round one to Nor, Kal El," Ching whispered sharply as the group walked back
to their private dining chamber.  "The Elders will approve his offer of the
woman to you."

"Lois.  Her name is Lois," Clark said through clenched teeth although he was
aware that in losing his temper he had gained no credit with those who had
watched, and that Ching had helped him.  "Thank you, Ching, for what you did
back there.  Your customs are ... different from ours."  Unless, of course,
he mentally added, you're part of a biker gang.  "But let's get one thing
straight -- Lois Lane is a respected colleague at the Daily Planet and she
is
to be honoured as such."  He glanced at Lois who was walking alone, not
beside him, contained within herself.  He was grateful when Zara slowed and
fell in step beside her.

"We'll join you in a few minutes.  I expect Lois would like to find clothing
more suitable to her rank."  Zara then spoke to Lois.  "My chambers are down
this corridor."  Not waiting for Lois's reply, she headed in that direction.
Lois followed.

*****
Once inside her compact quarters, Zara strode to a closet in the far wall,
slid the door open, and pulled out a dark pant suit and tunic, handing it to
Lois.  "It's one of my uniforms.  It's probably a bit large, but I think
you'll find it a lot more comfortable than that."  Zara glanced
contemptuously at the silly pink dress which Lois was wearing.  "You can
change in here."  Zara stretched out her right arm to open the door to a
small bathroom.  "I'll wait and then we'll join the others."

"Thank you, Zara."  Lois was grateful.  "Is this a shower?"  She pointed to
a
burnished metal stall.

Zara smiled.  "Yes.  Go ahead.  We can keep them waiting a few minutes
longer."  She stepped into the tiny bathroom and pressed a button, then
entered a couple of numbers in a small sliver of a monitor just outside the
shower stall.  "This controls the water temperature and flow."

Lois closed the door and took a deep breath, in relief.  Temporarily, she
felt safe although she was still worried about Trask and would have to work
out some way to get him off Nor's ship.  Could she count on Clark, Kal El,
to
help her?

Turning on the shower, she stepped in and tried to work through the issue as
the water poured in welcome soothing rivulets over her tense shoulders.  Kal
El's concubine, indeed.  Well, she had to admit, it had got her out of Nor's
hands.  But she was astute enough to know that Clark had lost ground to Nor
in that little battle of testosterone.  Nor got to make the grand gesture.
But he still had Trask.  How to free him?  And how to help Clark?  Whether
she liked it or not, she had become caught up in this whole ridiculous power
struggle.

Moments later, she stepped out of the bathroom, dressed in Zara's uniform
which was not that bad a fit -- not great either, but right now she was just
grateful it wasn't pink.

"Zara, Nor kidnapped a man who was with me.  He still has him prisoner."

"Who, Lois?"

"His name is Jason Trask.  He's the man who was with me this afternoon in
the
alley when you and Clark were, uh ... taking off.  He's a member of the
government, Zara."

"Lois, I regret that he's been taken, but you have to understand he's not
our
priority.  If we can get him back, we will, but right now we can't afford to
antagonize Nor any further."

"Why, Zara?  What makes Nor so powerful?  It seems to me you hold more of
the
cards."

"He has my children, Lois.  He says to protect them while I'm away.  But
he's
keeping them hostage to make me accept his demands."

Lois looked at her, suddenly sympathetic to this woman whom she had regarded
as her enemy.  "Oh, god!"  Then she met Zara's green eyes and it struck her
-- Nor's wards.  "Zara, are Kazra and Linra your children?"

Zara rose from the bed on which she'd been sitting.  "You've seen them?"

"Yes, this morning.  Zara, they're delightful. They have your eyes."

"Are they all right?"

"Yes, they're fine.  They're under the care of a woman named Roza who was
very protective of them.  We had breakfast together."  She smiled,
remembering how they'd triumphed over the language barrier between them.

"Yes, yes.  She's wonderful.  She's their nurse.  If she's with them, I feel
better.  I know she'll do whatever she can to protect them."

"What exactly is Nor demanding, Zara?"

"He wants me to marry him, in order to give him a stronger claim to rule New
Krypton."

"I take it you're not already married?"  She didn't wait for the answer.
"So
that's why you tried to convince Clark you were married -- to block Nor."
It
made sense and Lois thought she too might have pulled something as desperate
if she had to protect her children.  "So why isn't the father of your
children pitching in here?"  Lois asked, already having formed a dislike for
this man who had so abandoned his children and their mother.

"He is, Lois, " Zara said quietly.  "He's with me every day, doing
everything
he can."  She stood up and walked to the door.  "It's time to join the
others."  Just before they left the room, she added.  "Lois, don't mention
that Nor has Kaz and Lin here or your friend.  I'm not sure how much I can
trust the Elders -- I'd like to find out how much they know."

"And *how* they came to know it,"  Lois added.

*****
end, part 24
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 08:44:51 -0500
Reply-To:     msberard@earthlink.net
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Brazil Red <msberard@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject:      Re: NEW STORY:  Vanishing Act  Part 2
MIME-Version: 1.0
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Nancy Smith wrote:
>
> Vanishing Act  Part 2

I'm really enjoying this.

I like the rising action, mixed with comic relief (Ralph chasing Clark
to find out how he gets all those great stories).

By the end of this chapter I was on the edge of my seat.

Brazil (silently chanting, we want chapter 3, chapter 3) Red
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 07:14:44 -0700
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         James Tull <mr_d8a@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: (was RE: hey!)
Comments: cc: Lisa Tull <all4_mr_d8a@yahoo.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
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--- kubitc <kubitc@KENYON.EDU> wrote:
>But there have to be times when you don't enjoy a
fic. What do you do then? Do you write the author?
What do you say? (And please, don't name specific
stories.) Just wondering...<

As some authors on this list are aware of I have often
taken them to task about some of the content of their
stories, but usually privately.

I think it is only fair to challenge them on why they
wrote a story the way they did.  It's no secret that
there are things I find inappropriate/unacceptable to
the canon of not just LnC, but to the whole of the
Superman mythos.  I am not the only author that feels
that way.

Now if it is an 'apparent' plot flaw, it is
interesting to dialog with the author and find out the
reason behind what they wrote.  Sometimes I just don't
get it and need clarification.

I am pleased to say  that the well written stories far
out number the marginal stories ;)

James

=====
Mr. D8a -
Colossians 3:2 - Set your minds on things above not on earthly things.

Go to WWW.FREEWWWEB.COM for the best Free Internet access!

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.
http://im.yahoo.com
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 16:11:49 +0200
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Kaethel <kaethel@CLUB-INTERNET.FR>
Subject:      Re: negative criticism (was RE: hey!)
MIME-Version: 1.0
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Nicole wrote:
> Sadly, I think most of us (and I'm no exception) are hypocrits when it
comes to
> criticism. We all *demand* honest feedback, but face it, if the feedback
is
> negative we all tend to take it personal.

Yes, criticism is always hard to take, but it really depends on how it's
done. If you send a story to someone and when they send it back to you with
their comments, you only see negative things, it sure really hurts.
But if this person sends you honest comments, I mean if they tell you what
they liked in the story *and* what they didn't like, or what doesn't work or
what they think should be improved or removed, then you can get used to it.
I know that when I first sent a story to one of my online friends, I was
scared like you can't imagine that she would dislike it and tell me I had
nothing to do with fanfic writing. And I was even more scared because it's
someone whose writing I admire.
I know it's a matter of pride, here. I mean, if one of your favorite writers
told you that what you wrote isn't worth anything, then you would feel very
discouraged because you would think they might be right. It didn't happen to
me, but I admit this was one of my greatest fears.
But when this person comments on your story and tells you *both* what they
like and what they think need rework, then it's easier to accept, even for a
very sensitive person. I know I accepted it pretty well (to my own surprise
<g>)
Criticism is the only way for the writer to improve what they wrote. Most
times we're too close to the story to be really objective about it, so we
can even end up disliking things we wrote for silly reasons. And that's why
we need test-readers, people we trust enough to be sure they'll be honest
with what we wrote and be tactful enough not to hurt our feelings.

As for sending feedback, I don't do it if I didn't like the story (and
anyway, most times I don't finish reading the stories I don't like). When I
read a story it's generally the definitive version uploaded to the archive,
so why would I hurt the writer's feelings for something that just remains a
*subjective* opinion? That doesn't mean either that I didn't like the story
if I don't email the writer about it. This is where the annoying RL element
comes in, here <g>, b/c I don't like sending feedback to simply say "good
story". When I loved a fic, I like to tell the writer *why* I liked it,
and what things really worked with me :) Which explains why I don't always
have time to comment on stories, even if I *really* loved them.

Hélène :)
------------------------------------------------------
Kaethel on irc / Kaethel79  on AIM
kaethel@club-internet.fr
"Lois, it's past babbling hour... can you get to the point, please?"
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 16:33:14 +0100
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Wendy Richards <w.m.richards@HRM.KEELE.AC.UK>
Subject:      Re: Why I like a fic
In-Reply-To:  <6a.19b5b3e.261c2f3d@aol.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
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On Wed, 5 Apr 2000 01:55:09 EDT Singin Drew
<SinginDrew@AOL.COM> wrote:

> Spelling and grammatical errors bother me to know end,
> especially when they are on the archive. But hey, you can't
> catch them all right? My question is can we e-mail the
> archive to get these annoying nuisances out of the fics?

Well, you can... but do remember that Kathy and Lauren are
volunteers, right? To ask them - or the GEs - to re-edit a
story every time someone finds an error, and then to have
to go back to the author for permission to make the change,
would a very time-consuming process and one which I'm not
sure is ultimately worth anyone's time.

Proof-reading is never an exact science - I should know,
I've done it for money! I've seen so many typos and other
errors in published academic books, simply because even
with spelling and grammar checkers it's impossible to find
everything.

Wendy

----------------------
Wendy Richards
w.m.richards@hrm.keele.ac.uk
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 16:37:03 +0100
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Wendy Richards <w.m.richards@HRM.KEELE.AC.UK>
Subject:      Re: (was RE: hey!)
In-Reply-To:  <001401bf9ebd$4456a5c0$1af8fd3f@v1t9j4>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII

On Tue, 4 Apr 2000 22:10:29 -0700 Judith Williams
<judithwilliams@PRODIGY.NET> wrote:

> I like WAFFY but not page after page of 'she thought, he
> thought'.  I believe stories are more readable if they are
> told through dialogue and events.

Different tastes again... I love introspection, as I'm sure
anyone who's waded through any of my long stories knows!
Other than that, my favourite stories are ones which
involve a combination of things: principally character
development, some element of A-plot but not to the
exclusion of character or B-plots, and I *love* angst.
Happy or happy-ish endings are preferable, though!

> Diversity makes this list, the archive and
> America great.  Jude

... and other countries too, presumably? <g>

Wendy
----------------------
Wendy Richards
w.m.richards@hrm.keele.ac.uk
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 09:44:12 -0600
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Erin Klingler <erink@IDA.NET>
Subject:      Re: (was RE: hey!)
In-Reply-To:  <SIMEON.10004051603.A@hrm17.hrm.keele.ac.uk>
MIME-Version: 1.0
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Wendy wrote:

>Different tastes again... I love introspection, as I'm sure
>anyone who's waded through any of my long stories knows!
>Other than that, my favourite stories are ones which
>involve a combination of things: principally character
>development, some element of A-plot but not to the
>exclusion of character or B-plots, and I *love* angst.

Really, Wendy?  I had no idea.  <vbg>

Erin  :)  (who just printed off a few of Wendy's Kerth-winning stories that
she sheepishly admits to not having read yet, as well as several other
Kerth-winning stories.  You guys amaze me with your unbelievable talent!!!
;)
__________________
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 Apr 2000 12:45:34 EDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         "Ann E. McBride" <Aerm1@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: (was RE: hey!)
MIME-Version: 1.0
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Wendy wrote:

<<Different tastes again... I love introspection, as I'm sure
anyone who's waded through any of my long stories knows!
Other than that, my favourite stories are ones which
involve a combination of things: principally character
development, some element of A-plot but not to the
exclusion of character or B-plots, and I *love* angst.
Happy or happy-ish endings are preferable, though!>>

No kidding!  A lot of us don't mind "wading" through your stories, Wendy,
precisely because you include the elements you have just mentioned.  I'll
gladly wade any old time.

In a message dated 4/5/00 11:48:51 AM Eastern Daylight Time, erink@IDA.NET
writes:

<< Erin  :)  (who just printed off a few of Wendy's Kerth-winning stories
that
 she sheepishly admits to not having read yet, as well as several other
 Kerth-winning stories.  >>

Erin, it's nice to see that you are still around <g> but do you really have
time to read a Wendy fic when Lois and Clark are still in the cave, hiding
from Trask and his buddies? <BEG>  I promise to send positive feedback if I
can find out what happeded to them.

Ann ( who really isn't pushing Erin -- I know that having babies thing takes
a lot of time.)
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 12:02:54 -0500
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Anne Gallagher <aggie918@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Wednesday's Child Part 3

*****************
Metropolis
May 25, 1994
*****************

" Lois, a woman in your condition shouldn't overwork themselves. Take it
easy."

Lois threw down the scrubrush with a disgusted sigh and stared at the tub. "
You know you really have to wondered how healthy or hygienic water can be
that leaves stains like this."

" It's the pipes not the water, I don't know why you can't find a nicer
apartment. Lois, are you listening to a word I am saying? "

" Of course she isn't, mom."

Lois, still uncharacteristically silent, got up and brushed past her mother
and Lucy. She stomped her way towards the bedroom kicking off her socks
along with her sneakers and ripping of her sweatshirt. She made it to her
room, wearing her t - shirt and jeans. There she dropped onto the bed.

Lucy stood watching her in the doorway." Lois please stop being so hard on
yourself.  You don't have to rush to any decisions. You have time."

" No, Luce I really don't.  I only have several weeks, a couple of months
tops, to make a decision about this pregnancy."

 Lois sat up on the bed and leaned against the headboard. Lucy came and sat
down beside her.

" But I don't think that is a problem anymore." Lois whispered, her voice
cracking at the end.

" I don't think I want to abort the baby. It's crazy really; I don't know
how I am going to survive the next nine months. I mean look at me I am
crying for the fifth time today.  How am I going to raise a child? I can't!
It's stupid but I don't want to terminate the pregnancy."

Lucy held her sister in her arms, rocking her back and forth.

" Have you made any decisions about adoption?"

Lois shook her head.

" Listen Lois, I'll support you anyway I can. I f you want I can take a
semester off from Berkley and help..."

" No, Lucy I don't you to put your life on hold for me. I'll be okay." She
wiped her face with her hands.

Lucy nodded her head. "Ya know, you could try talking to mom."

Lois gave her sister an incredulous look.

" I am serious, Lois. She was a nurse and did give birth to us. Today, after
I managed to wrestle the phone from her and her hysteria subsided, she was
giving some good advice."

Lois looked at her sister with a wondering look in her eyes. " When did you
grow up so much."?

" Hey!" her sister asked, indignant. " I fought it as long as I could." Lucy
twisted to look at the clock on the nightstand. " Listen, it is getting late
and I have to drive mom back to our hotel. Do you need anything before we
leave."

" No. I'm fine. Thank you Luce." she said quietly as she hugged her sister
again.

" Anytime. G'night."

"Night. Drive safely."
  ***************************************

Clark flew west over the Atlantic Ocean quickly. Not fast enough to break
the sound barrier, but close.

He still felt horrible about leaving Lois, but there had been an emergency.
Well, if you consider a small grease fire 12 miles away an emergency. The
truth of the matter was he didn't want to hear anymore. It was selfish and
childish and he felt bad about it. He had gone back to the park afterwards
to see if Lois was still there but she had left. She hadn't been at her
apartment either. Not that it would matter, he still wouldn't have had
anything to say.

Clark picked up speed as he saw the banks of the Missippi River on the
horizon.
   *************************************

" So what did you say to her after she told you about the pregnancy."

Martha asked as she placed some sausage patties next to the scrambled eggs
on Clark's plate.

" Eggs and sausages? While I'm eating plain oatmeal."

" Jonathan I told you you could put raisins in it."

She walked over to her seat beside her husband and continued; " Besides you
know what Dr. Harbert said about your cholesterol."

" Hrrmph"

" Sweetie, you haven't answered my question."

Clark looked down pushing his food around his plate.

"Son?"

Clark sighed and looked at his parents. " I didn't say anything.  I kinda
just... left."

" What do you mean you left, son."

" There was an emergency."

Both his parents looked at him, waiting for him to elaborate. When he didn't
Martha jumped in.

" What was the emergency? Clark?"

" A fire."

Silence. Clark looked at his plate and began pushing his food around.

" A grease fire."

Still silence.

" A p-pretty small one, actually."

" Clark Jerome Kent, you left her when she needed you to go off to a grease
fire. A small grease fire."

" I know, I know, I tried looking for her afterwards but she was gone."

" Well obviously, you didn't try hard enough or you would have found her."

" You're right."

" Son, why did you do that?"

Clark looked at his father and his mother, than down at his plate again, " I
don't know," he whispered, " it was just so hard to think of her and Luthor
having a child. Them... together."

" Sweetie, your father and I know how much you love Lois. And how hurt you
were by her engagement to Lex. But she needs her best friend right now."

" What if... what if she decides to keep the baby. What do I do then?"

Jonathan laid his hand on his son's shoulder, " If you care about her as
much as you say you do, you'll support her no matter what decision she
makes."

"Sweetie," Martha placed a hand on his " this isn't about you and this isn't
even about Lex. This is about Lois; this child is as much hers as it was
his. You'll have to put you're feelings aside for now and be there for her."

Clark nodded. " I know and I will talk to her. Today."

" After you finish your breakfast." Martha added.

" Of course."

  **************************************

Oh, this must be a cruel joke. First she couldn't get till sleep until four
and now at this ungodly hour some one was knocking at her door.

Maybe it's mother, she thought as she viciously pulled on the jeans from
last night. Ever since she joined AA two months ago, Ellen Lane had been
calling Lois at obscenely early hours.

More knocking.

" I'm coming."

She glanced out the peephole and saw Clark standing there. He had wisely
decided to bring food with him. It looked like eggs and sausages.

She opened the door, " Good morning, Lois."

With a coolness she didn't feel she replied, " Good morning, Clark."

Clark began to fidget a bit. Good, let him suffer.

" Look, Lois," sigh, " I am sorry about yesterday it is just that--"

" No I don't want to hear a bizarre excuse. Because all it is a lie. I know
am not perfect, probably as far from it as you can get but that does not
give you the right to pass judgment on me. I don't look before I leap, I
don't back up my stories on a floppy, and I do generally dumb things from
time to time. Including getting pregnant. But you, of all people, as my best
friend, should support me. Not be disgusted by me and brush me off."

" Lois you're right. I was wrong. I was being immature and insensitive. I
apologize. I spoke to my parents... on the phone, and they helped me realize
what a complete jackass I was. I'm sorry. If you can forgive me, I want to
support. As your best friend."

Lois looked up at him and in a tiny voice asked, " You're not disgusted with
me? O r ashamed? Or repulsed, or disappointed or---"

Clark placed the wrapped dish on the ground at put his hands on Lois' arms,
" No. Never. If I am disgusted with anyone it's me. I let you down. You
deserved deserve more."

" Oh Clark." She wrapped him into a hug.

To be continued........

*****************
Metropolis
May 25, 1994
*****************

" Lois, a woman in your condition shouldn't overwork themselves. Take it
easy."

Lois threw down the scrubrush with a disgusted sigh and stared at the tub. "
You know you really have to wondered how healthy or hygienic water can be
that leaves stains like this."

" It's the pipes not the water, I don't know why you can't find a nicer
apartment. Lois, are you listening to a word I am saying? "

" Of course she isn't, mom."

Lois, still uncharacteristically silent, got up and brushed past her mother
and Lucy. She stomped her way towards the bedroom kicking off her socks
along with her sneakers and ripping of her sweatshirt. She made it to her
room, wearing her t - shirt and jeans. There she dropped onto the bed.

Lucy stood watching her in the doorway." Lois please stop being so hard on
yourself.  You don't have to rush to any decisions. You have time."

" No, Luce I really don't.  I only have several weeks, a couple of months
tops, to make a decision about this pregnancy."

 Lois sat up on the bed and leaned against the headboard. Lucy came and sat
down beside her.

" But I don't think that is a problem anymore." Lois whispered, her voice
cracking at the end.

" I don't think I want to abort the baby. It's crazy really; I don't know
how I am going to survive the next nine months. I mean look at me I am
crying for the fifth time today.  How am I going to raise a child? I can't!
It's stupid but I don't want to terminate the pregnancy."

Lucy held her sister in her arms, rocking her back and forth.

" Have you made any decisions about adoption?"

Lois shook her head.

" Listen Lois, I'll support you anyway I can. I f you want I can take a
semester off from Berkley and help..."

" No, Lucy I don't you to put your life on hold for me. I'll be okay." She
wiped her face with her hands.

Lucy nodded her head. "Ya know, you could try talking to mom."

Lois gave her sister an incredulous look.

" I am serious, Lois. She was a nurse and did give birth to us. Today, after
I managed to wrestle the phone from her and her hysteria subsided, she was
giving some good advice."

Lois looked at her sister with a wondering look in her eyes. " When did you
grow up so much."?

" Hey!" her sister asked, indignant. " I fought it as long as I could." Lucy
twisted to look at the clock on the nightstand. " Listen, it is getting late
and I have to drive mom back to our hotel. Do you need anything before we
leave."

" No. I'm fine. Thank you Luce." she said quietly as she hugged her sister
again.

" Anytime. G'night."

"Night. Drive safely."
  ***************************************

Clark flew west over the Atlantic Ocean quickly. Not fast enough to break
the sound barrier, but close.

He still felt horrible about leaving Lois, but there had been an emergency.
Well, if you consider a small grease fire 12 miles away an emergency. The
truth of the matter was he didn't want to hear anymore. It was selfish and
childish and he felt bad about it. He had gone back to the park afterwards
to see if Lois was still there but she had left. She hadn't been at her
apartment either. Not that it would matter, he still wouldn't have had
anything to say.

Clark picked up speed as he saw the banks of the Missippi River on the
horizon.
   *************************************

" So what did you say to her after she told you about the pregnancy."

Martha asked as she placed some sausage patties next to the scrambled eggs
on Clark's plate.

" Eggs and sausages? While I'm eating plain oatmeal."

" Jonathan I told you you could put raisins in it."

She walked over to her seat beside her husband and continued; " Besides you
know what Dr. Harbert said about your cholesterol."

" Hrrmph"

" Sweetie, you haven't answered my question."

Clark looked down pushing his food around his plate.

"Son?"

Clark sighed and looked at his parents. " I didn't say anything.  I kinda
just... left."

" What do you mean you left, son."

" There was an emergency."

Both his parents looked at him, waiting for him to elaborate. When he didn't
Martha jumped in.

" What was the emergency? Clark?"

" A fire."

Silence. Clark looked at his plate and began pushing his food around.

" A grease fire."

Still silence.

" A p-pretty small one, actually."

" Clark Jerome Kent, you left her when she needed you to go off to a grease
fire. A small grease fire."

" I know, I know, I tried looking for her afterwards but she was gone."

" Well obviously, you didn't try hard enough or you would have found her."

" You're right."

" Son, why did you do that?"

Clark looked at his father and his mother, than down at his plate again, " I
don't know," he whispered, " it was just so hard to think of her and Luthor
having a child. Them... together."

" Sweetie, your father and I know how much you love Lois. And how hurt you
were by her engagement to Lex. But she needs her best friend right now."

" What if... what if she decides to keep the baby. What do I do then?"

Jonathan laid his hand on his son's shoulder, " If you care about her as
much as you say you do, you'll support her no matter what decision she
makes."

"Sweetie," Martha placed a hand on his " this isn't about you and this isn't
even about Lex. This is about Lois; this child is as much hers as it was
his. You'll have to put you're feelings aside for now and be there for her."

Clark nodded. " I know and I will talk to her. Today."

" After you finish your breakfast." Martha added.

" Of course."

  **************************************

Oh, this must be a cruel joke. First she couldn't get till sleep until four
and now at this ungodly hour some one was knocking at her door.

Maybe it's mother, she thought as she viciously pulled on the jeans from
last night. Ever since she joined AA two months ago, Ellen Lane had been
calling Lois at obscenely early hours.

More knocking.

" I'm coming."

She glanced out the peephole and saw Clark standing there. He had wisely
decided to bring food with him. It looked like eggs and sausages.

She opened the door, " Good morning, Lois."

With a coolness she didn't feel she replied, " Good morning, Clark."

Clark began to fidget a bit. Good, let him suffer.

" Look, Lois," sigh, " I am sorry about yesterday it is just that--"

" No I don't want to hear a bizarre excuse. Because all it is a lie. I know
am not perfect, probably as far from it as you can get but that does not
give you the right to pass judgment on me. I don't look before I leap, I
don't back up my stories on a floppy, and I do generally dumb things from
time to time. Including getting pregnant. But you, of all people, as my best
friend, should support me. Not be disgusted by me and brush me off."

" Lois you're right. I was wrong. I was being immature and insensitive. I
apologize. I spoke to my parents... on the phone, and they helped me realize
what a complete jackass I was. I'm sorry. If you can forgive me, I want to
support. As your best friend."

Lois looked up at him and in a tiny voice asked, " You're not disgusted with
me? O r ashamed? Or repulsed, or disappointed or---"

Clark placed the wrapped dish on the ground at put his hands on Lois' arms,
" No. Never. If I am disgusted with anyone it's me. I let you down. You
deserved deserve more."

" Oh Clark." She wrapped him into a hug.

To be continued........
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 11:10:26 -0600
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Erin Klingler <erink@IDA.NET>
Subject:      Re: (was RE: hey!)
In-Reply-To:  <33.35afaa2.261cc7ae@aol.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

Ann wrote:
>Erin, it's nice to see that you are still around <g>

Thank you!  ;)  As Lois said in Just Say Noah, "I'd like to feel wanted."
<g>
Yes, I'm still around, though my laptop screen has all but died and I'm
waiting for the company to get it's act together so I can get it fixed.  In
the meantime, I'm on limited email access and computer use.  And for those
of
you interested, no...no baby yet, despite being officially due in three
days.
With all the preterm labor scares, it seems he's finally decided he likes it
where he is and so I'll probably be pregnant for the next, ohhh...3 years.
<g>

>but do you really have
>time to read a Wendy fic when Lois and Clark are still in the cave, hiding
>from Trask and his buddies? <BEG>  I promise to send positive feedback if I
>can find out what happeded to them.
>
>Ann ( who really isn't pushing Erin -- I know that having babies thing
takes
>a lot of time.)

LOL!!  It's nice to hear you're still anxious to read 'Darkest Hour"!  As
soon
as my laptop gets fixed, I'll be able to finish it up, so stay tuned.  ;)

Now, I'm off to call and yell at the computer warranty dept. for the third
time in a week...  :P

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 Apr 2000 13:58:18 -0400
Reply-To:     Kath Roden <kmroden@hotmail.com>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Kath Roden <kmroden@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: SIP Connections - part 24
MIME-Version: 1.0
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Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

Carol,

Great section you can really feel the evil that is Nor... I liked the fact
that Clark 'jumped in' without checking the waters first.  Something he
accuses Lois of doing all too often,. <g>

Ok, More please...

Kath
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 13:09:48 -0500
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Lara Blasingame <larab@PWPL.COM>
Subject:      Re: fanfic criticism

I have to agree with Tank. Feedback is important to an author... whether
it's positive or negative. Negatives should be handled with care and tact.
This type of feedback helps an author decide ways in which to improve his
or her piece of fiction. Positive feedback gives the author a 'pat on the
back' and, in turn, usually encourages them to write more.

Lack of feedback is a toughy. I'm just as guilty as everyone else about not
taking a few moments to at least say 'Hey... you did a nice job. Thanks!'
Real life and lack of 'play' time usually interfere :( But... I'm trying to
be better about it! It's important!

I wrote a story recently that received very little feedback, and it was
posted on two different lists. I did post it during the Kerths and that
might have been a contributing factor... OR you might have just hated it!
I'll never really know and the lack of feedback has discouraged me a great
deal. I had hoped to write another story, but now I'm considering whether
it's worth my time. I don't want to sound like a spoilsport... I love this
community. I just have no frame or reference, and I wonder whether I should
put away my keyboard and resign myself to reading other author's efforts.

I don't think any author expects for everyone to like their work, but it's
nice to know if someone in cyberspace enjoys their efforts.

Lara (who really appreciates those who did send feedback... Thanks!)
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 13:13:17 -0500
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Lara Blasingame <larab@PWPL.COM>
Subject:      Re: NEW FANFIC: Hidden Treasures (10 of 10)

Hi Charlotte,

Thanks so much! I was beginning to wonder if anyone had read the story! LOL!
I appreciate your little note... more than words can say :)

Lara
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 13:19:00 -0500
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Amy Linnea Lauters <alauters@CSD.UWM.EDU>
Subject:      Re: NEW FANFIC: Hidden Treasures (10 of 10)
In-Reply-To:  <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L%2000040513131734@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

Lara,

I've been frantically busy, or I would have responded earlier. I
loved this story. I normally wait for stories to be posted to archive
before reading them, but this one grabbed me and I had to read it all. I
look forward to more from you.

Amy
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 11:31:44 -0700
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Nancy Smith <deimos1@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject:      Re: fanfic criticism/Hidden Treasures
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

Lara, I don't remember if I commented at the time or not, but I read the
story
and liked it.  (Life was extremely hectic about that time in my household,
believe me).  I sincerely hope you write more.  There can never be too many
fanfic authors.  Btw, the e-mail list doesn't generate as much feedback as
Zoom's message board.  That doesn't mean people aren't reading and enjoying
the
stories posted here.

