From: "L-Soft list server at Indiana University (1.8d)" To: "ARTF@MemoryAlpha.nil" File: "LOISCLA-GENERAL-L LOG0006E" ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 29 Jun 2000 05:45:20 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: John Debbage <106532.433@COMPUSERVE.COM> Subject: New Red Sky Part 13 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Title: Red Sky Part: 13 Author: Jenni Debbage Rating: PG-13 Feedback: Sorry I haven't posted for a few days but real life got in the= way. As always comments are very welcome and much appreciated. = Chapter Eight Thus Spake Solvan The incandescent light of morning intruded into the quiet bedroom an= d, passing through the white netting of the protective curtain, shown more gently on the sleeping couple in the bed. To say their night's rest had been a peaceful one was not exactly true; the news they had received that= day and the important activities of this coming forenoon had led to a troubled bedtime discussion which ended with them comforting each other i= n the way that they most appreciated. Finally exhaustion had claimed them but their sleep patterns had been interrupted by dreams of exploding volcanos and menacing faceless villains. Now, as the diffused light touched the face of the lovely woman, her= heavy eyelids twitched while she fought off the remaining shrouds of slee= p. She stretched languorously, like a sleek jungle cat but her movement was= restricted by a heavy arm draped possessively around her waist. Her hand= stroked the encircling muscled arm absentmindedly while she spent some moments reviewing the latter events of yesterday. Dinner at the Vallieres' home had passed off pleasantly enough, than= ks mainly to the efforts of Jimmy and Tula and the children. A slight air = of tension between the hostess and Lois and Clark had permeated the air when= first they had returned to the grand dinning room but fortunately the others had taken over the burden of conversation until little by little the three relaxed and joined in the friendly chatter. Yet all the pleasantries had ceased when, at the end of the meal, an= anxious ridden Butto had returned with the results of the analysis. The lake water was toxic indeed, a heavily laden cocktail of sulfuric acid an= d native sulfur. The results had shocked and convinced the native man that= action had to be taken, but he was unwilling to concede that a mass exodu= s of the island was required. Finally, a compromise had been reached and t= he Kent family had returned home, having agreed that Butto would call an emergency meeting of the island council in the Blancs' hotel for early th= e next morning. = = That appointment was fast approaching and Lois galvanised herself in= to action. She twisted her head to search the still unconscious face of her= husband and, satisfied that he was still resting peacefully, she lifted h= is arm and carefully slid from the bed and his loving embrace. Lacking her husband's warm presence, Lois' naked body shivered slightly and, hurriedl= y slipping into her robe, she returned to stand beside the bed, studying th= e face and form of the man she loved above all others. Very seldom in their married life had Lois actually experienced the trauma of Clark being physically hurt. Yet the fear was always there, buried like a stone deep in her unconscious mind, that one day he would encounter something or someone that was more powerful than himself. Was this that time? Mia Valliere had stated that nothing could compare with the might of Mother Nature once she unleashed her strength. And then, of= course, there was the added problem of the kryptonite. Stretching out a hand, Lois tenderly caressed a hard muscled shoulde= r, unusually clad in a cotton T-shirt. Clark was not naked as she had been = . . . and with a worried smile she remembered her fusspot words as she help= ed him dress in the light top, reminding him that he should protect his injured back from accidental damage which might occur during their very pleasing yet very physical nocturnal activities. Assuring herself that he seemed to be suffering no undue pain, Lois decided to leave Clark to sleep while she showered and dressed. The extremely crucial meeting of the island council might very well prove stormy and they didn't have much time, but she was reluctant to wake Clar= k from his much needed rest. Perhaps by the time she had showered he would= awake naturally . . . and if not . . . her thoughts turned to some delicious ways with which she had learned to bring her husband from = slumber. "Bad girl, Lois," she admonished herself. "There's no time for that= sort of thing and Clark is sick and you still can't leave him be. You'd think that weird kryptonite poisoning was affecting you. Is that possibl= e? Could I become susceptible through association?" Lois voiced her though= ts aloud as she stepped beneath the jets of the shower. "Or am I just a sex= mad crazy woman?" = After careful, though whimsical consideration, Lois decided that thi= s last option was probably true, at least, where her husband was concerned.= = But she really ought not to be pondering on such trivial matters. There were much more important subjects to attend to, namely the fact of an exploding volcano. Nonetheless, Lois spent the rest of her time as she dressed, happily reviewing the intimate details of the night. Her little scheme had worked. As Lois walked back into the bedroom,= Clark was slowly emerging from the realms of Morpheus, gently flexing his= muscles and pulling himself into a sitting position. "Hi, honey!" Clark rubbed his fist into his eyes as he welcomed his= wife with just a tiny amount of disappointment. "Hey, you're all dressed= ! = You didn't wait for me. I would've liked to share your shower . . . . = This is a small island and its utilities are probably pretty stretched. = We really should help out with water conservation and all that you know." "Oh yeah, we have to look after the water," Lois agreed with a heavy= touch of sarcasm, but nevertheless, she crossed to the bed and sitting, dropped a lingering kiss on his lips. Her hand rose to his forehead, partly as a caress but mainly to test his temperature. Pushing her finge= rs through his rumpled hair, she asked with a touch of apprehension. "You sound a little chipper this morning. How are you feeling?" Clark tested his body by stretching his back and raising his arms above his head. That felt so much easier than it had last night. "I'm better." He encircled Lois with his arms as he brought them back down an= d gave her an experimental squeeze. "Yeah, my back definitely doesn't hurt= so much." And enjoying the sensation of having his wife back in his arms= , he suggested hopefully. "Why don't you come back to bed and we can test out just how much my health has improved?" "You are incorrigible, Farmboy. Please behave! We have an importan= t meeting to attend this morning." Her words were scolding but her eyes twinkled momentarily before her demeanour turned more serious. "Have you= forgotten Solvan? You have to get up and dressed quickly and I'll see to= breakfast." Swinging away from the bed, her eyes caught sight of a small jar, sitting on the bedside table; Grandmere Mia's famous salve. Clark had already had two applications of the ointment and he seemed to be improvin= g so she might as well continue with the treatment. Of course, it might be= his own remarkable healing ability returning but it didn't do any harm to= cover all bets. Holding the jar aloft to indicate her intentions, Lois instructed. "Clark, take off your shirt and turn around, you're due for another dose of the magic mixture." Doing as he was bid, Clark remonstrated with his wife through the folds of cotton. "Honey, there's no need to be so demeaning. Mia was on= ly trying to help and that stuff really does soothe . . . ." It took a moment or two before he realised that his wife was being unnaturally silent. He twisted his head around to view her and was surprised by the startled look on Lois' face. "Honey?!" "Clark, either your powers are back or this stuff really is magic!" Clark concentrated his gaze on the bedroom wall. "Hey, I can see Jo= el and Julian," he informed Lois triumphantly. However, after a brief momen= t his triumphant tone faded; as did his glimpse of his sons. "Well, I did for a little while." He screwed up his eyes and tried again and was rewarded for his efforts when a hazy picture of his sons' bedroom swam in= to focus. He tried something else, also with little success. "I can just make out the kids' room but no levitation. So the powers are still patch= y and definitely no flying." "Sweetheart, your back is almost healed." = Placing her hands on Clark's shoulders she turned him around until h= e could view himself in the mirror on the closet door, then she crossed to the window and threw the drapes aside. In the full light of morning the extent of Clark's healing process was revealed. His skin wasn't complete= ly back to normal but the rejuvenation within the short time was certainly n= ot that of an ordinary man. The angry red patches surrounding the cuts had died down and the cuts themselves were almost sealed, while the dark purp= le bruising had faded considerably. On closer inspection, underneath the injuries, Clark and Lois could make out the pale pink of new healthy skin= . "Your own powers must be kicking back in since you've distanced yourself from Solvan . . . it can't be this goo," but even as she spoke Lois was digging her fingers into the thick creamy mixture and spreading = it liberally across the expanse of back before her. She wasn't about to tak= e any chances. "Hmm, honey, do you think you could go a little easier. I know it looks a lot better and it feels a lot better too, but it's still not fit for the Mad Dog Lane treatment." "Sorry," Lois apologised with a blush and with a final flourish, she= decreed, "it's all done, poor baby. According to Mia this stuff is waterproof, so off you go and take a shower. I'll get the kids up." ***** Lois hurried through the house like the little tornado that Clark often likened her to, banging on doors and shouting out to the children that it was time to rise. She ended up pushing open the door to her baby= 's room, to find him already awake and sitting up in his bed. The white linen sheet was scrunched around his body like a nest and lying in the folds were his favourite toys. Lois flung back the curtains and turned t= o pluck Nathan from his bed. "Oh, these are very pretty," she commented, surveying the glass ball= s directly in front of the small boy. "Where did you get those?" Lois was= sure she'd never seen these particular marbles before, but, as Nathan was= always getting new ones from his Grandpa Jon, she