Nan

Lara Blasingame wrote:

> I have to agree with Tank. Feedback is important to an author... whether
> it's positive or negative. Negatives should be handled with care and tact.
> This type of feedback helps an author decide ways in which to improve his
> or her piece of fiction. Positive feedback gives the author a 'pat on the
> back' and, in turn, usually encourages them to write more.
>
> Lack of feedback is a toughy. I'm just as guilty as everyone else about
not
> taking a few moments to at least say 'Hey... you did a nice job. Thanks!'
> Real life and lack of 'play' time usually interfere :( But... I'm trying
to
> be better about it! It's important!
>
> I wrote a story recently that received very little feedback, and it was
> posted on two different lists. I did post it during the Kerths and that
> might have been a contributing factor... OR you might have just hated it!
> I'll never really know and the lack of feedback has discouraged me a great
> deal. I had hoped to write another story, but now I'm considering whether
> it's worth my time. I don't want to sound like a spoilsport... I love this
> community. I just have no frame or reference, and I wonder whether I
should
> put away my keyboard and resign myself to reading other author's efforts.
>
> I don't think any author expects for everyone to like their work, but it's
> nice to know if someone in cyberspace enjoys their efforts.
>
> Lara (who really appreciates those who did send feedback... Thanks!)
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 11:52:58 -0700
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Judith Williams <judithwilliams@PRODIGY.NET>
Subject:      Re: (was RE: hey!)
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
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Wendy wrote:  Different tastes again... I love introspection, as I'm sure
> anyone who's waded through any of my long stories knows!
> Other than that, my favorite stories are ones which
> involve a combination of things: principally character
> development, some element of A-plot but not to the
> exclusion of character or B-plots, and I *love* angst.
> Happy or happy-ish endings are preferable, though!

Now, Wendy, you know I love your work as I have expressed to you several
times.  Introspection and angst are the sturm und drang (did I get that
right?) of  my most beloved reading.  I don't think your stories are in the
category of what I said I didn't like: "page after page etc...", so if that
was misconstrued , I apologize.  If you read further on in my missive you'll
note I said that I prefer stories that are 'character driven', so I don't
think our tastes are that far apart.   As I've said to you before, you are
on my short list of writers whose work I try to keep up with not 'wade
through'.

> Diversity makes this list, the archive and
> > America great>
> ... and other countries too, presumably? <g>

But of course.  I should have added 'the world and the universe.'  Jude
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 16:03:00 EDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Laurie Dunn <DUNNFOUR@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: (was RE: hey!)
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
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Hi, Erin;

Glad to hear you are doing fine... and that you can finish up "Darkest Hour"
soon.  It sounds to me as though you have the conclusion in your head and
just need to get it down.  I sure hope so.  We are waiting as patiently as
possible!
                                LaurieD
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 16:07:42 EDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Lansbury 1 <Lansbury1@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Dean Cain on Rosie Today
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
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Hi,

Coming out of lurkdom to tell you all I saw Dean Cain today on Rosie.
He is as handsome as ever. He talked about becoming a father and
doing 5 movies last year.  He, also, talked about constantly being
recognized as Superman no matter where he goes in the world.
He did say it had been 3 years since he last did the series and he
would do a Superman movie if asked.  But at this point he hasn't
been approached.  :(

Lansbury1
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 16:42:52 -0500
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         "Terry S. Horowit" <horowit@UMIACS.UMD.EDU>
Subject:      Re: NEW FANFIC: Hidden Treasures
In-Reply-To:  <Pine.OSF.3.96.1000405131737.8694B-100000@alpha1.csd.uwm.edu>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Lara,  I'm as guilty as everyone else who quietly read and enjoyed your new
story and didn't get around to posting feedback.  In fact, I very much
enjoyed your House of Lane (did I get the name right?) and when I saw that
the new one was a sequel to it, I perked right up and expected to like it
(which I did, very much).  Please don't be discouraged and please write
some more!
Terry
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 17:23:31 -0400
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Anita Hook <anitaah@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject:      Re: Dean Cain on Rosie Today
In-Reply-To:  <36.42cce34.261cf70e@aol.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Since some can't get to Zoom's board, here's what I posted a few minutes
ago.

Well here's my impressions from the interview.

I agree that he looked very relaxed and as handsome as ever.  I think
Rosie's show is a perfect vehicle for stars to appear on and talk about
what they want to.  So they talked about the things that he's interested in
right now.  Although he was very happy at the prospect of becoming a
father, he also reiterated that he wasn't happy about the circumstances,
but he didn't dwell on that aspect.  He just emphasized the positive
aspects. Rosie gave him a baby gift.

He talked about RBN, stuff we've all heard, except that he did say that the
show is now the most popular show on cable.  BHC was only briefly
mentioned.  The movie is going to be released in August and he promised
Rosie he would come back at that time to talk about it.

The most interesting thing he talked about, at least to me, was about the
talk about a new Superman movie.  Rosie mentioned it and he said that at
one time Nick Cage was cast as Superman with a script by Kevin Smith but WB
has dropped it.  She asked him if he would be interested and he gave an
enthusiastic yes. Sure sounds like he's campaigning and that fine by me.  I
would love to see him play Superman again.  No mention of who would play
Lois.  Of course we know who we want:)

All in all a very good interview that focused on things Dean wanted to
address.  The Superman movie talk struck me as the primary thing he wanted
to talk about.  Perhaps there's something going on at WB that gave him the
incentive to go public about it.  Maybe just maybe WB is getting the
message that the public doesn't want Cage to play the superhero.

Anyway, that's my initial reaction.

Regards
Anita
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 17:30:39 -0400
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         kubitc <kubitc@KENYON.EDU>
Subject:      Re: fanfic criticism
Mime-Version: 1.0
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Ann wrote:
>While the more established writers can probably take some constructive
>criticism, especially with regard to plot holes or characterizations on a
work >in progress, I am always aware that many writers are fairly young, and
even >more are fairly new to baring their souls in print or electronically.

Well, depending on your perspective, I might fall into the 'fairly young'
category (I'm 22) and most of the improvement in my writing has been due to
(polite) criticism, both in writing seminars and privately, from members of
this list.

Jude wrote:
>Neither would I  feel I should tell someone else that I disliked what they
>wrote.  I think it's the job of those who do a lot of writing and editing
to
>give that advice.

Does that mean you think it's not the place of anyone on this list to give
criticism, or that you don't feel comfortable doing it, but think other,
more
experienced writer and editor members of the list might?

Kristin wrote:
>If I don't like a story I think it is very bad manners to tell an author
that. >For every person who dislikes the story there are at least 10 others
who love >it. Everyone's tastes vary so I don't think it is any of my
business
to pop the >writer's bubble.

Maybe I shouldn't have phrased my email with "like" and "dislike," as I
could
probably find an aspect of every story that I like, and an aspect that I
dislike. However, I couldn't, and still can't, think of accurate substitutes
(some writer I am ;) But if you don't give a writer constructive criticism,
who will? What if the writer is in a "bubble" of dillusion, thinking that
her
writing is perfect, when in fact there are several places where her writing
needs work, and if only she knew that, she might write even better stories?

>That writer put so much time and effort into creating a good fic which
really
>entertained me and I appreciate that so I write them. But that's just MHO.

Just to play devil's advocate here, doesn't a writer who has put so much
time
and effort into her story deserve a reader's honest criticsm?

Hazel wrote:
>At the same time, though, I will admit to a bit of disappointment re this
list. >[snip] I realize that the general ban on such constructive criticism
was formed >to protect those who wouldn't be able to handle it, and I
understand it; but I >also regret it.

I agree here, and I confess that this is one of my motivations for the
original question. I recently read the Neil Simon autobiography "Rewrites,"
(a
fabulous book, BTW), and he said that all he needs are two readers of the
rough drafts of his plays: the most intelligent person he knows, and the
most
honest. Where do you writers go when you want your story really critiqued,
if
that doesn't happen on this list? (Even as I ask this, I'm guessing that the
answer might be Zoom's message boards, which I will hopefully have time to
frequent after my graduation next month :)

Nicole wrote:
>For me writing is something very personal, I fall in love with my story, I
>loose the distance to it and I start to think that it is the most
interesting
>story I've ever read. [snip] When I give my story to the reader, I want
them
to >understand what I felt writing the story.

I understand and agree with this sentiment, but for me, however, it's a
reason
behind wanting polite constructive criticism. Because I've put so much of
myself into a story, I want to be sure readers are getting out of it what I
put in. I want to know that my message isn't getting lost in a minefield of
bad characterization, plot holes, or unrealistic dialog. I want to be
reassured when it works, and shown where it doesn't so that I can fix it.

Tank wrote:
>As someone who writes strictly for the feedback

This intrigues me. Does that mean you personally don't hold opinions on your
won stories, or that you wait until the verdict's in to decide whether the
story worked, or am I misunderstanding? (I write mostly for myself; if I
wrote
strictly for feedback, I'm sure I would've quit long ago.)

Ray wrote:
>I hope this provides some answers to your question. I've always enjoyed
your
>work and I find questions on the list about feedback always generate such
great >discussion that I felt I had to respond.

Thank you, and I definitely appreciate your emails regarding my stories. The
posts so far have really clarified what others expect to get from this list,
which I think is interesting. Well, I was planning on reading through all
the
posts on this topic before responding, but it's taken me a while already,
and
I have a rough draft of my thesis due tomorrow (ack!) Thanks to everyone who
responded so far.

Christy
kubitc@kenyon.edu

"I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free."
-Michaelangelo
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 17:32:42 -0400
Reply-To:     Kath Roden <kmroden@hotmail.com>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Kath Roden <kmroden@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Dean Cain on Rosie Today
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
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From: Anita Hook <anitaah@EARTHLINK.NET>

> Since some can't get to Zoom's board, here's what I posted a few minutes
ago.

Good idea Anita <g>

> I agree that he looked very relaxed and as handsome as ever.

LOL! When doesn't he!!  Of course, I'm biased... ;^)

> He talked about RBN, stuff we've all heard, except that he did say that
the
> show is now the most popular show on cable.  BHC was only briefly
> mentioned.

I was surprised that no clips were on.  From either Ripley's or Broken
Hearts... Strange.

> The most interesting thing he talked about, at least to me, was about the
> talk about a new Superman movie.

I definitely agree on this...  He seemed to know a great deal about the
project... I would *love* to see him back in tights!

KathR
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 17:52:45 -0400
Reply-To:     Kath Roden <kmroden@hotmail.com>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Kath Roden <kmroden@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: fanfic criticism
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

I have on occasion, sent comments as 'negative' feedback.  I try not to be
hurtful when doing so, because I have a great respect for those who are able
to create worlds and scenarios through words.  Something I have no ability
to do.  However, I *do* read a lot of the stories and I *do* have an opinion
about them.

If I absolutely dislike a story, I may not comment at all, but not all
stories I've read I comment on.  So if I haven't given feedback on a story
it could be that I haven't yet read it, or I want to see how it develops
before I comment, or that it's not the type of story I would like to read.
I don't like deathfic's, nor will I read any story where Lois and Clark are
not together or drawn toward each other. (i.e. first season)  I like
pre-wedding stories, alt-stories and revelations the best, but that's
doesn't preclude my reading or enjoying any other types.

But I *do* feel that if an author has taken the time to write a story, and
then posts it *asking* for comments, then they deserve to hear the opinions
from their readers.  If I like something, I'll point it out and if I think
that they are not true to their characters...well, I'll point that out too.
The author has the right to disagree with me and that's fine too.  But
again, I agree that you need to be mindful of the writers feelings.

KathR
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 14:59:33 -0700
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Judith Williams <judithwilliams@PRODIGY.NET>
Subject:      Re: fanfic criticism
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
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Christy asked:
Jude wrote:
> >Neither would I  feel I should tell someone else that I disliked what
they
> >wrote.  I think it's the job of those who do a lot of writing and editing
to
> >give that advice.
>
> Does that mean you think it's not the place of anyone on this list to give
> criticism, or that you don't feel comfortable doing it, but think other,
more
> experienced writer and editor members of the list might?

To clarify, Christy, I think those who are comfortable and qualified to
criticise should do so.  I don't like critics who just slam but like those
who provide feedback that enlightens as to what's good and what needs
improving.  Since my writing repertoire is practically zero, I don't think
I've shown that I'm qualified to tell anyone else what to do, but I think
that there are good experienced writers and editors on this list who can
provide guidance with objectivity which is what writers need in order to
improve. Jude (stepping from her soapbox and returning to lurkdom)
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 17:04:47 -0500
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Wendy Richards <wendy@KINGSMEADOWCR.FREESERVE.CO.UK>
Subject:      Re: (was RE: hey!)

On Wed, 5 Apr 2000 11:52:58 -0700, Judith Williams
<judithwilliams@PRODIGY.NET> wrote:

>Now, Wendy, you know I love your work as I have expressed to you several
>times.  Introspection and angst are the sturm und drang (did I get that
>right?) of  my most beloved reading.

Aww... thanks, Jude! :blush  Seriously, I may well have misunderstood you,
and I hope you don't think my post was criticising you - if you did, it
serves me right for replying to a debate after spending six hours of my day
in a tedious departmental meeting with argumentative male colleagues! :P~~~

I just used your post as a lead-in to giving my own answer to the question
posed by... whoever started this interesting debate. (Sorry, can't remember
now!)

> As I've said to you before, you are on my short list of writers whose
> work I try to keep up with not 'wade through'.

Perhaps I should explain that, as I'm sure some people will be able to
attest, my reference to readers 'wading through' my long stories is just my
habitual way of commenting on my work, and not at all a reference to
anything you said. :)  (Yvonne, Rat, Erin, back me up here! <bg>)

Wendy
(who perhaps should shut up now!)
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 18:16:04 -0400
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Gerry Anklewicz <Gerry_Anklewicz@NYNET.NYBE.ON.CA>
Subject:      Re: fanfic criticism
In-Reply-To:  <000f01bf9f4a$3baaaa60$8bf8fd3f@v1t9j4>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit

Jude wrote:
> Since my writing repertoire is practically zero, I don't think
>I've shown that I'm qualified to tell anyone else what to do, but I think
>that there are good experienced writers and editors on this list who can
>provide guidance with objectivity which is what writers need in order to
>improve.

I disagree with you Jude.  I think that your qualifications as an
experienced reader gives you the background to offer helpful criticism.
You know what you like and dislike; you know what works in a story.  You
can share this information with a writer.  We write for the readers, not
for the writers.

Gerry
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 17:35:18 -0500
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Wendy Richards <wendy@KINGSMEADOWCR.FREESERVE.CO.UK>
Subject:      Re: NEW FANFIC: Hidden Treasures

On Wed, 5 Apr 2000 16:42:52 -0500, Terry S. Horowit
<horowit@UMIACS.UMD.EDU> wrote:

>Lara,  I'm as guilty as everyone else who quietly read and enjoyed your new
>story and didn't get around to posting feedback.  In fact, I very much
>enjoyed your House of Lane (did I get the name right?) and when I saw that
>the new one was a sequel to it, I perked right up and expected to like it
>(which I did, very much).  Please don't be discouraged and please write
>some more!

'The House of... Lane' was my story, and Lara's HoL rewrite was 'Revisiting
the House of Luthor' (did *I* get it right, Lara? <g>); and Lara, I told
you at the time that I loved your original story! I did think your
following on Zoom's boards was very encouraging, though commentary on the
boards was down anyway because it was Kerth time. I enjoyed HT very much,
in case you didn't get that message over on the boards!

Wendy
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 06:54:38 -0600
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Debby <Debby@SWCP.COM>
Subject:      Story ideas
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Story ideas might be found at...

*---------------------------------------------------------------*
* Project Censored Online http://www.projectcensored.org *
*     Come and join our listserv for Censored Story updates     *
*---------------------------------------------------------------*

where they have a new top 25 censored stories.

Debby
Debby@swcp.com
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 16:52:38 -0600
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Debby <Debby@SWCP.COM>
Subject:      Re: Removal of stories from the archive
In-Reply-To:  <b2.36fc344.261c0257@aol.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

At 10:43 PM 04/04/2000 -0400, you wrote:
>In a message dated 4/4/00 8:22:56 PM Eastern Daylight Time, Debby@SWCP.COM
>writes:
>
><< rich text format" document, i.e., enhanced
> text. >>
>
>What exactly does this mean?  Whenever I try to download or print things in
>this format, I wind up with lines ending in the middle of words, lines with
>one word on them, and all sorts of weird things.
>
>Ann

Hmmm... did you pull it up in a wordprocessing program (Word or WordPerfect
for
Windows, for example?) (I don't know about Macs).

Here's my solution. I'm putting both .txt and .rtf *zipped* (to save space)
forms on my site. .txt can be red on most any machine (like Macs) and each
line
has a hard returns and *stars* around all italicized words (even newspaper
names). .rtf keeps formatting, like italic and true centering as well as the
font (in this case Courier) and can usually be read by PC (and other?)
windows
wordprocessing programs (Word & WordPerfect for Windows, for example).

Debby
Debby@swcp.com
tp://ftp.swcp.com/pub/users/dstark/Stories/Dawning
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 19:05:56 EDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Tank Wilson <TankW1@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Christy's comments to Tank
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

Christy, since you seemed a bit uncertain as to what I meant when I said "I
write strictly for the feedback"  I thought I'd clarify it for you.  I know
I've mentioned this on the boards before, but I don't write for myself.  I
very much enjoy the creative process in working out a story in my head, and
I
love to see if I can come up with a new angle or twist on things.  But I
find
the physical act of typing quite boring so if it wasn't for an audience, I
wouldn't write.

That's why I need the feedback.  I need to know there are some folks out
there reading my stuff and I want to know what they think.  Even negative
crits let me know someone is out there.  The constructive (in lieu of
negative) crits help you improve your writing, while the positive ones help
keep you writing.

The main reason I post to Zoom's board first is because of the terrific
feedback I get there.  It's both immediate and often comprehensive.  I have
found that this list and particularly the archives don't engender a lot of
responses from people.  (but I still believe all L&C fanfics belong there).
Of course, I realize there is a lot of overlap.

I'm not the kind who can write a story, look it over, and put it away in a
drawer.  That's not to say that I can't be passionate about the content of
one of my stories.  I have liked all the stories I've written, or I wouldn't
have written them.  But, the bottom line is, if I didn't think I'd get any
feedback, if people didn't tell me what they think,  I wouldn't write them.

Tank
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 19:06:35 -0400
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Pam Jernigan <jernigan@BELLSOUTH.NET>
Organization: http://www.geocities.com/~chiefpam/
Subject:      Re: SIP Connections - part 24
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

Carol,

My brain is too fried right now to offer anything more constructive
than:  "Good story.  Want more."

Maybe next time... <sigh>  I am definitely loving this one...
--
---
Pam Jernigan  / ChiefPam  /  jernigan@bellsouth.net
http://www.geocities.com/~chiefpam

"Why else do all the stories *end* when the Count's daughter gets
married?  Hasn't that ever struck you as a bit sinister?  I mean, have
you ever read a folk tale where the Princess's mother gets to do
anything but die young?  I've never been able to figure out if that's
supposed to be a warning, or an instruction."
--A Civil Campaign, by Lois McMaster Bujold.
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 19:50:02 -0400
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Pam Jernigan <jernigan@BELLSOUTH.NET>
Organization: http://www.geocities.com/~chiefpam/
Subject:      Re: fanfic criticism
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

This has been a fascinating thread, and my life has been insane these
last few days or I'd have jumped in earlier.

What I like to read... I like stories where Lois & Clark seem in
character, first of all (I say 'seem' because I mean, I want the
author's vision to mesh with mine, and to an extent that's a perception
issue rather than reality).  I do *not* like excessive amounts of angst
(*especially* if the circumstances seem contrived -- tearjerkers just
make me mad) -- I can deal with a little of it, but I'm impatient to get
past it to the happy stuff. :)  Personally, I love revelation stories
<g> and I love reading about moments of joy...

I'm not reading fanfic to discover the secrets of the universe, I'm
reading it to add enjoyment to my mundane life.  Which is probably why
I'm not all that keen on stories of L&C pregnant or with kids ... I've
got two small kids at the moment; I read fiction to get *away* from that
reality! <g>  Plus a lot of (not all!) "Lois-gets-pregnant" stories seem
to be written by people who've never been pregnant, and who get a lot of
details wrong, which detracts from the story.

What do I do when I read a story I don't like, or which is badly
written?  I generally close the file and move on -- just because I don't
like it doesn't mean it's bad.  If I know the author or if he/she is
asking for feedback, I might try to ask for some clarification in some
areas, or offer helpful hints -- I *always* try to include positive
points.  It is a tricky thing, though, because it is **so** easy to take
criticism much more personally than it may be intended.  And since we're
not talking face-to-face, we can misread each other -- I recently was
discussing a work in progress on Zoom's message boards, and didn't find
out until a little too late that the authors were fed up with my
comments, when I'd thought they were fine.  I still regret that.

The best way to get constructive criticism, IMO, is from trusted
friends/reviewers, not from a big group.  When one person in a group
offers constructive comments, and gets flamed by another member, it
tends to shut us all up, because we just don't know who's going to be
okay with comments, and who's going to be hurt -- we're all nice people
here, we don't deliberately set out to hurt people's feelings.  I think
that's why this list is so bare of critique.  Even when people say they
want honest comments, you're never quite sure.... (oy, my grammar...)
But when it's a close friend saying "Okay, this part was good, but
you're getting off track over here" it's a lot easier to handle, because
you know this person, you respect his/her opinion, you know where you
both stand on characterization issues, and you know that he/she is just
trying to help you out.

I personally want honest critiques -- I may wince when I read them, I
may have to take a few days to calm myself down before I reply <g> but
in my experience, there is *always* something of value there (even if it
reveals to me that I completely failed to communicate my point).  Of
course, it probably helps that I'm obnoxiously self-confident. <g>  I
love my own stories (or else why would I write them?) but I'm not blind
to their flaws.  I know I'm not writing "literature" or art for art's
sake -- this is entertainment.  And it should be *good* entertainment,
so I want to improve my writing skills.

I said in an earlier e-mail that my brain is fried, and now I  know it's
true... oh well, I hope something that I said made sense and contributed
in some way... I may try again later, so beware ;)
--
---
Pam Jernigan  / ChiefPam  /  jernigan@bellsouth.net
http://www.geocities.com/~chiefpam

"Why else do all the stories *end* when the Count's daughter gets
married?  Hasn't that ever struck you as a bit sinister?  I mean, have
you ever read a folk tale where the Princess's mother gets to do
anything but die young?  I've never been able to figure out if that's
supposed to be a warning, or an instruction."
--A Civil Campaign, by Lois McMaster Bujold.
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 16:55:40 PDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         "StarKitty :)" <starkitty__@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Clark's character WAS Baron Sunday
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed

Ooh, do I smell an episode rewrite?  :)

Tara

>
>I agree completely with the need for more backstory to make this episode
>not
>only
>work but be believable.  The way it was written, I couldn't help but
>wonder if Baron Sunday was really so innocent as he is made out to have
>been
>at the time, but that possibility isn't touched on at all.  We're supposed
>to
>accept that
>the actions of the three, Clark and the two NIA agents/gun runners were
>able to frame an innocent man and get a reporter - even an unseasoned one
>- to believe their lie .... Oh, never mind.
>
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 20:45:04 EDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         "Lorie Y. Crisp" <SuperLorie@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: hey!
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

Welcome to the list Lanna!  I myself am not an author, just a reader, and I
certainly enjoy the list!  Hope you do too!!

SuperLorie :-)
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 21:10:00 -0500
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         "Terry S. Horowit" <horowit@UMIACS.UMD.EDU>
Subject:      Re: NEW FANFIC: Hidden Treasures
In-Reply-To:  <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L%2000040517351876@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

>On Wed, 5 Apr 2000 16:42:52 -0500, Terry S. Horowit
><horowit@UMIACS.UMD.EDU> wrote:
>
>>Lara,  I'm as guilty as everyone else who quietly read and enjoyed your
new
>>story and didn't get around to posting feedback.  In fact, I very much
>>enjoyed your House of Lane (did I get the name right?) and when I saw that
>>the new one was a sequel to it, I perked right up and expected to like it
>>(which I did, very much).  Please don't be discouraged and please write
>>some more!
>
>
>'The House of... Lane' was my story, and Lara's HoL rewrite was 'Revisiting
>the House of Luthor' (did *I* get it right, Lara? <g>); and Lara, I told
>you at the time that I loved your original story! I did think your
>following on Zoom's boards was very encouraging, though commentary on the
>boards was down anyway because it was Kerth time. I enjoyed HT very much,
>in case you didn't get that message over on the boards!
>
>
>Wendy

Oops...  Well, Lara, you can take it as a compliment that I would get your
story confused with a Wendy Richards masterpiece!!  And Wendy, I don't
think I've given YOU enough feedback as to just how much enjoyment I derive
from your wonderful epics.  Other than the confusion over names, though, I
stand by the rest of my post - by whichever name, I enjoyed both of your
stories very much, Lara, and will happily read your next.  Even if I DO
forget to say so in the future...
Terry (who really should get back to cleaning her kitchen for Passover...)
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 21:12:33 -0500
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Kathy Brown <kathybrown91@HOME.COM>
Subject:      Re: Removal of stories from the archive

On Wed, 5 Apr 2000 16:52:38 -0600, Debby <Debby@SWCP.COM> wrote:
>><< rich text format" document, i.e., enhanced
>> text. >>

>Hmmm... did you pull it up in a wordprocessing program (Word or WordPerfect
>for
>Windows, for example?) (I don't know about Macs).

If you have MS Word, you can read RTF (and save files as such) files, no
matter whether you have the Windows or Mac version.  I don't have experience
with other word processing programs, but I would assume that any of the
major
ones would also be able to read RTF files.

Rich Text Formatting is a way of formatting a file so that it can be read by
other word processors (not just Word or whatever program you created the
file
in).  Some things specific to Word might be lost (though I'm not sure
exactly
what!) but it somehow makes it easier for other word processors to read the
file.

Kathy
kathybrown91@home.com
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 22:37:38 EDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         "C.C. Malo" <Ccmalo@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: SIP Connections - part 24
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

Kath and Pam, thanks for the feedback.  It means a lot.

Carol
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 21:47:39 -0500
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Kathy Brown <kathybrown91@HOME.COM>
Subject:      Re: Clark's character WAS Baron Sunday

On Wed, 5 Apr 2000 08:54:50 EDT, Charlotte Fisler <Cdfisler@AOL.COM> wrote:

>>Me neither, but in Baron Sunday, he's not just imperfect,
>he's mixed up in a shady operation in which he willingly/eagerly
participated
>>because he's so anxious for a story.

He willingly and eagerly participated in a shady operation because he had
*no
idea* it was shady.  He was convinced he was doing a great thing, exposing a
great wrong.  Now whether he should have known he was being duped is
arguable
(though this is where I would go into my Tireless Defender *Against* Saint
Clark mode ...), but to imply he was an equal participant, instead of
another
one of the victims, is unfair and misleading.

> At the very least I would have expected
>him to consult with his folks about this, before swallowing the line the
>other two gave him.

Why in the world would he consult his parents about an investigation over a
thousand miles away?  Number one, they aren't professional reporters or
investigators, nor did they know anything about the situation, and number
two, as a young reporter excited to be getting his first big story, Clark
was
likely trying to "grow up" a bit, to make it on his own.  Besides, given the
way Clark was taken in, by professionals, any information he'd have given to
his parents would be biased, since Clark himself believed it to be true.

(And yes, I'm also someone who believes too many fanfics make Clark out to
be
just a wee bit *too* close to his parents. ;))

> And where the heck were his Superpowers that
>the two could put something over on Clark Kent so easily without him
>having a clue that he'd been duped - at the time and for years afterward.

Afterwards, he didn't give it another thought, since until Sunday gave his
side of the story, Clark had no reason to believe that his work was anything
other than helpful.  He thought he had exposed a drug running ring, and was
proud of it. Why would he continue to investigate?

As for using his super-powers all those years ago, I don't think there is an
answer, since we don't know what exactly was going on.  But I think Clark
made it clear that he didn't investigate deeply himself -- again, he knows
now that he *should* have, but he was young and inexperienced and believed
what he was told -- and he would do things differently now.

>I agree completely with the need for more backstory to make this episode
not
>only
>work but be believable.  The way it was written, I couldn't help but
>wonder if Baron Sunday was really so innocent as he is made out to have
been
>at the time, but that possibility isn't touched on at all.

I agree with the earlier post -- this sounds like a great premise for a
rewrite or follow up fanfic!

 We're supposed to
>accept that
>the actions of the three, Clark and the two NIA agents/gun runners were
>able to frame an innocent man and get a reporter - even an unseasoned one
>- to believe their lie ....

Another contradiction, though ... is Clark actively part of the frame up
(implied in the first half of the sentence), or is he a reporter who just
believed/printed what he thought was the truth (the second half)?  I think
lumping Clark in with the two NIA agents as equally guilty is unfair.

>Baron Sunday just doesn't hang together believably based on Clark as a
human
>being and that's what I can't forgive the writers for - not Clark making an
>error.

I do agree that Clark not feeling worse about his role is arguably out of
character, but I'm not sold that his being duped in the first place is.

All in all, I'm definitely in the camp that likes my Clark to *not* be
perfect.  He's so much more appealing as someone who makes mistakes ... a
real human being, with problems and insecurities ... and hat hair. <bg>

Kathy ("I do not have hat hair!" <g>)

kathybrown91@home.com
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 21:56:43 -0500
Reply-To:     truitt22@flash.net
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         timothy truitt <truitt22@FLASH.NET>
Organization: tnt technical services
Subject:      Re: (was RE: hey!)
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Erin
glad to see your still here - hope the baby comes soon - also hope you
finish your
story soon
merry

Erin Klingler wrote:

> Ann wrote:
> >Erin, it's nice to see that you are still around <g>
>
> Thank you!  ;)  As Lois said in Just Say Noah, "I'd like to feel wanted."
<g>
> Yes, I'm still around, though my laptop screen has all but died and I'm
> waiting for the company to get it's act together so I can get it fixed.
In
> the meantime, I'm on limited email access and computer use.  And for those
of
> you interested, no...no baby yet, despite being officially due in three
days.
> With all the preterm labor scares, it seems he's finally decided he likes
it
> where he is and so I'll probably be pregnant for the next, ohhh...3 years.
> <g>
>
> >but do you really have
> >time to read a Wendy fic when Lois and Clark are still in the cave,
hiding
> >from Trask and his buddies? <BEG>  I promise to send positive feedback if
I
> >can find out what happeded to them.
> >
> >Ann ( who really isn't pushing Erin -- I know that having babies thing
takes
> >a lot of time.)
>
> LOL!!  It's nice to hear you're still anxious to read 'Darkest Hour"!  As
soon
> as my laptop gets fixed, I'll be able to finish it up, so stay tuned.  ;)
>
> Now, I'm off to call and yell at the computer warranty dept. for the third
> time in a week...  :P
>
> 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 Apr 2000 22:13:32 -0500
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Kathy Brown <kathybrown91@HOME.COM>
Subject:      Getting honest critiques (was Re: fanfic criticism

On Wed, 5 Apr 2000 17:30:39 -0400, kubitc <kubitc@KENYON.EDU> wrote:

> Where do you writers go when you want your story really critiqued, if
>that doesn't happen on this list? (Even as I ask this, I'm guessing that
the
>answer might be Zoom's message boards, which I will hopefully have time to
>frequent after my graduation next month :)

Actually, while others certainly get their feedback on Zoom's MB, I don't
fall in that category; I just don't have time to frequent them (though if
anyone wants to take over the Archive from me, I might find the time ;)).

When I want my story really critiqued, I send it out to a list of people
whom
I have come to know will give me honest, detailed feedback.  Over my four
years in FoLCdom, I have come to know a large number of fanfic writers/
readers/editors, and I also have come to learn which ones I can count on for
which kinds of feedback. Some are wonderful when I just need to hear "this
is
great; keep going!!"  But they aren't the same ones who are going to tell me
"okay, you lost me here ... what in the world are you trying to say?" or
"you
make this plot point out to be a major one in the beginning of the story,
but
you don't live up to that in the rest of the story -- you've dropped the
ball
here!"  I find both kinds of feedback to be valuable, but while the former
is
good for my ego, the latter is better for the story. <g>  (That's also not
to
say that the list of editors is static -- I'm working with someone for the
first time on a story in progress, and it's been very rewarding.)

Only then, after the story is done and has been looked at by a few different
sets of eyes, and all typos have been corrected (at least as many as we can
find; there are *always* typos that get missed, and I honestly don't think
it's a good use of anyone's time to correct the occasional typo on the
Archive -- if we did that, we'd be replacing a thousand text files;
everyone,
however, is free to correct any typos they find on their own saved copy.
;)),
do I start sending the story out to this list, and after making any
additional corrections that turn out to be needed, to the Archive.

All that said, however, I have absolutely no problem with anyone using this
fanfic listserv to obtain honest, constructive criticism.  I would encourage
anyone to put a tag on the top of their story post saying that they want
honest feedback! (I also wish people would not get defensive when they get
the constructive criticism they asked for, but that's just me. ;))

Kathy
kathybrown91@home.com
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 23:24:06 EDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         "Lorie Y. Crisp" <SuperLorie@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: NEW STORY:  Vanishing Act  Part 2
MIME-Version: 1.0
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So far, this is a great story! I can't wait to read more, Nan!

SuperLorie :-)
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 23:25:26 EDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         "Lorie Y. Crisp" <SuperLorie@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Wednesday's Child Part 3
MIME-Version: 1.0
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ok, ok.....i'm freaking out because Lois is pregnant with Luthor's
baby.....But it's a good story in spite of that. I can't wait to see how
this
one ends......lol

SuperLorie :-)
=========================================================================
Date:         Wed, 5 Apr 2000 20:36:35 -0700
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Nancy Smith <deimos1@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject:      NEW STORY:  Vanishing Act  Part 3
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Vanishing Act  Part 3
by Nan Smith

"Superman took her to the hospital," Lois concluded to the young officer
who was taking her statement.  A second cop was examining the ominous
pool of blood on the pavement ten feet ahead of the Jeep.  CJ fussed
unhappily in the rear seat.

"You're sure you saw their faces?" the officer asked, doubtfully.

"Yes, how many times do I have to tell you?  I saw one from a distance
and the guy with the knife up close...just inches away," Lois said,
impatiently.

The officer looked thoughtfully at her expanded middle.  "Would you
recognize them if you saw them again?"

Lois nodded vigorously.  "You bet I would.  I could paint their pictures
for you--if I could paint."  She rubbed her back.  "Do you mind if I sit
back down, officer?  My back and feet don't like this very much."

"Sure, go ahead..."  He broke off as Superman touched down next to the
Jeep.

"Officer."  Superman greeted him pleasantly and turned instantly to his
wife.  "Are you all right, Lois?"

"Yeah, fine, except that my groceries are melting while I'm standing
here talking," she said, acidly.  "Officer Atkins here doesn't seem to
believe I saw what I saw."  A little of the shock had begun to wear off,
leaving irritation in its wake.

A shadow of a grin twitched his lips, then he turned to the police
officer.  "If Ms. Lane said she saw the woman stabbed, then that's what
she saw," he said.  "Do you need her any more?"

"I'm afraid so," the man said.  "If she saw the crime committed, and the
face of the killer..."

"Not yet," Superman interjected.  "The victim's still alive.  I took her
to Metro General's emergency room."

"Still, Ms. Lane claims she saw their faces.  We'll need as thorough a
description as possible--and there's a police artist on duty tonight."

Superman glanced at Lois.  "All right.  May I speak to Ms. Lane
privately?"

"Sure."  The man moved away to confer with his companion.

Clark opened the Jeep door for Lois and leaned toward her.  "Why don't
you drive over there with CJ, Lois," he suggested, sounding amused.
"I'll take the ice cream home, put it away and meet you at the station."

 ******************

An hour of meticulous description and exasperated outbursts later, Lois
rubbed her eyes.

"To think," she said, "that all I wanted was to get a half gallon of ice
cream."  She winced slightly and put a hand to her middle.  "Ouch."

Clark glanced nervously at her.  "Are you sure you're okay?  That's the
second of those in forty-five minutes."

"I suppose you've been counting?" she asked.

He nodded.

Superman had arrived, given his statement and left shortly afterwards.
Ten minutes later, Clark Kent had turned up, looking for his wife.  Now
he glanced across the room to where a pair of female officers were
entertaining an increasingly sleepy CJ, then at the police artist.  "Is
she done?"

The man nodded.  "I think so."

Clark turned to give Lois a hand out of the chair.  "In that case, I
think we'll go home."  He accepted his son from one of the women.
"Thank you."

"He certainly looks like you, Mr. Kent," Officer Anderson remarked.
"How old is he?"

"Eleven months," Clark said.  "Come on, buddy, let's take Mommy home.  I
think she's had enough for one evening."

As they left, his super-hearing caught a remark by Officer Anderson and
he felt himself flush.  Lois noticed.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Clark, you're blushing."

He shrugged uncomfortably.  "Anderson said something about me not
wasting any time."

"Huh?"

"With CJ eleven months old, and you obviously..."

"Oh."  Lois chuckled softly.  "Well, at least you're getting a good
reputation."

"Lo-is!"

She giggled and then winced.  "Ow."

"Are you okay?"

She glanced down at her rounded abdomen.  "Yeah.  That hurt a little."

"Was it a contraction?"

She hesitated.  "I'm not sure."

"You suppose this could be ‘it'?"

"Maybe.  Or it could just be false labor again."

Clark swallowed, surprised to discover that he was nervous.  True, as
Superman he had helped deliver a number of babies, but it had never been
*his* baby, or *his* wife before.

"Well," he said, "I guess we'll just have to wait and see, huh?"

She looked nervously up at him.  "I guess so."

An hour later she'd had two more contractions, but an hour after that
there had been only one, and by one AM it was obvious that they were
becoming farther and farther apart.

Lois was almost in tears.  Clark sighed.  "Another dry run."

"Oh, Clark, I know I'm going to be pregnant forever!" she wailed.

He put his arms around her.  "Remember what they said in childbirth
classes, honey.  It's your body's way of practicing for the real thing.
It means it's getting close."

"Everyone's been saying that for the last two weeks," Lois said,
crossly.  "It's never going to happen!  Maybe Kryptonian pregnancies
last for a couple of years, like elephants, or something.  Who knows how
long this could go on?"

He tried to look sympathetic, but the last statement was too much and a
chuckle escaped.  Lois glared at him.  "I suppose you think it's funny!"

"No," he denied, shaking his head.  "Not really.  It's just when you say
things like that--"

She sighed.  "I know you're right, Clark, but it seems like forever!"

"I know," he said, sympathetically.  "And I know how uncomfortable you
are, or I'd suggest a fun way they told us about to try to stimulate
labor.  But really, it can't go on much longer, honey."  He dropped a
kiss on the top of her head.  "Can I get you some ice cream?"

Lois brightened.  "That really does sound good.  With fudge sauce."

"How did I know you were going to say that?"

"Well, Kryptonians *are* telepathic, or so I'm told.  And after I've
finished the ice cream, we can talk about stimulating labor.  You know,
I'd put up with just about any--um--inconvenience if I thought it might
hurry things along a bit..."

*******************

"Hey, Lane!" Ralph said as they emerged from the elevator at nine
o'clock the next morning.  "We all thought for sure this was it!"  He
unwisely reached out to pat her on the tummy.  "When are you going to
have that kid, anyhow?"

If looks could have killed, the one Lois turned on him would have left
him stretched lifeless upon the ground.  Clark answered him.  "When it's
ready.  But if you want to live to see it, I'd move that hand, if I were
you."

Ralph hastily pulled back his hand.  Perry White, who had been a silent
observer to the minor drama, now spoke up.  "What happened, Clark?"

Clark sighed.  "We were up late with false labor."

"Oh."  Perry nodded, sagely.  "Yeah, I remember that.  Alice had it most
of the last month with our first.  Hang in there, kids; it'll happen
pretty soon.  Now, any more information on that mugging last night?"

"Not yet, Chief," Clark said.  "We're going to give them a call in a few
minutes."  He took Lois's coat, hung it on the rack for her, and went to
his desk.  After a moment, he made a trip to the coffee machine and
returned with a chocolate frosted doughnut for his wife.

Lois took it and glanced up at him with a smile.  "Thanks, honey.  You
don't really have to be so nice to me, you know."

"Yes, I do," he said in her ear.  "I got you into this."

"I seem to recall I wasn't exactly objecting," she said.  "But thanks
for the doughnut."

He chuckled softly.  "I guess you're feeling better this morning, then?"

She nodded and smiled around the mouthful of chocolate doughnut.  "Your
therapy was pretty effective."

"Any time," he said.  "I'm going to make that call to my contact, now.
Let's see if they've found out who the victim was."

Five minutes later he returned to Lois's desk.  "I got an update on the
stabbing," he said.  "The victim was Mary Brett. *Detective* Mary
Brett.  She's one of Henderson's people."

"A police detective?"

Clark nodded.  "She was due to report in day before yesterday, but
didn't, then she showed up last night--and you saved her life."

"What was she doing there--does anyone know?"

Clark shook his head.  "Marv didn't know, or wouldn't say.  He did say
she's in critical condition, but they think she'll make it.  Henderson
is livid, though."

"I'll bet."

"Lois!  Clark!"  Perry's voice reverberated over the noise of the busy
newsroom.  "In my office, now!"

Clark gave his wife a hand out of her chair and together they went into
their boss's office.  He gestured them to chairs.

"I just got a call from Bill Henderson.  He wants us to hold any
follow-ups on the stabbing story from last night, Lois."

"Why am I not surprised?" Lois asked rhetorically.

"Does it have anything to do with the victim being a police officer,
Chief?" Clark asked.

Perry raised an eyebrow at him.  "How'd you know that?  No, never mind.
Yeah.  She was involved in a pretty sensitive case, and Henderson thinks
her cover was somehow blown.  She's been able to tell them a
little--apparently she was trying to make it to a police station when
the bad guys caught up with her.  Henderson says he wants them to think
she's dead--that their operation is still safe."

"What was the investigation?" Lois asked.

"He wouldn't say.  He did say he owed you one, though."

"That's a lot of help," Lois grumbled.

"So we kill the story?" Clark asked.

"No, we just sit on it for awhile.  Henderson promised the Planet an
exclusive if it pans out.  I guess it's his way of saying thanks to
Lois."

Lois looked somewhat mollified.  "I guess that's fair.  Kind of.  It
wasn't that big a story the way it was, anyhow."

"My view exactly," Perry said.

Clark nodded.  "Okay, I guess we do it his way.  Uh, Chief, Lois and I
wanted to tell you we've got a lead on another story right now.  Unless
you really need us, we're going to be busy for the rest of the day."

Perry raised an eyebrow.  "Anything you want to tell me about?"

They looked at each other.  "Um," Clark said, "well, it involves a
series of unexplained disappearances of co-eds from NTSU.  Seven in the
last two months, and the last one was night before last.  Superman found
some evidence of kidnapping, yesterday."

"Say no more," Perry waved his hands at them.  "Get going!  Just be sure
you bring me back a story!"

****************

"Sure," Bobby said.  His voice sounded muffled as if he was speaking
through a mouthful of food.  "I was gonna phone you right after lunch.
I did some askin' around after you called me yesterday.  There's a bunch
of guys, see, who moved in two, three months ago.  They were operating
down south, but things got too hot for ‘em."

"And?" Lois said.

"Sheesh!  Have some patience!  The rumor is that they were grabbin'
girls from the local college--good families and all, but no relatives
nearby so they wouldn't get noticed too soon.  That's all I know, except
these guys are dangerous.  There's big money involved.  They mighta
grabbed your sister."

"Any idea what they want them for?" Lois asked.

"Not a word.  They want ‘em alive, but they're not above killing anybody
who crosses ‘em or gets in their way.  You owe me that smorgy dinner,
now.  I'm risking my neck telling you all this."

"We'll get it to you.  If you can find out anything more that we can
use, I'll upgrade that to Peking Duck, though."

Bobby's voice sounded almost agonized.  "You know how to torture a guy,
Lois!  I'll see what I can do."

Lois hung up and looked at her husband.  "Find anything out from the
names of the missing girls?"

"Jimmy's digging for bios, now," Clark told her.  "He's having some
difficulty getting through the university's firewall."

"Well, I can try to get hold of Lucy's roommates," Lois suggested.
"Maybe we can find out a little more about where she's been or who she
might have met in the last few days."

"That's a good idea."  Clark turned his head as Jimmy approached.  "Find
anything, Jimmy?"

The young computer expert nodded.  "Yeah.  Here you go.  New Troy State
needs to upgrade its computer security.  It only took me about an hour
to break in.  I got pictures, descriptions, backgrounds and grades.  Was
there anything else you needed?"

"Not at the moment."  Clark took the printout Jimmy handed him.
"Thanks, Jim."

*****************

(to be continued in Part 4)
=========================================================================
Date:         Thu, 6 Apr 2000 02:20:16 EDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Charlotte Fisler <Cdfisler@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Removal of stories from the archive
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In a message dated 4/5/00 12:22:56 AM !!!First Boot!!!, Debby@SWCP.COM
writes:

<< So eventually a newer, fresher (better?)
 version of each segment will be on my site. Currently Dawn-01.rtf (I think
I
 named it) is on my site. It's a "rich text format" document, i.e., enhanced
 text. More to come...

Debby,

I'm at a loss as to how you could possibly improve Dawning, but then I love
the typos - they're so indicative of your thought processes.

Charlotte - who wouldn't change a word.
=========================================================================
Date:         Thu, 6 Apr 2000 02:23:32 EDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Charlotte Fisler <Cdfisler@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: (was RE: hey!)
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This message was written in parts.  As I read about this topic, there were
so
many excellent comments, that it was hard for me not to add a new note here
and there.

Herewith my varying comments.

I love all sorts of stories, plot, no plot, revelations, WAFFY; etc.
I personally look for (I don't know how to put this) but it's that special
skill of written description, whether of character or plot or just setting,
that touches me.  It's almost like finding a poetic flavor in a work.  Now
that I've confused everyone, I'll go on.

In a message dated 4/5/00 3:45:37 AM !!!First Boot!!!, Aerm1@AOL.COM writes:

<<
 Last, and probably least, another thing which might make me not like a fic
is
 if it is a cross-over from something I either don't know or don't like
(i.e.
 Star Trek).  That doesn't mean it isn't well-written or a good story; it's
 just not my cup of tea.  (Then again, neither is Dickens.)
  >>

I agree with almost everything you say except the above.  Case in point is
the Buffy crossover recently posted:Heros helping Heros.  The girl writes
with so much heart that I loved the story in spite of never having watched
the show.  And I thought she explained the Buffy crossover well enough - for
me at least - that I didn't need to see the show to enjoy her plot.  Of
course, it helps that I love unusual characters like vampires with souls,
guilt-ridden werewolves (Lon Chaney Jr.as Larry Talbot @ 1940s B movies) and
Kryptonians with Superpowers.

Also, I have very few problems with spelling and grammar errors.  I'll
forgive a lot if the story has heart.  How do I know.  If I read and reread
and reread all or sections of a story several times until I 'own' it.  Also
see my comment on Debby's revision of Dawning.  I'm not saying a person
shouldn't use a spell and grammar checker but that is not the criteria which
makes or breaks a story for me.

Besides I've been around computers for a long time and believe me I'd never
correct an error based on them.   They ain't gonna (sic) make me use what I
consider an inappropriate conversational phrase if intellectually correct
English form in dialog.  We don't speak in correct grammar and I think that
jars in dialog.

As to criticize or not.  I sent Revealing Cruise to the listserv for
feedback
in hopes of making it a better story and I got great comments and
criticisms.
 Thus I spent four months revising it and am only now ready to send it up to
the archive.

Still I suffered a bit of hurt at first about one or two comments, despite
my
flippant responses which I hope did not in turn offend anyone.  But if I had
it to do over again, I'd send it again.  The story, even to me, is greatly
improved and for that help I would happily send my little plots out and let
them make their way on the rough seas of criticism.

I would advise, as has been pointed out, and as my theatre history scholar,
sometimes performer and TA for freshman swears by:  Whatever you do, don't
just write "I don't like your work' or 'this is poor' without 1) explaining
how to improve it
and 2) including, if at all possible, what you like about the work/paper -
even when you're reading a hundred freshman papers on theatre by non-majors.

People put themselves into their writing and they deserve your best efforts
if you're going to (notice not gonna - this is not dialog) criticize them.

Charlotte
=========================================================================
Date:         Thu, 6 Apr 2000 02:38:58 EDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Charlotte Fisler <Cdfisler@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Dean Cain on Rosie Today
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Let me add my two cents to this.  Dean was great.  He proved once again what
a wonderful person he is.

On the Superman topic he said it doesn't bother him to be recognized around
the world inc China as TV''s Superman.  He said he loved doing the show and
he's amazed that three years after it went off the air, poeple recognize him
as Superman/Clark Kent.  He said "It's fine by me."  His annecdotes were fun
too.

He told Rosie he'd be available to do a Superman movie - especially for $10
million dollars. (BG) And they had fun with that.  She asked for 10% and he
said he'd be willing to do it for a mere 9 million.

But he also made sure everyone knows he's moved on to other things, pointing
out he's made 5 movies in the last year.  He said Broken Hearts would be out
in August and Rosie invited him back at that time.   He's not afraid of
being
type casted, but neither is he going to moan and groan about having done the
show.  This is so refreshing to a Superman fan.

On Ripley's he said he wanted to do the show because he likes it, but they
don't do it for shock value.  He said it broke all kinds of cable records.

On becoming a father he showed himself a caring person by first pointing out
he's 'thrilled' to be a daddy but then saying it isn't the way he would have
wanted it to be because out of wedlock kids have it tough.  But this one
won't with Dean for a Dad.

All in all a great, albeit short interview.

Charlotte
=========================================================================
Date:         Thu, 6 Apr 2000 03:02:28 EDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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From:         Rose Cookson <Rcpeaches2@AOL.COM>
Subject:      A Lie of the Mind- Part 8
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Jimmy was slumped on a bench in the holding cell when Clark landed.  He'd
expected the young man to look up when he arrived, as he knew Superman's
arrival had it's own distinct sound.  But Jimmy just sat there, eyes
downcast, arms limp.

"Jimmy?"  Clark asked carefully.  He wished he could have come to Jimmy as
Clark, but he had a feeling that Jimmy would listen to him more as Superman.

Jimmy's eyes finally wandered up to Superman's face.

"Are you okay?"

"No," Jimmy answered honestly, with a thread of bitterness creeping into his
voice.

Clark bent the bars of the cell and stepped in to sit behind Jimmy on the
bench.  Superman or not, Jimmy needed a friend.  Clark waited, sensing that
Jimmy would talk if he gave him time to find the words.  He was right.

"I hurt her."

"You hurt who?"

"Brenda.  I love her, Superman.  And I hurt her.  How could I have hurt
her?"

"Lois and Clark have a theory, Jimmy.  They don't think this is your fault.
I agree with them.  I know you'd never hurt anyone unless somehow you were
influenced by something external.  And I know you love her, Jimmy.  We're
doing everything we can to make this right again."

Jimmy wasn't focusing on what Clark was saying.  Instead, he was lost in a
place of his own.  After a few minutes of silence, Jimmy said, "Lois and
Clark... they're my best friends, you know?"

Clark nodded.

"Clark... he's so good to her.  He loves her more than anything, and you can
see it.  You can tell by the way he looks at her, and how he treats her.
Clark really knows how to treat a woman."  Jimmy's voice was gruff with
emotion.  "And she loves him too.  They are so happy together.

"I wanted some of that, you know?  I see Lois and Clark together every day,
and I think to myself... I want that.  I want to find a woman who is as
special to me as Lois is to Clark.  And I had.  I'd found Brenda.

"I don't know what happened to me, Superman!  I could never hurt her!  At
least, I thought I could never hurt her.  She's so... amazing.  She's smart
and funny and the most caring person I've ever known.  And she loved me
too."

"Can you tell me what happened last night?" Clark asked.

"We were just talking," Jimmy said.  "She was telling me about her plans.
She wants to be a doctor.  She wants to make a difference."  Jimmy's lips
curled in a crooked grin.  "She always wants to help.  Do something for
others, you know...  She's a lot like you, Superman."

Clark grinned back, reassuringly.  He was glad to see Jimmy smiling, even
through his remorse.

"Anyway, she was telling me about how she wants to go to medical school, and
all of the different choices she has.  She was so excited.  She's so
smart...
She could go to any school she wants.

"But then something came over me.  I don't know what it was, or why it
happened.  I panicked.  All I could think of was that she'd leave to go to
medical school, and I'd never see her again.  I was afraid she'd leave me.
And I was so... I was so *angry.*"

"And then... you hit her?"

"We started arguing.  I can't even remember how it started, it all happened
so fast.  I was yelling at her.  I was saying how she'd find another man as
soon as she left, that she must not really love me.  That got her really
angry.  I can't say I blame her.  So she told me she'd talk to me about it
later, when I was more calm, and she started to leave.  And that's when I...
lost control."

Jimmy dragged his hand roughly through his hair.  He was choking up,
overcome
by the emotion of reliving the experience.  He took deep breaths in attempt
to calm himself down.

Clark was taken aback.  Jimmy's experience had been so similar to his own.
They had both been driven by the fear of losing the woman they loved, and
had
become violent because of it.  It couldn't possibly be a coincidence.  Lois
had to have been right.  Some one else was causing all this.

"Jimmy, listen to me," Clark said, adopting the authoritative Superman voice
once again.  "I promise you, this is not your fault.  I can't explain it
right now, I don't entirely understand it, but I'm sure that I'm right.
Lois, Clark, and I are all working on this, and we won't stop until we find
our proof.  We'll get you out of here, Jimmy."

"Doesn't matter," Jimmy sighed.  "You'd have to convince Brenda to drop the
charges, and with the way I treated her last night...  Well, I wouldn't
blame
her for not dropping them."

Clark's heart ached for his despairing friend.  "From what you've told me
about her, Jimmy, Brenda seems like a great girl.  I'm sure once we explain
what really happened, she'll understand.  Just hang in there, okay?"

Jimmy nodded.  "Thanks, Superman."

Clark smiled and got up to leave, but Jimmy stopped him.

"Hey Superman?"

"Yes?"

"Will you do me a favor?  I treated Lois pretty rotten earlier, and I, uh,
never got a chance to tell her that I'm sorry.  She tried to help me, and I
snapped at her.  Will you pass along my apology?"

Clark grinned again, reassuring his friend.  "I sure will, Jimmy."

*****

Lois charged through the news room and straight to her desk with renewed
energy.  She was determined to figure out what was going on, and would not
stop until she did just that.  Whomever was causing this was going to pay.

She sat down at her desk, pulled in her chair, and turned on her computer.
She thought carefully about what Martha and Clark had told her about his
dreams.  Who would want to torture Clark this way?  Who had the *ability* to
torture Clark this way?

*Unfortunately,* Lois thought, *it could be any number of people.*

It was possible that both Clark and Jimmy had been drugged somehow, and this
drug brought on the dreams and emotional outbursts.  Clark usually wasn't
vulnerable to such things, but there had been a few instances in the past
when he had been affected by drugs.  Lois smiled as she remembered her
husband behaving like a child a few Christmases ago, under the influence of
the Atomic Space Rat goo.  She'd been furious at the time, but in
retrospect,
she had to admit it was rather funny.

There were other times, however, when things weren't so funny.  She
remembered the time when Clark was affected by Red Kryptonite, and had
become
completely apathetic.  Fortunately, things had worked out in the end, but
there could easily have been tragic consequences, had Clark continued to be
apathetic.

Of course, that still didn't explain Jimmy's behavior.  He wouldn't be
affected by Red Kryptonite.  Unless...  There had been a time when a hybrid
Kryptonite was made.  Hybrid Kryptonite affected humans, and had almost
killed a city full of people as it fell from the sky.  Maybe, it was
possible
for a hybrid Red Kryptonite to be made.  And if it were, it could be
responsible for affecting Jimmy's behavior.  It was a long shot, but she'd
have to remember to mention the possibility to Clark when he got back.

Then a third possibility hit her, causing her to gasp in fear.  Someone else
had affected Clark's dreams in the past, and had caused him to have panic
attacks.  Baron Sunday.  He'd used Clark's fears against him in order to
torture him to death.  It hadn't succeeded with Clark, since Clark's fears
had not been associated with death, but instead with life.  It had, however,
killed several other people before Lois and Clark found Sunday and the
police
had gotten him.

But wait - no, the police hadn't gotten Sunday.  He'd disappeared somehow
before they made it into his airplane.  He had not been found.

Baron Sunday was still on the loose.

Lois leaned over and yanked a wad of papers out of her briefcase, searching
for a scrap piece of paper to make notes on.  In her haste to get writing,
one of the papers slid out of the bunch and fell to the floor.  She bent
down
again, and picked it up.  Something at the top of the page caught her eye.
It was the paper Perry had handed her as she'd been on her way out of the
news room to search for Clark.  She had shoved it into her briefcase without
thinking about it.  She'd been more worried about Clark at the time.  But
now
she took a closer look at it.  The COM services she'd been investigating--
VuCom, Tronitech, Diversified Data, Datamail, and Fiserv Data-- were all
owned by a national corporation called Anacomp.  Anacomp, in turn, was owned
by a man named Anthony Griffin.

*Griffin.*

All of the warning bells went off in Lois' mind.  She thought back to her
past encounter with Kyle Griffin's father.  He wasn't exactly the
quintessence of innocence and honesty, that was for certain.  He had
disappeared after her last encounter with him, and she hadn't heard anything
about him since.  Until now.  There was no doubt in her mind that he'd had a
hand in the embezzlement.

Lois jumped up out of her seat, ready to call for Jimmy, but with a slight
shock, realized he wouldn't be there to help her.  This time, he needed
*her*
help, and she was determined to come through for him, no matter hard she had
to fight.  She could not afford to spend her time on the embezzlement story
while Jimmy was in jail.

She was about to take the page, along with the whole story, to Perry's
office
so he could reassign it, but Perry came to her first.

"Lois!  I just found out that Kyle Griffin has escaped from Metropolis
Penitentiary.  Seems someone paid off one of the guards.  And rumor has it,
he's coming after you."

*****
=========================================================================
Date:         Thu, 6 Apr 2000 11:35:15 +0100
Reply-To:     LabRat <labrat@cableinet.co.uk>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         LabRat <labrat@CABLEINET.CO.UK>
Organization: LabRat
Subject:      Re: Wednesday's Child Part 3
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Okay, I'm not trying to dog anyone here and vast apologies to Lorie for
using her as an example (you haven't been the only 'culprit' in my mailbox
this morning, Lorie ;), but, *please*, guys, could we try to remember
spoilers when commenting on stories? Mistakes happen I know - especially in
the heat of excitement when you've read a great fic on the list - but it
would help. Thanks!