couldn't always keep up= . "Nathan's," the tiny voice announced determinedly. "Tula said the= y was mine! Tula said Nathan had to take good care of them." Remembering her stroll through Tula's gift shop on the first morning= of their stay, Lois recalled the few pretty pieces of amber jewellery she= 'd admired; in fact, she had made a mental note to return and buy a small pendant for her mother, thinking that it would be the ideal holiday prese= nt for Ellen Lane. They weren't particularly expensive jewels but they were= very unusual and if Tula had been kind enough to give her son a couple of= samples, then she wasn't about to object. Besides, they had more importa= nt matters to attend to. = "Then of course you must look after them, sweetie, but we don't hav= e much time before we've to be in town, so how about you put them back in their box for now and come and get ready to go." = Lois held out the ancient biscuit tin, its lead painted surface somewhat scuffed and faded, though the pictures of a rustic farmyard were= still visible. Understanding that his mom was using that particular tone= of voice which meant business, Nathan did as he was bid and then giggled loudly as Lois tickled his tummy when scooping him up into her arms to carry him off to the bathroom. = And for the next hour or so, life became pretty hectic in the normally serene setting, as the Kents transposed their customary, busy morning routine to their island home. Yet out of the chaos, order finall= y emerged and all members of the family were ready to go at the appointed time. ***** Amazingly, the dining room of the Hotel de Papillon was filled with= curious islanders, given that the meeting had only been arranged the previous evening; the island scuttlebutt must have been quite as successf= ul as that of the Daily Planet. But then, both Lois and Clark concluded tha= t the Vallieres must have a good deal of influence, which wasn't particular= ly surprising since they owned most of the island. What was astonishing was the fact that the visitors, including the Chens, were also present. Had Mia convinced Butto to take the prospect o= f an eruption more seriously? And, even more importantly, had the older stateswoman persuaded Philippe Blanc of the gravity of the situation. Th= e hotel patron, along with all his other jobs, was also the mayor of the small community. One end of the long room was slightly raised, as on happier occasion= s the dining room served as a ball room. A couple of tables occupied the spot and seated behind them, in earnest conversation, were Mia and Butto and Mr & Mrs Blanc. One other unknown gentleman made up the podium party= but as he was wearing a dog-collar, the Kents surmised that this must be the local priest. = An anxious and enquiring mumble rose from the floor of the small auditorium, while Lois and Clark shepherded their children toward the onl= y other people they knew in the room. Jimmy and Tula made a pretty picture= , standing close together in the large bay window and Lois couldn't repress= the wish that these two young people should fall in love. Heaven knew, h= er friend deserved some happiness in his life. She and Clark had worried th= at the photojournalist had become too solitary since the end of his tragic foray into marriage. It was encouraging to see him so relaxed and happy = in the company of this attractive unassuming young woman. Disquietingly, from Lois' point of view, Ron and Hazel Chen were als= o with Jimmy and she fervently hoped that Clark would now be able to ignore= the strange attraction that he had for this beautiful female. = As if reading her mind, Clark's arm tightened round her shoulders an= d his voice whispered close by her ear. "Don't worry, sweetheart, I can handle this." With that reassurance Lois was content and she smiled pleasantly at the little group by the window as they made their way through the crowded= room. However, it seemed that one of her other favourite males was not quite so competent at holding his hormones in check, as Joel, beaming brightly on his first fancy, hurried to Hazel's side. = "Hi, Mrs Chen, it's real nice to see you again," and then recalling both his manners and the information that his mom and dad had given him about the effects of red kryptonite, Joel added, blushing profusely, "an= d you Mr Chen . . . Tula, Jimmy." "Well, hello," his temptress purred. "I'm happy to meet you again too, and all your family." Her eyes took in the others as she bestowed o= n them a stunning smile. "Though from what Jimmy's told us, I could wish i= t to be in different circumstances. Are you feeling better, Clark?" The sultry voice lingered over the name like a caress and Lois could feel her= hackles rising as the lady stretched out a svelte arm to lightly touch Clark's shoulder. Mid-strike, Lois caught the straying limb and deftly changed the subject. "What a pretty bracelet, Hazel . . . amber, I believe. It's on= e of Tula's, isn't it?" Hazel snatched her hand back and annoyance sizzled just below the surface of her gorgeous exterior. "Yes, Roy bought it for me. Tula's quite a talented young woman. But I'm more concerned for your brave husband . . . . " = "Fine! I'm fine! Thank you!" Clark wished it was his hackles that= were rising and not his temperature. Oh boy, I can handle this. "Lois i= s taking care of me just fine." He tightened his hold on Lois as if she we= re his lifeline and thankfully regained control of his traitorous instincts.= Roy Chen added his concerns to those of his wife. "I'm glad you're= okay, Clark. Being buried under a load of rocks can't have been very pleasant. But what's your opinion on this volcano? Do you think we shou= ld be leaving?" = Chen's questions betrayed the depths of his anxieties. The astute business man could keep his cool in a boardroom full of sharp negotiators= , and a rough ride through the money markets did little to his blood pressure, but natural disasters were something else. When Jimmy had firs= t asked him for a ride to Papillon and explained his reasons for going, he had thought that witnessing a volcanic irruption might be exciting. The reality was however somewhat different . . . . People could get hurt. = Clark Kent already had been. A sharp thud of a gavel could be heard throughout the room, interrupting Roy's musings and calling order to the gossiping crowd. = Stillness settled as Mr Blanc stood, the scrape of his chair sounding lou= d in the silence. The man surveyed the assembly, taking sometime out to compose his conflicting thoughts. = = Since he and his wife had been visited by Butto the previous evening= his feelings had teetered between the complete denial of their supposed plight to the desire to put as much distance between his people and the island that was their home. Hadn't they reached this point before when they had listened to young Paul's suspicions? And at great cost they ha= d called in the assistance of an eminent vulcanologist, who had assured the= m that a catastrophe was not imminent. The Professor had left with the assurance that their volcano would be monitored by his team back in the U= S and they had received no further communications from him; no worried messages from the man advising them that an evacuation was necessary. = Surely that must mean that everything was normal and the islanders were safe. Philippe would have been less sanguine had he been aware that Professor Decker, on returning Stateside, had suffered a massive brain haemorrhage and in the subsequent jockeying for position in his departmen= t, his assistant had failed to convey the unstable state of the volcano to t= he rest of his superiors; the fate of the butterfly island had been lost in the politics of a far off institution. Yet none of the islanders were cognizant with these distant happenin= gs and so they gathered today unaware that danger threatened. Clearing his throat and his mind Philippe Blanc began to speak, striving for impartiality. "My friends and visitors to Papillon, I have called you here today t= o acquaint you with certain happenings which might mean that we are all in jeopardy. Most of you know Paul Valliere and you also know that Paul has= made it his business to study our mountain, Solvan." The eyes of everyo= ne in the room strained to find the teenage boy who leaned self-consciously against the far corner of the window bay, partially hidden by those in front of him. "It's also common knowledge that Paul believes that Solvan= is about to explode . . . ." A babble of sound filled the air as the attendees agreed volubly wit= h this statement and a single voice rose above the others. "Paul's been thinking that for years and we've never taken any notice." A native man named Taz, who was a foreman at the copra plant, h= ad chosen to speak for the assemblage. "Why should this time be any different?" The young prophet of doom, squirmed uncomfortably at the scepticism= that coloured the spokesperson's words. Conversely, Philippe found himse= lf defending the teenage scientist. "Nevertheless, certain things have happened in the past couple of da= ys that suggest that Paul might not have been exaggerating." That statement= had the effect of silencing the scornful chatter and of sparking a mild state of anxiety throughout the listeners and Philippe found himself the= centre of everyone's rapt attention. "We've all witnessed Solvan's explosions of anger and though we've convinced ourselves that this is normal, perhaps we should be more honest and admit to his outbursts being= more frequent of late. And yesterday Paul convinced some of our guests t= o accompany him up the mountain to view for themselves some of the signs he= had been monitoring. I have to tell you that these visitors to our shore= s are none other than the famous reporting team of Lane & Kent, Metropolis'= finest journalists and Mr James Olsen who is also an award winning photo-journalist. I would remind you, while you consider what I am about= to tell you, that these are not impressionable people, but highly subjective professionals and their opinions cannot be dismissed lightly."= Surreptitious glances were directed to the little party by the wind= ow as the gathering tried to identify the famous reporters. Many islanders had read their work but few had ever seen their faces and their curiosity= was aroused. These well known cosmopolitan strangers had chosen to visi= t their shores and some of those in the room started to wonder why; were th= ey lured by the chance of a worldwide exclusive on a volcanic cataclysm? Bu= t then, as speculation in the room grew rife, their attention was redirecte= d to the man on the podium. "Mr & Mrs Kent and their family came to the island for a well deserv= ed vacation; they knew nothing of Solvan until they arrived. However, they were sufficiently impressed by Paul's summation of the situation that the= y agreed to check out the mountain. Yesterday the little group, escorted b= y Paul and Tula, climbed Solvan and found certain disturbing things. . . ."