LabRat (still way too behind on her fanfic reading for comfort, but who
wants to catch up with stories she doesn't already know the plot details of.
<G>)

S
P
O
I
L
E
R

S
P
A
C
E

> ok, ok.....i'm freaking out because Lois is pregnant with Luthor's
> baby.....But it's a good story in spite of that. I can't wait to see how
this
> one ends......lol
>
> SuperLorie :-)
>
=========================================================================
Date:         Thu, 6 Apr 2000 10:46:45 EDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         "Ann E. McBride" <Aerm1@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Clark's character WAS Baron Sunday
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In a message dated 4/5/00 10:48:11 PM Eastern Daylight Time,=20
kathybrown91@HOME.COM writes:

<<=20
 I do agree that Clark not feeling worse about his role is arguably out of
 character, but I'm not sold that his being duped in the first place is.
=20
I have to agree with most of what you said in your post, Kathy.  However,
if=
=20
I recall correctly, in the episode, as Lois and Clark are going to
confront=20
Baron Sunday the last time, Clark does talk about feeling terrible if he=20
helped set up an innocent man.   It's at that point that Lois goes into
the=20
bit about how it all makes sense that the NIA people used him and his=20
inexperience to set up John Henderson, and keep themselves in the clear.
As=
=20
na=EFf as Clark was in the beginning of the series, it doesn't surprise me
a=
t=20
all that he would have been duped by experienced NIA agents when he was
even=
=20
younger.

As for the argument that the writers rewrote characterization in later=20
seasons to suit their needs, this is very true.  One does wonder why
Clark=20
would have out the Borneo Gazette gecko story on the top of his stack of=20
stories to show Perry, but maybe he had them in alphabetical order.<G>
The=20
changes in Sam Lane's character from first season to later seasons is
what=20
always bothered me.  In HIWTHI, Sam says he hasn't practiced medicine in
15=20
years.   But he was obviously practicing medicine in the first season in=20
Requiem for a Superhero.  This was a small point, but they could have
just=20
said 2 years, using the trouble he got into with the bionic boxers to
explai=
n=20
why he hadn't practiced medicine for a while.  It bothered me, too, that
the=
=20
driven surgeon of the first season, and presumably the past, was turned
into=
=20
somewhat of a buffoon in the later seasons.

 <<All in all, I'm definitely in the camp that likes my Clark to *not* be
 perfect.  He's so much more appealing as someone who makes mistakes ... a
 real human being, with problems and insecurities ... and hat hair. <bg>
  >>

I definitely agree with this.  A lot of what made the series more
realistic=20
than the movies was Clark's, and to a somewhat lesser extent Superman's,=20
basic human imperfections.  It was fun to watch him grow and mature, as
both=
=20
Clark and as Superman.

Ann=20
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Date:         Thu, 6 Apr 2000 08:54:22 -0700
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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From:         Vicki Krell <Vicki.Krell@ASU.EDU>
Subject:      Re: Dean Cain on Rosie Today
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I agree, he was cute, and personable, and his general adorable self.
However, I REALLY dislike his spiky hair! He has such great hair, that I
guess I just prefer it longer. :)

Vicki

Vicki Krell
Sponsored Projects Officer
Office of Research and Creative Activities
Arizona State University
(480) 965-2171
(480) 965-1703 - fax
Vicki.Krell@asu.edu
=========================================================================
Date:         Thu, 6 Apr 2000 12:02:32 EDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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From:         "Alexis W." <LoisLane9397@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Dean Cain on Rosie Today
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In a message dated 4/6/00 10:55:08 AM EST, Vicki.Krell@ASU.EDU writes:

<< I agree, he was cute, and personable, and his general adorable self.
 However, I REALLY dislike his spiky hair! He has such great hair, that I
 guess I just prefer it longer. :)
  >>

I don't care what Dean's hair is like...I think he looks great no matter
what!  His hair looked a bit longer than it does in Ripley's.  My question
is
why was he in Hong Kong? I wonder if he's actually filming segements
there???
 Did anyone else hear him say he had just come back from Hong Kong? Or was
that just me...

Alexis ;-.)
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Date:         Thu, 6 Apr 2000 14:31:59 -0500
Reply-To:     bbmedos@booksanctuary.com
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         "B. B. Medos" <bbmedos@BOOKSANCTUARY.COM>
Subject:      Re: fanfic criticism
In-Reply-To:  <38EBD12A.E34B50F7@bellsouth.net>

Pam wrote:
<< The best way to get constructive criticism, IMO, is from trusted
friends/reviewers, not from a big group.  When one person in a group offers
constructive comments, and gets flamed by another member, it tends to shut
us all up, because we just don't know who's going to be okay with comments,
and who's going to be hurt -- we're all nice people here, we don't
deliberately set out to hurt people's feelings.  I think that's why this
list is so bare of critique.  Even when people say they want honest
comments, you're never quite sure.... (oy, my grammar...) >>

This is very true. I also think that in many ways we (that's a large,
general, and very universal "we") have forgotten the art form of simply
asking questions as opposed giving opinions as part of discussions. Some of
the best feedback I get comes in the form of readers simply asking why I
did something a certain way. Now, they may have been for or against what I
did, but the "format" of asking for more information instead of a) passing
judgment on how I did it or b) even worse, telling me how it should've been
done was extremely useful . . . for both of us. We both end up with more
information and understanding because in attempting to answer them, I have
to clarify for myself what I did and why I did it.

But I also had a kind of a thought while reading this thread - the question
asking should go both ways but many times it doesn't, particularly in a
list such as this. The tendency is to toss a (finished or unfinished) story
out there and wait for a reaction. While it's fine for writers to state at
the beginning that they want feedback, maybe it would help readers if the
authors actually asked specific questions related to their own concerns
about a content - maybe at the end of a posting instead of at the beginning
of it just so the reader wouldn't be set up to not just enjoy the content
due to watching for a potential problem. <G> Here I don't mean questions
about series trivia that falls more into the line of research, but content
editing kinds of things that nag at all of us.

For instance, just to give an example from one of my current wip, NEBS:
PROMISES, I've been thinking of posting one particular question with it on
my site, just so readers will know I'm concerned about one point. In
PROMISES, I left what Lois was wearing sort of vague, but once I started
writing the next part, TIMELESS, I feel like she's dressed totally wrong
for the island, even though what's she wearing is still vague. (Not to
mention that she didn't know she was going there in the first place . . . )
I honestly don't know if it's a problem or not. Should I or shouldn't I
clarify that point? Since no reader has mentioned it being a problem for
them, I could assume it isn't. OTOH, it would be nice to actually know it
isn't so I'd stop worrying about it and move on.

THAT kind of content feedback would be extremely useful and positive, even
though the same thing might've been seen as nitpicking and negative had a
reader brought it up themselves, especially on list rather than privately.
In other words, the asking does need to go both ways at times because it
tends to keep things on track. Of course, there's still the other problem
Pam mentioned about continuing to discuss things "on-list" once they're
brought up, but I think I'll save that for another post.

Beverly :-)
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Date:         Thu, 6 Apr 2000 16:38:54 EDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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From:         Becky Kuesters <Tovie@AOL.COM>
Subject:      FF Repost from 1997: Cookies
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This was originally posted on this list back in 1997 and (shame on me <g>)
never sent to the archive or put up anywhere else. For those who asked, here
it is, and I promise it shall shortly be sent to the archive.

If you are a Xena fan, you might have seen a different version of this story
posted on another list under my screen name but please don't come after one
of us for copying the other (g) because I'm the author of both stories. (I'm
saying this cause there was a FOLC on the Xena list who remembered the LnC
version...)

Becky (Hi Kathy, glad you still have those puzzles, I have many fond
memories
of the Michigan City fest...)

Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman are copyrighted by DC Comics,
Warner Brothers, etc. and were used without permission.

Cookies
by Becky Kuesters
(tovie@aol.com)

Lois peered into the refrigerator, checking out its contents. Tomorrow was
Clark's  birthday and for some strange reason, she had an urge to bake him
something.

Maybe all of Martha's subtle hints and cooking lessons are finally rubbing
off on me, she thought. Of course, to make it worth my effort, whatever I
bake will have to have *chocolate* in it.

She glanced down at the cookie section in the cookbook she held and began
eliminating the recipes one by one. Either because they had no chocolate in
them or because they sounded too hard. A recipe for Chocolate Peppermint
Meringue Puffs tempted her for a moment, but she decided she really didn't
want to know how meringue was made.

Then she remembered the last time she and Clark had visited Smallville.
Martha had served some wonderful chocolate chip cookies for dessert. Surely
those can't be too hard to make, she thought. People make them all the time.

Lois opened the cookbook to a recipe for chocolate chip cookies and began to
assemble the ingredients. She found the butter with no trouble at all, but
it
took some time to figure out why the recipe was asking for cups when it was
obvious that butter came in sticks. Finally she spotted the fine print on
the
side of a stick that told her it was the equivalent of half a cup. She
placed
two sticks of butter in a bowl, but then couldn't find any brown sugar.

Well, sugar is sugar, isn't it? she reasoned, and simply doubled the amount
of granulated sugar in the recipe.

She plugged the mixer in, placed it in the bowl and turned it on. But
instead
of creaming the butter and sugar like the recipe said it would, it chipped
chunks of sugar-covered butter off the sticks and flung them around the
room.
Lois swore and nearly dropped the mixer, but managed to turn it off after
splattering another round of butter all over her blouse and the wall. She
looked back at the recipe, noticing for the first time the word *softened*
after butter.

Softened? I suppose that means you were suppose to let it sit out or
something? Lois rolled her eyes. Do people actually plan that far ahead when
baking? Then her eyes lit on the microwave. I'll bet the microwave would
*soften* it real quick, she thought, and put the bowl in the microwave.

After eyeing the butter all over the front of her blouse, she began hunting
for an apron. I know Martha left at least one here the last time they
visited, she thought. After searching for about 5 minutes, she finally found
a dark blue apron neatly folded under the dish towels.

Lois pulled the bowl out of the microwave and groaned. The butter was way
beyond softened and well into boiling. Oh, well, she sighed. Technically the
butter will *melt* when you bake the cookies and the sugar is now well mixed
with it. On to the next step!

Clark had contributed a bottle of vanilla when they combined households, so
she added a teaspoon of that. Then she cracked the eggs into the bowl. And
spent the next several minutes picking egg shells out of the dough.

But this time the mixer worked the way it was supposed to and blended the
ingredients smoothly. Just as she was about to dump in the flour, two strong
arms circled her waist and someone began nibbling on her ear. She started,
dropping the still whirling mixer and flinging up the hand that held the
flour.

Clark caught the mixer in mid-air but ended up wearing most of the flour.
When Lois started laughing at the sorry sight he made covered with flour and
spatters of dough, he smiled sweetly at her and posed for a moment. Then he
set the mixer down and grabbed her. He began kissing her and running his
hands up and down her, leaving floury handprints in his wake.

Lois eagerly returned his kisses and began letting her hands do a little
exploring of their own, fascinated with the patterns the flour made on
Clark's dark shirt.

"Must be you're doing the laundry this week," she murmured between kisses as
his hands spread the mess further. Clark pulled back slightly and eyed her.

"Then you must be cleaning the kitchen," he grinned as he gestured toward
her
mess.

"Only if I get *super* help," she smirked. Then she leaned forward to kiss
him again just as the *look* crossed his face. Sighing, she went ahead and
gave him a quick kiss, then stepped back to allow him to spin into Superman.
"I guess I'll have to finish baking after all," she sighed as he whooshed
out
the window.

She turned her attention back to the recipe, re-measuring the flour and
beating it into the mixture. The next step said to add chocolate chips but,
with a sudden pang, she realized they didn't have any. She vaguely
remembered
satisfying a late night craving for chocolate about a week ago with the last
of them. She searched through the cupboards and refrigerator for a
substitute, wondering if she could chop up Double Fudge Crunch bars instead.
But she was out of them too.

Then she spied a small package on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator and
grinned. It would do perfectly.

About a week ago, Clark had flown to the UK to pick up a treat for her.  On
the way back he'd detoured to put out a chemical fire, forgetting all about
the package he was carrying. The result was a package of Flakes that had
been
melted several times and just generally abused. Not that this would deter
her
from eating them, after all, chocolate is chocolate, but she simply hadn't
had the time to deal with the worse than usual mess they would make.

Lois opened the package. The Flakes were pretty well crumbled already, but
there were several large chunks so she decided to try something she'd seen
Martha do to break stuff up. She placed the Flakes in a plastic baggie and
slapped it against the counter several times, trying to break up the larger
lumps. Unfortunately, the last time she hit the bag against the counter a
little too hard and it broke, scattering chocolate everywhere.

Eyeing the chocolate crumbs and flour all over the flour and the
butter-smeared walls, Lois shook her head. Why would anyone ever want to
bake
if it was this much trouble? Fortunately, there were still several Flakes
left. Combined with what she could scrape off the counter, that should be
enough.

After she stirred the Flake crumbs into the dough, she took a package of
walnuts out of the freezer and opened it. She started to dump the nuts into
a
measuring cup, but then frowned. They were awfully big. She knew that nuts
used in cookies weren't usually that big, but she couldn't quite figure out
how you got them so small if you didn't buy them that way -- and she had no
intentions of chopping up a whole cup full of nuts with a knife. Not even
for
Clark. So she dumped the nuts in just like they were.

Once she finished mixing, she eyed the cookie dough wistfully, but forced
herself to resist tasting it. The food reporter at the Planet had just done
a
series on salmonella poisoning and raw eggs, and she wasn't interested in
personally experiencing anything described in his articles.

After emptying half the cupboard, she finally found a cookie sheet that was
useable. Much to her regret, even *super* dishwashing couldn't scrub off her
repeated Cajun cooking without scrubbing the pans away to nothing.

She dropped the dough by spoonfuls onto the cookie sheet, wondering why she
couldn't seem to master the knack that Martha had of smoothly scooping the
dough up and sliding it off the spoon in neat little balls. Instead it stuck
to her hands and made lopsided, uneven lumps on the cookie sheet. When the
sheet was full, she grabbed it with her cleanest hand and pooped it into the
oven.

Just as she closed the door, she heard a familiar whoosh behind her and she
turned to see Clark spinning out of his Superman costume into a pair of
shorts.

"All done cooking?" He smiled at her, then lifted her sticky, cookie
dough-covered hand to his lips and, very gently, began licking the dough off
her fingers. She closed her eyes as that familiar tingle passed through her
and never saw the odd look that crossed his face with the first taste of
cookie dough.

Clark moved from her fingers to her lips, sliding his hands gently up and
down her arms. As he shifted his footing to pull her closer, he became aware
of the sticky, gritty floor beneath his bare feet. He pulled back slightly
and looked down at the floor and then began laughing.

"Lois, Honey, what were you planning to do, roll the cookies out on the
floor?"

Lois scowled at him and stepped back out of his reach, thoughts of revenge
roiling in her mind. But she found she couldn't hold onto her scowl while
gazing into his warm chocolate eyes.

"No," she whispered as she stepped forward to kiss him again. While he was
distracted, she hooked her ankle behind his and then broke the kiss to
whisper in his ear. "I was planning to *roll* you in chocolate." Before he
could react to her statement she jerked her foot back, pulling his foot out
from under him. Then she gave him a shove, trying to knock him off balance
to
the floor.

Naturally, it didn't work quite like she'd planned. Clark did lose his
balance, but he didn't fall to the floor. Instead he slid into a reclining
float and before she could move, he grabbed her around the waist and flipped
her up to sit astride his torso with her legs dangling.

"Roll me in chocolate?" he asked, as he untied the apron and threw it to the
floor. "This a fantasy of yours?" Lois blushed and decided to end this
conversation before it started. She moved a hand behind her and slid it
downward, immediately solving the problem of further conversation.

***

Martha knocked again. She was sure someone must be home. She could see the
jeep and there were lights and music on inside. She didn't want to just walk
in on them, but when no one answered the door after the third knock, she
pulled her key out and let herself in.

"Lois? Clark? Anybody home?"

A gust of wind nearly knocked her over and filled her lungs with the smell
of
something scorching. She dropped her bags and rushed into the kitchen,
slipping on the messy floor. She calmed down when she saw the source of the
odor -- a blackened, smoking pan sitting on top of the stove -- but turned
to
survey the messy kitchen with a slightly puzzled look. As she looked over
the
dishes and appliances, she decided someone had been baking but she still
wasn't sure what had caused the rest of the mess.

She knew that Lois was fairly hopeless in the kitchen, but even she didn't
usually make this much of a mess. Sighing, she stacked the dishes in the
sink
and wiped the counter and walls clean. Then she bent over to tackle the
floor, picking up a spatula and a pile of blue cloth. As she stood back up,
the cloth hung freely in her hands and she could clearly see it was an apron
-- covered with large white handprints.

She was still laughing when she pulled the vacuum sweeper out of the closet.

The End

This story is dedicated to my friend Susie who, when she found out about my
addiction to chocolate (and LnC) was kind enough to bring me back some
Flakes
from LAFF. Like Lois', my Flakes were subject to much abuse before I finally
got them home -- melted several times, dropped, stuffed in the bottom of my
suitcase, etc. I finally decided to make cookies with the resulting mess.

Shortly after doing this, I helped my best friend's 10-year-old make cookies
for the first time and experienced some interesting questions about baking
(the *sticks of butter* question was but the beginning) that started me
thinking how people who've never cooked/baked look at things and that led to
this story about Lois' first attempt to bake. We learned that Lois' mother
really didn't bake in The Family Hour and from Lois' previous comments about
cooking, I wrote this as if she had never even attempted to something like
bake cookies (I never quite believed Lois was making fudge in the NK arc.
Fudge isn't something you make if you're suppose to be as bad a cook as Lois
is -- even if you are addicted to chocolate. I think Clark was making fudge
and Lois was just stirring it. Lois would buy fudge from a candy store)

For those who like to bake and who are fortunate enough to be able to get
their hands on Flakes, the recipe was just the basic, off-the-bag chocolate
chip cookie recipe with crumbled Flakes substituted for the chocolate chips
(and they were very, very good <bg>)
=========================================================================
Date:         Thu, 6 Apr 2000 15:43:08 -0500
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Kathy Brown <kathybrown91@HOME.COM>
Subject:      Re: A Lie of the Mind- Part 8

Very interesting developments, Rose!  I was hoping you'd get back to posting
new parts soon.  Are you posting parts as you write them now, or do you
still
have some finished sections you are holding back on?

Spoilers ...

1) I notice that you have Jimmy stop just short of telling *what* he did to
Brenda.  Did he hit her?  Slap her around?  Grab her and shake her?  Keep
her
in his apartment against her will?  What?  You need to dance the line
between
making Jimmy's behavior serious enough to warrant charges, but not so bad
that he doesn't deserve to get a break and have her drop the charges.
Domestic violence is serious ... you might not please everyone, but I
commend
you for taking the risk as an author.

2)  Ooo, Baron Sunday or The Prankster?  Two possible suspects, or possibly
two red herrings ... time will tell.  With what I've read so far, it does
seem more like Sunday's M.O. ... operating on Clark's fear.  But The
Prankster could have turned more sadistic in prison.  It will be interesting
to see what he has in mind for Lois, if it's him!

Kathy
=========================================================================
Date:         Thu, 6 Apr 2000 13:52:55 -0700
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Judith Williams <judithwilliams@PRODIGY.NET>
Subject:      Re: fanfic criticism
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Gerry wrote:

> I disagree with you Jude.  I think that your qualifications as an
> experienced reader gives you the background to offer helpful criticism.
> You know what you like and dislike; you know what works in a story.  You
> can share this information with a writer.  We write for the readers, not
> for the writers.
>
Thanks for the vote of confidence, Gerry.  My experience has been, however,
that not very many writers are looking for an objective, dispassionate
analysis of what they've written.  All of us are looking for encouragement
and validation.  Only a few want to really analyze their writing style and
content. As has been suggested by others, those of us who want to engage in
the latter have to set up a personal network to remove the 'threatening'
frankness of public critique.

Unfortunately, avoidance of honesty does not give novice writers the
opportunity to learn to be better writers.  I don't think that there's
anyone on this list who is so good that s/he shouldn't continually be trying
to get better.  But the natural reaction is to be testy when one's 'child'
is criticized.

The question and answer technique mentioned by Beverly is a good one, but
sometimes I'm so obtuse it takes a long period of consideration before I
'get the point', especially if it's been done in a subtle, careful and
gentle manner.
If the rapier doesn't work, one has to wield the broad-edged battle sword in
the war over words.  Sorry, beginning to get a little fanciful here.  I'll
just finish with the idea that being a critic requires an analytical brain,
a tough hide and a velvet glove.  Ain't many as has those. Jude>
=========================================================================
Date:         Thu, 6 Apr 2000 17:06:58 -0400
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Gerry Anklewicz <Gerry_Anklewicz@NYNET.NYBE.ON.CA>
Subject:      Re: FF Repost from 1997: Cookies
In-Reply-To:  <26.3f3d8dd.261e4fde@aol.com>
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Becky, I really enjoyed this.  I got a kick out of reading all the ways an
amateur can mess up some basic cooking procedures.  We do take so much for
granted when we do something well. I liked the way each basic step can be
so nicely fouled up.  I can picture the kitchen at the end of the debacle.
 I also liked the way you managed to get Lois's inexperience and baking
"innocence" across.  Cute.

My only complaint is that it's no fair that Martha cleans up Lois's mess.
Mother's are just too good.

Gerry
=========================================================================
Date:         Thu, 6 Apr 2000 14:28:53 -0700
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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From:         Nancy Smith <deimos1@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject:      Re: FF Repost from 1997: Cookies
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Becky Kuesters wrote:

> This was originally posted on this list back in 1997 and (shame on me <g>)
> never sent to the archive or put up anywhere else. For those who asked,
here
> it is, and I promise it shall shortly be sent to the archive.
>
> If you are a Xena fan, you might have seen a different version of this
story
> posted on another list under my screen name but please don't come after
one
> of us for copying the other (g) because I'm the author of both stories.
(I'm
> saying this cause there was a FOLC on the Xena list who remembered the LnC
> version...)
>
> I laughed when I read this.  My mom is a very good cook, and I've become a
> pretty decent one, myself, but my grandmother could burn water.  How she
ever
> raised three kids is a mystery to me.  The whole story's cooking fiasco
> progressed so logically it was hysterical.

Nan
=========================================================================
Date:         Fri, 7 Apr 2000 00:31:48 +0200
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Chiara Prato <gioprato@TIN.IT>
Subject:      NEW: Threats for Clark 1/2
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This is the first fanfic I've posted, and the first one I finished in
English.

I know my language could be better, but I did get some help (thanks Elena,
LabRat and Ray  ), so it should be okay.

I posted it to Zoom's mb:s a while back, but since I know there are those of
you who don't frequent the message boards, I thought I'd let you read it
too.

Threats For Clark

It was morning at the Daily Planet. Perry had just finished an editorial
staff meeting. Everyone left to begin writing their articles for the morning
edition. Lane and Kent didn't have enough material for a story yet, but they
had enough to tell them that what they were investigating was just the tip
of the iceberg. It was going to be a very complicated investigation and
probably dangerous. Perry asked them to be careful.

*****

It all started because of a very ordinary case, a suicide, a story so
routine that it was given to Clark to work on alone. It would be unnecessary
for Lane and Kent to trouble themselves over a simple suicide. As Clark
worked on this seemingly simple story more and more things just didn't add
up. Clark, as the police before him had not, soon realized that the suicide
was faked. It was really an execution.

Perry let him work on his own for a while. Kent was absolutely able to work
without his partner, even in spite of the threatening letters that had begun
to come for him at the Planet. The idea was not to tell anyone in the
newsroom of the threats. It would worry them unnecessarily. The police knew
of the threats and that seemed to be enough. Soon, however, the
investigation became so intricate that Clark couldn't manage alone. So Perry
asked for Lois and Jimmy Olsen's invaluable help.

For the first time since the Chief had known her, Lois didn't impose herself
on her partner and friend. She let him direct the investigation his own way.
This was pretty strange. Perry immediately understood that maybe, finally,
Lois was beginning to realize her feelings for Clark at last. After almost
two years, he had thought that she would never reciprocate. He wondered if
it would be a problem for the two reporters, Lois wasn't easy to get along
with and even if he thought of her as almost a daughter, he knew she had no
intention of getting involved with Clark or any one else. On the other hand,
Kent had been able to accomplish a minor miracle. Since the Lane-Kent
partnership was created she had softened. Oh sure, she could be "Mad Dog"
Lane when she wanted, but, finally, she wasn't living only for her work. She
was beginning to have a true life, and for that he was, of course, thankful
to Kent. He didn't want his favorite reporter ending up like him, with a
broken marriage, with divorce papers on his desk. All because he loved the
Planet more than he loved Alice, or at least in a different way. Who knows
what Elvis would have said in the same situation.

Lois and Clark were at their desks when Clark was interrupted a few minutes
later by an office boy asking him to sign on the blank line of his form. He
had with him quite a heavy package. Without letting anyone notice, Clark
helped the boy put it on his desk.

Lois approached. "Are you expecting something?" He shook his head no. "Could
it be from your parents?"

"No, they always warn me before they send something and they don't send
anything to the Planet."

"Come on! Open it, what are you waiting for?"

Clark had a strange feeling. He carefully lowered his glasses to allow him
to use his x-ray vision to check out the package. What he saw did not please
him very much, but he couldn't prevent Lois from seeing. He checked again to
make sure that it couldn't explode. Perry saw the package on Clark's desk
and rushed out of his office yelling at Clark to not open it. Clark was
already splitting open the box cover.

The box contained a teddy bear, but not just any bear. This one was tortured
and broken to pieces. Its head was cut, its eyes were torn out and the arms
were too, and a big knife was plunged into the bear at about heart height.
The teddy bear was resting on a piece of marble. Clark put the bear aside to
have a better look at the marble base. It was shaped like a tombstone, on it
was inscribed something.

CLARK KENT

And the date of that day.

Lois clapped her hand over her mouth and instinctively grabbed her partner's
arm. Perry approached and looked down at the box. Without turning he called
to Jimmy.

"Olsen! Call the police and have them send someone over here!"

Jimmy, who was a few steps away, kept staring at the contents of the box.

"Olsen!" cried Perry.

"Sure thing, Chief!"

The rest of the morning proceeded quietly. Clark, who wouldn't let himself
be scared after receiving his "present", kept up his investigation without
fear. However, there was something strange going on. Lois was not her usual
self, she was being uncommonly careful, and she had become more protective
toward her partner. Clark was confused by his friend's manner.

They stopped for a lunch break, the three friends went to grab something to
eat in a bar near the Planet. Lois had remained silent for most of the meal
and had eaten less than half of her small sandwich.

"Lois, are you OK?" She raised her eyes until they met his.

"Sure I'm just thinking..." she paused "have you seen Superman recently?"

Superman, always *Superman*! Clark could have screamed. Why wasn't it
possible that she could be interested in him instead of Superman?

"Yep, some days ago..."

"And have you told him about them?"

"Them what?"

"Them what?! About the threats!"

"Yes...."

"And what did he say?"

"Nothing."

"What do you mean, nothing!!! Is he helping you deal with them?"

"Sure Lois... he's helping me figure out who may be making these threats..."

Lois sobbed, "Fine!" and she lapsed back into silence.

Clark and Jimmy looked each other while Lois played with her sandwich
without eating it.

"And do you know how I can contact him?" she asked after a while.

"If I see him, I'll tell him that you are looking for him, OK?"

"Thanks."

The three friends kept on working until late into the night. Their
investigations, which, until a few hours ago had been very intricate, were
becoming suddenly very simple. This change didn't seem right to Lois, she
was upset. Her award winning reporter's instinct told her that the last few
inquiries were being driven by someone, they just couldn't be so simple.
Traces of tampering were all over this. If she could see Superman she'd
speak to him about it. She also wouldn't let Clark know that she was
worrying about him so much.

"Clark, I've been thinking... Why... don't you sleep at someone else's place
tonight... maybe with Jimmy..."

"Clark... you know I'd do it... but I've got a couple of my friends staying
with me for a few days..." Jimmy explained.

"Maybe the Chief..."

Clark grinned, "Lois, you know Perry and Alice are repainting their home...
they're staying at a hotel."

"Damn..."

"Lois, don't worry, Superman is there to look out for me, I won't take any
undue risks."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"OK..."

Clark moved closer to her, he stroked her hair and moved his hand down to
her cheek, he tilted his head to the side and he smiled that crooked grin of
his.

"Lois, I'll be all right. I promise you."

Lois lowered her eyes, she felt she was blushing. Clark picked up her
heartbeat and noticed that it was racing. He didn't know what to make of
this.

He thought that, after his patrol that evening, he would drop by Lois'
apartment as Superman to see what she wanted.

And so he did.

*****

As usual Lois had left her window open, but the living room light was out.
Upon entering, Superman called out to her... then he heard her bathroom door
open and seconds later she appeared.

Clark was breathless; she had her hair still wet from the shower and her
bathrobe was bound fast at the waist, she was the most beautiful sight he
had ever seen. He quickly apologized for coming in without asking her
permission.

"Don't apologize... I just didn't think you'd get here this early..."

"Clark told me that you wanted to speak with me, and that he was worried...
he said that you were acting strangely?"

"He really said so?"

"You’re not angry with him, are you?"

"Acting strange? I'm worried! He said he told you about the "present" he
received at the Planet?" He nodded. "Instead of getting upset he is taking
it very calmly... If it had been me, he'd be persuading Perry to send me to
a hangar in Nepal to hide... I wouldn't accept that... but at least I'd be
worried. I'm usually not calm when someone threatens to kill me!"

"And this happens frequently, does it?" She smiled.

"Yep, this happens frequently, and if you and Clark weren't always there,
ready to protect me..." She stood, thinking for a while.

"Lois, what can I do for you?" Superman waited a long time before he heard
her response.

"Protect him." It was a whisper; Clark wondered if he'd have heard her if it
hadn't been for his super powers. "I'm asking just this one thing... he's
impulsive... I never thought I'd say that about Clark... but in this case he
isn't being prudent at all... you know him... he trusts everyone... and
I..." she made another short pause, as if she were searching for the right
words, "I'm scared for him. He's the only friend I have..."

"I'll watch out for him... I promise... I promise you that nothing will
happen to him, don't worry... I'm always very close to him... even if it
doesn't seem..."

"Thanks."

Superman was going to fly out the window when he turned to her.

"Lois, it's not true that Clark is your only friend... there are a lot of
people who love you. Perry, Jimmy... and then I..."

Lois thanked him. Then, a second before he flew away, she called to him.

"Superman... please... don't say anything to Clark about this little chat. I
don't want him to know I worry so much about
him..."

"Whatever you want... but why?"

"Well, I have an image to maintain..." She grinned and Superman smiled back
at her.

"Goodnight Lois..."

A few minutes later Lois sank into her bed; she didn't want to think about
anything. What was happening to her? This was not like her. She closed her
eyes, trying to concentrate on the music in the background. Smooth,
relaxing, created for a couple to dance to. She wondered how much time had
passed since the last time she had danced with Clark. A little voice in the
back of her brain answered,"Too long."
"Quiet!" she whispered loudly, trying to drive the thought from her head.

*****

'Ring! Ring!'

The telephone. She didn't really want to speak to anyone right now.

"Hello."

"Hi! I wanted to know how you are..." Lois suddenly found herself sitting up
in bed.

"Clark! Fine... absolutely, why?"

"So... You know I have spoken with Superman... He told me he'd stop by your
place this evening..."

"He was just here... thanks... " She paused. " Really..."

Clark smiled. "If you want I can come over."

Lois bit her lip so hard she almost drew blood; how she wanted to tell him
yes, but it was already so late and it was way too dangerous these days for
Clark to be going around the city alone at night. She took a deep breath.

"Lois?!"

"I guess I'm going to go to sleep, I'm very tired" She didn't realize it,
but her voice trembled, "see you tomorrow."

"Sure, I'll probably do the same."

"Then ... sleep well."

"Goodnight Lois."

"Clark?"

"What?"

*Be careful* she said to him mentally. "No ... nothing, goodnight."
=========================================================================
Date:         Fri, 7 Apr 2000 00:47:43 +0200
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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From:         Chiara Prato <gioprato@TIN.IT>
Subject:      NEW: Threats for Clark 2/2
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A few days later Lois arrived at the office to find the Planet in turmoil.
One of Clark's sources had informed him that he had been able to find the
last hiding place of the people who wanted him dead. Clark had decided to go
there to check it out and Perry had tried in vain to dissuade him. The
Editor in Chief was troubled. It looked to him as if the roles had been
switched between his two best reporters. He wasn't ready for this. He
believed that he knew Lois and Clark like the back of his hand, but this
time it seemed as if he barely knew them.
Lois came in at exactly the same moment as Clark was going to go out. She
caught him and made him explain the situation. Once he did she decided to
accompany him. Clark tried to persuade her to stay at the Planet. Perry
fixed her with his eyes but the look he saw there made him understand that
there was no way to convince her otherwise. Nothing would be able to stop
her.

*****

They had been gone all day. The sun had already set, but the night still
hadn't totally overwhelmed the light.

"Lois you look so tired..."

"Actually, I haven't slept very much."

"I'm sorry ... if somehow this is my fault..."

"No!" she hurried to tell him. "It's not your fault... it's just that a
couple of evenings this week my neighbors have partied until late..." she
lied "It's just this...."

"Ah, OK."

At last they came to the place that Clark's source had indicated. They had
collected evidence all day and now they wanted to check to make sure it all
fit together. Clark recommended caution, these things could be more
dangerous than expected and the discovery of this supposed refuge didn't
calm him at all. He began to think of this as a trap, but he was still not
able to persuade Lois that she should go home.

She was a few steps in front of him, slightly to his right. Clark was
looking into a window of a deserted building. As Lois turned her head she
saw a pistol-barrel aimed at him. Not thinking of herself, she began to run
towards her friend, putting her body between the path of the bullet and her
partner. Clark raised his head, catching movement out of the corner of his
eye, and perceived what was about to happen. Exactly at that moment a shot
rang out, followed a few moments later by a second. Clark clasped Lois to
him at super speed and threw them both to the ground. The next few seconds
seemed endless. Lois trembled in his arms, unable to speak.

"Are you OK?" She nodded. She was pale, wide eyed and breathless. Clark took
her in his arms and brought her to a safe place behind some crates. "Wait
here and don't move!" he said with a firm but kind look. He tried to leave
but she held on to his arm. Clark looked into her eyes. She seemed
terrorized. In that moment nothing else mattered but Lois.

They gazed at each other for a while. She could not speak, she was trembling
so badly. Neither of them knew how much time they spent that way, nor did
they care. In that moment he understood what had really happened: she had
seen the pistol and she was ready to sacrifice herself to protect him. Clark
held her until the woman that he loved's trembling calmed down.

"I'm going to take you home..." She nodded when he said this.

Clark drove Lois home. She didn't utter a single word during the trip. How
many times, he thought, had she risked her life? Hundreds maybe, but she
never behaved this way. He remembered when Mr. Makeup had tried to kill her
in her apartment. That time also she hadn't wanted him to go in pursuit of
the killer. But this was different. Then she was scared for *her* life, now
she had risked it to save *his* life.

"Clark," she whispered. He felt himself shiver when he heard her pronounce
his name. Was it only fear that he was hearing in her voice? "I... I can...
well... Can I ...?"

"Lois, I'll feel better if you'd sleep at my place tonight." She sobbed with
relief and nodded. Clark pulled away from in front of her apartment and his
super hearing caught a whispered, "Thanks." He turned to her and saw a
light, shy smile appear on her face.

Clark took a quick shower before turning the bathroom over to Lois. He did
this in order to cook her something while she showered.

She felt so strange. This story was upsetting her, it was an odd situation.
For the first time the death threats were coming to him and not to his more
expert partner, and from the moment she had known about them she had
changed. She had never been so protective of him.

She had a long hot shower that seemed to regenerate her. She slipped on one
of Clark's sweatshirts. It was quite oversized for her, but it was warm and
soft and wrapped her like Clark's embrace.

She went out barefoot from the bathroom and soon arrived in the kitchen.
Clark was intent on cooking. He smiled as he heard her come in. "Better?" he
asked, without turning around.

"Much... thanks!" He felt her approaching. She leaned on him, setting her
head on his shoulder. "What are you cooking? That smells great!"

"Pasta..."

"I love it!"

"I know, me too, do you want to taste it?" She smiled her answer. Clark
raised the tomato sauce covered spoon and blew on it to cool it, then he
offered it to her.

"You are the greatest! It's delicious."

Clark turned to gaze at her. He had never seen her so beautiful. Her eyes
were bright and her smile dazzled him. He wondered how he would have lived
without her if he hadn't realized that the bullet was coming. He guessed
that he couldn't hold out any longer in professing his love for her.

"Maybe it would have been better if I had stopped at my place and got some
clothes rather than ransack your closet..."

"You look wonderful dressed just the way you are!" She smiled and shifted
her gaze down shyly. "But sit down now, it's ready."

It was a nice evening, they had dinner and then watched "Echo Park", an
'80's movie. Clark told her that it was a very good film, but it was
underrated, and he thought that she'd like it very much. Lois agreed with
his choice and she set herself on the couch and leaned her head on her
friend's shoulder. Clark shifted his arm around her body to allow her to be
more comfortable. Lois found it hard to stay awake, Clark was right, it was
a great movie, but sleep nonetheless overcame her. Clark heard her heartbeat
slow and her breathing become deeper. What a wonderful feeling to have his
arms around the woman he loved, not as Superman, but as himself.

When he was sure that she was sleeping, he took her in his arms and carried
her into the bedroom. He set her on the bed, covering her carefully. He
gazed at her. Unable to restrain himself he gave her a light kiss on the
lips, then he left.

*****

A stifled moan in the middle of the night made him start. He looked around,
groggy, and found himself sitting on the couch. He remembered he had carried
Lois to his bed and then settled down for the night there. From the bedroom
he heard Lois' breathless moan again and he thought that she must be awake,
probably she'd had a nightmare. He wondered if he ought to go to her, but
how could he explain how he had heard her? He lay down again. He could hear
Lois, her bare feet making almost no noise as she walked through the room.
She seemed to be headed for the kitchen. She had already passed the couch
when she stopped and went back.

She gazed at him for a while and she noticed that his covers had been thrown
off. She knelt next to him and pulled the covers up a bit. Her hand traveled
further up to his face as if to caress him, but without touching him.

"I love you so much..." she whispered.

Clark opened his eyes wide. Despite the darkness in the room Lois noticed
this. She clapped her hand over her mouth, almost as if she had said
something wrong, or as if she were fearful of something. She suddenly got up
and drew back from him.

Clark stood up, seeing her reaction.

"I'm sorry... I wouldn't... I shouldn't…"

"Lois, it's OK!" She kept moving back from him until the wall behind her
hindered further progress.

"I'm sorry!"

Clark moved himself in front of her; he took her face in his hand and raised
it until he could look in her eyes. "Lois, I love you too, since the first
time I saw you!" She shook her head.

"Don't say it... please don't say it."

"I don't understand you... I don't understand what's hurting you... please
let me love you..."

"I shouldn't have said it... but I was sure you were sleeping."

"Why? Why not?"

Lois lowered her gaze whispering. "Everybody says it... all the time!
Claude, Lex and all the others... but then... it's never true! They want
you, but really nothing about you ever interests them... you are a mark on a
page, a number, an inheritance, someone who looks good on their arm at
parties! But you, you're different... and this scares me! I'm afraid..."

"What are you afraid of?"

"Of getting hurt, of hurting you. I respect you too much to do that to
you..." Her voice trembled furiously. She seemed about to burst out sobbing.

"I can't promise you that I'll never hurt you, it would be a lie if I did,
but I can promise that I'll do everything I can not to hurt you."

"And if I hurt you? If I break your heart..."

"I'll take that risk. Lois, my life without you wouldn't have meaning. I
couldn't live with myself if I let you go away, because I'm scared of what
might happen."

"I won't hurt you... but I can't bear the thought that something might
happen to you..."

"Lois," Clark said, approaching, trying to embrace her, but she slipped
away.

"And then there is Superman... I can't promise that if he... I... how I can,
how I may not..." she whispered "You see... I'm already hurting you..."

"Lois, there is something I need to tell you... something very important.
*I* ... am *him*..." He wasn't able to say it, the sentence "I am Superman."
He still had a problem saying it.

She looked at him. The room was dark and she saw his figure in the shadows
and she understood. "For a long time I've wanted to tell you, I want to tell
you... Superman and I... are..." Lois shook her head slowly without moving
her eyes from him, then she covered her eyes with her hands. She was
breathless.

"Lois, are you OK?" She nodded without speaking.

He looked around, moving closer to the windows; he heard something down the
alley, whispered voices, but very threatening. He looked down the street.

"... and so they'll understand that they can't fool around with us!"

"He and his friends with their love for Superman..."

"...sooner or later we'll find the way to take care of the man in tights."

A ticking sound was coming from the bedroom. He heard the men begin to
count...

"5 - 4 - 3 - 2 – 1."

Before they got to three Clark ran to Lois, knocking her to the floor,
covering her with his body. At that same moment the bedroom blew up. As soon
as the shock wave passed he got up, went to the bedroom and, in the
twinkling of an eye, extinguished the fire that blazed there. Then flashing
close to an amazed Lois, he went out the window.

In a few minutes, Clark's neighbors were at the door. "Mr. Kent! Mr. Kent!"
Lois hesitated for a while before deciding what to do, but the tone in the
voices became more and more urgent. She opened the door carefully. It was
easy to see the neighbors' astonishment. After a few seconds someone said,

"Miss, is everything OK?... We heard an explosion..." She nodded. "Well,
fortunately, Superman was close by... he extinguished the fire..." Well, at
least that was true!

"And Mr. Kent?!"

"He's fine... he's with Superman now." *This* was a lie. "Luckily we were in
the kitchen..."

She thanked all the people for their concern and closed the door more
quickly than she’d thought possible. She leaned against it, then slipped
down to the floor, where she remained, to think. Of Clark, she saw nor heard
a trace. She stayed like this for a long time, then she burst into tears.
Actually she was not sure why she was crying, but she was unable to stop
herself. She felt herself being embraced by two strong, tender arms. She
held herself against his chest and whispered his name. She could feel Clark
shiver upon hearing it spoken that way.

When her sobbing calmed down Lois felt herself being lifted and Clark
settled with her on the couch, keeping his arms around her tightly.
Eventually Lois spoke,

"I'm sorry!" Clark gazed at her for a second, shifting her a little to look
at her better.

"Whatever for?"

"About all..." She stilled "About having reacted in this way."

"I wish I could have found a better way to tell you."

"Tell me what? That you are Superman or that you love me?" She didn't say it
in anger or so as to down play it, she really wanted to know.

He caressed her head and shoulder. "Both of them." He was still for a while
"But above all that I'd be the first to say it...." He felt her smile
against his chest.

"I was so scared for you during the last few days..."

"I'll *never* forget what you have done for me today." Clark heard her
heartbeat speed up again. She sighed deeply.

"I couldn't bear it again to see you... I couldn't let it happen!"

"Lois, let me tell you, let me tell you how much I love you."

"I love you too... so much." She leaned once more against his chest. Then
suddenly she sat up.

"Who was it that tried to kill you?"

"I'm not sure but they are already in jail! Superman accompanied them there.
Tomorrow we've got to go to the police station to give our statements."

"Then you aren't still in danger!"

"Lois, I guess I'm not really ever in danger! I mean, you know, if there
isn't Kryptonite around I never am..."

She gazed at him for a while with a grin that was not well hidden on her
face. "You mean I was so scared for nothing?" she said, giving him a light
punch on his wonderful abdonimals.

Clark laughed loudly. "This is the most beautiful thing you can do for
me..." Clark shifted closer to her.

"You guess that..."

Clark put his finger on her lips to silence her. "Shhh," he whispered.
"There is one thing I have wanted to do for a very long time." Their mouths
met each other in a tender passionate kiss.

And finally The END!

NOTE

If you have not already seen Echo Park, please do so! This movie is with Tom
Hulce.

:))
Chiara
=========================================================================
Date:         Thu, 6 Apr 2000 18:52:08 EDT
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Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Alicia Utowski <Alicia3456@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: FF Repost from 1997: Cookies
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This was such a cute story... I can identify with her about her baking
troubles :)... at least she didn't broil them and have them come out looking
like pancakes (I did that, and my Grandpa ate all of them just to make me
happy... he said they tasted kinda like pancakes too)

Alicia
=========================================================================
Date:         Thu, 6 Apr 2000 16:10:24 -0700
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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From:         Nancy Smith <deimos1@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject:      NEW STORY:  Vanishing Act  Part 4
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Vanishing Act  part 4
by Nan Smith

An hour of meticulous description and exasperated outbursts later, Lois
rubbed her eyes.

"To think," she said, "that all I wanted was to get a half gallon of ice
cream."  She winced slightly and put a hand to her middle.  "Ouch."

Clark glanced nervously at her.  "Are you sure you're okay?  That's the
second of those in forty-five minutes."

"I suppose you've been counting?" she asked.

He nodded.

Superman had arrived, given his statement and left shortly afterwards.
Ten minutes later, Clark Kent had turned up, looking for his wife.  Now
he glanced across the room to where a pair of female officers were
entertaining an increasingly sleepy CJ, then at the police artist.  "Is
she done?"

The man nodded.  "I think so."

Clark turned to give Lois a hand out of the chair.  "In that case, I
think we'll go home."  He accepted his son from one of the women.
"Thank you."

"He certainly looks like you, Mr. Kent," Officer Anderson remarked.
"How old is he?"

"Eleven months," Clark said.  "Come on, buddy, let's take Mommy home.  I
think she's had enough for one evening."

As they left, his super-hearing caught a remark by Officer Anderson and
he felt himself flush.  Lois noticed.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Clark, you're blushing."

He shrugged uncomfortably.  "Anderson said something about me not
wasting any time."

"Huh?"

"With CJ eleven months old, and you obviously..."

"Oh."  Lois chuckled softly.  "Well, at least you're getting a good
reputation."

"Lo-is!"

She giggled and then winced.  "Ow."

"Are you okay?"

She glanced down at her rounded abdomen.  "Yeah.  That hurt a little."

"Was it a contraction?"

She hesitated.  "I'm not sure."

"You suppose this could be ‘it'?"

"Maybe.  Or it could just be false labor again."

Clark swallowed, surprised to discover that he was nervous.  True, as
Superman he had helped deliver a number of babies, but it had never been
*his* baby, or *his* wife before.

"Well," he said, "I guess we'll just have to wait and see, huh?"

She looked nervously up at him.  "I guess so."

An hour later she'd had two more contractions, but an hour after that
there had been only one, and by one AM it was obvious that they were
becoming farther and farther apart.

Lois was almost in tears.  Clark sighed.  "Another dry run."

"Oh, Clark, I know I'm going to be pregnant forever!" she wailed.

He put his arms around her.  "Remember what they said in childbirth
classes, honey.  It's your body's way of practicing for the real thing.
It means it's getting close."

"Everyone's been saying that for the last two weeks," Lois said,
crossly.  "It's never going to happen!  Maybe Kryptonian pregnancies
last for a couple of years, like elephants, or something.  Who knows how
long this could go on?"

He tried to look sympathetic, but the last statement was too much and a
chuckle escaped.  Lois glared at him.  "I suppose you think it's funny!"

"No," he denied, shaking his head.  "Not really.  It's just when you say
things like that--"

She sighed.  "I know you're right, Clark, but it seems like forever!"

"I know," he said, sympathetically.  "And I know how uncomfortable you
are, or I'd suggest a fun way they told us about to try to stimulate
labor.  But really, it can't go on much longer, honey."  He dropped a
kiss on the top of her head.  "Can I get you some ice cream?"

Lois brightened.  "That really does sound good.  With fudge sauce."

"How did I know you were going to say that?"

"Well, Kryptonians *are* telepathic, or so I'm told.  And after I've
finished the ice cream, we can talk about stimulating labor.  You know,
I'd put up with just about any--um--inconvenience if I thought it might
hurry things along a bit..."

*******************

"Hey, Lane!" Ralph said as they emerged from the elevator at nine
o'clock the next morning.  "We all thought for sure this was it!"  He
unwisely reached out to pat her on the tummy.  "When are you going to
have that kid, anyhow?"

If looks could have killed, the one Lois turned on him would have left
him stretched lifeless upon the ground.  Clark answered him.  "When it's
ready.  But if you want to live to see it, I'd move that hand, if I were
you."

Ralph hastily pulled back his hand.  Perry White, who had been a silent
observer to the minor drama, now spoke up.  "What happened, Clark?"

Clark sighed.  "We were up late with false labor."

"Oh."  Perry nodded, sagely.  "Yeah, I remember that.  Alice had it most
of the last month with our first.  Hang in there, kids; it'll happen
pretty soon.  Now, any more information on that mugging last night?"

"Not yet, Chief," Clark said.  "We're going to give them a call in a few
minutes."  He took Lois's coat, hung it on the rack for her, and went to
his desk.  After a moment, he made a trip to the coffee machine and
returned with a chocolate frosted doughnut for his wife.

Lois took it and glanced up at him with a smile.  "Thanks, honey.  You
don't really have to be so nice to me, you know."

"Yes, I do," he said in her ear.  "I got you into this."

"I seem to recall I wasn't exactly objecting," she said.  "But thanks
for the doughnut."

He chuckled softly.  "I guess you're feeling better this morning, then?"

She nodded and smiled around the mouthful of chocolate doughnut.  "Your
therapy was pretty effective."

"Any time," he said.  "I'm going to make that call to my contact, now.
Let's see if they've found out who the victim was."

Five minutes later he returned to Lois's desk.  "I got an update on the
stabbing," he said.  "The victim was Mary Brett. *Detective* Mary
Brett.  She's one of Henderson's people."

"A police detective?"

Clark nodded.  "She was due to report in day before yesterday, but
didn't, then she showed up last night--and you saved her life."

"What was she doing there--does anyone know?"

Clark shook his head.  "Marv didn't know, or wouldn't say.  He did say
she's in critical condition, but they think she'll make it.  Henderson
is livid, though."

"I'll bet."

"Lois!  Clark!"  Perry's voice reverberated over the noise of the busy
newsroom.  "In my office, now!"

Clark gave his wife a hand out of her chair and together they went into
their boss's office.  He gestured them to chairs.

"I just got a call from Bill Henderson.  He wants us to hold any
follow-ups on the stabbing story from last night, Lois."

"Why am I not surprised?" Lois asked rhetorically.

"Does it have anything to do with the victim being a police officer,
Chief?" Clark asked.

Perry raised an eyebrow at him.  "How'd you know that?  No, never mind.
Yeah.  She was involved in a pretty sensitive case, and Henderson thinks
her cover was somehow blown.  She's been able to tell them a
little--apparently she was trying to make it to a police station when
the bad guys caught up with her.  Henderson says he wants them to think
she's dead--that their operation is still safe."

"What was the investigation?" Lois asked.

"He wouldn't say.  He did say he owed you one, though."

"That's a lot of help," Lois grumbled.

"So we kill the story?" Clark asked.

"No, we just sit on it for awhile.  Henderson promised the Planet an
exclusive if it pans out.  I guess it's his way of saying thanks to
Lois."

Lois looked somewhat mollified.  "I guess that's fair.  Kind of.  It
wasn't that big a story the way it was, anyhow."

"My view exactly," Perry said.

Clark nodded.  "Okay, I guess we do it his way.  Uh, Chief, Lois and I
wanted to tell you we've got a lead on another story right now.  Unless
you really need us, we're going to be busy for the rest of the day."

Perry raised an eyebrow.  "Anything you want to tell me about?"

They looked at each other.  "Um," Clark said, "well, it involves a
series of unexplained disappearances of co-eds from NTSU.  Seven in the
last two months, and the last one was night before last.  Superman found
some evidence of kidnapping, yesterday."

"Say no more," Perry waved his hands at them.  "Get going!  Just be sure
you bring me back a story!"

****************

"Sure," Bobby said.  His voice sounded muffled as if he was speaking
through a mouthful of food.  "I was gonna phone you right after lunch.
I did some askin' around after you called me yesterday.  There's a bunch
of guys, see, who moved in two, three months ago.  They were operating
down south, but things got too hot for ‘em."

"And?" Lois said.

"Sheesh!  Have some patience!  The rumor is that they were grabbin'
girls from the local college--good families and all, but no relatives
nearby so they wouldn't get noticed too soon.  That's all I know, except
these guys are dangerous.  There's big money involved.  They mighta
grabbed your sister."

"Any idea what they want them for?" Lois asked.

"Not a word.  They want ‘em alive, but they're not above killing anybody
who crosses ‘em or gets in their way.  You owe me that smorgy dinner,
now.  I'm risking my neck telling you all this."

"We'll get it to you.  If you can find out anything more that we can
use, I'll upgrade that to Peking Duck, though."

Bobby's voice sounded almost agonized.  "You know how to torture a guy,
Lois!  I'll see what I can do."

Lois hung up and looked at her husband.  "Find anything out from the
names of the missing girls?"

"Jimmy's digging for bios, now," Clark told her.  "He's having some
difficulty getting through the university's firewall."

"Well, I can try to get hold of Lucy's roommates," Lois suggested.
"Maybe we can find out a little more about where she's been or who she
might have met in the last few days."

"That's a good idea."  Clark turned his head as Jimmy approached.  "Find
anything, Jimmy?"

The young computer expert nodded.  "Yeah.  Here you go.  New Troy State
needs to upgrade its computer security.  It only took me about an hour
to break in.  I got pictures, descriptions, backgrounds and grades.  Was
there anything else you needed?"

"Not at the moment."  Clark took the printout Jimmy handed him.
"Thanks, Jim."

*****************

"They're going to meet us in the cafeteria of the Student Union
Building," Lois told her husband as they rode the elevator to the
basement parking lot.  Even Lois's aversion to the Planet's underground
lot had not survived the weather today.  Metropolis was being inundated
with a late spring rainstorm.  The temperature wasn't particularly cold,
but it was very wet.

"It *would* have to rain today," Lois said as she slid into the
passenger seat.  She much preferred to drive but, considering the
weather conditions, had reluctantly turned the task over to her husband.

He grinned at her apologetically.  "Sorry, honey.  Even Superman can't
do much about a storm like this."

"No kidding.  And it couldn't be just an ordinary storm," Lois muttered.

"Huh?"

"It had to be this kind," she said, much to his bafflement.  "It's the
kind of pouring, sloppy, super-wet kind of rain that gets you soaked
even if you've got a raincoat and umbrella and rain boots and
everything.  You can't much go anywhere or do anything because you come
back dripping wet, and there's fender benders on all the streets and
you'll probably have to take off somewhere halfway through this to pull
somebody out of a ditch that he should have avoided but didn't because
he was driving too fast for the conditions!"

The light dawned. "Oh," Clark said.  He smothered a grin.  The Lane
babble gene seemed to be in full rant mode today.  Maybe that was a good
sign.  "Don't worry, honey.  Even if somebody winds up in a ditch I
don't plan on going anywhere unless there's piranhas in the water or
something.  It'll do people good to pay the city for the rescue for a
change.  Maybe it'll make them realize they can't always rely on
Superman to save them from the results of their own poor judgement."

"You mean you want to keep an eye on me in case I actually *do* go into
labor!"

"Well, that too."

"How about that wacko who tried to sue you last month for not being
there to pull his motorcycle out of the water?" she asked, reverting in
typical Lane style to the former subject.

"You mean when he rode it into the duck pond in Centennial Park?  You
know that didn't go anywhere.  It was dismissed as a frivolous lawsuit."

"Yeah, but he tried."

"So do lots of people.  The courts decided last year that people
couldn't sue Superman for not being somewhere when they had an
accident.  That's like trying to sue a cop for not being in a particular
alley when somebody gets held up.  It's silly.  Besides, Superman
doesn't have any money.  How could he pay anyone?"

"Clark Kent does."

"Clark Kent isn't the one who gets sued," Clark said.

"True."  She looked thoughtful.  "Maybe I should do an article pointing
things like that out," she mused.  "It would sure save us some
aggravation.  Maybe an interview..."

"Yeah, maybe.  It might do a little bit to unclog the local courts,"
Clark agreed.  "So, who did you get hold of for us to talk to?"

Lois shifted uncomfortably in the seat and readjusted the position of
her seatbelt.  She rubbed her middle.  "I spoke to the roommates of two
of the missing women.  We're going to talk to them first, then we'll go
over to Lucy's dorm and see some of her friends.  It may be a waste of
time, but you never know."

"Yeah," Clark said.

Lois fell silent for a moment, looking out at the flooded streets and
sidewalks.  Clark concentrated on driving.  Ahead of them the roadway
was so full of water that a car, trying to brake for a red light,
hydroplaned into the intersection.  Fortunately, Clark was able to avoid
the skidding vehicle which came to rest against the curb.  The driver, a
youngish man with a full-sized handlebar mustache, swore eloquently, and
quite clearly to Clark's hearing, gunned the engine, showering several
unlucky pedestrians with dirty water, and rocketed across the street and
out of sight.  An elderly man shouted and shook his fist after him.

"Wow," Clark said. "There goes an accident looking for a place to
happen."

"Huh?"  Lois glanced at him.

"Reckless driver," he explained.

"Oh."

"Lois, are you all right?"

"Yeah."  She rubbed her middle again.  "I was just thinking, trying to
figure out why somebody would be kidnapping so many women.  I've got
this really wild idea."

"Okay, let's hear it."

"Well, last night on the news I heard a government spokesman for
Fostonia denying that the rumors about a white slave trade operating
there were true.  Bobby said this group, whoever they are, were
operating down south, doing the same thing they're doing here.  What if
the rumors are true?"

Clark raised his eyebrows at the thought, while avoiding a large, shaggy
wet dog that tried to commit suicide by diving under the Jeep's wheels.
"White slave trade?  That sounds like something that would be right up
Ralph's alley."

"I know; that's what I thought.  But what if it's true?"

"Well, it's happened before.  I guess it's possible.  It would explain
why none of the women have been...found."  The thought made him shudder.

"It sure would," Lois said.  "And an operation like that would have to
have some kind of organization behind it.  It's not something a couple
of amateurs is going to put together.  They'd have to have some way of
transporting the women, for one thing.  You're not going to just pack
them on a cruise ship with a ticket to Fostonia or something."

"No, I can see that wouldn't work," he agreed, a slight quiver in his
voice.

"And they're a pretty diverse lot.  I mean," Lois pursued, "don't serial
killers usually have a ‘type' they tend to target?"

"A lot of them do."

"Well, look at the victims.  Three Caucasian, one Asian, two black and
one Native American.  Talk about an equal opportunity kidnapper!"

"I see what you mean," Clark agreed.  "You might be right."

"Which means someone's targeting them...maybe meeting them ahead of
time, finding out about them from other people who know them.  Maybe we
can find out who."

********************

(to be continued in Part 5)
=========================================================================
Date:         Thu, 6 Apr 2000 16:18:53 -0700
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Nancy Smith <deimos1@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject:      Re: NEW STORY:  Vanishing Act  Part 4
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Sorry to overlap them like that.  I made some very minor changes that
probably no one but I will ever notice and reposted part of it.  Call it
author's ego.  To make up for it, I'm going to post another part right after
this.