= = Philippe continued for some time explaining the chapter of events of= what had happened on that journey. He told them of the rockslide and the= withering plant life; of the yellow water with its dead fish and the subsequent results of the test on the water from the lake; he left nothin= g out. When he finished, the crowd began talking all at once and shouted questions were directed at the podium where the people, whom the islander= s considered in charge of running the island, tried to answer the flurry of= anxious queries. It was clear that a major panic was about to ensue and the mayor lifted his gavel and brought it down hard on the table top . . = . once then twice and the room stilled. "These signs are very disturbing and so before this meeting I tried = to contact Professor Decker at the Institute for Geological Studies, however= , I couldn't reach the good gentleman but I'm assured that someone will return my call as soon as possible." Another silence ensued as the gathering took in this information, bu= t finally Taz asked the questions that filled every ones' minds. = "What should we do in the meantime? And where should we go if Solv= an does explode? Who's going to help us?" Philippe cleared his throat and attempted to calm the growing unease= . = "Taz, I'm sure that the outside world will not turn their backs on us. = International rescue teams have been set up for just such emergencies and= I'm sure that if we need their assistance . . . ." "What about Superman?!" A youngish man called from the back of the hall. "Yes, that's who we should call on," Taz immediately jumped on the suggestion. "If anyone can stop Solvan it's the Man of Steel." A woman's hopeful voice joined in the conversation. "Yeah, isn't tha= t what Superman does, help people?" The cry of Superman was taken up by a number of others in the small= auditorium. = "Now there's a man I'd like to meet up close and personal," Hazel Ch= en announced with a sultry aside. Lois bit back a hasty retort. The rumours of her romantic associati= on with Metropolis's hero had faded with the years and she wasn't about to resurrect them with a show of jealousy. Nevertheless, it took all of her= determination not to snap at a woman she considered an undeniable flirt. "That's just who we need here," Roy agreed with relief. "Jimmy, you= know the man . . . in fact, Lois, Clark aren't you his close friends? = Don't you have a way of contacting him?" Clark shuffled nervously. There was no way that Superman could help= out on Papillon but there was also no way he could tell anyone that, or indeed give the reasons for the Man of Steel's impotence on this island. Once again an unexpectedly loud thud of the gavel was heard as help came from an unexpected source. Mia Valliere had risen to her feet and called the milling crowd to order. "Please, my people, I'm sure that Superman would come to our aid if = he could, but he is a long way from here . . . ." "But Superman's fast, real fast. He could be hear in minutes. . . .= " "We just have to call for him . . . ." Various suggestions were thrown at the lady on the platform. "I agree," Mia understood that her people were frightened and not about to listen to reason; they were an ancient people and, though many of them had embraced the new religion, their instinctive beliefs came from a time far before the French settlers had arrived. "Superman is very fast and very strong but he is just a man and= Solvan is the God of Fire who has all the forces of our Mother Earth at h= is disposal, perhaps Superman's power would not prevail. And maybe it would= be wrong of us to call upon him now. Surely no one here would willing pu= t Superman in jeopardy?" The question of Superman's vulnerability in the face of the volcano was fated never to be answered as with a rolling rumble like distant thunder Solvan spoke. Continued in Part 14 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 29 Jun 2000 05:45:35 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: John Debbage <106532.433@COMPUSERVE.COM> Subject: New Red Sky Part 14 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Title: Red Sky Part: 14 Author: Jenni Debbage Rating: PG-13 Feedback: Comments are very welcome and much appreciated. All those in the hall froze as the roar swelled in volume but as the= wooden floor below them rippled like waves on water a general exodus of t= he premises took place as the inhabitants scrambled over each other in a rus= h to vacate the concertinaing building. = On the platform, Philippe called for people to remain calm, but as t= he walls of his hotel started to buckle, he too decreed that it was time to leave and grabbing his wife and Mia he pulled them towards the kitchen doors. Most of the others were trying to escape through the lobby of the= hotel and tragically the exit was becoming blocked by too many bodies. T= he hotel proprietor called to those at the back of the scrabbling queue to follow him through the kitchens but only a few heeded his words, the majority remaining deaf to his instructions in their panic to escape. = At the edge of the crowd in the comparative quiet of the window recess, Clark surveyed the disturbing scene with the untypical feeling of= uselessness. In normal circumstances Superman could have taken charge an= d, as he had found in the past, fear stricken people responded to the hero's= presence by regaining their wits and obeying his directions. Now there w= as nothing he could do for these people; he shared their vulnerability . . .= and yet . . . . Aware of her husband's inner turmoil Lois laid a comforting hand on h= is arm. "Clark, this isn't your fault. There's nothing you can do to help them for now and we have the children to think about. We have to get out= of here." = As she spoke, Lois dragged Clark backwards. Keeping his wits about= him, Jimmy had immediately opened the large window and with the help of R= oy was ushering the kids and the women through it to the comparative safety outside. Clark's gaze swept from the retreating backs of his family and frien= ds to the others trapped in the doorway and with an apologetic glance sent Lois' way he ran across the shifting floor, doing his best to avoid falli= ng ceiling lights and chunks of plaster, and physically attracting the attention of the tail-enders, he directed them to the open window. = After a few minutes another pair of hands appeared at his side; Lois= had come to aid him in his task and they were making a difference, now a steady stream of people were heading for the open window. Suddenly, an ominous crack was heard from above them and, though Superman had lost his powers, he had retained his knowledge of similar disasters; the upstairs rooms were about to cave in on them. Shouting a warning and grabbing at a few unsuspecting bodies, he shoved Lois across the room in front of him. = Time stood still! If only he had super speed! But the old hotel ha= d been built well and for a short time it resisted the pull of gravity, thankfully allowing the little group to reach the safe haven of the exit.= = In their haste they tumbled through the opening, rolling clear as they h= it the ground. Clark pulled Lois to her feet and backed off, joining the others who= had already moved a safe distance from the collapsing hotel, but Lois resisted and with a frightened gasp pointed aloft. There in a first stor= ey window a young man and woman clung to the sill. The honeymoon couple had= found more pleasant pursuits to pass away the morning than joining in a town meeting and were now trapped in their upstairs room. Slowly, ever s= o slowly, the wall leaned ever outwards and tiles from the roof began falli= ng around Lois and Clark. The couple were tipping towards the ground. "Jump!" Clark called in his best super hero voice. "You have to ju= mp clear! Jimmy, Roy, get over here and help me catch them!" Without any hesitation the two men did as they were bid; there was something compelling about Clark Kent when he talked in just that way, at= least, Jimmy had always thought so and it seemed as if his friend agreed.= Fear was written clear across the faces of the pair who now hung precariously from the window ledge. "Jump!!" This time it was a command. The two obeyed and they dropped, if not directly into the arms of th= e men waiting beneath, their fall was cushioned by the human shield. Swift= ly and less gently than intended, the pair were dragged back by their rescue= rs as the hotel collapsed with a hefty groan and a cloud of dust. All around in the square chaos reigned as terrified folks ran from falling buildings, yet there was little safety to be found in the open, where the ground heaved and tossed like an angry sea. Across the once pretty garden the children scurried screaming from the school, supervised= by their teacher as best she could under such dire circumstances. Paren= ts who had attended the meeting hurried to collect their offspring in an effort to protect them from the wrath of Solvan. But where could they fi= nd refuge? = But slowly out of the confusion a pattern seemed to emerge and the general consensus of opinion centred on the ocean as most of the islander= s headed in small groups towards the harbour and the hopeful safety of thei= r boats. As Clark watched the scene of panic with a deepening sense of frustration, an urgent hand clamped onto his shoulder and a voice shouted= above the noise. "Clark, lets head for the Swallow!" Roy Chen determinedly pushed ba= ck his fears in the face of positive thinking. "I think she's the safest place to be right now. We can get all these people off the island." Looking round, Clark now saw, that their group comprised not only hi= s family and friends and the honeymoon couple but the other four elderly visitors. However, Mia and the Blancs were nowhere to be seen and that worried him, yet under the circumstances he had no time to search for the= missing islanders and his first priority was to Lois and the children. "What about tidal waves? Don't they usually go along with earthquakes?" "Sometimes, yeah! I guess it depends on the size of the quake. But= the Swallow's a good ship and she's fast. If we can get far enough out, I'm sure we could ride it out." Just as Roy stopped talking, another thunderous explosion was heard and as all eyes turned toward the mountain, a great plume of gas and stea= m spewed into the air, belching ever higher and wider and threatening the fleeing people below. "You're right! Anywhere is better than here." Clark