Nan

Nancy Smith wrote:

> Vanishing Act  part 4
> by Nan Smith
>
> An hour of meticulous description and exasperated outbursts later, Lois
> rubbed her eyes.
>
> "To think," she said, "that all I wanted was to get a half gallon of ice
> cream."  She winced slightly and put a hand to her middle.  "Ouch."
>
> Clark glanced nervously at her.  "Are you sure you're okay?  That's the
> second of those in forty-five minutes."
>
> "I suppose you've been counting?" she asked.
>
> He nodded.
>
> Superman had arrived, given his statement and left shortly afterwards.
> Ten minutes later, Clark Kent had turned up, looking for his wife.  Now
> he glanced across the room to where a pair of female officers were
> entertaining an increasingly sleepy CJ, then at the police artist.  "Is
> she done?"
>
> The man nodded.  "I think so."
>
> Clark turned to give Lois a hand out of the chair.  "In that case, I
> think we'll go home."  He accepted his son from one of the women.
> "Thank you."
>
> "He certainly looks like you, Mr. Kent," Officer Anderson remarked.
> "How old is he?"
>
> "Eleven months," Clark said.  "Come on, buddy, let's take Mommy home.  I
> think she's had enough for one evening."
>
> As they left, his super-hearing caught a remark by Officer Anderson and
> he felt himself flush.  Lois noticed.
>
> "What?"
>
> "Nothing."
>
> "Clark, you're blushing."
>
> He shrugged uncomfortably.  "Anderson said something about me not
> wasting any time."
>
> "Huh?"
>
> "With CJ eleven months old, and you obviously..."
>
> "Oh."  Lois chuckled softly.  "Well, at least you're getting a good
> reputation."
>
> "Lo-is!"
>
> She giggled and then winced.  "Ow."
>
> "Are you okay?"
>
> She glanced down at her rounded abdomen.  "Yeah.  That hurt a little."
>
> "Was it a contraction?"
>
> She hesitated.  "I'm not sure."
>
> "You suppose this could be ‘it'?"
>
> "Maybe.  Or it could just be false labor again."
>
> Clark swallowed, surprised to discover that he was nervous.  True, as
> Superman he had helped deliver a number of babies, but it had never been
> *his* baby, or *his* wife before.
>
> "Well," he said, "I guess we'll just have to wait and see, huh?"
>
> She looked nervously up at him.  "I guess so."
>
> An hour later she'd had two more contractions, but an hour after that
> there had been only one, and by one AM it was obvious that they were
> becoming farther and farther apart.
>
> Lois was almost in tears.  Clark sighed.  "Another dry run."
>
> "Oh, Clark, I know I'm going to be pregnant forever!" she wailed.
>
> He put his arms around her.  "Remember what they said in childbirth
> classes, honey.  It's your body's way of practicing for the real thing.
> It means it's getting close."
>
> "Everyone's been saying that for the last two weeks," Lois said,
> crossly.  "It's never going to happen!  Maybe Kryptonian pregnancies
> last for a couple of years, like elephants, or something.  Who knows how
> long this could go on?"
>
> He tried to look sympathetic, but the last statement was too much and a
> chuckle escaped.  Lois glared at him.  "I suppose you think it's funny!"
>
> "No," he denied, shaking his head.  "Not really.  It's just when you say
> things like that--"
>
> She sighed.  "I know you're right, Clark, but it seems like forever!"
>
> "I know," he said, sympathetically.  "And I know how uncomfortable you
> are, or I'd suggest a fun way they told us about to try to stimulate
> labor.  But really, it can't go on much longer, honey."  He dropped a
> kiss on the top of her head.  "Can I get you some ice cream?"
>
> Lois brightened.  "That really does sound good.  With fudge sauce."
>
> "How did I know you were going to say that?"
>
> "Well, Kryptonians *are* telepathic, or so I'm told.  And after I've
> finished the ice cream, we can talk about stimulating labor.  You know,
> I'd put up with just about any--um--inconvenience if I thought it might
> hurry things along a bit..."
>
> *******************
>
> "Hey, Lane!" Ralph said as they emerged from the elevator at nine
> o'clock the next morning.  "We all thought for sure this was it!"  He
> unwisely reached out to pat her on the tummy.  "When are you going to
> have that kid, anyhow?"
>
> If looks could have killed, the one Lois turned on him would have left
> him stretched lifeless upon the ground.  Clark answered him.  "When it's
> ready.  But if you want to live to see it, I'd move that hand, if I were
> you."
>
> Ralph hastily pulled back his hand.  Perry White, who had been a silent
> observer to the minor drama, now spoke up.  "What happened, Clark?"
>
> Clark sighed.  "We were up late with false labor."
>
> "Oh."  Perry nodded, sagely.  "Yeah, I remember that.  Alice had it most
> of the last month with our first.  Hang in there, kids; it'll happen
> pretty soon.  Now, any more information on that mugging last night?"
>
> "Not yet, Chief," Clark said.  "We're going to give them a call in a few
> minutes."  He took Lois's coat, hung it on the rack for her, and went to
> his desk.  After a moment, he made a trip to the coffee machine and
> returned with a chocolate frosted doughnut for his wife.
>
> Lois took it and glanced up at him with a smile.  "Thanks, honey.  You
> don't really have to be so nice to me, you know."
>
> "Yes, I do," he said in her ear.  "I got you into this."
>
> "I seem to recall I wasn't exactly objecting," she said.  "But thanks
> for the doughnut."
>
> He chuckled softly.  "I guess you're feeling better this morning, then?"
>
> She nodded and smiled around the mouthful of chocolate doughnut.  "Your
> therapy was pretty effective."
>
> "Any time," he said.  "I'm going to make that call to my contact, now.
> Let's see if they've found out who the victim was."
>
> Five minutes later he returned to Lois's desk.  "I got an update on the
> stabbing," he said.  "The victim was Mary Brett. *Detective* Mary
> Brett.  She's one of Henderson's people."
>
> "A police detective?"
>
> Clark nodded.  "She was due to report in day before yesterday, but
> didn't, then she showed up last night--and you saved her life."
>
> "What was she doing there--does anyone know?"
>
> Clark shook his head.  "Marv didn't know, or wouldn't say.  He did say
> she's in critical condition, but they think she'll make it.  Henderson
> is livid, though."
>
> "I'll bet."
>
> "Lois!  Clark!"  Perry's voice reverberated over the noise of the busy
> newsroom.  "In my office, now!"
>
> Clark gave his wife a hand out of her chair and together they went into
> their boss's office.  He gestured them to chairs.
>
> "I just got a call from Bill Henderson.  He wants us to hold any
> follow-ups on the stabbing story from last night, Lois."
>
> "Why am I not surprised?" Lois asked rhetorically.
>
> "Does it have anything to do with the victim being a police officer,
> Chief?" Clark asked.
>
> Perry raised an eyebrow at him.  "How'd you know that?  No, never mind.
> Yeah.  She was involved in a pretty sensitive case, and Henderson thinks
> her cover was somehow blown.  She's been able to tell them a
> little--apparently she was trying to make it to a police station when
> the bad guys caught up with her.  Henderson says he wants them to think
> she's dead--that their operation is still safe."
>
> "What was the investigation?" Lois asked.
>
> "He wouldn't say.  He did say he owed you one, though."
>
> "That's a lot of help," Lois grumbled.
>
> "So we kill the story?" Clark asked.
>
> "No, we just sit on it for awhile.  Henderson promised the Planet an
> exclusive if it pans out.  I guess it's his way of saying thanks to
> Lois."
>
> Lois looked somewhat mollified.  "I guess that's fair.  Kind of.  It
> wasn't that big a story the way it was, anyhow."
>
> "My view exactly," Perry said.
>
> Clark nodded.  "Okay, I guess we do it his way.  Uh, Chief, Lois and I
> wanted to tell you we've got a lead on another story right now.  Unless
> you really need us, we're going to be busy for the rest of the day."
>
> Perry raised an eyebrow.  "Anything you want to tell me about?"
>
> They looked at each other.  "Um," Clark said, "well, it involves a
> series of unexplained disappearances of co-eds from NTSU.  Seven in the
> last two months, and the last one was night before last.  Superman found
> some evidence of kidnapping, yesterday."
>
> "Say no more," Perry waved his hands at them.  "Get going!  Just be sure
> you bring me back a story!"
>
> ****************
>
> "Sure," Bobby said.  His voice sounded muffled as if he was speaking
> through a mouthful of food.  "I was gonna phone you right after lunch.
> I did some askin' around after you called me yesterday.  There's a bunch
> of guys, see, who moved in two, three months ago.  They were operating
> down south, but things got too hot for ‘em."
>
> "And?" Lois said.
>
> "Sheesh!  Have some patience!  The rumor is that they were grabbin'
> girls from the local college--good families and all, but no relatives
> nearby so they wouldn't get noticed too soon.  That's all I know, except
> these guys are dangerous.  There's big money involved.  They mighta
> grabbed your sister."
>
> "Any idea what they want them for?" Lois asked.
>
> "Not a word.  They want ‘em alive, but they're not above killing anybody
> who crosses ‘em or gets in their way.  You owe me that smorgy dinner,
> now.  I'm risking my neck telling you all this."
>
> "We'll get it to you.  If you can find out anything more that we can
> use, I'll upgrade that to Peking Duck, though."
>
> Bobby's voice sounded almost agonized.  "You know how to torture a guy,
> Lois!  I'll see what I can do."
>
> Lois hung up and looked at her husband.  "Find anything out from the
> names of the missing girls?"
>
> "Jimmy's digging for bios, now," Clark told her.  "He's having some
> difficulty getting through the university's firewall."
>
> "Well, I can try to get hold of Lucy's roommates," Lois suggested.
> "Maybe we can find out a little more about where she's been or who she
> might have met in the last few days."
>
> "That's a good idea."  Clark turned his head as Jimmy approached.  "Find
> anything, Jimmy?"
>
> The young computer expert nodded.  "Yeah.  Here you go.  New Troy State
> needs to upgrade its computer security.  It only took me about an hour
> to break in.  I got pictures, descriptions, backgrounds and grades.  Was
> there anything else you needed?"
>
> "Not at the moment."  Clark took the printout Jimmy handed him.
> "Thanks, Jim."
>
> *****************
>
> "They're going to meet us in the cafeteria of the Student Union
> Building," Lois told her husband as they rode the elevator to the
> basement parking lot.  Even Lois's aversion to the Planet's underground
> lot had not survived the weather today.  Metropolis was being inundated
> with a late spring rainstorm.  The temperature wasn't particularly cold,
> but it was very wet.
>
> "It *would* have to rain today," Lois said as she slid into the
> passenger seat.  She much preferred to drive but, considering the
> weather conditions, had reluctantly turned the task over to her husband.
>
> He grinned at her apologetically.  "Sorry, honey.  Even Superman can't
> do much about a storm like this."
>
> "No kidding.  And it couldn't be just an ordinary storm," Lois muttered.
>
> "Huh?"
>
> "It had to be this kind," she said, much to his bafflement.  "It's the
> kind of pouring, sloppy, super-wet kind of rain that gets you soaked
> even if you've got a raincoat and umbrella and rain boots and
> everything.  You can't much go anywhere or do anything because you come
> back dripping wet, and there's fender benders on all the streets and
> you'll probably have to take off somewhere halfway through this to pull
> somebody out of a ditch that he should have avoided but didn't because
> he was driving too fast for the conditions!"
>
> The light dawned. "Oh," Clark said.  He smothered a grin.  The Lane
> babble gene seemed to be in full rant mode today.  Maybe that was a good
> sign.  "Don't worry, honey.  Even if somebody winds up in a ditch I
> don't plan on going anywhere unless there's piranhas in the water or
> something.  It'll do people good to pay the city for the rescue for a
> change.  Maybe it'll make them realize they can't always rely on
> Superman to save them from the results of their own poor judgement."
>
> "You mean you want to keep an eye on me in case I actually *do* go into
> labor!"
>
> "Well, that too."
>
> "How about that wacko who tried to sue you last month for not being
> there to pull his motorcycle out of the water?" she asked, reverting in
> typical Lane style to the former subject.
>
> "You mean when he rode it into the duck pond in Centennial Park?  You
> know that didn't go anywhere.  It was dismissed as a frivolous lawsuit."
>
> "Yeah, but he tried."
>
> "So do lots of people.  The courts decided last year that people
> couldn't sue Superman for not being somewhere when they had an
> accident.  That's like trying to sue a cop for not being in a particular
> alley when somebody gets held up.  It's silly.  Besides, Superman
> doesn't have any money.  How could he pay anyone?"
>
> "Clark Kent does."
>
> "Clark Kent isn't the one who gets sued," Clark said.
>
> "True."  She looked thoughtful.  "Maybe I should do an article pointing
> things like that out," she mused.  "It would sure save us some
> aggravation.  Maybe an interview..."
>
> "Yeah, maybe.  It might do a little bit to unclog the local courts,"
> Clark agreed.  "So, who did you get hold of for us to talk to?"
>
> Lois shifted uncomfortably in the seat and readjusted the position of
> her seatbelt.  She rubbed her middle.  "I spoke to the roommates of two
> of the missing women.  We're going to talk to them first, then we'll go
> over to Lucy's dorm and see some of her friends.  It may be a waste of
> time, but you never know."
>
> "Yeah," Clark said.
>
> Lois fell silent for a moment, looking out at the flooded streets and
> sidewalks.  Clark concentrated on driving.  Ahead of them the roadway
> was so full of water that a car, trying to brake for a red light,
> hydroplaned into the intersection.  Fortunately, Clark was able to avoid
> the skidding vehicle which came to rest against the curb.  The driver, a
> youngish man with a full-sized handlebar mustache, swore eloquently, and
> quite clearly to Clark's hearing, gunned the engine, showering several
> unlucky pedestrians with dirty water, and rocketed across the street and
> out of sight.  An elderly man shouted and shook his fist after him.
>
> "Wow," Clark said. "There goes an accident looking for a place to
> happen."
>
> "Huh?"  Lois glanced at him.
>
> "Reckless driver," he explained.
>
> "Oh."
>
> "Lois, are you all right?"
>
> "Yeah."  She rubbed her middle again.  "I was just thinking, trying to
> figure out why somebody would be kidnapping so many women.  I've got
> this really wild idea."
>
> "Okay, let's hear it."
>
> "Well, last night on the news I heard a government spokesman for
> Fostonia denying that the rumors about a white slave trade operating
> there were true.  Bobby said this group, whoever they are, were
> operating down south, doing the same thing they're doing here.  What if
> the rumors are true?"
>
> Clark raised his eyebrows at the thought, while avoiding a large, shaggy
> wet dog that tried to commit suicide by diving under the Jeep's wheels.
> "White slave trade?  That sounds like something that would be right up
> Ralph's alley."
>
> "I know; that's what I thought.  But what if it's true?"
>
> "Well, it's happened before.  I guess it's possible.  It would explain
> why none of the women have been...found."  The thought made him shudder.
>
> "It sure would," Lois said.  "And an operation like that would have to
> have some kind of organization behind it.  It's not something a couple
> of amateurs is going to put together.  They'd have to have some way of
> transporting the women, for one thing.  You're not going to just pack
> them on a cruise ship with a ticket to Fostonia or something."
>
> "No, I can see that wouldn't work," he agreed, a slight quiver in his
> voice.
>
> "And they're a pretty diverse lot.  I mean," Lois pursued, "don't serial
> killers usually have a ‘type' they tend to target?"
>
> "A lot of them do."
>
> "Well, look at the victims.  Three Caucasian, one Asian, two black and
> one Native American.  Talk about an equal opportunity kidnapper!"
>
> "I see what you mean," Clark agreed.  "You might be right."
>
> "Which means someone's targeting them...maybe meeting them ahead of
> time, finding out about them from other people who know them.  Maybe we
> can find out who."
>
> ********************
>
> (to be continued in Part 5)
=========================================================================
Date:         Thu, 6 Apr 2000 16:23:04 -0700
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From:         Nancy Smith <deimos1@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject:      NEW STORY:  Vanishing Act  Part 5
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Vanishing Act  Part 5
by Nan Smith

"Amy said they'd be sitting at a corner table," Lois said.  "That must
be it."

There were two young women at the table Lois indicated, who looked ap at
their approach.

"Amy Green?" Lois asked.

The petite blond nodded.  "You must be Lois Lane and Clark Kent.  I
recognize you from your pictures."

"That's right."  Clark glanced questioningly at the second occupant of
the table.

The lanky brunette smiled.  "I'm Yolanda Elder, Yo to my friends.  Have
a seat."

Clark held a chair for Lois, then took the one next to her.  When they
were all seated, Clark spoke.

 "You were friends of Anita Stewart and Tanya Weiss?"

"Anita was my roommate," Yolanda said.  "Tanya was Amy's.  What do you
need to know?"

"Can you tell us a little about them?" Lois asked.  "What were they
like, what they liked to do, anyone new they might have met in the days
before they disappeared?"

Amy frowned.  "Well, Tanya is one of those people everybody likes, if
you know what I mean, Ms. Lane.  She's really smart and pretty and
friendly, and everybody liked her."

"Did anything different happen to her in the last few days before she
disappeared?" Clark asked.  "Or did she meet anybody new?  Maybe someone
who wanted to know about her family or background?"

"Um..."  Amy was obviously trying hard to remember.  "She met a new guy
she really liked at a party a couple of nights earlier.  She said he was
really cute, but I don't know who he was.  His name was Ben or Bob or
Bill or something like that."

"That's funny," Yolanda said.  "Anita went to a party a couple of days
before *she* disappeared.  We both did.  It was at Walberg House."

Clark's eyebrows went up.  "*Walberg* House?  That's an odd name for a
fraternity."

"It's not a frat house.  It's a house off campus where a lot of the
graduate students live.  It got named for some rich guy who donated it
to the university about twenty-five years ago, I think.  They throw a
lot of parties over there.  I don't know how they get any studying done,
to tell you the truth.  A few times last semester it got so loud the
neighbors called the cops."

"Oh," Lois said.  "Uh, could you tell us what happened the day Anita
disappeared?"

"Sure."  Yolanda scowled, obviously trying to recall.  "I don't think
much happened that day, really.  It was a Tuesday.  Anita was going to a
movie with some friends.  She was supposed to meet them in the Quad, but
she never showed up.  They finally went on without her.  She left the
dorm about six, and that was the last anybody saw of her."

"That's pretty much what happened with Tanya," Amy said.  "She'd gone to
the library to study.  According to the librarian she left at six when
they closed and nobody ever saw her again.  But the book she checked out
was returned in the night book return slot a couple of days later."

"That's interesting," Lois said.  "Can you think of anything else that
might help?  Did Anita or Tanya have a boyfriend?  Maybe we could talk
to them."

"Anita didn't have any one regular boyfriend," Yolanda said.  "She dated
a lot of guys, but she wasn't serious about any of them."

"Tanya's fiancé lives in Seattle," Amy said.

"I see."  Clark glanced at Lois.  "I guess that fits."  He smiled at
them.  "I guess that covers it, then.  Thanks for taking the time to
talk to us."

"We were glad to," Amy said.  "I hope it helps find them.  This is
really kind of scary, you know?"  She gave Clark an admiring look.
"Um...I'm a journalism major.  Could I have your autographs before you
leave?"

******************

Salli James, one of Lucy's roommates, was at the dormitory when Lois and
Clark arrived.  She invited them in with a wave of her hand.  "Nobody
had time to pick up this morning, and Carol had to leave, so I told her
I'd stay and talk to you.  Have a seat."  She surveyed Lois with open
curiosity.  "You're Lucy's sister?"

"Yes.  I'm Lois Lane."  Lois gingerly took a seat on a desk chair with
someone's bra draped over the back.

"The reporter?  Wow!"  Salli thrust a pack of gum at her.  "Want some
chewing gum?"

"Uh...no, thanks," Lois said.  Clark shook his head.

"Okay."  Salli popped a piece into her mouth and chewed vigorously,
looking Clark up and down with open admiration.  "Wow!  Is this your
partner?"

"Yes," Lois said, resisting the urge to bristle.  "This is Clark Kent,
my husband."

"I read your stuff," Salli commented, still looking at Clark.  "I didn't
know Lucy had famous relatives."

"Didn't she mention us?" Clark asked.

Salli shook her head.  "She said she had a married sister, that's all.
Wow," she repeated.  Clark squirmed slightly, and Lois reminded herself
how much he disliked being ogled.

"We're trying to find out what happened to Lucy," she said, trying to
ignore Salli's obvious appreciation of her husband.  "Carol said she
left about six-fifteen and didn't come back?"

"I dunno.  I wasn't here," Salli said.  "If Carol said so, she probably
did."

"Could you tell us if Lucy went to any parties in the week before she
disappeared?" Clark asked, suddenly.

Salli chomped on her gum, apparently thinking.  "Yeah, I think she
did...three or four days ago.  They had the big spring beer bust over at
Walberg House."

"A beer party?" Lois asked.

"Yeah.  The Administration doesn't like it, but they're off campus and
don't allow anybody under twenty-one, so nobody can do much.  A bunch of
us went...I think Lucy did, too.  I wasn't paying much attention."

"I'll bet, " Lois muttered under her breath.

Salli added," I hope you find her."  She looked wistfully at Clark.
"You got any brothers?'

*****************

"Do you suppose this Walberg House is connected to the kidnappings?"
Lois wondered aloud.  Clark held the umbrella for her while she
maneuvered herself awkwardly into the Jeep, then hurried around to the
driver's side.  He slid quickly behind the wheel, then turned, removing
his glasses, and fanned low-level heat vision over her, beginning at her
head and ending with her feet.  Steam began to rise from her clothing
and shoes.

"There."  He replaced his glasses and started up the engine.  "I think,"
he said,
resuming the conversation, "that it's at least an interesting
coincidence that all three women were at parties the week before they
disappeared and at least two of the three were at Walberg House.  Maybe
we should take a look at the place."

"We can drive by, I guess," she suggested.  "And maybe Superman should
take a closer look."

"I guess so," Clark said.  "I don't like to snoop on people's privacy
with only flimsy evidence to go on, but..."

Lois's cell phone rang, interrupting his sentence.  She fished it out of
her purse.  "Hello?  Oh, hi Bobby."  A pause.  "More information?  Well,
what is it?"  She was silent for a second.  "*What*?  Repeat
that...You're sure?  No, I'm not insulting you; I was just surprised.
Okay, if this pans out you're up for a Peking Duck dinner.  Thanks,
Bobby.  I'll be in touch."  She shut off the phone and looked at Clark.
"Wow!"

"What?"

"That was Bobby.  He did some more asking around--I guess he really
wants that Peking Duck.  He found out a name for us.  Walberg."

Clark stared at her.  "Well," he said, finally, "I guess it wasn't a
coincidence after all."

"I guess not."  She punched in a number on her cell phone.

"Who are you calling?"

"Jimmy.  I want a list of the students who live in Walberg House, and
some background on them.  Then we can go look at it ourselves."

*******************

Walberg House, it turned out, was located a short distance from the
campus, itself.  It was an old, classic Victorian house which had been
turned into a rooming house for students.  They drove past it, noting
the neat, well-kept appearance, except for someone's shirt which
appeared to have been hung on an upstairs window sill to dry, and was
consequently getting soaked.  Rose bushes in the front yard were putting
out their spring buds and one or two more courageous early roses had
already made their debut.  Several young men were visible with umbrellas
and raincoats as they ducked in and out the front door, but no one more
than glanced at the silver Jeep Cherokee which cruised slowly down the
quiet, residential street and past the house.

"Well," Lois said, when they turned back out onto the wider street
again, "that didn't tell us much."

"I'll come back a little later on my own," Clark said.  "I don't expect
much to be going on by day and in the open, anyhow."

"Yeah.  I guess we've learned about all we can here, for now," Lois
admitted.  "Let's get back and see what Jimmy's found out."

******************

It was past four when they arrived back at the Daily Planet.  Jimmy had
the list of students now inhabiting the house, but was still working on
backgrounds.

"I'll have them for you by tomorrow morning," he assured Clark.  "If I
get the information any sooner I'll give you a call, okay?"

"Okay," Clark said.  He glanced around to see Lois as she came out of
the elevator with CJ.  She had stopped by the Planet's day care center
to pick him up.  "I think Lois has about reached her limit for the day,
Jimmy.  We'll be at home if you need to get hold of us."

"You got it, CK."  Jimmy also glanced at Lois and dropped his voice.
"Isn't she supposed to get off at one until the baby's born?"

"Yeah, but that's on hold for now."  Clark's voice sounded grim, even to
his own ears.  "Her sister's disappeared.  Probable kidnapping."

Jimmy's eyes widened.  "Is *that* what you've been investigating?  Why
didn't you tell me?"  At Clark's nod his face hardened with
determination.  "I'll get that information for you as fast as I can.
That's a promise.  And if there's anything else I can help you with,
just tell me, okay?"

"I will, Jimmy.  Thanks."  Clark clapped him lightly on the shoulder and
went to lift CJ from his wife's arms.  "Come on, honey, let's call it a
day."

Behind him, he heard Ralph's voice say, "What did Kent want, Olsen?"

"None of your business, Ralph," Jimmy said, pleasantly.

"Come on, Olsen!  Give a guy a break!"

"Why don't you ask him?" Jimmy suggested, and Clark hid a grin.  His
pesky co-worker wasn't going to get much out of Jimmy, that was certain.

*****************

(to be continued in Part 6)
=========================================================================
Date:         Thu, 6 Apr 2000 05:42:35 -0600
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From:         Debby <Debby@SWCP.COM>
Subject:      Re: Removal of stories from the archive
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At 09:12 PM 04/05/2000 -0500, you wrote:
>On Wed, 5 Apr 2000 16:52:38 -0600, Debby <Debby@SWCP.COM> wrote:
>>><< rich text format" document, i.e., enhanced
>>> text. >>
>
>>Hmmm... did you pull it up in a wordprocessing program (Word or
WordPerfect
>>for
>>Windows, for example?) (I don't know about Macs).
>
>If you have MS Word, you can read RTF (and save files as such) files, no
>matter whether you have the Windows or Mac version.  I don't have
experience
>with other word processing programs, but I would assume that any of the
major
>ones would also be able to read RTF files.

That's what I thought :)

>Rich Text Formatting is a way of formatting a file so that it can be read
by
>other word processors (not just Word or whatever program you created the
file
>in).  Some things specific to Word might be lost (though I'm not sure
exactly
>what!) but it somehow makes it easier for other word processors to read the
>file.

I like italics that look like italics... without all the bells & whistles
(or
expense and viruses) of Word

>Kathy
>kathybrown91@home.com

Thanks, KB :)

Debby
debby@swcp.com
=========================================================================
Date:         Thu, 6 Apr 2000 05:44:37 -0600
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Debby <Debby@SWCP.COM>
Subject:      Re: Removal of stories from the archive
In-Reply-To:  <47.2b3fdf7.261d86a0@aol.com>
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At 02:20 AM 04/06/2000 -0400, you wrote:
>In a message dated 4/5/00 12:22:56 AM !!!First Boot!!!, Debby@SWCP.COM
writes:
>
><< So eventually a newer, fresher (better?)
> version of each segment will be on my site. Currently Dawn-01.rtf (I think
I
> named it) is on my site. It's a "rich text format" document, i.e.,
enhanced
> text. More to come...
>
>Debby,
>
>I'm at a loss as to how you could possibly improve Dawning, but then I love
>the typos - they're so indicative of your thought processes.

Thanks... I think... ;)

>Charlotte - who wouldn't change a word.

We don't often get the chance to go back in life and tweak things a bit. I'm
taking that chance since I'm rereading it anyhow... and probably groaning
more
than anyone else did ;)

Debby
debby@swcp.com
professional groaner?
=========================================================================
Date:         Thu, 6 Apr 2000 19:39:48 -0500
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Brenda Arendt <d.arendt@WORLDNET.ATT.NET>
Subject:      fanfic critism
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
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I have been reading all of this and every thought is worth printing out and
keeping, but mostly I have heard opinions from writers.

I am not a writer but to all of you authors out there I am an avid reader
and your biggest fan.  I would not for one single minute think to criticize
any story at any time.

Not being in the 'writers' group, I  have a hard time telling  an author how
good I think there story is.  Why, because I am sure that they had rather
hear from their peers.

Trust me writers: Zoom, Pam,Yvonne,Carol,Emily,Demi,Felix,Tank; just to name
a very small percentage, there are many out there who have an opinion but
are afraid, timid, etc. to voice it.

I am sorry for not commenting on every story that I have ever read.  I
promise to come out from under my rock long enough to give you rave revues
because I would never pan a story.

 .

Brenda
=========================================================================
Date:         Thu, 6 Apr 2000 19:38:43 -0500
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Wendy Richards <wendy@KINGSMEADOWCR.FREESERVE.CO.UK>
Subject:      Re: fanfic critism

On Thu, 6 Apr 2000 19:39:48 -0500, Brenda Arendt
<d.arendt@WORLDNET.ATT.NET> wrote:

>
>Not being in the 'writers' group, I  have a hard time telling  an author
> how good I think there story is.  Why, because I am sure that they had
> rather hear from their peers.
>

Trust *me*, Brenda, as a writer *all* feedback is avidly longed for and
very gratefully received! And every writer I talk to says exactly the same
thing. No feedback means we're wondering whether people hated the story, or
found it boring, or just didn't read it... you won't believe what goes
through our heads sometimes. And yes, we all think that. I have to say, I
was gobsmacked a year or so ago when I realised that none other than Sheila
Harper felt every bit as insecure and nervous about her work as I do every
time I release a story.

Feedback, criticism, constructive suggestions, or just 'liked it, write
more' - any and all comments are welcome, as far as I'm concerned! Getting
a feedback email is something really special - I know for lots of writers,
including myself, it really makes our day. I've been known to sit at my
desk with a huge, soppy grin on my face for ages after reading a feedback
email - no matter whether it's wholly positive or making constructive
suggestions for how the story could have been improved, it means the story
touched someone enough for them to want to say so. And that means a lot to
me.

(And anyone who emailed me since the Kerths and hasn't had a reply yet,
it's on my agenda, and I'm sorry for my bad manners! I can't tell you how
much I appreciate it, but I've been massively busy over the last few months
at work.)

Wendy   :)
=========================================================================
Date:         Thu, 6 Apr 2000 22:14:16 EDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         "C.C. Malo" <Ccmalo@AOL.COM>
Subject:      SIP:  Connections part 25
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

Hi --  a recent post suggested that it might be better for writers to ask
feedback questions at the end of a segment rather than the beginning so
that's what I did.  I am seeking honest criticism. :)

Carol
----------
Connections, part 25

Trey, the three Elders, Zara, and Ching were discussing New Kryptonian
politics in what Clark found to be a frustratingly circuitous fashion.  He
occasionally asked a question, trying to elicit some pertinent fact that
would unlock the puzzle and give him a little insight but he felt like he
was
chasing vapor trails.  He looked down the table at Lois, wondering what she
was making of all this.  As shocked as he'd been to see her with Nor, he now
acknowledged a grudging appreciation that at least the end result of that
game had meant that she was here.  For some reason, that made him feel more
settled.

Lois, who was a silent observer, had deduced from the shocked glances of the
Elders as she had sat next to Zara that she was probably breaking the 22nd
commandment of the Kryptonian Social Code or something evne more obscure.
Very aware that she was an outsider, she occupied herself watching body
language and listening.  The Elders were ditherers -- should they head
immediately for New Krypton?  Should they contact Lord Nor and inform him?
Should they wait here?  And she also thought maybe there was something
between Zara and Ching.  Ching's dark hair!  Lois gave a little half smile.

Then she snuck a look at Clark Kent, Kal El, she reminded herself, now
dressed in the same black uniform as Ching and Vega.  She wished she didn't
find it sexy.  She averted her eyes and instead listened as he asked a
question that she figured was designed to give him an idea of how the
families were allied in this Nor vs. Ra dispute.  She could tell he was
frustrated when she noticed the muscle that twitched in the side of his jaw
-- she'd seen it before and she knew it meant he was holding himself in
check.

Clark finally stood up.  "We stay here.  As long as we're here, Nor stays
put
and this mess gets resolved now."  He looked down the table.  "Lois and I
are
going for a walk.  We'll be back in half an hour."  As Trey motioned for
Vega, who had been standing several feet away from the conference table, to
join the two, Clark added, "Alone.  I don't think we're gonna get lost."

Outside in the corridor, Clark said, "What troubles me most, Lois, is what
Nor's men might get up to on Earth while Nor waits for Zara to do what he
wants."

"I know.  They're developing powers like yours, Clark, but I'm pretty sure
they won't use them the way you do."

"Me neither.  Just before I left, there was a train derailment.  I think
they
caused it -- to send me a message," he added his jaw muscles tightening.

Lois took a deep breath.  "Then we'd better get Nor and his men back to New
Krypton."

"No -- I think that'll trigger a full scale civil war.  Lois, I don't know
if
there's a right choice here."   He expelled a deep breath before continuing.
"You know, I nearly lost it when I saw Nor with you on that chain.  If it
hadn't been for Ching, I would have.  The one thing I've always tried to
avoid is violence."

Lois's voice was sympathetic.  "I know, but Nor is a violent man.  I guess
none of us always reacts the way we think we should."

He took her hand as she said that.  "I gotta say, though, Lois, I'm glad
you're here."

Lois's eyes flickered briefly as she glanced at him and withdrew her hand.
"Did you know that Nor has Zara's children?"

"I just found that out -- after I left you at your apartment.  So she told
you that."  He was pleased that Zara had trusted Lois with that information,
although he was also puzzled by Lois's aloofness.  When he'd last seen her,
it had seemed like they were beginning to get beyond what had happened
yesterday afternoon.  Had Zara said something else?

"No, I told her.  I saw them by accident this morning."

"What?  He's brought them with him!  Are they all right, Lois?"

"They're fine.  He also has Jason Trask.  We were together."

"I see."  Clark's past resentment of her involvement with Trask resurfaced,
although he'd suspected all along she might return to Bureau 39.  "Why
exactly did you go back there, Lois?"  His voice was soft as he asked the
question.

"To try to find some answers."  Lois drew a deep breath before she
continued.
 "I'd been at LNN.  I watched some tapes of Superman, when you first
appeared
in Metropolis.  Some things I'd never seen before.  There was a woman, she
looked like me.  A man named Tempus called her Lois Lane."  She stopped
speaking, her distress at what she'd found flooding back, pushing thoughts
of
Krypton from her mind.  "Why didn't you tell me, Clark?"

He'd known all along that at some point he would probably tell her this yet
he was still uncertain about how to explain what had happened.  "I guess
because it was too soon, Lois.  We'd just met and I wanted to get to know
you, who you really are."

"Who is she, Clark?  What's her connection to you?"

"There is no connection."

"I don't think so," Lois said softly.  "I saw the way you looked at her at
that first press conference."

"Lois, this is so hard to explain."

"I don't get it, Clark.  Why was she impersonating me?"

"She wasn't impersonating you," he began slowly.  He stopped walking and
turned to face her, taking her shoulders in his hands, needing to touch her.
"Two years ago, if someone had told me what I'm about to tell you, I would
have thought he was crazy."

"You're not going to tell me she was a clone or something are you?"

He laughed.  "Don't be ridiculous.  That's not possible."

"Then what's possible?" she asked, searching his face.

"An alternate universe where we also have an existence, where circumstances
are similar but different, too, in how they evolve and how we evolve.  Where
there is another Metropolis and another Clark Kent and another..."

She finished his statement.  "Another Lois Lane.  Yeah, yeah... You're
right,
Clark, that's crazy!  What happened?  This other Lois Lane slip through a
worm hole like Alice in Wonderland?"

"You could say that."

"You're serious, aren't you?"  Her voice was incredulous, then accepting.
"Why shouldn't I believe it?" she asked quietly, as though talking more to
herself than to him.  "Two weeks ago I was leading this really incredibly
normal life in Quito, but am I happy with it? -- No.  So I decide to come
home and what happens?  I get involved with a guy in tights who flies,
kidnapped by aliens, and now I find out there's an alternate universe."  She
started walking down the hall and he followed.  "You're not kidding, are
you?"

"No."  Then he gave her a barebones synopsis of what had happened when the
other Lois Lane, along with H.G. Wells, had come to this Metropolis, how she
had helped create Superman, and then how she had left.

Lois listened carefully to what he said and as he was concluding his story,
he told her how her counterpart had left at the beginning of the press
conference.  She remembered the look on his face as he'd searched the crowd.
"Is that what I've been, then, just a substitute for this woman who
vanished?"

"No," he protested.  "It's not, it wasn't... like that.  You have to
understand what it'd been like, Lois, hiding what I was, and then she showed
me how to change that."

"Did you fall in love with her?"

"Lois, it's not as simple as that."

"I think it is."  It was time to forget this -- to put him back where she'd
found him, on the front page of the newspapers.  "So how do you propose to
deal with Nor?"

"Lois, you have to understand about her."

"No, I don't.  I don't have to understand at all.  *You* have to understand
that I'm not a handy copy of some ideal woman, a substitute for the real
thing. All *I* have to understand is how to get Zara's children back, and
get
those space goons back in outer space where they belong, and then how to get
me and Trask home.  So can we focus on that, please?"  Lois was angry now,
at
him for deceiving her, at herself for being such a fool.

Clark spoke, his voice intense.  "Fine.  Don't listen then.  We'll just
concentrate on Nor."

They walked farther along the corridor, not speaking, both unable to focus
clearly on the problem at hand, blocked by what was going on between them.

Then Clark spoke.  "I felt something for her.  I wanted her to stay, but she
refused.  I thought maybe I was beginning to fall in love with her, but
that's not what it was.  I had just become Superman.  Lana had left me.
People knew I was really Clark Kent."

Lois sighed.  "And then it seemed you had her back when I showed up," she
said sadly.

"No -- I didn't want *her* back.  It didn't feel right.  I think what I felt
for her was a reflection of what I was meant to feel for you.  I knew I had
to find *you*.  I looked everywhere but you'd vanished.  Then I came to
accept that you were dead."

"So you've spent this time fantasizing about life with this dream woman and
then I show up.  Not exactly what you were expecting."

"Not exactly," he agreed with a slight smile.

"You don't really like me very much, do you?" Lois said softly.  "You
expected me to be like her... all supportive," she added with a touch of
derision.  "She sewed that red outfit for you -- I bet she cooked for you,
too.  Wears designer clothes.  What else?  Well I'm not her, Clark, no
matter
how much you want that.  I'm not supportive, and I have no respect for a
journalist whose clothes are always immaculate, and," she finished
decisively, glaring at him, "I'm no good at holding capes."

"That's not what I want, Lois.  What I want is you.  Partners."

"Why should I believe that?"

Clark's passion flared.  "You are the most intransigent, immovable,
stubborn... I'll tell you why you should believe that.  Because I love you!
*You.*  Not some incarnation of you.  Not someone who was just a preview for
the real you, while *you* were out having a good time in Rio De Janeiro!"

"Quito," she interrupted.

He looked at her, distracted.  "Wherever."  He'd lost all control over his
hands whose gestures betrayed his agitation.  "You. I love *you*.  There's
nothing more I can do or say to convince you.  And now I want to know what
you're going to do about it."

She met his eyes, astonished by the depths she saw there, drawn to his
passion as she'd been drawn to him from the day they'd first met.  And
shocked too by his intensity.  She laid the palm of her hand on his chest
and
said honestly, "I don't know.  I'm so confused, Clark.  We scarcely know
each
other -- I mean really know each other.  When we met, something incredible
happened between us and I... I fell in love with you but now it's hard  --
we
each had expectations, dreams, you about me, me about you, but they were
just
fantasy."

"I've been so alone, Lois."  Then he finally admitted what he'd never
admitted to even himself.  "I was scared -- scared that I couldn't do it, of
having nowhere to hide."  His voice was little more than a strained whisper.

How could she have got so sidetracked?  This was not just about her -- it
was
about him, too, and right now he was facing the challenge of his life.  He
didn't need one more emotional complication.  "No -- no."  Her protest was
urgent as she tried to convince him.  Her hand reached up to touch his face.

He caught her hand and pulled it to his mouth, kissing her palm, and he saw
her eyes moisten and blur.  "Lois."  His voice was a whisper. "Don't cry.
Please don't cry."  His arms encircled her, holding her gently, hoping to
comfort her, trying to comfort himself, his head bowed over hers as he
murmured against the softness of her hair.

"Clark, let's just get this mess cleared up and then let's go home, and
start
again," she whispered, her voice muffled against his shoulder.

He smiled, "Sounds like a plan, Ms. Lane."

She pulled back from him and smiled, patting his chest.  "No, it's not --
it's a goal.  We still need a plan."

"Yeah, we do.  Lois, we need to know how many people Nor has with him  and
we
have to get on board his ship.  So how do we do that?"

"I don't know.  Maybe it's time to talk to Zara and Ching -- without Trey
and
the three wise men," Lois finished with a touch of sarcasm.

"So how do we do that without offending them?" Clark pondered.

"Wait til it's time for their afternoon naps?"

"Lois!"

"Just a thought," she said as they headed back to the conference room.

*******
end part 25

- This is an important scene in the story and so I want it to work.   Do the
characterizations of L & C here seem reasonable?  Does the scene cross into
cheesy emotion territory?

Carol
=========================================================================
Date:         Thu, 6 Apr 2000 23:17:05 -0500
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Kathy Brown <kathybrown91@HOME.COM>
Subject:      Re: fanfic critism

On Thu, 6 Apr 2000 19:39:48 -0500, Brenda Arendt
<d.arendt@WORLDNET.ATT.NET> wrote:

>
>Not being in the 'writers' group, I  have a hard time telling  an author
> how good I think there story is.  Why, because I am sure that they had
> rather hear from their peers.

Actually, the best feedback letters I've ever received were from two non-
writers.  When someone takes the time to go into detail about what they
liked
(and didn't like) about my stories, what it made them think about, and how
it
made them feel ... I am just so thrilled.  Brief "this was a great story"
messages are great, and I would much rather have them than nothing, but the
emails where someone gives you their detailed *reaction* to what you wrote
... wow.

And since Susanna and Ray get *my* Kerth nominee for "Best Comments", non-
writers should never feel they have nothing to contribute!!

Kathy
kathybrown91@home.com
=========================================================================
Date:         Fri, 7 Apr 2000 00:15:37 -0500
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Lara Blasingame <larab@PWPL.COM>
Subject:      Re: NEW FANFIC: Hidden Treasures

>>Lara,  I'm as guilty as everyone else who quietly read and enjoyed your
>>new story and didn't get around to posting feedback.  In fact, I very much
>>enjoyed your House of Lane (did I get the name right?) and when I saw that
>>the new one was a sequel to it, I perked right up and expected to like it
>>(which I did, very much).  Please don't be discouraged and please write
>>some more!

Thanks Terry! I truly appreciate your feedback as well as the
encouragement. This was the first story I've ever written with an 'A' plot
of my very own :) I was scared silly to release it in the first place.

>'The House of... Lane' was my story, and Lara's HoL rewrite was 'Revisiting
>the House of Luthor' (did *I* get it right, Lara? <g>); and Lara, I told
>you at the time that I loved your original story! I did think your
>following on Zoom's boards was very encouraging, though commentary on the
>boards was down anyway because it was Kerth time. I enjoyed HT very much,
>in case you didn't get that message over on the boards!
>
>
>Wendy

Thanks so much Wendy! You always offer support to the newbie writers and it
is always appreciated. After all, a lot of us starting writing after we
read your wonderful stories. You make it look so easy... but it's not! LOL!

>>Oops...  Well, Lara, you can take it as a compliment that I would get your
>>story confused with a Wendy Richards masterpiece!!

Oh my goodness! One of my stories was confused with one of Wendy's? I feel
faint... Terry, if I was ever lacking any confidence problems... you sure
cured them! Thanks! LOL!

Thanks to you both,
Lara
=========================================================================
Date:         Fri, 7 Apr 2000 00:19:34 -0500
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Lara Blasingame <larab@PWPL.COM>
Subject:      Re: NEW FANFIC: Hidden Treasures (10 of 10)

Amy,

My life has been frantically busy, too. Thanks for taking the time to
comment. I appreciate it a great deal!

I was worried that people would find glaring errors in my 'A' plot... but
fortunately there were only a couple of little things.

I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Lara
=========================================================================
Date:         Fri, 7 Apr 2000 00:26:34 -0500
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Lara Blasingame <larab@PWPL.COM>
Subject:      Re: fanfic criticism/Hidden Treasures

>>Lara, I don't remember if I commented at the time or not, but I read the
>>story and liked it.  (Life was extremely hectic about that time in my
>>household, believe me).  I sincerely hope you write more.  There can
>>never be too many fanfic authors.  Btw, the e-mail list doesn't generate
>>as much feedback as Zoom's message board.  That doesn't mean people
>>aren't reading and enjoying the stories posted here.

>>Nan

Hi Nan,

I know what you mean... life has been utterly crazy lately. I haven't been
able to read anything on either board :( and authors are posting like
crazy :)

Thanks so much for the feedback! I'm so glad that the (affectionately
called) 'Queen of the 'A' Plot' didn't find any glaring errors. I was very
skeptical about posting this in the first place... so your added support
has been very reassuring!

I'm going to try to read "Vanishing Act" this weekend. I get three days off
and I plan to immerse myself in fanfic. I can't wait to read your newest!

Lara
=========================================================================
Date:         Thu, 6 Apr 2000 22:09:56 -0700
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         TA Merrill <paounfiloun@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: SIP:  Connections part 25
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

--- "C.C. Malo" <Ccmalo@AOL.COM> wrote:> *******
> end part 25
>
> - This is an important scene in the story and so I want it to work.
> Do the
> characterizations of L & C here seem reasonable?  Does the scene
> cross into
> cheesy emotion territory?
>
> Carol
>

Carol, I've not commented on every segment of you story, but I am
reading and enjoying it. I really like this section (no, it's not
cheezy.)

 On the one hand, I'm very glad you didn't choose to have Lois stay mad
and pout about the 'other' Lois. On the other hand, I just don't feel
that Clark gave her enough information about the event to allay her
fears. Maybe that is covered in the unspoken part covered by the "Then
he gave her a barebones synopsis" part.

 I just kept waiting for Clark to explain that the 'other' Lois has her
own Clark in her own universe. This is 'their' universe and 'their'
life. By the way, has the second meeting between the two universes
happened? You made no mention of that.

I really love the observations from Lois' POV of the Kryptonians. It's
very amusing the way she knows she's breaking protocol and doesn't
care. I love the afternoon nap comment. :)

I can't wait for more!
TerriAnn

__________________________________________________
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Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.
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=========================================================================
Date:         Fri, 7 Apr 2000 08:57:02 EDT
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Charlotte Fisler <Cdfisler@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: (was RE: hey!) and Baron Sunday
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

Me again.

I tried to explain in my last comment what makes a story really good and I
didn't think I could.  Afterwards I thought of the - to me - perfect
example,
so here it is for anyone who is interested.

You all know I love Debby Stark's Dawning series for many, many reasons, but
if I had to point to one single line that typifys why I like it, it would be
this one.

In Dawning 9, Debby's revelation chapter - chock full of great parts BTW -
there is the following scene:

Clark has been on vacation in Smallville for almost a week.  He's been
trying
"every which way" to tell Lois he's Superman since Dawning 1 with all sorts
of things interfering.  (He doesn't know Lois has already figured it out)
He
(and Lois too) wants it to be romantic but every time they almost get to the
revelation all heck breaks loose including buildings being blown up, Ellen
Lane and others showing up, etc.

Now it's early Thursday morning, Lois's day off - the perfect day to tell
her
Clark thinks.  He has a plan (poor guy his plans seldom work out in Dawning
and this is no exception.)  Moreover, he's decided he's going to approach
her
as Superman.
So he's in the suit, he's brought along a present of special coffee (to calm
her down after he breaks the news) and he's hovering outside of her
apartment
building ready to put his plan into action.  The window is locked,
surprising
but not stopping him.  He comes closer to knock and discovers that Lois's
apartment is completely empty of all her stuff. No furniture, no fish tank,
nothing.

Herewith Debby's line:

<<He backed away from the building so quickly that he was a mile out over
the
ocean before he pulled himself out of the retreat, hovered and thought
**she's moved and she didn't tell me.**>>

I can just see that scene in my mind's eye in vivid technicolor.  Superman's
shock reflected in two different ways.  As Clark he takes the proverbial
'step backward' in surprise that an ordinary man would.  But he's Superman
so
his step back ends a mile out to sea.  In one single sentence we see the
complex character of Clark Kent/Superman both his humanness and his Super
powered uniqueness.  That is what a really good writer does.  Projects in
words a verbal image which conveys a truth about the topic.  And that is
what
touches me.  Would that I could write like that.

Re:  Baron Sunday.  Okay Kathy and StarKitty you got me thinking and I will
write a revamp or at least a continuation to the episode.  I'm good at
backgrounds even if I do say so myself. (She smiles secretively - they'll
never know what she's referring to except it isn't her Lois and Clark
stories)  And yes in my story the Baron isn't going to get off as the
innocent he is supposed to be in the episode.  Nor is Clark going to be
shown
as 'perfect,' but that was never the point.  This is going to take some time
so don't hold your breath waiting but I will keep my promise.

In the meantime, maybe someone else would like to tackle this problem
episode?  I love variations on a theme stories, don't you?

Charlotte
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Date:         Fri, 7 Apr 2000 13:43:46 -0700
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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From:         James Tull <mr_d8a@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      New 7 days of Superman Part 8
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I reneged. Who says men can't be fickle. :)

+++++++++++++++++++++++
Friday, October 8, 1999
5:30pm MST
Never-Neverland
Operation Backstep
+++++++++++++++++++++++

"I told you that Superman was the target.  Or should I
say Clark Kent.  Imagine, an alien living among us
like a normal person.  Disgusting.  Who knows how many
others there are?  I always knew that Kent was too
good to be true.  And that Lane wo..."

Talmadge had had enough of Ramsey’s attitude for one
meeting.  "Nathan!  This is no time for that.  Frank
you get to go to Metropolis and find Clark Kent or
Superman.  Do whatever you have to do to stop this
Tempus character.  It looks like the future is in your
hands."

Everyone got up and to leave.  Frank turned to Olga
and said, "Talk about your no pressure situations."

"True, Mr. Parker, I do not envy your situation.
However, I might be of some help in dealing with
President Castro.  Cuba’s relationship with the United
States hasn't always been a smooth one.  I think that
he might be a little more forth coming with a Russian
representative there."

"You’re right.  I’m going to need all the help I can
get on this one.  Besides, you know I’ll take any
opportunity to work with you as closely as possible,”
he said with a big grin.

Olga rolled her eyes and shook her head.  "Does
anything ever get past that ego of yours, Mister
Parker?"

"Not if I can help it."

~*~
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Saturday, October 9, 1999
8:30am MST
Never-Neverland
Operation Backstep – Frank’s Quarters
+++++++++++++++++++++++

Talmadge knocked on Frank’s door and let himself in.
He handed Frank two thick manila folders.  “This is
all the intel we have on Lane and Kent.  Tempus is an
enigma.  He appears to have been erased from
existence.  All inquires turn up blank documents or
gaps in information.  It’s like any and all references
to him have been surgically removed from any source.
Lane and Kent are a different matter.  They are both
well know for their stand for truth and justice.  They
are supposed to be close friends of Superman, which
makes sense in light of Tempus’ claims.  They’ve been
married for three years and have a four year old
adopted son, Ivan Nyktrkovich Kent.  You can read the
rest for yourself.

“Ivan Nyktrkovich?  John, Son of Nothing?  The
orphanages over in Russian show no imagination.”

“Yes.  The adoption finally went through about 6
months ago.  Cute kid.  It’s all in there.  You’re
scheduled to back step at noon today.”

Frank took in the thickness of the folders and shook
his head.  “It’s a good thing I only have to look at
things once, otherwise I would be reading until
tomorrow.”  They both laughed hollow laughs.  They
both knew the seriousness of this mission.

“Frank, since we are dealing with a possible time
traveler, you may have to bend some of our rules.  Not
that that has ever stopped you before.”

Frank didn’t even bother to hide his grin.

“I couldn’t care less if Superman masqueraded as a
dentist as long as he kept giving us hope for a
brighter future.  Under no circumstances are you to
reveal his identity to anyone on the team, including
me.  His secret is of vital importance to the world,
and so I want it to remain that way.”

“Yes, sir.  I had already planned on not saying
anything to anyone…sir.”

Talmadge’s cheeks framed the smile upon his face as he
turned to go.  He snapped his fingers and turned back.
 “One other thing.  That devise that Tempus was using,
make sure that we get a working copy of it.”

“It sure looked a lot easier to handle than the
sphere.”

“That’s why we want it.”

“You’ll get it sir.”

~*~

+++++++++++++++++++++++
Saturday, October 9, 1999
8:30am EST
Metropolis
Star Labs
+++++++++++++++++++++++

It didn’t take long for word to leak out that Lois
Lane and her son where at Star Labs.  The only thing
that had not leaked out as Lois’ ‘condition.’  By
morning every entrance to the compound was surrounded
by the media.  All flavors were represented, from
tabloids to television—paparazzi to professionals.
Every phone in the place was ringing off the hook.
Film crews in helicopters circled above trying to get
a shot.  It was a feeding frenzy.  And they all wanted
the same thing.  Lois Lane a.k.a. Superman’s wife.

They started arriving shortly after Tempus’ broadcast,
effectively blocking Klein’s and Taylor’s attempt at
spiriting them away.  So they holed up in the
building.  Most people in the building were
sympathetic to Lois’ plight.  Superman had put Star
Labs on the map.  Many of their projects got funding
simply because Superman had trusted them to help him.
Others, felt no such loyalty.  They were the first to
try and sneak people in.  Dr. Klein put a stop to that
immediately.  He ordered round-the-clock guards at
every entrance.  It was a standoff.  And it stayed
that way until morning.  Then the government arrived.

~*~

Two large, GI helicopters landed on the grounds just
behind the Star Labs.  About sixteen troops, each with
a 3-9 patch on their upper arm, poured out followed by
one man that seemed to exude confidence and insanity
all at the same time.  His name tag simple said
‘DIRECTOR.’  His eyes blazed with anticipation as he
made his way to the large double doors in the back of
the building.  Two men in the rear carried a rather
large metal box between them.  The guards at the doors
took one look at the fully automatic arsenal walking
their way and decided that discretion was the better
part of valor.  They ran into the depths of the
building and hit an emergency alarm along the way.

The armed troop marched through the screaming
hallways, looking for someone or something.  A
technician picked the wrong time to run out into the
hallway and plowed straight into one of them.  When he
opened his eyes, he had half a dozen weapons trained
on him.  The Director stepped forward.  He gave a
simple hand signal and the weapons disappeared and the
technician was lifted gracelessly off his feet.  He
leaned forward to clearly see the name tag and to make
sure that he could be heard over the din.

“MR. CHUCK PLETE, WHO IS IN CHARGE.”

“DR. BENARD KLEIN, SIR!”

A sour look passed across his face and stuck,
“Figures.”

“WHAT!”

“TAKE ME TO HIM.”

The technician shook his head.  He knew what this man
probably wanted and he was willing to delay the
inevitable as long as he could.

The Director smiled.  In one swift motion he placed
one hand behind his back and his other behind Chuck’s
head.  The next thing Chuck knew there was a rather
large gun pressed up against his temple.

“TAKE ME TO HIM OR DIE.  IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE TO
ME.”

Chuck fainted.  A small dark spot spread across the
front of his pants.

The Director rolled his eyes toward the ceiling as he
dropped Mr. Plete to the ground and stepped over him.
A hand gesture later they were on the move again,
looking for Dr. Bernard Klein.

~*~
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Saturday, October 9, 1999
9:00am EST
Metropolis
Star Labs
+++++++++++++++++++++++

After several minutes and several failed attempts at
finding the doctor, the armed group grabbed the
nearest guard and forced him to take him to the alarm
control system.  Once there, the Director had the
alarms turned off, after a little persuading.  Nothing
permanent, just some new holes in the ceiling.  With
the alarms off he told the guard to put him on the PA
system.

The Director’s voice boomed through out the building,
“Dr. Bernard Klein.  This is the Director of Bureau
39.  I have a search and seizure order, issued by the
U.S. Government, for one Lois Lane and her son.  If
you do not bring them to me in front lobby of this
building in ten minutes,  I will start maiming one
civilian for every minute you are late.”  The Director
turned toward his men and said, “Grab them,” referring
to the five civilians in the room.  They then
proceeded to the front lobby.

~*~

Lois paled, “I’d know that voice anywhere.  It’s
Trask.”

Dr. Klein nervously asked, “Who’s Trask?  What does he
want?”

“Trask is member of a government ‘special forces’ unit
that most of the government doesn’t even know exists.
He’s also insane.  He believed that Superman was a
threat to the Earth.  A scout for an alien invasion.
We’ve had several run-ins with him over the years.  He
proved especially thorny when the New Kryptonians
actually did invade several years ago.  He has never
believed that they all left.  And he was absolutely
livid when the U.N. allowed Superman to stay.  Since
then he has tried everything possible to get rid of
Superman.  And now he is after me.  And he will maim
or kill anyone that gets in his way.”

“We can’t let him get away with this!  I will not turn
you over to him!”

“Bernie, you really don’t have a choice.  I’ll go.  I
can’t have the injuring of innocent people on my
conscience anymore than you can.”

Lois leaned down to pick up her sleepy little boy when
Taylor placed a hand on her shoulder.  “Let me carry
him.”

“Thanks.”

Taylor gathered the child in his arms like a rag doll.
 Half asleep, Ivan wrapped his arms around Taylor’s
neck.

“Let’s go.”

~*~
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Saturday, October 9, 1999
9:09am EST
Metropolis
Star Labs – Front Lobby
+++++++++++++++++++++++

As Lois, Klein, and Taylor walked into the front
lobby, Trask grinned from ear to ear.  He had
triumphed at last.  Not only was Superman gone but now
he had his offspring to mold into his own image.

~*~

=====
Mr. D8a -
Colossians 3:2 - Set your minds on things above not on earthly things.

Go to WWW.FREEWWWEB.COM for the best Free Internet access!

__________________________________________________
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=========================================================================
Date:         Fri, 7 Apr 2000 16:09:40 -0500
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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From:         "Felix E. Sung" <fsung@JUSTICE.LOYOLA.EDU>
Subject:      NEW: L&C&J&J (5/?)

(Lois & Clark & John & Joan, Part 5)

To the casual observer, Lois Lane looked cool, calm, and collected when she
and Clark returned to the Planet three hours later.  The fact of the matter
was, she was neither of these.  Lois was hot (temperature wise, of course),
agitated, and very confused.

Although Metropolis was suffering through the dog days of summer, the
largest city in the world was experiencing its worst heat wave ever.  The
highs were consistently in the upper 90's the last couple of weeks, and in
five separate occasions new records for high temperatures were set.  The
unusual thing was the fact that the weather in the rest of New Troy was
abnormally cool for this time of year.  Lois had wondered if there was
something else that was causing the heat wave.  'Thank goodness the Daily
Planet building was air-conditioned,' she thought, as she sat at her desk.

The source of her agitation was a certain John Bialzek.  After Lois and
Clark's interview with Dr. Platt, John had paged her.  This was odd, because
John had rarely paged her while she was at work.  And the fact that he had
paged her from his place instead of his office had worried her even further.
 Unfortunately, she had figured correctly that there was a problem.  John
had just found out that his grandmother had died of a stroke.  This meant
that he was going out of town and leaving this evening.  This also meant
that he would not be able to escort her to Lex Luthor's White Orchid Ball
Thursday night.  Now what was she going to do?