quickly made t= he decision and, turning to the others, he called out instructions. "Listen= up, everybody, we're heading down the hill to the Swallow. Roy's getting= us off the island, but we have to hurry." He resisted the urge to pass o= n his fear that the cloud could dump burning ash on them at any time, hopin= g to avoid panicking his charges any more than was necessary. "Lois, lets go!" A frightened but determined Lois hoisted Nathan up on her shoulder a= nd stepped over to her husband, while Clark took hold of the hands of Clara and Julian. Jimmy, grabbing onto Joel and Tula, speedily followed the others, leaving Paul to shepherd the rest of the little group out into th= e open square. Roy and Hazel lead the precarious way, dodging wood and boulders and= the ravaged remains of what had once been a flowering paradise. The part= y soon became a disjointed line as they picked their way amongst the devastation, the ground still lurching now and then beneath their feet. Suddenly, the air was filled with a strange wooshing sound and all those who heard halted their forward movement, searching the cloudy air above them for the source of the eerie sound. They hadn't long to wait before enlightenment dawned; hurtling through the sky towards the town wa= s a fiery burning rock. = No one could move! Where would it land?! As if in slow motion the missile blasted downwards until it hit the earth with a tremendous shock wave. The rock ploughed its way through th= e soil towards the memorial stone which still stood somewhat askew amid the= chaos, but now, hit by the molten lava, it disintegrated in a burst of flame. Whatever cohesion was left in the exodus vanished as the retirement = to the harbour became a rout. People ran in every direction, hoping to esca= pe the rocks that rained in ever greater numbers on their town. The remnant= s of the church took a direct hit and fire quickly took hold of the two wooden walls still drunkenly standing erect. Taking charge once more, Clark urged his flock onward. "Come on! W= e have to keep moving! We'll be safer out at sea!" "I just hope that one of these missiles doesn't hit the Swallow," th= e worried owner confided in Clark. "The sooner we're off the island the better." "How many can you take off? Some of the islanders will need rescuin= g too." Roy Chen nodded his head to show he understood but conserved his energy for running as fast as was possible. He was pushing his wife ahea= d of him when, with an accompanying shudder from the ground, she disappeare= d . . . . The far side of the square and the road leading down the hill with t= he school and all the houses slipped slowly down into the waters below, taki= ng with it in a heaving mass of earth and building materials, many of the islanders who were hurrying to the harbour. Hazel clung with desperate hands at a large bush close to the top of= the steeply shelving precipice while her husband threw himself prone alon= g the edge to grab at her scrabbling body. But Clark Kent's reflexes were faster. Shouting a warning to Lois and Jimmy to pull back, he too leaned= headfirst over the lip. The woman was just out of his reach. Clark wriggled the top half of his torso further down the slope and snatched at= the slender wrist. His large hand closed round the shapely arm just as t= he roots of the leafy plant pulled clear of their anchorage and tumbled down= the cliff. With every ounce of strength that was left to him, Clark took the strain of the falling woman. He could see the stark terror in her eyes a= s she stared up at him. "Dig your feet into the earth," he commanded as he braced himself to= take the strain. "I'll try to pull you up." Fortunately, Hazel obeyed his instructions and for a moment the pull= on his muscles eased. Yet it was only a temporary respite; the ground underneath Hazel's scrabbling toes was still falling away and within seconds her legs were once again flailing in the empty air. = Clark could feel the girl's arm slipping through his fingers and he tightened his grasp. But still the silky skin slid downward until his ha= nd came in contact with the fine chain about the lady's wrist and the tiny teardrop of amber buried itself into the palm of his hand. = From this angle Clark could see just how shapely Hazel Chen was, staring down into her delectable cleavage. Geesh! Where on Earth had th= at thought come from and at such a time as this?! Consigning his inappropriate thoughts to the garbage can where they thoroughly deserved = to be, Clark concentrated on dragging this body, shapely or otherwise, back = to the comparative safety of what was left of the square. = Yet it was so hard! If only he still had some of his super strength= ! = He felt his grip weakening. His shoulders and arms ached from the strain= and his injuries of yesterday were adding to the pain. He had to hold on= , with or without super powers. He couldn't allow this woman to disappear into the abyss. Thankfully, his ordeal was almost over as Roy finally managed to catch Hazel's other hand and slowly, ever so slowly, the two men crawled backwards, dragging their burden up and over the edge. The three lay pro= ne for a number of seconds, oblivious to the destruction continuing around them, but the crashing of another burning rock close by, brought them rudely to their senses. The two men stood, bringing Hazel to her feet between them and gingerly they started to make their way back to the others. They'd gone only a few yards when once more the earth heaved titanically and a crack opened up before them, widening and widening until they were left on a platform of shifting soil. The platform dropped. "Clark!" Lois' frantic cry rose above the cacophony. Through the deepening gloom, Clark's gaze locked with that of his wife, only now he had to look up. Struggling to retain his balance while= steadying the Chens, Clark tried to reassure his wife. "It's okay, Lois!= = We're fine! We didn't drop too far!" "Hey, CK, can you get back to us?" Jimmy enquired anxiously. Clark studied the chasm that had parted him from his family. "I'm not sure, Jimmy. This thing is pretty deep." = His stare followed the line of the crack, searching for a way to cro= ss over. Instead his eyes opened wide in horror at what was revealed. Far = on the right of the used to be square stood the remains of the ramshackle garage, now reduced to a burning heap of ancient timbers. But that was only part of what had caught his attention; the gas tanks buried underground were now exposed and ruptured and their contents were spillin= g out in rivulets over the broken ground, seeping ever closer to the fiery pyre. "We have to get out of here, now!" Clark's voice had taken on a mor= e urgent tone and he pointed to the newest hazard that beset them. "That thing is going to blow any second now!" Roy at once recognised the extent of the danger. "You're right! Bu= t there's no way we can cross that gap. We have to go down . . . keep goin= g to the harbour and hope that the Swallow is still there and in one piece.= = The cliff's steep but the earth's soft . . . we should be able to make it= ." A harrowed face turned in his direction. "Roy, I can't and I won't leave my family!" "Clark, I know it's hard, but unless you can fly, there is no way yo= u can get to them. And they need to get out of here too." The younger man= took hold of Clark's arms and his fingers dug into the skin in an effort = to reach through Clark's fears. "The road south looks fairly untouched; mos= t of the fallout is hitting the town. If they can make it to your beach th= en the Swallow can pick them up there." Clark hated to acknowledge defeat, but he recognised the truth of Roy's words; without his super powers he couldn't reach Lois and the kids= and time was of the essence . . . for all of them . . . once the gas reached those flames . . . . "Lois, honey, you have to get away from here." Clark cupped his han= ds round his mouth and shouted as loud as he could. "The gas station is goi= ng to explode." As he spoke, he waved his hands in the general direction of= the old garage. "We can't get to you so we're going to try to make it to= the Swallow. I want you to take the others and get to the house. We'll meet you in the cove with the boat. I'm so sorry I have to leave you." "I understand, Clark." Lois' voice came back to him faintly through= the ferocious din. "We'll meet you on the beach. And Clark, take care .= . . I love you!" "I love you too, sweetheart . . . kiss the kids for me . . . be careful . . . please!" With a heavy heart, Clark turned at Roy's bidding and the three bega= n their treacherous climb down the newly formed cliff, hoping to find their= one form of rescue still intact. ***** Continued in Part 15 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 29 Jun 2000 08:01:57 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Pam Jernigan Organization: http://www.geocities.com/~chiefpam/ Subject: Re: Writing according to Cherryh MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > > PJ > > who should be writing > > That you should, Pam! I'm anxious to see the mess Lois is in straightened out! Eventually, Nan ... but it's gonna take awhile for things to work out :) > Btw, you might see if the little edits I made helped the confusion in the latest > part of "Plans". I did, and it did :) Thanks! -- Pam Jernigan / ChiefPam / jernigan@bellsouth.net http://www.geocities.com/~chiefpam http://personal.rdu.bellsouth.net/rdu/j/e/jernigan/ God made you special, and He loves you very much. -- Veggie Tales theology The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend. -- Henri Bergson ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 29 Jun 2000 14:53:48 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Wendy Richards Subject: Re: When Lightning Strikes Twice: Part 18/? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Thank you, Laurie, Helene and Ann! :) > Wendy, this story keeps getting greater and greater :) /me blushing.... > s > p > o > i > l > e > r > > s > p > a > c > e In relation to the extract you quoted, Helene, I was amused to see where you stopped it: > > He was invulnerable. *Clark* was invulnerable. A bullet couldn't harm him. > > So.... > > > > So he couldn't have been dead. I can remember very well the two words which come immediately after that line! Ann wrote, in relation to Clark: >>>If he hadn't been dead then, I'm afraid he's going to be in the very near future, once Lois gets her hands on him. <<< I really wonder why everyone seems to think I'll be really hard on Clark here. Do I have a reputation for giving him a tough time or something? ;) All will be revealed... in due course! Thanks for your wonderful comments. Wendy -------------------------- Wendy Richards w.m.richards@hrm.keele.ac.uk ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 29 Jun 2000 10:12:10 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Ann E. McBride" Subject: Re: When Lightning Strikes Twice: Part 18/? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 6/29/00 9:53:31 AM Eastern Daylight Time, w.m.richards@HRM.KEELE.AC.UK writes: << I really wonder why everyone seems to think I'll be really hard on Clark here. Do I have a reputation for giving him a tough time or something? ;) >> Not you nearly so much as Lois! Ann ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 29 Jun 2000 20:26:39 +0200 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Kaethel Subject: Re: When Lightning Strikes Twice: Part 18/? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > > s > > p > > o > > i > > l > > e > > r > > > > s > > p > > a > > c > > e > > In relation to the extract you quoted, Helene, I was amused to see where you > stopped it: [snip the quote] > I can remember very well the two words which come immediately after that > line! Actually, if you're talking about this endearment Lois calls him with, there's a whole para in between, which is why I didn't include it in the quote But it's true that her last two words "The *bastard.*" isolated in a single sentence made it very in character, because that made her thoughts evolute to this point where her inner rage explodes into her insult. Helene :) ------------------------------------------------------ Kaethel on irc / Kaethel79 on AIM kaethel@club-internet.fr ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 02:48:25 GMT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Bethy Em Subject: Re: Writing according to Cherryh Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Gerry wrote: "The people who made up the rules were Latin scholars who tried to make the language fit into the language that they were studying as opposed to the language they were speaking. That's the reason that split infinitives were no-nos for the longest time." I just thought I'd add something I heard about split infinitives. In Latin (and the rest of the Romance languages), verbs are one word. IE, in French, "to dance" is simply "danser." So, it wasn't possible to split the infinitive! And that is where our rule originated. Pretty silly logic when you think about it, huh? :-) Bethy ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 29 Jun 2000 22:42:25 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Kathy Brown Subject: Re: Fanfic recommendation (The fugitive) On Wed, 28 Jun 2000 21:31:58 EST, -= LuC =- wrote: >Vicki- it is really quite good isnt it! :) I'm going to be emailing richard >:) I read it after reading just reading his 'life in a different world' >series, and that was great Just to clear things up, Mobile Richard is a woman. I know a lot of us assumed from the pen name that the writer was male, but it has been, in fact, confirmed. (Well, unless Moby is out there laughing his head off that he lied to us about his gender. ;)) Kathy ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 29 Jun 2000 23:17:11 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Kathy Brown Subject: Play nice while I'm gone :) Hi everyone, I'm going to be taking off for vacation on Saturday (July 1), and will be gone until July 10 or so. While I'm gone, I'm sure you will all play very nicely, the way you've been doing. Subtle hint. (Actually, I was stunned to see the activity my post of Cherryh's article inspired -- wow, teach me to clean my house instead of check the listserv mail for a day or two. ;) Neat discussion.) BTW, there will be stories for the Archive next weekend! I actually remembered to add "choose July 9 stories" on my to-do list (right up there with 'wash the bathrooms', 'pack', and 'print off my outline of "When Lovers Become More" so I can keep working on it' ), and I sent two stories to Lauren for next weekend. If anyone needs to contact me before I go, be sure to email me in the next 24 hours (by Friday night) because I probably won't be checking email on Saturday morning -- and I won't have access until I return. Have fun! Kathy (who plans to spend her time hiking in the mountains, playing tennis and swimming in the pool ... Telluride, here I come! ) ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 08:42:55 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Charlotte Fisler Subject: Re: Fanfic recommendation (The fugitive) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 6/30/00 3:43:10 AM !!!First Boot!!!, kathybrown91@HOME.COM writes: << Well, unless Moby is out there laughing his head off that he lied to us about his gender. ;) >> That would have been a great joke, but I don't think so. SHE is much too nice. Charlotte - who got it wrong too but as Charlotte replied when Moby wrote to correct her could care less either way as long as Movy continues to write such great stories. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 08:46:05 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Charlotte Fisler Subject: Re: Play nice while I'm gone :) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 6/30/00 4:34:21 AM !!!First Boot!!!, kathybrown91@HOME.COM writes: << BTW, there will be stories for the Archive next weekend! I actually remembered to add "choose July 9 stories" on my to-do list (right up there with 'wash the bathrooms', 'pack', and 'print off my outline of "When Lovers Become More" so I can keep working on it' ), and I sent two stories to Lauren for next weekend. >> Thank you from all of us. Have a great vacation. And if you don't get this before vacation, welcome back. Charlotte ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 09:43:42 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Ann E. McBride" Subject: Re: Writing according to Cherryh MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 6/29/00 10:48:58 PM Eastern Daylight Time, jextra42@HOTMAIL.COM writes: << I just thought I'd add something I heard about split infinitives. In Latin (and the rest of the Romance languages), verbs are one word. IE, in French, "to dance" is simply "danser." So, it wasn't possible to split the infinitive! >> In German, the infinitive is one word as well. (To go is "gehen") Given that English is essentially the result of French overlaid on Anglo-Saxon, I have to wonder where that pesky "to" came from. (And yes, I know I ended a sentence with a preposition.) Ann ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 10:11:14 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Terry S. Horowit" Subject: Re: Play nice while I'm gone :) In-Reply-To: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Kathy wrote: >I actually >remembered to add "choose July 9 stories" on my to-do list (right up there >with 'wash the bathrooms', 'pack', and 'print off my outline of "When Lovers >Become More" so I can keep working on it' ), Oh YES!!! Please "keep working on it". I don't think I could survive waiting several more years for your 'epic part 2'!! Terry ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 11:14:34 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Anita Hook Subject: Re: Play nice while I'm gone :) In-Reply-To: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Hi Kathy, Have a great, well deserved vacation! You earned it. It's thoughtful of you to arrange continuing releases to the Fanfic site.... And with you taking the outline of WLBM with you, we'll all be anxiously awaiting the results:) Happy Vacation:) Regards Anita At 11:17 PM 6/29/00 -0500, you wrote: >Hi everyone, > >....I actually remembered to add "choose July 9 stories" on my to-do list (right up >there with 'wash the bathrooms', 'pack', and 'print off my outline of "When Lovers >Become More" so I can keep working on it' ), and I sent two stories to Lauren for >next weekend. > ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 11:35:34 -0500 Reply-To: truitt22@flash.net Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: timothy truitt Organization: tnt technical services Subject: Re: Play nice while I'm gone :) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit have a nice vacation and definitely keep working on wlbm merry Kathy Brown wrote: > Hi everyone, > > I'm going to be taking off for vacation on Saturday (July 1), and will be > gone until July 10 or so. While I'm gone, I'm sure you will all play very > nicely, the way you've been doing. Subtle hint. (Actually, I was > stunned to see the activity my post of Cherryh's article inspired -- wow, > teach me to clean my house instead of check the listserv mail for a day or > two. ;) Neat discussion.) > > BTW, there will be stories for the Archive next weekend! I actually > remembered to add "choose July 9 stories" on my to-do list (right up there > with 'wash the bathrooms', 'pack', and 'print off my outline of "When Lovers > Become More" so I can keep working on it' ), and I sent two stories to > Lauren for next weekend. > > If anyone needs to contact me before I go, be sure to email me in the next 24 > hours (by Friday night) because I probably won't be checking email on > Saturday morning -- and I won't have access until I return. > > Have fun! > > Kathy (who plans to spend her time hiking in the mountains, playing tennis > and swimming in the pool ... Telluride, here I come! ) ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 13:05:27 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Nancy Smith Subject: New Story: Best Laid Plans--Part 3/? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Best Laid Plans--Part 3/? by Nan Smith When the situation had been explained, Jimmy and Jack looked at each other. Jack grinned. "Sounds like fun." He sobered. "Don't worry, Lois. Leave it to us. Jim, you rode your motorcycle today, didn't you?" "Yeah, why?" "I was thinking about following this guy..." When the two had gone out, Perry shook his head. "You really think they can manage this?" "Trust me, Chief," Clark said, "they'll do fine. One other thing, Lois, I don't like the idea of you being in your apartment alone, after today." "Clark, I've been fine, so far." Clark nodded. "I know. But that was before this look-alike turned up." "Look-alike?" Perry said. "I'll explain in a minute, Chief. I just have a bad feeling about the whole thing. What if up until now Luthor's been setting up some plan, and he's getting ready to move? It just seems to me that a lot of things have started happening at once. It makes me nervous. I'd like you to stay over at my place until this is resolved, Lois. Will you?" "We...ll--" "If you'd rather stay with Alice and me, we can make up the guest bedroom," Perry said. "But Clark's right. You being alone in your apartment is asking for trouble if Luthor or somebody else is after you." Lois looked back and forth at the faces of the two worried males--one, in his way a substitute father who loved her, and the other the man who was her partner, and who also loved her. Their expressions were remarkably similar. Oh well, where was the harm in it? "I guess I'll stay with Clark, then," she said. "I don't want to inconvenience Alice. Besides, Clark would probably drive you crazy with phone calls to be sure we were all okay." "Good," Clark said. "I promise, no funny stuff. It'll be strictly business." Perry gave a bark of laughter. "Whatever. You can work out the details later." "Oh," Clark said, "one thing. I think this whole thing should be kept between the five of us. There's no point in risking a leak." Perry grinned. "Don't try to teach Gramps how to chew tobaccy, son. Now, what about this 'look-alike', and when do I get that story on the plastic surgeon?" "Interesting that you should ask that, Chief," Clark said. "It's something we heard this morning..." ******************* That evening when they left the Planet, they exited the building by the main entrance, making no effort to conceal their departure. After several blocks, Lois saw Clark lift his head. "What is it?" "Nothing. I was just listening." Clark briefly put an arm around her shoulders. "Our tail is about half a block back, and I can hear Jimmy's motorcycle a block behind her. Jack's on the job." "That's good. I just hope she doesn't spot him." Clark grinned. "I doubt it. Jack's amazing, sometimes. The first time we ever met him I'd never have caught up with him when he took off if it hadn't been for, you know." "Yeah. Lucky for him you did." They walked the distance to Lois's apartment through a curtain of drifting flakes that sifted down endlessly. The quantity had thickened since this afternoon. Christmas music floated on the air, muted by the falling snow and the sidewalk under their feet was a muddy mess of trampled, half-melted sludge. The storm showed no sign of letting up in the immediate future. "I'll be glad to get the Jeep back tomorrow," Lois said. "You'd think people would learn to drive a little more carefully in the winter." Clark grimaced. "There's always some hotshot who thinks the laws of physics don't apply to him. Just be thankful you weren't in the Jeep when it happened, or you might have been more than just inconvenienced. The driver wound up in the emergency room, getting his face sewn up, and he's going to be writing left-handed for awhile. His father wasn't too happy with him, either." "Serves him right," Lois said, aware of how uncharitable she sounded. She'd been coming out of the apartment house when the teenage boy who, it turned out later, had been driving his father's car, rounded the corner too fast and ploughed into the side of her beloved Jeep. Superman arrived seconds later, too late to prevent the accident, but in time to prevent Lois from further traumatizing the youthful driver. The traffic light, blurred by the clouds of snow, turned from red to green, and they stepped down from the curb. Somewhere an engine revved, and suddenly a car was roaring toward them from out of the snow. Clark seized Lois bodily and threw her to safety, then jumped out of the way. The car vanished around the corner, the taillights fading quickly into the gloom. "Are you all right?" Clark was holding her in his arms, looking scared. "Lois?" Lois sucked in the air that had been knocked from her lungs in a long, whistling indrawn breath, and nodded. Clark relaxed a little, and lifted her to her feet. Several persons brushed past them, glancing curiously at them, but no one stopped. When she had recovered her breath, Clark asked, "Are you sure you're all right?" "Yeah. I just got the air knocked out of me." Lois rubbed her hip, which had come into bruising contact with the sidewalk. "Where did he go?" "Around the corner. I didn't see where he went after that. Come on, the apartment's just a block away." She never would have admitted it, but Lois was glad to have his supporting arm around her as they crossed the street and traversed the distance to her apartment building. They rode the elevator to the fifth floor, and Clark unlocked the door to her place. "Come on," he said. "Let's get your things. I'm going to fly you to my apartment after that. That way the tail can sit and watch this place, and might not figure out where you are before morning." "Okay." She rubbed her hip again. "My overnight bag is in the closet." Ten minutes later they took off from the roof. Lois was certain that no one saw them; the storm had brought an early darkness to the city, and Clark avoided the lights. She snuggled into his arms, feeling the tiny, cold flakes brushing against her face as they drifted softly on the evening breeze. The flight to his apartment took less than five minutes and she sighed with relief as he set her down in the middle of his living room. She moved to the couch and sank onto it. Clark looked at her narrowly. "Are you *sure* you're all right, Lois?" he asked. "You're limping." Trust Clark to notice that! "I just bruised my hip a little. I'm okay." "Lois, I'm really sorry. I didn't have time to be more careful." "Clark, you don't have to be sorry! You saved my life--again." She smiled at him. "A little bruise is a small price to pay for that." He sat down beside her. "Maybe, but I still feel bad about it. Look, why don't you take a hot shower? It will help keep it from stiffening up. I'll put on some tea, and get dinner started, okay?" Lois glanced at the little mantle clock. It was past six. "I think I'll do that." She started to rise to her feet and winced. The bruise was definitely painful. Clark gave her a hand to her feet, and put a hand on one side of her face, caressing it lightly. "I'm sorry, Lois. I wouldn't have hurt you if I could have avoided it." "I know." For a moment she looked into his dark eyes, seeing there all the love she had once dreamed of seeing in Superman's eyes. But instead, now she saw her partner, who might indeed be Superman, but was also so much more. On impulse, she leaned forward and kissed him full on the mouth. He reciprocated at once and with enthusiasm. When she broke the kiss several seconds later, she was gasping slightly for breath. There was certainly an advantage for a man who could hold his breath for twenty minutes at a time, she reflected. He smiled at her. "Hey, I thought I said no funny stuff," he said. "You keep that up and we won't make it to dinner." She was still smiling as she limped into the bathroom a few minutes later. A hot shower was definitely going to feel good, but it couldn't possibly be hotter than that kiss. Wow! The last eight weeks since she had told him she knew his secret had been a revelation in more ways than one, she thought as she pulled off her muddied clothes and adjusted the water temperature. After a year of dreaming about Superman, everything had been turned upside down and she'd been pitchforked into a situation she had never remotely imagined. Superman, a.k.a. Clark Kent, had been her partner all along and, as he confessed to her once they'd had time to actually relax and talk, he had been in love with her from their first meeting. But he'd wanted her to care for him for who he was, not for the flashy super-hero who boosted rockets into orbit and saved the world from stray asteroids. He'd nearly despaired of that ever happening. But since then, she'd seen and done things with him that told her a lot more about Clark Kent/Superman than any outsider would ever learn. Together, they had saved the city from a man who used sound as a weapon, Clark won his first Kerth (and for all his super powers, had surprised her with his pride in the achievement) and Kyle Griffen had foolishly tried to exact revenge on her and the Planet for putting him in prison, to name a few of the things that had happened. And while they dealt with the various crises she came to realize that super powers or not, Clark really did depend on her as much as she did on him. She had never been so surprised in her life as when she absorbed that fact, but it reassured her that despite his powers, their partnership wasn't heavily one-sided. She stepped into the shower and relaxed under the hot water, still thinking about the amazing man who was her partner. Clark was different from every man with whom she had ever had a relationship; he demanded nothing from her that she wasn't willing to give. Although he had no objections to intimacy before marriage, he hadn't pushed it when she told him she preferred to wait. Her relationship with Claude had gone disastrously wrong and left her with an almost superstitious feeling about the whole subject. She didn't want this one to go wrong as well, although Clark had assured her over and over that he had no intention of walking away, for any reason. The fact that he hadn't pressured her had, by itself, almost floored her, and convinced her, as perhaps nothing else could, that this time she had found the right man in spite of every obstacle she could throw in his way and that--for once--her feelings for him could be trusted. When she emerged from the bathroom some fifteen minutes later, her bag was sitting on the bed and a delectable smell was drifting in from the dining area. She could hear Clark whistling softly as he moved around his little kitchen. That was another plus, she thought humorously. He could cook, a skill in which she was sadly deficient. "What's on the menu?" she asked a few minutes later as she entered the kitchen. "Stir fry. Do you like it spicy or mild?" "Spicy," she said. "Spicy it is. The teapot and cups are on the table." "Thanks." She took a seat at his kitchen table, which was set and waiting for her. "Feel better?" he asked. "Some." She added artificial sweetener to her tea. "Clark, that car--" "Yeah, I've been thinking about it. I should have gone after it, but--" He'd been alarmed for her, she knew. "Do you think it was deliberate?" "I don't know." He removed the skillet from the stove, barehanded, and began to spoon the contents onto two plates. "I phoned Jack while you were in the shower to let him know where we were. He asked if we were okay and reported on the tail." "And?" "She followed us to your apartment and a little while ago was replaced by someone in a blue, '92 Ford. He described an older man with white hair. He didn't want to get too close, and besides, he was following the woman." "I can understand that." "He followed her, and guess where she went." Lois took a cautious sip of tea. "I'm not into guessing games. Where?" "Lex Tower." She swallowed. "I shouldn't be surprised, I suppose." "No. But Jack did have something else to say about her, when I asked how she reacted when we were almost run down. He said she seemed startled." "So her bosses didn't plan on killing us, then. Or if they did, she didn't know about it." "Probably not, although we don't know that for sure. It may have just been a reckless driver--or maybe one who was celebrating Christmas Eve a week early." "I guess that's possible." He set the plate in front of her. "Here you go. It's a recipe I learned when I was in Japan." "It smells delicious." She picked up her fork and tasted the mixture. "Clark, this is great!" "Thank you. I'll never be the cook my mom is, but she taught me the basics." He gave her a smile. "I still remember when I was small, helping her around the kitchen--at least, that's the impression I had. Mom might tell you a different story." "Probably," Lois said. "At least your mom and dad had time for you. My mom's in rehab again this Christmas. Maybe this time she'll stay sober when she gets out. Daddy is too busy to return my calls, and Lucy's 'finding herself'. The last I heard of her, she was somewhere in California." Clark looked sympathetic. "Well, you'll be spending Christmas with Mom, Dad and me, and I can't imagine a better Christmas." They ate in silence for a few minutes, enjoying each other's company. The food was excellent; Lois had tasted worse in some of her favorite restaurants. Clark was silent, too, simply eating and relaxing across the table from her. She swallowed a last bite of the food and almost jumped when he spoke. "More stir fry?" "A little." She watched while he divided the last of the food. "You know, sometimes I think you're too good to be true." He laughed softly. "I hardly think so, but if you like I can try dragging my knuckles on the carpet so you'll believe I'm real." She giggled. "No, thanks. I'll take your word for it." ***************** (to be continued) ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 13:22:21 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Judith Williams Subject: Re: Play nice while I'm gone :) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Kathy: Have a fantastic and well-deserved vacation in a great place--not heaven, 'Ah but (Telluride) were Paradise enow.' Jude ----- Original Message ----- From: Kathy Brown To: Sent: Thursday, June 29, 2000 9:17 PM Subject: Play nice while I'm gone :) > Hi everyone, > > I'm going to be taking off for vacation on Saturday (July 1), and will be > gone until July 10 or so. While I'm gone, I'm sure you will all play very > nicely, the way you've been doing. Subtle hint. (> > Have fun! > > Kathy (who plans to spend her time hiking in the mountains, playing tennis > and swimming in the pool ... Telluride, here I come! ) ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 16:04:22 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Kathy Brown Subject: Re: Play nice while I'm gone :) Thanks everyone, for your nice words. I'm especially pleased to see everyone so interested in WLBM, considering only *one* person has mentioned 'When Friends Become Lovers' on this listserv. (Subtle HINT! ;)) I didn't think anyone from here had read it yet ... This will be our third trip to Telluride, our second in the summer. I agree, Jude, it's a fantastic place. The first time we went there, I thought it hardly worth it to take pictures -- the scenery is so breathtaking that photographs can't begin to do it justice. :) Kathy (who doesn't know how much time she'll have to write, but at least I'll have the file there if I find some. :)) ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 18:08:26 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Kate Crane Subject: WFBL MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 6/30/00 2:05:26 PM Pacific Daylight Time, kathybrown91@HOME.COM writes: << I'm especially pleased to see everyone so interested in WLBM, considering only *one* person has mentioned 'When Friends Become Lovers' on this listserv. (Subtle HINT! ;)) I didn't think anyone from here had read it yet ... >> Ok, I'll step up and say the scary words.....I loved it!! Like many, I read it on Zoom's boards and commented along the way, so I wimped out and didn't comment on this list. I am in the process of reading it again....printed out and everything. It is one of those fics that makes me sigh. Well done Ladies.....can't believe Demi is only 24, boy do I feel old. And now to hear of a sequel....bless you ;) Oh, and Kathy, I just reread your fanzine story and loved it too... Kate ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 17:21:14 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Wendy Richards Subject: When Lightning Strikes Twice Part 19/? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Author: Wendy Richards Title: When Lightning Strikes Twice Rating: PG-13 Part: 19 of ? Comments: much appreciated, publicly or privately. ---------------------------------------------- As Clark set her down outside the Kent farmhouse, it occurred to Lois again that she had behaved very badly where his parents were concerned. They had offered her their hospitality, thrown their home open to her as a favour to their son and to keep her safe; and she had repaid them by sneaking out behind their backs and running back to Metropolis. And, knowing how kind and caring they both were, she was sure that Martha and Jonathan would have been worried about her. And, despite her own awareness that they would have been concerned, she hadn=92t even thought to pick up the phone and tell them= that she was okay, or to apologise for her rudeness. She owed them a massive apology. And she was very fortunate that they=92d agreed to have her back, in the circumstances. Not that, on reflection, she really wanted to be stashed away in Smallville while her partner was involved in what could be the story of the year - but then, Clark, as Superman, had told her right at the start in no uncertain terms that Luthor=92s resurrection and possession of Super-powers could not appear in the Daily Planet. So that was how Clark managed to get so many Superman exclusives, she thought suddenly, her brain shooting off on a tangent momentarily. And she really didn=92t want to be anywhere Lex Luthor could find her, in any case, she reminded herself, refocusing on the main reason why she was in Smallville. Then the farmhouse door was flung open and Martha was smiling welcomingly at her. =93Lois, honey, come on in! Are you all right? Clark said you shouldn=92t be= out of the hospital yet...?=94 Guilt made her grimace involuntarily; Martha was being very kind. =93I=92m fine, honestly. My arm=92s okay, I just need to keep a clean dressing on it for the next couple of days.=94 Moving into the kitchen, Lois saw Martha cast her son a quick, questioning glance, and she wondered just how she could have failed to put all the clues together before. She *had* noticed the Kents treating Superman as if he was someone they=92d known well. She should have connected their behaviou= r with the way they treated Clark. =93Clark, you okay?=94 Jonathan Kent=92s concerned voice asked as he joined = the group in the kitchen. =93We saw you had a busy day.=94 =93Yeah, it was rough,=94 Clark agreed, and Lois noticed the weariness in hi= s voice. He sounded depressed, and part of her was able to understand it, as well. After all, she=92d been watching Superman assisting at the disaster scenes. She=92d thought then that it had to be very hard for him to deal wit= h all the loss of life, the devastation, and the pain of the survivors. Too many people had been relying on him; who did he rely on when he needed support? He could have relied on *her,* she reminded herself quickly. If he=92d just once come to her - even if he hadn=92t told her the truth about his identity= - and told her he needed someone to talk to, that would have been a sign that he trusted her as a friend. But instead, as Superman, he had mostly kept his distance apart from the times he=92d engaged in some light flirting= - which, now she knew the truth, was offensive in itself. Deliberately, she switched off as Clark, still in his Superman outfit, talked in a low voice to his parents about the incidents of the day, although she couldn't help hearing part of what he said; it was interesting to hear that he also thought the disasters were Luthor=92s doing. But he didn=92t stay long; only a couple of minutes later his tone altered and he said he needed to be going. =93You take care, honey,=94 Martha urged as she hugged him. =93I will, Mom,=94 Lois heard him promise, and she glanced in his direction again to see him hug Jonathan. Then his gaze was on her, the coldness which she'd seen in his expression at her apartment now completely absent. This was Superman facing her, but the expression, the tone of voice, the look in his eyes was all her partner. =93Lois... we need to talk, but you know we can=92t - not right now. Once Luthor=92s out of the way....=94 He trailed off, gazing at her hopefully. Those melting brown eyes... that yearning look was so familiar to her. How many times had Clark looked at her like that? How many times had she caught a similar expression in Superman=92s eyes before he=92d looked away? She deliberately hardened her heart against his unspoken plea. =93Goodbye, Superman.=94 Getting to her feet, she turned away from him, but = not quickly enough that she missed his flinch at the formal way she addressed him. Ignoring his reaction, and the shock on the faces of his parents, she added that she was tired and would prefer to go to bed, then left the kitchen and headed for the stairs. *************** Young men are so predictable, Lex Luthor reflected as he scanned the interior of Jimmy Olsen=92s apartment. Cans of some noxious substance masquerading as beer, empty boxes which had once contained some variety of fast food, and a vaguely pornographic video playing on the TV. Olsen himself was sprawled on the sofa, one can of beer clutched in his hand, as he stared dumbly at the semi-clad couple writhing on the TV screen. Less than a second later he was standing in a pool of shattered glass in the tiny living-room, his nostrils assailed by several unpleasant smells. Pepperoni pizza mingled with garlic bread and stale beer to create a truly vile aroma. Olsen himself had sprung up from his prone position on the couch, his beer spilling over the floor at the jerky movement. The young man was now staring at the masked, cloaked figure, his expression a mixture of disbelief and fear. =93Who are you...? Get out of here before I call the cops!=94 As if suddenly= mobilised, the young man made a movement towards the telephone. Before even one step had been completed, Luthor was holding Jimmy=92s arms i= n an unyielding grip. =93Don=92t waste your time, Olsen. Now, I require your company, so if you=92re ready we=92ll be leaving.