Being with Clark today left her confused.  Very confused.  While Clark did
make that smart-aleck comment about her liking to 'be on top,' he was also
smart.  Half the time Lois had not understood Dr. Platt's technical
explanations as to why the Messenger exploded.  But Clark had, asking
questions to clarify Dr. Platt's points.  All this while Clark had been
looking around Dr. Platt's 'office.'  Something that all good reporters did.
 Observe.

Clark had also used his charms to soften Dr. Baines during the second
interview at EPRAD.  Baines had originally said that reporters were not
allowed to look at the Messenger wreckage, but Clark had managed Dr. Baines
to at least think about letting him and Lois take a look in the future.
Lois was actually glad that Clark had done this; many times in the past Lois
had exploited her femininity to get a story.  But being physically close to
Clark had short-circuited her brain again and she had ended up reprimanding
Clark for his efforts with Dr. Baines.

Clark was also a gentleman, for on six occasions today he had held the door
for Lois, and four times he had let her enter and exit the elevator first.
God, had she been actually counting?  John had also done things like that to
her whenever they went out.  Sometimes Lois had wanted John to cut it out
and let her do things herself, but in reality she loved the way John was
treating her.  And she had loved the way Clark was being a gentleman as
well...

Darn it, she was doing it again!  Thinking about Clark!  This had never
happened before, her thinking about a guy, any guy, at work.  In the past,
the Daily Planet had been sort of a safe haven for her, a place for her to
forget about her lack of a love life, the outside world, her lack of a love
life, her family's problems, her lack of a love life...  Being with John for
three months had changed things, but now, there was no place for her to be
where she could forget about Clark, even while she was with John, and that
was very disturbing.

'Oh, all right, I admit it,' she thought to herself.  'I am attracted to
Clark.  Now I've said it.'  But of course, this did not make her feel any
better.  For the person who occupied her thoughts was sitting no more than
ten feet from her, and now, she was going to have to figure out a way to
summon her courage to ask him to Lex Luthor's White Orchid Ball.

* * * * * * * *

It was a long day for a first day at work, but Clark of course did not feel
tired.  With a smile on his face he picked up the phone book.  Since he had
been in Metropolis for only a couple of weeks, he wasn't yet familiar with
the restaurants in the area.  Of course, the fact that he had flown to other
countries for cuisine hadn't given him the opportunity to become familiar
with the area.  This time, Clark wanted to take Joan to somewhere nice, here
in Metropolis.

He had wanted to have this celebration dinner tonight.  But before he had
left his hotel room this morning, she had called and said that if he ended
up getting the job, then they should wait until tomorrow to celebrate.
Apparently Joan had an early meeting at her school tomorrow morning, and
after that meeting she wouldn't have to come in until Monday.  (Her first
day of classes wasn't for another two weeks.)  The plan, then, was for Clark
to cook this evening, and tomorrow evening they would go somewhere
("Surprise me," she had said, when he had asked if she had any preference).
 So now Clark was sitting at his desk, looking at the phone book looking for
the restaurant listings, so that he could memorize the names, addresses, and
phone numbers of all the restaurants in the area.

Clark almost smiled at what he was about to do.  Again he was relying on his
powers.  Having these powers did make things easier.  But he had to control
himself, all the time, never use his powers in public, because he didn't
want to jeopardize his chances to lead a normal life.  So far there were
only two situations when he used his powers: at his parent's farm, and in
front of Joan.

Thinking about his parents and Joan almost caused him to frown.  His mom and
dad were very worried when he had told them that someone else knew about his
powers.  They were not sure if Joan could be trusted, because of course they
had never met.  So right after Clark and Joan had returned to Metropolis
from France, he had decided that it was time for Joan to meet his parents.
This meant that there had been a second opportunity for Joan to fly in
Clark's arms, of which Joan didn't mind at all doing.  Clark's concerns
about the first meeting went unfounded, as the three of them had gotten
along very well.  The fact that Joan was born at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas
probably had helped.

Without moving his head, Clark glanced upward to see who was still in the
newsroom.  Looking to the right, he noticed that Lois was looking at him.
Immediately, his eyes returned to the phone book, and he tried very hard not
to blush.  As nonchalantly as he could, he resumed turning the pages of the
phone book until he found the Restaurant listings.  He then heard her stand
up and walk away from her desk.

Clark's impressions on Lois Lane did not change in the three hours, eight
minutes, and 28 seconds that they were out on interviews.  He had found out
that she was brilliant.  He had found out that she did have passion for her
work.  And he had found out that she was seeing someone.  Before they went
to see Dr. Baines at EPRAD, Lois had asked the cab to stop at a payphone
because she had been paged.  He wanted to beat himself up for doing it, but
while he was sitting in the cab waiting, he had used his super-hearing to
see whom Lois was talking to.  When Clark had realized that it had been to a
man named John, he immediately had focused his attention on the radio in the
cab, only to find that the radio was belting out hard rock.  Now, as Clark
remembered, he cringed inwardly.  How could anyone stand that?  His tastes
were towards Jazz, Easy Listening, and Country...

At least Clark hadn't eavesdropped on Lois' entire phone conversation.  But
when she had returned to the cab, he had noticed that her mood was darker,
and that something had been bothering her.  Clark had tried to ask if
everything was okay, but she had responded by reaching forward, turning off
the radio, and ordering the cab driver to step on it to EPRAD.  Well, at
least he was right.  Even though he didn't like making assumptions about
people, like he had to Lois before they had left the Planet, he was right in
that she was seeing someone.  Clark should be happy that she was in a
relationship, and that he was in a relationship.

So why didn't he feel that way?

* * * * * * * *

Clark's eyes were still on the phone book when his phone rang.  He reached
for the phone and answered it.  "Clark Kent."

"Clark?" said Joan.  To him it sounded more like a croak.

"Joan?  Is that you?  Are you okay?"

"No, I'm not," Joan mumbled.  Clark had to use his super-hearing to hear
her.  "I think I got the flu."

The flu?  In August?  Clark decided not to say that out loud.  "Well, you
might as well forget about the meeting at your school tomorrow," he said,
sighing.  "And probably we should forget about tomorrow night as well."

"Oh Clark, I'm so sorry," Joan said, sounding very guilty.  "I know you
wanted to celebrate for getting the job."

"It's okay.  It happens."

"Not to you.  You know how much I hate you now?" she asked, teasing.

"Sorry," Clark said cheerfully, not meaning it.  "Listen," he continued,
"why don't I stop by anyway?  You haven't experienced a little TLC from me
yet."

"I'd be crazy if I turn you down," Joan remarked.  "See you in half an
hour?"

"Right.  See you later."  Clark hung up, feeling disappointed.  He had
really wanted to celebrate with Joan, but it couldn't be helped.  With a
sigh, he stood up and grabbed the jacket that was draping on his chair.  He
then heard footsteps approaching his desk.  Clark turned around to see a
nervous Lois Lane.  "I don't suppose you own a tuxedo," she said with
trepidation.

For a moment Clark couldn't speak.  Now why would she ask if he had a
tuxedo?  She wasn't going to ask him out, was she?  'I thought she had a
boyfriend!' he thought.  'And what's the big event, for which I need a
tuxedo?'  Confused, he answered, "I could get one.  Why?"

Lois took a deep breath.  'Just get this over with,' she thought.  "Oh,
well, the man that I was going to Lex Luthor's Ball with has to go out of
town expectantly," she explained, almost sounding as if this had happened to
her often.

She was!  She was asking him out!  In a very calm voice (though certainly he
didn't feel that way), Clark said, "So you were wondering if I wanted to..."

At the same time, however, Lois blurted out, "Do you want to take his
place?"

Clark raised his eyebrows at the blunt way she had asked him.  While he had
heard of Lex Luthor (who in Metropolis hadn't?), he didn't know about any
charity ball that he was hosting.  But something else bothered him.  It was
just a weird coincidence.  Just a second ago, Joan had begged off
celebrating tomorrow evening.  And now, Lois needed a date for the ball.

Interpreting Clark's lack of a response for hesitation, Lois continued, "And
this is the social event of the season!  Everyone who is anyone is going to
be there!"

"Oh," he managed to say.  So there's a ball tomorrow night.  But surely Joan
had heard about it?  And if so, why didn't she say anything?  Clark finally
addressed Lois.  "It's just funny that you asked.  I had plans with my, um,
girlfriend tomorrow night, but a minute ago she had called to cancel.  She
has the flu."

"Oh, that's too bad," Lois said, sympathetically.

"Yeah," Clark agreed, lost in his thoughts.  Then he abruptly turned to his
desk.  "Hold that thought," he said, as he picked up the phone.

Feeling slightly rebuffed, Lois went back to her desk.  It was obvious that
he wasn't interested in taking her.  Why else would he interrupt this
conversation to make a phone call?  Also, it shouldn't have been any
surprise to her that Clark Kent, a guy who essentially looked like a Greek
god, was seeing someone too.  And now, Lois had no date for the White Orchid
Ball tomorrow night.  And she really, really, didn't like the idea of going
to the ball alone.  Warily, she put some of the research that was still on
her desk into her bag.  It was only 4:00, but she had been at the office
since 7:00 this morning and she was feeling tired.  As she was getting her
things together, she glanced at Clark, only to find him signaling her to not
leave yet.

Clark finally replaced the handset on the receiver and faced Lois.  "I
called Joan.  She said that I could take you."  That wasn't entirely true.
When Clark had told Joan about the White Orchid Ball, she had ended up
suggesting him that he take Lois.

"Oh, you didn't have to do that!" Lois exclaimed.  Now she was starting to
feel like she was about to steal Clark from this Joan person.

"It's all right," Clark reassured her.  "Joan is sick, and she thought I
should go.  I had asked if I could take you, and she said yes."

"Fine," Lois said, and returned to her desk to gather her things.  She
glanced up to see Clark looking at her quizzically.

"This isn't a date, right?" he asked, sounding strange.

Lois blinked.  Where did that come from?  "A date?" she said.  "You mean
like in Kansas, where you meet my parents and then you try and give me a
hickey in the vacant lot behind the Dairy Freeze?"  Oy, she was doing it
again, babbling and insulting him at the same time.  She shook her head
vehemently.  "No this is not a date.  This is business.  I am going to land
the first one-on-one Lex Luthor interview somehow..."

"Okay," he interrupted, feeling thoroughly confused.  Something just felt
weird about everything, about the way Joan had canceled plans for tomorrow,
and about the way Lois asked him to the ball.  Surely Lois and Joan weren't
planning something, were they?  No, that's not possible.  They might have
met in the past, but they had barely known each other.  And something told
Clark that Lois hadn't realized that his Joan and Joan Duoblys her old
French TA were one and the same.

"Good," Lois said, as she walked back to her desk.  "Let's just meet there,
okay?  Nine sounds good?  No, that's too late."  She picked up her bag.
"Make it 8:30," she continued, forcing herself not to glance at Clark's way.
 Before she made her way up the ramp she stopped and turned around.  "Oh,
you probably don't know where it is, do you?  Well, remind me to give you
directions tomorrow."  She turned and walked up the ramp.  "See you then."

Clark blinked twice, realizing that she had just babbled again, and the she
was leaving.  "What an... interesting woman, this Lois Lane," he spoke out
loud.  Shaking his head and smiling, he reached for his jacket and prepared
to leave the newsroom.

* * * * * * * *
=========================================================================
Date:         Fri, 7 Apr 2000 18:01:16 -0400
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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From:         Gerry Anklewicz <Gerry_Anklewicz@NYNET.NYBE.ON.CA>
Subject:      Re: SIP:  Connections part 25
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I'm continuing to enjoy this Carol.  Since you had your request for
criticism at the end, I scrolled up to read some of this again.  No, this
is not cheesy in any way.  It works very nicely.  It did get me thinking
about what was Clark's relationship with the first Lois.  I think that he
felt a connection to her, but he also felt envious of her relationship
with the other Clark.  alt-Clark had lost Lana with whom he never had a
good relationship.  Then there's this woman who he has feelings for and
she also has this wonderful relationship with his alternative self.

Loved:
 "She sewed that red outfit for you -- I bet she cooked for you,
too.  Wears designer clothes.  What else?  Well I'm not her, Clark, no
matter
how much you want that.  I'm not supportive, and I have no respect for a
journalist whose clothes are always immaculate, and," she finished
decisively, glaring at him, "I'm no good at holding capes."
There's irony there.

Also loved the get-to-business Lois.
He smiled, "Sounds like a plan, Ms. Lane."

She pulled back from him and smiled, patting his chest.  "No, it's not --
it's a goal.  We still need a plan."
Nice twist on an old cliche.

Keep writing.  I'm waiting for more.
Gerry
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Date:         Fri, 7 Apr 2000 15:33:20 -0700
Reply-To:     "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
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Sender:       "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic"
              <LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
From:         Nancy Smith <deimos1@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject:      NEW STORY:  Vanishing Act  Part 6
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Vanishing Act  Part 6
by Nan Smith

When they arrived at the townhouse, Clark went directly to the phone and
dialed a number.  Lois sank onto the couch and put her feet up with a
sigh of relief.

"I don't know which is worse," she remarked, while Clark waited for
someone to answer, "the five hundred daily visits to the bathroom or the
swollen feet.  Who are you calling?"

He had opened his mouth to answer when he heard the receiver being
picked up and a familiar voice said, "Hello?"

"Hi, Mom," Clark said.

"Clark!"  His mother's voice sounded excited.  "Is it time?"

"No, not quite," he answered.  "I was wondering if you'd mind coming a
day early."

"No problem at all, honey.  What's going on?"

"I'd rather explain that in person if you don't mind, Mom," Clark said.
"Something's happened and we could use your help, especially since
things are as close as they are."

"I've had my bag packed for the last three weeks," Martha Kent's voice
said with a laugh.  "You can come get me whenever you like."

"Would now be too soon?"

"Now's fine.  Just give me time to explain to your father and I'll be
ready."

"Okay.  I'll be there in a few minutes, then."

When he hung up, Lois was looking at him accusingly.  "Why didn't you
tell me you were going to call your Mom?"

"I just thought of it," Clark explained.  "You can use the help right
now, what with this investigation and everything.  You're having to put
a lot of energy into it when you should be taking it easier, so I
figured Mom can take over some of the things like helping look after
CJ."

She glanced at their son, who was tottering his way across the carpet
toward Clark.  "You're right--especially now that he's walking.  Sorry I
snapped at you."  Unexpectedly she sniffled.  "I don't mean to be so
cross, Clark."

Instantly, he was seated next to her on the sofa.  "Hey, what's the
matter?"

"I don't know...yes, I do," she contradicted herself at once.  "I'm so
fat and clumsy right now, and women are looking at you all the time and
wondering what this foxy guy sees in me, and--"

"Hey," he said.  "So what if they wonder what I see in you?  *I* know
what I have, and I wouldn't trade you and CJ and this one--" he rested a
hand on her rounded tummy, feeling the muscles grow hard under his
fingers in one of those painless contractions, "for any other woman on
Earth."  He leaned forward to kiss her lightly.  "It won't be long now,
Lois.  I have the feeling that we're just about down to the wire, here.
Really."

"I just hope we can find Lucy, first," she said, but she smiled.

"Me, too.  I wouldn't like having to conduct the rest of the
investigation by myself."  He stood up.  "I'm going to get Mom, now, and
after I get back with her I'll take a trip over to Walberg House to see
what I can see, okay?"

"Okay," she said.  "Better tell Martha to wear a raincoat."

*****************

When he returned from his trip, carrying Martha Kent, wrapped in yards
of plastic raincoat, and the ancient suitcase he could remember from his
days as a small child when they had gone to visit relatives, Lois was on
the phone.

"Yes, Inspector," she was saying.  "But this investigation she was
involved with wouldn't have anything to do with the missing women, by
any chance?"  A short silence.  "Why not?  I'm not going to go running
to the paper to splash it all over the front page!  Look, my sister's
been kidnapped.  You don't expect me to sit around doing nothing, do
you?"  She listened for a moment.  "Well, I'm not everybody else, in
case you haven't noticed.  I don't sit around."  A pause.  "So what if
I'm about to have a baby?  What difference does that make?"  A long
pause, this time.  "Of course I'll keep it
confidential...Okay...Okay...she was, huh?  Okay, thanks, Henderson.
Yeah, you have a nice day, too.  Goodbye."

Clark set his mother on her feet and zipped up the steps with the
suitcase to deposit it in the spare bedroom, then descended the stairs a
second later, still in the Suit.  "How was Inspector Henderson, honey?"
he asked, although he had a pretty good idea.

"He was okay," Lois said innocently.  "He just told me Detective Brett
is doing a little better, but she won't be able to tell them much for a
while.  She was investigating the kidnappings.  She must have found
something, but they don't know what."  She turned to her mother-in-law.
"Hi, Martha.  I'm glad you're here."

"So am I," Martha said.  She stood back, surveying Lois's figure.  "My,
you've bloomed since I saw you a couple of months ago.  You look
wonderful."

Lois made a resigned face.  "If bulging at the seams is wonderful."

"It is," Martha said.  "It means that soon you'll be giving birth to a
small miracle."

"It *is* a miracle, you know," Clark said.  "Especially if you consider
the circumstances."

"I know," Lois said.  "And I really am happy about it.  I'm just getting
awfully impatient, waiting for something to happen."

"And it will," Martha said.  "Now, why don't you sit back down, put your
feet up and let me do the work right now?  Clark told me what's happened
to your sister.  Clark, you said you had something to do after we got
here?"

"Right," he said.  "A little snooping.  I'll be back shortly."  He broke
off as he saw Lois wince.  "Honey?"

"Go ahead, Clark.  It's just the usual."

"Okay."  He glanced significantly at his mother, who smiled and made
shooing motions with her hands.

"Go," she said.  "Even if it's real, nothing will happen right away."

Slightly reassured, he kissed his wife and whisked out of the room.

*******************

"Clark, I keep telling you that it's nothing but the same stuff that's
been going on all week," Lois was saying as the elevator doors opened on
the newsroom floor the next morning.  "Every so often the muscles all
tighten up, but it doesn't hurt a bit.  I wish something *would* happen,
believe me!"

Clark looked dubiously at his wife as they exited the elevator.  "I
don't know, Lois.  You had one every seventy-three minutes all night
long.  I know.  You woke me up by squirming around every time it
happened and I checked the time."

"It's the pressure," Lois explained patiently.  "Honestly, Clark, you're
getting jumpier about this than I am."

"Sorry.  I can't help it," he apologized.  "I just have this ‘feeling'
about it."

"So, now you're psychic?" she challenged.

"How should I know?" he replied.  "I'm just telling you how I feel."

"I'll take your word for it," Lois said.  "As far as I'm concerned, the
whole business is on hold until we get this thing with Lucy solved, and
her found."

"Hey, guys," Jimmy called as they came down the ramp.  "I've got that
information you wanted."

"What do you have?" Lois asked, hurrying so quickly that she almost
stumbled and Clark's heart jumped into his throat.

"I've got all the stuff in the conference room," Jimmy said.  "Figured
it would be easier to spread out all the paper on the table there."

"Good idea," Clark said.  He hadn't failed to note the instant attention
on Ralph's part.

Neither had Jimmy.  Their young friend closed and locked the conference
room door after them.  "Ralph's been after me ever since yesterday about
your investigation," he said in an annoyed tone.  "He's got some idea
you've got this secret source for scoops and he's pulling out all the
stops to find out what it is.  I'd watch him if I were you.  I caught
him trying to peek over my shoulder when I was hunting up records from
Florida this morning."

"Florida?" Clark asked.

"Yeah.  There's twelve guys living in Walberg House right now.  Nine of
them have been there since at least from the beginning of the school
year, but three of them transferred in at the semester break from the
same school down in Florida."

"Florida," Lois said.  "‘Down south'."

"Huh?" Jimmy said.

"Bobby told us this bunch had moved in from ‘down south'," Clark said.

"Oh.  Well, I thought you'd want to know where they came from and if
they've got any police records, or anything."

"We do.  Nice thinking, Jimmy."  Lois leaned over the yards of paper
laid out across the table.

"Thanks.  The stuff on the left is the information on the others.  I
separated out the three new guys in that pile on the right."

"Thanks a lot, Jimmy," Clark said.

"No sweat.  If you need anything else, just tell me.  And Ralph's not
getting *anything* out of me," Jimmy said with uncharacteristic
acerbity.  "If he wants a big story, let him go out and work for it the
way the rest of us do!"

"There's one thing," Clark said.  "Is there any way you can find out for
us if any female students happened to disappear from their last school?"

"You got it.  It was probably in the local papers.  I can do a search
for it.  Shouldn't take long."  Jimmy unlocked the door and opened it
suddenly, almost in Ralph's face.  "Good grief, Ralph!" he snapped,
irritably.  "Do you *like* getting doors rammed into your nose, or
something?"

"I think," Clark said, after Jimmy had left the room, "that our young
friend is seriously ticked off."

"I am, too," Lois said.  "Ralph's been making a pest of himself ever
since Perry told him he couldn't be your partner.  Like Jimmy says, he
seems to think there's some secret other than hard work and
investigative skills to coming up with the scoops.  If we don't
discourage him he's going to seriously interfere when you have to go out
and...you know."

"Well, we'll have to think about how to do that after we've got Lucy
back safe," Clark said.  He began to sift quickly through the
information Jimmy had provided. "Hmmm.  Looks like Jimmy did a lot of
digging.  Good photos, too.  Nothing here,  no...no, and no.  Give me
that stuff on the new guys, would you?"

Lois handed the much smaller stack to him.  He scanned it quickly.
"Huh.  Look at this.  Our three transfers are Robert Ashley, age
twenty-three, business major, Peter Brookes, twenty-four, a law student,
and Tyler Griggs, twenty-three, major in philosophy."

Lois laughed, but didn't comment.

"Backgrounds..." Clark continued, "middle to upper class families, no
felonies.  Griggs has three DUIs in the past couple of years.  Ashley
was arrested for assault, but the victim dropped the charges."

"I wonder why?" Lois said.

"It doesn't say, but look at this!  Peter Brookes apparently was caught
cheating on his law exams, but his dad made a sizeable donation to the
university's law school and the school officials dropped the matter."

"How on earth does Jimmy find this stuff out?" Lois muttered.

"I don't know, but he should work for the FBI...Lois, are you all
right?"

She rubbed her abdomen.  "Darn, but these things are annoying!  I just
wish they'd *do* something!"

Clark checked his watch.  Seventy-two minutes since the last one.  Maybe
it didn't mean anything, but the regularity of the contractions put him
on the alert.

Lois noticed.  "Don't get excited, Clark.  They don't hurt a bit."

"Okay.  But you don't mind if I time them, do you?"

She rolled her eyes.  "Go right ahead; you will anyway.  But in the
meantime, maybe we should make an appointment to talk to these three."

"Probably," Clark said.  "Last night was a complete waste of time,
though.  The only thing I saw at Walberg House was another party--and
several couples doing things I'd rather *not* have seen--but that
doesn't mean it's not connected."

"My guess," Lois said, "is that it's simply used by our suspects as a
way to spot the candidates.  Probably nothing else happens there."

"Yeah."  He reached for the phone directory.  "Let's give them a call."

There was a quick knock on the door five minutes later as he was hanging
up the phone.  Lois opened it.  "That was fast."

"It wasn't hard to find," Jimmy said.  "Nine female students disappeared
over a period of six months.  The last one vanished on December
seventh."

Clark looked at Lois.  "I looks like we may have hit the jackpot."

*******************

Robert Ashley and Tyler Griggs were waiting for them when they arrived
at the little one horse coffee shop not far from NTSU's campus.

Robert Ashley was a good-looking, dark-haired young man with grey eyes,
and when he rose at their approach he stood several inches above Clark's
solid, six-foot frame.  Tyler Griggs was shorter, blond and blue-eyed,
and his gaze kept shifting back and forth between Clark and his fellow
student.  He seemed unable or unwilling to look straight at Lois, Clark
noted.

"Clark Kent and Lois Lane?"  Ashley's voice was a deep, resonant
baritone; Clark was reminded strongly of a speech instructor whose class
he had attended for one semester at Midwest U.

"That's right."  He shook the man's extended hand briefly.

"I'm Bob Ashley; this is Ty Griggs.  Peter asked us to explain that he'd
be a bit late.  He's at a lecture for his Legal Ethics class that he
couldn't afford to miss.  They're reviewing for an exam that's worth
fifty percent of the grade."

"Of course," Lois said.

"Shall we sit down?"  Ashley gestured to chairs.  Clark held Lois's
chair for her then took the one next to her.  When they were seated,
Ashley spoke again.

"I was surprised when you called, Mr. Kent.  Why would a pair of
newspaper reporters want to talk to us?"

"We're interviewing a number of people around the campus," Clark
explained, smoothly.  "Someone recommended we speak to you because the
three of you may have known some of the young women."

"Women?" Griggs asked.

"Yes.  Seven young women have disappeared without a trace from the
university campus since February," Lois said.  "We've been trying to
trace their movements over the week before each of them vanished.  We
understand that they came to parties at Walberg House during that time.
We'd like to know anything you could remember about those visits:  who
they were with, who they spoke to, what they did--you know.  To try to
give us more leads."

Clark took photos of the women, supplied by Jimmy, from the pocket of
his jacket and placed them on the table.  "Do you recognize any of
them?"

Ashley and Griggs leaned forward to look at the pictures.  Griggs shook
his head.  "I don't recognize any of them," he said.

He was lying.  Clark could hear his pulse pounding fast and loud.  He
glanced at Robert Ashley.  The man's face was composed, but his heart
rate had accelerated as well.

"Look closely," Lois said.  "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I think I recognize this one."  Ashley picked up the photo of
Anita Stewart.  "She was at the party we threw the last week of March.
I'm afraid I don't remember her name, though."

"Anita," Lois said.  "Do you recognize this girl?"  She held up the
photo of Lucy.

Ashley shook his head.  "Can't say I do.  Ty?"

The blond man shook his head nervously.  "No."

Another young man was approaching the table as they spoke.  He was tall
and slender, with a narrow face and rather small, pale eyes behind
rimless glasses.  Clark recognized him from the photo Jimmy had supplied
of him, and the first impression he had of the man in person was that he
would never make it as a lawyer.  He *looked* like a crooked lawyer.  On
second thought, he wondered if it would make any difference at all.

"Peter Brookes," he introduced himself.  "You must be Clark Kent and
Lois Lane."

Clark had risen to his feet when Brookes arrived.  He shook hands with
the newcomer and resumed his seat as the other man pulled up a chair.

"What's this all about?" Brookes asked.

Robert Ashley explained briefly and Brookes nodded.  "I see."  His voice
was composed.  "Well, I don't know how much help I'll be, but--are these
the missing girls?"

"Yes," Lois said.

"Hmmm..."  Brookes leaned forward, looking closely at the photos.

"Some of them do look familiar," he admitted.  "I think this one was at
the spring...uh...to put it frankly, the yearly spring beer bust last
Saturday night."  He indicated Lucy's photograph.  "Attractive girl.
You say she's disappeared?  Is there any evidence of foul play?"

"Some," Clark admitted.  This guy was smooth!  His heartbeat was no
faster than normal, and there wasn't the slightest trace of uneasiness
in his voice.

Something else was nagging him for attention, something he should
recognize.  He groped futilely for the feeling for several seconds,
trying to pin it down without success.

"Can you tell us who she might have been with that night?" Lois asked.

Brookes frowned thoughtfully at the picture of Lucy, slowly removed his
glasses and began to polish them carefully with his handkerchief.

Clark's nostrils twitched.  He had it, now.  He'd found a handkerchief
tangled in the hedge near Lucy's car, and on it he had smelled the faint
scent of expensive cologne.

The same cologne that Peter Brookes was wearing right now.  That was
what he had noticed when Peter Brookes had arrived.

"I don't remember that she was with anyone," Brookes said at last.  "I'm
sorry.  I can't think of anything particularly helpful."

********************

A few minutes later they said their farewells and departed.

"Well," Lois said, as she climbed into the driver's seat,  "What do you
think?"

Clark shut the door for her.  "Shh.  I'm listening."

Lois fell silent, watching him expectantly.  He leaned on her window and
tuned his hearing to the three young men still inside the coffee shop.

"Did you do it?"  Tyler Griggs' voice asked.

"Yeah."  That was Brookes.  "With any luck it'll delay them ‘til we're
done.  Things are getting too hot here.  First that cop and now these
two snoops."

"If we bolt now, people are going to notice," Robert Ashley's voice
interjected.  "We've got to get the shipment out tonight, then we'll
just lie low for a while; we should be all right.  No one can prove
anything once the evidence is gone, now that the cop is out of the way."

"I agree."  Brookes' voice was confident.  "You two take the car and
drive around.  They'll follow you.  I'm going to see Jeffers."

"They're coming out," Clark said.  "They're our pigeons, Lois.  I'll go
into detail later.  Griggs and Ashley are the decoys.  Follow them.  I'm
going to trail Brookes...from five hundred feet."

"Got it," Lois said.  "By the way, just in case you're still worrying,
I'm still not having any labor.  So much for your ‘feeling'."

He didn't argue, but the feeling was still there, and he'd been aware
that she'd had another one of the painless contractions while they were
sitting at the table, talking--exactly seventy-two minutes after the
last one.  Still, if Lois was in early labor or about to go into it, as
his mother had said yesterday, nothing would happen right away, and they
couldn't sit around doing nothing while waiting to see if this was
another false alarm.

"Here they come," he said.  "I'll meet you at the Planet."  He kissed
her quickly on the mouth, and was gone.

******************

(to be continued in Part 7)