=94 As he prepared to grasp Olsen around the waist, preparatory for leaving the apartment, Luthor noticed the arrested expression on the other man=92s face.= So Olsen wasn=92t as stupid as he=92d imagined after all - the boy was worki= ng out who his captor was. Not that it mattered, Luthor reflected, lifting upwards to fly out of the window. Olsen wouldn=92t be in any position to run= anywhere with tales of the resurrection of Lex Luthor. Ignoring the younger man=92s cries, Luthor flew towards the house Nigel had rented; he=92d left Nigel there a short while earlier, and now all it required was to scare Olsen sufficiently so that he=92d yell for Superman. And that shouldn=92t be difficult, Luthor reflected with a satisfied smile. He didn=92t have a very high opinion of Jimmy: the boy was the office gopher= , he remembered, senior only to that other irritating boy, Jack, who had been a very convenient scapegoat for the Planet bombing. It had been a pleasure to have those two adolescents sent to the printing department, Luthor remembered. Olsen was not especially brave or bright, Luthor remembered; on that night when, much to his chagrin, he and Lois had been held prisoner at the Planet by a gang who were after some buried millions, Olsen had been the one who had evaded capture and who, they=92d hoped, had gone for help; instead, he=92= d ended up being captured by the ringleader. Definitely stupid, Luthor considered. It wouldn=92t take long before he did what was required. Nigel had, as instructed, left a window open on the upper floor of the three-storey building; Luthor flew in through it and then threw Olsen over his shoulder, fireman-like, in a careless movement before striding out of that room and down one flight of stairs. Nigel St John stood waiting in a large reception room, unusually not on the ground floor; but then, in this house, the ground floor was intended primarily for the use of domestic staff. Placed on his feet, Olsen struggled to regain his balance for a moment before staring at Nigel. =93I know you - you worked for Lex Luthor!=94 he exclaimed. =93What am I doing here? And who - =94 Suddenly he broke off and stared at Luthor; Lex could see the disgust and disbelief in the young man=92s expression. =93It is you, Luthor! I didn=92t believe it could be...!=94 Olsen trailed of= f in little more than a whisper, his tone incredulous and horrified. Luthor removed his mask with an exaggerated movement. =93In the flesh, Mr Olsen. Surprised? But you shouldn=92t be. The world has not seen the last of= Lex Luthor.=94 Olsen stood his ground, much to the surprise of Luthor who had not expected such a display of - foolish - courage. =93That=92s a pity,=94 he retorted swiftly. =93How come you can fly?=94 Lex smiled slowly, savouring the moment. =93You see before you SuperLex.=94 = In a sudden movement, he reached for a brass sculpture which stood on an occasional table nearby. With one flick of his wrist the sculpture became a crumpled mass of metal which in no way resembled its original form. The expression of frozen fear on Olsen=92s face was very gratifying, Luthor felt, and he glanced across at Nigel, sharing his pleasure in the moment. =93I=92m sure you can imagine just how easily I could do something similar t= o you, Mr Olsen,=94 Luthor drawled then, turning his attention back to the younger man. Again, a look of fear crossed Olsen=92s face before it was quickly controlled. =93What do you want from me, Luthor?=94 =93Oh, that=92s easy. All I want is for you to request the presence of your friend and protector, Superman.=94 Olsen=92s expression became wary; his gaze flicked in several directions before he replied. =93What makes you think Superman would come for me, even if I did call?=94 =93Simple. All you do is call =91Help, Superman!=92 I believe your flying fr= iend would be here in seconds were you to do that,=94 Luthor explained in deliberately slow tones. Olsen seemed as if he didn=92t quite appreciate the danger he was in, Luthor= considered. Instead of complying immediately with the instruction he=92d bee= n given, the young fool hesitated, biting his lip. =93This is a trap, huh? You= want me to get Superman here and you=92re going to jump him or something, yeah?=94 Luthor thought in irritation. =93Mr Olsen, I suggest you do as I= have asked. I don=92t think you would like what I might do to you if you fai= l to do so.=94 This, it appeared, was the wrong thing to say, for Olsen clenched his jaw and threw Luthor a belligerent stare in response. =93Do what you want to me = - I won=92t call Superman. No way!=94 Furious now, Luthor took a step in Olsen=92s direction, but was halted by Nigel=92s soft cough. A swift, quelling glance in Nigel=92s direction caused= the older man to say softly, =93You need him alive - for now, at any rate, sir.=94 =93Quite right, Nigel,=94 Luthor answered, restraining himself with some difficulty. =93Well, perhaps you may succeed in making our young friend comply with my request. I=92m sure Mr Olsen would not particularly welcome your attentions, so perhaps...?=94 But Nigel apparently did not welcome this suggestion. He recoiled, looking as if the idea repulsed him even more than it might have Jimmy. =93I do have= some standards, Mr Luthor,=94 he answered, in a pained voice. Luthor stepped forward again, grasping Jimmy by the back of his shirt- collar and hoisting him a couple of feet off the floor. =93Scream, damn you!= =94 he barked angrily. But Olsen remained stubbornly mute. After several more attempts, after which Jimmy was lying on the floor clutching his ribs and with blood trickling from a couple of facial cuts, Luthor had to concede defeat. He had never imagined that Olsen would be so stubborn. =93All right, Nigel, we=92ll have to revert to Plan B. I will expect you bac= k in no more than ten minutes.=94 **************** Lois hated him, Clark thought miserably; it was all he could think about for the entire journey back to Metropolis. As if her complete avoidance of his plea for them to talk wasn=92t enough, the way she=92d addressed him as =91Superman=92 instead of Clark made her feelings very clear. He=92d made= a complete mess of everything. He'd been the one entitled to be angry with her, but he'd handled it badly and now he was the one in the wrong. And as a result, he could have lost her friendship, let alone any possibility of a closer relationship. And now he had to concentrate on working out a way to track Luthor down and find out just what he=92d been up to that day. That wasn=92t going to be eas= y. Perhaps it was time to do it the hard way: he'd wondered at some point during that long, traumatic day whether Luthor might not be hiding out somewhere lead-lined. He'd have to scan for places he was unable to see into, or perhaps fly very slowly while listening for Luthor's voice - always assuming the man wasn't alone. So in that case - =93Help! Superman!=94 Someone in distress... His thoughts interrupted, Clark changed his course and headed in the direction of the cry. A man, on a rooftop somewhere... yes, there he was, a tiny figure clinging to the window-ledge of the Metropolis Mercantile Bank. A would-be suicide, possibly? A quick swoop, and the frantic man was being gripped securely by Superman=92s arm, being drifted to the ground. Once his rescuee had been placed safely on the ground, Clark turned to face the man, intending to give him one of Superman=92s patented pep-talks for such occasions. But the words froze on his tongue when he realised that he recognised the grey-haired man in the understated pale grey suit. Lex Luthor=92s personal assistant, accomplice, whatever - the Englishman. Nigel St John. He could lead Clark to Luthor; this was Clark=92s immediate thought, followe= d just as quickly by a warning note. Why would St John appear suddenly out of the blue? And why was he yelling for Superman? This could not possibly be a coincidence. He focused his gaze on St John, his expression forbidding. =93I presume you wanted me for some reason, Mr St John?=94 But the man didn=92t appear at all taken aback. With barely a blink, he produced a small item from his inside jacket pocket. =93I believe you might recognise this, Superman.=94 Clark studied the small plastic card... he did recognise it, because he carried one like it himself every day. It was a press pass. But whose...? Jimmy=92s. His heart sank; Luthor hadn=92t been able to get hold of Lois to = use her as bait this time, so he=92d grabbed Jimmy. Well, Luthor wouldn=92t find it quite so easy this time. If he was prepared to use Jimmy as a human shield, then Superman would have Nigel St John. But as he caught hold of St John, instructing the man to take him to Luthor=92s current hideout, Clark couldn=92t help thinking that Luthor was unlikely to care as much about securing St John=92s freedom or safety than Clark did about Jimmy Olsen=92s. *************** ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 18:37:34 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: No Name Available Subject: Re: Play nice while I'm gone :) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 06/30/2000 5:05:26 PM Eastern Daylight Time, kathybrown91@HOME.COM writes: << considering only *one* person has mentioned 'When Friends Become Lovers' on this listserv. (Subtle HINT! ;)) I didn't think anyone from here had read it yet ... >> Well, that's because I hadn't read it until last night. A bad choice for someone who needs sleep. I couldn't stop and go to bed but kept reading and reading and therefore am suffering a bit from lack of sleep. It's all your fault! :P --Laurie ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 18:57:14 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Yael Kfir Subject: Re: WFBL Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Kathy Brown wrote: << I'm especially pleased to see everyone so interested in WLBM, considering only *one* person has mentioned 'When Friends Become Lovers' on this listserv. (Subtle HINT! ;)) I didn't think anyone from here had read it yet ... >> That's only because your story left us speechless... I've always been a fan of Demi, and only lately have discovered the wonderful stories by Kathy, and I found in the archive a story by both of them I knew I must leave everything and read it (and that's on my graduation week!). I'm not good at explaining why I enjoyed a story, and sometimes it's hard for me to express my admiration in English, so I'll just say that there were times when I had to remind myself to breath. Thank you, ladies - Yael. ----------------------- - Oh, god... - Zod. (Superman II) ----------------------- ______________________________________________ FREE Personalized Email at Mail.com Sign up at http://www.mail.com/?sr=signup